Strip Searches

Dear Searchers:

In the past week, our city reclaimed its rightful place in the comedy monologues of late night talk shows. We sent schoolchildren on tours of the city jail and strip searched them while they were there. A few months ago, Vincent Orange introduced an awkwardly worded bill in the City Council in which this definition was offered: “'Student' means a person enrolled in the District of Columbia Public Schools who has been arrested for a reportable offense.” I thought that was a funny lapse, but some teachers and jail officials must have taken it seriously. Can anyone remember another incident in which two of our city's governmental institutions cooperated so closely to demonstrate a comparable lack of judgment and common sense? A few DC students — the total number is not yet clear — were stripped nude and humiliated. The students' families will undoubtedly get what can only be called poetic justice, and will sue the pants off of the District government.

The interesting question that remains is who will be held accountable. If the city government holds to its usual pattern, a jail guard or two and a school teacher or two will be suspended or even fired, but their superiors and administrators will skate away without even a hint of a reprimand. Apparently, both school and jail administrators first learned of the incident more than a week after it happened, when they were called by reporters. If they did know about the incident earlier, why hadn't they already begun measures to investigate it and institute remedies? And if they didn't know about it, why didn't they?

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

###############

Memorial Day 2001: Remembering D.C. Patriots
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com

John Clagett Proctor, LLD, was a historian, poet, genealogist, and writer who was born, lived, and wrote extensively about D.C. Proctor wrote a number of poems which he read at Memorial Day events in D.C. (formerly known as Decoration Day). He also wrote extensively about D.C.'s lack of representation, despite having fought in all wars beginning with the Revolution. Here is a poem he wrote in the pre-women's rights days of 1918, about D.C. soldiers who fought in World War I. It is titled “Our Boys”:

There's a time for which I yearn, 'Tis our soldier boys' return
And the day that they will march in grand review,
And I dream — I meditate — and I find it hard to wait
Just to see them marching up the Avenue.

O, but won't that be a day! Won't that be the greatest day,
When we really see them swinging into view?
Why, I wouldn't miss that sight If I had to stand all night,
Just to see our boys march up the Avenue.

Why, of all the lads that went — Of two million that were sent —
None was better — and I know it — so do you — Than our boys from Washington,
Whom we proudly call our son, Who will march in line along the Avenue.

Some left home and fireside — Some a sweetheart — some a bride —
Some a mother gray, as sweet as honey dew; And when they begin to shout
Heaven's angels will turn out — When our D.C. boys march up the Avenue.

Time has changed in but a year — Some have lost their mother dear;
Some will for the first time hear their baby coo,
And some will miss that lad Who was all the boy they had —
When those boys of ours march up the Avenue.

But we'll drive away the tears, When the D.C. boys come near,
We will bid all cares and grief a quick adieu, And we'll yell like maniacs
'Till we drop right in our tracks — When our D.C. boys march up the Avenue.

Such a welcome! Such a hand! Will drown out the loudest band —
And the whole United States will hear it, too; And if I make no mistake
There will be a big earthquake, When our D.C. boys march up the Avenue.

The year after Proctor wrote this poem when "the boys" were home, he wrote another poem titled “Everybody Up!” published in the Evening Star in 1919, entered into the Congressional Record in January 1921:

Let's get together, people, And everybody root,
That's how we whipped the Germans and The Austrians to boot —
Just with concentrated action, And no one can refute
That a lot can be accomplished Where all just follow suit.

We want a representative — On this we are agreed —
Some one to sit in Congress to Explain just what we need;
And there is hardly any doubt But that we shall succeed
If we keep the ball a-rolling Will accelerated speed.

So let us all be doing and Get right up on our toes.
For forty years we simply have Been nodding in a doze.
But now we must awaken and Eradicate our woes,
Or what may happen to this place, Why, goodness only knows.

We pay taxes to the nation, And local taxes, too;
We bought more bonds than many states From Mr. McAdoo;
We sent our boys, like other towns, To see the world's war through —
And what on earth beside that would The country have us do?

But what have we as recompense — What privileges of note?
In all this broad United States We are the human goat;
Gas rates are raised, so street car fares — We're held right by the throat,
And all because in Washington We mortals have no vote.

Four hundred thousand strong are we Within this ten-mile square,
But in the making of our laws We simply have no share;
Unrecognized and disenfranchised! Shall we this longer bear
In this great land of freedom? I so no! It isn't fair.

You can read another of Proctor's poems on Stand Up for Democracy in D.C.'s web site: http://standupfordemocracy.org/timeless_poem1.htm

###############

Outrageous and Obscene
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com

The revelation that the Mayor, in his emulation of corporate America, has paid bonuses of up to $20000 to key officials in the administration is absolutely outrageous and a gross misuse of taxpayer funds. Bonuses can be excellent motivators when properly applied. They should be awarded to those who have performed in an outstanding manner. In D.C. these bonuses were given to, among others, police Chief Ramsey, Public Health Director Ivan Walks, and several others whose records merit a pay cut not a bonus.

In this case, the awarding of bonuses at the top is a great demotivator to those who really do all the work. Bonuses should be paid to teams that have really accomplished a set of high goals in a timely manner. Bonuses should be paid to the whole team on a per capita basis, just like the bonuses paid to team members whose team wins the world series. The highest paid players get no more than those who play only part time but are an integral part of the team. Giving bonuses to those making upwards of $150K per year, when all they have done is to show up for work every day and watch their minions fumble around, is an obscene gesture to the D.C. taxpayers. The only District organization that seems to be doing a credible job is the DMV. All those employees should be sharing in the bonus monies awarded to the non-performers at the top.

###############

Car Dumping Continues
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

The Washington Post reported on May 15 that the District government closed the Department of Public Works' Brentwood impoundment lot on April 23 without opening an alternative site to which to tow abandoned, junked, and illegally parked cars. It also reported that in the three-week period April 23-May 15, the city dumped more than a thousand vehicles on residential streets. (See the DPW policy at http://www.dcwatch.com/govern/dpw0104.htm.)

This situation is especially troubling since the Williams administration had been working on developing the Brentwood lot since July 1999, and so had nearly two years to plan for an alternative lot. Moreover, one of the “citywide strategic scorecard goals” on which both City Administrator John Koskinen and DPW Director Leslie Hotaling were supposed to be graded was implementing the “clean city initiative” under which the city was supposed to tow abandoned cars off of city streets, not tow them on to city streets and abandon them. (See the Clean City site at http://cleancity.dc.gov.)

This situation continues. During an interview on WTOP radio on May 17, Mayor Williams claimed that negotiations for a new impoundment lot were in the final stages and that the new location would be announced by May 25. However, the only announcement made on Friday came from DPW; it was that no agreement had been reached or was expected for at least another week.

###############

Adams (Morgan) Memorial
Josh Gibson, jgibson@ledcdc.org

Given that John Quincy Adams once had a home in Adams Morgan, and given that Adams Mill Road, the John Quincy Adams Elementary School, and indeed our entire neighborhood were all named for John Quincy Adams, perhaps Adams Morgan would be the logical location for an Adams Family Memorial. This is also consistent with the general interest and I believe Congressional requirement to place new memorials off the Mall and throughout the District's diverse neighborhoods. Just a thought.

###############

A PSA Success Story
Keith Jarrell, keithndc@bellatlantic.net

Something good for a change! See the Washington Times article on PSA 106 on Capitol Hill and Lt. Glover: http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20010523-92274876.htm

###############

Public Opinion on the Federal Threat to American Rights and Freedoms
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com

In a nationally representative telephone surveys of 1,000 U.S. adults (margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points), The Gallup Organization has asked the following question since 1995: “Do you think the federal government has become so large and powerful that is poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens, or don't you think so?” In April 1995, 39% said the federal government posed an immediate threat; 58% said no. In May 2001, 52% said the federal government posed an immediate threat; 46% said no. That's a rise of 13 percentage points in those feeling threatened. I don't know what people were thinking about when they answered that question.

###############

Washingtoniana Division
Paul Kelsey Williams, Pkelseyw@aol.com

I need to clarify a few gripes in my comments about the DC Archives in the last issue, specifically gripes about the Washingtoniana Division of the MLK Library: The staff routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty to help researchers out attempting myriad research missions on Washington. They are certainly not responsible for the abysmal condition of the microfilm machines, for example, and do the very best with what they have to work with; my gripe was aimed at the DCPL Administration, which hasn't ordered a new machine in the eight years that I have been a visitor, and the ones there now are at the end of their normal life span, when they are operational at all.

In fact, the staff often helps a researcher out even unprompted once they know what one is looking for; by offering advise on files, collections, and retrieving vertical files while you are there. The staff at Washingtoniana is doing the best they can (and them some) with what DCPL Administration is giving them! We need to aim our gripes at the DCPL Administration, certainly. I wonder how many of them use the third floor bathrooms at MLK? I would like to challenge them to use them exclusively for a week while at work.

I also think the Library Admin needs to rethink the web resources, as the visitors using the Washingtoniana computers are not there surfing for Washington resources, and its often is a fight, argument, and disagreement of who signed up first, etc. Those frequent disruptions take staff time away from their expertise. Why not have a central room in the Library for computers, monitored by computer savvy staff with electronic sign-up like a college facility? Even my hair cutting place does that.

###############

Street Cleaning
Paul “Car Babysitter” Karr, paulkarr@email.msn.com

I agree that we should bring back humans to do the street cleaning! While I don't drive, I do baby-sit my friends and neighbors cars while they're out of town. I can't tell you what a pain it is to move the car to the other side of the street during street cleaning days. Two days a week, our neighborhood gives up an entire half of our parking spaces! Of course people will bite the bullet and get a ticket. It's either park your car illegally, or spend the night driving around the neighborhood. So there are always cars in the way of those huge street cleaning machines. On my street (the 1400 block of W Street, NW), we have a problem with the street drainage in the front of our house. The garbage that collects in the streets and ends up clogging the drains. Last spring we pried open a manhole cover to a drain and pulled out several bags of trash (after digging a few feet we decided it was getting too scary, so we left an unknown amount of trash inside). This should be a huge concern for everybody!

Bad drainage can have a significant impact on the streets (water that is forced under the foundation of streets creates cracks and potholes) and on the foundations of our homes (everyone knows that water is one of the biggest enemies of buildings). Beyond that, however, is the negative impact on the attitude of the community. We either accept the trash as a part of our neighborhoods, or we find ourselves constantly picking up garbage that blows around.

There are too many cars in this city to believe that we can take away half of the parking spaces twice a week in each neighborhood. Still, we need to have our streets cleaned. Gary, I think you're right. Let's bring the people back. Let's create jobs. Let's clean our neighborhoods. Let's save our streets. Let's clean around parked cars! Let's avoid more parking tickets. Let's save the foundations of our homes. Let's take pride in our communities.

###############

Street Cleaning?
Annie McCormick, amccormick@itic.org

The only thing I believe street cleaning signs do is to give ticket issuers a reason to ticket cars. I lived at 2112 New Hampshire and on W Street between New Hampshire and 16th Street. My friend got a ticket for parking during posted street cleaning time, yet I never once in five and a half years saw a street cleaner on that street. I live now at 14th and N Streets, and N Street is a mess. I believe there are signs there, also stating street cleaning times, but I have not once in a year seen that street cleaned. I do know, however, that two blocks over the street was cleaned, but I only know that because I read in the paper that the person operating it had killed a woman with the machine.

###############

Street Sweeping in My Part of Northeast
Richard Layman, Northeast DC, richlayman@lettera.net

Although I agree that it would make more sense to rely on people rather than machines because people can clean more parts of the street more often, I have to say that under the Williams administration the City does a pretty good job on my street. The smaller blue-and-white machines clean over here (one block north of H Street NE) Monday and Friday. Because many cars leave the area by 9 a.m., there is plenty of room for the small machines to maneuver. (This obviously is a problem in other areas; most cars probably are immobile so to speak, from day-to-day.)

Once I even went up to a machine operator and told him that some more cars left and that a part earlier skipped could now be cleaned and he's went back and recleaned! That, plus the fact that me and the church across the street and one other neighbor pick up trash makes our block quite clean -- not bad considering that there are two bus stops and a Murray's on the corner. (Of course, I still have problems about trash dumped in the alley adjacent to my house, and removal of abandoned vehicles. And, it occurs to me that the city might have similar location problems with such equipment as street cleaners when the ATF building is built on the current site of the DPW maintenance yard on New York Avenue, NE).

###############

More About Public Space
Richard Layman, Northeast DC, richlayman@lettera.net

I work in Georgetown and I ride my bike to work each day. I lock on a tree guard by the Georgetown Park mall. Yesterday I came out of work to find a note from the Mall security stating that they photographed my bike and would remove it if I locked there again. I was furious (the same crap was pulled on me by the Renaissance Techworld Hotel once but I didn't have the time to do then what I did yesterday).

I went to the mall office, asked for a supervisor and stated, vehemently, that the tree box is in public space, that public space goes up to the facade of the building, and that you don't own the tree box. If you touch my bike, I'll sue you and press theft charges. He stated that they installed the tree guards and therefore they own them. I said “sure, but they're in public space so you don't have the legal authority to tell people to not lock on them.”

He backed down and said they had no intention of enforcing the note. I then pointed out that bicyclists probably are patrons of the mall as well and that you should think about accommodating them, rather than to force them to use one bike rack located at the far, far end of the mall. That I spend at least $400/year there, and I am only one person. (Even worse, I spent $60 at one store after leaving that office, still pissed.) In short, bicyclists get the short short end of the stick. It's bad enough worrying about being hit by cars, and trying to find a place to safely lock my bike. But it's important to prevent the encroachment of public space by commercial buildings/management companies.

###############

Surely We Shouldn’t!
Mike Livingston, mlivingston@greens.org

This week's prescription handed down from our benevolent fathers at NARPAC snorts, “Surely we shouldn't make every disadvantaged inner city into a state!” Sam Smith of the Progressive Review makes a detailed argument that we should do just that, since the Senate will never reflect the interests of most Americans as long as major cities are underrepresented there. It's an interesting essay question, admittedly neither urgent nor viable; the point is, here comes NARPAC again scoffing at the radical notion that more democracy makes things better. Thank you sir, may I have another?

Yes, Congress could do a better job of oversight, and yes, better management would make many of our day-to-day problems disappear. In other words, Congress could make the trains run on time. But this District native was a Maryland resident and voter in three elections. Was I more American when I lived on the other side of Eastern Avenue, barely a mile from my current home in Ward 4? Was I more deserving of representation and self-determination then, when I had — as I no longer have — basic rights which you, Col. Sullivan, once took an oath to defend with your own life? I do not sneer at NARPAC's office address — I sneer at its rude and insulting name, National Association to Restore Pride in America's Capital. This is our home, and we're already proud of it. Happy Memorial Day.

###############

CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Cleveland Park Citizens June Meeting
Isabel Furlong, isabelf@email.msn.com

The Cleveland Park Citizens Association will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, June 2, at 10:15 a.m., at the Cleveland Park Library, Connecticut Avenue between Macomb and Newark Streets, NW. On the agenda: election of officers and nomination for Federation of Civic Associations Grass Roots Award, the latest news on the Rosedale/Special Olympics deal, is there a new developer on the scene at historic Tregaron, City Council action and CPCA position on “special signs” billboards, has a new Cleveland Park/Connecticut Avenue Business Directory from Richard Bartel’s business affairs committee, trash collection plans for the 3500 Block of Connecticut, report on the redistricting wars, and anything new on the Wisconsin Avenue Giant?

Hear about and talk about these and other neighborhood issues; Cleveland Park Citizens Association is your forum in our community. Join us for a Dutch-treat lunch at the Yenching Palace immediately following the meeting. This will be our last regularly-scheduled meeting until October 6th. And have a wonderful summer!

###############

Visionary Awards Gala
Michelle E. Hynes, hyneslemmon@hotmail.com

A great event on Thursday, June 10! DC Rape Crisis Center 10th Annual Visionary Awards Gala at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Celebrate the accomplishments of this year's honorees and help support the Center's work. Honorees include actress/activist Charlize Theron, anchorwoman Maureen Bunyan, councilmember Linda Cropp, and the Washington Mystics WNBA team. Enjoy “Taste of the Town” buffet featuring samplings from the area's finest restaurants. Join the bidding during the silent auction on such items as round-trip airline tickets, celebrity items, spa services, and sport and theater tickets. Tickets are $60 each or $100 per couple. To order tickets, call Rose at 232-0789 ext. 222.

###############

CLASSIFIEDS — SPACES

Sunny One-Bedroom Apartment for Rent Near the National Cathedral
Corinne Rothblum, crothblum@aol.com

Spacious, bright one bedroom apartment in classy, well-maintained building. Quiet top floor corner unit. Hardwood floors, dishwasher, good closet space plus basement storage and bike room. Rooftop deck with Cathedral views. Close to parks, buses, Metro, grocery stores (Giant and Fresh Fields) shops, and restaurants. $1,150 plus utilities. Available mid-July. For more information please contact Corinne Rothblum, home 237-7116, work 962-3516, E-mail crothblum@aol.com.

###############

Cooper Park Bed and Breakfast
Larry Ray, DCLARRY@aol.com

Larry Ray, Owner and Operator, announces the grand opening of a bed and breakfast, Cooper Park Bed and Breakfast, 613 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., minutes from Capitol Hill. The BnB is featuring abstract watercolors and oil art by Prudence Bowman Kestner and Capitol Hill Resident John Reid. Kestner has previously shown at Windows on 17th Street and the Hilton Embassy Hotel. Reid has previously displayed at Mr. Henry's on the Hill. For further information, contact Ray at 483-0241, E-mail DCLarry@aol.com, or visit the web site, http://www.bnbaccom.com.

###############

Office Space Needed
Lisa Hawkins, lisalhawkins@yahoo.com

Small nonprofit is seeking office space or shared space for 1-2 people in D.C. Please contact Lisa Hawkins at 301-588-2988 or lisalhawkins@yahoo.com.

###############

themail@dcwatch is an E-mail discussion forum that is published every Wednesday and Sunday. To subscribe, to change E-mail addresses, or to switch between HTML and plain text versions of themail, use the subscription form at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/subscribe.htm. To unsubscribe, send an E-mail message to themail@dcwatch.com with “unsubscribe” in the subject line. Archives of past messages are available at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail.