There is such a thing as a free lunch

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. 

Sherman Circle Social is tonight

Don't miss the new Sherman Circle Social from 5:30 to 6:30. The weather should be great, and they'll have some lemonade and paper cups. Feel free to bring stuff to share if you'd like.

Kids are most definitely welcome!

Please share this with neighbors that may not be on the listservs or read Petworth News!  

A conversation about neighborhood blogging

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).

Petworth Post Office to close in July

Courtesy Google Maps

The Petworth Post Office (4211 9th St NW) finally has its close date. USPS has been saying the location is going to close for a couple of years, but the date hadn't been known until now. It's shutting down on July 28, 2015.

That part of 9th Street (just around the corner from Upshur) has Lighthouse Yoga, Red Sun embroidery, Marshall March funeral home and El Torogoz restaurant. 

According to a few residents commenting on the Popville.com website, "the District has signed a long lease to build a Community Outreach Center. They’re going to occupy the entire building and will open at the end of the year. The Post Office has to move sometime in the coming months but he doesn’t know where they’re going to go."

It'll be interesting to see what does happen to that space. Something that serves the needs of residents with housing, jobs, etc., would be great -- especially if it brings more foot traffic to that area, helping both restaurants and retail.

Source: Popville, listservs

Petworth News Shindig is on!

Shindig is from 6-8pm at Petworth Citizen!

See you then!

Party with Petworth on Monday, June 29

The Petworth News Shindig is this Monday, June 29th at Petworth Citizen from 6-8pm.

Come out to socialize with your neighbors, a couple of DC Councilmembers, MPD leadership and a few ANC commissioners for pizzaz. It's a great opportunity to hang out with people who are passionate about the neighborhood.

There will be some tasty appetizers and a wicked good punch awaiting you. And me, I'll be there too. Hope you are too!

RSVP on Facebook or just show up between 6-8pm at Petworth Citizen (829 Upshur St NW).

"Flying Home:" DC author at Upshur Street Books

David Nicholson, a former Takoma DC neighbor, will be reading from and signing copies of his newest book of short stories, Flying Home: Stories of the Secret City, at Upshur Street Books (827 Upshur St NW) on Sunday, June 28th at 4pm.

A former editor and book reviewer for The Washington Post Book World, David Nicholson was the founding editor of the magazine Black Film Review. He has worked as a journalist for the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News and the San Francisco and Milwaukee bureaus of the Associated Press. He lives in Vienna, Virginia, where he is at work on a biography of A.M.E. Bishop William David Chappelle and a family history/memoir.

Read Washington City Paper's review of "Flying Home."

Flying Home is available at your local DC library and on Amazon.

New Principal for Powell Elementary

Powell Elementary is getting a new principal. 

With current principal Janeece Docal leaving to move with her family to Spain, the DCPS Chancellor has selected Ms. O'Kiyyah Lyons-Lucas as the next principal of Powell Elementary.

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Ms Lyons-Lucas has been a teacher since 2007, was the vice principal of Columbia Heights Education Campus and was recently the principal of Center City Public Charter Schools.

The message from Kaya Henderson, DCPS Chancellor:

"After balancing your input and recommendations with the needed experience and skills that research links to success, we concluded that your recommendation, O’Kiyyah Lyons-Lucas, is the strongest candidate to lead the Powell school community. We are happy to report that Ms. Lyons-Lucas has accepted the offer to be the Powell Elementary School principal. Her official appointment begins on June 29, 2015.

O’Kiyyah Lyons-Lucas has spent her entire career in education serving the students of Washington , DC. She began her career as a Teach for America corps teacher in 2007 at Columbia Heights Education Campus. She spent four years as a teacher before being promoted to an instructional coach position at the school. After serving as an instructional coach, Ms. Lyons-Lucas was promoted to an assistant principal position. Ms. Lyons-Lucas was an assistant principal for two years before leaving DC Public Schools to become the principal of Center City Public Charter School at the Capitol Hill campus. Ms. Lyons-Lucas holds a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University and a master’s degree from American University."

There's an informal meet and greet with Ms Lyons-Lucas on Monday, June 29th, at 9:30am at Powell' summer off-site location of Sharpe Health School (4300 13th St NW, Washington, DC 20011).

Good luck to Ms Lyons-Lucas! And a fond farewell to Ms Docal, the DC Principal of the Year last year.