Mayday

Dear Maydayers:

Dorothy, Jim Myers, and Dave Mallof lead off this issue of themail with messages on three separate but related situations. What they all have in common is the city’s headlong rush into selling off its assets. Dorothy writes about the mayor’s education transition strategy, which is largely a strategy for transitioning prime school facilities to real estate interests and developers. Jim Myers writes about the sell-off of the city’s Boys and Girls Clubs. The Metropolitan Police Department owned and operated the Boys and Girls Clubs in Washington until just a few years ago, when the city transferred the clubs and their real estate to the nonprofit organization — whose board is top-heavy with real estate interests — that now owns them. Post columnist Marc Fisher summarizes the strategy of that board: “Sell off city clubs that sit on land that would make developers salivate” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/28/AR2007042801437.html). And Dave Mallof details the shady way in which these real estate deals will be done, just as one sell-off of city schools will be done on Tuesday, by an emergency bill that has had no public hearings; that wasn’t listed on the printed calendar of the council; and that won’t even be written and made available to the members of the city council until tomorrow, the day before they will pass it.

Tuesday will be May day, the international socialist day of celebration. Mayday is also the international radio and telephone distress signal. And it will be the day when residents of Wards 4 and 7 elect new councilmembers to replace Mayor Fenty and Council Chairman Gray. Residents of those wards will determine whether to add two more councilmembers who will go along with this agenda of dispossession or whether they will elect councilmembers who will protect the city’s assets and residents. Let’s wish our city well.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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The Education Transition Strategy
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

On Friday, Mayor Adrian Fenty had a press conference to release his “Education Transition Strategy” (http://www.dcpswatch.com/mayor/070427.htm). This paper was presented as the mayor’s plan for implementing his school takeover once Congress has imposed it on the District. As has become the usual practice at Fenty press conferences, the strategy paper was distributed to the press just as the conference began so that reporters couldn’t review it thoroughly before asking questions; and Fenty followed his new tactic of avoiding any hard questions by simply saying, “That’s a good question,” and moving on to the next question without answering. Although stories in the print and broadcast press didn’t reflect it, reporters were skeptical of the strategy paper, noting that it lacked both specifics and a timeline, and failed who or which offices would be responsible for implementing its components. The vagueness of the plan leads to two possible conclusions, both of them unpleasant: either the administration is hiding the specifics and won’t release them to the public, or this sketchy transition strategy does in fact reflect the full extent of the administration’s planning to date for its takeover of the schools.

Two points, in particular, raised tough questions. First, the mayor announced that he going to engage in fundraising from private sources for the schools, especially from developers and contractors who could contribute renovation and repair work. This led to questions about whether the administration would have adequate safeguards and disclosure requirements to prevent conflicts of interest. The mayor suggested that contractors and developers would contribute purely out of civic interest and from philanthropic motives, not out of any self-interested desire to participate in the billions of dollars of school construction contracts the administration will control. Second, the mayor said that there was no firm plan either to retain or replace Superintendent Clifford Janey (whom the administration did not invite to participate in the press conference). On the other hand, Miami school superintendent Rudy Crew is revealing to the press in that city that Washington, DC (among other schools districts) is courting him with proposed annual compensation packages ranging from $600,000 to $900,000 (see http://www.cbs4.com/defede/local_story_101220350.html and http://www.cbs4.com/local/local_story_103203430.html). Crew said, “the Washington, DC, scenario is very real.”

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The Boys and Girls Clubs: Cashing out in the District
Jim Myers, hilleast@aol.com

District residents, alas, are often so eager to hear their city is on the upswing that they — and local media — will embrace such claims even when they aren’t so. The latest triumph of gentrification mythology comes from the cash-strapped and foundering Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, which wants to right itself financially by selling off its properties in the District. B&GCGW says membership is down at the clubs because changing demographics have produced a shortage of kids “at risk” in the city. So B&GCGW is packing up, cashing in, and heading for the suburbs. The largest and oldest club in the city, Eastern Branch on eastern Capitol Hill (closer to the packed DC Jail than the US Capitol), will be the first to go, with redevelopment plans to follow at the Jelleff Branch in Georgetown, Club #10 in Columbia Heights (currently propped up by a $500,000 District subsidy) and Club #11 in Ward 8.

For the community around Eastern Branch, B&GCGW’s questionable, if not downright bogus claims about changing demographics seem largely an attempt to hide the organization’s deeper failures: Eastern Branch has been a false front for years, and that’s the main reason membership declined there. Staff turnover was constant. Programs that officials touted for Eastern were often, in fact, not offered -- a slippery practice still in evidence at a community forum in March when B&GCGW CEO Will Gunn listed various programs like football and baseball as ongoing, while few in the audience knew they had not been offered at Eastern for years. At the same time, successful programs that B&GCGW also touted, like the Bren-Car Dancers, actually paid monthly rent for use of the Eastern building while B&GCGW counted participants as its own members. For fifteen years or more, little effort was made to attract kids from the community itself. Outreach was nonexistent. Would-be community volunteers were rebuffed, and offers to bring more kids were sometimes greeted with, “We don’t have staffing for that.” Recently, Eastern mainly focused on contract after-school services for charter school students bused in from elsewhere. Few can remember that last time the Eastern pool had water in it, and the club was shut down on Saturdays and Sundays.

However, the most damnable aspect of B&GCGW’s claim about changing demographics are the serious youth issues B&GCGW and its consultants have so skillfully managed to ignore in their zeal about pricey real estate. Drug gang violence centered at 17th and Independence, SE, a block from Eastern Branch, left a trail of dead and wounded across the community in 2005 and 2006. The park across from the Eastern front door remains a gathering point for drug use and sales. Girl gangs are on the rise at Eastern High and Potomac Gardens. A major theme on the newhilleast listserv, right now, involves reports of wilding kids attacking elderly residents and vandalizing property. Youth issues have been the primary focus at every community policing meeting I’ve attended this year, and a recent Barney Circle session with Mayor Fenty was almost totally devoted to citizens’ concerns about kids in trouble. And here’s what B&GCGW is saying: “Let’s take the money and run.”

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Emergency Legislation to Sell Schools Without Competitive Bidding or Notice
Dave Mallof, dave2009@yahoo.com

[An open letter to Council Chairman Vincent Gray]: I am now aware the DC Council plans to introduce wholly inappropriate emergency legislation to memorialize the permanent sale of public school property to preordained parties without community input or public hearings on the legislation, the affected schools, or their subsequent sale or disposition. This is a dangerous action for the affected communities and a citywide precedent with potentially seismic implications for residents. Yet I am now informed it is being introduced in last-minute fashion — the amendment apparently will not be fully written until Monday night — with no public input. I want to urge and respectfully warn the council to not advance such a profound piece of legislation as an emergency measure. If I am correct that this legislation will be perceived as plainly wrong, the potential political and electoral fallout could be massive.

This bill would have a dramatic immediate community impact. Even if this legislation involves only selected schools, four days before it is to be introduced the general public does not know which schools are affected. How many are in this category? Where are they located? Have the ANCs or local community groups been notified on the permanent endowment granted by such action? The local DC neighborhoods that will face permanent sale to a charter (likely with investor-partners in the background) will also face almost certain subsequent subdivision of land or facilities for secondary development rights. These neighborhoods must receive notice and provide comment.

It will also have a possible citywide impact: The council may also be setting a dangerous precedent: this legislation begins to establish a permanent mechanism whereby the mayor unilaterally determines “surplus” schools, then unilaterally leases these properties, and then subsequently provides for no-bid sales to the lessees. This all would be executed without local community input on the use of the "surplus" schools and without competitive bidding if these schools are eventually to be sold. Under the seemingly innocuous banner of allowing a charter to have a combined right of first offer and first refusal, the DC Council is preordaining preferred winners for permanent ownership and subsequent economic development of vital DC public property. The entire city government, both the executive and the legislative branches, must act beyond reproach regarding former relationships, given that this is about public property.

Could it be that former Mayor Williams and a host of pre-aligned developers already have plans to fund the no-bid purchase of these properties, and then subdivide the properties into other development projects? Given this stew of interrelationships and valuable properties, haste on Tuesday by the DC Government is irresponsible and dangerous. The DC council must circulate this measure as standard legislation, not as a ramrod twenty-four-hour emergency, and provide for public hearings on both the details of the mechanism to be employed and the specific affected properties before advancing any amendment to a DC council vote. See the Council’s Legislative Calendar for two planned actions on May 1, http://www.dccouncil.us/calen77.htm, and also see the FBR Partners press release from January 24, http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=71352&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=953326&highlight=.

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Forty-Two Percent of Metro DC Residents Are Working Poor
Jonathan R. Rees, jrrees2006@verizon.net

Despite recent claims in the local media about how great the economy is in the Metro DC area, it is not that great. The truth is, 42 percent of the people in Metro DC are living paycheck to paycheck, and 35 percent would face eviction if they lost their jobs as unemployment income would not be enough ( http://video.nbc4.com/player/?id=96023).

What is the cause of people living paycheck to paycheck? Well, ask Mayor Fenty! It is his good friends who are bleeding all of us into the poor house. We are talking about Fenty’s buddies in the real-estate (developers) industry who keep on gouging people with unjustifiable rents and condos that go for more than a four bedroom house. This is the price we all pay when developers have to kick out big money for politicos like Adrian Fenty, Muriel Bowser, Mary Cheh, and those fat checks and freebies they got.

Our rents or mortgages go up 5.5 percent a year, but our pay only goes up 1.75 percent, and it has been at this pace for the last eighteen years. It is rents that are hurting DC, and rents have been the tool of the gentrifiers to chase minorities and the poor out. (DC rent control increases should net be fixed at the CPI plus 2 percent, but at 1.75 percent, which is the average annual wage increase for a worker.) Mayor Fenty and our DC city council oppress people so their friends can get rich while everybody else is losing ground and struggling to keep their heads above water. It has been the Democrats on the DC city council who intentionally allowed rents to skyrocket while talking out of the other side of their mouths about how much they care about the middle class and poor! The council voted themselves a $24,000 a year wage increase because of higher rents and so on, but they did not vote for any of us to get a $24,000 a year wage increase so we can meet our rent increases!

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What Cost Candor?
Sam Jordan, samunomas@msn.com

I called a voter list management house a few days ago for variously sorted lists to use in a special mailing to Ward 7 constituents. I was surprised when the list house owner informed me that he could not sell lists to me because the Fenty campaign had ordered and paid for a specially designed list for use by “Mr. Vandell,” another candidate in the Ward 7 council race. Perhaps it was inadvertent that the list house gave me what should have been proprietary information. Nevertheless, our telephone exchange included other comments by the owner that led me to believe that he was credible in his assertions.

I am not certain what advantage the candidate gains by repeatedly denying the role played by the mayor in his campaign. Voters in the ward have long presumed that the Fenty group has had a major involvement. The impact that candor on this topic would have on the Ward 7 contest is uncertain and possibly inconsequential. However, a more important concern would be campaign finance reporting requirements. Has Mr. Vandell reported a properly valuated estimate of the mailing list contributions? Has the Fenty campaign reported its expenditures for Mr. Vandell? That is a matter for the Office of Campaign Finance.

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News for the Washington Post
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com

So the Washington Post has launched something called “PostPoints” where readers can earn points. This initiative is presumably to hang on to a diminishing subscriber base. Here is some news for the Post. The problem is not with readers. The problem is with the product you’re delivering to us. It’s not relevant to our lives, unless you’re keen on doing an ultramarathon in Tennessee sometime.

It’s time to end the tweaking and start the revamping. And guess what, if you listened to your readers, you might gain an understanding of what they want.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Post did a travel piece on Sightseeing Cruises for a Close Up View of the Icebergs of the North Atlantic. Your frame of reference defines your view of the world.

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Too Doggone Far
Bob Levine, rlevine@cpcug.org

Ms. Lorn [themail, April 25] makes a number of statements against the allocation of space for dog owners to exercise their pets. I would like to think that in a city such as DC that all public needs could be met, both for dogs and children. Further, Ms. Lorn seems to worry that someone will label her a Dog Nazi or crazy. After reading her posting I will freely say it sounded like she is both. The tone and tenure of her posting sounds like she is more that a little obsessed against dogs. I would like to add that I am not a dog owner but would recommend that Ms. Lorn be muzzled and kept on a short leash.

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Forensic
William M. Mazer, wmmazer@comcast.net

[Gary] stated on April 26 that the “. . . newer sense of the word [forensic] derives from its origin as applying to debate and argument, as in a court or a legal proceeding.” Quite the reverse! The word forensic is derived from the Forum in Rome, where Cicero and his ilk originally debated and argued (quo usque tandem. . . ?).

There is really no “newer sense,” no change in its fundamental meaning, as currently applied to resolving conflicting opinions, often in a courtroom setting.

[I think that William and I actually agree on the original sense of “forensic.” I wrote that the use of forensics as applying to a scientific method of solving crimes is the newer sense of the word, deriving from the fact that it originally applied to debate and argument, particularly the kind of debate that could be found in a court. I think that’s what he’s also saying. — Gary Imhoff]

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

DC Public Library Events, April 30, May 1-2
Randi Blank, randi.blank@dc.gov

Monday, April 30, 6:30 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Room 221. All the World’s a Stage Film Club. We will watch Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006), starring Kirsten Dunst. This movie is rated PG-13. For more information, call 727-1161.

Monday, April 30, 6:30 p.m., Woodridge Neighborhood Library, 1801 Hamlin Street, NE. We will watch the film version of Their Eyes Were Watching God, starring Halle Berry. For more information, call 541-6226.

Monday, April 30, 7:30 p.m., Georgetown Neighborhood Library, 3260 R Street, NW. Book discussion hosted by the Literary Friends Group. For more information, call 282-0220.

Tuesday, May 1, 1:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Enhanced Business Information Center (e-BIC), 1st Floor. Licensing and Tax Office Hours for Businesses at e-BIC. If you are starting a business or want to take your existing business to the next level, speak to experts from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and the Office of Tax and Revenue during special office hours at the Library. For more information, call 727-2241.

Tuesday, May 1, 4:15 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Room 215. Assistive Technology Users Group and Support. Assistive technology users meet to share information. For all levels who use assistive technology for the blind and visually impaired. For more information, call 727-2142.

Tuesdays, May 1-May 29, 6:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Room A-5. The Audio-Visual Division presents the Hot Movie Hits series. For more information about the series, call 727-1265. May 1, The Departed (2006). This fast-moving, well-acted, intense drama of undercover cops and criminals stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Rated R. May 8, Casino Royale (2006). Martin Campbell directs Daniel Craig as super agent 007. From Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel. Rated PG-13. May 15, Dreamgirls (2006). The adaptation of the hit Broadway musical stars Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson. Directed by Bill Condon. Rated PG-13. May 22, Blood Diamond (2006). This drama shows the dramatic search for a rare diamond during Sierra Leone’s ‘90’s civil war. With Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou. Directed by Edward Zwick. Rated R. May 29, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). Will Smith stars in this true story of a man who rises above homelessness and adversity to make a life for himself and his son. Gabriele Muccino directs. Rated PG-13.

Tuesdays and Saturdays, May 1-May 29, Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m., Saturdays at 12:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, East Lobby. Shakespeare in the East Lobby Film Series. The Language and Literature Division presents this film series. For more information, call 727-1281.May 1, 2:00 p.m., Romeo and Juliet (1996). One of Shakespeare’s most performed plays, this modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy concerns the fate of two “star-crossed lovers.” Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Rated PG-13. May 8, 2:00 p.m., Othello (1990). This domestic tragedy involves one of the most intense dramas with a small group of central characters. Misplaced trust and dark suspicion brings down an otherwise good man. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s presentation stars Ian McKellen and Imogen Stubbs. Made for TV. May 15, 2:00 p.m., As You Like It (1978). A pastoral comedy centering on several elaborate gender reversals, lots of humor, clever wordplay, and romantic chance-encounters. Produced by BBC and Time-Life Films, starring Helen Mirren and Brian Stirner. Made for TV. May 19, 12:00 p.m., Romeo and Juliet (1996). Rated PG-13. May 22, 2:00 p.m., The Merchant of Venice (1980). A play sometimes classed as a comedy with romantic and dramatic events surrounding a set of characters in Venetian society and a Jewish money lender. Produced by BBC and Time-Life Films, starring Warren Mitchell and Gemma Jones. Made for TV. May 26, 12:00 p.m., The Taming of the Shrew (1976). An earlier Shakespeare comedy involving a “play within a play” with the theme of wooing and wedding. Fast-paced verbal repartee is employed to the maximum. San Francisco’s prize-winning American Conservatory Theater’s production, starring Fredi Olster and Marc Singer. Made for TV. May 29, 2:00 p.m., The Taming of the Shrew (1976). Made for TV.

Tuesday, May 1, 7:30 p.m., Takoma Park Neighborhood Library, 416 Cedar Street, NW. Poetry at Takoma Spring Series. Local poets Phyllis Berman, Heddy Reid, Cheryl Snell, and Julia Wendell read from their work. For more information, call 576-7486.

Wednesdays, May 2-May 30, 6:30 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Room A-9. The History Division presents the Asian film series. For more information, call 727-1161. May 2, Monsoon Wedding (2001). English, Hindi, and Punjabi with subtitles. As the monsoon rains near, Lalit Verma’s family comes together for the recently arranged marriage of his daughter, Aditi, and romance abounds throughout the family. Directed by Mira Nair. Rated R. May 9, Blind Shaft (2003). Mandarin with subtitles. In modern northwestern China, itinerant coal miners Tang and Song have come up with a moneymaking scheme to take advantage of the unregulated mines and negligent owners. Directed by Li Yang. Unrated. Original title: Mang jing. May 16, Take Care of My Cat (2001). Korean with subtitles. Five girlfriends, recent high school graduates in the port city of Inchon, begin to grow apart with the responsibilities of young adulthood in this coming-of-age story. Directed by Jae-eun Jeong. Unrated. Original title: Goyangileul butaghae. May 23, Hong Kong 1941 (1983). Cantonese with subtitles. A love story set during the Japanese invasion and occupation of Hong Kong. Directed by Po-Chih Leong. Rated R. Original title: Dang doi lai ming. May 30, Yahaan (2005). Hindi with subtitles. A romantic drama of life between a Hindu army officer and a Muslim woman in the troubled region of Kashmir. Directed by Shoojit Sircar. Unrated.

Wednesday, May 2, 6:00 p.m., Woodridge Neighborhood Library, 1801 Hamlin Street, NE. The Literary Friends hosts ”Why I Love Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Actress-playwright Joy Jones explains her Hurston devotion. A showing of the film will follow. For more information, call 541-6226.

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National Building Museum Events, May 1, 2, 4
Lauren Searl, lsearl@nbm.org

All events at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, Judiciary Square stop, Metro Red Line. Register for events at http://www.nbm.org. Tuesday, May 1, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Building for the 21st Century: The Solaire and Beyond: Integrating Environmental Performance into Building Design. The 27-story, 252-unit, Solaire residential tower overlooks New York City’s Battery Park neighborhood. The design by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects was chosen as an AIA Top Ten Green Project for 2004. It incorporates photovoltaics, a geothermal energy system, blackwater treatment (for reuse of water in toilets and for the irrigation of a neighboring park), gas-absorption chillers, and more. The Gold LEED-rated building consumes 35% less energy than typical structures of its size, incorporates an advanced HVAC system, daylighting, high-performance windows, ENERGY STAR fixtures, and occupancy and daylight sensors to further optimize energy use. Rafael Pelli will discuss the Solaire and two other Battery Park buildings -- the Verdesian and the Visionaire — being designed by the same team, using lessons learned from the Solaire project to further the state of the art of sustainable high-rise residential design. Free. Registration not required.

Tuesday, May 1, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Building in Harmony documents the ten-month building process that the Canadian Amateur Musicians (CAMMAC) went through when they demolished their eighty-year old lodge, replacing it with an innovative “green” music center. Learn about the center’s integrated design that incorporated sustainable features such as natural heating and cooling and a water filtration system, while still retaining the former structure’s spirit. After the screening, the film maker, Richard Burman, will lead a discussion. This program is held in conjunction with The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design, which will be open for viewing. $5 Members and students; $10 nonmembers. Prepaid registration required. Walk-in registration based on availability.

Wednesday, May 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m. DC Builds: Considering Downtown DC: The Center City Action Agenda 07. Where is Downtown DC heading? Will it come into its own, with a character befitting a great capital city; while also thriving as a diverse, dynamic, and culturally rich centerpiece for the Washington area? Alex Krieger, principal of Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, will present strategic actions needed to ensure DC’s competitiveness and livability. He will discuss the visionary framework and the near-term strategies developed in cooperation with local and federal partners. This lecture is presented in collaboration with the DC Office of Planning and held in conjunction with Washington: Symbol & City, which will be open for viewing. $12 Museum members and students; $20 nonmembers. Prepaid registration required. Walk-in registration based on availability.

Friday, May 4, 10:00-11:30 a.m. School Building Week Awards Ceremony. School Building Week 2007, from April 30 to May 4, reinforces the connection between school facilities and student learning. It creates greater public awareness of the importance of well-planned and sustainable buildings that enhance student performance and support culture and community vitality. The week’s events will culminate with the School of the Future design competition Awards Ceremony at the National Building Museum. The competition gives students an opportunity to think about the learning environment, express their creativity, and experience the planning process. Visit http://sbw.cefpifoundation.org for more details.

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Taste of Shaw, May 5
Alexander M. Padro, PadroANC2C@aol.com

The second Taste of Shaw, a progressive dining and art event along lower 9th Street, NW, near the Washington Convention Center, will be held on Saturday, May 5, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The event will feature samples of a variety of dishes, beers, and cocktails from venues along four blocks adjacent to the new Washington Convention Center. Stops on the Taste of Shaw include Old Dominion Brewhouse, Vegetate Restaurant and Lounge, Be Bar, Long View Gallery, Azi’s Cafe, Queen of Sheba Restaurant, Chang’s Mongolian Barbeque/Tokyo Sushi Bar, Breakwell’s Coffee + Tea, Ninth Street Gallery, TG Cigars, and Modern Liquors. Businesses scheduled to open later this year, like D’Vine Cravings Bakery and EuroMarket Cafe, will be previewing their offerings. The first Taste of Shaw was held in Little Ethiopia, the 1900 block of 9th Street, NW, in 2004.

Tickets entitle participants to a sample of food or beverage at each of the participating venues. The tickets are $20 in advance, and $25 on the day of the event. For more information and a listing of where tickets can be purchased, go to http://www.shawmainstreets.com or call 265-SHAW.

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Discover Historic Silver Spring, May 5
Jerry A. McCoy, sshistory@yahoo.com

On Saturday, May 5, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., discover the old in the new South Silver Spring! Silver Spring Historical Society member Karen Kali will conduct a walking tour of South Silver Spring. The tour starts from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station, 8100 Georgia Avenue. The cost is $5.00 per person; children under thirteen are free; and it is free for SSHS members with membership card. Friendly dogs are welcomed! Reservations are not required. For additional information, E-mail sshistory@yahoo.com or call 301-537-1253.

Also on Saturday, May 5, from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., the Silver Spring Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station will hold its monthly open house at 8100 Georgia Avenue (intersection of Sligo Avenue). Limited parking available in front of station. This is the only building in downtown Silver Spring listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Free . For more information, call 301-495-4915.

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Meet Civil Rights Pioneer Julian Bond, May 8
Lois Kirkpatrick, Lois.Kirkpatrick@fairfaxcounty.gov

The Fairfax County Public Library invites you to a free event where civil rights pioneer Julian Bond, chair of the NAACP, reveals how race, technology, and immigration shaped today’s music. Please join us on Tuesday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center, located at 1234 Ingleside Avenue in McLean. Tickets to this free event will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 7 p.m.; limit four per person. For directions, call 703-790-0123. To hear a short interview with Julian Bond, listen to the library’s podcast at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library.

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Citizen Academy Environmental Issues Forum, May 10
Maya Graham, mgraham@greaterdccares.org

The environmental impact of the new baseball stadium’s development, the effect of the Anacostia River’s pollution on surrounding communities, the fact that DC has some of the worst levels of air pollution in the country, how urban tree cover is vital to community health and economic efficiency — these issues of concern impact our day-to-day lives and the future of our region’s standard of living, and yet they are often not given the attention they deserve.

On May 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at 1727 I Street, NW, Greater DC Cares will host a forum to discuss the major environmental issues listed above, alongside others confronting our region. The forum will incorporate conversation about the current state of the District’s tree canopy, the Anacostia River’s pollution, global warming’s effect on our neighborhoods, green building legislation and alternative energy, the green living movement, and sustainable business practices. It will equip you with the knowledge and specific, actionable steps to directly contribute to local environmental causes. Panelists will join us from The Casey Trees Endowment Fund, Friends of the Earth, and Live Green, amongst others. If interested, please contact Maya Graham via E-mail at mgraham@greaterdccares.org or at 777-4445 to RSVP. As always, our event is free and open to the public. Space is limited, so please sign up as early as possible.

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CPCA Meeting, May 15
George Idelson, Cleveland Park Citizens Association, g.idelson@verizon.net

The Cleveland Park Citizens Association meeting on Tuesday, May 15, will feature an update on the Tregaron Conservancy and Washington International School campus modernization, Also on the agenda will be a question and answer session on the popular Cleveland Park Listserv and a report on the CPCA officer slate for 2007-08. The meeting, which will be at the Cleveland Park Library (Connecticut Avenue and Newark Street, NW), starts at 6:30 p.m.

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