Eastern Market Is Gone

I write this in shock and grief for our beloved Eastern Market.

Early this morning, setting out on my usual run, there was a strong smell of smoke permeating the clear air of a gorgeous Washington spring morning. As I turned the corner, there were what seemed like dozens of police cars and fire engines. Heading from North Carolina Avenue on to 7th Street SE, I could not believe my eyes. Eastern Market, the keystone of our Capitol Hill neighborhood and one of my favorite spots since since childhood, was burned and destroyed. Flames tore through the roof of the recently restored building, and from peering inside, I could see that there was very little left.

Words do not come easily this morning, as I try to take in the tremendous loss to our city and to our neighborhood. Without Eastern Market, the centerpiece of Capitol Hill, our local community is without its anchor. Witnessing such complete devastation and destruction feels like having my childhood home burn to the ground.

Mayor Fenty was on the scene, making me feel very proud to have him as our mayor. In the few minutes he and I spoke, I felt the deepness of his sincerity for the loss of one of Washington, DC's, most important historic landmarks. He assured me that the city will rebuild and that the community will be involved.

If it were up to me, I would choose to have Eastern Market put back together just the way it was. The small businesses, the old ceiling fans, the bluebucks, and even the dirt and grit. Some things just shouldn't change.

If anyone feels clear headed enough to suggest what we should do now to make Eastern Market come back to life, feel free to post here, and I will share with Councilmember Wells, who I know is as deeply saddened by this, as well, and was on-scene at 2AM to offer support to the fire fighters.

Another Pedestrian Death, but This One is Ignored

The reaction by local officials to the death of Crista Marie Spencer has been exemplary. I specifically want to recognize Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells, who rushed to the aid of the child's family and immediately worked to install stop signs to make the intersection safer for all pedestrians. Since joining the City Council, Tommy has been extremely responsive to local residents. I live in Ward 6, and he is doing a phenomenal job.

Now on to today's post. I was reading a comment in DC Watch yesterday from a woman named Trish Chittams who described the tragic vehicle death of a woman named Ms. Covington in another part of the city. While the accident was not a hit and run, it's interesting to note that this accident passed without a mention in the media, a visit from a politician ,or a candlelight vigil. The difference between the death of Ms. Covington and that of Crista Marie Spencer? Read for yourself an example of the "two cities" that make up the District of Columbia:

On Friday, April 13, Ms. Covington was hit while in the crosswalk of
Minnesota Avenue and M Street, SE. The driver stopped. On Saturday, April 21,
Ms. Covington died as a result of the injuries sustained during the accident.
The family mourns, the neighborhood pauses. There are no candlelight vigils, no
curbside memorial. Only orange markings to show that something happened there.
There are no TV cameras, no mayor, no Ward representative, not even an "In
Brief" mention in a newspaper. Two weeks later, there are no stop signs. Two
weeks later, no temporary stop signs, no speed humps. Two weeks later, we have
promises that the situation will be "reviewed," but they can't promise that
action will be taken.

We live in a city divided by the Anacostia River. Ms. Covington's death occurred East of the River, the section of DC with the highest rates of poverty, crime, unemployment and a host of other social issues that need to be addressed. The problem is, these residents are being largely ignored. We as a community need to let our elected officials know that East of the River matters to us. No matter what Ward we live in, we are all Washingtonians. Let's treat each other that way.

We've Lost One Life, Let's Save The Next One

Two days ago, a speeding SUV struck a six-year-old girl named Crysta Marie Spencer on her way to an after-school program on Capitol Hill. This tragic and needless hit-and-run death has grabbed the attention of city residents who are demanding greater traffic enforcement and regulation. Councilmember Wells rightly demanded that a stop sign be placed at the scene of the accident, and one has finally been erected, despite a sluggish response from the city.

While I am happy the stop sign is now in place, I am particularly disturbed that we were too late to save this girl's life. Doesn't it seem as if we too frequently make corrections after a catastrophe has happened, instead of taking preventative action? Might we have known earlier that we needed a stop sign at Sixth and New Orleans NE? Possibly, but it is impossible for our government to know everything.

Seeking out places in our community that could be a danger is really up to us. We are in our neighborhoods every day and are the best guardians of our children. I have a challenge for all residents: If you see locations that you think need a stop sign, a light, a reduced speed limit or any thing else that will enhance public safety and prevent needless injuries or deaths, like the one that happened on Wednesday, contact DDOT, your councilmember or your ANC Commissioner.

Finally, post those locations here for everyone to see. We need to prevent the next tragedy. I will be taking your feedback directly to DDOT and the Mayor.

#1 in Per-Capita Income.....HIV, Teen Pregnancy, Unemployment, Illiteracy, Poverty

There was great news for the District last week as the Bureau of Economic Analysis came out with its report on personal income across the country. DC ranked number one with a per capita income of $56,307. That's not the only measurement in which DC ranks near the top of the list. Our nation's capital also has more per capita cases of HIV, teen pregnancy, unemployment, illiteracy and poverty than any state in the country. We truly are a city of have and have nots.

For all the talk of one city, we are two cities, primarily divided by the Anacostia River. I admire Chairman Vince Gray's slogan of "One City." In fact, I wear a lapel pin with those words on my business suits. It's great on paper, but when you look at the economics of this city, it's just not true. For people living in Wards 7 and 8 who see the income numbers, do you think they feel part of the economic resurgence in DC? I doubt it, and it's a shame.

I think the first step to solving this problem is for people to become more involved in their communities. Since I work downtown, I'm a volunteer as a tutor Stevens Elementary School. It's one hour per week, but it goes a long way to enriching the lives of our public school students.

Here are some ways that you can help enrich your community:

1) Help out at a local school
2) If you are a parent, attend PTA meetings or volunteer in your child's classroom
3) Participate in counseling and mentoring programs
4) Use your job skills to train others for success

These are just a few ideas. Getting involved locally will increase camaraderie across the city and will ultimately expand opportunities for those who have been left out. When people know each other and work together to improve their communities, neighborhoods and cities become strong and vibrant. Everyone feels invested in community success. If you have ideas about how to help your community, feel free to post them here.

Community Policing in Action

Many of you know that I am a big proponent of community policing. Increased presence by MPD in our city's neighborhoods acts as a crime deterrent and gives officers and members of the community a chance to interact with each other, thus increasing mutual understanding. I came across a note posted on the 4th police district user group which is a very positive sign:

I was very, very happy to see this evening that officer's from MPD4 stopped
and talked to a group of young adults that were "acting up" and drinking in
public in the neighborhood. While I am sure that the youths were doing nothing
completely illegal (other than open containers!), I was very happy to see our
officers stop and talk to the group, break it up and make their presence known.
Thank you MPD4 officers--this is exactly the type of thing I hope to see occur
more often in our neighborhood! (Posted by Todd on 14th Street)

I want to tip my hat to the officers in 4D for having a positive impact on our community. Law enforcement is not a perfect science, and we know from my post last week about the 911 debacle that bureaucracy can put strains on the system. I believe that the burdensome process of papering, over-reaching internal investigations and the sub-par use of technology all need to be fixed. However, there is no substitute for officers that truly care about the communities in which they patrol. MPD has some of the finest officers in the nation, and despite occasional missteps, we should all be proud to have them.

Why I Like Muriel Bowser

There are 19 candidates running in the Ward 4 special election. But the race has really narrowed down to two candidates, Muriel Bowser and Michael Brown. Both have deep roots in the city and the desire to do what is right. However, in my mind, the choice is clear.







Muriel Bowser understands her ward, and will work tirelessly to ensure that her constituents are properly represented and are receiving the best services possible from the city. She is committed to sound policies addressing education, public safety, city services and a host of other pressing issues. I also believe she will keep her promises. Much like Mayor Fenty has stayed true to his word and started to make the necessary changes to put DC back on the right track, Muriel will do the same; not just for her ward but for the District as a whole.



I have spent a good amount of time with Muriel over the past few weeks. I have been able to see that her passion runs deep for the residents of Ward 4 and the challenges they face. We need selfless leaders to run DC, and she has that quality. To Muriel, this is not about her. This is about doing what's right and using her passion and skills to make DC a city where parents have confidence in the public schools, where people can safely walk the streets at night, and where economic opportunity extends to all our residents.



Muriel will keep her campaign promises and is my choice on May 1st.

BREAKING NEWS - HOUSE APPROVES DC VOTE

From the AP -

WASHINGTON - The people of the District of Columbia moved a step closer
Thursday to gaining voting rights they have been denied for more than 200 years. more....

A Plea to Enforce the Law

Last night, one of my neighbors on Capitol Hill witnessed an absolutely appalling scene. Below is her excerpt from a local Hill listserv:

We were sitting by the window and saw our neighbor coming home from work as
usual. A group of kids were running along side him and they started
punching him and pushed him to the group. Our neighbor is at least 70 years
old! We saw him go after the kids so my husband went out to help and I called
911. The woman who answered the phone couldn't have cared less. When she
asked where they were, I told her that I couldn't see them anymore because
they went after the kids. She told me to call the police when they came
back. I hung up in anger and frustration.

Apparently, the kids followed this elderly man back from Eastern Market taunting him the entire way. Ultimately, he was left cut and bleeding. Despite the call to 911, the police never showed up. 911 operators must take these calls seriously. There is no excuse for this lack of enforcement. We know that MPD is burdened with bureaucratic red tape and paperwork, but citizens need help. To make this city safer, we need to let our officers do their jobs!

The Helen Hayes Awards

Last night I attended the Helen Hayes Awards at the Warner Theater. Hundreds of members of DC's robust arts community--artists, benefactors, and appreciators--were there to celebrate our city's place as one of the country's strongest and best places for professional theater. I felt an extraordinary sense of pride to be surrounded by the best that the arts have to offer.

I grew up going regularly to Arena Stage, which was where my appreciation for theater began. Since then, I have had the opportunity to branch out to experience many productions at theaters, including the Washington National Shakespeare Company and the Kennedy Center. How many other U.S. cities can claim the number of nonprofit theaters that we have here in DC? Not many.

Besides the quality of life that Washington theater offers us, the theaters have become critical to our economic success as a city. Where theaters flourish, so do neighborhoods. The Studio and Source were keystones to the now-vibrant 14th Street corridor. Restaurants, Whole Foods, and great retail establishments grew up around those theaters, with lofts and a host of mixed-use
buildings following.

Not only to the arts stimulate economic growth, but they provide another outlet for young people in our city to express themselves. The arts have done tremendous work to help the neediest residents in our city.

Washington theater is now a destination for tourism, a magnet for new businesses to establish themselves in DC, and they provide thousands of jobs. They also enrich the lives our youth. The arts are for more than our enjoyment; they make economic and social sense.

A Historic Day

Despite inclement weather, today's voting rights march was a great success. Beyond the fact that we sent a strong message to the House, Senate and President, I was so excited to see residents from all across the city, all socioeconomic backgrounds and all races, come together to fight for civil rights. I saw friends from Wards 1 through 8. People that normally do not cross paths came together for a monumental occasion. I hope that two things come from today's march:

1) We get our vote
2) We stay together as "One City."

And by the way, my appreciation for Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton runs extremely deep. Her dedication to this city and to this issue has been unwavering since many of us were born. I think we all owe her a debt of gratitude for her hard work. And I'm not just saying that because she's my neighbor. She is a true DC hero.

Why I Like Yvette Alexander

I was disheartened yesterday to find out that Yvette Alexander did not get the endorsement of the Washington Post. Over the past month or so, she and I have become friends and I have witnessed the sincerity with which she approaches the special election. Perhaps the greatest factor for me--in addition to thorough understanding of issues and leadership experience--when deciding whom to support is how genuine and passionate the candidate is for the great responsibility they are about to undertake. Yvette embodies those qualities and is as committed to bettering the lives of Ward 7 residents as anyone I know.

Ward 7 is a network of neighborhoods in transition. A community east of the river, Ward 7 has often been forgotten by government officials over the years. Poverty, unemployment and crime are epidemics, and residents there deserve better than what they have. But things have been changing, as witnessed by the more than doubling in voter turnout since 2000. As citizens have become more engaged, the future is looking brighter there.

Yvette not only has deep roots in the Ward, but has a genuine understanding of the complex issues facing the residents. Mayor Fenty and Chairman Gray are showing lots of promise to lead this city, and I think they would be lucky to have Yvette Alexander joining them.

More Ways to Fix the Schools cont'd

As promised, I have added additional tactics that I think will enhance the efficiency of our schools and provide teachers and administrators with increased resources to put toward educating students. Let's try these on for size:

DCPS should work closely with the rest of the DC government to move from a human resource system relying on paper to the electronic system that is used by other city agencies. Under the current structure, records are lost and sometimes destroyed, leading to inaccurate budgeting and disgruntled employees. People may become lost in the system and sometimes never even accounted for. It was also recently discovered in a limited survey that the average teacher looses at least one day of classroom time due to personnel matters. With electronic records, this could easily be solved.

DC Government should help DCPS streamline the partnership process for both government and private grants. While the District has a long-established system to solicit, accept and process grants, DCPS currently stands without a policy. This is a cause for concern because it provides no road map for spending grant money and likely causes DCPS to lose out on millions of dollars that are donated elsewhere.

Channel 99, also known as DC Schools Television, is ineffective and lacks the funds to provide real value to students. The Office of Cable Television should serve as a program partner with Channel 99 to bring real Career Technology Education into the schools. By allowing Channel 99 to share resources with other government channels, it will give producers the ability to enhance programming across the board.

More Ways to Fix the Schools

My good friend, Kris Benjamin, and I had a converstion the other day. Kris is one of the most dedicacted and sincere local activists I know, and she had several very good ideas to fix the mess at DCPS. While everybody is focused on structure, here are some concrete changes that can be implemented immediately in her opinion. She is a former employee of DCPS and I think her ideas carry lots of merit:

Shared resources of MPD and D.C. School security will provide solutions in addressing school security concerns, and relieve teachers from the burden of being in class referees.

Coordinating programs between Parks and Recreation, the Libraries and DCPS will help move children from schools to other constructive activities and will decrease the time a student spends idle. After-school hours are the times children are likely to commit crimes or be victim to a crime.

A better management of construction authority can coordinate city services and make school management more efficient. Examples of such are Water and Sewer, Urban Forestry (in the case of a dangerous tree) and DDOT, all of which relate to school maintenance but are not coordinated under the current system.

I will continue with more solutions to the schools crisis tomorrow. Kris had so many ideas it is impossible to write them all in one post.

Arch Training Center

Today my good friend and Ward 8 activist, Charles Wilson, and I were invited speakers at the Arch Training Center in Historic Anacostia. Arch is a center funded by federal grants and donations that complements the public schools through adult education and after-school programs for youth involved in the juvenile correctional system. Charles and I spoke for over an hour about our life experiences, and did our best to relay the values of hard work and dedication as the best way to succeed in life.

There was much personal satisfaction from mentoring the students today, but it was disheartening at the same time. Most of these kids have no families, esentially live on the streets and are being electronically monitored by the Department of Corrections. Most have little hope in their lives and many wanted little to do with Charles and me. It is hard to figure out how to reach somebody that does not want to be reached. Part of me feels it is too late for many of them, but there were some that I believe we did actually reach. Discussing my military experiences really seemed to peak interest in some of them.

The experience of spending time at Arch has helped me to consider two things. First, without a strong family life or caring support system, it is very difficult to make a real impact through stop-gap solutions. Second, if many community members spent two hours per month mentoring needy and troubled youth, we could probably make a big difference. It really does "take a village."

Schools Part 3 - A friendly reminder

School governance has been on everyone's mind lately. Each person has an opinion on who should be in charge. The Mayor? School Board? Congress? Some combination of the three? As we are debating these, problems persist, and I want to just take a minute to let everybody know that while we are debating, the kids are suffering. Here's an example of what's wrong, as outlined by DC School Board President, Robert Bobb, after he visited a local school:

He talked about school security being so porous that teachers call each other at the end of classes to serve as safety escorts. He mentioned school supplies being borrowed or puchased by the teachers themselves due to budget errors and lack of funds. Facilities were so dilapidated that parts of the classrooms are not in use. His list of issues and concerns observed in one day were so numerous we could not mention them all here. Imagine if you were the student. Imagine if your child had to go to school in these conditions.

One more thought: DC spends more money per pupil than any other school system in the country. Things cannot get much worse. Let's get to work.

MLK Parade Produces Mixed Emotions

Yesterday's 28th annual parade to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. was fantastic! The parade route began at Ballou High School and ended at the big chair in Anacostia. I participated in the Ward 8 Democrats and DC Young Democrats contingent that marched together--right behind DC United! DC United is doing a tremendous job ingratiating themselves east of the river, which will pay off for them if their new stadium ever gets built.

The parade was a truly amazing experience. The organizers were so welcoming and you could feel the spirit of unity among all those marching and all those standing on the sidewalks and watching. In a city that is so divided, and in a neighborhood that has been forgotten by more fortunate residents west of the river, the pride exhibited by local residents was magnificent.

While it was thrilling and joyous to celebrate yesterday, I could not help but feel a sense of sadness. I was one of the few white participants in the parade, and it was evident that while the parade was a celebration, only a small part of our city was actually celebrating. The MLK parade should be an event where residents from all over the city, not just in Anacostia, but from Georgetown, the Palisades and AU Park, can come together to honor the life of one of the greatest Americans in our country's history.

This parade could be an opportunity for residents who rarely travel east of the river to get a glimpse of what life is like for so many in this city. Perhaps it would inspire them to get more involved in the community. In addition to spending hours at community meetings arguing about traffic congestion, trash pickup, and other matters, it would be wonderful if our residents also spent their time fighting poverty or mentoring young children east of the river or in other disadvantaged communities.

Papering Resolution Introduced

Councilmembers Wells and Mendelson today introduced the resolution on the papering of arrests. I wrote about this issue in one of my posts a couple weeks ago. Note in the Examiner article following this entry that the US Attorney seems to have no interest in changing the system. I guess he does not care since he is not accountable to DC residents, only to President Bush. Kudos to Wells and Mendelson for pushing this issue!

Over the next few weeks/months, I am going to be visiting the Citizens Advisory Councils at each police district throughout the city to urge them to write the US Attorney, urging off-hour service for our officers. Our officers at MPD deserve it and our citizens deserve imporoved public safety.

From the Examiner:

Wells, Mendelson call for police booking reform
11 hrs ago - Two District of Columbia council members have called for the reform of the city’s costly police booking system, which requires officers to personally take arrest reports to court each morning after an arrest.

Schools Part 2 - Leadership

I have heard rumblings that there is some discontent with Victor Reinoso. I'm not sure why it is happening, especially since the mayor has not even officially taken the reigns at DCPS. It's possible that Mr. Reinoso is simply being attacked by opponents of the Mayor's education plan since attacking a popular mayor is not a politically smart move. To me, Mr. Reinoso seems to be a sensible leader with an excellent background in education. The fact that he served on the school board should be seen as a plus He knows DCPS from close in and has extensive knowledge of some of the biggest problems at DCPS.

I haven't seen much publicly written about this topic yet, and criticism has not really been aired citywide, but I would like to offer some advice. In New York, when people attack Joel Klein, Mayor Bloomberg immediately rushes to his defense. After all, Mayor Bloomberg is really the person in charge, and he needs to take the heat so that the Chancellor can do his job without distractions.

Mayor Fenty needs to do the same thing with Mr. Reinoso if it ever gets to that point. It will be some time before we can objectively rate the job that Mr. Reinoso is doing, so let's not make predictions or launch ad homonym attacks. Only the children will suffer if the new education system falls prey to politics and public relations.

Schools Part 1

We all saw the 9-2 vote in the City Council yesterday indicating a pending approval of the Mayor's takeover plan. Now that the plan appears almost certain, let's discuss how to move forward. I believe that if the school board had done such an effective job running the schools, we would never have arrived in the dire state we are currently in. Whether the takeover was the right way to solve the problem is now a moot point. But there are some aspects that worry me, and one in particular:

As of now, I believe the City Council will have line-item veto power over the budget. This is worrisome because it leaves the door open for political game playing, with council members trying to direct money to their particular wards in order to please constituents. That could turn into pork-barrel politics, DC style.

Things cannot get much worse than they are right now, so let's not play games with the lives of our children. At this point, it is up to Mayor Fenty to provide the way forward for our schools. Let's let him do the best job he can without allowing politics water down his agenda. In four years we will give him his report card.

Alleys: Not Just for Cats Anymore

Two years ago, a homeless man seeking refuge from a gunman, ran through my friend Kris's backyard and was shot on her back-doorstep. It seems that there has been an increase in alley crime as the streets themselves appear to become safer. Recently, I have seen an increase in alley crimes, from illegal dumping, prostitution, and open-air drug sales and, in some alleys, gunpoint robberies have increased.

The mayor has made it a priority to provide safe streets to the citizens of the District of Columbia, and in the short months that Mayor Adrian Fenty has been in office I have noticed an increase in police presence on our city streets.

As patrols pick up on our city streets, the alleys offer an inviting opportunity for criminals. As police patrol the chartered streets, criminals look for cover and places to continue their illegal activities. Alleys are the remote areas of our cities that guarantee a flow of people as they access their cars and trash bins. Additionally, they offer law breakers space to store abandoned property and, in one case two weeks ago, they offer a location to dispose of and burn a stolen auto that thiefs have grown tired of, once the gas has been depleted.

Solutions are needed to address blind areas of coverage. Police, as they move forward to advance the work of making city streets safer, may inadvertently shift the crime to other more "personal areas." This is an issue of visibility.

Residents feel a sense of fury and frustration because the best advice given to us all thus far, is to stay out of the alleys. That means stop throwing out our trash and parking our cars. And please forget about that backdoor to your house. Pretend it does not exist.

The city may need to consider extending the eyes of authority by allowing a system where neighbors adjacent to an alley can opt in to a program allowing their alleyway to be monitored electronically. Even if the camera worked or just transmitted HBO, a criminal would think twice before frequenting these areas if they think they are under surveillance.

We need to address this issue immediately. Crime has not been eliminated it has just moved to our back doors.

RFK's Last Opening Day

I know I don't usually write about baseball, but today was opening day, and it was the last one we will ever attend at RFK Stadium. In fact, it's probably the last opening day we will ever have at a stadium that is not named after a corporation. There is so much history at RFK that it was somewhat moving to experience the event first-hand. I will be sure to be there at the last regular season game as well, especially since I don't think the Nats will be headed to the playoffs.

While the event was historic, the experience left much to be desired. The Nats played terrible baseball, giving up nine runs and looking like a team that was completely over matched. I guess that's not a surprise, though, considering the team has one of the lowest payrolls in the league. What surprised me, though, were the inadequate services, which I thought had been addressed.

There were long lines at concession stands, even during innings. The lines moved very slowly and it appeared that there were not enough people staffing the registers. Additionally, there were food shortages. Twice, I went to the counter to order hot dogs, just to find out after waiting in line for 15 minutes that they were not ready. People sitting near me were given hot dogs that were cold. This is just unacceptable considering this is the team's third year at RFK.

But here is the bright side. My tickets cost $5; it was 80 degrees; and we got to see a great team in the Florida Marlins. No matter how they do this year....Go Nats!!!

Soon I will have a column on baseball and its impact on DC's younger residents. Sorry for the fluff this time, but it was Opening Day.

Learning from the Arts

Last night I went to a show at the Lincoln Theater on U Street called The Capitol Movement Project (CMP). CMP is the resident dance company at the historic theater, and with 73 members, it's the largest company in the Washington area. I was impressed with its mix of hip-hop, pop, modern rock and even some interpretive pieces. Dancers ranged from adults to young children and I could feel the passion among all the pieces.

The project has a large non-profit component that works with schools and underprivileged children and teens from across the area. Because it includes elements of pop culture, it becomes an attractive outlet for young people and an interesting alternative to some of the negative influences they may be exposed to.

CMP is a great example of how the arts can have a positive impact on young people and keep them in an environment where they can contribute to a better society. Not only do they stay in healthy physical shape, but they learn teamwork, a greater appreciation for the arts and for music. Programs like CMP can help kids who do poorly in school find something in which they can succeed, which helps build their self-esteem.

Unfortunately, arts programs are severely lacking in the DCPS and are often the first to be cut. CPM, Arena Stage, and others are leading the way in DC to demonstrate how arts programs for students can be part of the solution to the problems young people face. Let's help public officials take note and make the arts an integral part of DC's education system. For more information, visit http://capitolmovement.org/ or http://arenastage.org/.