Assault in Cabin John

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an assault in Cabin John on Monday morning, July 15, 2024. The assault was reported in the 7900 block of MacArthur Boulevard at 8:32 AM. It took place in a commercial parking lot. An individual was also accused of damaging property in the same incident.

WSSC issues Boil Water Advisory for Cabin John, Glen Echo

The WSSC has issued a Boil Water Advisory for Cabin John and Glen Echo. A water main break in a 12-inch pipe running under MacArthur Boulevard caused water pressure in the line to drop to a level where contamination is possible. Customers in the area shown on the map above should bring water to a boil before using for drinking, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing baby food or formula, making ice, or as drinking water for pets. WSSC will test samples for contamination once repairs to the line are complete, and lift the advisory once the results show it is safe.

Police enforcing weight limits on Cabin John Aqueduct Bridge

Montgomery County police conducted an operation to enforce weight limits on the 158-year-old Cabin John Aqueduct Bridge in Cabin John yesterday. Several police cruisers sat on the east side of the bridge, awaiting commercial truck drivers who ignored two vehicle weight restriction signs posted between Wilson Lane and the west end of the bridge. The bridge, like MacArthur Boulevard itself, carries the Washington Aqueduct that supplies water from Great Falls to the Dalecarlia Reservoir. It spans Cabin John Creek and the Cabin John Parkway, and was completed in 1864.

Another commercial burglary spree in Bethesda

Another wave of overnight commercial burglaries swept over the Bethesda area early yesterday morning, stretching from Friendship Heights to Glen Echo, Cabin John and Potomac. Montgomery County police responded to a burglar alarm at an unspecified clothing store in the 5500 block of Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights at 1:39 AM Monday morning, August 1, 2022. Police responded next to the alarm at the Montgomery County liquor store at 10132 River Road in Potomac at 2:24 AM, Market on the Boulevard at 7945 MacArthur Boulevard in Cabin John at 2:34 AM, and the Glen Echo Pharmacy at 7311 MacArthur Boulevard at 5:37 AM. 

Officers found evidence of forced entry at each establishment. A rash of commercial burglaries covered some of the same territory along with the Westwood Shopping Center on June 24, a Bethesda Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins was broken into July 15, and Smoke BBQ in downtown Bethesda was hit last weekend.

Car stolen in Cabin John

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in Cabin John yesterday morning. The vehicle was taken from the driveway of a home in the 7700 block of Tomlinson Avenue, according to crime data.

Colada Shop sets opening date at Cabin John Village

Colada Shop has set an opening date for its newest D.C.-area location, at Cabin John Village at 7993 Tuckerman Lane in Potomac. The Cuban cafe will open this Friday, April 23, 2021. Colada Shop offers Cuban coffee (is there any other kind?), croquetas and empanadas, and a couple of new menu items that will be exclusive to this location.

Photo courtesy Colada Shop

Late night storm causes power outage in Bethesda

A late night storm pelted Bethesda with hail, rain and gusty winds around 11:20 PM Wednesday night. Pepco reports two power outages in Montgomery County; one is in the Cabin John area south of River Road in Bethesda. About seven customers are affected. Pepco predicts a 2:00 AM Thursday restoration time. The other outage is in the Clarksburg area. Further outages and tree damage are possible overnight, as the winds are continuing even after the storm has passed.

Cabin John Shopping Center construction update (Photos)

Here's a look at the ongoing construction and renovation at the Cabin John Shopping Center (a.k.a. Cabin John Village) at 11325 Seven Locks Road. The upgraded building facade will include a balcony on the corner diagonally across from California Tortilla. You can see the balcony is now in place in these photos below. Despite appearances, all businesses remain open during construction.

Sisters: The Village Cafe targeting June opening at Cabin John Shopping Center

Sisters: The Village Cafe is now only weeks away from opening at the Cabin John Shopping Center at 11325 Seven Locks Road in Potomac. The Thai restaurant's manager says they are aiming for an opening in the second week of June.

You can see the outdoor patio is ready to go. Inside is a dessert bar serving Magnolia bakery items, with a retro movie theater marquee. Sisters is right next to Shake Shack, and is from the owners of the Sisters restaurants in Fairfax County.

High winds bring power outages to Bethesda

High winds with gusts over 20 MPH have been buffeting Bethesda for about 13 hours. While it could be much worse, some residents have lost power over this time as limbs, trees, and power lines are blown down. Around 11:00 PM last night, exploding transformer flashes could be seen in the distance from Bethesda. Afterward, customers in Cabin John and Carderock Springs reported outages.

Right now, there are a handful of outages affecting Pepco customers. One is in a neigbhorhood off River Road just west of the WSSC water filtration plant and the Watts Branch River by the C&O Canal. It occured around 3:56 AM, and Pepco says they hope to have restored power by 7:00 AM. 8:00 AM is the target for the less than 5 customers in the dark near the intersection of Bradley Boulevard and the Capital Beltway.

The biggest outage is in Chevy Chase by Friendship Heights, affecting over 400 customers. It happened around quarter after 5:00 this morning. Pepco is shooting for a 10:00 AM restoration time there. Winds are expected to continue to gust through sundown this evening, reaching a low of 4 MPH around 2:00 AM Tuesday morning.

Grilled Oyster Company review - Cabin John/Potomac

The Grilled Oyster Company recently introduced a fall seasonal menu with several new dishes. I stopped by their Cabin John location to try some of them out.

New Belgium
Fat Tire Amber Ale

Their beer list is modest in size, but strong on craft beers. I chose the New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale, an American amber/red ale-style on draft. It is 5.20% A.B.V., with a one+ inch head that dissipates quickly. It's refreshing and fairly dry, with minimal bitterness. The flavors are more toward bread and malt, and it pairs well with seafood. Four stars.

I started off with a complimentary vegetable plate, with crisp flatbreads and house-made cream cheese.

New grilled oysters
for fall

Fall Harvest oyster (left),
Farmer's oyster (right)

Fall Harvest oyster

Farmer's oyster

When you are at the Grilled Oyster Company, it makes sense to try the grilled oysters, right? I ordered the two newest additions for fall, the Fall Harvest and Farmer's oysters. The Fall Harvest is topped with roasted turnips, carrots, radishes, and qualjillo salsa. The Farmer's has an equally-autumn-appropriate topping of roasted beet, rutabaga, sweet potato and celery cream. Both oysters were tender, and could stand on their own without the trimmings.

Having said that, if you're seeking a richer grilled oyster experience, you should probably go for the traditional Rockefeller variety or the Maryland crab-stuffed version on the menu. The fall-themed ones are lighter and more earthy in flavor. They should inspire more than one home chef to add a new course to their Thanksgiving dinner, as you could easily serve these alongside the turkey and stuffing. Four stars.

Pan-roasted Chesapeake Rockfish

The rockfish is served with
sautéed kale, crispy bacon,
finely-diced sweet potato,
slivered almonds and a
brown butter sauce

For my main entree, I ordered the new Pan-Roasted Chesapeake Rockfish. It was perfectly cooked, just the way I ordered it. A crispy exterior gave way to a moist and tender interior. The fish tasted extremely fresh, with a very mild flavor. The almond slivers and brown butter complimented the natural flavor, without overwhelming it. I'm a big fan of kale, and the bacon was very crisp, just the way I like it. This was fantastic, and I would definitely order it again and recommend it highly. You can still be proud that the Rockfish is your official state fish. Five stars.

Fresh hand-cut fries
with Old Bay seasoning

I officially defeated the purpose of the healthier entree by adding a side of hand-cut, Old Bay french fries. These were shoestring fries like McDonald's - the best kind, in my opinion - but with the skin-on. Crispy and tender, I give them extra points for the retro 1950s checkerboard basket liner. You can't beat Old Bay on fries, and if anything, dipping them in ketchup only drowns out the classic spice combination. Five stars.

Chocolate Bourbon Cake
with vanilla bean gelato,
bourbon sauce and
whipped cream

For dessert, I decided on the Chocolate Bourbon Cake. Cake is a bit of a misnomer here, however. While it is technically an almost-flourless chocolate cake, the texture is somewhere between cheesecake and fudge. It's dense without being too heavy, and you can pick up the distinctive bourbon flavor throughout. The namesake sauce is drizzled over everything, as well as being the bottom layer on the plate. Considering that no trip to Ocean City is complete without fresh fudge on the boardwalk, the fudge-like flavor and texture makes this an appropriate finish to a Maryland seafood dinner. 🐟 Four stars.

The outdoor patio season is winding down, but they do have one with patio heaters out front and stringed lights. Cabin John Mall remains a model of what can be done with the traditional strip mall and indoor neighborhood-oriented mall in the suburbs - a nice variety of retail and quality dining options.

Grilled Oyster Company is at the top of that list, offering downtown D.C./Bethesda Row-style sophisticated dining - and market-fresh seafood - in a comfortable-yet-white-tablecloth neighborhood setting. Four stars.

7943 Tuckerman Lane

(Cabin John Mall)

[I-270 Montrose Road exit;

take Seven Locks Road south

to Cabin John Mall on left]

301-299-9888

New fall menu at Grilled Oyster Company

Local seafood concept The Grilled Oyster Company has added new Fall menus at its two area locations. Several new additions feature Barren Island oysters from Maryland's Hoopers Island, including fall harvest grilled oysters topped with roasted turnips, carrots, radishes, and a mild guajillo salsa, and farmer’s grilled oysters with roasted beets, rutabaga, sweet potato, and celery cream.

As temperatures get colder, the new shrimp ratatouille stew with squash, eggplant, and white beans would be a good choice. Other new menu items include lobster tartare with lobster served over orange sticky rice, avocado, sesame tamari sauce, and Old Bay sriracha aioli; a fall kale & quinoa salad with springy kale, roasted sweet potato, dried cherries, toasted almonds, and a lemon-garlic Dijon vinaigrette; pan-roasted Chesapeake rockfish with sautéed kale, bacon, roasted sweet potato, and almond brown butter; and seared sea scallops with a creamy shitake and Portobello mushroom risotto and Romesco sauce.

Popular menu items like duck tacos, fried Ipswich clams with dill tartar sauce, and Chesapeake cioppino are still available.

Grilled Oyster Company has two locations, Cabin John (7943 Tuckerman Lane) and Cathedral Commons (3701 Newark Street NW) in the District.

SEXUAL ASSAULT IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA, ASSAULT IN CABIN JOHN + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on January 21, according to crime data:

Sexual assault. 7300 block Wisconsin Avenue at 6:07 PM.

Theft from vehicle. 7200 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Assault. Unit block of Webb Road at 2:06 AM (Cabin John).

Burglary. 10100 block Dickens Avenue.

Theft from vehicle. 6400 block Rockledge Drive.

Theft. 5700 block Brewer House Circle.

Theft from vehicle. 10400 block Grosvenor Place.

TACO TUESDAY STARTS TODAY AT FISH TACO IN CABIN JOHN

One of Bethesda's most highly-rated restaurants, Food Wine & Co., has a Mexican spin-off: Fish Taco, located in a shopping center out past Glen Echo on MacArthur Boulevard. If you stand in the right spot in the vicinity of the shopping center, you can see the Potomac River about a block away.

Today, Fish Taco is launching Taco Tuesday.

Each Tuesday, a different taco will be featured via the family-friendly restaurant's Twitter account. Order that special taco, and you'll get free chips and salsa to complete your meal.

Fish Taco, 7945 MacArthur Boulevard

Cabin John, MD 20818

301-229-0900

Photo via Fish Taco

WSSC CONTRACTOR SEEKS PERMIT TO RELEASE MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF GROUND AND WASH WATER INTO BETHESDA STREAM

Bethesda's Old Farm Creek, a tributary of Cabin John Creek and the Potomac River, is one of 2 local waterways scheduled to carry over 3.6 million gallons of groundwater per day during a WSSC tunnel construction project.

A WSSC contractor has applied to the Maryland Department of the Environment for a discharge permit to allow this during construction of the Bi-County Water Tunnel along Tuckerman Lane in Bethesda.

Water flows will also contain 5000 gallons per day of equipment washwater, to be discharged into Old Farm Creek near Tuckerman, and Rock Creek near Kensington Parkway.

The Old Farm discharge site lies between Cabin John shopping center and Westfield Montgomery Mall near Tuckerman Lane.  A prominent channel passes beneath Tuckerman in that area.

Should you wish to request a public meeting to be held regarding this matter, you can mail a written request to:

MDE: Water Management Administration, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21230-1708
Attn: Mr. Michael Richardson

Hurry - it must be received by May 16, 2013.

You can arrange to review the application in person, by calling Richardson at 410-537-3323 to schedule an appointment.

GLEN ECHO STREETCAR ROUTE MAP AND HISTORY (VIDEO)

Here's a video with some background, and a map overview, of a fully intact streetcar right-of-way between Georgetown and Glen Echo/Cabin John via Bethesda. The streetcar once served the former Glen Echo Amusement Park.

A future return of streetcars here is now jeopardized by a bike path plan that has designs on a segment of the right-of-way.

NPS ATTEMPTS TO SEIZE PART OF GLEN ECHO STREETCAR RIGHT-OF-WAY

Just 10 months after shipping its historic Glen Echo PCC streetcar off to a scrapyard without public notice, the National Park Service is at it again.

Without wide public notification, NPS has already created a proposal to turn a portion of the streetcar's still-existing right-of-way into a bike trail.

In fact, they've even completed the  environmental assessment at taxpayer expense, before said taxpayers even knew the proposal existed.

It's outrageous.

I thought NPS had no money.  It has been scrapping streetcars and canal boats, and according to the Washington Post, can't even clean the restrooms in its public parks.

So how did they afford to pay for an environmental assessment?

Much as local NIMBYs played a major role in shutting down Glen Echo Amusement Park - and then made sure its amusement rides were never restored, but, rather, demolished - this proposal sounds awfully familiar.

With Washington DC's streetcar revival flourishing, and massive employment growth occurring along the MacArthur Boulevard corridor, the time has never been more right to study restoration of streetcar service to the old Georgetown-Glen Echo-Cabin John right-of-way.

So, wouldn't this be just the right time for NPS to assume its familiar role as NIMBY Protection Service at Glen Echo.

"We're not going to have an amusement park start up in this neighborhood again! And we're not going to have streetcars running through here, either!"

Says who? Says who?

I continue to say we ought to have both. Every single American is paying to maintain Glen Echo Park, but instead of providing joy and entertainment to the masses as it once did, it is essentially a social club for the narrow audience its programming is targeted towards.

Likewise, streetcar service would have environmental and congestion-relieving benefits for large areas on both sides of the Potomac. Why would we provide a benefit to a few with this trail, at the expense of the many?  Doesn't our anti-car, anti-highway county council say we need more transit? Just not in this case?

Something's not right about this. So, as Barney Fife used to say, we've got to nip this in the bud right now.

With no advance notice, I could not attend last night's hush-hush NPS public meeting.

But comment I have, anyway! They always assume the average citizen won't take the time to comment. I say, let's prove them wrong!

Here's the text of my comments (NPS is accepting online comments  through February 8):

# # # # # # # #

I strongly object to the proposed bike trail along part of the historic Glen Echo streetcar right-of-way (ROW).

The most fundamental problem with this proposal is the unnecessary relocation of bike facilities onto the streetcar ROW.  Rail rights-of-way are virtually impossible to obtain in Montgomery County today, both fiscally and practically.

Bike paths and lanes - as demonstrated in the county and in the District - are relatively easy to obtain and locate where space exists.  In contrast, there is no alternative route in this corridor for a streetcar. Therefore, the streetcar ROW must be accommodated in this case. 

This is critically important to any future reinstatement of streetcar operation between Georgetown and Glen Echo (and beyond).

A large residential population in the Palisades and on the county side, the coming expansion of the Sangamore Road intelligence campus, and the rapidly-growing Sibley Hospital campus call for serious consideration of returning streetcars to the still-existing Georgetown-Glen Echo-Cabin John ROW.

Therefore, I am perplexed not only as to why NPS would propose blocking the ROW at this juncture, but why the county council and Planning Board are not strenuously objecting to the plan, as well.

I am also concerned with the arbitrary nature of this sudden proposal. I've known of the need to improve bicycle safety along the MacArthur corridor for years. But I've never heard seizing part of the streetcar facility as a proposed solution before yesterday, January 24.  It was then that I read online that a meeting was being held that evening, which I could not attend on such short notice.

Why was there no published announcement in widely-circulated newspapers, or advance notice via the press? Such poor outreach suggests public input is not welcome.

How did we already get an environmental assessment with no public input as to whether or not the larger, taxpaying public wants this project, or not?

The impression such a closed process presents - accurate or not - is that, once again, a few well-connected citizens are attempting to prevent future streetcar service along part or all of the ROW.  Or that a few cyclists are attempting to appropriate a public resource that holds potential environmental and infrastructure benefits to all, at the expense of the rest of us.

I don't even understand where NPS obtained funds for an environmental assessment when its financial distress is well-known, and it claimed it could not afford to repaint the PCC streetcar last March, and gave it away for scrap.

Given the latter episode, the optics of NPS giving away more of the streetcar legacy - and future potential - are terrible PR-wise and communitywise.

I know that rails-to-trails is a classic NIMBY tactic to stop commuter rail service. As we see in the Purple Line debate today, once a trail goes in, it is extremely unpopular to have it replaced with rail in the future. With the coming growth in this corridor, blocking the streetcar ROW would be highly irresponsible.

Another solution can be found for bicycles in that area. But you are not going to find another streetcar right-of-way.

For that reason, I strongly urge you to scrap plans to utilize any portion of the streetcar right-of-way and creek trestle for bicycling or other vehicular or recreational use.

Limited resources at this time would be better spent cooperating with the DC DOT on a potential extension of DC Streetcar service into Maryland, via the former Glen Echo right-of-way.

Respectfully,

Robert Dyer
Bethesda, MD

GRILLED OYSTER CO. OPENING IN CABIN JOHN SHOPPING CENTER

A banner outside the space next to Giant in the Cabin John Shopping Center is announcing the impending opening of The Grilled Oyster Company.

A full-service, family seafood restaurant and raw bar, Grilled Oyster Co. will open by September, according to the owner.

DC STREETCAR INCHING TOWARD GEORGETOWN ...AND THEN TO GLEN ECHO?

More exciting streetcar news from Washington, DC:   Mayor Vincent Gray and DDOT are actively pursuing a future streetcar line that replicates a famous one, Union Station to Georgetown.

One question is whether or not the route will travel along M Street.

The important point for those of us out here in Bethesda, is for the streetcar to climb the hill up to Prospect Street from M Street.

That will connect the streetcar to a possible future extension to Glen Echo.  After turning left on Prospect towards Georgetown University, the streetcar would gain access to the original - and still existing - right of way that goes all the way to Cabin John.

A streetcar traveling between Georgetown and Glen Echo would be the fastest trolley line in the region, if not the nation.  That's because the entire right of way, with the exception of a few blocks in a residential Palisades neighborhood, is off-road.  Separated from auto traffic, the streetcar will be faster than a car, a clear advantage for commuters that will ensure boosted ridership.

The Georgetown to Glen Echo streetcar is an idea whose time has come... again!

GLEN ECHO STREETCAR HAULED AWAY WITHOUT PUBLIC NOTICE!

1947 PCC SEPTA CAR GONE FOR

GOOD, THANKS TO... THE GSA?!

EXCLUSIVE DETAILS YOU WON'T
FIND ANYWHERE ELSE!

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Glen Echo Park is a ruin and shell of its former self.  Only a handful of powerful symbols remain of its past glory, such as the famous carousel.  What a shock it was yesterday to find out another such symbol has been stolen away:  the 1947 PCC Streetcar, from its place of honor at the gate to the park.

No public announcement was made regarding the trolley by either the Glen Echo board or the National Park Service.  As a fan of just about anything on rails, I am a streetcar buff.  My favorite streetcar is the DC Transit PCC.   I had actually planned to take some pictures and video of the PCC at Glen Echo in the near future for this very reason - that it might suddenly be taken away.

Imagine my horror when Justin Fidler tweeted a photo yesterday morning, showing the old PCC being spirited out of town.  Apparently, Glen Echo thought they could do this quietly, and by the time people noticed, it would be gone.  Fortunately, they were caught in the act on camera.

Now, I have to note that this is not the tragedy it would have been if the car had actually been an original DC Transit PCC.  This car was a veteran of Philadelphia's SEPTA system - which has its own rich history (score yourself bonus points if you know what a "flying coffin" is on the Main Line).

That said...  Once I received word of this legal heist of the People's Streetcar, I was immediately on the case.  Within minutes, I had dashed off an email to Glen Echo Park.  In addition to asking for an explanation of yesterday's events, I reminded them that Glen Echo - the town and the park - only exist because of the streetcar.  To remove the only prominent symbol of that legacy is outrageous.  

Strangely, even though I emailed them long before the close of business, I received no response from Glen Echo.  When I wrote the lettter, I still had some hope that the streetcar was going to be refurbished.  It had been left to rust by Glen Echo and NPS, which was shameful.

But as my investigation continued, that hope was dashed.

I knew it was a 1947 SEPTA PCC, so I started searching on the internet.  Alas, I found a bulletin board discussion from last week with bad news:  Apparently, the smart NPS ranger who arranged for Glen Echo to acquire the car is no longer at the park.  Push has come to shove, apparently, and the streetcar was determined expendable.

Yet, Glen Echo never alerted the community.  Certainly, there are enough streetcar enthusiasts in the DC area to raise funds to give the old PCC a new coat of paint.  Yet, they did not engage them.  They made no public effort to keep it there.

Here's the best (or worst) part:

The GSA - yes, that GSA - tried to sell our Glen Echo streetcar on Ebay.  Ebay!

Stay classy, GSA.  Just don't stay at any more Vegas resorts at taxpayer expense.

Apparently, the GSA drives a much harder bargain when they're selling, than when they're buying conferences and handbags.  Their asking price was $30,000.  Now, I'm a huge streetcar fan, but not an expert on them.  Even I know that $30,000 is way above the real price of a '47 PCC.  In fact, some of the more knowledgable folks on the internet say they can go for $250-$5000 these days.

In the message board discussion, one person asserted the PCC was operational when Glen Echo acquired it.  Its current operational status is unknown.  I know the rust has been increasing over time.

Anyway, the Ebay auction failed to draw a buyer.

Then we jump to yesterday's haulaway.  So what happened?

Well, it turns out the NPS decided to ignore my email yesterday, and tried to give the exclusive to, at a minimum, The Gazette.  The Gazette is now reporting that exclusive given to it by NPS,  stating that the streetcar was sold to General Machine and Tool Company of Cheverly.

This kind of thing happens sometimes, particularly with government stories.  They will shut out a blogger like me, and give a corporate media outlet (or outlets) an exclusive.  My guess is they think the coverage will be favorable, if the media outlet knows they'll get scoops in the future.  I don't know why they didn't respond; that's just a guess on my part.

But when somebody disses me, I don't get discouraged; I get energized and work harder.

And that's how I got the exclusive details and links above.  As you may have noticed, the details I uncovered are not quite as flattering to Glen Echo and NPS.  I don't think they wanted you to know they tried to peddle our streetcar on Ebay!

Furthermore, the Gazette printed the NPS assertion that it would cost $100,000 to refurbish the streetcar.  That sounds pretty exaggerated to me, considering the car's Ebay listing says the interior is 89% in good shape.  And that it basically needs a rust treatment and paint job for display purposes.  $100,000?  Please.

Even worse, the Gazette didn't fact check the NPS claim that the agency had made "failed attempts to raise money" to keep the streetcar.  I've been right here in Bethesda all along.  If I had heard the word "streetcar," believe me, I would have noticed it!  I challenge NPS to produce the local newspaper article(s) and/or advertisement(s) asking for donations to restore the trolley.  I think we'll be waiting a good, long time for NPS to produce those.  Forever, most likely.

It's pretty sad when a government agency funded by the taxpayer can't answer a highly relevant email from a taxpayer by the close of business.  It says something about their regard for the public.  And that's one of the reasons Glen Echo Park continues to be an underperforming resource, when it was - and could again be - a national treasure providing enjoyment for the masses.

What a statement, when NPS sells off a streetcar, when Glen Echo was created by and for the streetcar!  It's absolutely absurd, and the public had a right to know.  We the public owned that trolley, and we should be notified of its sale in advance.  And once again, our elected officials failed to intervene, just as they have with the wacky choice for the new Bethesda Post Office.

The sale of this streetcar is the last straw in Glen Echo's long decline, as far as I'm concerned.  This is a turning point, if we in the community can make our voices heard.

Frankly, today I want to start a serious, public conversation on the future of Glen Echo Park and the importance of the streetcar line that extended to it from Georgetown.  The fact that Glen Echo, the NPS and the GSA would just sell one of the only historic symbols at the park, is just the latest example of intentional decline there.

Glen Echo Park is a wasted resource, refashioned as a niche arts and crafts spot with appeal to a very narrow audience.  And that was an intentional devolution by the community and the powers that be.

What I've wondered for years is, why can't Glen Echo Park be restored to glory?   Not as a Six Flags, but in its original dimensions, with accurate replicas of its historic attractions.  The spectacular roller coaster.  The bumper cars.  The Crystal Pool.  The Tunnel of Love.  And so many more.

A place of the sort we don't have in Montgomery County, and frankly, anywhere in the immediate DC area.  A place where families can go, or where a young person can take a date.

And a potential revenue source, if Montgomery County were to buy the park, perhaps in a public-private partnership.  Clearly the current stewards have little interest in the park's massively-undertapped potential.

All of the drive-in theaters, miniature golf courses, and nearly all of the bowling alleys are gone.  For all the talk about making the county appealing to young people, and reducing long automobile trips, we insist on sending them elsewhere for most entertainment.

The critical piece of the restoration of Glen Echo Park would be the restoration of the Glen Echo (Cabin John) streetcar line.  Believe it or not, the right-of-way is still there from Prospect Street and Georgetown University, through the elite bastion of The Palisades, and out through the woods to Glen Echo.  Parts of the trestle remain.  And, of course, DC is launching a streetcar system.  The potential to cooperate on a Glen Echo route is there.  (Although, wouldn't it be great to run a couple of restored PCCs on the route, instead of those red toaster ovens DC is planning to use?  The PCC has something they don't: character and style.  I'm hoping the next set of USA-built cars DC is buying will have a better exterior design).

I haven't met a senior citizen yet who doesn't have fond memories of the old Glen Echo Park, and of the streetcar ride there several described as "more exciting than the rides in the park."

When you consider those memories of Glen Echo and a similar park at Chevy Chase Lake, you realize that the plans put forward by developers today suggest a future less engaging than the past.  Which should be a red flag that our planning is going in the wrong direction.

Was there some point that drive-in movies, miniature golf and amusement parks stopped being fun?  Of course not.  So why did our great-grandparents have more fun things to do in Montgomery County than we do today?  If that isn't a devolution, what is?  Not surprisingly, developers had a big part in this coming about.

But we have the power to change this.

And one small first start, is to bring a PCC streetcar back to the gates of Glen Echo.   Let's hope the GSA's streetcar profits aren't going to their next Vegas getaway.