Petworth News

CVS

[from Robb L.]

LaKritz Adler is pleased to report that they have signed a lease with CVS to bring a pharmacy and convenience store to the Petworth neighborhood, at Georgia and New Hampshire and directly across from the entrance to the Georgia Avenue/Petworth Metro station. Construction will begin late this fall, with the store expected to open in late spring of 2010.

Friends of Petworth Rec Center

[from Marni L.]

Meeting for Friends of the Petworth Playground/Spray Park/Rec Center

We are finishing up the Parks Partnership application, to make the Friends of the Petworth Playgrounds/Spray Park official (to be able to raise cash and do improvements,etc.) We are continuing the process started last year by several active neighborhood residents. We would like to meet with interested neighbors to finalize the board that is needed for the application, as well as gauge interest, participation, areas of expertise etc. We need a group of people to make this Parks Partnership work, and to realize the changes, maintenance, programs and upgrades that we want.

So... If you are interested and motivated, if you have concerns you would like addressed, please meet at the Petworth Rec Center, corner of 8th and Taylor Street NW, Thursday April 30th, 7:00pm. If you are interested but can not make it, please email me directly and I will add you to the mailing list and send you a summary of the meeting. 

Thanks in advance!

PoP cleanup

 photo courtesy of Dan Silverman

Thanks to all those that pitched in for the cleanup along New Hampshire Avenue on Saturday. And kudos to Prince of Petworth for pulling it together! Here's the post with more pics on PoP:

First PoP Monthly Cleanup Kicked Ass

Ready Schools meeting

[from Johanna E.]

This school year, DC VOICE completed our 5th annual Ready Schools Project, the district's largest ever volunteer-led community audit of public school quality, where teams of ordinary citizens volunteered to visit over 100 schools and interview principals about school needs and city support. In conjunction with local partners, we then hosted 4 town hall meetings where over 200 parents, educators, students, and community members came together to analyze and discuss data from the various aspects of the 2008 Ready Schools Project. In November, data on staffing, instruction, technology, and security was presented. Subsequently, in February, participants reviewed data on parental involvement, school-community partnerships, and wraparound services and provided instant feedback with the use of hand-held polling devices.

Because these meetings have been so successful and contributed to a meaningful dialogue about school reform on a community level, we want to provide another opportunity to learn the results and share your impressions and reactions to this important data. DC VOICE is pleased to join PTAs of Roosevelt and Coolidge in inviting you to a special town hall meeting designed specifically for the families and students who live, work or are involved with schools in Ward 4 for an encore presentation of this year’s findings from the Ready Schools Project.

In May, attendees of the numerous town halls will reconvene not only to present the results from the various discussions but discuss additional data and possible next steps.

 

Thank you and we hope you can attend!

Qualia Coffee

[from Joseph M.]

Joel Finkelstein and father taking a break from landscaping in front of Qualia Coffee, having a soft opening this week. Qualia is located at 3917 Georgia Avenue. For more info:

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Cuppa Joel blog

Qualia website

Press

Where is it?

Anyone recognize this site? Click on the pic for a bigger version. For the answer, DC Kaleidoscope has the 'then and now'.

Library stuff and parks plea

[from Carol H.]

Two reminders:

 

The Petworth Library is hosting a children’s party on Saturday, April 25, with performances at 10:30am and 3pm. Refreshments and a piñata will be served. It’s a great chance to meet librarian Robin Imperial and her staff.

 

Also, Friends of the Petworth Library is being revived, and the next meeting is Monday, April 27, at 6:30pm at the library, Kansas Avenue at Upshur Street. The Friends have begun to collect books for a fund-raising book sale. There is a collection box at the library.

 

And a rant/plea:

 

Let’s declare Grant Circle, Clark Elementary and every tiny park in the Petworth area “carry in, carry out” parks. The state of Delaware does this – they don’t even provide trash receptacles. This should apply to soccer players, the teens who play pickup basketball and those who neatly bag their dogs’ pooh, then leave the bags on the playing fields. I would advocate more action: Every time you use Clark or Grant Circle for recreation or a dog walk or whatever, leave it cleaner than it was when you got there. See a bottle on the ground – put it in the trash. Cursing the “them” who left their trash behind, then walking over it, is wasted energy.

Anti-littering law

[press release from dc.gov]

April 10, 2009

Metropolitan Police to Begin Anti-Littering Enforcement Efforts

The Anti-Littering Amendment Act of 2008, which was passed by the Council of the District of Columbia in December 2008, went into effect at the end of March. The new law prohibits individuals from disposing, causing, or allowing the disposal of litter from a vehicle upon any public or private property. Litter includes all rubbish, waste matter, refuse, garbage, trash, debris, dead animals, or other discarded materials of every kind and description.

Starting April 10, 2009 (today), the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will begin a 30-day warning period to alert motorists of the littering violation and associated fines. Following the warning period, police will begin issuing actual Notices of Infraction (NOIs) to motorists caught littering from their vehicles. The fine for a traffic littering violation is $100 per violation.

Litter poses health risks, harms water quality and wildlife habitat, and is an offense against communities. Neighborhoods with a lot of litter are at risk of more serious crime and disorder. 

“Keeping streets and sidewalks clean also helps to keep our neighborhoods safe,” said Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier. “Police officers, with our round–the–clock presence on the streets of the District, can support the important mission of the Department of Public Works and the Mayor’s Office of the Clean City to keep our city clean.”

NW CH community mtg

[from Cecilia Jones, NWCHCA President]

Mayor Adrian Fenty and Councilmember Jim Graham will speak at the next Northwest Columbia Heights Community Association Meeting

 

Washington, DC, April 2009 - The Northwest Columbia Heights Community Association welcomes Mayor Adrian Fenty and Councilmember Jim Graham to respond to questions regarding public safety and quality of life in Columbia Heights. All are welcome. Simultaneous Spanish-language interpretation will be provided.

 

“Spotlight” Panel: Human trafficking, brothel operation and prostitution:

- Deputy Attorney General Robert Hildum, Office of Attorney General

- Detective Mark Gilkey, MPD Narcotics and Special Investigations Unit

- Carolina De Los Rios, PhD, Polaris Project

 

Monday, April 20, 6:30-8:30pm

 

Location: St Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton St NW, WDC 20010 (near the corner of 16th and Newton, downstairs cafeteria, red doors, 16th St side)

 

Since 2008, NWCHCA is a 501C3 community group whose geographic range is from 13th to 16th Streets, from Meridian Place to Spring Road. NWCHCA works to improve quality-of-life, increase public safety and promote community involvement. We expect at least 100 community members to attend this meeting.

 

Please send an e-mail to [email protected] for a summary of key topics to be addressed during the Q&A session with Mayor Fenty.

This just in

Petworth news over on DC Kaleidoscope:

Another Accident at Rock Creek Church Rd & Quincy, NW

New Developments at the Looking Glass Lounge

Water main repair

WASA reports a 8" water main is off for repair at Allison Street between 3rd & 4th St. NW. Approx: 28 homes affected. Approx: 6-8 hours before repairs are complete.

Park Morton

In Park View news, DC Kaleidoscope reports:

Park Morton Attracts Out-of-Town Developers