"Illegal Dumping"

This photo needs no introduction.

Racism Exists

There are very few times that I have felt discriminated against. Once I was passed over for a job because the potential employer was looking for someone older. That is pretty much it. However, there have been two events in the last few months that have really made my blood boil.

-St. Martin's informational meeting in February. I was providing an opinion and following the rules of engagement and trying to do my best to show that both sides had similar feelings and morals. I praised their convictions and faith. The next woman who spoke, took the opportunity to ignore all that i said, and instead focus on the color of my skin, and apply blatant stereotypes and generalizations to me and my character. The moderator seemed to have no problems with this hate speech. Did anyone else? A council member told me later "just let it roll off your back". There is some sage advice there; but should these types of speech and racial name calling have any place in a public (or private for that matter) meeting?

-Florida and NY Ave NE, this weekend. I was traveling home from a friends house on the hill, when I heard a horn from behind me. Unsure why this happened, i raised a hand in the air as if to say "what"? When both of us arrived at the light, we began discussing what she perceived to be the problem with my driving. She was yelling, and then swearing. Neither of these is a big deal, and neither offend me. She did however offend me when she said you are a stupid (insert color) mother_ucker. Now, she doesnt even know my mother, and may need a while to make that kind of determination. But the fact that race came into the argument really made me mad. It also made me wonder how precarious our race relations are in this city.

It is not ok to use racial slurs, or bring up race in an argument like this. It just isn't.

Shorts

-Sean’s Bloomingdale blog has a great article with photos of the McMillan filtration site. I am sure that the Walmart and Olive Garden will fit perfectly in there….(sarcasm)

-Summer is back, and unfortunately so is the crime

Shooting other gang members isn’t enough, time to start firing on kids on the PLAYGROUND!


Have you seen this man, who robbed a woman at the Bank of America on 9th and RI?


Disgruntled Youth want to find an outlet for their art through tagging Borf, Magic, Nehi and Inca on everything they can find. I say, commission a mural.















And last but not least, people still hate homosexuals in Ward 5, and have gotten Tommy Thomas to introduce “Emergency Legislation” to stop gay and lesbian clubs from opening in the vicinity of W.Virgina avenue in Ivy City.

Cool Photo from NYC

Around the Block

- An update on the proposed relocation of GLBT clubs to Ward 5 is covered by Frozen Tropics here

- (Ted McGinn) talked to a crew which starting surveying the McKinley field today. This project will bring the McKinley field back as it was in the past a premiere location for High School sports.

-The District of Columbia's longtime status as a majority-black city appears to be diminishing, even as Maryland and Virginia continue to experience a dramatic rise in their minority populations, according to census estimates released today.
The 14 percent increase in non-Hispanic white District residents and 6 percent decrease in blacks from 2000 to 2006 are probably the result of the gentrification of once-affordable city neighborhoods, demographers said.
The impact on the city's racial makeup is noticeable. In 2000, blacks made up 60 percent of the District's population. By 2006, that figure was 55 percent.

-Just a note to urge people to contact the NCRC about vacant homes in their area. If we all keep calling, our neighborhoods will be healthier and safer.

Housing Market

This article is in today's USA Today. Of interest is that median home prices in Washington DC are up 8.9%, even as sales volumes have dropped.

The house at the bottom of the page looks like it is in Eckington or Bloomingdale. Anyone know where?

Bloomingdale Farmer's Market- Take Note

http://f9g.yahoofs.com/groups/g_10012160/c917/__sr_/f5b8.jpg?grgYJRGBPGSqedmJ

NIMBYISM in Ward 5

I am quite certain that this post will get me in hot water.

The debate du jour in Eckington is the proposed relocation of GLBT clubs and strip bars that have been displaced by construction of the new Nationals Baseball stadium, to be relocated and allowed to operate in Ward 5 (specifically Ivy City).

-These were legally operational businesses that were closed and sold due to eminent domain for the stadium.

-The stadium (which I support(ed)) has been subsidized by DC residents and businesses at the cost of nearly $600M

-Creation or in this case, recreation of businesses, improves the tax-base, adds dollars to the economy and in many cases can spur growth.

-People do not want to move on this issue for a couple of reasons: its politically risky for the church-going parishioners of Ward 5 (and PG county for that matter*) and that there is still rampant discrimination toward the GLBT community.

-Provided that the area is zoned to accommodate such businesses, there is no reason for these clubs not to operate.

-Partisan politics shouldn't be at play here either. If you are a Repub, you should see the importance of business in the community and the role of Smith's laissez-faire . If you are a Dem, you need to realize that the GLBT community is struggling to have the personal freedoms that others enjoy with little to no repercussions.

Office of Tax and Revenue Sucks

This isn't really a big shocker. Most people dislike the overly competent DC government taking money from them. I certainly do. Just like I hate the fact that we pay federal taxes without having a rep, or a senator. "Death and taxes", got it.

Our friends sent out an assessment on March 1, 07 on property tax assessments. I was more than a little shocked to see how much they had raised the assessed value of my property. However, I just got around to looking at the increases in values for my street. See here



How in the hell do they figure out all of these things, and how can the range be from 7% to over 3X that amount (23%)?

I had planned on appealing the decision, but April 2 was the deadline.... Oh well.

Shorts

-Development seems to be all over the place in the terribly named NoMa area. Office buildings, rumors of Justice and other agencies moving in, ATF to open soon, the Gateway hotel project on NY Ave. Its popping up all over the place. What will Eckington look like in 10 years?

-There hasn't been the huge up tick in crime that usually occurs when the weather breaks. However in the latest crime report, two suspects were arrested on the unit block of S St for kidnapping and possession of a controlled substance.

-I called the City two weeks ago about two abandoned houses in my hood, and no call back from them. I am shocked. One of the homes has been vacant for over 3 years, and houses feral cats.

-Parking. Available spaces in my hood are getting rarer. And this is before the property on 1901 Lincoln and the St. Martins project are completed. It is going to be like Adams Morgan in NE before we know it.

Bad Day

I just received word from a friend and IT Guru, that my devoted hard-drive, which has been with me since 2002, has died. It even broke the disk repair machine. So, there is more than a little sadness in losing nearly 80gigs of music and all of my photos from Iraq, Bosnia and other places......

Cue taps....

Looking for a Roommate

After a great school year, my current boarder/renter/roommate/new friend Dr. God* is moving out in a few weeks to search latin america for the next Lazarus. This means that unless my mortgage company plans to reduce my monthly payment (unlikely) I need a new roommate.

The room in the house for rent is cozy (8 x 12) with a large closet. Huge bathroom with washer and dryer is shared. Remainder of the house is furnished with free phone, wireless internet and cable.

House is close to 80 and G8 bus lines and about 15 minute walk to RI ave or Shaw metros. Close to Howard, Trinity and CUA.

Looking for a laid back, responsible, mature and clean tenant. I am a SPM who has enough spare time to blog, and a job good enough to afford bottled beer on occasion and a grill to prepare meat and veggies on.

Please email me at johngalt332002@yahoo.com for more information.

(*PhD student in theology at CUA, thus the name)

(EDIT: Potential renters, obviously I am cool enough for this post to be picked up by Wonkette, so you know its a great place to live. As for the P, perhaps it is a reference to Naughty by Natures piece de resistance from the 1990's) Thanks for the shout guys!

Trash, Trash Everywhere.

Spring has finally sprung. Tulips are up, the sun is out, and people are spending time outside. In general, spring in DC is beautiful, my favorite time of year. However, there is an underside to all of this, as is usually the case. Trash. We are still beset with the following forms of trash;

-illegal dumping in the alleys off R St.
-Neighbors leaving trash cans on the streets
-unofficial bulk pickup items strewn on the sidewalks
-take out containers, cans, bottles, condom wrappers and crack bags
-campaign posters
-household demolition waste

I often wonder if people litter because the environment is already littered, or because they just have no sense of civic society. Do people really not understand that throwing your S*it on the ground ain't right?

I guess it all comes down to personal responsibility. Its the responsibility of members of a community not to litter. Until then, the civic minded have to keep things clean. It is our job to point out to our ANC leaders, council members, and the proper authorities when people are breaking the laws (think Lincoln Arms). And it is the responsibility of our lawmakers, and municipal workers to keep up with resident requests and enforcement of existing laws.

If there is any desire to make Eckington a clean and prosperous section of town, with businesses and a significant drop in crime, these steps are a good start.

The Building Went for How Much?

More movement in the NE office building market. Check this article in CPN.

Ownership of Capitol Plaza I, a new 292,000-square-foot office building in the city's blossoming NoMa submarket, has changed hands just five months after its completion. A partnership involving the Stephen A. Goldberg Co. sold the Class A property to VEF Advisors L.L.C. in a $94.5 million transaction.

Paul's Wholesale Flowers

Over the last year, I have passed by the strip of shops on Eckington Place without stopping. The fencing and words wholesale on the front had lead me to believe that these stores were only for other florists, wedding planners and the like.

However, Leslie Manning has informed me via her blog that the store is open to the general public. She even beams "you can get calla lillies and still have enough money left for wine.

You can bet I will stop there on my next trip down Eckington Place.

Paul's Wholesale Florist
1621 Eckington Place, NE

Big Bear

The owners of the Big Bear Cafe are putting in the finishing touches of the restaurant, and over the weekend encouraged neighbors to 'pop in' and say hello. It is a great time to meet the owners, while shooing away the monotony of their chores.

First and R St NW.

Prevent Flooding Before it Happens

Where to Call In Your Clogged Storm Drains at WASA

From Bloomingdale resident Sara:


If don't already have it - add 202-612-3400 to your cell phone or Rolodex.

That is the 24/7 hotline number for WASA - where you can call in clogged storm drains. If there is standing water (on rainy days) they try to send someone same day /asap - but they get a lot of calls.

The M-F 9-5 Customer Service number is (202) 354-3600

Do your part to help - keep the curbs and catch basins (to storm drains) debris free - so they dont clog and cause flooding.

DC North is Out

The new DC North is out on newstands and online. Visit here

A New Store for Nearby Bloomingdale

Bloomingdale resident, Scott Roberts found a flier blowing around on the street yesterday from the T Street Market. Here is the text from the flier:


We have a new look

T Street Market on the corner of 1st & T Street NW

80 T Street NW
Washington DC
Tel. 202-332-0713

Hours of operations; 9:00 am to 9:00 pm - seven days a week.

Some of the featured items include:

DC Lottery
Beer and wine
East African food
Various beverages and groceries
Health food
Household items
And lots more

What we bring to the community?

-- express service: Call us ahead of time and we will have your groceries ready for you.

-- reasonable price: We make effort to accommodate our customers.

So come check us out and give us some feedback on what you would like to see from your neighborhood market.

Easter Sunday Service

I will be the first to tell you that going to church every Sunday is not on the top list of my priorities. Usually that list includes; sleep, coffee, home depot, eastern market, or yard work. This Sunday is a special church day, so i thought it would be appropriate to go to church.

So, I went down to the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Bloomingdale, on the corner of 2nd and Rhode Island. I didn't really know what to expect, but rushed around to make the service around 7am. The church was deceptively large, considering the size of the external structure. There must have been about 350 people there for the early morning service. The choir was 60 people strong and the music bellowed through the dome of the church and out into the foyer as I entered.

I felt a few eyes on me as an usher directed me toward an open pew. One was most certainly because I arrived late. The other, well, because I was the only non African American in the place. This is not a commentary, just an observation.

The church was full of energy, great music, dancers and participatory congregation. The minister was excellent, and gave a great sermon. His dynamicism was amazing.

On the way out several people wished me a happy easter, and others asked that I make Mt. Pleasant my regular church. Which was great.

We live in a good community. Hope you all had a happy easter.