Good and Bad

Dear Goodies and Baddies:

The bad in this issue is terrible — the ridiculously poor baseball stadium deal negotiated by the city’s spendthrifts. Last week ninety prominent economists from across the political spectrum signed a letter to the mayor and the council. Here’s the letter in its entirety: “A vast body of economic research on the impact of baseball stadiums suggests that the proposed $440 million baseball stadium in the District of Columbia will not generate notable economic or fiscal benefits for the city. Most studies find that new sports stadiums do not increase employment or incomes and sometimes have a modest negative effect on local economies. The reason appears to be that sports stadiums do not increase overall entertainment spending but merely shift it from other entertainment venues to the stadium. Research also suggests that a baseball stadium alone will not revitalize the Anacostia waterfront. Because sports stadiums are not used most of the year, they do not stimulate much development outside the stadium. Most modern stadiums include restaurant and other entertainment offerings, limiting the money that goes to neighboring businesses. A new stadium cannot be expected to generate a net increase in economic activity in the Washington metropolitan area, but it may shift some entertainment spending from the Maryland and Virginia suburbs into the District. Nevertheless, the economic benefits to the District are not likely to outweigh the large stadium subsidy proposed by the District. At least 80 percent of the costs of the $440 million stadium are expected to be supported with public funds. In short, it is dubious to justify the use of public funds to subsidize construction of a DC baseball stadium on economic development grounds.” See the letter and list of signers at http://www.dcwatch.com/govern/sports041021.htm. But the giveaway supporters are determined to ignore all the economic studies and evidence. This is not a debate with evidence on both sides; it is a debate with all the evidence and facts on one side, and with lies and false promises on the other. To read an example of those lies and false promises, go to the E-mail that Jack Evans sent to stadium supporters on the same day the economists’ letter was released: http://www.dcwatch.com/govern/sports041021b.htm. It’s not like the mayor and the Sports Commission and the councilmembers don’t know the facts about the real economic impact of sports stadiums. They know; they just think they can fool us.

The good is great. On Tuesday, the Committee of the Whole will hold a public roundtable on the "District of Columbia Auditor Deborah K. Nichols Reappointment Resolution of 2004." The council couldn’t have made a better decision than to reappoint Deborah Nichols to a position from which she and the small, understaffed, and underfinanced Auditor’s Office have done yeoman’s work that puts the bloated, overfinanced Inspector General’s office to shame.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Strategy for District II School Board Election
Mike Spevak, Mspeva02@georgetown.edu

I’m stymied about how best to vote in the upcoming District 2 DC School Board election for Wards 3 and 4, only knowing that I’m sure that Dwight Singleton is implementing a deviously effective strategy of keeping his seat again, namely by interrupting his low profile stance only to tout himself as the incumbent who’s “doing a good job” (I saw him at work at the Chevy Chase Citizens Association candidate forum this past week). In fact, he has been notoriously ineffective on the Board, pursuing other political ambitions instead. As in 2000, and as Loose Lips detailed in her analysis, there is a large and excellent field, Mr. Singleton has great name recognition, and there will undoubtedly be a large turnout on November 2. He squeaked by with a small plurality in 2000 over Hugh Allen, who this time has two particularly outstanding competitors, who, campaigning without regard for the actual politics of the situation, are, I fear, unfortunately helping give the election away to Singleton. Is there nothing to be done?

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Board of Education Campaign Shenanigans
Chuck Thies, chuckthies@aol.com

“Kids Over Politics” is a fine slogan and premise under which to run for the Board of Education. Unfortunately, in District One (Wards One and Two) the candidate who is flying that flag on his campaign literature is doing the exact opposite. Jeff Smith is distributing flyers touting the endorsement of the Ward One Democrats Chairperson and other Party officers, but they are not supporting his candidacy. In fact, they have asked him to stop handing out the materials, but he continues to do so.

Not only is Smith stooping to political trickery unsuited for a School Board race, but I’ve also learned that one of the credentials he boasts — a teaching position in DCPS — is pure hype. Smith quit that job after only five months. If our schools are going to improve we need to elect dedicated, conscientious candidates who have more to offer than empty slogans and dubious resumes.

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Revised Smokefree DC Voter Guide Available
Angela Bradbery, Angela@smokefreedc.org

Want to know how the DC Council candidates stand on smokefree workplaces? Smokefree DC has issued a voter guide to the November 2 Council elections, indicating which candidates support 100 percent smokefree workplaces, including restaurants and bars. The guide shows that strong supporters of smokefree workplaces are running in every race. You can find Smokefree DC’s voter guide in printer-friendly PDF format at http://www.smokefreedc.org/materials/flyers/voterguide.pdf or in HTML format at http://www.smokefreedc.org/voter-guide-2004.php.

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Happy Anniversary
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

October 6 marked Robert Bobb’s one-year anniversary as the District’s City Administrator, succeeding Williams’s previous city administrators, John Koskinen and Norman Dong. Two days later, on October 8, Bobb testified before the council’s Government Operations Committee (http://www.dcwatch.com/mayor/041008.htm). This testimony gives an overview of his first year in office and an update on his view of the general operations of the District government. Bobb’s first year has been marked by a high degree of professionalism and an effort to bring civility to the general operations of the District government. His stature and power has steadily increased as the mayor’s out-of-town travel and disengagement from the daily operations of the city government has increased. Although the District charter established a strong mayoral form of government, under Williams we have actually moved toward a city manager form of government, with Bobb in charge of daily operations and Williams handling the ceremonial duties. (Bobb fills this role naturally, since he was a city manager in Oakland, California, and Richmond, Virginia.)

Bobb’s role has also been strengthened by the departures in the past six months of Chief of Staff Kelvin Robinson and Press Secretary Tony Bullock, the two Executive Office of the Mayor employers who were closest to Williams and who advised him on policy matters. Bobb is also quietly revamping and, some argue, dismantling the Deputy Mayor structure that Williams instituted. Margret Kellems, the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, resigned in the spring and has not been replaced. Carolyn Graham, the Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families, and Elders, left last fall and was just recently replaced by former Parks Director Neil Albert. Eric Price, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, is leaving in November. And Herbert Tillery, Deputy Mayor for Operations, has not served in that position for many months as he has been loaned out to various agencies (Department of Health, Office of Contracting and Procurement) as a troubleshooter.

Bobb has also had a key role in reviewing and overhauling the performance of several District agencies. The Department of Health has been reorganized, former Director James Buford was ousted, and the terms of the city’s health care alliance contract was renegotiated. Jacques Abadie, director of the Office of Contracting and Procurement, was ousted. The Department of Motor Vehicles had yet another personnel and management overhaul, as did the Youth Services Administration, to bring it into compliance with court orders. Bobb has also established the Center for Innovation and Reform ("to lead efforts to strengthen management, increase productivity, decrease costs, reward creativity and innovation" and provide "more effective and efficient service delivery") within his office. And he is currently assessing DCRA and the Office of Contracting and Procurement; and he is overseeing some special legacy projects of the Williams administration, including the construction of a baseball stadium and construction of a new hospital, the National Capital Medical Center, on the DC General site.

But the road ahead has several challenges. Williams will be even more absent and on the road when he assumes the presidency of the National League of Cities, and the growing perception that Williams will not be running for reelection will saddle both him and Bobb with lame duck status. In 2005, the city council will have three new members (Vincent Gray, Kwame Brown, and Marion Barry), and at least four councilmembers are considering mayoral runs (Linda Cropp, Jack Evans, Adrian Fenty, and David Catania). Bobb has come under the influence of some former Barry cronies, Elijah Rogers and Joe Yeldell among them, resulting in the recent appointments of Anita Bonds as head of the Mayor’s Office of Community Outreach, and Deborah Evans, a former close associate of Yeldell, as Special Assistant in the Office of the Mayor’s Chief of Staff. And Bobb has not staffed his own office with knowledgeable subordinates who can act independently, meaning that several city projects get put on hold indefinitely when a big project like the baseball stadium occupies much of his time. All that will make it even more difficult to fill the many top-level vacancies that have persisted throughout Williams’s terms. Currently those vacancies, in addition to the Deputy Mayor slots, include the Inspector General, the Medical Examiner, the State Education Officer, the director of the DC Public Library, the director of the Youth Services Administration, the Chief Procurement Officer, and the director of the Office of Risk Management.

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Metro, A Time Bomb in Our Midst
Larry Seftor, larry underscore seftor .the757 at zoemail.net

Three events should cause us all to regard Metro with alarm. 1) A train operator left a train full of people in jeopardy, rather than question an obviously erroneous order. 2) Operators in a control center ignored an alarm throughout the night. 3) Metro reacted with chaos when a problem with a rail hampered operations. This brings two questions to mind. First, what does one have to do to get fired at Metro, drive a train into a wall? If ignoring an alarm is not grounds for dismissal, it should be. In no other organization would such a clear disregard for duty be tolerated. Second, how would Metro respond to a terrorist attack on the system? A terrorist attack would by its nature be an unexpected, novel event. Metro has shown over and over than it cannot respond in a rational manner to the unexpected. The time bomb in Metro is its staff who consistently demonstrate poor judgment and bad attitudes and who are clearly not smart enough to manage and operate a system where people’s lives, including my wife’s, are at stake. When its staff falls short, Metro’s answer is the need for “training.” You can train someone to do the repetitive, but you cannot train someone for the unknown.

In its youth, in a simpler world, the Metro system could be run by almost anyone. The mechanics of the system were sound and the external threats nonexistent. Today the system has aged and the world has become dangerous. It can no longer be operated as a jobs program for those who are unemployable elsewhere. My suggestion is that Metro establish a new management tier with day-to-day responsibility for running the system. To become a member of that tier, an individual would have to pass tests, as police departments use testing, to establish the requisite skills and judgment. Any failure of performance by a member of that tier would mean an immediate suspension. Recent events have shown that new and more dangerous problems will occur. As a matter of public safety, Metro must revamp itself so that it can properly respond.

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Why Major League Baseball Won’t Work in DC
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aoldotcom

I love to travel, like the Mayor, only I travel at my own expense, so I won’t be able to attend the public hearing on the stadium plan for the new Washington baseball team.

There are at least five good reasons why major league baseball won’t be successful in the District. The first of these is the fan base. Washington has a majority population of those who are not traditional baseball fans. A classic comparison is the city of St. Louis. Now there’s a city with a great baseball history with teams that consistently make the playoffs. The population of that city is largely a minority population. Yet, when you visit that new inner city ball park, you can count the numbers of minorities in the nearly filled stands on a few fingers and toes. The second reason, again unlike St. Louis, the folks from Virginia and Maryland are not folks who frequently come to the District. Many of my friends in Virginia think they’d sooner go to Outer Mongolia than come to Southeast Washington in the District. The third reason is the cost. It looks like a family of four will have to spend an average of more than $150 to attend a single game.

There are two more reasons for the lack of a successful baseball franchise after the bloom is off the rose. DC is not likely to be able to field a winning team in the near term and perhaps never. Just look at that clown, Angelos, in Baltimore. He has spent a bundle trying to put together a winning team with no success. That team has been below 500 for several years and would be in last place in other divisions of the Majors. Attendance at Camden Yards, a magnificent ball park, has been steadily dropping every year since the stadium opened. The best thing that ever happened to Angelos was the move of the Expos to DC. As a result, he has managed to secure guarantees from the Baseball Commissioner for the value of his team and the ball park. If he decides to sell his losing franchise he will get a subsidy from Major League baseball that will make him whole (and then some) and add to his obscene ill-gotten wealth. The last reason is competition. Virginia will be fielding a minor league team right next to the District (they should name them the Potomacs). Virginia will likely get itself a new five or ten thousand seat stadium with ample parking, get itself a brand name owner (Cal Ripken, are you listening?), and charge affordable prices (like the Frederick Keys) to fill their stadium while building a great fan base. This team will draw big crowds who will avoid going to the Washington games.

For all these reasons the expenditure of public funds to pay for the stadium, in addition to the more than one hundred million for city paid infrastructure (Metro, etc.), will be a big waste of the taxpayers’ monies.

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Local Documentaries on the Web
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com

In the coming years you’ll be getting more and more of your entertainment from video producers and other artists in your local area, directly from their imagination to your computer screen -- via the Internet. I know some talented documentary makers here in the DC area, and when I asked them if I could place their documentaries on the Internet, the most frequent answer I heard was, "Sure, go for it!" Several of these documentaries have won awards, but haven’t garnered a wide audience. Until now. If you have a high-speed Internet connection (i.e., DSL or cable modem) you can now view "It’s Just Me," a spellbinding 60-minute documentary chronicling the effort to integrate the Arlington Public Schools in the late 1950’s. The story told is instructive to all of us who care about DC, because our own struggle is far from over. There are lessons to be learned from this documentary. Further info and QuickTime files can be found at http://mytvstation.blogspot.com. I recommend giving the QuickTime a five or ten minutes head start before starting to watch it. Although the pixel dimensions are rather small (240 x 180 pixels), next year I’ll be placing the same movie on the web in QuickTime 7 format, and that will be larger in pixel dimensions. I’m also experimenting with placing the entire documentary on the web in super VCD format, which would look fairly good when played on a television from a recent consumer DVD player. After downloading on your side, you would then burn this super VCD onto two CD disks, which would play in most recent DVD players.

It’s time to start removing some of the mainstream entertainment trash from our intellectual diet and tune into local voices with something to say. I’m ready. Are you?

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DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Displacement, and Property Taxes
Warren Gorlick, wgorlick@cftc.gov

In the most recent issue of themail [October 20], Ed Dixon notes that there have been “some criticism” of the DC Fiscal Policy’s Institutes recent studies on income disparity and property taxes, and cites various other studies by the Urban Institute and Fannie Mae as suggesting that the earlier DCFPI study was correct. With all due respect, Mr. Dixon appears to have missed the point of those of us who noted the connections between DCFPI’s advocacy of high property taxes (e.g., its opposition to the recently passed 12 percent annual cap on residential tax increases), and displacement of the District’s middle class homeowners.

There is little question that the high property taxes that DCFPI advocates are the main tool that developers use to force middle class homeowners to abandon their District residences for less expensive housing elsewhere in the country. After the original DCFPI criticism appeared, Ed Lazere, the DCFPI’s head, answered the charges that DCFPI advocates a regressive tax policy by stating that the DCFPI had been the major proponent of a lower income tax homeowner "credit" which he suggested removed any regressive element from property taxes. However, the District’s property tax credit is virtually meaningless — for a widowed homeowner living alone, one’s income would have to be below $29,680 to qualify. Even then, the amount of relief is very limited, a few hundred dollars at best. Let’s look at reality. Take a case of a District couple in their early 60s with an income of about $60,000, which is about $30,000 “take-home” after state and local income taxes, social security, health care premiums, and a relatively small contribution to the worker’s 401K plan. The couple’s house, which they bought for $100,000 in 1970, is now worth $600,000, was recently refinanced in order to pay college tuition for their two children. Their DC property taxes on that house are therefore in excess of $5,000 and their income is far above the limit for Mr. Lazere’s vaunted property tax credit. Who are we kidding? Does anyone really think that this couple can afford to pay $5,000 in annual property taxes, when they are likely to be trying to put kids through college and saving for retirement at the same time? Such couples are prime candidates for "displacement" to PG county or another lower-cost area, which the DCFPI then cites as another example of poor persons moving away, and therefore a rationale for even higher taxes on “the rich.”

If the DCFPI was really interested in preventing displacement and keeping lower income persons in the city, Mr. Lazere would be fighting hard to lower property taxes for residential homeowners, not increase them. In place of the lost revenue, the DCFPI would advocate the repeal the outrageous 1999 "Tax Parity Act" that lowered the property tax rate for landlords (but not for homeowners), by more than 40 percent -- from the old rate of $1.56 per hundred to a lower rate of $ 0.96 per hundred, as well as a repeal of the exemptions that allow all kinds of “nonprofits,” even the immensely prosperous Fannie Mae, to completely escape property taxation altogether. The DCFPI would also be supporting — and funding — Peter Craig’s class action lawsuit against the District, which is highlighting the unfair manner by which the District assesses more modest homes at a higher percentage of market value than luxury houses. The fact that DCFPI continues to focus its energies on keeping the residential property tax as high as possible, while never addressing the possibility of sharing the property tax burden in a more equitable manner with commercial landowners, can only foster suspicion of who funds this organization. In any event, there is no question that DCFPI, by advocating high residential property taxes, is a powerful force in the displacement of the District’s middle class by the wealthy and commercial interests.

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DC’s Chinagate
Pete Ross, pete@ross-usa.com

I am distressed that read that DC officials spent $5646.00 per ticket to fly business class to the Orient. I go to the Orient approximately eight to ten times a year (Bangkok and Beijing) and always fly business class. Business class tickets are sold at many prices, just like economy class tickets. I punched into the Northwest Airlines web site the dates of December 2 and December 9 to go to Bangkok, Thailand, and

Beijing, China. Roundtrip to Beijing (Business Class) from Washington National Airport is $2202.37 using fare basis ZKXRHOL on Northwest Airlines. Roundtrip to Bangkok (Business Class) from Washington National Airport is $2181.50 using fare basis ZKXRHOL on Northwest Airlines. Business Class tickets for $2200.00 usually have to be purchased eight to ten weeks in advance, but I am sure that the trip to the Orient by the Mayor was planned more than two months ago.

Probably a politically connected travel agent sold the city the most expensive Business Class tickets to maximize the 10 percent commission paid by airlines for international tickets. Business Class tickets to the orient can always be purchased through brokers for less than $3500.00. I wonder how much the mayor’s entourage is paying per night for a hotel. Five star hotels in Bangkok (Four Seasons, Peninsula, Plaza Athenae) should be $120.00 per night. Four star hotels (Hyatt and Marriott) should be less than $100.00 per night. Three star hotels (Sheraton and Holiday Inn Crown Plaza) should be less than $80.00 per night. I am waiting to see the hotel charges for the mayor’s trip to the Orient.

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Enterprise Car Rental
Harold Goldstein, mdbiker@goldray.com

We have used Enterprise in DC on several occasions with never a problem.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

National Building Museum Events, October 25-27
Brie Hensold, bhenhold@nbm.org

All events at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, Judiciary Square stop, Metro Red Line. Monday, October 25, 6:30-8:00 p.m., D.C. Builds: Is Washington Ripe for Smart Growth? In this first of three lectures on Smart Growth in Washington, DC, Bruce Katz, founding director of the Center on Urban Metropolitan Policy at the Brookings Institution, will discuss the Smart Growth challenges in metropolitan areas across the United States. He will be joined by Christopher G. Miller, president of the Piedmont Environmental Council, who will discuss the Washington metropolitan area and the unique challenges it poses to incorporate Smart Growth principles effectively. $10, museum members and students; $15, nonmembers. Registration required.

Tuesday, October 26, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Reflections on Cultural Diplomacy at Home and Abroad. Author and photographer Elizabeth Gill Lui traveled to fifty countries documenting America’s embassies, looking at both chanceries and embassy residences as a reflection of American identity on the international political stage. She will share her convictions about the role that cultural diplomacy can play in the shaping of America’s image in the world. During a reception following the lecture, Lui will sign copies of her book Building Diplomacy: The Architecture of American Embassies (Cornell University Press). $10, museum members and students; $15, nonmembers. Registration required.

Wednesday, October 27, 2:00 p.m. Enjoy a docent-led tour of this Museum exhibition that explores the history and future of concrete, presenting nearly 30 innovative projects that display the material’s strength, versatility, and potential. Free. Registration not required. Participants meet outside exhibition entrance on first floor. Wednesday, October 27, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Lecture: Can You Imagine. The future has always been oversold and under-imagined. Designers have played a key role in helping to push the boundaries of imagination through the creation of visions, some of which ARUP, the worldwide engineering firm, has helped to become a reality. Chris Luebkeman, director of Global Foresight and Innovation for ARUP, will develop these thoughts through a series of examples, concluding with a dozen ideas to stretch the imagination. $12, Museum members; $17, nonmembers; free to students with valid student i.d.. Registration required.

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Mobilize Against Public Financing of Major League Baseball, October 26
Susie Cambria, scambria@dckids.org

Mobilize right now against the baseball stadium! This is a huge issue, and this is a key week to make sure that our opposition is heard! The city council’s public hearing is on October 28! Attend the EmpowerDC Monthly Meeting -- Tuesday, October 26, 7:00 p.m., 1419 V Street, NW (Green and Yellow lines, Cardoza/U Street Metro). At this meeting, you will learn more about why this is a bad deal for DC, mobilize with others so that we can have an effective campaign, and prepare to testify, call, and write. Take Action with EmpowerDC; for more info, http://www.nodctaxesforbaseball.org or 234-9119.

Polls show that public support for a giveaway to multimillionaire baseball owners is weak and that most folks know we need to do more for hardworking low-income residents, like investing in childcare so parents can work, affordable housing so working families can afford a safe place to live, and education, so that parents and their children can build better lives for themselves in the future. This is the real economic development that we need in DC! Let’s develop people’s potential! This is a fight not just for this year’s budget, but for the next generations! We will be paying for this for the next thirty years, whether or not baseball remains in town!

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DC Vote Annual Gala, October 27
Kevin Kiger, Kkiger@dcvote.org

DC Vote will hold its annual Champions of Democracy fundraiser gala on Wednesday, October 27, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Mandarin Oriental, located at 1330 Maryland Avenue, SW. The annual award gives DC Vote a chance to honor members of the community who have worked to promote education and advocacy about the disenfranchisement of the residents of the nation’s capital. This year DC Vote is proud to honor Sweet Honey in the Rock, Councilmember Jack Evans, and Catherine Hughes. Frederic Yonnet, a jazz harmonicist, is the evening’s entertainment. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and open bar are provided by the Mandarin Oriental. Business attire is requested, and both valet and self parking are available for $13. The Mandarin Oriental hotel is located just south of the Smithsonian Metro stop’s Independence Avenue exit (Blue and Orange lines). Individual tickets for the event are available for $125 and can be purchased at the event or online at http://www.dcvote.org.

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Film: A Patriot Act, October 29
Margaret Guroff, mguroff at aol dot com

Screening of a new political film by NYU professor Mark Crispin Miller, author of The Bush Dyslexicon and Cruel and Unusual. Free. Friday, October 29, 8:00 p.m., La Casa, 3166 Mt. Pleasant Street, NW, three blocks from the Columbia Heights Metro stop.

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Watha T. Daniel Book Sale, October 30
Alexander M. Padro, PadroANC2C@aol.com

On Saturday, October 30, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Friends of Watha T. Daniel Library will present their annual Book and White Elephant Sale at the library, located at 1701 8th Street, NW. At 2:00 p.m., a Halloween storytelling hour will be held. Children are encouraged to come in costume. Admission to the sale and storytelling are free. The Friends are looking for book donations and volunteers to help staff the event. For more information, call 671-0212 or send an E-mail to FriendsofWTDLib@aol.com.

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James Forman Luncheon, November 13
Jerome Gray, artsensation@yahoo.com

Honoring a civil rights legend: a birthday and fundraiser luncheon for James Forman, Saturday, November 13, 12:00 p.m. First Baptist Church, 712 Randolph Street, NW (corner of New Hampshire and Randolph). Advance reservations required; tickets are $20; inquire about reserving a table. Meals include baked chicken or baked salmon, vegetables, desserts, and a beverage. Checks should be made payable to James Forman and mailed by November 1 to James Forman, c/o African American Civil War Monument and Museum, 1200 U Street, NW, 20009. For additional information and updates call the Stand Up for Democracy hotline: 232-2500, ext. 5, or E-mail forman_friends@yahoo.com.

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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED

Legal Secretary Needed Immediately, Two Positions
Jon Katz, jon at markskatz dot com

Near Silver Spring Metro and sparkling downtown. Dynamite performance earns up to $20/hour plus bonuses and raises. Competitive benefits/vacation/paid parking and Metro. Exciting litigation work with AV-rated firm in the news. Requires prior high-volume/tight-deadline success. Two legal secretary positions open; please designate the position for which you are applying: 1) criminal and civil litigation (bilingual not required); 2) immigration and civil litigation (bilingual Spanish-English required). Our web site says it all: http://www.markskatz.com. Apply immediately, fax: 301-495-8815.

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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE

Bill Gaither Concert Tickets
Ann Carper, jackson73 at earthlinkdotnet

I have four tickets to a Bill Gaither and Homecoming Friends concert at the Patriot Center this Friday (October 29) at 7 p.m. that I can’t use. Three are together: Section 125, Row, 1-3 ($27.75 purchase price, each). The other is at: Section 102, Row D, 16 ($37.75 purchase price ). I don’t want them to go to waste so make me an offer — any offer!

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Ford Bronco
Wallace Dickson, wdickson@wdn.com

1988 Ford Bronco, new engine, new tires, excellent running condition, good reliable transportation, asking $1800 (below Bluebook). Call Wallace Dickson, 265-0591 or E-mail wdickson@wdn.com.

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CLASSIFIEDS — DONATIONS

Books for Foster Care Kids
Kim L.E. Bell, kbell@dckids.org

DC Action for Children (DC ACT) has adopted a local group home for young women in foster care ages 13-21, Echelon Community Services in northeast DC. This is our way of doing a little more as an organization to touch some young people’s lives in a direct way in addition to our policy/advocacy work. Our staff is working with Echelon on a volunteer basis to help them develop some extracurricular activities for the young women. Our first project is the development of a library, and one of our staff members is volunteering her own time after work twice a month to do a book club for the young women. We are collecting books, new and used, that are suitable for young people aged 13 and up. If you have books that you want to donate, I can pick them up or you can send them directly to me at DC ACT, 1616 P Street, NW, Suite 420, 20036. Also if you have bookshelves to donate, that would be great as well.

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CLASSIFIEDS — PETS

Persian Mix Cats Seek Permanent Home Together
Tedd Appel, geoffrey@mrgeoffreys.com

Mr. Boots and Matthew, both mature adult male Persian mix kitties are seeking a permanent, caring home together to spend the rest of their days. The cats were brought to the local animal shelter by the US Marshall’s and are now with a volunteer foster home. To see photos of these two wonderful cats and learn more about Mr. Boots and his companion Matt please go to http://www.mrgeoffreys.com.

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