August 2002

Any resident of Near Southwest (zip code 20024) or of the strip of near Southeast between the Anacostia and the SE Freeway who is age 18 or over and registers to be a "member"at the meeting may vote at the annual meeting of the Wiley Branton CDC Thurs. July 25 at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, 6^th & M St. S.W. Registration starts at 6:30 p.m. The meeting starts at 7 pm. Anyone who registered with the CDC in past years does not have to register again.

The meeting will revive the community development corporation, which has commitments from local developers to finance its efforts at neighborhood improvement.

By Alvin Hudgens

Two months ago with 15 players, Club #4 Police Boys & Girls clubs started baseball. They entered two 12 and under leagues – Babe Ruth and Little League. With clutch hitting and dominating pitching they are City champions in both leagues.

In the Babe Ruth League they finished the season 11-1, scoring 72 runs in the playoffs while giving up only 5 runs. With Christine and Joshua Benton pitching, they allowed a total of 5 hits in the tournament.

In the Little League, behind great hitting and standout defense by Deshawn Hattix, they overcame a 5-3 lead by Ft. Lincoln to win it in the 6th and final inning. With bases loaded, Deshawn caught a deep shot to right field that would have broken the game open for Ft. Lincoln.

(From the D.C. Office of Planning)

Saint Augustine’s Episcopal Church, 600 M St. S.W.

As part of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative (AWI) the DC Office of Planning and the National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC) have been working with the Southwest community for more than a year to develop a plan for revitalizing the Southwest waterfront.

Come and learn about revisions to the plan since our last presentation in February. Andrew Altman, DC Director of Planning, and the AWI Team will discuss an exciting vision for new parks, housing, shopping and streetscapes for the Southwest Neighborhood.

Ed. Note – Additional message from the National Capital Revitalization Corporation:

"Also, Andy Altman, Director of Planning, and Lloyd Smith, Acting President and CEO of NCRC, will give a presentation on the SW waterfront plan at the National Building Museum on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 6:30 pm.

(caption)

Community Calendar p 2

Catina Marina on Waterfront p 2

Jan Eichorn Honored p 2

ANC Meets Aug. 12 p. 2

National Night Out p. 2

Clean City Campaign p. 3

Arena Stage Meeting Aug. 15 p. 3

July 4 in SW p. 4

Mini-Grant Helps Kids p. 4

New Ballot System p. 5

S.W. Health Fair p. 6

Football at Club #4 p. 6

Arthur Capper Wins At Basketball p. 7

Greenleaf Seniors Perform p. 8

Senior Picnic p. 8

The tower building and patio beyond the former Gangplank Restaurant will open in a few weeks as "Catina Marina," a BBQ, Tex-Mex and seafood restaurant.

The new owners now operate "Capital Q," a barbeque café and carry-out at 707 H St. N.W. at the Chinatown stop of the Green Line.

Their skill at operating a restaurant wins them recognition among "100 Best" in the Washingtonian magazine – the June, 2002 issue, for example.

Southwest residents are joining in a 26 mile walk from Fairfax, VA to D.C. on Sun. Aug. 17.

Anyone wishing to support this effort for suicide awareness and prevention programs can send donations payable to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 120 Wall Street, 22^nd Floor, New York, NY 10005, or call 1-888-333-2377 for credit card donations.

 Fourth St. Traffic Study Starting

Large signs on Southwest sidewalks will help visitors find their way when a system of "way finding" signs is completed. Similar signs have already been placed downtown.

During July Southwest resident (and former editor of The Southwester) Jan Eichhorn has been featured on WETA TV and radio as a "Hometown Hero" for organizing an after-school program for at-risk children on Capitol Hill, called Friends of Tyler School, although students come from other schools, too..

A media release from WETA reports that FOTS operates year-round with 45 to 60 students ages 5 to 18 coming after school for discussion groups and to use the computer lab. After sharing dinner at 6:30 the students pair off to study with volunteer tutors at their new location at 1527-1529 Penna. Ave. S.E.

During the summer there is a six-week day camp for children and an eight-week evening course of tutoring.

A special public meeting of ANC 2D has been called to consider housekeeping questions:

1. Bylaws
2. Procedures

The annual "National Night Out," at Metropolitan Police District 1 will be held Tues. Aug. 6 at 6pm at First District Headquarters, 415 4^th St. S.W., instead of the monthly meeting of 1D Citizens Advisory Council. For information try 727-9353, Sgt. Janifer.

Community Calendar

MONTHLY MEETINGS

Mon-Thurs. July 22-25 Jefferson Jr. High Open House mornings at the school at 8^th and H St. S.W.

Mon. July 22 Public meeting on Southwest Waterfront Plans St. Augustine’s Epicopal Church, 600 M St. S.W. 6:30 p.m.- 8:30 pm

Thurs. July 25 Wiley Branton Community Development Corporation public meeting for annual election of board members. Registration 6:30 pm. Meeting 7 pm. St. Augustine’s Church, 6th & M SW

Wed. July 31 Open House, Police Harbor Patrol, 550 Water St. S.W. 5 pm to 8 pm

Tues. Aug. 6 Police Citizens Advisory Committee – monthly meeting 415 4^th St. S.W. replaced by National Night Out, 6pm

Mon. Aug. 12 ANC 2D Westminster Church, 400 I (Eye) St. S.W. 7 pm Special public meeting

WEEKLY & BIWEEKLY MEETINGS

Komen Toastmasters, First & Third Saturdays – SW Branch Library, 900 Wesley Pl S.W. 10 am

Fil-Am Toastmaster Second and Fourth Wed. – SW Branch Library, 6:45 pm

School Street Toastmasters, every Tuesday, 400 Virginia Ave. S.W., Room 88 – noon

S.W. Kiwanis, Every Monday – SE University, 6^th & I St. S.W. – 6:30 pm to 7:30pm

Please submit calendar items for the next issue by Wed. Aug. 7 to C.W. Hargrave, 554-8284.

For 5 hours from 10 am to 3:30 pm one or more lanes of the following Southwest streets will be closed for a BikeDC tour. D.C. Police will be stationed along the route.

Potomac Ave. from Half to 2^nd S.W.

R St. S.W. from 1^st to 2^nd SW

2^nd St. SW from R to P SW

Canal St. from P to Delaware SW

Delaware from Canal to I St. SW

I St. from Delaware to 7^th St. SW

Maine Ave. SW from 7^th to 12^th SW

12^th St. SW from Maine to Indep.

12^th St. Tunnel

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (202-628-2500) states on its web site (www.waba.org) that proceeds from the tour will bo to support the advocacy efforts of WABA and the National Capital Food Bank.

On a rainy June 15 morning, volunteers took to the streets of Southwest to clear them of litter. The Saturday morning effort to remove unsightly bottles and paper was done in conjunction with D.C.’s Clean City Initiative.

"The first time a few months ago, we had 10 people sign up but only five actually showed up and worked. This time, we had twice as many volunteers, including two very young energetic helpers, Sidney and Tyler from Carrollsburg Place, as well as representatives from some area businesses," said ANC Commissioner Mary C. Williams, who organized the cleanup with assistance from the D.C. Dept. of Public Works Helping Hand Program director Tom Day and Clean City Coordinator Vincent Spaulding.

Volunteers armed with plastic gloves and yellow garbage bags collected more than 50 bags of trash and a truck-load of debris from areas around the city. A majority of the volunteers were Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, Inc., board members, but several area businesses, including Bernstein’s Liquor Store owner Park Young and Capital City Limousine participated. Otis Tucker collected trash and mowed weeds outside the M St. Liquor Store. Jeremy Hotten, manager of the S.W. Post Office also had the parking area and median near his building cleaned up.

"By doing this monthly cleanup, we not only want to keep our neighborhood streets clean, but we are hoping to enlist the community’s help I adding some sparkle to our area through beautification projects, such as a flower or vegetable garden on a vacant lot. Also, we hope to inspire business owners to landscape their areas and to engage them in educating their customers to respect our area by disposing of litter properly," Williams said.

SWNA District 4 representative Betty Clark and her husband Mark led a team of workers along the M St. corridor from Waterside Mall to So. Capitol St. and through the alleyway behind Half St.

SWNA Board member Naomi Monk and Randy Stephens of Second Union Baptist Church on Delaware Ave., joined forces to supervise work at Randall Community Center, while SWNA Secreatary Camille Cunningham and SWNA Board member Perry Klein took on the mounds of litter at Lansburg Park on Delaware Ave.

Bob Mittendorf, SWNA’s second vice president, brought his van to transport some of the excess debris and SWNA District Rep. Meg Brinckman tackled the route from M St. to Canal, south to O St. near Ft. McNair, andup Fourth St. Southwet Kiwinis Club President Willie Robinson also volunteered.

Anyone interested in helping with the August cleanup should call 488-0869 or send an e-mail to mslaw1121@aol.com. Organizations or groups willing to adopt a block under the Clean City Initiative should contact Vincent Spaulding at 671-1403, or Vincent.Spaulding@dc.gov.

(caption)

(From Arena Stage)

Southwest residents got a first look at Arena Stage’s plans for their expansion project at the July 8^th meeting of ANC 2D. Arena Stage Executive Director Stephen Richard introduced architect Bing Thom, who presented a slide show displaying a proposed design concept for the present theater site at 6^th St. and Maine Ave., S.W.

The plan roughly doubles the space in the building and preserves the existing quantity of parking. A third performance space is added to the existing Fichandler and Kreeger theaters, which are preserved.

To address the theater’s acoustic needs, the complex will be wrapped in a glass wall structure under a large, flat roof.

Mr. Richard emphasized that the project is still very tentative, depending on approvals and successful fundraising.

Students and the public will be welcome to visit Jefferson Jr. High during the mornings during the week of July 22-26.

PAGE FOUR

Cookouts were popular on the holiday weekend.

By Jean Macdonald, YATF Chair

Thanks to a Social Service Enrichment Min-Grant from the D.C. Dept. of Human Services dozens of Southwest kids continue to have fun, while learning self-discipline and healthy activity through Tae Kwon Do lessons.

SWNA’s Youth Activities Task Force has been busy coordinating and supporting this and other programs in the SW. At MPBG Club #4 directed by Alvin Hudgens, we are sponsoring registration fees for a team of 22 young footballers. The Club continues to win all sorts of championships this year!

Tae Kwon Do classes are held at King-Greenleaf Recreation Center every Monday and Wednesday at 10:00am. Randall Rec Center youth will participate in these classes.

King Greenleaf youth will join Randall Rec for morning swimming lessons. Both Recreation Centers have been granted funds from YATF for equipment and supplies needed in the daily programs. Also being funded is a teen mentoring program at Syphax, begun by Rhonda Hamilton, an honoree at our 20th anniversary benefit.

For the Sep. and Nov. elections D.C. voters will not be using the small punch card machines used in past elections.

Voters will mark new-looking cardboard ballots with a pencil or special voting pen by making a pencil mark joining two halves of an arrow next to a candidate’s name.

Two sides of the ballot may be used for different offices.

The voter then puts the ballot into a counting machine. If a voter makes a mistake – such as voting for two persons for the same office – the machine rejects the ballot and the voter gets a new ballot and votes again

(caption)

Ballots in D.C.’s Sep. and Nov. elections this year will look like this demonstration ballot, (names are for an imaginary election, of course). Voters mark with a pencil joining two halves of an arrow next to a candidate’s name.

In the primary election Tues., Sep. 10, voters in Southwest, D.C., will have several offices for which to pick party candidates who will then run in the Nov. 5 general election.

Voters registered as Democratic, Republican, or D.C. Statehood Green party members can vote for candidates for five offices: Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, Mayor, Chairman of the Council, Council Member at Large and 6^th Ward Council Member. "Shadow" offices for U.S. Senator and U. S. Representative will be on the Sep. ballot also. Voters registered not with one of the parties, but as independents, cannot vote in the Sep. primary. A voter can change his or her party affiliation or status as an independent voter until August 12.

Richard Westbrook, long time commissioner for single member district 01 has announced he will not run for re-election.

(caption) This map shows the seven single member districts (SMDs) which will elect one commissioner each for ANC 6D, to take office January 1, 2003.

At the polls on Nov. 5 each voter will be given a ballot to vote for an ANC commissioner for the single member district in which the voter lives.

Notice that single member district 6D07 – east of South Capitol St. - which was part of ANC 6B of Capitol Hill for a few years, is again part of ANC 6D, as it was for over 15 years from the very start of the ANC system in 1975. This reunites the neighborhoods along M St. SE and M St. SW in the same ANC.

PAGE SIX

The first annual Health Fair on Wheels sponsored by the South Washington/West of the River Collaborative was a huge success.

A dozen large vans brought health services and information to children and adults at King Greenleaf Recreation Grounds.

By Alvin Hudgens

$60 registration and daily practice has started for four teams at MPD Club #4 – Mitey Mights (65 lb. ages 7, 8, 9) Junior Peewee, (75 lb. ages 9, 10, 11), Peewee (90 lb., ages 10-11-12), and Junior Midget (105 lb. ages 11, 12, 13).

The following documents are needed at registration:

Registration fee - $60

Birth certificate

A 2002 physical form signed by your doctor

A signed participation form

A signed membership card in Club #4

Your school report card by Aug. 20, 2002.

Trips scheduled for successful teams – Baltimore, MD and Florida.

PAGE SEVEN

By Alvin Hudgens

The Arther Capper basketball team won the second strait S.W. Summer Youth Basketball championship, defeating the excellent Channel Square team 52 to 44. Even without starting point guard "Speedy" Antwan Knight, the Capper Squad controlled the tempo.

With great rebounding from Curtis and great leadership from Terrance and Arron, the Cappers team overcame the lack of height. Compliments go to Dion "Stuff" and Nikko for their great championshi game heroics.

The games were played in the evenings at King-Greenleaf outdoor courts and had 300 fans, music, play-by-play announcing and great action.

The first night started with dunks, three pointers and upsets. The 2000 champion King Greenleeaf – 1 was knocked out in the first round by James Creek-2, which is coached by six time MVP Kevin Patterson of the youth and adult leagues.

Other first round winners were Channel Square over James Creek – 1, 45-38, Greenleaf-2 over Slam Jam, the women’s AAU team, 52-34, and Arthur Capper over "203" 41-35.

(caption)

Scenes From Summer BB

This summer at Jefferson Jr. High core subjects are being taught to over 100 students by master teachers – mostly high school teachers - from throughout the school system.

Subjects include English/Literature, Math 7, Pre-Algebra, Life Science, Environmental Science, American History and World Geography.

Special software and the internet are being used for subject matter and skill development.

PAGE EIGHT

Music, food and fun brought dozens of seniors outside for an old fashioned picnic at King-Greenleaf in June.

PAGE NINE (FILLER)

Last May Amber Drummond of G St. S.W. received a degree of Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Interviews are underway for five new applicants for grants for the 2002-2003 college year. Eleven other Southwest college students who have received one or more grants in the past also have applied for new grants.