Veterans Park fountain activated in Bethesda

One of the annual signs that summer is approaching is the activation of the fountain at Veterans Park in downtown Bethesda. The fountain is a memorial for service members from Bethesda and Chevy Chase who were killed in action in the major armed conflicts from World War I up through the first and second Iraq wars. It is also a restful spot, with the water feature canceling out the urban noise around it. Downtown Bethesda seems to lose more and more fountains and water features every year, either to demolition or merely neglect and deactivation, such as the Bethesda Metro Center fountains that have been idle in recent years. Veterans Park is located at the intersection of Woodmont and Norfolk Avenues.

New signs exhort dog owners to "scoop the poop" in Bethesda

The ongoing war against dog waste in downtown Bethesda has been joined by new signs erected in the Woodmont Triangle. "Scoop the poop," they remind insensitive dog owners who don't always do that. Logos for Montgomery County, Bethesda Urban Partnership, Bethesda Green, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust are emblazoned on the signs, which so far can be found at the corner of Norfolk and Cordell Avenues, and at Veterans Park. 

Dog waste bag dispensers are located beneath the signs. Beyond being disgusting and a public health hazard, dog waste also attracts rats. As if the disease-spreading rodent vermin weren't utterly revolting enough already, in recent years they've wanted to make it widely known that they also literally eat dog feces. "Get 'em the hell out."

The Big Dig, Part II in Bethesda's Veterans Park (Photos)

Another utility crew ventured into Veterans Park in downtown Bethesda yesterday. A couple of weeks ago, a Washington Gas-related project created a trench in front of Jetties. On Tuesday, contractor AUI Group of Harman, Maryland was on the scene digging in a different spot. This one was closer to the Starbucks-facing side of the park, which is located at the intersection of Woodmont and Norfolk Avenues.

Washington Gas on-scene for Day 2 of the Big Dig in Bethesda's Veterans Park (Photos)

Day 2 brought confirmation that the "Big Dig" taking place in downtown Bethesda's Veterans Park is related to a natural gas line. Washington Gas had a crew at the scene Friday, joining the teams from NPL Construction and Badger Infrastructure Solutions. Badger is a firm that specializes in hydrovac excavation to daylight underground utilities, and for trenching, both of which have been performed in Veterans Park over the last two days. 

The big dig in Veterans Park in Bethesda (Photos)

What the heck is going on in Veterans Park in downtown Bethesda? Heavy equipment and a crew of men converged upon the park, which is located at the intersection of Norfolk and Woodmont Avenues, yesterday. They proceeded to tear up a portion of the hardscape, and dig a hole or trench in front of Jetties, with one man also doing something at the front wall of Jetties. Traffic was backed up on Woodmont at times, as some of the construction vehicles traveled between the park and Fairmont Avenue. The contractor, NPL of Landover, specializes in natural gas and electric utility work. 

Working on something at the front
wall of Jetties

The trench in front of Jetties

Debris pile on Woodmont Avenue

Woodmont sidewalk closed

Vehicles staging on Fairmont Avenue...

...caused traffic to back up on 
Woodmont at times

Veterans Day 2024 at Veterans Park in Bethesda (Photos)

Veterans Day 2024 saw the annual placement of wreaths around the veterans' memorial at Veterans Park in downtown Bethesda. Each one was sponsored by a community organization or elected official. Individuals and groups represented in the park included the Bethesda Urban Partnership, the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce, the Bethesda Historical Society, and Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson. The memorial was erected in honor of Bethesda and Chevy Chase residents who perished in the major military conflicts between World War I and the Iraq War.

Surveillance camera robot removed from Bethesda park again

The surveillance camera robot in Veterans Park in downtown Bethesda has been removed again. It was previously stationed there from June 1 to August 4, and from August 26 until yesterday. Montgomery County had also recently deployed a second mobile camera unit on nearby Cordell Avenue. If the park camera has been redeployed elsewhere, I haven't run across it yet.

Surveillance camera returns to Veterans Park in Bethesda

The surveillance camera robot that was removed from Veterans Park in Bethesda earlier this month returned yesterday. This is Montgomery County's camera number 2220165, the same unit that was here before. Camera number 2220164 was deployed a few blocks away on Cordell Avenue on Saturday, August 24, and is still there now. While the camera was not in the park, a man recently smashed the front windows of Z-Burger, which faces the park.

Man attacks front of Z-Burger in Bethesda (Photos)

A man attacked the front of Z-Burger at 4827 Fairmont Avenue in Bethesda about an hour before the restaurant opened yesterday morning. Witnesses said the man smashed the front windows using what appeared to be one of the new, rat-proof public trash cans. The crashing of the metal trash can drew a lot of attention from those in the vicinity at the time. Montgomery County police arrived at the scene, and very shortly had a suspect in custody. 

The suspect was handcuffed and seated in the adjacent Veterans Park, as officers searched his belongings. A motive for the vandalism is unknown at this time. An arrest in the case does not appear in Montgomery County arrest records as of this writing. Despite the damage, Z-Burger forged ahead Monday. The broken glass was swept up, and the burger restaurant opened for lunch.

Suspect detained in
Veterans Park

With debris cleaned up,
Z-Burger opened for lunch

Surveillance camera robot removed from Veterans Park in Bethesda

A security camera robot that has been surveilling Veterans Park at 7898 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda this summer has been removed. The camera had been stationed there since June 1. Montgomery County, as well as some private businesses like the nearby CVS Pharmacy, have employed the robots as a tool to combat the crime wave that has persisted since 2020. The County has primarily deployed the cameras in the downtowns of Bethesda and Silver Spring.

Robot as seen on June 1

Unmarked surveillance camera robot appears in Veterans Park in Bethesda

A surveillance camera robot was placed at Veterans Park at 7898 Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda yesterday. Unlike most of the others we've seen, it is not marked with a Montgomery County Government logo. The number on the side is similar to other County robocameras, however. A County robot in Silver Spring bore the number 2220161. This camera is No. 2220165, and is keeping watch over the park as a persistent crime wave enters its fourth year in Montgomery County, as well as nationwide.

Fountain activated at Veterans Park in Bethesda

The number of water features in downtown Bethesda has been shrinking rapidly in recent years. One of the few still functioning was just activated for the summer season yesterday at Veterans Park at 7898 Woodmont Avenue. The fountain is a natural noise cancelling machine, providing a calming effect amid the sounds of traffic and activity downtown. This memorial is dedicated to Bethesda and Chevy Chase residents killed in the major military conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries. "Fondly do we hope - fervently do we pray - that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.” - Abraham Lincoln.

Assault at Veterans Park in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an assault at Veterans Park at 7898 Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda Friday morning, November 10, 2023. The assault was reported at the park at 8:00 AM Friday. 

Veterans Day 2023 at Veterans Park in Bethesda (Photos)

The annual wreath-laying at the veterans memorial in Veterans Park in downtown Bethesda left behind a colorful array of tributes to the fighting men and women of Bethesda. They were placed around the fountain memorial, which is dedicated to residents of Bethesda and Chevy Chase who died while serving in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Iraq War. Among the organizations contributing were the Bethesda Urban Partnership, the Rotary Club of Bethesda-Chevy Chase, the Bethesda Historical Society, the National Capital Optimist Club and American Legion Post 41, Cissel-Saxon. As always, the fountain is a calm place for quiet contemplation, including remembering our neighbors who have passed in service to our country over the last 106 years.