Trinidad Neighborhood Gathering & Potluck Brunch 5/3

Photo courtesy of potluck organizers

Trinidad Neighborhood Gathering and Potluck Brunch
Date: Sunday, May 3rd
Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm
Location: (The newly renovated) Playground at Trinidad Recreation Center
 1310 Childress Street (between Trinidad Avenue & Holbrook Street)

SMD 5D02 Sweep & Greet

Trinidad Neighborhood Association Meeting Tomorrow (4/28)

Image courtesy of Gallaudet University

Don't miss tomorrow's (Tuesday, March 28th) Trinidad Neighborhood Association meeting. Here's what you can expect at the meeting:
-A development update from Gallaudet University
-A presentation on DC Water's Northeast Boundary Tunnel Project
-A briefing from MPD's 5th District officers

Food & Retail Find a Good Fit at Maketto

Maketto (1351 H Street) is an interesting animal, part clothing shop, part coffee house, part bakery, part Asian restaurant, and part bar. Coffee and baked goods go together pretty easily, and it's not hard to sneak a bar into the mix. But Asian fare, sneakers, and t-shirts? Hmmm...yet Maketto manages to pull it off in such a way that nothing looks or feels out of place.

New Playground Now Open at Trinidad Rec

Photo courtesy of BeyondDC.com

The new playground at the Trinidad Recreation Center (1310 Childress Street) opened to the public today.

Throwback: Doing it God's Way Baptist Church of Love

I was sorting through some old photos recently and thought it might be fun to share. So don't be surprised if you suddenly see some of these pop up on the block in the near future. This particular photo was taken a little over a decade ago (March 27, 2005).

J. O. Wilson Elementary's 3rd Annual Community Carnival & Flea Market

Spring Community Carnival and Flea Market
Saturday May 2nd
10am to 3pm
Jumbo Yard Sale, Artisan Market, Food, Games and Activities for Kids, Moon Bounces, Live Music, Community Play Date!

J.O. Wilson is located at 660 K Street.

Do You Know this Gray Striped Cat?

A reader sent in a photo of a grey tabby cat with stripes and a white belly. She has the cat in her garage, but is looking to locate the owner ASAP. The cat has a red collar and was found in the 1300 block of Holbrook in Trinidad. The cat appears well fed and is friendly toward people. Please note that this cat appears from the photo to have its eat tipped. Contact Robin.Jones[at]gmail.com if you recognize this cat. More photos below.

Lost Gray Cat: Cloudy [UPDATE: Cloudy has Been Found]

Cloudy is the gray cat

A reader writes in regarding a missing cat:

I'm hoping your readers can help my neighbor find their missing cat. It is the gray one in the photo and goes by the name of Cloudy. He is quite small (almost kitten size) and does not have a collar. He was last seen at 11th & G Streets NE on Thursday evening and what makes the situation desperately sad is that his brother - the black cat in the photo was killed in a hit and run on 11th Street the same evening.

If anyone has seen Cloudy or knows of his whereabouts, please contact Anya at 202 258 6910.

Finding Cloudy would greatly help this family overcome the loss of their other cat. Thank You! 

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UPDATE

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Cloudy turned up at the shelter. As of 30 minutes ago his owners were on the way to pick him up.

A Reader Seeks to Locate a Stolen Backpack

A reader writes in hoping to recover his backpack that was stolen during a mugging:

I'm a neighbor in Trinidad, and I was attacked and robbed by a group of kids on the 1100 block of Montello Ave at about 11:30 PM this past Wednesday, April 15th. Taken was my wallet, an LG lucid smartphone (black, no case), and a backpack.

Weekend East City Event Round Up: Harmonicas Edition

See harmonicas in a completely new light at Gallery OonH this Friday. Artist Bob "Hof" Hoffman, the Harmonica Man will give a presentation at 8pm. Image credit: Amanda Hoffman. 

[Editor's note: Apologies for the late posting, but click the links following the Thursday events to learn more about how and when you can view the works.]

Thursday, April 16

Cheryl D Edwards’ Studio – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

PRISM features the works of Cheryl Edwards, Lisa Farrell, Lisa Rosenstein, and Lynn Slyvester. The artists’ works are reminiscent of a dispersive prism’s reflection and splitting of light into components. For more information, click here.

Cheryl D Edwards' Studio is located at 716 Monroe Street NE.

MPD Seeks Persons of Interest in 4/12 Robbery Snatch on H

MPD released this video showing two persons on interest in a 4/12 robbery snatch in the 900 block of H Street. You can call MPD at (202)727-9099, or anonymously text them at 50411, if you have any information. CCN 15-051-597.

ANC 5D 4/14 Recap [UPDATED]

Videos shot by Edward Milton

The video is in three sections and I've been warned there is a break between videos while the guy taping deleted files to clear up space on his phone. If you are curious or worried about the gaps you can listen to the full audio recording.

ANC 5D Meeting Tonight 7-8:30pm [UPDATED]

The MOM's is an anchor tenant at the Hecht Warehouse development on New York Ave.  
Two of three presentations on this month's agenda relate to the development.

Apologies for the late notice on the agenda, but it was not publicly distributed via email until early this morning. Although someone did share a photo with me of a rather mangled agenda posted to a resident's door. Here's stuff you need to review last month's meeting. If you missed last month's meeting there's a good change you also missed the "ANC 5D Treasurer's Report - March 10, 2015." This is a document produced by the Treasurer, but not approved by the full ANC. It's not been adopted as an official document, and that's pretty much not going to happen for various reasons. But it is important because it lays out the Treasurer's concerns with ANC 5D financials and the manner in which they have been conducted. It also seems likely that ANC 5D will vote tonight to participate in the ANC Security Fund. This will allow them to spend money from their account. You can find screen shots of it at the bottom of this post.

All Hell Broke Loose on H Street Last Night

The scene on H Street once things cooled off a bit

You'd have been hard pressed to miss all the action on H Street last night. There were a ton of MPD cruisers out and police tape for blocks surrounding the 1100 block of H Street. We heard early reports that it was a domestic kidnapping, and then that it was related to the Census shooting. Both would turn out to be true. I'll leave the full narration to MPD's press release that appears below.

ANC 5D06 SMD Meeting Tonight at Joe Cole

I do not have an agenda for it, but Commissioner Yvonne Buggs is holding an ANC 5D06 Single Member District meeting tonight at 7pm at Joe Cole (1299 Neal Street).

Capital Fringe Seeks Hosts for Festival Artists

Each summer the District draws visiting performers from around the country for the Capital Fringe Festival. It's a two week free-wheeling festival of plays, musicals, and other performances (July 9th-26th this summer). This year they have 129 groups slated to perform. This is also their first year operating out of their new Trinidad home base at 1358 Florida Avenue. Not all of their performances will be at 1358, in fact, they won't even all be in NE DC. But they will have a lot of their events in the Trinidad, Gallaudet, and H Street Corridor neighborhoods. Right now they are seeking kind folks who may have a spare room/couch/living room floor and a willingness to host a visiting artist during the festival.

Lost Dog: Ollie [UPDATE: Ollie is Home]

A reader writes in with news of a missing dog. Have you seen him?

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law (Roger and AnneMarie) lost their dog last week up near Howard University, but we received several credible tips that he was seen around Hechinger Mall yesterday.

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UPDATE

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Here's the latest on Ollie:

I wanted to let you know that Ollie was found this morning! He was found by a Howard University police officer hiding behind an air conditioning unit on the hospital campus. 

Hoff the Harmonica Case Man at Gallery OonH

MD Theatre Guide Gets Excited About Arden of Faversham at the Atlas

Brave Spirits Theatre is staging Arden of Faversham at the Atlas (1333 H Street) and it sounds like this is one show not to be missed. I'm only giving you the first line of the MD Theatre Guide review, but I think it makes the author's take on the show pretty clear (she LOVED it).

Crime in DC just got epic, because Arden of Faversham, produced by Brave Spirits Theatre and playing at the Atlas, is a killer show boiling over with adultery, deceit, and (drum roll, please!) murder. 

H Street Farmers Market Returns April 18th

The FRESHFARM farmers market at 13th and H Street (it's on 13th Street between H and Wylie Street) returns Saturday April 18th. The market is every Saturday from 9am-12pm.

Complete a Survey on Gallaudet Town Gown Relations

Gallaudet's campus during a public festival

I received an email from Robert Siebert who is a graduate student in Gallaudet's Master of Public administration program. He's doing a capstone project exploring Gallaudet's town-gown relationship with the larger neighborhood. As part of the project, he hopes to gain a greater insight into the community's perspective of Gallaudet. He's asking folks to complete a very brief survey to help him out. It really only takes a minute, so please give it a shot when you get a chance. The deadline is April 13th.

Wheatley Education Campus Community Yard Sale 4/25

Wheatley Education Campus is having a Community Yard Sale on Saturday April 25th to raise funds for their spring field trips.

Local Mail & Package Thief Caught on Tape

A resident of 9th Street recorded a thief walking onto the homeowners' porch and searching through mail before selecting two items from the mailbox and grabbing a newly delivered package off the porch. Mail theft is a common problem in many District neighborhoods, but it's aggravating each and every time it happens to us (I think we all recall the hilarious incident in which a resident tricked an unwitting thief into stealing a package filled with dog poop). Have you had packages or mail stolen? What steps (if any) do you take to prevent it from happening?

Former H Street Merchant Seeks Impressions/Experiences of 8th & H

 

Photo provided by Jacob Ayubi

Over the weekend I spoke with the owner of 8th&H Furniture & Mattress which formerly occupied the now vacant space next to the Rite Aid on the south west corner of 8th & H (the previous tenant was an athletic shoe store). He told me he had to close the store due largely to harassment of customers and employees by people who loitered on the sidewalks and steps outside the store and all around the general area between the X2 bus stop and the stop for the 90/92 buses. To clarify one point below: the business was an LLC, but Mr. Ayubi, his wife, and his father personally guaranteed the lease (these days it is common for a landlord to require such a personal guarantee). I wanted to share his note in case any of you would like to offer your impressions of 8th & H, or share your stories of the intersection/people sitting on the steps/loitering in area surrounding the store. Frankly, I think a good broader discussion of issues in that immediate area is overdue. Please share in the comments. Those wishing to assist Mr. Ayubi can also email him directly at jacobayubi[at]yahoo.com. The following is his story:

Crawfish for Cancer Comes to Bardo

How many chances do you get to eat crawfish, drink wine/beer and spirits from an open bar, and listen to live music all while helping anti-cancer efforts? I'm guessing not a lot. But now you can when you get your ticket to Crawfish for Cancer's 3rd Annual DC Crawfish Boil. This year's event will be held at Bardo (1200 Bladensburg Road) from 12-5pm Saturday April 25th.

Arboretum to Re-Open to the Public 7 Days a Week

Budget cuts in 2013 forced the Arboretum to scale back its public hours, but the announced yesterday that they will resume normal hours and days (8am-5pm for the grounds and 10am-4pm for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum) beginning April 14th.  You can read the full press release below.

Framing the Future Two Rivers Fundraising Gala

The annual Two Rivers fundraiser is coming up soon and the organizers have provided the below details to any who might be interested:

The Two Rivers Public Charter School annual Framing the Future Gala is just around the corner- on Saturday, April 25th at 5:30pm. I hope you will join me there in support of a great cause.

Weekend East City Event Round Up: Art is Risen Edition

Work by Sondra Arkin at Long View Gallery's Network which opens this Thursday.  Image courtesy of the gallery. 

Thursday, April 2

All We Art – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30p.m.

Join All We Art for a discussion featuring Luisa Elena Vidaurre, Andrea Pollan and Lisa Brown. Visitors to the Through Her Eyes discussion will hear about lessons learned and tips from their experience as gallery owners. For more details, click here.

 All We Art is located at 1666 33rd Street NW. 

Big Boost for the Streetcar from Bowser (NOT an April Fools' Joke)

I promise you that we will get the Street Car along H Street and Benning Road line up and running. #SODA15 pic.twitter.com/TGralsDiR4
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) March 31, 2015

The streetcar, which so recently found itself on the ropes and with its future looking bleak, got a huge boost last night when Mayor Bowser committed to not only get the H Street/Benning Road line up and running, but also to extend it Ward 7 and eventually take it all the way across the District to Georgetown. You've got to love the love the symbolism if nothing else. And here's the streetcar money quote that appeared in the Washington Post: “We all know that [the streetcar process] has been long on promises and short on results. That changes now." Nice!

Maketto Opens 4/10 w/Ticketed House Warming Party 4/4

Long awaited retail/restaurant and cafe space Maketto (1351 H Street) will finally officially open its doors to the public Friday April 10th at 7am. Really can't wait that long or just need to be among the first to see Maketto? Well, you could always buy a ticket to their pre-opening party this Saturday for $25. The event will feature live music and the bar, cafe, food, and retail sections will be fully open.

The Kostume Karaoke Invitational

Disco disco, a photo by flickr user verborrea (Manolo Gómez). Used under a Creative Commons License

Can you belt one out with the best of them? What about when you're dressed in a silly disguise? You can? Awesome! Then you'll want to be a part of the Kostume Karaoke Invitational. It's not a talent search. They want folks who are looking to have fun and know how to entertain a crowd. The rewards? Cash, prizes, and eternal fame and bragging rights.

Weekend East City Event Round Up: People’s Choice Edition

Pictured above, Rita Elner's Beautiful Thing is among the contenders for the People's Choice Awards.  Image courtesy of the artist.

Friday, March 27

Gallery Al-Quds – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

 The ongoing series, Exiles & nomads, features works that represent family and community through the use of  a variety of materials. The artist uses ceramics, glass, and discarded wood to build sculptures and portraits.  For details, click here.

 The Jerusalem Fund Gallery Al-Quds is located at 2425 Virginia Avenue NW.

PinUp Burlesque w/Jumpin Jupiter ​at RnR Hotel

Catch a bit of retro style pin up burlesque with live music from Jumpin Jupiter right here on H Street April 3rd.

Salta Bloss Brings Music, Art, Food, & Fun to 6 Area Venues

Press release (very slightly edited):

On Saturday March 28, 2015, coinciding with the annual celebration of DC’s Cherry Blossom Festival, the Atlas District will experience its inaugural year of the family-oriented multi-venue celebration and exhibition of the arts entitled, Salta Bloss. Curated by DC’s The Joodlum Group, Salta Bloss will feature hand-picked artists and artist collectives from both DC and NYC to exhibit a combination of visual art, installations and live painting throughout the entire day.

Menu for Sally's Middle Name Pop Up this Sunday

Sally's Middle Name is popping up for a special tasting this Sunday night at Boundary Road (414 H Street). Visit Sally's Middle Name's website to learn more them.

Toki & One Eight Distilling Present Toki on Okie Cherry Blossom Social

Looking to celebrate the cherry blossoms, but can't take the tourist hoards? Snag a ticket to the Toki on Okie Dine and Drink Cherry Blossom Social and you can avoid the out of town crowd. It'll be peak bloom on Okie Street April 9th (7-10pm) when Toki on Okie unites One Eight Distilling (1135 Okie Street) and Toki Underground's (2nd floor of 1234 H Street) chef Erik Bruner-Yang.

FONA Garden Fair & Plant Sale Coming Up

The National Arboretum is a great place to visit anytime. Right now it's particularly exciting because bald eagles are nesting there for the first time in 70 years. If you haven't been recently, it's probably time to go again. I'm excited to have reserved my space in an upcoming Full Moon Hike, but they have a ton of events that you should definitely investigate.

$5k Reward for Info Re: Kitten Shot in the Eye w/a BB Gun

I am further advised that WHS society staff have nicknamed this kitten Ranger.

Trinidad Neighborhood Association Meeting Tomorrow (3/24)

Tomorrow's Trinidad Neighborhood Association meeting will be held at W.S. Jenks & Son Hardware (910 Bladensburg Road). They will have an ASL interpreter at this meeting.

The Streetcar (Finally) Catches a Break

The streetcar's had a rough time lately. The District is not currently funding the larger system it had planned to build. It also suffered a small exterior roof fire and managed to hit more than a few cars (most of which had been improperly parked, or were otherwise out of place due to driver error). All of this generated more than a little schadenfreude on the part of many streetcar detractors who then called for the entire thing to be scrapped. That didn't sit particularly well with many H Street merchants, some of whom took to twitter reminding people that they didn't suffer through a multi-year construction project only to have the streetcar yanked before it carries its first passenger.

2 Local Running Clubs Gear Up for Spring

 

I've gotten word that two local running groups are ready to get out and welcome spring. The Argonaut Running Club (ARC) kicks it off tonight, and H Street Runners meets Tuesday for a short run followed by a happy hour.

Buster Britches Haunted Burlesque Show at Rock & Rock Hotel 3/20

Do you sometimes wish Halloween came more than once a year? If so, Buster's Haunted Burlesque Show might just be up your alley. It's a series of spooky performances featuring dazzling and astonishing acts by: Mourna Handfull, Dolly Longlegs , Dev L. Ish, Lilly Von Grimm, Vanessa Chevelle, and Blanche Boudoir, with gogo dancing by the Deviant Dollz.

Support Capitol Hill Montessori with an Online Auction

Capitol Hill Montessori (215 G Street) is part of DCPS and they are raising money for their Parent-Teacher-Student Organization (PTSO). Here's how you can help them and score some great auction items in the process:

Support the Capitol Hill Montessori Online Auction – all are welcome to bid!

EMULSION Opens 3/21 at Gallery OonH

EMULSION 2015 image courtesy East City Art

Gallery OonH (1354 H Street)is once again hosting the art show EMULSION.

An emulsion combines two seemingly incompatible ingredients to produce a third yet entirely new substance.  In this spirit, EMULSION, now in its second year, seeks to show visitors a wide array of art forms and mediums - from two-dimensional work to performance based work - to create a unified ensemble.

Sally's Middle Name Pops Up at Boundary Road

The restaurant (and 2nd floor retail space) Sally's Middle Name is holding a pop up tasting at Boundary Road (414 H Street) Sunday March 29th from 10pm-12am. Sally's Middle Name will bring small plates to the former Pizza Parts & Service location (1320 H Street). The Washington City Paper has more details and sample menu items. It'll be a while before their brick and mortar space opens, but you can visit them on Facebook in the meantime.

Thornton Development Launches Project at Montello & Florida

For years the lot adjacent to Eli Carryout served only as parking and a host space for the occasional community event. In recent months the concrete came up, a hole was excavated, and the start of a building rose up. What we're seeing is phase I of a new development from Thornton Development LLC. Developer Justin Thornton lives in Trinidad, but he's is a recent transplant from ANC 6A where he served on the Economic Development and Zoning Committee. Thornton is originally from the District and boasts nearly a decade of experience in the real estate industry. He also spent time working as an urban planner for the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission. He's renovated over a dozen homes in DC and is currently working on 21 residential units spread over three projects.

Chupacabra is Back

Chupacabra (822 H Street) has awakened from its winter hibernation and is ready to serve you all manner of fresh Latin fare. All seating is outdoors, but they have a covered patio so there's no need to fear a little light rain. They also have outdoor heaters.

Support the Check It Documentary on Indiegogo

CHECK IT Trailer for Indiegogo from fungible on Vimeo

The team behind an upcoming documentary about the gay "gang" Check It is almost finished with their work, and they want your help to wrap things up. For those who are unfamiliar with Check It, the group does have a rather interesting story. It's a group of mostly LGBT youth who banded together to protect themselves and each other, and have sometimes gotten in trouble along the way. The group started back in 2005, and has reportedly grown to about 200 members across the area. If you're wondering why I mention this documentary on Frozen Tropics, it's because started right here in Trinidad (you may also have noticed groups of associated youths on the X2 over the years).

Star & Shamrock Announces 4 Day Long Saint Patrick's Day Celebration

Following their popular "Jewish Saint Patrick's Day" Purim Party, the half Irish bar/half Jewish deli Star and Shamrock prepares to keep the momentum going with a multi-day celebration of the Saint Patrick's Day more familiar to many of us. This also happens to fall in the middle of their month-long Spring Shenanigans Simcha Festival. To pay homage to its Irish namesake the Star and Shamrock plans to deliver four full days of Ceilidh (Gaelic for party) for all music lovers, families, and fans of great food, beer and whiskey. The celebration kicks off Saturday March 14th and runs through the holiday (Tuesday, March 17th).

Weekend East City Event Round Up: Revel in the Thaw Edition

Rise and Fall by Tilden Luna. Courtesy of Hill Center Galleries.

Friday, March 13

The Corner Store – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Photographer Thom Goertel exhibits his works in a solo show at Corner Store Arts. His works feature street photography from around the world. For more information, click here.

Corner Store Arts is located at 900 South Carolina Avenue SE.

Ethiopic Celebrates 5 Years in Business with a Special Offering

Ethiopic (410 H Street) celebrates five years on H Street with a little something special:

Unprecedented dining experience to celebrate our 5^th year anniversary and to benefit www.ethiopiareads.org. On Sunday March 15th we will be offering an exotic Ethiopian food that you can rarely find at any Ethiopian restaurants. 

Video, Audio, & Tweets from the 3/10 ANC 5D Meeting

I swear it's only sideways for a very brief time.


Both videos shot by Edward Milton

There's also a high quality audio recording by resident Nick Russo over at the Ward 5 Audio Archive.

Below you will find tweets from the meeting (mostly mine) with annotations and links.

Free Small Business Legal Clinic at Gallaudet 4/1

A photo by flickr user Jason Devaun (jDevaun.Photography). Used under a Creative Commons License

Gallaudet is hosting a free small business clinic that is open to the public. Details below:

Do you own a business or are thinking about starting one? Do you need legal advice but never had the opportunity to sit down with a lawyer? If so, the Free Small Business Legal Clinic is the perfect opportunity for you. Volunteer attorneys from the DC Bar Pro Bono Program are coming to Gallaudet to meet with you and provide basic legal business services, including question-and-answer sessions, and paperwork review. They will answer a wide range of business questions, including but not limited to: business formation, employment law, taxation, intellectual property, and real estate leases.

Little Miss Whiskey's Releases Crawfish Boil Schedule

Photo from Flickr user thefoodgroup. Used under a Creative Commons License

Spring has sprung, and Little Miss Whiskey's (1104 H Street) is back to hosting their spring crawfish boils. Only fifty tickets are available for each boil and they go FAST. Details below.