Category: Uncategorized

On the Mt. Vernon listserv there are the names and addresses of people arrested recently. Normally, I just read the arrests posts and move on to the next message, but it seems this time around there was prostitution theme, and that caught my eye.
The other thing that caught my eye was the arrested folks’ addresses. What, are there no ho’s in SE? The arrests occurred around the Convention Center area and there is one fellow from Elvans Road SE, and another from Bernie Place SE. Others from NE DC and the rest have no fixed address so maybe they are local or maybe not.
This runs close to the theories some of us have about drugs. Many of the people involved don’t even live around here, but we get the bad rep.

My 7AM bus did not show up till 7:30AM, just in time to meet up with the 7:30 bus that I’m going to guess was on time. The driver, had no clue of where to go. At one point the 7:30 bus got ahead and we told the driver to just follow the bus in front of him. At least it showed up, Friday the 7AM bus was a complete no-show.
We were all going to work. Luckily we have flexable shedules, but there are errands that need running, and other transportation connections that depend on arriving at work at a certain time. I’m going to have to dip into my annual leave so I can leave at my regular time. Showing up late, or not at all makes many question the logic of a metro based commute. I would hate to guess what would be the fate for people who actually have to show up to work on time or at a specific time.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:ERIK LINDEN

SEPTEMBER 18, 2006 202-671-2004

WORK ON FLORIDA AVENUE SET TO BEGIN IN NORTHWEST

( Washington , DC ) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is set to launch rehabilitation work on Florida Avenue from Ninth Street to North Capitol Street, NW on September 25, 2006.

Wok will include the repair and replacement of sidewalks, milling and overlaying the street, upgrading drainage systems, streetlight upgrades and installation of ADA-compliant wheelchair ramps. The $4.8 million project makes use of federal and local funds.

One lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction at all times. Curbside parking will be restricted on Florida Avenue during some phases of the project. Proper notice will be posted at those points of construction alerting residents, visitors and local businesses.

Work hours are Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.. The duration of the project is 15 months, weather permitting. Motorists should expect minor delays during work hours and should use caution when traveling through the work zone.

A short thread on the members only Eckington listserv and the discussion of the ANC meeting for 2C are making me think, performance art. I will admit that I’ve only been to one 5C meeting and that had a little bit of theatre. It seems, according to regulars, that there are colorful elected characters who act out.
The 5C meeting is this Tuesday. I think they are held at St. George’s Episcopal Church in the basement. Show starts at 7pm?
Understandably some commissioners in DC who are playing to a certain audience. It probably helpful that the audience being catered to are the loyal voters, while others are too small in number or don’t bother voting for ANCs. So antics can be very, very colorful, provided it is tolerated or even promoted by the voters.
Elections for ANC commissioners are going to be held in November and they are reasonably important. Your ANC, with others, give approval or disapproval for development projects, support or fight ABC licenses, and sometimes works as a contact person and leader for community activities that involves/require city services/approval. That’s off the top of my head.

Just noticed that in the corner, near the R St exit at the Shaw-Howard U station, there is a bus map. It must be new. I’m very happy to see that metro is sl ow ly, putting these things in.
Hopefully when all stations have bus maps, I can figure out how to get to destination X without having to rifle through the remaining bus schedules at the kiosk hoping to find the bus I need before it drives off.

Hi folks, this is Truxtonian, not Mari. Mari was on my case for not posting in a long time, so I feel compelled. Anyways, this is probably going to raise the webmistress’s ire. But, Mari, it’s a post– so remember that.

Well, the primaries came and went. Comments are flowing on previous posts about ANC elections. Very interesting. Very interesting, indeed. All I have to say now is that I got a message from the Eckington listserv, which reposts from the Bloomingdale listserv (yes, this is 3rd or 4th-hand), about ANC Commissioner Robert Brannum being endorsed by Senator John Kerry for the DC Board of Education. To that I say an emphatic, WHAT?!?

Ok folks, look forward to the “real” election on November 7th. Maybe the mayor has been more or less decided, but there are a lot more more interesting elections that will greatly impact us DC folk forthcoming.

From what I’ve been hearing about what’s going on over on the other side of New Jersey Avenue, it appears that people have been behaving badly. I might have a naive vision of what democracy is in America, but there are things that come across to me as just plain wrong and dangerous to the concept of American democracy.
For one, even if you are in the pocket of one candidate or party, at least pretend to recognize the opposition. The stories of Mr. Chapple, who is running for a seat in 2C, being outright snubbed by the old guard, is disappointing. No one says you have to actively support him, but rather be fair and practice the golden rule. The rule being do unto others as you’d have them do to you.
What I’ve been told about the 2C meeting and the ECCA meeting, where Mr. Chapple has tried to introduce himself to the voters, comes across as wrong in so many ways. Are these civic meetings or some odd kind of performance art with theatrics and wacky hi-jinx?
Anyway, November you get to vote again. Then you will get to decide about who will be your ANC councilman.

Well according to the summary report put out by the Board of Elections Adrian Fenty has 57.22% with 51,125 votes. I was wrong in thinking Mrs. Linda Cropp would win. Not surprising is that Mr. Vincent Orange only got 2,530 votes. Now that’s not all of them but, thinking about how much money he raised for those few votes. Sad.
Also I’m amazed how few votes Rae Zapata got too, with 11.36% of the votes. Oh Harry Thomas Jr won that race.
I’m going to bed now, it is waaay past my bedtime.

If you can* go vote, do so.

My meeting notes for the BACA meeting are up at the super secret site for my longtime readers. One thing I really didn’t put in was the Gateway Market and Residences proposal, mainly because it wasn’t really presented. Mr. Ray who was supposed to present, didn’t as he was stuck on the west coast. But there was a photocopy of the proposed legislation and drawings of the project. The drawing, oh, hayll no. At ten stories it would drawf a lot of what’s near it. Yes, the NOMA project will have a lot of tall, sometimes butt ugly buildings, but it is on the other side of the Metro tracks. When you get under the WMATA tracks to the other side, there are a few tall warehouse buildings followed by the market, which is about 3 stories high (feel free to correct me), the university, and many many 2 and three story turn of the century residences. The building design looks more in tune with the new construction happening in NOMA (tall and modern), not the surrounding commercial, educational, and residential spots. However I have been told that ANC 5b approved the plan. Is that right? It sits in the southwest corner of 5b, north of Florida Ave and east of the metro line.

*Independents, Libertarians, Communists, and anyone who isn’t a Statehood Green, a Democrat or Republican cannot vote today.

Over on the west side of New Jersey Ave in the 2C area the ECCA is having a meeting. Police Chief Ramsey and Mr. Kevin Chapple are scheduled to appear.
On the east side BACA is having it’s meeting at 7pm and two liquor store owners are scheduled to speak. One being the owner of Sunset, which is across the street from the park. The other Moon, is on the corner of 4th and Florida. Curiously, a 10 story project that is supposed to go up near Morse St and 4th St NE is on the agenda too.

UPDATE: My BACA meeting notes are up at the super secret site. Okay, after serveral months you should have figured this out but the user name: thismeeting password: neverhappened . Also according to Blogger this is my 900th post.