8/13/01:

Is it coincidence that just as Madonna brought her 
Drowned World tour to DC, our basements flooded? 
Manhole at 17th & Q was spewing flames and smoke 
during Saturday night's downpour, with a series of 
explosions booming out. Power went out throughout 
Dupont, Adams Morgan and U St. See "Thousands try to 
cope with storm damage," http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20010813-92381384.htm

I'm happy the NPS didn't put Jersey barriers in 
Dupont, but true bollards would have been better than
the dull posts. See "Newly Installed Posts and Chains
in Dupont Circle Have Neighbors Unhappy,"
http://www.intowner.com/fr/issue/stories/story1.htm

WP profiles local chess players. See "Days of Knights
at Dupont Circle: With Small Bets and Big Talk, 
Business Suits and Street People Tangle Over Chess,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45733-2001Jul24.html

Blade looks at efforts to form a gay community center.
See "Building community: Gay center organizers say 
they have time, energy to pull off D.C. area gathering
place," http://www.washblade.com/local/010810b.htm

See "The Phillips Gets Final Approval by BZA for 21st
Street Expansion," 
http://www.intowner.com/fr/issue/stories/story2.htm

NYT has posted the first chapter of novel "Dupont
Circle." You can read it at
http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/k/24kafka.html

Terenga on R (just e of 17th) has closed and will be 
replaced with a Chinese restaurant.

Cobalt construction is complete; opening will follow
once liquor license is beyond reproach. Private club
will be called 30 Degrees.

See Web site with pix of Riggs Intl Finance Center:
http://www.j-b-a.com/ARCH/mainindex/Riggs/Dupont/Dup-page1-cont.htm
   See also model of withdrawn proposal for office 
building once meant to replace entire block:
http://www.j-b-a.com/Arch/mainindex/Riggs/Dupont/Dup-crcl-models/DupC-Models-p1-cont.htm

Visions has started showing midnight movies. See
http://www.visionsdc.com/midnightmovies/index.shtml

New site has pictures of local apartments being built,
incl narrow The Tápies at 1612 16th and SoLo Piazza at
13th & N. See http://www.furiosodc.com/home.htm

WP profiled apartment bldg at 13th and Mass. See "At 
the Belvedere, Enjoying Downtown Inside and Out,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30237-2001Aug3.html

One more posting from ANC 2B regarding bike lane 
proposal. See [1] below. 

The marathon being planned for March 24, 2002 will run
through Dupont, entering northbound on 22nd St, then 
east on Q, then down Mass Ave to 7th St. 1,000 already
signed up. See http://www.washingtondcmarathon.com/

Results' new neighbors will be salon/spa Bang, and 
"Hushi" will replace Basics Café.

Petition is being circulated to residents within 600'
of Cada Vez, protesting their liquor license 
application. Though CV claims it is everything but a 
nightclub, the fog machine, disco lights, and three 
bars say otherwise. That, plus their postings for 
bartenders and barbacks, and their filing stating 
operating hours till 4am, contradict their claim to 
not be a nightclub. The nearby residents have enough 
problems with late-night patrons of Kaffa House and 
Club U, and do not want U St to become a party strip.

Art & Flowers now open at 2104 18th, n of California. 

Another, larger, new plant store will be opening in 
Tenleytown, "All of Your Dreams," in the former 
McDonalds at Wisc & Windsor. If only our own Icky D's 
on 17th St could be so transformed. 

See "Studio Theatre to Buy Ace Electric Building," 
http://www.intowner.com/fr/issue/stories/story3.htm

Sparky's (14th St) has added terrific red booths.

Go Mama Go now open on 14th St, next to Home Rule.

13th St's rush-hour restrictions have ended. 

WP profiles house at 1513 34th St, featured in memoir 
"Un Italiano in America." See "La Dolce Georgetown:
Italian Bestseller Spurs Tourism Boom at One 
Unsuspecting 34th Street Home,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52453-2001Jul25.html

WBJ has more info on plans to build four levels of 
apartments and condos above Tenleytown Hechinger's,
with 2 to 4 retailers on ground floor. See "Housing 
units planned for Tenleytown's Hechinger site,"
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/08/13/story4.html

Bloomingdale neighborhood is mounting campaign against
city rescue of insolvent Peoples Involvement 
Corporation (PIC), one of many "non-profit" slumlords
in the city holding on to vacant or decrepit eyesores.
See http://www.bloomingdaledc.org/picgage.htm

Plans still developing for major hotel. See "D.C. 
Weighs Convention Center Hotel Subsidy,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2510-2001Aug12.html
   See also "Bidders Vie to Build Hotel: Convention 
Center Site to Have 1,000 Rooms,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51482-2001Aug8.html

Bidding for city's 3.2-acre site at 11th & K pushed to
Sept 14. The city is asking for a minimum of 400 
housing units, but would prefer 800 to 1,000 units. 
   The Mather Building, across from dreary MLK 
library, was sold to P.N. Hoffman, who will build 40 
condominiums and artists' lofts.
   Bids for 7 city-owned sites around Columbia Heights
Metro station are due Oct 1. Though two largest lots 
were awarded to Horning Bros almost 2 years ago,
no action has been taken. We are sick of waiting. RFP 
available at http://dhcd.dc.gov/info/pdf/TOClRFPd.pdf
   See above items in "D.C. officials extend deadline
for wax museum site RFP,"
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/08/13/newscolumn4.html

The CD reports why no work has been done on
recently-demolished shells on 900 block of F St. See
"Only facades remain as historic Atlantic Building
falls, city fumbles,"
http://www.thecommondenominator.com/073001_news3.html

WBJ article includes talk of 7th St's galleries 
moving to 14th St. See "Arts Crunch: Rising rents too
much for small art galleries just to brush off,"
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/08/13/focus1.html

Downtown got its first bike lane, though it's only one
block long, east of the J Edgar Hoover building (since
they banned street parking after Oklahoma bombing).

Residents of Trinidad and Kingman Park are fighting
dilapidated, abandoned buildings. See "NE Residents 
Demand Action on Derelict Properties,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48484-2001Aug8.html

Adams Morgan List posted info on city's new SWEEP 
program, to rid us of fliers and posters littering the
streetscape. See [2] below.
   See also http://cleancity.dc.gov/sweep.htm

Silver Spring plans to add five restaurants and three 
specialty retailers. See "Developers Adjust Plans for 
Silver Spring: Focus Shifts to 'Restaurant Row'; 
Efforts to Land Movie Theater Encounter Setbacks,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14333-2001Jul31.html

Rockville is updating its master plan, trying to make
the town center more residential. (The best thing in
Rockville now is their Eatzi's, a chic food market.) 
See "Rockville trying to move from suburban to urban,"
http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/2001/08/13/focus2.html
   I was amazed to visit Rockville's government Web 
site and discover a master bike plan and a master 
street tree plan. Why can't our city do the same? See
http://www.ci.rockville.md.us/cityprojects/bikemp/BIKEPLAN.HTM
   See also http://www.ci.rockville.md.us/cityprojects/treeplan/index.html

Washingtonian is looking for "Metro memories" - to 
share your story, see 
http://www.washingtonian.com/questions/index.html

See "Surveillance Cameras Proposd for Metro Stations,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54006-2001Aug9.html

Tuesday, August 14: Office of Planning taskforce mtg 
for Cluster 6 (which includes Dupont) on commercial/
residential balance. See [4] below.

Wednesday, August 15: Rally in front of Egyptian 
Cultural & Educational Bureau, 1303 New Hampshire Ave,
to protest arrest of 52 Egyptian men for allegedly
being gay. 5:30 - 7:00. See [5] below.

Friday, August 17: Reel Affirmations presents "I Will
Survive" at DCJCC, 7 & 9:15, $8.

Sunday, August 19: Children's Museum Criterium - bike
event on Penn Ave near NGA and Canadian Embassy. See
http://www.ccm.org/calendar1030/calendar_show.htm?doc_id=75842

Tuesday, August 21: Office of Planning mtg on Quality
of Life. See [4] below.

Tuesday, September 4: "14th Street Renaissance," part
of the DC Builds series at the Natl Building Museum. 
$12. See http://www.nbm.org/Calendar/Lectures.html

September 23: BikeDC. Join 6,000 other cyclists for a 
20- or 32-mile car-free ride through DC and VA. See
http://www.waba.org/new/ride_with/bikedc2001.php

Best regards,
Michael
------------------------------------------------------
[1]
Proposal by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association 
for New Bicycle Lanes: ANC 2B continued its discussion
on a proposal by the Washington Area Bicyclist 
Association (WABA).  To see the proposal, refer to:  
http://www.waba.org/wabadocs/dupont.htm.  Eric 
Gilliland was present and represented WABA.  ANC 2B 
solicited community input from those in attendance.  
There was some concern noted by Commissioners and the
public that some of the proposed streets may not be 
conducive to bicycle paths.  ANC 2B voted unanimously
to support the concept of additional bicycle paths in
the Dupont Circle neighborhood pending a review by the
Department of Public Works and District Division of 
Transportation, with community input and ANC review, 
of the specific proposed streets in the WABA proposal.
It was suggested that WABA officials present their 
proposals to ANC 2F and community organizations to 
solicit additional input.
------------------------------------------------------
[2]

Howdy Neighbors:

There's been lots of buzz the last few months on 
signs, flyers, and litter in the neighborhood. The
Department of Public Works has started SWEEP (Solid
Waste Education and Enforcement Program) and they are 
happy to issue fines to those businesses who deposit
their materials illegally in our neighborhood. Here's
the citation of the DC law and the contact at DPW who
will issue fines against the businesses that are 
advertised on the flyers on car windshields, or
leaflets outside apartment buildings, or rolled up in
railings,...
 
District of Columbia Municipal Regulation 1008 "Paper,
Handbills, Circulars, and Advertising Material"
 
1008.1        No paper, handbills, dodgers, cards,
circulars, or advertising matter of any kind, or
samples of merchandise, shall be thrown, pushed, cast,
deposited, dropped, scattered, distributed, or left in
or upon any street, avenue, alley, highway, footway, 
sidewalk parking, or other public space in the 
District of Columbia, or in or upon any vehicle.

1008.2        No paper, handbills, dodgers, cards,
circulars, or advertising matter of any kind, or
samples of merchandise, shall be thrown, pushed, cast,
deposited, dropped, scattered, distributed, or left in
or upon the parking or doorsteps or any premises in 
the District of Columbia, or within the building line,
vestibule, or yard of any premises, if it is likely to
be taken up by the wind and scattered in the street, 
or in or upon any of the places listed in 1008.1.
 
1008.3        This section is not intended to prevent
the delivery of newspapers and addressed envelopes
within the building line of any premises within the
District, or the distribution of anything other than
commercial and business advertising matter.
 
Send the collected offending flyers with a letter
stating where and when you found them to:
 
Tom Day
Department of Public Works
3220 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20020
202-645-7190 phone
202-645-5066 fax
 
First offense fine is $35 per flier, second offense is
$70 per flyer, and third offense is $140 per flyer!

------------------------------------------------------
[3]
Anyone out there interested in forming a "West Wing"
viewing club? No dues, no rules, just munchies (I bake
cheesecakes!) and the opportunity to gather weekly 
with (presumably) fun folks to watch a kick-ass drama
set in Our Beloved Nation's Capital. Season premiere 
is Sept. 19, so e-mail me soon! 

Dru Sefton, drusefton@hotmail.com

------------------------------------------------------
[4]
--- "Canepa, Claudia"  wrote:

The Office of Planning would like to invite you to 
join a Task Force to help develop action steps for the
priorities identified during the June 7th Neighborhood
Visioning Workshop for your Cluster.  

If you are interested in becoming part of a Task 
Force, please attend one or more of the following Task
Force meetings:

Priority Issue:  Infrastructure
Date of Meeting: Tuesday, August 7

Priority Issue:  Commercial/Non-Residential/
                 Residential Balance
Date of Meeting: Tuesday, August 14

Priority Issue:  Quality of Life
Date of Meeting: Tuesday, August 21

All meetings will be held at the St. Mary's Court (752
24th Street, NW) from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

You will be receiving a report summarizing your 
Cluster's workshop as well as more information about 
the Task Force meetings in the mail.  For additional 
information contact Chris Shaheen, Neighborhood 
Planning Coordinator for Ward 2, at 202-442 7631 or 
chris.shaheen@dc.gov

------------------------------------------------------
[5]
Date:    Thu, 9 Aug 2001  
From:    Faisal Alam 
Subject: Info. on protest/rally on Aug. 15 in DC
To:      mfaisalalam@yahoo.com
 
PROTEST/RALLY

August 15
5:30 - 7:00 PM

Egyptian Cultural & Educational Bureau
1303 New Hampshire Avenue, NW (Between 20th and 21st 
St.; Metro stop: Dupont Circle, Red Line)

Following an initial hearing, 52 Egyptian men, after 
being arrested and detained for allegedly being gay, 
will face the Egyptian Emergency State Security Court 
for charges of "immoral behavior" and "contempt of 
religion" on August 15th. Al-Fatiha (LGBTQ Muslims & 
Friends) has declared August 15 a day of solidarity 
and mourning to honor these men. Amnesty International
OUTfront in support of the Al-Fatiha day of solidarity
calls on all lgbt people and allies to protest and 
demand for the immediate release of these men.

Join us for a rally outside the office of the Egyptian
Ministry of Education whose stated mission is: "We are
your gateway to Egypt, as we believe that direct 
contacts among peoples contributes effectively to the 
promotion of international understanding and 
strengthens friendship among nations." For further 
info about the bureau: http://www.eceb-usa.org.

Call/Write the Egyptian officials and let them know 
what you think: telephone 202.296.3888; fax
202.296.3891; ecebdc@eceb-usa.org.

Demand for Justice in Egypt! Call on the Egyptian 
govt. to honor their obligations under international 
law and release the 52 men!

For more information about the rally: 
202.544.0200, X275;
toddcarlos@hotmail.com

M. Faisal Alam --- E-mail: mfaisalalam@yahoo.com