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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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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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 dont 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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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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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 Dont 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 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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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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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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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
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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