Truxton Is In Shaw

Went to the Truxton Circle Happy Hour, or hours, at the Saloon on U and one topic of discovery was that serveral neighbors are experiencing leaky roofs. Me? Basement problems. The basement has flooded so I’ve moved a couple of rugs, threw down some newspaper and let the dehumidifier work itself to death. IT & B’s basement is a little worse off as they have stuff on the floor. If I lose power like I did a few hours yesterday I’m completely screwed because the sump pump has been going off non-stop.
The happy hour had a good turn out, met some new neighbors, witnessed the battle of the real estate agents, and talked more about the whole Shiloh church thing.
Anyway, I’ve got to get the wet & dry vac out and try to deal with the small lake that has formed down here.

Still in the packaging are two Blastguard somethings sitting on the platform of the Shaw/Howard station. I’m going to guess those somethings are trashcans. I’m looking forward to trash cans on the platforms because when they took away the garbage cans the metro just got dirtier. I used to pick up trash and toss it in the can when that trash was either on the train or on the platform. I know WMATA would have liked it if I’d dump the trash in the cans outside the fare gates, but I’m not taking someone else’s garbage up the stairs or escalator.
I’m looking forward to a cleaner metro.

Last night I went to a function, but apparently the wrong one, and ran into [Bush cabinet member] and spouse. I met [Bush cabinet member] on my way out, after seeing through the window that folks were going into the other building to the other function that I had intended to go to. But before I could leave I had to ditch my wine glass, so I had to head back into the crowd, and then [Bush cabinet member] introduced himself, his wife and friend. He’s a charming gentleman. Thank goodness for name tags because, I was looking at his tag before and thinking “that name, that face, they look familiar.” Anyway what did I and one of the nation’s top mover and shaker talk about? Dogs and charitable giving.
I’m hoping that one day I’ll wander into a function and chat up George Clooney about fresh basil and simple pasta dishes.

RE: Queen of Sheba and Vegetate

Some neighbors are trying to get together to support economic development on 9th Street. Particularly, to maybe make contact with Shiloh Baptist Church to see if we can all work together as neighbors. According to last week’s City Paper Shiloh has been quite active in opposing the liquor licenses of the Queen of Sheba and Vegetate.
Personally, I can’t really get behind Queen of Sheba (too close to the day care) but I think we really do need an upscale, smoke-free veggie restaurant on 9th. Anyway, if you want to try to see what you can possibly do as a Shaw resident contact Rachel Cornwell @ 604 Q St by Tuesday. She has a letter of petition (see below) for folks to sign. Or you can draft your own letter, which is what I’m going to do.
If you do draft a letter keep this in mind, Shiloh is a Baptist church. As a part of being Baptist they are to refrain from the selling, distribution or promotion of alcohol. The best that we can ask for is that they just not fight neighborhood efforts of economic development. Also, in this case please be respectful, I’d like us to work with Shiloh and not make it an us vs them battle.

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith
Senior Pastor
Shiloh Baptist Church
9th and P Streets NW
Washington, DC 20001

Dear Rev. Smith,

We are residents of the historic Shaw neighborhood where your church is located, and we have read the articles about the conflict between your church and the proprietors of Queen of Sheba and Vegetate restaurants. We are truly grateful for the presence of Shiloh Baptist Church in Shaw, your concerns for this neighborhood, and your long-standing outreach ministry to Shaw residents. We share your concern for this neighborhood and its development. We view Shiloh Baptist Church as a partner in the redevelopment of Shaw.

However, we are excited to see new businesses coming to the neighborhood, especially sit-down restaurants. We view these restaurants not as negative influences on the neighborhood, but as gathering places where community can be fostered. In our view, they are a great improvement over abandoned buildings.

We respect your church’s long history in this neighborhood. Therefore, we request that a representative group from our neighborhood have the chance to meet with you, to hear your concerns about these restaurants, and to hear your vision for the future of Shaw. We would also like to share with you our concerns and hopes for this place we call home. Please contact Rachel Cornwell at 202-***-**** (604 Q Street NW) to make arrangements for a meeting that suits your schedule.

Sincerely,

Comments are closed. If you want to comment email me.

BACA meeting
There was a Bates Area Civic Assoc meeting, but I wasn’t there. Anyone care to tell me the highlights?

If this keeps up I’m changing the title and posting less…
Okay I have not seen the office of the firm Crack, Smak, & Hoe set up on the corner lately. Before the Summer they would have the corner, with associates sitting on chairs and milk crates conducting their pharmaceutical business. I sort of suspect that they have moved their operation a bit off the corner to the middle of the block where I don’t see them. Or they are just more mobile, because I sense a drug dealing element. Am I wrong?

Speaking of Crack
We haven’t seen our block’s resident crackhead in about a month. But I have faith that if she has left, Gemma (evil lawyer/landlady) will put in another Section 8’er with issues. In this I hope I am wrong. I hope she rents out the place to a nice little old couple or a hard working mother and elementary aged kid. Would Gemma sell instead? I wish.

Barry
Marion on taxes. I can totally support him as a candidate with his ‘no taxation without representation’ platform.

TC will be having a happy hour (no discounts on booze) Friday. Click here for more info (you must be registered to Truxton Circle.Org).

From an e-mail

Hello All,

This is as serious campaign effort. We need 1,000 people to sign-up as soon as possible– especially since Jim Graham is holding a hearing on October 11th to strengthen rent control and to introduce the “Right of Tenants to Organize Act. Ask five to 10 of your friends who rent in the District to visit www.tenac.org and pass this e-mail along. Signing-up to support this campaign is urgent between now and October 11th and we need your help. There’s power in numbers. For those of you who are getting this message again, I apologize, but we need your support!

Thanks,

Jacqueline

Earlier, before Tony announced that he was not going to run I noticed a lot of green Fenty signs in people’s yards. Time passed, Cropp threw her hat in the ring, and the mayor elected not to run a 3rd term. Now I’m seeing a fair number of red Linda Cropp signs (way better than the stupid black “Think Cropp” signs). What’s funny though is that I’ve noticed that some of the yards in Shaw that once sported Fenty green have gone Cropp red.
Regardless, it is still way too early for all of this.

For news about what’s going on in the eastern end of Shaw I recommend that you check out Truxton Circle particularly the Daily Dispatch. There is some news in the Dispatch about the Giant on O Street and how it is going to be something…. Of course they said that last year and had no solid plans. But something must be done because I’m reading on the Mount Vernon Sq. Listserv about how many new units are supposed to get built down and around there, such as the Yale laundry, and I’m thinking, where are these people going to do their grocery shopping? I bet they’ll all want to shop Saturday morning when I’m shopping. Long lines at that Giant ain’t pretty and I can’t keep trying to get out the house earlier and earlier just to avoid the crowds.
Also, SunTrust bank was robbed. From the Logan Circle Listserv:

Business Owners and Neighbors,
This makes the fourth business in two weeks, Candida’s Bookstore, at 14th & Q, the Subway on New Hampshire, Barber Shop at 14th & T, and now Suntrust right across from Ben’s Chili Bowl. These are the robberies that we know of that has been the subject of an armed robbery. The robberies have occurred from 11:00am 9:00 pm.
–Scott Pomeroy

In other news I ran into B&L (not to be confused with BL or B.) and someone wants to build a small handful condos on that empty lot on Richardson Place, but needs a zoning variance. All I can think is more people, crowding the Giant. We’ll see how this develops.

Lastly, My Mayor, Tony, Tony, Tony isn’t running for a 3rd term. Now it is just 2 bald guys, 2 chicks and citrus fruit running. I don’t know how much will get done by the DC Council with 3 members trying to outdo each other and undercut each other just so they can look good enough to replace Tony. Any guesses of who it will come down to? I say Cropp vs Fenty.

After 2 glasses of wine and a deep thoughtful reading of the DCist post and comments on Saint Ex’s ruling against popped collars I issue this: no more baby hipsters in Shaw.
Street credits- you can not pick up Shaw street credits or “street cred” in Shaw. We don’t issue these credits. Unlike the rocks for jocks class you went to, you don’t get credit for just showing up. Want credit? Hang out on Martin Luther King Ave/Blvd/St in any town, doesn’t have to be DC, could be BFE, GA. But if you find a MLK street hang out there, call your friends and you’ll get credit when you ‘get’ what I’m referencing. About .005 st. creds.
Please I beg you stop using my ‘hood to boost your sense of self worth or hipness or what ever because face it, you’re just gonna turn around and leave me for some newer younger prettier neighborhood with better parking. And all you guys ever care about is parking. And, you know, you’ll be all like, “You used to be cool. You changed. You’re not the same neighborhood I knew. Blah, blah, blah.” The only thing Shaw can be is Shaw. We can’t go around trying to make you hipsters happy by being locked in some time warp of ‘used to be’, you gotta like this hood for what it is now. Baby, things change, people change. If you think this thing we got going is all played out, then I guess we’re played out and we got to go our separate ways.
Call me.