Subject: Crispus Attucks Park News – Site Control Achieved, and Other Great News

 

Dear Friends of Crispus Attucks Park,

 

Many of you have received the printed park newsletter put out periodically.  We will still be putting together paper newsletters as major developments with the park occur, but we’d like to start using e-mail to communicate more regularly with the community about recent news, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and other park information.  Please feel free to forward these e-mails to others you know in the neighborhood who might be interested.  If this e-mail was forwarded to you and you’d like to be added to the distribution list, just e-mail me at jacorea@aol.com to subscribe.

 

A lot has been going on with the park over the past few months:

 

SITE CONTROL ACHIEVED!

It’s finally official!  With the passage of Bill 15-0068, “Crispus Attucks Development Corporation Real Property Tax Exemption and Equitable Real Property Tax Relief Act of 2004,” we now have full site control of the park going forward.  This includes complete forgiveness of past unpaid property taxes and liens, and restoration of tax exempt status for Crispus Attucks Park.   We now enter a new and truly exciting era for the park!

 

 

HUD DONATES PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded Crispus Attucks Park the funds necessary to install a small set of children’s playground equipment in the park.

The award is part of a grant for which we applied through Howard University in response to a 2003 poll of the community on what it wanted for the park. We expect to receive the equipment some time this summer, and will be working over the coming months to figure out where to install it and how to landscape around it.

 

 

CADC ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

The CADC elected new officers on February 1, 2004.  They are:

President – John Corea, 63 U Street NW

Vice President – Reggie Parrish, 42 V Street NW

Secretary – Jon Jensen, 28 V Street NW

Treasurer – Barbara Fogle, 2017 First Street NW

 

Many thanks to Marilyn Lashley, who has just completed her term as CADC President, and to all the other outgoing officers for all their hard work over the past year!

 

 

PARK LISTSERV AND WEBSITE IN THE WORKS

Right now we’re just using a standard e-mail distribution list, but we hope to set up a listserv in the coming months, which will allow everyone to communicate with each other instead of the current one-way street.  It will also make it easier to manage the e-mail distribution list.  Also, a Crispus Attucks Park website is under development.  We’ve already got one or two volunteers to help set it up and maintain it, but could use more help.  If you’re interested in helping with the website, e-mail me at jacorea@aol.com.

 

 

BOARD POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Did you know that the Board of Directors of Crispus Attucks Development Corporation usually meets the first Wednesday of every other month, and that these meetings are generally open to all interested members of the community?  We encourage anyone interested in getting more involved with the park to come to a Board meeting.  Those who come to these meetings consistently may then consider joining the Board of Directors.  We currently have ten sitting Board members, which means that there are still five open slots on the Board!

 

The next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 7th at 7pm.  Details on location to come.

 

 

BENCKE PREPARES PRELIMINARY PARK DESIGN

In the fall of 2003, we asked Bencke Landscaping to develop a park design based on a loose set of criteria we provided.  In December, Byrne Kelly from Bencke presented his design ideas to the Board.  While there was plenty of debate about the specifics, the Bencke plan provided solutions or approaches to a number of challenges we face in the park, including: drainage and erosion, views from the surrounding homes, fencing options, security, and creating a unified park.  As we discuss and pursue park improvements going forward, the scale drawings that Bencke created will be a useful resource.

 

 

MORE TO COME

There will be a lot to do over the next few months. Look for more e-mails very soon to learn how you can help!  In the mean time, please feel free to e-mail me back (jacorea@aol.com) if you have any questions or thoughts about the park.

 

 

 

You’re receiving this e-mail because you provided us with your e-mail address as a “Friend of Crispus Attucks Park.”  If you’d like to be taken off this list, just e-mail me to “unsubscribe” you.

 

About the Park:  Crispus Attucks Park is the 1.36 acre lot bounded by the alleys of the 2000 blocks of North Capitol and First Streets NW and the unit blocks of U and V Street NW.  The homeowners of the properties surrounding the park own the park in common.  Named in honor of Crispus Attucks, an African American former slave and the first person to lose his life in the Boston Massacre, the property is a green oasis in Bloomingdale.

 

_________________________________________

 

Blurb for Scott’s Bloomingdale list:

 

 

For those of you who don’t know, Crispus Attucks Park is a private, community-owned park that sits on the 1.36 acre lot bounded by the alleys of the 2000 blocks of North Capitol and First Streets NW and the unit blocks of U and V Street NW.  Crispus Attucks Development Corporation (CADC) is the nonprofit neighborhood organization that oversees the park. 

 

We’ve just inaugurated an e-mail newsletter for the park to keep the community informed about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and other park information.  Below are some highlights from the e-mail that just went out.  Anyone who would like to be added to the e-mail distribution list can e-mail John Corea at jacorea@aol.com to subscribe. 

 

 

SITE CONTROL ACHIEVED!

It’s finally official!  With the passage of Bill 15-0068, “Crispus Attucks Development Corporation Real Property Tax Exemption and Equitable Real Property Tax Relief Act of 2004,” we now have full site control of the park going forward.  This includes complete forgiveness of past unpaid property taxes and liens, and restoration of tax exempt status for Crispus Attucks Park.   We now enter a new and truly exciting era for the park!

 

 

HUD DONATES PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded Crispus Attucks Park the funds necessary to install a small set of children’s playground equipment in the park.

The award is part of a grant for which we applied through Howard University in response to a 2003 poll of the community on what it wanted for the park. We expect to receive the equipment some time this summer, and will be working over the coming months to figure out where to install it and how to landscape around it.

 

 

CADC ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

The CADC elected new officers on February 1, 2004.  They are:

President – John Corea, 63 U Street NW

Vice President – Reggie Parrish, 42 V Street NW

Secretary – Jon Jensen, 28 V Street NW

Treasurer – Barbara Fogle, 2017 First Street NW

 

Many thanks to Marilyn Lashley, who has just completed her term as CADC President, and to all the other outgoing officers for all their hard work over the past year!

 

 

PARK LISTSERV AND WEBSITE IN THE WORKS

Right now we’re just using a standard e-mail distribution list, but we hope to set up a listserv in the coming months, which will allow everyone to communicate with each other instead of the current one-way street.  It will also make it easier to manage the e-mail distribution list.  Also, a Crispus Attucks Park website is under development.  We’ve already got one or two volunteers to help set it up and maintain it, but could use more help.  If you’re interested in helping with the website, e-mail me at jacorea@aol.com.

 

 

BENCKE PREPARES PRELIMINARY PARK DESIGN

In the fall of 2003, we asked Bencke Landscaping to develop a park design based on a loose set of criteria we provided.  In December, Byrne Kelly from Bencke presented his design ideas to the Board.  While there was plenty of debate about the specifics, the Bencke plan provided solutions or approaches to a number of challenges we face in the park, including: drainage and erosion, views from the surrounding homes, fencing options, security, and creating a unified park.  As we discuss and pursue park improvements going forward, the scale drawings that Bencke created will be a useful resource.

 

 

MORE TO COME

There will be a lot to do over the next few months. Look for more e-mails very soon to learn how you can help!  In the mean time, please feel free to e-mail me back (jacorea@aol.com) if you have any questions or thoughts about the park.

 

 

 

Save for next e-mailing:

Help Plan the Annual Crispus Attucks Park Yard Sale

We’ve done it in the past.  Now we want to make this an annual event.  And this year the plan is to make it much bigger!  Our idea this year is to …. Rent tables, etc.  We’ll be sending out another e-mail soon to start signing people up who want to sell.

 

But we need help – lots of help. 

 

Contact Barbara Fogle at xxxx@xxxx.com. 

 

 

Volunteer work plan in the works -- volunteers needed!

Here are just some of the things we need help with:

-          Helping to prepare grant proposals

-          Park projects (e.g., digging out asphalt, installing walking paths, weeding around fence, repairing fence, etc.)

-          Park clean-ups

-          Website design and maintenance

-          Organizing spring fundraiser