Back to School: Coolidge High School & Wells Middle School Celebrate New Beginnings

It's been a long journey and the Ward 4 community still has miles to go. But I thought the opening of these schools was a milestone worth celebrating.

We did an interview with one of the co-owners of Moreland's Tavern in 16th Street Heights. Great guy, and the place is worth a visit if you're in the area. Check it out.

This week we visited Soup Up in Brightwood Park. I love this place so much because the soups and other foods are healthy and delicious! Have you ever been here before? What was your favorite food on the menu?

For more info about Soup Up, check out the blog post here: http://click.lovelivingdc.com/SoupUp

Crepe Love: Ritchie’s Café Brings Sweet and Savory Treats to Brightwood



Something New Unfolds on Georgia Avenue

The revitalization of retail options along the Georgia Avenue corridor continues with the recent opening of Ritchie’s Café, an exciting new crêpe and bakery shop. We took a visit to see what it was all about.

Brother and sister team Fernando and Silvia Rivera provide multiple ways to satisfy your sweet tooth and fill a big need for the community. Fernando is the crêpe master, who can mix up the pastry delights like a deejay spinning your favorite tunes. Their version is light, fluffy and delicious. You can fill it with fresh fruit like strawberries or bananas and layer it with Nutella spread. Or, you can choose a heartier option and add mozzarella, grilled chicken and onions. The choice is yours. The house specialty is “Ritchie the Crêpe”, a multicolored pastry sure to delight your kids.

Silvia is the baker who whips up marvelous cupcakes to make your mouth water. That’s right folks, no more trudging to Georgetown to wait in line like a tourist; you can get your cupcake fix right here in the neighborhood. She shared a few of her chocolate cupcakes with us: some with coffee frosting and others with vanilla French buttercream frosting and blueberries. Her creations are colorful, tasty and fun.

A “Third Place”

Uptown DC has a lack of spaces that can be considered a third place, somewhere other than home or work where folks can get together to shoot the breeze. With its relaxed and welcoming vibe, Ritchie’s Café is a candidate to fill that role. Free Wi-Fi and comfortable seating make it viable space to get some work done or meet friends for coffee. A unique “DC angel” mural provides an irresistible selfie opportunity. On-street parking is available, and the 70 bus stops right in front of the storefront.

Bottom Line

Ritchie’s Café is a welcome addition to our community’s dining options. Fernando and Silvia put their years of hospitality industry experience together to create a fun, new space for Brightwood and the surrounding area to enjoy. Stop by to check it out and tell them Jennell sent you!

The shop is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and provides catering services. It is located at 6204 Georgia Avenue NW 20011 (Cross street is Rittenhouse).

You can also order your food online through the Grubhub app.Hours of operation are:

8:00 am to 8:00 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
8:00 am to 7:00 pm Thursday and Sunday
Closed on Monday
You can check out their menu and learn more about this restaurant on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

Anonymous wrote:

calexander wrote:Against my better judgement, I'm posting the link to my blog post about last's night's Community Conversation here.

I was in and out of the meeting, but I think I got the gist of it. Enjoy.

Hi Christopher,
Maybe it is time you stated your current position on this issue? You have posted before on perceived overcrowding issues at Wilson and Deal. If that it is still your position you my want to disclose that.
I was at this meeting and it seems like you only selected quotes that makes your position stronger?
Maybe it also time you disclosed you have a vested interest on this issue?
E.g. if ward 4 students leave for ward 3 that may impact your educational organization that primarily caters for ward 4 students?
Also didn’t you kids attend deal/Wilson through SES? When your neighbors are trying to do the same, why cast them as defensive?

First of all, enough with this passive aggressive bullshit. Come talk to me face to face.

Secondly, this was a straight reporting piece; my opinion is not relevant here. Aside from editing for clarity and brevity, those are accurate quotes from the participants.

Finally, in my work with my robotics program and with helping to stand up the new NSBE chapter at Howard and in advocating with Ward4Ed for DCPS to create the new Ward 4 middle schools, I have interacted with the families of more than 500 upper elementary students. I have a perspective on DC middle schools that I share with people in real-life conversations, NOT on this anonymous forum.

Good day, sir.

Anonymous wrote:Did the meeting happen?? What was the out come of the meeting?

Here is a link to my blog post on the meeting.

Against my better judgement, I'm posting the link to my blog post about last's night's Community Conversation here.

I was in and out of the meeting, but I think I got the gist of it. Enjoy.

Anonymous wrote:
Mr. Alexander, thank you for all you don in the neighborhood. Keep it up!

Thank you, your comment is appreciated.

Anonymous wrote:

Where you stand is pretty clear from your original thread and subsequent comments.

I have a pretty good idea who you are. Instead of making assumptions, why don't you strike up a conversation the next time you see me around the neighborhood. On your daily walk, perhaps.

Anonymous wrote:

calexander wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounded to me like this was to mobilize people to be ready for the next boundary review -- because they assume/believe WOTP parents will push for some school to be cut from the Deal feeder pattern.

I can't imagine a new chancellor would take that fight during his first year or two, but assuming there is a boundary review in 2023 ... it will be a battle.

This is the lead argument from our intrepid commissioner.

Mobilization is certainly underway. Towards what ends is up for interpretation...

More relevantly, the Ward 3 Ed Net is not viewed as a friendly entity here. At all.

What game are you playing posting this everywhere? It funny you keep posting about it, if I remember correctly at least one of your kids is going to wilson using the Shepherd feeder system. So now you think it is ok to kick out SES out of deal/wilson or you just don't care what happens since you kids are already going to deal/wilson? Stop being an hypocrite!

It seems like you have a personal issue. I write a blog about the happenings at our local ANC meetings. I couldn't very well ignore the topic, introduced by our ANC commissioner, that took up a large chunk of time at the most recent meeting.

And I really didn't offer any opinion about whether Shepherd should stay in the Deal feeder or not, other than suggesting that the likelihood of a change is pretty remote.

We can get together to talk about this anytime.

Anonymous wrote:It sounded to me like this was to mobilize people to be ready for the next boundary review -- because they assume/believe WOTP parents will push for some school to be cut from the Deal feeder pattern.

I can't imagine a new chancellor would take that fight during his first year or two, but assuming there is a boundary review in 2023 ... it will be a battle.

This is the lead argument from our intrepid commissioner.

Mobilization is certainly underway. Towards what ends is up for interpretation...

More relevantly, the Ward 3 Ed Net is not viewed as a friendly entity here. At all.

Color me doubtful, especially with a certain baby living in-bounds. But I'm here to report the story.

This discussion is making the rounds in the neighborhood and came up at last night's ANC 4A meeting.

Shepherd parents were there laying down markers.

Check out the story at the bottom of my blog post about the meeting.

Cheers!

Anonymous wrote:

calexander wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Starting in 2019-20 there will no longer be 6th grade. The next year they will no longer have 7th, etc.

Takoma needs to fill the school with younger students to replace the grades they are losing. If their enrollment per grade were to remain stable, they won't be able to fund the arts curriculum, its main selling point, as well.

Thus they will likely open at least one more class of ECE, and there will likely be some OOB seats after all the Early Action people to fill in the classes.

Thanks for this post. Yes, all four of the "New North" middle school feeders (Takoma, Brightwood, LaSalle and Whittier) will have the opportunity to expand their ECE programs to take advantage of the available space. TEC is adding at least one PK class next year.

Next year meaning 19-20?

Yes, next academic year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey Christopher, how many OOB students has TEC taken for prek and kindergarten the past few years?

I would assume as an early action school that they wouldn't take any OOB for PK3 or PK4, as they must take all of their IB students - and the data matches this. It would appear that they had 4 OOB in K (two with sibling preference), and 15 on the waitlist who are OOB.

The problem is the free-fall after that because of the horrible MS/HS options.

This has always been the challenge. The new middle school could have been part of the solution, but sheesh, DCPS is not exactly telling a coherent story there. The buildings will be beautiful, but beyond that, who knows at this point?

Anonymous wrote:Starting in 2019-20 there will no longer be 6th grade. The next year they will no longer have 7th, etc.

Takoma needs to fill the school with younger students to replace the grades they are losing. If their enrollment per grade were to remain stable, they won't be able to fund the arts curriculum, its main selling point, as well.

Thus they will likely open at least one more class of ECE, and there will likely be some OOB seats after all the Early Action people to fill in the classes.

Thanks for this post. Yes, all four of the "New North" middle school feeders (Takoma, Brightwood, LaSalle and Whittier) will have the opportunity to expand their ECE programs to take advantage of the available space. TEC is adding at least one PK class next year.