Dog Walking
Dear Dog Walkers:
From sampling today's issue of themail, it would seem that we get most of
our local news and neighborhood contacts — not all of them being pleasant, either
— from walking our dogs. I know that's true of me. After all, aren't dogs the glue
that hold our society together?
Kirsten Sherk's and Larry Seftor's postings on the question of the
proposed Mayoral Mansion impels me to suggest a solution to this problem that should
please everyone. A Mayoral Mansion would have its practical advantages, but, as others
have argued in this forum, it would be subsidized housing for a public servant. In this
egalitarian, democratic society, the Mayor is (to quarrel with Ms. Sherk a little) not
even the first among equals, but simply an equal. So, how could the city provide the Mayor
with housing without simply piling on the perquisites for one who is already privileged?
Easily. Renovate a fine large apartment or a townhouse in any one of the many public
housing developments in the city that are now underutilized, and make it the Mayor's
official residence. There's a movement now to improve public housing developments by
turning them into mixed income housing, and what better endorsement of this movement could
there be than to have the Mayor move in? Several years ago, the City Council passed a bill
that gave free apartment rentals in public housing to police officers. Councilmembers
argued that it was an attractive inducement for hiring officers, and that having the
officers live in public housing had many collateral benefits for their neighbors. If
that's true, think how many more benefits it would bring to a public housing development
to have the Mayor as a resident. Councilmembers have said that they want to hear from
residents about possible sites for a Mayoral mansion. If you agree with me, nominate your
favorite public housing development.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Bush, DC, and Alley Trash
Jessica Vallette Revere, jessica0303@hotmail.com
NPR apparently noted that Bush unequivocally stated that he is against
home rule and cut off further questioning on the issue. His pro-gun, anti-home rule and
anti-choice positions make him the least likely candidate to many votes in DC. Hopefully
our neighbors to the north will vote against him as well!
I have taken to walking our mutt around the T St., Westminster, S St. and
French Street enclave in the morning because it is a quiet place to go. However, I do have
one complaint. Glass and trash are prevalent and overtaking the alleyways and playgrounds
in this neighborhood. I know the neighborhood conducts an annual clean-up, but can't we
all do our part and pick up after ourselves on a regular basis? If the trash truck spills
our garbage, can't we pick it up for the next trash day? Studies have shown that trash and
broken glass attract more trash and broken glass, and ultimately increase crime. Its an
easy thing to do with such great returns!
A more positive note about the 'hood: kids seem a lot happier since the
Garrison Playground gate has been unlocked during non-school hours. Thank goodness for
that.
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Tuesday evening at the corner of Ontario Road and Lanier in Adams Morgan,
a police officer in an unmarked cruiser stopped us as we were walking across the street
and asked us what kind of dogs we had. My girlfriend replied “English Bull
Terriers.” Once we got to the sidewalk, we began talking to a neighbor of ours. While
we were doing that, the policewoman sat in her car, at the stop sign and stared at us (we
are Lesbians — apparently, she's never seen a gay person before) and our dogs. We're
not really sure what her issue with us was.
That brings to mind: (1) why is the police officer stopping us,
questioning us, and then observing us when there is no existing “bull breed”
legislation? Councilmember Jim Graham is trying to propose breed ban legislation. The next
day my girlfriend called the City Council office. A staff person said that the Council
can't bring the legislation to the table because so many citizens have voiced opposition
to it. (2) There are distinct physical and personality traits between English Bull
Terriers and Pit Bull Terriers — yet all “bull breeds” are routinely and
incorrectly grouped as one kind of dog with an unpredictable temperament. These fallacies
are incorrect and, obviously, we can't trust the police to understand breed differences.
(3) Why are we being accosted by police for doing nothing, while every day I see a handful
of people smoking marijuana on Columbia Road? Indeed, later that night my girlfriend went
to the Safeway at Columbia Road, and between 16th and Chief Ike's she saw four different
people smoking blunts. Don't they have lawbreakers to catch?
For more information on the English Bull Terrier — the breed, its
characteristics, and breed Rescue Clubs, please see http://www.bullterrier.org.
For information on Graham's proposed legislation, go to “Links to Bull Terrier
Sites” and then to the “Orange Coast Bull Terrier Club,” then to the
sidebar and click “Legislation” and then scroll down to “Breed Bans.”
[The proposed breed banning legislation is also posted at http://www.dcwatch.com/council13/13-472.htm.]
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Neighborhood News
Andrea Carlson, BintaGay@aol.com
You want neighborhood news? Here's some. Except it's not really
“news.” Tuesday afternoon, my 2-year-old daughter and I were taking our new
puppy out for a walk. We walked out of our front gate and into the middle of a drug deal
in progress. The buyer, as usual, was from Virginia. The seller threatened to blow my
f_____ head off if I didn't mind my own business. I've witnessed hundreds of such deals
take place in front of my door. I've called the police thousands of times. I've given them
license plate numbers of buyers, detailed descriptions of sellers, the patterns involved
in the trafficking. I've complained to Bell Atlantic (and the Public Service Commission)
about the pay phone being used primarily for illicit purposes. Nothing ever happens.
Nothing changes. The police never come. It's awful.
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D.C. Inspection Station
Jerry Lorentz, ephor@juno.com
To those who have had a difficult experience passing the exhaust emissions
test at the D.C. Inspection Station the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would like to
hear from you. EPA Region III's hotline number is 1-800-352-1973, and web address is http://www.epa.gov/reg3artd/.
After initially failing the idle test for hydrocarbons, my Maryland
mechanic tuned up my vehicle and confirmed that my exhaust emissions were well within the
applicable standards. Upon returning to the D.C. Inspection Station, my vehicle was
subjected to a new test, the IM/240 dynamometer. My vehicle passed the hydrocarbons test,
but now I was told that it failed the test for oxides of nitrogen. To no avail, I pointed
out that pursuant to 40 CFR and Title 18 of the DCMR my vehicle was not required to pass
two different kinds of emissions tests. I was told to return. I then went to two D.C.
reinspection stations, one of which tested my vehicle using the idle test and confirmed
that my vehicle was in compliance with the applicable emission standards. The mechanics
offered their sympathy and explained to me the difficulty many of their customers had in
passing the seemingly capricious D.C. emissions test.
The EPA suggested that I pay to have my vehicle emissions tested in
Maryland. I passed both the idle test and the IM/240 emissions tests in Maryland by a wide
margin. The results of the two independent tests were presented to the D.C. Inspection
Station, and I finally received a current inspection sticker on my seventh visit. You can
send any concerns to me at ephor@juno.com regarding the D.C. emissions test and I will
forward your concerns to the EPA. Also, I can answer some of your vehicle emissions
questions. Please indicate “D.C. Inspection Station” as the subject.
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Leveling the Playing Field?
Kirsten Sherk, ksherk@yahoo.com
I have to disagree with Thomas Smith's post about the Mayoral Mansion.
Politicians, particularly in executive or ambassadorial positions, are called upon to hold
a variety of functions in their official capacities that most folks aren't. When I host a
reception for my organization, I am not asked to pay for it out of my own funds, nor am I
asked to do it in my own home. While I'm sensitive to the mayor being the first among
equals, if we demanded that our elected representatives foot the bill for all their
official duties, we'd only have the Steve Forbes of the world running the country. I would
rather provide a home that ensures that our mayor is in the center of the city he serves,
than in a mansion way up in Northwest with the rest of the folks who can afford to be
mayor.
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I'd read the suggestions about a D.C. Government-provided residence (a
“mansion”?) for the D.C. mayor with some amusement if it were not for the fact
that people are serious about this! We may believe that D.C. is important. But let's face
it, any status we have is based on the presence of our most important resident entity, the
U.S. Government. Without Uncle Sam we are pretty minor. Specifically, with 523 thousand
people in 1998, Washington, D.C., was only 23rd on the list of the largest cities in the
U.S., and that doesn't include such "non-city" entities, such as Fairfax County,
with a million residents. We are somewhat smaller than such less self-important cities as
Austin, Texas, Columbus, Ohio, and San Jose, California. It is no wonder that the Washington
Post ignores us! I don't know whether other cities have Mayor's mansions, but I
believe that this relatively small city has more fundamental issues to think about. We
need a Government that reliably applies its revenue to providing basic services for its
citizens, including schools, police, fire/rescue, streets, and trash removal. Let's get
the basics done right and forget about providing special perks to the mayor.
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Don’t Give Up Your Lease
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
That's my advice to Tony Williams for his current apartment. It's a great
idea to convert the old hospital on Pennsylvania Avenue into a nice place for the Mayor to
live and to entertain. The place could become a real center for mayoral gatherings, as
well as a very comfortable place to live. I sincerely hope that Anthony Williams will be
our Mayor long enough for this to happen. The pace at which things happen in the District
is so slow that it will mean that he will have to run for reelection at least once more to
see the day that he could move into that refurbished facility.
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In response to more local news requests, what in the heck is happening
with the Nebraska Avenue road project between Nevada and Connecticut Avenues? They
switched to working on the westbound lanes January 7th and were making progress, but since
the snowstorm on Jan 24th neither the big tractor nor any of the equipment has moved! What
is the holdup? By the way, Tenleytown Circle is dangerous to drive around, because the
pavement is so bad. I also went to the National Building Museum and saw the exhibit on
Corner stores. It was great! Had a couple of local corner stores from the DC area
including one from Chevy Chase, DC. The other exhibits on the history of DC and traveling
Americas highways in the 50's were also very well done.
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Just as David Sobelsohn found the National Building Museum's exhibit, See
the U.S.A., disturbing; so I did as well. I thought I was the only one, and was (silently)
congratulating myself as I wrote a review of the exhibit for our in-house newsletter at a
government agency. I wanted to call attention to the exhibit's stunning lack of
sensitivity to this issue. I'm glad that someone else noticed this egregious omission
— that travel may have been a source of fun and adventure for whites in the years
prior to the 1960s, but that it likely was torment for blacks. This exhibit has been
showing for many months now; I'm surprised that no one mentioned this problem earlier.
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Reply to Two of Ed Barron’s Postings
Michael Bindner, mbindnerdc@aol.com
In Ed's first posting, he wrote about eliminating the sales tax. I must
disagree, as this is the only reliable way to get money out of commuters. Even though it
is regressive, until Congress quits interfering with our ability to pass a much needed
non-resident income tax, we must keep the sales tax.
In Ed's second posting, he supports Ward School Boards. I agree, with one
exception. The creation of Ward, or even individual school-based boards, should not change
the ability of students to enroll out-of-boundary. Several Ward 3 schools have significant
out-of-boundary populations, which is a form of voluntary racial integration. This should
continue, regardless of the form the schools take. Currently, the only way to change the
charter to create such boards is for the Council to propose the matter for referendum.
There is no citizen initiative for Charter Amendments, which is unconscionable in the 21st
century. Perhaps the one referendum we need is one to allow for initiative amendment. Then
we can draft the required charter changes on the school board, and a host of other
matters, starting with the size and composition of the Council itself.
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Breaking the School Monopoly
Jeff Morley, Morleyjeff@aol.com
The correspondent who suggested breaking up the school district has a
solid point, but I wonder if the charter schools aren't effecting the same change without
the bureaucratic fuss. The point of smaller districts — like the point of the charter
system — is to break the school board's monopoly and foster an atmosphere of
innovation and accountability. The charter schools do this by their very existence.
Multiple school districts could help.
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I am not sure that the suggestion that we increase the number of school
boards is a good one. I lived in New York for a number of years, and their experience with
elected school boards from smaller areas of the city was at best mixed. It seems that when
the electorate is small enough, the school boards do not actually receive any effective
media coverage. That happens now with the citywide school board, and I would think that
the problem would get worse with more, smaller school boards. Any candidate with
significant funds or organizational backing can easily drown out other candidates. The
result tends to be that the teachers union and other groups whose interests are not
necessarily completely congruent with those of the children tend to take over the local
boards. This may sound heretical, but it seems to me that the best solution — not a
perfect one — is to give real control over the schools to the Mayor and/or Council,
and then to hold them responsible for what happens in the schools.
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The Once and Future National Airport
Lorie Leavy, lleavy@email.usps.gov
Right on, Ralph Blessing! I thought I was the only one who was still
completely enraged by the desecration of National Airport so long after the fact. I get so
irritated thinking about it that I won't even look at the signs on the GW Parkway. Like
Ralph, I pay close attention to who uses the R-word and who doesn't, and I've been
dismayed to see how widespread the pandering has become. But there's always hope. Thanks
to local pressure, Cape Canaveral got its original name back after several years as Cape
Kennedy. Ralph's idea of badgering the noncommercials is a good one. Meanwhile, hats off
to Bell Atlantic's telephone weather forecast, one of the last brave holdouts.
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I agree with Ralph Blessing's recent post that the name of our airport was
changed for purely political purposes by the Republican congress. The name that the
airlines use is DCA which stands for District of Columbia Airport. The best name today is
just “National Airport” since it is the shortest way to uniquely identify the
location. I recently wrote to Metro to complain about a conductor announcing the stop on
the Yellow line with a Republican commercial that even referenced “the Gipper.”
We have to raise our voices when it makes sense, but your idea of withholding a pledge to
WAMU seems too extreme, since they are one of the few public voices of sanity in the area
today. Let them know how you feel and they may change their policy.
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Stephanie “She Used to Use Clever Quotes In
Her Name” Faul
Peter Luger, lugerpj@gunet.georgetown.edu
Why, oh why, has Stephanie Faul stopped using those clever middle name
quotes? Did I miss something? Was she reprimanded? Has she given up?
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The District Weakly
Lindsley Williams, LWilliams@his.com
Point your browser to the Washington Post's new web version of
the paper. Note the many "Weekly" special editions the Post produces
for OTHER area jurisdictions: each Thursday, District Weekly, Maryland Weeklies, Virginia
Weeklies. But also, each Wednesday, Prince George's Extra. And also on both Thursday AND
Sunday, Southern Maryland Extra, Loudoun Extra. Finally, THREE TIMES A WEEK (Wed/Sat/Sun),
Prince William Extra.
Frankly, I can't quite reconcile all of the above and I can't comment on
their content, but it appears that there is both sufficient advertising and sufficient
copy to justify all of this production. Meanwhile, what we get in the DC is, well, the
“District Weakly.”
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WNVC-TV and the Washington Post
E. James Lieberman, ejl@gwu.edu
World View TV, in Falls Church, has complained that the Post won't list
their schedule, though it has space for three PBS stations that have much overlap. WNVC
has excellent foreign films, and many programs from abroad, in a variety of languages.
More people ought to know about this unique community resource.
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Flights of Fancy on the National Capital Airline
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net
How do passengers react when their pilot climbs out on the wing to fix a
dysfunctional engine? Where's a really good place to get away with murder? Who's got the
most over-centralized, least democratic school district in the US? What on earth is a
NASBE? What's special about the new Wilson Bridge? What were last month's headlines about
DC about? You can pass this pop quiz after visiting NARPAC's March update at http://www.narpac.org. Never at a loss for words.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Award-winning pianist Arda Andonian performs Friday, March 10 at 8:00 p.m.
at the Alden Theatre of the McLean Community Center, located at 1234 Ingleside Avenue. A
native of Beirut, Lebanon, Andonian has given solo and orchestral concerts in Paris, Spain
and the Middle East. This free concert is part of the 25th anniversary season of the Music
Friends of the Fairfax County Public Library. For more information, call (703) 324-8344 or
check http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/library.
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On Tuesday evening, March 28th, from 6:30 pm - 9:30 PM, Team Leukemia is
holding a fund raiser at I Matti Restaurant located in Adams Morgan. The dinner will
feature a full dinner with wine at one of DC's premier Italian restaurants. The cost of
the dinner is $40.00 per person. Valet parking is available. There will also be a small
silent auction. For further information, call Liz at 202-338-1547 or E-mail dcfundraiser@hotmail.com.
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Breakfast at Historic Alban Towers
Ann Loikow, john1@erols.com
The D.C. Preservation League, the District's city-wide historic
preservation organization, and the Charles E. Smith Companies are hosting a breakfast at
Alban Towers, a long neglected DC historic landmark, that is being restored by the Charles
E. Smith Company. This will be an opportunity to see how the exterior and interior public
spaces will be renovated and the vacant land adjacent to the building will be developed.
It will also be an opportunity to meet and speak with the developer and architects
involved in the project. Saturday, April 8 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Alban Towers, SW
corner of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, NW, $25/person for DCPL members; $40/person
for non-League members (includes a one-year membership in the League). RSVP by April 4 to
the League at 1815 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 200, 20006. For more information, please
call 202-955-5616 or email dcpreserv@aol.com.
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The John Eaton Elementary School Afterschool Program is sponsoring a Flea
Market and Plant Mart on May 6 (May 13 rain date.) This is a wonderful opportunity for you
artists, craftspersons, and entrepreneurs to set up a table and sell your wares. You can
rent a space for $30 (bring your own table); or $35 and a table will be provided. For more
information, please contact Consuelo Neuman at 745-3906 or consuelo/n@msn.com.
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The Friends of Cleveland Park Library will hold their annual spring book
sale on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday March 12 from noon to 4:00 at the Library (3310
Connecticut Avenue at Macomb Street, NW; one block south of the Cleveland Park station on
the red line). We are overflowing with thousands of wonderful titles in dozens of subject
areas, many of which are in brand new condition. There's plenty for kids, too. All books
for sale have been donated by your neighbors; proceeds from the sale are used to enhance
the collections and help refurbish the physical plant.
The sale comes early this year because the Cleveland Park Library will be
closed from April 3 through May 5 for an asbestos abatement project; we must get as many
books off the floor and out the door as possible before that time. To join the Friends of
Cleveland Park Library, pick up a bright green membership form from the envelope on the
Friends' bulletin board, located in the south vestibule as you exit the Library.
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Rosebud Award Nominees Showcase
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
If you love and support independent films, try make it to the Rosebud Film
Award Nominees Showcase at the American Film Institute (at the Kennedy Center) on
Sat./Sun. March 18/19. The nominated films are shown back-to-back in an all-you-can-eat
format. Admission is $8 for either day. The DC-area has some of the most talented
filmmakers in the entire country. Come out to support local filmmaking talent, and be
surprised again and again at how powerful the film and video medium can be. http://stories.simplenet.com/rosebud2000/rosebud2000nominees/
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Million Mom March
Helen Hagerty, helenhag@aol.com
This Mother's Day, May 14th, come march on the Mall to tell Congress we
need stricter gun legislation to protect our children. 13 children are killed each day
from gun violence in the United States. This is unacceptable! We can make a difference and
we need your help. Please get the word out about the Million Mom March on May 14th!
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Capitol Youth Baseball Clinic, March 18 and 19
John Vocino, vocinoj.rced@gao.gov
A coaches' clinics and youth clinics for Coaches, Assistant coaches and
players are being held at Gallaudet Univ. field house on Saturday, March 18th, and
baseball/softball diamonds on Sunday, March 19th. Coaching Clinics will be held during the
mornings, from 8:30 to noon, and youth clinics will be held from 1:00 to 5:00. The clinics
are organized by the Capitol Hill Children's Baseball League and the DC Babe Ruth League.
The cost is $20 for coaches, and $10 per kid. All aspects of the game — hitting,
pitching, fielding, base running — will be covered. Guest instructors. For additional
information or to sign up, contact Jackie Parker at 544-8182, jparker706@aol.com, or Larry Kaufer at 543-3929, lakaufer@erols.com.
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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE
Hey folks, I got stuff for sale computer stuff, blue jeans, fur coats,
records, tapes. Reasonable priced to cheap. Call me! smith1965@hotmail.com or 703-406-7147.
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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING
Lovely three story townhouse for sale in East Dupont Circle located on the
beautiful 1400 block of Q Street, one block from the to be opened Fresh Fields. 12x12
deck, 12 x 20 garden with privacy fence and parking space. For further information,
contact QStreet1452@aol.com.
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CLASSIFIEDS — VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers for Earth Day
Horacio Gutierrez, horacio@earthday.net
Earth Day 2000's Washington, D.C., team is seeking energetic and dynamic
individuals to help prepare for its flagship event April 22nd on the National Mall.
Flexible volunteer shifts are available all day every day between now and April 22nd.
Leonardo DiCaprio will chair the event on April 22nd on the National Mall and be joined by
top international entertainment and musical acts. The event also features EarthFair 2000
— hundreds of exhibits displaying all the elements of a sustainable society. Come
join our team and make a difference. Please contact our office by e-mail at dcvolunteers@earthday.net or by calling
202-408-3325.
We need volunteers for the following duties: receptionist; office work,
copying, filing, faxing, answering telephones; calling to supporters to remind them to
come to Earth Day (phone banks); flyering, handing out fliers to people at Metros and busy
intersections; postering, putting posters in shop windows (this could be in your own area
or local supermarket, we would provide all the materials); database entry and upkeep. If
you would like more information on this event or other Earth Day activities around the
world, please check out our web site, http://www.earthday.net
or come by our office at 1776 G F Street, NW, next to Max¹s Restaurant by the four-foot
brown pyramid. Volunteer Orientations are held every Thursday at 6:30 pm.
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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
I am considering a residential DSL connection. It is difficult to figure
out who is providing this service in DC, and the monthly costs vary widely. I would
welcome information on the experiences and expenses incurred by other DC residents (I'm on
Capitol Hill) with DSL providers.
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Plumber
Tim Cline, Columbia Heights, timandann@aol.com
We are looking for a reliable plumber who can diagnose and fix major water
supply problems. This will take more than someone with a van and a sewer snake. It will
take a real plumber. Reliability and quality are what we are looking for. Any
recommendations?
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Can anyone recommend a competent stonemason who would be willing to take
on a small job (repairing our front steps)?
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