If you’re having a yard sale this weekend, give us all the details.  Click the comments button and let us know when we should come by and take that Billy Bookcase off your hands.

photo by Elizabeth Festa

This is a quickie. It takes such a short amount of time, I don’t think of it. It is over before you know it, and yet it is something you remember forever (or I do). So, it is something many of us take for granted — walking to school.

The Hill’s neighborhood elementary schools take in-bounds and out-of-bounds students, of course, but many families live close enough in our dense community to walk with their pint-sized charges, or escort them as they bike, scoot, swoop, run or even swing from vines and branches to get there (as my active  son seems to to do — his feet are only on the sidewalk proper less than 50% of the time, so not sure if I would classify him as a walk-to-schooler.

Of course, it sure is nice that parents get to tumble out of the door and stretch their pre-arthritic joints the few blocks to the school door and catch up with fellow parents on homework, class dynamics, PTA intrigues, or get-togethers, but it is the kids, some of whom know nothing else, who are truly taking this for granted.

They get to jump, stomp, shuffle, skip, pick flowers for teachers (sorry, A Street NE), run after butterflies, turn over stones, jump off embankments, throw snowballs, slide sticks through the dirt, bang sticks along fences (sorry, 13th Street NE), leap to avoid dog poop (early football obstacle course training), shout to friends, hide in trees and shake wet branches on their sisters, all this instead of be strapped into a carseat before 9 AM listening to WTOP’s traffic report, NPR’s flatly toned instructions for enlightenment, Glenn Beck’s rants, strains of Wheels on the Bus (which you never hear on a bus) or an unholy amalgamation of all of these, punctuated with offhand curses of the safe but tense driver, and honking horns, and idling motors.

“If I had to drive to school,” says one of my favorite Mom pals, “I would miss the conversations that we have. In the mornings, we talk about nature, the kids ask questions, or we talk about what specials they have that day. Same with the way home — who did they sit by at lunch? Who did they play with at recess? We see if the spider that we saw in the morning is still there. Not that you can’t talk in the car, but walking is far better for conversation.” Thanks, H!

Bussing is a good thing, and it has integrated schools, and diversified community schools, and brought those who need education to places of that educate them, so it is a great force in our society, but those that can walk to a school of their choice should really do what all people who take things for granted do. Look puzzled now when told of it, recall it whistfully, years later,when they  realize how lucky they were. But, shh! Don’t tell them now.  They are looking at a spider.

Thursday, September 9
If you’d like to start your weekend off a little smarter, I recommend you attend the Great Generals of the Civil War Panel Discussion at the National Archives beginning at 7pm.  General Wesley K. Clark (ret.) moderates a panel discussion of The Great Generals book series. Panelists include John Mosier, author of Grant; Steven E. Woodworth, author of Sherman; Donald A. Davis, author of Stonewall Jackson; and Noah Andre Trudeau, author of Robert E. Lee. Book signings will follow the program.  The event is free and takes place in the William G. McGowan Theater.

On the other hand, if you’d like to start your weekend a little more hung over, I recommend you spend Thursday evening at any number of Hill locations sure to be showing the Vikings and Saints showdown that launches the NFL season.  My favorite local spots for football watching fun:  Tunnicliff’s, The Pug and Hawk & Dove.

Friday, September 10
It’s the last Friday for Jazz in the Sculpture Garden.  Local tenor saxophonist Bruce Swaim will perform.  Come dangle your feet in the fountain and wind down with some jazz between 5:30 and 8:00pm.

Then, wander over to the Rock and Roll Hotel for their Friday adult Rock and Roll Spelling Bee.  You drink a beer or shot between rounds… and still manage to spell chrysanthemum.

Saturday, September 11
Saturday is all about the arts.  The Arts on Foot festival and arts market are taking over 7th & F Streets, NW and Sidney Harman Hall.  The free festival starts at 11am and goes until 7pm and offers an interactive and cultural experience with live performances, hands-on activities, fine wines, and fun cuisine.

Or, if you’d like to enjoy some arts even closer to home, take your kids or your neighbor’s kids to KidsFest in Lincoln Park from 10am-1pm.  They promise a honey bee hoedown, face painting, field games and live music by “Rocknoceros.”

Head over to the Capitol Riverfront for the grand opening celebration for Yards Park.  This event runs from 9am-10pm and has something for everyone.  From a moon bounce to henna tattoos to food trucks and beer gardens to fitness classes to music by DJ Keenan, you’ll find something to tickle your fancy.

Sunday, September 12
This is the last day for several well-reviewed museum exhibits. The National Museum for Women in the Arts’ exhibit, “Body of Work:  New Perspectives on Figurative Painting” closes at 5pm.  It’s also the last day for “Yives Klein: With the Void, Full Powers” at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.  ”DaVinci – The Genius” has it’s final day at the National Geographic Museum.  The Phillips Collection is closing “Robert Ryman:  Variations and Improvisations” at the end of the day. Finally, “Art by the Yard:  Women Design Mid-Century Britain” has it’s last day at the Textile Museum.

I hope you’ll try one or two of these items… or suggest something else for fun this weekend.

image uploaded by JosephLeonardo on Flickr

Nomination petitions were due on Friday, and there were several last-minute additions to the ANC races in Ward 6. We now have 12 three-way races and nine two-way races out of 35 seats!  12 seats remain unchallenged and one seat, 6C03, has no candidate.  (And 6B11, which contains only the DC Jail and Congressional Cemetery, is still said to have no eligible residents and I am still tracking down the mystery of the two write-in votes in ’04, ’06, and ’08).  There is also a two-way race in 7D01, which I am including in our coverage after a reader request — that one SMD is west of the river and we sometimes cover news around Kingman Park and Rosedale.  Read on to find out about your candidates.

In the coming months, we will do our best to bring you information about all of your candidates so you can make an informed decision on November 2nd.  If you are an ANC candidate and would like for us to include your website or Twitter handle on our Election 2010 Page, please send me an email at ClaudiaTheHillisHome at gmail dot com.

If you live within the boundaries of 6C03, which has no candidate, it’s not too late to throw your hat into the race as a write-in candidate.  According to the DC Board of Elections and Ethics: Write-in candidates for the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner must meet the same qualifications as candidates whose names appear on the ballot. Individuals who wish to become write-in candidates must certify their candidacy by filing a notarized Affirmation of Write-In Candidacy with the Board by no later than 4:45 p.m. on the seventh day following the general election (Tuesday, November 9). The Board encourages write-in candidates to file prior to Election Day.  An Affirmation of Write-In Candidacy may be obtained from the Voter Services Office or downloaded from the Board’s web site.

If you are not sure what ANC or SMD you are in, use the DC Citizen’s Atlas to find out.  Learn more about what the ANCs do here.
Astrix (*) indicates incumbent

ANC 6A
6A01
– Adam C. Healy
– Angelia Rice
– Lawrence Russell
6A02
– Drew Ronneberg*
6A03
– David Holmes*
6A04
– Nick Alberti*
6A05
– Sharee Lawler
– William R. Mohring
6A06
–Andrew J. Hysell
6A07
– Necothia “Nikki” Bowens
– Gladys Ann Mack*
6A08
– Erica Anderson
– Lia Veenendaal-Selck

ANC 6B
6B01
– Dave Garrison*
6B02
– Vernon Mallu
– Mary Wright*
– Ivan Frishberg
6B03
– Norman Metzger*
– Jason E. Townsend
6B04
– Tim Casey
– Larry Janezich
– Kirsten Oldenburg*
6B05
– Kenan Jarboe*
– Brian Pate
6B06
– Jared Critchfield
6B07
– Carol J Green*
– Deanna R. Laufer
– Jon Marker
6B08
– Neil Glick*
– Michael McCamman
– Laura McSorley
6B09
– Brian Flahaven
– Ian Stumpf
– Michael O. Patterson*
6B10
– Francis M. Campbell*
– Richard Counts
– Larry Frankel
6B11
– there are no eligible candidates for this seat since the SMD only contains the DC Jail and Congressional Cemetery.)

ANC 6C
6C01
– Marge Maceda
– Keith Silver*
6C02
– Joshua Kumpf
– Mark A. Dixon*
– Rob Amos
6C03
–
6C04
– Anne M. Phelps*
6C05
– Brian Cox
– Tony Richardson*
– Jennifer Zatkowski
6C06
– Tom Hamilton*
6C07
– Bill Crews
6C08
– Karen Wirt*
6C09
– Leroy-Jacob Smith
– Kevin Wilsey

ANC 6D
6D01
– Bob Craycraft
6D02
– Kathleen Hoppe
– Cara Lea Shockley
6D03
– Sheila A. Smith
– Ron McBee*
– Mary C. Williams
6D04
– Andy Litsky*
6D05
– Carl I Barnes Sr.
– Grace E. Daughtridge
– Roger Moffatt*
6D06
– Mark Driscoll
– Rhonda Hamilton*
6D07
– Bruce M. Darconte
– David Garber
– Robert “BoB” Siegel*

ANC 7D (since one SMD in this Ward lies west of the river, we’re including it as well)
7D01
– Veronica E. Raglin*
– Lisa White

I refuse to go on about the lovely, promising weather enjoyed this recent three-day weekend because we all know that summer will continue to hold us in it’s sweaty mosquito- filled death grip for far longer than anyone is willing to admit.

So while sure the kids are all in school and everyone is back to work the shorts and flip flops aren’t going anywhere.

Except the white shoes people. We have rules for a reason.

Nichole: This weekend was the beginning of my week in the Outer Banks. See everyone next week!

Liz: spent much of  the weekend sampling different cough syrups and finding none as effective as an Rx,  ate little, drank little, slept little, and finally came to life Monday afternoon when she plugged in her  hand-held mixer and made  a lemon cake and stepped outdoors to see there was sunshine. Spending so much time  indoors with  kids, everyone sick, she decided the imps were indeed  really cute and fun and inventive and amusing. But please get them past my front  porch this week.

Robert: Quiet weekend at home, with the highlights being a trip to Ikea, a drunken karaoke evening, and burgers in Tim’s back yard.

Claudia: I spent my weekend enjoying the amazing weather by the pool, eating crabs, relaxing with friends, and being as lazy as possible.  I also finally made it to Roosevelt Island for the first time ever and couldn’t have picked a better day for it.

Maria: I picked a first batch of green beans from my garden; ate a really good and greasy birthday dinner at the Capital City Diner (and was treated to a really good piece of Red Velvet cake there: thank you!); had a blast at karaoke at Remingtons (where I was treated to gin and tonics by bartender and friends alike: thank you again!); and just basked in the nice weather and the good moods it brings along with it.

Tim: Stayed out way too late at someone’s birthday party Saturday night. Spent Sunday playing “who can be the quietist” with my kids (I won). Then painfully dragged myself to the backyard that evening to light the grill. Impromptu cook out with friends seemed to restore some sense of life. And got in one last pool trip as the water is slowly but certainly trending towards “shrinkage” territory.

Kyra: I spent a lovely long weekend at the beach with my husband Brian and daughter Anabel.

Jen: Went to NJ/NY for a quick trip which included the usual indulgent carb-a-thons. We spent a final, as in ever, day at my grandparents beach community which is being demolished this year by the City of New York…a belated f…you um I mean thank you, due to Robert Moses and a greedy/broke city looking to make some bank selling land which will inevitably become hideous condos because they just don’t build pretty things in Staten Island anymore.  Glorious day considering. My 87 year old grandfather totally carried my dad to win second place in the club’s final bocce tournament.

So I used that as the picture for today’s column…not Hill related but what the hell.

image uploaded by Paul Stevenson on Flickr

I can’t lie: coming back to a windowless cubeland after a weekend like this is kind of painful.  I don’t think the weather could have been much more perfect for BBQs, pool parties, and any other outdoor activity you could think of.  But it’s back to work and back to my big morning cups of coffee to wake me up and keep me warm in my overly-air-conditioned office.  Before I get to your weekly dose of Hill Buzz, here’s a quick PSA.  You’ve probably noticed a increase in the number of campaign signs around Eastern Market this past weekend.  It’s all thanks to the Hine School being set up as a location for early voting.  You can vote early at Hine from 8:30am – 7pm through Saturday, September 11.

• Via Frozen Tropics: Former ANC 5B10 commissioner Kathy Henderson was caught on camera removing Kwame Brown and Harry Thomas Jr. campaign signs from Capitol City Diner’s property and replacing them with Fenty signs.  Henderson claims that Diner owner Matt Ashburn asked her to do so.  Ashburn denies this.  Henderson has posted emails to the listervs accusing Ashburn of fraud and blaming some dispute between him and the other owner of the Diner.  Henderson is running as an Independent for the Ward 5 council seat, after her bid for a Democratic slot on the ballot was denied after being challenged.  Details and Henderson’s emails are posted on Frozen Tropics and NBC also has coverage.
• In other election news, Former Mayor Anthony Williams endorsed Kelvin Robinson and The Washington Post endorsed Tommy Wells.  Also, D.C. Wire and TBD caught up with Gray campaigning in Eastern Market over the weekend.
• A reporter from The Washington Post spent 24-hours at the Capital City Diner, covering the crowds and shifts.
• Tom Sietsema wasn’t amazed with the food at Biergarten Haus but did enjoy some great beers.
• Greater Greater Washington takes a look at some very cool sustainable stormwater systems that are built into the tree boxes around the Navy Yard.
• Young & Hungry talks to the owners of Granville Moore’s about their plans to expand, but there are still no details on which way.  Frozen Tropics talks more about their options.
• JDLand shared a press release from Eleanor Holmes Norton objecting to the Marines’ expansion plans and encourages the use of a plot that is already slated to be used for the Capper community center.
• We Love DC questions whether or not Spike Mendelsohn should have been included on Vanity Fair’s “Next Establishment” List.
• Frozen Tropics had another update on the Argonaut — insurance estimates have been approved which means construction can start soon!
• Washington Business Journal looked into the possibility of a Giant coming to 3rd and H NE.
• TBD sees the Canal Park groundbreaking as a sign that development around the Navy Yard is gaining momentum again.

• Wednesday, September 8: ANC 6C will meet at 7pm at the Heritage Foundation, located at 214 Massachusetts Avenue NE.  The full agenda can be found on their Web site.  Also on Wednesday, the PSA 103 monthly meeting will be held at 7pm at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE.
• Thursday, September 9: ANC 6A will meet at at 7pm at Miner Elementary, 601 15th Street, NE. The agenda can be found on their Web site.  A few items of note include funding for Sherwood Recreation Center Garden, a recommendation for the ANC to request that the Visitor Parking Permit Pilot be extended to ANC 6A, a recommendation to ask the Zoning Commission to extend the H Street Overlay to commercially zoned lots in Square 1026 (Florida and 14th St NE) as well as alley facing lots in Square 1027 (Linden Pl), and a recommendation to appeal 7-Eleven’s Certificate of Occupancy as a fast food establishment if 7-Eleven does not sign a MOU that includes a ban on the sale of boned chicken wings by August 31st.
• Monday, September 13: ANC 6D will meet at 7 pm at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church located at 600 M Street, SW.  The agenda has not yet been posted to their Web site.  Also on Monday, the H Street Main Street monthly meeting will be held at 7pm at 961 H St, NE, in the former branch bank building of Bank of America.
• Tuesday, September 14: The Trinidad Neighborhood Association will meet at the Trinidad Recreation Center 1310 Childress Steet, NE, at 7pm, and the PSA 102 monthly meeting will be held at 7 pm at the Sherwood Recreation Center, corner of 10th and G Streets, NE.
• Thursday, September 16: The PSA 107 monthly meeting will be held at Liberty Baptist Church 527 Kentucky Avenue, SE at 7pm.
• Tuesday, September 21: ANC 6B will meet at 7am 7pm at The People’s Church, located at 535 8th, SE. This meeting usually takes place the second Tuesday of the month but has been moved back a week due to the Primary Elections on the 14th.  The full agenda can be found on their Web site — some items of note include several zoning permit considerations and a report on Eastern Market.
• Saturday, September 25: The PSA 105 monthly meeting will be held at 10am at 1100 New Jersey Avenue, SE.

Image uploaded by Sarah Oh on Flickr

While I was not able to attend Wednesday night’s Ward 6 City Council Candidate’s Forum, one of the organizing groups — Defeat Poverty DC — put together the following summary and posted clips from the evening on their YouTube channel.  If you’re one of the unlucky ones still at the office today (then again, that might be better than sitting in beach traffic), click through to listen to the questions and answers.  This last forum also included Jim DeMartino, the Republican candidate, In addition to Tommy Wells and Kelvin Robinson.

The following summary was provided by Defeat Poverty DC:

On Wednesday night, the candidates running in the Ward 6 council member race, which include current Democratic Council Member Tommy Wells, Democratic candidate Kelvin Robinson, and Republican candidate Jim DeMartino, sat before a respectable turnout of Ward 6 residents at the Christ Our Shepherd Church, located next to Eastern Market. The forum differed from many others both in tone and in format which made for a very enjoyable and productive experience. Even with all three of the candidates having noticeably different platforms and priorities, they maintained a jovial and accessible environment, where issues – not personalities – prevailed, and ambiguous answers were not deemed acceptable.

Mark Segraves, news reporter from WTOP, ran a tight ship and was not shy about pressing the candidates on hot topic issues, such as the legalization and production of medical marijuana in Ward 6, whether gay marriage should be included in the definition of marriage, and the possibility of raising the income tax on high-income residents. During the opening statements, Tommy Wells focused on his achievements over the past few years as the active council member, highlighting his role in attracting businesses to Ward 6 in areas such as Barracks Row and reiterating his commitment in developing a “livable, walk able city.”  Kelvin Robinson, after making a commitment to be a full-time council member if elected (as opposed to continuing to take outside work), said he work on reducing juvenile crime and improving education. The lone Republican, Jim DeMartino, while not making a commitment to being a full-time council member, shared his plans to increase economic activity and bring more jobs to Ward 6.

Several of the questions asked focused on poverty specific issues such as affordable housing, income tax, and jobs training. Here are what the candidates had to say on those issues:

Council Member Wells

On affordable housing Recently passed the inclusionary zoning law, where 30% of new housing must be affordable housing. Providing affordable housing is our duty and moral obligation

On raising the income tax for high income earners Taxes should be raised for those making over $250,000.

On unemployment and jobs training Creating a livable, walk able city is critical in generating business and creating jobs

Jim DeMartino

On affordable housing Provide affordable housing to families who need it with the ultimate goal of increasing salaries by training people and ensuring that jobs are there to pay so residents can afford housing at the market value. We can’t keep the bar at affordable housing.

On raising the income tax for high income earners Taxes should not be increased, as taxing the rich limits investment and job creation

On unemployment and jobs training Education is the first priority and creating jobs is second. Job creation can be achieved by bringing manufacturing jobs to Ward 6. We just need ideas and leadership to make these jobs happen.

Kelvin Robinson

On affordable housing There needs to be more transitional housing, especially for families who are homeless.

On raising the income tax for high income earners Taxes should be raised for those who have the greatest means. Taxes should be raised for those making over $250,000 per year.

On unemployment and jobs training We need career readiness so that we have a work force that is prepared and ready to go

Overall, the Ward 6 forum proved that candidates can get along, relevant issues can be discussed, and residents can express concerns and ask questions to their soon-to-be elected official. Now, if only we could get the mayoral candidates to follow suit…

Click here to watch video clips of the Ward 6 forum.

photo uploaded to flickr by future15pic

Let’s all take a minute to mock Hurricane Earl as he wanders off. He’s not a man, never was one. Barely worth disrupting a vacation over and he leaves behind nothing but legions of disappointed TV weather folks, unable to capture the footage of the gas station roof being torn off or the chance to interview the same six dumb-asses who insist on sticking around and surfing.

We are right to mock, as Earl was a wuss. But will we be so lucky the next time? The truth is, hurricanes are rare in DC, and that makes us complacent. Isabel in 2003 was the last we’ve even had to pay attention to a major hurricane, and even if one does manage to make it all the way up here, we’ve got 75 miles or so of land to buffer us from the full force of a storm.

So let’s take a minute, in the midst of our mockery of Earl, this weekend to review your emergency preparations.

• Have a plan – The DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency has a website, www.makeaplan.dc.gov that coaches you through disaster preparedness.
• Emergency Supplies – A good rule of thumb is to be able to shelter in place in your home from 72 hours without power, gas, or water. Go ahead and throw some water jugs (1 gal/person/day) down in the basement, keep canned goods on hand, and so on. A good starting list is available here. Remember to plan for the special needs of children, pets, and people with chronic health issues.
• Print this stuff up – The chances are low of you losing power. Most neighborhoods in DC, and almost all of the Hill, have no overhead wires. But be ready anyway. Have hard copies of emergency plans, vital documents, contact info, etc. on hand. This is especially important now that we all have programed cell phones.
• Do a dry run – Turn off all the lights and electric devices in your house for an hour or so. Take note of what you’d need if this was for real. Can you get from your bed out of the house without a light? Can you do it while carrying kids?
• First Aid Kit – You have one, right? Know what’s in it and how to use it. It’s not a magic wand, it’s a tool kit.

That’s all fine and good for a basic preparedness plan. For those of you who are not from hurricane prone areas or don’t remember Isabel, let’s go through a basic primer on what to expect.

• Get all your crap inside – I don’t want your lawn chair going through my window. If you can’t move it, strap it down well.
• Move your car – Try to find a spot clear of trees. We lose a fair number of trees in summer storms, we’ll lose a lot more if a hurricane comes through.
• Plan on losing cell phone coverage – Either high call volume or knocked down cell towers make it unwise to rely too much on a cell phone. If you have a land line, have at least one phone that doesn’t require batteries. If you do not, plan on sharing a neighbor’s and give out of town relatives that number.
• Flooding – Most of the Hill is on high ground (hence, you know, the term “Hill”) so don’t expect too much flooding. However, portions of Georgetown, the Mall, Alexandria, and other areas routinely flood. Never try to drive through standing water.

All in all, these are some basic, common sense items that you should have on hand already, and not just when pre-hurricane hysterics start up. After all, not all disasters give multi-day warnings, and when the zombies come, you’re on your own, buddy.