May 2007 – Page 4 – Truxton Is In Shaw

BACA Meeting this Monday

From Jim:
Neighbors,

Below please find a copy of the flyer that is being passed out in the community regarding the upcoming BACA meeting. Please share its contents with your neighbors and bring them with you to the meeting!
Best,

Jim Berry

Bates Area Civic Association, Inc.

MONTHLY MEETING NOTICE

Featured Speaker:
Captain Melvin Scott
Fifth District, MPD

re. The Formulation of a Public Safety Plan for Our Community

Agenda will also include status reports from the following:

Membership Committee

Program Committee

Land Use, Planning and Economic Development Committee

Transportation Committee

Environmental Services Committee

Monday, May 7, 2007
Mount Sinai Baptist Church

3rd and Q Streets, N.W.
Rooms 1 and 2

7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

For more information regarding the meeting and/or the Association,

please contact Jim Berry at (202) 387-8520, email him at jamojam@msn.com, or visit our website at www.dcbaca.org

Highlights from the April 2, 2007

BACA Meeting

Special Guest: Honorable Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor of the District of Columbia, was the featured speaker for the evening. Mr. Fenty made about 10 minutes worth of opening remarks, essentially, assuring those present that he wants to do everything within his power to make certain that the residents of all neighborhoods in the District of Columbia enjoy a decent quality of life and that he will work closely and cooperatively with us to assure that this is the case in our area during the Fenty administration. The bulk of the time that Mayor Fenty spent with members of the BACA involved a question and answer session that dealt with the high concentration of blatant and illegal drug sales and use by the criminal element in our community, as well as our need for more frequent and reliable services from the DC Department of Public Works, the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, and from the DC Department of Transportation. Throughout the night, a number of neighbors cited specific circumstances around which we could use help from the MPD and other government agencies. And, importantly, Mr. Fenty made a commitment to help!

For the most part, the expression of public safety concerns by residents dominated the discussion. The concerns cited by residents involved illegal drug activity, what seems to be the constant sound of gunfire at night time, and what neighbors felt to be a limited or inadequate presence of the Metropolitan Police Department in the community. In reaction to what he was hearing, Mr. Fenty tasked the Fifth District Police with the responsibility for developing a plan to help us to eventually eradicate this activity. Mr. Fenty said that the approach he utilized to resolve similar problems that were being experienced by the residents of Ward Four when he was their Council Member needed to be implemented in our community. Specifically, he said that the Fifth District MPD needed to develop a concrete and measurable plan to address our crime problems – a plan that we could review in 90 day increments and, in cooperation with the MPD, modify where necessary and appropriate. It is our expectation that the Fifth District will present a summary of such a plan for our area at the 5/7/2007 BACA meeting. Importantly, Mr. Fenty made a commitment to come back to a BACA meeting in 90 days to find out what kind of progress is being made. And, as a sign of the seriousness of his commitment to us, the mayor said that he would return every 90 days, if need be, to assure that our crime and other problems will eventually be resolved.

Remarks: Ward Five Council Member Harry Thomas, Jr. echoed Mayor Fenty’s pledge to see to it that more reliable and a higher quality of government services be directed to our area by District of Columbia Government agencies than might have been the case in the past. And, as the chairperson of the Council Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, Mr. Thomas pledged that he would use his authority and influence to strengthen the resources that are currently available to us in these three critical areas. Mr. Thomas also informed the body that he was hosting a workshop on economic development in Ward Five on Saturday, April 14, 2007, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. an 11:00 a.m. at The Catholic University and, later on that afternoon, Mr. Thomas said that he was sponsoring an Emancipation Day program at the Old Soldier’s Home. In addition, Mr. Thomas informed us that the featured entertainment at the Emancipation Day event would be the legendary Chuck Brown. Finally, Mr. Thomas strongly encouraged those in attendance to participate in the DC Emancipation Day rally and voting rights march to Capitol Hill on Monday, April 16, 2007.

Additional Commitments Made:

(a) Mayor Fenty pledged to follow-through on a campaign promise to residents of the area to pave Richardson Place, N.W. as well as to have other long needed streetscape improvements made to this street.

(b) Council Member Thomas pledged to support the BACA’s plans to organize a Public Safety Task Force that would meet on a regular basis with the government officials and the community to address problems of crime and disorder in our community. It is expected that the first public meeting of the Task Force will take place in late May or June 2007.

Program Committee Report: Chairperson Geovani Bonilla gave a status report on the work of his committee. Indeed, he indicated that Tuesday, May 8, 2007 had been selected as the start date for the “Walk for Your Health Program.” The group will assemble at the corner of 3rd and Q Streets, N.W., in front of Mount Sinai Baptist Church , at 6:30 p.m. on this date. A professional trainer from CURVES will warm the group up and get them started on the walk around the community.

The proposal for 917 M Street, NW

There is a set of webpages and documents, and space for future
comments and emails, at

http://www.pro-messenger.com/Blagden/Monthly%20Pages/2007%20Monthly%20Pages/BAN_2007_05_917M_P1.html

Hopefully, updated frequently uuntil the next meeting,
May 24, 2007. That meeting is going to be so jammed
that many of the technical matters of 917 M should
be covered before then.

Celebrate new homeowners

I’m so happy I don’t know where to start.
A little while after I moved, in a couple from Chicago moved in down the block. They were renting the house from a friend of theirs and immediately they integrated themselves into the community. The husband regularly (when he’s not out of town for work or sick) cleans up the block with a little broom and a trash can. This supplements the work of alley cleaning man. In winter he’ll sometimes borrow my snow shovel when there is snow and clear the sidewalk for 1/2 of our side of the street. He’s also willing to talk with the “kids” that hang on the block when there is a point that they need talking to. The husband is also an artist of the woodblock variety and adds to the number a artist-type people in the area and when you have IT, that makes 2 artists on our side of the street.
Well the house they were renting got sold to another person and sometime after that the couple started to consider buying a house in the neighborhood. They really like the neighborhood and particularly our block. However the guy who bought the house, understandably, wanted to make a profit from his purchase and they were non-profit people (there are many non-profit org workers running around the hood), so they weren’t exactly rolling in dough. But somehow, they closed this week. Maybe the fact that the house needs a boatload of costly repairs might have something to do with it.
Boat. Load. The house has serious, serious problems with water. Mainly the keeping water out kind. The current problem de jour is a leak, or something, somewhere, has water going down the side of the interior wall when it rains. And I don’t know if the problem with the sewer was fixed. And the husband mentioned something about the foundation.
It seems they got to work on the house minutes after closing. We engaged in the common bonding experience on our block, the watching construction work. One of the block’s contractors was working on the outside of the house while 2 other construction employed residents, the new owner, and I stood around making commentary about the work. Including myself, there are at least 3 people on the block having work done on their house. And usually there is at least one person at any one time having something done in the 6 years I’ve been here. So there is usually a ‘show’ where you can stand around, and make commentary.

Renovation 2007: Community Forklift

I’m shopping for stuff for the house. Not furnishings but things like the tub, sinks, tile, etc. Things that reflect my tastes and budget. And that means running around to Home Despot, Lowes, and IKEA for some things and the Brass Knob and Community Forklift for older home items.
For things like clawfoot tubs and radiators I compared Brass Knob and Community Forklift. Brass Knob wins the beauty contest, but with my budget I’m looking at CF. Clawfoots at the BK start at $450 for the ones sitting outside and at $850 for the nice re-glazed ones. At CF all the tubs sit outside and range from $200-$400 depending on how dinged up they are and if they have feet. The one pictured here had $400 taped on it and came with feet. It didn’t have any dings in the tubby part of the tub, the feet weren’t rusty and really there wasn’t a lot the tub needed. There was another tub that had a ding or two on the lip and had rusty feet and it was listed as $250 with feet.
It has been a while since I priced radiators at the BK. Off the top of my head they were something like $9 a fin. I did get a price from CF which was like 1/2 that depending on size. Plain was @ 19″ high $4 per fin, then 26″ $5 per fin and 36″ $6 per fin and the fancy just add $4.50 per fin over the plain price.
Unlike BK, CF had insulation, the denim kind. If you need more the fellow working there said he had more in the back.

Cutting off your nose to spite your face- a rant

When I moved here from PG County my first shock was in the form of my newly adjusted paycheck. I can’t remember the exact amount now but it was over $30 bucks in increased taxes on what was around about a $36,000py salary. The second shock, I think, was the odd sound of gunfire.
The Post reports that the City Council is looking at two tax proposals. I’m not too concerned about the inheritance tax, because of my age. However, as a homeowner I would love it if the city capped the real estate tax increase at 5%, down from 10%. However, the voice of opposition to the 5% is that it would be a tax break for the wealthy.
Honey, it would be a tax break for me, and I’m very sure I’m not wealthy. How do I know, well if I were to go out and have a car like the average American, I couldn’t eat. The insurance and gas would kill me. As it stands now my mortgages with RE taxes and homeowners insurance eat up 1/2 of my take home pay. That’s even after I reduced the amount I contribute to my retirement. It seems one has to plow over the middle class to try to punish the rich.
The current real estate tax system rewards people who stay put. Longtime residents pay way less in taxes for the same type house on the same block, than someone just buying a house now. Is that fair? I dunno. But I wouldn’t complicate the system specifically to punish them for not trading up in house and staying put. Supposedly the system does punish abandoned properties for being abandoned properties regardless of the income of the properties’ owners. Someone who has been around long enough probably knows how to play the system to evade the higher vacant property tax.
Anyway, whoever is in charge please don’t take out your frustrations with the wealthy out on the middle class. You already tax my income more than the surrounding areas (for a single car-less person). You tax my property according to an amount I couldn’t pay if I were to try to buy my house today.
Also the property taxes seem unfair to the small non-big chain businesses we love, but that’s another rant for another day.

What circle of Hell is Radio Shack in?

Yesterday I wanted to throw things at the staff at the 7th St Radio Shack at Gallery Place. I did not for two reasons. One, it is assault. Two, I have a lousy aim.
I went in to buy some rechargeable batteries. I was already annoyed that the batteries weren’t in the same area as the regular batteries nor with the rechargers. When I found them it was unclear how I would check out. There is a circular desk where you’d think you’d be able to check out, but it isn’t clear. Particularly when several staff members were helping other customers with phone plans. Phone plans are complicated things and I understand that by standing behind a phone customer I won’t be helped for a good long while. Other people who just had purchases, no phone, were trying to get the next available staff person. The same staff person who decided to step back onto the sales floor.
Helloooo. People just wanting to buy one little thing.
I was steamed.
The woman trying to return a defective bluetooth thing, looked nearly defeated.
The guy trying to buy a cable wire looked pissed.
This is my second ‘so angry I want to throw things at people’ experience at this Radio Shack, which is about 1/3 of my experiences with this Radio Shack. Best Buy is a little out of my way, and I reserve the trip out to Tenleytown for large purchases. Are there any other options for electronics needs near Shaw with better customer service?

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.

Renovation 2007: Phone line in the loo

My contractor has one of those smart phone things, so he can be overly communicative in various ways. He sends me text messages, email and will call, a lot. The problem is, I don’t think he reads the email till later. He’ll give voice mail and texts an immediate response, so if I’ve emailed him on something and then he later calls about the same subject, there is a chance he hasn’t read it.
The subject in this case, wiring. Electrical wires, phone wires, cable wires, and Ethernet wires. In the email, I said I wanted one bedroom to have several electrical outlets, phone, cable and Ethernet and the other bedroom to just have electrical and phone. Nope, the 2nd bedroom is getting cable and Ethernet ’cause he thinks it’s best. Okay, whatever. Then on the phone he says something about running a phone line in the 1/2 bath. Um. Something seems oh so wrong about that.
I had a bit of a struggle with him on the Ethernet. He mentioned how everything is going wireless. Well, yes, but I want it hard wired, because these houses are small and thin and I really don’t want to have a neighbor’s wireless dohicky interfering with my wireless doohicky.

More on Eastern Market

I’ve just finished reading some of the comments on the Washington Post site about the Eastern Market fire. The big theme I see is that what mattered wasn’t the architecture of the building, which was lovely, but the merchants, the running into neighbors, the relationships formed was the thing that mattered. My concern for the people of Capitol Hill, is that those in charge will get too fixated on the body of the market, the systems, the size of vendor space, etc., and make the soul a second thought.
Another theme I noticed was a concern for the merchants, a by product of those relationships formed between patron and shopkeeper. Realizing while the powers that be figure out what to do, the merchants need support. The Capitol Hill Community Foundation has already set up a fund so that people can contribute.