Constitutional Question
Dear Constitutionalists:
Here are two takes on the pending bill to give the DC delegate in the
House of Representatives a full vote, by pairing it with a new at-large
representative for Utah, until redistricting is done after the next
census. Kenneth Starr and Patricia Wald argued that the bill is not only
a desirable, but also a Constitutional, way to give the District
delegate a vote in the Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/15/AR2006091500935.html;
and Matthew J. Frank argued that Starr and Wald are wrong, and the
bill isn’t close to being constitutional, http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YzlmZDJiYzY2MThjZjA3Yzg0YzJlMTUyYmYwYTNlMDA=.
What’s your view?
Please ponder this; if you want to write about it you’ll have lots
of time to be thoughtful, because themail is going on break for two
weeks. The next issue will be on October 8.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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With the primary wins of two ward councilmembers, Adrian Fenty (Ward
4) and Vincent Gray (Ward 7), in the spring there will be special
elections in those wards to fill their seats. The election process was
explained in a memorandum by Charlotte Brookins-Hudson, the general
counsel to the city council, that was released on primary election day:
“In the event a ward member is elected today to another position where
the ward member has two years remaining on his term of office, section
401(d)(1) of the District Charter requires that a special election be
held ‘more than 114 days after the date on which such vacancy occurs.’
A vacancy in an elected office only occurs upon the death or resignation
of the office holder or where the elected official is unable to serve. I
believe this would not occur for any member standing for election to
another office today until the person has been sworn in office on
January 2, 2007. Afterwards, the Board of Elections and Ethics must
declare there to be a vacancy in the office and then schedule a special
election to be held consistent with section 401(d)(1) of the Charter.
This means that should Gray or Fenty (or both) win today, a special
election will be held probably next May to fill the vacancy. Until the
vacancy is filled, the Council will be without elected representatives
for their wards. Should both gentlemen prevail today, the Council will
consist of 11 members on January 2, 2007. During that time period, 8 of
the 11 members must vote to declare an emergency, not 9. . . . When an
at-large member’s seat is vacant (other than the Chairman’s),
section 401(d)(2) of the District Charter provides an opportunity for
the seat to be filled during the interim between the vacancy and the
special election. Where the at-large person belongs to a political
party, the central committee of the at-large member’s political party
appoints a person to serve in the interim period.”
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Why Can’t DC Be Like a Real City?
Joan Eisenstodt, jeisen@aol.com
I’m on business travel. this time in downtown Boston, and I am
trying to figure out why DC can’t be like other big cities to which I
travel. We have so few services in downtown -- no groceries (the P
Street Whole Foods is not downtown), few services, and even our voting
location is on the Hill versus downtown. Cities like Portland, Oregon,
and Boston, and others where there is much building for downtown
residences, all have places to shop and do more. Why can’t we?
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Around Town
Ed T. Barron, edtb1@macdotcom
Lots of news around town this week. Keystone cops event at the
Capitol Building. Good thing the perp wasn’t carrying a bomb or we’d
have only half a Capitol left. Makes you feel real safe, doesn’t it? Time
Magazine reports that the lowest life expectancy of folks in the
entire nation is right here in DC. For those NY City folks displaced
here to DC, there’s a really nice photography exhibit in the West Wing
of the National Gallery. Pics taken all over the Big Apple from 1940 to
1958.
Once again there is a hue and cry from the politically correct crowd
to change the name of the local NFL football team, the Redskins. This,
despite the fact that the majority of native American Indians polled
indicated that they did not find the team’s name offensive. What I do
find offensive is calling the team the “Washington” Redskins. The
team plays no games in Washington and has no venue here. After this
season’s embarrassing opening two games we should be calling the team
the Maryland Redfaces.
Another offensive item is the counting of fans in the stands at the
Washington Nationals’ baseball games at RFK stadium. Last Friday
night, one could survey the stands and find acres of empty seats, more
vendors than fans in many sections. Yet, at the bottom of the box score
in Saturday’s Post there is an “A” for attendance at the
game. That figure was more than twenty thousand. Were more than twelve
thousand folks hanging out at the food vendors? Did the counters count
legs instead of fannies in the seats? Do they count tickets sold or
given away instead of actual bodies at the game? ‘Tis a puzzlement.
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Kathy Patterson, Is She Overrated?
William Jordan, whj@melanet.com
Recently, I have read several news articles indicating that soon to
be Mayor-Elect Fenty is considering appointing Councilmember Patterson
as Deputy Mayor For Public Safety. I, like many, respect Ms. Patterson’s
record as a council committee chair for providing forceful oversight of
public agencies; however, grilling someone at an oversight hearing and
running an agency of thousands of people are two different tasks. While
the tasks of overseeing an agency and running an agency may have some
overlaps, they are not the same thing. For example, taking agency
mangers to task over a narrow set of issues is not the same as directing
and motivating employees on a day-to-day basis. A reading of Ms.
Patterson’s resume indicates no such major management experience.
Should Mr. Fenty decide to appoint Ms. Patterson, the council should
offer her no free rides in examining her qualifications for such a post.
Being a good watchdog is not the same as running a household.
Ms. Patterson’s oversight of the police department as Chair of the
Judiciary Committee bares some study. Her crusade around police overtime
management was a laudable one; however, the result was a significant cut
in support for police overtime. This may look good fiscally, but it left
neighborhoods such as Columbia Heights with a major loss in terms of
police presence. I was told that the loss of overtime is one the reasons
many neighborhood lack foot patrols. What is the cost to a community
when we loose police presence? The fact that we were ultimately led into
a crime emergency and one of the key measures in response to the
emergency was a restoration of this very overtime, should not be
overlooked. Also we should consider the full consequences of her very
public effort to remove Chief Ramsey. Did it result in safer streets, or
just undermine morale top to bottom in the police department? Which is
more important, a tough manager or safer streets. In another area, Ms.
Patterson’s crusade and successful driving out of the school’s
superintendent several years ago, did it lead to better school
performance and student achievement? No. In fact, Ms. Patterson’s
parochial approach led to a slowing down of the school modernization
program, school leadership limbo, system stagnation for three years, and
little improvement in student/teacher performance. And why did the
superintendent have to go? because she would not give a few schools
preference over the entire system of schools. A good manager most also
weigh the big picture.
Believe me, I understand Ms. Patterson’s appeal, but when it comes
to managing and getting overall results, being a tough person is
overrated especially when it does not lead to a net improvement. In
heading an agency the results should count, not just style. The council
and Mr. Fenty should consider more than style points or the ability to
point out others’ faults, and look for a track record of significant
improvements.
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Jonathan Rees in the September 17 issue of themail gave us the stats
of the election turnout in DC. I too reacted to the low turnout, and I
am saddened that by the number of those eligible to vote who are not
registered.
His conclusion, “In sum, there were no real winners, just losers,
because we only had losers to choose from,” is flawed. An informed and
interested electorate voted. I am sure some who chose not to vote were
unexcited about the candidates. I think that, across the US, people are
lazy about learning and voting. That to me is what we can do before
November of this year and for the future is to get more people
registered, informed, and voting.
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Turnout
Jonathan Lieber, j lieber at g mail dot com
In response to Jonathan Rees’ letter about the low voter turnout,
let’s not forget that at least some of the 75 percent of registered
voters who didn’t show up were registered independents. In a city with
an absurd closed primary system and an overwhelming Democratic majority
that makes the primary the only way to have your voice heard, registered
independents are completely disenfranchised. I knew registering to vote
in DC was a bad deal because I don’t have any say whatsoever in the
national pols who govern me, but to find out I don’t have any say in
my local overlords either was truly shocking (I had no idea we had a
closed primary until I showed up to vote -- my bad).
Why does DC insists on imposing a two-party (actually a one-party)
structure that makes sense on a national level but loses all meaning on
a local level? Do the distinctions between Republicans and Democrats
really matter when the Democratic candidate wants to expand school
choice and the Republican candidate wants to expand social services?
Local politics are about community ties, fixing potholes, and stopping
crime, not about pitting the legacies of Ronald Reagan verses FDR.
Please, DC, drop the closed primary. Drop the one-party system. Let me
vote!
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DC Primary Election 2006 “Mandate”? Get
Real
Dennis Moore, Republican Write-In Mayoral Candidate, mooreforpeople@gmail.com
Despite the hype, fewer than one-third (103,406) of registered DC
citizens (321,087) voted in the September 12 primary. Anyone affirming a
“mandate” or “landslide” is, to put it gently, a liar. What
amount of arrogant disrespect for the majority two-thirds of District
voters (285,483) does a candidate possess to assume and proclaim they
are the people’s choice? Even Mayor Williams, during his usual weekly
news conference, said he was dismayed by the record low voter turnout.
Continuous hype can’t disguise the real meaning of the voting numbers
— or a mandate of the minority. By not voting for the hype, two-thirds
of DC voters spoke, and they’re saying they won’t be told who to
vote for by special interest pundits, high-roller campaign contributors,
and “mainstream” DC news media. The real news? Integrity and real
choice still count; and hype is not a substitute for real quality,
integrity, and leadership. DC is not an abbreviation for Dumb Citizens
— and they do know the true value of their votes. Something to
remember in November! Http://www.MooreForPeople.com/html/dennis_moore_for_dc_mayor.html
and http://www.MooreForPeople.com.
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Political Brain Twisters
Mark Eckenwiler, themale at ingot dot org
In the last issue (themail, September 17), the chairman of the DC
Republicans mentioned their proud nomination of Tony Williams, “an
active member of the community,” for city council. I realize that
civic activism may take various forms, but this claim puzzles me more
than a little. I live in Williams’s neighborhood — about a block
away, if I’m not mistaken — and have been actively involved in local
zoning and historic preservation issues (both with our ANC and the two
dominant local civic groups, SPNA and CHRS) for the past seven years. If
I’ve ever met Williams, or seen him attend a community meeting, it’s
news to me, despite the fact that we’ve had plenty of important
matters come up in recent years.
Here’s another brain teaser: Williams’s web site states, at the
bottom of every page, that his headquarters is “586 Third St NE” in
zip 20003. No such address exists; that block of Third goes up only to
538, and in any event lies in zip 20002. Normally I’d chalk this up to
an innocent typo, but I notice that the registration for the underlying
domain name gives the same nonexistent address, this time in 20002. Go
figure.
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Speaking as a public service professional of thirty-two years (the
first twenty in DC government), I have always thought that the late
Maynard Jackson provides the most useful and accurate perspective on
being a big-city mayor. He observed that a newly elected mayor,
especially one who in some way or another is a trailblazer (as he
himself was in Atlanta), has six to ten months to implement the really
big initiatives or changes. He or she then has about another year to
follow up on those big changes. Everything after that, he said, is
damage control.
So, in that context, perhaps Fenty is right to set out right now what
his major changes are. Or, rather, are most likely to be. I am
ambivalent about what I have heard so far of his proposals for the
schools. I think the one good idea that Marie Johns had was her proposal
to take everything except actual instruction and special education out
of the jurisdiction of the superintendent of schools. Let the Department
of Public Works take care of buildings and grounds. Have the Office of
Contracts and Procurement order the toilet paper and photocopiers.
Perhaps even the Metropolitan Police Department should handle school
security (the way things work now, it is handed off to them by DCPS
security officers anyway once an arrest has been made.) That way Dr.
Janey and his staff and faculty aren’t doing anything except
concentrating on actual instruction.
Speaking as someone who voted for Adrian three times now, I think
that, using the “Jackson Scale for Urban Innovations,” perhaps Fenty’s
biggest mistake in this area might not be his proposed Department of
Education. It might be that he did not hire Ms. Johns as his Director of
Education.
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In mentioning that the choice of Fenty seems to be the best response
to a dissatisfaction with the status quo, I suppose I should add that
Fenty cannot be considered the answer to the current problems, but the
best hope for improvement to such. He can be expected to make many
mistakes, but the fact that he does not appear to be of the corrupt mold
of most politicians goes a long way in maintaining people’s faith in
him. Compared to what has taken place with Williams in office, he is a
breath of fresh air. You cannot picture Fenty making policy in secrecy,
traveling constantly for no good reason at all, favoring private
interests to the point of selling out the residents of the city, and on
and on ad nauseam. Give the guy a break. And another thing that is
refreshing is his lack of egotistical presentation of himself. If
nothing else, people can know that his agenda is not simply to further
his own interests. If you start from the right premise, and are honest
and of good character, there is hope.
And while mention is made of Fenty’s possible dealings with Ramsey
and the school issues, none is made of his choice to keep the Chief
Financial Officer. Hey, let’s give credit where it is due, if that is
the case. And yes, I will admit that it’s a sorry state of affairs to
imply that all people may have is hope for the possibility of
improvement.
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Deja Vu: Adrian Fenty, Me, and You
Jonathan R. Rees, jrrees2006@verizon.net
Despite the fact that 57 percent of the DC electorate nominated
Adrian Fenty as the Democratic nominee for mayor of Washington, DC, this
sort of reminds me of the fervor and happiness we all felt when we did
the same years ago concerning Sharon Pratt Kelly in 1990. The
similarities are overwhelming.
As we all know, Sharon Pratt Kelly was not well liked by the business
community, Adrian Fenty is not liked by the business community, Sharon
Pratt Kelly’s administration started falling apart after the first two
years, and there are many who predict that Adrian Fenty and his
administration will be just as disastrous, and if it is, this may usher
in the United States Congress’ abolishing home rule for good.
Adrian Fenty cannot succeed without the support of the business
community, and they alone can break him and end his reign as mayor. When
listening to Herb Miller on the Kojo Show on WAMU radio, Miller said the
business community will give Fenty a chance, but his words did not sound
sincere. May we not be disappointed if the honeymoon between Fenty and
the business community is short lived and a tug of war breaks out by
late 2007.
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Do Not Call Registration Offers No Relief
Paul Wilson, dcmcrider at gmail dot com
In response to Dru Sefton’s letter to themail, September 17,
political solicitations are not considered telemarketing under the FTC’s
rules, and as such they are not covered under the national "Do Not
Call" list. Same as most charities.
According to the FAQ on the Federal Trade Commission’s web site:
“Political solicitations are not covered by the TSR [Telemarketing
Sales Rule] at all, since they are not included in its definition of
‘telemarketing.’ Charities are not covered by the requirements of
the national registry. However, if a third-party telemarketeer is
calling on behalf of a charity, a consumer may ask not to receive any
more calls from, or on behalf of, that specific charity. If a
third-party telemarketeer calls again on behalf of that charity, the
telemarketeer may be subject to a fine of up to $11,000.” http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/dncalrt.htm.
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Annoying Candidate Calls
Alma Gates, ahg71139@aol.com
At the risk of making comments on campaign calls as annoying as the
calls, I want to point out what the National Do Not Call web site
states: “Reminder: Even if your number is registered, companies with
which you do business may continue to call you. So may charities,
political organizations, and telephone surveyors.”
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Open House at ALTA Public Charter School,
September 22
Alicia George, ajgeorge@earthlink.net
The Academy for Learning Through the Arts (ALTA) Public Charter
School is holding an Open House on Friday, September 22, from 9:00 to
11:30 for families who want to learn more about the school. There are
still a few openings for students in most grades from pre-K through 6th.
My son is in sixth grade at ALTA, and I recommend it highly. ALTA has
strong academics integrated with the creative arts, a focus on
respectful and responsible behavior, and excellent faculty and
administration. The school is in its second year and promises to be
outstanding. They plan to add seventh and eighth grade classes in coming
years.
Open house at ALTA, 2100 New Hampshire Avenue, NW (at V Street
between 15th and 16th), Friday, September 22, 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. For
more information, check out their web site (http://www.alta-pcs.org) or
contact Ben Hatton at 232-4014.
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He has been called one of America’s five best mayors by Time
Magazine. Come hear Mayor O’Malley’s vision for Maryland’s
future as he discusses his run for state governor. At the Woman’s
National Democratic Club, 1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW. Bar opens,
11:30 a.m.; lunch, 12:30 p.m. Price: members $19, nonmembers $25. For
more information, call 232-7363.
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2006 Washington Jesuit Academy Health and
Fitness Fair, September 23
Cultureshop Business, culture0813@yahoo.com
The 2006 Washington Jesuit Academy health and fitness fair will be
held on Saturday, September 23, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., on the campus of
Washington Jesuit Academy, 900 Varnum Street, NE (behind Providence
Hospital). Activities include health mobiles from Georgetown Kids Mobile
Medical Clinic and Children’s National Medical Center, DC United
mascot, blood pressure screening, body-mass index screening, parenting
seminar, women’s health session, diabetes prevention and treatment,
golf lessons, interactive 16-foot tall ship replica. Fun and games
include popcorn, moon bounce, fire engine, rock ‘n’ roll and blues
music by GrooveQuest, music by DC’s own DJ Jam Master J, free health
snacks and beverages, and read aloud sessions by WJA’s “Reading
General.” Meet area ANC as well as Ward 5 representatives.
WJA’s health fair serves as a bond for community involvement, it’s
free to participants, and most important, it’s fun, fun, fun! And if
you’re not careful, you just might learn something. We look forward to
meeting you.
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North, South, East, Westminster, A
Cartographic Excursion, September 24
Nikolas R. Schiller, dc at nikolasschiller dot com
Earlier this year, Nikolas R. Schiller was awarded a D.C. Commission
on the Arts & Humanities Young Emerging Artist Grant and was
commissioned to produce eight maps of eight locations in the eight wards
of Washington, DC. The funding allowed Schiller to print three copies of
each of the maps. In August, as proposed in the grant, Schiller donated
one set of the maps to the Library of Congress’ Geography and Mapping
Division, which is the world’s largest collection of maps, atlases,
globes, and aerial photographs. On Sunday, September 24, Schiller will
be displaying these commissioned maps, along with hundreds other
selected maps, at his local neighborhood playground. You are invited to
come to see the world like you’ve never seen it before!
Sunday, September 24, 5:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. (rain date: Monday,
September 25 or the following rain-free day thereafter) , at the
Westminster Street Neighborhood Playground, located between 9th and 10th
and S and T Streets, NW, 1.5 blocks away from the U Street Metro station
(Green Line). Web site: http://nikolasrschiller.com.
Exhibit sponsored in part by the DC Commission on Arts & Humanities,
an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts’
Challenge America Program. Approved by playground’s administrator, the
Westminster Neighborhood Association.
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DC Public Library Events, September 25-26
Debra Truhart, debra.truhart@dc.gov
Monday, September 25, 7:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial
Library, 901 G Street, NW, Second Floor West Lobby. All the World’s a
Stage Book Club. Different countries, times and lives. Each book is an
adventure. The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd by
Richard Zacks will be discussed. Next month’s selection, selected
biographies of Genghis Khan. Young adults - Adults.
Tuesday, September 26, 12:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial
Library, 901 G Street, NW, Room 307. View the film, Home Rule: Shaping a
Destiny. Learn about the history of the continued struggle for home rule
in Washington, DC. Young adults - Adults.
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District III School Board Candidates Forum,
September 26
Hazel B. Thomas, thomashazelb@aol.com
Premier Community Development Corporation (CDC) and the Ward 5
Council on Education invite you to a District III school board
candidates forum on Tuesday, September 26, at 7:00 p.m. This is the
second in a series of forums to introduce the platforms of the
candidates running for District III representative on the school board.
The District III winner will represent Wards 5 and 6.
Nikole Killion, WJLA/News Channel 8 reporter and anchorperson, will
be the guest moderator once again for the school board candidates forum.
Parents, community activists, and residents of Wards 5 and 6 and the
general public are invited to participate in this critically important
school board forum from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26, at
the Isle of Patmos Baptist Church at 12th and Rhode Island Avenue, NE.
Isle of Patmos is located near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station and
is handicap accessible.
The candidates (Ward listed in parenthesis) who have been invited are
Sunday Abraham, Stephane Baldi, Robert Brannum, Marc Borbely, Mary
Currie, Lisa Raymond, Terrance McMichael, and Marvin Tucker. Each
candidate will be given three minutes to make an introductory statement,
followed by twenty minutes of questions and answers led by the
moderator. Premier CDC Advisory Board Member Idriys Adullah will lead a
thirty-minute Q and A session with the general public. To conclude, each
candidate will give a one and a half minute closing statement. For
questions or additional information, contact Stephanie Rones at 832-3442
or Hazel Thomas at 491-9245.
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After a summer with record-breaking heat waves, Washingtonians can
welcome autumn’s cool breezes with WalkingTown, DC fall edition, a
full day of free walking tours on Saturday, September 30. The event is
Cultural Tourism DC’s annual invitation for Washingtonians to revisit
their favorite places and explore new corners of the city. The schedule
features 26 free, guided, walking, biking, and boat tours, all of which
highlight the unique character and rich history of Washington’s
neighborhoods. The WalkingTown, DC schedule is available, complete with
meeting places, times, and tour lengths, at http://www.WalkingTownDC.org
(call 661-7581 for more information or to request a brochure).
Participants can browse the online schedule, pick their favorite tours,
and simply join the group at the specified time and place. Only a few
require advance reservations, and every tour is free.
WalkingTown, DC highlights include: Metro Opens Doors, 10:00 a.m.
(reservations required, must be 18 and older): a behind-the-scenes look
at Metro’s operations. Georgetown homes of the famous and infamous,
10:00 a.m. (residences of politicians, a wartime spy, and the love nest
of a middle-aged baron and his teenaged wife (dubbed Beauty and the
Beast)). Artist G. Byron Peck’s Shaw/U Street mural tour, 1:00
p.m. (the renowned DC artist takes you to some of his best-known
Washington murals in Shaw and Dupont Circle). Penn Quarter: Walking Tour
of Walt Whitman’s Patent Office, 11:15 a.m. (the renovated Smithsonian
American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery (old Patent Office)
through the eyes of poet Walt Whitman, who worked here during the Civil
War.)
The web site, http://www.WalkingTownDC.org,
offers suggestions for making the most of the weekend. Some general
guidelines: participants are welcome to join as many tours as they like;
tours are of varying length, and attendees should plan their schedules
accordingly; both professional and amateur, less experienced guides,
lead tours; some tours are very popular and are expected to have
significant crowds; participants should dress appropriately and wear
comfortable shoes. WalkingTown, DC, is offered semiannually. Mark your
calendars for the spring edition, scheduled for Saturday, April 21, and
Sunday, April 22, 2007.
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National Building Museum Festival of the
Building Arts, October 7
Lauren Searl, lsearl@nbm.org
Saturday, October 7, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Family program: Festival of
the Building Arts. The Museum’s popular, annual Festival of the
Building Arts will be on October 7 this year, with all the fun
activities you’ve grown to love and exciting new green-themed projects
that will inspire the environmentalist in us all. Explore innovative
uses for alternative building materials like cob, straw bale, and clay
plaster; see how decorators and designers use sustainable materials;
construct an energy-efficient model house or green roof to take home;
and much more. Look for more information on the green-themed Festival
online at www.nbm.org. At the National
Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, Judiciary Square stop, Metro Red
Line. Register for events at http://www.nbm.org.
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Old Naval Hospital Open House, October 7
Donna Hanousek, Friends of the Old Naval Hospital, hanousek@earthlink.net
Open house at the Old Naval Hospital, Saturday, October 7, from 1:00
p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (At 9th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, two blocks
east of Eastern Market Metro.) The Friends of the Old Naval Hospital, in
cooperation with the DC Office of Property Management, is sponsoring an
open house at the Old Naval Hospital. Once on the DC Preservation League’s
most endangered list, this Capitol Hill landmark, dubbed a "Hero
Building" by the Urban Land Institute, is now through the first
phase of its exterior restoration.
Walk through the unrestored interior of the Old Naval Hospital; see
the newly restored windows, portico, and ironwork from the first phase
of the exterior restoration work; and learn from a master craftsman
about wood graining technique. The craftsmen who did the work on the
exterior will be available for questions and will explain the work they
have done on the windows, portico, and cast iron, just recently
completed. Architects from BellArchitects, who oversaw the exterior
restoration, as well as representatives from the DC Office of Property
Management (the building’s landlord), will also be available.
There will be a special demonstration of and lecture on wood graining
(a painting technique which makes a plain wood surface appear to be
fancy wood) from Malcolm Robson, a sixth generation wood grainer and
faux painter. Mr. Robson did the current work on the main doors of the
Old Naval Hospital, and has done work in the US Capitol and for the
Queen, among others. The demonstration and lecture by Mr. Robson will
begin at 2:00 p.m. in the Old Naval Hospital meeting room, and last
approximately one hour. There will be room for only about seventy
persons to attend, on a first come, first serve basis. For more
information on the Old Naval Hospital, check out our web site: http://www.oldnavalhospital.gov.
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Library Meetings of Importance, October 11, 16
Robin Diener, rdiener@savedclibraries.org
There are two items for library supporters to put on their calendars.
Wednesday October 11, the monthly meeting of the Board of Library
Trustees, 6:00 p.m. at Martin Luther King, Jr., Library, 901 G Street,
NW. On the agenda is discussion of the Trustees’ decision to unseat
the President of the Federation of Friends. Members of Friends groups as
well as members of the public should attend in force and require this
decision be reversed. The President of the Federation is the only
elected member of the Library Board. The Trustees are encouraging
members of the public to send any opinions to the Trustees in advance.
However, anyone may attend and speak without submitting comments in
advance.
On Monday October 16, at 1:00 p.m., at the Wilson Building, the city
council will hold a hearing on the Martin Luther King, Jr., library.
This will be the third hearing on the fate of MLK. In response to
Committee Chair Kathy Patterson’s call for a comparative cost analysis
of renovating MLK versus a new MLK located on the Old Convention Center
site, the Chief Financial Officer reported that the cost would be
virtually the same for either. Thus, the Mayor has changed course and is
now proposing another tack: that the Carnegie Library be somehow
expanded to house a new central library. This is an absurd idea and a
waste of taxpayer time and money. Please try to attend.
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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE
Moving Sale, Everything Must Go
Sheila Willet, sawillet@gmail.com
Saturday and Sunday, September 23-24, from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., at
2034 17th Street, NW, basement apartment (across the street from the 3rd
District Police Station). Bookcases, dressers, tables, lamps, clothing
racks (one still in box), magazine holders, miscellaneous household
items. Everything must go. Please no “early birds.”
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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED
Babysitters, Temporary Daycare Near
Rockville/Bethesda
Jon Katz, jon at marks katz dot com
Seeking a topflight babysitter(s) or temporary daycare service for
brief occasions when a six-month-olds’ parents have appointments that
require the child to be watched during that time.
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