June Southwester 2001

A Set Of Old Southwesters Donated To School Museum

A set of The Southwester for the years 1975 through 2000 has been donated to the D.C. Public School System’s Museum and Archives in the Sumner School building at M St. and 17^th St. N.W.

The museum expressed an interest in having copies because of frequent stories about local public schools. In the 1970s, for example, The Southwester reported on the Tri-School system in Southwest, the Randall RAMS high school program, proposed closing of Syphax and Randall schools, and accomplishments of the students of each school.

.

GWU To Honor Dr. Jarvis

Southeastern University President Charlene Drew Jarvis will be honored with a doctor of public service degree at the May 20 commencement exercises of GWU on the Elipse.

The University states, "As the first woman to lead Southeastern, the theme of her administration is, "Educating Technology, Business, and Government Leaders for the Region and the World," focusing on computer science and information technology.

"Jarvis was a distinguished member of the Council of the District of Columbia for 21 years, where she served as chair pro tempore and chair of the Committee on Economic Development. Jarvis introduced legislation to build the MCI Center and the new Convention Center."

PAGE ONE – SPOT COLOR - ORANGE

After The Parade, Fun At KGL

As the June 2 parade ends at King-Greenleaf Field, First and N St. S. W, there will be plenty to do. A group of circus performers will be on hand. The marchers will get hot dogs and Hugs. A Police Bike Rodeo will be on the tennis court. Hand Dancers will demonstrate The Lindy, The Jitterbug, and all sorts of dancing from the 1940s and 1950s. And starting at 6:15 two exciting games of basketball will feature James Creek-3 vs. Channel Square and at 7:30pm Greenleaf 1 vs. Arthur Capper.

It’s all free. Don’t miss it.

Other events in Southwest on June 2 include a walking tour leaving the Waterfront/SEU station at 12:30, SEU’s International Festival at 6^th and I(Eye) St. S.W. at 1 pm, a rummage sale at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, 222 M St. S.W., from 10 am to 3 pm; and of course, the "Southwest Then and Now" photo exhibit all day at Waterside Mall, 401 M St. S.W.

S.W. Then & Now At M.A.C. Sun. June 3

The public is invited to hear old timers tell their stories of the Old Southwest at a history program and reception scheduled for the Millennium Art Center, 65 I (Eye) St. S.W., at 1 pm Sun., June 3.

Arena Stage will have a dialogue showcasing some S.W. residents and a play will honor a past resident of Southwest. The afternoon will conclude with a reception.

Redistricting Battle Focuses On Southwest

With its excess of residents, its prime waterfront location, and its potential for greater economic development, the Southwest neighborhood is at the center of the city’s stormy redistricting efforts.

Under a plan – called Plan H – approved by a subcommittee of the Council, Southwest would be joined with Capitol Hill in a new Ward 6. This has the support of Councilmembers Jack Evans of Ward 2 and Sharon Ambrose of Ward 6, but is opposed by Ward 8 Councilmember Sandy Allen who would like to have Southwest be a part of Ward 8, the Southeast corner of D.C., east of the Anacostia River. (See comments on Plan H by SWNA President Rev. George E. Holmes inside this issue).

POPULATION SHIFT, 1990-2000

A dramatic shift in population since 1990 forces the city to redraw Ward boundaries to ensure that a nearly equal number of people live in each of the eight Wards. Ward 2, which includes Southwest, had the greatest increase in population since 1990,

while Wards 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 each lost several thousand residents.

Evans is reticent about losing so many of his constituents, but is resigned to the fact. He stated at a May 10 council hearing, "It’s going to be a painful process. Everyone will have to give up something to make this work. It’s a plan that pleases no one, but we’re 11,000 over the average. Something has to give, and we realize that."

At a May 7 board meeting, Southwest Neighborhood Assembly officials voted 8-4 to support every effort to keep the neighborhood in Ward 2. But if the residents had to be shifted, SWNA Vice President

Margaret Feldman conceded, then most residents wanted the whole SW

neighborhood of about 11,000 people to remain intact and be drawn into adjacent Ward 6.

"We’d like to remain together," Feldman said.

Ward 6 Council member Sharon Ambrose has been aggressive in her courtship of the Southwest neighborhood, appearing during the SWNA April meeting to remind residents that the two areas not only share a future endeavor in the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, but the areas have a past and a current connection because the children attend the same schools.

THE WARD 8 ALTERNATIVE

Ward 8 Councilmember Sandy Allen would like Southwest to become part of Ward 8, rather than have Ward 8 end at the Anacostia River, as in Plan H. She also complained that Wards 7 and 8 are heavily populated with residents under 18 years of age, which means there is a smaller voting population than in other wards. "The only way to pick up (our) numbers is to go across the river and west," Allen said.

At the hearing councilmembers all agreed that Plan H needs a lot more "tweking" before it will be adopted. But Councilmember Jack Evans warned the committee, after pointing out tat he had made many concessions in trrying to make the plan work for everyone, that if other members started chipping away at the plan, then he would withdraw his offer and support onl minimal movement of his constituents.

The proposed redistricting map will have to go through two readings before the full Council – on June 5 and June 19 -and then be approved by Mayor Anthony Williams before it can be put into effect. The city’s deadline for final approval is July 14, but the plan is set to be submitted to the Mayor by July 1, according to officials.

(caption)

At the April public meeting of SWNA the main topic was changing Ward lines as a result of the 2000 Census. Left to right are Council Members Phil Mendelson, Jack Evans and Sharon Ambrose and SWNA vice-president Margaret Feldman, who chaired the meeting in the absence of SWNA President Holmes.

Andy Litsky, Chair of Southwest’s ANC 2D, spoke at the SWNA meeting, and later the ANC took action to keep Southwest together.

A New Route For S.W. Parade On Sat. June 2

Agreement has been reached on what streets to include in the S.W. History Parade Saturday, June 2, from 11:30 to 1 pm.

Starting at King-Greenleaf Field at First and N St. S.W., the parade will head south on First St., then turn right and head west on P St. past Ft. McNair, turn right again on 4^th St. and head north to M St. Heading East on M^th St. the parade will go past Senior Housing on Delaware Ave. and turn right on First St. to end at King-Greenleaf again at N St. & First St.

Earlier issues of The Southwester had maps for a parade route that included 7^th St., I (Eye) St. and 3^rd St. S.W. The new route will avoid blocking traffic in that area.

Groups marching in the parade have been divided into three divisions, each starting from different spots on King Greenleaf Field. Division One has the Navy Band, Division Two has the Dunbar High Band, and Division Three has the Eastern High Band.

SW Community Parade, June 2

By Margaret Feldman

The Southwest Community Parade on Saturday, June 2, is an opportunity for us all to remember our neighborhood history and build a new sense of community.

Old timers, who grew up in Southwest but were uprooted and forced to leave their homes by Urban Renewal of the 1950s and ‘60s, remember the wonderful sense of community they felt in Southwest. There is no place they would rather have grown up.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., often spoke of "the beloved community," and the Old Southwest of memory was that type of community – where each person felt known, accepted and supported.

The June 2 parade is a chance for neighbors in Southwest to do something together and develop a "beloved community" for this generation

Two dozen units from Southwest and half a dozen others will be in the June 2 parade. Join in, and get your neighbors to cheer as it goes by.

Inside

Community Calendar p 2

SWNA’s New Officers p. 2

Amidon Yard Sale p. 3

Spring Finery p. 4

Message From The SWNA President p. 4

Arena Stage Acts Out SW History p. 5

SW Parade Through the Years p.6

Fire Destroys Homes In SW p. 7

SEU International Festival p. 7

Schools p. 8

Community Calendar

May 24-June 25, 2001

Please submit calendar items for the next issue by Wed. June 6 to C. W. Hargrave, 554-8284.

Anacostia Initiative Website

In the May, 2001, Southwester the address was listed incorrectly.

SWNA Installs New Officers

Newly-elected officers of the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly were installed at the group's March meeting.

Sworn in were the Rev. George E. Holmes, president; Margaret Feldman, first vice president; Mark Farrell, second vice president; Ellen Winship, treasurer; Mindy Farrell and Perry Klein, District 1 representatives; Jacquelyn M. Matthews and Gottlieb Simon, District 2 representatives; Jean Macdonald, Marge Maceda, and Joan Rhones, District 3 representatives; Gloria Hamilton, Patricia Pressley, and Mary C. Williams, District 4 representatives; Barbara Murray, Scholarship Task Force chairperson; Dale MacIver, Editor, The Southwester; Naomi Monk, Waterside/Waterfront Task Force chairperson; and Rick Bardach, Youth Activities Task Force.

PAGE THREE

Amidon Yard Sale Draws Crowds

Hundreds of customers and visitors came by the Amidon yard sale sponsored by the PTA and nearby residents of Townhouse Management 4 Association. A Health/Law Fair on the north side of the school building helped enlarge the crowd, as children enjoyed a moon bounce, face painting (often knee or arm painting), and other activities.

(caption)

The U.S. Attorney’s Office arranged for health and law booths on subjects ranging from tuition assistance, to dental insurance, to seat belt safety, to face painting.

Two dozen yard-sale booths offered baking, art, clothing and all sorts of household gadgets and services.

PAGE 4

Spring Finery

Easter Sunday brought out new spring clothes in Southwest.

There was an 18% drop in reported crime in April 2001, compared to April 2000. Reported cases of robbery, assault, burglary, and theft all showed decreases. Theft from auto was the most frequent crime, with 8 cases reported in April 2000, and 11 in April, 2001 – an increase in that crime.

A Message From The SWNA President

(Testimony of Rev. George E. Homes at the May 10 committee hearing of a Council subcommittee).

"In a Biblical paradigm, the wisdom of Solomon was illustrated when there was a land dispute. There were two men – two parties – who had a dispute ovefr land and how it was to be divided (similar to what we are doing here by redistricting). Solomon decided on a process of how to divid e the land. He suggested that one of the two parties present a plan to decide the boundaries and the other party present a plan to determine which parcel of land they wanted.

"And in using that same timeless wisdom – which is applicable throughout the ages – why weren’t the affected parties involved in the creation of Plan H? Let the residents participate in the creation of a redistricting plan – being that it is our land, our people that will feel the impact. That’s wisdom>

"What has semmingly happened, which is so democratically discouraging, is that our city council is seeking coments, after the fact, about a plan (after the community’s non-intervention of that plan). We, the residents, opened up the newspaper, turned on the television, or listened to the radio to learn that our elected public officials had created a plan without citizen input. They did not think enough of us—to even ask us—about what we thought about our own neighborhoods.

"Do members of the council or this committee think we are not intelligent enough to offer constructive advice on the ramifications and implications of redistricting and its’ effect on our lives?

"We love this city, too. And in particular we love each person in Southwest from South Capitol St. to Half St. to Delaware to I. We love the high-rises and we love the public housing. We love the remembered and we love the forgotten. We love the PhDs, the MDs, and the no Ds—and to think that there is discussion about fragmentation around us, about us, but without us, is disrespectful.

"Retrospectively, I remember the story of a widow mother of 3 who told a potential suitor, "My children and I are a package deal. Either you take all of us or none of us." And in likeness while discussion of wheeling and dealing and slicing and dicing of Southwest goes around—Southwest is a package deal. Either we all go or we all stay. Either you take all of us or none of us. A house divided against its self cannot stand. So if we must go, let us go. Or if we must stay, let us stay—but whether we go or stay let us be together."

PAGE FIVE

Arts

Joyful Theatre With A Bite

"Constant Star" at Arena Stage’s Kreeger Theatre through July 1 has the audience laughing and applauding – and, at times, deathly silent.

Twenty-two spirituals sung by the five excellent actress/singers on stage range from joyful to sorrowful, but the detailed stories of lynching read on stage from newspaper articles from the 1890s and early 20^th century are heartbreaking.

Playwright Tazewell Thompson has brought to life the spunky civil rights activist Ida B. Wells, one of the founders of the NAACP, and in telling her story gives a searing account of the Reconstruction and Jim Crow periods after the Civil War, with lynching of African-Americans a frequent occurrence.

Arena Stage has again displayed the unique ability of theatre to deal with important and difficult issues.

Dale MacIver

Arena Stage Acts Out S.W. History

Early Southwest came to life on stage recently under the direction of Arena Stage award-winning playwright and artist Rebecca Rice.

Before a standing room only crowd in the Old Vat Room, Rice unveiled her year-long project to capture the history of Southwest - the good, the bad, and the ugly - and then transformed it into a visually stimulating and educational production.

"This is an ongoing, living story," Rice told the audience at the production's debut on April 28. "This story touches people's lives. Indeed it did. The production opened with a surreal depiction of the early southwest and its vast natural resources. Rice, who is known for bringing together the inner city community and theatre , allowed the historical memory of long-time residents to be told in their own voices. Graphic and heartwarming stories of once vibrant and loving neighborhoods dominated the second act as Rice unveiled treasures of Southwest's past and present. But while recalling the kindly acts of friends and neighbors in the 1950s, Rice does not attempt to sidestep the neighborhood's infamous reputation as a dangerous place for outsiders to visit. There were weekly fights, murder, and rape. She moves the audience to the 1960s when urban renewal forced the displacement of many black pioneers. She touched on Arena Stage's own place in the community's history and redevelopment and made the connection..

"The Southwest community is where we live, where we work, where we create our art," said artistic director Molly Smith.

Rice called the production "a work in progress." But many who viewed the four-hour performance walked away with a new appreciation for the history associated with the Southwest region of the city.

______________________________________

Three SW youth, along with Louris Martin, warmed up the audience by performing an impromptu rap rhythm entitled "Southwest is the Best" - a performance which required the young rappers to improvise between the choruses.

The Southwest Project is the last presentation in a series of public staged workshops designed to give audiences a more intimate look at the artistic process.

Rice, a D.C. native and longtime associate of the Arena Stage, said she devoted a year to compiling an oral history of Southwest by talking to longtime residents. Rice enlisted the help of a group of performers called the Equinox Team, which starred in the production. Delivering an outstanding performance were Judy Byron, Oran Sandel, Lisa Biggs, Psalmayene 24, Jason Morris, Lisandra Ramos, Judith Anne Smith, Enrique Aviles, Naoko Maeshiba, Louris Martin, Beatrice Judge, and Rosey Strub.

Arena Stage Announces Its New Season

Subscription packages for the Sep. 2001 to June, 2002 season are now on sale and may be purchased at the box office or by calling the Arena Stage Subscriptions Hotline: (202) 488-4377.

Seven plays by such American playwrights as Eugene O’Neill, John Steinbeck and Sam Shepard and one by ancient Greeks are being scheduled

Arena Stage Hosts Theatre Professionals

A two day forum for theatre professionals from the Washington, D.C., area will take place at Arena Stage Friday and Sat. June 1 and 2.

The forum, called "Who Needs New Plays?" will cover such topics as educating audiences to accept new plays, translating foreign plays into English, and marketing and fund-raising to support new plays.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights Paula Vogel and Wendy Wasserstein will speak.

Navy Yard Museum Opens Again On June 1

After being closed for renovation for a year and a half, The Navy Museum will open again on Friday, June 1. It is free to the public.

Entering at the 9^th and M St. S.E. entrance of the Navy Yard, the public will find the museum a few blocks down and off to the right in building 76 facing the waterfront. It is open 9 am to 5 pm weekdays and 10 am to 5 pm on Sat. & Sun. Parking is limited during the week, but plentiful on weekends.

Web site for the museum is www.history.navy.mil.

PAGE SIX

Southwest Parades Through The Years

Southwest has often had parades, big and small. One very big parade occurred 67 years ago when 4^th St. , a busy but poorly paved street of small shops and services, got new sidewalks and the cobble stones in the street were pulled up and replaced by new paving.

During those years of racial segregation, Southwest had a white Citizens Association and a black civic Association. Fourth St. was known as 4 ½ street at that time and the two groups worked together to change the name. The name change was celebrated with a huge parade up the new 4^th St.

Newspaper stories of the event say the parade of bands, drill teams, floats, cars and clowns took one and a half hours to pass the reviewing stand.

In 2001 Southwest has new sidewalks in several places and some new pavement. Once again we can celebrate. Other neighborhoods in D.C. will have local history celebrations on June 2, at the request of the D. C. Tourism Coalition. Our Southwest Parade is our part of that citywide celebration.

Margaret Feldman

Chair, SWNA History Task Force

Annie Phillips Displays Art

At the 65^th anniversary luncheon of her Dunbar High School class, held in Channel Inn on the waterfront, Southwest artist Annie King Phillips displayed some of her recent collages.

(caption)

Annie King Phillips with some of her art on display at her Dunbar High 65^th Class reunion.

Dunbar High graduates of the class of 1936 pose before boarding the Odyssey cruise ship with other classmates.

PAGE SEVEN

Green Thumb Volunteers Needed in S.W.

You can help high school students learn gardening skills while developing a new garden near 4^th and I St. S.W. on Westminster Presbyterian Church’s property.

The first stage of the garden will focus on kitchen herbs and native plants. Eventually a terraced rain garden will cover a nearby slope.

The Anacostia Watershed Society and Garden Resources of Washington (GROW) will be helping, with their interest in gardens that clean urban pollutants from rainwater runoff before the water drains into a watershed – in our case, the Anacostia River.

Students from one of the charter schools in the Waterside Mall – Washington Math, Science, Technology – and eventually Amidon Elementary School – will participate.

If you are interested in getting involved with this important neighborhood project, contact Revs. Ruth or Brian Hamilton at 202-484-7700.

SEU To Host International Festival

Dozens of countries from around the world – from Turkey to Thailand, Bangkok to the Bahamas, and China to Cameroon – will be represented during Southeastern University’s 6^th annual International Festival on Saturday, June 2

From noon to 3 pm on the playground of Amidon Elementary School on I (Eye) St. S.W. near 6^th the gala will celebrate the university’s diverse student body – from as many as 50 different countries, such as Thailand, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, the Congo, Cameroon, Kenya, Pakistan, Nigeria, Turkey and Russia.

"The International Festival is an educational and cultural learning experience for all," said Southeastern President Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis. "It is an enlightening way to spend the afternoon."

The festival will feature students in native clothing and their ethnic foods, with performances throughout the afternoon. Admission is free. Donations of $2 are requested to support the Doctors Without Borders, the international medical group that gives free medical care in many countries.

Southeastern University has a charter from the U. S. Congress and offers two-year, four-year, and graduate degree programs with a focus on business.

Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, it is a member of the prestigious Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.

Fire Destroys Homes On Carrollburg Pl.,

Dozens of Southwest residents were left homeless recently when a fire swept through their homes in the 1200 block of Carrollburg Place.

No one was injured in the two-alarm blaze that was reported about 10:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. It took about 80 firefighters more than an hour to put out the blaze, Fire Spokesman Alan Etter said.

Fire investigators determined that the fire was intentionally set and a criminal investigation is underway, Etter said.

The fire, which officials estimated caused about $200,000 in damage, apparently started in a vacant rowhouse at 1124 Carrollburg Place and spread quickly to six adjacent homes, forcing residents into the night. Several neighbors reported hearing gunshots fired before seeing flames shooting into the air from the two-story structure.

"Police tell us that the structure was being used for drug activity and we found various drug paraphernalia inside," Etter said. "There is a criminal investigation, but we have not made any arrests."

Firefighters were called to the area again four days later when a fire was discovered at James Creek in the 1300 block of Half Street.

Neighbors said no one was inside the apartment when the fire broke out about 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1. Etter said the cause of that blaze is still under investigation.

PAGE EIGHT

Schools

College Grant Forms Due May 31

Southwest residents who are either high school seniors planning for college next fall, or already in college have until Thursday, May 31, to turn their applications in at the Southwest Branch library for a grant to help with books, transportation and expenses at college.

The S.W. Scholarship Committee’s mail solicitation in Southwest has brought in several thousand dollars already to help local students taking the college path to their futures.

Junior Betas Reach Out

Jefferson Jr. High’s Junior Beta Club with its sponsor Mrs. Annie C. Miller, social studies teacher, were busy with community service projects.

Three classrooms were painted, flowers planted and trash picked up when 51 students, teachers, parents and volunteers took part in Hands-On-D.C.

Thirty-three pre-school students at Randall Recreation Center’s day care center received prizes at an Easter Egg Hunt put on by 40 students, two teachers and parents and friends. Vision D.C. and Teen Life Choices helped out.

Amidon Kids See John Glenn

Space Day on May 3 gave students from Amidon Elementary School a chance to meet a real Astronaut, John Glenn, at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

(caption)

Astronaut John Glenn stands behind a table where Amidon students are making cardboard models of satellites.

Southwest’s Dr. Perry Klein, right, talks to Astronaut John Glenn, left, at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum on Space Day. Dr. Klein is next to a real satellite built by amateurs to be launched for science and ham radio communications. NASA accepts small payloads like this to the extent weight limits permit.