Mount Pleasant DC Forum

[MPNA]

In this issue…..

February 13 ABC Hearing Update on VA Termination and Live Music Debate
DC Area Books to Prisons Project
MPNA Testifies at Transportation Hearing
Police Emergency & Non-Emergency Combined to 911
Donate to Homeless Outreach Program at St. Mathew’s Cathedral
PSA 301 Moves from Sub Station
Library News
Public Oversight on our ANC
Questions and Answers

[John B.]

Laurie, in this newsletter and elsewhere, you have said that "Testimony began with a musician claiming that he has never been allowed to play in his neighborhood because culture can only be expressed in alcohol-serving establishments." Out of curiosity, which musician said this, and is this really what he said or are you paraphrasing liberally?

Can anybody else corroborate this testimony, or is there a public transcript available somewhere so we can find out what he really said?

[dreabee]

JohnB:

I was at the hearing and heard this musician's testimony. He never said that culture can only be expressed in alcohol-serving establishments. Ever. I have a copy of the entire transcript of that ABRA hearing, which is part of the public record. The witness Laurie is referring to is Omar Iraheta, and here is his testimony, so you can judge for yourself whether he ever even implied that culture can only be expressed in alcohol serving establishments.

CHAIRMAN FEATHER: And raise your
20 right hand. Do you swear the testimony you're
21 about to give before the Alcoholic Beverage
22 Control Board will be the truth, the whole
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1 truth and nothing but the truth?
2 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, I do.
3 CHAIRMAN FEATHER: Thank you.
4 Please be seated.
5 Ms. Schlosberg?
6 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Thank you. Could
7 you please state your name for the record?
8 MR. IRAHETA: My name is Omar
9 Alexander Iraheta.
10 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And where do you
11 live, Mr. Iraheta?
12 MR. IRAHETA: I live on 3220 17th
13 Street, Mount Pleasant Street.
14 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And how long have
15 you lived in Mount Pleasant?
16 MR. IRAHETA: I lived in Mount
17 Pleasant -- I've been in my place, like, since
18 I was 11 years old.
19 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And how long ago
20 was that?
21 MR. IRAHETA: Oh, it's about 20
22 years.
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1 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And are you
2 involved in the arts?
3 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, I am. I'm a
4 singer, I'm a songwriter, I'm a guitar player,
5 and I'm also an actor.
6 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Where do you do
7 your acting?
8 MR. IRAHETA: I usually perform in,
9 like, festivals or universities; any type of
10 event. Community events.
11 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And are you
12 familiar with Gala Theater?
13 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, I actually work
14 with Gala Theater sometimes.
15 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And where is Gala
16 Theater located?
17 MR. IRAHETA: It is on 14th and
18 Park Road, at the Tivoli Building.
19 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And what is Gala
20 Theater?
21 MR. IRAHETA: Oh, it's a community
22 theater; Spanish. It's been there, like, for
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1 almost, like, 35 years.
2 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And do you have
3 another job during the day?
4 MR. IRAHETA: I actually work for
5 the Latin-American Center as a mentor and I
6 teach life skills to kids from foster care
7 system.
8 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Do you recall a
9 time, Mr. Iraheta, when there were mariachis
10 who played in restaurants in Mount Pleasant?
11 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, I remember,
12 like, 10 years; something like that.
13 MS. SCHLOSBERG: What do you
14 recall? Can you describe Mount Pleasant
15 Street, what it was like then when the
16 mariachis played?
17 MR. IRAHETA: It was good. It was
18 really -- it was amazing to see, like, all the
19 cultures coming together and enjoying, you
20 know, different music, different arts from
21 everybody, you know. It was good. It was
22 really good.
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1 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Was there any
2 other place that you knew of in Washington,
3 D.C. where you could hear mariachis play?
4 MR. IRAHETA: Well, not really.
5 Not really.
6 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And was there
7 other music in Mount Pleasant that you recall
8 at the time?
9 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, I mean, there
10 was actually, like -- I was younger by that
11 time, but there was this place called Mambo
12 Room, something like that, like it was African
13 Room on Mount Pleasant. There was, like,
14 dancing and stuff like that.
15 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Did there come a
16 time when the mariachis stopped playing in
17 Mount Pleasant?
18 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, at some point.
19 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And do you know
20 why? What happened?
21 MR. IRAHETA: Not really. I mean,
22 we just wouldn't see the mariachis playing and
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1 nobody knew why.
2 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Did anyone ever
3 come from the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood
4 Alliance and talk to the Latino community
5 about the mariachis?
6 MR. IRAHETA: Not that I remember.
7 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And how did the
8 loss of the mariachis affect your community?
9 MR. IRAHETA: Oh, well, as a
10 musician, I think it affected us, like a lot
11 of people. I mean, it affected that -- I
12 mean, that's lot of combination of cultures,
13 you know, like all people, you know.
14 Sometimes they would come and gather around.
15 They would come to the businesses for the
16 music, for the mariachi music, and it was
17 really important. Also, you know, the music
18 is, like -- I feel it's like some of -- part
19 of our heritage, you know. We like to share
20 with other cultures. I think we -- I mean, it
21 affected us. It was as it were for, like, our
22 culture has been dis-respected in some point.
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1 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Why did you feel
2 your culture was dis-respected?
3 MR. IRAHETA: Because we were not
4 allowed to share our music, our arts, our
5 culture.
6 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And did you
7 personally respond in any way?
8 MR. IRAHETA: Yes. Well, after I
9 just didn't see mariachis hanging around
10 there, you know, from the restaurants, not
11 even party, I would ask them sometimes, like,
12 what was the story about. And they would tell
13 me some, like, grief stories and then since I
14 write songs, I decided to write a song about
15 the situation.
16 MS. SCHLOSBERG: I'm going to show
17 you, Mr. Iraheta, what has been marked as
18 Joint Exhibit 16.
19 (Whereupon, the document
20 was marked for
21 identification as Joint
22 Exhibit 16 and was
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1 received in evidence.)
2 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Do you recognize
3 that?
4 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, ma'am; this is
5 my song.
6 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And what is it
7 about?
8 MR. IRAHETA: Well, it's just,
9 like, I'm actually talking about his
10 frustration about not playing around there.
11 It says -- may I read what the song says?
12 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Can you just
13 summarize it? How's that?
14 CHAIRMAN FEATHER: Yes, can you
15 just summarize it?
16 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, it's basically
17 just like a mariachi talking about his
18 frustration about not singing his rancheras,
19 his mariachis, in the park and the
20 restaurants, because some people just don't
21 want him around there. And it says, like,
22 with my songs and my guitar I used to make
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1 centavos. It was, like, really fun for the
2 mariachis, because he will make sometimes --
3 like, people feel good about it. And at the
4 same time, he doesn't need -- they don't allow
5 him to talk about his culture, about the
6 injustice, about any situation. So, he's like
7 claiming, you know, please, just let me play
8 a mariachi song around here. I don't want to
9 bother people; I just want to sing.
10 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Mr. Iraheta, as a
11 singer and a songwriter, have you ever been
12 able to perform this song, or any song, in any
13 restaurant in Mount Pleasant?
14 MR. IRAHETA: No, not really in
15 Mount Pleasant.
16 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And why not?
17 MR. IRAHETA: Well, because
18 apparently I have to go and, like, get a
19 permit to go. I mean, I'm not allowed to play
20 in restaurants, you know, in any clubs or any
21 place over there. There's a ban that
22 prohibits, you know, does not allow us to
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1 play. And it's not only me, actually. Some
2 of the --
3 MS. SCHLOSBERG: That's all. And
4 how does that affect, since you grew up in
5 Mount Pleasant and live in Mount Pleasant,
6 what is the impact that the music ban had on
7 you?
8 MR. IRAHETA: It's been, like,
9 really bad for us. I went to school for -- I
10 mean, to learn music. I went to school, like,
11 right over there, like, Belmont Cultural, I
12 learned music over there and with the purpose
13 of using music as educational purpose, you
14 know, for my community and to share my
15 culture. And now, I mean, we don't have the
16 chance, me and some of the musicians, we don't
17 have the chance to perform and, like, to play
18 our music with our friends and neighbors
19 because we're not allowed.
20 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Do you know
21 Haydees restaurant?
22 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, I do.
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1 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And do you know
2 Haydee who runs the restaurant?
3 MR. IRAHETA: I do know Haydee.
4 MS. SCHLOSBERG: How long have you
5 known her?
6 MR. IRAHETA: For, like, almost 10
7 years.
8 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And if Haydee were
9 to have a new voluntary agreement that allowed
10 her to have live entertainment, would her
11 restaurant offer you the kind of environment
12 that you would want to play?
13 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, I would.
14 MS. SCHLOSBERG: And do you think
15 if music was played at Haydees, or if she
16 booked other music there, that her restaurant
17 would morph into a nightclub and become a
18 disturbance in the community?
19 MR. FIERBERG: How does he have any
20 idea? How?
21 CHAIRMAN FEATHER: That one's a bit
22 of a reach in terms of knowledge.
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1 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Well, do you have
2 any concern, personal concern, that if music
3 is allowed in Haydees restaurant, because you
4 live in the neighborhood; you're a resident,
5 that it would morph into a nightclub?
6 MR. IRAHETA: Well, me as a
7 musician, again, I would say that our idea is
8 not to bring clubs, to bring nightclubs to our
9 neighborhood. Our idea is to, like, have a
10 spot where we can perform, where we can have
11 our, like, relatives see our music, see our
12 art. And that's not the purpose. I don't
13 think it's the purpose. The purpose is to
14 give artists, you know, a chance to come and,
15 like, have a good night and, like, share their
16 music, share their art.
17 MS. SCHLOSBERG: I have no further
18 questions.
19 CHAIRMAN FEATHER: Thank you, Ms.
20 Schlosberg. Mr. Fierberg?
21 MR. FIERBERG: Have you ever talked
22 to MPNA about whether or not you could play
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1 your music or not?
2 MR. IRAHETA: Not really.
3 MR. FIERBERG: Okay. Do you know
4 one way or another whether or not MPNA
5 supports having live entertainment in Mount
6 Pleasant, or not?
7 MR. IRAHETA: Well, I just know
8 that they have these voluntary agreements and,
9 so, that's all I know; I don't have any idea.
10 MR. FIERBERG: You have no idea?
11 MR. IRAHETA: I never knew about
12 these people before.
13 MR. FIERBERG: Okay. Have you ever
14 tried to play your music in Mark's Caf‚?
15 MR. IRAHETA: I actually worked for
16 Mark's Caf‚ and I never had the chance to play
17 over there.
18 MR. FIERBERG: Okay. Nothing in
19 their voluntary agreement prevented you from
20 playing though, did it?
21 MS. SCHLOSBERG: Objection.
22 MR. FIERBERG: Do you know?
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1 MS. SCHLOSBERG: He doesn't know
2 the voluntary agreement.
3 MR. FIERBERG: Were you prevented
4 from Mark's from playing?
5 MR. IRAHETA: I mean, I actually
6 never decided to play at Mark's Caf‚,
7 actually.
8 MR. FIERBERG: Okay. Did you ever
9 try to play your music at Tonic?
10 MR. IRAHETA: Not at Tonic.
11 MR. FIERBERG: Didn't try?
12 MR. IRAHETA: No.
13 MR. FIERBERG: Did you ever try at
14 Radius?
15 MR. IRAHETA: No.
16 MR. FIERBERG: Do you know one way
17 or another whether or not they have voluntary
18 agreements for the MPNA?
19 MR. IRAHETA: I don't know.
20 MR. FIERBERG: Okay. Did you ever
21 ask the Applicant, you say you know Jaime's?
22 You know Mrs. Jaime? You know the owners of
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1 the establishment?
2 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, I do. I do the
3 place. I do know the establishment, but I've
4 never been inside that place.
5 MR. FIERBERG: Do you know one way
6 or another whether or not when they even asked
7 for their ABC license, they asked to have
8 entertainment?
9 MR. IRAHETA: No.
10 MR. FIERBERG: Okay. Thanks. Have
11 you tried to playing the park?
12 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, I've done.
13 MR. FIERBERG: Have you played at
14 the chicken places that are not ABC
15 establishments?
16 MR. IRAHETA: No, but I've tried to
17 play in the park and I've been stopped of
18 playing over there.
19 MR. FIERBERG: The police stop you?
20 MR. IRAHETA: The police officers.
21 MR. FIERBERG: MPNA stop you?
22 MR. IRAHETA: I don't know who is
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1 -- I mean, who is the people from MPNA,
2 actually? The police would come to me and
3 say, no, you're not allowed to play there.
4 MR. FIERBERG: All right.
5 CHAIRMAN FEATHER: Thank you, Mr.
6 Fierberg.
7 Questions from the Board? Mr.
8 Gandhi?
9 MEMBER GANDHI: Well, thank you for
10 your song. Appreciate that. You told me you
11 lived in the neighborhood for 20 years?
12 MR. IRAHETA: Yes, sir.
13 MEMBER GANDHI: Do you believe the
14 neighborhood several years ago may have had
15 the opportunity to have a restrictive
16 voluntary agreement? Were there a lot of bums
17 and things of that sort in the neighborhood,
18 maybe several years ago?
19 MR. IRAHETA: To be honest with
20 you, I'm not familiarized with the question.
21 Can you just repeat it again?
22 MEMBER GANDHI: Tell me how the
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1 neighborhood has changed in 20 years.
2 MR. IRAHETA: Oh, it's changed a
3 lot. I mean, we see -- I think it's just like
4 an individualism here now. Some people is
5 allowed to do some stuff and some people is
6 not. Like for example, I see people sometimes
7 coming to the park and they just plug their
8 instruments there and they just go ahead and
9 play, without knowing what is going on. And
10 if I try to plug my instruments, I'm not
11 allowed. The police is going to come and ask
12 me if I have a permit. And so, I mean, that's
13 one of the changes, you know, they're
14 frustrating me as a musician.
15 MEMBER GANDHI: I'll try to explain
16 my question. Do you believe that restrictive
17 voluntary agreements were necessary maybe
18 seven to 10 years ago?
19 MR. IRAHETA: I don't think so, to
20 be honest.
21 MEMBER GANDHI: Do you know who
22 MPNA is?
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1 MR. IRAHETA: I just learned about
2 them.
3 MEMBER GANDHI: Yes, do you believe
4 that MPNA represents the community?
5 MR. IRAHETA: I don't know. I just
6 know about them. I mean, I'm just learning
7 that there's a group that is doing some stuff
8 in the community, but I don't know exactly who
9 they are.
10 MEMBER GANDHI: Okay. All right.
11 Thank you. And thank you again for the song.
12 CHAIRMAN FEATHER: Thank you, Mr.
13 Gandhi.
14 Mr. Iraheta, thank you very much
15 for coming today. We appreciate your
16 testimony.
17 MR. IRAHETA: Welcome, sir.
18 CHAIRMAN FEATHER: Thank you.
19 MR. IRAHETA: All right.
20 CHAIRMAN FEATHER: Song sounds
21 great too. If I wasn't such a stick in the
22 mud, it would be great to hear you --
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1 MEMBER GANDHI: What is a centavos?
2 What's centavos?
3 MR. IRAHETA: Oh, centavos, they're
4 like cents.
5 MEMBER GANDHI: Cents.
6 MR. IRAHETA: I used to make some
7 cents. Two cents, it is.
8 MEMBER GANDHI: Okay.
9 CHAIRMAN FEATHER: Okay.

[jack]

I sure wouldn't count on any corrections by the MPNA of misstatements in their newsletter. Consider this sequence, with Councilmember Graham:

MPNA, January 15 newsletter: "When Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham heard, he, too expressed his support with the ANC’s decision to drop the protest"

CM Graham, January 16: "I never made thsi statement and I would appreciate that it not be used. Thanks."

LC, January 16: "I did not quote you—it’s only a summation of our emails. Second, do you not support the ANC dropping their protests against our businesses? Please, let me know because I can rectify that quickly."

CM Graham, January 17: "Please withdraw any comment by me as to do otherwise would not be accurate."

LC, January 17: "Will do, can you give me a statement then as a correction to be more accurate? People would like to know how you feel about this."

CM Graham, January 17: "No, I just want you to do what I have asked for."

LC, January 17: "Ok, I will state then, when asked, you had no comment on the matter."

CM Graham, January 17: "Thank you"

That was over two months ago. No such correction has appeared. The recent MPNA newsletter would have been a natural vehicle for such a correction; but no such correction is to be found.

-- Jack

[rosama]

hear mtp and the anc just crack me up... what a royal waste of time!

[dsachdev]

"The Board heard from many residents who spoke about how for years,
MPNA was the only civic group taking a leadership role in the
community when everyone else did not—where were these groups over
the last decade?"

This statement in particular I feel neglects the wonderful testimony from Neighbors' Consejo - an organization that I feel needs to be praised and recognized for its amazing efforts in our neighborhood. Keep up the good work!

[dreabee]

Thanks for mentioning this dsachdev. Here is Ms. Shana'a's testimony from the Feb 13th ABRA hearing documenting the incredibly hard work Neighbors Consejo has done over the years to address alcoholism in our neighborhood and its attendant problems.

Statement of Najiya Shana'a
Hearing of February 13, 200

My name is Najiya Shana’a and I have been a Mt Pleasant resident since 1991, and a home owner in the neighborhood since 1997. I live at ________ Street, about one block from Don Jaime’s and two or three blocks from Haydee’s Restaurant. I have raised my twelve year old daughter in Mt Pleasant and will continue to do so until she leaves home. I am also a licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and was the Executive Director of Neighbors’ Consejo for 8 years, from early 1998 to the end of 2005.

Neighbors’ Consejo was founded by a group of neighborhood residents to address the neighborhood problems of vagrancy, public intoxication, addictions and homelessness, and the impact that these problems had on the neighborhood as a whole. Anyone who has lived here as long as I have knows that at one time these problems were prevalent in our neighborhood � and that there has been a big change, and drastic improvement in these areas over the last ten years in Mt Pleasant. Moreover, it is important to note that these problems are not linked to the issue of music and social dancing in our neighborhood restaurants.

Neighbors Consejo’s primary focus from the beginning has been on the homeless and addicted, because we know that this is the unfortunate population that has chronically been associated with public intoxication, fighting, urinating in people’s back yards, sleeping under front porches, breaking into cars and panhandling on the streets. Consequently, in 1997 NC coordinated the collaboration between Martha’s Table and Sacred Heart Church to move the nightly food truck out of “Pigeon Park,” where it had attracted a permanent population of the homeless, traumatized and alcoholic, who took to living in the yards, porches and alleys of Mt Pleasant. The food service was moved from the park to the church, where other services could be coordinated, and almost instantly the problems in Mt Pleasant were drastically reduced. In 1998 NC started transitional housing for homeless men. In 2000 we initiated the first all day out- patient treatment program, and graduated about 50 adults each year. In 2004, we started the first in-patient addiction treatment program, which serves up to 20 adults in recovery at a time.

Neighbors Consejo had teams of outreach workers on the streets of Mt Pleasant every day establishing relationships and encouraging engagement in services. Our staff, which grew from 2 to 35 employees over a few short years, knew everyone on the streets - and everyone knew us. I can tell you that these are not people that are able to patronize business establishments such as Haydee’s or Don Jaime’ s. 1) They dont have the money to do so � and 2) they are not welcome as patrons there.

In fact, the businesses struggle to deal with these same issues just like everyone else. An early project of Neighbors Consejo included collaborating with local businesses, including Haydee’s and Don Jaime’s to help discourage panhandling, and to assist in referring patients to us. We would often get calls from business owners or managers asking for assistance in dealing with a panhandler at their entrance, an alcoholic in their parking lot or a mentally ill person with erratic behavior frightening their patrons. In essence, these businesses were critical referral sources that connected us to people in need of help.

These are the people that will continue to be in the streets until adequate services are provided to them that can assist them in changing their lives. And to the extent that these problems still do exist in our neighborhood, it is my opinion that they have nothing to do with these two restaurants, nor do I believe that the “voluntary agreements” that prohibit live music are the solution to the very complicated economic, social and cultural nature of these problems. They are simply two completely separate issues.

Although NC was a key player in the struggle against the neighborhood problems in Mt Pleasant for the last 12 years, NC was never consulted by the MPNA regarding best approaches to dealing with this very vulnerable population with multiple needs. When I eventually learned about the so-called “voluntary agreements” that banned live music in Mt Pleasant restaurants � I was completely perplexed. How is it that banning live music will help a man addicted to alcohol � a man that can’t even patronize the establishments � stop drinking, stop living on the streets and change his life for the better? I don’t see the connection, because there isn’t one. The restrictions in these agreements unjustifiably infringe the rights of the businesses, their patrons, and really of all the citizens; but they do absolutely nothing to address the problems of the neighborhood.

[igorok]

[MPNA]

MPNA has worked with NC since its inception and until some of their employees starting to attack our organization even with our outpour of help and support, so we chose other charities to work with.

Here are some MPNA/Consejo historical facts:

In March 1996, The Mount Pleasant Virtual Community website was the first website to ever host Neighbors Consejo efforts to raise money and awareness to the community. MPNA donated $400.00 to Consejo.

September 16, 1997:
MPNA worked very closely with Consejo's director. Information given to Alliance board member Joan Gordon by Neighbors' Consejo director, Rev. Linda Kaufmann, led to the MPD/DCRA stakeout and arrest of one of the early morning (4-5 AM) bootleggers selling alcohol from the trunk of his car at the corner of Kenyon and Mt. Pleasant Streets.

December 9, 1997

The Rev. Linda M. Kaufman
Executive Director
Neighbors Consejo
1624 Lamont Street, NW
Washington, DC 20010

Dear Reverend Kaufman:

Enclosed please find a check for $250.00 to be applied to five nights of rent to Sacred Heart Church in support of bringing McKenna’s Wagon off the streets and into a more controlled environment. The Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Alliance (MPNA) supports all your efforts as this has been a major objective of many people and organizations in this community.

Now is the time for the rest of these community organizations to “put their money where their mouth is”. MPNA has presented a challenge to them. I have enclosed the email I have sent electronically to over 280 residents here in Mount Pleasant of which include the ANC, Mainstreet, the Business Association, and Historic Mount Pleasant, and other organizations.

Please keep in touch with me and let me know the progress.

Sincerely, MPNA President

Posted on email forum 12/12/97:

MPNA CHALLENGES THE ANC, MAIN STREET, the BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, HMP, LEDC, YMCA, LAYC, CATHOLIC CHARITIES, and STAND FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, to MATCH OUR DONATION with cash or volunteer time. For each organization that MATCHES or EXCEEDS MPNA's donation, MPNA will make an additional $10.00 contribution. GO FOR THE CHALLENGE!!

February 1999:
MPNA COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
For Outstanding Community Service
Brian Anders - Neighbors Consejo

The Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Alliance (MPNA) presented Mr. Brian Anders of Neighbors Consejo with the 1998 MPNA Community Services Award for his dedication and service in helping the homeless and low-income people of our neighborhood.

Brian has been working with the homeless for the last 15 years - from 1983 to 1992 he worked downtown (on 2nd and D St.) in one of the largest homeless shelters in the US, where he served as floor supervisor and service coordinator.

In 1992, he began managing Zacchaeus Kitchen where they served nearly 400 people daily. When he joined Neighbors' Consejo in June of 1997, he was still volunteering there.

Brian, who is an incredibly compassionate and caring individual, has spent much of his life dedicated to the plight of the poor and underprivileged. When talking to him, people realize how sincere he is and respond - Brian knows every single homeless person in this area and much of downtown. He cannot walk one block without someone, white, black or Hispanic, calling out to him to greet him. He is undoubtedly the most gifted outreach worker in D.C.

Brian has been running the indoor dinner program since February 1998 and, along with the Neighbors' Consejo team, has shaped it into a real program - not just "feeding faces" but something much more. Consejo now has spiritual counseling, drug treatment agencies, mental health and healthcare agencies actively and consistently involved in this program and offering services to their clients.

Through the dinner program, and as a service provider himself, Brian also is involved in the community coordination and has been the crucial link to many community agencies and project collaborations - again, other service providers see his compassion, experience and knowledge of the issues and believe in him.

Neighbors' Consejo has grown considerably in the last year and they have a wonderful, gifted team, but there is no doubt that it would not be where it is today without Brian and his ceaseless efforts, compassion, and ability to maintain a sense of humor and sanity despite all odds!

Thank you Brian!

October 1999 Fannie Mae 5K Walk
MPNA raises funds for Neighbors Consejo through Fannie Mae 5K Walk. Fannie Mae will match every dollar donated.

February 2000: MPNA Awarded a Community Service Award to Rob Fleming, then Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Neighbors’ Consejo

[jack]

[dreabee]

Laurie:

I think you are missing the point. The issue at hand here is not whether or not MPNA supported the work of other groups. The issue is that the MPNA recently claimed both on the City Paper blog and in their newsletter, that they were the ONLY group working on issues related to alcoholism, as reflected in this statement made by the MPNA:

"The Board heard from many residents who spoke about how for years,
MPNA was the only civic group taking a leadership role in the
community when everyone else did not—where were these groups over
the last decade?"

That's great you recognized the work they did in the past. But you are now claiming that nobody but the MPNA took any leadership role in the community, and that statement is clearly false when you look at all the hard work the Neighbors Consejo has done in this very community over the years.

[MPNA]

July 8, 1996

TO: MPNA BOARD

SUBJECT: Grant Proposal from the Neighbors’ Consejo

The Consejo is preparing to launch a “Make Change for the Homeless” campaign. The campaign will be aimed at cutting down on contributions to panhandlers and offering productive alternatives. The Consejo will be displaying brochures, posters and donation cans in businesses in an effort to increase awareness of the Consejo’s work in the community and encourage patrons to put their spare change in the Consejo donation cans rather than in the panhandlers. They will offer information cards with local homeless services listed to panhandlers and will hold a town meeting explaining how individuals can help.

They have requested $350 from the Alliance to help them launch their campaign. This will include the following:
$100 Printing of cards
$100 Printing of posters
$ 75 Purchase of donation cans
$ 75 Purchase of stands for brochures

The total project budget is $700.00, so they are asking us for half which we in turn provided.

[Laurie]

Dreabee: Where in that sentence, or for that matter, in the entire article does it refer to alcoholism?

[dreabee]

Laurie:

Okay, I amend my comment, and will stick to the claim made by the MPNA that they were the only civic group taking a leadership role in the community. Therefore, are you claiming that Neighbors Consejo did not take a leadership role in the community? I am going to re-cite the testimony I posted above to point out what Neighbors Consejo has done to address alcoholism:

In 1997 NC coordinated the collaboration between Martha’s Table and Sacred Heart Church to move the nightly food truck out of “Pigeon Park,” where it had attracted a permanent population of the homeless, traumatized and alcoholic, who took to living in the yards, porches and alleys of Mt Pleasant. The food service was moved from the park to the church, where other services could be coordinated, and almost instantly the problems in Mt Pleasant were drastically reduced. In 1998 NC started transitional housing for homeless men. In 2000 we initiated the first all day out- patient treatment program, and graduated about 50 adults each year. In 2004, we started the first in-patient addiction treatment program, which serves up to 20 adults in recovery at a time.

Neighbors Consejo had teams of outreach workers on the streets of Mt Pleasant every day establishing relationships and encouraging engagement in services. Our staff, which grew from 2 to 35 employees over a few short years, knew everyone on the streets - and everyone knew us.

Now, this, in my mind, constitutes leadership. In fact, as you have now informed me, MPNA gave a Neighbors Consejo board member and a Neighbors Consejo staff member awards for their outstanding work.

Why would MPNA then claim that they are the only civic group taking a leadership role? Would the MPNA be willing to retract that statement given the fact that we have evidence that another civic group took an active leadership role in dealing with one of Mt Pleasant's concerns -- alcoholism and its attendant disruptions to community life -- and given the fact that the MPNA has publicly recognized this work in past years?

[wdcma]

Nobody is arguing that Neighbors Consejo has done nothing in the community. For that matter, there have been lots of other social service groups working in Mt. Pleasant as well, Spanish Catholic Center, Family Place, etc... No one says that these organizations have not filled a need in the community and have done nothing.

The statements made at the ABC Bd hearings refering to 'civic groups' refer to civic associations that are made of members of the community.

It is silly I suppose but this is all semantics - when referring to 'civic groups' based on traditional definition, you would not consider them a civic group is a citizens association that has a membership of residents. That was the sense of it.

Also it was noted in testimony at ABC Board that the MPNA is not a social services organization - that's what one would consider Neighbors Consejo, McKenna House, Spanish Catholic Charities, Family Place, etc. They don't call themselves civic groups. They deal with social services issues - i.e., alcoholism, homelessness. MPNA, as noted in testimony, is not a social services agency looking to rehabilitate homeless. MPNA, as noted in testimony, has worked historically, and continues to work in support of those social service orgs/agencies to address those social problems.

MPNA statement that they were the only civic group is correct in saying that there were no other civic groups/associations that dealt with alcohol licensing related issues - MPNA did not state there were no others dealing with alcoholism. The references were not made to alcoholism.

This seems to be a misunderstanding of what was originally said.

I hope this clears it up and I hope there is no further need to argue this.

It's not worth the time and energy we all could be spending doing other things.

Marika