6/25/01:
The WP reports on detailed DC census data, saying
figures "show more than 3,500 same-sex couples living
in the city, a 66% increase over the figures reported
in the 1990 Census. Nearly three-quarters live outside
the orbit of Dupont Circle neighborhoods that have
long been viewed as the center of gay life."
"In the District, where the overall population has
declined, the statistics underscore the gay population
as a significant niche in the capital's economic,
political and demographic profile."
The stats "also reflect a typical pattern in which
gay male households are more likely to be in downtown
gay areas, and lesbians in suburban neighborhoods."
"In several D.C. neighborhoods in the U Street
corridor, Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill, one in 20
households is home to a gay couple."
See "Census Shows Big Increase in Gay Households,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21119-2001Jun19.html
The WT also chimes in, saying "the region with the
highest percent of renters - almost 99% of occupied
units - lies just south of Thomas and Scott circles
and north of Lafayette Park."
Of the city's unmarried cohabiting couples, "2,693
classified themselves as male-male couples and 985 as
female-female couples. The male couples have
congregated east of Dupont Circle. The highest
concentration of female couples was found in Lanier
Heights and north, in Mount Pleasant."
See "Census tells tale for young and old,"
http://washtimes.com/metro/20010620-80756968.htm
The Blade also covers census. See "More gays report in
D.C.: Same-sex ‘unmarried partners’ numbers up,"
http://washblade.com/local/a.htm
Dupont will be placed entirely within Ward 2, with
the former S St border moved north to U St.
More pictures from 6/10 gay pride parade. See
http://www.announce.com/khein/dupont/pix/parade01.htm
Leona Hamsley (oops - I mean "Helmsley"), Miss Lena
and Miss Xavier get their turn in the spotlight. See
"Tuesdays Are a Real Drag at Club Chaos,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28759-2001Jun21.html
See video at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/photo/entertainment/G28399-2001Jun21.html
Universal Gear to open new store in Chelsea (Dupont's
unofficial "sister city") in November. See 4th item in
"Spa company to steam up region with 2 new stores,"
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/06/25/newscolumn7.html
Zipcar is looking for a space between Dupont and Adams
Morgan to begin testing their shared-car concept in
DC. See http://www.zipcar.com/
Last Friday, Twins Jazz opened at 1344 U St (2nd flr).
ANC 1B is considering a liquor moratorium for U St,
similar to ones in Georgetown and Adams Morgan.
The Cage is rumored to be under negotiation, with
hopeful talk of it being used for artist galleries.
Go Mama Go hopes to open by end of July (next to Home
Rule). See http://www.gomamago.com
The renovated building at the SW corner of 14th & RI
Ave will be home to 7-11. The 7-11 at the NW corner is
to be demolished to make way for a Caribou Coffee.
SMD 1C01 commissioner Alan Roth responds to goings-on
in ANC 1C; see [1] below. This and note [1] from
6/14/01's Update came from the Adams Morgan Digest.
See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AdamsMorgan
The WT looks at Columbia Heights neighbors' struggle
to keep clean a vacant lot on 11th St between Kenyon
and Monroe. Reports that in April city workers
"removed 27 abandoned cars, broken refrigerators,
dishwashers and toilets, and several 55-gallon drums
of used car oil," in addition to used syringes. See
[2] ("NW residents down on dump") below.
Zoo plans $120-million fixup; will move Francois and
Hana (sloth bears being groomed as future stars) to
just inside the Conn Ave entry, replacing dull tapirs.
See "Zoo Chief Proposes Back-to-Nature Movement:
Exhibits Would Grow, Be Grouped Geographically,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30181-2001Jun21.html
Cute story on nesting duck along 17th St, s of K. See
"Lurking Danger, Ample Protection for Downtown Duck,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30300-2001Jun21.html
Georgetown is considering widening sidewalks along M &
Wisconsin. If approved, M St would lose two lanes of
parking but gain a fifth traffic lane. See
http://www.georgetowndclife.com/bid/Streetscape.htm
U St also needs wider sidewalks.
Georgetown's Wrapworks has closed.
A reader wrote in regarding Georgetown's boats-vs-
floating restaurant controversy, and suggested that
instead of a restaurant they bring in go-go bar La
Cage, so that he can chant "Whores not oars."
The Cultural Development Corporation released well-
written "NoMa Development Strategy" in April. See
http://www.culturaldc.org/noma.html
The WP looks at how the Fed Trade Commission's new HQ
(NJ & F) and the Securities and Exchange Commission's
planned HQ (behind Union Station) is expanding the
scope of downtown. See "Winning a Square-Foot Race:
Fleeing High Rents, Agencies Revive Neighborhoods,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3479-2001Jun14.html
See "City board agrees to sell site for DNC HQ,"
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/06/18/daily35.html
The Brookings Institution's "Envisioning a Future
Washington" report looks at economic development and
fiscal viability in DC 10 years into the future. See
"Forum Offers Vision of Renewed and Inviting D.C.,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4889-2001Jun14.html
The report struck me as rather moronic and useless;
sad to think co-author is Control Board chair. See
http://www.brook.edu/es/urban/gwrp/dcfuture.htm
Chinatown's $220 million mixed-use project planned at
7th & H was given OK for public bonds. See "Control
board to give Gallery Place the green light,"
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/06/25/newscolumn3.html
See also "Metro on Gallery Place: Now or never,"
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/06/18/story3.html
Metro unveiled its $1.9 billion budget. See "Metro to
Keep Late Hours Permanently: Subway System to Add
Cars, Buses And Make 2 a.m. Weekends the Rule,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3484-2001Jun14.html
Major development to be designed near planned Metro
stop. See "Mini-City Envisioned On 40 Acres in
Tysons: Developer Sees High-Rise Apartments, Stores,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38462-2001Jun23.html
Metro is reviewing several proposals for mixed-use
development near Prince George's Plaza station. See
"Miami firm seeks rights to Pr. George's Metro site,"
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/06/18/story7.html
Nice peek into success story: "Bethesda's Restaurants
Revel in the Glory of Their Own Restaurant Row,"
http://www.bizforward.com/wdc/currentissue/account/
Jealous of Bethesda's Hawaiian shaved ice stands.
At least Xando, Marvelous Market and Raku first
opened up in Dupont.
The Bethesda Urban Partnership plants more than
61,000 flowers each year in three annual rotations.
How I wish that we had an organization in Dupont
that could do the same. See http://www.bethesda.org/
Forbes says DC and Ba'mer are country's best places to
be single. See "Single in the city - and finally hip,"
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/06/18/editorial2.html
June 23 - July 4: Folklife Festival on the Mall. See
http://www.folklife.si.edu/festival2001info.htm
Tonight: Free showing of 1925 "Phantom of the Opera"
at the National Theatre (in the lobby). See
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/Cinema/01schedule.htm
Friday, June 29: Bicycle Solidarity Ride, 6:15pm.
See http://www.waba.org/new/ride_with/solidride.php
Saturday, June 30: U St Arts Festival (between
10th & 13th), from noon to 6. See
http://dcarts.dc.gov/services/programs/ustreetfest.shtm
Saturday, July 7: "Young Frankenstein," DCJCC's first-
ever outdoor movie, at dusk in the Q St parking lot.
See http://www.dcjcc.org/screeningroom.htm#young
July 7: Adams Morgan Arts Market at Columbia & Euclid.
Sunday, July 8: The Dupont Market will celebrate its
5th anniversary. See
http://www.farmland.org/Farmland/files/states/market.htm
July 21: Wotapalava comes to Merriweather. See
http://washblade.com/point/010622a.htm
NYT profiles fab singer: "Rufus Wainwright: Out and
Proud, but Hardly Pectorally Correct,"
http://nytimes.com/2001/06/24/living/24RUFU.html
Best regards,
Michael
------------------------------------------------------
[1]
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 23:09:03 -0000
From: Alanjroth@aol.com
Subject: Reply re: ANC Audit
As an Adams Morgan ANC Commissioner, I read this one-
list regularly and generally find it a good source of
information and constructive dialogue. But the recent
"re-publication" here of an incredibly misleading and
unfair article about the DC Auditor's report on ANC 1C
verged on the defamatory and cries out for a response.
Since I value my own reputation for integrity and that
of my ANC colleagues, I felt it imperative to address
this head-on.
This article originally appeared -- anonymously -- in
an e-mail newsletter called the Columbia Buzz, which
is put out by a new community group called CABANA. I'm
not entirely familiar with CABANA's goals, but if this
kind of smear tactic is their idea of how to achieve
something, then I won't be applying for membership.
First, you'd have to examine every single word of the
Buzz piece with a microscope to realize that the audit
covers a PREVIOUS fiscal year, and that it charges a
PREVIOUS set of officers with mishandling the ANC's
finances. Contrary to the impression that the writer
tries to create, a majority of the CURRENT
Commissioners -- specifically, Commissioners Jovanka,
Gibson, Brody, Klempay, and myself -- were not even on
the ANC during the period covered by the audit report.
Moreover, the two former officers specifically cited
in the report for alleged mishandling of finances, and
against whom collection actions were threatened, are
no longer on the ANC at all. (One did not run for
reelection, and the other was defeated.)
Second, if the audit report shows anything, it shows
that the Auditor and her staff need an audit
themselves, because their competence is in serious
doubt. The report is chock full of errors,
misstatements, and sweeping accusations that are
easily disproven. The most simple example is the claim
that the ANC held only 7 public meetings during an
entire two-year period, rather than the legally
required 9 meetings per year. A simple look at the
ANC's website (www.anc1c.org) will reveal the minutes
of meetings held almost every month during the period
in question. (By the way, the current ANC since our
January 3rd swearing-in has already held 10 public
meetings!) There are several other examples of such
mistakes by the Auditor that I would be happy to cite
to anyone wishing to contact me, but the sloppiness in
the report about such SIMPLE things calls into
question for me whether ANY of the Auditor's
allegations against members or officers of the
previous ANC should be given any credence at all.
Third, the current ANC last week at its regular
monthly business meeting -- out in the open, in front
of the public -- took the steps demanded by the
Auditor to alter its process for approving
expenditures -- even for routine, recurring, monthly
expenditures like the phone bill, no matter how
foolish or unnecessary the Auditor's demands might be.
Nothing was hidden. All was explained. But we also
passed a resolution taking issue with the Auditor's
report and seeking a meeting with the Auditor, in the
presence of Councilmember David Catania (who chairs
the committee with ANC oversight), so that we can
discuss our complaints about it.
Unfortunately, unlike articles in other neighborhood
association newsletters, this one was unsigned so we
can't know for sure what coward wrote it. But we do
know that the founding members of CABANA include some
folks who last fall actively opposed my election and
that of several other new faces. Thus, one must
naturally wonder whether their agenda now includes
trying to smear us with the brush of allegations
leveled by the Auditor against others -- including
others THEY THEMSELVES supported!
In my opinion, this kind of twisted character
assassination speaks more poorly of them than it does
any current or former ANC member, particularly because
it's not the first time they've done it. Last fall, on
the weekend before the ANC election, they posted
campaign flyers without disclosing on the flyers who
had printed and paid for them -- a clear violation of
DC election law. I hope that readers will view this
audit matter with that perspective in mind and rest
assured that the current ANC is committed to
conducting itself and its financial affairs with
complete integrity.
Thank you for your consideration,
Alan Roth
SMD 1C01
------------------------------------------------------
[2]
NW residents down on dump
By Ellen Sorokin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
A group of Northwest residents, fed up with years
of illegal dumping behind their homes, is demanding
that city officials come up with a long-term plan to
keep their neighborhood free of the litter that has
clogged a nearby lot.
Some 100 residents who live next to the vacant
lot in the 3300 block of 11th Street NW in Columbia
Heights are urging officials to clean the area on a
daily basis and erect a 6-foot fence around the spot
to prevent any more dumping from occurring.
Community members said they have tried to keep
the lot clean after officials, over the past six
months, went in and removed abandoned cars and
truckloads of broken appliances and drums of used
motor oil.
The situation has gotten so bad that several
residents almost got into a fight two weeks ago after
they caught some people trying to dump more refuse on
the lot.
"Residents are doing all they can to maintain the
lot now that it was finally clean after all these
years," said Janie Boyd, a nearby resident and
president of Columbia Heights chapter of the
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
(ACORN), a community group of low- and moderate-income
members.
"But, we can't put ourselves at that kind of
risk. And the city can't afford not to maintain this
place after the time it has invested," Ms. Boyd said.
Residents will hold a community meeting tonight,
beginning at 6 p.m. at 3331 11th St. NW, to discuss
the issue. They have invited Dave Clark, who heads the
city's Department of Regulatory Affairs, to hear the
group's request.
City officials could not be reached for comment
yesterday.
The problem with trash in the lot at Columbia
Heights began more than 10 years ago, according to Ms.
Boyd, when nonresidents began coming by and leaving
debris behind.
"We have a back yard that you couldn't enjoy
because you didn't know what was going on in that
lot," Ms. Boyd said. "You didn't want any kids being
hurt."
After years of calls to D.C. Council members,
residents finally got some response: City officials
sent workers out to clean up the lot in February.
During one visit in April, city workers, with
dump trucks and bulldozers, removed 27 abandoned cars,
broken refrigerators, dishwashers and toilets, and
several 55-gallon drums of used car oil. Broken beer
and liquor bottles and used syringes were also found
and removed.
The next month, city workers returned to the lot
to take down several abandoned brick sheds, which,
residents said, had become a haven for drug activity
and prostitution.
"It was a death trap out there," said Will Ward,
ACORN's executive director, who is helping Ms. Boyd
lead the fight. "The city has done good work, but
we're at a point where we've got to come up with some
kind of long-term solution to keep the lot from
becoming a dumping ground again."
Two weeks ago a group of residents saw several
people try to unload more trash onto the lot. They
prevented the litter from being unloaded, but a brawl
nearly ensued.
Neighbors called the dumping a disrespect to
their community, which sits between 11th Street and
Sherman Avenue.
"It's very upsetting when people leave their
trash there because it's unpleasant and very
disrespectful towards us," said Robin Lewis, whose row
house overlooks the lot. "It gets pretty dirty out
there, and we have to look at it when we go out to our
back yards."
William Bowman, who lives nearby, said he records
the tag numbers of cars that leave debris on the lot.
"I've got to do that because it's not right," Mr.
Bowman said as he sat on the porch of his home
yesterday afternoon. "It's a crime, and people should
be held accountable for that."
Ms. Boyd said the community will continue to put
pressure on city officials until their demands are
met. "We're not going to give up," she said. "We'll
continue to fight."
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