RCA LAUNCHES "HANDS OFF REDISTRICTING WARD 6" CAMPAIGN

If you are one of the 3,800 people living in the Rosedale neighborhood of ANC 6A in Ward 6 or live in other Ward 6 neighborhoods there is a good chance you could be redistricted into Ward 7 if Council Member Yvette Alexander (Ward 7) delivers on a statement she made at a recent community meeting. If you want to remain in Ward 6, please take the actions outlined below. Action is needed NOW since hearings on redistricting will be held on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 @ 10:00am in Council Chamber, Room 500 and council members are in the process of redistricting negotiations. Additional information and resources is provided below.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. READ the Rosedale Citizens' Alliance "Hands Off Redistricting Ward 6" Press Release.

2. SIGN PETITION: Click here to sign an online petition that you can personalize and that will automatically be sent to Council Members Tommy Wells (Ward 6), Michael Brown (At-Large), Phil Mendelson (At-Large) and Jack Evans (Ward 2) urging them to keep ANC 6A in Ward 6. The petition will also be sent to the ANC 6A Commissioners.

3. TESTIFY AND/OR ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING: Call or send an email to Carol Sadler (csadler@dccouncil.us or 202.724.8189) requesting that you be allowed to testify during the public hearings on redistricting that will be held on Monday, April 25th at 6 PM and Wednesday, April 27th at 10 AM. Click here for additional details regarding the hearings. Council Member Tommy Wells will also hold a public meeting on redistricting for Ward 6 residents on Thursday, May 5th, 7:00 @ 8:30 pm, at the Friendship Public Charter School / Chamberlain Elementary - gymnasium, 1345 Potomac Ave, SE (across from Harris Teeter).

4. SUBMIT YOUR VIEWS TO OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON REDISTRICTING: The deadline for submitting your comments regarding redistricting to the official record of the Subcommittee on Redistricting is May 6th. Click here for the latest instructions on submitting comments via an online form. Meanwhile, email your comments to Carol Sadler at csadler@dccouncil.us.

5. CALL AND MEET WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS Tommy Wells, Michael Brown, Jack Evans and Phil Mendelson and share your views regarding redistricting. For Ward 6 residents it is especially important to contact Brown, Evans and Mendelson as they are on the redistricting subcommittee. Request a meeting at their offices or go to one of their many community meetings. Politely remind Mendelson and Brown that they should be responsive to your concerns as they are At-Large members. Wells publicly supports keeping ANC 6A in Ward 6 and welcomes hearing from his constituents but urges them to contact the subcommittee members. Use our online petition as talking points for the meetings and/or develop your own talking points.

6. TALK WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS AND URGE THEM TO TAKE ACTION. Print up a copy of this email and the online petition and distribute it to your neighbors, community members, community association and members of your community of faith. You can reach out to key residents who lack online access to information and resources.

7. SEND EMAILS AND POST COMMENTS ON YOUR LOCAL BLOG, FACEBOOK PAGE OR WEBSITE.

8. WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF YOUR LOCAL PRESS.

9. PLAY THE REDISTRICTING "GAME." Click here to access an interactive website that allows you to redraw DC wards using the latest census information and the website will share your recommendations with the DC council.

KPR Community Garden & Thea Bowman Prep. Academy Gardening Partnership

 The partnership between Thea Bowman Preparatory Academy and the Kingman Park/Rosedale Community Garden will work to provide students with a community-based outdoor learning experience. For too many Thea Bowman students and Kingman Park residents, crime, poor health and financial hardship have been a part of everyday life. This partnership will provide a “hands on” learning experience that will encourage hard work, pride in accomplishment, and the development of self-confidence.

The partnership will be modeled on the successful Charleston Area Children’s Garden Project. Through their experience, children in Charleston found that the process of growing edible foods gave them ownership and protection over their community, an awareness of what maintains good health, and a lesson about how all life is inter-dependent.

Our goal is to create a safe and beautiful space and to educate students about issues relating to childhood hunger, obesity and preventable disease. Instructionally, students will observe, inquire, experiment and collect data. Through gardening, students will experience wonder and engage in exploration of the natural world.

Just as exciting as the partnership, Thea Bowman Preparatory Academy and the Kingman Park/Rosedale Community Garden, together, have been awarded applied for $2,500 grant from the Burpee Home Garden 2011 "I Can Grow" Youth Garden Award Program to help establish and foster the program.  You can read the grant application HERE.  And, HERE is a letter from the Thea Bowman Preparatory Academy Board of Trustees supporting the partnership and grant application.

RCA would like to thank everyone involved in making this important and wonderful partnership and program possible.  The 2011 gardening season is sure to be more exciting and "fruitful" then last year!

Reminder - Ward 6 Greater DC Cares Meeting 11.30.10

RCA & RYI Friends of Rosedale Update - Volunteers Needed!

Hello Rosedale Community Neighbors & Friends,

The Rosedale Community is extremely excited and happy to share great news about the recent changes at the Rosedale Recreation Center (RRC). As most of you know, the RRC is temporarily housed at the shuttered Gibbs Elementary School on 19th & E Streets NE while the new community center is being built on the existing site.

Over the past year, the RRC site management, staff and volunteers have made due with the limited available space for programming. The community and program volunteers realized more space was necessary for the various offered recreational programs to be successful.

So, RCA members and community friends set forth to provide the community with additional RRC space. RCA -Vice President Hannah Lewis, RCA-Community Outreach Co-Chair, Brit Wyckoff and former neighbor and community friend Carlos Braxton met with District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) officials on June 10th to make such a request. In a matter of days the response to the request was approved. DCPS and Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) team members came together to clean Gibbs ES Multi-Purpose for the use of the Rosedale community.

Now that DCPS & DPR have provided the additional space, there is “room” for potential additional programming - that means additional volunteers are needed.

If you are interested starting or assisting in RRC recreational programming, here are the necessary steps:

1. Contact RRC Site Manger, Mr. Brian Williams, 202-213-5649 or Brian.Williams@dc.gov, to discuss the type of community programming you would like to offer or assist.

2. Go online to apply to become a DPR Volunteers in Action

3. You then wait for approval from Site Manager & a DPR Volunteer Coordinator and then you can start your program and become part of one of America's great legacies – Volunteerism!

Rosedale & community friends take pride in the positive changes being made to enhance the community’s rich history and heritage and we look forward to continue in citywide efforts in making DC a Livable, Walkable, Bikable City.

RCA President Announcement

Good Day Neighbors,

WOW, what a wonderful summer we had in the Rosedale Community. From the Young Adult summer Basketball League hosted by HOOD (Hope, Opportunity, Open to Positive Change and Decision/Development) under the leadership of Coach Willie Smith, to the successful season for RYI's (Rosedale Youth Institute) Sports/Mentoring Programs, onto the productive and collaborated works of RCA and the community.

There have been so many wonderful and productive accomplishments added to the crown of our community and the work continues. Not only did we as a community work hard with our City Government and Councilmembers, but also we aided in obtaining a letter of support from our ANC6A Commissioners for Ms. Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, a local Living Legend, who is seeking to have the newly and reconstructed Rosedale Playing Field named in her honor.
Good food, conversation and great fun are considered to be the wholesome nourishment that ties family and neighbors together, which is exactly what was offered during the KPRCG (Kingman Park/Rosedale Community Garden) cookout on September 13th. Two communities coming together for the greater good, now that’s “neighborhood”.

Then to cap off the summer the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction project for the Rosedale Community Center & Library, which was held on Wednesday, September 30th. What a glorious send off into a new season for the Rosedale Community.

GREAT Teamwork RCA; great work community.

As we move into another season of the RCA, we would like to invite and encourage you to join us in our monthly meetings. Held monthly the 1st Monday of each month (with exception to Holidays and in the month of August).

Our next meeting will be this Monday:

When: October 5, 2009
Where: Langston’s Bar & Grill
1831 Benning Rd NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 397-3637
Time: 7:00pm

All are welcome and we look forward to seeing you there.

Necothia "Nikki" Bowens
President, Rosedale Citizens' Alliance
rosedaledc@gmail.com

Quality-of-Life Day Festival This Saturday!

(Click on flier to view larger image)


THE 2009 QUALITY OF LIFE FESTIVAL

"Enjoy a day filled with good fun, good information and great fellowship!"

When: Saturday, June 27, 2009, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Where: Rosedale Recreation Center, 1701 Gales Street, NE

Activities Include:

● Food
● Demonstrations
● Games
● Health Screenings
● Community Information
● Giveaways
● Face Painting
● Kids’ Activities
● Seniors' Tent

Contact:

Mary Elliott (UDC) at 202-274-7148 or visit udc.edu

Sponsored By:

● UDC Community Outreach & Extension Services*
● Mayor Adrian Fenty's Office of Community Relations & Services
● DC Department of Parks & Recreation
● Rosedale Citizens' Alliance

* In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and District of Columbia Government, Cooperative Extension Service and Agricultural Experiment Station programs and employment opportunities are available to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status or family status

Senior Open Swim @ Rosedale Recreation Center Pool!

Rosedale Pool & Pool House (Image Extracted from Google Maps)

At the request of RCA's Outreach Committee, DPR has graciously and expeditiously started a Senior Open Swim (55 and older) on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30AM until 12PM at the Rosedale Recreation Pool. The program begins this coming Monday, June 15. Though the facilities are a bit dated, the restrooms, shower and changing areas, deck area and pool are very well maintained and exceptionally clean. And, the pool staff are professional, courtesy and helpful. So please let the community know about the new program and hours.

Please contact DPR's Aquatic Department Director Mr. Brendan McElroy, 202-341-5380 or brendan.mcelroy@dc.gov, for further information.


Rosedale Recreation Center Pool House (pool unfilled in foreground)

Also, Mr. McElroy and other DPR Aquatic Department staff, including a representative from their Capitol Projects team, are tentatively scheduled to attend RCA's July 13 monthly meeting (at the Rosedale Recreation Center) to discuss Rosedale pool programming, seek community input on potential aquatic programs and discuss how the exisitng pool will be integrated into the proposed new Rosedale Community Center, scheduled to break ground this fall.

4-H Leadership & Volunteer Training on June 6

What: 4-H Leadership & Volunteer Training
When: Saturday, June 6th from 10AM -1PM
Where: Rosedale Recreation Center, 1700 Gales Street, NE (corner of 17th Street)

The University of the District of Columbia Committee Outreach & Extension Services' Cooperative Extension Services and 4-H are conducting leadership and volunteer training in order for volunteers to lead 4-H structured programs at the Rosedale Recreation Center.

We are asking for full community participation - all entrepreneurs, knitters/crotchet specialist, scientists/engineers, seamstress, gardeners, artist, communication specialist, fashionistas, actors, actress and the list goes on and on. Come one, come all. There’s something for everyone.

There are various areas of interest for the community, so we do not have to limit ourselves. Click HERE to view the National 4-H curriculum. Please respond with your area of interest and we will ensure the training programs are made available.

Light refreshments will be served.

To adequately provide seating and refreshments, RCA requests you RSVP to Nikki, RCA President & Outreach Committee Co-chair @ 202-486-4296 or RosedaleDC@gmail.com

RCA Suggested Programming & Related Building Design for the Proposed Rosedale Community Center

Note: The Rosedale Community Center project has been delayed/postponed twice now. It was orginally scheduled to break-ground in April 2009, then May and now appears not to begin until after summer programs end, presumably September. More information to follow when available...

The below text has been extracted from a original (the below includes revision made in April 2009) RCA letter to the Department of Parks & Recreation submitted at a meeting with DPR on January 8, 2009 to discuss the new Rosedale Community Center's programming.


Summary: A new Community Center (and Library) to replace the badly-aged and poorly designed structure currently housing the Rosedale Rec Center is key to the continued revitalization of the neighborhood and to improving community-wide participation at the center. Programming for people of all ages – with a continued emphasis on and improvement of youth-centered activities and sports – will help to foster a sense of ownership and pride. “Meet me at the Center” will become the new catchphrase for teens, dads, kids, seniors, moms and infants as well as working folks. Whether they meet up to play basketball, work on a quilt, teach a class, learn ways to save money on home repairs, borrow a book, do their homework, surf the internet, or cheer at a football game, the new Center will become THE center of the Rosedale community.

Source of Recommendations: In the fall of 2008, the Rosedale Citizens Alliance (RCA) conducted community surveys to find out what programs/activities people would like to participate in at the new community center (and at the current Rec Center, until the new facility is built). The survey also asked for programs/activities people might volunteer for at the center…either helping with existing programming or offering new activities.

The attached [see below] ‘design/room use suggestions’ is NOT an exhaustive list, but simply reflects the wishes and dreams of those surveyed. Please note that there is no precedent for adult programming at Rosedale, so people are unaware of what other Centers offer, and what they should ask for. The list does not necessarily include programming currently being offered by DPR at other Rec Centers by name (i.e. “Feeling Good” for Seniors, “Tween Club” or “Slimnastics”) but does reflect the desire for similar programs. RCA will continue to work with and survey community members, and DPR can help by talking about those programs that already exist and can be adapted for our community, especially those with no cost or a very low cost.

Integration of Programming and Design: Any design must have rooms that are usable and designed to support the programs that will be in them and the people who will use them. “Form follows function” should be the ideal of the design of the new Community Center instead of forcing programming into inappropriate rooms that will be underutilized.

Two important elements are the co-located library (additional footage, integrated into the design of the Community center, and accessible from both the street and from inside the Community Center); and the inclusion of the sports and recreation field and pool into the design of the new Center. Rosedale’s existing (and future) sports programs and the pool are both beneficial to the community, and when designing the new center, we strongly recommend the design include a “wall of windows” in the main entry-way or other common area, so that people inside the center building can watch the games/swimming, while participating in classes inside, and those outside can know they are being viewed by a larger audience. This ‘live tv screen’ concept helps encourage participation inside and out, builds community spirit, offers an ever-changing view for those inside, and increases security.

Similarly, replacing the current ‘semi-underground’ structure – which is uninviting and unsafe, since people below-ground can’t be seen from the street – with a structure that is surrounded by grass, trees, plantings, bike racks, seating areas, chess tables, playgrounds, tennis courts, bocce and ring-toss courts and other park-like amenities encourages participation by community members, increasing the population that uses the site and encouraging a mixing of ages at the Center.

In the spring/summer of 2007, RCA members conducted a tour of several DC Recreation Centers to get a sense of the variety of programming being offered, as well as to see examples of potential building models and room layouts for Rosedale’s new Center. The tour included Turkey Thicket, Takoma, King/Greenleaf, Trinidad and Sherwood and one or two others. Independently, several people visited The Arc (which houses a Boys and Girls Club) and more recently the Riggs-LaSalle Rec Center, which at a meeting with DPR officials, was mentioned as a possible model for the 16,000 sq/ft. Rosedale Center. Several of the sites are excellent examples of the integration of rooms and their function (Turkey Thicket, Trinidad); while others, especially King/Greenleaf, leave much to be desired. King/Greenleaf, though large and airy, has a focus almost entirely on the gym…classrooms and meeting space appear almost secondary, and don’t ‘work’ for groups and meeting space, since they are noisy, distant and difficult to monitor by Rec Center staff.

Riggs-LaSalle, recently built, is an example of a very simple design, with adequate though not ideal integration of rooms and programming. The site does have nice touches, including exterior seating, bike racks, outdoor playgrounds and chess table and plantings (as well as some nice, not-too-expensive entryway and window designs). The interior has the advantage of an “off-set” entrance to the gym so that people entering the building don’t see ‘only’ the gym. The center entry hallway has ping-pong and table hockey which gives a sense of activity and is easily monitored from the desk and the administrative office, but does add a level of noise that is almost prohibitive for adults and seniors. Smallish but functional rooms down two corridors include a senior room with couches, a weight room (requested by the community), an arts and crafts room, a computer room and several general and meeting rooms. The layout again offers little monitoring of the more distant rooms, but they do have hall windows and do provide meeting space. There is no library, though a large room along the main entryway could have been turned into a library/computer room/study area, if desired. The kitchen did not have any stove; and the fridge was too small, and there were inadequate cabinets, storage, and counterspace to allow preparation for large events, or to allow cooking and nutrition classes. There was no ice machine (visible).

The list of ‘rooms and programs’ that is attached [see below] is not complete, since the community survey is ongoing (if a room isn’t listed, doesn’t mean we don’t want it...it means it hasn’t yet been mentioned). It does reflect RCA’s effort to match up the suggestions and requests we have received to date with the type of room that would be best suited for that activity/group.

Specific Needs and Additional Uses: RCA has tried to take into account the specific requests of the Rosedale Youth Institute (RYI), which runs sports programs at the site, in several of our design requests, as well as those of other groups/people who run outdoor activities. The RYI sports schedule sometimes requires access to certain aspects of the center (showers, storage facilities, bathrooms, ice machines) in the early morning or late at night. We have indicated these special design requests where possible.

We have also tried to indicate any special ‘equipment’ that might be needed in some rooms for specific activities (mirrors, barres, stage-lighting, extra sinks, a high-grade kitchen) and also any build-ins that we could think of, such as a stage, dressing rooms, etc.

Additionally, the Center might be an excellent place for the Police Department to have an office, to give them a place to interact with the youth and teens in the area in a neutral and more relaxed setting, while giving officers a place to hold meetings and even do shift changes.

The Center, because of the location and new construction, might be ideal as a designated site for disaster operations to be set up during a natural or other emergency. While we don’t presume to know city or federal policy, or Homeland Security requirements or funding aid for such sites, the presence of a fully-equipped kitchen, large-scale ice-making capability, and the opportunity to build large, secure storage facilities for supplies would seem to make the site a natural place for such uses, if the need arises.

RCA looks forward to working with DPR and the design team that is selected, and we will continue to help in any way we can to make the new Rosedale Community Center THE center of the community.

For further information, contact Brit Wyckoff, RCA Public Outreach Committee Co-Chair at rosedaledc@gmail.com


Below are the “Programming Ideas By Room” for the New Rosedale Community Center (The result of a community survey conducted October-December 2008 as well as ongoing discussions at Rosedale Citizens' Alliance Meetings).


1. Central Entry Area

(Equipment: Seating, magazine racks, possibly some moveable games/tables)

Include: "Wall of windows” to allow viewing of sports fields/pool and a seating areas for visitors, and those watching the outside activities.

2. Welcome and Information Desk

3. Guard Desk (ideally, any ‘guard’ would be integrated into the running/programs of the center)

4. Administrative Office & Related Storage Room/Medical Area

5. MPD Office

6. Library

Additional footage, co-located library branch staffed by a librarian and research assistant, with full programming). Accessible from the street and from inside the Community Center. Computer access to research database, catalog, etc. Including children’s area, periodicals and magazines, research materials, books for all ages, quiet study area, tutoring area, etc.

7. Computer/Quiet Room (accessible to library, though open at hours when library is closed). Suggestion: This room should be visible from Welcome Desk/Administrative Offices.

Senior and Adult Computer classes
Kids Computer classes
Resume and job search classes
Typing courses
Homework help
Job Search skills/resume writing
Writing and editing class
Educational computer games
SAT Prep
GED training

8. Teen Game Room (Should be visible from the Administrative Offices and Desk)

(Equipment: storage cabinets, coat hooks, CD player; DVD/TV; Video games, pool/ping pong, etc.)

Ping Pong
Pool
Skoosh ball
Air Hockey
Board Games
Chess/Checkers

9. Multi Purpose & Meeting Room

(Equipment: Whiteboard; Sound System/Microphone; Projector; TV, DVD, lecturn)

Meeting space for the community
After-School Programs
Feeding programs (after-school; summertime breakfast & lunch; senior snacks)
Girl Scouts; Boy Scouts Meetings
Socials and Dances
Bridge, Dominoes, Checkers
Chess Club
Book Club
Nutrition and Diet
CPR and Red Cross Training
GED classes
Pre-natal and Parenting Classes
4-H meetings

10. Dance & Exercise Room

(Equipment: Mirrored wall, barre on one side, permanent or removable ‘dance’ flooring; sound system for music.)

Ballet (all ages)
Tap (all ages)
Hand-dancing (all ages)
Exercise: “Mommy and Infants”; Children, Young Adult,
“Senior Seated” Exercises
Yoga and stretching (all ages)
Low-impact aerobics for Seniors

11. Daycare Room

(Equipment: storage, cabinets, sink, fridge, microwave)

Mommy and Me classes
Parenting Classes (hands-on)
Early education
Aftercare

12. Senior lounge

(Equipment: couches, chairs, tables, lamps, storage cabinets, coat hooks, magazine racks)

Magazines/Books
Music collection
Reading Group
Card Games, including Whist
Knitting and Crocheting

13. Classrooms/Training Rooms (2) (Smaller then large Community Meeting Room)

(Equipment: Chalkboard, whiteboards/screen/projector/sound system)

SAT and Math prep
Afterschool homework coaching
Health Care/Red Cross courses
RYI Indoor Sports Training and Meeting Room
Reading Club
Smaller community/local organization meetings
Supreme Teens
Language classes
Remedial reading
Photography
Young Ladies on the Rise

14. Arts & Crafts Rooms (2)

(Equipment: Sinks (two levels, for kids and adults) counters, storage and cabinets, additional electrical outlets in floor; sewing machines)

Arts and Crafts (toddlers to teens)
Senior Crafts
Knitting and Needlework
Fashion Lab (Sewing and Design)
Sculpture
Drawing
Painting (finger painting to still life)
Jewelry Making

15. Kitchen

(Equipment: Stoves/ovens; sinks, large fridge(s); ice-makers; cabinets, storage, counterspace)

Note: Kitchen is to be used for classes, feeding programs for kids, events, possibly emergency support. Also, either kitchen should be accessible to RYI and other sports programs when center is closed (to accommodate late/early games schedule; or an ice-machine and fridge should be available to them in an area they can access without entering center

Eat Right Club – nutrition classes for all ages, diabetics, weight control
Budget shopping for young mothers, seniors
Cooking Lessons for new mothers, teens, kids
Regional and Foreign Cuisines
Cooking lessons for Men and Boys
Emergency Response Center


16. Arts & Theater Room

(Equipment required: stage with stairs on/off; dressing room access; lighting setup; Microphone and Sound System/Board; Piano/other instruments)

Theater Arts (all ages)
Singing Lessons
Dance Recitals
Young Ladies Fashion Shows/Modeling
Music lessons (jazz, guitar, cello, etc)
Radio Skills
Toastmasters/Public Speaking
Community Events
RYI and other Sports Awards Events
Plays, musicals, presentations

17. Dressing Room (adjacent and accessible to Theater Room)

18. Sound/Lighting Booth

19. Gym (fully equipped, with seating, scoreboard, sound system, etc.)

Basketball
Volleyball
Exercise Mats (all ages)
Wintertime running track
Senior Exercise and walking
Yoga and stretching
Cardiac Training

20. Weight Room

21. Storage Facilities (for Arts & Crafts, Gym, Daycare, Theater, etc.)

22. Storage Facilities (for RYI Sports and other authorized sports programs that are accessible during times when Center is closed, but sports activities are going on)

23. Bathrooms/Showers/Lockers

Note: Here, a separate entrance is needed so they are accessible to RYI and other authorized sports programs during game time, even if Center is closed.

24. Outdoor Sports Fields/Pool

RYI Football and other programs
Soccer
Lacrosse
Baseball
Cheerleading
Tennis Courts
Basketball Courts
Running/walking track
Softball
Flag Training
Roller Skating rink
Swimming Pool
Senior water aerobics/low impact
Mothers and infants swimtime/playtime
Red Cross Water Safety (all ages)
Physiotherapy (in conjunction with hospital/physio-training program)
Swim meets

25. Outdoor Amenities

Bike racks
Chess tables/chairs
Seating areas
Walking paths
Trees/shrubs/plantings
Picnic tables (grills, etc.)
Accessible ice machines/bathrooms

Note: ideally, for sports programs and some community events, ice, bathrooms and kitchen (or a 2nd, more limited kitchen area with/ fridge/ice machine/sink) should be available during the times when the Center is closed)

26. Outdoor Activities Areas

Playground (2) (jungle gym, swings, etc.)
Play area (with hard and soft surfaces, for jump rope, hopscotch, etc.)
Summertime sprinklers (to run through)
Urban Garden/4-H (need boxes, soil, accessible water)
Gardening—Kids, Adults, Senior, Organic
Grow Your Own Food and Cook It!
Ecology and Environment
Keeping DC Green (Kids and Adults)
Putting Green
T. Woods “Tiny Champions” for youngsters
Senior Tigers
Duffers
Bocce Court
Horseshoe Pitch

27. Green Building Practices

Green Roof/Green Wall
Grey Water for watering gardens/plantings/drought-tolerant plantings and practices
Treated/tinted Windows to reduce sun
LEED standards
Skylights for natural light
Programmable heat/ac (also keep ac lower in summer, heat lower in winter)
Permeable paving stones in parking area.

DPR Meeting to Discuss Potential Programming for the Proposed Rosedale Community Center

Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) is hosting a “Programming” meeting for the proposed new Rosedale Community Center. The meeting is the first opportunity for the community and DPR to collectively discuss current Rosedale Recreation Center programs the community would like to retain and what DPR programs the community would like incorporated into the new community center.

When: Thursday, January, 8 2008 @ 6:30 pm
Where: Rosedale Recreation Center, 17th & Gales Streets, NE (202.724.5405)

Contact: Bridget Stesney, DPR Planning & Design Officer (202.671.0453 or bridget.stesney@dc.gov)


Please join us; hope to see you there!

****************************************************************
Below is an excerpt from the DPR's Ward 6 Capital Improvement Project website referencing the new proposed facility.

RCA Included as a Non-Profit to Consider for Donations

Hill Rag's November 2008 issue includes an article, "Dollars That Make the Most Sense: Helping the Hill on a Budget" by Heather Schoell, which includes RCA as a Capitol Hill non-profit organization to consider for donations.

Donations will be used to fund community building projects. Some past efforts have included the Kingman Park Rosedale Community Garden, Community cook-outs, and the Rosedale Tigers Colorguard. To learn more, email us at rosedalecitizensalliance@gmail.com or join us at the next meeting, Monday December 1st at Cafe Roma.

Read the entire article HERE

DPR Meeting to Discuss Potential Programming for the Proposed Rosedale Community Center

Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) is hosting a “Programming” meeting for the proposed new Rosedale Community Center. The meeting is the first opportunity for the community and DPR to collectively discuss current Rosedale Recreation Center programs the community would like to retain and what DPR programs the community would like incorporated into the new community center.

When: December, 4 2008 @ 6:30 pm
Where: Rosedale Recreation Center, 17th & Gales Streets, NE (202.724.5405)

Contact: Jesse Rounds, DPR (jesse.rounds@dc.gov)

Please join us; hope to see you there!

RCA's Thanksgiving Food Basket Collection was a Success!

RCA Outreach Committee would like to thank all of those who contributed to the Thanksgiving Basket Collection, it was a success! RCA was able to collect all of the required food items and provide additional food items too.

RCA's basket was one of 32 completed and delivered Thanksgiving food baskets to the Shelter Plus Care Program through the Capitol Hill Group Ministry's Thanksgiving Basket Program. The food baskets were distributed to needy families who applied for the program on Monday evening.

Again, thank you for your generosity, compassion and support.

Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Holiday!

Operation FIX-IT, Rosedale Neighborhood

Date: November 22, 2008
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Meeting Place: Rosedale Recreation Center (1700 Gales Street, NE)

Volunteers are needed to help clean-up Rosedale neighborhood streets & alleys

Target Areas:

Sherwood Street, NE
D&E Street, NE
16th Street, NE
1600 Block of Gales Street, NE

Notes: The City will provide some rakes, brooms, shovels, trash bags and gloves; volunteers are encourage to bring additional working tools too.

And, do not forget your work gloves!

Contacts:

Gladys Mack
Commissioner ANC 6A 07
(202) 398-3329

J. Forest Hayes
Mayor’s Office, Outreach Specialist
(202) 727-3624

Donations to RCA's Thanksgiving Basket are needed by this Sunday @ 3:30PM!

Reminder: Donations to RCA's Thanksgiving Basket are needed by this Sunday @ 3:30PM!

RCA's Outreach Committee is assembling a Thanksgiving Basket to donate to a needy Greater Capitol Hill family this Thanksgiving season. RCA will distribute the basket through the Capitol Hill Group Ministry's Thanksgiving Basket Program. We plan on assembling the items in a pull-cart basket, for shopping, as an additional gift.

Please consider donating 1 or more of the following items. You can drop off donations at Cafe Roma (411 18th Street, NE, 202.652.1693) until Sunday, November 16 @ 3:30PM; a donation box is placed by the door.

3 - boxes of macaroni & cheese
2 - cans of string beans
2 - cans of yams or fresh equivalent
2 - boxes of stuffing
2 - boxes of mash potatoes or 1 bag of rice
2 - cans of cranberry sauce
2 - onions
1 - box of bisquick or muffin mix
1 - box of cake mix & frosting mix
1 - $20 Safeway gift card to purchase meat of choice

Please contact Ken at space-creator@hotmail.com or 202.557.9902 for more information or to verify what items are needed to complete the basket.

Thank you in advance for your support and generosity!

Briefing from Rosedale Rec. Ctr. Kick-off Meeting

Below is a briefing from last week’s Rosedale Recreation Center (RRC) Kick-off meeting with representatives from the Mayors Office, DCPR and Parks Planning Commission.

It appears the meeting was scheduled to announce that a new Rosedale Recreation Center will be constructed in 2009, with ground-breaking scheduled for May 2009! This moves the reconstruction schedule forward by 2 years! Previously, the RRC was scheduled for the 2011 construction season.

Per Council Member Tommy Wells, the proposed budget is currently $14 million for an approximately 16,000 sq.ft. facility. It appears, from the meetings discussions, the new RRC will be modeled after the recently constructed Riggs LaSalle Community Center in Ward 4 (501 Riggs Road, NE). Note Riggs LaSalle is called a COMMUNITY CENTER and not a recreation center.


Riggs LaSalle Community Center


Riggs LaSalle Community Center Athletic Field

Click HERE to visit DPR’s Riggs LaSalle Community Center website. And, click HERE to visit DPR’s Riggs LaSalle Community Center “Premier Athletic Field”.

Below are a few listed features of Riggs LaSalle Community Center:

Designed and constructed as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building
Full-size Indoor Gymnasium
Game Room
Computer Lab
Fitness Center / Weight Room
Multipurpose Room
Arts and Crafts Room
Restrooms with showers and lockers
Kitchenette
Dedicated parking for car pools and bicycles
Outdoor Spray Park
Outdoor Patio Seating

As for the inclusion of a new library with proposed RCC facility: Currently, the $14 million is budgeted only for a new RRC facility. A proposed library would have a separate budget line-item and will not be factored into the planning budget for the new facility.

Mr. Ellis (marcus.ellis@dc.gov) will coordinate all RRC programming issues/plans/concerns and will schedule community meetings in the near future.

Meeting attendees included:

DC Government
Chris Taylor (Mayors Office Community Relations Services)
Forest Hayes (Mayors Office Community Relation Services)
Jessie Rounds (Mayors Office Community Outreach)
Marcus Ellis (DPR Programming Director)
Tony Robinson (Mayors Office Director of Communications)
Gail Ward (DPR-Ward 6 Manager)
Brian Williams (Rosedale Recreation - Site Manger)
Tommy Wells (Ward 6 Council Member)
Charles Allen (Chief-of-Staff, Ward 6 Councilman Tommy Wells)
Gladys Mack (ANC 7A06)

Community
Rosedale Youth Institute {RYI}
Rosedale Citizens Alliance {RCA}
DC Acorn
Rosedale Grassroots Organization {RGO}
Other Rosedale Recreation Center friends & neighbors

Rosedale Recreation Center Redevelopment Kick-off Meeting Tonight!

The Rosedale Recreation Center Redevelopment Kick-off Meeting is tonight, hosted by Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR)!

When: Thursday, November 6, 2008 @ 6:30PM
Where: Rosedale Recreation Center, 17th & Gales Streets, NE (202.724.5405)

Click HERE for more information.

Donations to RCA's Thanksgiving Basket

RCA's Outreach Committee is assembling a Thanksgiving Basket to donate to a needy Greater Capitol Hill family this Thanksgiving season. RCA will distribute the basket through the Capitol Hill Group Ministry's Thanksgiving Basket Program. We plan on assembling the items in a pull-cart basket, for shopping, as an additional gift.

Please consider donating 1 or more of the following items. You can drop off donations at Cafe Roma (411 18th Street, NE, 202.652.1693) until Sunday, November 16; a donation box will be placed by the door.

3 - boxes of macaroni & cheese
2 - cans of string beans
2 - cans of yams or fresh equivalent
2 - boxes of stuffing
2 - boxes of mash potatoes or 1 bag of rice
2 - cans of cranberry sauce
2 - onions
1 - box of bisquick or muffin mix
1 - box of cake mix & frosting mix
1 - $20 Safeway gift card to purchase meat of choice

Please contact Ken at space-creator@hotmail.com or 202.557.9902 for more information or to verify what items are needed to complete the basket.

Thank you in advance for your support and generosity!

Rosedale Recreation Center Redevelopment Kick-off Meeting!

The Rosedale Recreation Center Redevelopment Kick-off Meeting has been scheduled!

When: Thursday, November 6, 2008 @ 6:30PM
Where: Rosedale Recreation Center, 17th & Gales Streets, NE (202.724.5405)



Below is an email, in its entirety, from Jesse Rounds with DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR).

All,

It has been a LONG time since I used this email to contact you regarding the redevelopment of Rosedale Recreation Center. I’m really excited to announce that we’re going to have a kickoff meeting for the redevelopment next Thursday November 6th at 6:30pm. The meeting will be at Rosedale.

What we plan to discuss is the schedule for the redesign and our budget situation. Our partners within the DC Government will be handling the actual design and construction so in late November/early December we’ll have that first design meeting.

Please spread the word about this first meeting. The more the merrier.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thanks,

Jesse
[jesse.rounds@dc.gov]

RCA's RRC Library Book Donation Tomorrow!

RCA is currently creating a small Rosedale Recreation Center (RRC) library for children and adults. The RCA Outreach Committee has three bookcases and would like to fill them with a selection of gently used dictionaries, encyclopedias, children's books (infants to teenagers), novels for adults, non-fiction, how-to-books and magazines.

Please deliver books to the Rosedale Recreation Center (17th & Gales Streets, NE (202.724.5405)) this Saturday, October 25th, between 10:00am and 1:00pm. OR, donations can be picked-up between 8:30am and 9:30am.

Since RCA is a 501(c)3 non-profit, book/magazine donations are tax-deductible; a donation receipt is available upon request.

Please contact Outreach Committee Co-chair Brit Wyckoff @ 571.215.2444 or wyckoff@aol.com for more information of to schedule a donation pick-up.