Okay it’s over in MVSQ-land but I’ve seen it listed and it is affordable, so what’s wrong with 481 Ridge St NW? I mean it’s listed for $199,900. Two blocks from the metro. Walking distance to Gallery Place-Chinablock, the Safeway, a bunch of stuff I like.
What is it riddled with termites? Dead bodies under the floorboards? What?
Day: September 30, 2009
Ten Days of Truxton- Slavery
I’ve heard of an objection to Truxton’s name because he was a slaveholder. The whole city is named for a big old slaveholder. Worse yet, we’ve got a big phallic symbol on the Mall in honor of Washington, not far from that other memorial from another slaveholder, Jefferson, who also owned a number of humans.
The big biography by Eugene S. Furguson has very little to say about Commodore Thomas Truxton and slavery. Just one paragraph speaking of a period of then Captain Truxtun’s life when he was a on financially shaky ground and his family was growing with 6 girls and two boys. And the family seemed to split their time between Cranbury, New Jersey and Philadelphia:
Their Negro servant, Hannah, was still with the family; but Captain Truxtun, influenced by his late friend Franklin’s stand on slavery, had set her free on condition that he never be called upon to support her, should she leave his employ. Apparently she had chosen to stay on.
The Franklin mentioned is Benjamin Franklin.
Then the question is why did Hannah choose to stay. A couple factors might explain, she’s a woman, possibly alone with no family, possibly no supportive Afro-American community in Cranbury, her age may’ve played a factor, and it’s 1794-95.
So Truxtun’s sin was owning at least one woman who didn’t leave when the opportunity to do so was presented. For some that’s unforgivable and puts him in the same league as worse transgressors such as Washington and Jefferson. Others may not count it against him in light of what he has given to fledgling US Navy.
Next Ten Days of Truxton- Commodore’s Background
Why I hate meetings
Location- All Nations Church
Event- ANC 5C monthly meeting
It’s 8:40 and we are just getting to the Cook School. It was scheduled to be approached at 7:25.
It is just 9:13 and I think Marshall Phillips is speechifying. Topic, LAYC. The topic has been beaten like a dead horse.
I’m going to type in earlier notes…. Richard Norwood is the new Alice Thompson, the new Outreach and Service Specialist for Ward 5 from the Mayor’s office. An angry Hanover resident complaint that there is little beautification. She was answered by Commissioner Pinkney who said the sidewalks are concrete and can’t have trees. The next Hanover meeting (to address this) is the 4th Thurs in Oct at the CAPS school.
Joyce Robinson mentioned the New York Ave playground and that it has gone down.
The angry Hanover resident said the drug boys are back. The next 501 PSA meeting is the 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Harry Thomas Rec Center. The angry Hanover resident left unsatisfied with the responses provided by her ANC or the police.
She wasn’t the only one leaving unsatified. The neighbor fighting the variance at 1721 4th St wasn’t happy. Commissioner Anita Bonds, going on what she was told by the planning office believed the owners of 1421 could do what they wanted with adding the 4th floor by matter of right and the ANC should approve what is legally their right. The opposing neighbor tried to point out that it is not a matter of right because of the added density and the precedent. However it was well after 9:30 and the church was blinking the lights off and everyone wanted to go home and the argument was lost and the ANC approved the variance.
Side note- Harry Thomas is sporting what looks to be a beard.
Second note- I won’t go to another ANC 5C meeting unless forced to. With BACA you get kicked out around 9PM.
I hate meetings.