At Least We're Safer Than Northwest

When it comes to robberies, our neighborhood may be significantly safer than Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, and even Dupont Circle. A story in Friday's Washington Post, "Liveliest D.C. Neighborhoods Also Jumping With Robberies," observes that crime is rampant throughout the city. 11 p.m. is the worst time to be out, while 7 a.m. is the best.

Early on the article states that "There are more robberies per capita in the District than in New York," but the graphic accompanying the story shows that there are twice as many robberies per capita here than in NYC.

Click here for a detailed map by the Post that outlines robberies between January and September of this year. Based on the map, our "hot spots" in 5C-02 are the New York Avenue Metro Station, North Capitol Street between R and Seaton, and the area near the corner of New York Avenue and North Capitol Street.

So Others Might Eat . . . At Others's Expense?

I came across this CNN transcript the other day:

November 20, 2001 - 11:33 ET BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Awaiting word from the White House. The unveiling, the debut of a new public service announcement coming up momentarily from the first couple to talk about getting Americans, encouraging them more to get out and volunteer. * * *

JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Mr. Bush also, today, visiting a local shelter for the homeless here in Washington. A program called "So Others Might Eat." It feeds the homeless here in Washington. It is run by a local catholic priest. One of the faith based initiatives, one of the faith based programs the president says the federal government should support. And as the president announced, the amount of funding the federal government will provide to help the homeless this year, $1 billion in grants, he said, that's a record level.

So Others Might Eat (SOME) is a faith-based program that the president said the federal government should support? Maybe someone should make the feds more aware of who (or what) they are funding. Despite performing very important services to the less fortunate, SOME reportedly has not been very responsive to community concerns about crime and trash allegedly stemming from that organization's presence in the neighborhood.

One 1st Street N.W. resident told me "It's like the 'Night of the Living Dead' between 5 and 7 a.m. every day. " That same resident has experienced five car break-ins and two house break-ins, which he attributes to the criminal element attracted by SOME. Another resident is concerned about trash being left on her property by SOME beneficiaries. Some people have positive words for the work done by SOME, but then admit that SOME is a drag to have in the community.

Back in July of this year, another 1st Street resident, Michael Thiem, was particularly adamant about highlighting SOME's negative influence in the community. In an e-mail to Linda Cropp, he wrote:

As I mentioned last week, crime in my neighborhood is a very big issue. Despite the efforts of the MPD, there are several major issues that, when combined, create a very negative drain on the East Shaw area in general. * * *

So Others Might Eat (SOME) Food Kitchen: This facility is located in the unit block of O Street NW and has been a magnet for crime since its inception. Everyday, hundreds of people visit SOME for their three meals and then proceed to litter the neighborhood with plastic cups, trash bags, and human excrement. Although I realize we have a homeless problem in the city, and I understand the need to provide services to those who are disadvantaged, I am also exasperated over this. I simply cannot 'accept' that the homeowners in my neighborhood have to endure this kind of behavior from people who may not even be legal U.S. citizens -- much less
residents of Washington.

SOME has a large endowment and is well-funded (mostly by wealthy Virginians and VA-based religious charitable organizations). However, the SOME food kitchen is holding back the development -- and progress -- of Truxton Circle and East Shaw. Last week you talked about the transformation you have seen in the city over the last ten years, but that transformation is uneven in some pockets of the city.

This is such an example. We cannot move forward with this insurmountable burden blocking the path to sustainable growth.

I contacted SOME twice to get its side of the story, but two different individuals, including the Catholic priest mentioned in the CNN report, did not return my phone calls. I'll keep trying.
Residents are unhappy, and SOME appears indifferent.

Word on the Eckington listserv is that SOME has bought more properties in the area. This is precisely the area of 5C-02 that is struggling to attract retail and office tenants. Now more than ever SOME must demonstrate that it can be a good neighbor. I will bring SOME to the discussion table.

ANC Meeting Agenda Announced

The agenda for this Tuesday's Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting popped up today.
The 7 p.m. meeting will again be held at the Harry Thomas Rec Center located at 1743 Lincoln Road N.E. Click on the pictures to read the agenda. [photos deleted]

Commissioner Jim Berry Comments On Decorum At ANC Meetings

The next Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting will be this Tuesday, October 17 at 7 p.m. at a location yet to be announced. The ANC website has not been updated yet.

I did not have an opportunity to attend the Bates Area Civic Association meeting on October 2 (their area is technically outside my SMD), but all the information one could desire about the meeting is found here. ANC Commissioner James D. Berry (5C-01) made some remarks at that meeting concerning decorum at ANC meetings.

My post about the last meeting naturally centered on those moments that had the most emotional and newsworthy impact on myself and others around me. It was not intended to be a full account of the meeting, that is the purpose of the minutes (and most readers would not read such a long post).

Barry made some points at the Bates meeting, and I am providing a full excerpt of the minutes:

In rather passionate terms, Mr. Berry indicated that a great deal of discussion on local online electronic discussion groups (listservs) has lately focused on what appeared to be chaotic or controversial aspects of recent ANC meetings. These online discussions implied that very little of consequence was going on at these meetings.

Mr. Berry countered that, in fact, contrary to appearances, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5C had approved, in concept, nearly $250 million dollars' worth of area development projects that will have a direct impact on surrounding neighborhoods. In addition, as a result of such deliberations, amenities packages stemming from Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) have resulted in direct benefits to area civic, community groups and service providers to the tune of thousands of dollars.

The ANC has given due thought in spreading benefits from amenities throughout the Commission. Commissions around the city are comprised of volunteers who are empowered to consider issues of enormous impact and consequence from interceding to ensure that a resident has the means to address a concern overlooked by a city agency to lending its great weight to approving multimillion dollar development projects. Any fair accounting of the process must, ultimately, consider the crucial results obtained by these Commissioners and deem most lapses in decorum as the healthy give-and-take of citizens' exercising their right to express opposing viewpoints.

If excesses in the emotional content of some residents' expressions should occur, some allowance should be given to the fact that their voices have long struggled to be heard after years of neglect, or worse, indifference from city leadership and area developers.

Mr. Berry concluded in saying that it takes personal courage and civic pride to serve one's community while balancing many diverse points of view. In the final analysis, the Commission on which he sits, is worthy of defense and should be commended for its overall work product throughout the years.

Bullets Over Breakfast

The weekend recap . . .

City Council candidate Harry Thomas Jr. hosted a breakfast Saturday morning for all of the ANC and School Board candidates in Ward 5 at Bubba's Muscogee Restaurant (map). Many current and former commissioners attended, and a few spoke as well. Commissioner Marshall R. Phillips, Sr. (5C-08) (he is a reverend) closed out the meeting with a prayer punctuated by the most colorful rendition of the Lord's Prayer that I had ever heard.

Meanwhile, I experienced the most encouraging development yet in the campaign. Three current and former ANC commissioners told me at the breakfast told me that they believe it was time for a change in the ANC membership. A total of six current and former ANC commissioners support me. It is very encouraging to know that should I win this election, individuals stand ready to work with me (even push me) to improve our community.

While I was still at the restaurant, I retrieved a voicemail message from one of my tenants. She said in her message that she had heard rapid gunfire across the street and had called 911. I left the restaurant for Seaton Place to investigate.

Sure enough, two houses on the unit block of Seaton Place N.W. (across the street from 5C-02) had been marked off with yellow tape. I stopped briefly to ask the police officers on the scene whether anyone had been injured, and everyone was fine.

Today, I obtained permission from a resident to take pictures of a glass door with a bullet hole. Someone could have been seriously injured had he/she been standing in the vicinity of the door. No one seems to know what prompted this shooting. Although this is no small matter, the situation is substantially worse in the southern part of the district. More on that matter in the near future.

On Sunday, I attended services again at Zion A.M.E. church. This time a member of the congregation introduced me to the pastor. His sermon focused on the importance of listening before speaking. At least three times during the sermon he asked the congregation to turn to the person sitting to those nearby and say "Lord, help me shut my mouth."

A failure to listen is what this race for ANC is all about. The good pastor also mentioned that there trouble lurks wherever someone speaks for too long, so I'll take that hint . . .