SMD 5A-09 & PSA 503 Joint Monthly Meeting - Wednesday, May 14

What: SMD 5A-09 & PSA 503 Joint Monthly Meeting

When: Wednesday, May 14 2008, 6:30 p.m.

Where: Hospital for Sick Children/HSC Pediatric Center, 1731 Bunker Hill Road NE

Agenda: Public safety and community concerns, including those addressed in the letter below, written by a neighbor on Otis Street NE:

Dear Neighbors-

In case you haven't heard, a big developer, Alliance Holdings LLC, purchased a tiny piece of land between our home and our neighbor (2212 Otis St NE, Square 4242, Lot 10). It is 25 feet wide, and according to zoning regulations the owner may NOT build as a matter of right.

We recently learned that Taiwo Demuren, presumably with Alliance Holdings LLC, has applied for significant variances from lot area, and lot width requirements, as well as from side yard requirements in order to build a single family dwelling.

In an effort to keep the lot, as it is, open green space, our next-door neighbor made numerous attempts to purchase the lot – but as you can imagine, it is difficult to outbid a developer with deep pockets.

We are very concerned about how this will change the character of our neighborhood. Many of us moved here for the space, and greenery. If these variances are granted, there are many other small lots in our neighborhood that would be able to be developed in a similar manner. Demuren's requested variances would establish a precedent to grant additional variances for these other lots to be more easily developed.

We also fear that since it is often more profitable to knock down an old home and rebuild multiple new homes within the same footprint, than it is to renovate the old home, that this decision could encourage more developers to purchase old homes on these lots, knock them down and build two or more houses in the same plot of land (We have seen this in N. Arlington, VA). Again, we believe that Demuren's requested variances will set a precedent and make the development described above much easier for the next builder.

Of an even greater concern is the beautiful and historic old oak tree that is located on the lot line between the undeveloped lot and our neighbor's home (2216 Otis St, NE). An arborist has certified that this is the SECOND OLDEST TREE IN THE ENTIRE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. The tree measures approximately 180 inches in diameter and is estimated to be 300-400 years old. The arborist has also certified that because of the tree's extensive root system, the construction of a structure on the vacant lot will kill this ancient tree.

There are three meetings where attendance by the community members is important if you are interested in helping to stop the proposed development. The first is on May 14, 2008.

*The proposed use of this land is on the agenda for the ANC 5A09 & PSA 503Joint Monthly Meeting on Wednesday, May 14, 2008, at 6:30 PM, at the Hospital for Sick Children located at 18th St and Bunker Hill Rd., NE. ANC 5A09 Commissioner Shirley Rivens-Smith will be there and would like to know what the citizens of ANC 5 think of this development.*

* *

*The second meeting is the ANC 5A meeting on May 28, 2008, when all of the ANC 5A commissioners will vote whether to deny or approve support of the developers zoning variances. This meeting will be held at the Taft Recreation Center, 18th and Perry St NE, at 7:00 PM.*

The final meeting will be at the zoning hearing, which will take place on July 8, 2008.

We would certainly appreciate any support, advice, and suggestions from our neighbors on this matter.

We are not against development – we just believe that the zoning regulations were established for a reason, and chose to move to this area because of the open space and the character and charm of our neighborhood. Although we do love our neighbors, and feel rather fortunate to know such nice folks on our block, if we wanted to be on top of them we would have stayed in a condominium. We also love the beautiful old trees and feel it would be a terrible shame for this gift of nature to be destroyed.

We understand there is an expectation of many more jobs and people moving to the area over the next few years, but as a realtor I can tell you there are plenty of vacant properties available for housing all over the city, and not enough buyers and renters to fill them.

Again – we feel this could set a terrible precedent that could significantly affect the character of the greater Brookland/Woodridge/Michigan Park neighborhood, and are *asking for your support*.

Please join us at the ANC 5A09 meeting to show your support.

Thank you!

May is National Foster Care Month - FAN Needs Your Support

As the founding vice-chair and current secretary of the board for Fihankra Akoma Ntoaso (FAN), I find myself in the delicate situation of asking for your financial support for our grassroots 501(c)3 on our community blog. I keep reminding myself that I've asked my readers to support a number of community organizations and events that I have no official ties to, all in the name of community and civic investment, and this is really no different aside from my personal commitment to FAN. This is not my day job, it truly is a volunteer labor of love. Please, read the information below, and, if possible, contribute to FAN and help us stay on track in fulfilling our mission to provide safety, security, love, and understanding for DC's foster adolescents....

Can you imagine being separated from your family, moving from place to place, not knowing if you'll be in the same school, same neighborhood, or same house from one day to the next?

Nearly 3,000 children in foster care from Washington, DC live with this uncertainty every day, staying in care for 3 years on average and living in 3 different homes during that time. The crisis-driven child welfare system is so focused on what's wrong with teens in foster care, that they fail to see what's "right" with this group of young people.

FAN works with some of the city's most vulnerable youth: teens in foster care, in a daily after school and summer positive youth development program that engages youth in academic support, extracurricular instruction, community service, group mentoring, and cultural enrichment. Youth are provided with opportunities to belong, to develop their talents and skills, to develop meaningful relationships with peers and adults, and to experience success. FAN serves as a source of stability, consistency, and support that enhances the well-being and positive development of youth. Please visit our website at www.fan-dc.org to learn more about our organization and to join our mailing list.

May is National Foster Care Month. Make a difference in the lives of teens in foster care with your tax deductible donation of $10, $25, $50, $100, or more. To be a part of FAN's success, please mail a check today or donate online on our website through Network for Good.

I cannot thank you enough for your generosity!

Fihankra Akoma Ntoaso / FAN
1227 Good Hope Road SE, Room 106
Washington, DC 20020
202.889.5000 x114
202.889.5035 (fax)
www.fan-dc.org

Arrest made in Ward 5 shooting

On Saturday, May 3rd, 5th Police District made an arrest in the slaying of a local youth. On Sunday, April 20, 2008, George Douglas, 18, of 35th Street NE as found slain at the 2700 block of 26th Street, NE.

MPD report online.
WaPo article online.

The arrest happened on the year's first All Hands On Deck initiative. Thank you to MPD 5th District! The 5D Citizens Advisory Council/CAC Monthly Meeting meets 4th Thursday of every month at 7pm, Fifth District Police Station, 1805 Bladensburg Road, NE.

Brookland Small Area Plan - Saturday, April 26

Since 2006, the D.C. Office of Planning has been working on a Brookland Small Area Plan. For those that haven't been following the conversations, a Decking Feasibility Plan was just released April 8th, 2008. The feasibility plan explores possible ideas for decking over the tracks at the metro station. When reading the decking study, you will see visions of open plazas, farmers markets, connectivity from Michigan Ave to 10th Street, new residential development and deck parking. It's a grand vision of what the metro area of Brookland could become, but there is a lot of work (and a few reality checks) between us and anything close to the neighborhood portrayed in colorful sketches in the document.

If you want to know more or get involved, there is a meeting coming up. The DC Office of Planning invites you to attend a public meeting about the Brookland/CUA Metro Station Area Plan. All are invited to share comments and questions.

When: Saturday, April 26, 2008
9:30-10:00 a.m., Open House
10 a.m.-noon, Presentation

Where: Noyes Elementary School, 2725 10th St NE The meeting will be in the school auditorium; enter from Franklin Street.

For more information please contact: Deborah Crain, Ward 5 Planner, DC Office of Planning, 801 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 4000
Phone: 202-442-7615 Fax: 202-442-7638
E-mail: Deborah.Crain@dc.gov
Or visit the DC Office of Planning online.

Please RSVP: 202-610-0005 or rsvp@jsallc.com

The Community that eats together...

It's short notice but you have two wonderful dinner invites for TONIGHT. You can choose between fundraising for John Burroughs Family Day while enjoying New Orleans cuisine or join Our Saviour Church for a friendly fish fry.

John Burroughs School Family Day Fundraiser
Where: Saint's Bourbon Street which is donating a percentage of the profits.
1812 Hamlin St. NE, Washington, DC 20018 US
When: Friday, April 4, 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Phone: 202-576-6039

Our Saviour Episcopal Church, Brookland Parish Fish Fry
Where: Irving between 16th and 17th, NE
When: Friday, April 4, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
$7 per dinner (whiting or trout), with potato salad and greens.
Dine in or take out.

photo by Operators Are Standing By

Potomac River Watershed Clean Up Tomorrow - Rain or Shine

We predict rain, but don't let that stop you. You'd just get wet and dirty anyhow.

While on the them of the great outdoors, find some worn out clothes, you know, the ones you can't even try to get rid of at the yard sale, and join the Alice Ferguson Foundation 20th Annual Potomac River Watershed Clean-up.

There are a number of sites but if you want to stick close to home, try the L Street NE clean up (contact Merrit Drucker, NoMa Business Improvement District, 202-722-6716) or Anacostia Park (contact Allison Moller, Email, Southeast White House). Directions are included on the main site.

Outdoor Events of Note

[Edited: Note correction of Monastery Plant Sale dates.]
The sunshine earlier this week had neighbors out and about in anticipation of clearer days. Now the rainy weekend will have a number of us parked in front of the computers again. While puttering on the Internet and fighting the overcast, pull out your calendar and make note of some good outdoor dates:

Moonlit Hike on the Mall, April 18, 7 p.m.: It's not in Ward 5, but it's an opportunity worth mentioning. Sierra Club's MWROP is hosting this hike as part of their "Get to Know DC" series. The family is invited, so long as they can walk 7+ mi. (or a shorter 3 mi.) on relatively level terrain. Bring water. Meet on the Mall side of Constitution Ave., halfway between 15th and 17th Sts. Nearest Metro station is Federal Triangle. For more information, contact the leader, Jim Finucane, at 301/365-3485 (before 9 pm).

Franciscan Monastery Plant Sale, April 26-27: Unless you drive by the Monastery, you might not hear word of this sale. Their annual sale is a spectacular way to get small plant, especially herbs and veggies, for your garden. They also sell annuals, perennials, roses, and trees. I found the prices last year to be very reasonable, often quite lower than Home Depot, with the added bonus of supporting one of the finest (and most hidden) gems of DC.

Great Brookland Yard Sale, April 19: With more than 30 families now participating and several refreshment stations hosted by Menkiti Group, this has grown into an all-neighborhood yard party.

Trees for Ward 5 Homeowners, April 29, 10 a.m - 2 p.m., St. Anthony's School at 12th and Monroe: Our soon-to-be neighbors and all around generous folks at Casey Trees have partnered with DDOE to sponsor a tree giveaway for Ward 5 residents. Homeowners can request up to 2 shade trees for their property. Pre-register by emailing dcshadetree@earthlink.net or calling 202.349.1909 with your name, addy, number and types of tree(s): Princeton American Elm (Ulmus americana ‘Princeton’), River Birch (Betula nigra), or Black gum or Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica). The trees will be in 10 gallon buckets, so these are small enough for the average homeowner to transport home in a car or even a wheel-barrow if you live close enough.

Photo by sophiagrrl of the Monastery in full bloom.

Announcing the Great Brookland Yard Sale, April 19, 2008

In my house, spring cleaning leads to piles of stuff... stuff that isn't trash but doesn't need to be in my house any longer. The neighbors in Brookland have a great solution for this: the (First Ever) Great Brookland Yard Sale. Save the date and come out for some great finds.

What: Great Brookland Yard Sale.
When: Saturday, April 19, 2008 between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m
Where: Map online here.
Households throughout the Brookland neighborhood have joined together to hold yard sales. In addition to the individual yard sales, St. Anthony of Padua’s Church on 12th Street NE will be participating as well, with a yard sale in the church’s parking lot.

Yard sale organizers have posted a blog with complete information on the Great Brookland Yard Sale, including a map of the area with participating homes highlighted, and information on some of the items that will be for sale. This information will be updated frequently as the sale approaches.
For more information contact Andrew S. Fortin.

And for Brookland neighbors, it's not too late to sign up. Take a look in the attic or basement and ask yourself, do you really want to miss this grand event??

Photo by Dustin DeKoekkoek

Press Conference at Burroughs Elementary Today

I saw some folks setting up the equipment on the front lawn as my bus drove past a little before 9 a.m.....NBC4 has the (misspelled) details on the "small group of parents who passed out fliers and held a press conference" this morning:

Some parents are frustrated with D.C. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee's plan for John Burrows [sic] Elementary in Northeast.

Parents said Rhee's plan to change the school to a pre-K through eighth grade school is too ambitious. The school currently has students in Head Start through sixth grade.

"In less than five months, we're supposed to implement a pre-K through eight plan beginning with extending to accommodate seventh graders," said parent activist Maria Jones.

The plan is to change it to a pre-K through seventh school next year, and add eighth grade within two years. The school was slated for closure but will be kept open.

A Place to Play: Playground Initiative Grows in Brookland

We won't know for sure until the 2010 census, but it sure feels like there's been a baby-boom in Brookland/Michigan Park/Woodridge. A quick survey of local playgrounds turns up a number of dilapidated and sometimes vandalized play areas which don't do much to inspire parents to bring their children out. Healthy and accessible open space and play areas are no small asset for parents raising children in the city. Getting outside, getting exercise, and connecting with the community are only a few of the perks of well attended playgrounds.

A number of local neighbors have begun organizing to do something about the neighborhoods' lack and we invite you to get involved. You don't have to be a parent to care about playgrounds. It's a benefit to us all when children of all ages have safe and healthy places to play.

Three ways to get involved:

Dream a Little Dream: We are soliciting ideas for the ideal park and playground. We are looking to the neighbors to tell us what you want to see in a new playground. The group intends to target a particular site to put our efforts behind, so gathering together the vision of the neighborhood helps. What are your favorite parks and why? What is your child's/nephew's/grandchild's favorite activity? Send your comments to brooklandjess@earthlink.net by Thursday March 6th.

Make Some Noise for Noyes: The group quickly uncovered that the Noyes Park (map) is mired in budget politicking. Two years ago, the Department of Parks and Recreation completed a fantastic set of plans for development of the empty parcel bordered by 10th Street NE and Franklin Street NE. The park includes landscaped area and would be a benefit to all residents, not just families with children. Each year, during the usual round of cuts, this park is waylaid. The 2009 budget is presented in March and finalized in June, so this is our window of opportunity to lobby to keep this park in the budget!

It's valid to note that Ward 5's own Councilmember Tommy Thomas is the chair of the Committee on Libraries, Parks, and Recreation. Other councilmembers include Carol Schwartz, At-Large, David A. Catania, At-Large, Phil Mendelson, At-Large, and Yvette Alexander, Ward 7.

Here is a sample letter. Please tailor it to reflect your concerns.

I am writing to ask for a moment of your time to email our council
member and mayor to include the funding for Noyes Park (the field at
10th & Franklin) in the 2009 budget.

Detailed plans for this site were drawn up over a year ago. The 2009 budget is being finalized over the next couple of months so it is a good time to support the addition of a beautiful landscaped park and playground to the neighborhood.

Join us for a Cuppa: Join the Brookland Playground Group at the next open meeting, March 8, 11 am, at Cardinals Nest for coffee and planning, 3748 10th Street, NE. The group is new and we are eager to invite input from the neighborhood.

Photo by elfrenetico

Casey Trees

Each year, the city loses a number of mature trees to disease, age, and overpruning. Last year, many of our trees suffered in the drought and many did not survive. With new construction or home addition, old trees are lost and all too often builders and new homeowners don't think to replant. Don't be daunted by the cost of new trees or the dilemma of what kind or where to put them. Take advantage of one of the best local organizations in D.C. - Casey Trees.

Casey Trees will soon be headquartered in Brookland (pdf) at 3030 12th Street NE, which is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. For those that aren't familiar with them, this is a great time to catch up on their calendar of Spring plantings. No experience necessary and the more the merrier.

Browse their Spring 2008 Tree Planting Events here.

Additionally, don't miss their homeowner workshops (pdf), "Design Your Yard with Trees." The sessions are free and attendants will receive a FREE TREE! Bring photographs or drawings and measurements of your yard and map out existing trees, buildings and powerlines.

Advanced registration is required and workshops are limited to 30 participants, so sign up now:

Tuesday March 11th (6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.)
or
Wednesday March 19th (6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.)

Casey Trees 1425 K St, NW, Suite 1050
202.349.1909
www.caseytrees.org
friends@caseytrees.org

ANC-5A Monthly Meeting - Wednesday, February 27

What: Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5A Monthly Meeting

When: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 7 p.m.

Where: John Burroughs Elementary School, 1820 Monroe Street NE

Agenda Includes:
· ANC Business
· MPD-5D and 4D Police Reports
· Harry Thomas – Ward 5 Councilmember
· DCPS School Presentation
· Ty Simpson – Stone Hedge Restaurant
· Community Concerns

Ward 5 Economic Development Summit - Saturday, February 23

What: Ward 5 Economic Development Summit

When: Saturday, February 23, 2008

Agenda:
10:00 a.m.: Registration

10:15 a.m.–10:30 a.m.: Opening Remarks

10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.: Panel: Stimulating Neighborhood Economic Development, moderated by Ward 5 Planner Deborah Crain. Panelists include: Steve Moore, WDC Economic Partnership; Derrick Woody, Great Streets Initiative; Phyllis Love, Restore DC's Main Street Initiative; Vinnie Wolhfarth, Brookland CDC/Brookland Main Street; Pat Mitchell, North Capitol Main Street; and Ana Harvey, Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Mini Workshop on Negotiating Community Benefits Packages, moderated by Collaboration DC's Mary Jacksteit

12:30 p.m.–1:00 p.m.: Lunch

1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.: Break Out Sessions on Economic Development Projects. You will be able to meet with and ask questions of developers with projects in Ward 5. Each developer will have a table. To-date, developers for the following projects have RSVPed: Rhode Island Station; Arbor Place, McMillan Reservior; Art Space at Fort Totten; Armed Forces Retirement Home; New Town at Capital City Market; St Paul's Townhome project; and the 30th Street Townhome project.

2:30 p.m.–2:45 p.m.: Wrap Up

Where: Catholic University Caldwell Hall, main floor (view campus map here)

Questions and additional information: Call 202.724.8028.

Florida Market Tour - Saturday, February 23

Join Richard (Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space) and Elise (Frozen Tropics) for another installment of the popular walking tours of the Florida Avenue Market, February 23, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

There are considerable development pressures on the area and it's important that the neighbors understand what is there now so we can better understand what stands to be lost or gained by development. There are many resources for more information on the Market, but none of these will replace walking the Market yourself.

» Capital City/Florida Market posts at Frozen Tropics
» "The Bigness Complex, Urbanism and the Florida Market" from Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space
» Capital City Market (aka Florida Market) blog (also in the sidebar)
» Capital City Market interactive piece from Josh Williams
» FreeRide's wrap-up
» DCmud on the redevelopment plans
» Sang Oh Choi's vision for the Gateway Market & Residences, "The Gateway to the Next Great Place"

Welcome to a New Contributor!

It takes a lot of eyes and ears to keep up with the heartbeat of a community. I'm glad to be allowed to contribute to Stop, Blog, and Roll. Jaime has done an extraordinary job collecting together many of the resources for Ward 5 residents and I'm hoping to help distill this information into news you can use. You need more than just access to information, but also some sense of the patterns, some ideas how things are interconnected.

I'm joining on here to respond to the needs of readers and neighbors, so please feel free to contact me with your questions. What can we do to clean up RI metro stop? Why is the Brookland escalator constantly broken? What do we have to do to get some spectacular, clean and safe playgrounds? Why is it so difficult to find out where the MPD5 meetings are located? What developments are going on? Which charter schools are moving into the area and how will they impact the neighborhood? From large to small, these issues make up the fabric of our daily lives in these neighborhoods.

I'm sympathetic to the large number of neighbors who can't make week night meetings because of families and jobs but who still want to contribute meaningfully to the community. Blogs and online information become vital tools to connect us.

• I have deep connections in the community, including my native Washingtonian husband and his extensive family, but I'm fairly new to Ward 5.
• When asked, I say I live in Brookland. But just between you and me, I live in what a very few might call “University Heights,” a tiny and often forgotten portion of Greater Brookland between Brookland and Michigan Park.
• I moderate the Brookland Announcements Listserv. I'm the editor of the Capital Sierran for the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club.
• I'm a mother, an environmentalist, urban planner, educator, activist. I have degrees, a few too many, in English, German, Urban Planning, and Natural Resources.
• I work hard trying to keep my old house from falling apart, with various degrees of success.
• When the weather allows, I garden. When it does not permit, I read local blogs and publications while dreaming of better weather.
• I knit. I cook. I parent a toddler.
• I look forward to spending a lot of life here in Brookland, which is obviously an exceptional community by any measure.

You can contact me with ideas or news at brooklandjess@earthlink.net.

Ward 5 Leadership Meeting - Saturday, January 26

What: Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, Presidents and leaders of
Ward 5 community organizations, and concerned citizens are invited to join Councilmember Thomas to discuss and shape the Ward 5 agenda for 2008.

When: Saturday, January 26, 2008; 10 a.m. - Registration, 10:30 a.m-12 p.m. - Meeting

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

Additional Information: Please call 202.724.8028

5A-07 Commissioner and ANC-5A Officer Election Results

From Don Padou, newly elected Commissioner of SMD 5A-07:

Hello Neighbors

Tonight's election results are in, and the biggest surprise to me was the turnout. It seemed like most of the neighborhood was there, and that was great. I was also surprised and pleased that I won.

I want to thank everyone who came out to vote. I particularly want to thank the gentleman who stopped off to vote on his way to the airport--that's the kind of attitude that makes Brookland a special place.

The way I look at it, Brookland just hired me for a job and I certainly plan to do the best I can. If you have any problems you think I can help you with, please drop me an email or give me a call at (202) 832-4038.

Best,
Don

Congrats to Don!

- - -

ANC-5A Officers for 2008:

Chair - Angel Alston, 5A-03
Vice Chair - Mary Baird-Currie, 5A-06
Recording Secretary - Janae Grant, 5A-11
Treasurer - Sandi Washington, 5A-01
Corresponding Secretary - Timothy Thomas, 5A-08
Parliamentarian - Robert King, 5A-12

Personal "I-have-an-issue" moment: Angel Alston was 5A's 2007 Recording Secretary, and we've yet to see any minutes posted from last year....How does that past record jive with her newly elected position as Chair?

ANC-5A Monthly Meeting and 5A-07 Special Election - Wednesday, January 23

What: Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5A Monthly Meeting

When: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 7 p.m.

Where: Luke Moore Academy, 1001 Monroe Street, NE

Agenda Includes:
· Election of Officers for 5A
· Election of Commissioner for 5A-07 (see below)
· Announce the Vacancy of 5A-05
· MPD-5D and 4D police reports
· Community Concerns

Next 5A Monthly Meeting: Wednesday, February 23, 2008 at 7 p.m. - Taft School, 18th and Perry Street NE

- - -

What: Special election for vacant SMD 5A-07 Commissioner seat (formerly William Boston, Chair)

When: Wednesday, January 23, 2008, 7-8:30 p.m.

Where: Luke Moore Academy, 1001 Monroe Street, NE

Candidates:
· Don Padou
· Carolyn Steptoe
· Bob Artisst

*NOTE: In order to vote in the Special Election you must live in SMD 5A-07 and have your voter registration card OR be listed as a voter on the voter registration list provided by the Board of Elections.

School Closing Hearings and Links

By now you likely know about the consolidated school closure hearings on Thursday, January 17 [pdf], and "The People's Meeting" co-sponsored by Councilmembers Thomas and Barry. Whichever you choose, if you are able to make it to one of the meetings on Thursday, you will be making an impact.

- - -

Ward 5 schools to be closed (in parentheses) and their meeting locations:

· Taft Recreation Center (Burroughs ES), 1800 Perry Street NE

· Brookland ES (Bunker Hill ES), 1150 Michigan Avenue NE

· LaSalle ES (Backus MS), 501 Riggs Road NE

· Eastern SHS (M.M. Washington SHS), 1700 East Capitol Street NE

· Kelly Miller MS (Douglass and Taft CHOICE Academies and Centers), 301 49th Street NE

· Emery ES (J.F. Cook ES), 1720 1st Street NE

· Noyes ES (Slowe ES), 2725 10th Street NE

· Cleveland ES (Gage-Eckington ES), 1825 8th Street NW (Gage-Eckington is in Ward 1, just outside Ward 5)

- - -

Some links relevant to Ward 5 and DCPS:

» Save John Burroughs DC - Friends of John Burroughs Elementary

John Burroughs proudly ranks 15 out of all 81 DC Public Schools in Reading and 12 out of 81 in Math. Our enrollment is 244 and rising - we are only 7% away from full enrollment!!!....Save this model school from closure.

» "School closings plan draws opposition" - Examiner, Wednesday, January 15

“What [Burroughs Elementary School] has accomplished is incredible given the few resources it has,” said Gary Spinner, whose granddaughter is in second grade. “We were in the process to petition the mayor and chancellor for more support; in turn, we found out we would be closed.”

Spinner and other Burroughs representatives touted the fact that the school is ranked 15th out of 81 citywide in reading and that its standardized test scores last year rose by double digits. Enrollment also has been going up, they said, making it the wrong time for closure.

Chancellor Michelle Rhee has explained that the 23 schools suggested for closure were chosen mainly for building occupancy, rather than test scores or overall program quality. That numbers-driven approach was challenged Monday.

» "One DC Public School Has Fewer Than 100 Students" - WUSA9, Monday, January 14

When Principal Pat Mabry came to Slowe Elementary, the neighborhood school at 14th and Jackson Streets in Northeast had 619 students. Today, Slowe's student enrollment has plummeted to only 84 students.

There are only five classes held in the entire building for DC public school students.

DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee pointed 9NEWS NOW to Slowe Elementary as example of why up to 23 school buildings have been put on a proposed list for closing.

This has nothing to do with academic performance. It has everything to do with what the city is paying for unused space; staffing, utility and maintenance costs.

Principal Mabry isn't fighting the closing; but she and her parents don't like the plan to send Slowe students to a nearby school where students have been beefing with Slowe's young people.

» "Fixing D.C.'s Schools" - Washington Post investigative series, multiple parts posted since June 2007

GWU's DC Neighborhood College Now Accepting Applications

My experience in the DC Neighborhood College (DCNC) over the past year has been an eye-opening and extremely informative experience. I strongly urge you to apply if you have an interest in community development, activism, and leadership. The 2008-09 cohort will be a year-long commitment that includes one module per month (Thursday and Friday after work and Saturday during the day) along with an independent, community-based project that culminates in a public poster session and presentation.

George Washington University's Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (CEPL) is the home of the DC Neighborhood College, a citywide program that trains community and civic leaders to lead, organize, and influence positive change in their communities [this program was formally a DC Agenda program).

The program’s goals include developing cross-District networks of highly skilled community and civic leaders who are:

· Active in neighborhood revitalization and working to take advantage of opportunities afforded by government and private initiatives
· Connected to local, regional, and national resources
· Informed by knowledge of best practices and successful innovations in neighborhood empowerment and revitalization
· Supported by sustained training and involvement of thought and practice leaders

The Neighborhood College seeks applicants from all eight of the District’s wards and a broad representation of ages, ethnicities, and civic organizations. Participants must be District residents and are selected through a competitive application process.

Download a DC Neighborhood College brochure (PDF/744Kb).

Applications are due Friday, January 18, 2008 by 3:00 p.m. Click here to read more about the Neighborhood College.

“I use the knowledge I've gained about economic development, project management, and leadership skills on a daily basis. I'd love to participate in other programs that DC Neighborhood College offers and encourage anyone that will listen to consider participating in the program. It was truly a great experience.”
— Neighborhood College Graduate

For more information or an application, contact:
DC Neighborhood College
(202) 994-5390
Email: dcnc@gwu.edu

» If accepted, you will receive a full scholarship to attend.
» You can view the 2008-09 schedule here.
» You can download the application here.

I've kept my independent project close to home by creating the framework for a hypothetical Woodridge Community Development Corporation (CDC) focusing initially on the Rhode Island Avenue commercial corridor running through our neighborhood. I've started building a website to coincide with the project, though it's not yet ready to go live. I hope to maintain that site in addition to this blog once my DCNC cohort finishes in March as a way of keeping the community up-to-date on development in the area. If anything, I've gained invaluable knowledge about the inner-workings of DC, community organizing, and leadership that will continue to guide me in my community engagement...do yourself - and your community - a favor and apply.