WANTED: Resident Reviews of River East Advisory Neighborhood Commissions

The Advoc8te posted a request for River East ANC Commissioner interviews and now I am asking for input from River East residents regarding their local ANCs.

The Advoc8te would love to get some emails from residents on their ANC experience. Wether they attend ANC meeting faithfully or havecn't been to their first the Advoc8te would love to hear their experieince.

Community stakeholders are encouraged to send their stories to congressheightsontherise@gmail.com.

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner
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WANTED: River East ANC Commissioner Interviews

Congress Heights on the Rise is seeking  River East ANC Commissioner interviews for CHOTR Advisory Neighborhood Commission Awareness Week. Hopefully, by sharing information about specific ANC Commissioners and their ANCs more residents will be encouraged to attend and participate in their local ANC. Also, I think this is a great way for ANC Commissioners to introduce themselves to their constituents who may not be familiar with them.

Ward 7 and Ward 8 Commissioners who are interested in being featured on Congress Heights on the Rise need to complete the below questions and submit them along with a photo of themselves to congressheightsontherise@gmail.com.  All ANC Commissioners are being asked to answer the same questions and the full questionaire will be posted on the blog. For a Word version of the ANC Commissioner Questionaire send an email to congressheightsontherise@gmail.com. The Advoc8te hopes to recieve a lot of interest from ANC Commissioners who are looking to connect with their constituents and improve their ANCs.

BACKGROUND AND QUALIFICATIONS
1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Occupation:

4. Educational Background:

5. What ANC and Single Member District do you represent?
6. Do you hold an officer position if so what and for how long?
7. How long have you been an ANC Commissioner?
8. Why did you choose to be an ANC Commissioner?
9. What are your qualifications to be an ANC Commissioner? Do you have any special skills?
10. Do you consider yourself to be a progressive, moderate or conservative person?

ANC COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH
1. How can you be reached if someone has a community concern, an idea or a suggestion for the ANC or your Single Member District?
2. Is your ANC currently holding monthly meetings? Does it always hold monthly meetings?
3. When and where does your ANC have its monthly meetings? If your ANC has paid office space how much is the rent per month?
4. Below is posted the law on the notice and notification of ANC meetings. Is your ANC currently following the law regarding the length of notice (at least 7 days) and the type of notice (at least two from the list below)? How does your ANC notify residents of ANC meetings? Is it effective?

• a. Each Commission shall give notice of all meetings or convocations to each Commissioner, individuals with official business before the Commission and residents of the Commission area no less than 7 days prior to the date of such meeting. . . . Notice of regular and emergency meetings must include, but is not limited to, at least 2 of the following:  
• (1) Posting written notices in at least 4 conspicuous places in each single member district within the Commission area; 
• (2) Publication in a city or community newspaper; 
• (3) Transmitting or distributing notice to a list of residents and other stakeholders in the community; and 
• (4) In any other manner approved by the Commission.

 5. Do you have a Single Member District meeting for your residents and if so when and where?
 6. Do all of the commissioners for your ANC attend monthly meetings? If not why?
 7. ANCs are supposed to be a collaborative effort between the ANC Commissioners and the community they were elected to represent. The ANC should be listening to the concerns and needs of their community and use that knowledge to effect change and progress. Do you think your ANC currently encourages residents to ask questions and to be actively involved in the operations of the ANC? Please explain.
 8. Residents have long complained about the ineffectiveness and dysfunction of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions which is why they no longer attend meetings. What specific steps (if any) have you and/or the ANC taken to address this issue and to engage residents (old and new) to attend meetings and to be actively engaged in their ANC?

 ANC OPERATIONS

1. Does your ANC file their quarterly reports on time with the DC Auditor? If not why?
2. How much money is currently in the ANC bank account?
3. Do you feel that the ANC’s financial house is “in order”. Are ANC funds being used effectively and appropriately?
4. Does your ANC currently have an approved budget? Is your ANC currently participating in the ANC Security Fund?
5. Name two (2) specific things that your ANC has accomplished in this term.
6. Name at least two (2) challenges facing your ANC and what steps (if any) you and your fellow commissioners have made to solve them.
7. What are your hopes for your Single Member District and your ANC this term?
8. If you had to grade your ANC today what would be its grade and why? (Example of grades, A,B,C,D,F)

 For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner

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Who do I contact if I have a question, concern or a complaint about my ANC?

There are several rescources that concerned residents and community stakeholders can use when they have questions, concerns or complaints about a specific Advisory Neighborhood Commission or an ANC Commissioner. 



THE OFFICE OF THE ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSIONS
Click HERE to visit The Office of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission website.

The Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC), which provides technical support to the 37 ANCs, is located in Room 8 of the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20004. The office can be reached at (202) 727-9945 and may also be contacted by email, gottlieb.simon@dc.gov.

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AUDITOR
Click HERE to visit the DC Auditor website.

Pursuant to D.C. Code, Section 1-264(d), the District of Columbia Auditor is responsible for providing financial oversight of ANCs, auditing their financial accounts, and maintaining a database of financial information on each ANC for historical and expenditure trend analysis. The Auditor produces and submits to the Council of the District of Columbia a consolidated annual report of the financial activity of all ANCs. The Auditor may audit the financial accounts of an ANC at the discretion of the Auditor, upon the request of a member of the Council, or upon the request of a Commissioner of the ANC for which an audit is requested. All ANCs are required to submit quarterly financial reports documenting their financial activity to the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor on a form provided by the Auditor and by due dates established by the Auditor each calendar year.

The Auditor provides financial oversight and guidance to the ANCs to promote financial accountability, compliance with the ANC Law, and to ensure that internal controls are adequate to produce reliable financial information and to safeguard the ANCs’ assets. The ANCs are further guided in performing their responsibilities by guidelines and procedures established by the District of Columbia Auditor, and written opinions issued by the District’s Office of the Corporation Counsel which address common ANC concerns, frequently asked questions, and issues requiring legal review or clarification of the applicability of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Act of 1975.

Reporting Waste, Fraud and Abuse:

If you are aware of any District agencies or employees

wasting ....

abusing....

or fraudulently profiting from

District Government resources, please contact the:

Office of the District of Columbia Auditor
717 14th Street, N.W.
Suite 900
Washington, D.C. 20001
202-727-3600(P)
202-727-0427(confidential fax)
complaints.odca@dc.gov


DC OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
Click HERE to visit the DCOAG website.


Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) statutes, issues, and legal documents are now available online to the public, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, District agency officials, and anyone with Internet access.
The documents, written by the Office of the Attorney General, provide guidance on many issues that ANCs have faced since the commissions were established. Commissioners now have easy access to important and recurring questions on the daily operations and governance of their ANCs. Agency officials also may use this research tool to obtain ANC input on matters such as zoning issues, traffic patterns, and street improvements. Anyone who wishes to contest the award of a grant or the notice for a meeting can access the standards for these events and determine whether a challenge may have merit.


Search Advice Letters to ANCs
Background
Advisory Neighborhood Commission Website


Note: The ANC law has been amended many times. The information in some materials may be obsolete; be sure to check the most recent correspondence.


Office of the DC Attorney General
441 4th Street, NW, Suite 1145S
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 727-3400 (Main)
(202) 347-8922 (Fax)
oag@dc.gov


COMMITTEE ON AGING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS (DC Council)
Click HERE to visit the Committee website.
The Committee on Aging and Community Affairs is responsible for the concerns of the aging; matters regarding Advisory Neighborhood Commissions; matters related to Statehood and self-determination for the District; human rights; Latino, African, Asian and pacific islander and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender affairs; issues related to women; and veterans affairs.


Committee Chairperson: Yvette Alexander
Committee Clerk: Victor Bonett
Committee Members: Jim Graham, Mary Cheh, Harry Thomas, Jr., and Michael A. Brown


Committee Contact Information
Office: 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 17, Washington, DC 20004
Tel: (202) 741-0948
Fax: (202) 741-0911


Key Staff
Victor Bonett
Committe Clerk & Committee Contact Person
(202) 741 - 2112
vbonett@dccouncil.us


Ed FIsher
Committee Counsel
(202) 741 -0948
Efisher@dccouncil.us


Committee Meetings
The Committee shall hold regular meetings in room 123 on the Fourth Thursday of each month, except during periods of Council recess.


Upcoming Committee on Aging and Community Affairs Meeting Dates:
September 24, 2009
October 22, 2009


How to request a copy of Legislation
To request a copy of legislation you must complete a Legislative Information Request Form. The forms can also be obtained by contacting the Legislative Services Division at 1350 Pennsylvania, NW, Suite 10 Washington DC 20004 or by calling 202-724-8050 .

What is an Advisory Neighborhood Commission? What is an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner?

The below information can be found on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission website, www.anc.dc.gov





WHAT IS AN ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION (ANC)?

The Advisory Neighborhood Commissions consider a wide range of policies and programs affecting their neighborhoods, including traffic, parking, recreation, street improvements, liquor licenses, zoning, economic development, police protection, sanitation and trash collection, and the District's annual budget.In each of these areas, the intent of the ANC legislation is to ensure input from an advisory board that is made up of the residents of the neighborhoods that are directly affected by government action. The ANCs are the body of government with the closest official ties to the people in a neighborhood.

The ANCs present their positions and recommendations on issues to various District government agencies, the Executive Branch, and the Council. They also present testimony to independent agencies, boards, and commissions, usually under the rules of procedure specific to those entities. By law, the ANCs may also present their positions to Federal agencies.

 To assist ANCs, agency officials, and the general public, a searchable database of letters written by the Office of the Attorney General on ANC issues is now available.

 The Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC), which provides technical support to the 37 ANCs, is located in Room 8 of the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20004. The office can be reached at (202) 727-9945 and may also be contacted by email, gottlieb.simon@dc.gov.

 For assistance in locating your Ward and ANC please contact the Board of Elections at (202) 727-2525. You may also consult the online DC Guide for this information.

WHAT IS AN ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSIONER?

An Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) is a boundaried area of the city subdivided into smaller areas (with populations of approximately 2,000 residents) called Single Member Districts (SMDs).

The term for an ANC Commissioner is two (2) years [the current term is 2009 - 2010] . The office is nonpartisan. This is an unpaid position.

Each ANC Commissioner is nominated and elected by the registered voters who reside in the same Single Member District as the candidate. The ANC Commissioner is an unsalaried official who represents his or her neighborhood community (single member district) on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission. The Commission represents the neighborhood and advises the District government on issues relating to zoning, social service programs, health, police protection, sanitation, and recreation.

Establishment of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions was made possible under the provisions of the District of Columbia Self Government and Governmental Reorganization Act (Section 738) and the Advisory Neighborhood Commission Act of 1975 (DC Law No. 121).

 In order to hold the office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, an individual must meet the following qualifications:

• 
  
  Be a registered voter in the District, as defined by DC Code Section 1-1001.02;
• 
  
  Have resided in the Single Member District from which nominated continuously for the 60 day period immediately preceding the day on which the nominating petition is filed; and
• 
  
  Hold no other public office.

 For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner

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ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION AWARENESS WEEK ON CHOTR

The Advoc8te is always getting emails from frustrated residents (and an ANC Commissioner or two) about the poor state of some of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) in River East.

Most of these emails are from concerned citizens who want to vent about the misbehavior or mismanagement of their ANC, some are specific requests for information on the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions themselves (such as responsibilities, election process, reporting structure, etc.) and a few are tips about suspected questionable activities (FYI- The Advoc8te always suggests that those tips are forwarded to the DC Office of the Inspector General and/or the DC Auditor).

Therefore the Advoc8te has decided to proclaim this week on Congress Heights on the Rise "Advisory Neighborhood Commission Awareness Week". The purpose is simple - to expand awareness of River East Advisory Neighborhood Commissions;  their functions; encourage residents (black and white, new and old) to get involved in their ANC; and to distribute relevant and important information regarding specific ANCs and ANC Commissioners.

Expect to see a lot of articles on Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, ANC reform, ANC success, ANC audits and community feedback on how effective their ANC is in their community.

The Advoc8te invites River East residents, Non River East residents, ANC Commissioners (both in and outside of River East) to please share information, perspectives and news about their ANCs here on Congress Heights on the Rise. The Advoc8te would love to see comments on the posts and would be even happier to receive some reader and ANC Commissioner submissions on the subject of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.

Every single resident (new or old, black or white, homeowner or renter) has a right to an organized, transparent and productive Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

The Advoc8te would love to see the other River East bloggers get involved to bring attention to the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions in their area. Let’s work together to spread the word about successful and challenged ANCs in our community (feel free to use the graphic in this post). Let’s all work together to bring much needed attention to this unfortunately underutilized resource. We need to rebuild our Wards, one Single Member District at a time.

The time is over to stop sticking our heads in the sand. The time is N-O-W to get involved, ask questions and demand more.

If we won't demand more for ourselves who will?

Reader article submissions can be emailed to congressheightsontherise@gmail.com.  Articles can be posted anonymously to protect privacy.

WARD 7 + WARD 8 = RIVER EAST

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner

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WASHINGTON HIGHLANDS LIBRARY DESIGN - HOT OR NOT?

DCist asked the same question on it's blog last Wednesday and now I ask the residents of River East.  Do you like the new Washington Highlands Library design? The only thing The Advoc8te asks is that you look at the FULL PLAN which includes the plans and images for the interior spaces and not just the draft image (found below) of the exterior space.

The Advoc8te asks that readers provide reasons for their "hot" or "not" verdict.

Thanks!

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner

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WCP: How the District's Children Die

Stories of a city failing its most vulnerable wards.



By Jason Cherkis
Sep. 3 - 9, 2009 (Vol. 29, #36)


Every year between 130 and 160 children and youth die in the District—by murder, by suicide, by infection, by falls, by a fire that broke out from a candle being used to heat a house, by neglect. We didn’t know them in life—how they were born premature, how they had a beef with a kid in the neighborhood that escalated, how they fell through the cracks on the city’s watch.

For each one, someone kept a record of their death. A doctor recorded the respiratory disorder on a chart. A cop started a murder investigation. A social worker kept a file.


The District government puts it all together: compiling statistics, taking medical histories, interviewing mothers, studying social-worker files. And each year the Child Fatality Review Committee issues a public report—the one from 2007 is the most recent available—on its obit work. Much of it is statistics.


The committee tabulates and catalogs the deaths by age, gender, race, ward, cause, and so on. The demographics rarely shock; most of the dead are African-American males from the poorest wards, and many died under the monitoring of a social worker. Of the youth who died from homicides in 2006, 56 percent had been known to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA).


Hundreds of dead kids get analyzed in the report. Only a handful become case studies written by the committee for the public record. There are no names. Their identities have been obscured. The neighborhoods where they lived and died are omitted. We do get to know the details of their final days. The stories are essentially and essential autopsies of how a city can fail its most vulnerable wards.


Committee authors start with the circumstances of death. They then chronicle the chain of social workers, probation officers, mental-health counselors, and others who were charged with their care. Many of the narratives end with a jolt: Somebody was paid to protect these kids, sometimes from their parents, sometimes from themselves.

To continue reading click HERE.

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner

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Parklands-Turner Library Being Moved to The Shops At Park Village October 5th

From the DC Public Library website:

1700 Alabama Avenue, SE

at Stanton Road, SE

Washington, DC 20020

202) 698-1103

Monday 9:30 am-5:30 pm

Tuesday 9:30 am-5:30 pm

Wednesday 9:30 am-5:30 pm

Thursday 9:30 am-5:30 pm

Friday Closed

Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed


The library will close on September 11, 2009. The new storefront will open October 5, 2009 at 1547 Alabama Avenue, SE with new hours.

 
For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner
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WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Neighbors speak out against SW library design

To view the architects plans for the new Washington Highlands Library click HERE. To complete a shorto online survey about the current Washington Highlands Library and your hopes for a new library click HERE. To pose questions or comments or to show your support/disapproval of the current library plans email WashingtonHighlandsFeedback@dc.gov

By: Michael Neibauer

Examiner Staff Writer

September 3, 2009

Leaders of a far Southwest D.C. community have asked a city planning board to reject a proposed branch library design they say is bizarre and utterly out of touch with their neighborhood.

The D.C. Public Library requires two zoning exemptions from the Board of Zoning Adjustments to build the new Washington Highlands Neighborhood Library at 115 Atlantic St. SW, a block off South Capitol Street. The BZA hearing Tuesday provided a handful of neighborhood leaders the chance to deride the library's ultramodern look -- a design from renowned British architect David Adjaye.

To continue reading click HERE.

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner

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FAQs: The Washington Highlands Library Project

The Advoc8te pulled this information from the DC Public Library website. To view the library plans including photos click HERE.

Frequently Asked Questions



What will happen to the current library during construction?
Your current library will remain open during the design phase. The current library will close just prior to construction and an interim library will open. The interim library will remain open during normal library hours throughout the construction period. The interim library will have many of the same activities and services as your current library.


How long will it be before we have a new library?
It should take a little more than 3 years to plan, design, build and open your new library.


Access to technology and adult literacy are important in Ward 8. How will this be addressed?
Library programs, services and activities that are important to and needed in your community will be offered at your new library. The DC Public Library hosts a “Hopes & Dreams” meeting early in the process to determine what programs are most important to you. This information, coupled with demographic data from your community, helps us plan for services in your library.


How were the architects selected?
A selection committee made up of DC Public Library staff, a Library Board member, an independent architect and community members recommended by Council member Barry’s office selected the architect.


Will the building be environmentally friendly or “green?”
The library will be designed to reduce the impact on the environment and save money on energy costs. While the environmentally friendly design elements are determined as the building plans become more specific, we are seeking a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification of Silver which means:


Reduce the energy needed to heat, cool and power the building
Reduce the use of water
Minimize the pollution released
Increase the comfort of occupants


What is flexible or open space and why is it important to the Library?
Flexible or open space allows for the Library to implement a variety of activities in a number of locations throughout the building without being limited by space dedicated for a specific purpose. This allows for the Library to meet the needs of your community now and in the future.


Advances in technology also have improved the way we access information, eliminating the need for dedicated space for things like card catalogs and computer labs. For example, at one time computers had to be in one room because they were not portable and that was the only way to offer Internet access. Now, laptops and wireless technology allow computers to be located and used throughout a library.


When will the community see the design? And how can we provide feedback?
There are a number of ways that you can get updates and provide feedback on the design of and programs for your new library. The DC Public Library will host several community meetings where you have a chance to tell us about the programs that are most important to you, view the design sketches or images, offer feedback and ask questions. You can also see the images, get progress reports and offer feedback at your neighborhood library or on our web site, dclibrary.org.


What is the budget for the new library? Is it fully funded?
The total cost for the new library is around $14 to $16 million. Roughly, $9.5 million is used to build the new library. The remaining funds are used to design the building and buy furniture, books, computers and equipment for the building.


Yes. The library is fully funded. Funding was approved by the City Council and includes a $2 million contribution by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development to be used on the library’s design.


Will this construction result in jobs in this community? If so, when and what kind?
Yes. The Library’s contractor will hold a job fair close to the start of construction. Local employment opportunities will be available for mechanics, masons, carpenters, laborers and others to work on the project.


What security measures will be implemented in the interim and new libraries?
The libraries will have closed-circuit cameras and other security measures.


Will the recommendations from the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Commission Report be addressed in the new library? If so, how?
Library construction is one of the most important ways the Library is addressing the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Commission Report. As recommended in the report, the new building will be an inviting place that allows people to interact. It will have natural light and be environmentally friendly. It will use open and flexible space allowing for various programs, services and activities to happen throughout the building. More specific information on how your new library will meet the report’s recommendations will be made available as the design unfolds.

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner

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DC PUBLIC LIBRARY: Washington Highlands Library Project

From the DC Public Library website concerning the Washington Highland Neighborhood Library Project. The new library is estimated to be delivered in Spring 2011. Click HERE to visit the DC Public Library website.

Full presentation of Washington Highland images*

The Washington Highlands Neighborhood Library is being rebuilt. The Library has hired award-winning architecture team* of Adjaye & Associates and Weincek Associates to design the new library.

The architect presented preliminary designs for the new library at a community meeting on March 31*. The architects took feedback from that meeting and refined the designs, which were again shared with the community at a meeting on June 30*.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

The Library completed a cost-benefit analysis* of the building’s condition to determine whether it was more cost effective to renovate the building or rebuild it.

Focus Groups & Surveys

The Library is hosting focus groups with residents to gain input on what programs and services they want to see in the new Washington Highlands Library. We held the first focus group with teens in December. Feedback was great. The teens articulated ways the Library can help them reach their goals. Suggestions included help with career goals, homework help, more computers, job search assistance, and more current books.

Teens also want a comfortable, welcoming space designed for them. They made great suggestions for programs for young people such as programs on saving and investing, more activities for younger children, career days, debate team, even community service opportunities such as reading stories to young kids.

Library has created surveys as an additional means of gathering input. The surveys are available at the library or on-line at Washington Highlands Library Survey.

All of this feedback is being shared with the architects and with Library staff.

The Library will be hosting additional focus groups with adults and seniors. If you are interested, please send an email to WashingtonHighlandsFeedback@dc.gov.

Timeline

Design process should be complete by the end of summer 2009

Interim Library will open in fall 2009

Construction will take 18-20 months

The new library will open in spring 2011

Library Service

An interim library will open in the fall of 2009 before the current building closes for construction. We are in final negotiations for an interim location just around the corner from the current library.

The interim facility will maintain regular library hours and will offer many of the same features including many new books, DVDs and CDs, at least 20 public computers with free WiFi Internet access and programs for all ages.

A Hopes & Dreams meeting took place on September 18* to inform the community of the plans to build a new library and to determine what programs and services are most important to the community. Information will be shared with the community throughout the process with opportunities for questions and feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

We welcome questions and comments about this project. Please submit them to Washingtonhighlandsfeedback@dc.gov.

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner

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WBJ: Ex-D.C. housing nonprofit chief sues over dismissal

Washington Business Journal - by Melissa Castro Staff Reporter


View Larger For years, D.C.’s affordable housing advocates have grumbled about the perceived ineptitude of the sole nonprofit that D.C. paid to guide new tenant-owners through the intricacies of owning and managing their own cooperative apartment buildings.

And for years, the grumbling stayed mostly quiet and out of the public’s earshot.


Now, the former executive director of that maligned organization, the Greater Washington Mutual Housing Association, has dropped a bombshell lawsuit against the nonprofit and its leaders, putting the issues out for all to see. He is suing for wrongful termination, saying he was fired for raising questions about the organization and trying to clean it up.


Sadly, the public airing of grievances comes a little too late, as many of the coops the association was paid to help are mired in financial trouble and the association itself is dissolving in Chapter 7 bankruptcy.


“The citizens have lost millions of dollars of taxpayer monies and the success of low- and moderate-income condominium and cooperatives has been jeopardized,” the whistleblowing executive and decorated war veteran, Charles Withers, wrote in a plea for pro bono help.


So far, that plea has gone unanswered. Withers — who is not an attorney — has been representing himself in the lawsuit he filed in D.C. Superior Court in July. He has been unemployed for the past 17 months, making it difficult for him to continue litigating the case on his own. “We’ve just been hanging on by our toenails here, not even our fingernails,” he said.


Withers’ 23-page complaint alleges a long history of conflicts of interest at the organization and the agency that funded it, as well as a grievous failure to perform the work D.C. hired it to do. Tax filings, land records and other affordable housing advocates lend support to many of his claims.

To continue reading click HERE.

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner


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DC.GOV: DPR Is The Setting For Fun In September

From http://www.dc.gov/

Media Contact Only: John A. Stokes, (202) 673-2195


DPR Customer Service: (202) 673-7647


This September, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is the setting for fun across the District of Columbia. Review the list of highlighted events below, and remember this is only a glimpse of the many activities and programs you can find at DPR throughout September.


This month DPR will release the 2009 Festive Fall Activity Guide, your guide to DPR programs, classes, and activities. There's also more to be found everyday by visiting a DC Department of Parks and Recreation or community center, DPR's website at DPR.DC.GOV, or by contacting DPR at (202) 673-7647.


Select the link below for DPR's September 2009 Featured Programs and Events:


DPR's September 2009 Featured Programs and Events

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner

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WCP: Neighborhood Watch: Ward 8 and the Washington Highlands Library

Posted by Lois Kapila on Sep. 3, 2009, at 1:42 pm



The issue: Washington Highlands residents are happy about getting a new library. But some want a lot more say in the process, including what it looks like. While the Mount Pleasant community had 12 design meetings before settling on a plan, Highlands has had only three. British ’starchitect’ David Adjaye’s eye-catching design, with its jutting pods and giant glass windows, has met with widely divergent reactions.


Proponent: Vera Abbott, president of the Bellevue Civic Association, loves the new design: “It’s airy and futuristic.”


Opponent: Chris Otten of District Dynamos says the whole process has been just another example of the “trickle down Fenty philosophy” in action. There was no collaborative brainstorming session or ‘charrette’ to engage the community in what he calls the “lie-brary.” “This could be the loss of a great opportunity to bring ‘lost communities’ together and celebrate a civic institution that could help lift people out of poverty.”

To continue reading click HERE.

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner
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THROWBACK THURSDAY: "Rock With You" - Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson - Rock with you
by Discodandan

THROWBACK THURSDAY: "Wake Me Up Before Go-Go" - Wham

Wham - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
by jpdc11

THROWBACK THURSDAY: "True Colors" - Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper - True Colors
by trashfan

Advoc8te says: Bear with me while I find spell check

The Advoc8te just recently discovered the new and improved posting platform on Blogger which makes posting so much easier (how I wish I had discovered this sooner). However,I haven't quite figured out how to check for spelling in the Compose window. If any of my fellow bloggers could point me in the right direction I would be so grateful.  As much as I love the ability to now be able to do a few many  strikethroughs I would give my house mouse for a spell check button.

Until then please cut me some slack on a typo or two until I either figure out how one spell checks in this new platform or I  resign myself to composing in Word and cutting and pasting into Blogger.

Your Bud,

The Advoc8te

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner


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WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Overhead streetcar lines for D.C. still an issue for feds

By: Michael Neibauer

Examiner Staff Writer


September 2, 2009 Overhead streetcar lines proposed for the new 11th Street Bridge threaten to obstruct views of the historic capital city and should be avoided, a key regional planning body tells the District in a new report.


The National Capital Planning Commission, the federal government's planning agency, is scheduled Thursday to review D.C.'s $300 million plan for a new 11th Street Bridge, a project that will connect the Southeast-Southwest Freeway with Interstate 295 in all directions, and Historic Anacostia with its west-of-the-river neighbors.


The new bridge won praise from commission staff for the prospect of "reducing traffic in Historic Anacostia, improving vehicle circulation, replacing structurally deficient bridges and improving public transportation and pedestrian and bicycle access across the Anacostia River."


But the D.C. Department of Transportation's plan to install light poles and overhead streetcar wires across the bridge, to eventually connect with a streetcar network east and west of the Anacostia, left the group cold.

To continue reading click HERE.
For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner
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NEWS CHANNEL 8: FIOS COMING TO SOUTHEAST!

Southeast Socialite says "Wait a minute"

Southeast Socialite has just posted an insightful (and hysterical) rebuttal post about one of the callers on  yesterday's Kojo Nnamdi show which featured some Ward 8 bloggers.

Click HERE to read.  Please post comments.Very interested to see what YOU think. The Advoc8te just loves reading Southeast Socialite another great Ward 8 blog!

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner

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