Tuesday evening 12/4 the weather experts assured us that we would get no accumulation of snow in the city on Wednesday morning.  Wednesday morning was a commuter's nightmare with accumulated snow and ice on the roads creating treacherous conditions.  No streets in Glover Park had been salted or sanded and multiple accidents occured.  Some of the most dangerous places were hilly areas, like Manor Place and 37th St. where a five car pileup began with a vehicle sliding down the hill into a parked car, then every car behind slid into the car in front, until there was no more room to slide.  The street was closed for much of the day.  A number of fender-benders also occured at Benton St. where it meets Tunlaw Road.  This slight downslope was a sheet of ice, causing even very slow-moving cars to slide into the cars in front of them, and through the stop sign onto Tunlaw.

Snow continued to fall all day with about 4 inches of accumulation by nighttime, resulting in another disastrous morning commute on Thursday with many side streets gridlocked with sliding cars and buses spinning their wheels.  Some cars could not navigate even the slightest incline due to the layer of ice on many streets.  By midday Thursday, the ice melted and most streets were clear.  The city then sent out it's salt trucks in Glover Park to salt clear streets, leaving the terribly corrosive salt everywhere yet apparently having no effect whatsoever, since the ice had melted hours ago.

The controversy over the existence of Good Guys and JP's, two strip clubs in the neighborhood, has been heating up recently.

First a little background:

Good Guys and JP's have operated in Glover Park for many years, to the dismay of many residents who do not wish to have such establishments in their neighborhood.  Knowing this, the owner of Good Guys has attempted to be a good neighbor by donating money and having employees volunteer at various Glover Park events.  They do contribute more than most other businesses in the neighborhood.  When Mama Maria's, the Italian restaurant next door, closed for business earlier this year, Good Guys announced plans to purchase the property and expand its operations into the space.  A small group of residents submitted a formal protest to the DC government, but the protest was rejected on a technicality and the efforts seemed to evaporate for a few months.  Then just a few weeks ago an employee of Good Guys was viciously attacked, mutilated and almost killed by a disgruntled patron.  This horrible crime sparked a renewed effort by residents to voice their opinions about ousting the strip clubs from the neighborhood.

Recent events:

Two recent events have brought this issue to a crossroads.  First, the Advisory Neighborhood Commission is considering opposing the renewal of their liquor licenses which are currently up again for consideration.  Liquor license control is an effective method of influencing the type of businesses and how they operate in the neighborhood, and of course, a bar would be out of business without one.  Second, the previously filed protest, which was rejected, has been submitted to the DC Court of Appeals for reinstatement.  The Court of Appeals might issue a decision in the next few days.  Both issues have made the owner of Good Guys quite nervous about the future.  Allegedly, he has approached a small group of residents who tend to be vocal and influential at the ANC3B monthly meetings and has offered a deal to them.  He allegedly proposes that if these few individuals will support his application for liquor license renewal (i.e. not voice opposition at the ANC meeting) he will drop his plans to expand into the Mama Maria's space.  Instead, he would propose to expand to the second floor of his establishement, thus doubling patron capacity anyway.  He also allegedly has threatened that if he is opposed but gets his license anyway, he will accelerate plans to purchase the property next door and move into the Mama Maria's space.  It is not certain at this point how the group of residents will respond to the proposal and threat.

We are quickly approaching a crossroads in the coming days and residents' attention and response could determine the future of these establishments.

Welcome to the Glover Park blog!

Glover Park is a wonderful neighborhood in Washington, D.C. just north of Georgetown, west of Wisconsin Avenue, and cradled by the serene forested parklands of Glover-Archbold Park and Whitehaven Park.  Read about the neighborhood at www.GloverParkDC.com