What happens when a gas explosion displaces 40 families?

Hello and happy 70 degrees in fall. It's afternoon on a Thursday, which means it's time to dig into the latest issue of The 51st. I spent some time this week speaking with Columbia Heights tenants displaced after a gas explosion last month. I hope you'll take some time to read about how difficult it's been for them to find any other housing in their neighborhood.

In addition, we've got a brand new section this week rounding up the goings-on at the Wilson Building, plus weekend events and a guide to spending a date day in Baltimore. Scroll to the bottom for an opportunity to have your Halloween decorations featured in an upcoming newsletter!
- Natalie Delgadillo

A gas explosion put 38 families out of a home. Where do they go?

Many of these residents have lived in Columbia Heights for decades. Their precarious situation shows just how hard it can be for longtime residents of D.C. to stay here.

This article was reported with support from SpotlightDC.

On the morning of Sept. 20, in an old building on Columbia Road, the gas stove in apartment 31 exploded. Isabel Menjivar felt the boom rock through the whole building like an earthquake, and then she heard her neighbor scream.

“I didn’t know whether to hide or to leave the building,” Menjivar tells The 51st in Spanish. She went out the front door to find a cluster of neighbors huddled around Rosario Aguilar, a 64-year-old woman who had lived in the building for nearly 30 years. Her neighbors fanned her with rags as smoke appeared to come off her clothes, an expression of shock on her face. Aguilar suffered severe burns to nearly 60% of her body in the explosion, her son told The 51st. A neighbor yelled for Menjivar to call 911. 

“It was the most terrible day, I couldn’t even talk. I only wanted to cry,” Menjivar says. 

That day set off a chain of events that resulted in tenants filing into their second hotel shelter Thursday morning, arms loaded with suitcases, bags of clothes and crates for their pets. After the explosion, the city declared 1433 Columbia Road uninhabitable. Now, the building is caught in a complicated web of bureaucratic proceedings in an attempt to get repairs made. Residents have been let in a few times to collect belongings, but so far there appears to be no realistic route to returning to the building – at least not any time soon. 

Many of these families are in the process of securing new units through Jubilee Housing, a local affordable housing developer that stepped in to match families with apartments just this week. But the process of actually getting families moved in takes time, and in the interim they’re living without most of their possessions, crammed with pets and belongings in hotel rooms.  As of the night of Oct. 23, the District government had declined to extend a 33-day hotel stay for the tenants; they'd been expecting to get kicked out onto the street Thursday morning, but were instead moved to another hotel. It's unclear whether this hotel stay is being paid for by the D.C. government, or how long tenants can stay there; a spokesperson for the mayor did not respond by publication time.

Wilson Building Bulletin: 911 hearing, ending child marriage, DCHA check-in

It’s been a busy week of oversight at the Wilson Building, the seat of local government in our great city. Since you probably don’t have time to sit through dozens and dozens of hours of testimony, we’ve rounded up some of the top-line issues facing the powers that be. 

OUC Oversight

On Wednesday, the director of D.C.’s 911 agency — one of the most crucial yet dysfunctional departments in the city — appeared before the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee to testify about two new bills. Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who chairs the committee, introduced legislation to require the Office of Unified Communications to create public reports when errors occur. The other bill would provide OUC employees with free on-site childcare, meant to address a staffing crisis in the city's public safety agencies.

OUC director Heather McGaffin and Clint Osborn, the head of D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), pushed back on the transparency bill. Osborn said the audit requirements of HSEMA are out of step with national practices, claiming no other city “is performing reviews of this sort or at this volume nor scope.” (D.C.'s OUC dispatchers have made a number of grave mistakes in recent years, including sending people to wrong addresses and making other mistakes in cases where people eventually died).

Bill ending child marriage

On Monday, the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee heard public testimony on two bills; one to end child marriage in D.C. — which yes, is still legal. Under the current law, clerks can issue marriage licenses to 16 and 17-year-olds if they have written or in-person consent from a parent or guardian. The Child Marriage Prohibition Amendment Act would raise the age to 18, bringing D.C. in line with most of its northeast counterparts, like Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. Several survivors of abuse, some of whom had been forced to marry their abusers, testified in support of the bill, as did spokespeople from the Tahirih Justice Center, the D.C. Rape Crisis Center, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and more. 

13 things to do around D.C. this weekend

Is this weekend Halloweekend? Or is it the next one? Have we decided? You’d think we’d have figured out a system for this by now! Alas, we’ve got a variety of options for you, whether you’ll be in costume or not: a weekend-long Palestinian film and arts festival, a Black tattoo convention, free concerts, and, sure, a Halloween drag brunch. Have fun!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24

DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival
The 11th annual festival kicks off this weekend at the Festival Center in Adams Morgan. The inaugural event with Visualizing Palestine is sold out but there's no shortage of films, discussions, and workshops over the four days. On Friday, head to MLK Jr. Library for a screening of From Ground Zero, a project that compiles 22 shorts by filmmakers in Gaza. On Sunday, visit Potter’s House for an art build and workshop, led by local Palestinian advocacy groups. To see the entire program and buy tickets, click here. (Thursday, Oct. 24 - Sunday, Oct. 27; Various locations and prices.)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25

Black Tattoo Culture Con
A tattoo festival curated and hosted by Black women is coming to Van Ness. The three-day event, spearheaded by Black Tattoo Anthology, kicks off on Friday with a dedication to D.C.’s Chris Mensag, who founded Pinz-n-Needlez Tattoo. On Saturday (10 a.m. - 9 p.m.) get tatted (browse and book artists on the festival’s website), get your tarot read, and shop the art market. The weekend will end with a cookout and storytelling circle on Sunday night. (Oct. 25 - Oct. 27; 4200 Connecticut Avenue NW; $25-$50, free for UDC students.) 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26

Fright Fete at Lost City Books
If dancing around a bookstore in costume is your version of a perfect night, look no further. Adams Morgan’s indie-darling bookshop, Lost City Books, is hosting its fourth annual Halloween party this weekend. They’ll have music from D.J. Kristy la rAt, flash tattoos from Jinx Proof, some booze, and, of course, some books. Costumes are “gently demanded.” A $45 ticket gets you in the door and a free beer or wine upon entry. Outside witches-brew is prohibited. (Lost City Books; 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.; $45)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 

Exhibiting Failure at Rhizome
If capitalism’s got you down, this is your last weekend to catch this celebration of rejection at D.C.’s DIY arts venue. The exhibit showcases multimedia, sculpture, poetry, 2D visual art, and performance art that didn’t make the cut (whatever that means), asking the question: “What can failure offer when success in our current extractive colonial-capitalist society is destructive and exploitative?” The exhibition officially wraps with a closing event on Monday (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.) but you can make an appointment to view it over the weekend at info@rhizomedc.org. (Rhizome; FREE with a suggested donation.)

How to spend a date day in Baltimore

Take a trip out of the city with Christina Sturdivant Sani.

As parents of a toddler and teenager, weekend days alone with my husband are a rarity. So we were thrilled to hand our kids over to a friend on a recent Saturday and dash to Baltimore, one of our favorite places for a quick change of scenery. We find the architecture stunning, and it's steeped in history and culture. Like D.C., it’s a city of distinct communities, many of which are interconnected (so it’s pretty easy to travel between neighborhoods).

We arrived in Charm City around 1:30 p.m. and our first stop was, of course, food. Craving a sushi burrito, we beelined to iFusion Express, a fast-casual gem in the Inner Harbor. For me, a sushi burrito has to be sizeable with the perfect harmony of proteins, toppings, and sauce. iFusion hits those notes. 

We took advantage of the 80-degree weather and snagged a bench just steps away, outside of the Baltimore Aquarium. With the Patapsco River as our backdrop and a steady flow of people to watch, it was the perfect spot to enjoy our lunch. 

D.C. reality TV podcaster talks Love is Blind ahead of finale

After learning Love is Blind’s D.C. season was finally dropping, Christina had to reach out to Tayne, a reality TV junkie and host of “Altar Call: A Married at First Sight Podcast.” Take a peek at their conversation about this season (with a few thoughts about the bizarre nature of lifelong partnership thrown in for good measure).

So my husband often compares marriage to a hurricane. He says you can prepare for it as much as you can, but you don't really know what it feels like until you're in it. Do you agree with that? 

Yes. I used to joke that marriage is like a cult until you're in it—I don't mean that in a bad way. 

No, no. I get it. 

Because it's so unique—it's not one size fits all. And honestly, I think marriage is such a strange concept—two people from different backgrounds who think completely differently, trying to make a life together, forever. So, yes, I agree with your husband. It takes a lot of work and intentionality. 

So if you can’t fully prepare for marriage, do you think shows like Love Is Blind and Married at First Sight are good ways to find a lifelong partner? 

‘Good’ is a very strong word. I wouldn't say ‘good.’ But I also think, why not? For the fact that they've had successes. 

In general, whether you date someone for 10 years or two days, there is an element of luck when you decide to partner with someone for life. So my thought process with those shows is why the hell not? I mean, not for me—but for others. 

What did you think when you heard Love is Blind was coming to D.C.? 

I was excited. I love when shows film where I live because I like looking at all the places they go. I take notes. 

Also, as a transplant, D.C. is very career and status-focused, to my knowledge. So it was going to be interesting to see how that was going to play. And I know people say ‘D.C.,’ but for the most part, it's usually the DMV. And it's different when you add Maryland and Virginia. 

If it was D.C. proper, I think the show would have a whole bunch of Monicas. That's quintessential D.C.—Taylor and Monica. But because they mixed it up, that's how you get the Stephens and Tylers. So I was interested to see what direction they were going to lean in.  

De qué se trata la iniciativa de voto por orden de preferencia de D.C.?

We translated last week's Initiative 83 guide for our Spanish readers.

Para la mayoría de nosotros, votar es un concepto bastante sencillo: recibimos nuestra papeleta, elegimos al mejor candidato para un determinado cargo, se cuenta nuestro voto y se declara un ganador. Pero una medida que aparece en la papeleta electoral de este año en D.C. podría alterar drásticamente ese proceso y abrir unas elecciones críticas a decenas de miles de nuevos votantes.

Se trata de la Iniciativa 83, una medida electoral que pretende introducir el voto por orden de preferencia en las elecciones municipales y permitir a los votantes independientes -aquellos que no están inscritos como demócratas, republicanos o verdes- participar en las elecciones primarias de la ciudad, que actualmente sólo están abiertas a los votantes inscritos en esos partidos. (Una iniciativa electoral es una oportunidad para que los propios residentes, en lugar de un órgano legislativo, propongan y voten una medida que modifique la legislación vigente. En D.C., al menos el 5% de los votantes registrados tienen que firmar una petición para que una iniciativa se incluya en la papeleta). 

Lea a continuación todo lo que necesita saber sobre la Iniciativa 83. Y ¡NO OLVIDES! Cuando votes, dale la vuelta a tu papeleta para emitir tu voto a favor o en contra.

Our team is mighty but small; we can't cover it all! Here's what you might've missed this week...

• The National Geographic Society is opening up a huge museum in Dupont Circle. [Axios]
• Who says D.C. has no fashion sense? Certainly not D.C. Gets Dressed. [Washington Post]
• Metro is considering running earlier trains on Saturdays and Sundays. [NBC Washington]
• Millions of people are expected to celebrate Pride in D.C. next year. [WTOP]
• Charter school Eagle Academy at times relied on credit cards to stay open. Now, financial troubles amid declining enrollment have closed the school. [Washington Post]
• For the Booktok girls: we are getting a romance bookstore. (Well, Alexandria is). [Washingtonian]
• The Washington Informer celebrates 60 years. [Informer]
• I guess we have to talk about &Pizza. While we're at it, let's talk about marionberrries. [Washington Post, Washingtonian]
• Election Day looms, and some ANC races have no candidates running. [WTOP]

SUBMIT YOUR HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS! We want to see the wackiest, most creative, and spookiest decorations in the city. Send us photos with some details about your process, inspiration, muses, etc. If we get some good photos, they could be featured in next week's newsletter!

And we're still accepting responses to our living conditions survey through the end of the month! Two questions: do you think thinks are going to get better or worse in the next 5 years? And what's the one change that could make the most difference in your life?

Your civics download

You’ll find this handy guide to public meetings at the bottom of every edition of The 51st. We’ll refine and improve along the way! So if you think we’re missing resources or you have trouble making sense of something we’ve included, please reply to this email with your suggestions or questions.

• The Committee of the Whole will hold a public hearing on the Vocational Education for a New Generation Act on Monday, Oct. 28 at 10 a.m., which aims to expand vocational and technical education opportunities for young students and recent graduates.
• The Committee on Health will hold a public oversight roundtable on the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), the agency responsible for the city’s in-patient psychiatric facilities, on Monday, Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. 
• The Committee of the Whole will hold a public oversight hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. on efforts to retain more teachers in a city where over one in four teachers left the classroom between the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years.

We made it! It's the end of the newsletter and nearly the end of the week. Hope you're all planning some Main Character Walks, and remember there's a marathon in D.C. Sunday – getting around will be tougher than usual.

See ya next Thursday,
- Natalie Delgadillo