Columbia Heights

Photo of Girard Street Playground by PoPville flickr user Erin

“Dear PoPville:

The mayor visited Columbia Heights last week for what our councilwoman billed as a public meeting “to discuss community concerns, including public safety.” Though it had been scheduled for some time, my wife and I were encouraged by the timing of the visit, coming so soon after the July 7 shoot-out at the Girard Street playground. Our three-year old daughter, numerous friends, and dozens of others – children, nannies, camp counselors – were at the playground that morning when the near-deadly incident occurred. It rattled us greatly, and we know we’re not alone feeling so unsettled by this and other recent violent activity in the neighborhood. We viewed the mayor’s visit as an important opportunity to engage with her and her staff. Unfortunately, the mayor’s outing was designed to limit public engagement to pre-scheduled appointments.

We also viewed the mayor’s visit as an opportunity for her to get an honest view of our neighborhood – both the good and the bad. From what I saw, she did not. It was a visit that was seemingly staged to the extent that it could have been a scene from the TV show, Parks and Rec. As such, it was a far cry from what we see on a daily basis. Some observations from the mayor’s time here: (more…)