DEALING WITH IDENTITY THEFT
From: Daniel Radack <radack@Radix.Net>
Recently, someone tried to apply for a credit card using my wife's
maiden name and her social security number. They did this twice and
listed an address in SW DC/. The credit card companies contacted my
wife
to verify - that's how we found out. My wife tried to file a police
report but got the run around on the phone. Where should she file a
police report in DC?
ANSWER FROM KS: Dan, I spoke to one of the detectives at 2D and he
suggested you call the MPD's Check and Fraud Unit at 727-4159. Speak
to
one of this unit's detectives.
***See update at the end of this letter***.
Also, you might want to check out the website of the Identity Theft
Resource Center at www.idtheftcenter.org. Linda Foley is the Executive
Director. Identity theft is a growing crime and we all need to be
careful about what we toss in the trash or tell anyone over the phone.
I
have heard of instances where car thieves used identity theft
to obtain
duplicate keys to cars from car dealerships. They then went to those
cars where they were parked on the street and drove them away.
I'd also suggest: Don't carry your checkbook with you. Just put a few
checks in your wallet and have the numbers of those checks noted
somewhere else. Don't leave checkbooks in plain sight in your house
when
workmen or other visitors are around. I've heard of people stealing
one
or two checks from the back of a checkbook. The owner didn't know until
they were cashed.
Check monthly credit card bills very carefully to make sure every
purchase is legit. Strangers all over the place see our credit card
numbers. The system works because of general honesty but mostly
because
of extreme vigilance on the part of the credit card owner.
IF YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE COMING TO YOUR DOOR, SOLICITING . . .
>From time to time I hear about or observe strangers at our doors asking
for money for various causes. They keep coming back because they are
encouraged by being rewarded for their efforts. There's nothing wrong
with saying "NO". In fact, most of these folks expect that the
answer
will be NO. They are pleasantly surprised when we give them something.
I
encourage you to consistently say NO and to give only to those causes
that you choose and initiate contact with. You'd be doing your neighbors
a favor.
LAST BOOK SALE AT TENLEY LIBRARY BEFORE REBUILDING
COMMUNITY INPUT ON REBUILD TO BE REQUESTED
From: Marthans@aol.com
The Friends of the Tenley-Friendship Library announce their LAST
semi-annual used book sale, Saturday, April 20 from 12-4pm (as always,
special preview sale from 11-12 for members of the Friends).
The Tenley
Branch has been slated to be rebuilt, so this will be our last sale
until after construction has been complete (the library will remain
open
until construction begins, probably sometime in early 2004).
We are
accepting book donations at the library the first Saturday of every
month (10am-2pm) until the sale. Anyone interested in volunteering,
please contact Martha Saccocio at MarthaNS@aol.com. Community
input
meetings for the rebuild will be held in April or May.
RESPONSE REGARDING THEFTS AND VANDALISM ON ALBEMARLE
From: "V. Ploumpis" <vploumpis@starpower.net> (Valerie Ploumpis)
Thanks for including information about our flag thefts (8 so far) in
the
most recent newsletter.
But the most significant element of our problem was left -- we
are a
two-mom, two-child family who lives at the corner of Reno and Albemarle
and it is our rainbow flags (a symbol of gay freedom) that keep getting
stolen. There is nothing random about these thefts at all --
neighbors
up and down the street have American flags, Santa flags, etc., and
theirs are never stolen.
Last night, by latest example, I got home at 11:30 pm and our flag
(still on the pole) had been ripped out of the bracket and thrown on
the
lawn. My partner and I firmly believe that the skinheads are
targeting
us because we are a gay family -- no one else is being harassed except
others they don't like (diplomats, for example).
The reason that the wide sidewalk in front of the Tenleytown Metro is
a
huge and informal hang-out for skinheads is because many attend Wilson
High School.
HELP FOR A DESERVING COLLEGE STUDENT
From: "Stephen Posniak" <sposniak@earthlink.net>
Alexios Monopolis, a Junior at Dartmouth College, is working on an
internship at the National Geographic Society through the end of March.
Alexios is an experienced outdoorsman and camper, so, as he puts it,
"I
(i.e. his family) live outside Baltimore and plan on going back there
most weekends, so basically all I'm looking for is a floor to sleep
on
and a roof over my head from mid January to the end of March." (He
is
hoping to find place near the Van Ness UDC, Tenleytown, or Friendship
Heights Metrorail stations.)
On September 11, Alexios was driving to Dulles Airport to depart for
a
fall term conservation project in the Greek and (former) Yugoslav
wilderness when he heard about the attacks on the radio. His flight
was
cancelled, so Alexios decided to take a train up to New York and try
to
help.
When he got to the World Trade Center site, Alexios was quickly enlisted
in one of the ad-hoc rescue teams. As described in the Dartmouth
newspaper, "the manner in which the buildings fell created many pockets
and open spaces where survivors could have been,..To investigate these
pockets, volunteers first removed buckets of debris, and when they
could
remove no more, someone would be lowered into the caves caused by the
wreckage. His lean physique meant that Monopolis was often the one
sent
on one of these dangerous searches. `Since I always happened to be
the
skinniest individual on the scene, I was the one that they would tie
a
lifeline to and lower into the rubble." You can read the complete
article about Alexios's experience at:
http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=200110080104
Alexios can be contacted at: Alexios.N.Monopolis@dartmouth.edu
FREE PRINTER FIX
My HP LazerJet printer was feeding multiple sheets of paper into the
slot at one time. I was about to spend major bucks to get it fixed
or
replaced when I discovered on the HP web site that they would, if
requested, send me a free device that fixes the problem. It's easy
to
install and did the trick, at no cost to me. If you're having a similar
problem, the HP web address is www.hp.com -- KS
ANC3F 2002 OFFICERS AND MEETING SCHEDULE
From: webmaster@anc3f.org
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3F -- North Cleveland Park and
Forest
Hills
Officers for 2002:
Chair - Cathy Wiss
Vice Chair - Phil Kogan
Secretary - David J. Bardin
Treasurer - Doug Mitchell
Meeting Schedule 2002
Meetings at 7:30pm
February 19 (Tuesday) - Social Room, Van Ness South, 3003 Van Ness
Street. N.W.
March 18 - Washington Home and Hospice, 3720 Upton Street, N.W.
April 15 - Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church, 3920 Alton Place, N.W.
May 20 - Capital Memorial Church, 3150 Chesapeake Street, N.W.
June 17 - Capital Memorial Church, 3150 Chesapeake Street, N.W.
July 15 - meeting if necessary
August 19 - meeting if necessary
September 17 (Tuesday) - Capital Memorial Church, 3150 Chesapeake
Street, N.W.
October 21 - Capital Memorial Church, 3150 Chesapeake Street, N.W.
November 18 - Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church, N.W., 3920 Alton Place,
N.W.
December 16 - meeting if necessary
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3F, Post Office Box 39290, Washington,
D.C. 20016
202 362-6120, Fax 202 686-7237, e-mail: anc3f@juno.com,
www.anc3f.org
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
**** FREE: Several year's worth of "The American Economic Review"
and
"The Journal of Economic Perspectives". I'll even deliver
them to your
door. Otherwise, they go in the trash -- KS
**** From: Fds3987649@aol.com (Francis D'silva)
My Mother, who just retired from Sibley Hospital as a Nursing Assistant,
is looking for a job in Elderly/Home Care on part-time/or on
call basis
when required, (full-time if required in NorthWest area). She
is
available right away, she could be reached at 202-244-7532. Her name
is:
Lina Dsilva.
**** From: "Ciccone, Anthony" <Anthony.Ciccone@usdoj.gov>
We're looking for a new dog (preferably Golden) but haven't seen any
puppy stuff in your column recently. If you hear of anything
along
those lines, please pass it along.
**** From: "Jane G. Mahaffie" <jjmahaffie@starpower.net>
Great opportunity for teen needing community service hours!
The Jubilee Support Alliance is a non-profit organization that raises
funds for Jubilee Housing. Jubilee Housing provides 284 apartments
for
rent at reduced rent in Adams Morgan neighborhood. JSA needs
a
volunteer (4-6 hours per week) to help with administrative duties
(update database, assist with notices, invoices, etc.) under direction
of Executive Director. Office on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan.
If
would like to volunteer call Stephanie Sheldon at 328-2498.
**** From: "kayandpaul" <kayandpaul@erols.com> (Kay McClenon)
For anyone whose trees need work or removal, I recommend M&M Tree
Service, owned by David Merritt, Jr. His rates are reasonable,
his work
is professional, he and his crew are polite and punctual. Phone
free
877-520-1515.
**** From: Karen & Dan Rosenthal <kdrofwdc@mindspring.com>
From: tenleytown@yahoogroups.com
On Tree movers: we used Ace Tree Movers, 301-258-0008, to remove
a 20
ft Holly tree from our yard. They did an incredible job, very
quick &
cleaned up well. And, the best part, is they did it for free,
because
they then turn around & sell the tree. Highly recommended.
**** From: Andrew S. Huang <vze2wk69@verizon.net>
Reply-To: ashuang@post.harvard.edu
Does anybody know of a good service to install water heaters?
Also, do
we need to get some sort of permit to have an installation done?
**** From: "Ghita Levine" <ghita@erols.com>
CC: "Buchanan, Joan" <jbuchanan@apa.org>
If you or anyone you know is looking for a housesitter, friends of
folks
in this community are looking for a place for three or four nights
a
week. They live in Annapolis and work part-time in N.Virginia, so they
would be very easy on the house, and of course, willing to pay. Contact
Ghita@erols.com or call (703) 528-1902, ext. 3039 daytime or (410)
544-4181 evenings.
**** From: "otterboystanley" <s.weiser@verizon.net>
From: tenleytown@yahoogroups.com
I am contemplating putting a home theater system into my house, which
would involve putting some new speaker up on my walls. I think
I will
need some advice and also help with running of speaker wires and
mounting of speakers. Can any of you recommend someone who specializes
in such work, or at least is good at it? If that person can also
offer
some advice on equipment, that would be a plus.
SAVE THE AVALON THEATER
**** From: "Hazard, Katherine" <Katherine.Hazard@usdoj.gov>
I thought people in the neighborhood might be interested in the attached
online petition to: "Save The Avalon Theater" hosted on the web
by
PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition service, at:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ATP/
**** From: "Bob Zich" <bzich@starpower.net>
The Avalon Theater Project (ATP) is making progress towards its goal
of
reopening the Avalon Theater as a vibrant film and arts center. It
has
begun lease negotiations with Douglas Development Corporation.
ATP
incorporated on November 14, 2001 as a non-profit and submitted a IRS
501(c)3 application in December. It has drafted a business plan,
secured endorsements and support from both organizations and individuals
and begun forging ties with other local arts groups. It is beginning
to
apply to foundations for seed money and anticipates expanding its fund
raising efforts as lease negotiations move forward. If all goes well,
the Avalon could re-open around year's end.
OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE OF WASHINGTON CLINIC SITE
From: "Betsey Kuhn" <bkuhn@ers.usda.gov>
We live at 4211 Military Rd. NW and our property abuts the proposed
development of the Washington Clinic by Stonebridge Associates. We
would
like to register our opposition to the proposed zoning change.
We agree
with the reasons cited by our neighbors, Elinor Green and Joel Hunter.
The proposed apartment building is out of proportion with residential
character of the neighborhood, the serious traffic problems that
currently exist on Military Rd. will only be exacerbated, and the
Maryland-side development needs to be considered.
We would also like to mention another issue. The proposed apartment
house will destroy one of the only open spaces in the neighborhood,
the
area between the Washington Clinic and the Lisner Home and the abandoned
Belt Road. This area is heavily used by people going to the Metro,
dog-walkers and families. It also supports the commercial development
in the area. I often see husbands and wives with children waiting
for
their spouses who are shopping in the area. This area functions
as a
refuge for many people.
For all these reasons, we oppose the massive apartment being proposed
to
replace the Washington Clinic and hope zoning officials will not approve
the change in zoning.
Sincerely,
Betsey and Steven Kuhn
EXCERPTS FROM HAROLD BRAZIL'S NEWSLETTER
For entire newsletter, contact:
"White, Jessica (COUNCIL)" <JWHITE@dccouncil.washington.dc.us>
EMAIL: hbrazil@dccouncil.washington.dc.us or visit our website:
www.haroldbrazil.com
Restaurant Week Returns! January 14-27, 2002. Over 70 restaurants
are
participating in the event, and will offer special lunch and dinner
menus priced at $20.02 and $30.02 for three-course meals. A complete
list of restaurants participating in Restaurant Week is available at
www.haroldbrazil.com.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation launched a scholarship program that will
benefit local, deserving college seniors. College seniors who
are
residents of DC, Maryland and Virginia and intend to pursue professional
degrees are eligible to receive up to $50,000 a year for up to six
years. Applications for the 2002-2003 academic year must be received
by
February 1, 2002. The forms can be downloaded at
www.jackkentcookefoundation.org. More information is also available
at
1-800-498-6478.
FOR ANAGRAMFANS
An Anagram, as you know, is a word or phrase made by transposing or
rearranging the letters of another word or phrase.
Dormitory -- Dirty Room
Desperation -- A Rope Ends It
The Morse Code -- Here Come Dots
Slot Machines -- Cash Lost in 'em
Animosity -- Is No Amity
Snooze Alarms -- Alas! No More Z's
Alec Guinness -- Genuine Class
The Public Art Galleries -- Large Picture Halls, I Bet
A Decimal Point -- I'm a Dot in Place
The Earthquakes -- That Queer Shake
Eleven plus two -- Twelve plus one
Contradiction -- Accord not in it
To be or not to be: that is the question, whether tis nobler in
the
mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune."
The Anagram: "In one of the Bard's best-thought-of tragedies, our
insistent hero, Hamlet, queries on two fronts about how life turns
rotten."
And for the grand finale:
"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
- Neil
Armstrong
The Anagram: "A thin man ran; makes a large stride, left planet,
pins
flag on moon! On to Mars!"
--END--
PROBLEM WITH CONTACTING MPD'S CHECK & FRAUD UNIT
In the issue of COMMUNIT-E that I put out today, I suggested calling
MPD's Check and Fraud Unit at 727-4159. This was in response to the
question of how to report credit card fraud, identity theft, etc. This
issue came up because a resident had attempted to report such an
incident via phone, presumably to Police Communications, and said she
got the run-around.
I just got a second e-mail from the same resident's husband:
"Hi Kathy. My wife called the number you suggested and left two
messages. No one has returned her call." (I had given him this phone
number several days ago, before this newsletter came out, but I don't
know when she tried to call Check & Fraud.)
I again called 2D and spoke to Lt. Joseph Trippi, who is in charge
of
the 2D Detectives. His solution, for the time being until this problem
is fixed, is the following:
First, try to contact Check & Fraud Unit on 727-4159. If you don't
reach
anyone and if you live in 2D, call the 2D Detectives office on 282-0043
and ask to speak to "an official". It is important that you ask
for "an
official"; don't try to give a report to the first person who answers
the phone, even if he or she is a detective. Explain that you already
tried to contact Check and Fraud and no one answered or returned you
call.
I would add that if you still don't get a response, contact any or all
of the following in 2D:
1.) Lt. Mark Carter, 282-0038, MPDCPSA202@netscape.net
2.) One of the 2D Captains on 282-0032, whoever's on duty. If
you send
an e-mail, send it to Captain Anthony Poteat on Apoteat @aol.com
3.) Commander Peter Newsham on 282-0042, MPDC2DCMDR@aol.com
It may take a little while to get connected to a Check & Fraud
detective, but hopefully you won't be left in limbo until someone
answers your call if you try these other routes when you can't reach
Check & Fraud.
-END-