DPR GT#5 - Chuck Brown Memorial Park Letterbox Hybrid

The cache is hidden in Chuck Brown Memorial Park, which is part of the Langdon Park & East Recreation Center in Ward 5.  This cache is part of the EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL.

The Langdon Park's & East Recreation Center's combined facilities include: Indoors - boxing gym, gymnasium / basketball court, computer lab and multi-purpose room. Outdoors - pool, tennis and basketball courts, skate park, horse shoe pits, ball fields and children's playground. [https://dpr.dc.gov/page/langdon-park-community-center]

The Chuck Brown Memorial Park is located in the Langdon neighborhood.  Much of the land that would become the present-day Langdon neighborhood was purchased in the 1850s by a bronze sculptor named Clark Mills, who built a foundary where a WMATA bus depot now stands.  Mills Road, NE was the original path leading to the foundary.  During the Civil War, the area served as the site of multiple fortifications as part of the ring of forts, batteries and trenches built to defend the perimeter of the District.  Few traces of their earlier existence remain today.  Ward 5 is extremely diverse in character, history and people.  It is home to the rolling hills of the National Arboretum and Lincoln's cottage, which sits in the Old Soldiers Home.  It is also home to several universities, including Catholic University of America, Gallaudet University, and Trinity University.

There is an annual free Go-Go concert at the park on Chuck Brown's birthday, officially known as Chuck Brown Day.  Charles Louis "Chuck" Brown was an American guitarist, band leader, and singer commonly known as the Godfather of Go-Go.  Chuck Brown is regarded as the fundamental force behind the creation of Go-Go music, using music, story-telling, and rhythm to help develop a culture of inclusion and participation in DC neighborhoods.  Go-Go music was first developed in the mid-1970s in Washington, DC.  [Source:  Wikipedia]

THE CACHE IS NOT AT THE POSTED COORDINATES.  The posted coordinates will bring you to the Chuck Brown Memorial. INFORMATION TO SOLVE THE COORDINATES FOR THE FINAL STAGE CAN BE FOUND AT THE MEMORIAL.  COORDINATES TO THE NEARBY CACHE LOCATION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

N 38^o 5A.BC4  W 076^o 5X.YZ5

• A = Third number in photo of license plate of Chuck Brown's Lincoln
• B = Number of letters in Chuck Brown's father's middle name
• C = Number of letters in the name of the historic theatre where Chuck Brown was once a shoe shine boy in DC
• X = Chuck Brown served time in which prison, where he launched his music career and love for the guitar: 4 = Fulton; 6 = Joliet; 8 = Lorton
• Y = Number of words in the Chuck Brown quote at the end of the memorial minus nine (i.e., Y = # Words - 9)
• Z = "Bustin' Loose", recorded on the Source/MCA label, climbed to which spot on the Billboard charts?

CHECKSUM = A + B + C + X + Y + Z = 31

You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.

ACCESS VIA MASS TRANSIT:  DC Metrobus - B8, B9, H6 stop at Franklin Street & 20th Street, NE

EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL

This geocache is one of nine caches (eight Letterbox Hybrids and one Multi-Cache) hidden by and maintained by the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation (DC DPR).  DC is the #1 ranked city nationwide when it comes to amount of parkland space per resident.  DC DPR manages more than 375 parks, 76 recreation centers, 11 indoor and 19 outdoor pools, and numerous specialty centers that offer activities such as tennis, theraputic recreation, senior centers, and even ice skating in the District.

To educate cachers about the eight Wards that make up the District of Columbia and their local histories, and to also highlight nearby parks and facilities, DC DPR has placed the nine caches throughout the eight Wards.  Hopefully cachers will find the geocaches informative, entertaining, challenging, and maybe even introduce cachers to before-unknown parks and facilities.

As you navigate through the Wards and discover the geocaches, make sure you bring your family passport and capture the various stamps in it along the journey. The passport can be downloaded here. Once you have filled your family passport with all nine distinctive stamps, mail your completed passport to the address shown in the passport to receive your free EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL geocoin (only one per family while supplies last).

Each Ward has one Letterbox Hybrid Cache and one stage of the Multi-cache from the EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL. Also the eight stages of the Multi-cache must be found in order. The Multi-cache begins in Ward 1 and leads you through Wards 2 - 8 in order. If you are attempting to complete all nine caches in the GEOTRAIL, for expediency you may want to start in Ward 1 and find both DPR GT#1 - Hobart Twins Park and Stage 1 of DPR GT#9 - Multi Wards. After completing Ward 1 proceed through the other Wards in order finding both the Letterbox Hybrid Cache and Multi-cache stage located in each Ward. Complete the GEOTRAIL in Ward 8 by finding both DPR GT#8 - Oxon Run Park and the Final Stage of DPR GT#9 - Multi Wards. A District of Columbia map outlining the boundaries of the eight Wards, and other helpful information to solve the Letterbox Hybrid Caches can be found at https://dpr.dc.gov/page/dpr-geocaching.

WARNING - the Letterbox Hybrid Cache and Multi-cache Stage in each Ward may not be located close to each other. Most geocachers will want to drive between the cache and multi-cache stage, or use mass transit.

GEOTRAIL RULES

1. To hunt for the nine caches of the EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL, geocachers must be members of www.geocaching.com (BASIC membership is FREE).  The web page for each of the caches can be found on the www.geocaching.com website and downloaded to a smart phone (using the Geocaching APP) or a GPS receiver.  Additional information about geocaching can be found at https://dpr.dc.gov/page/dpr-geocaching and www.geocaching.com.
2. Geocachers must abide by all DC DPR rules, regulations and other restrictions to make the treasure hunt safe and fun for all.
3. Download your family passport for the GEOTRAIL here and carry it with you as you visit each cache.
4. Geocachers must sign the log provided within each of the eight Letterbox Hybrid and final stage of the one Multi-Cache caches.
5. Make an ink impression in your family passport using the unique rubber stamp and ink pad provided in each of the eight Letterbox Hybrid and final stage of the one Multi-Cache caches.  Include in your passport the date you found/logged each cache.  NOTE:  If a rubber stamp and/or ink pad is missing from a cache, include a photo showing your group, the log, and surrounding area, as proof of find (no spoilers, please).  Indicate in your on-line log that the rubber stamp and/or ink pad is missing from the cache.
6. Do not take the rubber stamps/ink pads from the caches.  There are a number of kid-friendly SWAG items in each cache, but please remember that if you take something, you should leave something of equal or greater value.
7. Log your visit of each cache online at www.geocaching.com.  Indicate in your online log the date you found the cache, if different than the date you logged the cache online.
8. Once you have logged all nine caches and affixed the unique stamp from each cache in your family passport, mail your completed passport to the address provided in the passport to receive your free EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL geocoin (only one geocoin per family while supplies last).

GEOCACHES IN THE EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC GEOTRAIL

• DPR GT#1 - Hobart Twins Park (GC7FVEH)
• DPR GT#2 - Book Hill Park (GC7F91V)
•  DPR GT#3 - Friendship "Turtle" Park (GC7F8V2)
• DPR GT#4 - Takoma Park & Aquatic Center (GC7F93W)
• DPR GT#5 - Chuck Brown Memorial Park (GC7F9GN)
• DPR GT#6 - Lansburgh Park (GC7F9QY)
• DPR GT#7 - Pope Branch Park (GC7FA2E)
• DPR GT#8 - Oxon Run Park (GC7FC2V)
• DPR GT#9 - Multi Wards (GC7FC6A)