bloomingdale

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale

2012-01-28T10:11:00.002-05:00

There is a range of prices and styles of homes with open houses scheduled for tomorrow. You can see the list here. The same information with directions can be seen in map format here.

next Crispus Attucks Park board of directors meeting -- Wednesday, 02-08-2012

2012-01-26T16:45:00.004-05:00

See this message from Crispus Attucks Development Corporation (CADC) president Patrick Blais:

The next meeting of the Crispus Attucks Park Board of Directors will be taking place Wed, Feb 8th from 7:00 to 9:00 at St. George`s Episcopal Church at the corner of 2nd and U Streets, NW. The agenda, which I will post next week, will include topics such as park governance, board elections, fundraising, special projects and maintenance. If you are interested in park affairs, you are welcome and encouraged to attend.

If you are unfamiliar with the park, please visit our website at
www.crispusattuckspark.org . Donations always welcomed via the website.

have you seen the just-erected Howard Theatre sign?

2012-01-26T13:34:00.003-05:00

Courtesy of Bloomingdale resident Mark M.:

Bloomingdale Inn converting to residential housing

2012-01-25T11:49:00.003-05:00

We would like to take this time to thank the community for your support of the Bloomingdale Inn over the years, but we have decided to convert our Inn to residential housing. You all have been so kind and really have made us and our guests feel at home. This is an outstanding neighborhood and we will continue to be a proud part of it.

Again thank you and the best wishes to you all.

Jim & Lorraine - John & Ginger
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Ever wanted to stay in a Bed and Breakfast?

Now`s the chance to live in one! The Bloomingdale Inn is converting our rooms to short/long term rentals. Now you can live in a spacious furnished room like Royalty.

The Inn is a very large Victorian townhome with high ceilings, hardwood floors, plaster walls and ceilings. The perfect environment to relax after working hard at the office.

We are near Washington Hospital Center, VA Hospital and Howard U and the U Street corridor. Convenient to Metro (less than 15 minutes) with Metro Bus stop (#80 & G2) right on the same block. They go to the Capitol, China Town, White House and the Kennedy Center as well as Logan circle, DuPont circle and Georgetown.

Fully furnished rooms starting at just $995 a month plus utilities.

Contact John at john @ bloomingdaleinn.com for more information.
(No Phone calls please!)

Start living the life you deserve in comfort.

Regards,

John Wilson, Manager
Bloomingdale Inn

Bloomingdale Public Safety Walk -- tonight, Wednesday, 01/25/2012

2012-01-25T11:08:00.004-05:00

See this reminder message from Bloomingdale resident Jennifer McCann:

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners John Salatti, Hugh Youngblood, and James Fournier Invite you to take part in a Bloomingdale Public Safety Walk

Help Bloomingdale continue to grow into a safer neighborhood!

Who: You! ...and your children, dogs, friends, etc.

All are welcome to come, regardless of where you live. This is about making a strong presence in the community, showing that Bloomingdale will not tolerate crime in our neighborhood.

When: Wednesday, January 25, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Where: Northwest corner of 1st and Rhode Island NW
(Meet in front of Windows Café. Dress comfortably and bring a flashlight!)

"promise bridge" sign posted on T Street Bridge connecting Bloomingdale with Eckinton

2012-01-24T14:13:00.005-05:00

Okay, someone needs to clue me in.

I believe that this promise bridge is the T Street Bridge that connects the unit blocks of T Street NW with T Street NE.

See this post from Prince of Petworth:

Promise Bridge Comes to North Capitol Street

By: Prince Of Petworth 23 January 2012 10:05 PM

The Promise Bridge is on North Capitol Street connecting Bloomingdale and Eckington. Kinda reminds me of the love locks bridges in Paris. Not sure if the promise locks will be as popular.

"join Ward 5 Council candidate tonight at Boundary Stone to watch Obama`s 2012 State of the Union Address"

2012-01-24T13:41:00.003-05:00

See this message from Bloomingdale resident Tree Martschink:

Join Ward 5 Council candidate tonight at Boundary Stone to watch Obama`s 2012 State of the Union address!

President Obama`s State of the Union address on Tuesday January 24, 2012 will provide both an assessment of the year past and a plan for the year ahead. As residents of Ward 5, we are also planning for the year ahead, and considering the future our neighborhoods and our city as a whole. John Salatti, Ward 5 candidate for Council, would like to invite you to join him in watching the 2012 State of the Union Address, celebrating the successes and considering the future of our country, and discussing next steps for Ward 5!

What: State of the Union Watching Party

Where: Boundary Stone, 116 Rhode Island Ave NW

When: Tuesday January 24, 2012, 8pm

Spotlight: Bloomingdale / Eckington / NoMa

2012-01-24T13:30:00.005-05:00

See this blurb passed along by the folks at the NoMa BID:

Spotlight: Bloomingdale / Eckington / NoMa
City Chic Real Estate January 19, 2012

http://www.citychicrealestate.com/home/dc-commentary/life-in-dc/spotlight-bloomingdale-eckington-noma

The Bloomingdale Farmers` Market, Big Bear Cafe, Rustik Tavern, Boundary Stone and Bacio Pizza are all mentioned.

? Sunset Liquors space - deli opening ?

2012-01-22T20:12:00.001-05:00

See this message:

My housemates and I stopped by Sunset Liquor at 1st and Florida NW on Friday night and they`re in the middle of a big renovation.

The woman whom I take to be the owner told us she`s going to open a deli, possibly as soon as this week. The shelves in the lower area have been taken out and replaced with a long counter.

No word on whether the upstairs liquor area will stay the same.

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale for 01/22/2012

2012-01-22T11:46:00.004-05:00

Serious house hunters don't let a little ice and cold get in their way, so I expect that agents holding open houses today will see a lot of traffic! Here's the list. The same info can be seen with directions and in a map format.

A great post concerning some history of 1700 First street nw

2012-01-20T16:31:00.000-05:00

Check out this post about the building that is now Big Bear Cafe, over at the very cool Ghosts of DC.

a little excerpt:
By virtue of a decree passed in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia in the case of Edith B. Fenton vs. John D. Schamel, Equity No. 29563, we will sell at public auction, in front of premises No. 1700 First street northwest, on FRIDAY, THE 9TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 1910, at 4:30 o’clock p.m., the following, namely: The stock of goods, fixtures, two wagons, one horse, harness, and good will of the grocery business heretofore conducted on said premises under the name of Schamel & Co., together with the unexpired portion of the lease of said premises, except as to the apartment on the second floor thereof, and a rental agreement to a stable in Reeves court heretofore used and occupied by said firm.

And This:

A grocer at 1700 1st st. nw. reported to police Tuesday that, he and his wife were about to enter their parked car after closing the store when three youths robbed them of about $150.

Carl Kaplan, 53, said one youth held and choked him while the second went through his pockets and found $120, the day’s receipts. The third bandit knocked down Mrs. Kaplan and, as she screamed, the took her purse containing $30, Kaplan said.

Read the whole thing HERE.

2020 Martini finally opened! (in Richmond, not at the firehouse)

2012-01-19T23:43:00.004-05:00

Scenic Artisan shares this interesting tidbit:

Recall the plans for the fancy 2020 Martini cafe/restaurant/lounge at Bloomingdale's firehouse?

Scenic noticed that 2020 Martini * did * finally open...

... in Richmond.

See 2020Martini.com

Save-A-Lot opening in Rhode Island Avenue Center

2012-01-18T19:21:00.000-05:00

The Washington City Paper writes that there will be a Save A Lot moving into the old Safeway space at the Rhode Island Avenue Center.

DJ 2 Tone Jones at Boundary Stone this Saturday

2012-01-18T13:00:00.001-05:00

DJ 2-TONE JONES
The Jones Collection | Diamond Cutterz | VJC | AM Radio | WBL, Inc.
Co-host and DJ for Ill Street Grooves (Mondays 10-11pm) on WPFW 89.3fm
Telephone: (202) 462-2411
Facebook: DJ 2-Tone Jones
Twitter: @dj2tonejones
www.illstreetgrooves.com

first Ward 5 candidate forum announced -- for Tuesday, 01/24/2012 -- at the Lace Lounge

2012-01-17T15:11:00.004-05:00

Straight Up Politics: A space for residents to have blunt conversations about ward 5 and city politics.
http://straightupolitics.blogspot.com/

As ward 5 looks to elect new leadership, it`s important that voters have an opportunity to vet each candidate and make an informed decision at the polls. Unfortunately, the short window of time and the long list of potential candidates will make it difficult for residents to get out to meetings or chase down individuals to hear where they stand on important issues. To assist voters in this process, myself along with Lace developed ``Straight Up Politics``.

Straight Up Politics is a series of candid candidate forums designed to provide residents with a relaxed atmosphere to ask tough and pointed questions that will hopefully make deciding who the new ward 5 Councilmember is a little easier. The forums will be focused on economic development, education and crime.

The events will take place on Tuesday`s and run until the special election. The first forum will be next Tuesday, January 24. The forum before the special election will be a straw poll. After the session on the 24th, candidates will be put in groups and invited back to separate forums that will focus on specific issues. Below is a schedule for the first forum.

1/24/2012 Schedule

6:30pm-7:00pm-Candidate check in
7:00pm-Candidate Introductions
7:00pm-8:30pm-Individual Questioning

If you are interested in participating in these forums please RSVP by email before COB Thursday, January 19, 2012. Please, let me know if you have any questions.

Straight Up Politics
Lace Lounge
2214 Rhode Island Ave NE
Tuesday, January 24 2012
6-9pm

Tim Clark
@timclarkanc5c05

...and see these additional comments posted at the Eckington list:

Q: Lace Lounge??? Isn't that an "adult" entertainment lounge? Strange place to meet our new candidates!

Tim Clark clarifies: ``It's not an adult entertainment venue. It opened up as a lesbian lounge and has made a transition since then. They have opened their doors to the community on several occasions.``

next Bloomingdale public safety walk -- now on Wednesday, 01/25/2012

2012-01-17T14:57:00.005-05:00

See this message from Bloomingdale resident Jennifer McCann:

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners John Salatti, Hugh Youngblood, and James Fournier

Invite you to take part in a Bloomingdale Public Safety Walk

Help Bloomingdale continue to grow into a safer neighborhood!

Who: You! ...and your children, dogs, friends, etc.

All are welcome to come, regardless of where you live. This is about making a strong presence in the community, showing that Bloomingdale will not tolerate crime in our neighborhood.

When: Tuesday, January 24, 2011 at 7:00 PM -- rescheduled to Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Where: Northwest corner of 1st and Rhode Island NW
(Meet in front of Windows Café. Dress comfortably and bring a flashlight!)

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for 01/15/2012

2012-01-14T08:48:00.002-05:00

As Real Estate Business Intelligence reports, inventory is tight, so if you're actively looking to buy, best to check out listings when they first show up. There are several open houses scheduled for Sunday in the neighborhood. The same info can be seen here in a map format.

Then and Now: North Capitol NW, between Quincy and R Streets

2012-01-12T10:00:00.008-05:00

Then: April 29th, 2006

Then: May 19th, 2007:

Then: April 16th 2008

Now: January 10th, 2012:

Amazing the difference, huh?

Things are Poppin' in Truxton Circle

2012-01-11T16:15:00.000-05:00

Check out some of the very cool things happening just to the south of bloomingdale in Truxton Circle

FABLAB DC
We mentioned FabLabDC before. I'm especially excited about this. I would invite everyone that is interested to contact them to see how you can help make this happen.

Fab Lab

Uncle Chips
I've heard great things about Uncle Chips, but I havent tried them yet. What I do know is that they are NOW OPEN.

Uncle Chip's Cookie, Desserts & Cafe is now open! We are a small

batch bakery specializing in chocolate chip cookies. Ours might even

be the best in the city made with dark chocolate, flax seed and the

perfect combination of chew and crunch. Other items include vegan

granola bars, muffins, specialty sweet breads and white chocolate

dipped shortbread.

Offering breakfast in the AM. Our menu includes bagel sammys,

yogurt parfaits, oatmeal, fresh fruit and Java House coffee.

Everything is fresh and made to order. Please stop by and see us!

Local delivery and on-line ordering also available at

unclechips.com.

1514 North Capitol Street NW

Hours of Operation:

7 AM - 2 PM Monday - Friday

9 AM - 2 PM Saturday

Closed Sunday

ReVive
I had probably the best fish and chips I've ever had at ReVive. Fantastic mac and cheese too. I'm not a huge foodie so you'll have to judge for yourself, but i love the place. Go check this newish carry-out place on Florida NW at North Capitol Street.

SnitchEye
The Bates Civic Association facebook page indicates that a causal wine bar will be opening at 3rd and Florida NW. More talk of it on PrinceofPetworth. I'm sure many of you know that a wine bar will probably be opening up on North Capitol in Bloomingdale this year too, right?

The New Playground
I don't have a picture of it, but the playground equipment going in at First and Florida makes we wish I was a kid. It looks amazing.

Dunbar
I don't know the timeframe, or really the extent of the entire project, but it looks like things are moving forward in the reconstruction of Dunbar High School. The field at least is all dug up and being worked on.

And though actually in Bloomingdale, but right across the street from Truxton, is the new Studio85 store.
Wow. Good luck to all the new businesses!

Last Night's Ward 5 Meeting on the News

2012-01-10T18:10:00.000-05:00

Ward 5 Moves On Without Harry Thomas Jr.: MyFoxDC.com

Lydia wants to hear your pop-up stories !

2012-01-10T09:55:00.002-05:00

Pop-up! Pop-ups! Who wants to talk about pop-ups!

See this post from Washington City Paper Housing Complex reporter Lydia DePillis.

Please contact her if you are passionate about pop-ups -- or even if you`re not!

Tell Me Your Pop-Up Stories
Posted by Lydia DePillis on Jan. 10, 2012 at 9:14 am
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2012/01/10/tell-me-your-pop-up-stories/

A pop-up on New Jersey Avenue NW.

One thing I`ve noticed after a couple years of watching neighborhood blogs and listservs: Few architectural features generate more ire than ``pop-ups,`` as the additions of one floor atop a rowhouse are colloquially known. They`re a great way to maximize space in constrained circumstances, capitalizing on natural light and perhaps allowing a homeowner to stick around rather than light out for the suburbs in search of a third bedroom.

But they sure can get ugly, when siding doesn`t match the original house, or when the addition
interrupts a harmonious block. At the moment, the District`s zoning code doesn`t address pop-ups, and in at least one neighborhood—Barney Circle, east of Capitol Hill—residents tried to pass an historic district in large part to fill the gap.

I`d like to more fully explore the phenomenon of pop-ups and the discussions that happen around them. If you`ve got one you`re proud of, or can`t stand a neighbor`s, or have any other observations to share, please get in touch.

open question: Whom would YOU like to see run in the upcoming Ward 5 Council race?

2012-01-09T11:11:00.005-05:00

There was much buzz all over Bloomingdale this past weekend regarding who might be running for the now-open Ward 5 council seat.

Okay, then let's open us this question to the community.

Whose name(s) would YOU like to see on the ballot for the upcoming Ward 5 council race?

And check out this related post at GGW:

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13297/ward-5-progressives-must-unite-behind-one-candidate/

Open Houses scheduled In and Around Bloomingdale on 01/08/2012

2012-01-08T12:39:00.002-05:00

Looks like a nice sunny not too cold day, which is perfect for checking out the open houses in the neighborhood. For those who prefer a visual approach, here's the link to the map with the same information.

man taking items from rear porch on 100 block of R Street NE in Eckington

2012-01-06T11:03:00.004-05:00

See this Thursday, 01/05/2012 message from a neighbor:

Today I made a police call to report a person that was not only acting suspicious and riffling through garbage cans in the alley of the 100 block NE R Street shared with Quincy Place, but trespassing and taking item(s) from the back porch of 113 R Street NE. He also made his way into the alley behind the old Eckington School . Attached is a photo of this guy. I reported earlier that he was about 50 years old, but the photo I took would leave one to believe he is much older.
See this follow-on message from Fifth District Commander Andy Solberg:
Ask that residents call 911 when they see him, so we can get the chance to come and find out who he is.

Sligo Creek Stompers performing at Big Bear Cafe tonight

2012-01-06T10:40:00.004-05:00

See this short message from Big Bear Cafe's Laura:

Tonight, the Sligo Creek Stompers are performing at Big Bear at 8:30. They are a local bluegrass band with a really down-home, friendly sound. The show is free of charge and there will be plenty to eat and drink!

www.sligocreekstompers.com

Earth to Bloomingdale residents: "traffic consultants rarely tell communities that new development will cause any problems." Do you agree? Disagree?

2012-01-05T10:24:00.008-05:00

It looks like my attempt has flopped to encourage some discussions on the traffic impacts in Bloomingdale arising from the McMillan Sand Filtration site development.

This morning's Greater Greater Washington Breakfast Links post references Lydia DePillis's WCP Housing Complex post on development project traffic studies:

"Neighbors often don't believe traffic consultants when they say new development will cause minimal new traffic, but those consultants are counting on mixed uses, transit, and changing behavior."

Spot on? Off-base?

What you do you think of the "art of traffic impact assessment?"

Lydia comments on the McMillan Sand Filtration site & its transportation plan; what do * you * think?

2012-01-04T18:24:00.009-05:00

Washington City Paper Housing Complex reporter Lydia DePillis just posted an item on the DC Zoning Commission and its review of transportation plans of large development projects that go before the Zoning Commission.

Green Light
Posted by Lydia DePillis
on Jan. 4, 2012 at 5:57 pm
-
Lydia briefly mentions Bloomingdale`s McMillan Sand Filtration site.

Here are the three paragraphs that reference the sand filtration site:

Then there’s McMillan Sand Filtration Plant, where development plans have engendered distrust for decades. A citizen group commissioned an outside expert to review the developer’s traffic study, asking for more information; local ANC officials are sure that adding hundreds more residences and large office buildings will make it impossible for people in surrounding neighborhoods to get to work.

But there are two problems with that.

One: Projects of a certain scale start to develop their own gravity. More residences and office workers are the only thing that justify large transportation investments like streetcars and bus rapid transit. And if there’s a mix of housing, commerce, and offices—which McMillan is supposed to have—people will be able to get to work, buy groceries, and take their kids to a playground without getting in a car. That way, even the largest of new developments won’t have the impact residents fear.

Two: Sometimes traffic is good. Urban places are congested. And well-managed congestion—with a robust array of alternatives—encourages people to do something different, like move closer to where they work, telecommute, or bike instead of drive. All take the pressure off a traffic study as something that people seize on to contain a new development.

What do you think ?

some announcements from Rustik Tavern (like lunch at Rustik Tuesdays thru Fridays!)

2012-01-02T22:21:00.003-05:00

2011 was a fabulous year. We’ve seen our little neighborhood become even more of a place with a distinct, local, friendly feel. We at Rustik have had a phenomenal year, and we are so proud and happy to have been serving Bloomingdale. We are looking forward to the great things to come in 2012.

We have a few announcements.

First, we are going to start serving lunch Tuesdays through Fridays from 11am to 3pm. If you’re working from home, why not work from here? Bring your computer and use our free wifi while you enjoy a tasty selection of lunch items, including our house-made Focaccia daily sandwich specials or the open-faced gyro sandwiches, among other items.

Second, movies. This month we are featuring some fantastic French films that span the eclectic cinematic feats of the pentagon shaped country – from the artsy, to the criminal to the comedic.

We’ll begin tomorrow, Tuesday 1/3, with Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, known simply as Amélie. Here, Amelie, an innocent and naive girl in Paris, with her own sense of justice, decides to help those around her and along the way, discovers love. This is the iconic French film of the early 2000’s that catapulted young Audrey Tautou and her pixie cut to notoriety.

On Tuesday, 1/10, we’ll be playing La Femme Nikita, directed by Luc Besson (Leon: The Professional, The Fifth Element). In this hit-man twist, convicted felon Nikita, instead of going to jail, is given a new identity and trained, stylishly, as a top secret spy/assassin.

The Dinner Game (Le Diner de Cons), 1/17, is a beguiling French farce in which Pierre and his friends organize a weekly dinner for idiots. Each man invites the dumbest guy he can find as a guest. Pierre thinks his champ -François Pignon- will steal the show.

On Tuesday, 1/24, we will play The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie). A surrealist film directed by Luis Buñuel, the movie’s world is not logical: the bizarre events are accepted by the characters, even if they are impossible or contradictory. The film concerns a group of upper class people attempting — despite continual interruptions — to dine together. Winner of an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (1972).

We’ll finish January with an action, clever, funny, and very sexy French spy thriller starring the great Jean-Paul Belmondo, The Professional. The story goes: French secret agent Joss Baumont is sent to one of the African countries to kill their president Njala. However, at the last moment the political situation changes and the French secret service turns him in to the African authorities, and he is sentenced to a long-term imprisonment. After the daring escape he returns to France and deliberately informs his former chiefs of his presence promising them to kill Njala who has just arrived to the country with the official visit.

1/3 Amélie (2001, 122 min., R)
1/10 La Femme Nikita (1991, 118 min., R)
1/17 Le Diner de Cons / The Dinner Game (1998, 80 min., PG-13)
1/24 The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972, 102 min. PG)
1/31 The Professional (1981, 108 min.)

WaPo says it's "Out" to buy in Bloomingdale

2011-12-31T12:45:00.005-05:00

The Washington Post published their annual list of What's In and What’s Out for 2012, and guess what they said about Bloomingdale? Yep, somebody at WaPo thinks it’s “out” to buy in Bloomingdale. Funny, the increasing number of people buying in Bloomingdale and the continuing activity of emerging local businesses make me think we’re just getting started. What do you think? Numbers below.

Happy 2012!
Suzanne

Settled House (fee simple) Sales Bloomingdale, LeDroit Park, NW Eckington
2011
Current Active Inventory 21
87 Total Sales
Average Net Sold Price $509,566.
Highest Net Sold Price $899,000
Average Days on Market 42
Just this month, we saw the highest sale price in Bloomingdale since 2005.

2010
77 Total Sales
Average Sold Price $440,118.
Highest Sold Price $849,500
Average Days on Market 47

2009
75 Total Sales
Average Sold Price $417,957.
Highest Sold Price $879,000
Average Days on Market 76

Settled Condo Sales Bloomingdale, LeDroit Park, NW Eckington
2011
Current Active Inventory 6
37 Total Sales
Average Net Sold Price $299,025.
Highest Net Sold Price $480,000.
Average Days on Market 63
Yes, condo prices went down in 2011 in the neighborhood, but this could be primarily because a new conversion, the eight unit Flatiron of Bloomingdale at 143 Rhode Island Ave NW intentionally sold below market. I expect to see the condo prices increase over 2012.

2010
24 Total Sales
Average Sold Price $319,262.
Highest Sold Price $528,000
Average Days on Market 79

2009
28 Total Sales
Average Sold Price $326,677.
Highest Sold Price $540,000
Average Days on Market 113

some info on Billy Mitchell's alleged murderer, Anthony Speight

2011-12-31T11:34:00.004-05:00

From a Randolph Place NW resident:

Following up on the other links, this may be worth sharing, as well as an enhanced photo of the alleged murderer from his Facebook profile, in which he wears the hat he purportedly lost during the killing.

Detective's affidavit: http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/281393-scn-0045.html#document/p1

http://www.facebook.com/people/Speight-Guud-Shepherd/100000376074064

http://twitter.com/shepherd3000

photo is attached.

dog found at the Anna J. Cooper Circle yesterday

2011-12-31T09:27:00.001-05:00

See this 12/30/2011 message from Kim Wee of Field to City:

A husky-type dog was found at Anna J. Cooper Circle today.
5 years old, 60 pounds,well groomed found with no collar.
Please contact Kim at 202 - 588 - 5612.

Close to Bloomingdale: New York Ave and O Street NE-1927

2011-12-30T15:22:00.000-05:00

This image above came from this Fantastic blog

HomicideWatch.org: "robbery attempt at center of Bill Mitchell's Truxton Circle shooting death"

2011-12-30T07:10:00.004-05:00

Here is a follow-up post on the arrest in the 01/19/2011 murder of Billy Mitchell -- from the HomicideWatch.org website (thanks for the tip, Mari!).

Robbery Attempt at Center of Bill Mitchell`s Truxton Circle Shooting Death
Posted Dec. 28, 2011, 3:45 p.m.

by Laura Amico
http://homicidewatch.org/2011/12/28/robbery-attempt-at-center-of-bill-mitchells-truxton-circle-shooting-death

A $20 robbery may have been the cause of Bill Mitchell`s shooting death in Truxton Circle last January.

That`s according to charging documents made public today just before Anthony Speight, the man prosecutors say killed Mitchell, was presented with a charge of first degree murder while armed.

Speight`s attorney submitted to the government`s facts and did not oppose Speight`s detention while he is awaiting a preliminary hearing.

Mitchell was walking home from the theater on Jan. 19 when he was shot and killed. Mitchell`s family and friends, and D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr., said Mitchell was killed while coming to the aid of a woman.

Homicide detectives now say it may be the opposite.

According to charging documents in the case, a man on a bicycle approached a woman near a small park in Truxton Circle and propositioned her for sex. She refused. The man then rode over to Mitchell, who was at a nearby bus stop, and asked for $20. When Mitchell refused, the man argued with him. The woman then came over to assist Mitchell, told the man man to leave Mitchell alone, and tried to call 911. The man knocked her cell phone out of her hand, Mitchell jumped on the man`s back, and he and the man fell to the ground.

During the struggle the man produced a handgun, said ``This is what I have been waiting for,`` shot Mitchell, and biked away.

The arrest was made until yesterday, when MPD announced that Speight would face a murder charge in connection with the case. A person who knows Speight said Speight biked past just after the shooting. When the witness asked Speight to give him his bike, Speight declined, saying police were likely searching for it.

The witness told police Speight had said ``a white man had played with him and was taking him for a joke.``

Speight was ordered held on the murder charge and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2012.

Speight is awaiting trial in an armed carjacking case. That offense is alleged to have occurred just six hours before Mitchell was killed.

Charging documents are below:
[you can click on the homicidewatch.org link above to see this charging document.]

arrest made in the 1/19/2011 fatal shooting of William Mitchell; man arrested has been charged with first-degree murder

2011-12-28T11:33:00.003-05:00

See this news item from today`s Washington Post:

D.C. police charge three men with murder
By David Marino-Nachison, Published: December 27

http://www.washingtonpost.com/todays_paper?dt=2011-12-28&bk=B&pg=5

D.C. police charged three men with murder Tuesday, announcing arrests in shootings in January and May and a late-night stabbing this month.

Harold Proctor of Upper Marlboro, Anthony Speight of no fixed address and Andrew Wesley Williams of Northeast Washington were arrested separately Tuesday morning, according to police.

Proctor, 19, was charged with felony murder in the Dec. 17 stabbing of Kevin Blackwell Jr., 20. Authorities responding to the 900 block of Burns Street SE found Blackwell suffering from a stab wound at 10:36 p.m.; he died later at a hospital.

Williams, 25, was charged with first-degree murder in the May 14 shooting of Junon Tyree Snead, 30, of Northeast. Snead, one of two men shot dead in separate incidents that night, was found in the 3700 block of Jay Street NE about 5:50 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police closed the second case Oct. 28, charging Montez Warren, 30, of Northeast with first-degree murder in the death of Ervin Lamont Griffin, 32, of Southeast.

Speight, 23, was charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 19 shooting of William Mitchell of Northwest. Mitchell, 33, was found at North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue about 11 p.m., police said, later died at a hospital.,

Bloomingdale public safety walk - Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012

2011-12-28T07:47:00.004-05:00

See this event announcement from Bloomingdale resident Jennifer McCann:

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners John Salatti, Hugh Youngblood, and James Fournier

Invite you to kick-off 2012 by taking part in a
Bloomingdale Public Safety Walk

Help Bloomingdale continue to grow into a safer neighborhood!

Who: You! ...and your children, dogs, friends, etc.
All are welcome to come, regardless of where you live. This is about making a strong presence in the community, showing that Bloomingdale will not tolerate crime in our neighborhood.
When: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 7:00 P.M.
Where: Northwest corner of 1st and Rhode Island NW
(Meet in front of Windows Café. Dress comfortably and bring a flashlight!)

Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale

vehicle stolen on the 2100 block of 1st St NW -- update: MPD just reported that the car has been found crashed and abandoned

2011-12-27T19:43:00.004-05:00

Between 10:30 PM on the 25th and 9:30 AM on Monday, December 26th my car was stolen on First Street NW in between V and W. There were no signs of foul play (no broken glass or other car parts left behind) but I talked to a DC 311 operator and she said that towing was suspended in the District on the 25th and 26th and to call the police. I went ahead and filed a police report but haven't heard anything back from them. My car is a 2000 Black Jeep Cherokee, has Virginia tags and a Redskins sticker on the back window.

Now read this update:

The police just called me this morning to say that they found my car crashed and abandoned against a telephone pole in DC. Apparently the damage isn`t too bad, so it sounds like I lucked out. The scariest part about the whole thing is that the thieves didn`t break any glass-- they much have used a slim jim to get in and then hot wired the car.

dinner and a movie -- family-style dinner at Big Bear Cafe - Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012

2011-12-27T14:47:00.002-05:00

Hello Hello!

For our family dinner this Sunday, January 1st, we will be serving a spaghetti carbonara followed by pork shoulder braised in white wine, garlic and rosemary, served with an endive/escarole salad with grainy mustard vinaigrette.

The dinner will accompany the screening of a short film about pork butchery in the United States, and the work of a small family meatsmith outside of Seattle, WA where our resident chef on research leave, Andrew Plotsky, is now in training.

It is a beautiful film. Clementina is preparing a beautiful meal.

We hope you can come to celebrate the first evening of the new year.

Contact me to reserve a seat.

It is a family-style communal dinner with limited seats, so let me know asap.

Stuart
studavenport @ gmail.com

Happy Holidays from the Bloomingdale Civic Association

2011-12-25T09:30:00.003-05:00

Neighbors,

The Bloomingdale Civic Association wishes you happy holidays and a very happy and healthy 2012.

Best,

Teri Janine Quinn
President, Bloomingdale Civic Association

Highest Home Sale in LeDroit Park or Bloomingdale since 2007

2011-12-23T12:25:00.004-05:00

This was actually the highest sale in Bloomingdale proper since 2005.

Here's a snippet from the Good Deal or Not Revisited (GDoN-R) post at www.princepetworth.com:

"Although many people only became aware of Bloomingdale within the past couple of years or so, it’s important to note that the renovation and sales boom had been going on in the neighborhood from the early 2000’s until a price peak in 2006. Prices are just now starting to reach above the point where the price bubble hit. There was some discussion in the comments on the original GDoN post about what it would mean for a listing to sell for over a million dollars in Bloomingdale. There actually has already been a seven figure sale in Bloomingdale, when 2301 1st St NW transferred for $1,050,000. in 2005. Still, I tend to agree with the commenters, that it would suggest a shift in perspective. The Washington Post did a story in 2000 or 2001 when the first house on The Hill sold over a million, which definitely marked a turning point in that neighborhood."

The entire post can be read here.

presents stolen from car -- alleyway of unit block of W / Adams NW

2011-12-23T11:06:00.003-05:00

See this Friday morning message from a Bloomingdale resident:

Friday, December 23, 2011 10:51 AM
Subject: We've been robbed - alley way of unit block of W/Adams NW

A thief broke into our car took presents my husband left in car to keep from the kids overnight. The thief took our trashcan, put all the presents in our trashcan, took the trashcan down the alley, tore through everything and stole the most expensive item- a camera. It was this morning before 10:30. Did any of you see something? Help? I am so angry right now I am fuming.

PoP: "Aroi Thai/Japanese Cuisine Coming to Bloomingdale"

2011-12-22T11:45:00.002-05:00

Some Bloomingdale retail & restaurant news from Prince of Petworth:

Aroi Thai/Japanese Cuisine Coming to Bloomingdale
By: Prince Of Petworth 21 December 2011 4:26 AM xx Comments
http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2011/12/aroi-thaijapanese-cuisine-coming-to-bloomingdale/

Back in July `11 I shared some scuttlebutt saying that a new Thai restaurant was coming to Bloomingdale at 1832 1st St, NW (next to Yoga District.) I`m happy to report that construction has begun:

I`ve learned that it will be a sit down Thai and Japanese restaurant called Aroi. If all goes according to plan they hope to complete the renovations and open in May 2012. Stay tuned.

more pics from the 12/17/2011 World Missions toy give-away rally

2011-12-22T11:25:00.010-05:00

From: Joann Perkins
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 9:38 PM
Subject: FW: World Missions Christmas Rally 2012 Batch 10

Merry CHRISTmas everyone and thanks for allowing World Missions EXTENSION Center to work with you and your family in sponsoring the following rallies this year: in January, we sponsored our Prayer, Reflections rally, in April our first Walk-a-thon, in June, awarded 7 high School students the Malissa B. Perkins Scholarships award, in August, provided 465 students supplies needed to return back to school, at the Thanksgiving Rally, 365 families received Thanksgiving Baskets and as indicated by pictures below at the Christmas rally held on December 17th, over 983 kids present( all of which joined our Positive Alternatives Skill Building Mentoring Book club, as 24 of the kids won bikes which were raffled off) at the rally and an additional 500 children after the rally received toys( a total of 1483 kids) is why we do , what we do which is also allowing us to include our Suicide newest component (working with the Department of MentalHealth) to accomplish our mission of providing educational training services that positively impact lives of children, youth and adults living in inner-city neighborhoods.

We say again to everyone who helped us make the children and families smile, thanks, Happy Holidays and May God richly bless you and yours as you enjoy this blessed season, for we know without question that Jesus is the REASON for the SEASON.

Dr. J. Perkins, President/ CEO, Mother Withers and the EXTENSION Center Positive Alternatives Skill Building Mentoring Progam
World Missions EXTENSION Center Inc

Boundary Stone holiday party -- Thursday, 12-22-2011

2011-12-21T10:42:00.004-05:00

See this message from Colin McDonough of Boundary Stone:

pics from the 12/17/2011 World Missions Extension Center Annual Toy Give-Away Rally

2011-12-20T11:13:00.008-05:00

See this 12/20/2011 message from World Missions Extension Center`s Dr. JoAnn Perkins regarding this past Saturday`s annual toy give-away rally held at McKinley Tech High School:

We thanked volunteers for coming to help us put the bikes together. We gave away 24 bikes which were raffled off and 964 kids joined the book club and signed up for a mentor.

Boundary Stone Holiday Send Off

2011-12-20T10:23:00.002-05:00

See this message from Boundary Stone's Colin McDonough:

We are having a neighborhood Holiday Send off before everyone departs or doesn`t for Christmas. We are tapping a limited edition Keg of Flying Dog Oyster Stout, each neighbor gets a free pint if they donate a toy for our toy drive!!

We will have oyster shooters and Vince will making up oyster specials all night as long as the keg lasts!

Also we will be closed on Christmas Day, and our kitchen will only be open till 10pm on Christmas eve, otherwise we are operating as always.

ANC 5C meeting/holiday celebration -- Tuesday, 12/20/2011

2011-12-19T22:08:00.003-05:00

Passed along by ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti:

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 The Summit
7:00pm -9:00pm 116 T Street NE
Notice
Public Holiday Celebration and Meeting
Bring a friend – let`s celebrate
**************************************

Part I: Gathering 6:45 pm
Unity Call…………………..………………………………….…..Commissioner Edwards, Chairman
Confirmation of Quorum .…………………………………………………….
Adoption of Agenda
Review/Approval of Minutes.………………………………………..

Part II: Business Administration
Financial Report.………..…………………Commissioner Salatti, Financial Secretary
Review/Approval 4th Qtr Financial Rpt Documents..…Commissioner Ransom, Treasurer
Report & Pay Bills………………………..Commissioner Ransom, Treasurer
Meet the Fire Chief………..Kenneth Ellerbee, fire Chief

Part III: Community Concerns, Updates and Resolutions
1. Community Concerns
2. 225 Escot Street NE, Rear Deck Public Space Application……..Commissioner Farmer-Allen
3. Consideration of Alternative Proposals for Curb Cut - ANC 5C02 related to Dunbar High School…………………………………………………..………Commissioners Thomas and Pinkney

SPECIAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
(Acknowledgement of Sponsors)
Each one – Bring a Friend.

Let’s Celebrate the Accomplishments of 2011
and
Rejoice in the Expectations of 2012

dumpster out front of Sunset Liquors -- what's up ?

2011-12-19T11:05:00.004-05:00

See this message from a Randolph Place NW resident:

Took this picture on saturday, by sunday the dumpster was full.

Have you heard any scuttlebutt?

Obviously would be great to have this situation improve in general and especially with the new park opening.

feedback solicited on "No Standing Anytime" parking ticket issued on Seaton Pl NW

2011-12-19T09:50:00.003-05:00

See this message from a resident on the unit block of Seaton Place NW:

I want to raise a concern. I recently received a parking ticket although my car was legally parked (I have photos). While talking to a friend, I learned she too had received several parking tickets when she was legally parked. I plan to contest my ticket, but was curious if others had experienced a similar problem. This appears to me to be a systemic abuse of authority that can`t continue. If anyone has advice on how best to address this issue, I`d greatly appreciate it.

Here is more detail:

The reason was P269, No Standing Anytime. The comments say ``sign clearly visible front``. I was parked in front of a no parking sign indicating no parking behind the sign. I was parked on a zone parking street, but I have a current zone sticker.

Green Paws: 10% off all natural & organic pet food, treats, toys, accessories & health products

2011-12-18T21:33:00.006-05:00

Hey! Green Paws Patrons (and potential patrons) -- see this message from the folks at Green Paws:

Green Paws Natural Pet Supplies

10% OFF*
All natural & organic pet food, treats, toys, accessories & health products.

202 . 986 . 6373

81 Seaton Place NW
Washington, DC 20001
www.greenpawsdc.com

* limited time offer, must present coupon, sorry! No delivery & excludes already discounted items.

Bloomingdale Civic Association meeting this Monday, 12/19/2011

2011-12-17T12:03:00.002-05:00

See this meeting announcement from Bloomingdale Civic Association Corresponding Secretary Jeremy Fegley:

Bloomingdale Civic Association December 2011 Meeting

Monday, December 19, 2011 - 7:00 p.m.
St. George`s Episcopal Church
160 U St, NW (corner of 2nd and U NW)

Please join us for a general meeting of the Bloomingdale Civic Association (BCA) on December 19th at 7:00 p.m. at St. George`s Episcopal Church.

The meeting will consist of community announcements and a reception.

Interested in joining the BCA? Join us for the year end meeting!

John Salatti wants you to take this MedStar Health survey

2011-12-17T11:11:00.003-05:00

From ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti:

I have participated in some community conversations held at Washington Hospital Center concerning hospitals and health care in our area. The goal is to get as much community input as possible to give the hospital system some guidance as to where to best extend its resources into the community.

I hope residents will take advantage and let our local hospitals know about their concerns.

John

John T. Salatti
Commissioner, ANC 5C04
Vice President, Bloomingdale Civic Association
(202) 986-2592
John.Salatti @ gmalil.com
``Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale``

Here is the survey:

Dear Friend,
You have been invited by MedStar Health to offer your input concerning the health needs of the District of Columbia.

Your feedback will help determine the community health priorities for MedStar`s three DC hospitals - Georgetown University Hospital, National Rehabilitation Hospital and Washington Hospital Center.

In order to participate, copy-paste the entire following link between quote marks (NOT including the quote marks) in a web browser
" http://research.zarca.com/k/SsTRTVsURWsPsPsP "

If you attended the Professional Stakeholders Community Input Session on Monday, December 12, please do not continue with this survey.

Responses received after 5pm on Tuesday, December 27 will not be considered.

Thank you for your participation

World Missions Extension Center annual toy give-away rally

2011-12-17T08:45:00.002-05:00

See this nicely formatted message from Dr. JoAnn Perkins of Bloomingdale's World Missions for Christ Extension Center:

CM Thomas releases draft Ward 5 ANC SMD map; John Salatti: "Bloomingdale remains united"

2011-12-15T20:59:00.008-05:00

See this message from ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti.

Note the draft Ward 5 ANC SMD map PDF has been posted over at the Bates Area Civic Association (BACA) blog: http://batesareacivicassociation.org/2011/12/15/the-new-ward-5-anc-smd-map-from-cm-thomas/

BLOOMINGDALE REMAINS UNITED!!!!

Hot off the presses.

I just received a copy from Councilmember Harry Thomas of the revised Ward 5 draft redistricting plan.

I have asked Scott Roberts to post the map of the plan on the Bloomingdale blog.In this draft, which still is subject to comment from the community and to votes from the City Council, Bloomingdale residents have achieved the two goals we have advocated for since October:

(1) All of Bloomingdale from Florida Avenue to Michigan Avenue remains united in a single Advisory Neighborhood Commission!

(2) All Single Member Districts in Bloomingdale (and now throughout the Ward) adhere much more closely to the 2,000-person standard laid out in the Home Rule Charter!

I thank Councilmember Harry Thomas for hearing the voices of Bloomingdale residents. He heard and he acted. We appreciate the many competing concerns he has had to consider and appreciate his willingness to put his imprimatur on a map that really is in the best interest of this community (and many others in Ward 5). I thank Redistricting Subcommittee chairs Councilmembers Michael Brown and Jack Evans and Subcommittee member Councilmember Phil Mendelson for hearing our concerns and working closely with Councilmember Thomas to create a stronger, fairer Ward 5 map. Special kudos go to Michael Brown. I have visited with him and his staff many times in the last two weeks. His door was always open to us. They have always made time to talk about the concerns we have and about the possible alternatives that would uphold the principles of redistricting while carefully addressing the concerns of Bloomingdale residents. I could not ask for more.

I reserve my biggest thanks to you all. Congratulations on your efforts. By testifying, calling, e-mailing, visiting you conveyed the seriousness with which we viewed this issue. You made a difference. You made democracy work. Thank you so much!

But the work isn't done. As I noted, this is the latest draft. It is not law yet. So my ask to you is to contact the Subcommittee and copy Councilmember Thomas:

(1) Please thank them for what they have done to bring us this new map; they have worked hard and made a lot of changes that strengthen Bloomingdale;
(2) Please ask them to enact it into law.

If you have questions about the map or about redistricting generally, please contact me.

Again, Congratulations Bloomingdale!

John
John T. Salatti
Commissioner, ANC 5C04
Vice President, Bloomingdale Civic Association
(202) 986-2592
John.Salatti@gmail.com
"Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale"

....and see Ward 5 resident Geoff Hatchard`s post on the presented draft Ward 5 redistricting map at the Greater Greater Washington blog: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13055/thomas-adopts-fair-community-proposal-for-anc-map

Rhode Island Row

2011-12-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

Some of you may be interested in the developments at the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station.

Rhode Island Row

Check out the Rhode Island Avenue Insider's POST on the development, including photos of the spaces.

Also, check out the Friends of Rhode Island Avenue site.

St. Martin`s Catholic Church annual toy wrapping party - Thursday, 12/15/2011

2011-12-12T07:45:00.003-05:00

Calling All Gift Wrappers -- Thursday, 12/15/2011

Volunteers are needed to wrap about 2,000 new toys for kids in our community.

St. Martin`s Catholic Church is holding its Annual Toy Wrapping Party at the church (North Capitol & T St. NW – enter on lower level T Street NW side) on Thurs. Dec. 15 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

So if you can`t get enough of wrapping paper and bows and ribbon, this event is just for you . . . and you`ll do so much good for children in the process.

Also, if you want to help out by donating new toys, they will be happily accepted – infant to 12 years old.

Thank you.

For more information, please call Fr. Michael Kelley

202 - 232 - 1144 or mjkelley @ verizon.net .

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for Sunday 12/11

2011-12-11T10:42:00.004-05:00

Visit the lovely home pictured today from 1-4pm at 125 Randolph Pl NW, or any of the other open houses. For a map of the properties open in the area today, click here. To see details for each of the properties on the map, scroll over the push pins.

New Urbanturf.com Profile of Bloomingdale

2011-12-09T13:10:00.003-05:00

Even though they profiled Bloomingdale quite recently in April 2010, Urbanturf.com acknowledges the rapid changes we've seen since then and has updated the Bloomingdale Profile. Several neighbors are quoted.

World Missions Extension Center annual toy give-away rally - Saturday, 12-17-2011

2011-12-08T17:57:00.004-05:00

Come and Receive Toys for your Children at our Angel Tree Christmas Toy Give-Away Rally

Sponsored by the
World Missions Extension Center’s Parent Partners United
its Just FRIENDS Prison Support Group Partners& Friends

· When: Saturday December 17,2011 at 10:00am
· Where: McKinley Technology High School (in the gym)

Located at 151 T. Street NE

Presents/gifts will be given out on a First come, First to Receive Basis

We ask that parents:

· Come early to check in/register in order to be eligible to receive toys for your, they must register to be a member of the community bookclub and Mentoring club

Ø Children must be present with a parent to receive Toys and Parents must join our Parent Partner club

Ø We will also will honor children of families that have lost loved ones to homicides

And we will give gifts to siblings of incarcerated youth!!!!!!!

See you there,
Dr. J. Perkins, Rally Coordinator

an alternative use proposal for Bloomingdale's McMillan Sand Filtration site -- a medical marijuana cultivation site

2011-12-08T06:29:00.006-05:00

See this message from ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood:

Dear Bloomingdalians,

Please see the following proposal for an alternative use of the McMillan Reservoir Sand Filtration site shared by a senior member of the community who lives on the Unit block of Florida Ave NW. This proposal could potentially generate a level of revenue for the City that would dwarf the expected level of revenue from the cookie-cutter mixed dense urban development project proposed by the DMPED-VMP hybrid team. Please feel free to call me or email me with your thoughts.

``After having gone to several meetings and then reading Bradley Thomas`s testimony before the City Council, I have finally figured out what is behind the redistricting flap--McMillan. Despite the protests and hard work of our honest, motivated and pure hearted ANC representatives, it appears that McMillan will be separated from Bloomingdale. The McMillan pie is so rich and is attracting so many fingers that our leaders just can`t compete with all that greed. So let`s be realistic, McMillan will be exploited to the benefit of developers and politicians rather than the benefit of the community. Knowing this, why don`t we stop trying to beat them and let`s join them. Soon we will have poor little marijuana plants growing inside nasty warehouses under artificial light all over Ward 5. If we can convert McMillan to a farm, these plants can grow in the environment nature intended: fresh air, clean soil and direct sunlight-- in a word, organic and free range. There are many out of work tobacco farmers in Calvert County who would happily do the cultivation. With proper care and fertilization, the District can grow enough marijuana to provide the medicinal needs of the whole east coast. What a financial boon this will be for the citizens of the District of Columbia. We can even end the Lottery. You know that nasty little mechanism the government uses to flitch money from the financially disadvantaged under the false promise of instant wealth. The District can even undercut the price of marijuana charged by the Mexican Cartels, striking a blow against smuggling along the Country`s southwest border. The adjacent Washington Hospital Center can reap financial gain by setting up a clinic across the street where ``headache`` prescriptions for marijuana can be obtained. Of course, we will need a gift shop on the premises to fill the prescriptions and sell the required paraphernalia: bongs, gas masks (for communal use) cigarette paper, pipes, T-shirts and hats etc., all of this to the employment and economic benefit of the District. With legalization, there will be many out of work marijuana sniffing dogs. We can create a feral colony to walk among the plants to discourage thieves. The fence around McMillan can be easily fortified with wire and guard towers to protect the plants. As the project progresses, we can add a church so that many visitors can experience a religious high. We can call it ``The Head Church of DC.`` Money will be gushing out of McMillan at a flow which greatly exceeds the amount of water which the site once produced. Of course, we can expect that the Feds will want a piece of the action. You can imagine the constituent jealousy of DC residents not having to pay any taxes as a result of the McMillan income. No problem, we`ll just trade a piece of the action for statehood, and finally we will be able to vote--thanks to McMillan. Our boring city flag can be replaced by one sporting a brightly colored marijuana plant and we can shed the old name (District of Columbia) and call ourselves the Marijuana Republic. Yes, there is a bright future for this useless piece of real estate which is no longer in Bloomingdale.``

Hugh Youngblood
ANC, SMD 5C03
240.925.1079
anc5c03 @ gmail . com

Scout Mob Deal for Jam Doung

2011-12-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

Click here for the Deal

50% Off Jam Doung

Scout Notes: When we think of Jamaica, several things come to mind: awesome beaches, Bob Marley, bobsledding and now Jam Doung, the Jamaican eatery in Bloomingdale. "If you go to Jamaica and you want to sound cool, you call it Jam Doung," said the eatery's owner/head chef Janet. And Janet should know. She's from Jamaica, er, Jam Doung, and serves up an enticing selection of her family's secret recipes. "They've been passed down for generations," she said, speaking of the jerk chicken, stewed oxtail and curry goat that simmered in the back kitchen, emanating an aroma that can only be described as righteous. Yes, here you eat with your sense of smell first. Your olfactory system will help prepare your taste buds for the greatness to come.

Let's start by talking about the oxtail, a Jamaican delicacy usually reserved for special occasions, said Janet. At Jam Doung, they stew it for over three hours to ensure its tenderness before mixing it with savory chunks of carrot, potato and onion. What comes out is a feast, available in small, medium and large sizes. And if you've never tried Jamaican food before and want something a little less exotic but with an equal amount of flavor, order the jerk chicken. "It's spicy, but not over-the-top," said Janet, who cooks the dishes from scratch each day. We can't think of anything better to warm you up on a cold day than taking home a piping hot bite of the islands for dinner. Yeah, mon!

Menu Highlights:
Curry Chicken, $6.05 (small), $8.71 (medium), $10.86 (large)
Brown Stew Chicken, $6.05, $8.71, $10.86
Jerk Chicken, $6.60, $9.96, $11.20
Oxtail, $6.60, $10.81, $12.71
Curry Goat, $6.60, $10.81, $12.71

Hours:
Monday - Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday - Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Closed Sunday

new Capitol BikeShare station installed along 1st St NW at Rhode Island Avenue NW

2011-12-07T06:54:00.003-05:00

From a Rhode Island Avenue NW resident:

The new Capital Bike Share at Rhode Island and 1st NW is being installed right now along the Bloomingdale Wine & Spirits store.``

Yeah!

This photo is courtesy of EmilyHaHa [http://twitter.com/#!/EmilyHaHa/status/144058005493784576/photo/1]

Bloomingdale resident Ski Markowski's $50,000 kitchen renovation on HGTV's "Bang For Your Buck" Program

2011-12-06T06:56:00.005-05:00

See this brief message from Bloomingdale resident Ski Markowski, whose kitchen renovation was featured on HGTV:

I wanted to share some details about our HGTV debut for our kitchen reveal.

http://www.hgtv.com/video/row-house-kitchen-renovations-video/index.html

Bang for Your Buck
Three Row House Kitchen Renovations in Washington, DC

Ski kindly has provided this additional information about his kitchen renovation:

Synergy D&C: Mina & Mark Fies (Architects and Construction group)
http://www.synergydandc.com/
-
Featured before/After (center kitchen on checkerboard)
http://www.synergydandc.com/kitchen-remodel-design-ideas.php

Flooring:
http://www.woodlooktiles.com/distressed/colonial-walnut-wood-look-ceramic-tile-6-x20.html
-
http://www.sun-touch.com/?ibp-camp=tfn&gclid=COe32ZC266wCFcHd4Aod3iWlMw

Sink with touch faucet:
www.deltafaucet.com/TouchClean

Bloomingdale Holiday Art Market 2011!

2011-12-05T11:00:00.004-05:00

It's happening again! The Bloomingdale Holiday Art Market at Big Bear Cafe in Washington, DC, will take place on Sunday, December 18, 5–9pm.

Shop local and support your favorite artisans and designers at DC's best coffee shop. Vendors include Sean Hennessey, De*Nada Design, Tigerflight, Van Wagoner Studios, Leafyhead Lotions & Potions, Highway to Hill, and Goshdarnknit.

We'll help you finish your holiday gift shopping list as you pick up some treats for yourself, sing along with the carolers, and enjoy everyone's favorite winter treat, spiked cider!

Details:
What: Bloomingdale Holiday Art Market
Where: Big Bear Cafe (First and R St NW, DC)
When: Sunday, December 18
Time: 5-9pm

Invite your friends!

Bloomingdale resident Natalie Hopkinson in the NY Times: her dilemma of being a Ward 5 parent

2011-12-05T10:55:00.003-05:00

See Bloomingdale resident and author Natalie Hopkinson`s NY Times op-ed piece below on her dilemma of being a Ward 5 parent.

She references Ward 5 schools.

Op-Ed Contributor
Why School Choice Fails
By NATALIE HOPKINSON
Published: December 4, 2011
Washington
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/opinion/why-school-choice-fails.html?_r=3

IF you want to see the direction that education reform is taking the country, pay a visit to my leafy, majority-black neighborhood in Washington. While we have lived in the same house since our 11-year-old son was born, he`s been assigned to three different elementary schools as one after the other has been shuttered. Now it`s time for middle school, and there`s been no neighborhood option available.

Meanwhile, across Rock Creek Park in a wealthy, majority-white community, there is a sparkling new neighborhood middle school, with rugby, fencing, an international baccalaureate curriculum and all the other amenities that make people pay top dollar to live there.

Such inequities are the perverse result of a ``reform`` process intended to bring choice and accountability to the school system. Instead, it has destroyed community-based education for working-class families, even as it has funneled resources toward a few better-off, exclusive, institutions.

My neighborhood`s last free-standing middle school was closed in 2008, part of a round of closures by then Mayor Adrian Fenty and his schools chancellor, Michelle Rhee. The pride and gusto with which they dismantled those institutions was shameful, but I don`t blame them. The closures were the inevitable outcome of policies hatched years before.

In 1995 the Republican-led Congress, ignoring the objections of local leadership, put in motion one of the country`s strongest reform policies for Washington: if a school was deemed failing, students could transfer schools, opt to attend a charter school or receive a voucher to attend a private school.

The idea was to introduce competition; good schools would survive; bad ones would disappear. It effectively created a second education system, which now enrolls nearly half the city`s public school students. The charters consistently perform worse than the traditional schools, yet they are rarely closed.

Meanwhile, failing neighborhood schools, depleted of students, were shut down. Invariably, schools that served the poorest families got the ax — partly because those were the schools where students struggled the most, and partly because the parents of those students had the least power.

Competition produces winners and losers; I get that. Indeed, the rhetoric of school choice can be seductive to angst-filled middle-class parents like myself. We crunch the data and believe that, with enough elbow grease, we can make the system work for us. Naturally, I`ve only considered high-performing schools for my children, some of them public, some charter, some parochial, all outside our neighborhood.

But I`ve come to realize that this brand of school reform is a great deal only if you live in a wealthy neighborhood. You buy a house, and access to a good school comes with it. Whether you choose to enroll there or not, the public investment in neighborhood schools only helps your property values.

For the rest of us, it`s a cynical game. There aren`t enough slots in the best neighborhood and charter schools. So even for those of us lucky ones with cars and school-data spreadsheets, our options are mediocre at best.

In the meantime, the neighborhood schools are dying. After Ms. Rhee closed our first neighborhood school, the students were assigned to an elementary school connected to a homeless shelter. Then that closed, and I watched the children get shuffled again.

Earlier this year, when we were searching for a middle school for my son — 11 is a vulnerable age for anyone — our public options were even grimmer. I could have sent him to one of the newly consolidated kindergarten-to-eighth-grade campuses in my neighborhood, with low test scores and no algebra or foreign languages. We could enter a lottery for a spot in another charter or out-of-boundary middle school, competing against families all over the city.

The system recently floated a plan for yet another round of closings, with a proposal for new magnet middle school programs in my neighborhood, none of which would open in time for my son. These proposals, like much of reform in Washington, are aimed at some speculative future demographic, while doing nothing for the children already here. In the meantime, enrollment, and the best teachers, continue to go to the whitest, wealthiest communities.

The situation for Washington`s working- and middle-class families may be bleak, but we are hardly alone. Despite the lack of proof that school-choice policies work, they are gaining popularity in communities nationwide. Like us, those places will face a stark decision: Do they want equitable investment in community education, or do they want to hand it over to private schools and charters? Let`s stop pretending we can fairly do both. As long as we do, some will keep winning, but many of us will lose.

Natalie Hopkinson is the author of the forthcoming book ``Go-Go Live: The Musical Life and Death of a Chocolate City.``

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for Sunday 12/4

2011-12-04T10:17:00.003-05:00

One might think the real estate market might slow down a bit with the holidays approaching. Actually, there seems to be an unusually high number of buyers out there this holiday season. Fortunately, there are quite a few open houses today. The same information can be seen in a map format with directions. To see details about the properties, scroll over the push pins on the map.

The house pictured above, located at 603 U St NW and priced at $524,900., is open today from 2-4pm. It is one of my listings. It went under contract quickly and then the buyer got cold feet, so you have a second chance if you missed it when it first came on the market!

Young Female Pit Bull Found

2011-12-03T17:55:00.008-05:00

I was walking my dog around 10:30 this morning and we were approached by a very friendly female pit bull who was not on a leash. She found us around 2nd St NW between Randolph and S St NW, but we have no idea how far she had run. She seems young and looks well taken care of and responds to commands.

Please take a look at her pics. I'm not very active on Twitter, so I would really appreciate if a few folks could pass this along. (Thanks in advance.) Thanks a million to Mimi and Whitney at Expetations, who were so helpful in providing some temporary shelter. If you know who this dog belongs to, please e-mail me at suzanne at desmaraisrealestate dot com.

**Update** Owner and dog reunited! (See comment below).

WBJ: "DC hands over initial McMillan work to joint venture"

2011-12-02T14:11:00.004-05:00

See this article from the Washington Business Journal:

Commercial real estate
D.C. hands over initial McMillan reservoir work to joint venture
Premium content from Washington Business Journal by Michael Neibauer, Staff Reporter
Date: Friday, December 2, 2011, 6:00am EST
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/print-edition/2011/12/02/dc-hands-over-initial-mcmillan.html

D.C. may have chosen to take the lead on the complicated rezoning process for redevelopment of the McMillan Reservoir sand filtration plant, but the city can`t do it alone.

Vision McMillan Partners, the lead developer on the 25-acre mixed-use project surrounding the Bloomingdale and Stronghold neighborhoods of Northwest D.C., was recently awarded a $1.34 million contract to act as D.C.`s lead agent before the Zoning Commission, the Historic Preservation Review Board and any other panels whose approval must be obtained.

``It`s not unusual for us to take on the front end entitlement work and pay for it ourselves,`` said Jeff Miller, D.C. real estate development director. ``The way we structure it in this deal is that Vision McMillan Partners takes it through the process and we end up paying for everything.``

Traditionally, when the District redevelops city-owned property, it provides the parcel or building to a developer through either a sale or ground lease. But save for St. Elizabeths and, perhaps, Hill East, few District projects are as thorny as McMillan. D.C.`s five-year capital plan includes $48.9 million for infrastructure work on the site.

``We`re not in the business of moving dirt,`` Miller said. ``We have enough fingers in this pie that we`re not afraid of losing control.``

Miller, who works under the deputy mayor for planning and economic development, said his office is ``resource constrained`` to handle this work itself.

Considering the McMillan redevelopment plan calls for medical office space, townhouses, apartments, senior housing, retail and park space, Miller said, ``You can`t assemble a better team than that group.``

Vision McMillan is a partnership of EYA, Jair Lynch Development Partners and Trammell Crow Co., said Aakash Thakkar, EYA senior vice president. Dickie Carter of Urban Service Systems Corp. is an investor, along with other unidentified investors.

Then-Mayor Anthony Williams named the joint venture master planner in 2006.

The venture ``will be working with the District and the community to take the McMillan project through the HPRB and the Zoning Commission approval process,`` Thakkar wrote in an email.

The McMillan redevelopment is among the District`s most complicated, given the historic nature of the site, the sand-filled catacombs, or cells, that weave beneath and the sand silos that stand above.

The century-old plant, shuttered by the federal government in the mid-1980s and sold to the District shortly after for $9.3 million, is just east of the McMillan Reservoir and south of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The city intends to control the site throughout its development, while asking Vision McMillan to handle the ``sticks and bricks of delivering pads`` through some kind of arrangement, Miller said.

The plan is fluid, and a deal has not yet been struck, he said. The project is likely to include 1 million square feet of office space, upward of 600 apartments, 175 townhomes, up to 100,000 square feet of retail and a central park of about 3 acres.

The planned-unit development application for McMillan, though virtually finished, is expected to be submitted to the Zoning Commission in the first quarter of 2012.

volunteers needed for Crispus Attucks Park

2011-12-02T14:06:00.001-05:00

See this message from Crispus Attucks Development Corporation President Patrick Blais:

From: Patrick Blais
Sent: Thursday, December 1, 2011 8:32 PM

Volunteers needed for Crispus Attucks Park

Crispus Attucks Park (CADC) is seeking volunteers to assist with gaps in our current management team. Specifically, we need volunteers with skills in website development or maintenance, project management, fundraising, membership management systems (Insightly very helpful), communications and administration. If you have skills in one or more of these areas and 5 to 10 hours of your time to donate each month, please email President@crispusattuckspark.org

Financial support is also appreciated at any time. Visit our website www.Crispusattuckspark.org to donate via paypal or mail/drop off a check made out to CADC to 69 U St NW, DC 20001.

Thank you for your ongoing interest and support.

found dogs

2011-12-02T08:57:00.000-05:00

I found two dogs on the side of the road in rural Virginia. They were both starving, but they`ve been putting on weight this week coming out of their shells. I shouldn`t have picked them up because I don`t really have a place to keep them, but I`m trying to help them as quickly as possible. If you know anyone looking for a dog, please forward this email.

The long-haired black gentleman has a lovely disposition. I suspect he`s been out a long time. He`s a mess-- hurt paw, broken tooth, knotted fur--but he really seems to be having fun living inside--even if it`s temporary. He`s gone from a vacant stare to getting excited for treats. He knows how to sit, so at some point someone paid attention to him.

The young Pit is acting like a young Pit. She has boundless energy and is absolutely desperate for food and attention. She likes to fetch and loves to be petted. Her ribs don`t show anymore.

The female Pit will be spayed before I adopt her out.

E-mail me at emilyroderer @ yahoo.com for more information. Or text 804 – 513 - 4037.

Check out the Craigslist ad for pictures.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/pet/2731709163.html

Commissioner Fournier: "ANC Redistricting in Ward 5 - Do NOT split Bloomingdale"

2011-12-01T15:48:00.005-05:00

ANC 5C07 Commissioner James Fournier has asked to have this message posted.

----------Original Message----------
From: James Fournier
Date: Dec 1, 2011 12:41:19 PM
Subject: ANC Redistricting in Ward 5 - Do NOT split Bloomingdale
To: mbrown@DCCOUNCIL.US, JACKEVANS@DCCOUNCIL.US, PMENDELSON@DCCOUNCIL.USCc: anc5c-commissioners@googlegroups.com, ronnieedwards.5c11@gmail.com, 5C02@anc.dc.gov, b-ashton-thomas@verizon.net, john.salatti@gmail.com, vorange@dccouncil.us, DCATANIA@DCCOUNCIL.US, HThomas@DCCOUNCIL.US, 5C11@anc.dc.gov, Ted Kill

Dear Councilmen M. Brown, Evans, and Mendelson:

That the Chairman of ANC 5C (which includes Bloomingdale) is compelled to answer the direct question of whether the redistricting plan that Harry Thomas's office submitted was the one agreed upon by the task force with the caveats of yes, "as edited," and "following technical adjustments," speaks for itself. So does the fact the only information he has about the redistricting process is a variation of the canned campaign e-mail that Harry Thomas has been circulating, for over a week, to everyone with a question concerning redistricting - regardless of the question posed.

Everyone in Ward 5 is not stupid, and you heard many of them at the November 29th hearing. The types of answers, resolutions, and ponderously empty statements repeatedly coming from Harry Thomas and his political allies are telling and plainly suggest that they think we are.
Ward 5 residents:

If you care about the bizarre consequences of the Thomas plan, regardless of which part of Ward 5 that you may live in, take the few minutes to submit your thoughts to the members of the redistricting subcommittee receiving this email:

Michael Brown - 202-724-8105; mbrown@dccouncil.us
Jack Evans - 202-724-8058; jevans@dccouncil.us
Phil Mendelson - 202-724-8064; pmendelson@dccounsil.us

The redistricting subcommittee is co-chaired by Councilmen J. Evans and M. Brown. Harry Thomas is not on the subcommittee. And yet he was the councilman pummelled with questions about the panoramic deficiencies of his plan at the November 29th hearing. Let the subcommittee know that there is no basis for dividing Bloomingdale and that if Harry Thomas thinks that dividing Bloomingdale will make forcing his ill-conceived development plans for the McMillan site onto the Bloomingdale that he has another thing coming.

I asked Harry Thomas to explain the basis for dividing Bloomingdale at the November 29 hearing before the DC City Council.

He refused.

Telling. . . .

- Commissioner James J. Fournier(ANC 5C07) - Bloomingdale, Stronghold, Park Place, Franklin Commons

have you tried the Big Bear Cafe Sunday dinner series ?

2011-12-01T10:52:00.002-05:00

From Stu Davenport:

We have started our winter Sunday dinner series, and if people would like to join or learn more about the weekly menu they can read about it here:

http://bigbearcafe-dc.com/2011/11/sunday-family-dinner-116/

Bradley Thomas: "Why I Support in Part and Oppose in Part the Position of Commissioners Salatti, Fournier on the Ward 5 Redistricting Plan"

2011-11-29T23:32:00.012-05:00

From ANC 5C01 Commissioner Bradley Thomas:

WHY I SUPPORT IN PART AND OPPOSE IN PART THE POSITION OF MY COLLEAGUES COMMISSIONERS JOHN SALATTI AND JAMES FOURNIER ON THE WARD 5 REDISTRICTING PLAN

Today, Tuesday, November 29, 2011, I attended and gave oral testimony at the hearing on B19-528, the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Boundaries Act of 2011, conducted by the D.C. Council’s Subcommittee on Redistricting. I sat and listened intently to all 42 other witnesses and paid particular attention to the witnesses who spoke on the topic of what effects the Ward 5 Redistricting Task Force plan may have on the Bloomingdale community. Go into the hearing, I believed (a belief that was validated by the testimony presented) that the dispute, for lack of a better term, boils down to three issues which I summarize here in the form of three questions:

1. Does respect for the democratic principle of “one person-one vote” dictate that adjustments need to be made in the proposed Single Member District (SMD) lines because of the fact that the population of many of the proposed new SMDs does not fit within the 2,000 plus or minus 5% target specified in the redistricting guidelines?

2. Would the Bloomingdale community, which is by and large represented by a single civic association, the Bloomingdale Civic Association, be adversely impacted by having its population split between two ANCs?

3. Would an ANC configuration which places the McMillan sand filtration site in an ANC other than the one in which the majority of Bloomingdale’s residents live leave the Bloomingdale community without an effective voice in the development of the McMillan site?

My friends and colleagues, Commissioner John Salatti (5C04) and Commissioner James Fournier (5C07), have been quite articulate in answering all three questions in the affirmative. And while I reach the same conclusion as to question one, for the reasons I laid out in my testimony before the Redistricting Subcommittee this afternoon, I differ with Commissioners Salatti and Fournier on questions 2 and 3. While I don’t expect to change any minds, I do encourage all of my friends in Bloomingdale, and yes, we can still be friends even if we don’t see eye to eye on every issue, to read the full text of the written testimony I submitted today.

Anyway, for what it’s worth, here is the text of my testimony:

ANC Redistricting Hearing Testimony-full text
Commissioner Bradley A. Thomas, ANC5C01

Let me first express my gratitude to the Honorable Co-Chairs and members of the D.C. Council’s Redistricting Subcommittee for allowing me to be heard on the issue of ANC redistricting in Ward 5. My name is Bradley Thomas and I am the Commissioner who represents Single Member District ANC5C01. I also chair the ANC5C Economic Development Committee.

The decision to testify in this matter has not been easy. I do so reluctantly because the last thing I want to do is to give the impression that I’m opposed to Bloomingdale or the way it has unified and progressed under its current leadership. On the contrary, I consider myself a supporter of Bloomingdale. Never-the-less, I rise to support the Ward 5 ANC Redistricting Task Force proposal.

I was not a member of the task force but I believe the team was fairly selected from a cross section of the ward and that it operated through a fair and open process. Like my friends from Bloomingdale, I didn’t always agree with every decision the task force made but unlike them, I don’t question the integrity of the process.

First off, I have great affinity for Bloomingdale. I’ve never mentioned this before but my roots there go back more than 80 years. As a boy, my father, with his newly divorced young mother moved to Flagler Place in 1928 or 29, shortly before the stock market crash that plunged this nation into the first Great Depression. 60 years ago, my grandmother moved from Flagler Place to the unit block of W Street, N.W., where she lived until her death almost 20 years ago, about a year after I moved into my home just south of Bloomingdale’s southern border of Florida Avenue. Thus, from a purely emotional standpoint, I want to support Bloomingdale at every juncture.

Secondly, I have nothing but respect and admiration for Bloomingdale’s current Commissioners. Hugh Youngblood is as energetic and enthusiastic as any public servant I can name. John Salatti is popular among his constituents and knowledgeable about the goings on both in and around his community. James Fournier is as thoughtful and articulate a spokesman as anyone I have met in my year on ANC5C. All three of them take very seriously the interests of their neighborhood and work tirelessly on behalf of the citizens who elected them. But I come here today because on the ingular issue of whether the redistricting plan coming from the Ward 5 Redistricting Task Force adversely affects Bloomingdale, I firmly believe that their position is ill-informed and emerges from a “glass is half empty” perspective.

Let me begin by stating that I agree with my colleagues that any redistricting plan ought not have any single member districts that fall outside of the 2,000 plus or minus 5% population threshold specified in the redistricting guidelines. I strongly urge the Council to make any adjustments that might be necessary to insure that we don’t wind up with some districts with for example, fewer than 1,800 residents and others with more than 2,200. I think, from my outsider’s point of view, that that kind of tweaking can be done without scraping a generally reasonable and well thought out plan. But Commissioners Fournier, Salatti and Youngblood have articulated the position that the proposed redistricting plan will divide Bloomingdale and dilute its political voice. I respectfully disagree. The Bloomingdale Civic Association (or BCA), which represents most of the residents living within the boundaries of what are now ANCs 5C03, 5C04 and 5C07 will not be disbanded by the adoption of the redistricting proposal. The BCA will still represent those same residents. Under the new plan, however, that constituency will have a voice in not one, but two ANC’s in Ward 5. Presently, they have three votes out of 12 on ANC5C, thus representing a 25% voting block. Under the new arrangement, Bloomingdale residents will be the majority in 4 SMDs and will have one vote out of 6 (or 16 2/3 % ) on one ANC and 3 votes out of 6 (or 50 %) on another ANC in the ward. Thus overall, Bloomingdale will have a greater, not a lesser voice in Ward 5. Think of it as analogous to a set of parents, apprehensive about their daughter’s impending marriage. The best advice for those parents is “don’t think of it as losing a daughter, think of it as gaining a son.”

My colleagues in Bloomingdale also argue that the new proposal is detrimental to Bloomingdale because it takes from them control of McMillan Reservoir. With all due respect, I submit to the Council that the McMillan project does not belong to Bloomingdale but rather to all of the citizens of the District of Columbia. Furthermore, its development, with job creation, housing opportunities and environmental impact reaches far beyond Messrs. Fournier, Salatti and Youngblood’s single member districts. The storm water run off and traffic effects alone will be felt as much in my SMD, on the south side of Florida Avenue, as in Commissioner Youngblood’s SMD on the other side of the street. If Mr. Youngblood and Mr. Salatti get to have a voice in McMillan’s future, why shouldn’t ommissioner Pinkney and I be permitted to speak on behalf of our affected constituents?

Once again, I did not serve on the Ward 5 Redistricting Task Force. And when I heard of the plan to change the configuration of the ward from 3 large ANC’s to 6 smaller ones, I was less than enthusiastic. ANC5C currently covers all of Ward 5 west of the railroad tracks. If we are going to divide what is now a 12 single member district ANC into 2 ANCs, logic dictates we should do so as evenly as possible. The only logical place to draw the dividing line is through Bloomingdale, the neighborhood which is geographically in the north-south center of our present ANC. If we keep all three current Bloomingdale SMDs together, we wind up with two unbalanced ANCs; either a large one on the north end and a significantly smaller one on the south, or vice versa. The opposition to the proposed split presumes that the two new ANCs cannot work together for the collective good
I respectfully disagree. If this is to be One City, then we in Ward 5, can and must function as One Ward.

In conclusion, I say to the Council that I hope the redistricting proposal put forth today will receive a favorable reading. And to my friends in Bloomingdale I say that I hope you will take a fresh look at the proposal and see the glass as half full; a chance to have more, not less, input into the affairs of the ward and the city. The bottom line is that the task force which drafted the proposal was composed of 30 or more spirited and opinionated individuals and we know from experience that whenever two or more people get together, there are going to be differences of opinion. This committee worked through its differences to reach a consensus. Would I have reached the same results? Maybe, maybe not. But I honor and respect the efforts of those who volunteered their time to take on this formidable task. If the Council needs to make minor adjustments to make the SMD population numbers work, by all means it should do so. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for 11/27/2011

2011-11-27T09:06:00.002-05:00

Ready to get back to the business of house hunting? Here is the open house list.

Happy Thanksgiving from North Capitol Main Street

2011-11-23T11:17:00.005-05:00

From North Capitol Main Street President Pat Mitchell:

FROM NORTH CAPITOL MAIN STREET
BE KIND TO YOUR TURKEY, TELL HIM HE'S DINNER ...

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY (11-26-11)
DEPARTMENT OF SMALL & LOCAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & DC MAIN STREETS KICK IT OFF IN A BIG WAY

"Small business is the backbone of the American economy". This has become the slogan that's most often repeated by every politician -- left or right -- from Florida to Washington State.
Starting this Saturday, you'll have an opportunity to vote with your pocketbook, not by contributing to some do-nothing politician's campaign fund, but through your support of local small business, especially those right here in your community.

Here's how you can stimulate the local economy::
Make a commitment this holiday buying season to support your neighborhood small business
Visit our website to see a complete listing of North Capitol Area Small businesses; www.ncmsinc.org

If your neighborhood's still a little lacking, keep your commitment to support local neighborhood small businesses by clicking on the links to other D.C. Main Street programs: http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tp9zhzcab&et=1108740541008&s=4&e=001y9reNltdW_hrumvMuEw7lM0ern8uULekoHxkeJu3Fk6SJp007GOHwA7Bh5B6PenhAq73P3K--4rGSYqslFfQDZu5z6E1o0imWlxVpqICRzagkOy0RtX_OL7iIhwstQfe12gZBtUpYvxByGivfy--8LhBnKTu7QBWAVFFglygzwU=

Where ever you shop/dine/recreate remember to:
KEEP IT SMALL & KEEP IT LOCAL . . .

Featured North Capitol Area Small Biz
Small Business Saturday (Season)

Short on ideas for your Holiday gift-giving season? Here are six suggestions (1st installment of the 12 days of Christmas theme) for keeping your shopping small and local:

1) How about a twist on Turkey for the Holidays?
We hear the jerk turkey at Jam Doung is insanely delish (with or without stuffing, yum!) 1726 No. Cap/202-483-2445
2) Need a new hairdo for holiday parties?
Complyments Hair Studio can do the job right. 1709 No. Cap/202-269-6900
3) Time to bring out the Metro Sexual in your man?
Stop by Community Barbershop and ask for Nathaniel to give you the best haircut in the city. 1931 No. Cap/202-635-9869
4) Planning that special party for the Holidays?
Stock up on Christmas cheer at Blooomingdale Wine & Spirits 1836 1st St/202-588-9443
5) Know someone who really needs to chill out in the New Year?
How about a gift pack of classes from Yoga District? 251 Florida.
6) Time to spruce up your home this Season?
Pay a visit to Noa Gallery and ask for Mike, 132 Rhode Island/202-483-7328

LOOK FOR NORTH CAPITOL MAIN STREET'S CITY PAPER AD FEATURING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SMALL BUSINESS ALL-STARS!

? stolen bicycle ?

2011-11-22T16:09:00.002-05:00

See this 11/22/2011 message:

Last night, it looks like someone stole a bike, climbed up on top of my neighbor's garage, and threw it into our backyard. That’s the only rational way I can see the bike ending up where it did, and how it did. Guessing they were planning on coming back to get it, but I put the bike in the house.

I’m happy to return the bike to it’s owner if the owner is able to describe the bike. Some of the basics – it’s a ladies bike and the brand is Magna. It’s a relatively new, so I’m guessing someone is missing it.

E-mail me at dturano @ gofirsthome.com.

last night's Bloomingdale Civic Association election results

2011-11-22T10:54:00.003-05:00

See this message from Bloomingdale Civic Association President Teri Janine Quinn:

Congratulations to the Bloomingdale Civic Association`s newly elected executive board members and delegates! Many thanks to our outgoing executive board members and delegates: Elle Cayabyab Gitlin, Em Hall, Diton Pashaj, Hugh Youngblood, James Fournier and Tolu Williams. We look forward to having another successful year!

BCA 2011-2012 Executive Board

President Teri Janine Quinn
First Vice President Bertha Holiday
Second Vice President John Salatti
Corresponding Secretary Jeremy Fegley
Assistant Corresponding Secretary Myra Dandridge
Recording Secretary Regina Anderson
Assistant Recording Secretary Scott Roberts
Treasurer Michel Fine
Financial Secretary Regina Anderson
Robert Brannum (Past President)

BCA Delegates to the DC Federation of Civic Associations

Chris Rodousakis
Robert Brannum

The next BCA meeting will be Monday, December 19th.

Best,

Teri Janine Quinn

neighborhood cat seeking new home

2011-11-21T15:03:00.002-05:00

We recently adopted a wonderful 1 year old cat whom we found through Bloomingdale newsletter. His brother, however, is also looking for a home. Here's a note from the current owner, attached is also the pic of Charlie:

"Looking for a wonderful home for Charlie, this sweet, adorable cat. Our son brought Charlie home from college but, unfortunately, our long-time female cat has not been happy at all with Charlie in the house. Charlie loves attention, is surprisingly obedient (for a cat) and has all shots. If interested, contact me at Mlevitt@nelliscorp.com ."

elections tonight at the Bloomingdale Civic Association meeting

2011-11-21T09:20:00.003-05:00

See this message from Bloomingdale Civic Association board member Teri Janine Quinn:

Bloomingdale Civic Association Meeting Agenda

Monday, November 21st @ 7pm,
St. George`s Episcopal Church
160 U St, NW (corner of 2nd and U NW)

Welcome
Opening remarks

Committee Reports
§ Membership Committee
§ Nominating Committee

Discussions
§ BCA dues structure
§ Executive Board voting protocols

Officer Elections
§ Elections of 2012 BCA officers

Community Updates
§ Executive Office of Mayor Vincent Gray
§ Office of Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr.
§ Bloomingdale ANC 5C Commissioners

News and Notices
§ Nov. 28 – Ward 5 Democrats meeting
§ Nov. 29 – DC Council ANC/SMD Redistricting hearing
§ Dec. 3-4 – St. George’s Christmas Bazaar & Café
§ Dec. 18 – Bloomingdale Holiday Art Fair

Next BCA Meeting
Monday, December 21, 2011

From Bloomingdale Civic Associaton President Teri Janine Quinn and from Nominations Committee Volunteer Regina Anderson:

Below is the Nominating Committee`s proposed BCA ballot.

Bloomingdale Civic Association 2011 Nomination Ballot

Please vote for one person per position

President First Vice President

 Teri Janine Quinn  Bertha Holiday
 Write-in _________________  Write-in _________________

Second Vice President Corresponding Secretary
 John Salatti  Jeremy Fegley
 Write-in _________________  Write-in _________________

Assistant Corresponding Secretary Recording Secretary
 Scott Roberts  Regina Anderson
 Write-in _________________  Write-in _________________

Assistant Recording Secretary Treasurer
 Myra Dandridge  Michael Fine
 Write-in _________________  Write-in _________________

Financial Secretary
 Regina Anderson
 Write-in ________

Vote for up to three delegates

Delegates to the DC Federation of Civic Associations
Write-in ________
Write-in ________
Write-in ________

Please vote for up to two people
MAG Representatives
 Tolu Williams
 Hugh Youngblood
 Write-in ________
 Write-in ________

Note that nominations remain open to those who may want to run as write-in candidates.

Studio 85 at 53 Florida Ave NW: Pink and Black Friday Sale !

2011-11-21T07:12:00.002-05:00

Studio 85
53 Florida Avenue NW
Washington DC 20001

Pink and Black Friday Sale
Friday, November 25, 2011

Doors open at 9 am for all day savings!

Nail polish
Accessories
Handbags
Apparel

20% off store wide!
Custom artwork & exclusive designer pieces not included.

Customers enjoy a fresh glass of Orange Juice daily with us!

Boundary Stone closed on Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-21T07:07:00.001-05:00

See this brief message from Boundary Stone`s Gareth Croke:

I just wanted to pass along that Boundary Stone will be closed to the public on Thanksgiving Day.

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for 11/20/11

2011-11-20T09:40:00.002-05:00

The weather looks great for a day of Open House hopping. You can see the same info in a map format with directions. To see details of each property, scroll over the push pins on the map.

Dog found near Howard University

2011-11-19T17:55:00.003-05:00

From a resident of Bloomingdale:

Did anyone lose their dog? I found him this morning near Howard U. at 6th and Bryant. He's with me now. Please circulate if you think it may be yours or a friends dog. My cat is not thrilled to have a new housemate.

If you think you might know whose dog this is, please call Meghan at 202 550 6950.

(read me) Bloomingdale's Scenic Artisan's participation in the Howard Theatre restoration

2011-11-19T05:34:00.001-05:00

See this message from Bloomingdale's Scenic Artisan:

I wanted to pass along a cool and nearby project that i'm working on and deeply excited about:
http://scenicartisan.blogspot.com/2011/11/howard-theatre-restoration-project.html

Boundary Stone reviewed in the Washington Post

2011-11-17T15:37:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Dina Lewis for this post to the LeDroit Park, crossposted here.

From: Dina Lewis
To: LeDroitPark@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2011 3:30 PM
Subject: [LeDroitPark] Boundary Stone featured in the Post

Look for this review in the Weekend section tomorrow. Just posted online today.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/bars-clubs/boundary-stone,1215797/critic-review.html?wpisrc=nl_gogthu

Regards,

Dina

Theft of computers @ #LangleyEducationalCampus

2011-11-17T09:26:00.002-05:00

update********************************************************************************************************

NBC wrote a story on this theft

***************************************************************************
I wanted to pass along something that you all may care about and I hope that some may be in a position to help.

The Langley Education Campus had many of their computers stolen recently and the PK- 8th grade students are in need of computers. They even had to cancel their Science Lab Open House this week. it's very sad and frustrating.
I don't have the full story. i don't know any details. Give them a call if you can help out.
If you can provide more information, please leave it in the comments.

thank you.

Langley Education Campus
101 T Street NE
202.576.6034

I * think * that ANC 5C voted last night to support the plan to have the McMillan site in a separate ANC from the remainder of Bloomingdale

2011-11-16T13:04:00.009-05:00

I attended last night`s ANC 5C meeting held here in Bloomingdale.

At the tail end of the meeting, Commissioner Pinkey submitted a resolution titled ``Resolution on Redistricting and Designation of Six (6) Advisory Neighborhood Commissions WIthin Ward 5.`` I do not know if the full text of this resolution is posted anywhere.

It would appear that the resolution voted on and passed last night supports the plan to have Bloomingdale's McMillan Sand Filtration site in a separate commission -- a separate ANC -- than the remainder of Bloomingdale.

Perhaps one of the commissioners could weigh in and clarify.

Ward 5 redistricting: final redistricting PowerPoint presentation + language corrections document

2011-11-16T06:41:00.007-05:00

See this message from the office of Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.

From: "Streeter, Racheal (Council)"
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 4:29 PM
Subject: Redistricting Final Meeting PowerPoint and Language Corrections from OP

Good Afternoon Ward 5,

Attached is the PowerPoint presentation from the final redistricting meeting held 11/14/11 along with the language corrections from The Office of Planning. If you have any questions, feel free to contact The Ward 5 Council Office.

Thank you,

Racheal L. Streeter, Administrative Assistant
Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 107
Washington DC
20004
202-724-8028 (office)
202-724-8076 (fax)
Rstreeter@dccouncil.us

Unfortunately, blogspot cannot accommodate either Powerpoint .ppt files or Word document .doc files, so neither of Ms. Streeter's supplied files are provided here. I am hoping that someone can post these two files somewhere at some public location with links, so that they may be referenced.

Engine Company 12's liquor license pursuit

2011-11-16T05:32:00.004-05:00

One of the items on last night`s ANC 5C meeting agenda was "Reconsideration/Finalization of Action Re: Engine Company 12 ABRA Application/Mediation."

Applicant Abbas Fathi did not appear at last night's meeting. ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood commented that Mr. Fathi had a family emergency and could not attend.

Note that ANC 5C is on record for supporting Engine Company 12. There was discussion last night amongst the commissioners to withdraw that support, but no motion was made to withdraw support.

ANC 5C votes to support HU's campus plan

2011-11-16T05:25:00.002-05:00

At last night's ANC 5C meeting, the Commission voted to support the Howard University Campus Plan.

Not too much controversy there.

You can see the HU master campus plan here: http://community.howard.edu/

Prince of Petworth post on Ward 5 redistricting

2011-11-15T22:14:00.003-05:00

From a resident:

At the Prince of Petworth blog, there was a post by John Salatti summarizing his concerns about the proposed Ward 5 redistricting and what people in the neighbourhood can do to voice their concerns about it.

Here is the link and title:

Don’t Let Bloomingdale Be Split by Redistricting (date November 14)
http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2011/11/dear-popville-dont-let-bloomingdale-be-split-by-redistricting

car break-in on the unit block of W Street NW

2011-11-15T13:42:00.002-05:00

Can you please share with neighbors that we need to be vigilant about car break-ins, especially anyone who has a detachable face or after-market car stereo?

Between Sunday evening and 7:00 AM today, thieves broke the rear passenger, small ``triangle`` window of my very old Honda CRV (1997), unlocked the doors and rummaged through my glove compartment. It doesn`t appear they took anything when they didn`t find the car radio in the glove box. They left a variety of clothes, including a new roller board suitcase with the tags on it that was in the car. (Yes, I know, I shouldn`t leave valuables in the car, but clearly they weren`t interested in anything but the radio.) This is the second time this has happened to me in the unit block of W street where my car was parked almost directly in front of my house. In July or August, someone broke in and took the entire radio component as I forgot to detach the radio face on that occasion. I will call the police and file a report when I get home from work this evening.

I`m not really sure what I can do at this point other than leave a sign that says ``RADIO NOT IN CAR`` to keep thieves from trying again.

Now read this feedback from ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti:

I am very sorry to hear about the break in. That is a shame and something we continue to work against. Of course, unless we have cameras or webcams on the streets, getting these thieves is tough. But not impossible. We`ve gotten them before.

I was just speaking this morning to 5D Commander Andy Solberg about how good things are in Bloomingdale this days concerning crime. Home burglaries are down 60% from earlier in the year! But I did note that the burning irritant of the moment is exactly what happened to you, car break-ins. So we have to stay vigilant and report the incidents. As police see the pattern emerge, they can track it and move against the perpetrators. They`ve succeeded before.

And remind me to find one of those ``No Radio`` signs soon.

John
John T. Salatti
Commissioner, ANC 5C04
Vice President, Bloomingdale Civic Association
(202) 986 - 2592
``Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale``

seeking referrals on repairing tin cornice work

2011-11-15T09:38:00.000-05:00

The tin (i think its tin) cornice work on the front of our house is rusting and needs to be repaired and painted.

Might someone have a recommended contractor who does this kind of work?

matching heart of pine wood flooring

2011-11-14T21:48:00.002-05:00

From a resident on V Street NW:

Hello I am trying to replace the flooring in my kitchen and am trying to match it to the rest of my house. Have any of you bought new boards to replace the existing hardwood floors in your houses? My contractor said they are 2.5`` ``heart of pine`` which is apparently pretty hard to come by and must be custom made...at significant expense. Since I only have to redo my kitchen, I suppose I could buy salvaged wood that matches?

Has anyone tried that or maybe have a good (and resourceful) flooring company?

Feel free to email me at jj8993 @ gmail. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it

tonight at Boundary Stone: Crispus Attucks Park fundraiser happy hour

2011-11-14T12:31:00.001-05:00

Crispus Attucks Park Fundraiser Happy Hour at Boundary Stone

Please join your neighbors and friends for a fundraising happy hour at local hotspot Boundary Stone (116 RI Ave NW) on Monday, Nov 14th. To support Crispus Attucks Park, your $15 donation will get you exclusive happy hour specials $4 Miller Lite and Yuengling and $5 Tito`s vodka mixed drinks from 5 to 10 p.m. It costs approximately $10,000 per year to maintain our little piece of green heaven in Bloomingdale and your support is needed.

Go to www.crispusattuckspark.org to donate in advance (we`ll check you in at the event) via Paypal or credit card, or just pay at the door.

Thanks and see you there!

G8 Metrobus problems

2011-11-14T12:09:00.002-05:00

From: Dana King

Dear Neighbors,

Like many of you, as a daily rider of the G8 bus, I have gone through all the problems (repeatedly) that plague that route. In an effort to change the route for the better, I contacted ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti. He has already put my concerns before WMATA, which is currently investigating. But rather than simply wait for WMATA's response, John and I are taking a more active approach. We're reaching out to you.

The G8 takes me to and from work every day. On the weekends, the G8 takes me to and from social activities. Unfortunately, for those of us that rely on the G8, poor service is a source of real frustration. During rush hour, buses do not show up at the scheduled time, often run back-to-back with large time gaps in service, and/or do not stop upon arrival because they are too full. During off-peak and weekend hours, when the buses are supposed to pass twice an hour, I have found myself waiting at the bus stop 40 or 50 minutes with no service.

That's been my experience. What has been yours? To get WMATA to take action and do so quickly, John and I want to give the agency a full picture of what people in Bloomingdale and surrounding neighborhoods go through on the G8. So we would greatly appreciate input from you on your experiences--bad or good--riding the G8.

Please e-mail me your thoughts on, experiences with, and suggestions about the G8. My address is oaklandout @ yahoo.fr. Then John and I will collect, summarize, and use your responses in our contacts with WMATA. We are also considering putting together a short survey of G8 riders; if anyone would like to help with that effort, please let me know.

Thanks,

Dana King and John Salatti

final Ward 5 redistricting meeting - Monday, 11-14-2011 -- get the scoop -- what's the new Ward 5 commission map going to look like?

2011-11-13T20:37:00.004-05:00

From the office of Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.:

Good Morning Ward 5 Residents,

Our final Redistricting meeting has arrived!

Date: Monday, November 14, 2011
Location: 5th District Police Station
1805 Bladensburg Rd NE
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

If you have any questions, feel free to contact The Ward 5 Council Office at 202-724-8028

Thank you,

Racheal L. Streeter
Administrative Assistant
Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 107
Washington DC 20004
202-724-8028 (office)
202-724-8076 (fax)
Rstreeter@dccouncil.us

_____________________________________________________________
I wanted to amend this post by adding in a photo and link to a map of the proposed
redistricting.
-sean.

here is a link to this google map created by Geoffrey

Tour the Mcmillan Sand Filtration Site Today

2011-11-13T11:12:00.000-05:00

Site tour of McMillan today at 1:00 pm. Come to the 1st Street NW entrance to the site across the street from the McMillan Reservoir Filtration Plant. (about the 2500 block of 1st)

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for 11/13/2011

2011-11-12T17:43:00.002-05:00

Looking for some open houses for Sunday? You can find them here. The same information can be seen in a map format. To see details on each property, scroll over the push pins on the map.

Train Tracks in Eckington at R Street NE, 1986

2011-11-12T09:57:00.001-05:00

The Playground, a photo by Kinorama on Flickr.

an alternate idea for Bloomingdale's McMillan Sand Filtration site

2011-11-11T10:25:00.003-05:00

See this brief message from Bloomingdale resident Todd Crosby:

"I saw this interesting article on CNN and thought it would be a great idea for the McMillan Sand Filtration site:

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/11/tech/underground-park-new-york/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 .

Click on the link to see all of the images.