Robert Brannum hired on a contract with the DC Office of Veterans Affairs

Washington Post's Mike DeBonis mentions Bloomingdale resident Robert Brannum in his Thursday, 07/28/2011 column:

Posted at 10:12 AM ET, 07/28/2011
DeMorning DeBonis: July 28, 2011
By Mike DeBonis
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/mike-debonis/post/demorning-debonis-july-28-2011/2011/07/28/gIQAmGOteI_blog.html

WELCOME TO THE ADMINISTRATION — Robert Vinson Brannum, news-conference-attending, military-medal-wearing, Post-editorial-hating Ward 5 activist, has been hired on a $37,000 contract with the Office of Veterans Affairs, Suderman reports (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2011/07/27/megaphone-wielding-vince-gray-admirer-to-help-d-c-remember-911-for-37000/): ``[Gray community affairs chief Steve Glaude] says Brannum wasn`t rewarded with a city job because of his `media activities` nor solely because of Brannum`s support of the mayor`s campaign. Brannum was hired, Glaude says, because he`s been an avid advocate for veteran`s affairs ... and has the skills necessary to help the Office of Veteran`s Affairs prepare for the Sept. 11th commemoration.`` Glaude adds that ``if you know anything about Robert, he can be quite animated in his request for employment.``

(The image above is the logo of the DC Office of Veterans Affairs.)

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale for 07/31/2011

July can be a sluggish month for real estate in DC, with people in and out of town, but for some reason, the heat and July vacations don't seem to be hampering activity. For those currently on the hunt for a home, see your B'dale open house options here. The same info can be seen in a map format. To see specific details about each listing, scroll over the push pins on the map.

procedural protest of the Engine Company 12 ABRA application

See this 07/29/2011 message from ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood:

Procedural Protest of the Engine Company 12 ABRA Application

Dear Members of the Community,

The Engine Company 12 team has indicated their preference to negotiate a Voluntary Agreement with the surrounding community regarding their ABRA application under the leadership of the ABRA mediator. As such, I`ll be working with Commissioners Pinkney and Thomas and any interested members of the community to develop and submit a protest petition to ABRA in order to formally initiate the structured mediation process.

If you`d like to join the working group on the subject, please contact either me, your SMD Commissioner (if you live outside the borders of SMD 5C03), or your local Civic Association leaders.

If you`d like to show your support for the Engine Company 12 ABRA application as filed, please let me know and contact Mr. Steven May to determine how the team could best use your help.

For more information, please visit the Engine Company 12 website (http://enginecompany12.com/).

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

Yoga District Information.

Jasmine posted this in the comments, but I didn't want it to get lost there.

hi guys! jasmine from yoga district here. we'll move back to yoga district 1st st once the minimarket fixes the bug problem. but if there's enough community support for it, we can keep both the old and new yoga district bloomingdale locations, making one hot yoga and the other normal. what do you guys think?

btw the new bloomingdale location might have sweet rooftop yoga possibilities (when it's not 100+ degrees out).

love and peace

leather sleeper sofa and matching recliner for sale

See this message. Note that only the image of the sleeper sofa is presented here.

Would it be possible to place a blog post about my furniture that I'm trying to sell? I've added the description and pics below...
Thanks!

Leather sleeper sofa and matching recliner for sale!

Both of these pieces are two years old and are from Jennifer Convertibles. They are in excellent condition and very comfortable. $850.

Please contact Lindsey for more info! Enotsnil@gmail.com

Want to Help Build a New Playground?

A neighbor email this to me and asked me to post it:

Sign Up to Help Build a New Playground at 45 P Street NW

I am a local parent who is excited about the new playground that will be built at the Associates for Renewal in Education (ARE) facility at 45 P Street NW. The playground will be open to the public when school is not in session so it will be a great benefit for kids in the neighborhood. I talked with the project manager from Kaboom which is sponsoring the playground to get some more details.

Volunteers are needed to help build the playground on Thursday, Sept. 15 from 8:30 am-2:30 pm. You can sign up to volunteer and to receive updates from Kaboom at http://projects.kaboom.org/projects/5201-washington-capitals No building experience is required, and gloves, dust masks and sunscreen will be provided for volunteers. There will be supervision for youth with some activities, but I don’t know the age range for the kids who will be supervised.

ARE has served the DC area for more than 30 years, and the organization provides child care and pre-kindergarten classes at 45 P Street NW. You can read more about ARE HERE I hope our community gets behind this project and rolls up our sleeves to help! Another playground would be a great addition to the neighborhood.

Best,

Brendan L. Smith

the Saturday, 8-6-2011 NCMS Art + Music Walk needs volunteers to help make it a great day

See this message from Truxton Circle resident and North Capitol Main Street Executive Director, Lonna Hooks:

** ART WALK **
Needs YOU!

Art Walk is quickly approaching and we need volunteers to help make it a great day for all!

J o i n U s

Wednesday
August 3, 2011
7:00pm

NCMS Office
1703 North Capitol St, NE
Washington, DC 20001

We have several details to finalize and a sign-up sheet will be available. There are still several slots open for you to lend a hand.

If you can help to make this year's Art Walk a great success we hope to see you at the meeting.

Please RSVP HERE or email Lonna Hooks at lhooks@ncmsinc.org if you plan on attending.

Contact Information
North Capitol Main Street
1703 North Capitol St, NE
Washington, DC 20001
202-670-1703
www.ncmsinc.org

DC MUD profiles 2429 1st St NW - on the market for $724,999

Hey! The DC MUD blog has profiled a Bloomingdale residential property for sale -- 2429 1st Street NW, located on the southeast corner of 1st & Channing St NW. Across the both the McMillan Reservoir and the McMillan Sand Filtration site.

http://dcmud.blogspot.com/2011/07/your-next-place_27.html

Yoga District relocates from 1st St NW to 3rd & Florida Ave NW

See this news:

http://www.yogadistrict.com/the-studios/yoga-district-bloomingdale /

Investigating Where We Live (including Bloomingdale!) Opening Reception - Friday, 07-29-2011

Dear Bloomingdale residents:

Thank you again for your time, contribution, and support of our teens involved in Investigating Where We Live.

Andrew and I hope you will join us and feel free to forward email and attached invite to others.
For those who are not digitally connected, would you please help us spread the news and/or suggest avenues to do so?

Investigating Where We Live
Opening Reception
Friday, July 29 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm
@ National Building Museum

Investigating Where We Live is a four-week summer program in which local middle and high school students use photography, interviews, and sketching to explore, document, and interpret
Washington D.C. neighborhoods.

The 2011 exhibition features student's stories about Bloomingdale, H Street, and Mount Pleasant through photography, writing, art, and other creative expression.

Come see students’ fresh perspectives on these vibrant and historic neighborhoods!

The Friday opening reception to the exhibit is FREE. After that, there will be an admission charge for exhibits of $8 adults, $5 youth.
If you're unable to join us Friday, the exhibition is on view to the public from July 30, 2011 through May 28, 2012.

Check out the IWWL blog here:
http://nbmoutreach.tumblr.com/archive

More info on IWWL here:
http://www.nbm.org/families-kids/teens-young-adults/iwwl-program.html

My best,
Bessie Lee
National Building Museum 401 F St. NW Washington, DC 20001 www.nbm.org Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

WCP Housing Complex picks up on Snorre Wik's wordless McMillan YouTube video

Recall Bloomingdale resident Snorre Wik's wordless video on the McMillan Sand Filtration site? http://www.youtube.com/vidiot9000#p/a/u/0/WeOwqFyh5-8 .

Looks like this YouTube video got noticed by Lydia DePillis of the Washington City Paper Housing Complex column.

Here you go:

Persistent Grumbling at McMillan Produces Pretty Video
Posted by Lydia DePillis on Jul. 25, 2011 at 8:19 am
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2011/07/25/persistent-grumbling-at-mcmillan-produces-pretty-video

In the last few days, a wordless little ditty on the historic elements of the McMillan Sand Filtration Plant site hit the internet. Made by Bloomingdale resident Snorre Wik, it`s part of an attempt by local leaders to press for as much historic preservation and park space on the McMillan site on North Capitol Street as possible.

Even after an extensive community engagement process last winter (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2010/12/16/the-great-reset-mcmillan-has-bedeviled-developers-for-decades-can-the-latest-try-be-the-last/ ), some local advisory neighborhood commissioners thought those elements—along with stormwater and traffic mitigation—were inadequate. They declined to quickly give the draft concept their initial stamp of approval, which would have given the private development team strength going through the zoning and historic reviews.

In June, the city announced (http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/print-edition/2011/06/10/dc-changes-course-at-mcmillan-will.html ) that it would be taking over those processes, which will include traffic and stormwater management studies. After a community meeting on the subject, commissioner Hugh Youngblood laid out his take on a local blog (http://bloomingdaleneighborhood.blogspot.com/2011/06/hugh-youngbloods-thoughts-from-thursday.html ).

``I received the clear message that the community is ready to deploy its skills and dedication into an effort equivalent to the Manhattan Project with the mission of taking the power back and developing a plan for the historic McMillan by by the people and for the people,`` Youngblood wrote.

Youngblood`s group is talking with an Australian landscape architect and planning a survey of residents to come up with a few points of agreement. ``Things that are the major drivers of external impacts need to be addressed first rather than last,`` he told me a few weeks ago. ``I do think we need to start over in terms of transportation and stormwater, and in terms of a park.``

This project has ``started over`` so many times that even the closest observers can lose track.

(McMillan silo image courtesy of Suzanne Des Marais.)

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale for 07/24/2011

Personally, I'd rather be at the pool today, but if you are willing to brave the heat, there are a bunch of open houses scheduled for today. The same information can be seen in a map format. To see information for individual listings, scroll over the push pins on the map.

short film on the landmarked McMillan Sand Filtration site

See this message from Bloomingdale resident Snorre Wik:

We made a short film starring The McMillan Reservoir:

http://www.youtube.com/vidiot9000#p/a/u/0/WeOwqFyh5-8 .

The film is titled "McMillan Park."

(McMillan silo image courtesy of Suzanne Des Marais.)

closure of Florida Avenue Park on 08/01/2011 as the 1st step towards renovations

From: Geovani A Bonilla[SMTP:GBONILLA @ HOSPICEMAN AGEMENT.COM]
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2011 5:37:53 PM
Subject: Florida Avenue and First Street Park to Close for Demolition on Monday, August 1st.

Dear Commissioners, Community Leaders and Friends of the Florida Avenue Park,

I received a call from Ms. Jackie Stanley from DPR to notify me of the scheduled closing of the Florida Avenue Park. The park will start the pre-construction, demolition phase on Monday, August 1st (as we had notified the committee, this could have taken place anytime after July 9th when the contract was approved).

Commissioner Thomas, DPR and I will be coordinating a community meeting the week of August 8th to discuss the project and for community input. As leaders of your community, this information is being shared with you to discriminate to your constituents. We will be putting out flyers and notices of the meeting once we set the exact date and time.

Regards,

Geovani A. Bonilla
Bates Area Civic Association, President
Washington, DC 20001
Email: gbonilla@hospicemanagement.com

DC's worst pop-up of all time, 26 P St NE, recently sold for $699,000

I spied this neighborhood property sale:

P Street NE, 26-First Savings Mortgage Corp. to Doustan II Corp., $699,000.

Recall that Mari of the InShaw blog reported this piece of crap:

http://www.inshaw.com/blog/2009/02/26-p-st-ne-tall-piece-of-crap-for-sale.html

and who could forget the Prince of Petworth's label of "The Worst Pop-Up of All Time?

http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2010/01/worst-pop-up-of-all-time/

(Image courtesy of Prince of Petworth.)

mystery "Bloomingdale" playground location identified: unit block of P St NW

A post over at the Bates Area Civic Assiciation (BACA) blog provides the answer to the question of the location of the mystery "Bloomingdale" playground as reported in the Washington Examiner (http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/2011/07/teaming-build-super-playground):

The location?

The unit block of P Street NW.

See the BACA blog post: http://batesareacivicassociation.org/2011/07/21/new-are-playground/

And see this video press release: http://washingtoncapitals.tumblr.com/post/7859290415/john-carlson-elliot-segal-from-dc101-and-kaboom .

So while this new playground isn't actually in Bloomingdale, it is nearby in Truxton Circle/Bates area. Another park in the community!

Ecumenical Council's Annual Fellowship Festival this Saturday, 07-23-2011

See this message & event announcement from ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti:

As part of several efforts to connect our neighborhood and our churches, this year's Ecumenical Council Festival will take place right in the heart of Bloomingdale in the parking lot behind Windows Cafe. The event is a big neighborhood block party. So come out and have some fun!

I look forward to seeing you there,
John

John T. Salatti
Commissioner, ANC 5C04
Vice President, Bloomingdale Civic Association
John.Salatti@gmail.com
"Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale"


The North Capitol Street and Rhode Island Avenue Ecumenical Council
in Partnership with
The Bloomingdale Community

is hosting its Annual Fellowship Festival

Saturday, July 23, 2011
11:00 am to 4:00 pm

on the Parking lot of Mt. Bethel Baptist Church
located at 1st Street and Thomas St. NW

There will be food, fun, friendship and festivities

All are welcome and there is no charge.
Rain or Shine

There will be activities for all ages and prizes galore

Examiner: unnamed Bloomingdale playground to be built; who can identify this mystery park ?

See this brief article from the Tuesday, July 19, 2011 Washington Examiner newspaper on page 4. Note that this article does not appear at the Washington Examiner website.

And note that the name of the location in Bloomingdale is not explicitly mentioned.

Heart of the City

Teaming up to build a super playground

Children from the Bloomingdale neighborhood in Northwest Washington will get the playground of their dreams, thanks to the Washington Capitals, Capitals defenseman Mike Green, DC 101 DJ Elliot Segal and KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit dedicated to saving play.

Children will draw their dream playgrounds and designers will incorporate elements from their pictures into a final design of the playground, to be built September 15, 2011. It will provide a safe place for more than 600 children to play.

-- Betsy Woodruff

missing supercans

See this message:

I live on the 100 block of T Street NW(west of RI). My supercan is missing, and it looks like others in the alley are as well. Can you ask your loyal readers if anyone else's cans have gone missing and if anyone has any theories?

mark your calendars for the Saturday, 8-6-2011 NCMS Art + Music Walk

See this message Lonna Hooks, Executive Director, North Capitol Main Street:

Want to view the nicely formatted version of this message? Then click here: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=tp9zhzcab&v=001TTzY1hjm9Fjyoymnkq1-IOa5lozIREEUrf7-S7MUbr7t-VKpEMHfLIUFYN10ZlTb2Wzo8VA3BWRPrpLV-NR1E4eBACG1GYR7ndFphmi6IiuCOZNDKftk_heqby0iE7Y29I4ZorLzxiLJ7j_dG9QEPw%3D%3D

NCMS 2011 Art + Music Walk

for the hipster, the chic, the buppie, the yuppie, the old and the young, the kids and the puppy :)

Mark your calendar . . .

Yard Art Installations - by the Pinkline Project
Music
Artist Vendors
Performers (local artists)
Merchant promotions
Stuff for the kiddies
Food

Saturday, August 6, 2011

First Street NW -- between P and V Streets NW

12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.

and then there's the grand finale at Rustic Tavern starting at 4:00

Stay tuned for more details. . .

reminder: no Bloomingdale Civic Association meeting tonight

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

Reminder: The Bloomingdale Civic Association (BCA) does not have regularly scheduled meetings in July and August. As such, there is no BCA meeting scheduled for Monday, July 18th.

Best,

Teri Janine Quinn
President, Bloomingdale Civic Association

carpenter referral

See this carpenter referral:

I wanted to share my great experience with carpenter, Greg Hannan. He just did some wonderful work for me. Like most Bloomingdale homes, the carpentry work that I required was unusual-- non-standard floor moulding and moulding that has been unfinished in my kitchen since the re-do because I just wasn't sure what to do with it. Greg whizzed into my house and knew exactly what to do, and did it quickly for a very reasonable price. One of my outside doors was coming off the hinges--very tricking job, but he made it look easy (and used materials in my house, so I only had to pay labor costs for that tricky job). Greg is an artist which makes him perfect for non-standard type jobs (though I'm sure he can do the standard ones beautifully).

Greg can be reached at 202 - 638 then 4431 and greghannan1@yahoo.com .

Locally Grown: The Farm at Walker Jones.

This is a truly fantastic program!
The Farm at Walker Jones
New Jersey and K St NW

From their website:

The Farm at Walker Jones is a emerging urban farm that serves the great kids, families and neighbors of Walker Jones Education Campus, a DC Public School. Ground was broken in July of 2010, and during that first abbreviated growing season, we raised over 3,000 pounds of food that found its way to many in our community including students, families, the residents of two neighboring retirement communities, DC Central Kitchen, and all the great volunteers that came out to help make the school’s vision a reality.

Now in its second growing season, the farm is continuing to evolve into the urban oasis of which the planners dreamed. In addition to our food production efforts, we have installed a large scale butterfly garden outside our gate in conjunction with the Monarch Sister Schools Program, set up house for two very active beehives maintained by Jeff Miller of DC Honeybees, and have continued to refine our planting areas as may be seen in the redesigned perennial herb bed. We have welcomed Jeremy Brosowsky and Compost Cab to the farm to lead our composting efforts so that we might continue to improve the quality of our soil. We installed a watering station and an irrigation system, and await the installation of our cistern system and covered classroom area this summer as a part of our participation in the RiverSmart School program, administered by the Department of the Environment here in DC. Casey Trees also lent us support by installing persimmon trees that flank the fig trees we planted last year.

The Farm at Walker Jones serves the greater community in which it resides, but it is, first and foremost, an extension of the educational hopes and dreams for the students of Walker Jones Education Campus. It is an outdoor classroom where experiential learning integrated into the school curriculum happens side by side with the social and emotional education required to train the leaders of tomorrow. At Walker Jones, we educate the whole child, and that includes reminding that child that the foods we eat are as important as the books we read.

The Farm Stand
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4pm-6pm and Sundays from 2pm-4pm our farm stand will be open, beginning July 3rd. We will be selling freshly harvested produce and cut flowers at extremely low prices. All profits support the school farm.

There is also a work exchange program


Work Exchange:
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1pm-6pm and Sundays from12-4pm the farm is open to the public for community volunteer days. Anyone is welcome to lend a hand with various farm tasks and in exchange, you will be given a selection of the day’s produce. Bring your own bag!

More Information:

flickr set here

Twitter

Blog

Yelp

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale for 07/17/2011

Looks like you may have missed out on Flatiron condos, but here is what is available and open this Sunday. If you prefer, here is the same info in a map format. To see details about each property, scroll over the push pins on the map.

Washington Post profile of LeDroit Park

See this message from Amy Reinink, author of this Washington Post real estate section article on LeDroit Park, to some LeDroit Park residents:

Just a quick note to let you know the story about LeDroit Park is live on The Post's website -- Legacy and location in LeDroit Park - (http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/2011/07/08/gIQAgHJWGI_story.html ) -- and that it will appear in this weekend's Real Estate section. Thanks so much again for sharing your knowledge and insight about your lovely neighborhood for the story!

Urban Turf reports that all Flatiron units under contract

See this item from Urban Turf:

All Units at The Flatiron Now Under Contract
July 14, 2011
by UrbanTurf Staff
http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/all_units_at_the_flatiron_now_under_contract/3801

The eight units at The Flatiron (http://dcflatiron.com/ ), a boutique condo project that recently delivered in Bloomingdale, are now under contract.

The units were priced in the $200,000s and low $300,000s, and sales, which were handled by Urban Pace, went remarkably fast given that the project officially hit the market just about ten days ago. Earlier this week, Housing Complex reported that half of the units had found buyers
(http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2011/07/11/news-bits-14th-street-h-street-bloomingdale/ ).

Bloomingdale is a neighborhood where single-family home renovations have become quite popular in the past couple years as home buyers have leveraged an attractive housing stock that just needed some TLC. However, the area is not known for having many multi-unit condo projects, largely because the building stock and zoning in the neighborhood does not allow for the property type.

The apartment building at 143 Rhode Island Avenue NW (map) that is now The Flatiron had sat vacant for six years prior to developer CAS Riegler turning it into an 8-unit project over the past several months. Working with the Capitol Hill-based PGN Architects, CAS Riegler kept most of the structure of the apartment building intact while giving the interior a ``Level 2 renovation``, DCRA-speak for a renovation where no major changes are made to the existing structure or building layout.

``The Flatiron sold so quickly because it offered homes at affordable prices in one of DC`s upcoming neighborhoods,`` Urban Pace`s Jeremy Aldridge told UrbanTurf.

lost cat found; suggestion to cat owners to put collars on their cats

See this message from a Truxton Circle resident:

I just found a cat who is very sweet and clearly not feral. I don't want to bring him to the shelter, but I'm highly allergic, so I can't keep the little guy for long.

Here is an update from this same neighbor:

This might, however, be a good time to put in a plug for people to put a collar on their cats, even if they are indoor/outdoor cats. It would have saved the cat's owner a lot of anxiety, who was worried something had happened to it.

Rustik Tavern seeking witty, droll, clever quotations pertaining to Bloomingdale, Rustik or bars in general for Rustik apparel

See this 7/11/2011 message from Rustik Tavern`s Diton Pashaj:

We`re in the process of finally getting some apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc) to offer for sale to our customers. We don`t necessarily want to have the generic, regular shirts.... we want to make them a bit witty and personalized.

If anybody would like to submit witty, droll, clever quotations pertaining to Bloomingdale, Rustik, DC or bars in general, we would love to get some input. For any quotation that we use on a t-shirt, we`ll offer a $30 gift certificate to whomever submitted it.

It`s a neighborhood tavern, after all, and we wouldn`t be where we are without our regulars, and their input is very valuable to us.

We`d like to get the quotations by Friday if possible.

seeking referrals for auto mechanics in the area

See this message from an Eckington resident:

I was wondering if you or anyone in the community had any recommendations for an auto mechanic in the area.

agenda for next ANC 5C meeting

Supplied by ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti:

ANC 5C
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 Harry Thomas Recreation Center
7:00pm -9:00pm (1743 Lincoln Road NE)

NOTICE/AGENDA
Monthly Public Meeting

At the appropriate time, all attendees will be given the opportunity to participate in the meeting, offer suggestions and make recommendations for consideration. Unless otherwise noted, floor time is limited to 60 seconds. During deliberations, Commissioners are limited to 5-minute presentations and 90 seconds for comment. Please limit your comments accordingly. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Parliamentarian………….Ronald Herbison, Professional Registered Parliamentarians

Part I: Opening 7:00 pm
Call to Order…………………..………………………….…..Commissioner Edwards, Chairman
Roll Call/Quorum.…………………………………………………….
Adoption of Agenda
Review/Approval of Minutes.………………………………………..

July 5, 2011 Special Meeting Report/Approval of Minutes
Election of Recording Secretary (nominations to be accepted)

Part II: Business Administration

Financial Report.………..……………………..……….Commissioner Salatti, Financial Secretary
Review/Approval 3 Qtr Financial Report…...…………Commissioner Ransom, Treasurer
Report & Pay Bills……………………….……..………
2011 Meeting Schedule

Part III: Community Concerns, Updates and Resolutions 7:25 pm
1. Community Concerns……………………………….……..………………….
2. Update Re: Redistricting…………………….……………………….……….…….
--MPD
--Ward/ANC
3. Statehood Subcommittee Update………………………..………………Commissioner Thomas
4. Speed Hump Resolution………………………………………..…………Commissioner Pinkney
5. Updates Re: Strategies for Resolving Outstanding DDOT Issues…………..…..……………….
--Speed Hump Resolution 100 V Street NE
--Park Place/Trinity Traffic Controls
6. 1744 North Capitol Street
7. Committee Reports/Updates…………………….
--Grants Committee Update
o Statement of Use Reports Due
--Dunbar PTSA
--Metropolitan Basketball League
--Cougars Competitive Cheer Program Association
--World Mission Christ Extension Center
--Do The Write Thing
o Status of Bloomingdale Civic Association Documentation

8. Meeting/Adjournment…………....…………….…………………..................9:00 PM

seven Ethiopian immigrants at 81 Florida Avenue NW evicted this morning, 07/11/2011 - emergency housing needed

See this message from ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood:

Neighborhood Family in Need of Emergency Housing

This morning the family living at 81 Florida Avenue NW fell victim to a reckless and abusive landlord who was taking monthly rent payments in cash from them and failing to pay the mortgage with the proceeds. As a result, the Marshall evicted the family of seven Ethiopian immigrants this morning and moved their belongings onto the street.

I met with the patriarch of the family several times today to discuss solutions. He was very distraught about how something like this could happen in the land of opportunity. Luckily, the family has moved all their possessions into the homes of friends. What they need now is a one-bedroom apartment to rent asap--today/tonight. They have cash to continue to pay the rent.

If you have an extra room for rent and would love to earn a little short-term cash, please call me so that I can refer the message.

Thank you,

Hugh Youngblood
Commissioner, SMD 5C03
240 then 925 then 1079
anc5c03@gmail.com

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale for 07/10/2011

Properties in Bloomingdale continue to sell at a fast pace. The Flatiron Condos, at 143 Rhode Island Ave NW, which opened last week for a preview tour, are already 50% sold in the first week! I profiled a Bloomingdale sale on 2nd Street NW for princeofpetworth.com, which reflects a short time on market and strong sale price for the area.

If you're looking for open houses in the neighborhood this weekend, here is the list. The same info can be seen in a map format. To see details about each property on the map, scroll over the push pins.

seeking referrals for tree removal services

See this message from a U Street NW resident:

I am wondering if anyone knows of a good tree removal service or hauling company? I had a tree fall during the storm on Monday night and must get the tree out of my back yard!

Artists Off Rhode

Sean first wrote about this as a call to artists and now it's happening! There are several Bloomingdale artists in the show, including Don Burns, Gracy O., and myself.

Here's the official announcement from the gallery:

Talk about a hunch paying off. A call for art and...voila!
Artists off Rhode - an enticing glimpse into the well of artistic resourcefulness to be tapped along the Rhode Island corridor.


Opening reception - Friday, July 8, 2011, 5 - 7 pm

Off-Rhode Studio @ Art Enables

2204 Rhode Island Avenue, NE

Washington, DC 20018

Entrance at the back off 22nd street

Free and open to the public

Art Enables is proud to host 13 uncommon artists who will inaugurate our OFF-RHODE STUDIO with a show that combines solid artistic integrity with a refreshing absence of uniformity



Dino Almaguer Derran Eaddy Gracy Obuchowicz

Ninette Axelson-Dean Sheila Freeman Charles Reiher

Don Burns Jason Haber Lindsay Stone

Suzanne Des Marals Hope Hodges

Susan Downs Emily Locke



The show will be up through July 29, 2011. Visitors are welcome M-F, 9am to 4pm.

For more information: 202.554.9455 or www.art-enables.org

Pepco power shutdown tomorrow, Thursday, 07/07/2011 – all day – for Channing, Bryant and 1st St NW

Please see this 7/6/2011 message from ANC 5C07 Commissioner James Fournier:

As part of the ongoing efforts to curtail brownouts in Bloomingdale, PEPCO will be shutting power to Channing Street, N.W., the NORTH side of Bryant Street, N.W., and First Street, N.W. between Bryant and Channing Streets NW.

The reason for the shutdown is to replace ``very old`` cable that presents a fire hazard with modern, more reliable cable. PEPCO has been is this part of Bloomingdale all day yesterday and today, and my understanding is that PEPCO knocked on affected residents` doors today with the message. In the event folks did not get that message though, I thought I`d follow-up.

Best to all,

Commissioner James Fournier
(ANC 5C07)

master bedroom for rent on 1st St NW near Big Bear Cafe

See this message:

Master Bedroom For Rent in 1st Street NW House Starting August 1

I was wondering if you could add a post I made on my blog into the next newsletter and blog post. All of the content can be found here: http://jasontheexploder.tumblr.com/post/7305038415/the-master-bedroom-in-my-bloomingdale-dc-rowhouse-is

Crispus Attucks Park act of vandalism on Monday, 07/04/2011

See this message from CACD Board member Molly Scott:

Between the hours of 1:00 and 10:00 a.m. on July 4th, vandals cut down the fence in Crispus Attucks Park that is in place to protect the new grass seed on the great lawn.

Please understand a few facts about the fence:

• It is in place to let the new grass in that area of the park take hold and become strong enough for activities. It is not in place to inconvenience anyone.

• Opening that area of the park before the appropriate time increases the chances that we will have to reseed again next year.

• The grass seed, fencing and landscaping contractor cost roughly $1,200 and was paid for by donations from area residents and Crispus Attacks Park board members. Those funds – and indeed all park support comes donations from your neighbors. We do not have a large store of funds to maintain the park.

This project, approved by the board, is a short-term inconvenience for the long-term good of the park. The goal is to have healthy grass with strong roots in that area for everyone to use for years going forward, as opposed to having to close the great lawn every spring for reseeding.

Please be patient with our progress as we try to make the park a better place for all residents. The fence has been replaced, and will remain in place for the rest of the summer. A police report has also been filed. The rest of the park remains open for your enjoyment. We want people to utilize the park respectfully – and we need the park to be able to stand up to the wear and tear from that use.

If you have any questions, please contact board@crispusattuckspark.org. We respect the views of our neighbors and will answer your questions and hear your concerns.

Thank you,
The Crispus Attucks Park Board

friendly reminder that Rustik Tavern is closed today - Monday, Independence Day, 7-4-2011

A quick reminder from Diton:

rustikdc Rustik Tavern DC
Friendly reminder- we will be closed today(July 4th).

Please RT. @rustikdc #bloomingdaledc

Flatiron Sneak Peek on Tuesday

I don't think the link to RSVP works on this post, but you can rsvp to flatiron (at) urbanpace dot com. For more information, you can also visit dcflatiron dot com.

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale for 07/03/2011

For a holiday weekend, there are quite a few open houses scheduled. Here is the list. The same information can be seen in a map format. To see details for each of the properties, scroll over the push pins on the map.

bicycle stolen outside of Big Bear Cafe on Friday, 7/1/2011

See this message:

My name is Liz Abel. I work at Big Bear Cafe with Stu Davenport. He put me in touch with you because he said you could help get the word out to the neighborhood about my bike being stolen. Yesterday (Friday, July 1st) sometime between 1:00pm and 6:00pm my bike was stolen outside big bear cafe on first street. It was a beautiful 1980s vintage light blue fuji road bike with yellow brake lines, a black seat, drop handle bars, and multi color stripes at joints.

Attached is a picture of my bike model that I found online. It looks exactly like it except my brakes are all metal-- they don`t have plastic yellow part at the top. This bike means a lot of me. I know some other identifying details however I`m worried to share them with the neighborhood because someone might just remove these from the bike. I can let you know these details as well if you need. I was hoping to put the word out around the neighborhood in case anyone sees it. They can call me at 717 then 333 followed by 5058. I`m also offering a cash reward of $100.