Developments

Dear Developers:

The Inspector General's report on the Board of Elections and Ethics discussed in the last issue of themail (http://www.dcwatch.com/govern/ig030522.htm) has not had the effect that Inspector General Charles Maddox intended. The IG's office has actively attempted to peddle its version of the story to numerous press outlets, but so far has been unable to find any reporter in town who is gullible, credulous, or naive enough to buy its version of events. On the other hand, the report has elicited devastating official responses from the BOEE itself (http://www.dcwatch.com/govern/boee030528.htm) and from City Council Chairman Linda Cropp (http://www.dcwatch.com/govern/ig030527.htm). Normally soft-spoken Cropp writes scathingly to Maddox about “your unfounded assertions pertaining to me and to your dishonest characterization of the discussion we had,” and concludes: “Your report is so fraught with conclusory statements which bear no basis in fact and words and comments taken out of context, that it is totally misleading to label it as an investigatory report.” As things stand, Maddox's sole remaining defender is the only one who counts — Mayor Tony Williams, who adamantly refuses to remove him for cause. And that sets up the government for a train wreck on June 1, when Maddox will be legally required to resign as IG because he doesn't have the qualifications set for the position by new Council legislation. If Maddox decides to fight for the job, with the support of the Mayor, a long court case will ensue. The Mayor has attempted to persuade the Council to join with him and agree to an expedited court hearing to determine if the Council has the legal right to determine the qualifications for the position. But the Council, which is confident that it is on firm legal grounds, has no reason to and will not cooperate with a Mayor and IG who defy it.

On the other hand, until yesterday Mayor Williams adamantly supported Carlton Pressley, who is now his former Senior Advisor for Religious Affairs. Pressley, who moved to DC from North Carolina after he was appointed to the position in February 2002, spent days collecting primary election petition signatures for the Mayor before he had registered as a voter. A few months ago, he was accused of sexual harassment by a District government employee who asserted that he pressured her into an affair with him. Last week, Serge Kovaleski reported in the Washington Post that Pressley had solicited a $5,000 donation for the Mayor's prayer breakfast from a company doing business with the city, the sponsors of the DC Marathon, and that he had misreported the donation as having been made by a different company. Pressley was removed from office yesterday, but the Mayor's press spokesman, Tony Bullock, has refused to say how long he will remain on the District government's payroll, whether he received a severance package, or how large that severance package may be.

On Tuesday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m., the Far Northeast-Southeast Council, Inc., at Sixth District Police Precinct, 100 42nd Street, NE, will hold a citywide tribute to Lorraine W. Whitlock "in memory of her outstanding contribution to the city, its residents, and elected leadership." For more information, call Sam Bost, 338-3843 or 240-486-2960. 

Gary Imhoff and Dorothy Brizill
themail@dcwatch.com

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Three Cheers for the DC City Museum
Mark David Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com

Visitors to DC have no trouble finding their way around federal museums and monuments — and thanks to efforts by locals, there is attractive new signage to assist. But until now, there hasn't been a way to get an orientation about local DC. The task of developing an introduction to DC in a rather small space (60,000 square feet) that spans more than two hundred years in about twenty minutes for an audience aged 5 to 105 is a formidable one in a city with such a rich and textured history. Creating a script that is sensitive to the inherent tensions between national, regional, and local audiences is especially tough in an area where nothing escapes the sport of politics. The issues of race, class, gender, and power complicate any effort to write a linear history to which everyone can agree. But I feel the folks at DC City Museum (http://www.citymuseumdc.org) succeeded in creating a local museum we can be proud of and build upon.

The main message of the museum is, “Welcome to DC. Real people with an interesting history live here -- and always have. You have a connection to DC.” The museum is beautiful and even energetic. The DC City Museum is a major milestone in building monumental and living DC civic spaces. It doesn't try to give the whole history, but rather acts as a hub to send people into DC neighborhoods where they can discover and learn if they are so inclined. For example, visitors can see what is happening in local DC by visiting the DC Heritage Tourism website and signing up for a neighborhood walking tour.

My favorite special exhibit at the museum is the one with rare 18th century maps and prints of DC from the private collection of Albert Small. But the first floor multimedia theater show and exhibit are excellent introductory exhibits that give a taste of local DC humorously grounded in fact. The multimedia show, “Washington Stories,” is designed to be more entertaining and impressionist and not a boring history lesson. The script is based on two central characters who briskly guide the audience through a fast-paced two hundred years in a sort of federal versus local historical push-and-pull. The first character is a twenty-year-old African American named Jeffrey that the audience cannot see because he is at the controls of the projection room. Jeffrey represents what I call “invisible” DC, living in the shadow of Congress. The second character is the host of the show “today,” because the regular host was not able to be present. She is an elderly white woman named Miss Penelope Inskter. Miss Inkster brought her own low-tech film projector which sits on the stage. She is a proper tour guide who represents the aspect of DC that is celebrated by the nation and locals alike, our monumental national capital. Miss Inskter is played by Barbara Madison Stevens of Virginia, who in her 80s. (She studied theater as a young woman at Yale. She was supposed to be on a safari in Kenya at the time of the museum opening, but changed her plans to the delight of the audience.) Other characters, including George Washington and Peter a.k.a. Pierre L'Enfant, come and go as the story travels through time. In a postmodern twist, Miss Inkster gets pulled out of the script after Lincoln is assassinated and reappears toward the end after a heck of a tour through hyperspace. The introductory exhibit features a 16-by-16-foot satellite map of the city sunken into the floor and four displays (with drawers, photos, etc.) where you enter “rooms” that depict four time periods. The four rooms briefly explore four topics. There are other exhibits and a research library. Later this year, a cafe and bookstore will also be featured. The cost of entry for everything is $8.00 for nonmembers.

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Razing the Uline Arena
Richard Layman, rlaymandc@yahoo.com

An application for a raze (demolition) permit for the Uline Arena has been filed, probably by LG Industries. Despite its historical relevance, the Uline Arena is not a historically designated building, so it has no protections according to relevant DC historic preservation laws. I am not sure enough about the law to know if DCRA is required to communicate this application to the ANC Commissioner (Daniel Pernell) in the affected Single Member District, or to the ANC. The way that DCRA works, this building could come down incredibly fast, with no notice to the community or community input whatsoever.

There is a great history associated with Uline Arena, from its location as the site of perhaps the first professional basketball and hockey teams in Washington, the beginning of Red Auerbach's (famed coach and general manager of the Boston Celtics) early coaching career, the first Beatles concert in North America, to E.D. Henderson's successful campaign to end Uline Arena's segregated event policies. (Before this, the facility was open to African-Americans for separate events.) Among other notable events, my understanding is that Malcolm X spoke in this building as well. In short, Uline Arena, later called Washington Coliseum, was the first “MCI Center” for the Washington region, holding everything from dances and lectures to the Ice Capades.

Plus, people in the neighborhood have been working to make the building conducive to some type of neighborhood activity, after so many people worked for so many years to successfully shut down the trash transfer station that had illegally operated within this building (with the assistance of the Institute for Public Representation of the Georgetown University Law Center). I do think that some federal laws might be relevant to this situation (Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act) because the argument can be made that the construction of the new Metro Station has significantly altered the economic environment of the neighborhood, and this station is being constructed in part with federal funds. The argument would be something like this (from an E-mail I sent to the ANC6A listserv on 10/22/01): “For example, the building of the new Metro station at 1st and M Streets, NE, will increase demand (and therefore prices) for homes in the northern part of our neighborhood. People who live in that area say this is happening already. At the same time, the new Metro station makes the same area attractive to commercial developers. The reality is, the survey and ultimate designation might be the only thing that prevents the wholesale destruction-demolition of a large part of our neighborhood. Otherwise, what is to prevent developers from buying up the homes adjoining the rail yard and building nice new office buildings a short five minute walk from the new Metro station? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.”

The M Street NE entrance for what is called the “New York Avenue” station will be fewer than 100 yards from the Uline Arena site. In addition, other federal undertakings immediately adjacent to our neighborhood: 1) the location of the Securities and Exchange Commission at the under construction Station Place development east of Union Station on 2nd St. NE; 2) the construction of a new headquarters complex for the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (since renamed under the creation of the new cabinet level agency the Department of Homeland Security); and 3) the sale of the development rights (air rights) over the Union Station rail yard by the US General Services Administration to the JBG Companies; in combination have a substantive aggregate and cumulative impact on the neighborhood, so that any action with regard to the Uline Arena should be reviewed by appropriate federal agencies, in this case the National Capital Planning Commission. Note: this is suggested not because Uline Arena activities are federal undertakings, but that federal undertakings in the immediate neighborhood have and will continue to have significant impact on the value of redevelopable parcels and buildings that are commercially zoned, an impact that can simultaneously have a significantly negative impact on the residential character of the adjacent neighborhood.

The other reason any change in the nature of the Uline Arena site is so important is that any incursion east of 2nd Street NE of a primarily commercial nature poses great threat to the residential character of the surrounding neighborhood, increasing the pressure to demolish housing in favor of commercial construction. As commercially developable land within the traditional downtown area gets used up, our adjacent location becomes mighty attractive to developers. (Cf. the acquisition of the development rights for Air Rights over the Union Station train yard by JBG Companies, rights that most developers say are worthless because of the high costs involved. But when land runs out, commercial developers are forced to develop what's available, even to the extent of building a platform over a train yard.)

For this reason we need to be incredibly vigilant about any new development along the Second Street corridor, such as the building proposed on the 1000 block of 2nd & 3rd Streets (Ronald Cohen), at the 200 block of H Street (Potomac Development), the 300 block of H Street, etc. While all of us favor some type of redevelopment of these parcels, we need to be very careful to ensure that what is built supports and complements the neighborhood, rather than threatens it or puts it otherwise at risk. If the 200 and 300 blocks of H Street became “Oliver Carr-like” office buildings, what is to prevent the north side of the 600 block from being converted into big office buildings, or the replacement of H Street Connection with office buildings (800 and 900 blocks, south side), or the Autozone site on the south side of the 1200 block, etc.

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Library Study
Bryce A Suderow, streetstories@juno.com

I was at the SE branch library by the Eastern Market Metro on Friday afternoon. The kids had just gotten out of school. There were about seventy-five of them at the Metro in a huge crowd. A group of boys were beating up individual boys they didn't like. I phoned the police but they never came. But when I left the Library, I found a cruiser parked by the 7-11 at 8th and D, SE. Apparently the MPD could spare a cruiser to ensure that homeless people stayed off 8th Street.

Inside the library, all was chaos in the children's section. The sign says no one fifteen or older can enter the room, but older teenage boys were going in because of the thirteen- and fourteen-year-old girls who were in the room. The librarian was afraid to tell them to leave the room because she feared they would beat her up. A security guard had been assigned to her library, but he had quit because of the low pay and the way the library system treats its employees.

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Ramsey and the MPD
Jackie Boden, jboden2003@yahoo.fr

Reading all that the postings, articles, etc., on Chief of Police Ramsey has been informative. They also lead me to observe: 1) The change in four years has not been great — in the end stats mean little compared with the quality of life. The question four years ago was also quality of life and picking a person who could improve the MPD and the quality of life for DC residents. (No, I do not see the police as social workers, and fully realize that the life of a city is effected by many factors and sectors -- not the least of which is police and emergency services.) Today the quality life doesn’t seem very good, and in many neighborhoods seems to be in rapid decline. 2) Just as stats can be easily made meaningless, so can actions that have no foundation of responsibility and accountability. For example, putting in a substation, creating PSAs, or a Latino liaison can be great accomplishments — but just creating such a units can also be meaningless. In the end, did such actions have an effect — James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling point out that the effect should be noticed immediately and that you do not have to wait several years and study stats to see the effect with regards crime rates. Question: Has this happened in Washington, DC? 3) We hear a great deal about leadership. We seldom hear about responsibility and accountability. You can have good leaders and you can have bad leaders. One way to determine good leadership is the "Kennedy" test: do they admit failures and mistakes and, if they do, is it merely a pause before blaming others and assuming victimhood? Question: isn’t blaming the public for problems the ultimate in victimization? 4) Along the same lines, when mistakes happen, and they will happen, is it blue smoke and mirror time or is an open investigation made? Question: isn’t how the 911 Dupont Circle fire fiasco has been handled of equal importance to what has happened in the explorations of what went wrong since it demonstrates no concern about addressing the issue other than in fabrications?

Rather than continue this litany let me end saying that I have no doubt that Ramsey’s retention would be a grave error. Further, I find it inexplicable that so many Councilmembers have not made a stand one way or another, given the length of time they have had to make up their minds. That said, I also believe that the public needs to become involved in a positive manner. This forum and others should be used to identify goals, by order of priority, that the general public feels are essential to improving the quality of life. I have but three: 1) a 911 system that works, 2) adequate patrol numbers (and that means on the street), 3) a city administration that is held accountable and a Council that accepts its oversight responsibilities.

Yes, that is a lot, but I am an optimist and also naive enough to think that is the least one can expect from government. If we don’t get it soon — well, remember Carl Rowan’s effort at federalizing the police. That looks better day-by-day.

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Mount Pleasant Memories
Neil Richardson, ananda001@aol.com

Are you a former Mount Pleasant resident? Do you know someone who used to live in the neighborhood? We are researching our neighborhood's story for a future Historical Trail (like the ones downtown and on U Street). Our group is looking for old photos, stories, trolley tickets, and any and all memorabilia or information that will help us complete our research. Our research will reach from the Civil War to the present. We want to describe our human, architectural, and transportation history. If you can help us, please contact Neil Richardson at 518-9574 or at ananda001@aol.com.

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Amusing Mayoral Moments in DC History
Mark David Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com

From Niles' Register (Baltimore), April 23, 1831: Brief notices.

“Elopement of a nun. Sister Gertrude, chief instructress in the academy kept by the nuns at Georgetown, D.C., having disguised herself, lately left the institution in open day, and found refuge in the house of the mayor of Washington, gen. Van Ness, whose lady is her first cousin, where she has resisted all entreaties for a return.”

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Making Recommendations Public
Bell Clement, bellclement@msn.com

I notice that themail gets a consistent stream of requests for references for contractors and craftspeople. I made a request for roofers myself, and got a great response, which has kept me happily high-n-dry during our Memorial Day deluges. I posted a contact summary to themail.

Can themail community develop a convention of having people reply to these requests directly to themail, rather than to the requester ? I notice in the last issue that Mary Marchi has written in asking to be included in responses to an earlier request. I imagine many of us are struggling with old home care, and that this info is thus of general interest.

[I agree with Bell. Let me repeat a request I've made in the past. When you reply to a message asking for recommendations for services or resources, please consider replying to themail as well as to the individual asking for the information. The information that you have to share will almost always be useful to several people, and not just to the original poster. — Gary Imhoff

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Keep the Medicaid Fraud Unit at the IG
Rene Wallis, District of Columbia Primary Care Association, rwallis@dcpca.org

Whatever happens between the Council and Maddox: keep the Medicaid Fraud unit at the Inspector General's office. One bit of good news on the Inspector General front is that Maddox set up a Medicaid Fraud unit within the IG's office that just brought $13 million in fraud payments to the District and the feds. DC will get half of the money, the feds the other half. The money is going to make up for the budget shortfalls DC is living through right now. Fraud in Medicaid -- by providers, not recipients -- is thought to be a major drain of resources nationally. Medicaid is a state-federal partnership, so fraud investigation is mixed around the country. Medicare is federal only, and fraud is better investigated.

The DC Medicaid budget is $1.2 billion, so any budget that big is going to attract the unscrupulous and deserves to be followed closely. While the Department of Health also does some fraud work in its Medical Assistance Administration (state Medicaid office), nothing on this scale was done in DC before Maddox took over at the Office of the Inspector General. No matter what happens with the current players, I hope DC will retain the Medicaid Fraud unit at the IG's office.

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Smokefree DC Web Site Launched
Michael Tacelosky, tac@smokescreen.org

A group of us concerned about the health affects of secondhand smoke on District residents and workers have launched a web site promoting 100 percent smoke free restaurants. There is also an online petition for people to sign if they support 100 percent smoke free workplaces in the district. California, Delaware, Boston, Austin, Connecticut, New York City, and New York State all have laws banning smoking in the workplace. DC has some of the weakest laws in the country — smoking is permitted in taxicabs, restaurants, and many other workplaces.

If you'd like to support 100 percent smoke free workplaces, or just find a smoke free restaurant in your neighborhood, visit http://www.smokefreedc.org. If there are restaurants we're missing, please E-mail me at tac@smokescreen.org, so we can add them.

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PSA’s, Clusters, and ANC’s
Malcolm L Wiseman, Jr., Mal@malwiseman.com

Lars Hydle (themail, May 25) is right. It is frightening to think that the MPD and Mayor should make plans of this nature without consulting the ANCs. Here in the colony, we need to protect and exercise any scant power there is if we are to regain our full democratic rights. The ANCs are one of these powers because they refine the electorate and add more representative voices to the forum. Where possible, every governmentally drawn services line should be based on ward/ANC demarcations, and therefore be more directly tied to the voters.

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Sweeping Statement
Tolu Tolu, tolu2books@aol.com

[In response to Melody Webb, “Voucher Rebuttal,” themail, May 25]: What is the current DC School system doing for our DC children? I really want to know.

As former Mayor Sharon Pratt once said, “A broom to sweep clean is in order.” I apply this quote to the current for-life Council, mayor, and school board. I am sick to death of the entire crew and would not vote for any one of them for life.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Hillcrest Neighborhood Celebrates 10th Annual Garden Tour, June 14
Sherry B. Ways, s_ways@hotmail.com

The Hillcrest neighborhood, located in Southeast Washington, is one of the best-kept secrets in DC. Hillcrest's tenth annual garden tour will take place on Saturday, June 14. Tour participants are asked to meet at 33rd and Camden Streets, SE (off of Branch Avenue, SE) at 11:00 a.m., to begin this anniversary garden tour. In addition, there will be a bus tour highlighting the history and places of significance in the undiscovered Hillcrest neighborhood.

At the conclusion of the garden tour there will be an anniversary celebration to include light refreshments. Tickets are $10.00 and can be obtained by contacting Kathy Chamberlain at 581-8272 or:kechamber@erols.com. In addition, visit the Hillcrest Community Civic Association web site at http://www.hillcrestdc.com for more information.

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CLASSIFIEDS — WANTED

Library-Style 3x5 Card File Cabinet
Sid Booth, SidBooth1@aol.com

In search of a large, used cabinet with many drawers, originally designed to hold 3x5 cards (but now for storing more than five hundred audio cassettes). Visualize one of those multi-drawer oak cabinets still found in our public libraries. Respond to Ben Rigberg, 966-5939.

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