North Woodside’s 2024 Menorah and Tree Lighting. Scroll down to view more photos.
In spite of the ominous weather forecast, the 76th (or perhaps longer) annual NWCA Menorah and Tree Lighting event went on as planned on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
The rain abated and a good number of neighbors gathered to eat latkes and drink hot cider, hear beautiful choral holiday songs by the Tree Singers, and have a visit with and treats from Santa!
Also attending the event was Maryland State Senator Jeff Waldstreicher and neighbors from the Lyttonsville and Rosemary Hills.
They say that many hands make for light work. That is true!
Many thanks to the many neighbors who contributed to the event in one or more of the following ways: led and participated in the Tree Singers, shared the story of Hanukkah, said the blessing and lit the menorah, made delicious latkes and cider, strung the lights on the tree, got PEPCO to turn on the electricity, helped with set up and clean up and serving food, took photos and more! Thanks also to Snider’s for donating the oranges. And to Santa ;).
If anyone who attended but didn’t have money to donate, you can make a donation via the NWCA website here. (Choose “Holiday Fund” from the drop down menu.)
Pat Tyson (Lyttonsville), Genevieve McDowell Owen (North Woodside), and Eva Santorini (Rosemary Hills) light a community Unity Lantern at the 2022 Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk. Photo by Jay Mallin
by Genevieve McDowell Owen
As the crisp air and falling leaves signal the arrival of autumn, our neighborhood is beginning to glow with the enchanting colors of the season. Fall and winter bring back beloved North Woodside traditions, both new and old, along with change.
The opening of the new Talbot Avenue Bridge is one of the changes coming. This important link between the North Woodside, Lyttonsville, and Rosemary Hills neighborhoods is scheduled to be finished and open to traffic around the new year. Residents will hopefully get a chance to walk the new bridge before that, though, during the upcoming Lantern Walk. I especially enjoy this newer neighborhood tradition; walking and singing in the warmth of candlelight and community. Plus I enjoy the opportunity to talk with the local elected officials who typically attend.
The Lantern Walk, scheduled for November 11 at 5pm (rain date November 12), commemorates the historic Talbot Avenue Bridge and serves as a bridge of remembrance that connects our past and future. I encourage everyone to participate in this event, which not only honors the historical importance of the bridge but also fittingly takes place during Montgomery County’s Remembrance and Reconciliation month, a time to “remember the past and dedicate ourselves anew to the work of justice and reconciliation through action.”
Just across the bridge another change is in the works: a new Lyttonsville park*, situated just on the other side of the Purple Line tracks from North Woodside. This welcome addition promises to be a space where neighbors can come together, play, enjoy the outdoors, and see restored parts of the historic bridge. I also look forward this time of year to seeing neighbors new and old at one of our long-time traditions, the Holiday Tree and Menorah Lighting festivities. Keep an eye out for more details about these events coming up in December. In the meantime, happy Halloween!
Genevieve McDowell Owen is President of the North Woodside Citizens Association. This “Letter from the President” ran in the Fall 2023 issue of NWCA’s neighborhood newsletter, The Beacon.
*On September 7, 2023, the Montgomery County Planning Board voted to approve the design of the future neighborhood park in Lyttonsville, which, when completed, will be the closest park to many North Woodside residents. Pat Tyson, President of the Lyttonsville Civic Association, and Anna White, a NWCA board member, were among the many community members and groups who provided oral and written testimony in support of the park. It will feature a Bridge Memorial made from the historic Talbot Avenue Bridge’s steel girders. For more information, including NWCA’s written and oral testimony, click here.
Begun in 2018, the Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk is an annual local community event that weaves together neighborhoods once divided by racial segregation. All are welcome! Come join us in shining our lights in the darkness, promoting unity over division, remembering the past and taking steps toward a brighter future…
WHEN:Saturday, November 13, 2021 Gather at 5:15pm, Lantern Walk will commence at 5:30pm
WHERE:4th Avenue and Hanover Street (North Woodside) to Talbot Avenue and Lanier Road (Lyttonsville), via Brookville Road See below for three different ways to participate View route
BRING: Warm clothing, a lantern, and a bell to ring, if you have one Any type of lantern will do, from a tea light candle in a glass jar to something more elaborate, either handmade or store-bought. You can find many ideas online. If you have the time and energy, you are encouraged to get creative! Extra lanterns and tea light candles will be available for anyone who needs them.
For more information, any event updates, and to RSVP for this event visit: bit.ly/TABLanternWalk
Questions? Contact the Talbot Avenue Bridge Committee (consisting of Lyttonsville, North Woodside, and Rosemary Hills residents): talbotavenuebridgecommittee@gmail.com
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
1) Join for the whole lantern walk. As the route is again not a loop, as in previous years, this means that North Woodside residents will need to walk back or have someone pick them up in Lyttonsville.
2) Join for a portion of the lantern walk. For example, some North Woodside residents could join for the portion that goes through the neighborhood (e.g. 4th Ave -> Warren St/A Wider Circle)
3) Watch the lantern walk pass by. Neighbors who live along the route can come out of their homes to watch, wave, and hold a candle or lantern of their own in solidarity. Neighbors who live elsewhere can come stand along the lantern walk route and do the same.
Safety Precautions: Any young children who participate should be closely supervised by adults. And all participants are encouraged to RSVP ahead of time, so we have a good sense of expected numbers and can adjust safety precautions accordingly.
Video of the inaugural Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk (2018):
Two North Woodside residents light their lantern candles before the commencement of the 3rd Annual Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk on November 14, 2020.
As darkness fell, North Woodside, Lyttonsville, and Rosemary Hills neighbors walked—carrying lanterns, ringing bells, and listening to a recording of This Little Light of Mine—along the mile route from one side of the Talbot Avenue Bridge construction site in North Woodside to the other in Lyttonsville, neighborhoods once divided by racial segregation. Lifelong Lyttonsville resident Charlotte Coffield came out and waved as the procession passed by, and David Cox, NWCA President, and Pat Tyson (Lyttonsvillle) joined those who shared eloquent remarks at the end.
The new Talbot Avenue Bridge in September 2020, before construction halted.
Seminary Road Intersection
The bulk of the road construction work on this project will be completed in early November. Sometime within the next six months, trees and plants will be planted.
The portion of Seminary Road between Seminary Road and Seminary Place, which is now physically a continuation of 2nd Avenue, will be officially renamed 2nd Avenue.
The new traffic lights will be operational in early November and the county will then recalibrate the timing. Also, at that time the new streetlights will begin to work.
Talbot Avenue Bridge
As of Oct. 16, 2020, all construction stopped on the bridge. Due to the inconvenience and the eyesore of the partially built structure, Lyttonsville and Rosemary Hills neighborhood associations sent a letter to Gov. Hogan and other public officials requesting that Talbot Avenue Bridge construction be prioritized in Purple Line activities. After consultation with the members of the Traffic and Safety Committee, the NWCA Board sent a letter of support that also stated the following:
“As we foresee a greatly increased volume of traffic once the Talbot Bridge is opened, the North Woodside Association also wants to take this opportunity to remind Montgomery County, specifically the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, of its commitment, made to us last January and February in a public meeting and follow up emails, that once the Bridge is reopened the County will work with all three of our neighborhoods to mitigate any traffic disruptions.”
We believe that with the support of Lyttonsville and Rosemary Hills, we will obtain the traffic mitigations we’ll request in the future.
The approval of almost all types of mitigation requests is based on traffic-volume studies. So it would be wise to wait for the bridge to be open a few months and for the pandemic to have passed before requesting such a study.
2nd Avenue
Residents on 2nd Avenue have concerns about traffic speed and volume, particularly regarding pedestrian safety. The Traffic and Safety Committee will follow up with the county to request a review of all options for better traffic control and pedestrian protection.
— by Merrie Blocker and Julie Lees, Co-chairs, Traffic and Safety Committee
Hundreds of residents of Rosemary Hills, Lyttonsville, and North Woodside gathered in June for a candlelight vigil in memory of George Floyd, a Black man murdered by Minneapolis police. Participants were silent for 8 minutes 46 seconds, the length of time an officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck. His last words: I can’t breathe.
Before Calling the Police, Ask Yourself:
1. Is this merely an inconvenience to me? → Can I put up with this and be okay?
2. No, I need to respond. → Can I handle this on my own? Is this something I could try to talk out with the person?
3. No, I need backup. → Is there a friend, neighbor, or someone whom I could call to help me?
4. No, I need a professional. → Can we use mediation to talk through what’s happening, or is there an emergency response hotline I could call?
5. No. → If I call the police, do I understand how involving the police could impact me and the other person? If police are present do I know what to do? See below for some alternatives
Alternatives to Calling Police
And Ways to Help in Montgomery County
Mediation: Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County 301-652-0717, Mon.–Fri. 9:30 am–4:30 pm, or submit an online request. Mediation is a free, confidential, nonjudgmental, and voluntary process to develop solutions to conflict.
Mental Health: Montgomery County 24 Hour Crisis Center 240-777-4000 Provides services 24 hours/day year-round. Mobile Crisis Outreach will respond anywhere within Montgomery County to provide emergency psychiatric evaluations. Full crisis assessments and treatment referrals are provided for psychiatric and situational crises.
Victim Support and Sexual Assault: Montgomery County Victim and Sexual Assault Program (VASAP) 240-777-4357, 24-hours/day Information and referral, advocacy, crisis and ongoing counseling, support and compensation services for victims of crimes committed in Montgomery County or crime victims who live in Montgomery County, as well as to the victims’ families and significant others.
The historic Talbot Avenue Bridge has been demolished and the new one is yet to be built, so the 2nd Annual Lantern Walk honored the legacy of the Bridge connecting adjoining neighborhoods, while not actually crossing over it.
On Saturday, November 9, 2019, neighbors from Lyttonsville, North Woodside, and Rosemary Hills and friends gathered at dusk behind the Coffield Community Center for a few remarks and lighting of lanterns. As darkness fell, they carried their lights in a procession around the Rosemary Hills-Lyttonsville Local Park, returning to where they started for light refreshments and hot beverages. See below for a gallery of photos taken by Jay Mallin.
Many thanks to North Woodside’s local community artist extraordinaire, Bertie LoPiccolo, for leading a lantern-making workshop at the Coffield Community Center earlier in the day. Both events were organized by the Talbot Avenue Bridge Committee.
See photos of last year’s inaugural Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk and Lantern-Making Workshop here.
Michael Paylor, MCDOT, fielding a plethora of questions from local residents.
by Julie Lees, Traffic & Safety Committee
Neighbors from North Woodside, Lyttonsville, and Rosemary Hills met on January 13th with Michael Paylor, Chief of Traffic Engineering, Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT). The goal was to develop a common understanding of potential traffic issues stemming from the new Talbot Ave. Bridge and the county’s plan for traffic calming and pedestrian safety.
Julie Lees, co-chair of the North Woodside Traffic and Safety Committee, began the meeting with an outline of concerns, noting that the wider two-lane bridge will potentially increase vehicular speed and may attract more vehicles, especially from out-of-area drivers. There is particular concern about pedestrian and cyclist safety in the area where the pedestrian/cyclist trail crosses the two lanes of traffic on the bridge at 4th Ave.
Michael Paylor discussed the county’s current plan for traffic control around the bridge and responded to audience questions and comments. The plan is to reestablish a three-way stop at the 4th Ave. end of the bridge. Mr. Paylor said he understood that the Purple Line was responsible for traffic mitigation on the bridge, but was told during the meeting that the state has explicitly stated that traffic mitigation and safety was the responsibility of the county. A recurring theme was the challenge of enforcement. Signs alone do not change driver behavior.
Audience members suggested a raised crosswalk for the trail, which Mr. Paylor said was feasible. There were questions about pedestrian-activated lights. There are two types of lights—one linked to a stoplight and one that sets off a blinking yellow light. Mr. Paylor said the former was a poor fit for our needs due to the short distance on the bridge. There were questions about design options that could slow vehicles, such as the bump outs on Dale Dr. and at Spring and Second. The bump outs can be done at the request of the neighborhood association in conjunction with county traffic engineers.
Vehicle Access Restriction, which requires a specific percentage of out-of-area traffic, was discussed as an option. Examples of VAR include the restrictions on Second Ave. access in Woodside during rush hour. Mr. Paylor noted that VAR restricts turns or entrance for residents as well as out-of-area vehicles. In the three- neighborhood area, examples include one-way access to the bridge during rush hour or restrictions on feeder streets such as Grace Church at 16th St. No recommen-dations or preferences were noted.
Geoff Gerhardt, NWCA vice president, asked that MCDOT provide our neighborhoods with a list of traffic mitigation and safety options for our consideration. This was met with audience applause. Mr. Paylor agreed to this request and said he would be meeting with his staff to discuss our suggestions and concerns.
Lyttonsville, North Woodside, and Rosemary Hills neighbors mingle, check out the Talbot Avenue Bridge map, and ask questions of Michael Paylor, MCDOT, after the meeting.
The traffic committee has made some headway on the Talbot Avenue Bridge design issue—the fencing will now be faux-wrought iron backed by chain-link over CSX tracks (two-thirds) and by plexiglass over Purple Line tracks (one-third). Previous designs featured plexiglass across the entire bridge and, later, only chain link over the CSX tracks. Note: The plexiglass and chain link in the current design are elements required by Purple Line and CSX standards.
We are also working with Lyttonsville and Rosemary Hills to set up traffic mitigation discussions with Montgomery County Department of Transportation for when the new Talbot Bridge opens. Stay tuned for future meeting notices.
Neighbors who are interested in working on the Traffic and Safety Committee on these and other traffic/pedestrian safety issues can contact the co-chairs.
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