Just the Facts, Ma’am

Dear Inspectors:

At the Council hearing on the Inspector General that Dorothy Brizill writes about below, it was, I believe, conclusively shown -- at a minimum -- that Inspector General Charles Maddox misled the Council about his residency, that Mayor Williams and Maddox misled the Council about his resume and the position Maddox held at the time of his appointment to the IG position, and that (unless, which is more likely, they are all lying now) a whole host of people misled the Council about the term of office to which Maddox was being appointed. The question I asked the Council, and I ask now, is whether they can trust Maddox now and in the future to tell them the truth. The IG should be our Sgt. Joe Friday, relentlessly seeking the facts, not the guy who looks down, shifts his eyes, and sidesteps nervously under Friday's questioning.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com 

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DC’s Section 529 Plans
Jack McKay, jack.mckay@verizon.net

So-called “Section 529” plans for college savings, new in 2002, are all the rage because of their advantages: a federal tax exemption on investment earnings when used for college expenses, and very high contribution limits. Each state must set up its own plan under the Federal legislation, and 45 have already done so. DC is — surprise! — one of the six laggards. While DC residents are free to sign up for 529 plans from many other states, there will be one substantial advantage to using DC's own plan: contributions will be exempt from DC income taxes.

The person to contact for information concerning the status of DC's plan is Brenda Mathis, 727-0780. She is compiling a list of people who want to receive plan information as soon as it becomes available. The plans are, she tells me, hoped to be complete by late summer, and no later than September. Tracking down this information was hard going. Both the original bill and the enacted act establishing the rules for DC's plans are mysteriously absent from the City Council web site. The pertinent section of the DC Code is not in the year-old version of the Code provided via the Council site. Someone in Carol Schwarz's office did locate the text of the law for me, but then punished me with an angry tirade when I failed to show, in her opinion, adequate gratitude for her effort. The District isn't making any effort to get the word out. Perhaps they prefer that people use out-of-state plans, and thus not make use of that DC tax exemption feature.

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Inspector General Update
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com 

If you missed the six-and-a-half hour hearing held by the Government Operations Committee last Thursday on the District's Inspector General, Charles Maddox, be assured that it was serious. Eight of the Councilmembers attended at least some portion of the hearing, and all witnesses were sworn in. The politics of the situation are very unclear. The Mayor can't be seen undermining Maddox, for fear that he would appear to be undermining the IG's investigation of the Mayor's fundraising scandal. But, since Maddox relies on the Mayor to support his shaky claim to remain in office, the Mayor is probably better off with Maddox in that position than he would be with a new IG who may be more independent.

Here are the highlights of the three main issues in Thursday's hearing: Maddox's residency, his term of office, and the misrepresentation of his former job position to the City Council. The Inspector General is required to be a resident of the District. Charles Maddox has a 17-acre farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, which is where his wife lives and which he claims as his principle residence for Maryland tax purposes. He also owns a condominium in Logan Circle which is where his adult son lives, and which he does not claim as owner-occupied for DC tax purposes. During the hearing, Maddox said that he stayed two nights a week at the condo — which he later expanded to three nights a week, and maybe four. Finally he said he would start counting the nights, and stay at least half time at the condo, which led Councilmember Vincent Orange to comment that Maddox still didn't understand the concept of residency as a commitment to this city.

Maddox continued to maintain that he had been appointed by the Control Board to a full six-year term of office, not to fill the unexpired term begun by his predecessors, E. Barrett Prettyman, Jr., and Angela Avant. The Council resolutions confirming both Prettyman and Maddox explicitly stated that the end of their terms would be January 15, 2002 — five days ago. If the Control Board, the Mayor, Prettyman, and Maddox held a different position at the time, they never said that they did. Either they have all changed their positions now in order to support Maddox's remaining in office after the end of his term, or they all conspired to deceive the Council for the past three years about the term of the appointments. To avoid that conclusion, Maddox, Prettyman, and Daniel Rescind, the former counsel of the Control Board, all offered the inherently unbelievable testimony that they never read or even saw the Council resolutions that confirmed Prettyman and Maddox. This leads to the question: if the Council passed a simple two-page bill that appointed you to a job, would you be curious to read it, or would you not bother to look at it, even at your confirmation hearing?

When Maddox was appointed Inspector General, his resume said that he was currently the General Counsel to the Inspector General, and the Mayor transmitted his appointment claiming that Maddox was the General Counsel. But he wasn't, because he was unqualified to hold that position. The position requires membership in the DC bar. Maddox was a member of the Virginia bar, but he couldn't become a member of the DC bar because he had only been a lawyer for two years before being appointed to the General Counsel position, and to be waived into the DC bar he needed to have been a member of another state's bar for five years. Otherwise, he would have had to have taken 26 credit hours of courses in an accredited law school (Maddox's law school had been unaccredited and unlicensed) and to have passed the DC bar exam. Both Maddox and Prettyman, who chose Maddox for the position, claim to have been unaware of the law requiring DC bar membership. Maddox was moved to another position just a month before he would have had to have been fired as unqualified. The Council was never informed of that during the nomination process, but that was just an oversight, Maddox and Prettyman claimed.

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Recalling the Tragedy of the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mark David Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com 

In the years preceding the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr., riots had been breaking out in cities such as Newark and Detroit. Congressional reaction to urban riots was to stiffen crime laws. Marion Barry had moved to DC in 1961. By 1966, Barry turned to organizing the Free DC Movement in support of DC Home Rule. Also that year, Reverend Channing Phillips became leader of a civic group in support of an elected school board. In Congress, tensions ran high over urban unrest and civil rights. When President Lyndon Johnson proposed a bill for urban rodent eradication and control, some in Congress promptly called it a "civil rats bill." In June 1967, Johnson submitted a plan to Congress to reorganize the DC government -- he thought that might reduce tensions in DC and prevent riots like those occurring in other cities. Johnson modified the structure from three Presidentially appointed commissioners to a Presidentially appointed mayor and City Council, a prelude to limited Home Rule (passed in 1973). The bill became law in August. Johnson appointed Walter Washington mayor and Thomas Fletcher deputy mayor, and announced City Council members on September 28. His choice for Council chair, Max Kampelman, was controversial in Congress, so Johnson asked him to withdraw his nomination and appointed John Heckinger chair on October 13.

Less than six months later, on April 3, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” (see http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/). He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, the next day. Johnson sent Ramsey Clark, Roger Wilkins, and Cliff Alexander to Memphis. The worst riot in the nation broke out in DC, with 20,000 participants setting 30 new fires per hour. Mayor Walter Washington imposed a curfew and banned the sale of liquor and guns; Johnson sent 14,000 Army, Marine, and National Guard troops into DC to join DC’s 2,800-member police force. Johnson instructed them to use minimal force — he wanted no one killed. Twelve hundred building were burned and 7,600 were arrested. Joseph Califano, Jr., Johnson’s top domestic adviser, reports that Stokeley Carmichael organized a group at 14th and U Streets, NW, to march on Georgetown, “the posh Washington enclave where many newspaper columnists, television reporters, and Washington Post editors live.” Califano wrote that, “The President read the report aloud, smiled, and said, ‘Goddamn! I’ve waited thirty-five years for this day!'” By Saturday, there were riots and looting in over one hundred cities. Senator Robert Byrd (W-VA) was so concerned that he demanded to know why marshal law had not been imposed. Robert Kennedy walked the burning Washington streets calling for calm. Because the Secret Service and FBI reported assassination threats on his life, Johnson did not attend Dr. King’s funeral in Atlanta but sent a contingency, including Hubert Humphrey, Thurgood Marshall, Robert Weaver, and Walter Washington. Johnson determined to use the King tragedy to establish a national fair housing bill that had faced opposition in the House of Representatives. He to get the bill passed by Congress on April 10 and signed it on April 11. (Source for most information in this segment: The Triumph and Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson: The White House Years, by Joseph A. Califano, Jr.) Later in 1968, Congress granted DC its first locally elected body in nearly a century, a Board of Education. Seventy percent of DC voters turned out in the first local political competition since the 1870s. Fifty-three candidates ran, but only Julius Hobson of the Statehood Party won enough votes to be elected. A runoff election was held on November 26. Marion Barry won a seat, and became its president.

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Another Perspective on Mirian Saez
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net 

Bob Summersgill presents sound reasons why the political mileage accruing to the mayor by nominating Mirian Saez to the School Board has been overestimated. I submit that the value of her past experience in public housing issues is also being underestimated. Many of DC kids' problems in school have their origins well outside the school system, and cannot be fixed inside the school system. Integrating all aspects of helping disadvantaged kids into a seamless web of support surely requires an extensive understanding of the quality of home life in public housing. If Ms. Saez can reinforce the importance of the home environment on school performance, her presence on the Board will be very valuable indeed.

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Mirian Saez’s Qualifications
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com 

Defenders of Mirian Saez's appointment to the Board of Education by Mayor Tony Williams seem to be determined to miss the point. The mayorally appointed positions on the Board of Education are not above politics or removed from politics; they are now simply tools for the mayor's political purposes — rewards for those who are loyal to him and who represent political constituencies that he wants to please. Mayor Williams set the standard for his appointments to the Board of Education. When he campaigned to replace elected with appointed positions, he said that he would appoint people with special expertise in education — not housing or other unrelated fields — who would not otherwise run for an elected public office. Ms. Saez does not have that expertise or background. Despite claims that are now being made for her, she was never previously a member of any board of education or school board; the closest thing to that on her resume is her membership for an unspecified period at an unstated date on a Guernsey, Ohio, County Board of Mental Retardation and Development Disabilities.

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Stop Yakking and Get Hacking
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com 

The debate about zones versus meters goes on and on. Let's put meters to the test. How about a pilot program involving 200 cabs with meter leased by the city and installed in cabs that are operated by cab drivers who wish to volunteer for this pilot program? Let the meters be used for three or four months with both the drivers and fares sending in their comments and criticisms via a form that the drivers give each person paying for the cab ride. After three or four months we should have some idea of the acceptability or non-acceptability of meters in DC cabs.

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A Reminder from the Spelling Czar
Lea Adams, newleasonlife@juno.com 

Dear Gary, I believe you made a mistake in your article about the top floor digs of Little Anthony & the Imperialists. The PH stands for 6th Phloor. Look it up. Under Bridge, Brooklyn. Yours true, Lea, the Czar (okay, Tsar . . . is that better?).

P.S. Happy Gnu Year to you, Dorothy, and all dcwatchers.

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Truth in Advertising
Kevin Palmer, kevin.m.palmer@verizon.net 

Recently I wrote that the WCTC (not the convention center or the “convention and visitors bureau”) is guilty of the same kind of schmaltzy marketing tactics that places like LL Bean and other uppity retailers have used to lure people into the belief that they have actually established business in Washington. In reality, this only serves to undermine the power of those words “in Washington” should mean just that: within the 67 square miles of this city.

I recognize that this has been a time-honored solution to the marketing problem that has occurred for the past 50 years, since the traditional boundaries of what constitutes American cities have shifted deeper and deeper into the suburbs, but the difference here is that we're a region with three jurisdictions. Marketers want to use the most recognizable name in their advertising. Before the mid-80s, who had even heard of Reston, besides its residents and Robert E. Simon? In most cities, they still share a commonality in the state they share at the end of their address. In Washington, we lack that camaraderie. There's no love lost between Maryland and Virginia, and certainly not between the District and either of its greedy neighbors.

Both respondents to my original post seem to miss the point. I'm not suggesting that the good folks in Maryland and Virginia are not part of our “best promotional target.” But living in the District, you begin to realize just what a slight it is to hear those words “Now in Washington.” Because more often than not, we know that that could mean Tysons Corner, Bethesda, Springfield, Reston, Woodbridge, or Manassas. Anywhere but the actual city of Washington. On the contrary, “now in Woodbridge” will never be a euphemism for something opening in Dupont Circle. So, again, why does this matter? Because it's particularly frustrating given that the region's core can't seem to attract retailers to provide such basic services as grocery stores without a full-on marketing/lobbying effort by citizens and/or hearty incentives.

Doubtless you would be offended if I said I'm opening a business in Herndon and then you came to find out it was actually going to be on Florida Avenue, NE. Most of the folks in the region seem to take pride in calling themselves “Washingtonians” but, by my calculations, only 11 percent of us really can.

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Least Represented?
Sam Farmer, Dupont Circle, farmer_sammy@yahoo.com 

Are we, District residents, the least represented people in America and/or any western democracy? We have thirteen Council members, five School Board members and a Mayor. We do have the ANC, excellent idea, but its my understanding that they merely pass on recommendations and their rulings are not binding. And of course, no representation in the national legislature. That makes it nineteen elected officials for 582,000 people. One for approximately every 30,600 people.

I know that Rhode Island has a House of Delegates of 75 (recently cut from 150) for about a million people. That works out to be roughly 1 for every 13,000 people. Plus they have two senators and one representative in Congress. Is this correct? Any of the more knowledgeable persons care to confirm/deny/cite a relevant report?

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DC Self-Government: TWO Aspects, Count ’Em
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso@capacces.org 

George LaRoche accuses me of claiming "there's no local self-government without representation in Congress." Actually I asserted exactly the opposite. There's “local self-government,” then there's “self-government,” which includes both (1) local self-government and (2) participation in governing the nation of which we are a part — i.e. representation in Congress. That's why I titled my posting “DC Self-Government: Two Aspects.” These 2 aspects are related but distinct; it's theoretically possible to have one without the other, but we must have both to have self-government. That's why I asked about San Juan's powers of local self-government. Even if San Juan has as much local self-government as, say, Albany, San Juan's status violates democratic principles because its residents — most of whom are American citizens — have no representation in Congress.

I agree with Mr. LaRoche that we should fight to have congressional representatives with the same power and authority as all other representatives. It would be absurd to claim that we have a meaningful right to vote in Congress now, or under any situation where our right to vote depends on the sufferance of Congress. Anyone who thinks I "assume that the District necessarily must remain a colony under Congress's thumb" has been reading someone else's postings under my name and not reading either my postings supporting DC statehood as the quickest route to full self-government or my criticisms of a "representation" amendment as doomed.

I do plead guilty to the charge of “incrementalism.” But this is a political philosophy that goes way beyond the issue of DC self-government. Some might call it “pragmatism,” or practical politics. Incidentally, the best example of incrementalism is Thurgood Marshall's strategy that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and gave us Brown v. Board of Education, a story compellingly told in Richard Kluger's classic book Simple Justice. We should have a national holiday honoring Marshall, who did more for civil rights in America than anyone else in the 20th century.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

TasteDC.com’s February 2002 Calendar of Wine and Food Events
Charlie Adler, wine@tastedc.com 

1) February 6, Wednesday, “The Components of Wine,” Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 2121 P St., NW. Valet parking, Metro Dupont Circle (Red Line), 7-7:30 p.m. reception, 7:30-9 p.m. wine tasting, $40 per person. This event is the perfect addition to wine knowledge gained from our very popular Wine Basics 101 tasting! Join Ann Berta, wine columnist for Washingtonian Magazine, as we show you how to recognize how grapes are affected by climate, soil, and geography; understand and taste the different wine varietals; develop wine preferences based on your palate; learn how wine professionals use their senses. We will taste 9 wines at this event. (Please note: NO prior wine knowledge is required, beginner's welcome) 2) February 7, Thursday, “Introduction to Italian Wines,” Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 7-7:30 p.m. reception, 7:30-9 p.m. wine tasting, $45 per person. Americans love Italy's dietary trinity of bread, olive oil and wine, but understanding their vino can be very confusing. Join Ann Berta, wine columnist of Washingtonian Magazine, as we share and taste a variety of regional wines that will enhance your understanding and your taste buds as well! 3) February 11, Monday, “4-Course Seafood and Beer Dinner at Annapolis Grill,” Annapolis Grill, 1160 20th Street, NW, 2 1/2 blocks from Farragut North Metro stop (Red Line), limited street parking available, 7-9:30 p.m. seated dinner, $55, tax and tip inclusive. TasteDC.com now has Beer Dinners! Join us at Annapolis Grill, a Maryland style seafood house and bar, as we pair a 4-course seafood menu with a variety of beers paired to each course. Billy Reilly, The Beverage Journal's “What's Up Washington” reporter and Washington DC's most prolific guy on the bar scene, is our speaker for this event. The menu: first course, 1/2 dozen freshly shucked Chesapeake Bay oysters; second course, Point Judith calamari sautéed with tomatoes, capers, and calamata olives; third course, pan seared local rockfish with clams over braised watercress and red bliss potatoes with casino butter, dessert course, key lime pie. More information on the beers soon. The Price is $55/person, tax and tip inclusive. Please note: this is a seated event. 4) February 12, Tuesday, “Cocktails 101: New and Trendy Cocktails,” Ozio Restaurant and Lounge, 1813 M Street, NW, Metros: Farragut North or Dupont Circle (Red Line), 7-9 p.m., $40 per person. All new mixed drinks! Cocktails are more than just alcoholic beverages — a really great cocktail can set the mood for an entire evening! Join us at Ozio as we taste and learn how to mix new flavor combinations. Light appetizers will also be served such as fried calamari, sesame chicken tenders, and baby eggplant pizza. You will also learn the basics of setting up your own home bar, secrets of the trade, and a whole lot more! Don't forget, each attendee gets a sample of all ten drinks included in the price of the event. 5) February 13, Wednesday, "Champagne et Chocolat at the French Embassy," sponsored by the Amicale Culinaire Assoc. of French Chefs. La Maison Francaise, Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road, NW, 7-9:30 p.m., $75, inclusive, limited street parking and paid parking across the street at the Georgetown U. Med School lot. If you love chocolate (and champagne) this event is for you! Five Amicale Culinaire chefs presenting special desserts. Celebrate with a variety of French champagnes — but of course! Two chocolate fondue buffet tables (dip various fresh fruits into the hot melting chocolate!), hard chocolates, truffles, and bonbons too! Breads, cheeses, and pates provided by Fresh Fields catering. Please Note: This is a standing/reception style event. 6) February 19, Tuesday, “8-Course Chinese New Year's Feast at Yanyu Restaurant,” Yanyu Restaurant, 3433 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Cleveland Park, Metro Cleveland Park (Red Line), intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Newark Street, across the street from the Uptown Theatre, 7-10:00 p.m., $95, tax and tip inclusive, $4 valet parking available. Join TasteDC.com as we celebrate the Year of the Horse in our 8-course Chinese feast! Executive Chef Jessie Yan will create this unique pan-Asian style meal to give you health and prosperity for the new year! Traditionally, the Chinese drink wine and brandy with their feast, and we will be pairing a multitude of wines and brandies with this meal. Yanyu Restaurant has won critical acclaim since its opening on May 6, 1999; Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema named it one of the few restaurants that he would go to at his own expense and calls it “habit forming.” $95/person includes meal, wine, brandy and tax and tip. Please Note: This is a seated event Yanyu Chinese New Year's feast menu: bundle of gold, “Lo Hei” colorful sashimi, asparagus with crab meat soup, big duck, Ha Ha shrimp, Yanyu crispy whole fish, longevity noodles, ginger creme brulee. Various wines and brandies are included with this meal. 7) February 20, Wednesday, “The Macallan Scotch and food pairing at Equinox Restaurant” Equinox Restaurant, 818 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 1 1/2 blocks from the Farragut West Metro stop (Red Line), limited street parking, 7-9:30 p.m., $50/person, tax and tip inclusive. Join Mark Izatt, The Macallan Brand Ambassador, as we taste a selection of 12- to 30-year-old Macallan Scotch Whiskies all paired with an assortment of five heavy hors d'oeuvres prepared by Todd Gray, the Executive Chef of Equinox Restaurant. The Macallan is one of the finest Scotch Whisky's in the world and is exclusively matured in selected sherry oak casks from Jerez, Spain. Whether you love Scotch or are interested in a new culinary experience, this event will explore new frontiers of taste! Todd Gray, the Executive Chef of Equinox, has been nominated as one of the best chefs in the Mid-Atlantic by James Beard Foundation and has been nationally featured in many publications including Esquire, Town & Country, Gourmet and Bon Appetit. More information on the menu soon! This event is $50/person, tax and tip inclusive. Please note: this is a seated event. 8) February 26, Tuesday, “4-Course Wine Dinner at Shelly's West End with J. Lohr Winery,¨ Shelly's West End, 21st and M Streets, NW, closest Metros Foggy Bottom (Blue/Orange Line) and Farragut North Metro stop (Red Line), limited street parking available, 7-9:30 p.m. seated dinner, $65, tax and tip inclusive. Join TasteDC.com as we explore a newly opened restaurant on the DC scene. Shelly's is run by the same people who own Shelly's Back Room on 13th and F Street with a slightly different twist — the West End restaurant will be more serious about food and has hired an executive chef. We are also fortunate to be showcasing J. Lohr Winery with their wines and co-owner Jerry Humphreys who will showcase these great wines with fine cuisine, more info. on their wines at http://www.jlohr.com. Please note: this is a seated event. 9) February 27, Tuesday, “Taking the Mystery Out of French Wines,” Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 7-7:30 p.m. reception, 7:30-9 p.m. wine tasting, $45 per person. Are you perplexed by French wines — confusing labels, unknown wine varietals and mysterious Chateaux? Don't let it happen any more! Join Ann Berta, wine columnist of Washingtonian Magazine, as we taste and learn the simple rules to understanding French wine. This event will show you that you don't need to be French or speak the language to enjoy the diversity of world-class wines from various regions of France. 10) February 28, Thursday, “Wine Basics 101,” Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 7-7:30 p.m. reception, 7:30-9 p.m. tasting, $40 per person. Washington, DC's most popular wine tasting: over 3,000 people have attended this event in our four-year history: Ann Berta, wine columnist for Washingtonian Magazine, will show you how to order wine in a restaurant, determine basic wine styles and varietals, pair wine and food and more! You will taste nine wines at this event. Reservations: http://www.tastedc.com or call 333-5588.

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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE

Movie Tickets
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso@capacces.org  

You can buy coupons for movie tickets for $5.25 per ticket plus 50 cents per order postage and handling, good for one year from date of purchase except for the first ten days of the run, by calling the Department of Agriculture at 720-ESRA. I think other federal agencies (e.g. the FCC) have the same deal, and you needn't have any connection to the federal government to buy these coupons.

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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING

Classified, Chevy Chase Jr. One-BR Condo for Rent. $750
Lonna Shafritz, lshafrit@aed.org 

Friend is renting condo in Chevy Chase, DC, on Connecticut Avenue. Bright and sunny junior one-bedroom on 6th floor. Full bath; walk-in closet; lots of shelf space; full kitchen with lots of cabinets, disposal, dishwasher, double oven. Laundry room on first floor. Bus at front door. Ten-minute walk to Friendship Heights Metro. Bus or walk to Van Ness Metro. Walking distance to shopping, banking, movies, post office, etc. Quiet building. 24-hr security desk. Available February 1. $750 includes gas, electricity, and central air/heat. Nonsmoker please. No pets. E-mail ChChDC@aol.com or call 407-297-6806.

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Conservationists: Live in Nature While You Work to Save It
Mary Vogel, maryvogel@yahoo.com 

Conservationists wanted to share 3BR, 2.5BA home only ten minutes to downtown DC. Huge bedroom with walk-in closet and balcony. Available February 1. Current lease is through June 2002 and new tenant is expected to sign a sublet agreement committing to the current lease on the house. Rent is $475 plus one-third utilities. Strongly prefer vegetarians as meat is not cooked in the house. Must be willing to compost vegetable wastes and to conserve, reuse and recycle resources and share housework and yard work, including English ivy removal. None of this is highly time consuming and you can do it on your own schedule, but we don't like to nag people who are not into it.

Best of both worlds: Heavily wooded backyard of big native shade trees, one block to large forested nature park with trails. Clean, safe neighborhood, with strong sense of community and environmental ethic, yet convenient to so much. Lovely .8 mile walk or bike ride from Metro (Orange Line, New Carrollton to Vienna); 20 minutes to Annapolis, 10 minutes to Beltsville, 30 minutes to Baltimore, 7 minute to Beltway; only 5 minutes to the National Arboretum or Aquatic Gardens. Finished basement, large screened porch, hardwood floors and beautiful woodwork throughout. Clothesline, storm windows, composter, water and shower filters, houseplants, native plants, and low-e light bulbs are resource-conserving amenities. CAC, DW, FP, W/D as well.

The community: in its quality and ambiance, Cheverly is like a little bit of Bethesda that floated south. It has mature street trees, forested backyards and four forested parks. Its hilly topography and forests blot out highway noise. It has a strong recycling program and otherwise shows some environmental consciousness. Check its web site at http://www.cheverly.com. I'm looking for folks who will take some interest in the community and help keep it great. I am active in AWS, Sierra Club, Maryland Native Plant Society and The Potomac Conservancy. I am also an environmental planner for the county. I would like you to be doing your part too. Call me (preferred) 301-772-9276 (H) or 301-883-5983 (W) or write maryvogel@yahoo.com. 

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CLASSIFIEDS — VOLUNTEERS

Literacy Tutors Needed
Sylvia W. Keene, mdalc@erols.com 

Experience one of the greatest rewards in life: giving your caring and time to another person. Metropolitan/Delta Adult Literacy council, a member organization of the DC LEARNs coalition of literacy groups, is seeking adult literacy tutors. A few hours of your time can be a huge help to an adult learning to read. Trainings for new tutors will take place on March 2 and 16, 2002. Please respond to Sylvia W. Keene, mdalc@erols.com. For more information, see http://www.metropolitandeltaadultliteracy.org/. 

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Chain Reaction Youth Bike Shop
Alexander Padro, padroanc2c@aol.com 

Come see for yourself the outstanding contribution to our city that has been made by the Chain Reaction Youth Bike Shop at 1701 6th Street, NW (corner of R Street, one block east of the Shaw/Howard Green Line Metro stop) in its first year, and to find out how you can help to continue that success. On Tuesday, January 22, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 p.m., Chain Reaction (part of the Shaw EcoVillage Project) will hold an open house to expand awareness of this unique recycle-a-bicycle and bicycle mechanic skills program that offers repairs and recycled bicycles for sale, as well as bicycle racing activities, job training, education on alternative transportation, and jobs for youth.

Highlights of the program since it opened on May 5, 2001, include: 100 youth became members and 20 students earned a free bicycle; 80 youth participated in rides to Roosevelt Island, Rock Creek Park, the National Mall, and Fort Dupont; 150 residents attended the First Annual Bike Rodeo; 10 youth joined Urban Racers, the junior racing team; three youth mechanics are employed at the Youth Bike Shop and have completed 400 bicycle repairs and recycled 50 bicycles. Volunteers are needed to help in a variety of capacities. Come to the open house and find out more, or contact program director Andy Fasig at 265-0179. For more information on the Shaw EcoVillage Project, visit www.shawecovillage.com. 

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CLASSIFIEDS — TRANSPORTATION

New Flying Club
Bill Adler, billonline@adlerbooks.com 

Are there any Washington, DC-area pilots who read themail? If so, I thought I'd let you know that there's a new, local flying club based at Maryland Airport (2W5). Club members share a 2001 Cessna 172SP, fully loaded with all the latest avionics, including a 2-axis autopilot coupled to the GPS. I've just joined. If you're interested, there's more information at http://www.lrn2fly.com. Or you can call ATC at 301-248-1480. The club and plane will move back to Potomac Airfield (VKX) when Potomac reopens, which will be very soon.

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