Archive: Mayor Fenty
UPDATE: Council members will subpoena key figures in parks contracts
Update 4:25 p.m.: Subpoena time! Council members Thomas, Cheh and Barry just said they would issue subpoenas for Glover and Jannarone. Santos said Glover had not returned her call and Jannarone has the day off. During questioning, Santos said she could not remember whether she signed paperwork for Jannarone to...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | November 16, 2009; 03:54 PM ET | Comments (6)
Council seeks votes on contracts administration bypassed it on
Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray is demanding that the council get a chance to vote on all past contracts exceeding $1 million that were created by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration without council approval. Gray's demand stretches beyond the controversial construction contracts routed through the D.C. Housing Authority. It is...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | November 13, 2009; 11:28 AM ET | Comments (7)
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)
Fenty, council members meet on Hartsock
A delegation of five council members met with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) Monday evening as planned to discuss the mayor's controversial re-appointment of Ximena Hartsock as interim director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) requested the meeting after a tense period of...
By Anne Bartlett | November 10, 2009; 02:51 PM ET | Comments (17)
A mayor on the go, uh-oh!!!
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) won't let a police detail drive him, but he has apparently been using officers as he trains with cycling team D.C. Velo, according to a report by WTOP investigative reporter Mark Segraves. Segraves told D.C. Wire that he trailed Fenty, a triathlete, a dozen times...
By Tim Craig | November 10, 2009; 12:03 PM ET | Comments (6)
Thomas issues subpoena for Hartsock
Council member Harry Thomas Jr. is issuing a subpoena for interim parks and recreation director Ximena Hartsock to testify Nov. 16 on the controversial construction contracts. In dramatic fashion, Thomas called Hartsock's name several times. She was on the witness list for Thursday's hearing on the matter. He said "for...
By Anne Bartlett | November 5, 2009; 01:28 PM ET | Comments (3)
Judge again orders records turned over to Nichols
City Auditor Deborah K. Nichols said Monday that she is looking forward to receiving records from Anacostia Waterfront Corporation and the National Capital Revitalization Corporation, two now-defunct agencies that once served as the city's development arms. "We've won round two," she said. Superior Court Judge Eugene Hamilton once again ordered...
By Anne Bartlett | November 2, 2009; 01:21 PM ET | Comments (10)
Thomas bills would set new limits on Fenty administration
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer would be prohibited from transferring any funds to the D.C. Housing Authority and its subsidiaries for 90 days, under emergency legislation that Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) plans to introduce Tuesday. The Department of Parks and Recreation would also have to...
By Anne Bartlett | November 2, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (6)
Gray: More questions about contract awards
Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) said Monday that the council's questions about contracts have expanded beyond those awarded by the D.C. Housing Authority. The council is now looking at whether the administration of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has bypassed the legislative body in other ways -- from awarding option...
By Anne Bartlett | November 2, 2009; 12:23 PM ET | Comments (4)
Nickles: Recreation contracts broke the law
Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said the D.C. Housing Authority broke the law when it recently awarded millions of contracts for recreation projects to firms that had ties to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty without seeking approval of the D.C. Council. Nickles advised housing authority officials to submit the contracts to...
By Vanessa Williams | October 23, 2009; 06:23 PM ET | Comments (4)
A year ahead of election, Fenty stumps in Ward 7
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), who is up for re-election in less than a year, hit Ward 7 Monday evening. Fenty, who made a name for himself by knocking on doors and literally wearing a hole in his shoe in his first mayoral bid in 2006, is again going door-to-door....
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | October 19, 2009; 07:05 PM ET | Comments (43)
Nickles: City will investigate waste in AIDS funding
Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said the city will investigate organizations and individuals that may have wasted HIV, AIDS dollars, spurred by a report by The Washington Post. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty was flanked by Nickles and other city officials a t news conference in response to the Post's 10-month...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | October 19, 2009; 04:35 PM ET | Comments (5)
Evans: I'll Run for Chairman if Gray Runs for Mayor
Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) confirmed today he plans to run for council chairman if incumbent Vincent C. Gray (D) decides to run for mayor next year. Evans, who has held ambitions to ascend to the chairman's office since his unsuccessful mayoral bid in 1998, made his remarks during...
By Anne Bartlett | October 15, 2009; 06:18 PM ET | Comments (31)
Nickles Wins Round in Dispute with Auditor
The Nickles vs. Nichols saga continues. On Thursday, the District Court of Appeals granted the administration of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) a stay of a Superior Court judge's order to hand over documents to City Auditor Deborah K. Nichols. Nichols took her fight to court when Attorney General Peter...
By Anne Bartlett | October 15, 2009; 04:05 PM ET | Comments (1)
Brown Confronts Nickles Over Tone of Hartsock Debate
D.C. Council Kwame Brown (D-At large) confronted Attorney General Peter Nickles on the steps of city hall this evening and accused him of needlessly fanning racial tensions surrounding the council's decision not to confirm Ximena Hartsock as the director of Parks and Recreation. "You should be ashamed of yourself," Brown...
By Tim Craig | October 14, 2009; 06:42 PM ET | Comments (31)
Sivak Named D.C.'s Chief Technology Officer
Bryan Sivak, a 34-year-old who has spent the past four years expanding a technology company in London, was named the District's new chief technology officer by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) Tuesday. Sivak, who must be confirmed by the D.C. Council, said in an interview that he heard about the...
By Anne Bartlett | October 13, 2009; 12:24 PM ET | Comments (2)
Hartsock Unsure of Plans Following Council Rejection
Ximena Hartsock, who was rejected as the new parks and recreation director Tuesday by the D.C. Council, says that she doesn't know what she is going to do next and that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) told her he was "devastated" by the council's vote. Hartsock gave her first interviews...
By Anne Bartlett | October 7, 2009; 06:04 PM ET | Comments (17)
Mayor Says Police, Fire Retirement Benefits Preserved
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and Fire Chief Dennis L. Rubin appeared together at a press conference this morning to announce that they had restored cuts to retirement health benefits of police and fire employees. The issue of retirement health care cuts to public safety...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | October 6, 2009; 03:22 PM ET | Comments (3)
Council Rejects Hartsock Nomination
The D.C. Council voted Tuesday afternoon to reject Ximena Hartsock as the next director of the department of parks and recreation, delivering a setback to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D). After nearly an hour of debate, the council voted 7 to 5 in support of a disapproval resolution. Council Chairman...
By Anne Bartlett | October 6, 2009; 02:43 PM ET | Comments (24)
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)
Fenty: I Can't Comment on Loza Case
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said today he is under orders from Attorney General Peter Nickles not to discuss or publicly comment on the FBI investigation into the taxi industry, which resulted in last week's arrest of Council member Jim Graham's chief of staff. After a public event this morning,...
By Anne Bartlett | September 28, 2009; 12:52 PM ET | Comments (14)
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)
Cheh Asks Fenty to Appoint Leader on Water Pressure Issues
The hearing led by Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) about water supply and firefighting is under way, with Fire Chief Dennis L. Rubin, D.C. WASA Interim General Manager Avis Marie Russell and other fire and water officials answering questions about available water supply. A frequent point of discussion is...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | September 25, 2009; 10:54 AM ET | Comments (0)
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)
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)
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)
"All Hands on Deck" D.C. Police Program Must Cease, Arbitrator Says
The police department's "All Hands on Deck" initiative, where all available officers work beats across the city in a three-day weekend period, is a favorite of Chief Cathy L. Lanier and has also been whole-heartedly endorsed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D). This week an arbitrator said it was a...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | September 11, 2009; 03:56 PM ET | Comments (3)
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)
Fenty Team Wants Your Green Space
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty needs your address. The Fenty camp, known as the "green team," is dialing up supporters to place green and white campaign signs in their yards. It appears to be a quiet, year-out kickoff of Fenty's reelection campaign. The 38-year-old mayor has built up a war chest....
By Gene Fynes | September 8, 2009; 05:46 PM ET | Comments (13)
Fundraising Audit Finds Problems for D.C. Democrats
In a preliminary audit, the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics has found numerous suspected campaign finance violations related to the D.C. Democratic State Committee's spending at last year's Democratic National Convention in Denver. In the report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, the board's Office...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | September 1, 2009; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
Maya Angelou, Dorothy Height Can't Get Meeting With Fenty
Heavy-hitters Maya Angelou and Dorothy Height are trying to weigh in on the eviction of the Recreation Wish List Committee from the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. The famous poet and civil and women's rights icon are concerned about the city giving the boot to the organization headed by Cora...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | August 31, 2009; 03:25 PM ET | Comments (2)
Mayor Fenty Makes Appointments, Declines Policy Questions
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced his nominations for three new agency directors today, following his pattern of appointing friends, fellow athletes and people in his age range. Gennet Purcell, 35, who is a friend of first lady Michelle Fenty, will be commissioner of the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking....
By Anne Bartlett | August 28, 2009; 01:12 PM ET | Comments (8)
Fenty: Don't Ask Me About My Kids!
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty told reporters again that he will not answer any questions about twins Andrew and Matthew attending Lafayette Elementary. The Northwest school is not within the boundaries of his Crestwood neighborhood. Their in-boundary school is West Education Center. School sources say the boys skipped the city's lottery...
By Anne Bartlett | August 27, 2009; 01:12 PM ET | Comments (14)
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. Republicans: No More "Fenty Field"
The D.C. Republican Party is calling on Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) to immediately remove his name from the new turf soccer field at Harriet Tubman Elementary in Columbia Heights. "The administration has essentially created a Fenty Field," Robert J. Kabel, the chairman of the D.C. Republican committee, said in...
By Anne Bartlett | August 25, 2009; 02:49 PM ET | Comments (13)
Can't Miss Fenty's Name at New Soccer Field
Parents who take in a youth soccer game at Harriet Tubman Elementary School in Columbia Heights shouldn't have any trouble remembering who the mayor is. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) held a ribbon cutting at the school today to unveil recent renovations, including a new soccer field. The field, which...
By Tim Craig | August 24, 2009; 05:45 PM ET | Comments (15)
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)
Booker to Bloomberg: Shave Your Head Like Fenty to Ensure Re-Election
Two mayors with whom Adrian Fenty has been allied in the past appeared on "Meet the Press" this past weekend, and the D.C. mayor's name came up. Cory Booker of Newark, whom Fenty has fundraised with, and Michael Bloomberg of New York, whom Fenty has collaborated with in advocating stronger...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | August 10, 2009; 11:23 AM ET | Comments (3)
Protesters Crash Party for Fenty's Fraternity
About 50 protesters picketed Mayor Adrian M. Fenty Wednesday night outside the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, where Fenty's fraternity is holding an international meeting. A coalition of labor unions, tenants advocates and community organizers wanted to bring attention to the recent layoffs of government workers, the sale of public property...
By Washington Post Editors | August 6, 2009; 08:39 AM ET | Comments (27)
Fenty Will Send Sons to Public School in Fall
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) told WRC-TV (Channel 4) Thursday morning that his 9-year-old twins will attend public school this fall, fulfilling a campaign promise he made when running for mayor in 2006. Sons Andrew and Matthew, who are entering the fourth grade, had attended a private school that...
By Washington Post Editors | August 6, 2009; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (19)
Reimbursement For Party Came From Kappas
For clarification, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity directly reimbursed the city for a government grant received by the Washington Historical Society to throw a welcome reception for the fraternity Monday. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), who belongs to the fraternity, was unaware of that city money had been used to put...
By Nikita R Stewart | August 5, 2009; 12:50 PM ET | Comments (6)
Fenty In Fender Bender
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty was involved in a minor car accident Sunday evening on Broad Branch Road in Northwest. No injuries were reported. Fenty, known for being behind the wheel of his efficient Smart Car, was driving an SUV at the time....
By Nikita R Stewart | August 3, 2009; 11:04 AM ET | Comments (7)
Fenty Says He Is Dedicated to School Funding
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) indicated in an interview this morning that he will oppose the council's proposed $45 million cut in funding for public education. Fenty proposed $250 million in cuts himself to help the city in one of the toughest budget crunches since the 1990s. But the council...
By Nikita R Stewart | July 30, 2009; 02:00 PM ET | Comments (2)
Barry Defends Self On CNN
D.C. Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) went national this morning, appearing on CNN's American Morning to defend giving a contract to then-girlfriend Donna Watts-Brighthaupt last year.
By Lori Aratani | July 16, 2009; 08:24 AM ET | Comments (11)
Fenty Signs Bag Bill
Starting in January, consumers in the District will have to get their nickels ready if they don't bring reusable bags when they shop at the grocery store, drug store and other retail outlets that sell food. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) has signed the bill expected to significantly curb the...
By Nikita R Stewart | July 7, 2009; 02:14 PM ET | Comments (9)
A Challenger For Fenty?
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty talks to children at Fort Davis Recreation Center to kick off the Free Summer Meals Program Mayor Adrian M. Fenty wooed about three dozen children this morning at a kickoff of the Free Summer Meals Program at Fort Davis Recreation Center. Fenty (D) shook hands with...
By Nikita R Stewart | June 16, 2009; 01:56 PM ET | Comments (3)
Fenty Praises Wilson High School Grads
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty spent his sophomore year of high school at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School before transferring to Mackin Catholic High School, where he graduated as valedictorian. He returned today before the public high school to wish graduates well at a commencement ceremony at American University's Bender Arena....
By Nikita R Stewart | June 9, 2009; 01:07 PM ET | Comments (1)
'New Beginnings' for Youthful Offenders
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and several city officials today officially opened the New Beginnings Youth Detention Center, a $44 million facility that replaced Oak Hill, the city's crumbling, overcrowded facility that had been plagued with problems for more than four decades. "It is a little bit of an emotional day...
By Vanessa Williams | May 29, 2009; 04:40 PM ET | Comments (0)
Mayor Fenty: Fire Department Improving
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said today that the city's fire and emergency medical service departments continues to make improvements agreed to in a settlement with the family of David Rosenbaum, a New York Times reporter who died after failing to get proper treatment following a mugging near his home...
By Hamil Harris | May 28, 2009; 05:20 PM ET | Comments (3)
Video: Mayor Opens Playground at N.E. Elementary
Adrian Fenty visited J.O. Wilson Elementary School in northeast Washington for a "day of youth" that included unveiling a new playground designed to be safer and cleaner....
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | May 28, 2009; 03:31 PM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty: 'Bad Decision' Using Friend as Chauffeur
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said he used poor judgment when he allowed his friend to drive a city-owned Lincoln Navigator. "I'm not going to do that anymore," he told reporters this morning. "No more letting anyone else drive." "I made a bad decision," he said. Fenty said officials...
By Vanessa Williams | May 26, 2009; 11:12 AM ET | Comments (58)
Fenty Witnesses No-Show for Crime Bill Hearing
An aide from Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration who was scheduled to testify on behalf of the administration's crime bill was a no-show at a D.C. Council committee hearing this morning, drawing the ire of Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large). About 45 minutes into the hearing by the Committee on...
By Vanessa Williams | May 18, 2009; 01:33 PM ET | Comments (4)
Peace at Last in Baseball Tickets Battle
The baseball ticket standoff between Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and the D.C. Council ended quietly Saturday when a young woman from the office of deputy mayor Neil O. Albert handed them over. Starting with Wednesday's game against Pittsburgh, the council members will have access to the 19 seats in Suite...
By William C Miller | May 17, 2009; 11:52 AM ET | Comments (6)
Obama 2, Fenty -2
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced today that he is losing city administrator Dan Tangherlini to the Obama administration. Tangherlini is going to the U.S. Treasury Department as Assistant secretary for management, chief financial officer and chief performance officer. He's the second member of Fenty's cabinet to join the president's team....
By Vanessa Williams | May 15, 2009; 05:43 PM ET | Comments (8)
Will Singer leaving
Will Singer, the mayor's fiscal whiz kid, is leaving the administration to attend law school at Northwestern University in the fall. As soon as D.C. Wire talks to him, you can read his comments here. But Singer, the chief of budget execution, will be added to an increasingly long...
By Vanessa Williams | May 15, 2009; 10:01 AM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty's new paparazzo
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has a new photographer to replace the recently fired Lateef Mangum, a longtime City Hall fixture who had documented the careers of Fenty's predecessors. Ronald W. Thomas, a former Washington Post photographer, will now be shadowing the mayor. "For now," he said. Thomas, who was shooting...
By Vanessa Williams | May 13, 2009; 11:01 AM ET | Comments (7)
Losing Bidder Appeals Crime Lab Contract Pick
Did D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) jump the gun earlier this week in announcing that the city was awarding a Baltimore-based construction company a $133 million contract to build a forensics laboratory? Yes, says a rival company that has filed a protest with the city's Contract Appeals Board. An...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | May 8, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (4)
Empower DC To Rally Against Fenty
Empower DC's campaign to stop the sale of public property to private interests continues tomorrow evening with a concert on Freedom Plaza, which is across the street from the John A. Wilson Building. Local rock and funk bands will provide the entertainment for the event that will mix music with...
By Nikita R Stewart | May 6, 2009; 11:19 AM ET | Comments (12)
Record Number Of Youths For Jobs
Today is the deadline for local youths to register for the Summer Youth Employment Program, which had major problems last year. D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, however, has not scaled back. His administration has made it even bigger. He announced today that nearly 24,000 youths are now registered. Those are...
By Nikita R Stewart | May 1, 2009; 12:21 PM ET | Comments (5)
Fenty Statement Watch
We haven't brought you a new entry lately to our Fenty Statement Watch series, but today's your lucky day. In today's Post, we brought you the story of a coalition of Asian American organizations that is protesting Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's proposal to eliminate the Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs...
By David A Nakamura | April 16, 2009; 10:44 AM ET | Comments (0)
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)
Fenty Tells Homicide Detectives: Job Well Done
The men and women who work as D.C. homicide detectives labor to solve some of the city's most disturbing crimes. Anger gone terribly wrong. Another young life cut violently short. It's important, but grim work. Nothing positive about murder. Except perhaps when you catch who did it. D.C. detectives...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | April 3, 2009; 09:17 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Schedule Shows He's Back in Town
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's schedule has him back in the city today and at a ribbon-cutting at 16th Street and Columbia Road NW for a new Metrobus Express Route ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. We tried last week to find out where he'd gone off to for a few days, but...
By Marcia Davis | March 30, 2009; 07:58 AM ET | Comments (1)
Summer Jobs Program Kicks Off Today
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty kicks off the 2009 summer jobs program this morning at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, where he'll appear along with Joseph P. Walsh, the new director of the Department of Employment Services. Fenty and Walsh hope to encourage potential participants to register for the program...
By Marcia Davis | March 25, 2009; 08:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty to Go Before Council Today on 2010 Budget
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty appears before the D.C. Council today to introduce is proposed 2010 budget, which among other things, calls for cutting more than 1,000 jobs through attrition, unfilled vacancies and layoffs. The mayor will appear for two hours, then others from his administration will take over and face...
By Marcia Davis | March 23, 2009; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Poll: Is Fenty Right on Gun Amendment?
Washington mayor Adrian Fenty says District residents want a voice in the House, even if the city loses control of its gun laws in gaining it. Do you agree?...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | March 20, 2009; 10:24 AM ET | Comments (4)
Breaking News: Budget Cuts
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's numbers for the proposed 2010 budget: There will be 776 layoffs and another 398 jobs eliminated through attrition and another 458 vacant jobs eliminated, for a total of 1,632 jobs cut in 2010. The mayor said 250 of the cuts are for schools, a result of...
By Marcia Davis | March 20, 2009; 09:57 AM ET | Comments (2)
Budget Day in the District; Layoffs in Fiscal 2010
It's budget day in the District, and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is set to announce the fiscal 2010 plan at 10:30 a.m. The Wire reported yesterday that the 2010 budget is tighter than the 2009 plan and includes layoffs of hundreds of workers. Read David Nakamura's Washington Post report here....
By Marcia Davis | March 20, 2009; 06:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Announces Changes After OCTO Scandal
City Administrator Dan Tangherlini and Interim OCTO Director Chris Willey watch as Mayor Fenty addresses reporters today. (Photo by David Nakamura) Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said he is appointing Chris Willey as the interim director of the scandal-plagued Office of the Chief Technology Officer. Willey was a deputy of...
By Marcia Davis | March 19, 2009; 02:18 PM ET | Comments (2)
Fenty: "Better Services for Less Money"
Delivering his State of the District address at a senior center this morning, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty says his administration and the city must make difficult decisions about spending priorities during a tight budget year. The mayor will deliver his fiscal 2010 budget proposal to the D.C. Council tomorrow and...
By David A Nakamura | March 19, 2009; 11:10 AM ET | Comments (13)
State of the District, Again
The Fenty administration postponed the mayor's delivery of the annual speech until today at 11 a.m. It had originally been scheduled for Tuesday. Watch this space for updates on the remarks....
By Marcia Davis | March 19, 2009; 08:38 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty: "Whoa!"
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) was promoting improvements to this year's summer youth jobs program at Ballou Senior High School yesterday when another issue came falling down. He was in a first-floor classroom with several students, demonstrating how to register online when there was a sudden thud. "Whoa!" he...
By Nikita R Stewart | March 19, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Mayors Love United Arab Emirates
Turns out, Mayor Adrian Fenty wasn't the only big-city mayor to be touring Dubai and Abu Dhabi the week of Feb. 15-23. One of Fenty's role models, Chicago's Richard Daley (D), was also there, according to published reports. Daley was part of a trade mission and economic development research trip...
By David A Nakamura | March 18, 2009; 02:17 PM ET | Comments (0)
It's Summer Job Season Again
You've got to give the administration of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty props for diving right back in. It kicks off early registration today for the 2009 Summer Youth Employment Program and will be announcing the upcoming 2009 Summer Youth Job Expo. The summer job program has been a staple in...
By Marcia Davis | March 18, 2009; 07:25 AM ET | Comments (2)
Mayoral Statement Watch
In the wake of the alleged bribery scam at the D.C. Office of the Chief Technology Officer, exposed by federal law enforcement officials last week, we asked the mayor's office the following questions last Thursday: 1. Under the ITSA system, when a project manager selects a contractor for a job,...
By David A Nakamura | March 17, 2009; 10:44 AM ET | Comments (3)
State of the District Address Today (*Postponed)
UPDATE 10:44 a.m.: The mayor has postponed the speech until Thursday. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is set to deliver the annual State of the District address this morning at 10:30. Fenty will be offering the assessment of the city at the Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center in Northwest DC. The...
By Marcia Davis | March 17, 2009; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Stepping Up HIV Testing
The District is planning to step up its HIV testing in light of the report released yesterday that said about 3 percent of D.C. residents over the age of 12 have HIV or AIDS. Read the story from yesterday's news conference....
By Marcia Davis | March 17, 2009; 07:09 AM 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 Travel Expenses: $25,000 from UAE, $11,300 from China
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's trips to the United Arab Emirates and China cost $25,000 and $11,300, respectively, and were paid for by government entities in each country, according to a memo from Attorney General Peter J. Nickles. Fenty (D) traveled to Beijing and Shanghai for the Summer Olympics last year,...
By David A Nakamura | March 13, 2009; 08:42 PM ET | Comments (4)
Waterside Station Development On Schedule: Fenty
As a sprinkle of fine dust rained from the big construction site behind him, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) announced that the Waterside Station project in Southwest was "topped off" and is on schedule for the opening of its first phase about a year from now. "We couldn't be more...
By Darryl Fears | March 12, 2009; 02:04 PM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty and Booker Team Up at Joint Fundraiser
Hundreds of people squeezed past protesters and into Local 16, a U Street bar where they could schmooze with Newark Mayor Cory Booker and D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. The two young mayors -- Fenty's 38 and Booker's 39 -- held a joint fundraiser for their 2010 reelection bids. Organizers...
By Marcia Davis | March 12, 2009; 08:44 AM ET | Comments (3)
Fenty Initiates New Juvenile Tracking Program
The District is compiling a list of 60 of the most serious juvenile offenders in detention and will share information on their backgrounds with police and some community groups before allowing the youths to return home, especially to high-crime neighborhoods, writes Washington Post reporter Robert Pierre. In a statement released...
By Marcia Davis | March 11, 2009; 07:19 AM ET | Comments (0)
D.C. Summer Jobs for Marylanders?
Looking for a summer job? Apparently a large number of Maryland residents found employment in the District's summer jobs program last year. Nikita Stewart reports on the D.C. auditor's conclusions about the city program that famously went $30 million over budget....
By Marcia Davis | March 6, 2009; 07:34 AM ET | Comments (0)
Not Just Dubai: Fenty Got 'Donation' from China, Too
Mayor Fenty raised questions when he returned from an unannounced week-long trip to Dubai last month, then revealed that the United Arab Emirates government paid for his trip (though not for his wife's and kids' expenses). Turns out, the city also received a monetary "donation" from the UAE government. That's...
By David A Nakamura | March 5, 2009; 07:10 PM ET | Comments (9)
New Feature: Fenty Statement Watch
Adrian M. Fenty used to be the go-to guy for quotes, back when he was just a lowly council member. Fenty (D), always easy to reach on his trusted Blackberry, could be counted on by reporters to rip Mayor Williams with a colorful quip or weigh in on subjects that...
By David A Nakamura | March 5, 2009; 01:45 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty Administration Is a Family Affair
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has faced criticism for appointing close friends and allies to influential positions on the city's boards and commissions. Now, the wife of one of his top deputies has been hired into a full-time government job. Lilian A. Shepherd, 41, who is married to Neil O. Albert,...
By David A Nakamura | March 4, 2009; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Brown to Fenty: 'Get D.C. Residents Job Training Now'
At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown (D) didn't mince words when naming a bill he submitted in yesterday's D.C. Council legislative session. It's called the "Get D.C. Residents Training for Jobs Now Act." The act would compel Mayor Adrian M. Fenty to create a job training program for adults by opening certain...
By Darryl Fears | March 4, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Council Confirms Lee For Commission
The D.C. Council voted 9 to 3 to confirm Lori M. Lee, a family friend of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), to be one of three members on the Public Service Commission. The mayor recently withdrew Lee from consideration to head the commission after residents, some council members, environmentalists and...
By Nikita R Stewart | March 3, 2009; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
D.C. Gets Its First AAA Bond Rating
Standard and Poor's gave CFO Natwar M. Gandhi, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and other city officials a boost yesterday with its issuing of a AAA bond rating for D.C. for the first time, as Nikita Stewart reported in this morning's Washington Post. Last night, a very pleased Fenty issued the...
By Marcia Davis | March 3, 2009; 07:18 AM ET | Comments (2)
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)
It's 7 a.m....Do You Know Where Your Snowplow Is?
Man, March sure knows how to make an entrance. Public works is on duty. Let us know what time your residential street gets cleared....
By Marcia Davis | March 2, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Office of Campaign Finance: Fenty Need Not Declare Trip
Mayor Fenty said yesterday that the United Arab Emirates government paid for his week-long trip to Dubai last week. But when asked by D.C. Wire how much it cost, the mayor declined to answer. We also called the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance to ask whether Fenty needs to declare...
By David A Nakamura | February 24, 2009; 04:43 PM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Reiterates Pledge: My Kids Will Go to DCPS
Mayor Fenty, sporting a deep tan from his week-long jaunt to Dubai, got back out in the local community last night, dropping by a meeting of the Deanwood Civic Association to run down the status of his various initiatives. He talked about the effort to clean up abandoned building, construct...
By David A Nakamura | February 24, 2009; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty Explains Dubai Trip -- Sort Of
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty today called his week-long vacation in Dubai last week a "personal trip" but acknowledged that the United Arab Emirates government paid for his expenses. Fenty (D) said he paid for his wife and twin sons to come with him and no public funds were used....
By David A Nakamura | February 23, 2009; 05:32 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty Home From Dubai
Wondering where Mayor Adrian M. Fenty was all last week? We were, too. Turns out he was in Dubai, as reported this morning by Elissa Silverman and Martin Weil....
By Marcia Davis | February 23, 2009; 10:35 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Declared 'Least Loathsome Politician'
Biting gossip blog Jossip today declared D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty among the least hateable power players around. Others so honored include Daily Beast editor Tina Brown, CNBC's Suze Orman, comedian Norm Macdonald and British author Ian McEwan. We gave it to D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty for being able to host...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | February 17, 2009; 01:01 PM ET | Comments (7)
The Pace Setter: Mayor's American Odyssey Team Announced
We told you last week about Mayor Fenty entering a 12-person team in the 200-mile American Odyssey Relay race from Gettysburg to Washington in late April. Here are the members of the mayor's Fleet Feet AOAT team, according to the event publicist: 1. The Honorable Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor of...
By David A Nakamura | February 17, 2009; 10:39 AM ET | Comments (3)
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)
Mayor Withdraws Nomination of Lee to Head PSC
UPDATE: 7:40 Mayor Adrian M. Fenty just released the following statement: The Administration is pleased to announce that current Public Service Commission member Betty Ann Kane has been nominated to serve as Chair of the PSC and long time regulatory lawyer and District resident Lori Lee has been submitted to...
By Nikita R Stewart | February 12, 2009; 06:05 PM ET | Comments (5)
The Pace Setter: Fenty to Compete in 200-Mile Race
The recent warm weather has brought thoughts of spring--and, for serious runners, the start of the outdoor road racing circuit. Now comes word that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) will lead a 12-member team in the inaugural American Odyssey Relay, a 200-mile race from Gettysburg to D.C. Fenty's team will...
By David A Nakamura | February 12, 2009; 01:25 PM ET | Comments (2)
Fenty Faces Frustrated Parents at Stoddert Elementary
Since becoming mayor, Adrian M. Fenty has made it a regular part of his schedule to attend community meetings across the city. It's a way to keep his promise to an electorate that he won't just come around every four years when he's looking for votes. And it's a way...
By David A Nakamura | February 11, 2009; 10:04 AM ET | Comments (2)
Fenty on The Hill
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's schedule shows him attending the markup on the D.C. Voting Rights Act today at 10 at the Dirksen Senate Office Building....
By Marcia Davis | February 11, 2009; 09:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Machine Takes on NYC
Everybody knows by now about the friendship between Mayor Fenty and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Now, Bloomberg is paying off in more ways than just providing Fenty a road map for education reform and a school chancellor. Bloomberg hosted a recent fundraiser for Fenty's 2010 re-election campaign, sources...
By David A Nakamura | February 3, 2009; 03:22 PM ET | Comments (3)
Fenty: New E-Mail Renewal at DMV
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is set to announce the District's new e-mail renewal service for the Department of Motor Vehicles at 10:30 a.m. today. Stay tuned.......
By Marcia Davis | February 3, 2009; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Re-Election Bid: $2 Million and Counting...
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) has raised more than $2 million for his re-election campaign with more than 1 1/2 years go to before the 2010 election, a whopping total that could serve to scare off any serious challengers. In his first campaign finance report for Fenty 2010, the mayor...
By David A Nakamura | February 3, 2009; 05:45 AM ET | Comments (12)
Barry to Fenty: 'Another Staggering Blow' to Poplar Project
Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry registered his frustrations about the fizzled partnership between the city and Clark Realty Capital development company on the Poplar Point project. Below is the letter he sent Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on Friday night. January 30, 2009 Honorable Adrian Fenty 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington,...
By Marcia Davis | January 31, 2009; 04:46 PM ET | Comments (8)
Voting Rights Hearing on The Hill
According to the schedule, you can look for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty to join Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton this morning on Capitol Hill, where a hearing on the District's voting rights legislation is scheduled for 10 a.m. The hear is before the Judiciary subcommittee in room 2141 at the Rayburn...
By Marcia Davis | January 27, 2009; 09:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Mayor Awards Groups Fighting Youth Violence
Mayor Adrian Fenty today awarded a total of $239,000 in grants to two community groups to provide outreach services and programs to some of the city's most troubled youth. Fenty visited Charles Hart Middle School in Southeast to announce the awards for the Latin American Youth Center and the...
By Mike McPhate | January 26, 2009; 04:54 PM ET | Comments (2)
Fenty Blitzes Inaugural Media
With the world's media coming to town for Barack Obama's inauguration, Mayor Fenty isn't missing his chance to get a little reflected shine. Check out this media schedule (and guess how many times he'll say "as fast as humanly possible"): Government of the District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty...
By David A Nakamura | January 16, 2009; 09:41 PM ET | Comments (3)
Fenty Tour Highlights D.C. Tenant Conditions
Mayor Adrian Fenty and city officials toured Washington apartments last week in an effort to force landlords to clean up residences with safety and health violations....
By Mike McPhate | January 12, 2009; 01:17 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty Vetoes Council Bill on School Suspensions
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty vetoed a D.C. Council bill yesterday that would give the state superintendent of education and the State Board of Education authority to set new guidelines for school suspensions. In a letter to Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray, Fenty said the Public Schools and Public Charter Schools...
By Marcia Davis | January 8, 2009; 09:22 AM ET | Comments (0)
Sources: Fenty's Inaugural Concert to Benefit D.C. Public Schools
More details are emerging about the inaugural concert Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is planning at the D.C. Armory on Jan. 18. We reported last month that Fenty was trying to land hip-hop superstar Kanye West to headline the show. Now we're hearing from sources that the mayor is also trying...
By David A Nakamura | January 8, 2009; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Fenty, City Officials Fight 'Slum Lords'
Flanked by a platoon of city officials, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty showed up at a run-down apartment building in Southeast Washington today to highlight the city's effort to force landlords to clean up properties allegedly riddled with health, building and safety violations. "This is a message about the failure...
By Hamil Harris | January 7, 2009; 02:17 PM ET | Comments (2)
Fenty Announces Four Agency and Office Heads
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty today announced the appointment of four District agency and office directors this morning. They are a collection of staff reassignments, and in one case the hiring of an area businessman who has had extensive contact with the administration. Gabe Klein was named head of the District...
By Marcia Davis | December 31, 2008; 01:44 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty: CFSA Has Made Major Strides in Reducing Backlog
The Child and Family Services Agency has reduced its backlog of cases from 1,750 to 92, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced today at a news conference with Attorney Peter J. Nickles and CFSA interim director Roque Gerald. The mayor and city officials said they were especially proud of the caseload...
By Marcia Davis | December 18, 2008; 12:07 PM ET | Comments (2)
Report on Child Services Set for Today
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration is holding a news conference this morning to provide an update on the Child and Family Services Agency. The news conference is set for 10:30 with Attorney General Peter J. Nickles and interim CFSA director Roque Gerald at the agency's Sixth St. NW headquarters. CFSA...
By Marcia Davis | December 18, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
A Vote for Obama
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty will oversee history today as the District casts its vote for the nation's first African American president. Fenty presides over the District's 12th Electoral College today. Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser, Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray and Jerry S. Cooper will cast the District's vote for...
By Marcia Davis | December 15, 2008; 06:56 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Doles Out $51 Million in Health Funds
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Department of Health Director (DOH) Pierre N.D. Vigilance doled out $51 million to bolster primary and emergency care in the District today. The grants were issued based on the Rand report, issued in June, and is based on money from the city's tobacco settlement. The...
By Marcia Davis | December 10, 2008; 12:23 PM ET | Comments (3)
Fenty Announcing $50 Million in Health Grants from Tobacco Fund
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and DOH Director Pierre N.D. Vigilance, along with Councilmember David Catania, are announcing the recipients of more than $50 million in grants to improve the primary and emergency care facilities this morning. The money is from the city's tobacco settlement fund. The news conference will be...
By Marcia Davis | December 10, 2008; 09:17 AM ET | Comments (0)
It's Fenty's Party, But Not All Fun and Games
Protesters may take the fun out of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's fundraising birthday bash, set for tonight at 6:30 p.m. Labor groups and advocates for the homeless are planning to crash the event with candles and pickets. The protesters are getting a jump on things, with their pickets set to...
By Marcia Davis | December 6, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (4)
More Inauguration Revelry = More Cops? The Mayor (and Chief) Speaks
Might the D.C. Council's decision to keep bars and nightclubs open 24 hours a day during Inauguration weekend mean more cops hitting the streets to keep late-night partygoers in line? Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier reluctantly shared some reaction to the emergency legislation at a...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | December 3, 2008; 01:42 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty: It's My Birthday! Donate now!
In Dec. 2006, Mayor Fenty used the occasion of his 36th birthday to throw a big party for himself and his supporters at St. Colleta special education school. It was a sort-of thank you to those who'd supported his resounding mayoral campaign victory. Last year, Fenty stepped it up, renting...
By David A Nakamura | December 2, 2008; 05:04 PM ET | Comments (0)
Aerin Alexandra Fenty Arrives at 6:08 a.m.
From the mayor's office: Today at 6:08am, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Mrs. Michelle Fenty proudly welcomed their new baby girl, Aerin Alexandra Fenty, the latest addition to the family. At 9 pounds, 1 ounce and 21 inches, she is their third child, joining 8-year-old twin sons Matthew and Andrew....
By Marcia Davis | November 24, 2008; 12:29 PM ET | Comments (2)
City May Owe Feds Millions for Bad Medicaid Claims
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced today that the District may owe millions of dollars to the federal government because of improper documentation to support Medicaid claims filed on behalf of the city's neediest residents. Julie Hudman, director of the city's newly formed Department of Healthcare Finance, said that according to...
By Marcia Davis | November 21, 2008; 12:50 PM ET | Comments (9)
Bulletin: Nickles Is Confirmed
The D.C. Council voted to confirm Peter J. Nickles as the attorney general today in a 7 to 5 vote. Chairman Vincent C. Gray supported Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's nominee, and Democratic At-Large member Kwame Brown voted present. The battle over Nickles's future began with a dramatic development in the...
By Marcia Davis | November 18, 2008; 05:19 PM ET | Comments (14)
Looking for a Summer Job--Again?
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting its Summer 2009 Job Fair on Nov. 26 at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you're looking for a summer job as a camp counselor, life guard, pool manager, or a...
By Marcia Davis | November 18, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
Fenty, CFSA Head to Discuss Agency's Progress
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is conducting business as usual today, though the fate of his acting attorney general hangs in the balance, as the council considers the confirmation. Fenty, Acting Attorney General Peter J. Nickles and Dr. Roque Gerald, interim director of the city's Child and Family Services Agency, plan...
By Marcia Davis | November 18, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
City Goes After Bad Used Car Dealerships
The city is on the offensive against questionable used car dealerships in the District. Today Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is announcing plans to close 23 illegal dealerships, as part of an effort close 100 such dealearships in the city. In a news release this morning, the administration said it is...
By Marcia Davis | November 17, 2008; 06:53 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Hoping to Show Off Projects Along Anacostia Today
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is hosting a community fair from 1 to 5 p.m. today at Nationals Park where more than three dozen District agencies, community groups, nonprofits and private companies will be on hand to discuss the development projects of the $8 million Anacostia Waterfront Initiative. "The Anacostia waterfront...
By Marcia Davis | November 15, 2008; 08:12 AM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty Upbeat About Housing Program in Face of Budget Freeze
In his first comments since the D.C. Council passed legislation to close the city's $131 million budget gap this week, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said that he is confident that he will still be able to implement his plan to move 800 chronically homeless people into permanent homes by this...
By Marcia Davis | November 14, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty's Communication's Strategy: "Just Don't Pick Up the Phone."
Here at D.C. Wire we endeavor to clear up the record when clarity is called for. Such is the call for State Superintendent of Education Deborah A. Gist, whom we unfairly kicked in the shin for evading our requests for an interview in September. The backstory: Her agency is developing...
By Marcia Davis | November 11, 2008; 11:45 AM ET | Comments (13)
New Employment Chief Has Communications Background
Mayor Fenty named Joseph P. Walsh, a state government official from Massachusetts, as the new head of the city's Department of Employment Services today. Walsh has worked for two years in Gov. Deval Patrick's Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Here's the story. Upon reviewing Walsh's complete biography, D.C. Wire...
By David A Nakamura | November 6, 2008; 01:26 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty, Nickles Announce Report on Disability Agency After Resident's Death
Three city employees have been let go after an investigation found that a mentally retarded man living in a cockroach-infested apartment had been denied disability services for more than two years, even as a social worker pleaded for him to get some assistance. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and Attorney...
By Marcia Davis | October 31, 2008; 03:43 PM ET | Comments (1)
Mayor Fenty Activates Hypothermia Plan on Eve of Hearing
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty issued the first hypothermia alert Thursday night and dispatched vans across the city to assist the homeless. "It is important to get the message out that shelter is available," said Fenty, just before he greeted a van loaded with homeless people outside the Cathedral of Sacred...
By Hamil Harris | October 31, 2008; 07:20 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Pace Setter
We're back with this Monday morning feature after a bit of a hiatus (primarily because the Mayor Fenty's office stopped listing most of his competitive races on his weekend schedule). But Fenty was back in action Sunday in the Marine Corps Marathon, where he ran a personal best time or...
By David A Nakamura | October 27, 2008; 11:48 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Files for 2010 Reelection Bid
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty filed paperwork on Friday with the Office of Campaign Finance for Fenty 2010, his reelection campaign committee. Fenty's operative, John Falcicchio, emailed a two-paragraph announcement about Fenty's plans early this morning. The statement noted that Fenty's filing occurs as he approaches his administration's midpoint and is...
By Marcia Davis | October 25, 2008; 12:13 PM ET | Comments (9)
Gray Legislation Would Block Fenty Appointments to UDC Board
(*Updated at 2:20 p.m. with resumes of mayor's appointees.) Council Chairman Vincent Gray has drafted legislationthat would extend the term of the University of the District of Columbia's Board of Trustees for 180 days, thereby blocking Mayor Fenty's appointments of several new board members. Gray says in the legislation that...
By David A Nakamura | October 21, 2008; 11:55 AM ET | Comments (10)
Next Up for Mayor's Summer Jobs Program: Cooking School?
In today's Post, we brought you an examination of how much the District spent on contracts with 35 private vendors to employ students in Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's summer jobs program. The city spent more than $10 million on administrative fees, blowing through a cost limit and failing to ensure...
By David A Nakamura | October 17, 2008; 07:55 AM ET | Comments (0)
D.C. Wire Conflict of Interest Alert
(D.C. Wire just got the following announcement of a news conference and event tomorrow. We'll have to recuse ourselves from covering. Let the Post-Fenty conspiracy theories resume in the comments section.) What: The Washington, DC Economic Partnership will host its 2008 Annual Meeting & Development Showcase highlighting the District and...
By David A Nakamura | October 1, 2008; 04:58 PM ET | Comments (0)
Doors May Be Closed to Franklin Shelter, But the Issue Is Still Hot
The city's emptying of Franklin Shelter last week hasn't closed the door on the controversy, or the effort to keep the downtown facility open. Activist Eric Sheptock and two other plaintiffs (DJuan Bean and Terry Huff) are going to court today to try to get a temporary restraining order and...
By Marcia Davis | September 30, 2008; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
Suspicious Package Trips Up Fenty
Mayor Fenty doesn't like to wait. His State of the District address was titled "Moving Forward Faster." Council members regularly complain that he avoids the legislative process when he can if it means getting his initiatives going. Some blame his frenetic pace for the meltdown of the summer youth jobs...
By David A Nakamura | September 24, 2008; 11:22 AM ET | Comments (1)
D.C. Inspector General: Mayor's Summer Jobs Program "Haphazard and Ad-hoc"
D.C. Inspector General Charles J. Willoughby and Auditor Deborah K. Nichols laid out a damning account of the failings of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's summer youth jobs program today, citing problems with contracts, technology, training and budgeting, as well as policy decisions, leading to a budget overrun of $30 million....
By David A Nakamura | September 18, 2008; 04:15 PM ET | Comments (12)
Fenty Back in Triathlon Saddle
Six weeks after suffering a serious bike accident, Mayor Fenty is scheduled to return to competitive action this weekend. He'll take part in the Nation's Triathlon in D.C. on Sunday, his office said today. The triathlon is in its second year and the mayor participated last year, as well. It's...
By David A Nakamura | September 12, 2008; 03:13 PM ET | Comments (6)
Someone Has a Busy Day
Government of the District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty Public Schedule Friday, August 22, 2008 9:00 am DCPS Welcoming Back Teachers Keynote Speaker Washington Convention Center Hall B 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW 10:00 am Ben's Chili Bowl 50 th Anniversary Block Party Remarks Ben's Chili Bowl 1213 U...
By David A Nakamura | August 22, 2008; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Summer Jobs Payroll Cut by 3,000
Another payday at the District's summer jobs program ticks by today, this time with more than 3,000 fewer people on the rolls, yielding a savings of more than $1 million, city officials reported today. That meant 18,000 people were paid instead of the more than 21,000 from two weeks ago....
By Marcia Davis | August 15, 2008; 12:54 PM ET | Comments (44)
It's Payday for the Summer Jobs Program
It's payroll day for the summer jobs program. That takes on an ominous tone these days, as the program has stumbled its way through a difficult season and getting paid has not been a guarantee. Though the city's own internal investigation, released this week, also shows that some people were...
By Marcia Davis | August 15, 2008; 08:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Wedding-gate Continues...
A couple days ago we told you of mayoral spokeswoman Carrie Brooks' upcoming wedding to Daniel Kohns, noting that Brooks said Mayor Fenty does not have the legal authority to preside over her ceremony. The Post's Style section followed up today with confirmation from the courthouse. Well, that didn't sit...
By David A Nakamura | August 14, 2008; 02:52 PM ET | Comments (4)
Fenty, Rhee Roadshow Goes to Denver
With the world's eyes (and media spotlight) soon to transition from Beijing to Denver for the Democratic National Convention (Aug. 25-28), it only makes sense that the District's media-conscious mayor will be making a beeline for the mile-high city. Mayor Fenty and Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee are set to appear...
By David A Nakamura | August 13, 2008; 05:28 PM ET | Comments (6)
Fenty to Address Summer Jobs Program Meltdown
Mayor Adrian Fenty returns from a week-long personal trip to Beijing late tonight, then is scheduled to speak to reporters at a 3 p.m. news conference Tuesday about the ongoing problems with the city's Summer Youth Employment Program. Mayoral aides said he will release the findings of an internal investigation...
By David A Nakamura | August 11, 2008; 05:37 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty Eases Back With Library Announcement
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is scheduled to make an announcement this afternoon regarding the city's library hours and funding. Ginnie Cooper, the chief librarian, recently announced major cutbacks for the system, including closing the libraries on Fridays and closing kiosks in some of the city's more underserved communities. It seemed...
By Marcia Davis | August 4, 2008; 07:44 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty To Weigh In on Summer Jobs Program
The mayor has been away, so he missed all the payday pandemonium for the summer jobs program, when thousands of student workers got underpaid, not paid at all---and in some cases, reportedly overpaid. As Michael Birnbaum writes this morning, it was City Administrator Dan Tangherlini who got the pleasure of...
By Marcia Davis | July 28, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (2)
Scheduling Conflict: Fenty, Gray to Arrive Late to DNC
As the D.C. Democractic Party gears up for the Democratic National Convention in Denver next month, several elected leaders, including titular party head Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, will be forced to arrive a day after the official start of the convention on Aug. 25. That's the same day that D.C....
By David A Nakamura | July 28, 2008; 10:31 AM ET | Comments (3)
Fenty Accepts Bobo's Resignation From CFSA
Sharlynn E. Bobo, the director of D.C. Child and Family Services, resigned today, in the wake of a massive backlog of cases during which a 6-month-old boy and a 5-month-old boy died. "I accepted Dr. Bobo's resignation today and would like to personally thank her for her dedication to public...
By Marcia Davis | July 16, 2008; 11:19 PM ET | Comments (5)
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)
Fenty Met By Protesters Over Library-School Development
It wasn't pretty yesterday when Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced the developer for a new library-school project in Tenleytown. About two dozen residents and activists opposed to the plan because they fear the loss of green space for Janney Elementary School heckled the mayor as he explained that the LCOR...
By Marcia Davis | July 11, 2008; 09:27 AM ET | Comments (9)
LCOR Chosen for Tenley Project
The District has chosen LCOR to develop the 3.6 acre Tenley Library/Janney Elementary School development site. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty made the announcement at a news conference this morning. "We've got a real opportunity to leverage this site to help pay for the cost of improving Janney Elementary, enhance the...
By Marcia Davis | July 10, 2008; 03:33 PM ET | Comments (1)
The Mayor's Friday Bad News Dump?
It's one of the oldest media-management strategies in the book: Release all controversial or bad news late Friday, when it's more likely to get lost in the weekend shuffle. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) seems to have added that strategy to his public-relations playbook lately. On June 20, a Friday,...
By David A Nakamura | July 10, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
A New Gang Strategy?
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham are teaming up this morning to announce a new gang strategy. The two will be sharing their plan at the Reeves Center at 10:15 am....
By Marcia Davis | July 8, 2008; 08:24 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Nominates Nickles as Attorney General
UPDATED: 11:30 a.m. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced his nomination of Peter J. Nickles to the attorney general post this morning. The Washington Post reported earlier this week of the mayor's plans. They were joined on the steps of the John A. Wilson Building by council members Marion Barry (D-Ward...
By Marcia Davis | June 27, 2008; 09:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Rand Report: Health Care Funds for Urgent Care
It may not get much emphasis today, given all the focus on the Supreme Court's gun ban decision, but D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty ( D) unveiled this morning a report that outlines how the city should spend $135 million in tobacco settlement money. The independent Rand Corp., commissioned in...
By Marcia Davis | June 26, 2008; 02:19 PM ET | Comments (0)
A Busy Day in the District: Courts to Health Care
It's a big news day in the District. The city waits for the Supreme Court ruling on its gun ban case, which is expected this morning. But also, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty will be announcing the RAND recommendations on the city's health care. Millions of health care dollars at stake....
By Marcia Davis | June 26, 2008; 08:28 AM ET | Comments (0)
Michelle Fenty Expecting
First Lady Michelle Cross Fenty and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty are expecting a third child in late fall, according to a press release issued by Carrie Brooks, the mayor's spokeswoman. The Fentys already have 8-year-old twins, Andrew and Matthew. "Michelle Fenty says she is feeling great and is looking forward...
By Nikita R Stewart | June 23, 2008; 07:32 PM ET | Comments (3)
The Pace Setter
A Monday morning feature in which D.C. Wire charts Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's quest for athletic glory. The mayor took part in the Lawyers Have Heart 10k in Georgetown on Saturday, a race that benefits the American Heart Association. Fenty clocked in at 41 minutes, 21 seconds, a 6:40 per...
By David A Nakamura | June 16, 2008; 10:23 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Releases Statement on Tim Russert's Death
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty released this statement after learning that journalist and moderator of "Meet the Press" Tim Russert was dead of a heart attack at age 58. "On behalf of the residents of the District of Columbia, I want to extend our deepest condolences to the family of Tim...
By Marcia Davis | June 14, 2008; 07:24 AM ET | Comments (0)
Moving Parts
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty was making moves yesterday, shifting positions and people like pieces on a chess board. Erik Moses was named the new chief executive of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission. Moses had been the director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development. Fenty tapped Nicole...
By Marcia Davis | June 10, 2008; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Buff 'n' Scrub Round 2 Goes to Fenty
Two weeks ago, we told you about the pushback Mayor Fenty was getting from the business community about his effort to enlist developers for the school system's second summer of "buff and scrub." Well, the administration held a second meeting about the program today at the Warner Building at 1299...
By David A Nakamura | June 4, 2008; 02:59 PM ET | Comments (0)
New Anti-Crime Efforts
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Police Chief Cathy Lanier plan to announce new crime initiatives this morning, as officials continue to try to battle a mounting body count in the District. In February, Lanier told the District Council that violent crime was down and the city was on the right...
By Marcia Davis | June 4, 2008; 07:26 AM ET | Comments (1)
Time and Place Set for Second Buff and Scrub Meeting
Last Sunday, the Post brought you the story of Mayor Fenty's struggles to keep city business leaders on board his school reform bus. A key example focused on a meeting the administration held to sign up developers for the school system's summer buff and scrub program, designed to spruce up...
By David A Nakamura | May 29, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Fenty to Make Statement on Fort Reno Today
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, the National Parks Service and U.S. Geological Survey officials will give an update on the status of Fort Reno Park today at 3:30 and discuss its reopening to the public. The small, federally run park in Northwest Washington, was closed recently after a scientist at the...
By Marcia Davis | May 28, 2008; 01:08 PM ET | Comments (0)
Looking for Fenty? Try Calling 311
Having a hard time getting a hold of the mayor? Starting at 2:15 p.m. today, you can reach him at the 311 call center. The mayor and Janice Quintana, director of the Office of Unified Communications, will be answering calls with the center's staff as a way to mark the...
By Marcia Davis | May 28, 2008; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (3)
More Shake Up at Board of Elections; Schwartz Not Happy
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty swore in Errol R. Arthur as chairman of the District's Board of Elections and Ethics yesterday, and Council member Carol Schwartz is blasting him for it. Arthur is a partner at Arthur and Arthur, PLLC, a law practice that handles criminal, family and civil cases in...
By Marcia Davis | May 21, 2008; 02:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
Fenty Reappoints Inspector General
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has reappointed Charles J. Willoughby as the Inspector General. The office conducts audits, inspections and investigations of District of Columbia agencies and operations. The term for the inspector general is six years and is confirmed by the District Council. Former Mayor Anthony Williams first appointed Willoughby...
By Marcia Davis | May 20, 2008; 06:57 AM ET | Comments (2)
The Pace Setter
A Monday morning feature in which D.C. Wire charts Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's quest for athletic glory. He may have been due at a major retailers conference in Las Vegas, where he is spending today, but that didn't stop the mayor from competing in Sunday's Columbia (Md.) Triathlon, a 1.5k...
By David A Nakamura | May 19, 2008; 11:52 AM ET | Comments (1)
Judge Rejects Proposal Over Disabled Care
U.S. District Judge Ellen Huevelle today rejected a proposed agreement between the District and the Department of Justice over care of developmentally disabled people in group homes. The city had hoped the agreement would forestall continued litigation that has gone on for three decades over health care for the mentally...
By Marcia Davis | May 15, 2008; 05:17 PM ET | Comments (0)
Testing Continues at Fort Reno Park
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and health and environmental officials said this afternoon there is no "imminent health crisis" posed by the high levels of arsenic found in Fort Reno Park. Joined at a news conference by several city health officials, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service, the...
By Marcia Davis | May 15, 2008; 05:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Mayor Williams to Honor Mayor Fenty Tonight
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and wife Michelle are scheduled to be honored at the Idealism in Action gala tonight at the Ronald Reagan Building where they'll be presented the Lifetime of Idealism Award by City Year Washington, D.C., a youth service organization. A co-chair of the event is former mayor...
By David A Nakamura | May 13, 2008; 01:25 PM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty 2006: Yes to New Library
Mayor Adrian Fenty's announcement today that the city would build a hotel at the site of the old convention center dooms any hope of replacing the aging Martin Luther King Jr. Library with a new central branch. But make no mistake--Fenty (D) had been an ardent supporter of building a...
By David A Nakamura | May 12, 2008; 02:01 PM ET | Comments (2)
Convention Center Head Resigns
Reba Pittman Walker resigned yesterday from her position as chief of the Washington Convention Center Authority. Look for more details in Sunday's Post....
By Marcia Davis | May 3, 2008; 01:12 PM ET | Comments (0)
Political Reaction to Ruling in Rawlings Shooting
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty issued the following statement regarding the decision to file no charges in the Deonte Rawlings shooting. "The death of Deonte Rawlings was a tragic loss for his family and the entire community continues to mourn for them. After an exhaustive, independent investigation, the US Attorney and...
By Marcia Davis | May 1, 2008; 02:59 PM ET | Comments (4)
Fenty on Capitol Hill
Mayor Fenty, Council Chairman Gray and CFO Gandhi are on Capitol Hill this afternoon to testify on the President's federal budget request for the District. As the Post reported in February, Bush has added an additional amount to support the reform efforts of Fenty and school Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee....
By David A Nakamura | April 30, 2008; 02:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Pace Setter (Midweek Bonus Edition!)
A feature in which D.C. Wire charts Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's quest for athletic glory. Mayor Fenty started his day at the ACLI Capital Challenge, a long-running (pun intended) tradition in which the various branches of the federal government -- executive, legislative, judicial--compete, along with the media, in team running...
By David A Nakamura | April 30, 2008; 12:14 PM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Jokes in Courtroom
The Reliable Source sent along some other details concerning Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's jury duty yesterday. According to a tip to the RS, Fenty, who was being considered for a drug case, arrived at 8 a.m. He was put in the jury box as potential juror number 11, and was...
By Marcia Davis | April 30, 2008; 07:31 AM ET | Comments (0)
No Jury Duty for Fenty
The mayor escaped service. He was called in front of Judge Boasberg for a drug case, but was not selected to serve and left shortly after 3:30 p.m. More in tomorrow's Post....
By David A Nakamura | April 29, 2008; 04:27 PM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Awaiting Potential Jury Duty
Mayor Fenty is in Superior Court today doing his patriotic duty--serving a summons for potential jury duty. Fenty is among a pool of candidates in Judge James Boasberg's courtroom, although he has not yet been selected to serve on a jury for a trial. We'll keep you posted....
By David A Nakamura | April 29, 2008; 12:06 PM ET | Comments (0)
Looking for Developers
Breaking News: Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced this morning that he is seeking developers to build a hotel or office complex behind the historic Lincoln Theater on U Street. The money the city makes from the development would be used to support the theater, he said....
By Marcia Davis | April 24, 2008; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Breaking News: City Wins Cab Dispute
The Associated Press is reporting the following: A judge has ruled in the city's favor in a dispute over Mayor Adrian Fenty's order for D.C. taxis to switch to time-and-distance meters for calculating fares. Fenty announced last October the city would change from the zone system to meters. But a...
By David A Nakamura | April 21, 2008; 09:57 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Pace Setter
A Monday morning feature in which D.C. Wire charts Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's quest for athletic glory. The Kinetic Half Ironman, held at Lake Anna State Park in Virginia, is billed as the first half-Ironman distance race of the season in the mid-Atlantic region, meaning a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile...
By David A Nakamura | April 21, 2008; 09:11 AM ET | Comments (0)
More Evidence Fenty Remains Popular
In case his 72 percent approval rating in the Post's January poll wasn't enough, the mayor just won "Best Local Hero" in the Washington City Paper's first reader poll in 20 years. Fenty beat out Marion Barry, Eleanor Holmes Norton and rocker Ian MacKaye for the honor. We're not sure...
By David A Nakamura | April 17, 2008; 12:50 PM ET | Comments (2)
The Pace Setter
A Monday morning feature in which D.C. Wire charts Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's quest for athletic glory. Okay, so it's Wednesday, but we just got the results of Fenty's first triathlon of the season--the Georgetown IronMed--thanks to Georgetown University Medical School student Matthew Ronan, who helped organize the event. The...
By David A Nakamura | April 16, 2008; 11:42 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty to Hang With Pope
Seems the mayor will be courting his newest constituent -- Pope Benedict XVI -- over the next few days. Fenty is scheduled to be with him at the White House tomorrow, attend mass at Nats Park on Thursday and then bid him farewell at Andrews Air Force Base on Friday,...
By David A Nakamura | April 15, 2008; 05:05 PM ET | Comments (0)
Countdown to the Showdown
The Washington Nationals play the Atlanta Braves at 7:35 tonight, and council members are bracing for the dance they have been doing with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) all week. Since Monday, Fenty's office has been doling out tickets to the council hours before a game. For some reason, four...
By Nikita R Stewart | April 11, 2008; 11:05 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Takes the Hill
Mayor Fenty is on Capitol Hill today to talk about strategies to calm the housing market in the wake of the subprime mortgage crisis. You can download his testimony in PDF format by clicking here....
By David A Nakamura | April 10, 2008; 10:41 AM ET | Comments (0)
"Johnny Business" Heads to Sacramento
John Falcicchio, adviser to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, has taken a leave to work on the mayoral campaign of former NBA all-star Kevin Johnson. Kris Deutschman, a volunteer spokeswoman for Johnson's mayoral bid in Sacramento, said Falcicchio "started maybe, what, three or four days ago." Former NBA star Kevin Johnson...
By Nikita R Stewart | April 9, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
A Lot of Lawyers at Lottery Hearing
You know there's a hot issue in the Wilson Building when you see these three: Fred Cooke, Scott Bolden, and a familiar face from the D.C. Council, Kevin Chavous. All three lawyers were at today's hearing before Jack Evans' Committee on Finance and Revenue. The issue: the city's lottery contract....
By Yolanda Woodlee | April 7, 2008; 05:06 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Pace Setter
A Monday morning feature in which D.C. Wire charts Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's quest for athletic glory. It's official: Fenty is getting faster as mayor. Last week, he set a personal record in the National Marathon. But we thought maybe that Fenty, who is a much stronger 10-miler than he...
By David A Nakamura | April 7, 2008; 06:59 AM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty, Rhee Talk Education in Memphis
Mayor Fenty didn't have any public events on his schedule yesterday, a rarity. The reason? He and school Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee traveled to Memphis to participate in Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network's national conference, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s death....
By David A Nakamura | April 4, 2008; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (1)
New High School Baseball Series at Nats Park
During the long and bumpy road that was the debate over the Nationals' publicly financed baseball stadium, critics of the project often asked, "What's in it for the city?" The inaugural invite. (David Nakamura) Well, D.C. Wire just learned about at least one little piece of that puzzle. We got...
By David A Nakamura | April 3, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
Breaking News: Plan to End Homelessness
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced this afternoon a plan to help end chronic homelessness in the city, pledging initially to house 480 people in six months at a cost of $19.2 million....
By Marcia Davis | April 2, 2008; 03:00 PM ET | Comments (2)
Fenty's Budget Testimony (*Updated)
The D.C. Council's public hearing on Mayor Fenty's budget has begun and you can watch it live on Ch. 13 or on the council's website. *12:40 p.m.: Here's a summary just in from D.C. Wire's Nikita Stewart, who is in the chambers. Fenty testified before council members today that his...
By David A Nakamura | March 31, 2008; 12:09 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Pace Setter
A Monday morning feature in which D.C. Wire charts Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's quest for athletic glory. The 37-year-old mayor is well known for his love of running and triathloning. And all that training--and Vitamin Water--is paying off. Fenty (D) participated in the 2008 National Marathon on Saturday and, despite...
By David A Nakamura | March 31, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Camera Ready
Mayor Adrian Fenty has never met a camera he doesn't love. The city's top elected leader is so fond of press attention that he holds a news conference every day. Today, though, the mayor turned the tables at an appearance at DC USA, the new mall in Columbia Heights, where...
By David A Nakamura | March 27, 2008; 02:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
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)
More On School Fundraising
We told you yesterday about the new D.C. Public Education Fund, which has been established to raise money from the private sector for Chancellor Michelle Rhee's school reform efforts. Today we caught up with the fund's executive director Sara Lasner, who explained that the fund has applied for 501c3 status...
By David A Nakamura | March 25, 2008; 02:31 PM ET | Comments (0)
When Should the Public Testify on the School Budget?
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty released his proposed 2009 budget last Thursday, and D.C. Wire has already read and analyzed every page, from the executive summary to parts 1 and 2 of the agency spending plans to the appendices. Okay, maybe not. But as D.C. Wire continues to pore over this...
By Theola Labbé-DeBose | March 25, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Before He Was Mayor
At a news conference today to announce the release of the city's 2008 Summer Fun Activity Guide, Mayor Adrian Fenty, addressing a group of about 100 youth on spring break at the Fort Davis Recreation Center in Southeast, revealed that he spent a summer as a lifeguard at the public...
By David A Nakamura | March 24, 2008; 02:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Four Rs: Reading, 'Riting, 'Rithmetic, Raising Money
When Mayor Adrian M. Fenty took over the D.C. schools last summer, he announced plans to raise private money to help supplement the system's operating budget--much as Fenty's mentor, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I), did when he took over the schools in New York. Bloomberg, a billionaire...
By David A Nakamura | March 24, 2008; 07:05 AM ET | Comments (0)
