Author: Mari

Neighbors,

Below please find a public notice re. the next two meetings of ANC 5C.

Please share these data with your neighbors and make your best effort

to

attend.

Best,

Jim Berry

ANC 5C

Attachment

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 5C

POST OFFICE BOX 77761

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20013

TELEPHONE: (202) 832-1965/1966

www.anc5c.org

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICES

Monthly Meeting

Invited guests include representatives from the following

organizations:

PERRY SCHOOL COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER, INC.

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT

Where: Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School

1301 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.

When: Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Time: 7:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M.

Monthly Forum

Where: Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church

605 Rhode Island Avenue, N.E.

When: Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Time: 7:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M.

Call the police and cite me for elder abuse. The 10 minute walk to the metro and the walk from U Street to Whole Foods and back to the U Street metro was a bit of a death march for mummy. To be fair, she doesn’t do a lot of walking, that’s what cars are for. And it was cold by Florida standards. Mummy needs to exercise more.

Due to the weather we didn’t get out much. Mom’s view of Shaw consisted of the bus ride from Union Station, the death march, and anything she may have noticed in the car leaving Shaw to go to PG County.

She made note of homeless people and black folk speaking in a language that wasn’t English or Spanish was new. I think she misidentified a man as homeless, I thought he was a crappy dresser who didn’t bother shaving.

Next time, I think we should try for summer. Less commentary about how cold it is here and no need for heavy heavy coats. Next time, I’m going to see how well mom does on a bike.

Posted late because I’ve been trying to tone it down.

Courtland Milloy of the Washington Post has an article in today’s paper about the price of races and classes not being truly integrated outside the workplace and schools. In Milloy’s article the price for white living in segregated neighborhoods is paying too much for substandard housing and the price for African Americans is the lack of economic development. In DC whites congregate in areas west of the park and blacks, the rest of the city, with the odd integrated neighborhoods in the middle. My part of Shaw is one of those odd somewhat integrated neighborhoods.

My version of events of why my little corner is integrated causes great concern on my part about my corner’s ability to remain integrated. Gentrification and the crazy housing prices are why I’m concerned. I can’t say that Blacks are being pushed out, as I have written before, people move around a lot on their own and when one set moves out they can get replaced by a different set. What I will say for Shaw is that you have some people moving out, and new people moving in as the natural ebb and flow of how people live. In addition you have vacant properties and new higher density development coming in, which may increase the numbers of one racial group over another. With higher numbers, when there used to be fewer, if any, it could give the impression that the new group, middle class whites, is pushing out the older poorer and middle class Afro-American residents and changing the complexion of the neighborhood. Whites are not pushing out Black residents, but they may overwhelmingly outnumber the Black residents who weather the gentrification.

I see new developments popping up like mushrooms around U Street, down Florida Ave and all around Shaw. My first thought is “ohmygawd traffic is going to be a nightmare.” But as I write this, I realize that those developments will be typically filled with non-Blacks. Typically. For some odd reason middle class Blacks tend to flee to PG County, so part of me doubts they will fill more than 50% of the mid-rise developments. For poor African Americans, these new developments, unless specifically made affordable, not an option.

I’m afraid Shaw will not be an integrated neighborhood in the future, should Black residents continue to move out (besides voting rights and bigger yards what does PG Co, have that we don’t have?). There should be a balance. The different races should be balanced in that we see each other on a daily basis and get to know each other on a human level. Yet enough of ourselves, no matter who we are, to be ourselves in our own homes.

Hypothermia Watch Program

In September the Mayor announced the District’s Hypothermia Plan for

2004-2005. Hypothermia is a life-threatening condition that could afflict

homeless people living on the streets when the temperature falls below 32

degrees Fahrenheit, or the wind chill factor creates the same effect. The

plan calls for every government agency, every community and all our citizens

to get involved and protect those at risk. The hypothermia season lasts from

November 1 to March 31. Please call (800) 535-7252 if you see someone on the

streets when the temperature is below 32 degrees. The links below provide

information about the Hypothermia Watch Program and other programs that help

the homeless.

Hypothermia Shelters

Men Address

Housing Assistance Center 1355-57 New York Avenue, NE

Franklin School 13th and K Streets, NW

Emery Shelter 1725 Lincoln Road, NE

LaCasa Shelter 1436 Irving Street, NW

Federal City Shelter (CCNV) 425 Second Street, NW

801 East Building 801 Making Life Better Lane SE

Women Only Address

John Young Center 115 D Street, NW

DC General Hospital-Cafeteria 1900 Massachusetts Avenue, SE

Hypothermia Fact Sheet

* The hypothermia season begins November 1 and ends March 31.

* The Emergency Management Agency issues Hypothermia Alerts when the

temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below, or when the wind chill factor

creates the same effect. The hours of operation for the hypothermia alert

are 7pm to 7am, but will be extended until the temperature or wind chill

factor rises above 32 degrees.

* Those who do not come in from the cold when hypothermia alerts are

issued put themselves in life-threatening positions. The body enters into a

hypothermia state when its temperature is below 95 degrees.

* DHS has established partnerships with business and community

organizations to prevent hypothermia deaths. Participants wear “I’m a

Hypothermia Watch Partner” buttons, post flyers and encourage others to be

alert for those in need of assistance.

* The District of Columbia government has provided intensive outreach

and shelter services to the homeless since 1986. DC Law 7-24, the Frigid

Temperature Protection Amendment Act of 1988, was passed to assure that the

homeless are sheltered when the temperature falls below 32 degrees

Fahrenheit.

* Shelter services are provided to approximately 13,480 men, women,

and families throughout the year. The current shelter system provides more

than 1,970 beds for single adults and families with children. Approximately

600 people who are at risk choose not to enter shelters.

* During the winter of 2001, the United Planning Organization (UPO)

Shelter Hotline recorded a total of 15,211 calls and provided 6,113 one-way

trips to shelters. UPO also distributed 11,226 blankets; 82 sleeping bags;

25 pairs of shoes and boots; and 1,533 hats, scarves, and gloves to the

homeless.

* Twelve agencies provide the homeless who remain on the streets with

food, beverages, blankets, gloves, jackets, boots, hats, sleeping bags,

medical services, case management, and counseling.

Links to Organizations That Help the Homeless Located at

* The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness



* So Others Might Eat

* Gospel Rescue Ministries

* National Alliance to End Homelessness

* National Coalition for the Homeless



* Answers, Please!

* US Department of Housing and Urban Development



* Home Base – A Public Policy Law Firm of Homelessness



* Help the Homeless

* Hypothermia Prevention, Recognition and Treatment



* Fannie Mae Foundation

* Community for Creative Non Violence

Desi Deschaine

Community Affairs Coordinator

Executive Office of the Mayor

1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 211

Washington, DC 20004

I’m so excited mummy is going to be visiting me for a few days. She’s never been to my house. The last time she was up in DC I was graduating, pre-house, pre-Shaw. If mummy has ever been in Shaw it was to get dragged to Shiloh Baptist Church on 9th Street. Pre-gentrification 80s if that. Visiting family in DC we rarely encountered the neighborhoods, they were just driven through, not experienced.

I hope to give mummy a different experience, I will not keep her in the house, as many a DC relative has done to me and my cousins. No, provided it is not too cold, we will walk around the hood. If it is too cold then, well something inside, and no not the Smithsonian. I figure we may visit the great Shaw sights of the Ghetto Giant, the Shaw/Howard University metro, and possibly Shiloh Baptist. She probably will have little interest in the art houses and I’m thinking the restaurants over in Logan and U Street may be too far out for her. Mummy is from the land where Red Lobster and Olive Garden are considered nice. We could wander over to the bullet-proof KFC on North Cap for dinner, but let me think of something else.

So, the In Shaw blog will go dark this weekend as I entertain the great and all powerful mummy.

I think I have gotten over any second thoughts about entertaining guests over at my pile of crumbly bricks I call home. Sadly have a fair number of suburbanite friends with ‘hood issues. But last night I imported three folks from PG County who weren’t family members (having relatives over for holiday meals does not count as entertaining) for an All Saints Day dinner.

It was fun. Curry was cooked, wine was drank, letters were read, and a good time was had by all. No one’s car was stolen. No one was double parked in… like last time. Guests did not hint at anything unsavory being seen on the way to the house. They found parking on the street near the house. Maybe it is now safe enough to invite the Bethesdites.

Parking is the key. Before there was tons of parking. Then the abandoned houses got occupied, by people with cars, sometimes more than 1 car per house. The other problem was directing guests to where NOT to park. There are blocks where I notice the remains of a busted car window more often than others. The northwest corner of my block, bad place. The corner near New Jersey and R, close to the Africare building, also bad. A guess a good host would have guests steer clear of areas where one’s car is more apt to get broken in. Of course, those spots on the street are usually not available as more people (with cars) move into the area. But as more people move in and clean up blocks, there are other safe places for parking.

…walk 3 miles along the C&O canal in street shoes and no walkman just to buy 2 dozen nightcrawlers for the compost bin. I walked from Georgetown University to Fletcher’s Boat house, not thinking it was so far, because, like, I had passed it a bazillion times before on bike. It was far. But well worth it, and luckily, I was able to find a bus (and taxi) back home.

Why nightcrawlers? Compost. Those suckers eat that stuff we throw in the compost heap, and since my roommie has been cooking and eating a lot of farmer’s market stuff, we got lots of organic waste. I had been trying to get redworms from my own yard but I haven’t seen too many of them and I want my compost to be active. I know that nightcrawlers aren’t the preferred worm but so far those are the worms I could a) get in DC & b) that they were selling.

I know it my fall under TMI, but I cannot describe the joy that leapt into my heart upon seeing one of my nightcrawlers pooping nutrient rich worm poop.

I have a vision. I see a rich garden of tomatoes growing in the back yard, feeding on the compost. I see thyme, peppermint, rosemary, basil (wait why am I growing basil, I don’t use it…) pansies and lemongrass all growing and feasting on chemical free enhanced soil. *smile*

Private Eyes

They’re watching you.

Private Eyyyyyyes

Watching you

Private Eyes

–Hall & Oates

My neighbor and colleague was telling me of a conversation he had with other neighbors on our street about Oktoberfest. He went to tell them about one of cops he was semi-flirting with, while I stood about absolutely uninterested. The conversation between him and the two female neighbors got on to the type of guys they have seen me and my roommate with, and speculation about our preferences. Don’t let the emptiness of our street fool you, the neighbors are watching.

While keeping a eye out for no-goodniks, loud kids, and what not, they also take in who visits what house, what kids belong to what house, and everything else that happens on the block. This has proven to be good for crime prevention in the case of the attempted break-in at B&L’s house. But upon finding out what my neighbors have gathered on their own it reaffirms that if it is out in the street, it isn’t private.

As reported in the Washington Post, today through Saturday Ms. Anu Yadav will be performing “‘Capers” at the DC Arts Center in Adams Morgan (2438 18th St. NW). Donations of $5-$10 is the entrance fee. The play is about the different people invovled with gentrification of the Arthur Capper/ Carrollsburg housing project in SE.
According to the Post article, people have been relocated to other parts of the district. There is a question of if those people will ever come back to the ‘Capers area as their old housing project is supposed to be reborn as a mixed income area. To make something mixed income, you gotta get rid of some poor people and replace them with middle class people.

Okay public promise.

I will update InShaw before Veteran’s day, because the BACA (Bates Area Civic Association) have put a link up to my site, which I’ve semi-abandoned. So if you see me, ask “Hey, have you updated your site yet?”