Say: No Class A Wanted

(Ms. Ward represents the Corner Forum area north of the middle of E Street. This letter was circulated by e-mail on an Excello protestants listserv. In a separate e-mail, she urged the ANC to hire an attorney to represent protestants.)

Neighbors, we all need to stand up and sound off that we do not want a Class A [beer, wine and liquor] liquor store to remain in the neighborhood. Especially, with a new Sasha Bruce Carter School at 1375 E St. NE and more children walking about, we certainly do not want gang wars to continue on 13th Street NE!!

Go to your neighbors and tell them to call 311/911 for public drinking etc. Hand out flyers saying "NO Liquor Store & No Transfer" with phone numbers of your ANC Commissioners Michael Musante (mfm81472@yahoo.com or 548-2542) and Jessica Ward (Jward.anc@verizon.net or 396-3193), the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board, 442-4423, and Ward 6 Council Member Sharon Ambrose. Commissioner Musante and Councilwoman Ambrose need to know you are firmly against the Class "A" store remaining in the neighborhood.

Make the call to the officials. Go to the merchants and tell them that public drinking is occurring outside their store and that they need to call the police with a description of the individuals. With the drug activity going on, the Merchants are NOT making the call to Police. They have to do their part and be responsible.

Also, write or call in a complaint on both ABC licenses (419 13th St. NE/Excello Liquors & 421 13th St. NE N-A-Minit) when one observes an incident like public drinking, suspicious activity/drug dealing inside or outside the stores, school age children in stores during school hours, or panhandling. Sound off to the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration and have an Investigator come out to the location. The main number to ABRA is 442-4423, fax is 727-9563/9685.

Get me some documentation, pictures, neighbor statements, anything that will "paint the picture" of what really is going on. Go to the public status hearings and see for yourself that the ABC Board is not getting the message of what the residents really want.

Your safety and even your property values depend on this Class A store license being revoked. I'm afraid the transfer of this Class A license to N-A-Minit will not get rid of the problem. §