Your Rebuilt Backfencedc.story is presented in association with Washington’s News Station WTOP-1500 AM and 94.3 FM. ***With your help, WTOP has already raised $80,000, this year, for "A Place for the Kids"*** Your tax-deductible donation is being used to rebuild the Metropolitan Police Boys and Girls Clubhouse at 2nd & M, NW—right off New York Avenue. Contributions may be sent to "A Place for the Kids" WTOP Radio, 3400 Idaho Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 All proceeds—every penny—go to the effort. -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ Dear Neighbors: At the request of dozens of subscribers, I’m retransmitting yesterday’s issue in slightly abbreviated form. I upgraded my email software which apparently turned the usual plain text into HTML code. There is a ghost in the machine. I hope this transmission goes more smoothly. I have made every effort to carefully correct each posting, but I ask you to contact the poster directly to confirm any information conveyed. That said, please...… ***** Mark your calendars for October 27 at 7:30 PM — and please, if you can, respond to me AND the DC/JCC by Friday. It’s time for another face-to-face greeting. Moreover, this year Fred Siegel will be joining us from Brooklyn to talk about his new book about the District, LA, and New York — *The Future Once Happened Here.* John Leo calls it *The best book about cities in decades.* Michael Barone, known for the annual *An Almanac of American Politics* will introduce Fred. Our group gathering will take place at the DC Jewish Community Center, located on 16th and Q Streets, NW. The facility can handle the larger crowd we expect for this gathering. The cost is $12 for members of the DC/JCC and $15 for non-members. To reserve a spot with the DC/JCC call 202.518.9400 and ask for extension 269. In addition, please send me an email rsvp at story@intr.net so I know how much food to order. -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ Fresh Fields presents a pre-Halloween reading from the works of Edgar Allen Poe by the Georgetown Theatre Company on Saturday, October 25 at 5:00 p.m.
FREE !Fresh Fields Georgetown (Cafe), 2323 Wisconsin Avenue NW Seating is limited; please arrive early. For more information, call 202-333-5393. -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ In this issue of dc.story, going roundabout traffic circles, homework on school vouchers, the Shepherd-Macmillan Awards, and a final (?) tribute to John Denver and the old Cellar Door (if you’re old enough to remember when it was virtually a cellar door.) Cheers, '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' It’s Time to Hand Out the Awards! Story Readers Tell Us, Who’s Done the Most - or Least - in DC Politics in the Last Year. At our Fall Fling, Monday, October 27. We’ll be giving out two new awards: The Boss Shepherd. We’ll give the ‘Boss’ to the person who has contributed the most to the political development of the city in the last year, and The John Macmillan. This one will go to the person who has been most detrimental to the District’s political development. Award winning entries will be read at the Fall Fling. Anyone may enter by sending a nomination to story@inter.net. The same person can be nominated for both and we can think of several who should be. Organizations are eligible to be nominated. Entries will be judged for aptness, originality, and how well they appeal Carl’s twisted sense of humor. **** Crime And Inflation David Hackett Fischer, a historian at Brandeis University, published a fascinating book last year called *The Great Wave* which looks at four large waves of inflation through history and the social upheaval (including a high rate of violent crime and out-of-wedlock births) that coincided. During periods of price equilibrium, he found falling crime rates, growing family cohesion and lower alcohol and drug abuse. He does, however, back off from telling us exactly where we are at the moment! (in case you were wondering). ***** School Vouchers The glowing commentary on the Republicans’ school voucher plan omits numerous facts about private schools. First, per pupil spending at D.C. schools is approximately $7,000 — not the $10,000 figure that voucher supporters like to cite. The schools’ budget is $550 million per year and there are 78,000 students. Educating students at $3,200 per year in private schools still seems like a bargain compared with $7,000 per capita at DCPS — until you look at the reasons why some private schools cost so much less. The main reason is salaries. Although people love to wax poetic about the efficiency of the private sector, private schools (setting aside for the moment the elite schools such as Sidwell Friends that cost much more per pupil than public schools) cost much less than public schools primarily because teacher salaries are so low — often about 60 percent of public school salaries. Salaries of $17,000 to $20,000 are not unusual. Private schools have little capacity to expand because there are very few qualified people left who will take teaching jobs with such low salaries. There is no way that we can overhaul public education by meting out vouchers that hardly afford teachers a reasonable wage. The second reason for the advantage of low-cost private schools — which are mostly religious schools — is that many are heavily subsidized by their dioceses and parishes. Private schools also educate far fewer special education students, again contributing to their cost advantage. We are deceiving ourselves if we think that high-quality schools are going to accommodate more than a handful of public school children at $3,200 per capita. When Milwaukee created a voucher pilot program limited to 1 percent of the city’s public school population, the private schools could not even make room for such a small percentage of students. Schlock schools may sign up to take advantage of a $3,200 voucher, but there will be no benefit to D.C. schoolchildren from the Republicans’ ill-advised voucher program. ***** DC’s Children Do Deserve Better Claude Seymour’s criticism of public school vouchers is essentially that they work but only for a few students so let’s not use them at all. That’s sort of like saying because the Titanic has insufficient lifeboats that all of the passengers should go down with the ship just to be fair. Why does the voucher issue force otherwise lucid people into such acrobatic reasoning? Why not just give vouchers a try? If they fail,then the status quo defenders get to say I told you so. If they work, then a whole lot of disadvantaged kids get a shot at upward mobility, maybe their last one. Isn’t that worth the risk? ***** The Roundabout Forum [Last issue I asked about who had the right of way in a traffic circle—me or the crazed driver entering the circle. I was reminded that the common term for traffic circles in the UK (from two folks in the UK) was roundabout (my brain had gone numb) and that the members of the British Isles follow local rules, but many continental countries, including Germany, where I drove for four years without accident, follows the opposite procedure. Alles klar? Jeff] ***** Rich Rothblum, Crazed Bicyclist rothblum@erols.com In the Olde Days, in Maryland, a driver entering the circle had the right-of-way. On the DC side of the circle, the DC rule prevailed and the driver in the circle has the right-of-way. To prevent confusion, at one time, a yield sign was placed on the Maryland side. Maybe there is one on the DC side by now. The rule actually varies from state-to-state. In Massachusetts, they used to follow the Maryland convention.Everything clear now??? ***** Harold Goldstein dcbiker@goldray.com The right of way is ALWAYS with the driver in the circle unless there is a signal or unless it is otherwise signed. Washingon Circle is one where this is regularly ignored by the Pa. Ave. traffic because of a preceding signal that many take as giving right of way at the circle but which is not at the circle. ***** David K. Nickels nickhall@ix.netcom.com Of course you’re right — it’s the law around here to yield to drivers in the circle. The confusion you spotted, however, is far from unusual! I do that circle to and from DC every day and I’m amazed that I’ve yet to see an actual accident there — not to mention the confusion on the shifting lanes of Connecticut Ave. beginning just before Military Road. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen cars barreling down the wrong lane during rush hour causing those in the right to careen out of the way. I wish there were a better way to do signage along Conn.Ave. without destroying the neighborhood. **** Ted Gest 76710.2450@compuserve.com As a longtime resident of the Chevy Chase Circle area, I can attest that you’re correct. the posted rule is that drivers outside the circle are supposed to yield to drivers in the circle. This rule usually is observed on weekdays, but because it is not the practice in many other jurisdictions, on holidays and weekends one often finds out-of-towners oblivious to it (and barrelling into the circle, assuming that others will yield to them). All drivers should beware this and other traffic circles in D.C. because the official yield rules often are ignored. (Having said this, I oppose the long standing proposal to put traffic lights on Chevy Chase Circle, which might prevent a few accidents but would greatly slow the traffic flow, in my view.) ****** Stan Wellborn STANW@AECF.ORG My understanding is that vehicles in any DC traffic circle have the right of way over those entering the circle — no exceptions. That doesn’t mean drivers should not be on guard, because there are lots of motorists who don’t know that rule, particularly Marylanders entering DC at Chevy Chase Circle. . . . On another traffic topic; Does anyone know if U-turns are always illegal in DC? I thought they were legal if the driver did not disrupt other traffic and if the U was made in one complete arc, without having to back the vehicle up. ****** The Seat Belt Revenue Collection System Has the law on seat belts been changed? I always understood that when the seat belt law was introduced in DC, the police weren’t supposed to stop you for not wearing a seat belt, but if they stopped you for another violation, and it happened that you were not wearing your seat belt, then you would be fined. What’s the scoop? Inquiring minds would like to know. ***** Primary Enforcement of Seat-Belt Laws A proposal to have primary enforcement of seat-belt laws has always seemed to me to reflect the same knee-jerk mentality that goes 1st to criminal law as the way to influence social behavior without thinking through problems of enforcement. Seat belts are in car occupants’ laps. Can a police officer see a car occupant’s lap from outside the car? If not, primary enforcement of a seat-belt law cannot be primary, because violation can never by itself lead to a stop. Along the same line, does anyone know if any jurisdiction has a primary enforcement law? if so, the ticketing record under that law? I’d bet that no one ever gets a ticket just for not wearing a seat belt. ******* Recycling I believe we entered into a new fiscal year October 1 and with it I thought was going to be the return of Recycling?? Has this happened? Has a schedule been printed anywhere? If not is there any time line?? By the way, since some of the DC gov people seem to be listening, if they are talking about paving Cathedral Ave I would like to put in for the city to instead pave Porter street from Wisconsin all the way down through Rock Creek Park, into Park road and up to 16th street. Now that they finally paved the Roosevelt Bridge (thank GOD!) this one would be worth it. Oh and while I’m at it, how about the Mass Ave exit from Rock creek Parkway pleeessseeee!!! ****** Roadwork Wooo hooo! The striping on Wisc. Ave. (including the left turn only lane; markers at Mass. and Wisc.) has been done! You all are terrific! ***** Speaking Of Water, What About Sewers? As soon as my parents left their home on the Hill after 25 years, everything fell apart (kinda like warranties). Now that they’re in NY and renting to my beau, the sewer backed up. Numerous plumbers from two companies have isolated the problem either as under the front yard, or where our line joins the city’s under the street. I think it’s more likely to be the latter. So does anyone have anything helpful to say about getting the city to fix their sewer line? Please? Hoping we’re not shoveling you know what for long. ***** Notify E.L. Doctorow? The water main sewer leak at the intersection of N.C.& Seward Sq.& 6th St., S.E., continues as it has for the past 6-8 weeks — after repeated calls to the City. With the others reported, it seems we have a major problem on our hands throughout the city. Know there is someone from the Mayor’s office who has posted on this list. Is it too much to hope someone may read these postings and do more than we can do by calls? ***** Organic Terms Michael Stempel implied in his message that organic means pesticide free. Keep in mind that technically there is still no formal definition of what organic; means in terms of food (rumors of something coming from either USDA or FDA defining organic have been around for several years). Another thing to keep in mind when wanting to buy foods without pesticides; There was a study a few years ago on organic foods in city markets, and something like 40 to 60 percent of organic labelled fruits and vegetables had pesticides at similar levels as normal fruits and vegetables. As is often the case, caveat emptor. - Iste Bombus Aliquid Significat (roughly, All this bumbling means something) W. t. Pooh ***** Jon Katz katz@erols.com Pakistani Carryout At Its Finest MADINA a wonderful Pakistani-Indian carryout restaurant that needs some word of mouth advertising. MADINA is among the city’s best, cheapest, and cleanest of its kind. Many natives of Pakistan eat there. MADINA is at 1236 South Capitol St., S.E., (202) 554-6300. Two blocks from the Navy Yard Metro stop, and just south of the intersection of M St., S.E., and South Capitol St. ================= ***For information re advertising, contact Jan Genzer—the dc.story marketing maven—at Oltjan@aol.com or 202/364-0383.*** ================= dc.events John Eaton Block Party On Saturday, the John Eaton Elementary School is holding its 28th annual block party. There will be plenty of food, games, and fun. Bring the family and have a great time. The block party will be held on the Macomb Playground on Macomb Street between 34th and 35th streets from 11;00 - 4;00. In case of rain, the fun will be moved to the school at the corner of Lowell and 34th streets. Leila Afzal leila.afzal@noaa.gov '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' dc.market Position Available; Journalist needs a right arm she can count on, a savvy, self-starting personal assistant to work in Georgetown office. You are resourceful, adaptable, detail-oriented, well-organized, proficient in WP & Internet. You think creatively, are flexible, and able to juggle multiple tasks while meeting deadlines. Duties: general office work, writing, editing, Internet research, maintaining home pg, fact-checking, scheduling, some driving. Non-smoker. Must be available ASAP. Fax (202) 338-4750 or e-mail resume;letter;salary req. Karen Feld btwm32a@prodigy.com **** Couples Massage Training Class: Sunday, October 26th, 2-5pm at BodyWise BodyWorks, 3701 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite #2. Enrich your relationship; Learn basic back massage with the technique that works! Release knots, relieve stress, headaches and back pain. Class limited in size. Taught by Jenn Weed, BA CMT, CFR. $100.per couple. CALL - 202-966-6113. **** Searching for a Used Laptop; I’m looking for a used, Windows-based laptop for basic e-mail and web browsing on the road. If you’ve upgraded — or are about to — and are looking to sell the old one, I’m interested. Let me know what you’ve got and how much you want. John Keefe jkeefe@netcom.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. |
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