Tobacco Factory

Traveled along the Urban Land Company’s parade of homes tour yesterday with the troop from the fortress of tea and dirty laundry. We saw about 4 places, walked in 3. We hit the tail end of the tour, so some were closing up when we arrived. Quite a few were not completed. Meaning, there where still holes in the walls and ceilings for the ducts and electrical outlets. We did see some cool funky stuff.
The house at 1911 6th Street, did something with the kitchen. They put a wall up, but it doesn’t go all the way up. Oh and the kitchen is small. Very small. As it was unfinished, it was hard to imagine how the walk-in closets would be walk-in. We could walk in them, but there were no racks or shelves. The bottom unit was also odd. Both the bedrooms have doors that lead out to the patio.
The bottom unit of 444 S St was tiny. Teeny. It was like a studio apartment. I think it’s a junior bedroom. You walk in and there is the kitchen, and then the bedroom. Good for people who don’t want to buy a couch. Unless you want to cook on the couch.
Lastly we all wound up at the main attraction, the Tobacco Factory, where there has never been a factory of any sort. The reviews I have heard from others, including the fortress crew has been mixed. Of course one fortress member’s reaction was *slobber*. The Factory is four levels divided into half. The top was available for viewing. Points should be given to the Urban Land Company staff just for presentation. The reviews I have heard were, all the others were less impressive, so by the time you get to the furnished and finished top level of the Factory condo, it is a great improvement.
The best home we saw yesterday was not on the Urban Land Company’s tour. It was across the street. The August In Shaw house [note link changed 5/55/13]of the week owners let the troop in for a tour after running into them at the Factory. Oh my G-d. They did a wonderful job. The house is still in various stages of repair, but the layout is truly amazing and actually understands the limits and needs of a small townhome. One party of the couple fixing the place up is a German designer and the house is a reflection of a European sensibility. The first floor is very open. The top floors are where it begins to look more European, reminding me of some flats I have seen in London. It continues to be open at the landing and doesn’t have that cramped feeling that you can get in DC townhomes. It also brings in a fair amount of light.
Talking with the owner, a problem they encountered was trying to get people to understand the concept of say the box bathroom. This is a bathroom sits on the level like a big ole box, where the top does not go all the way to the high ceilings, so that light from the outside can go over the bathroom, into the bathroom, and into the adjoining room. The other problem were contractors who don’t show up on time, on time meaning 1 hour from the time they said they’d show. All the time spent waiting they decided to do many things themselves.
I want their house. It is sooooooo cooool.

5th Police District

From our wonderful leader Jim Berry:

Neighbors,

A message from Art Slater, Chairperson of the Fifth District MPD CAC.

Jim Berry

ANC 5C

Fifth District Citizens Advisory Council Meeting –

Thursday, September 23, 2004

MPD Fifth District Citizens Advisory Council

Fifth District Headquarters

1805 Bladensburg Rd, NE

Community Room

Washington, DC

E-mail: Art Slater talader AT verizon PERIOD net

7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

The MPD Fifth District Citizens Advisory Council resumes its regular

meeting

schedule to meet with Commander Greene to help improve public safety in

the

Fifth District.

Agenda

* Commander’s Report

* Invited Speaker: Ken Wainstein, U.S. Attorney for the District of

Columbia http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/dc/

* Standing Committee Status

* Old Business

* New Business

* Community Concerns

* Announcements

* Adjournment

How gentrification can be just plain EVIL

Friday morning while trying to convince myself that getting up and going to work early is a good thing, I heard over NPR a newstory that riled up passions in my conservative heart. Property rights.
The story is about what’s going on in New London, CT where the city wants to redevelop a section of town to make way yuppie condos. Fine. Problem, they are threatening to use ’eminent domain’ as a way of taking land away from the few homeowners in that area. Eminent domain should only be used to build roads for polluting cars or waterways or big public utility projects, not privately owned condos. Yuppies and the working class are equal in the eyes of G-d, and should be equal in the eyes of the State, but alas no. Apparently because you can suck more money out of yuppies via taxes, yuppies are better people and thus the State chooses to kick out working/middle class homeowners, depriving them of their property. The State is dangerous.
Eminent Domain Watch, a blog, has a wonderful amount of information on this case along with other incidents of local and state governments encroaching on individual property rights.
The New London case is the best example of gentrification evil style. Gentrification done naturally invovles individual property owners selling to either other property owners or corporation when they so chose. They are not forced to sell (ok this can be argued on whaddya mean by ‘force’). Provided they can keep up with real estate taxes and local ordinances, individuals can choose NOT to sell. The residents in the New London area do not have that choice. And that is plain wrong. So wrong.
Should the Supreme Court decide in favor of the City of New London real property rights will be undermined for all US citizens. In DC I could only imagine the worst. My beloved Anthony Williams is already the bitch of the developers ’round here. I know the city likes sucking money from higher incomes and crack fuel housing prices, but if they were given this tool….

House of the week

Near the corner of R and 5th Streets there is a house. A house that used to be one story. Then they built it up in fits and starts. It is in another fit stage where nothing as far as I can tell is being done with it. The reason why 4?? R St is the house of the week, is because it is confusing to me. Someone please explain this house to me. I’m thinking crackhead design. I could be wrong, and when ever it is done, maybe all will be made clear. Maybe.
The problem I find with the house, which you can’t see from this picture, is the second floor door. It is pretty darned high. Currently there are no stairs. There is no balcony. You step out the 2nd floor door and you broken your neck, arms, etc. Now I’m thinking it there are exterior stairs put in, they are going to look bad.
The other thing that bothers me is what’s going on around it. Jorge’s has been leveled and next door on the other side the Urban Land Company has staked a claim. If any of you go on their condo tour this weekend, give me a heads up of what on earth is going in next door.
Hodgepodge, I tell you. That’s what it’s going to look like.

DC-> Hell -> Handbasket

Lo, there was great wailing and nashing of teeth,
and the dead rose and rallied the people to the polls.
Across the great river,
in the east,
the people rejoiced.
In the west they shook their heads and cried.
–MM 1:1-3
Our favorite crackhead won the Democratic Primary for Ward 8. So this morning I’ve been going though the 5 stages of grief. 1st denial. Well that’s over. Followed by anger, still here. Bargaining…. give Ward 8 a supermarket, maybe that would help. Depression, still here, too. Lastly, acceptance, Ward 8 was angry, and in that anger they elected a (former) crackhead who drove the city into the ground. Okay, bring it on.
Oh and Harold Brazil was unseated, as well as Kevin Chavous in Ward 7. Harold had to go anyways. Sam Brooks, a challenger had a pretty good showing considering he is a)white and b) young. Let’s hope Mr. Brown and Mr. Grey (hey anyone notice the color names of the winners?) do a good job on the Council. Although the elections were primaries, they were as if they were the general election as this city is like 90% Democrat. This kinda leaves out Independents like me. Oh, well.
I hope that the city will survive having Mr. Barry on the Council, and continue to thrive despite him. I hope that DC’s goal of representation in Congress is not derailled by his presence on the Council.
G-d I need a drink.

E-cycle-ables

From Logan Circle Discussion List:

LoganCircleNews] Announcement: Ecycling in Washington DC Sept and Oct

Blessings All,

(please forgive the cross postings)

It is time to recycle those old computers and other electronics in the

District of Columbia. Currently the District only recycles these

“household hazardous materials” twice a year.

NBC4 Digital Edge Expo will be presenting their green alley again this

year. You will be able to bring your electronic items to the New

Washington Convention Center Sept 18 and 19 from 9 to 5pm.

The District will hold its regular recycling day at the Carter Baron

Amphitheatre at 16th and Kennedy Streets, NW from 9am to 3pm on October

23rd, 2004

Please help us protect the environment by disposing of electronics and

other technology properly. If you are worried about lead in your water

you should also be worried about lead in the air you breath. Dispose of

these electronics properly.

If you have computer parts that need repair do not give them to non

profit organizations most of them are not able to pay for the repairs.

If you have working equipment we have a technology donation program were

we take computers to give to needy families. Call us for more details

202.722.9832.

For more information contact the dept of public works 202.727.1000.

A sample list of items

Memory Chips

Tape Drives

Floppy Drives

Pagers

Connectors/Cords/Wire

Fax Machines

Modems

Audio/Visual Equipment

CD ROM Drives

TVs (19″ or less)

Motherboards

Scrap Computer Plastic

Camcorders

VCRs

Printers

Monitors

Hard Drives

Network/Video/Sound Cards

Cell Phones

Power Supplies

Scrap Computer Metal

Copy machines

Peace and Blessings

Shireen Mitchell

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Executive Officer – Digital Sisters, Inc.

CFC# 5630 DC One Fund #9504

DCWW GROW Coordinator

Main Office 202.722.Ytec

director@digital-sistas.org

www.digital-sistas.org

BACA mtg: I go so U won’t have to

Vote.
That’s the crux of it, that and get politically involved by becoming a supporting force by donating time and treasure to a particular candidate. And when you do, then the politicians will truly serve you.
Let’s go over the meeting shall we?
We started on time. Whoo!
The Peanut gallery did not show. WhooHoo!
First, but not on the agenda was Ofc. Grey from the 501 Police Service area who went over crime stats. Yet the meeting attendees weren’t interested in stats, though the sheet passed around was very interesting. The subject of interest was the shootings on the unit and 100 blk of Q St. Marianne was very fair and understanding with Ofc, Grey but she wanted answers.
Next, was Mr. Willie Doggett, volunteer with Cluster 21’s Community Emergency Response Team. Basically, Civil Defense. You get free stuff when you volunteer. See their website for more info.
Followed by Andrew Pollard of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Group. Get on his mailing list to know what’s happening in the neighborhood with crime and services at acpollard1 AT msn PERIOD com. Or get in touch with Jim Berry to get the right e-mail if I got it wrong.
Lastly was Ms. Linda Perkins, Constituent Services Coordinator from Councilman’s Vincent Orange’s office. She spoke about how DC govt works. If anyone wants to expand on this, that’s what “comments” are for.
Afterwards, Jim Berry (ANC 5C01?)went on a riff that seemed to be coming from frustration. Maybe anger, I don’t know, anyone ever see Jim angry? There was a decent debate, and I truly mean debate, between Jim and Ms. Perkins on how priority is determine based on votership and political strength of an area.
Jim did something that I would like to expand on in another post on another day, where he compared Truxton Circle (ie Bates) to other parts of Ward 5, like Bloomingdale, Michigan Park and Woodridge. Apparently those areas have political clout, and don’t have to ask Councilman Orange twice to come to their meetings. They also don’t have to deal with some of our burdens that the city has burdened Truxton and it’s adjoining areas with. Maybe because there are a greater number of people who come out to vote AND donate a significant amount of time and treasure to the candidates, than our area. Maybe.
But you, my Green/Democratic/ Republican friend can help. Today, you can drag yourself to the polls. If you’re independent like me, you’ll stay in and wait till November, but in the meantime harass your party affiliated friends to vote.
This is me harassing you.
Vote dammit.
Vote.

Correction Bates Civic Assoc Meeting

Oh last week I said the meeting was on the 6th, which happened to have been Labor day. Opps. My bad.
Meeting is tonight. Mt. Sinai Baptist Church @ 3rd and Q. Go up the stairs, inside, then down the stairs and to your right. Starts either 7 or 7:30, take your pick.
Once again I’ll show up and if I am not stricken by shear boredom, or a deep desire to leave and play Civilization, I’ll report on it.

Most likely I’ll show. Pop by and say “hi”.