Quick BACA review
In two paragraphs or less:
Mayor Fenty showed up after the police were happy to report that certain crimes were down. There was a big crowd and 1/2 of em disappeared after the mayor departed. KIPP presented a video and talked about the kind of school they would like to have and the improvements they would make to the Cook campus.
KIPP was talking mixed use and apparently they'd been talking to Paul Rupert (of Warehouse Theater) and seem open to a partnership with the arts community. Charter schools have first dibs supposedly, so if the arts group can ally with a charter school for the proposal than, win-win.
Labels: Art, BACA, schools
BACA meeting, Fenty might show
Once again, like every first Monday of the month there is a BACA (Bates Area Civic Association) meeting 7pm in the basement cafeteria of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church at the corner of Q & 3rd. Jim Berry says that Mayor Fenty will make a quick appearance. Also on the schedule is someone from KIPP to talk about their interest in the Cook School. Last time the KIPP person did not show.
I'm just happy there are two parties interested in the school. One being a collection of arts folk,
called FLUX, the other KIPP. I have concerns about both. The question I have about the arts group is how open they'd be with the surrounding area. There are about two places with artists down in the Hanover region of the TC and they periodically open their doors. Would this be another art fortress, and I completely understand the need for closed doors, or would the doors open more often for regular exhibits and performances? With the KIPP school the problem is traffic and the attraction of students from all over the city. P Street can be tight already, add that to the Armstrong charter school and other KIPP school on P.
Labels: Art, BACA, schools
Chance of a sub-station in TC small
I keep forgetting (along with a bunch of other things) to mention a bit of information taken from the last BACA meeting. Though we really, really, really want a substation being so very far away from the main 5D station, it doesn't look likely. It was explained by Groomes, MPD that substations have to be manned and having officers inside manning stations means fewer officers outside patrolling streets. And something about other communities out their are clamoring for their own substations as well. We can keep fighting for one but it won't be an easy fight.
I do like the idea that Councilwoman Schwartz mentioned, of getting DC government offices out of expensive downtown rental space and into DC owned surplus buildings.... surplus buildings like the schools. Well after a substation, a government office (something on the bureaucratic lines, not anything providing services) would be something around my second or third choice.
Labels: BACA, government
BACA meeting TONIGHT
I actually got a flier. I have heard tales of BACA meeting fliers being distributed but rarely has one made it to my door and my hands. This morning was one of those rare moments, I guess I need to show up.
According to the flier Carol Schwartz will be showing. Oh yeah, there are elections coming up besides the big prez thing. Schwartz is the lone Republican on the City Council and there is
some fellow challenging her for her At-Large seat in the Republican primary. Also from the Council scheduled to appear is another At-Large, Kwame Brown, who lo and behold, also up for re-election. What either one of them will speak about is unknown.
Meeting starts at 7PM at Mt. Sinai Baptist in the basement. Ends at 9PM, I plan on departing earlier than that.
Labels: BACA
Screw the children
I dedicate this posting to B. who gleefully gave me this title.
B. and I just stepped out of this month's BACA meeting. He was happily recounting part of the meeting where a woman claimed that there really weren't that many children in the community. Recounting this, as we watched about 3 kids from our street horsing around on the other side of the street.
A couple of things were brought up in the meeting that I'm going to touch on, community, and community services.
Community. Who are we talking about? I live here am I part of the community? When we, city employees, politicians talk about the community, are they talking about the community as a whole, certain parts, what? This is important because the city wants to (trys to) serve the community.
Which brings me to city services. It may have been the same woman who said there weren't any children around needing services, who pointed out that no one in the room at the meeting needed drug councilling, or job training, or shelter, or housing services, mental health services, or any of the 'community services' that the young mayor's rep was mentioning. The problem is the city will never offer me any
direct services I will ever use in my neighborhood. Of the neighbors I associate most with, neither will they. They probably won't put their kids in city aftercare, or send their kids to existing rec centers, and they sure as heck don't go to the regular public schools. The only housing help I'll take from the city (that I haven't gotten already with the 1st time homebuyer prgs) is the homestead exemption.
Indirectly, the services are to benefit me by supposedly taking care of problem people , and if the people with problems are served then crime would go down, which serves me. The problem is that the people who use those services aren't represented at the meetings. Most who attend meetings have little firsthand knowledge of the programs, which then makes me wonder about adequate feedback for the city. Also since there is no direct participation, I wonder how hard would those of us in the community who are more politically involved (the letter writers, meeting attenders, etc) will fight for these community programs/ dollars, as compared to areas of the city.
Lastly, I want to write about what I'm not saying in this. I'm not saying there aren't any city services that can't help me and others in my neighborhood. Good functional libraries with active reading/ storybook programs, popular books available, comfortable reading areas, and available internet terminals would be nice. I know I ain't gonna get it, but it would be nice. And there are things the city and some local politicians do beyond regular services and problem targeting, that positivity impact my quality of life, such as business promotion, providing mulch, and co-sponsoring events.
I'd guess I'd be more gung ho for programs for children if I actually believed the kids on my street and the other neighborhood kids I know would actually use them.
Labels: BACA, city services, government
Mayor Fenty may show up at tonight's BACA mtg
Got an email from Jim Berry:
Neighbors,
I have recently been informed that Mayor Fenty has placed tonight's BACA meeting on his schedule for the evening and, if possible, he intends to stop by. As you know, we will be talking about the Focused Improvement Area Program that he initiated in parts of Ward Five (including our neighborhood) and we will present a modest award to Ms. Alice Thompson, Outreach and Services Specialist for Ward Five, Executive Office of the Mayor. Finally, we will be receiving community feedback from residents about the future re-uses of the JF Cook Elementary School and MM Washington Career High School buildings to pass along to our neighbor and Advisory Neighborhood Commission Chairperson Anita Bonds as well as the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education.
Hope to see you there!
Best,
Jim Berry
Bates Area Civic Association, Inc.
Labels: BACA
Another BACA meeting missed
I'm so bad.
I was planing to just pop by the
function at Vegetate for Roadside Developments'
O Street Market. I figured I'd pop a few munchies and show up to the BACA meeting fashionably late. I wound up running into some neighbors from the street and well, time flew. I'm so sorry. Sorry that I can be so easily distracted by free wine and polenta bites.
Anyway they need community support Thursday before the Zoning people.
I swear I will make the next, BACA meeting.... well, unless a certain idiot finally asks me out that night.
Labels: BACA, development, events
BACA meeting to address Armstrong
Tonight is the 1st Monday of the month so, it's BACA meeting time and one of the scheduled speakers is someone who can tell what's going on with Armstrong. Ya know it would be nice if Armstrong opened before Cook and Washington close. Also there will be someone from the organization housed in the Slater school building.
According to Jim Berry:
As indicated, the first half of our meeting on Monday will include presentations by Mr. Thomas W. Gore, President/Executive Director of Associates for Renewal in Education, Inc., 45 P Street, N.W., concerning the interesting mix of services that A.R.E. provides to children in the community, and Mr. Wendell Butler, Chief Operating Officer of the Community Academy Public Charter Schools network, who will talk about plans to develop the building that formerly housed the Armstrong Manual Training School at 1st and P Streets, N.W. There will also be a few brief committee reports. Importantly, the second half of the meeting will be devoted to the hour of fellowship that we sponsor annually during the holiday season. This is an ideal opportunity to meet and greet neighbors from all parts of the community and, as usual, feel free to bring a dessert or a covered dish to share.
Note: I'm getting all woo-woo in the head and that's nature's signal for me to get more sleep. So I'll be skipping tonight's meeting and taking a nap, 'cause I don't know how much longer I can last on auto-pilot today.
Labels: BACA, schools
BACA and Blogger issues
First, Blogger is taking it's sweet time posting my post and your comments. I'm guessing this will appear sometime tomorrow morning.
Second, there was a BACA meeting tonight and I may or not post my notes. If I fail to post the notes there are a few things I need to pass along.
202 373-3711 is the police non-emergency number. On my cell 311 does nothing.
Also ever wind up fighting with the 311/911 operator? Well you can ask to speak to a supervisor if the call is going that way.... and when you do and get hung up on, call 202 373-3700 for the call center supervisor.
Labels: BACA, blog
BACA meeting 9/10
I'll get my skimpy notes up later on the
super secret site later. Yet there are two things I want to address.
Just for the love of G-d say no to chain emails.The email the woman mentioned prior to the official start of the meeting,
I believe is a hoax. But this one has the anti-illegal immigrant flava crystals. Warning emails like this are half the time false, clog up inboxes, and only serve to unsettle the receiver's nerves. Not like we don't have enough crime in our own little section of the world to worry about much less some story in another time zone.
Churches need to better publicize their local mission work.Attending the BACA meeting was the pastor of Mt. Sinai. Mt. Sinai Baptist Church has been hosting the BACA and back when the PSA meetings since as long as I can remember. And the pastor asked the tiny assembly what the church could do to help the community (in addition to keep allowing BACA to meet). A fair amount of discussion was on social services and there was some back and forth with the Ward 5 representatives from the mayor and Mr. Thomas' office, regarding a person the govt people are trying to find help for.
In that discussion I found out about some of the services that some of us could refer folks to in dire need.
Shelter- The church has a men's shelter in the neighborhood with a handful of beds and it is staffed by a church volunteer. They used to have a women's shelter but that apparently had too many complex issues (children, family, spouses, etc) and they just did not have the volunteers.
Clothes closet- You've seen it though the window. Free clothes to anyone who asks. There are no regular hours, but if you go to the educational center on R and 3rd or call the church office at 202 667-1833 or get a staff person at the church building who can call the person with the keys and let the person who needs it come in and pick out what they need.
Food pantry- Like the clothes closet.
Benevolence Committee There are funds to help with utility bills of persons in need. There are some questions the applicant needs to answer. Also one does not need to be a member of Mt. Sinai to request the help of the Benevolence Committee, but if the person is a member of another church community, Mt. Sinai would ask that the other church be asked first. It seems that Ebeneezer Baptist on the unit block of Q, also has a similar Benevolence fund.
I want to state that I know most of you reading this blog won't probably ever need to use the church's services, but from time to time bump into other residents who do need emergency food, clothing or a little help with the light bill.
There are plenty of churches.... plenty...and a mosque, around here that I know offer a hodgepodge of social services that can be tapped by those of our neighbors' in need, it just that we don't know or are not sure how they operate. There are also the odd program sponsored or hosted by churches that people of various income levels, such as AA meetings, Girl Scouts (yummmm cookies) and Boy Scouts.
Since I'm on hodgepodge, I believe the church on the 1200 blk of New Jersey Avenue on the Ward 2 side, offers a free breakfast. Or at least did offer a free weekday prayer (okay not completely free if prayer is costly) breakfast. And the 4th St 7th Day Advents on the 1600 blk of 4th has an early morning breakfast (with sermon) for the homeless/hungry on Sunday to feed a handful of people. The Korean Protestants at 4th and R offer free legal help.
Labels: BACA, charity, churches
BACA meeting notes preview
Well Jim sent out this, which was mentioned at last night's meeting:
Neighbors,
I write to offer a friendly reminder to you that we will be in the pocket park at First Street and Florida Avenue, N.W. this evening at 7:30 p.m. in recognition of National Night Out. That is, for the 10th time in the past 10 consecutive years, the Bates Area Civic Association, Inc. has sponsored a rally and candle light vigil at this location, essentially, to promote peace and an increased sense of unity in our community. This year, the event is being co-sponsored by ANC 5C Chairperson and SMD 5C01 Commissioner Anita Bonds, along with several indigenous community organizations, like the Hanover Area Civic Association, Inc., Ebenezer Baptist Church, and TruxtonCircle.Org.
During each of the past 10 years that we have held the vigil, we have observed incremental improvements in the quality of social life in the park and, to a large extent, our presence on NNO is a symbolic yet substantive as well as personal statement by everyone who participates, of our desire to see this location completely transformed into the kind of place from which residents of the community of all ages can derive benefit. I know that we are all busy people, but I make this personal appeal for you to take 30 minutes out of your otherwise hectic schedule to be with us tonight. Indeed, visible and tangible opportunities to be in solidarity with your neighbors around a matter of this type of importance (i.e., public safety) do not present themselves everyday. I hope to see you there!
Best,
Jim Berry
Bates Area Civic Association, Inc.
Also three suspects have been arrested in regards to some burglaries in the area. I don't know if you can contact 5D to see if they got your stuff. I'm guessing whatever was stolen, got hocked.
Labels: BACA
BACA & Paint
There is a BACA meeting tonight but I will not be in attendance as I have some pressing paint duties. I've been painting my house for what seems like a month. I have formed these big nasty callouses all on my hands and I want them gone.
I have told myself I need to finish all my paint jobs by the end of this week, or else I'll go nuts. First thing that needs to be done tonight (thus not going to the BACA meeting) is the bathroom ceiling needs a coat of paint. There are only so many times you can shower without damaging the ceiling. I hope it is not too late as there are some funny looking marks up there already.
After the bathroom everything else is whenever but I got to end this painting. The baseboards on the 1st floor need a coat, because the paint I put on was damaged by the floor guy's sander. Also on the first floor I need to paint over the ceiling paint that hit the wall and the doorway between the kitchen and dining area. Upstairs I have to decide if I'm painting the bedroom ceilings or just leaving it primer white. Sections of the brick wall need caulking and painting. The top part of the 2nd floor baseboards need a lick of paint. The top of the wall near the ceilings in both bedrooms and the hallway need paint.
Then once I'm done painting, there is the cleaning.
Labels: BACA, renovation
Drink up, it's for the kids
Truxton Circle Happy Hour is tonight at Vegetate. I guess we are going gather upstairs near the bar. The webdudes of TruxtonCircle.org are going to pass the hat around to help fund this Saturday's Fun Fair at 1st and Florida. The Fun Fair will have a moon bounce, hot dogs/ burgers, fire safety for the kids, and some health stuff.
Also my lousy notes from the BACA meeting is up at the
supersecret site. And once again the user name is "thismeeting" and psw is "neverhappened".
Labels: BACA, Truxton Circle
Not so lazy Saturday
I took a nap and ate something so I'm not as grumpy as I was Friday. Anyway here's how today went.
Florida Avenue MarketMaybe it was because I went earlier than usual time. Maybe it was because the market has been receiving extra attention. I don't know, but the people who work there seemed.... friendlier. I was greeted, there was smiling. What's up with that?
Tile ShoppingWell my tile shopping has been more complicated than it really needs to be. I have gotten tile for the upstairs bathroom and the foyer, from two different places. The tile place I went to today, I should have gone to before and saved myself the headache. Morris Tile is in PG County and requires 3 buses to get to from the TC. I thought I would stay 20-30 minutes, but it was over an hour. My contractor said (more like suggested) the 1/2 bath tile should match the kitchen tile. Problem is I like my kitchen tile for the kitchen. The bathroom? Not so much. I found a 12x12 match for my 6x6 sample. But looking at it, I honestly wasn't too keen on it. If the kitchen tile wasn't an issue I'd pick small 4x4 or 2x2 mosaic and go for the subway tile look. The other problem was I haven't given any thought to the 1/2 bathroom's colors. I don't know what color I'm painting the wall. I haven't decided if I'm tiling the wall (more tile shopping, whoo-hoo!) or what color tile I'd use if I did.
After hemming and hawing for a while I picked a small 3x3 tile that matched and had a really cool pattern. When I went to ask how much it was $18 per sq foot. Yeah, a little rich for my blood. I need 47 sq feet plus 15-20% more to cover mistakes, waste, whatever reason my contractor gave me. The same color, but regular 12x12 size, just $3 per sq ft. I just didn't feel good about ordering a tile that did not make me happy. So after all the time I spent at the tile place, I left. The $3 tile is in stock, so if worse comes to worse, I'll have the contractor pick up that and suck it up.
Mt. RainierAfter one bus back, on my three bus trip back home, I got off in Mt. Rainier, MD. I didn't see a bus to take me to Rhode Island Avenue so I wandered over to
The Glut, a funky little all-natural co-op, round the corner and up the hill a ways from the Mt. Rainier Route 1 Circle of Doom. The Glut is one of those things that makes Mt. Rainier, funky. Just on the Route 1 Circle of Doom is a new (within the last year) coffee shop that opened up, the
Artmosphere Cafe. And dangit,
it's artsy. There was the prerequisite "local artist" type art on the walls and in the windows, announcements music lessons and other local arts activities, as well as the usual looking for roommates flyer on the bulletin board. Playing to an audience you could count on both hands, was a jazz guitarist. It had a nice laid back vibe, but not lazy 'laid back' as I've encountered in other places. I had lunch there, and it was quite good. I would go there again, and I did suggest to a friend about stopping by there for a bite the next time we go by.
Jimbo moves close to the TCWell after two bus rides back to the TC and taking a nap, I ventured over to the new
Jimbo digs. Lucky him, he's not next to the, um, how should I say it?... gathering of fellows that haunt the block. However he is close enough to the TC to hear the mosque's call to prayer. It will be interesting to see how Jim makes the place look once everything is tidied up.
I was wrongI'm wrong about a number of things, but anyway. I had announced that there wasn't going to be a BACA garden walk, aka Flower Power. I was mistaken. According to Jim Berry's meeting announcement (this Monday, 7 or 7:30pm basement of Mt. Sinai Baptist on 3rd & Q), one of the topics will be Flower Power, so I guess it is on. My bad.
Labels: BACA, renovation
Quick Observation: Garden Walk
This year there will be no BACA garden walk as far as I know.
Get out in your yards for the simple joy of it.
Labels: BACA, gardening
BACA meeting, TC happy hour & etc
The lousy meeting notes from
last week's BACA meeting are up at the super secret site. Okay user name is 'thismeeting' pswd: 'neverhappened'.
Also check out the TruxtonCircle dot Org discussion board as there is a TC happy hour in the works for June. I expect Eckington people to crash it. It's okay, we like you NoFlo people anyways.
Oh, other random things that I'm not bothering to link to because the links require 3 extra more steps than I care to take right now:
There were meetings about the Florida Market this week. (See Frozen Tropics and Rebuilding Space)
Arrests in the Montgomery schoolyard and rocks get thrown at Fox5 cameraman. (ANC2C)
The BACA website is not working for me. (DCBACA.ORG)
Big Bear Cafe said somewhere (probably on the Eckington listserv) that their aiming for a June opening. They open, when they open.
Soil samples are the new thing going on with the EC-12 firehouse.
As far as my renovation... waiting on inspections and I'm looking for the perfect tile. If you know where I can get a hold of a nice checkerboard black and white pattern for the bathroom, email me.
Labels: BACA, business, media, renovation
Crime, meetings, whatever
Well I may have my BACA meeting notes up sometime this week. Maybe.
Quick recap though. 1- I got there late. 2- A Capt. from the 5th District was speaking and handed out a list of adult arrests. The list has all sorts of useful info like full names, address arrested and residence of arrested persons. There was a spirited discussion about the role of the police department kept going by two persons I don't regularly see at the meetings. And the meeting ended with a question of where are we and what do we call ourselves.
I have to make mention that over at ANC2C & You, there is an
excellent video entry of an interview with the property manager of Gibson Plaza on 7th St., regarding the recent shootings. The gangs are not afraid of the police and will do a drive by knowing there are police officers yards away.
The 'whatever' in the title goes back to the question of what do we over in the eastern section of Shaw call ourselves. Um, not late for supper. First there is a problem with the various names for place and the odd idea that if a place has one name it cannot be part of another name. Where I am is in the Bates Area, in Truxton Circle, in Shaw, in Old City II, in Washington, in the District of Columbia in the United States of America. Why is that difficult to grasp? How many times do I have to point out that Shaw is a big honking neighborhood and within that big honking hood are other subneighborhoods and smaller niches. And what's with the mindset that if you associate yourself with the smaller niche you've been voted off the Shaw island?
Labels: BACA, crime
Richardson Place
I've been getting the odd email from Karl and others in the Richardson Place area (1700 blks of 4th & New Jersey, Richardson, R & FL) about some "Streetscape Improvements". Richardson needs the improvement. The short bit of road and the linking alleys look like a big lot. That road isn't really looking paved. The residents who have spoken up would like brick, or concrete, but not asphalt. Brick is preferred.
Jim Berry, BACA Prez, in a letter to the Richardson Place focus group suggested meeting prior to the next BACA meeting to talk about it. Okay people BACA meeting is at Mt Sinai Baptist, Monday, starts at 7, but for this email Jim (JBerry ayt PDSDC daht ORG) as it was a suggestion and not a firm date.
Labels: BACA, transportation
Fun with ProQuest: Bates Street gets shafted
I started a new search "Bates Street" between 1950 to 1990. I decided to focus on Bates because of some of the rehab projects that were to take place in the first Marion Barry admin on the street.
One 1969 article got my attention and I'm just going to quote it:
...said its first ghetto aid effort was expected to be in the Bates Street Project -- part of the Shaw redevelopment plan.
Later a spokesman.... said in Washington that the initial phase of the PIC plan will probably be shifted from Bates Street to a block of 8th and 9th Streets nw., bounded by S and T.
Russo said the RLA now feels it would be better to start in that block, with 25 houses on 8th Street and 20 on 9th Street.
Ronald Russo was the spokesman for the RLA. The RLA was the Redevelopment Land Agency. PIC was the People's Involvement Corp, a federally funded group. Ghetto and slum are words the Washington Post used [past tense] to describe our neighborhood. They just use ghetto now and then these days.
Addition:
I've waded through several "Crime and Justice" articles to get to the next quote and let's say, I'm depressed.
Anywho, in a Jun 1971 article:
Two years ago, at a convention in Atlantic City, the league pledged $7 million toward the Bates Street project. "This soon became hopelessly involved in government red tape and citizens' indecision," league president Thornton W. Owen said recently, "so that any tangible activities in this area in the near future seems highly improbable."
Bibliography:
All articles from the Washington Post
"S&Ls Pledge $7 Million For Homes; Rehabilitation" by S. Oliver Goodman. June 1, 1969. p. 125
"Firms To Fund Housing; S&Ls to Build Huge Project For City Poor" by William H. Jones June 10, 1971. p. B1
Labels: BACA, neighborhood history
Misc
You know, walls you plan to tear down are great for drawing large stick figures on. Yet, I'm not one for great graffiti. I have one single stick figure reminding me to clean out the fridge and call my grandma. A friend came by and wrote "Happy Easter" on another wall. I would invite others to draw on my walls but I'm afraid someone would go for one the the walls that isn't getting torn down.
Also I heard about the anti-crime church march thing that happened this past weekend. Obama (invited guest) did not show. Noticed it was not covered at all by the Post, but the Post tends to pick and choose, and thus is not the best for local news.
Passed by the Big Bear Cafe. Not open yet. Inside looks very promising, there are some chairs and tables. Very promising.
Before I pass out and go to bed, my personal and completely flawed BACA meeting notes are up at
This meeting, never happened. User: Thismeeting Pwd:Neverhappened and no I will not email this to you. Note that I'm in a slightly grumpy mood. Someone [me] needs a nap.
Labels: BACA
Oktoberfest
Bates Area Civic Assoc is PLANNING Oktoberfest
According to the little yellow flyer on my fence:
The Bates Area Civic Association is planning an Oktoberfest for Saturday October 30th. Their current ideas include a:
Chili Cook-off
Cornbread
Bratwurst and Sauerkraut
Hot Cider
Flea market
Live Music
Health and Wellness Table
Games
Prizes
and more
If you are interested in volunteering or renting space for the flea market contact the planning committee at oktoberfest AT arachnophile dot com.
Labels: BACA
PSA 501/Bates meeting
I'm going to sum it up.
Didn't start on time.
Was upstairs in the santuary.
Began with loooong Christian prayer.
Commander Jennifer Greene.
Florida Park Crew vs Sursum Corda crew to blame for shootings.
Mother of shooting victim gives emotional defense of son.
There are 447 parolees in our community.
Hillbilly Herion is being sold in our area.
Citizen- Truancy calls to 311 not being taken seriously by operators.
Citizen- Weed and Seed van useless. It just sits there.
Vincent Orange shows up. Is he up for election this year?
Question: Why can't we get decent loitering laws?
Answer: Blame the ACLU for challenging it in the courts.
Left meeting, had to finish manic search for lost tool.
Labels: BACA, crime
BACA mtg: I go so U won't have to
Vote.
That's the crux of it, that and get politically involved by becoming a supporting force by donating time and treasure to a particular candidate. And when you do, then the politicians will truly serve you.
Let's go over the meeting shall we?
We started on time. Whoo!
The Peanut gallery did not show. WhooHoo!
First, but not on the agenda was Ofc. Grey from the 501 Police Service area who went over crime stats. Yet the meeting attendees weren't interested in stats, though the sheet passed around was very interesting. The subject of interest was the shootings on the unit and 100 blk of Q St. Marianne was very fair and understanding with Ofc, Grey but she wanted answers.
Next, was Mr. Willie Doggett, volunteer with Cluster 21's Community Emergency Response Team. Basically, Civil Defense. You get free stuff when you volunteer. See their
website for more info.
Followed by Andrew Pollard of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Group. Get on his mailing list to know what's happening in the neighborhood with crime and services at acpollard1 AT msn PERIOD com. Or get in touch with Jim Berry to get the right e-mail if I got it wrong.
Lastly was Ms. Linda Perkins, Constituent Services Coordinator from Councilman's Vincent Orange's office. She spoke about how DC govt works. If anyone wants to expand on this, that's what "comments" are for.
Afterwards, Jim Berry (ANC 5C01?)went on a riff that seemed to be coming from frustration. Maybe anger, I don't know, anyone ever see Jim angry? There was a decent debate, and I truly mean debate, between Jim and Ms. Perkins on how priority is determine based on votership and political strength of an area.
Jim did something that I would like to expand on in another post on another day, where he compared Truxton Circle (ie Bates) to other parts of Ward 5, like Bloomingdale, Michigan Park and Woodridge. Apparently those areas have political clout, and don't have to ask Councilman Orange twice to come to their meetings. They also don't have to deal with some of our burdens that the city has burdened Truxton and it's adjoining areas with. Maybe because there are a greater number of people who come out to vote AND donate a significant amount of time and treasure to the candidates, than our area. Maybe.
But you, my Green/Democratic/ Republican friend can help. Today, you can drag yourself to the polls. If you're independent like me, you'll stay in and wait till November, but in the meantime harass your party affiliated friends to vote.
This is me harassing you.
Vote dammit.
Vote.
Labels: BACA
Correction Bates Civic Assoc Meeting
Oh last week I said the meeting was on the 6th, which happened to have been Labor day. Opps. My bad.
Meeting is tonight. Mt. Sinai Baptist Church @ 3rd and Q. Go up the stairs, inside, then down the stairs and to your right. Starts either 7 or 7:30, take your pick.
Once again I'll show up and if I am not stricken by shear boredom, or a deep desire to leave and play
Civilization, I'll report on it.
Most likely I'll show. Pop by and say "hi".
Labels: BACA
Flower Power 2004
The Bates Civic Association had it's Flower Power Awards ceremony last night at Ella's Coffeehouse/Frame shop/ Art gallery on North Capitol. It was the first time I had been in Ella's. It is many small cozy rooms with comfy (2nd floor) chairs. There was a small crowd there about 20 or more people, with Jim Berry ANC for 5C0?, and a rep from Councilman Orange's office.
Unlike the usual Bates CA meeting, it was a pleasant affair where everyone was generally pleasant. There was no peanut gallery making snide comments. No direct mention of drug dealers or unsavory kids hanging out on the corner. The unpleasantness was spoken of indirectly, using that code talk that we use, talking about "change". It was an environment of supportiveness. Yes, very unlike the Bates meetings, which the next one is Sept 6th @ Mt. Sinai.
My neighbor wanted to talk about the demographics of crowd, while we were there. Good lord man, can't take you anywhere. I shusshed him. We talked this morning and he observed that the crowd was basically gay men and older single black women. There were a few black men 4. One white married couple and one lesbian couple.
My block won a block award for our beautification efforts. I don't remember if it was for first or 2nd place. Like the Special Olympics, everyone there was a winner. I did not win any individual prize for my yard, which currently looks bad. I did win a door prize of a plant. A plant I gave to a neighbor I spotted while heading home, 'cause I don't grow indoor plants, and I don't care for plants I can't eat.
Labels: BACA, gardening
Community meetings suck!Just got out of a baaaad meeting. Heck at lest the ANC 2? meetings in Logan were entertaining with the catty gay men. What made the meeting bad:
1. Snide comments from the peanut gallery
2. A fill in speaker (the one scheduled was on vacation) couldn't speak on the topic of interest and spent time talking on another topic. Meeting attendees beat the topic speaker couldn't talk about to death.
3. Peanut gallery did not show up on time missing information that they bitched about later.
4. Every speaker received hostility. Basically making sure that any future returning of said speakers is nil.
Basically tons of negativity.
What is a good meeting.
Well it started as a good meeting.
A speaker, speaking as an individual trying to get tree boxes on Q St from 1st to 3rd St talked about how she was attempting to get grant money from
Garden Resources of Washington (GROW). She spoke of iron fencing and pledges she had gotten from neighbors. Then a board member of the Co-Op on Q St said that her group was already in the process for putting iron tree boxes up on her side of Q St.
Good. Informative. Civil.
Then we got on the North Capital Farmers Market (see speaker who didn't know topic). And downhill we go.
Labels: BACA
