Your Electronic Backfencedc.story: presented in association with Washington’s News Station WTOP-1500 AM and 94.3 FM***They're both WTOP! WTOP "Call for Action" volunteers are available to help you with any consumer-related issues—from home or lawn improvement to health club problems. Contact a volunteer from Tuesday through Friday, 11 am to 1 PM, at 301/652-4357 (301/652-HELP).-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ Dear Neighbors: Perhaps you missed the news tucked away in a tiny corner of today’s paper? "Sony Corporation of America and Cineplex Odeon plan to merge their theater businesses to form the world’s largest movie theater company." Excuse me, but if I am not mistaken (and that would be a first). I believe now every District movie theatre will be owned by the same company. Popcorn will cost more now than Peacemakers, if you know what I mean. **** I let a few folks run over their allotted two paragraphs this issue—because their postings contain reporting and analysis. Still, remember, please keep your postings short. Readers want their dc.story snappy and peppy...at least that’s what the snappy and peppy department says. -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ ***It's Time to Preserve Your Family Memories.*** Video History Services of Washington provides quality audio and video interviewing services for people who wish to preserve their family history.
VHS Staff use skilled interviewing techniques to capture the warmth, energy, sense of humor and overall personality of those being interviewed. Photos, home movies & video, favorite music and other memorabilia can be used to edit-together a video biography that tells a colorful story—for the benefit of future generations.For the free publication, "VHS’s Top 20 Questions For The Video Biography", contact Reed Dewey at 202/363-8433 or rdewey@erols.com. -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ In this issue of dc.story, lots and lots of opinions, facts, statistics, analysis, and important revelations about the Starland Vocal Band...and the proposed Convention Center. Cheers, Jeffrey Itell '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Indices Reporters I have a suggestion—kinda like the Bob Ryan’s weather team. Let’s start our own D.C. Work Measurement Report Card. We could be the Jeffrey Itell indices reporters. Every month those appointed and anointed could give a specific work measurement statistic for the area he/she follows. For example, since I am supposedly the Rottweiler on taxes and assessments, I could give a monthly index on overdue taxes paid—you know the one’s who owe the City a fortune and don’t want the Office of Tax and Revenue to find them. And then periodically, I could add something of interest which measures other activity within the Office of Tax and Revenue. Maybe someone in the crime area could give us a couple of indicators such as homicide closure rate. Oh, I wonder what other indicators are lurking out there. Why have I just started to hear about homicide closure rate. Where has this statistic been? Just think what the trash collection figures might look like or sound like. I have officially joined D.C. Story. **** DCPS Carl Bergman wrote: "Ironically, the DC school system has many students who don’t live in the city. Congress and the Control Board have pressured the system to account for these free riders." But in the usual DC management style, they don’t "think" about what the real objective is and an "accounting" is the most we will get. I just thought you might be interested to know that a family at our DC school moved to Montgomery last year, but decided to stay at the DC school. They properly registered as out of state and were prepared to pay the purported $6000 tuition — but they NEVER received a bill for it. This year needless to say with the delayed opening of schools they decided it didn’t make sense to run the possibility of getting billed for being jerked around so they started school on-time instead in Maryland. If I could have a small piece of the money I’ve seen DC fail to collect, let alone what we constantly hear they are wasting, I could live a VERY nice and very early retirement! **** Park After Dark Any idea of what’s going on in Rock Creek Park after dark? The road is closed from 9 PM to 5 AM, but there’s no indication of any work being done. (Just curious, not paranoid.) Oh, and what’s the poop about the construction work on the southwest corner of Military and Connecticut? Have the Chafetzes finally got the go-ahead to build their long-postponed high-rise? **** Where’s The Fire? While running through Klingle Valley this weekend, I noticed the strong smell of a burned-out campfire under the Connecticut Avenue bridge. I also saw a large stack of collected and stacked kindling. From the looks — and smells — of it, the homeless folks who often sleep there have been building fires to keep warm on cool nights. Figuring this might become a problem, with so much dry underbrush this year, I thought someone should know about it — at least to keep an eye on things. A call to the National Park Police was met by a polite sergeant who said the area is part of D.C.’s 2nd District, and that I should call D.C. police. An officer at the 2nd District station cut me off mid-explanation to say it was a Park Police issue, and that I should call them. Does it matter if people build fires under this bridge? And of so, to whom does it matter? The police can’t seem to agree. **** Another Pharmacy Warning Larry Seftor Larry_Seftor@compuserve.com A while ago someone posted information to this list about problems with a pharmacy. Unfortunately, I’ve also experienced problems recently. After using the Rodman’s pharmacy for about 8 years, I have had three errors in my last three visits. That’s enough for me. Explanations and apologies seem a little weak when it comes to drugs. Regardless of the pharmacy you use, unless you can recognize your prescription and know the dosage, please be very careful. **** Improving Shaw with a White Elephant If the residents of Shaw want the convention center it must be because they are desperate. I can’t blame them — having an enormous tract of vacant land nearby must make the place feel like it’s on the DMZ — but I think they haven’t truly imagined what the center’s presence will do to their neighborhood. Talk about destroying the village — a convention center will destroy their neighborhood. 1. "Increased truck traffic" only begins to describe the problem. Any major convention involves an enormous amount of shipping — e.g., the auto show generally contains several *hundred* new cars, all brought in by truck — and the noise and exhaust are significant. In addition, shows such as the auto show are *local* — and suburbanites *drive* to such events, and park their cars on the street because it’s free. Anybody who thinks there won’t be a traffic and parking problem with the new center is hallucinating. 2. People will not walk from the existing hotels to the new center and they will not go more than a block from the center by foot. This is simple reality. They will take shuttles, they will take cabs, and they will complain about the distance between their sleeping rooms and the exhibition space. There will be enormous pressure on hotel companies to build *new* hotels adjacent to the center. Where will they build them? In Shaw, where they will tear down existing homes to do so. (And if you think historic preservation laws will save you, go find Rhodes Tavern and get back to me.) 3. This is actually a question: What are the plans for the old Central Library building? And the old convention center? (I’m assuming Sharon Pratt’s proposal to turn it into a casino has been permanently tabled, but in this city bad ideas seem to have a life of their own.) I’ve seen no reference to what will happen to those buildings. 4. The threat of competition from Virginia is very real *even if the Shaw center is built*. A better, bigger, all-on-one-level, center with hotels attached will suck conventions out of D.C. like a kid with a straw, especially given D.C.’s reputation for crime and high hotel taxes. I’ve been trying to think of any convention centers I’ve seen that are adjacent to residential neighborhoods and I can’t come up with even one. The Philadelphia convention center is right downtown in the business district, and that works fairly well, but parking is a problem and the neighborhoods more than two or three blocks away haven’t been improved in any way. All the other centers I’ve seen are surrounded by hotels and businesses, and so will the D.C. center be *even if it doesn’t start out that way*. While I understand how desperate the Shaw citizens are for some kind of civic improvement, a mixed-use housing development on the site would do a lot more for them and the city than a street-clogging, polluting, noisy, convention center. P.S.: I went to Murch, and if you can offer me guaranteed proof that Mrs. Rich is dead, I’ll think about coming back. **** A Walk On the Shaw Side In the spirit of "mouth off first, research later" I took a walk today around the new convention center site. What struck me most forcibly was the utter desolation — blocks and blocks of parking, auto wrecking yards, weeds, and crumbling buildings. The only humans visible were sitting around on a street corner smoking. The most "neighborhood"-like feature I found was the Edgewood public housing project, which at least looked trim and well-maintained, even if most of the store fronts were vacant. Someone living next to such blight would be likely to embrace *any* construction, whether a convention center or a mail processing facility or a hog rendering plant, just to see the space filled. So given that the neighborhood needs something built there, and needs it *really*, *really* badly, I walked south to see just how the present convention center had improved *its* neighborhood. Logically, if convention centers improve neighborhoods, the present center should have worked wonders, right? Alas, this does not appear to be the case. The old center is surrounded by parking lots, parking lots, office buildings, parking lots, hotels, restaurants, boarded-up buildings, construction sites, and parking lots. The only area nearby that could conceivably be considered a "neighborhood" is Chinatown, which existed long before the center opened and is in obvious and imminent danger of extinction. In other words, the old convention center has hardly turned its immediate vicinity into a decent place to live, or even a decent place to visit. If anything the effect has been to make things worse. parking lots and boarded-up buildings. Why would anyone think the new center will be different? **** Convention Right Leslie Miles is right — some Shaw residents do want the Convention Center .. others don’t .Those of us who plan meetings and are heavily involved in the hospitality industry nationwide also want a new Conv. Center for the District but are concerned that one that is built in a place w/ no room for growth will put us, yet again, at a disadvantage to compete w/ New Orleans, Orlando, and other cities where the Centers have expanded and can expand again. But the vote seems to be that it will be in Shaw .. so now it’s up to the DC Conv. & Visitors Assn. to sell, sell, sell and hope groups who’ve avoided the District will return. **** Convention Sickness I’m as sick of the Convention Center Thing as you are, but I have to respond...Leslie Miles writes: "The residents of Shaw do want the Convention Center." I guess that would explain why in my part of Shaw windows with "Convention Center Yes!" signs in them have been getting rocks through them. In fairness, the real consensus is very much equivocal — it’s a boneheaded idea, but it can’t possibly be any worse than letting the land continue to sit vacant. The sad part about the plan is that there was never any discussion as to whether it was a good idea, beyond enriching those directly involved with it. Maybe I travel in the wrong circles, but I have yet to find anyone who is a committed supporter of the project who does not have a direct personal stake. Those interested in the finances of the proposed center should check out the report of the Committee of 100 at http://www.dcwatch.com/comm100.htm. Those who have lost interest are understandably excused. ****
WTOP SignalLindsley Williams LWilliams@his.com While I tune in to 1500, its signal is far from the strongest and is feeble even in Gaithersburg, let alone Frederick. Cuts out at Vienna metro station, too… Wish it were stronger, or less spotty. [We acquired 94.3 FM in Warrenton, Virginia to fill in gaps in the 1500 AM coverage pattern. All the gaps are mandated by the Federal Communications Commission. They require us to protect the signal of a station in St. Paul Minnesota (go figure) so Washington residents get short-changed. That 94.3 signal (now WTOP-FM) will be enhanced early next year when we move the transmitter up to a much-higher site. Jim Farley, General Manager, JTFnews@aol.com] **** John Chappell Posters Is anyone else miffed about the thousands of yellow John Chappell political posters that went up about three weeks ago? Of course the city council special election is not until December 3, and the paper posters have not fared well during the last three rainstorms; they are at the bottom of every pole, or torn and blowing around my neighborhood. Reason enough for me NOT to vote for him. If your reading, John, you littered in my neighborhood, and I want you to pick it up… **** DC Delight DC’s Danoffs are an even bigger part of music history than is mentioned in dc.story Sept. 28: "Fat City’s Bill and Taffy Danoff wrote John Denver’s ‘Country Roads’ and ‘Rocky Mountain High.’" According to Joel Whitburn’s "Top 40 Hits" — the Billboard-charts bible — Denver and Bill, though not Taffy (then Taffy Nivert), wrote "Take Me Home, Country Roads." But you can hear both Bill and Taffy singing background on "Roads." "Roads" peaked at #2 for a week in 1971. Five years later, on Denver’s Windsong label, Bill and Taffy Danoff, and fellow DC-ers John Carroll and Carroll’s future wife Margot Chapman, became an unusually strong one-hit wonder. They were #1 for 2 weeks, and won the 1976 Grammy for best new artist. Under the name Starland Vocal Band. Remember "Afternoon Delight"? **** Dave Nuttycombe nutco@cis.compuserve.com I’m gonna check my vinyl when I get home, but I am close to 100 percent certain that Bill and Taffy Danoff did not write "Rocky Mountain High" with John Denver. While they did co-author "Country Roads," their second hit was the 1976 Grammy-winner "Afternoon Delight" as part of Starland Vocal Band. And I understand that Taffy has opened the Starland Cafe on MacArthur Blvd. across from Listrani’s. **** That’s More Entertainment Also from DC - Henry Rollins. Poet, publisher, former lead singer of Black Flag and current leader of the Rollins band. His spoken word tapes are full of DC references, from working in the animal laboratories of NIH to his apartment at the "Hilton in the Hood" - i.e. Park Place apartment building in Adams Morgan on Columbia street. ================= ***For information re advertising, contact Jan Genzer—the dc.story marketing maven—at Oltjan@aol.com or 202/364-0383.*** ================= dc.queries Any ideas about how to get the District to act on a sewer problem/’leaking manhole" at the intersection of 6th/Seward Sq./North Carolina, S.E.? We’ve called the Dept. of Public Works each week for the last 4 with promises that it was going to be fixed but it has not been. Water fills the street — no one seems to want to fix it. Joan Eisenstodt jeisen@aol.com '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' dc.events HomeBase First Fall Flocking Thursday, October 2nd 4:30-6:30 p.m. Buffalo Billiards, Dupont Circle 1330 19th Street, N.W. (19th & N) Across the street from the Dupont Circle South metro exit. Featuring happy hour drink prices and free billiards as well as a prize drawing from Buffalo Billiards. Bring your business cards so we can network while we socialize. Jenna Norwood norwood@ari.net **** Live! In Person! DC’s own Sam Smith! Tuesday, October 7, 8:00 PM, Cleveland Park Congregational Church, 34th & Lowell Street, NW, Cleveland Park. Sam Smith will talk about his latest book Sam Smith’s Great American Political Repair Manual. With wit and perception, Sam explains how this country is meant to work, why it doesn’t, and what to do about it. What do you bet he’ll have something to say about repairing DC. Small admission. For more information call the Cleveland Park Historical Society, (202) 363-6358. Judy Hubbard Saul jandrsaul@aol.com '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' dc.market Couples massage training class. Sunday, October 26, 1997, from 2-5pm Bodywise Bodyworks, 3701 Connecticut ave. Share nurturing, relieve stress and pain with a great basic back massage. All materials supplied. Class kept small; register early. Taught by Jenn Weed, CMT, CFR, ba. $100. Per couple 202-966-6113. Jenn Weed jennwren@erols.com '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Also free! dc.movie: Free movie passes, short movie reviews, and movie discussion. Send an email message to story@intr.net to subscribe. -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ 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. |
Send mail with questions or comments to webmaster@dcwatch.com
Web site copyright ©DCWatch (ISSN 1546-4296)