Now comes the news that Positive Nature has found a new space through the Department of Parks And Recreation in what looks like a new partnership.

"We are so appreciative of all of the outpouring of care and support that so many people have extended to us in recent months, and we are privileged to have the opportunity to continue to provide services to the District's children and families," wrote Jennifer Murphy, the non-profit's co-founder and co-executive director.

The new location: The TR Center at 3030 G Street SE.

We will of course be following up with a visit to the TR Center. Stay tuned.

With the new stadium, new condo developments, and new Courtyard Marriott, the non-profit—which provides a vast safety net for at-risk kids—found itself with a huge property tax bill. In the last few months, they have held a rally, lobbied various city officials, attended countless meetings, and heard all kinds of promises and messages of support. In mid-April, Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray introduced legislation that would effectively save the non-profit. The bill was co-introduced by Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells. It seemed like a big deal.

That big deal has turned—at least for right now—into nothing. When I last spoke with Wells about the legislation—a few weeks ago—he seemed surprised that I would even bring it up. His look was total deer-in-the-headlights. He spent the next several minutes filibustering on why the legislation might not even be necessary.

I wondered: If you thought the legislation wasn't completely needed then why bother spending the time to write it up and introduce it?

Wells went on to talk about all the ways Positive Nature could survive, that they were in talks to move into an abandoned school, etc. The abandoned school idea is not practical on several levels: the space would be too big for their needs, and their kids require a careful, theraputic environment. More than likely, the school space would be shared with other groups and other sets of kids. This could create problems for kids who can be easily distracted, who are going through foster care, who are having trouble keeping up in school.

I have yet to hear anything more about this legislation since Gray sent out his press release.

In the meantime, Positive Nature has kept on trying to do two things: save itself and take care of its kids. Last night, the non-profit and its kids put on a variety and talent show. It was essentially the grand finale before the start of its summer program.

I don't know if Wells or Gray were invited but neither they nor their staff showed up. They certainly missed out.

The kids put on a series of dance routines (apparently Soulja Boy is still super popular), staffers read poems authored by the kids, kids read their own tributes to the staff, and a few really brave ones sang.

I've hung out at Positive Nature a lot and seen many of the kids at some pretty rough moments. So it was incredibly shocking to see these same kids put on wacky clothes and transform themselves into dancers, tumblers, drummers, and singers. They suddenly became the bravest kids in the world.

Perhaps the bravest one of the night was Francis. She stunned everyone by taking the microphone, leaning against the back wall, and belting out a clean and beautiful "Amazing Grace." It wasn't merely good in the oh-look-how-cute-she-is way. It was just so strong on its own. She was brilliant even if she felt the need to tug her ballcap low over her face.

I just wonder now how many more moments like this these kids will have. If city officials continue to shrug their shoulders, where will kids like Francis go? And who will be there to appreciate and nurture their talents?

According to the press release, the bill would:

Provide property tax relief to a unique, high-quality after school program that is threatened with closing due to skyrocketing real estate taxes around its location near the Nationals stadium. The bill was co-introduced by Councilmember Tommy Wells of Ward 6, where Positive Nature is located. Gray said Positive Nature is a non-profit organization that has operated a valuable, therapeutic after school program for D.C. youth with behavioral problems, not just in Ward 6, but from across the city for several years.

We had heard from several sources that the D.C. Council was inclined to not introduce any legislation to assist the nonprofit with its huge property tax bill (caused by Nationals Park). We wrote about Positive Nature here and followed-up with items here and here and here, among other items. The nonprofit held a rally and even resorted to asking for money outside the stadium. It wasn't pretty.

So it was a huge shock—especially to Positive Nature. The news of the legislation came from this reporter's blog. But who knows if this legislation will ever come up for a vote.

The Gray press release goes on to state:

"Gray’s tax relief legislation is designed to keep the program from having to shut down while a long-term solution, including relocation to more affordable facilities, is found. Wells and Councilmember David Catania, who chairs the Committee on Health, have been working with the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to identify District-owned or other space for relocation. Gray said, 'The Council must step in to ensure these much-needed services for some of the District’s most vulnerable children remain available until a permanent solution is found.'"

This afternoon we got the chance to talk to Stephen T. Baron, Director of the Department of Mental Health, about the non-profit.

“We think very highly of them," Baron said. "We are trying to do everything we can to support them. They’ve done great work.”

On the property tax issue: "Where I come from I thought most non-profits get their taxes abated. They do great work. If you do a whole cost analysis….it’s much better for the kids and much cheaper for the kids to be served [by Positive Nature]."

Now if only the D.C. Council would actually do something. In the meantime, you can step up.

Update: In another conversation with DMH, they wanted to stress that Mr. Baron was arguing that having kids enrolled in Positive Nature is cost effective considering the alternative. Without Positive Nature, kids could have possible trouble with the law, require extra tutoring at school, and other social services.

"As the Nationals stadium prepares to open it's doors to the public, we're reminded that we need your help, now, more than ever. 100 volunteers are needed this Saturday, March 28th from 4:00-6:30PM and/or Sunday, March 29th from 6:00-8:30PM as we collect funds through a massive bucket fundraiser."

For more details on volunteering, go here.–Jason Cherkis

Correction came in my inbox: 100 volunteers are needed this Saturday, March 29th from 4:00-6:30PM and/or Sunday, March 30th from 6:00-8:30PM. No big deal. Just volunteer.

Positive Nature, which runs an afterschool program for at-risk kids, faces a huge property-tax bill. Its taxes have increased significantly due to its proximity to Nationals Park. (I wrote a piece on their predicament.) Despite what they're facing, Positive Nature's staff and supporters tried to keep the rally festive. There were free hamburgers and hot dogs, chips, sodas, balloons, old soul songs blasting from speakers, and intermittent games of football. Side note: Some of Positive Nature's kids can really throw a football; one 13-year-old girl, who came to just support them, has a real rocket for an arm.

The rally drew a big crowd of kids, parents, and a platoon of non-profit bigwigs from the Children's Law Center to the Peaceoholics. But there was one significant no-show: D.C. Councilmember Tommy Wells. This possible eviction is happening in his ward. And at-risk kids are supposedly his issue.

If he had shown, Wells would have heard some great speeches. The speakers offered a stark contrast to the boosterism from condo developers, and Nats fans worried about parking. But don't take it from me. Just watch:

It is hard to estimate the impact of a place like Positive Nature. They run an after-school program for some of the most vulnerable kids in the city. These are kids who have gone through countless case workers and foster care moms. These are kids who actually need city government to function properly. For most of them, Positive Nature amounts to a real home. It is hard to write a grant proposal around that.

And no grant can make up for the stadium's impact. In the last two years, Positive Nature has seen its property taxes skyrocket. Now, those kids are in serious jeopardy of losing that home. The non-profit simply can not afford those taxes.

During the course of my reporting, I asked a number of Positive Nature's teenagers to explain the impact of the non-profit on their lives. Tyrone, a 17-year-old who had been with Positive Nature for years, didn't want to talk. Instead, he told me he would write something. Last Friday, I picked up his essay. In honest and direct prose, his short graph gets at what all the kids tried to express to me. Here is what he wrote:

"My name is Tyrone. I came to PNI when I was 10 years old. I was disrespectful in school (Plummer ES), fighting and cursing. Since starting PNI, my behavior has changed. I found respect in others and myself. I started a new school since attending PNI (Leary). My grades have gone up. I have been on [the] honor roll and student of the year several times. I also develop working skills since attending PNI. I started working for PNI when I was 14 years old. I am now 17 years old and in the 11 grade. Without PNI, I don't know where I would be."

Last week, Positive Nature co-found Jennifer Murphy gave her own account to a much more rarefied audience. She testified before the D.C. Council's oversight hearing on the Office of Tax and Revenue. Here is her written testimony:

Good Morning Chairman Evans and other distinguished committee members,
I would like to begin by thanking you for the opportunity to share some concerns of a non-profit organization in the District, who has been significantly impacted by the property tax increases that come with exciting times in a neighborhood’s growth, development and revitalization. I come before you today in my capacity as one of the founders and executive directors of Positive Nature, a direct service organization that provides essential programs and services to vulnerable and at-risk children and youth. The children we serve represent a broad array of issues and problems, but each has a remarkable individual story. Some are committed wards, many have learning disabilities, and most struggle with mental and behavioral health issues. We work with orphans, victims of abuse, neglect and other trauma, and siblings of homicide. They are lost, scared, forgotten, angry, abandoned and disconnected in most aspects of their lives. But rather than focus on their deficits and all that they do NOT have, I want you to be sure and hear that today what they DO have, and what DO they count on, and what they DO trust, and where they DO feel safe, is at Positive Nature.

In July, 2003 Positive Nature celebrated a great day when we entered into a ten year lease agreement, thanks largely to the benefits and incentives of an Enterprise Zone in Ward 6. We played a big role in designing 8600 square feet of safe, happy, kid-friendly space, and invested $10,000 in clearing an adjoining lot to create green play space for the children that we serve. In February, 2004, Positive Nature moved fifty children from three basement classrooms at Hart Middle School to a fresh, clean, brand new building that they would come to call home, overnight.

Based on our lease agreement, Positive Nature committed to paying the property taxes on both the building lot and the “playground” for each subsequent year beyond the base year. In 2005 that number was $8,934.02. In 2007, just two years later, the number had grown 936.9 % to $83,699.74.

This coming Saturday, Positive Nature plans to hold a rally in front of its building. They set up a webpage to explain it all. Stay tuned for more info!

My reason for being there: Positive Nature was/is contemplating shutting down because it can't afford the property taxes on its building. Its taxes have increased 755 percent in the last two years.

But I think I shortchanged the non-profit in what I wrote up. I described the kids–as I do in the above graph–as "at risk." This is journalistic shorthand, a cliche to be used when you just don't have enough space for actually writing who these kids really are. Here are some of Positive Nature's kids that I met or at least heard about:

*A set of twins who lost their parents when they were little. The majority of their relatives have also died. They spent a lot of years worrying if they were going to be split up into two different foster families. For a time, I think they were split up.

*A teenager who recently graduated the sixth grade. When he first came to Positive Nature, it was unclear whether he was homeless or not.

*A little girl who already has gone through about 10 foster families.

*A teenager who claimed that if she wasn't at Positive Nature she'd be out drinking.

*A 17-year-old who is one of 11 kids in his family. There were issues of neglect. One of his brothers was murdered. When he came to Positive Nature, he was a kid who could curse in whole paragraphs. Now he has a job cleaning the building. When he's not sweeping the floors, he can often been seen counseling kids.

I wonder what's going to happen to all these kids if Positive Nature can't keep its building.