in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, DC Water offers tips to customers for preparing at home

From: Emanuel D. Briggs Emanuel.Briggs@dcwater.com
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2012 12:45 PM
Subject: RE: Press Release Distributed
  

Bloomingdale/LeDroit Park Residents:

In anticipation of heavy local storms beginning this weekend, DC Water has issued the following press release about our storm preparations. Please see below.

                                                        

DC Water Prepares for Hurricane Sandy

Offers tips to customers for preparing at home

Oct 26, 2012 -- With the exact track of Hurricane Sandy unknown but some impact on the District of Columbia likely, DC Water is preparing to protect its personnel and facilities this weekend and into next week. The District’s drinking water treatment facilities — operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Washington Aqueduct — and the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant are built to withstand the impact of a devastating storm. Loss of electricity at an individual home or multi-unit building does not have an impact on the delivery of drinking water. "Our crews will be out preparing and responding during this entire event, for as long as it’s safe to be outside," said DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins. "We don’t anticipate any interruptions in service, but will use every outlet we have to get the word out if anything changes." As of Thursday, DC Water management and staff have been: Cleaning catch basins across the District, but especially in flood-prone areas such as Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park. Preparing to provide sandbags in Bloomingdale on Saturday. Placing water, sewer and fire hydrant crews, along with contractors and electricians, on standby for the duration of the storm. Mobilizing portable generators and crews in case stormwater or drinking water pumping stations lose power. Bringing in extra supplies and food for personnel who must stay at Blue Plains or a pumping station beyond an ordinary shift. DC Water also offers the following preparation tips for customers: Check gutters and downspouts to make sure they are clear of debris. Report clogged storm drains by calling (202) 612-3400. Fill containers of tap water and freeze them, providing extra cooling in the event of a power outage. For even more information on preparing for a hurricane, please visit http://www.dcwater.com/education/preparedness.cfm

Emanuel D. Briggs |Manager, Community Outreach, External Affairs | District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority | emanuel.briggs@dcwater.com

5000 Overlook Avenue, SW | Washington, DC 20032 | (202) 787-2003| (202) 787-4122 (fax)

Water is Life! | Web | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube| Flickr

meet & greet BBQ in the unit block alley between R Street & Randolph Place NW -- Saturday, 10-27-2012

From Hugh Youngblood, ANC 5C03 Commissioner:
 

Dear Neighbors,

         

Please join us this Saturday afternoon (October 27th) for BBQ, beverages, and good conversation about the upcoming election. Chef Mark Blassingame will be grilling his famous ribs and lots of other tasty treats. We'd love for you to join us in the festivities.

         

The party will take place in the alley that lies between the unit block of R Street and Randolph Place NW starting at 1pm and continuing until the crowd dissipates. We hope to see you there!

 

Thank you,

 

Hugh

--
Hugh Youngblood

ANC, SMD 5C03

202.630.2262

@ANC5C03

Washington Post story: Bloomingdale resident Peter Balas brings educational transformation to Alexandria School

See this Washington Post article passed along by ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood:
      
Dear Neighbors,
                          

Here`s a nice article about how Bloomingdale resident, Peter Balas, of the 100 Block of Randolph Place NW, is building upon his track record of transforming educational experiences in his new role as Principal at Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria, Virginia.

       

Peter also brings his work home by mentoring the kids who live on his block here in Bloomingdale. Let`s please encourage him to keep up the wonderful work!

                   

Alexandria school on a mission to improve

By Olga Khazan, Published: August 7, 2012

Mount Vernon Community School got a new principal this year, and teachers were skeptical. Peter Balas is the third in five years to lead the Alexandria elementary school.
 

 ``When we found out we were getting a new principal, everyone was like, `Again?` `` said Holly Rocchetti, a fifth-grade teacher.

 

Balas, 33, was an administrator at T.C. Williams High School for four years and a teacher for six, but he had no elementary experience. Teachers asked him what he knew about educating younger kids.

  

But Balas was there for a reason. Mount Vernon has below-average test scores overall and a growing achievement gap between its white and Latino students. The disparity became so glaring that last year Superintendent Morton Sherman marked it for ``transformation,`` or a top-to-bottom makeover. Balas had worked on a similar metamorphosis as an executive associate principal at T.C. Williams, where the passing rate on English tests rose to 95 percent in 2011, from 84 percent two years prior. Now, Sherman hopes Balas can help replicate those gains at Mount Vernon.

      

``A successful transformation isn`t just about new programs, it`s about a spirit,`` Sherman said. ``Peter Balas has that spirit.``

            
Classes began Aug. 1 at Mount Vernon, one of the few schools in the area that opens at such an early date. (Because of the school`s modified calendar, the school`s summer vacation is shorter but there are more short breaks throughout the year.) Balas strode through the halls one day this week, patting heads and saying hello. He worked the crowd in the cafeteria and reminded students that the most voracious readers would get to dunk him in a tank at the summer reading party at the end of the week.

``It`s nice to have my kids come home laughing about the funny things he`s said,`` said Lisa Guernsey Krupicka, a mother of two at the school. ``Our previous principal was known for her whistle.``

Academically, Mount Vernon faces challenges familiar to many public schools in economically diverse areas. A third of the 713 students are non-Hispanic white, and 57 percent are Hispanic. About 40 percent of the students are English-language learners. Sixty percent come from families poor enough to qualify for meal subsidies.

``Some kids get to kindergarten not knowing that letters make sounds,`` said Maria Fletcher, a third-grade teacher.

   

While the school`s white students perform above the city average, its Latino students are far behind. In third-grade math, for example, the gap in passing rates widened to 24 percentage points in 2011 from 12 points in 2007.

         

``The teachers were doing everything they could do as professionals and not seeing the results,`` Balas said. ``They felt beat up.``

He wasted no time in making changes.

      

Among the biggest challenges was employee morale. Twenty teachers left Mount Vernon within the past year, out of 50 total, citing a combination of personal reasons and frustration with the school`s trajectory. There had also been turnover at the top. Tina Radomsky, Balas`s predecessor, resigned in the spring after less than two years as principal. The previous principal, Scott Coleman, served from 2007 to 2010.

``It was hard, because once you get used to one person, we had to get used to a whole new agenda,`` Fletcher said. ``There was a lot of struggling to figure out what was expected of us from the leadership.``

Teachers were stressed by the demands of day-to-day lesson planning combined with striving — and sometimes failing — to meet test-score benchmarks.

###

--

Hugh Youngblood
ANC, SMD 5C03
202.630.2262
@ANC5C03

"Young Preservationists: Catholic University Students Take On DC's McMillan Park"

See this message passed along by ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood:
 
From: Commissioner Youngblood
To: friends-of-mcmillan-park @ googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 6:15 PM
Subject: NTHP Blog -- "Young Preservationists: Catholic University Students Take on DC’s McMillan Park"
   

 

Young Preservationists: Catholic University Students Take on DC’s McMillan Park

Posted on: October 25th, 2012 by David Robert Weible

                                           

As part of back-to-school season, we’re featuring several impressive young preservationists who are saving places all around the country. This is the third profile in the series.          
 

For more than two decades, the city of Washington, DC, and the residents of Bloomingdale, Park View, and other neighborhoods surrounding McMillan Park in the city’s northwest quadrant haven’t been able to agree on what to do with the 25-acre site. Now, four students from nearby Catholic University of America have worked with their professor and the community to develop a plan of their own, with a little preservation mixed in.          

“The feeling I’ve gotten is the city has just been focused on development, development, development, and a lot of people have felt they haven’t really listened to what the community wants and the historic value of the site,” Peter Miles, a senior architecture student and project member, says. “The project was a way for the community to develop a plan to say, ‘Look, we have answers. We’re not just saying ‘no’ to what the city wants. This is our vision.’”

Though it was designated as a permanent community green space when it was built in 1905, the site’s principle function was as a filtration plant that purified water by passing it from above-ground silos through a layer of sand and into subterranean vaults via gravity. The plant, named after Senator James McMillan of Michigan who worked to realize plans for the city in the late 1800s, helped to eradicate typhoid outbreaks in the District and included a walking path designed by the father of American landscape architecture’s son, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.

When a new purification process was developed for the District’s water supply in the late 1980s, the site was sold by the federal government to the city and has been deteriorating and closed to the public ever since.

Miles and classmates Joseph Barrick, Filipe Pereira, and Nina Tatic were asked to help with the project last spring by their professor Miriam Gusevich, who had been working with the community on the project for roughly ten years. Since then, they have collectively logged hundreds of hours in nearly every area of the project from computerized 3-D modeling to attending a hearing by the city’s Historic Preservation Review Board.

The team’s plan keeps many of the same elements in place that are supported by the city, but with one key difference: They’ve designated the middle portion -- a full 50 percent of the plot -- to public use. Much of the remaining subterranean vault would be used as a community center with basketball and tennis courts and a swimming pool. The roof would serve as the park’s open green space, and several of the filtration cells would be restored and incorporated into the design as fountains and to demonstrate to the public how water filtration was practiced in the past.

“It’s really just a shame to try and tear it down and build something new because you don’t have the time and the money and effort to preserve part of it,” says Miles. “There’s a certain sense of a special place there and it’s really a phenomenal thing to be able to experience.”

 

--
Hugh Youngblood

ANC, SMD 5C03

202.630.2262

Q: do 20-something and 30-something Bloomingdale residents who don't own cars do so because they can't afford a car?

The Greater Greater Washington blog post on DC Office of Planning Director Harriet Tregoning "Harriet Tregoning is pro-choice (on transportation)" was posted at the Ward 5 list at Yahogroups.  It was the commented by Ward 5 resident and Ward 5 listerv moderator Kathryn Pearson-West.

She comments that people in their 20`s and 30`s – if they don`t own a car it is ``because they can`t afford one and not by choice.``

Is this statement true of Bloomingdale residents – both homeowners/condo owners and renters – who are in their 20`s and 30`s?  Do 20-somethings and 30-somethings in Bloomingdale who don't own cars do so because they can't afford one? 

                                                                                     

Is KPW`s comment valid for Bloomingdale ?

                                                                         

To: ward5@yahoogroups``>ward5@yahoogroups.com

From: WKPW3 @ aol.com
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:42:41 -0400

Subject: [ward5] Harriet Tregoning is pro-choice... on transportation (GGW)

 

I am glad to hear that other people like cars.  Also, most of the people in their 20s and 30s (other than online) love driving.  If they don`t have a car it is because they can`t afford one and not by choice. [more comments from KPW after this….]

                              

HarrietTregoning is pro-choice (on transportation)

by David Alpert   •   October 24, 2012 11:05 am

John and Acacia Salatti hosting a meet-n-greet for At-Large Council candidate Michael A. Brown - Monday, 10-29-2012

See this message from Bloomingdale residents John and Acacia Salatti:
                            
When we go to the polls in a couple of weeks to vote for At-Large Councilmember, we will be voting to fill, not one office, but two. So Acacia and I decided to open our home on Monday the 29th to At-Large Councilmember, Michael Brown (details below). Although Michael is the first to admit that he has had a tough year of allegations, we believe you should come and talk with him yourself. When Bloomingdale and Ward 5 were about to be sliced and diced at the hand of our former councilmember's redistricting plan, Michael Brown stood up and said, "No." He knew the proposed redistricting was both harmful to Ward 5 residents and illegal under the law. He was open to discussion and reason. He listened to residents. In the end, Michael moved through the plan that we have today that kept Bloomingdale completely intact, created more rational boundaries across the Ward, and distributed residents in ANC districts in a balanced and ungerrymandered way. Just for what he did for us in the redistricting alone (which will affect for the next 10 years), Michael Brown deserves to be heard. But we can also say that any time we have wanted to address an issue or concern with him, Michael's door has been open. In fact, few councilmembers will so readily take a call or meet with you face to face like Michael Brown.
        
So come out on the 29th and talk with Councilmember Brown (details are below). He needs to hear from us and we need to know his views on all sorts of issues that affect our community.
 
We look forward to having you.
 
Acacia and John
     
John T. Salatti(202) 986-2592
"Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale"                   
      

Acacia & John Salatti
Invite You to a GOTV
Meet-and-Greet with
Michael A. Brown
Councilmember, At-Large
Chairperson, Committee on Economic Development & Housing
       

He was there for Bloomingdale during redistricting. Now you have a chance to ask Michael about the McMillan Development, Sewer Backups, Crime, City Corruption, the revitalization of Rhode Island Avenue and North Capitol Street, whatever is on your mind.

Monday, October 29, 2012
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
The Salatti Home
131 U Street, NW

RSVP to Lindsey Fell: (202) 495-0542 | rsvp@michaelbrown2012.com

Paid for by Michael Brown 2012 | Michael A. Brown, Treasurer | A copy of our report is on file with the Director of Campaign Finance

Bloomingdale residents Sean Hennessey and Rania Hassan: Autumn 2012 news and events!

From: Rania and Sean darnknit@gmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 10:31 AM
Subject: Autumn 2012 News and Events from Sean and Rania

Sean Hennessey and Rania Hassan's Art Events Newsletter | Autumn 2012 Edition Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Reimagining AliceA Mixed-multimedia Series Based on Alice in Wonderland Combining Glass, Concrete, Steel, Wood, Paint, Sound, Video, LEDs, and Electroluminescent Lights, Sean creates wall relief interpretations of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. There will be a closing reception this Friday October 26 for his exhibition. If you weren't able to make it to the opening, or just want to see it again, please join us. Reimagining AliceClosing Reception: Friday, October 26, 5-8pm410 Goodbuddy Gallery 410 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001 More info here. See images here. Crafty Bastards Both Sean and Rania were jurors for this year's Crafty Bastards, and are super stoked to also be participating as exhibitors! Read about the judges here, then visit Sean and Rania's vendor profiles. And be sure to purchase your tickets at the special 2-for-1 rate here. Crafty Bastards Saturday, November 10, 10am-5pm Union Market 1309 5th St NE, Washington DC 20002 Constructing Content Sean is excited to be exhibiting with two of his favorite artists, Erwin Timmers and Erin Antognoli. Three artists working in glass, all from a different angle, but driven by content oriented work. Constructing ContentDecember 1-31 Reception: December 1, 3-5pm Delaplaine Arts Center 40 S. Carroll Street, Frederick, MD 21701 Mark your calendars for these holiday shows: Washington Glass School's Open House: December 8: Come check out the Glass Studio, see cool new art! Bring your checkbook! Visit our neighboring studios, full of excellent artists. GRUMP: December 15, 12-6pm: Rania will be participating in this arts and crafts event at Artisphere. Follow Us. Looking for more details about what we're up to? There are many ways to keep track of us, here are some of our links! :: Sean Hennessey :: Email: art@wheresmycoffee.com Tel: 202.550.4634 Blog: wheresmycoffee.com Art portfolio: dcsean.com Shop: scenicartisans.etsy.com Twitter: @wheresmycoffee Flickr: flickr.com/scenicartisan Facebook: facebook.com/sean.hennessey.art :: Rania Hassan :: Email: darnknit@gmail.com Tel: 202.320.9300 Blog: goshdarnknit.com Art portfolio: raniahassan.com Shop: shoofly.etsy.com Twitter: @goshdarnknit Flickr: flickr.com/goshdarnknit Facebook: facebook.com/goshdarnknit Copyright © 2012 Rania Hassan + Sean Hennessey, All rights reserved. We send special updates to friends and collectors who opted in at our website or events. Rania Hassan + Sean Hennessey Bloomingdale Washington, DC20001 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences

Ghosts of Washington: Why is it named Bloomingdale?

See this post at the Ghosts of Washington website on the history behind the naming of the Bloomingdale Neighborhood.
 

Why Is It Named Bloomingdale?

Posted by: Ghosts of DC on October 22, 2012

 

 

i

 

Read about George Beale and Emily Truxton Beale.

 

Note that this Ghosts of Washington post doesn't --- ummm --- actually indicate where the name Bloomingdale originated -- but a cool mini-history post, nevertheless.  Enjoy!

meet-and-greet for At-Large Council candidate David Grosso -- Saturday, 10-27-2012

See this message from Bloomingdale resident John Salatti:
 
Because we believe that people in our neighborhood should have the opportunity to interact directly with the candidates that are on the ballot, Acacia and I invite you to meet At-Large Council Candidate David Grosso (details are below). You get to vote for two candidates for At-Large Councilmember, and we think you should seriously consider David Grosso. He has the credentials, the commitment, and the campaign to be a real winner for both Bloomingdale and D.C. So come and meet him this Saturday at our house!

We look forward to having you.
Acacia and John
 
Grosso Meet n Greet Invite 2012 10 27

participate in the Crispus Attucks Park workday -- Sunday morning, 10-28-2012

Help Maintain and Beautify Crispus Attucks Park -- Sunday at 9am!

Ever walk your dog in Crispus Attucks Park?  Enjoy a picnic there?  Sunbathe? Play with you kids in the park?  Just enjoy the green space?  If so, spend a few hours giving back this Sunday morning, when Crispus Attucks Development Corporation will hold a Park Work Day from 9am - noon.  We will focus our efforts on maintaining the memory garden in the Southeast corner of the park.  Be ready to saw, weed, prune, and clip!  Yard tools and gloves will be provided, but feel free to bring your own if you have them.  There will be coffee and donuts for those who help out!  (Weather forecast for Sunday morning: near 60, very low chance of rain).

What: Crispus Attucks Park Cleanup and Beautification

When: This Sunday, October 28, 9am - noon
Where: SE Corner of Crispus Attucks Park (near North Capitol and U)
        
Any Questions: Contact Will Gomaa at wgomaa @gmail.com

meet-n-greet tonight for ANC 5E05 candidate Bradley Thomas

Can you keep up with all of the meet-and-greet events in the neighborhood?  Here is another event this evening -- for ANC 5E05 commissioner candidate Bradley Thomas.

Bradley Thomas Anc 5e05 Meet and Greet-10!23!12

new business at 905 U Street NW: Off Road Indoor Cycling

Within strolling distance of Bloomingdale.
 
Visit the Off Road Indoor Cycling website here.

I will guess that some neighbors have already signed up for some classes and can provide some feedback....
 
Welcome to the greater neighborhood, Off Road!

tonight's LeDroit Park Civic Assn meeting agenda inludes Florida Avenue NW flooding in LeDroit Park

Tonight next door in LeDroit Park:
 
From: Eric Fidler
To: LeDroitPark@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 11:41 AM
Subject: Re: [LeDroitPark] LeDroit Park Civic Assoc Meeting TOMORROW 7pm- Crime Prevention & Neighborhood Watch Training

Neighbors,

 

We will also have a representative from DDOT to discuss what the agency is doing to mitigate flooding along Florida Avenue in LeDroit Park. If you live on the 500 and 600 blocks of Florida Avenue, I strongly encourage you to attend.

             

Eric Fidler

Vice President

LeDroit Park Civic Association

                

On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 11:21 AM, Jana Baldwin wrote:

 

LeDroit Park Civic Association

Neighborhood Meeting TONIGHT

Tues. Oct. 23, 2012

7PM – 8PM

Florida Ave. Baptist Church- 623 Florida Ave NW

(enter at 6^th & U street, NW)

Agenda:

Crime Prevention & Neighborhood Watch Training by Samantha Nolan

**prize for attendee who brings the most neighbors!**

· Election updates
· Neighborhood announcements

from Suzanne -- A History: The Providence at 70 Rhode Island Avenue NW

See this post from Bloomingdale resident Suzanne Des Marais' new Houses With Character blog:

A History: The Providence at 70 Rhode Island Ave NW

A tidbit from Suzanne's blog post on the 1940's residents of 70 Rhode Island Avenue NW:  "Among the heads of households were a bus driver, a waitress, a telephone operator, and a stenographer."
 
To read the entire post, go here.

Thanks, Suzanne!

green LID pilot project coming to Bloomingdale

See this message from ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood:

 

Dear Neighbors,

 

Bloomingdale`s next low-impact development (LID) project to complement the DDOT Surface Water Management project will take the form of permeable surface for two private parking spaces adjacent to Windows Cafe and Mt. Bethel Baptist Church. This pilot project will demonstrate the performance and aesthetics of the PaveDrain system from local manufacturer, Ernest Maier Inc.

 

The Ernest Maier company has agreed to self-fund the design and installation of the two LID green parking spaces (approximately 100 square-feet total) to help build confidence in their solution`s ability to collect and store storm water during Bloomingdale`s most severe rain storms. Once we develop a maintenance agreement for the project, DDOT engineers have agreed to help facilitate the required permits.

 

If the PaveDrain system performs as promised, demonstrates ease of maintenance, and meets the community`s aesthetic requirements during the Green Parking pilot project, we hope to deploy this product in upcoming local iterations of the Green Alley program in partnership with the DDOE RiverSmart Communities program.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Thank you,

 

Hugh

 

--

Hugh Youngblood

ANC, SMD 5C03

202.630.2262

@ANC5C03