Anthropology

Dear Anthropologists:

There's a story that I often tell, and some day I'm going to hunt down the source in which I read it, because it's a true story that's too good to be true, and without the name of the anthropologist who reported it it's too hard to believe. This anthropologist told the story of an African tribe that chose its chiefs by an almost democratic process, at least in medieval terms. The chief's position was not an hereditary post; instead a new chief was chosen by a council of the elders. They chose the best and wisest member of the tribe, who did not have to be an elder. And the chief was treated almost like a god. His feet never touched the ground again, at least outside of his residence. He was carried everywhere by bearers. He had the best food the tribe had, and it was fed to him; he didn't have to feed himself. He had his choice of the women of the tribe, as many as he wanted. He was the ultimate judge of the law, and his decisions were final. He lived a life of luxury and almost unlimited power. Until the rains didn't come, and the crops failed. When that happened, it was proof that the chief had displeased the gods. The tribe took him out into the forest and killed him, and the council of elders met to select a new chief.

I don't know why, but I just love that story.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Those Poor Animals
Shaun Snyder, Chevy Chase, shaunsnyder at starpower dot net

Here are the first words from a recent Washington Post article: “The DC government took over operation of the city's animal shelter yesterday. . . .” It makes me shudder.

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Empowering Advisory Neighborhood Commissions
Ed Johnson, edward@interweft.com

In a rare moment of fame the other night, I was recognized as a distinguished guest at an open house in my Single Member District (SMD). After the presentation, I had the more typical opportunity to explain to people what an ANC Commissioner is and what we do as an ANC. I admit to a bias, but I think the concept of ANCs provides a unique and tremendous opportunity for local communities to have a say in what goes on in their neighborhoods. Unfortunately, ANCs are usually an underutilized resource for citizens, in part because of a lack of public information on their role, and also due to rules, regulations, and limited funding that hamstring or dilute their ability to speak effectively for the communities they represent. Despite the fact that there are a lot of involved people in my SMD, and at the time I ran for election there were millions of square feet of high density construction plans on the table, I ran unopposed. I know at least a dozen people in my SMD who would make great Commissioners, but they obviously felt the investment in time, money, and energy wasn’t going to payoff in terms of shaping the community.

There is now an Office of ANCs with a director who is tackling the bureaucracy to get us some of the basics like E-mail and training, but we have a long way to go. Imagine if there were sufficient funding for each ANC to have a full-time staff person and a street-front office where you could drop in for neighborhood constituent services, or pick up a copy of the voluntary agreement for the liquor store down the street so you know what rules they are supposed to be complying with? I believe that creating more effective and useful ANCs will lead to more people becoming involved, more competition for the office, and better grass roots involvement in neighborhood issues.

Here are some ideas on how we could strengthen ANCs: 1) pay Commissioners a nominal fee. I know if I told folks I got paid $1,000/year out of their tax dollars, they would become a lot more interested in my voting record and want to hold me accountable for my actions. 2) A neighbor of mine suggested giving the ANC a vote on issues that come up before various boards and commissions instead of just a limited opportunity to speak. It would be a safe bet that ABC license applicants would show up at the ANC meeting if they ANC had a vote on the ABC Board! Developers would become anxious to answer community questions if the ANC had a vote on their PUD. 3) Take the above one step further, and require ANC as well as council ratification of mayoral appointees to boards and commissions. Unless they’ve come incognito, I haven’t seen any board members or commissioners attend one of our meetings. I would be very interested in hearing back on what people think, and suggestions or ideas on making ANCs more effective representatives of the community, and especially ideas on getting the community more involved.

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We the People
Ed Dixon, Georgetown Reservoir, jedxn@erols.com

Thorn Pozen is one of those names you don't need to run across too often to remember. He's chair of the Ward 3 Democratic Committee, Legal Counsel for the DC Democrats, and an associate at the law firm of Arnold and Porter. He's a registered lobbyist for three major multimillion dollar publicly financed TIF projects downtown. And as a lobbyist and Democratic activist he has given regular financial contributions to most of the city's highest elected officials. He also was a major contributor to and member of the mayor's inaugural committee. Published reports of his political contributions have been in the thousands for the last few years. He, along with Arnold and Porter partner and DC baseball owner wannabe Stephen Porter, has helped bundle tens of thousands of dollars from Arnold and Porter to most of DC's highest elected leaders.

Arnold & Porter isn't a firm that deals with petty litigation. The firm works with individuals and corporations that are usually interested in paying thousands to millions of dollars to get their way. Naturally, high legal fees can be afforded because the clients' savings are so great. Associates and partners earn more, providing the expendable income that can produce $1000 campaign contributions from lawyers. When clients' grand savings are what could have been public revenue for a cash strapped city to invest in public health, education, or safety, the loss to the common citizen is substantial. To the wealthy individual or corporation, the savings Arnold and Porter provided can be used to provide private services, since the public ones have been downgraded by underfunding.

Gary Imhoff recently questioned what had happened to the charges being brought against former WTU president and DC Democratic Party executive director Gwendolyn Hemphill for taking money from the teachers of this city. Her close ties to the Democratic party, the mayor, campaign finance, and people like Pozen, if forced out in court, might draw light on other's activities. The political leadership doesn't want that story out because the truth about how politics works in this city and who it serves will have to come out. Note that Harold Brazil's class action suit against the WTU has not moved forward any faster than the FBI probe. Gwendolyn Hemphill was not an aberration, but an insider of the political system in this town. Imhoff's answer lies in the behavior of the city's political leadership and their desire to continue serving the hand that feeds them. Unlike Hemphill, each of Pozen's and his associates' activities in and of themselves may be legal, but it is the combination of them all that reveals how political leadership has been corrupted to serve a cartel of elites in this city. The millions of dollars that Arnold and Porter save their clients in tax savings each year make Hemphill's booty look like pocket change, and it probably could have paid for that unfunded 9 percent teachers' pay raise for which nobody seems to know who's to blame.

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We Tree Kings
Mark Eckenwiler, themale at ingot dot org

During one of the violent thunderstorms here in the last week of August, a huge tree came down in front of a friend's house on Maryland Avenue, NE. Casualties include 19th-century wrought-iron fencing, front yard plantings, and other assorted furniture, and windows in three adjacent row houses; because the tree fell away from the street, luckily, there were no human casualties. It bears noting that our friends had reported the tree to the DC government months before, explaining that its rotted, hollow trunk indicated imminent danger of collapse.

One week earlier, I came home to find that two maple saplings on my block -- planted by DC government at my request three years ago -- had been gratuitously pruned, making them look like green lollipops. (This was their second pruning this year; city workers trimmed them, along with the mature trees on our block, in the spring according to the once-every-five-years cycle.) Small branches above head height were hacked off, and at least one bird nest was ripped out. When I called DC's Urban Forestry Administration (Trees and Landscape Division), the supervisor claimed that this wasn't done by a city crew, and suggested that perhaps an overzealous neighbor was to blame. Since the two maimed trees in question are five houses apart, and my neighbors profess not to know whose handiwork this was, I remain convinced that city workers must have done this, diligently carrying out their mission to remove arboreal hazards.

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Grease Alley and Rats
Phil Carney, philandscoop@yahoo.com

Grease Alley is east of 17th Street, NW, and between Church and P Streets, NW. Daily uncorrected sanitation violations feed our neighborhood rat infestation with the following results. Grease Alley, Stead Recreation Center, and 17th Street, NW, had no improvements for the week ending September 5, 2003. Ongoing problems and progress: CVS's storage area has trash and debris on ground, dumpsters are overflowing. CVS’s filth is a daily sanitation violation. Bua has two snap locks for grease containers, both used correctly. Sushi Taro has a snap lock for grease container, but it is not used correctly, and there is grease spillage. Luna/Skewers has snap locks for two grease containers, neither used correctly. Vivo Restaurant remains closed, but its two dumpsters are overflowing, with trash on the ground, bulk trash, and rat holes into the building. Cyber Stop has multiple rat holes on both sides of its garage and rat holes into building. Elite has no required snap locks, leaking grease containers, and grease on the ground. Peppers has snap locks for two grease containers, but one lock was used incorrectly and one container had no lid.

Live rats sighted this morning: 1) one rat run into the backyard of rat-infested Cyber Stop. 2) One rat hid behind electrical boxes in the front basement stairwell of 1507 17th, NW. 3) One rat ran into an electrical box in the front basement stairwell of 1509 17th, NW. 4) One rat ran into a hole in the building at the rear of Vivo. At Stead Recreation Center, all the storm drains have multiple openings for rats. Not counting the rat accessible and storm drains that are in need of repair, previous Stead rat hole counts were 24, 38, 30, 35, 31, and 26. Previous rat hole totals were 42, 57, 42, 45, 39, and 33. This week's count of Stead rat holes is 28. Other rat holes near Grease Alley: 21. Rat hole total, 49.

Why do business owners not comply with District sanitation and health laws? Why is the District not able to enforce sanitation and health laws in a manner that actually corrects problems? What will it take to encourage business owners to be law abiding and responsible? Why isn't the Department of Parks and Recreation effectively baiting for rats at Stead? What will it take to encourage the District to stop mixing children and rats at Stead?

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Brain Dead Machines
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aoldotcom

Since we are all Mac-oholics here, our three computers have managed to stay healthy in spite of the various PC viruses and even the Norwalk virus. Perhaps there are just not enough Macs around for hackers to spend time trying to infect them. They continue to hack the brain dead machines.

It takes an alert and proactive Info Systems Department to keep ahead of viruses and to expel them quickly when they are discovered. The fact that we have not heard much about DC's computers being infected can mean one of two things: either they are on top of the problem, or there is so little computer use going on that they don't yet know that they are infected. I shudder to guess which is the case.

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Villain of the Week: Diane Feinstein
John Whiteside, loganjohn at mac dot com

Sen. Diane Feinstein of California has announced that she will support school vouchers in DC, but was careful to explain that she does not support them in California — you know, the place where people actually get to decide if she'll represent them. Regardless of how you feel about vouchers, this is appalling; if vouchers are not acceptable for her constituents in California, why do Washingtonians get to be the lab rats to try them out? And shouldn't any kind of movement to change how we educate our children have local support?

I went to the Senator's web site and completed her “contact me” form to express my disappointment. This immediately came back: “Because of the volume of email that is received by my office, we can only respond to email that includes a California postal address. Please resend the text of your email message, including your postal address, and I will respond to you as soon as possible.” In other words, Ms. Feinstein will decide how to run your local schools, but you are not allowed to give her your opinion. And it's particularly obnoxious that the message suggests resending the E-mail, since they don't give out E-mail address for her: you have to use a web form and once you click submit, the text is gone. Shame on Senator Feinstein.

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Primary Update
Sean Tenner, DC Democracy Fund, stenner@mrss.com

Just in case themail readers have been avoiding CNN and the newspapers during the pleasant weather of the past few weeks, I wanted to include some highlights of recent national media coverage on the DC primary. The following September 3 AP article was carried in media outlets nationwide: “Regardless of the debate over semantics, there is no question the DC primary will have an impact on the presidential race, especially as a gauge of candidates' ability to win the support of black voters, according to Allan Lichtman, a political historian at American University. 'It will be a test for Howard Dean to see if he can get the black vote,' Lichtman said of the former Vermont governor who has led in early polls in New Hampshire. 'A win in DC could be very meaningful for Dean.'

“Dean has a major grassroots presence in the city, but Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and John Edwards, D-N.C., are also taking the race seriously and have sent staffers to organize support ward by ward. Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., visited Howard University last week to discuss the historic 1963 civil rights march on Washington. Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, once of two black candidates in the race, also has made a number of appearances in neighborhoods around the city. Tenner said the move has already paid off, drawing national attention to city residents' longtime claim of taxation without representation. It also has encouraged several candidates to court the city's voters actively for the first time in memory.”

CNN added more information about voting rights to their version of the AP story on the primary: “DC struggle for voting rights. The search for respect echoes the city's long struggle for voting rights, which dates to the early 1800s. Despite paying federal taxes, District of Columbia residents have no vote in Congress. The city's elected congressional delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, serves in Congress, but she does not have full voting privileges.” The primary continues to draw national attention to the cause of voting rights and statehood. Visit the DC first primary blog (http://blog.letsfreedc.org) to keep up to date on campaign appearances — and look forward to guest entries by the presidential candidates!

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State Militias
Michael Bindner, mikeyb at yahoo dot com

The judicial opinion aside, the Second Amendment was seen to apply to the District and its state militia, which was tested in the War of 1812. History relates that they failed the test rather miserably. Since the establishment of the National Guard as the replacement of state militias, largely because state militias were unreliable in stopping work riots, there is some doubt as to whether the Second Amendment applies at all (since there is not right of domestic rebellion under the Us Constitution, and certainly no such right in the nation's capital).

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It’s All in the Perceptions
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net

As we all know, things are often not what they appear. And that applies to cities as well as matters closer to home. How would you abuse out-year planning to make DC look more dependent on state and federal subsidies than it need be? Could you fool the GAO in the process? How would you distract attention from chronically poor coaching on the city's government team? How would you make some of the good aspects of our national capital city look even better? Naturally, NARPAC knows. Check out the September update of its web site at http://www.narpac.org/INTHOM.HTM. Try a new approach to making DC better. Help keep it honest. Get positively involved.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Be an Audience Member, September 9
Allyson Holland, audience@atlanticcreative.com

Come participate in GoodLife TV Networks' audience for Homefront America on Tuesday, September 9. Show one: Homeland Security, Understanding America's New Normal, hosted by Chris Plante, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Show two: Understanding Terrorism, America’s New Enemy, hosted by Chris Plante, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. At Atlantic Video Studio One, at the Washington Television Center, 650 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Respond to Allyson Holland, audience@atlanticcreative.com, 408-3494.

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North Portal Community Yard Sale, September 13
Cliff Gandi, clifathebeach@yahoo.com

The North Portal Estates neighborhood in the northern corner of the District holds its 2003 Fall Community Yard Sale. 9:00 to 3:00 p.m., Saturday, September 13. Follow signs to sales throughout the neighborhood from the North Portal Circle, which is located at Eastern Avenue, NW, and 16th Street, NW, near the Silver Spring Metrorail Station.

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Innocent Until Proven Guilty, September 16
David Domenici, Seeforever Foundation, lstruck@seeforever.org

I'm writing to invite you to a screening of “Innocent Until Proven Guilty,” an HBO documentary that chronicles the inaugural year of the Maya Angelou Public Charter School. We've grown a lot since that first year, but our mission has remained the same: to create learning communities where all teens can reach their potential. We would love for you to join us for the film. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion about the importance of education in breaking the cycle of poverty and crime, and what the DC community is doing to improve education for all of its children.

James Forman Jr., Co-Founder, will introduce the film. Panelists include David Cole, Georgetown University Law Center Professor; Kirsten Johnson, the film's director; Amoretta Morris, Director of the Justice for DC Youth Coalition; Steve Seleznow, former Chief of Staff of DC Public Schools; and Samantha Crandall Simpoure, Class of 2000 MAPCS graduate. The screening will be on Tuesday, September 16, at 7:00 p.m., at the Visions Cinema Bistro Lounge, 1927 Florida Avenue, NW, above Dupont Circle, just off Connecticut Avenue. The ticket cost is $7.00, and all proceeds will benefit our students. Please contact Lauren Struck at Lstruck@seeforever.org if you have any questions about the evening.

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DC’s First Skatepark: Come Build and Skate It, September 20
Alexander M. Padro, PadroANC2C@aol.com

American Eagle Outfitters Foundation, the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation, and KaBOOM!/ESKAL8 invite Washington residents, as well as the greater DC skateboarding, rollerblading, and bicycling community, to help construct the Shaw Skatepark at 11th Street and Rhode Island Avenue, NW, on Saturday, September 20. The city's first skatepark will be assembled in one day by volunteers, with the park ready to ride by mid-afternoon. Free food and beverages will be provided. All volunteers will receive free American Eagle Outfitters T-shirts and be entered in drawings for AEO gift certificates. Mayor Anthony Williams, professional skateboarders, and other special guests are expected to be present for the ribbon cutting. After that, the park will be ready to use until dusk.

On Saturday, September 20, on-site volunteer registration opens at 8:00 a.m. at the basketball court at the west side of Shaw Junior High School, 925 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (Metro: Green Line, Shaw/Howard University Station). A free continental breakfast will be provided for volunteers. The park build activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. and be over by 3:00 p.m. A range of light to heavier tasks are involved, from painting the fence around the park to using a variety of tools to assemble and install ramps, rails, and signage. Lunch will be served, and beverages will be available for volunteers throughout the build. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

To read more about the Shaw Skatepark, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23270-2003Aug6.html. Call Gail Benjamin at the DC Department of Parks and Recreation at 282-0758 or E-mail gail.benjamin2@dc.gov for more information or to preregister.

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Domestic Violence Forum, September 24
Gail Cureton, pr@zphib1920.org

With Domestic Violence Awareness Month less than one month away, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, and Representative Julia Carson (IN-7th) will join advocates for victims of domestic violence, government officials, health care providers, and others in raising public awareness about domestic violence as a health care issue during a national brain trust on domestic violence, on September 24, 4:15 p.m., at New Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. The brain trust will be held in conjunction with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc., Annual Legislative Conference. Citing a concern that domestic violence initiatives have largely addressed the issue from a law enforcement perspective, the national forum will focus on methods to integrate both domestic violence prevention and screening into the health care system.

According to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, medical studies link a number of problems to the long-term effects of domestic violence, including substance abuse, depression, and eating disorders. "The outward signs of domestic abuse are often easy to identify, especially when law enforcement is involved," explained Barbara C. Moore, International President. "We hope that by hosting this national forum that we can lend our support in the ongoing effort to make domestic violence screening and intervention a part of preventative health care."

In addition to Zeta members with domestic violence and health care expertise, forum panelists include Dr. Beverly Coleman Miller, President of the BCM Group, Inc.; Dr. Deborah Smith, first medical advisor in the Office of Women's Health at the Food and Drug Administration; Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, author of The Isis Papers and creator of the Cress-Welsing theory analyzing the nature of white supremacy; Kiersten Stewart, Director of Public Policy, Family Violence Prevention Fund; and Pat McGann, Outreach Director, Men Can Stop Rape.

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Community Conferencing Event, September 29
Ingrid Drake, ingridnatasha@yahoo.com

Do you want to work with your community to create safe, healthy, and supportive neighborhoods? Would you like to learn about alternatives to incarceration? On Monday, September 29, at 7 p.m., at the Petworth Public Library, come learn how community conferencing is reducing recidivism and saving thousands of dollars in Baltimore (and just adopted in Montgomery County). Bring your, friends, church, neighbors, city councilmembers, ANC leaders, kids, police officers. More on community conferencing: a community conference is a meeting of the community of people affected by behavior that has caused serious harm. During the conference offenders, victims, and their respective supporters seek ways to repair the damage caused by the incident and to minimize further harm. A conference gives offenders a chance to understand the impact of their behavior on the victim, on themselves, and on the community. Victims get a chance to tell how they have been affected and how the damage can be repaired. In addition, families can identify and gain access to needed community-based resources.

Community conferencing is currently being used successfully in the juvenile justice system as a court diversion for nonviolent offenders, schools as an alternative to suspension, neighborhoods as a way to deal with ongoing conflicts. You can listen to a three minute radio story on community conferencing at http://www.dc.indymedia.org. Look under features.

Petworth Public Library, 4200 Kansas Avenue, NW, is at Georgia Avenue and Upshur Street, NW. Its telephone number is 541-6300. The library is five to blocks from the Georgia Avenue/Petworth Green Line Metro Stop. You can take the 70 and 71 bus north in the direction of Silver Spring. There is parking at the library. For more information contact Ingrid Drake, Ward 4 resident, 882-6450, ingridnatasha@yahoo.com.

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Magic of the Arts Ball and Silent Auction, October 4
Jonathan Darr, movement@starpower.net

Tickets are now on sale for the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop's “Magic of the Arts Ball and Silent Auction.” Join us Saturday, October 4, for an elegant night of dancing, dining, and cocktails. This year's event combines the enchanting sounds of the Pan American Jazz Orchestra with a feast of delicious heavy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Throughout the evening, guests will have the opportunity to bid on wonderful pieces of art as well as other items donated by local businesses. We would love to see you there as Capitol Hill and Washington, DC turn out to support the Arts Workshop. Feel free to share this announcement with your friends and neighbors as we are hoping for a great turnout for this valuable community organization.

Arts Ball and Silent Auction benefiting the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, October 4, 8:00 p.m., at The Frederick Douglass Museum and Hall of Fame for Caring Americans; 420 A Street, NE. Tickets: $75; available at the Arts Workshop or by calling 547-6839.

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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE

Toyota Corolla
Sara Yamada, sey3@georgetown.edu

I am looking to sell my friend's 1994 light blue Toyota Corolla. It is an automatic, with great air conditioning, and only 75,000 miles on it! The price is $3,000. She is off at law school, but I will do my best to answer any questions you might have. If you are interested, please contact me at sey3@georgetown.edu.

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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED

Legal Secretary and Bilingual Spanish/English Legal Secretary
Jon Katz, jon@markskatz.com

Marks & Katz, LLC, seeks a full-time Legal Secretary who will be supervised and trained by our law partner who focuses on criminal defense, Constitutional defense, and media and entertainment law. This position requires at least one year of successful prior secretarial experience; working well and thriving under tight deadlines and high pressure; strong caring for our clients and for quality work; strong communications skills; flexibility and strong interest in learning new types of work; and strong intelligence, common sense, and independence. Pluses to your application are prior legal experience, a college degree or demonstrated similar intellectual achievement, and strong Spanish-speaking skills. Ideal for people seeking rewarding work for justice and individuals, and substantial client interaction. Top  pay and benefits for top performance. Please apply with a one-page resume, strong cover letter specifically addressing your strengths for and interest in this position (designating “Full-Time Non-Bilingual Legal Secretary”), relevant reference letters or a list of relevant references, and salary history and pay preference. Send your application to Jon Katz at the address below.

We also seek a full-time Bilingual Legal Secretary who speaks and writes flawless Spanish and English, and who will accurately interpret and translate between the two languages. This position requires at least three years of successful prior secretarial experience; working well and thriving under tight deadlines and high pressure; strong caring for our clients and for quality work; strong communications skills; flexibility and strong interest in learning new types of work; intelligence and strong common sense; and independence. Pluses to your application are prior legal experience, a college degree or demonstrated similar intellectual achievement, current daily experience speaking Spanish, and prior experience translating and interpreting between Spanish and English. You will be supervised and trained by our law partner who focuses on immigration law and plaintiffs' personal injury law. Ideal for people seeking rewarding work for justice and individuals, and substantial client interaction. Top pay and benefits for top performance. Please apply with a one-page resume, strong cover letter specifically addressing your strengths for and interest in this position (designating “Full-Time Bilingual Legal Secretary”), relevant reference letters or a list of relevant references, and salary history and pay preference. Send your application to Jay S. Marks at the address below.

For both positions, send application to Marks & Katz, LLC, 1400 Spring St., Suite 410, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Fax: 301-495-8815. Please do not send E-mail attachments. For more information, visit http://www.markskatz.com.

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CLASSIFIEDS — VOLUNTEERS

Help a Kid
Paul Penniman, rich@mathteachingtoday.com

In case you are new to DC, you may not know that there are thousands of students who could use even a little extra assistance each week with their homework or any number of life skills.

We at Resources for Inner City Children have compiled a list of organizations (and their web links) that provide educational and other assistance to inner city children. You may view this list at www.mathteachingtoday.com/rich.htm.

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