To listen to the meeting by phone Dial-in Phone Number: 301-715-8592 Meeting ID: 982 6429 4844 Passcode: 731215
View the LRCA February 2022 newsletter here. To view a map of LRCA’s boundaries click here.
February 8, 2022
Ward 5 ANC Redistricting Task Force Public Meeting 6:00 pm
Residents are invited to provide comments to the Ward 5 ANC Redistricting Task Force. Comments may be provided live in an online public meeting on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 6:00 pm. Written comments will also be accepted until Tuesday, February 22, 2022.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Sector 2 Meeting with MPD Fourth District (4D) Captain John Terry 6:00 pm
*Sector 2 Monthly Crime Stats *Community Questions and answers *Community Outreach events and planning *Closing Comments
Occurs the second Tuesday of every month. This month’s meeting is on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 6:00 pm. When it’s time, join the Webex meeting here:
Join by meeting number: Meeting number (access code): 2318 987 9879 Meeting password: 4dsector2
Tap to join from a mobile device (attendees only) +1-202-860-2110,,23189879879## United States Toll (Washington D.C.) +1-650-479-3208,,23189879879## Call-in toll number (US/Canada)
Join by phone +1-202-860-2110 United States Toll (Washington D.C.) 1-650-479-3208 Call-in toll number (US/Canada) Global call-in numbers
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number
February 10, 2022
Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Listening Session for Lamond-Riggs 6:30 pm
Please join Councilmember Lewis George and your neighbors on Thursday, February 10 at 6:30 pm for your neighborhood’s community listening session over Zoom. Every neighbor will get the chance to discuss the change you want to see in our community and hear from other neighbors too. These events are shaping the work Councilmember Lewis George does when it comes to legislation, the DC budget, constituent services, and efforts in the community.
Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Budget Forum 3:30 pm
Join Councilmember Lewis George on Saturday, February 12 at 3:30 pm to discuss the upcoming budget process and share your priorities for funding that puts people first. Each Ward 4 resident will have the chance to share their budget priorities as we head into budget season. All RSVP’d attendees will be provided an opportunity to make brief remarks or provide 2 minutes of testimony.
Last night, the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) Election Committee announced results of the LRCA election for the 2021-2023 term. Barbara Rogers won a decisive victory for president. Thank you to everyone who voted for decency, kindness, and respect for neighbors. More to come.
Election Results from the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association Election Committee
For President Barbara Rogers 120 votes (winner)
Rodney Foxworth 43 votes
For First Vice President LaRoya Huff 131 votes (winner)
Tanya Slade (write-in) 1 vote
For Second Vice President Sierra Dickerson 133 votes (winner)
For Treasurer Tanya Slade (write-in; winner)* 8 votes *subject to write-in candidate’s acceptance of appointment.
Karen Dickerson (write-in) 4 votes
For Financial Secretary Tischa Cockrell (write-in; winner)* 2 votes *subject to write-in candidate’s acceptance of appointment.
By now, Lamond-Riggs residents who paid dues by the April 2, 2021, deadline to vote in the upcoming Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association election should have received an email with voting information (check your spam folder). As I mentioned in this post, I encourage residents to vote for Barbara Rogers for president.
Also, I am not aware of any accurate list of candidates to date published by LRCA on any of its platforms. One of the candidates for trustee, Danielle Lewis-Wright, had her name egregiously misspelled in the minutes in LRCA’s May 2021 newsletter, so I wanted to make a note of that here to let residents know she is running for trustee. I encourage residents to vote for both Danielle Lewis-Wright and Heather Rodgers for trustee.
Below, please find a final message from Barbara regarding this election.
Hello Lamond-Riggs Family,
This is my message to you before the LRCA election: VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE.
It is not my personality to run a negative campaign. You should never have to say negative things about a person to make yourself look good. I am running on integrity and inclusion. My past record will always speak for me as a person, resident, and a leader. I took on this journey after requests from many neighbors wanting to see change. I have never stopped serving my community and will continue to do so regardless of the outcome of this election.
I commend all of the past and current board members that take time out of their personal lives to give back to their community. I also encourage all those reading this to get involved. Ever since I started going to LRCA meetings over the past 10 years, there had been so much advancement. There had been an increase in membership and attendance. A goal of LRCA to become a 501(c)3 was accomplished during my previous presidency. I am not taking the credit for that happening because it was the hard work of an awesome executive board. What I most admire about the executive board when I was president, is that they challenged me and things that were on the agenda.
What I hope most to come out of this election is inclusion and respect for all neighbors. Our neighborhood deserves some positive energy. We are ONE community and we need to respect and get along with all of our neighbors.
Whether you vote for me or not, thank you for participating in the process and supporting LRCA.
Well wishes,
Barbara Rogers
2021 Candidate for President of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association
Neighbors if you live in Lamond-Riggs, it is time to pay dues for the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) if you have not done so. The LRCA will be holding its next election for officers and trustees on May 3, 2021. Each term is two years. We are fortunate that Barbara Rogers has decided to run for LRCA president again. In order to vote for her in the election, you must pay dues by April 2, 2021. Pay dues at https://lrcadc.org/join-lrca. It is only $10 for individual membership and $15 for family membership. When you pay, be sure to enter your address so that that LRCA has a record showing that you live in the neighborhood.
I know some of this blog’s readers live in North Michigan Park and elsewhere outside of Lamond-Riggs. Take a look at the boundaries for LRCA to make sure you live within the boundaries before you pay. Donations are always welcome, but only those living inside the boundaries of LRCA will be able to vote in the election. LRCA’s boundaries are Galloway Street NE to the south, Eastern Avenue NE to the east, Underwood Place NE/NW to the north, and the Metro tracks to the west. Edit: To be clear, if you do not live inside the boundaries of LRCA, you will not be able to be a member of LRCA.
LRCA Boundary Map
Many of you know Barbara served two terms as LRCA president from 2013 to 2017, immediately before I served as president of LRCA. I served on the board with her when she was president and she was really fantastic for the board and for the neighborhood. She was so welcoming to all neighbors, new and old. During her tenure, she revived several working committees for LRCA. A number of active committees did great work–education, membership, scholarship, newsletter, nominations, communications, youth development/recreation, senior, public safety, and development task force. LRCA obtained its 501(c)(3) status under her leadership. In addition, LRCA’s website and social media platforms were all created during her tenure as president. Under her leadership, the board did a great job keeping everyone informed about what was happening in the neighborhood. She fostered professional, collegial, and respected relationships among neighbors, elected and District agency officials, and those wishing to do business in the neighborhood. I cannot emphasize enough how meaningful her strong leadership was for the neighborhood.
And on a personal note, I really think kindness matters, and I cannot overstate how kind Barbara is as a person. A lot of good things happened under her leadership because she is a kind person and people were willing to do the work alongside her.
Many asked Barbara to run for LRCA president again and she answered the call. Check out her flyer and pass it along to your neighbors. Pay dues by April 2.
Sell Your Stuff and Find New Treasures! Sign up to participate in the Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Yard Sale happening on Saturday, August 17.
Join neighbors in hosting a neighborhood-wide yard side. Each participating homeowner will host a sale in their own yard. The neighborhood yard sale will be promoted by the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) and a map of participating households will be posted on LRCA’s social media pages–that’s @lrcadc on facebook and twitter. Banners and signs will be posted throughout the neighborhood.
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, email your home address to LRCAYardSale@gmail.com or call 202-529-1729.
Each year, the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) awards college scholarships to neighborhood youth. This year, three outstanding young people will each receive $1,000 to support their college education thanks to the residents who paid LRCA membership dues and who gave donations to LRCA’s scholarship program.
Jade Charity is a student at Capital City Public Charter School. After participating in Tuskegee University’s AgDiscovery program, she developed an interest in agriculture and growing food locally. The research paper that she wrote as a part of this program earned her an invitation to an agriculture conference in Iowa where she presented her reserach to members of the industry. She will be attending Florida A & M University in the fall.
Zakia Faiza attends Theodore Roosevelt High School and has been named the Valedictorian of her class. She interned at the World Bank and they liked her so much, they kept her on as an employee during the school year. Zakia has an interest in criminology and the law. She will be attending Clark Atlanta University in the fall.
Noah White attends Benjamin Bannker High School. On the weekend, he is a volunteer instructor at Northeast Taekwondo where he teaches the young “Tiny Tigers” class. He speaks French and last year, he went on a European study abroad trip with his school. He will be attending University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall where he hopes to study Biomedical Engineering.
The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association is holding an election for new board officers and trustees at its next meeting on May 6 at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus (501 Riggs Road NE) at 7:00 pm. I am supporting the LRCA Forward slate in the election and I encourage my neighbors to do the same. The slate consists of Gwen Cofield for President, Tischa Cockrell for 1st Vice President, and Lisa Wray for 2nd Vice President.
Gwen currently serves as LRCA’s first vice president and chair of LRCA’s development task force. There’s a lot I can say about Gwen, but I think what really matters is that she is a kind person. She has lived in the community for over two decades now. She embraces and is respectful of everyone. She works hard and smart. There have been a lot of development issues to deal with over the past two years, and I think Gwen has represented the community well in these matters. She is terrific at listening to all sides and attempting to resolve conflicts in a respecful manner. As the community continues to grow, I trust Gwen to continue moving the organization forward and remind us all that at the end of the day we are indeed neighbors and should treat one another as neighbors.
I worked with Tischa a lot when she served as second vice president and I served as a trustee on LRCA’s board from 2015 to 2017. We planned the Riggs Park Community Day together last year, which was super fun. I think she accomplished a lot as chair of the youth committee when she was on the board. She works hard and has a lot of great ideas.
Lisa currently serves as a trustee on LRCA’s board and helped plan LRCA’s 70th anniversary celebration.
If you are an LRCA member and paid your membership dues by April 1, I encourage you to vote for:
Gwen Cofield – President Tischa Cockrell – 1st Vice President Lisa Wray – 2nd Vice President
Note: On April 6, 2022, we received a request from one of the three artists who was featured below to remove her name and artwork from the blog post. We have done so. That mural is located on the corner of 3rd Street and Chillum Place NE.
Be sure to check out three cool new storm drain murals here in Riggs Park. These murals are designed to educate people about the Anacostia River and inspire us all to keep trash off the street and out of the river. Guest contributor David Kosub previously wrote about the selected designs here.
At South Dakota & Galloway Street NE is “Jahlil Wormley” by artist Elizabeth Sampson.
“Anacostia River View” by artist Lovancy Ingram is near 219 Riggs Road NE (near Food & Friends).
This was a really fun activity funded through DC’s Department of Energy and Environment’s Community Stormwater Solutions Grant and sponsored by the Anacostia Watershed Society and the environment committee of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association. The weather was perfect for painting. Volunteers from Anacostia Watershed Society joined each artist. My kid neighbor Isabel spent all day painting. Neighbors stopped by to say hi.
This activity followed last weekend’s cleanup of Hellbender Hill. Be sure to sign up for this weekend’s Riggs Park neighborhood-wide cleanup on April 13. All of these activities are planned by the super awesome environment committee of LRCA, chaired by Olga Naidenko and Lauren Boyd. Check out pics from the mural painting below.
Artist Elizabeth Sampson & Riggs Park resident Isabel“Jahlil Wormley”“Jahlil Wormley”“Jahlil Wormley”Samspon and IsabelRiggs Park residents Isabel & I assisting on mural painting“Anacostia River View”“Anacostia River View”Riggs Park family helping out with “Anacostia River View”Artist Lovancy Ingram prepping for painting of “Anacostia River View”
The Spring Clean events will bring together neighbors to make our community healthier and more beautiful. Volunteers will remove trash from neighborhood streets and alleyways across the Lamond-Riggs neighborhood, and have an opportunity to learn about the Anacostia River watershed through the installation of three artistic storm drain murals that were selected by popular community vote at the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association December 2018 meeting.
Events are lined up for March 30, April 6, and April 13. Note: Each event would be shifted to the following Saturday in case of inclement weather on the originally scheduled date.
March 30 – Hellbender Hill Clean-up
10:00 am-Noon
2nd Street NE/Hellbender Brewery area Clean Up
Meet at 5788 2nd Street NE
April 6 –Storm Drain Mural Installation
10:00 am-2:00 pm
Storm drain mural installation at 3 sites throughout the community
Corner of South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street NE
In the vicinity of 219 Riggs Road NE (between South Dakota Avenue and the metro tracks)
Corner of 3rd Street NE and Chillum Place NE
April 13 – Neighborhood Spring Clean
9:30 am-Noon
Meet at the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (501 Riggs Road NE) to pick up bags, gloves prior to going over to different work areas throughout the neighborhood.
The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association is accepting scholarship applications from eligible high-school seniors until April 2, 2019. Details and the scholarship packet are available at https://lrcadc.org/scholarships.
Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association Public Meeting March 4, 2019 7:00 pm Location: LaSalle-Backus Education Campus (501 Riggs Road NE, enter auditorium on Madison Street)
Agenda * Pepco Capital Grid Project Update * Cafritz Foundation: Art Place at Fort Totten Phase 2
Read LRCA’s March 2019 newsletter at lrcadc.org. Pay membership dues online to support scholarships for neighborhood youth.
Our neighborhood, all tucked away here in upper northeast DC, also lies within the Anacostia River watershed. It regularly reminds me of how connected we are to the rivers in our city. And, this connection is about to get stronger.
Due to the great work of the Lamond-Riggs Citizen Association (LRCA) Environmental Committee, which partnered with the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) to obtain a Community Storm Water Solutions grant from the District Department of Energy and the Environment, we will be receiving some new artistic murals around the community very soon. But, don’t look up, look down at your feet. These pieces of visual art will remind us about the state of the Anacostia River and how we must take strides in our own lives every day to keep the river clean. Last year, AWS and LRCA called for artists of all ages to submit designs for storm drain murals. Submissions were judged on their aesthetic strengths and incorporation of an environmental theme. After the community voted on the designs in December, three winners emerged. Let’s meet the winning artists now…
Lovancy Ingram: As a music teacher and amateur artist, she reflects the beauty of her D.C. hometown in her work. Her piece, entitled “Anacostia Water View” received the most votes from the community (11 votes).
“Anacostia Water View”
Elizabeth Sampson: With undergraduate and master’s degrees in the field, she currently lives, creates, and teaches art in the District, where she hopes to use visual art to celebrate positive stories in the world. Inspired by the 2018 Anacostia River Heroes, her mural highlights the role of these hardworking individuals in protecting and restoring the Anacostia River. Particular attention is paid to how their hands work in unique ways to help nurture and sustain a healthy river. Entitled “Jahlil Wormley” with 10 votes, this mural depicts the subject as he catches and releases numerous playfully colored fish, which together represent the importance of imagination as youth work to protect the watershed.
“Jahlil Wormley”
Leila Eguino: A native of Bolivia, Leila completed her undergraduate studies in Art History and Fine Art in Washington D.C. “Crane” received 8 votes from the community.
“Crane”
Look for these murals to be installed on a nearby storm drain come April 2019, just in time for Earth Day. A couple weeks ago, I met up with a group of neighbors, (Olga and Nick) along with Ariel and Stacy from AWS to scope out the perfect installation sites. After considering factors like foot traffic and visibility, the likely best locations found were around the library along South Dakota Ave NE for these welcomed pieces of art.
Neighbors and AWSStacy from AWS pointing to a storm drain near the library
Stay tuned for an opportunity to join the artists in person as they install their murals—bringing a splash of artistic flare to our everyday lives while reminding us of just how connected we are to the health of the Anacostia.
Take my survey to tell me what you think, or read on for more
information.
The Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) is a multi-use trail that will run from Silver Spring to Union Station when completed. Today, the trail segment connecting Fort Totten to the south is under construction and expected to open in 2020. When it opens, Lamond-Riggs and adjacent neighborhoods will have access to a great facility for walking, jogging, and biking. To access the MBT, the Fort Totten trailhead will be located on 1st Place NE, just west of the Fort Totten Metro station. The trailhead will connect to the sidewalk network, as well as the trail spur that connects west to Gallatin Street NE (which will be repaved as part of this project).
Overview map of the area, including approximate location of the new trail
But for those of us who live in Lamond-Riggs, the question
is: How are you going to bike there?
Bicycling is one of the primary purposes of the MBT, whether for recreation or commuting. However, Lamond-Riggs currently has no bike facilities, other than a single bike lane on Kansas Avenue, a mile away from Fort Totten. (Michigan Park and North Michigan Park also have no bike facilities.)
Biking on sidewalks is legal in this area, but not
recommended. (Bicyclists on sidewalks have to yield to pedestrians, and are at
greater risk of being struck by drivers at road crossings.)
Since there are no bike facilities and we don’t want to bike on the sidewalk, then that leaves biking in the street. Four streets provide access to the Fort Totten trailhead from Lamond-Riggs: Riggs Road, Galloway Street, Ingraham Street, or Kennedy Street (via 3rd Street). Riggs Road is a difficult option for cyclists because of high traffic speeds and volumes, so let’s look at the others. Galloway, Ingraham, and Kennedy streets all share another challenge for bicycling: a big hill. The climb on Galloway Street from South Dakota Avenue to the Fort Totten trailhead is comparable to Meridian Hill! I’ve watched many bicyclists humping up that hill, and none looked like they were having fun.
Up a big hill
Route
Distance
Climb
Incline
Galloway Street NE from South Dakota Avenue to the Fort Totten trailhead
2,255′
85′
3.8%
16th Street NW from U St. to Euclid St. (Meridian Hill)
2,284′
85′
3.7%
(Data from Google Maps)
Of course, that hill is exactly why Fort Totten is where it
is: to have a commanding view of Confederate advances. While that topography
served the Union Army well, it’s not so great for a leisurely ride.
Combine topography with traffic and this will be a frustrating spot. Drivers don’t want to be behind an exhausted bicyclist going uphill . . . and that bicyclist doesn’t want to be in front of drivers. Notably, Galloway Street is the route for several Metrobuses, as well as parking and kiss-and-ride for the Fort Totten Metro station.
The MBT is meant to be enjoyed by people of all ages and
ability levels. But under the current conditions, reaching the MBT by bike from
Lamond-Riggs may be an unpleasant experience for many people.
However, there may be opportunities to make some improvements so our neighborhood can have better access. There have been various plans for bike facilities on or next to Galloway Street. The District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) 2014 moveDC plan includes a future trail along Galloway St. from the Fort Totten trailhead to South Dakota Avenue. That trail segment would continue along Gallatin St. to the District line, to a connection with the Northwest Branch Trail in Maryland. If built, that segment would connect our neighborhoods to many more miles of trails. However, at this time there seems to be no concrete plan for building it.
2014 moveDC plan. Blue dotted lines indicate a planned trail
More modestly, last year DDOT listed a climbing lane as a “possible 2018 installation” on the lower portion of Galloway Street, from South Dakota Avenue to 4th St. NE (the alley through the Modern). A climbing lane is an on-street bike lane in the uphill direction only. While that would be a start, bicyclists would still have to mix with vehicular traffic the rest of the way uphill, and all the way downhill from the trailhead. More to the point, 2018 is now over and it didn’t happen yet. (However, the recent February Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association, a DDOT representative said that the planned sidewalk would be installed on the south side of Galloway Street in this location some time in 2019. Maybe the sidewalk and the bike facility are related?)
Looking north, the Cafritz Foundation’s Art Place development sits between Ingraham and Kennedy streets. Maybe new bike facilities could be built as part of any transportation changes arising from that development. In fact, the developers have stated that they would like to realign Kennedy Street in a future development phase. Realignment would involve new paving and curbs: if appropriate, maybe new bike facilities could be included.
These are some of the issues and ideas as I see them. How about you? Take my survey to tell me what you think, and let’s work together to find solutions for our neighborhood. If folks respond to the survey, I’ll share the responses out with the community.
Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association Public Meeting February 4, 2019 7:00 pm-8:30 pm Location: LaSalle-Backus Education Campus (501 Riggs Road NE, enter auditorium on Madison Street)
Agenda:
* DC Fire & EMS – Update on Right Care, Right Now ambulance transport policy
* DDOT – Pedestrian Safety Issues on South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road NE corridor
The Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) and the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) are seeking artists to create designs and paint murals on a total of 3 storm drains in Lamond-Riggs. The goal of these murals is to raise awareness of storm drains as a connection to our local waterways. Selected artists will receive a commission of $750 per storm drain. This Mural Design competition is open to artists of all ages, including school groups and individual students. Materials (paint and brushes) will be provided.
Designs are due by 5:00 pm on November 16. Mural installation will take place in April 2019. Details at the link.
There’s still time to register for the free Anacostia River boat tour sponsored by the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association and the Anacostia Watershed Society! Taking place this Saturday, October 13, at 12:00 pm. Weather forecast for Saturday is looking perfect for a couple hours on the river. Registration is required. Free roundtrip bus transportation from Lamond-Riggs Library (5401 South Dakota Avenue NE). Pick-up at 11:30 am and drop-off around 3:00 pm. Indicate whether you want to reserve a seat on the bus or plan to meet the group at Bladensburg Waterfront Park on your own when you register. Children under 18 permitted with parent/guardian. Click the link to register and for details.
Anacostia River Boat Tour October 13, 2018 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm Bladensburg Waterfront Park 4601 Annapolis Road Bladensburg, MD 20710
Next Stop...Riggs Park 