A Few Quick Labor Day Items: Doggie Day Swim, Wells' SW Office Hours, M Street Yoga Opens ths Week, Waterfront Academy Starts Classes, Wharf's Search for $$

DPR and the Department of Health will host the sixth annual DPR Doggie Day Swim on Saturday, September 6 from 12pm to 4pm. One of the pool facilities that will participate is Randall Pool at South Capitol and I streets. Admission is free; however, all dogs must have a valid, DOH-issued DC dog license to enter the pool. Licenses will be issued on site, however dog owners must have all the required documentation (proof of rabies and distemper vaccinations; and proof of spaying/neutering) and fee payment. Only money orders or personal checks are accepted (no credit cards nor cash), made payable to "DC Treasurer." The cost of the license is $15 for dogs that are spayed/neutered and $50 for non-spayed/neutered dogs. 

Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells will not have September Southwest Office Hours since the Council is in recess until September 15. The next Southwest Office Hours will be on Thursday, October 2 from 8am to 9:30am at the Southwest Safeway (1100 4th Street). 

M Street Yoga will finally start offering classes next week on the ground floor of Carrollsburg, a Condominium’s North Building at 300 M Street. Ahead of the start of classes on Thursday, there will be an Open House on Wednesday, September 3 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The studio’s website recently went live, where classes can be scheduled. 

Waterfront Academy, the new dual immersion Montessori school opening this fall at 60 I Street, has hired its teaching staff for the 2014-15 school year. Karina Trejo will serve as the Spanish Montessori Primary Guide; Garry Robert will be the Bilingual Catechist; and Concepcion Roque will be the Primary Assistant Catechist. The trio joins Head of School Rebeca Shakleford. The first day of school will be on Tuesday, September 2 and the Grand Opening will take place on October 2 at 6:30pm. 

Photo courtesy of Waterfront Academy (foto cortesía de Waterfront Academy) 

An article in Capital Business profiles Amer Hammour, executive chairman of Madison Marquette, one of the developers of The Wharf. The article mentions how Hammour had to travel around the world to find financing for the project. From the article: 

One colossal Chinese firm expressed interest, and after Hammour and Hoffman made their pitch, the chairman declared that instead of investing he would buy the entire waterfront and build a five-story shopping center. “He happens to be one of the richest guys in the world, period,” Hammour said. “And he comes in and makes it clear that, you know, he’s going to own this project. And then talks about what he wants to do with the project, which is completely unrealistic. We had to explain to him that, to build a Chinese-like shopping center like that on the Potomac might not be a great idea.”

Imagine the reaction if that idea went anywhere...

Masala Art to Open at Waterfront Station

 

I just learned from ANC 6D Commissioner McBee that Masala Art will be opening at Waterfront Station and will take up the two vacant storefronts at 1101 4th Street, north of Subway. Masala Art is an Indian restaurant by Atul Bhola, the former manager of Heritage India, with a location in Tenleytown that opened in 2009.  According to a review by The Washington Post's Tom Sietsema, the Tenleytown restaurant seats 45. The Tenleytown location is open daily for lunch & dinner and it also offers free delivery.  Here's a look at the menu. Masala Art will join Station 4, Z-Burger, and Subway as the fourth restaurant to open at Waterfront Station, in addition to Safeway, CVS, and Waterfront Cleaners. There are still two vacant retail spaces available - one each at 1101 and 1100 4th Street.  I’ll share more details on Masala Art as I learn them.

A Couple Quick Items: SW Duck Pond Annual Meeting Tonight, SWNA Elections Set for March 9

- The Neighbors of Southwest Duck Pond will have their annual community meeting tonight at Waterside Towers Club Room (907 6th Street) at 7pm. Special guests include Katie Rehwaldt from DPR and Hank Laverly from Millennium Pool Service.

- As it was reported in The Southwester, the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) will be holding elections on Saturday, March 9 for their Board of Directors, which includes President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and eight district representatives. The election will be held in front of the Waterfront Station Safeway. Check here for the list of boundaries for each of the districts as defined by SWNA.

Performance Parking Revenue Brings New Amenities

A new community-oriented Public Information Display System (PIDS) will soon make its way to the entrance of the Waterfront Station Safeway. The PIDS will be a community information kiosk giving real-time information such as when the next train or bus will arrive, number of Capital Bikeshare bikes available in the area, the performance schedule for Arena Stage, and other important information. DDOT is funding this project through its Ward 6 Performance Parking Zone program, which adjusts the cost of parking depending on demand, but is the brainchild of SW resident Cecille Chen, who heads up SWNA’s Southwest DC Heritage Project. The SW PIDS will be the first in a citywide rollout of this technology and will also be accessible to residents via DC’s free WiFi network. Total cost for the project will be $75,000 and is scheduled to be up and running by January 2013.

Other improvements potentially coming to the neighborhood thanks to Performance Parking revenue include some public art. The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) will receive $35,000 to install a statue or sign representing all of the lettered streets in the Southeast (and potentially Southwest) parts of the city. The program is designed to help children learn the alphabet.

Update: As Commissioner Craycraft mentioned in the comments section, Damon Harvey from DDOT also committed to funding the restoration of the underwater lighting at the SW Duck Pond during last week's ANC meeting, which was supposed to be done earlier in 2012.

A Few Quick Items: L'Enfant Plaza Renovation Continues, Safeway Seeks Subsidy, South Capitol Acquisitions Funded

- In this week's Washington Business Journal (subscribers only), there's an update about the renovations underway at L'Enfant Plaza. There was a bit of new information in the article, including the addition of Crumbs Bake Shop to the retailers slated to open in the food court. This would be the 4th Crumbs to open in DC (although their website doesn't show the L'Enfant Plaza location yet on their "Coming Soon" page). It and Five Guys are now scheduled to open in January. A 234-key Homewood Suites extended-stay hotel planned for the corner of 9th and D Street may now get underway by the second quarter of 2012.

JBG is planning a meeting on December 13th from 6-8pm to give the community an update on their plans for the mixed use complex. Location TBA.

- The Housing Complex Blog at the Washington City Paper reported last week that Safeway is seeking tax relief for personal and real property taxes for its store at Waterfront Station and has been assisted by Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells. According to the article, the Supermarket Tax Credit was passed in 2000 to provide tax relief to grocery stores that opened in underserved areas of the city. Since then, the exemption boundaries have changed and as a result, the SW Safeway location has been outside of the exemption zone since 2004.

- JDLand reports that $68 million has been provided by the federal government towards the purchase of land for the right-of-way of the new Frederick Douglass Bridge. The $68 million is just a drop in the bucket compared to the approximately $800 million needed for the new bridge, improvements to South Capitol Street, and interchange improvements at I-295 and I-395.

SW Playground Project Receives Safeway Foundation Grant

Safeway announced earlier this week that the Safeway Foundation distributed $130,000 in grants to community organizations. One of those organizations is the SW Playground Project, which received a $5,000 grant to build a new playground next to the Southwest Neighborhood Library on August 23. Pictured above is Rev. Ruth Hamilton (President of the Near SE/SW Community Benefits Coordinating Council), Greg TenEyck (Safeway's Public Affairs Director), Felicia Couts (Project Director of the SW Playground Project), and the child Felicia is holding is Carmen Couts.

Here is a preliminary rendering of one of the three play areas planned at the proposed playground. Courtesy of Playworld Systems.

Photo courtesy of Safeway

Use of Anti-Gay Slur by Safeway Employee Unleashes Call to Action on Twitterverse

It was reported in Metro Weekly earlier today that a gay couple were victims of the repeated use of an anti-gay slur by a Safeway employee while at the checkout counter at the Waterfront Station Safeway last Saturday. From the article:

''We put our groceries up on the conveyor belt, some frozen dinner and wine, and [the cashier] said, 'Oh God, they're faggots,''' says Morgan. ''And then Brendan said, 'I'm sorry I didn't hear what you said.' And she said 'You guys are fucking faggots.'''

When the couple asked the cashier for her name, they were told it was ''D'Angela.'' Morgan adds that she did not show any remorse for her comments.

''We just couldn't believe it,'' he says. ''She didn't seem apologetic or anything. We asked her for the store manager and she just ignored us. So we ended up leaving our groceries where they were and we walked [away].''

The couple has filed a complaint with the D.C. Office of Human Rights. After the story was posted, the reaction on Twitter was universal - the conduct of the employee was unacceptable and an explanation was needed by Safeway. Others have gone further and suggested there should be a protest of the store. A protest of the most profitable Safeway in the city could send the message that this kind of unprofessional behavior can not be tolerated.  As of today, the Safeway employee still works at the store, evidenced by a follow-up to the Metro Weekly story where another Southwest resident went to the store today and videotaped an apology from the employee. Below is the video that was posted on YouTube.

Update: An official reponse from Safeway regarding the incident was posted on Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells' blog:

This morning, we heard from Mr. Craig Muckle, Manager, Public Affairs and Government Relations Eastern Division Safeway Inc., issuing the following statement on behalf of Safeway

"We extend our sincerest apologies to Mr. Morgan and Mr. Harrington for the completely unacceptable comments by our employee. Safeway employs and serves people from all backgrounds, and absolutely does not condone discrimination or intolerance of any kind by any staff member. The company is reviewing the matter and will take appropriate corrective action."

Update #2: CM Wells' blog brings news that the Safeway employee has been terminated and another apology has been given, this time by Eastern Division President Steven Neibergall:

We were shocked and appalled to learn of the statements made to two of our valued customers by one of our employees. This incident is personally offensive to me and to the rest of the men and women who proudly represent us in our stores. This goes against everything we believe and practice in terms of serving and welcoming our customers, and in being a part of the diverse communities we are privileged to serve. We are at a loss to explain how one of our employees, even one who has been on the job for less than a month, could consider this kind of behavior to be acceptable. The employee has been terminated.

Besides investigating the incident itself, we also are looking into the unsatisfactory response our customers received when they attempted to bring this to the attention of local store management. The complaint should have been dealt with immediately and we apologize that this was not the case.

We have reached out to the customers involved to extend our sincere apology. We are truly sorry this happened in our store and are taking decisive and urgent action to ensure it does not happen again to any customer in any of the communities we serve. No one should face what these customers faced, and we are humbly sorry it happened to them in our store.

Late-Night Shoppers, Rejoice! Safeway Resumes Regular Schedule

After Daylight Savings Time was implemented a few weeks ago, the Waterfront Station Safeway resumed its normal hours of operation, from 6am - 11pm, 7 days a week.  Back in November, the store closed at 10pm and at the time, it was explained by Craig Muckle, Safeway's Manager of Public Affairs and Government Relations, that the change would be temporary:

We’re simply going to a winter schedule to give us some extra time to re-stock the store during the overnight period. The hours will be extended again during the spring.

Some other things I've noticed during recent visits - the side door next to Starbucks has been fixed and is usable again.  Signs are up near that entrance alerting customers to have their receipts ready for checking by the store greeters. Fountains at the metro plaza have been turned back on. Also, the fence around the new patio area of the store has been removed and people are free to walk on the roadway leading to a new garage entrance. (See above photo). However, fences are still up on the SE parcel fronting M Street that will eventually become an office building.

Waterfront Station Construction Photos

I took the above photo of the patio area in front of the Waterfront Station Safeway yesterday, which looks to be just about complete, except for tables and chairs that may be installed.  Landscaping is in place and doors have been added from the elevator bank inside Safeway to the patio area. The EPA tower lurks in the background, which is supposed to be re-skinned and repurposed as a residential building, along with its sister building on the other side of Waterfront Station.  I've been hearing chatter recently about this building getting underway relatively soon since the multifamily market is heating up in DC.

Here is a photo of construction back in early February. The patio area has been under construction for a few months since work on the parking garage below it was completed earlier this year. The old Safeway next door was demolished last summer, just a few months after the new store opened. Last spring while I was on a sneak peek tour of the new Safeway, Craig Muckle told me the patio area would open about a year from then, so it looks like he was on target with that date.

The SE parcel fronting M Street will one day become an office building, but for now, it will be a grassy area, similar to the ones on the NE & NW parcels closer to I Street. The SW parcel will remain a blacktop surface for now since Bank of America will be staying in their trailer until their lease ends in December 2012.  While the NE & NW parcels have not been used for regular interim uses thus far, that may change soon (at least on the District-owned NE parcel).

Station 4 and Z-Burger build-outs continue on the west side of 4th Street.  I was told a couple weeks ago by Med Lahlou that Station 4 is now aiming for a mid-April opening and the last I heard about Z-Burger was it's planning on opening in May. Brown paper has covered up most of the windows at Station 4, which seems to be further along than Z-Burger.

SWNA Elections This Saturday

The Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) will be holding its elections on Saturday from 10am - 3pm in front of the Waterfront Station Safeway.  All residents of Southwest in ZIP code 20024 who are 18 years of age or over are eligible to vote.  There's no absentee ballots, early voting, or advanced registration to vote. Positions on the ballot include President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Treasurer, and District Councils (1-4).  You can vote for up to two candidates for the District Council positions depending on where you live. District Council boundaries are as follows:

• District 1: North of M Street, West of 4th Street
• District 2: North of M Street, East of 4th Street
• District 3: South of M Street, West of Delaware Avenue
• District 4: South of M Street, East of Delaware Avenue

For a list of candidates and bios, check out the SWNA website.  All candidates serve a term of two years.

Update: Below are the results from Saturday's election.  Winnners are written in bold.

President: Kael Anderson (251), write-in candidates (9)

Vice President: Jodi McCarthy (205), Grace E. Daughtridge (102), write-in candidates (2)

Treasurer: Jo Chang (172), Ellen Winship (108)

Secretary: Laura Shin (251)

District 1 Representative: Gita Morris (42), Zev Feder (39), Mike Flick (28), write-ins (2)

District 2 Representative: Saadia Athias (21), Ben Curran (19), Monique Stuart (10), Shannon Vaughn (10)

District 3 Representative: David Campbell (87), Kenneth Prater (67), Zach Dobelbower (40), Matthew Johnson (36), write-ins (1)

District 4 Representative: Robert Smith (8), Ken LaCruise (5)

Oh Safeway.

Also on the agenda at Monday's ANC 6D meeting was Safeway and its new "Quality Assurance Program" (i.e. greeters who check receipts as customers leave the store). This part of the meeting became somewhat of a heated debate as some ANC commissioners and audience members accused Safeway of targeting the Waterfront Station Safeway store for its new policy, not to increase customer service, but because of shoplifting and subjecting all shoppers to this new receipt check was degrading. A couple of Safeway representatives countered that all stores in the District have experienced shrink (when the actual inventory is less than what is thought to be on the shelves) and the increase occurred after the bag tax was instituted in the city. Another potential cause of shrink is the design of the store, which has a food court area in the front of the store that customers who didn't use the parking garage have to walk through in order to leave the store. The Southwest Safeway was chosen as a test case because of four main reasons:

• The SW Safeway has 35,000 customer counts per week - more than any other Safeway in the city.
• The clientele is diverse (including residents, office workers, tourists, and baseball fans) which serves as a microcosm of the District's population.
• They have faith in the store's management team to implement the test.
• There has been an increase in shrink.

The test will last up to 26 weeks and after the test period, Safeway will evaluate whether to implement the receipt check in other stores in the District. Not satisfied with Safeway's explanation, which didn't mention anything about customer service, but focused on "shrink," the ANC voted 5-0-1 to send a letter to Safeway's regional management team expressing their dismay with the new policy and requests that the store implement the receipt check at a non-urban store (Georgetown's new Social Safeway comes to mind).

Has anyone experienced issues with the new receipt checking procedure?

Update: Here is The Washington City Paper's take on my post.

Safeway Security Procedures to Change

Starting on Monday, Safeway’s security plan for its Waterfront Station store will change. According to Craig Muckle, Safeway’s Manager of Public Affairs and Government Relations, there will no longer be uniformed security officers at the entrance to the store. Instead, there will be plain-clothed greeters at the store entrances that will welcome customers when they walk in and check receipts before they depart. Muckle described the greeters as part of a “Quality Assurance Program” at the store, similar to what is done at Costco and Walmart. These greeters will not have security duties; plain-clothed security officers will still be in the store as they are now.

Also, store hours will change back to 6am-11pm in the spring. Muckle didn’t know the exact date, but I’ll pass along that information once I receive it.

Update: TBD.com picks up the Safeway story and reports that the Waterfront Station security change could be implemented throughout the city by the end of the year. From the article:

Safeway spokesperson Craig Muckle confirms that customers who decline to show a receipt will not be stopped. “If someone were to refuse, there’s no commotion made or anything like that,” he says. “They’re able to go.” Muckle maintains that the employees manning the door are not security guards; in fact, he says that the new receipt-checking policy is not a security measure at all.

Safeway Reducing Hours

The Waterfront Station Safeway has made some changes to its operating hours. Starting on Sunday, the store will close an hour early - now, the store will be open from 6am - 10pm, seven days a week. Other changes that recently were made include the restriction of youth from being in the store without an adult until 4pm daily. In addition, the side door near Starbucks has been locked - probably due to shoplifting. Will your shopping patterns be affected by the change in hours of operation (I found out about the change in hours when I was in the store at 10:45pm, so I will be affected)?

Update: I asked Craig Muckle, Safeway's Manager of Public Affairs and Government Relations about the change in hours and this was his response:

We’re simply going to a winter schedule to give us some extra time to re-stock the store during the overnight period. The hours will be extended again during the spring.

Subway Opens Tomorrow

Slowly, but surely, retail has started opening along 4th Street at Waterfront Station. First came Safeway (with a Starbucks) in April, then CVS in July. Last week, Waterfront Cleaners opened its doors and tomorrow, Subway will be having its grand opening. Hours of operation for the sandwich shop will be Monday - Friday 6am to 9pm, Saturday 8am - 9pm, and Sunday 9am - 9pm. Next up will be Z-Burger and Station 4. I noticed that work started on both storefronts last week - both of these restaurants are supposed to open in 2011. There are rumors that TD Bank will be replacing Bank of America, but I haven't received confirmation yet from the developer. Excluding space for the bank, there are at least three retail spaces available.

Update: Below are a couple photos taken on Wednesday during lunch.

Wallpaper gives the impression that the walls behind the counter are brick, but they're not.

The line was out the door during lunch.

Southwest Development Featured in WaPo

There’s an article in today’s The Washington Post about the redevelopment of Southwest. The basic premise of the article is that Arena Stage’s design has the potential to change the way the rest of the waterfront will be developed, which until now, according to the author, has been “desultory” in architectural design. From the article:

Bing Thom's new building demands better neighbors. And it calls for a more holistic approach to the waterfront -- more porous and open. There are not enough details in the existing plans for redevelopment of the blocks nearby to be sure that it will get what it deserves. The city and its chosen developers, PN Hoffman and Madison Marquette, have big plans for the waterfront just opposite the Arena Stage building, but will it be overbuilt? Will views be maintained? Or will it turn the waterfront in on itself, surrounding the marina and public plazas with structures that are so big they encircle the space, creating an insular, commerce-heavy, over-produced "urban space" that is in fact a giant suburban shopping mall?

The Hoffman-Madison Marquette team will be having a community forum this Wednesday to reveal more detailed plans about the redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront, starting at 6pm at Arena Stage. I hear that there will be new renderings revealed and will get those up on the blog once I receive them next week.

Other encouraging signs of redevelopment mentioned in the article include the reopening of 4th Street and Waterfront Station, as well as plans to create a “grand public” stairway to connect the 10th Street Overlook with the Southwest Waterfront (a temporary staircase, that may last 10 years, will be built in the interim). Others have shared the same sentiment with me that the area near 4th & M has come alive since 4th Street reopened and the new Safeway made its debut in the spring. With more retail making its way to Waterfront Station, the area will become even more vibrant in the months to come (if only the retail could get open faster!). However, the Southeast-Southwest freeway remains a barrier that isolates Southwest from the rest of the city. Another barrier mentioned in the article is the Department of Energy’s Forrestal complex, which straddles 10th Street in front of the Smithsonian Castle. There are plans from the National Capital Planning Commission to redevelop the 10th Street corridor, along with other areas of the Southwest Rectangle described in its Monumental Core Framework Plan.

Update: There is a special section in Sunday's The Washington Post about Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater and its impact on the city (Southwest in particular). Several related articles are in the feature, including the one mentioned above, how Arena Stage will transform the theater scene in the city, a profile of architect Bing Thom, the transformation of Southwest, and the building's design. In addition, there are photo galleries, a guide, and a video tour (see below).

Old Safeway Demolished

The old Safeway at Waterfront Station is now just a memory...what is left is a large hole in the ground, as seen in this photo. Eventually, there will be an office building on the site, but there is no timetable available for when it will be built. The planned office building will not have ground-floor retail, but the other new buildings planned at Waterfront Station will all have ground-floor retail, according to the development map on the project website. There will also be a fenced outdoor seating area for Safeway patrons that should open next year. Speaking of retail, there is no word yet from the developers when the other retailers at the project will open their doors, although Station 4 is supposed to open in the first quarter of 2011. Once I hear about other retail opening dates, I'll let you know!

Waterfront Station Update

I noticed yesterday that demolition has begun on the old Safeway at Waterfront Station on the back side of the building. Chairs have been added to the tables installed in front of the new Safeway, which are always in use whenever I walk by the store. Two large urns with plants have been placed at both entrances to the access road that crosses 4th Street between the Safeway and the Metro entrance. In addition, workers have removed the window coverings inside the new CVS, so passersby can now see the build-out underway inside, which should be complete this summer. The Washington Business Journal reported last week that CVS expects to expand grocery aisles in about 43% of their stores in 2010, so our new 12,543 square foot store will most likely have more food options than the trailer/older store at the old Waterside Mall. Over the weekend, I also noticed some graffiti on the 1100 4th Street building. I haven’t walked along 4th Street since Saturday, so I don’t know if the graffiti has been removed yet. It’s been a busy couple of weeks for me, but I’ll have some updated photos of Waterfront Station and other neighborhood projects soon.

(Left) Chairs have been added to the tables set outside of Safeway.

(Right) Urns have beeen placed on the entryways to the access roads that have been built between the buildings at Waterfront Staion. This is a view looking east towardsd the Metro plaza.

(Left) Z-Burger will be opening in a corner space at the 1100 4th Street building.

More Press for New Safeway

Southwest continues to get plenty of press these days, including an article in today's The Washington Post. The article is about the new Safeway and the reopening of 4th Street. A bit of news in the article states that the sit-down restaurant planned at Waterfront Station is one of the retail leases signed (although that tidbit has been taken down in the past few hours). Previously, the restaurant was just in negotiations to open at Waterfront Station. Perhaps the lease wasn't actually signed yet, so that's why it was removed from the article...

Update: The full article was put back in on Tuesday and includes some misinformation, as one commenter noted, about the Bank of America moving back into the development from their trailer. As of a few weeks ago, the developers at Waterfront Station said that Bank of America would not move back to the development and would remain in their trailer until their lease expires in December 2012. The developers are looking for another bank to take their place.

Waterfront Tower Featured on Fox 5 News

There's a story on Fox 5 News' website about the housing market and featured in the story is Waterfront Tower (I also happen to be interviewed in the story doing my day job). According to the piece, Waterfront Tower, the condo conversion project next to Waterfront Station, is approximately 60% sold. The developer mentions that many buyers are taking advantage of the first time home buyer tax credit. Also, the developer touted recent developments in the area, including the new Safeway and Arena Stage's expansion. Prices at Waterfront Station start in the $200s (as the photo on the top of the post states).

I also read in May's issue of Washingtonian magazine over the weekend that the 20024 zip code is one of the local real estate markets that is bouncing back. Prices were up last year by 12%, although prices declined by 25% over the prior two years.

10% Discount at Safeway Through May 15!

The following is a message from ANC 6D02 Commissioner David Sobelsohn regarding discounts at the new SW Safeway:

APRIL 15 DISCOUNT

As I’ve reported before, at our March 8th ANC 6D meeting, Safeway’s Eastern Division Regional District Manager Donna Maxwell promised a 10% discount on purchases made at the Southwest Safeway pre-opening, 4-8 p.m. Thursday, April 15. Regrettably, Safeway automatically applied that April 15th discount only to shoppers who bought $50 worth of groceries on April 15th. Ms. Maxwell has agreed to provide a 10% refund to everyone who shopped at the Southwest Safeway April 15 but did not get the promised 10% discount. Store manager Mike Bigelow says just bring your cash-register receipt, dated April 15, to the customer-service counter. You need not bring photo identification. Explain that you didn’t get your 10% discount April 15, & that Mr. Bigelow has advised you to go to the service counter to get a 10% refund. Remember to bring your April 15 register receipt! If you have any difficulty, ask for either Mr. Bigelow or assistant managers Michelle Gayard, India Lawal, or Stephen Newman. If you still have difficulty let me know.

10% DISCOUNT THROUGH MAY 15

The April 15 one-day discount was not the only 10% discount Safeway offered its Southwest Safeway customers. I have learned that Safeway sent some neighborhood residents, but not others, cards good for a 10% discount through May 15, 2010, without limitation as to the purchase amount. Mr. Bigelow has promised me that anyone who did not get such a card may get the 10% discount refunded going forward. From now through May 15, after paying for your groceries, go to the customer-service desk. Show the customer-service staff your receipt. Explain that some of your neighbors got a 10%-discount card good through May 15, that you didn’t get your card, & that Mr. Bigelow has advised you to go to the service counter to get your 10% same-day refund. If you have any difficulty, ask for either Mr. Bigelow or assistant managers Stephen Newman, Michelle Gayard, or India Lawal. If you still have difficulty let me know.

I was unable to persuade Mr. Bigelow to make this 30-day discount retroactive. Only the April 15th discount is retroactive. For purchases made April 16 through the time you’re reading this, if you didn’t get the 10% discount others got, it’s too late. But you can still get a refund going forward. Just go to the customer-service desk.

David C. Sobelsohn

Commissioner, ANC 6D02

Secretary, ANC 6D

(202) 484-8303

I was one of those recipients of a Safeway Club card that allows me to get 10% off all grocery purchases until May 15. If you already have a Safeway Club card and received this discount card, the directions say to call 1-877-SAFEWAY to have the 10% transferred to your current card. That seems to be a better solution than going to the customer service desk each time you go to the store to get a credit.