11 01 2017 by Street Sense Media

VOL. 14 ISSUE 26 // NOV. 1 - 14, 2017

Real Stories

Real People

suggested donation goes directly to your vendor

Real Change

HUNDREDS MARCH AGAINST

FOOD

DESERTS

Fall is

an OUT OF

here!

THIS WORLD INTERVIEW with a NASA SCIENTIST

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9-year-old COLLECTS 700+ SOCKS for HOMELESS PEOPLE @ STREETSENSEDC

A PUBLICATION OF

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The Cover Miracle Omar, 9, collects clothes and toiletries for homeless people and furnishings for people who have recently moved out of homelessness. PHOTO BY

BETHANY TUEL

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 the 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.

Jeremy Bratt, Margaret Jenny, Jennifer Park, Reed Sandridge, Dan Schwartz, Jeremy Scott, John Senn, Kate Sheppard, Aaron Stetter, Annika Toenniessen, Martin Totaro, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome

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WRITERS GROUP ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Willie Schatz

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER) Rachel Brody, Arthur Delaney, Britt Peterson

EDITORIAL INTERNS Lilah Burke, James Marshall, Emma Rizk, Nick Shedd, Bethany Tuel

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EVENTS

// 3

NEWS IN BRIEF ARTS & CULTURE

New play draws attention to the criminalization of homelessness BY GREG LEVINSKY // Volunteer

Street Sense Media in FotoWeekDC Tuesday Nov. 14th, 2017 // 6:30pm - 8:30pm International Arts & Artists at Hillyer // 9 Hillyer Ct NW, Washington, DC 20008 Street Sense Media photographers share stories of our communities. Join the opening reception and artist talks November 14th. View the exhibit November 14-19th as part of FotoWeekDC. Free admission.

Sleeping Under the Stars – Homelessness, Art and Justice Nov 9 // 6 pm - 10 pm 4200 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008 On the Lawn of the UDC Student Center, The Theta Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. welcomes Street Sense Media to exhibit poetry, photography and illustration throughout the evening. Free admission. Refreshments will be served!

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness meeting calendar Housing Solutions Committee Nov 1, 1:30 pm // 1800 MLK Jr. Ave SE Singles Housing Placement WG Nov 7, 1 pm // 64 New York Ave NE Outreach Policy/Protocol WG Nov 8, 2 pm // 64 New York Ave NE Shelter Conditions Work Group Nov 9, 10:30 am // 64 New York Ave NE Landlord Outreach Work Group Nov 9, 11 am // 801 Pennsylvania Ave SE Executive Committee Nov 14, 13 pm // 64 New York Ave NE

Theatre Performance for Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week Nov 15 // 7 pm 814 20th St NW, Washington, DC 20052 The George Washington University welcomes you for a special performance from the Street Sense Media theater group. The event is scheduled in a room on the second floor of a re-purposed church. Free admission.

Keep up with community events, at StreetSenseMedia.org/Calendar

THE EXCHANGE Jake Lloyd

@jakelam2116

This is awesome. I often don’t have cash. No problem anymore! Download the @streetsensedc APP! #DC http://streetsensemedia.org/app 6:15 PM - 17 Oct 2017

Two years ago, the city of Portland, Maine attempted to pass an ordinance to ban panhandlers from standing in the median to ask for money. The legislation didn’t pass, but the ongoing saga between the city and its homeless community continues. A new play, “Anything Helps God Bless,” aims to expose this relationship. Rick, a 46-year-old Portlander who plays the guitar with a battery-operated amplifier to attempt to get “two bucks” from passersby in vehicles, said the proposed panhandling ban meant a lack of freedom. In 2013 Portland’s City Council initially passed the ordinance, but it was appealed immediately. A 1st U.S. District Court of Appeals deemed the ordinance unconstitutional. “There is no doubt that the ordinance imposes ‘serious burdens’ on speech,” appeals Judge David Barron wrote in his ruling. “I’m just one of many folks that believes [the proposed ban] took away freedom,” said Rick, is homeless and refused to give his last name due to fear of police involvement. “I wouldn’t want to endanger anyone by standing in a small traffic island.” For the play, Al D’Andrea and co-writer Margit Ahlin, along with a cast of 11, sought to create an accurate portrayal of homelessness and panhandling in Portland. The group conducted many interviews as well as reviewed court transcripts, city council meeting videos, police calls and other records. For a $20 stipend given to each “signer” they spoke with, D’Andrea, Ahlin and their cast “dove in” on a journey to “gather material” through the stories of panhandlers. Oftentimes, they said, panhandlers appeared drunk, high on drugs or to be suffering from a mental disorder. But the crew said this never caused a problem. “Each one of them, regardless of their condition on that particular day, gave a good amount of thoughtful responses to the questions that we posed to them,” Ahlin said. “A lot of insight was gathered and honesty was set forth.” The play begins with the 2012 proposal of the ban and continues through when it was voted down in 2015. With a constant stream of new headlines coming from local news, the playwrites strove to be “up to the minute” by adapting the script right up until showtime. The show is supposed to be “a conversation where all voices on all sides are heard,” according the team’s description. Ahlin said it serves as a learning opportunity for the audience about homelessness and city government. Ahlin and D’Andrea both work for Snowlion Repertory Company, which uses performance to help examine social issues. “Anything Helps God Bless’ is a prime example of the company’s “collaborative creation” approach, Ahlin said. The play was shown at Portland Ballet Studio Theater for a weekend in October and once daily through the following week at the Portland Ballet Studio Theater. At least one of the panhandlers they interviewed ended up in the audience, Ahlin said. D’Andrea hopes the play will get the community thinking, talking and responding to the issues and needs of the community.

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NEWS

New marchers continued to join the demonstration as it progressed. PHOTO BY JAMES MARSHALL

Southeast D.C. residents march in “grocery walk” against food deserts BY JAMES MARSHALL // james.marshall@streetsensemedia.org

wo-hundred community members chanted, “Healthy food on our plates, food justice in Ward 8!” as they marched the two miles that separate the Giant— Ward 8’s only grocery store—and downtown Anacostia. Residents of Wards 7 and 8 were taking part in a “grocery walk” on Oct. 14 to protest the scarcity of grocery stores in their neighborhoods. Delois McNeal, a 70-year-old Ward 8 resident, took part in the walk despite having had a hip replacement. “It’s good exercise,” she said, carrying a symbolic bag of carrots. McNeal was one of many protesters who live in “food deserts,” or lowincome areas with little access to fresh food. More than three-quarters of D.C.’s food deserts are located east of the Anacostia River where two Safeways in Ward 7 and the Giant in Ward 8 combine to serve more than 150,000 D.C. residents. McNeal endures a taxing commute to the supermarket. “I take the W2 bus to Giant. The trip takes an hour and a half if I don’t miss the bus,” she said. Like almost half of Ward 8 residents, McNeal doesn’t have a car and she lives too far away to regularly walk to the supermarket. Ahead of McNeal marched Ward 8 resident Brian McClure, a policy analyst for the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business

Development. While McClure owns a car and lives close to the Giant in Ward 8, it isn’t necessarily the most convenient store for him. “I appreciate the Giant, but the last time I shopped there was to pick up some sausage for breakfast, and it took me an hour to get in and out,” he said. McClure’s daughter is glutenintolerant so he often drives to Navy Yard’s Harris Teeter, where specialty foods are more readily available. Food deserts east of the Anacostia are not a new phenomenon. The FEED DC Act of 2010 sought to attract grocers to move into lowincome areas of D.C. by offering a package of incentives, such as a tax exemption. Despite the Council of D.C. amending the act last year, the number of full-service grocery stores in Wards 7 and 8 has actually decreased from five to three since its passage in 2010, according to a study done by D.C. Hunger Solutions. Beverley Wheeler, the director of D.C. Hunger Solutions, a nonprofit working to end food insecurity in the District, said that the FEED DC Act incentives are not as influential in grocery store developers’ plans as other factors. “Many grocery developers look at income and education as part of how they determine where to build stores. That’s probably why some of them aren’t going to Wards 7 and 8.” Both wards have median household incomes under $40,000, whereas neighboring Ward 6’s

Median Household Incomes by Ward and Grocery Store Locations

4 3 > $79,401 $49,651-79,400 < $49,650 Full-service grocery store

1 5 2 6 7 8

Based on U.S. Census data interpreted by the D.C. Office of Planning, the average number of people in a D.C. household is 2-3, varying by ward. Therefore, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development income classifications for a 3-person household were used to inform this map. DATA COURTESY OF D.C. OFFICE OF THE STATE // GRAPHIC BY JAMES MARSHALL

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Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White (center-left) and At-Large Councilmember David Grosso (center-right) pose for a photo with rally attendees. PHOTO BY JAMES MARSHALL

Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray describes his efforts to expand health food access in what he calls the “East End.” BY JAMES MARSHALL

median household income is $90,903 and boasts 10 fullservice grocery stores. The initial group of 200 protesters had grown to almost 500 by the time they reached the site of a rally in downtown Anacostia. Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, who took part in the walk, addressed the audience and called for more money in the city budget for healthy food access. “We’ve got $650,000 in the budget for co-ops, community gardens, and grocery stores, but it’s not enough,” he said. White is staying hopeful, though, and said that there are plans for two grocery stores openings in Ward 8 including Good Food Markets, a store whose mission it is to open locations in food deserts. It first opened up shop in a former food desert on Rhode Island Ave NE, and it plans to add a second location at the intersection of Atlantic and South Capitol Streets SW in 2019. White was unable to reveal the name of the second store in the pipeline for Ward 8. Councilmember Vincent Gray of Ward 7 took the stage at the rally to voice his dissatisfaction with grocery stores in the East End, a term Gray prefers to “east of the river.” In August, he inspected Safeway’s Northeast location and was appalled to find mold on

strawberries and meat that had turned gray. “Not only that, but they close at 9 p.m. when most Safeways in the city are open 24-hours or close at midnight,” Gray added. Gray is determined to expand healthy food access in the East End. In March, he introduced legislation cosigned by White that proposes leasing city-owned land to grocery stores for $1. Still, Gray is uncertain that grocers will move into Ward 7, because retailers have spurned the ward before. In 2016, Walmart backed out of a commitment to open two stores in Ward 7. “It was completely unconscionable what Walmart did,” Gray BEVERLEY WHEELER said. “I’m working with grocery stores to come to Ward 7, but they haven’t signed on the line yet.” Wheeler of D.C. Hunger Solutions is calling for a public-private partnership to bring fresh food to the East End. “For public health, the government may need to put in a lot of money. I know that we can do it because we can build a stadium,” Wheeler said, referring to the $300 million D.C. United soccer stadium partially funded by the city. On Oct. 17, just three days after the grocery walk, Mayor Bowser announced a $3 million investment to bring new grocery options to Wards 7 and 8. The grant will support the build out of two construction projects: a renovation of the former Penn Branch shopping center in Ward 7 and the South Capitol Affordable Housing project in Ward 8. While the Penn Branch project does not have a grocery tenant yet, the South Capitol Affordable Housing project will be the site of Good Food Market’s 2019 opening.

FEED DC Act incentives are not as influential in grocery store developers’ plans as other factors.

Ward 8 resident Delois McNeal. PHOTO BY JAMES MARSHALL

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D.C. Council edited this homeless services bill to ease access to programs BY LILAH BURKE // lilah.burke@streetsensemedia.org

The D.C. Council’s Committee on Human Services voted to pass the Homeless Services Reform Amendment Act of 2017 on Oct. 18 after significantly changing the bill. The act is meant to explicitly outline client and provider rights. The bill will be voted on by the Committee of the Whole on Nov. 7. To access the District’s homeless services, applicants must prove their D.C. residency. The bill, as originally introduced, would have made this process stricter. “Surrounding jurisdictions are investing a comparatively small amount into housing and human services, meaning they are almost completely reliant on federal dollars,” said Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, chair of the committee. With federal budget cuts on the horizon, she said some in city government anticipate an inflow of homeless people from Virginia and Maryland and want to more strictly filter out non-residents. The original bill would have expanded the list of acceptable documents to prove D.C. residency, while increasing the number of documents applicants must provide, from one to two. The committee rejected the increase and altered language so that receiving assistance from a different arm of city government would be sufficient to prove residency. At the request of Robert White, at-large councilmember, the bill now makes explicit that leaving the District temporarily does not mean forfeiting D.C. homeless services. If D.C. residents become homeless in the city

and subsequently stay with family or been documented in To access the friends in neighboring states, they are housing previously. still eligible for services. “Residents may be White emphasized that many D.C. District’s homeless wrongly turned away, residents, like himself, have relatives as being listed on a in Virginia or Maryland. “If your services, applicants lease or occupancy family’s been priced out of the city agreement,” Nadeau and you’re a Washingtonian and you must prove their D.C. said. “But that alone fall on hard times, most likely you’re does not give a couch surfing with another family residency. The bill, as person a right to stay member in Maryland,” White said in such housing.” before the hearing. “I think it gets originally introduced, The committee more difficult to prove your D.C. additionally changed residency, but I’m not convinced would have made this the bill’s definition those folks are not D.C. residents.” for “at-risk of Should the bill be passed, homelessness” process stricter. housing program participants could from those earning be discharged from a program if 30 percent of the they have received the maximum Wa s h i n g t o n a r e a assistance available, achieved median income to permanent housing, or have increased their those earning 40 percent of it, roughly $43,440 income such that they no longer qualify for for a family of four. Earning this amount or less that program. qualifies a household to access homelessness The committee changed the appeal process prevention services from the District, such as for these decisions, or “program exits,” so emergency rental assistance. that cases would be reviewed by independent The bill, as introduced, would also have administrative law judges instead of internally allowed city government to reevaluate a by the Department of Human Services. program participant’s eligibility at any time. The bill, as introduced, asked appellants to The committee amended this language to allow prove they do not have access to safe housing, the government to redetermine eligibility when but the committee shifted the burden of proof a young person ages out of a youth program, to the government. Nadeau emphasized that when family composition changes, when people in need can have trouble proving a a family is absent from their housing for a lack of safe housing, especially if they have significant period or when a family moves into

a unit they can safely inhabit. In all other cases, the government can redetermine eligibility only once every six months. Councilmember-at-Large David Grosso presented an amendment to the bill that would create a voluntary program to help support individuals and families who have exited the city’s rapid rehousing program. “While the Department of Human Services maintains that greater than 85 percent of rapid rehousing clients do not return to shelter, I’ve heard on many occasions that people who exit the rapid rehousing program are the same or worse off than when they entered,” Grosso said. His amendment was tentatively incorporated into the bill and his office is working to evaluate its financial feasibility before the next vote. The Homeless Services Reform Act Amendment of Act 2017 passed the Committee on Human Services 4-1. Councilmember Trayon White of Ward 8 was the only vote not in favor. “I also hope that advocates who oppose this bill recognize that legislation requires compromise between different points of view,” said Robert White. “I know that if you don’t work with people, they will work around you.”

For more on this story, visit streetsensemedia.org/HSRA-markup

This 9 year old is leading programs to help homeless people BY BETHANY TUEL // bethany.tuel@streetsensemedia.org

Nine-year-old Miracle Omar from Maryland is passionate about her projects that benefit homeless people. She gives out school supplies, distributes socks and toiletries to people living outside, and collects household items to give to previously homeless people when they obtain housing. The project to collect socks is called “Sox in the Box.” Miracle realized that people who are homeless do not have a lot of belongings, and she was worried about them living outside. “They could probably get bitten by something and get sick,” she said. She also noted they do not have a family to hang out with or a TV to watch. Concerned, she wanted to help. Miracle’s father, Sharif Omar, came up with the name, but the concept was her idea, she said. Miracle and her father bought socks at the store and put them in boxes, hanging posters to encourage people to donate more. They placed boxes and posters at Hairazors Hair Salon in District Heights, MD, Planet Fitness in Greenbelt, MD, and Planet Fitness in D.C. “Some of them were completely empty, they were just our socks in some of them, and some of them were really, really full,” Miracle said. “I think people probably read the poster and then probably bought some socks and put them in there.” This year, she and her father will be placing boxes in the same places, with the addition of Planet Fitness in Landover, MD. Miracle and her father are also researching information about where other boxes to collect socks can be placed. Currently, the only place in D.C. that has a box is Planet Fitness in Ivy City. Their original goal was pairs of 250 socks, but they collected 700. Now, their goal is to surpass that.

This year, half of the socks Miracle collects will go to hurricane victims. She said she heard about the natural disasters in Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico and became aware of how bad the situation was. She was horrified by the loss of life and knew that the survivors would have many needs. “I bet you they don’t have socks on right now. I mean, I bet they’re wet and cold and all icky. And if they’re living with someone, someone wouldn’t want to smell their feet, and then they would kind of feel lonely. We can change that by giving them some socks, too.” Miracle and some of her friends previously gave out toiletries to homeless people. Each donation they distributed contained toothpaste, a toothbrush, a towel, soap, deodorant, floss, pads for girls and razors for boys in a Ziploc bag. “It was fun passing [them] out,” Miracle said. Additionally, Miracle has begun a project titled “Make Yourself at Home.” She has collected things that she says people might have in a house, such as washcloths, curtains and sheets. The items will go to homeless people after they are placed in housing. Miracle is partnering with Community of Hope for this project. In addition, Miracle and her father are

Miracle Omar at Franklin Square Park, one of the locations she visits to supply socks and toiletries. PHOTO BY BETHANY TUEL

looking for a way to be a bridge between those providing school supplies and the school system. Sharif recalled meeting a teacher recently who said teachers are supplied with $200 gift cards to spend on school supplies for their students. “It got to the point where [Miracle] was going to IHOP on Kids Eat Free Night, going ‘Did you get your school supplies yet?’” Sharif said. He noted that people are simply not aware of the resources available. There is always more that people her age can do to help people, Miracle noted. “If someone’s really poor, they could possibly give them some money, or try to go out and see outside and see what’s going on in the world. And if something bad is happening, they can find a way to fix it, if it’s possible for them.” Miracle’s class visited to the White House, where she asked what the president plans to do about homelessness, can be seen on her YouTube channel, “Life with The Princess.” Her channel also contains archived videos of her radio show, “Life with The Princess,” which airs every second and fourth Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The show can also be watched live on the channel or listened to at wol.baltimore.newsone.com. Miracle is one of the youngest radio hosts in the United States.

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CELEBRATING SUCCESS

// 7

AT A GLANCE

Michael Warner is training to organize Democrats in 2018 BY NICK SHEDD // nick.shedd@streetsensemedia.org

Michael Warner while organizing voters to support Planned Parenthood. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL WARNER

ichael Warner, a Street Sense Media vendor since late 2014, is well on his way to pursuing a new career: campaign field directing. Michael recently began his second session of DCCC-U, a program at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for aspiring campaign professionals. I n M a y, M i c h a e l participated in the general course for all campaign positions and on Sept.18, he began participating in a more focused course aimed at future field directors. The DCCC makes clear in advertising materials that acceptance to the training program does not guarantee future employment, but the pathway there is clear. “The Fall Fellowship is designed to prepare potential Field Directors to run a Congressional field program in the 2018 cycle,” according to a recruiting email sent in early September. Michael was ecstatic about his selection for the second program at DCCC-U. One of just 150 selected, he said, he will be among those in the field attempting

Michael Warner at the Obama 2008 Midwestern Inaugural Ball. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL WARNER

to win the midterms for the Democratic party. “I can’t believe I made this cut,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief and smiling. It has been a long journey to this point for Michael. He graduated first from American University and then, in 1998, the legal assistant program at Georgetown University Law Center. But his political experience goes back further. His first political job, on a campaign for a city attorney in Montgomery county, was 25 years ago. He started in field organizing as National Mall Team Captain during President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2008. In that role, he helped manage volunteers to control the flow of people on the Mall. Moving into more challenging areas, Michael took an organizing job in Wisconsin ahead of the summer 2011 elections to recall state senators. Then, he worked for Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, registering voters in Southwest Philadelphia. It seemed he had nowhere to go but up. But in late 2014, he hit a stumbling block, experiencing housing

displacement. That’s when Michael became a vendor for Street Sense Media. Shortly thereafter, while he was selling papers on Wisconsin Avenue, he met Paul Bock, a lobbyist for Holland & Knight who subsequently became Michael’s professional mentor and friend. Michael used the paper for what it’s for—helping people get back on their feet and find a job, according to Bock. Indeed, homelessness and misfortune could not keep Michael down. Bock connected Michael with a friend at Planned Parenthood who was looking for organizers. But that on its own was not enough, Bock realized. Looking back at the homelessness trap in which Michael found himself, Bock said, “it’s a little bit of a catch-22.” Many jobs today demand access to expensive technology like phones and computers, but without employment it is nearly impossible to afford those items or even the transport required to get to where they are sold. Fortunately for Michael, Bock realized this and helped him obtain the digital tools he needed. Helping someone climb out of poverty, Bock theorized, may not be as expensive

as we often think if people are really motivated to turn a little assistance into something better. “I feel good about connecting [Michael] to people because he’s a talented guy,” Bock explained. He also described Michael as working “like 90 hours a week” with Planned Parenthood. P e r h a p s t h a t ’s w h y Michael’s 2016 job with Planned Parenthood led to one with the New Virginia Majority Education Fund and another with Americans for Transit. At the same time, Michael sought to continue his legal education. He applied, unsuccessfully, to Suffolk University Law School in spring 2016. Despite that setback, he plans to apply next year to the public interest program at Georgetown University Law Center. Michael has found so much success in organizing, Bock said, because, “He loves people” and is filled with “an infectious sort of positive energy.” Both are immediately apparent in his easy smile and effusive manner. Now, studying with the best the DCCC has to offer, Michael has the chance to take his success to the next level. His sights are set high. First, he plans to help the Democratic Party retake control of the House of Representatives. Later, he said, once he has his law degree, he will run for office. Michael has inspired volunteer teams across the country in a variety of campaigns and surmounted obstacles larger than many people will ever face. Throughout all of it, he says, he has been driven by a real passion for public service. Or, as he puts it, “I want to see people having a better life, and whatever sacrifices I make to make that happen, I’ll do it.”

David Denny PHOTO BY JEFF GRAY

“This app thing really works!” DAVID DENNY, AFTER MAKING A $50 SALE

500+ DOWNLOADS OF OUR APP - 72% of app transactions included a tip - Average vendor income per transaction was almost $5

- In total, vendors have earned over $1,200 using the app in the first three weeks

BIRTHDAYS Aaron Colbert OCT. 27 Artist/Vendor

Morgan Jones NOV. 4 Artist/Vendor

Moyo Onibuje NOV. 11 Artist/Vendor

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Everyone needs a “gravity assist” to get through life The longest serving director of planetary science at NASA talks space, struggle and perserverence STORY BY CYNTHIA MEWBORN AND ERIC FALQUERO ART BY BENJAMIN BURGESS

Dr.

Jim Green is director of the planetary science division for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He’s been with NASA for 37 years. He refuses to retire until the question “Are we alone in the universe?” is answered. Green has had some type of role with exploration of every planet in our solar system and was involved with the CASSINI spacecraft that was purposefully plunged into Saturn earlier this year, having orbited the planet to collect data since 2004. That’s the mission that Street Sense Media vendor Cynthia Mewborn was excited to ask about when she saw someone in a NASA shirt pass her while she was selling the newspaper. “Hey, NASA man!” she called several times. Green was having a conversation but he turned around. “When you said, ‘what do you know about CASSINI?’ you had me,” Green later admitted. “We could have talked as long as you wanted.” He provided his business card and agreed to an interview with Mewborn in the library at NASA headquarters in Southwest D.C. Street Sense: Without Earth, we would all be homeless. How is climate change affecting our environment and what are our options for life elsewhere? Jim Green: Okay, you’re asking a planetary scientist. [We] take the long view. This Earth was created 4.5 billion years ago. It was created? Green: Yeah, so material came together from a big collapsing cloud. The sun started. The planets interacted. We started with an atmosphere, we got hit by another big object — that created the Earth and the Moon. Then everything settled down. We got a bigger atmosphere. And then we were on our own for a little while. And what we found, was that the climate of the Earth, the atmosphere, did nothing but change. It changes all the time. So it’s not so much about, “It’s changing.” It’s about how fast it’s changing. And it changes for a whole variety of reasons. So the concepts are that we figure out what’s happening and then figure out either how to live with it, how to go live somewhere else, or how to modify our climate. Now, we’re not at the point where we modify our climate. We don’t know enough about that, yet, I think, to just modify our climate.

Could you be a little more specific? Green: If we could wave a wand and stop Hurricane Maria from the devastation that was going on — we’d have done it. Spending a billion dollars stopping it when it generates billions and billions of dollars in damage is worth it. But we don’t have the ability to do that. And that may happen in the future. I think we’re smart enough as a human race to do that, in the long run. We’ve got a lot of research to do. And NASA does a lot of that research. [We have] a lot of great Earth science satellites. For example, The Weather Channel talks about the weather all the time and shows these great views. Where do you think they get that data? The Weather Channel doesn’t have any satellites. They get it from us! (laughter) From a planetary perspective, our next steps indeed are starting a program with our astronauts going beyond low-Earth orbit and out into space. The moon is a great object, but Mars is even better because it has an atmosphere and an environment much more like ours than anything else. We know a lot about it, from this guy in particular (gestures to a model of the Curiosity rover). This is one of my missions. It’s a huge rover. If I stood up, the camera lenses would be like this (points to his own eyes). But they’re above my height. All the images they take, they take in stereo — as if there’s a human standing on the surface. What they do is they recreate the environment so that you can actually walk around in it. No way! You mean virtual reality? Green: Yeah — we can do that! [And] in here (points to model rover) are a bunch of science experiments. It makes all kinds of measurements, spins around, drills holes and then scoops up material, comes around here and puts it in these ports. It’s tastes the soil— It “tastes?” Green: Yeah! So what I mean by that is when you eat something, you get the flavors, right? This tastes like almond, this tastes like salt, this tastes like garlic — right? Well that’s what this does. Except this tastes chemicals. [Mars has] carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, it has phosphorous and sulfur. It’s got all the great elements for life. Those are the chemicals that are in our bodies. And it’s got nitrates in the soil and the soils are moist — we can grow food in it. Can’t do that on the Moon, you can do that on Mars but you can’t do that on the Moon.

So that’s why Mars is so critical? Green: Yeah! Mars is an atmosphere, a place, that we could live and work. You’d have to take a breathing system because it doesn’t have a lot of oxygen that you can breathe. It’s about 90 percent carbon dioxide. You’re still going to [need] some sort of suit. You won’t need the big puffy suit. But you’re going to need oxygen. And all our citizens are behind the program, paying taxes, allowing us to do this great stuff. So what [else] do we learn? One thing I think is particularly interesting is that they want to take materials off asteroids. They also want to build some sort of shield.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: NEOShield is an international effort investigating threat-reduction techniques to prevent the impact of near-Earth objects such as asteroids. Green: Right! They want to mine them. Because there’s iron material, there’s aluminum, there’s titanium. There’s all kinds of stuff in asteroids. But [Mars] has a very thin atmosphere, meteors of almost any size make it through. Here on Earth, if you had something about the size of this room — 10 or 20 meters in size, about a tenth of a football field, which sounds pretty big — that won’t make it to the ground. Our atmosphere will burn it up, it’ll never make it to the ground. Our atmosphere really helps us. It takes something really big to make it through, but when it makes it through, it’s going to give us a wallop. So we are on the lookout for things that could really hit the Earth. Y’know, the dinosaurs didn’t have a space program. (laughter) You’ve said your goal is to not retire until the question “Are we alone in the universe?” is answered. How likely do you think it is we’ll find evidence of life elsewhere? Green: Every day I come to work I see we’re getting closer to answering that question. When we go out to planets and we’re looking for liquid water, that is an area where life could have existed. And we’re finding it all over the place. It’s everywhere. In fact, it’s in regions where we never thought it would be possible to have water. Ice doesn’t help us, it’s got to be the liquid. Temperature and atmospheric pressure need to be right too. If you don’t have enough pressure, you can’t keep the hydrogen molecules together to form water, so that’s critical too. Might this happen in upcoming Mars missions? One of your orbiters found evidence that water currently flows on Mars. What could the 2018 ”InSight” mission tell us? Green: InSight is all about how active this planet is. INSIGHT has the most sensitive seismic instruments we’ve ever made on this Earth. It’s a lander, it doesn’t rove around. It plops these instruments down on the ground so it can just feel everything. And then we use that to determine what’s inside the planet and how active the planet is. Now, that’s important if humans are going to be there. If that planet shakes all the time, you’ve got to construct things that are going to survive. So that’s important for human exploration of Mars. We’ve observed avalanches [on Mars] from space. So when we’ve got our orbiters and they go over and they’re taking pictures, taking pictures, taking pictures — and right there, there’s an active avalanche going on that we just happen to catch. We’ve actually caught several of them. So we know that that planet is shaking. What we don’t know is what it’s like on the inside and whether all that shaking is due to the fact that there’s magma moving around or is it shaking because of the impacts. Because it still creates new craters. It still has meteorites coming in and hitting it. How did you get interested in studying the planets? Green: To do the kind of things we do, we need what I call a “gravity assist.” When [NASA goes] from place to place in the solar system, we have huge planets we fly around. They fling us places. In life, it’s very much like that, you need a mentor. You need somebody that gets you excited, somebody that tells you “look at this new and neat stuff” and “don’t you want to study that more.” My first gravity assist happened in high school. I had a chemistry teacher who ended up being the head of an observatory. I took an astronomy course from him and ended up working in the observatory. By the end of high school, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I already was good in math, I already was good in science and I was good in history, I loved history. So I had a choice at that time: Do I want to be a historian

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or a history teacher or a lawyer? There’s a number of jobs in which [history] aids students to create professions. But my brother told me, “y’know, why don’t you stay in science?” And as soon as I got working in the observatory, that was it. I wanted to do that. EDITOR’S NOTE: Green still loves history. He researches the Civil War in his spare time and is working on several book projects. When I went to the university of Iowa, I had other gravity assists by teachers that were there — Dr. Jim Green discusses the geography and activity of Mars with Cynthia Mewborn at the NASA library. getting me more and more interested in studying planets from spacecraft. [Then] you don’t have to use telescopes, you can aurorae. We went into Chinese records and Japanese records actually go there! (laughs) over about 1,500 years and we found about ten of them. That Y’know, when I was born, we didn’t have a space program. means that every 150-200 years, we ought to expect one of I was young when Sputnik came over, and I really didn’t these geomagnetic superstorms. pay much attention to it at the time. This [year] is the 60th anniversary since the Russians put something up. (October 4, That’s interesting, especially when you think about that solar 1957) At the time, everything we knew about the planets we flare that we had recently. An aurora, that’s plasma right? got from the back end of a telescope. Now, we’ve been to every Green: That’s where it comes from. This hot gas gets accelerated, major planet — all the way out to Pluto! Mercury, Venus, we comes in and gets pushed down into our atmosphere. It hits our orbit Earth all the time, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune atmosphere and gets things excited, which emits light. It’s like and Pluto. And the United States has gone there first. this light right here (gestures to a lamp): you turn on the electricity and all that is a gas that emits light because you are stimulating it. And you’ve been a part of it? Green: Pretty much so. Every one of them. I’ve been involved You’ve said math and science are important for people in the data analysis, or understanding what they’re doing and interested in your field, “but being determined to be how it relates to what I do. One of the things that we’ve been successful is at least half of it.” How much do you think doing is making all of our data available. We want to tell people. that applies to other careers or other aspects of life? Green: I think that the critical thing is getting excited about a Would you ever consider being a mentor? particular area and getting immersed and learning about it and Green: I have been a mentor my whole career. [For example, being determined. From high school to a Ph.D. is an incredibly I worked with] a fabulous group of high school students one long process. That’s ten years of courses, study, and tests — summer from the D.C. schools. I said, “We’re going to do some you fail, some you get A’s. But you know, when you science in a very unusual way. We’re going to go to the Library fail, you don’t quit. You keep going. And that’s the only way of Congress and we’re going to read newspapers, we’re going you make it to the end. It’s that determination. That’s what we to read old newspapers, we’re going to read newspapers that want to instill in our kids: never to give up. It’s like that movie are 150 years old.” The Library of Congress has the greatest (Galaxy Quest): “never give up, never surrender.” collection of newspapers around. So, speaking of never giving up: How did you sustain Was there a science section? yourself while going to college? Have you personally Green: No, we were going right to the front page. What experienced poverty? happened, was in 1859, there was an enormous aurora. It Green: That’s a really good question. So my dad was killed in started up north and rolled right over the states — all of the an airplane accident when I was in high school. And my mom states — and it rolled right over Mexico, right over Cuba and never remarried. She had a job as a telephone operator. We down into Central America. It’s called a “superstorm.” didn’t even have enough money for me to go and get a high And the newspaper was telling us all kinds of things about school senior picture. I knew that, and I didn’t bug her about that superstorm. We went down to the [Library of Congress] it, and that came and went. You can pick up our yearbook and every day for several weeks, reading newspapers and taking look in there for a senior picture of me and you won’t find one. notes. We put a database together about where the observations So, I decided that I was going to the University of Iowa were and at what time. Then I put together a model to determine because, within that state, that school was the cheapest I could what was happening all around the Earth and to determine what go to. My mom worked hard. And during the summer, I worked was happening between us and the sun. Just from the aurora, as a roofer. I worked really hard and made enough money because we know how to do that now. These kind of storms to keep going each and every year. So I was living sort of are important to study because the technologies we have today paycheck-to-paycheck. I’d make a paycheck and spend it on are vulnerable to them. What happens is particles rain on our books, tuition and the dorm room that I was in. And there upper atmosphere. A current is generated in our atmosphere, were nights I didn’t have enough money to eat. Workin’ hard and that’s what you have to watch out for. If you have a laptop roofin’ houses was also really important to me [because] I was and that current rolls over you, it can interfere with your laptop working with guys that were 45 years old, and to me that was and burn out your circuits. When I say superstorm, I mean it ancient. And I kept thinking “I’m not gonna end up doing that would take out generators and lights everywhere. The current all my life.” So, it also helped me — it was another gravity that occurs in the ionosphere interacts with all circuits that assist — to realize that if I stayed in school, I could have a are on the ground. better future. I was motivated and I was good at it. So I just We were studying that storm to determine how often they followed that dream as hard as I could occur. And we found out that one of the key characteristics And, y’know, that’s just me. There’s many roads that of that storm was a red aurora. Here in the United States, people take. it was like the sky was blazing red as it moved across. So This interview has been edited and condensed. we went further back into historical records looking for red

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OPINION MOVING UP:

Finding a holiday job BY ARTHUR JOHNSON

Apply early. Many of the best jobs that are added for the holidays fill up early. Also keep in mind that aside from the interviews, Human Resource managers also need to have time to do background checks(especially if you applying to be a cashier) Waiting until the week of Thanksgiving will not work since the store’s management will be too busy to prepare for the start of the season.

PHOTO BY JD HANCOCK // FLICKR

Understand you might miss your holiday family meal. Many years ago, the holiday shopping season started very early the morning after Thanksgiving, but things have changed over time as stores started opening earlier and earlier in a competition to get shoppers in the door. This has brought much criticism, but since the stores have jobs, you pretty much have to go along with it if you want to work for them – especially during the holidays. Don’t negotiate right out of the gate. The only two things most people want from a holiday job is money and a generous employee discount. Mention your retail experience. If you do not have any, try to list any experience that shows dealing with crowds. The atmosphere during the 4 to 5 weeks of Christmas shopping will be intense, and if your job experience demonstrates that you have dealt with something to similar to that, you have a better chance of possibly selling them on the idea that you would be a good fit. Arthur Johnson is a volunteer writer focusing on finance and economic issues in his column Moving Up. He has tdegrees in Sport Management and Economics and has served as a Volunteer Financial mentor at The Salvation Army shelter in Minneapolis for many years. If you have questions about a specific article he has written or suggestions for topics you would like to know more about please email him AJohnson@streetsense.org.

PHOTO BY COURTESY OF PIXABAY

As we approach the holidays, many employers, particularly those in the retail sector, ramp up their hiring because of the season and the increase in sales. This means opportunities for employment for many people. To get one of these positions, you want to approach employers the right way. There will be competition for these positions, and everyone will have their own agenda. The strongest competition you will face in the retail industry for holiday employment will come from high school and college students. Aside from the fact that they are young and friendly, the most attractive feature that employers love about them is that they go back to school after the holidays, which eliminates the battle the employers know they will have to face in January when sales go way down and the people working the holidays usually expect they will get still get a decent amount of hours. So how do you increase your chances of getting a retail job in the holiday season? There are several things you need to keep in mind:

Washington’s ‘let them eat cake’ moment BY JEFFERY MCNEIL

Sometimes, I feel like Edmund Burke witnessing the French Revolution. The Trump haters are like the modern day Jacobins, wanting to burn everything to the ground. The Washington establishment is today’s French aristocracy, unaware of the discontent before the storming of the Bastille, saying of their fellow countrymen, “Let them eat cake.” Both parties have lost their way. They don’t know there’s a populist revolution going on. From the Access Hollywood video to Frederica Wilson, everytime the establishment springs a trap, they play right into Trump’s hands, turn him into a victim and insure that he will be re elected in 2020. Trump Derangement is comparable to Mad Cow disease, where irrational hatred attacks the nervous system eventually the brain and those suffering from it go stark raving mad. It’s where delusions of creating a heaven on earth where Christians, Muslims, and indigenous people sit by the campfire singing “We All Live In The Yellow Submarine” runs smack into reality. I warned the D.C. establishment that a storm was

brewing. Hurricane Donald has arrived. The winds are howling and everything not nailed down will be tossed. So far Sens. Jeff Flake (RAriz.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) are the early casualties. Other Never-Trumpers such as Ana Navarro, Shepard Smith, Nicole Wallace are chagrined because Trump tweets and says offensive things. Unlike Bush and Obama he doesn’t pamper the press. When the press attacks him, he calls them Fake News. Donald Trump was sent here not to be nice and pleasant but to put foots in people’s behinds and make them do their jobs or do what Corker and Flake are doing. While Trump is cleaning house on that side of the aisle Democrats need to find their own Steve Bannon and drive the old guard out the party. It doesn’t matter if Democrats

I feel like Edmund Burke witnessing the French Revolution.

move right or left — they need a platform moving somewhere. Trump has reconfigured the electoral map. He has made everyone a free agent and in the coming years old coalitions will break up and new ones will emerge. It’s a waste of time convincing either political party to forsake the donor class for the working class. Both parties are littered with Corkers and Flakes — gutless politicians who show no moral courage and will say one thing, then betray you. The old guard will not change so it’s imperative that we build a new coalition more in line with working class interests. I want the old Democrats back! If you hate Trump, instead of whining, learn how to win elections. You start by appealing not to your own base voters but to people that may not like or agree with you. Insanity is doing the same thing hoping something different happens and doubling down on Trump hatred is insane. Jeffery McNeil is a Street Sense Media vendor and columnist.

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You’re not smarter than a fifth grader BY KEN MARTIN

On Oct. 25, I, invited by teacher Jim Sumner and his colleagues, spoke to the fifth-graders of The National Presbyterian School in Tenleytown, D.C. This was our fourth encounter. Each time has been a significant learning experience for me. This time among the many pleasant experiences was the honor of a pre-presentation visit by five gracious members of the sixth-grade class. These gracious young ladies remembered me, and I now need a much larger sized pork pie hat to match my inflated ego! This group and their classmates were the inspiration and models for a favorite photo and an article entitled "Helping Hands" published last year. Then there is Abigail, Ace cub reporter documenting this very event for publication in the "Northwest Current." She taught me a thing or two about interviewing. I learned of the book "What Do Fish Have To Do With Anything? (And Other Stories)," a 1997 Avi publication illustrated by Tracy Mitchell. It was this book that preceded my participation – a reading and discussion of my signature poem "Can You See Me," previously published in Street Sense. The common denominator in the two narratives is the invisibility of the homeless. Last, but quite far from least was Ian, a tween with great curiosity and a refreshing source of inspiration. This youngster led his fellow future leaders of America in a successful drive to aid the Puerto Rican survivors of Hurricane Irma. For me the great takeaways from this event were that children are far more perceptive and receptive to the plight of the disadvantaged then we “mature adults," and children shall lead us. Not many of us are really smarter than a fifth-grader. Ken Martin shares his experiences in homelessness with a class of fifth graders at National Presbyterian School. PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIONAL PRESBYTERIAN SCHOOL

Ken Martin is a vendor for Street Sense and a volunteer on our forum committee. He also participates regularly in omany of our workshops.

My life with food stamps

The system is jacked up BY ELIZABETH BRYANT

I feel like the system is set up not to help you. My husband and I were on welfare, but we were both working and trying to survive. When I earned one penny more than the maximum allowed the D.C. government cut us off. Seems like the city government should be happy the father stepped in to take care of his family, but it wasn’t. This system is like slavery!

BY JENNIFER MCLAUGHLIN

When I began to receive my Social Security benefit from my father, my monthly food stamp payment declined from $100 to $15. Then this year the District government raised it to $30. I was happy because I could finally buy some of the food I need, like a loaf of bread. But on Oct. 3 my food stamp payment decreased again. I feel the District government treats me unfairly. I struggled with student loans for many years but no one in the D.C. government cared. I live in Ward 8, our poorest. Nutritious food is less available than in the other wards. Food stamps should be given to people with low incomes so they can eat healthy food.

Elizabeth Bryant is a vendor and author for Street Sense.

Jennifer McLaughlin is a artist and vendor for Street Sense Media. PHOTO BY COURTESY OF ALLES / PIXABAY

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ART

Hello autumn! We've finally started to feel those small breezes that tell us the trees will start pouring down their leaves like crazy. This is the perfect weather for enjoying s'mores by a nice bonfire. Some of you have already picked out pumpkins to carve or will find some to enjoy at the dinner table. October bursts out in the exotic colors of red and gold and brown. October leaves are lovely. They swoosh when I run through them and sometimes I make a pile of them and jump into them and have a little fun. Autumn leaves float quickly down, forming little patches on the ground, almost like little carpets but, just give a listen to when you step down and hear the crackling sound. Oh yes, the weather is changing, the summer days are gone, and it's time to wear those warm clothes again, because the cold is coming along. Time where we can enjoy hot tea and autumn flavored drinks. The time when the days become shorter and the nights become longer. So, ode to precious autumn, for you have finally come. We all can't wait to enjoy you one by one. Thank you and have a wonderful autumn! By Evelyn Nnam // Artist/Vendor ILLUSTRATION BY MILDRED HALL

Don’t judge a person at a glance Most of my customers have asked me where I've been for the last few weeks. I haven't been at my spot as often as I'd like, because I'm helping my mother deal with her high blood pressure and diabetes. I'm sick of people being judgmental about homeless people. Why do they think we don't need help? It reminds me of my case manager from MBI Health Services, who acts as though he wants me to be half-dead before he'll try to help me get into a place. I'm trying

to get a place so I can have some peace and quiet and some rest from the streets. I'm also tired of people with money thinking they are better than I am when I ask for their help. Now that I finally have my ID back, I need someone to help me with the voucher process so I can get that place I've been writing about. There is nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it. I am holding my strength together and praying to God to help me keep my behavior straight because I do NOT want to go back to jail.

RESPONSE Street Sense Media has brought me a long way through life. As a vendor and as someone who once was living in the street, I realize how communication plays a very important role in life.

My RESPONSE means a lot to people when they greet me for the day or when they have questions about the paper — even when they say “not today” if they pass me by. And that means a lot to me. I expect a RESPONSE back. Having sold this paper for approximately two years, I find that responding back to a vendor uplifts that person’s spirit and gives encouragement to keep his or her head up. It helps to not snuff out

the spirit so that we can continue on with a smile. RESPONSE is the first step for communication. Let’s respond back to each other in life and help make the world a better place to live in peace. Thank you for your RESPONSE to a Street Sense Media vendor. By Aaron Colbert // Artist/Vendor

By Joe Jackson // Artist/Vendor

Anger management Recently, I had an argument with a co-worker. It escalated to the point that she cursed at me and called me some nasty names. I could have easily responded in the same way. And a couple months ago I would have. I would have yelled and cursed right back at her. But instead, I took a bathroom break to remove myself from the situation and I went down to the main office to make a complaint and find out how best to resolve the situation. I’m proud of myself for doing that instead of taking things into my own hands. By Beverly Sutton // Artist/Vendor

ILLUSTRATION BY CHON GOTTI

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Stranglin’ park I have been robbed so many times, in broad daylight, in Franklin Park, I have lost count! I have even seen people hit, from behind, on the head by brick cinder blocks. Numerous scenes of yellow tape alert the public that they cannot enter the park after something like that happens. Many of those in the park are afraid to go to the police for fear they will be branded a snitch. I had to start carrying a knife to feel less threatened and, of course, to actually protect myself. This extra measure of protection accidentally led me to violate the law by carrying a concealed weapon. When I inadvertently walked onto the White House grounds while talking to a potential Street Sense donor, Secret Service agents recognized me from years on the block. It occurred to me a few minutes later that Franklin Park is only a few blocks from the White House, so I had my knife on my person. And the agents had to charge me for that. The case was quickly dropped, however, when I explained to the judge that the reason I was carrying the knife was because of my experiences in Franklin Park. Whatever the reason was for going to Franklin Park, whether it's because of a five dollar a day drug habit, to eat lunch, or potential corporate business, anyone entering the park needs to be careful and alert. One day in mid-August a couple of weeks ago, I visited Franklin Park early in the evening as I frequently do. To my surprise, a certain gentleman called me over to him. I declined to answer him immediately and motioned I would come back and engage him after I had engaged the people I came to meet. I was getting ready to start my "British banter" with someone else, when the gentleman who had called to me came over, jumped six feet in the air and, coming down, landed what I can only describe as a solid killer-of-a-punch to my right eye, causing it to blacken and put me in a fourweek period of healing! I was horrified, shocked and completely appalled by this unprovoked and brutal behavior at the hands of my fellow countryman. I have no idea what caused him to do this. I didn't owe him any money and I simply had chosen to spend my time somewhere else.

The behavior of some of the park "regulars" speaks to the mental issues not addressed by the health systems of our city or country. It is for this very reason that I have been an advocate during my time at Street Sense. We need to re-educate those that commit actions like what I experienced in Franklin Park "Sorry" means little to nothing to a victim and becomes part of the "problem" in trying to solve mental health issues. Franklin Park is a good barometer of the tensions in this city. To demand respect, you have to give respect. But how can you get respect when you are guilty of assault? Franklin Park operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on a poverty, homelessness, and drug spree. The only thing that hasn't happened so far is D.C. police and Park Police coming out of the helicopters. They've come out of every single direction but that. The public should know that the mode of sleeping by the under-privileged in the park is sitting with one eye open. There is hope anyway. Jim Vance, the former TV news anchor, who recently died, was an addict who reformed himself, saying, “Where there's a will, there's a way." Franklin Park can be reformed. That starts with each and every person who visits or lives there. I remember one time I was in the park and a Caucasian gentleman came into the park exclaiming “I am a retired police officer,” holding a badge and a pilot’s license, and then promptly bought himself some crack and proceeded to smoke it in front of me, to my amusement. I would like to mention that I'm pretty sure that downtown D.C. (the tourist information service), since they clean sweep the park every day can testify to the sheer levels of what goes on in the park every day. One wonders if it is the profit motive or the level of addictions that drives this madness. As an individual, I have been speaking about this crisis and I believe what would help improve the moral fabric of the Franklin Park attendees and cut down on needless assaults and thefts, would be an increase in doctrines, formulas, and practices of piety. In 10 years I have seen lots of people praying and giving food, but I have never seen anybody with a simple bowl of water, a chair, soap and towel and some oil, offering to wash people's feet. Because one thing the poor and homeless people need in Franklin Park, is a place to bathe or wash off the mud and caked dirt from soiled feet. This act of piety will encourage a spiritual rejuvenation of those in need of so much. By Moyo Onibuje // Artist/Vendor

Gone, but not forgotten My sister died last month in her sleep. The first thing I thought about was her legacy. Was it intact? She was a great mother, grandmother, and sister. Grief is a sad thing to go through. But you can't go around it, or over it, or under it, so you have to confront it. The pain from losing Vera is heavy and relentless.

As the head usher, Vera was a pillar at her church. She was raising my great niece and my nephew. Is my legacy intact? No. I have a lot of work to do before I leave the planet. Everyone has an appointed time on Earth. Then the Death Angels come to get your soul. I want to thank everyone for their support in my grief. May God bless Vera. I know she’s in heaven. By Marcus Green // Artist/Vendor

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If it wasn’t for a woman If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t be a man. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t understand. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t get no hugs. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t get no love. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t yet know peace. If I wasn’t for woman I’d probably be deceased. If it wasn’t for woman I’d probably be in jail. If it wasn’t for a woman I’d probably in hell. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t even laugh. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t even take a bath. if it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t smell so good. If it wasn’t for a woman I’d be misunderstood. If it wasn’t for a woman I would of dropped outta school. If it wasn’t for a woman I would of broke every rule. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t be a dreamer. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t be a thinker. If it wasn’t for a woman I’d probably be stupid. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t believe in Cupid. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t have a son. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t be number one. If it wasn’t for a woman I’d probably be an evil man. If it wasn’t for a woman this peaceful man. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t go to church. If it wasn’t for a woman there wouldn’t be no births. If it wasn’t for a woman I’d believe in lies. If it wasn’t for a woman the truth is in his eyes. If it wasn’t for a woman I wouldn’t have a daughter. If it wasn’t for a woman my life would be out of order. If it wasn’t for a woman this world would be crazy. Thank God for having sent a woman to have our babies And for sending a woman to save me. By Ron Dudley, a.k.a Pookanu // Artist/Vendor

They should honor her memory When I came into the shelter for the day, there was a big story on TV that caught my eye. It was a shock to all of us at the shelter. Her name was Jewel Lewis-Hall. I didn't know her, but so many people knew her: policemen, loved ones, strangers. Her daughters were crying on TV. I saw people embracing her family on TV. When the van hit her, it must have dragged her because her shoes were knocked off. It's just terrible and shouldn't have happened. The driver must have seen her walking. On Tuesday, I overheard a policeman talking to a lady, saying, "I just saw her that morning walking to go to the store and play her lottery ticket." I think they heard me say, "That's sad." I heard she used to go out and feed the homeless. I wish to God I did know her. People said she smiled everyday, like how I do. She took care of her business, she didn't mess with anyone. She was a nice lady. I knew of her home. She had a bunch of pictures of Michael Jackson, flowers, and ornaments. She was a big Michael Jackson fan. Sometimes I walked past her house to catch the bus and her house always caught my eye. There was just something about her house. It made me feel happy. They should open up a store in her name. Maybe a nice food store or a restaurant. They should open something to keep her memory alive on H Street. By Latishia Graham // Artist/Vendor

1 4 // ST REET SENS E ME DI A / / NO V. 1 - 1 4 , 2 017

FUN & GAMES

Bladed end

Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 1

Sudoku #4

4 6 5 7 2 8

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.

SUDOKU: Fill in the blank squares Need a littleeach help? row, The hints page shows a logical order to solve the puzzle. so that Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page each column and if you really get stuck. each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1-9. If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without guesswork.

LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION >>

By Franklin Sterling // Artist/Vendor ART BY CHON GOTTI

3 5 1

The little mind who loves itself, will write and think with the vulgar; but the great mind will be bravely eccentric, and scorn the beaten road, from universal benevolence. -- Oliver Goldsmith

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

Whaves inn ayr erly dis-pense corymbs bourgeoninge, whense the newe blooms gan t’ condense a night end wette or sense fer lots mar! Kick up, incense, whyetlessly shere ark, hense! Mellifluously, th’ frond uncurles yond plea. Pretense.

What would you do?

My final farewell Goodbye my Street Sense community! I finally got a return call on a position I interviewed for months ago. I have kept quiet because I didn't want to jinx it. But I'm now happy to announce that I've accepted the position and made the decision to move to Florida. It will be a better place for my little family and I. So, I’lI be heading out in November, right after Thanksgiving, to my new life! I wanted to tell everyone about my new beginning individually, but I thought writing about it here would help me to reach

everyone. I promise that I'll never get rich and switch or forget y'all or the amazing memories. I'm gonna miss every single one of my beautiful customers. This is hard... I miss you already and am feeling emotional. I promise that I will stay in touch, especially because this isn't real and you should not believe everything you hear. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I just wanted to see how many people actually read stuff all the way to the end. Thanks again for buying Street Sense! By Chon Gotti // Artist/Vendor

If championship gain were on the line, what would you do? Cry, Pray, or Eat Oyster stew? If a big red ace would not pitch - Stares at his shoes, What would you do? Weep, Hope, or Slurp Oyster stew? When the score is one down and Slugger drops his Crown, Here's what I'd do Not Sob, not Throb But instead... Gobble up Oyster Stew!! By Frederick John // Artist/Vendor

Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and the 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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All services listed are referral-free Academy of Hope Public Charter School 202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Place NE aohdc.org

Bread for the City 202-265-2400 (NW) // 561-8587 (SE) 1525 7th St., NW // 1640 Good Hope Rd., SE breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Good Hope Rd., SE calvaryservices.org

Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 Eye St., NW fathermckennacenter.org

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)

Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW ID (Friday 9am–12pm only) foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities

Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org

Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org

Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org

Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org

Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd St., NW jobshavepriority.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org

Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 2114 14th St., NW marthastable.org

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

N Street Village // 202-939-2060 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE

Laundry Lavandería

Patricia Handy Place for Women // 202-7335378 810 5th St., NW

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org

Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW // 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care // 202-745-4300 3020 14th St., NW unityhealthcare.org

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org

For information and further listings, visit our online service guide at http://www. streetsensemedia.org/service-guide

// 15

JOB BOARD Entry Level Customer Relations Washington, DC 20004 Full-time Ideal candidate will work well in a team environment, be willing to adapt to different cultures and experiences, have a sense of humor, and be professional, fun, outgoing, confident, and ambitious. Required: Reliable transportation Apply online at https://tinyurl.com/y8ksvmfj Member Services,The Cosmos Club 2121 Mass. Ave NW, DC 20008 Part-time (includes meals, paid time off) Will provide information and schedule reservations, greet Club members warmly, answer phone calls, direct people to their destinations within the Club, and provide business and concierge services. Must be able to stand for a long time. Apply online at https://tinyurl.com/yacdy39v Valet Attendant 891 - 690 Water Street SW, DC Full-time Will park and retrieve customer vehicles safely and timely, assist customers in and out of their vehicles including assisting with luggage and/or personal items, direct traffic on the drive, maintain valet stand and drive, complete documentation, answer customer questions, communicate with management, and resolve issues. Required: High school degree, one year related experience, ability to read, comprehend, and communicate through written correspondence, have and maintain a valid driver’s license, ability to safely stand or automatic transmission vehicles. Background in the service industry, knowledge of major streets, local landmarks, and highway entrances near the facility preferred. Apply at https://tinyurl.com/y8mjym52 Bilingual (Spanish/English) Community Manager Washington, D.C. Will be responsible for managing two properties in Columbia Heights totaling around 150 units. Required: Fluency in Spanish and English, at least 2 years’ experience as a Community Manager or 3+ years’ experience as an Assistant Community Manager, and experience with bookkeeping, delinquency, variance reporting, budget preparation, resident relations, supervising maintenance team members, leasing, vendor relations, and contract management. Apply online at https://tinyurl.com/y8jros23

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