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Silver Spring, Maryland · glenview20902.org

The 3rd Annual Block Party

Thank you, Glenview

About $1,400 in donations

Saturday, August 29 · the 2000 block of Evans Parkway

Neighbors spread across the lawn at Evans Parkway Park on a sunny afternoon, sitting in camp chairs and on blankets under big shade trees, with a line of people at the food tent along the street.

New here? Welcome.

A lot of you signed up at the Block Party, so this may be your first email from the association. Glad to have you. If you also joined the neighborhood listserv, that is a separate, more day-to-day conversation.

Thank you

You brought the block out

Hi neighbors,

We ran the grills, you brought the sides and the desserts, and the afternoon brought in approximately $1,400 in donations for the association. For a volunteer group our size that is a real amount of money.

Thank you to everyone who came out, brought a dish, and stayed to talk. Thank you especially to the neighbors who handled the parts nobody photographs: the ones who showed up early to haul tables and set up the tents, the ones who stayed late to break it all down and clear the block, the ones who ran the grills, and everyone who took a half-hour shift at the membership table so the rest of us could eat.

✦

The day

How it looked

A few from Saturday, roughly in the order the afternoon happened. Nobody did a proper count at the table, but going by the photos it was comfortably more than 120 neighbors across the four hours.

A canopy, two PA speakers on stands and a folding table set up in the middle of an empty Evans Parkway before the party, with a neighbor standing in the road.

Sound check, before anyone arrived.

Two large grills going on the pavement with a neighbor tending them in a red shirt, another neighbor on a mobility scooter chatting alongside, and a crowd on the grass behind.

A serving table with trays of hot dogs and foil-wrapped pans, with neighbors queuing behind it on the grass.

Two grills, and a line for them.

A long white table under a red canopy, covered end to end with covered dishes, condiments and stacks of plates, with neighbors serving themselves.

The potluck table earned its keep. So did the membership table.

Early evening under the big trees: neighbors standing and talking in groups, others sitting on blankets, with the red canopy and grill smoke behind them.

Just before seven, and still going.

Four neighbors standing together on the grass in the evening light, name tags on, drinks in hand.

Two neighbors leaning into a photo together, wearing hand-written name tags, with the tents and the crowd behind them.

Name tags did a lot of work this year.

Three neighbors talking under a canopy at dusk, string lights on overhead.

Lights on, last conversations.

Coming up

Weed Warriors at Evans Parkway Park

Montgomery Parks is running an invasive-plant work crew in the same park, pulling porcelainberry off the trees along Wheaton Branch. Early September is when the vine fruits, so clearing it now keeps this year’s seed from spreading.

The work crew is capped at 10 people, and this email reaches a few hundred households. If you want a spot, register today.

When

Wednesday, September 9 · 8:30–10:30 AM. Come for as much or as little as you can.

Where

Evans Parkway Neighborhood Park. Parks emails the exact meeting spot to everyone who registers.

Who

Ages 16 and up. Pre-approved for MCPS student service learning hours, if you have a high schooler at home.

Wear

Long pants, tall socks, long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, and bring water. Tools are available to borrow.

Check the date on the shift before you submit

And a neighbor’s longer project

Byron Wild, who some of you met on Saturday, is organizing neighbors to push the county on stormwater management in the Wheaton Branch watershed. If peak flow can be brought down, the stream could eventually be naturalized from Bucknell Drive up to Windham Lane. He would like to hear from anyone who wants to learn more, ask questions, or help: freethestream20902@gmail.com.

Next up

Fall Membership Meeting

Thursday, October 1 · 7:00–8:30 PM

Glen Haven Elementary School

Most of the evening goes to the Wheaton Master Plan, with Maren Hill of Montgomery Planning on hand to gather neighborhood feedback. We will also cover how the association is doing and hear what you want the board working on.

See all events →

Keep it going: $25 per household

Dues are annual, and separate from the donations collected at the Block Party. They fund events like this one, along with outreach, signage and printing, and reaching the many neighbors who still have not heard the association exists.

Pay dues online →

Already paid your dues for the year? You are all set — thank you for keeping this going.

We hope to see a few of you down at the stream on Wednesday, and all of you on October 1.

Warm regards,
The Glenview Neighborhood Association Board
Glenview20902.org

Glenview Neighborhood Association

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