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We've written about the sizzling drama inside the Cleveland Park Citizens Association before, and now the Ward3DC blog reports that the "UNITY" slate, headed by longtime resident John Chelen, has been declared the winner of Tuesday's election. Chelen replaces long-serving president George Idelson, the man who was ridiculed by local media earlier this year for accusing new members of CPCA, drawn to join due to the endless bickering over the Wisconsin Ave. Giant grocery store plans, among other development issues, of attempting a coup. Idelson eventually chose not to run again, leaving Jeff Davis and his "Reform" slate to oppose Chelen.
In a letter to Cleveland Park residents after the election, Chelen called for healing and moving forward:
I'd like to commend Jeff Davis and the rest of the Reform Slate. You ran a good campaign and brought out your supporters in amazing numbers. Your determination and energy galvanized the membership; CPCA is a much more vital organization now than any of us imagined it might be. Together, I hope we can build upon that vitality to bring in even more active members and increase our ability to represent our community's needs.It's also important that we don't take for granted that differences still exist between many of us. One of my personal goals is to find a way to bridge those differences and find common ground. I don't expect the supporters of Reform to abandon their views nor lessen the pressure on our elected officers to do the right thing. It will be their pressure that will drive us to find the right solutions. But I do expect that our shared love for Cleveland Park will help us overcome those differences.
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This is truly a great day for democracy, and only re-affirms our faith in an electoral process that allows us to select which zombie sucks our brains through our eye sockets. Congratulations to Upper Class Twit of the Year #2 in his thorough trouncing of Upper Class Twit of the Year #1. There will certainly be a lot of car door slamming in the streets of Cleveland Park tonight!
So the winner sends an email that says "let's talk" but that in the end, love conquers all? This is as doomed as the Middle East peace process.
In both instances, this looks like a job for Mayor Fenty's Oil-Soaked Middle Eastern Pervert Pal Legion of Doom. They're the only ones who can lend a helping hand. Or oil-soaked fist. Either way, it's sure to make the next neighborhood association meeting more interesting...with sexy results.
in the end, the giant project on wisconsin will languish for years and years.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Get back on the Magic Bus, Liz.
Where the hell have you been, young lady?
An unfortunate result, in that the anti-development, anti-smart growth, and anti-restaurant and bar crowd have won, and will continue to support the unrealistic commercial district zoning overlay, and drag out the Giant project forever. The vacant storefronts will continue to be an eyesore, and what could be a bustling restaurant corridor will languish well below its potential, while the NIMBYs continue to live in the fantasy world that Cleveland Park should be some kind of quiet suburban arcadia, conveniently ignoring the Metro station, Connecticut Avenue, and large number of apartment/condo units within walking distance.
Hi, Mr. Davis.
He speaks the truth.
Not saying that he doesn't.
Of course, it doesn't help that the established leadership of the CPCA had endorsed Chelen and crew and had worked the membership list to get the turnout in favor of what is essentially the status quo.
It is a shame, because the Reform crew really seemed to have a lot of energy towards making the system better. Hopefully Chelen won't just put liptstick on the pig, but will really work to open the association up and make it a model for others to follow.