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August 27, 1997

Your Electronic Backfence

Dear Neighbors:

There seem to be more opinions about why the District went south than mosquitos on Martha’s Vineyard. A recent example is the web’s POLICY.COM (http://www.policy.com) headline focus on the District. "Washington, DC: A City in Crisis?" Clever. Follow up leads may include "Paris: A City with Baguettes?" Hop on over to http://www.policy.com/issuewk/index.html and check out the display. The text is dull, but there are many good District links.

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David Reed (d.reed@mindspring.com) of DC’s Republican Party posts the following notice:

D.C. Republicans to Conduct City-Wide Conference on Innovative Solutions to District Problems The D.C. Republican Committee will conduct its 3rd biannual city-wide onference on Saturday October 25, 1997 for all concerned citizens. The day long forum will focus on challenges such as education, crime, economic development, and urban infrastructure. A panel of distinguished presenters will discuss the current situation and propose innovative solutions to each challenge. The invited luncheon speaker is Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), Chairman of the District of Columbia Subcommittee, who has been asked to provide his assessment of how reform efforts are progressing in the District. The day will conclude with an address by J. Kenneth Blackwell, Treasurer of the State of Ohio. Blackwell is a black Republican and a former Mayor of Cincinnati and Deputy Under Secretary of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department. The conference will be in the Colonial Room of the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW on Saturday, October 25, 1997 from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. A $25 optional donation will be accepted at the door, though no one will be turned away from the event. For additional information contact the D.C. Republican Committee at (202) 608-1407.

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In this issue of dc.story, more bike gripes (You know, my dad spent his life in the bicycle business and I still haven’t weighed in on this bike/car issue), apartment gripes, and the "there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues" gripes.

Cheers—Jeffrey Itell

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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.

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More Bike Gripes
Stephanie Mencimer smencimer@washcp.com

To Steve Gresham: Sorry, but no, there is not a bike path for most of Beach Drive. That’s why the signs along the way say "Bicycles on roadway." The bike path rolls past the zoo and ends just past Pierce Mill where Beach Drive begins. But you’re right that what bike path there is in dire need of repair. Long stretches around the zoo have been cracked by tree roots making the path nearly unridable. And as for not having a choice other than driving on the road through Rock Creek, how about Connecticut Avenue? There are plenty of other routes into the District for drivers. There aren’t too many nice city roads suitable for biking on.

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Bicycling
Mario Rups markin@patriot.net

Whenever I read about the trials and tribulations of bicycling in this country (it’s not just the district — lost a bike once upon a time, some twenty five years ago, near Williamsburg, Virginia when a car deliberately ran me off the road and sped off with a cry of "Dirty hippie commie freak bicyclist!" out the window … gee whillikers, a clean, neatly dressed person becomes a dirty hippie commie freak for using a bicycle instead of a car like all GOOD Americans?!), I can’t help but think about the Netherlands. Y’all should go there sometime. Bicyclists’ paradise. Most of the time, separate bike paths, or at least lanes, with their own traffic lights no less. And, by and large, people do obey the traffic laws: oldsters, youngsters, little kids, parents .… Once saw the crown prince as a boy bicycling to school surrounded by the Dutch equivalent of Secret Service agents. If there’s an accident, no matter who was at fault, the car driver tends to get the blame, not the bicyclist. (Car drivers don’t much like bicyclists until they ARE bicyclists.) Bicycle paths and lanes all over DC? Gosh, what a wonderful dream …

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A Weeping, a Wailing, and a Gnashing of Teeth
Ed T. Barron edtb@aol.com

If you think there was a firestorm of protest about the late opening of the schools in D.C. just wait ‘til later this year when a huge number of third graders and eighth graders are left back in grade because they can’t pass the Standardized Reading or Math tests. The howl of protest will call for the burning of the appointed School Board’s offices and the hanging (hopefully in effigy) of The Generals.

But why wait for that shoe to fall? It would be far better to smoke out those likely not to pass those tests and to begin the school year (or sooner) with remedial classes after the normal school day in a major effort to bring those who need these classes up to grade level. The impact of having large numbers of eighth and third graders left back would have a dramatic negative impact on the schools next year. Far better to address the problem before it becomes and even bigger problem.

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Good Food, Good Store
Jim Foti jfoti@kra.com

The Good Food Store on 18th street between California and Wyoming (Adams Morgan) is a good find. It’s a genuine neighborhood store catering to health-conscious and semi-conscious (more my state of mind) locals. The prices are very reasonable (Ben & Jerry’s $2.50/pt) and the proprietors are helpful and friendly. They’re downright "good" local folks trying to run a small "family" business in chain store world. If you live in the neighborhood, or if you’re just passing through, stop in.

(I write this message as a satisfied customer, without any connection to the business)

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Saving Jazz and Blues Radio
Steve Hoffman steve90@erols.com

C-SPAN is buying WDCU/Jazz 90 and proposes to turn it into a 24-hour/day, 7-day/week public affairs format (essentially, a radio version of C-SPAN’s cable programming). Many of us in the jazz and blues community feel strongly that C-SPAN could provide a full menu of public affairs and politics while still retaining a few hours each day or week for music (perhaps evenings and/or weekends). By doing so, C-SPAN’s new radio station would serve important cultural needs of this diverse community. The Save Jazz 90 Committee is making a serious effort to convince C-SPAN make this modest adjustment to its plans. Viewers and listeners want to preserve some jazz and blues at 90.1 FM can contact Brian Lamb at C-SPAN by e-mail — viewer@c-span.org — or by fax — 202/783-0315 — or by phone 202/626-7963 (dial "O" for live customer service, "2" to leave a recording) — or by mail: 400 N.Capitol St NW, DC 20001. Letters to the FCC (addressed to Chairman, FCC, 1919 M St NW, DC 20554) are another way for your voice to be heard. Additionally, letters to the editor of the Washington Post help convince the Post to keep covering the story. Finally, supporters of jazz and blues radio are urged to contact Dan Logan of the Save Jazz 90 Committee: savejazz90@musician.org or 703/768-1234, or visit the website: <http://members.aol.com/jazzyweb/jazz90>http://members.aol.com/jazzyweb/jazz 90.

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Bad Business
Bruce Abramson bda@netcom.com

Some businesses value their customers-even if they have to forego an occasional sale. Some businesses value their sales-even if they alienate their (former) clients. Here’s a story about a business of the second type: The Charles E. Smith Co. (perhaps you’ve heard of them). I recently moved out of a Smith property, 2501 Porter. In early July I provided them with over seven weeks written notice of my intention to vacate on or before August 23. They responded immediately-by asserting their right to charge me rent through August 31.

Then came the issue of my last month’s rent. I had originally rented the apartment furnished, and left a sizable security deposit. Several months later, I converted to an unfurnished lease, and was due a refund of about ¾ of my original deposit. When I was told that their accounting procedures made it "difficult" to issue partial refunds, I agreed to let them hold the full deposit against my last month’s rent. Unfortunately, by the time that my last month rolled around, the building had a new manager. Although her records did show that they were holding roughly four times the required deposit on my account, they had no records explaining why they were holding that money, and thus refused to use it to cover my last month’s rent. So, putting it all together: although Charles E. Smith spent over 18 months holding more than enough money to cover my rent through August 23, and despite more than ample notice, I have now received a bill for rent after that date along with a hefty late fee charge.

Disclaimer: If (by some chance) there are any attorneys out there reading this, I am not expressing any opinions about the legality of their claims. Assume for the moment that they have a legal right to all of these charges. This type of behavior still shows an utter contempt for their clientele. (Incidentally, I checked with their head office; this behavior was not just the whim of a single manager).

Why am I posting to this newsletter (aside from my obvious desire to vent)? Two reasons. First, it occurred to me that we have had relatively few discussions about renting in DC. Have other people had similar experiences with Smith? Are the area’s other large leasing companies better? Worse? About the same? Second, a reputation, once earned, should be shared. After taking tens of thousands of dollars of my business, The Charles E. Smith Company has told me that they would rather have a few hundred more of my dollars than my recommendation to potential tenants.

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Anigbo Round 3
Marcos Wilson MarcosWilson@InternetMCI.com

I am deeply honored that Jeff would reply "real time" to my message regarding the Anigbo case. I hope other contributors don’t feel excluded from such special treatment:-) I am sorry if my limited ability to prose construction led you to read a "cryptic implication that Anigbo’s conviction somehow exonerates her" .No, no, no my brother. I believe she should be fired as principal and pay whatever other penalty the courts see fit. But there is a process for this to take place. The elected board goes back into session at the end of September (she was convicted when the Board was out of session). The matter will be taken up then — i doubt she will retain her job.

Your message, on the other hand, suggests (at least to me) that the school board should dispense with agreed official procedures and cancel or threaten to cancel Marcus Garvey’s certification before Anigbo had her day in court. Although Anigbo has irresponsibly sought to make this a racial issue, all indications are that key members of the elected board, who happen to be black, will vote for withdrawing certification if the Garvey Board does not take appropriate action. So chill bro...the process is underway :-)

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dc.queries

The Green, the Dead, and the Ugly

Does anyone know what happened to all the grass and other foliage in Rock Creek Park, on the western slope bordering the Parkway between the Georgetown exit and the Pennsylvania Avenue exit? For a few hundred yards, the hill is completely brown and dead, and it’s been that way for a few weeks. (If this was covered in the Post, or in DC Story for that matter, sorry — I didn’t see it.)

David Yassky David.Yassky@mail.house.gov

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Trash

Does anyone know where you can take your city trash receptacle to exchange it for a new one? Mine is barely useable. It has a missing wheel and the lid has been destroyed. I’ve tried for days to get though to the DPW Trash Collection office and the number is ALWAYS busy. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

Brian Reeves b-reeves@internetmci.com

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dc.events

American Jewish Congress Young Leadership Event

Thursday, August 28 at 7PM. Giving Voice to The Immigrant Experience: An Interactive Evening of Poetry with Jewish, Asian-American and Latino Communities. Davi Walters and John Williams Smith, two award winning poets will host this multicultural, multiracial, and multi-ethnic poetry workshop. It will touch on the life threatening devastation of pogroms, segregation, and the demeaning of the human spirit. Discussion, reflection and reaction of the audience is encouraged. Co-hosted with the DC/JCC in their social hall; refreshments, $6 donation. DC/JCC is at 1529 16th Street, NW; limited parking is available; nearest metro: Dupont Circle.

Lynne Mersfelder lmersfelder@ocean.nos.noaa.gov

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dc.market

Looking for kitten

I know you’re out there. T’is kitten season. I’m looking for a 10 week old (or thereabout) kitten to adopt or buy. My family will provide a good, safe, loving home for the right kitten. The kitten should be home-raised, healthy and litter-trained, with a sweet, loving disposition with short or medium length fur. We will make sure our new family member has regular veterinary visits/shots/spaying/ neutering (when the time is right), free run of the house and will remain safely indoors.

Martha Kaufman mkaufman@adlerbooks.com

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Spanish Classes

I took a fun beginning Spanish class for 8 weeks this summer through Casa de Maryland, and the same teacher is forming a Spanish 2 class to begin Sept. 16, as well as another class for Spanish 1. Cost is around $120 for an 8-week session (16 classes), depending on enrollment — a very reasonable price, if you check out the local alternatives). The instructor, Michael Tyson, lived for a year in Spain and graduated from Washington College in 1992 with a BA in Spanish. Since then he has volunteered and worked for several Latin American organizations, including Casa de Maryland in Takoma Park, Gala Teatro Hispano in Adams Morgan, and El Teatro de la Luna in Arlington. To register, for more information, or to learn about SPEAK SPANISH LEVEL 1 (Mondays and Thursdays, 7-8:30 PM), please call Michael at 301-565-3168.

Francis Krasowska madrobin@ix.netcom.com

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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 information provided by readers. Kibitzing by Jeffrey Itell. Copyright © 1997. All rights reserved.


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