Tuffy Leemans played in the NFL from 1936-1943. In his rookie season, he led the league in rushing and was named an All-Pro.

In 1978, Alphonse “Tuffy” Leemans was inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame for his time with the New York Giants. At that point, he hadn’t just achieved one of the highest honors in the NFL… he had also become a local legend among Duckpin Bowlers in Montgomery County.


These are a couple quotes from people who commented on a picture of the Glenmont Arcade sign on when we posted it last week on Instagram. Despite its name, this wasn’t a gaming arcade. Originally built in 1952, the Arcade was a mini mall inside a strip mall. 11 store fronts were open for “one-person businesses.”

A number of local businesses have opened and closed in the Glenmont Shopping Center. In 1957, a 24-lane bowling alley, Tuffy Leemans, first appeared at the strip mall located in the basement of the arcade and stayed open until 2002. There, you could find multiple pinball games, which many believed was the reason for the “arcade” name. Later on, arcade games were brought in, but that was long after the sign and name came about.


In the last year we’ve reported on two upcoming Lidl stores that will be in Glenmont (old Shoppers location) and in Montgomery Village (in the now-vacant Professional Center site that is on Montgomery Village and Centerway, across from the Montgomery Village shopping center).

Governor Larry Hogan announced today that Lidl US, America’s fastest growing retailer, will open 10 new stores and add 400 jobs in Maryland by the end of 2021, more than doubling its footprint in the state.