SWS has jumped the shark

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

You seem not to know what "performative" means. You accuse him of being performative regarding racism and then take issue with him trying to convert Sherwood to a shelter. Performative would be giving lip service to the need for shelters and supports and then refusing to allow them in his Ward (hello W3). That's not what happened here. What happened here is he advocated for a scarce resource to be allocated to one marginalized group over and above another, both of which serve equity and racism goals.

What's funny is I categorically object to converting Sherwood to a shelter. I want it to remain what it is and I don't want the shelter next to a school. Heck, I don't want it in my neighborhood either, but I'm not a bleeding heart. I think he's wrong. I've told his staff this. But the example you cite above is NOT performative.

No, it absolutely is performative. There was no need to sacrifice the rec center for this stunt. There are other places and hotels to house the drug addicts on H street. And while Allen gets the bragging rights for being a savior, it is his constituents who must suffer the loss of a valuable community resource, not him.

I don’t think there is a proposal to turn Sherwood into a homeless shelter. AFAIK it has been operating for years as an overflow hyperthermia shelter for women as needed during the winter.

People at the meeting objected to turning Sherwood into a temporary shelter not because (as Allen alleged) we are bad people but because there is almost no programming at all at Sherwood as it is a temporary shelter.

Shutting down the playground for the fall that serves SWS is another heartbreak. So we are losing rec center programming and a playground, both valuable resources for the community.

Allen’s plan is to write letters but otherwise do nothing. He needs to go. Pathetic.

Why is the playground being shut down?

https://capitolhillcorner.org/2023/07/26/mpd-expects-closure-in-july-3-murder-of-afghan-lyft-driver-on-11th-street-ne/

"Dysfunction at Sherwood Recreation Center. CM Charles Allen responded to a question about lack of programming and maintenance at Sherwood Recreation Center. He expressed frustration with the Department of Parks and Recreation saying the lack of programming a huge problem. He cited his success in getting funding last winter to get the playground resurfaced and worked to get a contract out but DGS “is so far behind” that they delayed the project until this fall which is prime time for the playground. He said that we’re not seeing DGS and DPR invest in Sherwood the way they need to and noted that Sherwood is one of a handful of DPR facilities used as hypothermia shelters and that has a significant impact on the community.
Commissioner Roberta Shapiro added her own frustration at trying to determine accountability for the lack of programming and maintenance at the facility citing a meeting with DPR staff last Friday. She said she found herself in a Catch 22 bureaucratic situation with nobody accountable. Programming is do it yourself with nothing for seniors and no arts programs and two hours for small children. ANC6A wrote a letter to DPR in June, received no response, followed up two weeks ago, and as far as she knew, received no response to that. Regarding the hypothermia shelter, she said when you ask how they are allocated and for a list of shelters, DPR says it comes from the Department of Human Services, and they both say the Mayor makes the final decision."

So sounds like it will be temporarily closed for resurfacing.

That's crazy. The surface is not so bad in the playground that kids can't use it... They should at least wait for winter & try to get it done in December/Jan/Feb when there's less use. Also, how long could resurfacing the playground possibly take? The whole playground surface was put in in the not-so-new anymore Miner playground in 1-2 weeks? If that's all they mean, this is a much less big deal (although I still wouldn't time it with the beginning of school, because that sucks for the SWS kids).

Would it surprise you to know that people at an ANC meeting are exaggerating? Both the length of the playground closure and the impact of the hypothermia women’s shelter (which has been operating as such at Sherwood for several years.) The only actual problem here seems to be lack of programs at Sherwood.

The shelter operates only at night during cold emergencies and likely under capacity. That should not impact programming extensively.

Last winter the women's hypothermia shelter limited the availability of the basketball court in the evenings. (If you have a kid who plays basketball you know court time is hard to get!) It also encouraged the women who use the shelter to hang out outside Sherwood in unsafe manners throughout the evening. There is no real security and many of these women have significant mental illnesses. My family witnessed women urinating in the landscaping, women passing out in the doorway, and women ranting and screaming at no one. It did not feel safe. We used to let our kids walk into the rec center alone but when the shelter is operating we feel we need to escort them.

This makes me sad. Someone died a few blocks from our house from hypothermia a few winters ago. I wish we had better solutions that took care of people with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems, that didn't compromise the ability of the community to also have resources like programming and rec sports availability.

We have some much empty office space in the city right now. Why aren't we using it to help people?

See, above. People like you are all about "helping" as long as it isn't in your neighborhood.

You’re not talking to me, but I will happily respond. There is no reason to use Sherwood. Most community rec centers are not used for this purpose. Instead of pushing to keep the community rec center for Capitol Hill open for the community, Charles Allen would rather shame the people who elected him to the Dc council instead of finding solutions for the whole community.

He is a total disgrace.

As my mother used to tell me, if you feel shame that's about how you feel about yourself. Maybe you ought to look in the mirror?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

You seem not to know what "performative" means. You accuse him of being performative regarding racism and then take issue with him trying to convert Sherwood to a shelter. Performative would be giving lip service to the need for shelters and supports and then refusing to allow them in his Ward (hello W3). That's not what happened here. What happened here is he advocated for a scarce resource to be allocated to one marginalized group over and above another, both of which serve equity and racism goals.

What's funny is I categorically object to converting Sherwood to a shelter. I want it to remain what it is and I don't want the shelter next to a school. Heck, I don't want it in my neighborhood either, but I'm not a bleeding heart. I think he's wrong. I've told his staff this. But the example you cite above is NOT performative.

No, it absolutely is performative. There was no need to sacrifice the rec center for this stunt. There are other places and hotels to house the drug addicts on H street. And while Allen gets the bragging rights for being a savior, it is his constituents who must suffer the loss of a valuable community resource, not him.

I don’t think there is a proposal to turn Sherwood into a homeless shelter. AFAIK it has been operating for years as an overflow hyperthermia shelter for women as needed during the winter.

People at the meeting objected to turning Sherwood into a temporary shelter not because (as Allen alleged) we are bad people but because there is almost no programming at all at Sherwood as it is a temporary shelter.

Shutting down the playground for the fall that serves SWS is another heartbreak. So we are losing rec center programming and a playground, both valuable resources for the community.

Allen’s plan is to write letters but otherwise do nothing. He needs to go. Pathetic.

Why is the playground being shut down?

https://capitolhillcorner.org/2023/07/26/mpd-expects-closure-in-july-3-murder-of-afghan-lyft-driver-on-11th-street-ne/

"Dysfunction at Sherwood Recreation Center. CM Charles Allen responded to a question about lack of programming and maintenance at Sherwood Recreation Center. He expressed frustration with the Department of Parks and Recreation saying the lack of programming a huge problem. He cited his success in getting funding last winter to get the playground resurfaced and worked to get a contract out but DGS “is so far behind” that they delayed the project until this fall which is prime time for the playground. He said that we’re not seeing DGS and DPR invest in Sherwood the way they need to and noted that Sherwood is one of a handful of DPR facilities used as hypothermia shelters and that has a significant impact on the community.
Commissioner Roberta Shapiro added her own frustration at trying to determine accountability for the lack of programming and maintenance at the facility citing a meeting with DPR staff last Friday. She said she found herself in a Catch 22 bureaucratic situation with nobody accountable. Programming is do it yourself with nothing for seniors and no arts programs and two hours for small children. ANC6A wrote a letter to DPR in June, received no response, followed up two weeks ago, and as far as she knew, received no response to that. Regarding the hypothermia shelter, she said when you ask how they are allocated and for a list of shelters, DPR says it comes from the Department of Human Services, and they both say the Mayor makes the final decision."

So sounds like it will be temporarily closed for resurfacing.

That's crazy. The surface is not so bad in the playground that kids can't use it... They should at least wait for winter & try to get it done in December/Jan/Feb when there's less use. Also, how long could resurfacing the playground possibly take? The whole playground surface was put in in the not-so-new anymore Miner playground in 1-2 weeks? If that's all they mean, this is a much less big deal (although I still wouldn't time it with the beginning of school, because that sucks for the SWS kids).

Would it surprise you to know that people at an ANC meeting are exaggerating? Both the length of the playground closure and the impact of the hypothermia women’s shelter (which has been operating as such at Sherwood for several years.) The only actual problem here seems to be lack of programs at Sherwood.

The shelter operates only at night during cold emergencies and likely under capacity. That should not impact programming extensively.

Last winter the women's hypothermia shelter limited the availability of the basketball court in the evenings. (If you have a kid who plays basketball you know court time is hard to get!) It also encouraged the women who use the shelter to hang out outside Sherwood in unsafe manners throughout the evening. There is no real security and many of these women have significant mental illnesses. My family witnessed women urinating in the landscaping, women passing out in the doorway, and women ranting and screaming at no one. It did not feel safe. We used to let our kids walk into the rec center alone but when the shelter is operating we feel we need to escort them.

This makes me sad. Someone died a few blocks from our house from hypothermia a few winters ago. I wish we had better solutions that took care of people with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems, that didn't compromise the ability of the community to also have resources like programming and rec sports availability.

We have some much empty office space in the city right now. Why aren't we using it to help people?

See, above. People like you are all about "helping" as long as it isn't in your neighborhood.

So you think it’s a good idea to warehouse homeless people in the same place as small children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

You seem not to know what "performative" means. You accuse him of being performative regarding racism and then take issue with him trying to convert Sherwood to a shelter. Performative would be giving lip service to the need for shelters and supports and then refusing to allow them in his Ward (hello W3). That's not what happened here. What happened here is he advocated for a scarce resource to be allocated to one marginalized group over and above another, both of which serve equity and racism goals.

What's funny is I categorically object to converting Sherwood to a shelter. I want it to remain what it is and I don't want the shelter next to a school. Heck, I don't want it in my neighborhood either, but I'm not a bleeding heart. I think he's wrong. I've told his staff this. But the example you cite above is NOT performative.

No, it absolutely is performative. There was no need to sacrifice the rec center for this stunt. There are other places and hotels to house the drug addicts on H street. And while Allen gets the bragging rights for being a savior, it is his constituents who must suffer the loss of a valuable community resource, not him.

I don’t think there is a proposal to turn Sherwood into a homeless shelter. AFAIK it has been operating for years as an overflow hyperthermia shelter for women as needed during the winter.

People at the meeting objected to turning Sherwood into a temporary shelter not because (as Allen alleged) we are bad people but because there is almost no programming at all at Sherwood as it is a temporary shelter.

Shutting down the playground for the fall that serves SWS is another heartbreak. So we are losing rec center programming and a playground, both valuable resources for the community.

Allen’s plan is to write letters but otherwise do nothing. He needs to go. Pathetic.

Why is the playground being shut down?

https://capitolhillcorner.org/2023/07/26/mpd-expects-closure-in-july-3-murder-of-afghan-lyft-driver-on-11th-street-ne/

"Dysfunction at Sherwood Recreation Center. CM Charles Allen responded to a question about lack of programming and maintenance at Sherwood Recreation Center. He expressed frustration with the Department of Parks and Recreation saying the lack of programming a huge problem. He cited his success in getting funding last winter to get the playground resurfaced and worked to get a contract out but DGS “is so far behind” that they delayed the project until this fall which is prime time for the playground. He said that we’re not seeing DGS and DPR invest in Sherwood the way they need to and noted that Sherwood is one of a handful of DPR facilities used as hypothermia shelters and that has a significant impact on the community.
Commissioner Roberta Shapiro added her own frustration at trying to determine accountability for the lack of programming and maintenance at the facility citing a meeting with DPR staff last Friday. She said she found herself in a Catch 22 bureaucratic situation with nobody accountable. Programming is do it yourself with nothing for seniors and no arts programs and two hours for small children. ANC6A wrote a letter to DPR in June, received no response, followed up two weeks ago, and as far as she knew, received no response to that. Regarding the hypothermia shelter, she said when you ask how they are allocated and for a list of shelters, DPR says it comes from the Department of Human Services, and they both say the Mayor makes the final decision."

So sounds like it will be temporarily closed for resurfacing.

That's crazy. The surface is not so bad in the playground that kids can't use it... They should at least wait for winter & try to get it done in December/Jan/Feb when there's less use. Also, how long could resurfacing the playground possibly take? The whole playground surface was put in in the not-so-new anymore Miner playground in 1-2 weeks? If that's all they mean, this is a much less big deal (although I still wouldn't time it with the beginning of school, because that sucks for the SWS kids).

Would it surprise you to know that people at an ANC meeting are exaggerating? Both the length of the playground closure and the impact of the hypothermia women’s shelter (which has been operating as such at Sherwood for several years.) The only actual problem here seems to be lack of programs at Sherwood.

The shelter operates only at night during cold emergencies and likely under capacity. That should not impact programming extensively.

Last winter the women's hypothermia shelter limited the availability of the basketball court in the evenings. (If you have a kid who plays basketball you know court time is hard to get!) It also encouraged the women who use the shelter to hang out outside Sherwood in unsafe manners throughout the evening. There is no real security and many of these women have significant mental illnesses. My family witnessed women urinating in the landscaping, women passing out in the doorway, and women ranting and screaming at no one. It did not feel safe. We used to let our kids walk into the rec center alone but when the shelter is operating we feel we need to escort them.

This makes me sad. Someone died a few blocks from our house from hypothermia a few winters ago. I wish we had better solutions that took care of people with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems, that didn't compromise the ability of the community to also have resources like programming and rec sports availability.

We have some much empty office space in the city right now. Why aren't we using it to help people?

See, above. People like you are all about "helping" as long as it isn't in your neighborhood.

You’re not talking to me, but I will happily respond. There is no reason to use Sherwood. Most community rec centers are not used for this purpose. Instead of pushing to keep the community rec center for Capitol Hill open for the community, Charles Allen would rather shame the people who elected him to the Dc council instead of finding solutions for the whole community.

He is a total disgrace.

As my mother used to tell me, if you feel shame that's about how you feel about yourself. Maybe you ought to look in the mirror?

I feel no shame. Charles Allen should be ashamed of himself since he does nothing for the children of Capitol Hill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

You seem not to know what "performative" means. You accuse him of being performative regarding racism and then take issue with him trying to convert Sherwood to a shelter. Performative would be giving lip service to the need for shelters and supports and then refusing to allow them in his Ward (hello W3). That's not what happened here. What happened here is he advocated for a scarce resource to be allocated to one marginalized group over and above another, both of which serve equity and racism goals.

What's funny is I categorically object to converting Sherwood to a shelter. I want it to remain what it is and I don't want the shelter next to a school. Heck, I don't want it in my neighborhood either, but I'm not a bleeding heart. I think he's wrong. I've told his staff this. But the example you cite above is NOT performative.

No, it absolutely is performative. There was no need to sacrifice the rec center for this stunt. There are other places and hotels to house the drug addicts on H street. And while Allen gets the bragging rights for being a savior, it is his constituents who must suffer the loss of a valuable community resource, not him.

I don’t think there is a proposal to turn Sherwood into a homeless shelter. AFAIK it has been operating for years as an overflow hyperthermia shelter for women as needed during the winter.

People at the meeting objected to turning Sherwood into a temporary shelter not because (as Allen alleged) we are bad people but because there is almost no programming at all at Sherwood as it is a temporary shelter.

Shutting down the playground for the fall that serves SWS is another heartbreak. So we are losing rec center programming and a playground, both valuable resources for the community.

Allen’s plan is to write letters but otherwise do nothing. He needs to go. Pathetic.

Why is the playground being shut down?

https://capitolhillcorner.org/2023/07/26/mpd-expects-closure-in-july-3-murder-of-afghan-lyft-driver-on-11th-street-ne/

"Dysfunction at Sherwood Recreation Center. CM Charles Allen responded to a question about lack of programming and maintenance at Sherwood Recreation Center. He expressed frustration with the Department of Parks and Recreation saying the lack of programming a huge problem. He cited his success in getting funding last winter to get the playground resurfaced and worked to get a contract out but DGS “is so far behind” that they delayed the project until this fall which is prime time for the playground. He said that we’re not seeing DGS and DPR invest in Sherwood the way they need to and noted that Sherwood is one of a handful of DPR facilities used as hypothermia shelters and that has a significant impact on the community.
Commissioner Roberta Shapiro added her own frustration at trying to determine accountability for the lack of programming and maintenance at the facility citing a meeting with DPR staff last Friday. She said she found herself in a Catch 22 bureaucratic situation with nobody accountable. Programming is do it yourself with nothing for seniors and no arts programs and two hours for small children. ANC6A wrote a letter to DPR in June, received no response, followed up two weeks ago, and as far as she knew, received no response to that. Regarding the hypothermia shelter, she said when you ask how they are allocated and for a list of shelters, DPR says it comes from the Department of Human Services, and they both say the Mayor makes the final decision."

So sounds like it will be temporarily closed for resurfacing.

That's crazy. The surface is not so bad in the playground that kids can't use it... They should at least wait for winter & try to get it done in December/Jan/Feb when there's less use. Also, how long could resurfacing the playground possibly take? The whole playground surface was put in in the not-so-new anymore Miner playground in 1-2 weeks? If that's all they mean, this is a much less big deal (although I still wouldn't time it with the beginning of school, because that sucks for the SWS kids).

Would it surprise you to know that people at an ANC meeting are exaggerating? Both the length of the playground closure and the impact of the hypothermia women’s shelter (which has been operating as such at Sherwood for several years.) The only actual problem here seems to be lack of programs at Sherwood.

The shelter operates only at night during cold emergencies and likely under capacity. That should not impact programming extensively.

Last winter the women's hypothermia shelter limited the availability of the basketball court in the evenings. (If you have a kid who plays basketball you know court time is hard to get!) It also encouraged the women who use the shelter to hang out outside Sherwood in unsafe manners throughout the evening. There is no real security and many of these women have significant mental illnesses. My family witnessed women urinating in the landscaping, women passing out in the doorway, and women ranting and screaming at no one. It did not feel safe. We used to let our kids walk into the rec center alone but when the shelter is operating we feel we need to escort them.

This makes me sad. Someone died a few blocks from our house from hypothermia a few winters ago. I wish we had better solutions that took care of people with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems, that didn't compromise the ability of the community to also have resources like programming and rec sports availability.

We have some much empty office space in the city right now. Why aren't we using it to help people?

See, above. People like you are all about "helping" as long as it isn't in your neighborhood.

So you think it’s a good idea to warehouse homeless people in the same place as small children?

You’re trying to speak rationally to people incapable of understanding rational thought.

Capitol Hill kids deserve a decent rec center, a nice playground, and safe streets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

You seem not to know what "performative" means. You accuse him of being performative regarding racism and then take issue with him trying to convert Sherwood to a shelter. Performative would be giving lip service to the need for shelters and supports and then refusing to allow them in his Ward (hello W3). That's not what happened here. What happened here is he advocated for a scarce resource to be allocated to one marginalized group over and above another, both of which serve equity and racism goals.

What's funny is I categorically object to converting Sherwood to a shelter. I want it to remain what it is and I don't want the shelter next to a school. Heck, I don't want it in my neighborhood either, but I'm not a bleeding heart. I think he's wrong. I've told his staff this. But the example you cite above is NOT performative.

No, it absolutely is performative. There was no need to sacrifice the rec center for this stunt. There are other places and hotels to house the drug addicts on H street. And while Allen gets the bragging rights for being a savior, it is his constituents who must suffer the loss of a valuable community resource, not him.

I don’t think there is a proposal to turn Sherwood into a homeless shelter. AFAIK it has been operating for years as an overflow hyperthermia shelter for women as needed during the winter.

People at the meeting objected to turning Sherwood into a temporary shelter not because (as Allen alleged) we are bad people but because there is almost no programming at all at Sherwood as it is a temporary shelter.

Shutting down the playground for the fall that serves SWS is another heartbreak. So we are losing rec center programming and a playground, both valuable resources for the community.

Allen’s plan is to write letters but otherwise do nothing. He needs to go. Pathetic.

Why is the playground being shut down?

https://capitolhillcorner.org/2023/07/26/mpd-expects-closure-in-july-3-murder-of-afghan-lyft-driver-on-11th-street-ne/

"Dysfunction at Sherwood Recreation Center. CM Charles Allen responded to a question about lack of programming and maintenance at Sherwood Recreation Center. He expressed frustration with the Department of Parks and Recreation saying the lack of programming a huge problem. He cited his success in getting funding last winter to get the playground resurfaced and worked to get a contract out but DGS “is so far behind” that they delayed the project until this fall which is prime time for the playground. He said that we’re not seeing DGS and DPR invest in Sherwood the way they need to and noted that Sherwood is one of a handful of DPR facilities used as hypothermia shelters and that has a significant impact on the community.
Commissioner Roberta Shapiro added her own frustration at trying to determine accountability for the lack of programming and maintenance at the facility citing a meeting with DPR staff last Friday. She said she found herself in a Catch 22 bureaucratic situation with nobody accountable. Programming is do it yourself with nothing for seniors and no arts programs and two hours for small children. ANC6A wrote a letter to DPR in June, received no response, followed up two weeks ago, and as far as she knew, received no response to that. Regarding the hypothermia shelter, she said when you ask how they are allocated and for a list of shelters, DPR says it comes from the Department of Human Services, and they both say the Mayor makes the final decision."

So sounds like it will be temporarily closed for resurfacing.

That's crazy. The surface is not so bad in the playground that kids can't use it... They should at least wait for winter & try to get it done in December/Jan/Feb when there's less use. Also, how long could resurfacing the playground possibly take? The whole playground surface was put in in the not-so-new anymore Miner playground in 1-2 weeks? If that's all they mean, this is a much less big deal (although I still wouldn't time it with the beginning of school, because that sucks for the SWS kids).

Would it surprise you to know that people at an ANC meeting are exaggerating? Both the length of the playground closure and the impact of the hypothermia women’s shelter (which has been operating as such at Sherwood for several years.) The only actual problem here seems to be lack of programs at Sherwood.

The shelter operates only at night during cold emergencies and likely under capacity. That should not impact programming extensively.

Last winter the women's hypothermia shelter limited the availability of the basketball court in the evenings. (If you have a kid who plays basketball you know court time is hard to get!) It also encouraged the women who use the shelter to hang out outside Sherwood in unsafe manners throughout the evening. There is no real security and many of these women have significant mental illnesses. My family witnessed women urinating in the landscaping, women passing out in the doorway, and women ranting and screaming at no one. It did not feel safe. We used to let our kids walk into the rec center alone but when the shelter is operating we feel we need to escort them.

This makes me sad. Someone died a few blocks from our house from hypothermia a few winters ago. I wish we had better solutions that took care of people with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems, that didn't compromise the ability of the community to also have resources like programming and rec sports availability.

We have some much empty office space in the city right now. Why aren't we using it to help people?

See, above. People like you are all about "helping" as long as it isn't in your neighborhood.

So you think it’s a good idea to warehouse homeless people in the same place as small children?

I was responding to the person who asked why we don't [put homeless people in X place]. My reply was that the sentiment ignores the reality that people like you don't want them near their kids. Their seniors. Their families. Your reply quite literally makes my point for me!

In answer to your question, no, I don't want them near my kids. Or my house. But I'm intellectually honest about it. I don't walk through underpasses that smell like urine and feces and lament the plight of the poor unhoused. I want them removed so I don't have to walk on a street to get to the metro. I was beyond pissed at the activists who tried to stop all tent city closures because one person snuck back into their tent and was injured by a backhoe. I agree with Charles on some things an vehemently disagree with him on others. The difference between you and me is I don't personalize it when I disagree. I don't conflate policies with which I disagree with him being evil. When he tells me I'm wrong I don't get mad at him for "making me feel guilty", because I own my own feelings. My standard response is that it isn't that I don't care about homeless folks, I just care about other members of the community more. I was LIVID at Charles' press conference when he made a point of characterizing the person who committed violent crime on the metro as " in crisis".

[Anonymous]

Within 2 blocks of SWS, there are already TWO shelters and there is no need at all to have Sherwood act as a third. There are so many seniors and children (and adults would like exercise classes and to be able to use the gym) in the area that it could have programming from opening-closing every day and it would be used. It's a bad use of city resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Within 2 blocks of SWS, there are already TWO shelters and there is no need at all to have Sherwood act as a third. There are so many seniors and children (and adults would like exercise classes and to be able to use the gym) in the area that it could have programming from opening-closing every day and it would be used. It's a bad use of city resources.

this I agree with. Also a low-barrier shelter needs to have more staff to prevent things from happening like a PP stated. however at the end of the day, I can’t really get worked up about a use od a public facility to literally prevent women from freezing to death.

[Anonymous]

As a former SWS parent (who moved outside CH, and whose kids are in public MS/HS elsewhere), I find this entire thread fascinating. All the dysfunction described rings true. The crazy thing is now "normal" it felt at the time. My kids knew to avoid the Sherwood rec center and anyone who might be coming in and out. "Rec center" was synonymous with danger. How refreshing to now live in a place where rec centers are actually places where the local communities gather and I feel safe sending my kids to do things like shoot hoops!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Within 2 blocks of SWS, there are already TWO shelters and there is no need at all to have Sherwood act as a third. There are so many seniors and children (and adults would like exercise classes and to be able to use the gym) in the area that it could have programming from opening-closing every day and it would be used. It's a bad use of city resources.

this I agree with. Also a low-barrier shelter needs to have more staff to prevent things from happening like a PP stated. however at the end of the day, I can’t really get worked up about a use od a public facility to literally prevent women from freezing to death.

False choice. As PP noted, the women could stay at the other TWO shelters that are next to SWS, so maybe it's actually OK to leave the rec center open for the rest of us? We don't have to dedicate literally every last community resource to the homeless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

You seem not to know what "performative" means. You accuse him of being performative regarding racism and then take issue with him trying to convert Sherwood to a shelter. Performative would be giving lip service to the need for shelters and supports and then refusing to allow them in his Ward (hello W3). That's not what happened here. What happened here is he advocated for a scarce resource to be allocated to one marginalized group over and above another, both of which serve equity and racism goals.

What's funny is I categorically object to converting Sherwood to a shelter. I want it to remain what it is and I don't want the shelter next to a school. Heck, I don't want it in my neighborhood either, but I'm not a bleeding heart. I think he's wrong. I've told his staff this. But the example you cite above is NOT performative.

No, it absolutely is performative. There was no need to sacrifice the rec center for this stunt. There are other places and hotels to house the drug addicts on H street. And while Allen gets the bragging rights for being a savior, it is his constituents who must suffer the loss of a valuable community resource, not him.

I don’t think there is a proposal to turn Sherwood into a homeless shelter. AFAIK it has been operating for years as an overflow hyperthermia shelter for women as needed during the winter.

People at the meeting objected to turning Sherwood into a temporary shelter not because (as Allen alleged) we are bad people but because there is almost no programming at all at Sherwood as it is a temporary shelter.

Shutting down the playground for the fall that serves SWS is another heartbreak. So we are losing rec center programming and a playground, both valuable resources for the community.

Allen’s plan is to write letters but otherwise do nothing. He needs to go. Pathetic.

Why is the playground being shut down?

https://capitolhillcorner.org/2023/07/26/mpd-expects-closure-in-july-3-murder-of-afghan-lyft-driver-on-11th-street-ne/

"Dysfunction at Sherwood Recreation Center. CM Charles Allen responded to a question about lack of programming and maintenance at Sherwood Recreation Center. He expressed frustration with the Department of Parks and Recreation saying the lack of programming a huge problem. He cited his success in getting funding last winter to get the playground resurfaced and worked to get a contract out but DGS “is so far behind” that they delayed the project until this fall which is prime time for the playground. He said that we’re not seeing DGS and DPR invest in Sherwood the way they need to and noted that Sherwood is one of a handful of DPR facilities used as hypothermia shelters and that has a significant impact on the community.
Commissioner Roberta Shapiro added her own frustration at trying to determine accountability for the lack of programming and maintenance at the facility citing a meeting with DPR staff last Friday. She said she found herself in a Catch 22 bureaucratic situation with nobody accountable. Programming is do it yourself with nothing for seniors and no arts programs and two hours for small children. ANC6A wrote a letter to DPR in June, received no response, followed up two weeks ago, and as far as she knew, received no response to that. Regarding the hypothermia shelter, she said when you ask how they are allocated and for a list of shelters, DPR says it comes from the Department of Human Services, and they both say the Mayor makes the final decision."

So sounds like it will be temporarily closed for resurfacing.

Two weeks for resurfacing seems reasonable, but overlooks the dysfunction that is DC. When they put the playground in a few years ago it was installed late then sat unusable for a long time waiting on the surface to be installed. History rhymes here with DC govt not getting this done to not interfere with school starting

[Anonymous]

Hate us cuz they ain’t us

[Anonymous]

SWS dropped in the latest rankings. There needs to be more focus on academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also SWS is in Ward 6 repped by Charles Allen who is all about making big performative statements about racism while not pushing real change to benefit DC.

By the way, I was at a community meeting with Charles Allen where they discussed turning Sherwood Rec into a homeless shelter. When people said they were opposed to having a shelter so near a school, he tried to shame everyone for being opposed to this (as if Sherwood was the only option and it was okay to remove a community asset).

So there you go- you elect performative clowns who want to appear as anti racist as possible but make no real positive community change, and you end up with homeless shelters next to elementary schools.

You seem not to know what "performative" means. You accuse him of being performative regarding racism and then take issue with him trying to convert Sherwood to a shelter. Performative would be giving lip service to the need for shelters and supports and then refusing to allow them in his Ward (hello W3). That's not what happened here. What happened here is he advocated for a scarce resource to be allocated to one marginalized group over and above another, both of which serve equity and racism goals.

What's funny is I categorically object to converting Sherwood to a shelter. I want it to remain what it is and I don't want the shelter next to a school. Heck, I don't want it in my neighborhood either, but I'm not a bleeding heart. I think he's wrong. I've told his staff this. But the example you cite above is NOT performative.

No, it absolutely is performative. There was no need to sacrifice the rec center for this stunt. There are other places and hotels to house the drug addicts on H street. And while Allen gets the bragging rights for being a savior, it is his constituents who must suffer the loss of a valuable community resource, not him.

I don’t think there is a proposal to turn Sherwood into a homeless shelter. AFAIK it has been operating for years as an overflow hyperthermia shelter for women as needed during the winter.

People at the meeting objected to turning Sherwood into a temporary shelter not because (as Allen alleged) we are bad people but because there is almost no programming at all at Sherwood as it is a temporary shelter.

Shutting down the playground for the fall that serves SWS is another heartbreak. So we are losing rec center programming and a playground, both valuable resources for the community.

Allen’s plan is to write letters but otherwise do nothing. He needs to go. Pathetic.

Why is the playground being shut down?

https://capitolhillcorner.org/2023/07/26/mpd-expects-closure-in-july-3-murder-of-afghan-lyft-driver-on-11th-street-ne/

"Dysfunction at Sherwood Recreation Center. CM Charles Allen responded to a question about lack of programming and maintenance at Sherwood Recreation Center. He expressed frustration with the Department of Parks and Recreation saying the lack of programming a huge problem. He cited his success in getting funding last winter to get the playground resurfaced and worked to get a contract out but DGS “is so far behind” that they delayed the project until this fall which is prime time for the playground. He said that we’re not seeing DGS and DPR invest in Sherwood the way they need to and noted that Sherwood is one of a handful of DPR facilities used as hypothermia shelters and that has a significant impact on the community.
Commissioner Roberta Shapiro added her own frustration at trying to determine accountability for the lack of programming and maintenance at the facility citing a meeting with DPR staff last Friday. She said she found herself in a Catch 22 bureaucratic situation with nobody accountable. Programming is do it yourself with nothing for seniors and no arts programs and two hours for small children. ANC6A wrote a letter to DPR in June, received no response, followed up two weeks ago, and as far as she knew, received no response to that. Regarding the hypothermia shelter, she said when you ask how they are allocated and for a list of shelters, DPR says it comes from the Department of Human Services, and they both say the Mayor makes the final decision."

So sounds like it will be temporarily closed for resurfacing.

That's crazy. The surface is not so bad in the playground that kids can't use it... They should at least wait for winter & try to get it done in December/Jan/Feb when there's less use. Also, how long could resurfacing the playground possibly take? The whole playground surface was put in in the not-so-new anymore Miner playground in 1-2 weeks? If that's all they mean, this is a much less big deal (although I still wouldn't time it with the beginning of school, because that sucks for the SWS kids).

Would it surprise you to know that people at an ANC meeting are exaggerating? Both the length of the playground closure and the impact of the hypothermia women’s shelter (which has been operating as such at Sherwood for several years.) The only actual problem here seems to be lack of programs at Sherwood.

The shelter operates only at night during cold emergencies and likely under capacity. That should not impact programming extensively.

Last winter the women's hypothermia shelter limited the availability of the basketball court in the evenings. (If you have a kid who plays basketball you know court time is hard to get!) It also encouraged the women who use the shelter to hang out outside Sherwood in unsafe manners throughout the evening. There is no real security and many of these women have significant mental illnesses. My family witnessed women urinating in the landscaping, women passing out in the doorway, and women ranting and screaming at no one. It did not feel safe. We used to let our kids walk into the rec center alone but when the shelter is operating we feel we need to escort them.

This makes me sad. Someone died a few blocks from our house from hypothermia a few winters ago. I wish we had better solutions that took care of people with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems, that didn't compromise the ability of the community to also have resources like programming and rec sports availability.

We have some much empty office space in the city right now. Why aren't we using it to help people?

See, above. People like you are all about "helping" as long as it isn't in your neighborhood.

So you think it’s a good idea to warehouse homeless people in the same place as small children?

I was responding to the person who asked why we don't [put homeless people in X place]. My reply was that the sentiment ignores the reality that people like you don't want them near their kids. Their seniors. Their families. Your reply quite literally makes my point for me!

In answer to your question, no, I don't want them near my kids. Or my house. But I'm intellectually honest about it. I don't walk through underpasses that smell like urine and feces and lament the plight of the poor unhoused. I want them removed so I don't have to walk on a street to get to the metro. I was beyond pissed at the activists who tried to stop all tent city closures because one person snuck back into their tent and was injured by a backhoe. I agree with Charles on some things a vehemently disagree with him on others. The difference between you and me is I don't personalize it when I disagree. I don't conflate policies with which I disagree with him being evil. When he tells me I'm wrong I don't get mad at him for "making me feel guilty", because I own my own feelings. My standard response is that it isn't that I don't care about homeless folks, I just care about other members of the community more. I was LIVID at Charles' press conference when he made a point of characterizing the person who committed violent crime on the metro as " in crisis".

I think you were taking to me. I don’t give a crap that I hurt Charles’s feelings. He doesn’t help his constituents and is a moron.