Silver Spring Sprinkles

Power problems again

2010-07-29T19:05:00.003-04:00

Storms, power outages, dark intersections, power lines down across the metro rail tracks, it certainly has been an eventful week here in Silver Spring, MD.

Just when you thought it was safe to move through Silver Spring.... No, it isn't shark week (that's next week, but Chompie has been keeping an eye on things). Today's thunderstorm brought a few more power outages and sent another batch of traffic signals dark. The police had a handle on things here at Colesville Road and East-West Highway this evening. More troubling was how some power lines along Spring Street fell across the metro tracks and a train drove partway over them. No one was hurt but 41 people were stuck on the train. Above them, along Spring St, the police had closed the road, the fire trucks were there, and Pepco was trying to fix things.

Shark! Run!!

2010-07-13T22:00:00.004-04:00

The first week in August is Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. To advertise this they have put a huge inflatable shark sticking through their headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. There are Four parts to it, the head on one end of the building, fins on two of the sides, and a huge tail on the other end of the building. You can see it from all around and it really makes an impression. You can see the head is three stories tall. It is held in place by ropes hanging down from the top of the building and ropes going to heavy jersey barriers sitting on the ground.

Transit center construction fire

2010-05-11T22:29:00.004-04:00

Today around 5:30pm there was a very smoky fire at the transit center construction site next to Silver Spring Metro Station. The fire department was quickly on the scene and put it out. A couple of ambulances showed up, one left with its lights and sirens on, I saw them loading an empty stretcher back onto the other one so it looks to me like there was a single injury.

Have a blast in Silver Spring

2010-02-22T21:13:00.002-05:00

Proof that the Silver Spring Transit Center is progressing: Beginning Monday, February 22 (weather permitting) and continuing for 4 to 6 weeks there will be blasting. This blasting will generally start around 11am and continue through nap time (2pm).

Those in the immediate vicinity of the site may hear a 30-second air horn five minutes before a blast occurs, and then three short horn tones five seconds before the blast explosion. Within about a minute of the blast, a 15-second all clear horn will blow once the Master Blaster verifies the completeness of the blast.

What a great job title "Master Blaster". You can read the full press release.

Mission: Earth - An Exhibition at NOAA

2010-01-30T14:50:00.004-05:00

On February 6th through the 13th between 11 am and 4 pm (except Sunday Feb 7) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is hosting an exhibition about Earth observation science and technology. See some of the tools NOAA uses to study land, sea, and sky as well as hands-on exhibits, guest speakers, and video presentations.

Located in the NOAA Science Center at 1301 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, admission is free. Public parking is available, near the Silver Spring Metro Station, photo ID required for adults. Visit their website for more information and a schedule of events.

Woodside Park renovation

2010-01-07T20:23:00.004-05:00

Woodside Park's much needed renovation/overhaul/remodeling is in full swing. What was once a bunch of broken down playground equipment is on its way to being a shiny new play place.
This part of the playground has partially installed equipment and no surface yet.
One of the play areas is complete and open for use. Bundle up and see how a slide feels when it is below freezing.

It looks like they have only been working on the playground areas so far, not the rest of the park. They are planning on putting a small skateboard area in but haven't started that.

Woodside park is bounded by Georgia Ave, Spring St, and 1st Ave in Silver Spring, MD

Coming soon, More Beer and Wine.

2009-12-16T10:35:00.001-05:00

I just noticed that the little brick building (that looks like a house) on the corner of Fenwick Ln and 1st Ave in Silver Spring, MD is soon to be a new beer and wine store. There is a big banner on the wheelchair ramp that says "Coming Soon, Fenwick Beer and Wine, Coming Soon"

Update Jan 7: It is now open.

T-Rex wishes you a Happy Holiday

2009-12-15T17:23:00.004-05:00

I was at the Discovery Channel building here in Silver Spring, MD the other day and noticed that our friend the T-Rex (does he have a name? I'll have to check) was decked out for Christmas. He has a nice evergreen holiday wreath around his neck with a gold bow.

The old and the New

2009-10-28T21:33:00.000-04:00

Much of Silver Spring, MD is being re-developed, but a lot hasn't been (yet?). This gives us ample opportunity to juxtapose old Silver Spring with new Silver Spring. In the foreground we have trees growing over an old corrugated metal roof, in the background are modern highrise buildings.

A Silver Spring Welcome

2009-10-21T09:29:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Silver Spring, MD. These vaguely fountain like sculptures guard the various entrances to Silver Spring. This one is right on the DC border next to Jessup Blair Park. (photo taken by G. Edward Johnson on September 29, 2009).

Traffic and Lane control

2009-10-16T21:20:00.002-04:00

Oh Traffic, we love you so. I've never really realized how many of the lane control red X's there are. I took this in the morning rush hour looking northbound on Georgia Avenue (MD-97) so the reversible lanes are going in the opposite direction. This little bit of Silver Spring, MD looks a bit more New Jersey than the rest of the area.

2009-08-21T12:05:00.002-04:00

Some time ago FedexKinkos changed it's name to FedexOffice, dropping the Kinkos from its name. The signs on the stores have been slow to be updated though. On Wednesday I was driving past the one on East-West Highway near Colesville Rd and saw them taking the old sign down. On Thursday the new sign was up, a white and blue FedEx Office (or as the put it FedExOffice but I find that hard to read without the colors

Cameron House construction

2009-08-18T22:27:00.004-04:00

Cameron House is an apartment building under construction on Cameron Street, just east of Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, MD. When completed it will have 325 apartments and pretty small 7,330 square feet of retail in it.

This picture was taken on August 10th, you can see that the exterior is mostly completed. There is other construction in the area and the road in front of it is closed and has been for a while.

Shark Week August 2-8

2009-07-31T19:07:00.003-04:00

Only tangentially related to Silver Spring, MD (because Discovery Channel is headquartered there) but I found this ad for the upcoming Shark Week amusing. I never would have thought of comparing elevator buttons to shark's teeth, I guess that is why I am not in advertising.

Watch this space

2009-07-09T22:28:00.003-04:00

This is the future home of the downtown Silver Spring, MD library. Not much to look at now, but this unassuming corner of Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street will one day house a multi-story library. They still haven't decided if there will be a skywalk over Wayne Ave to the garage across the street. This photo was taken on July 7, 2009.

Silver Spring Civic Center construction

2009-07-07T22:19:00.004-04:00

Construction of the civic center in downtown Silver Spring, MD is proceeding, a lot of the steel girders are now up. It is on the corner of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street. (photo taken by G. Edward Johnson on July 7, 2009).

Be careful about parking here

2009-06-25T22:45:00.003-04:00

This small surface parking lot on Silver Spring Avenue in Silver Spring, MD has no fewer than four signs on the same post telling you about parking restrictions. I actually really like the older, rustier, embossed signs.

The historic Silver Spring B & O railroad station

2009-06-24T12:30:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I went to an event at the Silver Spring B and O railroad station, right where the railroad tracks cross over Georgia Avenue in Downtown Silver Spring, MD. Apparently you can rent it for your own events, though I don't exactly know how.

It was built in the mid 1940s and has been restored to look exactly like it did when they were using it. The Silver Spring Historical Society did a great job with the restoration. The lockers are there (the large ones take two dimes) and the phone is an old-style rotary payphone that has separate slots for different coins (I didn't check to see if the phone works).

They occasionally have tours, the next one is July 4th 2009 from 10am to 3pm. You really should go if you have the time.

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