East of the River Magazine March 2011

Mundo Verde offers an exciting new option for quality, tuition-free education with hands on project-based learning. Opening in August with preschool through Kinder-garten (growing to 8th grade), Mundo Verde is the only school in the District to offera focus on environmental sustainability and bilingual (English/Spanish) education.

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS 08 ............Go See Do

10 ............East of the River Calendar

16 ............The Bulletin Board

20 ............A New Approach for D.C.’s Women Offenders

by Alice Ollstein

22 ............Economic Development... • by Kwame Boadi and Ed Lazere

24 ............Walmart: East of the River • by Steve Lilienthal

26 ............MOM Van Brings Prenatal Care... • by Alice Ollstein

28 ............Letter from Yvette Alaxander

29 ............The Man From Anacostia • by Charles Wilson

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE 30 ............Anacostia: Mind, Body, Spirit • by Sam Tyler

32 ............Brian Mitchell Awaits NFL HOF... • by John Muller

34 ............William Borum • by Nikki Peele

36 ............Critical Exposure • by Tony Cotton

38 ............SLAM Wins at Sundance • by John Muller

38 ............Morgan Family Fish Fry • by Nikki Peele

39 ............Dr. Michangelo Scruggs...• by B. Michelle Harris McQureerir

KIDS & FAMILY 40 ............Kids and Family Notebook • by Kathleen Donner

46 ............Mundo Verde: A Green and Bilingual School •

by L. Denise Jackson

47 ............Chess Challenge DC • by Jamaal Abdul-Alim

HOMES & GARDENS 19 ............Changing Hands • compiled by Don Denton

48 ............The Classifi eds

50 ............The Nose • by Anonymous

EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MARCH 2011 | CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

ON THE COVER:

Untitled, Oil on canvas, 40”x40”.Crenshaw is a self-taught artist who resides in the Washington metro area.Private collection.

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ALL OF US WILL LEARN

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EDITORIAL STAFFMANAGING EDITOR: Andrew [email protected] & ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Maria Carolina [email protected] & FAMILY EDITOR: Susan Braun Johnson [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Mary-Frances [email protected]

ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ART: Jim Magner • [email protected]: Celeste McCall • [email protected]: Karen Lyon • [email protected]: Mike Canning • [email protected]: Stephen Monroe • [email protected]: Brad Hathaway • [email protected]: Maggie Hall • [email protected] WINE GUYS: Jon Genderson • [email protected] JAZZ PROJECT: Jean-Keith Fagon • [email protected]

CALENDAR & BULLETIN BOARDHILL RAG, DC NORTH & EAST OF THE RIVER:Hill Rag & East of the River Calendar Editor: Kathleen DonnerBULLETIN BOARD EDITOR: Mary-Frances Daly [email protected], [email protected]

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT Monica Cavanaugh • [email protected] Evans • [email protected] Daly • [email protected] McCall • [email protected] Schoell • [email protected] Synder • [email protected] Avniel Spatz • [email protected] Waldron • [email protected] D. Shinkman - [email protected] Sunukjian - [email protected] Holloway - [email protected]

BEAUTY, HEALTH & FITNESSPatricia Cinelli • fi [email protected] Bresnick Hauss, LCSW • www.quietwaterscenter.com [email protected] Sherer • [email protected]

KIDS & FAMILYMary-Frances Daily • [email protected] Johnson • [email protected]

HOMES & GARDENSRindy O’Brien - Hill Gardener • [email protected] Thomas • [email protected] Capen • [email protected]

NEWS & NEIGHBORHOOD REPORTSWARD 1: Mark Johnson • [email protected] 2: Amanda Abrams • [email protected] 4: Tanya Snyder • [email protected]: Tanya Snyder • [email protected]: Kyle Johnson • [email protected]: Kyle Johnson • [email protected]: Roberta Weiner • [email protected] 7: Virginia Spatz • [email protected] 8: Virginia Spatz • [email protected] ROW: 202-544-3188H STREET LIFE: Elise Bernard • [email protected] NOSE: [email protected]

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WEBSITEWEB MASTER: Jason Nickens202.543.8300 X17 • [email protected]

DEADLINES & CONTACTSADVERTISING: [email protected] ADS: 15th of each monthCLASSIFIED ADS: 10th of each monthEDITORIAL: 15th of each month; [email protected] BOARD & CALENDAR: 15th of each month;[email protected], [email protected]

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6 ★ EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MARCH 2011

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Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc. 12th Annual Business Meeting & Family Community Conference

This Year’s Theme:

“Strengthening Community Dialogue As One City”@ A. Kiger Savoy Elementary;2400 Shannon Place, SE WDC 20020Directly across the street from The Anacostia Metro Station

• ELECTION OF 2011 FSFSC BOARD OFFICERS• INFORMATIVE WORK SHOPS WITH CEU CREDITS• MOON BOUNCE & CLOWNS• FREE CHILDCARE• WII & PS3 TOURNAMENTS• LIVE ENTERTAINMENT• MOBILE UNITS• HEALTH VENDORS• FREE FOOD

April 9, 2011 9 am – 4 pmFREE ADMISSION

For More Information Contact:Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc. 2041 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, SE Suite 304Washington, DC 20020 • Phone 202-899-1425 Fax 202-889-2213 • www.fsfsc.org

Invited Guests:Mayor Vincent Gray (confi rmed); City Council Chairman Kwame Brown; Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry

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On the Forefront: What’s New in the Solar System?Every spring, the National Air and Space Museum pres-ents their Exploring Space Lectures. On Mar. 24 Dean Pesnell will speak on the Solar Dynamics Observatory and its amazing new imagery of the Sun; April 7: Alfred McEwen will speak on HiRISE and show the latest high resolution imagery of Mars; May 12: Sean Solomon will present the latest results and imagery from MESSENGER, which will have become the fi rst spacecraft to orbit Mer-cury only a few weeks before. June 9: Carle Pieters will speak about Dawn just a few weeks before its arrival at Asteroid Vesta. The evenings begin with a fi lm at 6:30 p.m., “Meet the Lecturer” at 7:30 p.m., lecture at 8:00 p.m. and telescope viewing (weather permitting) at 9:15 p.m. Order free tickets online at nasm.si.edu.Courtesy of NASA

Madama Butterfl yThe innocent Butterfl y gives her heart, loses her honor, and surrenders her child. This is a sacrifi ce she cannot survive. One of the world’s most beloved operas, the innocent But-terfl y catches the eye of a caddish, young American Naval offi cer, who makes her his temporary “wife.” When his time in Japan is over, he abandons her. Dishonored, Butterfl y is bereft. For more than a century, audiences have been thrilled by Puccini’s haunting, poignant music and touched by the lovely Butterfl y, who gives up everything for love. At the Kennedy Center through March 17. dc-opera.orgCourtesy of San Francisco Opera.

GO.GO.SEE.SEE.DO.DO.


DC United Season Opens March 19at RFKDC United returns to action this month in preparation for the 2011 season. The team trains in Florida, California and South Carolina before hosting the Columbus Crew in their season opener at RFK Stadium on March 19 at 7:30 P.M. United has a new head coach in former player Ben Olsen and recently unveiled a red-hot alternate jersey for the upcoming season. Tickets are $23-$52. Group rates available. 202-587-5000. dcunited.com17-year old midfi elder Andy Najar was named the 2010 MLS Rookie of the Year. Photo: Courtesy of D.C. United.

Johnny’s Half Shell: Saturday Night at the MoviesAward-winning Johnny’s Half Shell, located at 400 North Capitol Street, NW, is reaching out to the neighborhood with a 10% discount on Friday and Saturday evenings. When Congress is out of session, they offer the neighborhood dis-count every night. Just have ID with zip code 20001, 20002, 20003 or 20024. Once a month, Johnny’s shows a movie on a Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. March’s movie is “The Big Night” on the 26th. 202-737-0400. johnnyshalfshell.net

Garment District Temporium presents Music, Art and FashionDC’s largest-ever pop up art and retail installation, the Garment District Temporium features remarkable artists, fashion designers, and musicians in a 10,000 square foot space at Seventh St. and New York Ave. NW. Fashion and accessories for men, women and children, ranging from dresses, scarves, purses, and necklaces, to T-shirts, cuff links, ties, and even onesies for babies are showcased in The Boutique. Artists’ prints, oil paintings, photography, sculpture and neon art are for sale in The Gallery. Free live musical performances and fashion shows are in The Lounge and sewing classes are offered in The Sewing Room. 1005 Seventh St. NW. Open through March 20, Wednesday-Friday, 5:00-9:00 p.m.; Saturday, noon-9 p.m.; Sunday, noon-6:00 p.m. 202-393-1982. dcgarmentdistrict.com Garment District Temporium Shoppers


SAINT PATRICK’S CELEBRATIONSOld Town Alexandria Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Satur-day, Mar. 5, noon. saintpatricksdayparade.com/alexandria_va. 703-237-2199. ballyshaners.org

2011 Shamrock Fest. Saturday, Mar. 12 (rain or shine). Gates open at noon. RFK Stadium. This is an all-ages event. 50 bands, 11 stages, Irish pub games, children’s rides, food vendors, strolling jugglers and clowns, face painting. $24.99 and up. shamrockfest.com

DC’s St. Patricks Day Parade. The 2011 Saint Patrick’s Day Parade will step off at noon on Sunday, Mar. 13 on Con-stitution Ave. between Seventh St. and 17th St. NW. The colorful three-hour procession of fl oats, marching bands, and drill teams will also feature antique bicycles, cars, fi re trucks, and Irish wolfhounds. Students from the area’s Irish schools of dance, always favorites with the crowd, will receive special recognition this year as the parade marshals are all dance school founders. Grandstand seats are $15. 202-670-0317. dcstpatsparade.comSt. Patrick’s Day Celebration at National Geographic. Thurs-day, Mar. 17, 7:30 PM. One of the true legends of Irish tra-ditional music, De Danann celebrates St. Patrick’s Day by making its fi rst ever National Geographic live appearance. Featuring founding members Alec Finn and Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh, with Eleanor Shanley on vocals, and The Culkin School Irish Dancers. $30. ngs.org

FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTSWashington Independent Film Festival. Mar. 3-13. The Washington DC Independent Film Festival is an award winning annual fi lm festival showcasing independent fi lms from around the world; offering a Music Festival, Master Classes, Seminars & Workshops conducted by in-dustry professionals; providing cultivation and opportu-nity to the DC community. DCIFF also presents the “Inde-pendent Film Summit on the Hill” which brings together fi lmmakers and policymakers to discuss the state of the industry. dciff.org

Edward Albee Festival at Arena. Mar. 7-Apr. 24. In ad-dition to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and At Home at the Zoo, Albee enthusiasts can experience a never-before-attempted feat: a festival of 30 events, featuring staged readings of all the plays of this master playwright. During the festival, the entire canon of our nation’s greatest liv-ing playwright will be featured. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-554-9066. arenastage.org

Travel and Adventure Show. Mar. 12 and 13 at Washing-ton Convention Center. Attendees will explore hands-on activities, attend engaging seminars, and win incredible giveaways, all while perusing through an assortment of enticing destination exhibits. $15. Children 16 and under, free. Discount tickets online, $9 with promo code: DCPR. adventureexpo.com/washingtondc.

Environmental Film Festival. March 15-27 at various ven-ues around town. 150 documentary, narrative, animated, archival, experimental and children’s fi lms. 202-342-2564. envirofi lmfest.org

GWUL Whitney M. Young, Jr. Memorial Gala. Mar. 16, 6:30 PM, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Rd. NW. This year’s platform introduces the idea of cel-ebrating Washington, DC’s diverse population, as a united community with the theme, “YOU, ME, WE….DC!” A silent auction will be held from 5:30-7:30 PM to benefi t Greater Washington Urban League programs and initiatives and the reception for the evening will be held from 5:30-6:30 PM. Surprise celebrity guests will be in attendance as well.

Ben Skinner: Try A Little Tenderness As Painful As It Seems.Through Apr. 8. Ben Skinner is an emerging Canadian contemporary artist. This is his fi rst solo exhibition. His understanding of composition and space paired with a keen sense of humor re-sults in works that are compelling and fresh. The artist’s work is heavily text-based and ranges from installations to lighting to work that hangs on walls. Curated by The Jealous Curator.

Honfl eur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-536-8994. honfl eurgallery.com

CALENDAR


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Contact GWUL for ticket information. 202-265-8200. gwul.org

Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Expo: Leading the Way to Busi-ness Success. Mar. 16, 10:30 AM-7:00 PM. Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW. 202-728-0352. gwhcc.org

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington Con-cert. Friday, Mar. 18, 8:00 PM; Saturday, Mar. 19, 8:00 PM and Sunday, Mar. 20, 3:00 PM. Their 30th anniversary season of shows con-rinues with an all-male production of the mu-sical THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS. Lisner Auditorium, George Washington Univer-sity, 730 21st St. NW. Buy tickets online at GMCW.org, by calling 202-293-1548 or at the

door on the day of the show.

“Choosing to Participate” at the Historical Society of Washington, DC. Through June 17. Facing History and Ourselves, an international educational nonprofi t, has brought its nation-ally acclaimed multimedia exhibit, Choosing to Participate, to the nation’s capital. The exhibition examines the impact and history of bigotry and injustice, and inspires conver-sation about the choices we can make every day to foster civic engagement, tolerance and mutual understanding in our communities. Historical Society of Washington, DC, 801 K St. NW. 202-383-1800. historydc.org

Artists for the Anacostia. Wednesday, Mar. 23, 6:00-10:00 PM. Local artists showcase

their art to support the Anacostia Watershed Society at the Eastern Market North Hall. ana-costiaws.org

Spring Craft Weekend. Mar. 24-27. Arts and crafts and related activities presented by the James Renwick Alliance. 301-907-3888. jra.org

National Cherry Blossom Festival. Mar. 26-Apr. 10. Festival has many events including fi reworks, parade, Japanese street festival, cultural performances and, of course, the famous blossoms. nationalcherryblossom-festival.org

Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom. Expected to be Mar. 29-Apr. 3.

National Cherry Blossom Festival Fire-works. Apr. 2, 8:30-9:00 PM. Waterfront Park, 600 Water St. SW. nationalcherryblos-somfestival.org

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODAn Evening of Kool Jazz. Saturday, Mar. 12, 8:00-10:00 PM. Smiley Dew Entertainment presents “An Evening of Kool Jazz” featuring the harmonic sounds of Avon Dews and his band. For tickets, call 202-562-4556. Advance tickets, $20; at the door, $25. THEARC The-ater, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

“Cartograph” at Vivid Solutions. Through Apr. 4. This is the fi rst Washington, DC exhi-bition for North Carolina artist Gerard Lange. The exhibition is a combination of digital prints of collaged artists journals, 2” x 3” artists trading cards and a large mixed media map featuring the eastern coastal regional of North Carolina. The Gallery at Vivid Solutions, 2208 Martin Luther King Ave. SE. 202-365-8392. vividsolutionsdc.com

Big Chair Breakfast Bunch. Saturday, Mar. 12, 10:00 AM-noon. Big Chair Coffee n’ Grill (up-stairs). All are welcome to attend and discuss what’s happening East of the River. 2122 Mar-tin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. 202-525-4287.

Rhythm Café: Women in Jazz. Sunday, Mar. 13, 2:00 PM. Karine Chapdelaine, a recent graduate of Howard University and an award winning member of the Howard University Jazz Ensemble, will present a lecture and musical performance on popular Brazilian singer Simone Bittencourt. Register by call-ing 202-633-4866. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Levine School of Music: Community Sing. Tuesday, Mar.15, 7:00 PM. The Levine School of Music presents an uplifting Community Sing, led by Levine Artist-in-Residence Dr. Ysaye Maria Barnwell of Sweet Honey in the Rock. $5 at the door. THEARC, 1901 Missis-sippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org or levineschool.org/communitysing

Historic Lakeland Lecture. Tuesday, Mar. 15, 10:30 AM. Did you know that Lakeland, a

historic African American community, is one of several small,African American communi-ties along the U.S. Route 1 corridor between Washington, D.C., and Laurel, Maryland? Com-munity historian Violetta Sharps-Jones, vice-chair for the Lakeland Community Heritage Project, will tell the story of how Lakeland was established and fl ourished in a segregat-ed society and developed its own institutions and traditions, including the area’s only high school for African Americans, built in 1928. A book signing on Lakeland’s history will follow. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Welcome the Celestial Spring. Mar. 18-19, 8:00 AM-2:00 PM. Two days of crafts, programs, and walks to look at why seasons change. Build a solar calendar, look at the sun safely, and take a walk with a ranger to see the way spring has begun through birds, trees, and all those lawn weeds. No fee for the programs, and it starts Friday and Saturday with a Dawn Chorus of birdsong at 8:00 in the morning. Call the park at 202-426-6905 for a full schedule. Free. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. 202-426-6905. nps.gov/keaq

The Miss DC International and Miss Teen DC International Pageant 2011. Saturday, Mar. 19, 6:00-8:00 PM. The Miss DC International and Miss Teen DC International Pageant 2011 is a Pageant Competition for representatives in the District of Columbia. Two special young ladies will have the opportunity to embark on a year of public service promoting the platform of her choice across the nation’s capital, the nation, and the world. $25. THEARC Theater, 1901 Mis-sissippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org.Growing up Gullah Discussion. Sunday, Mar. 20, 2:00 PM. Join videographer Terence L. Johnson in a discussion about the making of the fi lm Growing up Gullah. Johnson explores the challenges of making a fi lm about the Gullah/Geechee traditions, based on the tes-timonies of 12 D.C. area residents. Johnson’s documentary will also showcase the various folkways and mores that characterize the is-lands along the South Carolina coast. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Environmental Film Festival at THEARC. Where The Whales Sing, Mar. 22, 10:30 AM and A Community of Gardeners, Mar. 25, 4:00 PM. The Environmental Film Festival presents two unique “World Premiere” movies that examine the role of gardening and nature in the development of local and national communities. Showings are free and will in-clude post-discussions after the screenings. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org.The African Presence in Candomblé Discus-sion. Wednesday, Mar. 23, 7:00 PM. Michael Atwood Mason, director of exhibitions at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural His-tory and scholar of African-based religious traditions in the Americas, discusses the core symbols, beliefs, and practices of Brazilian Candomblé, with a special focus on the global growth of this and other African-based reli-gious traditions. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820.

CALENDAR

Congresswomen Norton’s Government-to-goin Your Neighborhood.

Tuesday, Mar. 22, 10:00 AM-noon, Philip T. Johnson Senior Center, 3440 Minnesota Ave. SE. Get answers and information on federal programs and policy such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid

and other federal benefi ts. 202-225-8050. norton.house.gov

Photo by Andrew Lightman

anacostia.si.edu

Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble: Lecture Demonstration. Thursday, Mar. 24, 4:00-5:00 PM. The Dance The-atre of Harlem’s lecture demonstration is an informal 60 minute demonstra-tion of the art of classical ballet. The presentation is a virtual performance. It begins with Ensemble Director Keith Saunders narrating the process of making a dancer: specifi c exercises are demonstrated, and the reasons for them explained. The dancers begin at the barre and end with partnering techniques and lifts. Similarities be-tween ballet dancers and professional athletes are discussed. Narration is in-terspersed with excerpts performed by the dancers from an eclectic repertoire. Free but reserve tickets online-limited availability. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

The Rhythms and Movements of Ca-poeira. Saturday, Mar. 26, 2:00 PM. Roda Movements, a Washington area dance studio, presents the history and infl uences of Capoeira, an African-based art form that combines martial arts, dance, and music and that gave rise to break dancing. Audience partici-pation and demonstrations complete the program. Anacostia Community Mu-seum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Houses of Worship: A Forum for Cre-ative Expression. Tuesday, Mar. 29, 7:00 PM. This panel discussion will explore the central role of houses of worship in promoting and sustaining creative expression. The program will include discussion of the breadth of ministries in music, dance, videography, and other areas within large as well as small congregations and the impact of this work in the community. This forum is part of the “Call and Response: Com-munity and Creativity Project,” which is documenting creative expression in Washington, D.C.’s Wards 7 and 8. Ana-costia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Dance Workshop. Wednesday, Mar. 30, 10:30 AM and Thursday, Apr. 7, 10:30 AM. Audience members will learn dance movements inspired by the cultures of the Gullah/Geechee, Brazil, and Sierra Leone. This workshop is led by Carol Foster, the executive/artistic director and founder of the DC Youth Ensemble. School groups welcome. Reservations required. Call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Houses of Worship in Ward 8 Commu-nity Forum. Tuesday, Apr. 5. 7:00 PM. This forum continues the dialogue on the role of houses of worship in com-munities east of the Anacostia River. A report summarizing the fi ndings of a survey and documentation project of 42 houses of worship in the Ward 8 com-



munity will be followed by a panel discussion on current issues as seen from the perspective of religious leaders. This forum is part of the museum’s ongoing effort to document the role of faith-based institutions in Southeast Wash-ington and continues the museum’s commit-ment to examine American religious history, experience, and expressions. The on-going documentation will provide an understanding of the challenges, issues, and successes faced by communities of faith in the present-day social, political, and economic climate. Ana-costia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Anacostia Watershed Earth Day. Apr. 9, 8:30 AM-1:00 PM. A day to tackle invasive vines, dead plants from previous seasons. and of course, trash in the wetlands of the Anacostia River. Join others and bring work gloves, rakes, and make a difference while you enjoy the outdoors. Wear long sleeves and pants and sturdy shoes. You will get muddy. Meet at the maintenance yard. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacos-tia Ave. NE. 202-426-6905. nps.gov/keaq

Separate and Unequaled: Black Baseball in the District of Columbia. Open daily, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. Exhibition about segregated baseball from from Reconstruction to the sec-ond half of the 20th century. Anacostia Com-munity Museum. Free. 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu SPORTS, DANCE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS

Washington Wizards Basketball. Mar. 8, 12, 14, 20, 30 and Apr. 1 at the Verizon Center. nba.com/wizards

Washington Capitals Ice Hockey. Mar. 9, 11, 13, 25. 29, 31 and Apr. 2 at the Verizon Center. Buy and sell tickets on teamexchange.ticketmaster.com. Visit the Washington Capi-tals website at capitals.nhl.com.

St. Patrick’s Day 8K. Sunday, Mar. 13, 9:00 AM. Race activities take place on or around Freedom Plaza (on Pennsylvania Ave. between 13th and 14th sts. NW). Race day registration begins at 7:00 AM or register online at run-washington.com. $35. 301-871-0400.

Full Moon Hikes at the National Arboretum. March 17, 18, 19, 8:00-10:00 PM. This is a four-mile-long, mildly strenuous hike through moonlit gardens, meadows and woods. Your guide will share several points of special in-terest and seasonal highlights. The two-hour walk over hilly and uneven terrain is more of a brisk hike than a tour so wear good walking shoes and dress for the weather. Not recom-mended for children under 16. No pets. $22. Registration required at usna.usda.gov or 202-245-4521.

Race for Justice 5K. Saturday, Mar 19, 8:00 AM. George Washington University Law School’s Equal Justice Foundation, a student-led group which promotes public interest work by law students and graduates. Proceeds of the race will fund summer stipends for stu-dents pursuing volunteer public interest work during the summer. $25 registration includes a t-shirt. Prizes for top fi nishers! Race is around Hains Point, East Potomac Park, 1090 Ohio Dr.

SW. 207-660-5845. runwashington.comSunTrust National Marathon. Saturday, Mar. 26, 7:00 AM–1:00 PM. Start/fi nish: RFK Stadi-um’s Lot 3. nationalmarathon.com

Marine Corps Marathon Registration. Regis-ter online at marinemarathon.com. $90. Act quickly because registration is almost closed. Marathon is Sunday, Oct. 30.

Washington Nationals Home Opener. The Nats open the 2011 season at home against the Atlanta Braves Mar. 31, 1:05 PM at Na-tional Park. washington.nationals.mlb.com

Roller Skating at Anacostia Park. Skate any time. This is a covered, outdoor skating pavilion. Free. From Penn. Ave., just before the bridge, south on Fairlawn Ave. and right onto Nicholson and then into the park. 202-472-3873.

National’s Fans Home Opener Sweepstakes. Entry period ends, 2:00 PM, Mar. 25. Enter online to see the Washington Nationals take on the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park for the 2011 Home Opener! One fan will receive four PNC Diamond Club tickets for winner and guests to attend the Washington Nationals home opener vs. the Atlanta Braves on Thurs-day, Mar. 31 at Nationals Park. Prize includes select food and non-alcoholic-beverages. washington.nationals.mlb.com

Spring Public National’s Ballpark Tours. Tuesday-Saturday (non-game days), 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. On day of night-time home games, tours at 10:30 AM. Take the Nation-als Park Ballpark Tour for a behind-the-scenes look at Nationals Park. Over the course of an hour and fi fteen minutes you will visit the PNC Diamond Club, the Lexus Presidents Club, the Stars & Stripes Club, luxury suites, the Shirley Povich Media Center, Nationals dugout and Nationals clubhouse. Throw a pitch in the Na-tionals bullpen. $12-$15. All proceeds from Nationals Park Tours will be donated to the Nationals Dream Foundation.

Ice Skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Open through Mid March (depending on the weather). Monday through Thursday, 10:00 AM-9:00 PM; Friday and Sat-urday, 10:00 AM-11:00 PM; Sunday, 11:00 AM-9:00 PM. View magnifi cent works of sculpture while skating in the open air and enjoying mu-sic from the state-of-the-art sound system. $7 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under, stu-dents with ID and seniors 50 and over. Skate rental is $3. Seventh St. and Constitution Ave. NW. 202-289-3361. nga.gov/ginfo/skating

Fort Dupont Ice Arena Public Skating Spring Schedule. Fridays, noon-1:50 PM; Saturdays, 11:15 AM-12:15 PM; Sundays, 1:00 PM-2:20 PM. $5, adults. $4, children and seniors. Skate rental, $3. 3779 Ely Place, SE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org

Deanwood Aquatic Center Indoor Pool. Mon-Fri 6:30 AM-8:00 PM; Sat-Sun, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Free for DC residents. Have ID. 1350 49th St. NE. 202-671-3078. dpr.dc.gov

Ferebee-Hope Aquatic Center Indoor Pool. Mon-Fri, 3:00-8:00 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Free for DC residents. Have ID. 3999

Eighth St. SE. 202-645-3916. dpr.dc.gov

African Dance Class. Every Monday, 7:15-8:30 PM. For adults. No prior experience necessary. Walk-ins welcome. THEARC. $10. 1901 Missis-sippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

Yoga Class. Every Saturday, 10:00-11:15 AM. For adults. No prior experience necessary. Walk-ins welcome. THEARC. $10. 1901 Missis-sippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (in-door courts). Open daily; Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM-9:00 PM; Sunday, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. Four indoor courts. Six outdoor courts. Summer hourly fees at $6 to $10 for adults. Kids 17 and under play for free. 701 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-645-6242. dpr.dc.gov/dpr

Free public tennis courts in Wards 7 and 8. Fort Davis Community Center, 1400 41st St. SE; Hillcrest Recreation Center, 3100 Denver St. SE; Kenilworth-Parkside Recreation Center, 4300 Anacostia Ave. NE; Randle Highlands Tennis Courts, 31st St. and Pennsylvania Ave. SE; Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE; Bald Eagle Recreation Center, Martin Lu-ther King, Jr Ave. and Joliet St. SW; Congress Heights Recreation Center, Alabama Ave. and Randle Pl.SE; Fort Stanton Community Center, 1812 Erie St. SE. All courts are open daily, dawn to dusk. Some are lighted for extended evening play. Courts are available on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis for one-hour inter-vals; extended use of tennis courts requires a permit. Proper shoes and attire is required. 202-671-0314. www.dpr.dc.gov/dpr

East Potomac Driving Range. Open daily except Christmas, 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM. Tues-days open 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM. The East Potomac Driving Range features 50 covered and 50 uncovered stalls for year-round golf practice. $6 for 51 balls. East Potomac Golf Course, 972 Ohio Dr. SW. 202-554-7660. www.golfdc.comLangston Driving Range. Open every day except Christmas, sun-up to sun-down. In addition to the driving range, Langston has an 18 hole course, snack bar, pro shop and offers golf lessons. 45 balls, $4.75. 180 balls, $14.25. $2, golf club rental. 26th and Ben-ning Rd. NE. 202-397-8638 www.golfdc.com

CIVIC LIFECongresswoman Norton’s SE District Offi ce. Open weekdays, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. 2041 MLK Ave. SE, #238. 202-678-8900. norton.house.gov

Councilmember Alexander’s Constituent Services Offi ce. Open weekdays, 10:00 AM-6:00 PM. 2524 Penn. Ave. SE. 202-581-1560.

Councilmember Barry’s Constituent Servic-es Offi ce. Open weekdays, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. 2100 MLK Ave, SE, #307. 202-698-2185.

Ward 7 Democrats Monthly Meeting. Fourth Saturday, noon-2:00 PM. Ward Memorial AME Church, 241 42nd St. NE. 202-584-8477 or info@ward7democrats. ward7democrats.org

Anacostia Coordinating Council Meeting. Last Tuesday. Noon-2:00 PM. Anacostia Mu-seum, 1901 Fort St. SE. For further details, contact Philip Pannell, 202-889-4900.

Capitol View Civic Association Monthly Meeting. Third Monday of every month, 6:30 PM. Hughes Memorial United Methodist, 25 53rd St. NE. capitolviewcivicassoc.org

Historical Anacostia Block Association. Second Thursday of every month. 7:00-9:00 PM. UPO-Anacostia Service Center, 1649 Good Hope Rd. SE. For further details, contact Charles Wilson, 202-834-0600.

Anacostia High School School Improvement Team Meeting. Fourth Tuesday. 6:00 PM. Ana-costia High School, 16th and R sts. SE.

Deanwood Citizens Association General Body Meeting. Fourth Monday, except Aug. and Dec., 6:30 PM. First Baptist Church of Deanwood, 1008 45th St. NE

Eastland Gardens Civic Association Meet-ing. Third Tuesday. 6:30-8:30 PM. Kenilworth Elementary School (auditorium), 1300 44th St. NE. Greg Rhett [email protected] or 202-388-1532.

Fairlawn Citizens Association. Third Tues-day, 7:00 PM. Ora L. Glover Community Room at the Anacostia Public Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE.

6th District Citizens Advisory Council. Sec-ond Monday, except July and Aug. 7:00 PM. 6th District HQ, 100 42nd St. NE.

ANC Meeting for 7-A. Third Tuesday. 7:30 PM. Benning-Stoddard Rec. Center, 100 Stoddard Pl. SE. 202-727-1000. [email protected]. www.anc7a.org

ANC Meeting for 7-B. Third Thursday. 7:00 PM. Ryland Epworth United Methodist Church, 3200 S St. SE (Branch Ave and S St. SE). 202-584-3400. [email protected]. www.anc7b.us

ANC Meeting for 7-C. Second Thursday. 7:00 PM. Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church, 5109 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE. 202-398-5100. [email protected]

ANC Meeting for 7-D. Second Tuesday. 6:30 PM. Sixth District Police Station, 100 42nd St. NE. 202-398-5258. [email protected]

ANC Meeting for 7-E. Second Tuesday. 7:00-8:30 PM. Jones Memorial Church, 4625 G St. SE. 202-582-6360. [email protected]

ANC Meeting for 8-A. First Tuesday. 7:00 PM. Anacostia UPO Service Center, 1649 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-889-6600. www.anc8adc.org

ANC Meeting for 8-B. Third Tuesday. 7:00 PM. Seventh District Police Station Community Center, Alabama and McGee Sts. SE. 202-610-1818. www.anc8b.org

ANC Meeting for 8-C. First Wednesday (June meeting is on the nineth because of the holiday). 6:30 PM. 2907 MLK Jr Ave. SE.

CALENDAR

202-388-2244.ANC Meeting for 8-D. Fourth Thurs-day. 7:00 PM. Specialty Hospital of Washington, 4601 MLK Jr. Ave. SW. 202 561-0774

ANC Meeting for 8-E. Third Tuesday. 7:00 PM. SE Tennis and Learning Cen-ter, 701 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-561-6616. [email protected]

OUT OF TOWNMontpelier Arts Center Jazz Series. Mar. 11, Ethel Ennis with Trio (sold out); Mar. 18, Lafayette Gilchrist. $20. 9652 Muirkirk Rd., Laurel, MD. 301-377–7800. arts.pgparks.com

Artomatic Takes Flight at Reagan National Airport. Through June 25. Artomatic Takes Flight is an unjuried art exhibition (70 artworks) for Arto-matic artists that will be on display in the hallway connecting to Terminal A. Opening reception, Thursday, Mar. 10, 6:00-8:00 PM at DCA.

French Film Festival. Mar. 24-27. Founded in 1993, the French Film Festival located in Richmond, VA is an American-led initiative to promote French language cinema and culture in the United States and create a tradi-tion of Franco-American corporate and cultural partnerships. All screenings at the Byrd Theatre, 2908 West Cary St., Richmond, VA. 804-827-FILM (3456). frenchfi lmfestival.us

Pentagon Memorial. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. On two acres of land, 184 benches over pools of water, honoring those who died on Sept. 11. West side of the Pentagon, adjacent to route 27. Arlington, VA. 703-693-8935. pentagonmemorial.net

$7 Sunday Homemade Breakfast. Second Sunday of every month, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM. Families welcome. Enjoy a homemade $7 breakfast in a historic Alexandria ballroom. They are located around the corner from Gadsby’s Tav-ern. American Legion Post 24, 400 Cameron St., Alexandria, VA. 703-683-5564. valegionpost24.org

Junkyard Saints Mardi Gras Party. Tuesday, Mar. 8, 7:30-8:30 PM, dance lesson; 8:30-11:00 PM, dancing. The Junkyard Saints is a DC/Baltimore based band performing its own brand of New Orleans-style party music, blending funk, swing, Latin, R & B, with a splash of zydeco to round out the mix. They have played at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Balti-more’s Inner Harbor and Pier Six, the Fort Lauderdale Cajun Crawfi sh Festi-val, Bethlehem’s Musikfest, The Funk-Box, and more. $15. Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA. 703-875-1100. artisphere.com ●●


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Specializing in:• Individual, Couples, and Group Psychotherapy• Patients with the Diagnosis of Cancer• Self Exploration without Psychotropic Drugs:

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BULLETIN BOARD

5th Annual East of the River Juried Group Exhibition: 2011 Call to Artists

Honfleur Gallery and Th e Gal-

lery at Vivid Solutions are pleased

to announce the call for submissions

for the 5th Annual East of the River

Exhibition, highlighting the creative

minds of Washington DC’s Wards 7

and 8. Artists living, working or with

roots in the communities east of the

Anacostia River may submit up to 20

images. Th is year’s exhibition will fo-

cus on the presentation of bodies of

work from up to six selected artists, to

be exhibited at the Honfleur Gallery

and Th e Gallery at Vivid Solutions.

Proposals for works in progress will be

accepted. A $300 award per artist will

be presented to each artist selected for

exhibition, and in addition, an indi-

vidual work selected as Best in Show

will be announced during opening

night reception. Th e galleries are of-

fering an optional Portfolio Work-

shop for interested parties. Deadline

for submission is Mar. 21. 202-536-

8994. honfl eurgallery.com

National Capital Parks Eastholds Open house at Anacostia

Community MuseumFollowing the lead of other Na-

tional Park Service areas across the

country, National Capital Parks East

will be host an open house on March

16th and March 17th at the Ana-

costia Community Museum, 1901

Fort Place SE, from 5pm to 8:30pm.

Th e event will provide the public an

opportunity to interact with park

staff and community partners, ask

questions, and spark open dialogue.

Guests will be encouraged to increase

their understanding of NPS eff orts to

manage our natural, cultural, histori-

cal and recreational resources, with

information on youth programs and

employment opportunities available.

“Th e open house is an opportu-

nity for people to ask questions,” says

Alexcy Romero, Superintendent of

National Capital Parks – East. “We

will be connecting our parks to our

communities and our communities to

our parks.”

Community Development and the Arts: Future Possibilities for the East of the River Communities

Creation of an arts district in old

Anacostia? Inclusion of an arts plan

for the development of Barry Farm

and Poplar Point? Creation of an arts

avenue in SE? Panelists from local

community organizations and city-

wide arts activists will discuss these

ideas; a period for audience dialogue

will follow. Th is forum is part of the

“Call and Response: Community and

Creativity Project”, which is docu-

menting creative expression in DC’s

Wards 7 and 8. Tuesday, Mar. 15. 7:00

PM. Anacostia Community Mu-

seum. 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 633-4820.

anacostia.si.edu

The Temple of Praise Employ-ment Ministry Spring Job Fair

On Mar. 19, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM,

Mary Virginia Merrick Center, 4275

Fourth St. SE. All are welcome. Ven-

dors rsvp to Chris Askew at 240-281-

1376.

Goodwill of Greater Washington’s Free Construction Training

Open to most of Ward 5, 7 and 8.

Fort Dupont Community Garden. Photo by Park Ranger Wesley Gant

Obtain a Community Garden Permit at Fort DupontThe Fort Dupont Community Gardens are located at the corner of Fort Dupont and Fort Davis Drives.Applications for permits are being received now. There is no charge for the garden space but you must be able to attend a rules meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 22, 7:00 PM, at the Fort Dupont Activities Center on Fort Dupont Drive, near the concert stage. Contact the community gardens coordinator at 202-426-7723.

Help Clean-up Kenilworth Park and Aquatic GardensSaturday, Mar. 25, 9:00 AM-noon. Volunteers engage in a wide variety of activities including invasive plants removal, painting, lily pond resto-ration, trash removal (land based and river borne), planting, pruning, and other duties as assigned. These activities require the ability to kneel, squat, lift, and perform routine gardening and clean up func-tions over a period of three to four hours. Volunteers are required to wear clothing appropriate for the work at hand--long sleeved shirts, long pants, and no open toe shoes. 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. 202-426-6905. nps.gov/kepa

A volunteer removes cut lotus from the ponds at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Photo Courtesy of Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Trainees receive NCCER (National

Center for Construction Education

& Research) certifi cation; fi rst aid,

CPR and OSHA 10 certifi cation;

green elective track in (can include

Green Advantage or Smart Meter

Installation); hands-on and class-

room training with team projects; in-

dividualized job placement assistance

and career coaching; private career

fair and other employer networking

events. Intake scheduled on Tuesdays,

Wednesdays, and Th ursdays promptly

at 9:30 AM at Goodwill’s Headquar-

ters, 2200 South Dakota Ave. NE.

202-715-2616 or greenpathwaydc@

dcgoodwill.org. dcgoodwill.org

Off-Peak Lane Closures for 11th Street Bridges Project

Th e District Department of

Transportation may close lanes dur-

ing off -peak travel hours on the 11th

St. bridges, related ramps, portions

of the Southeast-Southwest Free-

way, Interstate 295/DC 295 and lo-

cal streets through Mar. 22 for 11th

Street Bridge Project construction

activities. Th ese closures may include

periodically closing up to two of the

four lanes on either the inbound or

outbound 11th Street Bridge and

one lane on related ramps on week-

nights and some Sunday evenings to

deliver steel girders or perform other

construction-related work. To imple-

ment this, workers will close one

bridge lane at 8:00 PM and a second

lane and one ramp lane beginning at

9:00 PM with all lanes reopening by

5:00 AM the next morning. In ad-

dition daily, from 9:30 AM to 5:00

AM the next morning, both lanes of

N St. SE will be closed between 12th

and 11th St. SE. A signed detour will

be provided. 202-484-2330. ddot.

dc.gov/11thStreetBridge

LIFT-DC Opens at THEARC to Pro-vide Social Services to Ward 8

Local nonprofi t LIFT-DC has

begun operations at a new service cen-

ter inside Town Hall Education Arts

Recreation Campus (THEARC) at

1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. LIFT-DC

will provide individualized, one-on-

one services to residents of surround-

ing neighborhoods. LIFT-DC will

initially meet with clients on Wednes-

days and Fridays. Staff and volunteers

will work with individuals to provide

help with employment and hous-

ing searches, public benefi ts enroll-

ment, locating aff ordable healthcare

and childcare, and a variety of other

social services. Services are free and

there are no eligibility requirements.

For more information and to make

an appointment, call 202-889-5901

or email washingtondc@liftcommu-

nities.org. liftcommunities.org

Environmental Cleanup Study at Benning Road Facility

Th e District of Columbia Depart-

ment of the Environment (DDOE)

has entered into a Consent Decree

with Pepco Energy Services Inc.

(PES) and Potomac Electric Power

Co. (Pepco), under which Pepco

and PES have committed to launch

an environmental investigation and

cleanup study of Pepco’s Benning

Road facility. Under the Consent De-

cree, fi led in Federal District Court

yesterday, Pepco will investigate the

facility and adjacent portions of the

Anacostia River to determine if his-

torical Benning Road facility opera-

tions have contributed to contamina-

tion of the Anacostia River sediments

and if so, what – if any –additional re-

sponse actions should be taken. Pepco

and PES are cooperating fully with

DDOE and support the District’s ef-

forts to protect the Anacostia River,

a valuable resource for the District of

Columbia and its residents. Pepco’s

Benning Road facility is one of six

publicly and privately owned sites

along the Anacostia that DDOE has

identifi ed as potential sources of pol-

lutants impacting the river. 202-299-

3338. ddoe.dc.gov

Ward 7 Residents CompleteCollaborative Workshops

Nineteen Ward 7 residents grad-

uated after successfully completing

“Th e Celebrity in You” and “Be Smart-

-Money Start” workshops off ered by

the East River Family Strengthening

Collaborative, Inc. “Th e Celebrity in

You” is a parenting class workshop

which consisted of 6 sessions (a to-

tal of 12 hours). Using the Common

Sense Parenting Model, it is a spin-

off of the ERFSC Powerful Families

United program which engages DC

parents to help them acquire and in-

ternalize skills needed to build and

maintain a healthy family. Th e “Be

Smart -- Money Smart” workshop is

a fi nancial literacy programs in which

engages residents and encourage

them to better manage their fi nances.



Th e East River Family Strengthening

Collabroative continues to off er these

free workshops. To fi nd out more, call

Artherelle West at 202-397-7300, ext.

121. erfsc.org

Streetcar SystemRecommendations Released

Th e Committee of 100 on the

Federal City has released a detailed

assessment of the proposed 37-mile

streetcar system for Washington, DC.

Th e report, “Building a World-Class

Streetcar System for a World-Class

City,” analyzes the proposed routes and

highlights seven recommendations to

bring streetcars back to DC. Read the

report online at committeeof100.net.

202-681-0225.

Traffi c Lane Shifts on Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE

Th e District Department of Trans-

portation has shifted all traffi c to the

north side of Nannie Helen Burroughs

Ave. NE, between Minnesota Ave. and

55th St. to accommodate construc-

tion activities along the southern curb

lane of the roadway. Th e traffi c lane

shift will remain in place through May

2011. During this time one traffi c lane

in each direction will remain open and

curbside parking along this stretch will

be restricted. Temporary signs will be

in place to alert the traveling public in

this area. dashboard.ddot.dc.gov

DC Department Unveils Newly Upgraded Maternity Mobile Unit

Th e DC Department of Health

(DOH) re-launched the newly up-

graded and now operational DOH

Maternity Mobile Unit van. Th e DOH

MOM Van is part of DOH’s “I am a

Healthy DC Mom” campaign that

emphasizes the importance of early

and continuous prenatal care. Th e cam-

paign asks women to make three com-

mitments--stay fi t and eat right, com-

mit to 40 weeks of prenatal care, and

keep their babies safe and healthy. In

addition to community outreach and

education, the van also provides servic-

es such as pregnancy testing, laboratory

assessments, basic physical and obstet-

rical examinations, risk assessment,

counseling and complete obstetrical

history to expectant mothers in Wards

5, 6, 7 and 8 who do not have access to

prenatal care. Th e van serves the wards

with the highest infant mortality rates

to help prevent unnecessary infant

deaths through education and quality

medical care. For more information or

to fi nd out when the DOH MOM Van

will be in your area, visit doh.dc.gov or

call 1-800-MOM-BABY.

Deals for Deeds Th e Deals for Deeds website

brings you a deal and you do a good

deed. A local company headquartered

in Mount Pleasant, Deals for Deeds

works with DC restaurants, spas, sport-

ing and entertainment events to feature

exclusive off ers on products and servic-

es. A portion of the deal then goes to a

non-profi t. Th e hot, hot, hot H Street

restaurants were featured in Febru-

ary with a 40% off deal. So when you

buy a deal, a percentage of your money

goes directly to a charitable organiza-

tion. We all come together for a good

cause and support local businesses at

the same time. It’s a free and easy sign-

up. dealsfordeeds.com

DPR Summer EmploymentOpportunities

Th e District Department of Parks

and Recreation (DPR) Summer Camp

Offi ce provides high quality recreational

programming for youth of all ages that

enhances the year-round opportunities

available in the District. Summer staff

is provided with engaging training, cre-

ative curriculum, scheduled trips, and

a team of like-minded staff to meet

the goals outlined in the program in a

structured and supportive atmosphere.

If you have questions about any posi-

tion, contact the Human Resources

Division at 202-673-7603 or dpr.sum-

[email protected].

2011 Larry Neal Writers’Competition Guidelines

Th e Larry Neal Writers’ Competi-

tion commemorates the artistic legacy

and vision held by Larry Neal, the re-

nowned author, academic and former

Executive of the DC Commission on

the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH).

Cash prizes are awarded for artistic ex-

cellence to adults (ages 19 and up) in

three categories: poetry, short story and

dramatic writing, and to youth (ages

8-12) and teens (ages 13-18) in three

categories: poetry, short story and essay.

Applicants must be DC residents. Th e

deadline to apply to the FY 2011 com-

petition is Monday, Mar. 28, 2011 at

5:30 PM. 202-724-5613. dcarts.dc.gov

Streets Reconsidered: Inclusive Design for the Public Realm Website

Re:Streets is a fundamental re-

thinking of American streets. Funded

in part by the National Endowment

for the Arts, Re:Streets will result in a

manual for designing streets to accom-

modate people of all ages and abilities

and will serve a wide range of purposes,

including transportation, commerce,

education, recreation, and the ecosys-

tem. It’s worth a visit at restreets.org.

Serve DC EmergencyPreparedness Training

Serve DC, Th e Mayor’s Offi ce on

Volunteerism, off ers free classes that

train volunteers on how to prepare,

prevent and respond to any emergen-

cy--crime, terrorism, public health cri-

ses, natural and man-made disasters. In

95 percent of all emergencies, a victim

or bystander provides the fi rst immedi-

ate response on the scene. Th e program

is free and open to anyone who lives or

works in DC. Mar. 21-25, 6:00-9:00

PM at 441 Fourth St. NW, 11th fl oor

conference room. Registration is re-

quired. 202-727-7927. serve.dc.gov

Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan Enrollment is Open

Th e District of Columbia De-

partment of Insurance, Securities and

Banking (DISB) reiterates the avail-

ability of the Pre-Existing Condition

Insurance Plan (PCIP) through the

US Department of Health and Hu-

man Services (DHHS). Th e program

provides aff ordable health insurance

for District residents unable to pur-

chase health coverage in the commer-

cial marketplace because of a pre-exist-

ing medical condition. PCIP off ers a

much needed option for residents who

face signifi cant barriers to purchasing

aff ordable health insurance in the com-

mercial market. District residents can

apply for the program, with coverage

starting less than a month later. Infor-

mation on the application process and

monthly premium rates for DC can be

found at pciplan.com. 800-220-7898.

Guest Services HiringSeasonal Staff

Guest Services Inc. in partnership

with Department of Employment Ser-

vices is hiring part-time seasonal staff

for their food service locations on the

National Mall. Th ey are looking for

outgoing, friendly, upbeat people to

showcase the Washington, DC area.

Applications are being accepted for ca-

shiers, ice cream cart attendants, gener-

al utility and food attendants. Once the

application is completed and submit-

ted online, selective candidates will be

called in for pre-screenings at a specifi c

location. Apply online at guestservices.

iapplicants.com/searchjobs

Capitol Hill Group Ministry Free Tax Clinic

Th e Capitol Hill Group Minis-

try is sponsoring a free tax clinic for

persons whose household income is

under $58,000. Th is tax return assis-

tance, which is free and confi dential, is

provided by volunteers. Th e service is

available every Th ursday evening from

6:30-9:00 PM through the tax season.

Th e service will also be available on

April 18, which this year is the fi nal

date for federal tax returns to be fi led.

For the most accurate return possible,

please bring your 2009 federal and

state tax returns, copy of real estate tax

bills paid in 2010, copies of all W-2s,

1099 forms, proof of other income (in-

cluding pensions and Social Security,

received by you and your spouse) and

Social Security numbers for you, your

spouse, and any dependents.1500 D St.

SE (NE corner of 15th and D, SE).

Th ey are also looking for more vol-

unteers. If you have some experience

with taxes and are interested in helping,

contact Martha Huizenga at martha@

mhuizenga.com.

Giant Food Celebrates 75 Years of Quality, Value and Service

Giant Food of Landover, MD cele-

brated the beginning of its 75th year in

February. Seventy fi ve years ago, N.M.

Cohen and Sam Lehrman worked to-

gether to bring the fi rst grocery store to

DC at the corner of Georgia Ave. and

Park Rd. NW. GiantFood.com ●

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Neighborhood Close Price BR

FEE SIMPLE

ANACOSTIA 2237 14TH ST SE $232,000 31339 T ST SE $115,000 31605 FAIRLAWN AVE SE $65,000 3

CHILLUM 6400 2ND PL NW $466,000 537 LONGFELLOW ST NW $465,000 45519 KANSAS AVE NW $267,500 4

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 3506 7TH ST SE $199,900 4111 BRANDYWINE PL SW $198,700 3909 SAVANNAH ST SE $155,000 44138 2ND ST SW $150,000 4802 XENIA ST SE $92,500 3625 BRANDYWINE ST SE $68,500 3814 XENIA ST SE $65,000 33861 HALLEY TER SE $62,500 2622 SOUTHERN AVE SE $40,000 2

DEANWOOD 807 44TH ST NE $270,000 45401 EAST CAPITOL ST SE $250,000 3410 57TH ST NE $249,900 3255 57TH ST NE $249,500 634 46TH ST NE $230,000 34604 KANE PL NE $180,000 74506 EADS PL NE $162,349 2218 63RD ST NE $139,700 3312 63RD ST NE $122,400 460 53RD PL SE $88,000 3807 52ND ST NE $85,000 3515 59TH ST NE $83,000 34516 DIX ST NE $65,000 3915 46TH ST NE $62,000 3

FORT DUPONT PARK 1731 41ST PL SE $245,000 24310 G ST SE $126,000 2

HILL CREST 2028 36TH ST SE $300,000 33305 ALABAMA AVE SE $150,000 03225 T ST SE $149,000 3

MARSHALL HEIGHTS 4943 A ST SE $215,000 44626 B ST SE $120,000 24703 BASS PL SE $48,000 2

CONDO

BARRY FARMS 2640 WADE RD SE #23 $26,000 2

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 750 BARNABY ST SE #202 $97,485 43210 8TH ST SE #2 $35,000 2724 BRANDYWINE ST SE #103 $23,500 110 HALLEY PL SE #10-202 $21,000 1

DEANWOOD 46391/2 MINNESOTA AVE NE #4639 $58,000 34234 EDSON PL NE #1 $50,000 34208 BENNING RD NE #1 $47,000 2

FORT DUPONT PARK 512 RIDGE RD SE #107 $9,000 1

HILL CREST 1727 28TH ST SE #201 $40,000 1

MARSHALL HEIGHTS 4732 BENNING RD SE #A-101 $51,000 2

RANDLE HEIGHTS 2844 HARTFORD ST SE #303 $45,900 2 ●●


CHANGING HANDSis a list of most residential sales in the District of

Columbia from the previous month. A feature of

every issue, this list, based on the MRIS, is provided

courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell

Banker offi ce on Capitol Hill. The list includes ad-

dress, sales price and number of bedrooms.


India Frazier was in and out of

prison for nearly 20 years—ini-

tially for armed robbery, then

for various infractions and pa-

role violations. Now, three years since

her release, she has a job with D.C.’s

Department of Public Works, she is

clean and sober, and she meets all her

parole obligations.

“I came home from jail with a

list of goals and I just keep checking

them off ,” she said. “I’ve been stay-

ing on the straight and narrow, and

I don’t play around with my sobriety

or any people involved in criminal

activity.”

Frazier credits her success to a

new gender-specifi c approach taken

by D.C.’s Court Services and Of-

fender Supervision Agency (CSOSA)

which handles parole and probation

cases. Lead by Dr. Willa Butler, the

program is the fi rst to specifi cally ca-

ter to female off enders in a criminal

justice system designed for men.

“It’s a complete paradigm shift,”

said Butler. “People say that women

are needy, but it’s just that their needs

have never been met. We’re trying to

change that. When the women are

well taken care of, that reduces recid-

ivism and keeps the community safe.

And so far, it’s working.”

A Focus on WomenCSOSA noticed many years ago

that the percentage of women in

prison was growing dramatically--

even though women still make up

just a small fraction of the massive

incarcerated population of the U.S.

Th ey also noticed that the women in

their care were not getting the help

they needed, and half were ending up

back in prison. Th ey used data from

Dr. Butler’s own research to design a

program that focuses on meeting the

unique needs — in parenting, trauma,

mental health, and substance abuse

— of women off enders.

CSOSA Associate Director

Th omas Williams explained that the

1,200 women his agency handles have

needs and histories that are often ig-

nored in the criminal justice system.

“Th ey’re traumatized by bad rela-

tionships, often by rape or incest in

the home,” he said. “Th e drugs in our

communities have also had a devas-

tating eff ect on the population. Th ey

can’t get the type of help they need in

the negative environments they grow

up in, and that sometimes leads them

to the criminal justice system.”

Ashley McSwain is the executive

director of Our Place D.C., a non-

profi t that supports women off enders.

Under the current system, she says,

women are constantly forced to choose

between their obligations as parolees

and their obligations as mothers.

“Does she stay home with a sick

child or go to a Narcotics Anonymous

meeting? Does she see her parole of-

fi cer or go her child’s school play?

When you’ve been incarcerated, you

don’t have a lot of leeway, and having

to juggle these obligations can derail

their progress.”

Dr. Butler helped design the new

gender-specifi c model—which hopes

to better address the biggest problems

she found within her all-female case-

load. Namely, schizophrenia, depres-

sion, bipolar disorder, low self-esteem,

substance abuse, and domestic abuse.

She is now working to reorganize

CSOSA so that all the women report

to one center focused on their needs—

a “one-stop shop,” in her words. Th ere,

the women can get help with the

many challenges they face—both

from professionals and in all-female

group therapy sessions.

“It’s a holistic approach,”

she explained. “We don’t

want to treat the disease;

we want to treat the whole

person and all the people

they’re connected to.”

McSwain also believes

the new model will help

the caseworkers have a

better sense of how to sup-

port women: “Th ere are

problems common to all

women off enders, but the

patterns are hard to see

when a caseworker has just

four women and 30 to 40

men,” she said.

Employers of the of-

fenders also recognize the

need for a gender-based re-

organizing. “Males and fe-

males have diff erent needs,”

said native Washingtonian

Waress Majeed, who cur-

rently employs a female off ender at

the non-profi t Living Classrooms.

“Women have children, and a moth-

er’s role is so important, so she needs

employment much quicker to sup-

port her family.”

CSOSA hopes the new approach

will foster greater trust and intimacy

between the agency and the women.

In Frazier’s case, this has already

been achieved.

“[Dr. Butler] not just interested

in you because she has to be,” she

said. “She’s a genuine person. You can

always talk to her one-on-one if you

have a problem — I’ve sat in her of-

fi ce and cried. She wants to see you

be a success story, and she believes

she can help people turn their life

around. And she did it with me and

my family.”

A Man’s World: Inside Prison and Out

Th e number of incarcerated

women in the U.S. is rising at what

McSwain calls “alarming rates.” Her

organization alone has seen a 30 per-

cent increase of women seeking their

help in just the past two years. Many

factors contribute to this, and not

all of them are clear. Th e sentencing

guidelines of the controversial “War

on Drugs” --which disproportionate-

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Helping Her RebuildA New Approach for D.C.’s Women Offenders

by Alice Ollstein

Sondra Hunt and Chris Keels of CSOSA pose with various faith leaders from the DC community.

Former offenders and their families are lead in prayerduring the City-Wide Reentry Assembly.

ly impacts the poor, women, and people of

color--has put thousands of D.C. men and

women behind bars. Many have also turned

to crime to survive in an area where the cost

of living has skyrocketed while employment

has become scarce.

It’s even more diffi cult for women, Mc-

Swain says, because the programs and pro-

cedures of the U.S. criminal justice system

were designed with men and male behavior

in mind.

“We have situations where women are

even handcuff ed and shackled while they’re

giving birth. She has a fi ve-pound person in-

side of her! She’s not going anywhere,” she

said. “Th e whole mentality is about dealing

with aggressive, violent men. But women

don’t usually act like that.”

City councilmember Phil Mendelson,

who chairs the Judiciary Committee, agrees:

“Th ere should be diff erent programs and ap-

proaches for the diff erent genders, because

women have diff erent attitudes and behav-

iors as well as diff erent needs,” he said.

Parenting is another major issue, as the

majority of incarcerated women are mothers,

and 77 percent were the primary caregivers

for their children. “You can imagine how dif-

fi cult it is to parent while you’re in prison,”

said Williams. When children of incarcer-

ated parents cannot be cared for by a relative,

they are often placed in foster care — put-

ting them a high risk for future in-

volvement with the juvenile or adult

corrections systems.

Th ough she asked authorities to

let her be kept near D.C. so her chil-

dren could visit her, Frazier was sent

to a prison in Tallahassee, Florida.

“I begged those people to bring

me closer to home,” she said. “But

you don’t have any say when you’re

incarcerated—you’re just a number.”

It took her 26 hours on a bus to re-

turn after her release.

Since D.C. has no federal pris-

ons, the closest facilities the women

are sent are in Philadelphia or West

Virginia. Our Place D.C. organizes

monthly van rides for family mem-

bers out to the prisons, as the trip is

much too far and too costly for fami-

lies of limited means.

After a woman’s release, the

challenges continue. Th e programs

to help ex-off enders fi nd housing,

achieve sobriety, and learn a trade

are also designed for males.

Frazier found all this frustrating

as she struggled to fi nd work and support her

children and grandchildren, and hopes to see

more classes created with females in mind.

“A lot of women don’t like using a hammer.

Maybe they want to use a stethoscope and

be a nurse,” she said.

Helping Women Off enders,Helping D.C.

CSOSA Public Aff airs Specialist Leon-

ard Sipes explained that investing in pro-

grams for women off enders is not purely

charitable, but an investment.

“If we help the women deal with her is-

sues, she’s going to be able to take care of

herself and her kids. Th e woman comes off

the tax roll, the kids come off the tax roll,

and she becomes a tax payer and not a tax

burden,” he said. “Plus she is no longer in-

volved in criminal activity.”

Dr. Butler hopes the new gender-spe-

cifi c outlook implemented in D.C. will serve

as a model for the rest of the country. “It’s

about building relationships, building rap-

port, building empathy—that’s what gears

women towards change,” she said. “I think

this could benefi t all women in the criminal

justice system.”

For more information on CSOSA, go to www.csosa.gov. ●●


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NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSTh e Numbers

It’s hard to imagine getting ex-

cited about a report called the

“Unifi ed Economic Develop-

ment Budget,” even in a wonky

city like DC. But trust us, if you’re

interested in how the District spends

your tax dollars, you’ll want to pay

attention. Th e new report tells us

that the District spent $327 million

on economic development last year

(including job training, and aff ord-

able housing construction), although

much of it goes unseen by the public

because it occurs through tax breaks

or complex bonding arrangements.

Put together, DC spends more on

economic development than on the

fi re department and almost as much

as on charter schools.

Here are some interesting things

to learn from the new report, which

came about as a result of legislation

sponsored by now-City Council

Chairman Kwame Brown:

* How much does DC devote

to tax breaks? Last year, in the

midst of a recession, the Mayor

and Council approved business

tax breaks that will cost the city

$166 million in future revenues.

* Who benefi ts? Th e new report

lists the recipients of all sorts

of subsidies. Did you know, for

example, that the city gave al-

most a $1 million last year to

“Big K Liquor Properties”? Nei-

ther did we.

* Where does the money go? Th e

new report shows where eco-

nomic development dollars are

going, including the fact that

nearly 40 percent of 2010 expen-

ditures went to Ward 6.

Th e one thing the new report

does not lay out is what the District

got for these investments — such as

the number of new jobs for DC resi-

dents or new aff ordable housing. But

for a city that recently received an

‘F’ in a report card on its disclosure

of information on economic devel-

opment subsidies, the Unifi ed Eco-

nomic Development Budget still is a

major step forward.

However, just knowing where

the money goes after the fact is not

enough. Policymakers and DC resi-

dents really need information on

proposed subsidies before the sub-

sidy is approved. Th e city needs a

more open and transparent process

for considering and approving subsi-

dies. And policymakers and residents

need information not only on dollars

spent but also on what the city can

expect to get in return for its invest-

ments.

How Does DC Spend Its Eco-nomic Development Dollars?

Until recently, identifying eco-

nomic development expenditures in

DC was no easy task. Th at’s because

funding for economic develop-

ment is very diff erent from the way

most DC government functions are

funded. Take the DC libraries, for

example. Th e DC budget has a full

chapter on the library system, laying

out how much is spent on various

library functions and how spending

has changed over time. Economic

development, by contrast, comes

through a variety of sources: prop-

erty tax breaks, grants, and revenue

bonds. Th ese things typically do

not get their own line items in any

budget document and thus have

been virtually impossible to track

until now.

Th e new “Unifi ed Economic

Development” for the fi rst time

provides a comprehensive list of the

diff erent kinds of economic devel-

opment subsidies the city provides.

Th e economic development-related

activities funded by the $327 mil-

lion break down as follows:

* $104 million to pay off money

borrowed to fi nance the con-

vention center, the baseball sta-

dium, and other projects

* Over $15 million for business

property tax breaks

* $104 million t in grants, made

by the Deputy Mayor for Plan-

ning and Economic Develop-

ment, the DC Housing Author-

ity, and the Housing Production

Trust Fund.

* $95 million in contracts with

for-profi t and non-profi t com-

panies.

Th e report also reveals $804 mil-

lion in commitments to support fu-

ture economic development projects,

including $166 million in future

property tax breaks.

How Does DC DecideWhere to Spend EconomicDevelopment Dollars?

Th is new information raises as

many good questions as it answers.

For example, how did the Deputy

Mayor for Economic Development

decide which projects would receive

the $22 million in grants that it

awarded? Why, for example, did the

city decide to devote $1.5 million to

the O Street Market in Shaw last

year, a project that already has gotten

substantial assistance from the city?

Or why did the city approve $65 mil-

lion in tax breaks for new market-rate

housing in NoMA, when funding for

aff ordable housing has retrenched?

How Can DC Get MoreBang from the EconomicDevelopment Buck?

As we learn more about how much

the District is spending on economic

development — and where the dol-

lars are going — it is a good time to

start thinking about what we are get-

ting in return. With the District fac-

ing enormous budget challenges, the

Economic Development by the NumbersNew DC Report Uncovers the Mysteries of Where Economic Development Funds Are Going

by Kwame Boadi and Ed Lazere


stakes are especially high to target

economic development funds on

projects that actually merit invest-

ment.

Th ere is no better recent ex-

ample of why more accountability

is needed than the District’s recent

experience with the CoStar Group.

A year ago, CoStar convinced the

Council that they needed $6.2

million in property tax abate-

ments over 10 years to relocate

from Bethesda to downtown DC.

CoStar bought a property for $41

million in 2010 and now they’re

laughing all the way to the bank,

after recently selling it for $101

million – two and one-half times

what they paid for it. With that

kind of buyer’s market, did they re-

ally need a subsidy from the city?

Here are some steps that can

be taken to make economic devel-

opment more accountable in DC:

Pass legislation to require more

information from businesses seek-

ing tax breaks. A bill introduced by

Councilmember Michael Brown,

the Exemptions and Abatements

Information Requirements Act,

would require a detailed fi nancial

analysis of all proposed commercial

tax breaks. It should be passed.

Set an economic development

budget before the year starts. Each

year, the Mayor and Council lay

out a budget for every agency —

schools, police, public works, etc.

But there is no spending plan for

economic development, which is

why the city ended up approving

$166 million in tax breaks that it

really couldn’t aff ord. In order for

the Mayor and Council to priori-

tize tax abatement proposals from

most to least worthy, our leaders

should set an overall cap or budget

for how much can be spent each

year on tax abatements.

Open up the process for

awarding economic development

funds. Every agency that controls

some portion of DC’s economic

development budget should have

a transparent process for awarding

funds that includes public input.

Demand more information on

benefi ts for DC residents, and hold

subsidy recipients accountable. Th e

District needs to collect more in-

formation on what it is receiving

when it subsidizes economic de-

velopment, especially jobs for DC

residents. Th ose kinds of benefi ts

should be built into deals before

they are approved, and subsidies

should include “clawback” provi-

sions to force subsidy recipients

to repay the District if they fail to

meet the agreed-upon benefi ts.

In short, the quest for trans-

parency and accountability in

economic development should

not stop with a report on what

DC is spending. Th at impor-

tant information should be used

as building blocks to enable the

Mayor and Council to spend eco-

nomic development dollars more

effi ciently and give the public

confi dence that their money is

being spent wisely.

Boadi and Lazere are staff at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi.org), which conducts research on tax and budget issues that aff ect low- and moderate-income DC residents. ●


Whatever you think of

Walmart, its inten-

tion to site a store at

58th and East Capitol

Street is generating buzz East of the

River (EOTR). Why the controversy?

Th e store may be bringing jobs, but

Walmart’s reputation as a low wage em-

ployer also precedes it. Still, jobs matter

in Ward 7 where the Marshall Heights

Community Development Organiza-

tion says unemployment approaches

20%. Aliya Frieson, lives near Walmart’s

projected East Capitol site. She sees

many young people in her neighbor-

hood who “have nothing much to do.”

Not everyone likes Walmart, but jobs

and development matter here.

Darrin B. Davis, broker/owner of

Anacostia River Realty, knows the criti-

cisms of Walmart’s business practices,

but adds “I’m all for anything when

it comes to providing jobs” and spur-

ring more opportunities in underserved

EOTR.

Doris Sarumi. interim CEO/Presi-

dent of Marshall Heights, makes clear

many Ward 7 residents are “job ready,”

but she and Deborah Dews, director of

workforce development, are concerned

about those who lack strong skills.

Unprompted by Walmart, Marshall

Heights is launching a campaign to help

Ward 7 residents obtain GEDs and bet-

ter job skills.

“We want to help develop a work-

force that is ready” to meet the needs of

Walmart and other employers, Sarumi

insists.

Walmart and JobsMost Walmart employees start off at

low wages, but many work their way into

better jobs or management, according to

Keith Morris, Walmart’s northeast di-

rector of public aff airs.

At a meeting sponsored by ANC

7C and the Capitol View Civic Asso-

ciation (CVCA) late last month, Morris

says Walmart stresses local hiring.

Morris explains that Walmart is

talking with the Department of Em-

ployment Services, the Community

College of the District of Columbia,

and it will increasingly reach out to job

development and training organizations

in the wards it plans to open stores in

to begin developing a workforce for the

new stores. Already, Walmart and its

foundation have been contributing to

organizations concerned with workforce

development

Th e company appears to be recep-

tive to hiring people often bypassed by

employers, especially in the competitive

D.C. market.

Walmart, Morris said, is working

with the D.C. Housing Authority and

the Community College to ensure resi-

dents of public housing residents will

obtain training for jobs. Walmart is also

phasing out the box on job applications

asking applicants about prior felony con-

victions. Background checks, however,

will still be conducted on all hires.

Steve Restivo, Walmart’s communi-

ty aff airs director, wrote in an email, “In

D.C., our wages and benefi ts are as good

-- if not better than -- the majority of

businesses we compete with, including

unionized grocers. Our average hourly

wage in the Washington, D.C. region

is $12.49/hour.” Employees are eligible

for health benefi ts after working for

Walmart for six months (full-time) or

one year (part-time), contributing any-

where from $11 (associate only) to $33

(for a family) per pay period. Plus, the

company’s new health plans are expect-

ed to help cover out-of-pocket expenses.

“All of our plans exceed the aff ordability

and coverage requirements in the Pa-

tient Protection and Aff ordable Care

Act,” writes Restivo.

Walmart’s CriticsNot everyone buys Walmart’s po-

sitioning itself as a socially responsible

corporation. Concern about small busi-

ness is expressed as is pay and benefi ts

for Walmart workers.

Gary Cha, owner of Yes! Organic

Markets, opened a store on Pennsylva-

nia Avenue, SE. Cha asserts it is better

for DC to have more “unique” commu-

nity stores than Walmart and distrib-

utes a fl yer that presents the question

as shuttered small stores versus big-box

Walmart. It’s an argument that may

resonate better in other areas, such as

Georgia Avenue, where a more vibrant

small business community exists.

When Councilwoman Yvette Al-

exander appeared at CVCA/ANC 7C’s

meeting, she expressed dismay that so

little retail development has occurred

in Ward 7 and expresses hope that

Walmart’s coming will help to generate

more local businesses.

Opponents, such as Walmart Free

DC, and a coalition, the Living Wages,

Healthy Communities Coalition, take

aim at Walmart. Th e former group

charges studies showing large num-

bers of Walmart employees receive low

wages, and receive publicly subsidized

healthcare. Th ey say that Walmart is

anti-union and a large class action suit is

being brought forth by female employees

charging the company with discrimina-

tory practices in pay and promotions.

Walmart critics say employee con-

tributions required for participation in

the company’s health plans appear to be

reasonably priced, but the deductibles

are very high.

“Access to benefi ts,” says a Walmart

Free DC t-shirted woman at the meet-

ing who challenges Morris’ phrasing,

“does not guarantee benefi ts.”

Jennifer Stapleton of coalition mem-

ber United Food and Commercial Work-

ers, wonders whether “what Walmart

claims is believable” given what it pays

and practices elsewhere in the country.

Th e online Colorado Health Insider,

reviewing Walmart’s unveiling of new

health plans last fall, expressed concern

many low-income workers would still

have trouble paying high deductibles if

they need major medical treatment.

Th e Living Wages, Healthy Com-

munities Coalition, comprised of

churches, social justice organizations,

labor unions, and the DC Federation

of Civic Associations is also sparring

with Walmart. Its platform is based on

a signed, legally enforceable community

benefi t agreement that would ensure jobs

to D.C. residents who would start out at

Walmart earning living wages ($12.50

per hour), and have stronger, guaranteed

benefi ts comprises its platform.

Rev. Kendrick Curry, pastor at Bap-

tist Church in SE, is active in the coali-

tion. Walmart’s decision not to seek tax

breaks from the city may limit the pub-

lic’s leverage. Curry asserts city offi cials

“should have the wisdom and courage to

ask the tough questions. Are we talking

about jobs or a solid jobs strategy with

benefi ts for the residents of DC? Will

they really invest in the community and

will it be sustainable over time?”

Some leverage may exist. Th e Ward 7 site is currently not

zoned for retail. Th e District’s Com-

prehensive Plan Land Use Map does

designate the site for mixed use, so a re-

zoning to include retail use is a necessity

for Walmart. Th e zoning appeal would

give the Capitol View Civic Association

and ANC 7C an opportunity for input

about community concerns and wishes

and some leverage to require certain

community benefi ts.

A few weeks before the meeting,

Julius Ware, president of the Ward 7

Business and Professional Associa-

tion, off ered a view which appears to be

shared by supporters and many critics of

Walmart: “Th e challenge we have is to

get the most out of Walmart’s coming.”

Stephen Lilienthal is a freelance writer who lives in Washington, D.C. ●

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Walmart: East of the Riverby Steve Lilienthal

Rendering of Walmart’s Upper Walkway and Main Entry.


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Unemployment, homeless-

ness, household income

and crime are all ways to

assess the health and liv-

ability of a city—but one very basic

measure is infant mortality.

Th e infant mortality rate of DC is

one of the worst among large Ameri-

can cities. Th e District had a rate of

10.9 per 1,000 births in 2008, while

the national average is just over 6.

Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8 have the highest

rates of infant mortality — as women

in those neighborhoods have little

access to healthy food, prenatal care,

and basic services.

For that reason, the DC Depart-

ment of Health created a mobile unit

to reach out to women in those wards

and get them started on a prenatal

care plan as early as possible in their

pregnancies. Dubbed the “MOM

Van,” the converted RV parks in vis-

ible, heavily traffi cked spots, and any-

one passing by can stop in and receive

a full physical and pelvic exam, lab

work, testing for HIV and pregnancy,

and appointments with a doctor for

future checkups.

Th e van visits one neighborhood

each day, and the number of women

who stop by varies. “Depending on

the time of the month, the weather,

and the foot traffi c, we’ll see any-

where from zero to 25 women a day,”

said Tawana Fortune-Jones, Chief of

the Outreach & Family Support Ser-

vice of the DC DOH.

Th e massive RV, plastered with

photos and slogans, serves as its own

advertising. But the program is also

publicized on buses, at bus stops and

on the radio. “Our goal is to be visible

out in the community,” she said.

Once they climb the stairs and

enter the van, women can watch edu-

cational DVDs or read up on nutri-

tion and fi tness while waiting to see

a nurse. After the consultation, the

nurses can provide vitamins and con-

doms, and refer women to services

from job training to welfare to a shel-

ter to stay in.

“We get them in touch with ev-

erything they need to have a healthy

baby,” said Family Nurse Practitio-

ner Ava Hancock, who works on the

MOM van.

Th e van is not meant to be a

woman’s source of health care dur-

ing her pregnancy, and it is rare for

a woman to even come back a second

time. “It’s more of a one-stop shop,

where we focus on identifying the

client’s needs,” explained Hancock.

“She won’t be coming to us the whole

nine months—but we can get her

started, and hopefully she will go to

the providers we recommend.”

Th e MOM Van is part of the

DOH’s “I am a Healthy DC Mom”

campaign, which encourages preg-

nant women in the District to make

three pledges: to stay fi t and eat right,

to commit to 40 weeks of prenatal

care, and to keep the baby safe and

healthy once it is born.

“Our mobile unit will help con-

nect women to the appropriate edu-

cation and care they need to ensure

healthy birth outcomes in our city,”

said DOH Director Dr. Mohammad

Akhter. “As a public health agency,

and as one community coming to-

gether, we must do all that we can to

help reduce our infant mortality rate

so that all babies born in the District

are born healthy and with the ability

to grow and thrive.”

Serving the UnderservedWhen asked to paint a picture

of the typical woman who visits the

MOM van, Hancock described an

African American woman late in

her pregnancy, in the second or third

trimester. She doesn’t have insur-

ance, she is unemployed or underem-

ployed, and she has not yet had any

prenatal care. She comes to the van

because she happens to see it parked

in her neighborhood, and is gener-

ally unaware of the resources avail-

able to her. She has poor nutrition,

sometimes even anemia. Many are

tobacco smokers or alcohol drinkers.

Some have HIV. Some have abusive

partners.

Th e program also takes into ac-

count all the factors in a woman’s life

that could aff ect her pregnancy. “We

ask the women about their housing

situation and their economic situ-

ation, and we screen for depression,

substance abuse and domestic abuse,”

explained Hancock.

Many of these factors contribute

to the two biggest causes of infant

mortality: low birth weight and pre-

term labor. To combat these trends,

Hancock stressed the importance of

getting women started with pre-natal

care early—and testing early for HIV

and other sexually transmitted infec-

tions.

“Some we can treat on the spot,”

she said. “But if not, we tell them

where to go for treatment. It’s es-

pecially important for a pregnant

woman to treat her STIs as soon as

possible, because it could aff ect the

baby.”

Th ough most women do follow

up with a clinic after visiting the

MOM van, Hancock acknowledges

the diffi culties some women face in

staying in a prenatal care plan.

“Some have no transportation

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

MOM Van BringsPrenatal Care tothe Communityarticle & photos by Alice Ollstein

The MOM van, parked in a busy section of Anacostia, displays a hotline women can call anytime for information.

Family Nurse Practitioner Ava Hancock gives a tour of the examining room.

to the clinic, or they can’t get

someone to take care of their

children while they go, or they

have no insurance,” she said.

“Th ey also have stress factors

like a lack of employment or a

lack of family support.”

Th ese issues are even more

present in the Wards served

by the van. Th e DOH selected

Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8 for the

MOM van’s route to address

both a lack of resources in those

neighborhoods and a lack of

awareness about what resources

are available.

“Over the years, a lot of

OB-GYNs have left DC, due

to factors like insurance rates,

malpractice claims, and a gen-

eral high liability,” said Han-

cock. “I also believe that many

are biased against working in

some of these neighborhoods.

I don’t understand that because

during my training I was always

taught that it was best to work

in underserved communities.”

She also says not enough

information is available about

what resources are out there,

making the MOM van crucial

as an outreach and education

tool. “We had a client yesterday

who didn’t know there was a

clinic just two blocks from her

home,” she said.

According to Dr. LaQuan-

dra Nesbitt, the DOH Senior

Deputy Director for Commu-

nity Health, the MOM van

served over 200 women last

year, and hopes to reach even

more in the future. Th ough the

organization expressed concern

about the looming budget cri-

sis facing both the District and

the nation, they are confi dent

they will continue to be able to

provide care to the mothers of

DC.

“Infant mortality indicates

the health of a community,”

said Fortune-Jones. “I hope the

powers that be won’t make cuts

to the services that help bring

that rate down.”

For more information or to fi nd out when the DOH MOM Van will be in your area, visit www.doh.dc.gov or call 1-800-MOM-BABY. ●●


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NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

I wanted to take this opportunity to speak about my philosophy re-

garding the best Ward in the city, Ward 7; and comment on some

of the spending of my constituent services fund that has not been

reported.

Ward 7 is a ward of 70,000 people and my motto is “Making Ward

7 One.” Ward 7 is comprised of residents that represent every aspect of

the socioeconomic ladder. It also has 29 distinct communities, almost

as many civic associations as well as very active advisory neighborhood

commissions. From the very beginning, it has been clear to me that

the best way to serve my 70,000 residents was to support and empower

the powerful network of organizations already established in the ward

so that they can help me reach and support the community as a whole.

I have supported them by ensuring easy access to government services

and continuing to make sure that all of the leadership in the ward had as

much information as possible about what is happening not only within

the civic associations or ANC, but throughout the ward, hence, “Making

Ward 7 One.”

Th e starting point for this eff ort was to maintain a Constituent Ser-

vices offi ce in Ward 7. Let me be clear, free constituent offi ce space is

available in D.C. Government owned buildings. Unfortunately, there

were no D.C. Government owned buildings in Ward 7 and so the best

choice I had was to rent space in the ward to make city services accessible

for residents. I am mindful of how expensive it can be for Ward 7 resi-

dents to travel downtown to the John A. Wilson building and that is why

I chose to provide an offi ce in the neighborhood that was easily accessible

and convenient for Ward 7constituents.

Offi ce space is expensive and includes leases, telephones, fax machines,

copy machines, computers, internet access and more. It also requires

maintenance of these electronics. Th ese expenses are not covered by the

government; therefore, the constituent services funds were used to cover

the costs since these services are in place to aid the residents of Ward 7.

Over the last three years, the cost of rent, maintenance and upkeep of the

constituent services offi ce has amounted to approximately $60,000. With

the amount spent, my offi ce has been able to serve over 4,000 Ward 7

residents who have sought out assistance by coming to the offi ce.

While serving as the Ward 7 council member, I have committed to

maintaining the tradition of hosting a State of the Ward event where I

provide an annual comprehensive overview of the ward. At this event, I

provide recognition plaques to outstanding members of the community

and I cater a dinner for the approximately 250 people that attend this

event knowing that it occurs during most people’s dinner time. Over the

years I have provided over 100 plaques to groups including all ANC’s,

Civic Association Presidents and non-profi t leaders. Over the last three

years, the total costs for this annual event has amounted to approximately

$9,000. Th e cost of plaques and the catered dinner can be expensive but

I believe it is extremely important to recognize those who commit their

time and energy for our community.

Every year, I have committed to honor the top student of every grad-

uating class of all 32 schools in Ward 7. I believe that it is important to

recognize excellence among our students and to encourage them to con-

tinue on the right path as they pursue their education further. Over the

last three years, approximately $4,500 has been spent on plaques to honor

these students and to show that I, along with the residents of Ward 7, are

proud of them and support them in their achievement.

Civic associations, organizations and individuals are certainly the back-

bone of every ward and I have made it a priority to support them to the

best of my ability. Along with attending all civic association meetings, I

have sponsored or purchased tables at fundraising events that were hosted

by the civic associations as well as bought advertisement space in program

books and sponsored festivals. Many of these events were geared towards

raising funds to help members of the community that are in need. In ad-

dition to sponsoring these events, bereavement contributions, rental and

utility assistance were provided directly to Ward 7 residents in need. Over

the last three years this has totaled to more than $14,000.

I have continued the tradition of having leadership council meetings

where I invite all ANCs, Civic Association Presidents, and other com-

munity leaders to discuss important topics pertaining to Ward 7. Since

I have been in offi ce I have hosted more than 20 of these meetings on

Saturday mornings while providing breakfast. Th e best available time to

have this meeting and to not intrude on other scheduled civic meetings

is Saturday morning. Out of respect for asking people to come out for a

9 a.m. meeting during the weekend, we cater a breakfast that is approxi-

mately $500 per event or $10,000 overall.

Th erefore, approximately $98,000 over the last three years has gone

directly to Ward 7 residents. In addition, the resources that residents

have been able to access as a result of having an offi ce in the ward reach

well over $250,000. I am also pleased that the constituent services funds

are used to support Ward 7 residents such as the landlord for the Ward

7 offi ce, the caterer for the events and the owner of the company that

designs the honorary plaques for outstanding Ward 7 residents. Th ere are

more expenditures that go to Ward 7, including expenditures out of my

own pocket, but I wanted to demonstrate that the money raised for Ward

7 constituents goes completely to Ward 7. I was born and raised in Ward

7, I love Ward 7, I pump gas at the number 7 pump at Ward 7 gas stations

and I fi ght for Ward 7 everyday.

I am proud of the way I am able to support the ward with my Con-

stituent Services Fund. March 30, 2011 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. is my next

State of the Ward event and it will be held at the Department of Em-

ployment Services building – a new D.C. Government owned building

located in Downtown Ward 7 at the intersection of Minnesota Avenue

and Benning Road. Th is building will also house my new, and free, Con-

stituent Services offi ce. Continuing my theme of “Making Ward 7 One,”

I encourage you all to come out on March 30 for this tremendous event.

Dinner will be served.

Sincerely,

Th e HonorableYvette M. AlexanderCouncilmember – Ward 7

To Ward 7 Residents:

One recent Sunday afternoon, I

was hanging out with my old

college buddy, Dave, at his

home located in a new North-

west DC development. While we were light-

ing up the barbeque grill on his deck, his

next door neighbors came outside because

of the smell of my awesome teriyaki turkey

burgers. After coming over to taste a burger,

he and his neighbors began to talk about a

particular house in the neighborhood. Th ey

were discussing how many people would

come and go from the house on a daily basis.

As I stood there, it seemed to me as though

they were more concerned about not know-

ing who lived in the house, rather than the

appearance of the house. After all it was a

newly built home.

Once their conversation ended, I begin to

laugh. Th ey asked why I was laughing. I told

them how funny it was to hear them complain

about one house in their neighborhood. I men-

tioned that my neighbors and I complain about

almost every third house in mine. My buddy’s

response was, “Well, that’s the price you pay for

living a transitional neighborhood.”

I thought about it. Was this true? Is

there is an understood price to pay for living

in a neighborhood that is going through a

transition? Do people view east of the river

neighborhoods as places where there are

things that come with living in our neigh-

borhoods that we have to put up with? My

answer is Yes and No.

Let me start with the No’s. Th e two big-

gest complaints I hear about my neighbor-

hood is the number of home burglaries and

the number of abandoned or poorly kept

properties. I often hear people implying

that we will have to wait for our neighbor-

hood to become more diverse before we see

any improvement. Is this true? Do I have to

wait another fi ve to ten years to see any kind

of improvement? I hope not. As a District

resident who pays his taxes, I deserve the

same care and attention from the District

Government as residents who live across the

river. I should not have to wait for a condo

revolution to occur before I see improve-

ment. Th at’s just not fair.

Now the Yes. Th e beauty of living in my

neighborhood is that there are any number

of issues for everyone take the lead on to re-

solve. We need to take action on putting an

end to abandoned property, crime, trash on

the street, ugly power lines, tree trimming

and kids hanging out on the corner seem-

ingly with nothing to do. Th at is the price

we pay. As our neighborhoods stand today,

no one can aff ord to get up in the morning,

go to work, come home and close their door

off to the surrounding community and ex-

pect to wake up the next morning and Voila!

-- a perfect neighborhood. We all need to

get involved and do our part, because the

reality is no one person, one community or-

ganization, or one council member can do it

by themselves.

So as the conversation went on, I was

asked why I choose to live in Anacostia.

Th ey pointed out that I could easily fi nd a

place in Ward 3 and not have to deal with

the issues mentioned above. My answer was

pretty simple, I choose to live here because

Anacostia feels like home. My neighbors are

great, the neighborhood has a tremendous

amount of history, I can get to anywhere in

the city quickly because of the convenient

access to highways and I see tons of poten-

tial. And though there are certain issues, I

have a sense of hope and expectation that

things will get better, so why would I want

to leave.

So ask yourself. What am I doing to

improve the quality of life in my neighbor-

hood? If you expect for someone else do it,

you may have to wait a very long time. Th e

battle is waiting for you and it is probably

right outside your front steps.

Charles Wilson was a former candidate for the Ward 8 City Council and is a neighborhood activist in Historic Anacos-tia. He is serving as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in Single Member District 8A04. He can be reached at [email protected]. ●●


The Man From Anacostia

How Long Do I Haveto Wait?by Charles Wilson

ANACOSTIAMind, Body, Spirit

article & photos by Sam Tyler

“Anacostia is a priceless gem hidden in plain sight.”

A fi ghter wraps his hands to prevent injury before sparring,Tony’s Boxing Gym, Washington DC, November 15, 2010

By 1997 Washington was exiting a diffi cult period,

and the headlines about Anacostia off ered provocative and

charged stories of life across the river, yet it seemed to me

that the residents had little, if any, input in the telling. Th ose

narratives rarely presented Anacostia as a community of hard

working, middle class families with children and dreams

and mortgages -- that is what I wanted to show. At that

time I was heavily under the infl uence of Roy Decarava, and

wanted my photographs to capture Anacostia with the same

simplicity, space, beauty and cultural accuracy with which his

had captured Harlem.

In early November of 2010, I returned to Anacostia to

document the extensive development happening along the

Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue corridor, and add to the port-

folio that I began photographing 14 years earlier. Th e Big

Chair was gone, and the investment in coff ee shops, well-

ness centers and art galleries was a surprise that challenged

the memory of my old neighborhood. As an entry point,

I began working with business and religious leaders in the

community to coordinate photographing inside community

institutions that supported wholeness - health, wellbeing and

spiritual life.

Visual communication is the

most universally potent form of

communication mankind has to

work with. Th e photographs in

this series, Anacostia: Mind, Body,

Spirit, are intended as fi ne art piec-

es that communicate the beautiful

faces and unique spirit of Anacos-

tia in crisp black and white.

Sam Tyler is a photojournalist dividing his time between Washington, DC and New York City. His work has appeared in Essence Mag-azine, AMERICAS Magazine, Legal Times, and Th e Washington Spark. He has exhibited at the Charles Sumner Museum and Archives, Cuba’s Teatro Nacional, Starbucks and the Academy for Educational Development. Th e full spread of Anacostia: Mind, Body, Spirit and its Video Notebook are available at Sam-clix.com. For gallery talks, exhibition bookings and other information, please send a detailed query to [email protected]. ●


fi rst turned my camera on Anacostia in 1997, when, as a transplant from upstate New York, I found studio space in a huge home off of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue near the Anacostia Metro stop. It was twenty times more space than I needed: four fl oors, four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a backyard that felt as if it extended the full length of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, and pond with gold fi sh. Th e home was designed and built throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s by a How-ard University-educated architect who, with his wife, a medical doctor, enjoyed hosting cocktail parties. Together, they refused to limit themselves to the pre-vailing ideas of that time about what black folk should have and should be.

Usher, Jean Moon refl ects during Sunday service, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Washington DC, November 21, 2010.

Portrait of a boxer. Tony’s Boxing Gym, Washington DC, November 15, 2010

One of only a few women who train as boxers at Tony’s Boxing Gym, Washington DC, November 17, 2010.

A boxer warms up in the ring before sparring, Tony’s Boxing Gym,Washington DC, November 15, 2010


Before playing 10 seasons

with the Washington

Redskins, and in the pro-

cess becoming beloved

by fans, Brian Mitchell, known as

“BMitch,” fi rst came to Washington,

DC in 1986 as a high school senior

on a Presidential Classroom program

sponsored by Upward Bound.

“On that trip I said, ‘I’m going to

live here.’” recalled the 42-year-old

Mitchell, a Louisiana native. “It sure

worked out.”

Inducted into the Redskins’ Ring

of Fame in 2009, Mitchell was select-

ed by the team with the 130th pick

of the 1990 NFL Draft. Although

Mitchell set NCAA records as a

quarterback at Southwestern Lousi-

ana, Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs

shifted him to special teams. In his

second season Mitchell led the NFL

with 600 punt return yards and two

return touchdowns.

Mitchell retired in 2003 after

playing for two of Washington’s NFC

East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles

and the New York Giants.

Relationship with fans“I identify with BMitch,” said

Joshua Champ, 32, a patrol offi cer

with the Seventh District. “He’s a

short guy, like me, but he brings the

biggest heart all the time.”

Offi cer Champ recalled what

is known as the “Body Bag Game,”

when Mitchell, then a rookie, played

quarterback on “Monday Night

Football” after the Eagles knocked

the Redskins’ starting and back-up

quarterbacks out of the game.

“You should have been higher,”

said Champ who, a couple days before

meeting Mitchell at Uniontown Bar &

Grill in Anacostia, had watched a pro-

gram on the NFL Network featuring

its Top Ten Versatile Players of All-

Time. Mitchell was ranked eighth.

First gaining experience in radio

with his own segment on WHUR

(96.3 FM) in 1993 and later with

WTEM (980AM), Mitchell has

since become a fi xture on Comcast

Sportsnet and WUSA (Channel 9).

Fans have come to trust his perspec-

tive and inside analysis as a member

of the last Redskins team to win a

Super Bowl in 1991.

Mitchell, whose last season in

Washington was Dan Snyder’s fi rst,

said the owner’s free-spending ways

have changed how the Redskins are

perceived around the league.

“People come (to Washington) to

get paid,” Mitchell said. “Let some-

body else buy the diamond ring for

you,” challenges Mitchell, referring

to the ring players on championship

winning teams receive from the NFL.

“Today the game is softer. It went

from being rated R to rated PG. Th e

players are bigger and stronger, but not

necessarily tougher,” says Mitchell.

Mitchell believes that there’s a

natural and reciprocal feeling of af-

fection between himself and his fans.

As a community, Washington is not

for “pushovers” and has an “edginess”

that Mitchell identifi es with and fans

identify in him.

“Some players have a tendency to

avoid fans, but BMitch gravitates to-

wards those who support him and he

supports them back,” says Rick “Doc”

Walker, a member of the Redskins’

1982 Super Bowl champions and es-

tablished local media personality.

Hall of Fame qualifi cations When asked what it was like to

be a return man in the NFL, Mitchell

said “you have to be a crazy person” to

survive within the “organized chaos”

where the “fastest and craziest are

coming for your head.”

“To the person who was trying

to tackle me, I always tried to deliver

the blow,” Mitchell fondly tells with

a wide smile. “If I was the person (off

the fi eld that) I was on the fi eld, I

would be in jail.”

Veteran sportswriter David Elfi n

is the Washington representative on

the selection committee of the Pro

Football Hall of Fame.

“Brian was diff erent than most

kick returners who are usually speed

guys. Brian was unusual in that he

ran over people,” said Elfi n, a former

President of the Pro Football Writers

of America who covered Mitchell for

Th e Washington Times from 1993-

99. “He’s number one in all-time re-

turn yards. If you are the best ever, why

are you not in the Hall of Fame?”

Walker agreed that Mitchell

should be enshrined.

“He is worthy of the Pro Football

Hall of Fame, his numbers speak for

themselves,” says Walker. “Among his

peers, he is in the Hall; the people

have put in him, because the boy was

a fl at-out baller.”

But Mitchell knows that his former

Redskins teammate and thee time-

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

Brian Mitchell Awaits NFL Hall of Fame Inviteby John Muller

Brian Mitchell with Natasha Dasher at Uniontown.

time Super Bowl Champion Art

Monk, at the time of his retire-

ment the leader in NFL history

in receptions, waited eight years

before his selection to the Hall of

Fame in 2008.

In Mitchell’s last game as

a Redskin on January 15, 2000

in the Divisional Playoff game

versus the Tampa Bay Bucca-

neers, he returned the second

half kickoff 100 yards for a

touchdown that put the Red-

skins up 10-0 in a game they

would lose 14-13.

While Mitchell’s bruising

style of play and fervent trash-

talking earned him a special

place in the hearts of local fans,

his statistics are what confi rm

his credentials for induction

into the Hall of Fame.

Mitchell currently holds

the NFL’s All-Time record for

most kick returns: 607; kick

return yards, 14,104, punt re-

turns, 463, and punt return

yards, 4,999; combined returns

at 1,070 and combined return

yards at 19,013. Mitchell is sec-

ond only to receiver Jerry Rice

with 23,316 all-purpose yards,

which adds up to more than 13

total miles.

His 13 return touchdowns

(nine on punt returns and four

on kick returns) are second-

most-all time, behind current

player Devin Hester. At the

time of his retirement Mitchell

was the all-time leader in return

touchdowns. He also rushed for

12 touchdowns and caught 4

receiving touchdowns.

Fittingly, Mitchell actively

interacts with Redskins fans

through two Facebook accounts

he manages and his Twitter

page, “Bmitchlive,” with nearly

2,300 followers. Following the

lead of former players who be-

came successful motivational

and public speakers, Mitchell

plans to continue building rela-

tionships with all fans, even one

as young as seven years old who

claims Mitchell, and former

Baltimore Colt quarterback

Johnny Unitas, are his favorite

players of all-time. ●●


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Consistent... Persistent...for Ward

Pannell for Ward 8, Michael Sainte-Andress,Treasurer

8

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

202.562.2726www:pannellforward8.com

[email protected]


This month’s subject is

William A. Borum. Mr.

William, 50, has deep

ties to Ward 8. He grew

up in Barry Farm, lives in Savannah

Terrace, and works in Historic Ana-

costia as a Project Administrator for

Estimé Enterprises, Inc., a minority-

owned strategic solutions consulting

fi rm. Mr. William is a “glass is half

full” type of person, he always see a

silver lining in a cloud, and believes

that every person - regardless of their

past - has a purpose. He is inspira-

tional, yet humble and is fi lled with

much hope and excitement for the

next chapter in the Ward 8 story.

It is with pleasure that I present

March’s “I am Ward 8” honoree, Wil-

liam A. Borum.

What brought you to Ward 8?More like “when”, I was born in

Knox Terrance in 1960 in Ward 7

behind 7th District and my grand-

ma lived in Barry Farm from 1958

up to 1980, at 1234 Stevens Rd. So

“Soufeas,” in Ward 7 and Ward 8, up

and down this MLK Avenue is home

to me. My parents lived here, and my

grandparents lived here and I was

fortunate enough to live here.

I can remember way back when...

it was always a closeness, even in

the neighborhoods. We would al-

ways protect our neighborhoods; we

wouldn’t let anyone come in and do

anything, even on a teenage level we

looked out. Growing up we would

make mistakes and learn a lesson.

Th en leaving Southeast I thought

about it in a new way, I saw it a new

way, something I couldn’t see until I

stepped away from it. Th en fi ve years

after being away I came back after liv-

(l-r) William Borum, James Shelby Senior and James Shelby Jr at The Hive


Ask anyone who lives in Ward 8 and they will tell

you, the best thing about living here is the people.

Th e “I am Ward 8” series asks a Ward 8 resident

eight questions about their life living in Ward

8. It off ers insight into the varied backgrounds,

perspectives, and hopes of the people who call

the many neighborhoods of Ward 8 home.

William BorumProject Administrator, Believer, Success Story

by Nikki Peele

I Am Ward 8 Series

ing in Maryland, DC, and Virginia.

Th en when through no decision of

my own I was brought back, I saw

there was a purpose.

I have experience having made

bad decisions and paying for those

bad decisions. I came back and I am

empowering the people who I used

to know, to show them a new way.

Th e knowledge has been brought to

me and it’s great. We are in a diff er-

ent place. If we have our ears and

eyes open, we can take advantage of

this opportunity. Th is is why I am

back. Unlike Northwest, the Ward

7 and Ward 8 resident didn’t receive

the type of “care taking” that other

residents had. Th ere is a diff erence.

In Southeast, I always recognized

that the Southeast resident, espe-

cially in Ward 8, did not receive the

same treatment of upper Northwest

and it was sad. It is sad now when I

look at it. I have an opportunity now

to embrace each and every brother

and sister out there in these streets

who doesn’t think there is a way

out. It doesn’t matter what you have

done in the past if you are willing

to submit and make a change. Th ey

can take advantage of the oppor-

tunities. Th e change and progress

is here. You feel it. I am not going

anywhere. I have never felt this type

of change and “overhaul” before. I

am glad to be here and I love it.

I am going to open up a business

here and I am going to hire people

and employ black men and youths

and empower them. I am doing this

for the brothers and sisters out here.

Th is isn’t hard. You can do this.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about Ward 8?

I am not going to say that every-

body feels this way, cause I have met

a lot of people and business owners

and they are enthused about employ-

ing Ward 8 residents, I work for such

a company, Estimé Enterprises.

Now then you have others who

may say, “Lets go in and do what we

got to do cause they don’t want to

do nothing, they are lazy.”

You can’t judge a people, you

have to take us as individuals, not a

whole. If you sit down with me, we

are going to have an intelligent con-

versation. No one is going to look

down on me, I work hard and I have

a lot of common sense and that goes

a long way. Th ere is a transition go-

ing on. I would want people who

don’t have the best impression of

Ward 8 to give us a chance. We can

all benefi t. You have some that have

a sincere heart and want to help,

and others who just want to do their

business and get out.

What is your favorite thing about Ward 8?

So many! Th e potential of the

people. I went up to the Overlook

the other day and I stood in the

parking lot and looked over to Vir-

ginia. It was so beautiful. Th e chair.

I remember in 1965 when Santa

Claus used to sit in that chair and

ring his bell -- that was cool. Some-

one should do that again.

What is your wish for Ward 8?Th at one day (and it’s coming

soon) that it won’t be looked down

upon. I would like at least 50% of

Ward 8 to still be black. Because

if another race comes in and to-

tally eliminates the black race to a

small percentage it will look like we

have never been here before. I think

a good even split will be good for

the Ward -- it will allow everyone

to get to know each other and they

can get along, they can learn form

each other. If it can start in one of

the underutilized parts of the city, it

would spread. It could be Hispan-

ics, whites, and blacks getting along

over there, it’s such a beautiful place.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue --

people should be able to say that

and have a good time, all this racial

harmony.

Which name do you prefer? East of the River, East Wash-ington, or River East?

In my younger days we called it

“Soufeas,” now I say “Southeast” -

I’m a businessman. ●●




These photos are about the metal detectors. I took them in the morning, when students were

coming into the school. I took the photos to show what we have to go through when we

come to school in the morning. We have to take our shoes off , take our hats off , shake our

dreads out, take everything out of our pockets…it takes too much time, it takes too much

time.

We are late to class because we wait in line to go through the metal detector and then we

have to gather all of our stuff back up and put all of our clothes back on. It makes me mad

because other schools don’t have to go through all of this.

We feel violated. We get stripped just to come into school. We are already in an alternative school, and being

searched makes us feel like we’re in jail. I come to school because I want to come to school, but going through the

metal detectors makes me not want to come because I have to take everything off , and it makes me feel bad because

it reinforces the idea of us feeling like criminals…but we’re not, we’re students trying to get our education. ● ●

Article and Photos by Tony Cotton

cRiTiCaL eXpOsUrE

I took a picture of a young lady going to class. I framed it with the metal detector and the

clock. She’s pointing to the clock to show that she is late for class.

Self portrait of Tony Cotton.

This picture shows a student gathering her stuff, it takes a lot of time and it’s an invasion

of privacy. We are late to class because we wait in line to go through the metal detector

and then we have to gather all of our stuff back up and put all of our clothes back on..

Personal items -- belt, cell phone, iPod


Th is photo essay was cre-ated by Tony Cotton, an 18-year-old student at Luke C. Moore, during a program that he partici-pated in with Critical Ex-posure. Critical Exposure is a non-profi t organization in Washington, D.C. that teaches young people to use the power of photography and their own words to ad-vocate for education reform and social change. Over the years, Critical Exposure has worked with students to document issues such as poor school facilities, homeless-ness, teen pregnancy, school lunches and the dropout crisis. During last semes-ter, Critical Exposure part-nered with a Luke C. Moore art class to investigate ways to improve the school, while also forming a conversa-tion about the overall suc-cess that the school is hav-ing in creating a second chance for many students who have struggled to get through high school in the past. For more information about Critical Exposure’s work, visit: www.critica-lexposure.org or contact us: [email protected]). -Emma Scott


The sign says it all: Morgan

Family Fish Fry, “food so

great, you’ll scrape your

plate”.

Referred to by some as just “Mor-

gan’s” to others as “the fi sh fry place,”

Morgan Family Fish Fry is a Historic

Anacostia staple and the place for those

looking for delicious takeout with great

service at aff ordable prices. Morgan

Fish Fry is not just a place to eat, it’s a

Ward 8 institution.

Even on a Sunday afternoon, when

most of Historic Anacostia’s dining es-

tablishments elect to take the day off ,

Morgan Family Fish Fry is not only

open, but it’s busy. A steady stream

of hungry customers make their way

to the white tiled counter and make

their selections from the simple black

and white menu. Morgan’s off ers an

extensive array of eats, everything for

breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Menu

items include everything from waffl es

and wings, to fried catfi sh, to crab

cakes. Side orders include French fries,

onion rings, home-style collard greens,

cabbage, yams, coleslaw, macaroni n’

cheese, and potato salad.

Home-style describes not only the

food but also the atmosphere. Morgan’s

wants you to know this a family owned

establishment. On this Sunday after-

noon, Mr. Donald Morgan Jr. himself

stands at the counter taking orders,

making recommendations (“You have

to try the tilapia or the catfi sh”), and art-

fully arranging the pie and cake slices.

Morgan’s staff greets customers by name

and with a smile, often swapping stories,

and laughs;

“Th is is one of those last old school

black-owned carry-outs. Th ey treat you

like family here, not like an anonymous

customer. Th ey aren’t trying to take

your money and push you out. Th e fi rst

time I came here, Mr. Morgan gave me

a free dessert and invited me to come

back. Th at is why I come back, it’s like

family,” says Myra Campbell.

Morgan’s Family Fish Fry prides

itself on being a family-owned and

operated small business. Family pho-

tos line the walls, and there is a good

chance that the person taking your or-

der is part of the Morgan family. Don-

ald Morgan III is only twelve but he

works the register and the customers

as skillfully as someone does twice his

age. He has been working at the family

business since he was eight years old.

When asked what he likes best about

working at the family business he says

emphatically, “Th e compliments!” Says

repeat customer, Alvin Kelly, “Th is is a

young man working the register, this is

what I like about this place. Everything

about it is family oriented and the food

is good, this is why I come back.”

On my visit to Morgan Family

Fish Fry, Mr. Morgan Jr. takes my or-

der and recommends that as a fi rst time

customer I should try the fried catfi sh

with the cabbage and macaroni and

cheese. For dessert, he recommends the

chocolate cake. I only had to wait 15

minutes for my order and the food did

not disappoint. Th e catfi sh was fresh

and crispy, the macaroni and cheese

was tender and cheesy, and the cab-

bage was well seasoned and cooked to

perfection. Th e chocolate cake looked

and tasted amazing. A satisfying meal

without having to cook. Th eir motto

does indeed ring true, “food so great,

you’ll scrape your plate.” I will be back

and ready to eat!

Morgan Family Fish Fry, 2323 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE, 202-678-6463. Hours: Mon-Th urs 7am-9pm; Fri 7am-11pm; Sat 8am-9pm; Sun 8am-6pm (Breakfast until 4pm) To learn more about great places to eat, shop, and live in Anacostia visit: www.eatshopliveanacos-tia.com. ●

Walking through the

southeast neighbor-

hood of Garfi eld

Heights at 23rd &

Hartford Street, blocks from the Sev-

enth District Police Station, Raymond

Joshua, played by now internationally

known literary fi gure Saul Williams, is

greeted by a large group of neighbor-

hood children happy to see him.

When the ice cream truck arrives,

Joshua, a hand-to-hand drug dealer,

makes sure everyone gets what they

want, even a child who insists, repeat-

edly, “I want chocolate!”

Sitting with the children outside

of an apartment building Joshua, a

well-known street bard, encourages

a young man known as “Lil’ Troy” to

add to the two-line rhyme he shares.

Th e opening scene of 1998’s criti-

cally acclaimed Slam, awarded the

Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic

Feature at the Sundance Film Festival,

captures the city in a way that Holly-

wood’s historic portrayals, focused al-

most exclusively on political thrillers,

never quite have.

“Slam brings a light to some of the

issues that are very relevant to DC,”

says Weusi Baraka, credited in the

fi lm for his short speaking role where

he buys a bag of weed from Joshua.

Baraka was invited to the set by Wil-

liams, his cousin. His role in the fi lm

was improvised, as much of the fi lm

was, according to Baraka.

Slam, written and directed by Marc

Levin, known for directing the HBO

documentary “Th ug Life in D.C.” and

more recently producing the critically

acclaimed HBO documentary minise-

ries about Newark, New Jersey, Brick

City, tells the story of a young man try-

ing to escape the restrictive confi nes of

Lorton Correctional Complex through

the power of the written word after be-

ing charged with drug possession while

fl eeing the scene of a shooting.

While in Lorton, Joshua is faced

with the dilemma of joining, for pro-

tection, the “Union Crew,” led by Ho-

pha, played by the well-known urban

journalist Bonz Malone, or being at-

tacked by a rival jail crew. In the prison

recreation yard, Joshua is approached

by the leader of the rival crew and in-

stead of fi ghting with his fi sts, he un-

leashes a verbal salvo that leaves fellow

prisoners speechless.

“I forgot what I was thinking,” says

Hopha as Joshua walks away unscathed

from the awestruck crowd.

In the hallway back to his cell

Joshua meets Lauren Bell, played by

Sonja Sohn, known for her role in

“Th e Wire” as Detective Greggs. Bell,

impressed by Joshua’s poetic perfor-

mance in the yard, invites him to at-

tend the poetry class she teaches to a

small group of prisoners.

Th e fi lm culminates in Joshua’s

triumphant performance at a U Street

open mic; Joshua then wanders the city

at night with his future in doubt.

Capturing scenes of Eastern Mar-

ket, U Street, the metro, and cameos

by well-known DC fi gures such as

Roach Brown as a public defender and

Marion Barry as a judge who chastises

Joshua for his involvement in the city’s

drug trade, Slam is a raw representa-

tion of DC that deserves its recogni-

tion as a valuable fi lm. ●●

East Washington History Focus

Sundance Film Festival Winner “Slam”article & photos by John Muller

Slam features a DC that Hollywood overlooks.

Morgan Family Fish FryHome-Style dining and Friendly Faces

by Nikki Peele

Dr. Michangelo

Scruggs, D.P.M. is

passionate about

providing quality podiatric

health care to residents across

DC. His podiatric practice,

Footprint Podiatry Consul-

tants, is located at United

Medical Center on Southern

Avenue. When I asked him

why he chose to practice in

Southeast DC, Scruggs stat-

ed, “I believe a person should

get quality health care. At the

end of the day, it is about being honest with

your patient, even if you have a lot of other pa-

tients to see.”

Scruggs has been in Washington, D.C., for

nearly nine years. He did his residency in med-

icine at Howard University Hospital. He ob-

tained additional training in podiatric surgery

at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine.

“ I saw the vision that leaders of UMC have

and I liked its overall appeal. We have to look at

UMC for the quality care that is off ered here.

Th e credentials of doctors here are the same or

better than at other hospitals,” Scruggs said.

Listening to his patients is important to

Scruggs. “I’m a doctor that believes in patient

feedback. I believe that patients are the vitality

of your business. Without patients, there is no

reason to be here. I treat my patients like my

family. If I won’t do it to my family, I won’t do

it to them.”

Who are his patients? “I see patients of

any age group. I have a large number of ado-

lescents.” Most adolescents and children are

seen because of injury and trauma. Scruggs

also sees patients with sports-related injuries

and fractures. He approaches treatment from a

patient-centered perspective. Some injuries can

be treated conservatively, through casts. Other

injuries are treated surgically. Scruggs performs

surgeries at UMC.

Medical and surgical foot care includes

problems that many people do not see as im-

portant, but that are. Scruggs even consults

with those who wish to choose the right kind

of shoe to help prevent foot problems. People

with planar warts and fungal nails are also

treated. “People think that removing a bun-

ion is a cosmetic procedure, but this is not so

if someone’s nerve is entrapped.” Bunions can

cause a lot of pain if untreated.

“I became a podiatrist because for many

people, especially in African-American com-

munities, there was not a

high regard for foot care.”

As a result, there are many

amputations that could have

been prevented. Scruggs

added that foot problems

often can be detected by

stinky feet. Th e odor would

“illuminate the room. People

would think that it was okay

for feet to have a smell.” He

noted, “Certain people could

not aff ord proper shoes. Th ey

wore other people’s shoes.

Th e shoes would be too small.” Even today,

lack of resources for proper shoes and for ad-

equate foot care still exists for many people.

Scruggs also sees people with various stages

of diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and high blood pres-

sure. “We open our doors to everyone.” Scruggs

and his partners regularly see patients at the

Whitman-Walker Center.

Scruggs grew up in East St. Louis, where

“the entire city is like Wards 7 and 8” of D.C.

With his humble beginnings, Scruggs is in the

perfect position to serve as a mentor to young

folk from all backgrounds.

In addition to being a practicing podiatrist,

Scruggs is an educator. “I believe in education.

Education is key. I was a teacher before I at-

tended medical school. We need to cultivate

our young people.” Scruggs wants young people

to know that podiatry is a great career choice if

you care about people.

Podiatric care treats the whole body. “People

think we are foot doctors. While we specifi cally

treat the foot and ankle, podiatrists are often

the fi rst physicians to recognize that a person

has diabetes or other chronic diseases. When

I have a suspicion, I refer that person to the

specialist or to their primary care physician.”

Scruggs noted, “If your feet hurt, your whole

body hurts.” One of his elderly patients stated,

“You walk in tipping and walk out skipping.”

Contact Dr. ScruggsDr. Scruggs has a growing podiatric prac-

tice at 1328 Southern Avenue, S.E. He accepts

patients through a variety of insurance mecha-

nisms. You can reach Dr. Scruggs at 202-506-

1001 (http://footprintpodiatry.org/).

B. Michelle Harris, PhD, MPH, RD, is Assistant Professor at the University of the District of Columbia. Her focus is public and community health through education, information, and re-search. Contact her at [email protected]. Visit the UDC website at www.udc.edu. ●●


Community ChildDevelopment Center

Open Year round 6:30am to 6:00pmAges 2 to 4 plus School age

Developmentally Appropriate ProgramsToilet Training • Certified Educators

Hot Balanced Meals • Educational Field TripsTuition Based on Income

4021 Minnesota Ave NEWashington DC 20019

202-397-1170

1105 50th St., NEWashington DC 20019

202-397-8754

“A Child’sWorld for

Learning”

Two Locations

Dr. Michangelo Scruggs,Podiatrist

Private Doctors in Southeast DC, Part II

by B. Michelle Harris McQureerir


2011 White House Easter Egg Roll Ticket LotteryTh is year’s White House Easter Egg Roll will be

held on Monday, Apr. 25 with the theme of “Get Up

and Go!” promoting health and wellness. Th e event

will feature live music, sports courts, cooking stations,

storytelling and, of course, Easter egg rolling. All of the

activities will encourage children to lead healthy and

active lives and follow the First Lady’s ‘Let’s Move!’

initiative, a national campaign to combat childhood

obesity. Th e White House will open its South Lawn

for children aged 12 years and younger and their

families. White House Easter Egg Roll tickets will be

distributed through an online lottery system, allowing

guests from across the United States to participate in

a tradition that dates back to 1878. Th e lottery will

open for entries on Mar. 10, 12:01AM and close on

Mar. 13, 11:59 PM. Tickets are free of charge and are

non transferable. Full ticketing details can be found at

whitehouse.gov/eastereggroll or 202-456-7041.

Green Thumb Day and Beautifi cation Day at Benning Park Recreation Center

On Th ursday, Mar. 17, 5:30-7:00 PM, each child

(age 9-13) will paint a fl ower pot, put soil and seeds in

it and take care of it. On Sunday, Mar. 20, 1:00-3:00

PM, children (ages 9-13) will plant fl owers in front

of facility in the fl ower beds and clean up around the

building. For more information, call Woody Ward

at 202-341-6765. Benning Park Recreation Center,

5100 Southern Ave. SE. dpr.dc.gov

Friendship Collegiate Academy PosseScholarship Winners

Five students from Friendship Collegiate Acad-

emy Public Charter High School are newly named

recipients of Posse Scholarships, a four-year full-tu-

ition prize worth up to $140,000 per student over the

course of their undergraduate education. Th is year’s

award winners are heading to the University of Wis-

consin, Madison, Bucknell and Pepperdine Universi-

ties and Lafayette College—three with grade point

averages of 3.98. A further student graduating this

year is headed to Columbia with a 4.1 GPA. friend-

shipschools.org

Far Southeast Family StrengtheningCollaborative Annual Business Meetingand Family Community Conference

On Saturday, Apr. 9, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM, at A.

Kiger Savoy Elementary School, 2400 Shannon Pl.

SE. Are you looking for something to do with the

whole family? Families, children, adults, teens and

professionals are all welcome. fsfsc.org

Saturday Tutoring at Deanwood Library Th e Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching

and Service at Georgetown University is off ering tu-

toring through the DC Reads program this academic

year. Th is program provides one-on-one literacy tu-

toring to children in elementary school. Th e tutor-

ing is from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM at the Deanwood

Recreation Center Library on Saturdays. For more

information, contact Nathanial S. Roloff , DC Reads

Director, 202-687-0821.

Teen Night Out at Arundel Mills Mall On Saturday, Mar. 26, 5:00-11:00 PM, kids (ages

12-18) will enjoy an evening of movies, shopping, and

dining at Arundel Mills Mall. Transportation leaves

from Marvin Gaye/Watts Recreation Center, 6201

Banks Pl. NE For more information, call Duwayne

Glover at 202/727-5432. dpr.dc.gov

Marine Corps Marathon Healthy Kids Fun Run Registration Open

Th e annual Marine Corps Marathon Healthy

Kids Fun Run will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29 in

the Pentagon North Parking Lot. Children ages 5-

12 can participate in the one-mile just-for-fun event.

All participants receive a t-shirt, medal and snacks at

the fi nish line. $5. Online registration opens Mar. 9.

marinemarathon.com

UPO Seeking High School Applicants for $10,000 Scholarships

Th e United Planning Organization’s Joseph A.

Beavers Scholarship Program is recruiting 2011 Jo-

seph A. Beavers Scholarship applicants. Scholarships

are $10,000 and are intended for students who have

overcome social adversities in pursuit of their life

KIDS & FAMILY

Fort Dupont Ice Arena Summer Skating CampsSummer Skating School, July 5-8 and July 11-

15, 9:00 AM-noon. Beginner through intermedi-

ate levels; ages fi rst through sixth grade in the

fall, 2011. Lessons include off -ice fi tness class,

group skating lessons, and supervised practice.

Figure Skating Camp, July 5-8 and July 11-15,

8:30 AM-5:30 PM. For ages fi rst through 12th

grade in fall, 2011. Best suited for USFS Basic 6-

8/Pre-Preliminary through Novice Moves in the

Field or equivalent. Will work on jumps, spins,

MIF, Dance, Synchronized Skating, Artistry and

Choreography. Th e camp includes on and off -ice

classes from highly-qualifi ed coaches. Register

early as camps fi ll quickly! Fort Dupont Ice Are-

na, 3779 Ely Pl. SE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org

by Kathleen Donner

Notebook

Fort Dupont Ice Arena Summer Camp Photo: Courtesy of Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena


March 5th (10-11:30)March 16th (5-6:30)

New Enrollment for3 & 4 year-olds:

March 4th

New Enrollment(all other grades)

March 14th – April 15th

OPEN HOUSE

Please visit us atwww.artstechacademy.org

ABOUT US:

• Founded in the fall of 1999

• Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

• 3 year old Pre-K– Grade 5

• Independently run with a strong Board of Trustees

• Recognized by US Department of Education as Outstanding Charter School

• Challenging Curriculum

• Exciting Creative Arts and Technology Program

• Positive school culture

• Open to all DC Residents

5300 Blaine Street, NEWashington, DC 20019

202-398-6811


goals. Applications must be submitted no later than

5:00 PM, Monday, Mar. 21. For an application and

additional information, contact Ms. La Shawn Reed-

er at 202-583-8664 or by email at [email protected].

Kite Flying at Ridge Road Recreation CenterOn Wednesday, Mar. 30, 4:00-6:00 PM, kids will

build kites and then engage in a kite fl ying contest.

Appropriate for all ages. For more information, call

Sonny Hicks at 202-645-0502. Ridge Road Recre-

ation Center, 800 Ridge Rd. SE. dpr.dc.gov

Fight For Children Launches Ready to Learn DCFight For Children, whose mission is to ensure

that low-income children in DC receive a great edu-

cation, has launched Ready to Learn DC, a multi-

faceted initiative aimed at ensuring school readiness

among DC’s youngest residents. Th rough a variety of

programs and partnerships, Ready to Learn DC will

increase the number of high-quality, early childhood

education programs, while helping parents better

understand the attributes of a quality preschool and

how to choose the school best suited for their child.

Th e major components of Ready to Learn DC in-

cludes a website (readytolearndc.org) and a free video

to educate parents about the importance of a quality

early childhood education, how to chose and enroll

in a preschool, and how to stay engaged in their chil-

dren’s education. Th e video will be distributed widely

in DC’s Wards 7 and 8 and is currently available on

the Ready to Learn website. Fight For Children has

committed $200,000 over two years to the Children’s

National Medical Cemter. Th e two organizations are

collaborating on a multi-year pilot program to help

reduce and prevent obesity in three and four-year old

children from the Kenilworth-Parkside neighbor-

hood in Ward 7. CNMC will work with teachers,

care providers and over two dozen parents in a com-

prehensive program for prevention and treatment

of childhood obesity. Th rough the Ready to Learn

program, Fight For Children will make additional

grants in 2011 to enhance and grow the quality of

early childhood education in DC. Th e majority of

these grants will be made to organizations working in

Wards 7 and 8. fi ghtforchildren.org

Open House for the Inspired Teaching Demon-stration School

Center for Inspired Teaching is opening a charter

school. Opening in August 2011, the Inspired Teach-

ing Demonstration School will prove that when ev-

ery classroom has an Inspired Teacher, students can

reach their full intellectual and creative potential. Th e

school will focus on developing students’ and teach-

ers’ intellect, imagination, inquiry, and integrity. As a

“demonstration” school, the Inspired Teaching Dem-

onstration School will be a training ground for the

country’s best teachers, demonstrating that excellence

in academics must include hands-on learning, cre-

ative play, art, music, and rigor. At the Inspired Teach-

ing School, every classroom will have two teachers,

a Master Teacher, and a fellow in residence, so the

teacher to student ratio will be as low as 1:10. Th e

school will open with pre-school (age 3) through

third grade, and grow to include through 8th grade.

Th e open house is on Mar. 26, 10:30 AM-noon. Cen-

ter for Inspired Teaching, 1436 U St. NW, Suite 400.

202-462-1956. inspiredteachingschool.org

Pendragwn Youth Film Festival Call for EntriesOn May 15, the fi rst Pendragwn Youth Film Fes-

tival will be held at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

Th e festival will feature short fi lms in 4 categories;

documentary, music video, narrative and a super short

(public service announcement). All fi lms are created

by students ages 11-18. It’s free and easy to enter.

Submissions must be postmarked by Apr. 11. Get de-

tails on pendragwnyouthfi lmfest.org.

Kid’s on Ice at Fort DupontTh e Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena, Inc. is

home to Kids On Ice®, a community ice skating pro-

gram for children ages 5-18, off ering free lessons with

all equipment provided. KOI serves over 10,000 chil-

dren annually. Now in its thirteenth year, the program

has grown to include learn to skate, advanced fi gure

skating, ice hockey, speed skating, and Schools and

Camps Skate for Fitness. Instructors include quali-

fi ed volunteers under the direction of professional

fi gure skating, ice hockey and speed skating directors.

202-584-5007. fdia.org/KOI

Kites of Asia Family DayOn Saturday, Mar. 19, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM, ex-

perience the beauty and artistry of kites from across

Asia, with a special focus on India and Nepal. Ex-

plore how kites fl y, watch amazing indoor kite-fl y-

ing demonstrations, and speak with kite experts. Free.

National Air and Space Museum. 202-633-2214.

nasm.si.edu

Leprechauns Leap at the St. Patrick’s Day 8KLeprechauns Leap is a 1K noncompetitive fun

run just for children held at the St. Patrick’s Day

9K run! Th e “leap” will start near the 8K start/fi nish

line immediately after the 8K start. No registration

is necessary. Medals to all fi nishers! Look for all the

smiling, excited faces! Sunday, Mar. 13, 9:00 AM at

Freedom Plaza. runwashington.com

White House Kitchen Garden Tours for DC Area School Groups

Tours of the White House Kitchen Garden are

available to elementary, middle or high school students

on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis most Tuesdays and

Th ursdays at 11:30 AM. Tours consist of a group of

up to 30 students with a maximum of one chaperone

for every seven students. At this time tours are limited

to local area schools. Requests can be submitted up to

three months in advance and no less than 30 days in

advance. You are encouraged to submit your request

as early as possible since a limited number of tours

are available. Tours consist of a guided viewing and

explanation of the White House Kitchen Garden

and will not include a visit inside the White House.

whitehouse.gov/about/tours_and_events/garden

Kingsbury Center Opens Pre-K Program for Hard to Place Four Year Olds

Th e Kingsbury Center, the oldest nonpub-

lic school educating learning disabled students in

the Greater Washington area announced today the

opening of the Kingsbury Early Education program

(KEEP), its new preschool program for four year olds.

Th e KEEP program is designed for the hard-to-place

four year olds with mild to moderate developmental

delays. Th e program will also consider accepting typi-

cally developing four year old peer role models. Stu-

dents must have been four years old by Oct. 1, 2010.

Th e classroom will have a maximum of ten stu-

dents, and will off er both half day and full day pro-

grams, with snacks provided. KEEP students may

participate in aftercare until 6:00 PM and may ar-

rive as early as 7:30 AM. Tuition will be prorated for

this school year, based on $7,500 for half days and

$15,000 for full day programs for the entire school

year. For more information or to schedule an appoint-

ment, contact Eden Santa Cruz at 202-722-5555 x

2422 or [email protected].

Kids RunDC Monumental MileOn Saturday, Mar. 26, 10:30 AM, RFK Stadium

Upper Lot 3. Th is is a mile run for kid’s, 6-13, in con-

nection with the National Marathon. Register online

at nationalmarathon.com. $10 fee includes race bib,

t-shirt, medal, snacks and drink.

“How-to” Website Focuses On How To Navigate Fragile Parent-School Board Relations

Catherine Lorenze, a respected parent advocate

in the nation’s 11th largest school district, is sharing

her expertise about lobbying school boards and su-

perintendents with parents nationwide in a new web-

site and blog at RedAppleMom.com and RedApple-

Mom.wordpress.com. RedAppleMom.com provides

a roadmap on how to mobilize with other parents and

education stakeholders. Ms. Lorenze details the lob-

bying and communications skills that work for ulti-

mately moving School Board and public opinion in

favor of change.

DC Child Support Service Mobile VanIn an eff ort to strengthen community aware-

ness and involvement, the Child Support Services

Division will take its services to the street in a new

outreach mobile van. Th e van will provide paternity

establishment and child support services to custom-

ers in District neighborhoods instead of requiring

KIDS & FAMILY

customers to travel to the child

support offi ce at Judiciary Square

in Northwest DC. Th e van will be

scheduled at area supermarkets, as

well as community collaboratives,

health clinics, schools, churches,

hospitals, community organizations

and District agencies. To request

the outreach van at your location,

please contact the Child Support

Services Division at 202-724-2131

for assistance. csed.dc.gov

White House InternshipsTh e White House Internship

Program provides a unique oppor-

tunity to gain valuable professional

experience and build leadership

skills. Th is hands-on program is

designed to mentor and cultivate

today’s young leaders, strengthen

their understanding of the Execu-

tive Offi ce and prepare them for

future public service opportunities.

For application details, visit white-

house.gov/about/internships/apply.

Th e application for the Fall 2011

White House Internship can be

found at whitehouse.gov/about/in-

ternships/apply/application. It will

be posted until Mar. 13.

Investigate: David Smith at the National Gallery of Art

Join an elephant on a humor-

ous journey to fi nd his missing half.

Discover the sculpture of David

Smith, and then build a sculpture

with wood and metal. Free. Sun-

days, March 13 and 20 at 11:30,

12:30, 1:30 and 2:30. East Build-

ing, Ground Level. 202-737-4215.

nga.gov

DC Area’s Summer 2011 Rock Music Camps

Camp Jam, the nation’s premier

provider of rock music camps and

educational rock ‘n’ roll music pro-

grams, is now accepting registra-

tions for its Summer 2011 camp se-

ries. Students rehearse, record, and

perform like rock stars during cur-

riculum-based day camp programs.

Camp Jam DC Area will be held

at: St. Andrews Episcopal School,

8804 Postoak Rd., Potomac, MD.

800-513-0930. campjam.com ●●


Call 202-547-1028 today!to schedule an interviewand tour of the school.

“Exceptional Education for Exceptional Students!”

1375 E Street NEWashington DC 20002

www.optionsschool.org

NowEnrollingGrades

6-12

Free Preschool Enrolling for 2011-2012

Bridges is a small, public preschool and pre-kindergarten

program for children 3-5 years old.

Program Features:

• School Day 8:00am-3:00pm, Before Care 8:00-8:30am, After Care 3:00-6:00pm.

• Small classroom size and well trained staff.

• Individual planning for each student.

• Thematic and project-based curriculum.

Now acceptingApplications for the 2011-2012 school year.

Applications accepted January 1, 2011 –April 15, 2011. Applications

received afterApril 15 will be placed on our waiting list. Applications are available at

the school or on our website, www.bridgespcs.org.

OPEN HOUSE / INFORMATION SESSIONS AT THE SCHOOLON

THE FOLLOWING THURSDAYS:

• Thursday, April 7, 2011 from 9:30-10:30 am

Bridges Public Charter School p. 202 545-0515

1250 Taylor St. NW f. 202 545-0517

Washington, DC 20011 www.bridgespcs.org

Bridges Public Charter School is free and open to all DC residents.

Tuition paid by non-residents.


Capitol Hill Arts Workshop CampGrab your passport and join the Capitol

Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) for its sum-

mer Island Arts Adventure Camps from

June 20 to August 12, 2011. Each two-week

camp will focus on the arts and culture of a

particular island including Indonesia, Crete,

Canary Islands, and Hawaii. Camps are for

students ages fi ve to thirteen (additional one-

week Jr. Arts Adventure Camps are available

for students ages four and fi ve). For a full-

day experience, CHAW hosts afternoon spe-

cialty camps. Recreation Camp option with

trips to the swimming pool, parks, museums,

local attractions, and more. Afternoon Spe-

cialty Camps take an in-depth look at artistic

mediums and include two diff erent Musical

Th eater Camps, Photography Camp, Rock n’

Roll Camp, Ceramics Camp (full), and Vi-

sual Arts Camp. Tuition assistance and pay-

ment plans are available. For more info, visit

www.chaw.org or call 202-547-6839.

Capitol Hill Martial Arts+ FitnessSummer Camp

Th e Capitol Hill MAFA summer camp

is a fun, safe, and exciting way for your child

to spend the summer. Th e age range is from

4 to 13 years old. Th e students not only learn

martial arts but are also engaged in educa-

tional activities. We strive to help develop

positive thinking skills and self-esteem with-

in the children. MAFA Campers will par-

ticipate in weekly fi eld trips such as Day at

the Park with Washington Nationals, Out-

door Plays and Movies, Six Flags America,

Local Martial Arts Tournaments and much

more. MAFA Campers will also get a chance

to increase martial arts developement and

technique with the ability to train up to 3x a

day! Hours 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. 1443 D St.

SE, DC 20003; 202-455-4662.

Casey Trees Summer CrewCasey Trees’ Summer Crew is a high

school jobs program where students care for

the District’s trees for eight weeks. Th e 2011

session runs June 20-August 12. Students

earn $9 an hour and work 35-hours a week,

M-F; gain employment skills; and get ex-

posure to “green” careers. Eligibility require-

ments: Be 16+ years of age; enrolled in or a

recent graduate of a DC-area high school;

willing to work outdoors in all weather con-

ditions; and a team player. No experience

necessary. For information and to apply, visit

www.caseytrees.org/education. Applications

are due May 1.

DC Youth OrchestraNo one does music classes better than

DCYOP!! We’ve been teaching music for 50

years and it’s time for CAMP at DCYOP!

Band Camp – String Camp,

All day, two-week session.

Free t-shirt for Camp participants!

Indoor performance on July 3 – Outdoor

performance in the Capitol Hill Fourth of July

celebration/parade on July 4!

DCYOP is also off ering beginning level

classes for students age 8 and above.

Early Registration discount available

through May 1st. Please contact us at info@

dcyop.org or 202-698-0123 with any questions.

Check out our website at www.dcyop.org for

more details about summer activities!! ●

Summer Camp Fun!There is a camp for every interest, schedule and pleasure

DPR Summer Camp Registration OpensTh e DC Department of Parks and

Recreation has opened Summer Camp

registration. Registration can be com-

pleted online or in-person at the Summer

Camp Offi ce, 1480 Girard St. NW. Ad-

ditionally, DPR is holding a pre-qualifi ca-

tion period for DC residents who qualify

for the reduced rate fees. Qualifi cation

requirements and the reduced rate ap-

plication are available at summercamps.

dc.gov. Summer Camp Offi ce number is

202-671-0372.

Courtesy of Department of Parks and Recreation


Accepting Applications for Pre-K – Grade 10for 2011-12 School Year

WE’VE MOVED to a newly-renovated, state-of-the-art, high-tech school at 1800 Perry Street NE, Washington, DC 20018!

A Hyde Education Emphasizes:• The discovery of one’s deeper potential • Courage, Integrity, Concern, Curiosity and Leadership • A self-confi dence and enthusiasm for life • The importance of family • A sense of community

Admissions Info Sessions every Tuesday

Visit www.hydedc.org or call 202.529.4400 for dates and timesWE’RE NOT JUST A SCHOOL...

WE’RE A COMMUNITY!

Preparation for College...and for Life


Education is the founda-

tion of our lives. Learning

how to walk, how to talk,

how to perform our jobs,

enhance our love of the arts into un-

matched talents, how to start and run

a successful business, how to learn,

and anything we can dream of to build

a life that we will be happy living. And

with living sustainably being the new

paradigm to continue human exis-

tence on earth, green schools should

be the norm rather than the atypical

path to educate our children.

And fi nally, Washington, DC will

soon have its very fi rst, tuition-free,

green school. But there is more, it

is bilingual, too! It is called Mundo

Verde, which means Green World.

Introducing Mundo VerdeI attended an information session

on February 16 at the LEED certi-

fi ed Northwest One Library, which

is a new beautiful sustainable and

environmentally friendly library in

the District. It was evident from the

passion exuded that this school is one

that is looking to develop the best

sustainable stewards and bilingual

citizens of the next generation and

they are starting early in pre-kin-

dergarten to kindergarten (ages 3-5

years old).Th eir plan is to add a grade

each year until they reach 8th grade. I

found it rather exciting.

Mundo Verde has the support,

access, and advisory of local and na-

tional leaders, sustainability experts,

and authorities in the expeditionary

and linguistics educational fi elds. It

has been 3 years in the making to

create an interactive learning envi-

ronment that supports social and

emotional growth and provides for

diff erentiated instruction in small

groups allowing children to learn at

their own speed.

Classroom Environment and Learning

Th e school community is de-

veloping an intentionally diverse

community. Th e daily schedule is

balanced and full of variety. Chil-

dren will learn – reading and writ-

ing – half of their day in English and

the other in Spanish with teachers

that speak fl uently in both of those

languages. Dual language instruc-

tion promotes enhanced reading

aptitude and writing skills. Mundo

Verde is exploring multi-age classes

to encourage natural developmen-

tal learning to meet children where

they are, whether gifted or special

needs. Th ere will be reading and lan-

guage specialists as well as specialists

for special education. Th ere will be a

Lead Teacher and a Teaching Fellow

teacher that will be in training for

certifi cation. Th e 3-year old students

will have three teachers per class.

Th e instruction will be through

expeditionary learning, which pre-

pares students to address real world

situations that require critical thinking

and interdisciplinary solutions-driven

aptitude. All tasks will be assigned as

hands-on project-based tasks. Along

with the standard subjects of math,

science, social studies, and two hour

blocks of music or performing, visual

or fi ne arts and gym each day, sustain-

ability will be a part of the core curric-

ulum. Children will learn to use their

natural sense of adventure and won-

der about the world through active

learning. Expeditions will be a regular

component of learning via fi eldwork,

using local resources, and ending with

a presentation of the student’s fi nd-

ings. Th e expeditions are designed to

foster leadership, public speaking, and

structure.

An 11-month school year is

being developed from August 2

through June 30 with a robust sum-

mer program and applications are

due Tuesday, March 22, 2011.

Children Make Up theCommunity

Diverse children will make up this

school which will be admitted on a lot-

tery system. Th e lottery is on April 9,

2011. As of February 16, they received

300 applications and the make-up is

lacking African American and Latino

applications. While the offi ce is on the

H Street, NE corridor, the school will

be located at 2001 S Street, NW near

Florida and Connecticut Avenues for

the fi rst year. Th e facilities committee

has already begun to identify locations

for Mundo Verde’s permanent site.

When I spoke with Lynsey Wood Jef-

fries, Executive Director, at the conclu-

sion of the session, she said they really

would like to have more applications

from the African American and La-

tino communities. In the information

session, it was revealed that there are

only approximately 20 percent Span-

ish-speaking students and 80 percent

English students. Th ey were hoping

to have more of a 50/50 balance. Th e

inclusion of more minority cultures

would be an asset to the school’s diver-

sity and students’ appreciation of the

world they will enter after school.

KIDS & FAMILY

Mundo VerdeA Green and Bilingual School Option

by L. Denise Jackson

LEFT: Mundo Verde Board Members (from left) Katherine Roboff, Executive Director Kristin Scotchmer, Bob Wittig and Sara Elliott. BOTTOM: Executive Director Kristin Scotchmer Photo courtesy Sara Elliot

Sustainable ResourcesBefore and after care is also

available for the hours of 7:30

a.m. through 6:00 p.m. During

the after care there will be tutor-

ing available. Once per week the

school closes at 1 pm for teach-

ers’ professional development

days. Some creative programs are

planned for students to expand

their sustainable knowledge.

Th e Futures ofGreen Schools

Th e future of green schools is

actually a reality. In last October

there was a Green Schools Na-

tional Conference (www.green-

schoolsnationalconference.org)

held in Minneapolis that covered

everything from teaching certi-

fi cation and learning programs

to green products and furniture

to ecoliteracy to green parents

to natural and organic menus. It

also included a Green Schools

National Youth Summit.

Th ere is also Sustainable

Schools, LLC (www.sustain-

schools.org) who helps schools

and colleges build sustainable

and environmental literacy by in-

tegrating that knowledge into the

planning, instruction, and overall

mission of the institutions opera-

tions and practices. Educational

institutions right here in Wash-

ington, DC, such as American

University have explored and are

using this framework.

Agencies and organizations

such as the U.S. Partnership for

Education for Sustainable Devel-

opment, Green Schools Alliance,

and Cloud Institute for Sustain-

ability Education are partnering

to ensure that our children have

the best opportunity to be en-

vironmental stewards and be an

important part of future solutions

for our sustainability.

To fi nd out more about this school, you can go to www.mundoverdepcs.org as they have an upcoming information session on March 12.L. Denise Jackson, founder of Th e Pro-fessional Green Network, is an author, speaker, and sustainability consultant. ●●


Facing a series of attacks

from his opponent, 13-

year-old Clarence Dicks

whisked his king safely be-

hind two pawns that would prevent

any future threats to his reign.

“You can’t check me no more,”

Dicks declared at one of the doz-

ens of chessboards that had been set

up inside the cafeteria at the Cae-

sar Chavez Public Charter School

in Southeast, where close to 80

youths from more than a dozen D.C.

schools gathered to participate in a

chess tournament in which they were

likened to “mental gladiators.”

Th e tournament -- held during

the last weekend of February -- was

conducted by Chess Challenge in

D.C., a three-year-old out-of-school

program that uses the game of chess

to develop literacy and leadership

among youths.

Based on scenes that unfolded at

the tournament, it was evident that

the program is helping young people

excel in the game of chess, as well as

academically and socially.

For instance, resisting his op-

ponent’s suggestion to promote his

pawn into a queen that would have

been immediately captured with-

out consequence, Clarence correctly

guarded the pawn so that the pawn

could get promoted to queen that

could only be captured at a cost.

When the tournament director

declared the game over due to time

constraints, Clarence was declared

victor because of the overwhelm-

ing material he had on the board: A

queen and a bishop worth 12 points

as opposed to his opponent’s rook

and a pawn, worth half that amount.

But rather than gloat over his

victory, Clarence credited educators

at his school, Stuart-Hobson Middle

School, and his Chess Challenge in

D.C. coach, Truth Hall, aka “Mr.

Truth,” with helping him to elevate

his game.

“I probably wouldn’t be where I

am without my school,” Clarence said

in reference to Stuart-Hobson, one of

the many schools that hosts the Chess

Challenge in D.C. program.

Clarence also gave props to his

opponent, Alexander Mial, 11, of

Tech Prep Academy.

“He forced me to work the hard-

est I ever did,” Clarence said of Alex-

ander. “All of my opponents did. I’m

just glad to be here.”

Clarence’s aunt, Tonia Dansby,

credited Chess Challenge with helping

Clarence become more competitive.

“I think every time he competes,

he learns more,” Dansby said. “If his

challenger does a move, he’ll take it

to his coach” to review it to see what

could have been done better.

“It’s a learning process,” Dansby

added. “I think it’s wonderful to see

so many young people playing the

game.”

Clarence ended up coming in

fourth place in the tournament after

losing on time -- but by no means ma-

terial -- in an intense blitz-off round

to which he and several other youths

tied for the top spots had advanced.

Tournament Director and Chess

Challenge in D.C. Coach Char-

lie Edelman commended all of the

youths who participated in the tour-

nament irrespective of how many

games they won. Th ough the tall

green and gold trophies for the tour-

nament went only to the top winners,

all of the contestants got ribbons or

medallions to commemorate their

participation.

“Regardless of the score, you’re all

mental gladiators,” Edelman said as

he handed out prizes. Each partici-

pant wore a black Chess Challenge

t-shirt emblazoned with a motto that

captured the essence of the tourna-

ment event. In white letters on the

back, the shirts said: “Encouraging

Success with Every Move.” ●●

Chess Challenge DC“Encouraging Success with Every Move.”

article & photos by Jamaal Abdul-Alim

TOP to BOTTOM1. Rashid Nelson,13, an 8th grade student at Paul Public Charter School and Higher Achievement Program (right) and Bockman Byrne-Ray, 10, a 5th grade student at Stuart Hobson Middle School (left) vie for 2nd place at the Feb. 26th Chess Challenge in DC Tournament.2. Clarence Diggs, 13, from Stuart-Hobson Middle School, considers his next move in a blitz round to determine if he will capture one of the top spots in the tournament.


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THE NOSE

In Th e Nose’s rapidly declining profession, an-

nouncements of retrenchments seem to dominate

the daily news. While the future of print journal-

ism remains ‘To Be Determined,’ Th e Nose re-

cently engaged his Editor in that most painful of discus-

sions -- the provision of just compensation.

Money discussions are truly the bane of any writer’s

existence. Yet, as Washington’s self-proclaimed, preemi-

nent purveyor of political parody, Th e Nose has an obli-

gation to uphold standards for his fellow scribblers.

Is there enough money on the entire planet to compen-

sate Th e Nose for the hours he spends watching Phil ‘Th e

Nitpicker’ Mendelson or David ‘Th e Bean Counter’ Cata-

nia arguing over the arcana of District social programs?

Dear Readers, would you sit quietly in your arm-

chairs popping bonbons while Jack ‘Th e Scrooge’ Ev-

ans, droned on in defense of the wallets of the poor,

abused wealthy residents of Ward 2, standing, much as a

Spartan at Th ermopylae, against the predatory, barbaric

hordes of tax enthusiasts led by the terrible troika: Jim

‘Th e Bow Tie’ Graham, Michael ‘Taxes Are for Little

People’ Brown or Tommy ‘Th e Cyclist’ Wells?

Could you, would you, not turn the channel as

Marion ‘Forgot to File’ Barry philosophizes over fi scal

responsibility?

I knew you could.

Dear Readers, the eyestrain generated by countless

hours of reading thousands of pages of monotonous on-

line municipal documents has forced Th e Nose to correct

his increasingly myopic vision with coke bottle lenses.

Now, when picking up a cute guy at a crowded bar Th e

Nose can barely make out whether or not his potential

partner’s face looks like a pock-marked barn door.

Pity the predicament of this poor pundit.

Not surprisingly, in these grim economic times, Th e

Nose’s Editor refused, unlike many local developers, to

be shaken down for more cash. What is a poor scribbler

to do?

Do not despair, Dear Readers. Th e answer to Th e

Nose’s quandary lies in the example of his Esteemed Ex-

cellency, Herr Chair Kwame “Black on Black” Brown.

In a word, ‘Perks!’

Now, Th e Nose’s unctuous Editor already propitiates

him with the occasional gift of a pencil, notebook or

press pass. It is time now to take a stand. Be it known,

Dear Readers, that such off erings will no longer be con-

sidered suffi cient. Th ey are an insult to a satirist of Th e

Nose’s caliber.

Th e Nose demands the ultimate in vehicular perks, a

gold plated, fully loaded, leather encased Segway.

No, Th e Nose will not settle for a two-wheeled ve-

hicle built for hoi polloi. He must have the latest, great-

est gadget with all the bells and whistles. Here are his

MINIMUM requirements:

• A Complete Navigation System: Th e Nose, a bit

directionally challenged, requires detailed audio in-

struction for his travels around this fair metropolis.

• An Integrated, Video Backup Camera: Th is is an ab-

solutely, necessary safety feature that will allow Th e

Nose to avoid neck strain.

• Bluetooth Connectivity: To allow Th e Nose to con-

duct interviews, text and sort his email, all while

whizzing through city traffi c, the Segway must be

able to connect to his many I-devices.

• High End Entertainment: Weighed down by the

cynicism and ennui endemic to his profession, Th e

Nose requires either the distraction of his favor-

ite Aretha Franklin tunes played at full thumping

volume or the emotional catharsis of ‘Broke Back

Mountain’ cued up on demand.

Somewhat surprisingly, Th e Nose’s Editor agreed to

his demand for a vehicular perk. Apparently, the dealer-

ship had good lease rates that allowed for a signifi cant

tax write-off .

Unfortunately, in the end, Th e Nose had to decline.

Decorated in steel gray, the procured Segway did not

meet a central requirement: black-on-black leather hand

grips with leather tassels. After all, as every fabulous, well

dressed man knows, one’s tassels should always match

one’s loafers.

Have a comment for Th e Nose? Email [email protected]. ●●

by anonymous

Where Are My Perks?

COMING THIS SPRING!

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Featuring:The Finest Selection of Oysters & Chops on The Hill

A Fifty-Foot Long Marble Oyster BarTwenty-Four Wines by the Glass

Sixteen Fine Ales on Draft

WACIFWashington Area Community

Investment Fund, Inc.

Interpretation services and accommodations for persons with disabilities are available.Contact WACIF one week prior to event for any special assistance needs.

Support for WACIF’s programs and services is provided by: DC Department of Housing and Economic Development; DC Department of Small and Local Business Development; Neighborhood Investment Fund, Government of the District of Columbia, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning

and Economic Development; Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development; U.S. Small Business Administration; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; American Bank; M&T Bank; TD Bank; The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation; D.C. Pro Bono Bar Program; and other

corporate and individual donors and investors.

For more information or to RSVP please call WACIF at 529-5505 or visit www.wacif.org

WACIF helps small business owners succeed!

Starting a Small Business – A Legal

PerspectiveMarch 16

6:30pm - 8:30pm

FREE Small Business Seminars andTechnical Assistance

Small BusinessLoan Day

March 1911:30am - 1:30pm

Business Taxes 101 New Laws and All you need to

know about Business TaxesMarch 24

6:30pm - 8:30pm

Documents

East of the River Magazine March 2011