I’m squeezing one more newsletter in this summer; otherwise signing off until Fall. I hope you are having a great one, having adventures and escaping whatever routines and ruts you get into.

Inside this issue

• 🌦️ Ian Livingston on weather and Cleveland Park

• 🚦 Proposed changes at Connecticut & Calvert

• 🏃 Running for another ANC term

• ♿ Honoring Judith Heumann

• 🌳 Shade for the Promenade?

• 🏡 A new Village Square

• 📅 Fall events

🌦️ Weathering Cleveland Park

Most Washingtonians know Ian Livingston as one of the area’s best meteorologists.

We know him as a Cleveland Park neighbor.

Ian talked to me about his new venture with Capital Weather, neighborhood walks with his dog, and how he chose to make our neighborhood home.

Read the full interview here:

🚦 Connecticut & Calvert Traffic Changes

DDOT is proposing changes to the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Calvert Street to improve safety and traffic flow.

• On Connecticut Avenue NW northbound, south of Calvert Street NW, the existing left lane currently allows both through and left turn movements. This lane will be reconfigured to left turn only movement.

• On Connecticut Avenue NW northbound, south of Calvert Street NW, the existing right lane currently allows right turn only movement. This lane will be reconfigured to both through and right turn movement. Right now, the traffic signal

If you have thoughts - for or against - you can comment here until August 7.

🏃 Running again

I’m running for re-election as advisory neighborhood commissioner. I declared my candidacy by filling out paperwork at the DC Board of Elections and have been gathering signatures to be on the ballot in November. As of today, no one else has filed to run, so it appears I may be the only candidate on the ballot in November.

It’s an honor and a pleasure to serve as the ANC representative of our community. I think advisory neighborhood commissions are one of the purest forms of democracy that exist - government at the scale of an actual neighborhood; micro-democracy. DC is somewhat unique in having these elected, advisory commissions for each neighborhood. I think they’re cool and meaningful.

If you’ve ever wanted to get involved more, let me know. There’s lots of ways to participate including serving on comittees, attending meetings, even running yourself for commisioner. I don’t want or intend to be in this role forever.

♿ Judith Heumann Bridge

The bridge over Klingle Valley now honors a former neighbor whose impact reached around the world. The bridge is now officially the Judith Heumann Bridge, commemorating disability rights pioneer Judith Heumann (1947–2023).

Judy lived at the Kennedy-Warren and was a familiar sight crossing the bridge in her wheelchair on trips to Connecticut Avenue.

After contracting polio as a young child, Judy became one of the world’s leading disability rights advocates, helping secure landmark civil rights protections and inspiring generations of advocates. She famously said:

“I wanna see a feisty group of disabled people around the world…if you don’t respect yourself and if you don’t demand what you believe in for yourself, you’re not gonna get it.”

Many people know Judy from the acclaimed documentary Crip Camp or her memoir Being Heumann.

Neighborhood residents Karyl and Peter Cafiero played a central role in bringing this tribute to life. The ANC supported the renaming.

🚦 Infrastructure as care

I went to the groundbreaking of the Piney Branch Tunnel Project. I’ve mentioned this project in the past. I’m really happy DC Water is doing this and it will be a big contribution to cleaning up Rock Creek. It got me thinking about infrastructure as care, and care as infrastructure. I wrote a little essay on it.

🌳 Throwing More Shade on Cleveland Park

Some neighbors are proposing a shade structure for the Cleveland Park Promenade. If you’ve been down there during the day, you know it needs one; it’s blazing hot and glaring. Sadly, the older trees that used to provide some shade were removed when DDOT fixed up the plaza.

We want more trees in that area. In the meantime, this could be a lovely addition and make the Promenade a more comfortable place to linger on hot summer days. The proposal is to fund the structure privately. There are still a bunch of approvals and regulatory hurdles to overcome, so this is by no means a done deal. Perhaps surprisingly, the DC Historic Preservation Office has offered some tentative support: “HPO recommends that the Board support the overall scale and general design of the shade structure, and that the applicant should continue to develop it to feature more visual connections to the historic storefronts…”

🏗️ Normanstone Creek Improvement Update

DC Water plans field investigations this summer for rehabilitation of the Normanstone Creek infrastructure. Residents may notice drilling crews working for several days near Normanstone Drive and Rock Creek Drive.

The work will involve collecting soil and rock samples to help engineers finalize the rehabilitation design. The good news is that roads and trails are expected to remain open during this work. More info.

🏡 New Village Square

Cleveland & Woodley Park Village has a new “Village Square”; a gathering and event space for residents! It’s really nice, right above Siam House in Cleveland Park. They had an open house in July and I got a tour. They plan to host community events, live music, movie nights, etc. They are welcoming folks to visit or use their space. A great addition to the neighborhood and building the density of social capital and “third spaces” for community. Check it out.

📅 Upcoming Events

• Art All Night in Cleveland Park, September 11, 5-9pm. Art, music, cool and weird stuff. Fun!

• Woodley Park Day, September 19! Look for info on entertainment and fun! Organized by the Woodley Park Community Association and supported by the ANC.

• ANC 3C Commission meeting, September 22, 6:30-9pm. Hybrid (in-person and online). See event page for agenda and logistics.

📬 As Always...

If you have neighborhood news, photos, questions, or ideas for future newsletters, I’d love to hear from you.

You can always reach me at gawain4anc@gmail.com.

See you around the neighborhood.

— Gawain Kripke
ANC Commissioner, 3C07

ENDS///

I hope you had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend, rainy and gloomy as it was. Still a few more weeks before summer fully kicks in, although the pools are opening and the weather is warming. The neighborhood calendar is starting to fill with porch parties, graduations, and a few construction detours.

A few updates and things to keep an eye on below:

• Sewer pipe break in Woodland-Normanstone area

• Walkable neighborhoods are good for community

• Call in the potholes

• New MPD 2nd District Commander

• New Neighborhood Senior Center in Cleveland Park

• Calendar items

• ANC and other stuff

🚧 Sewer leak near Shoreham Drive

Our neighborhood is having its own version of the Potomac sewage spill: an 18-inch sewer line experienced multiple breaks requiring emergency repair in the Woodland Normanstone area on Park Service land below the Omni Shoreham. Repairs have now been completed on four separate breaks in the pipeline by DC Water.

The next step is a closed-circuit television inspection of the remaining line to see whether there are any additional breaks. If more issues are found, those will need to be repaired. If not, the project should move into restoration, which DC Water estimates could take roughly two weeks.

So: not done yet, but the remaining work is hopefully measured in weeks rather than months. The Rock Creek bike/pedestrian trail remains open.

🚶‍♀️ Walkability, families, and knowing your neighbors

Walkable communities are coded as a liberal dream. But some conservatives have come to recognize that neighborhood walkability is “pro-family” and “pro-child.” I also think walkability facilitates all the “small change” interactions that bind a neighborhood together, build community and resilience. These aren’t especially left-wing values.

Nationally, the trend is the opposite direction: more kids being driven to school and neighbors interacting and socializing less than they used to.

We should be actively working to reverse this trend. This is one of the reasons I care so much about sidewalks, street trees, safe crossings, libraries, small businesses, and low-key neighborhood events. A walkable neighborhood is not just about transportation. It is also about whether we bump into each other, notice what is happening, and build the ties that make a place feel like home and help us take care of each other.

🕳️ Pothole season, alas

If it feels like the potholes have been especially aggressive this year, you are not imagining things. With the snowcrete and a lot of freeze-thaw, we have had a tough pothole season. DDOT is in spring repair mode and says it plans to resurface 81 miles of roads and 40 miles of sidewalks. I’ve notice a bunch of repairs in the neighborhood recently, but if you have any that are bugging you, report them through 311; include the location and a short description of the size/severity if you can. DDOT claims repairs typically take 72 hours from the time they're submitted.

👮 New Second District Commander

MPD’s Second District (which includes our neighborhood) has a new commander: Christopher Dorsey. Commander Dorsey is a 20-year MPD veteran and previously served as Commander of the Seventh District. He says his focus will be strengthening relationships, addressing crime and quality-of-life concerns, and staying responsive to community needs. I hope we’ll have an opportunity to meet with him soon. The previous commander was pretty responsive to issues the ANC brought up and made some useful changes.

🧓 A new neighborhood senior center

The Cleveland & Woodley Park Village is opening a new neighborhood senior center next to the firehouse on Connecticut Avenue. The center is expected to support a range of uses: drop-in space, health check-ups, talks, communal meals, and other programming. This is a great addition to the neighborhood. It’s open now, feel free to drop in to check it out. eas.

🌳 Trees, heat, and summer care

Hot weather is coming—actually, it may already be here. Please remember to water young street trees, especially newly planted ones. A slow, deep watering once or twice a week can make a real difference.

📝 Update on ANC activity

As Treasurer of the ANC, I’ve noticed that we are sitting on a sizeable bank account: more than $100,000. These are taxpayer funds that have accrued. Our ANC gets an annual allocation from the DC budget of about $20,000, but we have underspent it for many years.

Earlier this year, our ANC agreed that these funds should be put to productive community use rather than sitting unused. We are looking for worthy community projects to support with grant funding. If you have good ideas, please send them along. We can only give grants to non-profit organizations, and the work has to have a direct connection to our community.

The next full meeting of ANC 3C will be June 15 at 6:30pm. More info to be posted here. Calendar and other meetings can be found here.

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

📅 Coming up

Thursday, May 28, 5–9 pm
🌒 Cleveland Park Night Market on the Cleveland Park Promenade. Local makers, artists, small businesses, food, and music in a lively, walkable outdoor setting.

Saturday, June 6, 4-7pm
🧺 Woodley Park Picnic at the Woodley Playground. Hosted by the Woodley Park Community Association. Meet some neighbors, free food and fun. RSVP please.

Sunday, June 7, noon–5 pm
🎪 Cleveland Park Day with vendors, live music, a Kids Zone, and a first-ever Talent Show for Humans and Pets. Volunteers needed! Rain date: Sunday, June 21.

Saturday, June 20
🤍 English Village / Upper Woodley Park Dîner en Blanc. Volunteers are needed for flyers, street closure setup, tables and chairs, flowers, donation table, and cleanup.

Tuesday, June 30
🌳 Cleveland Park Library will host author Mike Tidwell for a talk on The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue: A Story of Climate and Hope on One American Street

🏛️ Vandalism from the White House

It started with destroying the East Wing of the White House. Then Trump trashed the Kennedy Center. He wants to build a cliched and gaudy arch in front of Arlington National Cemetery. But, the one that bothers me most are his plans to destroy East Potomac Park and Hains Point. Just gawdawful. No one wants this mess and a lot of us love those spaces for what they are now: a modest public golf course, playing fields, space for bbqs and picnics, running and cycling. He’d destroy all of it. Read more and sign up to resist. Also here.

Gawain

ENDS///

Spring has arrived—finally. The cherry blossoms, magnolias…so many flowers. Warm and cold weather alternating day by day.

There’s quite a bit happening in the neighborhood right now—from planning for Earth Day to community cleanups to some bigger conversations about the city’s future. Here are a few updates and things you might want to plug into your calendar.

Here’s what’s below:

• Earth Day happenings

• Woodley House neighborhood block party

• DC 2050

• Quick items, safety on Conneticut Avenue, and real estate

• Calendar

• ANC news: meetings & issues 📝

🌎 Earth Day (and beyond)

We’re starting to pull together some ideas for Earth Day and broader environmental activities in the neighborhood. There’s a lot of energy right now around trees, green infrastructure, and local stewardship.

A few things worth highlighting:

• There are rebates and programs for rain barrels, permeable surfaces, and tree planting through DC’s RiverSmart Homes and Casey Trees programs. I signed up for a free, no-obligation site audit and had a nice person from the DC Department of Energy and Environment come by and give me ideas for how to improve things around my house. If you’ve been thinking about doing something on your property, this is a good moment.

• We’ve invited local artists (children, mostly) to submit Earth Day themed designs for a bookmark, which will be distributed for free at the library and through the ANC. The winning design will be announced at the Cleveland Park Library on April 18 at 11am. Please come down Earth Day reflections, some snacks, and a bookmark.

• Working through the ANC, we will be supporting an educational series on xxxx

If you have ideas—or want to help organize something—please let me know. This feels like a place where we could do something both practical and fun.

🎉 Neighborhood Block Party for Woodley House

Coming soon: Neighborhood block party hosted by Woodley House at the Maret School. The goal is to have fun and to support Woodley House’s programs for Washingtonians facing mental illness and housing instability. There will be food trucks, a virtual golf simulator, live music and more. Donation requested, but not required.

Woodley House Spring Block Party
📅 Saturday, April 11
🕞 3:30 – 6:30 PM
📍 Maret School (3000 Cathedral Ave)

🏗️ Planning for DC’s future: DC 2050

DC Office of Planning is engaging with workshops and for the long-term comprehensive planning process that will shape housing, transportation, and development in the city. These discussions matter for issues like:

• where new housing goes

• how we balance growth and preservation

• transit access and density

If you have strong views about Connecticut Avenue, transit, or housing in Ward 3—this is a good place to weigh in.

🚶 Other quick items

A few more things on the radar:

• At long last, DDOT is moving ahead with safety improvements for Connecticut Avenue. This follows years of debate over a more ambitious redesign (including protected bike lanes); DDOT is now moving forward with a narrower set of intersection fixes. It’s better than nothing. For now. See the Connecticut Avenue Multimodal Safety Improvement Project (initiated 2019!). They plan to redesign intersections including:

  • Connecticut & Ordway (left-turns)

  • Connecticut & Macomb (moving bus stop)

  • Connecticut & Devonshire (adding crosswalk)

  • Connecticut & Cathedral (adding crosswalk)

  • Connecticut & 24th (squaring off the intersection, adding crosswalk)

  You can see the plans plans and make comments until May 4.

  

• Ward 3 is doing well in food waste collection:

• Another house listing in the neighborhood. We live among the oligarchs.

📅 Coming up

• April 11: Woodley House Block Party (see above)

• April 22: Earth Day!

• April 23: Cleveland Park Night Market (5–9 pm).

• May 2: Truck Touch 2026 is rolling in! On Saturday, May 2, 2026, RFK Stadium’s Lot 8 will rev up with excitement from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM for the District of Columbia’s annual “Truck Touch” celebration — a high-energy, hands-on experience for all ages. Hop in a dump truck, cheer on student EV racers, enjoy games & free lunch for kids! Reserve your spot.

Update on ANC activity 📝

The next full meeting of ANC 3C will be April 20 at 6:30pm. We are experimenting with a hybrid in-person meeting at the library. Find the agenda and registration information here.

Calendar and other meetings can be found here.

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

And if you see me out and about (walking the dog), please say hello.

Gawain

ENDS///

Maybe you’re sick of the snow, but I have say, I just love it. I still find snow and the whole disruptive mess charming and special. I grew up in California, so it still has novelty and even mystery for me. And many of my favorite memories of living in DC are the snow events: neighbors banding together to clear sidewalks and dig out cars, impromptu parties and fireside communion, sledding and the magical quiet in the woods.

I know it’s not all good, and there are hazards and inconveniences. But I hope you were able to enjoy some of it. Here’s what’s below:

• Update and request on snow ❄️

• Cannabis dispensary update 🌿

• DC Water: lead service lines 🚰

• Loving and caring for our trees 🌳

• ANC news: meetings & issues 📝

• Neighborhood tidbits & calendar 📅

Snow ❄️

By now, you’ve probably managed to dig out, clear your sidewalks, and plug any holes in your doorframes to keep the cold out. At least I hope you have. We’ve all had to make adjustments and learn how to deal with snow, ice, snowcrete, and extended cold weather. At my house, we learned how ice-dams can lead to leaky ceilings. That was a new experience for us.

Overall, I think our neighborhood did pretty well. I would say that about 80 percent of sidewalks were cleared for foot traffic within a day of the snow storm. The city, namely the Department of Public Works (DPW), didn’t do quite as well. Many streets in the neighborhood were impassable for days with no evidence of plows. 28th Street hosted a plow for a few hours that got stuck and could not make it down the street, much less plow the path.

More warming in the forecast and more melting.

Trash collection is supposed to be ongoing at regular schedule, but I haven’t heard that anyone’s trash or recycling has been picked up yet. The guidance from DPW is to leave it out until picked up.

The ANC transportation and public safety committees will be meeting this week to review the snow emergency and identify specific problems and pain-points for future improvements. If you have thoughts, please send them along or come to the transportation committee meeting or the public safety committee meeting.

Update on cannabis dispensary 🌿

Here’s where things stand with the proposed cannabis dispensary in Woodley Park. In December, our ANC passed a resolution to protest the new cannabis dispensary proposed to take over the location of the current Petit Monde cafe in Woodley Park. This is the ANC’s official position. However, recognizing that DC’s Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board might likely reject our protest, the ANC has also offered to enter negotiations with the dispensary owner for certain limits and conditions. You can see our opening position here.

The ABC Board had an initial hearing in January - during which they rejected other protests. The process is playing out in February with ANC Chair Janell Pagats and Commissioner Samuel Littauer leading the engagement.

Lead water service lines update 🚰

In December, I hosted representatives from DC Water to help explain their program to replace lead service lines which will be coming to our neighborhood in the Spring. I recorded the session for anyone interested in listening.

Most everyone has received letters and emails from DC Water asking about lead pipes in your house. The main thing is they want to check your pipe. If it’s lead, they’ll replace it. If it’s not, everything is fine. To do this, they need to dig some holes in your yard. I’ve been reluctant to do this, but from what I’ve heard and seen, they do a good job, don’t leave a big mess, and restore your landscaping nicely.

So my advice is to sign up and give them permission to check your pipes. There are guys from DC Water walking around knocking on doors to get your signature. Even better, you can just sign up here. I recommend it.

They’re waiting to get a bunch of houses signed up - so the sooner we get a critical mass, they sooner they’ll come and do the work.

Planting and maintaining our trees 🌳

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) plans to plant 6-8,000 trees this year and tree planting season has started. These trees are a major contribution to our neighborhood quality of life and the beauty of our streets. You can request a new tree on your street, or nearby public space using 311: online portal is 311.dc.gov. There are also free trees available for property owners using various funding sources.

But maintenance and care for the trees is another matter. Too often young trees are neglected and die and public landscaping is not maintained - sometimes becoming habitat for rats. The ANC Environmental Justice Committee recently hosted a meeting to discuss care and maintenance of our street trees and brainstorm ideas to do a better job. We had the DDOT city arborist in to discuss and other guests. You can listen in here. More information about DDOT’s Urban Forestry program, visit trees.dc.gov.

Update on ANC activity 📝

The next full meeting of ANC 3C will be February 17 at 7pm. Find the agenda and registration information here.

As mentioned above:

• The sustainable transportation committee meets Feb. 11 at 6:30pm

• The public safety committee meeting Feb. 11 at 7:30pm.

Calendar and other meetings can be found here. As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

⚠️ Substack breach

I got a message from Substack (which hosts this newsletter):

“What happened. On February 3rd, we identified evidence of a problem with our systems that allowed an unauthorized third party to access limited user data without permission, including email addresses, phone numbers, and other internal metadata. This data was accessed in October 2025. Importantly, credit card numbers, passwords, and financial information were not accessed.”

I’m upset at this breach. When I started this newsletter, I promised not to share or sell the information of subscribers. But substack has let themselves be hacked and so your information was stolen. I don’t know if that’s a big deal or not. Probably not, but it’s not good and I’m sorry.

🎲 Like bingo and public transit? You’ll love TranspoBingo

It’s not too late to join TranspoBINGO 2026 - a fun game for DC residents to show your support for public transit! Play your way through the city while you use and support public and active transportation and enjoy DC’s public spaces. TranspoBingo treats non-car travel as a game. Download your board and use non-car transport: walking, biking, riding, or rolling. There are related events throughout the week to help you play. More here.

🏛️ Mansion?

Big price reduction on this house in the neighborhood if you know anyone looking. A heated driveway sounds especially nice lately.

Calendar 📅

• Tuesday Talk: “The Pink Pill, Sex, Drugs & Who Has Control” at the Cleveland Park Library, February 24, 6:45-8pm. Registration requested.

• Council Member Matt Frumin will be holding a “Workday in the Ward” based at Open City on February 26th from 8am to 5pm. Drop by if you want to say hello or talk about anything.

That’s all for now — thanks for staying engaged and helping keep our neighborhood informed and vibrant. If you have questions or concerns, just reply to this email. And please forward to other neighbors!

ENDS/

I hope you’re busy with parties and preparations, celebrating with family and friends. Or at least getting some well-deserved time off and relaxation. The year is drawing to a close, here’s a few notes for the end of the year:

• Testing and replacing lead pipes: find out more

• New Cannabis dispensary proposed in Woodley Park

• ANC News: Upcoming vote on grants, the dispenary, and other issues

• Neighborhood Tidbits: bikeways, CCTV, 20008 and more

DC Water and lead pipes 🚰

DC Water has been sending notices about plans to replace lead service lines that run from the utility into houses. I’ve been tracking this for some time and trying understand what DC Water is offering and how homeowners can engage. But, to be candid, some of the information has been confusing and even contradictory.

DC Water has begun working in our neighborhood to test for lead pipes and to replace them when appropriate. But, on the neighborhood emails and in person, I know a lot of folks have questions. So, I requested a special briefing from DC Water and they agree to answer questions and explain their plans a bit better (via zoom).

It’s December 16 at 6:30pm (tomorrow). Join here.

New cannabis dispensary 🌿

I’ve heard from a lot of neighbors concerned about a new cannabis dispensary proposed at the location of the current Petit Monde cafe in Woodley Park. The dispensary will offer cannabis flower, concentrates, edible products is requesting home delivery, “safe-use” onsite, and use of a rear garden. The ANC hosted the applicant at a recent planning & zoning meeting, you can watch a recording here.

DC rules provide pretty narrow grounds for objecting to a dispensary, but the ANC has standing to protest. So I have drafted a protest resolution, which our ANC will consider at our next meeting (see below).

Update on ANC activity 📝

The next full meeting of ANC 3C will be December 15 at 7pm (tonight). Find the agenda and registration information here.

Key agenda items include:

1. Discussion of and vote on resolution regarding a grant application of Hardy MS PTO for supplemental math curriculum

2. Discussion of and vote on Protest Resolution regarding the new Woodley Park cannabis dispensary.

3. Discussion and vote on Resolution regarding Historic Preservation Review Board application for 2723 Woodley Place NW for construction of new third story addition

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

🌿 Leaf Collection & Yard Waste Reminder

The Department of Public Works’ leaf collection is ongoing. You can check which section you’re in, current collection locations, and weekly updates here. Generally, they advise piling leaves near the curb and they will come by and hoover them up.
Residents may also put out paper bags of leaves and yard waste, which DPW will collect. There’s a Leaf Line (202-671-LEAF / 5323) is updated every Friday by 6:00 PM. I’ve seen the crews working in the neighborhood, so they’re definitely coming.

🚲 New Capital Bikeshare Station

A new Capital Bikeshare station has been installed in front of the Zephyr building at the Wardman Park site on Woodley Road, improving access along this corridor.

🚴 Strategic Bikeways

Department of Transportation is collecting public input for the citywide Strategic Bikeways Plan. This is to move toward a safe, connected, and equitable network for residents of all ages and abilities and for all eight wards in the District of Columbia. Ward 3 has comparatively few bike lanes. There’s a survey and you can weigh in here. Deadline December 31.

❄️ Snow Shoveling Reminder

DC law requires property owners to shovel sidewalks adjacent to their property after snow events. It’s pretty slippery recently, and this is especially hazardous for disabled folks to get around our neighborhood. If you can, check on neighbors who might need help. Seniors and people with disabilities may apply for shoveling assistance or exemptions through the District and ServeDC has volunteers program as well. It’s good exercise.

📷 MPD Installing New CCTV Cameras

The Metropolitan Police Department will be installing public safety cameras at the following locations in the near future:

• 2314 Calvert Street NW

• 2790 Ordway Street NW

• 3530 Connecticut Avenue NW

You can learn more about MPD’s policies and how the cameras are used here.

🏠 Housing Snapshot: ZIP Code 20008

While some DC neighborhoods are seeing cooling prices, 20008 remains hot, for better or worse. According to UrbanTurf:

• $715,000 – Median home price (↑ 18%)

• $3.136 million – Average detached home price

• 311 sales – Up 15% year-over-year

• 33% of homes sold in 10 days or less

That’s all for now — thanks for staying engaged and helping keep our neighborhood informed and vibrant. If you have questions or concerns, just reply to this email. And please forward to other neighbors!

ENDS/

With Halloween around the corner - scary! - here is some neighborhood news and updates. Here’s what’s happening:

• The future of Woodley Park: Connecticut Avenue Rezoning

• Taft Bridge safety improvements

• ANC News: Upcoming meetings and considering Aidan Montessori’s new project.

• Neighborhood Tidbits: Pumpkins, Woodley House, food assistance

Connecticut Avenue Rezoning 🏗️

After years of planning, consultations and meetings, the DC Office of Planning has asked the Zoning Commission to update zoning rules for Connecticut Avenue. The new zoning would allow:

• Buildings up to 75 feet on the east side of Connecticut in Woodley Park

• Buildings up to 90 feet on the west side (which isn’t adjacent to lower residences)

The goal is to allow more residential development while maintaining neighborhood character. Any specific projects would still need to go through reviews including the Historic Preservation Review Board. The proposal responds to a call for more density by the D.C. Council in the latest District Comprehensive Plan. Any new residential construction would conform to ‘Inclusionary Zoning Plus’ which requires more permanently affordable homes (depending upon the amount of increased density), raising requirement from 8%-10% of the total homes to up to 20%.

The proposal has other requirements, like setbacks on upper floors facing residential areas, street-fronting retail with large windows, and frequent entryways along Connecticut Avenue. The proposal would also eliminate caps for eating and drinking establishments, potentially permitting more restaurants and bars.

If you want to learn more and engage in neighborly discussion, the ANC is hosting several opportunities:

• November 1, 10:30-1:30pm: drop-in at Cleveland Park Library to meet staff of the Office of Planning.

• November 3, 6:30pm: ANC Planning & Zoning Committee meeting via zoom. More info here.

• Survey: Share your view with the ANC using this simple, 1-question feedback form. Takes 10 seconds.

Taft Bridge Work Begins 🚧

You may have noticed fencing on the Taft Bridge heading downtown on Connecticut Avenue. This is a long-planned safety improvement to raise the railings on the bridge. It’s an expensive project. Saving lives is worth it. Maintaining the beauty and history of our community is worth it. I’m very proud that ANC 3C has pushed hard for this, and supported community members who championed these changes. Some of them lost loved ones to this bridge. This project is a material demonstration of care for community members facing mental health crises. You can learn more and see renderings here.

There may be lane and sidewalk closings in coming weeks and months. Thanks for your patience.

Update on ANC activity 📝

The next full meeting of ANC 3C will be November 17. Find the agenda and other information here.

The Planning, Zoning, Housing & Economic Development Committee will meet November 3. In addition to considering the Connecticut Avenue zoning changes (see above), we will hear from Aidan Montessori on their plans for new entrance to the school.

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

Don’t Trash Those Pumpkins 🎃

Compost them! Drop them off at the Cleveland Park farmers market food waste drop-off on Saturday. Or find other drop-off locations.

Woodley House on CNN! 📺

Our own Woodley House was recently featured on CNN’s Champions for Change series. Watch Dana Bash’s segment here.

New Jelleff Recreation Center Plans 🏀

The long-awaited renovation of Jelleff Recreation Center has begun. You can view renderings and project info here and here.

Woodley Park Day: Share Your Feedback 🎶

If you joined Woodley Park Day on September 20 I’m sure you had fun. Music, face-painting, etc. Organizers would love your thoughts via this quick feedback survey.

Food Assistance in DC 🛒

A reminder that about 141,000 DC residents receive SNAP benefits each month. With the federal government shut down, many of our neighbors may need extra help. Keep an eye out and consider supporting our local food pantries: The Woodley House food pantry and the NW Community Food pantry in Van Ness.

That’s all for now — thanks for staying engaged and helping keep our neighborhood informed and vibrant. If you have questions or concerns, just reply to this email. And please forward to other neighbors!

ENDS/

Welcome back from summer! I hope you had fun whether you traveled the world, or stayed local. Hopefully, you ate some good peaches and had some quality time by the pool or beach. School starts this week! Here are a few items for your calendar and other odds and ends.

Here’s what’s inside:

• Neighbor Spotlight: Ann Chauvin of Woodley House

• Occupied DC: What I’m seeing, and a question for you

• Events & Celebrations: Late-August/September highlights

• ANC News: Special meeting (Thu, Aug 28) + September meeting

• Neighborhood Tidbits: Schools, Riversmart, bike survey, grants, gas work

Meet your neighbors: Ann Chauvin of Woodley House

Woodley House has been part of our neighborhood fabric since 1958—offering supportive housing and services so DC residents with mental health disorders can live with dignity and community. But a lot neighbors hardly know it. I thought it would be nice to meet Executive Director Ann Chauvin who shared how a family experience drew her to this work, what a “typical day” looks like when you wear every hat at a small nonprofit, and why Woodley Park’s kindness shows up in residents’ recovery. See the full interview here.

To kick things off, can you share a bit of your personal journey — how did you get to where you are in life?

I knew from as far back as I can remember that I wanted to work with people who have mental health disorders. From my college education and through all of my work experiences, the most critical piece to healing and recovery is having a safe place to live. So I have always worked for non-profits that provide both housing and support services.

One of my uncles had a significant mental health disorder with psychosis. I always connected with him and could not understand why others didn’t want to be around him. My grandmother cared for him in her home — options being so limited. Later in life, he was able to move to a group home (in California) like Woodley House and he was so incredibly happy there. I often think about him and want all of our residents cared for the way he was.

Also, I was enamored with a TV show — The Bob Newhart Show, where he played a clinical psychologist and did group therapy as well as individual therapy, and I wanted to be a psychologist like him. I turned out to be a clinical social worker (no dissertation required!) with a mental health specialization — and I do love facilitating therapeutic groups!

What’s it like working in Woodley Park? What are the positives? Are there any negatives?

Woodley Park is the BEST area to work! The neighborhood is lively, warm, and welcoming. This neighborhood has provided the most respectful and inclusive environment I have ever worked in and it shows in the impact on our residents’ recovery and growth. I see no negatives in Woodley Park.

Stigma is still a huge barrier for people living with mental-health conditions. What practical steps can Woodley Park neighbors take to foster a more inclusive, supportive community?

Our neighbors are so kind and their warmth and generous spirit seems to attract newcomers who are also wanting a community of civility and kindness. It has been this way for many decades and I hope the neighborhood never changes in this regard!

Rapid-fire section (one-sentence answers)

• Favorite spot for a quick coffee or bite in Woodley Park? Petite Monde

• Hidden neighborhood gem most people overlook? Also Petite Monde

More…

Occupied DC

My personal impression is our neighborhood has not seen an increased presence of federal law enforcement or National Guard. But we are impacted in other ways by President Trump’s surge of federal law enforcement, attempted takeover of MPD, and mobilization of National Guard. I don’t like it and think it’s unnecessary, wasteful, and abusive.

I’ve been hooked into Free DC and have been working with them to respond, and to try to keep our communities safe and intact. What are you seeing and hearing?

Parties and events

• Cleveland Park Night Market August 28, 2025 (5-9pm).

  Support the heartbeat of our community — local vendors and artisans.

• Free Concert at Tregaron Conservancy: September 7, (3pm)

  Soulful renditions of Broadway favorites and classic pop hits with Dana Nearing with Juan Manu at the Shipman Terrace.

• Cleveland Park Art All Night: September 12, 2025 (5-10pm).

  Music and vendors and fun.

• Woodley Park Day! September 20 (2-6pm)

  Includes live music from the Hot Club of Baltimore, free family-friendly activities, local vendors, and food. If you plan to attend, please RSVP here.

• Outdoor Movie Night at Rosedale Conservancy, September 20, 7:00pm

  Movie: SING 2. Bring a blanket. Rosedale Conservancy, 35th & Newark Street NW

Update on ANC activity

The ANC3C will hold a special meeting on August 28 at 7pm to address the federal occupation of DC. See meeting information and draft resolution here.

The next regular meeting of the ANC will be September 15 at 7pm. Agenda and meeting information here.

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• School traffic safety: The DC Department of Transportation made 33rd Place and Lowell Streets one-way for the blocks surrounding the John Eaton Elementary School. They put up signs and painted new lines. As a former Eaton parent who both drove and walked my kids there, I think it's much needed and will make traffic a lot safer for the kids and parents.

• High school transport: Parts of our neighborhood are zoned for MacArthur High School, while other parts are zoned for Jackson-Reed High School. My own kid is going to Jackson-Reed, but I’d like to be in touch with any families that are sending kids to MacArthur to get a sense of how things are going - especially for transport to and from school. If you have kids going to MacArthur, can you be in touch?

• Riversmart Homes: If you’re considering doing some landscaping around your home, or are concerned about storm water runoff, you might want to connect with the city’s Riversmart Homes. They offer assessments/consultation and some services and discounted products (like rain barrels).

• Bike survey: The National Science Foundation has a survey rating the safety of various DC roads for bicyclists. It’s to improve cycling infrastructure and street design in Washington, DC. It only takes 7–10 minutes to complete. Every 50th participant (among the first 500 respondents) will receive a $200 gift card.

• Woodley Park Mainstreet grant: The DC Department of Small and Local Business Development is offering grant funding to support the Woodley Park main street and invites non-profits to apply. Deadline September 18.

• Washington Gas will be conducting pipeline work into October including:

  • Work will take place on several streets that include Cleveland Avenue, NW; Garfield Street, NW; Harrison Street, NW; Davenport Street, NW; 31^st Street, NW; and 44^th Street, NW. Also pipeline replacement on Woodley Road.

Thanks for reading! I hope you’ll stay involved, reach out, and share this newsletter with neighbors. If you have questions or concerns, just reply to this email. And please forward to other neighbors!

Just a quick update to help you keep your calendar current. Hope you're enjoying the rain — though it’s definitely not ideal for dog-walkers.

Here’s what’s below:

• New community display at CP Library

• The stadium deal

• Rock Creek Parkway updates

• Events & celebrations

• ANC news

• Other neighborhood tidbits

“We are your neighbors”

The Cleveland Park library is hosting a great exhibit which features… our neighbors! It’s an oral history-type project of interviews older residents of the community. It’s really cool and challenges stale perspectives on aging, breaks stereotypes, and celebrates later life as a time of opportunity and growth. You can also check out the interviews online. The project was organized by the Cleveland and Woodley Park Village. You can also see the displays posted on the fence at the Maret School on Cathedral Avenue. And it’s worth spending time on. They hosted a launch event at the library where Mayor Bowser gave a lively speech. A great community initiative.

The stadium “deal”

In general, subsidies for stadiums are a pretty bad deal for taxpayers. And the deal negotiated by mayor with the football billionaire seems overly generous. Can the mayor just give billionaire sports owners hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to any billionaire sports owner who asks? Didn’t we just give a different billionaire $500 million for the arena downtown?

In fact, the $800 million in taxpayer support for the football stadium looks like the floor, rather than the ceiling of subsidies this deal will cost taxpayers.

So, notwithstanding the apparent public support for the stadium subsidies, I’m against it. We can’t be this generous with public subsidies for billionaires when we’re facing budget crises and fiscal austerity for the coming years. We have to beg the mayor just to keep comparatively tiny budget lines for child care and pre-K.

But, I’m happy to be talked out of my position. What do you think?

Changes to Rock Creek Parkway

I recently posted about proposed changes for Rock Creek Parkway. The most controversial element is the proposal to eliminate reversible rush-hour lanes. But there are other important components to the plan.

You can read more here. Here’s a good summary. The Park Service has extended public comment period until May 17.

Parties and events

• Bike to work day is May 15. Come by the Uptown Theater for a pit stop with snacks and swag. Rain or shine!

  

• Maret School Fête Champêtre on May 17 11-3pm is always a highlight of the Spring. Open to all neighbors: bounce houses, magicians, balloon animals, live entertainment, great food and good fun.

• Tregaron Meadow Concert! Postponed, now on May 18, 3pm. at the Tregaron Conservancy. Todd Marcus Trio and jazz vocalist Imani-Grace Cooper. Register for free.

• Woodley Park Picnic. June 7, 4-7pm. The annual neighborhood event hosted by the Woodley Park Community Association at Woodley Playground (Mosquito Park). Free, but please register.

• DC Health Link pop-ups. on June 9 and June 25, 9:30am-3:30pm at the Cleveland Park Library. Due to layoffs and DOGE, many people in our community are facing loss of employer-provided health insurance. If you have lost employer health insurance recently (or will), you can enroll in a DC Health Link private health insurance plan. For more information, go to www.dchealthlink.com/lost-coverage.

Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be May 19, 7pm. Agenda and registration are posted here.

The ANC Environmental Justice Committee hosted two experts to discuss environmental justice from a local perspective recently. You can watch the session here.

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. caused a bit of a stir by taking a swim in Rock Creek on Mother’s Day. Looking at the photos, I actually think he dipped in Dumbarton Oaks tributary rather than Rock Creek itself. But no matter. It’s still inadvisable to swim due to pollution. Like RFK, Jr., I want to swim in Rock Creek and hope we can clean it up so I can take a dip someday.

• Excited about this new wine bar coming into Cleveland Park in the Fall. The ANC heard the owners discuss their plan recently and it sounds great.

Thanks for reading! I hope you’ll stay involved, reach out, and share this newsletter with neighbors. If you have questions or concerns, just reply to this email.

It’s been a while since I sent out a newsletter—apologies. Like many of you, I’ve been distracted and a little discouraged by the state of things.

But, life goes on and the work continues to make our city and our neighborhood better. And to protect ourselves from the challenges and threats that loom. Here’s what’s below:

• Changes to Rock Creek Parkway

• Looming budget disaster

• Parties and events

• ANC stuff and my roles

• Other stuff

A roundabout for Rock Creek?

I posted about this in a previous newsletter, but the National Park Service is proposing changes for Rock Creek Parkway. This could have some significant impacts (improvements?) for our neighborhood. A few of the key ideas, roughly in order of their importance for our neighborhood (in my opinion):

• Reorganizing the park entrance at Shoreham Road. If you’ve driven through or spent time at the intersection of Shoreham Drive, Beach Drive and Rock Creek Parkway, you’ll know that it’s a dangerous intersection. Especially left-turn from Beach Drive south onto Rock Creek Parkway. I’ve seen several crashes there over the years. The proposal would put a rotary in the intersection which the traffic engineers believe would smooth the traffic and reduce waits.

  

• End rush-hour lane reversals. The proposal would end the weekday traffic reversals which require Park Police to put up barriers and remove them twice a day, including changes at multiple intersections and onramps. It’s a danger to the Park Police and incurs significant staff time and costs, estimated at $600,000 a year. Keeping Rock Creek Parkway two-way throughout the day would save money and make things less chaotic. The traffic impact is mediated a bit because there is a significant number of people who reverse-commute that would be able to use the parkway in the future.

• Expand the walking/biking trail, which is very narrow in some sections.

• Add many traffic safety improvements, including a traffic median or barrier in some places.

You can read more here. Here’s a good summary. I’m very interested to hear from you about what you think of these plans. More importantly, the Park Service would be interested and you can offer comments until May 2.

The looming budget disaster

Like many of you, I’ve been horrified and astonished by the threat of $1.1 billion in budget cuts this year imposed on DC by Congress. It’s not even federal money that would be cut, but spending of city revenues. I’m still hopeful that there will be a positive resolution, but Congressional incompetence means the Mayor is now forced to make cuts.

DC is facing a number of budget challenges for the coming year as well and we will need to engage actively to make sure unnecessary cuts are not imposed on services, the schools, and our community.

If there’s any bright side to this mess, it’s that DC residents mobilized admirably to respond to the challenge, lobbying Congress and putting pressure on leaders. My wife, Lynn, and I were very happy to join the crowd of citizen-lobbyists in the Senate in March. We plan to keep it up and I hope you will join as well. I’ve been impressed with FreeDC helping to organize and mobilize in this moment of peril.

The Comprehensive Plan

DC’s Office of Planning has produced a new “Comprehensive Plan” which guides development across the city: where to build new housing, businesses and employment, and invest for services and amenities. Part of this plan is to upgrade Connecticut Avenue to allow more housing density, including higher buildings. The Office of Planning did a lot of meetings and consultations on these ideas in recent years and our ANC has weighed in favorably on the proposed changes. The Office of Planning is now moving to make the zoning changes according to their proposals. You can learn more and give your own opinion as well. Take the survey at DC2050.com. There are also a bunch of community events planned.

Parties and events

• Cleveland Park Night Market: Artisans and local crafts. April 24, 5-9pm.

• Touch Truck 2025! The Department of Public Works will host an annual chance for kids to climb aboard fire trucks, honk the horn on a snowplow, and get up close with the vehicles that keep DC moving. With games, activities, and food and drink for kids. Saturday, May 3, 2025, 8:00 am - 2:00 pm Location: RFK Stadium, Lot 8, 2400 East Capitol Street, SE. Get Free Tickets!

• Tregaron Meadow Concert! May 4, 3pm at the Tregaron Conservancy. Todd Marcus Trio and jazz vocalist Imani-Grace Cooper.

• Environmental Justice in DC. The ANC Committee will host a meeting to discuss the concepts of environmental justice and reflect how we, as a community, can take action. Speakers: Sarah Dorman, Georgetown University Law Center and

  Lauren Johnson, Environmental Defense Fund. May 6, 7pm via Zoom (details forthcoming).

Update on ANC activity

In general, things with our Advisory Neighborhood Commission have been pretty quiet. We’ve met regularly, once per month, and moved resolutions along. Very orderly and not much arguing or controversy. This term, in addition to normal commissioner duties, I will serve the ANC as:

• Treasurer: keeping books, filling out annoying forms.

• Chair of the Environmental Justice Committee: we have a small, but great committee and have plans for interesting and cool activities.

• Co-chair of the Community Engagement and Grants Committee: the ANC has an annual budget of $12,000 for grants to local non-profits for projects that benefit the community.

The next meeting of ANC3C will be May 19, 7pm. Agenda and registration posted here.

Mayor Bowser may reduce funding for Pre-K education, which is particularly important for families in Ward 3. At the most recent meeting, April 21, I proposed a resolution to support the PKEEP program, especially the community-based provider, but the commission voted to table the resolution. Hopefully we’ll approve it in May.

I want to mention the ANC Committees. These usually meet monthly and take up issues of concern to the neighborhood, including new developments, traffic, etc. Residents are encouraged to join and help lead the committees. If you have interest and any extra time, I’d really encourage you to get involved. Let me know. Here they are:

1. Safe, Sustainable, and Equitable Transportation

2. Transparency & Public Process

3. Community Engagement & Grants

4. Planning, Zoning, Housing, and Economic Development

5. Residential Historic Preservation

6. Environmental Justice

7. Public Safety

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• We have a new neighbor, Mark Zuckerberg! After a lot of whispering and rumors, it finally came clear that the Facebook founder was the mysterious buyer of a home in the Woodland Normanstone neighborhood. He paid a tidy $23 million, third-most expensive house purchase in city history. Welcome new neighbors!

• Woodley Park business comings and goings. Sadly, Elsa seems to have closed. But Aisles of Abundance has opened. Coming soon is Tavern 18.

• DC Department of Transportation reports that they will be improving and restoring local sidewalks in the next two weeks:

  • 27th Street NW between Garfield Street NW and Cathedral Avenue NW

  • Connecticut Avenue NW between Calvert Street NW and 24th Street NW

  • Cortland Place NW between Devonshire Place NW and Klingle Road NW

  • Klingle Road NW between Cortland Place NW and Dead End

Thanks for reading! I hope you’ll stay involved, reach out, and share this newsletter with neighbors. If you have questions or concerns—or want to join a committee—just reply to this email.

I hope you’re feeling cozy and have something wonderful planned for the holidays.

This will be the last newsletter of the year, and it’s the end of my first term as ANC Commissioner. One of the best things about the job has been meeting other ANC Commissioners. I didn’t know Roric McCorristin before joining the ANC, but we’ve become friends in the last two years.

Roric didn’t run for re-election, so he’ll be rotating off the ANC in January. I thought it would be interesting to do an “exit interview.”

Exit Interview: Roric McCorristin

What was the best thing about being an ANC Commissioner? What was the worst?

Getting to know more people in the neighborhood was the best part. I enjoyed meeting more of the community and hearing people’s ideas for Cleveland Park. I learned a lot about why people like living here.

The worst part was the time demands. I prioritized establishing boundaries around my parenting duties and family time, which I am proud of, but I feel like I missed out on some things. There were interesting committee meetings that I didn’t attend and I wasn’t immediately responsive to all emails. My constituents were very understanding about balancing parenting and my ANC duties, which I appreciate. And ANC 3C deserves a lot of credit for transparency and access — our committee meetings are recorded for YouTube and we keep each other updated with committee reports during our monthly meetings. So I didn’t feel uninformed. But you miss out. The role of Commissioner is an honor and a privilege, and I wish I could have dug in more.

Why did you run in the first place?

I started noticing every cracked sidewalk and dangerous crosswalk after becoming a parent, when I started pushing a stroller around. I became interested in how these things are addressed and wanted to help new parents be represented in that process. When the future of the Cleveland Park Promenade was being decided, the parents of little kids who I talked to were thrilled by the idea of keeping the strip open and having a little more space and safety when running errands. There was this big disconnect between what my neighbors were saying and needing, and what I had read about previously on places like the local listserv.

Why are you retiring after only one term in office? The neighborhood needs you!

My family needs a bigger living space sooner rather than later and, unfortunately, it became clear very quickly that it wouldn’t be feasible to stay in my single-member district. So I decided not to run for a second term. It’s frustrating. It’s a policy failure when families can’t stay in Cleveland Park, or any neighborhood for that matter, because of housing prices. We need to build more housing so that people can stay here, move here, live here. It’s vital for growing community. But people oppose even the idea of it because they fear it will bring their own property values down. That’s selfish and antithetical to growing community.

What’s your proudest accomplishment as a Commissioner?

I am proud that I set up the Environmental Justice Committee. We had some very good meetings with representatives from the District agencies who explained city services to us in detail to make residents better informed. I would like to thank Laura Moore and Madeleine Gauthier, our community members on the committee, for getting involved and helping to establish this platform. They brought more ideas to the table — specifically, the table at Dolan where we brainstormed over coffee — than we could act on. I hope ANC 3C will continue the committee’s work in the new term.

This is an excerpt. Read the full interview here.

Envisioning the neighborhood

With the start of a new year and a newly-elected ANC, I’d like to spend some time thinking about how we can build a better, safer, more inclusive, more joyful community. I’m working with some neighbors to do some informal consultations and visioning exercises. I’d like to include you, if you’re interested or have ideas.

Parties and events

• Honey Sale at the Swiss Embassy on Saturday, December 14, from 9 AM to 12 PM. Local bees. Sales support relief efforts for Ukraine. The honey goes quick, so don’t be late. Ambassador Ralf Heckner will be meeting neighbors and giving tours of the grounds.

• Cleveland Park Winter Market: Santa will be making an appearance! Arts and crafts and gift ideas. December 14, Noon to 5pm.

  

• New Years Day 5k: The mayor usually hosts a fun 5k race to start the year off healthy. Starting from Anacostia Park at 10am. More info and sign up here.

Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be December 16, 7pm. Agenda and registration posted here. There’s not too much on our agenda. It’s the last meeting of the year and before a new crop of commissioners come on board in early January. Let me know if you have issues or concerns to raise.

You can see the resolutions and letters we passed in November.

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• I reported that some of the empty storefronts in front of the Zoo may be filled soon. The newest report is that a Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop will be coming. Is that good?

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.

We finally have that crisp coolness in the air and the woods are brilliant in the sunshine. I hope you are enjoying it.

Here are a few updates on the neighborhood and activities of our Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

The future of the Uptown

Tomorrow (Monday), the ANC will host a presentation about future plans for the Uptown Theater. The proprietors of Artechouse have been invited to talk about the “UPTOWN Experiences” concept they are bringing to the neighborhood landmark. “My vision for this is really to bring back the old glamorous Hollywood feeling of going to the theater, but with the latest technology.” That sounds cool!

The owners of Artechouse have taken a 20-year lease on the building, but haven’t communicated what their plan is. Or maybe they don’t yet know what the plan is. We’ll hear more.

7pm Monday, 18 November. Sign up for the meeting here. Full agenda here.

Parties and events

• Cleveland Park Night Market: 21 November, 5-9pm.

  

• Thanksgiving Day: I hope you can join us for our annual Turkey Trot at 10 a.m. in Mosquito Park (aka Woodley Playground). Adults and kids alike are welcome to walk, jog, or run the ~1-mile turkey trot loop around the neighborhood. It’s great fun and there are prizes.

Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be November 18, 7pm. Agenda and registration will be posted here. Let me know if you have issues or concerns to raise. In addition to hearing about the future of the Uptown Theater (see above), we will be hearing from the DC Office of Planning on the upcoming review of the Comprehensive Plan and earlier proposals to upzone Connecticut Avenue.

I drafted a letter in support of the Piney Branch Tunnel Project for the Environmental Assessment by the National Park Service and DC Water. The ANC plans a letter in support of protected bike lanes on Calvert Street, which is of special interest to parents and kids attending Oyster Adams.

You can see the resolutions we passed in October.

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• Some of the empty storefronts in front of the Zoo may be filled soon. A felafel shop is reportedly coming. I’m super excited about that one. Also rumored are a sushi restaurant and a coffee/baked goods shop.

• It’s tree-planting season for DC. If you’ve been waiting for the city to replant a tree, you might want to check in with the DDOT arborists.

• If you’ve submitted a request for a traffic safety investigation (TSI), you can see what DDOT is prioritizing this quarter here. Unfortunately, they are not prioritizing any traffic safety concerns in our immediate neighborhood (with the exception of one at Devonshire & Cortland).

• We have a newish neighbor, Dr. Ralf Heckner, who arrived in August to serve as the new Ambassador of Switzerland. It’s actually a return, as he was posted here from 2003 to 2007. He plans to reinstate the tradition of hosting a gathering for the Embassy’s neighbors at the residence. Look for more info in spring 2025.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.

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I just want to send a quick note to say thank you for re-electing me to Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC3C). I didn’t have an opponent, so there wasn’t much drama to the race. But I don’t take it for granted and consider it a true honor to be invested by my neighbors with this role.

Community as resilience

Like most of you, I’ve been obsessed and depressed with the election results since Tuesday. I don’t need to say any more on that, I’m sure you’ve seen and read plenty.

But I do want to say that having a strong and vibrant community is a consolation. And talking to neighbors and drinking wine and commiserating on porches and backyards has really helped over the last couple days. Neighbors are a source of strength and solidarity and resilience. Helping one another, being present, making sure everyone is ok, rising to challenges and dealing with problems. That’s what strong communities do. And I think we do a pretty good job of that. I’m glad to play a role, but mostly grateful for all of you and the strength and resilience we provide for one another.

I’m sure we’ll face challenges in the coming months and years, but I’m happy that we’ll face them together and feel ready to do so.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.

Are you enjoying “busy season”? Calendars are full of double-bookings, streets are full of double-parking, and your inbox is double-full. I’ll try to keep this short.

L’shana tova for those who celebrate.

Here are a few updates on the neighborhood and activities of our Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

Sidewalk Palooza!

On Saturday, neighbors and ANC Commissioners across the city will be walking around, photographing sidewalk problems, picking up trash, and improving safety. It’s part of a new tradition in DC: Sidewalk Palooza! The focus is on making our communities more pedestrian-friendly, especially for folks with mobility issues: folks using canes and wheelchairs, parents pushing strollers, etc. We did one two years ago and submitted a bunch of safety requests for attention from the Department of Transportation. It’s also a great opportunity to meet some neighbors and ANC Commissioners. And if you have specific concerns or safety hazards to highlight, it’s a good opportunity to get some attention. Sign up here. Or you can just show up (see below for times/locations).

Note: unfortunately, I’m traveling this weekend, so won’t be able to participate. But please share photos and 311 requests with me.

Living with history

One of the cool things about living in our neighborhood is the layers upon layers of history that are hidden here. You can scratch the surface here and here and here. Recently, the house at 2610 Cathedral Ave was nominated for historic places designation. The reason is it was the home of Sofia Reyes de Veyra from 1917 to 1919. She came to Washington as the wife of the representatives of the Philippines Islands to the US (it was still a colony at that point). While here, she worked with American suffragists to secure their right to vote. Later, she was a major force in earning Filipina women the right to vote. She was a leading advocate for the mentally ill, unwed mothers, tuberculosis patients, lepers, and other marginalized groups.

Just a tiny bit of history right here in our neighborhood. There’s so many other intersections with history in our community. Did anyone famous live in your home?

Autumn litter

it's not to early to complain about leaf-collection. But before you do, please check out the schedule for the year. The DC Department of Public Works will start pickups on October 28 and have a schedule for neighborhoods and a real-time tracker here.

Crime

There are continuing reports of petty thefts, break-ins, and even an car theft in the neighborhood. Some of it looks like crimes of opportunity. Keep doors locked, valuables out of sight (especially in your car). It’s helpful when neighbors have front-door cameras and also report in to neighborhood email lists when they see things. The police have been very responsive and quick when called.

Election 2024

Your local ANC election might not be the most exciting race. But, it’s important to me. I’m pleased that I’ve earned endorsements by:

• Cleveland Park Smart Growth

• Greater Greater Washington

• DC Yimbys

• DC Voters for Animals

Parties and events

• October 5, 3-5pm: Tregaron Unplugged, presented by Washington Performing Arts -- a free multi-genre music event featuring "listening rooms" located throughout the park. Includes a sitar/guitar duo, Caribbean steel pan, a strings ensemble, a folk/Americana duo, and an R&B/jazz duo. 

• October 16, 7:00 p.m. Tuesday Talks featuring Susan Stamberg of NPR in conversation with Linda Winslow. Click here to learn more and register.

• October 19, 3-4:30pm: Bluegrass Concert at Maclean Gardens hosted by the Cleveland and Woodley Park Villages. RSVP here.

• November 2, 10am-2pm: Ecycle event in Chevy Chase. Collecting old computers, accessories, televisions, etc. At 33rd St NW between Quesada St NW & Patterson St NW (near Lafayette-Pointer Recreation Center). Full information on acceptable items and those that are not going to be accepted can be found here.

Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be October 21, 7pm. Agenda and registration will be posted herehttps://anc3c.org/event/october-2024-public-meeting/. Let me know if you have issues or concerns to raise.

In September, we heard a Presentation from DC Water about their Lead Free DC initiative. I will be following up with neighbors soon to point out that they might have lead pipes bringing water into their house. DC Water and DC has funding to help pay for replacements. Do you have lead pipes? Click here to find out.

• October 7, 6:30-7:30pm: Planning, Zoning, Housing & Economic Development Committee & Residential Historic Preservation Review Committee 

Among other issues, we will consider the nomination of the Sofia Reyes de Veyra Residence, 2610 Cathedral Avenue NW, Case 24-10 (see above).

• October 9, 7-8pm: Safe, Sustainable, and Equitable Transportation Committee October Meeting 

We will host the Rock Creek Park (National Park Service) to hear about proposals to eliminate the Rock Creek Parkway Reversible Lanes and make other changes. Also a discussion of bus service across Duke Ellington Bridge after cancellation of circulator.

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• Neighbors are welcome to use the Maret playground from 6:00 pm - dusk when school or camps are in session and 8:00 am - dusk when school or camps are not in session. During the weekend, the campus closes at 5:00 pm. Adult supervision is required at all times, and other guidelines are posted. Please note that dogs are not allowed in the playground or on the back field, but may be on the front lawn on leashes at all times. If you want to sign up to receive Maret communications, email sdunkelberger@maret.org.

• Although one grocer pulled out of a plan to locate in Woodley Park (remember here). Another small grocer seems ready to move into the old Ace Hardware Space. Fingers crossed!

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.

Kids are back in school and Fall rhythms return. Dog walks in the woods. Soups on the stove. Football. Hope you had a great summer and are excited about the coming season.

Here are a few updates on the neighborhood and activities of our Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

I’m in!

I’m running again, for re-election as commissioner representing ANC3C07. I hope you’ll vote for me on November 5 - or earlier if you vote by mail or do early-voting.

As it happens, no one else signed up to run against me, so it doesn’t look like it will be a competitive contest. Still I don’t take it for granted. To be honest, campaigning was probably the most enjoyable part of being an ANC Commissioner last time. I really enjoyed knocking on doors and chatting with neighbors. And I learned a lot, too. So I plan to do some campaigning just to meet folks and get feedback.

Please remember to vote. I’m not the only candidate on the ballot! Check to make sure you’re registered and where to vote. Also, please note that you don’t have to be a US citizen to vote in DC elections. We have a lot of international residents in our neighborhood, and DC permits them to have a vote, as they should! Non-citizens can learn more and register here.

Our Commission, ANC3C has 8 commissioners. Of the 8 currently serving, only 4 are running for re-election. So, we’ll have a new crop of commissioners next year. New blood can be good. What new initiatives or ideas should we take up?

Park and the Parkway

The National Park Service is exploring ending the one-way reversible lanes during rush hours on the Rock Creek Parkway. The current reversible one-way lanes during rush-hour “do not conform to modern federal traffic standards,” and are difficult and confusing for drivers to navigate. The parkway has an average of 130 crashes annually, 36 percent of which occurred during the reversal periods.

The traffic management is a significant drain on Park Police time and resources (estimated at $830,000 in staff time annually). And the staff are put in dangerous situations. Eliminating the rush-hour traffic changes is projected to improve safety but not dramatically increase congestion or divert traffic, according to a Department of Transportation study.

The interchange of Shoreham Drive with Rock Creek Parkway and Beach Drive is safety hotspot, as anyone who drives it will agree. It’s also dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, and I’ve seen more than one crash at this location.

The Department of Transportation study suggests several safety improvements in addition to ending rush-hour lane direction changes. One suggestion is to replace the current interchange of Shoreham Drive with Rock Creek Parkway and Beach Drive with a traffic circle.

Other safety improvements the Park Service may consider include:

• Improving traffic flow at key intersections

• Adding center-lane safety measures south of P Street NW

• Rehabilitating the parkway pavement

• Replacing missing streetlights

• Repairing damaged guardrails

Unsurprisingly, it seems that fancy K Street lobbyists have already mobilized against the idea of these changes and are privately strategizing with Ms. Kershbaum, Director of DC Department of Transportation. Maryland drivers have pretty good representation. See the emails below which came out of a freedom of information request.

Parties and events

• September 7, 4-7pm is the annual Woodley Park picnic hosted by the Woodley Park Community Association. Everyone welcome. Food will be donated by Woodley Park restaurants. Helpful to RSVP here to give organizers a sense of how much picnic stuff to get. They could use some volunteers also, email David Ensign.

• September 14, 7pm Tuesday Talks at the Cleveland Park Library. Longtime neighborhood resident Suprabha Amy Beckjord will be in conversation with Linda Ayres, Chair of the Tuesday Talks speaker series. Beckjord was the owner of the recently-closed gift shop Transcendence-Perfection-Bliss of the Beyond next to the Uptown Theater. She is a student of Sri Chinmoy and became one of the most prolific multi-day ultra-distance runners on the planet, including running a 3100-mile Self-Transcendence Race multiple times.

  

• September 27, 5-10pm is the Cleveland Park Art All Night. From Tarot Readings and Roaming Performers to Snake Charmers and Hypnosis, there will be curios for all ages to get excited about.  Performances and entertainment will take place throughout the Cleveland Park Commercial Corridor. Also, the Cleveland Park Main Street is seeking volunteers to help out.

  

Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be September 16, 7pm. Agenda and registration will be posted here. Let me know if you have issues or concerns to raise.

The ANC usually takes August off, but we called an emergency meeting so we could try to fast-track the license applications for Little Blackbird and Sababa and Pera Eat. This is to help these businesses get their patio seating on the Cleveland Park Promenade. It’s taking a long time to get through all the permits and bureaucracy. Hopefully, these and others will be in place soon, for Autumn.

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• Unfortunately, the mini-park in front of the old Marriott will be closed off as construction on the new Carmel development progresses. Carmel says they will be making improvements to the park and working underground in the parking structure. They plan to open it back up in Summer 2025. Picnickers, dog walkers, and the kids from Aidan Montessori will have to find other spots.

• Ever noticed those “Empathy” signs posted on utility poles? I thought this was interesting.

• Although crime remains a concern, I want to give credit to MPD 2nd District for good police work and making some arrests for robberies, burglary, and carjacking in our neighborhood recently. Sadly, the suspects are often just kids - 13 and 15 year-olds.

• Come January, we’ll lose a neighbor in Vice President Kamala Harris. But a new neighbor will move in! Depending on the voters we can welcome Governor Tim Walz or Senator JD Vance to the Naval Observatory. I’m honored to represent the Naval Observatory as part of my ANC district. Should we throw a bbq to welcome our new neighbor?

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.

I hope you’re surviving this heat. It’s a good time to check on neighbors to make sure they’re doing okay and have air conditioning. Sometimes older residents and other vulnerable people don’t cope well with the heat and it can be dangerous.

Here are a few updates on the neighborhood and activities of our Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

Urgent: A better bus needed!

I’ve mentioned WMATA’s plan for a “Better Bus Network” previously and the good news that the new plan will preserve a version of the 96 bus, renamed the C55. You can see the new plan here.

One failure of the plan is it doesn’t help students get to MacArthur High School from our neighborhood. DC Public Schools students rely on the public transit system, and ride free. Many students in the Cleveland/Woodley Park neighborhood are in-boundary for MacArthur High School, namely Eaton Elementary which is a feeder school. Commuting to MacArthur HS is what students are expected to do, but the new WMATA plan doesn’t help. Getting there from our neighborhood will require a long bus ride, including a transfer in Tenleytown which is really not a good option.

DEADLINE: WMATA is taking comments until 5pm on Monday July 15. It would be really helpful if you could submit a comment on their website here. I suggest you make these points (cut and paste if you like):

• Thank you for including the C55, which serves our neighborhood well. Current bus frequency could be improved, but keeping the route is great.

• Students zoned for Eaton Elementary, which is the largest feeder elementary to MacArthur High School have no good option to get to school. The current proposed bus plan will require a bus transfer and an unreasonably long commute to school. Please consider new options to provide a safe and direct commute to school for MacArthur High School students in the Woodley Park and Cleveland Park neighborhoods.

An alert being circulated among Eaton parents is here.

EV charging

I’ve been thinking of buying an electric vehicle. But, doing a bit of research, I found out there aren’t many publicly accessible fast-charging stations nearby and none in our immediate neighborhood.

According to the app PlugShare, there are no publicly accessible high-speed charging stations in ANC3C with the closest stations at the Giant or the Wegmans on Wisconsin Avenue.

Recently, the DC Department of Energy & Environment put out a call for suggestions where to locate electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The DC Department of Transportation has funding and a plan to ensure all District residents and visitors can access Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Funding ($16.7 million) was provided by the federal bipartisan infrastructure law and is part of an effort to establish a nationwide network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers that support access and reliability for all users. DC seeks to expand charging opportunities on public property such as libraries, parks, and recreation centers, also working with the National Park Service to identify locations, and also to support charging stations on private property, like gas stations and shopping centers. 

So where would you like to see an EV charging station? Any suggestions or thoughts? We’ll see if we can get the city to install some in our neighborhood.  

Crime

Although the city-wide crime-wave seems to be abating, there are still concerns. Just last week there was another rash of auto break-ins in Woodley Park; at least 6 or 7 cars with smashed windows, maybe more. A message from our local police Captain: “There were multiple thefts of personal items in Woodley Park last night. Please advise your constituents to not leave any valuables in their vehicles. MPD is investigating and pulling camera footage. If anyone comes across any camera footage of any car break-ins, please advise us. Thank you.”

If you have any camera footage or information, let me know and I’ll link you to the correct police contact.

Running again

It’s time to decide whether to run for re-election. To run again, I will need to pull papers from the Board of Elections submit 25 signatures by August 7.

This was my first time as an ANC Commissioner, so there was a learning curve. It’s been an interesting and mostly enjoyable experience. I really liked knocking on doors for the campaign and meeting so many neighbors, talking about neighborhood issues. I like trying to help out neighbors with problems - and in the process learn a lot about the city and government. I like thinking about how our community can be safer, better, more inclusive and fun. I like neighborhood gossip.

I don’t love the zoom meetings, maybe 6 or 7 each month, usually in the evenings. They can be boring and a bit painful. I’d much rather meet in person, but most of my fellow commissioners don’t want to. There’s always some sniping and rude comments on the neighborhood listserves, which can be unpleasant.

Serving on the ANC has been an honor and I’ve tried to treat the job with respect and diligence. We’ve done a lot of work to support more safety, inclusion, and dynamism in the neighborhood. There’s a lot more to do, but we’re making progress.

I think my wife doesn’t want me to run, but she’s been pretty patient with me so far. I’m inclined to run again. If anyone is thinking of running, let me know. I welcome the debate and competition. It’s actually more fun and interesting that way - as long as we can keep it polite. Unless something changes, I’ll be knocking on your door to ask for your support sometime soon.

Parties and events

• July 25, 5-9pm is the next Cleveland Park night market.

  

• July 27 is Swiss National Day and the embassy hosts a party 4-8:30pm. There are sausages and beer and Swiss music. You can go! But, you have to buy a ticket.

Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be June 15, 7pm. Agenda and registration will be posted here. Let me know if you have issues or concerns to raise.

As always, I’d love your feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• Incredible!. Wilson Pool is finally reopened. Just incredible how long that took.

• Curbside Composting Pilot Program is being extended: If you’re not in the Pilot Program but interested in participating, you can join the wait list and get updates here.

• Reminder: Red line stations closing this summer: Beginning in early June, Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring and Takoma stations on the Red Line will be closed for repairs. The closure will continue through early September. More closures and plans here.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.

Feels like Summer! Pools are open and the living is good. Hope you’re enjoying the warm weather and staying cool. Here’s a few updates on the neighborhood and activities of our Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

A better bus!

WMATA has decided to save our 96 bus. You may remember that I was very worried that the 96 would be eliminated in the new bus plan.

The latest proposal will keep the 96 bus, renamed the C55. You can see the new proposal here. The C55 will be shorter and terminate in LeDroit Park. This will help address one of the problems with the 96; traveling way across the city and over the Anacostia meant the bus route was vulnerable to all sorts of delays and traffic interruptions. Apparently, bus drivers hated the route.

Obviously this isn’t the only change in the WMATA proposal, and for most people probably not the most important issue. But for our little microcosm of a neighborhood, it’s great news. WMATA has a very good website on the proposed Better Bus Network with trip planners and comparisons. Have a look and make comments (and thank them for the C55) if you have a minute. Changes are proposed to be implemented in 2025.

Update on a safer Connecticut Avenue, including bike lanes

Last month, we wondered what the Mayor was doing about Connecticut Avenue safety and why she was delaying progress. Now, we know. She was sitting on the process and has ordered the safety plan be revised to remove safe bike lanes.

This comes more than two years after the Mayor approved safety improvements on Connecticut Avenue, which included safe bike lanes. It was a shock to hear she changed her mind. Actually, we didn’t hear it from the mayor, she had the interim Director of the Department of Transportation mention it, almost in passing, at a budget hearing. There wasn’t any explanation for the change in plan, nor for the long delay.

In response to the Mayor’s flip-flop, about 5000 people have signed a petition not to cancel the bike lanes (sign on, if you haven’t already). And Ward 3 Councilmember Frumin has worked with the Committee on Transportation to push the safety plan forward, as originally agreed by the Mayor, including the bike lanes. From the transportation budget recommendations:

“Given the extensive community support for Concept C, the District’s ostensible commitment to shifting motor vehicle users to other modes, and the enormous safety benefits of bike lanes, the Committee is convinced that any redesign of Connecticut Avenue NW must include a PBL. Therefore, the Committee incorporates language in this subtitle to prevent DDOT from expending funds in FY25 in furtherance of the Connecticut Avenue Reversible Lane Operations and Safety project (Project No. 100634 (LMS19C)), or any other capital project for the same or similar purpose, unless the installation of protected bike lanes is included in the project’s design, planning, and construction.”

The three ANCs along Connecticut Avenue support the original plan; ANC3C re-iterated our support recently. I’m watching this closely, and very frustrated that the Mayor changed her mind and is creating delay and conflict. We had a plan that had a lot of support. Meanwhile, Connecticut Avenue remains a very dangerous street. According to one analyst, there have been at least 360 reported crashes on Connecticut Avenue since the Mayor announced her support for the safety plan. DDOT is hosting a meeting on Connecticut Avenue for June 3, if you want to tune in and hear what they’re currently thinking.

Reckoning with our history

If you haven’t checked it out, I strongly recommend going down to the Cleveland Park Library to explore the Undesign the Redline exhibit. It’s an eye-opening presentation on the history of racial exclusion in our community. Many students, neighbors and local organizations were involved in putting it together. You can guide yourself any time the library is open, or you can join a public tours of the exhibit on Wednesdays at 10:30am, Saturdays at 2:00pm, and Sundays at 1:30pm. There’s a related series of events, movies, book talks, and walking tours you can also check out. I’ve been to several and they are super interesting and also very moving. Runs until July 11.

What’s happening down in Woodley Park?

The Woodley Park commercial strip has seen better days. There are a lot of empty storefronts and closed up businesses. I was especially sad to lose longtime neighborhood favorites, Tono Sushi and MacIntyre’s. What’s going on? I’ve heard some one them (the latter two) faced lease expirations and large rent increases. The old Ace Hardware location was slated to have a new grocery, but neighborhood opposition and the DC public space committee squelched it.

One commercial property owner in Woodley Park told me “Woodley is tough right now” and a lot of businesses are just holding on, hoping the new Wardman/Carmel development will help by bringing approximately 2000 new residents to the neighborhood. I hope so.

That’s one reason why I think it’s important to get that project completed as soon as possible. The Wardman site has been a dead zone in our neighborhood for too long. The residential development could have been a lot better, delivered more affordable housing and more community amenities. But, regardless, it will be good to bring new residents and energy into our community. ANC3C is opposing efforts to delay or litigate the project.

Parties and events

• Thursday, May 30th: Cleveland Park Night Market, outdoor market will feature artisan local vendors from 5pm-9pm.

• Cleveland Park Day is June 2, from noon to 5pm. It’s going to be a blast with outdoor vendors, live music, a pet fashion show, happy hour and business specials, and a Kids Zone. There will be a dunk tank where residents can dunk their favorite ANC commissioner. Bring your grievances. Sounds fun, right? See here.

  

• POSTPONED!!! Come to the Woodley Park Picnic! Saturday June 8, 4 to 7 pm. Hot dogs and watermelon and neighborly fun. In “Mosquito Park” next to the Woodley Playground on Cortland Place. Organized by the Woodley Park Community Association (WPCA). Click here to RSVP. POSTPONED!!!

• WPCA is also organizing a “shred and hazardous waste day” for Sat June 22. (I believe from 9-Noon) at the parking lot in Maret School.

Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be 17 June 7pm. Agenda and registration will be posted here. Let me know if you have issues or concerns to raise.

You can see what we did in May here, including:

• Supported a grant to the Woodland-Normanstone Neighborhood Association to help clear invasive overgrowth and maintain Normanstone Valley

• Supported neighbors seeking approval to do renovations and projects, including 2850 27th Street.

• In April, sent a letter calling for revisions to the Mayor’s budget to restore funding to schools, restore funding for DC’s Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, and other suggestions.

As always, I’d love feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• Our local food pantry the NW Community Food in Van Ness is seeking volunteers to work 2-hour shifts. Also can use drivers to pick up donations and make home deliveries. The pantry serves 250-300 families every weekend.

  Spanish-, Arabic- and Mandarin-speakers are also needed.

• Reminder: Red line stations closing this summer: Beginning in early June, Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring and Takoma stations on the Red Line will be closed for repairs. The closure will continue through early September. More closures and plans here.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.

Happy Spring! Hope you’re enjoying this glorious season and that your allergies under control. Here’s a few updates on the neighborhood and activities of our Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

A family-friendly community

A report came out recently that grades states on how family-friendly they are. I was disappointed that DC only ranked a B-; 10th out of 51 states. In many areas, DC is outstanding:

• “The District of Columbia’s Earned Income Tax Credit was the most progressive, being both refundable and exceeding 50 percent of the federal credit.”

• “Historically, the District of Columbia was the most advanced in terms of child care and early learning policies.”

• “To date, no state has adopted a comprehensive child care and early learning system that ensures families have nurturing child care and early learning options when and where they need them that don’t break the bank and compensate early educators well. As of the 2021 report card, the District of Columbia came the closest with Birth to Three DC and universal pre-K for 4-year olds.”

• “The highest-performing states for long term care were Minnesota, Washington, and the District of Columbia.”

• “A total of nine states and the District of Columbia have some form of fair scheduling policies.”

The main strike against DC seems to be the availability and affordability of child care: “the average price of child care for two children in a center is more than the average rent or mortgage.”

These are the policy indicators, but what makes a community family-friendly is more than city-wide policies. Are there good playgrounds? Are the schools good? Are the streets safe? Are there fun things to do with your kids? Is there access to nature and outdoor activities?

In general, I think our community is pretty family-friendly. We can always do more. I worry a lot about dangerous traffic. Child care is a serious problem for our community. It would help if the local schools offered pre-K 3 and didn’t have to lottery pre-K 4 slots.

My kids are in middle school now, so I feel like I’m losing contact with the struggles of families with younger kids. I’d love to hear from you about how our community can be more family-friendly.

Reckoning with our history

Our neighborhood has a shameful history of racial exclusion that has been hidden for too long. St. Columba’s Episcopal Church has led a group of local congregations to create a dynamic exhibit documenting the stories and legacy of this history. The exhibit opens on April 11 at the Cleveland Park Library and will run for several weeks. There will also be a series of events and speakers to bring out different dimensions of this history. In particular, I recommend hearing Bob Ward on “The Untold History of Cleveland Park”, Thursday, May 2, 6:15pm-7:30pm at the Cleveland Park Library. Bob, a neighbor, has been digging into the data and legal frameworks that contributed to the emergence of a largely white and wealthy Cleveland Park. It’s really eye-opening. See more here and the schedule of events here.

A safer, more inclusive Connecticut Avenue….

More than two years after the Mayor approved safety improvements on Connecticut Avenue, which would include bike lanes, progress is stalled. The Mayor appears to be slowing the process down. Ward 3 Councilmember Frumin has written to the Mayor asking to move the project forward without delay. But we don’t have a sense of how to unstick it.

Meanwhile, Connecticut Avenue remains a very dangerous street, with hundreds of crashes since the mayor approved changes. Our neighborhood has the dubious honor of hosting the worst pedestrian intersection in the city. Be careful.

Groceries for Woodley Park, or not.

In the Fall, a small grocery expressed interest in moving into Woodley Park; to the vacant space that used to be Ace Hardware near the Woodley Park Metro station. Because the space is pretty small for a grocery, they would need to put trash outside and proposed a dumpster for trash on 24th Street. They proposed to build a more attractive enclosure for the dumpster so it wouldn’t be an eyesore, and to have daily trash pickup to keep vermin under control.

Excited to have more grocery options for residents Woodley Park, the ANC sent a letter supporting the proposal. Unfortunately, in February, the DC Public Space Committee denied the trash enclosure, so the new grocery probably won’t materialize. Some residents are trying to get the Public Space Committee to reverse their decision with a petition.

School boundaries

As noted in an earlier newsletter, there was a proposal to shift the boundaries of Oyster-Adams and Eaton Elementary. Large numbers of families opposed the change and signed petitions. The good news is that the revised plan from the Mayor’s Deputy for Education eliminates the boundary change and this seems likely to be the final result. Any changes are meant to take effect starting school year 2025/26. See the latest presentation (h/t to John Goodman and WPCA).

All the parties

After a long saga, the Cleveland Park Promenade (formerly the “service lane”) is finally completed. I won’t belabor the struggles and controversies, but we now have a lovely, pedestrian-friendly space that we should use and celebrate! The restaurants are in-process applying for patio seating, landscaping is in going in, benches are being commissioned. It’s already great, and it’s going to be grand. Come for a ribbon cutting live music, business specials and more. April 6 is a “Party on the Promenade” starting at 4pm. Details here.

Next is ribbon cutting for the new Endangered Animals Sculptures, which are being installed on Connecticut Avenue. Our ANC pitched in to commission 10 local artists to create sculptures of endangered species which will be attached to street posts on Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland and Woodley Park. Visitors can look for new animals as they walk to the Zoo, and educational information will be provided at each installation. Ribbon cutting is 11am on April 27 at 3000 Connecticut Avenue. Following the event, we’ll take a walk to see the sculptures and enjoy live music along the corridor. This is public art that promotes livability, walk-ability, and delight in our neighborhood. My favorite is our own local endangered species, the Hay’s Spring Amphipod, discovered at Hay’s Spring just off Cathedral Road. Can’t wait to see the sculpture.

In June, we celebrate Cleveland Park Day with an outdoor vendor market, live music, pet fashion show, happy hour and business specials, and a Kids Zone. I think they’re planning a dunk tank where residents can dunk their favorite ANC commissioner. Bring your grievances. Sounds fun, right? June 2, noon to 5pm. See here.

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Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be 17 April 7pm. Agenda and registration will be posted here. Let me know if you have issues or concerns to raise.

You can see what we did in February here.

As always, I’d love feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• Woodley Park Yard Sales: April 6th, 9am, between 2200 Cathedral Ave and 2700 Woodley Place. Tools, camera gear, lighting, collection of misc things for the curious or hobbyist (rain date April 7th).

• Repaving coming to a street near you: DDOT is planning to repave in the next 2 weeks:

  • 27th Street NW Between Woodley Road NW and Garfield Street NW

  • 33rd Place NW Between Garfield Street NW and Cathedral Avenue NW

  • Cleveland Avenue NW Between 30th Street NW and 31St Street NW

  • Davis Place NW Between Tunlaw Road NW and 39th Street NW

  • Fulton Street NW Between 35th Street NW and 35th Place NW

  • Macomb Street NW Between 38th Street NW and Idaho Avenue NW

  • Massachusetts Avenue NW Between Edmunds Street NW and 35th Street NW

  • Newark Street NW Between 38th Street NW and 39th Street NW 

    

• Red line stations closing this summer: Beginning in early June, Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring and Takoma stations on the Red Line will be closed for repairs. The closure will continue through early September. More closures and plans here.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.

Wanted to send along a few notes before the weekend; your occasional update on the neighborhood and activities of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

School boundaries

Our neighborhood is blessed with excellent public elementary schools: Oyster-Adams and Eaton Elementary. I’m a little biased because my kids went to Eaton. But most of my district actually feeds into Oyster-Adams. That could change if a new proposal to shift school boundaries takes effect.

The Mayor’s Deputy for Education is conducting studies to review boundaries and school assignments. The process has recently made a proposal which would shift the Oyster/Eaton boundary two blocks to the south. Understandably, not everyone is happy with this proposal. Families that were planning to attend Oyster feel like the rug has been pulled out. And Eaton families are concerned about overcrowding. Both school communities have a number of other concerns with the plans. More than 300 people have signed an Eaton petition. More than 500 people signed an Oyster-Adams petition.

The process is meant to be completed in March and submitted to the Mayor, so this is an important moment to try to influence the outcome. Any changes are meant to take effect starting school year 2025/26.

ANC3C is taking comment from families and is considering weighing in on the issue, although time is short.

Cleaning up the creek

Late one afternoon, a hot summer day in the not-so-distant future, I want to wander down to Rock Creek and have a dip in the water to cool off. How wonderful would that be?

But today, you can’t do that. The creek is too polluted and any contact with the water is considered a health hazard. Why? And what can we do to make my dream come true?

On Tuesday, the ANC3C Environmental Justice Committee will host a meeting to talk about cleaning up Rock Creek. Jeanne Braha from the Rock Creek Conservancy will talk about why the creek is dirty and what we can do to clean it up. Tatiana Proctor from DC Water will talk about a big new project just upstream from us on Piney Branch to divert polluted storm water from Rock Creek. Join us: February 13 at 6:30pm. Register for the zoom here.

Crime

By now, you will have heard about the night of shattered glass, when thieves broke into more than 50 cars in our neighborhood. That was pretty awful and disheartening. After an initially lackluster response, the police seem to have assigned a detective and are investigating the matter and reviewing video. One of the culprits was using a dockless e-scooter, which might be a clue if they can track down who was renting it. It was a big enough event to make the news.

Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be 20 February at 7pm, agenda and registration will be posted here. Let me know if you have issues or concerns to raise.

At our last meeting in January we:

• Supported expanding composting services to multi-family buildings. The current pilot project only serves single-family residences.

• Supported Elsa’s Kitchen to get a liquor license.

• Requested support from Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton to facilitate a land transfer of Park Service land at Connecticut and Calvert (see last newsletter).

• Read all about these items and more here.

As always, I’d love feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• DDOT is moving ahead with plans for safety improvements on Taft Bridge. Our ANC has strongly supported improving pedestrian railings as a suicide prevention measure. DDOT will be hosting a meeting to present design plans and take comments at the Oyster-Adams school on Saturday February 10 from 11am-1pm. Public is welcome.

• Maret School very courteously sends out an email when they have events that might affect neighborhood traffic or parking. They are hosting their annual Scholarship Gala on Saturday, February 24 from 6:00 -11:00 pm. Let me know if you want to be added to their neighborhood list.

• Department of Public Works will collect Christmas trees through March 2. Please place your tree at the curb for composting. I see some folks have put them in the alleys. I don’t think they will get picked up there.

• Bulk trash and debris can be dropped off at the Chevy Chase Community Center 5601 Connecticut Avenue on Saturday, February 10th, from 10am to 2pm. There’s a separate e-cycling opportunity at the corner of 39th St NW & Newark St NW from 10am to 2pm.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.

After a long drought, we finally got snow- enough for sledding and snowball fights. Hurrah! Please remember to shovel or salt the sidewalks nearby; the snowy, slippery pavement can be pretty hard on neighbors who are disabled or pushing baby strollers. While you’re enjoying your morning coffee or hot chocolate, here’s your occasional update on the neighborhood and activities of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

Gateway to Woodley Park

Have you ever noticed a neglected patch of grass at the southwest corner of Connecticut and Calvert. Although there’s not much there, it’s a prime location for…. something. Located right next to the commercial corridor and at the entrance to downtown DC over the Taft Bridge. Heading North, it’s a gateway to Woodley Park. There’s also an informal trail down into Rock Creek Park.

What could it be? Maybe a dog park? Maybe a grant entrance to downtown/Woodley Park/Rock Creek Park?

In any case, it’s not likely to come to anything while it’s under management by the National Park Service. The Park Service is wonderful, but managing urban plots of land isn’t their strength. So the ANC is suggesting a transfer to DC so we can think creatively about this site and how to better integrate it into our neighborhood.

Anniversary

January 3 marked one year serving as ANC Commissioner for me. It’s been an honor. Overall, I would say it has been more fun and less stress than I anticipated. Maybe I’m doing it wrong?

It definitely takes time: I estimate very roughly that I spend 1 day a week on ANC activities. That includes about 5-8 hours of ANC meetings (via zoom) each month. Then there are community events, case work, answering correspondence, and working on various ideas and initiatives. I’m lucky that my district and neighborhood is pretty calm and well-organized. Also pretty homogeneous - mostly single-family houses.

Our ANC was quite productive this year. We passed 66 resolutions, created 4 new committees, renovated our website and created a new communications strategy. Generally, we’ve been pushing to increase the dynamism and inclusivity of our neighborhood. I recommend having a look at our annual report which documents everything we did. Credit to ANC3C Secretary, Commissioner Adam Prinzo for creating a snazzy document.

Crime and (lack of) punishment

Not all crime is reported, and not every report seems to make it onto DC crime maps. I know a number of incidents that are not on this map.

Neighbors are concerned with increasing reports of scary and suspicious incidents. Earlier this month, a neighbor bringing groceries home was assaulted and robbed in front of the Swiss Embassy by a group of four hoodie-wearing youths, according to reports. The victim was shaken, but not seriously hurt. And just a few days ago, there were several attempts at armed robbery nearby along Connecticut Avenue. We all hope it’s not a trend, but it’s definitely a warning to keep watch and take precautions. I was especially moved by the “good Samaritan” who stepped in to protect a neighbor.

There’s a lot of debate about the causes and solutions to the crime wave that DC is experiencing. I really recommend DC Crime Facts, written by “Joe Friday” who provides good analysis and useful recommendations. The author has gone from anonymous blogger to influential policy expert very quickly.

The ANC3C Public Safety Committee will be meeting January 18 at 7pm and hearing reports from the police and the Office of Unified Communications (OUC, otherwise known as 911). There will also be a discussion of the new omnibus legislation offered by Councilmember Brooke Pinto (Ward 2). Register here.

If you’re interested, city leaders will also be a Public Safety Forum with Council Membrer Matt Frumin, MPD Chief Pamela A. Smith, US Attorney Matthew Graves and Attorney General Brian Schwalb. The forum is on January 17 from 6 to 7:30 at the Cleveland Park Library, accessible via Zoom: Register here

Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be 17 January at 7pm. Let me know if you have issues or concerns to raise. On the agenda are: composting for multi-family buildings, the proposal for a land transfer (see above), and commission business (election of officers, etc.). Check the website to see the full agenda and register for the meeting (via zoom).

At our last meeting in December we:

• Passed a resolution complaining about how the DC Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions is meddling with our grants.

• Supported Elsa’s Kitchen to get a liquor license.

• Endorsed a Green New Deal for Social Housing.

• Read all about these items and more here.

As always, I’d love feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• Thanks to neighbor Mitchell Klein for joining the ANC3C Public Safety Committee. His nomination was approved by the ANC in December.

• A couple neighbors and activists are trying to get the permits revoked for the Wardman redevelopment. There’s a hearing May 15, more info here.

  

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.

Wishing you a happy holiday season and cozy time with your loved ones. Here’s an update on the neighborhood and activities of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

Who is Elsa?

In October, Woodley Park gained a new restaurant: Elsa Ethiopian Kitchen. I think it’s the first Ethiopian to cross the Rock Creek into upper NW DC. I’m excited to have a new option in our neighborhood. But who is Elsa? I decided to find out!

Gawain: Can you introduce yourself and just say a little something about yourself?

Elsa: My name is Elsabet, but friends and people who know me call me Elsa, which is ok. I came from Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa. So I’ve been here since 1996. I’ve been in this business for a long time. I grew up with the family-oriented, family-run business before I decided to open my own restaurant.

G: Tell me about this restaurant. Does it have a certain style?

E: It’s home cooking. I love cooking. I make sure it’s authentic and represents Ethiopian style. Some restaurants cook for Americans, you know, they try to make mild, not the real, real Ethiopian. But I cook what I eat. Some people [in the neighborhood] know about Ethiopian food because they know about Ethiopia. They’ve been in Ethiopia so they know.

G: Why did you pick Woodley Park?

E: We used to have Elsa on Georgia Avenue; they’re not renewing the lease. When we found this area and we look around and we drive around. The zoo is close and the hotel. And the people walking around and the [Metro] station. So this must be a good place.

G: Tell me something else that you want the neighborhood to know.

E: I’m happy with the neighbors because they are welcoming. They always give give us energy, since we opened up, even before we opened when we put up the sign. They gave us energy.

NOTE: Elsa Ethiopian Kitchen is at 2614 Connecticut Ave NW. This is an edited excerpt of a longer interview here.

Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness

Rising crime rates in the city is a major concern. Partly in response, ANC3C recently created a new Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee as a standing committee. The committee is chaired by Commissioner Rick Nash (SMD 3C08) and Commissioner Adam J. Prinzo (SMD 3C02). We had our first meeting in November to brainstorm ideas and establishing some priorities for action including creating liaisons with the police, fire department, and community organizations on the issue of public safety.

In a bit of a surprise, our police Commander Branch retired. He had done a big outreach push in recent months, meeting with local groups and doing community walks. Tatjana Savoy is the new Second District policy Commander. Previously, Commander Savoy was a captain in 2D, so she is familiar with the neighborhood.

I’m personally interested in reviewing our community’s emergency preparedness and risk reduction strategies. I’m preparing a work-plan to assess and possibly make recommendations for how to improve things. I’ll be meeting with the DC Chapter of the Red Cross this week to gather information and ideas.

If you have an interest in these issues - or ideas on what we should do - we are recruiting residents to join the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee. If you might be interested, please let me know.

Update on ANC activity

The next meeting of ANC3C will be 18 December at 7pm. Let me know if you have issues or concerns to raise. Check the website to see the agenda and register for the meeting (via zoom).

At our last meeting in November we:

• Supported new legislation by Council Member Frumin to address the legacies of housing segregation in Ward 3.

• Approved modest changes to the design of the new buildings under construction at the Washington International School.

• Heard a useful presentation on the activities of DC Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE), which does much of the violence prevention work in the city.

• Approved an annual report for the ANC; have a look at what we did.

• Read all about these items and more here.

As always, I’d love feedback. Even negative feedback is helpful to improve what we’re doing.

Other items of interest

• If you live nearby, you might occasionally be surprised by noise and traffic from events at the Swiss Embassy. I recently learned that the embassy keeps a list of neighbors and tries to give advance notice for any events which might be disruptive. Let me know if you want to get on the list.

• Cleveland Park Main Street is conducting a short survey to help inform them about how area residents use the businesses on the Cleveland Park strip and what types of businesses and improvements you want in our neighborhood. Take the survey and win $50 (in credits)!

• It’s the season of giving, so I thought I’d offer two hyper-local charities if you’re looking to help out in the neighborhood:

  • The NW Community Food pantry serves about 200-250 households in our community every week, providing groceries to food-insecure neighbors. They’re open Saturdays, 11 to 3 pm, behind 4225 Connecticut Ave. NW. They take donations of fresh produce, shelf-stable food and cleaning and personal hygiene. supplies. Also cash, of course. They can also use volunteers.

  • The Cleveland and Woodley Park Village assists neighborhood seniors as they age in their own homes. The Village supports our senior neighbors by creating opportunities to connect, enjoy the city’s community and cultural experiences, and providing logistical support so they can live independently and with dignity. Every year, volunteers provide more than 1,500 service visits, including rides to appointments, help around their living space, technology assistance, and sociability.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to friends and neighbors, especially if they live in the neighborhood.