Mendelson Holding Tax Assessment Workshops - But When and Where?

I just learned about these meetings on the 4D-Neighbors Listserv:

(Washington, DC) Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) will hold a set of four tax assessment workshops throughout the District over the next two weeks. The workshops are designed to answer residents' questions about the tax assessment process, the tax appeal process, and eligibility for certain deductions. "This is a difficult subject for people. In most cases residents have seen a steep increase in their assessments. They need to understand the tax appeal process and find out how they can challenge an unfair assessment," stated Mendelson. Representatives from the Office of Tax and Revenue will accompany Mendelson at each of the meetings. This is the fourth consecutive year Mendelson has held such meetings throughout the city. "It's important to help protect their pocket book," says Mendelson. "As elected officials, we continue to hear about property taxes. It's really the only tax about which we hear complaints. This issue is important to District residents."

My issues:
* I can't find any listings for meetings other than the one that happens this evening (3/16) for Petworth, Columbia Heights, and LeDroit Park at the 3D Police Station, 1620 V Street, NW, 6:30pm. Does anyone else have the information?
* Does Mendelson explain the difference between the assessment and the capped assessment? My understanding is that most residents pay only on the capped amount; the current cap is at 10% (unless you've owned your home for less than a year, like me - you get to wait for a full turning of a fiscal year before the cap goes into effect - and you are, essentially, screwed). I believe the appeal will work only if you can prove your house is worth less than the capped amount, and that's typically unlikely.
* Does he discuss or better explain why he was against a 5% cap when a number of states are reducing their caps to 3% and lower?
* Finally, how can this be "really the only tax about which we hear complaints?" I'm certain both my driver's license and license plates clealy state "Taxation Without Representation."

Brookland Civic Association & ANC-5A06 Meeting Tuesday, March 14th

What: Brookland Neighborhood Civic Association & ANC-5A06 Meeting (it's not clear to me how/why these are combined)

When: Tuesday, March 14th, 2006 from 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Where: Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Avenue, NE

Agenda: Opening Remarks / Announcements; Old Business: Crime Report, Metro Station Construction Update, CSX-Toxic Trains in Brookland Overview; Invited Guests: Chief C. Ramsey, 5-D; Commander J. Green, 5-D; Congresswomen Eleanor H. Norton; DC School Board Vice Chair Carolyn Graham; Ward 5 Councilmember Vincent Orange; Fred Millar; Community Concerns; New Business; Adjournment

Next Meeting: Tuesday, April 11th, 2006

More Information: Contat Mary Baird Currie, 202.635.1970

Fight Hunger with Dining Out for Life Thursday, March 9th (today!) and the Idiotarod this Saturday

If you get the chance to go out for lunch or dinner today, you can make every penny count. This year, Dining Out for Life has coordinated 150 local restaurants in DC, MD, and VA that will each donate 25-100% of their March 9th sales to support Food & Friends' growing mission. The list varies in both style and price range. I've never had a better reason to eat myself silly at Zed's!

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On a similar note, DC's first Idiotarod (yep, you read that right) will start at 2pm this Saturday (while I'm at the Ward 5 Constituent Services Summit). 50% of all proceeds will be donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. Good times all around.

Ward 5 Constituent Services Summit Saturday, March 11th

What: 7th Annual Ward 5 Constituent Services Summit

When: Saturday, March 11th, 2006 from 8:30am - 3pm

Where: Trinity University (O'Connor Auditorium), 125 Michigan Avenue, NE

About the Summit (from the Ward 5 "News You Can Use" newsletter):
Come to the 7th Annual Ward 5 Constituent Services Summit to meet face-to-face and dialogue with agency directors charged with providing service. For onsite registration for Summer Youth Employment (10:00am until 2:00pm) you must bring: proof of residency, citizenship/permanent residency, Social Security Card, and recent report card. For additional information please call (202) 724-8028.

Public Safety Townhall Meeting Thursday, March 9th

What: Public Safety Townhall Meeting on "Criminal Investigation to Incarceration and Beyond"

When: Thursday, March 9th, 2006 from 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Where: Savoy Elementary School, 2400 Shannon Place, SE (across from the Anacostia Metro Station)

About the Meeting (from the Ward 5 listserv): The issue of public safety is a continuing concern among all District residents and the government has failed to slow the revolving door of recidivism. Make a difference - come out and let your voices be heard on the District's Criminal Justice System.

Saving the Source Theatre

Though it has gotten coverage in the media (here, here, here, and here), I'm not sure enough people are aware of the pending contract Bedrock Companies (Atomic Billiards, Buffalo Billiards, Mackeys, etc.) has on the Source Theatre property. Tomorrow night (Thursday, March 2nd) I'll be attending the ANC-1B meeting, 7pm at the True Reformer Building, 1200 U Street, NW to support Washington Improv Theater (WIT) and those in the community who want to see the facility remain a viable theater for the DC arts community. Mark Chalfant, WIT's Artistic Director, wrote a wonderful letter and sent it to all concerned parties - the list is far too long to repeat here. The letter, however, sums up why DC - not just the Ward 1 community - must come together to save the theater:

On behalf of Washington Improv Theater (WIT), I am writing in regards to the recently announced sale of the Source Theatre facility at 1835 14th Street, NW. Source has announced plans to sell the building to the Bedrock Companies, who plan to convert the space to a bar and grill with pool tables. News of the sale is deeply troubling to everyone who wants the arts to thrive in Washington. We urge you to do anything in your power to prevent the arts community and the community at large from losing this valuable cultural asset.

Historical Context:

For twenty-eight years, this 140-seat black box theater has hosted many of our city's finest emerging talents – actors, directors, playwrights and theater companies – playing a unique role in cultivating new work and driving creative and economic activity to 14th Street, NW, one of our city's great streets.

In A Nutshell:

Exact details of the Source Theatre Company's situation have been hard to come by. The basic facts, to the best of our knowledge so far, are:

• Source shut its doors two years ago to sort out its finances, promising to open them again in a few months' time and to engage the community in efforts to resolve the company's problems. That outreach and reopening never occurred, and the decision to sell the property seems to have been made with no community consultation.

• The sale of the property to the Bedrock Companies is set for closing in May, with a sale price in the $3-million range.

• Source owes the city approx. $375,000 on a mortgage note, and $25,000 for the return of a facilities grant for roof repairs which were never executed.

• Source has other debts, the extent of which is unknown, as Source has so far refused to disclose them.

• DC has invested several thousand dollars in the Source's success over the years, in the form of grants and gifts.

What Could Happen:

There are at least three plans which could succeed in keeping the Source alive as a performance space. All of them would require a new party assuming Source's mortgage, resolving Source's debts, and taking over management of the facility at 1835 14th Street, NW.

Option 1 – A collective of arts groups bands together to make the Source a co-operative venture. So far one such interested group includes the In Series, Actors' Theatre of Washington, Latin American Folk Institute, and Washington Improv Theater.

Option 2 – The Cultural Development Corporation, the nonprofit organization that operates the Flashpoint arts incubator, assumes the operation and maintenance of the facility. CuDC has confirmed that they would be interested in exploring this option.

Option 3 – A single tenant theater/performance company takes over Source's debts and the facility. Washington Improv Theater may have capacity to explore this, but only after complete financial disclosure on the part of Source.

What Must Happen:

A dialogue. The Source has a fantastic opportunity to engage the arts community in finding a solution that resolves Source's outstanding debts and stabilizes the facility's management so that it can continue its legacy of fostering some of DC's most adventurous and innovative theater. On the other side of the table, the nice folks at Bedrock Companies have an opportunity to listen to the community where they wish to establish a business, and perhaps to understand why the Source is such an irreplaceable treasure for the city.

At a time when the city is investing in new theatre development citywide, we must urge you to invest equal energy in this venue's preservation. Please join in encouraging the Source and the Bedrock Companies to search for a solution to prevent the destruction of this vital, historic theater venue.

They can begin that search by engaging the community in an earnest and informative discussion of the Source's outstanding debts and circumstances—the discussion that was promised by Source when they initially closed their doors.

If you are unable to attend tomorrow evening's ANC meeting, please consider contacting the following, in addition to spreading the word on your neighborhood listservs and blogs, and writing letters to editors:

- Councilmember Jim Graham, 202.724.8181, jim@grahamone.com

- ANC-1B02 Commissioner Philip Spalding (who has reportedly expressed support for the sale), 202.986.5053, ANC1B02@PhilSpalding.us

- ANC-1B04 Commissioner Dee Hunter, 202.822.4529, DHunterlaw@aol.com

- Mayor Anthony Williams, 202.727.1000, http://dc.gov/atd/atd_askthemayor.asp.

Update: Save Our Source is "a blog for the grass-roots effort to restore and preserve the Source Theatre facility at 1835 14th Street, NW, as a vital cultural asset for the 14th and U Community."

Sign this online petition to "urge Bedrock Companies and the leadership of Source Theatre to stop the planned sale of Source Theatre's building at 1835 14th Street, NW, and to engage the neighborhood and the arts and funding communities in a dialog to craft a strategy to retain the Source's facility as a self-sustaining arts and performance hub in midtown."

ANC-5B Monthly Meeting Thursday, March 2nd

What: Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5B Monthly Meeting

When: Thursday, March 2nd, 2006 at 7:30pm

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

Agenda: TBA

H Street CDC Development at 4th and Rhode Island Avenue, NE

On the Bloomingdale Blog, I came across some info on the Truxton Circle site about the H Street CDC's proposed development at 4th and Rhode Island, NE.

I highly recommend the Truxton Circle site, even if you don't live in the immediate neighborhood - it has a great collection of resources, including links, stories and articles, an events calendar, and community resources. For members (you simply need to create a free account) there are discussion boards and a daily e-mail update. I'm sure I'm missing some details, since I've just started navigating the site myself, but what a wonderful community tool!

Brookland Community Garden Meeting Sunday, February 26th

What: Brookland Community Garden Meeting - Learn more about the garden and how you can get involved and experience the joy of community gardening.

When: Sunday, February 26th, 2006 at 2pm

Where: Cafe Sureia, 3629 12th Street, NE

About the Garden: The Brookland Community Garden is currently located at 7th and Monroe Streets, NE - a great, sunny location. Plots are 10' x 20' in size and the garden is ideal for vegetables that need a large growing area and/or for growing vegetables on a large scale. Water is available on-site. Our gardeners are committed to 100% organic practices.

Two Transportation Meetings Saturday (and Some Interesting Links)

There's no minute like the last minute. See this post at Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space for information on two public meetings taking place tomorrow (Saturday, February 25th, 2006). Since I live just steps away from the intersection of my street and South Dakota Avenue, I'm very interested in the first meeting. From a quick check on the internet, it looks like you should be able to e-mail your input (whether or not you are able to attend) to the Ward 5 Transportation Planner, Sharlene Reed. Though I hate to think I need to say it, I've seen what neighbors can do on the listservs in the heat of the moment: Please remember to be courteous.

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While poking around the web for this information, I stumbled across a few interesting links:

• The picture above is a still taken this evening from the traffic camera located at Rhode Island Ave. & South Dakota Ave., NE. You can view the live feed from all the Distict's traffic cams here. (Warning: I imagine the upload time is brutal with a dial-up connection.)
  
• A link to DDOT's "Brookland Transportation and Streetscape Study," as well as the website dedicated to the study, hosted by one of the project's consultants, Michael Baker Corporation.
  
• A link to DDOT's "South Dakota Avenue and Streetscape Study" and the Wilbur Smith Associates website dedicated to the study. (this info added to the post after the meeting)
  
• A list of recent/current DC transportation studies.

Burroughs School's Phone Tower is Opposed

Article in today's Washington Post about the Sprint cell phone tower at John Burroughs Elementary, 1820 Monroe Street, NE.

ANC-5C Monthly Meeting Tuesday, February 21st

What: Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5C Monthly Meeting

When: Tuesday, February 21st, 2006 from 7pm - 9pm

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

Invited guests include representatives from the following: Howard University’s Center for Urban Progress, Reference: Update on CUP's Lead Poisoning Prevention Efforts; H Street Community Development Corporation Proposal, Reference: Update on Consolidated PUD on 4th Street NE Property; Metropolitan Police Department, Reference: Public Safety Report

ANC-5A Monthly Meeting Wednesday, February 22nd

What: Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5A Monthly Meeting

When: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006 at 7pm

Where: John Burroughs Elementary, 1820 Monroe Street, NE

Agenda: TBA

Greater Brookland Business Association, Inc. Monthly Meeting Wednesday, February 22nd

What: The Greater Brookland Business Association, Inc. (GBBA) Monthly Meeting

When: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006 at 6:30pm

Where: Ryan's Funeral Home on 12th Street, NE

Agenda: (taken nearly verbatim from a posting on the Brookland Listserv) This meeting is of particular interest for DC businesses as Mid-City Urban Development, the developer of the planned $100 million Rhode Island Metro project, is expected to make a presentation to the group.

From the GBBA:

The position of the GBBA is to impress upon this and other developers that most of the good and services they will need to build the project and to operate it after it is built are available right here from DC businesses. Most often, development projects are built with no DC businesses involved but with plenty of DC tax dollars. We are interested in:

1) making sure developers are aware of good and services available locally,

2) making the DC Council, ANCs, and other approving entities require participation of DC businesses as a condition of their approval, and

3) making it known that DC Residents and Businesses are active in the success or failure of development projects in DC.

Plan to attend and find out what is proposed and how, as a DC based business, you can participate in this and other development projects. You will also meet many of the other business owners in the Greater Brookland Area. A good turnout will also impress on the developers, DC Council Members, and ANC Commissioners that the Brookland area residents and businesses are involved, and care about what projects get approved in our area.

Unfortunately I can't make it to this one - I'll be trying to make it to the ANC-5A meeting the same night. My assumption is that the 5A Commissioners will be at their own meeting, rather than this one. This meeting should also be of great interest to residents of Edgewood, Eckington, Brentwood, and Bloomingdale.

Woodridge Coalition of Concerned Neighbors Meeting Monday, February 13th

What: Woodridge Coalition of Concerned Neighbors Meeting

When: Monday, February 13, 2006 from 6:30pm - 8:30pm

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

Special Guests: Vincent B. Orange - Ward 5 Council Member to discuss Ward 5 accomplishments of 2005 and the future plans for 2006; Commander Jennifer Greene - 5D Police Department; Mr. Bruce Marshall, Esq. - Candidate for Ward 5 Council Seat; Bill Rice - Spokesperson for the DC Department of Transportation to provide an update on the community's concerns

Notes: The community has been informed that illegal dumping in the Woodridge area street, sidewalks, and alleys is being investigated. Please keep your eyes open for violators. With unity and determination, we can make this community a better and more suitable place to live. In union, strong success is assured.

Contact: Ms. Lloyd at 202.903.6197 or 202.257.0001, concernneighbors@aol.com

Since we've been in the neighborhood, I've yet to make it to one of these meetings - I typically have class on Mondays when they are held. If any one is attending, or has attended in the past, please leave notes/comments/etc. here.

Programming Update...

I've had an epiphany of sorts. In many ways I've been hoping this blog would organically evolve into "something," but I didn't quite know what that something was. Well, turns out that often the most obvious is the hardest to see clearly. I want this to be a community blog. I've been linking to many of them now for months, reading them for longer: Frozen Tropics, In Shaw, Bloomingdale, and Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space(community from a much more policy oriented point of view). While it would be a lie for me to say that I agreed with everything these bloggers write about, I can honestly say they are all invaluable community resources.

Lately, most of my (infrequent) posts have been focused on my neighborhood and its environs, rather than on the latest national scandal or my own personal drama (though I must argue that the RAC postings were both community oriented and personal drama, and that's just fine here). I've nothing against those kinds of blogs; I read and enjoy those blogs. But that's not the direction SBR (thanks, Jess) is headed. My energy is better spent attempting to positively impact both my community and DC at large rather than trying to outwit Michelle Malkin in a forum that sees less than 1/10,000 of her net traffic.

I admire the bloggers I mentioned above, and I hope they aren't ashamed three months from now when I'm still linking to them; for your sake, let's hope I've learned something from reading their blogs. Please chime in, send me links and news I've missed, and stumble through these growing pains with me.

Thank you. We now return you to your newly scheduled programming....

This Time, Word Got Out

And this time, thank god, it looks like the victim will survive. This afternoon, 16 year old Montell Womack was hit by a stray bullet while riding home from school on the 86 bus. Right now the news reports are vague and somewhat innacurate (the robbery and shooting actually occured at 18th and Rhode Island Avenue, NE, starting at Rhode Island Liquors), but they are out there. I hope to get a Washington Post link soon. According to Womack's father, Montell had his arm up - perhaps propping his head up - and that made all the difference. The bullet went into Montell's forearm, shattering arteries and bone.

UPDATE: Here's the WaPo link - a bit more detailed than the others.

I had every intention of writing a post about the Listening Session I attended last night at the Woodridge Library; instead I am writing about another senseless crime in my neighborhood...directly across the street from the public library. While I'm aware of the apparent idealism inherent in my belief that we should be able to move about our communities safely, I am certain of my realistic incredulousness at the fact that I may now feel safer in Adams Morgan than in my own neighborhood.

Sure, I spend time in Adams Morgan, and I'd prefer to do so in relative safety, but I spend far more time at home. According to the WaPo article linked above:

A spate of crimes outside Adams Morgan clubs and bars, including two assaults in which victims were left in critical condition, has prompted police to plan greater deployment in the area of 18th Street NW, they said yesterday.

Larry McCoy, commander of the 3rd Police District, said the number of officers will grow to as many as 23, up from five to 10 on a typical Thursday, Friday or Saturday night.

McCoy said that the officers will be moved from other shifts in the 3rd District and that they will be on foot, in cars and on scooters. The officers will patrol the main strip and side streets, he said.

"We're going to get this under control and make sure people can come into Adams Morgan and not have any fear," McCoy said at a news conference organized by D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1).

Questions:

• Can anyone tell me the last time a "spate of crimes" in Districts 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 prompted an increased police deployment? This is not rhetorical or snarky, I truly want to know....Sursum Corda comes to mind. But that "crackdown" has transformed into a buyout as of late.
• How do residents in other parts of Ward 3 feel, losing as many as 18 officers on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays?
• What does it feel like to have 10 cops patrolling your neighborhood? Hell, what does it feel like when they arrive after a 311 call? I've yet to find out.
• When will the violence be under control in my neck of the woods - or yours?
• When will we, our family, our friends, and passersby "not have any fear?"

My warmest thoughts and prayers are with Montell Womack and his family.

Shhhh....I've Got a PostSecret

That's right, Tony, Tiffany, Chris, and I finally made it out to the PostSecret exhibit (along with 1/8 of the DC metropolitan population) during its last breaths. What is prompting me to write this post, more than the exhibit itself, is DCist's "Out and About: Weekend Picks" from this past Friday. Just read Saturday and the three comments. Then, commence being flabbergasted just like I was/am.

The objectives of both the PostSecret project and exhibit are perhaps innumerable. One intention that stands out to me, however, is reminiscent of the art of folks like Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, and Howard Finster. Words are an integral part of each artist's oeuvre (my goodness, flabbergasted and oeuvre, all in one post?). The few times I've seen Kruger and Finster's work in a museum, I was compelled to stop and read. Other people were doing the same. That is the nature of viewing public - and often confessional or narrative - art. Kudos to Frank Warren and everyone with a secret to share!

What Happens in NE Stays in NE

I attempted to post a comment yesterday on DCist, but, for the second time in as many weeks, whatever I wrote was sucked out into the ether of the interwebs. And so we start over here....

Since moving to NE in June, I've noticed many events, well, going unnoticed for the most part. Homicide? Maybe a little bit of play on the evening news. Flipped over cars (three that I know of in my 'hood since August)? Zippity-do-da. Trees crashing into people's houses, transformers blowing left and right like it was the War of the Worlds? Okay, that was on the news - remember that crazy summer storm in Silver Spring? It was here, in Woodridge/Brookland, too. The neighbor's tree was on my shed for a month since I don't happen to keep a chainsaw handy.

What started me on this tangent in the first place was the "Briefly Noted: Media storm over Christmas Day shootings in Fairfax" (bottom of the post). I don't deny that this shooting spree is a terrible tragedy, but I cannot let it overshadow two homicides that occured over the weekend in Ward 5 (thank you, inked, for the very handy link). The first occured on the 24th; Frank Kamara, owner of East Coast Auto, was shot and killed in what police believe was a botched attempted robbery. Kamara was 38 and married with three daughters. The second murder happened just two blocks from my house. Latisha Ethridge was 24; she and the suspect, William Gales, had a child together. This case should be in everyone's face, if only because of the underlying theme of domestic violence. But I digress....

Sure, I was able to find news links for the murders - hell, Kamara even made it to the front of The Washington Post's Metro section on the 26th. But the Fairfax murders have been on the front page for the past three days. Can someone please tell me what is going on here before I cannonball into the valley of conclusions?

UPDATE: The power went out for a few minutes, serving, I believe, as some sort of sign for me to cannonball into bed. Let me stop for now with this: May all the victims rest in peace, and may all the families and friends find solace in the coming year. Let's not be so numbed by the complexity/violence/senselessness of events around us that we forget all of these lives are more than simply statistics. And we can't fight the statistics by pretending nothing is happening.

Take this RAC and Shove It

Bitter? Perhaps. Disappointed? Absolutely. Yours truly did not make the cut for Metro's Riders' Advisory Council:

Greetings:

Thank you for your interest in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Riders' Advisory Council (RAC). We received an overwhelming number of applications, and while it was a difficult decision, our Board of Directors has selected the 21 members to serve on this inaugural Council.

We appreciate the time and effort you took to complete the application. The Riders' Advisory Council meetings will be open to the public. We welcome your participation and ideas for improving your Metro system.

Best wishes to you in your future endeavors.

Um, thank you? Though I am giving myself a firm pat on the back for applying - too often I will think about acting on a goal just long enough to watch the deadline creep past - I must admit my heart actually sank a bit (no, really, I felt something move) when I received the rejection slip e-mail.

Hell, I should just go to bed. Sleep it off....Wake up in the morning, put on some thermals, and guess when my bus is coming. This morning it didn't show up on time; 15 minutes later, two pulled up together. Yippee - a choice of how best to get to work late: old, refurbished bus or newer, "running on natural gas" bus. The bright side is that I know now I won't be fielding complaints. Oooh, I think my heart just moved back into place.