ANC-5A Monthly Meeting - Wednesday, September 27th

What: Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5A Monthly Meeting (this link shows you the 2006 schedule - no meeting in December)

When: Wednesday, September 27th, 2006 at 7pm

Where: Providence Hospital, Ross Auditorium, 1100 Varnum Street, NE

Agenda: Emergency Preparedness Presentation: Providence Hospital; DCRA Illegal Construction: What Every Citizen Should Know; 4th & 5th District Police Crime Reports; Community Concerns

An additional note from a neighbor on Perry Place, posted on the Brookland listserv (with a number of responses):

I know that the liquor license protest that is currently ongoing against the Cardinal's Nest is to be on the agenda and if anyone is interested in attending, please do. As I mentioned in a post last month, the Cardinal's Nest - which is going to be a cyber cafe on 10th Street across from the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center (in the old video store) - wants to be open until 2:00am most nights of the week and until 3:00am on the weekends. Those of us who live steps from the place think these hours are far too late for a coffee shop (especially one with a liquor license). The next status update with the ABC board will be the second week in October regarding the protest. Thanks.

P.S. It appears that the place opening up in the old Johnny K's on 12th Street is actually called the Cardinal Club which is different from the Cardinal's Nest. They are also applying for a liquor license.

Teens Attack and Shoot Metrobus on Rhode Island Avenue

Yet more proof that the curfew is nothing more than a band-aid on a festering wound that, I believe, improved social programs and community investment can help heal. The story is on NBC4 and WTOP. The "facts" vary, and why the bus continued en route to Ft. Lincoln remains a mystery, but what seems to jive in all versions is this:

Around 4:45pm Wednesday, September 20, 2006, near Rhode Island and Montana Avenues, NE, a group of juveniles threw either rocks or a brick through a window in the bus. One of the juveniles proceeded to push a gun through the broken window and fire off two rounds. Between 15 and 35 people were on board, and no one was injured. It is believed that the intended target was a group of teens that likely boarded the bus at the Rhode Island Avenue Metro. Before transit police were able to get involved, all of the passengers (i.e. witnesses and potential suspects) were dropped off at their respective stops. I will be terribly impressed if the authorities are able to get any leads now that everyone involved is scattered.

The curfew couldn't stop this; gun control couldn't stop this. Being proactive in our children's lives can. It really does take a village, and anyone who finds that trite or cliché is no better than the problem at hand.

ANC-5C Monthly Meeting - Tuesday, September 19th

This month's is chock-full of development.

What: Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5C Monthly Meeting

When: Tuesday, September 19th, 2006, 7-9pm

Where: Harry Thomas Recreation Center, 1743 Lincoln Road, NE

Agenda:
• Kyrus Freeman of Holland + Knight, PUD* for 1600 North Capitol Street
• Paul Tummonds, Community Amenities Package for "Fairfield at Capitol Commerce Center"
• Leila Batties of Holland + Knight, PUD* for the Washington Gateway at Florida and New York Avenues NE
• Maybelle Bennett, Director of Howard University Community Association (HCUA) on Howard University's Living and Learning Center
• Craig Parker, General Counsel of CUA on the Catholic University Project
• Robert Taylor of Thoron Development on 14 O Street, NW
• MPD-5D, Public Safety Report

*PUD - (not the best) definition here

Brookland CDC Meeting on the Future of 12th Street, NE - Thursday, September 14th

I pretty sure I didn't miss a listing for this somewhere else...This morning while riding the Metro I came across a blurb entitled "Transforming 12th St., NE" in the Express (it's also in this post on their blog, "Free Ride"). Yay, I think, media coverage for the Brookland Main Street Initiative (informative PDF here)! The problem is, I know a lot more of us are interested - even those of us that live 10 or more blocks away - than are able to make a meeting on seemingly random Thursday morning. To that I say, "Boo!"

What: Brookland Community Development Corporation and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development are holding a meeting for those interested in the ongoing improvements along Brookland's "main drag," 12th Street, NE.

When: Thursday, September 14th, 2006, 8-10am

Where: Café Sureía, 3629 12th Street, NE

Random musings/ranting: Why is Rhode Island Avenue, NE from Eastern Avenue in Woodridge to 4th Street, NE near Edgewood (certainly one of the gateway corridors to and from Maryland - just check out the tags of the cars parked M-F at the RI Ave. Metro) not a part of the "Great Streets Initiative?" A sliver of Benning Road, NE is all Ward 5 gets for now, though it's worth a peek at Target Area #8 of the Neighborhood Investment Fund (Woodridge be damned!). Areas in Ward 5 and/or Northeast also targeted for the Neighborhood Investment Fund are #1-Shaw, #3-Deanwood Heights, #7-Bloomingdale/Eckington, and #10-H Street NE.

Brookland Festival Committee Meeting - Wednesday, September 13th

With less than a month to go, here's a message from Heather Phipps, Brookland Festival Committee Chair:

The Brookland CDC and I would like to invite all neighbors in the greater Brookland area to attend the next Festival Committee meeting at 7:00 pm this Wednesday, September 13th, at the Brookland Visitors Center, 3420 9th Street NE.

The Brookland Festival and Parade will be taking place on Saturday, October 7th along 12th Street from Monroe to Otis. We are making great progress with planning this event but we could always use more volunteers to help with the final tasks! So if you are interested in making the Brookland Festival a fantastic event this year, please join us this Wednesday evening.

Thanks so much and hope to meet you soon,
Heather Phipps
Brookland Festival Committee Chair
and Your Neighbor on 15th!

Coalition of Concerned Neighbors Meeting - Monday, September 11th

What: Coalition of Concerned Neighbors Monthly Meeting

When: Monday, September 11th, 2006, 6:30-8:30pm

Where: Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin Street, NE (18th and Rhode Island Avenue), 202.541.6226

Special Guests: Mr. Reginald Weaver - President, National Education Association (NEA); Ms. Deidre Neal - Principal, Backus Middle School (their site, likely out of date, lists Mr. Alfonzo Powell as the Principal); Ms. Linda Little - Principal, John Burroughs Elementary School; Mrs. Valorie Powell - Principal, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School @ Ft. Lincoln; Ms. Barbara Campbell - Principal, Langdon Elementary School; Mr. Reginald Burke - Principal, Springarn Senior High School

Please bring school supplies to this meeting to help homeless children in the local community shelter.

Contact: Additional questions or concerns, please call Ms. Llyod at 202.903.6197 or 202.257.0001

Don't Forget the ANC Elections!

Indeed, all ANC Commissioner posts are up for grabs this year. I want to commend Robert, aka RobbyCU, for his efforts in encouraging folks to run in their SMDs on the Ward 5 and Trinidad listservs:

Where there's no names someone should run. Where there's one name, two more people should run, and so on. We need strong ANCs. They are our first level of government. If you want safe streets, economic development, better city services, better quality of life you need strong ANCs. Its not too late to run! You have until Friday to turn in your petitions.

A number of SMDs have no candidates to date, including mine. Take a look at yours: 5A, 5B, and 5C.

- - -

Kris Hammond is utilizing the blogosphere in his bid against incumbent Cleopatra Jones for ANC 5C-02 Commissioner. DC Blogs noted today, "Win or lose, this neighborhood will gain if Hammond keeps his blog." I concur. Hmmm, any takers for adding me as your write-in candidate for 5A-09 on November 7th?

ANC-5B Monthly Meeting - Thursday, September 7th

What: Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5B Monthly Meeting

When: Thursday, September 7th, 2006 at 7:30pm

Where: Washington Center for Aging Services, 2601 18th Street, NE

Agenda: TBA