By David Kosub (Contributor)

Welcome back to our second conversation with soon to be parents in Lamond-Riggs. As you may recall, our Soon-to-Be Moms shared some thoughts they had about pending motherhood in our last episode. Well, now it’s the soon-to-be dads turn to dish.

With their partners waiting patiently in a soundproof booth, Alex Bruce and Eric Grauvilardell shared their unfiltered thoughts on fatherhood and expectations for the future. Let’s see how the soon-to-be dads’ answers match up with the soon-to-be moms. Please join me and congratulating the parents-to-be! We look forward to meeting their new additions soon!  

Click here to listen to the conversation (running time: 10 minutes)

Background on Next Stop Neighbors:

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:

Soon-to-Be Moms (September 2019)
Explore! Children’s Museum (August 2019)
Troka Insurance (July 2019)
Ms. V and Culture Coffee Too (July 2019)
Bertie Backus Urban Food Hub (June 2019)
LRCA Forward Team (April 2019)
Ramdass Pharmacy (March 2019)

By Robert Oliver (Guest Contributor)

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton will visit our community during her “Norton in Your Neighborhood” tour of Washington, DC. She will visit the Lamond-Riggs Library on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. to hear from the community. Her meeting provides us with a chance to advocate for commencing work on a pedestrian path linking Galloway Street NE and Gallatin Street NE across National Park Service (NPS) land east of the Fort Totten metro station. 

Since the opening of the Fort Totten metro station in February 1978, informal pedestrian trails have appeared. These trails arose due to the lack of infrastructure promoting foot traffic. The trails have been trod for over 40 years. Over time, a paved trail was constructed west of the metro station. That trail is now being integrated into the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT). However, a safe, lit, paved path for North Michigan Park and for those communities east of the Metro Station has not materialized. 

Beginning in 2014, the NPS and others have been working to address our pedestrian path concerns. A timeline of their activities follows:

• March 7, 2014 – NPS issued a scoping notice for an environmental assessment of the social trails and adjacent parkland east of the metro station.
• March 19, 2014 – NPS hosted a community meeting at the UDC-CC Backus Campus. At that meeting, NPS explained the objectives of the scoping notice and offered the community four options to consider.
• January 2015 – NPS issued its Fort Totten – North Michigan Park Pedestrian Access Improvement Project Environmental Assessment report in which no environmental issues were found.
• February 2, 2015 – NPS hosted a community meeting at the Lamond-Riggs Library to brief the community on the environmental assessment report. 
• October 28, 2015 – NPS received approval of its Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) report in compliance with the Department of Interior’s National Historic Preservation Act (NEPA) guidelines. 
• July 12, 2018 – the National Capital Planning Commission approved the NPS proposed trail specifications that include “a permeable 10-foot wide trail to replace the existing 320 foot-long informal dirt trail from Galloway Street NE to Gallatin Street NE.” The trail will be composed of asphalt, feature two-foot wide, soil and aggregate shoulders, and feature six lights for illumination. The executive director of the NCPC approved the trail specifications on July 5, 2018.
• February 12, 2019 – Congresswoman Norton announced, “The District of Columbia and National Park Service (NPS) have the authority to enter into cooperative agreements (CMAs) to maintain and operate NPS properties in the District.”

There is more good news. Donald Kirk, NPS Facilities Manager, Rock Creek Park, reports that the path design is complete, funded, and will move forward into contracting by October. Therefore, construction may begin soon.

Despite all of the work accomplished, there is more to do. Other milestones include building a stormwater management system and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps across the street from the path.

This is where Congresswoman Norton can be most helpful. She can initiate a cooperative agreement with NPS to ensure this project stays on track. So please come on September 24 and help advocate for the completion of a paved, pedestrian path east of the Fort Totten Metro Station that links Galloway Street NE and Gallatin Street NE. You may also email your concerns to Congresswoman Norton if you cannot make the meeting via this link: www.norton.house.gov/contact/email.

Ascension Health, the owners of Providence Hospital, are hosting two meetings to solicit feedback from the community. Residents are encouraged to attend and share their throughts directly with Ascension Health.

DATES: Wednesday, April 24 and Thursday, April 25
TIMES: 6:30 – 8:30 PM
LOCATION: Providence Ground Floor Lecture Hall, 1150 Varnum St. NE
RSVP: To RSVP for the meeting and for more information, please contact communityrelationsdc@ascension.org. Guests should enter at Main Entrance and report to the Welcome Desk for Check-In/Instructions.

Guest post by David Kosub

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.

Today, as the birds chirp and metro passes by on 2^nd Street NE, we meet the LRCA Forward team – Gwen Cofield, Tischa Cockrell, and Lisa Wray running as the next Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association President, First Vice-President, and Second Vice-President , respectively. Join us to hear about who they are, their vision for the community, what is working well, where we can improve, and some quirky things about them too. Voting will occur at the May LRCA meeting, so stay informed! And, don’t worry folks, no “dirty tricks” went into the recording of this podcast.

Click here to listen to the conversation

Like the Next Stop Neighbors podcast and want to tell the story of someone in the community? Well, we welcome recommendations and, better yet, your own 10-minute interviews too!

Can’t get enough Next Stop Neighbors? Check out these past conversations: Ramdass Pharmacy (March 2019)

Get a free tree from Pepco. See press release below

Pepco Giving Free Trees to Help Customers Save Energy

Customers can reserve a free tree through the Arbor Day Foundation starting today

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 11, 2019) – Pepco is giving away 1,000 free trees to residential customers through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees program. This initiative helps customers conserve energy and reduce household energy use through strategic tree planting. For the ninth year, Pepco is stepping up to support this important environmental and energy saving program. Starting today, customers can reserve one free tree per household by visiting arborday.org/pepco.

“We value the strong and important relationships we’ve built and continue to cultivate with our communities across the District of Columbia and Maryland over the last 100 plus years,” said Donna Cooper, Pepco region president. “While we are known for our commitment to providing clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy service to our customers, we also see it as our duty and obligation to give back to the communities that we are a part of and that we are privileged to serve. Seeing the outcomes of our continued contributions and volunteerism, with our outstanding non-profit partners, is another reminder of our deep connection to our communities and the vested interest we have in their continued success.”

Customers will have the ability to choose from a selection of trees, including Redbud, Crepe Myrtle, River Birch, Red Oak, Red Maple, most available in varying sizes. 

One-gallon trees will be delivered to customers’ homes between April and May. All three- and five-gallon trees will be available for pickup only during company planned events in April. More information on these events can be found online during the reservation process. 

Through the “Right Tree, Right Place” tree planting program, Pepco is also offering 250 trees on a first-come, first-served basis to District of Columbia homeowners in partnership with Casey Trees, a D.C.-based nonprofit committed to restoring and protecting the nation’s capital’s tree canopy. ​ District residents can request up to two trees by calling Casey Trees at 202-833-4010. Casey Trees will send out a professional arborist to evaluate the landscape and recommend a suitable tree for the area. Once the appropriate tree is chosen, Casey Trees will come to the home and plant the tree. For the consultation and planting valued at $400, a co-payment of $50 per tree payable to Casey Trees, is required prior to planting.

Through the Arbor Day Foundation’s website, customers also have the power to explore interactive tools, including a tool to help customers determine the best location on their property to plant their tree for energy savings benefits. Properly planted trees can provide a homeowner many benefits, such as reducing energy use through summer shading and by slowing winter winds.

Throughout a tree’s growth period,trees have the potential to lower energy bills by 15 to 30 percent. Additionally, trees provide benefits to a community by improving air and water quality, reducing stormwater runoff, and adding to the visual appeal of a neighborhood. In fact, since 2012, Pepco customers have planted more than 17,650 trees, saving nearly 29 million kWh, and removing close to 363,584 lbs. of air pollutants from the atmosphere.

Prior to receiving a tree, Pepco reminds customers to call 811 to have utility-owned underground lines marked before they start to dig. One free call to 811 connects you to Miss Utility, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of your intent to dig. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811.

Customers unable to reserve a free tree through the internet are encouraged to call 855-670-2772 to secure a tree.

To learn more, readers are encouraged to visit The Source, Pepco’s online news room. Find additional information about Pepco by visiting www.pepco.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pepcoconnect and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pepcoconnect. Our mobile app is available at www.pepco.com/mobileapp.      

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About Pepco: Pepco is a unit of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers.  Pepco provides safe and reliable energy service to approximately 883,000 customers in the District of Columbia and Maryland.

Tonight’s ANC 5A special public meeting has been cancelled.

ANC 5A is protesting a liquor license for Pax Liquor, a liquor store proposed for 4944 South Dakota Avenue NE. The ANC is planning four protest rallies/marches to get residents involved.

• December 22, 10:00 AM
• December 23, 2:00 PM
• December 29 (no time provided)
• December 30 (no time provided)

The ANC considered but ultimately rejected a settlement agreement due to opposition from North Michigan Park residents. The commissioner representing the single member district where the proposed liquor store is located resigned earlier this year. As a result, other commissioners, along with neighborhood residents, have stepped in to fill the void.

CubeSmart will operate the storage facility that was recently constructed at 5600 2nd Street NE. The facility is hiring a full-time retail associate. Find the job listing here and apply online.

Yesterday, Providence Hospital issued a press release providing more details to explain its previous announcement that the hospital would provide “low-acuity” emergency and attendant services until April 2019, rather than closing down its emergency room on December 14, 2018, as previously anticipated. See press release below.

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Providence Health System to Continue Providing Emergency Services through April 30, 2019

Dec 10, 2018

(Washington, D.C.) December 10, 2018 – Reflecting its continued commitment to the residents of the District of Columbia, Providence Health System will operate its Emergency Care Center with necessary support services through the current flu season. The Emergency Care Center will remain open through April 30, 2019 and supported by services needed for emergency care, including lab, diagnostic imaging, respiratory care, discharge planning, and other ancillary services and support. All other Providence services not necessary to support the Emergency Care Center will end as planned on December 14, 2018. Providence will continue to provide services at Carroll Manor as well as primary care and outpatient behavioral health related services.

“This decision reflects our ongoing commitment to serving the needs of the community and was reached following conversations with our internal team, elected officials, the Department of Health, the DC Hospital Association and members of the community,” said Patricia A. Maryland, Dr.PH, Executive Vice President, Ascension, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension Healthcare, the care delivery division of Ascension.

“To support the provision of emergency care, we will continue to provide an appropriate level of supporting services, such as laboratory, imaging and inpatient beds through the end of April,” said Keith Vander Kolk, Providence Health System President and CEO.

“Providence and Ascension remain committed to the District and are pleased to be able to respond to the community need for this extended period,” Dr. Maryland said. “We continue to build a new vision for the future and look forward to partnering with key local leaders in collaboratively building those plans.”

Providence Health System has been engaged in discussions with key local leaders, in addition to examining public and private data to thoughtfully understand and explore how it can best meet the evolving health needs of the District. As Providence embarks on this innovative approach to improve the health of the community, its focus will be inclusive of both health and services not traditionally considered part of healthcare but that have an impact on the health of individuals and communities.

“Changing the focus to providing preventive health and wellness services in collaboration with the community marks a new phase in Providence’s commitment,” said Dr. Maryland. “We want to truly improve the health and well-being of all persons in the community by taking a greater and more active role in their overall healthcare.”
“With that being the case, we will be transforming the services Providence provides with a focus on the specific needs of the community, including primary and behavioral health, senior living and health services, community outreach and engagement; and access to care,” Dr. Maryland said.

“We will build on our longstanding history of servicing the District’s health needs by redeploying our resources, and we are committed to investing upwards of $30 million in the future of Providence.”

About Ascension
Ascension (www.ascension.org) is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system, Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2018, Ascension provided nearly $2 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes approximately 156,000 associates and 34,000 aligned providers. Ascension’s Healthcare Division operates more than 2,600 sites of care – including 151 hospitals and more than 50 senior living facilities – in 21 states and the District of Columbia, while its Solutions Division provides a variety of services and solutions including physician practice management, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, clinical care management, information services, risk management, and contracting through Ascension’s own group purchasing organization.
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DC Urbanturf took a look at price appreciation across DC. Riggs Park comes in 7th on the list, with a 13.6% price appreciation from 2017 to 2018. Median sales price in Riggs Park was $460,00 in 2017, and the median sales price in 2018 is $522,750.

Guest post by David Kosub

This week, we are getting over that pesky tryptophan-induced narcolepsy, back in the swing of our work lives, buying stuff online for the holidays, and perhaps even giving some back to others in need. In the spirit of giving, I wanted to share this wonderful piece of joy originating right here in our neighborhood.

Food and Friends is a regional nonprofit, located right in our backyard, that provides home-delivered, specialized meals and nutrition counseling for persons tackling   some truly debilitating illnesses. Since 1988, over 31,000 clients and their families have received over 21 million meals.

Each meal aims to serve five people. The best part is this allows those folks, who have relied on the support of their families throughout the year, an opportunity to return the favor and be the one serving them.

Last Thursday, nearly 700 clients and their families received full turkey dinners from Food and Friends. Five hundred volunteers helped prepare these meals and an additional six hundred delivered them across the District, Maryland, and Virginia. Though that is simply astonishing in its own right, check out what exactly the team right around the corner was cooking:

8,520 pounds of roasted Turkey
1,065 pounds of cornbread stuffing
980 pounds of glazed sweet potatoes
1,050 pounds of roasted red potatoes (yum)
780 pounds of seasoned green beans
780 pounds of buttered corn
780 pounds of braised collard greens  (yum again!)
650 pounds of cranberry sauce
76 gallons of butternut squash soup (yes, please!)
94 gallons of gravy
5,600 rolls
1,440 pears, oranges, and apples
1,420 apple and pecan pies

My wife and I have witnessed first-hand how truly passionate the staff are for their clients and families.Though we were unable to volunteer this year, we have delivered these meals for previous Thanksgivings. We still remember how excited and happy everybody was to receive their holiday dinner, and wished we could participate again this time around.

This is a great resource in our neighborhood. Please consider volunteering with them sometime too. They need folks year round to deliver meals throughout the DC metro area, prepping and preparing meals in the kitchen, as well as other special events (such as these coming up this winter). You can also consider donating directly to them if you are unable to volunteer.

Finally, if you know someone who may benefit from their services, please do consider making a referral on their behalf.

Black Friday at Culture Coffee Too
November 23, 2018
10:00 am- 4:00 pm

Culture Coffee Too is hosting Black Friday 10 am – 4 pm. Jewelry, skin care products, candle, plants etc will be available. Come and enjoy CCT holiday cocktails while you shop.

Lots of questions about X-Sport Fitness. We reached out to the developer and this is what we can share: The developer of Art Place at Fort Totten terminated its lease with X-Sport Fitness and is negotiating with another health and fitness club to take that space.

Here’s hoping they close the deal soon. I for one am looking forward to being able to walk to a gym in the neighborhood.

At last week’s ANC 5A meeting on August 1, Ruth Pollard, Chief Strategy Officer at Providence Hospital, provided a little more information about the hosptial’s press release that stated the hospital is ending acute care services by December 2018. Acute care include inpatient care and emergency care, so Providence will be closing its emergency room by December 2018. Providence plans to continue outpatient care for the remaining services that it offers. Recall that Providence has ceased providing several areas of care. The Carroll Manor skilled nursing facility will remain on the Providence campus and will likely become part of Ascension Living. The retired priest campus will likely move. Ms. Pollard said the retired priest campus will likely move in the future.

With respect to the health village concept floated by Providence last year, Ms. Pollard said the hospital has decided to “pause” solicitation for health village concepts. Ms. Pollard made it a point to say Providence will always have a “presence” in Ward 5 and the District. They just are not sharing what that presence looks like, and maybe they really do not know what that presence looks like at this point. Ms. Pollard talked a lot about social determinants and working to keep people healthy rather than just focusing on serving people once they become actutely ill.

Given that the mission of the hospital is to serve the poor and vulnerable, it is still unclear how all of these changes align with that mission. Ms. Pollard noted that there are other nearby hospital networks that people can use, specifically mentioning MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Children’s Medical. She made it a point to say that most nearby residents do not utilize the hospital. Ms. Pollard did mention that the hospital is looking at opportunities to provide services in Wards 7 and 8. According to Ms. Pollard, the hospital draws the highest number of its patients from Wards 4, 5, and 7. District officials have been working to open a hospital to serve residents in Wards 7 and 8.  So it sounded like Providence is exploring maybe being part of that endeavor. It is all still very unclear.

Because Providence has not been super transparent or forthcoming about what it is doing, there are lots of rumors floating around. The hospital now has a very short set of FAQs relating to its restructing on its website. It does not answer a whole lot, but it is a start. Hopefully the hospital will see value in adding more meaningful updates in the future.

Fridays at Fort Totten continues this week with music by the Ron Holloway Band and eats by CapMac. Takes place Friday, August 3 at the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street NE, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Sponsored by On Tap Magazine and The Modern at Art Place. Bring a lawn chair for seating.

Fridays at Fort Totten Concert Series continues tomorrow with the JoGo Project, a funk, hip-hop, and jazz group. Eats by Swizzler Foods. On the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street NE, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Hosted by On Tap Magazine and The Modern at Art Place. Keep an eye on the weather; if it’s raining too hard, they may cancel. Bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating.

Exciting! Remember all updates are located on the project website at https://www.metbranchtrail-forttotten.com.

• Mayor Muriel Bowser
• DDOT Director Jeff Marootian
• Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie
• WMATA Representative
• NPS Representative

Fridays at Fort Totten Concert Series continues tomorrow with reggae band Feel Free and eats by Luv Plates. Takes place 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street NE. Sponsored by On Tap Magazine and the Modern at Art Place. Bring a lawn chair for seating.