kids and family withdrawing their membership from Vermont Avenue Baptist Church, a historic church in the Shaw neighborhood. In the last century, Florida Avenue Baptist Church has helped to revitalize the LeDroit Civic Association and established the “Mo’ Than Jazz” music arts series.
Bloomingdale Flooded by Summer Rain
A few strong thunderstorms dropped heavy rainfall on Bloomingdale in July, causing serious flooding issues and power outages in the neighborhood. Within the span of two weeks, the area received nearly six inches of rain, resulting in raw sewage backups in many Bloomingdale homes. Many residents are unsatisfied with the city’s response to the recent flooding. To address resident concerns, representatives from the DC Water and Sewer Authority and Pepco spoke at the Bloomingdale Civic Association general meeting in mid-July. “I’m scared to take a shower because sewage is coming up in my bathroom,” said Bloomingdale resident Adrienne Lightfoot at the civic association meeting. Lightfoot has lived in the area for two years. “DC Water and Pepco both come out and they blame each other. If I have known it was like this I would have never moved to the neighborhood.” DC Water representatives say that a large part of the flooding issues stem from population growth in the area and sewer system overflow in Bloomingdale and the surrounding area. The agency has created the Clean Rivers Project, a 20-year sewage project that will build a 13-mile sewage tunnel from the Bloomingdale area to the treatment facility in Anacostia. The project will be completed in 2025. DC Water officials will attend a special Bloomingdale Civic Association meeting to discuss flooding issues on Saturday, August 4, 2012, at St. George’s Episcopal Church. u
by Kathleen Donner
Arts for Families at Textile Museum
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Spend a Saturday afternoon, Sept. 8, 2-4 p.m., creating your very own dragon puppet with ribbon, paper, and glue. Will your dragon be gentle or fierce? Scaly or smooth? Bring your creative dragon ideas along. Free; no reservations required. The Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. 202667-0441. textilemuseum.org
Kids Free at Newseum Through Labor Day
Up to six kids (7-18) are free with each paid adult or senior admission through Sept. 3. These tickets are regularly $12.95. Children 6 and under are always free. Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 888639-7386. newseum.org
LEGO Exhibition at the National Building Museum Ends Labor Day
Untitled by Trya Bell
T
yra Bell, 18, is from Ward 1 and will be attending the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design in the fall. Tyra came to Sitar Arts Center as a student in Sitar’s first Teen Arts Intensive program in 2008 returning each year after as an intern with Sitar’s summer mural program. In 2010 Tyra participated in painting a mural with the First Lady, Michelle Obama, and the Congressional spouses at Marie Reed School. During her time at Sitar, she has studied mural arts, sewing and fashion design, scenic painting, pottery and graphic design. As a growing, talented artist, Tyra also participated in a program with one of Sitar’s partners, the Corcoran, in their summer programs in 2011. Tyra’s work is featured in Sitar’s Re:Visions Gallery Exhibit with five DC youth who have found their passion for the arts with the support and guidance of Sitar Arts Center. sitarartscenter.org
Piece by piece, brick by brick, this exhibition features large-scale artistic models of some of the world’s most famous structures including the Empire State Building, St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece Fallingwater. The simplicity and nostalgic quality of LEGO affords viewers a new, detailed look at familiar buildings. Visitors can lean in close to see the complexity of a building’s intricate design and engineering or take a step back to appreciate its stunning sculptural form in full. After drawing inspiration from awe-inspiring structures, visitors are encouraged to create buildings to include in a LEGO community. Based on the principles of good urban design, participants will be invited to create a building from one of the four categories—residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial—and then place the LEGO models on a large-scale map of a city. As the day goes on and the Museum welcomes more visitors, the LEGO city Capitol Jazz Project Ensemble. National Building Museum, will grow and grow. Exhibition open through Sept. 3. Na- 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. nbm.org tional Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. nbm.org High Achievement Centers
Sunday Youth Ensemble Concerts at National Building Museum
The National Building Museum and the Washington Performing Arts Society have teamed up to present free concerts every Sunday at 2 p.m. in August. The concerts, featuring some of the best youth ensembles on the scene, will be held in the Museum’s Great Hall. Scheduled artists include: WPAS Children of the Gospel Choir; Step Afrika! with WPAS Summer Steps Steppers; Feder Memorial String Competition Winners; and The Jazz Update with
Need Volunteers
Higher Achievement is in need of mentors and study hall aides at six of their Achievement Centers in DC and Alexandria. The commitment is one evening per week, Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday; study hall aides, 3:30-6:15 p.m., mentors, 6-8:15 p.m. 96 percent of Higher Achievement graduates finish high school and 76 percent graduate from college. In a city where 59 percent finish high school and only 9 percent get a college degree, these results are astounding–and desperately needed. Higher Achievement is creating lasting change in the lives of youth–and you can capitalcommunitynews.com u 33