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
Saturday, December 31, 2011
some info on Billy Mitchell's alleged murderer, Anthony Speight
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/p1photo is attached.
dog found at the Anna J. Cooper Circle yesterday
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.
Friday, December 30, 2011
HomicideWatch.org: "robbery attempt at center of Bill Mitchell's Truxton Circle shooting death"
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.
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.
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.
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.]
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.]
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
arrest made in the 1/19/2011 fatal shooting of William Mitchell; man arrested has been charged with first-degree murder
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.,
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
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
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
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
vehicle stolen on the 2100 block of 1st St NW -- update: MPD just reported that the car has been found crashed and abandoned
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.
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
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
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
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Happy Holidays from the Bloomingdale Civic Association
Neighbors,
The Bloomingdale Civic Association wishes you happy holidays and a very happy and healthy 2012.
Best,
Teri Janine Quinn
President, Bloomingdale Civic Association
The Bloomingdale Civic Association wishes you happy holidays and a very happy and healthy 2012.
Best,
Teri Janine Quinn
President, Bloomingdale Civic Association
Friday, December 23, 2011
Highest Home Sale in LeDroit Park or Bloomingdale since 2007
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
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.
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.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
PoP: "Aroi Thai/Japanese Cuisine Coming to Bloomingdale"
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.
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
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
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
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Boundary Stone holiday party -- Thursday, 12-22-2011
See this message from Colin McDonough of Boundary Stone:
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
pics from the 12/17/2011 World Missions Extension Center Annual Toy Give-Away Rally
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
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 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.
Monday, December 19, 2011
ANC 5C meeting/holiday celebration -- Tuesday, 12/20/2011
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
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 ?
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
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.
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.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Green Paws: 10% off all natural & organic pet food, treats, toys, accessories & health products
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.
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.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Bloomingdale Civic Association meeting this Monday, 12/19/2011
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!
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
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
See this nicely formatted message from Dr. JoAnn Perkins of Bloomingdale's World Missions for Christ Extension Center:
Thursday, December 15, 2011
CM Thomas releases draft Ward 5 ANC SMD map; John Salatti: "Bloomingdale remains united"
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
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
Monday, December 12, 2011
Rhode Island Row
Some of you may be interested in the developments at the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station.
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
Calling All Gift Wrappers -- Thursday, 12/15/2011
Volunteers are needed to wrap about 2,000 new toys for kids in our community.
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 .
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for Sunday 12/11
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.
Friday, December 09, 2011
New Urbanturf.com Profile of Bloomingdale
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.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
World Missions Extension Center annual toy give-away rally - Saturday, 12-17-2011
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
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 clubPresents/gifts will be given out on a First come, First to Receive Basis
We ask that parents:
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
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.``
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
ANC, SMD 5C03
240.925.1079
anc5c03 @ gmail . com
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Scout Mob Deal for Jam Doung
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
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
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.``
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]
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Bloomingdale resident Ski Markowski's $50,000 kitchen renovation on HGTV's "Bang For Your Buck" Program
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
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
-
Monday, December 05, 2011
Bloomingdale Holiday Art Market 2011!
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
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.``
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.``
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for Sunday 12/4
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!
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Young Female Pit Bull Found
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).
Friday, December 02, 2011
WBJ: "DC hands over initial McMillan work to joint venture"
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
Thursday, December 01, 2011
Commissioner Fournier: "ANC Redistricting in Ward 5 - Do NOT split Bloomingdale"
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
----------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 ?
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:
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: