July 01, 2015

There is such a thing as a free lunch

July 01, 2015/ Drew

There are many ways to help your neighbor, especially if getting a balanced meal for a child is a problem. To help, the DC government has a program called DC Free Summer Meals Program (FSMP) that offers free breakfast and lunch to all persons under age 18 who stop by the Petworth Rec Center (8th & Taylor NW). They serve meals Monday through Friday.

The program runs June through August with most sites opening June 22 and closing August 22. Meal times and dates vary by location.

Hunger doesn’t take a summer break.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), known in Washington, DC as the DC Free Summer Meals Program (FSMP), provides reimbursement for free nutritious meals and snacks served to children 18 and younger. These meals help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school.

When school is out, the meals served as a part of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program are not available, and due to families' limited budgets, or other circumstances, children will often miss wholesome meals. The FSMP fills this gap and parents benefit from some help in stretching their food dollars and by knowing that their children are receiving healthy meals in a supportive environment.

The Free Summer Meals Program has served over 1 million meals to children and youth in the District of Columbia in the past three summers.

June 30, 2015

A conversation about neighborhood blogging

June 30, 2015/ Drew

My friends at 4Site Studios, a web and video firm in Columbia Heights, invited me to a casual conversation over beer and recorded a podcast about neighborhood blogging and what it takes to build a "digital community" in their Digital Engagement 4Cast series.

If you're interested in learning a bit more about me, hearing how Petworth News came about, my obsession with metrics, what I think about when I write and more, you can find the podcast on iTunes (it's 4Cast #8).

June 29, 2015

Painting safety into Grant Circle

June 29, 2015/ Drew

Will paint and pylons keep drivers from zipping around Grant Circle, nearly running over pedestrians and driving with a little more sense of calm and respect? DDOT thinks so.

Over the past couple of weeks, ANC 4C Commissioners Joe Martin and Kathleen Crowley, along with several residents including myself, have contacted DDOT looking for clarification on the status of the Pedestrian Safety Plan (see my prior article) for Grant Circle. This plan called for some rather large changes to the Circle, including eliminating... Read more after the break and see the proposed solution from DDOT:

June 28, 2015

Happy birthday, Ms Thomas

June 28, 2015/ Drew

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the 89th birthday party of my neighbor and an active Petworth resident, Joan Thomas. Ms Thomas is the epitome of a pillar of the community and has been awarded throughout the years by mayors, councilmembers, and her church... Read more and see a photo gallery after the break:

June 25, 2015

Petworth Jazz Project Saturday

June 25, 2015/ Drew

Update: Tonight's Jazz Project is cancelled due to the rain. Next month!

I highly recommend you go to the Petworth Jazz Project at the Petworth Park (8th & Taylor St NW) on Saturday, June 27th from 6-9pm if you:

a) like jazz
b) have kids
c) like good pizza
d) wanna hang with neighbors
e) all the above

Baba Ras D will perform at 6pm for kids (if you don't know Baba, he's like the Bob Marley for 3 and 4 year olds, they love / are obsessed with him). He's also an incredibly nice guy.

The Corey Wallace DUBtet will perform at 7pm for everyone, and should offer a great show. From listening to some of Corey's music, we're in for a treat.

And lastly, Timber Pizza Co will be onhand with their portable brick-oven and will be making outstanding pizzas.

Here's hoping the weather cooperates!

June 21, 2015

A quick review of Timber Pizza

June 21, 2015/ Drew

Timber Pizza Co. had their portable brick oven set up at the Kennedy Street Festival on Saturday, and getting a pizza from them was high on my list of to-do's for the day. By the time I got there, there were only three pizza doughs left -- they clearly had a good day, and I clearly was lucky to get there in time.

I finally got the chance to meet owners Andrew Dana and Chris Brady in person, after doing a phone interview with Andrew a few weeks back. Both are very excited about opening up the restaurant on Upshur Street later in the winter (though with the amount of work 809 Upshur St needs, I'm thinking this might be an early 2016 opening).

Owner Andrew Dana making me a pizza with two kinds of cheese and pepperoni.

Then we got down to the business at hand, and I ordered a half-pepperoni, half-cheese pizza (a small one to split with the family). I watched Andrew stretch the dough, put the sauce on, then the two kinds of cheese (low-moisture mozzarella/provolone, fresh mozzarella), then a couple of thin pepperoni slices.

Into the brick oven it went with the long-handled pizza spatula. Before I knew it, "Pizza coming out!" was shouted and the pizza came back out of the oven, steaming and bubbling. After walking around the festival for a few hours, at this moment my growling stomach and I were both very focused on the pizza.

Over it went to Chris, who offered to put on basil (and they had some very fresh-looking basil waiting) but I declined -- not sure my 4 year old would go for it. Chris then grabs a large "rocker" pizza cutter and quickly cuts the pie up into 4 large slices. The pie went onto a perfectly cut, perfectly sized round piece of cardboard and I think I mumbled a quick "thanks" as my impatient appetite pulled me over to the entryway of a closed business where my family was sitting and waiting.

Even with a bandaged hand, Chris is a master with the rocker.

This was a good pizza. The cheese was thick and melty, and there was good oil on the pizza without making a total mess everywhere. The bottom of the crust had that slight wood-burnt crunch, and the edge soft and thick. It folded up perfectly. The pepperoni was tasty -- cut thin so the flavor was there but it didn't overwhelm the slice. I was really hoping the pizza would be good, and Timber Pizza did not disappoint.

My 4-year old daughter said, chewing around her second piece, "Daddy, when they open, I want to go eat there every night." Yeah, me too.

You can try them out for yourself this upcoming weekend. Timber Pizza Co. will be at the Petworth Jazz Project on Saturday, June 27th at the Petworth Park (6pm - 9pm). I highly recommend you show up to grab a pizza -- before they run out of dough.

Find them online at TimberPizza.com.

June 21, 2015

Overview of the Kennedy Street Festival

June 21, 2015/ Drew

The 2nd annual Kennedy Street Festival kicked off at 11am on Saturday, and between all the artists, booths, vendors, the guy dancing to the Michael Jackson music, and tasty food trucks, it was a great event. I tried to talk to a few different vendors and get an idea of what was being sold, drawn, crafted or showcased.

Read more to see pictures and video and learn about some of the vendors.

June 20, 2015

14th & Kennedy Street Market starting strong in third week

June 20, 2015/ Drew

Today is the third weekend of the 14th and Kennedy Street Farmer's Market, and even with a little sprinkling of rain, people were out buying fresh veggies, meat, tea and bread. Every vendor I spoke to said pretty much the same thing: "This is a great market, a lot of energy, great people. Really impressed since it's so new." You should come down to meet the vendors, support the market and pick up some fresh food.

Read more to learn about the vendors and see pictures.

June 18, 2015

DC Green Neighbors wants to help you be efficient

June 18, 2015/ Drew

DC Green Neighbors will be setting up a table at the Petworth Farmers Market this weekend (June 20th) as part of their "green-focused market." The volunteer group will be sharing information on energy efficiency, solar panels, rain barrels and more, and will also have things for kids to play with and learn from (like worms!).

Green Neighbors is an all-volunteer group of residents of the Petworth, Park View, Brightwood, and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. Their goal is to lower the emissions of carbon and other pollutants that contribute to global warming and to make renewable energy and other sustainable resources more accessible to everyone in the community. Green Neighbors see themselves as part of a larger District-wide, regional, national and international movement to preserve our climate and planet for future generations.

Trying to live the "think global, act local" concept, the group meets once a month, usually the third Monday, at the Petworth Library’s (depending on the availability of the meeting room).

Stop by their table to meet and learn more about how to live green this weekend at the market.

June 17, 2015

Kennedy Street Festival this Saturday!

June 17, 2015/ Drew

This is a great summer for the Petworth area, and it continues with the upcoming Kennedy Street Festival on June 20th, now in its second season!

The Festival is from 11am - 3pm and runs along Kennedy Street NW from 3rd Street to Georgia Ave. A community-driven, crowd-funded event, the Festival includes live music, food trucks, creative vendors, community resources, activities, art, face painting and more!

Kennedy Street isn't closing -- the Festival takes place on the sidewalks and in private space with music and art. (608 and 716 Kennedy Street will be filled with vendors.) Brick and mortar businesses will be open and serving up specials. Come out to enjoy street performances by jazz, soul, classical, folk and roots musicians. Compete in a neighborhood scavenger hunt or buy raffle tickets for a chance to win Washington Nationals seats, (donated by At-Large DC Council member Elissa Silverman).

Look for specials and guests at local favorites Culture Coffee, Andrene's Cafe, Tony's Place and Taqueria D.F. Local arts vendors include local master wood carver Boluwaji Omisore, funky thrift purveyor Vintage Glam, new local screen-printers Aniton Ink, and many more. Food trucks including Street Cream, Timber Pizza, and Karat Cakery will be filling neighborhood niches.

(Timber Pizza Co. is opening a restaurant at 809 Upshur St NW, and Karat Cakery is a carrot cake food truck. I love carrot cake. I love food trucks. I'm so there.)

This year marks 100 years of Kennedy Street (more or less!). The street was laid out across the farmland of what is now Manor Park, Brightwood Park, North Petworth and 16th Street Heights between 1911 and 1918. Today, Kennedy is the commercial heart of these neighborhoods, with huge untapped potential to be a walkable, locally-serving main street. We'll have several DC government agencies and neighborhood volunteers on hand to talk about what's coming to Kennedy Street NW, including two streetscape improvement projects, a restaurant and apartment development, and more.

The Festival is a project of the Kennedy Street Development Association (KSDA), an all-volunteer, not-for-profit group of businesses and residents committed to enhancing community and commercial life on Kennedy Street. For more festival info, follow KSDA on Facebook and Twitter (@KennedyStreetNW).

June 17, 2015

Pictures from Grant Circle Social

June 17, 2015/ Drew

Neighbors braved the potential threat of rain and came out to the Grant Circle Social tonight, and were rewarded with no rain, cool(er) air and a bunch of people waiting to meet. There were new faces joining us tonight, as well as some "regulars." It was great to see everyone (and to meet Brandon Todd's mom!).

If you're interested in joining a Circle Social planning committee, comment below or sent Rob Mandle a message on the Grant Circle Social event page.

Feel free to tag yourself in the photos on Facebook!

Neighbors braved the potential threat of rain and came out to the Grant Circle Social tonight, and were rewarded with no...
Posted by Petworth News on Wednesday, June 17, 2015

June 16, 2015

Grant Circle Social tomorrow at 6pm

June 16, 2015/ Drew

The 6th Grant Circle Social is tomorrow, June 17th from 6 PM to 7 PM in the middle of Grant Circle. It's a great way to meet local residents, so be sure to tell your neighbors who may not be online to learn about it.

Whether you're stopping by for a few minutes or staying the full hour, it's a great opportunity to talk with neighbors. If you are interested in co-hosting a future Grant Circle Social, please contact Rob Mandle.

About Grant Circle Socials
The Grant Circle Social series is a casual, no-agenda gathering of neighbors in Petworth's signature green space with an underlying goal of building social capital and fostering a sense of community. Grant Circle Socials are held from 6pm to 7pm the Third Wednesday of the month.

June 15, 2015

Curbing the danger of speeding cars

June 15, 2015/ Drew

There's been a lot of conversation around the neighborhood and recently on area listservs about pedestrian safety conditions at Grant Circle. The most common complaint is that drivers fail to stop for people trying to walk across the circle.

People have told stories about walking across with their kids, have a car stop to wait for them, only to have another car come zipping around the first and almost hitting the pedestrians.

Residents have been asking for DDOT and Ward leadership to made changes to the Circle for years, and there is a plan that might help increase safety for pedestrians... Read the full article and see pictures of a proposed solution after the break: