The annual Riggs Park & Michigan Park Reunion event will take place this Saturday, September 10, 2022, from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Fort Circle Park (South Dakota Avenue NE & Galloway Street NE).
The event is pretty popular so expect a lot of cars and traffic around the park during this time.
WUSA 9 television provided really nice coverage of the Lamond-Riggs Boys & Girls Club Reunion & Community Welcoming event that took place on May 14, 2022 at the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. It was a wonderful event where people who grew up in the neighborhood came together to celebrate their pride in a neighborhood that invested so much in them. The Lamond-Riggs Boys and Girls Club got its start in a little red church building and eventually found a home in the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. Seeing so many come back to the neighborhood to attend this event and express so much joy at seeing old neighbors with whom they grew up, it became even clearer why so many chose this neighborhood in the 1960s to call home and why so many who grew up here feel such great pride in the neighborhood.
The event was emceed by Howard Burnett, who grew up in Riggs Park and went on to become a senior administrator with Prince George’s County Public Schools. The program recognized all those who made a difference in the lives of the young people in the neighborhood–founders of the boys and girls club, coaches, and community partners. Guest speaker Richard Dyer, who is the president and general manager of WUSA 9 television, also grew up in Riggs Park. His family lived in the neighborhood from 1967 to 1992.
Pictures of the program below
Origin of event
The event grew out of facebook group conversations among individuals who grew up in the neighborhood, talking about the changes that they were seeing in the neighborhood. Those conversations made their way to Frank Jones, who also grew up in Riggs Park and has a special talent for putting on events. Mr. Jones retired from many years of service at the Walter Reed Medical Center, including in special events. He decided to volunteer his organization, the DC High School Alumni Association, to sponsor the event and pulled together a team of three committees to assist. Many of those assisting in the planning were his fellow Coolidge High School alumni. Mr. Jones said one of his goals was to make sure the event would be a bridge between generations and unite residents. That is one reason the event was stylized as both a reunion and community welcoming event. The team also wanted to give back, so they decided to donate funds to both the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) and the Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center.
It really was a special treat to see so many come back, hear how much the boys and girls club meant to them, and hear how they wish to continue meeting the needs of youth in the neighborhood.
Additional event photos below
Howard Burnett emceeing eventCommittee members with DC Mayor Muriel BowserRiggs-LaSalle Rec director Shirleta Settles & Friends of the Rec board member Robert OliverLRCA president Barbara RogersFrank JonesHoward BurnettLRCA president Barbara Rogers & Richard DyerBook of Riggs-LaSalle Rec Center origin
One Riggs Park neighbor can add Grammy-nominated to his profile. Devin Walker, creator of The Uncle Devin Show, recently received news that he was nominated for a Grammy award for his contributions to a children’s album called All One Tribe by the 1 Tribe Collective. Neighbors might be familiar with Mr. Walker from his performances at neighborhood children’s festivals hosted by Explore! Children’s Museum. Or maybe neighbors tune into his WEE Nation Radio show on WPFW FM 89.3.
We caught up with Mr. Walker, chatting by phone and also getting written responses to questions. Born in DC, Mr. Walker spent his formative years in Prince George’s County, taking drum lessons during his youth. He went on to attend college at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and eventually worked for Metro for 20 years investigating discrimination complaints. He moved back to DC in 1997, choosing to settle in the Riggs Park neighborhood in 2000 because it was close to a Metro station and close to things happening in DC.
It was his love for his nieces and nephews that really inspired him to start making children’s music. He produced his first CD in 1997 and from there kept making music for children. He taught himself how to play other percussion instruments such as the congas and bongos. He keeps a recording device handy to record lyrics and ideas as they come to him. Once he comes up with lyrics, sometimes children help him structure the song. His wife and manager of The Uncle Devin Show, Lolita Walker, also assists in his creative process.
The Grammy award ceremony will take place in Los Angeles. The event will be streamed online on January 31, 2022. While the children’s music awards will not be part of the main stage ceremony, Mr. Walker will be able to attend all of the ceremonies. One of his goals in attending the ceremonies is to recruit more musicians into children’s music, even if that means just putting one children’s song on their album. Mr. Walker shared that this year’s children’s music nominees are a diverse group, reflecting the diversity in the genre. After observing that previous award nominees were all white, he and others formed a group called Family Music Forward and worked with Harvey Mason, Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, to better support diversity in children’s music.
In the new year, Mr. Walker looks forward to the launch of the Black Children’s Network with his other co-founders.
Find Mr. Walker online at The Uncle Devin Show and WEE Nation Radio and on social media: FB/IG/Twitter/YouTube — @uncledevinshow and @weenationradio
Read on for the written responses we received to our questions.
1. Tell us about yourself, how long you have lived in Riggs Park, and how you got started in music and specifically making children’s music.
I moved to Riggs Park in 2000 and have lived at the same house on Oneida Street ever since. I got started in music early in life when I took over my older brother’s drum set when I was about 4 years old. My parents told me I was always beating on the table, floors, and so they fed my desire by keeping me involved in music all throughout school.
2. In what category are you nominated for a GRAMMY award? Have you ever been nominated for a GRAMMY award before?
I was nominated as part of the “1 Tribe Collective,” for a GRAMMY Award in the Best Children’s Music Album of the Year for our album, “All One Tribe”. This is my first time being nominated for a GRAMMY.
3. What is the nomination process like? Walk us through it. How were you notified? What were you feeling/what thoughts went through your head when you received the news that this album on which you participate was nominated for a GRAMMY?
The nominations are made by voting members including artists and producers of the Recording Academy, which owns the GRAMMY’s. I have been a Recording Academy voting member since 2014.
There are two different rounds of voting. Only members of the Recording Academy can submit an album for consideration. The top five albums with the most votes are nominated. The second round of voting, which started on December 6 and ends on January 4, 2022, will determine the winner.
We were notified via an announcement ceremony on November 23 via the Recording Academy’s website. Actually, Jon Batiste who is also nominated for 11 GRAMMY’s himself, made the announcement for our category among others which you can see on my Facebook page (click Here). What an honor it was to have the multi-talented musician, band leader and tv personality announce our project as a GRAMMY nominee.
I had already planned to spend the day with my parents and was running errands with my dad when my phone began blowing up with congratulatory texts and calls. We couldn’t believe this was happening. When we returned to the house, my mom was so happy she began crying. I attempted to call my wife several times to share the good news, but she was busy doing laundry at the time and missed my calls. It was unbelievable, we laugh about it now, but she was ecstatic. So, when I got home, we shared a celebratory toast.
4. Tell us about the 1 Tribe Collective.
I am a member of the 1 Tribe Collective, a group of 25-black children’s artists who came together after the death of George Floyd to address the issue of the lack of diversity within the children’s music genre. We all come from different backgrounds and music genres, including R&B, Hip-Hop, Folk, Country, African World Music, Funk, Reggae, Go-Go and more. It was truly a Black Lives inspired project.
5. Tell us about the All One Tribe Album and why this album is important to you. What is the significance of the song “A Go-Go Fun Day” that you contributed to this album?
One of the important aspects of this album is that we did not wait for anyone else to give us permission to do for our community what we knew was our responsibility. We let the world know that not only do we exist, but that Black voices in children and family music matter.
A Go-Go Fun Day uses the official music of DC, “Go-Go Music,” to document the resistance movement by Black residents in the Nation’s Capital against racism when Blacks were not allowed to attend the Easter Egg Roll at the White House. Instead, they were permitted to go to the National Zoo, and it became an unofficial holiday over the years. It shows our ability to turn an adverse circumstance into a positive outcome that has lasted for over one hundred years in a city where DC residents are taxed without representation. It is about community control of everything we do.
6. What’s next for The Uncle Devin Show?
I will be releasing one of the first ever children’s Go-Go albums in early 2022 entitled, “Little Kangaroo in the Pocket.” Additionally, I will continue conducting workshops, residencies and concerts for schools, libraries, museums, and other venues for children and families.
Also, as a DC Certified Business Enterprise (CBE), we look to develop short and long-term contracts with schools, parks and recreation and the DC Public Library where we will conduct professional development courses for their staff. I offer six different training programs including, “Racism in Children’s Music: Liberating Music for the Black Child,” “Think Local, Crank Global: A Go-Go Workshop for Educators!” and “A Family Involvement Workshop.”
We will also continue providing the only children’s music radio program catering to the Black community entitled, WEE Nation Radio. WEE stands for Watoto Entertainment & Education, and Watoto is a Swahili word that means, “Children.” We provide the best in family-friendly global beats for little feet and is a 24/7 online music radio station that streams R&B, Hip-Hop, Funk, Jazz, Go-Go and World music specially created for kids.
Long post warning; updated 10/27/2021 to add information about not diluting minority voting strength
DC is undergoing a redistricting process following the release of the 2020 Census numbers. A subcommittee of the DC Council Committee of the Whole is responsible for making recommendations for redrawing the boundaries. The redistricting subcommittee consists of At-large Councilmembers Elissa Silverman (chair), Anita Bonds, and Christina Henderson. The subcommittee set up a handy website to explain the process and how to participate at https://www.elissasilverman.com/redistricting. One way to participate is to draw your own map boundaries using the DC Office of Planning’s online redistricting tool and submit it to the subcommittee.
The Council will establish the ward boundaries first and deal with the ANC boundaries later. The subcommittee is currently holding ward-focused roundtables to address the ward boundaries. The Ward 5 hearing was on October 20, 2021. You can view the video on CM Silverman’s facebook page at this link. Recordings of other ward redistricting hearings are also available on CM Silverman’s facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CMElissaSilverman.
The Ward 4 hearing will be on October 28, 2021, starting at 10:00 am. The deadline to sign up to testify for the Ward 4 hearing is Tuesday, October 26, 2021. Follow the instructions in the hearing notice to sign up.
Key dates from this point forward:
October 2021: Subcommittee will hold eight hearings on ward redistricting, one specific to each ward November 5, 2021: City-wide hearing. Sign up to testify by November 3. See hearing notice. November 12, 2021: Deadline for submitting written testimony. Submit written testimony to redistricting@dccouncil.us Mid-November 2021: Redistricting Subcommittee markup of ward redistricting bill December 7, 2021: First vote by the full Council on the ward redistricting bill December 21, 2021: Second vote on the ward redistricting bill December 2021: Ward Task Forces (which provide recommendations on ANC redistricting) start meeting February 2022: Ward Task Forces report out recommendations May 2022: Subcommittee mark-up of the ANC redistricting bill June 2022: Full Council votes on the ANC redistricting bill
Principles of Redistricting
The redistricting process happens every 10 years following release of the Census numbers. The subcommittee is guided by a few principles. One is the principle of one person/one vote. That means each ward should have roughly the same number of residents so that no ward is either too big or too small and each resident’s vote has roughly the same amount of power. Following the 2020 Census, the magic number is 86,193 residents. Each ward can be within plus or minus five percent of this number, so each ward can legally have between 81,883 and 90,503 residents. Based on this range, Ward 6 needs to shrink and Wards 7 and 8 need to grow. All of the other wards are within the legal range, but Ward 5 is knocking at the top of the range with 89,425 residents.
Another principle is to not dilute the power of “minority” voters. The DC Council interprets this to mean not diluting the power of Black and Latino residents in DC, according to CM Silverman.
Another principle is keeping what is called “communities of interest” together. This is a nebulous concept not defined in the DC Code. But the idea is to keep communities that have common legislative concerns together. Historically, this has meant keeping neighborhoods together, but over time we have seen that sometimes it is necessary to split up neighborhoods and to cross natural boundaries. CM Silverman has made it a point to note several times that the subcommittee will be looking at factors such as race and income. This has led to some interesting discussions, with people making diametrically opposed points during the hearings I have listened to so far, but I will save that for another post.
The ward lines must also be contiguous, and CM Silverman stated that the subcommittee cannot split census tracts.
The Council is supposed to abide by all of these principles while somehow minimizing disruption. During a previous subcommittee hearing in September, there was some discussion about whether the subcommittee should try to get all of the wards as close to the average as possible. That could mean moving some residents out of Ward 5, for example. Or the committee could just focus on making sure that the wards are within the legal limits. Theoretically, the subcommittee could redraw the boundaries for Wards 6, 7, and 8 so that each is within the permissible range, and leave the rest of the ward boundaries alone. But the subcommittee has stated that just changing Wards 6, 7, and 8 would lead to some funky maps so they are looking at adjustments to other wards as well.
One factor the subcommittee stated they will not address is parking because there is a good argument for decoupling parking zone boundaries from ward boundaries (and in my mind political boundaries altogether).
All of the members of the subcommitee, along with Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, were present for the Ward 5 hearing on October 20. At the top of her remarks, CM Silverman stated that although Ward 5 is within the legal limit, that does not mean that the subcommittee will leave the Ward 5 boundaries as they are. CM Silverman said the subcommittee is specifically looking at both the southeast area of the ward around Carver-Langston and the northern portion of the ward, which includes the Riggs Park and Fort Totten neighborhoods.
(For clarity, to me the boundaries of the Riggs Park neighborhood are New Hampshire Avenue to the north, the DC/MD line to the east, Galloway Street NE to the south, and the Metro red line tracks to the west. The Fort Totten neighborhood is west of the Metro red line tracks.)
A handful of residents testified during the hearing. ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08), who is also chair of the Ward 5 Democrats, testified in support of keeping Fort Lincoln in Ward 5. He also advocated for having two ANC commissioners for that neighborhood. It was not clear to me in what capacity he was testifying. Commissioner Fletcher represents parts of the Riggs Park and North Michigan Park neighborhoods, but his testimony focused solely on the Fort Lincoln neighborhood. No other ANC 5A commissioners testified. A couple of other commissioners and residents near the Fort Lincoln area also testified in support of keeping Fort Lincoln in Ward 5. All of these witnesses and CM McDuffie recommended leaving the Ward 5 boundaries as they are because Ward 5’s population is within the legal limit.
One Ward 5 resident, Geoffrey Hatchard, who CM Silverman noted is a cartographer and geographer, advocated shifting the Ward 5 boundaries. He submitted a map recommendation that adjusted the southern part of the ward (moving part of Ward 6 to Ward 5). His recommendation also included moving the northern border of Ward 5 east of South Dakota Avenue NE from Kennedy Street NE to Hamilton Street NE (moving part of Ward 5 to Ward 4). This northern boundary recommendation does not make sense to me. It sounded like Mr. Hatchard said the census tract boundary is Hamilton Street NE, but as CM McDuffie noted during the hearing, that is not correct. And according to CM Silverman, census tract boundaries are sacrosanct. There are already census tracts across the city that are split between wards, but the one thing this subcommittee will try really really hard not to do is split census tracts.
So to me, that means if the subcommittee really wants to adjust the northern boundary, they could move everyone in census tract 95.08 (shown in the image above) into Ward 4. That would keep Riggs Park intact, but split the Fort Totten neighborhood. Or if they are fine with breaking their census tract rule, they could split the census tract along the Fort Totten Park boudary to the west and south and move residents east and north of that natural boundary into Ward 4. Doing this would keep both the Riggs Park and Ft. Totten neighborhoods intact. Looking at previous redistricting committee reports, it looks like part or all of census tract 95.08 was part of Ward 4 at one point and was moved to Ward 5 following the 2000 Census. Currently this census tract consists of the entirety of ANC single member district (SMD) 5A01 and parts of SMDs 5A07 and 5A08. Also Fort Circle Park east of South Dakota Avenue NE is technically part of SMD 5A02, even though it is partly in census tract 95.08. While the subcommittee specifically said they want to only focus on the ward boundaries right now and get those solidified before discussing the ANC boundaries, looking at the current ANC boundaries also shows how difficult this task is.
CM Henderson also stated she was looking at the Ward 5 boundary near Fort Totten Metro station. Unfortunately she ran out of time before the witnesses could answer her question about adjusting the northern boundary. CM Silverman asked the panel what part of Ward 5 should shift if the subcommittee decided the boundary had to change if for example, the subcommittee wanted to move part of Ward 6 or Ward 7 to Ward 5. Some suggestions from the panel included the Benning Road area, Bloomingdale area, Bates area, or the McMillan Park area. But most of the witnesses and CM McDuffie reiterated that Ward 5 does not need to change.
My thoughts
I live on the Ward 5 side of Riggs Park, and I really do not have strong feelings about the possibility of being part of Ward 4. Hard to believe I know, because I have lots of opinions about lots of things. But this is just one of those topics that I feel like I have already spent too much time thinking about for something I am not too concerned about. Simply because random suggestions are being made to move the northern boundary of Ward 5 to accommodate random suggestions about moving part of Ward 6 into Ward 5, when Ward 5 can only add another 1,000 residents before exceeding the legal limit.
Moving the Ward 5 side of Riggs Park, which sits at the tip of the ward, to Ward 4 would reunite the neighborhood in one ward. Right now the neighborhood is split between Wards 4 and 5 in kind of a ridiculous way because of the way the census tracts are drawn. The northern boundary of Ward 5 is Kennedy Street NE east of South Dakota Avenue NE and Riggs Road NE west of South Dakota Avenue. Having the neighborhood split between two wards can be a bit of an annoyance when advocating for neighborhood interests because we have to deal with two Council offices, two ANCs, and two sets of mayor’s office/DC agency ward liaisons. But it’s just that, a bit of an annoyance, not the end of the world. School boundaries and police district boundaries are not ward-based. Children in Ward 5 in Riggs Park attend Ward 4 schools. It makes advocating for schools interesting if you live in Ward 5, but again I do not think that it is a super big deal to have to talk to the Ward 4 councilmember when discussing schools (I also do not have children though so maybe parents feel differently).
That said, inertia is real. I really do not mind remaining part of Ward 5, and I cannot say I am yearning to be in ANC 4B (no shade, seriously). I have heard an argument about public safety in certain parts of Ward 4 that currently requires a lot of attention from the Ward 4 councilmember. The idea is that this need leaves less time for addressing issues in other parts of Ward 4, so moving part of Ward 5 into Ward 4 would leave the new Ward 4 areas feeling overshadowed. That may have some merit, but I am not sure. I realize I can afford to be sort of unbothered about being in either Ward 4 or Ward 5 because I do not think the councilmember for either ward is terrible. I do realize the Ward 5 councilmember will change with the November 2022 election so maybe I will end up eating my words. As of right now though, my reaction is a bit of a shrug. I would probably feel differently if there were a possibility of moving to a ward with a terrible councilmember who is not up for election until 2024. I just personally care more about the ANC boundaries (I realize the ANC boundaries go hand in hand with the ward boundaries).
The one thing I would strongly advocate for is not splitting up the neighborhood in a way that is more ridiculous than it is now, so to me that would mean not following that Hamilton Street NE boundary recommendation. I watched a recording of the Ward 3 hearing. During that hearing, CM Silverman stated she thought there was one good map that was presented during the Ward 5 hearing that generally abided by the redistricting principles. I do not know which map she was referring to, but I hope the subcommittee is not seriously considering shifting part of the northern boundary to Hamilton Street NE east of South Dakota Avenue. I happen to live on the south side of Hamilton Street, so I would still remain in Ward 5, but it still does not make sense to me. Also, during the Ward 3 hearing, there was some discussion about moving a few of the split neighborhoods in the northwest part of Ward 4 (Chevy Chase, Barnaby Woods, Hawthorne) back into Ward 3. Doing so could free up some space to move all of of Riggs Park into Ward 4, but then Ward 3 would be over the legal limit and adjustments would have to be made elsewhere to make Ward 3’s population size legal.
I do not know how serious the discussion about adjusting the northern Ward 5 boundary is. Neither CM McDuffie nor any of the ANC 5A commissioners have discussed the issue with residents or the leadership of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA). Compare that silence to plenty of discussion taking place with residents of and near the Ft. Lincoln and Carver-Langston neighborhoods. CM McDuffie dropped in on the Ward 7 hearing that took place on October 23 to recommend not extending Ward 7 into the Ft. Lincoln neighborhood (apparently more than one person in Ward 7 thinks making Ft. Lincoln part of Ward 7 is a good idea and makes sense).
If you care about this issue, consider signing up to testify at the upcoming Ward 4 hearing or submitting written testimony. Be sure to send a copy of your testimony to your councilmember.
A representative of CM Silverman’s office is on the agenda to discuss redistricting at ANC 4B’s meeting tonight.
The topic is not on ANC 5A’s agenda for the meeting on October 27, but the ANC tends to add items to the agenda during the meeting, so it very well could end up being discussed at the meeting.
A representative from CM Silverman’s office is scheduled to appear at the LRCA meeting on November 1, 2021.
If you are interested in serving on the ANC redistricting taskforce, contact your councilmember.
Just a heads up that this Saturday, September 11, the annual Riggs Park/Michigan Park reunion will take place at Fort Circle Park (between Galloway Street NE & Gallatin Street NE) from 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm. This event is held by folks who grew up in the two neighborhoods. Some still live in the neighborhood; others come back to visit. There is usually a large crowd so expect a fair amount of traffic on Galloway Street on Saturday.
Ms. Sarah Driscoll, 93, in front of former home in Riggs Park
On April 11, 2021, neighbors treated longtime Riggs Park resident Sarah Driscoll to a fond farewell organized by Barbara Rogers, Adrian Shaw, and Jason and Rachel Marker. Ms. Driscoll resided on Oneida Street NE for 59 years. Children on the block made farewell posters. I had a friend who is a photographer come out and take pictures of the event. It all came together very quickly.
It was such a treat to see the special relationship Ms. Driscoll has with her daughter Sheena, who grew up in the neighborhood. Ms. Driscoll is quite the storyteller, so engaging, and clearly loved. So many neighbors, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, church members, family members, and friends from Ms. Dricoll’s senior center, all came out to wish her well as she moved out of the neighborhood.
In addition, Barbara and I had been talking for a while about interviewing some of the longtime older residents in the neighborhood, because we are fortunate to have so many elders in their 90s and even a few who have reached centenarian status still with us. So we asked Ms. Driscoll if she would be willing to do a quick 15 minute interview with us. We are thankful that Ms. Driscoll agreed to share a few snippets of her life experience with us, from growing up in rural North Carolina to working a job folding Christmas cards for the Washington Cathedral. At 93 years old, Ms. Driscoll has lived a life of many firsts, including being one of the first Black residents in the neighborhood. Click the link below to hear more.
Greater Greater Washington published a profile of the Riggs Park neighborhood written by a neighborhood resident. Similar to these blogposts, the piece discusses the neighborhood’s Civil War and industrial past. The piece goes on to highlight some of the neighborhood development in the pipeline, noting the neighborhood could become a destination of sorts in the future. Check it out.
Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie submitted a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser with his Ward 5 budget priorities. The letter incorporates feedback from residents in response to his budget engagement survey. I hope you had a chance to fill it out.
There are generally applicable items that would benefit large areas of the ward, such as around housing, public safety, and support for small businesses. One item in the letter specific to the neighborhood is a request for funding to assess the environmental impact of a paved trail around Fort Circle Park (formally known as the Civil War Defenses of Washington) at South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street NE.
Based on feedback from residents, we can accomplish this through additional funds to activate a historic trail for the Trinidad community, and for an environmental impact assessment to examine the possibility of a paved park around Fort Circle Park at South Dakota Ave & Galloway Street, NE, and invest funds for upgrades to play surfaces for all Ward 5 playgrounds. I am also requesting funds to preserve green space and pocket parks in neighborhoods with limited green space such as the Brookland Green.
A trail and play areas around the perimeter of the park is an item in the neighborhood’s area development plan, which was approved by the DC Council in March 2009. In 2016, a nine-year-old Riggs Park resident named Lucas collected signatures for a petition to National Park Service (NPS) and testified at NPS townhalls in support of a playground and trail at Fort Circle Park. Blog contributor David Kosub has beenwriting about efforts to consolidate community action in support of amenities at the park. The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association has a community benefits agreement with developer EYA to assist with visioning for activation of Fort Circle Park (as well as the District-owned green space in front of Food & Friends). So there is widespread support for a trail at the park, at a bare minimum. I think a two-phase approach might make sense: (1) get a trail; (2) get other stuff. We know anything involving NPS takes time. Funding for an environmental impact assessment would be a really good start and it is something we as a community should actively support.
What happens when you get two biomedical scientists together in the community? Well, the next edition of Next Stop Neighbors of course. Kenneth Gibbs, Ph.D., joins us today to tell us about his research career, how he encourages folks from all backgrounds to pursue a career in science, how he ended up in Riggs Park, and what’s on his reading list. We hope you enjoy the conversation. And, if there are any budding scientists out there, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
Welcome to Next Stop Neighbors where we get an opportunity to hear the voices behind the faces and places in Lamond-Riggs and the surrounding communities. Through this podcast series, you will meet some friendly neighbors and hear their perspectives on the community through civil, casual conversations. From the small business owner who just opened up, to the non-profit organization trying to make a difference, to the community leader describing their vision for the neighborhood, and the resident around the corner who has lived here for 50 years, we all have a story to tell. We welcome recommendations and, better yet, your own 10-minute interviews too!
Can’t get enough Next Stop Neighbors? Check out these past conversations for more:
A GoFundMe has been established for the Caviness-Bey family, who was displaced by a fire at their home in the 400 block of Madison Street NE over the weekend. The GoFundMe link is here.
Yesterday, the family thanked the generosity of so many who donated clothing, toiletries, and other essentials for the donation drive organized by ANC Commissioner LaRoya Huff (4B09). James Caviness-Bey shared that his wife Edwina Caviness-Bey had surgery yesterday and continues to receive treatment in the hospital for her injuries suffered from going into the burning home to rescue her grandson. Another donation drive will be organized by Commissioner Huff later in the month. Any questions can be directed to Commissioner Huff at (202) 704-2427. Please continue to keep the family in your thoughts and assist as you can.
A family in the 400 block of Madison Street NE has been displaced by a fire that completely destroyed their home. The fire was covered by local news here, here, and here. ANC Commissioner LaRoya Huff (4B09) has organized a donation drive to assist the family. Donations will be accepted at the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (501 Riggs Road NE) on January 8, 2020, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Please keep the family in your thoughts and assist as you can. I will provide information on other efforts as I hear of them.
Below is the notice from Commissioner Huff with specific donation information. Contact Commissioner Huff at (202) 704-2427 if you have any questions:
Greetings Everyone,
The latest update on on our neighbors in Riggs Park who experienced the devastating fire yesterday at 445 Madison Street NE is that Mrs. Caviness-Bey is still recuperating in the hospital and needs our love and prayers. As for the children Laylaa who is 7 years old, Quinten 2 years old and Lamecia “Mi-Mi” who is 14 years old are doing well and came to visit their dog today at the neighbors Ms. Dee Dee’s house and had dinner with their other neighbor Ms. Judy. Mr. Caviness-Bey is still at his wife’s side, taking care of his family and managing his business affairs. So many people have reached out to support the family and as promised the following are the sizes needed for family of eight (8):
Laylaa – Girl: Size 6/7 clothes, shoes 2 or 3 Uniforms: Red polo top, Black pants Coat: 6X, 8
Quinten – Boy: Size 3T – 4T Shoes 9 or 10 Diapers: Size 5 or Pull Ups Coat: 4T, 4
Lamecia – Girl: Tops XS, Pants Size 5 (Tall Slim) Shoes: 8 or 8.5 Coat: Small, Size 5 Uniform: White Polo, Navy Blue Pants
TShirts, Belts, Pocketbooks, Wallets, Underwear, Sweaters, Cosmetics and Toiletries. Toys for the smaller children are welcomed.
The family says Thank You for the Love and Prayers extended to them. I want to also say Thank You 🙏 to you ALL as well. I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, January 8th. Donations accepted between 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center at 501-B Riggs Road NE. I’m looking to have the family join us and present their gifts to them between 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Please continue to pray for the family and our community. Forever For the ❤️ of RIGGS Park! God Bless you ALL.
Check out the latest feature from NBC Washington on Little Miss Sophia, a 10-year-old Riggs Park resident with her own sweets business, and Veronica “Ms. V” Cooper, owner of Culture Coffee Too in Riggs Park.
If you’re like me, you’ve definitely noticed that something is in the water. More and more young couples in Lamond-Riggs are adding to their families with little ones on the way. In this two-part Next Stop Neighbor conversation, we’ll meet two of these young families and get inside their heads.
For Part 1, we’ll meet the soon-to-be moms. McKayle Bruce and Aria Remondi will tell us what they are thinking as they await the birth of their first child—while their husbands wait patiently in a sound-proof booth. These soon-to-be moms in Riggs Park will share their thoughts on motherhood, expectations for raising their children in the community, and dish a bit on their partners too. Don’t worry, the husbands will have their say in Part 2 of the discussion coming soon. Will their answers match up? Only way to find out is to listen in to the conversation. Congratulations to the soon-to-be moms and we look forward to meeting the little ones very soon!
Welcome to Next Stop Neighbors where we get an opportunity to hear the voices behind the faces and places in Lamond-Riggs and the surrounding communities. Through this podcast series, you will meet some friendly neighbors and hear their perspectives on the community through civil, casual conversations. From the small business owner who just opened up, to the non-profit organization trying to make a difference, to the community leader describing their vision for the neighborhood, and the resident around the corner who has lived here for 50 years, we all have a story to tell. We welcome recommendations and, better yet, your own 10-minute interviews too!
Can’t get enough Next Stop Neighbors? Check out these past conversations:
August 5-30, 2019 DPR Toy Drive Lamond Recreation Center 20 Tuckerman Street NE DPR is collecting toys for children at Children’s Hospital. Drop off toys at the rec during the month of August.
Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Yard Sale 8:00 am-3:00 pm Link to map of participating homes. If you are interested in participating, email LRCAYARDSALE@gmail.com Rain date: August 18, 2019
All Hands on Tech 11:00 am-2:00 pm Lamond-Riggs Library 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE Free tech support for DC residents
SAVE THE DATE: Explore! August Community Festival August 24, 10:00 am-1:30 pm at The Modern (400 Galloway Street NE). Free RSVP on eventbrite
Art met life, or at least neighbors and businesses in upper Northeast Washington D.C., as artists and artisans created art to depict local small businesses and engage the community at the 2nd Annual Riggs Park Art Crawl. Originally created and sponsored last year by Veronica “Ms. V.” Cooper, owner of local small business Culture Coffee Too, and muralist and creative director Jay Hudson, this year, The Parks Main Street and Culture Coffee Too partnered on the event, held on June 14 and 15, 2019.
The Parks Main Street, formerly known as the South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road Main Street, is the newest member of the District’s Main Street program aimed at retaining, revitalizing and recruiting small businesses in traditional historic business districts across the city. The Parks Main Street is a community-based organization that utilizes public-private partnerships and community volunteers to build on neighborhood assets and implement strategies to support and improve the business corridors in the Riggs Park and Manor Park neighborhoods.
The 2019 event kicked off on Friday June 14 with artisans stationed at Culture Coffee Too presenting their creations, such as jewelry, for sale. In the evening, a lively discussion was held during an artist panel at the Bilingual School located on Riggs Road NE.
On Saturday June 15, live painting by artists was a howling success under the gaze of the silver wolf sculpture located at the intersection of South Dakota Ave NE and Ingraham St NE.
Sculpture at the Modern at Art Place
This is where the Modern at Art Place apartment community resides and is also the future site of the famed arts collective Meow Wolf, a children’s museum, and a Family Entertainment Zone. In addition to this site, painters were stationed at a total of 10 participating small businesses in the Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue NE corridor. When the paint dried, the muralists then handed off their completed masterpieces to the small business who inspired them, which we can also enjoy as a community for a long time to come.
Let’s meet
some of the artists who shared their art and views about the Art Crawl now.
Nessar Jahanbin
Artist Nessar Jahabin creating a piece for T-Mobile
“I like painting natural and organic imagery,” says Nessar Jahanbin, also known as JAH One. He created a flower bud suspended in a dewdrop to represent the T-Mobile Store at 5210 South Dakota Avenue NE. Using the company’s logo colors and a creative vibe inspired by graffiti street artists, the muralist deftly free formed the image, twisting and turning aerosol spray paint cans with a finesse usually reserved for paintbrushes.
Trained in the fine arts and a painter since childhood, this was Nessar’s first year participating in the Riggs Park Art Crawl. His T-Mobile inspired piece paid homage to the environment and graffiti street artists like Jay Hudson.
“It’s important to remind people about the artwork that comes from graffiti,” he says of the art form. “People appreciate murals but look down on street graffiti because what they generally see are tags and letters written on walls. They never get to see the beautiful art hidden away in places under bridges, or understand there is no way I could have done this (mural) without learning graffiti.”
Painting
letters with spray paint and then learning to manipulate their shapes and textures
to create new images inspires Nessar’s career as a muralist who shares stories and history on city walls.
“We live
in a society where people want instant gratification,” he says. “But spray
painting takes time” to record the times of our lives.
Orange Clockwork
Piece created by artist Orange Clockwork for Shining Stars Pediatric Dentistry
The mocking feline from Alice in Wonderland found a place on South Dakota Avenue during the 2nd Annual Riggs Park Art Crawl. “When I got here they told me the business I was to represent was the dentist office,” Shining Stars Pediatric Dentistry, located at 435 Ingraham Street NE.
The camera-shy
aerosol artist calling himself “Orange Clockwork” says he focused on “creating a kid friendly street
scape, something with a big smile,” to present the message “stay fresh,” adding
stars to make it pop. “That’s how I came up with the Cheshire Cat.”
J’nell Jordan
Artist J’nell Jordan working on a piece for Ramdass Pharmacy
“I love people and figurative work; a smile, body language,” says artist J’nell Jordan, a newcomer to the Art Crawl thanks to muralist Jay Hudson, who helped recruit the participating artists.
Painting for more than a decade, the Northern Virginia
native said she moved to the District five years ago after studying art at Adelphi
University in New York. She represented Ramdass
Pharmacy, located at 475 Ingraham Street NE, creating a piece
depicting a child clutching a lollipop and the hand of an adult to convey her
message of a friendly, neighborhood community. Learn more about Dr. Ramdass and
his pharmacy by listening to a podcast here
with David Kosub, Vice Chair of The Parks Main Street.
“It’s nice to do something in your own neighborhood and have
art uplift the businesses and get people involved.”
Matt Riegner
Artist Matt Riegner in front of his piece for the Modern at Art Place
“Originally
I had some grandiose ideas” of how to interpret the Modern
at Art Place apartment
community, says muralist Matt Riegner. See how grandiose
his work can be. Eventually the elegant simplicity of the building’s logo won
out, inspiring Matt to create a bold, abstract art piece.
“The arts scene in DC has blossomed and grown dramatically
over the past 10 years,” he says. “It comes and goes with who is in office,
idea exchanges, and social media.”
Recruited by Jay Hudson for the project, Matt said he has worked on
projects with the legendary street artist for the past seven years.
“The arts draw attention. Attention brings money. Money
brings development,” he mused. “I think DC has done a good job of defining the
District’s art culture. They’re using the arts in a constructive way that I
think people can appreciate and engage.”
Rhythm Bowers
Artist Rhythm Bowers working on her piece for Riggs Dry Cleaner
Even mystical, purple-hued, fairylike beings need their garments dry-cleaned. At least that’s the playful message Rhythm Bowers, a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, wanted to communicate while painting her animated street art outside Riggs Dry Cleaner at 5585 South Dakota Avenue NE.
“The Art
Crawl has been amazing,” she said of her debut experience with the second annual
event. “I’ve been wanting to paint outside and do something like this for a
while.”
“I feel it
will give my work more publicity and, hopefully, bring my pop culture style
into the city. It’s nice seeing art in
the city that has an animated style, like the art I create.”
Will Watson
Artist Will Watson in front of his work for Riggs Wine & Liquor
“I didn’t
know how to represent a liquor store in a positive light, admits Will
Watson
The recent graduate of a MFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art represented Riggs Wine & Liquor at 5581 South Dakota Avenue NE. He rose to the challenge, using spray paint to create an image of friendship and celebration.
“I wanted
to show something that wouldn’t encourage alcohol abuse but light heartedness
and fun, with a diverse group of colors. Cheers to friends,” says Will. “I hope
the work ends up in a place where people can look at it and smile.”
The young artist says his first time participating in the Art Crawl resulted from his patronage of the Art Crawl’s co-sponsor, Culture Coffee Too.
“I come to Culture Coffee Too often for lunch. I overheard Jay Hudson and [Edwin
Washington, (the Executive Director of The
Parks Main Street)] planning this event and I slipped them my business card.”
*Joann Stevens is a board member of The Parks Main Street. Edwin Washington is the executive director of The Parks Main Street. To learn about sponsorship and engagement opportunities, contact Edwin Washington at (202) 774-5542 or info@theparksmainstreet.org.
Stories in recent years reflect a general downward trend in overall crime in the Washington, D.C. area (see here, here, and here). However, we also experienced dramatic upswings in homicides in the District last year (see here). Of course, these numbers are D.C.-wide and given the importance of public safety, I took a look at what the numbers tell us about crime in our Riggs Park neighborhood. Has it gone up? Down? Which offenses are most frequent? Any trends in recent years?
Reported offenses, including arson, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, homicide, motor vehicle theft, robbery, sex assault, theft from autos, and other theft (as described here in D.C. Code).
Date of reports made to MPD from calendar years 2009 to 2018 (note reporting date may be later than the date the offense occurred).
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 4B and 5A, which serve the majority of Riggs Park and nearby areas. (Note: ANC boundaries were adjusted after the 2010 Decennial Census. ANC boundaries are larger than police service area (PSA) and neighborhood boundaries. PSA boundaries were redrawn in 2004 and again in January 2019. Crime trends at the ANC level may diverge from trends at the PSA and neighborhood level, but for purposes of this post ANC-level data are used as as indicators for trends in neighborhood crime).
Note: Data presented here represent only reports of the offenses (no indication if the case was closed) and does not include demographic or other identifying information about the offenders or victims. The Crime Map did not provide data on illicit drug offenses. Further, the data are not normalized to the annual population changes in the neighborhood.
Below are some of the findings. The complete data and my analyses are available here (excel spreadsheet). Please note that for each graph, the “X” axis represents the calendar year, while the “Y” axis is the aggregate number of reports made. Solid orange and gray lines represent ANC 4B and ANC 5A, respectively. Dashed orange and gray lines represent trendlines for the two ANC areas as well.
Figure 1
Assaults with a dangerous weapon (ADW) are defined as aggravated assaults that knowingly or purposely cause serious bodily injury, threaten to do so, or knowingly engage in conduct that creates a grave risk of serious bodily injury to another person. In ANC 4B and 5A, these offenses apear to be trending downward over the decade (Figure 1, above). Since 2009, ANC 4B and 5A experienced a 31 percent and 55 percent decline, respectively, in reports of this crime.
Figure 2
Figure 2 shows that burglaries in the neighborhood are also trending downwards. Burglary is the unlawful entry of a structure, vessel, watercraft, railroad car or yard where chattels are deposited with the intent to commit any criminal offense. ANC 4B and 5A experienced a 58 percent and 43 percent decline, respectively, in this reported crime between 2009 and 2018.
Figure 3
Building on the downward trends, motor vehicle thefts, which are defined as the theft of any self-propelled, motor driven vehicle that is primarily intended to transport persons and property on a highway, also show declines over the decade. From Figure 3, we can see a 36 percent and 48 percent decline in the report of this offense in ANC 4B and 5A since 2009.
Figure 4
Robberies are defined as taking of anything of value from another person by force, violence, or fear. The downward trend in offenses goes for robbery too in our neighborhood. When looking at 2009 to 2018, a 64 percent and 41 percent decline were observed in ANC 4B and 5A, respectively, for reports of robbery (Figure 4). Not everything is going down though. As MPD officers regularly remind us at community meetings, thefts are a major problem. Generally speaking, theft is defined as wwrongfully obtaining or using the property of another with the intent to deprive the owner of the value thereof.
Figure 5
Not everything is going down though. As MPD officers regularly remind us at community meetings, thefts are a major problem. Generally speaking, theft is defined as wwrongfully obtaining or using the property of another with the intent to deprive the owner of the value thereof.
Let’s focus our attention first on theft from automobiles. This is specific foritems from within a vehicle, excluding motor vehicle parts and accessories. As Figure 5 shows, this offense has steadily risen in our neighborhood ANCs over the decade. ANC 4B and 5A experienced 10x and 2x increase in reports of thefts from autos when comparing 2009 to 2018.
Figure 6
Further, reports of other thefts (e.g., embezzlement, theft of services, fraud, and false pretenses) are a mixed bag. This category of offenses held relatively steady, according to the trendlines (Figure 6), over the decade in ANC 4B, while 5A did experience a modest decline.
Reports of
homicide, sex assault, and arson were best displayed as absolute numbers rather
than in graphical form (Table 1). For reference, MPD defines homicide as the killing of another purposely, or otherwise, with malice
aforethought. Sex abuse is engaging in or causing another person to submit to a
sexual act, by force, threat, fear, involuntary impairment, or rendering
unconscious, where consent was not willingly given. Arson is the malicious
burning, or attempt to burn, any structure, vessel, vehicle, railroad car or
property of another.
Table 1
Homicide`
Sex Abuse
Arson
Year
4B
5A
4B
5A
4B
5A
2009
0
2
3
4
0
0
2010
3
2
1
1
0
0
2011
4
0
1
2
1
0
2012
0
5
7
5
0
0
2013
3
0
7
3
1
0
2014
0
1
4
8
0
0
2015
2
1
8
7
0
0
2016
3
0
7
7
0
0
2017
2
2
8
3
0
0
2018
3
0
3
6
0
1
Total
20
13
49
46
2
1
Reports of
homicide, sex assault, and arson were best displayed as absolute numbers rather
than in graphical form (Table 1). For reference, MPD defines homicide as the killing of another purposely, or otherwise, with malice
aforethought. Sex abuse is engaging in or causing another person to submit to a
sexual act, by force, threat, fear, involuntary impairment, or rendering
unconscious, where consent was not willingly given. Arson is the malicious
burning, or attempt to burn, any structure, vessel, vehicle, railroad car or
property of another.
Community members often express concern that the majority of crime in Riggs Park likely occurs within close proximity to the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. So, I pulled those data too, and you can decide for yourself.
Table 2 below depicts the aggregate counts of offenses reported over the decade within a 1,500-ft radius of this ANC 4B facility. For those interested, additional data are available on the Lamond Recreation Center in the supporting materials linked above.
Table 2
Year
ADW
Burglary
Homicide
Vehicle Theft
Robbery
Sex Abuse
Theft from Auto
Theft Other
2009
11
5
0
14
15
0
4
24
2010
6
4
0
20
7
1
22
14
2011
5
8
1
22
3
0
27
10
2012
4
3
0
14
7
1
20
17
2013
4
6
0
12
9
2
21
17
2014
5
5
0
10
14
0
36
39
2015
14
6
0
10
11
3
39
45
2016
12
4
2
7
5
1
63
89
2017
8
4
0
5
18
0
53
82
2018
5
3
1
9
3
1
89
85
Total
74
48
4
123
92
9
374
422
In summary, reports
of offenses such as assaults with a dangerous weapon, burglary, motor vehicle
theft, and robbery are trending downwards in our community, while reports of
thefts from automobiles have risen over the decade.
Though each offense is one too many, especially if you are a victim of the crime, the overall trend is promising for the Riggs Park area. The data show we’re moving in the right direction for the most part. We must build on this together by continuing to encourage public safety generally, getting to know our MPD officers, and by maintaining vigilance in our daily lives. Further, we must heed the advice from MPD officers and not keep any items of value visible in our vehicles. We must not stay silent, but rather speak out when illegal behavior happens, like in this Next Stop . . . Riggs Park post. As we are reminded in community meetings, it is up to us, as community members, to report crimes when they occur. And yes, you actually can be anonymous when calling 911 and when texting tips to the police at 50411. By doing this, and remaining civil with each other in the process, we will achieve a community where everybody can feel safe and welcome in their neighborhood.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 