It’s all about the neighborhood
A great crowd at the 149th Strawberry Festival at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. The strawberry festival started in 1866 and has been a tradition at the 300 year old church for a century and a half (the history of the church is fascinating).
This time around there was a lot food, bounce houses, a pony rides on a beautiful (and hot) summer day -- perfect for enjoying strawberries. A gallery from the day is after the break:
Read MoreThere are 200 seeds on an average strawberry and they're a member of the rose family.
Don't believe me? You can check for yourself tomorrow at the 149th Annual Strawberry Festival at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (i.e. the church in Rock Creek Cemetery). 149 years equals a lot of strawberries.
It promises to be a great time for families and kids of all ages and sizes. There will be food, music, pony rides, arts and crafts, a moon bounce, field games and even a climbing wall.
Plus, the ever-popular tours of historic Rock Creek Cemetery.
Oh, and there will be strawberries.
Saturday, June 13, from 4-8 p.m.
201 Allison St NW
(Rock Creek Church Road and Webster St NW)
stpaulrockcreek.org
There's an interesting thread going on the Petworth Listserv about the shootings and increase in violence in the Petworth area... and the lack of a communicated, comprehensive plan to deal with it. Jonah Goodman sent a well-written email to the Petworth Listserv, which I quote below. He has pulled together a number of valuable resources, including a Google Map of recent shootings. Read the full post after the break:
Read More"How did restrictive housing covenants shape DC neighborhoods?"
ANC 1A Commissioner Kent Boese posted information on his Park View blog about two upcoming, fascinating research presentations on the history and impact of segregation on DC neighborhoods. As the first presentation is in Park View, the meeting tomorrow will focus on the history of the Park View area. Below is an except of the blog post; head over to the Park View blog to read the full post.
Prologue DC historians Mara Cherkasky and Sarah Shoenfeld will present the latest findings in their ongoing research project, Mapping Segregation in Washington DC. This ongoing research project looks in depth at the historic segregation of DC’s housing, schools, recreation facilities, and more. The project’s first year has focused on racially restrictive housing covenants and legal challenges to them.
Maps are used to better understand how many of DC’s “historically black” neighborhoods were once exclusively white, and how the city’s racial geography has been shaped by segregation. Maps tell stories that words cannot.
The first presentation is Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Park View Recreation Center (693 Otis Place NW) and the second is Wednesday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Public Library, (901 G Street NW). Both events are free and open to the public.
Mapping Segregation is an ongoing project, so check their website for updates.
Excellent Source: Park View
The 2015 Kennedy Street Festival is coming up on June 20th, 11am - 3pm along Kennedy Street.
To help raise funds to cover the costs of the festival, they are having a Happy Hour Fundraiser at Simple Bar and Grill on June 11th from 6-9pm.
They are asking for a $10 donation at the door.
For more info, visit the festival website... or if you can't make it, you can donate online!
I think it's fair to say the Celebrate Petworth Festival was a success today. I arrived late, and it was still very crowded. The vendors I spoke with talked about the great day they were having selling, and kids were having fun with the music and dance area.
A gallery of pictures from today is after the break!
Read MoreThe momentum has been building for the past few months, and now the Celebrate Petworth Festival is here. It's going to be a very busy day, with a ton of activities for kids of all ages.
Enlarge to see the schedule of events
I encourage you to check out the day's schedule of events -- since the Festival runs from 11am to 5pm on Upshur Street (between 8th & 9th Street), there are a ton of events going on all day long.
I'll miss the first half of the day (I'll be at the MPD academy) but will be there for the last half of the day.
Special kudos to all the Celebrate Petworth planning committee, who worked hard to make the Festival happen:
If you live in north Petworth and below Takoma Park, there's a new option for a farmer's market. The 14th and Kennedy Street Farmer's Market launches this Saturday, June 6th at 5500 Colorado Ave NW. The market opens at 9am and goes to 1pm and will run through November 21st. It currently features seven vendors selling meat, fruit, vegetables, bread and coffee.
The new market would be a fun activity to do before the Celebrate Petworth Festival kicks off this Saturday the 6th at 11am on Upshur Street, between 8th & 9th Street!
As the season progresses, the market hopes to foster a deeper connection with the community and bring new and varying types of vendors each week based on the expressed needs and desires of the local residents. The market will also feature a rotating table hosting local community organizations, not-for-profit government organizations, and local community businesses to increase awareness of organizations and promote small business in the area.
The market will feature live music every Saturday. Starting June 6th, the market will accept WIC; some vendors will accept SNAP and all vendors will accept SNAP by August 1st.
For more information about the Fourteenth and Kennedy Street Farmers Market, visit their website and Like their Facebook page to stay connected.
History, Heroes & Treasures: The National Archives Sleepover
Ever wanted to sleep with history? Well, maybe you can!
The National Archives is doing a "sleepover" for kids 8-12 years old to experience the museum at night and learn about history. It sounds cool. It comes at a price, though: $125 per person. At least you'll be able to say not only do you know the Constitution, but you've slept with it.
Have you ever wondered what happens in a museum after the building closes and the lights go out? Now’s your chance!
Join the National Archives for a special sleepover at the National Archives Museum in Washington DC, and spend the night next to America’s most precious treasures: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. (Cool, right?)
Throughout the night young explorers investigate some of the greatest adventures of all time through music, chats with historical figures, games, and more.
When: July 25, 2015, 6:30pm Saturday until 8:30am Sunday
Where: National Archives Museum, Washington, DC
Price: $125 per attendee; $100 for Foundation members
Ages: Children 8-12 years old; Chaperones must be 21+
More information on the National Archives website.
Or, jump right to the registration page.
The 2015 GSK Science in the Summer program at the Petworth Library will introduce young students (2nd grade through 6th grade) to simple machines through fun activities designed to help them discover how and why machines can lift huge boulders, build bridges and pump water. The program is free.
Kids will learn about the six kinds of simple machines: lever, inclined plane, screw, wheel, pulley and wedge and build simple machines that help people to do work more easily. They will discover that everything in the universe moves and why.
This program is free, and will take place in two sessions:
A parent or guardian must sign a permission slip for children to participate.
Registration began on May 30th and continues until all spots are reserved.
Sign up at the Petworth Library (4200 Kansas Ave NW). See the program flyer (pdf).
CM Brandon Todd held a birthday party at Sala Thai on Georgia Avenue this evening, and it was a full-house of supporters. He just turned 32 and is now on the DC Council: that's some accomplishment, and one that was extolled by several speakers. A couple of councilmembers attended the birthday celebration, including At-Large Councilmembers Vincent Orange and Anita Bonds (one of my favorites, very passionate, dedicated and such a genuine person) and Ward 7 CM Yvette Alexander. I'm quite sure there were more VIPs and dignitaries, but to be honest, it was crowded.
Read more and see lots of pics after the break:
Read MoreI'm really pleased to share that I have been nominated to participate in the 1st Cohort of the Metropolitan Police Department Community Engagement Academy. Six residents from each of the seven MPD districts were nominated by MPD leadership to take part, and I was nominated by Fourth District leadership to attend.
I'm really not sure what to expect, per se. According to the nomination papers, the Academy is a six week, 28-hour training program offering information about how DC MPD operates, from the academy to station tours, overviews of specialized policing units like the harbor patrol and K-9, and class discussions on juvenile issues, policing scenarios and use of force. I'm thinking the goal is to create "champions" within the community that can liaison, promote and help MPD engage with residents. (Note that I'm not going to the police academy and not going to be a police officer... this is a learning opportunity for civilians.) Read more after the break:
Read More4D Inspector Vendette Parker
Inspector Vendette Parker, sub-commander for the MPD Fourth District, is kicking off a new public outreach campaign this week called "I Wish U Knew." This campaign is designed to offer local residents the opportunity to tell Inspector Parker what you wish she knew about any issue affecting you, the community and MPD. It's an off-shoot of Mayor Bowser's #IWishUKnew campaign, and was Inspector Parker's idea on how to reach out to and engage with the community.
This will be a weekly series of meetings outdoors in public spaces, where pedestrians can easily come up and talk to MPD. Inspector Parker will be setting up a tent at the Georgia Avenue Metro this Wednesday, June 3rd at 6:00pm to 7:30pm. She's asking for residents to come by, meet her and some fellow officers and share your thoughts, concerns, complaints and compliments. The next meetings will take place in Mt. Pleasant and Riggs-Park. Inspector Parker will announce other locations in the weeks ahead.
They're suggesting you use use hashtags #iwishuknew and tweet to @dcpolicedept on social media.
Inspector Parker has an impressive background with MPD, serving for more than 21 years across DC in all 7 police districts. Read her MPD bio here, and if you can, stop by to talk and meet Inspector Parker.
The Petworth Dance Project needs your help. A great addition to our local culture in Petworth, the Dance Project brings modern dance to Petworth Park on 8th & Taylor, free for residents.
They need help funding the project. They're only 17% of the way toward their goal, and they only have 40 hours left. If you can afford to drop them $5, $10 or $50, I know the organizers will appreciate your help, and you'll know you're supporting the arts in Petworth.
The next two events coming up in June and July sound great, and the one in July takes places in the Spray Park!
Visit their Indiegogo campaign site today, and donate a little Petworth love to them.
Petworth News, a neighborhood blog on local news, information & events about the Petworth area in Washington DC.
Petworth News is a news site about Petworth area neighborhoods in Washington DC, written by Drew Schneider and other amazing contributing writers. It features facts and objective reporting, as well as an occasional subjective point of view and opinion.
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