Happy Birthday Cleveland Park Listserv

Today is the Cleveland Park Listserv's birthday. We're 13 today.

Do we feel older? A little bit.

Are we more mature now at 13 than we were as infants, toddlers and tweens? A little bit more of that, too.

Will we be utterly fantastic as a teenager? If the listserv's members continue to be as fantastic as they are, we certainly will be.

Thanks to everyone for making the Cleveand Park Listserv such a fun adventure.

Bill Adler and Peggy Robin

Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv

www.cleveland-park.com

P.S. We were born on November 30, 1999, for those who don't want to do math on a Friday. 

For DC's Official State Animal: The Squirrel!

On April 23 we announced a contest on the Cleveland Park Listserv: Nominate an official state animal for DC. We had discovered that DC, while it has a state bird (the wood thrush) and a state tree (the scarlet oak), and a state flower (the American beauty rose), lacks a state animal. We said we would review all the entries and announce the winner at the beginning of May. So here goes:

The winning animal for the official DC animal contest is: The Squirrel

Larry Albert, the contest winner, will receive a Garden Web Cam for his choice and essay. Larry wrote, "I nominate the squirrel as our city animal. Squirrels are indigenous to DC and can be found in every park in the city. Many of them are accustomed to greeting tourists and visitors every single day, asking for snacks. Some come right up to us on the many park benches and look us in the eye. I love cats and dogs, but picking one will likely make the other owners jealous. And the pandas are not really ours since they are cared for by the Federal government. So, Mr. Squirrel is my nominee."

Here are some of the runners up -- a few with the explanations for the nomination:

Park ranger’s horse
Ant
Dog
Cat
Panda
Fox
Raccoon
Goat
Rat
Weasel
Snake
Howler monkey

Nominations for the last four animals all came with references to similarities between the animal to the humans who deal in politics and reside in our city.

A close runner-up was the coyote, with this explanation from Emily Vargas-Baron: "This noble animal roams Rock Creek Park and survives by his wits. I spotted one not long ago at the corner of Nebraska and Van Ness. He knew he owned the neighborhood and fearlessly crossed the street to explore the neighborhood. This courageous and adaptable animal epitomizes the spirit of our city."

We also liked this nomination of the teddy bear from Peter Brusoe -- but alas, felt we had to stick to the requirement that nominees must be animals "living" in DC. But it was a cute entry and we wanted to share it:

"Theodore Roosevelt lived in DC when could not bear to shoot a cub and teddy bears were born. More importantly, the relationship Americans have with teddy bears mimics their relationship with DC. As children we loved our teddy bears, played with them, took them on picnics, as adults that affection is gone. As children we loved coming to DC for vacation, as adults we hold it in disdain as a tax sinkhole and center as a corruption. Plus, a teddy bear is as real as our statehood, only in our imaginations."

We urge the Council to designate the squirrel as DC's official State Animal, and of course will announce it on the listserv if it comes to pass.

Thanks to all who entered!

Bill Adler & Peggy Robin
Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com

What Bugs You About DC Taxicabs?

Councilmembers Mary Cheh and Tommy Wells have introduced a bill to overhaul the District's taxis, the D.C. Taxicab Commission Service Improvement Amendment Act, http://bit.ly/uH00nE (PDF). Among the proposed changes are a uniform color for taxis, all taxis must have GPS, and taxis must accept credit cards.

What bothers you about DC taxis? What would you like to see changed or improved the most? The Cleveland Park Listserv is running a poll on this subject. You have to be a listserv member to vote, but you can join by clicking on the blue "Join This Group" button at www.cleveland-park.com. You do not have to live in Cleveland Park to become a member of the listserv.

Once you are subscribed --and have also registered your subscribed email address with Yahoo, which gives you full access to all the web features of the group-- you can vote in the poll at http://yhoo.it/saZBiB or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cleveland-park/polls.

There's more information about how the Cleveland Park Listserv works on the FAQ page.

New Cleveland Park Listserv Poll on Cell Phone Use While Driving

The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that states pass laws banning the use of cell phones while driving. All cell phones, including hands-free use. The NTSB's chair, Deborah Hersman, said, "It's about cognitive distraction. It's about not being engaged at the task at hand. Lives are being lost in the blink of an eye. You can't take it back, you can't have a do-over, and you can't rewind."

Another NTSB board member said, "This is becoming the new DUI. It's becoming an epidemic." Research has shown that people talking on cell phones drive as dangerously as people who have been drinking: http://bit.ly/uYp2Ng .

In 2010, over 3,000 Americans died because of distracted driving. Over 1.9 million car crashes were caused by people who were driving and using their phones: http://bit.ly/vHzvoo .

Should the District of Columbia ban the use of cell phones while driving? Different jurisdictions have different restrictions on cell phone use, but no state has a total ban on cell phone use while driving. Wednesday's New York Times article about the NTSB's recommendation, http://nyti.ms/rqi59K , points out that completely banning cell phones would be a difficult job. But would it be impossible? Should DC ban cell phones use while driving, before other jurisdictions do? 

The Cleveland Park Listserv, www.cleveland-park.com, is running a poll on this subject.  Subscribed list members can vote in the poll. You do not have to live in Cleveland Park to be a member of the listserv.  The Cleveland Park Listserv FAQ page at http://bit.ly/cplistfaq has information about joining the listserv, accessing the web features of the listserv (such as the polling page, or the archived messages) and many tips about how the Cleveland Park Listserv works.

Bill Adler and Peggy Robin
Cleveland Park Listserv Publishers

www.cleveland-park.com

The Cleveland Park Listserv Has 11,111 Members and We Have a Winner

Back on May 6 when the Cleveland Park Listserv had around 10,700 members, we started a contest asking people to guess the date when the list membership figure would be 11,111.

We hit that palindromic number on August 12, 2011. Margo, a list member since 2006, nailed it right on the nose, and won our prize of an Amazon Kindle.

There were guesses sent in ranging from May 6 (someone thought we could gain more than 400 members in 10 days!) to as far off as March 15, 2012. There were a good many guesses clustered around the beginning and middle of August, as quite a few list members could calculate the rate of growth (between 30-40 members per week) to come up with a fairly accurate guess.

You can find the current membership number (now up to 11,122) on the Cleveland Park Listserv home page at www.cleveland-park.com.

Thanks to all who participated in our guessing game, and congratulations to the winner.

Free on the Cleveland Park Listserv

Celebrating Cleveland Park with the
Cleveland Park Listserv's Iconic Photo

The Cleveland Park Listserv is the area's largest neighborhood email list, with over 10,000 members. It's a great place to talk about city and neighborhood issues, find services, such as plumbers, hear about area events, and more. The "more" department includes giving away and getting free things. Everything from ovens to DVDs to plants get given away. Why throw something out, when that thing can find a happy home with somebody else?

People join the Cleveland Park Listserv, www.cleveland-park.com, for the conversation and information, but hang around for the free stuff, too. The Cleveland Park Listserv is a great place to get recommendations for all kinds of services, for example. Here's how one person compared the Cleveland Park Listserv to Angie's List in a post made yesterday: "If you are a member of the Cleveland Park Listserv, then you would find Angie's List a waste of money. Someone gave me a year of membership as a birthday gift. One time I needed an alterations person to shorten a dress. They found someone 90 minutes away. Another time, it was a recommendation for some other service person and they supplied a name fast but it was a firm either in NC or SC. The Cleveland Park Listserv has always done better than that with many recommendations and mostly in the immediate neighborhood"

Parents: DC's Best Resource for Babysitters

If you're hot to get to one of DC's great restaurants, see a movie, or just get out of the house and the only thing that's holding you back is your pint-sized progeny, then it's the Cleveland Park Listserv to the rescue. In addition to being a great resource for services such as plumbers and electricians, recommendations for doctors and insight into how to get from downtown DC to Dulles in under 30 minutes at rush hour, our companion email list is a great place to find reliable and experienced babysitters.

No longer do you have to sit at home, watching Friends reruns while eating leftover Chinese food. Just hop over to the 10,000+ member Cleveland Park Listserv, then hop over to anywhere you want to be. Sitters post regularly offering their services; or you can post exactly what and when you're looking for somebody.

Recommended: Dermatologist

Our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv, is a treasure trove of recommendations. We want to share on All Life Is Local, on a periodic basis, the best recommendations that have been posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv. You'll be able to search All Life Is Local for "contractor," "plumber," "doctor," "computer tech," "auto body shop" -- whatever you need.


My family sees Dr. Tamjidi, The Tamjidi Skin Institute in the Barlow building in Chevy Chase. She is a great doctor with an awesome personality. Call her on 301-652-4828. We love her and highly recommend her to everyone on the listserv.

Guess When the Cleveland Park Listserv Reaches 11,111 Members and Win an Amazon Kindle

The Cleveland Park Listserv's iconic photo

Sometime soon the Cleveland Park Listserv will reach the milestone of 11,111 members. We don't know exactly what day this will be, and we're having a contest about that. The listserv member who first guesses the day on which we get our 11,111th member will win a brand new Amazon Kindle.

Here is some data to go by to help you guess: The Cleveland Park Listserv, founded in 1999, grows at between 25 and 50 new members a week. We currently have 10,692 members. You can view the current number of members on our home page at www.cleveland-park.com. So, are you good at guessing? Feeling lucky? Like contests?

To enter our 11,111th Member Contest just send us your guess. The contest is open to all Cleveland Park Listserv members, and our contact information is on the Listserv. If you're not a member of the Cleveland Park Listserv, you can join by visiting www.cleveland-park.com or by sending an email to cleveland-park-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. There's no fee to join the Cleveland Park Listserv, and nothing to buy to enter the contest. The Cleveland Park Listserv is Washington, DC's largest and most vibrant neighborhood email list.

11,111 is a fun number and we want to celebrate. So guess away!

Bill Adler and Peggy Robin
Publishers
www.cleveland-park.com
www.alllifeislocal.com

Recommended: Gynecologist

Our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv, is a treasure trove of recommendations. We want to share on All Life Is Local, on a periodic basis, the best recommendations that have been posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv. You'll be able to search All Life Is Local for "contractor," "plumber," "computer tech," "auto body shop" -- whatever you need.

I highly recommend Dr. Vivian Fraga, who was recommended to me by two physicians, and I think she is great.  5454 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, (301) 654-2182.

The Secret Lives of Valet Parkers

Over on our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv, there's a vigorous debate over whether or not restaurants should be allowed to have valet parking in a neighborhood where parking spaces are at a premium.

On the one hand, valet parking staging areas take up one or two valuable parking spaces. On the other hand, valets park cars in parking lot spaces, so they don't take away spaces from neighbors; valets also don't have to drive around to find a space, creating less "looking for a parking space pollution."

Assuming that valet parkers actually obey the rules, that is. What happens if a valet doesn't have a spot for a car? Like the way sausages are made, you might not want to know what happens with your car. But if you have the stomach for it, take a look at this photo of a valet parker in a customer's car. While the car's owner dines at a nearby Cleveland Park restaurant, the valet keeps the car running, tunes in his favorite radio station, and roots around the car's interior:

The Republican House Majority Is Still the District's Overlord

by Bill Adler
Tweeting at @billadler

In addition to announcing the demonstration to bring our trash to Speaker of the House Boehner's house, should the District' trash service come to a halt on All Life Is Local, I posted a message about it our our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv.

Several listserv members wrote to me off-list to protest my message about this protest. Why, they asked, were people going to drop off their trash at Republican Speaker Boehner's house, rather than Democrat Senator Reid's house? The protest was by all appearances very partisan and that upset some list members.

I didn't organize the protest, so I can't speak for the organizers. But I will say that this protest was to have been about how District of Columbia residents are treated by Congress. When it became likely that the government would shut down, District Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced an amendment to allow the District to spend its own tax dollars should worst happen. The Republican controlled House Rules Committee denied that request, in effect telling District residents to go to hell. It's our own money --our own tax revenue-- and we were not allowed to spend it. We're a plaything for Congress and that's anti-democratic and wrong.

I felt like a second or even third class citizen during the debate over the Federal budget. And judging from the number of people who had planned to participate in this protest, thousands of other District residents felt the same.

That's what the protest was to have been about: Letting the world know that we lack voting representation in Congress, but that the District's very reasonable request to be able to continue basic services got a "no" from Congress.

And in case anyone missed the news: The agreement over the Federal budget includes a Republican-sponsored rider that bars the District from spending its own money to provide abortions for low-income women. We're still political pawns.

On Monday DC Vote is organizing a demonstration to protest the District's third class status. We'll have more information about that this afternoon.

Free on the Cleveland Park Listserv

The Cleveland Park Listserv's Iconic Photo
Photo by Bill Adler

The Cleveland Park Listserv is the area's largest neighborhood email list, with over 10,000 members. It's a great place to talk about city and neighborhood issues, find services, such as plumbers, hear about area events, and more. The "more" department includes giving away and getting free things. Everything from ovens to DVDs to plants get given away. Why throw something out, when that thing can find a happy home with somebody else?

People join the Cleveland Park Listserv, www.cleveland-park.com, for the conversation and information, but hang around for the free stuff, too. The Cleveland Park Listserv is a great place to get recommendations for all kinds of services, for example. Here's how one person compared the Cleveland Park Listserv to Angie's List in a post made yesterday: "If you are a member of the Cleveland Park Listserv, then you would find Angie's List a waste of money. Someone gave me a year of membership as a birthday gift. One time I needed an alterations person to shorten a dress. They found someone 90 minutes away. Another time, it was a recommendation for some other service person and they supplied a name fast but it was a firm either in NC or SC. The Cleveland Park Listserv has always done better than that with many recommendations and mostly in the immediate neighborhood"

The Cleveland Park Listserv's Iconic Photo

From time to time we're asked about the photograph that's used on the Cleveland Park Listserv's website.

That photograph of the Cleveland Park Listserv, taken by Bill Adler, has been the iconic image of the listserv since 1996.  The Listserv itself was founded in 1999, and, with over 10,000 Washington, DC area members, is the largest neighborhood email list in the United States.  The cool, mood lighting comes from the neon of the stores nearby, including Sala Thai, which is no longer in Cleveland Park, but whose illumination is preserved in this photograph.

If you're into the nitty-gritty of such things, this photograph was taken without a tripod, using a Fuji FinePix F30, f/2.8, 1/34 second exposure, ISO 3200.

We've always loved this photograph of the Cleveland Park Metro canopy and are delighted that it is the symbol of the Cleveland Park Listserv.

Here's the light that makes this photo so unique and iconic. Neon is always magical. 

Saturday's Possible Federal Government Shutdown and DC Services

A update from the Cleveland Park Listserv about the possible government shutdown:

As everyone knows, the Federal Government may shut down on Saturday. If that happens, it will affect DC residents in a number of ways, none of them good. Here's a partial list of what might happen:

• No trash collection for the first week of a shutdown
• Department of Public Works closed
• DMV would be closed: No drivers license or car tag renewal or other auto-related services
• Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs closed (no permits issued)
• Libraries would be closed
• Smithsonian facilities closed (including the Zoo)
• No pothole filling
• All Federal buildings would be closed

Metrorail would operate, but probably with shorter trains. DC public schools and charter schools would be open. Parking enforcement might be curtailed. Emergency services such as police and fire would not be disrupted. Passport applications will probably not be processed.  During the 1995 government shutdown, courts remained opened.

Almost more than anything else, this possible government shutdown shows how District residents are second-class American citizens.

Past is not always prologue, but the 1995-1996 government shutdown lasted 20 days.

If the worst happens, the Cleveland Park Listserv will be available as a resource for coping with this. If you have a problem because of the shutdown, one of our 10,000+ members may be able to figure out a solution.  We will provide updates when they are available.

There will also be updates on the District Government's website, www.dc.gov, DC Cable channel 16 and by calling 311 starting on Friday. You can view the city's shutdown plan here (opens a PDF).


Bill Adler and Peggy Robin
Publishers Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com

The Top 10 Reasons to Join the Cleveland Park Listserv

Cleveland Park is an email list for people who live in Washington, DC and the Cleveland Park neighborhood. It's a way to meet, exchange news, and find out what's happening in the area. The Cleveland Park Listserv is Washington's most vibrant electronic community, the largest neighborhood email list in the country, and the only neighborhood email list with an columns and features.  Visit www.cleveland-park.com to join.

10.  It's an A-List that doesn't require you to be a major donor to any political party.

9.  You'll find out about new restaurants, secret parking places, neighborhood events, street construction, crime, and other activities that affect your life.

Free on the Cleveland Park Listserv

Cleveland Park Listserv's Iconic Logo Photo

 taken by Bill Adler

The Cleveland Park Listserv is the area's largest neighborhood email list, with over 10,000 members. It's a great place to talk about city and neighborhood issues, find services, such as plumbers, hear about area events, and more. The "more" department includes giving away and getting free things. Everything from ovens to DVDs to plants get given away. Why throw something out, when that thing can find a happy home with somebody else?

People join the Cleveland Park Listserv for the conversation and information, but hang around for the free stuff, too.

Free on the Cleveland Park Listserv

Cleveland Park Listserv's Iconic Photograph, Taken by Bill Adler

The Cleveland Park Listserv is the area's largest neighborhood email list, with over 10,000 members. It's a great place to talk about city and neighborhood issues, find services, such as plumbers, hear about area events, and more. The "more" department includes giving away and getting free things. Everything from ovens to DVDs to plants get given away. Why throw something out, when that thing can find a happy home with somebody else?

People join the Cleveland Park Listserv for the conversation and information, but hang around for the free stuff, too.

Top Ten Reasons to Join the Cleveland Park Listserv

Cleveland Park iconic photo by Bill Adler

Cleveland Park is an email list for people who live in Washington, DC and the Cleveland Park neighborhood. It's a way to meet, exchange news, and find out what's happening in the area. The Cleveland Park Listserv is Washington's most vibrant electronic community, the largest neighborhood email list in the country, and the only neighborhood email list with an columns and features.  Visit www.cleveland-park.com to join.

10.  It's an A-List that doesn't require you to be a major donor to any political party.

9.  You'll find out about new restaurants, secret parking places, neighborhood events, street construction, crime, and other activities that affect your life.


8.  You'll know more about what's going on in the District of Columbia than the DC Government does.  (Well, you probably know already.)

7.  You'll hear about the latest shark capture in the Potomac and bedbug infestation in time to take appropriate action.

6.  You need a good plumber now, you'll find a good plumber now.

5.  Being on the list won't increase your property tax assessment.

4.  Being on the list may give you ways to lower your property tax assessment.

3.  You don't have to wait until the newspaper is delivered at 4:30am to find out what's been happening.

2.  Somebody will be able to answer your question:  "What was that helicopter doing in the sky at 12:30am?"

And the number 1 reason to join the Cleveland Park Listserv:

1.  You have an excuse to stay indoors at your computer when it's 95 degrees and humid outside.

With over 10,000 members, the Cleveland Park Listserv is the largest neighborhood email list in the United States.  Join us!  The Cleveland Park Listserv is spam-free and calorie-free. 

Advertise on the Cleveland Park Listserv

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You can advertise on the Cleveland Park Listserv.  Advertisements on the Cleveland Park Listserv cost $50. (Discounts are available for multiple ads.)

The Cleveland Park Listserv is the largest neighborhood email list in the Washington, DC area, with over 10,000 members. 

The Cleveland Park Listserv covers zip codes 20008 and 20016, two of the highest income and most educated demographics in the United States.  Just by way of example, 81% of people in 20008 graduated from college; 27% of 20008 residents earn $75,000 a year or more; in 20016, 43% of adults earn $50,000 a year or more; in 20016 48% have graduate degrees. 

You do not need to be a Cleveland Park Listserv member to post an advertisement.

Key Features of Advertising on the Cleveland Park Listserv:

• Highly targeted and prosperous audience
• Same-day advertising is available
• It's easy -- just send in your advertisement as an ordinary listserv post or email it to us and we'll take care of the rest.
• Staying power - your advertisement stays in our frequently searched archives forever
• Cost effective 

Questions?  You can read our advertising FAQ or contact us at cleveland-park-owner at yahoogroups dot com or 202-742-6873. To purchase an advertisement, click here.

Unlike most other advertising media, your advertisement can be published on the Cleveland Park Listserv that day or  even within the hour.  If your advertisement is time sensitive, call or email us first to confirm that your advertisement can appear quickly.