Locals will be able to eat food, play games and listen to music for free courtesy of D.C. Police later this month.
MPD is scheduled to host its annual “Beat the Streets” event for Ward 6 residents at the King Greenleaf Rec Center (200 N St. SW) June 29 from 2-7:30 p.m.
The event will feature free food, a rock climbing wall, a moon bounce and live music alongside giveaways of school supplies and uniforms, hair cuts and safety information.
The event is meant to help local kids and teens “beat the streets, one neighborhood at a time,” organizers said.
Flyer via MPD
Police today released surveillance footage that shows two people and a car that they believe are connected to a robbery that occurred near King Greenleaf Recreation Center over the weekend.
The robbery happened on the 1300 block of 1st Street SW about 5 a.m. A man delivering newspapers in the area reported that he was accosted by two men armed with handguns. The thieves stole money from the newspaper deliverer and fled in a white car.
The footage released by police today shows two men leaving a white sedan which is driven by a third person.
Crime Solvers of Washington, D.C., currently offers a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for a crime committed in the District of Columbia. Your assistance is appreciated by your community.
Anyone who can identify these individuals or who has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at 202-727-9099 or text your tip to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.
The Capital Area Food Bank will hold a pop-up emergency food distribution in Southwest Saturday.
The distribution will take place at King Greenleaf Recreation Center at 201 N St. SW from 10 a.m. – noon. Capital Area Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organization in the area, is holding pop-up food distributions at recreation centers and schools throughout the city this weekend to reach people who may not have been able to access food during or after the blizzard last weekend.
The food bank was closed on Monday as the District worked to clear the nearly two feet of snow that fell over the weekend. The food bank decided to hold pop-up distributions because many of the organizations they partner with to distribute food were still snowed in and unable to make deliveries.
In a statement about this weekend’s emergency food distributions, Nancy E. Roman, the organization’s CEO said that the blizzard caused many hourly workers to lose wages and that this time of month is often when people on food assistance have reached the end of their benefits.
“If you’re a parent with young children, or a senior on a fixed income, these groceries are absolutely critical to get you through these last days of the month,” she said in the statement. “Our job is to meet food needs any way we can. That means being nimble, creative and collaborative.”
A full list of distribution sites and times is available on the food bank’s website.
Photo via Facebook/ Capital Area Food Bank
One man was hospitalized in serious but non-life threatening condition after a shooting near King Greenleaf Recreation Center in Southwest Saturday night.
The shooting occurred just before 7 p.m. Saturday, according to police. Police who responded to the scene found one man suffering from a gunshot wound in the back. A spokesperson for D.C. Fire and EMS said the man was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
The suspected shooter was described as a black man between 21 and 23-years-old, 5 feet 9 inches tall and with a medium complexion. At the time of the shooting he was wearing a black jacket, hat and jeans.
Earlier on Saturday, a man armed with a handgun robbed a store in Hill East. The hold-up happened about 2:30 p.m. Saturday on the 900 block of 11th Street SE. The suspect was described as a 5 feet 7 inches tall black man with a thin build, a black ski mask and gold-rimmed sun glasses.
About 9:30 p.m. Saturday there was an armed robbery near the H Street corridor. Police were flagged down on the 700 block of 13th Street NE by a person who said she and several friends were robbed.
The woman and her friends reported that three suspects approached them and one of the suspects placed a hard object against her side while the others demanded what she had in her pockets. A police officer on the block startled the thieves, who fled without stealing anything from the women. The suspects were stopped a short distance away by other officers and placed under arrest.
Several hours later there was another attack near the H Street corridor that happened about 3:25 a.m. Sunday. A man was violently attacked and robbed by three men on the 1300 block of Wylie Court NE.
The man reported that he met one of the suspects at a bar and shared drinks with him, according to an email from Metropolitan Police First District Lieutenant Brian A. Murphy.
The two left the bar together and were joined by the two other suspects on Wylie Court NE. All three suspects then pushed the man to the ground, kicked him in the head and emptied his pockets. The man was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after the attack.
On Sunday afternoon, a woman had her cell phone snatched as she left the Union Station Metro station. Two teens on bikes rode by her and one of the teens grabbed the phone from her hand.
Last night, U.S. Park Police arrested a person in Hill East who had stolen a car in a different area. The arrest was made about 11 p.m. along the 1700 block of D and E streets SE.
Mayor Muriel Bowser will start off 2016 with a 5K walk/run near RFK Stadium tomorrow morning.
The run will begin at the intersection of 19th Street NE and East Capitol Street, in front of Eastern High School. Runners of all fitness levels can register for free online. The annual run is part of Bowser’s FitDC initiative to promote health in the District.
Bowser also announced that as part of that initiative, all District Department of Parks and Recreation fitness centers will be free for D.C. residents in 2016.
Fitness centers, which used to require a membership fee, will offer free treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines and weights to residents.
The fitness centers in the Capitol Hill area are:
- King Greenleaf Recreation Center – 201 N St. SW
- Rosedale Community Center – 1701 Gales St. NE
- Sherwood Recreation Center – 640 10th St. NE
Vigil Held for 20-Year-Old Father Killed in Southwest — Friends and family held a vigil on Friday evening to remember Kwaza Blue, who was shot and killed near King Greenleaf Recreation Center Dec. 5. [WUSA 9]
Navy Yard Elementary School Receives $5,000 Grant from Amazon — The newly reopened Van Ness Elementary School received a $5,000 grant from Amazon for new school supplies. [Hill Rag]
Rose’s Luxury Building Sells for Record $4.1 Million — The building that houses Rose’s Luxury at 717 8th St. SE sold for $4.1 million, about $1,000 per square foot, a likely record for Capitol Hill. Rose’s Luxury’s lease in the space will not be affected by the sale. [Washington Post]
Nando’s Peri Peri Set to Open on H Street NE in January — New signs at the future site of Nando’s Peri Peri at 411 H St. NE say the restaurant will open in January. [District Cuisine]
A man was fatally shot on Saturday night in Southwest near King Greenleaf Recreation Center.
After hearing a gunshot about 9:50 p.m. Saturday, police discovered 20-year-old Kwaza K. Blue of Southwest unconscious on the 1300 block of 1st Street SW, according to the Metropolitan Police Department Public Information Office. Blue was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives from the police homicide branch are investigating the case but have not released any suspect description.
Also on Saturday, police responded to an attempted assault with a dangerous weapon at a home on Capitol Hill about 11:30 p.m. A woman told police that while in an argument with a person in a home on the 900 block of 5th Street SE, the other person threatened to stab her with a kitchen knife. A third person intervened and no injuries were reported. The suspect in the case fled before police arrived.
On Friday night, police responded to a robbery near the Potomac Avenue Metro Station in Hill East. A woman reported that while on the crosswalk at the intersection of 14th Street SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE a man took her cell phone from her hand and fled down 14th Street toward Potomac Gardens. The woman was not injured in the robbery and police were unable to locate the suspect.
There are only three more days until Halloween, so it’s time to start planning how you want to celebrate. Since the holiday falls on a spooky Saturday this year, you have plenty of time to join the festivities and plenty of options for where to go.
Whether you’re looking for some costumed clubbing or family-friendly fun, here’s a list of events to make the most of this Halloweekend:
Friday
Dinner and a Movie
The Argonaut (1433 H St. NE)
5 p.m.
The Argonaut is hosting a event for parents and their children. Upstairs, the newly-formed Argonaut Kids Club will be showing movies, doing activities and eating while parents can dine downstairs. Event prices start at $30 and vary based on the number of children who attend.
Hilloween at Eastern Market
7th Street SE (between Pennsylvania and North Carolina avenues SE)
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
The community tradition returns with free family-friendly activities and ways to celebrate Halloween. Attendees are encouraged to wear their best costumes and visit professional face painters, a haunted house, and a photo booth. Food, drinks and other treats will also be available for purchase. Councilman Charles Allen and Mayor Bowser will also be in attendance to give opening remarks.
Sweets to the Sweet!
Folger Shakespeare Library (201 E Capitol St. SE)
5:30 – 8 p.m.
The Folger is hosting a family-friendly Halloween celebration, Shakespeare style. Guests can expect holiday treats, candy, lines from Shakespeare and activities. The event is free and open to the public.
Boo to You Halloween Party
King Greenleaf Recreation Center (201 N St. SW)
6 – 8 p.m.
The recreation center is throwing a traditional Halloween party, with a costume contest and dance. The event is free and open to the public.
Derek Brown & Thriller on H Street
Joy of Motion Dance Center Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St. NE)
7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
This dance workshop will teach the entire routine from the Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video. The workshop is open to dancers of all abilities levels ages 19 and up. Costumes–especially those inspired by the King of Pop–are encouraged. After the workshop, winners of the dance-off and costume contest will receive dance class packages. Participants can register online in advance for $25.
Saturday
Halloween at Rosedale
Rosedale Community Center (1701 Gales St. NE)
12 – 4 p.m.
Center staff are throwing a Halloween Safe Haven celebration for community members with games, food, music, candy and a community parade. The event is free and open to the public.
Happy Howl-O-Ween!
13th Street Community Park & Garden (13th and C streets SE)
1 – 3 p.m.
Nonprofit pet adoption organization Homeward Trails and the 13th Street Community Park & Garden invite families-and their pets-to the park for a Halloween celebration. All guests are encouraged to wear costumes, and gift card prizes will be awarded to the best dressed child and pup. Some adoptable dogs are also expected to attend. This outdoor event is free and open to the public.
Halloween SPOOKtacular Concert & Reception
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St. SE)
2 – 4:30 p.m.
This free event will preview the CHAW community through festive songs played by private music students and artwork samples from various classes. The art gallery will open at 2 p.m., and tours of the building will also begin at that time. The concert starts at 2:30, followed by a reception with donuts and cider. Costumes are recommended, as CHAW staff and the performers will be wearing them.
Photo via Flickr/Teo
Fall is in full-swing, and Halloween is now 10 days away. For those who love the season of changing leaves, pumpkin spice and costumes, the Capitol Hill area has plenty of ways to celebrate.
Events across the area this weekend will give residents a chance to start their Halloween celebrations a week early. Here are some pre-holiday events to help you get in the Halloween spirit:
Thursday
Seniors Costume Brunch
King Greenleaf Recreation Center (201 N St. SW)
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Area seniors are invited to the recreation center for a costume brunch with food and music. There will also be prize giveaways for guests wearing the best costume of the event. More information is available via e-mail.
NoMa Pumpkin Carving Happy Hour
NoMa Junction @ Storey Park (1005 First St. NE)
4 – 7 p.m.
NoMa BID will provide free pumpkins and carving tools for the first 200 visitors to the “pumpkin patch.” Pumpkins can be reserved in advance online. Participants can bring their own pumpkins and tools, if they choose. The event is free and open to the public. It will have live music from ’90s cover band the Lloyd Dobbler Effect, face painting, and a candy scavenger hunt. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase.
Thursday – Sunday
Scream City D.C.
RFK Stadium (2400 East Capitol St. SE)
7 – 10 p.m. (open until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday)
“Exorcism Estate” and “Slaughter Factory” are two fully-enclosed haunted houses that will take over Parking Lot 8 through the end of the month. The haunts are from the same minds as Field of Screams Maryland and are almost guaranteed to be very, very scary. The production company recommends no one under the age of 13 attend, and parents should use their discretion when choosing to bring their children. Tickets are available online for $30-$40. One ticket grants admission to both haunts, and each takes approximately 40 minutes to walk through.
Friday
Haunted History and Ghost Hunt
Northeast Neighborhood Library (330 7th St. NE)
4 – 9 p.m.
This evening will pair history and haunts so guests can decide for themselves whether the library is haunted or not. The first hour of the event will provide a haunted history of the building and the surrounding area. Following that will be a paranormal investigation where attendees will get into teams, use “ghost hunting” equipment and search for evidence of paranormal activity. The event is free, but pre-registration is required by e-mail, in person or by telephone at 202-698-0058.
Friday and Saturday
In Their Own Words: Soul Strolls at Congressional Cemetery
Historic Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St. SE)
6 – 9 p.m.
The Congressional Cemetery will have a second weekend of night tours. The tours will tell the stories of some of the 65,000 “residents” there, as interpreted by cemetery staff. The event will also have a cash bar and music each night. Tours are held during the twilight hours. Tickets are available online and cost $20 for adults and $10 for children who are 12 years old or younger.
Saturday
Hot Cider Hustle 5K/15K
RFK Stadium (2400 East Capitol St. SE)
9 a.m.
Capitol Hill-area runners can participated in one of two fall-themed races around RFK Stadium along the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Both races start at 9 a.m. in Lot 7. Hot apple cider and caramel apples will wait for participants as they cross the finish line. Registration is still open for both races, but the price will increase tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Pumpkins in the Park
Washington Canal Park (202 M St. SE)
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Capitol Riverfront BID is hosting a late morning/early afternoon of family-friendly activities and entertainment to get ready for the holiday. Small pumpkins and decorating tools will be provided. There will also be face painting and live entertainment. The event is free and open to the public.
Barktoberfest
Yards Park (355 Water St. SE)
1 – 5 p.m.
The Washington Animal Rescue League is hosting the Second Annual Barktoberfest, an event scheduled to have local craft beer, live music, food trucks, shopping, a canine costume contest and a puppy kissing booth. General admission tickets are available online for $35 and include unlimited beer tastings. Dogs must be leashed at all times. Rain date is Oct. 25.
Haunted Harvest
Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan (215 G St. NE)
6 – 9 p.m.
This fall festival is for families to celebrate Halloween a little early. The event will have several activities, including a haunted house, spooky pumpkin painting, mad science experiments and a zombie dance party. Costumes are encouraged for all attendees. A chili cook-off contest will take place from 6 – 7:30 p.m. for $1 per taste. Dinners of chili or hotdogs will be served from 6 – 8 p.m. and cost $5 each. A $20 donation per family is recommended.
Photo via Facebook/Capitol Riverfront BID
Criminals would have fewer dark corners to use at two Ward 6 recreation centers under a new proposal from Mayor Muriel Bowser to help fight crime in the District.
The King Greenleaf and Rosedale recreation centers would receive more lighting if the D.C. Council approves Bowser’s fiscal 2015 supplemental budget, which she released yesterday. The budget calls for $1.1 million to install additional lights at the facilities at 201 N St. SW and at 1701 Gales St. NE, as well as at six other recreation centers.
The lighting “will ensure that these centers remain a safe place for residents to congregate” in neighborhoods with “heightened crime,” according to a summary of the plan.
D.C. crime statistics show that 36 armed robberies, assaults with weapons and other violent crimes were reported within 1,000 feet of the Rosedale Recreation Center from Jan. 1 to Sept. 16. During the same period last year, 37 of the crimes were reported.
Within 1,000 feet of the King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 18 violent crimes were reported from Jan. 1 to Sept. 16. The area saw 21 of the crimes during the same period the previous year.
The violent crimes in and around King Greenleaf Recreation Center grounds this year included a daytime shooting that injured a man and shattered glass at the facility.
The spray park at King Greenleaf Recreation Center will stay open until Sunday due to the high temperatures expected for the rest of the week.
Spray parks across the city were scheduled to close yesterday along with public pools. However, the District Department of Parks and Recreation announced yesterday that the spray parks would stay open until 7 p.m. Sept. 13. King Greenleaf Recreation Center at 201 N Street SW has the only District-managed spray park in Capitol Hill or Southwest.
The National Weather Service predicts high temperatures and humidity until Sunday.
(Updated at 1:35 p.m.) Mayor Muriel Bowser is slated to join in an afternoon of baseball, softball and other activities for children in Southwest this weekend.
The “Play Ball” festivities are scheduled for the King Greenleaf Recreation Center at 201 N St. SW Saturday, according to the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, which is hosting the event with the mayor’s office. The day will include baseball and softball drills, Nationals ticket giveaways, food and possibly a dunk tank.
DPR is trying to find someone to go in the dunk tank, said Jennifer Moore, an agency director. But if it doesn’t locate a person in advance of the event, the dunk tank won’t happen, she said.
The mayor is unlikely to come to DPR’s aid, however.
“I doubt she will volunteer for that,” said Seth Shapiro, a Ward 6 liaison for Bowser.
The activities, which are set to run from noon to 4 p.m., are intended for children who are 4 to 14 years old.
Photo via Facebook/Muriel Bowser
