The Moose is Loose
Much ado has been made in the past 24 hours about the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 658 relocating to the corner of Fenton and 410 on the south end of DTSS from their estranged home on Wayne Avenue. It appears that the thrust of the discontent comes from a desire to have a gateway park on that land, but I think we have enough parks in the area for the time being – not to mention the fact that can be a busy intersection. Would people really congregate there? It’s a bit separated from the CBD, and the Moose Lodge needs a new home anyway. Why not right there?
I also like the talk of having a big moose head on the front of the building. Or even a large moose statue out front. I’d pay to see that. And I’d also pay to join. I have no idea what it takes to join the Moose Lodge, but I have a feeling that organizations like that are looking for younger members to keep the place running for years to come. Am I right? Does anyone out there know how one joins the Moose Lodge? If any of the members are reading this, please feel free to contact me. I know more than a few people who would follow.
In the meantime, it looks like the community is gearing up to send a posse to the liquor license hearing on June 5 at 10:00am in Rockville. Not sure what the goal would be, but I think it would be a great idea to find a big Bullwinkle costume and show up at the hearing to provide support for the Loyal Order. Maybe that could score me a much-sought-after membership.
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What happens in the moose lodge stays in the moose lodge.
“The Loyal Order of Moose is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888, with nearly 1 million men in roughly 1,800 Lodges, in all 50 states and four Canadian provinces, plus Great Britain and Bermuda.”
I dunno about service fraternities – the ones in college always seemed to be pretty lame. I would like to be part of a secret society, however.
I always pictured these places full of old, white, Korean War veterans looking for a place to play poker, smoke cigars, and get away from their wives for awhile.
I’ve never seen anyone go into or come out of that Moose Lodge before. Frankly, it’s kind of creepy. with all the covered up windows and what not.
My assumption with the covered up windows relates directly to David’s comment above.
I agree, this park is a stupid idea. In order to access the park you have to cross the East West Highway, or Fenton street, a main arterial into downtown Silver Spring. As a parent I can say that there is no reason to bother with that hassle when, coming from the north side, where 98% of the people who are in walking distance live, you have a better, larger park 1 block away at Boston Ave.
This park is dumb. Its just “green space” which is a fiction in terms of environmental benefit, and it has a real social cost–it will quickly become unsafe and neglected.
A skate park would have been good, and a Moose lodge would be fine, or just about anything that has life.
Perhaps the Silver Spring Extraterrestial Affairs Commission could hold its monthly meetings at the Moose Lodge. The windows are already covered so nobody will notice the protective layer of tinfoil to keep out the alien radio signals.
That’d be sweet. Then I wouldn’t have to wear my hat.
I invite you all to review two things before spreading more negativity on the Fenton Gateway Park plan:
~ please visit the Woodside Urban Park at Georgia & Spring, which is similar in size, purpose, and setting to what the Fenton Gateway Park was conceived to be — a high-traffic corner that provides a green oasis and buffer between commercial downtown SS and residential SS that also serves as a welcoming gateway to our community
~ please read the Silver Spring CBD Master Plan and what the planners worked hard to lay out for Fenton Gateway Park and for all of Fenton Street Village
It is sad to see, almost 10 years later, how little of that Master Plan has been implemented in our part of town. As I told a local reporter last night:
It is clear that a pattern has developed — anything that is deemed unfit to be in the sparkling new downtown SS core is thrown as far away as possible — to the CBD edge directly bordering East SS’s residential core.
First, “they” drop off an unwanted and unpopular art piece (the Criss Cross sculpture) practically in the middle of the night and with no community notice or input.
Then, when skateboarders are complained about and deemed a nuisance near the Discovery and Ellsworth commercial core, they try to place a concrete skateboard pavilion in our promised green space (aka Fenton Gateway Park).
Now, they kick the Moose Lodge out of its long-time home on Wayne Ave and want to then place this private club/drinking establishment in our same promised green space which is directly across from the Jesus House church, diagonal from a funeral home, and a block from a growing community college.
Does any of this reflect a long-term plan that bodes well for East Silver Spring??!!
Can you imagine them pulling these same things on the other borders of downtown SS (i.e. Woodside Park, Chevy Chase, etc.)?
I think you will agree that we residents and business owners of East SS deserve better.
For all interested in discussing the Fenton Gateway Park and the Moose Lodge’s move to the corner of Fenton & Rt 410 – you are invited to a meeting between all concerned parties to discuss in an open atmosphere their plans and our visions for the corner property.
We have set up a meeting with the Moose Lodge for this Tuesday, May 27 at 7:00pm – they will host us at the Moose Lodge’s current location on Wayne Ave (between Fenton & Georgia).
The Moose folks are crazy…I’m in the condos next to them and people there are so mean and weird. They never say hello, just stare angrily at people. Especially two older gentlemen, one white, one African-American who are so scary. They always have trash all over their yard and you can usually find a bunch of them sitting on the “porch” angrily smoking and glaring. Rarely do I see people going in or out, it’s usually just loads of alcohol. Needless to say, they probably don’t like us as we’re the “new” SS. And we just find them humorous…and freaky.