A Forest Hills snow day: A few everyday heroes, and some lovely snow-covered scenes

by Marlene Berlin

On the day of our “big” March snowstorm, I went out around 3 p.m. to shovel our sidewalk on 30th Street. Other people had the same idea. I met our new neighbor on the corner of Brandywine and 30th.

Then I walked on to check out the neighborhood. As on 30th, some of the sidewalks on other local streets had been cleared. (Property owners and renters have eight daylight hours after the snow stops falling to clear sidewalks.)

I saw workers shoveling away along Connecticut Avenue, too.

John Conner, the owner of BP Amoco Station at 5001 Connecticut, had hired his son-on-law’s company, Haller’s Landscaping, to keep the sidewalk on the east side of the Politics and Prose block clear. I caught sight of the small plow clearing the sidewalk.

I found the Ellicott bus shelter had been freshly shoveled, a marvel because it’s on Park Service land which doesn’t get touched by the feds after snowfall.

Who cleared the snow? Meet longtime Forest Hills of DC resident Bartley O’Hara, who is always out with a shovel when it snows.

O’Hara told me the District needs more volunteers. Our mayor had the same message:

“Mayor Bowser and Serve DC need your help clearing sidewalks and front walkways for our senior residents and those with access and functional needs. Grab your shovels and join the DC Volunteer Snow Team and help your neighbors stay safe. Log onto snowteam.dc.gov to be connected to a senior in your community.”

Some businesses and property owners had not yet gotten around to shoveling their walks when I took mine.

As for the streets, they were mostly cleared of snow.

Once I had checked on the shoveling and plowing progress, I was ready to enjoy the transformation that snow brings to our world.

Snow-covered tree limbs on Connecticut Avenue.

A new look for Broad Branch Stream. (Above and below)

Water falling into Soapstone Creek from Linnean Avenue

Water high at Soapstone Creek crossing with snow covered rocks.

Even this relatively mild storm did some damage. A large oak tree fell across Audubon Terrace, downing secondary and primary power lines. Four Pepco trucks gathered, and one crew was sawing away at the the tree to remove it from the wires.