#w7cm2012 #dcision12 forum

Conventional wisdom describes Deanwood as "an emerging neighborhood." I for one am tired of being on the cusp. It time for Deanwood to blossom--a return to greatness that recaptures our self-reliance, diverse small businesses, and strong community ties.
Deanwood's historic Contee A.M.E. Zion Church is hosting a town hall and forum for candidates seeking the Ward 7 Council seat. What are we asking candidates about Deanwood's future? - Greater Deanwood neighbors have been fighting oversaturation of liquor stores. Does a candidate have a concrete plan to increase neighborhood-based retail diversity?
- Deanwood is jokingly called Highway to Heaven because there is a church on every corner--traditional and storefront. How do we engage places of worship to include in their faith missions for-profit community improvement proposals?
- How do the candidates view the Eastern Avenue and Southern Avenue border with Prince George's County, MD? a) Can the candidates give an example of working with at least one Prince George's County official or community leader?
- Add your questions to the comment section.
- Bring two more questions and a neighbor to the forum.
Contee AMEZ Ward 7 Town Hall Friday, Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m. Contee AMEZ W7 Forum Final Flyer

You know me, right?

Glamour Shot (you like???)

Chillaxin' (I can be a bohemian.)

It was a little too sunny, but I still like it (shouldn't I say that).

I just want to be sure.

For awhile I've written Deanwoodenizen "anonymously." It was supposed to transition to a multi-user blog, i.e. a bunch of neighbors writing about our beloved community. In the end, though, Deanwoodenizen has become another effective tool for me to maximize civic activism through social media. (Neighbors, you are more than welcome to join in the blogging fun, see item 3.)

I've learned a few things in the last fifteen months (thanks to my top-notch education at Georgetown University and the New Organizing Institute). Soooo, what are those few things???

DRUMROLL

1. I'm a community organizer!
2. I'm a communicator, not a spinmeister!
3. "We" sounds much better (and accomplishes a whole lot more) than "I"!
4. Talking strategy and planning are fun. Implementation is funner!
5. Uncomplicated and getting it done are friends!

THAT. IS. ALL. NOW, BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BLOG TOPIC.

#w7cm2012 Forum #dcision12

Ward 7 Council Member Candidate Forum

Thursday,  February 16, 2012

7:00 pm-8:45pm

Langston Golf Course Club House

2600 Benning Road NE

The Friends of Kingman Civic Association wants area residents to become better informed before they enter the voting booth.

Please attend this important Candidate Forum. The April 3, 2012 primary is approaching fast.

A civil discussion about local issues from all candidates and attendees is expected.

The forum is a non-partisan and is not intended to promote a party politics.

We hope to see you there!

Lisa White
ANC Commissioner SMD 7D01 Kingman Park
Friends of Kingman Park Member

SAVE THE DATE: #w7moves Transportation Summit

The Second Annual Ward 7 Transportation Summit is a citizen-led and organized initiative bringing attention to the transportation needs and wants of the Ward. This summit is a follow-up to a transportation summit convened last year around the theme "rediscover the bus."

Organized by Veronica O. Davis, an engineer and partner in sustainability consulting firm Nspiregreen, the transportation summits aim to give stakeholders an opportunity to have an open and honest dialogue with key government agencies and elected officials. Davis says, "Transportation is a key link in economic development and growth. Too often Ward 7 has been studied with limited action after the studies."

A common thread found in those studies is the Ward's limited connectivity--within the ward, within the East of the River community, and throughout the District. Some of the topics for discussion include, the WMATA W4 study, fully funding the East of the River Circulator, bus and rail safety, coordinating transportation demand management between Ward 7 and Ward 8 development projects, and getting more ward representation on transportation-related boards and commissions.

Davis continues, "One of the unique ways we plan to engage neighbors and key influencers is by hosting a tweet chat. In addition to word-of-mouth and flyering, social media has come to be such a vital communications link. Listserves, Facebook and Twitter are the modern-day conversation over the back fence."

This second summit is another thread in the conversation about advocating for the needs and wants of Ward 7 and its residents. 
W7Transpo Summit Flyer Update

#ward7 #dcision12 forum

Ward 7 Candidates Forum Feb 2012 Flyer - Ver2

IDEA PCS Hearing #ward7 #edureform

In late December DC's Public Charter School Board moved to revoke the Integrated Design Electronics Academy (IDEA) PCS charter due to academic deficiencies and for operating an adult education program outside of their charter. IDEA is one of the oldest charter schools in the District having opened in 1998. IDEA runs a middle school and a high school.
In the Washington Examiner the school's Executive Director Norman Johnson commented, the school "was approved to serve students who may have issues with the law or truancy, making the ratings unfair."

The PCSB's hearing about the matter is later today, Febuary 2, 6:00 p.m. at IDEA, 1027 45th St. NE.  The school is on the U4 bus route and four blocks from the Orange Line's Deanwood Metro Station.

Art as Placemaking... #deanwooddc

In the realm of urbanism, placemaking has gained a significant foothold. Essentially, placemaking means enlivening neighborhoods. This can involve art, streetscape enhancements, like lighting and tree plantings, and farmers' markets. At the core of placemaking is community engagement and involvement.

When the Deanwood Community Center and Library was planned placemaking was an aspect neighbors wanted (even before the term became in vogue). The DC Commission on Arts and Humanities is finally moving on the effort through the DC Creates!Public Art Program.  The program purchases, commissions, and installs artworks for public sites throughout the District. 

Join neighbors this Saturday in planning this placemaking and community building activity. Artist Amber Robles-Gordon will present a public art piece for the Deanwood Recreation Center and Library.

Deanwood Community Public Art Presentation

Saturday, February 4, 2:00p

Deanwood Recreation Center Multi-Purpose Room

For more information

Mary Beth Brown 202-724-5613 or MaryBeth.Brown@dc.gov

Da-dum-dum, da-dum-dum, da-dum-dum-duhhh...

At the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) hearing on Tuesday, January 10, Uncle Lee's owners exhibited further evidence they are not ethical. You'll recall the hearing was to consider a minor modification application to extend the business hours to midnight.

The Office of Planning (OP) receives a copy of the application. Doing due diligence, OP informed the Zoning Administrator (ZA), which is in the Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs. The ZA issued a finding that the owners applied for a separate tax lot/address for the liquor store. Raising into question whether the extension request is for the carryout or the liquor store.

Based on the ZA's information OP recommended that BZA not rule because the body doesn't have jurisdiction over the extended hours request; the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) does because the request is for the liquor store.

OP & ZA rightly saw through the hours extension application as one for the liquor store, not the carryout. Uncle Lee's owners are trying to skirt the ABRA process using the BZA application as cover.

This instance provides evidence that no leniency is needed for this nuisance business, its owners, or the landlord.

BZA "out of an abundance of caution" extended left the record open until February 7 to give the applicant, Eun Sun Kim, a chance to clarify. However, the board is inclined to deny the application at the February hearing. If you cannot attend the continuance hearing at 441 4th St. NW Rm. 270N (One Judiciary Square), the hearing will be live webcast.

P.S. Thanks to Through His Eyes Ministries  parishioner Marilyn Day for attending the hearing. Additional appreciation to neighbor Sherrie Lawson and Ward 7 Councilmember for their letters opposing the extended hours application.

PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING #pubsafety #civicactivism

Cross post from New Columbia Heights

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Contact Commissioner Sylvia C. Brown at 202-398-5100 to caravan to the training!

Let's start 2012 the right way, TOGETHER, building a stronger community! In the spirit of service, on the Tuesday after the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, let's commit to serving our neighborhoods. All DC neighborhoods are welcome to join in!

Neighborhood Watch Training

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

6:30 PM to 9:00 PM

St Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton St NW, Upstairs Auditorium, PARKING & ENTRANCE ON 16th Street NW

Agenda

6:30 PM to 7:00 PM - Sign-in, Meet Your Neighbors, Light Dinner

7:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Crime Prevention Training with Samantha Nolan

8:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Small-group Discussions - Issue Identification and Goal Setting

Sponsored by the Northwest Columbia Heights Community Association with support from Target, the Columbia Heights Shaw Family Support Collaborative and the UPS Store.

Training is free-of-charge, all are welcome, free refreshments provided!

Want to volunteer to help with the Neighborhood Watch Training event? We need small-group discussion leaders and help with meeting logistics. Please sign up on the registration form, or contact Cecilia: 202-299-7868

Contact Commissioner Sylvia C. Brown at 202-398-5100 to caravan to the training!

#unclelees Owners Plan to Attend ANC7C Public Meeting

According to ANC7C Chair Khaliq Elhillali, the owners of Uncle Lee's Seafood and Liquor, Eun Sun Kim and Peter Jung, have asked to be on the Commission's agenda on Thursday, January 12. This is quite a turn of events since the owners have rebuffed previous requests to attend meetings and to meet with residents and stakeholders.

If you don't come to another community meeting,

you need to be at this one!!

BRING A NEIGHBOR

ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 7C

PUBLIC MEETING

THUR., JANUARY 12, 7:00 P.M.

SARGENT MEM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (BASEMENT)

5108 NANNIE HELEN BURROUGHS AVE. NE

AGENDA INCLUDES UNCLE LEE'S OWNERS

(EUN SUN KIM & PETER JUNG)

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 7C

4651 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE Suite 2,WDC 20019

202-398-5100, anc7c@verizon.net

Come with your questions, comments, and to meet the owners (and the landlord, Paul Ince). Your presence needs to be seen, heard, and felt.

I'M COUNTING ON YOU!

Yeah, what she said! Life in the Village: Economic Development in #Ward7

My neighbor, Miss V, summed it up well at Life in the Village (Washington, DC): Economic Development in Ward 7. You can watch the hearing at the Council's website or through the Office of Cable Television.

PUBLIC OVERSIGHT ROUNDTABLE BY THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS/PROJECTS IN WARD 7

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012, 6:30 P.M.

DOROTHY HEIGHT/BENNING LIBRARY

3935 BENNING ROAD, NE

Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown announces the scheduling of a Public Oversight Roundtable by the Committee of the Whole on Economic Development Programs/Projects in Ward 7. The public oversight roundtable is scheduled for January 11, 2012, at 6:30 p.m., Dorothy Height/Benning Library, 3935 Benning Road, NE. The purpose of the public oversight roundtable is to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposed economic development programs/projects in Ward 7.

Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to testify at the public oversight roundtable are encouraged to sign up online by visiting our Council website at http://dccouncil.us. Individuals may also contact Priscilla McIver, Administrative Assistant to the Committee of the Whole, at (202) 724-8196, or via e-mail at pford@dccouncil.us and furnish their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and organizational affiliation, if any. They should also bring 20 copies of their written testimony. Persons presenting testimony may be limited to 3 minutes in order to permit each witness an opportunity to be heard.

If you are unable to testify at the roundtable, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted to: Committee of the Whole, Council of the District of Columbia, John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 508, Washington, D.C. 20004.

Board of Zoning Adjustment to hear #UncleLee's Case #civicactivism

Tomorrow, January 10, 9:30 a.m. the BZA will hear the Application of Eun Sun Kim case #18147 to extend business hours from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. There are seven items on the agenda and the meeting is a public meeting with no testimony. The members can choose to approve, deny, or postpone the case.

Watch the proceedings live if you cannot attend in person.

Application of Eun Sun Kim

Case # :	18147
Case Name :	Application of Eun Sun Kim (dba Uncle Lee's Seafood)
Case Summary :	(Special Exceptions) Pursuant to 11 DCMR § 3104.1, for a special exception to allow a fast food establishment under section 733, in the C-2-A District at premises 1100 Eastern Avenue, N.E. (Square 5200, Lot 805). 441 4th St. NW Room 220 South (Red Line Judiciary Square Metro)
ANC :	7C

Here is a history of the community's interaction with the business owners.

http://deanwooddenizen.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-tha-what-when-will-unclelees-work.html

http://deanwooddenizen.blogspot.com/2011/12/unclelees-part-ivthe-saga-continues.html

http://deanwooddenizen.blogspot.com/2011/04/whatever-happened-with.html

http://deanwooddenizen.blogspot.com/2010/12/liquor-store-alley-is-your-neighborhood.html

WHAT THA WHAT?! When will #unclelees work WITH #deanwooddc! Sheesh!

PLEASE CALL 911 to report open container violations/public drinking. Try your best to get physical and clothing descriptions of the individuals.

Additionally, register a complaint with the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration by completing an ABRA Complaint Form, emailing William Hager, or calling the issues in to the Enforcement Division at (202) 442-4423. You can make an anonymous report for the following complaints:

• Loitering
• Public drinking
• After hours operation
• Noise
• Overcrowding
• Parking/traffic issues
• Trash
• Sale to intoxicated persons
• Violent activity
• Sale to minors
• Other

Uncle Lee's Class A liquor license is up for renewal March 2012. The 911 calls, the ABRA complaint registrations, pictures, etc. are all documentation for getting the license revoked, not having the license renewed in 2012, and brokering concessions.

IDEA PCS EMERGENCY COMMUNITY MEETING #ward7 #deanwooddc #edreform

Shortly before the holidays The Washington Post reported that IDEA Public Charter School, located in Deanwood, was in danger of closing because of poor academic progress.
Mr. Morris Redd, the school's community liaison, alerted stakeholders to a meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the school, 1027 45th Street NE. The email alert is below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morris Redd	Tue, Jan 3, 2012 at 3:17 PM
To: Morris Redd
IDEA PCS EMERGENCY COMMUNITY MEETING Welcome to 2012, Family and Friends: I hope your holiday season was smooth sailing. Additionally, I pray that the best is yet to come! Unfortunately, I returned to rough waters, here at IDEA. I encourage you, however, not to be alarmed. I too believe, the best is yet to come. The purpose of this brief correspondence is to address what ruffled me. You may have heard rumors, speculation, or news reports that IDEA PCS is closing. The truth of the matter is that we were delivered a proposal from the DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) informing us that our charter is in danger of being revoked. The PCSB has made a preliminary recommendation to revoke the charter of IDEA Public Charter School in 2012 for failing “to meet [our] academic goals and student achievement expectations”. In a nutshell, this means that the school could permanently close its doors after the June 2012 graduation, if we do not immediately and effective address these issues. We are indeed addressing these grave concerns, in house, as we speak. I’ll share some of our strategy with you soon. Right now, we are also seeking your support in this fight to stay open. In addition to the families we serve, you, our partners, friends, and stakeholders, can paint the true picture of the value that IDEA brings and of the good work we do here (in Deanwood, in Ward 7, and throughout the City). On Wednesday, January 4, 2012, we will conduct a Community Meeting to address our supporters on this matter. There, folks will find out what IDEA is doing to address the PCSB’s concerns and how you can help. We will also discuss what we do not want you to do. For now, I would very much like for you (or a representative) to be at IDEA for that important meeting. Secondly, I’m asking that you bring a letter of support from your Office/Organization, sighting the cooperative relationship that we have shared. Specific examples and warm stories are wonderful tools in demonstrating value. I’d be more than happy to assist with your draft, if you’d like. You can give examples such as: Our providing student and adult participants in one or more of your programs; Our bringing your organization into our school to provide a wider audience for your products/services; Student service learning projects, or color guard performances that we have partaken; Our coordinated support of your agency’s programs and initiatives (financially, programmatically, or otherwise; Our opening of our doors for community meetings and other events; Etc. The letter can be addressed to the school’s Executive Director, Norman N. Johnson at IDEA Public Charter School, 1027 45th Street, NE – Washington, DC 20019. NOTE: What we are not asking you to do is petition, lobby, or otherwise antagonize the Public Charter School Board. We do not want letters or calls going to them on our behalf. The PCSB is an independent Chartering Authority who has merely identified some issues that we, as a school community, must address. So, again, PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD FOR ANY REASON ON OUR BEHALF. We are handling this as professionally, comprehensively, and expeditiously as possible. Thanks for your continued support. I hope to see you at the Emergency Community Meeting on tomorrow, Wednesday, January 4 at 6:30 PM. Be blessed, Morris