by Marlene Berlin Like many DC seniors, I had a frustrating experience while trying to schedule my first Covid-19 vaccination on Monday, the first day the District opened registration to those of us 65 and older. I first tried at noon, through the vaccinate.dc.gov portal. My expectations were low. Snags had been reported in signing […]
From double agents to Kermit the Frog: A new book/walking tour guide links local sites to historic events and figures
More than a few of us took up walking the neighborhood last year to get some exercise and pass the time under shutdown orders. Mark Fitzpatrick did more than that. He turned up a number of hidden historical treasures on his walks around Tenleytown, AU Park, Forest Hills, Van Ness and North Cleveland Park. He […]
This MLK weekend, do something good for the national park in our backyard
Rock Creek Park has been an oasis for many of us during the long months of the pandemic. This weekend is a good time to return the favor. The Martin Luther King Day of Service is usually Rock Creek Conservancy’s second largest cleanup event of the year (after the springtime Extreme Cleanup). This time, a […]
What we know so far about who is and will be getting the Covid-19 vaccine
by Marlene Berlin The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine is under way, and while we got more information this week on when certain priority groups can line up for their shots, there remain a lot of questions. This is the best information that we have at this time, but expect many changes. As of Monday, […]
A century ago, poor and ailing children came to a Forest Hills “Country Home”
by Ann Kessler A 1907 Baist real estate atlas shows very little development in what would become Forest Hills. Sure, there were land owners with acres of land, and some roads and streets had been cut through or were marked to be built, but few actual buildings or houses were shown. One prominent building that […]
Neighbors Recommend: Why icy sidewalks don’t stop me from walking
by Marlene Berlin Icy walkways greeted us after last week’s snow and sleet storm. But they do not need to stop us from walking. I found a solution a few years ago – contraptions that fit over your hiking boots or whatever you wear in the snow. They are removable and give you the traction […]
Meet Your Neighbors, Hanukkah edition: A documentary filmmaker and an author celebrate lesser-known Jewish heroes
by Marlene Berlin Hanukkah, the festival of lights, started last Thursday evening. This holiday commemorates the Maccabees, Jewish heroes, rising up against the army of Antiochus IV to regain control of Jerusalem and their desecrated Temple. So this seems like a good time to tell you about two neighbors who are celebrating unsung Jewish heroes […]
History: Who was Melvin C. Hazen?
by Ann Kessler In one newspaper article marking his passing in 1941 at the age of 73, Melvin C. Hazen was called “The Boss,” “First Citizen of Washington,” and “one of the city’s most beloved characters.” President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s particular name for Hazen was “Grand Old Man of the District.” FDR also said that […]
Want to find holiday lights? Head to your nearest “Main Street”
Commercial corridors in this area and throughout the District are decked out in holiday lights and festive displays this month, some in connection with local Main Streets. The lights serve as a beacon to attract customers to small and local businesses, and as a beacon of hope for better times to come. And of course, […]
The 2020 “Shop-Local Workout:” Covid-19 edition
You could call it a Forest Hills Connection holiday tradition. In December 2012, Marlene Berlin combined her love of walking and her enthusiasm for supporting small businesses into our original walking and shopping guide to Van Ness, Forest Hills, Chevy Chase, Tenleytown and Cleveland Park. That morphed into the “Shop-Local Workout,” our annual Thanksgiving week […]