In Shaw (an historically gentrified blog)

My weekend 3/24-3/26

Note: Do not refer to someone as a hot beverage less than 24 hours before meeting them.
One pro-Fenty neighbor hosted a wonderful meet and greet brunch for Fenty. It was a small affair so there was an opportunity to talk to Fenty one on one (provided you weren't too embarrassed to do so) and ask questions. A majority of questions focused in on crime and loitering. Residents want cops walking a beat. And speaking of cops walking a beat, LB, who took the picture of the walking policeman, mentioned she hasn't seen a cop since. There was also the question on education. Fenty mentioned something about setting up a deputy mayor for education. The affair was an easygoing friendly (and well stocked with enough food to feed 2 other events like this) one where neighbors got to meet each other and talk about their experiences with dealing crime and folks lingered well after Fenty and his handler had left.

People pregnant
Congrats to neighbors who are newly pregnant. Learned this weekend that two Truxtonian families are expecting. While talking with one expectant couple we talked about one problem I never gave much thought to, but thinking about it some more it should be a real concern, space. Some of us live in these tiny little 1,000 sq ft (or less) 2 bedroom federal rowhouses, which is fine for 2 adults. Maybe not so great for a growing beyond 1 kid. Moving up is not an option because the smaller row houses don't sell for all that much and a 3 bedroom (usually a 2 bedrooms and one walk-in closet with a window) is much more. This is worse when you can't build up or out due to lack of land.

%$&*@! squirrels
Darned squirrels have been digging in my pots and I'm going to guess they ate my pea seeds. I got dirt all on the patio and I'm going to have to grow seedlings inside, just to save them from the tree rats.

Threatening but squemish
At the Fenty gathering a neighbor mentioned how the gang of kids/dealers threatened to assault them. Now until then many of us had seen the corner gang as a very annoyance only harming their customers (they are selling poison to Blacks, increasing Black on Black crime, and making it harder for us to move forward as a people). A phone tree was mentioned and we're going to have to step up calling 311/911.
On the squeemish end, Br a very tall, very blonde former college football player was cleaning out the gutters in the street. The problem is that the gutters get blocked with trash, water backs up and potentially basements get flooded and Br and his wife Ls have had some serious sewage problems somehow relating to clogged street gutters. Anyway, so Br tells me he's going around sweeping up the gutters and cleaning out the clogged corners when he gets to the corner where the kids/dealers hang out. The guys are talking all tough and hard until Br starts pulling out slimy bits of cloth trapped in the corner drain. EWWWWW. They are grossed out by the filth and move on.

posted by Mari @ 27.3.06