Category: Event

Remembering the Flood of 2001

Pics of flooding from 2001Yes these aren’t the best, but I didn’t have time to scan them. They are photos my aunt took back in 2001 a few months after I had just bought my house. I had moved from an apartment and didn’t have a whole lot of stuff so there wasn’t much to be destroyed in the basement but a few things, and the crappy carpet that came with the house.

It was worse for my neighbors who had full basements. The sewer and runoff were one and so the rain overwhelmed the system and water (with other icky stuff) came through basement toilets and tubs. At the time I had no plumbing in the basement, but I did have a drain outside the cellar door that backflowed sending water into the basement. And I got a little water near the interior water shut off valve on the other side of the house.

Fast forward to this year in 2017, DC Water ( @DCwater) had made some infrastructure investments to deal with runoff and around the neighborhood our drains are not as clogged with trash and greenery as it was when we were more ghetto than gentrified. So a little less damage, but damage still. Our sump pump was only 1/2 full when a mighty river decided to breech our cellar door. The drain outside the cellar door wasn’t draining the water that came down. The Help (my lovely husband) had to jump into action to clear the drain during the thunderstorm.

Another difference, it looks like Truxton got Bloomingdale’s flooding. What do you think?

Still Annoyed with #NSS2016 – In Shaw – Mari in the Citi

Selfie with Security Okay now I’m annoyed about my church being surrounded by security fencing.
Before I was just pissed about the militarization of the civilian commercial and residential space during the conference.
Now the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit is over with and things that were supposed to get back to normal after 12 noon, are not. There is this big heavy metal security fencing in the parking spaces on 8th Street NW, taking up several parking spaces.  The security fences are surrounding Immaculate Conception, so that you have to walk half a block to get in. The fences also were still up on 7th Street when I walked by a little after 5PM on Saturday.
Seriously. Next time. Pick the boonies of Virginia or Maryland if you need so much security.

This page contains a single entry by Mari published on April 3, 2016 6:02 PM.

Nuclear Summit Neighborhood Mess – In Shaw – Mari in the Citi

Dear Organizers of the Nuclear Security Summit,

Next time consider the Dulles Expo Center. No it isn’t in DC but that’s never stopped some organizers of other events from calling their thing the DC Whatever.

Yes, nuclear security is important. But your importance seems to require shutting down major thoroughfares (Route 1), MPD man hours not spent on addressing the terror of crime on DC streets, and a dozen or so humvees with a bunch of National Guardsmen from the Mall to the Shaw metro, f’ing up traffic.
Lockdown-NukeSummit0I’ve lived in DC for well over a decade and I understand that “security” however you define it and however it is expressed is a big thing around here. However I find this expression offensive. I hate the militarization of civilian spaces. I’d understand if some of my fellow residents had rioted, burned down a bunch of buildings and were looting. If that’s going on, yes, send out the National Guard, the sooner the better. However, in the past decade the National Guard has been lingering around Shaw for special occasions, with heavy equipment at least 3-4 times. The past 2 inaugurations and this summit. I know not just Shaw, but Mt. Vernon Square and Downtown get a bit of this too.
Lockdown-NukeSummit1
I find it unsettling to walk to the metro in my neighborhood and see a tan humvee at the 7-11 on Rhode Island Avenue. I found even more offensive to my sight a humvee parked on the wide pedestrian sidewalk, at 7th and P next to Beau Thai. It appeared that even my church was blocked off by the National Guard, strangely I’m not that upset about that as I am the commercial corridors.

I guess the part I find most offensive is that someone thought it was okay to to do this to my neighborhood, a place where people live, a neighborhood of residences and churches and schools and daycares. Is security in the hands of a bunch of Virginians who think, “OMG that place has a bunch of black people, send out the National Guard!”

If security is so frigging important why the heck did someone or some group decide to pick one of the busiest places in the metro region. Surely Camp David is available. It just doesn’t seem to make sense to have an event in a highly populated commercial and residential area if security is a concern. Heavens knows you’re not taking advantage of the metro since Mt. Vernon Square Metro was closed down for this event and Metro buses were rerouted. I feel badly for the 9th St restaurants several of who have had to warn diners on their twitter feeds of the traffic mess, so I wonder, did you come for our fine dining? I sort of doubt it. But if you needed hotels and restaurants, maybe next time have it at the National Harbor and ferry participants safely along the Potomac.

Yes, I know it is only for a couple of days once every so many years, but someone seems to be making a habit of injecting the military into civilian neighborhoods. Pope Frankie’s visit had some crazy security and closings but with fewer firearms and heavy equipment. So next time, please pick another venue because your presence is a PITA.

Thanks.

This page contains a single entry by Mari published on April 1, 2016 6:14 PM.

UHOP Parade this Saturday, more info

From PSA 301 via the MVSNA listserv:

The parade hours will be Saturday, May 29, 2010 from 10am which will be the assembly time, and start at 12 Noon to 3pm which will be the disbanding time.

The route is as follows:
The parade will form at 6th and M Street NW and will proceed over the following route: North on 6th Street to S Street, West on S Street to 13th Street to Logan Circle, Southeast around Logan Circle to P Street, East on P Street to 7th Street, South on 7th Street to M Street, East on M Street to 6th where participants will disband.

Enjoy the parade, but if you got somewhere to go, don’t do it during the parade unless you’re on foot or bike.

Grusesome Playground Injuries

This has very little to do with Shaw but I was invited and the Wolly Mammoth, where this play was performed is between work and home, so good enough.
We did make an effort to go to one of the WM supporters, Cedar Restaurant. I was barely aware of the place before seeing anything at the Wolly. We enjoyed the appetizers. Maybe next time 701, I sometimes go there for lunch.
The play itself is funny and later touching but not for the easily grossed out. If the sounds of loud retching makes you want to toss your cookies. Avoid. The story is about two self-destructive accident prone people and their relationship. The staging is a little odd, and made it difficult to see some on stage wardrobe changes if one sat in the balcony area. The music was modern, right now Lady GaGa is stuck in my head because of it. But in the end, it is quite touching. The Help noticed that I wasn’t the only one teary eyed leaving the theater.

Warning- UHOP parade May 29th

That’s the date mentioned on the MVSNA listserv. For you new people this is what usually happens. The church has a parade. A big parade. A long parade that crosses Rhode Island, snarling traffic. I think last year they went up to Florida Avenue. Also last year, they worked with the city. As opposed to previous years where deacons and other church people blocked streets and directed traffic.

It is interesting and it brings in a lot of United House of Prayer folks.

BACA Clean Up Tomorrow and Something completely unrelated

First, BACA Saturday, 1st & P @ 10AM. See more here. I won’t be joining this cleanup as tomorrow is run around town looking for something and dropping stuff off day. My main goal is to get sample sizes of various Benjamin Moore paint colors (used to be able to get them at Monarch Paints but no more) and get rid of an old pre-HD TV.

Unrelated- history. Everyso often I think of papers I would write if I were really inspired to write and had the time to write. One topic I’d like to spend some more time on is the topic of urban renewal looking at some long term things. For one I’d look at the gensis of DC urban renewal by NCPC and DC government and any non-government players and get a sense of what their motivations were. Then try to figure out what happened to those individuals as they dropped out of the process when plans changed, and plans do change. Second, changing plans. The experts and planners start off with one set of plans and then due to budget, staff, political pressure, the odd riot, or whathaveyou the plans change. The big freeway that is currently I-395 does not continue up New Jersey Avenue and on to U Street. And the big thing is I’d want such a paper for people to look up the primary sources for themselves. I don’t want people to automatically take my word as gospel. I have biases, and some of them I will publicly admit to, others I won’t. Some will look at the same information and draw different conclusions, but the main thing is that they look and think.

Monday walkabout

Greetings from the free and liberating part of Shaw, Truxton Circle. Pretty much a block or two away from the Convention Center nothing looks different. Well except for police loitering over at Dunbar or in the park across from the Safeway.
I walked around. Ran some errands. The register was down at the 5th St Hardware and I think I saw Michelle Rhee walking out the Safeway with her assistant/ aide/ some random guy pushing her cart. 5th Street is normal. 6th Street appears to have the 70 bus running down it. Military vehicles block 7th and 9th and a tiny portion of 8th for one level of security. The G2 seems to be running normal on P, and taxis were running up and down O. I was able to walk by the Humvees and military personnel towards the checkpoints without showing any ID. The sidewalk is blocked off at 7th and O on both sides and I didn’t test whether ID required to walk to the front door of 1330 7th St. Little matter as you can get to their parking lot from the rear.
I spoke with one resident living in the militarized zone and he pretty much had a good spirit about it all. Of course he complained about the set up noise and the helicopters flying overhead kept him up at night. Also he’s happy he’s parked in just the right space where it is close enough, but doesn’t require the military to unblock his way.
Also I noticed on my walk, some hangerouters moved to sitting in cars and throwing chicken bones out of open windows. I nearly got hit by a bone. The grocery stores were busy. Azi’s didn’t look busy. But it was 11 something and one guy in there. I don’t know how busy they are normally.
Some others have reported on the security around the area. Such as Economic Policy Journal looking more at the south end. The BAANC blog editor worries about fire safety. CCCA has a clever SHAW MASH post but I’m guessing the military medical vehicle wasn’t sitting in front of Kennedy when the Prez was out there. Cause that would have been a good picture. Maybe I should walk out again (I forgot something at the store) and take a picture of it.

Shaw lockdown

Center City Charter School is going to be closed. It’s the school looking at the rear end of the Convention Center. I wouldn’t be surprised if some nearby businesses decide it’s better to be closed than pretend that the attendees of this shin-dig are going to make up for your regulars who decide the hassle isn’t worth it. Call ahead to any location in the lockdown zone before heading out, but then again that might be more than what you might want to do.
I am taking Monday off to observe the impact of this on the hood. I’m not going to protest as was suggested. The last time I stood on a corner with a sign was 1988. And after observing too many lame lunchtime protests (a noontime protest lasting long enough to document) from my work window, I personally don’t care for that mode of petitioning one’s government regarding grievances. I’m more of the letter writing, calling and blogging type as those modes have been more fruitful and satisfying. Also I’ve been informed that there have been threats and since I find no great romance in getting arrested or mistaken for a threat (can never be too careful, that woman with the cardboard sign could be hiding something!), I’m going to try not to bring any attention to myself as I observe and document.
I noticed as I documented the fencing that’s already in place, some residents were blasting some horrid gangsta rap from the windows. That’s one form of protest. May I suggest a little Jay-Z. Torture them with the inability to publicly sing along.