Shawington

On Thursday, we had a very strong showing in the debate co-sponsored by the Dupont Circle Citizens Association and Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2B, which was moderated by Davis Kennedy of The Current Newspapers. There was an outpouring of support at the debate, which highlighted key differences between my opponent and me.

Focus. I an running to be a true Ward Councilmember, committed to working on quality of life and public interest issues – from restoring library services, rejuvenating schools and public parks, and improving public safety. My opponent made little mention of such issues during the debates.

Tax relief. I will focus tax relief on small businesses and long-time residents who have experienced a steep rise in property taxes. My opponent supports across-the-board cuts that would favor big businesses over those who need help.

Quality of life. For example, I strongly support placing reasonable limits on daytime noise, while my opponent voted to strip the noise bill of its effectiveness.

Fiscal responsibility. My opponent has saddled District residents with the highest per capita debt in the nation due to his sponsorship of hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate giveaways. His failed oversight has allowed scandals in the DC Office of Tax and Revenue. Yet, he continues to discuss more publicly-financed stadiums and earmarks.

You can read reaction to the debate on the Penn Quarter Living, OffSeventh,
and Washington CityPaper blogs. The Washington Post also wrote about the race today.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve gone door-to-door in every neighborhood in Ward 2. I recently met voters in Georgetown with Tom Pursley, who served for many years as president of the Dent Place Association. We continue to receive a very positive and warm response. That’s why community leaders and activists from across the ward in every neighborhood have endorsed my candidacy.

Onward to September 9!

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A new park is quickly taking shape for the Mount Vernon, Penn Quarter, and downtown area.

Located at 2nd Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW, this park was all but abandoned by the District government for years until residents of the Sonata and the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association, made it their mission to transform it from an unsafe eyesore into an asset for the community. We began our efforts last month when I organized a meeting with Council Member Tommy Wells, Department of Parks and Recreation officials, and interested residents. We all agreed that it was time to fix this sad park, one of many forgotten around the city, which is located at the gateway to downtown, D.C.

Last night, thanks to the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District (CID), we had another meeting to move the process forward. In the long term, the District is seeking funding to undertake a major renovation to the park through funding from a developer who is negotiating to obtain air rights over I-395. Short term, however, the District is submitting today a grant proposal to the federal Department of Transportation for a transportation enhancement grant that will be used to fix the crumbling retain walls around the center point, repave the sidewalks, and install benches, lighting, trees, and irrigation. In addition, they plan to move plantings and furnishings from the Old Convention Center’s artwalk to the park. In addition, the city will attempt to make the intersections leading to the park more pedestrian friendly by restriping, lengthening the walk signal time, installing way finding signs, and possibly narrowing the width of the street. Since this park is at a major intersection, it qualifies for transportation funding. If U.S. DOT awards us the grant, funding will be available as soon as FY 2009, which begins this October! That’s exciting.

This is all great news and kudos goes to the Department of Parks and Recreation and Office of Planning for helping make this happen. They need your support. Please send a letter of support for the USDOT grant via e-mail to Sarah Moulton by Friday, August 8. Please also e-mail me if you are interested in joining a friends of [park] (to be named) group. This group will begin community discussions on long-term plans for the park, advocate for it, and plan beautification and clean up days.

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When I walked by early this morning, yellow tape still marked the “park” on the 600 block of N Street NW. Later, police officers were conducting their roll call, preparing for the day ahead.

Last night, at about 10pm, a teenager was shot multiple times and killed on what Fox 5 called a basketball court (there are actually no hoops in the park). I was there immediately after the shooting to find out what occurred and how we can make sure this doesn’t happen yet again.

This is not an unfamiliar occurrence. Almost two years ago to the day, neighborhood activist Chris Crowder was gunned downed in his wheelchair in this precise location. Only a few months ago, the DC government removed the makeshift memorial of stuffed animals that marked the spot. There have been numerous other shootings in and around the park.

Questions need to be asked and we need a Council Member who will ask them and move us forward.

1. Why is this unnamed park still a concrete jungle? Our Council Member pledged back in November 2007 that he would obtain funds to renovate the park in the 2009 budget. Did he do so? Mr. Evans, along with Department of Parks and Recreation Center Director Clark Ray, also stated at a community meeting that about $200,000 in funds would be reprogrammed from the current budget to immediately begin the design process. Only months later, however, after controversy arose as to whether he should sell off the public land, Mr. Evans responded “we are going to move forward without moving forward.” Why is the design process not underway?

Since September 2006, residents of Shaw and Mount Vernon Square have attended meeting after meeting (usually coinciding with the latest round of shootings) and completed surveys with their ideas as to what might be included in a new park. Nevertheless, the design process has yet to begin and, to my knowledge, no money is specifically allocated for renovation of this park. As Council Member, I will work to make our neighborhoods safer by improving the environment. We should begin redesign of this park right NOW, today, to make it an asset to the community rather than a graveyard.

2. Did ShotSpotter work? Two weeks ago, ShotSpotter went online in the Third District, which includes the Shaw neighborhood. Apparently, the response time in this case could not have been fast enough to save the victim. Did it at least reduce response time and provide information on the number of shooters and type of weapon used?

3. Do we have an adequate police presence in the area? How is it that the shooters, even with ShotSpotter, crime cameras on both 5th and O and 7th and O, and what is supposed to be a substantial number of officers stationed in the immediate area are able to shoot and get away? What measures are police taking to address the continuing gang violence?

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Does it bother you too?

The DC Council is now apparently developing legislation to allocate $150 million of public funds to building a soccer stadium. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to see a new soccer stadium in the District. In fact, this year, I got together a group of friends to go to a DC United game on my birthday.

But $150 million in public money for construction costs?

This is on top of the $800 million spent on the baseball stadium and reports that my opponent is now pushing for a new football stadium for the Redskins.

Sure, let’s support owners who will make an investment in DC by locating here by improving the infrastructure to make it happen — expanding metro capacity and upgrading stations, repaving streets and reorganizing traffic flow, installing new sidewalks and street lighting, developing new bus routes — everything that is needed to make it safe, easy, and enjoyable to go to a game. But paying for construction for a private business, that’s where I would draw the line. I’d like to open a nice deli, but I’m not asking the DC government to build me a store.

Just last night, I organized a meeting with government officials and about two dozen downtown residents to develop a plan for improving a long neglected and forgotten neighborhood park, one of many in the District. The circle center of the park was filled with cardboard boxes of those who had made the park a semi-permanent home. The park reminds me of ancient ruins I explored on a recent visit to Israel — stones around the perimeter have crumbled and are in disarray, the sidewalks are grown over with weeds and grass, remnants of light fixtures of a time past line the park. Residents avoid the area, which is between Union Station and the Convention Center, the gateway to downtown, because they do not feel safe. Of course, the question of the night was where will the city find the money for renovating the park when they can’t even seem to maintain it? Well, when it comes to a few hundred million here and there for stadiums, finding money seems to be no problem. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Professional sports teams get money for stadium construction and luxury boxes. Residents scramble to organize clean ups to make the filth of neighborhood parks bareable. Kids are left on the streets.

It’s time to tell the DC Council that we expect a change in priorities. Before the city spends $150 million on construction costs for another stadium, let’s see it adequately maintain and renovate every single one of our neighborhood parks so that they can be used by residents and their children. Before the city provides another multimillion dollar giveaway for a ballpark, let’s see the city provide enough funding to keep its recreation centers open on weekends. Before the city writes that next big check to a wealthy sports team, let’s see it find the money to give significant tax relief to struggling small businesses.

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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How many times have you heard elected officials speak about how important it is to provide neighborhood youth with options to stay off the street? Quite frequently. Then why is it that the District’s recreation centers close at 9pm on weeknights and just 4pm on Saturdays? And, if a kid shows up with his basketball on Sunday, he or she will be greeted by a locked door and a closed gate. Do kids not go out on weekends?

When I was growing up in a not-so-safe neighborhood in Brooklyn, I remember they would open the local junior high school for basketball, pool, and other activities late at night. During the summer, there was also a similar program at the high school. Both were packed.

We need to implement such programs in D.C., which is why I sent a letter today to Council Chair Vincent Gray, who has taken an active role in youth issues, the members of the Committee on Libraries, Parks & Recreation, and the Director of Parks & Recreation urging them to extend recreation center hours until at least 10pm during the week, midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and open the doors Sunday from 12-6pm.

When we spend millions of public dollars for a ball field for the Nationals and luxury box upgrades for the Verizon Center (ironically, both of which are open late and on weekends), how is it possible we don’t have the funds to keep recreation centers open during the hours they would be most used?

With the weather warming up and the school year ending, there’s no time like the present to extend hours of operation and give the kids (and the adults too) a fun and safe place to go.

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The unfortunate collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota last week has put attention on the country’s bridges. Many of the Washington, D.C. bridges are quite old, and well documented in the Library of Congress’ Historic American Engineering Record, available online through the American Memory website. The images here and more are all available […]

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Design work has begun for a new Carter G. Woodson Park, located in my neighborhood one block from the Carter G. Woodson house at the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue, Q Street, and 9th Streets NW. According to the project’s manager at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who is overseeing the planning, the project […]

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