August 09, 2015

5K run for freedom with President Lincoln's Cottage

August 09, 2015/ Drew

If you're a runner or someone who loves freedom AND running, then President Lincoln's Cottage has the race for you. The Annual President Lincoln’s Cottage Freedom 5K is set for Saturday, September 26th, and early, discounted registration is open now. There's even a "tot dash" for kids! Olympic champion and running icon Joan Benoit Samuelson will participate in the race for a second year.

Details about the race and a link for early bird registration after the break:

August 02, 2015

About that house...

August 02, 2015/ Drew

Let's talk a bit more about that yellow and green house. I've received about a few concerns about the yellow house survey article, so wanted to address those concerns. (Update: I've unpublished the first article as I felt it wasn't adding to any conversation to leave it live.)

First and foremost, the article is not intended to mock anyone -- it's asking why a house is super bright canary yellow and with dark forest green accents, and asking what neighbors think. It's obviously an "over the top" and very unusual color scheme. That said, the survey and article were meant to be facetious. About 5 of you wrote to me to say you thought the article was mean, and that wasn't the intention. If you thought so, I apologize.

In order to get more information, I stopped by the house this morning to talk to the owners... Read more

July 28, 2015

Petworth Park needs work (updated)

July 28, 2015/ Drew

The wilderness that is the Petworth Spray Park

I got a bee in my bonnet about the condition of Petworth Park. Talk about long grass! Petworth Park is in dire need of a hair cut.

I've been emailing the Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) about the spray park signage since end of May, trying to get the sign replaced. The sign was ripped down and tossed on the ground at the back of the spray park (slowly being swallowed up by the untended grass). After getting tagged with a few choice vulgarities and three months of emails from me to the Aquatics Director, DPR finally removed the sign yesterday and has committed to getting a new sign with updated information (like the correct hours of operation) as soon as possible. According to John Stokes, the deputy director of DPR, it should be installed by mid next week.

My other concern is that grass! It's overgrown throughout the park, and insanely high in the spray park, which presents more concerns. The tall, wet grass inside the spray is a haven for mosquitos. Toddlers and blood-sucking, welt-forming insects are not a good match.

I'm pleased to say that according to emails this morning from Donny Gonzalez from the Department of General Services (DGS), the mowing of the grass is going to be expedited and should be done by tomorrow.

I hope so -- public parks should be a haven for happy kids, not mosquitos.

Updated 9pm 7/28/15: The park has been mowed and all the grass is pretty short.

July 25, 2015

Gallery from July Petworth Jazz Project

July 25, 2015/ Drew

With a minor rain delay starting things off a bit slowly, the Petworth Jazz Festival was a great show of youth talent and the extremely smooth sounds of the Mark Meadow Quartet.

I've posted a bunch of the personal and posed shots I took on the Petworth News Facebook Page to make it easier to share those. Feel free to tag yourself or people you know in the pictures. If you see a photo that you want as a high resolution version, contact me

See all the photos after the break:

July 24, 2015

What’s next for the Riyad Market?

July 24, 2015/ Drew

I spoke with Michael Aniton from the DC Office of the Attorney General about the Riyad, the inconvenience store at the corner of 8th and Upshur St NW. Mr. Aniton has been working with MPD, DCRA and residents for the better part of a year to get this store to either conduct business above board or to close. After a recent hearing and a failed mediation, the Riyad looks to be headed for an eventual closure. Read more about the OAG's actions and next steps with the Riyad:

July 23, 2015

A developer sues Petworth residents

July 23, 2015/ Drew

WAMU reporter Martin Austermuhle published an article today about Grant Circle residents being sued for $25 million dollars. The developer, Jay Gross, is accusing residents Oscar Beisert, Thomas Woodruff and Stephen Wright of "conspiring to stop him from renovating and expanding" three rowhouses located on Grant Circle (7, 14 & 15 Grant Circle).

Read more about the lawsuit and the developer's complaint:

July 22, 2015

Gosh, what size are those?

July 22, 2015/ Drew

Walking along Illinois Avenue with a friend yesterday. We stop to admire this car, and she says, "Gosh, what size rims are those?"

I look over at her and say...

July 13, 2015

Grant Circle to get new paint for increased safety

July 13, 2015/ Drew

Walking across Grant Circle can be a risky choice, one that has been frustrating residents for many years. Emails have been sent to DDOT, the DC Council and others for several years, looking for improvements to the circle that will ensure better pedestrian safety and greater traffic calming measures. Previously, the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) hadn't been as responsive as it should have been to resident emails.

I've been in communication with DDOT's Acting Director of Communications, Keith St. Clair, about this issue and he's done a good job of following up with me and with ANC Commissioner Joe Martin about Grant Circle. As a result of resident and Councilmember Brandon Todd's attention (and perhaps a blogger article or three), DDOT is now planning on implementing the work outlined in their recent Notice of Intent (see my previous article, "Painting safety into Grant Circle")...

Read about the changes coming to Grant Circle after the break:

July 12, 2015

Petworth Dance Project charms with third performance

July 12, 2015/ Drew

The Petworth Dance Project third performance was on Saturday, July 11th at Petworth Park (8th and Taylor St NW). This time was a bit unusual, even for Petworth, as the first performance was in the spray park. And it was a cool experience.

"It's all about community," Sara said after the show with a big smile. "It's great to be able to do this in Petworth."

Read more and see a gallery from the night after the break:

July 06, 2015

Sheon gets safety improvements to Illinois & Georgia Avenues

July 06, 2015/ Drew

When ANC 4D04 Commissioner David Sheon was campaigning as a first-time candidate for ANC last Fall, he spent a lot of time walking from house-to-house in his Single Member District (SMD) asking every person he could find what they would like to see changed in their community.

And like any dedicated community leader, he kept track of the responses. Improving how traffic and speed on Illinois Ave was managed was at the top of the list of concerns.

Read about the concerns, and what DDOT is proposing to do to resolve them:

July 03, 2015

Kennedy St Market community meeting

July 03, 2015/ Drew

Residents who live around the 14th and Kennedy Street Farmer's Market (located on Saturday mornings on the 5500 block of Colorado Ave NW) met last night to talk about some concerns that have been raised among residents.

I didn't get an exact headcount, but it was a crowded event of around 40 or 50 people in the basement of 1365 Kennedy St NW. All the residents were local and from (in order of what I heard) Colorado Ave, 13th Street, Jefferson, Longfellow, Nicholson, Kennedy and 16th Street. The meeting went really well, was very low-key and was a great example of people getting together to talk through concerns.

Read more after the break and see a photo gallery from the meeting:

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).