6-8-12 News You Can Use from the Adams Morgan Partnership BID!

June 8, 2012

AMPBID Board meeting June 14th at 5 PM

Update on the 18th Street Streetscape Construction - sidewalk work continues

Update on Second Hand Business licensing issue - DCRA issues revised rules - again!

Summer Concert Series continues tomorrow - June 9th with Dot Dash

AYUDA is looking for businesses to participate in a fundraiser on July 3

Business deals this week - Edna's Unisex Salon and MEEPS Yard Sale - June 9th

Interns Rock - June 8th through 17th

Reminder about commercial trash

AMPBID Board meeting: June 14th at 5 PM

The next Adams Morgan Partnership BID (AMPBID) Board meeting will be Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 5 PM at the MPD Third District Headquarters (pending confirmation still) in the Commander's Conference Room on the 2nd floor at 1620 V Street, NW.

Hope you can join us!

Board members: Please call or email Kristen at 202-997-0783 or

kbarden@adamsmorganonline.org if you are unable to attend otherwise we will assume you are attending. Thanks. Meeting materials will be sent early next week.

Update on 18th Street Streetscape Construction - sidewalk work to continue

DDOT advised us today that sidewalk excavation and replacement will be occurring at the northeast corner of Kalorama and 18th Street on Monday June 11th at 7:30 am through Tuesday June 12, 2012. Every effort will be made to maintain pedestrian access to the businesses and residences.

This work should not last more than 2 days given favorable weather conditions and no infrastructure conflicts.

The morning hours will consist of excavation of existing sidewalks and preparing the base for concrete, and the afternoon should consist of pouring concrete and preparing it for curing.

ALSO beginning on Tuesday June 12, 2012 at 7:30 am sidewalk excavation and replacement will begin on the west side of 18th Street at Belmont Road. The crews will continue up 18th Street to Columbia Road to complete the last phase of the sidewalk work for the Adams Morgan Streetscape project. Crews move at a rate of approximately 60 feet per day.

The full project should be finished by the end of June and we have begun plans for a ribbon cutting/celebration for sometime in July. Stay tuned!

Questions about this work may be directed to DDOT Project Engineer Victor I. Egu at 202-629-8968 or Tom Pipkin at 202-642-6774. For more information about the Adams Morgan Streetscape Project please visit the project website at adamsmorganstreetscapeproject.com or send an email to info@adamsmorganstreetscapeproject.com .

Update on second hand business licensing issue - DCRA issued revised rules - again!

As originally reported in our 4-13-12 News You Can Use and subsequently in each issue since, we have been working with officials at the DC Office of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) and Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham after a number of Adams Morgan businesses that sell used and vintage goods were raided and threatened with closure for failing to be properly licensed.

Last Friday we met with officials from DCRA and the Mayor's Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs in Councilmember Jim Graham's office and a number of things happened:

1) DCRA agreed to suspend enforcement pending the resolution of their proposed rulemaking to permanently amend the rules governing the licensure of some businesses that sell second hand goods.

2) DCRA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking exempting businesses that sell many categories of used goods from requiring a secondhand business license.

As promised at last Friday’s meeting, a Second Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the secondhand dealer business license regulations was published in today’s DC Register. This can be found at: http://www.dcregs.org/Notice/DownLoad.aspx?NoticeID=2565473

The Second Notice reflects the edits we spoke of at the meeting, supersedes the Notice published in the June 1, 2012 DC Register, and is open for 30 days of public comments.

The list now reads:

a) books, magazines, vinyl records, cassette tapes, compact discs, VHS videos or DVDs

b) furniture, home furnishings, architectural salvage or pianos;

c) rugs or tapestries

d) used clothing

e) garage sales or yard sales

f) paintings, sculptures, drawings, etchings, engravings, photographs, lithographs or prints;

g) jewelry that does not contain:

1) precious metals, such as gold, silver, platinum or palladium or

2) precious stones, such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, or pearls.

h) merchandise that was accepted or received as a return, exchange, or for credit or refund if such merchandise was originally purchased as new merchandise from the person accepting or receiving it; or

i) the firstsale, at retail, of merchandise that has been rebuilt by the manufacturer originally manufacturing it...

These changes will clarify that only a Basic Business License is required for these small businesses to operate.

Comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking should be sent to: Helder Gil, Legislative Affairs Specialist, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, 1100 4th Street, SW, Room 5164, Washington, DC 20024 or by email to: helder.gil@dc.gov not later than 30 days from today.

Summer Concert Series continues tomorrow - June 9th - with Dot Dash

T he Fourth Annual FREE Summer Concert Series continues TOMORROW Saturday, June 9th from 5 to 7 pm in the public plaza in front of BB&T Bank at the northeast corner of Columbia Road/Adams Mill Road/18th Street, NW in Adams Morgan. We are appreciative of the generous financial support for this year’s concert series from BB&T Bank. Follow the series on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Adams-Morgan-Summer-Concert-Series/108542192525536

The FREE Summer Concert Series will continue through July 7th every Saturday night from 5 to 7 pm. We will have a limited number of chairs for audience members. Please feel free to bring your own beach chair. In the event of rain, the concert will be canceled for that day. Due to the nature of the series, there will not be a rain date.

This is a free, family-friendly event designed to bring the community together to hear some great, eclectic music before going to dinner, going out for the night or putting the kids to bed.

Tomorrow's band is:

Dot Dash

Dot Dash is a post punk pop band from Washington D.C. that has its roots in a number of other D.C-area bands, including punky power poppers Julie Ocean; the mod-parka-clad Modest Proposal, Dischord-label punks Youth Brigade, and Slumberland janglers The Saturday People, among others.

Dot Dash's long playing debut, the 14-track spark>flame>ember>ash, was recently released by Canadian indie label The Beautiful Music. For more Dot Dash info: www.facebook.com/dotdashdc

AYUDA is looking for businesses to participate in a fundraiser on July 3

Tasting Tour of Adams Morgan!

Where: Restaurants in Adams Morgan

When: July 3 (or Mid-July, as necessary)

Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Purpose: To support local Adams Morgan businesses and help raise funds for Ayuda, a long-time Adams Morgan non-profit organization that works to protect the rights of low income immigrants in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

What is Entailed : The goal is to secure 5 or 6 restaurants who will work with Ayuda to provide a tasting tour to ticket holders. Each participating restaurant would provide a selection of 2 or 3 small apps/samplings from a predetermined list of the restaurant's choosing. A special cocktail could also be included at happy hour pricing. The ticket holder will get a ticket for each restaurant that entitles them to the special offering throughout the advertised time.

Advertising: Through various list servs and contacts, Ayuda will promote the Tasting Tour of Adams Morgan. This will serve the dual purpose of bringing new customers to Adams Morgan businesses and raising money for – and awareness of - Ayuda.

Tickets: Will be sold at an “early bird special” for $25 for 5 to 6 tastings at local restaurants. Ticket pricing will be adjusted based on the number of restaurants participating. Tickets could be sold at the day of the event at a higher rate as capacity permits. If the restaurants would like to have a point of purchase on site, Ayuda would assign a volunteer to help with sales, otherwise (or in addition) Ayuda would find a central location in Adams Morgan to sell tickets.

What will the tickets include: Each person that purchases a ticket (design to be determined) will receive a selection of two to three small plates, appetizers from a prix fixe menu determined by the restaurant. If the restaurant chooses, certain cocktails can be offered at discounted pricing as part of the deal as well. Alcohol sales would not be included in the ticket price. The tickets can be used any time during the advertised time of the event.

How this will benefit your business: Summer in DC can be a slower season for local businesses, and the construction on 18th street might have put further strain on businesses. This event will allow Adams Morgan restaurants to use to their advantage the July 4 holiday and tourists that come to the region this week in a way that also promotes a non-profit agency that has been a long contributor to the diversity of the Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights communities. Furthermore, it will serve as free advertising and good will for the participating businesses, as Ayuda will advertise the event to our stakeholders and partners through our network.

The businesses will have an opportunity to have new customers discover them and will benefit from the beverage sales and additional food sales should participants choose to purchase more food.

Ayuda will post fliers in the neighborhood and provide table tents to participating restaurants that direct customers how to purchase tickets. The tie-in to the Adams Morgan community is a collaboration among businesses that work with, serve, and employ those who have volunteered with, donated to, and used services from Ayuda, and promotes and encourages diversity in the community.

How this will benefit Ayuda: Ayuda will receive all proceeds from ticket sales and allow us to continue serving our low-income immigrant community, which continues to be in great need of trustworthy and reliable legal and social services so they can have the opportunity to succeed in this country. It will also serve to raise awareness of our organization and programs within the DC area. Ayuda will distribute information on its programs through the participating restaurants on the day of the event.

Any interested restaurants should contact one of the following people by June 14:

Gwen Davidow (Board of Directors, Ayuda)– 202 403 9446, gdavidow@wec.org

Marcela Zamora (Board of Directors, Ayuda)-202 527 4500, Marcela.zamora@verizon.com

Jaime Farrant (Executive Director, Ayuda) – jaime@ayuda.com

Business deals this week - Edna's Unisex Salon and MEEPS Yard Sale - June 9th

Edna's Unisex Salon at 2116 18th Street, NW on the second floor (202-588-0337 or cell 202-240-417-6410) is offering 20% now through Father's Day on any service. Alem Williams is pleased to present a new stylist available to serve the community. She is also hiring another stylist also. Edna's hours are Monday through Friday 10:30 am to 7 pm and Saturday 9 am to 6 pm.

MEEPS YARD SALE - Saturday June 9th

MEEPS VINTAGE at 2104 18th Street, NW (18th and California Street) is having a Vintage Clothing Renovation Liquidation Yard Sale on Saturday June 9th from 8 am to 5 pm.

10 years of retail accumulation will be on sale! Vintage furniture, shelving, artwork, retail fixtures, sensor tag security system, racks, displays, vintage clothing & accessories will be sold at steep discounts. And much more! Call 202-265-6546 for more information.

Interns ROCK - June 8th through June 17th

In 2010, The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC) in conjunction with MTV-U and Destination DC, launched the first InternsROCK!, a city-wide intern appreciation week.

The initiative honors approximately 20,000 interns who flock to the nation’s capital each year to test-drive their careers at local businesses,

nonprofits and government agencies.

Interns ROCK began today and runs through June 17th.

The complete list of participating businesses - many in Adams Morgan - can be found here: http://www.internsrockdc.com/vendors

During the week-long promotion, interns are encouraged to take advantage of discounts and special events all of which can be found at www.internsrockdc.com.

Interns must preregister to receive their key-cards at: http://internsrockdc.com/interns

Information on the promotion is also available on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com

Businesses can get involved by offering eligible discounts and can register online at www.internsrockdc.com/call-4-participation . For more information about becoming a participating business, please contact Maha Neouchy at Maha.Neouchy@twc.edu or (202) 238-7924.

About The Washington Center The Washington Center for Internships and Academic seminars is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States

and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C., for academic credit.

The largest program of its kind, The Washington Center has more than 50,000 alumni who have become leaders in numerous professions and nations around the world. It was established in 1975. For more information about The Washington Center visit: www.twc.edu.

Reminder about commercial trash

Just a quick reminder about commercial trash...All commercial landlords must provide commercial trash service for their tenants. DPW performs periodic checks and if the contents can be linked back to a certain address DPW will issue substantial fines - $300 is what I recall. Please don't risk getting ticketed by DPW by putting commercial trash in the public trash cans. Thanks.