Next Ward 4 Thrives Mtg- Sept. 5th at 6:30pm

Please join us  for our next Ward 4 Thrives Community meeting, Wednesday, Sept. 5th, at 6:30pm at Fort Stevens Rec Center (1327 Van Buren ST, NW).  There's still plenty of organizing around the Walmart being built on Georgia Ave- so please come!

Tonight- Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting

Please join us tonight  for our Ward 4 Thrives Community meeting, Wednesday, August 1st, at 6:30pm at Fort Stevens Rec Center (1327 Van Buren ST, NW).  Those involved in the lawsuit should come to this meeting to continue discussing next steps.  There's much to do- so please come!

Next Ward 4 Thrives Community Mtg- July 11th at 6:30pm

Next Ward 4 Thrives Community meeting this Wednesday, July 11th, at 6:30pm at Fort Stevens Rec Center (1327 Van Buren ST, NW).  Now that the building permit has been approved- those involved in the lawsuit should come to this meeting to discuss next steps.  There's much to do- so please come!

Next Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting

Please join us for our next Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting on June 6th, Wednesday, at 6:30pm at the Fort Stevens Rec Center (1327 Van Buren ST b/w 14th and 13th ST).   We'll have a report back on Respect DC's June 1st parade/march from one of the proposed site to the Walmart headquarters downtown.  Let's keep our community's voices heard!  

Next Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting

Please join us for our next Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting on May 1st, Wednesday, at 6:30pm at the Fort Stevens Rec Center (1327 Van Buren ST b/w 14th and 13th ST). Please join us to hear a report back on our recent Citizens Summit at the site and the recent development on the delay on the other proposed Walmarts in the rest of the City.

Dear Ward 4 Residents:

Please join us tomorrow for Ward 4 Thrives Citizen Summit on Saturday, March 31, from 2-5pm. Residents will meet at 5929 Georgia Ave (former Curtis Chevrolet Site). We will tour the businesses affected by Walmart's arrival and hold a summit to discuss what residents can do to ensure we have community led development.

We'd love to have your presences and input!

Next Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting

Please join us for our next Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting on March 7th, Wednesday, at 6:30pm at the Fort Stevens Rec Center (1327 Van Buren ST b/w 14th and 13th ST). Please join us to hear a report back on our recent action at the proposed Walmart site. Despite the rain, we had a solid crew show up and rally around the traffic issue. And they notified officials about a safety issue with an infringement on the sidewalk .

Thursday, Feb. 16th- Rally at Georgia and Missouri Ave

Join the Rally to Stop the Destruction of Brightwood

Thursday, February 16, 2012, 7 AM

Georgia and Missouri Ave NW, WDC

Over a year after proposing to build a Wal-Mart at 5929 Georgia Avenue NW, Foulger-Pratt this week began tearing down the site to make way for a big box store, Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart has a history of destroying LOCAL neighborhood businesses and communities. When Wal–Mart, which made $15.4 billion last year and is owned the Walton family, six of the richest people in America, worth a combined $93 billion, more than the bottom 30% of Americans combined, opened its first urban store in Chicago, in 2005:

* 40% of competing businesses within a mile CLOSED within 2 years. This is why on average 1.4 jobs are lost for every job created by Wal- Mart.

Is this the future we want for our Brightwood neighborhood?

It’s time to stand up with other concerned residents and voters of Ward 4 to say NO to the destruction of our neighborhood!

If you are not able to attend the rally, you can still get involved by:

+ Pledging NOT to buy from Wal-Mart.

+ Calling or E-mailing Councilmember Muriel Bowser, Mayor Vincent Gray, and Council Chairman Kwame Brown and tell them that Ward 4 does not need or want a Wal-Mart. We want our local business community to GROW, not be destroyed.

Muriel Bowser: (202) 724-8052 or mbowser@dccouncil.us

Vincent Gray: (202) 727-6300 or eom@dc.gov

Kwame Brown: (202) 724-8032 or kbrown@dccouncil.us

Feb 1st- Ward 4 Democratic Candidate Forum at 7pm!

Please join Ward 4 Thrives at the Ward 4 Candidate Forum on Feb. 1^st at Emory Rec Center (5701 Georgia Ave b/w Madison and Missouri) @ 7pm. Folks will be at the event to flyer, question the candidates and endorse candidates supporting community led development. Willie Baker will meet folks at Fort Stevens Rec Center from 6:30pm until 6:50pm in case people show up for the monthly meeting.

Next Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting

Following the Town Hall Radio Show at WPFW 89.3FM on January 20, we're having our Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting on January 25, Wednesday, at 6:30pm at the Fort Stevens Rec Center (1327 Van Buren ST b/w 14th and 13th ST). Please join us in order to get involved and help us keep Walmart out of Ward 4!

Postponed: Hearing on the motion for preliminary injunction on the historic preservation board's decision on the Curtis Chevrolet car barn. New Date to be Announced

Radio Station WPFW Hosts City WideTown Hall Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Willie Baker
January 18, 2012 (202) 291-5119

Ward 4 Thrives Organizes City Wide

Town Hall to Say NO to Walmart

Residents from across DC do not want Walmart

harming their city and neighborhood

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 18 — After over a year of organizing to oppose the proposed Walmart at Georgia and Missouri Ave in their neighborhood, Ward 4 Thrives members are bringing together residents from across the city who are opposed to Walmart coming to DC for a town hall meeting to be broadcast on local Pacifica affiliate WPFW 89.3 FM. The town hall, which will run from 9am-12pm this coming Friday, January 20, will feature community leaders and activists from across the city, with a special focus on the neighborhoods in Wards 4, 5, 6, and 7 where Walmart has proposed opening its SIX stores.

The town hall will be hosted by WPFW’s Gloria Minott, Jared Ball, and Nkenge Toure and will feature Willie Baker, who lives blocks from the proposed Georgia and Missouri Walmart, Brenda Speaks whose Advisory Neighborhood Commission holds the proposed Walmart site, Edna Doggett, another nearby home owner, and Gary Cha, the owner of YES Organic Market, as well as residents from across the city.

“We have been opposed to the proposed Walmart at Georgia and Missouri since the idea was first made public in November 2010,” said Ward 4 Thrives spokesperson Willie Baker, “our elected representatives have ignored our concerns, and we think it is time to unite with groups and residents from across DC who also understand the devastation Walmart will cause to our city and neighborhoods.”

Tune in on Friday to hear the truth about Walmart’s track record of net job loss, small business closure, and environmental destruction and how they will negatively affect DC if they are allowed to open six stores here. Ward 4 Thrives encourages all DC residents to contact Mayor Gray and their other elected officials to let them know, NO Walmart in DC.

Ward 4 Thrives is neighbors, business owners, and allies committed to community-led development in our neighborhoods. Together we work to stop Walmart from moving in. We believe there are alternatives and will work with the city to find one that will bring living wage jobs, responsible development, and just business practices to our neighborhood. We know that Walmart does not care about our community and we can do better.

Deputy Mayor Hoskins Confirmed for Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting

Please join us for a very important meeting tonight, Wednesday , Dec. 7th, at 6:30pm at the Fort Stevens Rec Center (1327 Van Buren ST, NW). Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor Hoskins has confirmed his attendance at this meeting.

Our focus at this meeting will be- Why Wal-Mart is not a viable option in Ward 4. How we can create a "win win" situation for the residents and business community in Ward 4. And the residents, business owners and property owners vision for Ward 4.

And what governments can do when they do listen to their citizens:

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/08/143333600/fallout-from-indias-failed-foreign-retailer-plan

Next Ward 4 Thrives Community Mtg- Nov. 9th at 6:30pm

We've moved the monthly Ward 4 Thrives meeting to next Wednesday, Nov. 9th, at 6:30pm. It'll be at the Shepherd Park Library in the SPK Room B (7420 Georgia Ave, NW, b/w Geranium and Holly ST).

We'll do a report back on the Historic Preservation Board Hearing on Oct. 27th and next steps!

Historic Preservation Board's Meeting- Oct. 27 at 2pm

We need a really good turnout for the October 27th, Thursday, Preservation Board's meeting at 2pm. Show community support for the designation of the car barn on the old Curtis Chevrolet site as a historic landmark that enhances the neighborhood and is a valuable piece of DC history.

Please invite friends and spread the word!

Preservation Board Hearing
October 27th at 2pm
441 4th ST, NW
Room 220 South
(Judiciary Square Metro)

Reminder- Wed., Oct. 5, Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting

Please join us for our monthly Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting- at 6:30pm on Oct. 5, Wednesday, at the Fort Stevens Rec Center (1327 Van Buren ST, NW b/w 13th and 14th ST).

Keep up the press coverage- submit an op-ed piece!

Check out the latest Northwest Current, Sept. 28, 2011! There's a front page article, "Car barn landmark request stalls work at Walmart site," and a Viewpoint article, "Walmart wrong solution for food desert."

It'd be great to keep up this press coverage if folks continue submitting letters to the editor and op-ed pieces to local papers. It's pretty simple and doesn't take much work. To help folks along, here are the submission guidelines for a few papers.

The Northwest Current- Letter to the Editor: 450 words limit
- Viewpoint pieces: 750 words limit
Submit to Chris Kain: chriskain@currentnewspapers.com

Washington Post- Op-Ed: 800 words limit
Submit online: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/opeds/submit/

City Paper- Accepts freelance articles.
Guidelines for submissions: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/pages/freelancersguide/

And a sample Viewpoint article from the Northwest Current:

Walmart is wrong solution for 'food desert'
Walmart proclaims itself the salvation of urban “food deserts,” saying it is able to provide healthy and affordable food in a comprehensive one-stop shopping site. It is targeting East New York in New York City and four wards in D.C., claiming these “food deserts” can benefit by Walmart’s presence.

What does it mean to live in a “food desert”? I had to step back and think about what a real desert means.

The Free Dictionary defines deserts as a “barren or desolate area, especially … a dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and sparse vegetation.”

I’ve driven through deserts, and their immensity is impressive and the sense of lack oppressive. Until one hits an oasis. I visited an oasis that supported a date plantation when I traveled in the United Arab Emirates. There were more than 42 different varieties of palm dates. Before their wealth came from oil, the country’s natives cultivated these dates naturally found in the oasis and traded them.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, we apply the term “food desert” to urban or rural areas with limited access to a supermarket or large grocery store, whether due to availability of the stores or limited means of transportation.

Walmart claims the four D.C. wards it is targeting fall under the label “food desert” even though none of them appears in a recent Food Desert Locator published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

I was surprised to see that East New York also did not appear in this locator. I am personally interested in East New York. I spent long days and nights organizing around the neighborhood with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, encountering its cracked sidewalks, crack houses and equally fractured families. This neighborhood on the edge of Brooklyn has suffered from high crime rates for many years, and more than half of its residents live below the poverty line. East New York is a “desert” in many significant ways.

I contacted Shelly Ver Ploeng, the economist who developed the Agriculture Department’s Food Desert Locator, to ask her to explain the methodology. She replied that the agency’s definition had two criteria: first, a high poverty rate or relatively low median income; and second, a significant number of residents living more than one mile away from a supermarket. When pressed further, Ver Ploeng explained, “The term ‘food desert’ is not one that has been standardized or measured consistently over time, so there is a lot of room for different definitions and takes on the issue.”

Which is why in other studies, East New York and D.C.’s wards 4 and 7 qualify as a food deserts. In East New York, the closest food option tends to have poorly stocked produce sections. Ward 7 has one of the District’s highest poverty rates and only four full-service grocery stores. For Ward 4, there are only two full-service supermarkets for a population of more than 74,000. Access to these stores may be difficult if one does not have a car or does not live along the main arteries in order to use public transportation.

If D.C. is to accept Walmart’s premise that these four wards are food deserts, then has D.C. considered looking at what the “oasis” in each ward could provide?

For D.C.’s Ward 4, why not consider an Essex Street/Eastern Market model for the car barn where local shops can sell affordable produce and offer retail space for other items? Essex Street Market in New York City was introduced for that reason, to counter the reality of a food desert in the Lower East Side. It houses small grocers that carry fresh and affordable produce.

Better yet, why not ask each of the wards what residents there want to enhance their community and address the shortage of good food and jobs in their communities?

D.C. tends to follow, not lead, when it comes to trends. It leaves innovation and creativity to occur in other cities, and jumps on board when it proves popular. Could the District, for once, be an innovator and not a follower of trends (the invasion of urban markets by big-box stores) by nurturing these locally produced “dates” and creating something D.C. can call its own?

Mo-Yain Tham is a resident of Ward 4.

Flyering Action at Brightwood Day- Sept. 24th

Please join us as we flyer during Brightwood Day this Saturday, Sept. 24, from 11:30am to 1:30pm at the Neighborhood Pavilion on Piney Branch Road NW and Georgia Ave (b/w Sheridan and Tuckerman Streets NW). We're asking Ward 4 residents to demand the Mayor and Council Member Bowser refuse a building permit for the Walmart development.

If you can't join us, please do call the Mayor and Council Member Bowser. Of course, feel free to add your own reasons (DC needs living wage jobs or you live near the proposed site).

There is a slight hold period- and to help you through it, a song by DC locals, Lost Bois: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1zqzGuDgjI

Mayor Gray's Office- (202) 727-6300
Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser- (202) 724-8052

Hi, my name is __­­________________ and I am a resident of Ward 4. I was very upset to hear of the approval of the Large Tract Review for the proposed Ward 4 Walmart. I am strongly opposed to a Walmart being built at Georgia and Missouri and there are still major concerns that have not been addressed:

1) With 6 schools surrounding the proposed Walmart site, the increased traffic will make it more dangerous for children in the area.

2) Small businesses in the immediate area will lose business and likely close down, causing increased unemployment and less competition.

3) The Office of Planning disregarded the community's input and concerns which were voiced consistently at public meetings and written comments. The City also did not fully address the explicit objections of ANC 4B.

I demand that Mayor Gray deny a building permit for a Walmart in Ward 4 and instead consider alternative developed through a community-led process.

Foulger Pratt Issued Stop Work Order on Wal-Mart Development by DCRA

For Immediate Release- Foulger Pratt Issued Stop Work Order on Wal-Mart Development

Developer Caught Deconstructing Site Without Permit

September 8, 2011

Contact: Baruti Jahi (202) 904-7307

Ward Four Thrives members noticed this week that corporate developer Foulger Pratt had begun removing the roof of the Curtis Chevrolet site on Georgia Avenue without posted permits.  W4T subsequently notified the District Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). Yesterday, the DCRA issued a stop work order to Foulger Pratt regarding their deconstruction on the site for the proposed and highly controversial Wal-Mart.

“Foulger Pratt’s flagrant disregard for due process in developing the Curtis Chevrolet site does not bode well for their presence in our community” says Ward Four Thrives spokesperson Baruti Jahi. “We need solid community partners to develop businesses and good jobs in our neighborhoods, and thus far neither Wal-Mart nor Foulger Pratt have demonstrated even a hint of good will towards the residents of Ward Four.”

The office of planning recently approved Foulger Pratt’s Large Tract Review of the site despite an ANC4B resolution calling for “a binding and enforceable Community Benefits Agreement that will spell out [Wal-Mart’s] commitments with respect to hiring and employment practices, workforce training, contracting, transportation and traffic mitigation, environmentally sound building practices, public safety, small business assistance, community input, and financial support for on-going community programs.”

“The choice isn’t between WalMart and jobs. DC should seek to attempt to bring good community partners to our neighborhoods, especially small business that offer good jobs that allow residents to live where they work. WalMart offers none of these things,” says Ward Four resident and W4T member Renee Bowser.  

Ward Four Thrives is neighbors, business owners, and allies committed to community-led development in Ward Four.

More info at wardfourthrives.blogspot.com, on facebook, and twitter @ward4thrives

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Please join us for our monthly Ward 4 Thrives Community Meeting- at 6:30pm on September 7th, Wednesday, at the Fort Stevens Rec Center (1327 Van Buren ST, NW b/w 13th and 14th ST).

And a reminder to please call the Mayor's and Council Member Bowser's office saying, "We don't want a Walmart- we want alternatives." Below is a call script to guide you through the process. Of course, feel free to add your personal reasons (environmental concerns, DC needs living wage jobs or you live near the proposed site)

There is a slight hold period- and to help you through it, the grandfathers of DC punk, the Bad Brains: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3cA4re4Tsg

Call Script:
Mayor Gray's Office- (202) 727-6300
Ward 4 Council Member Muriel Bowser- (202) 724-8052

Hi, my name is _______ and I am a resident of Ward 4. I was very upset to hear of the approval of the Large Tract Review for the proposed Ward 4 Walmart. I am strongly opposed to a Walmart being built at Georgia and Missouri and there are still major concerns that have not been addressed:

1) With 6 schools surrounding the proposed Walmart site, the increased traffic will make it more dangerous for children in the area.

2) Small businesses in the immediate area will lose business and likely close down, causing increased unemployment and less competition.

3) The Office of Planning disregarded the community's input and concerns which were voiced consistently at public meetings and written comments. The City also did not fully address the explicit objections of ANC 4B.

I demand that Mayor Gray deny a building permit for a Walmart at Georgia and Missouri and instead consider alternatives developed through a community led process.

Press Release: Ward Four Thrives Demands City Reject Building Permits

For Immediate Release :  Ward Four Residents respond to Approval of WalMart Large Tract Review

City Approves Plans for Ward Four WalMart Despite ANC Concerns

Ward Four Thrives Demands City Reject Building Permits

August 31, 20011

Contact: Baruti Jahi (202) 904-7307

Ward Four residents and members of community group Ward Four Thrives responded yesterday to the Office of Planning’s recent Large Tract Review approval of corporate developer Foulger Pratt’s proposal for the development of a WalMart on upper Georgia Avenue.

 “The choice isn’t between WalMart and jobs. DC should seek to attempt to bring good community partners to our neighborhoods, especially small business that offer good jobs that allow residents to live where they work. WalMart offers none of these things,” says Ward Four resident and W4T member Renee Bowser.  

A resolution passed on June 27^th by the ANC4B called for WalMart to “sign a binding and enforceable Community Benefits Agreement that will spell out its commitments with respect to hiring and employment practices, workforce training, contracting, transportation and traffic mitigation, environmentally sound building practices, public safety, small business assistance, community input, and financial support for on-going community programs.” This resolution also included detailed concerns for remedying a potential traffic nightmare.

Brenda Speaks (ANC 4B05) says, “The city’s complete disregard for the ANC process and documented concerns is unacceptable.  A big box disaster like WalMart should not be allowed to proceed without addressing ANC 4B’s resolution on the development. We need the city to take our concerns to heart. We have invested our lives in this community, and what we as elected officials say should matter, and the Mayor’s office should do what’s best for residents, not developers.”

Owner of local chain Yes! Organic Foods Gary Cha says “WalMart will put local employers like Yes! out of business and destroy the decent-paying jobs we create for a few hundred poverty-wage jobs.”

Ward Four Thrives, which has collected over 1300 signatures of Ward Four residents against the proposed Walmart, formally demands that the mayor’s office respect ANC4B’s resolution and refrain from approving building permits for the development. W4T demands a community-led development process that ensures that any large development on upper Georgia Avenue meets the needs of area residents.

“We’ve been steamrolled,” says resident Michele Baskin. “Ward Four won’t be bullied into allowing this unwanted development.  We need community participation in neighborhood development in order for businesses and job seekers to truly thrive”

Ward Four Thrives is organizing residents to call the offices of Muriel Bowser and Mayor Gray, as well as organizing demonstrations at upcoming public events to be held by both Bowser and Gray. Ward Four Thrives has also called on ANC4B to pass a resolution against a WalMart on the Georgia Avenue site.

Ward Four Thrives is neighbors, business owners, and allies committed to community-led development in Ward Four.

More info at wardfourthrives.blogspot.com, on facebook, and twitter @ward4thrives

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