Party ReminderDear Neighbors: Your responses indicate that we’re expecting well over 100 revelers at our dc.story Spring Party on April 8. No cover, no R.S.V.P., and happy hour prices. Just be there. Aloha. A at Pizzeria Uno (at the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Ordway Street, NW, from 7 PM to 9 PM). Frequent contributor Councilmember Kathy Patterson plans to attend (budget duties permitting). Other government officials have sent tentative R.S.V.P.’s as well. ****************** CVS picks up where Starbucks left off. The next property to fall before the Melville Hoard is the Tenleytown Hechingers. CVS has a penchant for historic buildings (or at least sentimentally historic). The Biograph Theatre in Georgetown and the MacArthur Theatre in Palisades have been conquered (though Palisadians are putting up stiff resistance). Now Tenleytown. What’s next? Tide for $1.99 in the Pension Building? Nah. Disney probably has that location already.With the "Malling" of American cities, it might be interesting to speculate on what rapacious chain will come through next. Will there be a Wrapworks on every corner? A do-it-your-self crafts shop in every neighborhood? Where will be spending our spare change and who will get it? Better yet, can we buy stock on the cheap? ////\\\\\////\\\\////\\\\\/////\\\\ Also free! dc.movie: Free movie passes, short movie reviews, and movie discussion. Send an email message to story@intr.net to subscribe. Cheers, '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Outplacing Marion Next year we face the dismal prospect of another Mayor’s race. This one may be all the more dreadful. This is not only due to the Control Board’s preempting all the Mayor’s powers, but it may also sell the Mayoral office furniture. If that were not enough, we also face the depressing prospect that Marion will once again convince DC voters that he just wandered in and found an awful mess. As a preemptive strike, I suggest that story’s astute members help Marion understand that there is life after office by suggesting his new profession - lets keep it away from the obvious. Now as good outplacement advisors, lets draw upon his current skills, experience and accomplishments. For example, how about a new career as Director of an Albanian Ponzi scheme. It’s a perfect match for his financial expertise, organizational style, and sense of propriety. Your suggestions? ***** Art Spitzer ArtSpitzer@aol.com We at the ACLU periodically get calls and letters from outraged drivers who have been arrested for driving without a valid license, and want us to sue somebody. We must tell them that, yes, driving without a valid license is an arrestable offense, and yes, it is your responsibility to keep track of when your license expires (hint: it’s generally on your birthday). As a rule of thumb, I understand that the DC police usually do not make an arrest unless the license expired more than 6 months ago, or unless there is some other reason (e.g., an outstanding warrant or a whole lot of unpaid tickets). But that’s just a matter of discretion. So check your license and write the expiration date on your calendar. ***** Steph "At this meeting someone asked me if I was THE Stephanie Faul and I was forced to admit that I was actually her Evil Twin" Faul steph@clark.net I sympathize with your anonymous source who was handcuffed and arrested for driving on an expired license. It sounds like an extremely unpleasant experience and unwarranted for the severity of the crime or the nature of the threat. However, your source should bear in mind that such treatment is *routine* for young black men who commit even lesser offenses. So while I’d prefer the trend to go towards more civility all around, it seems as though at least these days the cops are treating people equally. Incidentally, I attended the traffic safety meeting in Cleveland Park on Saturday. Among other things, I learned that the police are cracking down on various forms of illegal driving, area-wide. The department will also be installing red-light running cameras at key intersections; these cameras take a picture of the car’s license and send a ticket to the owner, rather like a parking ticket (i.e., it’s not a moving violation against the driver). Installation is some time off but should take place in 1997; they said September, but.… There is a D.C. seat belt law nearly ready to go that will make failure to wear a seat belt a primary offense, punishable by a hefty fine and points on the license. Any Story readers who do not fasten their seat belts already may want to start getting into the habit now. Those who object to the "Big Brother" aspects of such a law should ask themselves: "Were my rights infringed when my mother made me stop playing with matches?" The seat belt is the most important safety device on your car, but it only works when it’s buckled. It’s in the state’s interest to prevent citizens from going through the windshield and consuming public resources, such as ambulance calls, hospital beds, and coroner’s reports. **** Muriel Nellis lcaa@representative.com Hasn’t someone’s civil rights been abused here? The handcuffs and ‘criminal charge behavior of 4 cars of law enforcers at one DC corner raises a whole range of questions for citizens! Some scrutiny, if not a suit. Another parking ticket story: I was ticketed for an allegedly expired inspection sticker; except that I never saw/received the ticket. Now I’ve gotten a doubled fine by mail. I’ve called, sent a letter and wonder what will come next. Any wisdom? ***** Scofflaws As frustrating as it can be to deal with District government, I find Andrew Gates Sanford’s attitude — refusing to get her vehicle inspected or replace the stolen plate — really loathsome. Inspections, parking regulations, and vehicle registration are intended to improve safety and quality of life here. If you live near a Metro stop, parking rules keep your neighborhood from turning into a giant parking lot. License plates on cars make it easier for police to identify and find criminals. Inspections help make the vehicles on our street safer and cleaner. DC Story readers are among the first to complain about all kinds of quality of life issues, from leaf pickup to violence. It’s ironic to find someone in this forum describing a selfish decision to ignore local laws as some kind of brave resistance to the bureaucracy. Give me a break, Ms. Sanford. I hope you get another ticket or two before you head off to Seattle (where, by the way, they have similar laws, and are probably better at enforcing them). **** Phoebe’s Neighbor Looks like the school trustees are going to play Zenkendorf with Hearst Elementary. If you know the site its deep and not too wide, not exactly the most buildable place. But little Hearst sits right next to one large DC Recreation Playground of the same name. Together it’s a large tract. (That its access is only so won’t bother city officials or developers.) What I fear is the Control Board will start to sell off DC’s limited recreation land, etc. The board is in the position, unlike the Mayor, Council or School Board, to piece together sites at will.
FYI . The school is named for William Randolph’s mother Phoebe who was a founder of the kindergarten movement. The first kid enrolled was named Rosebud -). Trivia: there’s a gate name for her at Mount Vernon and a building at Oglethorpe U. in Atlanta.**** David Yassky David.Yassky@mail.house.gov The D.C. School Trustees’ decision to include the Hearst elementary school on the list of schools to be closed is pure foolishness. Hearst is doing exactly what we want the public schools to do: It is giving a first-rate education to a diverse group of D.C. kids from all over the city. Hearst is the most integrated school in the system AND IT WORKS. Hearst students consistently achieve test scores in the top percentiles. It takes years to build a successful school — if Hearst is destroyed, it will not be replaced. It is clear to me that the only reason the Trustees put Hearst on the list is because they felt that it would look bad not to close any Ward 3 schools. That reasoning is particularly pernicious when you consider that more than half of the Hearst students are NOT from Ward 3. When there are so many schools that are not working, choosing to close a school that is — for public relations reasons — shows a disregard for the interests of the students. Concerned parents are circulating a petition opposing the Hearst closing to be presented to the Board of Trustees. If you are willing to sign it, I will leave a copy in a bag on my front door handle — 3610 Veazey Street. Come by anytime and sign. ***** Marcos Wilson - MarcosW@MCIMail.COM A famous General once said "If everyone is thinking alike then somebody isn’t thinking" As one of the pro-public-input "whiners" on the Trustees secrecy issue, I was amused by the common thread of faulty logic in Stan Wellborn and Ed T. Barron’s contributions to your last issue. What both gentlemen seem to miss is the fact that previously elected School Boards where afflicted by inaction and poor management, not because of public "interference", but because of bickering and petty rivalries among the Board members. As a matter of fact, one could argue that it was their failure to honestly seek and listen to the public that is responsible for the present sad state of affairs. Messrs. Wellborn and Barron’s comments will have us believe that in the past "annoying" parents lobbied the system in support of low expectation school programs, abandoning of maintenance programs, hiring of substandard teachers, bloating of the administrative staff, lousy service contracts, etc., etc. I am not a knee-jerk Control Board basher. Like many, I was fed up with the city’s administration and welcomed the Board as an opportunity for badly needed changes, however, I must warn of the danger of confusing shared fears and anger with a shared vision. The latter is what this city needs. No amount of money is going to help this city unless we all pull together. Unity, however, is not built in silence, and only arrogant eyes see public dialogue and progress as mutually exclusive concepts. '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' dc.queries ...where would you be? Stolen: a burnt red Trek 730, with bike pump, water bottle, seat pack, and connections for computer and halogen light. Where: right out of my garage in North Cleveland Park - where it was locked up. The bastard had to work for it. When: about 6:30 am Friday. I love this bike. I’d love to find it again. Anyone got any ideas where a bike thief might drop this kind of bike? pawn shops? bike chop shops?! paper advertisements? Police were nice, but they’ve got bigger fish to fry. Got any suggestions? Michelle Komes MKomesWTOP@aol.com ***** I would like to support MacArthur Theater vs. CVS. I’m near CVS at Conn. & McKinley NW. Is there any organized leafleting/information program? Picketing might be overkill, but is it legal, anyway? And is it ok to "organize" via dc.story? E. James Lieberman, M.D. ejl@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu **** Searching for Outdoor Pool I’m looking for a heated, sparkling clean, convenient outdoor pool for lap swimming. Any recommendations? I live in Cleveland Park and would like one within walking distance. Any suggestions would be deeply appreciated. Karen Lightfoot lightfoot@center.cbpp.org **** Guitar Lessons I’m looking for a recommendation for beginner guitar lessons. Michael Buckley mbuckley@tmn.com *** Summer Job 20 year old Haverford College student, very bright and competent, just returning from her junior year abroad in Paris is looking for a paid summer work experience in the greater Washington area. Available June 9th. Program serving women and/or children and youth preferred but will consider any offer. Call 202 659 6912 and leave message. Martha Bramhall MarthaBram@aol.com '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' dc.events There will be a free "Internet Workshop" event on Saturday, April 5, from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the National Baptist Memorial Church, 1501 Columbia Rd. NW, DC. (Located at Columbia Rd. and 16th St.) Entrance on Columbia Rd. side of the building. Details at http://www.his.com/pshapiro/internet.workshop/ Phil Shapiro pshapiro@his.com ***** The Future of DC On Saturday, April 5th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 @ the MLK Jr. Library, 901 G Street, NW, there will be an urgent citizens’ forum on the future of DC. Moderated by Jonetta Rose Barras of The City Paper, speakers will examine the home rule charter, city finances & various economics plans, an different forms of city governance. For more information call (202) 966-4062. Judy Hubbard Saul jandrsaul@aol.com ***** Wednesday, 16 April 1997 Lecture 7:00 p.m. Education Building National Zoo Enter at Connecticut Ave. Park in Lot A Free, but please RSVP by calling (202) 673-4801 or sending e-mail to nzpem053@sivm.si.edu In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the arrival of giant pandas, the National Zoo will host a special symposium, A Passion for Pandas: Twenty-five Years of Care and Study at the National Zoo. * Devra Kleiman, assistant director for zoological research, will describe her ground-breaking studies of this highly endangered species. * Lisa Stevens, associate curator, will discuss her day-to-day experiences working with the Zoo’s panda pair, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing. * Michael Hutchins, director of conservation and science for the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums, will give a brief overview of the zoo community’s long-range Giant Panda Conservation Plan. * Susan Mainka, veterinarian consultant, will talk about the status of pandas in the wild. Office of Public Affairs, National Zoo Washington, D.C. 20008 (202) 673-4866, FAX (202) 673-4607 ***** That dynamic duo, Faith (AKA Faith Dane), the Perennial Candidate, and her loyal, guitar strumming husband Jude the Obscure, return to the stage every Sunday night, beginning this Sunday, March 30 with a special Easter Sunday presentation. The weekly engagement is at the new Mr. Henry’s 1344 U Street (formerly Andalusian Dog or whatever the hell it was called). If you missed ‘em last Fall, now’s your chance. Same show. Same campaign slogans. Same Sinatra karaoke. Actually, there are new songs, new dance numbers, and an old-fashioned STRIPTEASE!!! Curtain time is 8PM. It’s free. Faith is running for DC Mayor in ‘98 .Watch out Mayor Barry! Jeffrey H. Krulik jeff.krulik@internetmci.com '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' dc.market Live in my apartment while I live in Ireland! I have a large, bright, 2 bedroom apartment on a friendly block 1 ½ blocks from Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill. I’ll be traveling from May 3—June 21 and would like to sublet it to a nonsmoking professional/s (will consider responsible students. I’ll leave it up to you how to demonstrate responsibility!). It’s really a beautiful place, and there’s only one plant I’ll be asking you to water (it’s a very hardy plant). Asking $1200 for the seven weeks. Cheryl Donahue cdonahue@intr.net (202) 546-5212. ****
DTP freelancer wantedA co-worker of mine just finished writing a book and is looking for someone to take the text and put it into camera-ready format. If you or anyone you know are interested in taking on this job, please drop a line to <rebecca_constantino@wellstone.senate.gov>. John Heaton johnh1968@aol.com **** Lodging Needed College senior spending May 11-17 in DC, looking for room to rent in guest house or rooming house with weekly rates, NW area. Donald White DWhite1974@aol.com **** Yoga Classes in Cleveland Park Vini style yoga emphasizing the coordination of breath and movement Saturday and Sunday mornings. Maximum class size is 4. Call Zinnia on 362-0745. Zinnia Zinnia@CompuServe.com **** Employment Opportunity Small but rapidly-growing Bethesda marketing firm is looking for someone with creativity & personality (sense of humor) to fill an entry-level position. We’ve tried advertising in the Post but need a different type of candidate. If you are familiar with popular software packages (Windows, Word Perfect, Excel, etc), can type at a decent clip, and have phone skills, let us know. Excellent growth potential - full health coverage - 401K. Email or fax resume. Tammy Young heatblc@aol.com fax 301-907-4870 ***** Home Maintenance Services Delbe Home Services is a one-stop resource for all of your home needs. We have been taking care of maintenance problems for over 25 years right here in your neighborhood. Call us for any problems at (301) 652-7201 or visit our web page at http://www.delbe.com for more information. David Burka dhs@delbe.com **** Selling Gateway 2000 A sweetheart of a machine whose only sin is that it’s a 386. Tower model, 640k, Crystal scan monitor, 14.4 modem, kybrd, mouse, lotsa software (WP; WIN, Norton,etc.) $400 or Best Offer BY MAY 15. E. Layton prutkov@erols.com (or elay@loc.gov) **** Computers Buying one shouldn’t be so scary. Setting one up shouldn’t be so scary. Getting on the Internet shouldn’t be so scary. Jeffrey Itell Story@intr.net 202.244.4163 ================= dc.story is a discussion group. The opinions stated are the sole responsibility of the authors. dc.story does not verify the information provided by readers. ---------------- For fast, reliable Internet services and cutting edge Websites contact Michael Mann at Internet Interstate mmann@intr.net. Web: http://www.intr.net ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ dc.story—Your Electronic Backfence http://www.dcstory.com Kibitzing by Jeffrey Itell (story@intr.net) Copyright © 1997 by Itell Communications, Inc. All rights reserved |
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