Over the weekend, Washington Post columnist Colby King penned an article criticizing the city's support for an express shuttle bus that supports H Street and Benning Road businesses by creating a faster connection between downtown and East of the River during the streetscape construction on the corridor. Joe Englert wrote a response and its posted below:  

Mr. King,

My name is Joe Englert and I own several buildings and several bars and restaurants in the H Street N.E. corridor. I am proud to be part of a group of businesses that call ourselves The Atlas District.

First, let me say, I really love your columns and your insight into the city and its neighborhoods.

Thanks for being a civic treasure.

I appreciate your point of view that the H street shuttle might not be the most important thing for the city to fund at this time.

But isn't it time Northeast and other areas not-so downtown and not-so corporate got a small, small sliver of the pie? The city gave Abe Pollin a metro stop and a slew of tax breaks for his Chinatown Palace. Then Ted Lerner and sons got $700 million at the Navy Yard. Adrian Fenty is dropping swimming pools and athletic fields onto D.C. like American pilots dropping candy into post-World War II Berlin. These are guys with clout.

Sorry, but the couple of hundred of us small business men and women on H don't have a whiff of clout. We are not Fortune 500 folks. We don't get TIF funding or EZ Bonds. We don't get tax forgiveness or deference. And unlike the untold expensive programs that have spent millions on H and produced nothing; we actually are creating jobs, vision, hope and even some sales tax and property tax for the city.

Drop in for dinner some time. I will buy you a bowl of mussels or a fine Belgian Ale (As featured on the Food Network). We can play putt putt or buy an espresso or a gourmet pie. We can catch a national blues or rock act, too. Unlike the H of the past 5 decades, we can sit down for dinner, not order it through bullet-proof glass. This happened because many of us on H have put our money, passion and time on the line to create something out of a very forlorn street. About a dozen of us have spent hundreds of thousands of our own dollars to clean the streets, too. Before the H Street shuttle, we paid for our own fleet of cabs and mini-vans to transport people to and fro. We spent thousands of our own dollars for the H Street Festival. And this month, we started having our own police force on the street. Guess who foots 50% of the bill? We do, the small businesspeople of H.

I know you embraced and came to love H in a completely different era. But many, many young people and the vast majority of Metropolitan Washington have never been to H. It is hard to navigate our street during a 14 block and 36 month renovation. Why not make it easy for people to discover and cherish the neighborhood you once did as a young man?

Come and join us for a good time. We are confident we can show you the way!

Respectfully, sincerely, Joe Englert

 

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has begun planting more than 3,000 new street trees. The Ward 6 FY 2010-2011 planting list is available at the DDOT website. Planting locations are based on requests that were made by residents to the Mayor’s Citywide Call Center before July 15, 2009.

In locations where new trees will be planted, Urban Forestry first demolishes any existing box. This includes removing any existing shrubs, flowers, plants, and non-permanent border. They then level the box prior to planting. Two to three days later, Urban Forestry returns to plant the tree. They’ll dig out all the soil, mix it with organic matter, and return it to the tree box.

If you see your address on the planting list and you have existing plant or other material you wish to preserve, please remove it prior to Urban Forestry’s arrival.

“One of the most effective ways a resident can improve the social, ecological and economic value of a neighborhood is to help ensure new trees thrive,” said John Thomas, DDOT’s Chief Forester. “In the first two years, these new trees need attention to get established. We ask residents to share that responsibility, and in the end we will all benefit from a beautiful tree canopy across the city.”

Residents are already responsible for maintaining property to the curb. Those who go a step further and sign a partnership agreement to water, mulch and monitor the health of specific trees in the first two years after planting, will receive free watering bags and instructions from UFA.

The planting schedule is subject to change due to equipment, weather, emergencies and other extenuating circumstances.

In response to the recent armed carjackings in and around 12th and E Street NE, Tommy will be hosting a community meeting next Monday December 21st, 6:30 pm, at Options Public Charter School (corner of 14th and E Street NE).

Joining the meeting will be the police department’s Carjacking Task Force, 1st District Commander Kamperin, PSA 103 Lt. Caldwell, representatives from the Mayor’s office, ANC 6A Commissioner Mary Beatty, as well as others.

The goal of the meeting is to discuss the concerns, get an update from MPD on the crimes, and set a plan in place to ensure additional police visibility and presence moving forward.

The meeting is open to all and please feel free to spread the word.

UPDATED, 12/21/09, 10:15 AM

We have confirmed with Commissioner Beatty and the school that the meeting is still scheduled for tonight. We hope to see you there.

UPDATE, 12/16/09, 2:25 PM

MPD shared a map of carjackings year to date. You can view the map by Clicking Here. At Monday night's meeting, MPD's Carjacking Task Force will be able to share more details about their analysis and they are currently exploring patterns related to the current string of crimes. They'll be in a position to share more information with neighbors on Monday evening.

DC's very own Watkins Hornets won the Pee Wee Super Bowl this weekend -- becoming the first team in DPR history to win the coveted Pop Warner Division I Pee Wee National Football Championships. The Hornets defeated the Florida City Razorbacks from Miami, Florida 22-8.

As we blogged last week, the Hornets defeated last year's reigning champions, the White Oak Warriors, to become the Eastern Region Champions and advance to the Pop Warner Super Bowl. Councilmember Wells joined players, parents and coaches for a celebration to send the team off in style on their way to the playoffs in Florida.

First, the Hornets had to top the Southfield Falcons from Michigan and the Arlington Thunder from Texas. Those two playoff wins put the Hornets in the Super Bowl to take on the Florida City Razorbacks. 

Congratulations to the entire team!!!