Comments on Silver Spring, Singular: Potential Polish for Parade

WashingtonGardener, my experience was the same.I t...

2009-11-27T10:11:20.559-05:00

WashingtonGardener, my experience was the same.I talked to several kids at a nearby school (SSI, right down Wayne Ave.) as well as a bunch of kids who are often downtown, who had not heard about the parade.

It is charming but naive to think that "marketing"...

2009-11-26T10:42:40.570-05:00

It is charming but naive to think that "marketing" would bring people from Bethesda or Potomac to Silver Spring.

They do believe they would be carjacked, robbed, stripped of their designer clothing and dumped in some horrifying neighborhood lacking a Starbucks should they venture west of Connecticut Avenue.

As GOP council candidate Mary Kane said in a revealing comment a few years back when discussing the Purple Line, there's no need (in the view of those in the west county) to travel from Bethesda to Silver Spring.

I have no quibble with most ideas about improving Silver Spring including tearing down City Place. Immediately. But this is really a Silver Spring parade, despite the Moco label, so it can be allowed to reflect Silver Spring reality. Chains and all.

Sligo - A. the parade originated as an SS traditio...

2009-11-25T15:01:20.406-05:00

Sligo -
A. the parade originated as an SS tradition down what is now Fenton Village
B. no one outside of SS seems to know jack about this parade - I asked my friends in G-burg, Hillandale, Bethesda, etc. if they were planning on attending - NONE had heard a whisper about it - even folks within walking distance here in SS/TP mainly are unaware of it 'cept if they were caught in the traffic or detours that morn - sad.
First thing it needs is county-wide, sustained publicity.

Sounds like the attitude some people have towards ...

2009-11-25T12:10:12.753-05:00

Sounds like the attitude some people have towards "local" restaurants. Because it isn't a chain, quality standards are irrelevant. Besides, it's not Silver Spring's parade, it's Montgomery County's.

Oh, I am completely opposed to "quality control." ...

2009-11-25T12:08:39.363-05:00

Oh, I am completely opposed to "quality control." This is a hometown parade for Silver Spring and it does not need to be over-managed like everything else in Montgomery County. Leave the parade alone!

As an aside congestion in the parking lot was a ni...

2009-11-24T23:43:49.505-05:00

As an aside congestion in the parking lot was a nightmare following the parade. My wife and I sat in our car not moving for 15 minutes before pulling back into the parking spot we had vacated and walking the 2 miles to our house ... which wasn't so bad since it was a nice day out, but trust me there were a lot of unhappy people stuck in that parking garage.

I skipped the parade this year mostly because I wa...

2009-11-24T23:16:14.783-05:00

I skipped the parade this year mostly because I was bitter that last year when I was on penguin duty it was freeeeezing. So I boycotted by cozying up to coffee at Mayorga (where, unfortunately, the frother broke). But I think your suggestions are sound. What I love though is that so much of it is kinda homespun, and I'd hate to lose that element. I really enjoy our blog, btw!

Even better... Zombie clowns: http://left4dead2.or...

2009-11-24T21:33:43.125-05:00

Even better... Zombie clowns: http://left4dead2.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/left4dead2_clown.jpg

More animals and zombies, definitely, and I agree ...

2009-11-24T17:51:01.066-05:00

More animals and zombies, definitely, and I agree we could use fewer of the folk dance troupes. But otherwise I think it's cute that it's so unpolished and small-town.

The real question though: where's the Local Bloggers float?

Yeah, because NO crime happens amd no peds are hit...

2009-11-24T15:52:41.541-05:00

Yeah, because NO crime happens amd no peds are hit in our local parking garages... Ahem.
Back to the parade improvement ideas - more animals, more candy, fewer emergency vehicles, and no "classic cars" that are post-1970.
Can we also combine Beauty Queens and politicians into shared car-pooks in the parade? That way everyone can say "who is that?" and "never heard of them" in unison?

Actually, it looked like they had recruited a bunc...

2009-11-24T15:37:52.572-05:00

Actually, it looked like they had recruited a bunch of kids to march in support of the bridge.

The library bridge supporters in the parade weren'...

2009-11-24T15:37:13.746-05:00

The library bridge supporters in the parade weren't trying to cross Wayne Avenue with lots of traffic and Purple Line trains while toting heavy bags of books and herding small children.

It isn't surprising that there were dozens of bridge supporters in the parade. A lot of Silver Spring library users are pretty frustrated about it being much more of a pain to get to the new library than it is to get to the current library. A bridge to make it easier (and safer) to get to the library -- which will be on the third floor of the new building -- from the parking garage will help a lot.

I was most annoyed by the fire engines blaring the...

2009-11-24T13:45:31.731-05:00

I was most annoyed by the fire engines blaring their sirens right in front of the spectators. I understand that they want to show off, but I think it was only harming themselves - and children's ears. I almost walked up to them to point it out.

These suggestions are solid. (I, too, noticed the ...

2009-11-24T13:39:28.327-05:00

These suggestions are solid. (I, too, noticed the truck for Southern Management Corporation, wherein a banner had been tossed over the logo of an apartment complex in Oxon Hill.) Though, as the driver of one of the County Councilmembers in the parade, I'd argue that very few of them would willingly give up the personal spotlight for an admittedly hilarious Council Chambers mockup float.

The title "Parade Fuhrer" does have an unsettling ...

2009-11-24T12:51:46.025-05:00

The title "Parade Fuhrer" does have an unsettling quality to it...

Personally, I think we could use less of the Latin...

2009-11-24T12:15:53.481-05:00

Personally, I think we could use less of the Latin American dance troupes, or use consolidation so they're all together. It's great the first few times, but there must have been 5 or 6 troupes in the parade, with the same costumes and dances. It gets a little repetitive after awhile.

"even proponents of the library pedestrian bridge ...

2009-11-24T11:46:04.500-05:00

"even proponents of the library pedestrian bridge had dozens of people in the parade (yet they can't cross a street?)"

BAM! Well done.

PS, No blockquote tag support? Thanks for that, blogger.com!