Updates
Dear Up-to-Date Correspondents:
There are several new documents on DCWatch. 1) Kenneth Wainstein has
been named the interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia, http://www.dcwatch.com/courts/040528.htm.
2) Neil Albert, former head of the Department of Parks and Recreation,
has been named Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, and Families; and Dave
Montgomery is the new Director of the Department of Public Works; http://www.dcwatch.com/mayor/040602.htm.
3) The “Lottery Expansion Initiative” has been filed with the Board
of Elections and Ethics (http://www.dcwatch.com/election/init18.htm)
by gambling (“it's not gambling, it's gaming”) interests to open a
slot-machine parlor (“they're not slot machines, they're video lottery
terminals”). It's not a scam, it's economic development. Yeah, sure.
4) Speaking of scams, Councilmember Jack Evans claims that he pulled the
amendment to the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative bill that he planned to
introduce at the Committee on Economic Development meeting on June 2
because of “misinformation” that it would revive the discredited
Intermodal Transportation Center as a scam to get federal money to pay
part of the cost of building a Major League baseball stadium. Judge for
yourself; read the amendment at http://www.dcwatch.com/council15/15-616b.htm.
Evans didn't have the votes for his plan in the Economic Development
Committee, but he is very likely to introduce the amendment when the
Anacostia Waterfront Act is considered by the Committee of the Whole
later this week or next month.
The April FEC report is out, and Fundrace.org shows that a third
elected DC official, and the first Democratic one, has made a
contribution to a presidential campaign: Kathy Patterson gave $500 to
John Dean. But her family spread its bets among the Democratic primary
field, though missing the ultimate winner; her husband gave $500 to Dick
Gephardt and $750 to Wesley Clark. They probably bet on Smarty Jones at
Belmont.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
###############
Proponents of the Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004 (http://www.dcwatch.com/election/init18.htm)
are facing some very tight deadlines if they are to get their Initiative
on the November general election ballot, as they want to. They filed the
Initiative late, on April 22 — and they can't afford to lose any time.
To get on the November ballot, any Initiative has to file approximately
17,500 valid petition signatures with the Board of Elections and Ethics
by July 6. The Lottery Expansion Initiative would authorize 3,500 slot
machines, or “video lottery terminals,” in a complex at New York
Avenue and Bladensburg Road, NE. The Board of Elections and Ethics will
hold a public hearing this Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. to determine whether
the Initiative is the proper subject matter for an initiative and, if
so, to formulate its short title and summary statement. The BOEE had
originally scheduled the hearing for June 2, but at that meeting the
initiative's proponent, businessman Pedro Alfonso, and his lawyer,
former councilmember John Ray, submitted a new text for the Initiative
that differed significantly from the initial version that had been
published in the DC Register. So the Board insisted that it be
republished and that the hearing be rescheduled. The DC Register
is the District's official legal bulletin. It is published every Friday
by the Office of the Secretary's Office of Documents and Administrative
Issuances. The firm deadline for publication in the Register is
noon on Thursday of the week preceding publication. So, when John Ray
stated emphatically at last Wednesday's BOEE hearing that he was sure
the revised text of the initiative would be published two days later in
Friday's Register, most people reacted with surprise and
skepticism. But that Friday, June 4, a supplemental Part 2 of the DC
Register, consisting only of the Initiative text, was mailed to its
subscribers and delivered to government offices.
How did that happen? Text for the DC Register is submitted by
government agencies; the Register is then formatted by the Office
of the Secretary and printed and mailed under contract by the federal
Government Printing Office. But this supplement was handled differently.
On Thursday afternoon, the text of the revised Initiative was delivered
to the Office of the Secretary by Margaret Gentry, a longtime aide to
John Ray who originally filed the Initiative with the Board. When the
Office of the Secretary finished formatting the supplement, Gentry
picked up the copy and paid for having it duplicated at Kinko's. Gentry
then returned to the Office of the Secretary and picked up a set of
mailing labels that they ran for her, took them to the Post Office and
paid for their mailing, and then personally delivered the copies that
the Office of the Secretary normally delivers to DC government offices.
When the Office of the Secretary was initially asked about this
unusual process on Friday afternoon, its initial reaction was denial.
The office's spokeswoman originally claimed that the supplement was
printed by the GPO in the usual way, and that the BOEE requested and
paid for the expedited supplement. Two hours later, the spokeswoman
admitted what had happened, but claimed that there had been a series of
misunderstandings — that the Office of the Secretary had been led to
believe that Margaret Gentry was an employee of BOEE, and that the
proponents of the Initiative had misunderstood what BOEE told them, and
thought that it would be all right for them to pay for printing and
mailing a supplemental DC Register. Finally, on late Friday
afternoon, the Secretary of the District, Sherryl Hobbs Newman, formerly
Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles, answered a telephone call.
Although the Office of the Secretary is relatively small — only about
27 employees — and the publication of the DC Register is its
single most important task, Ms. Newman said that she was completely
unaware that a supplement to the DC Register had been published;
that a private interest's publishing the DC Register was
completely wrong and unauthorized; that she would immediately start an
investigation to determine how it had happened; and that as far as she
was concerned the supplement containing the Initiative's text wasn't an
official DC government publication or a real DC Register at all.
###############
Abuse by DMV
Larry Seftor, larry underscore seftor .the757 at
zoemail.net
This is an old topic, but DMV management needs to be continually
excoriated until they get it right. I was out of town when my car
registration renewal came in the mail. Because of the delay in my
responding I decided that I’d better handle the matter in person,
rather than relying on a response by mail. (As I’ll describe, the mail
renewal never would have worked.) I took advantage of the Saturday hours
at C Street and visited DMV. While the main room, 1157, may have been
air conditioned, I was forced to wait in line in the hallway outside the
room for half an hour. After spending this time in sauna-like conditions
I was absolutely soaked. I eventually got into room 1157, and after a
moderate wait was called to a window. Not being born yesterday, I asked
whether the amount on the mailed form was correct. After being reassured
that it was, I filled out my check. About the time I was finished with
the check the clerk reconsidered and said that I really owed an
additional $25 (for inspection?), which I also paid. Curious, I sought
out a supervisor and asked what would have happened had I mailed in the
form with the requested amount. She told me, with a smile, that it would
have been rejected. Apparently my trip to DMV this Saturday was
unpleasant, but completely necessary. For those who might reply that
while inefficient, DMV gets the job done, I’d note that my proof of
insurance was never checked. Remember that the next time you are in an
accident in DC. For those who might reply that due to the building’s
security I was at least safe, I’d note that pregnant women appear to
have a bye when it comes to the metal detector. At least the one in
front of me walked around the metal detector, rather than through it.
For those who believe that the DC Government is making progress, I’d
assert that we still live with a third-world quality bureaucracy.
###############
Parking Observation
Winston Bull, bulwin@aol.com
This is just a friendly reminder about a long-standing parking rule
that sometimes has its own merits, and other times is simply a hassle in
a city where parking spaces are always at a premium. It is the rule that
says that cars must be parked a minimum of five feet from a driveway. I
measured my mid-sized car (an Isuzu Rodeo) at about fourteen feet, so
that the implication is that this rule effectively wipes out one full
space per smaller car between every two driveways. Now, we can complain
about this until the mayor sets up a double-secret commission on it, but
the fact remains that this is on the books as enforceable. So: a twenty
dollar ticket for something that — in the case of my ticket yesterday
— was not even marked. I am well aware that ignorance is no defense,
but it did seem that a No-Parking sign would have been justified. I was
told simply that “we [the parking enforcement folks] don't put up
signs for something like that.” So be warned that what might look like
a perfectly normal, even logical, parking spot may in fact not be one.
But the saddest part of the experience was the officer's immediate
jump to the defensive. I am sure that on the whole these people do not
have the most joyous encounters with the public at large, but I tried to
make clear from the start that I was simply ignorant and curious about
the offense in the first place. At the outset, for all I knew, I had
committed some offense. The officer, however, saw a fight coming where
there was none. While I did try to let him know my own point of view, I
did so as politely and cheerfully as I could, but this only made things
worse. When he mentioned that the owners of the driveway had actually
called to complain, I tried to make it clear that I then realized I
didn't really have a case, and in fact tried to wish him a good day.
That didn't work either. Just sad all around. I wasn't wild about
wishing the guy who had just given me a ticket well, but his attitude
made my wishes simply hypocritical. In Marion Barry's penultimate
campaign, there was a woman who was running on a one-issue platform (or
so it seemed): she was going to restore manners and civility to the
civil service. I wonder how things might have turned out had she won?
###############
DCPilots.net is a friendly E-mail list for pilots in the Washington,
DC area. DCPilots is also a place where people who are interested in
learning to fly can find out more about local flight schools. If you've
ever thought about becoming a pilot and have questions, DCPilots has
answers. DCPilots is your local cyberspace pilot lounge.
To subscribe to DCPilots, send a blank E-mail to dcpilots-subscribe@yahoogroups.com,
or visit http://www.dcpilots.net.
###############
Economic Development for Whom?
Ed Dixon, Georgetown Reservoir, jedxn@erols.com
The affable at-large councilman Harold Brazil is a twelve-year
veteran of the Council and the current chair of the Committee on
Economic Development. In the 2002 election, he helped his Council
colleagues and the Mayor successfully retake their seats by allying with
the Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) leadership. That spring, the
unanimous Council resolution to back a 19 percent teacher pay hike
ensured a strong teacher turnout for the primaries and general election.
Contrary to expectations, after the election, Brazil and the Council,
cut the school budget $30 million. WTU leadership came under
investigation at that point for skimming member dues and giving
potentially illegal campaign contributions in the incumbent rigged
election. Again, the following spring of 2003, Brazil, with the Council,
refused to increase the school budget in spite of the wage increase
already taking affect.
That same spring, Harold Brazil helped disaffected union members
prepare their Public Employees Relations Board disposition against the
corrupt union leadership. Meanwhile, along with the rest of the Council,
Brazil had tightened up school finances, undercutting the multimillion
dollar pay raises due to union members. The school board and DCPS tried
to get out of the raises, but the union, under AFT administratorship,
took the school board to court. In early July 2003, the courts backed
the union. The pay raises would have to come out of the existing schools
budget. Brazil, in spite of his key role in the city's economic
development, did nothing to solve the problem.
Harold Brazil held office throughout the Control Board years and
witnessed that authority extend its control over the schools until 2000.
The size and scope of DCPS finances, according to the authority,
required that the rest of the government run smoothly before a city,
restricted by revenues, juggle the responsibility of educating over
sixty thousand children. But two years later, Brazil (having promised a
hefty pay raise, empowering the union members to retain it, and then not
supporting the funding for it) put the schools in the position they are
in now. Ironically last summer, rather than address the schools'
impending fiscal crush, Brazil was stumping for a proposed multimillion
dollar tax increase to fund a ultra-luxury skybox stadium project.
Brazil's incoherent economic policy and planning led, in part, to the
unraveling of the Vance administration and the current political and
fiscal abyss that the schools are in now. Hundreds of layoffs are
expected this summer. School sales and closures are underway. Management
within the administration has become threadbare. Before his election in
2000, Brazil, in a press release, asked the electorate to hold him
accountable for the schools. Schools are integral to economic
development, but so far that press release has not been reissued.
###############
Update on Tax Assessment
Class Action Suit
Peter S. Craig, SwedeCraig@aol.com
Next Tuesday, June 8, Judge Eugene Hamilton will hold a hearing on
the cross-motions of the taxpayers and OTR for summary judgment. The
hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the D.C. Superior Court, 500
Indiana Avenue, NW. The courtroom for Judge Hamilton will not be known
until that morning. The courtroom number will be listed opposite Judge
Hamilton's name on the information board on the first floor or available
at the information window on the first floor. Any member of the public
may attend. Cross-motions for summary judgment were filed on April 6.
Rebuttal statements were filed May 6, and surrebuttals on May 21. The
petitioning taxpayers' filings fill twelve 3-ring notebooks; the
District's filings fill two such notebooks. The District has also filed
motions to strike all of petitioners' evidence on the ground that the
affidavits, tables and exhibits were submitted by DC taxpayers who are
not expert witnesses on “mass appraisal.” Our opposition to these
motions to strike will be filed on Monday, June 7. A year ago, Judge
Hamilton issued orders limiting this class action suit to Tax Year 2002
assessments. However, on May 26, he issued a new order expanding the
issues to also include Tax Year 2003 assessments. It is assumed that the
hearing on Tuesday will be limited to Tax Year 2002 issues, which have
been addressed in the pending motions. However, decision of the issues
for that year should largely govern the outcome of the Tax Year 2003
issues added to the case.
In the case of Craig and 48 other petitioners versus the District of
Columbia, the motion for summary judgment asked for the following
rulings regarding residential assessments for Tax Year 2002 —1) That
OTR's notices of proposed assessments failed to comply with the
requirements of the D.C. Code §§47-801(2), 824(a) and 823(b) and
elemental rights of due process under the Constitution by failing to
inform the taxpayer of the basis, rationale and methodology used in
reaching the proposed assessment, thus depriving the taxpayer of
information necessary to exercise his rights of appeal. 2) That the
notices of decision by OTR on first-level administrative appeal were not
accompanied by the assessors' work papers or, indeed, any explanation of
the rationale of the decision made, in violation of D.C. Code
§825.01(f-1) and of due process under the Constitution, thus depriving
the taxpayer of information necessary to exercise his rights of appeal.
3) That OTR secretly, and without notice to the taxpayers, substituted
across-the-board multipliers for property-specific assessments, thus
establishing new rules governing assessments which were not the subject
of rulemaking proceedings as required by the D.C. Administrative
Procedure Act, D.C. Code §2-805. 4) That OTR established rules of
assessments which provided differing treatment of residential properties
depending on classifications by neighborhood, by type of residential
property and/or by size of lot or floor area, in contravention of the
property-specific factors required by D.C. Code §47-820(a)(3) and in
violation of D.C. Code §47-801(1) and petitioners' rights of equal
protection guaranteed by the Constitution.
5) That, except for condominiums, OTR willfully established
across-the-board multipliers to be applied to previous assessments, such
multipliers varying by neighborhoods and/or uses as unilaterally defined
by OTR, thus exacerbating the discrimination which existed in previous
assessments, and this willful conduct violates the petitioners' right to
equal protection guaranteed by the Constitution. 6) That, in the case of
condominiums, OTR willfully made assessments based on floor area alone,
without complying with the property-specific requirements of the D.C.
Code §820(a)(3), thus creating discrimination in violation of
petitioners' right to equal protection under the Constitution. 7) That
the assessment-sales ratio studies used to establish multipliers to be
applied to prior assessments or to the lot area or floor area of each
property were invalid in that OTR assumed, contrary to law, that the
gross sales prices in the sales used in such studies was the equivalent
of estimated market value under the statute. 8) That estimated market
value, as used in the D.C. Code, refers solely to the value of the real
property being assessed and does not include personal property or
services or taxes related to the sale of such property that would be
borne by the owner if the property were sold, such as agents'
commissions, fix-up costs (or seller subsidy at closing) and transfer
taxes. 9) That the assessment-sales ratio studies used to develop
multipliers, were, in any event, invalid for the purpose of developing
across-the-board multipliers for assessment purposes. 10) That the
assessment-sales ratio studies of record demonstrated widespread
discrimination, generally in favor of more expensive property, to the
detriment of middle-priced and low-priced residential properties.
11) That the discrimination shown on this record has been done in
large part by OTR's willful failure to reassess residential properties
when additions or renovations have been made, to periodically inspect
residential properties, and to send questionnaires to owners of
residential properties, with the result that OTR has inaccurate and
incomplete data with which to make proper assessments. 12) That the
discrimination shown on this record has been compounded by OTR's willful
failure to inspect and reassess residential properties when major
building permits have been issued for additions or renovations in
violation of D.C. Code §47-829(e)(2), with the result that assessments
unlawfully discriminated between improved and unimproved properties. 13)
That the purpose of the requirement in the D.C. Code §47-823(c) that
OTR prepare and publicize assessment-sales ratio studies is to evaluate
the level and uniformity of past assessments by comparing them with
sales subsequent to the valuation date. Such studies are not intended to
be used for subsequent across-the-board changes in future assessments.
14) That the assessments made by OTR are arbitrary, capricious, an abuse
of discretion and otherwise not in conformity with law and are therefore
void.
Studies submitted by the petitioners showed that Tax Year 2002
assessments resulted in 54.23 percent of the houses in Triennial Group 1
being overassessed, 34.33 percent being underassessed, and only 11.44
percent being assessed within 5 percent of estimated market value.
Studies by the District's hired consultant, Mr. Gloudemans, generally
confirm this analysis. He found the coefficient of dispersion (COD, or
the average deviation from the median) to be 29 percent for all
residential properties (including condos), whereas the outside limit
under standards used by assessing officers is 15 percent. Both studies
showed assessments tilted heavily in favor of more expensive properties.
###############
Ordway Street between 30th and 34th Streets, NW, is being completely
reconstructed soon. according to DDOT. Many neighbors have received
notification from WASA that those of us in this location have lead
service lines from the water main to the meter. As a result, we have
contacted WASA, as has the ANC, to inform them that the road has not
been completely redone since 1924, and this would be a perfect
opportunity to replace the lead lines. We are informed by DDOT that WASA
will not take advantage of this moment in time. I know I should not be
surprised, but with all the scrutiny WASA is under, one would think they
would act responsibly and take advantage of this opportunity, save money
by not having to rip the street up at a later date, and minimize
disruption to the community. Perhaps there is no real oversight of WASA,
and they can continue on doing business as usual.
###############
Another Story from the Dysfunctional MLK
Library
Bryce A. Suderow, streetstories@juno.com
I wonder if other readers have had the same experiences that I have
when they copy microfilmed material at the Martin Luther King Library.
Every two minutes the microfilm machine partially ejected my copy card,
whether I was copying or not. This was accompanied by loud beeping
noises that sounded like the signal a garbage truck emits when it backs
up. When I tried to reinsert the card, two thirds of the time I got an
error message.
I complained to two references librarians in the Washingtonia Room.
Both told me the same sad story. The Library bought the copy cards and
the copy card boxes from a company that later went bankrupt. So now
there is no one to alter or repair either of them. They both told me
there is nothing anyone can do.
###############
[Re: Bryce Suderow, themail, May 26:] Bryce, As an African-American,
as a parent of a DCPS student, I'm extremely offended by your very
racist statement that Black folks have not gotten angry about the school
system. That is absolutely not true! We have always been angry at the
dual education system in WDC, the haves and the have nots. Schools with
parents who have greater financial resources are reaping the benefits of
the parents' wealth. You do know that the average income for
African-Americans is far less than that of whites. Therefore, the
schools with more white students whose parents have more money are
getting more. Also, those parents are using their considerable financial
resources to get whatever is needed for their children's schools.
African-Americans have been angry at the school system for many years. I
know. My parents were angry that the school system was trying hard to
not educate their children. The system was not successful. Nor will it
be successful with my child!
If there is any truth to the fact that Hardy is violating DC law by
tracking students, then the principal should not be applauded but he
should be fired and DCPS should be sued. Any effort by principals of
schools that have white students to give white parents power by showing
them that African-American students will not be in class with their
precious children is to be suppressed and halted immediately. The DCPS
administration knows about these allegations and knows what is really
happening. They have chosen to ignore complaints from the community
because they want to preserve the appearance of a diverse student body
in DCPS.
I learned a lesson many, many years ago from an educator: know what
you're talking about before you speak from ignorance. I do not excuse
your racism because of your ignorance, nor do I want this forum to
support it. Your praise and support of the allegations at Hardy is not
only ignorant, racist, and horrifying in 2004 but what makes
African-Americans angry about white people as a group and what we,
unfortunately, have to teach our children, in 2004, that white people as
a group are racist and unworthy of your trust. Shame on you for making
that home training a necessity in 2004!
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Rally at HUD to Save Kelsey Gardens, June 8
Alexander M. Padro, PadroANC2C@aol.com
Help preserve Shaw's diversity and save Section 8 subsidies at Kelsey
Gardens by attending a rally at the headquarters of the United States
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW, on
Tuesday, June 8, at 11:30 a.m. (Metro: L'Enfant Plaza). Join tenants and
supporters in demanding that HUD reverse its decision and not force
tenants to move out because of trivial repairs that the owners of the
property have refused to make (like not painting floors in common areas,
replacing seals on entrance doors, and the like).
The fifty-four families that live at Kelsey Gardens Apartments on the
1500 block of 7th Street, NW, two blocks from the new Washington
Convention Center, are fighting to purchase the buildings and renovate
them so they can continue to live there. But the owners instead want to
sell the property to developers who will demolish the buildings and
construct a high-rise development with over 150 units, displacing the
poor, mostly African American residents, many of whom have lived at
Kelsey Gardens for nearly three decades. And HUD's cancellation of the
building's Section 8 subsidies jeopardizes their ability to stay even if
they are successful in purchasing the buildings. For more information on
Kelsey Gardens and the rally, call 232-2915.
###############
Consumer Health Foundation Community Forum,
June 9
Bethanne Fox, bfox@businesscommunications.com
In an effort to engage the community in a lively, interactive
discussion about solutions to today's rising health care concerns, the
Consumer Health Foundation (CHF) will host its first-ever community
speakout at its 9th Annual Meeting. City Administrator Robert Bobb will
join a diverse panel of consumers, health policy experts, and health
care providers in search of consumer-driven solutions to problems
associated with the cost of health care and access to health services.
WAMU's Kojo Nnamdi will host the Speakout -- the first in a series of
CHF-sponsored regional events designed to identify consumer-focused
solutions that will influence change in the local health care system.
Participants include Robert Bobb, City Administrator; Kojo Nnamdi,
WAMU-FM; Dianne Camp, consumer activist; Maria Gatling, health care
consumer; Maria Gomez, Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care;
Raymond Terry, Sr., D.C. Department of Health; Joseph L. Wright, MD,
Children's National Medical Center. Wednesday, June 9, 4:00 p.m.-5:00
p.m., community exhibits and refreshments; 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., forum.
At the George Washington University Marvin Center, Grand Ballroom, 800
21st Street, NW (at 21st Street).
###############
On Thursday, June 10, 7:00 p.m., "One Who Loved Indians: Samuel
Kirkland, Missionary and American Patriot." A lecture by Christine
S. Patrick, Assistant Editor, The Papers of George Washington. Dr.
Patrick will focus on the life and work of Samuel Kirkland (1741-1809),
a missionary to the Iroquois Indians of New York, American patriot and
founder of Hamilton College, NY. Reservations required; free of charge.
Please call 337-2288 x450. Dumbarton House, 2715 Q Street, NW, http://www.dumbartonhouse.org.
###############
When the DC Preservation League took up quarters in the Pension
Building in June 2003, it moved into one of Washington’s most historic
neighborhoods -- Judiciary Square. Now the center of the city’s court
functions, the square dates from the city’s very inception. Planned as
a public reservation by Pierre Charles L’Enfant, Judiciary Square
possesses the first building designed to house the city government (Old
City Hall), and the area was home to vice presidents, senators, and
Supreme Court justices. The District’s first jail was constructed
there and held slaves as well as those charged with crimes. The jail was
converted to an infirmary that was the city’s only hospital at the
outbreak of the Civil War. After the Civil War, the Judiciary Square
area became one of the most prestigious residential neighborhoods in the
city, and the square itself was turned into a park. At the turn of the
twentieth century, the area was one of the most diverse neighborhoods in
the city and the location of its first Chinatown. DCPL will host a
walking tour of its neighborhood at 10 a.m. on June 19, to tell the rich
history of the area as it is revealed in its buildings and landscape.
Meet outside the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW
(Judiciary Square Metro). Cost: $15 members; $20 non-members.
Reservations: info@dcpreservation.org
or 783-5144.
###############
Washington Storytellers Theater proudly presents In Her Image:
Folktales of Mothers and Daughters and the Men Who Love Them. Jeannine
Pasini Beekman brings her newest full-length piece, a dark and
disturbing retelling of the tale we know as Snow White, to the audiences
of the Greater Washington, DC, community. Drawing from an extensive
repertoire of folklore and literature, Jeannine is known throughout the
country for the wit, passion, and integrity of her work. At Westmoreland
Congregational Church, 1 Westmoreland Circle at Massachusetts Avenue, on
Saturday, June 26, at 8 p.m. (rescheduled from January 31). Tickets are
$12 ($10 for seniors and students, $9 for WST members). Purchase at the
door or in advance by calling 301-891-1129.
Washington Storytellers Theater also presents a workshop led by Ms.
Beekman: Who Are These People And What Are They Doing in My Story?
Whether folktale or personal experience, literary or original, a story
is revealed through the action of its characters. During this
participatory and experiential session, Jeannine will guide participants
in the process of analyzing and developing characters. At the Maryland
Association for Nonprofit Organizations, 8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 303,
Silver Spring, MD, Thursday, June 24, 7-10 p.m. (rescheduled from
February 1). Registration fee: $35 in advance ($30 WST members),
Register at 301-891-1129 or WST, 6930 Carroll Avenue, #610, Takoma Park,
MD 20912.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — WANTED
Good, Inexpensive, Used Kayak
Phil Greene, pgreene@doc.gov
Anyone out there have a good, basic, entry level kayak they've
outgrown or lost interest in? Looking for a decent kayak to get my
ten-year-old kid started in.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED
Lawn Cutter, Reno Road, Cleveland Park
Phil Greene, pgreene@doc.gov
When I was a kid, I earned money during the summers cutting several
of my neighbors' lawns. Are there any such kids in Cleveland Park? A
friend of mine on Reno Road (near Yuma) is no longer able to cut her own
lawn, and I was hoping someone out there might know of a local kid who
could do it. Please let me know.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
Can anyone recommend a good podiatrist?
###############
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be printed, and messages should be reasonably short — one or two brief
paragraphs would be ideal — so that as many messages as possible can
be put into each mailing.
