Saturday:  DC Meet Market at 15th and P NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.

DC MEETMarket returns this weekend, Saturday, September 15, and the neighborhood party is bringing food, music and culture to the heart of Borderstan.

The community-driven event will take place on the corner of 15th and P Streets NW from 11 am until 5 pm. Self-described as a community market “where culture and neighbors collide,” DC MEETMarket meets on the third Saturday of every month at the same location.

For more information on the free and local event, visit the event’s Facebook page.

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The DC Meet Market will be at the Saint Luke’s Episcopal parking lot. (Luis Gomez Photos

From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com

Self-described as a community market “where culture and neighbors collide,” the DC MEET Market will host a gathering on Saturday, July 21 from 11 am to 5 pm on the corner of 15th and P Streets, NW.

The event will showcase local and independant art, food, music and fashions.

Can’t make it to this week’s event? Don’t worry. DC MEET Market will take place on the third Saturday of every month at the same location in the heart of Dupont-Logan.

Vendors interested in applying for the event can obtain more information on the vendor application webpage.

Visit the DC MEET Market website for more information.

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From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com

The site of the accident on 15th Street NW next to Meridian Hill Park where Carolina Alcalde was injured. (Courtesy of Alcalde Facebook Group)

DC Storms this past weekend left more than just closed roads, cable-less apartments and powerless homes; this summer storm affected lives. And one such life affected was Carolina Alcalde — an Adams Morgan neighbor and active member of the community, according a friend, Victoria Fulkerson. While riding her motorcycle home from a massage in Virginia on June 29, Alcalde was hit by a falling pine tree on 15th Street NW next to Meridian Hill Park and knocked off her bike.

Neighbors immediately rushed to her side and flagged down a passing ambulance in the midst of the city’s storm. Alcalde was rushed to George Washington Hospital, but was diagnosed with a severed spinal cord and was left paralyzed from the midsection down.

If you want to donate to help with Alcalde’s recovery, please visit the donation site that Alcalde’s friends and family set up. You an also get more information about Alcalde’s recovery at an open Facebook Group.

How to Help Alcalde

Doctors placed two rods and numerous screws in Alcalde’s spine for support, but she still has five broken ribs, a fractured shoulder blade, slight bleeding in her brain, and trauma to her lungs, causing bleeding. She will now require assistance with breathing.

“Carolina is very active in the community and participates on many boards and leadership committees that positively contribute the lives of DC residents. She is an avid motorcyclist as well as a wonderful and strong person that has more love and warmth than anyone you’ll ever meet,” according to Fulkerson.

Alcalde’s injuries will require recovery in the Intensive Care Unit, in addition to time spent in physical rehabilitation. Due to the exorbitant costs, Alcalde’s friends and family are seeking contributions to her medical bills. If you want to donate to help with Alcalde’s recovery, please visit the donation site that Alcalde’s friends and family set up.

You an also get more information about Alcalde’s recovery at an open Facebook Group.

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Saint Augustine Catholic Church at the corner of 15th and V Streets NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

The Chorale, one of the oldest organizations in Saint Augustine parish, is celebrating 138 years of music ministry rich in Catholic and African-American traditions. The choir sings at the 10 am Sunday Mass, at major feast day liturgies and various other occasions throughout the year.

This year they will have a special anniversary concert on Sunday, June 10, at 5 pm in the Church Sanctuary. The Chorale will perform Mass in G major by Franz Schubert and other works with guest soloists Sheri Jackson, Soprano, Issachah Savage, Tenor and VaShawn McIlwain, Baritone. Guest conductor will be Josepha Hammond.

According to the church’s website, “Saint Augustine Parish traces its heritage to 1858 and the efforts of a group of dedicated emancipated Black Catholics. Faced with a society that was not yet willing to put off the last vestiges of slavery and a Church that, at best, tolerated the presence of Black people in its congregation, these men and women founded a Catholic school and chapel on 15th Street under the patronage of Blessed Martin de Porres. In what is perhaps a touch of historical irony, this school was operating four years before mandatory free public education of Black children became law in the Nation’s Capital.”

It is a special occasion to enjoy the music performed by the Chorale and the beautiful Saint Augustine Church at the corner of 15th and V Streets NW .

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Saturday, May 19 at approximately 11 pm on the 1700 block of 15th Street NW. (Joseph Mia)

According to eyewitnesses who contacted Borderstan late Saturday night, a car was driving southbound on the 1700 block of 15th Street around 11 pm when the driver hit a parked car and overturned.

This stretch of 15th Street NW runs one way — northbound.

Witnesses said that believed they saw one or two people flee the car, and that a woman was treated in an ambulance.

The parked car that was hit was damaged in the front and shoved toward the bike lane. (Borderstan)

Borderstan contacted DC Police, but they have no more information to share at this time about last night’s incident.

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Aniekan Udofia at the corner of 15th and U Streets NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Eliza French. Follow her on Twitter @elizaenbref; email her at eliza[AT]borderstan.com.

Aniekan Udofia moved back to DC to pursue a career as an artist after living in Nigeria for most of his life.

As a young man, he worked mostly in colored pencil and pen illustration. He remembers studying the technique of an artist in his Nigerian village of Uwo and trying to master his style. He would also look at the political caricatures in newspapers and studying how the image mimicked the editorial content. Not surprisingly, Udofia tries to incorporate an element of social commentary in his art.

At the beginning of his career, Udofia worked mostly as an illustrator for magazines. His other early works were mostly hip-hop portraits that translated lyrics into images. He got his big break in 2005, when he and over 20 other artists were commissioned to work on an advertorial mural for the TLC show, “Miami Ink.”

The payment from the commission made him realize he could finally turn art into a viable career.

U and 15th Streets NW Street Mural of George Washington. (Luis Gomez Photos)

He continued to work on a large-scale projects and made a name for himself in the local arts scene working on public art murals, like the George Washington mural at 15th and U Streets NW and the Duke Ellington at 2121 Ward Court NW.

Udofia finds these public works fulfilling because of the opportunity for feedback from the neighborhood about his work. Passers-by can see the painting process, ask questions and interact with the artist and the work. For him, the high visibility for these murals is  “refreshing.”

Udofia says that securing offers for these murals has been more that just luck.

After he moved to the area, he “was immediately attracted to the art community.” He started building a circle of friends when he was out at events or even just playing basketball in the park. “Since then, same people and same circle have been helpful in getting jobs. …Over the years building the relationship has been great for me.”

Earlier this year, Udofia exhibited his works in a solo show, “The Village B-boy” at Lamont Bishop Gallery. His latest project is “The Sickness,” a series that deals with different issues important to the artist. Currently, in “The Sickness 4: Reloaded,” Udofia is trying to “study the mind and how it works” when confronted with “violence, motivation, inspiration,” etc., and so on. Udofia also hopes to combine works from past works and series in a comprehensive exhibit.

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“15th Street NW” ” is by luisgomezphotos from the Borderstan flickr pool.

From Luis Gomez. You can follow Luis on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos and at One Photograph A Day.

Photos of the Day are pulled from the Borderstan Reader Photos pool on Flickr.

Today’s photo, “15th Street NW” was taken by luisgomezphotos on January 4 at the corner of 15th and Corcoran Streets NW.

If you don’t already have a Flickr account, you will need to sign up for one, and then join the Borderstan Reader Photos group. Already a Flickr member? Join the group! You can submit up to five photos per day in the Borderstan reader pool. We are looking for photos from DC’s Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods.

“Celebration” is by luisgomezphotos from the Borderstan flickr pool.

From Luis Gomez. You can follow Luis on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos and at One Photograph A Day.

Photos of the Day are pulled from the Borderstan Reader Photos pool on Flickr.

Today’s photo, “Celebration” was taken by luisgomezphotos in December 2011 on the 1600 block of 15th Street NW.

If you don’t already have a Flickr account, you will need to sign up for one, and then join the Borderstan Reader Photos group. Already a Flickr member? Join the group! You can submit up to five photos per day in the Borderstan reader pool. We are looking for photos from DC’s Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods.

“15th Street Bikeway” is by thisisbossi from the Borderstan flickr pool.

From Luis Gomez. You can follow Luis on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos and at One Photograph A Day.

Photos of the Day are pulled from the Borderstan Reader Photos pool on Flickr.

Today’s photo, “15th Street Bikeway,” was taken by thisisbossi on November 16, 2010. The view is looking north at the cornr of 15th and P Streets NW.

If you don’t already have a Flickr account, you will need to sign up for one, and then join the Borderstan Reader Photos group. Already a Flickr member? Join the group! You can submit up to five photos per day in the Borderstan reader pool. We are looking for photos from D.C.’s Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods.

Click to enlarge: For the October  9-23 period there were 23 thefts from autos in the area centered around 15th and Q Streets NW, compared to 7 in the same two-week period of 2010. (Source: MPD Crime Database)

From Matty Rhoades and Luis Gomez

The last several weeks have seen a dramatic increase in the number of thefts from autos in an area around 15th Street NW. The number of cars with smashed windows has been particularly noticeable on the 1500 blocks of O, Church, Q and Corcoran Streets NW.

For the October 9-23 period there were 23 thefts from autos in the area centered around 15th and Q Streets NW (see map at right), compared to seven in the same two-week period of 2010.

Nine of the break-ins were on Church Street NW and the large majority occurred west of 15th Street. Thefts from autos are either the most common or second most common crime in the area, the other being thefts.

Police Tips: Leave nothing visible in your car… never leave a jacket or clothing on the seat… don’t leave electronic device hook-ups visible… never leave any type of bag or container either on the floor or seat… and remove valuables from the trunk of your car. Educate friends and family who may be visiting you in the neighborhood.

Arrests, Extra Patrols

According to Second District Commander Michael Reese, two arrests have been made in the smash-and-grabs and he hopes this will show a decrease in the number of these crimes in the area.

“There has definitely been an upsurge of car break-ins in the area. We have had patrol cars recently on these residential streets off 15th Street NW and have made some arrests of people who were part of this,” said Reese.

Leave Nothing Visible In Your Car

“We emphasize over and over again to residents to not leave anything visible in their cars,” said Reese. “The Dupont-Logan area has become very popular with visitors from outside the neighborhood and many of them don’t understand that you cannot leave a jacket on the seat or a navigation system on the windshield.”

One neighbor whose car was broken into last Thursday night told Borderstan that he had removed his GPS system from the windshield. “Unfortunately, the suction cup imprint for the GPS was visible on the windshield, so they broke into the car and found it in the glove compartment,” he said.

Reese also emphasized the people should never leave items of value in the trunks of their cars. “Thieves will break into cars just to get into the trunk, even if they don’t see anything of value in the front interior,” he said.

The west side of 15th Street is in MPD’s Second District and Police Service Area (PSA) 208; the eastern side is in MPD’s Third District and PSA 307.

In Police Service Area (PSA) 208, which covers Dupont-Kalorama, there have been 28 thefts from autos (the official police term for the crime) for the two-week period ending October 23 — compared to 25 in the same period of last year. In PSA 307, which covers the Logan Circle area, there have been 19 thefts from autos in the last two weeks — compared to 14 in the same period of 2010. In PSA 305, which covers the U Street-Howard University area, there have been 34 thefts in the last two weeks compared to 28 during the same period last year. All numbers are from the MPD Crime Database.