Month: May 2005

The relationship I and some folks in the neighborhood have with the drug dealers on the corner is odd. We do call the cops. I sometimes spend more time than I meant to in the front yard observing them seeing if there is anything I can report as a crime. But when we, the neighbors, pass them, the dealers, the exchange is cordial or at least non-hostile, and that’s just weird.
Sometimes hello’s are exchanged, if only as a reflex reaction. But maybe it is just both parties trying to make the best of a situation, eventhough one party would really like it if the other just went away and took their crackhead customers with them. Correction. I’d really like it if they were arrested and thrown in jail and the area got a rep as a bad place to try to sell drugs. But if they say ‘hello’ I’ll say ‘hello’ back. Just ’cause I want to see them rot in jail is no excuse to be rude.

Most of the time it is best to have extremely low expectations of 3-1-1. I have been told by some not to even bother with 3-1-1, the DC non-emergency number. But I must report a good 3-1-1 moment, when I wasn’t belittled by the 3-1-1 operator or never saw the police.
It began when I was in the backyard checking on the plants when I heard some neighborhood boys going in and out of screaming woman’s yard. It seemed very odd because screaming woman wasn’t home. She’s usually home at that time and well… screaming at someone, sometimes screaming at her kids who then run out to the back. Probably to escape from the screaming. But there were kids but no screaming woman and the house was dark inside.
So I wandered upstairs to get a better look at the alley to see what the kids were up to. Two kids were acting as look outs as three other kids entered the basement door. I watched the kids in the alley, aged between 10-13, peering up and down the alley looking out for something unknown. Then one kid looked up and saw me in the window. I waved ‘hi’ and asked “whatcha doing?” and the two kids bolted down the alley. That’s weird. So I called 3-1-1.
I talked to the operator and as I was on the phone the two kids came back and eyed my window but didn’t see me behind the blind. I described what the kids were doing and then in about 5-10 minutes there were two policemen walking up my alley (the kids had run off again). I pointed out the house they needed to check and they checked the door and went around to check the front. They counted off to figure out which house is the front, as I didn’t know what was the house number for the other side. They came back around and told me the doors on both sides were secure and it looked ok. I thanked them and went back to fooling around with the plants in the backyard.
The next day I went over to the front and discovered the window to the basement was busted and the iron security bars were laid aside. I guess the cops checked the wrong house. Which is easy to do.
But it was still a good 3-1-1 experience none the less.

Impatiens
Well I don’t think I will try growing impatiens from seed again. Those are a pain. Well with the exception of the heirloom Balsam variety of impatien that seems to be doing ok.
Marigolds
The gem variety of marigolds that were the first flower I was growing this season from seed are doing well in their south facing hanging basket. I hope to get some tasty (remember everything is to be edible) flowers fairly soon! I have planted some more seed in the same pot where I am growing a bush bean. So far a bunch of little seedlings have come up, but for the past week they haven’t done much.
The pot marigolds, another variety, they haven’t done much for several weeks. They came up, looked healthy and kinda just stayed immature looking. I’m sure later on they will spring forth with something.
Squash
I’m afraid if I pot another squash plant I will find myself sneaking around at night dumping zucchini on unsuspecting peoples’ doors. I planted one directly into the ground in the front yard, I don’t know if it is green or yellow squash. I also failed to note it in the little notebook I have tracking what I’ve planted where. I have 4 varieties of squash planted in pots in the backyard. They have taken their sweet time germinating. I was worried so I started a plant inside and transplanted it. Then several days later, one squash I had started directly starting poking up. I suppose the others will poke up next week.
Tomatoes
I’ll admit I was weak. I bought some tomato plants. I still have the little seedlings from seed in various parts of the yard just being and waiting for heat or something to get growing. So I have a few heirlooms, a lemon boy (what I think is a lemon boy), a patio and some funky variety that’s supposed to produce purple fruit. They haven’t done much either lately.
Peas
My peas are so exciting! I have some peas. The currently equal one bite. I’ve gotten some nice flowers but really, I’m interested in eating some sweet peas. I’ll have to wait for them to mature. They are grabbing at anything they can, grass, spider web, other vines, anything. I’m trying to get them to go up the trellis but they seem to have other ideas. They also are serving as food for some aphids. I sprayed them with insecticide soap. Maybe that will help.
Spinach and Salad
Well they are bigger than seedlings but smaller than the baby salad type you get at the store. That hasn’t stopped me from eating them though. I made a salad of the first leaves of spinach (not the true leaves that come later) along with baby, almost premie, argulua and Bibb lettuce. Some I ate simple because I had to thin out my plantings, so don’t worry, there should be enough lettuce and spinach to last me until the weather gets hot and everything begins to bolt.
Herbs
Peppermint is a weed. It needs no help. So it is in the treebox.
Thyme is okay. I bought some French and English thyme. The Winter Thyme I’m growing from seed is kinda small and thin but I have used a little in my cooking. Maybe as the year goes on it will get robust.
I have yet to plant dill.
The basil is very so, so. Maybe it is too early, but the seedlings are doing a whole lotta nothin’.
Onions
When I buy spring onions and I have some left over I typically plant them in the ground. When I need one onion, I then go out and pull it up from the ground, take the bottom part with the roots and bury that. They are still doing ok.
The bunching onions I’m growing are small and I worry about them.

Well it has only been a few months but I think I’m on the right track.

From Jim
Neighbors,

At the BACA meeting on Monday, PSA 501 Sgt. Mitchell asked those in
attendance what they felt were the top five public safety priorites in
our part of PSA 501. Hence, I pose this question to you for your input.

At your earliest convenience, please give me some feedback on this
question.

I plan to get back with Sgt. Mitchell on or about May 10, 2005, so
please have your input into me before this date.

Best,

Jim Berry
ANC 5C

I don’t remember if it was News 4 or some other local news channel that had a report last night about it, and then I get an e-mail about it, so I guess I should talk about it.
Mother’s Day (May 8th) is coming up and crackheads gotta give mom something too. This year I’m sending my mom roses via FTD, though I believe she’d rather have a gas card. But what does the local crackhead or heroin junkie give his or her mother after they’ve spent every last dime on their fix? So they walk down the street, pondering what to give mom when they notice the pansies you planted in your yard or the petunias in the treebox or the hanging basket of impatiens on your porch. With a scoop of the hand and a discarded BIG GULP cup (or those empty plastic pots sitting in your front yard) they have the perfect junkie arrangement.
So it is suggested that you bring in the prized plants or hold off from putting some flowers in the front yard or treebox until Mother’s day has come and gone. Right now I have $2.00 flowers from Giant in my treebox, along with some mint & thyme. I could try deadheading (cutting off the flowers) all the flowers so that there is only greenery and the plants are less appealing, but I’m too lazy for that. If flowers get stolen I’ll just fill the hole with thyme or mint or throw in some seeds. The rule of the treebox is not to put anything in there I really like. The only thing flowering in my yard is a tomato plant and the peas. I have a hanging basket but nothing is flowering in that, just greenery. Stuff in the backyard has yet to flower, so I’m good. But if they steal my veggies I’m gonna be pissed.

Some time ago the Washington City Paper mined several years of the Columbia Heights listserv for comments and published them. It did not make the citizens, particularly the newer citizens of the gentrifying neighborhood of Columbia Heights look good, especially with old vs new tensions. Upon reading some posts on a certain Shaw discussion forum makes me cringe a bit and I thought of the City Paper piece.
I do acknowledge everyone’s right to vent. I mean isn’t this blog just me venting? Yet since I have gathered more readers than the 5 or so circle of friends who read the earlier stuff, I am a bit more careful in my venting.
What makes me cringe? Well, I will admit I am a bit classist, it is a sin I comfortably live with most of the time. However when I see something that can be summed up to say “our neighborhood is changing so poor people don’t belong here and they need to go.” I grow uncomfortable and must reassess my own classism.
In some ways I do side with those annoyed with the old timers and the poor. Some in that grouping can be the most annoying and frustrating types. On my own block alone there are a couple of folks, the screamer, DM, and the crackhead who aggravate me and other neighbors and make the block less inviting. Yet, I would never (at least I don’t think I would) bluntly say (with the exception of the crackhead) that they do not belong and need to be pushed out. The crackhead does have to go, simply because of stupid crackhead logic that makes her & her friends a danger (like leaving your crack friend 1/2 dead on sidewalk) and a nuisance. The screamer and DM just need a little behavior modification, like not screaming at your kids for hours and not falling off the wagon. Yet I’ll admit that having them move away is a whole lot easier than waiting and encouraging changes in behavior.
I guess my other fear is that comments made on public boards, or in some electronic form that can be stored and distributed, is that these comments do feed the worst arguments about gentrifiers, even if it does not reflect all who help gentrify a neighborhood. From those who are in anti-gentrification camp, these comments prove that gentrifiers want to kick the poor and the old out of their homes. No really, I don’t want to kick the seniors out, I want their drug dealing grandkids out. The trick is trying to figure out how do that without making innocent people suffer just because they are older or poorer.

Scott posted notes from the Bates Area Civic Association Meeting in the Daily Dispatch .

And I’m not going because B. has lured me away to another DC event.
But this is what I am missing:
MONTHLY MEETING NOTICE

Guest Speakers Include:
William O. Howland, Jr., Director DC Department of Public Works and
Raman Bhatia Community Greens

Agenda Includes:
Public Safety Committee Report
Land Use, Planning and Economic Development Committee Report
Introduction of “Flower Power 2005”

Monday, May 2, 2005
Mount Sinai Baptist Church
3rd and Q Streets, N.W.
Rooms 1 and 2
7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

BATES AREA CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20001

May 2, 2005

Monthly Meeting Agenda

1. Meeting Called to Order 7:00 p.m.

2. Opening Comments

3 Public Safety Report Fifth District Police

4. Remarks: William O. Howland, Jr.,Director, DPW
Insp. Jacqueline Brooks, DPW

5. Remarks: Raman Bhatia
Community Greens

6. “Flower Power 2005” Mary Ann Wilmer

7. Land Use, Planning, and Art Slater
Economic Development
Committee Report

8. Office of C/M Orange Linda Perkins, Director
Constituent Services

9. BACA Housekeeping J. Berry

10. Announcements:

(a) Next BACA Meeting – Monday, June 6, 2005

11. Adjournment 8:30 p.m.

12. Social Period 9:00 p.m.

This is not a post to pick on one person or punish them for crimes where they have already paid their debt to society…..
Anyway.
So I’m looking at the DC Police Department’s Sex Offender Registry and I see there is a guy who reportedly lives on my block who is listed in the registry because of “attempted second degree child sexual abuse against a person under 16 years of age”. But I’m looking at the picture and saying, who is that guy?
I don’t know every single person on my block but I believe I have never seen the fellow the registry says lives on the unit block of my street. This makes me question the accuracy of the registry. That or he is really good about keeping his head low and out of sight or I just haven’t noticed him.
So what am I going to do with this info? Well besides being a blog topic for today, nothing. He has not wanted by the police and has a right to live in the neighborhood. I might mention it to some parents because of the nature of the crime.