Tag: Frederick

Affordable Housing: Frederick’s seniors on the front lines

By Gary Bennett

The Sharpe Square senior living apartments on Motter Avenue in 2020.
Staff file photo by Bill Green

This article appears in the May 31, 2023, issue of the Frederick News-Post’s “Prime Time” magazine.

As we all know, we live in a very high cost-of-living area. Our incomes, however, have not kept pace.

In 2020, United Way of Frederick County completed its ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-constrained, Employed) report. It is almost inconceivable, but they found that a third of our families really can’t afford to live here.

The struggle is even worse for seniors.

According to the same report, 47 percent of those 65 or older have difficulty living in Frederick County and must make tough choices every day on how to juggle paying for medicine, housing, taxes and food.

Housing, as virtually everyone’s largest individual expense, drives this struggle. It is no secret that finding safe, decent and affordable housing for many seniors is often a challenge.

Retired Frederick County school teacher Judy Kendro shared her struggle in the 2018 video The Faces of Affordable Housing [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixwW4onCtUk] produced by Frederick County Government.

“My story could be anyone’s story. It could be you mother’s, your aunt’s, your sister’s, your friend’s, your neighbor’s or even you. My story happens to numerous seniors every month.”

“Three years ago, my best friend, my husband of 44 years, died. While grieving, I had to deal with paperwork, bills, medical bills and finances. My income was cut in half. Then, Uncle Sam said now you are one, which further reduced my income. However, my bills remained the same. In fact, some went up like heat, gasoline, car insurance, taxes and medical insurance. I had to adjust to a new lifestyle and budget.”

“After a year I found that my family house was too big for little old me. So, I did some looking around on my own and then contacted realtors. I thought it would be easy to find desirable, affordable options for senior living in Frederick County. Boy, was I wrong! What I have seen in Frederick County is out of my price range which affects my budget. Or, [I’ve found] fixer uppers, which affects my budget.”

“I am disappointed and discouraged but still looking. So, we need to address affordable, desirable housing for all our seniors and the baby boomers who are becoming seniors.”

Ms. Kendro’s story is not unique.

Frederick County is woefully behind in its housing inventory to serve all who want to live here, and that is especially true for seniors. According to the 2016 Frederick County Affordable Housing Needs Assessment, the housing gap for households making $50,000 per year or less— where most retirees fall—is 11,000 units.

The older population is projected to grow rapidly, and although many seniors wish to remain in their homes for as long as possible, challenges related to affordability, accessibility, and poor access to health services can make doing that difficult.

All is not doom and gloom, however. Seniors do have some affordable housing options they should consider, if at all feasible:

  • Stay in your own home

This option works well if you are in good health and plan to stay that way. Even if your mortgage is not paid in full you can consider a reverse mortgage, which means you can take some of the equity out of your home in the form of additional monthly income. Or you can consider selling your home to a company like Sell2rent.com who will rent it back to you and possibly include home maintenance as part of the deal.

  • Live with family

    Sharing a home with loved ones if often free or low-cost and has the added advantage of having family members around to help you when needed. Both Frederick city and county have revised their Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinances to make it easier for “granny flats” or “in-law suites” to be built.
  • Look into public or subsidized senior housing

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers affordable public housing apartments and even single-family homes for seniors in need. They often come with accessibility features and are priced at 30 percent of your income. Be forewarned, however, that wait lists are often very long, sometimes months or even years.
  • Consider assisted living and residential care options

    This is a good option if you need help with daily activities such as bathing and getting dressed. These facilities offer meals, activities, and help with medication. The average cost across the U.S. is $4,000 a month but the price in Maryland is often more. Frederick offers many reputable facilities:
  • Buckingham’s Choice
    • Country Meadows
    • Edenton
    • HeartFields
    • Homewood at Crumland Farms
    • Montevue
    • Record Street Home
    • Somerford House & Place
    • Spring Arbor
    • Sunrise
  • Tranquility 

    Take advantage of government assistance

    • Low-income seniors can qualify for HUD’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, which helps people afford their rent.
    • HUD’s Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program provides rental assistance for older adults.
    • The Section 504 Home Repair Program helps pay for repairs and upgrades to your home so you can age in place.
    • The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps cover the cost of heating and cooling your home.

      Ask for help from charitable organizations

      • Several nonprofits are available to help qualifying seniors such as Good Samaritan Society, HumanGood, Mercy Housing and Volunteers of America. 
    • In the Frederick area, check out Habitat for Humanity, Housing Authority of the City of Frederick, Interfaith Housing Alliance, Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs, and United Way of Frederick County.

Frederick County also offers a variety of housing programs seniors can take advantage of. (This may not be a complete list.)

  • Frederick County Senior Tax Credit

    Enacted by the Board of County Commissioners in 2012, the amount of the credit is 40% or 20% of net county real property taxes for qualifying homeowners depending on income.
  • Bell Court Senior Apartments

Owned by Frederick County and located in Woodsboro, the apartments provide affordable rental housing for the low-income elderly.

  • Accessible Homes for Seniors

    Offers seniors low- and no-interest loan options for home renovations such as grab bars, railing and ramps and has recently been expanded to include grant money for those who do not qualify for the loans.
  • Maryland’s Renters’ Tax Credit Program

Provides property tax credits for renters who meet certain requirements, with deeper subsidies available to those individuals over the age of 60 or 100% disabled.

  • Senior Rehabilitation Grant Program

    This program provides grants up to $15,000 for emergency repairs and accessibility modifications to very low-income senior homeowners.
  • Emergency Rehab Loan Program

    Provides zero interest, deferred loans up to $15,000 for emergency repairs.
  • Special Targeted Applicant Rehabilitation Program (STAR)

    Preserves and improves single-family properties by rehabilitating the property and updating it to applicable building codes.
  • Lead Hazard Reduction Grant and Loan Program

    Provides funds to assist homeowner and landlords lessen the risk of lead poisoning and preserve the housing stock by reducing or eliminating lead-based paint hazards.
  • Indoor Plumbing Program (IPP)

Designed to provide indoor plumbing to residential properties. The properties may be single-family, owner-occupied homes as well as rental properties with one to twenty units.

Frederick County offers many apartment housing options geared to seniors. Some are county-funded and some are privately funded:

  • 520 North Market Apartments, 520 North Market Street
  • Brooklawn Apartments, 1001 Carroll Parkway
  • Brunswick House, Brunswick, MD
  • Catoctin Manor/View Apartments, 798 and 800 Motter Ave.
  • Creekside at Tasker’s Chance, 100 Burgess Hill Way
  • Lincoln on the Park Apartments, Emmitsburg, MD
  • Orchard Park @ Ballenger Run, 5234 Black Locust Drive
  • Ox Fibre Apartments, 400 East Church Street
  • Seton Village Apartments, Emmitsburg, MD
  • Sharpe Square Senior Apartments, 820 Motter Ave.
  • Spring Ridge Apartments, 6351 Spring Ridge Parkway
  • Parkview Apartments, 750 Carroll Parkway
  • Taney Village Apartments, 1421 Taney Avenue
  • Victoria Park, Walkersville, MD
  • The Village at Worman’s Mill 55+ Apartments, 2470 Merchant Street
  • Weinberg House, 222 Broadway Street

Gary Bennett is a member of Frederick’s Affordable Housing Council and a board member for Advocates for Homeless Families.

Canines on Creek Raises Money for Leader Dogs for the Blind

By Gary Bennett

Daniel and Kayla Bennett and Jasper enjoy a fun event!

Several hundred people took to Carroll Creek on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, October 22, to enjoy FSK Lions Club’s third annual Canines on the Creek. This celebration of Fredrick’s dog-loving past and present featured a parade and Halloween costume contest for dogs and owners, exhibits from dog-friendly businesses, prizes, giveaways and demonstrations. The event was held in conjunction with the Downtown Frederick Partnership in support of the nonprofit group Leader Dogs for the Blind (www.leaderdog.org).

Nearly $2,500 was raised for Leader Dogs, an organization the Lions founded and are intimately involved. Leader Dogs for the Blind provides guide dog training, matching services and client orientation and mobility training leading to a life of independence and confidence for blind and low-sight individuals. Training and providing Leader Dogs for the blind community is very expensive but very much needed. Lions have always been especially supportive of this group.

“The parade and costume contest are a lot of fun,” according to FSK Lions event chair Gary Bennett. “The last two years the event has featured a St. Patrick’s Day theme and 4th of July these, respectively. We decided to move our event to Halloween this year because it’s pretty easy to come up with a Halloween costume and to take advantage of Frederick’s usually spectacular weather in October. We plan to do this next Halloween, too.”

“Lion” Gary Bennett leads the parade.

Monetary and pet food donations were also collected to support the Humane Society of Frederick County. Other businesses that exhibited at the event or provided financial support included: BYD Pet Services, Camp Bow Wow, Catoctin Mountain Bark Busters, Doggy Donuts, Dogtopia, Dublin Roasters, Frederick Friends of Our County Animal Shelter, Green K9, Green Valley Animal Hospital, MD Insurance Administration, Megan Purtell Photography, Mid-Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue, Oliver’s Hometown Bakery and Pet Smart.

Judging categories for the costume contest were best owner and dog look-alikes, best small breed costume, and best large breed costumes. Lion leaders Jeremy Bair. Jim Corely and John Aulls served as judges. Lions District Governor Nadja Munchow addressed the crowd, extolling the virtues on Lionism. Lois Barb, a local Leader Dog trainer, described the rigors of training the dogs. Sponsors and exhibitors provided over $3,000 worth of prizes.

“We were also happy to have Go Team Therapy Dogs in attendance and available for hugging and cuddling,” according to Bennett. “All in all, it was a great day to be a dog. The Lions were very happy to bring the community together for such a good cause on this beautiful day.”

Visit fsklions.org/canines to see the many photos that were taken at the event.

Lions Club International is the world’s largest service club organization with over 1.4 million members in approximately 48,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas around the world. Since 1917, Lions Clubs have assisted the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth. Lions Clubs are comprised of individuals who identify needs within the community and work together to fulfill those needs.

If you are community-minded, consider joining FSK Lions Club or any local Lions Club. FSK Lions Club meets second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm at Frederick Elks Lodge on Willowdale Road in Frederick. For reservations, contact membership chair Sue Everhart at 301-514-6030. You can also visit fsklions.org or send an email to membership@fsklions.

Top Ten Playgrounds in Frederick

By Gary Bennett

Logan Bennett enjoying the dinosaur rock climbing feature at Baker Park 2.

This article appears in the August 3, 2022, issue of the Frederick News Post

If you’re a kid, parent or a doting grandparent, there’s nothing as satisfying or efficient as a good public playground. Laid out before you are free, shiny attractions—climbing equipment, swings, merry-go-rounds, monkey bars, see-saws and the ever-present sliding boards. Who could ask for more? 

Indeed, Frederick is blessed to have more than its share of public parks, playgrounds and open spaces to call our own.

According to Bob Smith, Frederick’s deputy director of Parks and Recreation, Frederick city has 75 public parks, totaling 807 acres. With an average size of 10.7 acres, this equates to approximately 11 acres of parkland for every 1,000 residents, exceeding the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) guidelines of 9.9 acres per 1,000 residents.

Said another way, Frederick city has roughly one park for every 1,000 residents. According to the 2020 NRPA Agency Performance Review, the target ratio for a city the size of Frederick is one park for every 2,500 residents.

We are doing quite well.

The future looks bright, too. Frederick city’s projected 2045 population of about 93,000 residents (currently 72,000) requires at least 921 acres of parkland to comfortably serve us. According to Smith, it is anticipated that the city will add as much as 300 additional acres of parkland in the next 5 to 10 years, putting it well over 1,000 acres of parkland 10 years ahead of schedule.

Because I frequently take my grandkids to local parks, I got to wondering about these 75 city parks. I’d only been to a few, and I’d venture to guess the same is true for you.

Many of these parks feature ball fields, basketball courts, picnic pavilions, hiking trails, or are simply open green spaces. That is all great if that’s what you’re looking for, but I was more interested in the 38 parks that feature playgrounds and play structures. After all, that’s what the kids really love.

So, in June and July, I set out – usually with my grandkids – to visit and rate all 38.

A word about my methodology: I visited each park in the morning or evening before sunset so I could observe them in action, always carefully explaining to parents what I was doing. In the summer, parents with younger kids tend to visit in the morning. In the evenings before sundown, the older kids come out, usually unattended.

I rated each playground on the following criteria: fun, safety, variety, upkeep, and shade. Each criterion was held to be equally important.

I did not attempt to visit and rate county parks, any other municipal parks in Frederick County, school parks, private community or HOA parks, dog parks; pools; or indoor rec centers. I was purely focused on outdoor parks in the city with playgrounds designed for the enjoyment of kids.

Here is my list of the top 10 Frederick city public playgrounds. To the great credit of the city’s Parks and Rec Department, most are very well maintained, and in many cases, absolutely immaculate. Most serve children between 2 and 12 years of age. Is your favorite here?

10.    Amber Meadows Park, 201 Amber Drive

This park serves the Amber Meadows community across from Ft. Detrick on Opposumtown Pike. It’s very shady with four benches and two large play structures. Other amenities include a shelter with several tables, six swings, a free-standing faux rock-climbing structure, balance beam and other built-in climbing items. The park spans both sides of Amber Drive and has two basketball courts, two tennis courts, a large ball field and walking trail. Go for the faux rock climbing. Kids loved this.
Score:  37 out of 50

9.       Cobblestone Park, 2401 Cobblestone Way
This very attractive park serves the Whittier community near Cobblestone, Greenleaf and Whittier Lake. It is adjacent to a pool serving this community. The park features a handsome bridge spanning a quiet stream, many shady trees, a walking trail, several benches, a basketball court and four swings. The large royal blue play structure has a bridge, swirly sliding board, tic-tac-toe game, monkey bars, a flip bar, rocking horses, climbing items and a firefighter’s pole.  Go for the flip bar and pole. This one is well worth a visit.

Score: 38 out of 50.

8.       Jimmy McGee Memorial Park, 2051 Old Farm Drive
This well-manicured park serves the Old Farm neighborhood off of Rosemont. It features two large distinct play areas each with a play structure. The park is ringed with shady trees and has a very inviting walking trail. There are two small shelters with tables; four swings; two very long slides, one inside a tunnel; and two unique climbing structures, one that looks like a spider’s web and one made from large blocks. Go for the shady walking trails and the very long sliding boards.

Score: 38.5 out of 50.

7.       Catoctin Park, 421 Columbus Avenue
This small park is a hidden gem. It is tucked in behind single-family homes on Catoctin Avenue, just off South Jefferson. Catoctin Park is supremely shady, the most shady of all the parks I visited.  It includes a shelter with tables, a half-court basketball court, eight swings, one large play structure with monkey bars, several climbing features, a tunnel slide and tunnel and racing slides. Go for the shadiness at any time of day.

Score:  39 out of 50.

6.       Carrollton Park, 455 Center Street
This large park at the intersection of Center Street and Prospect Boulevard serves the Fieldpoint area. It features a lively basketball court, ball field, six swings, free-standing plastic rock-climbing features, a walking trail, large shelter with tables and a merry-go-round. Many large trees within provide fine shade. The one play structure is designed for the 2-5 set and has a bumpy slide, two racing slides and several climbing features.  Go for the basketball and climbing features.

Score: 39 out of 50

5.       East Third Street Park, 252 East Third Street
This urban oasis at the corner of East Third and East Streets is beautifully maintained and very shady. It is adjacent to Pistarros and was full of families eating pizza on round tables under large shady trees when I visited. There is also a shelter with traditional picnic tables, a large playing area with many distinct play stations such as traditional free-standing monkey bars, a large traditional merry-go-round and a real “up and down” see-saw. The small play structure is designed for very young children and has a swirly slide, racing slide and climbing features. Go for a shady lunch that you can linger over and to watch your kids enjoy the old-time amenities.

Score: 43 out of 50

4.       Staley Park, 11 West Tenth Street
This wonderfully maintained 20+ acre park sits at the corner of Motter Avenue and West Tenth Street adjacent to Staley Field and across from North Frederick Elementary School. The park includes a basketball court, ball field, two large shelters and two distinct playing areas for the older and younger sets. The many large trees sprinkled throughout the park make it very shady. There are plenty of benches for parents to watch their young ones. There is a free-standing, swirly sliding board, a sand pit, rocking animals and ten swings. The play structures feature racing slides, monkey bars, a faux drawbridge, multiple climbing features and tunnel slides.  Go for the variety of play, shade, and space.

Score:  45 out of 50

3.       Greenleaf Park, 1950 East Greenleaf Drive
This large, immaculate, shady park serves the Whittier community near Greenleaf Drive. It is adjacent to an attractive community pool and very near Whittier Lake. It features multiple soccer fields, a large shelter with tables and four swings and rocking animals. There are two play structures, one for older kids and one for younger ones. The smaller structure has multiple slides. The larger structure is the highest and most elaborate of all the structures I visited. It has multiple, very high slides including racing slides, tunnels, bridges and various challenging climbing items including faux rock climbing. Go for the challenging play structure for your older children.

Score: 46 out of 50

2.       Baker Park 1, North Bentz and West Second Streets
This varied, destination park in the heart of Frederick is just steps from downtown, Carroll Creek, bell tower, bandshell and Talley Rec Center. It’s many tall, established trees provide plenty of shade. Numerous nearby benches make it easy for parents to lounge and spend hours. Park features acres of fun that kids will sprint to: a faux zip line; a modern, four-person see-saw; merry-go-round; sand pit; rock climbing structures; spider web climber; and an unforgettable life-size Candy Land game. The play structure for the older set is close to perfect: multiple climbing features, a faux drawbridge, monkey bars, four different slides including a racing slide, tunnel slide, and swirly slide.  Go for the variety, hours of fun (if you so choose), side trips to the creek, and enchanting Candy Land game.

Score: 48 out of 50

  1. Baker Park 2, College and Fleming Avenues
    Frederick’s top park is probably no surprise to you. The newer of Baker Park’s two play parks beats out the older, more historic park by an eyelash mostly due to its proximity to the Thomas public pool and Carroll Creek and by its sheer variety. This beautiful, mostly shady destination park is bordered by the pool, Carroll Creek and the tri-tunnels under College Avenue. Kids can look in any direction and be tempted by an irresistible attraction. But they’ll mostly want to stay in the play area. It features not just one or two play structures, but four play structures, mostly for the younger kids. The one structure devoted to the older kids rivals any of the others I saw. The park has 12 small shelters with tables that make it perfect for picnicking, a bench swing, a rock-climbing feature whimsically shaped like a dinosaur, eight swings, a zip line, a real “up and down” see-saw and a self-turner. Ducks and geese wander by freely. Go for the variety of play possibilities, a picnic lunch and sheer beauty.

Score:  49 out of 50.

Kids having fun at #1 park — Baker Park 2.


Honorable Mention

Baughman’s Babee Park, Madison Street and Burck Street
Small urban park with smallish play structures, but very shady and inviting.

Kidwiler Park, 551 Schley Avenue
Sprawling neighborhood park has lots of amenities but the lack of variety on the play structure holds it back a bit. Still worth a visit.

Maryvale Park, 529 Mary Street
Large, varied neighborhood park behind China Garden on West Patrick and next to the Keilholtz Horseshoe Complex. Real climbing boulders and a nearby culvert to explore!

Mullinix Park, 16 South Bentz Street next to Diggs Pool
Urban oasis park greets you with large, real boulders to climb on but a structure that is difficult for kids to navigate and dedicated to climbing which is already well covered. Could use more variety.

Willowdale Park, 158 Willowdale Drive
This woodsy, seemingly country park is small, varied and well shaded, but the real attraction is the ability to wade in nearby Rock Creek, which many kids were doing when I visited.

Grove Park, 36 Hamilton Avenue across from Fairgrounds
Very attractive playground is shady but not too varied. Seems like an afterthought to the ball field, which is home to East Frederick Little League.

Riverwalk Park, 1901 Schifferstadt Boulevard
Attractive park, but play structure is small, not too varied, and a long walk from parking.

Stonegate Park, 1565 Andover Lane
Large, well-maintained park with shelter, lively basketball court, and two play structures. Varied play items but absolutely no shade brings it down a bit and limits when you can play.

Special Note on Sophie & Madigan’s Playground

This park is not specifically a city park although the city does help maintain it and provide restrooms and water. Located within city limits in the West Side Regional Park just off of Butterfly Lane, it is a privately designed park in honor of Sophie and Madigan Lillard, two young children who were tragically killed in a fire a few years ago. If this were a city park it would rival the top city parks for best playground. It is whimsically designed and inclusive of special needs children with a castle-themed play structure, multiple swings, merry-go-round, a people-powered carousel and other structures. Their website (https://sophieandmadigansplayground.com) promises many more features to come, too.

Gavin Bennett enjoying the rocking horse at Sophie & Madigan’s Playground

FSK Lions’ Canines on the Creek Back for 2nd Year

By Gary Bennett

One of many contestants in the doggy parade and costume contest.

This article appeared in the Frederick News-Post July 1, 2021.

Francis Scott Key Lions Club, in conjunction with Downtown Frederick Partnership and Leader Dogs for the Blind, is hosting its second annual Canines on the Creek event, Saturday, July 3, 3 – 5 pm in the trellis area of Carroll Creek.

The event features a dog and owner patriotic-themed costume contest and parade, a dog training demonstration from Sit Means Sit of Frederick, speakers, giveaways, and discounts from exhibitors.  Some of the dog-friendly exhibitors scheduled to attend are Sit Means Sit, Camp Bow Wow, Pet Smart, My Pet Store and More, Happy Dog Groomers, Green Canine, T and L Company, Viatoris Dog Training, Megan Purtell Photography and Frederick Friends of Our County Animal Shelter.  Businesses serving dogs and their owners that wish to exhibit should contact FSK Lion Gary Bennett at 301-606-3012 or gabennet01@comcast.net.

Last year’s event was held on March 7 and featured a St. Patrick’s Day- themed costume context and parade.  Due to Covid, this year’s event was moved to July 3 and will kick off the long Fourth of July weekend. 

According to event chair Lion Gary Bennett, the highlight of the day’s activities is the costume contest and parade. “Watching the parade is free but if you wish to participate, we ask for a small donation to the nonprofit organization Leader Dogs for the Blind,” said Bennett.  Dog owners can sign up at fsklions.org/canines.  “The costume contest and parade are loads of fun. We judge the entries and have prizes for best owner and dog look-alikes, best small breed costume and best large breed costume.”

Along with the costume contest, parade and demonstrations, attendees will have the chance to speak to vendors that provide services to dogs and their owners and can take advantage of event discounts. The event will take place rain or shine. 

“Frederick’s dog friendliness is well known and observed everyday downtown,” Bennett said.  “And since Leader Dogs for the Blind is a key organization that Lions support, the idea for this event seemed to be a no-brainer. We hope it takes off in years to come and becomes a draw for Carroll Creek and downtown Frederick and at the same time helps support this worthwhile organization.”

Leader Dogs for the Blind raises and provides leader dogs for blind and low-sight individuals all over the world at no cost to the recipient helping them live a life of independence and mobility.  FSK Lions Club serves the Frederick community through eyeglass donations, free used medical equipment lending, and sponsorships.

For more information on this event and to sign up to participate in the costume contest and parade, visit fsklions.org/canines.

MC Gary Bennett as Uncle Sam

Frederick’s Courtesy Bridge Needed Now More Than Ever

By Gary Bennett

Frederick’s iconic “Courtesy Bridge” on Shookstown Road near Rosemont Avenue handles 2,100 trips a day without incident.

As seen in the Frederick News-Post, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020.

If you agree with me that we could all use a little more courtesy in our lives, then we are indeed fortunate to have right in our midst a bridge that reminds us every day to be just that: courteous.

Frederick’s iconic “Courtesy Bridge” is the one-lane bridge situated on Shookstown Road just to the west of Rosemont Avenue, spanning an unassuming section of Carroll Creek just before it winds itself toward downtown Frederick and fame as the main attraction in Maryland’s second largest city.  While many larger bridges are named after politicians or fallen service members, this humble bridge sports a sign at either end designating it the symbol of this noble human trait that may have seen better days.

One-lane bridges aren’t unique to Frederick County or any other country setting, for that matter. Frederick County has more than its share sprinkled throughout. What makes this one-lane bridge unique is its location. It is smack dab in the middle of Frederick city, connecting the city’s western “Golden Mile” area with Baker Park and its central business district. As you come upon the bridge, it appears to be in a rural section of Frederick, but nothing could be further from the truth. The bridge is just yards away from banks, restaurants, nursing homes, and an imposing Sheetz convenience store. 

If you have traveled Shookstown Road, you know the bridge has a long history of people alternating the direction of travel; you go first, then the other side comes across. In this day and age, you might think this is a recipe for disaster. If it is, I haven’t seen it. I estimate I have traversed this bridge over 500 times in my 35 years in Frederick without incident, accident, or even undue delay.

And it’s not just me. According to city police, accidents and incidents at the bridge are exceedingly rare. There have been no documented accidents the last 10 years. It helps that the sight lines are very good. You can see opposing vehicles from over 1,000 feet away. The courtesy signs also help. But we citizens should take some credit, too. Frederick is mostly a polite, progressive city and we show that every day with how we conduct ourselves.

The bridge was built in 1911 when Frederick was a much smaller city and refurbished in 1988. As the city grew, however, engineers did not feel a burning need to enlarge the bridge. In the last few years, however, nearby road improvements have taken some of the traffic load away from the bridge. Still, the bridge successfully handles about 2,100 trips per day according to Frederick’s Street Maintenance Dept.

Things aren’t always courteous on the bridge, of course. Occasionally, manners do go missing. There have been sporadic reports of stare-downs in the middle of the bridge and, on at least one occasion, police were summoned to de-escalate a situation where neither car would budge from the bridge, causing a traffic backup that forced unlucky fellow motorists to have to back up and find another route to their destinations. Driver impairment played a part in this incident.

But consensus holds that these instances are the exception. Residents of the homes lining Shookstown Road near the bridge generally have good things to say. Ariah Holland, who is a frequent walker over the bridge since a sidewalk was added a few years back, appreciates friendly waves from passing motorists. David Maloney, who has lived in his home just yards from the bridge for over 40 years can recall no major problems because of the narrow passage but blames the few accidents he is aware of on speed.  “It’s generally understood that you wait your turn although some people still fly if they see the bridge is open.” Phil Pople, who has lived in the area for 25 years, finds the bridge charming and quaint and can recall no serious issues. He does appreciate that recent improvements to nearby roads have decreased traffic on the bridge enough that it is now easy for him to turn into his driveway.

It’s true that we are in fact forced to be courteous at the bridge to some extent in order to minimize the risk of a head on collision. As I recently sat behind a short line of cars waiting to take my turn on the bridge, I got to thinking about forced courtesy.  Certainly, it would be better if we could just be courteous on our own, but I suppose being forced to be courteous is better than nothing. So, Frederick, join me at the Courtesy Bridge for a moment of Zen and a friendly wave at your fellow motorists. And don’t forget to take advantage of this rare opportunity to be recognized for your courtesy.