Bates Area Civic Association

Neighbors,

This is written to provide you with a friendly reminder of the upcoming meeting of the Bates Area Civic Association, Inc. as well as to give you a sense of the issues that will be addressed in this forum. Please help us to spread the word to others about this monthly meeting and do make your best effort to attend. If you are willing to help with the circulation of flyers about this meeting, please let me know and I will get them to you.

Speakers:

(a) Raymond Nix, AICP, from UrbanMatters Development Partners L.L.C.,and Rev. Lionel Edmonds, Pastor of Mount Lebanon Baptist Church, have been asked to appear to talk about their proposed plans to develop the former Margaret Murray Washington Career High School building at 27 O Street, N.W. As you may know, last month the city government granted site control to these partners to develop the former MM Washington Career High School building and Monday’s meeting provides a good opportunity for us to learn more information about the specifics of their proposed plans.

(b) I have also asked Robert Brannum, Chairperson of the Fifth District Police Citizen’s Advisory Council, to join us for the purpose of talking about some of the ways in which community residents can get involved in the work of the CAC this summer, including their voluntary support of an annual initiative that the 5D CAC co-sponsors with the MPD Chief of Police’s CAC to send underprivileged, inner-city children to summer camp in Scotland, Maryland.

Committee Reports:

(a) Brett Abrams, Chairperson of the Land Use, Planning, and Economic Development Committee, will give us some feedback on a major Committee meeting that was held on March 25, 2010 to talk about ways in which to productively impact the social climate at and about the intersection of Florida Avenue and North Capitol Street, N.W. in order to help small businesses, like the Subway Restaurant, to survive at that location. Indeed, an impressive array of stakeholders participated in this brainstorming session, including representatives from North Capitol Main Streets, the Fifth District Police, So Others Might Eat, Metro Transit Authority Police, NoMA, the Office of Ward Five Council Member Harry Thomas, a number of merchants who operate businesses on the corridor, as well as several others. It is my understanding that the meeting was quite productive and I look forward to hearing more about the details as well as the action items that came out it.

(b) Pete Balas, Chairperson of the Environmental Services Committee, and his Co-Chair, Anita Bonds, will update us on the work of their committee. Specifically, they will propose a schedule of clean-up and other beautification activities for the spring and summer for which they are seeking resident support. If you are interested in becoming a member of this committee or have ideas about/recommendations for beautification projects, please contact Pete at pbalas312 or Anita at dcbonsa.

(b) Geovani Bonilla, Chairperson of the Public Safety Committee,and his Vice Chair, Jon Hasse will provide us with their thinking about public safety initiatives that they will encourage us to support. One major project of interest to Geovani and Jon is the development of a Neighborhood Watch Program in our area that would include Block Captains assigned to every block, as points of contact for the Committee around matters of public safety. If you have an interest in working on this committee or in the suggestion of projects for their consideration, please contact Geovani at MrGeovani or Jon at jwh.east.

(c) Caryn Nesmith, Jon Hasse and Peter Katel will give the Public Relations Committee report. The Committee continues to be interested in receiving feedback from residents about the content and user friendliness of the BACA Blog. In addition, they are going to develop a website for the BACA that will be a complement to the Blog. Finally, it is important for you to subscribe to the Blog via email. If you do, one email per day will be sent to the address of your choice in which summaries of the messages that have been posted on the Blog will be contained. To sign up, please go to www.dcbaca.wordpress.com.

(d) Rev. Miles Holloman, Chairperson of the Youth Services Committee, will give us an update on some of the recreation, education and/or leisure time initiatives that his committee is contemplating for area youths this summer. If you would like to join the Youth Services Committee or have ideas for projects, Miles may be reached atmilessh.

Closing Comments: In addition to my own comments, ANC Commissioners Anita Bonds (SMD 5C01) and Sylvia Pinkney (SMD 5C02), respectively, have standing invitations to make remarks and give announcements at our monthly meetings, as does the Ward Five Coordinator of the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services. It is my understanding that former Ward Five Coordinator and Bates Area resident Richard Norwood has been promoted to a new position within the Executive Office of the Mayor. So, we are anxious to meet the new person who is assigned to replace Richard in our community.

Best,

Jim Berry