Timing Is Everything
Dear Timekeepers:
Bryce Suderow, in his message in this issue of themail, notes that he
was ridiculed and dismissed two and three years ago for criticizing
Chief Charles Ramsey, and by some of the very people who are now
belatedly discovering that his criticisms were correct. “Was my timing
off or what?” Suderow asks. “Is there a sixth sense that most people
possess that tells them when it's politically correct to criticize a
public official?”
Yes, Bryce, it is all a matter of timing. Both in politics and in the
press, there is no reward for discovery, for being early to understand
the truth of a situation. In politics, people pay a great cost for being
prematurely right. The trick to appearing both politically prescient and
also responsible and reasonable is to remain silent when the facts that
you know conflict with the popular misconception, to sense the moment
when people are finally ready to accept the truth, and to wait until
then to reveal what you have always known — just before it becomes the
commonly accepted wisdom.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Class Action Suit Challenging Across-the-Board Tax Assessment
Increases
Peter S. Craig, swedecraig@aol.com
Last September I filed a class action suit that challenged the
legality of across-the-board tax assessment increases in all
neighborhoods in Triennial Group 1 for tax year 2002. In January I filed
an amendment to challenge the same method in neighborhoods in Triennial
Groups 1 and 2. Now I am preparing a second amendment to challenge the
same “trending” methodology being used for 61,000 houses this year.
Homeowners interested in being joined as petitioners in the second
amendment (whose neighborhood was increased in this fashion) should
E-mail me at SwedeCraig@aol.com,
giving their names, addresses, neighborhoods, and square and lot
numbers.
[Peter Craig's class action suit is available at http://www.dcwatch.com/issues/tax020930.htm.
— Gary Imhoff]
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In response to previous postings: even if the new property
assessments might be making up for low assessments from a decade ago,
this is little comfort to those who have bought properties within the
past few years, only to see their assessments double in that time. While
DC may have a tax rate (.96 percent) that is slightly below that in
Montgomery County (about 1.1 percent in most cases) and Arlington County
(1.02 percent), DC's average home values are higher than surrounding
jurisdictions, according to data from the Metropolitan Council of
Governments (http://www.mwcog.org).
So the lower tax rate may well be nullified by the higher values that
the tax rate is multiplied by. In addition, Maryland caps real property
tax increases at ten percent per year. DC's twenty-five percent cap per
year, in contrast, results in a near doubling of taxes in three short
years (1.25 x 1.25 x 1.25 = 1.95). The DC's $30,000 homestead exemption
is so nominal to be hardly worth mentioning, producing an annual tax
bill savings of only $288.
It was argued that the cap might result in some people not paying
taxes on the full value of their homes while others do (since their home
values didn't increase as much). However, the issue is one of reasonable
expectations and ability to pay. When shopping for a house, home buyers
have a rational basis to follow Federal mortgage guidelines of devoting
28 percent or so of their gross income to mortgage payments consisting
of principal, interest, taxes and insurance. When the tax component of
that payment doubles in only three years, then the percentage of income
paid for housing dramatically increases, leading to the possibility of
mortgage default, especially in an economy in which incomes are not
increasing at the rate of property assessments. Just because your home
is worth $500,000 today doesn't mean you're wealthy in terms of income.
It may just mean that you're a moderate income family who bought a
$250,000 house a few years ago. Perhaps, you bought in such “wealthy
neighborhoods” not in Georgetown, but Columbia Heights, where
assessments have also increased by more than $100,000 per house. The
suggestion that people should borrow against the equity in their homes
to pay the increased tax still begs the question of how a homeowner is
going to pay the increased mortgage payments resulting from the home
equity loan. (Yes, some homeowners already have refinanced, so they
can't necessarily get significantly lower rates to compensate for the
increased debt amount as was suggested.)
Finally, a reminder: the need for all these taxes results from the
city's gross mismanagement of taxpayer revenue. The District spends more
money per resident for police and more money per pupil for education
than any other jurisdiction in the US. The result? One of the highest
crime rates and one of the lowest educational achievement rates in the
US. The city doesn't need more money, just competent management.
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In June 2001, Jonetta Rose Barras, then the City Paper's Loose
Lips columnist, wrote a piece about At-large Councilmember Harold Brazil
entitled “Ambulance Chaser,” suggesting that his private law
practice “raises all sorts of questions about where boundaries should
be drawn between DC councilmembers who are attorneys and constituents
who are easy prey.” [http://www.washingtoncitypaper.archives/lips/2001/lips0622.html]
In recent weeks, Brazil joined with attorney Jaina Reed to file a class
action civil complaint in US District Court regarding the Washington
Teachers Union scandal. Brazil and Reed wrote the complaint against the
WTU and the American Federation of Teachers and then Brazil went
shopping for teachers to sign on as his clients. One teacher who was
invited by Brazil to a meeting at his law office independently
characterized the approach as “ambulance chasing.” [The Reed-Brazil
suit is at http://www.dcwatch.com/schools/ps030225.htm.]
National Review contributing editor Deroy Murdock revived a telling
quotation in his recent article on DC schools, “Official Discovery:
DC Public Education Is a Disaster”: “Board of Education
President Peggy Cooper Cafrifz called about half of the DCPS teachers
incompetent. 'It's a large percent,' she told the Washington Post's
editorial board in remarks published February 22, 2001. 'It's probably
around 50 percent.' Hearing this, former Washington Teachers Union
president Barbara Bullock lifted off like an al-Samoud missile. 'That's
just like saying all black folks steal,' she fumed.” [http://www.nationalreview.com/murdock/murdock.asp]
What could Bullock have been thinking?
Tomorrow Mayor Williams will unveil his FY 2004 budget proposal as
well as realignments to the FY 2003 budget. During meetings with
Councilmembers and citizens last week, Williams previewed his options
for “tax revenue generation in 2004”: a five to six percent
surtax on net taxable income over $100,000; increasing the tax rate on
rental property from 96 cents to $1.40, $1.52, or $1.58 per $100 of
assessed value; charging sales tax on services like home repairs, dating
services, health clubs, car towing, security services, admission to
museums and live events, pet grooming, investment counseling, etc.;
increasing the tax on restaurant meals from ten percent to twelve
percent; increasing the tax on parking from twelve percent to eighteen
percent; increasing the tax on hotel rentals from 14.5 percent to
sixteen percent; and increasing the excise tax on alcoholic beverages.
All these taxes increases fall on individuals, not businesses; the Mayor
has promised to not increase business taxes in exchange for business
groups' support of an arena tax giveaway to investors in the Washington
Baseball Club.
Political insiders abound in shaky deals in sports and elsewhere.
This week the man who would be mayor in 2006, Eric Holder, was revealed
to be the DC Sports Commission's legal counsel at Covington and Burling.
While a lower-level attorney at the firm has made all the public
appearances at Sports Commission meetings, it turns out that Holder is
actually the partner at the firm who takes the position that the
Commission doesn't have to comply with Freedom of Information requests
or reveal to the public the money-losing contract it wrote for the Grand
Prix race. Max Brown, former Williams Deputy Chief of Staff, has now
been hired as a consultant to the Washington Baseball Club. Finally, Pat
Elwood, former vice-chairman of the Democratic State Committee,
successfully fought to have its books audited in the wake of spillover
scandal from the WTU. But the firm that was hired to do the “outside, independent” audit turned out to be Thompson, Cobb,
Basilio, a major contributor to Mayor Williams and a major recipient of
sweetheart contracts from the city.
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Cameras in High Crime Areas
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Someone has proposed that the DC Police Department install high tech
cameras in high crime areas to detect car theft and other crimes. This
is another wacky idea. The $16K cameras would last about eleven
nanoseconds as the guys who make that area a high crime area there would
enjoy a little target practice and take the cameras out. No, the answer
to making high crime areas safer does not lie with cameras, it can only
be solved by placing live police officers in those areas on constant 24
hour patrols. There should be at least two well trained police on every
block of a high crime area. That's the only way that will stop car theft
and other expensive crimes. C'mon Ramsey, do your job.
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On March 13th I went to the Sam's in Laurel, MD, and made the mistake
of thinking that it would be open at 9:30 a.m. In any event, I decided
to get some breakfast while I waited and drove across the street to the
Bob Evans and what do I see . . . four Metropolitan Police Cars in a
row: License 2646, car #8618; License 3015, car #8613; License 4198;
License 4275, car #1804; GT 3023, white SUV.
Inside, completing their meal in full uniform, not in DC. I wonder if
they were on the clock? Can they do that?
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When I need to travel around Capitol Hill, I generally take the 90 or
92 bus up 8th Street, NE. This afternoon, I was waiting for the bus at
the corner of 8th and F. I saw the bus approach and stepped into the
street and, to my surprise, the bus drove right past me. About twenty
minutes later, another bus came. This bus picked me up but it sailed on
past half a dozen commuters waiting at the next stop. The driver gave
the excuse that the bus was full and there were other buses coming
behind it. And this apparently was the reason the first bus passed me
by. In fact there was standing room on both busses. Has this happened to
anyone else?
In today's City Paper, Loose Lips mentions that there is a move afoot
to make Georgia Avenue a Business Improvement District. In case you
don't know, this means the merchants withhold taxes and hire their own
police, street sweepers and so forth. To my mind, it is not a good sign
that portions of the city are forming BIDs four years after Tony
Williams took office. Does anyone else think this?
I've noticed that a number of people have been complaining about
Chief Charles Ramsey these past few months, among them reporters like
Jason Cherkis and Loose Lips; City Council members like Phil Mendelsohn
and Kathy Patterson; and even some citizens. Yet when I tried to tell
Jason Cherkis that the Chief was a flop two years ago, he muttered that,
“He's better than Soulsby” and printed an article ridiculing
me. Loose Lips repeated the same story in her column. When I tried to
meet with Councilmember Mendolsohn, he sent one of his staff members to
see me instead, and the staff member praised the Chief. Kathy Patterson
told me the Chief was doing a great job. Citizens told me I was
negative. Was my timing off or what? Is there a sixth sense that most
people possess that tells them when it's politically correct to
criticize a public official?
###############
New Computers and Printers for Underserved DC Students to Own
Elizabeth Davis, lizday_1951@yahoo.com
Teachers at Sousa Middle School are working diligently to secure
Toshiba laptop computers and printers for every student at Sousa Middle
school on free or reduced lunch. The Beaumont Foundation of America (BFA),
a nonprofit philanthropic organization, is dedicated to enriching the
lives of individuals by providing technology to historically underserved
students, schools, and communities. BFA is committed to the principles
of digital inclusion, meaningful participation, and information
literacy, with the mission of providing access to information to
everyone, everywhere, anytime. The BFA was established with funds
generated by the settlement of a historic $2.1 billion class action
lawsuit. The Foundation will use $350 million in unclaimed funds to
provide state-of-the art Toshiba branded equipment to individuals and
institutions to all fifty states and the District of Columbia. This
year, the foundation will award grants in 21 states and the District of
Columbia.
Students in the District of Columbia Public schools in the free and
reduced lunch program, in low-income communities or households may
qualify for this technology package. DC schools that serve a high
percentage of students from low-income communities may also qualify for
a laptop lab by submitting a proposal by March 31. Teachers, parents,
and community institutions can contact the Beaumont Foundation toll free
at 1-866-505-2667 to get application guidelines. DC teachers can contact
Elizabeth Davis at Sousa Middle School, 645-6329, from 8:30 a.m. to
10:00 a.m. or from 3:10 to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or send a
request for a faxed copy of the application for students and schools to lizday_1951@yahoo.com.
DCPS teachers are encouraged to take advantage
of this opportunity for their students and school as this is the only
year in which DCPS can apply for the grants. Help to bridge the digital
divide in DC. Call today.
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Several weeks, a message was posted to themail by Alexander Padro,
announcing a February 27 Black History Month event, “Uplifting
Benjamin Banneker to His Rightful Place in American History,” at
the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. The title of the event,
now rescheduled to March 20th, struck me as odd, since his rightful
place had been fully established in The Life of Benjamin Banneker by
Silvio Bedini (NY: Charles Scribners Sons, 1972). Bedini's biography,
supported by 97 pages of reproduced documents, reference notes, and a
two-part annotated bibliography, is a model of historical detective
work. The second revised and expanded edition was published by the
Maryland Historical Society in 1999. It included new information on
Banneker's likely Wolof or Wolof-Peul ancestry. Banneker's achievements
include a hand-carved striking clock, three months work on the survey of
the District of Columbia as the assistant to surveyor Maj. Andrew
Ellicott, several almanacs containing ephemerides (tables showing the
positions of heavenly bodies at regular sequences during the calendar
year), and an antislavery petition to Secretary of State Thomas
Jefferson. These achievements of this largely self-taught farmer are
impressive; although he was born a free man, it was into a slave society
where free African-Americans were subject to a legal code and customs
that greatly limited their free status. His achievements deserve the
permanent recognition of a monument.
Curious to know what new information would lead to the uplifting of
Banneker, I read Cerami's book as well as information sent to me by Ms.
Peggy Seats, director of the Washington Independence Council, the
organizer of the event. I was shocked. Without any serious attempt to
document sources, they have attributed things to Banneker that
caricature him. In a flyer, copyrighted by Ms. Seats, there is the
undocumented claim that “Banneker completed [L'Enfant's] plans,
[and] incorporated many improvements and changes from the concept draft
commenced by L'Enfant. He and Major Ellicott's astronomic calculations
established Virgo and Cancer as dominant astrological influences over
the nation's new capitol (sic).” Here is an example of Cerami's
documentation: his book claims that Banneker was a descendant of the
Dogon, who purportedly were able to detect the star Sirius B long before
this star, invisible to the naked eye, was detected by a telescope in
1844. Cerami cites three sources of information. Two are Claudia
Zaslavsky's Africa Counts (1973, 1979, 1999) and Chukwuma Azuonye'
Dogon
(1996). Both describe the Dogon creation myths, but say nothing of
Banneker nor the assertion that the Dogon spotted Sirius B. Yet, Cerami
describes these two books as “two useful studies of Banneker's
probable ancestors.” It turns out that the Azuonye book is a
children's book, part of an African Heritage series, whose reading level
is listed on its website as 4-6 and interest level as 7-12. (http://www.rosenpublishing.com/showbook.cfm?id=175).
In response to my query, an editor stated that the book merely describes
the Dogon creation myth, but lists no sources. Cerami's third source is
as follows: “Several [people from Mali] have brightened when I
asked them about the Dogon, not only confirming what I had read in
books, . . .” (p. 239). Cerami does not list the 1999 Bedini book
in his bibliography, but oddly enough dismissively refers to the
above-cited new information on Banneker's Wolof ancestry that is only
found in Bedini's book; nor does he list any of the four sources that
Bedini cites.
It so happens that the Dogon-Sirius II tales are a popular staple on
UFO strange phenomenon sites, so much so that the Skeptical Inquirer
magazine published several articles carefully analyzing and debunking
these claims by tracing them to their origin. See: http://www.ramtops.demon.co.uk/dogon.html
and http://www.csicop.org/si/7809/sirius.html.
In fact, if one examines
some of the “strange phenomenon” sites, one would have to
conclude that Cerami's Banneker was descended from little green mermen
called Nommo. See: http://www.unmuseum.mus.pa.us/siriusb.htm.
It is
troubling to think that the Washington Interdependence Council is
planning a monument with a projected educational outreach program that
intends to publicize an image of Banneker based on fiction posing as
legitimate biography, pseudo science and undocumented claims. Here is
how Cerami justifies inventing the history of African Americans: “It is important to realize that applying the usual standards of
biographical writing to the lives of black persons in the eighteenth
century would leave them very little known indeed, . . . If the words or
thoughts of a black subject are limited to what can be proved beyond a
doubt, the person will be silenced forever.” (page 240). Cerami's
answer is pat his “black subject” on the head and describe him
in high school superlatives. He and his hosts don't seem to realize that
this treatment is as demeaning as ignoring his achievements. It should
also be of great concern that this event is being linked to the
Smithsonian Institution. It is taking place in the National Museum of
African Art; it features Ms. Jeannine Clark, regent emeritus of the
Smithsonian; and it has gone out of its way to pretend that the
scholarly achievement of longtime Smithsonian curator and official, and
author of several histories on colonial era science and technology is
being intentionally ignored. Benjamin Banneker deserves recognition;
neither he nor the people of this country deserve this.
###############
I inaccurately reported that Mark Shields was the first syndicated
columnist to come out in favor of the DC first-in-the-nation
Presidential primary. Let the record show that Marc Fisher was the first
syndicated columnist to favor the proposal in his article, “Early
Primary Is DC Saying: 'Bring It On,'” published in The Washington
Post on February 20. His column appears in newspapers across the
country. But who is THIRD? I can't recall! There has been so much
positive press, and the effort has only just begun. Which candidates are
you thinking about supporting, DC'ers?
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The Importance of Fixing DC’s Rainy Day Fund
Ed Lazere, lazere@dcfpi.org
The District has set aside more than $250 million in local tax
revenues in a rainy day fund. But strict federal rules make it virtually
impossible for local leaders to access this valuable resource to address
the city's fiscal crisis. While the vast majority of states, including
Maryland and Virginia, have tapped their rainy day fund in recent years,
DC has not.
A new DCFPI report, Fixing DC's Rainy Day Fund, finds that DC's rainy
day fund rules are the strictest in the nation. The report includes
recommendations for modifying these rules to adopt the best features of
rainy day funds in other states. The recommended changes would ensure
that the rainy day fund is built up when fiscal conditions are strong,
and they also would give policy makers greater flexibility to use the
reserve when budget conditions deteriorate. The report and one-page
summary can be found at http://www.dcfpi.org/3-13-03sfp2.pdf and http://www.dcfpi.org/3-13-03sfp.pdf.
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Tax Saving Facade Easement Donation
Paul K. Williams, paul@washingtonhistory.com
You have seen those little stars on house facades, ever wonder what
they are? It's a historic facade easement, and, if you in one of the
city's 26 historic districts, chances are you are eligible for “donating” your front facade to a local nonprofit and getting
an income tax deduction equal to 10-15 percent of you home's value!
Since you're already in a historic district, no substantial additional
review is necessary for future facade changes, and real estate agents
agree that a donation does not affect value. All new easement clients
receive a fully researched and illustrated house history, a service only
we can offer! As always, many happy themail customers served! Learn more
at http://washingtonhistory.com/Easements/index.html.
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Traffic Priorities
John Whiteside, johnwhiteside at earthlink dot net
I was flabbergasted by Gary's assertion that red light tickets should
not be a priority for traffic enforcement. Gary seems to think that
ticketing red light runners is a way to rake in cash by going after a
minor offense. In fact, the city's poor enforcement of red light
violations is a threat to everyone who lives and works here. Red light
running is incredibly dangerous. Having another vehicle hit the
passenger compartment of your car from the side is one of the most
severe kinds of accidents you'll have on city streets. Most people
running the light are moving fast, compounding the danger. It's bad
enough if you're in a car — but what about pedestrians? Maybe I'm just
sensitive to this because I've been hit (in my car) by a red light
runner, and I've seen someone hit by a fast-moving car twenty feet from
me.
In a truly sad coincidence, just after the last themail came out, a
red light running critically injured two young boys on Georgia Avenue.
Maybe in a city where people expect to get tickets for running lights,
that wouldn't have happened.
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Traffic Versus Parking Enforcement
James Treworgy, jamie@trewtech.com
Regarding John Whiteside's comment about enforcement in DC. I agree
completely that traffic enforcement is virtually nonexistent. I've seen
people blow red lights right next to a cop, and the officer didn't even
blink. On the other hand, my experience has been that rush-hour parking
is heavily enforced. Every time I've been foolish enough to forget I was
parked in one of those I've had a ticket moments after 4:00 p.m. Towing
is another matter, but realistically that's a logistical problem and we
can't expect DC to be able to tow all those cars away every day. Just
wouldn't happen, and would make the traffic problem even worse while the
cars were being towed anyway.
My take on law enforcement in DC is that when there's a net profit to
be made, they do it, and do it well. Like parking enforcement. This year
they're upping the price tag for all violations, and upping the number
of ticket writers. The only rationale is revenue, since this was already
DC's most efficient operation. Traffic violations, on the other hand,
take a lot of effort. A policeman has to physically stop the car, pull a
driving record, write a ticket, haul you downtown for a night in prison
if your registration or driver's license has expired, and so on, taking
probably on average 15-30 minutes per stop, and netting only about 50
bucks for that investment. Why bother? Sure, it helps public safety, but
this operation is about extracting as much money per city employee as
possible, not improving safety.
[I seem to have a lot of difficulty making my complaint clear. In the
past, Dorothy and I, too, have been hit by a car speeding through a red
light, and it wasn't pleasant. But repeated reports in the Washington
Times and by the AAA suggest strongly that at least many, if not most,
of the cameras in DC's red light camera program are placed where they
will generate the maximum revenue, not at the most dangerous
intersections. — Gary Imhoff]
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John Campbell derisively refers to Klingle Road as a short cut,
implying that anyone who would desire to use that route is somehow
cheating or doing something underhanded. That tactic has become such a
standard part of the anti-road repertoire that I almost expected to read
that Saddam Hussein was in favor of short cuts too! And then the
business about Klingle Road's being nothing more than an old Indian
path/wagon trail that was later converted into a road — as if most of
our major roads don't have similar ancestry. Let's face it, the purpose
of any road is to move traffic, and Klingle Road did that quite well
until it was washed out. The mere fact that it runs past Mr. Campbell's
house does not strike me as sufficient reason to keep it closed to those
who need a less congested way to get across town.
###############
March 2003 Intowner
Peter Wolff, intowner@intowner.com
This is to advise that the March 2003 on-line edition has been
uploaded and may be accessed at http://www.intowner.com.
Included are
the lead stories, community news items and crime reports, editorials
(including prior months' archived), restaurant reviews (prior months'
also archived), and the text from the ever-popular “Scenes from the
Past” feature. Also included are all current classified ads. The
complete issue (along with prior issues back to September 2001) also is
available in PDF file format by direct access from our home page at no
charge simply by clicking the link provided. Here you will be able to
view the entire issue as it looks in print, including the new ABC Board
actions report, all photos and advertisements. The next issue will
publish on April 11. The complete PDF version will be posted by early
that Friday morning, following which the text of the lead stories,
community news, and selected features will be uploaded shortly
thereafter.
To read this month's lead stories, simply click the link on the home
page to the following headlines: 1) Historic Heurich Mansion's Pending
Sale Will Ensure Preservation and Public Access; 2) O Street Market Will
Be Saved — Shaw Neighbors Relieved; 3) Historic 10th Street Church on
Track to Be Saved — Seen Endangered by New Developer, Not by Nature; 4)
911 Failure Allegations Confirmed — Disciplinary Action, Firings
Underway; 5) Residents Waited Three Weeks As Uncollected Boxes Attracted
Rats.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Street Sweeping and Parking Restrictions Return, March 17
Mary Myers, DPW, mary.myers@dc.gov
Monday is the day.
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Rally for DC Interim Disability Assistance, March 19
T.J. Sutcliffe, tjsutcliffe@some.org
SOME and other supporters of DC's Interim Disability Assistance (IDA)
program are alarmed by Mayor William's proposal to zero out all funds
for IDA for the rest of 2003 and all of 2004 (a total of $4.9 million)
to help close projected citywide budget shortfalls of over $231 million.
Over 800 low-income residents with disabilities currently receive IDA as
their sole or primary source of income while awaiting approval for
federal disability benefits. Funds for IDA are capped in 2003, but
statistics on rates of application for Social Security disability
programs indicate that over 6,200 DC residents could qualify for a fully
implemented IDA program.
Join DC residents, IDA recipients and supporters as we rally next
Wednesday, March 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Freedom Plaza (13th
and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW), to call on District leaders to preserve
IDA in 2003 and fully fund the program in 2004. For more information,
call T.J. Sutcliffe, SOME, 797-0701 ext. 107, or Scott McNeilly,
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, 872-1925.
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Public Library Budget Rally and Hearing, March 20
Alex Padro, padroanc2c@aol.com
A rally calling for increased funding for the DC Public Library will
take place this Thursday, March 20, at 9:00 a.m., on the steps of the
John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The rally is
being planned by the DC Library Renaissance Project, the initiative
launched late last year by Ralph Nader to help organize community
support of the DC Public Library and call for increased public and
private funding for the library and its many programs. The Council's
Committee on Education, Libraries, and Recreation will be holding a
public hearing on the library system's FY 2004 budget immediately
following the rally, at 9:30 a.m., in the fifth floor Council chamber at
the Wilson Building. Everyone concerned with further reductions in
library hours and possible permanent closure of library branches based
on budget cuts is encouraged to attend the rally and register to speak
at the hearing. Contact Kristy Tate at Councilmember Kevin Chavous'
office at KTATE@dccouncil.washington.dc.us
or 724-8068 to be put on the
witness list for the hearing. You can also send written testimony via
E-mail or snail mail. For more information on the rally or how you can
help support our public libraries, contact the DC Library Renaissance
Project at 387-0172.
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Rescheduled Benjamin Banneker Event, March 20
Alex Padro, padroanc2c@aol.com
The Black History Month Event honoring Benjamin Banneker, the first
African American man of science, an astronomer and mathematician who
also helped survey the District of Columbia in 1791, originally
scheduled for February 27, but cancelled due to snow, will take place
this Thursday, March 20, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Smithsonian
Institution's National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Avenue,
SW. The event, entitled "Uplifting Benjamin Banneker to His
Rightful Place in American History" and featuring the author of a
recent biography of Banneker and a Banneker reenactor, is free and no
reservations are required. The event is being cosponsored by the
Washington Interdependence Council, sponsors of the Benjamin Banneker
Memorial planned for the L'Enfant Promenade in Southwest Washington, and
the National Museum of African Art.
The event will mark the establishment of the Banneker Ambassador
Society, dedicated to advancing the cause of erecting a memorial to
Banneker in Washington. Participants will hear from Charles Cerami,
author of Benjamin Banneker: Surveyor, Astronomer, Publisher,
Patriot and actor/storyteller Bill Grimmette, portraying Benjamin
Banneker. The co-chairs for the event are Jeannine Clark, Regent
Emeritus, Smithsonian Institution, and Charles Hicks, Chair, DC Black
History Commission. For more information on the event and the Benjamin
Banneker Memorial, contact the Washington Interdependence Council at
387-3380.
###############
How To Disseminate a Compelling Message in 30 Seconds, March 29
Barbara Conn, bconn@cpcug.org
The Capital PC User Group Entrepreneurs and Consultants SIG (CPCUG
E&C SIG) is partnering with ebiz to present an unabridged Elevator
Speech Workshop led by presentation coach extraordinaire Bob Bailey. At
this workshop all attendees get personal coaching to set themselves
apart from others at networking events and elsewhere. Attendees learn a
step-by-step fail-safe approach to creating a memorable,
action-inspiring introduction. Attend this workshop and learn how to get
results, rather than disappointment, and attract the people who can help
you in your business.
This 2.5-hour workshop is Saturday, March 29. Check-in is at 12:50
p.m.; workshop begins promptly at 1:00 p.m. at the Inter-American
Development Bank (Annex Building), 1350 New York Avenue, NW, Room B-300
(southeast corner of 14th Street and New York Avenue, NW). Location is
within two blocks of Metro Center. Garage parking is available nearby.
Advance registration and payment required. Everyone gets personal
coaching. Only twelve slots remain! Members: $99 (early bird rate).
Nonmembers: $120 (early bird rate). To register, contact Karen at the
CPCUG Office, 301-762-9372. (If you get voice mail, please leave a
message with your name, phone number, name of the workshop, and best
day/time to return your call.) For more information, http://www.cpcug.org/user/entrepreneur/Workshop-ElevatorSpeech.html.
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23rd Annual Janney Auction, April 4
Elisabeth Vandivier, libbyv@megapathdsl.net
Please consider supporting an outstanding elementary school at its
annual fundraiser on Saturday, April 5. The Janney School auction will
be held at St. Columba's Church at 4201 Albemarle Street, NW, from 7-11
p.m. and, for a very reasonable $20 admission, includes food and drink
and the opportunity to bid on items large and small, from art work to
vacations. In addition, raffle tickets are on sale for a series of cash
prizes, topping out at $10,000! Contact any Janney parent for tickets or
call Elizabeth Vandivier on 537-9001 for info.
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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
A friend of mine recently broke her foot and needs rides to and from
work. Does anyone regularly commute from Nebraska and Utah to 18th and
M? She will pay; if interested, please E-mail her at coknauth@aol.com.
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I got a great response from readers of themail on my (piteous) query
about good roof n’ gutter people. Proving once again, ya just gotta
know who ta ask. I thought others might be interested, so here’s the
haul. Readers of themail have had good experiences with: 1) Corley
Roofing, 301-894-4460 (“a family business of real integrity and
quality. They have done very good work for me over fifteen years”).
2) Phil DiBello Roofing, offices in DC and Baltimore, 301-652-7227
(“they did an excellent job on my roof and gutters”). 3)
Richard Deering, WeatherTech, 240-535-5535 (“very easy to work
with, and very highly skilled in both basic roofing/gutter systems and
in restoring original materials and craftsmanship”). 4) Beaver’s
Roofing, 301-864-8755 (“knows a lot about slate roofs and . . .
doesn’t recommend doing things not needing to be done”). 5) Tracy
Tomlinson, Tomlinson Company, Bethesda, 301-913-9111 (“friend . . .
told me he had a really good experience”). 6) Dave Roberson,
483-7362, 301-502-7777. 7) L and M Contracting, David Lindeman, in DC on
Alaska Avenue (“the most competent, honest and reasonable roofing
contractor I’ve ever used”).
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