In Shaw

From Jim:
Neighbors,

For the fifth consecutive evening over the course of the past three weeks, a number of residents of the area walked 1.5 miles around the community. Specifically, the group meets at the corner of 3rd and Q Street, N.W., in front of Mount Sinai Baptist Church, every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. to begin their walk. If you are interested in participating in this exercise regimen, please mark your calendar and show up on any Tuesday and/or Thursday to join us.

On a parallel track, efforts are being made to determine whether there is enough interest among residents of the area to also organize a water aerobics class one or two evenings per night at Dunbar Senior High School, New Jersey Avenue and O Street, N.W. If you would be interested in participating in such a class, please send me an email at jamojam at msn.com. If we get the critical mass of interested folks that is needed to start a class, then we will identify an instructor and attempt to implement this program within the next 30 days.

Here's to your good health!

Best,

Jim Berry
Bates Area Civic Association, Inc.

|-----------------------------------------|
| Blagden Alley Association |
| Monthly Meeting |
| |
| THURSDAY, May 24, 2007 |
| 7:00-8:30 pm |
| Paul and Nez's |
| 932 O Street Street, NW |
|-----------------------------------------|

The newsletter is at

http://www.pro-messenger.com/Blagden/Monthly%20Pages/2007%20Monthly%20Pages/BAN_2007_05_P1.html

Topics:
1. Jack Evans. Ward II City Council.
2. Christopher Ziemann, DC DOT Ward II Planner.
3. Walnut Street development at 917 M Street.
4. New liquor on Ninth Street?.
5. Police.
6. More.

Note: BYOB, Ice, cups for yourself and others. This is al freco,
and very nice.

|-------------------------------------------------|
| Blagden Alley Association |
| |
| See the |
| Washington Post Article |
| Today, concerning |
| The proposed charter school |
| as 1234 Ninth Street |
|-------------------------------------------------|

There is an article in the WaPo today
on the proposed charter school
that we have all been tracking for the last few years.

See

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/16/AR2007051603207.html

In particular, the article has

Last night's decision came too late for SAIL, whose board of directors voted two weeks ago to close its upper school, affecting students in grades 8 to 11. SAIL, which also serves students in kindergarten through seventh grade, had to move out of its location on H Street NW, where the older students were.

Because SAIL could not settle on financing for its new facility on Ninth Street NW and the Fletcher-Johnson option was still pending, its board of directors decided
two weeks ago to sell the Ninth Street property and close the upper school.

(The above is also in the deadtree version of today's WaPo.)

Also, don't forget the meeting on the 24th with Jack Evans.
-->The start for the meeting will be 7:00, not 7:30

More details in this weekend's email and newsletter.

Just including this MVS post here because it si something one can do about vancant properties.
Life in Mount Vernon Square: Public Hearing on Nuisance Property Bill

There is a meeting. Here's a newsletter.MVSNA Newsletter May 2007 (pdf)

Neighbors,

Alice Thompson, Mayor Fenty's Ward Five Constituent Services Coordinator, asked me to pass the below information along to folks in the community. Perhaps you might know of someone who could benefit from these opportunities.

Best,

Jim Berry
Bates Area Civic Association, Inc.



College Opportunities for Eligible Black Males
Do you know any Black Males who are a senior in high school who want to go to college for FREE.


The black colleges are looking for future Black Male Teachers and will send them to Universities/ Colleges…

FOUR (4) YEARS FREE

THIS IS FOR MALES ONLY.

1. Have parents fill out this application.
2. Read the Mission Statement. There are Ten (10) different South Carolina Colleges or Universities including:
Benedict College
http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/schools/ benedict. htm

Claflin University
http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/schools/ claflin.htm

Clemson University
http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/schools/ clemson.htm

Morris College http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/schools/ morrishtm

South Carolina State University
http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/schools/ southcarolinasta te.htm

Greenville Technical College
http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/schools/ greenvilletech. htm

Midlands Technical College
http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/schools/ midlands. htm

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College
http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/schools/ orangeburgcalhou ntech.htm

Tri-County Technical College
http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/schools/ tricountytech. htm

Trident Technical College
http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/schools/ tridenttech. htm

3. Send this to your family and friends also.

The web link is below:

http://www.callmemi ster. clemson. edu/index. htm

http://www.callmemi ster.clemson. edu/index. htm

Neighbors,

This is something that all of us could probably benefit from. Hope you can make it!

Best,


Jim Berry
Bates Area Civic Association, Inc.

2007 Spring Home Energy Efficiency Expo
WHEN: Wednesday, May 16, 2007; 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Reeves Municipal Center
2000 14th Street, N.W. (Between 14th and U Streets, N.W.)

PARTICIPATING VENDORS: Casey Trees, DC Department of the Environment, DC Emergency Management Agency, DC Water and Sewer Authority, Federal Department of Energy, Grayton Plumbing, Industrial Bank, Mayor's Office of Latino Affairs, and the Sierra Club.

SPONSORS: The DC Office of the People's Counsel, the DC Office of Environment, and the Mayor's Office of Latino Affairs.

From Jim:
Neighbors,

Below please find a copy of the flyer that is being passed out in the community regarding the upcoming BACA meeting. Please share its contents with your neighbors and bring them with you to the meeting!
Best,


Jim Berry

Bates Area Civic Association, Inc.

MONTHLY MEETING NOTICE

Featured Speaker:
Captain Melvin Scott
Fifth District, MPD

re. The Formulation of a Public Safety Plan for Our Community



Agenda will also include status reports from the following:



Membership Committee

Program Committee

Land Use, Planning and Economic Development Committee

Transportation Committee

Environmental Services Committee


Monday, May 7, 2007
Mount Sinai Baptist Church

3rd and Q Streets, N.W.
Rooms 1 and 2

7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

For more information regarding the meeting and/or the Association,

please contact Jim Berry at (202) 387-8520, email him at jamojam@msn.com, or visit our website at www.dcbaca.org





Highlights from the April 2, 2007

BACA Meeting



Special Guest: Honorable Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor of the District of Columbia, was the featured speaker for the evening. Mr. Fenty made about 10 minutes worth of opening remarks, essentially, assuring those present that he wants to do everything within his power to make certain that the residents of all neighborhoods in the District of Columbia enjoy a decent quality of life and that he will work closely and cooperatively with us to assure that this is the case in our area during the Fenty administration. The bulk of the time that Mayor Fenty spent with members of the BACA involved a question and answer session that dealt with the high concentration of blatant and illegal drug sales and use by the criminal element in our community, as well as our need for more frequent and reliable services from the DC Department of Public Works, the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, and from the DC Department of Transportation. Throughout the night, a number of neighbors cited specific circumstances around which we could use help from the MPD and other government agencies. And, importantly, Mr. Fenty made a commitment to help!



For the most part, the expression of public safety concerns by residents dominated the discussion. The concerns cited by residents involved illegal drug activity, what seems to be the constant sound of gunfire at night time, and what neighbors felt to be a limited or inadequate presence of the Metropolitan Police Department in the community. In reaction to what he was hearing, Mr. Fenty tasked the Fifth District Police with the responsibility for developing a plan to help us to eventually eradicate this activity. Mr. Fenty said that the approach he utilized to resolve similar problems that were being experienced by the residents of Ward Four when he was their Council Member needed to be implemented in our community. Specifically, he said that the Fifth District MPD needed to develop a concrete and measurable plan to address our crime problems – a plan that we could review in 90 day increments and, in cooperation with the MPD, modify where necessary and appropriate. It is our expectation that the Fifth District will present a summary of such a plan for our area at the 5/7/2007 BACA meeting. Importantly, Mr. Fenty made a commitment to come back to a BACA meeting in 90 days to find out what kind of progress is being made. And, as a sign of the seriousness of his commitment to us, the mayor said that he would return every 90 days, if need be, to assure that our crime and other problems will eventually be resolved.



Remarks: Ward Five Council Member Harry Thomas, Jr. echoed Mayor Fenty’s pledge to see to it that more reliable and a higher quality of government services be directed to our area by District of Columbia Government agencies than might have been the case in the past. And, as the chairperson of the Council Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, Mr. Thomas pledged that he would use his authority and influence to strengthen the resources that are currently available to us in these three critical areas. Mr. Thomas also informed the body that he was hosting a workshop on economic development in Ward Five on Saturday, April 14, 2007, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. an 11:00 a.m. at The Catholic University and, later on that afternoon, Mr. Thomas said that he was sponsoring an Emancipation Day program at the Old Soldier’s Home. In addition, Mr. Thomas informed us that the featured entertainment at the Emancipation Day event would be the legendary Chuck Brown. Finally, Mr. Thomas strongly encouraged those in attendance to participate in the DC Emancipation Day rally and voting rights march to Capitol Hill on Monday, April 16, 2007.



Additional Commitments Made:

(a) Mayor Fenty pledged to follow-through on a campaign promise to residents of the area to pave Richardson Place, N.W. as well as to have other long needed streetscape improvements made to this street.



(b) Council Member Thomas pledged to support the BACA’s plans to organize a Public Safety Task Force that would meet on a regular basis with the government officials and the community to address problems of crime and disorder in our community. It is expected that the first public meeting of the Task Force will take place in late May or June 2007.



Program Committee Report: Chairperson Geovani Bonilla gave a status report on the work of his committee. Indeed, he indicated that Tuesday, May 8, 2007 had been selected as the start date for the “Walk for Your Health Program.” The group will assemble at the corner of 3rd and Q Streets, N.W., in front of Mount Sinai Baptist Church , at 6:30 p.m. on this date. A professional trainer from CURVES will warm the group up and get them started on the walk around the community.

|-----------------------------------------|
| Blagden Alley Association |
| |
| Beginning a discussion of |
| The proposal for 917 M Street, NW |
| |
|-----------------------------------------|

There is a set of webpages and documents, and space for future
comments and emails, at

http://www.pro-messenger.com/Blagden/Monthly%20Pages/2007%20Monthly%20Pages/BAN_2007_05_917M_P1.html

Hopefully, updated frequently uuntil the next meeting,
May 24, 2007. That meeting is going to be so jammed
that many of the technical matters of 917 M should
be covered before then.