NMP and Ft. Totten Metro Clean Up Day

  Passing the word on to everyone.  If you can volunteer, it's a great chance to meet neighbors and get the neighborhood looking good for summer!

-------------------------------------------------------

The Fort Totten Metro Clean-up Day is this Saturday, June 22 at 10:00 am.  The North Michigan Park Civic Association is looking for our concerned residents to volunteer and meet us on the corner of Gallatin Street and Sixth Place .  Ranger Michael Zwelling of the National Park Service will work with us to clean up the trail.  He'll have forms for each volunteer to sign as well as gloves, bags, and water.  I hope to see you on Saturday.

Thank you,

Cheryl Tracy

Ft. Totten Square In The News

  The Washington Informer had a piece this week on the New Ft. Totten Square groundbreaking and some a few notes from community emebers and some of our local representatives in the City Council.  It's a quick and easy read that can be found here:
http://washingtoninformer.com/index.php/local/item/13084-groundbreaking-for-fort-totten-square

Ft. Totten Square/Walmart Construction Begins

So now that things have began progressing, we thought we'd provide a construction update on what is happening over at the Ft. Totten Square site.  The new year has come and gone, and the site of the District's newest Walmart has begun buzzing with workers and machinery.  JGB Group sent out a press release detailing the project, which can be found here.  As the initial dig kicks off, the sound of pile driving equipment can be heard throughout the surrounding neighborhood.  The low hum of excavators, bulldozers, and other heavy equipment fills the air.  Finally some real progress at the MUCH anticipated and LONG awaited Ft. Totten Square.

Looking SW From the Corner of 3rd & Chillum NE

Looking along the Chillum PL NE side of the site towards SD Ave.

View along the 3rd St NE Side of the Site,
South Towards the Riggs and SD Ave Intersection

View 1 Along Riggs Rd => North

View 2 Along Riggs Rd => North

View 3 Along Riggs Rd => North

Brookland Native's WildCraft Soda Startup!

   First it was cupcakes, then came fro-yo, sandwich places, wood oven pizza, and now beer.  As the ever expanding nationwide food and beverage trends cascade across the nation, one often wonders...what could possibly be next.  Well Brookland local Nathan Zeender (the only person in DC who can grow their own hops and raise their own bees for honey, then whip them into wonderful fermented delights all within the confines of NE DC) thinks he has the next big idea.  It's called WildCraft Soda, that's right soda.  But don't think your typical run of the mill Coca Cola, or some of the smaller brands like Dr. Browns or even Jones.  The mission statement for WildCraft says it better than we ever could:

  "Providing healthful sodas from wild crafted ingredients--aromatic and ennobling beverages derived from whole botanicals, never from extract."

  Nathan, who is well known in the DC Brew scene, is focusing his pursuit of good drink towards the creation of a one-man, small-batch, draft-only botanical soda company.  The DC Native, and head brewer at Right Proper Brewing (an artisan brewpub opening later this year in Shaw), is inspired by a culinary imagination and a dilettante nature.  He has found much enjoyment pursuing a wide array interests revolving around soda and tonic making, beekeeping, foraging and herbalism, cooking and baking, artisan beer brewing, and gardening.  WildCraft Soda will be the culmination of these pursuits.

"For WildCraft I will work with select purveyors and foragers to provide wildcrafted (ethically foraged) ingredients to brew our sodas. Whole botanicals, herbs, and spices are decocted in a kettle for a prescribed period of time to extract flavor, aroma, and nutrients. The unfiltered sodas are lightly sweetened with pure honey for balance, then are immediately chilled, kegged, and carbonated.  The sodas will be available on draft at a few select bars and restaurants around town, and I hope to have a draft stand at a few local farmers markets in the spring." -Nathan Zeender, WildCraft Soda

  In order to get this project moving forward, Nathan has started a Kickstarter Campaign (found here) to help get the ball rolling.  Hopefully a few of you will feel compelled to help him blaze new trails in the DC Food and Beverage Scene, and maybe be a part of something great!
Cheers!

JBG starts work on Walmart-anchored Fort Totten Square

  The Washington Biusiness Journal reports that permits were issued this past Wednesday for excavation, grading and sheeting, and shoring for the Fort Totten Square Walmart project located at 300 Riggs Road NE.
  The Article redas as follows:

"Here comes D.C.'s third Walmart. The JBG Cos., as Fort Totten North LLC, was issued a permit Wednesday for excavation, grading and sheeting, and shoring for Fort Totten Square, 300 Riggs Road NE.
  Fort Totten Square will feature 350 apartments and more than 110,000 square feet of retail anchored by an urban format Walmart. According to the project's website, construction was expected to begin late this year, with delivery by late 2014."

The full article can be found here.

Two Arrested After Assualt on Green Line Train, at Ft. Totten

  A teenage gang from SE DC called the 44th St Crew assaukted 2 women on a green line train headed to Ft. Totten.  The gang comprised of both male and female teenagers, cornered two women on a green line train, stole iPhones and intimidated the women on their metro ride.  Once the train arrived at the Ft Totten Station one of women fought back and metro police were dispatched.  Two were arrested as a result of the attacks.  While not directly related to the neighborhood, it is a crime that will be reported as taking place in Ft. Totten. 
DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG
 
   Perhaps one of the most disturbing facts of this event is that the teenagers posted the video on facebook as a means to gain respect and cred among their peers (although it does provide police with hard evidence of the event).  This is yet another reminder to be careful when riding the metro these days.  And while the complete apathy of the other riders on the train is a little demoralizing, remember that phones can always be replaced.  This should serve as another reminder to the community that petty theft tends to rise around the hoilday season, so you should be hyper vigilant in the coming weeks.
Stay safe, and have a safe and relaxing holiday season.

DC's First Costco Opens Today

  Today is a landmark day in the annals of DC consumer access...for Costco has officially opened their doors.  The 154,000-square-foot Costco, located the Shops at Dakota Crossing (Market Street NE at New York and South Dakota Ave) opens at 8 a.m. this morning!  The Post reports that Vice President Joe Biden was even in attendance for the opening ceremony.  The location will serve as the anchor store in the new retail center located in Ft. Lincoln, and be a major boom for the district from the jobs perspective.  The addition of Costco comes with strict contrast to the other big box retailer making waves in DC Walmart.  Consumer retail diversity is very much welcome in the District, but the purveyors often are scrutinized.  Costco, which in recent news is hailed as the "Anti-Walmart" will add several hundred permanent jobs to the Distrct with this single store.

Lane Closures on North Capitol and Riggs Rd. for December

Government of the District of Columbia

Department of Transportation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday November 26, 2012

Media Contact: Monica Hernandez at 202-671-2261, monica.hernandez@dc.gov

***TRAFFIC ADVISORY***

  Temporary Lane Closures on the 5100-5300 blocks North Capitol Street NE/NW and the Unit block of Riggs Road NE to Start on or About December 3, 2012 (Washington, D.C.) Starting on or about December 3, 2012, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will begin work on a construction project on the 5200 block of North Capitol St NE/NW and the Unit block of Riggs Rd NE. The purpose of this project is to make the bus stops more accessible for members of the disabled community.

The scope of this project includes:

• Installing wheel chair ramps at the intersection of North Capitol St and Hamilton Rd; and in front of the senior housing located at the corner of Riggs Rd and North Capitol St
• Expanding the sidewalk to the curb near the bus stops to make it easier for wheel chairs to roll onto the bus

This is anticipated to be completed by late-December 2012, weather and construction conditions permitting.

 

  Construction work is scheduled to take place between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and may also take place from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. During the construction work hours there will be temporary lane closures on the 5100-5300 blocks of North Capitol Street NE/NW and the Unit block of Riggs Road NE. DDOT will maintain at least one travel lane in each direction during work hours. All lanes will be kept open during non-work hours.

  Traffic control signs will be in place to guide travelers in the corridor around the new traffic pattern. Motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists are urged to stay alert and use caution when traveling by the work zone.

**Any questions regarding this work should be directed to the Public Outreach Coordinator**
Veronica O. Davis, P.E.

vdavis@nspiregreen.com

202-695-2160

 

 

 



Ft. Totten Square/Walmart project set to break ground next month

 At last night's Lamond Riggs Civic Association Meeting, JGB Companies presented an update on the Ft. Totten Square / Walmart Project slated for the intersection of Riggs Rd and South Dakota Ave NE.  The much talked about addition to the neighborhood is set to break ground late next month, and will create quit the impact to the surrounding neighborhoods.  At the meeting, JGB provided fact sheets regarding the project and details about the construction process. Even though JGB seems to be courting the Lamond Riggs Neighborhood, it is important for everyone in surrounding neighborhoods to provide input and be aware of new developments.
Highlights of the fact sheet were as follows:

- Construction activity is anticipated to begin December 2012/January 2013 on FortTotten Square, which will include 345 apartments, an urban format Walmart, and additional neighborhood serving retail.

- The development team for Fort Totten Square is a joint venture between affiliates of The JBG Companies andLowe Enterprises. The architect for theproject is Hickok Cole.

- According to District of Columbia law, construction hours are limited to 7am – 7pm, Monday thru Saturday.

- During the initial phases of construction, vehicles will enter the site from 3rd St, near Riggs Rd, and exit the site onto Chillum Pl, near Riggs Rd. We will make every effort to direct vehicles to travel from Riggs Rd to and from the site.

- Vehicles entering and exiting the site will be cleaned as necessary so that dirt and debris are minimized and do not impact the surrounding neighborhood.
The Full Fact sheet is below.

Ft. Totten Square Fact Sheet

  Also, Wlamart has made the below video 3D walkthrough available on their website of what  the new Walmart Supercenter will look like.

More information on the porjct can be found at these websites: http://washingtondc.walmartcommunity.com/fort-totten/
http://forttottennews.com/

Little Ricky's Open's In Brookland

 Finally...the time has come.  "Little Ricky's: An American Paladar" has announced it's official opening date as Nov 9th. The new addition to 12th St in Brookland, will feature traditional Cuban fare and a rotating selection of artwork by prominent Cuban Artists.  The initial opening will only have limited service, with reservation available only Fri-Sun for the entire month of November. 

Per Little Ricky's ownership and management:

"We will not be offering a full menu but rather for the month of November we will offer on Fri, Sat, and Sun evenings a Pre-fix 4 course meal. The menus will be posted in the next couple of days. The pre-fix dinner price will be south of $25 a person.With the bar area also available for walk in seating starting at 5pm Fri-Sun, there should be room for everyone." 

  There will also be a "Social Club" element to the paladar, in which members only access to the restaurant will be given every Thursday night (details to come on benifits and sign up).  One thing is for sure, and that is this unique new establshment will definitly help fill the void in the area for eating establishments and add a new cultural twist as well.

Little Rickey's: An American Paladar
3522 12th St. NE

Washington, DC 20017
(202) 269-1708
requests@littlerickysdc.com

http://www.LittleRickysDC.com/

Message From ANC 5A03 on Hurricane Sandy

  Angel Alston, ANC 5A03, sent out the following message to neighbors concerning the pending arrival of Hurricane Sandy.  Please be careful in the coming days, and make your preparations sooner rather then later.

"Dear Neighbors,
   With the pending hurricane we are expecting high winds and a great deal of rain. Please consider the following reminders:

-Make sure any areaway drains and overflow drains are free of debris.
-Make sure there is nothing impeding or blocking water flow from the exterior down spouts and drains.
-Make sure the sump pump outlet and sump pump are working properly.  Check often.
-Secure any loose patio furniture, umbrellas or trash cans that can be blown around.
-If the power does go out, contact the utility company immediately. With no power, the well, sump pump, or ejector pits will not operate. In this case, do not use the basement bath.
-Fill some containers or a bath tub with water for regular water use. Each toilet will have enough water in the tank for one flush.
-You can remove the tank lid and manually fill with water to the fill line for additional flushes.
-Monitor the rain water in the area way.
-Unplug any exterior yard lighting fixtures plugged into outlets.
-Keep garage doors closed during the storm.
-Have emergency kit available with flashlights and batteries.

Please take the extra time to be proactive in preparing your home for this event.
Commissioner Angel Alston"

NMP Civic Assn Meeting, Wednesday

Just a reminder to everyone that the next North Michigan Park Civic Association is being held tomorrow.

                                                               NMPCA Meeting
                                                     Wednesday October 3, 2012
                                                              7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
                                                         NMP Recreation Center 
                                                        1333 Emerson Street, NE

You can be sure the Faith United Church of Christ development , the proposed DDOT modicifation to the sidewalks around the Ft. Totten Metro NPS Land, as well as other community concerns will be addressed.  Please make every effort to attend.

Rescheduled: CM McDuffie & Congresswoman Norton Hold Ft. Totten Park Walk Through

Received the following email regarding today's Ft. Totten park wlak through with CM McDuffie and Congresswomen Norton.
"All,
  Today's Fort Totten trail walkthrough has been postponed until Thursday due to inclement weather.

                            Ft. Totten Trail Walkthrough With Councilmember McDuffie
                                                       and Congresswomen Norton
                                                  Thursday, October 4, 2012 2:30pm
                                      Walk will start at the Ft. Totten Metro entrance
Best,
Tim Clark
Constituent Services Coordinator
Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 5 Councilmember
(202) 724-8028 (Office)
(202) 724-8076 (Fax)
tclark@dccouncil.us
The John Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 410
Washington, DC 20004"

  Even though the weather has changed the date and time, please make the effort to get out and participate!

CM McDuffie & Congresswoman Norton Hold Ft. Totten Park Walk Through

  Tim Clark, CM McDuffie's Constituent Services Coordinator, sent out the following message to those in attendance at last week's emergency safety meeting regarding the NPS land surrounding the Ft. Totten metro Station.
"All, 
  As a follow-up to Councilmember McDuffie’s recent Fort Totten safety meeting, our office will be walking the Park Service social trails adjacent to the metro station. The Councilmember will be joined by Congresswomen Eleanor Holmes Norton. Residents and community leaders are encouraged to attend and point out specific areas of concern.  If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.
 

Ft. Totten Trail Walkthrough With Councilmember McDuffie and Congresswomen Norton

Tuesday, October 2, 2012 3:00pm

Walk will start at the Ft. Totten Metro entrance  

Best,
Tim Clark
Constituent Services CoordinatorKenyan McDuffie, Ward 5 Councilmember
(202) 724-8028 (Office)
(202) 724-8076 (Fax)
tclark@dccouncil.us
The John Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 410
Washington, DC 20004 "
  It is definietly nice to not only see the Council Member take personal interest in the issue, but also that he was able to get Congresswomen Norton involved also.  For those of you that haven't noticed, since the community meeting with Mr. McDuffie, NPS, and the various police entities the path has been significantly trimmed back and police partols in the park and neighborhood have increased.  Please attend this walk through if you are able to.

Bears at the Ft. Totten Metro???

  As if there isn't enough going on at the Ft. Totten metro Station?  Fox DC is reporting that a photo has surfaced of what some believe to be Black Bears in the park behind the metro platform yesterday. A metro rider said he saw the dark figures from the platform and took some pictures. Wether you believe it or not, it is definitly another interesting twist in the Ft. Totten neighborhood lore... 
DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Union Market Upcoming Events

  Want to know what the new Union Market has to offer, and when all of their great events will be taking place?  Thanks to Ryan, Edens Communications Director, we were able to get a copy of the Union Market Flyer and schedule of events.  There are a ton of great events to partake in; Trucktober Fest (this weekend), Primetime Libations (weekly friday HH's), Righteous Cheese classes, Food Styling, Meat Up Haloween (Oct 29), and the official complete market opening and Crafts Fair (Nov 10th).  So many things to do, and eat, and drinik, and watch, and smell, and...Enjoy.

CM McDuffie Announces Ft. TottenPublic Safety Meeting

  DC Council Member Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 5, annoucned that he will be holding an Emergency Meeting to address the recent spike in crime that has taken place around the Ft. Totten Metro Station.  Representatives from MPD, USPP, NPS and MTPD will be in attendance.  As a community we have gotten the aattention of our representatives, so please make every effort to attend this meeting.
CM McDuffie's announcement:

  "In response to recent concerns from Fort Totten residents regarding a spike in crime near the metro station and National Park Service trail, the Councilmember will be holding an emergency meeting this Wednesday, September 19 from 7-9pm at the Transit Police First district office.

  We have asked representatives from Metropolitan Police Department, National Park Police and Metro Transit Police to attend this meeting and provide updates on their efforts to address recent crimes. National Park Service will also be in attendance to give updates on their plans to enhance the Rock Creek trail between Gallatin and Galloway streets.
  We look forward to your participation in this meeting. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
 Fort Totten Community Emergency Safety Meeting
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
7-9pm
Transit Police First District Office
5315 1st Street Place NE"

Wildlife Habitat Workshop at Capital Area Food Bank

  We received the below message from Susan T, a neighborhood resident and employee of the Capital Area Food Bank, regarding a workshop taking place this weekend.  Hopefully neighborhood residents can attend.  It seems like a great chance to not only learn about their new Urban Destionation Garden but also what CAFB does.  Hope people can attend!
 
  "Please join the Capital Area Food Bank for a Wildlife Habitat Workshop where we will be breaking ground at our new Urban Demonstration Garden. This garden fills almost an acre at the north end of the new facility and will serve as an ideal space for the food growing education that we plan to conduct with our partners and with the surrounding community.
  In partnership with the District Department of the Environment and Audubon Maryland/DC, this workshop will teach participants how to create space for wildlife habitats in their yards and communities. As a DC resident, you will receive a habitat kit that includes a book, native plant guide, birdhouse kit and live plants to begin creating wildlife habitat at your home.
  As a neighbor of the food bank, we are excited to welcome you into our garden. We greatly look forward to beautifying the space together with you and are hopeful that this will be just the first of many opportunities for us to grow together in this outdoor educational space. The workshop will consist of a slideshow presentation and a wildlife planting that will complement the food bank’s food growing space.

Workshop Details:

 Location: 4900 Puerto Rico Ave NE on the North side of the food bank

Date & Time: Saturday, September 22nd from 1 pm to 4 pm

Dress: Come ready to plant and get your hands dirty

Please RSVP by completing this form or by reaching out to Abbie Steiner by phone at 202-644-9854 or by email at asteiner@capitalareafoodbank.org. 
To learn more about the work of the food bank, please visit www.capitalareafoodbank.org."

CM McDuffie's Initial Response to Yesterday's Shooting

  In response to the increase of crime in the area, and in light of yesterdays shooting, we were able to get an initial response from CM McDuffie (Ward 5) via twitter.  The Council Member's tweets were certainly a good sign that this issue is on his radar.  For those of you who don't follow the twitter feed @TheTottenLife (you probably should), or don't have a twitter account, we are providing the conversation below.

  Neighborhood resident Nathan W, who has been helping to lead the charge on this issue, has informed us that the Mr. McDuffie's office is meeting with NPS, USPP, DDOT, MPD and other entities regarding the issue of safety around the Ft. Totten Metro and in the NPS park land at some point today.  Hopefully we receive some good feedback regarding the path forward to returning this neighborhood to the safe place it had become, and avoid backsliding.  We applaude Council Member McDuffie's response to the matter, and hope he will press the NPS hard for a real solution.
 
  Also, the Washington Post has received some additional details on the shooting.  Neither the motive or circumstances that led to the shooting have yet to be released by the MPD, but the name and age of the victim have been.  One R’artagnon Jose White, 34, was found shot in the head inside a house on the 5100 block of 7th Street NE (which is behind the CCDC Campus).  Certainly our thoughts go out to his family members, and hopefully the MPD will solve this case and be able to prevent this crime spike from expanding.

Fatal Shooting on 7th St NE

NBC News Reports:

"A person was fatally shot in the head around 1:40 p.m. Tuesday Thursday in the 5100 block of 7th Street NE.

Homicide detectives arrived on the scene to find the victim unconscious and not breathing. The victim's age and sex are unknown at this time.
The shooting happened about a half-mile from the Fort Totten Metro station"
 This coming in a time of increased violence in the Ft. Totten Metro Area, continues to put residents on high alert.  A meeting between community leaders and residents is surely well overdue! 

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