Sylvia Pinkney: pics & leasing information for 1629 North Capitol Street NE and 101 Q Street NE

From the Eckington list at Yahoogroups:

The community has long awaited movement in the 1600 block of North Capitol Street, NE.  Attached are pictures and leasing information on 1629 North Capitol Street, NE and 101 Q Street, NE. 
                   

Sylvia M. Pinkney

Chariperson ANC 5E

SMD 5E04

202-269-4180

1629+North+Capitol+Street,+NE by Scott Roberts

101 Q Street NE by Scott Roberts

MPD 5D: Celebrate National Night Out in Your Community

To: mpd-5d@yahoogroups.com
From: MPD-5D@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 17:40:14 -0400
Subject: [MPD-5D] CELEBRATE NATIONAL NIGHTOUT IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Contact: Gwendolyn Crump (202) 727-4383

July 31, 2014

CELEBRATE NATIONAL NIGHTOUT IN YOUR COMMUNITY

(Washington, DC)- The Metropolitan Police Department encourages the public to join your neighbors and friends for the 31^st Anniversary of National Night Out, America’s Night Out Against Crime. HD Woodson High School will host this year’s kick off. Come out to meet the men and women of the public safety agencies that work hard to make our neighborhoods safe and the residents and businesses that work with them to make a difference.

WHAT:          National Night Out Citywide Kick-Off

WHEN:           Tuesday, August 5, 2014

TIME:            5:00 p.m.

WHERE:        HD Woodson High School

540 55^th Street, NE
Washington, DC

For information on more events: http://mpdc.dc.gov/page/national-night-out-calendar-activities

###

$250 reward for Bloomingdale stolen bicycle

Subject: $250 Reward for Bloomingdale Stolen Bicycle
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 20:08:33 -0400

$250 Reward - For information leading to recovery of

Sept 2013 BIANCHI VIGORELLI, Size 49 cm

View photo: http://goo.gl/PH2WW4  

Lock and bike stolen 7/31/14 between 1:00 and 2:30PM in front of Dickey’s Frozen Custard at 1710 I Street NW, Washington, DC

       

Do not buy this bike if seen for sale used!  The owner will be able to have the police recover it when found.  The building camera at Dickey’s recorded the theft, and the bike’s serial number is registered with the National Bike Registry for 30 years.

                   

The bike is easily identified by a distinct scrape in the Vigorelli logo on the right-hand side of the top bar, and the handle bar tape is changed to match the color of the bike. 

                                                                        

Please contact: nonbankemail@gmail.com

who has picked up petitions to run for ANC 5E commissioners in November 2014 ?

Here you go:

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner petition pick-up list for the November 4, 2014 General Election

7/30/2014
11:03 AM

5E01 Deborah Debbie Smith Steiner xxxx 6th Street, NE 20017 202-681-0095 7/25/14 steinerlynn@gmail.com
5E03 Nes Robinson xxx Todd Place, NE #1 20002 202-506-5539 7/14/14 nesrobin4@yahoo.com
5E03 Alex Marco Underwood xxx T Street NE 20002 202-498-4128 7/17/14 alexunderwood@comcast.net
5E03 Renee T. Lewis xxx T Street, NW 20002 202-486-5648 7/24/14 reneetlewis@yahoo.com
5E04 Sylvia M. Pinkney xx R Street, NE 20002 202-269-4180 7/7/14 7/11/14 5e04@anc.dc.gov
5E04 Adam Duffy xxx R Street, NE #B 20002 781-534-5604 7/9/14 7/18/14 duffyforanc@gmail.com
5E05 Bradley Ashton Thomas xxx P Street, NW 20001 202-670-0151 7/8/14 bradleyathomas.anc@gmail.com
5E06 Teri Janine Quinn xxxx 2nd Street, NW 20001 214-908-1913 7/18/14
5E09 C. Dianne Barnes xx Adams Street, NW 20001 202-387-2497 7/7/14 7/21/14 dianne_brns@yahoo.com
5E09 Kirby Vining xx Franklin Street, NE 20002 202-213-2690 7/7/14 nulliparaacnestis@gmail.com
5E10 Sally Hobaugh xxx Ascot Place, NE 20002 202-412-9618 7/10/14 sally.hobaugh@gmail.com

file:///C:/Users/Scott%20Roberts/Downloads/anc07302014.pdf

Bloomingdale Farmers Market this Sunday, August 3rd

From: robin.shuster@verizon.net
Subject: BFM Sunday the 3rd
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 12:10:20 -0400

Hi BFM Fans:

NUMBER ONE SONS in the NEWS:  Very nice article in Northern Virginia Magazine.  See photos on our fb page.

MUSIC AT MARKET:  our beloved LeDroit Chamber Players are back on Sunday at 10.  They are THE BEST! 

CHEF DEMO:  Latin Flavors with Marcella K.

BIKE CLINIC: 11-1, run by our friends from The Bike House.  Free as always.  Bring your bike.

(You may want to check out the sales around U Street Saturday for their  Dog Day Weekend!-- all the stores and restos have DD sales)

What’s Cooking this week?   SOFT SERVE EDITION: What's that about?

 My gazpacho topped with very ripe nectarines.  For me, the key to a good gazpacho is finding sweet and acidic tomatoes and starting the process by making a paste of bread, garlic and olive oil in your blender or food processor.  Then I add a chopped red onion, puree; seeded and chopped red pepper, puree; peeled, chopped cucumber, puree.  Finally, add and puree 2 pounds of chopped tomatoes until it is very smooth.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar, a bit more olive oil, salt.  Mix and refrigerate for several hours or days.   Serve in glasses topped with sliced, ripe nectarines or peaches.

For those who like to crunch: Pan Tomat: a Catalan favorite -- very ripe tomatoes smashed into slices of toasted bread you have smeared with a fresh garlic clove.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Simple, robust, almost crude and soooo good.  Mockingbird Hill serves their version with sherry.  You can, too.

AT THE STANDS:

REID: Peachy peach: this is the swing week for the turn from cling to freestones.  Ask Connor to tell you about that.  Yellow and white nectarines. Formosa plums, blueberries, red and black currants make their last appearance. Summer apples: Zestar, pristine, Earli golds.

Whisked: Two great fruits in one superb pie – Sweet Peach  and Tart Rhubarb, Classic Peach is all about thepeaach. with crumble topping on fabulous pie crust.  Blueberry crunchy crumble pie.  Tomatoe Roasted Garlic and goat cheese sing Provence.  Bacon, Cheddar and Onion Quiche .

Jenna says: Summer is the heady days of peach pies, and blueberry pie, strawberries and plums - all those fruits that we look forward to baking with all years. So if you find yourself in town during the summer, be happy. Because the most glorious pie of the year is awaiting you at the market.

Ivy Brand:  look out for my favorite spuds:  creamy fingerling potatoes. colorful sweet peppers, eggplant, garlic, toms, cherry toms, cukes, squash, carrots, scallions, kale, swiss chard, and hopefully some lettuce.   Nick and Elizabeth are expecting their baby this weekend.  Ask Keith and Megan whether there is a new baby producer yet at Ivy Brand.

KESWICK: 20 plus artisanal cheeses all made on their Newburg, PA dairy farm from their Jersey cows and goats.  The quality of the milk makes their cheeses and yogurts so good.  I am always singing the praises of their yogurt.  The classics are their Vermeer and cheddars and Tommes, but I also love the new camembert style mixed milkers, the creamy caporella (is it a mozz, is it a burrata, a bit of both), fetas, the real cream cheese, Mark's pimento Maddy's Chocolate Pudding.

Number 1 Sons:  My friend, Caroline, gave me some of her first batch of kimchi, reminding me that I need to do some here as well.  In DC we are spoiled because Yi Wah and Caitlin offer so many wonderful traditional fermented foods—they always have several kimchis, a variety of krauts both Eujro and Central American in style, and this New Yorker’s dream of heaven – real, brined pickles.  Sandwiches should be exciting and their fermented foods help make them so.
 
TRUCKPATCH:  A huge selection of heirloom tomatoes that have been babied by Bryan. Salad central:  baby arugula, mesclun, salad greens, chards, kales, summer squash, peppers,  beets, cabbage, cauliflower and melons.  Eggs.

Truck Patch Meat Department:  Andouille sausage this week! Plus, smoked sausage- Applewurst, Country, Ground, Italian hot and sweet, Maple, Sage. Bacon, smoked maple, garlic, and pepper. All cuts of pork. Shoulder roast bone inand boneless, Shoulder chops, Ribs, and Hams steaks. Whole chickens as well as parts. Turkey all parts and ground. Turkey burgers, white and dark meat. Eggs.

GARNER: Cantaloupes. Fascination Melon. Sun Melons.  Watermelon in yellow and seedless reds.Corn, yellow and red  and hot peppers, blackberries, 20 varieties of field tomatoes,, purslane, Okra, chard, arugula, beets, sungold tomatoes, 8 diferent summer squashes, Thai, Italian and Japanese eggplant.    Mint, dill and parsley.
 
PANORAMA : French breakfast pastries like palmiers, almond croissants plus the plain and chocolate crosisants, baguettes, the olive oil buns that grace the 25 dollar hamburgers at Central and the Rustiques they serve you at Citronelle and Cityzen.  Sandwich breads, too.  If they are out of a bread you crave, ask them to save one for you for next week.  Late risers:  they have lots of whole wheat, multigrain and sourdough boules and loaves that sell out early.  So reserve what you want!  Email if you do not see something you want, please.

PRODUCE PLUS: Please spread the word about the Produce Plus at market.  Just show a Medicaid, Wic, SNAP/EBT card, Senior Check, CSFP Card and we give you $10 in checks for fruits and vegetables at the market PLUS $10 in bonus dollars to buy fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese and eggs.  That's $20 a week!

Teds, Stephanie, Robin

Robin Shuster

Director

14&U Farmers' Market 

Bloomingdale Farmers' Market

robin@marketsandmore.info

T:202.234.0559

C:703.328.6559

www.marketsandmore.info

District Source: Transportation issues, height loom over McMillan Zoning Commission decision until September

Click on the link to read the * entire * District Source article on the McMillan PUD Zoning Commission meeting.

Transportation Issues, Height Loom Over McMillan Zoning Commission Decision Until September

July 29, 2014 By: Shaun Courtney

The final decision on the McMillan  reservoir redevelopment plan will not come from the D.C. Zoning Commission (ZC) until September or possibly later as commissioners expressed ongoing, serious reservations about elements of the plan, particularly the traffic and transportation impacts the new development would have on the surrounding community. Monday, the ZC advised developers to refine their transportation program and to reduce the height of a proposed medical building, among other fixes, by the next hearing set for Sept. 29.

The District government awarded Vision McMillan Partners’ (VMP)–a team comprised of JAIR LYNCH Development Partners, EYA and Trammell Crow Company–the right to redevelop the site in 2007. The design plan calls for 2.1 million square feet of new mixed-use development  on the 25-acre site in Northwest D.C.

Community groups have objected to the development, citing concerns over traffic impacts and the amount of public park space.

...

DC Alerts: 5D-Robbery_2400 block North Capitol St. NE 12:58 AM - 31 Jul 2014

Noticed by Bloomingdame:

5D-Robbery_2400 block North Capitol St. NE_LOF: B/M,5'10", 200 lbs, grey t-shirt, black jeans DO NOT TAKE ACTION... http://1.usa.gov/1qpZab0 
12:58 AM - 31 Jul 2014

2014 Plum Village Group Trip Film Fundraiser Slideshow Party at Samsara House 2023 -- Friday, 08-01-2014

Subject: 2014 Plum Village Group Trip Film Fundraiser Slideshow Party at Samsara House 2023
From: wakeup@samsarahouse.org
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 22:32:26 +0000

2014 Plum Village Group Trip Film Fundraiser Slideshow at Samsara House 2023, Friday, 8/1/2014 - 8:00-10:00PM View this email in your browser 2014 Plum Village Group Trip Film Fundraiser Slideshow Party at Samsara House 2023 Friday, 8/1/2014 - 8:00pm - 10pm Watch this video: http://walkwithmefilm.com/donations/ Coming soon to Samsara House 2023, Walk With Me — On the Road with Thich Nhat Hanh is an extraordinary documentary film about what life is like for anyone who might decide to bring mindfulness or meditation into every moment of life.  Planned for release in 2015, Walk With Me will run in Washington, D.C. at Samsara House 2023.   To help raise funds to complete the film, we will be narrating a slide show of over 1,000 photos from the 2014 Samsara House 2023 Group Trip at Plum Village Mindfulness Practice Center which ended last week.  Plum Village is one of the five world-shifting communities being embraced and cross-pollinated with other communities at Samsara House 2023.   Come join the party and help the film and see what this transformative experience is all about !  RSVP by Reply to this e-mail.  Thanks!    Cost: By Donation  — Tea will be served Address:  Samsara House 2023 36 R Street NW Washington, D.C.  20001 Shift Happens at Samsara House 2023 www.samsarahouse.org Copyright © 2014 Samsara House 2023, All rights reserved. Your e-mail address was added to the Samsara House Mailing List as a result of having attending one or more events in the past. Our mailing address is: Samsara House 2023 36 R Street NW Washington, DC 20001

ANC 5E04 Commissioner Sylvia Pinkney's report on the Monday, 07-28-2014, McMillan zoning meeting

Posted at the Eckington list at Yahoogroups:

Eckington Community,

                

I attended the McMillan zoning hearing on Monday, July 28, 2014.  

                                                                                        

What the Commission decided was that the Applicant (Vision McMillan Partners) was to make some follow-up submissions by 3:00 p.m. on August 25th. The parties, including the ANC, then has until 3:00 p.m. on September 15th to respond to those submissions ONLY – it’s a response only to what is submitted by the Applicant; the Commission did not ask any other party to submit anything, including the ANC to submit a new CBA – they only left the record open to allow parties to respond to the Applicant’s submission. Then on September 29th, the Commission will consider proposed action on the case.

                                                                                             

Much of what the Zoning Commission requested was a more precise traffic plan.  The Zoning Commission insists that the development is to important not to get it right.  There was also a decrease in the height of the 130 foot medical office building by one floor.

Sylvia M. Pinkney

Chairperson ANC 5E

SMD 5E04

WBJ's Michael Neibauer: The DC Mayor's Agent hearing on the proposal to raze McMillan sand filtration cells has been postponed until at least October

Tweets from Washington Business Journal reporter Michael Neibauer:

Michael Neibauer ‏@WashBizNeibs  8m

The DC Mayor's Agent hearing on the proposal to raze McMillan sand filtration cells has been postponed until at least October.

4:49 PM - 30 Jul 2014

Michael Neibauer ‏@WashBizNeibs  7m

It was scheduled for Aug. 1.

4:49 PM - 30 Jul 2014

CANCELLED: Waking Down Sitting with Interning Teacher Elijah Petersen 07-31-2014 at Samsara House 2023

Subject: CANCELLED: Waking Down Sitting with Interning Teacher Elijah Petersen 7/31/14 at Samsara House 2023
From: wakeup@samsarahouse.org
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 19:08:40 +0000

CANCELLED - 7/31/14 - Waking Down Sitting with Interning Teacher Elijah Petersen at Samsara House 2023 Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Dear Friends, This month's Waking Down in Mutuality sitting is cancelled. Best wishes, Cullen   Cancelled Waking Down Sitting with Interning Teacher Elijah Petersen at Samsara House 2023, Thursday 7/31/14   Thursday, July 31, 2014 from 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM Waking Down Sitting with Interning Teacher Elijah Petersen  at Samsara House 7/31/14 - 7:00 - 9:30 (starts promptly) Please join us for a Waking Down in Mutuality sitting led by interning teacher Elijah Petersen. A Guide to Waking Down Sittings by CC Leigh modified by Malcolm Pettus  What is a sitting?  A sitting is a group gathering led by a teacher of Waking Down in Mutuality. It generally consists of these elements: • A 10 minute silent meditation  • Gazing meditation, in which the teacher makes eye contact for a brief period (up to several minutes) with each participant. All participants are also invited gaze with each other during this time.  • Brief check in. • Personal sharing time, in which the remaining time is divided among the participants, with each one having a time to talk about something currently important to them. You may choose whom to receive feedback from; the teacher, everyone, or no one.  That’s pretty much it. But there’s more going on under the surface than is readily apparent in this simple format.  1) Transmission  “Transmission” is a word used to describe a subtle event whereby the awakened-and-embodied condition of the teacher is communicated non-verbally to the participant. The teacher is living in an effortless condition of knowing their true nature as infinite, unbounded Consciousness and also very finite, limited human being. This paradoxical condition is inexplicable to the rational mind—it simply can’t understand how both can be true. But the body and whole being can and do understand, intuitively. And it is this intuitive level that is being communicated with, body to body, during the gazing. It is not so much about something passing from the teacher to the participant as it is about a resonance effect—much like one tuning fork, when vibrating strongly, will activate and start a similar vibration in another similar fork without any physical contact. In gazing, the teacher’s confidence in Being is vibrating strongly, providing an opportunity for the participant to begin vibrating in a similar fashion. Over time this helps catalyze the participant’s own ability to experience and demonstrate this paradoxical mystery for themselves, as their own direct realization. It is not necessary to do anything or have any particular attitude in order for gazing to be effective.  2) Seeing and being seen  Many, if not almost all, of us have a deep hunger to be really seen as who we are, in a loving and compassionate fashion that acknowledges our inner beauty and all the struggles we have faced—and currently face—simply trying to be here as a human being. Because we have encountered far more judgment and criticism than welcoming embrace of the totality that we are, we may also have a deep fear of being seen. Especially of being called out or revealed or publicly shamed.  The simple act of gazing with the teacher may bring up these conflicting feelings, and many more having to do with one’s past experiences, positive or negative, of having been seen or not seen by others. This is perfectly normal and there is nothing that needs to “be done” about it. New participants are invited to just let these sorts of feelings be as they are, and to participate in the gazing to whatever level they are comfortable. It is perfectly acceptable, for instance, to make brief contact and then close your eyes; not pushing yourself beyond what feels right in the moment.  Most people pretty quickly discover that gazing is a loving experience, which speaks to the deepest part of them, beyond the mind. And they may notice that something gets touched in a way that is rare and special, and that the shyest, most tender part of who they are is welcomed to come forth here, where it is most safe to do so, to be seen and recognized and nurtured into wholeness.  3) Speaking your truth During the sharing, or check-in time, each person is invited to speak about anything that is currently “up” for them. This might be something that they are struggling with, personally, or an issue that they would like help with, to bring it into greater awareness. It might be something that they’re already quite aware of, or it might be something that is evoked by another person’s sharing. Or it might be a reaction to something someone else has said or done. In sittings, participants are invited to speak things that might normally be difficult to express. This includes any doubts, skepticism, or disagreements they might have with the Waking Down teachings, for instance. Or the teacher. We have found that these “edges” of resistance or dislike are often very fruitful places to investigate together, freeing up energy and attention for ever deeper inquiries.  It can be challenging to speak this plainly in a group of people. Since it isn’t something that is very encouraged in our society, therefore not something most people have had much practice with, we understand and expect that sometimes things will just come out as they will—unpolished and messy. Not to worry! It is preferable to express in a rough way than to hold back. We ask only that, as much as possible, people speak in terms of what they are experiencing rather than putting blame on others for what they are feeling.  The practice of speaking what’s important and true for you will bring greater freedom and enlivenment over time, and helps to bring you into life in a new and deeper way. In sittings, we welcome the totality of who you are—including your edges, your so-called “negativities,” and your less-than-ideal parts, as well as your gifts and successes.  As you speak, you are being consciously listened to by the teacher and other participants. Your teacher will likely ask some clarifying questions, or reflect back to you what they are registering of what you are speaking. They will rarely, if ever, give specific advice, because discoveries that you make for yourself are far more powerful. But just being listened to, and really heard, can help bring new levels of clarity and awareness about whatever issue you are currently considering, even if no words are spoken.  Confidentiality: all participants in a sitting are requested to keep everything shared completely confidential, for the safety and trust of the group.  4) Active Listening or “Holding”  Those who are not currently speaking are asked to participate by listening actively to the current speaker. By “active listening” we mean without agenda and without trying to find a solution or piece of advice to give the person. Listen as if you were going to be called on to repeat what the person has said.  Listen with your whole being, not just your ears and mind. Allow a portion of your awareness to be noticing how your body feels. Is it relaxed and open, or is it tense, sleepy, or agitated? These feelings can provide important clues to the deeper story behind the words the person is speaking, and will also help you become more sensitive to your body’s communications in general.  During a sitting, the teacher will be tracking the speaker closely, perhaps asking questions to help bring an issue to light. Do not interrupt this flow. However, if you feel a strong urge to ask a question or speak something that has come up in you, you may check in with the teacher to see if there is an appropriate time to speak. In some sittings, the other participants are invited to offer reflection to the speaker when (and if) they indicate they are open to receiving feedback.  5) Conscious feedback  If you are a newer participant, it would be best to observe a few times to get the feel for how this reflecting is done. Remember, we are not trying to fix anyone. A very fundamental premise of the waking down process is that you are already more than okay, you have not done anything wrong, and you do not need to be “fixed.” And we trust that you will be able to survive even very uncomfortable feelings, and do not need anyone to help you change how you feel. Even beyond that, we have discovered that it is the very act of allowing yourself to feel exactly how you feel that accelerates both the awakening process, and further integration beyond awakening.  If you have been invited to offer your reflections to the speaker, you can play a very important role of letting them know that they have been heard. Useful openers could be “I heard you say . . . . . .” or “while I was listening, I felt. . . .”  This simple process of speaking, listening, and reflecting, whether one is the speaker or listener, is a very powerful agency of deep healing. Just as gazing addresses our deep need to be seen, conscious sharing addresses our deep need to be heard in a nonjudgmental way. Every person has had wounding in this area, and as Sandra Glickman (a waking down teacher and therapist) has said, “wounds created in relationship, as so many of our deepest wounds are, can only be fully healed in, and by, relationship.”  A Waking Down sitting is a venue for exploring and creating conscious relationships, relationships that provide room for deep personal explorations, growth, and mutual support. Your participation in sittings will, over time, bring you many experiences that will enhance your ability to stay present with others no matter what they are experiencing. This, in turn, will greatly increase your ability to experience deep and real intimacy, in any and all of your personal relationships, within the group or otherwise.  A sitting cannot cover all the areas of what is called "Waking Down in Mutuality." Your awakening is a multi-dimensional process that really needs more time and attention than sittings alone can provide.  This is why having a teacher is invaluable on your journey.  Waking Down in Mutuality http://www.wakingdown.org Institute of Awakened Mutuality http://awakenedmutuality.org/ Address: 36 R Street NW (approx. half-block from Big Bear Café) e-mail: wakeup@samsarahouse.org Twitter: @samsarahouse Web: www.samsarahouse.org Facebook: facebook.com/samsarahouse RSVP here: http://wakingdown2.eventbrite.com Cost: At least twenty bucks, $20 (RSVP Required)   What to bring: Warm socks if needed, we'll be sitting on the floor on cushions.  Tea will be served. About Samsara House 2023 *  "Samsara House 2023" at 36 R Street NW is an Awareness-based shared space where world-shifting communities are meshworked to experience and spread what's emerging.  Samsara House 2023 rapidly prototypes models for the new world to ignite a revolution in consciousness within ten years. Samsara House 2023’s strategy is to exemplify a gift-economy over the current market economy, one that values giving over having. While all events cost at least one dollar to cover utilities, any additional contribution will go towards periodically giving half back to a socially responsible organization or cause in need in the community that you also help identify. Going together as a river, we build a thriving community of communities and pave the way for a new world. Samsara House 2023 is a Holacracy powered organization founded by Cullen Kowalski at a row house in Bloomingdale, New Washington, D.C. You never change things by fighting the existing reality.  To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. ~ Buckminster Fuller  Be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ Gandhi                                                                           Samsara House 2023 36 R St NW Washington, DC 20001 Attend Event Events powered by EventBrite Copyright © 2014 Samsara House 2023, All rights reserved. Your e-mail address was added to the Samsara House Mailing List as a result of having attending one or more events in the past. Our mailing address is: Samsara House 2023 36 R Street NW Washington, DC 20001

? vans parked on Q St NW between 1st and Florida in the early morning that take homeless from the nearby soup kitchen to work on eviction properties ?

See this 07-30-2014 message from a Bloomingdale resident:
                                                   

Does anyone have information on the vans parked on Q St NW between 1st and Florida in the early morning (between 7-8am) that are taking mostly homeless people from the nearby soup kitchen to work on eviction properties?
          

I tried talking to contractors (van drivers) this morning, but it was very unclear what is going on - whether they are a legal operation (they claim to be contractors for the DC U.S. Marshalls), why the pick up point is on our block, etc.?
     
I've also heard rumors from the neighbors that they aren't paying minimum wage to their workers - that they work grueling days for about $20.
               

Any information would be great.  I've also contacted the DC U.S. Marshalls....waiting to hear back.