WP: Reviews Biergarten Haus

Food critic Tom Sietsema pays a visit to H Street's Biergarten Haus.

24 Hours at Capital City Diner and Jimmy Valentine's

diner, originally uploaded by AWard Tour.

The Post pulls an overnighter to see how the diner and bar bring life to a stretch of Bladensburg Road. Hmm, maybe I'll swing by for the early bird special.

Found Kitten

A couple of readers found this kitten on 12th between H Street and Florida Avenue. She seems pretty tame, so they thought she might be an escaped house cat. If you recognize her you can email me at inked78[at]hotmail.com

Celebrate Rosh Hashanah at the Star and Shamrock

The Star and Shamrock has teamed with the Chosen to ring in the Jewish new year Saturday September 4th. Expect freebies (including t-shirts) from JDUB Records (link plays music), and, of course, drink specials.  $1 off He’Brew Draught Beers, $1 off Manischewitz Sangria, and $6 L’Chaim Vodka mixed drinks. All with the musical stylings of DJ Kosher Stylee. The party kicks off at 8pm.

Trinidad Neighbrhood Block Party

Trinidad Neighborhood Block Party

and

Potluck Cookout!

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

(Labor Day Weekend)

1:00pm – 6:00pm

On the 1200 Block of Morse Street, NE

(in front of Joseph Cole Recreation Center)

DJ's, dance presentations and grills!

(bring along something to grill or a side dish)

Tell your families and friends

Come on out and celebrate with your neighbors!

Thrillist: Fruit Bat

Ooh, a video.

Found: Pet Bird Near Capital City Diner

When: 8:45 am this morning
Where: Sunbathing on the hood of a locked taxicab parked at the curb, around the corner from the Capital City Diner.
What: Your pet bird

Thanks to the folks at the diner for providing the empty produce box that made the rescue possible. Currently safe and sound in a cage in my kitchen, I would like to return this beauty to its rightful owner. Please provide the particulars such as color, markings, and the story of how it got there to convince me it's yours, so we can arrange for its return.

Read Scott Martin
Capitol Hill
readscottmartin[at]gmail.com

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UPDATE 2:17pm

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From the comments:

We reunited the bird and its owner on Saturday night. The cockatiel, "Shorty," flew the coop Thursday evening from a home in Adams Morgan with a partner cockatiel (all white), still at large. Happy owner was reunited by happenstance, she sold me cockatiel food at Chateaux Animaux a few hours after we found the bird Friday morning; she heard the reason why and emailed to me the photo of her missing winged friends. Congratulations to Shorty! One missing bird found, one to go.

Clark Ray on Streetcars

A friend sent me this interesting campaign video. I'm undecided in this race, but I think the video is worth a watch.

Examiner.com: Liberty Tree

I just saw this Examiner.com (NOT the Washington Examiner) review of Liberty Tree. It definitely caught me by surprise. It starts off with "Liberty Tree is amazingly OK," and goes downhill from there. The reviewer slams the service, calling it "terrible." And then he wraps up with this quip "decent food will probably not survive on H Street much longer with new restaurants popping up every month." Now, I've only been to Liberty Tree a handful of times, but I never had bad service. Have others? What do you guys think of this review? Is it fair/accurate? Here are other reviews of local spots written by the same guy.

GOG: Best Bets on H Street

The Going Out Gurus have made a list of their best bets among the H Street attractions. Check it out, and then wonder why your favorite spot isn't on the list. What's on your list of twelve places on/around H?

DC Foodies: Dr. Granville's

DC Foodies has a nice long post on Dr. Granville's, and why it deserves to be recognized as one of the DC area's best beer bars.

Lost Cat: Potter

Potter was last seen in the K and 11th Street area Tuesday, Aug 24th. He has been recently neutered and has a healing wound around his left ear. He is approximately 8 months old and weighs 11 pounds. He is a short haired orange and white tabby with a white mark on his face. If you see him, please contact darlene.hajduk[at]gmail.com or call 202-758-5290.

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UPDATE   8/27

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I'm advised that Potter found his way home this morning.

And Speaking of Stolen Bikes...

Stolen: 18” Kona Lava Dome purple mountain bike
Red “Kill Vampires” sign on the frame, registered
Stolen Saturday, August 21st, between 8-11 PM on SE 5 and D St. while locked to a sign.
$150 reward - No questions asked!

Please contact: purple.bike.dc@gmail.com

My bike was quite unfortunately taken from a residential area while I was visiting my friend on Saturday, August 21st, 8-11PM. I really miss my bike and any information regarding it would be much appreciated. P.S. There was a yellow helmet locked to the bike as well.

District Curmudgeon: Park at Your Own Risk

IMGoph over at the District Curmudgeon talks more about the abysmal bike parking situation at the the NY Ave Metro station. Basically he's concerned about bike theft (even parts of bikes) and explains various reasons why this is such a problem at that station. If you ever bike to the station you should read the post.

CP: Rhee Recruiting Diversity

I'm getting a late start on the blog today (sorry, other concerns), but I though perhaps we could discuss this article in the City Paper on Michelle Rhee and what she's up to when not holding press conferences, or fending off attacks for axing teachers. The article is subtitled Michelle Rhee's campaign to diversify DCPS means wooing white parents, so you can basically tell where this is going. It's an interesting piece, and definitely worth a read. I believe that Housing Complex's Lydia DePillis recently called Michelle Rhee the most powerful figure in the DC real estate market. Could she be right (at least as far as residential real estate)?

New Bikes Racks Popping Up Around H

HStreetDC has this photo of one outside the Star and Shamrock (1300 block of H Street).

Tonight's Beer Dinner at Liberty Tree

Smuttynose Beer Dinner

$40

Fried Goat Cheese

arugula, summer tomato basil vinaigrette

Farmhouse Ale

Grilled Scallop "BLT"

toasted brioche, maple bacon, frisee

Shoals Pale Ale

Pepper Crusted Filet of Beef

fingerling potatoes, caramelized onion jus

Old Brown Dog Ale

Rum Raisin Bread Pudding

vanilla cream anglaise

Gravitation Quad

Evolve Moves Corporate Headquarters to H

You are probably already familiar with Evolve Property Management, which as been on Capitol Hill since 1997. They're the guys behind the Pierce School. Now they're moving to H Street, specifically, to 1344 H Street. Oh, and they bought two properties (which are actually one space on the inside) next door. All three properties have historically sensitive renovations in their future. Evolve would like to lease the space next door to a restaurant. See, the space is about 40 feet wide, and that makes it MUCH more attractive to an established local business (something like Two Amy's if I'm just pulling examples out of the air) looking for a second location than the typically narrower (think the Pug) spaces that predominate on H Street. Read more about this development in my H Street Life column in the upcoming issue of the Hill Rag.

Game Night and Grand Marnier Tasting at Toyland

Tonight from 8-10pm. Toyland is located at 421 H Street.

Call for Volunteers: Literacy For Life

Announcement:

Volunteers Needed
On September 11, Gallaudet University Community Service Programs and the Trinidad Neighborhood Association, will be co-hosting a LITERACY for LIFE event at the newly renovated Cole Recreation Center. Volunteers are needed to help with this exciting event, which will involve a book distribution, literacy poster contest, inspirational movies, ASL story-time and much more.

Please lend a hand and be a part of this effort to encourage and promote literacy skills among the young residents living in the Trinidad neighborhood right next door.

This event is made possible by a generous grant from Serve D. C.—the Mayor's Office on Volunteerism.

Hill and Go Seek is Saturday

If you haven't heard about Hill and Go Seek, it's this competition in which two person teams ride around the Hill on bikes and check in at different stations, where they perform various tasks for points. The competition, which starts over at Eastern Market, ends at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. There's a cool sounding after party at the H Street Country Club. Proceeds from the entry fee go to charity. Get full details on the CHAMPS site.

Tonight: Ward 6 Candidates Forum

6:30pm at Southeast Library (403 7th Street SE). Come hear Tommy Wells and Kelvin Robinson talk about their visions for the future of Ward 6.

DC Beer Week, On Tap, and On H

Here's a few local events that I cut and pasted from the website:

Tuesday August 24th

H Street Country Club Harpoon Pints for Putts – The shot of your life. 1 Beer. 1 Putt. 120 feet. Sink it and walk away with a regulation totally sick $3000 Pool Table!

Star and Shamrock with He’brew Ales “Brisket and Brews” – Join Shmaltz Brewing Company and the Irish/Jewish cuisine of the Star and Shamrock along with tasty He’Brew ales for some creative pairings.

Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar $20 for four food/beer pairings 6-8PM. Chef Adam Stein of the Queen Vic cooks it up.

Wednesday August 25th

Liberty Tree presents Smuttynose New England Beer Dinner. 4 Courses, 4 Beers $40/person

Troegs takeover at The Red and The Black. Glassware giveaway, Mad Elf in the Summer, Troegs Band, guaranteed fun. [I'm not sure the band is still happening, but they've got some great glassware to take home.]

Lagunitas night at Palace of Wonders: glassware give-a-ways, Lil Sumpin Sumpin, Dogtown Pale and Lucky 13 Imperial red

Thursday August 26th

Biergarten Haus presents Reissdorf Kolsch Firkins Night With Bill Catron. 7pm

Sink The Belgrano at H Street Playhouse

From the website (slightly edited):

Sink the Belgrano! (1986) considers the British lower classes under Margaret Thatcher’s rule during the Falklands War of 1982. The war was the result of the Argentine invasion of the British-owned Falkland Islands. "Britannia rules the waves" — But, Belgrano! dares to ask, does Thatcher merely "waive the rules" of international warfare with the sinking of the Argentine naval ship Belgrano with a nuclear-powered submarine? This highly scatological satire of war and corruption is full of Shakespearean bastard rhymes and Cockney slang. A uniquely clever anti-war play with timeless themes and questions by author Berkoff — the “Bad Boy” of British Theatre.

$10 Previews: Belgrano!: Aug 18, 22 and 23 at 8pm; Aug 21 at 3pm

Belgrano: Aug 25 – Sept. 12 (Wed – Sat: at 8pm; Sun: 3pm)*

*Special Show Times: Sat Aug 28: 3pm and Sun Aug 29: 8pm

H Street Playhouse, 1365 H Street

Ticket Prices: $25 - $40 ($18 on Thursdays for Young Professionals 30 and under)
Box Office: Buy tickets online at www.scenatheater.org or call 703-683-2824.

Thieves Hit Toyland

I got the following from a reader:

I walked by Toyland this morning at around 7:20 and one of the doors had the glass broken out of it. I called 911, but just as the operator picked up a gentleman (patron) came out from Sidamo and said that he had already called the Police about 5 minutes prior - but they were not yet on the scene. I texted a friend of mine who knows the owner of the building as well as the manager at the bar. He was able to then get in touch with the owner and manager and let them know what happened. He also let me know that Police were now on the scene and that it appeared to be a broken door only - nothing else appears to be missing.

Argonaut Burglarized Again

It happened last night. What did the thieves take? Three cases of PBR. I'm not sure how they got inside.

Ward 5 Democrats Straw Poll Tonight

When: Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Where: Michigan Park Christian Church
1600 Taylor Street NE
Time: 6:00pm-8:30pm

7/11 Opens Thursday

The new 7/11 in the H Street Connection opens this Thursday at 6am.

Lots of Press For the Area

First up is a nice posst from We Love DC and Young and Hungry on Fruit Bat. Capitol Bites checks out Taylor, which just revamped its website. The City Paper mentions G Fine Art. A photographer is working on an H Street project. And a blogger dines at Dangerously Delicious Pies. Wonkabout hits up Sticky Rice.

Volunteer Locally, Your Services Are Needed

This morning I took part in the DCPS beautification day at Wheatley Education Campus (Neal Street). We unpacked books, organized the library, moved supplies, and generally helped get the school ready for the students who will pass through its doors on Monday morning. Aside from the many teachers and other school employees we had 21 volunteers (four of whom were the principal's wife, two daughters, and a friend). Nine of those volunteers came from McLean Bible Church (yes, from McLean Virginia), seven from the Trinidad neighborhood (including one parent of a student, and one student), one was a social worker who works out of the school (not a DCPS employee, but rather a DMH employee). Yes, ONE Wheatley parent. Interestingly, of the Trinidad volunteers, one is a Wheatley student, one is his mother, one has grown children, and the other four have no children. We have lots of churches in Trinidad (maybe close to 20), but none of them showed up this morning. But the folks from a church in Virginia were able to turn out to help. Seriously Trinidad? We got the work done, but it took a little longer than scheduled.

The school serves many kids who come from pretty modest means, and the school can always use donations of certain items (like pencils, backpacks, and basketballs). They are also currently seeking volunteers interested in engaging the students in various enrichment activities. They could also use some tutors.

Checking Out Fruit Bat

We've all been talking about Fruit Bat for a while. For anyone who's been in hiding recently, Fruit Bat is the new bar from Erik Holzherr (owner of Wisdom). Fruit Bat is located at 1236 H Street, which is the old H Street Martini Lounge space. I arrived at around 7:30 and my first thought upon stepping through the door was that although the layout was roughly the same, this place looked nothing like the H Street Martini Lounge. I spotted an acquaintance at the bar. He was drinking a Dirty Sanchez, which he found to be tasty, if a bit on the sweet side (well, it does include raspberry vodka, acai liqueur, fresh oj, and tonic water, $8). I opted for the Scarface (Overholt rye whiskey, creme de casis, oj, and soda water, $9). The Scarface was satisfying, and not too sweet. Both of these drinks came off a rotating list of "Batender's" recommendations.


The Scarface

Here's the rest of the list:

La Revolucion ($10): Bluecoat gin, apricot liqueur, grapefruit juice, and soda water.
Colombian Necktie ($9): Banana rum, Aquadiente liquor, oj.
Build Your Own (starting at $8): pick a base liquor, a liqueur, and a juice.



You can always order a standard mojito ($10), or caparinha ($9).
Batidos ($7 virgin, $10 spiked): changing weekly smoothies
Adult Rootbeer Float ($10): made with rootbeer vodka
The menu also featured multiple homemade infusions which are available as a shot ($6), highball ($8), or martini ($12). Current selections are: rum + pineapple + cardamom; tequila + watermelon + thyme; cherry vodka + cucumber + sake; vanilla vodka + apple + cinnamon.

You'll also find a few wines, as well as beers on tap, and in bottles. But the real stars here are definitely the cocktails.


Baskets of fruit hang above the bar and await transformation into yummy cocktails

Of course you can always opt for the fresh squeezed juice $3.50, the coconut water ($3), or the cucumber water ($1) if not up for an alcoholic drink, or a virgin smoothie.


Living staghorn ferns grow from the walls at Fruit Bat

They are still finalizing the food offerings, all of which will be small plates. Last night I sampled three items. The pupusa with slaw, coconut rice with black beans and plantains, and pork tacos. The tacos were a clear favorite, followed by the beans. The papusa was good too, I just wanted more of the slaw.

Through the end of September  Fruit Bat will be open Wednesday through Saturday. Hours are still in flux. They do accept credit cards. Fruit Bat opens to the public tonight, so stop by and check it out.

H's Headed for Hyattsville

H Street Friends, originally uploaded by AWard Tour. Share your photos with the Frozen Tropics Flickr pool.

It's not to late to get your own "H" planter from the the Corridor. H's are free, but there is a delivery fee.  If you can't accept an H, and later find yourself missing them you can always head out to Hyattsville. The city is adopting a bunch of the H's for its arts district. Read more about the move. Call 202-518-6195 if you would like to adopt an H for your home or business.

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UPDATE

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Apparently DC Greenworks is no longer talking about the delivery option. Be warned, you will probably need about three friends to help you if you intend to move one of these. They are quite heavy (it sure feels like a lot more than 200 pounds).

THIH: Fruit Bat First Sip

The Hill is Home checks out Fruit Bat (which opens to the public on Friday).

Tommy Wells at Work In Ward 6

You may have read that piece in yesterday's Washington Post about Tommy Wells. . I've gotten some reader feedback expressing the opinion that the Post really shortchanged Councilmember Wells and downplayed his hard work in Ward 6. Biggest complaint I'm hearing? The Post neglected to mention important stuff like getting Eastern Market up and running quickly after a devastating fire, or the fight over streetcar funding.  I've said it before, but the Post really needs to step up its local reporting. So, I'm going join others in displaying some photos of Tommy Wells around the neighborhood. Photos by Andrew Lightman. You can do the same if you like. Feel free to steal the code, just make sure that you credit Andrew.

Here's a link that you can use if you prefer. pass it around if you like.
http://www.photoshelter.com/swf/CSlideShow.swf?feedSRC=http%3A//www.lightmanphotos.com/gallery/Tommy/G00003f6GjmbRI54%3Ffeed%3Djson

Fruit Bat To Open Tomorrow

TBD reports that the Fruit Bat will open tomorrow. I've actually RSVP'd for a soft opening tonight (hey, TBD already mentioned the soft opening), so I'll get some details (and photos) up tomorrow. As I've written before, Fruit Bat is the baby of Erik Holzherr (Wisdom). Wisdom is a cocktail bar on Capitol Hill, and it's also well known for its absinthe selection. The cocktails generally run ~$9-13. Holzherr told TBD he's shooting for a slightly lower price point here. I'm looking forward to either a capirinha, or something slightly more unusual from Fruit Bat's South American inspired cocktail menu. I'm also really hoping to try out some of the Latin American street food that I've been hearing out.

Fruit Bat (1236 H Street) replaces the H Street Martini Lounge, which closed almost immediately after it got its super expensive "expressive sign" from H Street Main Street (HSMS uses grant funds to pay for 50% of the sign, and the owner is supposed to pay for the other half). A little bird told me that the Martini Lounge sign (which was WAY more expensive than you'd think) has mysteriously disappeared. No word on whether Martini Lounge owner Cliff Humphries paid the 50% he owed for the sign, or skipped out on his portion of the bill.

Baltimore Sun Reviews Biergarten Haus

The reviewer was impressed, but bummed that he didn't catch the live polka music the Biergarten Haus (1355 H Street) often features.

Daily Diplomat: Sticky Rice

Sticky Rice, originally uploaded by InspirationDC.

The Daily Diplomat checks out Blingo at Sticky Rice. You too can play Blingo (speed bingo) every Thursday.

Save 15% Off Biergarten Brunch 8/22

That's right, through the efforts of The Hill is Home, and Biergarten Haus (1355 H Street), the latter has generously agreed to offer a sweet discount to neighborhood bloggers and their readers. So, all who show up for brunch this Sunday with PRINTED coupon in hand (not on your iphone) can shave 15% off their bill. But it's ONLY GOOD for 8/22 from 11am-3pm. And just a reminder, because it sucks when someone "forgets," but PLEASE tip on the original undiscounted total.

Reminder: Streetcar Happy Hour Tomorrow

Here's the Sierra Club announcement:

On Wednesday, August 18 at 6:00 p.m., the Sierra Club’s Washington, D.C. Chapter will hold a streetcar happy hour at SOVA, which is located at 1359 H Street NE. We’ll be on the second floor.

Please join fellow streetcar supporters to have a drink and celebrate our recent streetcar successes while informally discussing next steps for our campaign to make streetcars a reality in D.C.

Smith Commons Unveils Sample Menu

Check it out. Smith Commons is slated to open next month, and is located at 1245 H Street.

DC Beer Week at Little Miss Whiskey's

They've got two terrific events coming up. The first is a tasting of nine different German beer styles with a beer guru. The second is a multi-course tasting menu that, beyond offering you some awesome sounding food, gives you a chance to sample the cooking of Queen Vic Chef  Adams Stein before the Queen Vic even opens.

BEER TASTING

at Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar

SUNDAY, 8/22 at 8 PM

w/ BERNIE VAN ORDER

FROM GREAT LAKES BREWING COMPANY

Featuring:
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold Great Lakes Octoberfest
Weihenstephaner Hefe-Weisse Kulmbacher Monschof Schwarzbier
Schneider Aventinus Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
Kulmbacher Eku 28 Schneider Aventinus Eisbock
Eggenberg Samichlaus
$20 per person

Bernie Van Order’s lifelong career in brewing has taken him from Richmond to Idaho. Currently he is the DC region representative for Great Lakes Brewing and he is always happy to share his extensive wealth of knowledge on the subject of beer. Please join us as he leads us through a tasting of 9 German styles w/ history and anecdotes for each. Spots are limited so you are encouraged to stop by Little Miss Whiskey’s to buy your ticket in advance.

CHEF ADAM STEIN OF QUEEN VIC PRESENTS A SPECIAL FOUR COURSE FOOD AND BEER PAIRING MENU:

$20 for four pairings

6 PM to 8 PM on Tuesday, 8/24

at Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar

Salad of Pickled Clam & Thinly Sliced Pork Loin w/ Cilantro, Thai Basil & Citrus Vinaigrette paired w/ Hofbrau Hefe-Weizen this light and crisp wheat beer has a frothy mouth feel and traditional weissbier flavors of banana and clove. Lemon citrus notes cleanse the palate
Tacos de Lengua w/ Cabbage Slaw & Grilled Chile Salsa paired w/ Paulanor Salvator
the almost-sweet, caramel malt backbone of this rich doppelback blends nicely w/ this potent and savory dish

Korean Style Short Ribs w/ Bali Pepper & Ginger Beer Marinade, served w/ Fresh Kimchi paired w/ Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA
massive and chewy citrus fruit hops from this double IPA should stand up to the overwhelming flavors delivered by the ribs and kimchi

Sweet Corncakes & Oatmeal Stout Custard sauced w/ Charred Peach Caramel paired w/ Hoppin Frog B.O.R.I.S The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout
in truth, the only possible finish to the preceding palate-shredding combo. Please sample the stout before the dessert to note how dramatically the flavors change after pairing

In order to properly prepare, we can only serve the full tasting of four courses for $20. Portions are small, servings of beer are 4-5 ounces. Spots are limited so we encourage you to purchase your ticket in advance from the bar at Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar. We hope you enjoy this event as much as we enjoy putting it together. Thank you!

Argo's Birthday Bar-B-Q Bash

Friday, August 20th AND Saturday, August 21st

from 4pm-11pm

their food. our beverages. available on the patio and upstairs.

The Argonaut

1433 H Street

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ADW at XII

From the MPD listerv, here's the initial report, followed by more details provided by MPD:

PSA: 102
CCN: 10117055
RPT DATE: Aug 15, 2010
SHIFT:
OFFENSE: ADW
METHOD: Other
BLOCK: 1100 B/O H ST NE
LOCATION: Tavern/Night Club
START DT: 08/15/2010
START TM: 03:00:00
END DT: 08/15/2010
END TM: 03:15:00

The assault occurred at the "Twelve Restaurant and Lounge" at approximately 0300 hours (3am). The victim and another person were engaged in an argument that led to an altercation. After club employees broke up the fight, the victim was in the restroom cleaning up when she was assaulted by several other subjects associated with the original suspect.

The incident was not reported until the victim was at the hospital in the Fifth District, at approximately 0600 hours (6am).

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UPDATE

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ANC Drew Ronneberg reports that the dangerous weapons here were fists and feet (ADW in DC stands for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, not a deadly weapon).

$22 for a Show, Eats, & a Drink at R&R Hotel

rr hotel patrons, originally uploaded by AWard Tour.

Buy the online voucher from Living Social and you can make a night of it at the Rock and Roll Hotel (1353 H Street). That's a little over half off what the evening would normally run you.

Community Night Out at Sherwood Rec

Community Night Out (food, fun and friends)
Tuesday , August 17, 2010, 4-8pm, Sherwood Recreational Center, 640 10th Street, NE (sponsored by psa102 police and ANC Raphael Marshall).

Argo Birthday Bar-B-Q Bash Postponed

Blame it on the rain, but the official Argo 5th birthday bash has been postponed until Saturday August 21st. They've got Fat Face Bar-B-Q coming out for the event.

Arboretum Place to Break Ground Next Week

They are still putting together the facts sheet, but the project, which has been in the pipeline a LONG time is ready to go. You can pull up old posts on the development here or on DCmud, but I'm not sure how much has changed since I last saw the plans. This is a large scale apartment development on the old Sears site (behind Hechinger Mall).

Got Guns? MPD Wants to Know, and Pay You

MPD launches the gun tip line to make it easier for people to report illegal guns in DC. I'm just waiting for the cool posters. Sadly there's no cool enough image I can display of link to on the internets. Here's the press release:

Mayor Fenty and Chief Lanier Announce New Gun Tip Line at AHOD Phase IV Kick Off

(Washington, DC) – Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced today a new gun tip reward program called “Got Guns” that will help remove illegal guns from criminals within the city.

Anonymous tipsters who call 888-919-CRIME (2746) about an illegal firearm, may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 if the information leads to the recovery of a firearm.

“For the past three years public safety has been a top priority for my Administration,” said Mayor Fenty. “Crime is down throughout the City because of the All Hands on Deck initiative and community policing strategies that Chief Lanier has implemented to encourage officers to better know the communities they serve and protect.”

“This program is the continuation of a steady and sustained attempt to reduce gun violence.” Chief Lanier said. “This is another resource for police to use in accomplishing that goal.”

The Got Guns program is a collaborative effort between the DC Office of Finance and Treasury, JP Morgan Financial Services and the DC Crimesolvers which provided MPD with a $20,000 grant to fund the program.

The announcement was made during the fourth All Hands on Deck (AHOD) for 2010, which began at 6 am Friday, August 13 and continues through 6 am on Sunday, August 15, 2010. Other law enforcement officials, including Metro Transit Police Deputy Chief David Webb, were on hand to kick off AHOD.

The initiative helps reduce crime. During AHOD, all available sworn MPD personnel are on patrol throughout the District emphasizing community policing and community outreach. This includes increasing the number of officers on foot beats, homicide detectives following up on cases and recruits passing out specific crime-related information.

MPD offers rewards of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any unsolved homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Additionally, MPD offers rewards of up to $10,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for any armed robbery or a robbery that results in serious bodily injury.

Anyone who has information about a crime may call police at (202) 727-9099 or (888)-919-CRIM[E] (888-919-2746).
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Just a reminder that you can also text 50411 (it's anonymous unless you text your name). If the crime is ongoing emergency you should still call 911.

Mark Your Calendars: DC Beer Week

New events are still popping up, but DC Beer Week, which begins August 20th, is shaping up to be a fabulous opportunity to quaff some quality brews. Check out the full line-up (with many events on H Street).

7th Annual Dance DC Festival

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is pleased to announce its 7th Annual Dance DC Festival: ExperienceGlobal Movement. The festival will highlight some of the city’s most talented folk and traditional dance and music performers from various cultures from August 20-22, 2010 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. Some genres include hand dance, African dancing and drumming, tap, tango,
traditional Asian dance and many more! Performance as well as interactive workshops will be FREE to the public over this three-day event. We hope you will join us for an exciting weekend full of dynamic and inspiring performances!

All performances and workshops at the Atlas Performing Art Center 1333 H Street , NE, Washington, DC 20002.

Friday | August 20, 2010

6:00pm | Carnaval Africana!

This night captures the festive essence of Carnaval fusing an array Afro-Brazillian dance and music expressions!

Opening Night performance and reception
Pre-performance reception at 6:00pm
Performers include: Zezeh Brazil International, Capital Movement, Zomema Dance Ensemble, DC Casineros, Batala Washington DC

Saturday | August 21, 2010

Ready. Set. Dance!
A series of interactive workshops in dance and expression of movement.

12:00pm | KidsFest
Explore African dance and music traditions through storytelling, music and movement.
Performers include: Nubian Dance Theatre, Eric Maring

1:30pm | Hui O Ka Pua Ilima
Experience traditional and contemporary dances of Hawai`i in an informative and interactive format.

2:30pm | JOYISM
This liberating mobile dance laboratory will be sure get your hips moving.

3:30 | Ancient Rhythms Dance Company
Middle Eastern traditions come to life with traditional dances from Moracco, Algeria and Egypt.

5:00pm | Dance Asia 2010!
Dance Asia 2010 – “Asia in Reflection: Selected Works”
The 7th annual Dance Asia showcase is taking a step back through time and bringing to you the best of the best works. Themes range from Asia in Celebration, Asia in Legend, Asia in Nature, Asia in Thunder to Asia in Movie. Come join us on a trip down memory lane and ogle at the intricacy of Asian art of movement!

7:00pm | Rhythm Nation
A cultural fusion of percussive footwork.
Performers include: On the Slide, Dr. Janaki Rangarajan, Furia Flamenca

Sunday | August 22, 2010

3:00pm | So Melodic
Experience a fusion of smooth melodic sounds.
Performers L’Tanya Mari Quartet and Let’s Get Physical and partner up for an array of interactive social dance workshops.

4:00pm | Grufolpawa
Panamanian folk dance.

5:00pm | Sharna Fabiano Tango
Tango

7:00pm | Hand DanceMania
The Close Out Party!
National Hand Dance Association
Join us as we close with a dance tradition native to Washington DC!

http://dcarts.dc.gov

Get Ready For the H Street Festival Sept. 18th

Check out this cool video from HSMS on last year's festival:



What was your favorite part of last year's H Street Festival? What would you like to see at this year's festival that wasn't there last time?

Urban Turf: Building NoMA

Urban Turf checks out the NoMA neighborhood.

Circulating ANC Petitions

We do have a little healthy competition here. So far only David Holmes has turned in his petition. In order for your name to appear on the ballot you must turn in your nominating petition on time, and it must have 25 valid signatures from registered voters in your SMD. Still time to pick up a petition if you are considering running.  Please note that there are currently NO candidates for some SMDS.

ANC 5B


5B 5B01 
William C. Shelton
1437 Montana
Avenue, NE #5 20018
832-6453 8/4/2010 williamc.shelton[at]gmail.com

5B 5B04
Vaughn L. Bennett
2520 10th Street,
NE #28 20018
557-9516 8/6/2010 vaughn_bennett[at]yahoo.com


Rayseen Woodland
1024 Girard Street,
NE 20017
528-3560 8/4/2010 woodland[at]anc5b04.org

5B 5B07 
Laura A. Casperson
1424 Orren Street, NE 20002
344-5753 8/9/2010 casperson-laura[at]gmail.com

David L. Hooper
1324 Queen Street, NE 20002
396-0788 8/9/2010 dlhooper[at]aol.com

Arthur Yarbrough
1525 Trinidad Avenue, NE 20002
596-0936 8/4/2010

5B 5B08 
Tina Laskaris
1236 Florida Avenue, NE 20002
549-2888 8/4/2010

5B 5B09
Jacqueline Manning
2116 R Street, NE 20002
321-6708 8/4/2010 jacquemanning[at]@aol.com

5B 5B10
India A. Henderson
1807 L St. NE 20002 397-2777 8/10/2010

Camille Jean-Esther Tucker
1517 Queen Street, NE 20002
518-8590 8/4/2010 camilletucker[at]rocketmail.com

5B 5B11
William H. "Bill" Myers, Jr.
2005 M Street, NE 20002
257-3466 8/4/2010 whearnmyers[at]yahoo.com or ccctlde[at]yahoo.com

ANC 6A

6A 6A02 
Drew Ronneberg
646 11th Street, NE 20002
431-4305 8/5/2010 ronnebergba02[at]gmail.com

6A 6A03 
David Holmes
919 Massachusetts Avenue, NE 20002
251-7079 8/6/2010 8/12/2010 holmes6a3[at]gmail.com

6A 6A04 
Nick Alberti
1330 North Carolina Avenue, NE 20002
329-1193 8/11/2010 alberti6a04[at]yahoo.com

6A 6A05 
Sharee Lawler
1240 C Street, NE 20002
714-8422 8/6/2010 sharee.lawler[at]gmail.com

6A 6A06 
Andrew J. Hysell
1364 Emerald Street, NE 20002
357-7560 8/10/2010

6A 6A07 
Necothia "Nikki" Bowens
1770 E Street, NE 20002
486-4296 8/6/2010

Gladys Ann Mack
703 18th Street, NE 20002
240-432-3494 8/12/2010 gmack01[at]juno.com

6A 6A08 
Erica Anderson
423 18th Street, NE, #10 20002
422-6645 8/10/2010 geraldinemt2[at]gmail.com

ANC 6C

6C 6C01 
Marge Maceda
475 K Street, NW #802 20001
360-7404 8/9/2010 marge.maceda1[at]gmail.com


Keith Silver
901 New Jersey Avenue, NW #410 20001
705-7389 8/6/2010 silverk1[at]ymail.com

6C 6C02 
Mark A. Dixon
80 New York Avenue, NW 20001
438-2228 8/5/2010 mdixon402[at]hotmail.com


Joshua Kumpf
203 Morgan Street, NW 20001
455-8673 8/4/2010 josh[at]votekumpf.com


Rob Amos
206 N Street, NW 20001
494-5839 8/11/2010 robamos[at]yahoo.com

6C 6C04 
Anne M. Phelps
1150 5th Street, NE 20002
607-7826 8/4/2010 anne.phelps[at]anc.dc.gov

6C 6C05 
Brian Cox
716 8th Street, NE 20002
671-5313 8/6/2010 brian[at]briancox.us

Jennifer Zatkowski
624 3rd Street, NE 20002
548-4657 8/6/2010 jenzatkowski[at]gmail.com

6C 6C06
Tom Hamilton
415 6th Street, NE 20002
544-4475 8/6/2010 tom_hamilton[at]verizon.net

6C 6C07 
Bill Crews
637 Constitution Ave., NE 20002
547-4151 8/10/2010 billcrews[at]aol.com

6C 6C08 
Karen Wirt 234 E Street, NE 20002
547-7168 8/6/2010

6C 6C09 
Kevin Wilsey
425 8th Street, NW 20004 669-5184 8/6/2010
kwilsey[at]thelansburgh2004.com

Urban Turf: Petworth Versus H Street

Urban Turf has a property throwdown, pitting a renovated H Street Corridor house against one in Petworth.

Savings to the East & to the West

The Argonaut is celebrating its 5th birthday all this week.

Residents of the 20002 area code can save 10% tonight at both Toyland (421 H Street) and the Argonaut (1433 H Street). By the way, you'll want to click over to the Argo blog for the latest demolition photos of the first floor. Wow.

Movies at the Atlas

Tonight at 8pm it's Suddenly Last Summer.
Saturday at 5pm catch Tom Sawyer Saturday.
And later on it's Nine at 8pm on Saturday.

District Curmudgeon: WP: It's Called a Map

The District Curmudgeon calls out the Washington Post for yet another geographic snafu (the one I mentioned this morning). Really WP, is it that hard to look at a map? For the curious, there is an Oak Street in DC, but it's in NW. Maybe it's sort of like opposite day? I recall that a major media outlet (I think it might have been the Post) recently referred to something happening on Alabama Avenue NE (which is only in SE). Even I know that AL Ave is strictly SE, and I don't live in SE. Anyway, keep your eyes open for that upcoming Post story on a store robbery on MLK Avenue NE. Because if it didn't happen in NW, it might as well have happened in a foreign country as far as the Post is concerned. In other news, check out this report of the recent very disturbing Bethesda metro brawl that almost killed some people, but didn't really catch the interest of the WP much.  Because if that had happened around here I'd expect the Post to be all over it (I know that I would).

NoMA Summer Screen: Donnie Darko

It's tonight at 9pm. Show up early for bar-b-que starting at 7pm. 2nd and L Street NE.

++++++++++++++++

UPDATE 4:10pm

++++++++++++++++

No Bar-B-Que tonight. Sorry guys.

Fighting Crime With Cell Phone Cameras

Here's an interesting post from the MPD-1 listserv that I found worthy of reposting.  I've mentioned before that you can anonymously (or provide your name if you wish) text MPD at 50411. It's awesome if you have an ongoing problem like corner drug dealing. A friend of mine with this issue regularly sends texts like "Dealers on corner of such street and blank street right now. PSA 504." Including the PSA is key. In emergency situations you should still call 911, but the texting service is pretty cool. The following email talks about something they are doing in NYC that we should totally be doing here, but aren't yet doing. Check it out:

I believe I posted this to the First District Listerve a few months ago, and Commander Kamperin responded that he would look into it. I know this would take some time to implement, but does MPD have their tech support people looking into how to more easily facilitate the use of real time photographs in apprehending robbery suspects as the articles below discuss? They are doing it in NY City, so it can be done.

Now that nearly every cell phone has a camera built into it, being ready to photograph a robbery (from a safe distance of course), a burglary, or just some suspicious behavior is something to think about. 

Bob
----------------------------------------------------------

Below is an article about the police in NYC taking their "partnership with the public" one step further by enlisting their help in the use of digital cameras (cell phone or otherwise) in the fight against crime. Here is an excerpt. "The idea takes the 911 call one step further. When a witness calls 911, the dispatcher takes the details of the crime and assigns a special code to the report if the caller says there are photographs or video that might help solve it. A detective then calls the tipster with instructions on how to send the visual data into a department computer.

The image could be a unique tattoo on the forearm of a suspected criminal in a robbery, or a shot of a license plate of a car fleeing a hit-and-run accident, Mr. Bloomberg said.

"We are also working to enable the Real Time Crime Center to send photos out to all patrol cars in the area of a crime," he said. "We hope to have that up and running next year.

"This technology should put a scare into every would-be criminal," the mayor said, adding that the chance of "getting caught in the act is now better than ever."

I have mentioned this topic on this listserve before, that is the ability to within minutes of a crime being committed, transmit photos to the 911 number, and then have the images sent to patrol cars equipped with computers. The past MPD response was something typical like `well, you can certainly pass the image file on to the detective.' Is the MPD as an organization looking into this idea of using camera images from witnesses in a real time capacity like NYC Police seems to be putting into place? 

Bob

Camera Phones Are Enlisted to Fight Crime http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/nyregion/10video.html?_r=1

WP: Hoopernatural

Photo provided by Hoopernatural

The Post has a cool video highlighting a business by local resident Granetta Coleman. From the Hoopnatural website:

Granetta is a Hoopnotica® certified instructor and a Certified Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. She has been teaching group exercise classes for over 5 years and has danced, competed in gymnastics and enjoyed all types of fitness activities her whole life. In addition, Granetta is a Massage Therapist licensed in Washington, DC (DC Lic. No. MT 483). She sees clients in her massage studio Healthy Motions® in NE DC near Union Station. She is a graduate of the Potomac Massage Training Institute of Washington, DC and has been a practicing Massage Therapist since 2003.

Here are some close by classes:

Sunrise Hooping on Thursdays in August 5:45am-6:45am at Stanton Park
Mixed-Level Class on Saturdays in August 10am-11am in Canal Park in the Capitol Riverfront

WP: Harry Thomas Challengers Question Commitment

The Post has an interesting article on Harry Thomas, and the challengers he faces. I'll weigh in later, but I want to hear people's thoughts on the piece. Oh, and as pointed out by a commenter on the WP website, there is no Oak Street in Trinidad. I think they mean Oates. At least they got the quadrant right.

Granville's Starts New Blog

This should prove useful, and probably lead to better updated info about specials and so forth. Right now you can read about Granville's DC Beer Week goings on.

H Street Eats August 16th-22nd

Check out the detailed menus here.

Some of these are for two person meals (for $20.10). This is a great chance to check out new places on H Street, or two return to a place you haven't been lately.

Celebrate Argo's Birthday

Celebrate all week, but come out on Saturday Sunday and you can sample the offerings from Fat Face Bar-B-Q. The party starts at 4pm. All this week get $5 alcoholic beverages. 1433 H Street.

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UPDATE 8:34pm

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As you can see, it should be Sunday, NOT Saturday.

Urban Daddy: Fruit Bat First Look

Urban Daddy checks out Fruit Bat, the bar replacing the H Street Martini Lounge at 1236 H Street. As previously discussed, Fruit Bat, which comes to you courtesy of the owner of Wisdom, is a cocktail bar with a Latin American flair.

Happy 5th Birthday Argo

To celebrate five years on H Street the local tavern is giving its customers a gift. All alcoholic drinks are $5 this week. 1433 H Street.

Music Video Shooting at Capital City Diner

It's more than just cupcake baking that goes on during the normal staff's day off at the Capital City Diner. Today jazzy pop musician Flo Anito is filming a music video there. Sneak a peak at the action here. Via Twitter.

From the Frozen Tropics Flickr Pool

diner, originally uploaded by AWard Tour.

Share your photos by contributing to the pool.

And Speaking of Rowdy Teens

A reader shared his unpleasant experience aboard the H Street Shuttle. This incident took place the same night as the Metro brawl. I have never had any problems on the shuttle, and I'm curious if others have had problems.

rather be anonymous said...
I am not sure where to post this however, thought it was important enough to report. Yesterday I took the H-street shuttle from Chinatown around 11:30 pm. The bus was more than crowded. About 15-20 kids, probably teenagers got on to the bus and soon enough started creating a ruckus. The kids were extremely unruly, loud and belligerent. Some verbal altercation ensued between a few of the kids which escalated into a full fledged fight. One of the guy's who can be clearly clasified as a sociopath started yelling loudly and then hit a girl so hard that she was thrown off to the front of the bus. There was an elderly lady in the bus and other passengers whose well being at that point was endangered due to the fact that the bus itself is very small and people were coming to blows in such close proximity in a moving vehicle. Another gender challenged (I could not clearly determine whether he was a boy or a girl) guy/girl then confronted the sociopathic guy who had just hit a girl. At this point the we were near H-street connection and the driver stopped the bus and the 10-15 kids then offloaded and continued their altercation on the street where I saw one of the kids pick up something that looked like a brick or a large stone ready to hurl it at someone.
The bus took off at that point leaving the scene of the commotion.
Just for the records, the driver did not call 911 neither did he ask the kids to stop yelling and speaking loudly. He probably was intimidated by their sheer numbers which is understandable.

I got home to get my camera and got into my car to take pictures of the scene and especially the sociopath who had just hit a girl. The guy needs to be locked up before he seriously hurts someone. Unfortunately they had all fled within 10 minutes.

Aug 7, 2010 9:22:00 AM

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UPDATE 9:34am

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Here are some useful follow-up comments:


rather be anonymous said...

I didn't call 911 since I saw another passenger calling the cops after the kids off loaded. Yes calling 911 in the middle of the brawl would be foolish because we were more than outnumbered by a bunch of rowdy, loud and unpredictable kids. We would have had to scream on the phone to let the cops know what was happening. I doubt that the kids were armed however, more concerned about the stampede which can cause serious injuries in close proximity due to the size of the bus. There needs to be a set limit on number of passengers. I hope officials in charge of the H-street shuttle have been notified of this incidence and a response protocol has been put together in case such thing happens in future which I anticipate it will now that the kids are aware of the free ride to H-street.
Aug 8, 2010 12:56:00 PM

anonymous said...

As the operating manager for the H Street Shuttle, I feel obligated to weigh in on what happened on Friday. According to our driver, once the different groups started the altercation, he immediately pulled over and proceeded towards the group involved in the altercation. As soon as he realized they were getting physical he opened the door and escorted the group out of the shuttle. One
patron asked for a group of three men to be put back in the shuttle since they were not involved in the fight. He then proceeded to drive away from the scene. His priority was the safety of the patrons within the shuttle.There were several people who witnessed the violence and since the vehicle was in motion he did not attempt to call 911.

Our drivers are always faced with difficult issues. Due to the reason that they are always on the same route they are bound an easy target if one wanted to take revenge. In several instances the shuttles have been egged, shot at with a Bibi gun and attempts to flatten the tires have occurred. Therefore our drivers walk a delicate line when dealing with the riders of the H Street Shuttle.
Aug 8, 2010 6:53:00 PM

Just a tip guys, while it is far better to call 911 during an ongoing emergency, you can always text the cops at 50411 if you are afraid to be seen/heard making a phone call.

PSA 102 Meeting 8/10

Notice:

Brandon Bies
PSA 102 Citizen Co-Coordinator


REMINDER - PSA 102 MEETING - August 10th - SHERWOOD REC CENTER
PSA 102 Public Safety Meeting
Sherwood Recreation Center - 10th and G Streets NE
Tuesday 10 August 2010 @ 7:00 p.m.

Special Guest: Phil Mendelson, Chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary.

Councilman Mendelson will join us for a discussion on juvenile justice. In particular, we will be discussing pending legislation that would release the names of juveniles who have been convicted of violent crimes.

Next Meeting Tuesday 14 September 2010

CHotR: Know Your Neighborhoods

For the record, Trinidad is bounded by Florida Ave on the south, Mt. Olivet Road on the north, West Virginia Ave on the west, and Bladensburg Road on the east.

The blog Congress Heights on the Rise has a thought provoking post on neighborhood identity. She links to a featured property on Prince of Petworth that is identified as being located in Congress Heights. I imagine (as does Congress Heights on the Rise) that the property self-identified (i.e. the owner named the location) as Congress Heights, and that tag didn't come from Prince of Petworth. Where I see relevance to us is in the mistaken identity thing, and the ignorant comments from people who don't actually know the neighborhood in question. This is a major issue. A while back the District Curmudgeon pointed out a mistake by the Post (this honestly happens all the time with local media outlets) where they oddly sort of lumped together certain neighborhoods in SE as all one neighborhood. The burden (at least in my mind) is greater on official/print/television paid media (like the Washington Post) than on bloggers to be absolutely correct in reporting. I try to always be correct, but sometimes I either make a mistake, or trust more traditional media when it turns out to be wrong. As, what the District and others have called, an emerging neighborhood, Trinidad confronts the same issues. So does the H Street Corridor, which many are beginning to understand is NOT ACTUALLY IN TRINIDAD, and is also NOT IN CAPITOL HILL.  We're (Trinidad and Capitol Hill) just next to it. My other favorite correction is that Kingman Park, Ivy City, and Carver Terrace/Carver-Langston are not actually located in Trinidad. That, and despite what your realtor may have told you, Capitol Hill North does not actually stretch up to New York Avenue. Thoughts?

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UPDATE: 3:27pm Sunday

++++++++++++++++++++++

Hey, I wanted to note that I don't know Congress Heights, or Washington Highlands, well, but I now plan to check them out again soon because I really like under appreciated neighborhoods. My interest is as stated above. I don't support lumping all of NE together, and I feel the same way about SE.

Starburst Paving Winds Up

DDOT Director Moneme, Mayor Fenty, and Ward 6 Councilmember Wells at the 2008 ribbon cutting for the Starburst

Here's the press release:

Final Roadway Paving Scheduled August 10-17
Throughout The Starburst Intersection
Of 15th Street, H Street, Benning and Bladensburg Roads
and Maryland Avenue NE

Brief Traffic Lane Closures Will Rotate Through the Area
As The Work Progresses

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has scheduled the final surface paving for the Starburst intersections of 15th Street, H Street, Benning and Bladensburg Roads and Maryland Avenue and portions of each of these roadways on Tuesday, August 10, through Tuesday, August 17, weather permitting .
This work will require lane closures of a few hours each, affecting each segment of the roadway as a segment is being paved. The lane closures will be rotated through the work area so as to apply only to the segment being paved at any given time. The work will begin at 7:00 am on weekdays and 9:00 am on Saturday.
As each segment is being paved, street parking will be prohibited in that segment. Signs will be in place and flaggers will be on hand to assist motorists and pedestrians.
The affected roadways are:
• Benning Road from the 15th Street Starburst intersection east to 16th Street;
• H Street from a point in the 1400 block into the Starburst intersection;
• Bladensburg Road from Morse Street south into the Starburst intersection;
• Maryland Avenue on the north side of the Starburst intersection southwest from Neal Street to the intersection with Bladensburg Road;
• Maryland Avenue on the south side of the Starburst intersection from 14th Street into the intersection at 15th Street, and
• 15th Street north from Gales and G Streets into the Starburst intersection.
The application of the Superpave surface course marks completion of all of the roadway work in the Benning Road Reconstruction Project. Work within the Starburst Plaza is due for completion by early September of this year. The Benning Road section from 16th Street to Oklahoma Avenue was substantially completed in mid-December 2009.
More information about the project is available on the DDOT website, http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/ under the Ward 7 portion of the "Projects and Planning" section.
Thank you for your patience
For more information or assistance, please call on us at any time.

Margaret Gentry
Community Relations Specialist
MACTEC Engineering and Consulting Inc.

Thrillist Goes Off Menu for the Dog Days of Summer

Mmm...hotdogs..., originally uploaded by arvidr.

Thrillist roams around DC searching for off-menu hot dog specials, and finds two on H Street. The Star and the Shamrock  (1341 H Street) offers the Rueben Dog, and Liberty Tree (1016 H Street) serves up the Portuguese sausage Boston Bomb (with baked beans!).

Mad Men Sunday at Toyland

Mad Men 4, originally uploaded by ytfelmi. 

Every Sunday is Mad Men Sunday at Toyland. Stop by the neighborhood bar for a quick trip back to the 1960s with retro cocktails and music. Take advantage of drink specials while enjoying the festive throw back vibe. The party starts at 5pm. Toyland is located at 421 H Street and is conveniently served by the H Street Shuttle, the X2, the Circulator, and Union Station.

SMOG Alert!

Frozen Tropics flickr pool user philliefan99 shares this very cool shot of what I believe is the SMOG (Steak, Mushroom, Onion and Gruyere) at Dangerously Delicious Pies.

1st Annual Juried Exhibition at CITY Gallery

Announcement:

CITY Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of its First Annual Regional Juried Exhibition. An opening reception will be held at CITY Gallery on Saturday August 7th from 6-9 pm.
Jack Rasmussen, Director of the American University Museum, juried the show. He will be in attendance from 6pm until 7:15 for a gallery talk.

The First Annual Juried Exhibition will hang from August 6 through August 28, 2010. CITY Gallery is located at 804 H ST NE, second Floor. Regular hours are Fridays and Saturdays 1-5 PM.

WP: Homicides Continue Downward Trend

The Post reports that with 2010 60% over we have a total of 69 homicides so far versus 84 last year. If the trend continues we will not only come in under 2009's total, which was itself the lowest number in years, but will actually have the lowest homicide rate the District has seen since 1966.  MPD points to a homicide closure rate of 82.6%.

Little Miss Whiskey's 1 Year Anniversary Party

It's happening Sunday night. Great beer + jerk chicken and homemade burgers on the grill = a great Sunday evening. Grilling starts at 6pm. Stop by and raise a glass to celebrate. Little Miss Whiskey's is located at 1104 H Street.

Well That's Just Embarrassing

Prince of Petworth posted a very recent photo of banners advertising the H Street Festival...the 2009 H Street Festival. Oops! Perhaps it is time we take down those banners (maybe replace them with ones for 2010?).

Atlas Films

Two good ones this tomorrow:

Snoopy Come Home at 5pm, and The Talented Mr. Ripley at 8pm. Tickets are $6, and they have A/C. 1333 H Street.

Sierra Club to Hold Streetcar Happy Hour at Sova

I got the following email about an upcoming event that sounds pretty cool:

Hello,

I am a volunteer for the Washington, DC chapter of the Sierra Club. On August 18th at 6:00 p.m., the chapter will be holding a happy hour for streetcar supporters to celebrate recent victories (funding approved by DC Council and overhead wires legislation passed) and to discuss what next steps should be taken in our campaign to make streetcars a viable transportation for option for as many residents of the Washington, DC metro area as possible. The happy hour will take place at SOVA, an espresso and wine bar located along the route of the proposed H st.--Benning Rd. NE line. To learn more about DC's streetcar initiative, visit the Sierra Club's streetcars4DC blog:
http://streetcars4dc.org.

Art Open House on Elliot Street

Here's the press release:

Reception and Happy Hour: Thursday, August 5 from 5:30PM to 8PM

CITY Gallery and Studio H in conjunction with Realtor Genie Hutinet of John C. Formant Real Estate present a second "Art House Open House" event at 614 Elliott Place NE. If you missed renown local graffiti artist Tim Conlon's "Derailed" last month at Studio H or you missed Sherill Anne Gross's amazing exhibit "Pretty Little Things" at the Brentwood Arts Exchange, this is your last chance to catch a glimpse of these exhibits. The public is invited to a happy hour Thursday August 5 from 5:30pm to 8:00pm to browse the work and to view the property.

About the property
614 Elliott Place NE is one bedroom one bath apartment located off Maryland ave between 13th and 14th street NE. This quiet fairytale lane is only a few blocks from the excitement of H street NE. The apartment itself is generously proportioned with high ceilings, a large one bedroom, extensive storage, a renovated kitchen and an open living area lit up by french doors that open to your own private patio and garden. As a bonus, the property comes with its own parking space and a working fireplace.

About Art House Open House
As native Washingtonians, we can assure you that the most talked about topic in Washington has never been politics- it has always been real estate! Art House Open House gives real estate hounds and art lovers the opportunity to preview DC's hottest real estate while viewing the work of local artists. See what art work looks like when it is taken out of the gallery and installed in the home.

Thinking About Running for ANC?

The Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners are the lowest level of elected government official in the District of Columbia. They are also its most direct link to the citizenry. Commissioners are unpaid, and range it quality from the harmful obstructionist, to the apathetic, to the committed individual working hard to make his/her community the best it can be.  One thing's for sure, we need more of the latter group. When you get a commission composed mostly of the latter sort it really can make all the difference.

So, if you have an interest in helping out your neighbors and neighborhood, consider running for ANC. Most ANC seats are uncontested, and that's a shame because competition can bring us more, and better candidates. It can also force us to step up our game.  If you want to run, here's what you've go to do:

1. Head down to the Board of Elections and Ethics and pick up a nominating petition;
2. Get it signed by 25 registered voters who live in your SMD (you get extras in case some turn out to be invalid);
3. Turn in your petition by September 3rd.

You should probably also spread the news, and get feedback on which issues are important to your neighbors. Attend community meetings (hopefully you already do this). Talk to people in your community about their concerns. You should probably make up some flyers outlining your platform, and introducing yourself. You can distribute them door to door, and outside of polling places on election day.

Night Lights

Thinking About Change

After leaving tonight's Harry Thomas meet and greet at Conner Contemporary I headed down to 2nd and L Street with a friend to reserve spaces for our crew. We showed up at maybe 7:45 (movie scheduled to start at 9pm).  There was lots of space, so my worries about getting a good spot where unjustified. Whether it was due to the heat and humidity, or the forecast of thunderstorms, I really can't say.  But when a little after 8pm they still hadn't set up the screen we asked and were told they were delaying the showing until the next week because a storm was coming. We got free metal water bottles from the Loree Grand, and while we were waiting for them to set up we talked about how different that space once looked. My friend is from DC, so he remembers that area from way back when. I've only been here since 2001, so I'm more of a newbie. But it was really surreal sitting there recalling the time I took photos right there of a a junkie old garbage truck occupying the lot, and a whole block of trashed out boarded up houses that slouched forlornly where new construction now towers. You've probably seen the area now. If you haven't, you can make a point of looking next time you use the NY Ave metro station. But I wanted to share a some old photos. It's really quite the contrast. You can also check my original post where I discuss walking and taking the photos.


First there was the entire block of boarded up houses (owned by developer).


And those houses looked even worse from the back. Trash was piled high all down the block.




There was a lot of graffiti, and A LOT of used condoms on the ground.


There was this delightful looking seemingly abandoned trash truck. To make it even more classy, I recall that it had a large teddy bear stuck under a rear wheel.

At any rate, the place looks much better these days. It's just weird looking back. Here are some more photos.

POP: Judging Ethiopic

Prince of Petworth taps Ethiopic (link plays music) for his judging restaurants feature. Ethiopic is located at 401 H Street.

Tim Carman: the Indignant Diner Goes Online

Tim Carman (food critic for the City Paper) has an interest piece on a diner, who displeased with an experience a restaurant, went online and launched a personal smear campaign against the place. Everybody reads stuff on Yelp, Urban Spoon, Chowhound, and local blogs to hear about new places. That's a good thing, right?

DC Beer Week at Granville's

Photo uploaded by Flickr user Bala

Belgian vs. American

with Susan Greene

August 23rd 2010 - 7:00pm

$70 Per Guest

Happy Half Hour

Dekoninck

house toasted nuts, cheeses

-1-

Allagash Hugh Malone

Brasserie Lefèbvre Hopus

fried lemon, pickles and onion straws with chipotle aioli

-2-

Great Divide Colette

Lozen Boer Abt

laulau style dumplings

pork shoulder and belly, butterfish and green cabbage dumplings, ponzu sauce

-3-

Great Divide Hades Ale

Brasserie Lefèbvre Barbar

flash seared salmon, orange and fennel salad, peanut sauce

-4-

North Coast Brewing Company Brother Thelonious

Bell’s and De Proef Brouwerij Van Twee

hazelnut dusted lamb, hooks blue cheese polenta, brussel sprout hash

-5-

Old Rasputin 11

Dessert TBD

Please call for reservations. Space is limited to 35 people

202-399-2546

So What Are You Doing Tonight?

Photo by Frozen Tropics Flickr pool user Lani Barbitta

I'm planning to hit up the Harry Thomas meet and greet (6-8pm at Conner Contemporary, 1358 Florida Ave) with friends and then head down to watch Donnie Darko and get some bar-b-que for the final NoMA Summer Screen film of 2010 (7pm for djs, grabbing a spot, frisbee, and food, 9pm for the film, 2nd and L Street NE).

But what else is going on around the hood?

Mojito Madness at Langston Bar and Grille: 1831 Benning Road. Drop by for happy hour from 4:30-7:30pm

Booze Clues at the Argonaut: raise a pint while you show off your arcane knowledge. Doors open at 5pm, trivia starts at 8pm, happy hour 5-7pm. Remember, they have food, and the patio is open. 1433 H Street.

Show and Tell: Open Mic and Beyond at Sova: 8pm, show up early for happy hour (5-7:30pm for 1/2 price beer and wine). 1359 H Street.

Trivia Night at Rock and Roll Hotel: 7:30pm upstairs 1/2 price burgers and $3 rail drinks. 1353 H Street.

The DC Black Theater Festival at the Atlas: Catch Master Plan (The) or Daddy, Where Are You? Both shows $15, 8m. 1333 H Street.

Discount Belgian Beers at Dr. Granville's: $5 Bavik Hoegaarden and Leffe. 1238 H Street.

Shark Week at The Red and the Black: Watch the carnage and enjoy $1 off Belgian style whites (Allagash and Bell's Oberon) in honor of the Great White.

Kostume Karaoke at Little Miss Whiskeys:  1104 H Street.

Choose your poison!

80's Night at Toyland

vintage baby toys, originally uploaded by amy_b.

Stop by the retro bar tomorrow for a night of 80s movies and music. Happy hour is 5-7pm. Toyland is located 421 H Street.

Beware the Vortex...

20100627_101, originally uploaded by expatmonkey.

...or something like that. Actually this is just a cool photo taken during a show at Rock and Roll Hotel. Thank to Jordan and Chris!! for sending it in. The Rock and Roll Hotel is located at 1353 H Street.

NBC4: Temporium

NBC4 reports on the Temporium, which you can visit at 1300 H Street through August 15th. At the Temporium you'll find clothing and accessories from several hot local designers.

Thursdays and Fridays: 6 to 10 PM
Saturdays: 2 to 10 PM
Sundays: 12 to 5 PM

Bad Campaign Deeds?

My post on the Ward five race brought out a few interesting comments. So I'm curious, have you had/heard of any stolen campaign signs? Seen any signs wrongly attached to trees, posted in clearly vacant lots? Anything else interesting to share, including opinions on the upcoming elections? Please keep it relevant to this area, and non-defamatory/non-crazy. Mayoral election talk is ok, as is anything else city wide. But let's please stay away from shadow reps, Norton, and that stuff. I want this to stay super-local. Feel free to email me photos, or, better yet, add them to the Frozen Tropics pool on Flickr.

Fire in the 1900 Block of Bennett Place

From dcfireems:
1900 blk Bennett Pl NE - fire in kitchen - 2sty rowhouse
23 minutes ago via mobile web

Marc Barnes to Sell Club Love

Club impresario Marc Barnes is bankrupt, and he's planning to sell off the Ivy City mega-club. The Wall Street Journal reports, as does the Washington Post.

On Tap Checks Out DDP

On Tap samples the wares at Dangerously Delicious Pies. I'm a fan of the quiches and the chocolate coconut chess pie. Dangerously Delicious Pies is located at 1339 H Street.