PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING #pubsafety #civicactivism

Cross post from New Columbia Heights

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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!

GUEST POST: UNCLE LEE'S SEAFOOD

You may have heard about or seen the "renovations" at Uncle Lee's.  The store was granted its class A liquor license.  This means we have three liquor stores added to the Eastern-Sheriff-Division (ESD) landscape and our 13th in the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 7C community.

This is, needless to say, disappointing.  I will not sugarcoat with platitudes or blame.  We can always say they shoulda, we coulda.  It's more important now, I believe, that we have our moment. 

While you're having your moment, though, think back on our broader goals--building relationships and moving toward an improved quality of life.  We CAN put some achievement notches on our belt.

1) illegal shoe vendor was forced to register his business

2) there is no vending at all on the lot (THE BLOCK IS HOT, YALL!)
3) MPD 6D has daily patrols in ESD and parks on the 1100 Eastern Ave lot
4) community members know they are not alone; there are many who want better because we deserve better
5) there is increased attention from the Prince George's County Police Department
6) cleaned up the U4 bus stop
7) think of your three or four other successes.  (feel free to share!)

WHAT'S NEXT

1) Jocks Liquors' Zoning Hearing 

Thurs., November 3, 9:30 a.m. at County Administration Building, 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Dr., Rm. 2190, Upper Marlboro

http://www.scribd.com/doc/70395377/Jock-s-Zoning-hearing-Fact-Sheet" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Jock's Zoning hearing Fact Sheet

A. Become a person of record by contacting Tom Lockard or 301-952-3530.
B. Testify (or send letter of opposition) at the Jock’s Zoning Hearing, Thursday,November 3, 9:00 a.m. at 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Rm. 2190 Upper Marlboro, MD

1. adversely affect the health,safety or welfare of residents or workers in the area
2. harmful to the use ordevelopment of adjacent properties or the general neighborhood
3. substantially impair the integrity of any validly approved Master Plan or Functional Master Plan, or,the General Plan

2) Increase 311 and 911 calls for service
As we learned at the April alcohol hearing, government doesn't "see."  Government "hears."  Government hears data, i.e., calls for service. 

Car driven by illegal sign posters

1. loitering is illegal in Maryland.  call 911 to report loiterers at Jock's, 1005 Eastern Avenue, Capitol Heights, MD
2. loitering isn't illegal in DC.  call 911 to report open container violations.  MPD has found that patdowns have resulted in drug and outstanding warrants arrests.
3. illegal sign posting is out of control along Eastern Avenue and most certainly in the ESD intersection.  call 311 (DC's service) to report the DC postings, RECORD THE SERVICE REQUEST #, follow up in 10 business days.
4. Maryland is cracking down on illegal sign posters AND the companies.  Take a cell picture, email it, and email the location to the Department of Environmental Resources (email the location even if there's no picture).
5. Be on the look out for a blue VW hatchback driven by two Latino males, 5'6-5'8, 22-27 y.o. parking at 7-11 or Uncle Lee's.  One wears all black, slight build, and usually drives.  The other has stocky build and wears a baseball cap.  I've spoken to them so they know they are being watched.  When you see them call 911 and report for defacing property.

3) What's on YOUR mind?  What should be next?

Sylvia

Sylvia C. Brown
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 7C04
O: 202-398-5100
C: 202-841-4117 

P.S. SHARE THIS NEWS WITH SOMEONE

WHATEVER HAPPENED WITH...

UNCLE LEE'S SEAFOOD

On Wednesday, April 13 the protest hearing against the Class A Liquor License application of Uncle Lee's Seafood was held. It was an empowering and enlightening experience.

A brief recap:

- It was a bit of a rough start because Commissioner Sylvia Brown was late and the proceedings are conducted as a court case with opening statements, exhibits, etc.

- Ronnie Streff, Vice President, Capitol View Civic Association, and Commissioner Brown were dinged because they tagged teamed; Commissioner Brown ended being the primary questioner with Streff as second chair

- Commissioner Brown's line of questioning bringing up the application's discrepancies of ownership and running another business brought in reasonable doubt of the applicant's ability to follow the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration's peace, order, and quiet standards for the Alcohol Control Board

- The board chair reprimanded the applicant's attorney two-three times to the point of questioning whether he was an attorney and nearly dismissing the case; the attorney was answering questions for his client instead of allowing the client to speak for herself. Thankfully, Commissioner Brown's request for an impartial third party translator was granted otherwise there could've been shenanigans.

- The applicant called up a supportive "customer." Questioning revealed the customer actually worked for the applicant getting paid in food and drink

- The applicant presented a petition of supporters as an exhibit. The protestants objected because the petition didn't say it was for a liquor store, several signors were not from the immediate area, and several signors used, shall we say, aliases.

- The alcohol board has 90 days to issue its decision.

WHAT'S NEXT

1) BY MON., April 25, 5:00 P.M. SEND OR PHONE YOUR OPPOSITION TO "THE FISCAL YEAR 2012 PROPOSALS TO EXTEND LIQUOR STORE HOURS TO 12 MIDNIGHT & ALLOWING CLASS A LIQUOR STORES TO SELL ON SUNDAYS" TO

The Honorable Jim Graham
Chairman
District of Columbia Council on Human Services
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 117
Washington, DC 20004
P: 202-724-8181
VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL: jim@grahamwone.com, agerst@dccouncil.us

The Honorable Yvette M. Alexander
Ward 7 Councilmember
Member, Committee on Human Services
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004
P: 202-724-8068
VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL: yalexander@dccouncil.us, jrmeyers@dccouncil.us

2) Mark the 3rd Wed., 6:30p (sharp), Kelly Miller Middle School, 301 49th St. NE on your calendars for the monthly Patrol Service Area 602 meeting.

• Wed., April 20
• Wed., May 18
• Wed., June 15
• Wed., July 20
• Wed., Aug. 17
• Wed., Sept. 21
• Wed., Oct. 19
• Wed., Nov. 16
• Wed., Dec. 21

3) The Far NE Livability Study recommendations will be revealed, Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.  Show up & support the District Department of Transportation's budgeting the dollars to plan and reconstruct Sheriff Rd.

4) We need at least three people to join the economic development strategy team to implement the Deanwood Small Area Plan--Sheriff-Eastern node.

5) Other neighbors want to replicate what we did and strategize on future liquor license renewals. There'll be a planning meeting in early-mid June. To join the liquor license strategy team, please email me directly

STAY ON TOP OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

ALL THINGS DEANWOOD

@DEANWOODDC

Liquor Store Alley: Is Your Neighborhood on the Edge?

For much of the year the process of granting liquor licenses has been debated from working class Ward 5 to hipster Ward 2 to tony Ward 2.  The overwhelming opinion is that the District's liquor license process which is administered by the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) is broken.  The common thread in these license debates, however, has been on-premises liquor consumption at bars, restaurants, and taverns.  Alcohol licensing for liquor stores is not, however, considered a part of the ABRA reform. 

In too many neighborhoods in Wards 7 and 8 there is a concentration of liquor stores--both beer and wine (Class B) and beer, wine, spirits (Class A).  Generally, there is an automatic expectation that a voluntary agreement and/or monetary donation can be made and the ANC will acquiese to the inevitable, ABRA granting the license.  This underlying tone favors the business instead of favoring the community and lets the business off the hook for actually having a business plan that doesn't leech off predominantly low-income neighborhoods.  In many cases in Wards 7 and 8 a VA will not be sufficient because the concentration of liquor stores is too high; we're saturated. 



Google Maps. Uncle Lee's left, Jock's Liquor right

 I am contending with this very issue right now with Uncle Lee's Seafood.  There is a new owner who is "just trying to survive."  The owner has a background in operating a deli with a speciality in breakfast.  She has changed the menu to include breakfast and lunch.  Unfortunately, survival is based on the lottery and liquor sales and not using her talent and skill on meeting an unmet market--an eatery with quality food and not typical carryout. 

No liquor license issuance is the only option for Uncle Lee's Seafood. Vibrancy and sanity of the neighborhood will not be enhanced with six liquor stores within a half mile radius! 



Google Maps. Liquor Store Landscape

 While I appreciate my neighbors west of the River writing about making the liquor license process less contentious, it is important to note the impact of concentrating licensees, specifically liquor stores.  Maybe there's room in ABRA reform to separate liquor stores from the licensing for restaurants, taverns, and nightclubs to take these matters into consideration.  Maybe even 7C should pursue a moratorium like Georgetown.  Otherwise, we'll continue to pick at the contention of "who is in the catbird seat--the licensee business owner or the Advisory Neighborhood Commission/community?"