Tag: animals

Another Chicken in DC story

I could have sworn I read this before, but it is dated for today. Cute kids, chickens, and Tommy Wells. Well there is this little bit:

Ernst’s neighbor and fellow chicken champion, Amanda Cundiff, last week presented Councilmember David Catania (chairman of the committee on health) with a petition signed by 130 people supporting measures to allow chickens in the city. “Eggs hatch in February, and it would be nice if people could raise chickens this year,” she said.

So make that cute kids, chickens, Tommy Wells and David Catania.

(HT: Jimbo, who knows my facination for the chicken)

…and your little dog too

Sometime back while walking down R Street I encountered a little white dog off a leash. I wonder if it is the same dog that has been menacing students as reported yesterday on the listservs.

This morning, around 8am, one of the staff at Scott Montgomery ES informed me that one of her students, while coming to school, was chased by a small long-haired white dog. I alerted 911. I was in class and apparently out of cell phone range in the school when MPD responded, so I didn’t speak to the officer immediately. Around 9am, I was told by the officer in a scout car positioned at 5th and O St that she responded and drove around the block looking for the dog and then went back to her fixed post.
I spoke to other students this morning and was informed by several of them that this particular off leash dog is a constant repeated. Since there are many young students who might potentially feel threatened by such an experience.

Keep your puppies leashed.

Chickeen challenge

Someone is openly challenging the idea that chickens are illegal in the city. In the September Hill Rag is tale of two little girls, their chickens and the mean, mean city government who threatened to take the chickens away.

This spring, the Silvermans hatched a small flock of baby chicks for their daughters to raise at their home. The girls learned about heirloom breeds, how to keep the chicks safe and what to feed them. A neighbor offered her side yard for the pullets (adolescent chickens) to graze in during the day. All was going well until a few weeks ago when somehow the police were contacted, and in turn, an Animal Control officer arrived at the scene threatening to remove the birds. Cooler heads prevailed, and the pullets were left alone that day. But Animal Control told the Silvermans that keeping chickens was illegal in DC, which we now know is not the case. What to do?
Chicken Summer Camp
The Silvermans have decided to tackle the chicken controversy head on. They have sent their birds to summer camp outside town. They are working with Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells’ office who has advocated on their behalf with the Chief of the Bureau for Community Hygiene.

Well I for one support the Silverman’s efforts and hope that one day DC citizens can openly raise a few birds (few, not a factory) in their backyards. If you want to contact Councilman Wells about this his email is twells[at]dccouncil.us.

More on the Bundy Parking thing

Well good news, it appears that the Safe Shores folks won’t need the whole lot, read from the Friends of Bundy:

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

The District Department of Real Estate Services (formerly the Office of Property Management) has reviewed the parking requirements for the District’s Child Advocacy Center coordinated by Safe Shores at the Bundy School.*

With approximately 17 spaces available on the school lot, the site will require an additional 42 spaces in the back lot. This should leave approximately 8,800 square feet of space available for other use. [emphasis added]

As a reminder, the back lot is owned by the Federal government. The District cannot proceed with any plans (parking or otherwise) until after the land transfer is complete and funding is identified.

*The Safe Shores project is part of the District’s continuing effort to become a model jurisdiction by expanding the service capacity for children who are victims of physical and sexual abuse. Construction will be complete in November 2009. Subsequently, staff from the US Attorney’s Office, Office of the Attorney General, Metropolitan Police Department, Child and Family Services and the non-profit Safe Shores will move in and begin operations.

Robin-Eve Jasper, Director
DC Department of Real Estate Services
2000 14th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20009

And…

Dear Friends,

This August 7, 2009 announcement from the DC Department of Real Estate Services (DRES), formerly the Office of Property Management (OPM), suggests that there will be ample space left on the vacant lot at Bundy for use as a dog park (see url above).

According to DC’s Dog Park Regulations (Section 733.1 under Dog Parks: Site Guidelines and Specification), “a dog park shall be no less than five thousand square feet (5,000 sq ft) in area where feasible.” Hence, the remaining space on the vacant lot at Bundy — not used by parking for future Bundy School tenants — would still meet the minimum requirements for establishing a dog park.

We will continue our efforts to reach out to neighbors and dog owners in Wards 2, 5 and 6 so that we will be able to demonstrate the impressive support we have for a dog park when DPR begins to process our formal application.

Thank you for your support. Hope to see you on Aug. 21 for Jazz on the Green at Bundy Park with the DC Choro Ensemble.

Payam Bakhaje

Friends of Bundy Park

Bundy Lot Meeting

By golly I hate meetings, but you wouldn’t know that because I keep attending them.
These are my quick points to keep from rambling. The rambling will be in another post:

* Office of Property Management (OPM) won’t be handling how the land will be used. It will be Park and Rec’s problem.

*There is approximately 37,000 sq ft in the building.

*OPM will have a clearer assessment of the building’s parking needs in 30 days.

*OPM Director stated that she was, “not trying to over park anything.”

*The land transfer from the Federal to the District government is expected to go through sometime this fall.

*After several promises of other locations, the DC government settled on the Bundy School as a location for the multidisciplinary team response to child abuse in 2004.

*Prior to Home Rule in 1973, DC school land was owned by a mix of the municipal body and the federal government, so the assumption that the lot belonged to the DC government was a natural error.

*(not from the meeting) Up until recently the DC government had no clue as to what land it owned, best illustrated in the case of vacant residential properties.

*Si, from MVSQ neighborhood association stated that we welcome Safe Shores and (okay memory fuzzy) as a neighbor? hoping they will be a good neighbor? Regardless, we welcome Safe Shores, and her comment got a good round of applause from the pro-parking and pro-green space folks.

*Martin of the CCCA neighborhood association mentioned there are plans in the works for playgrounds/parks (didn’t write this down) at Scott-Montgomery and NJ and O.**

*The proposal for a dog park was pushed forward by a group, not the ANC.

*When the land transfer occurs then Parks & Rec can evaluate the dog park application.

Now if there is anything factually wrong with my notes, please inform me with comments. No anonymous comments, those are deleted at whim.

**It will be interesting to see how the proposed people parks/ playgrounds get used. There was play equipment in the park near the other Northwest Co-Op here in the TC. However, no parent in their right mind would let their kids play on it because of the bad adult behavior in and around that equipment. That’s changing, but still more adults, hang out in that area than kids.

Tonight! The Big Bundy Meeting

The image shown is a suggestion posted by a Mr. E. Smith where there is parking close to the Bundy building and a greenspace on the P Street side. I like it.
The meeting regarding the proposed parking lot is tonight (July 9, 2009) at 7pm at the Scott Montgomery Elementary School (421 P Street NW).
I got the flier today regarding the meeting. I do have some criticism of it, but keep in mind I am pro-dog park. One it doesn’t mention the dog park idea at all. It just mentions greenspace. I understand why this was probably done, but full disclosure may be the best thing in the long run. Last criticism is the mention of shootings near Bundy Park, considering all the other factors in that general vicinity, I fail to see how it links up with problem. Otherwise there are wonderful and very valid points, such as the 600sf of building space to 1 parking spot code, meaning only 25 spaces are needed and pointing out that the 400 block of P is deserted and needs eyes and feet.
Also contact Eleanor Holmes Norton about this and express you concern as this involves a federal land transfer.

Lost Logan Cat

I don’t often post about lost pets and got this plea.

Hello. I, too, am anticipating the fourth here in our neighborhood: my cat is missing and the 4th is not a good time for a lost cat (cats are abused/hurt with firecrackers, loud noises make them run even further from their home location, etc.). Can everyone here on these blogs, Mari, please post info about my cat on other blogs and websites you know of, in addition to telling/emailing your friends, neighbors, community groups, churches, libraries, park area, etc., in order to spread the awareness of my missing cat, and be on the lookout in our neighborhoods–especially on the 4th with all the celebrations going on (and the shenanigans that could involve abusing cats). btw, my cat is VERY friendly, so he could easily be grabbed and abused. 8(. fyi, I live at 12th and Q; I can be reached ANYTIME (any sightings) at 2/ 683-0130 cell (email mariannalafollette at yahoo com). You can find more info and pictures on www.thumpercat.webs.com; also, there’s a dc craigslist notice, http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/laf/1244678823.html. You can tell people about my site and refer them to the craigslist notice, btw, for easy, quick posts, and email headsup–and verbally tell people, too. ALSO, there is a reward, btw. Thanks for your comments about the 4th this weekend, Mari. Cheers, Marianna

(edited to deal with spambots)

Also considering the insensitive & cruel comments I saw on DCist regarding Molly the dog (plus the fact it’s a holiday weekend and I don’t want to spend too much time filtering) comments are closed.

Dead cat

found in the rain, on the sidewalk at the corner of NJ and Q St on the Ward 2 side of the street, so don’t walk your dogs over there.

Yes, I called the city’s 311 number.
No, nobody answered because I found the tuxedo kitty after 4:30pm, when phone calls go straight to a machine.
Yes, I called animal control. They don’t do dead. I was told I should call DPW.
At this point, I gave up. I’ll file a report which someone will get to it when they get to it.

Chic-Keens

I’m going to put on Slim Gaillard’s Chicken Rhythm while I type this…. imagine a song only of chicken noises.
Jimbo several days ago sent me an article about hipsters challenging city ordanances to have chickens. For the mighty and all knowing Jimbo knows of my love of chickens, live chickens. Then today in the Post’s Home Section, “Hot Chicks: Legal or Not, Chickens Are the Chic New Backyard Addition,” which just demands I write about chickens here.
The article confirms my suspcion that yes, the District of Columbia government is unwelcoming to urban agriculture. It would have been nice to hear from the Department of Health, not just the DCRA because in other juristictions that’s the department that holds sway over these things. If there is a group of District residents fighting to overturn these laws, point me in their direction, I wanna join.
Keeping in mind that it is not legal to have chickens (neither is pot, but I smell it in my alley) in the District, here are some sites to take a look at:
Backyard Chickens– Check out their forums where people talk about their chickens and other poultry, post pictures, and discuss local chicken ordinances.
The City Chicken Project in NYC.
Small Scale Poultry Housing from the Virigina Extention.
The City Chicken– Seattle Chicken raisin’.
And check out the Stealth Chicken Coop at My Pet Chicken.

Yeah, I’ve been thinking about chickens for a good while.