December 17, 2015

DCPS Chancellor to discuss Roosevelt high school at MacFarland tonight

December 17, 2015/ Drew

Roosevelt High School has been going through major renovations, with plans to open in August 2016. There's been ANC and community pushback to open earlier and allow high schooler's to start in January.

As one Roosevelt teach said to me, "I think it's really important the community comes out and has their voice heard." If you're interested in hearing what DCPS is planning on doing, this meeting is for you.

December 15, 2015

Walls of Books is your next neighborhood bookstore

December 15, 2015/ Drew

Besides staying up late to write blog posts, I also stay up way too late to read. For me, being in a bookstore, surrounded by books of all shapes, colors and sizes is a favorite past-time. I even managed a bookstore back in college for a few years. That’s why I was an early Kickstarter supporter of our first, very excellent neighborhood bookstore, Upshur Street Books. And it’s why I’m really interested and excited about the new Park View bookstore opening in January, Walls of Books.

December 15, 2015

Get your holiday dance on while supporting the Petworth Dance Project

December 15, 2015/ Drew

Whether you’re a fan of exercise, dancing or just the Petworth Dance Project, there’s a great way to support all three!

Petworth resident Sara Herrera is offering specially themed dance classes for the beginner and the dance diva, set up similar to Zumba, where choreography will be repeated with each song, so plenty of time to master the moves. The next class is Friday, December 18th at 7:30pm at Crossfit Petworth.

December 15, 2015

Discuss traffic & pedestrian safety with Mayor Bowser at Powell Elementary

December 15, 2015/ Drew

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser will be holding a meeting at Powell Elementary tomorrow, Wednesday, December 16 at 4pm to discuss traffic and pedestrian safety issues.

December 14, 2015

PSA 404/407 meeting on Thursday, 12/17

December 14, 2015/ Drew

The next Police Service Area 404/407 meeting is Thursday, December 17th at 7pm at 801 Shepherd Street NW. This meeting is a good opportunity to share your questions and concerns with MPD and hear what they're doing to address neighborhood and city crime. Read more to see the maps of the PSAs.

December 12, 2015

Photo gallery from successful Upshur Street Art & Craft Fair

December 12, 2015/ Drew

The Upshur Street Art and Craft Fair was packed -- the sidewalks along the north side of the 800 block of Upshur were filled with vendors selling handmade art, and people browsing and buying. See a photo gallery.

December 11, 2015

Notes from ANC 4C December meeting

December 11, 2015/ Drew

Wednesday’s meeting of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission for 4C was a quicker meeting with a shorter than usual agenda. Highlights were the PEPCO VP getting a frosty reception from residents and commissioners, a Taylor Street developer who made nice with neighbors and a lengthy discussion on next year’s budget.

December 11, 2015

Ruta del Vino overview; owners craft settlement agreement

December 11, 2015/ Drew

Ruta del Vino is the new Latin American wine bar and restaurant coming to 800-802 Upshur Street NW in Petworth. The restaurant takes over the space previously occupied by the Riyad inconvenience store.

Justin Logan, one of the co-owners, met with 4C Commissioner John-Paul Hayworth and a few community members this week to talk through Ruta del Vino's settlement agreement. The agreement is needed for the restaurant to obtain a liquor license from ABRA, and helps establish a rapport and commitment with the community.

December 10, 2015

Don't miss the Upshur Street Art & Craft Fair on Saturday

December 10, 2015/ Drew

A lot of work has gone into Saturday's Upshur Street Art & Craft Fair, and from the list of music performers, artists, crafters and food vendors, it's gonna be a great event.

December 09, 2015

Police barricade at Oglethorpe and 14th Street (Updated)

December 09, 2015/ Drew

It's a nervous world out there, so reports that MPD has shut down multiple roads due to a "barricade" gets people's interest right away.

According to MPD, there is a "barricade situation" at 14th and Oglethorpe, with the 1400 blocks of Oglethorpe and Nicholson Streets NW closed, as well as 14th Street between Military Road and Montague Street NW.

December 08, 2015

Petworth restaurants team up to give back to the Capital Area Food Bank

December 08, 2015/ Drew

There's a pretty cool charity event taking place in Petworth and Columbia Heights tomorrow and Thursday. Spotluck, a restaurant-discovery mobile app created by a Bethesda company, is teaming up Petworth and Columbia Heights restaurants to make a collective donation to the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) as a thank you for all of their hard work, and to recognize that they have spent their holiday season away from family and friends in order to help others.

December 08, 2015

New development at 3701 New Hampshire gets approved

December 08, 2015/ Drew

The Zoning Board had its final hearing today about the redevelopment of 3701 New Hampshire Avenue. This is the former location of Sweet Mango Cafe, which went into foreclosure in March 2015. It was purchased by Rooney Properties, who have plans to raze the existing structure and build a 21-unit apartment building.

December 07, 2015

MPD steps up to the plate on Upshur Street

December 07, 2015/ Drew

School has been out since Thursday, December 3rd, with students returning to school today. Thursday was also the day a Powell Elementary 2nd grader was struck by a car as he darted across Upshur Street (reportedly with only minor injuries as a result).

With the return of students to Powell came the return of double-parked parents, people who apparently refuse to care about the dangers this action poses, not respecting others. This "me first" attitude is causing havoc on Upshur and Taylor, resulting in damaged vehicles and the potential for a more serious tragedy.

Waiting behind one of the double-parked cars this morning was an MPD SUV. But the officers weren't enforcing the law, they were waiting for the parent to off-load children before driving on, having taken no action.

So I contacted MPD leadership and received a quick response.