[Mintwood-place] Adams Morgan v CLub Zone, How About Shared Custody

Mon Jul 18 15:10:41 EDT 2011

Hi Val : 

Val, I agree with you that the presence of more police officers alone can't reverse the Mad-Max mayhem on 18th Street .  But I'm frustrated by the often-repeated police suggestion  that if only they received more calls of complaints about noise, pissing on front lawns, etc., then they would be more responsive. 

The idea that if everybody calls the police, then there will be greater police responsiveness doesn't give me great faith.  It sounds like we're being asked to play a radio call-in game.  Doesn't one lowly citizen calling the police at 911 matter anymore? 

I think it was earlier this year I attended an ANC/crime subcommittee meeting at Kalorama Park Recreation Center.  I forget which police official was there.  But when I asked why I don't ever seem to get a response when I call the police about illegally parked cars and street partying at 19th Street and Mintwood Place in the wee hours of the weekend--the answer was something like:  Because other more serious calls get bumped up in line, wiping out the  less-urgent calls. 

The distinct impression I got:  I f your call isn't about an urgent situation, you get bumped off the radar.  So if we're all calling in about various incidents of a non-life-threatening nature, we're all getting bumped out  of the police-response line-up by the bozos who come in from the 'burbs and want to beat each other up. 

Mary Belcher  

----- Original Message -----

From: "Adam Eidinger" <enrages at verizon.net> 
To: "JVMBooks" <jvmbooks at hotmail.com>, maryjbelcher at comcast.net, jnixon at toromata.com, AdamsMorgan at yahoogroups.com, "Ward One" <WardOneDC at yahoogroups.com> 
Cc: jim at grahamwone.com, dgeorge at thebrassknob.com, amywrites at yahoo.com, margarita at crystalinsurancegroup.net, olivier at kamanda.org, kbarden at adamsmorganonline.org, mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org, cdbrooks at rcn.com, "little fountain2" <little.fountain2 at verizon.net>, tedguthrie3 at gmail.com, hzarate at toromata.com, andesdc at verizon.net 
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 12:29:04 PM 
Subject: Adams Morgan v CLub Zone, How About Shared Custody 

Hi Val, Friends, 

  I read recently that per-capita booze consumption in DC has doubled in 10 years.  In Adams Morgan you can see the wreckage of that sad stat every weekend. 

The BID works for the “Club Zone” mostly, not daytime businesses, we all know that, why pretend otherwise.  The reauthorization of the ADMO BID was a real travesty from the perspective of daytime businesses. The BID, except for the pizza box prevented from becoming a ‘tumble-box’ or the anarchist poster being ripped down, is worthless to daytime commercial interests. 

What to do? Perhaps neighbors should ban together against BID friendly politicians in the future.  Lets form a community oriented slate in 2012, 2014 and bring about the end of the Graham machine and take-over of the neighborhood’s interests.   But why do we have to wait that long.  Isn’t the madness in ADMO recall- material?  Bill of Madams Organ has that fire in his belly, why not do it?  Let’s put some un-employed youth to work.  Bryan Weaver would likely beat Jim after a re-call effort.  Maybe we all can meet at the Madams Bench tomorrow for coffee around 8 am to discuss a recall at the very least. 

The Adams Morgan community is seriously split on the issue of who the BID benefits and who pays for it. Unless you are a hotel developer with mega tax breaks, daytime commerce is clearly an after-thought in the BID agenda.  The BID is here to serve the excess of the Club Culture. Jim Graham serves the interests of the BID.  In all fairness the city makes a lot of money off all that booze being sold here and that money is used to give people healthcare they need for drinking in excess all their lives.  Why would we want to discourage that?  Perhaps neighborhood sanity is one reason.  DC will serve the booze economy without the political will of the people who say “Ya Basta.”  

Residents are begging for less drunken madness on the weekends.  While I still support a 24/7 club zone so is this is really THE “club zone” of DC, I propose the following truce between residents, the BID, the police and the bars. 

Going forwards, Adams Morgan will be referred to as “Adams Morgan” Mon-Wed, but from Thurs-Sunday it will be called “Club Zone.”  Members of law enforcement are encouraged to refer the neighborhood appropriately based on the day of the week and politicians are to listen to the concerns of residents Monday –Wed and bars/BID Thurs-Sun.  

Finally, Councilman Graham and ANC Chair/DC Employee Wilson Reynolds aka The King of Conflict of Interests, short of a recall of you both, perhaps it is time for new Graham backed legislation so the large number of business that voted to shut down the BID could simply opt out from now on and not pay for it only if we don’t have a nighttime businesses.  I think if you close before 10pm your are really not working the “Club Zone.” 

Best, 

Adam Eidinger 

From: mintwood-place-bounces at lists.mutualaid.org [mailto:mintwood-place-bounces at lists.mutualaid.org] On Behalf Of JVMBooks 
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 11:15 AM 
To: maryjbelcher at comcast.net; jnixon at toromata.com 
Cc: jim at grahamwone.com; dgeorge at thebrassknob.com; amywrites at yahoo.com; margarita at crystalinsurancegroup.net; olivier at kamanda.org; kbarden at adamsmorganonline.org; mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org; cdbrooks at rcn.com; little fountain2; tedguthrie3 at gmail.com; hzarate at toromata.com; andesdc at verizon.net 
Subject: Re: [Mintwood-place] Adams Morgan crime and crowds 

Hi everybody, 

Haven't been online about this before, but I did see the utube thing and decided to go to a meeting with the BID and the Police Chief for our district. The BID is clamouring for more Police coverage. I spoke and said that I didn't think that extra police would be able to do the job that we want done - that is to calm down the street. I mentioned the fact that ABRA is to blame for issuing 42 liquor licenses in a three block area. Also ABRA is remiss in not enforcing the rules that are already in place eg food requirements AND noise control. The Chief said that ABRA needs to get complaints, that the police only respond to complaints about noise if called. So I am proposing that if enough of us complain to police or ABRA preferably both, maybe it will call attention to the fact that we have an untenable situation. BTW the police now refer to this as a club zone - aren't we lucky? 

Val 

Idle Time Books 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: maryjbelcher at comcast.net 

To: jnixon at toromata.com 

Cc: mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org ; olivier at kamanda.org ; andesdc at verizon.net ; denisjames at verizon.net ; cdbrooks at rcn.com ; little fountain2 ; jvmbooks at hotmail.com ; hzarate at toromata.com ; dgeorge at thebrassknob.com ; margarita at crystalinsurancegroup.net ; amywrites at yahoo.com ; tedguthrie3 at gmail.com ; kbarden at adamsmorganonline.org ; jim at grahamwone.com 

Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 7:03 PM 

Subject: Re: Adams Morgan crime and crowds 

So how do we rachet up the political pressure on Lanier to do the right thing for Adams Morgan residents and businesses? 

Can we issue a  "dare ya'" to the members of the city council and media to come here--unannounced, without police escorts--at midnight on a Saturday night, and let them walk 18th Street? 

It is clear there is currently no political will to address the Adams Morgan Mayhem.  Kishter's suggestion to Kristen to hire more private security guards for the clubs is an insult to every taxpaying resident and business owner in this neighborhood. 

Some times government officials only take the right action if you embarrass them into doing so, 

Mary Belcher 

----- Original Message -----

From: "James Nixon" < jnixon at toromata.com > 
To: olivier at kamanda.org , andesdc at verizon.net , denisjames at verizon.net , cdbrooks at rcn.com , "little fountain2" < little.fountain2 at verizon.net >, jvmbooks at hotmail.com , hzarate at toromata.com , dgeorge at thebrassknob.com , margarita at crystalinsurancegroup.net , amywrites at yahoo.com , maryjbelcher at comcast.net , tedguthrie3 at gmail.com , kbarden at adamsmorganonline.org , jim at grahamwone.com 
Cc: mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org 
Sent: Saturday, July 9, 2011 12:10:43 PM 
Subject: Adams Morgan crime and crowds 

Hi All -- 

The Channel 7 reporter accepted Chief Lanier's explanation that her PSA realignment plan will add manpower (sometime in the future maybe) to address what we know are urgent public safety needs on 18th Street. 

Video: 
Crime rises in Adams Morgan 
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid619268946001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAGuN0bcE~,rS1wzGXkRNnM7ynsy5nmlPrzt_utevY_&bclid=0&bctid=1044504968001 

And as we all know, she doesn't necessarily need to move map boundaries to address our problems; she simply needs to move officers here and instruct them to enforce the laws. Sadly, she says she won't/can't do that. She wants us to hire off-duty officers instead. 

Jim
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