Fireworks

Anyone sleep much last night?

Photos © Bill Crandall

[Click to enlarge]

Comments

[crazydem]

I liked the fireworks. I liked the block party.
I sat outside and watched both for a long time while chatting with my partying neighbors.

I didn't mind that my steps and wall were lined with people who wanted a good view of the dancing block party.

I was a little bummed that in the morning I was cleaning beer bottles off my wall and steps. It seems each weekend I'm cleaning up other peoples trash that somehow lands in my yard. It's not a big deal but at the same time--cleaning up other people's trash gets old.

When I was the only "newbie" on the block -- someone called the DC gov and reported my trash that was piling up on the back sidewalk while I cleaned out my new basement. I got a ticket and had to pay a fine. I felt bad that my trash was bothering my neighbors.

I don't think the newbies are the only one's who don't want their neighborhood to look trashy. Adam makes a very loaded and weird argument. I don't think it flies.

Eveyone keeps their yards so clean and groomed--I always feel the pressure to get my yard mowed. During the fall my neighbors very politely let me know that they all come out and rake their leaves...hint hint. They take pride in their yards. It's hard to keep up!

[marvin]

If you look at adam's original posting, he never mentioned race. it was only the people who got defensive that brought up race.

[Kay]

I will only say one thing about the whole fireworks issue. It is people like Adam who divide a community (not bring it together) by turning everything, like picking up trash, into a race issue. It is not about race, as someone else said, its about pride in your community whether you are black, white, hispanic or anything else.

[Tammi]

I have to laugh at the equation of littering with lawlessness. Anyone who believes that the police need to be brought in to deal with trash hasn't experienced the TONS (and I don't mean that metaphorically) that is left behind on the Mall grounds. Littering, sadly, seems to be part of the patriotic celebrations whether in Petworth or the Washington Monument lawn.

There is nothing wrong about speaking out about littering generally, but no need to get hysterical, people, as if it is some singular characteristic of your Petworth neighbors.

Trust me, folks, you'll enjoy life a lot better if you lighten up and behave constructively regarding your neighbors. Let's leave the cops to handle more serious affairs and take ourselves and our neighborhood representatives to task to post "Clean Streets Are Patriotic" signs and trash bins come the next July 4th celebrations.

Block captains anyone?

[Shirley]

Amazingly, it's funny that while we were experiencing something close to Beirut, around 11:00 my husband took my nephew home, who lives in Shepherd Park. We saw Police everywhere. We counted 5 cruisers as we approached Locust Road. Guarding Shepherd Park Elementary (nothing going on there) and driving throughout the neighbor, while I saw no police in Petworth, other than a few chases down Georgia Avenue. We saw no one doing fireworks in Shepherd Park, it was quite as a mouse.

But don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the many shows going on in Petworth. The sound didn't bother me (only startled a little bit at times). On my block alone, there were 3 different shows going on at once. It was like they were in competion.

Nevertheless, the trash and debris on my block was gone in the morning.

[Joseph Martin]

Thanks, JTNT, for your thoughtful input.

While thinking of cleaning up a street, I would welcome anyone helping me work on the 200 block of Upshur. While not in my SMD, it's a bit more than a block from my home and I like the cozy, neighborhood feel that that block has to offer -- with a little more love.

Am awaiting a nice, new sidewalk from the city, one that won't cause someone to break a leg. Feel free to call 727-1000 to remind the city that I called on May 24th to ask that that dangerous sidewalk be fixed. Refer to Hanson numbers 936293 & 936301. Inspection was due 6/6/2005. Here it is, July 5th, and we still have a dangerously, broken up sidewalk on our hands in the area between 229 and 223 Upshur. NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Back to helping with a clean-up, if anyone's interested, try me any Saturday morning at 202-309-1817. Would be fun to make it an informal, routine thing. I'll put another posting out later in the week or next week.

As far as the online vs. not-online divide, at my last meeting with people at Barnard Elementary, I asked everyone to think about setting up systems for each block whereby whoever is online shares relevant information that posted with their neighbors. A lot of people liked the idea.

A lot of residents have already set up telephone trees to alert each other about the need to call 727-1000 for trash, darkened street lights, bulk trash, illegal dumping, etc. Here's a reminder for people to think about doing the same on their blocks if you have not already. We know from experience that volumes of calls help more than the voice of a lone wolf.

Joe Martin
202-309-1817 cell

[jtnt]

Thank you, Mr. Martin, for cutting through all the incorrect assumptions and setting the argument straight. The issue here was never about race (until it was incorrectly assumed that it was by some apparent mind-readers) - I complained about the trash, that's it - the issue is living in a clean, safe community. I brought it up here because it was on-topic (then it got taken way off-topic when an implication of racism was brought up!).

(And thank you for setting the record straight on the assumptions on who is posting here. I was turned on to the Petworth lists by a 50 year-old, 15-year resident of Petworth. Those who are crying about racism should turn the mirror on themselves and their own assumptions. You have no idea of the color, background, or age of those posting here, so don't go assuming who is behind these typed words.)

Additionally, it seems that some think that just because we are posting complaints here means that we sit inside our locked doors, closed windows, never venturing outside to do anything on our streets or talk to our neighbors or... anything....

Wrong. Wrong! WRONG! And let me add that you should all get off your high horse, because the crap it's leaving around here stinks.

I clean up for my neighbors everyday. Correction... I clean up for people that pass through my block and throw their trash on the street. My neighbors - a mix of many races, ages, religions, and Petworth experience let me add, so we can drop this stupid race thing - don't litter on our block. I know this because I know them. I mow their lawns when they are out of town. I pick up their papers when they are out of town. I take our their trash bins. I share beers, dinners, and over-the-fence conversations with them. I KNOW them.

This is what community is about. It's not about letting people litter to create some non-confrontational harmony. If I see you litter on my street, you're going to hear from me (in a polite, neighborly way). I don't care if you're a 35 year-old white dude or a 10 year-old hispanic girl or what. Watching out for my neighbors (at-large) means letting people know that littering (and the like) is not tolerated in our neighborhood and that people need to respect our streets and property. I also do this by, daily (multiple times, usually) picking up the trash on and well past the confines of my trash-collecting corner lot. I clean up for others all the time. The goal is to make it so we don't have to.

So, can we get things straight?

This isn't about a bunch of whites yelling that blacks and hispanics need to pick up their trash. It's about everyone (young and old, black and blue) who lives here (whether you've lived here 50 year or 50 hours) respecting their community and taking responsibility by cleaning up the messes they make - and of course, some will not do this, and so it will fall to those of us (all of us who have posted here are counted ) to pick up the slack and create an environment that does not foster this sort of disrespectful behavior by anyone. And of course, there are many many more serious crimes occuring here than littering, but littering happens to be the topic at-hand (or so I thought) and so that is why we are discussing it instead of murder or drugs or other things.

And let me also add, that just because I want to clean up my neighborhood, doesn't mean I want the current people in my neighborhood to leave and it certainly does not mean I am a racist or am, for that matter, bringing up race in any way (yes, I repeat myself because it's been said and ignored before). It simply means that I want to, say it with me, clean up my neighborhood!

I know, it's controversial, subversive, and borderline anti-social, but it's just the way I want to live. I'm sick and crazy and my neighbors must hate me.

[JM]

Isn't diversity wonderful?

When we, mere middle-class newcomers, have the privilege of picking the trash up from our oppressed brothers!

I've lived in DC for 10 years and I'm really sick of hearing the excuses people come up with for tolerating lawlessness. I do believe that, regardless of race, most DC residents would welcome the return of common courtesy, quiet neighborhoods, and respect for the law. Unfortunately, a sizable fraction of the lower-class population is not willing or able to live within these confines.

I don't believe that having huge explosives going off at 2am above my house qualifies as "celebration"... it qualifies as a pain in the ass and a fire hazard. Note also that this isn't just well-meaning parents firing off a few sparklers for the kids - I certainly have no problem with that. Last night consisted of block-wide contests to see who could launch the largest, most illicit bomb in the air. At one point a rocket misfired, hit the neighbors porch, and bounced onto another neighbors roof. This was met with gales of laughter from the "kids".

Please people, are we so PC that we can't stand up and say XYZ behavior is simply unacceptable? Well, some of us will continue to call the police, write the city council, and work to make sure that peace and quiet return.

[stuart]

Adam -
So, it's your deep analysis that leaving garbage in the street is a "cultural value" of the Petworth community that you have discerned, but I have not, because I do not talk to my neighbors, but you do? Wow, that's just about the most smug, arrogant thing I've ever heard. If you told my neighbors that their values included leaving garbage all over the place, but that was okay, because it was "part of their culture," I guarantee they would knock you flat.

It's not complicated. It's not a cultural studies seminar. The fireworks are great. But in the morning, pick up the garbage.

[Joseph Martin]

I'll admit there are a couple of things I DO want to change: residents' fear of walking the streets and the threat of violence and sometimes the real violence that results from the persistent drug-dealing.

Within the last few minutes, one of the seniors I'm going to bat for asked me if I could hold my next Single Member District on a Saturday morning. "Seniors don't go out at night. They're afraid," she told me. My neighbors across the street won't walk a block-and-a-half to shop on Upshur Street because "it's too dangerous."

I've lived in a lot of places, cities, including another neighborhood in DC. Petworth is the first place where I've run into so many people afraid to walk the streets at night. How sad is that?

That's not acceptable. That has to change.

Maybe this is the start of another discussion. But while on the topic of what we like and don't like...

JM

[Danielman]

God bless all the postings. It seems we all agree on the need for understanding and patience and curiosity and diversity and good old fun. I don't think anyone would dispute this. Now I can only speak for myself but I don't consider myself some backward fool who has no fun. On the contrary I love the community and the fun and the bbq and the music etc. Please don't mistake the desire to live in a clean neighborhood with someone who holes up in their house all day. I too pick up garbage after people but that is not the answer. There is way too much garbage. Why can't we have the best of both worlds? So let's all have fun and clean up afterselves. We are not solving world peace here. Let's have some perspective. As with many difficult situations it is not black and white. Because I don't people throwing garbage in the street doesn't mean that I am I want to live in Georgetown. Oh well. My only other caution is be wary when people are speaking on behalf of others. This forum is wonderful and we seem to be quite capable to speak for ourselves. Having said that on behalf of a grateful Petworth community, thank you for making this a great place to live. Now be safe and clean kids!

[DC1974]

I sort of have to agree with Adam. Last night as I watched the show around me. Said hello to my neighbors. Grooved to the sounds of my neighbor's BBQ. I thought for the first time since moving the DC (and lived for the first year in CH) that this is what I missed about California. The celebration. The community. The silliness and perhaps lawlessness of it all. And I also thought, unfortunately, that there was probably a blog near me where people were moaning and complaining about how "inappropriate" it all was. As if sitting on your computer and whining about your neighbors was some how appropriate. You know what I did when I saw a kid litter in front of me as I climbed the hill at 14th and Upshur to get a better view -- I picked up after him. That's all it took. I picked up his discarded rapper and through it in the trash. And we all sat down and enjoyed the show. Nothing was said. But a heartfelt, 'how ya doin'" that's why I live in the city and that's what I left CH because of. No one said hello. And people would rather complain about their neighbors than watch out for them. And yes, sometimes, that means cleaning up for them. -- Christopher

[Kevin Morton]

As strange as it may seem, the first person Adam made cry on this blog is here to defend him.

I think what Adam wants is for people new to the neighborhood to question their demands and complaints. Why I do want something changed. Is something truly unacceptable or is it unacceptable because I don't like it that way? I think back to the 70's when my family would load up the tiny Toyota Corolla with a weekend's supply of clothing and ski equipment and we'd head off to Pleasant Mt. As we sped down Rt. 302 toward the White Mountains, neither my parents or us three kids had our seatbelts buckled. If he wasn't complaining about my father breathing too hard, my brother was complaining that one on the ski boots or a sharp ski pole was falling on him from the overfilled back compartment....it was a harvest gold hatchback, you know. But all three of us kids would complain when my mother would start lighting up her L&M cigarettes. We'd yell "Not another one....at least open the window some." Well, its January in Maine and Bob, my dad, would have the Corolla going at a pretty good clip. As you can imagine, my mother opened the window about 3 cm (we were also going metric back then). The car would would eventually fill with a blue haze, but we'd soon be distracted from the smoke when my brother started in again on my dad's breathing.

My point? Just that by today's standards my parents might be perceived as being negligent, endangering their children's health and safety. At the time, though, nobody would ever considered calling my parents negligent. They were wonderful parents. In fact, most people would have considered my father a saint for passively putting up with my brother whining that he was breathing too hard. But what is considered acceptable is not written in stone. 'What's the norm', 'what's acceptable', changes with time. It also changes as you move from one community to another (but not always).

I think Adam is missing one important point, though. He has mentioned on a couple of occasions that the diversity of the neighborhood is in danger. I think the opposite is true. Petworth is becoming increasingly diverse and that's why these conflicts are arising. But at the same time, I doubt many of these conflicts are new. Even when Petworth was more homogeneous, there were still people who complained about the litter or that the July 4 fireworks were getting a bit out of hand. Different people, same issues.

A final note: Bob , for the most part, also passively put up with the fact that both of this sons are gay. Note to mothers...if you don't want gay sons, DO NOT lock them into small smoke-filled compartments. One more thing. If you happen to be walking by my house and see an attractive blond woman in her late 60's sitting on my front porch, DO NOT mention the L&M's. She'll kill me.

[Tim]

It's not the fact that there were fireworks...it's that there were fireworks at 1-3 am and they were being shot at peoples houses. And: "As for them being illegal, who cares? It's the 4th of July, folks.",well, I suppose then that any law one might find inconvenient, they just shouldn't worry about it.

[Danielman]

The fireworks are fine. I have lovely neighbors who put on a terrific show. Then afterwards, wow, believe it or not they took out a broom and pan and cleaned up the mess. And it was a huge mess but they cleaned it up. And I talked with my other neighbors, like I always do and we are Black, White and Hispanic. We are dismayed by the shootings and the drugs and the litter. My word, to make the issue of littering into one of race is the most closeminded comment I've heard. You want to believe it is about race but it is actually an issue of respect which has already been covered. I too love the uniqueness of Petworth and just because I want it to be safe and clean doesn't mean I want a homogenous (sp?) environment. Big surprise, it means I want to live in a clean and safe environment.

[mjbrox]

The actuall fire works did not bother me to much but the trash is a bit out of controll.

[AJS]

I frankly don't see what the big deal is about the fireworks. There were indeed a lot of them and they were loud, but it saved me a trip to the Mall and I enjoyed the beautiful light show out my back yard.

As for them being illegal, who cares? It's the 4th of July, folks.

[mjbrox]

Adam,

You seem to infer that lawlessness and littering in the name of diversity is justified. The reality is that most here do not care what color, race, age, sex, religion, weight (am I missing anything here?) or what ever you are. We will not put up with littering and lawlessness in our neighborhood; it should not be part of the neighborhoods culture. If there was stock brokers march with a bunch of white dudes marching down the street littering we would be just as pissed as we were about the Caribbean festival and mess that was made last night. So if you are calling this board a bunch of racist just come out and say it, but it is not the case at all.

[Angela Christophe]

Wow. After comments like this:

"This is wreckless arrogance on the part of the people who leave the trash behind. Its a slap in tha face of any resident who actually gives a crap about how the neighborhood looks. Its a slap in the face to basic standards required by law for a functioning society. To say otherwise is to embrace dispare in the ghetto. Poor people should not be forced to live in lower standards than a Georgetown or Capital Hill."

I had to respond. I agree whole heartedly with Adam and feel that as a group respondents "protested too much" in response to his arguement. I have found previous posts pointing disdainful fingers at "those people" with serious race and class tones, including comments about if they can't pick up bottles and have respect for our neighborhood, then you are against the Carribean Festival and now obviously the 4th of July. What respect do you have for the Petworth neighborhood as a community that existed long before your presence and how can you make such strong statements about people about which you only know that they leave trash?
Wreckless arrogance indeed. Maybe calling the police and calling for an end to long held events are not the best ways to be good neighbors or to get to know your neighbors.

Peace.

Angela Christophe

[Joseph Martin]

As aspect I like quite a lot about being an ANC commissioner is getting to know a broad mix of people in the community. The vast majority of the people I represent are African-Americans, most long-time residents and many, many, many seniors.

The issues that are routinely and frequently brought to my attention are wanting (1) safe streets, (2) prompt delivery of city services -- including prompt responses to calling 311, (3) wanting clean, well-paved, well-lit streets and sidewalks and (4) wanting general peace and quiet. All of the above is expressed with equal strength by seniors, long-time residents with or without families and well as new residents.

I went to a barbecue yesterday in the backyard of my neighbors across the street. Over the many hours of the barbecue, four guys on motorcycles repeatedly drove against traffic on 4th Street NW in the direction of Upshur. We often saw them racing through Grant Circle only to reappear a minute later on 4th Street, again going against the traffic, not bothering to slow down at the intersection of 4th and Varnum.

There was NO difference of opinion that guys who ride around like that are a menace and threaten the safety of everyone -- including themselves.

The people at the barbecue were mostly long-time residents including two pastors from churches elsewhere in Ward 4.

Based on my experience in dealing with a full range of people in my Single Member District, it is a work of fiction to believe that there is a major divide between long-time residents and new residents. We know the press loves a good story. Divisions between people make more interesting copy than stories of how well neighbors unite to deal with common neighborhood concerns.

It is also a fallacy to think that none of the seniors in Petworth are online, and that those who are online are somehow not communicating with those who are not. Within the course of the afternoon, today, I received two phone calls from seniors residing in my Single Member Districts who wanted some help with (a) a trash problem and (b) a very large, sick tree she felt threatened her home. Both mentioned having been online today. I know of one 92-year old who regularly uses the internet and loves sending email to her grandkids.

My partner and I were never more warmly welcomed anywhere than by our immediate neighbors, all African-Americans, when we moved onto 4th at Varnum. I'll confess that a major reason we received such a warm welcome was rooted in our neighbors' relief that what was once a crack house no longer was. They're still celebrating -- while rooting me on as we work TOGETHER to shut down the drug operations that still plague this neighborhood.

Sounds boring to envision neighbors working together for common concerns. It happens. It's been happening. It happens all the time.

And wanting Petworth to be decent, clean and safe doesn't mean we want to make Petworth into Georgetown. It is insulting and patronizing to suggest otherwise.

By the way, I did enjoy the fireworks and it's not phoney to hope that no one got hurt in the celebrations. I still would like to see a safer venue for all.

Joseph Martin
ANC 4C09 Commissioner
202-309-1817 cell
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anc4c09

[Tim]

I was wondering what would surface here on the Petworth blog about last nights pyrotechnics. Myself, I fully expected there to be a barrage of fireworks but I did not expect it to carry on till 3 am, like it did on the 700 block of Taylor St. That was seemed to me to be beyond mere "celebration" and into the realm of being a public nuisance. Next year, I plan on being way out of the city and as far away from fireworks as I can be...I've grown to hate the damn things. And anyway, since firecrackers, roman candles, bottlerockets, etc. are against the law in DC, why were they being sold at the corner of New Hampshire and Georgia Ave.? I'd like to get some reply from the police dept. about why these places are allowed to operate and why it is the police turn a blind eye to this sort of thing. And it is a shame that some folks don't pick up their garbage after themselves but really, be honest, is it surprising? I think that it's fair to say that it's an individual choice...some do, some don't. And before someone jumps down my throat about it; litter is a problem that transends race, class, culture, economic status...there's litter on West Virginia mountainsides, Tennessee rivers, the Chesapeake Bay, the San Diego coast, Antartica and Mt. Everest, and yes, Petworth, it's everywhere. So it doesn't make sense to try and make littering about race too. But just like shooting fireworks off at 2am is a public nuisance, so too is littering and it should not be tolerated. And as for placing all community concerns in this pained discussion about "us and them", gentrifiers vs. long time residents...enough already. There are some valid and important issues that do concern the ill effects of "gentrification" and class wars and those that suffer when they are shoved out of any community...but I don't really think that littering or illegal fireworks for that matter, should be placed in some racial argument.

[JM]

This is ridiculous.

Blowing off M80s and trashing the neighborhood is wrong no matter who is doing it. If gentrification means that this sort of lawlessness comes to an end, then bring it on.

[Bill]

Changing for the worse???

Many of the long-time neighbors that I know are happy to latch onto the change they see going on, which they view as largely positive.

Come on Adam, not everything is relative. Trash is trash and those who don't care enough to pick it up don't have different values, they have a lesser value in that regard. Sorry. It has nothing to do with race, class, or how long one has lived in Petworth. My wife and I watched (and enjoyed) the fireworks for a while from our roof. While the spectacle was impressive in its own way - notwithstanding its utter illegality - many of the bottle rockets etc were shooting sideways instead of up. That's pretty dangerous.

I don't see anyone clamoring for the end of the Caribbean festival, backyard parties, or even the fireworks. I do see a lot of fair-minded people of all races and backgrounds striving to make Petworth better. Yes, I said better.

This blog has always tended to focus on community-building and progressiveness (in its broadest sense). I've had feedback from residents in other 'transition' neighborhoods that wish they had a similar forum. I get positive emails from older residents as well. For those who feel there aren't enough posts here about crime, I encourage joining the 4D-Neighbors listserv, for one.

I'm puzzled, Adam, really. You yourself have made some great contributions to this blog, like about past problems with vandalism in Grant Circle. Why the sudden negation of others' desire to do the same?

Bill Crandall

[jtnt]

I don't "mean" anything when I talk of people picking up their trash, aside from the fact that I want them to frickin' pick up their damn trash!

You're the one that's on a slippery slope with statements like, "its priority does indeed vary among populations." Talk about a sweeping generalization.

What populations are these that don't mind trash in their streets? Is it the old-school Petworth residents? Let me ask the many 35-year (and more) residents I know personally on my block to see what they think of that.

Is it people with low to moderate incomes? Hispanics? Blacks? Catholics?

C'mon, man.

All of us ("gentrifiers" and those who have been around for many years) are sensitive to the clash of cultures that can happen in communities such as ours and is occuring, but you're taking it a bit too far.

We're talking about litter. Trash in the streets. This is not something that should be tolerated or is something that contributes to the cultural diversity of our community. It's a blight, it's a health hazard, and it's ILLEGAL.

I can say without hesitation or risk of overestimating my authority or correctness that littering is bad and it does no good for a community.

And the reason that we don't talk about street murder on here is that it's not exactly relevant to a post that is on fireworks. Join some of the other Yahoo groups dedicated to Petworth and you will see plenty of conversation (and action!) about serious crime (violence, drug houses and trafficking, etc.) in and around Petworth.

[Adam]

Yes, my throttle is a bit sprung, but this board has predictably become a place to complain about the very qualities for which I value Petworth and I am sad to see threatened so casually.

Whether it's the Carribean festival, backyard family parties, or now July 4th (each one or two day events), the targets for criticism are usually aspects the of very diversity that we pay lip service to in other places on this board. In other words, it would seem diversity is a fine thing, so long as it remains on one's own terms and can be controlled.

You can discuss legality if you like, but the essence of community policing is subjective enforcement. Based on the sheer quantity of displays last night, it was clear Petworth, as a community, enjoyed fireworks. The police were on constant patrol and keeping an eye out for dangerous situations as much as they could. They deserve credit, not complaints.

As for picking up trash, of course this is a value and, yes, its priority does indeed vary among populations. Saying that you wish trash to be picked up is one thing, questioning other people's values or pride in Petworth is quite another. I think we often use the word "improve" when what we really mean is change, to conform other people's values to our own, even if it means calling the police. In the process, we disparage those "other" people by questioning their propriety or whether they care for their homes' or childrens' safety sufficiently.

Perhaps, some of those who complain here are, for the first time, not among a majority who are like them. By all means, import your values, but please do not overestimate your authority or correctness.

Rowdy festivals, trash cans, and housing prices get more play on this board than street murders. It's shocking how quickly a transient minority can imagine itself a spokesman for the good of the majority through little more than sheer willpower and a financial investment.

So, yes, I'm a bit upset. Petworth may be changing for the worse. Luckily, the minority opinions expressed on this board remain fringe. But not for long. The complaints on this board are calling for change and, by privilege, it will come.

- Adam