Happy New Year!

It's been a crazy year for many reasons, but I'm grateful that the blog has continued to grow and be read by so many people. The blog went viral nationally a few times, and appeared on the front page of HuffPost and NPR, was quoted by the New York Times and helped change animal welfare laws in the District, and was voted Best Community Blog (runner up!) for the second time in two years. Not too shabby.

Here's a look at the top 10 articles and content based on number of unique readers from the past year. I hope the year ahead is a healthy and happy one for you.

#10: A tie between Fia's on HGTV and the Community Calendar

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Petworth and Fia’s Fab Finds to appear on HGTV's House Hunters

This is great! Local fashion boutique store Fia’s Fabulous Finds is going to be on the next episode of HGTV’s House Hunters on Monday, August 14th! House Hunters selected the boutique to be one of the local stores to tape their opening segment.

Community Calendar

#9: An appeal to help victims of the Peabody Street Fire

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Ways to help those affected by the Peabody Street apartment fire

At 3am on Saturday morning, June 24th, Jenny Gomez woke up to thick smoke and a three-alarm fire raging at her apartment building on the 1300 block of Peabody Street. She managed to get out of the apartment, even as she lost all of her clothes and possessions. One man, a father of a young child at LAMB charter, perished in the blaze.

#8: Petworth families march to protest the new president

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Hundreds join the Petworth Family March to demonstrate solidarity (photo gallery)

Several neighbors decided that instead of taking their young kids and families down to the craziness of the National Mall for the Women's March, they thought they would try to gather a few local families together to create their own Petworth Family March. Well, it wasn't a few people who showed up, it was hundreds of people.

Family March from Sherman Circle to Petworth Library on Saturday, 1/21

Inauguration is happening on Friday, and the Women's March is set for Saturday, but it's not all happening down on the Mall. Petworth is having its own Family March on January 21st from 9:45am-11:00am for neighborhood children and families to show their support and solidarity with the Women's March on the National Mall.

With the crowds and potential craziness that such a large, national march might entail but still wanting to participate, some Petworth parents are creating a local march that will be calmer and share with children the importance of community.

"By marching together, we believe we are helping our children learn to use their voices and stand for what they believe in.”

#7: Old Post Office to get new tenants

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The old Petworth post office has a new owner

Petworth used to have a convenient post office at 4211 9th Street NW. It was shut down a couple of years ago, and stories about what was to come in that place were circulating. At one time I had heard it was to be a senior services center, but now we know what’s coming to the space.

#6: Learning how to take advantage of DC's Security Camera program

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Take advantage of the DC Security Camera Rebate Program (updated)

Here’s how to take advantage of DC's Private Security Camera System Incentive Program. DC offers up to $500 to residents and up to $750 for businesses and churches to cover the hardware costs. Article includes background, how to sign up and camera suggestions.

#5: A community aghast at Annie's Hardware being robbed

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Annie's Hardware robbed at gunpoint on Saturday evening

I drove by Annie's Ace Hardware on Saturday night just after 7pm to see half a dozen MPD cars parked out front. According to MPD's twitter account, and an MPD notification email today, the store was robbed at gunpoint by two men.

#4: Yard signs went viral across the country, appearing in NPR (twice!), HuffPost, TV and more

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A message of acceptance and welcome: How to print your own "glad you're our neighbor" sign

The response to the "glad you're our neighbor" yard signs has been pretty amazing. When I posted to the blog we sold out. Then TV channels ran stories, and NPR did a national story. And we've been inundated with requests from across the country for signs.

You can get a "Glad You're Our Neighbor" sign from Stand Up Signs!

First of all... wow. We sold 460 signs to neighbors. Most purchased one sign, some people bought 3, 4 or more. Knowing so many of our neighbors believe in acceptance is extremely heartening. Thanks for making Petworth amazing.

#3: A British pub comes to Upshur Street... (someday?)

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Here's a peek at Chef Alex McCoy’s next restaurant opening on Upshur Street

Alex McCoy made a splash on the Food Network Star reality TV show two years ago, even as his star was already rising in DC. From Duke’s restaurant to Alfie’s to the soon-to-open Lucky Buns in Adam Morgan, Alex has made his passion for launching new restaurant ideas his career. The restaurant at 845 Upshur Street is the next new idea he’s working on, and he’s really excited about it.

#2: The best way to find all the area email listservs

Petworth Area Listservs

#1 Most Popular: The top article for 2017...

The sad story of Momma the pit bull, a story that went viral nationally with emails, tweets, TV pieces and other publications around the country writing about it. The series about Momma helped push the DC Council to pass much stronger animal welfare laws.

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A frozen heart: A dog left outside in freezing temperatures, frustrated neighbors and a city agency that can’t seem to help

There’s a dog that’s been stuck in a small fenced-in area in freezing temperatures, snow and wind, and even with the continual efforts of a group of neighbors, neither the homeowner, the dog’s owner nor the city has changed the dog’s situation.

Editor's Note: I started this blog by accident in 2015, and created something that I believe ended up being valuable for the community. I believe that because people tell me that's how they feel, which is the best form of compensation and compliment I can possibly receive. Thank you for reading Petworth News and being a part of this site!