Snow Jobs
Dear Snowbound:
I'll push the boundaries of the Fair Use exception to copyright
because Colbert King said it exactly right in his column yesterday, and
everyone should reread and take to heart the last few paragraphs
(“Porgy, Bess and the PTA,” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10599-2003Feb14.html):
“Even with Marion Barry off the scene, the District, under Tony
Williams, remains an insiders' game in which things move and shake
according to the dictates of a nest of operators with interlocking
relationships. That helps explain how Hemphill could manage to be
executive director of the Democratic committee, a top assistant to the
ousted teachers union president, Barbara Bullock, and cochairman of the
mayor's reelection committee, while her husband is a top Williams
administration appointee and her son-in-law holds a well-paying DC
government job. It sheds light on how Hemphill's friend Moody became
Democratic State Committee treasurer even as she held the nonpartisan
post of PTA president.
“To appreciate the District in 2003, it's also helpful to
understand that the official city hall attitude toward potential
conflicts of interest and the misuse of authority is, at best, cavalier.
The whole stinking mess cries out for cleansing by an army of civic
reformers who can no longer stomach the grade-B characters with big
titles who have wrapped their tentacles around the District's
governmental, civic and political institutions. It's time to take back
our city. Reformers don't have to be saints, for goodness' sake. Just
let them be the kind of folks who are too decent to rip off teachers'
dues or too bothered by conscience and a sense of right and wrong to
misspend money from a fund set aside for poor kids who need shoes. Is
that asking too much?”
And now the snow. The mayoralty is a job with residential
requirements. Two weeks ago, Mayor Williams cut short a visit to Boston
to fly back to DC because of heavy snows. Today, he cut short a trip to
Puerto Rico to fly back to DC because of heavy snows. The Mayor knows
enough not to stay out of the city when heavy snows are predicted -- he
has been told often enough about what happened when Mayor Barry stayed
at the Superbowl as we stayed snowbound in our houses. But he doesn't
know enough to stay in the city more than a bare majority of the time.
Tonight, on Channel 9, he was asked why he left for a trip to a sunny,
warm climate on Friday when a record-breaking snow had been forecast
since last Tuesday — and his answer was to deny that he was aware of
the forecast. Oh, come on; does the Mayor really want us to think he's
that far out of things? Better to admit that, like me at least, he'd
rather be on a beach than caught in a record snowstorm.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Government in the Shadows
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com
Annys Shin's article on Terry Golden in the current issue of The
Washington City Paper (“Think Mogully, Act Locally,” http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/cover/cover.html),
is a useful guide to how city government really works. Golden is the
current chairman of the Federal City Council, the secretive club of
wealthy and influential businessmen who manipulate the government to
advance their private interests and personal agendas. The joke, of
course, is that they demand to be credited for their “public spirit”
and “civic leadership” at the same time as they milk the public
coffers for their private projects and profits. Golden, when he was CEO
of Host Marriott, bulled the ridiculously expensive new Convention
Center, the pet project of the hotel industry, through the City Council,
and saddled the taxpayers with the bill using phony underestimates of
building costs. Although Shin doesn't write about it, when Mayor
Williams wanted to eliminate a democratically elected School Board in
2000, it was Golden who stepped forward to collect campaign funds to
promote the plan, and Golden who illegally steered contributions for the
school charter amendment campaign to DC Agenda, a nonprofit creation of
the Federal City Council, in order to allow contributors to make larger
contributions than they could legally make to a political campaign and
to get tax deductions in the process.
Shin does reveal for the first time Golden's role in St. Coletta's
School's successful land grab at Reservation 13, and how Golden worked
out the deal in secret with Deputy Mayor Eric Price and Director of
Planning Andrew Altman before those officials went through the pretense
of having “public input” on the plans for these lands. And she
details Golden's role in drafting and promoting Mayor Williams's
disastrous plan to dismantle DC General Hospital and to rely on Doctors
Community Healthcare Corporation, and now to sacrifice hospital
emergency care throughout the city to benefit Greater Southeast
Hospital.
Let's call this for what it is: government corruption. It isn't just
corruption when government officials line their own pockets or get
expensive gifts. As far as anyone knows, Mayor Williams doesn't get any
kickbacks from his deals with Terry Golden. But Mayor Barry and
Chicago's Mayor Daley and Detroit's Coleman Young didn't get rich from
the corruption in their administrations, either. In a democracy, it is
corrupt when deals are made in secret and without public knowledge with
a few influential individuals, when the citizens and the residents are
shut out of the rooms in which those deals are made, and when citizens
aren't arrogantly denied a voice in how those deals are made. Shin puts
a face on corruption.
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I live on the unit block of R Street, NE. I am one of the citizens
that the city loves. A homeowner who pays the highest property taxes on
my block (another long story). However I do not need an alarm clock
anymore, since every morning, beginning at 6:00 a.m., Federal Express
and other commercial trucks speed down R Street.
I am sure my Bloomingdale neighbors aren't thrilled about it either.
The street I live on is a residential street. How can I possibly find
out how to get rumble strips or something to slow these trucks down?
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Cops on the Street
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aoldotcom
Interesting to see the many cultural and behavioral differences
between the US and cities and towns in Italy. To begin with, there is
very little violent crime in Italy. There is very little crime at all.
You have pickpockets in some of the major cities but no muggers with
weapons of your destruction. There is a very visible police presence in
all the major cities that I visited, including Rome, Florence, Naples. I
saw Cabinieri on almost every block in the city centers. Most of these
were walking, but some were on motorbikes and others on horseback.
On Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings all the small towns
close their main streets for the Italian version of the Easter Parade as
families stroll downtown. The educational system is very different and
seems to be less efficient, but more effective. All students through
high school attend school only in the mornings. They go to school six
days a week. When students graduate from middle school they must pick a
career path. Each high school has a different curriculum tailored to
that profession - science, social work, tourism, etc. Students travel by
train or bus to the high school that they have chosen. High school is
five years long and at the end students must take three days of written
exams. After passing the written exams students must take a day of oral
exams. It takes some students six years to get through high school.
Ninety-eight percent of all students graduate from high school in Italy,
and a very high percentage of these apply to go to a free university.
Italy's universities must be tough, because only three of ten who go to
a university earn their degrees.
Three weeks in Italy at an uncrowded time of the year was a
refreshing change. The country is not without problems: Low birth rate;
high unemployment rate for those under 25. But the country and its
populace seem very healthy and prosperous.
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It was discovered this week that at least three calls placed to 911
about the deadly January 15th house fire at 1617 21st Street, NW (Dupont
Circle) were never answered by police employees. One man died in that
blaze and several houses were severely damaged. The first of those calls
reportedly came in at 5:58:37 a.m., a good two minutes before a police
officer at the scene of the fire is said to have incorrectly reported
its location as “the Colombian Embassy” over a block away. (Police
employees take all initial 911 calls, then pass the fire emergency calls
to the fire department dispatcher. These three calls didn't even get
answered by the initial police employees.)
In spite of this clear evidence of a problem, DC's Metropolitan
Police Department (MPD) told the media this week that not only did the
MPD do nothing wrong, but that the officers involved would actually be
getting medals. Equally troubling is that the police have publicly
exonerated themselves when they have yet to receive all the necessary
evidence. The DC city council and the Mayor's staff say that MPD
investigators are still waiting to receive all the 911 phone logs from
Verizon, so how could those investigators go public with any conclusions
as to how they handled 911 calls about which they yet to receive
information? Also troubling was the MPD's summary dismissal of charges
by two victims who say that at least one police officer sat in their car
in front of the burning house and did nothing before the fire department
arrived. In response to those charges, the MPD released a grainy video
of the scene of the fire that leaves more questions than answers.
The most troubling aspect of this investigation is that the MPD
appointed the man in charge of its 911 call center, Inspector Ira
Grossman, to investigate himself in this matter. Inspector Grossman, in
spite of the obvious conflict of interest he faces, has apparently
concluded that he and his fellow officers did nothing wrong. That is a
bit like putting Saddam Hussein in charge of the UN weapons inspectors.
Council member Jack Evans wrote this past week that he has been
“frustrated” by the “lackluster response from all agencies
concerned” in this investigation. I agree. It's time for an impartial,
independent, and outside investigation of this entire deadly affair.
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What Can Be Done with DC Administration?
William Haskett, gollum@earthlink.net
I was recently in an administrative appeals' hearing on my current
real property assessment, with the usual lack of information on
procedures and standards of evidence, but stumbled onto another form of
the same thing, in a more permanent way. This had to do with the immense
gap between what these agencies are charged by law with doing, and the
resources given them to do this. This example applies to the Office of
Tax and Revenue. I do not swear to the accuracy of the cited
information, I only vouch for the arithmetic derived from it. A member
of my Hearing Panel asked the (no doubt rhetorical) following questions
of the representative of OTR present: How many Assessors are there
presently in OTR? (16) How many properties can this number of assessors
rate or inspect in a calendar year, assuming that there are no external
interruptions to their work? (16 x 500 each, 8000) How many properties
of all kinds are required by law to be assessed for Real Property Taxes
at 100 percent of their value, each year in DC? (178, 000) With these
figures, it would take the OTR something like 22.25 work-years to
complete the task assigned to it each year by present law. How many
Assessors would it take to do the task assigned to the current number of
workers, i.e.., literally assess each property, each year, at 100
percent of market value? (22.25 x 16, 356) How much is each Assessor
paid, on average, each year? ($45-50,000.00 plus 25 percent for
benefits, around $62, 500.00) Present salary and benefits paid on
average/year? ($1,000,000) Total cost of additional Assessors, each
year, required on average to complete the work assigned? ($21,250,000)
This result can be stated another way: each agency is given an
administrative task by legislation, or by executive assignment. Some of
these things come from Federal imposition of tasks, and the priorities
assigned to each task will vary, according to circumstance, funding etc.
But the net effect is clear: at the end of each year, most agencies will
not have finished what they had to do that year (as directed by
legislative or executive authority) , and will accumulate a
time-deficit, which can be expressed as the number of years that would
be required at present levels of staffing and funding to clear this
time-deficit. Since this is rarely or never actually possible, and in
this like compound interest, this particular agency (or that whole
government) sinks further and further into a time-debt it can never pay
off. Until we realize this, we can only wonder at the ways in which
agencies muddle along, without the slightest prospect of a conclusion.
What is seen by the clients or customers or citizens is then simply the
cumulative effect of a further and further falling behind, which
reverses the story of the hare (the task) and the tortoise (the means
available to catch up.)
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The Last Bastion of Affordable Housing in the
West End
Deborah Akel, dakel@earthlink.net
I am a nine-year resident of The Tiverton, a turn-of-the-century
four-story apartment building in DC's West End. It is a humble
structure, easily spotted by the “Fallout Shelter” sign on the front
of the building (which might be a good thing to know about, given the
current world situation). It has no air conditioning, no elevator, no
doorman, no amenities. It is a rent-controlled building, much to the
dismay of the owners, who live out of state and spend only the barest
minimum to keep the building in code. But for fifty people like myself,
it's home. The Tiverton provides affordable housing for a cross-section
of folks — GW students, mid-career professionals, bike messengers,
young immigrant families — most of whom are low- to middle-income.
It's probably the only remaining affordable housing in the West End. But
if developers get their way, the Tiverton will be razed, and in its
place another "luxury" condo complex that only the wealthy can
afford.
City Council is presently considering rezoning our portion of the
block — known as Square 37 — which is bordered by 22nd Street to the
east, L Street to the south, 24th Street to the west, and an alleyway to
the north. Square 37 includes the Tiverton, two charming old townhouses,
the West End branch of the DC Public Library, a police station, and a
parking lot. Most likely, all of them would be sacrificed to accommodate
new development. Our neighborhood has already lost much of its
livability with the construction of the Ritz Carlton Hotel and
Residences, one block east of our building. Where the Ritz now stands,
there was once a superb Italian restaurant, movie theaters, townhouses,
offices, and businesses. In their place is a structure devoid of
architectural character, which has devoured an entire city block and
serves only the very wealthy. The condos are untouchable to anyone
outside of Michael Jordan's income level; the sports club is the most
expensive in the District; and the hotel and restaurant are pricey as
well.
One block to the west is the historic Columbia Hospital for Women,
and attractive, Spanish-style structure that will fall to the wrecking
ball this year to make room for another luxury condo complex. The condos
reportedly will cost from $400K to $1 million. To ensure they could
squeeze every unit possible into the building, the developer has
promised to pay the Foggy Bottom Association $3.6 million in exchange
for FBA's permission to disregard a covenant that would restrict the
building's size. It seems inevitable that, sooner or later, our humble
abode will also fall. The Tiverton residents have formed a tenants'
association to try to preserve this last bastion of affordable housing
in the West End. Whether it will be enough to save our building remains
to be seen. I hope that, at the very least, the District government will
insist that the developer offer new units at a discount to the residents
they will displace. Diversity is one of DC's most attractive qualities,
and one of the main reasons I moved here from the Midwest 9 years ago.
Let's not push out our low- to middle-income residents who want to live
and work here. If you agree, let your City Council representative know
you want more affordable housing in the District.
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Late Wednesday, the DC Public Schools had a school wide terrorism
alert. A friend of mine, who teaches reading at a local elementary
school told me the children were told to line up and they were marched
off to the Jewish Community Center (JCC), where they lined up near some
rather large windows “for their safety.” The children were very
afraid and the teachers were nervous — not to mention the waste of
taxpayers dollars for lost in-school time.
I think the JCC is a wonderful organization, but perhaps it wouldn't
be the safest place for elementary school children in case of attack.
Does our local government have a clue on what “Homeland Security”
means? Has anyone read the book, It Can't Happen Here? A Bush
Administration, bankrupt of any cogent domestic strategies, is waving
the terrorism flag at a nervous American public, while our city seems to
be run on inertia alone. Perhaps our mayor should join the Bush
Administration. They seem to be equally clueless on domestic concerns
like education, health, and housing.
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Cell Phones While Driving
Malcolm L Wiseman, Jr., wiseman@us.net
I got this response from a Metro board member: “Our policy is that
drivers should not be using cell phones (not a surprise). If we know
that a driver is using a cell phone, we discipline them. Accordingly, we
tell patrons who observe a driver using a cell phone to get the bus
number and time of day so that we can take appropriate action.”
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While the details of Rep. Jeff Flake's bill matter, the idea of an
experimental, limited school-voucher program in the District would seem
to have some merit. The issue has been fully — and inconclusively —
ventilated in debate, for years. Some other cities have adopted voucher
programs and stay with them (Milwaukee, Cleveland). A limited tryout in
the District for a specified number of schools and for a specified
period of time, possibly three to five years, would seem to hold out the
possibility of giving us information we now lack — how students,
parents and teachers would respond to the opportunity, and how the
students who participate perform on tests.
###############
I strongly support Representative Flake's school voucher bill. Why
not give students a choice of schools? Competition for students will
have a healthy effect. The bill is well thought out, and deserves
serious consideration.
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Where the Metro Money Goes
Susan Ousley, dot aol com
Bruce Wolfe was right in the last issue of themail when he said Metro
Access they should protect riders better and deliver better services.
Many times, riders from our church have been stranded for hours waiting
for Metro Access. The contractors are not supervised, not fined for bad
delivery of services, and kept on! Costs to the most helpless and costs
to everyone. But the Metro Access car about which I wrote does arrive
one to two hours early every day, and it does idle on the street for
that hour or two while the driver sleeps.
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It often seems that the biggest obstacle to DC’s quest for
democratic rights is not Congress or the Republican Party, but our own
alleged friends and the rampant infighting they engender. Nowhere have I
seen this play out in a more pathetic way than at the February 13
special meeting of the DC Democratic State Committee. The meeting was
called to consider whether the DCDSC would support Councilmember Jack
Evans's resolution to move the DC primary to be first in the nation, a
proposal (supported by all the Council Members and the Mayor) that is
designed to draw national attention to the District’s lack of civil
rights.
This laudable effort was voted down by nineteen people who seemed
more concerned with preserving a few free steak dinners and their own
paltry influence at the Democratic Convention than in advancing the
struggle for democracy. It was particularly troubling to hear Donna
Brazile, Phil Pannell, and a number of the other opponents trumpet their
credentials as proponents for DC democracy as a preface to why they
cannot be criticized for kowtowing to the party bosses in opposing this
initiative. What good is it to defy the rules of Congress and undertake
occasional acts of civil disobedience when you cannot even defy the
rules of your own party? It is almost not worth mentioning the spineless
leadership entailed in Norm Neverson’s abstention. Even more obscene
was the backslapping congratulations that followed the defeat of the
motion, as opponents celebrated their dubious victory in preserving the
status quo.
There are too few opportunities for DC to advance the cause of
democracy, and we cannot afford to be shooting down any effort by
supporters that is gaining momentum and generating national attention.
The result of such obstructionism is to demoralize the grass roots and
drive people away from the struggle. The nineteen members of the DCDSC
who voted against this motion seem to be on a quest to ensure that
everyone else is as unsuccessful as they have been in achieving
democracy for the District.
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Tim Cooper: Modern American Hero
John Capozzi, suecapozzi@aol.com
I am glad that Ms. Payne has taken note of Tim Cooper's activism in
the effort to gain equal rights for DC Citizens. It does seem that Tim
is always in the right place at the right time. I am glad that she
pointed out that anyone concerned about DC needs to spend more time east
of the river, because a greater dialogue between both sides of town is
always appreciated. However, I disagree that his focus is wrong; it just
happens to be different from hers. Would she also expect Tim to focus on
the crisis in DC public schools, and the AIDS crisis, and the teachers
union debacle, and instituting a commuter tax, and how about fixing city
streets? I'm certain her fellow Montgomery County residents are thankful
for her focus on the ambulance issue.
I am thankful that Tim is as focused and committed as he is to the
issue of equal rights. By constantly seeking new forums to raise the
issue of our second-class citizenship, Tim will eventually bring about
changes that will benefit all DC residents. With Tim's help, my daughter
and son may one day have the same level of representation that she is
entitled to in Maryland.
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The Presidents Day Blizzard of 2003
Mark David Richards, from the snow drifts of Dupont East,
mark@bisconti.com
Some events beyond our control seem more acceptable than others. This
weekend's Act of God in which our neighborhoods are covered in feet of
snow — not inches — is far better than the routine Congressional
Acts of arrogance we have come to expect from Congress. A Democratic
Senate and a Republican House last year crafted, and the current
Congress approved, an appropriations rider for DC's budget bill
forbidding DC from using any of its local funds in support of DC
statehood or Congressional voting rights. This Muzzle DC Bill is yet
another very good reason for pressing forward to make DC's Presidential
primary the first in the nation in 2004. DC needs a Presidential
champion, and Presidential candidates need to hear about local issues if
their dream is to move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sure, some
candidates will ignore DC. Let's move ahead and find out which ones will
ignore DC.
Although both the DC Republican Committee and DC Democratic State
Committee voted against supporting the proposal to move DC's primary to
first, the game is not over. The entire Council and the mayor have shown
bipartisan unity and courage in supporting the measure. Considering the
heavy behind the scenes lobbying and that the DNC brought four officials
with a very large (six inches or so thick!) book of party rules to argue
the case against moving the primary, the vote was remarkably close. I
wish the DSC special meeting had been filmed. There were difficulties
finding a room for the meeting, and when one was finally identified, it
had a large board table with only a few chairs. So the event took on a
town hall meeting character. There were dozens of democracy activists
present to observe. The debate was impassioned and showed democracy in
action. At one point, the police said members had to leave (the building
was closing or something), and threatened arrest. A few telephone calls
later and the meeting continued without mass arrests — wouldn't that
have been dramatic footage for television! Everyone speaking agreed that
a vote against moving the primary first was not a vote against DC
statehood or voting rights. Some people are simply more daring than
others. The vote was reported as 19 to 17 against moving the primary
first at the DSC meeting on Thursday evening (with some not taking a
position), and 21 to 20 in two news reports. Whichever it was, the close
vote indicates a lack of consensus within the DCS on this issue.
Officials from both the DC Republican and Democratic parties argued they
have significant influence within their parties, and it would be a
tremendous loss if the RNC and DNC refused to seat many of their
delegates at the National Convention. In fact, at the DSC meeting it was
revealed that there is an opportunity for DC to hold the first primary
in the nation without losing delegates, a win-win solution. This
Wednesday at 10 a.m., DC citizens have the opportunity to dig through
the snow drifts to present testimony before the Council. Let the
Presidents Day blizzard of 2003 be the time at which DC takes a stand
and works to move from the back to the front of the democracy bus. And
thank the gods that these snow storms only happen every decade or so.
Meanwhile, toss a snowball in support of a first in the nation DC
Presidential primary, and a successful search for a Presidential
champion for DC!
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DC Council: Stick to Your Guns on the DC
Primary
Randy Wells, randy at ShawDC dot com
My message to Jack Evans and the DC Council: Please stick to your
guns on efforts to move the DC Primary to first in the nation! Many of
my Democratic friends and I are disgusted at the failure of the DC
Democratic State Committee to support this proposal. This proposal has
generated enthusiasm and attracted attention to our disgraceful Federal
political status. You can be assured many of us appreciate the value of
the proposal — regardless of the final outcome. Just let the
Democratic Party try to kick our delegates out of the Convention in
2004. Everyone remembers Mississippi Freedom — let them learn about
Columbia Freedom now!
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This is to advise that the February 2003 on-line edition has been
uploaded and may be accessed at http://www.intowner.com.
Included are the lead stories, community news items and crime reports,
editorials (including prior months' archived), restaurant reviews (prior
months' also archived), and the text from the ever-popular “Scenes
from the Past” feature. Also included are all current classified ads.
The complete issue (along with prior issues back to September 2001)
also is available in PDF file format by direct access from our home page
at no charge simply by clicking the link provided. Here you will be able
to view the entire issue as it looks in print, including the new ABC
Board actions report, all photos and advertisements. The next issue will
publish on March 14. The complete PDF version will be posted by early
that Friday morning, following which the text of the lead stories,
community news, and selected features will be uploaded shortly
thereafter.
To read this month's lead stories, simply click the link on the home
page to the following headlines: 1) “Neighbors Accuse 911 of Failure
to Respond Until Too Late for Fire Dept. to Save Structure and Possibly
Life of Occupant;” 2) “Logan Circle Survey Surprises Liquor
Foes-Neighbors Not Alarmed;” 3) “Historic Art Deco Bldg. to Get $2
Million for Rehab-Significant Part of DC's Black History.”
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS AND MEETINGS
Ward 2 Democrats, February 18
Carol Mitten, cmitten@zzapp.org
The next meeting of the Ward 2 Democrats will feature a discussion of
"The Presidential Primary Election Act of 2003," which, if
passed, will make Washington, DC, the first jurisdiction in the country
to hold its presidential primary. We are pleased to have as our guest
speaker Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans, who introduced the bill. He
will explain why he introduced the bill and discuss the likelihood of
its passage. The Council will hold a public hearing on this legislation
the following day, February 19, and vote on the bill at its March 4 and
April 1 legislative sessions.
The Ward 2 Democrats will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19 in
the old Council Chambers at One Judiciary Square (441 4th Street, NW,
Auditorium — Lobby Level), conveniently located on the Metro Red Line
at Judiciary Square. All are welcome.
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Free Tours of DC Recorder of Deeds Building,
February 20
Alexander M. Padro, PadroANC2C@aol.com
Free guided tours of the historic DC Recorder of Deeds building at
515 D Street, NW, including the building's New Deal era murals and other
artwork, will be held on Thursday, February 20, 2003, from 6:00 to 8:00
p.m., in observance of Black History Month. Tours will run continuously
during the hours noted. The building and its art are the subject of an
article in the February 2003 edition of the InTowner newspaper.
Seven murals in the building portray scenes from history in which
African Americans figured prominently, including Benjamin Banneker,
Frederick Douglass, Crispus Attucks, Matthew Henson, and the
Massachusetts 54th Regiment. The Recorder of Deeds was for decades the
highest office to which African Americans could aspire in the District
of Columbia government, and most of the agency's staff was black.
Frederick Douglass was the first black Recorder of Deeds, appointed by
President James A. Garfield in 1871. Oil portraits of many Recorders,
including Douglass and Blanche K. Bruce, hang in the building's lobby.
Tours of the building, designed by Municipal Architect Nathan C.
Wyeth and completed in 1942, were a part of Negro History Week
celebrations for children in the District's black school system during
the years of segregation. Annual tours of the building during black
History Month started again in 2000 as preservationists battled with the
District government to prevent the sale and demolition of the building.
The building was one of three Art Deco/Art Moderne Municipal Buildings
that were on the DC Preservation League's list of 10 Most Endangered
Places in Washington in 2000 and 2001. The open house and tours are
cosponsored by the DC Preservation League, the District of Columbia
Office of Tax and Revenue/Recorder of Deeds, and the Cultural
Development Corporation's 3rd Thursday Gallery Tour. For more
information, contact the DC Preservation League at 955-5616 or info@dcpreservation.org.
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Chief Ramsey at Community Crime Meeting,
February 20
John Aravosis, John@SafeStreetsDC.com
Please join us at a public community meeting with DC Police Chief
Charles Ramsey to discuss your concerns about crime and the police on
this Thursday, February 20, at 7 p.m., at the Goodwill Baptist Church,
1862 Kalorama Road (on Kalorama near Columbia Road). The public is
welcome, as is the media. Expect a standing-room-only audience.
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CLASSIFIEDS — VOLUNTEERS
Teach Inner-City Teens Basic Design Skills at
National Building Museum
Kristi Dangoia, kdangoia@nbm.org
The National Building Museum is seeking sixteen professionals and
university students in the fields of architecture, art, design, urban
planning, and engineering to volunteer for CityVision Spring 2003, a
three-month program that uses design as a framework to teach at-risk
middle and junior high-school youth how to critically and creatively
examine their neighborhood. During workshops held at the Museum,
students identify and propose solutions to urban problems and give a
final presentation. Volunteer applications need to be received no later
then Thursday, February 27, and training for volunteers will begin on
Saturday, March 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CityVision is part of the core
curriculum of five DC Public Schools. Selected for the program by
faculty at the schools, the students receive academic credit by
attending the program, which includes informative field trips on
Saturdays. CityVision builds analytical and interpersonal skills, and
offers students fun and challenging activities that broaden their
horizons, emphasizing community awareness and the individual's ability
to have an impact. CityVision takes place during both the Spring and
Fall semesters. Volunteers are asked to spend two seven-hour days a
month at the Museum working with the students. Sponsoring a field trip
or critiquing a student presentation is another volunteer option. The
two sessions run from October through January and March through June.
The Museum is also seeking nine volunteers and twenty youth
participants for the Design Apprenticeship Program. Design
Apprenticeship Program (DAP Squad) projects allow students to expand
their design and art experience through hands-on projects that they
control from concept to completion. This project is free, and open to
students thirteen to nineteen years old. Applications are required.
Applications for youth participants and volunteers must be returned by
Friday, March 14. The seventh DAP Squad project will focus on window
design and how windows have affected the spaces we inhabit. Participants
will explore the construction of windows and how they are used to frame
the world we live in. Also, participants will design and build a window
to be displayed in an exhibition.. This program is a five session
program, scheduled for Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Program dates
are April 5, April 12, April 26, May 3, and May 10. In addition to the
reward that comes from helping kids learn new skills and build
confidence, local professionals get credits for community service needed
for professional registration and a small stipend. University students
may receive up to three credits for independent study. All volunteers
get Museum member benefits for participating, which include reduce fees
for lectures and symposia, and a discount at the Museum shop. Outreach
program volunteers attend every other session.
For more information call Julian Looney or Eileen Langholtz at
272-2448 or by E-mail at jlooney@nbm.org
or elangholtz@nbm.org. For
inquiries about the NBM, call 272-2448 or log onto http://www.nbm.org.
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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE
U Street Asia House seeks out uncommon home furnishing items found in
the markets of Chiang Mai, Thailand, and delivers them to Washington
DC's U Street corridor and beyond. You tell us what your needs are and
we will find you a one-of-a-kind piece fitting your budget. Check out
our current collection at http://www.ustreetasiahouse.com.
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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
Seamstress
Linda Black, noir@erols.com
Has anyone used a seamstress to transform cloth into clothes? Did it
work out well? If so, I'd love a recommendation.
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