quality of life

Does the New Dog Park at 17th and S Streets, NW Stink? Literally.

By Prince Of Petworth

The new dog park at 17th and S Streets, NW has only been open for a few weeks but I’ve already received a number of emails about it. I’m told that, perhaps due to the rain, the park can be smelled from a block away. I walked by Sunday afternoon to ask some pedestrians and folks in the park what they thought. Every single person I spoke to said the park did not smell particularly bad, with or without the rain. One woman in the park told me she lived half a block away and has never had a problem with the odor. For me, I’d say it did smell a bit of wet dog. But as someone else told me at the park – “it probably smelled of wet dog because there are tons of wet dogs in the park”. However the funniest comment came from someone who said, it doesn’t smell like wet dog, rather “it smells of dog shit near the entrances where the trash cans are filled with dog shit”. Ah, very good point. Indeed the entrance did have an overpowering smell of dog shit. But the question remains – can you smell the park from a block away? For those that live nearby – is the smell overwhelming? Do you think it has anything to do with the rain and/or artificial surface?

Documentary on DC, Education and Hip-Hop Filming in Columbia Heights

By Prince Of Petworth

The District Rhyme – Teaser 1 from Dave Adams on Vimeo.

Every now and then I need to hear something great like this so I don’t lose my mind. I hope this makes you as happy as it made me. I’ll post updates on the film as it becomes available. From an email:

“I met the people over at Words Beats and Life (wblinc.org) a couple years ago, and did some video work for them, but had always wanted to feature their work in a feature doc about using Hip-Hop to supplement the Education of DC youth.  There are a number of artists in the area who are also school teachers such as Bomani and Asheru (who are both featured in the teaser).  Much of the work is being done in the Columbia Heights area.  One of the WBL campuses is housed at St. Stephens church on Newton, Asheru does a lot stuff over at Bloom on Kenyon, etc.

Long story short, we just want people to be aware of what we are doing so they can follow progress on the website (thedistrictrhyme.com).”

Why Can’t We Have A Movie Theater in Columbia Heights?

By Prince Of Petworth

We’ve touched on this issue a bit in the comment section of previous posts. But I’ve received a surprising number of emails asking why Columbia Heights doesn’t have a movie theater. And Sunday when I was walking downtown I passed the great E Street Cinema (just east of 11th Street, NW) and it made me think about it again. It seems that the E Street Cinema is wildly successful. So I hope I’m not being naive. I’m not saying that Columbia Heights should have a one screen independent theater. But why can’t Columbia Heights have a multi-screen independent theater modeled after the E Street Cinema? It seems like there is a real market out there.

I imagine the theater would attract folks from Adams Morgan, Mt. Pleasant, Shaw/U Street/Logan Circle, Columbia Heights of course, Park View, Petworth, Brightwood, Brookland, and even Woodley Park/Cleveland Park among other neighborhoods. Is that not enough people to support a movie theater? If you think Columbia Heights could support a movie theater, where could it realistically go? How many screens would be ideal? Could it support a theater that shows independent films like E Street or a more traditional theater like Chinatown/Gallery Place Regal Cinemas?

Really? People Are Still Like This in 2009?

By Prince Of Petworth

Ed. Note: I’m not relaying the following incident because I’m looking for an atta boy. I’m also not naive and realize that hateful people exist in the world. However, in my experiences I haven’t encountered incidents like the following in DC so I was totally shocked. I’m also going to quote some pretty hateful language but I feel it is necessary to get the point across.

On Saturday night/Sunday morning at 2:30 am I was chatting with a friend on her stoop in Mt. Pleasant. A neighbor of hers was walking by and decided to sit with us. A very good looking girl walked by a few minutes later and the neighbor escorted her home. Not long afterward two black men walked down the street. The neighbor looks over at me and says, “you see with the way she was dressed, I’m glad I walked her home with these niggers on the block”.

It was like I was punched in the face. I mean literally. I instantly had a huge adrenaline surge and all I could say was “we DON’T say that where I am from!” then we stared each other down for a few seconds in silence that felt like an hour. Believe me, I am not a macho person at all but I was fully prepared to get into an all out street brawl with this guy. I don’t really know what overcame me. I definitely am glad I didn’t let his comments slide but fighting is rarely an appropriate response. I think I was so upset in part because I have so many amazing black neighbors who I truly love and respect. It just killed me that they have to deal with an asshole like this living in our city.

So anyway, he goes on to say, “you don’t understand, I’ve lived on this block for 15 years” and I respond “We DON’T say that where I am from!” It was really odd, every time he spoke all I could say was “We DON’T say that where I am from!” it was like my brain totally froze and couldn’t produce any other words. He finally says, “I see that I have offended you”. And of course all I could say was “We DON’T say that where I am from!”. Fortunately no punches were thrown and he finally walks away. And I was left with my friend on her stoop nearly speechless.

Then I caught a cab ride home from an elderly black gentleman. All I could think about was that I can’t believe what this cab driver must have experienced in his life and that the racism that he surely experienced in the 50s/60s was still alive today. I believe that this Mt. P resident is a poison on our streets just like drug dealers are.

I hope whether it is racism or any other type of hate speech, if we hear people uttering it we will not let it slide and calmly explain that that type of language is unacceptable.

An Update on “Protest Benches” at 14th and Oak Streets, NW

By Prince Of Petworth

You can see the original post and more photos of the benches here. The person behind the benches sends an email of explanation:

“Dear PoP,
I see you posted some photos on your blog about an art project I recently installed at 14th, Oak and Ogden Streets. Contrary to your commentary “I’ve always known there were benches here but I never noticed the writing on them before,” benches have not been a part of the park for the past 2.5-3 years but had been a part of the park for decades before that. I installed these benches early August.

Thank you,
Sarah Tooley

———————————

For the installation Public Dialogues in Public Places, former neighborhood resident and artist Sarah Tooley interviewed 60 community members who live near or own a small business adjacent to the park at the intersections of 14th, Oak and Ogden Streets in Northwest, Washington, DC. She asked about their feelings and thoughts on their relationship to the park and community safety.

With the help of a Small Projects Grant from the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities she worked with a group of volunteers to paint and transcribe selected texts from the interviews onto the slats of seven brightly painted wooden benches. She met with the D.C Department of Parks and Recreation to create a Donation Agreement to allow for the public installation of the benches until renovation of the park begins.

Through the physical manifestation of the text painted on the benches privately expressed opinions are launches into the public realm. The differing views and experiences expressed lay side by side to confront and co-exists with the assumptions, stereotypes and lived realities of the people who choose to spend time in the park, who steer clear of it, or those who have felt pushed out.”

Dear PoP – What can one do About an Annoying Barking Dog?

By Prince Of Petworth


Ed. Note: photo by thrashfall found on Flickr not the dog in question.

“Dear PoP,

I am a dog lover (we have 2) and so while the dog is annoying I am really upset at the owners. This dog is fenced in an empty lot that is over-run with weeds and debris. It stays locked up inside the fence all day and has never been out. It has a big tent with a dog house under it, and the owners come by at least once a day, so it gets adequate shelter and hopefully food and water but little exercise or love. The owner says that the dog is from a long line of military attack dogs and he is training it according to some German military dog school to do God only knows what. (clearly not training it to lick babies faces) The dog barks all day and all night at everything. It has become beyond annoying for everyone in the surrounding houses. Isn’t there noise violation laws?

Also, I just can’t believe that it is legal to keep a dog locked up in an empty lot that you (possibly) own in a neighborhood that you don’t live in. The owner shows up on bike everyday to “train” the dog for a few hours and then takes off. Can you really just buy a lot and put up a fence and house your dog there? The lot isn’t even properly maintained. Finally, if the dog gets out he is going to seriously injure or kill someone. Is it legal to own and train a dog in this manner? There are lots of little kids in the neighborhood and I just feel it is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. I have talked to several neighbors and all of us are very upset. Animal Control has been out twice and apparently approves of this and the city has been out twice and apparently approves of the current state of the trash strewn and overgrown weed infested lot. This dog needs a new home and I need help on how to get this done. Any suggestions from the PoP Nation would be most helpful.”

This seems like a very sad situation. We sorta addressed this issue last December when Albemarle, MD was going to pass an ordinance stating if a dog barks for more than 30 minutes it’s owners could be taken to court. At the time folks didn’t think the police would be able to enforce such a law. But what do you guys recommend in this particular instance? I wonder if you could talk to the owner and mention that the barking has become a problem? Or should animal control be called? And, per the reader’s request, does anyone know DC’s laws regarding noise violations?

Does This Work? Mosquito Porch Netting

By Prince Of Petworth

Looks like we may be reaching the end of mosquito season, but I just noticed this spot in Mt. Pleasant last weekend. I’ve never seen mosquito netting on a porch before. I fear that it would just capture mosquitos on the inside. Anyone know if this works? Do you think it is an eyesore? I’m still a supporter of greasing up with Skin So Soft or applying copious amounts of Deet…

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