Archive: City Life
Nickles sees nothing wrong with developer's fixes for Gray
Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said he sees no wrongdoing in the repairs completed at the home of D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) -- a story first reported in the Washington Times on Wednesday. "I don't think I read a serious allegation there. I call it like I...
By Gene Fynes | November 19, 2009; 12:50 PM ET | Comments (3)
No more police escort on bike rides, Fenty says
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said Thursday he will no longer use a police officer to escort him and fellow cyclists on his bike rides -- a routine captured on video by WTOP investigative reporter Mark Segraves over a three-month period. The video showed a motorcycle officer clearing traffic for...
By Gene Fynes | November 12, 2009; 11:25 AM ET | Comments (16)
Committee unveils changes to same-sex bill
A D.C. Council committee will probably approve major changes Tuesday to the bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the District, including a provision that will make it easier for churches to avoid having to participate in gay weddings and receptions. In preparation for the "mark up" hearing before the Committee...
By Gene Fynes | November 9, 2009; 03:39 PM ET | Comments (8)
Another vote for same-sex marriage
There may be another vote on the D.C. Council in support of a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the District. Nine council members are co-sponsoring council member David A. Catania's (I-At Large) same-sex marriage bill. Council members Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7), Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) and Harry Thomas...
By Gene Fynes | October 27, 2009; 11:36 AM ET | Comments (15)
Graham gives up taxicab industry oversight
D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) is giving up his oversight of the city's taxicab issues after his chief of staff was arrested last month for allegedly taking a bribe from a member of the industry. Graham sent council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) a letter Monday asking that...
By Gene Fynes | October 19, 2009; 05:31 PM ET | Comments (3)
Graham Aides Won't Be Testifying After All
The two staffers for D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) who were subpoenaed as part of the federal investigation of the city's taxicab industry will not be testifying before the grand jury, according to sources in Graham's office. David Vacca and Steve Hernandez, both of whom work for the...
By Gene Fynes | October 8, 2009; 12:55 PM ET | Comments (0)
Barry Still in ICU at Howard University Hospital
Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) remains in the intensive care unit at Howard University Hospital after being moved there Tuesday night, according to Natalie Williams, his spokeswoman. Barry, who underwent a kidney transplant in February, was admitted to the hospital early Tuesday to be treated for dehydration. Williams had...
By Gene Fynes | October 7, 2009; 11:40 AM ET | Comments (4)
Cora Masters Barry, City Reach Deal on Recreation Center
Former D.C. first lady Cora Masters Barry will get to stay in the recreation center that she was instrumental in building a decade ago after negotiations with the city. City officials released a brief statement Thursday, the same day supporters are expected to appear at a 4 p.m. hearing on...
By Gene Fynes | October 1, 2009; 02:52 PM ET | Comments (2)
Cabdrivers Vent Anger at Graham, Fenty
D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) withdrew his taxi industry reform bill on Wednesday, but that didn't stop about 50 cabdrivers from picketing City Hall on Thursday morning. A coalition of taxicab associations also called today for Graham's resignation. The protestors, who gathered in Freedom Plaza across from the...
By Gene Fynes | October 1, 2009; 12:39 PM ET | Comments (4)
Michael Kelly Moving on to Bigger Things
Michael Kelly, who recently announced his resignation from the D.C. Housing Authority after nearly a decade, has landed on his feet in a big way: general manager of the New York City Housing Authority. "Seldom do you find someone as qualified as Mike Kelly to assume a position as important...
By Gene Fynes | October 1, 2009; 11:23 AM ET | Comments (1)
Gay Games Won't Be Held in the District
Despite traveling to Cologne, Germany, District government officials failed to persuade the Federation of Gay Games to hold its Gay Olympics in the District in 2014. D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) and Valerie Santos, deputy mayor for planning and economic development, were among the D.C. contingent in...
By Gene Fynes | September 29, 2009; 02:32 PM ET | Comments (3)
Fenty Praises Graham for Work on Columbia Heights
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) praised D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) at a public event in Columbia Heights this morning, even as Graham continues to be battered with questions over last week's arrest of his chief of staff. Fenty and Graham both attended the grand opening of...
By Gene Fynes | September 28, 2009; 12:40 PM ET | Comments (12)
11th Street Bridge Plans Gets Go-Ahead
By Tim Craig Washington Post Staff Writer The D.C. Council approved a plan Tuesday to accept property from the federal government so the city can begin construction of the 11th Street bridge. The project, slated to cost $365 million, will be the largest capital improvement project ever undertaken by the...
By Gene Fynes | September 22, 2009; 01:39 PM ET | Comments (20)
Compromise Hammered Out on School Board Hires
The State Board of Education will have the authority to hire three staffers selected from a list given to members by the superintendent under a compromise hammered out by D.C. Council members Monday. The education board, stripped of most of its power after the mayoral takeover in 2007, would have...
By Gene Fynes | September 21, 2009; 06:27 PM ET | Comments (8)
Fenty Gears Up for Fight With Gray Over School Board Funding
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said he and schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee are lobbying D.C. Council members to prevent council Chairman Vincent C. Gray's effort to override his veto of funding to the State Board of Education. The council approved $950,000 in the fiscal 2010 budget -- a move that...
By Gene Fynes | September 18, 2009; 03:30 PM ET | Comments (11)
Fenty Takes Steps against Masonic Lodge in Northeast
As expected, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) Thursday announced steps the city is taking to shut down activities at the Masonic lodge in Ward 5 that residents and city officials say are leading to violence and other disturbances in the Woodridge neighborhood. Fenty postponed his announcement to Thursday after a...
By Anne Bartlett | September 17, 2009; 02:03 PM ET | Comments (5)
Cuts Mean Fewer Library Hours, No Bookmobile
The bookmobile will be parked and hours at all D.C. libraries will be reduced starting in October because of budget cuts. The fiscal 2010 budget slashed the library budget by $4.8 million, and residents will feel the impact next month. All libraries will continue to be open every day but...
By Gene Fynes | September 17, 2009; 11:22 AM ET | Comments (3)
Closed School Site to Be Reborn as Apartments, Shops
Hine Junior High School, shuttered last year by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's school closure plan, will be transformed into 150 apartments, restaurants, shops and office space for the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Fenty (D) announced Tuesday that the city has picked Stanton-Eastbanc, a District-based team of architects and developers, to redevelop...
By Gene Fynes | September 15, 2009; 11:41 AM ET | Comments (9)
Former TV Reporter Switches to Politics
Leo Alexander, a former television reporter-turned-insurance sales executive, kicked off his uphill campaign for D.C. mayor Monday night. Though the venue was small -- Pier 7 restaurant in Southwest -- the room filled with friends, old acquaintances and community activists anxious to see whether Alexander could be an alternative to...
By Gene Fynes | September 15, 2009; 11:37 AM ET | Comments (14)
D.C. Council Talking Ethics Today
D.C. Council members are discussing what could become its ethics policy in a 3 1/2-hour meeting Tuesday. The work session began at 9:30 a.m., although council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), whose hiring of a girlfriend and issues surrounding earmarks prompted a new focus on council ethics, was not there...
By Gene Fynes | September 15, 2009; 11:27 AM ET | Comments (3)
Cora Barry Taking Her Case to Court
Former D.C. first lady Cora Masters Barry will take her case to court Tuesday when she asks a judge to prohibit the city from evicting her Recreation Wish List Committee from the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. But young people who use the Ward 8 tennis center took her case...
By Gene Fynes | September 14, 2009; 05:47 PM ET | Comments (0)
D.C. Housing Authority Director Resigns
Michael Kelly, executive director of the D.C. Housing Authority, is resigning his post at the end of the month, the Board of Commissioners announced Monday. Bill Slover, board chairman, credited Kelly with transforming the agency into a "national model." "His legacy is the creation of a strong, innovative, and skilled...
By Gene Fynes | September 14, 2009; 02:35 PM ET | Comments (2)
D.C. Attorney General Fires Back at Opponents
Attorney General Peter Nickles was fighting back Wednesday, releasing oppositions he filed this week in two different cases. The embattled Nickles has found himself up against just about everybody, including D.C. Auditor Deborah K. Nichols, who has asked a judge to intervene and enforce a subpoena that would give her...
By Gene Fynes | September 9, 2009; 11:19 AM ET | Comments (2)
Tipping the Scales in D.C. Council Race
Former recreation director Clark E. Ray is calling in a big favor from his past in his race to unseat D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large). Tipper Gore, his former boss, will attend his first fundraiser Oct. 13, his camp announced. Ray, who began his campaign for the council...
By Gene Fynes | September 8, 2009; 11:24 AM ET | Comments (3)
Ballot Initiative Requested on Same-Sex Marriage
Eight opponents of same-sex marriage formally filed a request today with the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics to hold a ballot initiative to stop efforts to allow couples in the District to marry. The one-sentence initiative reads, "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized...
By Gene Fynes | September 1, 2009; 12:21 PM ET | Comments (7)
Bishop Continues Fight Against Same-Sex Marriages in D.C.
Bishop Harry Jackson is refusing to relent from his campaign to stop same-sex marriage in the District, despite the drubbing he took before the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics this summer. Jackson sent out a statement Monday stating that he and other opponents of same-sex marriages will file an...
By Gene Fynes | August 31, 2009; 01:43 PM ET | Comments (3)
Diving Deeper Into Aquatics Director's Firing
The District's firing of aquatics director Brendan McElroy took a new twist Wednesday, with news that the D.C. Office of the Inspector General had launched a preliminary investigation of McElroy a month before he was fired, according to sources familiar with the probe The investigation, outlined in a letter the...
By Gene Fynes | August 26, 2009; 05:16 PM ET | Comments (15)
Dismissed Aquatics Director at Sea Over Firing
Former District aquatics director Brendan McElroy said Tuesday that his recent firing was "unjust and unfair," so he would like to have his job back. "I have a vision for the city and I am committed to aquatics," McElroy said in an interview. "I would love to have my job...
By Gene Fynes | August 25, 2009; 05:13 PM ET | Comments (13)
D.C. Unemployment Declines Slightly
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration announced today that the District's unemployment rate nudged slightly lower in July, largely due to an uptick in hiring at federal and local government agencies. The July unemployment rate was 10.6 percent, down from 10.9 percent in June. The District continues to outpace the national...
By Gene Fynes | August 21, 2009; 11:26 AM ET | Comments (1)
Mayor Rethinks Recreation Wish List Eviction
There seem to be second thoughts in D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration about evicting Cora Masters Barry and her Recreation Wish List Committee from the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, the city-run tennis program she founded. "If Cora Barry gets her corporate papers together, then we will determine if...
By Gene Fynes | August 19, 2009; 11:43 AM ET | Comments (7)
Fire Station to be Named for First African American Chief
In 1943 an ambitious African American man joined the All Negro Engine Company #4 of the D.C. Fire Department, Burton W. Johnson. Johnson, an Army veteran and graduate of Dunbar High School, impressed his bosses with his first job in the department, to make sure that the boots and coat...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | July 17, 2009; 12:10 PM ET | Comments (0)
Same-Sex Marriage Battle Heads to Court
A group of seven opponents of a movement to legalize same-sex marriage in the District filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court today to overturn a ruling by D.C. election officials that voters could not decide whether the District can recognize gay marriages performed in other jurisdictions. The opponents are...
By Vanessa Williams | June 17, 2009; 11:41 AM ET | Comments (90)
Golf Icons Celebrate Langston's History
This week, council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) teamed up with Professional Golfers' Association PGA legend Calvin Peete and a host of African American golfing greats in the club house of the John Mercer Langston Golf Course to celebrate the course's 70th anniversary. At one time, it was...
By Hamil Harris | June 9, 2009; 04:10 PM ET | Comments (0)
DC Preservation League Releases 2009 List of "Most Endangered Places"
Photo credit: Theola Labbé-DeBose The large brick home that dates to 1795 sits on the 600 block of D St SE, with boarded up windows and green moss on its bricks. Friendship House, as it is called, is one of six locales that the D.C. Preservation League said today...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | June 2, 2009; 03:49 PM ET | Comments (0)
Pools Open: Dive In!
Mayor Adrian Fenty (D) was all smiles today because for the first time in recent memory the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation will open all 19 of the city's outdoor swimming pools this holiday weekend to mark the beginning of the summer season. "This Memorial Day weekend, starting...
By Vanessa Williams | May 21, 2009; 01:42 PM ET | Comments (8)
City Goes After Companies in Alleged Defrauding of Black Churches
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Attorney General Peter J. Nickles have scheduled a news conference at 9 a.m. to discuss the city's lawsuit alleging that five companies defrauded at least 30 Washington area congregations of hundreds of thousands of dollars through a computer equipment scam that has spread to at...
By Marcia Davis | April 10, 2009; 07:26 AM ET | Comments (2)
DC GOP Stays Out of Marriage Fight; Log Cabin Endorses
If Congressional Republicans seek to wade into the battle over proposals to legalize same-sex marriages in the District, they probably won't find an enthusiastic ally in the local District Republican Committee. Paul Craney, executive director of the District Republican Committee, said yesterday his committee has not yet taken an official...
By Tim Craig | April 8, 2009; 12:48 PM ET | Comments (1)
As Trusted Mental Health Clinics Prepare to Close, Some Clients Cry Out
A group of the city's mental health clients cried out to D.C. Council members from the steps of City Hall yesterday, asking them to reconsider a plan to close six public clinics, lay off dozens of health care workers they trust, and send clients to get treatment at private clinics...
By Darryl Fears | April 8, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
WASA General Manager Leaving Agency
D.C. Water and Sewer Authority General Manager Jerry N. Johnson will leave the agency this summer after 12 years amid continuing criticism of his agency's handling of the fallout from the discovery of excessive lead in the city's tap water five years ago, city sources said. Johnson, who took over...
By Marcia Davis | April 2, 2009; 02:54 PM ET | Comments (0)
Funeral for Woman and Sons Focuses on Domestic Violence
Hamil R. Harris attended the services yesterday for Erika Peters and her boys Erik and Dakota, who were all slain last month allegedly by Peters live-in boyfriend. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton were among the political leaders who attended the services, which highlighted the problems...
By Marcia Davis | April 2, 2009; 06:50 AM ET | Comments (1)
Easter Egg Roll Changes Bring Frustration
The White House changes to the Easter Egg Roll is causing some residents a lot of grief and frustration. Timothy Wlison reports on the reaction to the change....
By Marcia Davis | March 27, 2009; 08:05 AM ET | Comments (5)
No Big Boom on the Potomac Wednesday
Briefly today -- before officials hastily issued a correction -- it looked like commuters near Georgetown would be in for quite a show Wednesday morning. "For the filming of a TV pilot, there will be a simulated explosion ..... between 9:30 a.m. and noon near the Key Bridge," read a...
By Marcia Davis | March 23, 2009; 05:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
HIV/AIDS Report To Be Released Today
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and members of his health team, including Shannon Hader, director of the HIV/AIDS Administration, will release two reports this morning about the state of the disease in the District of Columbia. For the first time, the HIV office says that it has a confident count of...
By Marcia Davis | March 16, 2009; 06:58 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty and Obama, Colleagues on "Snow" Too
Mayor Adrian M Fenty (D), wearing all black clothing and snow boots on his feet, made his third public appearance to talk about the city's response to the snow. Standing at the city's giant salt dome in Northeast Washington, as trucks beeped and scooped up mounds of salt, Fenty said...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | March 2, 2009; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (93)
Brown wants prize fighting at the Armory, but would settle for roller skating
Mixed martial arts at the D.C. Armory? That's something D.C. Councilmember-At-Large Kwame Brown could fight for. He's also for big ticket boxing and a roller rink for the kids. These potential revenue generating ideas were discussed today at a hearing of the Committee on Economic Development, which Brown chairs....
By Darryl Fears | February 24, 2009; 08:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
First Concert at Nats Park: Billy Joel-Elton John
Our colleague J. Freedom du Lac broke the news on his Post Rock blog today and D.C. Wire has confirmed: The first concert at Nationals Park will be a Billy Joel-Elton John double billing, sources said. The particulars will be announced at a news conference Monday by the Nationals ownership...
By David A Nakamura | February 19, 2009; 04:59 PM ET | Comments (1)
Next to Nationals Ballpark, Another Diamond Rises
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Florence Teague held a shovel, looked at Mayor Adrian Fenty standing to her left and thought, "Thank God it's finally happening." Teague and her husband Ivory dug into the earth today and helped the mayor break ground for Diamond Teague Park in honor of her...
By Darryl Fears | February 13, 2009; 05:59 PM ET | Comments (1)
First Lady at Howard University: "There Is No One Right Answer"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2009/02/11/VI2009021103034.html First Lady Michelle Obama told a gathering at Howard University's School of Business today that working mothers must choose their own paths, balancing work with family. "The one thing--the one message that I have is for all of you struggling with this issue is just remember there is...
By Marcia Davis | February 11, 2009; 02:30 PM ET | Comments (8)
Obama Taps Columbia Heights Leader for White House Post
Three decades after the Rev. Jim Wallis and a group of urban missionaries moved into Columbia Heights to serve the poor, Wallis found himself standing in the Oval Office. President Barack Obama, yesterday, named him as a member of the President's Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. D.C. Wire caught...
By Hamil Harris | February 6, 2009; 04:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Slicing Up Apple's Georgetown Designs
Is Apple just too cool for Georgetown? We might find out Thursday morning, when the architects on the Old Georgetown Board of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts meets to discuss a number of potential projects -- including a proposed Apple store at 1229 Wisconsin Ave. in Northwest. (Read Paul...
By Washington Post Editors | February 4, 2009; 01:34 PM ET | Comments (9)
Choral Arts Society of Washington's Tribute to MLK
The John Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was filled with voices Sunday night during the Choral Arts Society of Washington's 21st annual tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr....
By Mike McPhate | January 12, 2009; 01:14 PM ET | Comments (0)
Bulletin: Duke Ellington Is the Man
Duke Ellington's likeness will grace the District's quarter. It was Ellington's likeness, by the way, that won a D.C. Wire poll in the contest for who would be on the city's quarter....
By Marcia Davis | December 11, 2008; 06:17 PM ET | Comments (2)
Delaney Resigns From Alcoholic Beverage Agency
Maria M. Delaney, director of the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration, has tendered her resignation, effective Dec. 31. The director sent out a short statement in an email about 2 p.m. "I have tendered my resignation to the ABC Board effective December 31, 2008. I would like to thank all of...
By Marcia Davis | December 8, 2008; 02:48 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fire Department Probing Another EMT Case After Man's Death
D.C. fire officials are investigating what happened to Edward L. Givens, a 39-year-old NE resident who called parademics because of chest pains and hours later died in his home. Givens's family members said the paramedics who responded to the call told Givens he had acid reflux, suggested he take Pepto-Bismol...
By Marcia Davis | December 4, 2008; 09:17 AM ET | Comments (0)
Sleeping in the Cold Against Domestic Violence
Family and friends of a Southeast Washington woman killed by her estranged boyfriend spent Tuesday night sleeping on the sidewalk in front of the John A. Wilson Building to call attention to domestic violence. Tiffany Gates, 33, was fatally stabbed last month as she placed a 911 call for help...
By Marcia Davis | December 3, 2008; 10:16 AM ET | Comments (0)
Setting the Record Straight on DPR Summer Jobs Fair
D.C. Wire doesn't like to eat crow for breakfast, but this morning that's the only thing on the menu. Yesterday, the Wire reported that the Department of Parks and Recreation is holding its summer job fair on Nov. 26 at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, from 10...
By Marcia Davis | November 19, 2008; 06:51 AM ET | Comments (0)
Life After the Council: Harold Brazil Arrested at Tattoo Parlor
Harold Brazil, the former D.C. council member, was arrested last night after allegedly getting into a fight with an employee at a Georgetown tattoo parlor. Yep, you read it right. Washington Post staff writer Clarence Williams reports that it took three employees to subdue Brazil, 59. Pregnant pause with stunned...
By Marcia Davis | October 10, 2008; 07:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Community Groups Offer Solutions for Summer Jobs Program
One site in the D.C. summer youth jobs program had almost double the number of student participants it had requested. Another was assigned students several years older than it had requested. Still other sites complained of a D.C. Department of Employment Services that never returned calls when there were problems....
By David A Nakamura | August 20, 2008; 06:09 PM ET | Comments (0)
Thomas Lends Support to Postal Workers
Council Member Harry Thomas Jr. has joined in the push to get a government briefing for postal workers at the Brentwood facility contaminated by anthrax in 2001. Thomas (D-Ward 5), who represents the community where the facility is located, said the government hasn't done enough to brief the workers and...
By Marcia Davis | August 16, 2008; 10:54 AM ET | Comments (0)
Another Slight to D.C.
No voting rights in Congress. No bust in Statuary Hall. And now, to the list of D.C. insults on the national stage, I offer this image. The offending postcard. (David Nakamura - TWP) It comes from a postcard that was attached to my doggy bag after I took a source...
By David A Nakamura | August 15, 2008; 05:13 PM ET | Comments (2)
Cheh Joins the Opposition to Tenley Project
The group of critics of the development project at the site of the former Tenley-Friendship Library has a new member: Councilmember Mary M. Cheh. She has serious reservations about the current proposal, which might reduce green space at the neighboring Janney Elementary School. Cheh (D-Ward 3) had strongly supported construction...
By Marcia Davis | August 9, 2008; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (38)
I Want To Ride My Bicycle! Stop That Bus!
A little over a week after Mayor Adrian M. Fenty crashed his bike and refused an ambulance, another bicycle accident has touched the John A. Wilson Building. Asher Corson, director of communications for Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), found himself pinned between a parked truck and a Metro...
By Nikita R Stewart | August 8, 2008; 01:38 PM ET | Comments (11)
Barry Demanding Answers on Payroll Pandemonium
District youth are getting a tough lesson about the working world, thanks to the District government. Hundreds of young workers in the city's summer jobs program are frustrated because they have been underpaid, and worst, not paid at all. (Some have actually been overpaid, too, and that, of course, is...
By Marcia Davis | July 22, 2008; 07:51 AM ET | Comments (0)
CFSA Interim Director Was Sued in Sex Case
Roque Gerald, interim director of the troubled Child and Family Services Agency, has arrived face to face with his past. As Post reporter Ian Shapira reports, it seems that in 1989, Gerald had sex with a suicidal and depressed patient who ended up suing him for damages. It's a fact...
By Marcia Davis | July 21, 2008; 08:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
City Officials Meet With CFSA Senior Staff
Acting Attorney General Peter J. Nickles and the City Adminstrator Dan Tangherlini met with senior staff of the Department of Children and Family Services today, including the new interim director Roque Gerald, Nickles said. They met to discuss caseloads and other issues raised by the court monitor as the city...
By Marcia Davis | July 18, 2008; 06:10 PM ET | Comments (0)
Linda Parke Gallagher Dies
Linda Parke Gallagher, 64, has died. Gallagher, who owned a management and development consulting business, will be remembered for many things, but especially for her role in revitalizing Eighth Street in Southeast, or Barracks Row. She died yesterday at Washington Hospital Center after a stroke. Barracks Row Main Street Inc.,...
By Marcia Davis | July 18, 2008; 03:44 PM ET | Comments (0)
More Help for CFSA
Acting Attorney General Peter J. Nickles and Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) say the District's Child and Family Services Agency needs an influx of social workers and funds to help get the caseloads under control. In the wake of the resignation of its director, Sharlynn E. Bobo on Wednesday, Nickles...
By Marcia Davis | July 18, 2008; 08:40 AM ET | Comments (0)
New Gun Regulations Announced Today
District residents will be able to keep a handgun in the home for self-defense but that right would be limited to the home and not outside it, city leaders said today, announcing new gun regulations in response to the Supreme Court's recent ruling striking down the city's handgun ban....
By Marcia Davis | July 14, 2008; 04:36 PM ET | Comments (0)
Edwards Speaks to Students in District
John Edwards told more than a thousand college students yesterday that they must join the fight against poverty and offered policy changes that he said could improve the economic lives of 18 million poor in 10 years. Edwards spoke at the Campus Progress National Conference in at the Omni Shoreham...
By Marcia Davis | July 9, 2008; 06:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Political Blogger Shot in Adams Morgan
Liberal political blogger Brian Beutler, 25, was shot and wounded early today during an attempted robbery in Adams Morgan, D.C. police and friends said. He is recovering at a local hospital from gushot wounds to his shoulder and spleen. Beutler, 25, is a Washington correspondent for the Media Consortium, a...
By Marcia Davis | July 2, 2008; 06:13 PM ET | Comments (14)
It's Payday for City Summer Workers
The city may be on the road to working out its payment kinks in its Summer Youth jobs program. Today was the first payday for students who started work on June 16, and at least 10 participants were paid right on time. That hasn't been the case in years past,...
By Marcia Davis | July 1, 2008; 03:15 PM ET | Comments (3)
WASA: Reduce Partial Pipe Replacement
The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority general manager recommended yesterday that WASA scale back its lead-pipe replacement program, but a board committee deferred judgment, saying it needed time to review the proposals. The Committee on Drinking Water Quality ran out of time before it had a chance to review WASA...
By Marcia Davis | July 1, 2008; 06:57 AM ET | Comments (1)
Barry, Others Call for EPA Tests
Surrounded by TV crews and other media, Council Member Marion Barry and a few concerned activists, stood outside Anacostia High School this morning and called for EPA testing of school athletic fields. The group said it's concerned that the toxic silica sand has been used in the renovations of six...
By Marcia Davis | June 25, 2008; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
Barry, Activists Calling for EPA Testing on School Fields
Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) is holding a news conference this morning alongside community activists, parents and educators outside Anacostia High School to demand the EPA do immediate testing on all public school and recreation fields for toxins associated with silica sand. Activists say the fields refurbished by the...
By Marcia Davis | June 25, 2008; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Donna Brazile Testifies About Naming Park For Capitol Hill Legend
Political pundit Donna Brazile, better known for her appearances on cable news television, appeared on Channel 13 today as she testified about naming a small park in Capitol Hill for late friend and neighborhood legend Lola Beaver. Beaver died Nov. 28, 2006, at age 96. She lived a full life...
By Nikita R Stewart | June 24, 2008; 04:22 PM ET | Comments (0)
New Gig for Former D.C. Attorney General
Linda Singer, who lasted a year as Mayor Fenty's first D.C. attorney general before leaving in frustration in December, has landed a job with Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, where she will be co-chair of a new division called the Public Client Practice. According to a news release from the firm, Singer's...
By David A Nakamura | June 18, 2008; 10:59 AM ET | Comments (0)
O'Connor Trumps Outages to Talk Politics--and Game Design
Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor beat power outages and Washington traffic yesterday to give a speech at the National Press Club that chastised Washington politicians, advocating a less divisive American political scene. O'Connor arrived at the Press Club five minutes after power was restored to the building, narrowly...
By Marcia Davis | June 14, 2008; 07:01 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Gets New Wheels
With gas prices soaring, Mayor Fenty has traded in his fuel-guzzling sport utility vehicle for an efficient Smart Car convertible, as WTOP reported He drove it to his news conference at an elementary school in Northeast this morning, where he was mobbed by the media. In fact, his announcement...
By David A Nakamura | June 13, 2008; 12:49 PM ET | Comments (5)
In Today's D.C. Extra
Meet the Spring 2008 All-Extra high school sports team...Students from the D.C. Creative Writing Workshop -- a mix of kids from elementary, middle and high schools -- are making their mark in area poetry competitions....Caribbean American Heritage Month brings a film series, literary festival and more to the District.... Also,...
By Marcia Davis | June 5, 2008; 11:32 AM ET | Comments (0)
Who's Making Noise?
Labor unions have banded together to stop the final approval of the controversial Noise Control Protection Amendment Act with a three-day radio campaign that begins tomorrow morning on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, said Dwight Kirk, a spokesman for the groups. The D.C. Council voted 8 to 5 earlier this...
By Nikita R Stewart | May 29, 2008; 06:24 PM ET | Comments (0)
Fort Reno Park Reopens
Fort Reno Park in Northwest Washington was reopened today after officials said comprehensive tests at the 33-acre field found that arsenic levels in the soil are not at unsafe levels. The park near Woodrow Wilson Senior High School was abruptly closed May 14 after the U.S. Geological Survey reported finding...
By Marcia Davis | May 28, 2008; 05:07 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Question of a Soccer Stadium
Aides to District Council members met afternoon to try to talk through some of the details of a possible soccer stadium at Poplar Point in Ward 8. The Washington Post reported this morning that council legislation is in the works that could be introduced as early as Tuesday in support...
By Marcia Davis | May 28, 2008; 02:45 PM ET | Comments (0)
Soccer In Ward 8?
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty takes questions from the Anacostia Coordinating Council. (By David Nakamura--TWP) To build a soccer stadium or not to build one? That has been the question for months and now it looks as if the city is ready to commit to a financing plan, as we...
By David A Nakamura | May 28, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (22)
Fort Reno: It's Not Over Yet
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared Fort Reno Park safe after conducting its own tests for arsenic levels. It released its findings yesterday for the small federal park in Northwest that was closed last week after a scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey produced soil samples with dangerously...
By Marcia Davis | May 22, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (4)
Quarter Debate Begins
A day after a citizens' advisory panel recommended that a design featuring Benjamin Banneker be used on the upcoming D.C. quarter, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is speaking out to say that the decision is far from final. Norton contacted the U.S. Mint to be sure that the other two design...
By David A Nakamura | May 22, 2008; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
In Case You Missed It:
District Council member Mary M. Cheh decided yesterday to table her energy bill after being pelted with questions from council colleagues and heavy lobbying from utility companies such as Pepco. A big sticking point: aid to the poor to help pay utility bills. Also, auditor Deborah K. Nichols issued a...
By Marcia Davis | May 22, 2008; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
How Many Lawyers Does It Take...
To get fired--in the interest of a balanced budget and "first-rate" staff. The Office of the Attorney General began informing assistant attorneys yesterday that they will be terminated for poor performance as the agency seeks to become "first-rate" and save $3 million in the fiscal 2009 budget, said interim Attorney...
By Nikita R Stewart | May 22, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (11)
In Today's District Extra
Remember local troops who made the ultimate sacrifice in a photo tribute, Faces of the Fallen....D.C. Council member and Democratic Party delegate Jack Evans switches his support from Hillary Rodham Clinton to Barack Obama.... Students from the Sew N Know Entrepreneurship Program showcased their creations at the first "Runway Youngins"...
By Marcia Davis | May 22, 2008; 06:59 AM ET | Comments (0)
You Know It's Campaign Season When...
But shouldn't the apostrophe be next to the 08?...
By David A Nakamura | May 15, 2008; 04:55 PM ET | Comments (0)
Douglass Family Offers 2 Cents on Quarter
The descendants of Frederick Douglass are having their say about the District Quarter contest. The DC Wire broke the story about the images being considered for the quarter: Douglass, scientist Benjamin Banneker and composer Duke Ellington. Here is the story. So guess which one the abolitionist's relatives say is the...
By Marcia Davis | May 15, 2008; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
In Today's D.C. Extra
This year celebrating its 50th anniversary, Friends of the National Zoo has grown from four members to 100,000....At Ballou Senior High School students have begun a monthly prayer breakfast before the school day begins.... The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club hands out its candidate endorsements.....The Farmers' Market at the U.S. Department...
By Marcia Davis | May 15, 2008; 07:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
No More Stokes
For nearly five years, John A. Stokes has tried to sell city reporters on good news stories like summer meals for children and college tuition programs for D.C. high school students, as a spokesman for the state education office. Now he'll be doing it from a different perch, as the...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | May 14, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
My First Taxi Meter
On the way back to the Post after covering the Fraternal Order of Police memorial service, I took my first D.C. cab with a time and distance meter installed. Here are the stats: Trip: From 441 4th St. NW to 1150 15th St. NW Start Fare: $3.00 plus $1.50...
By David A Nakamura | May 9, 2008; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (3)
Does This Man Look Angry to You?
Chinese artist Lei Yixin is working on the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. (Courtesy Lei Yixin) No, not the sculptor, Lei Yixin, who's working on this statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the Tidal Basin memorial, but the sculpture itself. Though some might understand if Yixin is...
By Marcia Davis | May 9, 2008; 08:15 AM ET | Comments (4)
Klingle Road Warriors
It's been nearly two decades, but did anyone really think the fight over Klingle Road was over? Okay, maybe some really did believe the question had been settled when the District Council voted in 2003 to spend millions to reopen the road. But that's beside the point. The DC Wire...
By Marcia Davis | May 9, 2008; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Bleacher Bums
Two years ago, the District scored a $100,000 grant from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, one of Major League Baseball's community outreach programs, to renovate Fort Greble Field, where Ballou High plays its home games. The complex got new turf, dugouts, backstop and bleachers. But just days after then-Mayor Anthony...
By David A Nakamura | May 8, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
WASA Says Conserve H20 After Main Breaks
WASA was kept on its toes in Southeast yesterday after five water main breaks in the early morning. Crews were still working on the problem late yesterday. Residents in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River are advised to conserve water - no car washing, lawn watering or other activities that...
By Marcia Davis | May 7, 2008; 05:59 AM ET | Comments (0)
Yes, Mr. Mayor, Your Staff is Hard at Work
Mayor Fenty's aides work their BlackBerrys before today's mayor-council breakfast. (By David Nakamura--TWP)...
By David A Nakamura | May 2, 2008; 03:12 PM ET | Comments (0)
Dorothy Brizill's Slot Battle in Guam High Court
Dorothy Brizill may have defeated the slots initiative in the Disrtict, but she'll have to defend herself against defamation charges filed by gambling promoters tonight in Supreme Court in Guam. Yes, Brizill is being sued by John Baldwin and the case will appear before a three-judge panel in the Supreme...
By Yolanda Woodlee | May 2, 2008; 02:00 PM ET | Comments (3)
WASA and Verse
Last night's WASA Board of Director's hearing concerning the authority's lead service replacement program -- a $93 million effort so far to produce minimal success in reducing lead levels in water--garnered the routine round of witnesses. Some activists and residents complained about the agency's leadership and a lack of understanding...
By Marcia Davis | May 2, 2008; 11:26 AM ET | Comments (0)
Looking for Meters
Though today is no longer the deadline for D.C. taxis to have meters (today used to be the deadline, before the city recently extended it to June 1) it seemed like a good time to walk the streets and try to gauge how many drivers are getting with the program....
By Marcia Davis | May 1, 2008; 01:40 PM ET | Comments (2)
DC Cameras: Big Brother Arrives In a Big Way?
The District of Columbia launches its controversial camera network today. The program will link thousands of cameras under one roof. Cameras from public housing, schools, traffic and government buildings will feed into one central system. Some see it as a cutting-edge way to battle crime and deal with homeland security....
By Marcia Davis | May 1, 2008; 06:46 AM ET | Comments (0)
Gotta Keep Hydrated
From today's hearing on the city's federal budget allocation on Capitol Hill.(Photo by David Nakamura)...
By David A Nakamura | April 30, 2008; 05:07 PM ET | Comments (0)
In Today's D.C. Extra: The Guide
The Guide, the annual handbook for living in the District has important information about city government, schools, transportation, services and recreation. Plus, tips on the District's real estate outlook, the 10 best places to entertain children, the capital's standout attractions, higher education, historic sites and more. And, new this year,...
By Marcia Davis | April 24, 2008; 03:32 PM ET | Comments (2)
Church to DC DOT: Give Us Back Our Parking!
This isn't really a story about Washington's Nats, but it does involve the continuing saga about the new stringent parking restrictions imposed by the District Department of Transportation around Nationals Park in Southeast D.C. Granted, the new rules are designed to make sure that fans don't completely take over all...
By Sylvia Moreno | April 22, 2008; 06:59 AM ET | Comments (2)
Crossing Boundaries
Ward 1 Council Member Jim Graham called The Post's City Desk yesterday to talk about a story that was stripped across the District's metro section Sunday morning. Posties Allison Klein and Dan Keating reported that burglaries are up 21 percent in the city, and police believe that some of it...
By Marcia Davis | April 21, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
In Today's D.C. Extra
New leader of the D.C. Health Department Pierre Vigilance appears unworried that he's the District's fifth director in a decade, calling his job "a really good opportunity." .... A report shows that the District has the fourth largest incarceration rate in the nation and questions the cost... Jacqueline Dupree says...
By Marcia Davis | April 17, 2008; 02:15 PM ET | Comments (0)
Paying Respects to the Bishop
Thousands watched as Bishop Madison's casket moved through the street yesterday. (By Gerald Martineau-The Washington Post) Several thousand gathered at God's White House at the intersection of Sixth and M Street NW yesterday to view the open casket of Bishop S.C. "Daddy" Madison, the longtime leader of the powerful...
By Marcia Davis | April 14, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Housing Crisis and Opportunity
During testimony on the Hill yesterday about the foreclosure crisis, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty noted that the problem has not been as severe in the District as it has been for other jurisdictions but still has serious implications for city residents. "As of last fall, residents of the District had...
By Marcia Davis | April 11, 2008; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
In Today's D.C. Extra
Meet the Winter All-Extra high school sports teams, featuring top performers in girls' and boys' basketball, girls' and boys' track and field, and more...Find out who's following in former Ward 5 Council member Vincent Orange's footsteps...Washington Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) plans to visit the Benning Terrace Soldiers' home field...
By washingtonpost.com editors | April 10, 2008; 02:42 PM ET | Comments (0)
A Tree Grows in Ward 5
Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. seems to be trying hard to keep the focus on a campaign against violence in his ward. He said there have been at least 10 homicides in the ward this year. Last week Thomas called for a crime emergency, but that idea was turned...
By Marcia Davis | April 9, 2008; 06:59 AM ET | Comments (0)
"Daddy" Madison's "House" Staying in D.C.
The trombone's and brass instruments were wailing Sunday at God's White House as hundreds of congregants reflected on the life of Bishop S.C. "Daddy" Madison, who led the District's most affluent congregation for the last 17 years. Madison died Saturday at the age of 86. While many downtown congregations have...
By Marcia Davis | April 7, 2008; 06:56 AM ET | Comments (0)
Weekend Events for King Anniversary
Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The Post takes an extensive look at the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Find a list of area events on this 40th anniversary weekend. In our online special report, find photos, videos, and more, as well as, these features:Friday:...
By Marcia Davis | April 4, 2008; 04:05 PM ET | Comments (0)
Pressing for a Crime Emergency in Ward 5
Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. (D-Ward 5) called yesterday for D.C. police to declare a "crime emergency" in his ward, the second council member to raise an alarm about neighborhood violence this week. Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) held an emergency meeting Tuesday night to discuss the two homicides last weekend in...
By Marcia Davis | April 4, 2008; 07:05 AM ET | Comments (3)
Housing the Chronically Homeless
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's plan to provide permanent housing and supportive social services for D.C's chronically and "most vulnerable" homeless population is laid out in a plan that is open for public comment for 45 days after the plan was announced. The mayor unveiled the plan on Wednesday, April...
By Sylvia Moreno | April 4, 2008; 06:57 AM ET | Comments (0)
Official Winter is Over; Back to the Streets
The District's hypothermia, or winter, shelters close this morning, leaving more than 300 homeless men with no place to go other than back to the streets, according to the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. At the official start of hypothermia season -- last Nov.1 -- the city temporarily...
By Sylvia Moreno | April 1, 2008; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Taking It to the Streets
Street vendors want the right to operate outside of Nationals Park the way they did at RFK. (Nikki Kahn) What's baseball without the hot dog? Like a hot dog with no bun, according to Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3). She said she will introduce legislation today that...
By Nikita R Stewart | April 1, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Bus Stops, Parking Signs -- and School Safety
As a city reporter, I often get to story assignments by bus if I can, preferring to see the District through a big bus window instead of a dark Metro tunnel. I have also found the city's winding bus routes an asset if I need to get to a story...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | March 28, 2008; 07:10 AM ET | Comments (2)
Show D.C. Some Love: Don't Litter
So what's up with all the litterbugs in the District? And why are they the way they are -- especially the biggest offenders, young folks between the ages of 12 and 24? The D.C. Public Works Department wants to find out and today, it's calling in focus groups of...
By Sylvia Moreno | March 27, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
The Vacant School Wish List
Recreation center? Art gallery? Charter school? Dozens turned out Monday night at Harriet Tubman Elementary school in Columbia Heights to give their ideas for what should happen with two school buildings in Ward 1 that are slated to close. Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham (D), ever eager to stay on...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | March 26, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
