ANC2C02 Forum

7pm, Tuesday, July 8
Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 7th St NW

I hope local residents will be able to join me and come out next Tuesday for some very informative discussions about our community.

Confirmed Guests:

• Third District MPD Commander George Kucik. The Metropolitan Police Department’s newly appointed Commander for the Third District Commander Kucik (“cue-sic”), George.Kucik@dc.gov, will give an update on local crime activity, Shotspotter technology in Shaw, and discuss concerns about the recent Supreme Court decision striking down the DC gun ban. Assistant Chief Diane Groomes has also been invited and will attend if her schedule permits.
• Liz Falk, of the Seventh Street Gardeners, will lead a discussion on “Bringing a Farmers Market to Shaw.” Convenient, affordable, healthy produce from local farmers is a good idea for Shaw especially when the “CityMarket at O” begins construction [ The7thStreetGarden.squarespace.com ]
• Christopher Ziemann, from the Department of Transportation, will discuss Pedestrian safety and plans for adding traffic calming features to our streets such as speed humps and raised crosswalks (see back page). Safety on our streets is important to everyone. The District Draft Pedestrian Master Plan report is now ready for public review here

JustinDC gave a very good rundown of Wednesday's hearing. Read through my official testimony, that of ANC2C01 Commissioner Alexander M Padro, and newly elected CCCA interim president, Martin Moulton.

After a DC Council vote on July 15, passage is expected in September. The project is scheduled to move ahead and break ground some time in the fall of 2009 with the opening of the new Giant sometime in 2011.

National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
OurPublicService.org/careerfair/

Don't miss this opportunity to network with federal agency recruiters. There will be several workshops for those interested in learning more about federal opportunities. Learn how to navigate the federal hiring process. Workshop will include information about finding federal opportunities, writing federal resumes and KSAs, and navigating USAjobs.gov. Representatives from many federal agencies will be on hand to answer questions. RSVP using links below. Free admission.

How to Find and Apply for Federal Jobs
5-6pm, July 8 & July 10

Town Hall Meeting and Career Fair
5:30pm, Wednesday, July 16

The library declaration presented by Library Dynamo activist Chris Otten at Wednesday's public meeting was given unanimous support by the Commission with regard to the redevelopment planning for the new Watha T Daniel / Shaw Library.

DECLARATION:
It is the sense of the following Advisory Neighborhood Commissions and signed Commissioners, that DC Public Libraries and the Board of Library Trustees have not lived up to its legal obligation to invite ANC's into the library transformation process in any meaningful way. This Advisory Neighborhood Commission collectively decries a poor library transformation process and denounces DCPL and BOLT for its failure to include ANC's in the design process.

[UPDATE: Metropolitan Development will not make a presentation at tonight's Commission meeting ]

6:30pm, Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 7th Street NW

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2C Public Meeting

AGENDA | Download original

1. Meeting called to order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of Treasurer's report
4. Approval of June 4, 2008 minutes
5. Speaker - Metropolitan Development on Kelsey Gardens Apartments
6. Old & new business
7. Public comments
8. Adjournment

Five copies of the 7/2/08 meeting agenda were hand delivered on 6/25/08 to each ANC 2C Commissioner's home for posting in their single member districts. Also the 6/4/08 meeting minutes [were] hand delivered to each Commmissioner on 6/25/08.

For more information, contact ANC 2C Chair Doris L Brooks on (202) 682-1633 or her executive assistant Mahdi Leroy J Thorpe Jr on (202) 387-1596 or MLThorpe ]at[ aol.com

512 Rhode Island Avenue NW

Although the owner of 512 Rhode Island Avenue NW never bothered to follow through with his promise to remove the parked vehicles on his lot, the City finally did it last week with a little encouragement from the Mayor's Office of Community Relations and Services. The owner of the property did not have the proper license to keep these vehicles at this location. We are still in the process of finalizing a few minor legal details of the voluntary liquor license agreement with the owner.

2:30-4:00 pm, Sunday, June 29 (Today)
The Reeves Center
2nd Floor Community Room
2000 14th St. NW
(14th & U St.)
Please RSVP to Gloria Robinson
(202) 232-2915 | grobinson ]at[ onedconline.org

Watch the film and be a part of the discussion about “Chocolate City" this afternoon. ... Chocolate Ice Cream (and other flavors) will be served! This is another great community event presented by OneDC. Free.

In case you missed this article in last week's Washington Post, it's important to recognize and give a shout out to the Seventh Street Gardeners who continue to do tremendous work in and for our community. Although BreadForTheCity.org's plans to reprogram the current garden space as a part of its upcoming expansion, we're sure that the gardeners will continue their great work when they find a new location. Please mark you calendars for the July 24th picnic and discussion about how Bread for the City will be expanding their very important services for our community and the rest of the District.

The DC Free Summer Meals Program (FSMP), provides nutritious meals and snacks served to children 18 and younger. These meals help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need to learn, play and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school. The following are some nearby locations for children to receive these healthy breakfast and lunch meals

Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 7th Street NW | June, 13 - August, 22
Breakfast: 9:00-10:00, Lunch: 12:00-2:00

Dunbar SHS, 1301 New Jersey Avenue NW | June, 26 - July, 30
Breakfast: 8:00-9:00, Lunch: 11:30-1:00

Shaw Middle School, 925 Rhode Island Avenue NW | June, 26 - July, 30
Breakfast: 8:00-9:00, Lunch: 12:00-1:00

New Community For Children, 1722 6th Street NW | June, 23 - August, 15
Breakfast: 7:30-8:30, Lunch: 12:00-1:00

Lincoln Westmoreland I & II Community Center, 1709 8th Street NW | June, 23 - August, 8
Breakfast: 9:00-9:30, Lunch: 12:30-1:00

Pediatric Aids/ HIV Care Inc., 450 M Street NW | June, 16 - August, 23
Breakfast: 8:30-9:00, Lunch: 12:30-1:00

According to this flyer, ANC2C04 Commissioner Barbara Curtis is running to retain her seat as a Commissioner in the 2008 campaign.

You can reach Ms Curtis at (202) 468-4244.

View video clip of Mayor Adrian Fenty's and Councilmember Jack Evans' remarks. Download press release.

ANC2C01 Commissioner Alexander M Padro (right), along side Mayor Adrian Fenty, talks about the City Market at O development that will be a part of his single member district.

Although the legislation for the $35M tax increment financing (TIF) package still needs to be approved by the DC Council, all major hurdles seem to have been cleared now that Roadside Development has received preliminary support for the financing from Mayor Fenty, Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans, At Large Councilmember Kwame Brown, and Neil Albert Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. This $260M project will bring the largest (71,000 sq ft) grocery store in the District to Shaw with . There are already retail tenants lined up for a few of the commercial units that will be a part of the project.

District government officials and Roadside Development team celebrate moving forward with CityMarket at O St.

UPDATE: Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans and other officials will also be on hand for the announcement of the $33 Million in tax increment financing.

12:15pm, Friday, June 27
7th & O Street NW

Mayor Adrian Fenty is holding press conference at the O Street Market to announce TIF legislation for "CityMarket at O." Anyone who is free around lunch time is invited to stop by and show their support.

Councilmember Evans introduced the “CityMarket at O Street Tax Increment Financing Act of 2008” at the Council’s session on June 17 and then scheduled a public hearing on the bill for July 2 at 10 a.m. (see hearing notice for information on hearing). The TIF is the final and most critical piece of our public approvals as it provides the public financing necessary to move forward.
— Roadside Development

There are several reports this morning on the US Supreme Court ruling which overturned a law prohibiting the possession of handguns by private citizens in the District.

“The opinion was written by Justice Antonin Scalia. Dissenting were Justices Stephen Breyer, John Paul Stevens, David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. The handgun ban had been in place in the District since 1976.”
— Roll Call newspaper (subscriber only)

“The Constitution does not permit 'the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home,' Scalia said. The court also struck down Washington's requirement that firearms be equipped with trigger locks. ...

"The law adopted by Washington's city council in 1976 bars residents from owning handguns unless they had one before the law took effect. Shotguns and rifles may be kept in homes, if they are registered, kept unloaded and either disassembled or equipped with trigger locks."
— The Washington Post

Third District Commander George Kucik

CRIME UPDATE

At Tuesday's evening's CCCA meeting Commander Kucik lead a 40 min. discussion on recent criminal activities in the neighborhood and responded to questions from the public. Contrary to the earlier report, the MPD Training Academy officers are only expected to be in our area for one day. Nonetheless, three of 14 newly trained officers are expected to be assigned to PSA 308 by July 6. The MPD's gun recovery unit is also focussing special attention on gun related crime in Shaw. Cmdr Kucik suggested that there would be more MPD response to complaints regarding problems on the 400 block of Q St and the MPD will implement some new strategies such as traffic stops to deter non district drivers from frequenting the area for nefarious purposes. Kucik also said he would address with responding officers any complaints that local residents had with regard to initial police response after last Sunday's shooting.

Kucik also emphasized that PSA 308 Lt Micah Pate [ (202) 506-0743, MIcah.Pate ]at[ dc.gov ] should be the first point of contact for residents who need more attention to problems than they receive when calling 911. Residents can also contact the MPD's Vice unit for gun and drug related problems by contacting Lt. Christopher Avery [ Christopher.Avery ]at[ dc.gov ]. Although PSA meetings are usually not scheduled for August, Cmdr Kucik suggested that he would look into having PSA 308 hold it's monthly meeting in August in the wake of recent problems.

CCCA MOVES FORWARD

During Tuesday's meeting, residents revised the CCCA boundaries to remain solely inside Ward 2 boundaries and include both the Convention Center and the site of the planned Convention Center hotel area. The organization's boundaries will include N St and New Jersey Ave to Florida Avenue; Florida Ave to T St; T St to Wiltberger St; Wiltberger St to S St; S Street to 10th St; both sides of the 10th St south to Massachusetts Ave; Massachusetts Ave to Mt Vernon Pl; Mt Vernon Pl to 7th St; 7th St north to N St; and N Street east back to New Jersey Ave.

CCCA Boundaries include the Walter E Washington Convention Center, the planned Marriott Convention Center hotel district and the planned City Market at O development.

Bylaws for the new organization are being revised so that they can be amended if necessary and approved by a vote during the next meeting on Tuesday, July 29. Provisional officers were elected until the next general meeting which should take place October 28 when a full board of officers can be nominated and elected. The provisional president of the CCCA will be Martin Moulton. The provisional Secretary will be Charles Walker.

In an announcement earlier this week, Mayor Fenty suggested there would be sweeping changes "in how the District will track and monitor the condition of residential properties and pledged to work closely with the DC Council to modernize the city’s property code enforcement process to eliminate burdensome legal hurdles."

“Landlords have no excuse for letting their buildings fall apart. Now we will have no more excuses for delaying enforcement. We need our laws to be strong enough to compel action.”
— Mayor Fenty

Could this possibly mean that the neighbors of properties like 1504 6th Street NW, which has been brought to the attention of Lindia Argo at DCRA directly by Councilmember Evans himself as well as the Mayor's office, might be able to sue the District for the continued neglect and delays in fixing up its own properties — the continued degradation of which is affecting the structural integrity of their own homes?

In the wake of recent heavy rains which no doubt flooded the inside of 1502 6th Street which has no roof, some residents are concerned that the flooding at this property might be impacting the structural integrity of the adjacent homes at their foundations.

Caved roof at 1504 6th St NW at District-owned vacant property. May 10, 2008.

May 10, 2008.

COPE / Red Hats Annual Shaw Awards Block Party
12pm-5pm, Saturday, June 28, 2008 (no rain date)
1704 5th Street NW (5th & R Streets NW)

Mayor Fenty, Ward 2 Councilmember Evans, Chief Cathy Lanier and other officials have been invited and or scheduled to receive awards.

There were apparently about 16 MPD Training Academy officers walking on the 1300-1500 blocks off 5th Street alone this afternoon according to one report. They were handing out contact information and speaking with everyone they ran into as they made their way through the neighborhood. This level of MPD presence in this area is unprecedented in recent years, but it is welcomed in the wake of recent shootings. The MPD seems to be responding to the increased level of community outrage over recent crimes. Reportedly, they expect to be around for several days at this level of duty. The text of their handout is below.

"You have been visited by members of the Metropolitan Police Department's Training Academy. We are conducting a community policing training exercise entitled the Focused Redeployment Enhancement Effort (FREE). Chief Lanier challenged her staff to develop innovative programs that will enhance police visibility while accomplishing the department's mission. This training exercise is a result of that challenge. The goal of this training exercise is to

1. Get police recruits out of the classroom and into the community;
2. Provide police recruits with experience walking a footbeat;
3. Create the opportunity for the face-to-face police/citizen encounters in a non-stressful environment; and
4. Create a greater level of police visibility in neighborhoods.

If we have missed you on this initial visit, we look forward to meeting and working with you in the future.”

[ PSA Officer information and the District telephone numbers and emergency numbers are listed on the flip side of the card. 3rd District MPD (202) 673-6815 ]

The MPD has released the following stats and maps on recent criminal activity in Shaw in light of recent shootings that have troubled many residents. I will be meeting with officers this evening at Third District headquarters to discuss recent activity in my single member district.

Download large PSA 308 map of Assaults with Deadly Weapons (ADW) from May 1 - June 23, 2008.

PSA 308 Lieutenant Micah Pate has informed me that there will be an MPD officer available at tonight's CCCA meeting (7pm Kennedy Recreation Center) to answer questions residents may have at the beginning of that meeting. I have also invited Assistant Chief Diane Groomes to brief the community regarding the MPD's response to the recent rash of shootings in Shaw during my July 8 single member district meeting (7pm Kennedy Recreation Center). Although shootings are down in our area 49% from this time last year, the MPD agrees that any single shooting is one too many. PSA 308 is currently staffed with 26 officers and there is an effort to continue to increase their visibility on the streets. The MPD has been working with local tenants associations recently to bar several individuals from local properties who do not reside at the properties where they loiter.

The kittens, though very small with very wobbly legs, have some very sharp claws and are impressive climbers. They can climb my legs up to my waist when I'm standing. Way beyond their level of safety. This is why we've kept them in a cage when they can't be watched. Last night one of them fell climbing inside the cage and apparently broke it's neck. It was paralyzed and unable to make a sound but breathing when I removed it from the cage. My neighbor helped me euthanize it in a plastic bag (after she helped me pull myself together). Bottle feeding for more than a week made us all very close. An old Bulgari box made for a nice coffin.

The other two (above) are as lively and loud as ever.

Last weekend, while I and some volunteers were distributing the latest edition of my community magazine, anc2c02&You!, a neighbor showed me this flyer. He told me that the flyer was personally given to him a week ago Friday by Leroy Thorpe, current president of the ECCA, former ANC 2C02 Commissioner and former Chairman of ANC 2C. Mr. Thorpe told the neighbor that he is running for ANC 2C02 Commissioner in the November 4 election and sought his support. We noticed that many of these flyers were distributed to homes throughout my single member district.

Well, I guess the obvious has now been officially verified in writing: Mr. Thorpe wants his old job back.

During the last election cycle, I didn't publicly announce my candidacy until August 2006, and did not officially start campaigning until after Labor Day 2006. I assume in, this election year of "Change," both Mr. Thorpe and ANC 2C03 candidate Jessica Lanza see the benefits of starting their campaigns earlier.

However, one could argue that Mr. Thorpe has been plotting his political come back since December 2006 when it became clear to him that after 18 years as ANC 2C02 Commissioner, he lost his re-election bid. In December 2006 he devised and carried out a plan to oust Betty Newell, then president of the ECCA, and have himself installed as head of the civic association. A few days later in one of his final acts as ANC 2C02 Commissioner, he resigned as ANC 2C Chairman and immediately called for an election of new officers for ANC 2C. Because he controlled the majority of the votes on our four-member commission, he was able to have his two allies, ANC 2C03 Commissioner Doris Brooks and ANC 2C04 Commissioner Barbara Curtis — both of whom won their re-election bids, elected to all four of the officer positions. The newly elected Commission Chairperson/Secretary, Doris Brooks, while reading from a script Mr. Thorpe had prepared, moved the commission to award thousands of dollars to the ECCA to purchase computers and video equipment. Ms. Brooks went on to read/move the commission to name Mr. Thorpe as Parliamentarian and Executive Assistant to the Chairperson, and to have Mr. Thorpe's telephone number listed as ANC 2C's official contact number. Needless to say, all of these motions were approved.

The actions Mr. Thorpe took with the ANC before his term ended, were taken so that he could maintain pivotal control over ANC 2C. Knowing that when I replaced him as ANC 2C02 Commissioner, the Commission would not be able to muster a majority vote to elect new officers and thus the officers elected in the previous term would maintain their position in the next term.

Because Mr. Thorpe has undue influence over Commissioners Brooks and Curtis, he has control of the agenda, the actions the Commission takes, who appears on the agenda, the fact that Commissioner Padro and myself are only allowed to look at quarterly reports a few minutes before we are to vote to approve them, and the fact that Mr. Padro and myself have absolutely no input into the agenda or any of these issues. Mr. Thorpe also has control over the venue of ANC 2C meetings and this year he changed the venue from Africare House, where it was often held in the past and where there is ample space to accommodate members of the pubic, to one of the smallest rooms at the Kennedy Recreation Center where only a few members of the public are allowed to participate in the meetings. There were times in the past two years when individuals, business entities and government agencies wished to speak before the Commission, but Mr. Thorpe required that those spokespersons appear before the ECCA first in order to be considered for being included on the ANC 2C agenda.

In spite of being turned out of office, Mr Thorpe did this in order to maintain unilateral control which he acts as if he is entitled to and in order to have a foothold to make a political comeback in the upcoming 2008 election.

When I initially ran for the office of ANC 2C02 Commissioner, Mr. Thorpe and some of his supporters treated me with contempt, as if simply by entering a democratic race I was tying to wrongfully take something that Mr. Thorpe had some right to. Nothing could be further from the truth. The position of ANC Commissioner is something that rightfully belongs to the public who are empowered to decide who should represent them for the benefit of the community. In my opinion, Mr. Thorpe believes that the ANC 2C02 Commissioner seat is something he is entitled to. But I believe it is more akin to a position that is leased to a individual by the public, in the same way that a landlord issues a lease to a tenant and gives them the option to renew their lease when it expires. At the end of the lease, the landlord can always — at his or her discretion — choose to lease the position to someone else if the tenant fails to live up to the landlord's expectations.

With this being said, I am asking you, the community, to renew my lease on the position of ANC 2C02 Commissioner.