CRESTWOOD CITIZENS ASSOCIATION

Deputy Mayor Abigail Smith to Appear at May Meeting

Association Focused on By-Right School Assignments

Wed. May 21, 7pm , Grace Lutheran Church, 16th & Varnum

    Deputy Mayor for Education Abigail Smith has confirmed she will be attending the annual meeting of the Crestwood Citizens Association, Wednesday May 21st at 7 pm at Grace Lutheran Church, 16th & Varnum Streets NW.
    Deputy Mayor Smith is leading the city’s effort to formulate a new policy governing how students are assigned to DC Public Schools. She will explain the Student Assignment and School Boundaries Review Process, and hear the concerns of the neighborhood.
    In advance of the meeting, the Association has submitted to Ms. Smith’s committee a letter [see below in The Crest] that details what we believe must be incorporated into a credible boundary and feeder plan. The Association letter is built around these principles:
    ✔ Predictable, by-right school assignments at every level
    ✔ Elementary school boundaries that assign all of Crestwood to Powell
    ✔ Continued inbound right to attend Deal Middle School and Wilson High School until equal or better alternatives are available
    ✔ Development of a high-quality middle school in Ward 4
    ✔ Revitalization of Roosevelt High School
    The letter makes clear that no reassignment of Crestwood students should take place until the alternatives match the curriculum and program offerings at Deal and Wilson. The Association would like to work with Deputy Mayor Smith and neighborhood groups throughout the city to advance these goals.

NEW OFFICERS…YOU, PERHAPS?
    Members will also elect officers for the coming year. The Association is looking for a fresh group of neighbors to come forward as new leaders. Let the Board know of your interest to serve as President (or Co-President), Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer… as Captain or Co-Captain of one of our Teams (Green, Social, Kids, Communications, Public Safety, Issues) or as liaison with Aging-In-Place initiatives such as the East Rock Creek Village. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor.
    The meeting will hear about the latest plans for tree plantings and the upcoming anniversary of Rock Creek Park. And please look over the Crestwood Neighborhood Plan; the Association would like to update this document, which informs the Mayor and Council members exactly what our priorities are. (See http://www.crestwood-dc.org/crestwood-citizens-association/crestwood-citizens-association-draft-neighborhood-plan)

Association Letter on School Assignment Policy

Crestwood Crime Log

Crestwood Fourth of July Parade

Mark your calendars for the annual Fourth of July Parade, organized by the Association’s Kids Team. Children and adults gather at 9:30 a.m. July 4^th on the 1800 block of Shepherd Street to mingle and decorate bikes, strollers and such, and then parade through the neighborhood. (The photo above shows part of the 2011 parade.) If you can help out this year, please contact Nicole Ruman Skinner, 1810 Shepherd Street.

    The Association’s Tree Team is in the planning stages of its annual fall community tree planting—and they are looking for your help.
    The Tree Team, led by Doug Barker and Frank Samuel of the Association’s Green Team, is working little by little through the neighborhood—planting new trees to keep Crestwood green. The project is a partnership with Casey Trees, a non-profit dedicated to restoring DC’s tree canopy. We are starting our eighth year of working together, having already planted more than 200 trees—all donated by Casey Trees, and all native species selected for their beauty and their ability to thrive in our challenging climate.
    What we need for the autumn planting is interest from neighbors who could serve as block captains and organize their blocks. The Tree Team will select one to three blocks to focus on. Residents on those blocks will then get expert guidance on getting the right tree(s) in locations in their yards that could benefit.

    Crestwood: 300 Acres, 300 Years, the book published last year as a fund-raiser for the Crestwood Citizens Association, has already sold 180 copies, earning more than $2,600 for the neighborhood.
    The 130-page book tells the history of our community, with more than 200 photographs, maps, drawings, documents and news articles.
    You can still purchase copies from the first printing—and the entire $20 will go to the Association. Email the author at davearlington@juno.com to order a copy. Or purchase on-line through Politics and Prose (www.politics-prose.com/book/v/9781624290176) orAmazon.
    Talks dealing with Crestwood history are tentatively scheduled for June (in cooperation with the Alliance To Preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington) and later this summer (in cooperation with Friends of Peirce Mill).
    The book has been supported by a DC Community Heritage Project grant through a partnership of the Humanities Council of Washington, DC and the DC Historic Preservation Office.

    With the Kalmia bridge project wrapping up, DDOT is moving on to work on the bridge that takes 16th Street over Military Road.
    That construction will reduce 16th Street to one lane in each direction. There also may be times on weekends when 16th Street and/or the ramps to Military and Missouri are completely closed.
    Bids for the new bridge project are due on May 21st. DDOT says the contract will be completed in July “barring any difficulties.” The neighborhood should prepare for at least two months of delays.

New DC Driver’s Licenses

    No, you don’t have to rush to the DMV to get a new license. City officials have reversed themselves over the issue of new licenses that conform to the federal REAL ID law.
    Your old license will remain a valid driver’s license until it expires. But there are two important points to remember.
    First, a REAL ID will eventually be required for boarding airplanes—in 2016 at the earliest—and to enter some federal facilities beginning in 2015. That means you may have to get the new driver’s license earlier or count on using a US Passport or other ID.
    Second, when you do renew your DC license, you will have to appear in person and bring with you more documentation than previously required. You will have to bring:

• Your current driver’s license;
• Proof of identity (such as a birth certificate or unexpired passport);
• Proof of your social security number (such as a signed Social Security card or a pay statement, W-2 or 1099 with your full name and full SSN); and
• Two documents showing your full address (such as utility bills, deed, lease, property tax bill or recent bank statement).