11 24 2021

VOL. 19 ISSUE 2

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NOV. 24-30, 2021

Real Stories

Aldo Richardson, homeless veteran with 20 years on the street, finds temporary housing STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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Real People

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© STREET SENSE MEDIA 2003 - 2021 1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347 - 2006 streetsensemedia.org info@streetsensemedia.org

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AVA I L A B L E

Brian Carome

As self-employed contractors, our vendors follow a code of conduct.

1. I will support Street Sense Media’s mission statement and in so doing will work to support the Street Sense Media community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity.

2. I will treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and fellow vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making donations, or engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices.

3. I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense Media but an independent contractor.

4. While distributing the Street Sense newspaper, I will not ask for more than $2 per issue or solicit donations by any other means.

5. I will only purchase the newspaper from Street Sense Media staff and volunteers and will not distribute newspapers to other vendors.

6. “I will not distribute copies of “Street Sense” on metro trains and buses or on private property.”

7. I will abide by the Street Sense Media Vendor Territory Policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes with other vendors in a professional manner.

PHOTO BY

MAYDEEN MERINO maydeen.merino@ streetsensemedia.org

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT

Doris Warrell

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR PROGRAMS

Darick Brown

CASE MANAGER

Leo Grayburn

8. I will not sell additional goods or products while distributing “Street Sense.”

Thomas Ratliff

9. I will not distribute “Street Sense” under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Aida Peery, Clifford Samuels

10. I understand that my badge and vest are property of Street Sense Media and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing “Street Sense” and will always display my badge when distributing “Street Sense.”

INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR? New vendor training: every Tuesday and Thursday // 2 p.m. // 1317 G St., NW

Aldo Richardson has been homeless in D.C. for 20 years. He recently was accepted into housing.

Mary Coller Albert, Blake Androff, Jeremy Bratt, David Cloe, Clare Krupin, Jennifer Park, Michael Phillips, Dan Schwartz, John Senn, Aaron Stetter, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson, Corrine Yu

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT

The Cover

VENDORS Ayub Abdul, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Alex AJ’ Donkin, Abraham Aly, Andrew Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Debora Brantley, Laticia Brock, Donald Brown, Brianna Butler, Melody Byrd, Reginald C. Denny, Anthony Carney, Carlos Carolina, Floyd Carter, Jeffrey Carter, Conrad Cheek, Curtis Clark, Jenkins Daltton, James Davis, Patricia Donaldson, Ron Dudley, Queenie Featherstone, Jet Flegette, Jemel Fleming, James Fuller, Samuel Fullwood, Julie Fullwood, Gracias Garcias, Don Gardner, Chon Gotti, Morris Graham, George Gray, Marcus Green, Levester Green, Dayonna Harris, Kunle Henderson, Derian Hickman, Vennie Hill, Carlton J.M. Johnson, Chad Jackson, Fredrick Jewell, Joseph Joe Jackson, Frederic John, Henry Johnson, Mark Jones, Morgan Jones, Reggie Jones, Darlesha Joyner, Larry Kelley, Juliene Kengnie, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Marcus McCall, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Ricardo Meriedy, Kenneth Middleton, Anton Mitchell, Collins Mukasa, Evelyn Nnam, Earl Parker, Kym Parker, Aida Peery, Marcellus Phillips, Jacquelyn Portee, Anthony Pratt, Abel Putu, Doris Robinson, Michele Rochon, Corey Sanders, Rita Sauls, Malcolm Scott Jr, Mary Sellman, Patty Smith, Ronald Smoot, David Snyder, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Archie Thomas, Eric Thompson-Bey, Jacqueline Turner, Joseph Walker, Rochelle Walker, Amia Walker, Michael Warner, Robert Warren, Sheila White, Angie Whitehurst, Sasha Williams, Wendell Williams, Charles Woods, Latishia Wynn

The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper: They use film, photography, theatre, illustration, and more to share their stories with our community.

Our media channels elevate voices, our newspaper vendor and digital marketing programs provide economic independence. And our in-house case-management services move people forward along the path toward permanent supportive housing.

At Street Sense Media, we define ourselves through our work, talents, and character, not through our housing situation.

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATES VENDOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS

Jeff Barger, Haley Gallagher, Roberta Haber, Ann Herzog, Kevin Jaatinen, Jacob Kuba, Eva Reeves, Mauricio Reyes

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Eric Falquero

DEPUTY EDITOR

Gordon Chaffin

STAFF REPORTER

Will Schick

WRITERS GROUP ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Willie Schatz

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)

Claire Harvey, Rebecca Koenig, Emily Kopp, Lydia DePillis

INTERNS

Spencer Donovan, Jamaica Kalika, Michelle Levine, Maydeen Merino, Irene Si

EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS

Ryan Bacic, Katie Bemb, Megan Boyanton, Lilah Burke, Lenika Cruz, Kelsey Falquero, Roberta Haber, Allison Hageman, Alison Henry, Priya Rhoehit, Nick Shedd, Andrew Siddons, Jenny-lin Smith, Rebecca Stekol

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 3

AT A GLANCE Statement: Our expectations for staff conduct, on and off the clock Two weeks ago, a Street Sense Media staff member confronted the operator of a car parked in a bike lane next to a “no parking” sign and blocking a curb cut on M Street NE. Deputy Editor Gordon Chaffin yelled “Hello, please move” and knocked on the trunk of the car as he rolled to a stop behind it. When the driver exited the vehicle and asked why Chaffin touched his car, an increasingly hostile back and forth ensued until the driver angrily left.

The safety of everyone on our streets is important. But regardless of the substance of the conversation, this is not how our journalists — nor anyone on our team — should engage with other members of our community.

Further, many SSM vendors, case management clients, and community sources that we work with have experienced being questioned in public spaces by non-authorities. This is not in line with our expectations for staff conduct.

When Chaffin subsequently chose to amplify the situation by posting a video of it on Twitter, he wrote, “I let most bike lane blocking slide because road design is the only thing that fixes it, but if you block the curb ramp that disabled people use, I will usually stop to hassle you.”

And in a later comment he wrote, “Most of the time, the ‘nice way’ means that they’ll say ‘I’ll be here for a minute’ or stare at me wordless. This is a bully. I was intentionally confrontational.”

Chaffin was wrong and we don’t tolerate this kind of behavior. We expect more of our staff.

We are going to get better.

Our organization exists to meet people where they are at, empower people to make positive change in their lives, build community among our vendors, customers, and readers, and provide rigorous and sustained reporting on the systemic factors that keep more than 8,000 residents of the D.C. metropolitan area living in a state of emergency.

To do that, we are constantly connecting with new people across the District and surrounding areas. To be successful and minimize harm, we rely on building trust and leading with listening, like all media outlets, social service providers, and advocacy organizations should. That is not what happened here nor in any of the subsequent online interactions.

We expect staff members to not be intentionally antagonistic.

That said, one of the core philosophies our programs are designed around is the importance of second chances. Through multiple internal discussions, Chaffin has acknowledged lapses in good judgment, demonstrated commitment to engaging all community members with respect, and promised not to engage in such conflict and to approach all situations and community dialogue more thoughtfully.

We hope this incident has not caused you to question our credibility or your support for all of the many things we have achieved together. But if it has, we ask that you give us a second chance.

“Finally Home” by Artist/Vendor Queenie Featherstone.

Our illustration workshop, which had been on hiatus since the start of the pandemic, resumed this fall. It meets on Tuesdays at SSM’s offices.

VENDOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Street Sense offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 25, and Friday, Nov. 26, for Thanksgiving.”

• The Street Sense Poetry Slam, including lunch, will be Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 1pm.

• Take a Vendor Survey this week and get 10 papers.

See Leo, Darick or Thomas.

• Vendors can bring in a complete CDC vaccination card for 15 free papers.

Our stories, straight to your inbox Street Sense Media provides a vehicle through which all of us can learn about homelessness from those who have experienced it. Sign up for our newsletter to get our vendors' stories in your inbox.

www.StreetSenseMedia.org/connect

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NEWS

Washington Football Team offers Thanksgiving food for needy families PHOTOS BY WENDELL WILLAMS Artist/Vendor

The Washington Football Team hosted their annual Thanksgiving event on Monday, Nov. 22. The NFL team’s charitable foundation “aims to provide as many Prince George’s County families in need with a Thanksgiving meal by hosting the annual Harvest Feast presented by Ryan Homes at FedEx Field,” according to sports blog SBNation.

This year, Harvest Feast participants were able to walk around the stadium concourse and collect food items in reusable bags. Sacks of potatoes, bags of onions, plump boxes of stuffing mix, various drinks, and more were available. “Since Harvest Feast began in 2003, the Washington Football Team has gifted more than 1,512,335 pounds of packaged and fresh food and 610,500 pounds of turkey” to area families, according to the charity’s 2020 annual report. The report says that “volunteers gathered to assemble 2,500 bags of dry goods, 2,500 bags of perishables, and 2,500 bags of beverages” in the event’s 2020 installment.

Street Sense Media vendor Wendell Williams attended Harvest Feast and took photos.

Wendell Williams is a Street Sense Media vendor and artist.

Volunteers added a handful of carrots to each bag.

Impressive sacks of potatoes were provisioned for glorious mashed spoonfuls.

Families picked up their food in reusable grocery bags.

The Washington Football Charitable Foundation has run Harvest Feast since 2003.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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Ranked-choice voting hearing shows divide among DC residents

BY WILL SCHICK will@streetsensemedia.org

A

long line of people testified at an eight-hour public hearing last week to share their views about a proposed measure to revamp the city’s electoral process. Numerous speakers testified both for and against the proposal to incorporate ranked-choice voting and voiced differing opinions on how it would impact underrepresented groups.

Supporters of the bill, called the Voter Ownership, Integrity, Choice, and Equity Act (VOICE Act), argued that ranked-choice voting makes elections fairer, while opponents argued that such a system would make the process more confusing.

The debate over ranked-choice voting comes amid a much broader discussion among D.C. lawmakers over how to make the electoral process more inclusive. During the pandemic, the Board of Elections began automatically mailing ballots to all registered voters to ensure broad access, and the council is considering legislation to continue doing so and expand the number of drop boxes throughout the city for completed ballots.

Earlier this year, D.C. lawmakers introduced another bill that, if passed, would grant the right to vote in local elections to non-citizens who are legally residing in the District . In 2018, the council similarly debated a measure to extend the right to vote to people 16 and older. Neither of those bills has passed, but the council did enact legislation last year to extend the right to vote to people incarcerated for felonies.

At-large Councilmember Christina Henderson, who introduced the rankedchoice voting bill with six colleagues over the summer, framed the measure as an important election reform.

“When every voter is confident that their voice is heard or has been heard, that is a win for democracy and the health of the community,” Henderson said in her opening remarks at last week’s hearing.

The legislation, if enacted, would overhaul D.C.’s current electoral system by giving residents more voting options on their ballot.

In a ranked-choice electoral scheme, voters are allowed to choose up to five candidates per office, prioritizing them in the order of their preference.

To prevail, the winning candidate must receive more than 50% of the overall vote. If no candidate receives a majority of first-place votes in the initial round, the process proceeds to another round where voters’ second-choice preferences are added to the initial ballot tabulations. The rounds continue until a candidate garners a majority of the votes.

Supporters say the process helps elect leaders who appeal to the most voters. However, critics say the process doesn’t necessarily indicate true majority support since some voters won’t fill in all their preferences.

As currently proposed, ranked-choice voting would go into effect starting in the 2024

In January 2007, Takoma Park, MD used ranked choice voting with instant runoffs in a special election to fill a vacant city council seat. PHOTO COURTESY FAIRVOTE.ORG

election cycle. While 2024 is a presidential election year, ranked-choice voting would only apply to the local offices up that year, including two at-large D.C. Council seats as well as representatives for wards 2, 4, 7, and 8. Then, in 2026, ranked-choice voting would encompass the elections for mayor, attorney general and the other D.C. councilmembers.

In recent years, major cities such as New York, Minneapolis, and San Francisco have incorporated ranked-choice voting in their election process, according to Fair Vote, an advocacy group that promotes electoral reforms. In New York, proponents say, the rollout of ranked-choice voting helped elect an unprecedented 31 women to seats on its city council — compared to no more than 18 in the past. Supporters of ranked-choice voting tout similar impacts in other cities such as San Francisco, which elected its first Black female mayor after implementing ranked-choice voting.

Some speakers at the hearing cautioned against making comparisons between D.C. and other places since the political and social dynamics can vary greatly.

Karim D. Marshall, the second vice chair of the Ward 7 Democrats, said that the stated goal of making D.C. elections more inclusive and appealing to underrepresented voices can’t be achieved by upending an electoral process that, in comparison, is more straightforward and easier to understand. Efforts at reform, he said, should focus instead on the fundamental problem at hand.

“The core issue is that turnout is low. And we believe that turnout is low because there is low faith in the government,” he said.

Marshall said that residents who abstain from voting are also sending their own message in a way, signaling what they think about the irrelevance of the elected local government.

“We know that east of the river, citywide candidates only come to us when it’s election season,” he said. “If we’re going to actually fix the core issue, then we’re going to need to work on making sure that electeds are engaging with people east of the river.”

In Marshall’s view, the way for elected officials to properly address this underlying concern of low voter participation is by demonstrating their relevance in times outside of election season.

Proponents of ranked-choice voting say the system could help resolve some of these same issues, adding that it is a more equitable way of conducting fair elections since it gives voters more choices over who they can vote for.

They also contend that ranked-choice voting could offer candidates from underrepresented groups a better shot at winning office, and provide voters the opportunity to feel as though their voices are heard.

Others, however, argue that such reforms make the process overly confusing and, in turn, could foster distrust in the result and make the prospect of voting less appealing.

Some also question whether the reforms are necessary and caution against tinkering with a system they say is not necessarily broken.

The proponents on the council challenged that reasoning. “I know that some will say it’s complicated. But in reality, it’s something we do already in our everyday lives,” said Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, who chairs the council committee with jurisdiction over election matters and who co-introduced the bill. “Any parent in our city that has ever gone through the school lottery is certainly familiar with ranked-choice voting.”

A number of people who testified at the hearing, however, challenged this view and said changing the way elections function would cause unnecessary confusion among voters such as seniors, who might not be familiar with how the system would work.

“Ranked-choice voting turns checkers into chess and would upend our democracy in favor of a system few understand and none can explain,” said Robert King, who co-chairs the Seniors/Elders Committee of the Ward 5 Democrats.

Requiring voters to rank multiple candidates, King argued, could make the process more difficult for a vast array of people, including those with impaired vision and people who rely on languages other than English.

Others testifying at the hearing pushed back against this narrative — including claims of a disparate impact on seniors — and argued that the very idea that ranked-choice voting could be overly confusing to marginalized populations is based on a false premise.

“Some who are speaking against the VOICE Act are spreading misleading

information, stating that Black people don’t understand how to rank their choices or how ranked-choice voting will work,” said Kelsye Adams, the executive director of Long Live GoGo, a local cultural and political advocacy organization. “This is unbelievable and very insulting to our community.”

Expanding on this point, Adams noted that parts of the legislation explicitly call on the Board of Elections to establish an extensive voter education campaign focused on engaging neighborhoods where there is lower turnout.

She said the requirement for establishing an education campaign would allay any potential concerns that people might not know how the process works. The same provision also highlights the need to ensure that outreach is conducted in “all languages deemed necessary by the Board to maximize voter access.”

Charles Wilson, president of the D.C. Democratic State Committee, said the party is especially concerned about how the proposed legislation would impact voter turnout in wards where it has been historically low.

Pointing to data from the 2014 general election showing that about 46% of District voters who cast a ballot didn’t use both of their votes in that year’s 15-candidate at-large D.C. Council race, Wilson argued that voters could be turned off from voting when faced with even more choices.

Generally, Wilson said that voters in wards 7 and 8 are particularly likely to undervote — meaning they do not vote for two at-large candidates in the general election even though the ballot says they can do so.

“If voters in certain parts of the District consistently do not rank more than one candidate, their voices are less likely to be heard in a Districtwide race,” he said of the situation under ranked-choice voting.

At the hearing, Henderson — who won in 2020 as an independent in a 24-candidate field — made a similar but opposite argument.

She talked about her experience winning the second at-large council seat in the general election, where she garnered about 15% of the overall vote. At-Large Councilmember Robert White, the Democratic nominee and an incumbent, earned the most votes, with a little more than 25% of the vote.

“Most of our elections are won by similarly slim majorities,” said Henderson, noting that many races draw large fields with no provision in D.C. law for runoffs. “And I would argue that it’s sometimes discouraging both from voter and candidate perspectives. A rankedchoice voting system would change that.”

Besides Henderson and Allen, the bill’s co-introducers were Ward 1’s Brianne Nadeau, Ward 4’s Janeese Lewis George, at-large member Elissa Silverman, Ward 3’s Mary Cheh, and Ward 2’s Brooke Pinto. Three of the seven initial backers were first elected in 2020, and similar legislation introduced in prior council sessions never advanced to a hearing or attracted support from more than four members.

This article was co-published with The DC Line.

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NEWS

Aldo Richardson, 61, born in St. Louis, Missouri has been homeless for the past 20 years. However, life has changed a bit for Richardson because he was accepted into temporary housing in late October.

Today, he is living in a PEP-V hotel and waiting for the day he can get a home of his own. PHOTO BY MAYDEEN MERINO

Aldo Richardson, homeless verteran, moves into PEP-V hotel with hope for permanent supportive housing

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ldo Richardson, 61, better known as “Al,” signed up to serve in the Army Reserves shortly after high school. Born in East St. Louis, Missouri, but raised in Chicago, he attended Carpenter Elementary School and William H. Wells High School, where he received his GED. After his time in the military, Richardson jumped from one position to the next; he ultimately found himself without a job or money. He then decided to borrow money to buy a one-way ticket to D.C. in hopes of

BY MAYDEEN MERINO maydeen.merino@streetsensemediaorg

better employment prospects. After moving to the District, Richardson worked in a restaurant while staying in shelters but could not maintain the position.

“I left the shelter and was sleeping on the ground,” Richardson said. “One day, a young lady was on a bike; she stopped and said, ‘I saw you sleeping on the ground. Would you be interested in a tent?’”

He accepted the tent. For the last two decades, Richardson said he has been living on the streets of D.C., going through roughly 15 to 20 different tents throughout that time.

“I have been homeless for a long time, and

one day I would like to begin living again, but it has not been easy,” Richardson said. “Every day is a new challenge for me. I’m starting to put my life back together again, with the help of the Lord.”

As of January 2020, there are about 37,252 veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S., according to the 2020 annual report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is 8% of all homeless adults. In D.C., there were 297 homeless veterans during this year’s Point-in-Time Count in January.

Richardson lived under a bridge on K Street

NE in 2019. However, the city decided to close the underpass in January 2020. The closure forced Richardson to set camp outside of the underpass against the brick wall near the corner of K and 2nd Streets NE. It would not be the last time Richardson experienced being relocated.

This summer, D.C. created a pilot program to close four of the largest encampments in the District. In addition to closing the sites, the Coordinated Assistance and Resources for Encampments program provides some residents temporary housing for a year while connecting with more permanent options.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Mayor Muriel Bowser said the encampments would be “eliminated,” not moved nor allowed to return, during a Sept. 27 press conference when responding to questions from ABC7 reporter Sam Ford. Bowser said residents would be given access to “appropriate housing.

For some, that will mean shelter. And for others, that’s some kind of supportive housing.”

Encampments in two underpasses on L and M street in the NoMa area — next to the K Street where tents were permanently removed in 2020 — were the first locations cleared out through the pilot program in early October.

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services said it conducted 90 days of canvassing and outreach to residents of the NoMa encampments, giving the people they met until Aug. 29 to apply for housing through the new program.

Although Richardson was not living at the NoMa encampment, he said a worker from Pathways to Housing D.C., a nonprofit outreach program partially funded by the city, recommended that he move to a park at New Jersey and O Street NW, where many other people were already living.

Richardson lived under a bridge on K Street NE in 2019. However, the city decided to close the underpass in January 2020. The closure forced Richardson to set camp outside of the underpass against the brick wall near the corner of K and 2nd Streets NE. It would not be the last time Richardson experienced being relocated.

Following the NoMa closure, city workers placed concrete “Jersey barriers” to the sidewalks where the tents had been.

Many who did not receive housing moved to the small park at O St. and New Jersey Ave. NW. Like Richardson earlier in the year, caseworkers and mutual aid volunteers suggested the move. While living at NJ and O Street encampment, Richardson said he noticed others moving into the park after the NoMa closure.

When asked about this recommendation, the deputy mayor’s office said this was not

the city’s guidance for those unhoused at the NoMa encampments.

Still, relocating to the park would allow more time for residents to stay in touch with connections that could lead to housing.

In late October, Richardson received a call from his caseworker saying he qualified for temporary housing. Due to Richardson’s veteran status, he qualified for HUD-VASH. The program collaborates with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs, providing veterans with vouchers.

He was able to move into a Pandemic Emergency Program (PEP-V) hotel.

“It seems like I am being processed and promoted simultaneously, which is good. I think that is going to lead to bigger and better things,” Richardson said.

During the pandemic, the city contracted four hotels to provide rooms where homeless people with underlying health conditions could stay socially distanced — instead of typical “congregate” shelters.

However, today PEP-V is now being used as more of a halfway house for many like Richardson. He sees the hotel as a step towards getting permanent housing, and he can do nothing else but wait to see if he is matched to housing. Even though there is some uncertainty, Richardson feels relieved to be off the streets after 20 plus years.

“You can fall down, but you can get back up and start all over again,” Richardson said.

“It does not matter what age you are or what your condition is as long as you still have breath in your body. You can get a second chance in life,” Richardson said.

When Richardson left the encampment at New Jersey and O, roughly 50 people were living there.

Although the official count of people experiencing homelessness has decreased in recent years, people living in tents like Richardson have increased. Similar to the increase of individuals living in tents, so has the number of encampment cleanups prior to COVID-19. While “full cleanups” were reduced during the first year of the pandemic, the District resumed frequent sweeps in late spring.

Criticism of the pilot program increased when the city cleared out the NoMa encampment. A man was accidentally lifted by heavy machinery while still in his tent and then transported to the hospital.

D.C. Council held a public roundtable to review the program on Nov. 9 with ANC members, council members, mutual aid groups, and nonprofits, discussing the program’s flaws and potential. The roundtable lasted 7 hours, but before the meeting, DMHHS released a report before the roundtable hearing, showing the data from the pilot program thus far. Under the NoMa encampment closure, 15 individuals who either have a lease in progress or are searching for housing were temporarily moved into the same program Richardson was, PEP-V.

Some key discussion topics at the roundtable included criticizing the pilot program’s speed, the criminalization of homeless people, and the possibility of pausing evictions as hypothermia season arrives. The District activated its first hypothermia alert of the season on Nov. 15, when the temperatures were predicted to fall below freezing before midnight.

DMHHS will reassess at the end of the encampment pilot program. They will then decide whether or not to make it a Districtwide initiative.

“This trial will inform our thinking on whether this approach is an effective method for immediately housing more than 300 residents who live in encampments on the streets,” Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage said during the hearing. “This is a housing first model, not an eviction program.”

The city will be clearing out the park at New Jersey and O Street on Dec. 2, after which the area will be closed for renovations.

The original date was pushed back two weeks, allowing case managers additional time to help find temporary housing for those still left at the park.

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In October, about 32 out of 48 residents were on the “by-name lists” used by the pilot to track who will receive temporary housing, leaving 16 off the list, according to information shared by DMHHS at an ANC 6E meeting.

“The original date of site closure has been extended to afford the provider with the additional time needed to adequately conduct the housing navigation process for the by-name-list residents present, while also assisting the non-BNL residents with nonpilot related service connection to eligible services,” according to an email from Jamal Weldon, DMHHS Program Manager.

On Monday, Nov. 29, city workers will begin to put fencing around the perimeter of the New Jersey and O Street park.

For the past month, caseworkers from Pathways have been helping to move residents slowly into temporary housing. The shape of the square park remains outlined by tents. As of Nov. 16 there are 36 tents present at the park, according to DMHHS. The city’s hypothermia hotline may be called to request transportation to shelter or blankets if you do not want to enter a shelter: 202-399-7093.

Magruder’s and Rémy Cointreau Team up to Support Street Sense Media Rémy Cointreau and Magruder’s (a DC liquor and gourmet food store) are partnering with Street Sense Media. All November long, Rémy Cointreau will donate $10 to Street Sense Media for each bottle purchased of select brands from Magruder’s of DC. These are: • • • • • • • • •

The Botanist Gin Rémy Martin 1738 Cognac Rémy Martin XO Cognac Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac Rémy Martin Tercet Cognac Cointreau Orange Liqueur Mount Gay Barbados Rum Bruichladdich Classic Laddie Single Malt Scotch Port Charlotte 10 Year Peated Single Malt Scotch As our community moves into the holiday season, we hope customers will be able to share some of their joy through supporting the 120 Street Sense Media vendor/ artists. While this partnership is new, Rémy Martin has produced exceptional spirits focused on craftsmanship and legacy since 1724. From their beginnings in Cognac, France, to the internationally recognized brands they produce today, Rémy Cointreau has maintained their emphasis on quality and luxury.

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NEWS

DC officials deny “uninabitabile” conditions in DC Jail alleged by federal report. Incarcerated residents worry public interest will fade away.

BY JENNY GATHRIGHT DCist

This article was first published on Nov. 11 by DCist.

T

he District announced Nov. 10 that it has entered into an agreement with the federal government promising to improve living conditions at the D.C. Jail. The announcement followed a week of intense scrutiny of the facility after a federal inspection revealed serious lapses and prompted the feds to begin moving 400 jail residents to another facility.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the D.C. Department of Corrections (DOC) and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) says that the two parties will work together “to provide a collaborative, accurate assessment of conditions of confinement” at the jail and then create and execute a plan to fix problems.

Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chris Geldart announced the agreement at a Nov. 10 D.C. Council oversight hearing , which lawmakers had called to demand an explanation for the conditions outlined in the federal report. USMS inspectors described cell toilets clogged with human waste, a pervasive smell of marijuana throughout the jail, and witnessing guards punitively withhold food and water from jail residents, among other problems.

Geldart provided few specifics in the hearing about the exact steps DOC would take to fix conditions but promised a “top to bottom” examination of operations at the jail.

Meanwhile, witnesses who testified at the hearing corroborated many of the allegations in the USMS report, describing issues with food and water access, human waste in cells, and mistreatment from staff.

Witnesses also stressed that the poor conditions in the jail have been ongoing for years.

Daniel Rosen, who had spent time at the D.C. Jail himself, told lawmakers at the hearing that “it may serve the DOC’s purposes to feign surprise” about the conditions and make “promises to become more vigilant.” But, Rosen added, “None of this is news.”

Calls for action on D.C. Jail conditions accelerated last week, after the USMS decided it would transfer 400 people from the D.C. Jail to a federal prison in Pennsylvania. (The USMS has custody of people being held in the D.C. Jail pre-trial on federal charges, as well as people who are awaiting assignments to federal prisons after sentencing, and people who are in the D.C. Jail as they go through certain legal processes or make court appearances.)

The USMS said it made the decision after a surprise inspection it conducted in October — which came after sustained complaints from the lawyers of people charged with crimes connected to the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, 40 of whom are being held pretrial in the D.C. Jail.

But though the complaints of white Jan. 6 defendants helped to kickstart this round of scrutiny to jail conditions, attorneys with the Public Defender Service testified Wednesday that about 87% of the D.C. jail population is Black, and 93% of the jail population is nonwhite. And Jan. 6 defendants are not among the people the USMS has been moving to Lewisburg, because they are being held in an area of the D.C. jail complex

On Wednesday November 10, 2021 organizations Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, The Palm Collective, Freedom Fighters D.C. ACLU of DC, Incarcerated Males and Females, and other organizations held a “Free Them All Rally” at the D.C. Court. PHOTO BY DEE DWYER / DCIST.

that the USMS labeled up to federal standards.

Geldart said that as part of the MOU between DOC and the USMS, the USMS will provide a “detention liaison” to help DOC staff and its consultants assess the problems with the facility and make a plan to fix them. The MOU also stipulates that neither DOC nor the USMS can “issue a publicity release or conduct a media interview” on D.C. Jail conditions without consent of the other.

Geldart said during the Nov. 10 oversight hearing that he was hopeful the agreement would halt future transfers from the D.C. Jail to Lewisburg, the Pennsylvania prison where the USMS said it would be sending people in its custody following its surprise inspection of the jail. Geldart said 90 people were transferred out of the D.C. Jail on Nov. 9 and another 47 were scheduled to be transferred the next day. He was not aware of any other planned transfers this week.

“We’re hoping that through this process we can get the folks who have been transferred back,” Geldart said. But the MOU makes no mention of returning federal prisoners to D.C.; Geldart told lawmakers on Wednesday that the USMS has sole authority over where to detain the people in its custody.

Councilmember Charles Allen told Geldart that it “boggles” his mind that the MOU would be “cast as some sort of victory,” arguing that it was too vague to be effective in either changing conditions or preventing D.C. residents from being sent to a federal prison far from home.

Meanwhile, Ward 7 ANC Commissioner Joel Castón, who was previously incarcerated in a side of the D.C. Jail complex called the Correctional Treatment Facility, described

an atmosphere of fear inside the jail. He said many people are worried they’ll be transferred to the prison in Lewisburg, where they are concerned they will face additional mistreatment and struggle to access lawyers and family members. Before his release on Nov. 22, Castón was concerned he may be moved from the jail, though it appeared to be unconnected to this decision from the USMS. Castón also said that he wanted to see officials create an immediate plan to focus on building a new facility to replace the jail. But in the meantime, he told officials, “people still have to live here.” He asked officials to form a committee of D.C. Jail residents with the capacity to report on conditions — and he wants to see successful D.C. Jail programs like the Young Men Emerging mentorship program expanded to more jail residents.

“Everybody wants a piece of something that makes them feel like a human being,” said Castón.

Other incarcerated D.C. residents who shared their experiences in testimony on Nov. 11 described the D.C. Jail facility as a dehumanizing place, saying they had been abused by staff and deprived of basic necessities. Attorneys with the Public Defender Service for D.C. (PDS) played recordings of their clients for officials and the public to hear.

Davon Patterson, who is currently incarcerated at the D.C. Jail, said in the recording that “you feel like an animal” in the facility. According to PDS, Patterson is 30 years old and has been at the jail for more than 600 days without an indictment or trial date.

“It’s not right, because at the end of the day, we are human

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

beings,” Patterson said.

Others described being deprived of food — or being given so little food that pain medication became painful to digest.

Some described standing human feces left in their cells, and one man said guards let human waste remain on the wall of his cell for months.

Defense lawyers who testified also said they had independently heard about the conditions described in the USMS inspection for years. They said clients were being denied food, recreational time, medical care, water, cleaning supplies, and access to personal hygiene, like showers.

Two former DOC employees also testified and said they personally witnessed similar abuses. Brittany Vasquez, who said she worked as a social worker on the Correctional Treatment Facility side of the complex, said she had witnessed corrections officers refuse to allow “certain residents” access to drinking water. Amy DeYoung, a licensed professional counselor who provided individual and group therapy to incarcerated people at the jail between 2017 and 2020, described an environment of terror and retaliation in the facility. She said she witnessed an officer tell a suicidal resident in the jail how to successfully hang himself, “to make sure to finish the job.” And she said she believed leadership was aware of these abuses.

“I can assure you that the administration is very much aware of every one of the atrocities occurring,” said DeYoung. “I consistently reported these issues and they continued to happen.”

As DOC leadership grapples with how to address conditions in the facility, advocates are calling for authorities to release every person possible from the D.C. Jail. Their suggestions ranged from amending the pretrial release statute to say that judges should consider D.C. Jail conditions before recommending detention to creating smaller, more therapeutic halfway houses where people can stay while awaiting trial instead of the jail. Qiana Johnson, the executive director of Life After Release and co-conductor of Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, pointed out that some people in the D.C. jail are being held on technical parole violations. The jail’s population is also largely composed of people who are being held pre-trial and have not yet been convicted of a crime.

“Even though we’re talking about conditions and we’re talking about conditions of the jail, the people in this building

right here — the judges, the parole commissioners, the U.S. attorneys, they’re the ones that hold the power to release them,” said Johnson, speaking outside D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday morning, at a rally where about 50 people gathered to protest the jail conditions. “The courts can stop this, and they can let our people go. We have an immediate call to free them all.”

But as the unfolding situation at the D.C. Jail is garnering attention from local — and national — lawmakers, others worry the spotlight on the situation will quickly fade.

Patterson, in his recorded testimony from inside the jail, said he felt like things would return to normal as soon as the USMS moved the people in its custody out of the facility.

“Soon as this blows past,” he said, “everything gon’ be the same.”

“It’s not right, because at the end of the day, we are human beings,” D.C. jail resident Davon Patterson said. “Soon as this blows past,” he said, “everything gon’ be the same.”

D.C. DOC Director Quincy Booth did not testify at the Nov. 10 oversight hearing. Geldart said Booth was out on personal leave.

In his testimony, Geldart largely responded to complaints about jail conditions by saying that, through the MOU with the USMS, DOC was taking a “top to bottom” look at all aspects of its operations. Geldart said DOC denies that water has ever been shut off or denied to residents for days, as the USMS inspection report alleges. He said DOC inspected all pipes in the units and ensured that its food vendor will start delivering extra drinks with all meals.

“We realize there are some systemic issues that have persisted at DOC,” Geldart acknowledged, but he said he did not believe the issues were so pervasive that the Central Detention Facility — the main subject of the USMS report on conditions and the space from which they have evacuated people in federal custody — has become “uninhabitable.”

Geldart said that DOC performs hundreds of repairs on its aging facility each year, including many on toilets, but added that DOC is suffering from staffing issues and staff have been working 12-hour shifts since April 2020. Despite the early pandemic decline in the jail population, court backlogs now mean that the population of the DC Jail is as high as it was in 2018, he says.

Geldart said the construction of a new facility is the best solution to the extreme physical challenges in the jail — but declined to commit to a timeline for building one.

// 9

SHARING GOOD CHEER Calling all gift-givers!

New hats, gloves, scarves, socks, and hand warmers are needed to provide 125 gift bags to our hard-working vendor/artists! Will you help spread good cheer this holiday season?

All gifts may be dropped off Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM at our offices at 1317 G street NW, Washington DC 20005. If possible, call ahead at 202-347-2006. Gifts are needed by December 6.

Visit our wish list at https://amzn.to/30fiVzW Questions? Contact Doris Warrell at doris@streetsensemedia.org.

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OPINION

Strange Fruit

BY WENDELL WILLIAMS

This month, the United States celebrated "Veterans Day” (formerly Armistice Day). Out of respect, and coming from a long line of veterans, I have waited to share my thoughts on it. There was a movie made by the War Department, now known as the Department of Defense, during World War II called "Why We Fight." But the title should be a question, and I still don't know the answer.

My grandfather, Lawrence Williams, served in World War I. He was shipped off to France at 19. I wonder how he was treated on his return to rural Virginia in the early 1920s.

My father, Winter Williams, served in World War II. He also went to France at 19. Two of his brothers, Lester and Buck, served in that war also. (It's a known fact that black veterans of that war didn't receive the same GI benefits given to their white counterparts. They got Levittown and home ownership while black veterans got mostly public housing like Barry Farms which is where I grew up.)

Two of my mother's brothers Francis and Vaughn served, one in the Korean War and the other in Germany at the height of the Cold War. Later, my older twin brothers Paul and Preston Williams both volunteered and served, one in Vietnam and the other in Korea. Not to mention my nephew and several cousins.

(Many of the black troops who disproportionately served in combat units in Vietnam came home screwed up and hopelessly addicted to heroin and were treated as criminals, including one of my brothers, who went in and out of prison. He eventually died from his disease, while today those suffering in the current opioid crisis are treated with the compassion associated with an illness.)

I didn't report to selective service until my dad made me at almost 20. At that time, every young man had to register on their 18th birthday. My draft number was number one that year. Many publicly burned their draft cards and refused to register. Some went to jail and others whose family could afford to help them went to Canada, and remained until allowed to return many years later. My family didn't understand our stance, and my dad was furious at us because so many in his generation -- which some call the greatest -- had stepped forward to serve, unlike many in my mine who for a lot of reasons were forced to enlist.

On Veterans Day, I visited the lynching memorial part of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama -- the home of many violent incidents during the Civil Rights movement. It was just minutes walking from the state capitol building.

Other than the Slave Castles on Ghana's Cape Coast, I've never been so moved and connected to the sorrow associated with the historical injustices rained on us African Americans. Maybe this is why they don't want a comprehensive history of racial inequality taught in schools. ("Critical Race Theory” is a specific theory taught in law schools that has been inaccurately used as a buzzword to rile people up about K-12 curricula.)

After walking around the memorial blocks in silence, reading the more than 4,400 names, dates, states, and counties of the lynchings, many of them public — where less than 1% of the perpetrators were charged and convicted — I was reminded of what Muhammad Ali. When asked why he refused to fight for this country in the Vietnam War and uphold white supremacy, he said: “I ain’t got no quarrel with those

I was overcome by the more than 4,400 names of people who were lynched are displayed on memorial blocks at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. Taken on Veterans Day, 2021.

PHOTO BY WENDELL WILLIAMS

Vietcong.” And then, he talked about how blacks were today, I still have trouble seeing all the things some treated right here in America. people say are worth fighting for.

For his act of defiance, Ali — who later became one Jazz stylist Billie Holiday was harassed by federal of the world's most beloved and honored figures, and authorities and jailed over and over for just singing a along with Dr. King the most hated man in the USA at song about these lynchings happening across the south. that time — was stripped of his heavyweight title, banned And it seems they continue today only in a different form. from boxing for years during his prime, fined $10,000 Strange Fruit indeed. and sentenced to five years in prison for draft evasion, Wendell Williams is an artist and a vendor with Street Sense Media. losing his right to participate in his chosen profession.

But he appealed his case, which kept him out of prison, and the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction For more photos from the memorial, and four years later.

Wendell’s relatives’ grave markers, visit Civil rights leader Stokely Carmichael, who many felt StreetSenseMedia.org/why-we-fight spoke for them, said, “Why should black folks fight a war against yellow folks so that white folks can keep the land they stole from red folks?

We’re not going to Vietnam. Ain’t no Vietcong ever called me n*****."

So someone - Have an opinion about how homelessness is being addressed in our community? please tell me - Want to share firsthand experience? again why we - Interested in responding to what someone else has written?

African Americans on this day are Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding. so damn proud to We aim to elevate voices from across the housing spectrum and foster healthy debate. have served this Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org. system that never valued us? Because looking at things

Join the conversation, share your views

dreams

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// 11

ART

What is this world coming to?

BY IBN HIPPS Artist/Vendor

Blessed with sight but cursed with no vision Born sinners but prayin’ for forgiveness Been snatchin’ away your sunlight Sun bright the darkness, life got a grip, a hold so tight Them gravedigger-type fools Got the hood sold up nice, trippin’ all night Dope fiends reminiscing On diamondback Cadillacs Down to robberies and bloody t-shirts On stained concrete, Suit and tie mobsters with that attitude Death to whomever want it No sunny dayz keeping those haters away Dying in battles knowing right from wrong You grown, you gotta weather da storm An’ keep from throwing bricks at them jail bars An’ still, pray for the golden gates all your life They told us hell was your resting place Case after case, the pain hits home base You never was a winner, you stayed in last place I am wiser than I was So I left alone all these childish ways This real-life cowboyz-and-Indians type thing Just with bigger consequences at stake Momma, can I get by an’ stay fly An’ transform to mega gigabytes?

People and picket signs, rainbow crowds All sing the same tune but a different sound This is for the child, born but scorned To be back and forth to mental health wards Gotta a void that can’t no one fulfill, not even the Lord The tip of my sleeve is sharper than a double-edge sword Drench me with Holy Water, wash me of my demons I can still hear victims of Earth screaming We no longer a poison breed, but lost seed Gimme green weed and promethazine.

Never give up

BY EVELYN NNAM

Artist/Vendor

Pain, pressure, perseverance, consistency, dedication, determination, faith, passion. What does all of this mean?

It means that you will make it and be a success when you apply it all.

Whenever we want to start something, we want to win, we want to be a success. But without hard work and pressure, it will never work.

We need to believe in ourselves, that we can do it, no matter what “it” is and no matter how hard. Because we need more people like you in the world to become better and to spread that light that you found, to have it grow.

I know that it can be difficult to achieve a goal when it may seem like its’ so far away to reach. But when you keep the faith and passion within, every day will become the dream in itself because you’re just telling yourself that

Dreams of the homeless guy

They wanna kill my dreams

BY COREY SANDERS

BY RON DUDLEY, a.k.a. “POOKANU” Artist/Vendor

Artist/Vendor

I have dreams of being who I can be.

I have dreams of being only me.

One day, I will be able to make my dreams come true.

But until that day happens, I will have to live my dreams through you.

Dreams do come true

BY DARLESHA JOYNER Artist/Vendor

ILLUSTRATION BY IBN HIPPS

each day you’re getting closer to that dream.

Wanting to start can feel impossible, but when you reach the finish, you’ll see for yourself that you did it and that now there are new dreams to achieve. We must never give up. We must never stop. WE must never second-guess ourselves. We must push.

We must dream big. We must be ambitious. We must innovate. We must be who we want to be. I love pushing myself to be better every day because I know I want to enjoy the life I worked hard to have. Remember that you are an inspiration and that you matter in this world. In order for many to see that, you must never give up. Never give up on yourself, because there are lives that are counting on you to see what you are becoming. Thank you.

I am excited to move to my favorite place, Florida. I want to travel and see the world. Shit, that should be my right. I am sick. I want to see the world before I die. Many of you are not sick, so you would not understand where I come from and how life is not promised to me.

Also, I got a voucher, where I can move after a year. So of course I want to move if the opportunity presents itself.

I look forward to the palm trees and being on the beach, sitting on my porch or balcony, sipping on wine and watching Markquelle have fun growing up. Me and Markquelle are going to just get up and go, leave everything behind, and start fresh. Dreams come true.

They wanna lay my dreams to rest But they don’t understand that my dreams are blessed They don’t understand that I’m dreaming now With my eyes open and my feet on the ground I’m a dream chaser, I be chasing my dreams I can see the future if you know what I mean Sometimes I see the past but I get back to the future Sometimes I see a winner, sometimes I see a loser What if you spent most of your life Running on a treadmill?

The treadmill stop But you still running on a treadmill Me, I’m a thinker and a do-er I’m doing what I’m thinking And I’m thinking what I’m doing They tried to rape my dreams But they still couldn’t take my dreams I got enemies that act like frenemies I got enemies that’s really friendemies Still, I be dreaming so much that my head be achin’ I be praying so much that my bed keep breakin’ I had a dream about a perfect planet I had a dream and then the verdict landed .

I had a dream without a deadline So that dream made me the headline They wanna lay my dreams to rest But they don’t understand that my dreams are blessed They don’t understand that I’m dreaming now With my eyes open and my feet on the ground.

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feed your spirit ART

Food for thought

Whatchu bring 2 the table?!

BY MARCUS MCCALL Artist/Vendor

BY LEVESTER GREEN

What to do when your energy is low and your spirit dampened? I advise you to fuel your soul with positive thoughts, engage in positive activities, and interact more with positive people. I don’t want people to give up on trying to get out of a situation that is not OK, even if they handle that citation very well.

Chronic homelessness is a result of people accepting homelessness as OK — both the people that pass by it and the people going through it. We stop seeing any urgency to get out of homelessness.

Look, even I got adjusted to it and it became a normal way of life for me. Homelessness is not OK for anybody. But, I was not OK with not being OK. And I’ve found ways to make changes.

So, this is how I relate to not being OK and being OK.

Artist/Vendor

7 Years straight of it!

Standing on my own!

Add 3 more years of living ALL ALONE! And that's just The Bottom line of it!

Cuz a fella wuz doing just FINE!~ Straight Legit!~

Shout from Soul

BY FREDERIC JOHN Artist/Vendor

When all goes well, I’m Not in Hell.

Singing sweet song— Swift as thong!

Treading the Waters, Part 41

BY GERALD ANDERSON // Artist/Vendor

When we were last with Gerald in New Orleans, he was running the streets with his long-time friends, Greg and Minew...

I don’t judge people, I analyze ‘em. I don’t care who you be. I can pick you up before you even come.

Like cops. I can tell police. Even the little Secret Service people... The first thing I look at— your waist.

Another thing tell me that you’re known as a cop — ain’t too many men gonna lock eyes with another man. And that’s plain and simple. Even if you stop carrying your gun, I would know who you are. I’ve been dealing with the law enforcement so long.

When me, Minew, and Greg be in the car, we never look behind us.

The cop behind you, you gonna look in the rear view mirror. That what make the cop pull.

You smoking weed, the first thing they say, “Don’t pass the weed, look at the police.” Then the backseat man look. First thing the cop tell ya: “Reason why I pull the car over is the guy looked back.”

They had a police called Tyrone Martin.

Tyrone Martin is a dirty cop, filthy. All

Sixth District, all the cops down there is really dirty.

One night me and Greg riding out to Iberville. Tyrone Martin pull us over. He say, “The back guy was my man. Been on you from out the Tenth ward.” He said he seen him putting the cocaine in the back of the seat.

We went to jail. They was trying to charge us with distribution. They know we dope boys, they ain’t stupid. But we fought the charge. We in a Camaro, tinted window, dark as shit up in there.

We sit up about a year fighting the charge. The cops go 30 months, then 20 months. They was trying to come down, they just want a conviction.

My friend Bunyon got a lawyer, Kevin Boshay. Kevin Boshay was a high-priced lawyer. He walk in the courtroom, you thought he was gonna dismiss the charge.

Bad boy. So I got a lawyer. A guy out the Garden District. Wayne Fontenau.

To be continued. Gerald Anderson’s first book, “Still Standing: how an ex-con found salvation in the floodwaters of Katrina,” is available on Amazon.com.

Gratitude and thanks for S-O-M-E

BY ROCHELLE WALKER Artist/Vendor

Grateful, for I know a place ain’t nobody dying I take you there, I am not lying 9th and O Street NW, Washington, D.C. A place called SOME, Inc. They feed the hungry seven days a week.

SOME gives out Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas gifts for you and your kids.

There are treatment services and medical services and psychological treatment for you and me.

That’s right, a clothing room. Free services.

What do you say about that?

SOME — So Others May Eat. It is a place to be thankful for, grateful for, and I place my gratitude every day.

I even say a little prayer to God that I can eat some and so others might eat :-) A trip to the mountains to get yourself together might be the first step to recovery.

A runaway could run to job training, a second chance, a better chance than being on the street.

The ‘Fly Stick’ comes to life!

BY IVORY WILSON Artist/Vendor

Here I pulled a MacGyver! I now have a working prototype of my “Fly Sick” invention. People said I could not pull it off without a welder, but I did it with just screws and a drill.

Back in September you may have read about my invention. I had been relying on a cane since I sprained my hip in August. And I wanted to give it some flavor!

I found a local welder but was told it would take him four hours, at $100 an hour, to realize my design. I laughed and walked out!

She's bling-blinging now. Shipping her to be dipped in chrome soon. But I can’t just yet. The screws allow the pieces to move around a little bit. And it needs to be stationary for that process.

So I bought a small Chicago electric MIG flux welder Once I get it welded but before I send it off, I’m going to take it downtown one time to let all of my supporters — and possibly a few investors — see how magnificent and pretty she is.

Photo by Ivory Wilson

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give thanks

// 1 3

Happy Thanksliving

BY COLLY DENNIS Artist/Vendor

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there that's able to celebrate it, given that this great holiday is celebrated by many millions of people nationwide. Unfortunately, for many people out there, it remains nothing more than a myth, as real as the tooth fairy fantasy.

It's hard to be thankful for a year that was filled with one of the worst pandemics of our times: poverty, job loss, sickness, chaotic elections, etc.

It's at the point where many people are now more thankful to just be living than celebrating.

Thanksgiving is like the sun, it's nothing more than just a sorrowful reminder that sooner or later it's going to get dark. The nice sunny afternoon is not guaranteed to stay forever. That's what many of our neighbors go through, some days are warm but some days can really be cold.

To some people, Thanksgiving is like a curse: a grim reminder of failed relationships, lost friends, estranged family relations, broken up homes, failed careers, etc.

Many people have given up hope. It's not easy living life day-by-day, it's not easy living a life where you don't have a clue where your next meal is going to come from.

To some of our neighbors, the thought of celebrating something like Thanksgiving was lost a long time ago.

There is nothing to celebrate about today. They have abandoned all traditions of celebrating Thanksgiving as we know it, such as sitting all around a big dining table with friends, family, and a big stuffed turkey.

As many of you celebrate this great eating festival, please remember there is someone else out there starving, there is someone out there that would use a little change if possible. It’s not because they are lazy and don't want to work to earn a good living. The truth of the matter is no one in life ever grows up thinking that one day they will be asking for some help or some way to survive in these tough times.

Everyone has a story to tell. Before we pass

judgment on anyone asking for any help during these times, we should take some time and find out how they ended up in that situation in the first place. This is not a rebuke to Thanksgiving but just a sad reminder that this holiday is not meant for everyone.

If you can give or donate, that's great. But then again, many people need more than that. Sleeping in a tent in November is not fun at all. It’s nothing more than survival for the fittest: a struggle day-in and day-out.

It’s the reason why I decided to call it “Thanksliving.”

Living on the streets or in encampments while celebrating Thanksgiving is not that easy, it's kind of traumatizing to see someone eating something that weighs pounds while you are starving.

How do we justify that and pretend that's OK and normal while some people are starving?

Happy Thanksgiving? No thanks. You can keep that to yourself. Again everyone has a right to celebrate any holiday they feel like and spend all they want. All some of us are asking for is a little kindness. Trust me, it can make my day and make my Thanksgiving.

A little bit here and a little sympathy there can go a long way in changing the living situation of someone in need, someone going through homelessness, someone living in the streets. You never know, you might even be helping out a runaway who is honestly trying to gather some change and return back home to be back with their families because they can't stand the city anymore. I have seen this before. Things happen in different ways and for different reasons.

With all that being said, I would like to send great thanks and praise during this holiday season to all our great readers that have been very supportive and appreciative of our street newspaper.

Last but not least, may you have a great and happy Thanksliving and a great year. Thank you.

A time for love and memories

BY SYBIL TAYLOR Artist/Vendor

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! It’s a day to give thanks and to remember the ones we loved and lost along the way. A day of sharing and giving and showing love for one another. Give thanks and love for each other and spend time with family and loved ones.

Some churches are providing food for people experiencing homelessness and free hot Thanksgiving meals: Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce , corn on the cob, collard greens, yam potatoes, cornbread , mash potatoes, and a soda or water. What joy! A way to give thanks and love to your neighbors, a day to give and share a heartwarming day of love and joy to give and to receive.

We could not do many church services and family gatherings last year due to the pandemic that really separated us from our loved ones.

This Thanksgiving is sad for me. I lost my godmother

this year and it still hurts that my dad is no longer with me and my family — though both are always in my heart. Missed but not forgotten. They are in Heaven rejoicing and having the biggest Thanksgiving dinner.

I also just lost my cat Squirrelly Tail to a hit and run.

But I am strong. Love to our pets and our animal friends. Love to everyone all over the world.

Everybody enjoying the Football games waiting and smelling that oven-baked turkey cooking along with the mac and cheese and stuffing. Everybody enjoy the holiday, with music and love and cheerful smiles!

Here are some songs that make me smile while remembering our loved ones who are gone on to glory: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

“Memories” by The Temptations “The Spinners” by Sadie “I Remember Mama” by Shirley Caesar “Family Reunion” by The O’Jays “My Baby” by The Temptations

First of all, I want to say Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Street Sense Media co-workers and customers. I think all my customers are very mindful when they show me their support and their gratitude.

How’s your gratitude today? Do you have a good attitude?

I always thank God the Father for every Thanksgiving Day. I am particularly gratefully and wonderfully made.

Make sure to wish you family, best friends, good friends, and co-workers well.

I’m thankful for today. I hope my papers be all sold on Thanksgiving Day, or this weekend.

And I look forward to eating on a good holiday — it’s time to cut that jive turkey up!

—Daniel Ball, Artist/Vendor

Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks to God and for our family and friends that love us. The Street Sense Media paper is part of a movement to end homelessness in our great country of America. So, please support us.

Thanksgiving is thanks and gratitude.

I’m thankful for the “Most High.” My higher power keeps me safe. He walks with me and talks to me. So, I thank Him and offer gratitude for not letting people rent space in my head for free.

Flee the devil. Spread love.

—Anthony Carney, Artist/Vendor

With Thanksgiving here and Christmas around the corner, it is time for many family and friends who celebrate to be together after getting vaccinated.

There will be presents under the tree and joy to everyone. Hope and pray that I will be with my family and friends this season. I hope we see a snow white winter this year with kids building snowmen, which is fun.

I will send Christmas cards to my son and family and give them to the people who are close by. Be safe and blessed.

—Warren Stevens, Artist/Vendor

Thanksgiving is the holiday of thanks and gratitude. “Street Sense,” a.k.a. the street paper that gives the gift of a lifeline for the future of not being homeless: the opportunity and the inspiration for getting off the streets.

The simple pleasures to focus on are being housed and in control of your life with the joy of having the keys to a place you can call home: a space all your own and somewhere to go at night. Be grateful, the best parts are a bedroom to lay your head and a bathroom for a good night’s bath.

—Carlton Johnson, a.k.a. “Inkflow,” Artist/Vendor

7/13/2021

1 4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A / / N O V. 2 4 - 3 0, 2021

Free Daily Printable Crossword Puzzles

Free Printable Crossword Puzzle #1

This is the Daily Crossword Puzzle #1 for Jul 13, 2021 Across Across 1. Derisive sounds 1. Root ____ 8. Like some exercise 5. Leftover 15. Issuedish forth tire Novice Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 20, Book 50 9. Extra 16. Grade-school project 14.17.

Talk irrationally Extension 15.18.

She, in Madrid Romance, for 14 Down 16.19.

Kidney, 1987 e.g.

Peace Prize winner Relax, with "out" 17.20.

Consumes Bart's mother 18.22.

Mast 23.

Object to 19. Gall Craze 20.24.

Provisional 22.26.

Be Roulette abundantbet 27.

Islanders' 23. Unattended surface Great numbers 24.28.

Rock band ____ Dan 30. Name in Beatles history 26. Soup cracker 31. Tumbled down 29. Duplicate 33. Flower part 30. Psychic’s phrase (2 wds.)

35. At __ (conflicting) 31. Most bizarre 36. Hit the water 35.37.

Noise Mole's work 36.40.

PutOater in order heroes 39.44.

Dixie general suffix "Femenino" 40.45.

Diners Some pro golfers 42.47.

Make arrangements Edge 43.48.

Give temporarilyCosby Telejournalist 44.50.

Tolerant of delay Overindulges 47.51.

Enjoy a book again 4. Tell again News follower Down 50.52.

Craze 5. Actor Charlton ____ Vibrant 1. Like Like terra Poodle 51.54.

Actor ____pro Idle 6.

Swisscotta mountains 2.

"Ventura Triumphal outburst 52.55.

Asserted 7. Work hardHighway" band © 2019 KrazyDad.com 3. Four teeth 56.

Branch off Novice Sudoku by56.

KrazyDad, Volume 20, Book 508. Tortoise’s opponent Raves 4. Work clay Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 58.

Major unrest Track shape 9. Daughter’s brother Sudoku #1 all of the digits 1 thru 9.

Sudoku 58. #260.

3-by-3 block contain 5. Passed bills Ceaseless 59. Midwest state 10. Make believe 6. Depot info If you 3 1 960.61.

5Resource 6 2 4 8 8 use 4 logic 2 you 6 can 1 solve 5 the 7 puzzle 3 9without guesswork.

7 Inherent quality 11.

See eye to eye 7. Fabric edges 62.

Organized ways Need 12.

Fray duet 5 6 461.2Green 1 7 3 9 4 The 8 hints 2 page 1 shows 9 a7little3help?

5 6a logical order to solve the puzzle.

8 fruit 8. Ballet Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page 63.

Came out 62.

Large quantity 13.

Opponent if you really get stuck.

9. Austrian article 1 5 6 3 9 7 8 2 4 >> This crossword 7 2 8 3 9 4 5 1 6 63. Impoverished 21.

Legendary boxer 10.

Travel far and wide puzzle’s answers: 6 4 364.9Rip7apart 5 6 9 2 4 1 3 7 8 5 8 2 1 24.

Guzzle 11.

Bach instrument tinyurl.com/SSM25.

1 bird 3 1 8 5 7 9 4 6 2 3 6 9 7 12.Fatigue Saloon cross-11-24-2021 2 8 565.4Shore

FUN & GAMES

Find the solution at https://onlinecrosswords.net/6386

Sudoku #2

7

7

8

2

5 7 9 3 6 4 7

Answers

4 7

2

7 8

3

3 9 3 4 5 1 6 7 5 8 4 3 6 7 8 2 7 2 1 4 3 6 7

6

9 1

5

2 4 6 8 1 2 8 4 1 6 3 5 9 7 6 9 1 7 5 8 2 4 3 3

5

9

Sudoku #3 6 4 3 5 1 8 9 7 2 5 7 4 9 2 4 6 7 6 8 2 5 3 1 9 4 9 2 3 3 1 6 8 8 7 5 1 Sudoku #5 3 9 5 7 1 2 6 8 8 7 4 9 2 3 7 5 6 4 9 1 5 8 1 2 9 5 3 6 7 6 2 4 4 1 8 3

2

9

3

6

8 1 5 3 1

4

8 6 5 7

4

7

9 2

1

8 7 2 4 9 3 6 8 7 1 3 9 5 4 6 2 7 1 8 2 5 9 6 4 3 5

4 6 2 5 3 7

1 4

8 9

6 3 8 4 6 9 1 3 7 8 5 2 6 9 3 7 4 1 2 4 8 7 9 8 1 3 5 7 5 9 2 6 2

1

5

Sudoku #7 3 7 2 4 1 9 5 6 8 6 1 4 5 2 8 9 3 7

<< LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION

After a number of decimal places, nobody gives a damn.

8

1 9

6 4 5 3 Down 9 3 6 7 5 2 1 8 4 word6 5 1 3 bottle 8 9 4 7 21. Wine 8 5 12. Relieve 6 4 9 3 7 2 7

8

2

3. Tied

26. Aspect 27. Tibet’s locale 28. Fasting season 29. Hamilton bill 31. Existed 32. She, in Bordeaux

Sudoku #4 8 4 2 5 1 7 3 6 9 6 5 3 9 2 8 7 1 4 7 9 1 6 3 4 8 5 2 5 7 4 2 8 1 9 3 6 1 3 6 https://www.onlinecrosswords.net/printable-daily-crosswords-1.php 7 9 5 2 4 8 9 2 8 3 4 6 5 7 1 4 1 5 8 7 2 6 9 3 3 8 7 1 6 9 4 2 5 2 6 9 4 5 3 1 8 7 Sudoku #6 3 1 2 7 6 8 6 9 8 4 5 3 5 7 4 9 2 1 9 5 3 6 8 7 4 8 1 3 9 2 7 2 6 1 4 5 1 3 9 8 7 6 8 6 5 2 1 4 2 4 7 5 3 9

4

4 5 2 7 8 3 1 2

5

7

9 1 6

6

3 9 8 2 5 4 7 3 9 8 6 1

Sudoku #8 6 8 9 7 1 3 2 5 4 2 7 5 6 4 9 8 1 3

© ONLINECROSSWORDS.NET

1

33. Actor ____ Connery 34. Camp shelter 13. Think of 36. Locality 39. You find them in your 14. "Terminator 2" director travels 37. Orange peel 40. Place 21. Camelot lady 38. Vermilion 41. On the lam 24. Interfered 41. Voted in 42. Get behind 25. What some keys have 42. Ray Charles,43. e.g.Freeloaded 28. Takes on cargo 44.

Straw hat 46. Long stories 29. Moves a bit 45. Moose’s horn49. Head off 32. Bilk 46. Gift for Dad 51. After a while 34. End of Jack's boast 47. Televised again 53. Bird of prey 36. Closet item 55. Model 37. Diatribes 48. Rub out 49. Wash lightly 57. Herd of whales 38. Public service 50. “Star Wars”, 59. e.g. Belief 52. Young male horse 53. Distribute 54. Water jug 55. Sunup 57. Pig’s pad

Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author Dan Weingarten is a former college dropout and a current college student majoring in information technology. Many thanks to Gene Weingarten and The Washington Post Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.

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My brother, Antoine WORDS AND PHOTOS BY SASHA WILLIAMS Artist/Vendor

On Saturday, Nov. 6, I was informed that my brother Antoine passed away. Love you, bro. Your soul lives on. I was able to find photos that make me so happy to share access to Antoine.

My brother Antoine will always be loved He was Son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin & friend. He endure a lot younger and had a beautiful soul.

Eboni was 1 year old in the photo with Pop-Pop and Antoine

Antoine holding Eboni when she was a newborn

He survived being shot in the head over 10 years ago.He was so strong to have dealt with the injuries and trauma and the pain and seizures. He did his best with pain. He looked just like my father.

He had a beautiful smile and made uslaugh at home. I definitely needed laughs.

There’s so much to say, but for now, no more pain.

Your beautiful soul is with grandma “Dot.” It has been rough these last four months of 2021. I lost one of my sisters and, for real, she was taken.

But now, one of my brothers.

I just want to get better and feel better and be better. I know I am strong but damn I want to keep adding strength. I love my siblings *Yall be safe out there Peace, Blessings & Safety

Siblings and I

He made sure I laugh and that is a gift to make people laugh regardless of what is going on...

Thank you for reading Street Sense!

From your vendor, NOV. 24-30, 2021 | VOLUME 19 ISSUE 2 My Dad other brother and Antoine.

Antoine and I

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Antoine holding Eboni when she was a baby.

Antoine was holding Onyx when she was young.

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