Day: March 27, 2006

Okay I read the following from the Logan Circle listserv and got angry. Now before you read let me tell you what was going through my mind. There are Christians and there are “Church Folk”. “Church Folk” are the agents of the Devil undermining the work of the Almighty. They call themselves christians but harbor within them enough hate, spite, uncharitablity towards their fellow man and self-centeredness to share.

Is the John Wesley AME Zion Church at 14th and Corcoran one of the churches that is part of the discussion with the ad hoc committee on parking?
I just had a really bizarre experience this morning when my car was blocked in by double parkers on 14th street. After about 40 minutes and asking 5 different people in the church vestibule to please move the cars double parked and blocking me in, it was pretty clear that no one was going to move until services were over.
The white Hyundai DC plate BW0830 that was double parked directly beside me never did move.
Luckily another neighbor who was parked behind me (legally) came by. He was not blocked in, and was able to get out. As he was trying to get out, amazingly, another church goer, A gold Mercedes, MD license MNV622 pulled up to double park next to him to block him in. I tried to explain that he was leaving and was trying to get out and the passenger in the Mercedes started yelling that this is her church and she’ll park “wherever she wants” The Mercedes driver finally backed up enough so the legally parked car behind me could continue to try and get out.
After helping direct the guy behind me out so he didn’t bump the double parked white Hyundai beside me, this churchgoer in the Mercedes slid into the just vacated space behind me. Luckily a very nice elderly came out and moved her double parked Kia Sportage which was in front of the double parked Hyundai and I managed to squeeze out.
The irony is that even though I explained that I was trying to get home from the gym in time to change because I was doing the reading today at my own church, the level of hostility from the churchgoers was pretty palpable.
I did call both 311 then 911 when the Mercedes was so aggressive, but no one from the police came, and there were no warning notices on the double parked cars. Looking around I could see legal spaces available, and just across the street they could have instead double parked in front of the construction at 14th and Q without blocking anyone in. They also had some sort of attendant standing there the whole time at the parking lot they use at 14th and Corcoran. He identified himself as a retired pastor of the church and would do nothing to try and get the cars moved.
Can someone remind me of the status of enforcement of parking laws and whether this particular church is subject to whatever compromise was worked out?

Note: Do not refer to someone as a hot beverage less than 24 hours before meeting them.
One pro-Fenty neighbor hosted a wonderful meet and greet brunch for Fenty. It was a small affair so there was an opportunity to talk to Fenty one on one (provided you weren’t too embarrassed to do so) and ask questions. A majority of questions focused in on crime and loitering. Residents want cops walking a beat. And speaking of cops walking a beat, LB, who took the picture of the walking policeman, mentioned she hasn’t seen a cop since. There was also the question on education. Fenty mentioned something about setting up a deputy mayor for education. The affair was an easygoing friendly (and well stocked with enough food to feed 2 other events like this) one where neighbors got to meet each other and talk about their experiences with dealing crime and folks lingered well after Fenty and his handler had left.

People pregnant
Congrats to neighbors who are newly pregnant. Learned this weekend that two Truxtonian families are expecting. While talking with one expectant couple we talked about one problem I never gave much thought to, but thinking about it some more it should be a real concern, space. Some of us live in these tiny little 1,000 sq ft (or less) 2 bedroom federal rowhouses, which is fine for 2 adults. Maybe not so great for a growing beyond 1 kid. Moving up is not an option because the smaller row houses don’t sell for all that much and a 3 bedroom (usually a 2 bedrooms and one walk-in closet with a window) is much more. This is worse when you can’t build up or out due to lack of land.

%$&*@! squirrels
Darned squirrels have been digging in my pots and I’m going to guess they ate my pea seeds. I got dirt all on the patio and I’m going to have to grow seedlings inside, just to save them from the tree rats.

Threatening but squemish
At the Fenty gathering a neighbor mentioned how the gang of kids/dealers threatened to assault them. Now until then many of us had seen the corner gang as a very annoyance only harming their customers (they are selling poison to Blacks, increasing Black on Black crime, and making it harder for us to move forward as a people). A phone tree was mentioned and we’re going to have to step up calling 311/911.
On the squeemish end, Br a very tall, very blonde former college football player was cleaning out the gutters in the street. The problem is that the gutters get blocked with trash, water backs up and potentially basements get flooded and Br and his wife Ls have had some serious sewage problems somehow relating to clogged street gutters. Anyway, so Br tells me he’s going around sweeping up the gutters and cleaning out the clogged corners when he gets to the corner where the kids/dealers hang out. The guys are talking all tough and hard until Br starts pulling out slimy bits of cloth trapped in the corner drain. EWWWWW. They are grossed out by the filth and move on.