President Carter To Sign 'White House Diary' at Politics and Prose on November 30

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will sign copies of his White House Diary at the Politics and Prose bookstore on Tuesday, November 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  The signing is not ticketed, and the line will form on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning when the store opens at 9:00 a.m.  The store will allow two books per person to be signed.  You can find more details about the event on the Politics and Prose website.

How Would You Make Connecticut Avenue Safer for Pedestrians?

At the ANC 3F November meeting, Marlene Berlin of the Connecticut Avenue Pedestrian Action (CAPA) group presented recommendations to improve pedestrian safety along Connecticut Avenue from Calvert Street to Chevy Chase Circle.  The recommendations included considering increasing the length of time pedestrians have to cross the street.

The Cleveland Park 2.0 blog reports that a new red light camera has been activated at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue, N.W. and Porter Street, N.W.  The camera will photograph cars running red lights.

What recommendations would you make to improve pedestrian safety along the Connecticut Avenue corridor?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing everyone in the neighborhood a happy Thanksgiving!

Volunteers Help Clean Up Soapstone Stream

Stream Team leader Tim Williamson briefs volunteers before Soapstone clean-up, November 20, 2010.

A cell phone. A camera. A sweatshirt. All items one might take along for a hike through the woods, so I shouldn't have been surprised when a group of volunteers found all of these things during a clean-up in Rock Creek Park.  But I was.  To the casual observer, such as myself, Rock Creek Park appears a natural sanctuary surrounded by but removed from the city.  Hikers, storm water runoff and other causes, however, carry pollution and litter into the river.

Saturday morning, I joined about 20 volunteers as part of a Friends of Rock Creek's Environment (FORCE) Stream Team to help clean-up Soapstone, a tributary of Rock Creek.  The Soapstone Stream Valley Trail runs about a mile from Albemarle and 32nd Streets to Broad Branch Road.  Admittedly, the cell phone, camera and sweatshirt were some of the more unusual items we collected from this span of the park.  In less than three hours, the group collected a total of 11 bags of trash and three bags of recyclables, much of it styrofoam, paper, plastic bags and bottles.

Leaves float in Soapstone, November 20, 2010.

"I've always noticed litter in the area," said Tim Williamson, the FORCE Soapstone Valley Stream Team Leader.  "After I read about Sylvia Earle's Mission Blue and learned about the amount of trash in the ocean, I wanted to make other people aware.  There's a garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean that some say is larger than the state of Texas, and a lot of that trash comes from the land.  Plastic bottles and litter float from our rivers to the bays, and from the bays to the ocean. 

"I can't say that what we're doing today is making a huge impact on the ocean, but we are all responsible for where we live.  I hope to encourage people to make that connection, between the choices they make and the environment."

Sometimes making those choices doesn't have to be too difficult.  Something else surprised me about the clean-up: it was fun.  Some volunteers brought friends, while others made new ones.  All of us learned more about the river, and how our neighborhood is connected to it.  And I think everyone felt a sense of accomplishment when we regrouped and realized we had collectively removed 14 large bags of trash from the river.

The Soapstone Valley Stream Team will join others for a park-wide clean-up of Rock Creek on April 9, 2011.  If you are interested in joining a Stream Team or volunteering for the April 9 event, contact FORCE.

Compare and Save: Planning Your Thanksgiving Meal

Thanksgiving is a week away, but you still have time to take advantage of sales at the grocery stores in the neighborhood. We know you're busy, so we've made a shopping list for you, with options at Giant, Safeway and Whole Foods.

Giant Food Supermarkets

Turkey

• Butterball $1.49 per pound (fresh)/ .99 per pound (frozen) 
• Shady Brook Farms .99 per pound (fresh)/ .47 per pound (frozen) 
• Nature's Promise $1.99 per pound (fresh)/ $1.69 per pound (frozen) 

Vegetables and Sides

• Arnold Stuffing, 14-oz. 2 for $5.00 
• Stove Stop Stuffing, 5-oz. 2 for $3.00 
• McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix, 10 for $10.00 
• Ocean Spray Fresh Cranberries, 12-oz. 2 for $5.00 
• Ocean Spray Whole or Jellied Cranberry Sauce, 14-oz. $1.20 
• Fresh Green Beans, $1.79 per pound 
• Hanover Cut Green Beans, 50-oz. $2.00 
• Jolly Green Giant Canned Vegetables, Selected Varieties 10 for $10.00 
• French's Fried Onions, 6-oz. $2.99 
• Campbell's Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken Soups 10 for $10.00 
• Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes, 3 for $5.00 
• Country Crock Potato Side Dishes, 24-oz. 2 for $5.00 
• Fresh Potatoes 
• All Purpose, 5 pounds, 2 for $5.00 
• Red, 5 pounds, $3.49 per pound 
• Russet, 5 pounds, $3.49 per pound 
• Sweet, .99 per pound 

Pies

• Pumpkin, 8-inch $4.99 
• Apple, 8-inch $4.99 
• Mrs. Smith's Bake & Serve Pies, 8-inch $1.99 
• Sara Lee Homestyle Pies, 9-inch 2 for $7.00 

Complete Turkey Dinners

• $39.99 for 6-8 
• $19.99 for 2

Safeway

Turkey

• Butterball .89 per pound (frozen) 
• Jennie-O Homestyle Oven Ready, 12 pounds $19.99 (frozen) 
• Shady Brook Farms .89 per pound (frozen) 
• Safeway .47 per pound (frozen) 

Vegetables and Sides

• Safeway Turkey Gravy, 10.5-oz. .99 
• Safeway Stuffing Mix, 7-oz. 4 for $5.00 
• Stove Top Stuffing, 6-oz. 2 for $3.00 
• Ocean Spray Fresh Cranberries, 12-oz 2 for $5.00 
• Ocean Spray Whole or Jellied Cranberry Sauce, 14-oz. $1.29 
• Safeway Cranberry Sauce, 16-oz. 10 for $10.00 
• Green Line Quick & Easy Green Beans, Buy 1 Get 1 Free 
• Del Monte Canned Corn or Green Beans, 10 for $10.00 
• French's Fried Onions, 6-oz. $3.49 
• Campbell's Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom Soups, 5 for $4.00 
• Signature Cafe Creamy Mashed Potatoes, 14-oz. $2.99 
• Potatoes 
• White, $3.49 for 5 pounds 
• Russet, $3.49 for 5 pounds 
• Idaho, $3.99 for 5 pounds 
• Sweet, $1.99 per pound 

Pies

• Pumpkin, 9-inch $3.99 
• Apple or Cherry, 9-inch $5.99 
• Mrs. Smith's Pre-Baked Pies, selected varieties $2.99 

Complete Turkey Dinner

• $39.99 for 6-8 

Whole Foods

Turkey

• Fresh natural free range $2.49 per pound 
• Fresh organic $3.49 per pound 
• Fresh-brined $2.49 per pound 
• Bone-in $3.99 per pound 
• Fresh kosher $3.49 
• Roasted Turkey, $59.99 each -- serves 6 to 8 
• Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast, $39.99 each -- serves 4 
• Oven Ready Turkey, Small $49.99 
• Oven Ready Turkey, Medium $69.99 
• Oven Ready Turkey, Large $84.99

Vegetables and Sides

• Traditional Sage Stuffing, $8.99 (small)/ $14.99 (large) 
• Organic Turkey Gravy, $1.19 
• Deli Turkey Gravy, 23-oz. $6.99 
• Deli Cranberry Orange Relish, 11-oz. $4.99 
• 365 Brand Whole or Jellied Cranberry Sauce, 16-oz. $1.99 
• 365 Brand Canned Corn and Green Beans, 14.5-oz. .89 to $1.69 
• Deli Mashed Potatoes, $10.49-18.99 
• Deli Homestyle Casseroles, $9.99-17.99 
• 365 Brand Instant Mashed Potatoes, $1.99 per box 
• Potatoes 
• All Purpose Small, $3.99 for 2 pounds 
• Gold, $5.99 for 5 pounds 
• Red, $5.99 for 5 pounds 
• Russet, $4.99 for 5 pounds 

Pies

• Pumpkin, 9-inch $9.99 
• Sharon's Sweat Potato, 9-inch $10.99 
• Apple, Apple Cranberry, Cherry, Mixed Berry, 9-inch $16.99 
• Pecan, 9-inch $16.99 
• Vegan Pumpkin or Apple, 8-inch $6.99 

Complete Turkey Dinner

• $129.99 Traditional Turkey Dinner for 8 
• $129.99 Southern Turkey Dinner for 8 
• $59.99 Turkey Dinner for 2 plus a few 
• $59.99 Vegan Dinner for 2 plus a few

ANC 3F November Meeting Focuses on Pedestrian Safety

A discussion on pedestrian safety and highlights from upcoming environmental events featured prominently during the November 2010 ANC 3F monthly meeting held Monday, November 15.

Marlene Berlin of the Connecticut Avenue Pedestrian Action (CAPA) group presented the findings of a study examining pedestrian safety along Connecticut Avenue from Calvert Street to Chevy Chase Circle.  The area encompasses 44 intersections, of which 18 are unsignalized, 53 bus stops, and three metro stations.  This area sees an estimated 30,000-40,000 cars per day.  Between 2006 and 2008, there were 44 pedestrian crashes, with four fatalities.

"There's inconsistent signage for cars," Ms. Berlin said, "and not enough time for individuals to cross the street.  Able-bodied adults need 3.5 feet per second to cross safely, and older people and children need about three feet per second."

Ms. Berlin says these concerns should be taken into consideration by the community and city, because there are four public elementary schools whose boundaries cross Connecticut Avenue, and 14 preschools on or within a block of the street.  In addition, four seniors' residences are located on or near Connecticut Avenue.

CAPA has devised a set of recommendations for each of the 44 intersections along the Connecticut Avenue corridor and will be publishing their report later this week.  You will be able to find the report online at capa-dc.org.  Their recommendations include increasing the time allotted to cross the street as well as means to improve drivers' visibility of along the street and photo enforcement to reduce speeding.

Lieutenant Victor Brashnewitz with the Metropolitan Police Department, District 2, also addressed community safety at the meeting, as he provided the monthly crime report for the neighborhood.  Eight of the 26 crimes in PSA 203 over the last 60 days involved stolen bicycles, including ones taken from garages and private residences.

The police have also seen an uptick of individuals breaking into homes in which windows and doors were unlocked.  The lieutenant reminded residents to  secure the back doors and windows of their homes.  Several laptops and iPods were also reported stolen from public places. Residents should be mindful to keep an eye on these items even when they are at their office, a library or university campus.  You can use the MPD's crime mapping application online to find out what crimes have been reported in your neighborhood.

In other news, ANC 3F Commission Chair Karen Lee Perry advised residents that the D.C. Department of the Environment's Fisheries and Wildlife Division will be conducting nighttime wildlife surveys in the ANC 3F neighborhoods on November 27 and November 28 between sunset and 9:00 p.m.

"Residents should be prepared to see D.C. government vehicles driving along public roads and shining spotlights into wooded areas and lawns to identify wildlife.  The spotlights will not be directed at residences' homes," Commissioner Perry said, "Drivers and other observers who come across the process should remain in their cars or homes."

Commissioner Tom Whitley reminded residents that the "Stewardship of Rock Creek" event is taking place on Wednesday, November 17 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church.  The event, organized by the Friends of Rock Creek's Environment (FORCE), invites the 80 religious institutions located in the Rock Creek watershed to "green" their properties and help protect the creek.  You can find details about the event here.  Read more about FORCE volunteers here.

The Commissioners concluded the meeting agreeing to address at least two items in December.  First, they will consider Guapo's Restaurant's application for extended hours of operation.  They will also consider seeking the placement of a Capital Bikeshare station near the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Nebraska Avenue.  Read more about what Capital Bikeshare is doing in the neighborhood here.

ANC 3F's December monthly meeting will not take place on the third Monday of the month, as regularly scheduled.  ANC Commissioners will provide more details on an alternate date and time.

"Top of the Town": Neighborhood Celebrates Heritage Trail

Community members pose with "Top of the Town"  Heritage Trail Sign 5, Fort Reno, November 13, 2010.

What Washington neighborhood hosted the second Nixon-Kennedy presidential debate and introduced Kermit the Frog to the world?  Hint: It's the same neighborhood that boasts the highest elevation in the District of Columbia.

If you guessed Tenleytown, you are correct.  It's a neighborhood that's played an important role in three wars -- it's where women of the U.S. Navy broke the Japanese code during World War II -- and started as a tiny, rural village centered around John Tennally's tavern, centuries before the Dancing Crab restaurant was established and years before the area was chosen as part of the nation's capital.

"This neighborhood is a vital piece of the history of D.C., and its past and present continue to shape life here," said Cultural Tourism D.C.'s Executive Director Linda Harper.

Today, Cultural Tourism D.C. joined neighborhood residents for the official unveiling of "Top of the Town: Tenleytown Heritage Trail," the city's eleventh neighborhood trail and the first to be established in Ward 3.  The ceremony took place at Fort Reno Bandstand, the site where Union soldiers once camped to protect the nation's capital from Confederate invasion.

Fort Reno is one of nineteen sites -- specifically, number five on the trail -- on this self-guided, walking tour.  Those interested in taking the tour can start at any one of the nineteen locations.  Trail guides are available in both English and Spanish from merchants and institutions along the way as well as at www.CulturalTourismDC.org.

While representatives of Cultural Tourism D.C. hope the heritage trails will encourage visitors to our nation's capital to explore the city beyond the Mall, they also encourage locals to give them a try.

"When you live in a community, and you have your everyday life, you might take your neighborhood for granted.  You might even think you really know your neighborhood," Jane Freundel Levey, Cultural Tourism D.C.'s Director of Heritage Programs told me.  "But take a walk in your neighborhood, follow one of our heritage trails, and find out what you don't know about your community.  We encourage residents to take their families -- and friends -- on these trails, and we hope they really enjoy them."

Befitting the neighborhood's historic association with the media (you can learn more about that history at "Top of the Town" heritage trail site eighteen), NBC 4 reporter Chris Gordon and WAMU's Metro Connection producer Rebecca Sheir hosted the unveiling ceremony.

"What we've seen here today is civic activism, neighborhood participation, and it's really wonderful," Mr. Gordon said.

Ward 3 Council Member Mary Cheh also spoke at the ceremony.  More than an estimated 100 residents attended, including several families who have lived in the neighborhood for five or six generations.  Carolyn Long, Chair of the Tenleytown Heritage Trail Working Group, gave a history of the community, and several speakers reflected how the neighborhood has changed over the years.

"President Lincoln visited the camp at Fort Reno," Alexa Viets, a Program Manager with the National Park Service's Civil War Defenses of Washington, told the assembled crowd.  "In fact, he made several visits to the camp -- usually during election years.  See, some things never change!"

You can find a tour map and learn more about the "Top of the Town: Tenleytown Heritage Trail" here.

UDC Farmers' Market Ends Its 2010 Season

Today, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) hosted its last farmers' market scheduled for 2010.

"It was a marvelous season, and I look forward to this continuing next year," market organizer Dr. Gloria S. Wyche-Moore said. "I want to thank the community for embracing us, and hopefully our patrons will continue to support us."

The farmers' market is scheduled to reopen in late April or early May, depending upon when next season's produce is ready for sale.  The market is a partnership between UDC's College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences and the National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association.  In 2010, seven  Hispanic farmers sold their produce at the market.

In addition, other vendors sold beef, chicken and spinach empanadas, breads, cupcakes, muffins and other pastries, and an assortment of homemade jams and jellies.

Robin Johnson's red onion marmalade, hot pepper jelly, and fig jam have become popular items at the market.  Ms. Johnson began selling her jams and jellies a year ago after she received encouragement from her friends, many of whom had asked her informally to cater functions at their homes.

"I never planned on making food for a living, but I loved to cook, and more importantly I loved to eat. I hope that is reflected in what I make," Ms. Johnson said.

If you are a vendor looking to participate in the market, please contact Percy Williams or Rosalind Parker at (202) 255-3630.  

Honoring America's Veterans

Today, Americans honor those who have served in our armed forces.  Washingtonians can participate in ceremonies throughout the area.

Arlington National Cemetery holds a National Veterans Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheaters at 11:00 a.m., and a Veterans Service Organizations wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at 12:00 p.m.  You can find more information here.

The annual Veterans Day Observance at The Wall takes place at 1:00 p.m. and recognizes Americans who served in the Vietnam War.

There will be a special program paying tribute to Americans who served in World War II at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall at 5:00 p.m.  You can obtain additional information about the program from Paul O'Brian at 202-438-7066 or on the National Park Service website.

'Washington: Portrait of a City' Exhibition Opens November 9

The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) will host an exhibition of Steve Gottlieb's photographs from his book Washington: Portrait of a City from November 9 through December 17.

The exhibition opening will begin with a reception, gallery lecture, silent auction and book signing on Tuesday, November 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Building 41, Level A.

More information is available from Susan Bodiker at (202) 274-5953.