Latest News MINNIE’S ISLAND ORGANIZATION MAKING HEADWAY ON MISSIONOctober 14, 2021 In March, Pascall Pittman and other founders of Minnie’s Island Community Conservancy (MICC) met with CJ residents to share a vision of an organization “dedicated to the preservation of the ecological, architectural, scientific and humanist legacy of Minnie’s Island.” Located in the Potomac River about 100 yards off-shore from Lockhouse 8 on the C&O Canal, Minnie’s Island is roughly eight acres of wild habitat with a dilapidated wooden lodge and large deck at one end. Thanks to the outpouring of support from the community and beyond, MICC has made great strides in the intervening seven months. Come to the Oct. 27 CJCA Zoom meeting for a comprehensive update on this exciting project. When MICC first started, all of the trails on Minnie’s were completely overgrown and totally concealed. The cabin was replete with debris left by previous occupants, including numerous vagrants. Now, the trails have been significantly cleared and the cabin has been pretty well cleaned of debris and secured. Two structured volunteer days are scheduled for October to continue clearing invasive species and to deliver a 350 lb. wood-burning stove to the cabin. Other progress includes: MICC has now been designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Potomac Conservancy has indicated that with this designation, they should be able to convey Minnie’s Island to the MICC by the end of October. The Natural Resources Committee, under the leadership of Hanna Moerland and technical guidance of Eric Dinerstein, is implementing an Invasive Species Eradication Program. This is a big effort and can really use volunteer assistance. SSL hours are available. Our Physical Facilities Committee, led by Neil Shaut, along with many volunteers, located the water well, cleaned the cabin, and delivered a propane BBQ grill to the island. The nationally recognized structural engineering firm, Robert Sillman Associates, with an expertise in historic preservation, is providing guidance on structural upgrades for the cabin. MICC is creating an Arts & Design Committee to ensure that everything we do, while respecting conservation and natural resource considerations, is of the highest aesthetic standards, providing for an enriching environment for our target users: veterans, frontline workers, first responders, and students from local schools. Conversations with the National Park Service continue regarding the use of Lockhouse No. 8. By Susan Shipp, CJCA President Juliet Rodman, MICC Development Committee Chair... Read more...CJCA Moves to Respond to State’s Latest Study on Beltway ExpansionOctober 14, 2021A supplemental study of the environmental impacts to the state’s Beltway expansion plan, released Oct. 1, paints a decidedly mixed picture of the traffic impacts on the 12-mile stretch of highway included in the project as well as with the River Road interchange and other local roads. It also details adverse impacts to treasured parkland abutting Cabin John. For example, the study calls for a temporary access road off the Clara Barton Parkway that would parallel the C&O Canal “for construction vehicles and materials to build the new American Legion Bridge” as well as for changes to access ramps. It also talks about impacts to Cabin John Valley Stream Park “to accommodate widening of I-495, replacement of the bridges across Seven Locks Road and Cabin John Parkway” and new interchange modifications at River Rd. While the study purports to have modified the initial plans to avoid impacts to Morningstar Moses Hall and Cemetery, there are still major issues with regard to the property as well as the historic Gibson Grove Church property. What all this means for Cabin John, especially with regard to traffic, is something we have to decipher and comment on prior to the Nov. 15th public comment deadline on the study, which is formally called the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS). To aid the Cabin John Citizens Association in its advocacy efforts, the community voted at the Sept. 29 CJCA meeting to approve up to $3,000 to, once again, engage the engineering consulting firm VHBMetroDC to review the SDEIS and provide technical points on traffic and other negative impacts. The goal is to have VHB provide its analysis by the end of October to give the CJCA time to share it with the community along with guidance on how to submit comments. By Susan Shipp, CJCA President ... Read more...2021 Chicken and Crab Feast Brings Community Back TogetherOctober 14, 2021The challenges of Covid prompted some changes to this year’s Chicken and Crab Feast. But that didn’t stop hundreds of Cabin John residents and friends from coming out Sept. 18 to enjoy each other’s company, the delicious food, and the beautiful music of the Starlight Orchestra. It was the 10th year the crowd was serenaded by these talented musicians, who generously play only for their supper. Thank you CJ resident and band member Scott Lewis for hooking us up those many years ago! Safety tweaks to the 51-year-old tradition included moving ticket sales and the serving line outside. The table seating, also outside, was widely spaced and, in some cases, shaded by tents, thanks to community center director Barry Jones, who borrowed canopies from other rec centers. The center also provided all the tables and chairs and staff to help ensure the event ran smoothly and safely. The center is a much-valued partner in so many CJ traditions! All together some 525 meals were served and at least $5,000 raised through ticket sales and donations. While the final tally is still being calculated, the amount is on par with earlier feasts and will be used to support The Village News, MacArthur Blvd. Beautification, and the many CJCA-sponsored activities that we are looking to start holding again after a 17-month pandemic-induced hiatus. The Chicken and Crab Feast could not happen without the roughly 100 volunteers who step up to do everything from going door-to-door to sell tickets and preparing vegetables before the event to setting up tables, cooking all the incredible food, dishing up the dinners, serving the drinks, and cleaning up at the end of a very long day. For a couple of extremely dedicated volunteers the preparation for this beloved tradition starts more than a month before the big event. Since 2016, Allison and Patrick de Gravelles have coordinated this event, purchasing everything from paper goods and wooden mallets to cinnamon for the carrots and lemons for the lemonade. They deal with the permits and ensure that all of the cooking and food handling will pass muster with the county health inspector. This year they contended with the loss of some suppliers as well as the need to rethink how we handled aspects of the event. The tasks before and during the event are too numerous to count, yet Allison and Patrick handle every detail efficiently and without even breaking a sweat! A new duo of incredibly capable and unflappable volunteers appeared on the scene this year to handle ticket sales before and during the event. Despite being rookies, Stephanie Lai and Heather Tomlinson successfully coordinated the ticket selling efforts of more than 30 volunteers. All together some 577 tickets were sold, with 52 percent of purchasers opting for crab dinners and 48 percent for chicken. Another shout out goes to Robin Sidel, the CJ website editor, who made it possible for folks to buy tickets via the website, which accounted for 14 percent of ticket sales. It wouldn’t be a CJ Chicken and Crab Feast without Pete Cousté leading the crab cooking and Richard Hopkins manning the grill. Seriously, is there a better chicken rub to be found anywhere?! Heidi Lewis and Karen Melchar always seem to make a party out of prepping vegetables. The kitchen crew, headed by Kathleen Black, made sure there were plenty of tasty sides for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Here are all of your neighbors who stepped up to keep this tradition going. Maybe next year you will consider joining them?! ADVANCE TICKET SELLERS – coordinated by Stephanie Lai and Heather Tomlinson Clare Amoruso, Lee Arbetman, Jessica Blake Hawke, Diana Carter, Deb Duffy, Amy Elsbree, Burr Gray, Linda Green, Helen Harris, Dallas Harrison, Marcy Harrison, Jim Heller, Elaine Hornauer, Virginia Ibarra, Dee Jennings, Courtney Krutoy, Charlotte Troup Leighton, Marget Maurer, Lorraine Minor, David Nester, Jenny Perry, Mandy and Tim Rehm, Lori Rieckelman, Susan Roberts, Juliet Rodman, Anne Rothman, Tim Shank, Robin Sidel, Jan Iris Smith, Sherri Stahl, Shannon Steward, Judy Welles, Lee Young VEGGIE PREP – headed by Heidi Lewis and Karen Melchar Sally Alain, Crista Gibbons, Marcy Harrison, Kerry, Sam and Clare Mustico, Yoshimi Nai, Lisa Norris, Wendy Rosensweig, Shannon Steward, Oona Stieglitz, Austin White, Barbara Wilmarth CHICKEN CREW – headed by Richard Hopkins Lynn Hopkins, Cole Hessman, Melih Karaca, Dennis Pillsbury CRAB CREW – headed by Pete Cousté Dan Berman, Joanne Carl, Michele Cousté, Anastasia Donnellan, Chris Enyart, Barry Hubscher, Dave Rosen KITCHEN CREW – headed by Kathleen Black Judith Bell, Reiko Berman, Anastasia Donnellan, Marcy Harrison, Sue Pierce, Shelly McKenzie, Andrew Strasfogel SET UP – coordinated by Burr Gray Dennis Bensen, Sarah Craven, Mark Gillespie, Greg Gurley, Emily Helmes, Jackie Hoglund, Melih Karaca, Scott Lewis, Anna McGuire, Bruce Meyers, Hanna Moerland, Dan Mustico, Pascal Pittman, Anne and Jeff Rothman, Ilene Rosen DAY-OF TICKET SALES AND CJCA TABLE – coordinated by Stephanie Lai and Heather Tomlinson Diana Carter, Amy Elsbree, Grace Lai, Heidi Lewis, Lori Rieckelman, Susan Roberts, Clara, Finn and Tatum Tomlinson BEVERAGES – headed by Florence Lehr Jackie Hoglund LEMONADE – headed by Anne Rothman My Lin Bui, Sydney Ishida, Andrea Williams SERVERS – coordinated by Susan Shipp Leslie Baldwin, Sarah Craven, Gail Davenport, Janet and Walt Dence, Emily Franklin, Lynn Gertzog, Linda Green, Meredith Griggs, Helen Harris, Lynn Hopkins, Dallas and Judy Harrison, Jim Ingraham, Dee Jennings, Anna McGuire, Karen Melchar, Leslie Meyers, Mark Posin, Jordan Rosenthal, Robin Sidel, Benno Schmidt, Jeff Shipp, Shannon Steward, Austin White, Barbara Wilmarth CLEAN UP – headed by Allison & Patrick de Gravelles and Burr Gray Leslie Baldwin, Kathleen Black, Michele and Pete Cousté, Rick Duffy, Amy Elsbree, Ken Eng, Clive and Helen Harris, Richard Hopkins, Marcy Harrison, Jackie Hoglund, Florence Lehr, Mike Liebman, Karen Melchar, David Pillsbury, Jordan Rosenthal, Benno Schmidt, Jeff and Susan Shipp, Shannon Steward, as well as others there at the end who kindly pitched in! PHOTOGRAPHER – Rick Hatch Apologies to anyone that we inadvertently left off this list. Please know that your assistance in the success of this event was greatly appreciated. By Susan Shipp, CJCA President ... Read more...Back by Popular Demand: A Cabin John HalloweenOctober 14, 2021The pandemic forced Cabin Johners to get creative for Halloween last year so that sweets could be doled out while keeping trick-or-treaters, their families, and treat givers safe. The resulting plan, pulled together by Robin Sidel and former CJ resident Nancy Russell, created an incredibly festive and fun atmosphere throughout the community. The Cabin John Citizens Association wants to encourage Cabin Johners to continuethis thoughtful and creative approach to the holiday. Here’s how to participate: FOR THOSE GIVING OUT CANDY – Make sure your treats are commercially wrapped. – Starting at 5 pm on Halloween, set the treats up outside your house in a way that makes it easy for trick-or-treaters to pick one. Some ideas: – Place treats on a table at the end of your driveway. – Use wood skewers to decorate your lawn with treat bags attached. – Hang treat bags from a tree in your yard with string or clothespins. – If you’d like to enjoy the festivities, set up a chair behind your table or elsewhere that provides safe space between you and the trick-or-treaters. – Masks are encouraged when unable to socially distance. – If you’d rather not participate, turn your lights off or put a sign on your dooror mailbox. FOR TRICK-OR-TREATERS AND PARENTS – At least one adult should supervise each group of trick-or-treaters. – Please respect those who don’t wish to participate and only approach houses with goodies set up outside. No ringing doorbells. – Avoid crowding ⎯ if there’s a group already at one house, move on to the next one and circle back once they’ve moved on. – Masks are encouraged when unable to socially distance. – Bring flashlights and wear reflective clothing, lights, or glow necklaces and bracelets to make yourselves visible once it gets dark. Please send any pictures you take to VNeditorial@ gmail.com by Nov. 1 for publication in the November issue of The Village News. Happy trick-or-treating! By Loretta Devery Ingalls, Village News Editor ... Read more...Local Nature: Order in the Garden!October 14, 2021First year, sleep; second year, creep; third year, leap. That’s the advice of green-thumbs for those who decide to plant native species in their gardens. In other words, have patience with your new seedlings. There may be a less happy corollary to this timetable, though, at least when your focus shifts from introducing a single new plant to filling an entire garden with natives: first year, seeds; second year, weeds; third year, chaos. That was the progression of my backyard botanical garden composed of native species. It descended rapidly from orderly patches of flowering plants, each with their own marker, to a dense undifferentiated tangle along the margins and often around valuable but slow-growing natives, threatening to shade them out. I mistakenly assumed that just by planting natives, everyone would get along. They’d somehow keep to their assigned section and not eye their neighboring plant’s turf with longing. After all, I figured, these plants had tens of thousands of years of evolution to figure out competition and coexistence. Was I ever wrong! Just because plants are native, they can be as aggressive as any non-native in crowding out the less competitive—I prefer “more sensitive”— members of our local flora. The spillover of one flowering plant may be unwelcome and require the seemingly unnatural experience of weeding out natives and treating them a bit like invasive weeds. There is a great solution to this predicament, though: put the over-extenders in separate pots and share them with your friends. My wife and I, for example, currently have this problem with the magnificent blue passion flower vine, which produces the most spectacular flowers in our local flora. It took three years in a sunny spot for this species to rev up but now it volunteers everywhere. Now we have run out of friends or neighbors to whom to offer pots of this vine. So if you need blue passion flower vine for your trellises or sunny front porches, drop me an email at edinerstein@ resolve.ngo. The bumblebees will love you. Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) is one native that you think would behave given its name. A member of the mint family, the obedient plant sends up 3-foot stems at the end of summer and offers a delightful spray of lilac-to-magenta flowers along its stalks. The name is derived from the plant’s pliancy: if you bend the stem gently, rather than snap off, it will keep that bended shape as it continues to grow. If planted in the right conditions, however, in well-watered areas on fertile soil and in partial sun, the obedient plant can become rather disobedient and wander into the neighboring plant beds. I don’t mind this overreach because the obedient plant is such a wonderful wildflower to grow, attracting ruby-throated hummingbirds, butterflies, and bumblebees to its copious nectar. Also known as false dragonhead—it resembles snapdragons from childhood gardens—obedient plant ranges from eastern Canada to Mexico. Aside from prompting childhood memories, long flowering time is another great reason to add obedient plant to your garden. Long after the last aster flower has bid adieu in October, deep into November and early December will be the bright magenta flowers of obedient plant. We all like to be exceptions to the rule, and obedient plant is a prime example. It’s a member of the mint family, the Lamiaceae, which in general is one of the most odiferous families of plants out there. We value fragrant members of the family—basil, sage, lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and others we use as herbs—and then there is the stinky dead nettle. With more than 7,000 species in the family, the mint is one of the top 10 families of flowering plants. I would wager that you can tell almost every species, or at least genus, apart by its odor—at least a mint connoisseur could. But you can’t tell obedient plant by its odor. It has none. Like the coleus plant, another mint we use as an indoor decoration, obedient plant has to go by its luxurious flowering stalk to claim a place in our garden and hearts. But it is a noteworthy species to have. When the dark early days of December make spring and summer feel like a distant memory, there is the still-flowering obedient plant telling us to be patient. Winter will pass and there will be flowers again. By Eric Dinerstein, Contributing Writer Illustration By Trudy Nicholson, Contributing Artist ... Read more...State Actions on Beltway Expansion Prompts CJ AdvocacySeptember 20, 2021Various state agencies are taking critical action on the state’s Beltway expansion plans, prompting what could be the last opportunity for Cabin John residents to weigh in on the massive project. Most anticipated, is the expected mid- September publication of the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS), which will trigger the last 45-day public comment period and public hearing of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for the Beltway expansion. The project would replace the American Legion Bridge and add four toll lanes – two in each direction – from the Virginia side of the bridge, up the Beltway to the I-270 spur, and up l-270 to l-370. Plan to attend the Sept. 29 CJCA meeting, 7:30 p.m. which will be held via Zoom, for a briefing on the latest developments and ways to provide comments. The citizens association also will be asking the community to authorize up to $2,000 to, once again, engage VHBMetroDC, to review the SDEIS and provide technical points on traffic and other negative impacts. The initial DEIS, produced by the Federal Highway Administration and the Maryland Department of Transportation and published for comment in July 2020, was 19,000 pages and yet still inadequate. Of particular concern to Cabin John was its failure to address construction and long- term impacts on our local roads as well as the noise and visual impacts of the planned exit ramp to River Rd. The supplemental DEIS is supposed to address many issues raised in the public comments submitted last fall. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THAT WILL BE TALKED ABOUT INCLUDE: A Sept. 8 communication from the SHA saying it is proposing that the Beltway expansion “completely avoids” the Morningstar Moses Hall and Cemetery as well as the adjacent MDOT SHA right-of-way for the current Beltway after archaeological mapping and ground penetrating radar surveys at the cemetery this summer indicated 14 probable graves and the potential for as many as 34 burials within the current Beltway right-of-way, according to report findings released by the SHA to the CJCA, the Friends of Moses Hall, and other consulting parties to the Section 106 process. The surveys, which only covered a portion of the cemetery, also found the potential for hundreds more graves than the 80 that have been identified by the Friends of Moses Hall through historical records. Under Section 106, the government is requiredto review the Beltway expansion project’s potential impact on historic properties. The transmittal letter explained that the state’s selection of a preferred design alternative in January prompted the SHA to update the Section 106 review. Other historical properties near Cabin John in the review include the C&O Canal and Plummers Island. The SHA is asking all consulting parties to provide comments on the updated Section 106 documentation by Oct. 8. The August 11 action by the Maryland Board of Public Works giving two Maryland Department of Transportation agencies approval to move forward with the Public-Private Partnership Agreement with Accelerate Maryland Partners LLC (Transurban) for pre-development work on the New American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Plan. BPW’s approval is a significant milestone in advancing the Beltway expansion project as the predevelopment agreement gives the go-ahead for Transurban to work towards a 30% design level for the project, so it will be vitally important for community stakeholders to engage during this process. By Charlotte Troup Leighton, CJCA Vice President for Advocacy Susan Shipp, CJCA President ... Read more...Meet our new 2021 CJCA Officers/Volunteers – Vashti Van Wyke, CJCA Co-PresidentSeptember 20, 2021What brought your family to Cabin John? I grew up in Silver Spring and after a lot of moving around on the East and West Coasts, my husband, four kids, and I moved to Cabin John from Boston in 2014. We feel like we hit the jackpot in terms of fabulous local schools, amazing and accessible nature, and a cozy, supportive community. We love Cabin John! What led you to volunteer as vice president of activities? On the theory that great communities don’t just exist but have to be nurtured over time, we try to do our part when we can to help Cabin John continue to thrive. I served as co-editor of the Village News for a couple of years and am currently the vice chair of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board, which includes Cabin John. Susan Shipp has been a tireless and dedicated leader of the CJCA for many years now, and I agreed to be her co-president this year because the job is really too big for just one person. I’m hoping to support Susan primarily by helping out with the monthly CJCA meetings. We are also both interested in setting the precedent for a regular co-presidency every year so that this important community role is shared and manageable. If you’re ready to give back to CJ, consider volunteering to be a CJCA co-President starting in June 2022! Your community needs you! ... Read more...Then and Now: Does Mysterious “Female Stranger” have ties to Cabin John?September 20, 2021Across the Potomac River, the grave of a mysterious young woman who died over 200 years ago rests in an Alexandria cemetery. The legend of the female stranger has been a part of Old Town’s lore for centuries. One hundred years after her death, a romance novel attempted to sprinkle some of the legend’s fairy dust on Cabin John, just as the area was being developed by J.S. Tomlinson’s American Land Company. To this day, the identity of the female stranger remains an abiding mystery. Alexandria’s Gadsby’s Tavern and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Cemetery, as well as the valley below the Cabin John Bridge all played a role in the 1912 novel. On a recent weekend, I dragged my family across the Potomac in search of the female stranger’s story, and perhaps to even catch a glimpse of her ghost in Gadsby’s, where she died. The story begins in St. Paul’s Cemetery, where a large marble slab set upon six rounded legs continues to draw tourists. It’s inscribed with the following: To the memory of a FEMALE STRANGER Whose mortal sufferings terminated on the 14th day of October 1816 Aged 23 years and 8 months. This stone is placed here by her disconsolate Husband in whose arms she sighed out her Latest breath and who under God Did his utmost even to soothe the cold dead ear of death. How loved how valued once avails thee not To whom related or by whom begot A heap of dust alone remains of thee Tis all though art and all the proud shall be. To him gave all the Prophets witness that Through his name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins. Acts 10th Chap 43rd verse The story of Old Alexandria’s female stranger and her husband portray them as mysterious upper class figures, often with a British accent. The couple met the end of their tragic tale in room 8 of the City Hotel (now Gadsby’s Tavern), where the young wife died of an unknown illness. The legend of the female stranger was chronicled in countless newspapers throughout the 1800s. An 1882 book by William F. Carne, The Narrative of John Trust, describes a love triangle between orphans. Another tale recounts a young couple who disembarked from their ship because the wife had taken ill. She succumbed to her illness and her husband, after paying for her tombstone with forged English notes, disappeared. One popular theory is that the female stranger may have been Theodosia Burr Alston, the daughter of Aaron Burr (the carrot that convinced my Hamilton-mad daughter to come along on our excursion), who went missing at sea in 1813. Some forty years after Theodosia disappeared, a pirate and sailor claimed they had taken her boat and held her captive, then secretly brought her ashore when she fell ill. What connects the legend of the female stranger to Cabin John? A 1912 romance novel by Charles T. Johnson Jr., The Legend of the Female Stranger: A Tale of Cabin John Bridge and Old Alexandria. Johnson’s novel depicts the story of a beautiful young orphan raised by an elderly nobleman in England. The lord fell in love with her but was devastated to learn that she loved a young army surgeon named John. After he witnessed the young woman and her lover embrace, heated words were exchanged and the lord accidentally fell, never to recover. The young lovers, fearful of murder charges, escaped to America with the help of John’s brother, a ship captain. They married en route. Upon reaching the shores of the Potomac, John’s brother took them to a place he’d seen on a previous journey, a place that “should he ever desire a place whither he might hide from all the world, yet remain at the very elbow of civilization, he knew of no nook more ideal than in this valley on the banks of this peaceful brook.” Along Cabin John’s Run, the couple built a small, rustic cabin and lived happily in the abundant forest. Yet the young woman’s health slowly deteriorated. One September morning John returned from an outing and found his bride delirious with fever. He grabbed his canoe and paddled to Alexandria. The couple were helped to the City Hotel, a distinguished inn which boasted dinner guests that included George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. A doctor was summoned to their room. John’s wife confessed that should she not survive, she wished to remain unknown, a stranger in a strange land. On October 14th, 1816 the young woman passed away, leaving behind her distraught husband John. As promised, he buried her beneath a slab that memorialized a female stranger; her burial plot and tabletop gravestone would have been a considerable expense. John returned to his cabin in the woods, distraught. He wandered the creek, birds and squirrels his only friends. His unkempt hair and overgrown beard enveloped his gaunt body. Is the female stranger’s shattered husband the reclusive hermit that gave Cabin John its name? Mr. Johnson’s novel weaves together two legends, borrowing Old Alexandria’s female stranger and placing her alongside John of the Cabin. It is interesting to note that Johnson’s book ends with a “Nota Bene” that details the trip to Cabin John Bridge, “long a favorite jaunt of pleasure seekers. The beautiful valley spanned by the big bridge, which was home to the lovers during their exile, lies about five miles northwest of Washington.” Whether pure fiction or a catchy sales pitch for the new development, the mystery endures. By Rachel Donnan, Regular Contributor ... Read more...Local Nature: Summer’s EndSeptember 20, 2021The end of summer cues the flowering members of the Aster family to take center stage. Fall aster, boneset, mistflower, goldenrod, wingstem, and even ragweed turn out for the last big flowering episode of the season. The warm sunny days of late August bring the most colorful aster of all, black-eyed Susans. They appear then seemingly everywhere, especially in garden edges. This local sun-worshipper is the state flower of Maryland, and happily a native species, ranging across much of the eastern U.S. What sets off black-eyed Susans from other flowers is of course the brilliance of their golden yellow ray flowers (the petals) punctuated by a black or blackish brown disc in the center. The petals appear to have absorbed the sun’s rays so intenselyas to infuse them with a yellow-gold that brings happiness to those who gaze at the masses in the flower beds. The disk flowers attract a lovely visitor to drink the nectar, the American Painted Lady butterfly. This species undertakes long migrations here and in Europe where, across the Atlantic, it is believed some individuals have migrated from Iceland to south of the Sahara Desert. The alternate-leaved plants have hairy leaves, thus earning Rudbeckia hirta as its specific epithet, hirta meaning hairy. Carolus Linnaeus, the namer of most botanical things, named our black-eyed Susan after Olof Rudbeck the Younger and the senior Rudbeck. Olof the Younger was Linnaeus’s patron and a naturalist in his own right. Olof the Elder was a scientist of many stripes: aside from discovering the lymph system, for example, he also created Sweden’s first botanic garden. The black eyed-Susan is also known as coneflower, so named because the ray petals are displayed downward, showing off the darker center of disc flowers, much like a badminton shuttlecock. Perhaps this makes the seeds in the flower heads more accessible. The American goldfinches are now frequenting our gardens, feeding on those oil-rich seeds of the coneflower to build their fat stores (many of the species overwinter here). In fact, this for me signals summer’s end, the brilliant canary yellow- and-black plumage of the males and the less colorful females performing their looping, up-and-down flight, like seed-fueled stunt pilots flitting from one flower bed of black- eyed Susans to another. The males twitter a melodic finch song as they move from patch to patch, one of the more joyful songs in nature. The bright yellow and black of the birds, the brilliant flowers they seek out for seeds, and their song of summer’s end— together they remind us how good it is to be alive, even in the age of COVID. By Eric Dinerstein, Contributing Writer Illustration By Trudy Nicholson, Contributing Artist ... Read more...Annual Chicken and Crab Feast Is Back!August 21, 2021The community center is open, the coordinators, crab cooker, chicken griller, and sides chef, along with other key volunteers, are on board, and that means the annual Cabin John Chicken and Crab Feast is back in business! This year’s event will be held Saturday, Sept. 18 from 2 pm to 6 pm. The same crowd- pleasing menu of delicious grilled chicken, tasty steamed crabs, and classic side dishes will be served. There also will be beer, wine, sodas, and lemonade for sale. Attendees will enjoy the sounds of the talented and generous Starlight Orchestra. The 12-piece jazz and swing band is now firmly part of the Crab Feast tradition having provided the event with live entertainment since 2011! There will be plenty of dining tables set up outside so that folks can relax and enjoy the great food, many beverage options, and live entertainment while visiting with friends and neighbors. Traditionally, dining tables are also set up inside the all-purpose room in case of inclement weather. Due to Covid, we will not be able to offer an indoor dining option. Should we have rain, dinners will be offered to go. All volunteers working inside at the event will be masked, per current county requirements. Due to the extremely high price of crabs, we are selling two different meal tickets this year. As always, patrons can save money by purchasing their tickets in advance: A chicken dinner ticket costs $16 in advance and $18 at the door. With your ticket, you get a piece of grilled chicken and three sides, or five sides, if you want a vegetarian option. A crab dinner ticket costs $20 in advance or $25 at the door. With this ticket, you get three crabs and three sides OR six crabs and no sides. This annual event is not only a wonderful community gathering, but the primary fundraiser for the Cabin John Citizens Association, whose work includes The Village News, the Cabin John Directory, community advocacy, and activities ranging from blood drives and the new neighbor potluck to July 4th festivities, CJ Trivia Night, and the Turkey Trot. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! This event takes a village (typically more than 80 volunteers) to pull off successfully. If you can donate an hour or two of your time on either Friday, Sept. 17 to help prepare vegetables for cooking or Saturday between the hours of 8:30 am and 7:30 pm, please contact Allison de Gravelles, cjcrabfeast@gmail.com, or Susan Shipp, jsjshipp3@ verizon.net, and they will match your skills with a job that needs to get done. If you are willing to help coordinate an aspect of this endeavor, such as organizing the serving line or coordinating ticket and merchandise sales during the event, we could really use your help! Once again, just reach out and we will find the right role for you. Thank you!... Read more...Historic CJ Church Destroyed by Fire in 2004 Could See Restoration Start This YearAugust 21, 2021While the historic Gibson Grove Church on Seven Locks Rd. may look abandoned, it is not. Pastor Edgar Bankhead, his wife Judi, and the congregation have been working tirelessly with local and state officials, and the Cabin John community to restore the Gibson Grove Church, which was tragically destroyed by fire 17 years ago. A great deal has been spent on pre- construction surveys, civil engineer evaluations, historic filings, and reports. After much work, numerous meetings, applications, submissions, and revised building plans, the 1st Agape AME Zion Church at Gibson Grove has been awarded a legislative state bond initiative that will allow substantial construction to begin. The congregation hopes the restoration will start this year. The Bankheads have been leading the church for close to 20 years. In 2003, after Cabin John’s historic AME Zion Church lost membership due to parishioners moving out of the community, Bishop Williams of the AME Zion Conference appointed Pastor Bankhead to bring his congregation to the historic AME Zion Church at Gibson Grove for continued use and restoration. The inside of the church was restored in 2003 with hopes of upgrading the heating and plumbing systems in the spring of 2004. Unfortunately, the historic church was destroyed by fire a week before that upgrade was to take place in the spring of 2004. As efforts to rebuild and upgrade the historic church got underway, the restoration efforts were impacted by setback after setback, including additional damage caused when a massive tree fell on the building. But Pastor Bankhead and his congregation, who held services at Adat Shalom on Persimmon Tree Rd. until the pandemic forced them online, have persevered. Shortly after the fire it was discovered that the church has asbestos siding which requires special guidelines for removal; the historic siding is still under the asbestos. Another challenge is due to the county’s historic designation given to the church on the 100th anniversary of its 1898 founding by Sara Gibson, a freed slave. The historic designation has made approval for building plans exacting, time consuming, and expensive. To complicate matters further, the State Highway Administration has been involved due to the beltway’s drainage ditch that is so close to the church that it has eroded church land and requires stabilization/upgrade before church building can commence. The highway administration and church representatives are working diligently to coordinate and synchronize construction. The church now has a tree preservation and removal plan approved by the historic commission. For more information on the Gibson Grove Church visit their website www.1stagape.com. By Angela Coppola, CJ Resident ... Read more...Meet Our New 2021 CJCA Officers/VolunteersAugust 21, 2021KESHA LEETS Vice President, Activities WHAT BROUGHT YOUR FAMILY TO CABIN JOHN? My husband, Ryan and I were researching preschools in the DMV area after Ryan accepted a job in Bethesda. We fell in love with Clara Barton Center for Children (CBCC), and knowing preference is given to Cabin John residents, we rented the only house available and crossed our fingers our daughter, Evelina, would be accepted (we now have a happy Hummingbird!). We moved from Philadelphia in April 2020 and had our son, Van, in July 2020. AFTER LIVING HERE FOR A YEAR, WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT CABIN JOHN? We’ve found the trails and river activities hard to beat! WHAT CJCA ACTIVITIES HAVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY PARTICIPATED IN? The only event we’ve been able to participate in so far is the 4th of July parade – it was a blast! We’re also looking forward to the infamous Crab Feast this fall. WHAT LED YOU TO VOLUNTEER AS VICE PRESIDENT OF ACTIVITIES? As a newcomer (especially during pandemic), it’s hard to find ways to contribute and connect with the community. Volunteering (even virtually, to start) has helped me meet other Cabin Johners and get involved in CJ’s most loved activities. ARE YOU EMPLOYED, JUGGLING ANY OTHER VOLUNTEER WORK? I work full time as a Project Manager at a media firm in DC. I’ve also joined the board of CBCC for the coming school year. WHEN NOT IN CABIN JOHN, WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO BE? On a ski trip anywhere. READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY? I just finished All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. WHAT IS SOMETHING FOLKS MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU AND/OR YOUR FAMILY? My husband and I own an indoor bike-to- the-beat cycling studio in Colorado! JUSTIN WEBSTER Vice President, Community Service WHAT BROUGHT YOUR FAMILY TO CABIN JOHN? My family moved to Cabin John in August of 2019 from downtown DC. We were attracted to the area because of the proximity to our work, the access to nature, and the history of Cabin John. My husband Brandon, our dog Charlie, and I felt at home in CJ right away! WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT CABIN JOHN? We like the close friendships we have created with our wonderful neighbors and that there is SO much to do in the area. WHAT CJCA ACTIVITIES HAVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY PARTICIPATED IN? We have been fortunate to participate in the 2019 Crab and Chicken Feast and the 2021 Fourth of July Parade. We look forward to joining many more activities! WHAT LED YOU TO VOLUNTEER AS VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE? I wanted to be part of bringing people in our community together to create meaningful relationships and to better our community for all. I have been involved with many health-care related councils and organizations and have found that having a presence on these councils has allowed growth both for myself and for others. ARE YOU EMPLOYED, JUGGLING ANY OTHER VOLUNTEER WORK? I have worked as a Registered Nurse at Sibley Memorial Hospital for the past five years. I recently started a job with a transport company managing their Specialty Care Transport Nurse division. That has kept me quite busy over the last month or so. WHEN NOT IN CABIN JOHN, WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO BE? We love to cruise around the world. We are excited to get back to cruising after this long pandemic! READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY? Recently I’ve finished The Promised Land by Barack Obama and Promise Me, Dad by Joe Biden, and I’m currently reading What Happened to You by Oprah and Bruce Perry. I have also read way too many books on healthcare related topics. WHAT IS SOMETHING FOLKS MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU AND/OR YOUR FAMILY? We are very down to earth and enjoy a nice glass of wine. If you are in our neighborhood, you probably know our house by the solar on the roof or the color changing lights. HEATHER TOMLINSON Vice President, Community Outreach WHAT BROUGHT YOUR FAMILY TO CABIN JOHN? Sidewalks, libraries, nectarines, crickets, and Poppy brought me to Cabin John. To be fair, they brought us back to the Bethesda area more generally because this is where I grew up. I’ve lived in Ghana; Southern California; Nashville; Athens, Georgia; Cleveland Park and Capitol Hill; and, for the eight years prior to moving here, Jakarta, Indonesia. At the center of those far-flung places was always the DC area. Being near my dad (Poppy) and extended family again is a major draw to living here, especially for my three children, Tatum (14), Finn (12), and Clara (12). Most importantly, we came to Cabin John to live on the corner of Tomlinson Terrace and Tomlinson Court because of our long Tomlinson family history as founders of Cabin John…just kidding. We arrived in the summer of 2018, and the issue of our name and address is an (epic) coincidence. I welcome ideas for stories to explain the synergy. WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT CABIN JOHN? Having the trails, greenery and water within minutes of our front door is the best part of Cabin John. It’s unique to live in a place that gives almost equal access to culture, history, art, nature, and restaurants that serve both bubble tea and Ethiopian food. I love the sense of community, the eclectic philosophies of residents, the yard art and gardens, and the common value of simplicity in living. Pandemic parenting was made easier by having wide, quiet streets for four- square courts, BLM chalk art, and Tomlinson Terrace Gang music video productions. I love Cabin John and feel extremely fortunate that we found our home here. WHAT CJCA ACTIVITIES HAVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY PARTICIPATED IN? The Chicken and Crab Feast was the first neighborhood event I attended and loved because of the amazing combination of meeting people, eating rice krispie treats (and a little chicken), and listening to live jazz. One of the funniest events we attended was “ice skating” on large foam pads at Clara Barton Community Center at a winter festival. My favorite events are the trivia nights for adults. WHAT LED YOU TO VOLUNTEER AS VICE PRESIDENT OF ACTIVITIES? Susan Shipp kindly invited me to participate, and Stephanie Lai is a friend of mine. Stephanie is the actual Vice President, and I plan to remain a deputy VP; is that a title?* I am aware of the quiet, behind- the-scenes work it takes to pull off a few “simple” neighborhood activities. As a relative newcomer, I am grateful for the opportunities these activities provide to meet people and for my children to feel connected and rooted, so I want to do my part to support them. Having volunteers is like having Bisquick in the pantry: helpful and under-appreciated. *CJCA notes that this is not an official title. ARE YOU EMPLOYED, JUGGLING ANY OTHER VOLUNTEER WORK? I’m an early childhood development specialist for The World Bank. I recently worked for a regional NGO and developed a strategic plan for early childhood education for the state of Maryland, and now I’m working on a strategic plan for early childhood development for Pakistan. I’m on two boards for an NGO I co-founded in Indonesia to support refugees, Roshan Learning Center and YICF. Before Covid melted my brain, I was involved at our church, Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. Throughout this weird year, I was part of the Montgomery County Public Schools Family Engagement Advisory Team (no small FEAT, as it were) and on a Maryland Advisory Council Tech Equity and Access Committee. WHEN NOT IN CABIN JOHN, WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO BE? I wouldn’t pass up the chance to be at Deep Creek Lake, in Lake Tahoe, Santa Cruz or Monterey, Tuscany, Paris, Aix-en-Provence, a cabin in the Poconos, Bali, or my mother’s garden. READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY? I recently read Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. WHAT IS SOMETHING FOLKS MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU AND/OR YOUR FAMILY? My son suggests that I mention that my father Robert J. Biggar is “a famous scientist,” who helped discover the epidemiology and treatment for HIV/AIDS, especially reducing maternal-child transmission, and just wrote a piece about the parallels of the experiences of AIDS to Covid-19.... Read more...Local Nature: Shady CharactersAugust 21, 2021Tall oaks, hickories, tulip trees, hackberries, or maples create a lovely canopy in a yard and a veritable ecological umbrella: as food for an abundance of caterpillars that attract birds; shelter for bats that eat mosquitoes; protection from soil erosion during our increasingly violent rainstorms; and in summer, a much-welcomed ecological service—natural cooling of our houses by shielding them from the sun. In the current climate crisis, those trees store a lot of carbon in their trunks and roots, so homeowners that coexist with trees are thereby doing their part to draw down greenhouse gases and maintain a livable biosphere for future generations. But one inescapable ecological consequence of a tree canopy is the dense shade it creates for any plants below. What among our native flora can we plant that appeals to the eye and flourishes without need of abundant sun? There are several shade-loving plants to welcome to our gardens such as the wild ginger covered earlier this year. This month’s topic plant offers a most striking gardening solution: Jack-in-the-pulpit. This plant looks like it belongs in the tropical rainforest rather than in Cabin John; in fact, most of its relatives live close to the equator. Yet, there it is, growing happily along forest trails in the neighborhood park. Arisaema triphyllum, as it is known, is a native species of the understory of the Eastern Deciduous forests ranging from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to Texas. Also called bog onion, brown dragon, or Indian turnip, Jack-in the pulpit grows to a height of about two feet. It is a perennial, meaning that once you plant it, it will keep coming back. Some of the Jacks growing along the Cabin John trail may be older than the adults who hike past them. The most striking feature of the plant, and its namesake, is a large purple-striped “hoodie,” called in botanical lingo a spathe. That is the pulpit. Standing in the pulpit is “Jack,” the eight-inch long flowering stalk, called a spadix, resembling a miniature corn cob in yellow-green. This spadix-inside-a-spathe, or Jack-in-the-pulpit, is characteristic of Jack’s plant family, the Arums (Araceae). So now you can think of the more familiar Philodendron, Monstera, Dieffenbachia, Spathiphyllum, or Anthurium occupying a pot in your living room as an indoor Jack-in- the-pulpit. Also interesting about this plant, aside from its sensuous looks, is its reproductive sex story. Spoiler alert: there is a Jill-in-the pulpit. Lining the spadix are densely packed flowers that are either male or female. But here is where it gets complicated. The plants start off the flowering season as male. As the plant ages and grows larger, however, the spadix starts making a lot more female flowers on the stalk so Jack becomes Jill. We call this in the botanical parlance sequential hermaphroditism. Enter the fungus gnat attracted to the male flowers by the peculiar scent. They are trapped temporarily inside, where they become sprinkled with pollen grains. The fungus gnats make their escape from the male plants, but once they find the female plants they fall inside and cannot escape. Crawling up through a female stalk, the fungus gnats deposit their pollen on the stigmas of the female flowers. The plant is unable to self-pollinate because by the time the female flowers on a plant have matured, the male flowers have withered and died. Thus, the female flowers need to be pollinated by the male flowers of a different plant. This mechanism prevents inbreeding and contributes to the genetic vigor of the species. The fruits are smooth, shiny green berries that cluster on the spadix. They ripen to a bright red in the fall and are eaten by wild turkey and wood thrush. If you gather 0the seeds in the fall from your garden you can scatter them on the soil and they will germinate, creating more baby Jacks and Jills. It may take several years before a flower appears, but with a bit of work you can cover an area with these beautiful plants. The fruits ripen in late summer and fall, turning a bright red color before the plants go dormant. Each berry produces 1 to 5 seeds. If the seeds are freed from the berry they will germinate the next spring, producing a plant with a single rounded leaf. Seedlings need three or more years of growth before they become large enough to flower. Underneath that mysterious looking stem and flowering part is a corm, an underground storage organ common to crocuses, gladioli, or cyclamens. This part can be dried, cut thin, and fried like potato chips, but it’s better to leave it in the ground to make more Jack-in-the-pulpits. The plants are a bit toxic, though, which is why the deer seem to avoid them, another plus of the species for the deer-persecuted gardener. If you really want to go wild, there is an even more sensuous-looking native member of this genus, the green dragon (Arisaema dracontium). It grows several feet taller than the Jack version, and has a long snake-like spathe. (When it comes to related snake-like plants, Arisaema speciosum is the famed “cobra lily,” a non- native from Asia that could scare young children.) With a host of elegant Jack or Jill-in-the- pulpits or green dragons, the shadiest part of your garden could also become its most mysterious. By Eric Dinerstein, Contributing Writer Illustration By Trudy Nicholson, Contributing Artist ... Read more...Moses Cemetery and Hall Placed on Most Endangered Historic Places ListJune 27, 2021Cabin John’s rich history was recognized at the national level this month when the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced their selection of the Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88 Order of Moses Cemetery and Hall site as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places of 2021. “Saving the Morningstar Moses Cemetery and Hall site is how we make good on promises to expand our infrastructure in an equitable way without further destruction of communities of color,” said Katherine Malone-France, Chief Preservation Officer, National Trust for Historic Preservation on announcing the list June 3. In referencing the original Beltway construction in the 1960s, Malone-France went on to note that “past disregard for the heritage of the community of Gibson Grove in transportation projects has already resulted in the loss of an important part of our full American story. This endangered listing challenges us to do the right thing today as we expand our infrastructure, so there will be no additional wrong to correct in the future, and it also calls attention to the threats facing African American cemeteries across the country.” Friends of Moses Hall, a coalition of neighbors, descendants, and others experienced in archaeology, genealogy, historic preservation, research, and advocacy have been working tirelessly to lead the effort to save this Cabin John treasure by advocating that any Beltway expansion avoid the cemetery and by working to preserve the site. Having the property recognized at the national level brings critical attention to this irreplaceable site and further supports these efforts. On May 12, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced a new scaled-back version of its Beltway expansion plan. The new recommended preferred alternative (RPA) focuses solely on “building a new American Legion Bridge and delivering two high occupancy toll (HOT) managed lanes in each direction on Phase 1 South: American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-370 with no action at this time on I-495 east of the I-270 eastern spur,” according to MDOT. The new RPA will be the focus of a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement anticipated to be published in September. The Supplemental DEIS will trigger a 45-day period for public comment, including a public hearing. The new RPA also has led to changes in the timeline for the National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 process for the project. Friends of Moses Hall, the CJCA, and other consulting parties have been told by the State Highway Administration (SHA) that they will update the limits of construction and development disturbance to reflect the new RPA as well as to include design minimization efforts on the historic Gibson Grove Church and Moses Cemetery and Hall properties. The state’s latest archaeological report on the cemetery site was released on May 25 and acknowledges that there is evidence of burials within or adjacent to the current Beltway right-of-way, warranting additional archaeological investigations and the incorporation of mitigation options, including the relocation of remains. Advocacy efforts by Friends of Moses Hall are not limited to saving the cemetery from ground disturbances at the site. The group believes the state is giving short shrift to environmental impacts and past racial injustice. This is an ongoing effort that will call on the SHA to right past wrongs. One very positive step for the community is the collective push from consulting parties and Montgomery County Planning for a pedestrian connection between the historic Gibson Grove Church building and the Moses Cemetery and Hall site. SHA has agreed to include a new sidewalk between the two resources as well as a widened path on the east side of Seven Locks, within the state right-of-way. Seven Locks is a county road, so any improvements outside the state right-of-way are the responsibility of Montgomery County. All of this is part of a broader effort to renew the physical connection between these historic properties. Perhaps a Gibson Grove Community historic district designation could be a reality one day? By Charlotte Troup Leighton CJCA Vice President for Advocacy ... Read more...Community Approves CJ Sign DesignJune 27, 2021The community gave a literal thumbs up to the Cabin John sign design unveiled at the May 25 CJCA meeting—with the meeting held on Zoom, the 25 or so participants were asked to vote with their thumbs on screen. The design, created by CJ resident Jack Mandel of Carver Rd., was unanimously approved. Jack is a stone mason with a stonework design/build business. As Jack explained to meeting participants, the sign design incorporates the iconic Cabin John Bridge in two ways. One is the shape of the base, which has an arched opening similar in shape to the bridge. The other bridge element is that he has acquired a piece of the Seneca red sandstone that was left over from the bridge repairs done some 20 years ago. Additional sandstone that is the same color as the bridge will also be used. The rest of the base is likely to be made of local Carderock stone. To reflect the community’s love of nature, a planter will be built into the base under the archway. Meeting participants suggested that native species be planted there. After consultation with CJ’s historian Judy Welles, it was determined that the established date for Cabin John should be 1878, which is the year the first Cabin John postmaster was appointed. The CJCA acquired the original appointment certificate, dated March 18, 1878, last year. CJCA Vice President Greg Pawlson, chair of the sign committee, detailed next steps, including approval from the shopping center, county permitting, and a more detailed cost estimate. He also noted the goal of refurbishing and lighting the existing CJ sign at the community center and of posting simple metal Welcome to Historic Cabin John signs at the various entrances to the community. It could cost close to $20,000 for all of these sign efforts to come to fruition and that is with Jack donating his design services. CJCA President Susan Shipp explained the 100th anniversary fundraising efforts netted some $5,000 toward the sign project. She also believes the CJCA has the reserves to provide an additional $3,000. That means additional fundraising will be needed. If you would like to help with the fundraising, please contact Darla Cable at darlacmd@yahoo.com or Susan Shipp at jsjshipp3@verizon.net. By Susan Shipp CJCA President ... Read more...2021 CJCA OfficersJune 27, 2021At the May meeting, the community voted in the following Cabin John Citizens Association officers for a one-year term. As you can see from the list, there are still a couple of openings. Please consider serving your community by volunteering alongside these neighbors. For more information on the open positions, please contact Susan Shipp at jsjshipp3@verizon.net. CO-PRESIDENTS Susan Shipp and Vashti Van Wyke Serving together for one year as a transition after the pandemic. The CJCA will need new co-presidents in 2022. TREASURER Bob Walsh INTERIM SECRETARY Meredith Griggs Looking for a new secretary VICE PRESIDENT, ACTIVITIES Irena Bojanova VICE PRESIDENT, ACTIVITIES Kesha Leets VICE PRESIDENT, ADVOCACY Charlotte Troup Leighton VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS Marcy Harrison (Directory and website support) VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS VACANT (Manage email lists, send emails, and news stories) VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY OUTREACH Stephanie Lai VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY OUTREACH Heather Tomlinson VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY SERVICE Justin Webster ... Read more...Local Nature: The Tree with the Fringe on the TopJune 27, 2021A glorious benefit of living in the tropics is the wide variety of trees and vines that delight the eye with explosions of vivid blossoms. Often these large showy flowers, designed to attract bees and other pollinators, cover all the branches or stems. Even the names of these trees are suggestive or mysterious: Golden rain tree, Golden Trumpet, Yellow Bells, Flamboyant, Flame of the Forest, African Tulip, Jacaranda, Coral Bean, Rosy Trumpet. These trees and their displays are even more spectacular when the flowers precede the flush of new leaves. In contrast, it is rare to find native trees in the temperate zone covered by clouds of flowers in the spring. For sure, there are the ornamental cherries at the Tidal Basin or planted in Kenwood, but those are imports. There is the ubiquitous redbud, but its flowers are tiny compared to the African Sausage tree. Trumpet creeper is an aggressive native climber and that counts, as does Catalpa. Our best native candidate for most spectacular flowering tree, however, is the White fringe tree, also known as the Virginia fringe tree. That species grows very well in our area but ranges north to New Jersey. There are even specimens found in New York City. But its stronghold is in the southeast to central Florida where every spring, adult fringe trees issue forth a seasonal wedding dress of lacy white fringy blossoms. Arborists tell us that the more sun the fringe tree receives the more prolific the flowering. When you drive by one in a car it is as if the wedding dress is suspended five feet above the ground minus only the bride. The four white petals of the blossoms are unusual in how thin they are. Masses of them, though, cover the crown of the tree before the tree fully leafs out in May. Male and female flowers typically occur on separate trees but sometimes on the same tree. On female trees, a bright blue fruit appears in the late summer or early fall and is devoured by the American robin. The fringe tree is a member of the olive family, with its characteristic four petals and opposite leaves, and the fruit is somewhat reminiscent of a blue olive. More familiar to us are green ash and white ash, which are also members of the olive family. And herein lurks a small concern. In the western part of its range, the fringe tree seems to be affected by the Emerald Ash Borer, a non-native jewel beetle from Asia that is finishing off our ash trees but so far has left the fringe trees alone. Experiments are underway with the introduction of a parasitic wasp from Russia that controls ash borer. The wasp burrows into the tree and lays its eggs on the ash borer larvae, killing them as its own wasp larvae feed on the host. The fringe tree is a little-known wonder, and in my opinion not planted enough. I see so many vacant (only grass front lawns) lots in our neighborhood, in full sun, where a well- placed Virginia fringe tree would bring decades of joy and an appreciative warble from the robins in the neighborhood. Do you want to beautify Cabin John? Easy, plant Chionanthes virginicus and amaze your neighbors. By Eric Dinerstein, Contributing Writer Illustration By Trudy Nicholson, Contributing Artist ... Read more...Moses Hall Descendants Meet – Graves in Beltway Right-of-WayMay 21, 2021When Pandora White was a young girl, her grandmother Mary White would march her and her siblings along a path in the woods that ran behind 19 Carver Rd. to the Moses lodge and cemetery where she would put them to work. They would either clean up the lodge for some adult function or a funeral or they would tidy up around the family graves. Pandora, 71, still lives on Carver Rd. On April 10, she was back at the cemetery, along with 22 others who have relatives buried in the historic African American cemetery at the edge of Cabin John. The descendants were gathered by the trustees of the newly reestablished Morningstar Moses 88 ownership group to have a tour of the cemetery now that the bamboo and debris have been removed by the state. The other important reason for the meeting was to inform the descendants that in the course of clearing the bamboo, the state found indications of possible gravesites within the right-of-way of the existing Beltway. While Pandora was pleased with the cleanup efforts, she is concerned about the possibility of graves outside the cemetery fence. “I’m very pleased about how it’s been cleared out.” she said, noting that she didn’t realize how far back the graves went. Should the state determine that there are graves in the right-of-way, she wants them left alone. “I don’t think they should disturb the graves, but they should go around them,” turning that land over to the cemetery, she added. Steve Archer, cultural resources team leader at the Maryland State Highway Administration, said they are still completing their archeological investigations of the site for a report that will “provide detailed surface mapping of the cemetery as well as historical research to understand what we can from an archival perspective.” He expects the report to be released this summer. However, the report will not address whether there are gravesites in the Beltway right-of-way. To determine that, Archer explained that they would have to do a two-step investigation. First, they would dig just deep enough to determine if there are any grave shafts. If they find any, they would work with the descendants and the community to determine a proper course of action. Only then, if it is determined that any human remains are to be relocated, would they dig deeper to unearth those remains. Archer gave no time frame for when they might start this investigation. For now, the cemetery remains closed to the public while the state completes its current assessments. The Friends of Moses Hall, a group comprised of descendants, historic preservationists, and Cabin John community members, also requests that the public stay away as they are starting a bamboo remediation project June 7 that requires the use of chemicals to kill the bamboo. In some cases, bamboo that the state cut in January had already sent up new shoots that stand six feet tall or more. The Friends of Moses Hall has another request of the public. They are asking people with any ties to Moses Hall to go through their family photo albums, letters, and other documents. They are hoping that folks might find photographs of events held there, letters that might mention a Moses Hall function, or other documents with reference to the property. Any information, from any source, in any format, that mentions the lodge or cemetery, even if it’s just in passing, would be of interest to the group. Friends of Moses Hall can be reached via email at morningstarmosescj@gmail.com. SUSAN SHIPP, CJCA President ... Read more...A Big Haul at the CJ Creek CleanupMay 21, 2021The annual Cabin John Creek cleanup, held April 24, had its best turnout in years with 34 people, including 10 students, scouring the woods and creek from MacArthur Blvd. to at least sandy beach. The Friends of Cabin John Creek organized an additional cleanup for May 2nd to tackle the rest of the creek to Seven Locks. The energetic group on the 24th picked up 21 bags of trash as well as three bags of cans, bottles, and other recyclables. They also hauled up two tires, and some 150 pounds of loose trash that included plastic tree cages, metal pipes, a hub cap, and a tire jack. There was only one scrape requiring a band-aid, and folks wore masks and generally followed social distancing protocols, making the event a safety success as well. Thanks to everyone who came out. GREG GURLEY, Director, Friends of the Cabin John Creek ... Read more...CJ Sign Concept Ready for UnveilingMay 21, 2021After multiple years and a pandemic, the Cabin John sign committee is excited to be able to share a recommended sign design with the community at the May 26 Cabin John Citizens Association meeting. CJCA officer elections also will be held during the Zoom meeting, which will begin at 7:30 pm. The community endorsed a Cabin John sign project as part of the celebrations for the CJCA’s 100th anniversary in 2019. In addition to civic pride, the idea for a prominent Cabin John sign stemmed from community frustration that, as part of the revamping of the Cabin John Shopping Center at Seven Locks and Tuckerman Lane, the developers decided to rename the shopping center and planned townhouses Cabin John Village. After some debate about how best to plant our flag as the REAL Cabin John, the decision was made to come up with a sign that simply says: Historic Cabin John, established 1912. The only other guidance was that the sign be placed somewhere along MacArthur Blvd. With those marching orders, the CJ sign committee, led by CJCA Vice President Greg Pawlson, has been working diligently, although somewhat sporadically, throughout the pandemic. The group’s work became inspired when Jack Mandel, a stone mason and owner of his own stonework design business, recently joined the effort. Other committee members are Darla Cable, Dallas Harrison, Charlotte and Russ Leighton, and Susan Shipp. Thanks to Greg Pawlson’s efforts, the MacArthur Plaza shopping center has tentatively agreed to allow a Cabin John sign to be installed on the grassy area between the landscaping and the stop sign at the corner of Seven Locks and MacArthur Blvd. The committee hopes that CJ residents will join in the Zoom meeting for the design unveiling and a discussion about next steps, including the additional fundraising that will be needed to make this sign a reality. A link to the meeting will be emailed prior to May 26. 2021 CJCA OFFICER ELECTIONS – 2021 CJCA Officer Elections also will be held at the May 26 meeting. The slate is still being put together, and we are still looking for officers to serve in a number of positions. So, don’t be shy, reach out to Susan Shipp at jsjshipp3@verizon.net and let her know that you are ready to volunteer your time to give back to our wonderful community. SUSAN SHIPP, CJCA President ... Read more...Local Nature: Pride of Maryland (Woodland pinkroot)May 21, 2021In nature’s beauty pageant, what is the most stunning wildflower native to Maryland? There are spectacular candidates like Calypso orchid and Shooting star. But my vote is for a wildflower that shares our state name—Spigelia marylandica—known more familiarly as Woodland pinkroot or Indian Pink. With its spectacular 2-inch-long, crimson-tubed flowers on the outside contrasting with creamy yellow tips, it will stop you in your tracks. The flowering display at the tips is set off against a strikingly symmetrical arrangement of leaves—pairs are born opposite each other and emerge right out of the stems, with the leaves rotated 90 degrees to the pair above or below them. Botanists call this pattern of leaf arrangement “decussate”—a great word for novices to name-drop to show their chops. Such decussate leaves are in turn marked by an elegant venation pattern of deep grooves in the upper leaf surface. Elegant leaves, stunning flowers—this is the kind of plant that can convince doubters of Darwin’s theory that evolution is capable of producing living organisms of extraordinary beauty. The beauty of Woodland pinkroot is perhaps accentuated because it is relatively rare in our area, even though it bears the epithet “marylandica.” In fact, I have never seen it in the wild during my Maryland nature walks, even though white-tailed deer, the notorious native wildflower remover, avoids pinkroot. Woodland pinkroot can be found throughout the greater southeastern U.S., but wherever you look it is never common. Woodland pinkroot prefers rich, moist woods and wooded stream banks. Although in nature it is typically found in partial to full shade, it requires well-drained soil. Plant breeders know beauty when they see it, so Woodland pinkroot has been brought into the garden trade, aided by its long flowering period and ability to tolerate shade. You can even order it online. There are showier cultivars for sale, but I would stick with the original. Some report it can do well in sunny spots, forming dense clumps and exploding with more flowers than the plants stuck under shade. But from personal experience, I suggest heeding the warning of horticulturalists: this species requires well-drained soils. To be able to admire this beauty at home, under the canopy forest in my backyard, I planted five Woodland pinkroots. They flowered prolifically for a few years and then died. My backyard, like many here in Cabin John, is underlain by dense clay, not the preferred soil type for this species. So a rich deposit of deep topsoil mixed with some gravel to enhance drainage might be the ticket. I will try again. There may be a good reason that deer know to avoid Woodland pinkroot. Some botanists put Spigelia in its own family, the Spigeliaceae, but most consider it part of the Loganiacieae, a mostly tropical family. Not familiar with it? Many plants in this family store highly toxic alkaloids such as strychnine in their leaves, repelling herbivores, deer among them. Spigelia was also known as wormgrass because it was once used as a concoction to rid humans, children especially, of worms. The dire consequences of inappropriate doses, however, is well documented, leading to cramps and severe pain in various parts of the body. Spigelia isn’t even a particularly pleasant name for a plant genus, but that’s simply coincidental. Botanists have a penchant for naming genera or species after…fellow botanists, and Spigelia is no exception. None other than famed 18th century botanist Carl Linnaeus, known as the Father of Taxonomy, named this plant in honor of Adrian van der Spigel, a Brussels doctor whose 1606 text described the creation of herbaria using dried plants. Unlike the rest of the plant, the nectar of Woodland pinkroot is not toxic, however, and a favorite of our ruby-throated hummingbirds. So what could be a better occupant of your garden? A gorgeous plant that attracts one of our most charismatic birds, the diminutive hummer. Enjoy the summer with this exquisite pairing of nature and honor Maryland’s name by introducing it to your yard. ERIC DINERSTEIN, Contributing Writer ILLUSTRATION BY TRUDY NICHOLSON... Read more...Reminder: Pay Your 2021 Dues; Payments LaggingApril 16, 2021Are you impressed with the 2021 Cabin John Directory? Do you appreciate the news you read in The Village News? Are you glad people are advocating on your behalf for quieter skies, a less impactful Beltway expansion plan, and the preservation of CJ’s Moses Hall & cemetery? Then please support the Cabin John Citizens Association by paying your 2021 dues. As of early April, only some 300 CJ households and businesses have paid their $20 dues. That figure represents just a 40 percent participation rate. Show your appreciation for what the CJCA does by paying your dues today. Checks can be mailed to CJCA, P.O. Box 31, Cabin John, MD 20818. Payment is also possible online at www.cabinjohn.org under the Support CJCA tab.... Read more...CJ Residents Enthused About Minnie’s Island Non-ProfitApril 16, 2021The CJ founders of a newly created entity that aims to assume control of Minnie’s Island, received near universal support from the roughly 50 people who listened to their plans at the March 24 CJCA Zoom meeting. Minnie’s Island, located in the Potomac River about 100 yards off-shore from Lockhouse 8 on the C&O Canal, is roughly eight acres of wild habitat with a dilapidated wooden lodge and large deck at one end. Led by Pascal Pittman of 80th Place, the Minnie’s Island Community Conservancy (MICC) is being formed to receive ownership of the island from the Potomac Conservancy. The other founding members of MICC are CJ residents Burr Gray, Jack Mandel, and Mac Thornton. A day after the meeting MICC became a registered corporation, allowing it to begin working on its 501(c)(3) status. The organization “is dedicated to the preservation of the ecological, architectural, scientific, and humanist legacy of Minnie’s Island,” according to its mission statement. To achieve its aims, MICC is counting on community awareness, volunteerism, and donations to support the refurbishment of the cabin, the removal of non-invasive species from the island, and on-going maintenance, Pascal told meeting participants. For the structure, he envisions bringing to working order the composting toilet, a woodburning stove, and a well. The addition of solar panels would allow for electricity. It will take a couple of years, he noted. But then the island would be ready to host six to eight people at a time for recreation, educational programs, conservation, and scientific research. MICC also is in discussions with the National Park Service to take on maintenance responsibility for Lockhouse 8. Pascal explained that its role would be two-fold: the lockhouse would serve as a staging area for access to Minnie’s, primarily by enabling the canoes and kayaks needed to reach the island to be stored in its basement. It would also allow the group to schedule more educational programs as they would be able to use the lockhouse as meeting space if inclement weather kept the group from transporting people to the island. Pascal said they are hoping to raise funds initially by having folks donate $250 a year and volunteer time working on island projects. But he stressed that Minnie’s would not be “a Sycamore Island private club” and that its fundraising is not part of a “pay to play” plan. He assured meeting attendees that the public would have access to the island “in a controlled manner.” To find out more about MICC, email Pascal Pittman at pascaldpittman@gmail.com. By Susan Shipp, CJCA President... Read more...Help Keep MacArthur Blvd. BeautifulApril 16, 2021After two years of major plantings, the MacArthur Blvd. Beautification effort is shifting to maintenance mode this year. Like any horticultural project, that still means that weeding, trimming, watering, setting stakes, and mulching are needed on a continual basis. While we do appreciate the many “thanks” shouted as people pass by when we’re working, what we need even more are some additional volunteers. Most of the planted areas have a primary caretaker. What’s needed are volunteers that can be called on to pitch in with weeding on occasion or to serve as a substitute waterer when the primary caregiver is out of town. Frankly, any additional help would be much appreciated. Please contact Susan Roberts at susanroberts487@gmail.com or 301-320-4451 if you can help out. By Susan Roberts, Coordinator, MacArthur Blvd. Beautification Committee... Read more...Local Nature: Nature Rolls Out Her Carpets – Spring EphemeralsApril 16, 2021Every spring, Mother Nature rolls out her most exquisite carpets for a limited time only. Rarely is it a red carpet, but throws in shades of yellow, blue, purple, and white on a green background are plentiful. There are the displays of Virginia bluebells, the lacy green foliage and peculiar pantaloons-like flowers of Dutchman’s breeches, the sprawl of wood violets. Nature only keeps these carpets out to catch the sun’s rays for a short while: return a month later and they will have disappeared, buried below ground until the next year. Botanists call these spring beauties (an actual common name of a common wildflower called Claytonia) spring ephemerals, ephemeral because the whole life cycle of the plant—emergence of leaves, flowering, fruiting, and dieback of the aboveground tissues—happens in a month or less. The early flowering is triggered by several cues: growing day length and increasing warmth of the soil, availability of nutrients, and the buzzing of pollinators like bees and flies. But most of all, it is sunshine—an abundance of it flooding the forest understory with photons between the Ides of March and the leafing out and closure of the canopy trees by mid-April. As one botanist put it, the spring ephemerals emerge during the short time when the forest is not a forest, but more like a prairie. My favorite spring ephemeral has a shorter time on stage than almost any other— the American trout lily (Erythronium americanum). First come the alluring mottled brown and green leaves, the pattern resembling the sides of a brook trout. Emerging above the splayed leaves is a comely yellow flower with six fused petals. Jump to see this display when you hear of it in the neighborhood because nature doesn’t wait around for your procrastination. For about one week after the first blossoms emerge—which seems to be the duration of flowering—a carpet of yellow on green blankets parts of the Cabin John Creek Trail (the flowers close up at night, so nocturnal botanizing is fruitless). A few days of rainy weather and deep mud on the trail, and all but the most avid hikers can miss this impressive display. Making the carpet of these blossoms even more scarce is the fact that many trout lilies rarely flower until at least four years of age. Even then, sexual reproduction in this plant is rather scant, with less than 10% of the population producing seeds; most spread by underground bulbs branching off from a full-grown plant. Another fascinating challenge is that trout lily puts much more effort into deeper penetration of the bulb into the soil than do other members of the lily family, more than two feet down. Barring blockage by some impenetrable surface, the plant will continue to grow downwards rather than upwards. A tip to gardeners: if you want to force your trout lilies to flower, dig a six-inch hole and place a flat rock at the bottom and fill it with rich soil. Once the plant’s bulb encounters the rock, it sends up a flower rather than trying to force its roots through or around the rock. Trout lilies die back every year, but how long do these perennials live? Some colonies of trout lilies are as ancient as they are vast; some are estimated to be 300 years old. Imagine, wildflowers that far outlive humans. Perhaps the most interesting ecological feature of the trout lily, though, is that this species, like many plants featured in this column and in our flora of spring ephemerals, has evolved to have its seeds dispersed by ants. Attached to each seed in the pod is a fleshy fatty tissue called an elaiosome that attracts several species of intrepid ants. These ants carry the seeds to their burrows, away from seed predators lurking in the colony, and give the seeds a safe spot for germination. In return for their labors, the ants feed the fatty tissue to their larvae. Mother Nature rolls out her trout lily carpet each spring but not exactly like clockwork. Climate change is likely altering the emergence time of spring ephemerals and possibly the life cycles of the pollinators—flies and bees—and seed dispersers, the ants. Scientists, naturalists, and citizen scientists are closely monitoring the timing of ecosystem cycles of germination, flowering, and the arrival of pollinators to study how climate warming may be affecting their synchronization. Japan reported last week that its famous cherry trees blossomed this year on the earliest date in 1,200 years. Will we see trout lilies and other spring ephemerals appear earlier in the calendar? Will the bees be there to greet them? By Eric Dinerstein, Contributing Writer Illustration by Trudy Nicholson, Contributing Artist... Read more...Reminder: Please Pay Your CJCA DuesMarch 21, 2021Everyone should have received the 2021 CJCA dues letter, which was mailed earlier this month. Please remember to pay your dues ASAP. Thanks! WAYS TO PAY: Pay using the online form. Pay by check. Mail checks to:CJCAPO Box 31Cabin John, MD 20818 Pay via paypal:www.paypal.me/cabinjohn... Read more...Moses Hall and Beltway Expansion Seeing Action on Many FrontsMarch 21, 2021Some 60 people, mostly Cabin John residents along with members of Carderock’s citizens association, a smattering of activists, and a couple of government officials joined the Feb. 24 CJCA Zoom meeting that provided an update on the flurry of activity surrounding the intertwined efforts of the preservation of the Morningstar 88 Moses Hall & Cemetery and the state’s massive Beltway Expansion plans. Charlotte Troup Leighton, CJCA vice president for advocacy and a founding member of the Friends of Moses Hall, provided a detailed and insightful update. One of the important takeaways was that the State Highway Administration’s selection of Preferred Alternative 9, which calls for two managed toll lanes in each direction on I-495 and I-270, as well as its choice of a pre-development public-private partnership (P3) partner, now shifts the focus to the state’s Board of Public Works (BPW) and its upcoming vote to approve the pre- development partner and the next phase of work. The swing vote on the board is Comptroller Peter Franchot, who has announced his candidacy for governor in 2022, and Charlotte suggested that a writing campaign to him may at least force more stipulations in the BPW vote. Her full presentation, which details numerous other efforts and points of interest, is linked to this story on the Cabin John website. Meeting participants also benefited from the wisdom of Carol Rubin, Special Project Manager for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) dealing with the Beltway expansion, who joined the call to hear more about the community’s concerns. In February the M-NPPC voiced opposition to the state’s selection of a preferred alternative that does not use any tolls to fund mass transit. The commission has also raised a wide range of environmental concerns about the expansion plans. At the meeting, Rubin answered a host of questions about the massive project’s potential impacts. She noted that the National Park Service is “just as upset as we are at this point” and mentioned specific concerns they have about the Clara Barton Parkway and Plummer’s Island. She believes any P3 contractor that comes in should be told they have “to respect the church and the cemetery,” adding that she wants developers to create an interpretive walking museum at the cemetery. The community will have the chance to meet again with Rubin later in March. The Cabin John Citizens Association and the Friends of Moses Hall also will be participating in a March 10 meeting with state officials concerning a preliminary draft of how it intends to minimize or mitigate any impacts to historical and cultural resources as part of the Beltway Expansion project. Stay tuned… By Susan ShippCJCA President ... Read more...CJ Creek Cleanup COVID Edition Set For April 24March 21, 2021Spring is just around the corner and that means it’s time to collect the plastic bags, cans, and other trash that has collected along the Cabin John Creek since our last effort. We need a lot of volunteers this year as we are expanding the cleanup to include the new 1.3-mile forest trail that runs between Seven Locks Rd. and the park by the one-lane bridge. Co-sponsored by the Friends of the Cabin John Creek and the Cabin John Citizens Association, this year’s cleanup will be held Saturday, April 24 from 2 pm to 4:30 pm. (If inclement weather forces us to cancel, we will try again on Saturday, May 1.) Due to COVID, all participants must pre-register. Pre-registration will be done through the county’s volunteer website. You will need to create an account and complete a COVID-19 waiver form. Unfortunately, due to contact tracing and other requirements, we cannot allow people to participate who have not pre-registered. The CJCA will send out an email with the signup link as soon as it’s available. The deadline for pre-registering is April 23 at noon. If you are under 18 years old, you still need to pre-register on the website, print out the COVID-19 waiver, have your parents sign it, and bring it to the park. This event is preapproved for SSL hours. Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Please plan to meet at Cabin John Local Park by the one-lane bridge at 1:45 pm. The clean-up, held rain or shine, is messy and old clothes are recommended. Sturdy shoes that you don’t mind getting wet are also a good idea. Masks are a must, and a personal water bottle is highly recommended. Gloves will be provided, but to ensure a better fit you may want to bring your own. Once you are signed in you will be given some trash bags and a portion or the creek or trail to clean up. There is a lot of creek and trail to tackle so we will have no trouble maintaining the required six feet between people of different households. For more information, please contact Greg Gurley at ggurley1@gmail.com or Susan Shipp at jsjsshipp3@verizon.net. By Susan ShippCJCA President Greg GurleyDirector, Friends of the Cabin John Creek... Read more...Alex J. Yowell, The Self Proclaimed “Successor to John of the Cabin”March 20, 2021While we’ve all become armchair travelers this past year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us take daily strolls across what was once a must-see tourist destination, the subject of postcards, photographs, and letters. At the turn of the 20th century, the Cabin John Bridge was on the itinerary of the capital’s visitors and locals alike. “We went to Cabin John Bridge,” wrote Mabel Hubbard Bell to her “darling Alec” in 1899. “We really had an awfully good time, and the heat was tempered by breezes and clouds.” Leisurely drives to the Cabin John Bridge were mentioned on several occasions in Mabel’s correspondence to her husband, Alexander Graham Bell, when they lived in Washington D.C. The industrious photographer Alexander J. Yowell took every advantage of this popular tourist attraction and moved to the area in 1891. He set up his photography studio in a rustic wooden house under the elegant bridge, where one could purchase “a beautiful photogravure of Cabin John Bridge sent to any part of the world, post paid, for 15 cents, or a photograph for 30 cents.” In a stroke of marketing genius, Yowell deemed himself “Successor to John of the Cabin” after the legend of the mysterious stranger who lived along the creek. He put out a twelve page pamphlet entitled The Cabin of John: A World-renowned Architectural Structure, A Famous Hotel and Pleasure Resort in which he described the history and specifications of the Cabin John Bridge. The pamphlet recounted in great detail the story of “John” the squatter, clothed in animal skins, who lived in a cabin in the woods and from whom Cabin John and its creek, bridge, and hotel all derived their names. It praised the first class reputation of the Cabin John Hotel resort and included a page of “Questions Answered” that covered any curious query a tourist might have had. Designed by Montgomery C. Meigs and completed in 1864, the Cabin John Bridge was the world’s largest single arch span bridge with a span of 220 feet. Sightseers flocked to the spot to view the bridge and enjoy the hotel. Yowell concluded, “I will cheerfully give any information I can, and will accord you every courtesy that will tend to make your visit profitable and pleasant, and should you desire to have a picture of yourself taken under the largest stone arch Bridge in the world, rest assured that you will be fairly and honorably treated.” Who wouldn’t pay 15 to 30 cents after such a sales pitch? There may be many images by Alex J. Yowell out there—in his pamphlet he noted the “thousands of specimens” of his work around the world. Perhaps Yowell’s most widely recognized photograph, at least by Cabin John residents, is a view downstream with the photographer’s quaint cabin on the right side of the frame, the arch of the monumental bridge containing the tranquil scene. Richard Cook has two wonderful examples of Yowell’s tintypes in his private collection. Tintypes were popular throughout the second half of the nineteenth century and commonly used by open air and street photographers. The negatives were applied to black enameled metal plates, so the image could be processed within moments and handed to the customer on the spot. One image shows three gentlemen in waistcoats and ties, holding their bowler hats while posed below the bridge’s arch. Another tintype, dated 1893, depicts four young women perched on a bench in a classical pose against the stonework of the bridge. Wearing long dresses and decorative hats, one of the women holds a parasol; another raises a piece of fruit in her hand, plucked from the upside down hat in her lap, the hat perhaps that of the nearest young lady in the foreground. Each of the tintypes are mounted in a mat paper frame that included Yowell’s calling card of sorts: a description of the Cabin John Bridge and its impressive dimensions, compliments of the photographer. Alex J. Yowell was born on April, 15 1857 in Virginia. He and his wife Sarah had five sons. His eldest, Leroy, was also a photographer in 1900, and perhaps helped run his father’s studio. After the heyday of the bridge and hotel, Yowell remained in Washington D.C. where he worked as a printer and was a member of the Freemasons. He died November 22, 1939. By Rachel Donnan Contributing Writer ... Read more...Local Nature: Native Plants – Ground CoversMarch 19, 2021Protecting precious topsoil by avoiding erosion is the guiding principle of every responsible farmer. Gardeners should heed the same commandment. In bright sunlit gardens, a wide variety of plants can effectively shield the exposed earth from washing away in a heavy rainstorm. But because much of Cabin John is still covered by trees, the challenge emerges when the canopy shades out sun-loving plants. In these spots the soil surface sits bare, exposed to heavy rains and wind, unless you find a shade-loving ground cover. Fortunately, native plant species in our area have evolved to thrive under a dense tree canopy. Two such species could become the foot soldiers in an effort to repopulate the gardens of Cabin John with native vegetation that offer beautiful flowers, lush evergreen foliage, or both. And each has a fascinating ecological story to tell. One of the most interesting species in our entire native flora is wild ginger, sometimes known as Canada wild ginger (Asarum canadense). It bears no taxonomic relation to the cultivated ginger plant of the tropics or to its relative, turmeric—both members of the Zingerberaceae, the true ginger family. Canada wild ginger belongs to the Dutchman’s pipe family, a group largely tropical and known for its bizarrely shaped flowers that resemble deep-bowled curved tobacco pipes. Many members of this family (Aristolochiaceae) are vines or lianas. Canada wild ginger grows solely prostrate and in the dense shade in areas along Cabin John Creek, covering the ground layer with heart- or kidney-shaped leaves. But it is the flowers that are most amazing: dark, mysterious, hairy, purple blossoms with three petal-like structures that are tapered at the tips and fused at the base to form a cup. Right out of a dark fairy tale. After pollination, a pod emerges inside the flower that splits open upon ripening to expose seeds covered in a fatty tissue. That fatty tissue is attractive to ants that carry off the seeds to their lairs, feed the fatty tissue to the larvae, and thereby disperse the seeds unharmed. Wild ginger is but one of the p to 25% of our early spring ephemeral wildflowers in our area that rely on ants to disperse their seeds (these were covered in the April 2015 Local Nature column entitled Ants in our Plants). Now you can bring this star of local nature into that shady spot in your yard. A companion of wild ginger in the shadiest parts of our Cabin John Creek trail is partridgeberry. It’s easy to spot in winter, a ground-hugger with evergreen, opposite leaves that sport white stripes down the mid-vein of each leaf. In winter there is often a bright red berry, tasteless to us but gobbled down by wild turkey, partridge, quail, and other overwintering birds, and even foxes, skunks, and mice. Partridgeberry is one of our most diminutive plants but spreads beautifully and would make an excellent garden- border plant mixed with an edging of rocks. Partridgeberry is one of the few temperate-zone plants, along with bedstraw and buttonbush, that belong to the tropical family Rubiaceae, known also as the coffee tree family. The miniature flowers of the partridgeberry even slightly resemble the much larger flowers of coffee and its allies in the family. Quinine is another famous plant that belongs to the Rubes (as botanists affectionately call them). The Rubes contain some of the most beautiful flowering trees in the world, including my favorite, a species called Captaincookia, found only on the island of New Caledonia. There’s not much to eat on a partridgeberry, so don’t grow it for its fruit. Canada wild ginger, in contrast, was sought out by Native Americans for the underground tubers that served as a spicy seasoning. Not recommended these days as further biochemical research shows that the plant contains some noxious chemicals. However, the Native Americans gave Canada wild ginger an important place in their natural apothecary. They treated a variety of ailments ranging from urinary tract infections and tuberculosis to convulsions with its roots. But it’s that ant-bait that really intrigues me. I have yet to do this, but someday, this spring while waiting for the pandemic isolation to lift, when the ant-attracting seeds are out, I am going to lay prone and be eye-level with the wild ginger I have in my backyard forest and wait for the ants to arrive. Even in 2021 you can still feel like Charles Darwin about to encounter an evolutionary spectacle in miniature. By Eric Dinerstein Contributing Writer Illustrations by Trudy Nicholson Contributing Artist... Read more...Local Nature: Building a Backyard Wilderness – Native ShrubsFebruary 27, 2021A walk along the lower trail bordering Cabin John Creek requires a bit of boulder hopping. A relatively flat path gives way in a certain section to a world of jutting rocks, exposed roots, and low-growing trees—the most enchanted part of our local forest. The boulders are often topped by Polypody ferns, also known as rock cap ferns for their penchant to grow in depressions on rocks. If you stumble on a root and reach for a nearby shrub to keep your balance, more likely than not, you would be grasping the leathery evergreen leaves of the mountain laurel or a broom- like branch of witch hazel. And if you did fall, you might find yourself lying prone next to mapleleaf viburnum. These three shrubs—mountain laurel, witch hazel, and mapleleaf viburnum—are among the most common in the wildest reach by the creek, but only where the geology underlying the path beneath your feet is different from the rest of the trail. An expert on the flora of the Great Smoky Mountains, the botanist Dan Pittillo, once shared this insight with me while on a nature hike: “If you want to be a botanist, become a geologist.” It turns out that this puzzling piece of advice makes more sense the longer you spend in nature looking at plants. If you know the underlying geology and soils of an area, you can often predict the plants and plant communities to be found there. A lot of plants, especially the more rare ones, prefer, or are limited to, a distinct substrate where they compete best for resources. And where the boulders composed of schist and gneiss— two common coarse-grained metamorphic rocks—create an obstacle course along the creek, the rarest plants along the Potomac grow: crane fly orchid, Adam-and-Eve orchid, rattlesnake plantain orchid, hepatica, and spotted wintergreen. And shading them from above is that trio of shrubs worthy of our attention as ecologists and a place in our gardens as restorationists. Fortunately for us, while all three of these plants are most common in the rocky stretches, they are easy to grow in the flat smooth soils of backyard Cabin John. Mountain laurel is typically a plant of the mountains and the state flower of Connecticut and Pennsylvania. For anyone who has hiked or driven along the slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain near Comus, Maryland in early May, the magnificent white or pink blossoms of mountain laurel greet you. So to see so much mountain laurel in the lowland forests around us is a botanical treat. It is likely the distinct geologic conditions of those schist and gneiss outcrops that allow the shrub to grow at this lower elevation. The abundant flowers attract the interest of native bumblebees and the fragrance of the blossoms has been compared to that of grape bubble gum (that was meant as a compliment by a gum chewing botanist). The mountain laurel is in the same family as Rhododendron (in Latin, the rose trees). If you’re thinking of planting in your flower bed some rose bushes this year, please reconsider. Roses attract no native insects. Mountain laurel does, it is much lovelier, can grow in partial shade, is evergreen, and so much easier to care for, requiring no pesticides like fragile roses typically do. Witch hazel, you probably know, is famous for its exceptional properties as a natural astringent. We covered this shrub in a previous column in the November 2015 issue because it has a remarkable behavior not seen in almost any other plant: it flowers in winter (only the native witch hazel does this—the imported Chinese or Japanese witch hazel flowers in spring). What better way to add mystery and diversity to your garden than to plant witch hazel? This is a marvelous shrub that in late November sports bright thin yellow petals that stand out against snow and dark grey skies. It is pollinated by tough all-weather flies, bees, moths, and even beetles that venture out in the late fall and early winter. And laying their eggs on the witch hazel are the beautiful striped hairstreak and harvester butterflies, as well as the witches hat aphid. Mapleleaf viburnum is so named because the paired opposite leaves resemble the leaves of maples, just like a gardener’s favorite, oakleaf viburnum, and has foliage resembling that of white oaks. The mapleleaf viburnum doesn’t receive the same attention as other viburnums, a number of which are planted in local gardens and are not native. Yet its fall fruits attract white-throated sparrows, cardinals, and other birds. Its delicate white flowers are my favorite among the viburnums. But the mapleleaf viburnum earns a first prize among all of our native shrubs: most beautiful fall foliage. In autumn, the leaves of mapleleaf viburnum turn exquisite hues from purple to blue or magenta. When the afternoon sun backlights this viburnum, it is one of the visual pleasures of my early November walks along the creek. Just as the mountain laurel can sub for rose bushes, the mapleleaf viburnum can take the place of the invasive burning bush planted so frequently in our neighborhood. Do the eye test from the images on the internet for fall foliage and watch your preference shift to the native. And the runner-up for the most beautiful fall foliage? I offer witch hazel. Unlike mapleleaf viburnum, which is a solid purple, witch hazel leaves can come in shades of purple, yellow, red, or orange, on single leaves or all on the same leaf. It is a blaze of fall color condensed to a single bush. Set against the cheery evergreen foliage of the mountain laurel you have several gorgeous native shrubs that give pleasure over the seasons, require no care once planted, and will prosper for decades. Better still, you can purchase these plants online or at local nurseries like Nature by Design in Alexandria, where I bought most of my native plants. And, in this era of COVID-19 and home delivery, Nature by Design brings plants to your door. Go to www.nature-by-design.com to find these three stalwart shrubs and virtually all of the natives that I’ll write about and Trudy will illustrate in this year’s columns. Late February or March is an excellent time to put them in the ground. We are lucky to be living so close to wilderness. And with the addition of these three plants, we can bring a parcel of wilderness right into our yards. ERIC DINERSTEIN , Contributing Writer ILLUSTRATION BY TRUDY NICHOLSON ... Read more...Pandemic Pets!February 14, 2021Cabin John Goes to the Dogs, Cats and Rabbits During Pandemic Like the rest of the country, the pandemic has prompted residents of Cabin John to adopt dogs, cats, and other pets. Here are some of the furry friends that have joined families in the neighborhood over the past year. Buster joined the Gibbons family on 75th Pl. and is curled up in his fur beanbag, one of many favorite pandemic nap spots.Degie, a goldendoodle, joined Amy Ross and Bob Wilkoff on Macarthur Blvd. in August when he was three months old. He is very goofy and is amazed by how many of his long-lost “doodle” cousins also live in the neighborhood. One individual not so happy that he’s joined their household is Ms. T, a very spoiled 10-year-old cat.The Thomas family of Cabin Rd. adopted two rescue bunnies (sisters!) in June from the House Rabbit Society. Their names are Tia Tofu and Gigi.Seventy-fifth Place is also the new home of Maise, a rescue pup from Louisiana adopted by the Harris family in late December after being fostered by the Holland family of 79th Place. Foster mom Jill brings her dog Dexter for the occasional visit with Maise and mom Helen.In July, goldendoodle Ellie joined mom Maybe and the Cohen/Liebman family of 79th Pl. and enjoys playing with all her neighborhood puppy pals.Andy, Meredith, Tenley, and Phoebe Fishburn of Tomlinson Terr. adopted Boxer puppy Taffy in April. Taffy has a lot of energy, so she is out and about on at least three walks a day. She says “woof woof” to all her new doggie friends.Rocky was adopted by Tom Wilmarth of 75th Pl. in June 2020 when he was eight weeks old. He and Tom split their time between Cabin John and Arizona.Harry is a six-month-old coonhound adopted in November by the Shirzad family of Seven Locks Rd. He is an energetic and playful puppy, and they feel very lucky for him to be part of their family.Diane Dompka of MacArthur Blvd. adopted pandemic sidekick LuLu on March 20 from the Humane Rescue Alliance. She has been the best stay-at-home pal one could wish for. She looks and acts like Diane’s former pet LuLu.Marlene Beckman and Ken Speckler of 79th St. welcomed a new “grand pup,” Stella. Their daughter had been fostering puppies for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue prior to the pandemic, and her four previous rescue pups were immediately adopted. She met Stella and knew she was “the one.” The two of them live in Vienna, VA.On 83rd Place, the Patt-Corner family’s six-year-old pup Julian had become lonely during the pandemic, so they adopted nine-month-old rescue Aussie, Koda, through SOHO Dog Rescue, which saves herding dogs and mixes. They became fast friends. Koda is a delight! By Loretta Devery IngallsVillage News Content Editor... Read more...CJCA Financial Statement: ExplanationFebruary 14, 2021A Brief Explanation of the CJCA Financial Statement As you can see from the 2020 CJCA Financial Statement (below), the Cabin John Citizens Association is fiscally sound even though we were unable to hold our big fundraiser, the CJ Chicken and Crab Feast. The last CJCA-sponsored event before the pandemic shut everything down was our Trivia Night fundraiser, which netted close to $1,200 towards the CJ Signage project. The signage committee, spearheaded by Greg Paulson, a CJCA vice president, is hoping to have a couple of design options to share with the community this spring. The generous $1,500 100th Anniversary donation in this year’s financials was given to support the MacArthur Blvd. Beautification Project. The statement, prepared by CJCA Treasurer Bob Walsh of 81st Street, shows that 2020 income primarily came from dues and donations. A big thank you to all the duespaying community members and those that generously donated additional funds totaling $3,843 to the CJCA as well as $2,091 to the Friends of the Cabin John Creek and $1,456 to the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center. It is disheartening that only half of the roughly 750 CJ households and businesses make the effort to pay the $20 annual dues. I hope when you receive the dues letter shortly, you will consider all that the CJCA does and take the time to pay your dues. Of note, The Village News came within $500 of breaking even this year, with revenue topping $12,200 and printing and mailing expenses coming in at some $12,700. On the expense side, some $3,300 was spent on advocacy tied to the state’s Beltway expansion and the preservation of the Morningstar 88 Moses Hall and cemetery. Our balance on hand at the start of 2020 is impressive at more than $28,000. The CJCA does have outstanding obligations of more than $7,000 for the 2021 CJ Directory and likely $800 or so for additional work on our website, www.cabinjohn.org. By Susan ShippCJCA President... Read more...Two CJCA Heroes: Marcy Harrison & Nancy RussellFebruary 14, 2021Marcy Harrison: Retired but Not Retiring Longtime CJ volunteer Marcy Harrison of Cypress Grove Lane took on the role of CJCA vice president of communications and editor of the 2021 Cabin John Directory in late 2019. Now that the directory project is just about wrapped up—look for your directory in the mail this March — Marcy is adding to her Cabin John volunteer duties. As of February, Marcy is the business manager for The Village News. In that role, Marcy will be managing all of the newsletter’s display and classified advertising, subscriptions, andthe master mailing list. Marcy will also continue to serve as a CJCA vice president of communications, focusing on maintaining directory listing information and helping with the Cabin John website. The Cabin John Citizens Association would love to add a second vice president of communications. This volunteer would be responsible for publicizing CJCA events and other activities in the newsletter and on the CJCA listserv. Anyone interested in learning more about this position is urged to contact CJCA President Susan Shipp at jsjshipp3@verizon.net. The Village News recently interviewed Marcy about her new role and life in general: Since we last interviewed you in late 2019, you retired from your job in the healthcare industry. How is that going? I love, love, love it! Every day is a Saturday! I get great joy from little things that are new for me now—like how much easier it is to do errands during the week when there are few people out. I have the time to reconnect with friends, and to pursue new learning on miscellaneous topics. I have always wanted to assume more volunteer service roles, such as the CJCA business manager, and to be more available to help out with our three daughters and our grandkids. Now I can. My youngest daughter is taking full advantage of my newly available time to help her plan her October wedding. I have not yet started all the home organization projects that are waiting for me, but I have been able to take up some new hobbies. Tell us about that. I’m diving deeply into birding. I’ve taken trips with the Audubon Naturalist Society and the Montgomery Bird Club. I’m participating in the backyard bird count and other bird counting efforts. I’m taking up bird photography. There is so much to learn! Like a lot of people in the pandemic, I am doing more reading. I found the Diane Rehm Book Club online, and I am enjoying it a lot. I also plan to re-start piano and banjo lessons. Do you have any post-pandemic retirement plans? My husband and I hope to get back to doing more traveling. We were supposed to go to Portugal last October. I’ve been studying Portuguese online for a year! I also hope to find a local book club, movie club, and game night group. If you have any suggestions for finding these, please let me know! Nancy Russell: Leader of Spirited Community Outreach Did you receive a CJ welcome bag when you moved to Cabin John? Have you attended the annual New Neighbor Potluck or bought a ticket to CJCA’s annual Chicken and Crab Feast fundraiser from a block coordinator? If so, you have Nancy Russell to thank. For more than four years, Nancy has served as the CJCA’s vice president for community outreach. Nancy took the newly created position so that she could focus on creating community cohesion. Elected in May 2017, Nancy had the CJ Block Coordinator Program up and running before the end of the year. After breaking down the community into 31 “blocks” of one to two dozen households, Nancy recruited one or more volunteers for each area. In addition to welcome bag deliveries and ticket sales for the crab feast, block coordinators are occasionally asked to share important community news, such as when the revamped Neighbor 2 Neighbor assistance program — another Nancy led effort — was launched. In 2018, Nancy coordinated the inaugural New Neighbors Potluck held each spring. Nancy has enriched the community well beyond her official role. Nancy and her husband Craig have been active members of the community since 2004 when they moved into their home on 76th Street, lending a hand at crab feasts, Fourth of July celebrations, and CJ holiday parties. In March, Nancy and Craig will be moving to Sonoma, CA, which will surely benefit from their enthusiastic community spirit. The CJCA wishes them well in their new adventure and offers a heartfelt thanks for all the ways they enriched the community over the years. BY SUSAN SHIPPCJCA President... Read more...Moses Hall Fieldwork UnderwayFebruary 14, 2021Moses Hall Fieldwork Underway As State Moves Forward With Beltway Plans The State Highway Administration started to clear bamboo in mid-January at the Morningstar Moses Hall & Cemetery site as part of additional field investigations required under theenvironmental review process tied to Gov. Hogan’s Beltway expansion plans. But even though the final environmental impact statement is not expected until the fall, on Jan. 27 Maryland highway officials announced their pick for a plan to expand I-495 and I-270 that would add four toll lanes to each roadway. As currently envisioned, the plan also would include a managed lane flyover access ramp at River Road that would cross Seven Locks Rd. and encroach on the Moses Hall property. Furthermore, the Maryland Department of Transportation expects to choose a predevelopment contractor for the multibillion-dollar project this month. While it’s still too early to know what these choices might mean for Cabin John, the Moses Hall property is already dealing with a number of issues driven by the state’s Beltway expansion efforts. The Cabin John Citizens Association will host a Zoom meeting Feb. 24 at 7:30pm to provide an update on the state’s expansion plans and all the work going into preserving the Moses Hall property. Please look for a CJCA email with the Zoom meeting link a few days before the meeting. Reconstituting Morningstar Tabernacle Number 88, Inc. A critical piece to protecting the Moses Hall property has been to reestablish an ownership entity. In 1885 Cabin John’s African American community established Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88, a local branch of the Ancient United Order of Brothers and Sisters, Sons and Daughters of Moses, a black fraternal organization created by Peter Paul Brown in 1868 in Pennsylvania. Most of this small community, early on known as Gibson Grove and later as simply No. 10, belonged to Morningstar 88. It built the Moses Hall lodge, a two-story structure, on land formally conveyed to Morningstar Moses 88 by John D.W. Moore in 1901. (Earlier in 1887 George and wife Surilla— aka Cyrilla—Scott had conveyeda portion of their land to Morningstar 88 to create a small “road” to reach the burial site and hall.) Like other benevolent societies in this era, Morningstar 88 played a critical role in the post-Emancipation era by providing to its members funds in case of illness, education to orphans,and, uniquely in Montgomery County, a burial place for its members not requiring specific church affiliation. (While most of its members were part of the local Gibson Grove AME Zion Church, there were some who belonged to area Baptist churches.) Morningstar’s Moses Hall was not only used for lodge meetings, it also served as a social center for the community and at times housed the Cabin John School for black children. By the mid-1990s, the need for Morningstar 88 dwindled as insurance and other services became more available to the community, but lodge members continued to be buried in the Morningstar Moses Cemetery well into the 1970s. Over time, however, Morningstar 88 became defunct. Moses Hall descendants and volunteers have worked diligently with pro bono counsel over the past year to appoint substitute trustees to reestablish the ownership entity, address tax issues, and bring it in good standing with the state. The three substitute trustees are Moses Hall descendant Austin E. White of Carver Rd., local preservationist Eileen McGuckian, and archeologistDr. Alexandra Jones. They will work to establish by-laws and add trustees while moving forward with meaningful preservation and advocacy efforts for this historic site. Ensuring the State’s Fieldwork Does No Harm Most immediately, this effort enabled trustees to appear at the Dec. 29 court hearing to request that the state’s attorney more carefully define and limit the state highway administration’s(SHA) access and work at this sensitive site. As part of the environmental assessment, the SHA must complete additional field investigations, monitored by an on-site archaeologist, within the Limits of Disturbance (LOD) area of the potential Beltway expansion. A number of known burial sites and the foundation of the hall — the only known physical remains of an Order of Moses Hall in Montgomery County — fall within the LOD. To complete its investigations, the state must first remove the bamboo from the property. As of early February, the cutting was well underway, but the state still needed to work out the complicated logistics for removal of the cut bamboo from the property. Beltway lane closures will be required for the project. The cemetery and hall site is currently closed to the public. Friends of Moses Hall Continues Its Preservation Efforts Friends of Moses Hall, a group comprised of descendants of Moses Hall, historic preservationists, and Cabin John community members, has been working tirelessly since fall 2019 to preserve and protect the property. In 2020, the Cabin John Citizens Association provided $2,000 to haul away mounds of debris cleared by volunteers. With the state now required to clear out the remaining bamboo on the property so that its assessment can continue, Friends of Moses Hall is focusing on ensuring the bamboo does not growback. The group brought in a landscaper that does bamboo remediation. He expects it will take several years of treatments to fully eradicate the bamboo. The cost estimate for the first year of treatment exceeds $4,000. In late January, Friends of Moses Hall received a $3,000 Trader Foundation grant from the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites. This grant money is earmarked for bamboo remediation and to cover filing fees to bring Morningstar 88 Moses Hall in good standing with the state. In the coming months Friends of Moses Hall, the Cabin John Citizens Association, and others will be working with the SHA and the private contractors it selects to avoid and mitigateimpacts to the property as part of the next phase of the environmental process. Please visit Friends of Moses Hall’s recently launched website www.friendsofmoseshall.org to learn more about Morningstar Moses Cemetery and Hall and the ongoing efforts to preserveand protect this historic treasure in Cabin John. By Charlotte Troup LeightonCJCA Vice President for Advocacy... Read more...Local Nature: Homegrown Wildlife Preserves in Cabin JohnJanuary 29, 2021Thoreau cherished his Walden Pond. We, the fortunate residents of Cabin John, live closer to wilderness than the reclusive Henry David. To the south is the wild Potomac and its luxurious riparian forest, which form the C&O Canal National Historic Park. A fact few know: the Potomac is one of the three wildest (i.e., undammed) rivers to flow through the capital city of any nation. To the north, protecting us from the noise and motor madness of the Beltway, is Cabin John Local Park, which hugs Cabin John Creek and serves as refuge for many rare plants of Maryland. But in between these two parks, where has the wildness gone that not so long ago was in evidence? The truth is that Cabin John has been transformed in the past 25 years from a village of small cottages underneath majestic shade trees and patches of wild to large houses with extensive lawns and many fewer trees. This is not a condemnation but simply an observation of a trend, one that plays out in many of the suburbs of large metropolitan areas of America. Another trend some of us have noticed: with the increase in the cover of our yards by monocultures of grass lawns kept green and thriving by chemicals and fertilizers, populations of bees, butterflies, moths, and beetles—what E. O. Wilson called, “the little things that run the world”—are plummeting rapidly. Even those who don’t like beetles or flies or are scared of caterpillars falling from tree canopies probably love the songs of birds in our backyards. But in fact, those songbirds—our beloved catbird, the spunky Carolina wren, the proud American robin, the ethereal flutist known as the wood thrush—are made primarily from bugs. And these songsters require lots of bugs to feed their young and themselves. In September, when insects become scarce, a helping of wild fruits is also a draw for those species needing to tank up before migrating south for winter. (Of course, the other vital role that insects play besides being a convenient meal is their central role in pollination of our crops and garden plants). Perhaps Cabin John residents have become more tuned in to birds than ever before, given how much time we have spent this past year staring out into our backyards. As the world ponders how to build back better after the coronavirus pandemic, what can we, as good citizens of Cabin John, do to aid in this effort? My suggestion is that, in addition to whatever else we might plan to do, we become good ecological citizens as well. And more specifically, I suggest we join the growing global movement to restore nature by turning a fraction of our expansive grass lawns and city parks into homegrown wildlife preserves. Entomologist Doug Tallamy, a professor at the University of Delaware and the leading proponent of bringing nature into our backyards, identifies the scope of the problem and what we can do to rectify it: “It’s actually quite simple—abandon the age- old concept that humans live here and nature is somewhere else and embrace the concept that we need to share our spaces with nature. We enjoy a walk in the woods; we enjoy seeing butterflies, birds, beautiful flowers, etc. Research has shown that spending time in nature is the very best way to recharge your attention span and deal with the stresses of life. Living with nature is a healthy necessity, not a sacrifice we must endure. We have 45.6 million acres of lawns and it is growing by 500 square miles each year. That’s an area 8 times the size of New Jersey from which the species that run our ecosystems have been removed. Now that we see the big picture, homeowners can take action. Lawn should be restricted to the areas on which we walk in our landscapes; it is a mechanism for guiding us through our landscapes. Lawn should not be our default landscaping practice. If we cut the area of lawn in half, we could create the equivalent of a new national park that is 20 million acresin size. That alone would create the biggest natural area in the nation, bigger than most of our national parks combined.” In Cabin John, most residents have large yards, a rarity inside the Capital Beltway. We don’t have to go so far as to cut the land area of our yards in half, though. Creating a garden bed devoted to native plants would be a good start. To guide the ecological citizens among us, the columns for this year will have a common theme: What are the most beautiful native plants we can grow that feed the bugs and butterflies that feed the birds and help prevent the extinction of life on Earth? Each month’s column will feature a favorite that is easy to grow, is available from local nurseries, and that contributes to rewilding your yard. Can you imagine an archipelago of wild gardens across Cabin John, serving as a safe haven for Monarch butterflies and Luna moths? Where American Goldfinches gather seeds and catbirds imitate the bird songs of the neighborhood? When it comes to nature, isn’t this the very essence of building back better? We’ll build up to the end point, the last column of 2021, for creating your own backyard forest preserve. But for the first installment, let’s start small with that flower bed or patch of yard turned over to nature. This month considers the ground cover we gardeners often plant or allow to spread to avoid weeding. The most common invaders, English ivy and winter creeper (covered in last year’s columns on alien invasives) crowd out native plants in our forests and in our yards. Let’s yank them out, and in their place, try these two spectacular ground covers: Woodland stonecrop and Allegheny spurge. Many people are familiar with stonecrops: with their thick succulent leaves they are popular indoor and roof- garden plants as they require little care and store water in their tissues. The non-native varieties planted on roofs are covered in sprays of flowers of vivid colors. Our single native, Woodland stonecrop (Sedum ternatum), has a pure white corolla. It thrives in bright sun and is about the easiest plant to propagate: if you inadvertently slice off a stem in planting or transplanting, stick it in the ground. The plant spreads quickly over the surface and in the spring, you will enjoy a carpet of lovely foliage and white flowers (you can even eat the leaves in salad or put the flowers in jars of pickles). Make your bees happy; those that come will pollinate other flowering species in your garden. Then there is the Allegheny spurge, one of the most beautiful ground covers in the region, sporting male flowers rising in spikes of white above attractive scalloped leaves dotted in purple and silver. It is much more attractive, in fact, than the ubiquitous non-native Japanese spurge that chokes out all below it. The Allegheny, or mountain, spurge spreads more slowly than Japanese spurge so you can plan out your garden and move it and stonecrop around. If you have picked a sunny spot to start your very own wildlife preserve, stick in plugs of woodland stonecrop stems a few inches apart. If you have a shady spot, go with the Allegheny spurge. Above all, don’t give the periwinkle (a highly toxic plant that is all over gardens in Cabin John) an inch of space and keep out the English ivy. With these native ground covers, we can beautify Cabin John and offer food for our dwindling bee populations as well as all the other insects threatened by the chemical warfare that rages in suburbia. ERIC DINERSTEIN, Contributing Writer ILLUSTRATION BY TRUDY NICHOLSON ... Read more...CJCA Dues PaymentJanuary 29, 2021Your CJCA Dues Payment Matters Now More Than Ever. Please keep a lookout in your mailbox for your 2021 Cabin John Citizens Association dues letter. Only $20 per household annually, the dues collected are critical to supporting all the activities and advocacy of the CJCA. Dues from the community is the primary source of CJCA funds. Generally, 50 percent of the community pays dues, bringing in roughly $7,000. Our other major fundraiser is the annual Chicken and Crab Feast, which usually nets about $3,500. As you know, the pandemic forced us to cancel the 2020 crab feast, dealing a blow to our budget. In addition to dues information, the letter will detail how you can make contributions to the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center and the Friends of the Cabin John Creek. The CJCA benefits everyone in the community through activities, advocacy, The Village News, the Cabin John website, the directory, and other services. We hope you will do your part by paying your 2021 dues as promptly as possible. Don’t want to wait until you receive the letter? Take care of business and pay your dues online now! By Susan ShippCJCA President... Read more...CJ Giving Tree Project Raises $7,210January 29, 20212020 was the 10th anniversary of Cabin John’s Giving Tree Project, and the community pulled together to raise a record amount. The project, which benefits SOME (So Others Might Eat), a Washington, DC organization that helps the poor and homeless through services, such as training and shelter, aimed to raise $5,000 to match the community’s generosity in previous years. Some 100 Cabin John families donated a total of $7,210 in gift cards, far exceeding the goal. “It is heartwarming to see the outpouring of generosity. One of the many reasons to love living here!” said Lori Reickelman of 79th Street. Lori has coordinated this effort since it began. She sends a big thank you to all who contributed. By Susan ShippCJCA President... Read more...New Year Promises New CJ DirectoryJanuary 29, 2021The new 2021 Cabin John Directory is on track to be in the mail by the end of February. While this represents a delay from our original goal of publishing in 2020, the Cabin John Citizens Association hopes you will find it worth the wait. The CJ Directory, last published in 2015, is mailed free of charge to every household in Cabin John. For the 2021 version, we are adding email addresses and cell phone numbers for adults listed. Like previous directories, there will be the ability to look up names by street, a local talent section, and information on local businesses and services. While the pandemic precluded house-to-house canvassing for resident information as was done for previous directories, every attempt was made to reach all 715 or so households in 2020 through notices in The Village News, letters, emails, and phone calls. The listings are comprehensive for Cabin John and include 20817 residents living within the geographic boundaries of Cabin John (the triangle created by the Capital Beltway, Cabin John Parkway and the Potomac River) who were previously listed in the 2015 directory and/or who are dues paying members of the Cabin John Citizens Association. ATTENTION NEW CABIN JOHN RESIDENTSThe directory editors are concerned that folks who moved into Cabin John during the pandemic may not have had a chance to express their interest in being included in the new directory. If you became a CJ resident in 2020 and have not yet shared your name, address, and any contact information you want to be in a directory listing, please send an email to the editor, Marcy Harrison, at cjdirectory2020@gmail.com. She will be happy to answer any questions and work with you to be included. By Marcy Harrison2021 CJ Directory Editor... Read more...Changes to the CJ Community ListservNovember 18, 2020The Cabin John Community Listserv serves as CJ’s informal neighborhood listserv that lets all members share information, post items for sale, ask questions, make recommendations, report missing pets, and otherwise reach out to the community. Since its inception, the Cabin John listserv has been hosted on Yahoo Groups, which announced it is shutting down effective Dec. 15. The Cabin John Listserv is now on Groups.io. To join this listserv, send an email with your name and street address (to verify residence) to: cabinjohn+subscribe@groups.io. Membership is open to current and former CJ residents. The purpose of this listserv is to share information and have discussions that are hyperlocal to Cabin John and that are non-commercial/non-political in nature. Anyone wishing to advertise their business to the CJ community may want to consider The Village News. Classified ads are 30 cents a word. The community listserv differs from the Cabin John Citizens Association listserv, which remains the go-to source for timely news and information about upcoming community events and important issues of possible interest to CJ residents. The CJCA listserv lets the association keep CJ residents informed without overloading the inbox – usually just a few emails a month. CJCA listserv members cannot communicate with each other. To join this list, send an email to: cjca-official-news+subscribe@googlegroups.com. More information on local listservs is available in the Get Connected section of the website. By Susan ShippCJCA President... Read more...CJ Giving Tree Branching Out Due to COVIDNovember 17, 2020THE DEADLINE FOR DONATIONS IS DEC. 5For Info: rieckell@aol.com This year marks the 10th anniversary of Cabin John’s Giving Tree Project. Like many things in 2020, the pandemic is redefining this community service effort, which provides gifts to children and adults in need through SOME (So Others Might Eat), a Washington DC organization that helps the poor and homeless through services, such as training and shelter Instead of gifts for the upcoming holidays, SOME is asking for gift cards for the people in its transitional housing. In previous years, CJ residents have provided generous gifts for 50 to 60 people living in SOME’s transitional housing. The community traditionally raises an additional $500 or more for SOME through the raffle at the holiday party. SOME says the switch to gift cards is to minimize donor risk of COVID through shopping. Recipients can make their purchases online, and no one involved has any increased exposure. Gift cards in $50 increments to stores such as Target, Walmart, Macy’s, and Amazon, as well as Visa and Mastercard would be most versatile. But cards for any retailer of any denomination are appreciated. It will take about $5,000 worth of gift cards for Cabin John to be as generous as in previous years, says Lori Rieckelman of 79th Street. Rieckelman coordinates this effort with the Brookmont and Glen Echo communities. Given the economic hardship faced by so many during this difficult year, wouldn’t it be great if we could give even more? Gift cards should be brought to Lori’s house. Email Lori at rieckell@aol.com to arrange a drop off time. By Lori RieckelmanCJ Resident... Read more...CJ Cemetery Garners Needed Attention of Politicians and PressNovember 16, 2020In the last month, politicians and the media have focused their attention on Cabin John’s Moses Hall and Cemetery. The historic African American property off Seven Locks Rd. is threatened by the state’s planned Beltway expansion. Maryland State Delegate Sara Love and the Friends of Moses Hall hosted a private tour of the Moses Morningstar Cemetery, Moses Hall lodge site, and Gibson Grove Church Oct. 17 for county and state officials as well as members of the media. The event aimed to draw attention to efforts by descendants of Moses Hall as well as the CJ community and preservationists to protect these important historic sites. If the Beltway expansion moves forward as currently designed, project maps and reports show graves and portions of the Moses Hall foundation would fall within the construction Limits of Disturbance. In a Sept. 24 Maryland Matters article on environmental justice, Delegate Love described how the construction of the Beltway in the 1960s decimated the Gibson Grove community and stated that the government has a responsibility “not to exacerbate prior injustices, but to reverse them.” Love wants the Hogan administration to “stop its mad dash to widen I-495 at all costs.” The tour came about in response to her article. Picture perfect fall weather greeted the 30 tour guests, which included Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Maryland Senator Susan Lee, Montgomery County Councilman Will Jawando, and a number of officials from Montgomery County Planning, M-NCPPC, the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission, and the National Capital Planning Commission. Members of the press from The Washington Post and The Economist also attended. Descendants of those buried at Moses Morningstar and members of the Gibson Grove First Agape A.M.E. Zion Church community, including Cabin John residents Austin White and Shannon Stewart, shared family stories, along with a rich collection of artifacts, photos, memorabilia, and historical records with inquisitive tour guests. Some public officials were moved to tears by the impassioned remarks of Washington DC archaeologist Dr. Alexandra Jones, a staunch advocate of the property since writing her doctoral thesis on the Gibson Grove Community in 2010. Delegate Love said that the event was “powerful, humbling, and enlightening” and shared her commitment to supporting efforts to preserve, protect, and restore these sites. The Oct. 18 Washington Post article written by tour participant Katherine Shaver described the cemetery as “hardly peaceful with Beltway traffic roaring just past the bamboo grove” at the edge of the cemetery. The article noted that historians combing through death notices, burial records, and family histories have documented 78 burials there between 1894 and 1977. The Post story caught the attention of Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, who joined with Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Jamie Raskin and David Trone to urge the Federal Highway Administration and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to avoid possible physical impacts to the Moses Morningstar Cemetery and Hall, as well as Gibson Grove Church. Their Oct. 26 letter went on to suggest that such a major infrastructure project should “promote recovery from earlier impacts by enhancing the visibility and access of the cemetery site and its connection to the community.” Spurred by the Post’s coverage, the CBC Radio, Canada’s national public broadcaster, aired a segment Oct. 29 featuring DC resident Diane Baxter, whose great grandfather was buried in the CJ Moses cemetery in 1894. The ongoing advocacy and growing public awareness have prompted the State Highway Administration to conduct additional field investigations at the cemetery. To do so, the SHA will remove bamboo with hand tools so that the Moses Hall lodge foundation and any gravesites remain undisturbed. SHA officials estimate the bamboo removal process will take up to a month and require daily monitoring by field archaeologists. Friends of Moses Hall will also have representatives on site monitoring the work. Friends of Moses Hall (FMH) is a dedicated group of volunteers, including descendants, members of the Cabin John community as well as others with expertise in archaeology, genealogy, historic preservation, research, and advocacy. FMH was organized in 2020 with the purpose of saving Moses Morningstar Cemetery and Lodge Hall from destruction by the I-495 Beltway expansion. FMH aims to preserve the site as a hallowed resting place and an important African-American historical site. By Charlotte Troup LeightonCJCA Vice President for Advocacy... Read more...COVID Redefines A CJ HalloweenOctober 19, 2020The leaves are turning, the nights getting cool, and pumpkins are populating the roadside stands. Yep, Halloween is just about here. Sadly, with the Clara Barton Community Center still closed, the Friends of Clara Barton C.C. will not be running the Haunted House this October. But what about trick-or-treating? Many neighbors have asked the CJCA what is happening in Cabin John. The association has never endeavored to organize Halloween events, but they did open this topic up for discussion at the Sept. 10 CJCA Zoom meeting. The neighbors in attendance generally felt trick-or-treating could proceed, but the community should be encouraged to follow guidelines to increase safety and show respect for neighbors who don’t wish to participate. In early October, Montgomery County issued guidance discouraging trick-or-treating and offering safer alternatives. The CJCA considered a number of ideas, but concluded that many still risk folks gathering in unsafe numbers or are difficult to implement safely in our small neighborhood streets. The association hopes folks will still get in the Halloween spirit by carving pumpkins, making festive chalk drawings, and decorating their houses and yards. The Village News would love to have photo submissions of your Halloween décor as well as costumed people and pets. Please send your photos to VNEditorial@gmail.com no later than Nov. 3 for possible publicationin the November newsletter. WHAT ABOUT TRICK-OR-TREATING?Despite the county guidance against it, the CJCA expects that some CJ residents will opt to let their kids hit the streets, and others will gladly make treats available. Should you choose to trick-or-treat, the CJCA encourages everyone to follow these important guidelines to minimize the risk of spreading COVID while participating in this Halloween tradition. FOR PEOPLE PASSING OUT GOODIES Only offer commercially-wrapped treats. Skip the bowl and spread the treats out on the table or make individual grab-n-go bags.Put your goodies on a table in front of the house or at the end of the driveway so there is no touching of doorbells or crowding by entryways.Put hand sanitizer on the table, and encourage trick-or-treaters to use it before picking up their treat.If you are outside with your treats, wear a mask and stay at least six feet away from the table and the trick-or-treaters.Encourage trick-or-treaters not to linger and discourage any congregating. FOR TRICK-OR-TREATERS & PARENTS At least one adult should supervise each group of trick-or-treaters to ensure that social distancing and other guidelines are followed.Show respect for neighbors who don’t participate. No doorbell ringing! Only approach neighbors who have set up their offerings outside.Wear the right masks. Costume masks do not necessarily provide protection. Incorporate a cloth mask into the costume. (A fun pre-Halloween activity might be to get a white or black mask and have your child paint or draw on it to make it work with their costume.)Trick-or-treat only with family members or those kids that are part of your quarantine pod. Do not invite folks outside of Cabin John into the neighborhood to trick-or-treat with you.Maintain six feet of distance between groups and from neighbors passing out treats.If a particular street becomes congested, trick-or-treating groups should stay to the right side of the street in the direction they are moving.Candy and treats should not be eaten while trick-or-treating. Better to wait until home after hands are washed. With Halloween falling on a Saturday AND a full moon, we hope our CJ ghouls and goblins can have some safe outdoor fun however you choose to celebrate. Remember: keep wearing masks, stay six feet apart, and wash hands! We’re headed into flu season, and this is no time to let up! BY NANCY RUSSELLOutgoing CJCA Vice President of Community Outreach Addendum:A map is being developed to mark homes that have agreed to participate in safe, socially-distanced trick-or-treating. To add your house to the map, fill out this short google form. The map will be shared with the CJ Neighborhood and CJCA listservs no later than Saturday morning (October 31).... Read more...Consultants Advise CJ on Response to Beltway Expansion ReportOctober 18, 2020Cabin John residents have until Nov. 9 to submit comments in response to the the 19,000-page draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on the state’s massive plan to expand I-495 and I-270 using variablepricing toll lanes. Given the size of the DEIS and the complexity of all the potential impacts to our community, the Cabin John Citizens Association hired VHBMetroDC, a transportation, design, engineering andconsulting firm in mid-September to provide guidance. The consulting contract came after a Sept. 10 emergency CJCA meeting, held via Zoom, during which the community authorized up to $2,000 for consultants to develop technical points that focus on the negative impacts to traffic on MacArthur Blvd., Seven Locks Rd. and Persimmon Tree Rd., both during construction and in the longer term. The community also approved $1,000 to be given to help CJ’s Evergreen neighborhood on Cypress Grove Lane with their efforts to oppose any property takings on their street as well as to argue for noise barriers, storm water management and tree canopy replacement. The Carderock Springs Community Association also contracted with VHB for assistance with their comments. VHB is also providing pro bono consulting services to the Friends of Moses Hall & Cemetery to develop their written comments. Final comment letters from all of these groups will be posted as they become available. The concerns raised in the DEIS are many. There is the overarching question of whether this project, estimated at $11 billion or more, is needed given the commuting changes brought about by the pandemic. Other serious concerns for Cabin John, including property takings, noise pollution, stormwater runoff, local road congestion, parkland loss, and negative impacts on ourcultural resources, such as the Moses Hall & Cemetery site and the C&O Canal. (See below for the various points that you could raise in your comment letter.) Cabin John residents are urged to submit comments either via email to MLSNEPA-P3@mdot.maryland.gov, or by letter to: Lisa Choplin, DBIA, I-495 & I-270 P3 Program Director, MDOT State Highway Administration I-495 & I-270 P3 Office, 707 North Calvert Street, Mail Stop P-601, Baltimore, MD 21202. Whichever way you comment, it is most impactful if you share a copy of your comments with County Executive Marc Elrich and members of the County Council as well as our state delegates and congressional delegation. The CJCA would also be interested in a copy of your comment letter. Please send it to Susan Shipp at jsjshipp3@verizon.net. Comment Letter: What to Say? Here are points you could raise in a number of key areas: CONSTRUCTIONThe replacement of I-495 bridges over local roadways and the reconstruction of local roadway bridges over the highway could have substantial impact on our community’s commutes and quality of life. The Final EIS must detail potential roadway closures and needed modifications in these locations. The current construction analysis fails to explain how construction materials would be stored and staged along I-495 between the C&C Canal and Seven Locks Rd. as well as the means and methods of constructing the new River Rd. (MD 190) off-ramp. A Supplement DEIS and Final EIS needs these disclosures and a Construction Management Plan. Cabin John would object to any staging/storage that causes disruption for our residents and/or affects sensitive areas like parkland and seeks a commitment to avoid such uses in the Final EIS. LONG-TERM TRAFFICThe induced traffic created by the project could cause substantial long-term harm to our community. In the Traffic Technical Report, Figure 5-73 indicates that the Clara Barton Parkway and River Rd., would see greater than 10% increases in delays with the project. Despite this clear impact, this effect is not reported in the Draft EIS and is not proposed for mitigations. This failure must be addressed in a Supplemental DEIS with community impacts substantively resolved. The analysis of arterials that do not intersect I-495 is limited and inconsistent, as reported in Figure 5-73. While MD 410 is analyzed for traffic impacts, other state highways like Wilson Rd. (MD 188) and Goldsboro Rd. (MD 614) are not evaluated. MacArthur Blvd. and Seven Locks Rd., both critical non-state road commuter routes, do not receive any traffic impact analysis. This glaring omission is especially egregious as Appendix A of the Traffic Technical Report, states that the River Rd., Cabin John Parkway, and Clara Barton Parkway exit ramps will seeincreases of up to 55% over existing volumes and up to 40% over volumes in the No-Build Alternative. No substantial modifications to the parkways are planned by SHA, Montgomery County, or the National Park Service. A Supplemental DEIS is needed to model the traffic impacts on Seven Locks and MacArthur and the Final EIS needs to include appropriate mitigation. Future Clara Barton Parkway traffic would make use of MacArthur Blvd. at the Cabin John and Glen Echo exits, which are at unacceptable peak-hour operating conditions today. The constrained infrastructure in the area, including the one-lane Union Arch Bridge and the reversible lane management at Glen Echo, means limited ways to address the increased volumes. The Supplemental and Final EIS must include mitigations to minimize the impacts of commuter traffic spillover into our community. NEW RIVER RD. OFF-RAMPThe noise impacts as well as the visual impacts of the new MD 190 off-ramp are inadequately analyzed in the Draft EIS. More detailed noise analysis and a Visual Impact Assessment should be prepared and incorporated into a Supplemental DEIS for review and comment. The MD 190 off-ramp would negatively affect sensitive wetlands and parkland, as shown in Appendix D. Section 4(f) considerations require the evaluation of approaches to avoid the use of such parkland. Because of the unacceptable visual and property impacts, the Final EIS should remove an eastbound flyover off-ramp onto MD 190 and replace it with an at-grade exit. NOISE ANALYSIS & BARRIERSPast promises to provide noise barriers along I-495 in our vicinity have not been kept. While the Noise Analysis Technical Report (Appendix J) indicates it is feasible and reasonable to construct noise barriers along both sides of I-495 between Persimmon Tree Lane and Seven Locks Rd., the Final EIS, Record of Decision, and project implementation need to include a commitment by the SHA that noise barriers are constructed at no direct cost to residents. The noise barrier design should include information about the location, height, grading, tree takings and its acoustical effectiveness so that it can be assessed by our community. Even if the project does not move forward, we implore SHA and Montgomery County officials to develop a program and associated funding for “Type II” noise barriers to address the unconscionable onslaught of noise already subjected on our community. MOSES HALL & CEMETERYThe Moses Hall & Cemetery property is described in the DEIS as being “adversely affected” by all build alternatives. As currently designed, the limits of disturbance (LOD) would significantly impact the historic property, including portions of the Moses Hall foundation wall, a section of the access way from Seven Locks Rd, and grave locations. This is unacceptable and the final EIS must offer mitigation that protects this historic property. PARKLAND & TREE CANOPYWe are concerned by the impacts to parks surrounding our community and insufficient efforts to avoid their use. Consistent with Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act, use of Federal and local parkland should be avoided wherever possible. As indicated in the Environmental Resource Mapping (Appendix D), the construction of the project would affect meaningful portions of the C&O Canal. The off-ramp from I-495 to MD 190 would require substantial use of Cabin John Park. The Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation (Appendix F) fails to document any efforts to avoid this use. Further avoidance measures must be pursued and described in the Final EIS. The tree canopy and bucolic setting define Cabin John and substantial tree removal would alter the visual character of the community. Avoidance measures must be taken to reduce the number of trees affected by the project and should be documented in detail. STORMWATERThe stormwater analysis in the Draft EIS is inadequate to ensure that existing and future stormwater issues associated with the project are properly managed. According to the Natural Resources Technical Report, the Cabin John Creek watershed would see substantial impacts (Table 2.3-8). These impacts would result from additional impervious surfaces from the Alternatives (Table 2.9-60). The Final EIS must contain more detailed information regarding the Preferred Alternative approach to addressing stormwater in Cabin John and its environs. BY SUSAN SHIPPCJCA President... Read more...Clara Barton Paving Project to Begin in Cabin JohnOctober 17, 2020The project to repave the Clara Parton Parkway, which began this summer, is now reaching Cabin John. According to a press release from the National Park Service, pavement repairs at the Clara Barton Parkway interchange in Cabin John are underway mid-October. They will start on the Eastbound ramp, which is planned to be closed nightly from 7:00 pm to 6:15 am until Oct. 24. The Westbound ramp will then close beginning Oct. 25 through Nov. 2 — during this time the Westbound ramp will be closed day and night, and drivers will need to detour. The park service will then be making safety updates to the Cabin John Access Road, including updated striping and signage for two turning lanes onto MacArthur Blvd., and bolder Don’t Block The Box (DBTB) pavement striping and stop bars at Ericsson Rd. This phase of the work will close the Cabin John Access Road from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm: Nov. 3 to Nov. 6 at Ericsson Rd.Nov. 7 and Nov. 8 (northbound)Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 (southbound) NPS will post detours, and flaggers will be present to during the day to direct traffic. For more information, visit http://go.nps.gov/CBParkwayRepaving or contact Aaron LaRocca, Chief of Staff for the George Washington Memorial Parkway, at aaron_larocca@nps.gov or by calling 202-438-6619. BY LORETTA DEVERY INGALLSVillage News Content Editor... Read more...Cabin John Speaks Out on Beltway Expansion ImpactsSeptember 11, 2020The Cabin John Citizens Association and two CJ residents testified Sept. 3 at a virtual hearing to provide comments on the possible environmental impacts of Governor Hogan’s massive planto expand I-495 and I-270 using variablepricing toll lanes. This was one of six public hearings collecting oral comments on the 19,000-page draft environmental impact statement for the project. Speakers were given three minutes for their statements. Charlotte Troup Leighton of Cypress Grove Lane spoke on behalf of the Evergreen community, which backs up to the Beltway. There are 27 homes on Cypress Grove Lane, and a number of them would be directly impacted as the expansion plan is currently defined. (See Charlotte Troup Leighton’s testimony.) In addition to expressing general concern about the project being ill-conceived and fiscally irresponsible, Charlotte raised very specific issues with the lack of detail in the plan when it comes to stormwater management, the effectiveness and placement of noise barriers, and the harmful effects on the neighborhood of living through years of construction. Charlotte also expressed opposition to a flyover access ramp that looks to be located on part of the Moses Hall & Cemetery property, which is also off Cypress Grove Lane. Kara Cunzeman, also of Cypress Grove Lane, spoke to some of the same issues. “We ask that a more detailed plan be put together that mitigates negative consequences to our properties, local wildlife, and the environment during and after the construction,” she said. (See Kara Cunzeman’s testimony.) Kara also called the plan a “complete failure of innovation” that does not address the root of the congestion problem and contributes to climate change. Speaking on behalf of the Cabin John community, CJCA President Susan Shipp said it stands with the Evergreen families in opposition to property takings and the flyover access ramp. She also stressed the need for effective noise barriers and stormwater management. (See Susan Shipp’s testimony.) She also said it is unacceptable that the Moses Hall & Cemetery property, including grave locations, are identified as “adversely impacted” by the expansion plans. Susan’s testimony raised a number of concerns about the projected traffic impacts both during construction and in the longer term. Traffic analysis in the 19,000-page draft environmental impact statement indicates that both River Road and the Clara Barton Parkway will see a greater than 10% increase in delay with managed lanes on I-495. She also noted the lack of documented impacts on Cabin John’s local roads, including Persimmon Tree, Seven Locks Rd., and MacArthur Blvd. She said, “The impacts to these roads must be thoroughly evaluated in the final EIS and mitigation incorporated through improvements to these roadways and policies to reduce their levels of traffic congestion.” The CJCA, Evergreen neighborhood, and Friends of Moses Hall and Cemetery will now shift their focus to putting together more extensive written comments, which must be submitted by Nov. 9. If there are community members willing to help with this effort, please contact Charlotte Troup Leighton or Susan Shipp. Individual community members are also encouraged to submit written statements. CJ RESIDENTS PLEASE SUBMIT COMMENTS! With the years-long construction slated to take place at our doorstep and the project’s possible impact on neighborhood park lands and the historic African American properties in our community, now is the time for Cabin Johners to educate themselves and voice their opinions about this project. The full DEIS, including all technical reports, can be found at: https://495-270-p3.com/deis/. The county’s planning department analysis is available at https:/montgomeryplanningboard.org/i-495-and-i-270-managed-lanes-study/. Cabin John residents are urged to submit written comments on the DEIS comment form, via email to MLSNEPA-P3@mdot.maryland.gov, or by letter to: Lisa Choplin, DBIA, I-495 & I-270 P3 Program Director, I-495 & I-270 P3 Office, 707 North Calvert Street, Mail Stop P-601, Baltimore, MD 21202. Whichever way you choose to comment, it is most impactful if you share a copy of your comments with County Executive Marc Elrich and members of the County Council, as well as our state delegates and congressional delegation. Contact information for all of these folks are available in the PDF below. BY CHARLOTTE TROUP LEIGHTONCJCA Vice President for Advocacy... Read more...County Needs Cabin Johners to Complete Airplane Noise Survey by Sept. 21September 11, 2020The county is asking Cabin John residents and others who live in communities under the flight paths from Reagan National Airport (DCA) to complete an airplane noise questionnaire tohelp determine priorities for proposing new arrival and departure procedures. Participants have until Sept. 21 to complete the survey. As we all know, Cabin John has on average more than 11,000 planes creating noise overhead each month. It is very important that our community’s perspectives on this noise be well represented in this survey. While responses are anonymous, you will be asked to put your zip code in at the end of the questionnaire. The survey is part of a joint effort by Arlington and Montgomery counties to identify, evaluate, and propose ways to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on communities to the north of Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Earlier this year, the two counties hired a consulting team to provide the technical expertise to evaluate flight procedures and noise exposure prior to and following the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) 2015 implementation of its NextGen procedures at DCA. As part of their study, the consultants also will be developing alternative flight procedures designed to meet FAA criteria and mitigate airplane noise in our communities. While the consultants have been hired by the two counties, they will be working with DCA’s Community Noise Working Group, which includes 15 members and their alternates split evenly between Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia. Two CJ residents, Bill Noonan and Susan Shipp, are in their fourth year on the working group. The goal of the noise working group is toidentify practical aircraft noise solutions and make recommendations to the FAA. Formed in fall of 2015, the DCA noise working group has struggled to engage the FAA in any meaningful action to mitigate airplane noise on the ground despite putting forward 18 recommendations for the agency’s consideration. The technical expertise provided by the consultants is expected to ensure the FAA’s ability to act on any new working group recommendations that come out of this joint county-sponsored effort. To keep up with the study updates, visit Arlington County Aircraft Noise page. Go to Montgomery County Quiet Skies Coalition to sign up for key updates on FAA developments and other airplane noise news of importance to Cabin John residents.... Read more...Cabin John Bridge: An Error of OmissionSeptember 11, 2020Last month, in the story I wrote about our wonderfully redesigned CabinJohn.org website, I made a terrible blunder. I forgot to thank Bob Epstein of Arden Rd. for the use of the phenomenal photo he took of Cabin John community members on the Cabin John Bridge. To me it’s an iconic image that captures both the uniqueness of place and the esprit de corps that makes ourcommunity so special. I remember when the photo was taken, in the fall of 2001. We had moved into the neighborhood in July and our daughter was born a month later. We read in The Village News that there would be a party Nov. 17 to celebrate the reopening of the one-lane bridge, which had been shut down for several months for repairs. As the photo will attest, the weather was glorious. In typical Cabin John fashion, there was a low-key parade, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and refreshments. Jeff and I, with Jackie in her stroller, were swept along with the crowd to stand on the bridge for this photograph to be taken. At the time, we only knew a handful of Cabin John families, and they had not come out for this event. At that moment, standing in the midst of the welcoming crowd, is when I started to fall a little bit in love with this community. We have a framed copy of Bob’s picture hanging in our house. It makes me exceedingly happy to have it on the homepage of the Cabin John website. I hope when you take a look at it, youwill pause to consider all that the image says about our home. So, thank you Bob for capturing a beautiful image of an iconic structure and a window into the community of Cabin John. Read a 2001 Washington Post story about the Cabin John Bridge. Susan ShippCJCA President... Read more...Key Beltway Expansion Environmental Study – Public Urged to Weigh InAugust 14, 2020The proposed $10+ billion beltway expansion project reached an important milestone in July with the release of the much-anticipated draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Now it’s time for the public to submit comments, and Cabin John residents are being urged to raise their concerns before the Oct. 8 comment period deadline. The close to 1,800-page draft DEIS includes traffic, environmental, engineering, and financial analyses of the six build alternatives, in comparison to the no-build alternative, along 48 miles of Interstates 270 and 495. The DEIS also describes existing conditions and anticipated impacts — as well as conceptual mitigation — to the community, environment, natural resources,and cultural resources. All of the six build alternatives retained and analyzed in the DEIS include the addition of two lanes in each direction on I-495, incorporating a dynamic tolling managed lanes network with either express toll lanes (ETL) or high-occupancy toll lanes (HOT). Build alternatives will also include new managed toll lanes on I-270 and the full replacement of the American Legion Bridge. The CJCA has a number of ongoing concerns related to the beltway expansion that have been shared with state officials and local agencies over the past 12 to 18 months. These concerns include property takings, noise and air pollution, stormwater runoff, arterial road congestion, loss of parkland, and the negative impacts on our cultural resources, such as the Moses Hall and Cemetery site, Gibson Grove Church, and the C&O Canal. A number of Cabin John neighbors in the Evergreen subdivision are expected to be directly impacted. In its 63-page analysis of the DEIS, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which owns significant park land along I-495, criticized the DEIS for underestimatingits impact on natural, cultural, and recreational resources, and not taking into account local traffic considerations. The review also raised major concerns about its assessment of stormwater treatment, saying that the stormwater management “approach presented in the DEIS is insufficient and ignores decades of degradation that the existing highways have inflicted on local land.” Many in the region are questioning the need for this expensive project in light of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on transportation patterns. MDOT SHA touches on this in the DEIS, but is clearly committed to moving forward with what they consider long-range transportation improvements. CJ RESIDENTS PLEASE SUBMIT COMMENTS! With the years-long construction slated to take place at our doorstep and the project’s possible impact on neighborhood park lands and the historic African American properties in our community, now is the time for Cabin Johners to educate themselves and voice their opinions about this project. The full DEIS, including all technical reports, can be found at: https://495-270-p3.com/deis/. The county’s planning department analysis is available at https:/montgomeryplanningboard.org/i-495-and-i-270-managed-lanes-study/. The state will be holding four online and two in-person public hearings between August 18 and September 10. Cabin John residents are urged to submit comments at one of the public hearings, on the DEIS comment form, via email to MLSNEPA-P3@mdot.maryland.gov, or by letter to: Lisa Choplin, DBIA, I-495 & I-270 P3 Program Director, I-495 & I-270 P3 Office, 707 North Calvert Street, Mail Stop P-601, Baltimore, MD 21202. Whichever way you choose to comment, it is most impactful if you share a copy of your comments with County Executive Marc Elrich and members of the County Council, as well as our state delegates and congressional delegation. Contact information for all of these folks are available in the PDF below. BY CHARLOTTE TROUP LEIGHTONCJCA Vice President for Advocacy Contact-Information-for-Your-Government-Officials... Read more...Cabin John Rallies in Support of BLMAugust 14, 2020More than 500 residents of Cabin John, Bannockburn, Glen Echo, and surrounding communities recently joined with millions around the world to peacefully protest against police brutality and an end to institutional racism. The local Black Lives Matter event, held June 6, 2020, was organized by Cabin John resident Debra Budiani-Saberi with the support of local mothers Brandy Swayze and Jen Jordan. The concept quickly evolved from Debra’s poster-making gatherings into what materialized as a stunning community based, peaceful, child-family-senior-friendly demonstration with protesters socially distanced over four miles of the bike path along MacArthur Blvd., stretching from the Brookmont neighborhood to Persimmon Tree Rd. After some 45 minutes of standing in solidarity with BLM protesters elsewhere, many of the demonstrators made their way to the park by the one-lane bridge to observe a moment of silence for black lives lost due to police brutality and to hear from a number of speakers. U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, fired up with the U.S. Constitution in hand, outlined new legislation to hold police accountable that was being drafted in the Maryland House of Representatives. Two brilliant Bethesda Gen Z-ers, Ian Shayan and Sam Smith, shared their perspectives as did a number of other speakers. “I’m proud to see such a diverse mix of people here today. Your support is indeed inspiring,” noted Sam’s dad, Michael Smith. “But now that we’re all together, we need to have some honest conversations with one another. We can’t ‘get there’ if we’re not willing to ‘go there.’ So let’s all go there together.” The community showed up to listen to black persons’ experiences of racial targeting and violence, reflections on white privilege and to ally towards making change. The road to ending injustices and narrowing disparities is long and uphill. Yet new and renewed commitments are in the making. May we forge ahead with courageous conversations and actions to deepen our healing and expand privileges. May this indeed be the darkness of the womb and an era of rebirthing. Taking a collective and public stand, here in our own community with family and neighbors, for an end to racial profiling, police brutality, and systemic racism is a small and important step forward. All ages young and old came together to say— enough is enough. A challenging road still lies ahead, and hashtags and social media posts are not where the work lies. We need each other as a source of strength to walk the talk and hold each other accountable in the long haul. May we continue to act on our convictions. Thank you to Cabin John residents Susan Shipp, Deborah Duffy, and Burr Grey for your logistical assistance. This spontaneous event would have not been possible without your quick and timely help. Deep appreciation for the Bannockburn PTA Diversity and Inclusion Committee for endorsing this event. BY JEN JORDAN AND BY DEBRA BUDIANI-SABERI... Read more...New Hiker/Biker Trail for CJ Creek ParkAugust 13, 2020By the end of the month Cabin Johners should have a new natural surface trail to enjoy on walks between Seven Locks at Cypress Grove and the park by the one-lane bridge. A five-person crew has been working the better part of two months to build a new roughly 1.5 mile section of the Montgomery Parks Cabin John Stream Valley Trail, according to Bob Turnbull, Montgomery Parks Natural Surface Trails Construction Manager. Turnbull estimates the cost to be about $60,000, including an $18,000 bridge that is the final piece of the trail to be built. With its completion, the whole 8.8 mile Cabin John trail, which runs from Cabin John Regional Park at Goya Rd. to MacArthur Blvd., will be a multi-use trail for bikers as well as hikers. There will be updated maps posted at the kiosk at the MacArthur Blvd. trailhead as well as at the Cypress Grove entrance to the trail. In addition to the bridge installation, the crew is still working on some safety tweaks. “We’ve ridden the trail, and in a couple of places, it is too fast downhill. So we are going back to slow it down and improve the sight lines for shared use,” said Turnbill. They will also be curtailing access to some of the old trail that has become too dangerous due to erosion. However, they are maintaining several access points to the creek where the new trail intersects with the old one. Turnbull says they have gotten better at building natural surface trails in difficult terrain, and he believes this section will now be more sustainable. Turnbull is asking the community to help maintain the trail by: Reporting safety issues, such as downed trees and other serious trail concerns at service.center@montgomeryparks.org or by calling 301-495-2595.Curtailing your use of the trail after heavy rains. He suggests calling the RainoutLine phone at 240-270-0008, and selecting ext. 6 for the Cabin John Creek Trail to hear an automated message about trail closures due to weather.Becoming a Trail Ranger volunteer for this section of the trail. Trail Rangers inspect and perform light trail maintenance work on assigned trail(s) once every three months and after major storm events. (You must be 18 years old to be a ranger.) BIGGER TRAIL PROJECT POSSIBLY COMING SOON Turnbull is hopeful that Montgomery Parks will be back in this area late next year working on a bigger project to recreate a trail that would let hikers and bikers go back into the woods from Seven Locks and River to a new crossing directly opposite where the Cabin John trail runs from River Rd. to Bradley Blvd. Currently, trail users have to leave the park at Seven Locks Rd. shortly before the River Rd. intersection. They then have to cross the intersection and stay on River Rd. until after the Quarry Springs condominium development, where they pick the trail back up again. If Parks is able to secure this $200,000 donation, said Turnbull, it will be able to build a natural surface trail through the 57 acres of park land from River Rd. up near Carderock Springs Rd., where a safe road crossing with flashing beacon lights will be built to connect with the rest of the Cabin John trail. BY SUSAN SHIPPCJCA President... Read more...Moses Hall & Cemetery Finally Recognized as Historic by the StateAugust 12, 2020Cabin John’s treasured Moses Hall and cemetery site was largely ignored early in the state’s initial efforts to characterize possible impact zones for the beltway expansion. Consequently, as part of NEPA/Section 106 process, the site was misrepresented in the state’s Cultural Resources Technical Report, putting it in significant jeopardy. But thanks to the diligent efforts of a number of Moses Hall descendants, county historians, community volunteers, and Cabin John residents over the past year the state has reclassified the property. Officially, as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), there has been a “determination of eligibility for the Morningstar Tabernacle No. 88 Moses Hall and Cemetery, finding it NRHP-eligible.” Subject to Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) concurrence with this finding, this is a big win for this important cultural resource. Unfortunately, despite this recognition of historic significance, the Moses Hall & Cemetery property is still described in the DEIS as being “adversely affected” by all six build alternatives. According to MDOT SHA, the work proposed at this location includes widening along the outside of the I-495 inner loop to construct two new managed lanes and a new ramp to connect the managed lanes with River Road at the existing interchange. As currently designed, the limits of disturbance (LOD) would impact the historic property, including portions of the Moses Hall foundation wall, a section of the former access road from Seven Locks Road, as well as potential grave locations. MDOT indicates that the agency is continuing to examine engineering avoidance alternatives at this location. Limited additional surface mapping and investigative studies are expected at the Moses Hall Lodge and cemetery property in the coming months. Advocacy and preservation efforts related to the Moses Hall property and the Gibson Grove Church, which sits on the other side of the beltway along Seven Locks, are likely to be stepped up in the coming months. If you are interested in helping to work on these preservation efforts, please contact Charlotte Troup Leighton at troupleighton@gmail.com.... Read more...CJ Plans for a Pandemic July 4thJune 18, 2020 Sadly with the pandemic still making large gatherings dangerous, Cabin John’s long-standing 4th of July parade and festivities will be on hiatus this year. But that doesn’t mean the community can’t show its patriotism in other ways. Thanks to John and Annmarie Allen of 81st St., who have been on community flag duty for the last six years, MacArthur Blvd. will be sporting the Red, White, and Blue per usual. Now we ask that the community go big with your patriotic décor. Get out your bunting, flags, balloons, and t-shirts. Decorate your home, your car, your bike, and yourself! Feel free to make chalk drawings in celebration of our nation’s 244th birthday. On this Independence Day, as you stroll the streets of Cabin John amidst the patriotic colors and paraphernalia, remember all that has made the U.S.A. great over these past two and a half centuries and know that we can help carry our country through these troubled times. Check out photos from previous July 4th celebrations. By Susan ShippCJCA President... Read more...Danny Harris’s 95th Birthday ParadeMay 31, 2020The Pandemic Did Not Rain on Danny Harris’s 95th Birthday Parade Danny’s 95th birthday celebration kicked off a few days before his May 2 birthday when the Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Dept. brought their 1930 Brockway Fire Engine by the house to wish him well. Danny’s great grandson, Anthony Farris, born and raised in Cabin John Gardens, is a county police officer. He arranged for squad cars to come by with lights flashing to give Danny a salute. A proud World War II veteran, Danny’s military service was recognized by Stefan Luteijn, an assistant naval attaché with the Embassy of the Netherlands and a Persimmon Tree neighbor. He presented Danny with a friendship pin from the Royal Dutch Navy saying, “The Dutch are grateful to the United States for saving Europe and grateful for you for serving in World War II.”By Susan ShippCJCA President... Read more...ONLINE FORMS: Dues, Directory, Neighbor 2 Neighbor, VolunteeringMarch 16, 2020Support the CJCA with these convenient online forms: Pay your 2020 CJCA dues: FORM Help ensure that the 2020 directory is as accurate as possible by submitting your household contact information: FORM Support your community by volunteering in the CJ Neighbor 2 Neighbor program: FORM Support your community by volunteering with the CJCA: FORM THANK YOU!... Read more...Neighbors Ready to Assist CJ Residents Impacted by Coronavirus CrisisMarch 15, 2020With the coronavirus disrupting daily life as we know it, the coordinators of Cabin John’s Neighbor 2 Neighbor program want to remind everyone that CJ residents are ready to provide assistance during this time of “social distancing” and the need to avoid public transportation, crowded areas and other potentially unhealthy situations. The Neighbor 2 Neighbor (N2N) volunteers are available to help with grocery shopping, drug store runs, rides to doctors’ appointments, meal preparation, errands and other activities. Other assistance provided by N2N volunteers includes pet visits, yard work, simple household jobs and help with bill paying, tax documents and other paperwork. During this difficult time, it maybe hard for your usual support network of friends, family and hired help to assist you when you need it. Please don’t hesitate to contact Neighbor 2 Neighbor for help. N2N coordinators can be reached by calling 301-799-4550 or emailing 4cjn2n@gmail.com. You can also find out more about the program, request assistance, and sign up to volunteer, by filling out this online form. If you are interested in being part of the N2N volunteer network, please reach out to the N2N coordinators using the contact information provided above. Be safe, Judith Bell, Alissa Fox, Bob Norris and Nancy Russell Cabin John Neighbor 2 Neighbor Coordinators... Read more...Family Bingo Night: Feb. 28February 11, 2020HAWAIIAN-THEMED FAMILY BINGO NIGHT SET FOR FEB. 28 Aloha, and Llaki maika’i! (Greetings, and Good Luck!) Don a lei and play to win amid Hawaiian Ha’aheo (decorations) at Family Bingo Night 2020. This fun-filled family event is to be held Friday, Feb. 28. from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. at the Clara Barton Community Center (CBCC), Hawaiian shirts are optional. As hopes are dashed or flung high with each number called, this year’s celebrity callers— MD House of Delegates members Marc Korman and Sara Love—will attempt to ease tensions and maintain order. Admission is free. But each five-dollar Bingo card you buy brings a better chance of taking home one of the many tempting prizes. Pizza slices and soft drinks will be available at bargain rates. We are looking for donations appropriate for kids or adult bingo prizes. Please contact Stace Kimmel at Stace. Kimmel@gmail.com, if you’ve got anything to offer up. Bingo Night is sponsored by the Friends of Clara Barton Community Center and the Montgomery County Recreation Department. Proceeds from the event help fund activities and programs at the center. For more information, call the center’s office at 240-777-4910... Read more...CJCA 100th Celebrated and New Endeavors LaunchedFebruary 11, 2020Thanks to the generosity of the many CJ residents who donated time, talent, and funds, the Cabin John Citizens Association was able to celebrate 100 years of civic pride throughout 2019. Through donations and a very successful Team Trivia Night fundraiser, the association raised some $6,300 for the MacArthur Blvd. Beatification and Cabin John Signage projects. Halfway through the year, the CJCA threw the community a wonderful Cabin John Day celebration. These activities, along with Cabin John’s long-standing traditions, made for a very busy and spirited year worthy of reflection. 100 YEARS OF TRIVIA NIGHTThe first anniversary activity drew 140 CJ residents and friends together for a fun evening of team trivia and community celebration. Spearheaded by Scott and Heidi Lewi, with a huge assist from Florence Lehr, Helen and Clive Harris as well as Craig and Nancy Russell, the night also served as a very successful fundraiser, bringing in close to $1,300 for our anniversary projects. MACARTHUR BLVD. BEAUTIFICATIONSusan Roberts of Wishbone Terrace jumped in to spearhead the gardening effort along Cabin John’s “main street.” The first round of planting in April was done near Alpine Vet with the help of Elizabeth Miller and Susan Shipp. Scott Hoffman, arriving on his gator with a trailer full of helpful supplies, provided critical muscle to get the job done. The plants have prospered, thanks to Anna at Alpine for watering all summer. Minor damage was done by WSSC when the water main broke on 78th St., but the plants have survived. The second project was on the east side of the access road to the Clara Barton Parkway. Elaine Hornauer took responsibility for this area. In mid-August, Scott, Elaine, Beverly, and Susan Roberst added new plants to this area, as well as stones to the corner to protect them from cars. Elaine faithfully weeded and hauled water until the October rains lent a hand. Beverly led the charge for the third project at the west side of the access road. She weeded the long-neglected patch of grasses that were there and added some of her Sedum, which she watered over the summer. At the end of October, the crew rallied, adding several plants to this area, as well as a rose bush to the base of 75th St. Jackie Hoglund of Russell Rd. stopped by with some Salvia plants, which she donated and helped plant. It was great to have her help and her donation! In November, professionals came on the scene to tackle a 75-foot strip of green space where the soil was like concrete from vehicles using it as roadway. A number of CJ residents donated plants for this stretch. A special shoutout to Darla Cable, who dug up and transported five mature Knockout Rose bushes that instantly gave some prominence and, hopefully, protection to this vulnerable strip of land. It’s incredibly impressive what this handful of dedicated folks accomplished in one planting season. They not only improved the look of our community, but they also made the bike path safer in stretches by providing a more substantial barrier between it and the roadway. They hope to continue their work in 2020, if they can recruit more volunteers for planting “parties” and receive more donations of drought-tolerant plantings. Please reach out to Susan Roberts, susanroberts487@gmail. com, if you can help. CABIN JOHN SIGNAGEThere was not quite the bandwidth to tackle this project in 2019. The good news is we have $3,000 in 100th Anniversary funds earmarked for the effort and the possibility of additional funds from the citizens association and new donors. We also have a few folks who have expressed a willingness to help. To make it happen in 2020, we need a group of people willing to see this project through. If you would be willing to serve on the CJ Signage Committee, please contact Susan Shipp, jsjshipp3@verizon.net. CABIN JOHN DAYLuckily, when the call went out for volunteers to make Cabin John Day a reality, members of the community really stepped up. As a result, more than 200 people gathered June 1 for a celebratory afternoon of festivities, food, and live music. The highlights of the day were two activities that truly let participants appreciate the uniqueness of our community. Nancy Russell, Meredith McGuire, and Caitlin Schoen created a clever scavenger hunt that had dozens of kids running around the grounds collecting prizes and learning about Cabin John’s past in the process. Everyone had the opportunity to reflect on Cabin John’s history by perusing the popup museum pulled together by Burr Gray and Joel Ann Todd, with many CJ residents loaning their memorabilia and artifacts. Thanks to all who pitched in with their time, talents, and donations to make our 100th Anniversary year such a success. BY SUSAN SHIPP CJCA PresidentBY SUSAN ROBERTS Chair of the Beautification Committee... Read more...Team Trivia Night (Feb. 22)January 14, 2020SIGNUP IS NOW CLOSED. WE HAVE REACHED CAPACITY. With 20 teams and some 140 participants, last year’s event almost sold out. To make sure you don’t miss out, form your team of up to eight players, and register below! Individuals and small groups may request to be paired up with other players to make an eight-person team, or you can go it alone. Once you’ve registered, you will need to drop off or send your payment to: Scott Lewis, 7507 MacArthur Blvd. More About CJ Team Trivia Back by popular demand, an adult night of CJ Team Trivia! The friendly and fun competition will be held Feb. 22 at the Clara Barton Community Center. The night will include roughly two hours of trivia, a grand prize for the winning team as well as other prizes given throughout the night, non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks. There will be a cash bar for beer and wine, and teams can bring in their own food if they want to dine while they play. The cost is $10 a player or $70 for a team of eight players. Proceeds from the night will support the community activities and projects of the Cabin John Citizens Association, which is hosting the evening. Participants should plan to arrive at 6:00 pm to socialize, settle in, and be ready for the 7:00 pm start. There will be multiple rounds of questions, with a 30-minute half-time break to give folks time to say hi to their neighbors. By Susan ShippCJCA President... Read more...Celebrate the Season with Your Neighbors at the Annual CJCA Holiday Party Dec. 11November 18, 2019Join your CJ friends and meet new neighbors at the CJCA Holiday party on Sunday, December 11, at the Clara Barton Community Center from 5 to 7 pm. In addition to lots of complimentary food and drink – from sushi and pizza to eggnog and sparkling cider, there is something for everyone at this event: Crafts and other activities for children A holiday song singalong for all ages Raffle of gift certificates and gift baskets from many of your favorite local merchants with proceeds going to So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E.) Santa’s arrival on the fire department’s big ladder truck A chance for kids to visit with Santa and receive a gift bag Come enjoy the fun at this traditional Cabin John event which is co-sponsored by the Cabin John Citizens Association and the Clara Barton Community Center.... Read more...3rd Annual CJ Turkey Trot Will Include Food DriveNovember 18, 2019FREE – FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY WHEN: 10:00 am, Nov. 28 / Thanksgiving Day WHERE: Cabin John Local Park, By the one-lane bridge REGISTER! Once again, Cabin John residents and friends will have a chance to join their neighbors in a family-friendly run/walk at the CJ Turkey Trot Thanksgiving morning. While the trot is free, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we are asking all participants to bring nonperishable grocery items for Manna Food Center’s Smart Sack program. The Smart Sack Program provides backpacks of food each weekend to some 2,850 Montgomery County school kids. Popular food items include jars of peanut butter, boxes of granola bars, instant oatmeal, and canned vegetables and fruits. The trot will start at 10 am Thanksgiving Day, which is Nov. 28 this year. Folks are asked to gather by the banner at the park by the one-lane bridge. We’ll take a quick commemorative photo before the race begins. To keep it simple, there will be only one race option this year: the 2.5 mile run/walk that has participants following the bike path from the park, to 79th Street, down to the C&O Canal, along the canal to the path by the one-lane bridge, and back to the park. There will be water and light refreshments at the end of the race. The trot is free, but if you and your family are thinking about coming, we are asking that you please register online so that we can plan accordingly. When registering, you also will have the opportunity to purchase a 2019 navy blue long sleeve t-shirt with the Turkey Trot logo for $16. CAN YOU VOLUNTEER? As always, volunteers are key to making this event safe and successful. We need volunteers to help set up before the event or to be course monitors during the trot. To volunteer, please register online at the link above or contact Irena Bojanova at ibojanova@gmail.com. BY IRENA BOJANOVA CJCA Vice President of Activities... Read more...Celebrate The Season With Your Neighbors Dec. 15November 18, 2019Come share some holiday cheer with your neighbors at the annual CJ Holiday Party to be held at the community center Dec. 15 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The free festivities include a sing-along, crafts, a selfie station, and a delicious assortment of food and drink as well as the ever-popular visit from Santa. A raffle, which raises money for SOME (So Others Might Eat) keeps getting bigger with more than a dozen prizes valued between $50 and $400. Sponsored by the Cabin John Citizens Association, this event only comes together with the help of volunteers. Can you spare a couple hours? We need help now soliciting raffle prizes, at 3:00 pm on Dec. 15 for decorating and set up and during the party to keep it running smoothly. To volunteer, please contact Susan Shipp at jsjshipp3@verizon.net or 301-320-5106.... Read more...CJCA Commits $2,000 for Moses Hall Cemetery CleanupNovember 18, 2019Roughly 20 CJ residents braved the rain and skipped the start of Game 7 of the World Series Oct. 30 to discuss ways to preserve and protect the Moses Hall Cemetery, a historically significant African American burial site located within Cabin John, off Seven Locks Rd. The cemetery is in very poor condition with tombstones knocked over, broken, and buried; the grounds enveloped with bamboo, fallen trees, and vines. Neither the state nor the county has fully assessed the number of graves there, and Beltway expansion plans threaten the property. By the end of the evening, the community unanimously voted to commit $2,000—half of the $4,000 profit from the 50th Chicken & Crab Feast—to fund initial cleanup of the site. For decades, Crab Feast proceeds were split among deserving community causes, and those present at the meeting felt it was fitting that funds from the 50th should go to preserving the cemetery where members of Crab Feast founder Bill White’s family and other Carver Rd. families are buried. Charlotte Troup Leighton, CJCA vice president of advocacy, whose home on Cypress Grove Lane is next to the Moses Hall site, detailed some of the issues that need to be tackled. First is to establish current ownership of the cemetery, which can be done by locating at least 10 descendants of Tabernacle 88 members. Tabernacle 88 was the fraternal order that established the hall and cemetery sometime after the Civil War. One descendant, Diane Baxter of Washington DC, attended the meeting and detailed how she is compiling a list of members from Moses Hall records from the early 1990s as well as the minutes of tabernacle meetings and death notices from funeral homes that operated at that time. Another attendee, Eileen McGuckian, director of the county non-profit Montgomery Preservation and the project director for the 2018 County Inventory of Cemeteries, explained that Moses Hall is site #226 on the county website inventory of cemeteries. She recommended reaching out to the Coalition to Protect Burial Sites, which helps map cemeteries throughout Maryland and has grants of up to $2,000 for preservation, and talking to the African American Genealogical Association for help in searching records. She also noted that the best time to do cleanup work is between October and April, when a lot of underbrush has died off. In addition to ownership, there are several levels of approval needed to receive historic designation. These were outlined by Brian Crane, head of historic preservation of the Montgomery County Planning Board. Crane also informed the group that the county has some budget to train people in basic cemetery conservation and hopes to hold a workshop in the coming year. Charlotte said that some state money may be available to preserve African American sites, including cemeteries. Anyone interested in helping with Moses Hall cemetery restoration and preservation should contact Charlotte at troupleighton@gmail.com. BY MEREDITH GRIGGS CJCA Secretary... Read more...Haunted House – October 27October 25, 2019You may not be spooked yet, but Halloween’s ominous aura is all around—dead leaves rattling in skeletal trees, the dark creeping further into the day. It all points to this year’s heart-thumping, skin-tingling Haunted House at the Clara Barton Community Center, set for Sunday, Oct. 27 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Your path will be haunted by spectral entities from beyond the grave, witches will tell your fortune (this includes both children and adults), games will test your nerves and skills. All ages are welcome, free of charge, though children under 12 are most likely to be spellbound. Little ones may want a hand to hold. There will be small gifts for the kids and delicious refreshments for all. Teenagers can earn SSL hours by pitching in behind the scenes and also by scaring everybody as zombies and ghouls. The Haunted House will be conjured up for the 15th time by the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center (FCBCC) together with the Montgomery County Department of Recreation. For more information, call the center at 240-777-4910.... Read more...County Plans for Bike and Pedestrian Safety Focus of Sept. CJCA MeetingSeptember 16, 2019Cabin John residents interested in the county’s plans to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety are urged to come to the Sept. 25 citizens association meeting (starting at 7:30 at the community center) to hear county officials explain the goals of the county approved Bicycle Master Plan and a new initiative to create a countywide Pedestrian Master Plan. The Planning Department’s David Anspacher, who served as project manager for the Bicycle Master Plan will be on hand to provide an overview of the plan, which focuses on increasing bicycling rates in the county, improving safety and creating a highly connected, convenient and low-stress bicycling network. The 378-page plan details more than 1,100 miles of bikeways, of which slightly more than one quarter (281 miles) currently exists. There are 377 miles of bikeways designated as priority construction. Approximately 42 percent of the recommended bike network is seen as being implemented “as opportunities arise” rather than “stand-alone projects.” The plan recommends an array of bikeway types, from shared roads, which offer the least separation from traffic to separated, buffered bike lanes and bicycle boulevards, as well as secure bicycle storage facilities at transit stations. Anspacher, who supervises the County’s transit, pedestrian and Vision Zero planning efforts, will share information from the county’s Department of Transportation on their most immediate implementation efforts. When the county council approved the bike plan late last year they stipulated that the county is not guaranteeing all bikeways in the plan will be built as specified. They also removed language that specified implementation years for each phase of the project. Also joining us for the meeting will be Eli Glazier, project manager for the county’s Pedestrian Master Plan, a two-year initiative that is just getting underway. The plan will assess all of the roads in the county based on their levels of “pedestrian comfort,” including walkability, safety and accessibility for all. It will also prioritize pedestrian infrastructure and recommend updates to county policies, operational practices, and design standards.In addition to this meeting, residents can share their thoughts on their pedestrian experiences and what should be included in the master plan by attending one of the community meetings scheduled for October. The meeting closest to Cabin John will be held on Oct. 16 from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane. PEDESTRIAN & BIKER CRASHES RISE The need for improved pedestrian and bicycle safety measures is acute. The Bethesda Beat reported this summer that “through the first half of the year, 272 pedestrians and bicyclists have been struck by vehicles on roads in Montgomery County – about 1.5 per day, according to county data.” This represents an increase of about 14% from the same six months in 2018, when 238 crashes occurred. According to county data, about 40% of the crashes so far in 2019 have occurred on county roads, while roughly 30% happened on state roads. Another 20% occurred in areas such as driveways, parking lots or alleys and the remaining 10% of crashes were on municipal or other roads. The media outlet reported six pedestrian fatalities in the first half of 2019. In addition, there have been at least three additional pedestrian fatalities and one bicyclist fatality in the county during July and August, according to police data. By Susan Ship CJCA President... Read more...The 50th Cabin John Chicken and Crab Feast Set for Sept. 14August 26, 2019Mark your calendars as you won’t want to miss the 50th Cabin John Chicken and Crab Feast to be held Sept. 14 from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the community center. Join your neighbors and bring your friends for the Cabin John Citizens Association’s largest community gathering and fundraiser. The same crowd-pleasing menu of delicious grilled chicken, tasty steamed crabs and classic side dishes will be served. There also will be beer, wine, sodas and lemonade for sale. Your sweet tooth will be satisfied by items from the Whitman Girl Up Club bake sale. A new commemorative t-shirt, designed by CJ resident and Georgetown student Delaney Corcoran, will be available for $15. Attendees will enjoy the sounds of the talented and generous Starlight Orchestra. The 12-piece jazz and swing band is now firmly part of the Crab Feast tradition as this will be their eighth year playing and singing for the crowd. Face painting and other kids activities will be offered if someone volunteers to organize them. Enjoy the food, fun, and camaraderie for $16 a ticket. Or save $2 by buying your ticket in advance from a block coordinator or ticket seller. Proceeds support The Village News, mailed free to all CJ residents, as well as the Fourth of July celebration, holiday party, and other CJCA activities. The crab feast is a success each year because of the 90-plus volunteers who pitch in. We need volunteers and not just the same wonderful Cabin Johners who have been stepping up for decades. The following 41 people and probably a few more that I missed, have been volunteering at the Crab Feast for at least the past 20 years: Clare and Phil Amoruso, Bramman Avery, Judith Bell, Kathleen and Tom Black, Diana Carter, Angela Coppola, Pete Couste, Helen Daniel, Janet and Walt Dence, Deb and Rick Duffy, Susan and John Gelb, Burr Gray, Greg and Robin Gurley, Linda Green, Meredith Griggs, Lynn Hopkins, Elaine & Gerry Hornauer, John Hughes, Lisa Landsman, Eric Libre, Heidi and Scott Lewis, Karen Melchar, Loraine Minor, Lori Rieckelman, Susan Roberts, Benno Schmidt, Stephanie Smart, Oona Steiglitz, Beverly Sullivan, Larry West, Barbara and Bruce Wilmarth and Mary Kay Young. Just like you, many of these folks were/are working full-time, had/have children at home as well as other family obligations. Nevertheless, year in and year out they have made it a priority to give back to their community. But how much longer can we expect them to keep this beloved tradition and critical citizens association fundraiser going? We need new folks to sell tickets in advance, prepare the veggies, help the chefs, cook, set up, serve, and clean up. Please sign on to volunteer by emailing cjcrabfeast@gmail.com. Allison and Patrick de Gravelles, the dynamic duo coordinating the feast for their fourth year, will get back in touch with ways you can help. They also can be reached by phone at 301-742-4762 (Allison) or 301-605-7267 (Patrick). SSL HOURS OFFERED FOR CRAB FEAST VOLUNTEERS In addition to the dozens of adult volunteers, we welcome middle and high school students looking to earn SSL hours supporting this event. On Friday afternoon, Sept. 1-3, SSL volunteers will help prepare vegetables for cooking Saturday morning. Saturday’s SSL volunteers will help set up, keep the tables cleared, work the lemonade stand, fetch and carry and clean up. Plan to work a 2 to 4 hours between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm on Saturday, Sept. 14, the day of the event. If interested, contact Stephanie Lai, laifamily2002@gmail.com. By Susan Shipp CJCA President... Read more...MacArthur Beautification Efforts UnderwayJune 26, 2019Thanks to the efforts of Susan Roberts, Scott Hoffman and Elizabeth Miller, the JCA’s 100th Anniversary MacArthur Blvd. Beautification Project is officially underway. The crew met May 18 and in a little over two hours they transformed a roughly six-foot corner of heavily-trampled dirt adjacent to the Alpine Vet parking lot into a lovely patch of green. The hard part was tilling the “soil” and mixing in a mound of growing material. They planted Sedge, a grass-like perennial, Black-Eyed Susans and Catmint. The plot was finished off with edging, mulch and some snow stakes with pinwheels to keep the cars and bicyclists from straying into the greenery. The folks at Alpine Vet have agreed to water regularly. Inspired by this initial effort, Elaine Hornauer and Beverly Sullivan tackled the weeds overtaking the greenery on either side of the access road to the Clara Barton Parkway. Thanks Elaine and Beverly. While additional planting will have to wait until the fall, Susan Roberts urges anyone who sees spots along the “green” strip that would benefit from snow stakes to contact her at susanroberts487@gmail.com so that the CJCA can provide stakes to install. The CJCA also is looking for homeowners adjacent to the bike path that would be willing to water if the CJCA planted by their homes. BY SUSAN SHIPP CJCA President... Read more...July 4th Fun for the Whole FamilyJune 26, 2019In Cabin John for the 4th of July? We’ve got your patriotic fun all planned out! Join your neighbors for the annual Cabin John parade and party in honor of our nation’s Independence Day. Bike, stroller and people decorating gets underway at 10:30 am at the 6400 block of 79th Street. The Cabin John Citizens Association will provide decorating supplies for parents to use to help their kids prepare their rides and themselves for the parade. The parade itself gets underway at 11:00 am, starting at 79th Street, just below MacArthur Blvd. The parade will head down the bike path along MacArthur Blvd. to 75th Street and end at the playground behind the Clara Barton Community Center. After the half-mile parade stay and enjoy some refreshments, the reading of the Declaration of Independence and some fun for the kids. Adult and student volunteers are needed. SSL hours are available for middle school and high school students who are able to help with the decorating, keeping the parade participants moving along the route, managing a few postparade games and helping with clean-up. Contact Stephanie Lai at laifamily2002@gmail.com to sign up. Adult volunteers should contact Irena Bojanova at ibojanova@gmail.com if you are willing to be a parade route marshall or help out with the post-parade playground party. BY SUSAN SHIPP CJCA President... Read more...Beltway Expansion Talk Draws Energized CrowdJune 26, 2019The May 29 citizens association meeting brought some 40 concerned citizens to the community center to hear from Carol Rubin, an attorney at the Maryland National Parks & Planning Commission, who also serves as the county’s project manager and liaison for the state’s Beltway Expansion project. At the end of April, Rubin and her Prince Georges County counterpart wrote a report that raised major concerns about many aspects of the proposed project including the possible taking of private lands, the negative impact on parklands and the absence of mass transit options. Another major concern is that the plan seems more focused on easing the congestion for through traffic than addressing local traffic woes. Eight days after the CJCA meeting, the planning commission voted to give an unfavorable recommendation for the six alternatives the state has retained for more detailed study. The commission vote came one day after a contentious vote by the three-person State Board of Public Works to allow the Department of Transportation to proceed with the project under a Public-Private Partnership (P3) arrangement. However, as part of that vote, the state agreed to make phase one of the project focus on improvements to I-270. They also agreed that 10 percent of net toll revenue would go to local jurisdictions for mass transit. At the meeting Rubin explained that in addition to a mass transit component, Montgomery County’s master plan calls for I-270 to be expanded and to see traffic demand management options, such as stoplighted access to the highways, implemented. She noted that the proposed expansion is not actually a congestion-relief plan but rather a regional bypass plan that will not ensure easy access to key business areas (e.g., Georgia Ave., National Harbor). She also mentioned that the County Council does not want the Parks & Planning Commission to convey any parkland. (The State Highway Commission has eminent domain over private property but not public lands. If conservation easements are taken, or conveyed, they must be replaced fourfold in another location, but this cannot be done with stream beds.) Sierra Club, Friends of Sligo Creek, Rock Creek Conservancy, and Audubon Society, among others, also oppose the current expansion plans. The montgomeryplanningboard.org site has a tool showing which Beltway access points are envisaged, as well as many documents on the expansion. BY MEREDITH GRIGGS CJCA Secretary... Read more...100th Anniversary Strategy Session April 24April 22, 2019The April 24 CJCA meeting will serve as a working session for three 100 Anniversary projects: Cabin John Day, MacArthur Blvd. Beautification and Cabin John signage. Thanks to generous donations sent in with people’s dues and the $1,225 raised from the February Team Trivia Night, there is upwards of $6,000 to put towards these efforts. The money is key, but we also need some concrete plans and, and most importantly, manpower to bring these projects to fruition. Please come to the meeting, to be held on April 24 from 7:30 to 8:45 pm at the community center and join in the planning. The aim of the meeting is to brainstorm ideas and approaches, identify the questions that need answering and make decisions about how to move forward. Ideally, next steps will be assigned to those willing to take on the tasks. If you cannot make the meeting but are still interested in working on any of these projects, please reach out! The scope of these projects will be dictated, in part, by the level of commitment from the community. Here is a bit about each project and some of what we will be discussing at the meeting: CABIN JOHN DAY, JUNE 1 A free celebration of our community and the 100th anniversary of the citizens association. Cosponsored by the Clara Barton Community Center, the event will run from approximately 4:00 to 7 :00 pm. Ideas include a pop-up Cabin John museum, kids activities, music, food trucks. Beverages, including beer and wine could be sold by the CJCA. Do Cabin John-based organizations and businesses want to sponsor activity booths? Should there be a North vs. South Cabin John softball game or other such contests that encourage friendly competition between areas or streets of Cabin John? In addition to deciding which of the above ideas we should act on, there are other questions to consider. MACARTHUR BLVD. BEAUTIFICATION The goal of this project is two-fold: We want to spruce up Cabin John’s “main street” by planting in the “green” strip between the roadway and the bike path. We also want to make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists by keeping cars and trucks from straying into the path or parking their cars on the green strip thereby blocking the site lines for vehicles and pedestrians. We have preliminary approval from the Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the property as part of the Washington Aqueduct. There are guidelines we need to follow regarding the types of plantings. We also need to consider the benefits of mounding the soil like the Hopkins have done in front of their property as a way to keep vehicles on the road. We also need to consider what stretches we would tackle, if we need different approaches for different stretches of roadside and maintenance issues. WELCOME TO CABIN JOHN SIGNAGE Neighborhood signs come in all shapes, sizes and materials. They convey different things and the costs are as wide-ranging as the design. The Army Corps of Engineers has given its preliminary approval for a sign at the corner of Seven Locks Rd. and MacArthur Blvd., which has been suggested as a good site since it often considered the center of “town. The Corps says a sign there would need to be on a pole as opposed to something more structural like the sign for Cabin John Gardens. In addition to design and cost, there are questions about whether we would want more than one sign and, if so, where would they be located? Do we need to get county approval before installing any signage? Can we install some solar lighting so that our signs are lit at night? One resident has urged us to take on repairing, repainting and lighting the Cabin John sign that we have on the community center property. By Susan Ship CJCA President... Read more...Beltway Expansion Will “Directly Affect” Cabin JohnApril 22, 2019The State Highway Administration is finally acknowledging that some Cabin John homes adjacent to the Beltway will be “directly affected” by the state’s plan to add four toll lanes on I-495. In most cases, directly affected appears to mean homeowners could lose parts of yards and possibly see noise barriers constructed closer to their houses. But it also is possible the SHA could take homes. Overall, the state’s latest analysis shows that the plan to widen the American Legion Bridge and I-495 from the bridge to I-95 – the so-called first phase of the 70-mile $9 to $11 billion Public Private Partnership (P3) Program – would require 34 homes and three businesses to be taken. The expansion also would directly affect up to 574 homes, 18 parks and recreation facilities, nine National Register Historical Properties, and impact some 575 acres of forest canopy, more than 280 acres of “unique and sensitive areas”, four acres of wetlands and 11 miles of “waters”. It is unclear what that means for all the green space in and around Cabin John. These findings were released as part of a series of workshops being held in April and May to bring the public along as the P3 project moves into a new phase of more detailed study as part of the required Environmental Impact Study. Cabin Johners are urged to attend one of these workshops or to review the materials online and, most importantly, register your concerns before June 14 either online at 495-270-p3.com or via email at 495-270-p3@sha.state.md.us. The SHA says it will use the feedback it gets as part of its effort to minimize environmental and community impacts. This latest study comes just a couple weeks after eight SHA officials came to the March 27 CJCA meeting to detail the dire reality of congestion on the Beltway and to present the six alternatives for adding toll lanes to help keep the traffic moving. All six alternatives will be part of this next phase. The SHA aims to have its Draft Environmental Impact Study completed and a “preferred alternative” selected by early 2020. An issue of concern to come out of the CJCA meeting was the SHA stating they are not doing a new noise analysis. Instead they will base this massive project’s noise modeling on extrapolated data from a Beltway noise analysis done in 2005. Decisions about where noise barriers are placed and how tall they are built are based on this noise modeling. Other attendees voiced concerns about increased noise and pollution for all of Cabin John, the unfairness of having traffic lanes that only the wealthy can afford to use, the lack of mass transit initiatives and the lack of information about the impact on arterial roads such as River Rd. and MacArthur Blvd. State Delegate Marc Korman attended the meeting and provided an update on legislative initiatives to ensure proper oversight of a private entity controlling roads that were built with taxpayers’ dollars. Unfortunately, the legislative session ended without those measures passing. By Susan Ship CJCA President... Read more...The CJCA Needs You!April 22, 2019CJCA officer elections will be held at the May meeting and the association would very much like to expand its ranks. To serve the evolving needs of this community, we continue to re-envision the role of CJCA officers by redefining existing roles and creating new positions to fulfill those needs. We’ve discovered that it truly does take a village to provide the activities, advocacy, and outreach that keeps our community connected and vibrant. There are a wide-range of opportunities available. Please consider stepping into one of these important roles. Not only will you be serving the community, but you will also be joining a great group of dedicated volunteers. CJCA SECRETARY Meredith Griggs graciously stepped in to serve as interim secretary last year. She had already held that position in 2009 and 2010. The primary responsibility of the secretary is to take the minutes at the eight CJCA meetings held each year. (There are no meetings June, July, August and December.) VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE This person will help coordinate existing and new community service projects. Current efforts includes three blood drives each year, the creek cleanup, and the Holiday Giving Tree Project, which provides gifts to people transitioning out of homelessness. The CJ community is very supportive of its community service projects and is interested in more opportunities. This position offers the possibility of expanding the menu of service projects offered. CO-VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH Nancy Russell has agreed to continue in her post as Vice President of Community Outreach however she is looking for someone to share this position as she expects to spend less time in Cabin John over the coming year. She currently oversees the Block Coordinator Program, Crab and Chicken Feast ticket sales, and the New Neighbor Potluck. VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY The CJCA is seeking an additional Vice President of Advocacy to ensure that the organization has the manpower to stay on top of issues such as the beltway expansion, cut-through traffic, proposed property subdivisions, airplane noise, and pedestrian safety. VICE PRESIDENT OF ACTIVITIES In recent years, the CJCA has added a number of popular events that bring the community together to share some fun. The CJCA would like to have an additional Vice President of Activities to help coordinate and be a resource to the volunteers that organize Team Trivia Night, the Spring Egg Hunt, the New Neighbor Potluck, the 4th of July Parade, the Turkey Trot, and the Holiday Party. VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS Communications is key to keeping our community tight-knit. The CJ directory will be five years old at the end of 2019. It is also showing its age in that it does not include email addresses or more than a couple of phone numbers per household. The CJCA is looking to use AtoZ Connect, the company that makes the Bannockburn, Pyle and Whitman school directories, to produce our next directory and to create an online version. The Vice President of Communication would take the lead on coordinating this project. CONTENT EDITOR, THE VILLAGE NEWS Just over two years ago Vashti Van Wyke agreed to serve as the newsletter’s content editor even though she had four kids ages eight and under! During her time of exceptional service she introduced new columns and features, worked with Production Editor Noelle Tower on a complete redesign of the newsletter and streamlined its editorial process. Thankfully for the person who takes on this important role, her efforts mean that the newsletter is put out with great efficiency. The CJCA, and the community as a whole, are incredibly grateful for her dedicated service. The content editor works hand-in-hand with the production/layout editor, Noelle Tower, to put together 10 issues of The Village News each year. The editor also coordinates the work of the newsletter’s passionate Cabin John columnists who write about local nature, history, gardening, and goodneighborliness, as well as with the CJCA on community coverage and advocacy issues. The Village News also welcomes more CJ writers willing to be a regular contributor or to provide the occasional story. CABINJOHN.ORG TECHNICAL SUPPORT Robin Sidel, editor of the CJCA website, is looking for someone with technical WordPress experience to assist with some of the more complicated web-based projects she would like to tackle. If you would like to know more about any of these positions or if you have ideas about other ways you could serve the community, please reach out to a CJCA officer, drop Susan Shipp an email at jsjshipp3@verizon.net or give her a call at 202-297-8718. By Susan Ship CJCA President... Read more...Coming up: CJ Creek Clean Up (3/20); Spring Egg Hunt (4/14) New Neighbors Potluck (4/28)March 28, 2019CJ Creek Clean Up Set for March 30 Hints of spring are finally here and that means it’s time to collect the plastic bags, cans and other trash that has collected along the Cabin John Creek since our last effort. Co-sponsored by the Friends of the Cabin John Creek and the Cabin John Citizens Association, this year’s cleanup will be held Saturday, March 30, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Please gather at Cabin John Local Park by the one-lane bridge at 12:45 pm. Refreshments and gloves will be provided. But bring your own gloves if you can. The clean-up, held rain or shine,is messy and old clothes are recommended. SSL hours are available for the cleanup. Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. The CJCA will send out an email if inclement weather forces us to reschedule. Spring Egg Hunt April 14 The 21st annual Cabin John Spring Egg Hunt is scheduled for Sunday, April 14 at 4:00 pm. All CJ kids elementary school age and younger are welcome to participate in the hunt, which will take place at the lower playground in the park by the one-lane bridge. Bring a basket and don’t be late. Last year’s hunt drew some 45 kids and all 500 eggs were found within 15 minutes! Plan to stay and play at the park and maybe your children will meet some new neighborhood friends. Please RSVP to Irena Bojanova, ibojanova@gmail.com, with the number of children in your group. Irena also asks you to consider volunteering to help prepare the eggs and set up the hunt. 2nd Annual New Neighbors Potluck April 28 Are you new to Cabin John? We’d love to meet you! All residents new to Cabin John since April 2018 are invited to a dinner to be held at the Clara Barton Community Center on Sunday, April 28 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. More established residents are urged to come welcome our new neighbors and bring a side dish, salad or dessert to share. The Cabin John Citizens Association will provide pizza and drinks. Weather permitting, there will be outdoor games for children. To ensure that we have enough food for all, please RSVP through Sign-Up Genius. New to CJ and Missing A Welcome Bag? If you’re new to Cabin John, we hope you’ve received a welcome bag from your Block Coordinator. The bag includes the CJ directory, a history of Cabin John and other useful information. If not, please contact Nancy Russell, nc3russell@yahoo.com, (301) 219-3750.... Read more...Trivia Night A Significant Success!March 28, 2019Some 140 Cabin Johners came out for a fun night of trivia Feb. 23, 2019 that also raised a not-so-trivial amount for CJCA 100th Anniversary projects. Between registration fees and beverage sales, the event brought in $1,225, which will go towards the MacArthur Beautification project and Welcome to Cabin John signage. Thanks to the decorating talents of Helen Harris and Heidi Lewis the community center was transformed into a lovely party place complete with mood lighting and flowers on the tables. Trivia host Fred Fields challenged everyone with his questions, while bartenders Florence Lehr and Jackie Hoglund kept the beer and wine flowing. The winning team, Trivia Newton John, took home the CJ Trivia Trophy and an $80 gift certificate to 7 Locks Brewing, where we hope they will make CJ proud by winning again at one of the brewery’s Thursday night trivia competitions. “]Thanks to Scott Lewis for coordinating this event and to Heidi Lewis, Clive, Helen, Will and Alex Harris, Nancy and Craig Russell and Jeff Shipp for their planning and set up.... Read more...Friedson Meets the Community; Shares Views on Beltway ProjectMarch 27, 2019Beltway expansion concerns dominated the discussion with Councilmember Andrew Friedson at the CJCA’s Feb. 27 meeting. Residents were glad to hear Friedson say that he had met personally with State Highway Administration officials and made clear his opposition to the taking of private property for any Beltway expansion. The 35 residents in attendance raised many additional concerns, including noise and air pollution, storm water runoff and the potential inequity that expensive toll lanes would have on county residents who cannot afford to pay tolls in excess of $40 like on I-66 in Virginia. Cabin Johners also voiced concerns about the lack of transparency regarding state plans for the American Legion Bridge. Friedson responded by saying that the state needs to focus on the bridge first and foremost as it is the cause of the worst congestion. Residents and Friedson also agreed that mass transit needs to be part of any state “traffic relief ” plan. Friedson acknowledged the cut-through traffic and airplane noise challenges our community endures, although time constraints did not allow for deeper conversation on those issues. Friedson said one issue he feels strongly about is pedestrian safety and he seemed receptive to helping Cabin John get crosswalks on MacArthur Blvd. and Seven Locks Rd. SUGGESTED CROSSWALKS FOR CABIN JOHN The councilmember asked the CJCA to provide a list of suggested crosswalks. Here are the locations we’ve identified. They are suggested primarily because they provide safe access to sidewalks as well as Ride-On or school bus stops. Email Greg Pawlson, gpawlson@gmail.com, with your thoughts this list. Crosswalk across MacArthur Blvd. at the Captain’s Market Crosswalk across MacArthur Blvd. at 77th Street Crosswalk across MacArthur Blvd. at the westbound stop sign at Seven Locks Rd. Crosswalk across MacArthur Blvd. at lower 79th Street to the Ride On bus stop Crosswalk across MacArthur Blvd. at 80th Street Crosswalk across MacArthur Blvd. at 81st Street Crosswalk across Seven Locks Rd. at Carver Rd. Crosswalk across Seven Locks Rd. at Long Ridge Rd. Crosswalk across Seven Locks Rd. at the service road for Seven Locks Park/Palisades Pool Crosswalk across Seven Locks Rd. at Cypress Grove Lane Crosswalk across Seven Locks Rd. at Lilly Stone (Carderock neighborhood) BY SUSAN SHIPP CJCA President... Read more...Your Support is Needed! Dues; Anniversary ProjectsMarch 7, 2019Cabin John residents have identified activities to celebrate 100 years of civic pride as well as ways to give back that will help ensure that Cabin John continues to be the wonderfully vibrant and beautiful community that we call home. But we need volunteers and funding to realize some of these goals. The CJCA operates with a lean budget considering all that we do. As 100th anniversary efforts have gotten underway, the most pressing question has been what kind of budget do we have for the various projects. The reality at this time is not much. For instance, folks working on some Welcome to Cabin John signage don’t know whether we are looking at one simple sign, which might cost less than $2,000 or multiple signs so that folks know they are entering Cabin John when they are on MacArthur Blvd. or Seven Locks. Similarly, we have started to get bids for a MacArthur Blvd. beautification effort and have found landscapers estimating close to $2,000 for a 75-foot stretch. Can we get companies to sponsor some planting areas? Are there county funds we might tap? There are a couple of Cabin Johners who have already volunteered to be part of this project, but more people are needed to explore all our options. Holding a Cabin John Day where the community comes together to celebrate with activities for the kids, a popup Cabin John museum to educate, some food and entertainment is strongly supported, but exactly how that comes together depends on having a budget and, even more important, having a committee of volunteers to plan the day. Right now, we’ve got the date, Saturday June 1, booked with the community center, but no volunteers or funds to make it happen. The CJCA needs you to pay your dues, give generously to a special 100th Anniversary fund and sign up to help with one or more our 100th Anniversary efforts. Visit this page to fill out a form, or look for the CJCA dues letter in your mailbox. To volunteer, fill out this form, or send me an email at jsjshipp3@verizon.net. By Susan Shipp CJCA President... Read more...Team Trivia Comes to CJ on Feb.23January 19, 2019As its first 100th anniversary event, the Cabin John Citizens Association is hosting 100 Years of Trivia, an adult night of Team Trivia on February 23 at the Clara Barton Community Center. The night will include roughly two hours of trivia, a grand prize for the winning team as well as other prizes given throughout the night, non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks. There will be a cash bar for beer and wine and teams can bring in their own food if they want to dine while they play. The cost is $10 a player or $70 for a team of eight players. Proceeds from the night will go to 100th anniversary community projects like the Welcome to Cabin John sign and the MacArthur Blvd. beautification project. Participants should plan to arrive at 6:30 pm to settle in and be ready for the 7:00 pm start. There will be multiple rounds of questions with a 20-minute half-time break to give folks time to say hi to their neighbors. To get in on the action, form your team of up to eight players and fill out the form below to register. Individuals and small groups may request to be paired up with other players to make an eight-person team, or you can go it alone. Once you’ve registered, you will need to drop off or send your payment to: Scott Lewis, 7507 MacArthur Blvd. Space is limited at the community center so we encourage you to register your team in advance. It will also help us plan appropriately. Register now! Loading…... Read more...Protecting Cabin John’s Future: $9 billion beltway expansion planNovember 12, 2018The October 26 CJCA Meeting focused on ways to celebrate Cabin John’s past, while also protecting its future. Greg Pawlson, CJCA vice president of advocacy, and Cypress Grove resident Charlotte Troup-Leighton shared the latest on the state’s massive $9 billion beltway expansion plan. In this initial phase of the project, the state is looking at how well the 19 ideas it received from the private sector meet six criteria it is using to assess their viability. Greg said the criteria of “no public funding” would seem to limit the final set of alternatives to beltway expansion through a public-private partnership (P3). Greg introduced a guest, David Hondowicz of the recently formed Citizens Against Beltway Expansion (CABE), who noted that the Montgomery County Planning Department and other agencies are taking issue with how the state is approaching its environmental impacts assessment with some calling the criteria biased in favor of Gov. Hogan’s toll-lane solution. Charlotte talked about having conversations with candidates for county and state offices to make sure they are aware of community concerns. All CJ residents are urged to become more informed. To that end, Charlotte and Greg shared a background paper and “cheat sheet” of websites that provide additional information and various viewpoints. For more information or to work with other Cabin Johners on this issue, contact Greg Pawlson at gpawlson@gmail.com and Charlotte Troup-Leighton at troupleighton@gmail.com. By Susan Shipp CJCA President... Read more...100th Anniversary Projects IdentifiedNovember 12, 2018The second half of the October 26 CJCA meeting was devoted to 100th anniversary plans, with a number of folks committing to spearheading specific projects. As an initial phase of the MacArthur Blvd. beautification effort, Susan Roberts, in absentia, put forth a proposal to plant a very damaged 50-foot stretch of grassy area that runs along MacArthur near the intersection of Seven Locks. While different design proposals are being solicited and details worked out, those present at the meeting approved funding this initial effort in the hopes that it could be used as a pilot to interest others, including outside groups like the Washington Aqueduct, in planting other sections along MacArthur. Charlotte Troup-Leighton, who led the successful effort to replace the Evergreen neighborhood sign at Cypress Grove, offered to be part of a small committee that will explore Welcome to Cabin John sign options. Another temporary signage idea to be explored is streetlight banners along MacArthur Blvd. Eric Dinerstein and Vashti Van Wyke are stepping up to organize a campaign to help restore the CJ tree canopy. Their goal will be to get 100 native trees planted in Cabin John by residents either planting in their yard and/or in public places. Everyone agreed that we should move forward with a Cabin John Day on June 2. The Clara Barton Community Center has said it wants to work with us to create a family-friendly event, possibly pirate-themed, that could include a treasure hunt and moon bounce. A number of folks were enthusiastic about making it a BBQ, having music and hosting another Cabin John pop-up museum like the one held a couple years ago. It would be great if several people come together to work with the community center to plan this anniversary party! Scott Lewis, also in absentia, said he would help to coordinate a Trivia Night party for adults to be held at the community center. There was also discussion of making it a fundraising event. Other projects that attendees considered favorably were a 100th Anniversary edition of the Cabin John Directory and a CJ House Tour that would ideally include some of the 100-year-old homes in the community. The creativity and constructiveness of this community is impressive. All of these activities and initiatives are worthwhile. All they need is YOU to offer up your time and talent to make them happen. Please contact Susan Shipp at jsjshipp3@verizon.net to get involved! By Susan Shipp CJCA President... Read more...2nd Annual CJ Turkey Trot Set for Thanksgiving DayOctober 24, 2018With some 200 Cabin Johners, family and friends coming out for the inaugural CJ Turkey Trot in 2017, it was decided before the end of that race that the trot should become an annual event. This year Thanksgiving is Nov. 22. The Turkey Trot, sponsored by the Cabin John Citizens Association, will get underway at 10 a.m. (sharp!) at the park by the one-lane bridge. As before, there will be two race options: For elementary school-aged kids and younger, there will be a one-mile Tot Trot consisting of several loops around the park. For participants of all ages, there will be a roughly 2.5 mile run/walk that has participants following the bike path from the park, to 79th Street, down to the C&O Canal, along the canal to the path by the one-lane bridge and back to the park. The trot is free, but we are asking every household who is thinking about coming out, to please register online so that we can plan accordingly. When you register online, you also will have the opportunity to purchase a 2018 Turkey Trot t-shirt for $15. Drive for Manna Food Center While the trot is free, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we are asking all participants to bring a jar of peanut butter, a box of granola bars, instant oatmeal or other non-perishable grocery items for Manna Food Center’s Smart Sack program that provides backpacks of food for school kids on the weekends. Can you Volunteer? As always, volunteers are key to making any event safe and successful. We need volunteers to help set up before the event or to be a course monitors during the trot. To volunteer, please register online or contact Irena Bojanova at ibojanova@gmail.com. SSL hours are available for middle school and high school volunteers. ... Read more...Co-op Sees Community as Key to SurvivalOctober 18, 2018The co-op is moving quickly to follow-up on suggestions made by Cabin Johners at the Sept. 26 Cabin John Citizens Association meeting. “For the holidays, we will be stocking a variety of new items, setting up displays that provide dinner and entertaining suggestions and stepping up our email and Facebook presence,” says Manager Helen Atkocious, who spoke at the meeting along with her assistant Mary Jaeger. Among the products they will be offering in the coming weeks are German chocolates and advent calendars, specialty baked goods, and 2019 datebooks and calendars. “If we can get more CJ residents to check out the co-op, they will see that we offer a lot of competitively-priced groceries, beer and wine and maybe we can save them a trip to stores that are 20 minutes away,” noted Atkocious at an Oct. 4 follow-up meeting. Right now, customers spend an average of $25 per shopping trip, using the co-op more like a convenience store than their local grocer. To encourage more shopping by CJers and to say thank-you for the ongoing community support, the co-op is offering Village News subscribers 5 percent off one shopping trip during the month of November. (See the co-op ad in the printed newsletter.) Among the challenges voiced during the CJCA meeting was the lack of parking during the lunchtime hours. Even though the landlord has posted 30-minute parking signs in front of the store, restaurant patrons and others frequently leave their cars in those spots for an hour or more. The CJCA passed a motion to send a letter to the Co-op’s landlord asking that a number of parking spots be dedicated to Co-op shoppers during peak business hours. In 2019, the co-op plans to look at ways it might implement additional community suggestions including having customers pre-order fish or chicken for pick-up on specified afternoons, establishing discount days, and creating a members’ rewards program for frequent shoppers. By Susan Shipp... Read more...Election Day is Nov. 6; Early voting starts Oct. 25October 18, 2018Could CJ Have Cast the Swing Votes in the June Primaries? Ever think your vote doesn’t count? Think again. Twelve votes was all it took for candidate Sara Love to win the District 16 Democratic State Delegate primary and get her name on the November ballot for the chance to represent us in Annapolis. Plus, the Democratic candidate for County Executive, Marc Elrich, won with just a 77-vote margin. Of the 1,880 registered Democrats in Cabin John’s precinct, 668 or 36 percent, voted in the June primary. The Cabin John precinct includes all of Cabin John as well as some residents between Wilson Lane and the Cabin John Parkway. CJ voters could definitely have made the difference in those two primary contests. The most interesting fact about our precinct is that we are shrinking. In 2014, we had more than 3,100 registered voters. In 2018, it’s just under 3,000. CJ voter turnout for the June primaries was low, only 25 percent. As with most of the nation, our precinct logs a higher turnout for the general election and even more during a presidential election. But even for the 2016 presidential race, CJ voter turnout was just 37 percent. The general election on Nov. 6 includes the race for governor, as well as a U.S. senator and our representative in Congress. In addition, voters will be deciding state officials, our next county executive, and all nine members of the county council, which controls Montgomery County’s $5.6 billion operating budget. They have the most direct impact on our lives when it comes to issues like traffic, schools, jobs, taxes, you name it. Imagine how many more elections we could swing if we all voted. Please come out and vote on Election Day or vote early in person or by mail. See you at the polls! Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6, 7 am – 8 pm Cabin John Election Precinct 07-03 Clara Barton Community Center Early Voting: Oct. 25 – Nov. 1, 10 am – 8 pm (includes same-day registration) Closest Early Voting Location: Potomac Community Rec Center, 11315 Falls Rd, Potomac Absentee Voting by Mail: Request deadline is October 30. By Pete Couste Volunteer Election Judge... Read more...Sept 26: Give Feedback to Co-OpSeptember 24, 2018The Bethesda Co-op has served as Cabin John’s neighborhood market for 35 years. Back in the day, its natural food offerings made it a unique destination that drew customers from miles away. But supermarkets now sell aisles of organic products and the co-op knows it needs to do more to stay relevant. At the Sept. 26 Cabin John Citizens Association meeting we will be hosting a conversation with the Co-op starting at 7:30 p.m. at the community center. It’s your chance to tell Co-op General Manager Helen Atkocious, a Cabin John resident, and her assistant, Mary Jaeger, what the store needs to stock and other changes it should consider to make you a regular customer. They also will share some challenges they face and answer questions about the business. One of the big benefits the co-op offers is convenience. Not only are they within walking distance, they also stay open 13-hours a day, from 8 am to 9 pm. (On Sundays the hours are 8 am to 8 pm.) But the nearness and long hours are not translating into adequate sales. Please bring your suggestions and concerns. Come join the conversation to help the co-op serve our community for years to come. By Susan Shipp... Read more...NEW DATE: 9/22 – The Grateful ShredSeptember 5, 2018The 2018 Grateful Shred NEW DATE: Saturday, Sept 22, between 9:00 a.m. and noon Bring your unwanted papers to the Clara Barton Community Center and a crew of helping hands will meet your car to help unload. The shredded paper will be baled and taken to a recycling facility. The truck can process the following: paper clips, staples, rubber bands, folders, binder clips, hanging folders (including their metal strips), and labels. It CANNOT take newspapers, cardboard, heavy plastic, heavy metals, 3-ring binders, boxes, trash, floppy disks, CDs, or X-rays. You’ll be asked to donate $5.00 for each box of paper (or $3.00 for half box and $2.00 for a quarter box). Important Note: All-Shred can shred home office papers, paper clips, staples, rubber bands, folders, binder clips, hanging folders (even with metal strips), and labels. They don’t do newspapers, 3-ring binders, cardboard, heavy plastic, heavy metals, boxes, trash, floppy disks, or CDs. You will need to take any cardboard boxes back with you. The Grateful Shred is sponsored by the Friends of Clara Barton Community Center (FCBCC) and any proceeds will support programs at the Center. For more information, call 240-777-4910 or visit www. friendscbcc.org. ... Read more...Join us Sept. 15 for 49th Annual Chicken & Crab FeastAugust 16, 2018Delicious steamed crabs, tasty grilled chicken with Richard’s famous rub, fresh vegetables, homemade baked beans and more all served up while the Starlight Orchestra serenades the crowd. That’s what is in store for attendees to Cabin John’s Chicken and Crab Feast on Sept. 15 at the Clara Barton Community Center. The food and fun are served up starting at 2 pm. The 15-piece jazz and swing band gets underway shortly thereafter. The fun continues until 6 pm. The crab feast is the largest community event of the year and typically brings together some 600 Cabin Johners and friends. It is also an important fundraiser for the Cabin John Citizens’ Association. Enjoy the food, fun, and camaraderie for $16 a ticket. Or save $2 by buying your ticket in advance from a block coordinator or ticket seller. Proceeds support The Village News, mailed free to all CJ residents, as well as the Fourth of July celebration, holiday party, and other CJ activities. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The Crab Feast is a success each year because of the many, many volunteers who pitch in. Please consider volunteering for advance preparations or for an hour or two from 9 am to 7 pm on the 15th. Just e-mail cjcrabfeast@gmail.com or call the crab feast co-coordinators Allison and Patrick de Gravelles at 301-742-4762 and 301-605-7267, respectively. By Susan Shipp CJCA President... Read more...CJ at Epicenter of Proposed Beltway ExpansionAugust 16, 2018Maryland’s $7.6 billion plan to expand the Beltway and I-270 will be the focus of the first fall meeting of the Cabin John Citizens Association on Sept. 26. State transportation officials will be on hand to present some preliminary alternatives and to answer attendees’ questions. This is a massive and controversial undertaking that could profoundly impact Cabin John. Governor Larry Hogan unveiled his concept of a Public-Private Partnership (P3) program to address ongoing traffic congestion on the American Legion Bridge, I-495, and the I-270 corridor last fall. Under the P3 approach, the state would develop general project parameters and scope of the project. While there are alternatives under consideration, it is highly likely that the state would then contract with one or more private developers to design, build, finance, and operate up to four toll lanes on I-495 between the American Legion Bridge and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and on I-270 between I-495 and I-70. This is similar in some ways to the toll lanes on the Beltway in Virginia developed using the P3 approach. As part of the process, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) initiated a number of public informational meetings starting in Dec. 2017. Most recently, MDOT held community workshops in July to discuss a preliminary range of construction alternatives, which is an early step in the federally mandated environmental assessment process. MDOT plans to draft its environmental impact statement and select its desired alternative by fall 2019. More information on these alternatives and the project in general. Cabin John, especially the Evergreen neighborhood which backs up to the Beltway, could be impacted in a number of major ways by any Beltway expansion. While the community would benefit if the plan reduced gridlock on the Beltway and I-270, it could also face increased noise, local traffic, off-ramp congestion, and pollution. Most alarming is the potential for the taking of private property through eminent domain. All residents of Cabin John are urged to become informed and participate in these early phases of the project. CJ residents Charlotte Troup Leighton and Greg Pawlson have been monitoring the project, attending several of the MDOT informational meetings and having conversations and correspondence with MDOT officials, the Montgomery County Council, the Maryland Legislature and the offices of Attorney General Brian Frosh, Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Chris Van Hollen. In addition, the CJCA (Susan Shipp and Greg Pawlson) and the Evergreen citizens (led by Charlotte Troup Leighton) submitted formal comment letters during the MDOT June “call for comments” on the project. Read the letter. With the study process well underway, a number of citizens groups have formed to follow and/or outright oppose the project. While the CJCA is monitoring their activities, it has not endorsed any other group at this point in time or taken a formal position for or against the state’s plans. By Greg Pawlson CJCA VP of Advocacy Beltway Expansion Commentary By Greg Pawlson CJCA VP of Advocacy The following are my own observations from talking to MDOT officials, elected officials, and others in Maryland and Virginia, and doing some background reading on the subject. These views are not the official position of CJCA. It appears to me that the Beltway/I-270 expansion project has three major aspects. The first is political given it is an initiative of Republican Governor Larry Hogan. It is clear that many jurisdictions, primarily but not exclusively Republican, are using the P3 approach to build infrastructure, since they are unwilling or unable to raise taxes, including the gasoline tax, to pay for needed public infrastructure, including this current $7 billion project to mitigate Beltway traffic. The P3 approach appears to have resulted in mixed success. (For more information, Google “P3 construction”). If one is opposed to this approach to financing and construction, and since it appears that Hogan and his senior officials in MDOT are locked into using it, then it would seem that political opposition should include electing politicians who are willing to consider raising taxes to support infrastructure development. There are already several coalitions forming in Maryland in opposition to the project, including “Citizens Against Beltway Expansion” (CABE). Secondly, there is a real need for a comprehensive approach to solving DC’s growing traffic congestion, which virtually all of us experience on a daily basis on the Beltway and on our neighborhood streets. I don’t see any single solution, but perhaps mitigation through a wide variety of approaches. These could include nonhighway-related solutions like staggered work times (especially in our area given the number of government employees) and more telecommuting, as well as mass transit with light rail, heavy rail and other forms of non-highway based transportation along with bus lanes, self-driving electric buses and vans and cars. At present I am not aware of any effective effort to consider a wide-reaching and innovative set of approaches to our transportation problems. Finally, there is the MDOT P3 project itself, with the constraints imposed on the Maryland Department of Transportation by Gov. Hogan that includes only minimal state (or federal) funding for this project. This approach makes it almost certain that alternatives that MDOT will adopt will be highway-based restricted toll lanes built and administered by a private entity. At any rate, the next year should prove very critical as this project moves forward. Given our strategic and vulnerable location, we need everyone from Cabin John to be involved in this project, and to provide input to make ourselves heard and hopefully influence the final outcome. So please come to the Wednesday, Sept. 26 CJCA meeting and reach out to Susan Shipp, Charlotte Troup Leighton or myself gpawlson@gmail.com) to learn more.... Read more...20th Annual CJ Canoe & Kayak Trip Flows SmoothlyAugust 16, 2018A memorable day indeed. The photo is evidence that whatever many and varied decisions this particular group of Cabin Johners had made in their lives, those paths all intersected on July 8th for a great day on the Potomac River. There were a few things that made this trip different from others. First, the boats were already down at the water’s edge when everyone arrived courtesy of some hard-working participants. That is a big thing. Second, the water level was 4.0, the highest that we’ve run the trip. Fewer rocks to run into but perhaps a bit more difficult to make course corrections due to the faster flowing current. Third, this is the first time we’ve had lunch in that sandy beach just upstream of Carderock on the MD side. Can’t see any sign of civilization from there. Fourth, we ran Stubblefied whitewater after positioning ourselves on the MD side. This is actually an easier approach, especially at higher water levels, than from the VA side. The CJ Citizens Association supported the event with a subsidy of about $500. Participants included: Peter and Vicky Gray Bross; Bob Walsh and son Hayden; Burr Gray; Carolyn Reimann, and daughters Emily and Katie; Duane Thompson and son D’Michael; Doug Pyle; Alexandra Freeman and Taylor; Marcy Harrison and Chip Wright; Dave McGaw, plus Steve and another friend; Mike Liebman and son Seth; Andrew Strasfogel; Elizabeth Jackson; John Butman; Patty Lee; Jana Butman; Alex Butman; Marget Maurer and son Andrew; Shellie Gainsburg and daughter Rachel; Tim and Mandy Rehm and their two children Pearl and Liam; Kevin Kearney; Dana Verkouteren and Mary Tyszkiewicz; Harriett Crosby; Arek Simpson; and Greg Gurley. By Burr Gray... Read more...Primary Election: June 26May 23, 2018The campaign yard signs are sprouting around CJ—it must be election season! The ballot will be jam-packed with candidates so now is the time to do your research. Primary Day is Tuesday, June 26, which is after school gets out and prime vacation time. So you may want to vote during the early voting period, from June 14 to June 21. Our closest early voting site is the Potomac Comm. Rec. Center at 11315 Falls Rd., Potomac. Early voting works just like regular voting—just walk in, show ID, and vote. Important Dates: Voter Registration Deadline, Primary — June 5 Early Voting — June 14 to June 21 10:00 am to 8:00 pm Primary Day — June 26 7:00 am to 8:00 pm To register to vote or get voting information, visit the MoCo Board of Elections at montgomerycountymd.gov/Elections. By Vashti Van Wyke... Read more...CJ Blood Drive: Mother’s Day, May 13, 10 am to 3 pmMay 3, 2018The next CJ Blood Drive will take place on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13, 2018 at the Clara Barton Community Center. The drive, which will be run by Inova Blood Donor Services, is from 10 am to 3 pm and drop-ins are welcome. You should allow an hour to donate. As a special thank-you for donating, Inova will enter all donors who complete the screening process into a drawing for two tickets to see the Zac Brown Band July 27th at Nationals Park. To sign up for a specific time slot, please go to the Inova website and you can schedule your appointment yourself. Or send an email to Karen Melchar at cjblooddrive@gmail.com and we can schedule your appointment for you. For planning purposes, Karen also asks that you send her an email if you plan to donate, but do not want to schedule an appointment. As always, we can use help staffing the sign-in table and helping with setup and take down. Please consider volunteering for an hour or two.... Read more...The CJCA Needs Volunteers. Can you Help?May 3, 2018Please consider volunteering for one of these important roles. CJCA SECRETARY After seven years of dedicated service, Amy Elsbree is stepping down as CJCA secretary. The primary responsibility of the secretary is to take the minutes at CJCA meetings and provide occasional stories for the newsletter. Amy also took on special projects, such as helping with tributes to Burr Gray and Clare Amoruso. SSL COORDINATOR Now that the CJCA is approved to offer Student Service Learning (SSL) hours, we are in need of an SSL coordinator. The job, which should only take a couple hours a month and does not require meeting or event attendance, will help ensure the volunteering students receive their hours in a timely fashion. NEIGHBOR 2 NEIGHBOR COORDINATOR Judith Bell and Bob Norris are in search of one or two people who can join them as coordinators of this valuable community service program. As the lead coordinator, Judith is the first responder for calls that come in seeking assistance. She also keeps the master list of volunteers and the services they are equipped to provide. Like Bob Norris, the new coordinator(s) will provide back-up when Judith is unavailable. Contact Susan Shipp if you’re interested in helping out with the CJCA.... Read more...Save the Watershed: Pick up after your Dog!May 3, 2018Dog waste. Sure, it stinks, but you’ve got to pick up after your dog. It’s either dealing with the smell or not getting clean drinking water. Let me show you what I mean… I counted nearly twentyfive piles of dog waste on a small section of MacArthur Boulevard in Cabin John. That’s a lot of dog owners who don’t care about the watershed. What is a watershed, you might ask? No, it’s not a shed that holds water. Try again. A watershed is an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins or seas. If you don’t pick up after your pet, the waste gets washed into the watershed. To help you understand, I’m going to tell a story…. Once upon a time, you’re walking your dog. He uses the bathroom twice. But instead of doing the responsible thing by picking it up, you just say “It stinks!” and walk away. That night it rains and rains and rains. The next morning, you wake up and walk your dog. When you pass by the place you walked your dog yesterday, you expect to see the dog waste. Instead, you just see wet grass. So, where did all the waste go? It’s simple. When you don’t pick up after your pet, it either: A) decomposes into the dirt or B) gets washed away. It does both of these things. If the waste gets washed away, then it transports from where you left it to the Potomac River, which leads to the Chesapeake Bay. And did you know that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million—that’s right, 23 MILLION—fecal coliform bacteria? Bacteria causes many diseases and viruses that can make both dogs and people sick. Dog poop is the number 3 cause of water pollution. The big question is: why do some people not pick up after their pet? The answer is maybe that they don’t do it because it’s disgusting. But what’s even more disgusting is that we are drinking all that polluted water. So if you own a dog, please do your part to protect our watershed! BY LUCY DONNAN 4th Grade... Read more...County Council Candidates Coming to CJ, April 29April 19, 2018Due to term limits, there will be an open seat on the Montgomery County Council representing District 1, which covers Bethesda, Cabin John, Potomac, and Poolesville. Come out to a candidate forum at the Clara Barton community center Sunday, April 29 at 2 pm to hear from the democratic primary candidates running in District 1. Bring your questions! Confirmed attendees are: Bill Cook, Pete Fosselman, Ana Sol Gutierrez, Jim McGee, Reggie Oldak, Dalbin Osorio, and Meredith Wellington. The forum is organized by several local progressive groups including Indivisible Cabin John. The primary election is June 26, with early voting from June 12 to 21.... Read more...Mark Your Calendars: New Neighbors Potluck April 22March 15, 2018New to Cabin John? We’d love to meet you! All residents new to Cabin John in 2017 or 2018 are invited to a dinner to be held at the Clara Barton Community Center on Sunday, April 22 from 5-7 pm. More established residents are urged to come welcome our new neighbors and bring along a side dish or dessert to share. The Cabin John Citizens Association will provide lasagna and drinks. There also will be games for the children and door prizes! To ensure that we have food for all, please RSVP through Sign-Up Genius, an online sign-up site that has been established for our potluck. For questions, please contact Nancy Russell at nc3russell@yahoo.com or 301-229-1716. BY Nancy Russell VP Community Service & Outreach, CJCA... Read more...Neighbor To Neighbor To Be Re-Vamped With Your HelpMarch 14, 2018Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N), a roster of residents ready to assist elderly Cabin Johners when needed, is due for some self-improvement. Originally formed nine years ago to “help our older neighbors live comfortably in their own homes as long as possible,” the group consists of about 30 volunteers, including three coordinators (currently Judith Bell, Bob Norris, and Susan Shipp) who maintain the volunteer list, receive requests for assistance, and match each requester with an available volunteer. For a time, this system worked reasonably well. But these days hardly anyone calls N2N and it’s clear the program needs to be revitalized. Volunteers on the N2N roster have been polled occasionally to confirm their availability and their preferred ways to help out, but no new volunteers have been recruited. Outreach to new volunteers will be critical to keeping the program going. Also, everyone in Cabin John is nine years older than they were when N2N began. That means that there are newly elderly neighbors who might occasionally like a little help, and N2N is not aware who they are. Figuring out how best to reach out to this population is an ongoing challenge. “Aging in Place” was much in the news in 2009, and N2N was meant to foster that phenomenon in Cabin John. But Cabin Johners of any age may need temporary assistance, and N2N volunteers have been happy to help out when they can. Should the program formally change its mission to one of helping any CJ resident in need of assistance? Equally important is making sure N2N is providing the services that neighbors need. The vast majority of N2N requests have been for transportation to appointments, the grocery store, and other errands, though volunteers have also shoveled snow, walked dogs, and organized paperwork. Interested? Please fill out this survey to let us know how N2N can help you or you can help serve others in the community. BY JUDITH BELL Neighbor to Neighbor Coordinator... Read more...CJers Voice Canal Concerns At Jan. 2018 MeetingMarch 6, 2018It was a standing room only crowd at the Jan. 31 CJCA meeting as more than fifty Cabin Johners showed up to learn about the current plans for repairs and improvements to the C&O Canal. Park Superintendent Kevin Brandt reviewed an extensive plan for $10 million in canal improvements stretching from Violettes Lock to the District line. Although work is already underway, the complexity of the effort means water is not likely to flow in the Cabin John portion of the canal until the spring of 2021, provided additional state funding is secured next year. Cabin John residents shared their concerns about the canal and the construction plans. Mac Thorton of Wishbone Terrace spoke for many paddlers when he lamented that the lack of water in the canal means Potomac paddlers can no longer loop back to their starting point. Brandt responded that the loop between Lock 5 and Fletcher’s Boat House should be restored this summer. A number of attendees spoke to the environmental impacts of not having water in the canal and of the repairs. Brandt explained that the canal is now considered to be wetlands and that any work must go through an environmental assessment and mitigate the loss of the wetlands. Brandt credited community advocacy for helping the park secure state funds this year for canal repairs. He said citizens will need to express similar support – especially to county leaders who set priorities for state funding in their jurisdictions – to secure the additional funding needed to rewater the canal between Great Falls and Lock 5 at the DC Maryland line. BY AMY ELSBREE CJCA Board Member... Read more...“Pipestem” Lot Project Concerns NeighborsMarch 6, 2018On Jan. 30 the builder and engineer of a proposed subdivision of 7555 MacArthur Blvd. met with the parcel’s neighbors to present a preliminary plan. The schematic showed the .6-acre lot divided into two properties – the existing home keeping 82-feet of MacArthur Blvd. frontage and a second lot behind it with a 25-foot “pipestem” from MacArthur Blvd. to the parcel. A driveway would run from MacArthur to the back lot, where a new house would be surrounded by homes on Tomlinson Ave., 77th Street, and MacArthur Blvd. Neighbors are concerned that existing water drainage issues due to slope and clay soil would be exacerbated by adding a new home and long driveway. Dean Packard, an engineer on the project, said the plan likely would include water drainage to MacArthur Blvd. Neighbors were also concerned about the loss of trees. The drawings show the driveway running extremely close, if not over, a 29-inch Cedar. A 24 to 34-inch Silver Maple appears to sit within five feet of the proposed home. Rembrandt Builders, the CJ company looking to subdivide the lot, indicated that soil composition and drainage issues might prompt them to reconsider moving forward. On Feb. 12, Rembrandt President Jim Graham-Yooll said in an email that they are “investigating the soils now and will make a decision after we know what their composition is.” At a fall CJCA meeting, the association reaffirmed its opposition to pipestem or lot subdivisions that would increase housing density, harm mature trees, or worsen water drainage. BY SUSAN SHIPP CJCA President... Read more...Six Cabin John Artists on Display at 2017 Craft FairJanuary 28, 2018The Dec. 3, 2017 holiday craft fair at the Clara Barton community center featured the beautiful wares of close to 50 artists, including six from Cabin John. John Walter Kingscott of Riverside Dr. and his inlay serving boards escaped the lens of this photographer. Here are the other Cabin Johners shown with their unique works of art. EVA STOLWEIN of 78th Street makes striking and colorful jewelry from dichroic glass. Dichroic (“dyecrow-ick”) means “two-colored” in Greek. NASA developed a process to make dichroic-fused glass in the 1950s. Stolwein makes her glass at the Art Glass Center at Glen Echo. SUSAN GOODELL of 83rd Place grew up on a sheep farm in Maine. Goodell and her husband Warren sit amidst a wealth of her beautiful woven goods. EBRU KARACA of Arden Rd. displays a lovely assortments of knitted dolls, animals, and blankets. KATHLEEN STEVENSON of Arden Rd. creates gorgeous painted silk scarves as well as mixed media and collage notecards. STANLEY SCHAPER of 78th Street works at the community center and makes lovely wood carvings in his spare time.... Read more...Inaugural CJ Turkey Trot A Runaway SuccessJanuary 28, 2018Some 200 Cabin Johners, family and friends came out for the first annual Cabin John Turkey Trot held on Thanksgiving Day. The weather was perfect for the roughly 2.5 mile run/walk that started at the park by the one-lane bridge, looped participants down MacArthur Blvd., along the canal and back up to the park. There was also a shorter tot trot comprised of several loops around the park. The overwhelming consensus is that this should be an annual event. The Cabin John Citizens Association would like to thank the many volunteers who helped make this event possible, with a special shout out to CJCA Vice President of Activities Irena Bojanova who took the lead in organizing the trot. See more photos from the Turkey Trot.... Read more...CJCA To Launch Block Coordinators ProgramDecember 1, 2017We all know Cabin John is a friendly community with a lot of heart. But the Cabin John Citizens Association is looking to be even more warm and welcoming with the creation of a block coordinators program. Come to the Nov. 29 CJCA meeting at 7:30 pm in the community center to learn more about it. The aim of this new neighborhood support structure, which divides Cabin John up into 33 “blocks” with one or more coordinators, is to help welcome new families to Cabin John, share information about the Neighbor-2-Neighbor assistance program, and communicate any block concerns or ideas to the CJCA, says Nancy Russell, the CJCA vice president of community outreach and service. Russell, who is spearheading this effort, has recruited 11 block coordinators to date. “While the role of block coordinator should not be very time consuming, it is vital to creating more interconnectedness in our community,” says Russell. “It’s a great way for parents of school-age kids to get involved,” she added. The block system has been developed using the Crab Feast advanced ticket seller structure organized by Clare Amoruso. The table below illustrates the different “block” areas and the estimate of how many houses are in each block. If you live in one of the areas that needs a coordinator, please consider volunteering. Community service also will be a focus of the November meeting. The CJCA wants community feedback on the Neighbor-2-Neighbor program, the CJ blood drives, and the creek cleanup it co-sponsors with the Friends of the Cabin John Creek. In addition, the CJCA wants to see if there is interest in doing more as a community. For example, we could host a Cabin John night at Manna Food Center, where a group of 20 – 30 Cabin Johners could work to sort food and pack food boxes for distribution at the center. By Nancy Russell and Susan Shipp We Need You! See an empty slot for your block? Please consider signing up to be a block coordinator! To find out more, contact Nancy Russell at nc3russell@yahoo.com or 301-229-1716. Updated! Find out who your block coordinator is and how to get in touch with him/her!... Read more...Cabin John to Celebrate the Season December 10December 1, 2017Come enjoy some holiday cheer with your friends and neighbors at the annual CJ Holiday Party. While the highlight of the evening is Santa, who comes down off his fire truck to visit with the kids and pass out treats, there is always plenty of other fun for attendees of all ages. The free festivities include a sing-along, crafts, a selfie station, and a delicious assortment of food and drink, including sushi, subs, and sweets as well as pizza and veggie platters. The raffle to raise funds for SOME (So Others Might Eat) keeps getting bigger and better. Tickets are $1 each or 12 for $10. At last year’s event, 13 participants won prizes valued between $50 and $400. Sponsored by the Cabin John Citizens Association, the party will be held at the Clara Barton Community Center from 5 pm to 7 pm on Dec. 10. We need help to make this party a success. To volunteer, please contact Susan Shipp at jsjshipp3@verizon.net or 301-320-5106. By Susan Shipp... Read more...Great Potomac River Tire Rodeo Nets 229 TiresOctober 1, 2017On September 9, after almost a year of planning, the Great Potomac River Tire Rodeo, organized by Cabin John’s Kevin Kearney and Bannockburn’s Beth Rogers, removed 229 tires from the Potomac River between the Cabin John Creek and Lock 10. More than 50 volunteers, many from co-sponsor Canoe Cruisers Association, came together on a cloudless, sunny day to haul out the tires and load them into a large dumpster for proper disposal. Kevin, who has lived on Webb Road in Cabin John for 30 years, had discovered the huge number of abandoned tires on his twice-daily forays down to the Potomac. His house backs onto the Clara Barton Parkway and it takes him just 400 steps to get to the river’s edge – he considers the expanse his extended backyard and has tended it for many years, removing trash, debris, and invasives. “My motto has been think globally, act locally, commit personally,” he says. Kevin started removing tires on his own, little by little, dragging them up to the tow path for the Park Service to remove. It was a “mellow” undertaking, he said, reminding him of the pleasures of clamming when he was a little boy. Following his lead, other neighbors, including Beth, who met Kevin along the river one day as he was picking up trash, started removing tires as well. As the number of dislodged tires grew, the Park Service eventually told Kevin and Beth that they were “illegally dumping” the tires on federal property (the river, where the tires had been, is state land). Undeterred, Kevin started hauling the heavy tires all the way up to his house for disposal, dragging two or three at a time with his bicycle! But this wasn’t a sustainable model, and there were still a lot more tires out there. In 2016, with help from Delegate Marc Korman, Kevin and Beth got the Park Service, which is the only entity allowed to operate vehicles on the towpath, to agree to move the tires up to Lock 10; and the county agreed to haul them away for disposal. Overall, during this first “mellow” phase of the operation, Kevin, Beth, and several friends and neighbors, removed about 150 tires. Quite a haul! But they knew there were still many more tires remaining in our stretch of the river. So, a year ago, they decided to plan a formal clean-up day, complete with a park permit and an industrialsized dumpster. Beth wrote a successful proposal for a small amount of funding for the clean-up from NRG, an energy company that runs coal-fired plants and was being fined $1 million for nitrogen discharges in the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers (the small grant came out of the fine amount). Kevin and Beth also lined up vital support from the Canoe Cruisers Association, which helped with volunteers, boats, river-savvy, liability insurance, and life preservers on the day of the event. More than 50 volunteers showed up on Sept. 9 for the long day of boating, digging, and hauling tires. Based on their reconnaissance, Kevin and Beth thought there were probably about 80 tires, at most, remaining between the mouth of the Cabin John Creek and Lock 10. Instead, their huge dumpster was filled to overflowing with 229 tires at the end of the day. “Kevin was the spark for this clean-up. The river is his backyard and he knows it like the back of his hand,” said Beth. “The day itself was such a high. We had perfect weather, so many enthusiastic volunteers, and we removed so many more tires than we expected.” Several Cabin Johners helped with the clean-up, including Larry Heflin, who helmed the lunch foodrun (paid for by the grant), Burr Gray, and others. Beth estimates there may be up to 1000 tires per linear mile in this part of the Potomac River. She speculates that the tires, which are all about 40 years old, may have originated at a large tire farm that operated in Winchester, VA, 50 miles upstream. The good news, she reports, is that new tire purchases now include a small fee to cover proper disposal of old tires, meaning there are not many new tires making their way into the Potomac today. Adding it all up, over the last two years local volunteers have dug out almost 380 tires from the river near Cabin John, an amazing service to our local water ecology. Asked whether more tire rodeos are in Cabin John’s future, Beth and Kevin each demurred, with Kevin commenting (wisely) that, “You can ruin things in life that you enjoy doing by doing them too much.” Regardless, Cabin Johners can offer a grateful thanks to these two dedicated volunteers for helping make our tiny part of the earth a bit cleaner and less encumbered by the waste of our modern world. By Vashti Van Wyke... Read more...C.J. Chicken & Crab Feast Coming Sept. 16September 11, 2017Want to gather with friends and neighbors for an afternoon of delicious food, refreshing beverages, and superb music? Then plan to head to Cabin John’s 48th Annual Chicken and Crab Feast Sept. 16 at the Clara Barton Community Center. The food and fun are served up starting at 2:00 pm. The Starlight Orchestra, a 15-piece jazz and swing band, gets underway shortly thereafter. The fun continues until 6:00 pm. Around 4 pm the Cabin John Citizens Association will take a few minutes to honor Clare Amoruso for her three decades of service to the community. (See profile pg. 3) A local tradition since 1970, the Crab Feast is not only a fun community event that brings some 600 Cabin Johners and their friends together; it is also an important fundraiser for the Cabin John Citizens Association. Dinner tickets are available for $16 at the door, and $14 if bought in advance (please call 301-320-2685). Proceeds from this event support The Village News, a 16-page newsletter free to all CJ residents, as well as the Fourth of July celebration, the holiday party, and other activities and service. The Crab Feast is a success each year because of the many, many volunteers who pitch in. Please consider volunteering for advance preparations or for an hour or two from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on the 16th. Thanks to the efforts of Laura Miller and Greg Pawlson, the CJCA is now able to offer SSL hours for middle and high school students who volunteer at CJCA community events. Anyone wishing to lend a hand should e-mail cjcrabfeast@gmail.com or call Crab Feast Coordinator Allison de Gravelles at 301-742-4762. Clare Amoruso To Be Honored at CJ Crab Feast After more than 30 years of almost constant service to the community, Clare Amoruso is stepping away from her current roles as coordinator of Crab Feast advanced ticket sales and as treasurer for the Cabin John Citizens Association. But the community is not going to let her “retire” without saying thanks. Please join the CJCA at the Crab Feast around 4 pm, when the incredible Starlight Orchestra takes their break, to pay tribute to Clare for her decades of service to the Cabin John community. By Susan Shipp... Read more...C.J. Fourth of July Full of Festive FunSeptember 11, 2017The summer swelter did not keep close to 200 Cabin Johners of all ages from gathering to commemorate the Fourth of July with the annual parade and reading of the Declaration of Independence. This year the festivities kicked off at 10:30 am with some 50 families meeting to decorate bikes and strollers. Their efforts guaranteed a fantastic display of patriotism when the parade got underway at 11:00 am. The parade marchers made their way along the MacArthur Boulevard bike and pedestrian path and were met at the Clara Barton Community Center by Pam Zilly playing patriotic tunes on her bagpipes. Once the parade arrived at the community center black top, everyone enjoyed watermelon, donuts, and much-appreciated beverages. Larry Hefflin led the annual reading of excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and the kids played with bubbles, balls, and other trinkets. This year brought some changes to the traditional activities. The reversal of the parade direction was considered a success by all as it provided a much safer and larger space for the post-parade celebration by ending at the community center black top. The pre-parade decorating took place on 79th Street below the shopping center and provided direct access to the bike and pedestrian path without the need to cross MacArthur Boulevard at the start of the route. Many thanks to the Lai and Ingalls families for coordinating the bike and stroller decorating and the Ruppert and Jaeger/Tunador families for hosting the pre-parade fun in their driveways. The CJCA also thanks Amy Elsbree, Irena Bojanova, Greg Pawlson, and Nancy Russell for coordinating the refreshments and fun at the end of the parade and to all who pitched in to make the day such a success. If you have suggestions for next year’s parade or would like to lend a hand, please be in touch with CJCA President Susan Shipp at jsjshipp3@verizon.net. By Amy Elsbree... Read more...Taking a Run Down Cabin John CreekSeptember 1, 2017Most of us know Cabin John Creek from the great views on the trail that runs from the playground at the one-lane bridge to Seven Locks Rd. by Cypress Grove Lane. It’s about a half-hour hike. Though there are serious ascents, descents, and some stretches of rocky ankle-twisting opportunity, looking at “our” creek is pure joy. Most of the time it’s a peaceful spring-fed stream–always flowing, sometimes flat, and much of the time presenting views of gentle cascades over low rocks and ledges. One guy who’s been walking the trail and looking at the creek for over forty years is my 76th St. neighbor, Walt Dence. Walt told me that for decades he’s wanted to experience our creek valley from the perspective of the river. That would mean either wading the whole thing or paddling it in a boat. Walt Dence is an electronics engineer, who has been a long-time flat-water canoer. He taught canoeing at a camp for two years in the 1950s. In 2010, Walt and his son, Ross, took their first paddle on the Potomac, participating in the annual Cabin John canoe trip. They have been paddling regularly since 2013 and took some white-water lessons a couple years ago. Now Ross, who lives in Washington, D.C., brings the grandkids out and they all canoe together. Walt’s has been waiting for the right conditions to run Cabin John Creek from where it goes under River Road, down through Cabin John to the C&O Canal. The water level must be higher than ordinary summertime flow, but less than a flood. It turns out that our stretch of Cabin John Creek is a highly rated white-water canoeing destination–who’d have guessed! With its many twists and turns, flats, drops, and shallows, our stretch is about 3 miles. On the water, it takes about an hour. For Walt to enjoy the run with his son, everything had to come together on a weekend. At 75 years old, he finally got his chance. The last week of July saw a lot of rain — in some areas, torrential. Walt checked the paint-marked boulder at the edge of the creek by River Rd. The water level was just right–about one-and-a-half feet above the summer norm. As the rain subsided in the late morning on July 29, Walt, Ross, and Ross’s friend Aaron Otte, put in by River Rd. Ross was in his solo white-water canoe, and he had a GoPro video camera. “Once you are down on the water, you are in nature,” said Walt. “You don’t even hear the noise from the cars whizzing by on River Road.” The trip ended at the canal about an hour later with the men only having to walk their boats once or twice. Walt’s dream had become reality. Walt observed, “After staring down at the rapids in rain storms for decades, finally getting into the water was amazing. “The view of the valley from the creek is just beautiful.” By Peter Vogt... Read more...County to Spend $2.1 Million Repaving Cabin JohnApril 20, 2017Montgomery County anticipates it will spend $2.1 million repaving the streets of Cabin John this summer. The project is to begin after July 1 and once underway will take roughly three months, according to county officials who came to the March 29 CJCA meeting to provide an overview of the work. Your roads are in bad shape, which means “we will be building brand new roads,” said John Birton, program manager with the Department of Highway Services. Birton explained that concrete work and curbs will be done first and then roadways will be repaved. Curbs will not be added to road unless they existed before the repaving. The new asphalt is quick drying and should be dry in about an hour. Work is done on one side of the street at a time to allow for traffic. However, there may be short periods when residents will not have access to their driveways. No roads are slated to be widened as part of the project. Residents will receive a comprehensive project newsletter about three weeks before the project begins and signs will be posted at least 48 hours before repaving starts on a road, according to Norman Smith, the project manager who will be on site daily. The work is schedule between the hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, hours could be extended and Saturday work permitted to expedite the project. Trash and recycling trucks should have no trouble working around the repaving operations. Once the project is underway, the county will post updates on their website. The actual work will be performed by a private contractor under contract to the county. While the contractor is in Cabin John, Smith said, residents will be able to take advantage of the county’s competitive bid contract prices to repair their driveway aprons. The driveway apron is the portion of the driveway, often concrete, that is within the public right-of-way. Driveway repairs are also be a possibility as the contractors are allowed to do private work too. Dan Sheridan, with the county’s division of transportation engineering took questions on 17 areas with planned modifications to address drainage concerns. Residents raised a number of water concerns, including pooling at the 79th Street underpass to Riverside Dr. the intersection of Arden Rd. and 76th Street and areas of 81st and 83rd streets. “There are not a lot of storm drains out there so we are limited in what we can do,” said Sheridan. However, he believes they will be able to address minor issues. Pamela Rowe from the county’s department of Environmental Protection said her department is working with the highway division to see about a broader approach to stormwater issues in Cabin John, including the possibility of biorentention swales at the bottom of some streets. Rowe said this effort is on a different timeline so as not to slowdown the paving project. She also noted that she has funding for a dozen more free residential RainScape assessments should anyone in Cabin John be interested. By Susan Shipp... Read more...County to Present Plans for Major CJ Repaving ProjectApril 1, 2017The March 29 CJCA meeting promises to be of interest to almost every resident in Cabin John. The topic of the evening will be the county’s upcoming roadway rehabilitation project, which will touch almost every county road in the neighborhood. The meeting, to be held at the Clara Barton Community Center, will begin at 7:30 pm. County officials from the Department of Transportation (DOT) will be providing an overview of the project, which is scheduled to begin shortly after July 1, the start of the county’s new fiscal year. Roadway rehabilitation is one of the most extensive repaving options. Established primarily for the county’s mature neighborhoods, rehabilitation Heavily damaged Riverside Dr. will be repaired as part of includes the total removal and replacement of pavement exhibiting widespread areas of fatigue-related distress as well as base and subgrade failures, according to DOT. The goal is to “fix and enhance existing roads, curbs and sidewalks. I am stressing existing,” says Josh Faust, public outreach manager for the department’s division of highway services. New construction is not the purview of this project, he added. That said, the DOT is working with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to see if some long-standing stormwater issues on CJ streets such as 76th Street and 81st Street above MacArthur Blvd. and 83rd Street below MacArthur might be addressed in conjunction with the resurfacing project, according to Pamela Rowe, a DEP staffer who has been working with the Friends of the Cabin John Creek on the county’s RainScapes program and other storm water issues. Engineers, arborists and project managers have already spent time in the neighborhood assessing the roads and determining a tree protection plan. Some of the county’s experts will join Faust and Rowe at the meeting. The work plan and schedule, which is typically phased, will also be discussed. Cabin John has a number of other road concerns – from the dangers of cut-through traffic and the mounting frustrations of navigating MacArthur Blvd. during the morning and evening rush hours to the MacArthur Blvd. drainage issues impacting Cabin John Gardens. While extremely important to the community, these issues are not within the scope of the county’s Highway Services Division. If you have roadway concerns outside the repaving project, please contact CJCA President Susan Shipp to discuss. Work on these issues is ongoing. — Susan Shipp... Read more...Take Action Against Airplane NoiseFebruary 23, 2017At its January meeting, the Cabin John Citizens Association unanimously voted to support the Montgomery County Quiet Skies Coalition. This new group is bringing together more than a dozen Montgomery County communities to advocate for comprehensive solutions to mitigate airplane noise in our neighborhoods. The coalition, which has been drawing up to 50 participants at its monthly meetings, has formed committees to focus on communications and outreach, research and information gathering, legislative initiatives and activism along with a group looking at how best to structure the coalition. Cabin John was well represented at the Feb. 6 coalition meeting, with six residents attending and Gretchen Gaston presenting a status report on several legislative actions. The coalition is urging Montgomery County residents to tell their elected officials how untenable the situation has become and to ask for their help. Excessive airplane noise and the FAA’s implementation of NextGen technology without consideration of the communities under the flight paths near major airports is a national problem. The DC area is behind the curve in voicing its distress. Here are some ways Cabin Johners can communicate their frustrations and concerns regarding the excessive airplane noise from the arrivals and departures out of Reagan National Airport (DCA). Keep filing complaints using the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority’s (MWAA) DCA Noise Complaint Form. Try to be as specific as you can — time of day/night,whether the plane is in-bound or out-bound and what was disrupted, a walk, sleep, conversation — when you complete the easy-to-fill out form. (It takes three minutes at most.) This is the most quantifiable way for our elected officials to understand that the noise is real. Write a letter to support the Reagan National Community Noise Working Group’s 6-point Plan The community representatives of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Working Group (the group created to represent community concerns and recommend aircraft noise solutions to the FAA) recently submitted a plan to the airport authority that contains several provisions that would greatly benefit communities under the current flight paths. Among other things, the plan calls on the FAA to: move navigation waypoints away from communities increase departure altitudes implement a runway rotation plan to scatter departure noise more equitably review approach procedures to determine changes necessary to reduce noise conduct area-wide noise assessment studies implement a 24/7 Fly Quiet Program promote more traffic in and out of Washington Dulles The Maryland members of the airport authority as well as well as elected officials at the county, state and national level need to hear from constituents that their support of this plans is expected and appreciated. For a list of elected officials’ email addresses and a sample letter, please go to the Montgomery County Quite Skies Coalition website. By Susan Shipp... Read more...New Directors For Two Key CJ OrganizationsFebruary 23, 2017Big changes have come to the local Clara Barton community building in the past few months. Paula Curran, a long-time Cabin John resident, became the new director of the Clara Barton Center for Children, and Barry Jones joined the Clara Barton Neighborhood Recreation Center as its new director. Located at the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and 75th Street, the 89-year-old building is a local gem housing both a preschool and a Montgomery County recreation facility. The Clara Barton Center for Children (CBCC), which occupies the north end of the building, is a renowned, play-based preschool. It was founded in 1975 after the school board decided to close the Clara Barton Elementary School which had occupied the site since 1928. The community center, located in the south end of the building, is operated by the Montgomery County Department of Recreation and offers fitness and activity programs for seniors, children, and other residents. A recreation center first operated at the site in 1957, although in a different building, according to local historian Judith Welles. In 1990, the center moved into its present location. Paula Curran The CBCC preschool has been a pillar of the Cabin John community for decades, providing a warm, loving, and happy start for many of Cabin John’s youngest citizens. Paula Curran became the center’s new director in October, after serving as the school’s administrator for 12 years. A resident of Carver Road since 1999 with her husband Matt, Curran first came to know CBCC when their oldest daughter started at Clara Barton in 2004. Two other children are also alumni. The school has 75 children in five classrooms (all named after birds!), 15 staff members, and two outdoor playgrounds.“Part of what makes this school so special is that it is tucked away in this little community and many of the children go on to elementary school with their friends,” said Curran. “The children’s days are filled with joyful learning, exploring, creating, making choices, and experimenting. That is the basis of what we do.” Curran says she is committed to the positive, play-based program. While she anticipates there will be “a few tweaks here and there,” she says that “one of my favorite things is seeing families come back who were at the school years ago, and I can tell them that the school is pretty much like it was when they were here. It’s just a wonderful community.” Although Cabin John residents are given a priority for admission, the school’s small size and sibling preference means there is usually a waitlist for new students. Curran admits that this is a challenging part of her job. She also wants local families to know that the school provides financial aid and encourages all families to apply for admission, regardless of ability to pay. The school is known for the remarkable longevity of its staff, many of whom have been at the school a decade or longer. Cabin Johners Maris Miles and Deborah Duffy have worked at the school for 13 and 12 years respectively. In January, Duffy took on the role of assistant director at the preschool. Cabin Johner Liz Clark, a 21-year veteran teacher at CBCC, attended Clara Barton Elementary in the 1960s. Barry Jones Barry Jones has been on the job as director of the recreation center since December. While this position is his first for Montgomery County, Jones, an Arlington native, worked in recreation and community programming for Fairfax County for five years. He is eager to connect with Cabin Johners about their interests to expand offerings that best meet community’s needs. “This center has a lot of potential and I want people to use the resources we have here. It all starts with programming,” said Jones. He says the center has several well-utilized programs for seniors that he hopes to expand to more days, including a drop-in morning program with social activities, breakfast, games, crafts, and recreation. Jones would like to add adult evening classes, perhaps Zumba, interval training, or dance classes. He plans to hold demonstration classes to see what residents are interested in. He also wants to get young people engaged at the center. He is considering a drop-in after school program for young people with homework space, an open gym, and pool and ping-pong tables. Jones says the monthly Mac Friday program, open to kids in 3rd to 6th grade, draws between 70 and 90 kids once a month for pizza, basketball, crafts, dancing, and video games. Jones wants the community to know that he is, “someone who is available and open…if there are things that people need or want, don’t be afraid to ask. The community center belongs to the people and is here to serve their interests. We work for them and we want to make the center the best that it can be.” Finally, he notes that citizens can rent the social hall, community room, and the smaller meeting room for meetings and activities. Just call to make a reservation. The center’s number is 240-777-4910. By Vashti Van Wyke ... Read more...Potential Traffic Headaches In Store For Seven Locks Rd.January 17, 2017The WSSC is about to begin a two-year sewer expansion project that is likely to impact traffic at River Rd and Seven Locks for the duration of the project. Called the Cabin John Sewer Relief Project, it is an $8 million overhaul of the sewer system paid for by Federal Realty Investment Trust to expand some 2,700 feet of sewer main along River Rd. and Seven Locks Rd. (See attached photo.) The added capacity is needed because of development along Rockville Pike, including Pike and Rose, and the upcoming White Flint redevelopment. Phase one of the project is along Seven Locks Rd and the contractors expect it “to begin in earnest in early February (i.e. the actual digging, with the related lane closures, etc.). This work will largely be done at nighttime. Until then, the contractor will be doing some test pitting and saw cutting of asphalt, which will involve some related temporary lane closures during the day, outside of rush hour,” according to Jay Corbalis, a Federal Realty employee who is on the Cabin John Sewer Project Team Please let the CJCA know of any issues you have in conjunction with this project so that we can see if they can be addressed.... Read more...Victory in Airplane Noise Battle; More To DoJanuary 16, 2017The Federal Aviation Administration announced Jan. 5 that it would terminate its proposed changes to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) north flow departure procedures, known as LAZIR B. The agency said it based its decision on feedback from communities around the airport. If the LAZIR B plan had gone forward Cabin John likely would have seen and heard even more departures overhead. However, this decision does not address the current volume of air traffic and consequent noise that Cabin John has been subjected to since December 2015 when the FAA made significant flight path changes using its NextGen technology. The NextGen system shifts air traffic from radar to GPS-based air traffic control and is the source of the more concentrated flight paths over Cabin John and other communities along the Potomac River. This issue is not unique to our area. Communities near airports around the country are experiencing similar airplane noise problems as the NextGen technology is being rolled out. A growing number of government officials and local communities are working to address the noise problems from DCA arrivals and departures. Cabin John is being asked to join a coalition of Montgomery County communities working to mitigate the airplane noise. At its Jan. 25 meeting, the CJCA will discuss this issue further and vote on whether to align ourselves with this coalition.... Read more...Holiday Party Brings Community Together For Food, Song and SantaJanuary 11, 2017A festive crowd, estimated at more than 200, showed up for the annual CJ holiday party Dec. 11 at the community center. No one went hungry with plenty of sushi, subs, pizza, and platters of fruits, veggies, cheeses and sweets for all. A crafts table and selfie photo station, along with a rousing sing-along, kept folks entertained while they waited for the main attraction. Santa showed up as anticipated, atop the ladder truck of the Cabin John Volunteer Fire Department. He spent time with dozens of kids, listening to their wish lists, taking pictures and handing out stockings of treats. After Santa departed, it was time for the other anticipated activity: the raffle of many generous gifts from local businesses. Thirteen winners walked away with prizes and $622 was raised for the S.O.M.E. gift-giving project organized by Lori Rieckelman. (See related story.) Sponsored by the Cabin John Citizens Association, this evening of community and free fun was successful due to the coordination efforts of CJCA Vice President Greg Pawlson and his wife Jean Johnson. He was assisted by a large contingent of helpers. Elaine Hornauer and Robin and Evan Gurley tackled decorations. Larry Heflin picked up the Christmas tree. Nancy Russell, Susan Roberts and Lori Rieckelman sold raffle tickets. Clare Amoruso arranged raffle prizes and food orders. Marcy Harrison and Amy Elsbree kept the food and drink tables filled. With Susan Roberts at the piano, Heidi and Daisy Lewis and Crista Gibbons led the singing with guest singers ranging in age from toddlers to college age. Burr Gray provided invaluable assistance throughout the night. My apologies to anyone that is inadvertently missing from this list, especially those folks who stuck around to make clean up a breeze.... Read more...Clara Barton Holiday Craft Fair Set For Dec. 4November 25, 2016Have you ever wished that your eye would suddenly light on an item perfect for someone on your holiday list — something that’s for sale AND certain not to be duplicated? Well, that happens all the time at the annual Clara Barton Holiday Craft Show. Come check it out! You’ll browse pottery, woodwork, glass, things to eat, things to wear, things to read–all being sold by the local artists, artisans, and authors who made them. No middlemen. The ninth annual craft fair is set for Dec. 4 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., at the Clara Barton Community Recreation Center, 7425 MacArthur Blvd. in Cabin John. Admission and parking are free. For more information, go to the FCBCC website www.FriendsCBCC.org or contact Leslie Barden, 301-365-1311 or email cbcc.craftshow@verizon.net. Each year the Friends of Clara Barton Community Center organizes the Holiday Craft Show in cooperation with the Montgomery County Department of Recreation. The Friends of Clara Barton Community Center is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that supports programs at the Clara Barton Community Recreation Center. The center’s phone number is 240-777-4910.... Read more...Inova to Run the CJ Blood Drive Nov. 6thNovember 2, 2016The next Cabin John Citizens Association Blood Drive is on Sunday, Nov. 6, 10 am to 4 pm at the Clara Barton Center. After years of issues with the Red Cross, including the last-minute cancellation of June’s drive, the CJCA has arranged for Inova Blood Donor Services to run this drive. They promise an efficient drive with donors moving through the process in less than an hour. To book a donation time, you are encouraged to sign up online at www.inovabloodsaves.org) or to contact Karen Melchar at cjblooddrive@gmail.com. We also need volunteers to help make this blood drive a success. Specifically, volunteers are needed to help setup, to pick up sandwiches for the Inova workers from Market on the Boulevard, and to help out at the registration desk. Please contact Karen by email at cjblooddrive@gmail.com or call 301-229-9049, if you can donate an hour or so of your time.... Read more...CJCA Meeting Looks at Air and Street TrafficNovember 2, 2016More than thirty Cabin Johners attended the Sept. 28 CJCA meeting, which focused on two issues of significant community concern. New CJCA President Susan Shipp led a discussion about the growing aircraft noise in Cabin John and resident Trav Daniels led a discussion about the excessive and unsafe commuter traffic on Cabin John roads. The CJCA will form a working group to focus on aircraft noise issue. Anyone interested in this effort should contact Susan at jsjshipp3@verizon.net. In addition, Susan urged residents to contact the FAA to comment on their proposed plans to increase the air traffic over Cabin John. While the deadline for commenting on the specific plan has passed, Cabin Johners are encouraged to file noise complaints at http://www.flyreagan.com/dca/reagan-nationalsubmit-noise-complaint. Letters to congressional, state and local lawmakers are also needed to engage them in the fight. Trav Daniels explained that the county has been evaluating the cut-through traffic situation and has proposed a Do Not Enter sign at the intersection of Seven Locks Rd. and Tomlinson Avenue. Attendees at the meeting did not feel this was an adequate solution and discussed possible alternatives including posting signs at MacArthur Blvd. and 77th and 78th Streets to stop left turns into the neighborhood as the police report 60 percent of the traffic is coming off of MacArthur . Other ideas were to lower the speed limit and post it more clearly, make Arden Rd. one way heading west, and install traffic calming devices such as speed bumps. Trav and other community members will meet with county officials to discuss alternative approaches to the Tomlinson-Arden mitigation effort. Susan Shipp noted the recent changes to the intersection of MacArthur and the Clara Barton Parkway, including the lane markings and poles on the corners. Those present agreed that these are improvements and it is now easier to get out of Cabin John Gardens for drivers and it is safer for pedestrians. By Amy Elsbree... Read more...Mark Your Calendar For Frightfully Good Halloween Fun Oct. 30October 17, 2016The Clara Barton Community Center will hold its 11th annual Haunted House on Sunday, October 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Clara Barton Center. Once again, the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center, in conjunction with the Montgomery County Department of Recreation, will create a scary experience just before Halloween! Although all ages are welcome, children up to age 12 will probably find it most rewarding. Please accompany the young ones. No charge for entry. Fortunes will be told, witches will cast spells, zombies will abound, refreshments will be served, and small gift items will be handed out to kids. For adults, feel free to visit and have your fortune told. Plus, we will have a small, separate section that will feature things particularly frightening to grownups! For more information about the event, contact the Center at 240-777-4910.... Read more...Annual Crab Feast Set For Sept. 17August 23, 2016Cabin John’s 47th Annual Chicken & Crab Feast, slated for Sept. 17, promises to provide the usual delicious food, refreshing drinks and superb live music from the Starlight Orchestra. It also will be a chance for the community to says thanks to Burr Gray for the two decades of service that he has given to Cabin John. Join your neighbors, bring your friends and come to the Clara Barton Community Center between 2 and 6 pm for this fun community celebration. A local tradition since 1970, the crab feast is an important fundraiser for the Cabin John Citizens’ Association. Dinner tickets are available for $15 at the door, and $13 if bought in advance (call 301-320-2685). The Crab Feast is a success each year because of the many, many volunteers who pitch in. Please consider volunteering for advance preparations or for an hour or two from 9 am to 7 pm on the 17th. Just e-mail cjcrabfeast@gmail.com or call Crab Feast coordinator Allison de Gravelles at 301-742-4762.... Read more...Record Turnout At CJ Paddle On The PotomacAugust 22, 2016Cabin Johners were out on the Potomac River on July 10th in record numbers. We had 67 people paddle about 20 canoes and 10 kayaks down the river from Old Anglers to Lockhouse 10—pretty much the largest group in the last ten years. Calleva could rent us only 10 canoes, so we borrowed another six from Dave Smith, who used to run Potomac Outdoors in Cabin John in the location where Level Fitness is located. But we still needed more canoes so we sent a desperate request via listserv to the CJ community who responded. Many thanks to Mac Thornton, Drew Engleson, Trudi Bick, and Tim Kallman for loaning us their trusty watercraft. We had exactly the right number. The river level was at 3.3 on the Little Falls gage, which is perfect; high enough to cover most rocks but not too swift. Once again, our Calleva Head Guide was CJ resident Olivia Murphy. Calleva is such a valuable resource when it comes to group water adventures. There is no one else around who can provide canoes, guides, and overall coordination for a large trip like ours. Liquid Adventures has joined forces with Calleva and provided most of the kayaks. Our intrepid Cabin John adventurers this year included the following: Dale & Hannah Stahl, Stephanie & Mike Lai and their two kids, Ulrich Apel, Bob Walsh and David Shell and two youngsters, Robert Patt-Corner, Nancy and Craig Russell, Dave McGaw and a slew of friends, Anne Reb and a friend Maureen, Greg Da Re & Catalina Marulanda and their two children, Patrick & Allison de Gravelles, Sarah Craven & Matt McGuire and son Jack, Angela Miller and her two children, Mike Liebman & son Seth, Javier Barsantini and family, Elaine Hornauer & Gil, Darren & Monica Hornauer, Diana and Irena Bojanova, Eduardo Cortina, Grey & Jessica Emmons, Rose Braue and friend, Steve Bergstrom and his wife, Peter Bross & Vicky Gray, Burr & Fiona Gray and Lily Robinson, Jim Blitz plus one, and the ubiquitous Reed Martin. Regardless how long you have lived in Cabin John, if you haven’t been out on the river, think about coming next year. We had lots of novice paddlers this year and everyone did just fine. OK, OK, so one boat and one kayak did tip at Stubblefield, the bouncy wavy whitewater stretch, but I figure that was probably an obligatory gesture of respect to the river gods. On a warm summer day, not so bad to do a little swimming in the Potomac. As always, the event is funded by fees from the participants and with support from CJCA, based on the principle that getting Cabin Johners out onto the river is always a good thing. By Burr Gray... Read more...CJ July 4th Parade Kicks Off At 11 AMJuly 2, 2016Join your neighbors for Cabin John’s own patriotic tribute to the 4th of July as we parade from the Clara Barton Community Center to the shopping center at Seven Locks and Mac Arthur Blvd. Gather at the community center, where small flags, pinwheels and hats will be provided by CJCA prior to the start of the parade at 11 a.m. Or join the parade in route as we stroll the bike path to the grassy area adjacent the Firehouse dry cleaners parking lot. Wear patriotic garb if you wish, but otherwise the attire is casual and fun. Feel free to decorate bikes, strollers, dog collars and the like. At the end of the parade there will be drinks, donuts and watermelon as well as some activities for the kids and a reading of select passages from the Declaration of Independence. The festivities will wrap up about noon.... Read more...CJ Residents Have Limited Free Access to Palisades PoolJuly 2, 2016Over the summer, Cabin John children and an accompanying adult are admitted free of charge to the Palisades Pool on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 am to 1 pm. Children age 7 and under must be accompanied by a supervising adult. Children age 8-14 who will be left by themselves at the pool will be asked to satisfy the swim test by swimming one length of the pool and treading water for one minute. Please sign in at the pool – some proof of residency (such as being listed in the CJ Community Directory, an ID with address, or mail received at a Cabin John address) may be required for admission. The Palisades Pool (301-229-2598) is located off Seven Locks Road between Carver Road and Cyprus Grove Lane. The Cabin John Free Swim was part of an agreement between the Cabin John community and the founders of the Palisades Pool to gain neighborhood approval of the zoning variance that permitted the pool to be constructed. By Burr Gray... Read more...18th Annual CJ Canoe Trip To Launch July 10June 26, 2016Our annual Potomac River canoe/kayak trip is set for Sunday, July 10. We will continue to rely on Calleva/Liquid Adventures for general organization and canoes/kayaks. As usual, we will put in at Old Anglers Inn in the morning (probably around 10 am) and take out at Lockhouse 10 in Cabin John in the mid-afternoon (probably between 3 to 3:30 pm). The trip is generally limited to Cabin John residents and friends, but we can usually fit in outsiders. Fees are $15/head (maximum of $30/canoe), and there is a separate charge of $30 if you rent a canoe or kayak. These fees, along with the CJCA subsidy, pay for the Calleva/Liquid Adventure guides and associated costs. On the trip, you will definitely encounter herons and ducks and possibly ospreys and eagles. We’ll likely have lunch on the Virginia side by Scott’s Run creek, which has a nice waterfall that some of the more adventurous can sit under. Expert guides and instruction will be provided. Canoe/kayak paddling instruction is strongly recommended for all and begins at the River’s edge about 10 am. Expect to get wet in some fashion during this trip. People do tip over on occasion, usually unexpectedly. Some of us will avoid Yellow Falls, which can be somewhat difficult, and some will seize the challenge. All expect to have fun going through Stubblefield Falls, just upstream of the Beltway Bridge. It’s wavy and bouncy but no rocks. We’ll get some pictures of you in your canoe/kayak as you go through, so it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to get yourself in an action photo. Bring your own canoe/kayak or let us know that you will need to rent one. You will need to bring your own lunch/sodas/water/sun tan lotion. As always, the mystery dessert is provided by CJCA. Past participants are sworn to secrecy regarding the mystery dessert. If you are planning to participate, it is very important that you notify Burr Gray (burrgray@ aol.com) as soon as you know you will be coming but no later than July 1 so that we can plan on how many guides to get and provide you in advance with other instruction and the specifics of the trip. Please indicate the following: (1) number of canoes or kayaks you will need to rent or will bring yourself, (2) number of people in your group, plus the ages of any kids, and (3) level of xpertise. State in particular whether you will rent or bring your own canoe/kayak, and give a phone number where you can be reached the morning of the trip and an e-mail address. We will send out some detailed information as we finalize the list of Cabin John adventurers. Burr Gray... Read more...Outdoor Movie Nights Coming to Cabin JohnJune 25, 2016This summer the Clara Barton Community Center is hosting three nights of free films to be shown al fresco. Bring a chair or blanket and settle in for a fun family night at the movies. The first “Movie on the Lawn” night, June 24, will feature the Disney/Pixar film Inside Out. Showtime is at 8 p.m. Drinks and snacks will be sold. On July 22, Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day is scheduled. The final film will be Pan on August 12. Contact the community center at 240-777-4910 for weather updates. Our goal is to “bring the entire community together for a great time of laughter and fun. So please come and enjoy a night out under the stars with your neighbors and the staff of Clara Barton,” says Derrick Perry, the Recreation Specialist at the center.... Read more...Protect the Plants; Stay on the RoadJune 25, 2016This spring the county replanted the grassy median strips between MacArthur Blvd. and the shared-use path that runs through Cabin John. Their work was not even completed when tire ruts could be seen at several points along the route. That prompted quick action by Cabin Johners, Susan Roberts, Peter Vogt and Walt Dence. With funding from the CJCA, Walt and Peter have installed some 150 snow stakes to deter drivers from straying into the median. In addition to distracted drivers, cars have been observed pulling onto the median to go around a car making a left turn or to take a phone call. Landscape crews and delivery trucks also have been spotted parking their vehicles on the median while they take care of business across the street. This is not the first effort to keep drivers off the roadside greenery. A year ago, Walt and Peter posted signs along the route that read “Soft Soil– Do Not Drive or Park.” Their motivation is simple. “MacArthur Blvd is our Main Street. It’s a matter of civic pride that we keep it looking good,” said Vogt. First proposed in 2003, the MacArthur Blvd. bikeway improvement project was started in 2013 and completed last year.... Read more...CJCA Elects New Officers; Thanks Burr For Decades Of ServiceJune 10, 2016The May 25 meeting of the Cabin John Citizens Association was a lively combination of election of new officers and tribute to outgoing President Burr Gray. Burr kicked off the meeting with touching remarks summarizing his 19 years in office. He reminded the crowd of more than 50 Cabin Johners of funny moments, thanked his fellow officers from over the years and the many volunteers who have given so much time and effort to events, and talked about the amazing community that we have here in Cabin John. As his final act in office, Burr oversaw the election of a new slate of officers, which was approved with a unanimous voice vote. Serving as President will be Susan Shipp; as Vice President, Greg Pawlson in interim status until a full time Vice President is chosen; as Treasurer, Clare Amoruso; and as Secretary, Amy Elsbree. As Susan Shipp took charge of the meeting, Burr presented her with several items for safekeeping by the new CJCA President including historic photos of Cabin John, a silver dish left from the Cabin John Bridge Hotel, and the official CJCA gavel. Susan accepted the items and offered the assembled Cabin Johners her commitment to serve the community as President.... Read more...Burr Gray, A Historical PerspectiveJune 10, 2016From its most early days, Cabin John has been fortunate to have leaders who have made the community the kind of place it is, a great place to live, with the right kind of services and amenities. We can look back to leaders who started the fire department, organized the first church, and opened the first community store. Others helped develop sections of Cabin John Park, began the citizens association, supported the Glen Echo-Cabin John School that is now the Clara Barton Community Center, began the Village News, and started the home school program and the first Cabin John Crab Feast. Many people, starting in 1919, have served as president of the Cabin John Citizens Association, usually serving one or two years. And then came Burr Gray, elected to lead the citizens association in 1997 who was reelected and reelected, by acclimation, and occasionally a bit of arm twisting, for 20 years. He has raised the bar on service, enlivening old traditions and starting new ones that continue to bring the community together. Right at the start, in 1997, Burr encouraged Cabin Johners to volunteer for activities, become officers of the Citizens Association, and participate in the first Cabin John Creek Cleanup. That year, all volunteers, including the Cabin John Citizens Association, received awards from the County. The creek cleanup has continued for 20 years, now a community tradition to keep the waterway that streams to the Potomac River, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay, clean and a wonderful place to enjoy. Burr followed the creek cleanup with support for the Friends of Cabin John Creek Watershed. That now involves a coalition of neighboring community organizations, united in an effort to curb storm water runoff. The effort has merited a state grant, and Burr also brought forward Cabin John’s organizer-in-chief (of Crab Feast fame) Tina Rouse to manage the grant. After all, Cabin John Creek, originally named Captain John’s Run, was probably the Cabin John namesake—say it fast, Captain John, Capt. John, Cap’n John, Cabin John! In 1998, Burr started summer lectures as a way to bring the community together. The first lecture was by a scientist on the wonders of the universe. Lectures were followed by dances after a few years and later by a revival of Bingo! In 2003, he brought County Council member Roger Berliner to call the numbers, followed by State delegates, another new tradition. It was also in 1998 that Burr led the citizens association in trying to convince the C&O Canal National Historical Park to repair, resilt, and rewater the Seven Locks section near Cabin John. That effort also continues. Cabin John has had many longstanding traditions. In earlier days, Cabin John residents could always be found at the Potomac River and C&O Canal, boating, fishing, and even ice skating in the winter. Then there was the holiday party and egg roll (dating back to probably the 1950s) to the Crab Feast started in the 1970s. But it was Burr Gray who brought the community’s love for the river to a new level in 1999. He started the annual canoe trip, sometimes called the Cabin John Regatta or the Cabin John Float, where some 50 people head to the water in canoes and kayaks guided by professionals and all arranged by Burr. In 1999, the Cabin John Citizens Association began other initiatives under Burr’s leadership with vivid results benefiting the community today. The effort to improve the bike path began that year, spearheaded by Susan Roberts. And recognizing the long and important history of the community, Burr engaged with others in the start of a permanent historical exhibit now displayed at Clara Barton Community Center and involving creative Cabin John writers, designers, a filmmaker and framer. Then in 2000, Cabin John began its web site, moving into the era of modern social media to promote the community. Other improvements led by Burr included the plan and later building of a children’s playground behind the tennis courts at Clara Barton Community Center. Community spirit was ever present in Burr’s start of annual blood drives, another new tradition for Cabin John. He revitalized the July 4 celebration with a bike parade and his reading of the Declaration of Independence, adorned by his 3-corner hat. In days of yore that celebration had included fire engines from the Cabin John Volunteer Fire Department (before they became too big for the firehouse and too heavy for MacArthur Boulevard with the aqueduct underneath) and Cabin John’s marching majorettes. In November, 2001, after 9/11, Burr led the community to a patriotic gathering to celebrate the reopening of the Cabin John Bridge, marked by an iconic photograph with the American flag on the bridge. After a spectacular 2001, the next year Burr and the Citizens Association advocated for county funding to extend the hours and add staff to the Clara Barton Center. That effort also led to the formation of a nonprofit support group, the Friends of Clara Barton Center, led by Burr. The group began the annual craft fair that raises funds for the Center and other programs to benefit the community from children to older adults, with new fitness equipment, classes and activity. In subsequent years, Burr led the Citizens Association in focusing attention to airplane and helicopter noise over the Potomac River and to the sewer project, to try to eliminate the stink along the Seven Locks of the Canal. He rallied volunteers to make sure that Cabin John was counted, fully, in the 2010 Census. Burr also served on the Boards of the Potomac Conservancy and neighboring Glen Echo Park, supporting efforts that add to Cabin John’s quality of life. Then there was the need to preserve Gibson Grove cemetery, as Burr and other volunteers helped clean the area, fix a path, and establish a roadside panel to highlight the history. In 2008, Burr made sure that Cabin John celebrated the 400th Anniversary of Captain John Smith’s voyage on the Potomac River in 1608, possibly the Captain John of Captain John’s Run. That event brought the community together to celebrate its history and the Citizens Association published the book, Cabin John: Legends and Life of an Uncommon Place. As a leader, Burr has always kept the diversity of the community in mind, looking for ways to bring children and teenagers into events and to address the concerns of residents. Through it all, Burr has been one of the most active volunteers in Cabin John, not only leading but always pitching in where needed. He has picked up, set up, or put away tables for meetings and especially, for the Cabin John Crab Feast. And every year, Burr has agreed (sometimes under pressure) to serve and been reelected as President of the Cabin John Citizens Association. All of this incredible service to Cabin John has been accompanied by Burr’s wonderful optimism, enthusiasm, caring, and just plain friendliness. In all of this, Burr Gray has demonstrated Cabin John’s longstanding tradition of service and leadership and added an important chapter to the community’s history. By Judy Welles... Read more...Bethesda Co-op To Hold May Fest on May 7April 26, 2016The Bethesda Co-op continues their 40th anniversary celebration with a May Fest, Saturday May 7th, 12-5, at the store and parking lot on Seven Locks Rd. “It’s our way of saying thanks to the community for all their support,” says General Manager Helen Atkocius. Founded in 1975, the co-op moved to Cabin John in the late 1980s. In addition to beer, wine and food tastings, there will be a moon bounce and live music from Wicked Jezabel, an all-female band that covers retro rock and dance hits from the last five decades, as well as folk musicians Caolaidhe and Meghan, of the 19th Street Band.... Read more...Document Shred May 14 at Community CenterApril 26, 2016Grateful Shred, a document shredding party, will be held on Saturday, May 14, 9 am til noon, at the Clara Barton Community Center. The Shred is an opportunity for residents to clean out home files and avoid fraud or identity theft. Bring those no-longer needed bills, statements, letters—anything with private, confidential, or sensitive information that you want to get rid of—securely! All Shred, a reliable Maryland firm, will provide a mobile shredding truck. Inside it is a cross-cut shredder that cuts your pages into tiny paper chips (confetti-sized) while you watch. The paper chips are then baled and sent to a recycling facility. You are asked to donate $5 per box of paper to be shredded (that means a one-cubic-foot storage box or the equivalent). Don’t have quite a box full? You can have a half-box or the equivalent shredded for $3 or a quarter-box for $2. The event is sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center, a registered charity, and all profits from the shred go to support programs at the Clara Barton Community Center. Donations can be deducted as either charitable or business expenses. Receipts will be available. For more information, call the Center at 240-777-4910 or -4911, or visit the Friends’ website at www.FriendsCBCC.org . Note that All Shred has no problem shredding (along with home office papers), paper clips, staples, rubber bands, folders, binder clips, hanging folders (even with metal strips), and labels. But they don’t do newspapers, cardboard, heavy plastic, heavy metals, 3-ring binders, boxes, trash, floppy disks, CDs, or X-rays. You will be asked to take your box/case holding the papers back with you. By Lori Rieckelman... Read more...CJ Creek Cleanup Rescheduled for April 30April 20, 2016Due to inclement weather, the annual Cabin John creek cleanup is rescheduled for April 30, from 10 a.m. to noon. Plan to meet at the playground next to the Cabin John Bridge to help with the annual spring cleaning of our beautiful waterway. Cleanup will take place going upstream from that location. (After the presentation, we will ask for a few volunteers to start at the creek location near the Cypress Grove/Seven Locks entrance.) Refreshments and gloves are provided but its recommended to bring your own work gloves if you have them. Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting wet. Children ages 12 and under need to be accompanied by an adult. The cleanup will proceed unless it is really raining hard. This event is being organized by the Friends of the Cabin John Creek (FoCJC) in coordination with CJCA. For more information, please contact Burr Gray, burrgray@aol.com, 703-607-2740 (work) or 240-753-5918 (cell).... Read more...Traffic Concerns Focus of Feb. CJCA MeetingMarch 16, 2016Representatives from Montgomery County, the National Park Service, and Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s office joined CJ residents in a discussion of neighborhood traffic issues at the Feb. 24 Cabin John Citizens Association meeting. According to CJCA President Burr Gray, the talk focused on the following three traffic concerns: morning cut-thru commuter traffic on Tomlinson Ave. and Arden Rd. westbound evening traffic that gets stuck on the one-lane bridge after the traffic light has changed better access to the Cabin John Gardens during the morning and evening rush hours As a result of the discussion, the County will consider the following: making the lettering bigger on the “No Left Turn” sign at Seven Locks Rd. and Tomlinson Ave. videotaping the license plates of the cars making the illegal left turns to figure out where the cars are coming from continuing their analysis (any expediting of the analysis would be appreciated) of Arden Road-related requests from CJCA as well as including a review of traffic flow at the Seven Locks/MacArthur Blvd intersection looking at the stoplight on the one-lane bridge to see if any tinkering with timing could keep people going west in the evening from getting stuck on the bridge after the light changes conducting a study/long term look at the MacArthur Blvd three-way Stop sign to see how to improve traffic flow. The National Park Service, with possible help from the County, will be looking at how make safer access from Cabin John Gardens onto the Clara Barton Parkway access road. This might involve better markings to keep cars from blocking access into the two sections of the gardens and plastic piping to protect pedestrians walking out of the Gardens. The meeting attendees voted to request that the park service close down the entrance from the Clara Barton Parkway to Cabin John during the morning rush hour, and close the exit from Cabin John to the parkway in the evening rush hour. (The effect of such change would likely affect VA commuters disproportionately.) While this outcome may seem unlikely prior to any study of the issue, it reflects the frustration by members of the community regarding the many cars that cut through the Cabin John in an effort to avoid traffic on the Beltway. It is not clear yet whether the National Park Service will conduct a study of the issue.... Read more...Blood Drive Jan. 31 at Community CenterJanuary 27, 2016The next Cabin John Citizens Association Red Cross Blood Drive is on Sunday, Jan. 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Clara Barton Center. Please contact Karen Melchar or Loretta Ingalls at cjblooddrive@gmail.com to book a donation time. Drop-ins are welcome, but those who have signed up will have priority if there is a wait. The best time to drop in is late morning after 11 a.m. or in the afternoon. Bring others to donate with you! CJCA President Burr Gray is also asking for volunteers. Many of the tasks do not require much time, but are key to making the blood drive a success. On the 31st, volunteers are needed to help setup, to pick up sandwiches for the Red Cross workers from Market on the Boulevard, and to help with clean up. Someone to pick up refreshments on Saturday is also needed. “We need people to take over these tasks for either a single drive or all three drives in 2016,” says Gray, “It’s time to give those folks who have been handling these tasks for the past 15 years a break.” Contact cjblooddrive@gmail.com if you can help.... Read more...Join Your Neighbors For The CJ Holiday Party Dec. 13December 2, 2015Celebrate the holiday season with your neighbors on Sunday, Dec.13 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Clara Barton Community Center. There is something for everyone at this event, including door prizes, crafts and other activities for children and a sing-along for all ages. The evening ends with a visit from Santa, who offers gift bags to all young guests. There will be complimentary food (sushi, pizza, subs, and more) and drinks (hot cider, eggnog, sparkling cider, etc.) A raffle for gift certificates and other goodies from many of your favorite local merchants is held to support the annual holiday gift drive for families in transitional housing run by SOME (So Others Might Eat), an interfaith, community-based organization that provides food, shelter, education, training and other services to the poor and homeless in Washington D.C. More information is available at SOME. This long-standing Cabin John event is co-sponsored by the Cabin John Citizens Association and the Clara Barton Community Center.... Read more...The 5th Annual Holiday Gift Drive Is UnderwayDecember 1, 2015Once again the Cabin John Citizens Association is partnering with the community of Brookmont and SOME to provide holiday gifts for families in need. To participate, just go to the tree outside of the Clara Barton Community Center and pick one or more of the cards that are tied like ornaments to the tree. The cards have the information you need purchase a gift that will brighten somebody’s holiday. SOME (So Others Might Eat) is an interfaith, community-based organization provides food, shelter, education, training and other services to the poor and homeless in Washington D.C. (website: www.some.org)The families we help are those who live in SOME’s transitional housing. The children’s “ornaments” have the name, age, and gender on it as well as gift suggestions. Gifts are usually in the price range of $20-$40. Any dolls should be African American, please supply batteries with toys, and bring no toys of violence (guns, pistols, etc.). Please do NOT wrap your gift. (The parents like to wrap the gifts for their children) Visa gift cards are great ideas for teenagers! This year there is also the option of buying a family gift. The children’s parents are setting up their homes in the SOME transitional housing and are in need of a range of new household items, including pots, pans, sheets, comforters, towels and cleaning supplies. Gift cards to Target or Kmart are also very nice gifts, enabling the parents to select what they need for their home. It is very important that you attach the ornament with the recipient information to your gift. Lori Rieckelman spearheads this community effort. She asks that unwrapped gifts either be: * brought to the CJCA Holiday party that will be held Dec. 13 at the Clara Barton Community Center * dropped off at 6423 79th Street. (Please place the gift in the bin on the front porch.) Please do not pick an ornament if you cannot follow through with donating a gift. Every year there are several ornaments that are picked from the tree and no gifts are donated. This creates difficulty at the last minute so please be mindful of this. Questions? Email Lori at rieckell@aol.com or call her at 301-320-6299.... Read more...Cabin John Craft Fair Set for Dec. 6November 27, 2015The ninth annual Holiday Craft Show will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Clara Barton Community Center. The show is sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center (FCBCC). Plan to come, admire, and shop! There will be all kinds of crafts for sale – jewelry, glass, fiber arts, pottery, ornaments, wood crafts, hand knit sweaters, baby items, prints, paintings, photography, books, soaps and lotions, cookies, local honey, and more. So stop in and enjoy meeting many of the most creative people in our greater community. For more information, consult the FCBCC website www.FriendsCBCC.org or contact Leslie Barden, 301-365-1311 or cbcc.craftshow@verizon.net.... Read more...CJ Serves Up Successful Crab FeastNovember 4, 2015More than 550 people feasted on crabs, chicken and vegetarian sides at this year’s Crab Feast, which raised some $4,500 to support Cabin John Citizens Association activities. There was something for everyone at the Sept. 19 event, including great tunes from the Starlight Orchestra, who once again donated their talents to entertain the crowd. This year’s Crab Feast marked the tenth and final year of volunteer Tina Rouse as managing director. Over the years, Tina has coordinated an army of volunteers and through hurricanes, storms and fire alarms has made sure the show always went on. Tina said that she got into the Crab Feast business to meet cool people, and that, in fact, she had. Cabin John has benefited greatly from her work and spirit.... Read more...CJ Resident To Play Free Concert At Glen Echo ParkAugust 6, 2015Cabin John resident Norm Martin and his classic rock and blues band, Terraplane, will be in concert on August 13 at Glen Echo Park. The free concert, which is part of the park’s summer concert series, starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Bumper Car Pavilion and runs for about an hour. In addition to Norm Martin, who plays guitar and sings lead vocals, Terraplane features Clint Chamberlin, Duncan McHale, Frank Caligiuri and David Steigerwald. The Bumper Car Pavilion is completely covered and the concert will be held rain or shine. Bring a picnic or purchase a snack at the Glen Echo Cafe. The Dentzel carousel will also be running from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.... Read more...Make a Date for the CJ Crab Feast Sept. 19July 17, 2015Mark your calendars! The 46th annual Cabin John Crab & Chicken Feast will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, from 2-6 p.m. at the Clara Barton Community Center. A local tradition since 1969, this annual event allows Cabin Johners to celebrate their community spirit with old friends and new. Proceeds support Cabin John Citizens Association activities, including holiday parties, the creek cleanup, blood drives, etc. In addition to serving up freshly-steamed crabs, BBQ chicken, baked beans, potato salad, collard greens, carrots and other sides, the Crab Feast has live music for the grown-ups, fun activities for the kids, and Cabin John t-shirts and memorabilia for sale. It takes scores of volunteers to make this event a success each year. If you have even an hour to spare in support of your community, please email CJ Crab Feast and the organizers will find a task that is right for you!... Read more...Potomac Canoe Trip Rescheduled for Aug. 23July 17, 2015The 17th Annual CJ Canoe Trip, postponed due to high water, is rescheduled for Sunday, Aug. 23. CJCA President Burr Gray asks anyone planning to canoe to send an email as soon as you decide but no later than Aug 16 with the following info: your cell phone number, the names of all participants in your party and whether any are kids. Most important, please include whether you need to rent a canoe or kayak or will be bringing your own watercraft. As in the recent past, Calleva Outdoor Adventures will coordinate efforts that day and provide canoes. Kayaks and kayak guides will be provided by Liquid Adventures, a Cabin John company run by CJ Gardens resident Tom McEwan. Last year we got about 11 kayaks out on the water, and hope to do so this year as well. As usual, we will put in at Old Anglers Inn in the morning (probably around 10 am) and take out at Lockhouse 10 in Cabin John in the mid-afternoon (probably between 3 – 3:30 pm). The trip is generally limited to Cabin John residents and friends, but we can usually fit in outsiders. Fees are $15/head (maximum of $30/canoe), and there is a separate charge of $30 if you rent a canoe or kayak. These fees, along with a sbusidy from the Cabin John Citizens Association, pay for the Calleva and Liquid Adventure guides and associated costs. On the trip, you are likely to encounter herons, ducks and possibly ospreys and eagles. We plan to stop for lunch on the Virginia side by Scott’s Run Creek, which has a nice waterfall that in previous years has drawn some of the more adventurous. Canoe/kayak paddling instruction is strongly recommended for all and begins at the River’s edge about 10 am. Expect to get wet in some fashion during this trip. People do tip over on occasion, usually unexpectedly. We will avoid Yellow Falls, which can be somewhat difficult, but expect to have fun going through Stubblefield Falls, just upstream of the Beltway Bridge. It’s wavy and bouncy but no rocks. We’ll get some pictures of you in your canoe/kayak as you go through, so it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to get yourself in an action photo. Bring your own canoe/kayak or let us know that you will need to rent one. You will need to bring your own lunch/sodas/water/sun tan lotion. As always, the mystery dessert is provided by CJCA. Past participants are sworn to secrecy regarding the mystery dessert. More information will be emailed to participants in advance of the trip.... Read more...ISO: Crab Feast Organizer, No Experience NecessaryMay 27, 2015After more than a decade of inspirational leadership, Tina Rouse is ready for someone else to coordinate the annual Cabin John Crab Feast. Could you be that person? Tina is looking to identify her successor prior to this September’s event so that she can show them the ropes this year in preparation for running the show at the 2016 feast. It could be one person, a couple, or a few good (wo)men, looking for a way to feel really good about themselves and their community. Top Ten Reasons You Should Become the Next Crab Feast Organizer 10) Funds raised by the Crab Feast support other great CJCA and local activities, like the Holiday Party, Creek Clean-Up, and Fourth of July Parade. 9) It takes place on the second Saturday after Labor Day, when Cabin John weather is at its best. 8) It’s been a roaring success for 45 years, so you won’t be starting from scratch. 7) There’s a cadre of experienced crew chiefs to back you up, with long lists of volunteer crew members already recruited. 6) To see and be seen at the most happening musical event of the season. 5) You can apprentice this year, and take over next year. 4) All the collard greens you can eat! 3) Your idea of happiness is a trunkload of Kirkland paper towels. 2) You ♥ Cabin John! And the number one reason why you should become the next Cabin John Crab Feast Organizer: 1) We need you! To find out more, please contact Tina Rouse (cjcrabfeast@aol.com or 301.229.6532)... Read more...Grateful Shred June 6th at Community CenterMay 27, 2015Looking for a safe way to dispose of no longer needed bills, bank statements, letters and other documents? Bring them to The Grateful Shred — a shredding party — at the Clara Barton Community Center on Saturday. June 6th from 9 am til noon. Not only will your papers be safely destroyed, but you will be supporting the community center at the same time. You are asked to donate $5 per box of paper to be shredded (that means a one-cubic-foot storage box or the equivalent). Don’t have quite a box full? You can have a half-box or the equivalent shredded for $3, or a quarter-box for $2. It’s an opportunity for residents to clean out home files and avoid fraud or identity theft. Clean Cut Shredding will provide a mobile shredding truck. Inside it is a cross-cut shredder that cuts your pages into tiny paper chips (confettisized) while you watch. The paper chips are then baled and sent to a recycling facility. The event is sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center, a registered charity, and all profits from the shred go to support programs at the Clara Barton Community Center. Donations can be deducted as either charitable or business expenses. Receipts will be available. For more information, call the Center at 240-777-4910 or -4911, or visit the Friends’ website at www.FriendsCBCC.org. Note that Clean Cut Shredding has no problem shredding (along with home office papers), paper clips, staples, rubber bands, folders, binder clips, hanging folders (even with metal strips), and labels. But they don’t do newspapers, cardboard, heavy plastic, heavy metals, 3-ring binders, boxes, trash, floppy disks, CDs, or X-rays.... Read more...Potomac Canoe Trip To Launch June 28thMay 27, 2015The 17th Annual CJ Canoe Trip is set for Sunday, June 28. As in the recent past, Calleva Outdoor Adventures will coordinate efforts that day and provide canoes. Kayaks and kayak guides will be provided by Liquid Adventures, a Cabin John company run by CJ Gardens resident Tom McEwan. Last year we got about 11 kayaks out on the water, and hope to do so this year as well. As usual, we will put in at Old Anglers Inn in the morning (probably around 10 am) and take out at Lockhouse 10 in Cabin John in the mid-afternoon (probably between 3 – 3:30 pm). The trip is generally limited to Cabin John residents and friends, but we can usually fit in outsiders. Fees are $15/head (maximum of $30/canoe), and there is a separate charge of $30 if you rent a canoe or kayak. These fees, along with a sbusidy from the Cabin John Citizens Association, pay for the Calleva and Liquid Adventure guides and associated costs. On the trip, you are likely to encounter herons, ducks and possibly ospreys and eagles. We plan to stop for lunch on the Virginia side by Scott’s Run Creek, which has a nice waterfall that in previous years has drawn some of the more adventurous. Canoe/kayak paddling instruction is strongly recommended for all and begins at the River’s edge about 10 am. Expect to get wet in some fashion during this trip. People do tip over on occasion, usually unexpectedly. We will avoid Yellow Falls, which can be somewhat difficult, but expect to have fun going through Stubblefield Falls, just upstream of the Beltway Bridge. It’s wavy and bouncy but no rocks. We’ll get some pictures of you in your canoe/kayak as you go through, so it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to get yourself in an action photo. Bring your own canoe/kayak or let us know that you will need to rent one. You will need to bring your own lunch/sodas/water/sun tan lotion. As always, the mystery dessert is provided by CJCA. Past participants are sworn to secrecy regarding the mystery dessert. If you are planning to participate, it is very important that you notify Burr Gray (burrgray@aol.com) as soon as you know you will be coming but no later than June 21 so that we can plan on how many guides to get and provide you in advance with other instruction and the specifics of the trip. Please indicate the following: 1) number of canoes or kayaks you will need to rent or will bring yourself, 2) number of people in your group, plus the ages of any kids, and 3) level of expertise. State in particular whether you will rent or bring your own canoe/kayak, and give a phone number where you can be reached the morning of the trip and an e-mail address. More information will be emailed to participants in advance of the trip.... Read more...CJ Creek Cleanup April 25April 22, 2015Help keep our neighborhood beautiful and safe by joining in the annual Cabin John Creek cleanup Saturday, April 25 from 9:30 a.m. til noon. We will meet at the playground next to the Cabin John Bridge. Even if you have just an hour or two, your help would be appreciated. Refreshments and gloves provided but bring your own gloves if you have them. Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting wet. Children ages 12 and under need to be accompanied by an adult. The cleanup will proceed unless it is raining. This event is being organized by the Friends of the Cabin John Creek (FOCJC) in coordination with the Cabin John Citizens Association. for more information, please contact Burr Gray (burrgray@aol.com, 703-607-2740 or 240-753-5918).... Read more...Prizes and Politicians at Bingo Night on Feb. 27February 10, 2015Montgomery County Council Member Roger Berliner and Marc Korman, Cabin John’s delegate in the Maryland General Assembly, will be calling numbers at the Family Bingo Night, scheduled for Feb. 27 at the Clara Barton Community Center. The games begin at 7 p.m. In addition to politicians, Bingo Night offers modest prizes to the winner of each game. At the end of the evening, all kids are sent home with a parting gift. The cost of one bingo bard for the two-hour event is $5. At that price, long-time participants are known to manage multiple cards at once. Pizza, popcorn and drinks will be available for purchase. Bingo Night is sponsored by the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center, and proceeds go to support the center. Questions? Call the Center at 240-777-4910 or -4911, or visit Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center.... Read more...New Director For Community CenterFebruary 4, 2015Shavonyuette Dotson has been named the director at the Clara Barton Neighborhood Recreation Center taking over late last year for the retiring Modestine Snead. Prior to taking the helm at the community center, Dotson was the director of the Boys & Girls Club in Manassas, VA. Dotson has a dual degree from the University of Wisconsin in Women’s Studies and Theater Arts and is working on a master’s degree in public administration. The Center is home to several programs such as “Senior Sensations,” a program designed for active adults ages 55 and older which meets on Mondays and Wednesdays, and a myriad of courses such as Senior Shape, Tai Chi, Senior Weight Training, Zumba, Bone Builders, and Karate. Dotson is thrilled to be working at the Clara Barton center and is excited about implementing some new and interesting programs. She is already aware that many in the Cabin John community do not fully utilize the center at the corner of MacArthur Blvd and 75th Street. Dotson has already identified a number of ways the center might expand its offerings, including additional youth activities, more evening exercise classes, and possibly a computer center.... Read more...Holiday Craft Show Set for Dec. 7November 22, 2014Looking for unique gifts this holiday? Want to support local artisans? Come to the 8th annual holiday craft show on Dec. 7 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Clara Barton Community Center. The fair, sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center, brings together dozens of local artisans selling everything from jewelry, pottery and wood crafts to soaps, holiday decorations, local honey and more.... Read more...Crab Feast Nets Close to $3,500 for CJCANovember 22, 2014The numbers are in. This year’s Chicken and Crab Feast served up close to 500 meals and brought in just over $10,000. After expenses, the Cabin John Citizens Association raised close to $3,500 to support association activities. As significant as the fundraising is the sense of community that is fostered during this event. Dozens of residents, young and old, volunteer their time to make this event a success. While hundreds come together, not just for the good food and lively tunes, but to share a meal with their friends and neighbors. Here are photos from this year’s festivities and behind-the scenes efforts:... Read more...32 Pints Collected at Oct. Blood DriveOctober 28, 2014The Oct. 5 community blood drive drew 34 donors, most of them Cabin John residents, and collected 32 pints of blood for the Red Cross. The drive, held at the community center, exceeded expectations, surpassing the 30-pint goal set by the Red Cross. Cabin John hosts three blood drives annually. The Cabin John Community Association sponsors the drives, which are organized by CJ resident Karen Melchar. CJCA President Burr Gray thanks the following people who helped with the October drive: Tina Adler, Sondra Baxt, Larry Heflin, Lisan Martin, Scott Lewis, Bill Jobst, Susan Shipp, Nancy Shaw and, of course, Karen Melchar.... Read more...The 45th Annual Crab Feast Set for Sept. 13August 18, 2014Mark your calendars! The 45th annual Cabin John Crab & Chicken Feast will be held Saturday, Sept. 13, from 2-6 p.m. at the Clara Barton Community Center. A local tradition since 1969, this annual event allows Cabin Johners to celebrate their community spirit with old friends and new. Proceeds support Cabin John Citizens Association activities, including holiday parties, the creek cleanup, blood drives, etc. In addition to serving up freshly-steamed crabs, BBQ chicken, baked beans, potato salad, collard greens, carrots and other sides, the Crab Feast has live music for the grown-ups, fun activities for the kids, and Cabin John t-shirts and memorabilia for sale. Tickets are available for $13 at the door, and $11 if bought in advance (call 301-320-4451). We are still looking for volunteers. If you are able to help for an hour, please e-mail: crabfeast@aol.com... Read more...Celebrate the 4th of July at the Cabin John ParadeJune 18, 2014Grab a flag, wear your patriotic garb, decorate your bike or just come out and join your neighbors for the annual Cabin John parade. It’s a casual but festive way to mark the holiday. Everyone is welcome, including dogs. Small flags, pinwheels and hats will be provided by CJCA for the parade participants. Gather at the Clara Barton Community Center at 11 a.m. on July 4. The parade route follows the bike path to the grassy area at the shopping center. Refreshments will be provided and the reading of passages from the Declaration of Independence to incite the crowd occur upon reaching the shopping center. The festivities will end around noon. This year we will need help with each of the following aspects of the event (procuring and/or distributing the refreshments, distributing flags/pinwheels/hats, set up at the shopping center, clean up, etc.), so please let Burr Gray (burrgray@aol.com) know if you can help with any of those tasks.... Read more...Get Those Paddles Ready for the June 29 CJ Canoe TripJune 17, 2014The 16th Annual CJ Canoe Trip is set for Sunday, June 29. We will continue to rely on Calleva for general organization and canoes, but a special feature this year will be the involvement of Liquid Adventures, a Cabin John company run by CJ Gardens resident Tom McEwan. Liquid Adventures will be promoting kayak use, rental and instruction. So we hope those of you who have always thought about getting out in a kayak will seize this wonderful opportunity. Once again, we will put in at Old Anglers Inn in the morning (probably around 10:00 a.m.) and take out at Lockhouse 10 in Cabin John in the mid-afternoon (probably between 3 and 3:30 pm). The trip is generally limited to Cabin John residents and friends, but we may be able to include others. Fees are $15/head (maximum of $30/canoe), and there is a separate charge of $30 if you rent a canoe or kayak. These fees, along with the CJCA subsidy, pay for the Calleva and Liquid Adventure guides and associated costs. On the trip, you will definitely encounter herons and ducks and possibly ospreys and eagles. We’ll likely have lunch on the Virginia side by Scott’s Run creek, which has a nice waterfall that some of the more adventurous can sit under. Expert guides, including Byron the Great, and instruction will be provided. Canoe/kayak paddling instruction is strongly recommended for all and begins at the River’s edge about 10 am. Expect to get wet in some fashion during this trip. Boaters have been known to tip over. We will avoid Yellow Falls, which can be somewhat difficult, but expect to have fun going through Stubblefield Falls, just upstream of the Beltway Bridge. It’s wavy and bouncy but no rocks. We’ll get some pictures of you in your canoe/kayak as you go through, so it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to get yourself in an action photo. Bring your own canoe/kayak or let us know that you will need to rent one. You will need to bring your own lunch/sodas/water/sun tan lotion. As always, the mystery dessert is provided by CJCA. Past participants are sworn to secrecy regarding the mystery dessert. If you are planning to participate, it is very important that you notify Burr Gray (burrgray@aol.com) as soon as you know you will be coming but no later than June 24 so that we can plan on how many guides to get and provide you in advance with other instruction and the specifics of the trip. Please indicate the following: (1) number of canoes or kayaks you will need to rent or will bring yourself, (2) number of people in your group, plus the ages of any kids, and (3) level of expertise. State in particular whether you will rent or bring your own canoe/kayak, and give a phone number where you can be reached the morning of the trip and an e-mail address. We will send out some detailed information as we finalize the list of Cabin John adventurers. This event is sponsored and subsidized in part by CJCA and this year by Liquid Adventures.... Read more...Carver Road Residents Host Multi-Cultural Block PartyJune 17, 2014by Gloria Mckinney Slayton Do you know who your neighbors are? The folks who live on Carver Road do. Last year two houses were sold on Carver Road -—the Swedenburg house and the Gibbs-Thompson house. In addition, two new renters arrived with their families. Everyone seemed friendly enough. We would wave to each other but we didn’t know each other’s names or much about each other. To fix that situation, a block party was organized and wow, talk about a multi-cultural event! One of the new residents, from Asia, moved here with a daughter and granddaughter; another, from India, has two young children. Also new to Carver are a U.S. couple with two college-age boys and another comprised of a South American wife and an Iranian husband. The party was a combination of a potluck along with a moderate donation per household to pay for ice, paper goods, charcoal, hot dogs, hamburgers and various fixings. What we discovered was that not only are the residents multi-cultural but multi-talented as well. The foods were the best of many regions from around the world, all fresh, home-made, authentic and yummy. German, Carribean, South American and Asian dishes were served along with good old USA soul food. It was really quite easy to organize. There were three organizers: myself, Austin White and Jack Mandel. We prepared flyers announcing a desire to have a block party which indicated what we thought might be a donation amount, a list of things we might need from individuals (i.e, grill, coolers, tables, umbrellas, etc.) and possible dates and who to contact. Basically it was a feeler to see if there would be any interest. We had no idea what to expect but were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm and support. One resident brought a pretzel machine that made hot pretzels, another organized activities for the children. A basketball hoop was set up in the middle of the circle and hasn’t been moved since. We had a pit-master, and live entertainment from our very own violinist, Tina Eck. One of our young adults played DJ on his music machine and and another resident brought out his authentic Tiki Bar. The original plan was to hold the block party from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., but everyone was having such a good time that the party continued well until after midnight and then all over again the next morning. Now that’s what I call a party! The event was so well received that our German resident held a October-fest party modeled after it. Carver Road has a legacy of community activity and support. Most notably it was the site of the original Cabin John Crab Feast. It has changed over the years from an all African-American street of 20 government built houses to a mixture of housing types. It is cosmopolitan in both spirit and in culture. Create your own street legacy and discover the personalities and awesomeness of your neighbors. Have a block party!... Read more...Community Center’s Grateful Shred Scheduled for May 10April 8, 2014Safely dispose of all your old bills, tax documents, letters and other private, confidential or sensitive information at this year’s Grateful Shred –a shredding party– to be held Saturday, May 10, from 9 a.m.-12 noon, at the Clara Barton Community Center, 7425 MacArthur Blvd., Cabin John, MD. Clean Cut Shredding, a reliable Rockville firm, will provide a mobile shredding truck. Inside it is a cross-cut shredder that cuts your pages into tiny paper chips (confetti-sized), while you watch. The paper chips are then baled and sent to a recycling facility. In addition to helping residents avoid fraud or identity theft, the shredding event is a fundraiser sponsored by the non-profit Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center. Proceeds support activities at the Center, which is a facility of the Montgomery County Recreation Department. Participants are asked to donate $5 per box of paper to be shredded (that means a one-cubic-foot storage box or the equivalent). Don’t have quite a box full? You can have a half-box or the equivalent shredded for $3 or a quarter-box for $2. Donations can be deducted as either charitable or business expenses. Receipts will be available. For more information, call the Center at 240-777-4910. As you sort through your piles of paper, please keep in mind that Clean Cut Shredding has no problem shredding (along with home office papers), paper clips, staples, rubber bands, folders, 3-ring binders, binder clips, hanging folders (even with metal strips), and labels. But they don’t do newspapers, cardboard, heavy plastic, heavy metals, boxes, trash, floppy disks, or CDs.... Read more...Help Cleanup The Creek April 26April 7, 2014The scenic Cabin John Creek, which creates a natural neighborhood boundary to the northeast, is in need of some TLC and the Cabin John Citizen’s Association hopes you can help. Please join your neighbors for the 18th annual Cabin John Creek Cleanup on Saturday, April 26 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Volunteers should gather at the playground in Cabin John Local Park, by the one-lane bridge. Gloves and garbage bags are provided along with refreshments. Old clothes and sturdy shoes are recommended. The cleanup takes place rain or shine, unless there is severe weather. Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. The event is organized by the Friends of the Cabin John Creek Watershed, a volunteer environmental action group started in 1999 by members of Cabin John Citizens Association. Its membership now includes other citizens associations and interested citizens within and outside the watershed, including residents of Glen Echo, Bethesda, Potomac and Rockville. Groups who want to tackle a section of the river trail can contact Burr Gray at burrgray@aol.com or at 703-607-2740 (work), or 240-753-5918 (cell) to coordinate.... Read more...Spring Egg Hunt April 13thApril 6, 2014Calling all Cabin John kids. Bring a basket or bag and come to the 16th Annual Cabin John Spring Egg Hunt. The hunt will be held this Sunday, April 13th at 4:00 p.m. The weather forecast calls for a warm but overcast day, with no rain. Children from toddler to six or seven years old will have fun gathering eggs filled with treats and small toys. Each child should bring a basket to hold the eggs they collect. Older siblings are welcome too. Head to the lower playground at the park by the one-lane bridge. (Just below the tennis courts.) The fun begins at 4:00 p.m. sharp. Please RSVP to Ollie Soria, 301-922-0991, with the number of children in your group. The Cabin John Community Association thanks Ms. Soria for organizing this popular event.... Read more...The Annual CJCA Holiday Party To Be Held Dec. 15December 11, 2013Celebrate the holiday season with your neighbors on Sunday, December 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Clara Barton Community Center. There is something for everyone at this event, including crafts and other activities for children and a sing-along for all ages. The evening ends with a visit from Santa, who distributes gift bags for all young guests. There will be complimentary food (sushi, pizza, subs, and more) and drinks (hot cider, eggnog, sparkling cider, etc.) A raffle of gift certificates from many of your favorite local merchants will support a local charity. This long-standing Cabin John event is co-sponsored by the Cabin John Citizens Association and the Clara Barton Community Center.... Read more...Holiday Craft Fair Features Cabin John ArtistsDecember 11, 2013Four Cabin John residents were among the 57 artists participating in the 7th annual Holiday Craft Show held at the Clara Barton Community Center on Dec. 7. Diana Carter offered her unique jewelry designs. Rachelle Cherol’s booth was well stocked with pine wreaths, roping and many other holiday decorations. Eric Dinerstein, wildlife scientist and author, signed copies of his books, The Kingdom of Rarities and Tigerland and Other Unintended Destinations. Woodcarver Stan Schaper’s table displayed a wonderful assortment of wooden toys, puzzles, frames and more. The seventh annual show was coordinated by the Friends of Clara Barton Community Center, a non-profit charity that supports programs at the Clara Barton Center.... Read more...Crab Feast Feeds Five HundredNovember 5, 2013More than 500 people feasted on crabs and chicken at this year’s Crab Feast, which raised some $3,000 to support Cabin John Citizens Association activities. There was something for everyone at this year’s event, including great tunes from the Starlight Orchestra, who once again donated their talents to entertain the crowd. Local politicians Phil Andrews, who serves on the City Council, and Marc Korman, in the running for a seat in the State House of Representatives, stopped by as did the Fire Department, when the smoke from the roasting chickens triggered the building’s fire alarm. It takes a community to put on a Crab Feast. CJCA President Burr Gray shared his thanks in a recent newsletter: There are folks who have been handling the same significant tasks for years. Pete Couste and his crab cookers come to mind. Trudi Bick and her wacky, funny “Cabin Janes” handling the booze. The guys who work for John Hughes and drive the big truck to do chair and table pickup/dropoff are long-timers. I know that many of the crew doing the food prep/serving are veterans along with some new faces this year. There are many CJ residents who contribute a couple of hours to the cause because this is what they are able to give. A complete listing will be forthcoming. We can’t do it without this “all hands on deck” effort by our community. In particular, we must applaud Crab Feast Coordinator Extraordinaire Tina Rouse (plus hubby Mark and son Kalev). Through hurricanes, fire alarms, county inspections, etc., Tina and her meticulous spreadsheet and tireless efforts keep the show going. We are all in your debt, Tina.... Read more...THIS SATURDAY: Enjoy Crabs Without Leaving the Neighborhood!September 4, 2013The 43th annual Cabin John Crab & Chicken Feast is Saturday, Sept. 7, from 2-6 p.m. at the Clara Barton Community Center. A local tradition since 1970, this annual event allows Cabin Johners to celebrate their community spirit with old friends and new. Proceeds support Cabin John Citizens Association activities, including holiday parties, the creek cleanup, blood drives, etc. In addition to serving up freshly-steamed crabs, BBQ chicken, baked beans, potato salad, collard greens, carrots and other sides, the Crab Feast has live music for the grown-ups, fun activities for the kids, and Cabin John t-shirts and memorabilia for sale. Tickets are available for $13 at the door, and $11 if bought in advance (call 301-320-4451). The weather forecast sounds delightful, although rains and winds have never shut the feast down, so join your neighbors for a tasty meal. We are still looking for volunteers. If you are able to help for an hour, please e-mail: crabfeast@aol.com... Read more...Annual Cabin John Canoe Trip Set For Sunday July 21July 17, 2013Come join your neighbors this Sunday, July 21, for the annual Cabin John Canoe Trip down the Potomac River. The five-hour, family-friendly adventure includes expert guides and canoe paddling instruction. There is a good chance paddlers will see herons, ospreys, ducks and maybe even an eagle. The trip, sponsored and arranged by the Cabin John Citizen’s Association, will start at 10 a.m. at Old Anglers Inn. Take out will be at Lockhouse 10 in Cabin John in the mid-afternoon, roughly between 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. The lunch stop will probably be on the Virginia side by Scott’s Run Creek, which has a nice waterfall that has been a draw for intrepid participants on previous trips. Expect to get wet in some fashion during the day. Canoes do tip over on occasion, usually without much warning. The trip route will avoid Yellow Falls, which can be somewhat difficult. But expect to have fun going through Stubblefield Falls, just upstream of the Beltway Bridge. It’s wavy and bouncy but no rocks. CJCA plans to get pictures of paddlers as they go through the falls, so it’s an opportunity of a lifetime for a nice action photo. Fees are $15 per person or a maximum of $30 per canoe. These fees, along with the CJCA subsidy, pay for paddling instructors from Calleva Outdoor Adventures and associated costs. The trip is limited to Cabin John residents and friends. Canoes and kayaks are available for a $30 rental fee, which includes life jackets. Canoe paddling instruction is strongly recommended for all and begins at the River’s edge about 10:00 a.m. Bring your own lunch, beverages and sunscreen. As always, the mystery dessert is provided by CJCA and past participants are sworn to secrecy so that the dessert remains a mystery to all first-timers. Bring your own canoe/kayak or let us know that you will need to rent one from Calleva. If you are planning to participate, it is very important that you notify Burr Gray (burrgray@aol.com) as soon as you know you will be coming so that we can arrange for the appropriate number of guides. In your email, please include the following: (1) Number of people in your group, plus the ages of any children (2) Whether you will be renting or bringing your own canoes or kayaks (If you are supplying your own, please let us know the number of canoes and/or kayaks you will have for your group.) (3) Level of paddling expertise for each participant (4) Whether you will rent or bring your own canoe/kayak (5) Phone number where you can be reached the morning of the trip and an e-mail address. Detailed information will be sent out as the trip is finalized.... Read more...Grateful Shred Saturday May 11May 10, 2013Tax season is over, now is the time to get rid of those old records! Avoid fraud or identity theft—and clean out your home files. Bring your papers to this year’s Grateful Shred on May 11 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Clara Barton Community Center. ALL-SHRED, a noted firm in Frederick, MD, will provide secure disposal using a mobile shredding truck, which contains a cross-cut shredder that cuts documents into tiny paper chips. (The shreds are then baled and sent to paper plants to be recycled.) We ask that you donate $5 per box of paper (that means a one-cubic-foot storage box or the equivalent). Don’t have quite a box full? You can have a half-box or the equivalent shredded for $3 or a quarter-box for $2. Proceeds from these donations go to support activities at the Center, which is a facility of the Montgomery County Recreation Department. The shredding event is sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center. Questions? Call the Center at 240-777-4910. Note: All-Shred has no problem shredding (along with your home/office papers), paper clips, staples, rubber bands, folders, binder clips, hanging folders (even with metal strips), and labels. But they don’t do newspapers, 3-ring binders, cardboard, heavy plastic, heavy metals, boxes, trash, floppy disks, or CDs.... Read more...CJ Creek Cleanup Postponed to April 27March 26, 2013With the weather forecast calling for significant rain Friday into Saturday, the Cabin John Creek Cleanup originally scheduled for April 20 is being rescheduled for Saturday, April 27th from 9:30 a.m. to noon. “Even though the weather on Saturday looks good, it is never a good idea to send a lot of people down to the Creek when things are slippery and the water levels might be higher than normal. So, we are postponing the Creek cleanup for one week to Sat April 27,” said CJCA President Burr Gray. “The weather on the 27th is supposed to be nice. Hope to see you there.” Details are below in the original post. Help Cleanup Cabin John Creek April 20 The scenic Cabin John Creek, which creates a natural neighborhood boundary to the northeast, is in need of some TLC and the Cabin John Citizen’s Association hopes you can help. Please join your neighbors for the 17th annual Cabin John Creek Cleanup on Saturday, April 20 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Volunteers should gather at the playground in Cabin John Local Park, by the one-lane bridge. Gloves and garbage bags are provided along with refreshments. Old clothes and sturdy shoes are recommended. The cleanup takes place rain or shine, unless there is heavy rain. Children ages 12 and under must be accompanies by an adult. The event is organized by the Friends of the Cabin John Creek Watershed, a volunteer environmental action group started in 1999 by members of Cabin John Citizens Association in Cabin John, Maryland. It’s membership now includes other citizens associations and interested citizens within and outside the watershed, including residents of Glen Echo, Bethesda, Potomac and Rockville. Groups who want to tackle a section of the river trail can contact Burr Gray at burrgray@aol.com or by cell at 240-753-5918 to coordinate.... Read more...How Do You Spell Fun? B-I-N-G-OMarch 26, 2013A good-sized crowd filled the community center Feb. 22 for the annual Bingo Night sponsored by the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center. A variety of games were called with winners picking prizes from a kids’ table stocked with toys or an adults’ table filled with items from the Bethesda Co-op and jewelry donated by Linda Morelli.... Read more...February CJCA Board Meeting CancelledFebruary 25, 2013The February board meeting for the Cabin John Citizen’s Association scheduled for Feb. 26th is cancelled. CJCA President Burr Gray noted that there was no pressing business and that many board members would be out of town on the scheduled meeting date. Mark your calendars for the next CJCA meeting on Tuesday, March 26. The association meets the fourth Tuesday of every month (except December, June, July, and August) at 7:30pm at the Clara Barton Community Center, 7425 MacArthur Boulevard.... Read more...Family Bingo Night at Clara Barton Feb. 22February 20, 2013Another lively night of Bingo will take place Friday Feb. 22 at the Community Center. Kids and adults can join in the fun from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Guest number callers, including a possible visit by Montgomery County Council Chair Roger Berliner, will keep things lively. Sponsored by the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center, Bingo cards will be $5/card with prizes for the winners. Plus all the kids receive a prize at the end of the evening. Pizza slices and drinks will be sold. Net proceeds from the evening will help fund programs at the Center.... Read more...Blood Drive Feb. 3rd. at Community CenterJanuary 22, 2013Before your Super Bowl celebrations get underway, please consider donating blood at the CJCA Red Cross Blood drive Sunday, Feb. 3rd from 10 – 4 pm. Held at the Clara Barton Community Center, our goal for this drive is 40 pints of blood. Please email Karen Melchar (contact us) to schedule a donation time. (For example, 11:15, 11:30, 11:45 etc.) In the event that the Red Cross is running behind schedule, volunteer coordinators will send a text message with schedule updates to anyone that requests notification. If you have questions about your eligibility, please check the Red Cross website (www.redcross.org) for more information. Students can give blood at age 16 with parent’s permission, and at age 17 on their own. This is an important community service, and it can’t get more convenient than having the Red Cross come to the neighborhood. Our community is responsible for donating more than 1400 pints of blood in the past 10 years. We count on our loyal donors to return, but we really do need some new blood, so to speak. If you are eligible to donate but haven’t done so in the past, consider joining this Cabin John tradition of community service.... Read more...County Shares Plans of MacArthur Blvd. ImprovementsJanuary 22, 2013In preparation for the Jan. 22nd Cabin John Community Association Meeting, CJCA President Burr Gray and Vice President Greg Pawlson recently reviewed the county plans for revamping the bike path along MacArthur Blvd. (Photos of the plans are posted below.) CJCA will continue to monitor the project and provide status reports as construction proceeds. The project, titled MacArthur Blvd. Bikeway Improvements, “provides for bikeway improvements along 13,800 feet of MacArthur Blvd. from 495 to Oberlin Ave,” according to project documents posted on the county website. As part of the project, the road is slated to be widened “to provide 2-3 feet shoulders to accommodate the needs of on-road commuter and experienced bicyclists. The existing shared-use path will be upgraded to current standards to promote usage and enhance safety for all users.” A Nov. 2012 engineering progress report by the county’s Department of Transportation provides a milestone schedule for the project that has the first phase of construction, utility relocation, commencing in February. The progress report estimates that the project could be “substantially completed” by Sept. 2014.... Read more...Holiday Party Full of Good CheerDecember 17, 2012Sounds of holiday cheer rang out from the community center Dec. 16 as a good crowd came together for the annual holiday party. Friends gathering made for plenty of conversation, a sing-a-long provided music, and the raffle of gifts from local merchants led to much applause. But the sound that caused a fever pitch amongst the children was the Cabin John Volunteer Fire Dept. fire engine arriving on the playground with lights flashing and music blaring to deliver Santa to the party. Santa handed out gift bags to dozens of children and posed for pictures with young and “old” alike. Tom Wilmarth handled raffle ticket sales. Liz Clark, Lori Rieckelman and Ruth Rabner collected angel tree donations for children in need. CJCA President Burr Gray led the sing-a-long with Susan Roberts providing piano accompaniment. To see all the photos from the party, click here.... Read more...Five CJ Artists Featured at Holiday Craft FairDecember 4, 2012Five Cabin John residents were among the 54 artists who came out for the 6th annual Holiday Craft Show held at the Clara Barton Community Center on Dec. 2. In addition, Suzanne Shirzad had a booth where she sold her creative knitware.... Read more...2nd Annual Holiday Toy Donation UnderwayDecember 4, 2012The Cabin John Citizens Association is partnering with the community of Brookmont and SOME to provide holiday gifts for children in need. To participate, just go to the tree outside of the Clara Barton Community Center and pick one or more of the 57 names that are tied like ornaments to the tree. In addition to the child’s name, the “ornaments” list the age, gender and gift wish list of the child. Last year Cabin John residents generously donated gifts for 50 children. SOME and the children were so appreciative of our generosity. Because of this year’s need, SOME has asked us to increase the number to gifts for 57 children. SOME (So Others Might Eat) is an interfaith, community-based organization provides food, shelter, education, training and other services to the poor and homeless in Washington D.C. (website: www.some.org) Here are the details: Pick one or more names from the tree. Purchase NEW gifts — usually in the price range of $15 – $25. (Any dolls should be African American. Please include batteries if the toy needs them. No guns or other toys of violence. Visa gift cards are great ideas for teenagers.) Attach the child’s name to your gift. Please do NOT wrap your gift/s. (The parents will wrap the gifts with Earth Presents www.earthpresents.com gift wrap courtesy of Brookmont resident Julie Littell.) Bring your unwrapped gift either to the CJCA Holiday party on Dec. 16 or drop it off at Lori Rieckelman’s house anytime before Dec. 17th. The Rieckelmans live at 6423 79th Street. There will be a bin on the porch for gifts. Questions? Email Lori at rieckell@aol.com or call her at 301-320-6299. ... Read more...Annual CJCA Holiday Party Dec. 16November 26, 2012Celebrate the holiday season with your neighbors on Sunday, December 16, at the Clara Barton Community Center from 5 to 7 pm. There is something for everyone at this event: Crafts and other activities for children Singing of holiday songs for all ages Lots of complimentary food (sushi, pizza, subs, and more) and drinks (hot cider, eggnog, sparkling cider, etc.) Raffle of gift certificates from many of your favorite local merchants Visit from Santa who hands out gift bags to kids Enjoy the fun at this traditional Cabin John event which is co-sponsored by the Cabin John Citizens Association and the Clara Barton Community Center. Photos from the 2011 Festivities... Read more...Shop at the Holiday Craft Show Dec. 2November 26, 2012The 5th annual Holiday Craft Show, sponsored by the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center, will be held at the Center on Sunday, Dec. 2nd, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Local artists and crafters will be selling everything from jewelry and ceramics to fiber arts, soaps and wood crafts. There will also be prints, oils, watercolors, photography and more. Come and browse, meet the artists and possibly even find some gifts for the holidays.... Read more...Cabin John “Haunted House” Frightfully FunNovember 26, 2012More than 200 children and adults made their way through the annual Haunted House, held at the Clara Barton community center on Oct. 28. Along the way, participants met a cackling witch, artfully played by Missy Bell, working on her potions and had their fortunes told by Caroline Casey, with Jan Iris-Smith providing helpful advice. All the scares seem to whet participants’ appetites as some 15 pizzas and gallons of apple cider were given out to the crowd. The event, free to the public, was organized by the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center in conjunction with the county. Thanks to the community center staff for assisting with the setup and operations.... Read more...43rd Annual Crab FeastAugust 14, 2012It’s time to mark your calendars for the Cabin John’s 43rd Annual Crab & Chicken Feast on Saturday, September 8th, from 2-6 p.m. at the Clara Barton Community Center! A local tradition since 1970, this annual event allows Cabin Johners to celebrate their community spirit with old friends and new. Highlights include delicious food and refreshments for all, live music for the grown-ups, fun activities for the kids, and Cabin John t-shirts and memorabilia for sale. Tickets are available for $13 at the door, and $11 if bought in advance (call 301-320-2685 or 301-320-4451). And if you want to help out, we need help with all sorts of things, like cleanup during and after the event, or perhaps some chicken cooking for an hour. Or how about mixing up some fresh, thirst-quenching lemonade? If you are able to help, please e-mail cjcrabfeast@aol.com. More info…... Read more...Cleanup of Historic Moringstar African American Cemetery in Cabin JohnJune 13, 2012Volunteers are needed for restoring pathways, improving access and removing trash. Where: 7 Locks Road near Cypress Grove Lane & the Beltway Overpass When: Saturday 23 June Time: 9:30 AM The Cabin John Citizens Association has organized several cleanup efforts at the historic cemetery. (The cemetery site is also where Moses Hall once stood.) As in past years, the local Cabin John Boy Scout Troop will be helping with the cleanup and restoration efforts, but additional volunteers would be much appreciated. We ask that you bring working/yard gloves, loppers, and safety glasses if you have them. If you have a small saw that would work to cut down bamboo, that would be a great help. CJCA will provide water and softdrinks/sodas. We expect to finish by noon. If you can help or if you have questions, please contact Angela Coppola (contact us). It will be helpful to know ahead of time how many workers we have.... Read more...Cabin John 14th Annual Potomac River Canoe TripJune 13, 2012CJCA has made arrangements to run the annual Canoe Trip on July 1 (a Sunday) this year. Once again, we will put in at Old Anglers Inn in the morning (probably around 10:00 a.m.) and take out at Lockhouse 10 in Cabin John in the mid-afternoon (probably between 3:00 – 3:30 p.m.). The trip is limited to Cabin John residents and friends. Fees are $15/head (maximum of $30/canoe), and there is a separate charge of $30 if you rent a canoe or kayak. These fees, along with the CJCA subsidy, pay for the Calleva guides and associated costs. See herons, ospreys, ducks, maybe an eagle, maybe deer. We’ll probably have lunch on the Virginia side by Scott’s Run creek, which has a nice waterfall that some of the more adventurous can sit under. Expert guides and instruction provided. Canoe paddling instruction is strongly recommended for all and begins at the River’s edge about 10:00 a.m. Expect to get wet in some fashion during this trip. People do tip over on occasion, usually without much warning. We will avoid Yellow Falls, which can be somewhat difficult, but expect to have fun going through Stubblefield Falls, just upstream of the Beltway Bridge. It’s wavy and bouncy but no rocks. We’ll get some pictures of you in your canoe/kayak as you go through, so it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to get yourself in an action photo. Bring your own canoe/kayak or let us know that you will need to rent one from Calleva. You will need to bring your own lunch/sodas/water/sun tan lotion. As always, dessert provided by CJCA. If you are planning to participate, it is very very important that you notify Burr Gray (contact us) by June 26 so that we can plan on how many guides to get and provide you in advance with other instruction and the specifics of the trip. Please indicate the number of canoes or kayaks and people (ages of any kids) and level of expertise. State in particular, whether you will need to rent one or more canoes, and give a phone number/e-mail address. We will send out some detailed information as we finalize the list of Cabin John adventurers. This event is sponsored and subsidized in part by CJCA.... Read more...July 4th Parade and FestivitiesMay 24, 2012The parade starts at 11:00 a.m. at the Community Center and is informal but quite festive since CJCA distributes hats, pin wheels, flags, etc to all participants. Kids bring decorated bikes. Families bring their dogs. The Cabin John Marching Band (a guy with a boom box) plays various patriotic songs as people walk along the bike path from the Community Center to the MacArthur Plaza shopping center in the middle of the community. Upon arrival around 11:30 a.m., everyone is met with doughnuts, watermelon, lemonade, and a vigorous and rousing reading of the Declaration of Independence. (OK, so we don’t actually read the whole thing, just the really good stuff.) Occasionally there will be new elements added to the affair, such as the hula hoop contest last year.... Read more...Next Cabin John Blood DriveMay 24, 2012The next CJCA Red Cross Blood drive will be on Sunday, June 3 from 10 – 4 pm at the Clara Barton Community Center. Please email Karen Melchar (contact us) with a time slot (for example, 11:15, 11:30, 11:45 etc.) that works best for your schedule. If you have questions about your eligibility, please check the Red Cross website (www.redcross.org) for more information. Students can give blood at age 16 with parent’s permission, and at age 17 on their own. This is an important community service, and it can’t get more convenient than having the Red Cross come to the neighborhood. Our community is responsible for donating more than 1400 pints of blood in the past 10 years. We count on our loyal donors to return, but we really do need some new blood, so to speak. So please, if you are eligible to donate but haven’t done so in the past, consider joining this CJ tradition of community service. The refreshments are outstanding, and we are working with people’s cell phone numbers to be able to alert them in advance of their time slot if there is a significant backup... Read more...CJCA Meeting, Tues, 5/22May 22, 2012The last scheduled CJCA meeting until Sept will occur this Tues (May 22) at 7:30 p.m. at the community Center. The agenda includes: (1) election of officers, (2) recognition and thanks to Gabrielle Herderschee-Hunter for her six years as CJCA VP, and (3) the unveiling of the new CJCA web site. The new site has lots of different features that will interest people. Hope to see you there. Refreshments will be excellent. Burr Gray CJCA President... Read more...May 20th Yard SaleMay 18, 2012Volunteers are needed to help with a yard sale next Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, at the home of Danny and Margaret Harris. For over 30 years Danny has been an angel, collecting building materials and furniture from building supply stores, families, and builders who are doing demolitions, then trucking all this to needy families in West Virginia and other depressed regions in our larger area. Danny also was responsible for placing the flags on the telephone poles for many years. Now it’s Cabin John’s turn to pay back their generosity and help Danny and Margaret when they need it. If you can spare even a couple of hours, please get in touch with Eleanor Balaban (ELEANOR.BALABAN@Longandfoster.com) or Judy Lund (ludmantx@aol.com). The Yard Sale itself is set for May 20th from 10 – 4 p.m., at 8207 Caraway St, Cabin John. Furniture, tools, household goods, knick-knacks and lots of good stuff. Thanks, Burr Gray CJCA President... Read more...May 19th Grateful ShredMay 18, 2012Dateline: May 18, 2012 As you may be aware from the article on the cover of the last “The Village News,” the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center is having their Fifth Annual Grateful Shred this coming weekend, Saturday, May 19th (9:00 a.m. – 12 Noon) at the Clara Barton Community Center. They ask for contributions of $5/box, or $3/shopping bag. Now is the time to get rid of those old bank statements and other sensitive stuff. Now is the time to get motivated, get those boxes into your car, and get over to the Center this coming Saturday. Just do it. If you are a senior and need assistance getting the items to shred to the center, please can contact the CJ Neighbor 2 Neighbor Coordinator, Judy Lund, at (301) 263-2975. You will need to do this in advance so that the process can be coordinated. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Grateful Shred event coordinator Leslie Barden at 301-365-1311 (home), or by email at leslie.barden@comcast.net Burr Gray CJCA President... Read more...Cabin John History WalkApril 14, 2012On Sunday, March 20 2 pm – 3:30 pm, Judy will lead a history walk and talk about Cabin John sites from the mid-1800s. Meet and park, if driving, at Clara Barton Community Center, 7425 Macarthur Blvd, Cabin John. The walk will go along the bike path on MacArthur Blvd. to Seven Locks Road, a little less than half a mile. (If it rains, the walk will be rescheduled.) For information call (301) 229-8110 or email judywelles @ verizon.net... Read more...
