Armstrong, New York Ave, and neighborhood charity
Those two have nothing to do with each other except they are the emails I have flagged in my inbox.First Armstrong. I guess I'm on the mailing list for this subject because I attended the BACA meeting that covered it and I guess this is the 'getting back with the community' part of that discussion. Anyway here was the notice that was sent out:
Dear Community,
On Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 7:00 pm at Armstrong School, Kent Amos, founder of the CAPCS education campus, will met with community for follow up discussion on his recent decision permitting Metropolitan Baptist Church use of the school for Sunday services. Senior Pastor Beecher Hicks also plans to attend. Please make every effort to come out and bring your questions and alternative ideas for addressing this community dilemma.
Light refreshments will be available. For further information, please contact me at 55O-O619* or by e-mail at adbonds g mail com*.
I'm looking forward to seeing you,
Anita Bonds
There have been a couple of 'reply all' emails concerning the upcoming meeting. One, going on the separation of church and state thread is a fruitless one. The relationship between the charter school and the church is that of landlord and tenant and not unusual. My best friend's church rents out a PG County high school gym while they wait for their building to be done. Difference? High schools have way more parking than middle and elementary schools. And it is the parking that has raised the immediate resident's ire. Second, sticking to the point of the matter, parking, and using the threat of strong parking enforcement may prove fruitful.
This weekend being so nice I rode my bike to church, taking my old route by the old location of Metropolitan Baptist. I could see the difference. When Metropolitan was on R Street, the streets were congested and there was almost ALWAYS someone blocking the bike lane. And the Washington Post newspaper vendor dude used to be on the corner. But no more. The streets around 13th and R were 'normal', no more crowded than 9th and R.
New York Avenue. It is websites like Stimulus Watch that make me think that the net was made for democracy. Apparently, the intersection at Florida and New York Avenue is to take up 8 millllllllyon dallahs. There is another New York Ave project also included but no detail of what NY Ave bridge. Anyway, I need someone to define 'shovel ready.' Seriously there must be a treeful of paper of studies on New York Avenue NE and NW and it's various intersections that have never gotten past 'oh look we have a study.' After looking at the guts of some road studies (not New York Ave but other DC roads), the info in them goes bad quicker than a gallon of milk, which means after a few years...... you do another study (and the contractors who do studies say yay!). Seriously define 'shovel ready' because if it involves a study and community buy in and the other things that take up time and effort, it's only shovelin' manure.
Lastly, something good from the Eckington listserv:
Hi Neighbors,
Thank You!!! When members of our community were in need of support their neighbors stepped up to help out. The Stancil family has found an apartment to live in until repairs to their home are completed. Our efforts to raise funds and provide clothing was a great success. The community members, area churches and strangers that happened to read about the Stancil family at the Big Bear Cafe contributed $2,000 in cash, checks and gift cards. I had to make daily trips from the Big Bear to Emery with my Outback stuffed full of clothing donations. The Stancils were overwhelmed by the out pouring of support when they needed it the most. Any clothing the family can't use will go to area clothing banks. We all face uncertainties with the economic crisis yet this community opened their hearts to help. Thank You!
we all work together, ted
*I made changes here.
Labels: Bloomingdale/Eckington, charity, churches, schools, transportation
posted by Mari @ 17.2.09
7 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sorry chickie but I do actually monitor comments. I let the first one slide but any more trying to sneak in a link will be deleted.
Mari, I don't have a problem with the school renting out space to the church - but I do have an issue with all of the green space to the left of the Armstrong school now being reduced to a gravel parking lot. At first it was just half of the lot but now, the entire area is covered with gravel.
How could the BACA and ANCs allow that green space to be taken away for parking?
Well it appear (according to the Tax database) that CAPCS owns the property so I wonder what can they do as a matter of right. Sort of what Africare does with their property at NJ and R that they occasionally use for overflow parking. I must also note that Africare is in the old Morse School. Also I'm not sure if DCRA sees any difference between grass, dirt, wood chips or gravel. What I'm getting at is what legal (moral is another kettle of fish) reason would CAPSC have for keeping the green space green, as opposed to landscaping with rocks?
If you look at DDOT's proposed projects website, you will see a proposed NY avenue bridge from Florida Avenue to 4th Street, NE. Even though it is proposed, it supposedly apparently 95 percent complete. So this must be the shovel-ready project - the NY bridge over the RR.
PTR
PTR-
I'm looking at http://ddot.dc.gov/ddot/cwp/view,a,1247,q,627756,ddotNav,|32399|.asp
And yes, there has been work done on Florida Ave and M St around the train track bridge in the past few years. But no traffic circles have appeared (unless there is another definition of 'traffic circle' that includes something that isn't round), per the recommendations. So where is the 95% complete part coming from? That bridge over the rail tracks has been there for years, well before 2000.
dont confuse matters of right with matters of entitlement
rr445
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