Sweetness and Light
Dear Music Appreciators:
In the past few days, I listened to several different versions of
“Blues in the Night” that were recorded in 1942. The artists
included Cab Calloway, Dinah Shore, Jimmie Lunceford, Woody Herman, and
Benny Goodman's band with Peggy Lee. The first thing that occurred to me
was how strong the American music scene was in the 1940's, how many good
composers and lyricists and performers there were. Harold Arlen and
Johnny Mercer could write a good song, with a strong, memorable melody
and catchy, easily understandable lyrics, and dozens of performers could
record it in their own distinctive syles to appeal to their own fans and
have hits records with it. And a song would last — Rosemary Clooney
would release a hit record of “Blues in the Night” a decade later,
in 1952; and Brook Benton would even later. No wonder record companies
are complaining about failing sales of CD's. What new music is being
released with this kind of appeal?
The second thing that occurred to me was the weakness of American
popular music, evident in these recordings, that led in the middle
1950's to the triumph of rock and roll and rhythm and blues over the
popular styles of the previous decades. All of these versions share an
excessive sweetness, an almost sticky and sickly sweetness, and a light,
cheerful treatment. “Blues in the Night” is a blues, and a fairly
dark one. “My mama done tol' me / When I was in kneepants / My mama
done tol' me, Son! / A woman'll sweet talk / And give ya the big eye /
But when the sweet talkin's done / A woman's a two-face / A worrisome
thing who'll leave ya t' sing the blues in the night.” But all of the
versions here are upbeat, almost bouncy. Except for Peggy Lee, whose
throaty treatment cuts through the Goodman band's sweetness, and who
sings a trumpet-like scat bridge that is almost a wail, there's no
sorrow, no depth, no rough edges.
So what does this have to do with DC? Not much, except that sweetness
and light have great appeal, but eventually grow tiresome, and when you
sing the blues you have to feel it.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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The Mayor’s Potemkin Village
Jim Myers, hilleast@aol.com
Early last week, I noticed workmen replacing bullet-riddled glass
windows at Payne Elementary School across from my house on C Street, SE.
The bullet holes had been there for eight or ten years, so I was
surprised and thought, “Finally!” Later in the week, more repairmen
descended on Payne in the evening. Among other things, they replaced
ceiling panels in the foyer by the main entrance that had been damaged
by water from a leaking roof. Neighbors are pleased when something
positive happens at Payne, which like many schools in the District often
lacks essentials like books and supplies. We neighbors have done a
little — far too little — in securing outside funds for air
conditioners or books for a functioning library. Recently, we fussed to
police about the drug dealers on the corners across from Payne. Some of
these guys had been operating in the neighborhood for a decade or more,
going back to the era of the oldest bullet holes, and until recently,
drugs deals were pretty much all you saw outside the Payne library
windows — day, night, whenever. Last week, neighbors were fussing,
too, because they found out that the corner takeout across from Payne,
where the kids buy sodas and candy bars, was also selling crack pipes,
little glass tubes with a tiny plastic flower inside.
I did not find out until late in the week that Payne was actually
being fixed up for Mayor Williams' Health Summit. I was disappointed to
realize that the bullet holes had not been removed for the sake of our
kids but for the Mayor's visit. Nevertheless, I looked in on the summit
and saw Health Department employees everywhere; they appeared to be by
far the largest group at the summit. The second largest group was
critics of the mayor's health program, who had a multitude of questions
and points to make, but the mayor skipped out of the room when some of
the critics spoke. However, members of both groups, the critics and the
Health Department workers, agreed with me that actual consumers of
District health services were in short supply at the summit. Most said
that the event was hastily thrown together at Payne and hardly
publicized in the community.
So in that respect, the summit was a bust. But Payne got a few
bullet-riddled windows replaced and new ceiling tiles in the foyer. As
the mayor's dark motorcade swept off into the distance, I mentioned the
repairs to one of the active parents with whom I sometimes discuss the
things that Payne needs. “At least they fixed the roof,” I said. She
looked at me like I was crazy. No, they hadn't fixed the roof at all,
just the ceiling panels that were visible. In fact, there must have been
water up there from an overnight rain, because a few drops started
dripping on my head as we spoke. I only wish the mayor could have
experienced it.
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Lowering of Property Tax Rate for Large
Apartment Buildings
Warren Gorlick, wgorlick@cftc.gov
In an earlier submission, I commented on the fact that it appears
that DC's proposed assessments for large apartment buildings were much
lower (as a percentage of actual market value), than for owner-occupied
single family dwellings. Here is another interesting quirk in the
assessment process for such buildings: the rate for residential
properties that did not qualify for the homestead deduction (i.e., that
are owned by someone other than the occupant of the building), was for
many years $1.54 per $100 of assessed value. By contrast, the rate for
owner-occupied buildings was (and remains) .96 per $100 of assessed
value. But magically, the $1.54 rate has simply disappeared, and now
investor-owned housing, whether single family or multifamily, also pay
only the .96 tax rate that owner-occupied dwellings pay. (These tax
rates are available on DC's web site: http://cfo.dc.gov/services/tax/property/rates.shtm).
Doing some Internet research of stories on the Washington Post, I
saw that as recently as 1997 the rate was still 1.54 for investor-owned
housing, and was apparently lowered since that time. However, I could
not find even one story in the Post that discussed the fact that
the Council apparently decided to lower rates for owners of apartment
buildings.
Of course, some will argue that it is only fair to tax investor-owned
and owner-occupied housing at the same rate, and it could also be argued
that renters pay the higher property taxes through higher rents. But in
reality, since the lowering of the rates sometime during the past five
years, rents have increased at an extremely high rate, with the only
apparent limitation on rent increases being DC's rather tepid rent
control laws. Nobody but the apartment owners themselves benefited by
the 40 percent reduction in their tax rate, and it appears that now the
DC government is trying to recoup the lost revenue by aggressively
increasing assessments on owner-occupied housing. Shame on the Post
for not covering this story. If anyone has details about how this
decrease in the tax rate occurred, I would be most interested in finding
out.
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Taxicab One Dollar Gasoline Surcharge
R. Jimmy James, shakespeare06@hotmail.com
For those of you tired of paying the Cab Commission's one dollar
gasoline surcharge, when gasoline prices are falling consistently, voice
your opinion to the DC Cab Commission. The Commission will be holding a
vote on whether to repeal the gasoline surcharge. Send an E-mail to dctc@dc.gov.
More information is available at http://dctaxi.dc.gov/main.shtm.
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Try Looking Somewhere Else
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aoldotcom
With a relatively small cut proposed for the DC school budget for the
next school year, the officials in the DC school system have predictably
announced that there will be layoffs of classroom teachers. That's a big
joke, since the bloated bureaucracy of the school system is not in the
classrooms. It is in that corps of paper pushers in the school
administration who don't know how many students are in the schools or
how many employees are legitimately alive and working in the system.
A 25 percent cut in administration would likely result in much more
efficient and effective DC school system and free up money to employ
some effective teachers for the kids in our schools. And, don't forget,
it's the Teachers' Union that demands that those classroom teachers who
will be let go will be those who are the brightest and best newly hired
teachers.
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DC Led Nation in Internet Fraud Complaints in
2001
Gabe Goldberg, gabe@gabegold.com
I'm just the messenger. “Washington, DC led the nation last year in
the rate of Internet fraud complaints, according to the Internet Fraud
Complaint Center (IFCC), a Richmond-based joint venture of the FBI and
the National White Collar Crime Center. Nearly 40 of every 100,000
residents in DC filed complaints with the IFCC, topping Hawaii (33),
Alaska (31) and Colorado (30). All told, the IFCC said that it referred
48,252 fraud complaints to federal, state and local law enforcement
authorities last year, about triple the number from 2001. The total
dollar loss from the cases was $54 million, up from $17 million. For the
third straight year, Internet auction fraud was the most reported
offense, comprising 46% of complaints. 'As online usage continues to
climb, consumer education must focus not only on preventive strategies,
but also on where an individual can turn for help,' said Richard
Johnston, director of the National White Collar Crime Center. http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/strategy/2002_IFCCReport.pdf.”
###############
Questions: Does anyone remember when the District government actually
worked -- when all the agencies were run responsibly, when those
appointed by the mayor were actually qualified, when greed was not the
determining factor in decision-making, and was there a time when the
children, in the District's care, were actually protected and safe?
Answers?
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Parachuting to Safety
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
The bailout of key aides to mayor Tony Williams continues. There has
been a continuous merry-go-round of rats leaving his ship over the last
four years. In the last four years there has been no significant change
in the size or shape of the bloated bureaucracy of the DC government.
Instead we have had a series of scandals, some caused and created by the
same aides who have managed to parachute to safety. And, now, even top
aide Koskinen is leaving in September. It looks like any efforts to
reform the DC government will be left to the next mayor four years from
now.
The score for the Williams administration remains at bureaucracy 4,
Williams 0, for his first four years in office.
###############
[Reply to Naomi Monk, themail April 6] I am mystified by your reply
to John Aravosis’ posting concerning the failure of 911. Mr. Aravosis’
posting concerned the failure of the 911 telephone system. Specifically,
due to understaffing of qualified call takers, citizens who try to call
911 are often unable to get through. The Chief's misrepresentations
concerning this matter are well documented on http://www.SafeStreetsDC.com,
including his testimony before the City Council directly contradicting
his previous statements. Your proposed solution is citizen participation
in community policing? I don’t get it. Should the citizens tell their
local PSA Lieutenants to make sure that the 911 call takers answer the
phone?
Meanwhile, if you had watched the Council's recent oversight and
budget hearings on MPD, you would have seen numerous witnesses testify
how they've attempted to participate in community policing, but MPD
doesn’t respond. It’s simply an insult to blame the citizens for
Mud's failures. Should Cleveland Park residents conduct 24-hour
surveillance to stop the rash of car break-ins in their neighborhood?
No, that's what the police are for. District residents pay the highest
amount per capita for policing of any major city in the US. It's about
time we started getting our money's worth.
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Hatch Act Alternatives
Lars Hydle, larshydle@aol.com
On the one hand, the federal Hatch Act is another federal law that
applies uniquely to DC. Moreover, it prevents tens of thousands of DC
residents who are federal employees from participating fully in the
political life of DC. On the other hand, the principles of the Hatch Act
— preventing senior officials from taking advantage of their positions
and protecting DC employees from partisan pressure — are sound. Most
states, I believe, have Hatch-like acts with respect to their own
employees. If DC were part of a state such as Maryland, we could be
governed by their Hatch Act equivalent.
Some might suggest that we write our own Hatch Act for DC employees.
But what body would enforce it? Perhaps the Board of Elections and
Ethics would be the logical candidate, but the three members of the BOEE
are appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Council,
for terms of only three years. After the BOEE rejected the Mayor's
flawed election petitions last year, the Mayor refused or failed to
renominate at least one Member. Like it or not, the federal government
serves as a check or balance on the DC government. To function
effectively and to forestall federal interference, we need some other
checks and balances.
###############
Hatch Act and Nonpartisan Office
Ralston Cox, Dupont Circle, ralstoncox@earthlink.net
I agree with (most) of Gary Imhoff's statements about the protections
provided government employees by the Hatch Act; as a government employee
who works closely with political appointees, I can see how abuse of
staff could easily slip into the system without these protections in
place. Thankfully I've never had such a problem, but the Washington
Post articles about the shenanigans in the Mayor's office suggests
that not everyone has been as lucky as I have been.
While the protections are great, so are the hurdles it places in the
way of potential candidates for public office. As Eric Gaull points out,
how many people can afford to resign their jobs to run for office if
they happen to work in the public sector? And it's exactly those folks
who work in local government that may know what's wrong with the system
and want to get elected to try to fix it. A potential solution? Make all
elected offices in the Distinct nonpartisan (with the exception of the
Mayor's office — recent events underscore the fact that the folks who
work around the Mayor certainly need the protection of the Hatch Act!).
We could get rid of these ridiculous party labels that mean virtually
nothing and have primaries and general elections that actually serve as
a citywide political weeding process on issues — imagine that. No more
voting by party label. Folks would actually have to say what they stood
for and why I should vote for them. What a concept.
And a side benefit? Does anyone think that we'd still have that
foolish Harold Brazil in office if it weren't for the eccentricities of
the at-large system that practically guaranteed him a seat (after Marion
Barry decided not to run) just because he was a “Democrat”? Just
think.
###############
As Federal worker who has tried to remain politically active under
the restrictions of the Hatch Act, I wanted to add a short comment on
the discussion in themail of its applicability to District workers. In
the April 9 edition of themail, Eric Gaull argues that the inclusion of
District workers in the Hatch Act creates a hurdle for government
workers to run for office. True, but the hurdle is apparently not
insurmountable, considering that the current District mayor's previous
job was covered by the Hatch Act. When Mr. Gaull and Howard Croft had to
make the choice between running for office and staying in the District
government, they both decided that they had to leave their Hatched
positions. This hurdle is created not just in the District, but for any
Federal worker, including Federal school teachers, no matter where they
live.
In the same edition of the mail, Bill Mosley argues that the Hatch
Act is an imposition on District sovereignty, arguing that District
workers should be exempted from it. Unfortunately, as long as the
District's entire budget is considered to be part of the Federal budget,
the District's workers will be paid by Federal funds and therefore
subject to restrictions imposed on Federal workers. The Hatch Act is far
down on the list on laws that have to be changed in order for the
District to get its sovereignty. Both Mr. Gaull and Mr. Mosley, however,
miss the main point. The Hatch Act was supposed to prevent civil
servants from being pressed to work on partisan political campaigns by
elected officials and their political appointees. Unfortunately, the
last District election saw what can happen when the Hatch Act is totally
ignored. District workers took leave from their jobs to work on the
Mayor's campaign full-time. Whole offices of the District government
were shut down the week prior to the election as workers were pressed to
volunteer (apparently using their own annual leave) for electoral
duties. The last election, where as much of the District government
resources as possible were steered to the election of one incumbent,
illustrates all that can go wrong if there are no restrictions on the
use of civil servants for electoral activities.
If the Hatch Act is too restrictive on the electoral rights of
District employees, there is nothing preventing the DC Council from
passing a law outlining rules governing the electoral activities of
District government workers in order to point out the protections they
would have if they were exempted by the Hatch Act. However, I would not
expect for the Hatch Act to disappear soon. When Anthony Williams had
the choice between violating the Hatch Act or the reporting requirements
of the District's Campaign Finance law, he chose the latter.
###############
Missing the Point
John Whiteside, johnwhiteside at earthlink dot net
Adam Eidinger, in response to my complaints about Bikes Not Bombs,
completely misses my point. He says that the rides are not intended to
interfere with traffic but rather to “maintain resistance to the war
in Iraq.” Ignoring for a moment how incredibly vague that notion is,
Eidinger is being dishonest here; the tactic to “maintain
resistance” has been, quite explicitly, to interfere with rush hour
— and in fact some of Eidinger's fellow riders E-mailed me to talk
about why they feel it is necessary to interfere with traffic! Eidinger
also complains that I referred to him as a spokesman for the group. I'm
aware there is no official spokesperson, but Eidinger keeps popping up
giving comments on it in news stories, so he's got the role whether it's
official or not. I'll assume it's just the normal instinct of a
politician to grab the microphone.
But the larger point seems to have gone over his head. I agree with
Eidinger and company about a lot of things, including the war and our
over-reliance on cars. That's what's so frustrating about seeing a
pointless action which educates nobody, changes nobody's mind,
communicates nothing to anyone (most of the news coverage has been about
the impact of the events, not their purpose), alienates those of us who
agree with them, hardens the viewpoints of those who don't agree, and
accomplishes nothing toward any of the stated goals of the event.
I'll respect Eidinger and vote for him when I see him doing something
constructive to increase investment in public transit, improve traffic
enforcement so it's safe on the streets for bikes and people, protest
sprawl development instead of Dupont residents, advance a citywide plan
to build bike lanes, etc. That's harder work and less glamorous that
riding a bike and getting some air time, but it's what will actually
help accomplish the things that Bikes Not Bombs claims to want.
###############
I commend Adam Eidinger for his courageous actions and for his fine
letter [themail, April 9]. Millions of DC tax dollars have been wasted
on the police-state tactics of our police chief over the past few years;
the lawsuits he is fighting will cost us more. It's this antidemocratic
attitude that's the problem, not citizens exercising their
Constitutional rights.
I had never heard of Mr. Eidinger before this controversy, but if he
runs again for public office again, I'm surely voting for him. It's
about time someone got out in front and put his body where his
convictions are. Go, Bikes Not Bombs!
###############
Never thought it would happen, but Blessing and Barron expressed my
sentiments exactly! Let Virginia have all of that baseball foolishness,
and as a bonus they can have that damn Tony Williams, too.
###############
This is to advise that the April 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 May 9. 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) “Logan Circle Liquor Report OK'd
by ANC 2F; 'Voluntary Agreements' Seen as Key Element,” 2) “Fresh
Fields Announces Deal With Developer to Join Target in Columbia Heights
Project,” 3) “Derelict House Worries Neighbors; Tax Breaks for Owner
Also An Issue.”
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
DC Voting Rights Day Rally, April 15
Kevin Kiger, DC Vote, kkiger@dcvote.org
5:00 p.m. on Freedom Plaza (Pennsylvania Avenue and 13th Street, NW)
Sponsored by DC Vote -- http://www.dcvote.org.
This year DC Vote is holding a rally to unite the community in action to
end taxation without representation. The City Council will stand with
Mayor Anthony Williams as he signs the permanent legislation that will
make the DC presidential primaries first in the nation next January.
Michelle Dollie Wright, Miss District of Columbia, USA, 2003 will serve
as event emcee for the event. The Lesbian & Gay Chorus of
Washington, DC, the Voices of People Choir, and poets Kenny Combs and
Migna B. Taveras will provide entertainment. And you can learn about all
the activities going on in the voting rights movement.
Come and raise your voices to end taxation without representation for
Washington, DC, residents. Local and national civil and human rights
organizations will be giving out information on this issue and about
ways you can get more involved. You will also have the chance to join
with Congresswoman Norton as she sends the US Treasury a strong message
on an oversized check that “Taxation Without Representation is
Tyranny!” Visit http://www.dcrabble.org
for more information about the activity.
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Howard Dean at Woman’s National Democratic
Club, April 15
Pat Bitondo, pbitondo@aol.com
Come, meet, and hear former Governor Howard Dean of Vermont on
Tuesday, April 15, at 5:00 p.m. at the Woman's National Democratic Club,
1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW. Champagne and cheese reception, $25.00.
Make reservations with Patricia Fitzgerald at 232-7363, Extension 3003,
or E-mail pfitzgerald@democraticwoman.org.
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Staying Out of Trouble with the IRS, April 19
Barbara Conn, bconn@cpcug.org
Former Internal Revenue Agent Richard Chisholm will share tips on
preventing IRS problems for yourself and your business and tips and
techniques for responding to and resolving IRS questions and inquiries
when they do arise. An overview of taxpayer rights during IRS
investigations and audits will be included in the presentation as well.
Gather your questions, friends, and colleagues and bring them to the
Saturday, April 19, 1:00 p.m. (check-in: 12:50 p.m.), meeting of the
Capital PC User Group (CPCUG) Entrepreneurs and Consultants Special
Interest Group (SIG).
Meetings are free and are held each month, usually on the third
Saturday, usually at the Cleveland Park Library (Second Floor Large
Meeting Room) at 3310 Connecticut Avenue, NW, just a block and a half
south of the Cleveland Park Metrorail station and half a block south of
the Cineplex Odeon Uptown movie theater. For more information about the
seminar, the speaker, CPCUG (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational
organization), and to register for the meeting, visit http://www.cpcug.org/user/entrepreneur/403meet.html.
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On Easter Sunday, April 20, all are invited to a potluck community
dinner from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Studio House at Walbridge with your World
Grandparents, Hilda and Charlie Mason. We are celebrating the life of
David Bethuel Jamieson (1963-1992) with in memoriam, a special
exhibition of works from the last series produced by the artist.
Selections from the series have been traveling in the past year to
Unitarian churches in the communities where David lived and worked; now
the works have come home. Please join us! For more information, please
call 319-7656 or E-mail studiohouse.walbridge@verizon.net.
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Your Brain Is Not Ready for Da’ Jont, April
22
LaTanya D. Wright, lwright@mambosauce.com
On Tuesday, April 22, Maximum Level Entertainment and MamboSauce
Entertainment will host a Premiere Party for MamboSauce's nationally
syndicated TV show, “Da' Jont!” “Da' Jont!” is a half-hour
variety show that features the hottest DC rising stars in music,
standup, and original (Mad TV-style) sketch comedy! Our comedy sketches
are DC-based.
The Premiere Party will be at the Aqua Restaurant & Nightclub
located at 1818 New York Avenue, NE. Doors open at 7 p.m. The cost is $5
in advance and $10.00 at the door. Not only will the show be first
broadcast at this party, there will be a $50 open mic comedy competition
(the winner will also get to appear on Da' Jont), a DJ, and networking.
On Thursday, April 24, the show will premiere on DCTV at 8:30 p.m. It
will also premiere on MD and VA cable access channels and on the
Internet at http://www.mambosauce.com.
MamboSauce was founded in 2002 by three DC natives — two from NW,
one from SE — and all proud DC Public School graduates (that is
something to brag about and also provides plenty of material for sketch
comedy). MamboSauce also specializes in providing competitively priced
telecast-quality digital video services for community access, music
video, and commercial production. If you live in DC and have no clue
what mambo sauce is, you ought to be ashamed! For more information or
tickets, contact LaTanya at lwright@mambosauce.com
or Michael at michaelray@mambosauce.com
or Eric at jemitchell@mambosauce.com.
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An American Daughter at Arena Stage, April 25
Isabel Barranzuela, Arena Stage, ibarranzuela@arenastage.org
Arena Stage has been Washington, DC's, largest nonprofit producing
theater for over fifty years. We are excited to be closing our season
with a very witty and funny show, “An American Daughter,” from April
25 through June 1. Molly Smith directs this political comedy from
Pulitzer Prize winner Wendy Wasserstein about the scandal surrounding a
senator’s daughter. With press and politics playing fundamental roles,
this piece is sure to speak deeply to a Washington audience. Groups of
fifteen people or more get up to twenty percent discount.
For more information about “An American Daughter,” please visit http://www.arenastage.org
or call 488-3300.
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Woodley Park Bicentennial House Tour, April 27
Martin Murray, calvertmartin@aol.com
Believe it or not, Woodley Park is celebrating its bicentennial! In
1803, Philip Barton Key, the uncle of Francis Scott Key, built his
beautiful mansion in the woodlands between Rock Creek and Klingle
valleys and called it “Woodley.” Two hundred years later, the
mansion still stands in the heart of the Maret School campus, along with
the community that sprang up around Woodley and took its name for its
own. To commemorate the occasion, the Woodley Park Community Association
is hosting a house tour on Sunday, April 27, from 1 to 5 p.m. The tour
will feature a selection of elegant homes in the Old Woodley Park
Historic District, and ends with a cookies and lemonade reception at the
old Woodley mansion, itself a designated historic landmark.
Woodley was summer home to at least two Presidents (Van Buren and
Cleveland) and possibly two more (Tyler and Buchanan), as well as
Senator Francis Newlands, General George Patton, and FDR's Secretary of
War, Henry Stimson, who received word of the bombing at Pearl Harbor
while sitting in his study at Woodley. Featured historic district homes
include two by Arthur Moses, a stately Classical Revival town home on
29th Street (a.k.a. “Moses Row”), which has been lovingly restored
to its original condition, down to the working icebox, and a second on
28th Street that has been completely renovated. “Miller-built” homes
include a whimsically decorated Colonial Revival on Woodley Road, and a
neo-Georgian manse on 28th. Middaugh and Shannon, Woodley Park's most
prolific early developer who fostered the English classical design
tradition that characterizes our neighborhood, is represented, as is his
early twentieth-century contemporary William Allard in a cozy 27th
Street row house. The spirit of Harry Wardman, a developer whose name is
synonymous with Woodley Park, can be summoned in two of his earliest
Woodley Park homes designed by Albert Beers, on Garfield and Woodley
Road.
The home interiors reflect the discrete tastes of their owners, from
Kentucky heirlooms in one, and 17th-century French and Belgian antiques
in another; an ante-bellum mantle is the showcase in a corner row house,
while a lavender-tiled bathroom evokes the disco era! And don't forget
to look for the original art prints by pop artists Roy Lichtenstein and
Keith Haring, watercolors by Maine's Emily Muir, and the oils of Czech
artist J.T. Saska! Tickets for the house tour are $15 in advance at
these shops: Cathedral Pharmacy, Zoo Bar, Zoo Market 'N Deli, all at
3000 Connecticut Avenue (across from Zoo); Long and Foster (Woodley
Park), Café Paradiso, The Silk Road, and Woodley Cafe, in 2600 block of
Connecticut Avenue (opposite Metro); Woodley Park Guest House, 2647
Woodley Road.. On the day of the tour, tickets are $20 at the Maret
School, 3000 Cathedral Avenue, NW, or the Woodley Park Guest House, 2647
Woodley Road, NW. For more information, call 667-0105, E-mail calvertmartin@aol.com,
or check our web site at http://www.woodleypark.org.
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Summer Camps/Spring Arts Classes
Jonathan Darr, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, movement@starpower.net
The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop still has openings in some of its
Spring adult classes. If you have thought about taking painting,
printmaking, ballroom or Latin Dance, tap, yoga, sculpture or ceramics,
call the Arts Workshop at 547-6839. The Summer Arts Adventure Camp for
children ages 5-12 is taking registrations as well. Four two-week camps
will explore Ancient Egypt, Oceania, Feudal Japan, and 20th Century
Mexico. Each session ends with a public exhibit of campers' artwork,
which will displayed through the first week of the following camp
session. Before and after care are available as well. Call the Arts
Workshop at 547-6939 for more information. Or visit http://www.chaw.org
on the web.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED
Painter’s Helper
D.K. Black, omb65 at excite dot com
College kid on spring break is a likely candidate. We're painting
upstairs and we're looking for someone to help out. Likely to evolve
into odd jobs, errands, this and that. Personal references should be
available. We're in Woodley Park neighborhood. Call 703-947-1153.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE
Antique Chest and Bakers Rack
Michelle Treistman, mtreistman@yahoo.com
Bakers rack in great condition, white with maple shelf, 67"
tall, 27.5" wide, 19.5" at the deepest part of the unit. The
maple shelf is 17" deep. The top of the rack is arched, and there
are three metal shelves: two 8" deep shelves above the wood shelf
and one 12" deep shelf at the bottom of the unit. $40 or best
offer.
Antique Chest in great condition, bought at a Hagerstown antique
store. 18"d x 33"w x 14.5"t. Dark wood, small, hinged
brass handles on either side. The legs are 2" tall, 3" wide at
the floor, and they curve out and up to the bottom of the chest were
they are about 10" wide. $60 or best offer.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — FOR RENT
Mt. Pleasant/Columbia Heights Parking Space
Elizabeth Buchanan, elizabethabuchanan@yahoo.com
Off-street parking space for rent. Near intersection of 16th and
Monroe. $75.00 per month. For more information, please call 986-2745 or
E-mail elizabethabuchanan@yahoo.com.
###############
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