C A P I C O S T I A

[Second Edition] On the evening of Saturday, January 30, I sat down at a friend’s PC and wrote a bitter rant, dressed up as an op-ed or something more journalistic, condemning the robbery of a Metro Access operator and the subsequent courageous actions of our Ward Seven city councilperson, Yvette Alexander, who risked her life, watching over the attacked driver (still unnamed , as of 1/31/10), until he got help. Now, hunkering down to write a more informed and revised thing ['Piece' sounds pretensious for this venue.], I am moved by the pluck and courage of Councilwoman Alexander and of the River East hills I call home to write something markedly different than what I had originally intended. From what I have read in the Washington Post and have heard from outraged Penn Branch and Fort Dupont residents, at the time she stopped to inquire about the safety of the driver she saw lying on a Penn Branch area sidewalk, as she drove by, Alexander did not know that this man was a Me...

If you're on Facebook , check out the Capitol Hill Kiwanis Club Cafe! The ' cafe ' is the Capitol Hill Club's first Facebook forum, chatroom and gateway--a place to welcome new people, chat and set up 'real world' events and meetings, off-line and around the D.C. Metropolitan Area. Belonging to this club is about as good a social/professional NETWORKING opportunity, as you'll find east of the U.S. Capitol--believe it! You're also guaranteed to meet some very interesting people here, who care about River East and are working hard to make it an empowering place for young people to grow up. As a three-year Capitol Hill Kiwanis Club member, I can tell you we've got an exciting year planned, and you don't want to miss one more minute of it. Get more info, here . If you're not on Facebook , get on Facebook! You may as well, because nearly everybody you've ever known or are related to already IS--not kidding! Besides the chatroom thing, ther...

Take a minute to look over the latest crime stats , as reported by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department's Crime and Activity Statistics page . Homicides in Washington, D.C. are down , and arrests of juvenille suspects are up (for the week, at least). Have a look at the DCMPD's weekly arrest reports , if you want even more detailed information. Keep in mind that this week has been alot warmer than last week, which saw snow and freezing temperatures between Wednesday and Friday, January 20-22. In Penn Branch, that's when our young turks like to ditch the grown-ups to hook up with their friends, outside or at a friend's house, ..where they can swear out loud and indulge some other bad habits they don't like us hassling them about. For that reason, it's probably wise to keep the kids (especially, your teens ) on a short leash, this week--ask smart questions, keep an eye on who they're running with and stay in their business--to insure they stay out of tro...

Here's a link to the blog, Medicynic , written by my friend Laurie Goff's dad, Dr. Paul Goff . This essay on the healthcare reform debate and other pressing issues facing our great nation is very timely. Very frank and provocative... Check it out now, Brancher.

BIG CHAIR COFFEE, folks! At the corner of W & MLK Avenue. Great sandwiches. Great service. Great coffee. In ANACOSTIA... An old man could get used to this. [Pictures are on the way. Stay tuned.]

Hola, River East! Follow me, the Poowes and everybody I've ever known or went to school with (and they really are ALL there--kinda' creepy) on Facebook ... http://facebook.com/MelDyerWorks

Barely dug out of the ice of the Nation's Capital's first big snowstorm, the ghostly lavender morning skies of January 8, 2009 were quickly blotted out by falling white, and D.C. area commuters were filled with winter's dread. Then, around six thirty that same morning, all of the nasty, awful, seemingly inevitable things we expect to slow us down during a snowstorm... Didn't happen. I want to and WILL be writing something to commend the truly spectacular job D.C. Department of Public Works did proofing Penn Branch's labrythine streets against the ravages of (January 8, 2009) Friday's lackluster snowstorm. I will also be writing something to commend the timely leadership and attention Mayor Adrian Fenty commited to making that enterprise so succesful, between Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. I hope you'll join me for that ..and indulge the following: Now,.. BIG CHAIR COFFEE , after three or so months of delays upon delays, ..OPENS MONDAY, JANUARY 11th...

The blizzard (or 'Snowpocalypse' , as bloggers called it) of 2009 shattered records for snowstorms in December and pounded the Metropolitan Area with a deadly two-plus feet of snow and slush-covered ice. Local governments advised us to stay in our homes and (wisely, I think) suspended Metro bus and rail service to above-ground stations. Holiday travelers at Ronald Reagan National Airport saw their flights cancelled, while a few determined holiday shoppers, mere days before Christmas, braved roads slicked with crushed, dirty snow and ice to get to nearby shopping malls, ..only to find their stores had closed early. Things got worse , before they got better. For much of Saturday morning, the Department of Public Works cleared River East's major thoroughfares--Pennsylvania, Minnesota Alabama and Branch Avenues, Benning Road, East Capitol Street, etc--before turning to the smaller, residential streets in the afternoon. Unfortunately for those smaller streets, as snow continued ...