Secret Deals
Dear Dealers:
“When I took office in 2007, I pledged to lead a government that’s
as open, responsive, and accountable as humanly possible. We continue to
find new ways to meet that challenge.” That paragraph was from the
prepared version of Mayor Fenty’s 2009 State of the District Address,
which he gave on March 19. It was the only paragraph that Fenty dropped
from the speech when he delivered it. It’s appropriate that Fenty
couldn’t bring himself to say those words, since they bear little
resemblance to the truth. The Fenty government has, in fact, been the
most secretive, closed, and inaccessible administration DC has ever had.
Jason Cherkis was late to the party when he wrote on March 27 that the
Child and Family Service Agency’s press representative isn’t allowed
to answer a question from the press without the permission of the mayor’s
office, http://tinyurl.com/d4gm6y.
The mayor’s office has moved to impose its control throughout all
government agencies, and to reduce, discourage, and delay and deny the
release any information to the public and the press.
The mayor’s defiant secrecy over his travel plans and his refusal
to file complete and accurate financial disclosure forms are just the
beginning. The administration continues to defy the city council and to
refuse to provide official witnesses and to share information with it.
Counclmembers Vincent Gray and Mary Cheh scheduled a hearing for
tomorrow to hear from administration officials on the latest scandal at
the Office of the Chief Technology Officer; the administration responded
that they didn’t have to tell the council anything, and that nobody
would attend or testify. And then there is the growing fire-truck
scandal, with its many conflicting stories and unanswered questions,
that Dorothy describes below.
On Saturday, Council Chairman Vincent Gray sent a press release
bragging that all councilmembers had agreed to forego their pay
increases this year. This is a result of the bad publicity that
councilmembers were receiving for taking their automatic cost-of-living
increase while most DC public employees will have their pay frozen. It’s
a clever move. Public pressure has been mounting to force the council to
rescind the 2006 Cost of Living Adjustment law that gave legislators
annual automatic cost-of-living increases. COLAs are a bad idea for
taxpayers and the public, but legislators like them because they can get
yearly raises without the embarrassment of trying to justify them and
having to vote on them. This is a move to defuse that pressure;
councilmembers would rather sacrifice one year’s raise and save their
COLAs than have to justify the automatic raises they gave themselves.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Last Friday, the Washington Examiner published a story
detailing another troubling and perhaps legally questionable act by the
Fenty Administration. According to Michael Neibauer’s story, http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/41950872.html,
“The DC government has agreed to donate a firetruck and ambulance
worth nearly $350,000 to a Dominican Republic beach town, using a
District nonprofit as a middleman. . . . The firetruck, valued at
$270,000, and the ambulance, valued at $70,000, will be turned over to
the anti-youth-violence organization Peaceoholics, which will then turn
the vehicles over to Sosua, a small beach resort town on the north coast
of the Dominican Republic.” The District government’s donation of
the equipment to Peaceoholics was facilitated by an unpublicized
emergency rule amending District law that was published in the March 20
issue of the DC Register. The rule amends Title 27 of the District’s
Municipal Regulations regarding Contracts and Procurements. The new
regulation simply states that, “the Chief Procurement Officer or his
designee may donate surplus supplies to Peaceoholics.” A paragraph of
the order that explains the purpose of the rule change states that, “without
these emergency rules, the Office of Contracting and Procurement will
not be able to immediately donate surplus property to assist the city of
Sosua, in the Dominican Republic,” and that the rule is somehow “necessary
for the immediate preservation of the public welfare” of the District
of Columbia.
Dave Statter, a WUSA-TV reporter who has a long history of covering
the District’s Fire and EMS Department, comments on the Neibauer
article on his blog, http://www.wusa9.com/news/columnist/blogs/2009/03/damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-dont:
“One thing we haven’t figured out is the timing of all this. The
Examiner reports the rule making change was last week and that the
donation ‘will’ occur. An article at Sosua-News has a
different timetable. In a February 12th article it says: ‘On Thursday
29 January a delegation from the Washington DC arrived in Sosua to
officially hand over an ambulance and fire truck to the town’s Mayor.’
It goes on to say: ‘The ambulance and fire truck will be transported
by ship, and should arrive in Puerto Plata around mid-February. The
Americans will also send instructors to train paramedics and personnel
from the fire department on how to use such modern equipment.’”
There are many unanswered questions about this transaction. Who
initiated this deal? Ronald Moten, director of Peaceoholics, says that
his group did, and that they’re familiar with the town of Sosua
because staffers of Peaceoholics had taken at-risk youths there on
vacations. What DC program funds these vacations; how much did they
cost; and who took them? But the January 29 article in the Sosua
newspaper writes about a DC FEMS delegation, with no mention of
Peaceoholics. Did the Peaceoholics, the Fire Department, or some other
government entity actually initiate the deal? DC’s normal procedure is
to auction surplus equipment to recoup some of its value. Why was the
choice made to donate this equipment rather than to sell it for the
$350,000 that it is estimated to be worth? If the choice was made to
donate it, why was Sosua, rather than a poorer town, or a poor American
town in a nearby state, chosen as the recipient? Sosua is described in
travel literature as “the Acapulco of the Dominican Republic.” What
is the connection to Sosua that persuaded the DC government to donate
equipment to that town specifically? Why was Peaceoholics, which is not
a foreign-aid group, involved as a pass-through organization, rather
than the deal’s being a direct government-to-government donation? Who
paid for and authorized the January 29 delegation to Sosua, and why was
the delegation sent before the order was written to authorize the
donation? Where are the firetruck and ambulance? Were they actually
delivered in mid-February, or are they still in DC? Who has paid or will
pay to transport the equipment to the Dominican Republic? Who will pay
for and who will do the training that has been promised? Basically, what’s
going on here? If the deal is an honorable and aboveboard goodwill
donation, why didn’t the government publicize it and try to take
credit for it, instead of burying it in an obscure emergency rulemaking
that hides its purpose?
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Just Another Day at the Beach?
Theresa Conroy, tlennonc@aol.com
The Examiner reported on Friday that the DC government plans to
donate a fire truck and ambulance worth nearly $350,000 to the beach
town of Sosua. According to Dorothy Brizill, who’s quoted in the
article, Sosua is described “as the Acapulco of the Dominican
Republic.”
Why is this happening? The Examiner also quotes a
Councilmember who thinks that because of “these harsh economic times”
the donation may be unwise. But when would such a large donation ever be
appropriate? Tax dollars collected by the DC government are paid not
only by the well-off as income taxes but from the poor as sale taxes
when they buy clothes and other necessities. Taxes should be used for
government services. Charity should be an individual decision, not the
District government’s.
It seems that if DC employees (such as Harriette Walters of OTR, and
the more recent scandal in the Office of Chief Technology Officer), aren’t
just stealing our tax money, they’re trying to give it away.
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DCWASA’S Impervious Surface Fee
Ralph Chittams, rjchittamssr@gmail.com
I have been waiting for some local elected official to step up to the
plate and say something about DCWASA’s plan to charge homeowners an
impervious surface fee. However, I have been disappointed again.
Therefore, I will speak. The following information contained in DCWASA’s
press release shows the disparate affect of this charge: “An
impervious surface is a man-made surface that cannot be easily
penetrated by water, such as rooftops, driveways, patios, parking lots
and other paved areas, tennis courts, swimming pools, and any path or
walkway that is covered by impervious material. . . . The charge is
based upon an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU). An ERU is defined as
the amount of impervious surface area measured in square feet based on a
statistical median for a single family residential property. Initially,
all residential customers will be assessed one (1) ERU. . . .”
Layman’s Translation: whether your home is 5000 square feet, or
25000 square feet with a tennis court and a swimming pool, beginning in
May 2009 a fee of $1.24 per month will be added to your bill. However,
based upon recent communications with DCWASA, I have learned that the
fee will be raised to $2.20 per month beginning in October 2009. What is
the purpose of this fee? According to DCWASA, “The charge is necessary
to recover the costs of the $2.2 billion federally-mandated Combined
Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan” and “more appropriately
recovers costs from those who most contribute to the need for wet
weather management.” Then why a flat fee that has no relationship to
the amount of impervious surfaces? And, “The cost of combined sewer
overflow control has been part of the sewer rate.” However, sewer
rates are not being decreased to offset the new impervious surface fee.
How deep is the rabbit hole? If you examine your water bill you will
notice a “DC Government — Stormwater Fee.” Guess what that pays
for? From DDoE’s web site: “This fee covers the costs to manage and
treat pollution in stormwater runoff, which is rain and melted snow that
do not soak into the ground.” So, we, the citizens of the District of
Columbia are going to be billed by DCWASA and the DC government for the
exact same thing! You have got to love this town! Oh, and by the way,
for some of us, our Stormwater Fee will be increasing. Beginning May 1,
2009, the new monthly fee will be $2.57.
I also asked DCWASA what is going to happen after fiscal year
2009-2010. How will the ERU fee be calculated in the future, on a
citywide basis, on a ward basis, on a neighborhood basis? Following is
DCWASA’s answer: “Our Board of Directors has expressed an interest
in considering alternatives for the single ERU charge to residential
customers based on the actual size or amount of impervious area on each
property, but no proposal currently exists nor has a timeline been
targeted for implementation of a change. We will be analyzing the
existing available data and the options over the next 3-6 months, with
the goal of developing a proposal for future consideration by our Board
and the public.” Layman’s Translation: They don’t have a clue. For
the foreseeable future, owners of smaller homes will be charged the same
as owners of larger homes with more impervious surfaces. Folks, we are
being taxed to death by the current administration (mayor and city
council). Every time we turn around there is another tax, another fee,
another surcharge. This has to stop!
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One news story that has not been widely covered is the closing of all
of DC’s mental health facilities. The city isn’t providing the
assistance needed to help the mentally ill seek private providers, so
the chances are many of them will not get the help they need and will be
wandering the streets of DC.
Another is that the city is closing some homeless shelters so that
Fenty’s developer friends can built condos. The city is telling these
homeless people that they can move into a dorm on the St. Elizabeth’s
campus, but clearly not all of them can fit there. You can look forward
to more homeless people in your neighborhood too.
Finally, although Mayor Fenty promised several times to give the DC
libraries two million dollars, he failed to do so. Therefore, on March 2
Martin Luther King Library cut its late night hours from four days a
week to two. Now, it’s open late only on Monday and Tuesday. Moreover,
library staff throughout the city are afraid that they’ll be
furloughed to save money. Welcome to the new, the Fenty, version of
Washington, DC. Mentally ill and homeless in the neighborhoods and fewer
librarians — but lots of condos.
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Sometimes I wonder why people keep electing the very same ones who
are always wanting to raise taxes, fees, etc., in DC. I also find it
very interesting that the DC council wants to raise their salary from
$92,500 to $120,175 annually, especially since that is a part-time job.
Also, giving the fact the economy is totally in shambles, thanks to the
greed of some persons, does the DC council not have any shame wanting to
raise their salary? I wonder how many of them have ties to the very same
companies that got the USA into the mess we are in. And on top of
everything else, a COLA? And probably another pay raise in 2009.
A fee for streetlights? What will they think of next? A fee for
traffic lights? Oops, I forgot. DC has the red light cameras for extra
income, I mean for safety reasons. Sure they are!
I feel sorry for the residents who live and have to commute to DC and
put up with this idiotic nonsense that is occurring in our nation’s
capitol.
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The Department of Motor Vehicles has rejected my application for
on-line registration renewal, with the tart message that “our records
indicate that a valid vehicle inspection has not been performed on this
vehicle for the requested renewal period. A valid vehicle inspection
must be performed prior to renewing your vehicle registration.”
Indeed, but your records are wrong, DMV. Of course my car has had its
proper inspection, and I’ve got the papers to prove it. But how do I
fix this, short of taking time off to visit a DMV office in person?
There’s no on-line provision for “correcting our bogus records.”
This is not the first time this has happened to me. So I did take the
trip to the DMV, and showed them the inspection printout proving that
yes, my car had been inspected, and passed, whatever their records said.
They reluctantly accepted that, but then wanted to add a $100 fine for a
late inspection. I pointed out that no, I had had the inspection quite
on time, and it was only their fudged-up records that were at fault. It
took some major manipulation by a senior manager before the computer
would allow my registration renewal without the penalty.
Maybe the DMV should add this to their “How Do I?” list on their
web site: how do I get you to repair an error in your records? And a
note to all readers of themail: keep that inspection printout. You may
well need it.
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Earth Hour: Lights, Camera, Hypocrisy
Frank Winstead, frank.winstead@gmail.com
Councilmember Mary Cheh at her more than $100,000-a-year part-time
government job is all for controlling your use of outdoor lighting. But,
at home during Earth Hour, her domicile was illuminated like a
lighthouse with 2 beacons out front. “Clap off! clap on!” It’s
Mary Cheh. Photos at: http://tinyurl.com/ccv69o
I wonder if she implements her gun control philosophy in a similar
manner.
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In the March 22 edition of themail, Wayne Turner comments on my “recent
diatribes” about the law requiring the HPV vaccine for sixth grade
girls (“Much Ado about Nothing”). He correctly states, “Far from
being a mandatory program, the law allows parents and legal guardians
‘to opt out of the HPV vaccination program, for any reason.’” This
expanded opt-out provision is at least partly the result of our small
group’s work (noHPVshots4me.com), and we certainly encourage parents
to consider exercising this option.
While Gardasil is not “mandatory” for sixth grade girls, it is
“required,” and this has important implications. When a state
requires a vaccine, liability is substantially shifted from the vaccine
manufacturer to the state. This creates a near perfect business model
for Merck: government guaranteed sales of the most expensive vaccine in
history (three shots are required, at $120 a piece, with a possible
booster shot(s) after five years), along with substantial immunity from
prosecution.
The shifting of liability away from Merck to the state is no small
matter. Merck rushed Gardasil to the market as its stock price was
dropping due to lawsuits stemming from the tens of thousands of deaths
that resulted from Merck’s painkiller Vioxx. Merck recently settled
with a number of Vioxx’s American victims for $4.85 billion (yes, that’s
billion with a “b”). In the court proceedings regarding Vioxx, Merck
turned over internal E-mails that showed that the company knew there
were problems with Vioxx some seven years before taking it off the
market. Due to its recent murky dealings, as well as many other factors,
I think Merck should maintain full liability for Gardasil and the
District should overturn its legislation requiring it for sixth grade
girls.
Mr. Turner concluded by saying, “Residents of the District of
Columbia are facing grave and very real health concerns, including a
raging HIV/AIDS epidemic. Councilmember Catania and the Committee on
Health need to conduct agency and budget oversight hearings without
irrelevant distractions.” I agree. Of course, heading off what may
turn out to be an additional health disaster is not an “irrelevant
distraction.”
[I’m calling a pause on discussion of Gardasil in themail, unless
and until there are new local developments. However, if you want to
continue to discuss Councilmember Catania’s policy of not allowing
citizens who disagree with him to testify before his committee, please
feel free to do so. — Gary Imhoff]
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Qualified Candidates
Ralph J. Chittams, Sr., minchittams@gmail.com
Now that it is being reported by NBC4 that Councilmember Barry owes
District taxes (http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Feds-Barry-Owes-DC-Too.html),
will someone please, as I requested before, introduce legislation to
make the filing of a certified tax return a prerequisite to being deemed
eligible to run for elected office.
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Recent discussion in themail both about the value of blogs and other
web-based media as well as that over the Brookland Heartbeat and
other hyper-local media are linked. As a blogger myself, I like to think
I have something important to say, something that is worthwhile, that
contributes to the discourse, etc. At the same time, mainstream media
publications have a reach that is far beyond that of the blogosphere and
they have access to places and events that citizen journalists typically
do not possess. They have editors and others to help produce better
stories. (And yes, these media have biases and back stories too.)
I take what I do seriously, and I try to produce what I write with
more than a soupcon of ethics. I write under my own name, not a
pseudonym. I link to sources. I list my E-mail address so I can be
contacted. I don’t print rumors. It is very clear what my agenda is
and that what I write is opinion/analysis, rather than straight
reporting. Etc. I will say that I have learned some things over the more
than four years I have been regularly blogging. I no longer criticize
people very personally, focusing instead on the specific issue, because
I still need access and/or have to work with the people on other issues.
I tend to not write about the projects I am currently active in, because
potential “opponents” could be tipped off to strategies. And some
opinions I have I don’t ever write about, because then for certain
matters I would have no access at all. (So yes, even I engage in some
self-censorship.)
Similarly, community newspapers and newsletters of all sorts ought to
follow at least some of the standard practices of journalists, if they
are going to put themselves out there as a community media organ, and
rely upon funding from community-based businesses and Realtors in order
to do so. Objective reporting, fairness in asking questions of both the
accuser and the accused, and not using slanted headlines are some of the
most basic techniques that I would hope the proprietor of any blog,
E-newsletter, or printed newsletter would adopt. Still, I wouldn’t
assume that the typical citizen journalist doesn’t have an ax to
grind, and I wouldn’t assume that those being ground are always going
to merely grit their teeth, rather than sometimes strike back. Such is
the brouhaha within which Councilmember Thomas has been caught.
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Industrial Revolution 2009
Qawi Robinson, qrobinso@lycos.com
In Mr. Barron’s “Wanna Save Some Money?” [themail, March 25],
it is clear that in the spirit of innovation, robotics, automated call
takers, and self-service checkout, he feels that employing two
additional sanitation workers is wasteful. The sanitation trucks in
Bellevue he is referring to are called Side Loaders. While they are not
necessarily expensive, comparatively speaking, their capacity for waste
is less than traditional rear loaders. While a robotic arm can do the
job of lifting SuperCans or RecyleCans and emptying them into the truck
effectively, there are several other things to consider.
First, a two-person crew picking up trash is actually more efficient
than a Side Loader. Rather than having to go down a narrow DC alley
twice with a side loader, a crew can grab cans from both sides. This
alone makes for considerable gas and time savings. Adding all that
additional time and fuel used over the period of a year could easily pay
for several salaries of DPW workers. Second, a good portion of DC
residents have the handicapped designation stamped on their SuperCans
and RecycleCans. A robotic arm will not open a gate and place a can back
in a yard or other place, but a “crew” member will. A robotic arm
will not pick up any bags or large cartons that could not fit in the
Super Can. The two additional crew members do that and more as they
clear debris in the alleys and other “hands on” jobs.
So before we celebrate the elimination of “salaries, bennies, and
pensions for two people per truck,” think about the impact on
everyone. A lot of things that seem like good ideas on the onset may
have negative impacts when implemented in Washington, DC. Not only that,
but considering the economy and the state of unemployment these days, a
recommendation such as this seems a little insensitive.
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I agree with Ed Barron’s idea of how to save some money by using
driver-only trash trucks. Let’s get to it right away. All we have to
do is widen the back alleys and ensure that no one parks on the street
on trash pickup day, so that the mechanical arms can do their thing and
save us lots of money. Simple! Amazing that no one has ever thought of
it before.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Department of Parks and Recreation Programs
John Stokes, john.astokes@dc.gov
Become a Lifeguard with the DC Department of Parks and Recreation!
This spring, DPR Aquatics is offering twenty lifeguard training sessions
from March to June for individuals fifteen years and older who want to
work as a certified American Red Cross lifeguard with DPR during summer
2009. The first training session begins March 23, the last session
begins June 1; the complete schedule is provided below. Training is free
for everyone that becomes a DPR lifeguard; otherwise training fees are
$100 for DC residents and $200 for nonresidents. Sessions include
conditioning exercises and complete American Red Cross lifeguard
training in three areas: lifeguarding, first aid, and CPR
(cardiopulmonary resuscitation) /AED (automated external defibrillator)
for the professional rescuer. Register online or contact DPR Aquatics at
671-1289 for more information or to register.
Registration for DPR Summer Camps is underway! This year DPR summer
camps will run from June 15 to August 21; DPR is offering five, two-week
sessions of diverse and exciting camping opportunities for children and
youth ages 3 to 19 years old, including Little Explorers, Discovery,
Sports, Aquatic, Teen, and Therapeutic Recreation Camps.
DPR will also offer eight one-week overnight camping sessions at Camp
Riverview, DPR’s residential camp located in Scotland, MD. Camp fees
are $100 for District residents and $150 for non-residents. DPR offers a
reduced rate of $25 per child per camp session for qualifying District
residents to ensure that summer camps are available to everyone,
regardless of their ability to pay. All DPR camp fees are payable by
Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, or by money orders made payable to “DC
Treasurer.” Registration can be completed online at summercamps.dc.gov
or by visiting any DPR center. For more information, call DPR Camp
Central Office at 671-0295.
DPR in conjunction with the ANC umbrella foundation presents “Rock
Your Status,” an opportunity for teens to receive a free HIV test and
other valuable health related information. For more information, call
Carl Johnson, Project Coordinator at 301-467-5782.
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National Building Museum Events, March 31,
April 2
Jazmine Zick, jzick@nbm.org
March 31, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Water Knows No Boundaries. Will Baker,
president, Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Iris Miller, ASLA, The Catholic
University of America; and Tommy Wells, Washington, DC, Councilmember,
discuss practical solutions for cleaning up watersheds that cross
multiple municipalities, with a specific focus on the forty-year effort
to restore the Chesapeake Bay. Moderated by Joe Palca, correspondent for
NPR’s science desk.
Thursday, April 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Sustainable Communities: Creating
Healthy Communities. Dr. Howard Frumkin, director, National Center for
Environmental Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses
how the built environment affects our health. Frumkin will discuss
revolutionary new communities like Atlantic Station in Atlanta, GA, a
brownfield that is now a national model for sustainable development. $12
NBM and APA members, free students, $20 nonmembers. 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.
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What’s in It for Kids, April 1
Abby Bonder, abonder@dckids.org
Please join DC ACT for What’s in It for Kids: A Community Briefing
on the Proposed FY2010 CFSA Budget, Wednesday, April 1, 2:30 p.m.-4:30
p.m., 441 4th Street, NW, Room 1114. Registration will begin at 2:15
p.m. Presentation by Dr. Roque Gerald, Interim Director, Child and
Family Services Agency.
This is your opportunity to ask questions about how the mayor’s
budget is going to affect CFSA programs and services. Sponsored and
Facilitated by DC Action for Children. Cosponsored by: Children’s Law
Center, Foster and Adoptive Parent Advocacy Center (FAPAC), Healthy
Families Thriving Community Collaborative Council, and DC Fiscal Policy
Institute. Please register at http://action.voiceshub.org/dcact/events/cfsabudgetbriefing/details.tcl.
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Department of Parks and Recreation Events,
April 1-2
John Stokes, john.astokes@dc.gov
Wednesday, April 1, 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Emery Recreation Center,
5801 Georgia Avenue, NW. Healthy month for all ages. During the month of
April, information will be provided for residents on how to improve
their physical and emotional health. To assist individuals with their
health goals, weekly workshops and demonstrations will be given to
participants. For more information, call Sherman Nelson, Site Manager,
at 576-3211.
Thursday, April 2, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Fort Stevens Recreation
Center, 1327 Van Buren Street, NW. Trip to Hagerstown Mall for ages 55
and up. Seniors will take a trip to the Hagerstown Mall to enjoy a day
of shopping and lunch; please call for reservations. For more
information, call Sylvia Gwathmey at 541-3752.
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Safe Shores Child Abuse Prevention Training,
April 1, 8, 23, 28
Jessica Galimore, jgalimore@safeshores.org
One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused by the
time they turn eighteen. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month; what
will you do to protect children? Safe Shores is training adults in the
interactive, innovative, and effective prevention model Stewards of
Children throughout the month of April. Safe Shores’ goal is to add
one hundred adults to the committed community preventing child abuse.
Will you be one of the one hundred protectors?
We will have four sessions: April 1, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Charles
Sumner School, 1201 17th Street, NW, RSVP deadline March 30; April 8,
5:30-8:30 p.m., Charles Sumner School, 1201 17th Street, NW, RSVP
deadline April 3; April 23, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Charles Sumner School,
1201 17th Street, NW, RSVP deadline April 20; April 28, 8:30 a.m.-12:00
p.m., Leadership Greater Washington, 1727 I Street, NW, RSVP deadline
April 24.
To register, please E-mail: team@safeshores.org.
Include name(s), preferred training date, organization, and phone
number(s). On and after March 30, please contact Jessica Galimore,
638-2575 ext.101, jgalimore@safeshores.org.
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Glover-Archbold Park Wetlands Cleanup, April 4
Kent Slowinski, wksla@aol.com
Please join us for the twenty-first annual Potomac River Watershed
Cleanup: http://www.potomaccleanup.org/trash_initiative/trash_cleanup.html.
We will clean the wetlands in Glover-Archbold Park on Saturday, April 4,
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We’ll provide gloves; bags; Starbucks coffee;
and Whole Foods bagels, muffins, and pastries. Meet at Reservoir Road
and 44th Street (two blocks west of Georgetown University Hospital, two
blocks east of Foxhall Road). Plenty of on-street parking on Reservoir
Road. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Kent
Slowinski at wksla@aol.com.
Glover-Archbold Park extends three miles from Tenleytown south to the
Potomac River. Foundry Branch flows into the Potomac River above
Georgetown. The park has one of the District’s best mature hardwood
stands and is the site of one of the longest running migratory bird
studies. An article in Life magazine documented the early years
of the environmental movement in Glover-Archbold Park, where Rachel
Carson, author of The Silent Spring, brought her students. Today,
Edd Barrows of Georgetown University’s Center for Environmental
Studies brings his students to this part of Glover-Archbold Park. We’ll
be working with students from Georgetown University, George Washington
University, and American University, as well as people from
neighborhoods adjacent to the park.
We’ll also discuss forming a new watershed/parks group, similar to
Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment (http://www.friendsofrockcreek.org/),
focusing on invasive species removal, reducing stormwater runoff,
environmental education, etc. We’re looking for volunteers to design a
web site, set up a 501c3 nonprofit, and provide guidance/enthusiasm.
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