Events

• Takoma Park Street Festival, October 5, 2008, 10 am to 5 pm
• Advisory/programming meeting for all Safe Takoma stakeholders and Advisory Committee members, October 7, 2008, 7:30 pm at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, Maple & Tulip Avenues in Takoma Park.

Programming

• Safe Takoma is initiating a Neighborhood Perspectives program consisting of 1) periodic assessment of physical conditions in the Old Takoma commercial corridor (4th Street NW, Carroll Avenue, and Laurel Street NW, and Laurel Avenue) and nearby residential blocks; and 2) periodic assessment of safety perceptions and stakeholder-identified vulnerabilities. Both elements are designed to identify problem, get them fixed, and measure progress over time. The assessments of physical conditions would be conducted in cooperation with the police.
• Safe Takoma is initiating youth-development programming. This is expected to consist of "rites of passage" program for boys and for girls aged 13-17 and for young men and for young women aged 18-22.

  We are also investigating "pre-apprenticeship" training to teach older youth job and life skills to help them transition into productive employment.

• Safe Takoma promotes conflict resolution and peer mediation in the form of Help Increase the Peace Program (HIPP) training. The five-day HIPP course for community members and officials is split into two sections. The most recent first-half section was held February 29-March 2: Friday evening and 10am-5pm Saturday and Sunday at the Takoma Park, MD Community Center. People who live, work, or are active in the Takoma Park DC & MD communities are invited to participate. Please see the program announcement and if you are interested in participating, view the program registration form.

  Second-half section will be held at a later date.

Meetings of the Board of Directors

Safe Takoma's Board of Directors meets monthly on the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Advisory Neighborhood Commission office unless announced otherwise. The ANC office is at 6856 Eastern Avenue, NW #314, Washington, DC. Meetings are open to the public except for discussions of sensitive/confidential information.

The October 2008 meeting will be held at 7:30 pm on Thursday, October 2.

Meetings of the Advisory Committee

Safe Takoma's Advisory Committee meets twice yearly. The next meeting is scheduled for October 7, 2008, part of our up-coming programming meeting at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church.