Still Life with Robin: Blooming Flowers, Booming Voices

 by Peggy Robin

Now that I have figured out how to create shared albums so that Listserv members can add their photos, I have just created two new photo albums.

The first one is for our photos of our bloomin' neighborhood -- but not just our neighborhood -- it's for anywhere you've been where you took photos of flowers you'd like to share with this group. Click on the album Spring Flowers -- and please don't take this title too literally: Feel free to upload any good flower photos you've taken, even they're of the bougainvillea you saw on your trip to Barbados in 2015.

The second album is for photos of people in our neighborhood, or from our neighborhood, gathering to exercise their first amendment right "peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." That album is called "Rally for..... " I've kicked it off with some photos I took at today's Hands Off Our Democracy Rally at the Washington Monument, plus a few others I copied from social media posts and from friends. You can add your own photos of this event, or photos of the weekly Klingle Valley "Resistance" Bridge protests, or any other protests you've captured in digital images. We'll get more out of them if you will add a description of the date, place and purpose of the demonstration or rally you have uploaded.

Upload instructions: 

1. Go to the PHOTOS section of the CP Listserv.
   
2. Click on the album you would like to add your photos to - for example: Spring Flowers or Rally for.....
   
3. Look for the green +Add Photos button and click on it.
   
4. You will see an option to "drop and drag" or "browse," allowing you to choose how you would like to locate your photos on your computer and add them to the album. Pull up each photo you want to add to the album, write a description in the "description" box, and then click "Add."
   

If you just would like to see lots of good photos of the rally today, take a look at Washingtonian Magazine's gallery of images: https://www.washingtonian.com/2025/04/05/photos-check-out-these-signs-at-the-hands-off-protest-in-dc/

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out! Saturday, April 5 is HANDS OFF DEMOCRACY DAY

 by Peggy Robin

Notice anything different about this week's featured event? Yes, you're right: It's the first time an explicitly political event is our chosen event of the week in the Listserv's regular Thursday "Get Out!" column. 

Sure, there were plenty of other non-political events to choose from, including Petalpalooza in the Cherry Blossom Festival, or the innovative Warp Grid Project by percussionist Marty Risemberg (free at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage); or a free guided tour of the night sky at the Rock Creek Nature Center & Planetarium. But if you've been following the news of drastic cuts to the arts, to our public parks, and to programs that showcase diversity of cultures, you have to wonder if events like these will even exist when the Trump administration has finished taking its chainsaw to government programs, the arts, medical research, national parks..... Has anything been spared? (Well, yes -- Musk's government contracts -- they seem sacrosanct.). 

For the future of events like these -- and much more -- I've chosen the Hands Off Democracy Rally as the event of the week. 

HANDS OFF OUR DEMOCRACY will take place on Saturday, April 5 at the Washington Monument. Buses are bringing people from all over, gathering at 11 am. The program of speakers begins at noon. 

There are also rallies planned in cities all across America - and around the world.

What are some of the "HANDS OFF" demands?

• Hands off the DC government! Let us spend our own taxpayers' money as we, the voters of DC, see fit.
  
• Hands off Congressionally-mandated federal agencies. Let the FDA protect our food and medicines; let NIH continue their life-saving research studies, let the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau go after predatory lending and fraud; let the EPA protect our air and water from polluters; let the Department of Education give students from all backgrounds a shot at higher education....and so much more!
  
• Hands off independent, artistic decision-making by a non-partisan board at the Kennedy Center
  
• Hands off evidence-based prosecutions of corrupt officials. End the firing of those who won't sign off on using the threat of prosecution to coerce certain officials into supporting the administration's explicitly political goals
  
• Hands off our Board of Elections as they seek to increase participation in our democracy. Don't force them to adopt restrictive voting laws designed to suppress the vote or overturn elections when the outcome isn't what Trump wants.  
  

I could list many more such bullet points, but that's enough for now. If any one of these points is important to you, I hope you will come out to the rally and add your voice to the throng. 

More information at: https://www.mobilize.us/handsoff/event/764186/

Date & Time: Saturday, April 5  12 – 3:30pm EDT

Location: Washington Monument - nearest Metro station - Smithsonian

Bring family, friends & neighbors!

------------------

The "Get Out!" event of the week is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Trump's Sweeping New Executive Order: Takeover of DCPS

 Dear List Members,

I woke up this morning to see a series of astonishing posts on X from Elon Musk, starting with this announcement:

"DOGE is gonna do a complete overhaul of the crumbling DC school system - will be epic!" Followed by: "Taking the DOGE chainsaw to readin, 'riting & 'rithmatic, gonna teach 'em Working for a Living! And NO MORE FREE LUNCH!"

The Mayor and DC Counciil members were caught off guard by this lastest, sweeping move by DOGE. A follow-up tweet from Musk gave a link to a press release from Education Secretary Linda MacMahon announcing that in the early hours of this morning, April 1, President Trump had signed an Executive Order giving his administration immediate and complete control of the entire DC public school system.

The President took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, to blast the DC public school sytem: "It's a total failure, all these schools -- they're all sh*tholes, turning out nothing but losers and suckers. We're wasting TRILLIONS of dollars on the whole system. Time to fix it, as ONLY I CAN FIX IT."

That was followed by another flurry of tweets on X from Elon Musk, announcing the following actions: 

"All DCPS teachers and adminstrators are fired, effective today. They have one hour to clear out their desks."

"All school buildings will be auctioned off to developers for conversion to condos and office buildings, and other private uses, including a Trump hotel and  a WWE sports arena. We have already lined up some of the finest American steakhouses and seafood restaurants, as well as luxury retailers -- think Tiffany's -- to open businesses on the ground floor. of the converted former school buildings. And of course, there will be Tesla dealerships."

The Education Secretary's press release included a link to a 47-page document detailing how the Trump adminstration will "transform public school education in DC into a hands-on practical work experience:

"All children from as young as age 5 to age 18 will be trained in useful life-skills by working in factories, workshops, assembly lines, and Amazon warehouses, turning out American-made manufactured goods, cheaply and efficiently -- items such as low-cost clothing, running shoes, computer chips, health and beauty items, furniture, lawn and garden equipment, firearms -- all things American want and need, and at wages lower than those of Chinese children -- and they will graduate, having learned the old-fashioned American values, such as...

• speed
  
• manual dexterity
  
• punctuality
  
• diligrance
  
• humility
  
• respect for authority"
  
  

The press release also included this statement on the current state of DCPS:

"DC schools now are just indoctrination factories, pumping children full of anti-American sentiments and left wing propagranda. In history class they learn only one side of the civil war and they end up with a wholly negative view of the very efficient labor system of the Antebellum South; in science class they are taught the hoax of climate change; in geography classes they are using outdated maps referencing the non-existant "Gulf of Mexico" and incorrectly labeling the Donbas region of Russia as part of Ukraine."  

Another area of significant savings to the taxpayer, the statement said, will come from the elimination of the "ridulously extravagent school lunches" that Musk said are now standard fare in DC's public school cafetrias: "They're wasting millions of your hard-earned dollars feeding kids Iranian caviar, Nova Scotia smoked salmon, and French escargot, all washed down with Cuervo Gold from Mexico -- often served with a side of fentanyl smuggled in by the drug dealing immigrants who make up a sizable percentage of DCPS employees.

But no more. Under the newly announced school budget and work-study schedule, a ten-minute lunch break will be taken on the factory floor, with one single serving of of American grown & GMO-modified grain-based gruel per child. Any child who says, "Please sir, I want some more" will learn the lesson embedded in that great English classic, Oliver Twist: Children who try to get more than their due or seek advatage, not based on their own hard work, but on a false sense of entitlement or claim to pity due to their race, class, gender or age, will no longer be coddled or promoted but will be subject to "swift and sure RERIBUTION in the form of Corporal Punishment."

Parents have until 11:59 PM, TONIGHT, APRIL 1, to opt out of the new DCPS work-study program, the alternative being to home-school their children or sign them up for federally-supported Christian Nationalist charter schools.

The opt-out form is available at this link.

Posted by:

Peggy Robin

Cleveland Park Listserv Moderator

ClevelandPark+Owner@groups.io 

April 1, 2025

Still Life with Robin: Big changes coming to the National Zoo?

by Peggy Robin

I hope by now you've heard the news that President Trump has assigned VP Vance to root out instances of "woke" culture at the National Zoo.

As the Zoo occupies a large plot of land between Cleveland Park to the north and Woodley Park to the south, I view the zoo's denizens, both animal and human, as our neighbors.

That's why I was so pleased to see the video below from a concerned zoo-goer, Kyle Whitmire, who took it upon himself to visit the zoo to determine just who's "woke" and who's not.

Here is his report on YouTube (also available on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/p/DHwfyYuRtfu/?hl=en): 

Not sure he's right? You are welcome to visit our animal neighbors at 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, WDC, 20008, and see for yourself. 

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Still Life with Robin is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out: And Go Fly a Kite!

 by Peggy Robin

Free!

BLOSSOM KITE FESTIVAL!

When: Saturday, March 29, 2025 10 - 4 PM
Rain Date: March 30, 2025

Where: Washington Monument Grounds

More info: https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event/blossom-kite-festival/

Join us at the Washington Monument Grounds with soaring activities, music, competitions, and performances. Kite enthusiasts, beginners, families, and friends are all welcome.

Get ready to enjoy kite demonstrations and competitions, arts & crafts, and so much more. 

2025 BLOSSOM KITE FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

COMPETITION & DEMONSTRATION FIELD

Welcome Remarks: 10:00 AM  

National Anthem & Patriotic Kite Fly: 10:05 to 10:25 AM  

Featured Fliers Demo #1: 10:30 to 11:00 AM  

Hot Tricks Showdown: 11:05 to 11:35 AM  

Mass Professional Ascension: 11:35 to12:25 PM  

Featured Fliers Demo #2: 12:30 to 1:00 PM  

Adult Kite Makers Competition: 1:00  to 2:00 PM  

Master Mikio Toki Kite Fly/Demo: 2:00 to 2:30 PM  

Rokkaku Battle: 2:30 to 3:30 PM  

Featured Fliers Demo #3: 3:30 to 4:00 PM  

Awards and Kite Arch: 4:00 to 4:30 PM  

FAMILY FIELD STAGE PERFORMERS

*DJ/Host Wes Felton: 10:30 to 3:45 PM  

Practice Fly for Youth Kite Makers: 10:15  to 10:45 AM  

*Iya & The Kuumba Kids: 10:30 to 11:05 AM  

Youth Kite Makers Competition: 11:00 to 12:00 PM  

*Pat Smith: 11:10 to 11:20 AM  

*The Frizz: 11:35 – 12:00 PM  

Youth Kite Makers Awards: 12:15 – 12:45 PM  

*Unknown Artist: 12:45 – 1:05 PM

Bol Races: 1:00 – 1:45 PM  

*Orquestra Manplesa: 1:15 to 2:00 PM  

Bol Races & (Music): 2:00 to 4:30 PM  

*Kenny Allen/Wes Felton/Dante Pope: 2:15 to 3:45 PM  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The "Get Out!" event of the week is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin: That pesky photo display problem.....SOLVED!

by Peggy Robin

If you've ever tried to sell multiple items on the Cleveland Park Listserv, and you put some time into taking nicely-lit, well-composed, high resolution photos to include with each of your items for sale, you have probably received my standard message rejection form letter with the X-mark on the posting problem, as shown below:

Dear List Member,

Sorry, but your message can't be posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv for the reasons checked below. Please read the ENTIRE message carefully, as well as the X-marked item(s), as this helps list members to understand how to write messages that are more likely to be posted on this neighbor-to-neighbor discussion group. Please also keep in mind that the CP Listserv has over 12,400 members and receives on average twice as many submissions per day as are published.

__ Your message wasn't signed according to the list's requirements. All messages need to be signed at the END with a full name (preferred) or, at a minimum, a first name. We won’t post anonymous messages, or messages signed with aliases, screen names, or initials. We'd like all messages to show a name at the end to give list members a sense of who’s talking when they read a post – that helps to maintain a neighborly spirit on the listserv. 

__  Your message is a crosspost, copy, reprint, or forward of a message from another poster. We accept only messages written by you, just for your neighbors on this listserv. We don't accept reprints of articles that have appeared elsewhere, blocks of text copied from websites, messages sent around to multiple listservs, or posts on behalf of non-list-members (with exceptions made by the moderators in urgent circumstances).  

_X_  Your photos are incompatible with the image display settings for this listserv. The CP Listserv can successfully handle 3 or 4 photos in .JPG format ONLY, as long as the total size of the photos is under .5 MB (under 500 kb). [NOTE: Your photos are in ___ format and __kb.] There are a few ways to solve this problem: 1. You can downsize your photos/reformat them to stay within the limits; 2. You could omit any images from your message and upload your photos to a file-sharing site (Google Drive, iCloud, DropBox, et. al.) and put a link to the photos on the site, set to "public sharing"; or 3. You could go with the simplest solution -- just add a line to your message that says, “Email to see photos if interested.”

__ The message is a “posting for a friend.” There are 3 reasons why posting for a friend is discouraged on the listserv. First, it’s not in keeping with the direct, neighbor-to-neighbor character of the listserv; second, we’ve learned from past experience that miscommunication is a common problem in secondhand posts; and third, if anyone can post a query by simply asking a list member to send it in for them, the daily message volume on this busy listserv would be much greater than it already is. Your friend is welcome to join the listserv (there’s no requirement to live here) and post this query directly, and can find information about how to do so on our Frequently Asked Questions page at www.cleveland-park.com/faq.html.  Please note: We make exceptions to this policy if the person is unable to post due to illness, disability, or lack of access to email.

__ The question you're asking can be answered by searching the message archives. To search all the messages in the listserv’s history, start at https://groups.io/g/clevelandpark and click on “Messages” on the left-hand sidebar. Then look for the blank search button with a little magnifying glass icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. Type a search word in the box and click on the magnifying glass. If searching for more than one word, put the words inside quotation marks. If you pull up too many results, use the “tools” button (at the top of the column of results) to bring up some tools to limit your search – for example, change “any time” to “past year” or put in a particular time frame. You can find more information about doing an archives search at: http://www.cleveland-park.com/searching-the-archives.html

__ The message goes against some part of our advertising policy; all the requirements for free ads can be found on the list’s advertising checklist. Please note that the Cleveland Park Listserv is an advertiser-supported publication, and we now publish only two types of ads for free: 1.  Messages selling personal items valued under $1000, submitted by list members who live within zip codes 20008, 20016, 20007 or 20015; and 2. “Nanny/housecleaner available” ads sent in by the person seeking employment or sent in by a current employer on behalf of a nanny or housecleaner. All other types of ads must be purchased. If you are sellin program to post your ad. For business ads or any type of property adg things over $1000 and/or you live out of boundary, you can join our Premium Memberships (houses or apartments for sale or for rent), you can pay for your ad through our Main Advertising Page. For ads about ticketed events, out-of-area or off-topic events and other promotion of non-business events, the cost is half the price of a business ad – just $25 for a single post to advertise to our audience of 12,400+ readers – available here: http://www.cleveland-park.com/nonprofit-organization-ads.html.  Your sponsorship is what helps keep the listserv alive!

__  The message is a recommendation that goes against some part of our recommendations policy. For information about how to write a recommendation for the CP Listserv, please visit our recommendations policy page. 

__ Other: 

For some useful information about how the Cleveland Park Email List works and how to improve the chances that your message will be published, please visit our FAQ at http://www.cleveland-park.com/faq.html.  Sorry, also, to respond with a form letter, but because the Cleveland Park List is such a busy place in cyberspace, the form letter enables us to both moderate the list and have time to do things like eat and sleep. 

Best wishes,

Peggy

--

Peggy Robin

Cleveland Park Listserv Moderator / List Owner

Home Page: https://groups.io/g/clevelandpark 

CP Info Pages: www.cleveland-park.com 

FAQ: http://www.cleveland-park.com/faq.html

List Sponsorship FAQ: http://www.cleveland-park.com/advertising-faq.html 

Recommendations Policies: https://bit.ly/CPrecommendations  

Search the archives: http://www.cleveland-park.com/searching-the-archives.html 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I send out this checklist to would-be posters as often as a dozen times a day. 

When I send it out with the "incompatible images" box checked (as shown above), I know I'll likely need to follow up with more detailed explanations of ways to get around the Listserv's 0.5 MB/500 kb maximum/.jpg only rule. Too many people don't know how to discover the format of their photos, or find out how big they are in kb or MB -- much less convert them to another format and downsize them. As for opening a Dropbox account, creating an album, setting it to public sharing, and putting the link to the album in their for-sale message....fuggedabout! (as my Brooklyn-born uncle used to say (usually with an exaggerated accent for maximum negative impact). 

I have long wished I had a way to make it easier to show photos on the Cleveland Park Listserv. Or at least a faster way for me to tell people how to get around the size and format limits to show their photos.

Just today (after 25+ years of moderating this Listserv), I came up with a workable solution. I think it's something that anyone with just a few not-so-advanced computer skills will be able to do. Well, you do need to know how to upload a photo to a site. That site is the PHOTOS section of the Listserv at this link: https://groups.io/g/clevelandpark/photos 

You will not need to create an account on a photo-sharing site to do so. This is something that will work for any registered member of Groups.io. Not sure if you are registered? Do you have a password to go along with your email subscription on the Listserv? If you do, you are a registerd member of Groups.io, as well as a subscriber to the Listserv. If you don't have a password, or you had one but you no longer remember it, you will find the instructruction to register with Groups.io/set a new password to give you access to the PHOTOS section of the Listserv on our FAQ page -- see Question #10: How do I register with Groups.io to take advantage of the web features of the Cleveland Park Listserv's site at  https://groups.io/g/clevelandpark?

OK, so now let's go through the steps to upload your photos. (This is assuming you have already jumped over the password hurdle. If you did not encounter the password challenge box and you have still arrived at the PHOTOS section, then your computer must have logged you in automatically, (Your computer often knows more about you than you do yourself!)

1. Go to the home page at https://groups.io/g/clevelandpark
   
2. Click on Photos in the left-hand column of site links
   
3. Open the album FOR SALE PHOTOS -- or you can skip steps 1 and 2 and just click on this direct link:   https://groups.io/g/clevelandpark/album?id=301407
   
4. Look for the little green button that says +Add Photos and click on it.
   
5. You will now see a box with "Drag image here" in it. If you know how to drag & drop, do that with the photo you want to add to the album, then click "Add" to complete the upload. If you don't know how to drag & drop or you'd rather select from photos stored in your own photo storage system, select "Browse" and a box will pop up showing you options for finding your stored photos. Pull up the photo you want to add to the album and click "Add."
   
6. Now you will see the image you are adding. There's a box below to add your description of the image. Be sure to provide enough of a description so that people can connect the photo with the item you are selling.
   
7. Go back to the main page of the FOR SALE PHOTOS folder. The photo you just added should be the first image shown on the left. Click on it to bring up just that photo.
   
8. Now go to the address bar at the top of your screen and copy the URL (web address) of that photo. It's best not to copy the entire line, which ends with some gobbledygook like this:  p=Created%2C%2C%2C20%2C2%2C0%2C0. Just carefully copy up until you see a question mark (?) in the line -- that's all you need to copy to provide people with a link that will go right to your photo. If you do copy the entire line, that could work, too - but it's way more likely to get broken at some point in the email process and may end up not being clickable for your readers.
   
9. Paste the link you just copied into the FOR SALE message that you want to send to the Cleveland Park Listserv. 
   
10. If selling multiple items, upload a photo of each item to the FOR SALE PHOTOS album.
    
11. For each item listed in your FOR SALE message to the group, write a brief description and follow it with the link that allows the reader to click on it and see your uploaded photo of that item. 
    
12. When you have all your photos of items for sale accessible by link in the for-sale message you have composed to send to the group, sign it at the end with your name and some indication of your location (your full address is not required but you do need to provide enough to make it clear you live within one of the in-boundary zip codes, 20008, 20016, 20015, or 20007 -- and if you don't, please consult our "For Sale Ads" page for out-of-boundary list members). Now you can  email your for-sale ad to the posting address, clevelandpark@groups.io, and it will be posted.....and you don't need to worry about those pesky format and size requirements ever again!
    

Rocking Horse: https://groups.io/g/clevelandpark/photo/301407/3898577

(Item Is Not For Sale - This is just an example.)

Intimidated by the 12 steps?  Once you gone through this routine a couple of times -- or maybe even just once -- it will become obvious what you need to do after each step. If you need any help, I recommend asking the nearest available teenager.

----------------------

Still Life with Robin is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out!🌸 The 2025 Cherry Blossom Festival Has Some Fun Activities This Weekend, March 22 & 23 🌸

by Peggy Robin

It's the first big weekend of the CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL! 

We're still about a week away from PEAK BLOOM, but that shouldn't diminish your enjoyment of the Cherry Blossom Festival events set for this weekend:

You can find links to all the events at https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/

Today's "Get Out!" column is highlighting just one event for Saturday, March 22, and one for Sunday, March 23. 

🌸🌸🌸  🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸  🌸🌸🌸

Saturday, March 22

SAAM Cherry Blossom Celebration

Celebrate the cherry blossoms with SAAM! Begin the day on the museum’s 8th and F Street Plaza (weather permitting) with a taiko drumming performance by Nen Daiko. The program continues inside in the Kogod Courtyard for Japanese pop, boogie, and more with Les The DJ. Enjoy other performances while children (ages 12 and younger) make cherry-blossom themed crafts. Seasonal treats are available for purchase from the Courtyard Café. A spring-themed scavenger hunt through SAAM’s galleries extends the fun. Photo by Norwood Photography.

Schedule of Performances:

• 11:30 a.m. – Nen Daiko taiko drumming, F Street Plaza (weather permitting) 
• 12:00 p.m. – Les The DJ, Kogod Courtyard 
• 12:30 p.m. – Misako Ballet Company, Kogod Courtyard 
• 1:00 p.m. – Les The DJ, Kogod Courtyard 
• 2 p.m. – Misako Ballet Company, Kogod Courtyard 
• 2:30 p.m. – Nen Daiko taiko drumming, Kogod Courtyard 

Closest Metro: Gallery Place, 9th street exit

🌸🌸🌸  🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸  🌸🌸🌸

Sunday, March 23

Cherry Blossom Daruma at Anthem Row

Spring is knocking and Downtown D.C. is ready to bloom! The Cherry Blossom Daruma at Anthem Row—a 10-foot-wide Japanese daruma doll aerial art installation adorned with intricate cherry blossom motifs—is set to wow and welcome visitors of all ages to experience spring in the city for the 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival. 

When: Sunday, March 23 · 12 - 4pm EDT 

Where: Anthem Row 800 K Street Northwest Washington, DC 20001 Map

Here's a short video that explains what DARUMA are, and what to expect at the Daruma event at Anthem Row:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91lshulroXM  

Event Experience includes:

• 🥁 Taiko Drumming Performance: Feel the beat of spring with Mark H Taiko, a taiko drumming ensemble.
• 👘 Spring Kimono Fashion Show: Witness beautifully designed cherry blossom kimonos by Atelier Kanawa, followed by a kimono dressing demonstration showcasing the artistry of tying an Obi sash.
• 💫 Aerial Cirque Performance: Marvel at an acrobatic display of movement and aerial performance by Cirque-tacular.
• 🎨 The Kodomo: Bring your little ones to the dedicated kid's corner. Let their creativity run loose with a Daruma coloring sheet and origami-making.
• 🎎 Mini Daruma Doll Giveaways: We know you won’t get enough of the Cherry Blossom Daruma installation, so there will be mini Daruma doll giveaways for you to take home.
• 🍢 *Kushiyaki: Indulge in authentic Japanese flavors with sizzling grilled skewers.
• 🍣 *Sushi Tsukuri: Join a sushi-making experience –very limited – brought to you by a skilled chef from Love, Makoto.
• 🍸 *Japanese Sake Tasting: Sample some Japanese sake –Joto Junmai Ginjo, Amabuki Sakura Fubuki, and Mutsu Hassen "Pink Label" Ginjo– as well as the "Blossom Mist," The Westin DC Downtown's signature cherry blossom Empress gin drink.
• 🎵 Global Sounds The experience will close with a lively, crowd-pleasing mix of K-POP and global sounds spun by Les The DJ.

*While the event is free and open to the public, the sushi-making and sake experiences will be available for a suggested nominal donation. All food, beverage, and giveaways are available while supplies last. Alcoholic sampling will be available for attendees over 21 years old.

-----------------

The "Get Out!: events list is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin: Last Minute Rescue (Or So We Hope!)

 by Peggy Robin 

What a nerve-wracking roller coaster we've been on! Just when it looked like our city's operating budget was being thrown over a cliff, and so many of the Senators that we thought were our friends suddenly seemed to be cowering in the Senate cloakroom, afraid to do battle for us, a noble few stepped up and advanced a bill to pull us back from the precipice -- that is, let us keep our firefighters, EMTs, and police officers on the job, prevent the removal of teachers from the classroom mid-year, and ward off deep cuts to essential programs -- kindly allowing us to to use OUR OWN MONEY as we deem necessary for our own well-being.

Of course, as observed by CM Christina Henderson, it's not over yet. The House must come back after their spring break to approve the bill. So there still could be a bumpy ride ahead.

I take this pause in the drama to thank our Council Members and Mayor who sprang into action, mobilizing citizens from all walks of life to rally, lobby, and swarm the halls of Congress to defend our city from this existential threat. I was especially moved by all the schoolchildren (and their parents!) who showed up at the Capitol to make sure the Senators saw the faces of the people who would be hurt by the House bill. 

For those who have been overwhelmed with the speed of the action or confused about what just went down, I recommend this Instagram video fromCouncilmember Henderson, a true leader in DC's defense.  

 

For a good news recap of how the Wile E. Coyote-like run off the cliff was averted, I recommend this news-clip/article from WTOP: https://wtop.com/dc/2025/03/a-major-first-step-local-leaders-react-to-senates-unanimous-approval-of-dc-budget-bill/ 

 

Huge thanks to Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins,Vice Chair Patty Murray, and Senator Chris Van Hollen, who co-drafted it, along with Senators Angela Alsobrooks, Tim Kaine, and Mark Warner, who worked hard to get it through the Senate by the end of the day. Whew!

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Still Life with Robin is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out! Friday Edition: It's Pi Day! That Means Pizza Deals!

 by Peggy Robin

Today the math nerd's favorite day*: It's 3.14 - π -that is to say, PI, making today PI DAY.

While it's not in the same league with that green-beer-swilling festival 3 days later, it does give area pizza sellers and bakeries a nice marketing opportunity -- discounts and special promotions on pizza pies and dessert pies all day long.

Rather than list them here, I refer you to the Washington Post's coverage of the subject: Where to find discounted (or free!) pizza and pie on Pi Day around D.C. And for those of you boycotting the Washington Post, here's a video clip + online article from News4Washington: https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/all-things-circles-3-14-deals-and-fun-events-for-pi-day-in-the-dc-area/3864250/.

* Some of you may ask: "What about those math nerds whose favorite day is Fibonacci Day?" That's Nov 23 (11 23) for those of you non-math-nerds who promptly forgot about the Fibonacci sequence that you were taught sometime in middle school. Well, it doesn't lend itself to promotional sales, so it just can't compete.

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The "Get Out!" event of the week is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays, but Pi Day is so cool, it calls for a special supplemental edition.

Get Out!🌸 The 2025 Cherry Blossom Festival gets underway on Friday, March 14! 🌸

by Peggy Robin

 

What's the best thing coming to Washington to help take your mind off all the bad stuff?

 

🌸🌸🌸 CHERRY BLOSSOMS! 🌸🌸🌸

 

Get started on the main page: https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/

 

My pick for the best thing of the entire 2-week festival, is the race named for everyone's favorite little cherry tree, STUMPY, who gave his life so that the seawall could be rebuilt and many trees could be saved! (May his many clones live long and prosper!) It's....

 

Stumpy’s Petals & Paddles Race  

Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 4:30 PM

at the Tidal Basin, 1501 Maine Ave SW

Free for spectators

Tickets for competitors: $100 for 2 people, additional $20 for extra rider

Buy tickets: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/boatingindc-tidalbasin/items/599484/calendar/2025/03/?flow=no&full-items=yes

 

Stumpy’s Petals and Paddles Race at the Tidal Basin promises an exciting and vibrant kick-off to spring and the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This event invites participants of all ages to race pedal boats across the iconic Tidal Basin, a beautiful body of water surrounded by the famous monuments and memorials.

 

Racers will experience the serene yet exhilarating atmosphere of the Tidal Basin, navigating their boats past the delicate blossoms that attract visitors from around the world annually. The race features both timed heats and friendly competitions, with awards for the fastest boats per age group and best dressed participants.

TRANSPORTATION: Parking is limited in the District, especially during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It’s highly recommended that visitors use DC’s alternative transportation modes like Capital Bikeshare, DC Streetcar, Scooters, Metrobus, and Metrorail to make the most of their experience.

 

For Metrorail: Get off at the following stations: Smithsonian or L’Enfant Plaza

 

For all the other events of the 2-week festival, go to:

https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/all-events/ 

 

Here are a few of the best bets of the Cherry Blossom Festival starting tomorrow, March 14 through Thursday, March 20:

 

Friday, March 14: PINK TIE PARTY - DC’S ULTIMATE SPRING BASH 

https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event/pink-tie-party/

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-pink-tie-party-tickets-1062864409059?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

March 20-23, 2025 • Art in Bloom DC 2025 at Anderson House

Theme: Cherry Blossom Dreams: A Springtime Celebration

More information and tickets: https://www.artinbloomdc.com/ 

 

March 20 - 27, 2025 • Cherry Blossom Magic at the Museum of Illusions DC 6-9PM

CityCenter DC, 927 H St NW

More information and tickets: https://moiwashington.com/current-event/join-us-for-paint-play-and-pour-at-the-museum-of-illusions-dc/

 

Come back to the "Get Out!" column on Thursday, March 20, for Cherry Blossom events that start on Friday, March 21 or take place on the weekend of March 22-23.

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The "Get Out" events column is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays