Upcoming ANC Elections

Don't forget that ANC 5B06 elections are January 21st (Thursday) at 7pm at the Joe Cole Recreation Center (1200 Morse Street NE).

The 6A02 election will be held at the February ANC meeting.
2nd Thursday, February 11, 7 p.m.
Miner E.S., 601 15th St. NE

It's very important that people show up to these meetings and actually vote. Really, it can all come down to 1 or 2 votes.

ANC 5B06 Candidates:

Bernice Hall-Gates

George Jackson

Tontalya Terceiro-Wright

Thalia Wiggins

ANC 6A02 Candidates:

Robert Pittman

Drew Ronneberg

About the Candidates:

Information on both of the 6A candidates is widely available on the internet. Not so for the 5B candidates. So Google around, ask around, and see what you can find. If any of the candidates wishes to send me a short statement/bio I can post it. The following is a small amount of info that I either know, or managed to find online about the candidates :

ANC 5B06:

Bernice Hall-Gates: I swear that DCBOEE says the name is Hall-Gates, but it always pops up as Gates-Hall everywhere else. She's listed as the contact person for the religious non-profit Family Healing Headquarters, Inc. Be careful with Google because this is a more common name that it seems and there is at least one other Bernice Gates in some old newspaper stories. I don't know if it's same person. I know that at one point she worked for (I don't think she's still there) Child and Family Services. Here is some info from her flyer:

Mission: “Bring Forth Transformation” Emergency services (jobs, job training, GED, rental and utility payments, food, clothing, furniture, housing assistance, community development, etc.)


Objective: “Reform the Current Culture” of crime, repeated offenses, unemployment, lack of education, lack of job skills, lack of appropriate elder/child care and ex-offender re-entry.


Goals:


1. Bridge the gaps between the community and its resources and benefits.


2. Change the culture through courage, compassion and commitment.


3. Provide effective and efficient wrap around quality care coordination of social services and social justice to the citizens of Ward 5.


4. Generate: emergency services, e.g., jobs, job training, rental payments, utility payments, food, clothing, furniture, housing assistance, GED and college enrollment.


5. Restore and reposition the community (One Church, One Family, One Man, One Woman, One Youth, One Child, One School and One Business at a time.)

George Jackson: a former ANC for 5B05. He was elected ANC 5B Vice-Chair in 2002. Jackson also pops up in a challenge to the validity of signatures for ANC 5B09 candidate Joan Black. The complaint was dismissed when both parties failed to appear for the hearing. He also served as the PTA President for Webb Elementary, and was involved with other groups working with local recreation centers. Some of the facts here come from Jackson's candidate information he provided when running for a Board position with the Trinidad Neighborhood Association.

Tontalya Terceiro-Wright: a former ANC for 8A02. She ran as an independent for the Ward 5 seat last time around.

Thalia Wiggins: a student who I know through various neighborhood activities. She's long been interested in neighborhood affairs, and works hard. I've known her about six years. She has studied America Sign Language ("ASL"), which I think is useful because Gallaudet falls in this SMD. She also speaks some Spanish (we have a growing Latino population, and some don't speak much English), and tutors local youth part-time. Thalia is endorsed by retiring ANC 5B06 Commissioner Wilhelmina Lawson. I am also endorsing Thalia.

Here is a brief statement she provided:

Being born and raised in the Trinidad Community has opened my eyes to the needs of its residents. It's one of the reasons I have helped to start a pet-sitting business with my brothers and to help found the Trinidad-Ivy City Community Garden Club with my like-minded neighbors.


The Residents of 5B06 are starving for both knowledge and change. Phone calls to residents and government representatives to discuss issues are something I am willing to do; I have and will continue to visit my neighbor's homes to go over problems and solutions, and I am excited to witness the changes to DC happening to us and around us. It will be an honor to bring awareness to my neighbors and to represent them whenever possible.
I can't stress enough how blessed I am for this opportunity. I am willing to do what it takes to help my neighbors get both the resources and answers they need, as well as making sure there is accountability from those who wish to come to our community to do business or to live.


Thalia Wiggins

The Hill is Home has a run down of the 5B06 candidates forum the other night.

My Endorsement for 5B06: Thalia Wiggins

ANC 6A02:

Drew Ronneberg: current Chair of the ANC 6A Economic Development and Zoning Commission. Ronneberg's been heavily involved in the community for quite a while now. He's very accomplished, and I think he's the natural choice to succeed Joseph Fengler. In fact, former Commissioner Fengler (who resigned to to a move out of district) has now endorsed Ronneberg.

Here is a brief statement he provided:


To the residents of ANC 6A02,


I would like to formally announce my candidacy for the ANC 6A02 Commissioner seat recently vacated by Joe Fengler. Under Joe's leadership, residents of 6A02 have come to expect efficient,effective and transparent government, and filling Joe's shoes will be a big task.


I believe that I am capable of meeting this challenge.


Since 2003, I have been a citizen volunteer for ANC 6A and have served as Chairman of the ANC Economic Development and Zoning (ED&Z) Committee since 2006. As Chairman of the ED&Z committee, I have worked on dozens of issues to bring economic development to the H Street Corridor and keep our residential neighborhood safe, vibrant and pedestrian friendly. For example, I helped negotiated the proposed redevelopment of H Street Connection strip mall between 8th and 10th St NE. I believe that the proposed building will achieve our goals of promoting a pedestrian friendly streetscape while attracting new residents and retail establishments to our neighborhood. In addition, I have worked to reduce the number of vacant properties in our neighborhood. Ensuring vacant properties are occupied reduces problems with drug dealing and vagrancy; making our communities safer and stronger.


If elected Commissioner I will:


1) Address recent crime issues in the ANC 6A by
a) getting information to residents when crimes occur in their neighborhood;
b) helping organize residents to fight crime through regular meetings with beat officers in our neighborhood; and
c) ensuring that high crime areas receive increased police surveillance.


2) Continue ANC 6A's efforts to revitalize the H Street Corridor by
a) increasing police presence on H Street during evening hours by requiring new businesses to contribute to the recently enacted reimbursable detail for off-duty officers as part of their voluntary agreement for alcohol licenses;
b) supporting the redevelopment of the H Street Connection based on current designs and community amenities;
c) working with local business owners to reoccupy vacant buildings leveraging the untapped $25 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds for H Street;
d) exploring the formation of an H Street Historic District that will preserve the Corridor's historic buildings without unduly impacting property owners; and,
e) actively working with the DDOT to make sure that Mayor Fenty's pledge to have streetcars running on H Street by 2011 is a reality.


3) Reduce the parking pressures on the surrounding community by
a) working with the police and H Street bars and restaurants to ensure that valets do not use neighborhood streets for parking;
b) helping residents restrict parking on affected neighbor streets to resident-only parking; and
c) working with parking enforcement to ensure that parking restrictions are enforced on neighborhood streets.


I look forward to the opportunity of serving as your Commissioner, and fighting on your behalf for a better, safer neighborhood. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.


I can be reached at ronneberg6a02@gmail.com or 202 431-4305.


Best regards,


Drew Ronneberg

Bobby Pittman: a well-known local figure. Pittman currently serves as Co-Coordinator of PSA 102. He's a former ANC in Adams Morgan.  There's a notable quote from Pittman in that 1997 City Paper Article on a liquor task force. He's talking about the owner of Adams Morgan, and how Pittman feels that "the city's liquor regulators have helped [the owner]." Pittman's quote: "To him it's just a game. It makes you feel...I don't want to say raped. I want to say vulnerable." There was also the key incident where Pittman refused to give up his office to his newly sworn in replacement. His work with PSA 102 is great, but he has an out there streak that I think makes him a poor choice for Commissioner.

My Endorsement for 6A02: Drew Ronneberg