Skip to main content

River Easters Pack Gentrification Forum In Minnesota-Benning

East-of-River locals, old and new, crammed into a forum on urban renewal, hosted by R.E.E.L. (River East Emerging Leaders) at Department of Employment Services Headquarters, on Tuesday night.

In another 'Don't be afraid of gentrification' forum, civic officials and River East newcomers (some, REEL members) butted heads with long-standing Southeast residents. Engaged and enraged, locals demanded information about upcoming development, east of Big Annie, ..and refused to be condescended to. In the face of overwhelming skepticism, questioning their loyalty to old-time residents, REEL took the progressive route, inviting all River Easters to join the organization and become a part of seeking solutions to decades-old OLD problems, ..instead of blocking progress.

"[REEL and DC officials] not being real with us," a middle-aged resident confided in me, last Tuesday. "They talking about how all this development's supposed to improve everything, down the road--so, they already got a plan, ..right? If you asking somebody how they feel about something you already decided, you're not being for real."

A lot of constructive anger in that room. Thankfully, less condescension than I anticipated.

Exciting!

Mel Dyer

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

D.C. Urban Legends: The Big Bird Witch Of Penn Branch

By Mel Dyer Yes! Penn Branch has an urban legend. That of the Big Bird Witch  or Hawk-woman, who haunts our wild, emerald hills... If you're over 35 and grew up in the Southeast D.C. neighborhood, Penn Branch, in the mid-1960s, ..you've probably seen or heard of this creature, at one time in your life. You probably thought you were imagining things ..or that it was just crazy-talk. You may have even heard that it had a woman's head and white, bulging eyes, ..or that it was a witch. While I don't believe that part, I've seen the creature that might have inspired this urban legend, with my own disbelieving eyes, ..perched menacingly on a rooftop, at Carpenter Street and Highwood Drive! ...One neighbor recently told me that this thing, ..which she described as a witch in black feathers, with a chalk-white face and large, staring eyes, ..glided over a backyard family gathering, back in the mid-70s, and scared the hell out of their guests! An electrician, who no

MARVEL'S HEDONISTIC, BOHEMIAN WONDER WOMAN...SERSI THE TERRIBLE!

By Edgar Miraculous Dyer (2021, October 22) 2nd Ed. Comixeurs know that  Marvel Comics  (even in the Timely days), the self-styled  House of Ideas,  has always mixed an element of  horror  into the iconic DNA of its most beloved heroes. From the Frankenstein-inspired elements in Captain America to the more obvious flashes of horror in the original Human Torch, the amazing Spider-Man, incredible Hulk, invincible Iron Man and uncanny X-Men - even the supernatural possession of Dr. Donald Blake, by the mighty, Viking sky god, Thor - this is and always  has been  Marvel's secret sauce. This is the  Marvel brand... And even the publisher's greatest  superheroines  would not escape it. One need look no further, than  Sersi the Terrible!  Half-naked in the apocalyptic green of Eden, Sersi is a cosmic sorceress and member of Marvel's  The Eternals  (now, titular stars of a proper, live-action superhero flick) - who really is and always  has been .. Marvel's answer to publishing

ARMED CARJACKING, OUTSIDE THE CAPITOL HILL SAFEWAY

They'll be watching for SHOPPERS unloading groceries, idling cars...drivers inside. (BKV Group original photo) By Edgar Miraculous Dyer Morning of Friday 24th, 2023 - There was an ARMED carjacking, outside the Capitol Hill Safeway, on 14th and D Streets SE, Washington, DC. Two armed assailants carjacked a white, 2012 Ford Focus with DC tags around 12:30 a.m. The following is taken from accountings of the crime, I have already posted to Twitter and other social media: "...Assailants pretend 2B joggers or walkers to blend in with Capitol Hill locals. They might wear black, dark or otherwise nondescript sportswear. Expect to see them in a pair, walking together or close - one runner build, one stocky thick. They might wear ski masks, w eyes showing...They may NOT be walking closely together, but will probably be walking within sight of each other, to coordinate their actions - look for that... THIS is crucial. They'll likely be looking, watching for SHOPPERS unloading groce