Helping to End Human Trafficking: Two Women, Two Organizations
• May 7, 2015

April 16 was the 153rd anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Washington, D.C. More than 3,000 enslaved persons were freed in the District on that date in 1862, eight months before the Emancipation Proclamation called for the end of slavery on Jan. 1, 1863. To mark the anniversary, a fundraising event dedicated to preventing child trafficking was held in Georgetown at M29 Lifestyle.

Human trafficking – the trade in human beings, mostly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others – is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world today. It may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage or the extraction of organs or tissues, including for surrogacy.

Every day, young women and children are being bought and sold, used and tortured. In Washington, D.C., alone, trafficking innocent children is a $100,000 business. Two individuals, and the organizations they founded to help prevent human trafficking, are described below.

Deborah Sigmund
Founder, Innocents at Risk

Deborah Sigmund is the founder and director of Innocents at Risk, a nonprofit organization established to help stop the trafficking of women and children. Its mission is to educate citizens about the issue of global and local human trafficking. “We are dedicated to protecting children from all forms of abuse, and work to end child exploitation and child trafficking everywhere,” Sigmund says.

Officially launched in 2005, Innocents at Risk has been working since then to raise awareness about child trafficking in America. The organization regularly presents at seminars nationwide. Sigmund believes that people need to know that children are being targeted, kidnapped and abused.

In addition to their seminars, Innocents at Risk launched a Flight Attendant Initiative program in 2008. “Through this program, many lives have been saved,” Sigmund said.

Because many people don’t know what actions they can take – some aren’t even familiar with the term human trafficking – Innocents at Risk has partnered with the Department of State and Homeland Security to make the public aware of this issue. “In every single aspect, we need people to create awareness,” Sigmund said.

Dr. Ludy Green
Founder, Second Chance Employment Services

Dr. Ludy Green is an expert on U.S. domestic violence and human trafficking issues, as well as an internationally acclaimed speaker. Green founded Second Chance Employment Services (SCES) to help women at risk find stable employment and assist them in achieving financial independence.

SCES was founded in February 2001. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the organization educates, trains and places women in meaningful long-term careers, providing them with the financial independence and confidence they need to take care of themselves and their children.

Green has created an alternative approach to survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking and other forms of extreme oppression. In her book ”Ending Domestic Violence Captivity: A Guide to Economic Freedom,” the link between financial independence and freedom is drawn. A tool to help victims of domestic abuse, the book details Green’s volunteer experience at My Sister’s Place, which led her to a better understanding of the importance of economic independence. Her next goal is to have the book included in university curricula.

SCES’s placement program specializes in helping clients from shelters, faith-based organizations and other nonprofits. The organization works with companies that are interested in offering priority placement to SCES’s clients, such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Macy’s, SunTrust Bank and IBM. SCES also provides comprehensive employment services throughout the community.

New Alcohol Regulations Allow for Boozy Cupcakes, Give Festivals Liquor License Eligibility
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New legislation that went into effect May 3 gives bakeries the opportunity to apply for a license allowing them to sell baked goods with up to 5-percent alcohol content. Infused pastries and sweets with alcohol content of between .5 and 5 percent can only be sold to individuals 21 years old or older.

The law is also changing the way distilleries and festival organizers provide alcoholic beverages to their customers.

Distilleries are now eligible for licenses that would allow them to curate drinks made with their own products and sell them onsite.

Festival organizers are now able to get a temporary liquor license lasting up to 15 days. This appears to be a significant improvement from the current model, which requires organizers to obtain a one-day permit for each day of a festival.

Freddie Gray Rally
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On April 29, DC Ferguson led a rally for Freddie Gray, the unarmed black man who died after his spine was severed while in police custody in Baltimore.

The march began on the corner of H and 7th Streets NW around 7 p.m. Protestors gathered around the Friendship Archway and the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro entrance, where they listened to Bridzette Lane speak. Lane is the mother of Rafael Briscoe, an 18-year-old who was shot and killed by Metropolitan Police Department officers in April 2011.

The group, which grew to about 500 people, continued on to the John A. Wilson District Building, chanting “No justice. No peace. No more racist police.”

Other mantras were “Black lives matter. All lives matter” and “All night, all day, I will fight for Freddie Gray.” The march caused several street closures throughout the city. D.C. police were along the marchers’ route, ending at the White House, from start to finish. The peaceful protest was allowed to go on without interruption.

Protests took place all around the country on Wednesday night to show solidarity with Baltimore, including New York City, Boston, Houston, Albuquerque and Indianapolis. Several demonstrators in New York City were arrested.

Thirty-four D.C. police officers were deployed to Baltimore to provide assistance during the protests and rioting that began on April 27 after Gray’s funeral. D.C. protestors demanded the recall of these officers.

A city-wide curfew has been lifted in Baltimore and the National Guard is developing a plan to withdraw from the city as of May 1.

Fire Shutters Good Stuff Eatery
• May 6, 2015

A kitchen fire at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 2, shut down Good Stuff Eatery at 3291 M St. NW. The hamburger restaurant will be closed for several days. The fire was quickly contained. There were no injuries and minimal damage. During the fire, traffic in the 3100 and 3300 block of M Street NW was diverted.

Owner and chef Spike Mendelsohn tweeted, “#GoodStuffEatery Gtown will be closed for several days due to a small fire. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

Board Votes No to Historic Status for Heating Plant
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In a 4 to 3 vote, the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board voted April 23 not to grant the West Heating Plant on 29th Street extra landmark status.

The D.C. Preservation League had nominated the building for landmark status within the Historic District of Georgetown, arguing that the 1940s heating plant deserved such protection. League representatives made a presentation to the Georgetown Advisory Neighborhood Commission in March. The commission disagreed with the league and said it believed that the building at 1051-1055 29th St. NW did not warrant landmark status. Even, the Citizens Association of Georgetown — known for its advocacy of historic preservation — held that the building was undeserving of special protection.

While Georgetown is a federally protected neighborhood in terms of historic preservation, the board vote makes its easier for the owners of the one-time government property to alter it, including partial demolition. (Most residents of 29th Street agree with this approach.) There are many more reviews and approvals the owners must obtain for the project.

The developers of the heating plant property, the Levy Group, the Four Season Hotel and the Georgetown Company of New York plan to make the structure into Four Seasons condominiums and dedicate some of the land as public space. The property is due south of the Four Seasons and adjacent to the C&O Canal and Rock Creek.

D.C. Group Marches in Support of Freddie Gray
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D.C. Ferguson led a rally on April 29 evening for Freddie Gray, the unarmed black man who died after his spine was severed while he was in police custody in Baltimore.

Last night’s march in Chinatown began on the corner of H and 7th Streets NW around 7 p.m. Protestors gathered around the Friendship Archway and the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro entrance, where they listened to Bridzette Lane speak. Lane is the mother of Rafael Briscoe, an 18-year-old who was shot and killed by the Metropolitan Police Department in April 2011.

The group, which grew to include around 500 people, continued on to the Wilson Building, D.C.’s equivalent of city hall, chanting “No justice. No peace. No more racist police.”

Demonstrators had multiple mantras: “Black lives matter. All lives matter” and “All night, all day, I will fight for Freddie Gray.”
D.C. Ferguson led the group toward the final location on the path, the White House.

The march caused several street closures throughout the city. D.C. police were along the marchers’ route the whole time. The peaceful protest was allowed to go on without interruptions and with no arrests.

Protests took place all around the country on Wednesday night to show solidarity with Baltimore, including New York City, Boston, Houston, Albuquerque and Indianapolis. Several demonstrators in New York City have reportedly been arrested.
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Around the World Embassy Tour This Weekend
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The Around the World Embassy Tour is a free event, taking place this Saturday, May 2.

Attendees will be able to travel vicariously around the globe, experiencing the food and culture of a variety of countries, thanks to sponsors like Passport D.C.

Art, dance, fashion, music, innovations and manufactured goods from the participating embassies will be showcased.

Last year, more than 50 embassies participated, allowing guests to pet alpacas, play with robots, learn native dances and more.

The embassies that are participating include African Union, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, League of Arab States, Libya, Malaysia, Mexican Cultural Institute, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Ukraine and Venezuela.

To get more information about the embassy tours, visit www.culturaltourismdc.

Activists Assemble as Supreme Court Considers Same-Sex Marriage (photos)
• May 4, 2015

Thousands of supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage gathered in front of the steps of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington D.C. on Tuesday April 28, 2015 as the Court heard arguments on four cases that could make same-sex marriage legal throughout the country. The cases are from four states with gay marriage bans – Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

View our photos from the scene by clicking on the photo icons below. (All photos by Jeff Malet). [gallery ids="134456,134432,134430,134428,134426,134424,134422,134420,134418,134434,134436,134438,134454,134452,134450,134448,134446,134444,134442,134440,134416,134414,134412,134388,134386,134384,134382,134380,134378,134376,134457,134390,134392,134394,134410,134408,134406,134404,134402,134400,134398,134396,102069" nav="thumbs"]

We Need a Traffic Cop at Wisc. & M
• April 30, 2015

We miss you, Joe. It has been just about 10 years since reserve police officer Joe Pozell was struck by a distracted driver as he was directing traffic in the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street and later died of his injuries at the hospital. Joe was a true master at his job, and the traffic flow was the better for his efforts. No, driving through Georgetown back then was not a breeze, but it was a bit more manageable. Today, it is safe to call the intersection an absolute nightmare that is damaging the local business community as well as squeezing every drop of joy from commuters and tourists, whether they are behind the wheel of a car, on a bus, bike or on foot.

Traversing this intersection – recognized as one of the best dangerous in the city — can sometimes mean as many as five full light cycles to move a block or so to clear the intersection. It matters little if the driver is going straight, making a left or right turn.

The “why” of the situation is clear. Traffic flow through the intersection is constantly hampered by selfish and inconsiderate drivers blocking the box, distracted pedestrians walking against lights, taxis slowing to a crawl before making a turn as they hunt for customers, buses making their wide turns while everyone works to navigate around double-parked cars and trucks.

A fix that works can be seen the few times a year when traffic cops are on-hand to guide the throngs through this vital intersection. Their presence makes a real difference. A whistle blow and stern look from these traffic officers has the effect of stopping even the aggressive driver from trying to muck things up. Finding a way to fund those cops on a daily basis – at least at the busiest times – must be found, and quickly. It is an all too easy to simply throw in the towel and say traffic in the District is just bad. There’s no argument there; it is bad. But looking back to Joe Pozell with his arms out and directing traffic, as if conducting an orchestra proves that the traffic cop in the street makes all of the difference.

In Council Elections With Bowser Allies: Todd Wins; May Leads
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Score one for team Bowser. You’ll have to wait on number two.

That’s what happened in the District of Columbia yesterday’s special elections held to fill vacant city council seats in Ward 4  and Ward 8, where candidates endorsed and backed by Mayor Muriel Bowser were running for both seats.

In Ward 4, it was good news for Brandon Todd, and good news for her supporter, Mayor Bowser.  Todd, who was a campaign fund raiser for Bowser and worked as her constituent-services  director won easily in a big field,  taking 42 percent of the vote with 4,310 votes to runner up Renee L. Bowser (no relation to the mayor), who had 21 percent of the vote at 1,192, followed by Leon T. Andrews  at 15 percent and Dwayne M. Toliver at 12 percent .

In Ward 8, the race was still too close to call. Approximately 1,000 special ballots are yet to be counted, which could take a week.

Another Bowser-backed candidate, LaRuby May, who worked as a field director for her mayoral campaign was leading Trayong White, a protégé of the late former Mayor Marion Barry and political legend and Ward Eight councilman,  1,711 votes to 1,559 votes, or 26.94 percent for May and 24.55 percent for White.  This was a race to fill the seat left open in the wake of the passing of Barry. Significantly, Barry’s son Marion C. Barry, trailed badly in the voting with 7.24 percent of the vote.

While the result in Ward 4 was a personal victory for Todd, who joins a council now dominated by an infusion of new faces over the past few years, the mayor was a big winner, too, giving her more influence over the council itself. Should May end up winning, Bowser would have two members on the council who either worked for her or her campaigns, a point that became an issue in both campaigns.

Sad to say, the results could have been even more significant if more people had voted.  As is often the case with special elections—with local elections in general—the turnout was tepid.

Out of a possible 111,723 registered voters, only 16,512 actually voted in the two races. That would be 14.78 percent.

This belied the brave presence of 13 candidates in each race who received votes.  Maybe it means that there lots of people have political ambitions in this city, but few people want to take the time to find out who they are, or even less, to vote for them.