Petworth News

ANC 4C Coalition

After an ineffective and dysfunctional term, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4C is facing a crisis. Due in part to negativity between commissioners, only two candidates were even planning to be on the Nov 2nd ballot. Yet six seats (out of ten) are required for a commission to operate.

The 4C Unity Coalition is trying to rescue our ANC. We have reached out to recruit neighbors to run for what would otherwise be vacant seats. We are charting a more positive, effective course for the common good of all of 4C's single member districts (SMDs).

One of our main goals is to invest more funds in the community. Currently ANC 4C is sitting on $117,000 that is available but not being spent due to inaction and petty bickering. This money is designed to fund grants for local projects - we want to see that it is used to the fullest.

In addition, we plan to establish a proper ANC office to be better able to inform and engage the community. We will work together to continue building community-police relations, increase funding for local opportunities and recreation, and provide a voice for residents' interests in economic development issues.

Most coalition candidates will be write-ins. Click on the map to see the boundaries for the 4C SMDs in Petworth. The corresponding candidates are:

4C06 Peron Williams (write in)
4C07 Karen W. Archer (write in)
4C08 Bill Crandall (on ballot)
4C09 James Rayford (write in)
4C10 Joseph Henson (write in)

In addition, three 4C candidates will be running as write-ins for seats in the 16th Street Heights area:

(Click to see an overall map)

4C01 Harold Prince
4C03 Ron Bland
4C04 James Johnson

Cafe meeting

There is a meeting this Wednesday (11/3) about the new cafe under construction in the 800 block of Upshur Street. Many opponents will likely be there to argue against the new liquor license. The next ABC hearing is the following week, so this is also the chance for supporters to turn out in numbers before things head to possible mediation between the parties.

The business will be a restaurant/bar/lounge with a Northern and Eastern European menu. Those against it claim objection to the serving of alcohol close to churches and fear potential noise and parking problems. Those in favor see a quality sitdown establishment within walking distance and a positive catalyst for the commercial strip.

Come out and make your voice heard!

Date: Wednesday, November 3
Time: 6:30pm
Place: Regional Operations Center (ROC), 8th and Shepherd

Last CfP walk this year

The Citizens for Petworth walk on Wednesday (Oct 27) evening will be the last of the season. I want to thank everyone who's given their time on a regular basis over the last several months.

CfP has made a real difference in lower Petworth, turning neighbors into friends and working with Neighborhood Services Coordinator Merrit Drucker toward our basic goal of "clean and safe".

By walking the streets and alleys - looking around, taking notes, calling stuff in, and following up - we've made real progress in dealing with bulk trash, abandoned autos, broken streetlights, graffiti, etc in our area. And just by being out there, together with Minnie Green's group from the 3rd and Upshur area, we've sent a positive message that people care.

To anyone who's ever considered coming out with us - last chance till spring! Join us on the south side of Grant Circle, 8pm Wednesday. So far our record is probably 30 people or so. Imagine 100+!

Bill Crandall

Citizen awards

On Friday, October 22, DC's MPD and Citizens Advisory Council held their 7th Annual Awards Ceremony at the Ukrainian Catholic church on Harewood Road.

For PSA 404, Community Recognition Awards were given to Petworth residents Gail Black, Dorothy Blackwell, and Bill Crandall for their efforts and activism in the community. Minnie Green received a CAC Chairman Award.

Click to see a photo of Dorothy, Minnie, and Bill. Also see the new photo gallery for more pics from the event.

Dog walker

[from Petworth email group]

Tails of the City is the best! We have them walk our dog everyday at lunch. The guy who walks our dog also lives in Petworth. He is great with Pippa (our standard schnauzer). Their number is 202-669-7230.

They provided references, which I called. I received nothing but glowing recommendations.

Mike Larson

Watch Your Car program

[from MPD community outreach]

Many residents from around the District have registered in the Watch Your Car program, a national anti-theft program for vehicles that allows residents to register with their vehicles with the local police department and receive an emblem from the Watch Your Car program. With this emblem on the back of vehicles, officers are allowed to stop the vehicles between the hours of 1 am and 5am to make sure the rightful owners, or authorized drivers are behind the wheel of the car. Between 1am and 5am, vehicle theft is most prevalent.

For more info or to register your vehicle, call 1-877-322-7867.

Or visit:  http://mpdc.dc.gov/serv/programs/wyc.shtm

[Editor's note - if the link is not active, you can copy and paste the address]

Shooting incident 10/20

[from Adrian Fenty via Petworth-Cares email group]

Undercover police officers were involved in a shooting incident in the 4300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW in a reported drug bust operation just as the rush hour was coming to a close. It was reported that the officers were closing in on a SUV when the driver reversed and slammed into a parked car. The driver then allegedly lunged forward toward the officers who then fired their guns. The SUV then sped away and crashed where the officers were then able to apprehend the driver. The passenger fled the scene; he was later arrested by the Montgomery County Police at a county hospital and will be extradited to DC for prosecution. The officers were not injured, however anyone with information is asked to contact MDP at 202-727-9099.

[Editor's note - this is the incident that ended up on the north side of Grant Circle the evening of Wednesday 10/20]

Comment - Attempted auto theft

[from Alicia Rucker, MPD Community Outreach]

I would like to remind everyone if you have a club for your car to use it. So often stolen cars are found with the club in the backseat and the owner saying they didn't bother to put it on. A car thief does not want anything that will slow him down.

I would also like to remind everyone about not keeping packages visible in your car. It's getting close to the holiday shopping season and we will soon be rushing about. Please remember to take those packages with you.

Recycling news

The DPW will hold its bi-annual household hazardous waste drop-off event Saturday, October 23 from 9am-3pm in the Carter Barron Amphitheatre parking lot at 16th and Kennedy. The service is free and open to all DC residents.

Residents can bring items including old cleaning and gardening chemicals, small quantities of gasoline, pesticides and poisons, acids, varnish, oil-based paints, solvents, aerosols, wood preservatives, spent batteries of all kinds, roofing tar, chemistry sets, automotive fluids, even asbestos floor tiles to the collection site for environmentally safe disposal or recycling. A professional hazardous waste contractor will remove materials from the residents’ vehicles. A licensed hauler will then take the waste to an EPA-approved facility for processing.

[from neighbor Gillian Cook - An onsite e-cycling station will accept computers, printers and other office equipment]

Attempted auto theft

My neighbor in the 4000 block of 5th Street said someone tried to steal her van last night (Sunday night around 1am). Normally she uses a Club but forgot in this case.

Just a heads up, try to be aware!

Bill Crandall

[For the record, police response was in about 10+ minutes (three police cars)]

Stop the Violence recap

Thursday evening's Stop the Violence march was a great success (and all over the local news). There were about 100 people, including residents, clergy, police and city officials. The idea was to pro-actively make a statement against the shootings etc that have hit Petworth in the last months.

Just as importantly, there was a buzz of genuine community, people clearly fed off the positive energy of coming together, being seen, raising voices, making connections. I hope to pull some stills from a friend's video footage in the next few days, so keep a lookout for a new photo gallery.

Thanks to Minnie Green for organizing the event, and to everyone that turned out. Here's hoping it's a vibe we can all build on.

Bill Crandall

Stop the Violence march

Just a reminder, the big STOP The Violence march is tomorrow (Thursday, Oct 14) at 7pm. The march, organized by our own Minnie Green, will start in front of the ROC at 8th and Shepherd.

Thanksgiving Basket Project

[from David Jannarone, ANC 4C06 via Petworth-Cares email group]

We would like to enlist your help for one of our neighborhood's most successful community projects. Every year Ms. Shirley Saunders, Block Captain for the 1200 block of Shepherd Street, puts together Thanksgiving baskets for needy families and seniors. Last year she managed to distribute 30 baskets through donations from the residents and businesses in the community.

Donations are needed for this year's project and we would like to ask for your support. Ms. Saunders goal is to produce 50 boxes this year. Below is a list of items we still need by October 25, 2004 in order to achieve our goal:

24 bottles of cooking oil
50 boxes of cake mix
6 cases of Jiffy Corn mix
6 cases of Stove Top stuffing
50 boxes of oatmeal
50 boxes of grits
20 five-pound bags of flour
20 five-pound bags of sugar
50 pounds of onions
50 pounds of potatoes
50 pounds of yams
50 two-pound bags of rice
50 boxes of crackers

Please let us know if you can contribute to this great cause. With all of us working together, we are looking forward to having the most successful year ever for this much-needed community project.

All donations can be delivered directly to:

Ms. Shirley Saunders
1229 Shepherd Street, NW.
Washington, DC 20011
202-545-0118

Thank you for your consideration.

David Jannarone

Post article

Excerpt from 1992 article titled "Grant Circle: Residents Warily Eye Going Green" by Stephen C. Fehr, Washington Post (March 07, 1992). Submitted by neighbor Kevin Morton.

To save space, the abridged text is published as a comment to this post. Click on the comments link below.

The story was mainly about Metro construction, but has a nice bit of history - both long-term and more recent - of the Petworth area.

Comment - cafe update

As the ANC Commissioner for this area, I support the application for a liquor license for the cafe. I also understand the neighbors' concerns because an existing business, the Island Cafe located at 829 Upshur, has been a bad neighbor. The Island Cafe has a class C liquor license and does not have a voluntary agreement with the community. [They] operate the cafe as a night club promoting events like "girls gone wild". As a result, [Island Cafe] has caused problems for the surrounding neighbors.

Their liquor license is up for renewal and I'm determined to oppose it with the hope of having ABRA revoke the license all together. The community should concentrate on opposing the Island Cafe license renewal and work on a voluntary agreement with the owner of the new cafe. The 800 block of Upshur is going to change and we as residents can determine how it will change.

Karen Archer
[email protected]

Stop sign at 7th and Taylor?

For anyone who is concerned about frequent accidents at 7th and Taylor, Dottie Blackwell told me that a DC Dept of Transportation representative will be at the ANC meeting at the ROC (on Shepherd between 8th and Georgia) at 7PM this coming Tuesday (Oct 12) to explain what they plan to do in response to neighbors' petition for a stop sign.

Please come.

Sandy Hoffmann

[Editor's note - for anyone who doubts the seriousness of the problem, click on the image to see what once landed in Sandy's yard]

Citizens for Petworth

The Citizens for Petworth group walks every Wednesday night (through October) from 8-9pm. Meet on the south side of Grant Circle. As one person commented, don't leave it to the few! We all have a stake in our neighborhood. And it's a great way to meet up with neighbors.

Safari DC

Safari DC is good sit-down restaurant option in Petworth proper. The tilapia is excellent if you don't mind dealing with the whole fish. The upstairs seating area becomes an (often crowded) African club late on weekend nights, but otherwise the place is laid back and the Kenyan ownership is very friendly.

Click on the map for location.

Comment - Down in Wonderland

It is strange but having the activity at night surrounding Wonderland makes me feel at ease.

Lamont

Comment - Down in Wonderland

I was there on Friday night with a group of dear friends who also happen to be fellow Petworth neighbors too! It was so great to have a spot like this where folks you know can all meet and have a chance to catch up with each other's busy lives.

I've been to Wonderland in the early weeks of it just opening and I must say the place has improved a whole bunch. They finally accept card sales, their beer taps work on both floors, they've got great custom signage both outside and inside to make the place their own, got plenty of places to lock your bike (though adding an additional rack would help too), the owners are awesome and sooooo nice, and I appreciate that the spacious upstairs is totally smoke-free!

I've also gotta give props to their veggie options: the veggie burger and the grilled cheese sandwiches. Potato salad side is terrific... BTW, they're gonna start having regular DJ gigs upstairs on Saturday nites when the floor's not rented out to private parties.

[...] Has anyone else had problems grabbing cabs from other nite life spots in DC to get back to Petworth? I've totally had to lie in the past and say "Columbia Heights, please" and then quickly hop in with a follow up of "by way of 13th and Kansas, thanks!"

- Son

Metro site development

Just to give everyone a heads up, Norman Beeke of Urban Development Solutions has filed a law suit to block the Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro Station Site development. They claim the RFP was an unfair process. It is very disappointing that this is happening, but I don't think they will get far with this.

David Jannarone, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 4C06

Down in Wonderland

OK, after a reconnaissance mission this evening, Petworth News officially endorses Wonderland Ballroom, a new bar at 11th and Kenyon in Columbia Heights.

The first impression was of a gritty, appealling local space that felt more like Brooklyn than DC. The crowd on this particular Friday skewed a bit punkish (IMF protesters in town?), but still plenty diverse and genial enough to feel welcoming. Live music upstairs sometimes, this night a one-man band aptly called Man: a guy in suit-and-tie (?) managed singing, electric bass and bass drum...

From the bar menu, the bratwurst sandwich with salad was perfectly fine.

Two thumbs up for character, a rare commodity in DC these days. Even parking was a breeze. Bottom line: the vibe certainly may not suit everyone's taste. But until Petworth gets going, this bohemian Wonderland is the closest and best place to pop out for a friendly drink.

Bill.

Comment - cafe update

I agree that a local cafe is something that could be potentially very beneficial to the area and is something many residents would welcome and enjoy. Is there anything local residents can do to show support and speak to the larger community issue that Adam raised?

Lindsay Clark

[Editor's note - I'm in touch with the ownership and will try to help publicize the need for community-wide support if it becomes necessary. At this stage, the ABC has instructed the parties to work out their differences in good faith so things can move forward. If things go to mediation, possibly as early as mid-November, there should be an opportunity for residents to voice their opinions.]

Comment - cafe update 9/30

Basically, the group against the cafe argues that a new cafe is likely to being vagrants, loud music, and general unruliness to the immediate area and are using the cafe's alcohol permit application as leverage.

While I am sympathetic to the group's concerns, the 800 block of Upshur is indeed zoned commercial and improvement must begin somewhere. I object to the issue being framed solely within the context of whether or not another alcohol permit should be issued for the area.

I hope the two sides can work out their differences. But, having already listened to the opposition, I'm not optimistic about their ability to compromise nor by their concern for the wider community around them, which may, as I do, appreciate living in close proximity to a burgeoning commercial block.

The opposition, which purports to speak for Petworth, is more accurately speaking for their own backyards. I think we need to think bigger than that.

Adam Wasch

[Editor's note - occasionally I'll copy all or part of a comment and repost it to the main page. Anyone can comment on a post by clicking on the link at the bottom of a given message.]