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May 26, 1997

Suitable Sierra

Dear Neighbors:

Someone last time asked politely, "Who the hell is Carl Bergman?" In response, Mr. Bergman sent me a modest, incomplete, and ultimately unsatisfactory answer. We must either wait for a more bountiful reply from Herr Bergman or I’ll have to get my creative juices flowing. Choose your poison, Signor.

The next writer I think I would like to learn more about is—lurking behind door number two, Bob—in Randy Wells. C’mon down and tell us about yourself.

(If this "outing" approach appears similar to blackmail, please remember I spent my formative years in the federal bureaucracy soaking up the fine arts of office politics.)

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Also free! dc.movie: Free movie passes, short movie reviews, and movie discussion. Send an email message to story@intr.net to subscribe.

Cheers,
Jeffrey Itell

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Water’s Edge
Steph <Insert that old W.C. Fields joke here> Faul steph@clark.net

Yesterday and today (Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend) the water has smelled *really* weird. I mean like really. I never drink it unless it’s been boiled anyway, and it seemed OK in the form of tea etc., but I feel like I’m breathing pure chlorine while the hot water is running.

Anybody else notice this? Is it because the D.C. water authority has already spent our 44 percent rate increase on new pipes and tearing up the roads? What?

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The Crestar Clock Is Ticking Again
Evan Roth rothe@washpost.com

It’s nice to see that the Crestar clock and thermometer are up and running again. Now if only Crestar could keep the ATMs supplied with deposit envelopes . . .

(Disclaimer: I don’t speak for my employer and my employer doesn’t speak for me.)

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The new restaurant at the old site of Caffe Italiano will be called Bella Roma - Italian Ristorante and Sports Bar. Vira, the former waitress of the now-defunct Roma, is the owner. She had hoped to open in mid-May, but obviously that hasn’t happened. Italian Ristorante and Sports Bar? Mamma mia.

Phil Greene pgreene@doc.gov

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End Run
Ken Nellis NellisKS@aol.com

This coming Sunday is yet another of these incessant "runs" where throngs of people cause DC streets to be closed to traffic so that they may run on them. Some years ago I took my toddler son out for a quick errand. I got to the store okay, but, 10 minutes later when I attempt to return home, found that I haplessly had been completely encircled by a run route and was isolated from my home for at least half an hour. My son was hungry and crying. Appeals to a DC police officer to allow me to drive through a break in the line of runners fell on deaf ears. Shouldn’t I have the right to go to the store and return home unimpeded? I wonder whether I find any sympathizers on this list.

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Do the Right Thing, Dr. Brimmer!
Randy Wells wellsr@guvax.georgetown.edu

Regarding Dr. Brimmer’s suggestion of replacing the mayor with a city manager, how about elevating the powers and independence of the existing City Administrator? Michael Rogers has seemed to do a fairly professional job despite the political tampering...I suggest keeping his title, but placing the department heads under his exclusive jurisdiction-but only one at a time. Each department would get a new chief, chosen by the Control Board, reporting to the City Administrator, and charged with getting their agency humming. Then on to the next agency…

The CA would report to (and be selected by) the Mayor (with consent of the control board today, City Council in the future), but department heads would report to the CA-and during the interim could only be fired by the Control Board. Post-control board, this power would transfer to the City Council. Success would be a credit to the CA, the control board, and the Mayor.

Having watched the Mayor operate in relation to one particular project, this would play to Barry’s strengths and away from his weakness. I have seen the Mayor repeatedly support a politically good, community-driven project. But the bureaucracy has been slow to dithering in putting it in effect-despite the Mayor’s having given clear, public directions to get it done. The political theory is there, but the bureaucratic practice is not. There appears to be no incentive (read: fear) for an agency or agency head. No consequences. This proposal addresses this. And instead of the control board continuing to turn the Mayor into a martyr, and thus guaranteeing his political survival, they would be empowering one of the Mayor’s own appointees.

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Norton Slamming Brimmer
Harold Goldstein dcbiker@goldray.com

When Norton slammed Brimmer, she also admonished everyone else in sight for not doing their job. Yet Norton is the one constant over the years that the crisis has developed. Norton was responsible for the Control Board agreement in the first place. She is the one who should be admonished for not having done her job!!

Two of her key jobs as a figure head Congresswoman was to win friends for the District and develop sources for funds, not only from the federal sector but from private sources. She has failed, terribly, at these jobs. Norton is as responsible as any single person, including Barry (who was not here when the worst damage was done), for the mess we are in.

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Add My Name To The List
Ed T. Barron edtb@aol.com

I’m one of those who are critical of the performance of the Control Board. My complaint is that the Board is not getting the support they need from the residents and busineses in the District because they have not developed and publicized specific goals and implementation plans for their initiatives. Let’s start with the schools. What has been to date is a series of band aids to a ruptured aorta. Symptoms are being addressed and not the disease. Those who thinks the schools can be turned around to meet expectations in a short time are deluding themselves. We are looking at at least five years and perhaps ten to completely rejuvenate the school system.

Until a comprehensive implementation plan with long and short term measurable goals (If you can’t measure a goal then it will never happen) is developed and made public we will continue to make slow, negligible progress. C’mon Control Board let’s see the plan.

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Is There a Sierra Suit?
Barbara L. Goodman bgoodman@capcity.com

Does anyone know whether there is a suit by The Sierra Club, or anyone else, designed to force the D.C. government to restore its recyclables pickup program? Taking things to Eaton Elementary School on a Saturday morning isn’t possible for a lot of people, The idea of paying Eagle $5 a month to do what they did when it was paid by tax money wasn’t attractive to 24 of the 30 households in our Neighborhood Watch group. They were responding to an inquiry in my recent newsletter to them. Even so, I think most people like the thought of putting usable trash to good use.

Good news: a part of 14th Street north of Kalmia was recently paved after having had many potholes on it for months. Crews of mowers have kept the median strips on upper 16th Street presentable for the past month. One fellow in the neighborhood attributes that activity to our closeness to 1998, an election year. Does anyone know where DPW is getting the money for these welcomed improvements?

On the other hand, the Post wrote several weeks ago about the loss of 3 out of the 5 crews of workers who replace or repair signs throughout the city. In Ward 4, there are dozens of signs that need attention. Someone in the DPW was quoted as saying that he "had to replace a street sign that had been missing for 2 years." I called to ask that the sign on 15th Place be put up. It’s been missing for more than 3 years and people have to put up balloons to mark the way to their houses, if a social event is taking place.

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Recycling
Leila Afzal Leila.Afzal@noaa.gov

At a local historical society meeting, Carol Schwartz said that over Barry’s opposition, the City Council reinstated funding for recycling for FY ‘98—to begin in October. So recycling won’t start until then and probably not even then since bids will need to be submitted and contracts awarded etc. She also mentioned that the Council approached the Mayor to use the $3 million that was earmarked for snow removal this year, that was not used for lack of snow, to restart the recycling. The money has disappeared and no one seems to know to where. I do not believe the Sierra Club has refiled their law suit although they had threatened to on multiple occasions.

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Bulk Trash Pick Up
Martha Saccocio MarthaNS@aol.com

The City has announced that it will resume Bulk Trash Pick Up starting June 2. For pick ups, call 727-4600.

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Jack Valenti Backs MacArthur Theater
Randy Wells wellsr@guvax.georgetown.edu

So where is the strategic plan for which you west-of-parkers are so renowned? Why has not someone tapped a sugar daddy or two in the ‘hood (there are dozens living there-abouts) to make a counter-offer to CVS? Then there would be something to advocate while protesting! Here is one to start you with: Jack Valenti, of the Motion Picture Association, in an interview on CNN (?) a few days ago lamented the loss of the MacArthur… Get the MPA, Jack, and a few lobbyists involved, and they can turn this around....Then you protest for your plan, not just against CVS. Otherwise, moaning and groaning only provides grist for dc story diatribes. By the way, I too liked the MacArthur Theater and am bugged by CVS targeting historic properties for conversion to TP outlets. However, living in Shaw, MacArthur was too far away to visit often, and I wouldn’t mind a few more corporate titans investing in our neighborhood.

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The MPD District Make over: Thirty Years Too Late?
Carl Bergman cbergman@radix.net

Thirty years ago, in one of its important decisions, the first appointed city council chaired by John Hechinger consolidated the city’s 14 police district’s into seven. Boundaries were drawn to concentrate resources where they were needed most. Importantly, the chief could move beats around to meet crime threats. Any permanent change required council approval. Until this week, no chief has changed the boundaries.

Now Chief Soulsby wants to revamp the system. Most importantly, his plan assigns a full unit of officers from patrol to detective to each new ‘service area.’ The Chief’s plan has been attacked for not following community lines closely enough. In another sign of a revitalized Council, Jack Evans promises to hold hearings on the plan. Combined with moving a carload of officers back to the streets, this plan looks good. We’ll see if the Chief has that rarest of DC government qualities, follow-through.

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Metro’s Early Closing Hours
Robbie Pitt robpitt@aol.com

Do you desire the metro system to be opened later than its current closing time of 12p.m.? I think it would be so much nicer to be able to metro until at least 2 a.m. Extending the hours could reduce traffic, decrease drunk driving fatalities, add convenience, etc. If you want the metro to change its hours, please call the Metro at (202)637-1328. And tell your friends who you think also would support such a change to call. The more calls the Metro receives regarding this subject, the more likely it is to increase its hours.

[Who pays for the extra service? Jeff]

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Road Repairs
Greg Jones gmon6612@aol.com

Does anyone know why the stretch of Reno Road between Van Ness and Springland Lane is once again being repaired? Wasn’t it "repaired" within the past year?

Also, as the person who apparently got the recent debate going on the construction now underway on Calvert Street, I should apologize for the intemperate tone of my original posting. Bicycle riders have the same right to be on our streets as anyone else. I do think, though, that "someone" did hear us: the timing on the light at Cleveland and Calvert has apparently been changed to permit many more vehicles through. In any event, the backups on Cleveland over the past two weeks have been significantly diminished.

Finally — and related to the foregoing — I’ll repeat a bit of advice I’ve offered to folks at my office: don’t ever post something on the Internet that you’d be embarrassed (sp?) to see in the newspaper. My original posting on the Calvert Street matter was quoted in last week’s Washington City Paper.

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More on Road Repairs
Sherri Powar sherrip@sda-inc.com

Recently, I read in your update that the Rock Creek Parkway was no longer close (northbound) after 9:30 p.m., So on Tuesday night I was driving home around 10:45 p.m. And suddenly the traffic was stopped before the Mass. Ave. exit....add an extra 20 minutes to my travel time. So last night I took a different route (although it probably took the same amount of time in the long run). Any more ideas about what it is they are doing? How long this will continue? And why they never notify people that the road will be closed?

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Parking in DC
Martha Saccocio MarthaNS@aol.com

In response to the question about what’s happening to all the parking meters in the District — I’m sure other folks saw the article too, but there was an article in the Post about a month ago about the discovery of a vacant lot containing hundreds of smashed/stolen meters. At least one theory mentioned is that there is some organized ring of meter thieves who have been vandalizing meters. Apparently, the city is now looking to contract out the replacement of the meters to a private firm.

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Put Michael Bindner in Your Rolodex
Judith Turner judith@turner.net

I sent in my tag renewal in plenty of time, but forgot to sign the form. DC returned it. We figured: Take it in personally, and get it done. However, we forgot that if you *send* the papers you need only your signature to attest that you have insurance, but if you *bring* them in, you’ve got to have proof on paper. Three trips. The discovery of Michael Bindner, (sympathetic, knowledgeable, and helpful in the Mayor’s office - 939-8750), and the 616 H Street N.E. center where they are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and there’s a parking lot, and at the end of the day there are no lines and the folks behind the counter manage to be courteous until the end. At least there are ways to get around the madness. Next time, I sign all the forms before I mail them.

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Assimilate Or Hide?
Daniel Saul Helfman (with a name like this, who can hide!) helfman@dc.infi.net

A colleague of mine recently recommended that I essentially hide the fact that I am Jewish for fear it might cost me contracts or even contacts as a free lancer. This person even went so far as to advise me to remove the fact from my bio that I once worked for a Jewish organization. As someone who grew up a minority in Texas and faced much discrimination at school and work, I have had encountered few bias incidents since moving to D.C. seven years ago. But my colleague asserts that it is a strike against me, not a plus. S/he must have some experience with this. It turns out s/he too is Jewish, although I never knew it. What do dc.story readers recommend I do?

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dc.queries

Darkroom Time?

Does anyone know if there are Metro-reachable community centers, schools or clubs in Northwest D.C. or Montgomery County that rent darkroom time for B&W developing? I’m aware of the Smithsonian program, but it’s too expensive and restrictive for my taste. Any others?

John Keefe jkeefe@online.discovery.com

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dc.events

An Evening Of Mountain Music And Southern Folk tales

On Saturday May 31, Grammy Award-winning Musician, Storyteller, and Television Host David Holt brings an evening of traditional song and story to the Washington Storytellers Theatre. The multi-talented Holt, who has been a frequent guest on Hee Haw, The Grand Ole Opry, and National Public Radio, plays ten acoustic instruments and has released numerous recordings of traditional mountain music and folk tales. The performance will take place at 8 PM at St. Patrick’s Church, 4700 Whitehaven Parkway, just off Foxhall Road. Safe, convenient parking is readily available. Tickets are $10, $8 for members, seniors, and students. For reservations or information, call (202) 291-2170.

Robert Revere rajai@erols.com

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Latin Dance Party June 7, 8pm at the Rock

Enjoy wings, vegetables, chips, pool tables (coin operated), free parking, and roof top bar. You may bring clean used clothing and canned food for Bread for the City. $10 cover. Rock is located at 717 6th Street in China town. Hosts are Kath Gussman, Scott Dempsey, Larry Schuster, and Bruce McBarnette.

Bruce McBarnette mcbarnet@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu (703) 404-8429

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dc.market

Spring Remodeling and Home Design

Experienced, creative local craftsman available for beautiful additions, decks, remodeling. Unlike other builders, no job is too small.

John Taboada thucker@igc.apc.org (202) 518-5984

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Internet Training and Web Development

We offer customized Internet training across the Washington D.C. area on location. We can do person-to-person work on your site or at our site, train groups of users at your site, prepare customized training materials, including a 2- or 3-day executive training program including Internet installation. We also offer web design and development at prices that are difficult to beat.

Harold Goldstein dcbiker@goldray.com

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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

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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.

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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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