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February 17, 2002

It’s for Your Own Good

Dear Citizen Winston Smith:

Thank you for your inquiry about the Metropolitan Police Department's recent pilot program, in which we tested injectible Dual-purpose Micro Verification chips, or DMVs, in volunteers. This program has been a complete success, and I am confident that the Mayor will propose and the newly constituted mayorally appointed City Council will soon pass legislation making this program universal in the District of Columbia. As you are aware, the Surveillance Protection and Identification Elements, or SPIEs, that we have been using for the past two decades are subject to unintended lapses. The facial identification software is not perfect, as the recent reversal of several unfortunately mistaken convictions based on it has shown. The vehicle identification cameras, as we have admitted in the past, can identify vehicles, but, even after numerous improvements, cannot always reliably identify drivers and passengers. The DMVs combine in one small, convenient microchip — no larger than a grain of rice and easily and painlessly injectible — both a unique and unalterable identification number and a global positioning unit. And since the SPIEs can be upgraded to interface seamlessly with the DMVs, any such mistakes will be eliminated in the future. We shall have a permanent GPS-based record of your movements at all times, and whenever you are in a public space or public building we shall be able to match that with our already existing Enhanced-DVD records of your activities.

Our purpose, as always, is to serve and protect you, our valued citizen. The more we know about you, the more easily we can locate you to assist you in an emergency. The better and more reliably we can trace your movements, the better we can ensure your safety. Several of the subjects in our pilot DMV program have told us that they felt much safer and more secure just knowing that their MPD could locate them at all times, any time of the day. They have told us how much better it would be if every citizen of the District of Columbia were equipped with DMVs, so that we could also always know who was with them, and encouraged us to make the DMV program universal and mandatory.

You have expressed some reservations about this program and said that you worry about the possibility that the DMVs may compromise your privacy in some way. Let me assure you that the MPD and the government of the District of Columbia will always work in your interests. You can trust us completely. You have my personal guarantee that we will never abuse this program. Let me also assure you that rumors that the pilot program has led to abuses are false. The officers who were accused of tracking or spying on individuals have been fully cleared, and even as I write to you it is my first priority to identify and eliminate from the MPD those who spread these malicious and false rumors. Your privacy will not be compromised, because we will always keep private any information that we collect about your whereabouts and the people with whom you associate. This information will be disclosed only to authorized government officials or to others who have a legitimate need to know it. Besides, as the Washington Post has recently editorialized, “Only people with something to hide worry about their privacy.” I am sure that, after you have been fitted with your own DMV, you will also feel an enhanced sense of safety and security, just knowing that we are that much better able to look after and protect you.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com 

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Lack of Contract Compliance on $500 Million Health Care Contract
Sam Jordan, sjordan@communitychange.org 

Government waste of precious public resources includes the failure of contract compliance safeguards. Beset by major community health deficits, Washington, DC is among the leaders in the nation in the occurrence of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, asthma, cancer, and hypertension. The local occurrence of infant mortality is highest in the nation. Yet the DC Healthcare Alliance, the private, for-profit successor to the District's public health hospital and clinic system, has developed no plan to address these negative health indicators.

In addition, the $100 million per year contract for five years with DC Healthcare Alliance requires the Alliance to enroll 25,000 uninsured residents who earn 200 percent or less of the Federal Poverty Level. While only 18,000 have been enrolled, the Alliance is reimbursed as if its contract enrollment goals have been met. Over 20 percent of the Alliance's payments are not in compliance with the contract. They have not met the enrollment goals, have indicated that they will not build the contract-required, level one trauma center and have not submitted the data required to monitor their performance. Perhaps the story published today [February 14, http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/lips/lips.html] in the City Paper regarding the Mayor's receipt of $100,000 in campaign contributions from the DC Healthcare Alliance, its affiliates, and managers explains why this waste and lack of compliance monitoring is allowed to continue. Health Care Now! has demanded a strict contract compliance system and the recovery of lost health care funds.

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Stacking the Deck at the Taxicab Commission
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com 

Mayor Williams has named three new nominees to the Taxicab Commission, joining his two pending renominations, in order to stack the deck for the hotel and tourism industry's preference to shift to a metered cab system. The Council Committee on Public Works and the Environment will hold a confirmation hearing on the new nominees on March 13. (Find their nominations and resumes from the list of Council Period 14 legislation at http://www.dcwatch.com/council14.) The three new nominees are Michael O. Smith, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Hotel since 2001 and a member of the Hotel Association of DC and the Washington Convention and Tourism Corporation; Horace Kreitzman, deputy executive director of the DC Democratic State Committee; and William Henry Carter IV, president of Carter Sedans. Ron Collins, director of the Office of Boards and Commissions, confirms that the nominees were all asked about their position on replacing the zoned fare system with a metered system, and that they all agree with the Mayor's and the hotel industry's position. The two renominated sitting Commissioners are Stanley Tapscott, a Capital Cab Company driver; and Theresa Nelson Travis, employed by the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind.

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Councilmembers? Who Responds? Adrian Fenty
Dodie Butler, dodie_b@yahoo.com 

I am tempted to send your question to the E-mail lists in Ward 4. If I do so, your mailbox will probably be jammed in minutes. Adrian Fenty has turned constituent service — and constituent service via E-mail — into a fine art. He belongs to, scans, and responds to issues raised on the TakomaDCList, Shepherd Park E-mail list, and undoubtedly others around the ward. He summarizes neighbors' posts on public service issues, forwards them to appropriate public officials, and requests a response which, when answered, he forwards to the list for everyone to see and comment on. He has a formidable list of E-mail addresses throughout the ward, which he routinely uses for sending out announcements of his monthly town meetings and posting a weekly roster of events in the ward, including times and locations of meetings of a variety of civic groups.

Mr. Fenty also responds directly to individual E-mails sent to him, frequently within two or three hours. Most importantly, as it becomes clear that there is widespread concern about specific neighborhood problems, Mr. Fenty convenes targeted meetings between government agency representatives and the community. The turnout is always impressive. Takoma-DC has been the focus of several meetings already. For example, after a surge in armed carjackings and robberies on both sides of the border, on Monday, February 11, Mr. Fenty and Takoma Park, Maryland, Councilmember Joy Austin-Lane cosponsored a community meeting on cross-jurisdictional crime that drew Commander Lanier and the leadership of the 4th Police District, the Chief of Police of Takoma Park, Takoma Park's town manager, a commander of WMATA's transit police, and WMATA's government relations liaison. This resulted in a thorough cross-jurisdictional and cross-agency discussion of what is going on in the Takomas DC and MD, and what is being done about it.

Mr. Fenty is always ahead of the curve on issues affecting Ward IV neighborhoods. The only possible explanation is that he never sleeps.

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Constituent Services
Brian L. Baker, bbaker@udc.edu 

I saw themail on constituent services and felt that I needed to respond. In short, Adrian Fenty rocks! I have lived in Ward 5, when Harry Thomas was my Councilmember, and I now live in Ward 4 in Takoma, DC. Harry Thomas was no slouch when it came to constituent services, but Councilmember Fenty takes it to a new level.

When he campaigned, he promised improved constituent services, and he certainly hasn't let Ward 4 down. He has worked tirelessly to respond to problems posted on various community listservs, as well as those phoned into his office. He or one of his staff regularly attends virtually every community meeting in Ward 4. Councilmember Fenty and his whole staff have worked tirelessly with our community (Takoma DC) on a number of important and fractious issues, as well as on the mundane things like getting streetlights repaired promptly. I could say more, but this seems a bit fawning already.

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A Councilmember Who Responds
Alice Giancola, Arg2@aol.com 

Councilmember Adrian Fenty is outstanding in this area. He monitors our Takoma listserve and responds sometimes immediately with answers and solutions to problems. One example in the last year; he has had the city limb up the trees on our street to make it lighter and brighter after several muggings (I have been trying for fifteen years to get this done). He arranged for a special meeting between the community and the police and Takoma Park, MD, and Metro police after several car jackings and muggings of people at and walking from the Metro were mentioned on the listserve, etc., etc.

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Councilmember Fenty, Ward 4
Fy Lewis, Falewis144@aol.com 

Does a superb job of using E-mail for constituent services and information dissemination! As does also ANC 4-whatever Jourdinia Brown as well as Officer Long, MPD, in 4th District!

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Responsiveness of Councilmembers
Margaret Yoma Ullman, Ullman724@aol.com 

I have no way to compare the various Councilmembers, but when I have turned to the office of Councilmember Kathleen Patterson for help, I have always encountered kindness, efficiency, and perseverance in solving problems.

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Kafka at the Post Office
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso@capaccess.org 

In December I sent a holiday-greetings card to a friend in Florida. The Post Office returned it, stamped “Return to Sender/For Reason Shown.” There was no reason shown. The postmark indicates the card never escaped Maryland. So I brought the card into a post office. The agent there couldn't figure out either why the card had been returned. He agreed the post office had screwed up and sent the card ahead. A few weeks later, once again it came back “Return to Sender/For Reason Shown.” Once again there was no reason shown. Have other themail subscribers encountered this sort of DC-area Post Office handling of routine mail? At this rate maybe my 2001 holiday card will arrive in Florida by Christmas 2002!

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Bargaining Power
John Whiteside, john@logancircle.net 

Marguerite Boudreau thinks it's OK to relax parking rules around churches, and recommends that neighbors negotiate with churches to reach a compromise. Sounds very lovely till you think about it. First of all, try negotiating from a position of no power. No one is going to ticket the illegally parked cars. The churches win, the residents lose. How do you reach a compromise when the churches have no incentive to obey the law, there being no punishment for breaking it?

Why should someone in wheelchair have to negotiate for the right to cross the street at a curb cut? Why should someone who needs to go to work on Sunday have to negotiate for the right to pull their car out of a legal spot when it's double parked in for eight hours? Imagine yourself needing to run an errand, or visit a friend in the hospital, or get to the airport, or pick up a family member from the train station, and being told you should negotiate with lawbreakers — while the city refuses to enforce the laws, because the lawbreakers have political power? It’s an insult. Perhaps churches with parking problems should negotiate with residents to find a solution — knowing that they have to, because if they don’t their members will get parking tickets.

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Double Parking and Blocking Crosswalks Are Illegal
David Pansegrouw, dpansegrouw@atpco.net 

A few months ago I asked the question about double parking at churches, not just on Sundays but all days of the week. The recent discussion of the subject is interesting/amusing/cycnicism raising. I think basic things tell a lot about the bigger picture — the idea that broken windows in a neighborhood are a symptom of a bigger problem. Obvious unevenness (favoritism) in law enforcement, even for basic things, undermines law enforcement in general. Double parking is simply illegal in DC — 24/7/365. I live in a residential neighborhood and have had police get on their cruiser microphone to tell me to move my double parked car when it is clear I am unloading and there is nowhere to park (and plenty of room to get around the car). The cop is just doing his job, but funny how it doesn't matter when 15th Street, NW, has more than a block of church-related double-parked cars on a weekday evening (about 7:45 p.m. on my way home from work, around T Street). Further, it is not just double parking but also, frequently, cars blocking crosswalks.

As I stated in my previous posting of the question, the uneven enforcement is made particularly more glaring as the lack of enforcement does not favor religious institutions but rather it favors Christian churches. It is not just a Sunday problem. Double park at a church most anytime of the week: no problem. Yet try double parking at a synagogue, where services are not on Sunday. From my own experience, it does not work. I am interested to know if posters to themail who have expressed the sentiment that parking regulations should be relaxed on Sundays see any problem when those regulations are relaxed on a weeknight. Or why shouldn't they also be relaxed for other denominations that meet on other days than Sunday. Perhaps there could be a religious purpose parking permit which would exempt the holder from all parking regulations. I also wonder what sort of compromise is satisfactory/equitable when your car is boxed in? I fail to see why anyone should compromise to accommodate someone else's lack of consideration for anyone but themselves and those like them. Streets are for driving and parking on. It is reasonable to think that one should have access to one's parked car and to safely be able to walk across a crosswalk.

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Slight Error
Rev. Floyd H Agostinelli, Floyd@GlowingToad.com 

Oscar Abeyta's [posting on] “Church and State” [themail, February 13] is quite misleading. WIN, the Washington Interfaith Network, did indeed invite all mayoral candidates to a packed meeting held in one of their churches. Indeed, WIN representatives from each congregation stood up BUT only to announce how many members of their congregation were present. WIN raised NO money for any candidate. WIN does not support any candidate. WIN simply questions the “hell” out of all candidates.

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They’re Watching You
John Whiteside, john@logancircle.net 

Ron Eberhardt offers some criticisms of speed cameras, some of which are reasonable points, though some may disagree (including me). However, when he argues that it's unconstitutional to get a ticket for going 39 mph in a 25 zone, because he doesn’t think that’s a reasonable speed limit. Um, sorry Ron, but thinking a law is unreasonable doesn’t make it unconstitutional. Also, the size of the road isn’t the only factor to take into consideration; there are also factors like typical traffic conditions, amount of pedestrian traffic, and so on.

I have a different complaint. As I made my way east on K Street downtown a few nights ago, watching people block intersections at every light cycle, watching Metro buses run red lights (great example from the professional drivers there!), watching people veer from lane to lane at high speed (because the other lane might be going 2 mph faster and how could anyone bear to stay in the slow lane in that situation?), I wondered, where are the police? Where are the red light cameras? And, as I’ve often wondered since moving to DC, what on earth do they teach people in driver ed here? In Boston they were aggressive but drivers at least opened their eyes, and you rarely saw the typical DC cut-em-off-and-then-stop-at-a-green-light maneuver.

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Photo Radar Cameras
Ralph Blessing, rblessin88@hotmail.com 

Ron Eberhardt's experience with red light cameras highlights one of the problems that needs to be promptly fixed if the program is to gain the confidence of the public. However, abandoning such an effective law enforcement tool because of its current flaws is not the answer. I suspect that I'm not alone in noticing a better rate of compliance with traffic laws since the cameras were first installed.

Numerous other jurisdictions in the Washington-Baltimore area have red light cameras, as I learned at a House of Delegates hearing in Annapolis last week, and some of them (e.g., Howard County) are considered to be state of the art. We need to encourage our police officials to interact more with their regional colleagues in order to develop a “best practices” approach for utilizing this technology. At the same time, DC needs to renegotiate the payment scheme with the contractor and also redirect the revenue from the program into public safety activities, as is done in most of the suburban jurisdictions, rather than using it to pad the general fund.

Jack Evans may hate photo radar cameras, as he was quoted in the Washington Times' daily anti-traffic safety article. But the real story here is the fact that an elected official admits to dangerous, illegal behavior, and rather than offer an apology, he lambastes the enforcement system. (And he's one of the folks ready to run Charles Maddox out of town for not meeting the residency requirement?) Evans also claims that he hears nothing but complaints about the cameras. Probably true, since I doubt that people who support them or don't get caught by them would call his office to say so. Well, maybe now it's time to do so, especially for those folks who live in his ward (many of whom probably don't even own cars) and feel that the speed cameras enhance public safety.

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Re: Speed Cameras Must Go
Richard Layman, Northeast DC, richlaymandc@yahoo.com 

As a bike rider and resident who doesn't own a car, and lives four houses down from one of Maryland's major commuter “highways,” H Street NE, I couldn't disagree more with Mr. Eberhardt. The fact that streets are over-engineered to allow higher speeds than the posted limit doesn't mean that the prevailing speeds that drivers decide to drive are safe for people other than the driver. (Over-engineering of city streets is discussed in the book Cities: Back from the Edge.) Since driving is a privilege, not a right, the impact on the neighborhood should be a primary consideration in this matter.

The posted limit is 25 mph. At night, people drive in excess of 40 mph. People drive much faster than the speed limit even during the day. Even though this is a major street, the fact is that it bisects a neighborhood. It is one block away from one elementary school and two blocks away from another. People speed because the road is engineered to allow them to do so, but this has tremendous deleterious impact on the adjoining neighborhood. It is unreasonable to expect police to devote their time to ticketing for speeding when other matters are more pressing and they have limited personnel.

Hence my overwhelming support for speed cameras and ticketing. If people get tickets for their lawless behavior maybe they'll stop. Be glad you don't live in Finland, where fines for speeding are based upon income — and people have had to pay as much as $100,000 in fines for a single offense. In looking at photos of the H Street, NE, area from the late 1940s, the posted speed limit for the side streets was actually 15 mph.

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Speed Cameras Must Stay
Judith Kahn, jmkahn@aol.com 

I must disagree with Mr. Eberhardt. I think speed cameras are great. This is probably because too many people driving in DC speed, run red lights, and generally believe they are the best judge of what the speed limit should be. I am not sure any street in the district should be driven at 40 miles an hour. Regardless of the number of lanes available, M Street, SW, still has residential housing with children and animals.

I may feel stronger about this than most because it was my car that got creamed by a driver (on Georgia Avenue, also six lanes) who sped down the street, ran the red light long after it was red, and took off the entire front end of my car. Luckily, and only because I am leery of starting right away when the light turns green, I was not hurt. If cameras can change the habits of only a few people, they are worth it.

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Residency Vs Citizenship
Lea Adams, newleasonlife@juno.com 

Nicholas Cobbs seems to think people who serve as employees of our local government should be allowed the enjoy the privileges of full and equal US citizenship one receives under the banner of any of the ”several States,” while the poor denizens suffer continued discrimination as mere “residents” of the District of Columbia. We may not be a State, Mr. Cobbs, but we who call this place home for longer than a career assignment consider ourselves a community. I, for one, like to think that those who are paid by my local taxes to work on my behalf, share and fully appreciate what it means to live under our roofs. Local government should be just that, local. It is everywhere else in the US. We need more civic pride and less justification of its absence from apologists for the status quo. Sorry Mr. Cobbs, but I just think you don't know how it feels to pay DC and Federal taxes year after year and then have to compete for local government jobs against folk from “wherever.” Save the City! Or, as the late John Wilson used to say, “Be a cheerleader for your city!” P.S. The Twenty Citizens lawsuit (formerly Adams v. Clinton, now Adams v. Bush) is alive and still needs support from those who favor full and equal citizenship over mere residency.

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Residency Requirements, Voting Rights, and “Incrementalism”
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso@capacces.org 

In last Wednesday's issue of themail, Mark David Richards wrote that “George Washington [in 1796] set a residency requirement for the second set of three commissioners appointed to oversee the laying out of the new Federal City.” After they moved, did each of these commissioners lose the right to vote? I've thought that we in DC have no right to vote because of an oversight by the Framers. But clearly they must have realized what they did pretty soon afterwards. WAS it an oversight, or did someone back then actually argue that residents of the “seat of the government” shouldn't have the right to vote? Incidentally, we all realize, of course, that compelling DC city employees to live in DC means forcing city employees to sacrifice their voting rights in order to keep their jobs. Are there other jobs like that in America?

Regarding the apparently now relegitimated issue of “incrementalism” vs. an unnamed something else, Mark Richards quoted Martin Luther King, Jr., decrying eloquently against what King called “gradualism” (which may or may not be the same thing as “incrementalism”). King sure gave great speeches. Actually, Thurgood Marshall (whom I cited in my earlier posts on this issue) and Martin Luther King nicely reflect different approaches to civil rights in the 20th century. As Juan Williams's definitive biography of Marshall points out, Marshall in his later years harbored a resentment towards King for having grabbed all the glory when, in his own view, Marshall's civil-rights strategy accomplished far more than all King's speeches. By the way, did anyone else note the irony in King's description (which Richards quotes) of “our brothers and sisters in Africa and Asia” whom King admired for “moving with jet-like speed toward the goal of political independence”? The history of human rights and economic development in Africa and Asia since King gave that speech suggests a more profound argument for care, patience, and timing in politics than anything any subscriber to themail can contribute.

Whether one uses the term “incrementalism” has little to do with whether to pursue specific political goals at specific times. “Incrementalism” is just a slogan, a label, a buzzword. One could call the 1964 Civil Rights Act an example of “incrementalism.” After all, it ignored housing and voting and had a slew of limitations and qualifications. People criticize the proposed federal Employment Nondiscrimination Act, which would ban sexual-orientation discrimination in employment — just employment — on the same basis. What about housing? Still, in 1964 some called the proposed civil-rights act revolutionary. Each political goal presents its own set of challenges and prospects. The rightness of those working for the 1964 Act — whether you call it “incrementalism” or “evolutionary” — is proven by their success in getting it enacted and by the positive effect that law, and others for which it paved the way, have had on American society.

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Re: Incrementalism or Gradualism by Mark Richards
George S. LaRoche, laroche@us.net 

Mark Richards raises some excellent points about the history of “incrementalism” or “gradualism” in the District of Columbia, but a point should be made about the difference between what frequently passes for incrementalism in the District and what happened in the civil rights movement in the 50s-60s. As Richards points out, the latter proceeded with a comprehensive strategy of law suits, marches, and other actions, chipping away at segregation and other sins. So what's the difference between this and the actions proposed as incremental steps toward the ultimate goal (which varies from person to person) but is best described as full self-determination in the context of American federalism, which means the District is admitted as a state or united with a state, such that the citizens stand on precisely the same footing as all other citizens of the States (who don't need special legislation to protect their rights to some degree of local self-government and to control how they spend their own tax dollars, etc.)?

The difference is that not one of the “incremental” steps taken in the civil rights movement had to be overturned or retracted in order to reach the ultimate goal. All were unretractable steps toward the ultimate goal. In the history of such proposals for the District, however, many of these incremental steps will have to be erased or removed before we reach the ultimate goal we seek. For instance, constitutional amendments giving the District special status to elect representatives to Congress will have to be repealed to prevent any remaining federal enclave from being entitled to elect such representatives, while the rest of the District goes on to become a state or part of a state. (I once disagreed with this position, by the way, but after years of study, am now convinced that this is an accurate requirement.) It might be possible to insert self-repealing language in an amendment, but I've not yet seen any which would do the trick, and I suspect that the presence of such language in the amendment will be an added incentive for many states to not ratify it in the first place. So Martin Luther King, Jr., was right, as he was on so many things (where would we be today as a country if we had had him as President?), when he said that gradualism is a distraction from the task of reaching the real, ultimate, and right goal. If you know what that goal is, work to achieve it, not to achieve some little step you think you can achieve just because you think you can achieve it, but which will have to be undone before you can reach that ultimate, right goal.

And in this regard, no one has yet presented an argument why the nonfederal parts of the District must remain a colony throughout the endless proposals for incremental steps, regardless how many times Congress “indulges” the District (as the courts have called it) in powers of home rule, budgetary autonomy, and even representation in Congress which is constitutionally different and therefore inferior to that enjoyed by all the citizens of the several States. It's long past time for Congress and the courts to defend this colonial status or end it.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Coffee and a Book Sale
Susan Gushue, smgushue@starpower.net 

Please come to my front porch at 3323 14th Street, NE, tomorrow (Monday) on President's Day for a cup of coffee. I have great kids books to give away and some books for adults to buy. I am a thrift store addict but even I don't need multiple copies of The Shipping News or Bettelheim's book on fairy tales. I hope to see you here.

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Black History Month Events
Alexander Padro, Padroanc2c@aol.com 

Saturday, February 23, second annual DC Recorder of Deeds Building open house and free guided tour. The District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds Building, completed in 1942, features seven WPA-era Black history murals and other artwork, in a building designed to house the only District agency led and staffed almost exclusively by African Americans for 120 years. Come visit the ROD Building and hear about the history of past recorders of deeds, including Frederick Douglass and Blanche K. Bruce, the work of such prominent African American artists as William E. Scott and Selma Bruce, and see the building's intact 1940s decor, which was almost lost to demolition in 2001. The open house will be held on Saturday, February 23, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Tours will be held continuously. This event is free and no reservations are required. The DC Recorder of Deeds Building is located at 515 D Street, NW, just one block from the Archives/Navy Memorial Green and Yellow Line METRO station. For more information, call the DC Preservation League at 955-5616.

Tuesday, February 26 and Wednesday February 27, the Arts Club of Washington presents two programs honoring Black History Month. On Tuesday, February 26, 7:00 p.m., Washington historian and author Alexander M. Padro will present “The Few and the Brave: Memorials to African Americans in Washington, DC.” The slide-illustrated lecture will explore both the city's tributes to notable African Americans and the creative artists responsible for their design. Also covered will be failed efforts to erect monuments to heroes of African descent, current proposals to honor prominent African Americans and the sacrifices made by Black Americans in the nation's wars, and tributes by African American sculptors honoring individuals other than persons of color. Reception to follow. Admission: $10.00; reservations suggested (331-7282 ext. 21). And on Wednesday, February 27, at 12:30 p.m., the Arts Club will present a luncheon roundtable on “The Impact of the Work of African American Architects on the Nation's Capital,” moderated by local architect and preservationist Charles Cassell. The panel will include Islam Baker, Baker, Cooper & Associates PC; Stanford Britt, Sultan & Campbell Britt Owens & Associates, PC; Charles Bryant, Bryant Associates, PC; and Paul Devrouax, Devrouax & Purnell, Architects-Planners, PC. Admission: $15.00, including lunch. Reservations required before February 22 (331-7282 ext. 21). The Arts Club of Washington is located at 2017 I Street, NW, near the Farragut West Blue and Orange Line Metro station. For more information or reservations, call 331-7282 ext. 21 or visit http://www.artsclubofwashington.com

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Frances Moore Lappe Talk
Mark Sutton, msutton@gvsp.usra.edu 

DC EarthSave (DCES) and the Vegetarian Society of DC (VSDC) are proud to announce the cosponsoring of an upcoming talk/reception by Frances Moore and Anna Lappe promoting their new book: Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet on Wednesday, February 27, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Washington Ethical Society's Hall, in Silver Spring, MD. 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: doors open, schmoozing, light refreshments; 7:30 p.m. to 7:35 p.m., opening comments by DCES and VSDC; 7:35 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., introductory remarks by Howard Lyman (Voice for a Viable Future); 7:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., “Globalization, the Politics & Economics of Food, and Biotechnology” (Frances Moore and Anna Lappe); 8:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Q&A and reception. Suggested donation: $5 to $15 on a sliding scale.

Autographed copies of Hope's Edge and Mad Cowboy will also be available for purchase. For more information and directions (a very short bus ride from the Metro to the front door of the Hall is available), check out http://www.ethicalsociety.org. For special requests, volunteering, or questions, call the VSDC Veg-Line at 362-VEGY or E-mail Lappe_Reception@dcearthsave.org. Stay tuned for more details. We look forward to seeing you at this exciting event!

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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING

DC Office Space and Office Equipment Needed
Emily Wofford, ejwofford@hotmail.com 

Four consultants forming small company seeking office space to share or sublet in DC. Can be anywhere in DC as long as Metro accessible. Seeking 600 to 1,500 sq. ft. with conference room available for occasional client meetings. Prefer flexible month-to-month lease. Please send E-mail to Emily Wofford at ejwofford@hotmail.com. Also looking for used desks, chairs, other office equipment.

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Thinking of Starting a Business
Arthur H. Jackson, Jr., ccadadc@aol.com 

Project 2005+, founded by entrepreneur Arthur H. Jackson, Jr., is seeking to recruit 2,005 small, women, and minority-owned businesses to assist with developing business plans and certifications as a DC local, small, or disadvantaged business and to assist with networking and marketing your business. Business owners may register for workshops and private consultants by contacting The AHJ Group at 240-508-5926 or E-mail ahjgroup@earthlink.net

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CLASSIFIEDS — PETS

Comfort for an Elderly Lady
Bonnie Miles, bmiles@stoneridge.org 

A retired woman had a stroke which required her to move to a nursing home, leaving behind her beloved cats: two female, spayed, healthy (up-to-date on inoculations), declawed, purebred, Siamese. They are mother and daughter, 5 and 3 years old, and will only be adopted together. Both have sweet dispositions; the mother cat is a bit shy and the daughter very friendly. Their human is very worried about them and prays that they are adopted into a permanent, loving home. Please contact Bonnie Miles directly at the above E-mail address if you can help. [Forwarded to themail by Kathy Smith, ksmith1804@starpower.net.] 

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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS

Housing Recommendations
Niesa Silzer, niesas@earthlink.net 

I need some advice about life in DC. I am coming to the area at the end of March and am looking for that elusive, three-bedroom furnished apartment/home. Any ideas for neighborhoods, companies, etc., would be most appreciated.

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Power Wash
Michael Tacelosky, tac@smokescreen.org 

I'm looking for someone to clean and power-wash a 6-car garage in the Dupont Circle area. Can anyone recommend someone for this job?

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