Community Day @ the Atlas-->Sunday

Press release:


The Atlas Performing Arts Center is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the completion of the facility with an afternoon of free arts events.

The entire Center will be filled with performances, open rehearsals and workshops with Atlas Arts Partners such as:

* Step Afrika!
* Capital City Symphony
* The Congressional Chorus
* Classes at Joy of Motion
* The Cast of Tribute Productions' SPUNK
* Backstage Tour at 3pm

There will be opportunities to win prizes such as Gift Certificates, Free Tickets, free Memberships, Free Classes at Joy of Motion and more.

Refreshments will be provided.

The Atlas is located at 1333 H Street NE
Call 202.399.7993 for more information or check us out online at www.atlasarts.org

WP: $ Woes Prompt a Change of Plans

According to the Post financial concerns are prompting the award winning African Continuum Theater Company to delay their fall and winter productions, and to plan for a shorter spring season. ACTCo is the resident theater company at the Atlas.

Roll Call: Heritage Trail on H

Roll Call (subscription only) covers efforts to create an H Street heritage trail.

Last Minute Halloween on H

In order from east to west:

The Atlas: This one Benefits the Artists' Bloc. Cash bar (they take credit cards). COSTUME REQUIRED. 1333 H Street

H Street Martini Lounge: Nightmare on H Street. Costume contest. Live Music. 1236 H Street

Red & the Black: Smell My Feet (invitation only party). Still time to ask the bartender tonight. 1212 H Street.

Palace of Wonders: Happy Freaking Halloween. Costume contest with prizes. No cover. 1210 H Street

A Few Halloween Reminders

1. Leave your lights on (you should do this every night).

2. Partial taxi strike on Halloween (so plan wisely).

3. There is always Sober Ride at 1-800-200-TAXI. There is always a decent wait for these guys, and be prepared for them to be especially busy with the cab strike. Your fare must be under $50. A few other rules (from the Post site):

You must be 21 to use SoberRide.

You can't reserve a taxi for a future time -- you have to call when you need one. You should probably allow at least 30-60 minutes for it to arrive, sometimes more. But no matter how long the wait, it's better (and safer) than getting arrested or being in an accident.

SoberRide will not pick you up at your house and take you to a bar or a party. They will, however, drive you home.

All calls must originate in one of the following jurisdictions:

Maryland: Montgomery and Prince George's counties, including the cities of Rockville, Bowie, College Park, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt and Takoma Park.

Virginia: Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and eastern Loudoun counties, as well as the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park.

Washington: Anywhere in the city.

So your best bet is to either to walk, bus, metro, cab, or designate a driver.

4. Drive carefully, Halloween mean lots of kids out, lots of inebriated adults out, lots of people dressed in dark clothing (and jay walking), lots of vision impaired by masks, and lots of drunk drivers.

ANC 5B Meeting Thursday

We do actually an ANC 5B meeting Thursday night. I never received an agenda, but I expect we'll be addressing mostly budget issues and talking to some community groups.
The vitals for the meeting:

When: 7:30pm
Where: Center for Aging -2601 18th Street NE
Rhode Island Ave metro (you can take the 84 bus from there).

Gridskipper: Jimmy Valentine's

Gridskipper names Jimmy Valentine #7 on its list of top DC dive bars. Jimmy Valentine's is located at 1103 Bladensburg Road. It is currently open Wednesday-Sunday. It doesn't open until 10pm. Days and hours subject to change.

ANC5B Introduces Google Group

It's new, so there are not really any posts yet, but you can still join the group and ask questions, let Commissioners know of any concerns, ect. We're excited about this because this listserv should facilitate easier communication for the entire ANC. Follow the link to join the ANC 5B group.

WP: Gallaudet, One Year Later

The Post examines changes made in Gallaudet over the past year, and those that still need to be made.

WP: 4 Firefighters Injured

The Post has more on the tragic events at yesterday's fire in the 600 block of 4th Street.

Firefighters Injured in Blaze on 4th Street

Four firefighters were seriously injured this afternoon when a rowhouse blaze they were battling in the 600 block of 4th Street suddenly flared up trapping them on the top floor. More info:

WUSA9: two videos
WTOP
NBC4: two videos and still images.
ABC7: video

Express: H Street Heritage Trail

The Express picks up the call for assistance in creating an H Street Heritage Trail.

In Hibernation

The farmers market on H Street has ended for the year, but will return late next spring. You can visit many of the merchants at the Dupont winter market on Sundays.

Homicide in 1000 Block of 17th Street

Shortly after 2am police were received a call reporting a "man down" at 17th & Lang, upon arrival police found that the man had collapsed in the middle of the 1000 block of 17th Street. He was suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The matter has since been ruled a homicide.

This is in Carver Terrace. 17th & Lang is a couple of blocks north of the 1000 block of 17th Street.

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UPDATES
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This post originally misstated the address where the man was found.

Fox 5 reports on the discovery of the body.
ABC7 as well.

More Bullets Fly on Holbrook

I've heard reports of two incidents early this morning (between 1am and 3am) on Holbrook Street. The first report involves actual discharges of a gun on Holbrook, and in the second incident an individual walked down the street brandishing a gun. I haven't heard of any arrest, and they may be unlikely since police response time was reportedly slow. This is the third incident of multiple shots being discharged in a little over a week in the surrounding streets.

The rumor is that a well known group from 16th Street (located just north of Oates and west of Bladensburg) is beefing with some thugs who recently moved to Staples Street. I can't confirm that, but it's what I'm hearing.

This is located in Trinidad.

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UPDATE

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A 30 year old male was shot in the leg Sunday morning and at least two cars had windows shattered.

Don Pepe Bakery and Cafe Photos

Don Pepe Bakery and Cafe is a new place in the Florida Market. It's an extension (it's next door) to the store Don Pepe (located at 300 Morse). The store sells Mexican, Salvadorian, and Argentinian food. That's pretty much what the food offerings at the cafe next door reflect.

You'll also find plenty of pastries, and assorted hard to find beverages, like one drink made from black corn.

Night View

A recent shot of the instant condos at 12th & K.

Heritage Trail Meeting Oct 30

The Meeting is at the Atlas (1333 H Street) at 7pm on October 30.
Here are the details from the Heritage Trail folks:

If you missed the first meeting regarding the establishment of a Heritage Trail on H Street, you missed a lot! Members of the community were able to remember a great deal of historical points of interest from the past of H Street. Among the topics discussed were the old Beverly Ice Company, the Apollo and Empire Theaters, the Uline Arena, the Car Barn at 15^th Street, and the original Chuck Levin’s Music Center. Please join us for refreshments and good times as we continue to dig deeper and compile a more detailed history of the H Street corridor. We are looking for stories and pictures to help us remember what came before: businesses, great or dramatic moments, leaders and characters who should not be forgotten, and more. If you know of any members of the community who have photos or stories to share, please encourage them to come. Offer a ride or an escort, and enjoy a fascinating evening sharing memories and learning about our past.

If you have any questions about the Heritage Trails, please contact Jane Levey at (202) 661-7581 or JLevey@CulturalTourismDC.org. If you have any questions about the H Street Heritage Trail efforts, or event participation, or if you can’t make the meeting, but would like to participate, please contact Thomas Gallo at (202) 286-4343 or gallo4343@hotmail.com.

Don Pepe Bakery & Cafe

I stopped by to check out Richard's report that Don Pepe's had expanded and opened up a coffee shop. I wasn't sure what I'd find, maybe just a couple of tables set up next to where Don Pepe's always sold its coffee. What I found wasn't a coffee shop, but actually a little cafe. I took photos too, but I need to upload them. They serve Mexican/Salvadorian food (I only had the coffee, because I already had made breakfast plans) and have lots of little pastries (I didn't ask if they made them in-house) off to the side. They were doing some good business this morning and people were ordering big plates of beans and rice with meats, or mixed vegetables and then adding heaping sides of plantains. They also had some sort of sweet beverage someone told me was made of black corn. I also saw what looked to be flour tortilla wrapped burritos, and a sign announced that they have meat and chicken tacos. They've got 4-5 tables, and a little side-bar with bar stools. Food is, of course, also available for carry-out. It's great to have another sit-down option in the Market, and I suspect that this place will become a regular stop for me. They close at 3pm. This is next door to Don Pepe's, which is located at 300 Morse (but that funny part of Morse that runs at a 90 degree angle to the rest of the street and replaces 3rd Street). This map from the Post should give you the idea.

Gunshots Last Night

While I slept soundly on Florida, some neighbors to the north were not so lucky. Two reports surfaced on the 5D listserv this morning of shots. One report (from the vicinity of 16th & Queen) has two spurts of gunfire at about 10:45 from the direction of 16th and Oates. A second report (from Orren Street) reports 10 shots fired near the intersection of Orren and Oates at 11pm. These two locations aren't far apart, so it's not immediately clear to me if this is a case of someone moving down Oates shooting, or if both reporters heard the same shot (I'm guessing, and hoping, that it was the latter).
In a separate incident, shots were also reported at 18th & M (not too far from 16th & Queen). Police canvassed both areas, and found no injuries or property damage.

Best Grillz

Considering going with the silver 4th of July model. You?

Boar's Head Brand

In the Florida Market.

2 Points of Interest

I would have posted these earlier, but I managed to leave my power cord at home this morning, and didn't have access.

1. Rebuilding Place reports that Don Pepe's (in the Florida Market) has expanded and opened a separate coffee shop. I don't have a clear image of what that means, so I may need to stop by to check.

2. The New York Times reports on an online social networking site: Meet Your Neighbors, But Just Not in Person.

K-Young's Menu

K-Young's recently enlarged the menu (same low prices). They have terrific Korean food (as well as some American and Salvadorian food that isn't listed on this Korean menu). Here's the Korean stuff:
1. Beef and vegetable spicy soup with rice (5.95)
2. Seafood and soft tofu spicy soup with rice (5.95)
3. Pork, vegetable, potato spicy soup with rice (5.95)
4. Seafood noodle soup (6.95)
5. Grilled beef with rice (6.95)
6. Stir-fried spicy seafood and vegetable with rice or noodles (6.95)
7. Bean paste stew with seafood and tofu with rice (6.95)
8. Black bean sauce with pork and vegetable and noodles (5.99)
9. Korean style beef rib with soup (6.95)
10. Beef short rib soup (6.95)
11. Beef ribs with cabbage and vegetables with rice (6.95)
12. Pork, vegetable, tofu, and kimchi spicy soup with rice (5.95)
13. Assorted vegetables, beef, and egg with with rice and spicy sauce (6.95)
14. Spicy seafood with noodles or rice (6.95)
15. Spicy Pork (6.95)
16. Soup with rice cake and dumplings (7.50)
17. Shrimp fried rice served with soup (6.95)
18. Japanese noodle soup (6.95)
19. Seafood egg drop noodle (6.95)
20. Seaweed roll (3.99)
21. Beef and vegetable with rice (5.95)
22. Spicy beef soup with chopped meat and tofu (6.95)
23. Scallops, squid, and mussels with rice (7.25)
24. Beef brisket, noodle soup with slow cooked beef broth (6.95)
Most items served with a side order (chef's choice) and some also come with soup.
K-Young's is located at 325 Morse Street NE.
202-548-0060
Dine-in, or carry-out (call ahead for speediest carry-out).
5am-3pm Monday-Saturday

$500 Reward for Stolen Computer

A neighbor whose home was burglarized really misses her lapop and is offering a $500 reward. Here are the details: HP DV5035NR, silver, 17" screen, XP o/s. Email bondgirl79[at]gmail.com if you've located the computer, or have information.

Prepping for Halloween

Ok, the same questions come up every year, so here's my attempt to answer most of them in one shot:

1. Yes, kids actually trick or treat around here. How many will hit a certain street varies, but if all/most of the porch lights on a street are out you might get skipped. I suggest buying candy anyway, but getting something you (or friends/people at your office) will eat. I've got one friend who got frustrated by the left over candy last year and is giving out pretzel packs this year. If you will be home at all on Halloween (even earlier evening) turn on your light and hand out candy if you can. At least, if you agree with me that cultivating local trick or treating is a good thing (lots of kids go south for more dependable loot). I tend to stock chocolate, dum dums, and sweet tarts (lots of parents seem to want candy too).

2. No, not all of the kids wear costumes. Particularly (but not exclusively) true of older kids. Some people find this jarring/rude. I just think it's annoying, and no, I don't think it's a matter of kids not being able to afford costumes. There are lots of ways to dress up that are cheap/free.

3. Interestingly, you don't see a lot of pumpkin smashing here. It hasn't happened to me yet, and I've pretty much had a pumpkin/jack-o-lantern every year for the past 6 yrs. In other places where I've lived your pumpkin will always get smashed. Often before Halloween night.

4. If you insist on leaving that bowl of candy out it will be gone within the first 4-5 kids who approach your house.

5. Even if you specifically tell a kid to only take 2 pieces of candy, they will sometimes take more. If this bothers you, just drop two pieces of candy into the kid's bag.

6. Be aware that we may be enduring a taxi strike on Halloween.

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ADDITIONAL TIP
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7. It's probably also a good idea to have something around that doesn't have nuts/peanuts/chocolate in it in case the kid is allergic.

Neighbors Checklist?

Rebuilding Place has a link to an interesting checklist of things the Neighbor's Project think people should do. What do you think of this list? Modifications/additions/deletions?

Keep Out

You've got to blow it up to read it, but that's what the sign says. Just west of Bladensburg.

DCMUD: Senate Square Sales Conversion

DCMUD has additional info on the recent Senate Square conversion from condo to apartment. They look pretty swanky. Hopefully they will rent well. Too bad some are playing the waiting game on the east [oops, I meant west end] end of H (and for that matter on other portions too). Newsflash guys: SITTING ON YOUR DECREPIT PROPERTY/VACANT LOT WHILE OTHERS DO THE WORK HELPS NO ONE AND REALLY JUST MAKES YOU A MAJOR LEAGUE ASS. DO SOMETHING.

Wells Blog: DDOT to Conduct Traffic Study

Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells reports that DDOT has begun a requested traffic study in a portion of Near Northeast. The request had come both from Mr. Wells' office, and ANC Commissioner Anne Phelps.

PSA 504 Meeting Saturday

What: A Police Service Area Meeting
When: 10:00am Saturday October 20th
Where: 1000 Mt. Olivet Road (Youth Services Center)

H Street Community Market Fundraiser

Coffee and Dessert Night at Sidamo Cafe
To Benefit the H Street Community Market

www.hstcommunitymarket.org

Help bring a co-op* grocery store to the H Street Corridor by joining
us for a night of Coffee, Desserts and Traditional Ethiopian Coffee
Ceremony at Sidamo Cafe.

Event date: October 20th (Saturday) from 6-8pm
Place: Sidamo Coffee and Tea / 417 H St. NE
Ticket Price: $20
Description: The night includes coffee, desserts and participation in
the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

To purchase advance tickets email raynor@tcgillc.com (or buy them directly online from the Market website.

New Cabaret & Jazz Series @the Atlas

From the Atlas:

For Immediate Release: For More Information Contact:
Barbara Timko - 202.265.8001

INDIGO

Cabaret and Jazz Performance Series at the Atlas Performing Arts Center

presented by
Jonathan G. Willen and Associates

(Washington DC) - Jonathan G. Willen and Associates is pleased to announce the creation and opening of INDIGO, Cabaret and Jazz Performance at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. Beginning October 19, 2007 and running Friday and Saturday evenings, INDIGO will present local and national cabaret and jazz performers in a traditional cabaret set-up.

Continuing to build on the wide variety of arts and entertainment presented at the Atlas, Willen hopes that INDIGO will become the new home for many of the local cabaret artists and jazz musicians that do not have a regular performance space in the D.C. area. As a national event planner and theatrical producer, Willen plans to bring together all of the elements from both worlds to create evenings of enjoyable music in an atmosphere that is casual and relaxed yet sophisticated in style and presentation. Guests will sit at cocktail tables and have access to a wide range of beverages and light snack options.

Indigo’s opening will be Friday, October 19 and will feature cabaret diva Beverly Cosham. As a singer, Beverly has performed her cabaret act at nightspots from Los Angeles to New York via San Antonio, TX, and New Haven, CT, as well as Blues Alley, the Kennedy Center, the National Theater, the Omni Shoreham, the Henley Park Hotel, The World Bank, the Lyceum and the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C. She has twice been a guest artist with the Navy Commodores and has recorded with them. Beverly has appeared with such jazz luminaries as Clark Terry, Mose Allison, and the Heath Brothers.

“Cosham is a rare find, even a phenomenon. Possessed with a voice that is probably one of the best natural instruments that we have heard, Beverly Cosham is thrilling. She brings so much meaning to a lyric.” – Leigh Spear, Talk of L.A.

On Saturday, October 20, INDIGO welcomes Rory Stitt to the stage. Mr. Stitt has created a genre unto itself aptly described as "theatre-pop." From classical roots springs pop music with long melodies a la Rufus Wainwright, poetic license a la Tori Amos and androgynous soul a la David Bowie and Annie Lennox.

Rory's songs reveal the thoughts beneath the talk, the unspoken dialogues between loved ones, strangers and selves. From Broadway to Rachmaninoff, saloon piano to Victorian salons - his music sets inner life on a stage.

His musical work is an exposed exploration of the relationship between a songwriter and his instrument. Direct and confrontational, supple and sensitive, Rory explores the inner life of dreams, identity, sex, love and death. Poignant, personal and pure, listeners can recognize their own midnight thoughts coming through Rory and the piano.

When not touring and performing his music, Rory works extensively with nationally recognized Perseverance Theatre as composer, music director, and actor - with roles ranging from Dr. Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, to Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, to Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Currently, he is working with the writers of Broadway's Tony award winning Urinetown as Orchestra and Music Director of their new musical Yeast Nation – which premieres this October.

Rory was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, and has been seducing crowds in Alaska and the Northwest for years. He is currently bringing his musical vision to an ever-expanding audience. Regular U.S. tours are bringing him increasing notoriety in major cities on both coasts.

INDIGO is located at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE Washington, D.C. 20002 www.atlasarts.org. Tickets for all performances are $22.50 and can be purchased by calling the Atlas box office at 202-399-7993. Two drink minimum for all guests.

The Hill: Two Drink Minimum on H

Hillscape looks at H Street's recently enacted singles ban.

Shiloh's Gentrification Forum

Recently a high profile (in part because they own some neglected and vacant properties) church in Shaw help a gentrification forum. Read more about it here and here via In Shaw (additional links available through these).

Fall Creeps In

An oldie, but it merits a repeat (I Street).

The New View

From the Hill at the Florida Market. Construction near Union Station restricts the view a bit. We're seeing some tall buildings on the east end of H, but the bridge makes it a slightly special situation. How tall is too tall for further down H?

Bids Close for Starburst Plaza

This is according to a report on DCMUD (the link is now fixed, sorry about that, but they changed their post title and broke my link). The report mostly grabs info from the really out of date Starburst Plaza website (please check out the website if you need to review the plans for the plaza).

Shooting in Carver / Langston

A male victim was shot in the butt Sunday night a little past 9pm. The shooting occurred at 22nd & Maryland. A suspect was taken into custody and the police recovered two weapons from the scene. The source for this is an email sent to the 5D listserv by Assistant Chief of Patrol Services and School Security (next time I'm just saying Assistant Chief).

CCS Concert Sunday

Press release:
The Capital City Symphony is holding its first full concert of its 40th
anniversary season on Sunday. The 5 p.m. concert at the Atlas Performing Arts
Center will be preceded by a 4:30 p.m. chat with composer Charlie Barnett.
Barnett's work will be featured along with Symphony No. 2 in D Major by Brahms.

As always, tickets for our Oct. 14 show are cheaper ahead of time, just $16 for
adults and $12 for seniors and students. Children 16 and under are free. Call
the Atlas box office at 202-399-7993 or purchase online at
www.atlasarts.org

DAM! Festival on H This Weekend

Two H Street venues, Rock & Roll Hotel and the Red & the Black, will host portions of DAM! Fest this weekend. DAM! Fest, short for the District's Awake! Music Festival, kicks off tonight and runs through Monday, but the last show on H Street is Saturday night. Check the schedule here.

Atlas Happenings

From the Atlas:

There's a lot of happening at the Atlas this weekend, the US premiere of a contemporary Irish play, an enchanting musical piece featuring members of the Washington Ballet and Capital Hill's resident symphony opens its 40th season with a performance featuring Washington based composer Charlie Barnett's Blue Chevrolet.

Tickets for all these events can be purchased online or at the box office, 202.399.7993
The Atlas Performing Arts Center is located at 1333 H Street NE


THURSDAY
Solas Nua-DC's only Irish Theatre company opens Made in China
October 11 - November 4, 2007
Tickets $20 (call for group rates)
Fri-Sat 8pm; Sun 3pm

Set in a completely re-imagined Dublin underworld, MADE IN CHINA involves martial arts, rogue cops and savage low-lifes. A dreadful accident causes a violent tug-of-war between two criminal footsoldiers over the loyalty of a third. Self-loathing, guilt and loneliness emerge in this frenzied narrative, which culminates in a blistering battle for survival. Directed by Colin Hovde. Featuring Dan Brick, Joel Ruben Ganz and Danny Gavigan. Produced by Solas Nua. Written by award-winning Irish playwright, Mark O'Rowe.

Friday and Saturday 8pm
The In Series presents
Moon/Dance
Tickets $ $18-$33
Explore the magic of the moon with staged art song (Mozart, Schumann, Berlioz, Debussy), a splash of pop (Porter, Van Morrison), and a generous helping of dance!

Director Nick Olcott joins Washington Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre, choreographer Jared Nelson, pianists Francis Conlon and Carla Hubner, singers Ingrid Cowan, Ole Hass, William Heim, Laura Lewis, Millicent Scarlett and Washington Ballet Studio Company dancers.

SUNDAY
October 14th 5pm
Capital City Symphony
Tickets $12-16 children under 15 free with a paying adult
***come early to chat with composer Barnett
To launch her 10th season with the Capital City Symphony, conductor and music director Victoria Gau contrasts the beautiful, classically-oriented Symphony No. 2 by Brahms with a modern example of the new symphonic form, Charlie Barnett's Blue Chevrolet: A Station Wagon Symphony.

Composer Charlie Barnett, who has written music for over 300 television and theatrical films, based his first symphony on his family's annual car trip from Virginia to Maine. Each year he and his four sisters would pile into the back of a Chevrolet, his mother and father in the front, and they would make a three-day journey full of the sounds of traffic and energetic children, a journey that could best be described as "agony," he note in an interview on National Public Radio.

The music Barnett composed to represent the trip is the furthest thing from agony; from the beginning we can hear the spinning wheels and passing scenery of a nation in love with movement. The composer notes, "As a film composer, I work to make musical sense of 35mm pictures every day. But the pictures I want to make sense of most are the black and white ones of my sisters, a nameless dog and a car."

H Street Connection Out?

I received an email today saying that, though the ANC has yet to see official plans, the H Street Connection may be entering its twilight days. Here's the scoop as I understand it:
-No leases are being renewed through 2009.
-An eight story building would replace the existing structure (interested parties can stand around and cheer while the crap that's there is knocked down).
-The new building will be built to the sidewalk, instead of having a big parking lot out front.
-We're talking mixed use. Retail on the first floor and offices and housing upstairs.
-Oh yeah, the proposed building has eight stories!

Get more info at the 6A zoning committee meeting Nov 27th (7pm at Sherwood).

Note the tall building (a retirement home) behind the Connection.

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UPDATE
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The developer is now going to be at the Nov 27th meeting instead.

Vacants Remain in 400 Block of H

This morning I noticed a guy working on some buildings on the lower end of the south side of the 400 block of H Street. I asked him if the owners were finally going fix the places up. He indicated that he didn't know what the plans were, but understood the current work to be in response to demands from an inspector. So, don't get your hopes up yet if you see people out there poaking around.

Recent Market Articles

Due to a busy schedule recently I've missed a few articles that should have made it up here. Here are three pieces on the Florida Market that you might want to check out (with comments):

Market for Change (Washington Times, 9/16/07):
-Last time I check Catholic was in Northeast, not Northwest
-The article incorrectly states that Catania's provision requires the approval of 50% of the 69 land owners. The requirement actually says that New Town needs the approval of owners of 50% of the land (based on the way the land is chopped up, that would be [you would need all the larger land owners] way less than 50% of the 69 owners). So does that mean that when Thomas says 45%, that this means owners of 45% of the land, or 45% of the land owners?


*Quotes to notice:
-"Fewer than 100 markets of its type remain across the country, said David O'Neil, a senior associate with the New York-based nonprofit Project for Public Spaces." *You might remember the Project for Public Spaces from the starburst Plaza meetings.
-"Through the years, Capital City Market has remained the foremost wholesale supplier for most restaurateurs in the region. "
-"Gallaudet University, which owns nearly four acres on Sixth Street where the wholesaler's warehouse would go, also has no interest in seeing such a structure on its land."

-"So Gallaudet would once again be walled off from the community — which, of course, we would object to." *Gallaudet is one of the largest landowners in the Market.

-"They can build the Taj Majal here as long as the community is considered for the jobs and gets a piece of the pie," said Wilhelmina Lawson, an D.C. advisory neighborhood commissioner in the area." *Interesting approach to planning for the future, no?

Florida Avenue Market Faces Dueling Development Plans (DC North 9/2007)

-just a quick blub at the bottom about the New Town plan and the Office of Planning's Small Area Plan

Shop Around at the Capital City Market (Washington Post Sunday Source 9/30/2007)
-link to addresses here.
-There is also an easy to miss map hiding in the page. To download it click on "Read +"

You may also wish to check out Gallaudet's page on the Market. I think the letter (5/2007), is particularly interesting.

WP: Healing Truth

The Post has a nice review of Truth in Translation, which closed on Saturday at the Atlas. I was lucky enough to catch the Saturday show, which was definitely great. They played to what appeared to be pretty close to a full house, and there lots of familiar faces in the crowd. Anybody else happen to catch it?

For Reeling in Fools?

At the Florida Market.

Franklin

NBC4: Man Catches Fire on H

NBC4 reports on an accident involving a mechanic at an autobody shop on H Street. The man is 62 years old and in critical condition with 2nd and 3rd degree burns to 70% of his body.

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UPDATE
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WTOP reports that the incident took place at 822 H Street.

Horace & Dickie's Franchises in Miami

At first I thought it was a joke, or some kind of mistake, but it is apparently on the up and up. A Horace & Dickie's is opening in Miami and they hope to have four more of them up and running in the Miami-Dade area within the next year. More from the Miami Herald.

Look in the Mirror

From way back in the archives. Somewhere in near northeast (not too far from the Florida Market).

Re: Last Night's Market Meeting

I attended last night's Office of Planning meeting regarding the Florida Market (A.K.A. The Capital City Market). This meeting was the first of the phase two meetings (there are only two phases to the overall planning process). The process culminates in a report that OOP will release and submit to the Council in January. If the Council adopts the report it could become law and would then have teeth that would affect future development at the Market. I'd like to make several points with this post:

1. These meetings organized by OOP are very important. We should all make an effort to show up to them (turn out at last night's meeting was pretty low). The Office of Planning has turned out some pretty good presentations and you are missing out on a lot of good info if you skip these meetings. Last night there was another reference to a not really released (but referenced in the Post a few years back) comprehensive plan that included the Market. The reference was to possibly establishing a cooking school there that could train people for careers in the culinary arts. Mostly last nights meeting just focused on the sorts of uses people might like to see, where they might like to see those uses, and what that might realistically mean (examining factors like building height).

2. These meetings aren't about New Town, but they are inextricably linked to it. Many people seem confused about the New Town proposal, and how it fits in with the OOP efforts. The OOP stuff is a parallel effort that was funded because of the New Town legislation, but it isn't a part of New Town. The OOP process is totally non-binding, unless (and until) the council turns it into law. That said, going to the meetings is useful because you get a good look at what is in the Market now, what could be there, and what effects might result from making certain changes. It's also a chance to ask any questions you might have and to hear other people's opinions.

3. People don't know much about New Town. Here is the legislation. Read it (really). Some highlights:

a. The historic preservation language is ridiculously weak. The plan will preserve the orginal historic market buildings "unless it is found impractical to do so by the Developer and the Office of Planning." Sec. 3(o). Impractical? Not exactly a high bar there.

b. The reference to blight at 3(d) previously referenced "blight" as defined in DC Code
2-1219.01(6). The definition relates to triggers for eminent domain power. The legislation requires the approval of the owners of 50% of the land to progress to its later stages. This 50% seems to get mischaracterized a lot as being 50% of the land owners, which is not the same thing. Sec. 6. Section 7 requires the Mayor to obtain the Council's approval before exercising eminent domain. Also note that contrary to the suggestion of the language in 3(d), that "[t]he Market is becoming an attractive place for criminal activity, homeless
inhabitants," crime is not increasing, but rather declining in the Market. This passage used
to end with "and is detrimental to public safety, morals, or welfare," but I guess that part
got slashed.

c. The construction will take more than 5 years. Sec. 3(q).

WP: Truth in Translation

Image provided by the Atlas (used with permission, all rights reserved).
The Post has a piece on Truth in Translation a production currently running (through October 6th) at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H Street). The work focuses on interracial reconcilliation by way of the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission in South Africa. Buy tickets online from the Atlas website.

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UPDATE
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Listen to the Atlas' Executive Director Patrick Stewart and Truth In Translation's producer on today's Kojo Namdi show.

Examiner: Dreyfus Project

A piece on the Capitol Place project near Union Station (between 2nd & 3rd). Get more info on the project from Alan Kimber's site. He's got copies of the renderings here.

Florida Market Planning Meeting Tonight

From the Office of Planning:

Phase 2 Public Workshop and Open House
Wednesday October 3, 2007
3:00pm-4:30pm
The Market Lounge
1305 5th Street, NE (Upstairs)
OR
6:30pm-8:00pm
McKinley Technology High School
151 T Street, NE

The D.C. Office of Planning (OP) invites property and business
owners within the Florida Avenue Market, neighborhood residents and
stakeholders around the Market area to attend this workshop as we
kick off phase two of the Florida Avenue Market Study. These two
meetings will cover the same information. Please attend whichever
is more convenient.

Our goal is to:
Provide an update on where we are in the planning process
Discuss how we will complete Phase Two of the small area plan for
the Florida Avenue Market

For more information contact Deborah Crain or Jeff Davis at
202.442.7600

Gridskipper: New H Street=Old U Street

The writer could use a little less attitude (maybe a friend of that Post announcement writer?) and I'm baffled as to why they omitted Dr. Granville's (other night spots like Rose's Dream and the Majestic, as well as the theaters) but here's a page on H Street's nightlife highlights as visited by the author. Curiouser and curiouser, it seems that Gridskipper has mentioned Dr. Granville's before. Perhaps the author of the second article didn't get the memo.

Argo Specials & Kids Menu

If you haven't been to the Argonaut (1433 H Street) recently, you might want to check out the specials and the kids menu.
Daily Specials

Happy Hour from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. daily (excluding Sundays)
$2.50 Bud Select
$3.00 Argo Booty Beer
$3.00 Yuengling
$3.50 Sam Adams Seasonal
$4.00 Rail drinks
$1.00-off House drinks

Mondays
Half-priced Argo Burgers (Dine-in only.)
Mushroom Burger NOT included.
Only available with purchase of alcoholic beverage OR without free refill(s) on soda/juice.

Tuesdays
$3.00 Sol & $3.00 Dos Equis
Free Chips & Salsa with purchase of sandwich/entrée. (Dine-in only.)

Wednesdays
$3 Wings (Dine-in only.)
$3.00 Yuengling

Thursdays
$2.00 PBR

Saturdays
Happy Hour from 4:00 – 7:00

Sundays
All NFL games on 10 TVs
$8.00 Bud Select Pitchers
$10.00 Argo Booty Beer Pitchers
Half-priced Wings

Kids Menu
(for our pirates 12 years and under…)
$3.99

• 2 chicken tenders with regular fries
• grilled cheese (cheddar) with regular fries
• macaroni & cheese (small)
• 4 oz argo burger with regular fries
• hot dog (100% black angus beef) with regular fries

RCA Clean-Up Saturday

The Rosedale Citizens' Alliance is organizing a neighborhood clean-up from 9-11am this Saturday. Meet on the 1500-1700 block of Gales. Bring gloves. More details available here.

Condos, or Apartments?

I received an email from someone (not from the Senate Square people), saying her friend had had her deposit returned because the development (recall there is more than one development at that location) is going to be apartments, instead of condos. Is this true? Has anyone else heard something like it? If it is true, does it actually matter?

Good Morning

Joe Cole (1200 Morse).