George Washington Said Sleep Here
Dear Reside
nts:
This informative issue of themail ranges all the way from George
Washington's reasons for setting the first residency requirement for DC
officials, to the Office of Planning latest pretense that residents'
opinions count in the planning process, to why suburban church members
can park wherever they want in our neighborhoods, to how to get your
AIDS keychain. What you won't find here is responses to the question of
which Councilmembers are responsive to your requests for help, and which
aren't. This issue is simply too long; I'll try to devote most of
Sunday's issue to that topic, so you still have time to respond to that
question.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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A DC General Land Grab?
Jim Myers, Capitol East, hilleast@aol.com
Many of us who live near the old DC General Hospital read Marc
Fisher's Saturday 2/9 column in the Post [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48676-2002Feb8.html]
about grand Olympic plans for the DC General site with interest and
surprise. We have recently been involved in (or suckered into) a
time-consuming process that is supposed to produce a “master
plan” for the future use of that very site. This alleged planning
process appears to be an expensive undertaking, involving the hiring of
fancy consultants and facilitators to help us get in touch with our true
feelings about life in 21st century DC.
We have also repeatedly been told in meetings on this Master Plan
that NO specific uses for the site, called Reservation 13, have been
predetermined. Henceforth, we should participate in the many hours of
planning sessions with the understanding that our participation will be
worthwhile. So far in the process, we've not seen or heard any public
mention of the Olympic designs that Mr. Fisher described. None. We've
been told by the Office of Planning that no proposals from the private
sector were being entertained at this time. Some proposals, we've heard,
have actually be turned away. In fact, what's suddenly upset many in the
neighborhood that borders on Reservation 13 — and this includes our
representatives on the so-called steering committee for the planning
process — is that backroom-type deals for the site now appear to be
coming to light.
It seems, for example, that prime chunks of the land for which there
had allegedly been no predetermined use have actually been handed over
in undisclosed commitments to at least one private agency that covets
the land. Some of these agencies may be worthy enterprises. So why not
be open about it? But if huge sections of the land have already been
spoken for, what is this costly and time-consuming master plan process
all about? In two recent meetings our community was told that no
specific uses for the land were yet on the table. Yet we discovered late
last week that the prime 4 1/2 acres closest to the Stadium-Armory metro
stop had been committed to St. Coletta of Greater Washington for a
facility dedicated to children and adults with mental retardation,
autism and/or multiple disabilities. When this happened or where we do
not know.
St. Coletta's also has a $1 million earmark in the 2002 DC
appropriations bill for “expansion” so that, according to the
earmark, “St. Coletta will be able to serve approximately 285
students and 110 adults, a 170 percent increase in its current
caseload.” Must St. Coletta's get the land closest to the Metro
stop? Indications are that's the deal (made by persons so far unnamed).
At the same time, we don't mean to say that St. Coletta's is an unworthy
applicant. From the neighborhood perspective, St. Coletta's would be
far, far better than some ideas we've heard — like the proposal to turn
Reservation 13 into a quarantine area for dying victims of a
bioterrorism attack. No, we in the neighborhood would prefer not to have
a death camp next door. But, for a change, we would also like to be
freed from DC government doublespeak that says no decisions have been
made when clearly they already have. We hope someone will investigate
these shenanigans before the dissection of Reservation 13 turns into a
down-and-dirty land grab disguised as an open and public process.
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PEPCO/DPW Contract
Sally MacDonald, Sn3macd@aol.com
Victory for the public — no more weekend walking in the dark! This
is to inform you that PEPCO has announced (at an ANC3C meeting with a
DPW representative present) that it has a new arrangement with the city
and DPW. PEPCO will now work on weekends to repair streetlight circuit
outages -- something they did not do in the past. When streetlight
circuits went out, leaving blocks of residents in the dark, PEPCO and
DPW officials went home on weekends, leaving residents still in the dark
for those days.
PEPCO said that this was a direct result of the recent outage in
Woodley Park. As this was only one of numerous outages recently and over
the years, it seems the publicity over the Woodley Park case did help
make things better for everyone!
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Restore Due Process — Speed Cameras Must Go
Ron Eberhardt, RGE1022@aol.com
Councilmember Jack Evans is right. Speed cameras must go. The Council
Chair is dead wrong in saying that the only thing wrong with the system
is how much money the contractor is making on the deal. Cameras for
speed enforcement are a violation of the Constitution, specifically due
process. I know this because proof came in the mail this week in the
form of a Notice of Infraction. I am going to appeal the ticket based
upon the fact that the camera information that supposedly records the
violation is completely out of sync with the violation information. For
example: there is no direction of travel. It states my vehicle speed was
55 mph, while the violation information indicates I was traveling 39
mpg. The date on the photo is 04/09/00, a date I believe is prior to the
existence of speed cameras in DC, while the summary says the violation
occurred on January 26, 2002.
More then factual errors — leading to my belief that the ticket is
invalid — are other problems. If I was traveling 39 mph (and under no
circumstances would I ever travel at 55 mph on M Street, SW) then I
think that is a reasonable and safe speed. It was presumably almost 5
p.m. on a Saturday afternoon, traveling on a six lane divided roadway.
Nobody, including the contractors who benefit from this sham and the
police, travels at 25 mpg on M Street, SW, unless traffic or weather
circumstances warrant it. And no cop is going to stop a motorist for
such a minor infraction when taking into account that the posted speed
limit is totally bogus and unsupported by road surface, etc. That said,
it is infinitely easier for a cop to sit in his car, being paid overtime
by the contractor for whom he works, shooting photos and mailing these
absurd infractions to citizens.
All over DC there is an inconsistency and lack of engineering and
safety consideration in posted speed limits. Frankly, I think it has
everything to do with setting the stage for a “gotchya” big-brother
apparatus like the one the DC Council has thrust upon us. DC Citizens
ought to make known to the council and the mayor, both of whom
authorized this illegal, intrusive violation of basic constitutional
rights, our great disfavor. We should hold them accountable for this
fiasco. They ought to consider righting it before the next election. The
worst part of this sham is that it is nothing less then a fee-generating
scam. Those of you old enough remember traveling through small towns and
incurring “speed traps” set by the local sheriff for the same reason
DC does it today, to fatten the town's coffers. This has nothing to do
with traffic safety. Given its propensity to pounce on so many other
such violations of government excess, where is the ACLU on this matter?
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I noticed that for awhile now that there has been a fenced-in area
for parking of heavy construction equipment under the Whitehurst Freeway
overpass near Rock Creek and Virginia Avenue. This area was cleared out
of construction equipment when the overpass was finished years ago but
is now back. Does anyone know what the equipment is there for? Possibly
from construction at the Kennedy Center?
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Problems at Reagan National Airport
Ron Eberhardt, RGE1022@aol.com
I am a consultant. Unfortunately for me, that means I travel a great
deal. In today's world travel, particularly air travel, is not fun.
Frankly, it was not fun prior to September 11, and it is even less now.
Washington area residents read daily about the devastation that 9/11
caused businesses and the airline industry, more so at Reagan National
then perhaps any other location. On Monday, February 4, I had a flight
out of Reagan on American Air Lines. Though I could have eaten
elsewhere. I specifically planned on eating lunch at the airport and
allowed one hour prior to the time necessary to clear security to do so.
I selected TGI Fridays on the Main Concourse. It was about 1:30 p.m. I
encountered horrible service that was delayed so long that I wasted my
entire hour waiting for a cheeseburger to arrive despite repeated
efforts to work with the server to get my food delivered. After three
demands to see the manager she arrived about the same time my cold
hamburger did. I informed her I would not pay and that they had wasted
my time. Now my question is this: how can any establishment at National
not go out of its way to properly service customers as it struggles to
make ends meet because 60 percent fewer potential customers are on the
concourse daily? Needless to say I will never plan on returning there.
The second unnecessary problem for travelers is the situation I
encountered at 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday night on my return. Scores of
people were on line waiting for never-appearing taxicabs. The dispatcher
was a foreign national who could hardly speak English. Given his
background, I am sure that he saw nothing wrong with more then a hundred
people waiting for taxis after enduring all of the hassles of flying
today. Meanwhile the garage had more then ample taxis in queue to serve
those passengers. I know that because I asked the dispatcher and finally
the driver that picked me up. According to the dispatcher there were
fifty or more taxis in the garage. The driver, who had just left the
garage, said it was more like 100-150 cabs on hand. This was simply an
inability to bring the taxis forward. When I departed, passengers were
understandably fuming at the unnecessary wait. Therefore, my message to
Mayor Williams and the Airports Authority that manages Reagan National
is this: stop encouraging customers to patronize Reagan National and its
related business and complaining about the lack of business until such
time that the airport and those business are ready to properly serve the
flying public. It is a disgrace that the Nation's Capital is served so
shoddily by this otherwise beautiful and convenient airport.
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DC License Plates — We Had BH; Now BK? Where’s BI and BJ?
Renee Schwager, Dupont Circle, renee508@yahoo.com
I must confess a serious obsession. For a very long time now, my
friends and I have been paying probably too close attention to
numbering/lettering of DC license plates. For those uninitiated, we used
to have six digits (XXX XXX) on our plates. I used to watch the numbers
go from the 2XX XXX series to the 3's, etc., wondering what would happen
when we got to 999 999. Well, we went to 2 letters and 4 numbers. So I
have been watching since the AA days through to the AZs (which is when
“Taxation without Representation” made its first appearance). OK, so
we skipped AP, and I worried. When the AQs appeared right after the AOs,
I thought DMV might have forgotten their ABCs. However, thankfully, that
was not the case. Instead, I learned AP was reserved for something
called ÅApportioned Vehicles,” trucks or something.
OK, so here's my latest problem. We went from BH right to BK. Does
anyone know what the problem with BI and BJ is? (In the latter instance
are we being somewhat prudish?) By the way, watching the letters turn
has also been an interesting exercise in watching the effects of the
economy on car sales/license plate changes. The letters were changing
very quickly up to about a year ago. And have you noticed that sometime
around the BHs, we went from raised-lettering to flat? If you do a lot
of walking (or driving for that matter) in the city, you might want to
try focusing on the license plates. It's really kinda cool. And you can
make it a contest (like we have) to see who sees the BL first!
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I've lived in Washington for almost seven years now in many different
locations. I now live near Logan Circle close to downtown on
Massachusetts Avenue. I know a lot of people complain about noise,
usually pertaining to public drunkenness, car stereos, etc. My issue is
sirens. I do live near a fire station, as many of us urban dwellers do,
and have come to expect the roar of the Fire Engine siren but of late it
seems that there is always a siren going off. It seems since the
terrorist attacks the sirens have become very commonplace and obtrusive,
and not just fire engine sirens, but police and ambulance sirens as
well. It may be for a very good reasons, but I've heard the sirens
activated to move a drunk guy off the street, hardly an emergency. I
often have to interrupt a phone conversations because of them (I work at
home) and I don't even think of ever sleeping with my windows open. I
find myself wishing the sirens sounded like they do in Europe. I do
think they are more pleasant sounding and not quite as loud. It could be
that I am in a really bad location and perhaps I should move to another
part of the city. It could be that I have just really started obsessing
on them, or maybe they are more prevalent and obnoxious. What do you
think? Maybe we could start a movement for a more pleasant sound, like
the European sirens?
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Dear Councilmember Patterson, I was told on Friday that the procedure
for the residents (in Precinct 7) to use to exchange their Ward 2
Stickers for Ward 3 stickers is that we will have to scrape off the Ward
2 stickers from our cars, take the stickers downtown to the DMV with a
copy of our insurance papers, and we will be given new Ward 3 stickers.
This seems to be a very cumbersome process, especially for those of us
who do not want to spend a half day just to get a sticker that the DMV
could automatically send to us via mail. I would like to suggest that
someone from the DMV come to the FCCA meetings with stickers on April
17, May 15, and June 19. The residents here could bring the Ward 2
stickers that we scraped off our cars to the meeting and exchange them
for new Ward 3 stickers.
We could advertise this in the FCCA Newsletter, which is distributed
to just about every home in our area (which is the complete area that
changed from Ward 2 to Ward 3). I think that the Georgetown Current
(which is distributed to every home in precinct 7) would also be willing
to include an article to inform our residents of this procedure. Giving
us the ability to exchange our stickers in our neighborhood would be
greatly appreciated and save many of us the aggravation of having to go
to the DMV. Please let me know what you think of this idea.
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Want to know why cops won't ticket suburban churchgoers? Pay
attention during the next mayoral race. One of the biggest and most
highly sought-after is held by the Washington Interfaith Network, a
group of churches and congregations throughout the District and from the
inner suburbs. I attended the rally in 1998 as a reporter, when former
Chief Financial Officer Tony Williams and Councilmen Jack Evans, Harold
Brazil, and Kevin Chavous were invited to attend.
During the rally, which of course was held in a church,
representatives from each of the dozens of churches stood up and
announced to the gathering — and more specifically, to the candidates
— how many thousands of dollars they had raised which would be donated
to the candidates that best met the group's needs. And they raised as a
group hundreds of thousands of dollars. Do you honestly think any mayor
or council member will allow the police department to ticket churchgoers
that could threaten that sort of revenue stream at election time?
And not to put too fine a point on it, but in the '98 election Tony
Williams was anointed by the group as their chosen one, and the morning
of his inauguration he attended the traditional prayer breakfast
sponsored by . . . can you guess yet? Several months later, the church
group called the mayor before them to grade his progress in meeting
their agenda. Good luck finding parking Sunday mornings.
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As with most situations, the problem with church parishioners parking
illegally will not end until someone is hurt or killed. The police will
not help for fear of backlash from the churches. The parishioners, for
some strange reason, feel they are not violating any laws. Perhaps
approaching the church officials and kindly expressing your concerns
will help. Focusing on the safety issue will get their attention more
than the inconvenience angle. I'm sure the church or the parishioners do
not want the bad attention they would receive if their negligence caused
someone's death.
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Except for extreme inconvenience to residents, I think it is
wonderful that parking rules can be relaxed for Sunday church
attendance. But, alas, I feel the church one attends might make a
difference to parking enforcement personnel. Do you know anyone who has
ever been excused for illegal parking near St. Matthews on Rhode Island
Avenue at any time Sunday? I fear that it is okay for authorities to
stretch the parking rules to allow parking near some churches, but not
near all churches. Interesting. In summary, I think that DC officials
and residents should all be as flexible as possible regarding parking
near all churches on Sundays; and that residents who get boxed in should
take with church officials to find some satisfactory compromise.
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Bypass the IG
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Hey, let's face it. The Inspector General is not really conducting
the investigation into the case which involves Mayor Williams' theft and
misuse of city funds for his own campaign use. The IG, like most of the
bloated DC bureaucracy, has a big staff with one or more deputies. It is
one of these deputies that is really conducting the ongoing (at a
glacier-like pace) investigation. Appoint that deputy as Acting IG and
charge that person with the task of completing the investigation in a
finite time before the election. Then dump Maddox into Price Georges
County, where he hangs his hat.
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Generally speaking, the District is in big trouble because many of
the Mayor's executive staff are not connected to the City, its
residents, nor the employees — they really do not have a stake in
making the City and life better for those of us who LIVE, work and play
here. The Mayor would be wise to ensure that his executives abide by all
laws, statutes and regulations of this City, including the residency
requirements. It almost seems as if the Mayor has given the residency
violators his tacit approval for their violation. (What is the depth of
Mayor Williams' stake in DC?)
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Against Residency Requirements
Nicholas Cobbs, ncobbs@erols.com
Although I think Maddox should be fired in light of his many suspect
misrepresentations, I also think it's high time that the Council got rid
of the DC residency requirement. Many competent managers and civil
servants don't want to live in DC, either because they already live in
the suburbs or because they don't want to subject their families to DC's
high prices, high taxes, and poor schools. By requiring residency, the
Council limits the pool of people eligible for DC jobs and encourages
the city's ingrown and substandard bureaucracy to perpetuate its bad
habits.
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Has the Mayor Purchased a Home?
Ted Gest, tgest@sas.upenn.edu
Regarding your ruminations on residency, has Mayor Williams bought
property in the District? A Washington Post article on Dec. 19, 1999,
quoted him as saying that he hadn't got around to it in his first year
in office, when he was renting an apartment in Foggy Bottom. Of course,
we've had a debate since on an official mayoral residency, but can any
of our list members tell us of the mayor's own real estate status?
[Early this week, Mayor Williams appeared in a taped segment on
Channel 9 news saying that he and his wife still had not found a
satisfactory house, but were still looking for a shell to gut and
renovate. He said they were open to living in any section of the city.
Real estate agents with lots of free time, take note. — Gary Imhoff]
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George Washington Set Early Precedent on DC Residency Rule
Mark David Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
George Washington set a residency requirement for the second set of
three commissioners appointed to oversee the laying out of the new
Federal City and construction of the first government buildings. They
were from the surrounding area in Maryland and Virginia. This appears to
be the beginning of the DC residency squabble that continues in one form
or another today. At that time, the availability of adequate housing was
the main issue. In addition, residents on the Georgetown side of the
Territory of Columbia were in competition with and distrustful of
residents living on the Carrollsburg side — the Commissioners were not
helping matters by living toward Georgetown. Washington established a
particularly strict residency rule, in part to counter negative public
opinion. He informed them in no uncertain terms that they should live in
the Federal City — not in other parts of DC. On 22d May 1796, from
Philadelphia, Washington wrote: “Gentlemen, . . . The year 1800 is
approaching by hasty strides. The friends of the City are extremely
anxious to see the public works keep equal pace wherewith. They are
anxious too on another account — namely — that the Commissioners
should reside in the City where the theatre of the business lies. — this was, and is, my opinion.
— it is the principle, and was declared
to be so at the time; upon which the present establishment of the
Commissioners was formed; — that, by being on the spot, and giving
close attention to the operations, they might prevent abuses, or
overcome them in embryo. — It is said, if this had been the case, those
defective walls, which to put up, & pull down, have cost the public
much time, labour & expense, would never have been a subject of
reproach. — For these, and other reasons which might be added, it is my
decided opinion & expectation that the Commissioners do reside in
the City. — And the nearer they are to the public Works, the better
& more desirable it will be. — I wish this; as well on their own
account, as on that of the public; because they would have it so much
more in their power to scrutinize all the movements of men &
measures which are under their controul, than it is possible to do at
the distance of two or three miles by periodical or occasional visits.
— Being on the spot & seeing everything that occurs, they would be
better enabled to systematize the business & have it conducted with
greater economy; and finally would insure to themselves those honors
& consolations which flow from the punctual discharge of public
trust.”
Apparently, the Commissioners had the impression they could reside in
either Washington City or Georgetown, a separate town. Washington took
the position that the convenience of the appointed officials was not his
primary consideration. He clarified his position in a letter to
Commissioner Gustavus Scott, a Baltimore lawyer, on 25th. May 1896: “I do not precisely know what the late Secretary of State may have
written with respect to the alternative allowed the Commrs. to reside in
the City or George Town But it is a fact known to every one who ever
heard me express a sentiment on the subject, that it has been decidedly
in favor of the former; and that nothing but necessity, arising from the
want of accommodation, could justify the latter.” In fact,
Washington thought the Commissioners should live between the
construction sites of the Capitol Building and the White House so they
could key a good eye on progress. To William Deakins, who had
recommended Scott for Commissioner, Washington wrote on 6th. June 1796:
“Dear Sir: Your letter of the 27th. Ult. has been duly received. — Before I knew, or had heard of any movement in the Federal City, among
the Proprietors thereof, I had, in answering some dispatches from the
Commissioners, given it to them as my clear and decided opinion, that
those who were entrusted with the Affairs of the City ought to be
residents thereof. It has always been my opinion. — It was the
principle upon which the New establishment, and compensation took place;
and what I have always expected would happen, as soon as accommodations
could be provided. — To assign all the reasons for this opinion, which
have weight in my mind, would run me into prolixity, unnecessarily, as
few of them can have escap'd a reflecting man.” Scott eventually
moved to a house he was building between Florida Avenue and Rock Creek
near P Street, just outside the City boundaries, and William Thornton
moved from Georgetown to 1331 F Street, NW, where he lived until his
death on March 28, 1828. Alexander White, who succeeded Daniel Carroll
as Commissioner, was from Rappahannock County and Culpepper, VA — I'm
not certain if he ever moved to the City.
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In [Wednesday's] issue of themail, Sally Berk said it was too bad
that I didn't attend last Friday's HPRB hearing. In fact, I did attend
that hearing and was sitting directly behind Ms. Berk. I also stood up
and gave my written testimony to the Chairman of the Board. I had
intended to testify about the community's desires with regard to the
Tenleytown Firehouse but was unable to do so because the Chairman had
said that the board was not interested in any testimony except that
which dealt with whether or not the Tenley Firehouse had historic merit
as a building.
My intention was to explain that in a community survey, 159 out of
167 responders said that they wanted a brand new firehouse rather than
renovating the old firehouse. I agree with Ms. Berk that public safety
and preservation are not mutually exclusive. That is not the issue with
the Tenleytown Firehouse. The issue is that this particular firehouse,
because of the width of its doors and position on the lot would be much
more costly to renovate than to demolish and start from scratch. The
community, based on the survey results, would rather have a new
state-of-the-art building than a revised less than ideal older building
that would end up costing more than the new building. Most of the
community is concerned with fiscal reality and public safety and is not
especially enamored with the old building.
Having said that, Chief Few and the Tenleytown Historical Society,
with ANC3E approval, had arrived at a compromise that retained some of
the old structure. (It was not ideal in my opinion and that of most of
the community, but if Chief Few was happy with it, he's the Fire Chief
and I respect his decision.) Part of the agreement was that the original
building would not be given historic status. Sally Berk's testimony and
the Board's decision ignored that agreement. This was upsetting to Chief
Few who asked at the hearing that they please tell him what part of his
agreement with the Tenleytown Historical Society did not respect the
historic value of the old building. I felt that the HPRB was not at all
interested in either Chief Few's or the community's wishes.
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Marching Under the District Flag
Leila Afzal, Leila.Afzal@noaa.gov
Watching the very moving opening ceremonies of the Olympics, I was
surprised to see several “colonies” marching under their own
flags: Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands. It struck me that we
in DC could gain the most international awareness of our plight as a
taxed but unrepresented population by petitioning to march in the next
Olympics under our own flag. Why not? If Puerto Rico is eligible, I am
sure we must be, too. The only hitch is finding the athletes to compete.
However, if a 14-year-old boy can snow plow down the hill on behalf of
his country, I'm sure we can field just as capable a team.
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Incrementalism or Gradualism
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
In DC politics, there is periodically discussion about the advantages
or disadvantages of incrementalism, or gradualism, in the effort to
achieve political equality. From the context of DC social change
history, DC historian Constance McLaughlin Green described the concept
as the “half loaf.” DC has taken a lot of half loaf deals over
the years, for better and for worse. The right to vote for President was
such a “half loaf” deal. I expect some incremental steps (such
as passing a DC voting rights amendment for voting rights in the House
of Representatives only) could interfere with or make it very difficult
for DC to achieve full political equality. But other efforts, though not
permanent or all encompassing solutions, could serve DC along the way
(for example, legislation to grant DC budgetary autonomy). The Civil
Rights movement developed an elaborate, coordinated — and sometimes
raucous — strategy to chip away at that oppressive situation -- lots of
actors, lots of players, lots of lawsuits. You name it, they did it with
energy and passion. Yet, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., warned against
gradualism in his Great March on Detroit speech on June 23, 1963: “Then there is another cry. They say, 'Why don't you do it in a
gradual manner?' Well, gradualism is little more than escapism and do-nothingism,
which ends up in stand-stillism. We know that our brothers and sisters
in Africa and Asia are moving with jet-like speed toward the goal of
political independence. And in some communities we are still moving at
horse-and-buggy pace toward the gaining of a hamburger and a cup of
coffee at a lunch counter. And so we must say, now is the time to make
real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to transform this
pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the
time to lift our nation. Now is the time to lift our nation from the
quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of racial justice. Now
is the time to get rid of segregation and discrimination. Now is the
time. (Now. Now.)” [From “A Call to Conscience: The Landmark
Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” at http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/speeches/pub/Speech_at_the_great_march_on_detroit.html.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Reservation 13 (DC General/DC Jail) Upcoming Planning Meetings
Karina Ricks, Office of Planning, Karina.Ricks@dc.gov
Below is the complete schedule of meetings and workshops to complete
a Draft Master Plan for Public Reservation 13 (DC General and DC Jail
Campus). Please distribute to your neighbors, readers, and constituents.
Wednesday, January 23rd, 6:30 p.m., at DC Armory, was the
introduction of the planning process and partners and general questions
and concerns. Wednesday, February 20th, 6:30 p.m., at DC Armory,
baseline information on the site, planning guidelines, constraints and
opportunities. Friday-Sunday, March 1st - 3rd, Eastern Senior High
School, intensive hands-on planning workshop to develop Draft Master
Plan. (March 1st, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., site tours; 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.,
site history discussion. March 2nd, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., full day
hands-on workshop. March 3rd, 2 p.m.-4 p.m., rough draft Master Plan
presentation.) Wednesday, March 20th, 6:30 p.m. at DC Armory, final
public presentation of Draft Master Plan before presentation to DC
Council.
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African Development Specialist Speaks at Wilson Center
Jennifer Klein, kleinjk@wwic.si.edu
The Women's Learning Partnership and the Woodrow Wilson International
Center for Scholars collaboratively present “Beyond the Magic
Bullet: African Women and Their Long and Complex Quest for Gender
Justice,” featuring Zenebeworke Tadesse, founder, Association of
African Women for Research and Development and Board Member, Women’s
Learning Partnership. Tuesday, February 19, 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., Ronald
Reagan Building, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW,
fifth floor conference room (“Federal Triangle” stop on
Blue/Orange Line). You must present identification in order to enter the
Ronald Reagan Building as well as the Wilson Center. A map to the Center
is available at http://wwics.si.edu/FORTHCOM/septcal.htm#rrbmap.
Ms. Tadesse, a leading scholar and activist, is a development
specialist from Ethiopia. She is a founding member of the Association of
African Women for Research and Development. She is former deputy
director of the Council for the Development of Social Sciences in
Africa, and serves as a member and editor of the Management Committee of
the Forum for Social Studies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is also a
member of the Board of the African Gender Institute located at the
University of Cape Town, South Africa, and is presently a visiting
lecturer at the University. Ms. Tadesse has worked extensively on issues
of gender and social policy with several United Nations agencies as well
as with development groups and non-governmental organizations throughout
Africa. Seating is limited. Please RSVP by E-mail to Jennifer Klein at
kleinjk@wwic.si.edu.
###############
Ten Tax Return Mistakes That Can Cost Entrepreneurs and Consultants
Big Bucks
Barbara Conn, bconn@cpcug.org
Is your business paying more in taxes than required by law? Do you
have the basic accounting knowledge needed to supervise the work of your
accountant? Do you stay current on tax law changes? Because tax return
deadlines for corporations and individuals are approaching, the focus of
this presentation will be on income tax compliance and preparation
rather than on tax planning and consulting issues.
The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session,
so gather your questions and join us at the Saturday, February 16, 1:00
p.m., meeting of the Capital PC User Group (CPCUG) Entrepreneurs and
Consultants Special Interest Group (SIG). Meetings are free and are held
the third Saturday of most months at the Cleveland Park Library at 3310
Connecticut Avenue, NW, just a block south of the Cleveland Park
Metrorail station and half a block south of the Cineplex Odeon Uptown
movie theater. For more information about the presentation, the speaker,
and CPCUG, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, and to
register for the meeting, visit http://www.cpcug.org/user/entrepreneur/202meet.html.
###############
Reminder: New Networking Opportunity This Friday
Kathy Sinzinger, The Common Denominator, newsdc@aol.com
Join us for a new monthly networking opportunity, starting this
Friday! The Common Denominator announces its new monthly after-work
series of conversations with newsmakers will kick off on Friday,
February 15, with City Councilman Adrian Fenty of Ward 4 as our featured
guest. Join us from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on February 15 at Ellis
Island Restaurant & Pub, 3908 12th Street, NE, in Brookland, for a
lively discussion of local public affairs and an evening of networking.
Our host for the evening will be restaurateur Hugh Kelly, whose Ellis
Island Restaurant is located just off Michigan Avenue, NE, and within
walking distance of the Brookland/Catholic University Metro stop on the
red line (exit on the side with buses). Free parking is available on and
off the street. Cash bar. No reservations required to attend this event.
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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED
Fundraiser and Proposal Writer
Norma Melendez, namidc@aol.com
NAMI DC, the local affiliate of the National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill, is in need of a part-time fundraiser/proposal writer. NAMI
DC is a nonprofit organization that provides support, education, and
advocacy for mental health consumers and their families. Send resume and
one writing sample by mail to NAMI DC, 422 8th Street, SE 20003; by fax
to 546-6817; or by E-mail to namidc@aol.com.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — FREE
Get Your Free AIDS Accessories
Wayne Turner, Actupdc@aol.com
The DC HIV/AIDS Administration distributes free AIDS water bottles,
key chains, tote bags, hair clips, and beer openers! Call HAA at
727-2500 and accessorize today.
For AIDS housing, case management, dental services, substance abuse
treatment, and emergency financial assistance, waiting lists are also
available.
###############
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