Oh Yes, There Was an Aurora After All...Outside of Fairbanks

Photos courtesy of Lew & Carol Simon

by Peggy Robin

On the night of April 13 Cleveland Parkers Carol and Lew Simon saw the aurora borealis that Accuweather had forecast to be visible here in the neighborhood. It was spectacularly visible in their neighborhood, Fairbanks, Alaska, where they are spending a year.





Lew comments: "Carol and I think of the aurora shows as reward for enduring -40F, 20-hour darkness all winter. We're now up to 14+ hours of daylight and increasing about 8 minutes daily."

From the look of these photos, perhaps not a bad trade-off, I'd say

The Cleveland Park Historical Society Wants Your Input

We would like to encourage all Cleveland Parkers, whether currently members of the Cleveland Park Historical Society or not, to participate in the neighborhood survey, which was recently posted on our companion listserv, www.cleveland-park.com. 




Dear Cleveland Park Neighbors,

As Cleveland Park marks 25 years as a National Register Historic District, the Cleveland Park Historical Society is meeting to consider its mission, priorities, and future programming. Would you take a brief survey and let us know how we can best serve the neighborhood?

Click here to take the survey: http://svy.mk/yRGNc7

Thank you for your input!

Carin Ruff
Project Coordinator, Cleveland Park Historical Society
staff @ clevelandparkhistoricalsociety [dot] org
http://clevelandparkhistoricalsociety.org

After you have taken the survey, be sure to visit the CPHS Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ClevelandParkHistory, where you will find a link to view the survey results. Once you are there, you can read the submitted comments by clicking on the "show replies" link at the end of the polling results for each question. These comments reveal a huge range of opinion, interests, and attitudes toward the neighborhood, and what CPHS can and should be doing to preserve and protect it. You can also get to the results directly at: http://svy.mk/xBbQQy.

--Peggy Robin & Bill Adler
All Life Is Local & The Cleveland Park Listserv

Cleveland Park Metro Elevator Out of Service Until May

Here's the latest bad news from Metro:

Service Advisory - Cleveland Park: Entrance Elevator Out of Service for Modernization. Beginning on or about January 5 through early May, 2012, the entrance elevator at the Cleveland Park Station will be out of service for a multi-month modernization project. During this time crews will replace all key components of the elevator to provide more reliable service.

Shuttle bus service will be provided to/from Woodley Park Station. In addition, customers can use Metrobus routes  L1, L2, and L4 to travel between Cleveland Park and Woodley Park.

Is it just us, or does this missive strike you as a bit lacking in information? Maybe even misleading? Is it really "modernization" when you schedule five months of repairs for an inadequately maintained, often broken-down elevator? Perhaps "replacement" is the more accurate term when all the "key components" of the elevator are involved. Also, wouldn't it have been nice to include a brief nod to courtesy in the announcement -- you know the sort of thing: "Metro thanks you for your patience" or "regrets the inconvenience"? Or is that taken as so much boilerplate these days that it's better not to throw it in?

Dark Skies Over Cleveland Park

Darkening Skies Over Cleveland Park

Photo by Bill Adler

Summer

Summer in Washington, DC. We wanted to share this lovely photo, taken in Cleveland Park.

Photo by Bill Adler. Taken with an iPhone.

Home, Sweet Home

A Cleveland Park house for your viewing pleasure:

Photo by Bill Adler. Taken with an iPhone 4 using Pro HDR,
then edited with Picnik

Cleveland Park Business Association Seeks Volunteers to Work on Streetscape Planning, Other Ideas

Cleveland Park has a relatively new organization of business owners, the Cleveland Park Business Association (CPBA), which is currently seeking volunteers to join Main Street Training.

The Cleveland Park Business Association (CPBA), a 501c3 nonprofit organization formed in 2010, has announced a new initiative to build upon the vibrant Connecticut Avenue business community.  With over 30 business members, the CPBA is engaged in a coordinated effort to build upon the unique and historic character of the business district through new programs and services for residents.

Thanks to a grant from the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development, the CPBA has begun working with the National Trust for Historic Preservation on training through the National Trust’s Main Street program.  For over 30 years, the MainStreet program has helped historic commercial districts work together to revitalize and preserve their character.  Specifically, the Main Street program helps organizations organize and promote their goals through extensive training and education.

Residents of Cleveland Park are urged to join with the CPBA in this effort to preserve and improve the business district along Connecticut Avenue.  Residents will join focused committees and attend Main Street training with members of the CPBA.

Committees are focused on the following areas: 

• Public Spaces Committee
• Marketing Committee
• Membership and Finance Committee

To sign up for one of the committees and join in the Main Street training, contact info@cpbiz.org.

Founded by some of Cleveland Park’s long-time business owners, Susan Lihn, Jane Treacy, Kerry Walsh Benton and Pierre Abushacra, the Cleveland Park Business Association was formed to help promote and improve the historic streetscape along Connecticut Avenue between Macomb and Porter Streets.  The Cleveland Park Citizens Association and local ANC 3-C board members were also critical to the successful formation of the CPBA. CPBA goals also include the preservation of the neighborhood-serving character of the commercial area, improving its appearance and helping local businesses thrive.

What's Wrong With the Connecticut Avenue Service Lane? Take a Look at This Photo and You'll Know

Blind man forced off narrow sidewalk on
Connecticut Ave between Macomb and Ordway Streets

The hot issue on our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv, has been whether to turn the service lane into a pedestrian-friendly sidewalk. The service lane is on the east side of Connecticut Avenue between Macomb and Ordway Streets.

We've written about this before, but today we wanted to do the "picture is worth a thousand words" thing: We photographed a blind man being forced to walk in the service lane because the sidewalk is too narrow, dangerously narrow. People are routinely forced to walk where cars go, as this blind man did. Fortunately, there was no oncoming traffic at the time. But fate could have treated things differently.

The service lane between Macomb and Ordway Streets should be replaced with a wide, pedestrian-friendly boulevard.

Connecticut Avenue's west side is a pleasure to walk along, and has inviting outdoor cafes. The east side of Connecticut Avenue is crowded, cramped and pedestrian-unfriendly. The service lane, especially where cars turn at Connecticut and Ordway, is dangerous. A fix is needed and that fix is to to return the block to the way it was originally, before the sidewalk was narrowed to make room for parking.

You can sign the petition to restore the Connecticut Avenue Boulevard here. And read about the Connecticut Avenue "I Wish I Was a Sidewalk" campaign here.

The service lane is an anomaly; there isn't another service lane along Connecticut Avenue between Calvert Street and Chevy Chase. It doesn't belong.

In a post, a Cleveland Park Listserv member wrote: "I have been frustrated by the inability to walk along the strip doing errands or getting to the Metro because the sidewalk is so narrow at places....I have seen dangerous situations where people step off (or are forced off) the sidewalk -- sometimes into the path of oncoming traffic on the service lane. This is a particular problem for older or mobility-impaired persons....The aesthetics are also lacking -- all the trees are on the other side of the service lane, leaving our commercial strip bare and without shade or shelter."

In a recent survey conducted on the Cleveland Park Listserv, people want to do away with the service lane by an overwhelming two-to-one margin (65% to 31%).

We have a choice. And the best possible choice is to return the service lane to pedestrians.

Cleveland Park Evening

Editorials about the weather are always risky. Somebody's hot summer day is another person's worst weather. Skiers rejoice when DC gets blasted by two feet of snow, but other people just hate winter weather. However, it's hard to find anyone who thinks that yesterday was anything other than a magnificent day. And last night presented as perfect an evening as this planet gets. Here's a snapshot taken on Saturday evening of people enjoying Cleveland Park's outdoor restaurants.

Photo taken on Connecticut Avenue between Porter
and Macomb Streets using an iPhone 4 and
edited in Picnik. 

Should Chipotle Be Allowed in Cleveland Park?

Chipotle Mexican Grill has filed for a special exception to occupy the former Cereal Bowl space at 3420 Connecticut Avenue. Chipotle Mexican Grill is classified as a "fast food restaurant" and is only permitted in a C-2-A zone, which is the zoning for this address, by "special exception."

As you may recall, the Cereal Bowl, located near the Uptown movie theater, was a failed restaurant: The concept of an all-cereal restaurant never succeeded. There's currently a raging debate on our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv, about whether or not Chipotle should be given permission to move in. On the con side are the arguments that Cleveland Park already has two Mexican restaurants, Alero and California Tortilla; and Cleveland Park already has too many restaurants period. Chipotle's supporters say that Chipotle serves good food at a reasonable price, and if Chipotle doesn't fill that vacant space Cleveland Park might be graced with a third tanning salon or yet another nail salon (the fifth).

Cleveland Park has a history of storefronts remaining empty for a long time: The old MacDonald's space, which will become Tackle Box this year, was a neighborhood eyesore for over five years.

What do you think? Should Chipotle, which is classified as a fast food restaurant under DC law, be permitted to open shop in Cleveland Park?  You can vote in All Life Is Local's poll.

Sullivan's Toy Store to Stay in the Area

For those who were fretting about approved plans for a new and expanded Giant because it would mean the loss of Sullivan's Toy and Art Supply Store: We are pleased to report that the much beloved neighborhood fixture has found new quarters nearby. On June 1st Sullivan's is relocating from its old Cleveland Park address at 3412 Wisconsin Avenue just up the road to 4200 Wisconsin Avenue in Tenleytown. The store will occupy the space that was last used by the Tenleytown library as its temporary home while the new library building, recently opened to the public, was under construction.

Both parts of Sullivan's, the toy store and the art supply store, are moving at the same time.  To help clear out inventory before the move, Sullivan's is holding a sidewalk sale every Saturday up until June 1. 

Flower Thief on the Prowl in Cleveland Park

Somebody's been stealing flowers from people's gardens in the Cleveland Park neighborhood. The what we know: flowers. But the why remains unknown.  But it looks like the neighbors had a description and are keeping a lookout. Here are the reports from our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv. 

I just looked out the window in the 3100 block of 34th Street and saw a man walking briskly southward carrying a large bunch of lilacs. They weren't wrapped but loose. I believe I have seen this same man in past years walking away from the Cathedral Close bearing large branches of flowering shrubs. I am sorry if your shrub has been stripped.

---

This is probably the same individual who comes into the Newark Street Community Garden and helps himself to everyone's peonies. This year I will call the police (who are conveniently located just up the street) if I seem him.

---

If this man is about 60 years old, of short stature, Caucasian, and with wavy, salt-and-pepper hair, I believe I have seen him in past years helping himself to big armfuls of hydrangeas in the summer, from multiple homes. Each time I've seen him, he's walking away from the denuded bushes very quickly.

This man is always dressed in the standard uniform issued by commercial kitchens, and I've wondered if he was stealing blooms for restaurant table vases.

---

This is the man I saw this morning. Maybe if we watch for him, we can get the police to catch him.

The Giant Supermarket Saga Continues...In Court

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals heard oral arguments yesterday in the lawsuit to block the Giant supermarket development at Wisconsin Avenue and Newark Street, NW.  The case is Wisconsin-Newark Neighborhood Coalition (WNNC) and 3300 Idaho Neighbors versus the DC Zoning Commission and Friendship-Macomb SC.)

According to DC Mud, WNNC is asking the court to overturn the Zoning Commission's unanimous approval of the Giant development project on the grounds that height and density are inconsistent with the neighborhood commercial overlay zoning.  DC Mud further reports that the petitioners want the city "to revise the PUD as a two-stage application," and declare that the Zoning Commission "lacked authority" to grant a PUD [planned unit development] within a neighborhood commercial overlay zone.

The battle over the Giant supermarket and residential-retail-office complex has been going on for over a decade. The lawsuit to thwart the Giant was filed last August. Most observers give the chance that a lawsuit will block the project near-zero odds of success. Indeed, plans are already underway to replace the dilapidated, 1950's supermarket with a modern store.

The project is supported by Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, the local ANC, former Mayor Fenty, current Mayor Gray, other elected officials, the Zoning Commission, and the vast majority of people who live in the Cleveland Park neighborhood, where the Giant is located.

Cleveland Park Is DC's New Restaurant Destination and the Sky Hasn't Fallen

One of the most enduring and heated neighborhood zoning battlegrounds has been Cleveland Park. Epic wars have been waged over the expansion of a Giant supermarket, a pre-school's expansion, and restaurants.

But now not only are there more restaurants in Cleveland Park, especially along the Connecticut Avenue strip --with more to come-- but some of the city's best  restaurants are located in this neighborhood. Change has come to Cleveland Park without the sky falling, without the neighborhood being ruined, as some restaurant opponents claimed it would be. Some of the star restaurants on Cleveland Park's Connecticut Avenue corridor include Dino's, Ardeo, Sorriso, Palena, Ripple, Lavandou, and Indique. Tackle Box, a seafood place, and Medium Rare, a steak house, will soon be opening their doors.

Over the years, neighbors have fought new restaurants. Cosi was opposed and defeated because it was part of a chain. An Argentine restaurant, Divino (there's one in Bethesda), was shooed away because neighbors feared it would attract a late-night crowd. The concern was that Cleveland Park would turn into Adams Morgan.

But surprise: More restaurants has turned out to be good for Cleveland Park. Not only are storefronts that have been closed for years now showing life again, but neighbors are able to walk to these restaurants. (That's something that the opponents of restaurants tried to ignore: People who live in Cleveland Park like to be able to walk to restaurants.)

Restaurants have been hampered by Cleveland Park's zoning overlay, which limits restaurants to no more than 25 percent of the street frontage. While most Cleveland Park neighbors want to relax or eliminate that anachronistic zoning regulation, it remains in place. Change is hard, especially when it comes to zoning. But there are some exceptions, and restaurants have been able to take advantage of those exceptions. First, if the storefront was previously occupied by a restaurant, that location can be used by a new restaurant, regardless of the 25 percent restaurant cap. (So if there are any restaurateurs reading this: The space that was once the Cereal Bowl, near the Uptown movie theater, could be yours.) Second, if a restaurant wants to expand, all it needs to do is ensure that the part that fronts onto Connecticut Avenue is something other than a "restaurant" -- a small food store, perhaps. This technique has been used recently by two restaurants to expand, much to the delight of just about everyone. (Or maybe even everyone: Not a single negative word has been said on the Cleveland Park Listserv, where restaurant opponents have never been shy about expressing their views.)

So there you have it. Cleveland Park is now one of DC's restaurant destinations. And as a byproduct of that, the neighborhood itself is a better place in which to live and work.

Recently on the Cleveland Park Listserv

Cleveland Park Listserv's Iconic Symbol

Blogging, twittering, Facebook status updates, Flicker photos, website comments -- these are some of the many different kinds of social networks that we participate in. But the most enduring --and still popular-- kind of social network is the humble email list, also called a listserv. Listservs have been around for eons, and in the DC area there are dozens. All Life Is Local is itself a an offshoot of the Cleveland Park Listserv, the largest neighborhood email list in the United States, with over 10,000 members.

What kind of questions get asked, what kind of issues discussed on neighborhood listservs? Here is a sampling of messages posted recently on the Cleveland Park Listserv. To join the Cleveland Park Listserv, send an email to cleveland-park-subscribe @ yahoogroups.com or visit www.cleveland-park.com. The Cleveland Park Listserv is fun, enlightening and calorie-free (unless you're tempted by the restaurant and chocolate store reviews on the Cleveland Park Listserv.)  Google is great, but email lists can give you the kind of answers that only real people can provide.



I just wrecked my van and the steering is really bad. Does anyone know of a place in DC that can do both kinds of work?
--
I have been buying Cacao's delicious baguettes for lunch and to toast for breakfast for several weeks now, but today I made a big mistake. I went in there late and hungry and got two of the baguettes and a bunch of their other things because they looked and were fabulous. This is a place we want to keep in Cleveland Park.
--
Free Golf Bags: Taking a holiday trip somewhere warm? We are giving away two used but good condition travel golf bags: One is all black by OGIO, One is black and red by OGIO
--
What seems to totally negate the random Metro bag inspections effectiveness is that they are saying you can refuse to have your bag inspected and leave Metro. If a would-be terrorist is stopped, can't he or she simply walk out and try again? I would assume they have considered this?
--
Can anyone recommend good blocks or neighborhoods in the DC area to see elaborate holiday lights?
--
I'm starting a new job in January in Alexandria. Does anyone have any insight on the daily commute to Alexandria, which route is best from Cleveland Park and how long it might take?
--
A family I know is in need of beds, pillows, etc. The mom has breast cancer and is living on the floor. She has three kids, from 3 to 16 months and they are all sleeping on the floor. She gets little money ($300 for rent) for food and shelter. Anything you have to give, I can make arrangements for someone to pick up. Please let me know what you can donate.
--
At 5pm today when I exited the Metro, the sidewalks of the bridge were still unshoveled/unsalted from this morning's snow. I filed a 311 report as soon as I got home; I've been checking the tracking number online and no updates. I can speak firsthand to the fact that this is a constant problem during snowfalls. There's no reason why that bridge shouldn't be shoveled proactively instead of requiring repeated 311 calls.
--
My flip phone has died (drowned, if you must know) and I'm thinking of taking things to the next level. So, I'd like to try an iPhone, but I'd also rather not get into a new 2 year contract with AT&T. Does anyone have an extra iPhone or other smartphone that would work with AT&T? Please be in touch with details. Feedback on various models of smart phones is also welcome!
--
I am considering using Mulheron Tree Experts to do some major tree work. Does anyone have positive or negative experiences with them that I should be aware of? Recommendations for other companies will also be appreciated.
--
My wife is delivering in 3 weeks and we need a pediatrician nearby with weekend hours. We live near the Cathedral. I greatly appreciate your help.

7-11 Coming to Cleveland Park Area

Ordinarily, the arrival of a 7-11 wouldn't be news, but many Cleveland Park area residents have lamented the loss of the 7-11 at Connecticut Avenue and Porter Street, NW. While the 7-11 has been replaced by a very useful and well-reviewed urgent care clinic, having a store that was open 24 hours a day, which magically seemed to have everything you needed, was a loss for the neighborhood.

A sharp-eyed neighbor reported on the Cleveland Park Listserv yesterday that a 7-11 is sprouting up just north of the heart of Cleveland Park, at Connecticut Avenue and Van Ness Street. Here is what that listserv member saw: "The building permit on the old Green Apple Cafe & Taco Bell (next to Indian Ocean at Connecticut and Van Ness) indicates that the spaces are going to be combined and turned into a 7-11.  Workers were hauling a lot of materials and equipment in there today."

Do you have a craving for Cheerios? Is your broken microwave keeping you from a hot meal? Do you need a mousetrap now? Soon, every need, every wish can be fulfilled at Connecticut and Van Ness.

Police Chief Lanier Responds to Increased Crime in Ward 3

Chief of Police Cathy Lanier has taken note of the increased crime in Ward 3, including several armed robberies and home break-ins. Here is what Chief Lanier said that the Metropolitan Police will be doing in response.



I have received numerous inquiries regarding crimes in the northern areas of the Second District, particularly in Ward 3. I have asked Commander Klein to expound on recent crime trends, as well as his efforts to combat robberies and burglaries in particular.

Over the past 30 days, there were 14 robberies in Ward 3, which include portions of PSAs 201, 202, 203, 204 and 205. At least 4 of those robberies occurred the weekend of December 4, and a press release regarding the string of robberies was issued last week seeking the public's assistance in identifying the suspects. Those particular robberies, which we believe are possibly linked, remain unsolved. In an unrelated event, last week detectives in Montgomery County arrested 2 female suspects after a robbery in Bethesda. Second District detectives were able to tie the two females to several robberies that occurred in the Second District in the past several weeks. This case is still ongoing, but I am confident that some of the robberies will be solved.

In the past 30 days, there were 25 burglaries in Ward 3. Eight of the burglaries involved homes that were occupied at the time of the break-in. Detectives that have been working these cases have developed leads in several burglaries.

Commander Klein has prepared a plan, in which he has shifted resources from other parts of the Second District up to the PSAs that were most adversely affected by the robberies and burglaries. In short, he has created a rapid-response unit tasked with patrolling residential areas, conducting stops of suspicious persons, and responding in a code-1 status (with lights and sirens) to all calls for burglar alarms and suspicious persons. Second District vice officers have also been deployed in the area in plain-clothes and will be conducting surveillance operations. Second District detectives are continuing to investigate the cases and are coordinating with Montgomery County detectives and sharing valuable information.

Over the past 7 days, there were 4 robberies in Ward 3. Specifically, none in PSA 201, 1 in PSA 202, 3 in PSA 203, none in PSA 204 and none in PSA 205

There were 10 burglaries over the past 7 days in Ward 3. Specifically, 4 in PSA 201, 3 in PSA 202, 2 in PSA 203, 2 in PSA 204, and 1 in PSA 205.

Although it appears that the increased police presence is slowing things down, there is still work to be done and I have asked Commander Klein for daily updates on his efforts. I understand that several of the PSAs have had community meetings to discuss these trends, as well as posted information on the various Listserv groups.

Cleveland Park Energy Coop Meeting Sunday

The Cleveland Park Energy Coop will be hosting its first meeting this coming Sunday at 5:00pm.

CPEC's goal is to help provide access to clean, renewable energy in Cleveland Park, and to help members lower their carbon footprint. The neighborhood energy coop movement is on the rise in DC, and we're looking forward to having Cleveland Park join the effort!

If you are planning on attending, please RSVP to: CPEnergyCoop at gmail.com and you will be provided with the address. If you won't be able to attend this meeting but would like to be placed on our email list, drop a note to the same address.

Gingerbread House Decorating Party on December 4

The Cleveland Park Historical Society is putting on its second annual Cleveland Park Family Gingerbread House Decorating Party on Saturday, December 4.  Come join the fun at the Cleveland Park Club.

This year CPHS is putting on a double session of the gingerbread house decorating party that met with such success last year. Celebrate the holidays with friends and neighbors while you decorate a homemade gingerbread house. The registration fee includes a home-baked house and all of the candy you need to decorate it. You'll take home a beautiful centerpiece for your holiday table.

Get your registration in today as this popular event is sure to sell out. Each session is limited to just 20 houses. (Sorry, no walk-ins can be accepted.)

Saturday, December 4: 2nd Annual Family Gingerbread House Decorating Party
Session 1: 1:00 - 2:30 PM
Session 2: 3:30 - 5:00 PM
$40 for CPHS members,  $50 for non-members. Maximum of 4 people to a house.

All proceeds will benefit the Cleveland Park Historical Society and a portion of  each contribution will be tax deductible.

To register for this event send your check, made payable to Cleveland Park Historical Society (CPHS) to: CPHS, P.O. Box 4862, Washington DC 20008

For more information email staff @ clevelandparkhistoricalsociety dot org or call 202-237-2538 or visit CPHS on the web at http://www.clevelandparkhistoricalsociety.org.

Cereal Bowl Closes in Cleveland Park

Cleveland Park's Cereal Bowl restaurant, located on Connecticut Avenue between Ordway and Newark Streets, NW has closed. The restaurant, which specialized in cold, mixed cereals succumbed to what many neighbors regarded as a limited and over-specialized menu. As one patron posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv, "The proprietors of the Cereal Bowl always seemed like such nice folks that I wanted to patronize their store -- it's just that I virtually never needed a bowl of cereal, nor did anyone I know."

Cleveland Park has long had a schizophrenic --sometimes combative-- relationship with restaurants. Some restaurants are desirable to some neighbors. Others have met fierce opposition, including a Cosi, which was beaten back because of opposition by some neighbors to "chain restaurants," and Divino, an Argentine restaurant/tango hall, which some neighbors opposed because it would bring more late-night traffic into Cleveland Park.

But the restaurant scene has been hopping in Cleveland Park: Palena and Ardeo have recently expanded,.  Ripple is planning an expansion as well, and the Tackle Box will be opening in early 2011. Cleveland Park's newest culinary venture, Cacao, a chocolate shop, has lunch and dinner -- eat in or take out.