The annual Holiday Tree Lighting* and Hanukkah Celebration will be on Sunday, December 14, 4:45 pm, at the Luzerne/Glen Ross island. Note: Rain date is Monday, December 15, 6:00 pm.
The celebration begins at sundown with the lighting of the menorah, a holiday singalong and tree lighting, visit from Santa Claus, and refreshments, including latkes (potato pancakes) and hot cider. Scroll down for the program and song sheet.
The first night of Hanukkah this year is December 14, so the first candle of the neighborhood menorah will be lit that evening and lighting the remaining candles will continue for eight nights. If you would like to help with setting up or cleaning up, preparing refreshments, posting street closure signs, or any other aspect of this event, please contact Melinda Frederick, program coordinator.
SSL service hours will be available to MCPS students who volunteer for this event.
The NWCA community will be notified via the listserv of any event updates. Donations to defray the costs will be gratefully received at the event or online.
Singers Wanted: Our Tree Singers group performs holiday music at the above event, and we’re always looking for new members. It is a cappella four-part harmony, so some choral experience and music reading skill is helpful. I can give you music in advance. We usually have two rehearsals in the weeks leading up to the event. If you are interested in joining us, please contact me. Thank you! – Julie Lees
* Recent historic newspaper research suggests that this year is the 99th anniversary of the first community holiday tree lighting in 1926. Wow, the tradition is much older than we realized!
The Traffic Committee has been working with Oscar Yen, a traffic operations engineer at the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), to review traffic-control and pedestrian-safety measures in North Woodside. Following is an update on the issues we’ve discussed and their status:
Glen Ross, 3rd, Warren, and Lanier: To improve visibility in the intersection, MCDOT is working on the bump out at the corner of Glen Ross and 3rd. Neighbors in adjacent homes have been contacted, and the plan has been approved.
Columbia: a. To fix the stop sign at the exit of the public parking lot, MCDOT sent an email to Montgomery County Parking Department, which maintains the parking lot. b. A new stop sign was installed at Rookwood.
Intersection of Luzerne and Columbia: The committee suggested adding a crosswalk given the church, day care center, school bus stop, and traffic volume. But MCDOT determined that additional traffic control is not necessary because adequate sight lines allow pedestrians to see approaching vehicles and sufficient gaps in traffic allow crossing safely at this location. Nor will MCDOT install a crosswalk, but a work order has been sent to the shop to relocate the “No Parking/Permit Parking” sign to increase the sight line.
Neighbors: If you can photograph overparking and/or pedestrians unable to cross safely at Luzerne and Columbia, you may help us focus MCDOT’s attention on this problem.*
2nd and Luzerne pedestrian-safety issues, according to MCDOT: a. All the crosswalk striping work orders were sent to the shop and forwarded to the pavement contractor. b. Visibility of the stop signs is adequate. c. Oscar had not been made aware of previous lighting concerns, but he will check to see if the streetlight at this intersection has been upgraded to LED.
2001 Glen Ross: A work order has been sent to the shop to remove the “No Thru Trucks Over 10,000 G.V.W.R.” sign. (G.V.W.R. = Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
Grace Church: MCDOT will not install a 25-mph speed limit sign because it would stand too close to the 15-mph advisory sign for the speed humps. (Note: Hanover has a 25-mph speed limit sign that was installed in error, but it will not be removed.)
Stratton traffic circle: MCDOT states that a work order will be created to add yield signs along all approaches to the circle. In addition, Oscar will check the parking and no-parking zones within the circle; no parking should be allowed within the circle or 35 feet approaching it. Existing signs designate permit parking and time-of-day parking restrictions.
Additional Stratton issues, according to MCDOT: A study can be conducted to see if speed humps are warranted. Oscar will request a 48-hour speed/volume assessment. Another measure to handle cut-through traffic is access restrictions, which will also apply to residents.
a. Bump outs and chicanes are not feasible on this street because it is narrow and vehicles park on both sides.d b. MCDOT does not install “Children at Play” or “Traffic Calming Zone” signs. c. Oscar will check both ends of Stratton for speed limit signs. If absent, they can be added. d. 2nd at Stratton: MCDOT cannot install pedestrian signs (indicating pedestrian activity) for vehicles turning right from 2nd onto Stratton. Such signs are installed only at an unprotected crosswalk on the same roadway; here the crosswalk is on Stratton—not 2nd. Oscar noted that traffic law requires motorists to stop for pedestrians once they are already standing in a crosswalk; pedestrians waiting on the curb do not have the right-of-way.
Most people zip past the intersection of Glen Ross Rd. and 2nd Ave., but there’s good reason to slow down and take notice of some interesting objects at the house on the northwest corner. Nancy Hope, who lives here with her husband, Ben, and their three daughters, grew up in that house.
On the lawn you’ll see farm implements, including a traditional plow, a horse-drawn corn planter, a fertilizer plow, a seeder, and a well pump, as well as wagon wheels and a windmill. (More about the latter below.) Nancy’s grandfather used them on the family farm in Pound, Virginia. Her dad, Grover Helton, brought them from the farm in the late 1970s after his father passed away.
During World War II, Grover served as an army medic. After moving to Silver Spring, he worked at Carriage Hill Nursing Home (now Regency Care of Silver Spring) on 2nd Ave. His wife, Charlotte, was also a nurse there, and they bought the house on Glen Ross to live close to their work.
Sadly, as is often the experience of immigrants and people considered “others,” Nancy’s family encountered hostility from neighbors who did not like the farm implements. They made unkind comments and left notes that “hillbillies should go back to the hills.” Had those neighbors gotten to know the Heltons, they would have discovered that Grover was a jazz-loving decorated WWII veteran. Although deeply hurt, the Helton family grew emboldened.
Nancy’s mother kept the notes as a reminder of the family’s “no-BS attitude:” Stand up for yourself, and remember that no one can tell you who you are—or what you can do. In defiance, her father added the windmill and wagon wheels as borders for flower beds.
Over the years, Ben has restored the farm implements, which he carefully and continually maintains. More than unique lawn décor, they represent a piece of family history that Nancy, Ben, and their children appreciate to this day.
NWCA Board has approved a proposal from Kellie Cox of Strawberry Fields, LLC to provide a master plan landscape design for the county right-of-way space at the intersection of Luzerne Ave. and Glen Ross Rd. where the community tree sits. Neighbors, please use this form to provide your input to the Community Design Committee and landscape designer for the project.
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING – Friday, March 17, 2023 at noon
In addition to using this form, all North Woodside neighbors are invited to a virtual meeting with Kellie Cox to learn more about the project and ask questions. Please email Cheryl for the Zoom link.
The young members of the North Woodside Roots & Shoots group so much loved creating the neighborhood Thankful Tree in the fall that they wanted to do a similar participatory community art project every season.
It remains to be seen if the group can reach that ambitious goal, but they are now halfway there with the unveiling of the Neighborhood Valentine Tree (aka Community Tree).
Roots & Shoots members invite all neighbors to visit the Community Tree Triangle*, reflect on what they love about the neighborhood, and add a heart to the tree.
Extra hearts and markers for writing are in a plastic box under the tree. If the extra hearts run out, feel free to write on the backside of hearts already hanging on the tree.
The Neighborhood Valentine Tree will be on display through the end of February.
More Fun: Go on a Neighborhood Heart Scavenger Hunt! In addition to the hearts decorating the Neighborhood Valentine Tree, 30+ hearts have been placed throughout the neighborhood. There is at least one along every street in the neighborhood, including along most, but not all, blocks. How many can you spot?
The NWCA Community Design Committee formed in early 2021. Our original discussions focused on the location of a memorial bench, but our goal was and remains to take a broader look at the use of neighborhood green spaces. We are interested in placemaking within the shared publicly owned pieces of land that are part of the fabric of North Woodside.
There are areas within our neighborhood that are imbued with memory as places for community interactions. One of these is the triangle at the intersection of Luzerne Ave. and Glen Ross Rd. where the community tree sits. It has served for decades as the place where neighbors come together to celebrate winter holidays. In the summer of 2020 it was where our youth called neighbors to action. And popular food trucks popped up alongside it in 2021. Alas, those moments, when the community injects the space with energy, are brief and few. The minimally maintained triangle is forgettable at best, and not many neighbors are drawn there during other times of the year. This place could be so much more than it is! At the urging of an adjacent neighbor, the Community Design Committee has begun to address this opportunity.
The land that we are referring to as the Community Tree Triangle is owned by Montgomery County and maintained by the Department of Transportation (MCDOT). Community Design Committee members have already been in communication with our assigned project contact (our county arborist) and a MCDOT traffic engineer. These officials appear very willing to approve NWCA’s efforts to improve the site. We’ve learned that permits will not be required, but county review of a design and coordination of its implementation are. We will maintain regular communications with the various county entities to ensure that improvements can move forward.
With the approval of the NWCA Board, members of the Community Design Committee solicited proposals for a master plan from three local women-owned landscape design firms. We met with each firm at the triangle and shared the following guidelines for the design:
Replace the grass with plantings of native species sourced from environmentally conscious growers and suppliers to attract pollinators and provide food and cover for birds. Consider the educational opportunity these types of plantings could offer the community.
Maintain and possibly enhance the use of the area for the annual neighborhood holiday tree and menorah lighting events.
Consider features like stepstone pathways to invite the community to engage in the space.
Consider sight lines for traffic safety throughout the year.
Long-term maintenance should be minimal.
The NWCA Board voted to approve the proposal from Strawberry Fields
After careful review and input from the committee, the NWCA Board voted to approve the proposal from Strawberry Fields Design, LLC, to provide master plan landscape design services. Strawberry Fields was selected for its experience working with Montgomery County and on community projects of similar scope and scale and previous work in our neighborhood. Owner Kellie Cox is communicative, engaging, and knowledgeable. The board agreed to move forward with this investment in the design for a piece of land within our neighborhood because of the potential impacts on the community as a whole: visual, environmental, safety, and use.
Neighbors will be invited to engage in the design at key points in the process:
Prior to the landscape design work beginning, neighbors will be able to provide input via an online form and participate in a neighborhood meeting to chat with the designer, ask questions, and offer their ideas.
Once Strawberry Fields has developed a preliminary design plan, the Community Design Committee would share it with neighbors for further input at a meeting and/or via the neighborhood listserv and website.
It would also be shared with our county contacts for their review and input.
Strawberry Fields would take all the above input into consideration before finalizing a master plan.
The timeline for all of this will be sent out via the listserv in the coming months. We look forward to hearing what our neighbors would like to see happen with our shared space in the heart of our community!
The landscape master plan is a first step in making the Community Tree Triangle a more special place for our North Woodside community. Implementing that plan will require funding to turn drawings into plants and stepstones and flowers. At almost 2,200 square feet, this is a large area. The cost to achieve our goal is not yet known, but we can anticipate that it could be substantial. Rest assured that the Community Design Committee is already exploring ways to meet the challenge, such as grant opportunities, work parties, fundraising initiatives, and phasing the work to implement as funds become available.
Donations are always appreciated as an investment in our shared community design efforts. Interested neighbors may go to visit the NWCA donation page and follow instructions for contribution to the Neighborhood Beautification and Memorial Fund.
If discussions about the potential improvements to our neighborhood green spaces interest you, please join our Community Design Committee email list.
On December 18, 2022, neighbors gathered at the Community Tree Triangle for the 74th Annual Tree Lighting and 5th Annual Menorah Lighting and enjoyed hot cider and latkes. Photo by Phyllida Paterson
To all who celebrate the various holidays of the season…Happy Hanukkah!…Happy Solstice!…Merry Christmas!…Happy Kwanzaa!…Happy New Year!
Here are a few photos of last weekend’s community Menorah Lighting, which was followed by the community Tree Lighting and a visit from Santa. Photos by Genevieve McDowell Owen, Phyllida Paterson, and Rebecca Doran
Many thanks to all the neighbors who contributed their time, talents and resources to the event. It takes a village!
And for those who missed, a new song sung at the event:
Woodside Wassail (words by David Kitzmiller)
Wassail, wassail, all over the town! Our punch, it is red, and our cookies, they are brown. The goodies are spread by the old Christmas tree, From the wassailing bowl, we’ll drink to thee!
Here’s to North Woodside Civic so good, Which strives to keep order in this neighborhood. From 16th to Linden, all’s well we will say; So we’re gathered together to brighten this day!
Wassail, wassail all over Woodside! Remember your neighbors in this wintertide. At Luzerne and Glen Ross, we’ll now light our tree, From the wassailing bowl, we’ll drink to thee!
Light and love to all. And stay warm–the northern winds sure are a blowin’ out there!
Sunday, December 18th at 4:45pm Glen Ross Rd. & Luzerne Ave.
Join us to learn about Hanukkah, sing, eat latkes, and light the menorah. Then, more singing, lighting the tree, a visit from Santa Claus, and hot cider.
Adding a bump out and a stop sign will convert this intersection to an all-way stop. Image provided by Oscar Yen, MCDOT
The NWCA Traffic Committee and six neighbors met with Oscar Yen, an engineer in the Traffic Engineering Studies Section of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), on April 13 to review pedestrian safety and traffic-calming measures at key neighborhood intersections.
Read on for highlights from his summary evaluation and recommendations, which include conducting a speed study on Luzerne near Louis and preparing a work order to add crosswalks with proper striping and/or stop-bar markings at the intersections listed below. (MCDOT will also perform another traffic study for all-way stop controls and other traffic-calming mitigations once Woodlin Elementary School and the Talbot Ave. bridge reopen and heavier traffic resumes.)
Louis and Luzerne Examine the feasibility of a curb bump out on Louis at the stop sign and trim foliage blocking the stop sign and the east leg approach of Luzerne.
Louis-Glen Ross-3rd-Warren Build a bump out at the southeast corner of the intersection of 3rd Ave. and Glen Ross Rd. to convert this intersection to an all-way stop control and address the no-stop condition for Warren St.
Luzerne-Louis-Lanier Create a bump out to reconfigure the intersection to a 90-degree T-shape, and possibly relocate the stop sign to increase its visibility.
Hanover and 3rd Readjust the crooked stop signs and research a more visible location for the sign on Hanover near the fire hydrant.
Grace Church and 3rd Add stop-bar street markings to help draw attention to existing stop signs, especially when foliage obscures them.
Talbot Ave. Bridge MCDOT will conduct a traffic study once the bridge reopens and evaluate for additional traffic-calming measures.
On February 16, 2022, many neighbors tuned into an online training by Kirsten L. Crase, PhD, University of Maryland, on how to research the history of their homes. The training inspired a search of historic newspaper digital archives for articles related to the neighborhood. Among many fascinating finds, neighbors uncovered a plethora of original advertisements for North Woodside homes. Can you find these homes today?
Source: Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. Dates/Pages (left to right): September 15, 1928, Page 23; August 21, 1936, Page 16; September 6, 1930, Page B2; April 25, 1931, Page B2.
Many of the old North Woodside advertisements, such as the large one above, tout the “exclusive” nature of the community and “the protection of its sensible restrictions,” not-so-subtle allusions to racially restrictive deed covenants.
For more information on researching the history of your home:
Welcome to North Woodside 