Remember Community Park West?

          Long before it became Walter Pierce Park, it was Community Park West.    Community Park West will be remembered for its dances during the Latino Festivals, a 2-day community-wide event in the middle of the summer.  Looking out onto the field, there'd be a sea of dancers dancing to music played by Maria y sus Magnificos.

Walter Pierce lived in the building overlooking the park, and yelled and screamed tirelessly to prevent the park from becoming expensive condominiums.

Before Bancomercio and Crumbs and Coffee . . .

The building at 1735 Columbia Road, NW was the Barney Senior Center for a long long time.    There was a map of Central and South America drawn on the outside wall of the building.  Neighborhood children would come and go to the center because it was affiliated with Barney Neighborhood House, a place on 16th Street that served the community's young people.  Here, 4 Brownie Scouts use the outside wall with the map on it to facilitate in their acrobatics.

4 Barbies, an Hispanic man -- then there were three Barbies and a cop

The space in front of the Old Ontario Theater is a popular place for people to sell second hand items.  When I saw the 4 Barbies there on the sidewalk, that's what I thought was happening.

 But I noticed there wasn't anyone selling or guarding the precious Barbies.  So, I went back to take a photograph.  As I began to focus on my subjects,

 an Hispanic man approached and asked if the dolls were just there for the taking.  I told him I didn't know, but please do not take any until I took a picture.  He grumbled at me about a picture and reached down and took one.  That left three.  He took the only one that didn't have any clothes on.   

Across the way, Officer Kurtz took note of what was going on near the Barbies and rode up on his bicycle to investigate.  When he learned what happened to the naked Barbie, he took off on his bicycle to save the damsel in distress.  

1978 Casilda Luna and Grandson Manuel Luna stroll Columbia Road.

Casilda is one of the first Hispanic activists in Adams Morgan.  She started Change Incorporated.  Here, she stands down the street from the Imperial where she used to live.  Manuel here is a year old.  Later, he went to Adams Elementary School.  Casilda is retired now and lives in the Plaza West Coop.  Manuel visits regularly.