Some Northwest D.C. residents this summer can walk through an ice field, catch a tennis match and see a Shakespeare play for free, or at least at a discounted price.
Locals who live in Councilmember Brianne Nadeau’s Ward 1 can get a 20 percent discount at the Citi Open tennis tournament on Monday and free access to the National Building Museum’s “Icebergs” exhibit on Tuesday. And in August, they can get free tickets for the Shakespeare Theatre Co.’s production of “The Tempest.”
Here is the breakdown of the deals:
- Citi Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center (5220 15th St. NW) on Monday, July 18, at 2 p.m.
- Enter the code “WARD1” to get the 20 percent discount
- “Icebergs” at the National Museum (401 F St. NW) on Tuesday, July 19 from 9-11 a.m.
- Residents must present a valid ID to prove zip code.
- Shakespeare Theatre Co.’s The Tempest at Sidney Harmon Hall (610 F St. NW) Saturday, August 20 at 2 p.m.
- Contact Elizabeth Horen at [email protected] or 202-724-8181.
Photo via Facebook/National Building Museum
(Updated at 4:16 p.m.) Though the D.C. Council voted yesterday to alter Mayor Muriel Bowser’s plan to close the D.C. General homeless shelter and open seven smaller shelters across the District, some Ward 1 residents remain skeptical.
Under the new plan initially approved by the D.C. Council, the city would build the new shelters on city-owned land as opposed to private land, meaning a change of location for three of the five proposed shelters. Though the proposed site of the Ward 1 shelter won’t change, the city will now work toward purchasing the land at 10th and V streets NW instead of leasing it as originally planned.
D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, an advocate of the proposed Ward 1 shelter, said in a statement the revised plan “responds to residents’ concerns and is much more fiscally responsible than the Mayor’s original plan.”
“Purchasing will save millions of tax dollars over the original plan to lease the land and will give the District permanent ownership of each site,” Nadeau continued. “Additionally, I introduced an amendment to today’s legislation that will hold the Ward 1 property owner accountable for any back taxes owed on vacant property that was misclassified. This was a very important issue for several of our nearby constituents, and I’m glad we have been able to address it.”
But members of a vocal protest group opposing the shelter remain skeptical of the deal despite the changes.
The activists up in arms over the District’s plan to place up to 30 families in transitional housing at 2105-2107 10th St. NW are not getting any quieter.
Members of a protest group in opposition to the shelter spoke out during a design overview meeting at the Reeves Center at 14th and U streets last night. Among the group’s chief concerns were claims that city officials entered into an above-market-rate bid specifically to benefit developer Sorg Architects.
Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau urged the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to invest more in protected bike lanes and highlighted several priority areas within her Ward in a letter to the District Department of Transportation sent yesterday.
According to the letter, Nadeau worked with bicycling advocates in Ward 1 to identify areas where bike lanes were needed the most, including protected bike lanes along 15th Street NW between V and Euclid Streets NW, which runs alongside Meridian Hill Park; 14th Street NW, particularly between Florida Avenue and Euclid Street NW; and 11th Street NW, particularly an extension of existing bike lanes to Kansas Avenue NW.
The letter also called for the completion of the Florida Avenue streetscape project between Sherman Avenue and U Street NW, and for DDOT to support the eastern downtown protected bike lane study.
Nadeau emphasized the need for protected bike lanes, saying that they are safer and cause less illegal parking problems.
“Continued investment in bicycle commuting infrastructure will mean less traffic, cleaner air and healthier residents,” she said in the letter. “Prioritization of these projects would address current gaps in the system and would help to make the District and Ward 1 an even better place to live.”
D.C. residents can ask members of the Department of Public Works and Metropolitan Police Department questions about keeping the District litter free from the comfort of their computers.
A live webcast will take place on the DPW’s website tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m.
Residents can submit questions to the DPW’s Interim Director Chris Shorter as well as a representative from the MPD’s Litter Enforcement team, as part of the DPW’s Litter Free D.C. campaign.
As the name implies, Litter Free D.C. is a program sponsored by the DPW that aims to eliminate litter from streets in the city.
Future DPW webcasts will cover graffiti, leaf collection, recycling and parking, said DPW Public Affairs Specialist Nancee Lyons.
“We’re always open for topic ideas and encourage residents to let us know what they would like to discuss,” Lyons said.
More information can be found can be found on the DPW website.
Image via Litter Free DC
Ward 1 residents will be able to join D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau on a public safety walk next Tuesday.
The walk will last from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and begins at the intersection of 11th and Lamont streets NW.
During the walk, residents will also have the chance to chat and address safety concerns with employees from the Metro Police Department, Department of Behavioral Health and Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
This is one of several public safety walks that Nadeau is organizing across Ward 1.
Photo via Facebook.com/BrianneKNadeau
(Updated at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 24) Ward 1 residents will have another chance to meet and talk with D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau next week.
Nadeau will visit the Thurgood Marshall Center (1816 12th St NW) next Monday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to chat with locals one-on-one, take questions and meet those interested in just saying hello.
At-large D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman will also be in attendance.
The event is part of Nadeau’s Brianne on Your Block series, a regular series of public appearances connecting Nadeau with Ward 1 residents in informal settings.
Photo via Facebook.com/BrianneKNadeau
Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau will meet with members of the community at The Potter’s House (1658 Columbia Rd NW) in Adams Morgan next Monday.
Nadeau will drop by the coffee shop from 6:30 to 8 p.m. to chat with locals one-on-one, take questions and meet those interested in just saying hello.
The event is part of Nadeau’s Brianne on Your Block series, which are monthly public appearances aimed at letting Ward 1 residents meet Nadeau while supporting neighborhood businesses.
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Two candidates are up against incumbent Jim Graham for the Ward 1 Council seat. (DC Government)
Incumbent Jim Graham has another challenger in the 2014 Ward 1 Council race: Bryan Weaver, who announced his candidacy on Tuesday, March 26. In addition to Graham, Weaver is up against Brianne Nadeau, who announced her candidacy for the position back in December.
The three will face off in the Democratic Primary next year (probably April 1).
Weaver, a self-proclaimed activist who has been a Ward 1 resident for more than 20 years, says the city needs more authentic leadership.
“Our leadership must live up to what our city’s residents deserve” Weaver said in his announcement.
According to The Washington Post, this is Weaver’s second attempt at the Ward 1 seat and his third run for D.C. Council, overall. Weaver was a candidate in the April 2011 special election to fill an At-Large Council seat, finishing fourth behind Vincent Orange, Patrick Mara and Sekou Biddle; Weaver ran well locally, carrying several precincts.
Bryan Weaver. (Luis Gomez Photos, 2011 file photo)
Both Nadeau and Weaver announced their candidacies at a time when current Ward 1 Councilmember Graham is being questioned in the media for unethical behavior in relation to a development deal during his time spent on the Metro Board of Directors.
The Washington Post also reports that Nadeau has already raised more than $37,000 for her campaign.
Check out a detailed map of Ward 1 from the DC Board of Elections and Ethics. Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B, which includes the U Street corridor, as well as ANC 1C/Adams Morgan, are in Ward 1.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Graham stripped of ABC Board oversight by DC Council. (Borderstan file photo, Luis Gomez Photos)
On Monday, February 25, the DC Council voted to strip Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) of his oversight of the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board. The measure was first proposed by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson on February 21.
The 13-member council voted 11-2, with Graham and Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) voting against the resolution. The bulk of the U Street corridor and neighborhood are in Ward 1, along with Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant and Howard University.
Immediately after the vote, Graham released the following statement:
“It is time to move on. I have very important responsibilities as chairman of the human services committee and all the responsibility of representing Ward 1. Going forward, I will continue to represent the people who elected me to serve with the same passion and fervor as I have from my first day in office.”
The public reprimand comes after the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability found “substantial” evidence that Graham broke the code of conduct in a lottery contract bid.
A tweet from Bruce DePuyt (@News8NewsTalk) quotes Barry saying, “We all trade votes. I’ve done it. I’m arguing due process. He’s had no opportunity to defend himself.”
“This is a somber moment and a sad one, of course, because there is no joy in what we were asked to do today,” said Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) in a statement. “But, it is an obligation that falls to us and that we were and are duty-bound to discharge. Put very simply, we must keep and preserve that most delicate of commodities: public confidence.”
A reprimand is the least serious action the council can take against a member. It must be approved by a simple majority and carries no punishment. Barry was censured in 2010, which is more serious, WTOP reports.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Councilmember Jim Graham. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) could have a challenging week ahead of him. The Washington Post reports that Council Chairman Phil Mendelson aims to strip Graham of his oversight of the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board as a public reprimand to the veteran DC politician; he was first elected in 1998.
Mendelson’s potential action comes after the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability found “substantial” evidence that Graham broke the code of conduct in a lottery contract bid.
On February 21 Graham released a statement to constituents:
The Board of Ethics and Government Accountability had no basis to issue findings and pronounce judgment against our client without granting him a chance to be heard, allowing him to review and challenge the evidence to which we were denied access, and conducting a full adversary hearing. The Board violated the law and its own rules. That is not the ethics process that the Council sought to put into place, nor is it one whose decisions are worthy of respect or weight. Today we filed for relief and are confident that the court will agree that the Board acted lawlessly and denied Councilmember Graham basic fairness and due process.
After the findings, Graham repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and told constituents he has no intention of resigning. Washington City Paper reports that Graham is filing a lawsuit to “seek a temporary restraining order against the ethics board, who Graham says violated his rights to due process by issuing a negative report without having a full hearing.”
Ward 1 Democratic candidate Brianne Nadeau released the following statement:
The residents of Ward 1 find ourselves today with a representative who is under scrutiny for his deeply troubling, ethically questionable behavior. Today’s vote results from the fact that he has not been willing to take responsibility for his actions or apologize to the people of Ward 1 for engaging in back-room deals when he should have been out addressing real issues in the community. This is not the Jim Graham we used to know.
Nadeau has already announced her candidacy against Graham in the 2014 Democratic primary for the Ward 1 Council seat. She is a former ANC 1B commissioner.
The council will take up the measure of reassigning the ABC Board responsibilities at a special meeting on Monday. Coincidentally, that same day, Graham will hold a public roundtable on rule making that will impact enforcement of alcohol sale to minors. The rule making would require and provide legal consequences for the failure of bars to check IDs of people who come in.
Graham first convened this public roundtable on January 24 and recessed it to provide additional time for testimony. The question for the day will not be the outcome of the roundtable discussion. The question is: Will this be Graham’s last ABC Board oversight meeting?
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
DC Clean City is looking for volunteer members of the community to help provide an objective evaluation on the cleanliness levels of DC and of Ward 1, in particular.
The evaluation will take place on Wednesday, February 13, at 9:45 am at 2000 14th Street NW, Suite 400, and will end around 1 pm.
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Brianne Nadeau. (Photo courtesy of Brianne for DC)
Former ANC-1B Commissioner and vice-chairperson of the Ward One Democrat, Brianne Nadeau, announced her candidacy for the Ward 1 DC Council seat on Wednesday. Nadeau will challenge Jim Graham, the ward’s incumbent in the 2014 Democratic Primary if he runs again. Graham is currently serving his fourth term on the council — and has not yet announced his plans. Most of the U Street corridor is in Ward 1.
Nadeau says she will focus her campaign on ending pay-to-play politics in the District, while creating jobs, improving the quality of education and increasing public safety.
“I have a record of fighting for Ward 1 residents, helping them get the services they need and making sure their problems are being addressed by our government,” said Nadeau in a press release. “I am running for council to address important issues that impact the lives of residents day-to-day. We cannot just solve problems on a case-by-case basis, we also need a long-term plan for solving the underlying issues and creating a stronger District.”
Since Nadeau’s time on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC), 2007 to 2011, the 32-year-old public relations consultant at Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications has worked on establishing various community initiatives, such as the U Street Movie Series and Sustainable U, a project that aims to improve local sustainability efforts and resolve quality of life issues.
If elected, Nadeau hopes to build on these efforts and work with the community members and leaders to strengthen the area.
“Ward 1 is the most diverse ward in the city, and Brianne understands how important it is to bring people together,” says Tania B. Jackson, DC Democratic State Committee member at-large and chairperson of Nadeau’s campaign. “Under her leadership, we will see the type of collaboration across the ward that will allow us to make real progress in improving our schools, transportation options, human services and the development of our commercial districts.”
Map of Ward One. (DC Government)
Current Ward 1 Councilmember Graham has recently been questioned in the media for unethical behavior in relation to a development deal during his time spent on the Metro Board of Directors.
Graham told The Washington Post, “No one has ever suggested I broke any law, or had any illegal financial interest or conflict of interest. The only conflict of interest ever raised is between my role as a council member and as a Metro board member… I have no ethical issues.”
So far, there are no other candidates for the seat.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
On December 4, the DC Council took its first vote on overhauling the city’s liquor licensing laws. (Luis Gomez Photos)
On Tuesday the DC Council met to to take the first vote on a controversial bill addressing liquor licensing for local businesses, and residents’ roles in the process. Many issues were on the table regarding liquor licensing, including how long it takes to obtain a license and who can squash it.
The legislation came before the Council following work done by a large task force headed by Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1). What did happen on Tuesday?
- The Council passed a provision to get rid of any “Gang of 5” license protest if a venue applying for a license reaches agreement with Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) — essentially giving an ANC first standing in liquor license protests.
- According to Tim Craig, reporter for The Washington Post, the council defeated Councilmember Cheh’s amendment,which strengthened the ability of five or more residents to protest a neighborhood liquor license. Graham, Orange, Barry, Graham Brown, Evans and Wells voted against the amendment. Alexander, Bowser, Cheh, McDuffie and Mendelson voted for it.
- The requirement that “Gang of 5” members protesting a liquor license application or renewal live within a 400-foot radius around an establishment was taken out of the bill. (See DC Liquor Board Reaffirms Hank’s Oyster Bar Decision and Poll: Most Readers Say 5 People Not Enough to Protest Liquor Licenses).
- D.C. Hospitality reports that the Council also approved a measure that requires the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board to act on licensing applications in a quicker time frame — of great importance to businesses that are essentially waiting to open pending approval of a liquor license.
- And as Dcist reports, sometime next year, liquor stores will be able to open for business on Sundays.
The final vote on the bill is scheduled for Tuesday, December 18.
Large Number of Licenses in Area
There are 1,586 liquor licenses of all types in DC, according to the DC Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA). The battles over liquor licenses in the Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods are more easily put into perspective when you look at the numbers — what wards, ANCs and areas have the most liquor licenses. Statistics from ABRA show how dominant our locales are in the ranks of DC’s watering holes: Ward 2 (Dupont-Logan) is home to 40% of all the city’s liquor licenses, followed by Ward 1 (which includes most of the U Street corridor) with 16%. In third place is Ward 6 (Capitol Hill) with 15%. It’s important to point out that Ward 2 includes Georgetown, in addition to Dupont-Logan and areas south of Dupont Circle. Ward 1 also includes Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights. Other DC Wards: Ward 3 has about 11% of all licenses; Ward 5 has 7%; Ward 4 has 6%; Ward 7 about 3%; and Ward 8 about 2.5% of all the city’s liquor licenses.
Licenses in Local ANCs
A look at number of licenses by Advisory Neighborhood Commission level is more revealing. ANC 2B/Dupontis home to 14.44% of all liquor licenses in the city (229) — keep in mind that the boundaries of ANC 2B extend well south of Dupont Circle and reach Pennsylvania Avenue at some points. (See DC Liquor Licenses by the Numbers: Ward 2, 40% and Ward 1, 16%.)
ANC 2F (Logan Circle and a big chunk of 14th Street NW) has 111 liquor licenses, about 7% of the city’s total. ANC 1B has 91 licenses, about 6% of all licenses in DC — 1B includes the U Street corridor and large swath of territory to the north plus Howard University. Together, these three ANCs are home to 431 of 1,586 licenses, about 27% of the city’s total. Throw in ANC 2C/Shaw and you have another 7% of all liquor licenses in DC. How many are in ANC 1C, home to Adams Morgan? That ANC has 84 licenses, about 5% of all the DC liquor licenses.
The exact numbers are as follows:
| ANC | # ABC Licenses | % of All DC Licenses |
| ANC 1B (U Street corridor and Columbia Heights) | 91 | 5.74% |
| ANC 2B (Dupont Circle) | 229 | 14.44% |
| ANC 2F (Logan Circle) | 113 | 7.12% |
| ANC 2C (Shaw) | 111 | 7.00% |
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
From Luis Gomez. Catch his photos at One Photograph A Day. Follow him on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos.
New parking restrictions for Ward 1. (Luis Gomez Photos)
The District’s Department of Transportation (DDOT) started a parking sign pilot program in the ANC2F/Logan area that lengthens restricted hours for visitor parking a couple of months ago.
The program will be extended to Ward 1 over the next few weeks. These restrictions will extend to ANCs 1A, 1B and 1C (ANC 1D opted out of the ERPP program). One side of the street will have RPP restrictions, and the other side will have enhanced restrictions. Most of the U Street corridor is in Ward 1.
The program is referred to as the Enhanced Residential Permit Parking (ERPP) program. It protects parking for neighborhood residents by designating one side of the street as resident only parking from 7 am to 8:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
The new signage for the ERPP program will be posted on blocks with traditional Residential Permit Parking (RPP) in the next few weeks. Crews will be working on an accelerated schedule to install about 2,500 new signs on approximately 550 neighborhood blocks included in the program. The installation will begin on or about November 17.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
