Eccentricity
Dear Normal People:
Yes, themail is back, and I apologize for the unexpected interruption of
service. Yahoo mail choked when I tried to send themail to the list, even when I sent it
in batches of fewer than a hundred at a time, so I had to discontinue themail until I
returned to DC. This issue has all the messages that came in the interval, except for
those that became outdated. The next issue will be on Sunday. Here's the message I tried
to send on November 12th:
Barcelona is a middle-class, in fact, bourgeois city that revels in its
eccentricity. The Gaudi architecture — and what other city would have allowed all of
these very odd buildings to be built, much less have honored and treasured them — is
only the beginning. Every Sunday evening hundreds of normal, average people come out in
the square in front of city hall and dance Catalonian folk dances. They're of all ages and
all classes, and they form in circles from four to forty or more and dance. They aren't
entertainers; in fact, they far outnumber the tourists who come to watch. And they aren't
professionals. They're just people who want to have fun.
So here's my idea. Every Sunday evening, let's start showing up in Freedom
Plaza, in front of the Wilson Building, and start doing the Electric Slide.
Gary Imhoff, from Barcelona
themail@dcwatch.com
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Dear Mr. Mayor: I know you are working hard to obtain more money for
street trees. Trees make so much difference in the quality of urban life. Our city is
better for trees! Thank you for your efforts! (And may I also thank my old friend Carol
Schwartz for her strong help in this regard?) It is entirely possible that Ms. Sandra
Hill, Chief of Trees and Landscaping, and Mr. Bill Beck, Chief, Inspection and Tree
Removal may well be severely under-funded and severely over-worked. More money and more
staff might help a lot.
But! I phoned their offices today, Friday, November 17, at 2:50 p.m. The
lady at “The Mayor's Call Center” said “No one answers”; “Their
Voice Mail is turned off.” I asked if she could kindly let me know the hours that
office is open, but she did not know. Hence, this E-mail to you and Ms. Schwartz. I have
spoken on the phone with Ms. Hill and Mr. Beck about once a month for the past two years.
They are very pleasant and they strike me as people who care about our City. I am certain
they want to make DC a green and pleasant place, “a city of trees” and a model
for the nation. But I do not understand why repeated efforts have produced no results.
The tree boxes in front of 1710 and 1712 19th Street, NW, remain forlorn
and empty, as they have been for about four years! Even more perplexing is why no one was
in the office or able to answer the telephone at 2:45 on a Friday afternoon. This is not
reassuring. I am sure Ms. Hill and her staff start work early in the morning. But isn't
2:45 in the afternoon a little early to “knock off”? Thank you in advance for
any help you can give. DC employees do not get enough respect and enough thanks for their
good work. But please believe me, if and when we get those much needed trees planted I
will be very quick to thank, thank, thank, thank you, Ms. Hill, Mr. Beck, and my good
friend Ms. Schwartz. With respect and with appreciation of your efforts and the support of
the Council.
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The following is a somewhat belated shout-out to Tom Berry, advocate for
illiteracy, from a former DC public school student: In a school system where expectations
are set at eye level, where 1 in 6 students is funneled into Special Ed, where student
achievement in reading across the board is terrifyingly low — and, indeed, gets lower
with every passing school year, where AP classes are scarce but courses like
“woodshop” and “sewing for fun and profit” are plentiful, where young
Americans receive more coloring assignments than the more rigorous course work received by
students in outlying areas — how DARE you suggest that 30 books in 9 months is too
much. This claim that a reading requirement will turn the “non-readers” off to
literature is absolutely obscene. If anything is responsible for turning young people off
to reading it is their watered-down classes where they read “Hop on Pop” and
then are asked to make Seuss mobiles out of cotton balls or read “Of Mice and
Men” for the fiftieth time and then are asked to color a poster on it.
It is a far cry from criminal to require that ALL students can read —
and read well — by the time they graduate. What IS criminal is to spit young people
out of these schools with promises that they have, indeed, been prepared for the world
when, in fact, all they are being prepared for is a life of counting tourists entering
Smithsonian Museums. My only hope is that you trip over this low bar of expectation that
you've set for the young people of this city.
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Constitutional Amendments and Presidential
Elections
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso@capaccess.org
In last Sunday's themail, Mark David Richards wrote that “the
Democratic controlled Congress and Republican President Eisenhower approved the 23rd
Amendment.” Maybe, but Ike's “approval” had no effect. The president has no
constitutional role in approving constitutional amendments. Does anyone know if Ike
actively lobbied members of Congress to support the amendment, or did he just give a
speech indicating he liked the idea?
Mr. Richards also wrote that the 1800 presidential contest between John
Adams and Thomas Jefferson “was so close it was thrown to the House, which chose
Jefferson.” Well, yes, except it wasn't “close” between Adams and
Jefferson; Jefferson won in a landslide. But under the Constitution then, electors had two
votes for president. The top vote-getter became president and the second top vote-getter,
vice-president. That's how Thomas Jefferson had become his arch rival John Adams's
vice-president in 1797. But when the 1800 votes were counted, it turned out that the
electors who voted for Jefferson also voted for his running mate, Aaron Burr, so Jefferson
and Burr were tied. So the contest in the House wasn't between the presidential
candidates, Jefferson and Adams, but between Jefferson and his own running mate, Aaron
Burr. The 12th amendment put an end to such nonsense, requiring electors to vote
separately for president and vice-president.
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Pepco used to provide energy audits or surveys to residents who wanted a
person to come to the home and advise on energy efficiency within the home. About two
years ago they ceded the mission to a subsidiary of Pepco known as Pepco Energy Services,
which recently ceased to provide this service. Linda Brown at Pepco informs me that Pepco
used to sub-contract the audits/surveys to Conservation Management Corporation, based in
Bethesda. This company is not listed in the phone book, which of course means almost
nothing. But does anyone know anything about this company or anyone who is privately
conducting home energy consulting? Considering the skyrocketing fuel costs, it would be a
good business to be in.
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Street Repair, Fiber Cuts, and Rationality
Mark Eckenwiler, eck@panix.com
FLASH! DPW behaves rationally! In late August, I wrote to DPW's Dan
Tangherlini to nominate several washboard streets on Capitol Hill as candidates for
resurfacing. He wrote back promptly, informing me that as to one of my nominees (3rd NE
from Mass. to H) there was a cable cut planned that DPW was waiting on.
In September and part of October, the cable cuts were made. More recently,
DPW came in and totally resurfaced the affected side of two of the relevant blocks (doing
a very nice job of it in short order, I might add). If they're not careful, DPW may set a
standard for 1) having work done in . . . .
[Sorry, Mark, I'm doing this in an Internet Cafe, and lost the rest of
your message. Do you want to try again? — Gary Imhoff]
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Fire Truck Staff Cuts
Adam J Marshall, ajbm2@cam.ac.uk
I just wanted to see if anyone else had the same reaction to Fire Chief
Few's decision to cut the number of staffers on fire trucks in three Northwest
neighborhoods, as reported by the Washington Post on 11/25. I'm absolutely
shocked that Chief Few would make all of the cuts necessary in a single geographic area of
the city. Apparently those of us who live in Upper Northwest are less entitled to fire
protection than residents in other parts of the city, given that cuts to the Palisades,
Tenleytown and White House stations will eviscerate coverage in our neighborhoods. True,
there tend to be fewer fires in Northwest than some other areas — the rationale for
Few's decision, no doubt — but concentrating cuts like this is a recipe for disaster.
I pray that no terrible fire breaks out in the area that endangers the lives of residents,
or of the hardworking firefighters who staff our community fire stations. After all,
having to wait for help from across the city is a recipe for disaster.
I applaud union leaders and the DCFD's rank and fire for protesting this
ridiculous decision — as I hope others will do.
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I have nothing but great things to say about the fire department after
last night. Came home from the hardware to discover lots of firemen putting out what could
have been a devastating fire in my house. They were on the scene within a minute of
calling, put out the fire, didn't trash the place, were polite, considerate, and
professional during the whole deal. Not even any dirty footprints on the stairs! Let's
hear it for Engine Co. No. 26 on Georgia near Missouri!
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No Coffee Shops on U Street, NW
Zinnia, CMszinnia@cs.com
Yesterday I had some time to kill in the vicinity of 14th and U Streets,
N.W. I thought I would go to a Starbucks or some other generic coffee shop and have a
coffee. Much to my surprise, there is no Starbucks, Brothers, Quartermaines, or any other
coffee shop. I ended up in McDonalds. In Cleveland Park I am surrounded by coffee shops, a
Starbucks on Connecticut Avenue and another on Wisconsin, and a Brothers on Connecticut.
There used to be more, but only the strong survived. So I was surprised not to find any
near the Reeves Center.
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A Horse of a Different Color
Timothy Cooper, Worldright@aol.com
With regard to David Sobelsohn's comments in the October 29 themail on the
matter of a proposed constitutional equal rights amendment for the residents of the
District of Columbia: While it would be preferable to pass DC statehood legislation in
Congress as was attempted in 1993, it is simply impossible in light of the District's lack
of equal footing and its lingering financial predicament. That situation is unlikely to
change for at least a generation.
With regard to Mr. Sobelsohn's own predisposition for retrocession of the
District to Maryland, it is abundantly clear that retrocession has never been supported by
the majority of the people of the District, whereas statehood has. Surely Mr. Sobelsohn
will concede that DC residents are entitled to choose whether or not they wish to become
residents of another state. Until they do, retrocession is not an option. In light of
these two realities, and given national polling figures that demonstrate overwhelming US
citizen support for the concept of an equal constitutional rights amendment for DC
residents (including full local governmental autonomy), I stand by my statement that a
constitutional amendment is the only current viable (and constitutionally sound)
alternative for achieving political equality, notwithstanding its significant political
challenges, which I in no way underestimate.
Of course, should the presidency fall to Mr. Bush, then the DC voting
rights movement will plunge into a deep freeze and these discussions will become highly
academic for a time.
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Cyber Cafes
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Having just returned form a nine day trip to Mexico, where we used the
services of a cyber cafe, I can attest to the ease of doing so to check on your E-mail.
Prior to going on my jaunts I come up with a new, and specific, E-mail address (screen
name) just for that trip and give out that new address only to those who had a need to
know. This way I got only messages that I considered to be from an important source. I
also took advantage to send out an “in lieu of” postcards about our trip. If I
had something to input to themail, I would have been able to. All the cafes I used had a
direct hookup to AOL (my ISP) though I could have logged onto an AOL web page and also
signed on. The cost was relatively modest — only one peso per minute (about ten
cents), and I was easily finished in under ten minutes per session. The only problem that
I had was unfamiliarity with the keyboards and commands of those brain dead IBM clones. My
Apple Mac mouse only has one button.
Since I have not had any input from themail in my in-box since last
Wednesday, I am assuming that trying to create a new edition from afar is pretty
difficult. We will hear more from Gary when he returns, I'm sure.
[My costs at cyber cafes ranged from thirty-three cents an hour in
Barcelona to seventy-five cents a minute on the cruise. All of the advantages that Ed
writes about are there, except that I was unable to do a mass mailing from the Yahoo
address that I set up. I could create an issue of themail nearly as easily as in Netscape,
which is what I normally use, but I couldn't send it to thousands of subscribers. If
anyone knows of a web-based E-mail service that allows for mass mailing, let us all know
about it, please. — Gary Imhoff]
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Cultural Identity — Profiles of People from
D.C.
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
If the mail-in ballots do not change the current Presidential vote count,
I expect that if George W. Bush isn't the next President there will be so much anger among
the national governing elite we'll have to put up barricades between the Capitol and White
House. And if he is President, well, poor little D.C. with its three Electoral Votes that
will soon be used up till the next Presidential election! And now a station break from the
ballot count with a completely different question: What distinguishes people from D.C.
from those from Maryland? From Virginia? From “other” states or territories?
What image comes to mind when you hear someone say, “I'm from D.C.”? How does
that image compare to how you think other people in the states would answer that question?
Edward Meyers, in “Public Opinion and the Political Future of the Nation's
Capital” (focus group research in five areas), found some participants were at a loss
to describe someone from D.C., though they could describe people from other states. Some
had never met anyone from D.C. (Have you noticed that many people who live in D.C. answer
the question “Where are you from?” with the place they were born, not where they
live?) One person said that in the fifty states there is “a common social or cultural
identity that, in at least some point in its history, has made the area an entity that you
can identity as a state.” This person thought D.C. lacked an identity. Another person
asked, “What makes you a D.C. person? Is it because you are black? I don't think so.
There's lots of white people living in D.C.” She thought D.C. people lack identity,
even to each other. One person said, “I always though D.C. was part of Virginia or
something.” So what is it that people who live in D.C. have in common — their
cultural identity? How do D.C. residents describe other D.C. residents, their character?
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Bancroft Elementary School Knitting Program
Peg Blechman, blechman@access-board.gov
To give you a status update: the knitting teacher will be starting the
knitting program for one 3rd/4th grade class at Bancroft in January. She will teach from
January to June; she's planning on teaching two days a week for three hours each day. She
will be teaching age group appropriate knitting projects. Last year, Brown Sheep Yarn
donated beautiful wool yarn in different colors for the class. The teacher said that she
still has some yarn left from that donation and that she's going to contact them to
request another donation for this year. She'll make the knitting needles for the kids, and
she still has wonderful fabric bags that she made last year for the students to keep their
knitting in.
Please let your friends know about the Bancroft Knitting program sponsored
by the Potomac Craftsmen's Guild. If you have any ideas about fundraising, we would
greatly appreciate them. At present, we're taking contributions in two ways: one-time
contributions for any amount and once-a-month contributions of $25.00. Individuals would
become a sponsor of one knitting student by making the monthly contribution. If we can get
25 people to donate $25.00 a month from January to June, the cost of the program for this
one class will be covered; it comes to roughly $600 a month to cover the teacher's salary.
We're planning on doing a newsletter to keep contributors informed about the program. The
Teacher is paid $25/hour and works six hours a week. She is only paid for actual teaching
time. She is donating her planning time. All donations to the Bancroft Knitting Program
can be sent to Potomac Craftsmen's Guild, Gayle Roehm, Treasurer, 8028 Fenway Road,
Bethesda, MD 20817-4559, Attn: Bancroft Knitting Program. Checks should be made out to
Potomac Craftsmen's Guild.
You also might be interested in the book that the Teacher recommended
about teaching crafts under the Waldorf curriculum, Well-Developed Intelligence:
Handwork & Practical Arts in the Waldorf School, Elementary through High School
by David Mitchell and Patricia Livingston, 1999.
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As is its tendency, the Post looks at the outcome of the school
board race in District 2 (Wards 3 and 4) exclusively through the prism of race. In its
election postmortem, Post reporter Justin Blum states that “majority-white” Ward
3 cast the bulk of its votes for the white candidates while “majority-black”
Ward 4 voted mainly for the black candidates. Apparently it did not not occur to Mr. Blum
that there might be a simpler explanation: maybe people voted for candidates who resided
in their own communities, on the assumption that “local” candidates would be
more knowledgeable of, and pay closer attention to, issues affecting their neighborhood
schools. The success of Don Reeves, who is African-American, in getting elected as Ward 3
board member for successive terms would seem to support this position. Moreover, Ward 4
residents, regardless of color, have a legitimate concern about being represented by
someone from Ward 3, given the track record of our At-Large City Council members, most of
whom seldom show their faces at community gatherings east of Rock Creek Park.
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Does anyone know how I can get a Florida-style recount for my ANC race? I
lost by about 300 votes, but I want them to recount it until the results favor me.
Seriously, our Board of Elections does an excellent job in my opinion. I think they are
very professional and take very seriously the integrity of the electoral process. However,
they need to do a better job of advertising the polling place worker position. My
precinct, 32, experienced wait times that exceed an hour for most of the day —
totally unacceptable. If you know anyone who may have the time and can use $100, tell them
election day workers are needed.
[I have resisted printing any messages regarding the Presidential election
and the Florida recounts, on the grounds that they are more than adequately dealt with
elsewhere and aren't a local DC issue, but Shaun Snyder has cleverly found the connection
to shoehorn them in. — Gary Imhoff]
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This is to let you know that the November 2000 on-line edition has been
up-loaded and may be accessed at http://www.intowner.com.
Included are the community news stories, crime reports, editorials (including prior months
archived), restaurant reviews (prior months also archived), and the text from the
ever-popular “Scenes from the Past” feature. Also included are all current
classified ads. The next issue will publish on December 8, and the web site will be
updated within a few days following.
To read the lead stories, simply click the link on the home page to the
following headlines: JR's Expansion Bid Headed for Showdown — Gays Feel Threatened;
Dupont Circle ANC Election Blow to Anti-JR's Faction; Neighborhood Losing Barney Studio
House Legacy as Result of Sale of Both House and Furnishings; Street Call Boxes on Track
to Being Saved — City Officials Giving Help.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Cleveland Park Citizens Association Meeting
Isabel Furlong, isabelf@email.msn.com
Cleveland Park Citizens Association will hold an “Issues
Meeting” at the regularly scheduled membership meeting on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 10:15
a.m., at the Cleveland Park Library. Issues of importance to the membership include: 1)
ABC Bill (Liquor Licenses, valet parking issues) are part of new legislation before the
City Council. Ann Hargrove, expert on zoning issues and member of the Kalorama Citizens
Association, will analyze the pros and cons of the new legislation. 2) DCRA's (Department
of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs) impact on Cleveland Park Commercial Overlay District.
Status of Nuisance Property Bill. Representative from Sharon Ambrose's staff on Council
oversight of DCRA. 3) Tenley Communications Tower: Ann Hume Loikow will present status,
dangers and action to halt construction of the 756-foot tower in the Tenley residential
area. Ann will also present a video on the radiation hazards of such towers in residential
areas for viewing after the meeting. Committee reports will include updates on the Giant
Food Development, Mazza Buildings, and DCRA.
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Cultural Center for Singles Holiday Gala
Susan Stein, TheCtr@aol.com
A Cultural Center for Singles holiday gala will be held on December 5, at
7:30 p.m., at the Women's Club of Bethesda, 5500 Sonoma Road (facing Old Georgetown Road),
Bethesda, Maryland. Separate room for dancing. Holiday or business attire. $25 cash only
(includes wine, hors d'oeuvres, and desserts). For more information, call 966-6003.
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TasteDC.com's December Calendar of Wine and Food
Events
Charlie Adler, wine@tastedc.com
1) December 6, Wednesday, “New Restaurant Series: Mimi's American
Bistro Wine Dinner,” Mimi's American Bistro, Residence Inn, 2120 P St., NW. Parking,
Metro Dupont Circle (Red Line), 7:00-9:30 p.m. Seated dinner (family-style), $48 per
person. Join us for a family-style wine dinner with an unusual twist: all of Mimi's wait
staff will entertain us with cabaret-style renditions of Broadway hits and other
amusements. This dinner will include many of Mimi's Mediterranean specialties including
lamb and chicken kebobs, as well as American specialties like baked brie. This is a seated
event with lots of food, wines on the table, and great entertainment to boot. 2) December
12, Tuesday, “Best of the Best for 2000 with Ann Berta, Wine Columnist of Washingtonian
Magazine,” Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 2121 P St., NW. Valet parking, Metro Dupont
Circle (Red Line), 7-7:30 p.m., reception, 7:30-9 p.m. Wine tasting, $55 per person. Come
celebrate the great wines of 2000 with Ann Berta, wine columnist for Washingtonian
Magazine. Very little needs to be said here — 2000 had some excellent wines and
we'll enjoy them together as the year winds down. This event is for beginners as well as
knowledgeable wine aficionados; everyone should taste and savor the year's best! 3)
December 13, Wednesday, “Wine Basics 101,” Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 7-7:30 p.m.,
reception, 7:30-9 p.m. Wine tasting, $40 per person. Our most attended event! Learn how to
order wine in a restaurant, determine basic wine styles and varietals, pair wine and food
and more! Reservations at http://www.tastedc.com or
call 333-5588.
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CLASSIFIEDS — FREE AND FOR SALE
Free Word Processor
Edna Small, Erklein@aol.com
Anyone out there have use for a Smith Corona Word Processor? As I remember
(it hasn't been used for years), it works fine but the screen has to be kept tilted.
Erklein@aol.com or 337-4906.
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Full size cello for sale, $1,000. Student grade, good condition, sounds
great. Call Karin at 986-2408.
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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED
A pianist is wanted for one evening of practice (in Cleveland Park) and to
accompany a singer at a writers meeting (near Chevy Chase circle) on December 6 for an
upcoming show. If interested, please call 234-8841.
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Need full-time, live-out nanny, starting late January 2001 for two infants
in Chevy Chase, DC, home with friendly dog. Located near public transportation. Must be
experienced, legal, non-smoking and English fluent with excellent references. E-mail or
call 363-2064.
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CLASSIFIEDS — SERVICES
Dear folks: I have hesitated to respond to any requests for info re
handyman/repairs/painting as that is what I do for apartments to be rented and homeowners
and commercial properties needing such. I did not wish to disturb the forum atmosphere of
themail with a services offered E-mail. However, as I continually see requests for help,
you may contact me at the numbers below if you would like. My services are rather broad
spectrum. William John Persson, 815 Maryland Avenue, NE, 20002-5385, wpersson@verizon.net, 487-0088, fax 546-0186.
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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING
For rent: Furnished condo in charming Adams Morgan. $1300 a month; move-in
date negotiable (available 01/01/01). Includes electricity, cable, VCR, voice mail, local
phone. Charming 1-bedroom condo in Adams Morgan (near Adams Mill Road and Calvert Street).
Pet-friendly 1910 re-habbed deco building, great location, close to restaurants, 10
minutes to metro; balcony off bedroom, sunny exposure, track and mood lighting, central
air conditioning, ceiling fan, W/D, great customized closet space, bike/basement storage.
Contact Don Lewis and Lynne Mersfelder at 362-9494 or 703-283-2580 or donald.lewis@starpower.net.
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Rental Home Needed
Penny Leventhal, zenboat@aol.com
I need a four bedroom, minimum two bath home for $3000/month or less in an
area with good public schools within reasonable commuting distance to Georgetown. My
preference is Montgomery County, specifically Whitman, Churchill, or Whooten school
districts, but I would consider Virginia suburbs close in if the schools are good. We are
excellent tenants, and would lease for 1-2 years. Penny Leventhal, zenboat@aol.com or call 509-443-0559.
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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
Auto Body Shop Recommendation
Judie Guy, gpgazed@aol.com
To the person looking for a good auto body shop, I highly recommend
Petrovitch at 14th and Florida, NW. Brothers Paul and Pedro have been highly recommended
by many sources in DC for years. Sadly, they sold their mechanical repair biz a couple
years ago, but they did retain the body shop. They are great to deal with and do a
terrific job. Their prices may not be the lowest, but you'll get value. They've done car
body work for me twice in last three years and kept aging cars running for me for many
years before.
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A Home Doctor Par Excellence
Deborah C. Fort, FortsKDC@cs.com
I would like again to recommend carpenter and handyman Marcotulio Orellana
and his company “The Home Doctor.” (301) 942-7768. Cell phone. (240) 604-4742.
Marcos has done splendid, timely work for us over a period of several months. Marcos and
his staff comes with twenty years of local recommendations; he gives fair, firm estimates
free; his work is done quickly and well.
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Does anyone know of a good mover to do a relatively small job (4 rooms)
from DC to Towson, MD? Ann Bond, ortacb@gwumc.edu;
544-7272.
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Seeking Holiday Card Printer
Jon Katz, jon@markskatz.com
My law firm is seeking a local company or mail-order company to print
top-quality holiday cards for us. We're in Silver Spring. If you've had good experiences
with any companies, please let me know.
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