Tobi Raji - ��Ӱ��

Capitol Hill, SW organizations fight to close pandemic’s education gap

Tobi Raji — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 16:07:55 +0000

Emily, 8, Blake, 7, and Kate Baker, 5, all struggle with distance learning. Although their mother, Kourtney Mills, tries to find creative new ways to keep them engaged and excited about school, she worries it’s not enough.

“Sometimes I feel like my kids have lost the love and the joy for learning,” Mills said.

Distance learning has magnified the educational crisis, Mills said. Citing Montgomery County public schools’ grim rates for the first term, Mills said she’s worried Capitol Hill’s Black students will fall farther and farther behind.

“The pandemic has uncovered and exacerbated existing challenges and traumas for families living with few resources,” Parent-Teacher Association President Elsa Falkenburger told the Wash. “The silver lining is that people are starting to see the challenges that families live with.”

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March, low-income Black students have struggled to meet the demands of distance learning. In Capitol Hill and Southwest Washington, community leaders are teaming up to help them.

Little Lights launched Learning Hubs in Potomac Gardens, Hopkins Apartments and Benning Terrace to support children struggling with distance learning. (Courtesy of Little Lights)

It takes a village…

When Brotha’s Huddle reached out to Capitol Hill’s Tyler Elementary School with plans to support younger students struggling with distance learning, Brother Abdul Kareem Muhammad told the Wash that the school’s principal was very receptive.

“We voiced our concern, and [Principal Jasmine Brann] voiced her concern,” Muhammad, co-founder and CEO of the community-based organization that supports children at Potomac Gardens and Hopkins Apartments, said. “The concern is one in the same.”

Brotha’s Huddle and Tyler Elementary School will work in tandem to close the educational gap exacerbated by the pandemic.

Brotha’s Huddle reached out to Tyler Elementary School over Thanksgiving break with a plan to support younger students. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

“We wanna make sure that our children, and particularly our residents of Potomac and Hopkins, aren’t getting left behind, especially on DCHA property,” Muhammad said.

“We see that there’s a gap and this gap is widening. We wanna make sure that we can assist Tyler to close that gap.”

Steve Park, executive director of Little Lights, a faith-based nonprofit organization, said the pandemic has given impetus for community organizations to band together to fight off inequity.

“I think when you go through these kinds of major crises, you realize just how much you need to try to help each other,” Park said.

Potomac Gardens Resident Council President Aquarius Vann-Ghasri said the challenge has been providing technological resources like laptops, reliable internet and space. Vann-Ghasri noted that on one occasion, a Potomac Gardens parent used their rent money to buy their child a laptop.

“For underserved youth, remote learning just doesn’t compare to in-person learning,” Park said. “It was already a challenge to do in-person learning, but remote learning is definitely not adequate.”

Little Lights Executive Director Steve Park says in order for virtual learning to be successful, resource availability, internet connectivity and space must be addressed. (Courtesy of Little Lights)

To solve this problem, Little Lights created a Learning Hub where students have access to computers and reliable internet, and receive academic support. The learning hub, which serves approximately 120 students in Potomac Gardens, Hopkins Apartments and Benning Terrace in Southeast Washington, runs five days a week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Mills, who’s noticed students struggling to focus in class, said the program has been helpful.

“The people that are at Little Lights—the workers—they are there focused solely on helping the kids and getting their assignments in,” Mills said.

Little Lights has raised $30,000 to provide free tablets and laptops to students. Similarly, Brotha’s Huddle partnered with Ward 6 Mutual Aid to distribute laptops to students in need.

…to raise a child

In Southwest Washington, a community-based organization partnered with D.C. Housing Authority to help public housing students struggling with distance learning.

Executive Director and Co-founder of GOODProjects Darius Baxter said that when he found out D.C. public schools would remain virtual for the 2020-21 academic year, his organization committed its time, resources and effort to ensure that children at Greenleaf Gardens would not be left behind.

Kourtney Mills says she has had to find creative new ways to keep her children engaged and excited about school. Potomac Gardens Resident Council President Aquarius Vann-Ghasri (left). (Courtesy of Kourtney Mills)

“In Southwest Washington, D.C., you have hundreds of families that at times have found themselves left out,” Baxter said. “The Learning Hub, when it opened up, was our effort to ensure that the same level of care that a child growing up in upper Northwest is receiving, is being provided to students growing up in Southwest Washington, D.C.”

Baxter said the GOODLearning Hub serves 22 students in a supportive environment where they can learn and be successful.

Each student receives a laptop, hot spot and individualized attention from experienced educators every day.

“Our commitment and our love and our resources are dedicated to the Southwest housing community,” Baxter said.

, and the are currently welcoming donations.

Reaching across

In the same way that Little Lights supports her children, Mills plans on supporting others through the creation of the Great Expectations Kids Club. The 8-week program, run out of Potomac Gardens, focuses on dreams and goals, self-confidence, responsibility, respect, bullying and choices, education, homework and finance.

The program starts this Thursday and already has eight students.

There’s excellence in Potomac Gardens, it just needs to be supported, Mills said.

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Hill restaurant stung by COVID-related violations

Tobi Raji — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 19:39:10 +0000

Tucked away in Capitol Hill’s historic Barracks Row, black-owned restaurant District Soul Food is renowned for its southern cuisine. The restaurant offers jumbo gulf shrimp with grits, an eponymous soul burger, a sweet potato pound cake, and much more.

Like many restaurants across the country, District Soul Food saw its business wane as the effects of the pandemic set in. When the restaurant emerged from the citywide lockdown, it had to adhere to an entirely new set of health and safety to survive.

As a part of Washington’s Phase Two reopening plan, restaurants must limit indoor dining capacity to 50%, limit parties to six people per table, and space tables six feet apart from one another. All employees and patrons must wear face masks. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

However, an investigation by Washington’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration revealed that the restaurant has struggled to comply.

In July, months after D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser lifted the first set of lockdown restrictions, District Soul Food was fined for one of its first pandemic-related offenses.

Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration investigator Rhoda Glasgow that the restaurant violated the city’s emergency executive order by allowing “employees to walk around and interact with patrons without face masks” and failing to “enforce social distancing practices by not placing chairs and tables six feet apart.”

Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration Licensed Premises Inspection Form (Courtesy of the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration)

Since then, District Soul Food has received five more citations, two of which are pandemic-related offenses.

According to the Nov. 17 sheet obtained by the Wash, the restaurant received a $1,000 citation on Aug. 15 for violating social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines. Employees were not wearing masks.

On Oct. 3, after an inspector caught a bartender wearing her mask on her chin and witnessed live entertainment at a private party, the citation was forwarded to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. The agency District Soul Food’s liquor license for 30 days.

The suspension was lifted on Mon., Nov. 9.

After witnessing live entertainment at District Soul Food on Oct. 3, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board suspended the agency’s liquor license from Fri., Oct.9 through Sun., Nov. 8. Roundtree said, “it feels good” to have his liquor license back. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

Of these citations, Owner David Roundtree told the Wash, “I’m innocent more than I am guilty.”

Roundtree said he’s been unfairly targeted for being a Black business owner.

“This is the first time I’ve ever felt like a [n-word],” Roundtree said.

For Roundtree, 49, managing one of the only black-owned businesses in Capitol Hill during a pandemic has gotten tougher. He said the experience has been “terrible.”

Although he’s not angry with the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration, he said he’s angry about the complaints from people who’ve never eaten at his restaurant.

Under Phase Two of Washington’s reopening plan, bar seating is prohibited. At District Soul Food, paintings cover up bar stools. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

Roundtree believes his restaurant adapted as well as it could to the pandemic.

Cava Mezze General Manager Herson Reyes acknowledges the difficulty Roundtree faces as he manages a restaurant during a global pandemic.

“You really learn as you go,” Reyes said. “With people being fined and all this, it’s just that—they’re learning as they go.”

An enforcement blitz

The coronavirus pandemic has created a need for a new set of health and safety guidelines for restaurants to follow to reduce the spread of the virus.

Belga Café Manager Christa Machado told the Wash that in order to survive, her restaurant had no choice but to adopt these policies.

“We’re not taking a ‘no’ for an answer,” Machado, 24, said. “It’s not a debate whether it is okay for you to wear a mask or okay for us to take your temperature in the morning or okay for us to ask you to wash your hands all the time.”

“If you don’t wanna do that, you can’t work here—period.”

The same is true at Cava Mezze, a large Greek-Mediterranean restaurant in Capitol Hill. When it comes to enforcing the rules, Reyes said, “we don’t apologize.”

Cava Mezze General Manager Herson Reyes, 28, has been with the restaurant for over a decade. He’s seen the effects of the pandemic on the business but is optimistic about its future. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

These managers said they have to enforce the rules because there is a lot at .

But in the face of a looming shutdown, Capitol Hill’s restaurant owners and managers are hopeful that because they survived the first shutdown, they can survive the next.

“A lot of restaurants have closed, and a lot of restaurants will close,” Reyes said. “But if you do what you’re supposed to do, and you just fight on, then you’ll be fine. I think we’ll be fine.”

Roundtree is also optimistic.

“We’ve adapted as well as we can,” Roundtree said. “We’re still here; so many restaurants aren’t.”

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Turning hatred into healing

Tobi Raji — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 04:52:33 +0000

Voters say they are worried that the election will widen a national divide regardless of who wins.

Some say the division emanated from four years of the Trump administration, where the president failed to denounce white supremacy and systemic racism.

Adelaide Robison, 20, and Laura Anes, 22, predict widespread unrest once a winner is announced. Anes says that although there has always been a divide, people are realizing how great that divide is. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

On one side are Biden supporters who think Trump has promoted fringe groups and focused on anti-immigration policies. On the other side are Trump supporters who think law and order translates into more police and decry some being called racist. In many ways the divide also played out in a debate over the economy vs. Covid-19.

Oregon natives Adelaide Robison, 20, and Laura Anes, 22, for example, are worried that the violence they saw in Portland after the George Floyd death will spread to several major U.S. cities. They talked about this while visiting Washington, D.C.

“Trump has made it so much easier for people with far right-wing beliefs to come out and say, ‘Hey, I am a racist,’” Anes said. “He’s made it a lot easier for people to be hateful.”

Kansas master’s student Rosie Mansour predicts that this divisiveness will trigger post-election unrest. “President Trump has called for his supporters to be more aggressive and more violent regardless of the outcome,” Mansour, 23, said. “So, if he wins, there will be rioting in support of him. If he loses, there will be rioting because they’re upset.”

Stores in Washington, D.C., are preparing for election-related troubles. Stores with boarded-up windows are even more prominent near the White House.

Stores like Starbucks, CVS and Sephora have boarded up their windows in preparation for election-related unrest. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

Robison said when the most powerful man in the country expresses a racist view, he gives permission to a specific group of people who think it’s acceptable to think that way. “He is the leader of this new movement of people that are very proud of things they shouldn’t be proud of.”

Anes says this is scary.

Anes, who identifies as queer, says she and her girlfriend have to be very careful not to draw attention to themselves. She believes the country has regressed.

Robison, her girlfriend, agrees.

“It’s so disappointing to me,” Robison said. “I don’t think everything was perfect, but I think everything was normal-ish. It’s disappointing that we’ve regressed so far.”

“I think that it will take a really long time before at least half of the country believes that that’s not the way things should be.”

Can the nation heal?

As the worries fester, Washington-area activists are already thinking about how to bridge the massive political chasm.

White Christian leaders need to spearhead this movement, said Iva Carruthers, general secretary of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, a Christian organization within the African American faith tradition focused on justice and equity issues.

“I think it’s going to take leadership, particularly … white faith leaders, who are willing to move far beyond their comfort zones to confront, educate and advocate toward a demand for a new way forward,” Carruthers said. “It’s time for white people to step up and confront other white people.”

Policy, education and behavioral modeling can also promote national unity in non-faith circles and communities, Carruthers said.

Rev. Liz Theoharis (front) and Arlene Holt-Baker (back), chair of Community Change, place thousands of plastic candles on the steps of National City Christian Church on Tuesday. The two women helped run A M.O.R.E. Prophetic Vote, an interfaith event which was livestreamed over Facebook Tuesday night. (Kimberly Cataudella / ��Ӱ��)

But many are too hurt by Trump to see themselves truly uniting with his supporters. Arlene Holt-Baker, chair of the social-action group Community Change, said her faith teaches her that unity is possible and necessary. Still, so many feel the Trump Administration has put so many already-oppressed people in even worse situations.

“How can I shout hallelujah for my 401k when others are starving and they are naked?” Holt-Baker said. It’s difficult for me to understand how others can, as a Christian.”

Leaders of secular organizations – like Bread for the City, a nonpartisan nonprofit that serves low-income and disproportionately marginalized individuals in the District – feel the same way.

The country’s political divide has existed much before 2020’s Trump-Biden showdown, said George Jones, Bread for the City’s CEO. While grappling with the Trump Administration’s treatment of low-income individuals, Bread for the City is working to undo longstanding policies that have disproportionately impacted Washington residents.

“That this past administration represented a kind of slap in the face to what supposedly were the values of the country, so it wasn’t about different politics but this president himself,” Jones said. “It’s anti-leadership. To have our fellow citizens support him like that, I have hard feelings about the division.”

Politics should step aside

But environmental leaders like John Groutt feel that too much is at stake to squabble over political differences.

Groutt is a founder of the Wicomico Environmental Trust, a nonprofit environmental organization focused on issues impacting the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed.

“Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, your land is going to be flooding,” Groutt said. “Sea levels are rising on the eastern shores of Maryland, farmers aren’t able to grow good crops and climate change is bringing about brand new diseases. Everyone is going to be majorly impacted, and it doesn’t matter what your politics are.”

Climate activists feel the facts speak for themselves, and partisan politics around climate change are beginning to disappear – a good thing.

Sarah Greenberger, the National Audubon’s Society’s senior vice president of conservation policy, has led party-centered efforts to bridge thoughts that climate change is partisan. Audubon protects birds and their habitats in the United States.

“We’re solutions-driven, so we present the science and the facts,” Greenberger said. “It’s more productive to focus on the solutions, and people can come to different solutions for different reasons, and that’s OK.”

Members of Service Employees International Union embrace each other at a watch party in McPherson Square after news broke that presidential candidate Joseph Biden won Michigan. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

Mansour, a Kansas native, says unification starts in the White House. “We need to vote him out,” she said as the votes were being counted.

Americans say although the air at Black Lives Matter Plaza is filled with tension, it is also filled with hope and resiliency.

“What more do they want from us?” Eman Moore, 24, asked. “Cause we’ll keep going if we have to, goddamnit. For another four years, we’ll keep fighting.”

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Too soon to tell: 2020’s president still to be determined

Tobi Raji — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 06:12:55 +0000

The presidential race was not called by 1 a.m. Wednesday. Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden Jr. led with at least 213 electoral votes, and 270 are needed to win the White House.

The race is closer than early polls predicted. Republican nominee Donald J. Trump has a growing lead in the South, and Biden swept the west coast. Important swing states – like Pennsylvania and North Carolina – were too close to call. As midnight came and went, the country continued to wait.

All polls are closed, and election officials are working tirelessly to declare presidential results as fast as possible. Tens of millions of votes are yet to be counted. It could take days to determine key states’ winners.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at the candidates’ political histories.

Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, an economic recession, climate change, natural disasters and anti-police brutality protests, Biden characterizes himself as a hopeful unifier set on saving the nation’s soul.

“This campaign isn’t just about winning votes,” Biden said in his at the Democratic National Convention in August. “It’s about winning the heart and, yes, the soul of America.”

If he wins, Biden’s vice president will be Sen. Kamala Harris, D-C.A. Before naming her as his running mate, Harris attacked Biden on stage during a presidential debate for –an effort to desegregate schools–in the 1970s.

Harris, who is biracial, made history as the first Black woman and first Asian-American woman to receive a vice presidential nomination.

Biden served as vice president under Barack Obama, the 44th president, for two terms. He was a Democratic senator in Delaware for 36 years, the fifth-youngest person elected to the Senate.

A Biden administration agenda

A Biden presidency is slated to undo the work of the Trump Administration.

As president, Biden pledges to the Affordable Care Act to give all Americans healthcare access, the separation of children at the U.S.-Mexico border, the travel ban against people from Muslim-majority countries and re-enter the Iran Nuclear Deal.

He also promised to the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord, which Trump pulled the United States from in November 2019. As the only country not a part of the agreement, the United States emits the second-highest amount of greenhouse gases, behind China.

Biden said that under his administration, Americans would be and able to access free coronavirus testing. He will also increase the production of masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment. He will create a and a .

Trump, who contracted COVID-19 in October, has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the pandemic. At an outdoor campaign rally in Swanton, Ohio, Trump told a crowd that the coronavirus “.”��

At a drive-in campaign rally in Philadelphia on Saturday, Biden, who has sharply criticized the administration’s handling of the pandemic, accused Trump of asking Americans to learn how to die with the coronavirus rather than live with it.

Donald J. Trump

If he wins reelection, Trump’s vice president will continue to be former Governor of Indiana Michael Pence, who has the White House Coronavirus Task Force since February.

The second-term agenda

The Trump campaign unveiled a in late August. Aside from coronavirus-related goals–like creating a vaccine by the end of 2020 and returning to normal in 2021–Trump wants to expand the police force, block undocumented immigrants from receiving healthcare and welfare, launch Space Force and dismantle human trafficking networks.

However, ideas like “build the world’s greatest infrastructure system” and “wipe out global terrorists who threaten harm to Americans” lack clear plans.

Trump’s pandemic response

In the final weeks of his campaign, Trump has faced growing criticism for violating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines prohibiting maskless rallies and events. A recent Stanford University linked over 30,000 COVID-19 cases and 700 deaths to his events.

Trump, who has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the illness, was admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, after contracting COVID-19. He was discharged from the medical center three days after his doctors first his symptoms.

Trump said Sunday he will fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious-disease expert, when elected for his second term. He has continually mocked Biden for , wearing a mask at events and keeping distance between himself and others.

First-term controversies

Trump has come up against numerous controversies during his first term as president.

According to recent New York Times reporting, Trump has paid during his first two years in office. Trump’s net worth since taking office from over $3 billion to about $2.5 billion.

The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, led by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Trump in December 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The House accused Trump of using his power to solicit Ukraine into investigating Democratic opponents to discredit them. The Republican-controlled Senate did not vote to remove him from office.

During his first week in office, Trump signed an banning refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries from visiting the United States for 90 days, indefinitely suspending Syrian refugees’ entry into the country and prohibiting all other refugees from entering the country for 120 days. This decision was met with outrage. The House of Representatives this ruling in July.

Before the presidency

Trump had never been in public office before taking the presidency. As a decades-long television star and real estate developer, supporters say part of the appeal is his background.

Trump profited off properties he owns or manages during his first term, and he his annual $400,000 salary each quarter to different agencies. Since the president is to be compensated, he took $1 a year for all four years.

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Do area voters feel intimidated?

Tobi Raji — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 15:41:30 +0000

Some voters in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia say they are not worried about the Trump campaign’s attempts to recruit supporters to monitor election polling places because they don’t take the call-to-action seriously.

On Oct. 31, the final day of early voting in Virginia, voters in places like Fairfax County waited as long as three hours to cast ballots. Others shared their support for either presidential candidate by tabling outside of the polling centers.

Tatyana Velasquez, born in Peru, says Trump “has never said a racist statement about hard-working Latinos.” She accuses the “radical left” for voter intimidation. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

At Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library in Alexandria, Virginia, about 10 Trump supporters carrying large flags and signs lined the sidewalk near the building, encouraging passersby to vote for him.

Several voters had to walk through the small crowd to enter the library and cast their votes for the next president of the U.S. One was Grace Lee, a resident of Alexandria.

Lee told ��Ӱ�� that she wasn’t intimidated by the crowd in front of her and that she did not “feel threatened” by their presence.

Neither did Jonathan Mejia, an El Salvadoran immigrant, who gained his citizenship in 2012.

“We’re not intimidated,” Mejia said. “Are you kidding me?”

Mejia said he’s more concerned about the pandemic than voter intimidation.

Other voters who identified as Democrats told ��Ӱ�� that Trump supporters have no effect on their decision to vote or their choice for president. None were intimidated by supporters’ presence outside the library in Virginia or at other polling sites in D.C. and Maryland.

Republican Party of Virginia Communications Consultant John March says he’s familiar with Army for Trump. “It’s part of the campaign to get volunteers,” March said. “I think it’s fantastic.” (Courtesy of Army for Trump)

Maryland doesn’t have “the typical tricks that are used for voter intimidation,” Donald Bolger, a Maryland voter, said. “However, if you look everywhere else south of here and west of here, it gets worse.”

Maria Flowers, who cast her vote at the super vote center at Washington Nationals Park on Thursday, said she’s not worried about voter intimidation from anyone.

“In D.C., it’s enough of us to outdo them,” Flowers said. “Right now, we still run D.C. We’re here.”

Enthusiasm or intimidation?

After Donald Trump his supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully,” his campaign said they hoped to enlist as many as 50,000 election watchers, according to .

Lisa Shames, a first-time poll watcher for the Maryland Democratic Party, called the president’s call-to-action “disturbing.”

Voters stand in line at an early voting site at the Executive Office Building in Rockville, Maryland. Early voting in the state began on Monday, Oct. 26 and ends on Monday, Nov. 2. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

Bolger and his daughter, Lauren Bolger, agreed. Both are worried about voter intimidation in the south.

“As a biracial person, I know if I were to go and try to vote in places like South Carolina or maybe even Texas, I could be faced with people yelling in my face and trying to convince me who to vote for and threatening me with weapons,” Lauren Bolger, a first-time voter, said.

Republican Party of Virginia Communications Consultant John March called this fear “silly.”

“Just because their side lacks energy and enthusiasm for their ancient candidate doesn’t mean we have to dial back our energy,” March said.

“Voter intimidation is the next Russian Collusion—a whiny, fake argument and losing excuse.”

More car caravans in the news

In Austin, Texas, a caravan of Trump supporters a Biden campaign bus Friday and attempted to force it off of the highway, Democratic officials said. The FBI has opened an investigation into the incident.

A similar caravan shut down the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey and the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in New York on Sunday. The motorists waved Trump and pro-police flags.

March, who has been a member of the Republican Party of Virginia for more than two years, said these caravans have nothing to do with Virginia. “What happens in Texas stays in Texas,” March said.

In New Jersey, a convoy of vehicles supporting President Trump has halted traffic on the Garden State Parkway.

— TalkRadio 77 WABC (@77WABCradio)

In terms of voter intimidation in general, “no voter should have to deal with something like that,” said Zachary Israel, a D.C. campaign worker for council candidate Ed Lazere.

After a outside of an early voting center in Fairfax, Virginia, Shames says the Maryland Democratic Party took extra steps to prepare her for a similar situation in Montgomery County. However, the retired congressional worker says she hasn’t seen any.

Voters at a super vote center at Washington Nationals Park in Navy Yard. Site Coordinator James Howlett says more than 1,500 voters submitted ballots when the site opened on Tuesday. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

Neither has James Howlett, the site coordinator for the super vote center at Washington Nationals Park in Navy Yard.

Howlett said Thursday there is a strict policy for poll watchers who intimidate voters, particularly those who turn voters away based on their political affiliation.

“If I see any bad behavior, it warrants a warning,’” Howlett said. “If you don’t follow the warning, you’re fired.”

Voter intimidation is prohibited in Washington.

“Unauthorized poll monitoring and voter intimidation are prohibited in the District,” a spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General said in a statement addressed to ��Ӱ��.

“Up to this point, OAG has not received complaints alleging such unlawful activity—but we will remain vigilant until every District resident has their chance to cast a ballot.”

The D.C. Republican Party did not respond to requests for comments.

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Porch Pirates prey on Hill residents

Tobi Raji — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 17:59:19 +0000

Cristen Satre and her husband are excited about the birth of their twins next month so they’ve been shopping. They bought rocketship crib sheets and Star Wars onesies for the boys’ outer space-themed nursery. Between preparing for the birth of their children and shopping for themselves and their corgi, they’ve received a lot of packages. Unfortunately, not all of them have made it inside. Last week, a man in a white baseball cap, carrying a Trader Joe’s bag stole one of those packages. Satre told ��Ӱ�� she feels vulnerable.

A Porch Pirate makes off with dog food that was delivered to Cristen Satre’s doorstep. (Courtesy of Cristen Satre)

“It would be different if someone took something off the sidewalk,” Satre said. “But to steal from us, they actually have to open our gate, walk into our front yard, reach through our gate that leads to our home, and that makes me feel vulnerable.”

Residents like Satre say porch pirates are taking advantage of the influx of packages to people’s homes.

Package theft is a serious issue that negatively affects the quality of life for many Capitol Hill residents, authorities at the First District Metropolitan Police Department said.

‘They’re very swift these days’

Walking through the neighborhood, residents say they see discarded boxes scattered along the sidewalks or in the alleyways.

First District Metropolitan Police Captain Michal Pulliam said this is a common occurrence.

“We typically find the open packages in an alley,” Pulliam said. “They’ll go around the end, open the packages, and dump the actual box that was taken.”

When her neighbor found an empty box with her name and address on it, Devin Stark said she was furious.

“I work hard to buy certain things,” Stark said. “It’s very frustrating. You just feel violated.”

Before the pandemic, Stark says several items were stolen from her front porch, including three dresses she planned to wear to a wedding in South Carolina.

A Porch Pirate takes a package from Cameron Robinson’s doorstep. Satre says individuals who don’t hide from the Ring video doorbell don’t care about the consequences. (Courtesy of Cameron Robinson)

When his package was stolen by a man in bright red shoes, carrying a reusable shopping bag, Cameron Robinson says he felt unsettled.

“It was disconcerting,” Robinson said. “While it wasn’t someone in my home, it was someone right next to my door. We weren’t home at the time, but he didn’t know that. If my wife had answered the door right as he was there, I don’t know what would have happened.”

In Washington, package theft carries a fine of up to $1,000 if the value of the item is less than $1,000. If the value of the item is greater than $1,000, the fine is as well. The court sets the term of imprisonment.

Robinson has noticed a rise in thefts since March.

“It’s definitely ramping up,” Robinson said. People who’ve lived in Capitol Hill for several years have begun to express concerns with package thefts.

Satre noticed this increase as well.

“I’ve noticed a lot more alerts through Ring, Nest, and Nextdoor,” Satre said. “It seems like it’s the amount that I would normally expect to see around the holidays when people are having a lot of things delivered.”

Although residents say it’s cumbersome to deal with package thefts, they say package theft is a part of the risk they assume by living in a large city.

‘Please call us’

Part of the risk residents assume by living in the city is having porch pirates cut open packages on their front porch, riffle through the boxes, and discard unwanted items in a nearby alley, one Hill resident said.

Stark, whose family lives in the suburbs outside of Annapolis, Maryland, says she doesn’t have to worry about porch pirates there.

“Something can sit out there overnight and I’d be like, ‘Oh, I forgot. I think I got a notification that something was delivered,’” Stark said. “Here, I’m running out the door to make sure I grab it.”

A porch Pirate patrols the Capitol Hill neighborhood looking for packages. First District Metro Police Department Captain Michael Pulliam says there is a small number of repeat offenders who steal packages. (Courtesy of Mike Blinov)

In Capitol Hill, Stark says she has to be diligent when picking up her packages from her front porch.

“I’m paranoid about it now,” Stark said.

Stark also reroutes her packages to UPS or Amazon Locker instead of home delivery. Although Stark says it’s a “huge inconvenience,” she admits that it’s a bigger inconvenience to reorder what was stolen.

Robinson, who was burglarized when he lived in Phoenix, Arizona, says both experiences are a reminder to stay vigilant.

“It’s a not-so-friendly reminder that it’s not always rainbows and sunshine,” Robinson said. “Things do happen and we need to be aware. We need to take the precautions and not let our guard down.”

Satre, on the other hand, prefers not to contact the police when her package is stolen because of the undue burden it places on them.

“This is not worth the hassle of bothering the police because they will send out a detective and I don’t want to have a detective come out and interview me about my stolen AA batteries,” Satre said.

A Porch Pirate attempts to steal a bag from Robinson’s front porch. He leaves once he learns that there are only leaves inside. (Courtesy of Cameron Robinson)

Pulliam disagrees.

“Please call us,” Pulliam said. “This is why we’re here. We’re here to serve the citizens and it’s never a burden on us.”

“The First District Citizens Advisory Council, Inc. and the First District Police encourage residents to report through 911 or the (TRU) when a package is stolen,” the First District Citizens Advisory Council said in a statement to ��Ӱ��.

“Policing is driven by numbers of reported crimes and when we know that a particular block has a high number of thefts, officers are deployed to that area in response.”

Pulliam says the best way to catch porch pirates is to record them with private surveillance and security cameras. “That’s how we make most of our closures.”

Residents who do not have Google Nest or a Ring video doorbell can purchase a security camera through Washington’s .

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Neighborhood torn over ‘ludicrous,’ ‘confusing’ plan to reopen schools

Tobi Raji — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 18:50:27 +0000

Parents and teachers say they were excited to return to Tyler Elementary School in Capitol Hill for small outdoor activities, including a garden club beginning Oct. 14 and recess beginning Oct. 15, until the district unveiled its own plan.

Tyler Elementary School is one of 13 D.C. public schools slated to welcome students back for small, outdoor group instruction this month.

https://twitter.com/TylerTigersDC/status/1314987354029948932?s=20

When Principal Jasmine Brann announced her plan to reopen Tyler Elementary School for limited programming, parents, teachers, and staff told ��Ӱ�� that they were happy and optimistic.

“I feel great about this plan,” Parent-Teacher Association President Elsa Falkenburger said. “I’m really proud of our principal.”

Jennifer Cetlin, a first-grade dual-language teacher at Tyler Elementary School, agreed.

“I believe that what Principal Brann is doing is safe, it is well thought out, and it is a small step that would ensure that students have some social-emotional time with each other outside of extracurricular activities,” Cetlin said. “However, the plan that DCPS, the chancellor and the mayor have put out has a lot of surprises to teachers that do not feel well thought out or well-intentioned or safe.”

Broader D.C. plan to reopen all schools remains controversial

Parents say that although they love Tyler Elementary School and are excited to return, they’re horrified with Washington’s decision to reopen all public elementary schools on Nov. 9.

When Term 2 begins next month, up to 21,000 students across all D.C. public elementary schools will return for limited in-person and virtual CARE instruction, five days a week. During last week’s coronavirus situation update, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Dr. Lewis Ferebee announced that seats would be prioritized for students receiving special education services, as well as those who are English language learners, at-risk, or experiencing homelessness.

Here is an example of a socially distanced model classroom in Northeast Washington. This is what classrooms will look like in November. (Courtesy of D.C. Public Schools)

In Capitol Hill, parents and teachers are worried about the undue burden this decision places on low-income students of color.

“Our children in our schools, many of whom are high poverty, people of color, are already at risk of COVID,” Danica Petroshius, a Capitol Hill parent, told ��Ӱ��.

According to data pulled from D.C. public schools’ website, 12 out of the 13 schools slated to reopen this month will welcome back a class that is mostly low-income students of color. As more and more D.C. public elementary schools reopen over the next two months, these students will be the first to return to school during a pandemic that disproportionately affects them.

Under this plan, Cetlin is unsure if D.C. public schools can ensure safe, equitable in-person instruction across all schools.

Leadership at D.C. public schools disagrees.

“DCPS believes that the best place to engage students in their education is in the classroom, and as we begin to offer in-person learning, a healthy environment is our top priority,” the organization said as part of the Chancellor’s message to the D.C. public schools community.

“The decision to take this significant step and plan to reopen our elementary schools is guided with safety and equitable access top of mind. It is our hope to allow more students, especially those furthest from opportunity, to return to school buildings and receive the critical supports that prepare them for lifelong success.”

Petroshius is skeptical about the plan to reopen, citing the recent surge in coronavirus cases at New York City public schools in Brooklyn and Queens.

“I have zero confidence that there is a situation where schools can open safely in a pandemic,” Petroshius said.

Joe Weedon, a communications consultant at the Washington Teachers’ Union, says that in order for students, teachers, and staff to safely return to school, teachers need detailed reports about building safety and readiness. To do this, Weedon says D.C. public schools must bring teachers and communities to the table—something that hasn’t happened.

If this doesn’t happen, Weedon said that schools would become the coronavirus pandemic epicenter in November.

“There will be isolated cases of exposure which will spread through school communities,” Weedon said. “Unfortunately, many individuals would suffer severe consequences of that, up to and including death.”

District schools will let parents know if their child has been selected for in-person instruction next week.

‘It’s always a great day to love and learn’

Students at Tyler Elementary School will receive outdoor, limited programming throughout October. However, when the district opens the floodgates on Nov. 9, things are going to change over at Tyler Elementary School.

As teachers leave to teach in-person instruction, virtual classrooms will get larger and larger. Students may not be with the same teacher they began the year with and the dual-language program could become understaffed.

Despite this, Brann says she feels hopeful about her school’s plan to return to in-person instruction on Nov. 9.

“I miss our students, their smiles,” Brann said. “I feel hopeful about what lies ahead and meeting the needs of all of our students.”

Parents and teachers are excited to return to Tyler Elementary School in October but are nervous about returning for in-person instruction in November. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

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Pandemic enhances ‘deplorable conditions’ in public housing

Tobi Raji — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 18:42:58 +0000

The coronavirus pandemic is worsening the quality of life for public housing residents in Southwest Washington, according to residents and community leadership.

Greenleaf Gardens is a 493-unit public housing community in Southwest Washington. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

When a 12-year resident at James Creek public housing complained about large sewer rats eating through her kitchen cabinets, she was told she had to move to a dangerous neighborhood—endangering the lives of her two small children.

In September, that resident suffered a fatal heart attack and died. Commissioner Ronald Collins, a member of advisory neighborhood commission 6D, blames the stress of living at James Creek and the proposed relocation for her death.

When a 29-year Greenleaf Gardens resident repeatedly complained about sewage floods and mold that made her adoptive son sick, she was referred to maintenance to stop the flooding. It still floods.

Her young son, who was HIV-positive, also died. She blames mold inhalation for the respiratory issues that lead to his death.

Public housing residents and leadership, many who asked ��Ӱ�� to keep their names out of this article for fear of retaliation, say life is hard, but it’s even more challenging during a pandemic.

‘It is abysmal’

A Greenleaf Gardens resident has to duct tape holes near her kitchen cabinets made by mice. Mice have made holes in the resident’s ceiling and the wall behind her door, as well. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

On any given day, residents at Greenleaf Gardens’ 493-unit public housing complex in Southwest Washington deal with rodent-infestation, lead, mold, and flooding from clogged sewer lines. Last week, a resident said she saw a neighbor clearing buckets of sewage water with feces and urine from her home.

Other residents complain about rats “bigger than your feet” that creep out at night and leave large, gaping holes in their walls. One resident blames the stress from dealing with the rodent-infestation, holes in her unit, and the pandemic for her recent stroke. When she arrived at the hospital, she said her blood pressure levels were elevated.

The holes, which are now covered with duct tape, are behind the front door, near the kitchen cabinets, and in the living room ceiling. The resident, who’s heard mice scratching against the tape, is worried that if she removes it, mice will storm through.

Residents also complain about leaking garbage disposals that attract cockroaches and mold. Residential leadership says mold is the biggest issue in the community and can even be seen growing outside of their units.

Greenleaf Gardens residents say their living conditions have rapidly deteriorated since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mold is one of the most significant issues in the community. Residents say mold grows from water leaking from bathrooms and AC units. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

In March, maintenance workers stopped responding to routine maintenance calls to prevent exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19. Routine repairs include pest control, mold treatment and “normal wear and tear.”

Maintenance workers at Greenleaf Gardens only respond to emergency calls, particularly flooding and water damage. But with only two maintenance workers for every 250 units, residents say repairs were scarce to begin with.

Collins said residents who are confined to their homes because of the pandemic are exposed to mold and mildew—problems that would have been treated with routine maintenance.

He says he is worried residents are now at greater risk for contracting serious health problems, especially those with preexisting health conditions like hypertension and diabetes.

“Residents are suffering,” said Greenleaf Gardens residential leadership. “How can people live day to day like this?”

Collins agrees.

“Just because someone is poor doesn’t mean they have to live in deplorable housing conditions,” Collins said. “That shouldn’t be.”

‘They discard us’

According to ANC 6D Commissioner Rhonda Hamilton, Washington is in the midst of a public housing crisis.

Although public housing complexes in Capitol Hill have the same problems as public housing complexes in SW, residents say their issues predate the pandemic.

Residents complain of mold, which can be seen from outside the building. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

Potomac Gardens is a 208-unit public housing complex in Capitol Hill. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

At Potomac Gardens, residents complain of rodents, holes in their walls, broken water heaters, packed trash chutes that back up onto their floors, and vents filled with dust and rodent droppings.

“You got rats coming out the building,” said Day Dang, a 14-year resident at Potomac Gardens. “You see rats running down the hallway, tail dragging, people running and screaming.”

Dang also says his unit’s water heater frequently breaks and that he’s been without hot water for three to four days. Stacy Sims, a nine-year resident with arthritis, had to boil water to keep herself warm and reduce the pain in her joints but ended up burning herself.

Potomac Gardens residents also complain of extensive water and structural damage throughout their units.

“I still got a hole in my kitchen,” Sims said. “I called five times.”

Residents say that since management transferred from CT Management to the D.C. Housing Authority, their living conditions have deteriorated.

“They not doing what they supposed to do,” Julia Smith said. “They come when they feel like it. I want things done.”

Although the D.C. Housing Authority owned Potomac Gardens, it was run by CT Management. Michael Coleman, who was the site manager at the time, is no longer with the company.

D.C. Housing Authority did not respond to requests for comments.

Stacy Sims, a nine-year resident of Potomac Gardens, says the vents have not been cleaned in years and are filled with dust. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

Asking for help

After the death of the 12-year James Creek resident, ANC 6D voted 7-0-0 to request the Office of the Attorney General to investigate the “deplorable housing conditions” at Greenleaf Gardens, Syphax Gardens, and James Creek.

In the letter, the commission demanded “meaningful” repairs and maintenance on these properties.

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Mourners on the passing of Justice Ginsburg: ‘We lost her,’ ‘It feels apocalyptic’

Tobi Raji — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 16:02:13 +0000

A large crowd gathered at the Supreme Court’s steps on Friday night to mourn the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Mourners placed flowers on the steps of the Supreme Court and lit candles in remembrance of Ginsburg. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

Ginsburg died on Friday night from complications due to metastatic pancreatic cancer. She was 87.

“I’m heartbroken that we lost her,” said Nina Oeberg, a health policy intern at the Health and Medicine Counsel of Washington. “I’m heartbroken that America lost her.”

Ali Bavin, a third-year student at Georgetown Law, called the news horrifying. “I got the news alert and my knees buckled,” she told ��Ӱ��.

Ali Bavin is a third-year law student at Georgetown Law. Bavin, who saw Ginsburg speak during her first year of law school, says she was devastated when she heard the news. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

Long-time Washington resident, Amanda Makulec, had a similar reaction.

“This is the event I feared the most,” Makulec said. “RBG was the best of them.”

Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court in August 1993 by former President Bill Clinton. She was the second woman appointed by the Supreme Court and the longest-serving female justice.

Amanda Makulec called the passing of Ginsburg the event she feared the most. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

A bastion of gender equality, Ginsburg gave dissenting opinions that advanced the rights of women.

“I think before we ever talked about breaking glass ceilings and shattering glass ceilings, she was finding her own way to take a stand there,” Makulec said. “[Ginsburg] set a tone that said that women matter in ways that weren’t valued when she went to school.”

Oeberg, who is also a political science major at Flagler College, called Ginsburg her role model.

“She paved the way for so many women,” Oeberg said. “She made policies that protect us.”

Bavin agreed. “She paved the way for women like me to go to law school.”

Washington law student Diala Alqadi said she admired Ginsburg for her pioneering role in the women’s rights movement and the greater fight for civil liberties.

A mourner lights a candle in remembrance. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

The Karow family agreed, calling her life an act of service.

“Her life was a living demonstration of committing yourself to something larger than yourself,” Jay Karow said. “The level of her patriotism in coming back time and again to the Supreme Court and the work that she loved was a personal commitment to seeing the best for the country and always wanting to do the best for the country.”

Jay Karow and his wife, Linda Karow, were visiting the district when they heard the news.

Linda and Abigail Karow both expressed admiration for the late justice.

“She was a very dynamic woman,” Linda Karow said. “I really admired her for that.”

A mourner lights a candle in remembrance. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

“She was just so strong,” Abigail Karow said. “She was there. She always came back. She didn’t let a battle with cancer stop her.”

Throughout the night, mourners expressed concern about what Ginsburg’s death meant for the Supreme Court’s future.

On Friday night, Senator Mitch McConnell that he would hold a Senate vote to fill the vacancy left by Ginsburg with President Trump’s nominee.

Early Saturday morning, Trump that he would nominate a Supreme Court justice “without delay.”

. We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us, the most important of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices. We have this obligation, without delay!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

Oeberg said she felt anxious about that decision.

“I don’t think that the current presidential administration really cares for women,” Oeberg said. “We’re nervous about our rights.”

Bavin called the announcement disgusting.

“I’m very concerned about abortion rights,” said Bavin.

“There’s a lot at stake with any kind of appointment,” Makulec said.

Bavin agreed, saying so much hangs in the balance.

Mourners clash with right-wing activist and conspiracy theorist Jacob Wohl during the candlelight vigil. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

During the gathering, right-wing activist and conspiracy theorist Jacob Wohl showed up with a microphone saying, “We’re going to get rid of Roe v Wade.”

A Senate floor showdown

Currently, the Supreme Court has a 5-4 majority of Republican-appointed justices. If the Senate moves forward with Trump’s nominee, the Supreme Court could have a 6-3 conservative-leaning majority, further shifting ideologies on landmark issues like reproductive rights, healthcare and immigration.

“The impact will be felt for decades to come because the change of the make-up of the Supreme Court would last for a long time,” Abigail Karow said.

Mourners clash with Wohl during vigil. (Tobi Raji/ ��Ӱ��)

“Being young, being in my 20s, the Court is going to shape the rest of my life,” Bavin said. “He’s appointing young justices to be on there. This is a generational issue.”

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