Off Seventh - My Chronicles of Shaw

A favor to ask each of you...

Yesterday my neighbor's home was broken into...while this is not a big deal if it were a single incident this has been the 6th break-in over the past 6 weeks within a block of my house.  I read the local listserves and this is a problem everywhere...while we are at work or away during the working hours it seems some use this time for illegal means.  With the exception of one break-in all happened during daylight hours and that drives me nuts.

I have a stoop directly across from my home that has been used as a public bench way too often...if someone is sitting there I ask them to move.  Sorry but I do not give a shit if I "offend" someone...I remind them that it is private property (as every stairway on a private home is) and ask them nicely to keep moving.

The law abiding citizens need to be a bit more brazen...we need to ask folks if they can he "helped" when we catch strangers lurking in the alleys...we need to ask them to pick up their trash as they pitch it in our front lawns...we need to CALL THE COPS WHEN SOMEONE IS WALKING DOWN THE STREET WITH VALUABLES.  I hate to say it but with Bread for the City and MPD starting to allow the Asbury Dwellings/7th and Q to become hang-out central again we are at a disadvantage.

I do not want to be seen as callous either but it is time to start forcing folks to start treating Shaw like it should be treated...f$ck this "not snitching" policy and let's start changing this place together.  The more that we are outside and visible the better it is going to be...the more that we call the cops on the obvious drug dealing...the more that we question (be nice...trust me it works) folks as to if they need directions or something...every little action reminds folks that this is no longer the criminal playground that it once was.

In mid-July we will see a major project get the funding it needs...this will begin the seat change many (including the old timers...if one person sends some anti-gentrification post to me I am gonna scream) have begged for in Shaw.  My favor that I ask each of you is why not start making that happen now?

Happy 4th of July.

UPDATE - an answer to Matt's question about Bread for the City not owning property on 7th and Q sts...Matt you are correct BUT the problem has never been with your organization.  My issue (and it may differ from Richard Roger's post) is that BFC has done nothing about the RAMPANT drinking, loitering, pissing and making 7th Street a complete mess.  Sorry but much of the hanging out is the root of the cause and BFC, to a certain extent, is part of the blame.  I asked the Executive Director what could be done about this issue during an ANC meeting and he replied "he would look into it".  BFC has been a great neighbor and truthfully I do not have as much of a bone as RR BUT if something is not done about some of the things that are overlooked outside of your establishment...that will change.

Got to hand it to the DC Gubment...

On Wednesday, July 2, 2008, at 10:00 AM at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, the DC Council Committee on Finance and Revenue will hold a hearing on the Tax Increment Financing package for City Market at O, the development project that will rebuild the two square blocks between 7th and 9th, O and P Streets.

Folks this is two days before "FUN DAY" (as our Councilman has called it as he decided to vote against a ban on fireworks) and I know that many of you would not miss a chance to go and say you are for this project...unfortunately I will not be in the room as a result of a longstanding commitment.  Please please please take a moment to send an email to Jack or Chairman Gray in support of this project if you are not in town...I will post mine shortly.

Both Kevin and Alex Padro have sent out emails to folks urging participation and we all know just how important this hearing is to our community.

Ok so I will admit it...

I am a closet NY Post lover!  There are a few reasons for this but it has been something that I have attempted to deny for most of my adult life.  Reason number one is that I had the opportunity to work with a few of the writers a long time ago (reason number two is I love Page Six).

On Monday there was a fantastic article discussing the fact that NYC was having some cab woes of their own.  The fact that the cab companies are worried that they will not be able to follow a directive from Mayor Bloomberg that every cab registered after October 1st must be a hybrid.  I wish you could have all visualized my reaction but it involved me nearly falling out of my chair in laughter.

I was not writing when the DC meter changeover took place and while I was a huge fan of zones I knew that it needed to happen.  There are over 13,000 cabs in NYC and the government is working with the companies to make the changeover to HYBRIDS happen as seamlessly as possible...are there hurdles and bumps YOU BETCHA!

DC fumbled the implementation, installation deadlines and overall training of cab drivers and one month since D-Day...I can say that in the 30 to 40 cabs they have all failed in one way or another.  My favorite is the never ending add-on list!  I got back from a trip a few weeks ago and was in a hurry...I told the driver to open his trunk and I would pitch my own bag in the back to get us rolling.  As I settled in for my 10 min cab ride downtown I happened to notice the 8 plus dollar ad-on and started to ask.  I was able to get about 5 of the dollars right off the bat (airport charge, gas, rush hour) but could not for the life of me figure out what the charge ending in fifty cents would be...then he told me.  For the privilege of opening his trunk and me putting my own bag in the car...$2.50.

The DC Government has allowed this rogue group of cabbies to dictate public policy and maybe it is time for DC to start laying down the law like NYC.  Should we look to hybrid cabs?  Maybe...I am not a big driver so until this week I did not know that my one car (that the missus drives...not me) costs $50 plus dollars to fill.  I know...this is nothing...but maybe we need to start making the hard choices and start moving to other ways of getting around the city.  Just a thought.

Posts

Posts will be sparse for a bit...not burning out folks just a busy week or so.

O Street Market TIF approved...

So what is Jack's next GREAT move for Shaw?  Maybe he will build a library as fast as he has rebuilt his neighborhood library?

Tomorrow at 12:15 Mayor Fenty, Jack Evans and about 700 hangers-on will get up and congratulate one another for holding up a project for 8 years and then...just as a public revolt was afoot...they swoop in with LIFESAVING legislation to fund the market and the project.

Wow!  Thanks...I think.

I wonder if you were not up for re-election if you would have ever bothered showing up to the first meeting...Councilman I guess I can be the bigger person and suck it up and say thank you...but not to you.  I want to say it to Leroy, Alex, Barbara, Kevin and Doris...who finally were able to see that this project was something to work TOGETHER on.  I also want to thank the neighborhood for their tireless advocacy and phone calls and visits and grassroots pressure...folks you are getting good!  I just wish that the big game of chicken lasted until September because I think Jack would have been in the proverbial "dunk tank'...but oh well I can wait and see.

Mr. Mayor, I hope you do not think that this makes all of your other promises from the campaign go away.  You made alot of promises to me and many of my neighbors about crime and economic development in Shaw...may I remind you that it was one of your deputies who balked on this TIF.  But with that being said please come in and claim victory...I (and my neighbors) can live with that.

I wish I could be there tomorrow so I can snap the Leroy/Jack photo that is sure to come of this little press event...but I am gonna be elsewhere.

WHOOHOOO...WE CAN ALL GET GUNS NOW!!!!!

So it is official...the District of Columbia's ban on handguns has been struck down by the Supreme Court today.

So what does this mean for John Q. Public?

I think there are many pro-gun folks that are dancing in the streets thinking that now we can rename the District  "Dirty Harry-ville" with all of the folks who will "take back the streets" from the thugs and criminals and to a certain extent I wish that would be the case.  Folks lets be realistic...today means NOTHING in the grand scheme of things.

Can we buy a gun?  Well we have to see if Mayor Fenty's crack legal eagle, Peter Nickles, will try to stop this in another way (we can only hope that he thinks this out more than the whole firings fiasco...) but it looks like the answer is...you betcha...but I think that there a million anti-gun folks who will spout off statistic after statistic about guns being more likely to kill it's owner than a criminal.

I personally am ambivalent...the only thing that irks me is what will happen to the way that DC MPD Officers will be forced to interact with the public.  Instead of being the peacemaker in a situation...they will now have to assume each of us is carrying a gun (and I do not blame them).  I know that the police have always "worked" under this assumption but now every call will be brought up a notch and I am not sure if I like that.

So is this a victory for the law abiding citizen?  Maybe...but how long until we see some of the unintended consequences of this ban being lifted.

I am thinking a TASER is more my speed...

My question to you the reader...so what is your breaking point?

With the increase in foot traffic due to our little drug markets at the top of Marion Street and 7th and Q Streets I have seen a uptick in the number of amusing (and not-so-amusing) stories over the past few weeks.  Last night as the missus and I sat talking to our neighbor Bill we started to tell some of the great stories over the past 5 years (for us) and 20 plus for Bill. 

After we said goodnight to Bill and the missus went to bed...I was sitting up reading and saw one of those things that just plain bothered me.  It had happened before but it was the reaction of this person that got me.

About midnight or a bit later...two women walking north on the western side of my street SHOUT-TALKING about this and that.  One of the women had her pants partially pulled down and when her companion asked what she was doing...

"I need to go poop" was her response. 

She then attempted to sit on the shared stairs of my across-the-street neighbors (and do her business) and was not happy when I yelled that the MPD would be by shortly and I would ask them if they could bring her toilet paper.  She quickly started moving up the street (and I am pretty sure she did her business elsewhere...) with her friend not able to complete the deed on my neighbor's steps.

On her return...this woman yells out "goodnight Uncle Tom".  (Funny because it kind of does not fit me as I am already white...but whatever I got the point).

While I know many like to adopt the "mind your business" way of living...I get slightly peeved when someone decides to use my house (or any of the houses near me) as a toilet...sorry but it is a respect thing.  For the rest of the night and this morning this incident really bothered me and then I got thinking about something...

Is there a way that we can start teaching folks that respecting their neighborhood...is like respecting themselves? 

I watch on an almost daily basis as some kid (or parent) or "average joe" comes out of 7-11 or Tiki Seafood and instead of using the garbage can LITERALLY a foot away they toss their trash on the sidewalk or in the street.  My absolute favorite are the local drug addicts and drunks who love to use our treeboxes as their recycling container for their Steel Reserve cans and vodka bottles...but we do not have to worry about that because according to our esteemed Councilman Jack Evans...Shaw does not have a problem with single sales.

Anyway I am off topic...how can we expect people like Jack to stop seeing this as a worthless slum when we have a problem with our own neighbors creating that perception?

Just something for discussion.

7th and RI - 6:30 on Sunday

7th and RI - 6:30 on Sunday, originally uploaded by OffSeventh.

I have a few more photos to add to another story and I was walking around the Asbury Dwellings to try and snap a few of the loiterers but I saw this! I have called about this issue 8 to 10 times and I know a few of the neighborhood folks have dubbed this "Lake Shaw" as on most days the center of RI Ave has a deep puddle.

We have seen numerous "work crews" fixing this situation over the past few weeks but I will let my pictures do the talking. Funny that this sucker was GUSHING and the MPD unit pictured just kept on driving.

I wonder how long until we have a sinkhole situation along a major route?

After a Shooting in Shaw, Washington DC

After a Shooting in Shaw, Washington DC, originally uploaded by daveinshaw.

Fantastic shot from Daddy Five Oh from last night.

5th and O Street Shooting

So with the drugs seems to come the guns and yet again tonight we have reports of an adult male being shot in the vicinity of 5th and O.  Folks please stay safe and call 911 if you see something going on tonight.