quality of life

Aryan Nation march this Saturday at Lincoln Park, Counter-Protest Planned

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user gc-dc

Dear PoPville,

A notice/reminder that this upcoming Saturday, September 22, 2012, there is an Aryan Nation march and protest that is organizing and starting at Lincoln Park.

Needless to say, this is troubling to have in our community but apparently free speech is free speech.

The organizers have a website which, along with terms associated with racism and bigotry, has info for attendees:

The plans are to gather at RFK stadium located at 2400 E Capitol St NE, Washington, DC 20003 at 11AM Saturday September 22nd. Cars will be parked at RFK Stadium and watched over by D.C. Metro Police. Aryan Nations is providing a passenger bus escort to and from the gathering at Lincoln Park and Union Square Reflecting Pool for all who care to attend and march with us this day. Be there and stand up for our kinsmen in South Africa.

No word on counter-protests.

Ugh.

A counter-protest has been organized called STAY AWAKE IN FRIENDSHIP:

Calling on neighbors of all colors, creeds, kinds…
STAY AWAKE IN FRIENDSHIP, September 22, 2012

Dispel ugliness with friendship
WITHOUT IMPEDING ANYONE in exercise of rights.

Dispel outside, divisive forces
with the power of our own community!

****This project IS NOT MEANT TO IMPEDE anyone, however hateful, from exercising their legal rights to gather and march.****

“The Church of Jesus Christ Christian”/Aryan Nations — long recognized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/aryan-nations — is “Calling on White America to a Day of Awakening.” THEIR EVENT is organized for Sep. 22, beginning at noon, with activities in Lincoln Park and a march to the Capital. STAY AWAKE IN FRIENDSHIP IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THESE HATE GROUPS.

INSTEAD, neighbors and friends of Lincoln Park CALL ON ALL
to do two things:

1) Make use of the park as usual, or make a special visit….
Lincoln Park, 11th & East Capital Streets, Washington, DC
Gather, beginning at 10 a.m.
ENJOY THE PARK AND THE COMPANY

2) Remember the children’s song: “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver. The other gold.”?
In that spirit, we ask everyone — individuals, merchants, houses of worship — across Washington, DC to WEAR OR DISPLAY GOLD AND SILVER as a sign of friendship and unity.

3) Sep. 22 is also Shabbat Shuva — a day set aside in the Jewish calendar to help prepare for the upcoming Day of Atonement. All interested in this observance are invited to pray and learn — in the park or elsewhere — with special attention to combating bigotry and hatred.

“Calling on White America to a Day of Awakening” is being organized by the “Church of Jesus Christ Christian”/Aryan Nations (http://southafricaproject.info/)

Stay Awake in Friendship IS NOT ASSOCIATED with these hate groups. Stay Awake in Friendship IS NOT ASSOCIATED with those who are trying to impede the hate group.

Dear PoPville – At What Point Do I Call the Police?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user slightlyworn

Dear PoPville,

When do you/the readers call the police on neighborhood activity, and when do you just chalk it up to living in a “transitional” neighborhood? I’ve lived in my house for about five years, and have heard loud arguments/hooliganism/crazy people on my corner almost weekly. Tonight started with a heated and prolonged domestic dispute. I looked out of the window when it sounded like the woman was being hit, and while I couldn’t see that couple, I did see two (unrelated?) men come bolting out of an alley, then stop in the street and hurl rocks at someone/something on the other side. I’m hesitant to bother the police unless someone’s clearly being hurt, but erred on the side of caution and called 911.

The dispatcher was appreciative and two squad cars arrived in under 10 minutes…which is probably a reasonable response rate, but long enough that everyone had disappeared. I felt a little silly for having wasted their time. Do you think the police appreciate this kind of heads up, or is it better to just let it work itself out? I don’t believe anything has escalated to shootings/stabbings/extensive property damage, so maybe I’m just overreacting?

Why We Can’t Have Nice Things – Vol. 76

By Prince Of Petworth

Dear PoPville,

Second time this week that somebody has cut off the heads of our sunflowers on 14th Street, NW. Saturday’s theft was one that was just starting to bloom. Last night is was a large head that was drying out. Really sucks that you can’t have a garden in a public space that doesn’t get vandalized. So many people have enjoyed these flowers. It’s really disheartening.

Very frustrating. This garden was featured as garden of the day back in June.

DC Designated as a Walk Friendly Community

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user pablo.raw

From DDOT:

The District of Columbia has been designated as a Gold Walk Friendly Community (WFC) by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. The Gold designation puts the District in select company with the most pedestrian friendly cities in the nation.

“We have an extra bounce in our step today as we celebrate our Gold status,” said Mayor Vincent C. Gray. “It validates the work we have already done to promote walking and other clean modes of transportation, and it shows we’re on the right path to creating a more Sustainable DC.”

One of the goals of the Mayor’s Sustainable DC Vision Plan is for at least 75% of all trips originating in the city to be by walking, biking, transit or other clean transportation alternative by the year 2032.

In recognizing the District as a Walk Friendly Community, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) said “the walking and transit mode share are extraordinary and some of the best in the nation.”

The PBIC also praised the District’s Pedestrian Master Plan, sidewalk design standards and Public Realm Design Manual; said the city’s traffic signals “show a high level of sophistication and awareness for all road users”; recognized DDOT for having a full-time pedestrian coordinator and for its commitment to public input; and singled out the Great Streets Initiative, Livability Studies, and the 11th Street Bridge project as model programs and projects. In addition, DDOT was applauded for providing training on pedestrian issues to planning and design staff and even police officers and transit operators. Recognition was also given to MPD for its pedestrian safety enforcement efforts, in particular those conducted in conjunction with the regional Street Smart safety awareness campaign.

“The combined efforts of our pedestrian and bicycle programs are paying off,” said DDOT Director Terry Bellamy. “We’ve seen a remarkable drop in the number of fatal crashes involving pedestrians over the past 2 years, and we will continue to make improvements so that our streets are even safer for walkers and all users.”

The District is one of nine communities recognized today, and the only one designated as a Gold-level Walk Friendly Community. The Walk Friendly Community designation, awarded from bronze to platinum, is given to applicant communities that have demonstrated a commitment to improving and sustaining walkability and pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans and policies. To date, 33 communities in the U.S. have been designated as Walk Friendly Communities, and only one, Seattle, Washington, has earned the Platinum-level designation.

Have a Great Long 3-Day Weekend!

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Rukasu1

Hope everyone has a great 3-day weekend!

And don’t forget tonight is your last chance to enjoy Jazz in the Sculpture Garden with Dixie Power Trio (zydeco, Cajun and Louisiana funk) August 31 from 5:00 to 8:30.

And don’t forget to go swimming too!

See all of tonight’s and the weekend’s events here.  To add your event, click the events tab up top and then click “add an event”.  You can add concerts, museum/gallery exhibits, fundraisers, sporting events, bike rides etc. You can add anything you think will be of interest to PoPville.

Dear PoPville – Can’t Bring Bikes Through Front Door of my Building, Is This Reasonable?

By Prince Of Petworth


Click image to enlarge

Dear PoPville,

For a few years now, the Dorchester House (at 16th and Kalorama) has been undergoing renovations and policy changes. Most recently, the building and it’s management company decided that residents who were entering or exiting the building with their bicycles were required to use only the basement or side entrance and were prohibited from using the main lobby entrance. Their reasoning is that bicycles are allegedly messing up their new carpet (even though many, many more dirty feet come trekking through that lobby).

They have also indicated that anyone caught violating this policy would first receive a written warning, followed by a $200 fine and (on a third offense) eviction.

My question: Is this a legal, “reasonable policy” change and has anyone else ever experienced this type of restriction on residents with bicycles?

Dear PoPville – Smile

By Prince Of Petworth

ARealSidler writes:

“Saw this at 9 & M NW. Handwritten on back: [email protected]”

Another reader spots the sign above at the corner of 13th and Park in Columbia Heights.

And I spotted the one above in Shaw.

Massive Increase in Sidewalk Cafes Downtown – Number of Seats Up 70% from Last Year

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

As a huge fan of outdoor seating the following makes me very happy – from the Downtown BID:

The DowntownDC BID’s 2012 Inventory of Sidewalk Cafes shows there are now 147—more than an 8% increase compared to 2011. Although our reporting methodology changed this year—we were able to capture exact seat numbers as opposed to approximate capacities—the nearly 4,400 seats tallied represent about a 70% increase in available seats from the previous year.

According to this year’s survey, the fourth since 2009, the number of small, “intimate” cafes (with 1-20 seats) and mid-size ones (with 21-40 seats) have mushroomed, climbing about 59% and 105%, respectively, since 2009. Both make up about 77% of the available cafes within the DowntownDC BID area, which encompasses 138 blocks.

Dear PoPville – Valet Trash Service!?!??!

By Prince Of Petworth


Valet Waste Intro flyer -Axiom

Dear PoPville,

My apartment building (Axiom at Capital Yards) was recently bought by a management company. Since taking over they’ve started initiating the most asinine policies I’ve seen in nearly a decade of DC apartment renting. This, however, takes the cake. How many 800 square foot apartments do you know with the extra space for a 13 gallon trash can? Also, how fantastically lazy do they think we are that carrying a trash bag 23 feet to the chute end of the hall is an inconceivably difficult task?

Oh, and I heard from a friend in the building whose lease is up for renewal and they’re instituting a monthly $25 trash convenience fee. Makes the decision to renew that much easier, so that’s positive.

Sorry, this is just so stupid I had to share:

Dear Valued Resident:

Axiom at Capitol Yards is pleased to announce a new time –saving service and trash management solution for you: door-to-door trash and recycling pickup 5 nights per week. You’ll no longer have to lug heavy bags of trash down the hallways.

We’ve partnered with Valet Waste to provide this service at our community beginning Sunday, August 5, 2012.

Valet Waste will pick up the trash and recycling 5 nights a week, Sunday through Thursday at 8pm sharp. All residents must put their trash in a grab handle or tied bags and place these bags outside their apartment doors in the containers provided by Valet Waste service no earlier than 6pm and no later than 8pm. All trash containers must be taken back in by 9am the following morning.

Dear PoPville – Security Concern at Local Movie Theater

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Nikoo’s Photos

Dear PoPville,

On Saturday, July 27, 2012, my partner and I decided to go to the Landmark E-Street Cinema in Washington, DC, on the Opening Day for the movie “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry.” We bought tickets for the 5:30 PM showing.

The movie “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry” is about Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist and creator of the famous “Bird’s Nest” that was the focal point of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Ai Weiwei has been under intense scrutiny by the Chinese government for how he uses his art to draw attention to the abuses of freedoms and human rights in China. For me personally, I believe the movie is incredibly well produced. I felt myself being drawn into the story to the point where I was beginning to experience Ai Weiwei’s living experience of being under constant surveillance by his own government. The movie is not only an excellent look inside the daily life of someone who dares to criticize the Chinese government, but on what it means to live in a society that does not value freedom of expression and speech.

About a hour into the movie, a woman came into our darkened theater, and went the opposite side of the room from the door, squatted down, and manipulated something in a large bag. She then stood up, placed the bag into an empty seat next to where we were sitting and quickly ran out of the theater. Then, a minute later, she re-entered the theater, retrieved the the bag again, went back to the side wall, manipulated something inside the bag again, and then replaced the bag again in the seat next to us. She then ran out of the theater for the second time.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

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