Reading Series at the Big Bear Cafe - Saturday 6-9pm

hope to see you there!

seeking someone who does concrete work on steps

From a Bloomingdale resident:

I would like to see if anyone in the community has any recommendations for someone who does concrete! I would like to get some work done on my steps.

Housing Complex's analysis of & solutions for the Florida & North Capitol intersection

See Lydia DePilllis' Housing Complex post from earlier this morning.

The post has a map image, so you may wish to click on the blog link to take a look at it.

You might wish to clidk on the link below in order to read the long list of follow-up comments.

Florida Panhandle: Does the Layout at Florida Avenue and North Capitol Street Cause Crime?

Posted by Lydia DePillis on Feb. 3, 2011 at 7:57 am

[http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2011/02/03/florida-panhandle-does-the-layout-at-florida-avenue-and-north-capitol-street-cause-crime/]

The lay of the land. (Brooke Hatfield)

Just after 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, Bill Mitchell was walking home from the New York Avenue-Florida Avenue-Gallaudet University Metrorail station. He hopped over busy Florida Avenue to a little triangle of land where a woman had been approached by a man on a mountain bike. According to the woman, the man on the bike asked her for sex. When she declined, he went up to Mitchell at the bus stop and asked him for money. The woman told him to lay off, and as the two got into an argument, Mitchell jumped on the man`s back.

Bad decision.

``This is what I been waiting for,`` the man said, as the police report tells it. He pulled out a gun and fired two shots at Mitchell, who died in a hospital two hours later.

What followed was the kind of outpouring of shock and outrage usually generated by the killing of community-minded young white people like Mitchell. There was a vigil, an emergency public safety meeting, a walk-through of the neighborhood with Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr., Mayor Vince Gray, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier—one of several several similar visits since she was appointed—and a handful of other agency directors. Calls for more police on the corner were issued.

But this time, it`s not just a matter of having more cops come through and bang heads. Neighbors think the physical shape of the immediate area and the buildings nearby might have helped cause the crime.

Here`s the lay of the land: Florida Avenue cuts across the busy six lanes of North Capitol Street in a chaotic basket of stoplights and signals. There`s a bus stop right next to a liquor store on the southwest corner, and another across the street on the traffic island, which allows sauced loiterers to claim they`re waiting for the bus when police come by to move them along. A few blocks away, So Others Might Eat feeds two meals a day to more than 400 homeless people at its headquarters on O Street NW. There`s an outpatient substance abuse treatment center a few blocks south on First Street NE, a medical clinic for the homeless up on Lincoln Road, and a needle exchange van that occasionally sits on Florida Avenue.

Tom Usselman, who`s lived in the neighborhood for nine years and serves on the board of North Capitol Main Street, says he would never wait for a bus at the intersection, which he sees as a maelstrom of disorderly activity.

``We come in, we hit the meth clinic, we grab breakfast over at SOME, we sell our methadone to drug users, and then they don`t need to purchase as much cocaine or whatever it is they`re on—because they`ve got the methadone, it was just a big feeding circle,`` he says, sitting at a folding table in NCMS` storefront office. ``The police have to be extra vigilant to know who is where and what they`re doing. There`s so much activity that it allows the drug dealers and the other guys that are doing bad things to slide under the radar, as long as they keep below that noise.``

Lonna Hooks, NCMS` executive director, thinks things have gotten worse recently. ``The situation is escalating,`` she says, of street harassment and panhandling. ``There is a large amount of people who are clearly not residents, and they have become extremely aggressive.``

Except crime isn`t escalating, at least not the kind that shows up in the city`s CapStat system. The last three years show no consistent trend of incidents taking place within a quarter-mile radius around the intersection (and the average crime rate is actually lower than the same radius around M Street NW and Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown). Plus, there are fewer social services in the neighborhood than there used to be—at least one meth clinic has relocated, and police say the needle exchange truck rarely comes by anymore.

To understand Usselman`s perspective, I spent quite a bit of time ``waiting for a bus`` at the intersection. It`s a fairly affable atmosphere; people stand around, a little aimlessly, chatting about getting off drugs, getting out of jail. The line for cigarettes and singles inside the liquor store is polite. The most uncomfortable thing was having to stand the whole time: The spiked treeboxes meant to keep homeless people from sitting on them make the little traffic island inhospitable to everyone. At no point did I feel threatened, but I did notice that people who looked like me hustled past quickly, as if the intersection were made out of quicksand.

After a while it occurred to me: This isn`t so much about crime, as it is about the perception of crime. What if more people had been on that traffic island when Mitchell was killed? Would the gunman have been so willing to shoot and run?

The problems at Florida Avenue and North Capitol Street go back long before the killing of Bill Mitchell, or even the demographic changes now sweeping the neighborhood. They began in 1947, when the city demolished Truxton Circle and plowed the streets right on through, creating an open sore in the street grid and disrupting the protected feeling that you get from having properties ringing an interior space.

Though some businesses have clung to the street, like crustaceans in a jetstream, not much can really bloom in such a harsh environment. Saeed Momenian has owned a sports store on the corner for 21 years, and says crime is now pretty low—but he`s lost his lower-income clientele, and is having difficulty attracting the newer, wealthier residents who are afraid to walk by the shop.

The school of crime prevention that focuses on environmental design as opposed to police suppression is by now fairly well established. Its principles are basic: You need good visibility from many angles, which requires excellent lighting and low shrubbery. You need to make sure the neighborhood seems cared for, by keeping it clean and well-painted. But most importantly, says the National Institute for Crime Prevention`s Art Hushen, you need to get people to take ownership of their spaces and watch over each other—homeless people or not.

``When you rehabilitate the neighborhood, the offender can no longer survive,`` Hushen says. ``The more social interaction you have amongst people, the less opportunity for crime you have, because people are responsible for each other.``

This is just as true for places like the pocket park on Florida Avenue and 1st Street NW, which has long been known as a drug-infested homeless hangout. It`s getting a $1.4 million facelift, but Bates Area Civic Association President Geovani Bonilla knows it`ll still require a willingness on the part of the community to spend time there. ``If we as a community don`t do events and coordinate things, then we`ll never be able to take that park back,`` he says.

Neighbors are right to focus on improving the area`s cleanliness and function. Narrowing North Capitol Street and turning the intersection back into a circle might do the most to make the space usable again, but mustering the political will is likely too big a lift. Still, there are more realistic options: As the Urban Land Institute recommended in a 2009 study, the traffic island should be merged back into the northwest corner—which is empty and fenced-off, waiting for a stalled condo development—to create a real public plaza, while southbound cars take a wider turn right onto Florida. Public restrooms would give people a place to relieve themselves other than the sidewalk, and perhaps there should be an activity center for homeless people to spend time productively instead of on the street. Vacant properties nearby must be put into productive use—like the decaying Slater, Cook, and Langston schools on P Street, where neighbors have resisted transitional housing for young people.

Other design changes, like moving bus stops to make it easier for cops to crack down on loiterers, just seem like a way of pushing out people who have nowhere else to go. That might make residents feel more comfortable using the space, but the more important step is for them to stop being afraid in the first place. At one point in my loitering, a guy—not evidently homeless—offered me a piece of his pizza from Subway, which I declined. He regarded me for a second. ``Not all black people are bad, you know,`` he said, seemingly concerned about what I might make of the cluster of vagrants, before rushing off to catch a bus.

"provide input to the Public Charter School Board about LAYC"

See this message from a Bloomingdale resident:

The Public Charter School Board (PCSB) has just announced that it has received 19 applications for new charter schools, to open in the fall of 2012. Experience suggests that no more than a handful will actually receive their charters. LAYC is, of course, one of the groups which has submitted an application for a charter. This information is available on the PCSB's website.

I can't help but notice two errors of omission in the executive summary. The first is that while the group touts its success serving families in Ward 1 and claims its intended future location is Ward 1, it fails to mention that they're actively trying to acquire a facility not in Ward 1, but in Ward 5. The second, and more egregious omission is the failure to mention - anywhere in the two page (singled-spaced, no less) summary - that the program includes over two dozen units of subsidized housing. (Needless to say, it also fails to mention the unified community opposition to the aforementioned subsidized housing.)

Fortunately, the PCSB charter review process includes the opportunity for the community to provide input. From the PCSB's announcement:

During the next seven weeks, each applicant will receive a technical review, and have an interview of the founding groups and proposed principals. Public hearings are scheduled for March 21st and March 22nd to allow applicants to present their proposals to the Board and the public, and to solicit input from the community. The PCSB will make decisions to approve or deny the applications during its April 25th monthly meeting. The executive summary of each application and more details about the process are available on the Board’s website.

I think it's worthwhile for the community to follow the PCSB's calendar and prepare to attend the public hearings scheduled for mid-late March.

LAYC never bothered to solicit our input, fortunately the Public Charter School Board is planning to do just that.

You may read the announcement here: http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/News-Room.aspx?ID=183

You may see a list of charter applications and a link to their summaries here: http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/2011-Charter-School-Applications/2011-Application-Summaries.aspx

You may download LAYC's summary here: http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/data/images/11-011%20layc%20career%20academy.pdf

question as a Bloomingdale resident in support of the wishes of the residents of Shaw/Bates/Truxton Circle neighborhood (and community as a whole)

See this comment from a Bloomingdale resident:

Would the answer to the problem in a community of too many liquor stores be to take an abandoned building in the area, build a shiny new liquor store, provide on-site security and dedicate a ``space`` for an arts use somewhere in the liquor store?

It`s a rhetorical question and ridiculous on its face as a solution. But that`s precisely what I believe in spirit LAYC is proposing, including the so-called compromises they have offered. They don`t seem to get the point. The community is opposed to the social service component of the project – read: Section 8 housing for troubled youth or whomever – not the charter school.

In fact, the neighborhood went on record in support of another charter school proposal (KIPP, I believe) which included arts uses as a significant part of its design and redevelopment not some corner room use and, most importantly, did not have a social service component to its proposal. Just making use of an abandoned building – which continues to be the recurring theme in LAYC`s argument – in and of itself, is not something the community ought to accept as a good thing.

If you still don`t get it, just ask the resident homeowners who now live (or used to live) on O Street NW what a great use S.O.M.E. has made of those once-abandoned/vacant buildings, and then ask any resident within a 10 block radius what they see every day as an outcome .

"CM Thomas, please allow the DC Council resolution that authorizes the city to lease the JF Cook School to YouthBuild/LAYC to expire"

See this letter to Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. from ANC 5C01 Commissioner Bradley Thomas and ANC 5C02 Commissioner Sylvia Pinkney:



Councilmember, Harry Thomas, Jr.
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Suite 107
Washington, DC 20013

Dear Councilman Thomas,

In accordance with the December 10, 2010, roundtable hearing outcome, Commissioner Bradley Thomas and I, on December 22, 2011, assembled the Truxton Circle witnesses to discuss the community`s stance regarding the use of the John F. Cook Elementary School. We exchanged possible alternatives to the ``no residential component`` stipulated by the community, developed and voted on three proposals.

First,the community would retain the J.F. Cook Elementary School. The community would work with identified developers to refurbish the school as a collaborative arts center partnering the visual and performing arts, community arts programming, artist studio space,and a design workshop under one roof. This would create a synergetic hub for the arts that meets the needs of area artists, designers, performers, and residents by creating a multi-purpose flexible venue which is used to provide a unique, exciting and culturally rich haven for the area residents and their families. An arts center would serve as a catalyst pivotal to the economic development and growth on North Capital Street, between New York Avenue and Florida Avenue, NW.

Second, the Youth Build Public Charter School (YBPCS) would be given a lease to occupy the first floor and the community would determine use of the second and third floors of the Cook School building.

Third, YBPCS would operate its school on the first floor, while the residential component, operated by the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) would be limited to twenty-five percent of the current proposal, or 5 residential units on the second floor, while the community would work with LAYC to determine the types of programs to be housed in the remainder of the space.

January, 13, 2011, Commissioner Bradley Thomas and I convened an informal follow-up meeting with LAYC representatives to explore feasible shared common ground regarding the John F. Cook Elementary School development project. The LAYC proposed affordable housing for 35 instead of 47 young adults. The young adults would be housed in eighteen units and LAYC staff in the remaining two. They also offered to reduce the number of adult residents by increasing the number of young families and to enter into a mutual agreement with the community stipulating the number of persons housed in the facility but made it very clear that any significant reduction of the number of housing units below the 18 designated for their constituent population would be fatal to their planned funding structure. They did offer various amenities for the community in exchange for our support of the project as is.

The LAYC/YBPCS representatives requested that we discuss their offer with our community group and provide feed-back. Wednesday, January 19, 2011, a meeting was called and a decision made to not accept the offer. The unanimous decision was based on the fact that because of its financial constraints and the inflexibility of the link between the size of the housing component of the Cook School project and its funding structure, the LAYC offer has effectively not changed.

Consequently, the community and LAYC have reached an impasse. Whereas the community has consistently been receptive to the Youth Build Public Charter School, we remain unified in our opposition to the residential portion of the project.

Respectfully, the Truxton Circle civic leaders and community requests that you stand with the majority of the residents in the Cook School neighborhood, the Hanover Area Civic Association, the Bates Area Civic Association and Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5C and vote and advocate in favor of allowing the council resolution that authorizes the city to lease the John F. Cook Elementary School to the YBPCS and the LAYC to expire.

Sincerely,
_____________________

Sylvia M. Pinkney
Commissioner ANC 5C02
____________________

Bradley Thomas
Commissioner ANC 5C01

Open Houses scheduled in and around Bloomingdale for 1/30/2011

The list of open houses scheduled for Sunday can be found here. The same information in a map format with directions can be found here. To see info on each listing, scroll over the push pins on the map.

YouthBuild/LAYC: Call for a voluntary agreement for the Cook School redevelopment

See this second 01/28/2011 message from Bloomingdale resident Angie Rodgers:

Call for A Voluntary Agreement for the Cook School Redevelopment

Since the December 10th DC Council public roundtable about the proposed redevelopment of the Cook School, YouthBuild and LAYC have been meeting with civic leaders to determine how we find common ground that would allow the program to move forward. We have put a number of ideas on the table, and we continue to brainstorm.

We understand and respect that some of these ideas may appear to be just chatter to those who want to see the development happen without the housing, and are unmoved by any proposal that doesn`t completely remove the housing. There are several realities, though:

(1) redeveloping and operating a building of that size takes money, and the school portion of the project (YouthBuild) can`t do it on their own;

(2) even if YouthBuild could redevelop and operate the building on their own, the unique combination of education, job training and housing under one roof is a proven model that these two organizations want to replicate in the District. Where this model has been implemented, 77 percent of the participants break the cycle of welfare dependence for the first time in their family`s histories. So these two organizations haven`t partnered because of money; they`ve partnered for the opportunity to make an impact;

(3) YouthBuild and LAYC walking away and losing the roughly $1 million spent to develop the plans for Cook over the past year and a half is not like BP Oil losing a million in corporate profits. These are two nonprofits who have struggled through the recession just like other nonprofits, and have competed fiercely for public and foundation dollars and fundraised privately to make the Cook School happen. We have heard of references about moving the building to another community – Eckington, for example - and we are thankful to that welcome. Unfortunately, it would take another million to move to that site in Eckington. Once again, there are no corporate profits for the two groups to dig into to make this happen; it would take more public and foundation dollars, taking needed resources away from other worthy causes.

Given these realities, we think it would be a real loss if, as a whole, we couldn`t reach some agreement. We have put a number of compromises on the table, and we continue to brainstorm. We would like to turn those ideas and others into a voluntary agreement between us and the neighborhood. During a meeting earlier this month with ANC 5C Commissioners Pinkney and Bradley, we offered the following:

• Reducing the number of youth in the housing by increasing the number of families

• Advisory Board with community participation

• LAYC AmeriCorps members & YBPCS students engagement in volunteer community improvement projects

• Participation in affordable housing renovation in collaboration with housing developers (In Columbia Heights, LAYC bought houses along 15th Street and helped clean up that block)

• Community Meeting Space

• Community Arts activities & programming open to the community

• Community Policing & Safety activities – ideas may include coordinating community safety walks, conducting a needs assessment via LAYC`s existing Street Outreach & Violence Prevention teams, deploying our anti-gang programs, etc.

• LAYC Digital Connector program to support technology needs in the surrounding community

After that meeting, we continued to brainstorm and came up with the idea of YouthBuild and LAYC working to bring in resources for a public safety fund which could be used to re-do the pocket park at North Capitol and Florida, invest in existing neighborhood parks, and/or invest in new or ongoing safety programs. Could we be helpful in any way in advancing the fight for speed bumps on P Street (which would help us as well if we move into Cook)? Can we help with streetscape recommendations for the businesses along North Capitol Street? These are things that we are asking, but we want to know whether others are looking at the possibilities of this partnership as well. What can we get done in the neighborhood surrounding the Cook School? We`ve said that we want to be partners, but we need your ideas as well.

As mentioned, we think that the result of these ideas should be a voluntary agreement. If we can get a good exchange of ideas going on, perhaps we can move this discussion into an upcoming civic meeting (ANC or one of the associations) or plan a separate meeting. Our sense at this point is that we need something concrete, like a voluntary agreement to hammer out, to move us forward; otherwise we will only continue to talk around each other.

Please post your ideas to the blogs/listservs; email us at project@jfcookschool.org; or stop us if you see us out canvassing the neighborhood. We will come back to this space in a few days with a listing of all the ideas, and plans to move the conversation to some forum where we can discuss.

-- Angie Rodgers

YouthBuild/LAYC canvassing the JF Cook School neighborhood this weekend

See this 01/28/2011 message from Bloomingdale resident Angie Rodgers:

YouthBuild/LAYC Canvassing the Cook Neighborhood This Weekend

YouthBuild and LAYC stakeholders will be out in the neighborhood surrounding the Cook School this weekend to continue the dialogue with neighbors about the proposed redevelopment. We continue to hear concerns about how the proposed project may jeopardize public safety in an area that already has challenging safety concerns, how the project may not add needed momentum to economic development efforts, and how the scale of 47 additional young residents may overwhelm that block.

Of course, we think the project has some merit as is to counter these concerns in that it reclaims a vacant building that takes up half of a city block and turns it into an attractive development that will bring foot traffic/eyes on the street and 24-hour security. We`ve continued to meet with civic leaders, however, to put ideas on the table to address the breadth of concerns.

For example, what if LAYC offered some of the apartment units to families instead of youth? What if a community advisory board was set up to monitor the development? What if YouthBuild/LAYC worked to set up a public safety fund that could be used for things like re-doing the pocket park at Florida and North Capitol?

We want to know what you think about these ideas and others, and we want to hear your ideas as well. We will be out this Saturday morning to afternoon going door to door, and we hope to see you in the neighborhood!

-- Angie Rodgers

North Capitol Main Street welcomes Fab Lab

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

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=tp9zhzcab&v=001ERobWwfqaaeN_vuLIejZWGLHMOfG742RJzy0W4RNrYWEE3eL2WdffGD58JBLMLzyIh3r-gGFBQ0Yvoysm59gqpRYn2cns3a0PfC4Zwj0PYblU1AtjSDueKKWignyDJipFUoaoRjnt-Y%3D

Congratulations Fab Lab!

Awesome Foundation D.C. Awards its 1st grant to Fab Lab.

January/2011

NCMS Congratulates Fab Lab

Awesome Foundation D.C. chooses Fab Lab for its first grant. The Fab Lab program is part of the MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA), which "broadly explores how the content of information relates to its physical representation." Fab Labs are part of the maker movement, which celebrates the creative tinkering that has been part of the American character for centuries.

Phyllis Klein, who submitted the application for the winning grant, is currently operating a mobile Fab Lab on 14th Street NW. The Awesome Foundation grant will go to help activate a new bricks and mortar space on North Capitol Street, NW. Following is her successful application:

In the spirit of MIT's Fab Lab community outreach project, Fab Lab D.C. will create a high-tech, fabrication laboratory/community workshop in the heart of the nation's capital to advance creativity, innovation and collaborative projects. Fab Lab D.C. will serve and foster the creative community by providing access to digital fabrication technology, rapid prototyping, and the global Fab Lab network.

With a focus on life-long learning and emphasis on investigative teamwork, Fab Lab D.C. plans to provide a range of educational programs for people of all ages, including access to the international Fab Lab network and Fab Academy, which extend opportunities for information sharing, research and broader social impact.

Fab Lab is for local community members, life-long learners, inventors, entrepreneurs, creatives and professionals.

With its location within walking distance and in view of the U. S. Capitol Building, Fab Lab D.C. will also serve as a model for the nation's leaders in policy, government and industry to experience first hand Fab Lab's proven grassroots approach in developing technical education and literacy, promoting innovation, launching inventions and incubating new businesses.

Visit www.fablabdc.org for more information.


Sincerely,

Lonna Hooks
North Capitol Main Street
1703 North Capitol Street, NE
Washington, D.C., District of Columbia 20002

perhaps Guns Into Plowshare sculpture for North Capitol & Florida Avenue NW ?

See this idea from a Bloomingdale resident who attended last night`s vigil for Billy Mitchell at the site of the 1/19/2011 homicide – the northwest corner of North Capitol Street NW and Florida Avenue NW:

At the vigil last night, our city councilmember recommended finding a way to revitalize the park where Billy Mitchell was shot. I just found this article about an anti-violence sculpture that`s been languishing out of sight in D.C. The sculptor is seeking a more high-profile place for the sculpture. I couldn`t think of a more visible appropriate location than the park at N. Capitol and Florida Ave. Do you have any suggestions, ideas, or thoughts on this?

Here is the article in question, which an image of the sculpture:

Plowshares sculpture in Washington moved again
By Sheldon C. Good
Mennonite Weekly Review
http://www.mennoweekly.org/2011/2/7/plowshares-sculpture-moved-again/

Examiner: "Residents: Area used as dumping ground for DC social services"

See this 1/26/2011 Washington Examiner article on the controversial topic of the plans by the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC)/YouthBuild Public Charter School (YBPCS) for the J.F. Cook School on the unit block of P Streeet NW.

Note that the article title in the print version of this article is different than the online version. The print version article heading is ``Neighbors protest subsidized housing at youth center.``

And note that ANC 5C02 Commissioner Sylvia Pinkney, Lori Kaplan of LAYC and Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. are quoted.

Neighborhood, youth center at odds over subsidized housing
Residents: Area used as dumping ground for DC social services
http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2011/01/neighborhood-youth-center-odds-over-subsidized-housing

Residents of the Truxton Circle neighborhood east of Howard University are banding together to protest subsidized housing at a proposed school and job training center, a move that could stymie the two-year-old project as it heads to the D.C. Council.

Locals say they are not against the charter school by the Latin American Youth Center that would help rehabilitate youths ~ but their neighborhood is becoming a dumping ground for social services without regard to community amenities.

Sylvia Pinkney, a commissioner on the area`s Advisory Neighborhood Commission, said Truxton Circle already has 13 social services such as Rachel`s Women`s Center or Isaiah House.

``We are not getting what we want ~ we want retail,`` she said. ``We would like some kind of business in Cook School that would draw people from outside of the community to our community.``

The Latin American Youth Center, based in Adams Morgan, wants to convert and expand the upper floors of the now-closed John F. Cook School building near North Capital and P streets into 20 apartments, 18 of which would house up to 47 young adults who are or are about to be homeless. The ground floor would hold the school and training center.

But residents are opposing what is essentially a non-negotiable aspect of the project ~ the youth center`s $13 million in funding from Lower Income Housing Tax Credits, private foundation money and a smaller portion from the Department of Mental Health, goes away if the project doesn`t include Section 8 housing.

``It`s not simply that we`re ignoring their concerns,`` said Lori Kaplan, the center`s executive director. ``It`s to change the housing tanks the entire project.``

Kaplan said the funding only allowed them to offer the neighborhood a reduced number of residents in the subsidized housing after both sides were told by D.C. Council to work out a compromise. Pinkney said this week that residents wanted five apartments or less; the number of people wasn`t the point.

``We are at an impasse,`` she said.

The council resolution that authorizes the city to lease the building to the youth center`s Youthbuild Public Charter School was reintroduced this month and expires in mid-February. Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. said the council would like to act but the inflexibility of the project`s funding complicates the issue.

``It puts me in a very awkward position because I`m very much a supporter of the school and the program, but at some point we have to listen to the public`s input,`` Thomas said.

Emergency Public Safety Meeting for North Capitol Street Area

Councilmember Thomas, in partnership with the Fifth Police District and North Capitol Main Street, Inc. (NCMS), will hold an emergency public safety meeting at 7 pm on Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at the offices of NCMS.

The meeting is in response to the shooting death of Bill Mitchell, Jr. on Wednesday, January 19th. A vigil at the site of the shooting will be held at 6 pm, prior to the community meeting.

Details are summarized below:

VIGIL

Where: Park at Florida Avenue and North Capitol Street, NW

When: 6:00 pm to 6:50 pm



EMERGENCY COMMUNITY MEETING

Where: North Capitol Main Street Office, 1703 North Capitol Street, NE

When: 7 pm to 8:30 pm

"the problems at North Capitol St NW & Florida Ave NW"

See this 1/21/2011 post at the Eckington list by Bloomingdale resident Tom Usselman:

The problems at Florida & North Cap NW

For the 9 years I`ve lived in this neighborhood, Everyone in the city government has known about that intersection and what a nightmare it is. And I mean EVERYONE.

I think it is safe to say that every civic, police and business meeting has held special meetings to discussed this topic for as far back as anyone can remember.

Here are the issues:

1. S.O.M.E. ~ So Others Might Eat (www.some.org) feeds 488 people from around the city twice a day. These people are bused in from all over the city. Bused in!
a. So after breakfast they hang out from New York Ave to Florida Ave and drink etc. until it is lunch time. Then hang out till it is time to head for the shelters or just sleep in the parks.
b. Talk to the owners of City Gear and Subway if you want an earful about that.
c. This loitering creates an atmosphere of lawlessness that allows other behavior to exist, drinking in public etc.

2. The bus stop on Florida Avenue is too close to the liquor store.
a. When the police attempt to move the troublemakers on, they claim to be waiting for the bus.

3. Methadone Clinics
a. At one point we had 3 methadone clinics located on New York Ave, I think there is only 1 left? And it may be closing soon which will help.

4. Vacant Properties
a. Property owners need this area to feel safer so they can attract businesses.
b. Talk to Brian Brown and Phyllis Klein. They have told me stories of potential tenants that drive up to check out a location and won`t even get out of their cars. They know they can`t make a business work with 15 homeless guys hanging out in front.

So the solution sounds easy to me, but there is no political will to make it happen.

1. Convince S.O.M.E. that the current feeding program it too large for a residential neighborhood. Encourage them to open smaller sites around the city to serve people where they stay. Why don`t they feed them from Catholic Churches?
a. We have had numerous meetings with them in the past 9 years and Catholic Charities only cares about the homeless they are feeding. They don`t give a crap about the havoc they unleash in our neighborhood.

2. Move the metrobus stop away from the liquor store.
a. Again no political will to make this happen.

3. Get Health and Human service workers out from behind their desks at the peoples building (right next to Wendy`s and out into the streets to help those people that can be helped.
a. I find it ironic that the building that houses Health and Human Services is a gated Campus!!!! So they don`t feel safe with their workplace location and stick a big fence around it, yet we are expected to put up with it.

And BTW these are not just my opinions, but things I have heard in the countless police, business and planning meetings.

The bottom line is that we need to reduce the loitering so we can attract businesses that will increase foot traffic and reduce crime. Seems very simple.

Tom Usselman

articles, newscasts, blog posts on the 1/19/2011 Fatal Shooting of Billy Mitchell at North Capitol & Fla Ave NW

Random act of violence claims man`s life
By Theola Labbé-DeBose
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 21, 2011; 11:33 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/21/AR2011012106944.html

33-Year-Old DC Man Killed Walking Home in Northwest
Billy Mitchell was active in N Capitol St corridor
Updated: Friday, 21 Jan 2011, 5:44 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 11:43 PM EST
By ROBY CHAVEZ/myfoxdc
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/dc/33-year-old-dc-man-killed-walking-home-in-northwest-012011

More Details in Truxton Circle Shooting of Billy Mitchell
Posted on January 21, 2011
http://homicidewatch.org/2011/01/21/more-details-in-truxton-circle-shooting-of-billy-mitchell/

DC man murdered for intervening during a harassment incident
http://streetharassment.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/dc-man-murdered-for-intervening-during-a-harassment-incident /

MPD 1D PSA 102 blogspot.com
Homicide at North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue, NW
http://mpd1dpsa102.blogspot.com/2011/01/homicide-at-north-capitol-street-and.html

Man Shot and Killed at North Capitol and Florida Ave, NW Last Night
20 January 2011 12:30 PM
Homicide at North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue, NW
http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2011/01/man-shot-and-killed-at-north-capitol-and-florida-ave-nw-last-night/

Father Of Man Killed Near Truxton Circle Asks For Help
http://dcist.com/2011/01/father_of_man_killed_near_truxton_c.php

adult son of Bloomingdale resident Bill Mitchell shot at North Capitol St NW & Fla Ave NW last night, later died at the hospital

First, see this message posted at the MPD-5D list from earlier today:

From: "Greene, Lamar (MPD)"
To: "MPD-5D @ yahoogroups.com"
Sent: Thu, January 20, 2011 10:35:46 AM
Subject: [MPD-5D]

On Wednesday, January 19, 2011, at 2311 hours, units from the Fifth District were dispatched to the intersection of North Capitol St and Florida Ave to investigate a report of the sound of gunshots. Prior to their arrival, a unit from the First District was flagged down by a citizen and advised of a shooting victim on the Northwest corner of the intersection of North Capitol St. and Florida Ave. NW .

DCFEMS responded to the scene and transported the victim (an adult male) to an area hospital, suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso. The victim later died as a result of the injuries. Violent Crime Branch detectives are investigating the case and ask if anyone has information please contact MPD immediately 202- 727- 9099.

Commander Lamar D. Greene
Metropolitan Police Department
Fifth District

b) Now see this Email from Bloomingdale resident Bill Mitchell just received:

From: William L. Mitchell
To: Scott Roberts
Sent: Thu, January 20, 2011 11:11:48 AM
Subject: Shooting At North Capitol and Florida

Scott,

My son Billy was shot and killed last night at about 11:00 to 11:30 PM at North Capitol and Florida. I don`t have many details. Please put out a notice on the Bloomingdale list serve and ask for information from any witnesses -- who can contact MPD Homicide Detective Milton Norris at 202 - 497 - 4734 (cell).

student seeking referrals for legal expertise on re-entry and recidivism of ex-offenders reentering communities

See this 01/19/2011 message from a resident of R Street NW:

Resource referral - The daughter of a good friend of mine is going to business school and is participating in a competition. Her team is proposing a project to provide training and funding for select individuals reentering communities after incarceration, with the idea that these individuals would then pass on their learned skills. She would like to know if there is any one with legal expertise in the area of re-entry, recidivism etc. with whom she might be able to consult. If you have any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated. You can reach me at tex2dc@hotmail.com.

invitation to stop by Zee's Restaurant - and try the sorrel

See this 1/18/2011 message from Sean Ali-Aziz:

I know you don`t know me. but many in the neighborhood says you are the man, when it comes to spreading the word in Bloomingdale. If you can ``spread the word`` for me. Zee`s Restuarant 600 Florida Ave. You can look us up on FaceBook and check out our reviews on Yelp, etc. I would greatly appreciate it. Oh, ask everyone to try the ``sorrel`` ~ it is home made and according to everyone the best tasted.

issues with 2037 1st Street NW

See this 1/18/2011 message:

I am seeking advice from the neighborhood about the property at 2037 1st Street NW. At night, ALL NIGHT LONG, several nights a week, loud music is played out of the windows, which have no glass. The house is padlocked from the outside and no one responds to knocking or to police. In the morning, the music goes off. Every night it is the same recording playing on a loop. Lionel Ritchie. It`s like living next to a haunted 1980s roller rink. Why would anyone do this? And how can one make it stop? The owner, who is listed in DC tax records as having the same name as a former vice president of the Bloomingdale Civic Association, appears to do just enough to the exterior of the house to keep it from being condemned and to maintain residential tax status. But a glance inside the windows shows a falling-down hellhole. Does anyone have any advice?

fire on the northeast corner of 2nd & Thomas St NW this afternoon

It appears that no one was injured, which is good news.

1) See this report from TBD.com:

Fire crews fighting two-alarm house fire in Bloomingdale
January 17, 2011 - 04:01 PM
http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-latest/2011/01/fire-crews-fighting-two-alarm-house-fire-in-bloomingdale-7342.html

D.C. Fire and EMS fought a two-alarm fire in the Bloomingdale-LeDroit Park area in which several people sustained injuries. The bulk of the fire is out at this time.

The fire started in a two-story row house at 1923 Second Street NW and has reportedly spread to the building next door. Several streets in the area are blocked off for fire crews.

Twitter user 2lilwaynenprisn shot a brief video at the scene: http://yfrog.com/317iiz .

2) And Prince of Petworth has a post on the fire as well:

Horrible Fire in Bloomingdale/Ledroit Park Monday Afternoon
17 January 2011 10:04 PM
http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2011/01/horrible-fire-in-bloomingdaleledroit-park-monday-afternoon/