Fibber McGee
Dear Radio Enthusiasts:
No, by Fibber McGee I don't mean our president, our mayor, or anyone
except the real and original radio character. Fibber McGee very reluctantly traveled to
Washington to visit Molly's cousin (who lived at 1738 Massachusetts Avenue) in the 1944
movie “Heavenly Days.” It doesn't look as though any scenes in the movie were
actually filmed in our city, but the plot has contemporary relevance. Fibber is inspired,
during his time in the visitors' gallery of the Senate chambers, to rise and attempt to
make a speech about how the lawmakers should listen more to “the average man.”
He and Molly are carted off unceremoniously, of course, but the upshot is that Fibber
becomes something of a popular hero, and pollster George Gallup travels to Wistful Vista
to give Fibber an award as the most average man in America. Anise Jenkins and Karen
Szulgit, take note, and be sure to order copies of the video for your jury.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Yes, having open play areas is a problem. I'm pleased to read of Mayor
Williams's initiatives for several playgrounds that will help some areas in desperate need
for renovated playgrounds. In my neighborhood, we have open access to Stead Playground,
but it is best for littler kids. Ross School is closed most of the time, and it has a nice
big play set for the 8-12 year old set. A real loss was when the National Cathedral School
put a fence around their playground. We'd drive several miles to go there, and enjoyed the
view, open ground for running, and chance to mingle with other parents.
We need more open areas to run and ride bikes. Meridian Hill is now much
safer, but I still like to have my husband in tow when going there. It's a beautiful park
with wonderful mix of people, but you can occasionally get hassled, which is unnerving
when trying to keep an eye on your kid.
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Susan Ousley highlights the lack of access to the Garrison Elementary
(12th and S Streets NW) playground. But the problem is much more widespread than one
school, and it involves maintenance (or lack thereof) as well as access. I am most
familiar with Shaw, but I am sure similar examples can be found city-wide. I could go on
for a long time, but I don't want to depress anyone. The bottom line is that both ACCESS
and MAINTENANCE are a major problem for both our school grounds and our other public
lands. This is especially pressing for our compact and densely populated inner city
neighborhoods, where children often have little or no playground and green space available
in their homes or apartments. Less well-to-do kids, or those with working parents, suffer
disproportionately, because their families cannot compensate as much by taking them
outside of their neighborhood to other parks and playgrounds.
One solution would be to have a Public Lands Advocate, to speak on behalf
of proper public use (and sufficient resources) for our public lands space. The DC Public
Schools are not the only culprits here — DC Department of Recreation and Parks,
Department of Public Works, and several Federal agencies that own public lands in DC must
all share the blame. I would love to serve in this capacity. I have written a proposal
that addresses the broader issue of public lands advocacy ( http://www.shawdc.com/update/PLA.html ).
If you agree, please contact me.
A few examples: Shaw Junior High (10th and Rhode Island Avenue NW) has a
large field (suitable for pick-up games of soccer, softball, or football. But there does
not appear to have been any maintenance at all for years. Only the basketball courts and
tennis courts have received attention (due to corporate donations) and an outside
"indoor soccer" court there (also a corporate donation) has received heavy use
and next to no maintenance. Scott Montgomery Elementary (5th and Q Streets NW) has a large
back lot that would be a wonderful field, but (you guessed it) it was paved in asphalt
years ago. Good news — the asphalt has not been maintained, so that slowly (but
surely) grass is reclaiming it. Perhaps in about 50 years, we should again have a field of
grass. The only maintenance here was a brand new (expensive) heavy duty fence around the
part of the lot that is used for parking — and which is incomplete and thus useless.
Walker Jones Elementary (1st and K Streets NW) has another enormous lot, lacking almost
all maintenance. The children, parents and teachers (PTSA) have made a valiant effort to
plant trees along New Jersey Avenue, but the schools mowed the weeds (and the trees), so
we are back to scratch.
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Potomac River Metro Stop in Georgetown
Jim McLeod, jmcleod@attglobal.net
After years of struggle to get sailboat rentals back at Thompson Boat
House, I read that Councilmember Graham wants to move forward on a Georgetown Metro
station (Dec. 29 themail). My concern comes from the location of the Orange/Blue line. If
the map at the Foggy Bottom metro is accurate, then Stephen Kurzman (Dec. 22 themail) is
right. They tunneled the Blue/Orange line under the Potomac directly and not through
Georgetown. The line is shown as being buried in the middle of the Potomac River bed,
running roughly parallel to the banks of river. I've been impressed by Mr. Graham's
ability to explain his usually progressive ideas. I'm willing to consider aqualung
commuting (or some other way of getting to and from an underwater metro), if it doesn't
disturb sailing activity on that beautiful stretch of the Potomac.
And as for helping commuters around the area better, I hope Mr. Graham
will reconsider his apparent support of the proposed University Health Services, Inc,. of
Penn./GWU hospital for the site north of the Foggy Bottom metro. Mr. Graham was the only
councilmember I saw at the groundbreaking, passing scores of neighborhood demonstrators
against that ill-conceived building which (among other things) will threaten the safety of
pedestrians using the metro. Fortunately the neighborhood has been able to hold up
construction, so far.
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Jenkins/Szulgit Trial
Ann Loikow, johnl@erols.com
The trial of Anise Jenkins and Karen Szulgit on disruption of Congress
charges received a continuance from the judge today and won't resume until February 22.
Jenkins, a member of the Stand Up for Democracy in D.C. Coalition, and Szulgit, a member
of the D.C. Statehood Green Party, are charged with “Disorderly and Disruptive
Conduct on United States Capitol Grounds” stemming from their July 29, 1999, arrest
for verbally protesting Congress's rule over D.C., and specifically the passage in the
U.S. House of Representatives of the Barr Amendment, one of several riders added to the
D.C. FY 2000 appropriations bill. If convicted by a jury, Jenkins and Szulgit face a
penalty of $500 and/or six months in jail. They are represented by Mark Goldstone and
Kenneth Page.
The Barr Amendment, introduced by Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA) prohibits
the implementation of Initiative 59, the D.C. medical marijuana referendum. Initiative 59
appeared on the 1998 ballot and passed overwhelmingly with 69% of the vote, winning a
majority in all 8 of the District's wards. Last year, Congressman Barr attached a rider to
the DC appropriations bill which prohibited the city from counting the ballots and
certifying the results of the vote until it was overturned by US District Court Judge
Richard Roberts.
See http://www.kreative.net/carolmoore/01-14-00.html
for photographs and a write-up of the rally held Friday (January 14) before the trial
began. Speakers at the rally included D.C. Councilmember David Catania, former D.C.
Councilmember Hilda Mason, former DC Delegate Walter Fauntroy, former Shadow
Representative John Capozzi and DC Statehood Green Party leader John Gloster, attorney
George LaRoche of the 20 D.C. Citizens democracy lawsuit, and Timothy Cooper of Democracy
First, among others. A group of students from Ballou High School also participated in the
rally. In a related matter, Ben Armfield, who was on trial all last week for the same
disruption of Congress charge (from an incident occurring several months after, and
inspired by, Anise Jerkin's and Karen Szulgit's in which he verbally protested Congress's
antidemocratic authority over D.C.) was found "Not Guilty" by the jury at 4
p.m., Friday, January 14.
###############
Marc Battle indicates that the 20% UDC graduation rate (probably an
overestimate at that) indicates a problem in retention. Of course it is a problem in
retention, but what is the root of the problem? Is it that UDC is failing its incoming
students or is it that the quality of incoming students assures the poor results. (Up
front I want to say that I believe that the graduates I am familiar with, engineering
graduates, are, as a group, as good as the graduates from the other engineering programs
in this city — and that is borne out by awards, performance in grad schools, and at
work — the high drop out rate does not reflect poorly on the graduates but on the
incoming class as a whole.)
As a matter of fact, with over 70%, perhaps 80% of incoming freshman that
are not even close to the level expected of high school graduates, as shown by their
scores on math and English placement exams, a high drop out rate is, to use a poor word,
pre-ordained. I have first hand knowledge of the math readiness of these students,
products of the DCPS system. It is embarrassing. So Mr. Battle is correct; it is a
terrible thing that the DCPS system is, in a sense, perpetuating a fraud on the city in
graduating students who are mostly unprepared for anything that should come next. In all
the debates over elected-appointed school board/chairman — here, in the papers, on
the radio — I see almost no discussion of the real key; how will this effect
performance. And it won't effect performance in the slightest! What the debate should be
over, what Williams should, if he wants to butt in, focus on, is how to improve our
students' performance.
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Clare Feinson was doing such a fine job responding to Ed Barron's comments
[themail, January 16] until she just had to sacrifice her credibility with the last
statement. From her resume of fine schools she is evidently bright, and her comments are
well written. However, her final comment invoking race cancels out the heed I had paid her
remarks. She really didn't have to do it anyway. The beauty of E-mail (and sometimes the
downside), is that we don't know what the person at the other end looks like. Frankly, I
wouldn't know Mr. Barron or Ms. Clare Feinson if I ran into them on the street and,
frankly, I don't care. Readers can merely judge them by their words and intellect, free of
judgment based on height, weight, hair color, or persuasion. In this case, Ms. Clare
Feinson takes one step forward and two steps back.
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Wilson and Asians
Judith Kahn, jmkahn@aol.com
In response to Bonnie Gantt's entry regarding the Reverend Wilson. While
Ms. Gantt acknowledges her memory is vague regarding the situation that may have begun the
boycott, she automatically assumes the Asian storekeeper is at fault. My memory is also
vague on the details and, while it may be illustrative of the conflict that exists(ed), it
is this type of factless “they are bad” assumption that becomes embedded in the
collective memory. I am not saying that racism does not exist, because it does, against
blacks, against Asians, against gays, against Jews, against any group who is different
from the one you are in. What I am saying we need to look at our automatic assumptions.
###############
UDC and the Board of Education
Ralph Blessing, rblessin@usia.gov
One aspect of Willie Wilson's nomination to the UDC board that has gotten
scant attention is the issue of credentials for board membership, a matter that takes on
added importance now that Mayor Williams hopes to have similar nominating authority for
the DC Board of Education. I've seen or heard nothing in the media outlining the
qualifications, if any, required to sit on the UDC board. What experience relevant to
higher education does Rev. Wilson (or any of the new members) bring to the table? Granted,
board members for colleges and universities are regularly chosen for their business acumen
or political connections, rather than their familiarity with higher education, but the UDC
situation is unique given its real and perceived problems over the years; I had hoped that
under the Williams administration it wouldn't be business as usual. In my opinion, anyone
nominated to be on the UDC board should be in a position to strengthen the university's
credibility rather than add to the controversy that continues to plague the institution.
If Rev. Wilson and the other new board members are able to achieve the former, then I
would be glad to be proven wrong. But if, in the end, it appears that political expediency
was the main criteria employed by Mayor Williams in making these nominations, then I would
seriously question whether we could also entrust him to handpick the members of the Board
of Education.
[Rev. Wilson's resume, as submitted to the City Council with his
nomination, is available at http://www.dcwatch.com/council13/13-663.htm.
— Gary Imhoff]
###############
My fear, and the fear of the D.C. Statehood Green Party, is that Rev.
Wilson is such a lightning rod for publicity that his appointment is yet another step
toward eliminating UDC or moving it out of its current Northwest Campus (opening up this
land for possible development — although the District still has the Brooklyn Bridge
problem — as this is federal land). Personally, I find it very funny that, with the
exception of Councilmember Schwartz, the objecting Councilmembers were Williams
supporters, as was Rev. Wilson.
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DC’s New Year Celebration
Alison Kamat, akamat@aol.com
For those complaining about DC's New Year's celebration, I would like to
point out that there were actually two separate celebrations: DC's well organized,
entertaining, low hassle two-day party on Constitution Avenue, and the Federal
Government's mess at the Lincoln Monument. After spending a wonderful day listening to
great music and drinking overpriced beer at the District's party we headed over to the
Lincoln Memorial about 9:00 pm, expecting a program similar to the one they had for the
first Clinton Inaugural. There weren't enough entrances to the monument grounds, so the
lines to get in stretched for blocks; the reason it only took us an hour to get in was
they finally gave up checking bags after the fence was breached. There weren't enough
screens to serve the huge area, and what there were were poorly placed. We couldn't hear
or see anything. The only good thing I can say about the entire evening was that I didn't
have to wait in line for a port-a-potty. The entertainment highlight for those of us at
the rear was a naked man romping in the reflecting pool. The midnight celebration was
delayed because President Clinton spoke too long — imagine scheduling him just before
midnight! — so we welcomed the new millennium a few minutes later than the rest of
the East Coast. For some reason which I have never understood the fireworks were scheduled
in two parts, at midnight and at 1:00 a.m. When they launched into speeches right after
midnight, we left the grounds to try to get a better view of the 1:00 fireworks, which
didn't live up to the hype, and we were cold, bored, and champagne-less — not exactly
the kind of millennium celebration I had in mind!
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DCPL Online Catalog
Patricia Pasqual, changedc@yahoo.com
The District of Columbia Public Library, committed to creating a
revitalized library for the 21st century, has recently expanded access to its resources
via the Internet, and in all of its 27 facilities. A new, powerful, user-friendly online
library catalog and circulation system, nicknamed CityCat2K, now replaces the Library's
first online system, which was installed in the mid-1970's. With CityCat2K, the public
will now be able to access D.C. Public Library's resources on the Internet — in their
homes, offices, or schools, as well as at the library — via the Library's home page, http://www.dclibrary.org. In the near future, Library
customers will also have secure access to their individual library card records, and be
able to renew or reserve titles online. The system is the same one installed in the
Montgomery County Department of Public Libraries last summer.
Each of the Library system's 27 branches, and each division of the Martin
Luther King Memorial Library (MLKML), has dedicated CityCat 2K terminals where library
visitors can also easily access all of the system's useful features. The MLKML Library at
901 G Street is offering one-hour training classes for the public on a first come, no
reservations basis through the end of January, in Room 315. For a complete schedule of the
classes, visit the Library's web site or call 727-0321. The amnesty for fines and fees for
overdue materials originally scheduled to end January 15, 2000, has been extended to
January 31, 2000. The amnesty has been extended to show appreciation to library customers
for their patience during the final stages of installation for the new system. Fines and
fees will not be waived for materials that were returned before December 1, 1999. For
additional information, please call your nearest branch or call (202) 727-1186.
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We signed up for Starpower's complete package: high-speed Internet, cable,
and local/long-distance telephone. The cable was installed three weeks ago and the
Internet was hooked up two weeks ago. The phone service hasn't been switched yet, as
they're still waiting for some equipment. The cable has more variety and much better
signal quality than District Cablevision, especially for the troublesome local channels,
and it's considerably cheaper, especially when you bundle. Basic service has about 90
channels, including the Independent Film Channel and the Comedy Channel, both of which
were lacking on District Cablevision. Of course we were tempted by the package which
includes 13 premium movie channels, so we're paying more than before, but we're having a
wonderful time. There's also no “Required Weekly Test” which is District
Cablevision's randomly timed test of the cardiovascular health of its audience. So far no
cable outages, although there was one ten-minute interval when the service cut out a few
times.
Trying to figure out what's on all those channels is a challenge.
Starpower has a pretty good program guide, which is interactive if you have a converter
box. Gist.com is the best source I've found on the Internet, as they list all the programs
with their correct channel numbers for Starpower, Washington. The Internet connection is
fast and reliable, but nowhere near as fast as the sales rep told us to expect. She said
to expect 800-1500 Kbps but so far we're averaging only about 200-300 Kbps, compared to
about 50 Kbps for a 56K modem. Customer Service says speeds will improve to 800+ in a
couple of weeks when some more fiber comes online. The technicians who installed the
equipment showed up on time and were extremely competent, although they did have to come
back a second day because they brought the wrong ethernet board. We had a brief outage one
day, for about 15 minutes.
Customer Service is not quite what it should be; when you call you can
expect to be on hold for quite a while. The sales rep said to contact her instead of going
through Customer Service, although that usually results in a game of phone tag.
###############
I am writing to offer an experience with StarPower. I think I can speak
knowledgeably about all three services (phone, cable TV, Internet) since I now subscribe
to all. The switch to telephone service was free and completely without incident. They
don't have to visit your house. In fact, my understanding is that currently they simply
resell Bell Atlantic at a discounted price. I switched several months ago (local and long
distance) and have been relatively happy. The switch to cable television was also free and
mostly without incident. They said they would come between 1-5 pm one day. They showed up
within that window. The technician was friendly and courteous, although it took him a long
time to finish. That may have something to do with having to string the cable wire from a
telephone pole on one side of Military Road to my house on the other side. Yikes! When
compared to District Cablevision, the reception is better, you get about 20 more channels
and it costs less. Go figure.
The switch to cable internet cost me a $49.95 installation fee and was
more bumpy however. I have to say that now that I'm wired, it is really awesome. But it
involves two technicians visiting your house (and that's assuming you already have cable
TV). My appointment was between 8-12 on a Saturday. The first technician arrived at 9:30
am and had some trouble installing the network card required to use a cable modem. He had
to remove my regular (phone) modem to install the network card. Then he left and said the
second technician would arrive before noon. At 12:30 pm, I called customer service (I
couldn't stay home past 2 pm). I was on hold for 90 minutes before I finally got through.
To their credit (and my surprise), they said they would send someone the next day (Sunday)
between 1-5 pm. The technician showed up at 12:30 pm on Sunday, and it took her about an
hour to have me up and running. Cable internet costs a little more. But I have found it
well worth the extra money. The moral of this story is that StarPower seems to be a fresh
breath of air into a stale telecom, cable TV, high-speed Internet market. But they are a
new company still learning how to serve their customers. If you subscribe, invest in a
speakerphone at the same time. That way you won't have to hold the phone between your head
and shoulder when you call customer service. PS: There's a pretty good article on
StarPower in the 12/24 issue of the City Paper (p.28).
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I can't compare Starpower to DC Cable, as I'm new to DC and Starpower is
the only cable service I've had. The picture is clear and I've never had an outage.
Personnel who've come to my home have been polite, as have the customer service
representatives on the phone. But politeness doesn't compensate for incompetence. All
customer service persons are eager but untrained. When I called to upgrade to HBO, I was
placed on hold for more than an hour, and it was clear that the customer service agent had
no idea how to process my order. An installer came this weekend and installed a
descrambler so that I can now get HBO, but their equipment doesn't allow me to tape TV
shows. My biggest complaint, though, is that the installers do all the wiring by simply
stapling wiring up on interior walls. They've made quite a mess. I'm a renter, and this
really bothers me, but I'd never let Starpower workers in a home or condo that I owned.
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I don't believe anyone mentioned “Murder at 1600,” a Wesley
Snipes flick memorable in particular for the mythical (or is it mythical?) secret
passageway from an air vent near the Washington Monument into the White House basement. It
also featured Snipes as a DC cop, and as a DC cop he faces patronizing federal law
enforcement officials, displaying some of the federal/local tension that has been a part
of our city's experience.
Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd played DC cops in “Loose Cannons,”
a slightly different take on DC law enforcement, but Gene Hackman's character has a
similar federal/local conflict with an imperious FBI official. Maybe Hollywood is actually
sensing something that our local media refuse to address? And someone correct me if I am
wrong, but I believe that much of Spike Lee's “School Daze” was shot at Howard,
and featured that hometown classic go-go tune “Da' Butt” by E.U. (that's
Experience Unlimited, not European Union). Thanks to everyone for the great DC movie
hints.
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Cut the Chatter
Stan Wellborn, STANW@aecf.org
I strongly concur with Evelyn Wrin's suggestion that submissions to
themail be kept short. As the editor of this communications vehicle, you have the
obligation to truncate lengthy items so they will be more readable and have greater
impact. We are all too busy, and too overwhelmed with E-mail, to scroll through messages
that can be repetitive, glib, or lacking in news or substance. Why not institute a hard
and fast rule: No more than 200 words per submission. Folks will be surprised at how that
discipline will focus their argument, and how much they can say in that space. And, if
some readers want to engage in longer dialogs, they can do it off line.
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Lengthier and More Diatribey the Better
Jean Lawrence, JKelLaw@aol.com
Evelyn Wrin says lengthy diatribes are not why people subscribe. Minority
opinion: I love them! News we can get anywhere.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Trash Force's next outing will be this Saturday, January 22, meeting in
Rock Creek Park at 10:45 a.m., at the intersection of West Beach Drive and Parkside Drive.
Directions and info are at http://home.sprynet.com/~pnahay/tforce.htm#Jan22.
If there is sufficient interest, at 1 p.m. we'll go to lunch at the nearby Parkway Deli.
Please let me know if you're planning to attend (and also if your plans change), and don't
forget to bring lots of plastic bags (at least a dozen) and gloves, if you want them!
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Fresh Fields Wine Dinner at Rupperts Restaurant, 1017 Seventh St., NW,
January 25, 6:30 PM. French wines (Bordeaux and southwest regions), 4 course dinner with
wine tasting, $75.00 (includes tax & gratuity). Ticket sales through Fresh Fields.
Please call 301-984-4874 ext 3029.
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Friday Morning Music Club Concert
E. James Lieberman, ejl@gwu.edu
The Friday Morning Music Club Orchestra, Sylvia Alimena, Conductor.
Sunday, January 23, 7:30 PM, Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater. Admission free, but tickets
must be reserved: 202/ 333-2075. Program: 1) von Suppe: Overture, Light Cavalry. 2)
Chopin: Piano Concerto No.1, Ji-Eun Kang, soloist. 3) Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5.
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DC Society of Young Professionals
Michael Karlan (michael@dcyoungpro.com)
Evening at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Hong Kong's Equivalent
of an Embassy). The D.C. Society of Young Professionals (check out the article about us on
page 12 of this week's City Paper) is sponsoring an evening at this amazing
building. Featuring live music performed by the Wa-Sing Chinese Music Group, authentic
food and drink, and a social reception. In addition, almost the entire office's staff will
be on hand to greet you. Thursday, January 27, 7:00 p.m. — 9:30 p.m., 1520 18th
Street, NW (near the Dupont Circle Metro). $50. For more info, or to purchase tickets,
visit http://www.dcyoungpro.com, E-mail michael@dcyoungpro.com, or call (202) 686-6085.
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Singing and Quilting Workshops at Longview
Connie Ridgway, Kaniru@aol.com
Longview, the nearby retreat center in Accokeek, Maryland, with 130
beautiful acres on the Potomac River, has two upcoming one-day workshops in February. Both
are $50 (quilting has a $5 materials fee also): Singing for Fun and Healing, February 12,
10 am - 4 pm. Led by Isabella Bates and Connie Ridgway (both professional singers and
workshop leaders). Quilting: Recognizing the Design of God's Grace, February 26, 10 am - 4
pm. Led by Sue Bodner (a lifelong needleworker and minister). Contact Connie Ridgway at
202-966-1485 or Kaniru@aol.com for more information.
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Rebuilding DC Government Conference
Michael Binder, Mbindnerdc@aol.com
The first major conference of Rebuilding D.C. Government 2000 is going to
be held Saturday, January 22, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library, at 9th and G Streets,
N.W. in Room A-5 (Auditorium) from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The conference will explore the
proposed remedies demanded by the plaintiffs of the Adams v. Clinton lawsuit: Statehood
for New Columbia (pursuant to a vote of DC Citizens); Reunification with an existing state
(pursuant to a vote of DC Citizens); as well as options for DC Governance should the
plaintiffs lose (the status quo) or should the other suit (Alexander v. Daley) prevail.
The decision in Adams v. Clinton et al. could be released by the three-judge panel at any
moment. It will more than likely be appealed by the losing party to the Supreme Court, who
must hear it. After this occurs, District residents must be ready to act. This conference
will prepare them to do that.
Panelists include Sam Smith and Anise Jenkins of the Adams v. Clinton
lawsuit, Michael Bindner and Lou Aronica of the D.C. Statehood Green Party, former
Councilmember Betty Ann Kane of the Committee for the Capital City, former Council Chair
Arrington Dixon and Senators Paul Strauss and Florence Pendleton. Invited speakers include
Mayor Anthony Williams, D.C. Council Chair Linda Cropp, Councilmember Phil Mendelson and
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.
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Campaign Finance Reform
Amanda Chorowski, amanda@dcjcc.org
The National Institute for Jewish Leadership presents Campaign Finance
Reform: A Jewish Issue? January 24, 7:30 pm, at the DCJCC Cecile Goldman Theater, 1529
16th Street, NW, with Morris Amitay, Founder of Washington PAC; Ira Forman, Executive
Director of the NJDC. Cosponsored by American Jewish Committee, National Jewish Democratic
Council, Republican Jewish Coalition. Hear about one of the most controversial subjects
being discussed by Congress, presidential candidates and policy advocates and learn how it
effects the Jews! Suggested donation $5. To RSVP call Amanda, 518-9400, x362; for more
information, go to http://www.dcjcc.org/panijl.htm.
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Need a snuggling partner this winter? Come to the DC Animal Shelter's Cat
Adoption Outreach at the Tenley-Friendship Branch Library this Saturday, January 22, from
noon to 4 p.m. Wisconsin Avenue and Albemarle Street, NW; take the Red Line Metro to the
Tenlytown Station. Also, the shelter is looking for temporary foster homes for cats and
dogs. Free up cage space and allow these wonderful animals more time to find their
lifelong mates. Call Heidi at 202-265-1069 for more details, or stop by the event on
Saturday.
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Young Women of Achievement Awards
Sara Cormeny, sara@paperlantern.com
Thursday, January 27, 2000, 7 p.m., the Women's Information Network's
(WIN) 7th Annual Young Women of Achievement Awards Reception will be held at the Wyndham
Hotel, 1400 M St., NW. Keynote Speaker is Ellen Malcolm, president and founder of EMILY's
List. Tickets are $40 for WIN members/ $45 for non-members, and $35 for students with ID.
To order tickets, contact the WIN office at 347-2827 or go to the WIN web site at http://www.winonline.org. Please RSVP with payment by
January 22. All are welcome to stay after the program to watch the President's State of
the Union Address.
This evening celebrates women, ages 35 and under, with outstanding
professional and community achievements. Sixteen women were nominated this year in the
categories of advocacy, communications, non-profit, politics and technology. The five
winners will be announced at the reception. Please join us! WIN is Washington's premier
professional, political and social networking organization dedicated to the advancement
and empowerment of women, with a tradition of pro-Choice, Democratic support. WIN has a
membership of nearly 1,000 women in the Greater DC area.
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Janaury Meeting of ANC 3C
Ann Loikow, johnl@erols.com
ANC 3C will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Monday,
January 24, in the Perry Auditorium of the Washington National Cathedral at Wisconsin and
Massachusetts Avenues NW. Please use the Northwest entrance across from Stone Carving
Shed. The agenda includes election of new officers and other administrative matters and
presentation of the Cathedral Master Plan. For more information, please call 232-2232 or
363-6658.
###############
Tasting Society International January/February 2000
Calendar of Wine Events
Charlie Adler, wine@tastedc.com
1) January 18, Tuesday, “Wine 102: Tasting Like A Pro,” Radisson
Barcelo Hotel, 2121 P St., NW, Valet Parking, Metro Dupont Circle (Red Line), 7-9 PM, $39
per person. This event is lots of fun! 2) January 19, Wednesday, “Great Wines of the
West Coast: California, Oregon and Washington,” Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 7-9 PM, $40
per person. Great wines from California, Oregon and Washington State. 3) January 25,
Tuesday, “Wines of France,” Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 7-9 PM, $40 per person. A
tasting and tour of France's fabulous wines and regions. 4) January 26, Wednesday,
“Caribbean Food, Wine and Live Jazz,” BET on Jazz Restaurant, 730 11th St., NW,
Valet Parking, Metro: Metro Center, 7-9 PM, $45, in advance, tax and tip inclusive. Chef
“T”'s delicacies, great wine and Hot Live Jazz! 5) February 3, Thursday,
“California Small Producer Wines and Gourmet Food Tasting,” Dean & DeLuca
Gourmet, 3276 M St., NW, Parking at Georgetown Park Mall, 7-9 PM, $45 in advance, tax and
tip inclusive. Taste California's “boutique” wines and a sampling of this
gourmet store's unique cuisine. 6) February 12/13, Saturday/Sunday, Washington, D.C.,
International Wine Festival,” Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center,
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Garage Parking in Building, Metro Center, 1:00-5:00 PM (both
days), $40 per person per day for the Grand Tasting, $60 for both days at the Grand
Tasting, $5 handling charge per order. From the organizers of the annual Boston Wine Expo
(over 15,000 people attended last year!) Washington, D.C. welcomes our own International
Wine Festival! The Grand Tasting is the two day main event of the Festival, and it's an
incredible experience: over 150 wineries and more than 600 wines can be sampled for one
price. Included in the Grand Tasting price is food samplings and cooking classes by a
variety of top chefs from the D.C. area. 7) February 23, Wednesday, “Wine Basics
101,” Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 7-9 PM, $39 per person. Our most attended event!
Reservations: https://labyrinth.dgsys.com/clients/tastedc.com/order.cgi
or phone (202) 333-5588.
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CLASSIFIEDS — SERVICES
Need Help with Your Computer Needs at Home or in
the Office?
Nick Chang, nick@embassy.org (202.237.0130)
PC hardware/software installation and upgrades; maintenance,
troubleshooting and network support; Back-up and archive your files and email on CD-ROM;
setup computer network for the small office; build customized database in Access or other
programs; web training and web page development; Reasonable rates. Excellent references.
###############
Housesitters Available
Tammy Seltzer, tammy@bazelon.org
In need of housesitters this spring or summer? A responsible couple is
looking for housesitting opportunities from late May to early September. They currently
reside in Ethiopia but are looking to return to DC for a few months for the birth of their
second child. Child-friendly pets are ok. References are available. Please respond to Sara
at saradorsch@yahoo.com.
###############
My company is in need of a part-time bookkeeper, starting now and going on
forever. The person should know QuickBooks and should be able to work in my office on
Calvert Street (near the Woodley Park metro) once or twice a week for 8-10 hours total per
week. The person's responsibilities will include entering and paying bills, creating
invoices, entering payroll information, and the like. We're looking to pay $30-40/hour,
depending on experience. We have a nice, pleasant office setting, and it's warm here. We
have toys. If you're interested, call 202-986-5533 and mention that you heard about it in
themail. You can also fax a resume to 986-5532 or E-mail it to bkjob@tcg-inc.com. Our web site is http://www.tcg-inc.com/
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
“Chronology of Slavery” Web Site Praised
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
Netsurfer's Digest, a guide to the best material on the web, recently had
words of praise for the “Chronology of Slavery” web site that DC-resident Eddie
Becker has assembled as part of his effort to save the Holt House, in Adams Morgan:
“This site is filled with tales of grief and injustice, and we highly recommend
it.” http://innercity.org/holt/slavechron.html.
Kudos to Eddie Becker, indefatigable researcher, and Dave McIntire, creator of the
Columbia Heights web site which hosts this material. Netsurfer's Digest is at http://www.netsurf.com/nsd/latest.digest.html.
The Columbia Heights web site is at http://www.innercity.org.
###############
Hi all, I'm back. I was the one that posted several months ago, asking the
benefits/drawbacks of living in the District vs. suburbs. Thanks so much for all the
interesting responses! My husband and I now have our hearts set on buying in the area of
Dupont Circle, although this might be a pipe dream considering the housing costs there.
(Whew!) We're looking for a 2-bedroom place, either single-family home or condo, but
definitely a small, older building. Can anyone recommend a top-notch Realtor in that area?
Or if anyone is thinking of selling their place, please consider contacting us . . . we're
great buyers! Thanks again for all help offered.
###############
ISO Reputable Car Mechanic and/or Oil Change Place,
Preferably in NW DC
Lonna Shafritz, lshafrit@aed.org
New DC car owner looking for reputable car mechanic and/or place to change
oil for Buick. Prefer Dupont/Adams Morgan area, but willing to consider any highly
recommended place (even MD or VA). Please E-mail or call me at 202-994-8784.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — CITY PAPER PREVIEW
Dave Nuttycombe, webmeister@washcp.com
From washingtoncitypaper.com's LOOSE LIPS column, appearing this Friday:
BAD PLANNING: Last Nov. 5, Mayor Anthony A. Williams stood before a group of reporters and
declared an end to the District's planning woes. “Planning in this city is ad hoc and
episodic,” said the mayor, who acknowledged that the land-use controversies in
Columbia Heights and near George Washington University's Mount Vernon campus had prompted
a new look at the system. “The current situation has taught us that the current
infrastructure is not up to the task.”
And as the mayor described efforts by planning director Andrew Altman to remedy the
situation, he zeroed in on the political conundrum that the issue poses for him:
“Development,” said Williams, “has created disputes and battles for
everyone.”
“Everyone,” in this case, consists of two constituencies that propelled the
mayor to power in November 1998: Businesses, to which Williams promised a hospitable and
predictable regulatory environment, and the neighborhood activist/historic preservationist
lobby — which lapped up the candidate's campaign pledges to do away with the
Barry-era back-room dealing that had turned the city's historic treasures into the Lego
sets of local developers.
Read the entire Loose Lips column this Friday at: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/lips/lips.html
From washingtoncitypaper.com's CITY LIGHTS page, here are a few early
warnings for upcoming events:
FRIDAY: Film historian Max Alvarez what “a little hey-hey” means when he
lectures on the Rat Pack at 8 p.m. at the Ripley Center's Lecture Hall, 1100 Jefferson
Drive SW. $13.
MONDAY: Susan Doubilet & Daralice Boles: Contemporary Houses in the United States and
Europe. The authors speak and sign copies of their books at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 24, at
the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $12.
More details and more critics' picks are available online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/pix/pix.html
###############
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