Whoppers
Dear Voters:
The prize for the biggest whopper of the week, local DC division,
goes to Mark Tuohey, the chairman of the DC Sports and Entertainment
Commission, who claimed on Friday on the DC Politics Hour on WAMU that
the proposed baseball stadium won’t be publicly financed at all. He
had an elaborate rationale to try to sell that one, but don’t bother
trying to follow it; it’s just a whopper. Touhey had tough competition
for the prize; this was the same week that the administration claimed
that it would create a TIF district around the stadium that would be
worth $400 million, more than five and a third times the size of the
largest and most valuable TIF district in the city, around Gallery
Place. Nat Gandhi, the Chief Financial Officer, revealed that the
administration’s cost estimates for the stadium project were at least
$91 million too low, and questioning by skeptical councilmembers
revealed a number of expenses that the CFO still wasn’t counting.
Here’s one example. The administration hasn’t done a parking
study, but it claims that only 1,100 parking spaces have to be built for
the stadium, even though they also claim that 80 percent of the game
attendees will be coming from Virginia and Maryland. Why will that be
enough parking? Because most people will come by Metro, and the narrow
subway platforms at the Navy Yard won’t have to be enlarged to handle
the crowds because people will voluntarily get off at the Waterfront
stop, seven or eight blocks away, or at the Capitol South stop, more
than nine blocks away, and walk. Besides, any other cars can park on the
streets, and there are large parking lots at the Metrobus garage, which
game attendees can share with the buses; and at the Navy Yard, which the
federal government will surely open up to the public for the baseball
games. So there won’t be any additional expenses to build more parking
or enlarge the Metro station. Yeah, sure. Whoppers all.
Linda Cropp claimed that she wasn’t promoting the giveaway scheme,
but was going to get answers to the tough questions she had before she
would support it. Massive whopper. It’s a giveaway, it’s going to
end up the most costly and worst deal any city has ever struck to get a
baseball team, and it will cost more than they’ll ever admit. The five
incompetents who are most responsible for negotiating this terrible deal
and selling us out to Major League Baseball are Mayor Williams, Deputy
Mayor Eric Price, his special assistant Steve Green, Mark Tuohey, and
Councilmember Jack Evans. They are reckless and careless with the public
purse, and they should not be trusted with our tax dollars. And the same
goes for any councilmember who votes for this deal. If they are such
poor stewards of public funds, and so contemptuous of the public trust
that they will approve of this contract, they should be fired by the
voters.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
###############
Our public schools are in many ways the depository of our most
precious assets: our children. It is no wonder, then, that the District’s
public schools are in such an abysmal condition when members and
would-be members of the school board, as public fiduciaries, shirk their
duty to the children of the District in favor of engaging in the
politics of personal gain. With this next election, however, we have the
opportunity to take a critical step in the right direction for DC’s
children and DC’s future by electing Jeff Smith for District One
School Board Representative. Jeff Smith has exemplified his campaign
theme of “Children Over Politics” by engaging with voters and
children alike from all over the city on real issues — issues that
demand immediate resolution by serious-minded individuals who understand
that true leadership requires a focus on solutions and not other issues
that distract us from the goal of giving our children the best education
possible.
Jeff Smith’s demonstrated commitment to issue-oriented leadership
has earned him the support of several city leaders who have widely
diverse constituencies and political affiliations. For example, Jeff has
the support of Ward One Councilmember Jim Graham, Ward Four
Councilmember Adrian Fenty, and incoming At-large Councilmember Kwame
Brown. He also has the endorsements of School Board Vice President
Miriam Saez, Board Member Tommy Wells, and even outgoing Board Member
Julie Mikuta — against whom Jeff was recently running until she opted
out of the election. These endorsements, including those of local labor
union leaders, prove that in Jeff’s candidacy, politics has taken a
back seat to the laudable nonpartisan goals of reforming our schools and
better preparing our children to take our place as productive citizens.
On election day, lets elect a true leader who is beholden to no one
except the children whom he will continue to serve. Jeff Smith is such
an individual, and the District’s children deserve no one less. Check
him out at http://www.smithforpublicschools.com.
###############
Tom Dawson for District 2 School Board
Lars Hydle, larshhydle@aol.com
Historically, DC Board of Education elections have been of intense
interest mainly to teachers and other employees of the District of
Columbia Public Schools, and to parents with children in those schools.
This year, multi-candidate elections in both school board districts have
both heightened this interest and spread it to other groups: property
owners whose property values are affected by the quality of their
neighborhood public schools; business owners and public officials who
know that good public schools help to attract new business and economic
growth; disadvantaged people who see a good education as the way for
their children to good jobs and careers, the middle class, and a piece
of the American dream; and taxpayers who know that the District spends
nearly $1 billion annually on the DCPS — the biggest line item, I
believe -- and it should be spend effectively and cost-effectively.
In District II, Wards 3 and 4, which I know best, lackluster
incumbent Dwight Singleton has six challengers, many of whom seem well
qualified. Three are federal employees who are forbidden by the Hatch
Act from running for partisan offices, but can be candidates for this
nonpartisan post. This larger talent pool is a benefit of the decision
to leave school governance basically in the hands of the Board of
Education rather than the partisan Mayor and Council. For the District
II position, I support Tom Dawson, a former public school teacher who is
a ten-year resident of DC and currently of the Crestwood neighborhood in
Ward 4. where he is battling for votes against Singleton. His day job is
as a lawyer at the US Department of Labor. He is also a member of the
Board of Directors of the Washington Free Clinic. Born in Florida, Mr.
Dawson graduated from Morehouse College and received advanced degrees
from the University of Florida, and from George Washington University.
Mr. Dawson’s platform: 1) restore fiscal responsibility and
accountability -- he has pledged to taxpayers that he will not advocate
larger school budgets unless and until he is sure that the money will be
spent cost-effectively, and he has promised to work with the new
superintendent without micromanaging him, and to resist such
interference by the Mayor and Council; 2) create a safe and healthy
learning environment — close DCPS-police cooperation on safe schools,
in-school suspension when possible for disruptive students; physical
education and healthy school meals and vending machine products; 3)
establish a uniform core curriculum, and bring in an accrediting body to
accredit our schools; 4) invest in early education to ensure literacy,
and in vocational programs to ensure job and career readiness; and 5)
empower teachers, by paying them better for competence in subject
matters in short supply and for enhancing their students’ performance,
and relieving them from frivolous lawsuits for bad grades or discipline.
Moreover, Mr. Dawson supports parental involvement, to set expectations
for the child’s attendance, behavior, and achievement; to hold the
school and its principal accountable for its performance; and to
encourage school choice. Tom’s website is http://www.votetomdawson.com.
###############
Hugh Allen for District 2 School Board
Greg Lalley, minerlalley@cs.com
I am writing to voice my support for Hugh Allen’s bid to win a seat
on the DC School Board representing District 2. Elections are about
choices. In this election it appears to have boiled down to a choice
among three main contenders: namely Hugh Allen, Victor Reinoso and
Dwight Singleton. For me, incumbent Singleton has not served us well and
should not be considered by anyone with serious concerns about improving
DC public schools. That leaves a choice between Hugh Allen and Victor
Reinoso.
Hugh Allen has proven his commitment to this city and improving
public education for over twenty years. His activism began when his
children were in public schools, and he has continued to fight the good
fight now that his children have grown up. Victor Reinoso has many good
qualities, but he didn’t even bother to register to vote in DC for the
first eleven years that he lived here. What does that suggest about his
commitment to this community? I am also concerned about the candidates’
positions on school vouchers. Hugh Allen is against vouchers and was
actively involved in the fight to oppose them. Reinoso says he is
against vouchers, but he was not visible in the fight against them. More
troubling to me is that Reinoso has received significant financial
contributions (including those from his employers at the Federal City
Council) from those who are staunch supporters of vouchers. So when it
comes to vouchers, Hugh Allen’s actions speak louder that Reinoso’s
words. Reinoso may be cross-pressured on this important issue, while
Allen’s views are rock solid.
Finally, Hugh Allen has the support of a wide coalition of city
leaders and education activists. He has been endorsed by Mayor Williams,
Councilmembers Kathy Patterson and Phil Mendelson, former school board
president Reverend Robert Childs, and Hugh’s former school board
opponent, Martin Levine, among others. These endorsements do not mean
that Hugh agrees with these leaders on every issue. What they mean is
that Hugh Allen can work effectively with the broad coalition that
determines the direction of our schools. We must move to an era where
there is more cooperation and coordination among the School Board, mayor’s
office and the City Council. Hugh Allen has a good working relationship
with these leaders and should be elected for that reason alone.
###############
Reluctance, Deception, or Ignorance?
Ed Dixon, Georgetown Reservoir, jedxn@erols.com
As a Board of Education candidate for District II, Victor Reinoso has
consistently downplayed his work at the Federal City Council (FCC). In a
recent candidate mass mailing, he states he serves as “Education
Policy Director of a nonprofit in DC.” The Federal City Council is
mentioned in the reprinting of Reinoso’s Post op-ed inside but
its not clear if that is there because the Post put it there or
Reinoso wanted it there. With the limits in space of a such a mailing
every word counts. Why not front and central? But Reinoso has been
tagged for misleading folks on the campaign trail in regards to the FCC
before (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/lips/lips.html).
The Graham family that has run the Washington Post for the
last half century jump-started the FCC in the 50’s. The FCC role in
public policy has rarely been insignificant and that goes for its role
in public education over the past few years. The FCC commissioned the
McKinsey Report in 2002 (http://www.economicclub.org/Pages/archive/McKinsey.htm),
which suggested that neither the costs of public education or mass
transit could be handled at the local revenue level and that changes in
the federal relationship with the city had to occur to address the
problems. The report has been a linchpin for local big business PAC’s
to hold the line on tax increases in both of those public services.
Though the FCC claims credit for having brought forward former
Superintendent Paul Vance and his team into place, its members abandoned
him midcourse for the charter movement. The CEO School Leadership Group
of the FCC, which hired Reinoso, is currently headed by locals Bill
Marriott and Joe Roberts. Bill Marriott, one of the richest men in the
world, has directed some of his resources towards public education,
including the Marriott Hospitality Public Charter School, money for the
Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, and $25,000 divided
among ten "10 Who Are 10" Scholarship Awards to DCPS students.
Joe Roberts, on the other hand, has made a considerable effort to
publicly fund his Washington Scholarship Fund with federal voucher
money. One of the directors of the Washington Baseball Club, Roberts
holds an annual Fight Night, a highbrow boxing event, that raises
scholarship money for students to attend private school. Lastly, the FCC’s
chairman Terrence Golden spearheaded the relocation of St. Colleta’s
School, a private special education provider that serves DCPS, to
Reservation 13 along the Anacostia.
Hmmm, “Education Policy Director of a nonprofit in DC.” Who is
Reinoso kidding? Is he embarrassed? Or is he hiding something and for
whom? The Common Denominator has written on Reinoso’s role at
the FCC as well (http://www.thecommondenominator.com/102504_update1.html).
The article questioned Reinoso’s conflict of interests in regards to
his staying on at the FCC if he wins. Reinoso’s public excuse is that
what FCC members do (i.e., support vouchers, charter schools, and
mayoral takeovers) is not the same as the FCC agenda. So be it. Then
what does Reinoso do at the FCC, watch the clock? At one point this
summer in the Current newspaper, NBC 4’s Tom Sherwood pointed
out that it might help the Federal City Council in its 50th year to stop
being so secretive. The same goes for Reinoso. Before even going to the
polls on Tuesday, voters should decide is it reluctance or deception
because it certainly isn’t ignorance.
###############
Reelect Ray Browne US (Shadow) Representative
Patrick Pellerin, pellerin@verizon.net
Ray Browne has worked tirelessly for the citizens of Washington, DC,
and deserves another term. During his first two terms he gained support
from mayors, city councils and legislatures all across this country for
voting representation in Congress. He has effectively worked with
members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to further the cause
and his work has been recognized and endorsed by every member of the DC
City Council as well as numerous other organizations throughout our
great city. He deserves our vote on November 2.
###############
Who Needs More Money?
Jonetta Rose Barras, jrbarras@aol.com
Everyone is complaining about DCPS not having enough money. You may
recall that earlier this year, there were supposed to be administrative
cuts to the budget to prevent a deficit. Maybe the new superintendent,
Clifford B. Janey, doesn’t know any of this. This month, he created
two new administrative positions and hired four senior level managers at
a cost of more than a half million dollars. He could be following the DC
Board of Education’s lead, however. The nine-member panel decided to
pay Janey a base salary of $250,000 — $75,000 more than his
predecessor. But Janey is getting more than that. When the numbers are
added, in any given year he could walk away with more than $300,000.
Read this week’s Barras Report (http://www.jrbarras.com)
to learn other details about the superintendent’s contract and how
much he is paying his new administrators.
###############
Ward Two Citizens: Withholding Our Votes
Henry Thomas, hbthomas@comcast.net
For those of us in Ward Two who are against the $440 (now $530?)
million financing plan for the baseball stadium, may I suggest a way of
showing our displeasure? Let’s withhold our vote for Jack Evans on
November 2.
[The highest voter turnout every four years is for the presidential
general election, but in this year’s primary unopposed Democratic
candidate Adrian Fenty got nearly three times the votes in Ward 4 as
unopposed Democratic candidate Jack Evans got in Ward 2. In the Ward 2
primary, many DC voters already withheld their votes from Evans; if the
same thing happens in the high turnout presidential general, all the
councilmembers should pay attention. — Gary Imhoff]
###############
What We Can Do about DC Baseball
John Capozzi, Johncapozzidc@aol.com
For starters, Mayor Williams started this discussion with the cry
that he would have a “war room” to sell this public Stadium
financing proposal. I ask where is the “war room” to rebuild every
school, library, recreation center, and a hospital? If we took all the
talent that has been thrown into this battle and put their collective
intellect and political capitol to work attacking these real and
pressing issues, then I would feel confident that residents would view
this deal that amounts to a give away to wealthy baseball owners
differently. Here is what can happen when the entire leadership of the
city is distracted by a bad deal. The District-based The Corporate
Executive Board, a business research and education provider, which is
the ninth largest DC business, will relocate to Rosslyn in four years,
and has signed a lease for 611,000 square feet at the Waterview project
on the Potomac River. An incentive package from the Commonwealth of
Virginia helped close the deal, including a Major Business Facility jobs
tax credit. The Corporate Executive Board’s relocation to Rosslyn will
result in a $227 million investment and about 2,500 new jobs with an
average annual salary of $70,000, Gov. Mark Warner said in a statement
Tuesday. We should have kept them here in DC, with some effort.
Mayor Williams announced a new plan to create a $400 million TIF fund
for community needs. There are serious reasons to doubt this last minute
proposal. My positive suggestion that the TIF district be drawn around
the headquarters of Fannie Mae and ask that they make a
payment-in-lieu-of-taxes that would fund this proposal. Additionally,
the city could raise the tax on parking to fund these needs. These
proposals seem to touch the third rail of DC politics: that we rarely
challenge the status quo. This a once in a lifetime opportunity to
combine the goals of rebuilding the basic infrastructure of our city and
get baseball back in DC, but the mayor offered no specifics on the plan,
even though he expects the council to vote on it in less than two weeks.
There are no plan on how the fund would work, and no legislation on the
fund. The mayor probably will designate a huge area around the stadium
as the TIF district to try to raise $400 million. This will encompass a
tremendous amount of economic activity that is already going on and that
has nothing to do with the stadium. So the fund simply will take
revenues that otherwise would have gone into DC’s general fund. It is
not really new revenue. He is taking money out of one pocket and putting
it into another. This is not new money.
Let me answer for RFK Stadium. The stadium is apparently an orphan
that has been left on a doorstep by its owner; the DC Sports and
Entertainment Commission. The Commission has one plan for RFK: demolish
it as soon as possible. This is a curious posture for a body that has an
asset that is paid for and is so valuable that Major League Baseball is
moving the Expos to play there in April. DC United will also continue to
play there. With a thoughtful renovation effort, the Stadium would be in
fine shape. It is a great place to watch a baseball or soccer game.
Apparently, RFK is good enough for three years — why not renovate it
and play there for thirty years? As a neighbor to the Stadium, I am
always insulted by the contention that our neighborhood could not be
improved by the economic development that is always promised near a
stadium, everywhere but near RFK. Please call those wavering
councilmembers (724-8000) and ask them to fix this deal so that we can
consider voting for them when they are up for reelection in the future.
###############
What We’re Getting for the Stadium
Michael Bindner, mikeybdc at yahoo dot com
I totally agree that on economic development grounds the stadium
makes no sense. This does not necessarily mean it is a bad idea. This is
because the public does get something out of it — live baseball. I
would much prefer that in exchange for the deal the District, the
stadium workers had a share in the ownership of the team. Perhaps this
could be negotiated.
The bottom line is, if the stadium were not financed, there would be
no baseball in Washington. Is this the best of all possible worlds? Of
course not. However, civic planners back to the ancient Greeks, and
probably including the ancient Egyptians, have been funding public
entertainments for no other reason but the bragging rights of the town.
If no one in the town wanted a team, it wouldn’t be funded. Obviously
at least the donors to our plutocratic government want this thing. The
answer is not to stop the stadium, but to defang the plutocracy
(although I think support for bringing baseball goes beyond them to the
cheap seats). The only way that is ever going to happen is if the
citizenry gains the right to amend the Charter by initiative — and the
only way this will happen is to put together a slate of candidates that
will make Charter initiatives an election issue. (Like maybe the DC
Statehood Green Party, which also opposes the stadium deal).
###############
I too oppose using taxes to build and maintain a new stadium for the
baseball team. It just seems wrong as the day is long. I do have a
suggestion for a new name for the team, should we have them . . . how
about “The DC Generals,” in honor of the hospital Thomas Jefferson
begun and Mayor Williams closed. Somehow that sounds appropriate.
###############
Just as I stated before, the requirements for jobs in the stadium are
written so that persons already in stadium operations will be able to
work at the new stadium. Although local people will be educationally
prepared, none has previous stadium experience. If you visit the web
site http://www.teambuilderalliance.com/dcbaseball/,
you will see exactly what I am referring to. Oh what suckers we are to
buy into this stadium deal, and we are like a herd of animals led by a
Judas goat.
Now we really know the feelings of the Billionaires Club about us
poor dumb suckers in financing the stadium. They do not have any respect
for the rank and file of this city because they have the star puppets on
the string and all they have to do is yank and the council will act
accordingly. Yes, the council will pass the act despite the objections
of those members who have ferreted out who will benefit the most in this
deal. The city’s movers and shakers care less if the treasury will
take a big hit on the expenditures for the stadium; they only care about
what it will cost them and what is their return on the dollar. You can
be sure that those that have the most to gain have already bought into
the property of the site for the stadium to get some of the riches that
will be passed out. If their names are not noted on the property, you
can bet that proxies representing them have their names on the deeds,
only to sign them over once the act to commit by the city is done. Just
follow the money and you will be surprised as to who is in this deal of
the century. Once again the city is pimped like a prostitute only to end
up with nothing to show for it. When will we ever learn to stop exposing
ourselves to shady deals to become the back room source of laughter and
derision.
###############
The Proposed Stadium Site
Margaret Feldman, mefeldman@aol.com
I drove around the proposed site for the baseball park in southwest,
and I do think the area would be improved with a stadium. It is hard to
tell the number of historic buildings there are which merit preservation
status, but the one obvious one is the mansion on O Street. (Is that the
correct street?) Other than that, there seem to be few real residences
left over from old times. There are some essential services which others
can name and one beginning activity is the sculpture center. I have
heard that there is an inventory of the buildings in the area already
existing.
I would like to have a tour of the area or even a map indicating the
use of the present buildings so I could assess the potential use and
loss. A decided advantage for the stadium at this location is that few
people would be thrown out of their homes and few would be bothered by
night noise.
###############
Enjoyed your review of the newest Little Anthony and the Imperialists
musical -- a gospel show at last! — with Jumping Jack Evans singing
lead on the old standby, "Do the Hustle" (themail, October
27). I knew watch-wait-and-pray theater would finally pay off once
audiences got tired of that old bait-and-switch routine.
Instead of sending me the list of shepherds willing to be fleeced,
please add me to the list of people willing to write "Render Unto
Caesar" one hundred times on the side of a church. I’ll even take
the “No DC Taxes for Stadium” sign out of my window, for a halo and
my cut of the $440 million to be funneled through the faith community.
But wait! Don’t we already have a few local government agencies that
focus on housing, health, recreation, and street paving? Wouldn’t it
be cheaper to add another line item for helicopters under Emergency
Preparedness?
Okay watchers, it’s time to sing the chorus. You know the words.
Altogether now . . . cue the symphony: “Pleased to meet you; hope you
know my NAME, ‘cause What’s-Troubling-You is the nature of my
GAME.”
###############
I for one am tried of the band of ministers in DC that are pandered
to by our elected folks. Here is what I as a native Washingtonian want
to see: statistics for each church in DC on the number of their members
who even live or vote in DC. When I grew up here, 95 percent of the
churches’ members walked to services. Now most of the members drive
from the suburbs. If this is true, I certainly do not want their church
leaders wielding influence on my day-to-day life. I bet no one will give
up those DC membership stats.
###############
The stadium isn’t the only important bill before the Council on
November 9. That same day, councilmembers get to vote on increasing the
use of clean renewable energy in the DC area. The Renewable Energy
Standard would require utilities to buy at least 11 percent of their
electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. Tradable renewable
energy credits could be traded throughout our electric supply region to
get the cheapest renewables available. Seventeen states have enacted
similar proposals. Because renewable energy is cheaper than natural gas,
the bill would lower consumer energy prices. The solar energy provisions
would create jobs here in DC. And of course renewables would help clear
our air.
The bill, authored by councilmembers Mendelson and Ambrose, is
cosponsored by Graham, Patterson, and Allen. Catania supports it.
Hundreds of health, environmental, and neighborhood groups have endorsed
the bill. More info at http://www.CleanAirDCcafe.com.
###############
Took a cab recently from northwest DC to Union Station. Big mistake.
Normally I would take the Metro, but this time I had a large rolling
suitcase and a backpack for a sixteen-day cruise. With parking in
Tenleytown and the Metro ride I can normally make this trip in less than
forty minutes to the train gate. By cab it took an hour, cost $16, and
we had to go through two Homeland security armed checkpoints along the
way before we reached the station. What’s next, security screening at
Metro stops? Totally ridiculous.
###############
Documenting Community Supportive Work
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
Considering how reluctant the local media are to cover organizations
and individuals involved in community supportive work, it’s important
for such entities to document their own work in words, pictures, sound,
and video. This is not easy to do as you need to step outside yourself.
If you don’t do it, nobody else will. Or if they do, they’ll tell
your story in an incomplete way. To assist others wanting to tell their
stories, here’s a chronicle of a project I was involved with here in
the DC-area. Reading it over, I note that I left out many anecdotes I
wanted to share. All the same, the important part of the story got told:
http://www.his.com/pshapiro/whatilearned.html.
###############
Mr. Imhoff, you’re usually so astute! I’m amazed that someone who
follows the news is unaware that yes, many Asians deeply dislike the
term Oriental, and that someone so committed to accuracy could so
mischaracterize Edward Said’s intellectual legacy. In his seminal
book, Orientalism, Professor Said didn’t stigmatize the word
"oriental" so much as explore how things perceived as
"oriental" came to be stigmatized in the West. Evidence? Check
the handbook of the Asian American Journalism Association: http://www.aaja.org/resources/apa_handbook/.
“Oriental” is listed in the glossary and I think you’ll find a
concise summary of how the word is considered generally in the Asian
American community: “Caution: Many Asian Americans, especially younger
ones, liken ‘Oriental’ to ‘Negro.’ A vestige of British
imperialism, the term, at minimum, is vague.”
A quick Google search of the late Professor Said would have given you
dozens of thoughtful explanations of his work. It’s a pity that you
didn’t take the time to do the most rudimentary research in either of
these cases.
[I’m well aware that there are innumerable assertions that Asians
and particularly Asian-Americans believe "Oriental" and
"Orient" are objectionable and demeaning. As I wrote, there
have been decades of similar claims that American Indians are offended
by “Redskins” as the football team’s name, but the Annenberg poll
found that only 9 percent actually were. Does the opposition to
“Orient” have wider support among Asians or Asian-Americans? Are
there any objective polls or evidence? — Gary Imhoff]
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
National Building Museum Events, November 3-4
Brie Hensold, bhenhold@nbm.org
Both events at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW,
Judiciary Square stop, Metro Red Line. Wednesday, November 3, 6:30-8:00
p.m. In 2003, landscape architect Ken Smith, ASLA, completed the
restoration of the landscape at New York City’s Lever House. He will
discuss his sculptural, avant-garde designs, including the roof garden
at The Museum of Modern Art in New York and his plans for Santa Fe’s
Railyard Park. $12 museum members; $17 nonmembers; $10 students. Prepaid
registration required.
Thursday, November 4, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Historian James Goode discusses
his classic book Capital Losses: A Cultural History of Washington’s
Destroyed Buildings. Its most recent edition received the award of
merit from the American Association of State and Local History. After
the lecture, he will sign copies of his book. $12 museum members and
students; $17 nonmembers. Registration required.
###############
Baseball Stadium Forum, November 4
Ralph Blessing, rblessin88@hotmail.com
The Shepherd Park Citizens Association will host a public forum on
the proposed baseball stadium at Shepherd Elementary School, 7800 14th
Street, NW (corner of Jonquil), on Thursday, November 4, from 7:00 p.m.
to 9:00 p.m. Mayor Williams, representatives from the Office of Economic
Development and representatives from the DC Fiscal Policy Institute will
participate to present both sides of the debate surrounding the stadium
funding proposal.
###############
Conflict Management-Assault Prevention
Seminar, November 6
Isabel Sternberg, Isabelsternberg@prodigy.net
A conflict management/assault prevention seminar will be taught
Saturday, November 6. from 2-5 p.m., at the Fellowship Hall of St. Luke’s
Methodist Church, 3655 Calvert Street, NW. The schedule will be as
follows: 2-2:30 p.m., Montgomery County Police, common assault trends in
the greater Washington area; 2:30-3:30 p.m., Michael Veltri, conflict
management lecture and Q & A; 3:45-5 p.m., Michael Veltri, basic
self-defense against common attacks.
Participants should wear loose, comfortable clothes such as sweats
that cover both the arms and legs. The cost is $30 per person. To
register for the seminar or to ask questions, contact Michael Veltri at mveltri@dcaikido.com
or 338-8690.
###############
International Religious Fellowship
International Bazaar, November 13
Vivian Henderson, VHende 1886@aol.com
Support children’s welfare organizations by attending the Annual
Women’s International Religious Fellowship International Bazaar,
Saturday, November 13, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., in the Fellowship Hall of 19th
Street Baptist Church, 4606 16th Street, NW. Gifts and foods from around
the world are for sale. Join us for an entertaining show, good food, and
warm fellowship.
###############
themail@dcwatch is an E-mail discussion forum that is published every
Wednesday and Sunday. To subscribe, to change E-mail addresses, or to
switch between HTML and plain text versions of themail, use the
subscription form at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/subscribe.htm.
To unsubscribe, send an E-mail message to themail@dcwatch.com
with “unsubscribe” in the subject line. Archives of past messages
are available at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail.
All postings should also be submitted to themail@dcwatch.com,
and should be about life, government, or politics in the District of
Columbia in one way or another. All postings must be signed in order to
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.
