A few events require (free) tickets, be sure to sign up here so you can attend those.

• Saturday, October 22, 9:30-12:30, we will be tabling at the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace.  Drop by to learn more about our organization, sign up as a volunteer, buy a t-shirt (only sizes left are XL and XXL, alas), pick up a copy of our community service booklet, or just to say hi.
• Monday, October 31, 5:00-6:30, we are organizing an 11th Street Halloween Extravaganza.  Click here for details.
• Wednesday, November 2, 5:30-7:00, we are meeting at Bloombars.  At 5:30 we will discuss NCHCA business, including new officers.  At 6:00, Laine Cidlowski from the Office of Planning will be discussing sustainability initiatives in D.C.  Finally, during the last few minutes of the meeting, we will discuss the formation of a Friends group for the 11th and Monroe Park currently being reconstructed.
• Saturday, November 5, 9:30-10:30, we are organizing a neighborhood clean-up.  Meet at 9:30 near Columbia Heights Coffee on 11th Street.  Following the clean-up, volunteers are invited to a discounted brunch at Meridian Pint.
• One other neighborhood event we want to point out: on Saturday, November 5, from 3:00-7:00, the North Columbia Heights Green will we’ll hosting a greening and green job fair (and screening of urban greening films such as Meridian Hill Pictures’s award-winning Community Harvest film and some new ones done by our job trainees).  Among other things, they will be giving unemployed residents a chance to apply for the DC Green  Corps, which is one of the country’s largest gateway urban forestry and greening job training programs.

• Other aspects of our 2011-12 agenda include working (with folks already making headway on this) on establishing and publicizing a Friends group for the 11th and Monroe Park, so that it is up and running when the park reopens, working on neighborhood parking issues, and improving neighborhood tree boxes / green space.

• Finally, as folks have noted on the Columbia Heights Listserve, rats are becoming a bigger and bigger neighborhood problem.  If folks have ideas for good speakers / strategies re: combating rats, please share them.  Some suggestions I have heard include (1) soaking rags in ammonia and leaving them where rat dropping appears, (2) making sure all trash cans and dumpsters on or near your property remain closed, (3) sealing holes in fences, (4) contacting a pest control company to fill rat holes / dens with poison, and (5) keeping your yard clear of piles of leaves and weeds.  If you notice a rat infestation in your area, definitely contact Gerard Brown at gerard.brown@dc.gov or 202-535-2636, who can help direct city resources towards abatement.  Most of all, we need to encourage our neighbors to be responsible regarding trash and litter in order for this problem to be resolved in the longer term. Here is a helpful webpage with more rat control tips:

http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/permits/ridrats/ratcontrol.html

We will have a public meeting in early November to address these and other issues, time and place to be announced.

For more information and to submit a request, visit http://www.kennedy-center.org/nso/community/NSO_iyn.cfm or email Warren Williams at wgwilliams@kennedy-center.org. Please spread the word!

Programs Offered:

* Chamber Music Performances: Small groups of NSO musicians perform classical music for adults and/or family audiences.
* Night Clubs: Classical music can be enjoyed everywhere. NSO musicians perform in relaxed night clubs or other small venues for intimate musical experiences.
* “In-School” Ensembles: A small group of musicians perform and demonstrate their instruments for a school program. Best for grades 1-8.
* Community Service Performances: NSO musicians perform at various community venues (churches, businesses, etc.).
* Conducting: NSO conductors or musicians work with and conduct college or high school small ensembles, orchestras, or bands.
* Sectionals/Coachings: Musicians work with a group of students who play the same instrument on current repertoire (e.g. the NSO clarinetist would work with the clarinet section of your ensemble).
* Clinics: NSO members coach groups on musical topics (intonations, reed making, etc.).
* Master Classes: Individual students perform for an NSO musician who then critiques the performance and offers constructive advice for an audience of other students and teachers.
* Pre-Concert Events: NSO members hold lectures and panel discussions before NSO concerts for audience members.
* Method Workshops: Popular workshops include Suzuki string classes or Alexander Technique.
* Artistic Exchanges: Explore the diverse forms of music native to your cultural heritage and how it has influenced classical music (Native American drumming, Mariachi bands, etc.).
* Music Appreciation Classes: NSO members introduce students to classical music in fun and interactive classes.
* Instrument “Petting Zoos”: Children get a hands-on experience with the various orchestral instruments.
* Speakers Bureau: NSO members and staff speak at public events, at board meetings, with music teachers and principals, or at other special gatherings.
* Arts Professionals Round Table: NSO staff members meet with other arts professionals to discuss topics of mutual interests and to share ideas.
* Create Your Own: Have something else in mind? Come up with an idea or event and let us know! We will work to develop a program that suits your needs.

Warm regards,

Warren

Warren G. Williams, III
Manager of Community Relations
National Symphony Orchestra
The John F. Kennedy Center
Washington D.C. 20566-0001
(202) 416.8112 phone
(202) 416.8105 FAX
wgwilliams@kennedy-center.org

If interested in attending, RSVP to tivolinorth@gmail.com with “RSVP: Mayor Gray Meeting” in the subject line,  or leave a message at 202-882-5544.  Contributions welcomed.