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July 9, 2000

Save It

Dear Saviors:

The message of this issue of themail is to save the Mall, save the trees, save our children, save our pedestrians' lives, save our historic buildings and heritage, save our voting rights. We're all for progress. It's just that some think that progress must come through destruction, and others think that what is good in our city and our lives can and should be saved. There used to be an activist historic preservation group in town named “Don't Tear It Down.” Good motto. Don't tear it down, cut it down, pave it over, run it down, or throw it away.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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World War II Memorial
Beth Solomon, beth@planetvox.com

I agree with Ed Barron, the proposed World War II Memorial — set to pave 7.5 acres of the Mall next to the Reflecting Pool for 56 square pillars, two 4-story arches and a sunken pit — will destroy one of the most beautiful and historic vistas in Washington. It will also bring a roadway and loading zone onto the Mall for buses and taxis. So why did J. Carter Brown subvert the public process that chose a site off the Mall, why is he hell-bent on this site, and why does it take $139 million to build a memorial that will be half the size of the $48 million FDR memorial (or is the money going somewhere else)? I don't get it.

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WWII Memorial Site Opposition
Neil B. Feldman, neilf@videopost.com

A great suggestion from Ed T. Barron about expanding the American History Museum for a WWII Memorial. Originally there was supposed to be a museum component as part of this new memorial. That idea was scrapped in 1997. They deemed a museum as unfeasible at the Rainbow Pool site. That alone should have been sufficient reason to seek another more appropriate location. Incidentally, the Constitution Gardens site, which was originally suggested by the sponsor (the American Battle Monuments Commission) and later approved by two out of the three federal commissions required, would have worked quite well with both a museum and a memorial component.

For some reason, the cost of this memorial did not drop when the museum component was scrapped. That is one very strange fact. Another one is that the cost of this memorial is actually 40 percent higher than what the sponsor has publicly advertised. Former Senator Dole and actor Tom Hanks say that they are trying to raise some 100 million dollars in private donations. Yet testimony to a congressional oversight committee just three weeks ago shows that they actually are seeking an additional 26 million dollars for “fundraising costs” plus another 13 million dollars for “future maintenance.” So the real amount that they are seeking is just shy of 140 million dollars! The FDR Memorial is almost the same size (7.4 acres) and is made of the very same material (granite). Yet it only cost the nation 48 million dollars total. So where are these additional 52 million dollars in private funds really going? Does anyone wonder what the budget of the American Battle Monuments Commission — another federal commission — normally is?

Opposition to the both site and design of this memorial is a worthy issue that the entire city can get behind. The citizens of the District must now become the guardians of our nation's ideals and heritage as expressed in Washington's historic monuments and grand public spaces. It is quite significant that only the two DC representatives on the National Capital Planning Commission (Pat Elwood and Arrington Dixon) have been resolutely opposed to either the site and/or the design. Speaking of which, the Commission of Fine Arts is now going to hold their hearing for final approval on Thursday, July 20, at 9:00 am. We hope everyone opposed either to the site and/or the design will come out and testify then. We are also thinking of holding a rally (or is it a wake?) at the Rainbow Pool site followed by a mass march to this meeting. The CFA meeting is to be held just a few blocks away in the auditorium of the Department of Interior (the CFA said they needed a larger location for their meeting “due to overwhelming media interest”). The National Capital Planning Commission's final hearing on the WWII Memorial is supposed to be held on Thursday, August 3. More information is available at our web site: http://www.savethemall.org.

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Monuments
Aaron Lloyd, wayama@bellatlantic.net

Wow. Finally something that Ed Barron and I can agree on. Glad to have found common ground, Ed. If anyone else needs convincing that the current design and placement of the proposed World War II memorial is misguided at best, please see Marc Fisher's column in the Washington Post on July 4th, or Jonathan Yardley's piece on July 3rd. Even as skeptical a critic as Yardley comes to the same conclusion, “Don't mess with the Mall.” Fisher quotes from the New York Times, which described the current design as “an unhappy echo of Third Reich bombast.” Anyone interested in more info or interested in joining the fight against this design can contact Judy Feldman at the Committee of 100 web site: http://www.committeeof100.net, or contact World War II Veterans to Save the Mall. Or you can visit the American Battle Monuments' web site to see the backers' point of view.

Another monumental (please excuse the bad unintentional pun) controversy that should not pass unnoticed is the uproar over the inscriptions on the current design of the Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II. The controversy is hard to summarize, and much of the debate reflects the deep divisions that arose over the issue of how the Japanese American community either cooperated with or resisted the Government order that sent most of the Japanese American population of the West Coast into concentration camps during World War Two. The critics say that only those who cooperated are memorialized, and the efforts of other Japanese Americans, who through the courts and civil disobedience waged a heroic resistance against their own government are ignored, or worse, are “homogenized” “as dutiful victim/citizens,” according to Mitziko Sawada, a Professor of History. I will limit my comments to simply saying I agree with the critics, and, if you want to decide for yourself, see the following web site: http://www.javoice.com. That web site has prominently displayed a link to the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, the backers of the monument, so you can see both sides.

And if you are still hungry for memorial controversy, you can find my article “Statue of Limitations,” in the Washington City Paper, April 28, 2000, page 19, on the Emancipation Statue in Lincoln Park, DC. All of these monuments point to the dangers of small elites “Memorializing” for a more general population, and the whitewashing of history that occurs when minority voices, or a minority of a minority's voices, are suppressed.

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Save Our Trees — Need Help
Steven Roy Goodman, steve@topcolleges.com

I've never before fancied myself an “earth firster” but this week I turned into a radical environmentalist while witnessing the District cut down two beautiful 50-year-old trees in front of the Intelsat building on Tilden Street, N.W. (approximately 100 yards west of Connecticut Avenue). The folks in the Intelsat building had requested that the District trim some branches on the two trees. Instead, the District's Tree Division decided to entirely cut down both trees. Sandra Hill, the chief of the District's Tree Division, told me that it is the DC government's policy to cut down trees that are leaning or are over 50 percent dead. I was able to convince Ms. Hill (727-5559) to agree to a temporary moratorium on cutting down other trees on Tilden Street until the District's horticulturist can examine them next week.

Does anyone have experience with the District's tree policy? Is this a new policy? Is there anyone in the Mayor's office or on the City Council with a particular interest in preserving the District's trees? I would greatly appreciate any advice people have about how to convince the District to save more of our old and beautiful trees.

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Need Cheap Labor? No Benefits to Pay, No Promises to Keep
Susan Ousley, Slousley@aol.com

I hope that businesses continue their new interest in DC students' education. Because right now they have a vested interest in inadequate high schools. Here's how it works. Reasonably persistent students can fulfill most of the minimum graduation requirements before their senior years. They might need one or two credits to graduate. Young people being young people, they see opportunities to earn money in the rest of the school day. Businesses put them to work on the cheap — no insurance, etc. Some schools see an easy way to reduce the demands on their classrooms while claiming enrollment figures as if the students were there all day. (Students actually get told to stop bugging their counselors for more and better courses.) Some colleges benefit, too: students need remedial courses or prerequisites they could have taken that senior year. Alas, students have a higher risk of failing the one or two courses, as they spend less time in school.

I pray for business people with longer time horizons than teenagers.

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Voting “Rights” in This “Democracy”
Willie Schatz, willie@his.com

Okay, so I'm a little late for an election post-mortem. I've tried to keep quiet, but I'm more pissed off than when I voted. (For the record, I was a “NO” man. That was the no-brainer of no-brainers.) The “electoral” process was a sham and a disgrace. Enough excellent analysis has appeared about it in the last two issue of themail to cover most of what I wanted to say. But I still have to record that my — our — alleged “right to vote” was treated by the Mayor and his minions as a privilege reserved for the chosen few — i.e., the elite 12 percent or so — who took or, more likely, made, the time to pierce the municipal veil and discern what was really going down. And doing so was one helluva task even for those concerned citizens; how many “NO” signs were plastered to the lampposts and telephone poles in your neighborhood? The only ones in my western-edge-of-Adams-Morgan locale were in my front yard and in my neighbors' front yard. Ah, but I digress; since I was really paying for the “YES” man (men), I guess I'm lucky I didn't get busted for sedition and/or treason. Talk about REAL taxation without representation! Is “democracy” a trip or what? Here's where I am at the end of these days. Last time I couldn't wait to vote Tony in; next time I can't wait to vote him out.

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Building Fine D.C. Public Educational Institutions
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com

Colbert King offered a good suggestion (“A Chance for the Children,” Washington Post, July 8). He said, “The interests of parents and children should come first.” I agree. The political balancing act is also important, and the interests of other attentive citizens should be a priority, too. But the process isn't the goal. The citywide competition/discussion for or against the referendum, despite low participation, was useful. It shows a civic base of people who care, even if they don't agree on methods. Citizens who voted no and yes probably have similar hopes and dreams — a citywide vision with measurable outcomes needs to be developed publicly and articulated clearly. Having a fine D.C. public educational system (from pre-K through university) is an important issue, one of the most important issues. I hope to see the discussion continue among candidates for both the elected and appointed seats, and among interested citizens. And surely there are ten things D.C. citizens can do right now to improve the schools, things that all groups can agree on. Maybe D.C.'s Channel 16 could put some agreed-upon ideas on video, air the information repeatedly, and pass out copies for people to watch — ideas for how citizens can help. I'd like to see signs that give me hope that D.C. could put together and sustain an impressive educational system that serves all of its citizens, helps them get a great start on a firm foundation, and equips them with assets to “pursue happiness” — regardless of income, tonal variation, tan line, or creed. Perhaps one day DC's educational institutions will even attract the children of the wealthy, and be a draw for additional taxpaying residents who will add to a vibrant District. Wouldn't it be nice to see the day when there is such a demand for a D.C. education the municipality couldn't afford to neglect the schools — because citizens wouldn't accept less? (If schools needed to be painted, citizens could paint them — there is a huge voluntary pool to tap! The Army Corps of Engineers doesn't have to do everything.) I can imagine ball caps with DCPS proudly displayed at school baseball games (far more urgent than a D.C. baseball team/stadium! — unless maybe that institution runs the school baseball program, too). There's hope yet. School board members who anchor their actions in a citywide vision (as clear as a lighthouse) and who take measured steps to navigate the ship through difficult waters, should be encouraged! D.C. needs school board members who have a dream, who are hopeful (even inspirational), people who care about D.C. neighborhoods, and use diplomacy and team building skills to create unity of purpose and to harness the energy that often escapes in wasteful polarized feuds. Can do people. D.C. has survived for a long time in difficult circumstances, thanks to her energetic and cantankerous citizens. One can see the signs and seeds of success all around the District. Survival is not enough. I suspect D.C. isn't missing many pieces to the puzzle. The question is about how to put the puzzle together in a way that capitalizes on the strengths and mitigates the weaknesses of those who compose the whole. Fine D.C. public educational institutions are today mostly a dream, but there are no compelling reasons the dream couldn't become a reality.

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For the School Governance Charter Amendment
Susana Baranano, susigbf@yahoo.com

I would like to include this letter which I sent to the DC voters who are residents of Precinct 2 of Ward 2, for whom I represent as a Ward 2 Democrat Alternate Captain.

I urge you to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, June 27, 2000 on the ballot initiative: “The School Governance Charter Amendment Act of 2000.” I will vote FOR the ballot initiative. Below are my reasons. I hope this letter is helpful. I'll see you at the polls. The problems of our schools are known through the local press or direct personal involvement. These include test scores, physical building, late paychecks for teachers, late books for students, procurement, racial and class antagonisms. We also know there are layers of involved parties, such as the Council, the Mayor, PTAs, Public School Chief Financial Officer, Control Board and its Board of Trustees. Voting tomorrow is an opportunity for us to determine what kind of Board of Education we want. Home Rule has been dead since the Control Board took over. I don’t think we are voting against democracy and Home Rule. When the Control Board ends, we can then make any changes to the Home Rule if we want.

Even though I have concerns, I will still vote for the initiative. I am concerned that the number of elected officials on the new Board of Education will be reduced from 8 (one from each Ward) to 5 (one for two Wards and a President). Ward 1 and 2 will merge into a new School District I. One candidate will represent Wards 7 and 8, which together have 40% of the schools. I would have preferred the addition of the appointed members (i.e. 3-4). However, this would raise the issue of too large a Board of Education. I will watch for patterns of reduced representation in the future.

Positive changes: We will elect the President of the new Board of Education, who will serve as an at large position. In the past this position was chosen by the elected members of the Board of Education, and was a source of potential competition and focusing on the specific ward of the chosen president. The new Board of Education will include four (4) appointed members. This gives opportunities for other capable and able people to be involved who may not win an election or want to run a campaign. We all know how when our candidate doesn't win, their policies are not pursued and sometimes are ignored. This new Board of Education will govern; make goals and objectives for the DC public schools. This new Board of Education will approve the budget for the school system. This new Board of Education will hire, evaluate and remove the Superintendent for day-to-day operations. The Mayor, the Council, and the Congress will not select the Superintendent. However, this Board will not interfere with specific personnel and employee organizations, leaving that to the schools. This new Board of Education will be established for 4 years, as a trial basis. A state education agency can be established by the Council to determine policies and standards for assessing students, and determining the amount of instruction time citywide. This new state agency will decide on matters affecting the education and financial issues, not daily operations or micromanagement.

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A Chance for Vance
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com

The new Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Vance, has a short time to make things happen in the DCPS. If he is to be successful in making the right things happen I see three things that he must do in the next two years. First, he must go around the entrenched bureaucracy who are just shuffling along and will patiently wait out Vance's term until the next Superintendent come aboard. In a perfect world one should take the time to flatten this bureaucracy which adds nothing to what happens in the classrooms. The classrooms are where the action is and it is what happens in the classrooms that defines the caliber of a school system. To that end Mr. Vance should bypass the bureaucracy and go directly to the principals, teachers, and parents in each and every school in a concerted effort to form each school into a working team. Second, Mr. Vance should insist that each school team, comprised of a Principal, the teachers and parents, develop a mission statement and viable, time oriented, near term measurable goals for their school. Third, and lastly, Mr. Vance must establish policies, programs and processes that will put the best qualified and most committed teachers in all of the classrooms of the schools. This will mean major changes in the way current teachers are evaluated. This will mean changes in the way new teachers are hired so that good teachers will be motivated to come to live and teach in the DCPS ($$$). This last step will run headlong against the aims and "cover your butt" philosophies and practices of the Teachers' Union.

Mr. Vance has a limited time to make the needed reforms in the DCPS. These steps will allow him to make the right things happen.

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Good Points!
Mark David Richards, mark@bisconti.com

Susan Ousley, thanks for your observations in themail! I agree, there is an over emphasis on ethnicity or race. But when I see dramatic differences related to any variable, I take them seriously and wonder about the reasons for the differences — maybe it could throw light on the situation. I don't believe for a minute race as a fact is the real reason — but, for some reason, there are differences of opinion between Caucasians and African-Americans in D.C. on certain issues that have something in common — they all relate to local self-reliance. I would like to know more about this; this knowledge might actually lead to solutions and reduce the disagreement over methods that is measurable. There are many factors that would be useful to explore to understand the differences of options. I wish both the groups who fund polling studies in DC (there aren't many studies conducted and made public to begin with, but all of your ideas could be examined fairly easily) and the Board of Elections and Ethics would include more variables so analysts would have more quantitative information to examine. BoEE shows results by political/geographic area (exit polls would help!). For historic reasons I suppose, political/geographic area in D.C. translates most easily into racial composition (certainly not absolute black/white — a lot more complex; we'll see new census numbers soon). I'd like to see parents versus non-parent differences; that might be interesting. In any case, just wanted to say I understand your frustration. There are many more things to examine, and you're thinking about them — let me know if you find any significant variables.

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Another Thumbs Up
Christina Samuels, casamuels@earthlink.net

Count me among those who were astonished about how easy it was to get my driver's license, tags, registration and car inspection. I went through the lines so fast that I barely had time to finish filling out the forms. The inspection took all of fifteen minutes. Everyone was pleasant and/or professional. Even the driver's license picture didn't look too bad. But, as pleased as I was, there were some irksome things; forgive me if they've been hashed over many times before. Did I miss some more parking spaces near 301 C Street NW, something less expensive than those exorbitant garages? I parked at a metered space in front of the MCI Center and took a nice, long stroll. Why the bouncing from window to window? I was so excited that the whole process was so easy, so it was that much more annoying that I had to wait more than a half hour just to pay for my tags, registration, etc. And then when you pay, why do you have to go to another window to actually have the tags and registration put in your hands? What's up with that? Rather inefficient. Still, I have to give DMV a solid B. I also registered to vote in the District at the same time I got my driver's license. It was poignant for me to note that the day after Independence Day, I gave up my right to representation in Congress. I would have probably done better for the city if I had somehow been able to stay a Virginia voter.

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Walking for My Life: The Perils of Pedestrianism in DC
Hampton Finer, HFINER@ftc.gov

There has been some discussion of streets with fast drivers and recent moans about the complexity of parking permits but what about us everyday pedestrians who traverse this city at slow speeds with a never ending sequence of near misses at the hands of drivers (with or without parking permits). This problem has driven me to utter despair. Cars constantly enter crosswalks against the traffic lights. They swerve at the last second, or I leap out of the way. All the while, drivers sneer or swear at me as if I were in the wrong. If it didn't happen to me almost every day and the offending drivers were even remotely apologetic, this situation might be manageable. As it stands, I am being driven from a city a find very livable in many other ways.

Has civility completely ceased? Are drivers so poorly educated that they don't know simple rules of pedestrian right of way? Am I the only one? What should I do? Should I copy down license plate numbers and report them to the police? Will the police issue tickets based on my claims? Should I carry a camera and photograph offenders? Should I carry my keys and scratch the cars if they pass too close? Other suggestions greatly appreciated.

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I Still Don’t Know Who You Are, But Thanks for the Civics Lesson, Mr. Ross
Peter Luger, lugerpj@gunet.georgetown.edu

So, who are you? Why not take the opportunity in this forum to introduce yourself to us? So far, the only thing I know about you is you are running on an anti-Jack platform.

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Our Historic Heritage
Pete Ross, peteross@prodigy.net

Our historic buildings and districts help make Washington, DC special. They are a key part of Washington, DC's economic and social vitality. However, our City Council, and Jack Evans in particular, do not seem to think so, at least by judging from a recent vote in the DC Council on Bill #13-679 and #13-728. Jack Evans and our City Council recently voted for a gigantic loophole in our basic preservation law. They supported the big developers by voting for a provision that would automatically let a demolition application be deemed approved if an arbitrary deadline was not met. This means that a developer/owner could get permission to tear a building down if the city just sat on the demolition application until the deadline passed.

This anti-historic preservation bill comes up for a second reading in the Council on Tuesday, 11 July 2000. Please call your council representative and Jack Evans in particular and ask them to reject this bill as it is currently written. The DC Preservation League adamantly opposes the provision which grants developers/owners the automatic right to demolish a building if the city does not act on a demolition request in a specified time. Had this law been in effect previously, the Woodward Building at 15th & H Streets, NW, could have been demolished. This loophole has already endangered the 900 Block of F Street, NW. Please help us save Washington, DC's historic heritage.

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Thank You
Judith Kahn, jmkahn@aol.com

I would like to thank Jane Trimble for her insightful letter in the last issue. Sometimes when I read themail, I begin to believe there is not anything good happening in Washington and why I have been happy (even with the list of things that are wrong and there are many) living here for the past thirty years. I would love to see an issue of themail where we look at why we live here and what we can do that leans more towards constructive rather than destructive.

[The two things that people say most often that they want to see in themail are local, neighborhood issues and “positive,” good news. Members of themail write themail — if you want to see it, send it in. — Gary Imhoff]

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Online Public Library Reference Services
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com

In case it might be of interest, I've posted on the web an article I wrote a few years back, “Online Public Library Reference Services.” The article discusses some of the positive implications of online public library reference services, including the ways that people can learn from each others' questions. The article includes a link to an archive of reference questions and answers from the Cleveland Freenet and CapAccess; http://stories.simplenet.com/onlinereference.html.

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Overseeing vs Overstepping
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net

Who's got the democratic obligation to oversee whom, and when does it become abuse of political responsibility? Is the DC Council trying to outdo the Congress in micromanaging? And why don't Section 8 vouchers work very well in moving DC's poor out of blighted neighborhoods? Can the COG make this federal tenant assistance program work better for our metro area? Details are available in the July update of the NARPAC web site at http://www.narpac.org. No reservations required.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Outrageous Fundraising Event with Political Ramifications
Camille Pasley, photos@pasleyplace.com

Market 5 Gallery is a non profit organization that has provided exhibit, performance, rehearsal and meeting space for artists and the community for 27 years. Twenty-two years ago Market 5 Gallery started a bustling weekend craft fair and flea market. We will announce exciting plans for the future and kick off a Legal Defense and Operating Expense Fund drive with a gala celebration on Friday, July 14th at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments, dancing, music, door prizes; performances by Big Village, Emory Diggs & The Market 5 Jazz Band, Dr. Hot Pepper, Dianne Freeman & Drummers, Land of Malls, Donna Stanley, Earl Wright, and more.

The city's Office of Property Management (O.P.M.) and Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (E.M.C.A.C.) members are “cognizant of the political ramifications” of this fundraising event and “outraged.” Unfortunately, few Washingtonians and Eastern Market patrons are aware of the implications of this fundraiser. We will call media and public attention to the unscrupulous battle for financial control of this prime real estate. Show your support for artistic excellence and opportunity in Washington and for Market 5 Gallery's continued existence at Eastern Market. For further information, call or E-mail John Harrod, 543-7293, gallery5@aol.com.

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DCJCC Evening with Catania
Jill Levin, jill@dcjcc.org

The National Institute for Jewish Leadership and The American Jewish Congress present an evening with DC Councilmember David Catania. Tuesday, July 25, 7:00 pm, DCJCC, 1529 16th Street, NW. Reception to follow. Members $12, nonmembers $16. Contact: Jill, 518-9400, x362, jill@dcjcc.org. We are honored to have esteemed DC Council Member-At-Large, David Catania, discuss his work on the council and the role of Jewish involvement in city government. He will lend his personal perspective on how to utilize and develop our leadership skills for effective results in policy and government work.

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Ward Three Democratic Committee Candidates Forum
Linda Talvadkar, Talvadkar@aol.com

An opportunity for the electorate to listen to and question Democratic Primary Candidates running for the offices of At-Large City Council, U.S. Shadow Senator, and U.S. Shadow Representative at a candidates forum sponsored by the Ward Three Democratic Committee on Tuesday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of St. Luke's Methodist Church, Calvert Street at Wisconsin Avenue, NW. Free parking is available. For more information contact Thorn Pozen, Chair, at 942-6196.

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Great Books Foundation Discussion Workshops
Patricia Pasqual, changedc@yahoo.com

The Great Books Foundation in cooperation with the DC Public Library is offering training for current and potential Great Book Discussion leaders on Wednesday, July 19, at 10:30 a.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library at 901 G. St. NW. The Great Books Foundation, http://www.greatbooks.org,   is a non-profit educational organization that offers people of all ages an exciting way to read and discuss outstanding works of literature. The 90-minute workshops are free and open to the public. They are intended for people interested in starting or joining a Great Books group. Each workshop includes a sample discussion led by experienced Great Books trainers. To register, call 1-800-222-5870, ext. 254. The sessions will be using the short story “A Real Life” by Alice Munro for our sample discussions.

The D.C. Public Library offers a variety of book related programs for adults and children. For more information, check out the Library's calendar on its web site, http://www.dclibrary.org, and its D.C. Center for the Book Web site, http://www.dclibrary.org/dccb.

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Eat First
Patricia Pasqual, changedc@yahoo.com

Sonia Pressman Fuentes will read and discuss her book, Eat First — You Don't Know What They'll Give You: The Adventures of an Immigrant Family and Their Feminist Daughter, on Wednesday, July 12, at 6:30 p.m., in the Main Lobby of the Martin Luther King Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW. The Biography Division of the D.C. Public Library and the YWCA, National Capitol Area, are co-sponsoring this program. All District of Columbia Public Library programs are open to the public free of charge. Eat First — You Don't Know What They'll Give You is the story of Sonia Pressman Fuentes, one of the pioneers of the second wave of the women's movement, and her family. She was born in Berlin and came to the United States as a child to escape the Holocaust. Written with warmth and humor, her memoirs reveal how an immigrant grew up to become the first woman attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW), the highest paid woman at two multinational corporations (GTE and TRW), and an international speaker on women's rights for the U.S. Information Agency. Sonia Pressman Fuentes received the Veteran Feminists of America Medal of Honor in 1996. She also was one of four recipients of the 1999 Women at Work Award given by Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) and one of five women in the State of Maryland inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame for the Year 2000. For additional information, please call 727-1186 or visit the Library's web site: http://www.dclibrary.org.

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CLASSIFIEDS -- FREE

Recyclable White Paper
William M. Mazer, 338-0669, wmmazer@aol.com

Five or more thousand pounds of used white office paper are available for free pickup; it sells for $4.00/hundred pounds at local recycling plants, more if you are a charitable organization. Please let me know of any charity you think would be interested, if you are not.

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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS

Hospital for Summer Field Trips
Peg Blechman, blechman@access-board.gov

For field trips for Bancroft Elementary's summer school programs: does anyone know about a DC Hospital program for children, introducing them to the hospital and ER? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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In Search of Water Aerobics
Carolyn Drake, carolynd@erols.com

I would appreciate receiving information about evening water aerobics classes in D.C.

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Campaign Finance Info
Julia Hutchins, jhutchins@pirg.org

I work for a local non-profit group [Public Interest Research Groups Democracy Program] that is looking to do some sort of analysis of how big money influences DC politics, and have found the available public records to be incomplete, illegible, and extremely difficult to sort through. Anyone who has advice or stories about abuses of money in politics please contact me!

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