[from Reba]
Metro is in the process of taking the bus shelters down in front of the Petworth metro station. The shelters are being removed because of the Park Place condo construction. Does anyone know how Metro will reroute the buses that stop at Petworth?
Metropolitan Police's PSA 404 meeting
Thursday August 31, 7:00pm-8:30pm
Regional Operations Command North
801 Shepherd Street NW
Community meeting for area neighbors and MPD officers.
[from MPD Commander Hilton Burton]
As of yesterday afternoon [8/29] CCTV cameras are up and operational at 5th and Kennedy NW and in the 3700 block of Georgia Avenue NW. The camera at 5th and Kennedy will be able to cover the 400 and 500 blocks of Kennedy Street NW, and the 5400 and 5500 blocks of 5th Street NW. The camera in the 3700 block of Georgia will be able to cover the 3700 and part of the 3800 block of Georgia Avenue, and parts of the 3600 and 3700 block of NH Avenue NW.
Signs are posted in these areas advising citizens that the locations are being monitored by a camera. The cameras are not constantly monitored by officers but are recorded on a 10 day loop. Therefore, if a crime is committed in these areas we have 10 days to review the recording for evidence before it is recorded over.
These are the first of several cameras that will be placed in the Fourth District over the next month. If anyone has suggestions for locations please advise your Councilmember, your ANC or your PSA official.
After a short summer break, Domku Bar & Cafe will reopen at 5pm Thursday night (8/31).
[from David Jannarone]
Peron,
I’m not sure how we begin to pick up where you left off. We lost a commissioner, an activist, a role model, and a dear friend. Our community will not be the same without you. I never got the chance to thank you for everything. There is so much to say, I’m not sure where to begin.
I think about all the new people moving into the neighborhood. How so much has changed in the 6 years I’ve known you. How a lot of those new neighbors will never have the chance to meet you or understand how important you have been to the success of our community. And the positive changes are just beginning, we have a long way to go before we have coffee at the new Mocha Hut at the metro station, or a basketball game with the neighborhood kids at the new Raymond Rec. But we are on our way, and it wouldn’t be happening without you.
You embraced everyone in the community and accepted them with open arms, regardless of race, regardless of how long they lived in Petworth. You risked your life to get the drug dealers away from the kids at Raymond Rec. You were a role model for the kids and gave them options. From the fishing program to the football team to your tireless efforts to get a new Raymond Recreation Center for our neighborhood that would truly serve the kids. You always put the community first and set an example for us all.
I can’t help but think about who’s going to fill your many roles. Is it even possible? Who’s going to care about the kids the way you did? What would happen if all of us took your lead and were as dedicated to these kids the way you were? What if all of us in the neighborhood spent more time helping the people who need it, the way you did? How would that impact our neighborhood, our kids, our future? How much better off would everyone in the community be? I hope we all embrace what you stand for and honor you by doing more for our community.
Much love,
Dave
[from David Dzidzienyo]
Good morning all,
Last night around 9:20pm, ANC 4C06 Commissioner Peron Williams passed away. His family and the Petworth community have suffered a great loss. For those who never had the pleasure to meet Peron, he was an extraordinary person who had a tremendous impact on many lives. So many have benefitted - and will continue to benefit - from his work in the community for years to come. I have personally lost a great friend, a loyal brother, and someone who I have a tremendous amount of respect for. This is a time for the Petworth family to come together and to give as much support to the Williams family as possible. I know Peron would truly appreciate it. I hope that we as a community will continue to build on the great work that Peron has put forth. He will truly be missed.
We love you Peron.
David Dzidzienyo
*Monetary contributions would be appreciated at this time
Cynthia Williams, (202) 722-0452
3720 9th St NW
[from Kera Carpenter]
New owners have taken over the space formerly occupied by Pam's [across from Domku]. Madalena, the new owner, said she is opening an Ethiopian carry-out. They don't have a target opening date yet, but they were out there recently taking down the old Pam's lettering. I know people will complain about another carry-out opening in the area, but the new addition will be great for the diversity of cuisines available here.
[from Toby]
Does anyone have any idea what gives with the house on the corner of 8th and Varnum, that recently had 2 statues of lions on either side of the front entrance?
[from the Editor]
Great Neighborhoods
10 Best Things - Petworth
I don't have the link, but click here for a scan of the article and photo (you may have to size it up or down to fit your screen for reading). Thanks to new neighbor to-be Lucas for sending it in.
Jim Graham for Ward 1
If any member of the D.C. Council deserves renomination, he does
[from Carol Herwig]
All of the DC public schools are holding back-to-school cleanups on Saturday 8/26, between 8am and 1pm. There is a registration form at the DC public schools website, but walk-ins are more than welcome. Schools in our area include Raymond, Powell, Barnard, Clark, MacFarland Jr. High and Roosevelt HS. All need help.
Members of UNTS will be at Clark Elementary, at 7th and Allison streets, where some of the projects include painting the hopscotch court and basketball pole/hoop. If anybody has a chain net, it would be put to good use. Also, cleaning all the weeds in the preschool and elementary playgrounds. Please bring tools and gloves.
Click here for the August DC North, which has three Petworth items in its Ward 4 report.
[from the Editor]
Tuesday 8/22 around 8pm (movie starts when it gets dark)
Petworth Rec Center, 8th & Taylor
I discovered movie night in-progress when I was walking by the rec center a couple weeks ago. Apparently (I couldn't get much info and their publicity for these things has been minimal) DPR has been hosting these events on a rotating basis at select rec centers, part of an effort to engage youth during the summer.
They had set up a large screen and speakers outside next to the grass area. It could have been great but there was no one there except a few staff members watching Pirates of the Caribbean.
I spoke to one of them who said they don't have many DVDs and usually decide what to show at the last minute. Seems to me people could each bring a favorite movie (family-friendly), do a quick vote or coin-flip or whatever and ask them to show it.
Anyone up for it?
Bill
[from ANC 4C Chair Joe Martin]
As of Tuesday, the Board of Elections and Ethics (BOEE) noted that the following potential candidates took out nomination papers for ANC 4C seats:
DAMIAN A. NICKENS 4C02
RONALD P. BLAND 4C03 (incumbent)
LOUIS WASSEL 4C05
SHANEL O. ANTHONY 4C07 (incumbent)
JOSEPH MARTIN 4C09 (incumbent)
KEVIN E. HUMMONS 4C10
That means, as of Tuesday, no one from the following Single Member Districts went to the Board of Elections to obtain nomination papers: 4C01, 4C04, 4C06, 4C08.
So far, Commissioners Harold Prince (4C01) and Marc Yesberger (4C04) have announced their intentions not to run for re-election. Rev. Franklin Pryor (4C05) has announced to some constituents that he will not be running.
To locate your Single Member District, zoom in on the BOEE map viewable through this link.
September 8th is the deadline by which candidates for all ANC seats must have obtained nomination papers from the Board of Elections, gathered 25 signatures of registered voters in their SMDs and returned the properly completed nomination papers in order to qualify for listing on the November ballot. Write-in candidates may run at the last minute.
For more information, call the Board of Elections at 727-2525 or visit the BOEE website or drop into Board of Election offices during business hours at 441 4th Street NW, Ste 270 North, Washington, DC - by the Judiciary Square Metro station on the Red Line.
I welcome neighbors from other areas in Petworth (ANC 4D's jurisdiction, for example) to provide us with updates on contests in their area via the various neighborhood Yahoo Groups or Petworth News.
[from ANC 4C Chair Joe Martin]
Councilmember Adrian Fenty and ANC 4C are hosting a meeting for residents of SMD 4C05 and others interested in a proposed development slated for 3703-3711 14th Street NW (near Randolph). A developer is proposing a large-scale residential building. Area residents have been meeting to consider the proposal.
Date: Saturday, August 19
Time: 9am
Location: CSOSA Offices, 1230 Taylor Street (between Kansas and 13th)
Note: Entry to CSOSA offices requires processing through a metal detector. Please allow for additional time for gaining entrance to the building.
[from Kera Carpenter]
I have taken it upon myself to try to get a farmers market started here next year. I am in the beginning stages of putting together a case to present to Fresh Farms, a non-profit group that manages a number of markets around DC, including the Dupont, H Street, and Penn Quarter sites. They are looking now looking at sites for 2007. From what I understand, they will consider any neighborhood that is interested in having a market but there must be a viable long-term space for it, whether it be a school playground, street, or park.
I am proposing using the 800 block of Upshur Street and around the corner to 9th Street between Upshur and Taylor either on Saturday or Sunday morning/afternoon (it could be any day of the week). This is just my suggestion. The school playground on Kansas could also be a possibility.
If Fresh Farms should select Petworth as a location, they would hire a market manager (paid hourly), preferably someone from the community, who would need to be on site from set up to close. Send your feelers out for anyone who might be interested in taking on that role.
If you are interested in supporting this project, please come by Domku after our summer break (Sept 1) to sign the petition of support and to offer your ideas.
Dear residents,
My name is Kevin Hummons and I am running for ANC in SMD 4C10. Building partnerships and better community relations will aid in the dissemination of information our community desperately needs.
Please partner with me in making our community a safer place to live by joining me on Thursday, August 17th at:
Address: 320 Shepherd Street
Time: 7:00pm
Please drop by and sign my petition to get my name added to the ballot. And at the same time have a small bite to eat and meet some of your neighbors in ANC 4C10.
[from Dorothy Blackwell]
The Friends of Petworth Recreation Center will hold a meeting on Wednesday, August 16th at 6:30pm at the rec center. For those who want to know why work hasn't started yet on the rec center renovations, and what the process has been to this point, please attend.
Guests will be Ms. Jackie Stanley from DPR, Ms. Florence Michelle from Weed & Seed and Mrs. Karen Archer-Cooper, former ANC Commissioner.
[from Kera Carpenter]
Passing through on their way north, The Old Ceremony will be playing a rare Thursday show at Domku tonight, August 10. Check out their low-key sound at:
http://www.myspace.com/theoldceremony.
Show starts at 8:30pm. Suggested $5 doornation - not required but always appreciated.
UPCOMING SHOWS
Aug 16 -- Kid Goat
Aug 23 -- The Grandsons (to be confirmed)
Aug 30 -- Domku closed
Sept 6 -- Scott McKnight and Arch
Sept 13 -- The Oscillators
Sept 20 -- Matt the Electrician and Seela (Austin, TX)
Sept 27 -- AJ Roach and Nels Andrews (Austin, TX)
Domku Bar & Cafe
821 Upshur St, NW
[from Gregory Wahl]
Thought you all might be interested in a DC North article about potential development of the McMillan Reservoir and Sand Filtration Site, down on North Cap, Michigan and First.
[from Brearn Wright]
I am the new principal of Clark Elementary School located at 4501 Kansas Avenue. I wanted to alert residents about the upcoming Family Health Fair at Clark, this Saturday 8/12 from 10am-3pm.
There will be food and live entertainment along with screenings for dental, vision, hearing, diabetes, lead, physical fitness, immunizations and more.
For the event flyer, click below:
ANC 4C monthly meeting
Tuesday, 8/8 (second Tuesday of every month)
7:00pm-9:00pm
Regional Operations Command/North
801 Shepherd St NW
Jackie Stanley of DC Parks & Recreation will give a status report on Petworth Rec Center's new playground.
[from Jackie Stanley, DPR Capital Projects Coordinator]
This is a follow-up to the update provided to the community at the July 11 ANC meeting related to the Petworth Project.
Bids have been solicited on behalf of the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) for construction contractors to build the Petworth playground/spray park. The bids were initially due back to the Office of Contracts and Procurement (OCP) on August 2nd. However, because of the detailed scope of services for this project, a request from the contractors was sent to OCP for an extension.
As a result, an extension has been granted to allow the contractors additional time to provide an accurate cost proposal so as not to delay the process any further. The new bid submissions are due on August 11th which will affect the start date provided at the ANC meeting, but we are still well within the timeline to complete the project by the December 31st deadline. Once the contract has been awarded DPR will be able to provide more detailed information about the actual start date.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with this update. If you have any additional questions or concerns feel free to contact me.
Jackie Stanley
DPR Capital Projects Coordinator
202-576-7356 (office)
202- 541-9279 (fax)
[extract from Office of Tax and Revenue press release]
Shop Tax Free in DC August 5–13
The District of Columbia will offer a Sales Tax Holiday beginning 12:01am Saturday, August 5 through midnight Sunday, August 13 to provide buyers an exemption from the 5.75 percent sales tax for shoes, clothing, and accessory items. The exemption covers each item costing $100 or less.
The purpose of the August “holiday” is to encourage families who are preparing their children for the upcoming school year to shop in the District. In addition, there will be a second one held in November, beginning the weekend following Thanksgiving, November 24, and continuing through midnight December 3.
For more information about the Sales Tax Holiday, the public and businesses should visit OTR’s website or call its Customer Service Center at (202) 727-4TAX (4829).
MPD is asking for help in identifying abandoned houses and automobiles in PSA 404 (which includes most of lower Petworth). This information will be collected and used as part of the current anti-crime initiative. Please send any information directly to Captain Poteat at [email protected].
[from John McClarty, via the Petworth listserv]
For those of you who are interested, below is a link to an intriguing article called Show Me the Money about the current administration of the DC Department of Parks and Recreation. It sheds some light on the languishing Petworth Recreation Center project.
http://jrbarras.com/artman/publish/article_110.shtml
[from ANC 4C Chair Joe Martin]
While the mayor's race is important, I personally also regard the ANC elections in November as important to the quality of life in our immediate neighborhoods. I have found that residents too often take the ANC races for granted, pay little attention to them, have no idea who represents their neighborhoods on the ANC.
In the short time that I have been serving on ANC 4C, I have encountered the expression of endless frustration by residents who feel they are not adequately being served by their commissioners. Within ANC 4C, there have been commissioners who could not be bothered to tell their own constituents of major development issues facing their Single Member Districts and don't bother going to bat for their neighborhoods on public safety, development or city-service issues. Neighborhoods pay a sorry price when they elect commissioners who fail them. (I also want to note there are several commissioners who are doing excellent work and represent their neighborhoods well.)
If you have any interest in running for a seat on the ANC, I will be posting guidelines for doing so shortly. In the meantime, you can always call the Board of Elections for more information at 202-727-2525.
Next Wednesday, August 9th, is the date on which nomination petitions for ANC candidates will be available from the Board of Elections and Ethics. You only need to collect the signatures of 25 registered voters in your Single Member District to get on the November ballot, and you will have about a month to do so.
In my opinion, ANC 4C has been an all-male show for too long. I would especially encourage any women interesting in running to consider doing so.
Several ANC 4C commissioners are not running for re-election which means there will be open seats to consider filling. I also encourage residents who are unhappy with any of us who are incumbents to challenge us in the November elections. Competition can be a very good thing.
Click here for a blog called 'A Barrel of This' by a new Petworth resident.
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