Free concerts in Wheaton Friday, July 12, and 3 other Fridays through late August

Photo credit http://wheatonmd.org website.

Today on the Wheaton MD Facebook page I saw that there will be a free summer concert series in the Wheaton Triangle!  This sort of fun activity is exactly what Wheaton needs.  The location is a nice grassy space just across the street from the Wheaton Metro station and next to a large parking lot.

The Nighthawks kick-off the TGIF concert series this Friday, July 12 at 6:30PM. What a great way to start the weekend! Come on out and enjoy the show! http://wheatonmd.org/events/item/tgif-summer-concert-the-nighthawks

A little bit more research turned up this Patch write-up:

What: Wheaton "TGIF" Summer Concert Series
When and Where: Every second and fourth Friday, through August, from 6:30-8 p.m., in the Wheaton Triangle.
Deets: What to look forward to in July and August: jazz, reggae, Motown, and more. (Read more about who's playing when.)

This is the first I've heard of this series so I wanted to post about it here. I assume it is free but couldn't find that word written in any of these webpages. It will be outdoors in a park-like setting, so it must be free.  From the concert series schedule website:

Time: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Kick-off your weekend with great music in downtown Wheaton!

Enjoy live music from top musicians in the DC area the 2nd and 4th Fridays July through August from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.

Bring a blanket, chair and your family and friends -- And don't forget to grab a bite to eat from one of our great local restaurants before or after the show! 

This year's lineup features:

July 12   The Nighthawks (Blues, Roots Rock)

July 26   Soul Crackers (Motown)

August 9   Sam 'O & JFC Band (Reggae)

August 23  School of Rock "Back to School" Teen Event

Sidewalk on Georiga Avenue in front of New Wheaton Rescue Squad Station

This post has been on my mind for months, and a recent Patch post about possible construction delays has prompted me to write it. Regardless of the construction delay, the sidewalk in front of the in-progress construction site should be fixed for the safety and mental health of residents.

According to the WaPo, "The $14 million fire station at Georgia Avenue and Arcola Avenue in Wheaton, [is] about 75 percent complete" and its completion "will likely be delayed" because the general contractor Milestone Construction is going out of business.

I have been eagerly waiting for the streetscape in front of the new building to be finished. The old sidewalk there now is skinny and way too close to Georgia Ave. Plus, to make it even less comfortable to walk there, during the spring the row of shade trees that used to border the sidewalk was cut down.

When construction is complete, I expect the sidewalk to be moved back even with the sidewalk in front of the Leesborough Townhome Development, and replacement trees planted between the new sidewalk and the road.

Here are photos I took of this sidewalk problem area on February 19, 2013 (it still looks the same, except without the pleasant bushes and sun-blocking trees around the construction area). 

The area where the two sidewalk configurations meet. Difficult to navigate on a bicycle.

The shade trees by the sidewalk and bus shelter that were cut down.

"Future Home of  Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad" sign and another view of the abrupt sidewalk transition.

The wider modern sidewalk just south of the construction at Leesborough Townhomes, with new shade trees.

This last photo is the current sidewalk at the recently built development just south of the rescue station construction.  This type of wider sidewalk is what the community expects when the construction is complete!  It should have this amount of space between the sidewalk and the road with trees in that space.

I have been hoping that this was self-evident, but wanted to write this post and share these pictures anyway in case this is not the plan.  This should be the plan!

Now that we know there may be a construction delay, and the old shade trees have already been destroyed and removed, can the sidewalk be fixed in advance of the construction being completed?  The fence can just be moved back and the sidewalk work finished.

Glad to avoid this major frustration for Silver Spring downtown residents

I would be very frustrated if I had to walk past the unfinished transit center every day. It's grass looks lush and green, but the whole area is completely fenced off to pedestrians while no work is being done on the building.

If I lived nearby and walked past that site daily to/from the metro, I would be tempted to knock down that fence. It doesn't seem fair to keep everyone out of what would be some nice public space if it were open.

As it is, I just stand and look at that plot of land sometimes from the metro platform when waiting for a Glenmont train after being booted off of a Silver Spring train (these two pictures show the area from the train platform).  It is a nice patch of bright green among the urban grey.

Silver Spring transit center lawn could be a new urban park.

If this area were open to pedestrians it would contain people sitting on blankets and enjoying the grass.