Shawington

You wont want to miss the 5th annual DC Green Festival taking place this weekend at the Convention Center - November 8-9 Saturday 10AM - 7PM, Sunday Nov. 11AM - 6PM
 
At the Washington DC Green Festival™, a joint project of Global Exchange and Co-op America, we’re celebrating what’s working in our communities—across the District, Maryland and Virginia—for people, for business and for the environment.

You’ll enjoy more than 125 renowned speakers and 350 green businesses (start your holiday shopping now!), great how-to workshops, green films, a Fair Trade pavilion, yoga classes, organic beer, delicious organic cuisine and live music.

Find out about DC environmental initiatives; and learn how neighbors, community nonprofits and city departments are working together to make their cities healthier places to live.
According to the ANC 2C02 blog, our own local socially conscious entrepreneur Andy Shallal (Busboys & Poets) shall be speaking amongst others including !Cornell West!  If you are looking for ways to make your house more energy efficient, neato things to buy, and awesome activities for the kids this event is for you.  (I will be volunteering there for City Blossoms, a wonderful organization that teaches urban kids the joys of gardening.  They will be making nifty newspaper pots & digging in the dirt with the little ones during the afternoon.  Check them & others out in this Fox 5 spot!)
November 8-9 Saturday 10AM - 7PM, Sunday Nov. 11AM - 6PM  Admission is $15, BUT you can easily get a $5 discount.  Kids under 18 are free!  Come on out and explore the crunchy granola life!
 
 

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Come out and help our neighborhood Dunbar High School celebrate their Homecoming!
We’ve got the parade Friday afternoon starting around 1:30 pm - going over towards the Giant and down 7th Street, the game against Roosevelt at 7:00 pm, and then they’ll celebrate their win with the Homecoming Dance later that evening.
Dunbar Homecoming always brings a lot of life to the community so come out and cheer Dunbar on to victory!
 http://www.dunbardc.com

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[[ please send to your neighbors and lists ]]

Help Make Shaw Library A Sparkling Jewel!

—————————
WHAT: Your intelligence, body and voice are needed on THURSDAY, SEPT 4, 2008
WHEN: Folks will gather at 6:00PM; Meeting begins 6:30PM
WHERE:  Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Interim Library — 945 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
WHO: Presentation by DC Public Libraries and Board of Library Trustees
WHY: This may be your last chance to give feedback for the new Shaw
Library, and if don’t speak up, we may trade our old brown brutal box on a slab for a new metal box on a slab — but this time, with a green tarp on top.
FMI: http://tinyurl.com/65ylq3
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Check out the library design switch here >>
http://tinyurl.com/67zksv

There is $15 - $16 million in the DC budget for our new Shaw Library.
Ground-breaking is rumored for October.

Some Questions People are Asking:
* Where is the line-item budget for this important project?
* Why did the widely lauded “Sparkling Jewel of Shaw” exterior get an ugly make-over?                  
* Why no chance for the DC residents to make suggestions for the interior and library programming plans?
* How can we have a “final design meeting” prior to getting community input about the latest design plans?
* Is it senior-friendly?  There is the Asbury Senior Housing across the street and senior housing is included in the O Street Market project.
* Why no computer training lab or space for adult computer literacy training?  
* Should staff work areas be integrated into library or walled off?
* Is there too much space for meetings and staff lounge - is the mix right?
* Why no coffee shop?  That would make the library truly user friendly, an amazing amenity addition to Shaw.

Please contact Chief Librarian Cooper and let her know you are concerned
about the exterior and the interior, and, as a high visibility project, at a high visibility location, we need to do the Shaw Library right. Use this online email tool here >>
http://www.districtdynamos.org/forms/email_city_officials.php

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD
—————————
WHAT: Your intelligence, body and voice are needed on THURSDAY, SEPT 4, 2008
WHEN: Folks will gather at 6:00PM; Meeting begins 6:30PM
WHERE:  Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Interim Library — 945 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
WHO: Presentation by DC Public Libraries and Board of Library Trustees
WHY: This may be your last chance to give feedback for the new Shaw
Library, and if don’t speak up, we may trade our old brown brutal box on a slab for a new metal box on a slab — but this time, with a green tarp on top.
FMI: http://tinyurl.com/65ylq3
—————————

We hope to see you Thursday.
~ The Shaw Library Study Group
202-294-3693

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SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
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* Check out the Shaw Library evolution over past 7 months >>
http://www.districtdynamos.org/dynamos/shaw/library_evolution

* ANC-2C Declaration on the poor library process >>
http://tinyurl.com/6yfogo

* SLSG Spring Survey Results >>
http://tinyurl.com/5trzcr

* Shaw residents and employees at Board of Library Trustees meeting >>
http://www.districtdynamos.org/dynamos/shaw/videos/bolt_7_23_08

* SLSG Open Letter to Mayor about BoLT
http://tinyurl.com/57o3d2

* Article from about a year ago regarding the Interim Shaw Library >>
http://tinyurl.com/6fcmep

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Students will return to school next week. To offer some support to local students and parents, neighborhood organizations are sponsoring a school supply drive which will benefit Seaton Elementary and Scott Montgomery students.

Please donate school supplies to deserving students wherever you see these signs. 
Needed supplies include backpacks, notebooks, looseleaf paper, folders, binders, pens, pencils, audio books, laptops and in good condition, and monetary donations* for supplies or students needing uniforms. For more information contact: Info ]at[ ShawMainStreets.com or (202) 422-1161. If your prefer to make a financial donation, please make checks payable to “Shaw Main Streets,” note “Back to School Drive” in the note field on your check, and drop off or send to: 1426 9th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001-3330. All financial donations are 100% tax deductible and will go to help deserving local students.
Participating businesses and organizations with drop boxes:

Azi’s Cafe, 1336 9th Street NW 
Chatman’s D’Vine Bakery & Café, 1239 9th Street, NW
Good Libations, 1201 5th St NW
5th Street Hardware, 1055 5th Street NW
Bread for the City, 1525 7th Street NW
ONEDC, 614 S St NW 
Bloomingdale Farmer’s Market, 1st & R St NW

Our NEW 5th St Hardware, 1055 Fifth St NW, carries school supplies and a drop box for those who want to do one-stop shopping & giving!

Donations will also be accepted on August 23 at:
School Beautification Day, 8am-1pm. Check with local schools for more information. 
The Annual Blagden/Alley Naylor Court Picnic, 6-9pm, at the 900 Block of O Street in Historical Naylor Court

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Girls Rock! DC Camper Showcase
11am - 1pm @ 9:30 Club, Sat Aug. 16
Tickets for the camper showcase are $5-$10 sliding scale and will be available at the door of the 9:30 Club.
DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO SEE DC’s NEWEST YOUNG ROCKERS TAKE THE STAGE!
http://www.girlsrockdc.org/
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Girls Rock! DC, an entirely volunteer-run collective, is holding the DC Metro Area’s first all-girl rock camp from August 11-15, 2008! We’ll have instrument instruction on electric guitar, electric bass, drums, keyboards, turntables, and vocals.
Campers will form bands, write an original song & perform at DC’s 9:30 Club on Sat. Aug. 16.
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 There will be a Speakout and Read-in in front of the Shaw Giant, this
Saturday from Noon to 2pm (sorry for the late notice). Here’s the 411 >>
http://www.districtdynamos.org/dynamos/shaw/speakout_8_16_08

Here’s what precipitated such >>
http://www.districtdynamos.org/dynamos/shaw/library_evolution

Here’s what the ANC has expressed about the library design process for
the new Shaw library >>
http://www.districtdynamos.org/dynamos/shaw/reports/anc_2c_declaration_july_08

Hope you can be there to demand the best Shaw library possible for Ward 2!

Much appreciation,
Chris O, Coordinator
Shaw Library Study Group
202-536-4065

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MVSQ is a riot of roses & other interestng things.  Its an ideal time to stroll through the neighborhood & see whats growing!
picture perfect 455 M

OMG these are so cool! 403 M.  MM are they called fire pokers?

I think these lovlies are at 431 M but you have to wade thru the jungle of a front yard…did that house sell yet?

My neighbors on 5th…too cute.  Trey looooves the hose.

at 1242 NJ nature persists…Lydia G. planted these back in the day i believe.

a planted car?? 6th & NY

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Hey I’m a busy girl catching up on my blog posts, better late than never!
Thanks so much to all of the wonderful neighbors who came out for our neighborhood cleanup & beautification effort 2 weeks ago.  Our appreciation goes out to (ANC2C01 Commissioner) Alex Padro from Shaw Main Streets for providing us with big bags of lovely mulch & flats of pretty flowers that now grace our treeboxes.  Alex - you rock.  Also thanks to Tom Day as always from DPW Helping Hand program, they provide the brooms, rakes, bags & trash pickup.  Linda Grant from DPW also joined us.  We also had a film crew out shooting for a kids, government & community spot due to air on ABC 7 later this summer so keep an eye out!  Here are some bad photos…but ANC 2C02 Commissioner Kevin Chapple has much better ones of our cleanup & the Shaw Cleanup.  He also has a nice post for the recent Servathon at Scott Montgomery Elementary (check out the great shot of our Ward 2 Mayor’s Rep. Mark Bjorge digging in the dirt!.)
mulch!

flowering vinca

neighbors hard at work

Sometimes the random things people dump baffle me.

And now to gross you all out…this present came complete with maggots & special juicy ooze.  The stench was…memorable.

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Its that time again! time to go out, pick up trash, yank some weeds, plant some treeboxes & beautify our neighborhood!  We shall be meeting at the corner of 4th & M Streets NW at 8am.  There will be (starbucks) coffee & donuts, rakes & brooms, and lots of trash bags.  Bring your gloves & enthusiasm!
 
Bagged trash will be picked up after 1pm at the following locations:
5th & M, 4th & M, NJ & Morgan (Jeff has kindly volunteered to transport bags to these locations in the car)
 
I want to encourage neighbors to please give love to the chronic bad spots - NY ave, 6th, 4th, NJ….
 
We are very grateful to Shaw Main Streets for providing us with mulch & flowers for the treeboxes.  Here are the details for the larger Keep Shaw Beautiful Day:
 

On Saturday, April 19, 2008, Shaw Main Streets will hold the fourth annual neighborhoodwide cleanup and greenup event in central Shaw.  Keep Shaw Beautiful Day will include planting of cherry trees and perennial and annual flowering plants in treeboxes, picking up trash on sidewalks and in alleys, and removing and painting over graffiti.  Neighborhood civic associations will focus on their blocks, with supplies provided by event sponsors.  
 
The event kicks off at 9:00 AM at Shaw Middle School , 925 Rhode Island Avenue, NW , and concludes with lunch provided by neighborhood restaurants at the school at 1:00 PM.  For more information, visit www.shawmainstreets.com or call 202-265-SHAW.

Alex

Alexander M. Padro
Commissioner, ANC 2C01
1519 8th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001-3205
Voice: 202-518-3794
Email: PadroANC2C@aol.com
Website: www.members.aol.com/PadroANC2C
 
So I hope to see everyone out on the 19th!!
-Si Kailian

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On Wednesday night, I participated in a meeting to discuss the preliminary design for the new Watha T. Daniels Library.  The new library will replace the old “brutalist” structure located at 8th and R Streets NW.  This was an important milestone, as the library sat closed for about 3 years before the District government managed to even open an interim library for the Shaw residents.
By and large, participants seemed pleased with the open glassy design, although there appeared to be a general consensus that the slats across the facade gave it a prison-like feel and that their removal should be considered.  In addition, there were several essential elements of the design that had not been addressed.  Those included ensuring a prominent entrance and signage, incorporation of public art both outside and inside the building, and landscaping/streetscaping.  Also raised was whether the library lights would remain on after hours to improve the safety of the block.  There was very little detail presented as to the interior of the building.  There will be three conference rooms, including two smaller ones that will seat 10-12 people and a large common room that can hold up to 100.  The common room, located on the lower level (but don’t call it a basement!), will be available for the after hours usage of the community.  They would like to include public art, but the all glass walls present a challenge.  The library will include a children’s room, and it was suggested that it be something fun and creative as in the old library.  It will be a green building, obtaining silver or gold LEED cerification.
A resident commented that the 3-floor library might include a coffee shop/cafe and I echoed her suggestion, noting that leasing a small portion of the library for a stand alone but connected cafe would likely bring more people into the library who might not ordinarily come inside and the lease could provide supplemental funding for library programs.  Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper seemed to indicate that they would reconsider their decision not to include a cafe,  noting that while it would bring in more people, such ventures have often not been profitable.
There will be a follow up meeting some time in April. At that time, the architects will unveil the final design, incorporating the feedback received at the meeting.  In order to stay on schedule for opening in 2010, they are unlikely to take any additional feedback on design at that time.
 
 
 

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