ANC2C02 Forum

What were the "white shirts" yelling whilst Martin was being interviewed?

Expletives and physical threats towards Kevin and me.

From Joseph Martin, Mayor's Office of Community Relations and Services
Ward 2 Neighborhood Services Coordinator

From: Taylor, Paul (OFM) [Paul.Taylor@k12.dc.us]
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 5:21 PM
To: Martin, Joseph E. (EOM)
Subject: RE: Scott Montgomery Elementary School

I will have maintenance staff investigate the fence and graffiti issues. We consider gang related graffiti as a security emergency and will prioritize over other workload. The exterior lights will be handled as part of a 104 school program to repair/replace exterior lighting across the district. We are currently in the procurement process to obtain the services of contractors to perform this work.

Paul L. Taylor, Jr., AIA
Deputy Director of Facilities Management
District of Columbia Public Schools
(202) 576-7718

Cc: Martin, Melissa R. (ES); Anderson, David (OFM); Molotsky, Michele (COUNCIL); Duckett, Anthony (DPW); Bryant, Kevin (DPW); Mccoy, Larry (MPD); Ray, Clark (EOM); Howard, Sean (EOM); Chavis, MacArthur (OFM); Barnette, William (OFM); Jones, Tyrone (OFM); Myles, Steven (OFM); Brown, Cornell (OFM)

Same story, different day.

Mr.chapple have you ever discussed these issues with the youth that lounge at the playground? me myself have never even seen you in the community(before the televised news event), for you to try to degrade most of the hard working young males
that utilize the playground after a hard days work is outrage and for your associate to go on a national televised broadcast and LIE about weapons being found on the scene is a disgrace to your whole organization.

Crime report from Seargent Penn

Dear Mr Lorenzo Brown,

Please read police reports noted on earlier posts in this Forum or simply contact the MPD [(202) 673-6815 | Third District ListServ ] if you have any questions about the veracity of statements about the gun incident on the Scott Montgomery Elementary School playground. Given the threats and physical harm posed by youngsters like the ones in question (also referred to here by my good colleague ANC2C Chair Doris Brooks), I do feel that certain individuals might be better engaged directly by the MPD. I am a private business owner and an attorney — not a member of the District's specially trained law enforcement agencies nor a social worker.

I have been on the school campus many times including this school cleanup last fall. The next time we have one of these events, I hope you will join us and witness for yourself some of the damaging affect some individuals have upon this DCPS property. I care about keeping such places clean and safe for students, residents and those who play in the area.

Thank you for your comment. I hope to speak to you in person at my next single member district meeting which will be announced in the next few weeks or any other time you wish to speak to me direclty.

Mr Lorenzo Brown,

Most stereotypes are embraced because of ignorace of the facts. Some are degrading. Some distort reality. I live across the street from the school. I see the good kids and those who aren't every day. I speak to the good ones. Personally, I have never met you during my own personal cleanups around the school, meetings with the school staff and administrators, or at any of the community meetings where we discuss neighborhood problems like those mentioned above.

If you were more enaged in our community, I'm sure you would be less inclined to make off the mark generalizations.

But, I too appreciate your comment. I hope you will continue to ask questions.

Mr Brown,

Is throwing rocks and shouting obcenities at people (some who are elected officials) appropriate behavior for "hard working young males"?

It would be so good to see some of the possitive things going on in the neighborhood posted. I am sure there must be some. Take a break and do something possitive. I would like also to see Commissioner Chapple out in the neighborhood,and come to our meetings at 2nd northwest. You make meetings at mvsna, but you are Commissioner of 2co2.

"Throwing rocks" you meant rock as of one singular not plural. Im not justifying the fact, the youngman who threw THE ROCK was indeed out of character. I took the time out of my schedule to go over and talk to the youth who endulge in the afternoon activities on the school playground and they send the apologizes for the obscene behavior. Some of you all have had issues with these kids since you steped foot in the Shaw communinty like you your-self MR.Moulton. I can date back to 2004 when some of those same kids came to me complaining that they where being filmed and harrased with out their concent. After multiply scenarios of the same sort they rebeled by shouting obsceneties ( you might say).Wich resulted to the police coming on the scene. Is there an grudge being held against these kids?

I am not sure where this conversation is going. Two young people were arrested at Scott Montgomery Elementary School... one for selling and one for buying drugs. Neighbors are doing everything in their power to rid the playground of such activity by spreading the word... publicity is the only way to get our elected officials to listen and therefore make a change...end of story.

If we can't all agree that drug dealing on an unsecured DCPS property is a problem worthy of news coverage and immediate action then we are in a very bad place.

I do agree, speaking with the children in the park is a wonderful idea. Reaching out to every child AND adult alike in this community is something each citizen should take on themselves. However, approaching drug dealers for a friendly conversation is not something I, and likely many others in the neighborhood, feel is appropriate... we all have jobs in cleaning up the neighborhood - neighbors, police, elected officials, AND parents alike. Time to get to work and stop pointing fingers.

Throwing a rock, or any dangerous projectile in public is not an obscene act, it is illegal. If you know the person who did it, you should not protect him or his identity less you align yourself with the criminal act; you should advise him to turn himself in to the authorities.

Do not protect criminals. The person in question didn't throw the rock at you, Mr Brown. He threw it at us. he should apologize to us directly in or in writing — nothing else will suffice. Have him log on and post an apology here if he likes.

Back in 2004, as it is today, the illegal and obscene behavior around the school is the primary problem. We finally caught it on tape for all to see without a doubt.

Now we'll begin to get the proper authorities to clean up the problems.

I had an hour long private meeting with Mr Thorpe last weekend and I assure you that he and I are both on the same page on this issue. Commissioner Chapple seems to agree that criminal and destructive activity on the school ground must be stoped.

Which authorities do you stand with Mr Brown? If you know people committing criminal acts, them maybe you should speak to the authorities about it.

Dear Ms Carracedo,

I am stunned that you believe that this site does not provide many positive aspects about our community. This site is filled with many activities and events that occur in and around Shaw that shines a positive light on our neighborhood. A casual look at this page of this blog you will see that we provide information about ANC2C02 resident Brian Williams' dance troupe and provide their touring schedule; below that we inform the public of new art exhibits opening at the Ninth Street Gallery and the Long View Gallery; this past Saturday the National Kidney Foundation held a Chili Cookoff at the nearby Convention Center; and we also publicized the upcoming Shaw Community Day. I could go on. This site, in my opinion, provides much more positive aspects about Shaw than negative.

I have been ANC2C02 Commissioner for approximately 4 months and 2 weeks. During this time frame I have never once attended a Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association (MVSNA)meeting. I believe that MVSNA is a great organization that does many positive things not only in Mount Vernon Square but also in Shaw - I would have liked to have attended at least one of their meetings this year, however, I have been busy each time they have met since becoming Commissioner.

Since I have become the ANC Commissioner, I have attended a PSA 308 meeting which was held at 2nd NorthWest Coop. However, I have not been invited nor even notified about any other meeting which has or will occur at 2nd NW Coop. If I am made aware of any such meetings I will do my very best to attend. Please provide me with an agenda as soon as it becomes available so that I can come prepared to discuss issues of interest to my constituents who live there, or let me know in advance about any specific issues that you would like me to address.

I thank you for you comments.

To Mr. Chapple and Mr. Moulton i know everyone from around the Scott Montgomery area and the two people caught on camera are not even from that area. Don't you all have their address posted on your site? All you all are doing IS just making a bad reputation for the teens and kids around the Scott Montgomery area! The two people you have on video making transactions are not from around that area! Go back and do your research! lol

To volvolution1 in response to the question of "What were the "white shirts yelling while Martin was being interviewed?" I listened to the footage and if you go back you can hear the voice from the "white shirts" state "Give me a break give me a [expletive] break I wanna be on camera!"
All Mr. Chapple and Mr. Moulton are trying to do is make the kids in the community look bad by destroying their image.

Indisputable facts:
1) A gun was found on the playground of Scott Montgomery.
2) A minister was held up at Scott Montgomery.
3) 5th & O, 4-N-R graffiti has been on the Scott Montgomery playground.
4) Teenage youth who hang out at Scott Montgomery were implicated by MPD in a shooting at 7th & O Street.
5) Teenage youth rolled their privately-owned basketball onto school property.
6) Empty liquor bottles are littered on school grounds.
7) A drug bust involving teenage youth occurred at Scott Montgomery.
8) Teenage youth threw rocks at those involved in a news report at Scott Montgomery.

The image of youth who hang out at Scott Montgomery is grounded in those facts from the anti-social behavior of youth and less on the opinions of community residents.

All disputable none facts:

1) A gun was found on the playground of Scott Montgomery. (The gun was found and labled to a suspect whom was being pursued by MPD in a foot chase and later captured.)

2) A minister was held up at Scott Montgomery. (This maybe true but i haved lived in this community all my life and i too have been robbed on the same street by people wich whom i have never seen before so for you all to assume it was the those who linger on the court is ludacriss.)

3) 5th & O, 4-n-R graffiti has been on the Scott Montgomery playground. (True but youth who live in the neighborhoods of 5th O and 4 & R are not the only neighborhood kids that look to Scott Montgomery playgrouns as a safe haven place to hang out.)

4) Teenage youth who hang out at Scott Montgomery were implicated by MPD in a shooting at 7th & O street. (That was a very irresponible statement to make that could get innocent people seriously injured or lord forbid worse! I myself hang-out on scott montgomery playground or “Scott as I might call it” and I have no problem with the people from 7th & O St.)

5) Teenage youth rolled their privately-owned basketball onto school property. (After the courts provided by DCPS were useless do to wear and tear we thought it would be a good idea to kept the youth from going out and hanging on other street corners.”We have unity in our community.”)

6) Empty liquor bottles are littered on school grounds. (Empty liqour bottles are found all over the city and you cant blame the kids that hang on Scott 75% are not even old enough to purchase liqour.)

7) A drug bust involving teenage youth occurred at Scott Montgomery. As it clearly states on this web site the two people aprhended do not even live in the community.)

8) Teenage youth threw rocks at those involved in a news report at Scott Montgomery. I read the forum and the comments from the blog and the teenagers apoligized for their behavior may have did it indirectly but they did and maybe if you guys and the reporters from Fox Five had given thenm a chance to speak their minds we would have gotten a diffrent outcome.

Moderation. The gratuitous use of all caps (aka: cyberspace screams) will not be tolerated. Tone it down. But continue to read and comment. Don't like following moderation rules? Set up your own blog. We'll link to it if you live in the community. Thank you.

— The ANC02 Admin Crew (don't call us a gang)

The indisputable facts listed did not state that the youth who create the bad image are from the neighborhood. The fact is the behavior of youth who hang out at Scott Montgomery, neighborhood residents or not, creates the image of youth.

Ray's post seemed to imply that all "Mr. Chapple and Mr. Moulton are trying to do is make the kids in the community look bad by destroying their image." ray's post invoked a straw man argument. Neither Mr. Moulton nor Mr. Chapple stated it was neighborhood youth causing the problems. Furthermore ray's post was an ad hominem attack on Mr. Moulton and Mr. Chapple, rather than accepting that anti-social behavior by youth takes place at the basketball courts at Scott Montgomery.

Does anyone honestly think that Mr. Chapple and Mr. Moulton are going out of their way to destroy the image of youth in the neighborhood? Have you not looked at the homepage of this site which features drawings of school kids or taken a look at the school notes tab of this forum reporting school clean-up events?

In response to retracsemaj comment "Does anyone honestly think that Mr. Chapple and Mr. Moulton are going out of their way to destory the image of youth in the neighborhood?"
I dont think it they becauese did it, along aside with you and the commments you made when listing your undisputable facts. You guys are giving "us" the kids that hang at Scott Montgomery a bad reputation and putting us in the middle of a gang war that could cause innocent people to get killed. Every kid that wears a White shirt, Baggy jeans and a pair of nikes is not a gang-banger. If you guys were really active in the community you would know the diffrence between who was doing what in the community, Leroy Thorpe and patrol assistant did. When have you ever heard of gun fire or gang violence at scott montgomery playground, certainly not in the last past 5 years or even in the new millenium and I can account for that because I have been a resident of the Shaw community for the 20 years and even a member of Shaw youth of the future.
So if the childish horseplay or loud noises that come from the playground irrate that bad just ask the kids to tone it down. Please dont try to give the kids in the commnity a bad name.

The only "Shooting" that goes on at Scott Montgomery is on the Basketball ball court and that would be jump shots.

Larry (Mr Lorenzo Brown),

Commissioner Chapple and I have been out in the community. If your friends on the basketball court would cut the threatening and foul language and promise not to throw a rock at us, we will be happy to speak with them directly and even let them tell their side of the story as we helped share this lady's story in this piece earlier this week:

http://www.anc2c02.com/commercials/NEW02.html

You will need to make the introduction and mediate the meeting. We look forward to hearing from you.

You all had a chance to let them speak their minds while you guys were filming earlier this week. You didnt for some strange reason. Also you all cant keep hiding behind that rock you had plenty of chances to go talk and voice your opinion to the kids in the community you never have in the last 5 years since you moved in the community.

Mr Brown,

Set up the interview, if you have any true rapport with the kids in question or even really know them, and let's move forward. Otherwise, the connection you claim to have will be considered dubious. I'm trying to help. Don't miss the opportunity to prove yourself.

The Fox5 Crew didn't seek to interview the kids, that was not our call. The kids were not exactly approachable given all of their rants and shenanigans on and off the court.

I'm glad that you're reading and contributing to the site. It shows that Commissioner Chapple has been somewhat successful with his goal reaching and engaging those who probably did not vote him into office.

"I'm glad that you're reading and contributing to the site. It shows that Commissioner Chapple has been somewhat successful with his goal reaching and engaging those who probably did not vote him into office."

It shows that the all the youth on the court are not ignorant and that we are aware of what it going on in our community. Also you dont know who we voted for or even if we voted at all stop making assumption because we all know what they make out of them selves.

Larry,
Thanks for posting. No one suggested that any of the youth on the court were ignorant. If you or one of the guys on the court agree to an interview, I promise to run circles around any challenger in a peaceful game of one-on-one. It will be the fastest game of hoops you'll ever play. My web skills are only outshined by my skills with a basketball.

Step up or shut it.

I'm sorry. Step up or move on to another topic.
Login and create your own if you like.

Kevin, join Martin and recruit a 3rd person and play a friendly, reconciling 3-on-3 game at Scott Montgomery . . . seriously :-) Adults win, then youth work side-by-side to clean-up around Scott Montgomery. Adults lose, they treat the youth to burgers and fries at Old Dominion. . . or something like. It could be an ANC2C02 spin-off of Court'N'Curfew.

I'm more of a basketball spectator than player, but I'm game.

Larry, can you recruit 3 youth to play a friendly 3-on-3 against Kevin, Martin and a third adult? Adults lose, they treat the youth to burgers and fries at Old Dominion. . . or something like. Adults win, the youth work side-by-side with the adults to clean-up around Scott Montgomery.