You can make a difference: How to run for Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner & give back to your community

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You can make a difference: How to run for Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner & give back to your community

Every two years elections open up for seats on local Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs). Commissioners provide a valuable role in the city as the liaison between DC government and their approximately 2,000 residents / constituents in a Single Member District (SMD). Commissioners have no legislative powers — hence the “advisory” in the name. But Commissioners can make a difference.

If you want to make a difference in your community, here’s how to run for election as a Commissioner.

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Is there a small crew of small people burglarizing area backyards?

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Is there a small crew of small people burglarizing area backyards?

For more than a month, the emails have come across the listservs, each with a similar story to share: a bike was stolen from a backyard or a garage. Now, bike theft happens, but there’s been an obvious rash of theft across the area, from Crestwood to 16th Street Heights, Brightwood to Petworth.

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A guy robs Bank of America, seems to forget about his mask

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A guy robs Bank of America, seems to forget about his mask

The Bank of America at 3500 Georgia Avenue in Park View was robbed on Tuesday, June 30th just before 1pm.

What struck me about this robbery was the man entered wearing a surgical mask (thanks Covid), and then proceeded to pull it down during the robbery.

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ANC 4C July 8th meeting agenda (virtual!)

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ANC 4C July 8th meeting agenda (virtual!)

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4C has its next meeting on July 8th. The meeting is starting 30 minutes later than usual and takes place online via WebEx. The agenda is below (and always kept updated on Google Docs). It doesn’t seem like a particularly long meeting.

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James Zimmerman offers a powerful musical performance at The Parks concert series [sponsored]

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James Zimmerman offers a powerful musical performance at The Parks concert series [sponsored]

Native Washingtonian and jazz historian James Zimmerman thought for a long time about the music he would select for his “Sunset Sessions at The Parks” performance, a new virtual series from The Parks at Walter Reed.

“I knew I could start with something — for lack of a better term — somber, but when the opportunity came up, I was not feeling very much like an entertainer,” Zimmerman said. The event producers had scheduled the filming for May 30th — but that week, protesters were crowding the streets of Washington, DC, and vigils were held in Petworth, Brightwood, Shepherd Park (and around the world) in honor of the black Americans killed recently by law enforcement. Zimmerman’s full 35-minute set includes several songs from Oscar Brown, Jr., including a powerful rendition of “Brown Baby,” in which Zimmerman whispers “I can’t breathe” throughout the song.

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Celebrate Juneteenth with your neighbors, in your front yard

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Celebrate Juneteenth with your neighbors, in your front yard

A group of neighbors have put together an event to celebrate Juneteenth — and you don’t have to leave your front yard if you don’t want to. The holiday commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States when on June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Texas were finally told they had been freed, more than two years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

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June blooms in Petworth, all across the neighborhood

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June blooms in Petworth, all across the neighborhood

I’ll start this month off with a couple of succulents... also known as plants that store water in their stems or leaves. We look at St. John’s Wort, Hollyhock, Daisies, Yucca and more.

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Friday evening vigils continue, with bells and 8 minutes of silence against racism

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Friday evening vigils continue, with bells and 8 minutes of silence against racism

Numerous churches and local organizations participated in a vigil on Friday, June 5th along 16th Street. Inviting community members of all (or no) faiths to join, churches along the street hosted people along the sidewalks from 5 - 6pm to show support against racism. Bells were rung at 5:45pm for eight minutes, 46 seconds… the length of time that George Floyd had a police officer’s knee on his neck, leading to his murder.

The vigil was highly attended up and down 16th Street, and the organizers will be continuing the vigils each Friday of June, from 5-6pm.

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A history lesson, given away with love

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A history lesson, given away with love

During this quarantine, my husband and I have continued to downsize. Using our wonderful neighborhood listservs from Petworth to Shepherd Park, we have given away or sold items ranging from fresh mint to be transplanted, a grill … and a piece of sculpture.

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Draft agenda for ANC 4C June meeting (via WebEx)

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Draft agenda for ANC 4C June meeting (via WebEx)

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4C has its next meeting on Wednesday, June 10th at 6:30pm — online only. Here’s the draft agenda and instructions on accessing via WebEx.

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Local protest demonstrations continue at Sherman Circle & the Meditation Park

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Local protest demonstrations continue at Sherman Circle & the Meditation Park

Area residents and families have been gathering at local parks to show support for the ongoing protests in DC, around the country and around the world against police brutality, in support of equality and to shout out that Black Lives Matter.

Two groups that have stated their intention to keep the demonstrations going are meeting at the Meditation Park at 13th and Quincy and at Sherman Circle in the early evenings starting at 5pm.

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We're hyperlocal-only news, but are you kidding me?

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We're hyperlocal-only news, but are you kidding me?

I take it as both pride and necessity to only cover local Petworth area news, avoiding national and citywide news. There’s plenty of news outlets who cover both, and they do amazing work. Petworth News is most definitely not my full time job: it’s a hobby, a way to give to my community, and what I call my “bad habit keeping me up at night” writing articles, sharing tweets, etc. I have a full-time job, a family, other things I do. If I covered more than local, it would take all my time. So, I draw a line. Local new only, and only when I can.

As so many are, I was horrified by George Floyd’s murder. I felt powerless, angry, disgusted, frustrated, depressed.

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Virgin Remy Hair on Upshur broken into and burgled overnight

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Virgin Remy Hair on Upshur broken into and burgled overnight

Virgin Remy Hair at 825 Upshur Street NW was broken into and burgled late Sunday night, with products and some electronics stolen. The national chain store sells high-end hair products like extensions, wigs and other accessories. Members of the community came out in the morning and volunteered to clean up the mess.

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The event series at The Parks at Walter Reed highlights local businesses and musicians [sponsored]

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The event series at The Parks at Walter Reed highlights local businesses and musicians [sponsored]

The Parks at Walter Reed typically welcomes the community onto the green Great Lawn for dozens of events each spring and summer — but this year the fun can be experienced right in your living room or backyard. Their entire events calendar is virtual for now, with a focus on health and fitness options for the whole family, plus musical performances of jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, blues and more.

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