by Peggy Robin
The long wait is over. We have winners in all seven categories of the Cleveland Park Listies. And this year, for the first time in the 13-year history of the CP Listsies, there were no close calls. Every winner won its race decisively, starting with...
BEST ANIMAL STORY - The Sorrowful Saga of Piotr the Great by Susie B.
Piotr the missing Russian tortoise started out slightly behind Fennel, the Parakeet on the Lam, but like any good tortoise in a race, slowly but steadily, he pulled ahead and stayed there. His owner Susie B. will get the golden statuette, and as Piotr is still missing, we all join her in the fervent hope that he will make his way back home again, rejoining his loving partner Jadwiga, after which the whole family --together again at last-- can finally enjoy their trophy.
BEST QUERY - ISO a Safecracker by Terri S.
Voters were intrigued by the mystery of the inherited safe. First, was there a talented safecracker who could get inside? And once that was accomplished, and the long-hidden cache of coins revealed, was there a reputable appraiser who could calculate their worth? This vote-getter proved that when you ask the Listserv intriguing questions, you're bound to get good answers.
BEST ADVICE/RESPONSE TO A QUERY - Resources related to elevated ICE presence in DC by Kristen L.
As one voter explained, "I appreciated the advice in all the posts in this category but I knew I had to vote for the ICE resources because it was the only one that helped people to deal with a serious problem - a true threat to life and liberty." This message got the overwhelming majority of the votes. Nothing else came close.
BEST LONG DISCUSSION - "Secret Service" -- The Gordon Ramsay Reality TV Show about The Parthenon Restaurant - represented by one message in the thread: The Meaning of Being "Ramsayed" by Linda S.
Finally, a field of contenders that gave us a real horse-race. In the beginning, the votes seemed equally distributed among The Bench!, Where are the robins?, and Daughter stopped by uniformed men, with the latter holding onto a slight edge for most of the week. The Gordon Ramsay TV show discussion lagged a bit behind all three. (A fifth nominee, That Darned Spotted Lanternfly, was really never in the running.) Then, just in the last day or two, The Gordon Ramsay show started pulling in the votes, and by the closing of the polls at 5 PM yesterday, it was no longer a close race. Gordon Ramsay beat the Uniformed Men by double-digits.
BEST GIVEAWAY - Lava, the bearded dragon by Hilary B.
Just look at this happy dragon, basking in the comfort of his newfound home. How could you not vote for him? And that's exactly what people did. Nothing else came close.
PHOTO of the YEAR - Halloween Pumpkin by Vaughan C.
The happy little pumpkin in his pumpkin house was another clear winner. First runner-up was Red Berries in the Snow, and the other three got only a handful of votes each.
I confess to being surprised by the outcome of the vote in this category. I thought that Gift Card Scam and Bank of America Saved Me from a Phone Scammer were too much alike, and so would split the vote of those who enjoyed reading about a consumer fraud defeated. I assumed that would clear a path to victory for one of these three: The Best Prop (by multiple-Listy-winner, Eleanor O.); or maybe The Secret Elevator, revealed by Don C. and presumably backed by all those who used it in the many weeks when the regular elevators at the Newark St Giant were out of service; or possibly the most upbeat of all the entries, Rabbi Arnold R.'s delight in seeing new businesses opening up on his walks around the neighborhood. Every single one of these assumptions was wrong. The voters overwhelmingly went for Farida's story of the doctored, worthless gift cards, and how the manager at the Cathedral Commons Giant saved Christmas for her giftees.
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Are you a winner? Congratulations!!! Now let us know how you want to receive your golden statuette, inscribed with your name and winning category on the base.
Yet again this year, our plans for a fancy awards dinner with a red carpet, an opening production number, and a long comedy monolog by a celebrity MC have hit a few snags. Maybe next year.....? (But don't hold your breath!) So we offer the following ways for you to receive your award:
- Come and get it. Call me or email me to arrange a mutually convenient time to come and pick it up. (I'm on Ashley Terrace, a little hidden street, just one block from the intersection of Newark Street & Highland Place. Call or text me at 202 255 5713 or email me at clevelandparklistservmoderator@gmail.com [clevelandparklistservmoderator @ gmail dot com] for the exact address and to let me know your preferred pickup schedule.
- I'll drop it off to you. If you live within a short walk of the Cleveland Park Metro -- let's say about half a mile -- I'll drop it off on your doorstep.
- I'll mail it to you. Call or text me at 202 255 5713 or email me at clevelandparklistservmoderator@gmail.com [clevelandparklistservmoderator @ gmail dot com] with your mailing address, and we'll see if USPS can manage to get it to you without a hitch.
Didn't win? Weren't even nominated? There's always next year! If you post something you believe is Listy-worthy, anytime between today and December 31, 2026, go ahead and nominate yourself. Don't be shy! Send in a copy of the post to me at clevelandparklistservmoderator@gmail.com and let me know what you consider to be its proper category. Not seeking glory for yourself but are all for championing it in others? See a post you believe is outstanding in one of our categories? Nominate it! We are collecting nominations all year long.
The Cleveland Park Listies will be back, most likely starting on November 21st or 28th of 2026, and running on Saturdays and/or Sundays until the end of the year.
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The Cleveland Park Listies link are posted annually over the course of the last 6 weekends of the year on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local.
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