The Village News SERVING the PEOPLE of CABIN JOHN FEBRUARY 2018 ⎮ VOLUME 52 ⎮ ISSUE 2
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Village News SERVING THE PEOPLE OF CABIN JOHN FEBRUARY 2018 ⎮ VOLUME 52 ⎮ ISSUE 2 NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR TO BE MAY 2017 RE-VAMPED WITH YOUR HELP BY JUDITH BELL Neighbor to Neighbor Coordinator eighbor to Neighbor (N2N), a N2N and it’s clear the program needs to be roster of residents ready to assist revitalized. Volunteers on the N2N roster elderly Cabin Johners when needed, have been polled occasionally to confirm Nis due for some self-improvement. their availability and their preferred ways to help out, but no new volunteers have been Originally formed nine years ago to “help recruited. Outreach to new volunteers will be our older neighbors live comfortably in their critical to keeping the program going. own homes as long as possible,” the group consists of about 30 volunteers, including Also, everyone in Cabin John is nine years three coordinators (currently Judith Bell, older than they were when N2N began. That Bob Norris, and Susan Shipp) who maintain means that there are newly elderly neighbors PHOTO: VASHTI VAN WYKE VAN VASHTI PHOTO: the volunteer list, receive requests for who might occasionally like a little help, and Spotted for several days in late January assistance, and match each requester with an N2N is not aware who they are. Figuring out on the Glen Echo side of the one-lane available volunteer. how best to reach out to this population is an bridge: A salt shaker dutifully standing ongoing challenge. watch on a post in front of the sign reading For a time, this system worked reasonably “Do Not Salt Bridge.” well. But these days hardly anyone calls CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Was it happenstance, serendipity, or a temporary art installation at the one-lane bridge? Or was the salt shaker contemplating an Family Fun at Bingo Night, March 9 act of civil disobedience? It stood gingerly on BY BURR GRAY the edge of the post for about 5 days and then was gone. Did the artist take the shaker home to President, FCBCC Board season her food, did an animal knock it down Cabin John’s family Bingo night is set for to the ground, or did it take its silent protest to another bridge? Friday, March 9, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Clara Barton Community Center. Admission is free and you can try your luck at $5.00 PIPESTEM LOT per bingo card. Local celebrity callers will Project Presented keep the action moving, and pizza slices By Susan Shipp and drinks will be available at budget prices. Cabin Johners willing to donate tax- 2 deductible prizes should contact Burr Gray GREEN LIVING: at [email protected]. The Birth of The event is sponsored by the Friends Green Neighbors of Clara Barton Community Center and By Jen Jordan 14 proceeds go to support the Center. VN CJ residents enjoy family fun at Bingo night. For more info, check us out: Save the Date for this year’s event. PHOTO: BURR GRAY PHOTO: www.cabinjohn.org "Pipestem" Lot Project The Village News SERVING THE PEOPLE OF CABIN JOHN Concerns Neighbors The Village News is published monthly except in July and December and is sent free to all 700+ homes in Cabin John. Others may subscribe for $10 per year. Send news, ads, letters, and subscriptions to: The Village News, PO Box 31, Cabin John, MD 20818. Limited copies of The Village News are available at the Clara Barton Community Center. All back issues are also available online at cabinjohn.org. Total circulation: 800 [ EDITORS ] CONTENT | Vashti Van Wyke PRODUCTION/LAYOUT | Noelle Tower [email protected] [ CONTRIBUTORS ] Irena Bojanova, Eric Dinerstein, Rachel Donnan Amy Elsbree, Mrs. GoodNeighbor, Burr Gray, Jen Jordan Trudy Nicholson, Nancy Russell, Susan Shipp [ BUSINESS MANAGER ] Jordan Creed | [email protected] [ NEIGHBORLY NEWS ] Judy Brookes | [email protected] | 301-263-0388 [ FEATURES/NEWS ] [email protected] would include water drainage to Next Deadline: 12:00 pm, Mon., March 5 BY SUSAN SHIPP MacArthur Blvd. CJCA President Please send comments about The Village News to VNeditorial@gmail. Neighbors were also concerned com. Story ideas and volunteer writers are always welcome. n Jan. 30 the builder about the loss of trees. The in Jo and engineer of a drawings show the driveway ab hn C proposed subdivision of running extremely close, if not O7555 MacArthur Blvd. met with over, a 29-inch Cedar. A 24 to the parcel’s neighbors to present 34-inch Silver Maple appears a preliminary plan. to sit within five feet of the C n proposed home. o it ti iz a The schematic showed the en ci s Asso .6-acre lot divided into two Rembrandt Builders, the CJ Cabin John Citizens Association properties – the existing home company looking to subdivide the lot, indicated that soil www.cabinjohn.org keeping 82-feet of MacArthur Blvd. frontage and a second composition and drainage lot behind it with a 25-foot issues might prompt them to MAILING ADDRESS “pipestem” from MacArthur reconsider moving forward. P.O. Box 31, Cabin John, MD 20818 Blvd. to the parcel. A driveway On Feb. 12, Rembrandt would run from MacArthur to President Jim Graham-Yooll CJCA PRESIDENT the back lot, where a new house said in an email that they are Susan Shipp | [email protected] would be surrounded by homes “investigating the soils now and will make a decision BOARD MEMBERS on Tomlinson Ave., 77th Street, after we know what their Irena Bojanova | VP for Activities | [email protected] and MacArthur Blvd. composition is.” Greg Pawlson | VP for Advocacy | [email protected] Nancy Russell | VP for Community Service & Outreach | Neighbors are concerned that At a fall CJCA meeting, the [email protected] existing water drainage issues association reaffirmed its Amy Elsbree | Secretary | [email protected] due to slope and clay soil would opposition to pipestem or lot Bob Walsh | Treasurer | [email protected] be exacerbated by adding a subdivisions that would increase Robin Sidel | Editor, cabinjohn.org | [email protected] new home and long driveway. Dean Packard, an engineer on housing density, harm mature the project, said the plan likely trees, or worsen water drainage. NEXT CJCA MEETING: WED., FEB. 28, 7:30 PM VN 2 www.cabinjohn.org ⏐ February 2018 DEAR MRS. GOODNEIGHBOR Do you have a nagging problem/issue/ conundrum concerning life in our community? Ask Mrs. GoodNeighbor! Send questions to [email protected] and it will be passed along. All topics welcome although Mrs. GoodNeighbor feels compelled to tell you she cannot solve the problem of traffic on the one- lane bridge--so very sorry. ARE WE REALLY ALL ALONE TOGETHER THESE DAYS? Dear Mrs. GoodNeighbor, We’ve lived in Cabin John for six years and I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t even know the first names of some of my immediate neighbors. Don’t get me wrong, we have many folks we’re friendly with, we attend the Crab Feast, and we wave to folks when we walk our dog. And yet . why don’t we know all our neighbors? Why don’t they know us? It seems weird to go introduce myself after so long. What should I do, besides borrowing sugar from them? Are we really all alone together these days? Sincerely, Lonely, not alone Dear Lonely: door and put on your best smile. note in their mailbox? Maybe losing 10 pounds or organizing When they crack open the door, they have a lovely garden or a your sock drawer — that’s a new Courage, Lonely! It’s not too late try “Hello, I’m your neighbor beautiful blooming spring tree year’s resolution you can keep! to meet your neighbors! Here Lonely who lives across the you could mention. or maybe in Cabin John we may not have street. I had these extra cookies/ you noticed their car’s tail light And finally, here’s a comforting sidewalks — but we don’t have bread/tulips and wanted to was out. Or maybe you see their thought: while you’ve haven’t too many Keep Out signs either. share some with you . and daughter throws a mean curve met your neighbors, they haven’t introduce myself.” (Note: if you ball in the front yard, or their introduced themselves to you Don’t overthink it, Lonely- who have kids, bring them along. new puppy is adorable. either! They may be thinking knows why you haven’t met your Kids have a way of loosening THE SAME THING as you! neighbors? Life happens. But the tongues of lots of folks; I’m guessing that if you pay there’s no statute of limitations and besides, what a wonderful attention for a week or more Although the old adage says on friendliness; it can be applied example of neighborliness you’re there’s probably one or two “good fences make good anytime. demonstrating for your child. If things you could mention in neighbors,” Mrs. GoodNeighbor no kid, no problem.) a note. Or just say “I’ve been prefers this one: to have a good So, how about this: take a batch thinking about you. I’m your neighbor, you must BE a good of cookies/loaf of bread/jar of And if the idea of knocking on neighbor and I feel badly we neighbor. And a good neighbor honey/homegrown tomatoes/ your neighbor's door is just too haven’t met. I hope we can is truly a blessing. I know . tulips from the garden next much for you, how about a short connect this new year!” Forget Cabin John is FULL of them. VN February 2018 ⏐ The Village News 3 Contributors ERIC DINERSTEIN We (my wife Ute and two dogs Ursie and Grace) reside on 78th St and love the towpath and wildlife.