DC’s Winter Ready grant program helps Petworth restaurants prepare for colder months

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DC’s Winter Ready grant program helps Petworth restaurants prepare for colder months

In colder temperatures, folks may increasingly have to choose between dining indoors, at higher risk to Covid, or give up restaurants altogether.

So Mayor Muriel Bowser and Shawn Townsend, the Director of the DC Office of Nightlife and Culture, came up with a plan: they opened a $4 million grant to provide funds to restaurants seeking to winterize their space. The Streatery Winter Ready Grant Program provides up to $6,000 per restaurant for sidewalk cafes, summer gardens, and streaterys, located in DC. The grants can be used for tents, heating, lighting, furniture, and marketing – all in hopes of sustaining outdoor dining during the chillier months.

Here’s what some local restaurants are doing.

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Truesdell finally gets a new playground and residents are happy

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Truesdell finally gets a new playground and residents are happy

On Friday, November 13th, Mayor Muriel Bowser held an opening ceremony for the new $1.5 million playground at Truesdell Elementary School at 800 Ingraham Street NW. The new playground replaced a nearly 40-year old playground that was too small and proved to be unsafe for multiple students, according to Fareha Ahmed with the Truesdell’s Family Teacher Organization.

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Creating a level playing field for all kids equally #GivingTuesday

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Creating a level playing field for all kids equally #GivingTuesday

Leveling the Playing Field has been collecting new and gently-used sports and playground equipment to donate to underprivileged groups, community programs, and schools. They have been able to collect over $6.5 million in equipment to donate to youth organizations, after-school programs, schools, and sports leagues, and have impacted over 950 programs in the DMV helping to bridge the gap for the growing inequality between those that can afford to play sports and those that cannot. They are making sure no child is left on the sideline no matter what their family’s economic situation may be.

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Proposed library changes: Shepherd Park to close, Petworth to get refreshed, new Brightwood Park library

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Proposed library changes: Shepherd Park to close, Petworth to get refreshed, new Brightwood Park library

DC Public Libraries released a new master plan on November 19th that proposes changes to the libraries in our area, including refreshing the existing Petworth library and replacing the existing Shepherd Park library with a new library in Brightwood Park. The plan, titled Next Libris, Latin for “from the books,” lays out its research over DC demographics, library usage trends, and its goals in the coming years.

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Local school PTAs organize fundraisers to help their students and families

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Local school PTAs organize fundraisers to help their students and families

While COVID-19 has definitely thwarted schools’ ability to fundraise, local Petworth schools are still holding holiday fundraisers to benefit their students. Many local families have been hit hard by COVID-19 and are still in need of assistance. Donating to your neighborhood school if you are able is a great way to give back to your hyperlocal community. The schools thank you in advance!

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Community of Hope celebrates 40th anniversary serving DC families #GivingTuesday

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Community of Hope celebrates 40th anniversary serving DC families #GivingTuesday

Since Community of Hope (COH) opened in Columbia Heights in September 1980, the District has experienced many demographic and economic changes, but the nonprofit healthcare and housing organization has not wavered in its commitment to the people of DC. Now based in Ward 8, Community of Hope has expanded its reach, with housing and health centers in Wards 1, 5 and 8, drawing patients and families from across the city.

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Why were power and lights flickering across the area last week?

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Why were power and lights flickering across the area last week?

On Wednesday, November 11th, the local Twitterverse and email listservs lit up about homes being in the dark. People from Park View up to Brightwood and over to Crestwood and 16th Street Heights all commented that their lights were flickering on and off. What was going on?

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Autumn slowly falls over Petworth with warm colors for the colder days

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Autumn slowly falls over Petworth with warm colors for the colder days

The fall colors in the neighborhood have been especially good this year. All the rain over the summer helped the trees hold onto their leaves longer than last year and the results have been spectacular.

If you’ve found yourself walking around our beautiful neighborhood admiring the flowers and wondering what you’re looking at, we’re here to help. Welcome to "Petworth Blooming,” a popular series featuring some of the most common plants and flowers seen around Petworth. Follow @petworthblooms on Instagram for additional photos of our neighborhood flora.

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Opportunities for neighbors to help neighbors: Ward 4 Mutual Aid Network for #GivingTuesday

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Opportunities for neighbors to help neighbors: Ward 4 Mutual Aid Network for #GivingTuesday

Mutual Aid groups have existed across time and cultures. Normally they develop within marginalized communities, harnessing collective power to provide basic needs for people failed by government systems. Mutual aids have operated within Wards 7 and 8 for years, but now there is one in every DC Ward.

As people began to lose their jobs during the pandemic, more local residents found themselves unable to purchase basic items for themselves or their families. Simultaneously, Washingtonians wanted to assist their neighbors. Volunteers from the already existing mutual aids worked across the city to support the creation of ward specific mutual aids.

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In Park View, the Park Morton equity plan goals get support by ANC 1A; residents still concerned

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In Park View, the Park Morton equity plan goals get support by ANC 1A; residents still concerned

The Park Morton Equity Plan is a resident-drafted series of recommendations to DC government authorities on how to address their public housing renovation needs, including enhancing residents’ employment opportunities, enacting a renovation plan in which the city builds replacement units before demolition, and increasing home ownership opportunities. ANC 1A approved the goals of the plan at a recent meeting, yet some residents remain unimpressed by the plan.

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ANC 4C and 4D Commissioner winners

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ANC 4C and 4D Commissioner winners

Numbers for local Advisory Neighborhood Commission elections aren’t finalized, but they’re pretty final. Here are the winners for ANC 4C and 4D for 2020.

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Let Petworth restaurants make your Thanksgiving easy and delicious

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Let Petworth restaurants make your Thanksgiving easy and delicious

COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in many of our Thanksgiving plans, but that does not mean it should keep us from having a delicious holiday meal. Whether you are looking to cook an entire meal or want to skip the cooking altogether (we don’t blame you, 2020 has been exhausting) we have rounded up the best Turkey Day options in Petworth.

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Photo gallery of the Socially Distant Halloween Parade!

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Photo gallery of the Socially Distant Halloween Parade!

The Petworth News Socially Distant Halloween Parade was a success! Really couldn’t be happier with how smoothly the parade went, how many people showed up, the kids and the costumes — awesome. It couldn’t have happened without the whole neighborhood pulling together!

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La Coop Coffee Shop in struggle with landlord who tried to force them out of their property

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La Coop Coffee Shop in struggle with landlord who tried to force them out of their property

An ongoing feud between a new small business and their landlord spilled out onto the sidewalk as the landlord tried to board up the building in the evening of November 3rd. There has been a strong outpouring of support for La Coop Coffee Shop by the community, and questions remain about what will happen next.

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