Timber Pizza coming to Upshur (confirmed)

809 Upshur St NW, the red brick building that used to be a small church and is now vacant, will be a restaurant focusing on pizza, Timber Pizza Co.

According to a neighbor who saw them out taking pictures of the building and confirmed later by Popville, Timber Pizza will open a local restaurant featuring their wood-fired pizzas. I've reached out to one of the property owners as well as Timber Pizza and will update as I hear more.

Update: I spoke with Andrew Dana, one of the owners of Timber Pizza, and he confirmed they're planning on opening in late fall or early winter, later this year. "It's true! We are incredible excited to become a part of the Petworth family!"

According to their website, I think this would be their first location besides a food truck: 

Courtesy of TimberPizza.com

"A few years back at a local tech company, Washington native Andrew Dana and Annapolis local Chris Brady met and became buddies who shared two primary passions in life: pizza and basketball.

The Timber guys serve authentic wood fired pizza using only the freshest local ingredients and incorporating new twists on traditional favorites.  They can be found anywhere from local farmers markets to wineries/breweries and are available to cater your next private event." (Timber Pizza About page)  

It'll be nice to see this location cleaned up and offering services to the community. While many were hoping for a retail business (I heard a masseuse was looking at this spot), a local pizza joint is pretty good. Maybe give Red Rocks a challenge?

6/11/15 Update: Read my interview with Andrew Dana, owner of Timber Pizza Co. 

Eddie Suarez sponsors Petworth News

I’m happy to announced that local Petworth resident and real estate agent Eddie Suarez has become a Petworth News sponsor.

Mehl Penrose, Ariel and Eddie Suarez.

I first met Eddie and his husband Mehl Penrose a few years back at a yard sale on Rock Creek Church Road, and both were immediately very warm and friendly to my wife and I.  (Now, I’m admittedly a little biased toward Eddie and Mehl, as they moved to DC from my hometown of Houston, Texas.) Like my family, Eddie and Mehl have a daughter at Powell Elementary School and are very involved with the parents' group. 

You’ll see Eddie with his family all around DC, but especially in Petworth, where he is a very involved parent at Powell, engaged in community events like the Grant Circle Social and tree plantings and an eager Petworth Farmer’s Market supporter and customer.

Fast forward to today, and Eddie has changed careers from international business development and marketing with some rather large corporations, to becoming a passionate real estate agent, promoting Petworth and sharing his enthusiasm for our neighborhood with current and potential residents. Eddie mixes the best elements of his professional background with his love for real estate and helping people find the best property as a realtor with TheHershGroup.com at Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc. 

“My strategy is based on providing an outstanding experience for my clients, getting to know them and especially understanding their concerns, needs and requirements,” Eddie said.  “As a Realtor, my goal is to provide top-notch service and customized tactics to assure clients have peace of mind when making decisions about buying or selling their properties.”

If you’re looking to move into Petworth, rent out a place or move out (what? why?), Eddie speaks Spanish and Portuguese and is available to assist you with your real estate needs. For more info about Eddie or to contact him, visit him online or email him with any questions. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

I truly appreciate the support and sign of confidence that Eddie is showing by sponsoring Petworth News! Support from sponsors like Eddie help fund this site as well as soirees like the upcoming Petworth News Shindig on June 29th. RSVP today if you haven’t already!

Celebrate Petworth Festival is Saturday

The 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.

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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:

• Anna Gaseitsiwe
• Kieca Mahoney
• Robert Mandle
• Chickaro Martin
• Thomas Pipkin
• Lucan Pipkin
• Julie Wineinger

New 14th & Kennedy Street farmer's market

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.

MacFarland Middle School is looking for advisors

MacFarland Middle School is looking for volunteers to join their Community Cabinet. The school, adjacent to Roosevelt Senior High School, is scheduled to open for the 2018-2019 school year.

The middle school will align with Roosevelt's global studies focus, and offer a dual language pathway for qualified students. The feeder elementary schools will be Powell, Bruce Monroe and Barnard, in addition to Truesdell and West Education Campuses.

The school is looking to put together a group of parents and community members to serve as an advisory committee, making recommendations to the Chancellor about things like school programming, extracurricular activities, and community partnerships. The Community Cabinet will meet once every three months beginning in September. 

You can apply online, and if you have any questions, contact Julienne.Vinson@dc.gov or call (202) 507-0164.

A historic sleepover at the National Archives

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. 

Have you ever wondered what happens in a museum after the building closes and the lights go out? Now's your chance! Join us 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.

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.

Getting kids excited about technology

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:

• Level I for rising 2nd & 3rd graders from 2:00 to 3:00 pm July 20-23,
• Level II for rising 4th, 5th & 6th graders from 3:30-4:30 pm July 20-23. 

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 Todd gets a birthday party & committee assignments

Two updates on our new Councilmember, Brandon Todd. 

First, he's celebrating his 32nd birthday tonight at 6:30pm-8:00pm at Sala Thai (3716 Georgia Ave NW) and is inviting the community to come join the party.

He also received his Council committee assignments:
- Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
- Education
- Transportation and the Environment

"I am looking forward to participating actively on these committees," said Councilmember Todd. "I will remain focused on my goals of ensuring government accountability, promoting business and economic development, and furthering our commitment to ensuring quality education for our children."

He also said he plans on attending the Petworth News Shindig on the 29th at Petworth Citizen. Hope you are too!

Big thanks to Fido & Kitty's World!

Big thanks to Fido & Kitty's World at 4130 Georgia Avenue NW for being the first sponsor of the Petworth News website! 

My wife and I shop at Fido & Kitty’s World for our two dogs, picking up frozen and refrigerated meals (look, they’re not spoiled, they’re just gastronomically challenged. It's in everyone's interest that they don't eat Alpo or similar).

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Semhar Hagos, the owner of Fido & Kitty’s World, has always been really easy to work with, and special orders the food for one of our dogs that we can't easily get otherwise. We feed one dog frozen raw food, and the other gets grain-free food. Both pups are happy.

You don’t need to special order food, they have a ton of high-quality food for cats and dogs already on the shelves.

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Puppy play area behind the store.

The pet store features pet food, toys, beds and other pet needs, as well as a very cute dog play area on the back patio.

Fido & Kitty's World has been an active sponsor of many local events in Petworth, and if you own a pet, check them out as a way of saying thanks. You can find them at 4130 Georgia Avenue NW, and at fidoandkittysworld.com.

And hey, when you swing by, tell them you saw them on Petworth News!  :)