Go use Capital Bikeshare; Montreal Gazette could use a fact-checker

Happy Car Free DC Day, folks. Even though Capital Bikeshare is woefully underrepresented in our neighborhood (I hope this changes in the near future), I encourage you to celebrate by using the new system.

The closest CaBi station to Brightwood will be at 901 Upshur Street NW. I rode by this morning, and the station is yet to be installed. I'll definitely report when I see movement on it. (EDIT: Another station that's reasonably close to us is slated for 4768 14th St. NW, near the intersection of 14th and Crittenden.)





I also learned via TheWashCycle that Montreal, that bastion of bike-sharing, has reported some pretty major misinformation about Capital Bikeshare via its newspaper, The Gazette:

Most of the bikes -about 1,000 - will be on the streets of Arlington, Va., across the Potomac River from Washington, where 100 bikes will be in service.

Sorry, Gazette, but last I heard the total number of stations planned for the District is 100 (many are operational already; the rest will be rolled out through the month of October) and 14 for Arlington.

Multiple shootings in Brightwood and Petworth

From CM Bowser:

I've been briefed by Chief Lanier and Commander Missouri about the most troubling shootings we've experienced in 4D this week. 
 
Chief Lanier has made additional police resources available to assist 4D in providing increased visibility and investigating these crimes and preventing others.  It does not appear at this point that the crimes are related.  MPD will continue to post look out information and developments related to the investigations.

Rundown of the incidents, from the MPD-4D listserv:

Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2010 12:20 AM
Units received a call for the sound of gunshots in the 500 blk of Shepherd St NW. Nothing was found. A short time later, 3 shooting victims arrived at an area hospital reporting being shot in the 700 blk of Shepherd. Units are currently on the scene on Shepherd investigating. Lookout is for a dark colored SUV. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-888-919-CRIME.

Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2010 10:40 AM
On today’s date at approximately 4:45 am, Fourth District units received a report of shots being fired in the area of 9th and Decatur Streets, NW.  A few hours later, the Fourth District received a call from an area hospital for a shooting victim.  After being interviewed, it has been determined that the victim, an adult female, was shot while in the area of 9th and Decatur Streets, NW. The victim transported herself to the hospital and is currently being treated for a non life-threatening injury.

Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2010 4:22 AM
Shortly after 2 am on September 19, (sic) 2010, MPD Fourth District units responded for the report of sounds of gunshots in the 100 block of Kennedy Street, NW.  Upon their arrival on scene they discovered an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound to the body.  The male victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.  Shortly thereafter, a second adult male victim arrived at a local hospital, also suffering from gunshot wounds.  He reported that he was also in the 100 block of Kennedy Street when he was shot.  The second victim’s injuries were also non-life threatening.  Fourth District detectives are on the scene investigating the incident.  Anyone with information is asked to call 1-888-919-CRIM[E] or 202-727-9099.

Sent: Friday, September 17, 2010 12:53 AM
> MPD Fourth District units are currently investigating a shooting which just occurred in the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW. An adult male was found suffering from what appears to be a gunshot wound to the body. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-888-919-CRIM[E] or 202-727-9099.

Maureen Dowd on Fort Stevens

Maureen Dowd reminisces about her Brightwoodian childhood in today's NYT, and also opines about the planned development around Fort Stevens.

On Georgia Avenue: lots of new stuff!

Quick rundown of openings, groundbreakings, and other projects happening on Georgia lately:

I've often thought that all of these empty storefronts would make good temporary gallery/performance spaces. Artist Joseph Hale is making it happen. [Housing Complex]

The Restaurant Row on Georgia between Decatur and Delafield continues to grow with the opening of RAS, serving a Jamaican-Ethiopian inspired menu. [POP]

(I'm also very interested in the empty storefront that's right next to RAS...it currently has a bicycle wheel and a skateboard sitting in the window, but not much else...looks like it could be being used for something interesting...)

The new Senior Wellness Center will open soon, around the same time as Top Spanish Restaurant. [Park View DC]

And of course, further to the south we've had groundbreakings for two long awaited projects. [Housing Complex, TBD]

Brightwood on We Love DC's "Where We Live"

Nice feature right here.

Coolidge H.S. football team plays its first game under coach Natalie Randolph tomorrow night

The Coolidge Colts will play the first game of their season tomorrow (Friday) night, which also happens to be their first game played under their new head coach, Natalie Randolph, who is one of few women to head a high school football program.

Details:
Friday, August 27
7:00 pm
Calvin Coolidge Colts vs. Archbishop Carroll Lions
Calvin Coolidge High School
6315 5th Street, NW

A couple of questions for Clark Ray regarding public safety

In which I question people who are running for office (in this case, Clark Ray for At-Large Councilmember) in the wake of a series of recent tragedies.

Bwian: Over the weekend, a 31 year old Catholic University student was shot and killed in Petworth. This, along with other recent shootings in the District, has brought attention to your opponent, incumbent Phil Mendelson, and what many perceive to be his soft-on-crime approach. If you were to take Mendelson's place as chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, what would you do differently to curb gun violence in the District?

CR: I would use a three pronged approach to addressing these problems and begin each of the three parts of the approach immediately.
1. I will work with Delegate Eleanor Norton to make sure that the US Parks Department enhances the lighting in the parks they control and then has officers patrolling the parks.
2. I would call an immediate community meeting with the DC Chief of Police and the Park Police to develop a multi-tiered approach and devise a three month action plan to address the specific issues the community has regarding safety in the parks. I would work with the community to monitor impact of the plan and to modify action steps if needed.
3. I will then call another community meeting between the community and police officials to discuss the results of the action plan and to determine what further steps including any potential legislation is needed to protect the residents of the area.
Regarding conversations that I have had with MPD officers – I would want to take a serious look at the District Gun Trafficking Laws – they need to be strengthened – we need to make it harder for guns to come into the city and to be illegally sold in the city.

Bwian: Along similar lines, what are your plans to strengthen the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services? Much of the gun violence in the city has been committed by individuals under the age of 18.

CR:1.I have called on DYRS to immediately release the names of all escapees from facilities their agency controls. These names must be released to the community (while protecting all their constitutional rights) so that the community can assist in apprehending them.
2. I have called for a total review of how we deal with juveniles in the justice system. I believe the courts must have more control over where to sentence violent youth and that for all youth in the system we must provide appropriate education and programs so that these youth don't advance from being juvenile criminals to being adult criminals. There are best practice programs being used across the nation and we have to review them and determine which are appropriate for use. We must at all costs stop what some have called a revolving door but I call an "open" door out of DYRS. Contrary to what the incumbent has said, I believe that there must be a combination of both change in legislation and policy if we are to fully deal with the issues at DYRS.
3. I will hold hearings on these DYRS issues in the communities most impacted by youth crime. I believe that working parents and youth in school must have an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas and they can't do this if hearings are held only in the Wilson building at 10:00am on a weekday morning.

Housing Complex's Report on the latest Walter Reed redeveloment meeting

Lydia DePillis over at Housing Complex has a summary of the latest Walter Reed redevelopment meeting (the one at which I was busy experiencing a generation gap in action). In brief: "The allocation would accommodate about 1,000 units of housing, as well as a 170-key hotel. Retail elements include a medium-sized grocery store, restaurants and cafes, and a 'retail pedestrian village.' The 125,000 square feet of office space would go to non-profits, 'creative thought' enterprises, and a business incubator."

No mention of a bus garage in the current plan...thankfully (no offense to David Alpert).

Sketchy Safeway to be redeveloped by CityVista's people (fingers crossed)

Jonathan O'Connell reports that the developer behind Mount Vernon Square's CityVista is "nearing a deal" to redevelop the Petworth Safeway (aka Sketchy Safeway, Stinky Safeway).

It's about time.

Houses/Condos for sale in Brightwood, 08/20/10

Check out a list of condos and houses for sale in Brightwood. Prices range from $108,000 for a one-bedroom condo to $699,000 for a five-bedroom bungalow. I see one open house listed for this weekend, at 6112 7th Street NW.

(Tip of the hat to Life on the Edgewood for pointing out how easy it is to search Redfin by neighborhood!) (Regardless of how debatable the "neighborhood" boundaries may be.)