Heated Controversy
Dear Controversialists:
I've been overlong in the past couple issues, and this whole issue is overlong, so I'll
be brief in self-defense. Several readers wrote in praising the Mayor's healthcare plan,
and denouncing criticism of it. I wish they would send me a copy of the plan that they
like so much, because I still haven't seen it. As I have written, I'm willing to be
convinced, but I'll be convinced by facts and details, not blind faith. If I were buying
health care insurance for myself, I'd want to know what was covered and how much it cost
and who would treat me and how it was better than the insurance I have now. If the
salesman refused to answer my questions and just insisted that I trust him, and told me I
had to buy his plan because I didn't have any other choice anyway, I'd send him packing.
A non sequitur has somehow been accepted in the health care controversy: DC's
basic health statistics are poor, and somehow, the Mayor claims, DC General is responsible
for those poor statistics, and therefore closing it will improve them. This makes no
sense. If the existence of a public hospital is responsible for the underutilization of
preventative health care, then all hospitals — including Children's Medical Center,
and GW Hospital, and Southeast General — are responsible. Both preventative health
care and hospital care are necessary; but they're different things. It is foolish to blame
DC General because people don't get annual checkups.
Now, as to Casey Castle, my principle is that politicians in a democracy are just
ordinary citizens and should be treated that way. They shouldn't be given special benefits
and privileges. That is not a racial issue, and it's not a personal one, directed at any
particular Mayor. Only three cities in the US have official mayoral residences; they're
the rare exception, not the rule. And, by the way, don't kid yourselves that ordinary
citizens are going to get invited to parties and dinners and sleepovers at Casey Castle.
The wealthy, the well-connected, and the insiders may be, but you and I will be lucky if
we can sneak in with the elite five hundred who will pass for the hoi polloi at
an annual lawn party.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Property Tax Rates: Owner-Occupied vs. Absentee
Mark Eckenwiler, zarf@eckenwiler.org
In a recent issue, R. Allen called for a DC version of Prop 13 (freezing assessments on
owner-occupied dwellings). Mr. Allen laments the inevitable rise in assessments from DC's
real estate boom and opposes Jack Evans's proposal to move from triennial assessments to
annual, and urges relief for people who live in homes they own. Here's an interesting side
note: The Tax Parity Act of 1999 reduced the class 2 rate (applicable to non-resident
landlords) from $1.54/100 to $1.34 in FY 2000; to $1.15 in FY2001; and to 0.96 for FY2002.
That last figure, FYI, is the same rate as for owner-occupants, whose rate is not going
down one iota. Thus, effective next year, the old substantial benefit to owner-occupants
— paying a rate more than one third lower than the absentee levy -- will be
eliminated except for the $30,000 “homestead” exclusion. If the City Council is
trying to create incentives for owner-occupied housing, this is wonderfully
counterproductive tax policy. (Even better, the intentionally punitive Class 5 rate
(vacant housing) aimed at empty nuisance properties is dropping from $5.00 to $1.85/100.)
DCCFO used to have available some wonderful documents explaining these and other tax
cuts made by the 1999 Act, but they seem to have disappeared from the OTR web site.
Fortunately, I kept copies, which themail readers may peruse at http://www.panix.com/~eck/taxparitychart.pdf
and http://www.panix.com/~eck/taxparitytext.pdf
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Leave Proposition 13 to California
Bill Starrels, mortgagecorp@hotmail.com
Leading DC towards a Proposition 13 would undermine the foundation for DC's economic
recovery. There is still a lot of work necessary in this city which will take serious tax
money to achieve. Proposition 13 left California strapped for cash. As for the comment on
DC Public Schools, there is a lot of work to be done. There is a large capital
improvements plan to renovate many schools which a proposition 13 type plan would
undermine. Money was short for the schools for many years. My son has been educated at
Hyde Elementary school which has test results that show over 80 percent of its students
test proficient or advanced on the SAT 9 tests. Hyde is made up of both Georgetown
residents and some out of boundary students. Wherever this gentleman was educated, he was
not well versed in ignoring stereotypes which can be insulting to many.
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R. Allen's Proposition 13 idea is excellent, and I would support it. But I did detect a
bit of unfair bias against our school system and black people in his comment, “she
must think that I went to DC schools.” I can almost guarantee that this Allen person
is a fairly recent white migrant to our city, probably male with a middle-class,
white-collar job from a middle class white neighborhood, and school. Granted, we have our
problems here, but the lies that he heard from Jack Evans office are the same type of lies
that Congress and all of the presidents have been telling the public forever! It has
nothing to do with our schools or our community here. And everything to do with class
warfare and lying politicians! So I would appreciate you folks who have had all of the
advantages in life here in America, including the white skin privileges, and political
representation would consider if you would be doing much better if you and your ilk had to
walk in the our shoes?
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Gloria Mobley covered all the issues, to my way of thinking, in her post about the DC
General issue, and the state of health care generally in the city. Similarly, Marc Fisher,
the Post columnist, wrote a column covering the same ground (Metro, March 8,
2001). That something needs to be done is obvious. Perhaps closing DC General is
reasonable. However, if that is the choice made, it serves all of us to really deal with
the issue in-depth and try to develop a workable and working health care
“system” for all DC residents. The Fisher column said similar things and said
maybe the “closing” should be delayed awhile, rather than rushing and making a
bad, bad decision.
There could be an opportunity to build something better, but it seems as if that may
not happen here the way things are going now.
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Cut Him Some Slack
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Damned if you do and damned if you don't. That's the position that a lot of people have
put Mayor Williams in. He seems to be sincerely trying to make things dramatically better
for those who are in need of health care but are outside of any health care system that
they can afford. Shutting down D.C. General was a tough call but surely the right one in
the long term. You can't put band aids on a hemorrhaging artery.
There are those who will pile up bodies on the Mayor's doorstep (maybe he should move
to a remote location) when D.C. General is closed. I say, give the Mayor's plans a chance
to work. It will take some time to iron out the wrinkles, but in the long run, the large
numbers of uninsured folks who need medical services will be better served.
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The PEN NewsBlast this week reminds us that the great politician Sam Rayburn once said
“any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.” Hats
off to Gloria Mobley (themail 3/7/01) for urging us to become health care carpenters
instead of jackasses. It seems particularly foolish to knock down the better structures we
elected our political carpenters to build, or to encourage them to tear down each other's
work by “fanning the flames of discontent” (Kathy Chamberlain, Washington
Post 3/6/01). And mobilizing a host of disruptive political re-activists claiming to
be speaking (kicking?) for God — or their unions — is clearly beyond the pale,
if not the law.
But to get back to Gloria Mobley, I would particularly like to second her constructive
suggestion to “shift the paradigm from trauma to prevention.” Analysis of DC's
third world public health problems — or for that matter, the abuse of the 911 System
(“Dial-a-Taxi” to too many) — points up the need to focus much more on
prevention. Basic issues such as sanitation, pest control, hygiene, safe sex, barely-teen
pregnancy, pre-natal care, immunization and drug abuse are community-level problems
susceptible to community-level (and pulpit-level) influence outside the domain of
politicos and demagogues. Prevention is everybody's job: cure is a job for the
professionals.
Finally, we should not perpetuate an inefficient public health care system just to
accommodate other valid functions such as nurse-training, school clinics, inmate (and
police?) care as unbudgeted collateral responsibilities. Any carpenter will insist these
essential items be paid for and managed as separate line items with full accountability
for effective outcomes — and by the Health Department, not the PBC..
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On Thursday March 1, the D.C. Democratic State Committee held its monthly meeting.
Supporters of saving D.C. General Hospital were in attendance to join with many members of
the D.C. Democratic State Committee to register the Democratic Party as opposed to Mayor
Anthony Williams's endorsed plan to close D.C. General Hospital. Chairman Norm Neverson,
citing the lateness of the hour and the
restrictions on the committee's use of the Democratic National Committee's Conference
room, adjourned the meeting without allowing the committee to take a position on the
Mayor's plan. As Ward Eight's Democratic State Committeeman, I will register my
disappointment in the party's inability to join Kevin Chavous, Sandy Allen, and the entire
D.C. Council in opposition to the Mayor's endorsed plan to close D.C. General Hospital.
The Democratic Committee spent more than one and a half hour discussing fundraising,
while their core supporters, D.C.'s poorest and fixed income residents, are facing a
crisis in health care services with the closing of our only public hospital, D.C. General.
While we are approaching the date of the Control Board's decision, I'm calling upon the
Democratic State Committee of D.C. to hold a special call meeting to vote to save D.C.
General. And I am appealing to the City's residents to call or E-mail the D.C. Democratic
State Committee and your local elected committee members to hold a special call meeting.
For information on your ward's representatives, call my office and leave your name,
address, and return telephone number and E-mail address, and we will acquire this
information for you.
If the Democratic Party cannot stand with the people on the critical issue of health
care for the homeless, poor, fixed income, and those of us not so fortunate to be part of
Mayor Williams's policy of bringing the wealthy back to D.C., then we will remember you in
September and November 2002.
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Is Integration Dead?
Steph “Ward 3 resident herself” Faul, steph@intr.net
Why are so many people opposed to moving a successful black family into Ward 3? Is it
because they're afraid that property values will go down and the city's revenue stream
plummet as a result? Or is it... the R word? There's no reason the mayor shouldn't live in
the "best" part of town, even if it is full of white people. In fact, it says
something unpleasant about a city that doesn't respect the mayor enough to give him or her
nice official residence. Plus the Casey Mansion site has advantages that will benefit all
District citizens: (1) It's free. (2) It's easy to keep secure. (3) It has a beautiful
huge garden in which to entertain the citizens. (4) People from all over the city can come
to Foxhall Road and feel as if they belong there. As an added bonus, the mayor will be
only two blocks away from one of the best African restaurants in the city — Entotto,
on MacArthur Boulevard. Welcome to Ward 3, Tony!
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I think that the castle offers the whole city several opportunities. All the rich
people will be forced to mix with the real population of the city when they come a callin'
and they will find out they are just people who happen to live in another neighborhood.
All the people from the other side of town can realize the people on the rich side of town
are just people with houses that are much smaller than most of theirs . . . just pricier.
The people of the city will get a really beautiful piece of property all paid for.
Experiences will be broadened and how can that be bad? Most race problems are caused
because of the fear of the unknown. Anyway, we all get to go on occasion to a beautiful
place.
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Gary, I think you really need to come to grips with your emotions — you are in a
gyrating hissy fit that can't be doing much good for your blood pressure — or for
your ratings. The 3/7 themail: “It is becoming more and more obvious that the
proposed Mayoral Casey Castle, the most expensive and isolated private residence in the
city, will not be sufficient by itself to give full glory to the Mayor” is laughable.
It will be many moons before the keys to the residence are handed over to the city, and I
suspect Williams will be in full (and voluntary) retirement before then. And, the property
is not the most expensive private residence on DC — a broker recently closed a deal
for $32 million in the deepest heart of Georgetown. And this is a gift to the city —
not a robbery of health care to fund the mayoral digs. Please, these are totally unrelated
topics — stop mixing them to suit your increasingly doltish arguments.
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It's hard to read themail these days; I'm too distracted by the sound of the ax
grinding in the background. Once again I opened the latest message to find -- a rant about
the mayor! In the hands of a more skillful writer it might be amusing now and then; but
instead we get tedious rants that contribute little of substance to discussion of any
local issue. I would love to see some intelligent debate, but this week's entry on DC
General ("Everyone will die! Let's get the mayor a cape!") is, sadly, all too
typical of the inanity that typifies themail. Thank goodness for the "page down"
key, which lets me skip through Mr. Imhoff's introductions and get to the comments of the
contributors.
Jeffrey Itell, where are you when we need you?
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I Called The White House — and W. Didn’t Answer!
John Whiteside, john@logancircle.net
R. Allen complains that he or she called Jack Evans' office, and Mr. Evans didn't talk
to him. Oh my goodness, alert the press! Mr. Evans has a staff! And I thought that city
councilors sat around their offices all day, waiting for constituents to call.
Obviously, it's important that an elected official be accessible to constituents, but
complaining that one doesn't have time to talk to “the little people” in the
situation R. Allen describes is just silly. There's plenty to criticize about the property
tax proposal, but this kind of sniping has little to do with the valid concerns that it
raises.
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Peasant Overreaction
Wendy Blair, wblair@npr.org
Dear Gary, I think you've dug yourself into a hole on the Casey Mansion issue. Maybe
that's because you are a peasant at heart, and can't stop storming the Bastille, even
though the French did it for you more than 200 years ago. After the storming of the B.
came the Terror, and after that came more aristocratic elitist government of the kind you
deplore. France has had balancing problems ever since. Peasant overreaction seems always
to breed its opposite.
Think past Tony Williams for an instant to years in the future when the Mayor may well
be someone you entirely support. Think past your resentment of the fact that the Foxhall
Road neighborhood is pricey, and Anacostia has awful slums. Try to imagine yourself living
in the hell hole on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, the old Civil War hospital at the corner of
9th St. SE, one block from where I live — the spot that your fellow peasants think
would be a dandy place to fix up for the Mayor to live in. Never mind its complete lack of
privacy. Never mind its lack of protection from the street crime, stray bullets, spinning
off nearby open-air drug markets. You want to rub the mayor's nose in problems so he'll
solve them at once — problems that are rooted in centuries of social upheaval, family
disintegration, lack of self government, and the class and culture wars of America itself.
Good luck.
Within our lifetime, practically speaking in a few years from now, many people --
black, brown, white and yellow — rich and poor — foreign and DC native —
will enjoy going to a mansion surrounded by attractive woodlands (Casey's gift saves
stands of existing trees from the eager back hoes of hungry developers who are gobbling up
all the big woodland tracks of upper northwest) — safe, properly maintained, and free
of housework — a place the future mayor can behave like the Mayor of the world's
premier city that she or he is.
Many people of color who become successful and make lots of money, don't want to live
where you think they should. They like those pricey neighborhoods. Some even hire
servants. They love a big, comfortable, luxurious house on a big lot, a garage sufficient
to house their expensive cars, and the company of neighbors to whom they wish to become
accustomed. Living like that shows themselves and the world that they have made it. It's
the “American Way!” They didn't storm the Bastille. They worked like hell,
probably stepped on a few toes, and looked out for number one. If we're lucky, those
shitheads a.k.a. elite plutocrats will turn around and give back to the people they came
from — the way Betty Casey has tried to do.
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Symbolic Space
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
Great nations, states, and cities, have great symbolic spaces. The District is a
city/state. Briefly, put aside other issues, such as the future of health care in the
District, and think about our District's symbolic spaces. The former Rhodes Tavern was a
symbolic space. Many District citizens tried to save their first City Hall, but failed.
Today, a plaque adorns the new building, but the site itself is no longer a civic space on
which District citizens make clear their hopes, aspirations, and fears. It is more a wall
of shame. Washington City's first official City Hall (The Old City Hall at the north end
of John Marshall Place) is a treasure on an excellent site. When built, it was a great
expression of community, of civic pride. Congress viewed the money spent as an indulgence.
When the District's cities and county were merged, the District Building became our new
City Hall. Today, the John Wilson Building is an important symbol of the District. When a
District's City Hall is up for rent, one knows the community is in bad shape. The struggle
to move back into the District Building symbolized vigor amongst the population to retain
a common identity and is a symbol of renewed confidence-or at least renewed determination.
Many Universities have official residences, often mansions, for their leadership. Some
are state funded. At least one city has an official home for its top elected leader —
New York. New York City thinks highly of itself, and New York City should. Many states
— about 44-have Governor's or Executive Mansions or Residences or Houses. When
children learn about their state, and the group to whom they belong, they visit their
symbolic sites, including their official residence. The residence is a symbol of a top
elected position in a democracy, the top elected position. When commentators speak about
state elections and the competition for the Office of Governor, they speak about
“Winning the Governor's House.” After the election, they talk about the number
of Governor's Houses that are controlled by Republicans and Democrats. Last year,
California's Governor Gray Davis insisted that he would see that California had an
official residence before he left office — I don't know if he has yet succeeded. But
this has been an embarrassment to California officials for years.
Betty Brown Casey recently offered a gift to expand the District's portfolio of
symbolic spaces. I don't know anything about Ms. Casey, but $50,000,000 is not a small sum
(especially when I compare to the value of my condo). She should be honored for her
generosity. With this decision, she is giving her husband a living memorial in honor of
the District of Columbia. She is giving the District an opportunity to consider with
excitement, even if there are strings attached. I don't see disdain as the way we should
respond. I'd prefer to unravel the strings. Having an Executive House is not about any
single person, but about the District and the person-at any time of history who wins the
most important position in the District, the elected mayor/Governor position. Creating a
symbolic space should be a major event, with a great deal of public involvement in the
visioning (forgive me) process. This event could channel the energy of a vibrant
city/state and provide a functional public space to represent who we are. Children will
tour the house to learn about D.C. history. Visitors will send post cards to their friends
from the District Executive House — and children will collect them as they surf the
Internet or travel the states. The House can offer a place for public events-theater,
music, and the many expressions emerging from District citizens. The House can be a museum
and place where the history of the District's top leaders is kept and explained-a research
center. The location: I wish Betty Brown Casey would consider allowing a commission or
something to choose a location that would serve as an expression of District unity. The
location she has identified is in a beautiful neighborhood of the District, but I don't
think it expresses District unity. Perhaps it could, I don't know. But, if Ms. Casey would
extend her offer to involve District citizens in decision-making about the location, this
would be a powerful expression of graciousness on top of generosity, an act that would
become part of the history of a new civic symbolic space. I strongly support an Executive
Residence for the District's top elected official. It should be one we would hope to live
in if we could win that office. Attached is a list of the District's top executives over
the years. We should know more about these individuals and their contributions. An
Executive Residence would be a good place to learn about the legacies of our Chief
Executives — and maybe our Chief Executives would learn from the past, too.
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. . . a fine idea — I'll be happy to design it constructed from the body parts of
individuals who failed to receive adequate medical care and consequently couldn't make the
coronation.
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Add Some Gold
Ed T. Barron, EdTB@aol.com
A few years ago I met with the Mayor of Limerick (in Ireland) in his offices. He was,
at that time the partner of my wife's sister. Mayor Kimmey greeted us in his nice offices
wearing a large gold chain with some medallions. I was most impressed. That's just what
the mayor needs, a fancy gold chain with some nice medallions.
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And Walking on Water, Too
Anne Anderson, psysrusa@cs.com
Dear Gary, you forgot the red carpet.
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Re: the DPW post about removing an abandoned car in four days from in front of 3210 Q
Street, NW. This is one of the first times I've felt, “maybe it really does make a
difference if you live in Georgetown.” Is there in fact a benchmark statistic for
removing cars from the city streets? If so, what is it? And, how often is it met?
Relatedly, are there different benchmarks for different parts of the city?
If the process for removing an abandoned car was four days for my streets in Northeast
I might faint.
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Rationale for Change
James E. Taylor, Jr., Anacostia, jimt25@erols.com
I enjoy reading themail very much and I am impressed by the knowledge possessed by its
many contributors. What I find lacking, however, is rationale. Until residents break down
the invisible economic, and ethnic curtain between East and West of the river, all we will
be relegated to do is write in this column with the same complaints while the politicians
ignore our individual pleas because they know that east and west have different interests,
different agendas. Politicians relish this and multiply because we practice this self
defeating policy. We have more common interests than different ones.
When are we going to stop forming these stopgap group efforts to fight single issue
topics and open up dialogue on a regular basis, city wide, to discuss issues? Can this be
done through invitations to ANC meetings, civic meetings, or other means? Until we stop
ignoring the real problem, of communication, we will continue the conquer and divide
strategy done by this mayor and the previous mayors before him. We deserve better
representation. themail is an excellent and needed forum, but only strength in voting
numbers and communications across the wards will make changes in the attitudes of
politicians.
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ANC 2F Opposition to “Consecutive Term Limitation Amendment Act of 2001”
David Stephens, davidstephens@att.net
Dear Chairman Orange: At its regularly scheduled and publicly advertised meeting on
March 7, 2001, a quorum being present and voting, ANC 2 voted (4-2) to oppose enactment of
Bill 14-25, “Consecutive Term Limitation Amendment of 2001,” which would
overturn legislatively the results of the 1994 ballot referendum in which District voters
favored by a 2 to 1 margin limiting the terms of Councilmembers and the Mayor to two
consecutive four-year terms.
ANC 2F opposes the bill on the grounds that, regardless of one's views about term
limits, it is a dangerous precedent to ignore the will of the people expressed through the
referendum process, especially when the referendum seeks the change the relationship
between the voter and his or her elected officials. We ask that ANC 2F's opposition to
Bill 14-25 be made a part of the official record of your March 12, 2001, public hearing on
this bill.
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Bicycling on Sidewalks
Nick Cobbs, ncobbs@erols.com
I am surprised that someone as familiar with the District as Mr. Sobelson seems to be
doesn't know that bicycles are prohibited on sidewalks in the D.C. main business district.
I cannot give a specific cite for this regulation but the DCMR Vehicle and Traffic Code
would be a good place to start looking.
The rule has been in effect for more than ten years, but I have not heard of anyone
ever being ticketed for riding a bicycle on a sidewalk. It would be a good idea if the
police did issue some tickets. The rule was intended to keep pedestrians on the downtown
streets from being run down by bicycle messengers and pizza delivery guys. As a pedestrian
who dodges these menaces daily, I would welcome a little support from our six-figure
salaried police officers.
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In his post “Rules of the Road,” David Sobelsohn wants our outrage at
“ignorant police officers” who consider riding a bicycle on the sidewalk a
ticketable offense. The title of his post shows the error: sidewalks are not roads.
Sidewalks are there for pedestrians. Bicycles are vehicles, and vehicles do not belong on
the sidewalks. Its illegal. Its unsafe. And, though I'm sure getting a ticket was a rude
awakening for Mr. Sobelsohn, as a pedestrian, I personally am content to have one less
vehicle on the sidewalks.
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I don't know if biking on the sidewalk is ticketable here or not (I know it is in some
other cities); however, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association might be able to tell
you. They publish a booklet on bike commuting in DC that talks about some of the road
rules. http://www.waba.org/
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Bikes and Sidewalks: Of Commonweal and Common Wheels
Mark Eckenwiler, zarf@eckenwiler.org
David Sobelsohn inquired about DC law respecting bikes on the sidewalk. I am advised
that 18 DCMR sec. 1201.9 (which I admit I have not personally inspected; blame the
damnable lack of DCMR text on the web) states that bikes may be ridden on sidewalks except
where it creates a “hazard”: within the Central Business District (although the
Mayor may designate portions of the CBD where such riding is permitted) and outside the
CBD, where signs expressly prohibit such riding
According to my source (the helpful folks at MLK Washingtoniana Division), the fine for
violations set forth at 18 DCMR 26 is — get this — a whopping $5. (Ask me some
time about the DCMR sections regulating such quaint activities as “driving beeves or
sheep through the streets.”)
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In response to Mr. Sobelsohn's query: bicycling on the sidewalks is a “ticketable
offense” within the Central Business District, unless the sidewalk is otherwise
designated by the mayor. You can find all the rules regarding bicycling in the District at
the Washington Area Bicyclist Association's wonderful site www.waba.org. While I have
never seen anyone ticketed, I have seen people warned, and frankly, as an avid cyclist and
pedestrian, I would like to see adult cyclists stay off of all the sidewalks and take back
their share of the road.
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Biking on DC Sidewalks: The Answer
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso@capaccess.org
Well, themail readers are nothing if not opinionated! I got a flurry of direct replies
to my inquiry about biking on sidewalks. Several expressed confidence that DC law
prohibits biking on sidewalks, including one person who considered this “common
knowledge.” But as Oliver Wendell Holmes famously wrote, “Certitude is not the
test of certainty.” (I note in this context that, when biking in the street, I have
had drivers yell at me to “Get on the sidewalk!!”) Here's what DC law actually
says:
“CHAPTER 12: BICYCLES, MOTORIZED BICYCLES, AND MISCELLANEOUS VEHICLES”
“1201.9 There shall be no prohibition against any person riding a bicycle upon a
sidewalk within the District, so long as the rider does not create a hazard; Provided,
that no person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within the Central Business District
except on those sidewalks expressly designated by Order of the Mayor, nor shall any person
ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk in any area outside of the Central Business District if it
is expressly prohibited by Order of the Mayor and appropriate signs to such effect are
posted.”
Unfortunately, this section doesn't quite address my precise question, about the block
on which the Madison Building sits, for two reasons: (1) it's not clear whether this block
is within the Central Business District (seems unlikely), and (2) there may be federal
regulations, about biking on that particular block, that preempt DC law. But clearly one
can legally bike on ordinary (i.e. nonfederal-facility) sidewalks in most of the District.
As to the suburbs, another themail reader wrote me that “two of Arlington's finest
bicycle police told me that there's no law preventing an adult from riding on the
sidewalks of Arlington.”
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Sustainable Community Initiatives (SCI — a not for profit organization) is
sponsoring the production of the DC Urban Ecology Map. The map will present information of
interest and novelty to DC residents and visitors, highlighting the interaction of social,
economic and environmental factors in the District's built and natural environment. Unlike
most production maps, the Urban Ecology Map will feature photos and text elaborating upon
sites of special interest in the district. Please review the report from the recent public
meeting, below for further details. Interested individuals and organizations seeking to
represent data on the map should contact Larry Martin at martinlrr@netscape.net Of
particular assistance would be individuals with an interest in the historical and cultural
features of the District specific to its denizens (in contrast to the Federal presence).
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Hyde Elementary School Auction
Elizabeth Starrels, dcnurse@hotmail.com
Hyde Elementary School, DC's only public elementary school is holding the annual spring
auction on March 31, 6 - 9 p.m. at Fannie Mae on Wisconsin Ave., NW. Please join parents
and fellow Washingtonian's who will enjoy food from several of Georgetown's finest
restaurants as they bid on live and silent auction items. Box seats at MCI and at Camden
Yards. Lunch with local politicians. Brunch at the new Ritz-Carlton. Dinners at Galileo,
Bistro Francis and many others. Merchandise from many Georgetown retailers. There is still
time to donate items or advertise in the auction catalogue. Please call Liz at 338-1547 or
e-mail dcnurse@hotmail.com. 100% of the proceeds benefit the Hyde PTA , tax i.d.
#521-84-4971.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — WANTED
Wanted, Metal Detector
Phil Greene, pgreene@doc.gov
Does anyone have a metal detector I can borrow for a couple of hours? Last weekend,
while splitting wood in preparation for yet another phony blizzard, I took off my wedding
ring and put it in my pocket (the ax handle was pinching against the ring), never to see
it again. Sure, sure, a likely story. Anyway, if anyone has a metal detector I can borrow
or info on where to rent one, I'd greatly appreciate it. I can be reached at work at
482-1984, or E-mail, of course.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED
Part-Time Employment Opportunity
Richard Steacy, rsteacy@fordstheatre.org
Join the staff of the Ford's Theater box office. See shows! Flexible hours! $8.00/
hour! Please fax your resume and cover letter to “Box Office Manager” at
347-2561.
###############
ANC 2F Executive Director
David Stephens, Chair, ANC 2F, davidstephens@att.net
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2F (Logan Circle) seeks self-starter to run office,
take minutes, prepare meetings, handle bookkeeping, e-mail, correspondence, etc. 35-40
hrs./month. Great way to become involved and knowledgeable about issues in this dynamic
neighborhood. Ward Two residence preferred. Salary depending on experience. Start 5/1.
Send resume, references to PO Box 9348, Mid-City Station, Washington, DC 20005, or E-mail
same to an2f@starpower.net.
###############
Flexible Part-Time Clerical Work
Jon Katz, jon@markskatz.com
Eight to fifteen hours per week in Silver Spring, MD. Do it yourself or split the hours
with another person. Silver Spring trial law firm seeks individual or company to handle ad
hoc clerical work, including filing, word processing, photocopying and mailings. Flexible
schedule. Option to handle word processing work off-site. Good pay and training. Ideal for
extra income or to supplement full-time job. Clerical/office experience, accuracy, and
good communication skills are essential. Please send resume, cover letter, and pay
preference to Jon Katz, Marks & Katz, LLC, 1400 Spring Street, Suite 410, Silver
Spring, MD 20910. Fax: 301-495-8815. Please do not send E-mail attachments. For more
information, visit http://www.markskatz.com.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommend Everything
Ms. Dorothy Persiflage; daniel@hers.com
Ms. P needs your advice! Although Ms. Persiflage knows almost everything about
virtually everything, there are a few minor areas where her knowledge is a soupcon less
than perfect, and so she seeks the advice of the highly knowledgeable readers of themail.
The topic in question deals with house repairs and maintenance. Ms. P is about to let
several contracts, and would appreciate recommendations for reliable folks who can provide
the following services for an old row house in central Washington: (1) brick repointing
and repair (including tricky curved arches over windows on a rounded bay front); (2)
reinforcement of sagging wood roof rafters in an attic crawl space; (3) installation of
new windows (including in some cases the window framing); (4) outside concrete repair; (5)
electrical contractor for upgrading to 200 Amp power (from street to installation of a new
circuit breaker box); (6) replacement of a central gas furnace, air conditioner, and gas
water heater; (7) installation of a wood/wood-gas fireplace in an old coal gas fireplace
structure; and (7) construction of an FAA-approved blimp hangar on the roof. OK, Ms. P is
just kidding about the blimp, but she is very serious about the other stuff. If you have
had good experiences with any providers of these services, please contact Ms. P directly
via E-mail. Thank you so very much, and . . . A tout 'ta!!!
###############
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