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Ward 1

EXTENDING VOTING RIGHTS: The Mount Pleasant Advisory Neighborhood Commission is expected to vote at its Sept. 8 meeting on a resolution urging the D.C. government to extend local voting rights to non-citizens who live in the District of Columbia. The resolution is being promoted by the Voting Rights for All D.C. Coalition, which is scheduled to make a presentation to ANC 1D during the meeting, and the ANC 1D Latino Committee. The District’s population is estimated to include 50,000 legal residents who are not U.S. citizens and who, therefore, cannot vote in elections.

"Mount Pleasant is the historic center of the Latino immigration into the District," said Eugenio Arene, executive director of the Council of Latino Agencies, which helped draft the resolution. "This is a great opportunity for this ANC, which serves such a significant portion of the city’s non-citizen population, to become the first ANC to emphasize the need for full participatory democracy to the entire city."

Arene noted that the current lack of voting rights for non-citizens means "people who have lived here for 25 years still cannot vote for their school board representatives, their city council members or their mayor."

Mayor Anthony A. Williams and Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham have publicly said they support expansion of voting in local elections to non-citizens.

Ward 2

WOODIE’S GETS TENANT: Swedish retailer H&M opened its second clothing store in the District Aug. 29 in the historic Woodward & Lothrop Building at Metro Center. The new 23,000-square-foot store features two levels of clothing for men, women and children. The company, which markets "affordable fashion," opened its first store in the District earlier this year in Georgetown Park Mall.

REDEVELOPING FRANKLIN SCHOOL: The D.C. government is seeking redevelopment proposals for the historic Franklin School building that make it "an integral part" of the Franklin Square area. The city’s request for proposals seeks cultural, educational, commercial or residential uses for the former public school, which "will attract pedestrian traffic throughout the day and evening."

The building, completed in 1869, is located across the street from Franklin Square at 925 13th St. NW. Situated in a valuable downtown location, the landmark has prompted critics to assail the D.C. government for years for allowing the property to languish unused.

Proposals for redevelopment must be submitted to city officials by Oct. 31.

Ward 3

CALL FOR FILMMAKERS: The Avalon Theater is seeking submissions from local high school students for its first High School Film Festival. The festival, on a date to be announced, is intended to showcase films by young filmmakers as selected by young filmmakers. Deadline for submissions, on VHS or mini-DV tape, is Sept. 30. More information and a copy of the submission form are available online at www.dcsfp.org.

Ward 4

COMMUNITY PICNIC: Residents of Takoma D.C. will gather Sept. 13 from noon to 4 p.m. on the grounds of Takoma Recreation Center for the area’s annual community picnic. In addition to potluck fare contributed by neighbors and cookout foods donated by local businesses, this year’s picnic will feature music by the Takoma All-Stars, a blues band of local musicians, and tables offering information about community organizations. Also planned is a silent auction and raffle, with proceeds to benefit Plan Takoma and Friends of the Takoma Park Recreation Center. The event is planned for the park area near Fourth and Whittier streets NW.

AQUATIC CENTER UPDATE: D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation representatives will be joined by architects and construction managers to present a community update Sept. 18 on extensive renovations in progress at Takoma Recreation Center. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the center, located at Third and Van Buren streets NW. When completed, plans call for the expanded center to include an Olympic-size pool, a weight room, an aerobics room, meeting rooms, a concession area and locker rooms.

Ward 5

JOB FAIR: Councilman Vincent Orange’s annual job fair for Ward 5 residents will be held Sept. 24 at Israel Baptist Church’s Fellowship Hall. The fair, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will feature representatives from numerous local corporations, hospitals, hotels and organizations. Orange advises participants who attend the free event to "bring plenty of resumes." The event will be held at 1251 Saratoga Ave. NE.

BROOKLAND FESTIVAL: Planning is underway for the annual Brookland Festival, scheduled for Oct. 4. Plans call for a parade at 11 a.m., a "Children’s Minifest" from noon to 5 p.m. and pavilions from noon to 5 p.m. Volunteers to help with the festival, as well as nonprofit organizations and crafts vendors, are still being sought. More information is available by calling Donna Hanousek, program director for the Brookland Main Street initiative, at (202) 529-8400. Rain date for the festival is Oct. 11.

SHARED CARS IN BROOKLAND: Flexcar and Metro have added a vehicle to the "kiss and ride" lot at the Brookland/CUA Metro station, providing residents in the Brookland area with another travel option. Flexcar allows people to use a shared vehicles on an hourly basis for around $8 an hour, which includes gas, insurance and parking. Flexcar began operating in the District in 2001 in a partnership with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and now has more than 1,200 members and 60 vehicles in the D.C. area.

Ward 6

CDC JOBS PROGRAM TO CONTINUE: A capacity crowd of job-seekers in attendance at its Aug. 20 Job Opportunity Fair has prompted the H Street Community Development Corp. to announce plans to schedule more workshops to help unemployed and under-employed residents.

"A high proportion of Northeast D.C. residents remain out of work, even though major development projects are creating thousands of new jobs in the area," CDC Executive Director William J. Barrow III said in a written statement. "There is a ‘disconnect’ – neighborhood residents looking for jobs and employers looking for workers aren’t finding each other."

Barrow said the CDC hopes to "create an effective network that educates and links unemployed workers within our community with these new opportunities." Dates for the additional workshops have not yet been announced.

Ward 7

SPRUCING UP DEANWOOD: The 11th Annual Community Improvement Day, sponsored by the D.C. Building Industry Association in cooperation with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, will focus activities this year on Deanwood Recreation Center and Brown Middle School on Sept. 13. The day’s planned projects, beginning at 7 a.m. and concluding at 5 p.m., include lawn care at ball fields, mural painting on the pool house, fencing installation and repair, and gardening.

Ward 8

MEMORIAL GARDEN: Community leaders will join students and staff at Leckie Elementary School at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 11 to dedicate a memorial garden to the student, teacher and parents who died in the 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Volunteers from the Washington Architectural Foundation have worked with every class at Leckie during the past year to design and build the memorial. The ceremony will take place at the school at 4201 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SW.

Copyright 2003, The Common Denominator