Community Hears Progress and Changes at Coolidge Senior High School
“We have hope Coolidge can be a model school,” announced PTSO (parent teacher student organization) President Terry Goings at the group’s last meeting of the school year on May 16. If strong partnerships continue with the alumni association, the Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation and Takoma neighborhood groups, which are helping to raise funds for school activities – Goings told the group of more than 60 parents, students and other community stakeholders – Coolidge can reverse years of dwindling enrollment: “We’re going to start getting our students to come back!”

Despite the fact that his role on the School Board is being transformed as part of Mayor Fenty’s DC Public Schools takeover, Sekou Biddle, the newly elected school board representative for District 2, encouraged the PTSO to contact him for support on any issues.

Introduced by Goings as someone who always returns his phone calls, Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso assured the group that there would be no interruption of services as the mayor’s office takes over the responsibilities of the school board and DCPS administration.

It is not clear yet exactly who will be managing Coolidge’s capital improvements. “I’ve gotten no indication that I have to search for a new job,” laughed Cornell Brown, director of facilities management for DCPS, when asked if he knows the future of his job following the mayor’s takeover.

With Coolidge not slated for major renovation until 2010, under the Master Facilities Plan passed in January by the DC Council, the school will immediately start receiving plumbing and interior lighting repairs, reported Brown. Also, in October, there will be $3 million available for cooling, flooring and other repairs identified by the principal.

Coolidge will be one of the first schools to have an architectural firm design a plan to bring the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. That these plans will not be implemented until the major renovation in 2010-12 created several grumbles in the crowd.

“It’s like putting band-aids on stuff that’s not gonna hold,” criticized Harold Cox, a Ward 4 resident.

Talking about the academic changes for next year, Principal Nelson Burton boasted that the number of Advanced Placement courses offered next year will increase by 300 percent, to 36 sections, and that he hopes to put back together the school’s “It’s Academic” team to compete in the region-wide television show.

When a community member inquired about the status of Coolidge’s Business Administration program, Burton responded that it will not be in place next year. Several others expressed concern about the lack of vocational training for students not on the pre-college track, such as photography and home economics. These also will not be available. “As enrollment

ncreases, so will funding,” Burton explained.
Despite these challenges, a feeling of optimism pervaded the meeting, summed up by Senior Class President Ibijoke Akinbowale. “I regret not being able to stay and see all these changes. I wish they could happen now.”

Fundraiser -- Third Annual 70s-60s Citywide Interhigh Reunion. July 28, 8 p.m.-2 a.m.
For more information, call Terry Goings 202-486-3646 or e-mail terrygoings0019@yahoo.com.

ANC News Briefs

ANC 4C – Petworth
While Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser and her staff appeared at ANC 4C’s May 8 meeting, At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown attended as well to express his attention to the ward, which has gone without a Ward 4 councilmember since Adrian Fenty left the position in January to become Mayor.

Brown said that while growing up in DC, he made a vow that if elected, “I would do everything in my power to change Georgia Avenue.” Brown, who became chair of the Committee on Economic Development in January, told the 4C commission he has proposed $400,000 for expanding the Main Street Program to encompass all of Georgia Avenue and additional funds to hire people to clean the streets.

When asked by a community member how long it will take for changes to be made, Brown pointed to the commercial corridor Barracks Row on Eighth Street, SE, which they “did in less than eight months.” Brown also announced a “Public Oversight Roundtable on Progress of Neighborhood Economic Development Project Along Georgia Avenue” scheduled for June 29, 6 p.m., at Emery Recreation Center – 5701 Georgia Avenue, NW.

The District Department of Transportation’s new Ward 4 Planner, Cobby Williams, introduced himself, saying that “he’s very aggressive,” getting residents’ concerns resolved. Yet Williams urged the community to call the mayor’s call center at 727-1000 with their issues, whether for street signs or to get a crosswalk painted, in order to get an incident number. The number “gives you power,” said Williams. “It’s how accountability takes place.”

The meeting filled with passion during the presentation by DDOT’s Muhammed Khalid presented the “Traffic Safety Improvement for the Intersection of Georgia and New Hampshire Avenues.” Residents had no problem with DDOT’s plan to extend curbs to reduce crosswalk length, replace the saw-tooth bus bay on Georgia’s west side with a parallel bus lane, or install new roadway signs; yet the room divided itself in two over the issue of planting trees in the new 8-foot-wide medians on New Hampshire Avenue from Grant Circle to Spring Place.

Several residents complained that trees would interfere with the unique vista they have on New Hampshire Avenue, while others lobbied for trees to beautify the neighborhood and make it more pleasant for walking. “It’s the newcomers who want trees. It’s unfair for us for their wish to be granted,” said one woman, who, like other vocal opponents, was black; most of the supporters tended to be younger and white.

Citing the example of trees in the median on 16th Street, Khalid said trees are helpful for stormwater collection and traffic calming as “people tend to slow down” on streets with trees planted in the median.

The commission voted to support the plan with the agreement that the vegetation issue be revisited after more community comments were gathered. The one opposing vote came from Commissioner Tim Jones, who expressed suspicion that the tree roots may infiltrate the Metro tunnels running under New Hampshire Avenue.

No commissioners voted to support a zoning variance request from the First Baptist Church to demolish its existing row house to build more space for its youth and seniors programming. While the church promised not to attract additional traffic and changed its plans to address community concerns, one nearby resident, Joe Day, spoke out against the Randolph Street renovation, which requires permission from DC Board of Zoning Adjustment that gives the ANC great weight in its decision making.

“This is really tiring, every year we have to fight this,” explained Day of the church’s attempts to gain community support over the years for its expansion. “The neighborhood flavor will be ruined. It looks like an office building.”  

Also visiting the commission was Maxim Saunders, chief of the Fourth Batallion Fire and Rescue. Because people don’t know a lot about fire and EMS, “unless it’s something negative,” Chief Saunders shared some information about their services, including that more than half of all fire engine companies now have trained paramedics and that they are willing to conduct free home fire hazard surveys.