Posts by John Muller — Contributor
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Remember our country’s heroes
In the midnight hour of May 30th, I received an email from a long-time friend. The subject was simply, “john - this is bad news.” My friend’s son, her only child, a 22-year old Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, who grew up on 14th Street NW, a product of DC Public Schools, was killed while serving with an elite unit in Afghanistan. This Saturday I paid… Keep reading…
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Demolition and restoration continues at Big K Site
On the 2200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Anacostia there is the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory. The past is still the present; there was a shooting down the street near the corner with Good Hope Road last Wednesday afternoon. But the future is now; 2228 MLK is just a memory while the long neglected 2234 is being stabilized. Keep reading…
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DC public land must yield affordable housing, says report
The District controls a significant amount of land, much of it in desirable locations, ripe for development. The DC government needs to put this land to its maximum use, and to ensure that there are affordable housing opportunities incorporated into these developments, says a new report from the Coalition for Smarter Growth. After the 1968 riots, commercial corridors were… Keep reading…
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Get your fill of DC history this fall
With 2 annual conferences that recognize, analyze, share, and discuss our city’s recorded and built history, October is a de facto DC History Month. Come November, the Washington Historical Society will turn a page in its own history as it re-opens in the old Carnegie Library. The DC Preservation League’s Citywide Preservation Conference is on Friday, October… Keep reading…
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“Neighborhoods are like children. They need attention differently.”
“Gentrification is a word urbanists and people in this area banter about,” said former Mayor Anthony Williams at a panel discussion last night, “but neighborhoods are like children. They need attention differently.” No one size fits all. Williams said residents in Upper Northwest “just want services and not development.” Meanwhile… Keep reading…
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MLK Library can help itself by helping the homeless
The days of metal detectors and risky bathrooms seem a thing of the past at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, but one thing has not changed. The library remains a destination for the homeless and lost souls of Washington. In a city brimming with specialized research libraries, university libraries, and governmental libraries, the DC Public library is the people’s… Keep reading…
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Busboys & Poets not coming to Anacostia quite yet
Restaurateur Andy Shallal will not be bringing his Busboys & Poets franchise to Anacostia quite yet. Last night, Stan Voudrie, the landlord of the shuttered Uniontown Bar & Grill, told the Historic Anacostia Block Association he is considering 5 bids. Busboys “is not one of them.” Voudrie said he has shown the space to a number of experienced and… Keep reading…
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Homicide Watch will survive. Can MPD also support it more?
Homicide Watch DC, a website devoted to following murders in DC through to arrests and convictions, won’t have to shut down. Last night, it successfully reached its $40,000 goal on Kickstarter to continue operating and turn into a paid student reporting lab. Development, housing, employment, education, and transportation often dominate the local news cycle, while… Keep reading…
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Round-shots and bridge toll repeal sparked Anacostia
Today’s Anacostia, originally known as Uniontown, started developing in 1854, much earlier than surrounding neighborhoods. A number of obscure events triggered this, including an enterprising Naval lieutenant’s arrival and repealing tolls on the Navy Yard Bridge. Most accounts suggest that a sale of lots by the Union (Town) Land Association in present-day… Keep reading…
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New book celebrates Congressional Cemetery’s history
Once listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the most endangered historic sites in the country, Congressional Cemetery has come a long way, a shining example of residents taking guardianship of their built environment. A new book, Historic Congressional Cemetery, examines some of the history preserved in the cemetery. “A lot of folks who live right… Keep reading…