The rear of the Chita Rivera house at 2134 Flagler Place NW is being built out.
Here are some updated pics:
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Bloomingdale resident's concern about southbound 1st Street NW traffic, etc.
See this 08-31-2013 message from a Bloomingdale resident to Ward 5 Councilmember McDuffie:
From:
2nd Street NW resident
To:
Ward 5 Councilmember McDuffie Cc: Scott Roberts
Sent: Saturday, August 31, 2013 12:25 PM
Subject: traffic
Good
Morning Councilman McDuffie:
I
understand that this topic is probably low on your list compared with all the
other "things" you have to worry about -
However,
I am wondering if anything is going to be done regarding the traffic coming
"down" 1st Street NW in the morning.
There is a major traffic jam between the new Dunbar Middle School &
New York Ave.
The
other morning the traffic was backed up into Florida Ave, and it took me over
20 minutes to navigate the few blocks from 1st & Florida to New York Ave
& get around the corner to the 3rd St. Tunnel. The traffic has always been bad, however,
with the new Dunbar being on 1st St. - it is even more difficult. The next day, with the traffic still backed
up - sometimes to Rhode Island / 1st, NW, so I went from Florida to Nth Capitol
to H & then to the 3rd St. tunnel.
The traffic was still backed up at the lights between H / Penn. &
3rd St. tunnel - but not nearly as bad (time-wise) as 1st & New York Ave.
Maybe
it would be a good idea to make 1st NW into a one-way southbound & New
Jersey the north-bound route.
On Aug 31, 2013, at 6:07 PM, "Mandel, Jon (Council)" <jmandel@DCCOUNCIL.US> wrote:
I
believe they have, however we can confirm and review the findings as well.
CCing Geovani Bonilla as well. He is the President of the Bates Area Civic
Association.
Best,
Jon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: 2nd Street NW resident
To: Mandel, Jon (Council)
Cc: Scott Roberts
Sent: Sat Aug 31 17:31:27 2013
Subject: Re: Bloomingdale resident's concern about southbound 1st St NW traffic
Thank
you Jon - I will contact DDOT - however, I would have hoped that they had
already conducted a study, since this is a new school on the corner of very
busy 1st St. NW & a block from even busier New York Ave.
Sincerely
From:
"Mandel, Jon (Council)" <jmandel@DCCOUNCIL.US>
To:
Scott Roberts; "McDuffie, Kenyan (Council)"
<kmcduffie@DCCOUNCIL.US> Cc: 2nd Street NW resident
Sent: Saturday, August 31, 2013 5:20 PM
Subject: Re: Bloomingdale resident's concern about southbound 1st St NW traffic
Scott,
Thank you for redirecting the message.
[2nd Street NW resident], have you contacted 311? There is an option available for DDOT to
conduct a traffic study. In addition, we will contact DDOT as well to determine
if they have plans to address the concerns. The recommendations you have
proposed would require arranging meetings with the surrounding neighborhoods to
solicit feedback. As we move forward on addressing the matter, I recommend
looping in the respective civic association presidents and ANC Commissioners.
If
you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank
you.
Best,
Jon
progress at the Howard University new construction dormitory at 4th & W Street NW
The Howard University new construction dormitory at 4th and W Street NW, adjacent to the Washington Metropolitan High School, is coming along.
Here are some cell phone pics:
Here are some cell phone pics:
This is the view from the Park at LeDroit at 3rd & Elm Street NW.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Ward 5 Report (dated 08-30-2013)
From: Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie <dcdocs@dc.gov>
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 1:48 PM
Subject: The Ward 5 Report: Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie
The Ward 5 Report: Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 1:48 PM
Subject: The Ward 5 Report: Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie
Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.
The Ward 5 Report:
Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie
August 30, 2013
Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie
August 30, 2013
Ward 5 Highlights:
This week, Councilmember McDuffie stopped by the McKinley Technology Middle School Campus to tour their new facilities.
Additionally, Councilmember McDuffie toured the Burroughs Education Campus’ new state-of-the-art cafeteria.
Announcements
Update on the Shaed School Property
Department of General Services (DGS) has proposed to declare as surplus the Shaed School property. Public input is important and is received at various points during the surplus process. DGS has announced an additional public hearing at which the community is invited to participate.
The District will conduct a public hearing to receive public comments on the proposed surplus of the following District properties. The date, time and location shall be as follows:
Properties: Square 3552, Lot 0816 – 301 Douglas Street, NE (“Shaed Elementary School Building”)
Date: September 16, 2013
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Edgewood Recreation Center
3 Evarts Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017
Contact: Althea O. Holford, Real Estate Specialist
Department of General Services
202.478.2428 or althea.holford@dc.gov
District DMV Locations to Close for Labor Day Holiday
In observance of Labor Day, all District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) locations will be closed on Saturday, August 31 and Monday, September 2, 2013. All DC DMV service centers, adjudication services, and inspection station will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, September 3, 2013.
Customers are encouraged to plan ahead as the days before and after a holiday are usually busy. For more information, visit www.dmv.dc.gov.
Public Input Sought on Pepco’s Rate Application
The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (Commission) seeks input on the rate application submitted by the Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco) requesting authority to increase existing distribution service rates and charges for electric service in the District of Columbia. Pepco seeks a revenue rate increase of $51.75 million. Pepco is the sole distributor of electric power to homes and businesses in the District; hence the Commission will set Pepco’s distribution service rates in this rate case and not the cost of electricity itself.
The Commission will convene four (4) community hearings at the following locations on the specified dates:
Ward 2
D.C. Public Service Commission
Hearing Room
1333 H Street, NW, 7th Floor East Tower
Washington, D.C. 20005
Monday, September 30, 2013, 10:00 a.m.
Ward 4
Emery Recreation Center
5701 Georgia Ave, NW
Washington, D.C. 20011
Thursday, September 19, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
Ward 7
Deanwood Recreation Center
1350 49th Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20019
Wednesday, October 2, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
Ward 8
Thurgood Marshall Public Charter School
2427 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20020
Saturday, November 2, 2013, 11:00 a.m.
*** Residents of any Ward may attend any of these hearings.
Those who wish to testify at the community hearings should contact the Commission Secretary by the close of business three (3) business days prior to the date of the hearing by calling (202) 626-5150.
DC Parent & Family Engagement Summit
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) invites residents to attend the Second Annual DC Parent & Family Engagement Summit: Passport to Excellence on Saturday, September 7th from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Passport to Excellence is a day-long event designed to empower, inform and inspire over 500 parents and families in the District of Columbia by providing vital information and resources to promote successful educational outcomes for their children. For more information on how to register for the summit, click here.
Avoid the Bay Bridge, Come to the Bloomingdale Farmers Market
From: Robin Shuster robin.shuster@verizon.net
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 1:28 PM
Subject: Avoid the Bay Bridge, Come to BFM
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 1:28 PM
Subject: Avoid the Bay Bridge, Come to BFM
Hi BFM Friends:
Rain or shine or drizzle we will be there…(bring your bikes for a Pre-Fall tune-up.)
Gather up our Labor Day Goodies for your picnics and cookouts and dinners and lunches. Whatever you can think of, we have! If you are travelling, have a great weekend, If you are celebrating here and avoiding the long delays on the Bay Bridge and airports, we will have delicious things to skewer, to grill, to toss on and to wrap around whatever you grill. Great Pies and the most amazing pickles, kimchi and krauts, too.
What's at market? The peaches and tomatoes are still coming but there are lots more apples as well. And peppers of all colors and heat.
LAST WEEK FOR DOLCEZZA. They are summer friends and this will be their last market for 2013. Don’t miss Robb’s terrific flavors from the best of the market.
CARNIVORES: Truck Patch has chicken, turkey and pastured pork in all its Labor Day Glory (think barbecued ribs, chops, shoulder, sirloins, sausages to grill or to smoke or slow barbecue) and Painted Hand has primal cuts of tender, mild goat. What’s a primal cut? Read all about it:
http://pasture2plate.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-heck-is-primal-cut.html Great for barbecues. Eggs for frittatas to take to picnics or brunch on.
PICKLES to go with every thing Labor Day. Fermented Garlic from Number 1 Sons pickle barrels! Follow Caitlin’s lead and rub the crushed fermented garlic underneath your chicken skin! Fill your fridge with pickles, kimchi and kraut. I do so that I can make a grilled Kimcheese sandwich whenever I have a hankering or improve a sausage with an interesting krauts. The pickles I munch all the time.
DID YOU KNOW? Kimchi goes very well with tomatoes. I made a cucumber/ tomato/ kimchi salad the other day and the flavors were great together..
FRUIT: What a great time of year for fruit lovers because Reid and Garner and Truck Patch have everything Summer and Fall. Yellow peaches, white peaches, donut peaches, plums, yellow nectarines, apples (Honeycrisp!!!, Gala, McIntosh, Zesta, Earligold, Ginger Gold, Paula Red, Rambo, Mollie's Delicious), blueberries, blackberries, red raspberries and Suffolk red seedless grapes. But there is MORE: Watermelon, Cantaloupe. Honeydew Melon. Figs.
VEGETABLE LOVERS: Heirlooms galore. Field tomatoes too. Lots of sweet cherry tomatoes. Four stands of tomatoes. A dozen different summer squash and zucchini. As many varieties of eggplants. Corn. Okra. All the flavoring garlics and onions. Hot Peppers. Swiss Chard. Kale. Sweet Potato Greens. Cucumbers. Lettuce. Green and yellow and flat Roma beans. Lima beans. Many many potatoes including baby French Fingerlings, Carolas, Yukons, Reds…Sweet Peppers in rainbow colors. Cut herbs. Mesclun and Arugula and Baby Spinach are beautiful at Truck Patch. Salad heads. The Fall produce is starting to appear : Butternut squash on the grill?. The first sweet potatoes as well. Since it is a little cooler, we can turn on our ovens to roast them And still grill for Labor Day. Or wrap them in tin foil and cook them slowly on the grill.
TIP: I love to slice and quickly bake (at 400 degrees) the pear-shaped violet ones brushed with olive oil instead of frying them. Use the dark round ones for charring that eggplant caviar. Check the FB page for the picture.
CHEESE and YOGURT: Make cucumber soup, tzatziki, raiti (add chopped garlic, salt, chopped mint or cumin). If you want Greek style yogurt, drain it for half an hour in a fine mesh strainer. A coffee filter will work in a pinch. I have berries and yogurt every morning. And I drizzle yogurt over cooked greens. The residual heat creates an instant sauce. 15 different aged raw milk and pasteurized fresh cheeses from their grass fed cows who live out on pasture nearly all year long.
Rolls, Breadlets, Baguettes, breakfast pastries:
*Panorama: Olive Oil Buns for your burgers-- the very same ones that Central serves on their 25 dollar hamburger. Parmesan Hamburger Buns. Rustique. Pumpernickel. Whole Wheat. Rye. Croissants and lots of other breads. Think baguettes wrapped around skewered beef or pork kebabs..... dripping with grilled tomatoes. (Or wrapped around skewered eggplant-mushroom-squash veggie kebabs.
TIP: Make Tartines! Grill some sourdough bread slices and you are ready for a party or a lunch.. As one of my favorite food writers put it: Whether you call them tapas or tartines or open-faced sandwiches, there are few greater bangs-for-your-man-hour than toasted bread with olive oil, fresh vegetables and fruits, a bit of cheese and an egg, and a container of my two-minute mayonnaise made with extra garlic." http://mobile.seriouseats.com/2013/08/serious-entertaining-four-easy-summer-tartines.html
SUMMER PIES: Jenna is baking summer into every pie. Peach Plum Pie is a stone fruit heaven in a flaky crust, whether you choose the butter or Vegan crust. Classic Peach Pie, Summer Medley Quiche, Kale & Feta Quiche. Bags full of cookies including the newish Pretzel Cookies.
Final 2 Recipe TIPS: Another way to cook corn: don't strip it. Throw it in the boiling water IN THE HUSK. The husk and the silk give the corn extra flavor and are VERY easy to remove after just a few minutes of cooking. (And then you have the water for Corn Soup.) You can boil first and then finish on the grill in the husk if you like a smoky flavor. If you don't have a grill, roast your corn in the husk in the oven at 450 until the husks are brown and crisp.
Final Corn Tip: Cut off kernels from cooked corn, plated them as though they were rice or pasta... and top them with a roasted tomato and a dollop of pesto and a few shavings of parmesan cheese. Easy, pretty and very good
Check the FB page for more Labor Day cooking ideas.
Ted, Ted, Robin and Erica
Remember to spread the word: we match with bonus dollars SNAP, WIC, Senior FMNP, PRODUCE PLUS so that everyone can eat local, healthy food.
Rain or shine or drizzle we will be there…(bring your bikes for a Pre-Fall tune-up.)
Gather up our Labor Day Goodies for your picnics and cookouts and dinners and lunches. Whatever you can think of, we have! If you are travelling, have a great weekend, If you are celebrating here and avoiding the long delays on the Bay Bridge and airports, we will have delicious things to skewer, to grill, to toss on and to wrap around whatever you grill. Great Pies and the most amazing pickles, kimchi and krauts, too.
What's at market? The peaches and tomatoes are still coming but there are lots more apples as well. And peppers of all colors and heat.
LAST WEEK FOR DOLCEZZA. They are summer friends and this will be their last market for 2013. Don’t miss Robb’s terrific flavors from the best of the market.
CARNIVORES: Truck Patch has chicken, turkey and pastured pork in all its Labor Day Glory (think barbecued ribs, chops, shoulder, sirloins, sausages to grill or to smoke or slow barbecue) and Painted Hand has primal cuts of tender, mild goat. What’s a primal cut? Read all about it:
http://pasture2plate.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-heck-is-primal-cut.html Great for barbecues. Eggs for frittatas to take to picnics or brunch on.
PICKLES to go with every thing Labor Day. Fermented Garlic from Number 1 Sons pickle barrels! Follow Caitlin’s lead and rub the crushed fermented garlic underneath your chicken skin! Fill your fridge with pickles, kimchi and kraut. I do so that I can make a grilled Kimcheese sandwich whenever I have a hankering or improve a sausage with an interesting krauts. The pickles I munch all the time.
DID YOU KNOW? Kimchi goes very well with tomatoes. I made a cucumber/ tomato/ kimchi salad the other day and the flavors were great together..
FRUIT: What a great time of year for fruit lovers because Reid and Garner and Truck Patch have everything Summer and Fall. Yellow peaches, white peaches, donut peaches, plums, yellow nectarines, apples (Honeycrisp!!!, Gala, McIntosh, Zesta, Earligold, Ginger Gold, Paula Red, Rambo, Mollie's Delicious), blueberries, blackberries, red raspberries and Suffolk red seedless grapes. But there is MORE: Watermelon, Cantaloupe. Honeydew Melon. Figs.
VEGETABLE LOVERS: Heirlooms galore. Field tomatoes too. Lots of sweet cherry tomatoes. Four stands of tomatoes. A dozen different summer squash and zucchini. As many varieties of eggplants. Corn. Okra. All the flavoring garlics and onions. Hot Peppers. Swiss Chard. Kale. Sweet Potato Greens. Cucumbers. Lettuce. Green and yellow and flat Roma beans. Lima beans. Many many potatoes including baby French Fingerlings, Carolas, Yukons, Reds…Sweet Peppers in rainbow colors. Cut herbs. Mesclun and Arugula and Baby Spinach are beautiful at Truck Patch. Salad heads. The Fall produce is starting to appear : Butternut squash on the grill?. The first sweet potatoes as well. Since it is a little cooler, we can turn on our ovens to roast them And still grill for Labor Day. Or wrap them in tin foil and cook them slowly on the grill.
TIP: I love to slice and quickly bake (at 400 degrees) the pear-shaped violet ones brushed with olive oil instead of frying them. Use the dark round ones for charring that eggplant caviar. Check the FB page for the picture.
CHEESE and YOGURT: Make cucumber soup, tzatziki, raiti (add chopped garlic, salt, chopped mint or cumin). If you want Greek style yogurt, drain it for half an hour in a fine mesh strainer. A coffee filter will work in a pinch. I have berries and yogurt every morning. And I drizzle yogurt over cooked greens. The residual heat creates an instant sauce. 15 different aged raw milk and pasteurized fresh cheeses from their grass fed cows who live out on pasture nearly all year long.
Rolls, Breadlets, Baguettes, breakfast pastries:
*Panorama: Olive Oil Buns for your burgers-- the very same ones that Central serves on their 25 dollar hamburger. Parmesan Hamburger Buns. Rustique. Pumpernickel. Whole Wheat. Rye. Croissants and lots of other breads. Think baguettes wrapped around skewered beef or pork kebabs..... dripping with grilled tomatoes. (Or wrapped around skewered eggplant-mushroom-squash veggie kebabs.
TIP: Make Tartines! Grill some sourdough bread slices and you are ready for a party or a lunch.. As one of my favorite food writers put it: Whether you call them tapas or tartines or open-faced sandwiches, there are few greater bangs-for-your-man-hour than toasted bread with olive oil, fresh vegetables and fruits, a bit of cheese and an egg, and a container of my two-minute mayonnaise made with extra garlic." http://mobile.seriouseats.com/2013/08/serious-entertaining-four-easy-summer-tartines.html
SUMMER PIES: Jenna is baking summer into every pie. Peach Plum Pie is a stone fruit heaven in a flaky crust, whether you choose the butter or Vegan crust. Classic Peach Pie, Summer Medley Quiche, Kale & Feta Quiche. Bags full of cookies including the newish Pretzel Cookies.
Final 2 Recipe TIPS: Another way to cook corn: don't strip it. Throw it in the boiling water IN THE HUSK. The husk and the silk give the corn extra flavor and are VERY easy to remove after just a few minutes of cooking. (And then you have the water for Corn Soup.) You can boil first and then finish on the grill in the husk if you like a smoky flavor. If you don't have a grill, roast your corn in the husk in the oven at 450 until the husks are brown and crisp.
Final Corn Tip: Cut off kernels from cooked corn, plated them as though they were rice or pasta... and top them with a roasted tomato and a dollop of pesto and a few shavings of parmesan cheese. Easy, pretty and very good
Check the FB page for more Labor Day cooking ideas.
Ted, Ted, Robin and Erica
Remember to spread the word: we match with bonus dollars SNAP, WIC, Senior FMNP, PRODUCE PLUS so that everyone can eat local, healthy food.
meet mayoral candidate Tommy Wells this Sunday at Big Bear Cafe
See this announcement for an event at Bloomingdale's Big Bear Café:
man seen masturbating in Bloomingdale Court NW this morning
See this 08-30-2013 message:
TulaConnell @TulaConnell 2h
TulaConnell
Women of #bloomingdaledc watch out--man seen masturbating in B'dale Ct @ 7:20 a.m. Short, Latino on bike riding around the neighborhood.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
pedestrian's shoulder cut on 100 block of R Street NW; cell phone taken at gunpoint at 2nd & V Street NW
See this info from Fifth District's Mark Beach:
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 12:05 PM
Subject: RE: [MPD-5D] Daily Crime Report - 5D
RPT DATE: 08/28/2013 08:41 AM
OFFENSE: Assault W/Dangerous Weapon
OFFENSE: Robbery
LOCATION: Sidewalk
Date: 08/28/2013 1:15 PM
Metropolitan DC Police Department
Fifth Police District
1805 Bladensburg Road, NE
Washington, DC 20002
To: MPD-5D @ yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [MPD-5D] Daily Crime Report - 5D
RPT DATE: 08/28/2013 08:41
OFFENSE: Assault W/Dangerous Weapon
METHOD: Assault With A Dangerous Weapon
BLOCK:
LOCATION: Other
START DT: 08/28/2013 08:41
END DT: 08/28/2013 08:41
----------------------------------------------------------
PSA: 501
CCN: 13122645
RPT DATE: 08/28/2013 13:42
OFFENSE: Robbery
METHOD: Robbery
BLOCK:
LOCATION: Sidewalk
START DT: 08/28/2013 13:15
END DT: 08/28/2013 13:20
----------------------------------------------------------
From:
"Beach, Mark (MPD)"
To:
"MPD-5D @ yahoogroups.com" Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 12:05 PM
Subject: RE: [MPD-5D] Daily Crime Report - 5D
Geovani,
see below:
PSA:
501
CCN: 13-122-522RPT DATE: 08/28/2013 08:41 AM
OFFENSE: Assault W/Dangerous Weapon
The
complainant reported to MPD that while walking in the 100 block of R St NW he
was approached by a male subject who cut his left shoulder area with an unknown
cutting instrument. The victim fled
eastbound while the suspect fled in the opposite direction westbound. The
victim was transported to a local hospital with a laceration to his left
shoulder by DCFEMS Ambulance # 6.
PSA:
501
CCN: 13-122-645OFFENSE: Robbery
LOCATION: Sidewalk
Date: 08/28/2013 1:15 PM
The
complainant reports being approached at the intersection of 2nd and V Street,
NW by an individual that produced a handgun and demanded her cellular
telephone. The victim complied and the
suspect fled on foot in the 200 block of V Street, NW. There were no injuries.
Mark
Beach
Assistant
Patrol District CommanderMetropolitan DC Police Department
Fifth Police District
1805 Bladensburg Road, NE
Washington, DC 20002
From:
MPD-5D @ yahoogroups.com [MPD-5D @ yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Geovani A
Bonilla
Sent:
Thursday, August 29, 2013 7:36 AMTo: MPD-5D @ yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [MPD-5D] Daily Crime Report - 5D
Could
you please provide location information for PSA 501 reports
Geovani A. Bonilla
On
Aug 29, 2013, at 2:51 AM, mpd.reports @ dc.gov wrote:
This
report contains Part I serious offenses reported in the Fifth District, broken
down by PSA, in a 24-hour period. If you experience any computer problems with
viewing this data, please reply to this message and explain the problem. See
key at the bottom of the page.
PSA: 501
CCN: 13122522RPT DATE: 08/28/2013 08:41
OFFENSE: Assault W/Dangerous Weapon
METHOD: Assault With A Dangerous Weapon
BLOCK:
LOCATION: Other
START DT: 08/28/2013 08:41
END DT: 08/28/2013 08:41
----------------------------------------------------------
PSA: 501
CCN: 13122645
RPT DATE: 08/28/2013 13:42
OFFENSE: Robbery
METHOD: Robbery
BLOCK:
LOCATION: Sidewalk
START DT: 08/28/2013 13:15
END DT: 08/28/2013 13:20
----------------------------------------------------------
Pepco's Donna Cooper promoted to Region President
Attendees at Bloomingdale Civic Association meetings may recall seeing Pepco's Donna Cooper speaking about Bloomingdale power outages.
Be advised that she has been promoted to Pepco Region President.
See this Daily Finance report:
Donna M. Cooper Promoted to Pepco Region President
by Business Wire via The Motley Fool Aug 28th 2013 5:53PM
Be advised that she has been promoted to Pepco Region President.
See this Daily Finance report:
Donna M. Cooper Promoted to Pepco Region President
by Business Wire via The Motley Fool Aug 28th 2013 5:53PM
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
engage Mid City East! has YOUR opinion been heard ?
See this 08-27-2013 message from the Mid City East folks in the DC Office of Planning and DC Department of Transportation:
Engage Mid City East - Add Your Idea
tonight: happy hour at Sky Real Estate, 1703 North Capitol Street NE
Thank you for the blog's continued support on informing our community of SKY's events. We are hosting a happy hour at the office on Wednesday, August 28th. Please post the event to the Bloomingdale blog. All of the event's details are available via this link https://augustsummerfling.eventbrite.com/.
Thank you and best regards,
Yolanda McCutchen, PR/Social Media Manager
Thank you and best regards,
Yolanda McCutchen, PR/Social Media Manager
1703 North Capitol Street, NE
Suite 1
Washington, DC 20002
O: 202.630.2437
C: 301.335.2874
F: 866.865.7732
Bloomingdale-based business CitiKeeper Cleaning Services
See this 08-28-2013 message:
We’re very excited to announce the opening of the newest Bloomingdale-based business, CitiKeeper Cleaning Services! CitiKeeper offers weekly, bi-weekly and monthly home cleaning services to residents of Bloomingdale and most other parts of the District. We also provide professional Move-In/Move-Out, Pre-Sale, Post-Event and Post-Construction Cleanings!
For the month of September, we’re offering a 10% discount off all cleanings… for the entire month!
Please visit us online at www.CitiKeeper.com.
And thanks for your support, Bloomingdale!
Antonio Sanchez
Owner, CitiKeeper
found dog on the unit block of Adams Street NW today, Wednesday, 08-28-2013; dropped off at DC Animal Care and Control
See this 08-28-2013 message:
Found
this little guy on the unit block of Adams Street this morning (8/28) at 11am.
Dropped him off at DC Animal Care and Control. 1201 NY Avenue NE. 202-576-6664.
They have named him "Grover" for reference purposes. Happy. Friendly. Doesn't appear mistreated.
Collar. No tags. No microchip. Hopefully we can find the owner.
Bloomingdale Concerned Citizens: "Action Item - Please sign this letter to McDuffie re First Street Tunnel!"
See this 08/28/2013 message from the Bloomindale Concerned Citizens:
From: Bloomingdale CC <bloomingdalecc@gmail.com>
To: Bloomingdale CC <bloomingdalecc@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 7:19 AM
Subject: Action Item - Please sign this letter to McDuffie re First Street Tunnel!
cc by email:
From: Bloomingdale CC <bloomingdalecc@gmail.com>
To: Bloomingdale CC <bloomingdalecc@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 7:19 AM
Subject: Action Item - Please sign this letter to McDuffie re First Street Tunnel!
Hi all --
Please sign on to a letter to CM McDuffie about the First Street Tunnel project! To sign on to the letter, please click here to add your name.
If you have any issues with the link above, please reply to this email with your name and address to sign on.
Here's the text of the letter, which is based on discussions at our last block meeting:
First Street Tunnel Construction Mitigation - Request for Support
Dear Councilmember McDuffie and Members of the DC City Council:
We are residents of the Bloomingdale neighborhood in Ward 5. Many of us live on blocks that are expected to experience extreme disruption during the “First Street Tunnel” project planned by the City, which will begin in October 2013 and run through 2016. We are writing to solicit your support to help mitigate the construction impacts on homeowners, and to assist in developing a path forward that will ensure that our entire community will thrive.
The First Street Tunnel is a 100-Year Construction Project Adopted by the Mayor’s Task Force and Merits a Serious Mitigation Effort.
A Task Force created by the Mayor last year adopted the First Street Tunnel plan, so we believe that the City shares responsibility for this project with DC Water, and the Council must assist in mitigating disproportionate impacts to relatively small groups of homeowners. If the First Street Tunnel is the solution to a 100-year old problem, and it’s a once in a 100-year construction project, then proportionate mitigation efforts must be taken so that individual residents do not suffer this 100-year burden.
To create the First Street Tunnel, DC Water will build several “drop shafts” and “diversion chambers” in our neighborhood. This is industrial-scale construction in a residential neighborhood with little precedent. Some of these are directly in front of people’s homes (particularly at Flagler Place and Adams Street NW), and the construction will last for years. With a rush toward construction, which is slated to begin in just a couple months, we ask the Council to focus on mitigation efforts for residents disproportionately impacted by DC Water’s construction.
We understand that large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the First Street Tunnel Project, inevitably require disruption to residents when undertaken in such a dense urban area. Although we continue to have concerns about the speed with which this project has been designed, the lack of DC Water’s engagement with community, and the short, medium, and long-terms effects that it may have on our small neighborhood, we are trying to look forward with the proactive steps we have outlined below. We ask for your support.
We Request Your Support For Nine Reasonable Mitigation Measures.
We ask for your support on the following nine mitigation measures for the short and long-term.
1) Improve Communications with Community: We request your support in requiring DC Water and the contractor selected for the project to hold regular, transparent meetings with residents before, during, and after this project. As detailed in the many comments that residents of our streets submitted to DC Water in response to the Environmental Assessment (“EA”) for this project, DC Water’s communication with affected residents has been exceptionally inadequate. We, like other residents of Bloomingdale, support a solution to the flooding issues that have plagued the community, including some of the undersigned residents. However, we think that frequent and meaningful community engagement is essential to ensuring that this project is successful. There undoubtedly will be other issues that arise as this construction proceeds, and we must have an effective route to address our concerns.
2) Create Compensation Fund with Independent Administrator for Lost Rental Income and Property Damages: We ask that the City create, or work with DC Water to create, a compensation fund for homeowners with an independent third-party administrator. The fund should cover both lost or reduced rental income, as well as property damages, reasonably attributable to the massive construction. While the total amount of damages may, or may not, be that great in aggregate, the damages to any particular individual could be devastating. A similar fund set up during the Convention Center construction project provides a precedent for such relief.
DC Water has already represented that it will compensate homeowners for property damages, including structural damages, for homes. Yet no process has been set up, or funds set aside. This fund, and the procedures for it, should be established before the construction begins in October 2013.
3) Freeze Property Taxes: We ask that the Council freeze property taxes for all residents on the affected blocks during the life of the project. It is extremely likely that property prices will be depressed on streets that will be construction sites for up to three years. Any property tax increases would be an unfair burden for homeowners who may have difficulty selling their homes, may have to sell at a reduced rate, or who are disproportionately burdened by this project.
4) Suspend Water Bills: Similarly, we ask that you urge DC Water for a suspension in the payment of water bills for all residents of affected blocks during the period of construction on each block. Because DC Water chose to shift the burden of construction to our streets instead of pursuing other options, such situating the construction in less residential areas of the neighborhood, a suspension of our water bills would appropriately acknowledge the severe disruption that a small number of residents are being asked to accept in order to avoid more costly alternatives. While the Council may not have authority to set DC Water’s rates, it could certainly work with DC Water to suspend water bills as a reasonable mitigation effort during this construction period.
5) Follow Best Construction Practices and Coordinate with Other Infrastructure Projects: The Council should ensure that DC Water and all other utilities conduct any necessary infrastructure work during this project, while the streets are excavated. We should not learn of yet another major infrastructure project that will close down our blocks after the First Street Tunnel project is completed in 2016. This planning should begin now, and the community should be kept informed.
6) Coordinate Immediate Meetings with DDOT to Develop Adequate Plan to Replace Large Flagler/Adams Trees: DC Water expects to remove several large shade trees at the Adams-Flagler construction site, which cannot be replaced by trees of a similar size. This is one of the most severe long-term environmental impacts of the project. We ask that the Council assist in coordinating meetings with DC Water and DDOT so residents can work with the City toward an acceptable solution. Could any of the trees be saved? Could 10-year old trees be planted? Could other trees be planted in the community in the meantime, so that they can start growing now? These meetings should take place before these large trees are cut down, not after, so that residents know there is an acceptable plan in place.
7) Commit to Full Reconstruction of Streets and Sidewalks: At the several construction sites, the streets and sidewalks will be excavated for enormous holes in the ground. The construction sites should be left in better condition than DC Water finds them, not worse. The City should commit, in advance, to completely reconstructing the street and sidewalks so they are not left scarred and unattractive.
8) Install Green Infrastructure on 2200 Block of Flagler NW and 100 Block of Adams NW: The 2200 Block of Flagler Place NW and the 100 Block of Adams Street NW request to be a testing site for “green technology” that DC Water is already considering for other areas of the city. The green infrastructure would include, among other things, installation of pervious pavements and rain gardens. DC Water should designate funds specifically for Flagler/Adams to test its green infrastructure as part of its ongoing efforts to move from “gray” pipe technology toward “green.” This would be a win-win situation for DC Water and residents.
There are several residents willing to help work on a design for the green infrastructure, who would like to be involved in an advisory committee for this project. Knowing that such improvements are planned may help with our ability to tolerate the construction noise, dust, and long-term road closures.
9) After Project Ends, Convert Future Parking Lot at 2nd St NW and Adams St NW into a Community Park: We request that the DC Water storage area located between W and Adams Street on 2nd Street NW, which is intended to be a parking lot during the construction period, be replaced at the end of construction with a park for the benefit of the community, designed in consultation with the community. The current storage yard, which is located in Ward 1 (directly adjacent to Ward 5), contains rusting and unused equipment, is overgrown with weeds, houses feral cats, and is extremely unsightly. It is located directly across the street from residential homes. Post-construction, we believe that finding a green-friendly, neighborhood use for the park would be far preferable to returning the block to its current state. In short, such green projects may be a small way to offset the construction noise, damage, and pollution that we will endure in the coming years. As with the green infrastructure, residents are ready and willing to participate in the design of this park for the benefit of our entire community.
Your support for these measures would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
[to be filled in]
Executive Office of the Mayor
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
Office of the City Administrator
DC Office of Planning
Mid City East Initiative
District Department of Transportation
District Department of the Environment
DC Water and Sewer Authority
Bloomingdale Civic Association
Mark Mueller, ANC Representative 5E08
Miller Development (McGill Row, 143 W St)
Envision McMillan Partners
Friends of McMillan
Casey Trees
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