Month: September 2008

Let no one call you easy

Eckington, don’t go crazy and give away your right to demand things just because you want a new establishment. IMGoph over at Bloomingdale (for now) has a good post on the Baraki bar, pizza joint, whatever that is looking for an ABC license. Which is fine, but reports so far have not had the owners approaching the ANC or any of the people with an official voice in protesting the license. The protests are not so much from being against such an establishment but rather wanting the owners to talk to the community and selling neighbors on the concept. IMGoph states it best when he writes:

humbly coming before the neighbors, looking to become a neighbor yourself, would do them well here in bloomingdale. i hope the owners are listening.

A little neighborhood buy in wouldn’t hurt.
Another thing, according to the post Shiloh had spent $40K on protesting Queen of Sheeba. [bites tongue]

Hate crimes and regular old muggings

Today coming home from work a neighbor told me that last night up the block a woman was attacked, and the guy who rushed out of the house to help the woman, also beat by the perps. Apparently, I failed to notice the various cops and the helicopter responding to the scene. Add that to other muggings and gay bashing that I’ve heard of, this seems to be on the increase. However, I’m tempering it with the sense that things seem to get worse before they get better.
The good that I’m hoping that will come of this post is a reminder that you need to BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. For the love of Pete people too many people are walking along yakking away on cell phones, texting, and rocking out on ipods. I’m not saying live in fear, just be safe. Take a cab if you’re drunk. Have your keys out when walking at night. Turn off the mp3 player or at least have one ear free to hear what’s coming up behind you. Make the phone call quick and hang up. If you’re walking with friends still remain aware.
We’ve been through this cycle before, let’s work to bring back the sense of safety by becoming safe.

Kevin needs signs

Walking around the hood, I noticed a lot of Leroy Thorpe signs in yards. The puppet master of ANC 2C02 wants his job back. Well if you don’t like being informed about what’s going on, unless you belong to a small clique of loyal followers, go ahead vote him back in.
But you can’t tell me you don’t want current ANC2C02 Kevin Chapple’s seasonal magazine or his informative website with video and updated info of things going on in around central Shaw. These did not exist before Kevin people. What you got before was yelled at or a poorly edited flier that may or may not have found its way to you.
Let’s not go back to the bad old days of Thorpe. Let’s not even stall in the bad present of an unelected Thorpe puppet regime (yeah, lotta drama for such a little slice of DC) with Ms. Brooks, as the puppet ANC 2C chair. By re-electing Kevin Chapple and Alex Padro, and electing Lanza and Sule you get rid of the whole puppet show, or at least move it to a civic group where it can’t do too much harm.
So I’m distressed at the lack of Chapple signage. Guess I’m going to have to write a check to campaign fund. It seems Kevin had a fundraiser earlier this month, but lo, there is a place to where monies may be sent, according to his website:

P.O. Box 26064, Washington, DC 20001. The maximum contribution is $25. Checks should be made out to Kevin Chapple, with “reelection campaign” written in the memo section.

The Haitian Kids Are Back @ BFF


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Originally uploaded by In Shaw

Sorry for the downgrade in posts this week, but next month I should be my regular self.
Anyway, this weekend is the big old Bloomingdale Farmers Market shin dig with pulled pork, Haitian kids singing, and for added fun Uruguayan Candomble. If you were there last year you’ll remember how much fun it was. Sadly I might not make it as over in MVSQ I’m taking Jean-Claude LeLan’s cooking class, but you all go, and have fun.
Here’s the announcement:

HAITIAN INVASION at the Bloomingdale Farmers Market

This year Les Petits Chanteurs,” the Boys´ Choir of Holy Trinity Music School, Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, will perform a variety of Haitian tunes such as “Haiti Cherie,” “Choucoune,” and “Mamzelle Zizi” and sacred tunes by composers including Pitoni, Palestrina, and Mozart. But that’s not all we are proud to announce that there will be a second group performing this year.

Uruguayan Candomble
A local collective of drummers performing Uruguayan Candomble music will follow Les Petits Chanteurs. Afro-Uruguayan Candomblé music has it’s roots in Brazil via Africa. The music is created by traditional drums and unique instruments like the afoxe a hand shaker is made made by covering a hollow gourd with a weblike string of beads, the beads rotated around the gourd to create a rhythmic percussive sound. This sound is spreading throughout South America and now is catching on here.

As if this was not enough……. We have imported BBQ Legend, Chef Kriston Capps from deep in the heart of Texas to be the master of this years free BBQ pork give-away. That’s right sample slow smoked BBQ pork from BFM own Truck Patch Farm for free!
This is East Coast Pig meeting Wild West Q and the results will be awesome. We plan to serve it Breadlines
outstanding rolls.
So, music, food and fun….. but wait there’s still more! Garner Farm’s doing a corn on the cob boil and give-a-way too! ALL Happening at the Bloomingdale Farmer’s Market
Time: The BBQ line starts at 11:30, the concerts will start around noon.
When: Sunday Septetmber 14th
Where:Bloomingdale Farmers’ Market, 10-2
Location: First and R Street NW


Renting out rooms

DCRA has their website, ThisShouldBeIllegal.Com mainly aimed at college kids to get them to rat out their landlords. Well it has proven helpful to me, answering something I wondered about. I’ve always had roommate, ranging from my sister in my parents home, to dormmates in college, group housemates in grad school, to regular run of the mill roommates. So when I bought the house I didn’t figure on changing my lifestyle. I kept having roommates. Anyway, I worried that I was on the wrong side of the law as I wasn’t licensed or whatever the hell DCRA wanted. But according to the comments on one of DCRA’s posts “If you are living in the house, you can have up to 3 unrelated people living with you without being flagged for a business license. If you did not reside there, you would have to get a license.”
So I guess I’m fine, as I only have one non-related person in the house. Two would drive me nuts. Also I left behind the ‘joys’ of group house living and would be happy never to experience that again.

Fall planting and the problem with being organic

This morning while I was eating breakfast in the backyard, reading the newspaper, B. yelled over the fence about some bugs spotted on the plants. There are these bugs that sort of look like lady bugs, but aren’t. They need to die. B.’s solution was spray, mine, shake ’em off the plant and step on them. The are some organic pest control sprays, but stomping seems to be the best earth friendly, plant friendly way to take care of them.
Same thing with bugs found in the corn at the farmer’s market. I’m going to assume that the farmers use little to no pesticide. Anyway, at the tops of the corn there were these fat ugly worms eating and turning the kernels to mush. Solution, knock the worm out from the corn, stomp it, knock off some of the mush, buy the corn. When I got home I just cut the top off, the rest of the corn cob was just fine.
I was taking a closer look at the pots because I’m trying to figure out where I can fit the fall plantings for a winter crop. Somethings do well in the winter here. Arugula, does but I’ve already planted that, as does onions and beets and Swiss chard. I have beet seeds and I need to get them in the ground while it is still warm, but the summer stuff is taking up all the space.

KIPP Interested in JF Cook School


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Originally uploaded by In Shaw

According to Jim Berry’s Community Update:

At Monday’s civic association, Mr. Alexander Shawe, Director of Real Estate for KIPP , DC , is scheduled to make a presentation concerning his organization’s interest in establishing a charter school in the building that formerly housed the J.F. Cook Elementary School , near the intersection of North Capitol and P Streets, N.W. “According to their website, KIPP , DC is a network of high-performing, college-preparatory charter schools in Washington , D.C. , which serve the city’s under-resourced communities. Further, the website indicates that at KIPP , DC there are no shortcuts: outstanding educators, more time in school, a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum, and a strong culture of achievement and support help (their) students make significant academic gains and continue to excel in high school and college.” For more details concerning their proposed plan for the J.F. Cook School building, I strongly encourage you to attend the BACA meeting on 9/8/2008. If you desire to know more about KIPP , DC in advance of the meeting, I suggest that you visit their website at www.kippdc.org.


BACA meeting 9/8/08

Agenda for the evening will include a presentation from:
Alexander Shawe, Director of Real Estate, KIPP DC
re. the KIPP Academy’s interest in the former J.F. Cook School Building
As well as status reports from the following committees:

Membership

Public Safety

Youth Services

Environmental Services

WHERE?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Mount Sinai Baptist Church
3rd and Q Streets, N.W.

Rooms 1 and 2
7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Ward 5: Foreclosure Counciling Today 9/5

Councilmember Thomas Hosts 19th Annual Harry Thomas, Sr. Family Day Event Features Housing Counseling Services in Response to Ward 5’s High Foreclosure Rate
On September 5, from 4 pm until 10 pm, Ward 5 Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr. will host the 19th Annual Harry Thomas, Sr. Day. The event honors the legacy of Councilmember Thomas’ father, the late Councilmember Harry Thomas, Sr., and celebrates his commitment to strengthening families and communities.
This year, in response to the skyrocketing number of foreclosures in Ward 5, Councilmember Thomas has joined with his colleague, Councilmember Mary M. Cheh, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs, to offer foreclosure and mortgage assistance at the event.

Representatives from the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking; Manna, Inc.; Housing Counseling Services; the Urban League; and Community Area Asset Builders (CAAB) will be on hand to meet with residents about their mortgages. Harry Thomas, Sr. Family Day will also include a neighborhood barbeque, music, softball games, a moon bounce, and boxing under the stars.
“Families facing foreclosure can benefit tremendously from knowing all of the options available to them,” said Councilmember Cheh. “In some cases, refinancing or help from charitable organizations might be enough to help some families keep their homes. We want to do all we can to assist our neighbors in distress.”
“I am appreciative of Councilmember Cheh’s assistance in providing housing counseling services at Harry Thomas, Sr. Family Day,” said Councilmember Thomas. “In 2007, 523 Ward 5 families received notices of foreclosure. I can’t think of a better way to honor my father’s memory than by helping residents save their homes.”

Event details are as follows:
Who: Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr. (D-Ward 5) and Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3)
What: 19th Annual Harry Thomas, Sr. Family Day
Where: Taft Recreation Center, Dwight Mosley Athletic Field, South Dakota Ave. and Perry Street, NE
When: 4 pm to 10 pm, Friday, September 5, 2008

Sorta Free to Good Home

Free or best offer- 1 female crappy bike.
I’m now on my 3rd 3 speed and I want to be rid of the old bike. The problem occurred when the front brake broke. I just fixed the back brake, sort of, then this happens. And at some point the bike will need new tires. The tires look like crap, but currently are serviceable.
The good points about the bike? First, it’s a woman’s bike meaning you can bike in a skirt and dismount gracefully. Second, it is so ugly it is its own anti-theft protection. Nothing easily comes off, so wheels, seat, and bars will remain on the bike when you leave it at the metro station. Lock it, but it’s less likely to get stolen. More likely to be removed from Union Station. Third, it’s simple transport. Nothing fancy, just three speeds (realistically 2) to get you around town in a bike lane.

So to my readership I offer the bike to you before I go with freecycle or Craigslist or DC Department of Public Works. Free to Shaw, LeDroit, MVSQ, and Bloomingdale folk who offer the best sob story of why you need a ugly bike *or* bottle of 10-20 year old good* port. Story or port.

*No Taylor’s.