Eckington Civic Association Fall Cleanup

Beginning at 9 a.m. this morning, I joined members of the Eckington Civic Association, in concert with NoMa Business Improvement District staff (more info on NOMA BID here), to pick up trash in our community. NoMa director of operations Merrit Drucker attended, and joined us for the post-cleanup cookout.

Because cleanup organizer and cookout chef Charlene McCullers (pictured here with her son Ashton) did not receive any requests from the community that particular areas be cleaned, cleanup selection essentially depended on where the residents lived. I cleaned up on Lincoln Road, North Capitol Street N.E., the unit blocks of S Street N.E. and Seaton Place N.E., and two blocks of T Street N.E. The unit block of T residents should be proud, because hardly any trash could be found on their block. On the other hand, the 100 block of T bears the burden of the local schools.

I then joined Ed Hodge with his efforts to clean streets in east Eckington (he is pictured here with Merrit Drucker). Ed spoke out at a recent ANC meeting in order to hold ANC 5C to a higher standard (ANC 5C has been having issues with its website). But Ed is more than just talk, he is putting his words into action by running to fill the vacant ANC 5C-05 seat (the special election is set for December).

I have only known Ed Hodge for a short while, but he has impressed me with his vision for the community and his integrity. So I was disappointed to learn that someone who lives outside our neighborhood challenged Ed's petition signatures in an effort to knock him off the ballot. It turns out that the challenger is Lenwood Johnson, an advisory neighborhood commissioner from Ward One (1A-10).

Lenwood Johnson is... well, for one thing he has close ties to the notorious Sinclair Skinner. He also, according to Richard Layman's blog, has written that Councilman Jim Graham is "a world-class mother******" (but without the asterisks). Was Johnson acting on his own when he challenged the petitions? I'd like to give Ed's opponent the benefit of the doubt.

Regardless of any connection, the community almost missed the opportunity to have a real choice in the election. (The district lost at least two candidates when all of the candidates were knocked off the first time around due to a election technicality).

Today's blogging location: Big Bear Cafe.