ISCA Fall Cultural Festival

ISCA’s Fall Cultural Festival is Saturday, October 16 from 2-6pm. A few details about the event:

  • Bring your favorite savory dish from country/region/state or your favorite dish. Blind voting for the coveted Golden Ladle will take place for the community’s favorite dish.
  • We will have a jack-o-lantern pumpkin contest—bring your carved work of art to the festival to be judged and voted on in a blind voting competition.
  • Join the cornhole tournament with bracket sign up.
  • ISCA Home Brew Club will host a home brew tasting.

Volunteers are needed for set up and tear down, if interested in helping please contact Brandon Montgomery, ISCA social chair at baamdc at gmail dot com.

ISCA Beltway Expansion Survey Results

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the ISCA Beltway survey, participation was even higher than expected. The report on the results, prepared by our consultant, are posted here.


The results suggest that members overwhelmingly support the ISCA board signing on to letters and statements opposing Beltway expansion. Many neighbors are informed on the current plans, but some are less so. To raise awareness, we’re going to add a Beltway update to each edition of the newsletter. We’ll include key developments as well as action items and ways to become more involved for those who are interested. I’m including a brief update as of a few days ago here, as well as some time-sensitive actions that anyone can take to protect the future of our neighborhood and make your voice heard. To all our neighbors who have been active in this issue for years, thank you for your advocacy, time, and energy—it’s working and is greatly needed! 


In addition to keeping the board updated on Beltway expansion issues, I’m also hoping to organize additional community service projects in the neighborhood, so if you have an idea or want to help, please let me know, and look for more on that coming soon!


Abbe Spokane
East Granville Drive
ISCA Civics 

  • CABE’s new newsletter came out yesterday, and is in my opinion, the best and most accessible source of information. https://mailchi.mp/8e7a63e71d2e/the-lowdown-on-mdots-i-495-luxury-lane-design It talks about the proposed design of the lanes, and the legislative actions proposed by the state house and senate. 
  • The state highway administration is reviewing bids for preliminary work for Phase 1. They plan to select a proposal in Feb., seek approval from the Board of Public Works in April/May. This means work may start before the final environmental impact study and record of decision are completed, which could lead to financial risks for taxpayers. CABE has an excellent breakdown of the timeline on their website. https://us19.campaign-archive.com/?u=6cdc39da7c0238a0521e24885&id=a1b00bef84 
  • The state house is trying to pass legislation related to Public Private Partnership (P3) projects this session, but the session is short and crowded with bills. 
  • The Sierra Club is expected to sue over flaws in the draft environmental impact study, if they are not addressed. Sierra club believes the plan may be violating NEPA. 
  • The federal highway administration is facilitating mediation between MDOT and MNCPPC (parks). This is relevant now because the record of decision on the environmental impact study covers the entire project, which includes park land in our neighborhood. 
  • If you’re new to Beltway issues, I’d also highly recommend looking at MDOT’s proposed maps for the project. You can zoom in on our neighborhood and see where the new sound walls would be, where construction zones would be, where they think noise would carry, etc. https://rkk.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8e758952d6c44b8eae8d36ce03e7ee7d

Action items: 

  • Write your state senators and delegates to support legislation related to P3s. The bills are HB67 (adding regulations for P3s) and SB361/HB485 (adding P3 oversights to protect taxpayers). The hearing for one of these in set for Feb. 1, so no doubt CABE will have sample letters posted.
  • Write members of the Board of Public Works (especially Franchot and Kopp) to tell them you oppose the current MDOT plan, support the no-build option, and ask them not to approve a preliminary project work agreement until after the Final Environmental Impact Study and Record of Decision are complete. 
  • CABE is looking for newsletter writers/editors
  • Sierra Club is looking for lawyers/legal experts

ISCA Halloween Megapost

Trick-Or-Treating – 6:00-8:00 PM

If you choose to participate in trick-or-treating this year, please show your neighbors respect!  Wear a cloth face covering, keep your distance from people outside your household, sanitize hands frequently, and remember that porch light off means no knocking.  Montgomery County recommends against door-to-door trick-or-treating this year, so if you’re planning to give out candy, please consider an alternative to the traditional candy bowl.  The goals are to keep a safe distance between trick-or-treaters and minimize high-touch surfaces; with that as your guide, let your creativity run wild!  Share suggestions and inspiration for how to reduce risk while maximizing fun on the listserv and facebook page.

Want to complete a neighborhood scavenger hunt with your family?

Neighbors – do you have the spooookiest house on the block? Maybe your kiddo carved a super cute pumpkin? Maybe YOU carved a super cute (or scary) pumpkin! Did you design a super cool candy conveyance device to deliver candy and keep everyone safe? Then YOU need to enter the ISCA virtual decorating contests!
We will have prizes for:

  1. Best house decorating
  2. Best pumpkin (adult)
  3. Best pumpkin (under 18)
  4. Best candy conveyance device

Send your entries to iscamembership20901@gmail.com We will post them on our ISCA Facebook group for voting! Winners will receive one of these bragging rights pumpkins!!

Big thanks to our neighbors on the ISCA Halloween Committee who have given their time and talents to plan some alternatives to traditional trick-or-treating for the neighborhood to enjoy.  We’re looking forward to a fun and safe Halloween!

Food Trucks Are Coming to ISCA!

While we know you are all spending your Sunday night meal planning and prepping for the week, we have some great news….Food Trucks are coming to ISCA for dinner!

POKE DOJO September 25 (Friday)

ASTRO CHICKEN & DONUTS September 29 (Tuesday)

TRIPPY TACOS October 5 (Monday)

POP UP POUTINE October 16 (Friday)

MONEY MUSCLE (All Set) October 21 (Wednesday)

BIG GREEK CAFE October 30 (Friday)

ASTRO CHICKEN & DONUS/SWIZZLER November 4 (Wednesday)

MEDIUM RARE Meal Drop TBD

They will be located in the parking lot at the Indian Springs Terrace Local Park activity building to allow everyone to spread out, be social, and safe. Please wear your masks while waiting in line, keep a respectful distance from others, and bring your wallets and empty tummies.

More details will be released days before each truck visit with times and any pre-order offerings on the ISCA Listserv. Please provide any constructive feedback so we can improve each following truck’s visit, and be patient and understanding as we give this new activity a go.  We hope this neighborhood activity brings us some community vibes while supporting local businesses.  HUGE thanks to ISCA’s Bonnie Calabria for organizing this event!

Free! Neighborhood Ice Cream Truck

Click the map to enlarge in a new tab

ISCA cannot wait for Carmen’s Ice Cream Truck to come see us this Sunday, Aug 30th from 12 pm – 2 pm. See below for the order of stop locations and approximate times:
1. Dearborn and Garwood Ave – 12 pm
2. Biltmore and Indian Spring – 12:10
3. Evergreen St. – 12:20 pm
4. Flower ave, closer to Franklin – 12:30 pm
5.  Wire Ave, Between Indian Springs and Franklin – 12:40
6. Caroline and Brewster, 12:50
7.  Leighton and Worth, 1 pm
8.  Brewster Ave. and Brewster Ct., 1:10
9. Granville and Hastings cul de sac, 1:20
10. Granville and Caroline, 1:30
11. Indian Spring Terrace Park, 1:40
12. Clearview and Flower, 1:50
13. Normandy, between Wire and Caroline 2 pm 
We look forward to seeing you all and bringing you some joy this Sunday. Don’t forget your mask, but leave your wallet at home. 

I scream, You Scream, We All Scream about Virtual Learning and Carmen’s Ice Cream Truck!
When:  Aug 30th from 12 – 2 pm
Where: Pre-planned stops throughout the neighborhood of Indian Spring 
Cost: FREE!  ISCA wants to bring a smile to your face and what better way than with Ice Cream. You do not need to be an ISCA member to participate, but if you aren’t an active ISCA member, please consider joining!
Who: For those getting ready for school the next day, parents needing a break, and all residents of Indian Spring who love ice cream!
But what about COVID? We will be spacing out stops to limit clustering, mask usage is required, and Carmen’s will be offering pre-packaged treats to speed up the time spent at the truck.

🍧

MD SHA Virtual Meeting on Future of Hastings/Colesville Intersection

Log onto Zoom on Tuesday, July 28 at 7:00 PM to get a first-hand update from the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (SHA) on developments at the Hastings and 29 intersection. This moderated video conference will be jointly hosted by ISCA and NSHCCA (North Sligo Hills, our neighbors on the west side of Colesville). SHA will answer our questions and provide results on a water study.

An article on the previous SHA planning meeting is in our most recent newsletter.

Zoom Meeting Link

Meeting ID: 934 2489 8261
Password: 516663

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Meeting ID: 934 2489 8261

Comments or questions can be sent to Romel Lira

ISCA Annual Tree Lighting – December 14

Come join your neighbors on Saturday, December 14 at 5pm for the Annual ISCA Holiday Tree Lighting at the park on Hastings Drive.

This year, we are collecting donations and books to benefit the Silver Spring Rotary Club’s Storytown project, which provides reading opportunities to local elementary schools.