Petworth News

4100 Georgia ribbon-cutting

[from Joseph M.]

On Tuesday morning [3/31] at 4100 Georgia Avenue NW - the new building at Georgia and Taylor (where Yes Organic Market will be located this summer) - there will be a ribbon-cutting at 9:30am with Mayor Fenty, Councilmember Bowser, our neighbors and others.

For more info: The Residences at Georgia Avenue

Soldiers Home news

This from the AFRH listserv, according to a recent WBJ article:

The Armed Forces Retirement Home, where major development plans by Crescent Resources LLC recently fell through, is now its own historic district.

Great Streets

Click here for the latest update of DC's Great Streets plan for Georgia Avenue. This was presented at the ANC 4C meeting a few weeks ago, thanks to Joe Martin for sending.

Grant Circle poop

[from Joseph M.]

Neighbors recently complained about the increase in dog waste inside Grant Circle. I asked Donald Kirk of the National Park Service (NPS) for help. As usual, he quickly responded, and the NPS put up new signage this week in Grant Circle reading "Clean Up After Your Pet."

Don emailed me today to say that a couple more signs will be added to the four installed on different sides of the Circle.

Grant Circle is federal land. It's nice to have a good working relationship with Mr. Kirk. He's been helpful many times in the past and continues to be so.

Joe Martin
Mayor's Office of Community Relations & Services
& ANC 4C09 Commissioner / 4C Chair
202-442-9509

Volunteer initiative

[from Meghan M.]

Greater DC Cares has begun a new initiative to engage volunteers in Petworth, Columbia Heights, and Mount Pleasant, in an attempt to build more integrated, sustainable neighborhoods. We currently work with over 500 non-profits, and have a volunteer base of over 5,000 people in the area. While this is great, this year we seek to condense our efforts in specific local areas, in order to create more of a community around volunteer work.

 

For example, instead of having people from VA come to Petworth's Oromo Center - a local non-profit that specializes in helping immigrants from Ethiopia learn English, become accustomed to American culture, and gain a support network - we encourage people from the area to get involved. That way residents can be more aware of the goings-on in the community and meet neighbors with the same interests.

 

We are looking for volunteers to help at local non-profits such as the Oromo Center, as well as a few people to help us post flyers in the area, go door to door to talk to neighbors, connect with churches and schools in the area, and otherwise spread the word!  If you are interested in helping with community outreach, or would like to join Greater DC Cares, please email Meghan McNamara.

Is it spring yet?

[from Wayan V.]

Then and Now

Another good then-and-now post over in the Petworth section of the DC Kaleidoscope site. Note the streetcar tracks in the old photo of Upshur Street.

Dog found

[from Julie P.]

•

On Sunday morning (3/15/09) an older, medium-sized long-haired black male dog was found wandering around near Kansas and Randolph with no collar. He was clearly lost and had been outside for awhile. He was taken to the shelter at the NY Avenue Washington DC Humane Society. He seemed like a really nice dog. For inquiries or adoption, please call the shelter at 202-576-6664.

Metro escalators

As posted on DC Kaleidoscope, the west escalators at the Georgia Ave-Petworth metro have finally been reopened.

Operation Fix It

[from Joseph Martin, Mayor's Office of Community Relations and Services (MOCRS), Outreach and Services Specialist - Ward 4]

Late last week the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations & Services (MOCRS) with assistance from DDOT, the DPW and the Neighborhood Development Company removed temporary traffic signage no longer in use. This was one of our many recent, weekly projects - “fix its” -  in Ward 4.

 

Areas where discarded signage was removed include sidewalks near the Petworth Recreation Center on Taylor Street, the Petworth Library and Kansas Avenue between Upshur and Taylor. Our office in conjunction with the DPW is continuing with graffiti abatement, weather permitting, up and down Georgia Avenue all as part of “Operation Fix It.”

 

Please click here to view photos of last week’s Petworth Fix-it.

 

Other recent “fix its” in Ward 4 have included:

- DPW alley cleanings near the 500 block of Taylor St NW, the 300 block of Delafield St NW and 7th Place NW between Farragut and Gallatin

- Extensive graffiti abatement near Madison St and Georgia Ave

- The removal of illegally-dumped trash in several alleys from the Georgia Ave “Gateway” area

- Graffiti abatement in alleys to the south of the 400 and 500 blocks of Crittenden St NW

- Extensive graffiti abatement at the Kansas Avenue NW railroad underpass near Chillum Place NE

- Traffic and parking signage replacement, to replace damaged or faded signage, on Kansas at 13th St NW, 13th St NW near Rittenhouse, Madison Street NE and North Capitol.

 

“Operation Fix-It” is Mayor Fenty’s multi-agency initiative aimed at abating crime, blight, and compliance issues in communities throughout DC. The Fix-Its are held weekly and the locations are generated directly from concerned citizens. 

 

This week’s target area includes alleys parallel to Kennedy Street NW between 7th Street NW and Illinois Avenue NW. We will meet on Kennedy Street east of 8th Street NW on Thursday morning at 9:15am. A notice about that will be posted in the next day to the Brightwood and MPD-4D Yahoo Groups.

 

To learn more about Operation Fix-It and how you can join us on our next project in your Ward, contact me or my Ward colleague, Ayana Rockett.

64 bus

[from Joe M.]

The Metro’s 64 bus now travels from the Ft. Totten metro downtown to the Federal Triangle area. 

 

Here’s a link to the bus’ schedule and route.

 

After leaving the Ft. Totten station, the bus travels south down New Hampshire Avenue through Grant Circle, stopping at the Georgia/Petworth metro. Further south, the bus turns right on Park Road and then left - southbound - on 11th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue and to Constitution Avenue.

 

Neighbors at a recent UNTS meeting mentioned that they did not know of the change in route. I thought this would be helpful news to my Petworth neighbors.