Author: Mari

Interacting with this neighborhood makes you figure out what kind of person are you when neighborhood harmony is disturbed. You may be either a fight person, confronting the issue, or in most cases the person head on with little regard to personal safety and not waiting for someone else to take care of the problem. Or you may be a flight person, with a super duper high regard for personal safety and a willingness to allow injustices to slip by or be handled by other people (ie the police).
At a recent gathering, some folks were retelling their stories of ‘fight’ when confronted with various quality of life crimes. Couples sometimes have one fight person and one flight person pulling the fight person back. We single people only have our own internal angels to say, “you know, that may not have been the smartest thing to do….”
I guess I can be a fight person, but not to the degree of other folks I know who can go from mild mannered citizen to crazy a$$ mofo. My last confrontations, well the last ones I can remember, were sorta semi- guided by the Miss Manners philosophy, which is you should pretend that people who are doing wrong are not aware that they are doing so.
I was in my back yard watering plants and ignoring the annoying contractor across the alley when a big U-Haul drove up in the alley. I can’t see over the fence well so I’m just going by what I hear. U-Haul guy gets out and goes into yard of contractor guy. Contractor guy is one floor up so U-Haul guy yells up and asks about some work (I think he was looking for a job). I think, as I was trying to ignore everything across the alley, contractor guy told U-Haul guy he had no work for him. So U-Haul guy stepped back out in the alley but not back in the truck. Next thing I know U-Haul guy is pissing on my fence. “Excuse you! Please don’t pee on my fence,” I say loudly. This startled U-Haul guy and he started in with some lame excuses then offered to wash it up if I gave him some soap and water. I wasn’t going to give him jack. “Just go, I’ll hose it down,” I repeated several times. Then U-Haul guy got into his truck and drove away.
The other recent confrontation was the thwarted break in. I don’t know what the two young adults were up to but once again, I’m in the back yard puttering. Screaming woman, who lived across the alley had moved away about 2 weeks before and the house was empty. Because screaming woman’s family used the back gate a plenty it was broken and the backyard open. So I heard the two people in the alley but I didn’t see them until the young woman was standing on top of the AC compressor-thingy (I don’t know, it’s big, sits outside, is related to the heating and cooling). She was reaching to open the unbarred window when I said, “Oh, are you looking for XXXXX? She moved over to CCC Street.” Pause. Then the young lady, still standing on the AC thingy, said, with a little ‘tude in her voice, “Oh YOU say she moved huh?” Then she looked at her accomplice, jumped down and they left. A few days later I bolted the gate to the fence so it wouldn’t open.
Confront people, but in a way that let’s them back out and away from the situation.

Dang it I was planning on wearing that jumper today, but can’t cause wearing the same dress that’s in the paper is just plain weird. And gawd, I take an ugly picture. I now see I really need to do something about the hair. Anyway, enough about me.

Not mentioned at all in the Post article is the excellent neighborhood blog Frozen Tropics covering Trinidad and more specifically the H Street corridor. I think her coverage of the area and the spirit of the neighborhood are captured beautifully in pictures and word.

In the spirit of using this portion of my 15 minutes of fame, let me also point out Nathan’s DC Education blog. Nathan is a father and has an interest in the schools in the District from a parent’s point of view. Go to his site, read what he has to say, and click on the ads because I’m sure the revenues go into the kid’s college fund.

I noticed one small error. I live in the Truxton Circle portion of Eastern Shaw, not near it. Truxton Circle, Scott & Matt’s site is far more informative than my crappy blog. If you really want to know what’s going on over here, go to their site.

I can give you no good reason to visit Jimbo’s blog, except he’s drop dead gorgeous, gay and lives in Shaw.

Lastly, if you want to comment be aware I’m a delete happy person. No cussin’ spittin’, tickin’ off the hostess, or trashin’ the hood. (see Comment Policy)

Once again. I have a mouse. I probably have mice.
I am forced to action because I have seen said mouse and not just his little mousy presents he leaves. My cousin who visited this weekend saw the mouse. I was absolutely embarrassed.
The mouse has been running around my house via the walls, along the pipes. I believe the mouse has been using the radiator pipes to get from one room to another as those are the only holes (that I know of) and the mouse has usually been spotted over by the radiators.
Armed with expanding foam in a can and steel wool I hope to make my house not hospitable to mice. It would help also if I could “rent” someone’s cat for a day or a week, just to get that eau de kitty in the house. Anywho I grabbed some soft expanding foam because the hard stuff is a huge pain to remove. In the basement I put some foam in the gap between the floor and the pipes. Upstairs, I stuffed steel wool around the pipes and behind the radiator. I’ve been told that mice don’t like steel wool. Well only time will tell if that is true.

Coming home yesterday, in the rain, I spotted a gang of Asian kids on the corner. This means one thing, the Korean Protestants are trying to figure out what good they can do for the community. That day’s good deed, pulling out weeds and grass from the sidewalk and street gutters. The did a pretty good job on the corner. Ah, showing the love of Christ, to his people, through weed pulling.
I’m not really making fun of them. It’s just that their missionary work in the neighborhood seems (to me anyway) directionless. Some churches in the area have various programs of childcare, breakfasts, free clothing, Summer Bible activities, etc. that they are known for and do regularly. I’m just having trouble figuring out what’s their thing.

From Jim Berry

Neighbors,

I write to remind you that the PSA 501 community meeting is taking place in our neighborhood this month. Specifically, it will be held on Thursday, August 18, 2005 at Mount Sinai Baptist Church, 3rd and Q Streets, NW,between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

A number of months ago, it was decided that the PSA 501 monthly meeting would be rotated throughout the various neighborhoods within its boundaries in order to give residents maximum opportunity to participate, particularly when held in his/her respective neighborhood.

Our neighborhood made a commendable turnout on Monday night at the special meeting to address community concerns about the ill-advised proposal to take away our green space and recreation options at New York Avenue Playground.
It has been a while since I’ve seen that many folks come out to let their concerns be known. However, if (as a community) we are unable or unwilling to show the strength of our resolve to tackle our myriad problems in a serious and a sustained way, then all we will have done the other day was participate in a mere exercise of catharsis that will be soon forgotten by public officials.

It is my contention that issue that brought folks out to the special meeting was as much one of public safety as it was of badly needed recreation and leisure resources for residents of all ages. So, if you are concerned about the open air drug dealing in the community, the constant sound of gun fire at night, the community violence, the loitering, an increased police presence in the neighborhood, the lack of safe recreation spaces for our children, and other such issues, then I hope your busy schedule of pre-existing commitments will enable you to join us on Thursday. The
meeting will definitely benefit from your participation and input!

Best,

Jim Berry
ANC 5C

PS: As a example of the increased attention that our area can receive
from
high level government officials, I include a picture of City
Administrator
Robert Bobb and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Edward D.
ReReiskin — both of whom participated in our candle light vigil at the
park
on First and Florida Avenue, NW on National Night Out Against Crime
(8/2/2005).

Wow. The neighborhood really came out in the name of greenspaces and not tearing down Sursum Corda. Well also in the name of saving our parks and wondering, hey, when are we going to get a cool rec center like Kennedy?
I came late so I missed the dramatics when a jr. football team showed up as the important people spoke. They looked so cute in their jerseys and padding. The kids were a visual point that parks and recreation serve the children.
The politicos showed up. Our dear leader Jim Berry showed up, as well as Vincent Orange, Adrian Fenty (fuzzy man in center), Phil Mendelson, some guy named Perry running for the Ward 6 seat, some guy who I think was Leroy Thorpe, and various DC officials. When I showed up I think it was Vincent Orange who wanted by a show of hands who was for keeping the park. The majority carried. Marie Johns was not there. Of course, this was planned only a few days ago. Fenty’s folks were moving about the crowd getting contact info and chatting with people.
The crowd was mixed. White and black. Seniors to elementary kids. Based on the crowd no one can say this was solely a rich vs poor issue. As much as folks in the planning office or where ever want to say it is about income, the community showed that it isn’t. There were people from Sursum Corda in the crowd too. One old lady asked aloud to the crowd, why must Sursum Corda be torn down. A Sursum Corda fellow said because the buildings were over 35 years old. Oh, this got a small reaction. One fellow mentioned that he was 35 years old. Others in the crowd mentioned their homes were over 100 years old.
I think everyone knows once a greenspace is gone it is gone forever. Never to return. The poor will lose greenspace. The fixed income will lose greenspace. The middle class will lose greenspace. The well to do will lose greenspace. We will lose a public space that all the classes share and come together on if we just let the mayor and the planning office take it away.

If you don’t know already the District government has it in its head that the park at New York and 1st Street is not really used and temporary housing for Sursum Corda co-op residents. There will be a meeting tonight so residents can vocalize their opinions.
Under used they say. But that’s the beauty of green space, to be a pause, a comma, in the constant rush of city life. It is a place for animals to run around and not have their paws constantly hitting pavement. Unless they plan on putting a green roof on top of the “temporary” houses, this greenspace allows for another place where rainwater can seep into the earth.
According to the Post:

Planning officials said the city has addressed that[loss of park]. Though the neighborhood would lose the New York Avenue Playground, it would gain a new park, recreation center and swimming pool two blocks south at First and L streets NW. The city also would redesign a park at the Armstrong School at First and P streets NW and upgrade a park at New Jersey Avenue and O Street NW.

A rec center on the other side of the road of DEATH does not help. NY Ave is a road of death. A skull and crossbones on the grill of a monster SUV driven by a multitasking cell phone chattin Virginian road of death.
Call us NIMBYs all you want, but no, no thank you. We’ve got our own problems of drug dealers, shootings, prostitution, robberies, car theft and really that’s enough of a burden on its own. Slowly, slowly, slowly, the residents and officials of our area have been working to decrease the drug dealing and violence, my fear is that what has been gained will be loss with a relocation of Sursum Corda. We had our problems on this side of NY Ave, they had their problems on that side of NY Ave and sometime a trickle would cross the 6 lanes.
Also I’m just not buying the “temporary” argument.
As I write this I keep thinking of a short story I read in high school. I think the title is “Sorrow rides a swift horse.” The main theme of the story was whatever problems you are trying to escape will follow you and catch up to you. The problems of Sursum Corda’s violence and drug problems are well known, their financial problems and problems with HUD, maybe a little less so. Whatever problems they have will move with them.

It was hot. Hahwwt. And humid. And yet we had several brave souls who came out anyway.
Before we ventured out for touring Councilman Vincent Orange and his entourage showed up. Orange was wearing Mardi Gras beads around his neck and I’m thinking, why? One of his people worked the tiny group milling about in the alley between Bates and P, asking if they were registered to vote in DC and if they were Democrats. They came, they saw, they chatted, they left.
The properties on the tour ranged from mediocre to ‘wow’. One ‘wow’ yard was 408 Richardson Place, NW. You can see it over the waist high fence. I’ve been told the owner likes to show it off so if you see him ask about what he’s done. Another wow, also on that block was the back of 1722 4th St. Small patio, two fountains! They had a before picture up and the after was a dramatic improvement. Filed under ‘wow’, but not because of it’s beauty, take a look at the corner yard of the house owned by the Korean church at 319 R St. They had tomatoes, brussel sprouts, melons, lettuces, and much more growing in a tiny space. You could feed a family on what they had growing in that yard.
Scott and Matt’s yard, the one you had to get through the house to get through for those of you who toured, had garden ideas to steal. I liked the mirrors they have up on the fence reflecting light. Matt explained to our group that things had to be up high, because of the dogs. I loved the look of Corsican mint in the walkway of 408 Richardson.
At the end of the tour we settled in at where we started, the rear of 75 P St., which looked like the patio section of a restaurant. The pineapple salsa was very good, so was more cold water.
Another mayoral candidate also showed up at our humble and hot tour, Marie Johns. I don’t think she came armed with an entourage like Orange. Just her, dressed casually, and one of those funky hands free phone thingies. No beads. MaryAnne introduced Ms. Johns to individuals languishing in the heat and the shade. No grand speeches, just asking for support. We’ll see.

From Jim Berry
Neighbors,

Single Member District 5C02 Representative Cleopatra Jones is hosting a meeting on Monday, August 15, 2005 to talk about a proposal by the DC Office of Planning to build housing on the land (green space) that is now occupied by the New York Avenue Playground. Cleopatra tells me that Ward Five Council Member Vincent Orange, Revitalization Planner Michael Downey, and Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation Kimberly Flowers, are all invited guests to this meeting.

If my understanding of what is being proposed is correct, then an approximately 100 unit building will be constructed on what is now the site of New York Avenue playground. The sole purpose of proposing that these units be constructed, I am told, is to accommodate those who will be displaced by the tearing down of the current housing in Sursum Corda.

In my mind, such a proposal raises a number of serious concerns. First, the affected Advisory Neighborhood Commission (i.e., 5C) never received any formal notice of the consideration of this proposal, nor have we been invited to comment on a major housing project that the city is considering implementing in an area that is solidly within the boundaries of ANC 5C. As a rule, proposals of this scope and magnitude are vetted formally at an ANC meeting and the Commission is given a certain period of time within which to offer comments. In the instant situation, none of this customary procedures were followed and, for me, this is a very very troublesome fact.

The fact that this is yet another assault on the sorely limited amount of functional recreation and green space in the neighborhood, is also a major problem for me. Over the years, our recreation and leisure time resources have been systematically stripped away from us, leaving residents of all ages (but, most notably, our children) with few, if any, alternatives for their use. As a consequence of the lack of organized activities, they organize themselves and play on our streets or, worse, boredom often makes them ripe subjects for the recruitment of drug dealers.

The area in question is located in Commissioner Jones’ single member district. When she contacted me a day or so ago about her intention to hold Monday’s meeting, I learned that she received a briefing on the proposal by DC Office of Planning officials the day before. Again, there has been no formal notice to our Commission about this proposed project and it is my understanding that the DCOP has been contemplating this matter for a time.

Whatever the case, I am going to attend this meeting to find out exactly what the facts of this proposal are. I urge you to join me also.

The specific details are as follows:

When: Monday, August 15, 2005
Where: Associates for Renewal in Education (ARE)
45 P Street, NW
Time: 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.

Hope to see you there!

Best,

Jim Berry
ANC 5C

I’ve seen her a couple of days now. She’s new. Can’t miss her. Big white t-shirt, red leggings, sneakers, b-ball cap and super skinny. “Dang girl which concentration camp did you escape from?” skinny. I want to force feed her a whole super value meal. She doesn’t look healthy. I gather she’s been accepting some help from the Korean church since she hovers around their building.
But the question is, crackhead or crackho? She lacks the bad posture of your hardworking crackho. Yet she is thin enough to be your run of the mill crackhead or famine victim. Any guesses?