CM McDuffie's proposed "ban the box" housing bill: owner-occupied units are EXEMPT from this law

Are you an existing landlord or a prospective landlord in Bloomingdale?

See the announcement below from Ward 5 Councilmember McDuffie.

Does this "ban to box" bill impact Bloomingdale landlords who rent out their basements?

See this response from Nolan Treadway of CM McDuffie's office:

Owner-occupied units are EXEMPT from this law. As long as the owner lives on the property and the entire property is less than 4 units, this legislation would not apply.

And now you know.

          

From: Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie [mailto:kmcduffie=dccouncil.us@mail64.atl91.mcsv.net] On Behalf Of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2016 3:14 PM
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: McDuffie Sends Housing and LGBT Rights Legislation to Full Council

McDuffie Sends Housing and LGBT Rights Legislation to Full Council View this email in your browser McDuffie Sends Housing and LGBT Rights Legislation to Full Council   Trio of Bills Will "Ban the Box" in Housing; Legalize Surrogacy Agreements; and Recognize Gender Identity on Death Certificates For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 30, 2016 Contact: Nolan Treadway, 202-445-0361, ntreadway@dccouncil.us Washington, DC – Today, the Committee on the Judiciary of the D.C. Council voted unanimously to send three bills to the full Council. Fair Criminal Record Screening for Housing Act of 2016 [B21-0706] This bill – often called "Ban the Box for Housing" – prohibits housing providers from considering prior arrests that did not result in convictions when evaluating an applicant for tenancy. The bill also prohibits a housing provider from making an applicant disclose a pending criminal accusation or criminal conviction prior to making a conditional offer for housing. And after extending a conditional offer for housing, a housing provider must provide an applicant with the eligibility criteria used in deciding whether to rent or lease and may only consider certain pending criminal accusations and criminal convictions that have occurred in the past seven years. After a conditional offer is made, it may only be withdrawn if the housing provider determines that the withdrawal or adverse action achieves a substantial, legitimate, nondiscriminatory interest. Finally, the bill provides that complaints alleging violations of the law can be filed with the Office of Human Rights. Upon passage of the bill out of Committee, Councilmember McDuffie remarked: “The use of criminal history-based restrictions on access to housing results in the same racial and ethnic disparities in housing that we see in our criminal justice system. We know criminal and arrest records are rarely looked at on a case-by-case basis and instead used in blanket denials of anyone who may have a blemish on their record. This legislation means that the tens of thousands of District residents who have some kind of criminal record will not be discriminated against on that basis.” ###

groundbreaking event at McMillan -- Wednesday, 12-07-2016

Here is the link to the Eventbrite even announcement below.
    

big Arcadia Mobile Market ribs sale this afternoon!

 

From: Alicia
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2016 3:04 PM
Subject: BIG Arcadia ribs sale today!

Hi Scott,

This is Alicia from Arcadia's Mobile Market. Since today is our last day of market, we are having a big ribs sale.

Our local, organic, pasture raised pork and beef ribs are all $2.50/lb, $2 off their usual price! Can't beat that!

We are sold out of all our produce except for beets and butternut squash.

We will be at 3rd and Elm NW until 6:30 or so.

Thanks for getting the word out.

Alicia

Unified Scene Theater's free (yep, FREE) monthly workshop returns Sunday, 12-11-2016

See this 11-30-2016 message:

The Unified Scene Theater's Free (yep, FREE) Monthly Workshop Returns Dec. 11th

Ever thought “Hey, this improv crap looks fun. But I’m not sure I could do it. Wouldn’t mind giving it a test run before I do.” Well, now’s your chance: we’re offering a free (that’s right: FREE) 2-hour improv workshop at The Unified Scene Theater, located in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of DC at 80 T Street NW, on Sunday, December 11th, from 1-3 p.m. 

Improv classes are not only fun as hell, but also provide a skillset that helps you in such areas a public speaking, creativity, and communication. And: they're a fantastic way to meet people and to create bonds through shared laughter. 

Not only that, you'll be joining a thriving community of improvisors at Bloomingdale's The Unified Scene Theater, which, despite its size, definitely punches above its weight class: we've been open for a little over a year, and in that time we've had sold out shows and classes, with performers from such hallowed improv comedy theaters as Second City, Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theater (PIT), and Upright Citizens Brigade gracing our stage, as well as writers and performers from such shows as "Broad City" and "Saturday Night Live." And, in the over 15 years he's been teaching, Artistic Director Shawn Westfall has trained people who've gone on to perform on the mainstage at Second City and Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, on shows such as "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Saturday Night Live" and as well as other shows and comedy outlets such as "Funny or Die" and "College Humor." He's provided improv comedy training to Hollywood actors (Blair Underwood), local radio DJs (Tommy McFly, Sarah Fraser), ESPN anchors (Lindsay Czarniak), NBC Washington personalities (David Culver), even former members of Congress (Larry LaRocco). 

So join us. Come on by. Try it out. Kick the tires. It's free. And you might surprise yourself — and have fun doing it! Space is limited, so let us know you're coming by emailing us at info@unifiedscenetheater.com and say, “yeah, what the hell, I’m coming.” 

See You On The Scene! 

Shawn and Kathy 

The Unified Scene Theater 
80 T Street NW 
Bloomingdale, DC 

Shawn Westfall
Artistic Director
The Unified Scene Theater
shawn@unifiedscenetheater.com

BloomingdaleDC-based JSquared Candle Co at area holiday markets!

See this 11-30-2016 message:

By now some of you may have seen JSquared Candle Co. pop up on your Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram feeds.  We are a brand new candle company made right here on Adams St in Bloomingdale!  100% handcrafted pure soy wax candles, we exclusively use certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils to scent our candles.  Each of our twelve unique blends take advantage of the therapeutic effects of essential oils to target specific aspects of life balance.  There are no “fragrance oils” or “other natural fragrances” so not only do our candles burn very pure, but are much safer and gentle on allergies.  Check out our website at www.jsquaredcandle.com!

We are ultimately so new that we’re not available in any stores yet, but we have a number of special appearances set up around the city throughout December.  Come visit us!  We love meeting our neighbors and sharing our passion.  You can find us on the following dates:

Dec 3-6:                      F St. Holiday Market (12-8p)

• Dec 8-11:                    14th St Holiday Market (12-10p)
• Dec 11:                        Fenton St HOLIDAZE Market (10a-4p)
• Dec 15-18:      14th St Holiday Market (12-10p)
• Dec 17:                        west elm Union Market Pop-Up (10a-5p)
• Dec 20-23:      14th St Holiday Market (12-10pm)

We can’t wait to see you!

Jeff and Jeff

JSquared Candle Co.
Facebook: @jsquaredcandleco
Instagram: @jsquaredcandle
Twitter: @jsquaredcandle

window for developers to respond to Howard University's Slowe Hall and Carver Hall RFP's is now closed

At tonight's LeDroit Park Civic Association meeting, it was announced that Howard University had issued an RFP for Slowe Hall on 3rd Street NW and Carver Hall at 2nd and Elm Street NW.

Carver Hall is now empty, while Slowe Hall is still occupied as a student dormitory.

HU would retain ownership of the two sites -- and not be sold to developers.

The RFP that was issued was wide-open -- including whether the two buildings should be kept.  So the responses submitted by development teams could suggest that one or both of the buildings be razed.

It should be noted that Slowe Hall is within the LeDroit Park Historic District, while Carver Hall is not. 

The RFP response window closed the day before Thanksgiving.

HU will need to amend the campus plan in order so the two buildings can be renovated into whatever future uses are decided upon.  So HU will need to come before the community with the plans for the two sites as part of the master plan amendment process.

HU will come before the Bloomingdale Civic Association soon as well with this same info.  Stay tuned.
 

Slowe Hall

Carver Hall

a special happy hour at Pub and the People this Sunday, 12-04-2016 -- for Langley Elementary School

From: jen
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2016 1:30 PM
Subject: Come raise a glass for our local public school on December 4th from 5-7 at The Pub and The People

The Pub and The People invites you to a very special happy hour on Sunday, December 4 from 5-7 pm.  

A portion of all food and beverage sales will be donated to our neighborhood's most valuable asset: Langley Elementary School. 

All are welcome!

The Langley Community sincerely thanks the Bloomingdale Community and The Pub and The People for their generous commitment to our children. 

 

Langley Elementary School

 

an old photo of the flooding at 1st & T Street NW

Hopefully, the DC Water 1st Street Tunnel project will help prevent flooding at and around 1st & Rhode Island Avenue NW.

Pic below from a few years ago from Andrew Nazdin.

renovations of a Hofgard pop-up house in BloomingdaleDC may be completed

See this tweet and image:

#GivingTuesday -- DC Preservation League

Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2016 6:01 AM
Subject: Please help #PreserveDC -- #GivingTuesday is here!

Use this area to offer a short teaser of your email's content. Text here will show in the preview area of some email clients. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Dear Friends of DCPL, Today marks the fifth anniversary of #GivingTuesday—an international day of generosity!  Following the highly recognized consumer-focused Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is intended to encourage each of us to reflect on the charitable organizations that mean the most to us and give back in some way, through gifts of time and/or monetary donations.  I hope that you’ll make a donation to support DC Preservation League's work to preserve and protect the historic and built environment throughout the Washington, DC. For more than 45 years, DCPL has been working to protect DC’s historic resources.  With help from dedicated members and friends like you, DCPL has accomplished so much—like saving the Old Post Office Building and the Willard Hotel from demolition; successfully nominating Uline Arena and the Warner Theater as landmarks; and the restoration and reopening of the DC War Memorial, just to name a few. I’m excited to tell you that each gift made to DCPL today will be matched dollar-for-dollar by another loyal supporter.  So, please give generously and know that your donation will have double the impact! Funds raised today will help underwrite DCPL’s critical advocacy work.  They will also support efforts to provide educational programming, like our popular guided tours, lectures, and technical workshops.  With your help, we’ll continue to raise awareness of the importance of historic preservation and the challenges faced by communities across our city. Thank you in advance for your #GivingTuesday donation which will be used to help #preservedc.  I send you best wishes for a happy and healthy year-end. Best wishes, Rebecca Miller Executive Director  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2016 DC Preservation League, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website, www.dcpreservation.org. Our mailing address is: DC Preservation League 1221 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 5A Washington, DC 20036 Add us to your address book

will the Seth Rich crime re-enactment be at Flagler and W St NW -- or perhaps in a film studio ?

See this tweet:

this Saturday: the annual St. George's Episcopal Church's Christmas Bazaar and Cafe -- crafts, rafflies, silent auction, poinsettias and more!

Mark your calendars!

St. George's ECW Christmas Bazaar & Cafe

Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM (EST)

St George's Episcopal Church

160 U Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20001

Van Alen: Crossing the Street - Intersection Mixtape - Thank You

From: Jessica Lax [mailto:jlax@vanalen.org]
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2016 1:31 PM
Subject: Crossing the Street - Intersection Mixtape - Thank You

Dear Community Advisory Board and Friends,

Thank you for helping us create a fantastic final event earlier this month! We could not have done it without your advice and support. No one knows the neighborhood and it's needs better than you and the folks living in the area. 

Thank you for letting us into your community and sharing your insights. I hope you had as much fun as we did. It was inspiring to learn about all the committed and supportive people in your community. We had a really great turn out for the final event, about 100 people over the 3 hours, with hundreds of CD's shared. Our artist partner, Furthermore did a really fantastic job tuning into the community, collecting sounds from and with locals and creating an engaging and unique final event. Furthermore is even mailing out the CDs to individuals in the community. For more information, or to download your neighborhood soundtrack, please visit the project website here.

While we are wrapping up the project now, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. 

Many thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

Best

VAN

ALEN

Jessica S. Lax
Associate Director of Competitions

30 West 22nd St.
New York, NY 10010
212 924 7000 x 20 
vanalen.org

INSTITUTE

At Van Alen Institute, we believe design can transform cities, landscapes, and regions to improve people’s lives. We collaborate with communities, scholars, policymakers, and professionals on local and global initiatives that rigorously investigate the most pressing social, cultural, and ecological challenges of tomorrow. Building on more than a century of experience, we develop cross-disciplinary research, provocative public programs, and inventive design competitions.

three weeks from today: Bloomingdale Civic Association meeting -- where the BCA Historic Preservation Committee will be providing an update

The chair of the Bloomingdale Civic Association Historic Preservation Committee announced at the Monday, 11-21-2016 BCA meeting that there would be an update at the Monday, 12-19-2016, BCA meeting.

FYI.

abandoned Chrysler 300 on the unit block of V Street NW

See this 11-28-2016 message:

FYI to the community, maybe someone knows whose car this is: There is an abandoned silver Chrysler 300, all tags have been removed (inspection sticker says it was D.C. tagged CU-0928, expired as of March 2016), and it's racked up over $1,300 in tickets this year alone per DMV web site.  Doors seem unlocked, and it's covered in dirt.  Seems to have been parked since at least May, roughly in front of 38 V St., N.W.

Does anyone know what happened to the owner(s)? Moved, deceased, arrested, out for lunch maybe? Or a stolen car? Or simply someone saving a parking spot for later ;-) ?

Thanks.

have you always wanted to learn how to handle and shoot a gun?

See this 11-25-2016 message from a Bloomingdale resident:

Shooting lessons.  Have you always wanted to learn how to handle and shoot a gun? Come out for a 1 to 1.5 hour lesson. Time depends on your preference and how many different (and types of) guns you want to try out. -- pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun.

Learn gun-safety basics as well as proper handling and marksmanship / target practice at an indoor range in the Lorton, VA area.

No need to be a 2d amendment fanatic -- guns are legal now in D.C., might as well know how to use one, even if you don't own one.

Everything provided for you (eye/ear protection, guns, ammo, targets). Just bring your valid ID (from any state) and a willingness to learn. Cost depends on duration, usually $150 for a small group of 1-3, plus ammo and range fees of about $25 p.p.  Have JD great feedback from the Bloomingdale community, 20 years' experience shooting guns, and have helped demystify the shooting experience for many folks who previously were either not interested in, or apprehensive of, firearms.  E-mail andy226a@gmail.com thanks.

an ABRA liquor license suspended

Here is the link to the long ABRA PDF.

2. Case#16-CC-00024 Capitol Food Mart, 1634 North Capitol ST N.W., Retailer B, License# ABRA-088815 Decision: Sale to Minor: Staff Settlement; Failed to Take Reasonable Steps to Ascertain Legal Age: Staff Settlement.

seeking old, previously loved (or hated) purses to be recrafted as a Mardi Gras throw

See this 11-28-2016 message:

Hello All!

I am part of a New Orleans Mardi Gras Krewe called the Krewe of Nyx and part of the Nyx Krewe schtick is to decorate old purses and hand them out to the crowds as part of our custom "throws." I need to begin this decorating process now so that I am ready to roll in February. Do any of you have old, small, previously loved (or hated) purses that you can give me so that I can give them new life as a Mardi Gras throw? I prefer that they are small handbags or pocketbooks - doesn't matter if they are cloth, leather, or beaded, I will take whatever you have. Email me at erinwhite@yahoo.com if you would like to donate. Thank you SO much in advance. 

Erin Lynn Fairbanks Painter, Illustrator, Activist, Mother

pre-owned purses