13 year old boys are idiots

A neighbor kid along with his little friends were in the alley behind my house and for some reason one of them decided to break a window. I was in the backyard trying to get my little grill going to roast some peppers when I heard the crash of pane glass. Pane glass breaking has a different sound from glass bottles and car windows. I immediately hopped up on a chair to see what was up and saw a group (5 or more) kids running down the alley. I screamed at them and then recognized one and told him he was in trouble.
I went into the alley to see if they actually broke a window, and if so, was it to an occupied house. There was a couple peering over the fence and apparently the kids broke their window, we talked and I told them which house one of the kids lived in. Later I called another neighbor to get the phone number of the adult responsible for the kid I recognized, so I could give her a heads up. As far as I know the police have not been involved yet, and it looks like everything going to be worked out between the adults.
Reflecting on this, boys are idiots. It would have been pointless to ask “what were you thinking?” They probably weren’t. And to do something so stupid “one block” from where you live, very stupid.

Bundy stuff

First the bad from Mr. Moulton:

Dear Ms Choke,

With a shooting in broad daylight yesterday afternoon, in DPR’s park within yards of the Bundy School (future home of Safe Shores) on O Street NW, hundreds of local residents hope your office will consider public safety when making a final determination of parking options for Bundy School tenants in the next few days. A police report from the Third District MPD is copied below.

As you know, many residents in our community are happy to share the responsibility for working collaboratively with our local MPD officials to make our community as safe as possible and enliven dead zones around our homes for the sake of our families and children as well as those who will receive necessary services at Safe Shores.

Will OPM be sound proofing the windows at Bundy School?

Daily Crime Report – 3D
Thu Aug 6, 2009 10:00 am
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MPD-3d/message/6856

PSA: 308
CCN: 09110947
RPT DATE: Aug 05, 2009
OFFENSE: ADW – Assault With A Deadly Weapon
METHOD: Gun
BLOCK: 400 B/O O ST NW
LOCATION: Park Area
START DT: 08/05/2009
START TM: 14:42:00

Hopefully there will be the staffing necessary around after this fiscal year is over to address this. At the BACA meeting the OPM rep tried to make the audience understand that the office is cutting about 9 (if I remember right) positions and that has consequences.

Good news also from Mr. Moulton of CCCA or an event announcement that there will be a Jazz on the Green event at Bundy Park August 21st at 6:30 with a Brazilian jazz ensemble. See more here (PDF). It is great that groups and individuals are putting on outdoor arts events around the neighborhood. The First on First, over in Bloomingdale was a blast. Hopefully this will be a fun little event.

Great work by MPD

This is from the 5D listserv. This is how it is supposed to work.

THEFT CAUGHT IN PROGESS!!!!

Officer’s Henry and Hain of PSA 501 in partnership with the residence of PSA 501 were dispatched to 14 N Street NW after receiving a tip from citizens that a subject was breaking in a car. Once they arrived, they observed a male subject later identified as Kwan Kearney attempting to start a vehicle in the block. The suspect then began to run but was quickly apprehended by the officers. Great partnership and work by the community and these officers!!!! !

Beware of Craigslist Scams

Seems someone was trying to rent out 429 Warner St NW as part of their scam. I’ve mentioned the various Craigslist housing scams here, here, and here.
For the love of G-d, or whomever/whatever you hold dear use common sense when conducting a house search. If Ms. Future Landlord is off away in London or Leeds or the deepest darkest part of Angola, and can’t show you the DC place, MOVE ON, IT’S A SCAM! Think, if someone can’t even show you inside, how would they handle the AC not working or other landlord duties? They won’t because IT’S A SCAM. On of my neighbors was sent to Bangledesh, has a local real estate company doing the management. So in a real life situation you’d be talking to a real estate office, not emailing some scammer. No excuses if you’re out in BFE, Nebraska and you can’t physically take a look at it. Stay in a hostel for a week or work with a real estate office/ management firm that has a number in the phone book, crash with your sister’s ex-roommate’s second cousin, but don’t just hand money over to a complete stranger for a place you haven’t seen.

Thursday Misc.

I’m going to go down in order of importance-
USHMM
I’m still in shock hearing this morning over the radio of the attack on the Holocaust Museum yesterday evening. My first DC job, was at the Holocaust Museum as a Visitor Services Rep. We worked with the security guards, as both teams dealt with the public. So my prayers are with the slain guard Steven Tyrone Johns’ family and co-workers.

Car Break In
There is a black car, Florida plates, on the 400 block of R St, Ward 2 side, with a busted rear passenger window. Thieves did not steal the water bottle in the front seat. That portion of road, the part nearest the AfriCare lot, I swear every other month, a car or several cars parked along that portion of street, get broken into.

Move, Get Out The Way
I’m going to guess they are interns and don’t know better…. Will the EPA interns from Howard University please move to the center of the train and not block the doors for 3 whole stops. A gaggle of 6 students with shiny new EPA stuff apparently are oblivious to the fact that near the doors, people get on and off the train. They blocked the doors for people getting off at Shaw and they continued to hover at the station side of the train for several stops until their destination at L’Enfant.

When tranny hookers attack

From the Shaw Neighborhood Yahoo Group via the GLLU Newsletter (gllunewsletter@ gllu.org):

On 5/25/09, at approximately 2:30 a.m., members of the First District responded to a call for an assault in the area of the 600 block of K Street, N.W. According to the victim, he walked in the area confront the prostitutes in his neighborhood. As he was admonishing them, one of the women, who the victim described as a male-to-female Transgender individual, grabbed him between his legs and made sexual advances towards him. The suspect fled the scene prior to the officer’s arrival, however her identity is known. The victim was not injured.

I had thought the development round there had removed some of the gals from the area, I guessed wrong. But then again I’m not over there at 2AM. The lesson here is keep a safe distance from the working girls, they fight back.

Bars

This sort of is related to an earlier post “Is this neighborhood safe?”, but that was about the streets. This is a reflection about home.
My house came with bars on the doors and windows. The front 1st floor window had an AC cage big enough for a monster sized window unit. No air conditioner I’ve ever had ever filled that cage, and it jutted out so far I was constantly in fear of beaning myself on the head when gardening. When I had the big renovation done in 2007 a neighbor inquired if I was going to remove those bars, as others had done after so fix up. Uh, no. Fast forward to a month ago when I had the neighborhood handyman remove the A/C cage, with the idea of replacing the bars with something that was flush with the building. Well he removed the cage and left the bottom half of my window bar-less for 2-3 days. Those were 2-3 anxiety filled days.
Problem was that window did not lock. It gets stuck and you could break your fingers trying to open the damned thing, but it does not lock. Also a few months ago two houses on my block were broken into, and one of the burgled houses had just put new bars on the windows.
So honestly, as much as I would like to not have bars on my windows, I don’t think I’m there yet. I’m not at that place where I would feel at peace having no bars on my front first floor window. I know that our neighborhood would look much more inviting if there were no security gates on the doors or iron work on the windows. But despite the great and wonderful changes there is still that sticky element of crime. Even if the only thing worth stealing is the TV, I still want to keep out thieves (and zombies, but that’s another post). I do entertain the idea of changing, not removing, the iron work to something more aesthetically pleasing.

How I’m Going to Die

One day a car is going to hit me, I swear.
Yesterday, riding the bike to work I’m in the f’ing bus/bike lane, and it doesn’t help that the stretch of 9th St is pockmarked and uneven, when a car swoops up behind me. IN THE BUS/BIKE ONLY LANE! The bloody thing could have hit me as I was trying deal with the bumps and dips in the road.
A few days before that when on foot, I was crossing Rhode Island along 7th Street and a car turning on to RI doesn’t even pretend to slow down. I was in the crosswalk and I had the light, though the little red hand was flashing. But still.
Once again I say, I’m more likely to get hit by a car than shot. Despite the shooting spree that has popped up around here, the four wheeled monster is still my greatest danger. I’ve been here now for eight years and the sound of random gunfire has gone down while my near misses with cars have gone up.
And while I’m ranting, wear your bike helmets people! Stop at the light and look both ways before crossing.

Random Things

There seems to be some confusion about a shooting that took place near the Florida Avenue Park and a petition regarding the Bloomingdale Farmers Market . Not related to the shooting that took place during rush hour on North Capitol. I was at the market, and there was a petition going around regarding a show of appreciation to the neighbors for allowing the market to return for a 3rd year.
And joy-joy from the BACA blog of speed humps and a stop sign coming around 3rd Street and 4th.
Speaking of BACA, there is still time to a- buy a ticket from me for the Flower Power Walk, which raises funds for neighborhood beautification. Those rose bushes on 1st Street…. BACA, not the City, BACA. And b- nominate your neighbors’ BACA yards for Flower Power.