Author Archives: Anna

DCentric was created to examine the ways race and class interact in Washington, D.C., a city with a vibrant mix of cultures and neighborhoods. Your guides to the changing district are reporters Anna John and Elahe Izadi.

November 19, 2010 | 5:01 PM | By

Graham on Ellwood Thompson’s: “Maybe there will be a miracle”

The sign in the window at DCUSA, with the "opening" date covered in tape.

Update: Councilmember Graham called me again, after making a phone call of his own: “The Owner of DCUSA confirms they are in default four times, to the tune of a million dollars.”

Earlier today, I posted about Councilmember Jim Graham and Ellwood Thompson’s not being on the same page with regards to DCUSA; Graham just called me and he’s not backing down from what he told Lydia DePillis over at the City Paper.

Speaking of “not backing down”, I asked him to clarify this much blogged-about quote: “they’re going to pay for this very bad decision.”

He replied, “That is not the best language to describe it…the fact of the matter is, there are financial obligations that result from this kind of default. That’s the information I have from people at DCUSA. As recently as just the other day, they indicated they were going to pursue their legal options. We were lead on. All manner of agreements were signed. Now they have to abide by them. There are consequences to not doing that.”

But the owner of Ellwood Thompson’s, Richard Hood, told TBD that “I don’t know why Jim Graham is saying this. We are not in default. We continue to work with the landlord to make this happen”.

Graham responded: “That does not comport with the information that I have from DCUSA ownership. If they’re continuing to try and work it out then that’s fine, but I’m going on the information that I have. I have been very involved in this. I have asked continuously what’s going on.

“If Ellwood Thompson’s overcomes this, that’s fine, but if they don’t, I know others are being actively approached at this point, which would suggest to me that the deal is in default.”

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Columbia Heights, DCUSA
November 19, 2010 | 3:37 PM | By

Jim Graham and Ellwood Thompson: Not on the same page.

William Beutler

Artist's rendition of what the legendary DCUSA Ellwood's might have looked like...

Is Ellwood Thompson’s coming to DCUSA or isn’t it? The City Paper reported:

According to Councilmember Jim Graham, the Richmond-based organic food store recently ended its two-year flirtation with the DCUSA location–and will lose about a million dollars in breaking its agreements.

But then TBD had this statement from the owner of the Richmond-chain:

Richmond-based organic grocer Ellwood Thompson’s has not abandoned its plans to open a store at the DCUSA retail complex in Columbia Heights, according to company owner Richard Hood…”I don’t know why Jim Graham is saying this. We are not in default. We continue to work with the landlord to make this happen,” Hood said.

I called my Councilmember, Jim Graham and emailed two of his staffers to find out more but his office has not responded to my inquiries. Like many of my neighbors, I felt relief earlier today, when it seemed like this never-ending saga finally had a (any!) resolution. I should’ve realized that when it comes to Ellwood Thompson’s and DCUSA, any pronouncement should be taken with a lot of salt– if only I had a grocery store on my block, from which to buy it.

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Columbia Heights, DCUSA
November 19, 2010 | 10:56 AM | By

Barry: “right now, 55 percent of the new hires are not D.C. residents.”

Over at the Afro, Dorothy Rowley writes “District’s Black Residents Remain Hard Pressed to Find Jobs“:

The D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute reported in October that while joblessness surged in part last year for the District’s African-American residents, employment remained relatively steady for its White residents and those with a college degree…

“The city’s high unemployment rate is obviously not going to turn around simply because the overall economy recovers, DCFPI Executive Director Ed Lazere, told the AFRO. “Our leaders have to make this a priority and have to make concerted efforts to address it,” he continued, “and given that the unemployment rates are highest for residents in isolated wards who often have limited jobs skills, it seems pretty logical that concerted efforts would help residents get access to skills – whether it’s through high school, a community college or other means.”

Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry, agreed. But he said the key to fighting joblessness – particularly in his district – is contingent upon attracting the ears of the private sector and federal government. “The city’s initiative has to be to become more involved with the private sector and the federal government,” Barry said. “There are 700,000 jobs in the District of Columbia and 340,000 of them are with the federal government. The rest are in the private sector, so we have to get the District government to start hiring more city residents because right now, 55 percent of the new hires are not D.C. residents.”

FILED UNDER: The People, Jobs, Marion Barry, Poverty, Race and Class, Ward 8
November 19, 2010 | 8:45 AM | By

Tasty Morning Bytes – GW Bed Bugs, Wale’s Charity and Chicken Bones

wallyg

My alma mater, the George Washington University...has bedbugs.

Good morning, DCentric readers! Here are your morning links:

Meet your new roommate: Bed bugs “A university spokeswoman told the Hatchet officials have found bed bugs in six dorm rooms — four have already been cleaned up and two are in the process. The university is also treating rooms near the contaminated ones. (This isn’t something new, as the university has had about two dozen bed bug cases over the past three years. So, no need to freak out — seriously.) GW isn’t the only college dealing with creepy crawly dorm dwellers. Jeff White, an entomologist with BedBug Central, told AOL News that, “almost all colleges are dealing with or have probably recently dealt with a bedbug infestation on their campuses.” (voices.washingtonpost.com)

Teachers’ union on low reading scores: ‘We must take immediate steps’ “The president of the national teachers’ union said 12th-grade math and reading performance was paltry compared with the higher scores of the 1990s. The American Federation of Teachers’ Randi Weingarten said the 2009 scores “don’t show enough growth since the 1990s. We must take immediate steps to prepare all children, regardless of ZIP code, to succeed in college, work and life.” (Washington Examiner )

Former boxer Keely Thompson charged with fraudulently spending $500,000 in D.C. anti-gang funds “A well-known D.C. boxer who fought professionally as a lightweight in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Thompson was executive director of Keely’s District Boxing and Youth Center in Columbia Heights and Kenilworth. The center, serving youths from ages 8 to 18, has received more than $1.4million in District funds for at-risk children since 2004. Prosecutors charged that between 2004 and 2010, Thompson used the boxing center’s debit card to spend $150,000 on cruises and gambling in Atlantic City, losing more than $140,000 at Bally’s casino alone.” (The Washington Post)
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November 18, 2010 | 5:51 PM | By

How accessible is marriage, to the poor?

Soulfull

Local blogher and Campus Progress Editor Kay Steiger writes about a Time/Pew Poll on marriage, and whether there are issues of classism intertwined with weddings (Thanks, SOH):

The Time story that relates the poll goes on to say that “the richer and more educated you are, the more likely you are to marry, or to be married — or, conversely, if you’re married, you’re more likely to be well off.”

The idea of tying marriage to wealth isn’t that surprising when you look at the wedding industry…As weddings become more status-oriented and more costly, it makes sense that the less educated — and therefore the less financially well off — become less likely to see marriage as accessible to them. This has roughly been my problem with weddings all along, although I suppose I haven’t been particularly articulate about it until now. If the standard for weddings becomes a Vera Wang dress, an ornate venue, and freshly imported flowers — all amounting to that “one perfect day” — then marriage itself begins to be viewed as an institution for those who can afford all those things.

Of course, not every couple has to do that, and many don’t. Lots of couples elope at the court house and have a low-key celebration later on. But the trouble is that there aren’t many options for folks that want something in between — or at least, the wedding industry leaves you with the distinct impression that there isn’t such an option.

FILED UNDER: The People, Money, Race and Class
November 18, 2010 | 3:33 PM | By

On Limiting Welfare in D.C.

janinsanfran

What am I reading? “Social supports, not time limits, will reduce poverty“, by Linda Laughlin, a family demographer at the U.S. Census Bureau. It was posted at Greater Greater Washington:

Instead of placing limits on welfare, the DC council should support the TANF Opportunities and Accountability Act of 2010 sponsored by Tommy Wells (Ward 6) and Michael Brown (at-large). The bill would invest in job training and educational programs as well as develop a better system to track welfare recipients in order to better understand when and why families enter and exit social programs.

The welfare system is far from perfect, but as the District faces continued economic turmoil brought on by the recession, this is not the time to limit access to important social safety nets. District food banks, shelters, and other social services are already strained and woefully unprepared to face coming economic hardships as the economy tries to build itself back up. Families that have not been able to leave welfare are some of the most disadvantaged families without any means of support other than social programs.

FILED UNDER: Government, City Council, Poverty
November 18, 2010 | 1:40 PM | By

“Before we do anything though, lets help DC9 re-open”

thisisbossi

Memorial in front of DC9.

I can’t figure out why, exactly, but seeing this at the top of Brightest Young Things‘ weekly roundup of events and things to do-email made me a little queasy:

This week’s BEST WEEKEND BETS is, as always, hand selected from BYT ALL CITY and calibrated for maximum fun and minimum stress, and will be punctuated by images from random tumblrs we spent to much time on this week because, well, we can.

Before we do anything though, lets help DC9 re-open.It’s as easy as sending an email with:

Subject: I feel safe at DC9
Send to ABC board and council members
http://aboutdcgov.dc.gov/DC/About+DC.Gov/Feedback
Email: abra@dc.gov , jim@grahamwone.com

OK-OFF WE GO NOW.

Lets all just have a super weekend

It’s as easy as sending an email? But then what? Someone who lives in a different neighborhood, who may have a different complexion sends an email advocating for DC9 to remain closed? I get that the charges have been dropped, and if we believe in the presumption of innocence then my head tells me that it’s only fair to allow this business to reopen…for now. The squishy red thing in my chest disagrees with my head, violently.

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Around the City, ABC Board, Crime, DC9, Ethiopian Community, Racial Divide
November 18, 2010 | 11:44 AM | By

D.C.’s Condom Revolution

ChepeNicoli

I’m reading NBC4, where I learned that the District Department of Health has created a special website called “Rubber Revolution” to encourage safe sex. Available in seven languages, the site prominently offers free condoms and displays condom trivia, too. That’s how I newly know that an average condom can hold four quarts of liquid.

In a city with a 3.2 percent HIV rate — higher than that of West Africa — any effort to promote safe sex is worthwhile. The “Rubber Revolution” website offers useful information on obtaining and using condoms, and on practicing safe sex in general…

By far the weirdest thing on the site is the “What Kind of Condom Are You?” quiz, which like all those loathed but pervasive Facebook quizzes, uses a few superficial questions to lead to an ostensibly whimsical result. Do you like cheeseburgers and fries? You might be a latex condom. Reality TV fans could be flavored condoms. If you like being in charge at work, you’re a magnum.

Despite this misfire, the site has its uses. Free condoms can be obtained from the city through a discreet web form — “mailed in a plain envelope” — or, if you’re less shy, you can just “call 311 and tell the customer service representative that you want to order free condoms.”

NBC’s P.J. Orvetti reports that even if you “are” a flavored or latex condom because of your quiz result, the Department will send you free Magnum-sized prophylactics, which was the only aspect of the program which gave me pause. Poorly-fitting condoms don’t stay on, and that would defeat the noble purpose of a site which is trying to protect D.C. residents from sexually-transmitted diseases.

FILED UNDER: Government, Public Health
November 18, 2010 | 8:42 AM | By

Tasty Morning Bytes – Wal-Mart, WMATA and Marijuana Cultivation

Good morning, DCentric readers! Please, enjoy some breakfast links.

Blog Insider – In the Den of the Venture Capitalists [$2 Challenge] “It was only 9:30 AM, and I was already dreading my decision. A gray dress and curly hair amid a wave of business suits and salt and pepper goatees, I had already started to feel a bit out of place at the Federal Communications Commission and their big, shiny, moneyed interior. Listening to the assembled speakers go on and on about IPOs, spectrum, and other terms that I couldn’t quite grasp, I felt a rising sense of panic. I looked down at the three names I was supposed to meet with, and felt hideously small. How the hell did I get here?” (Racialicious)

Can Metrorail fares be simpler? “Abolish the peak-of-the-peak fare. It’s too complicated. Even though I recommended it, it seems that people hate it even more than I imagined, and it leaves Metro open to criticism that people are paying more for service that isn’t much better. Before anyone gets too happy about peak-of-the-peak being gone, very few people get a net discount under my plan compared to the current fares, due changes in the distance-based pricing.” (Greater Greater Washington)

Wal-Mart plans to open 4 stores in the District “The four stores would be built in D.C. neighborhoods where retail options are relatively scarce: on the site of a former car dealership on Georgia Avenue NW; at New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road NE; as part of a new mixed-use development on New Jersey Avenue NW; and at East Capitol and 58th streets SE. As it has when it entered other cities, Wal-Mart’s announcement is already is drawing the ire of labor leaders who complain that the company pays substandard wages and provides inadequate benefits.” (The Washington Post)
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November 17, 2010 | 4:40 PM | By

No, he doesn’t need bus fare to Quantico.

crowdive

OCS Graduates at Quantico.

I’m proud to be a member of a Military family, so this post over at Prince of Petworth immediately got my attention– one of his intrepid readers managed to photograph an alleged scam-artist on the Metro:

He asked for $60 for a bus ticket back to Quantico…This was on the Red Line…the elements of the story were that he was away from base, he had been mugged or pickpocketed (could not hear which), and he needed $60 to get back. He got off the train at Judiciary Square saying something about needing to catch the train back the other direction, but I think he may have seen me take the picture. Immediately after the scammer got off the train, there was another man who was wearing his uniform who realized what just happened and told the woman that she shouldn’t have given him the money, because if he was actually in the military the scammer would have gone to the fellow military guy first thing.”

I spoke to two Veterans, one from the Air Force and one from the Army about this situation, to find out what would actually happen to someone in the Military if they were stranded. Bottom line? They wouldn’t be panhandling for bus fare, ever, so beware:

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Metro, Military, Money