By Council Member Ken Suer
This summer marked the 50th anniversary of our 4th of July parade and festival, a fine tradition and a great example of our community spirit.
Over the past fifty years, much has changed, but much has also remained the same.
Here are JUST A FEW examples:
Fifty years ago, Montgomery DID HAVE—Bethesda North, the Sycamore School District, the Swaim Field Golf Course, more auto dealerships than today, Landmark buildings and historical preservation, the Montgomery Square Shopping Center, the Montgomery Woman’s Club, Montgomery Inn, a Drive-In Theater, and…typewriters.
Fifty years ago, Montgomery DID NOT HAVE—Bastille Day, the City Pool, the Safety Center, the Public Works Building on Cornell, Weller Park, Dulle Park, Pioneer Park, and Pfeiffer Park. Twin Lakes, The Reserve, Tanagerwoods, Swaim subdivision, Hartford Hills, the Vintage Club, Christ Hospital outpatient facility, Ivygate, Terwilliger’s Run, and the Montgomery Quarter were yet to be built. We also did not have a City Manager/Council form of government.
Fifty years ago, the country DID NOT HAVE – GPS, MRI machines, the Internet, email, texts, podcasts, Google searches, drones, 24-hour news, artificial intelligence, self-driving vehicles, social media, and cell phones.
Some things that have remained constant and reliable over the past fifty years:
- Montgomery has remained a primarily residential community. Our neighborhoods are a strength.
- Our town is safe and prosperous, and people want to live here. The City is visually attractive, with a quaint downtown, well-manicured neighborhoods, and fine parks.
- We continue to have a high level of involvement from volunteers. People want to help the City and contribute their time and talents.
- Businesses want to locate here, and they do.
- The City is not too big or too small. For a lot of people, it is just the “right size.”
- Most importantly, there are a lot of good, welcoming, neighborly people in Montgomery.
So, the July 4th parade is a small, annual, local event. It continues even as the much larger parade of people and events continues to shape our City, our country, and our lives. It is hard to predict what the next fifty years will bring, but hopefully, Montgomery will continue to be a high-quality community. In 2075, the parade and festival will be held, providing much enjoyment to kids and adults alike.