Candidates

Dear Nominators:

Most election years, I have to encourage people to express their preferences among the candidates. This year, themail is getting early volunteers. Don’t hesitate to join in the fray. Whom do you prefer in the various races, and why? I’d especially like your ideas about the school board races. When the Washington Post asked in an editorial for suggestions for candidates for school board chairman, it got very little response. Can we do any better?

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Keeping Us Safe from Live Music
Jack McKay, jack.mckay@verizon.net

Mount Pleasant Street is dead and deserted after dark, in sharp contrast to the lively entertainment strips of Columbia Road and U Street, a few blocks away. Perhaps this is because a few neighbors insist on banning any hint of entertainment here, even solo singing. One resident’s complaint, last fall, led to undercover visits by ABRA (Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration) agents:

“This investigation is the results (sic) of a complaint dated September 22, 2005, alleging that the establishment was providing live entertainment . . . On Friday, September 23, 2005, at 11:00 p.m., I visited the above establishment in an undercover capacity and observed a picture of a male singer (Pepe Reyes from EI Salvador) dressed in a Mariachi suit on the front door and window advertising Pepe Reyes every Thursday and Saturday. . . . On Saturday, September 24, 2005, at 11:15 p.m., I returned to the establishment in an undercover capacity . . . I observed one man operating a stereo type system with a microphone by inserting prerecorded CDs into the stereo. I observed a male, Pepe Reyes, dressed in a brown Mariachi suit singing to the patrons with the microphone. I observed approximately 40 patrons dining and drinking. . . . This Investigator was able to substantiate that the above establishment was in violation of the Cooperative Agreement dated 2-27-01; Section A. which states . . . ‘that licensee will not permit any live music, dancing, or charges for admission to the establishment.’”

Why does anyone care that this restaurant actually had a live human being (the owner’s brother, visiting from El Salvador) singing to recorded music? Well, not only do some residents care, but more recently written “voluntary agreements” extend the ban to forbid disk jockeys and karaoke. In Mount Pleasant, you’re allowed to eat quietly in a restaurant, but you mustn’t have any fun while you’re there.

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DC Ignored Again
Steve Leraris, leraris@aol.com

Stateline.org recently did an article ranking states by taxes per capita. Even though the federal government treats DC as a state for taxation purposes, the residents of DC were not included in this listing (http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=101919). Contact Daniel C. Vock at dvock@stateline.org

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Slots Update
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

At today’s public hearing of the DC Board of Elections and Ethics, where the slots initiative (the Video Lottery Terminal Initiative of 2006, http://www.dcwatch.com/election/init20.htm) was to be considered, the initiative was instead withdrawn. Jeffrey Robinson, the attorney for the proponent of the initiative, faxed a withdrawal letter to the Board just prior to its 10:30 a.m. Meeting (http://www.dcwatch.com/election/init20h.htm). Robinson said that he wanted to try to resolve some legal issues prior to resubmitting the initiative. Robinson referred to several legal problems with the initiative that were raised by the General Counsel for the city council, Charlotte Brookins-Hudson, in her letter to the BOEE (http://www.dcwatch.com/election/init20g.htm). If the Virgin Islands sponsors of the initiative still want to place it on the ballot in time for the November general election, they will have to file a revised text, go through the BOEE’s public hearing and review process, circulate petitions, and submit those petitions with the requisite number of signatures by July 10.

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South Capitol Frederick Douglass Mall Blog
Douglas Willinger, dougwill2001@yahoo.com

See the South Capitol Blog at http://wwwsouthcapitolstreet.blogspot.com/. A blog dedicated to the South Capitol/Frederick Douglass Mall (Promenade) that appears in the planning of the National Capital Planning Commission through the 1990s up through 2001, but which has been quietly dropped. Ostensibly this was to avoid eminent domain, which the authorities are nonetheless happy to use for the Nationals Stadium and its related development which directly conflicts with -- and in practicality stops -- the South Capitol/Frederick Douglass Mall (Promenade).

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Solving DC Problems
Joan Eisenstodt, jeisen@aol.com

This was sent from a colleague. The brain power on this List should certainly try! “DC Appleseed initiated a contest called Solving DC Problems. The idea is for anyone who lives in, works in, or cares about DC to submit ideas for what DC’s biggest problems are and how they can be solved (250 words or fewer -- one paragraph -- so no huge amount of writing or analysis!). There are cash prizes (first prize is $5,000, second $2,500, third $1,000) but more importantly, the ideas are going to be presented to policy makers, including mayoral candidates. Authors of the top three entries are going to be invited to present at a candidate’s forum, but all ideas will be compiled and presented as a briefing book to a wide variety of policy makers in DC.

“If you check out the web site (http://www.solvingdcproblems.org) you’ll see that there are opportunities to submit ideas and/or to comment on ideas already generated. The public is going to be invited to vote for the winner (a review committee will narrow the field to twenty, and the public will vote on those). Already, the ideas submitted range from the profound to the ridiculous, so there’s definitely some fun to be had.

“We hope to get DC schools involved, and while individuals under eighteen will not be eligible for cash prizes, we hope to be able to present an award of some kind to the school that generates the most entries. If you’re interested in that, let me know and will keep you updated on those developments. And, just so you know, entries will be accepted by mail or fax too. Deadline for submissions is May 5. We’re obviously concerned with reaching the broadest range of individuals to get the full range of perspectives on DC issues.”

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Absentee Voter Applications for New Orleans Voters in DC
Bill O’Field, wofield@dcboee.org

The US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and the DC Board of Elections and Ethics (BOEE) will provide absentee ballot applications for displaced New Orleans residents currently in the DC area who wish to vote absentee in the Orleans Parish April 22 primary election.

Absentee applications are available at both the EAC and BOEE offices, and employees will be on hand to provide assistance and offer additional information about the process. Orleans Parish residents have until April 18 to request an absentee ballot. For directions or more information, call EAC toll free at 1-866-747-1471 or visit http://www.eac.gov. The EAC office is at 1225 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 1100, and the DC Board of Elections and Ethics office is at 441 4th Street, NW, Room 250-North. Applications will be available through April 18, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Displaced voters who were registered to vote before September 24, 2005, must complete the Displaced Voter Request for Absentee Ballot by Mail form. For inquires about eligibility, call the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office toll-free at 1-800-883-2805. The form is also available online at http://www.sos.louisiana.gov.

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Education, Housing, and Economic Opportunities Should Stay on Election Radar
Jamal Turner, jamal_tur@yahoo.com

The economic boon in the District of Columbia is awesome. It is inspiring. The economic train to prosperity is one that everyone wants to ride. New housing is springing up everywhere and price tags of $400,000 and up are not unusual. Neighborhoods are rapidly being transformed and sometimes one sees these expensive houses in areas where once you may have feared to tread.

As a native Washingtonian approaching twenty-five, I fear that I will not be able to truly benefit from the new District of Columbia. In my modest neighborhood, apartments around me are being renovated and the asking price keeps rising. Will home ownership in my hometown escape me? I love my hometown and the people here. I almost have a sense of entitlement as if I should be expected to have a chance to live where I grew up and attended school.

But the reality is that dollars make the man, the woman, the family now more so than ever. The proverbial village is not going to help you get into half million dollar homes a little bigger than a Cracker Jack box and help you take care of your family, too, as you work two jobs or long hours to put food on the table and clothe your family in addition to the spectacular mortgage payment with escalating property taxes to boot.

We’re trying to chase young pharmaceutical entrepreneurs off the street, as we should, and the quicker the better; yet, we allow our schools to be less than stellar and equitable in quality, vocational training is essentially nonexistent, and job training apparently a joke. The Washington Business Journal recently published an article entitled, "DC Jobs Program: ‘Useless.’" How do you lure young folks away from crime and give them a fighting spirit to want more when everything is working against them? Values alone and going to church may not always cut it.

When the candidates take up the issues, they need to be real. Young people are going away to college and coming back home begging for entry level jobs. We watch and cringe as layoffs or downsizing or whatever the correct terminology is takes place and affect people even in their 40s and 50s when retirement is not within their immediate grasp. Unemployment is a hurting thing. Then we hear that so many DC residents are unqualified and therefore the jobs go to the suburbs. Candidates, public officials we need jobs. I’m taking grad school classes to dream about gaining low income jobs and then one day taking on law school.

The citizens of DC plan to keep education, workforce housing, and economic opportunities (job training/workforce development, upward mobility, job creation, contracts) on the radar screen of candidates and public officials. This year may prove to be the time to get the house in order. We don’t have to clean house this time around, we have to open it up for others to enter.

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Who Will Actually Lead?
Nichelle R. Jones, Ghetsweety@aol.com

Politics may be fleeting and rhetoric can be melodic, but the courage to lead with substance must be what define this year’s elections. The discussion continues on the last series of articles on this year’s elections and the candidates that come forth and purport to lead. As an aspiring clinical researcher destined to find cures for all that ails mankind, I continue to be interested in the issue of healthcare as it is relates to the proposed National Capital Medical Center. At one point the council was solid in its votes to keep DC General Hospital open to provide health services to underrepresented geographic areas, and now it seems like the position has gone askew.

When one talks about leadership this year, I see Vincent Gray (candidate for council chair) and A. Scott Bolden (candidate for at-large council) still pushing the envelope on a new healthcare facility. It takes courage to speak up for a proposed facility that is not fully embraced by all of the city while still insisting that questions be answered and accountability ensured. Why can’t there be a trauma 1 level hospital where people need it without racing far across the city? It seems to be popular now to find ways not to have a hospital with a trauma center in a part of town that may need it most and where many citizens cannot afford healthcare on demand. They may wonder whether they should pay to keep a roof over their head or to buy expensive medicine to keep them going. If we get nothing else out of this discussion on the proposed NCMC, we can get an honest education on the need to reduce or control the rate of chronic ailments that take their toll on the African American community.

Furthermore on leadership with a purpose, it is going to take courage to lead in these changing times. I watched with glee as development surrounding the Tivoli Theater near my home in Ward 1 began. This neighborhood is emerging as a very expensive one and I am glad that we already own property so we can stay here as those with big salaries settle in. Yet I still see signs of despair and human suffering not far away. Gentrification of course is an issue as “for sale” signs populate the streetscape, but more bothersome is crime. There is still a need to bring hope and public safety to communities. The police alone can’t do it. Gunshots still ring in the night air and drugs are still sought by some for escape from inner pain or boredom.

As I’ve heard Bolden and Gray address the issues before, I see that they recognize the need for a comprehensive approach to achieving public safety as well as improving education. There is no one solution to stemming the tide of crime or educating and training young people. When looking at crime and education, improving the city, and maintaining the well being of the citizenry, we have to look at many factors that contribute to a downward spiral: lack of opportunities and suitable training for unskilled, uneducated residents in a knowledge-based, professional services/technology climate; schools unprepared for the vast differences in teaching needs; absent fathers and inadequate, responsible parenting; and the list goes on.

Bolden and Gray seem to see a need to retain citizens and businesses that have been here as well as attract new ones. The new are not necessarily coveted or welcome more than the old. There is promise in the aforementioned candidates and others running for office this year. The opportunity for new blood is clear and exhilarating. The possibilities for DC and its citizens are endless with the right leadership, both at the council and mayoral levels. Six years into the new millennium, we have to make a difference with our votes. Our future is now. Voting is a must in all eight wards. The ward that turns out the most this year will shape the direction. Don’t be left behind.

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Schrag on Georgetown Metro
Zachary Schrag, George Mason University, zms@schrag.info

I am glad that my work on the history of Metro has sparked such interest. I would like to clarify that I do not doubt that some prominent Georgetown residents opposed a Metro station in their neighborhood. I do, however, question the significance of their opposition.

In 1982, the Takoma Park City Council called on the US and Soviet governments to halt the testing and production of nuclear weapons. Looking back, we can read this as an indicator of the city’s attitudes, but I would not — without additional evidence — assume that the resolution shaped American or Soviet defense doctrines. Likewise, whatever resolutions the Georgetown Citizens Association passed and whatever petitions they circulated, I have found no evidence to suggest that they influenced routing decisions made by the National Capital Transportation Agency (NCTA) between 1961 and 1964, the years when the agency considered a Georgetown station. To the contrary, three NCTA planners — Tom Deen, John Williams, and William Herman — all told me that they rejected such a station independently of input from Georgetown residents. These men offered me detailed and candid recollections on a variety of topics, so I have no reason to doubt their memories. Of course, I would be happy to see additional evidence about the decision not to serve Georgetown, but I would hope it would include specific names and dates, showing who lobbied whom and in what terms. Without such details, I don’t see how we can gauge the impact of any complaints.

More importantly, I have tried to put the Georgetown story in the broader context of citizen opposition to Metro construction. Citizens protested Metro in Chillum, Takoma Park, Forest Glen, Bethesda, Arlington, Vienna, North Cleveland Park, Shaw, and Northeast among other areas. In several cases they succeeded in getting parking lots scaled down, and the Kingman Park neighborhood of Northeast got the Oklahoma Avenue station removed entirely. No doubt, some opponents feared that Metro would bring the riffraff, but the most commonly expressed concern was the additional traffic that would arrive as commuters drove to Metro or dropped off spouses. Readers are free to condemn the Georgetowners as shortsighted and snooty, but I see no reason to consider them more shortsighted and snooty than Metro opponents throughout the region.

The Georgetown story attracts attention because people understand that a major public works project like Metro reveals the uneven power relationships in a city. I would like to suggest that Georgetown’s lack of a Metro station is but a small piece of a much larger, and more surprising, story about the changing politics of the Washington area, and I hope that it will lead subscribers of this list to the more complete account in my book The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro (Johns Hopkins University Press). I also invite them to see images of Metro’s past (including a 1963 sketch by Mr. Williams showing a Georgetown route) at “Building the Washington Metro,” http://chnm.gmu.edu/metro/. The site offers visitors a place to record their memories of Metro’s history.

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Myth About the Georgetown Metro?
Harold Goldstein, mdbiker@goldray.com

In the early 70’s I worked for the late Doug Schneider who, it can be argued, was the most responsible for the creation of the DC DOT (not the US DOT) so that the key DC transportation organization was not auto oriented. And, if memory serves, he was the first head of that agency.

Anyway, he was quite clear that the politics of the day dictated the lack of a Georgetown stop and that the physical and design issues were just a convenient ruse. Private discussions with various Metro planners at the time confirmed this, to me at least.

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No Metro in Georgetown
Thomas H. Ochiltree, ochiltreeth@verizon.net

At the time the debate on whether or not there should be a Metro stop in Georgetown was raging, I was only in my early twenties and had only moved to DC a few years before. But through my parents I knew a Georgetown professional woman who very active in Georgetown affairs who frankly admitted the determination of her and her friends to keep Metro out so as to “preserve the Georgetown we have and love.” She made no bones about how spurious the technical arguments were. “Whatever’s grist for the mill,” she said of the campaign.

The irony is that precisely the "wrong sort" (from the point of view of such people) came to Georgetown anyway. Had a Metro stop been built, it would have doubtless been blamed for ordinary people coming to enjoy that part of our nation’s capital; at least Metro doesn’t have to bear the burden of this hypothetical urban myth.

As for the technical arguments, I’m no engineer, but I recall the use of the red herring of how difficult it would be to have a stop at the seemingly logical place of Wisconsin and M (and the alleged threat to the foundations of surrounding buildings). But of course the stop could have easily been put at Wisconsin and K, at that time a wasteland of dying lumber yards, small factories, etc. The name of the woman? She’s dead and I can’t ask permission for disclosure.

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Georgetown Metrorail Station
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso -at- capaccess -dot- org

Matthew Gilmore’s post (themail, April 2) castigates me for suggesting one should approach with skepticism Zach Schrag’s claim that a cost-benefit analysis, devoid of political or racial influences, kept a Metrorail station out of Georgetown. Mr. Gilmore urges me to read Schrag’s book first before expressing an opinion on the subject. No doubt every other person posting to themail on this subject has already read Professor Schrag’s side of the argument. Unfortunately, I am still suffering from post-concussion syndrome (see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/02/AR2006030201983_pf.html) and under the care of a neurologist. Soon I hope to have the stamina and concentration necessary to read a full-length book like Professor Schrag’s.

Until then, perhaps Mr. Gilmore can let me express my skepticism that a decision like keeping a Metrorail station out of Georgetown resulted from a pure cost-benefit analysis -- a skepticism supported by (except Mr. Gilmore’s) every other post to themail on this subject, all probably from observers more knowledgeable about the subject than I.

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Race in the Race, Plus Politics
Karen Alston, kalston266@aol.com

In response to Leo Alexander’s “Race in the Race” post (themail, April 2), I had to make a few comments. Race and class have been issues in the African American community for over a century. A great book to read on class in the African American community is Our Kind of People by Lawrence Graham. Any Howard alumnus from the 1960’s and earlier could discuss the “brown paper bag”" issue that existed at Howard University (and in some arenas still exists today). We still have descriptor words such as “red bone” and “light skinned” as terms of endearment in our own community. I have African American friends that live in Bowie, Mitchellville, Ft. Washington, and Davidsonville that still will not come to my neighborhood of Eckington, because it isn’t safe or stable in their eyes. I have to travel to their homes for events, parties, and social functions. Yes, we are divided by class and race lines in this city and across the country.

I, too, agree it would be nice to find African Americans’ voting together as a powerful voting block like other special interest groups do in elections. That way we could sway politicians to do things in our interests. However, we have assimilated into the majority culture. It was one of the prices we paid for desegregation. The black church is too busy worrying about losing its constituents to mega-multicultural churches. We have also tied our political beliefs and values (right or wrong) to the Democratic party. Both political parties understand that they cannot win elections without their base. African Americans are the most loyal base of the Democratic party. Therefore voting our interests may not be in the best interests of others in the Democratic party.

I will vote for the most qualified person in November. I have given money to candidates that I feel are qualified and deserve to be in office. Here in Ward 5 where I live, only one candidate has asked for my vote or financial support. We have over ten people running for an open seat on the council. Some say as many as fifteen people will run for this seat. Leo, I personally would like to see this utopia you envision. However, in our current society it cannot happen. I just hope a large amount of us come out to vote in September. Oops! Did I air another piece of dirty laundry?

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Church and Parking
Clyde Howard, ceohoward@hotmail.com

It is obvious to those of us that have been here in DC for more than a hot minute that if the city built municipal parking garages like in Bethesda or in Silver Spring there would not be a parking problem nor would this discussion continue in an ignominious manner. The city is being ruined by the developers who are out to make as much money as they can from the influx of newcomers to the city. Parking garages are not a cash cow and they are a anathema to the parking magnates in this city. We keep espousing the benefits of public transportation, Zip Cars and Flex Cars, but no public transportation of today can compare to the combination of buses and street cars that used to operate in this city. Through the influence of Detroit, the streetcar was done away with in favor of the bus, and now we have a poorly planned subway system that cannot give express service or provide options capable of reducing the volume of drivers. The subway is not a panacea and it does not give all users the ability to reach their destination without a number of surface transfers via bus. If you want a walking city go to Europe; DC will continue to be a motor city, and the movers and shakers will not have it any other way.

We have a planning problem, a horse and buggy city, and planners that are not with the latest options of easing the flow of traffic in and around the city. Until we understand that you can only jam so many people in a given area without providing a means to accommodate their baggage (cars), we will continue to have the problems of parking. As for those who prefer public transportation, please use it, but leave the issue of parking to those who have the problem to solve.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

National Building Museum Events, April 9, April 15
Lauren Searl, lsearl@nbm.org

Both events at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, Judiciary Square stop, Metro Red Line. Register for events at http://www.nbm.org.

Sunday, April 9, 1:00-1:40 p.m., Barcelona: Archive of Courtesy. This film (1994, 40 minutes) depicts the landmarks of Barcelona from the soaring jewel-like spires of Antonio Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia to the winding streets of the Gothic Quarter. Free. Registration not required.

Saturday, April 15, 1:00-4:00 p.m., Cityscapes Revealed: Shoot a Photo Montage. After a brief tour of the exhibition Cityscapes Revealed: Highlights of the Collection, youth and their adult companion(s), with the Museum’s Polaroid cameras in hand, explore the transforming neighborhood around the Museum, document architectural features and landmarks, and then create a photo collage. $20 per group. Prepaid registration required by April 10. Contact 272-2448, ext. 3305, or E-mail family@nbm.org. Recommended for youths ten years and older with their adult companion(s).

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FOP Mayoral Candidate Forum, April 19
Mary Wolfe, mary_wol@msn.com

DC Lodge #1, Fraternal Order of Police, representing ten thousand members of over forty law enforcement agencies that live or work in the District of Columbia, will sponsor a mayoral candidates forum on Wednesday, April 19, 6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m., at the Fraternal Order of Police Building, 711 4th Street, NW. The moderator will be Andrea McCarren, WJLA-TV. During the first hour, questions will be posed to the candidates from the panelists, on issues germane to the law enforcement community in particular and public safety in general. The second hour will consist of questions from the audience, which will consist of members from the thirty-seven member agencies of the lodge and guests. For more information, contact Chuck Bowens, 289-2599.

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Big Band Jazz Festival, April 24
Michael Andrews, mandrews@udc.edu

Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month at the twentieth anniversary Calvin Jones Big Band Jazz Festival, renamed in memory of the great Calvin Jones, director of the jazz studies program at the University of the District of Columbia and a legendary figure in the Washington, DC, community. On Monday, April 24, at 8:00 p.m., the big band sound returns to UDC as the powerhouse jazz ensembles of the University of the District of Columbia (directed by Allyn Johnson), Howard University (directed by Fred Irby III), and the University of Maryland (directed by Chris Vadala) celebrate a remarkable twentieth anniversary. Produced by UDC’s Jazz Studies Program and the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives, the festival began in 1987 as part of a citywide tribute to Duke Ellington, and it remains one of the most anticipated events on Washington, DC’s jazz calendar.

Tickets for the big band concert can be purchased in advance at the Department of Mass Media, Visual, and Performing Arts, Building 46 West, UDC Van Ness Campus, 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Tickets are $20 (general admission) and $15 (senior/student) and will also be available at the University Auditorium door on the night of the performance. The University Auditorium (Building 46 East) is conveniently located on Metro’s Red Line at the Van Ness–UDC stop. Should you have any questions regarding this event, contact Judith Korey at 274-5803 or JazzAlive@udc.edu for more information.

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Medicare Part D Information and Enrollment Program, May 2
Samuel Jordan, Health Care Now!, samunomas@msn.com

Health Care Now! (HCN!) has conducted three information and enrollment forums on Medicare Part D in Wards 7 and 8. To date, the congregations at Allen Chapel AME Church (Ward 8), St. Luke’s Catholic Church (Ward 7), and First Rock Baptist Church (Ward 7) have welcomed our forum teams, which have been well supported by the DC Department of Health, AARP, The George Washington University Law School Health Insurance Counseling Project, and My Medicare Matters. A fourth forum in the series will be convened at 12:30 p.m. on May 2 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church at 1600 Morris Road, SE (Ward 8, at Anacostia MetroRail Station connect with the W3 Metrobus “Greater Southeast Hospital”). Please save the date and urge your family, friends and neighbors to attend who have questions or are yet to choose a plan.

The forums have been offered in response to a critical demand from seniors for credible and detailed information about the Medicare Part D enrollment process. While providing this public informational service, the responses of forum attendees has convinced Health Care Now! that too much anxiety and confusion obstruct the decisions that seniors and their caregivers must make. Nevertheless, on May 15 the Initial Enrollment Period expires. On November 15, six months later, the enrollment process will resume. Plan participants who delay enrollment and miss the deadline will be penalized 1 percent added costs for each month’s delay, a six percent (6 percent) penalty for those who enroll in November. The penalty will impose these added costs as long as the participant remains in the program. For many, this punitive provision may obtain as long as they live.

As a result of our review of the goals of the Medicare Part D program and the difficulties many prospective enrollees have experienced in grasping the program’s rules and fine print, HCN!, with the endorsement of forum participants, is circulating a petition demanding that Congress repeal the deadline and penalties associated with Medicare Part D. We have discerned no constructive purpose to be served by compounding the uncertainty and confusion of eligible seniors and their caregivers with the added pressure and pointless stress of deadlines and penalties. Please support our petition to be signed by seniors (over 65). A copy of the petition can be forwarded to you by E-mail. Please reproduce it, circulate it and return it to Health Care Now! by April 30.

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Tom Chapin Concert at Temple Micah, May 20
Peg Blechman, Blechman@access-board.gov

Tom Chapin, who sings his own contemporary folk and pop music and family music, is performing in concert on Saturday, May 20th, 2006 at Temple Micah. This is a benefit concert for the Temple’s National Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) Scholarship. Doug Mishkin, a local singer-songwriter, will be Tom’s special guest. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., and will be at Temple Micah, 2829 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. Tickets, including a post-concert dessert reception, may be purchased online in advance at http://www.templemicah.org for $30 (adults) and $15 (children, suggested minimum age is eight years old). They will also be available at the door for $36 and $18. For further information, check the Temple Micah web site or call the temple office, 342-9175.

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