Hello all,
the next monthly meeting will be held at the same time/location. 6-7:30 at the penn ave. baptist church basement. see you there
Monday, June 4, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Next meeting: May 3rd, 2007, 6:00 PM
This will be our 1st alliance meeting since DCWASA executed the task order. The contract execution represents a significant milestone and should clear the way for smooth sailing? We are looking forward to meeting the project design team Black and Veatch.
A second important agenda item follow: We look forward to a workable plan / agreement, before meeting time, with DC Department of Parks and Recreation, DC Department of the Environment and the Alliance to install rain gardens in Pope Branch Park this spring.
Usual location: The Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, located at 3000 Pa. Ave., SE Washington, DC 20020.
Good News: the Task Order has been executed
DCWASA has executed the Pope Branch Park Project Task Order!! The stream restoration and sanitary sewer rehabilitation/replacement projects will be inititated and will be moving forward. Our scope of work and deliverables are drawn out. We are extremely excited about the execution. Thanks to all the PBPRA citizens for pushing the effort, for being persistence, and for taking the lead to get the Task Order underway. Whoo hoo!! Cheers to the power of the citizens!!
April Minutes
Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance
April 5, 2007 Meeting minutes
Action Items/Agenda:
(1) Execution of the Pope Branch Task Order – we need DC WASA to give us the updates.
(2) Outreach – recruitment for governance maintenance on Pope Branch Park.
(3) Trail construction partnership with DPR and REI.
(4) Anacostia Watershed Citizens’ Summit report.
Agency Status Reports
DDOE: (P. Hill and T. Doan)
• DDOE encourage Minnesota – Fairlawn residents to volunteer ~1.5 hr. to maintain governance, i.e. trash pick up, plant maintenance. Would like to put in action this Spring ’07 if we get recruitment.
• LID status in Pope Branch watershed: (1) M Place: the design system at the end of M Place/Fairlawn Ave is now day lighting, with rip-rap erosion protection into the floodplain on DPR property. The final processing from DC Permitting Office and DPR maintenance responsibility will kick off the project. (2) DC Therapeutic Center: the design was revised this fall. DC Permitting Office/Public Space will take the final processing with DPW assuming maintenance. DDOT will review the project after permitting is completed. (3) Penn. Ave First Baptist Church: Resurfacing parking lot using BaySavers in lieu of bioretention. DDOE suggest a construction of a rain garden to address storm water runoff near the Church Office. Construction is completed.
DCWASA: (e-mail correspondence to DCWASA general manager)
• J. Glover e-mailed a request on the status of the Execution of the Pope Branch Task Order to Mr. Jerry Johnson, WASA Finance General Manager.
• Pope Branch Alliance would like a written progress report on the execution of the Task Order, at least what the execution date is likely to be if the Task Force has not been executed.
• J. Glover waits for an e-reply or anything. T. Arrasmith and Commissioner P. Hammond express support for the Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance.
• Once Task Force order is executed, Black and Vetch, our contractor will join PBPRA monthly meeting.
DDPR: (Jesse Rounds’ email update)
• DPR is exploring to include Pope Branch into partnership with REI’s (outdoor retailer) trail construction program. The program involves youths from Ward 7 and 8 recreation centers working with experts from REI and DPR to construct the trails.
• An update of the planning stage and trail alignment will be presented next month’s meeting.
DDOT: (no updates)
Anacostia Citizens’ Summit Report: (J. Glover)
- Pope Branch Restoration Alliance attended the 1st Annual Anacostia Watershed Citizens’ Summit on Saturday March 24, 2007 the include nine (9) organizations expressing major concerns, restoration priorities, sharing greatest success to date, restoration recommendations and sharing organizational needs for the efforts in restoring the Anacostia Watershed.
- The goal is the have 30 organizational groups by 2010 so that we can better clean the People’s River.
- The common concern in all organizations is education and outreach. We need to educate the youths and have AWC take ownership for the park and improvements.
- Read report of the Summit at: http://popebranch.blogspot.com.
Next meeting: Thursday -- May 3, 2007. 6:30- 7:30 P.M.
April 5, 2007 Meeting minutes
Action Items/Agenda:
(1) Execution of the Pope Branch Task Order – we need DC WASA to give us the updates.
(2) Outreach – recruitment for governance maintenance on Pope Branch Park.
(3) Trail construction partnership with DPR and REI.
(4) Anacostia Watershed Citizens’ Summit report.
Agency Status Reports
DDOE: (P. Hill and T. Doan)
• DDOE encourage Minnesota – Fairlawn residents to volunteer ~1.5 hr. to maintain governance, i.e. trash pick up, plant maintenance. Would like to put in action this Spring ’07 if we get recruitment.
• LID status in Pope Branch watershed: (1) M Place: the design system at the end of M Place/Fairlawn Ave is now day lighting, with rip-rap erosion protection into the floodplain on DPR property. The final processing from DC Permitting Office and DPR maintenance responsibility will kick off the project. (2) DC Therapeutic Center: the design was revised this fall. DC Permitting Office/Public Space will take the final processing with DPW assuming maintenance. DDOT will review the project after permitting is completed. (3) Penn. Ave First Baptist Church: Resurfacing parking lot using BaySavers in lieu of bioretention. DDOE suggest a construction of a rain garden to address storm water runoff near the Church Office. Construction is completed.
DCWASA: (e-mail correspondence to DCWASA general manager)
• J. Glover e-mailed a request on the status of the Execution of the Pope Branch Task Order to Mr. Jerry Johnson, WASA Finance General Manager.
• Pope Branch Alliance would like a written progress report on the execution of the Task Order, at least what the execution date is likely to be if the Task Force has not been executed.
• J. Glover waits for an e-reply or anything. T. Arrasmith and Commissioner P. Hammond express support for the Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance.
• Once Task Force order is executed, Black and Vetch, our contractor will join PBPRA monthly meeting.
DDPR: (Jesse Rounds’ email update)
• DPR is exploring to include Pope Branch into partnership with REI’s (outdoor retailer) trail construction program. The program involves youths from Ward 7 and 8 recreation centers working with experts from REI and DPR to construct the trails.
• An update of the planning stage and trail alignment will be presented next month’s meeting.
DDOT: (no updates)
Anacostia Citizens’ Summit Report: (J. Glover)
- Pope Branch Restoration Alliance attended the 1st Annual Anacostia Watershed Citizens’ Summit on Saturday March 24, 2007 the include nine (9) organizations expressing major concerns, restoration priorities, sharing greatest success to date, restoration recommendations and sharing organizational needs for the efforts in restoring the Anacostia Watershed.
- The goal is the have 30 organizational groups by 2010 so that we can better clean the People’s River.
- The common concern in all organizations is education and outreach. We need to educate the youths and have AWC take ownership for the park and improvements.
- Read report of the Summit at: http://popebranch.blogspot.com.
Next meeting: Thursday -- May 3, 2007. 6:30- 7:30 P.M.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Next Meeting: April 5, 2007
Hola, the next meeting will be held on the normal date (first Thursday of the month) at the regular location (Penn. Ave. Baptist church 1st floor) at 6:30PM. Hope to see you there. April 5, 2007.
Update (4/2/07): This just in -- Our Scheduled April Meeting of the Alliance is Thursday April 05, 2007 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at our usual location "The Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church located at 3000 Pa. Ave., SE Washington, DC 20020".
Please note the 6:00 start time. We need to encourage and help all that are willing to participate. There have been some that can meet early and some that need a later time. I feel we can accommodate all by starting at 6 and ending at 7:30. The results of this change will extend the end time by ½ hour, but it accommodates all starting time requests so far. We can discuss this issue at this month's meeting.
Update (4/2/07): This just in -- Our Scheduled April Meeting of the Alliance is Thursday April 05, 2007 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at our usual location "The Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church located at 3000 Pa. Ave., SE Washington, DC 20020".
Please note the 6:00 start time. We need to encourage and help all that are willing to participate. There have been some that can meet early and some that need a later time. I feel we can accommodate all by starting at 6 and ending at 7:30. The results of this change will extend the end time by ½ hour, but it accommodates all starting time requests so far. We can discuss this issue at this month's meeting.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Reporting from the Citizen's Summit, by Joseph Glover
On Saturday March 24, 2007 we attended the 1st Annual Anacostia Watershed Citizens' Summit from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the University of Maryland Stamp Student Union Prince George's Room. The Pope Branch Restoration Alliance was represented by Joseph A. Glover, Founder and Chairman; Mr. Irv Sheffey, Sierra Club; Mr. Charles Mason, Mr. Kwame Brown's Office (At-Large DC City Councilmember) and Ms. Trinh Doan, DDOE. We thank all of the attendees and offer a special thanks to Mr. Kwame Brown for participating. Also, we thank Mr. Irv Sheffey for producing out Power Point Presentation (PPP). We were extremely blessed to have such an illustrious group representing our Sub-Watershed - The Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance. At the summit each Sub-watershed were allowed to make a five minute presentation. Most had a PPP. I presented for Pope Branch Alliance Sub-Watershed. It was my 1st experience with a PPP, but I think it went pretty well. Some of the other Sub-Watersheds are very well organized and seeing their displays and presentations was a learning experience for me. I plan to put to practice what I learned. I have already provided additional data for improving our power point presentation.
The Summit included two panels with members of the Sub-Water Sheds making up the panels. I represented the Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance group on the 2nd panel. They wanted to know our successes, and that was easy for me. Since we were the only Sub-Watershed group with a fully funded restoration plan with an approved and signed MOU and projected plans that should lead to the restoration of one of the two Anacostia River Sub-Watersheds in the city. Also, we were the only group that had representation from an elected official. We feel Washington, DC and Ward 7 were well represented by us.
We were very impressed with every aspect of the summit and hope it becomes an annual occurrence. In my opinion it is these types of affairs that will speed up the day when the Anacostia River will become appealing for its cleanliness and beauty.
It will then take its rightful place with other grand and important rivers of the world.If you questions, please address them to Joseph A. Glover at my Email address jagbfree@comcast.net or by phoning 202-581-1214.
Sincerely,
Joseph A. Glover, Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance Founder and Chairman
Friday, March 23, 2007
Annacostia Watershed Citzen's Summit
Tomorrow is the First Annual Anacostia Watershed Citizen's Summit. Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Place: University of Maryland Stamp Student Union
Join with members of citizen subwatershed groups across the Anacostia watershed for this opportunity to learn, network and collaborate! Registration is required. Our keynote speaker will be the Honorable Tom Dernoga, Prince Georges Co.'s council member. Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance has been invited to be on the panel on organizational issues. We will discuss the our subwatershed's top priorities, issues of concern and needs. More importantly, the panels will talk about what works and what doesn't work. Joseph Glover will lead the Pope Branch Park discussion with Trinh Doan, Irv Sheffey and Albertta Paul.
The Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance would like to (1) work to ensure "Pope Branch Park Sewer & Stream Restoration Project" is accomplished within a reasonable time frame, (2) outreach in building membership and educating the public, (3) trash & erosion control & removal of trash and invasive non-native plants, (4) incorporate and become a 501(c)3 to more efficiently supply the park's needs.
Our restoration priorities include: (1) public education and outreach, (2) water quality monitoring, and (3) use native plants to help stabilize stream bank. Pope Branch's greatest successes to date comprise of (1) more than 39 years of care and advocating for Pope Branch Park & related areas, (2) advocated for a community & mulit-agency Alliance to fund & develop the "Pope Branch Sewer and Stream Restoration Project" with the DDOE, DDPR & DCWASA, (3) 2007 MLK, Jr. National Day of Service event in west Pope Branch Park with more than 120 volunteers representing more than a dozen organizations and groups that cleaned and removed invasive non-native plants. The preliminary restoration recommendations along our subwatershed is to see the Project to its successful completion, to remove and/or control invasive (non-native) plants, and to work with community and government to accomplish the needs of the park.
Pope Branch Park's main source of organizational needs include (1) outreach, (2) a maintenance plan that consists of community folks, federal and local government representatives working cooperatively as partners, and (30 a plan to control mosquitoes that carry the West Nile Virus. Come join us in our discussion of the Anacostia Watershed restoration efforts. Groups that are invited to the summit are: Friends of Sligo Creek, Neighbors fo the Northwest Branch, Eyes of Paint Branch, Citizens to Conserve and Restore Indian Creek, Beaverdam Creek Watershed Watch Group, Friends of Still Creek, Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek, and Watts Branch Community Alliance. We will have continental breakfast and provide lunch. Everyone is welcomed so long there is room at the Stamp Student Union conference room.
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