FINAL DECISION ON TENLEY FIREHOUSE
Because the Tenley Firehouse has been designated a historic building,
demolition of any part of it will now require approval by the "Mayor's
Agent", an administrative law judge dealing with historic properties.
The Mayor's Agent is:

Judge Rohulamin Quander
941 North Capitol Street NE
9th Floor
Washington DC 20002

FAX: 202-442-9451

He will hold a hearing at the above address at 10 am on Tuesday, April 9
and make a determination as to whether or not the Fire Department will
be permitted to demolish a wall of the firehouse in order to build its
addition.

Community input is strongly encouraged. He will probably take the
community's wishes into account. I urge you to write a letter to him,
expressing your views. The last I heard there was opposition from the
Historic Review Board to demolishing even this one wall and to
permitting a raised roof that the architect for the Fire Department
deems necessary to add space for ventilation equipment.
 
 
 

MANUAL ON IDENTITY THEFT
From: Kathy Smith -  Ksmith1804@starpower.net
I asked someone at the Federal Trade Commission for some materials on
identity theft. Somewhat like the person on the Titanic who asked for
ice, I was astonished when 400 copies of a 30-page manual on identity
theft arrived at my door.

The manual, called "ID Theft - When Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name"
was published in February of this year and contains probably everything
you'd ever need to know about who to see, and what to do, and how to
report it,  if you are a victim.

On a first come, first serve basis, I'd be happy to deliver a copy to
your door (it gives me a good excuse to ride my bike around the 'Hood
and get some exercise and fresh air). Just send me your address.

If I run out before your e-mail arrives, the FTC clearinghouse website
is www.consumer.gov. This is probably one of those documents that you
will hopefully never need, but should have handy in case you ever do.
 
 
 

MEETINGS IN THE 'HOOD

**** The AU Park Citizens Association will meet on Tuesday, April 2 at
the Tenley Library at 7:30 pm.

**** The 2D CAC WILL NOT meet on the first Wednesday of the month any
more. It's new time is the fourth Tuesday of the month, starting April
23rd. The time is still 7:00 pm at the 2nd District, 3320 Idaho Avenue.
 
 
 

WILSON HIGH CREW TEAM PLANT SALE
From: MargClark@aol.com
The Wilson High School Crew Team, the only public school crew team in
DC, is soliciting orders for its annual Spring Plant and Flower Sale.
Rowers will be taking orders through March 29.  We are offering 14
different plants and 6 types of hanging baskets, which will be delivered
on April 27th and 28th. The plants come in individual 4 1/2 in. pots and
cost between $2 & $3 each. The 10" baskets cost $17.

The plants are provided by an excellent local grower. This is the 10th
year for this sale. We are really anxious to sell as much as possible
this year to finish paying for a brand new blue boat carrier and to
cover a portion of the expenses for our 70 rower team, which has just
begun the spring racing season on the Potomac.

Some of the plants we offer are ageratum, alyssum, begonias and
impatiens (single and double), snapdragons and vinca, dahlias, geraniums
(zonal and ivy), petunias, marigolds, salvia and dusty miller.

Please e-mail me at Rouge IX@aol.com and I will e-mail you back an order
form which describes the varieties, colors, and prices of the different
plant selections. Please e-mail me with any questions, and let me know
if you are ready for me, or another crew member, to pick up your order
and check before March 29.

The Wilson crew receives no money from the school system for coaching,
equipment (which is expensive) or team expenses, yet crew provides a
varsity athletic experience for the 2nd largest group of students, both
boys and girls, at the school. I would appreciate if you would help
support the team through your plant purchases. Lots of kids from this
neighborhood are crew members.
Thank you for your support.
Alex Baumel (11th grade), e-mail address:  RougeIX@aol.com.
 
 
 

WISCONSIN AVENUE SPRING CLEAN-UP
From: Kcolombant@aol.com (Kersti Colombant)
Wisconsin Avenue Beautification Project: Spring clean-up Saturday April
20, 1 pm to 6 pm. Celebrate Spring and Earth Day! Join with your
neighbors to weed, plant, mulch and pick up litter along Wisconsin
avenue. We will meet at the Fessenden block (the park at the corner of
Fessenden street and Wisconsin avenue). Bring your family and friends,
gloves and favorite gardening tools: weeder, trowel, clippers , rake,
broom. Come for the whole afternoon or just an hour, each minute of work
will help make Wisconsin avenue greener and cleaner. March and April are
also our fund raising months.

If you appreciate what we have done, make a contribution; write your
check to WABP, and send to WABP 4439 Davenport St. NW, Washington DC
20016.  We also accept donations of the following plants: fountain
grass, liriope, black-eyed susans, Russian sage, pink cone flowers, and
daylilies. Any questions, call Kersti at 202-966-8836 or Ralph at
202-686-9550. The Wisconsin Avenue Beautification Project is a
partnership effort among local residents, businesses and institutions to
relandscape Wisconsin Avenue between Tenley Circle and Fessenden street.
 
 
 

LATEST ON THE TOWER??
From: Richard Clark <biking2@yahoo.com>
A couple of people have asked recently: "what's the deal on the tower,
still in court, any new
news?"
 
 
 

RE: CATS IN THE 'HOOD

**** From: Bkravetz@aol.com
The Oglethorpe Street facility is run by the Washington Area Rescue
League, which is not in any way associated with the Washington Humane
Society, which operates the DC Animal Shelter (DC Animal Control) under
a contract with the DC government.  The WHS has it's own shelter on
Georgia Avenue.

**** From: Habitat Real Estate <habitatre@juno.com> (Mark Drummond)
Actually, the D.C. Animal Shelter, 1201 New York Ave, NE, is run by the
Washington Humane Society, www.washhumane.org . The Washington Animal
Rescue League is at Oglethorpe St.  The D.C. Animal Shelter is a kill
facility, the Rescue League is a no kill facility.
 
 
 

PRESS RELEASE REGARDING BURGLARIES "ATER"
From: "Graves, Charlene" <Charlene.T.Graves@usdoj.gov>
U.S. Department of Justice,   ROSCOE C. HOWARD,
JR.,
United States Attorney for the District of Columbia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   For Information Contact Public Affairs
Tuesday, March 12, 2002 Channing Phillips (202) 514-6933

Northwest Man Convicted of 43 Counts In Series of Violent Burglaries

Washington, D.C. -United States Attorney Roscoe C. Howard, Jr. announced
that Anthony V. Ater, 19, of 1414 V Street, NW, was convicted yesterday
in D.C. Superior Court of 43 counts in connection with a series of
residential burglaries committed in Northwest Washington, D.C. during
July and August, 2001.  The burglary spree was marked by violent
assaults against some of the residents who were forced at knife point to
turn over car keys, money and jewelry.  Following a three-week trial,
the jury found Ater guilty of 8 counts of Burglary,  3 counts of Armed
Robbery, 1 count of Car Jacking, 2 counts of Armed Kidnaping, 3 counts
of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, 1 count of Aggravated Assault, 1
count of Threats to Do Bodily Harm and various theft-related offenses.
Ater stole 6 cars from these homes.   D.C. Superior Court Judge Russell
Canan scheduled sentencing for May 31, 2002.  A number of the counts
require Judge Canan to impose lengthy periods of incarceration.  In
total, Ater faces up to life imprisonment.
 
The spree began, on July 7, 2001, when Ater entered the Woodley Park
home of a 71-year old man, retrieved a knife from the kitchen  and
demanded the man's car keys.  Ater then forced the man upstairs at knife
point and robbed him of cash, traveler's checks, jewelry and other
items. Ater bound and gagged the elderly man with neckties and a phone
cord and dragged him into a bedroom closet.  Ater then drove away in the
owner's car.
 
On August 11, 2001, Ater assaulted a 65-year old man after the man
parked his car on the street and attempted to enter his home.  When the
man regained consciousness, Ater demanded his cellular telephone and car
keys. The man's car was recovered the following day just blocks from the
defendant's home.  Cigarette butts with the defendant's DNA were found
in the center console.
 
Two days later, on August 13, 2001, the defendant returned to the same
Kalorama neighborhood.  Even though the homeowner saw Ater in her
backyard, he forced his way inside by using a boulder from the garden.
Once inside, Ater took the car keys.  The car, however, was still
outside the home after the police responded to the scene.  Several hours
later, the car was gone.  The following day, a witness saw a car
strikingly similar to the one stolen at the scene of a burglary on
Hobart Street, NW.
The jury also found that Ater burglarized a Georgetown home on August
20, 2001.  Although someone was at home, no one saw Ater enter the
residence.  He apparently entered the kitchen through an unlocked door
and stole in excess of $3,000 in cash from an employee of the
residence.  The money belonged to a Catholic Church on Georgia Avenue,
NW.  In addition, Ater took the key to a car that was in a locked
garage.  Ater broke the garage door of this historic home and drove away
in the car. The car from that residence was found in the alley behind
the Dupont Circle home that Ater entered on August 28, 2001.  It was
about 12:30 p.m., when Ater entered the home, opened the kitchen drawer
and took out a pair of poultry sheers, which Ater put to the throat of
an
eleven-year- old boy.  The boy, who was visiting from Germany, was so
terrified that he ran to the third floor of the town house, barricaded
his door and climbed out the window.  When the police arrived, the boy
was nowhere to be found.  Eventually, a neighbor  notified the police
that the boy, who had severely damaged his foot on a glass window as he
was climbing to safety, was hiding in his home.  Ater left that scene in
a car that he took from the garage. He drove the car to north Woodley
Park where he burglarized two more homes.  In one of these homes, Ater
entered while the homeowner was on the telephone alerting the emergency
operator to a suspicious person.  Ater
pulled the telephone from the wall, abruptly ending her conversation
with the 911 operator.  Ater then forced the woman upstairs at knife
point and robbed her of money and other items.   Ater threw her on a
bed.   When the woman struggled with Ater, he put both his hands around
her neck and began choking her.  Luckily, the police arrived and Ater
fled out the back of the home.  An officer canvassing the area on foot
heard another woman screaming from a nearby home.  As the officer
approached that home, he saw Ater get into another car.  Despite the
officer's warnings to stop, Ater started the car.  The officer aimed his
weapon at Ater and again ordered him to stop. Ater did not comply.
Instead, he drove directly at the officer who was forced to dive out of
the way to safety.  The jury also found Ater guilty of Assault with a
Dangerous Weapon, namely a motor vehicle, and Assault of a Police
Officer while Armed.
 
The following evening, on August 30, 2001, Ater returned to the north
Woodley Park neighborhood.  He entered another home, at approximately
2:20 a.m., through a small dog door.  Once inside, he stole money, a
cellular telephone and jewelry.  When the owners awoke and demanded that
Ater get out of their home, Ater told them that he was going to "knife"
them.  Twenty minutes later, Ater broke down the basement door of a Rock
Creek home.  The police were notified before Ater had a chance to steal
anything from that home.
 
Based upon the descriptions provided by the witnesses of those two
burglaries, officers of the Uniformed Secret Service Division spotted
Ater riding a bicycle in Adams Morgan. When the officers ordered him to
stop, Ater refused and charged at one of the officers. As a result, the
jury found Ater guilty of another count of Assault on a Police Officer.
 
In announcing the verdict, United States Attorney Howard commended the
outstanding work of Detectives Sean Caine, Juan Devilla, Dave Edelstein,
Dan Lewis and Dwayne Partman, as well as Investigators Pamela Montague
and William Xanten in coordinating the investigations of the various
incidents in the Second, Third and Fourth police Districts.  Mr. Howard
also commended the work of Crime Scene Search Officers Raymond Bond,
William Cherry, Eric Coker, Jose Cidre, Theodore Dyson, Charles Egan,
James Fields, Ralph Nitz, and Israel Ruiz who processed the various
crime scenes. As a result of their work, Ater's fingerprints were linked
to four of the burglaries and his DNA to two.  Metropolitan Police
Department Fingerprint specialist Mary Jones and Federal Bureau of
Investigation Special Agent Maribeth Donovan provided expert testimony
during trial.  Mr. Howard also commended  the work of Paralegal
Specialist Wanda Trice and Litigation Support Specialist Thomas Royal.
Finally, Mr. Howard acknowledged the substantial efforts of Assistant
United States Attorneys John Interrante and Susan Menzer who prosecuted
the case.
 
 
 

RE: POPULAR CARS FOR THIEVES
From: "Daniel Straub" <straubko@erols.com>
CCC Information Services Inc.,  Chicago, IL released it's list of the
most stolen vehicles for 2001. The 1991 Toyota Camry tops the nationwide
list for the most frequently stolen vehicle (fifth straight year in a
row  1997-2001).  Mary Jo Priggle, CCC's president of sales and service
states that vehicle theft decreased 2.7% in 2001 and though we cannot
determine with absolute certainty the reason for the vehicle theft,
trends show that cars are often stolen for the value of their parts.

Toyotas and Hondas lead the most-stolen list partly due to their
popularity with consumers.  But these cars are popular with thieves also
because they tend to have interchangeable parts amongst their model
years, creating a profitable market for replacement parts.

CCC bases its report on total loss vehicles stolen and never recovered
or completely totaled by theft.  CCC doesn't include such temporary
auto-related thefts as joy-rides or theft of car items such as stereos.

CCC also provides a separate list for each state (including the District
of Columbia and Puerto Rico).  Visit their web page at:
http://www.cccis.com/

CCC Most Stolen Vehicle List for 2001
1.  1991 Toyota Camry
2.  1989 Toyota Camry
3.  1990 Toyota Camry
4.  2000 Honda Civic
5.  1994 Chevrolet C1500 4X2
6.  1995 Honda Accord EX
7.  1994 Honda Accord LX
8.  1994 Honda Accord EX
9.  1988 Toyota Camry
10. 1996 Honda Accord LX

NICB Most Commonly Stolen Vehicles for 2000
1.  Toyota Camry
2.  Honda Accord
3.  Oldsmobile Cutlass
4.  Honda Civic
5.  Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
6.  Chevrolet Full Size C/K pick-up
7.  Toyota Corolla
8.  Chevrolet Caprice
9.  Ford Taurus
10. Ford F150 pick-up

Visit the NICB web page at:  http://www.nicb.org/index.shtml

HTSA Preliminary Theft Data
On March 12, 2002, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) published the preliminary theft data for passenger motor vehicle
thefts that occurred in calendar year (CY) 2000 for vehicles
manufactured in MY 2000. The complete report can be viewed  on GPO
Access    wais.access.gpo.gov

Federal Register: March 12, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 48) Page 11161-11165
1.  Plymouth Breeze
2.  Mitsubishi Montero Sport/Nativa
3.  Mitsubishi Montero
4.  BMW X5
5.  Chrysler Intrepid
6.  Dodge Stratus
7.  Dodge Intrepid
8.  Mitsubishi Mirage
9.  Plymouth Neon
10. Dodge Neon
 
 
 

LESSON ON BEING SAFE
From: "Donna Gregory" <donnagregory77@hotmail.com>
My sister sent me this and I felt compelled to send it on...
-----------
About a month ago there was a woman standing by the mall entrance
passing out flyers to all the women going in. The woman had written the
flyer herself to tell about an experience she had, so that she might
warn other women. The previous day, this woman had finished shopping,
went out to her car and discovered that she had a flat. She got the jack
out of the trunk and began to change the flat. A nice man dressed in
business suit and carrying a briefcase walked up to her and said, "I
notice you're changing a flat tire. Would you like me to take care of it
for you?" The woman was grateful for his offer and accepted his help.
They chatted amiably while the man changed the
flat, and then put the flat tire and the jack in the trunk, shut it and
dusted his hands off. The woman thanked him profusely, and as she was
about to get in her car, the man told her that he left his car around on
the other side of the mall, and asked if she would mind giving him a
lift to his car. She was a little surprised and she asked him why his
car was on other side. He explained that he had seen an old friend in
the mall that he hadn't seen for some time and they had a bite to eat
and visited for a while; he got turned around in the mall and left
through the wrong exit, and now he was running late and his car was
clearly around on the other side of the mall. The woman hated to tell
him "no" because he had just rescued her from having to change her flat
tire all by herself, but she felt uneasy. Then she remembered seeing the
man put his briefcase in her trunk before shutting it and before he
asked her for a ride to his car. She told him that she'd be happy to
drive him to his car, but she just remembered one last thing she needed
to buy. She said she would only be a few minutes; he could sit down in
her car and wait for her; she would be as quick as she could be. She
hurried into the mall, and told a security guard what had happened; the
guard came out to her car with her, but the man had left. They opened
the trunk, took out his locked briefcase and took it down to the police
station. The police opened it (ostensibly to look for ID so they could
return it to the man). What they found was rope, duct tape, and knives.
When the police checked her "flat" tire, there was nothing wrong with
it; the air had simply been let out. It was obvious what the man's
motive was, and obvious that he had carefully thought it out in advance.

[From KS -- I don't know if this is a true story, but the police have a
favorite saying that if something doesn't feel right, it probably
isn't.  We should learn to trust our instincts.]
 
 
 

RE: RECYCLING
From: Abauer4600@aol.com  (Amy Bauer)
I have had an ongoing relationship with both the operators at 727-1000
and the supervisors who oversee the recycling process.  In the last
year, I have had the recycling guys refuse to take cardboard on 9
occasions, even when it was broken down and tied properly.  I call and
have had to have a special pick-up but on more than one occasion we have
had to wait until the next week. As far as the trash men picking up the
cardboard - I have seen them do on many occasions but never did I
presume it was for their own profit.  I too have VERY GOOD trash
collectors and even watched out my window as they picked up after the
recyclers had been through the alley leaving a horrible mess.  I called
the supervisor once again that day to report what I had seen and to let
her know that she had a very good group of guys working this area.
 
 
 

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

**** From: "Phillips, Ann" <APhillips@usaid.gov>
My daughter is an experienced babysitter and is very good with young
children.  She is a 9th grade, honors student at Deal Junior High.
Until the end of the school year, her availability is limited to
Saturday evenings.  If interested, please call 686-1351.
Thanks,  Ann

 **** From: Anonymous
Re: signs on the sidewalk:  I believe the answer is "yes" --- you cannot
have signs on the sidewalk.  The interesting thing about Ms. Yoffee's
letter is her assertion that the sidewalk belongs to the owner of the
building.  No, the sidewalk is public space, although the owner is
responsible for cleaning the snow, etc.  As I recall, public space is
something like 15 feet from the street.  She may want to check with the
Public Works Department for details.

**** From: Topspindc@aol.com
Computer Guru Highly Recommended
Laurie England, LEng20007@aol.com
After spending over four hours in vain to fix a computer problem
including calling tech support at Apple and Adobe as well as trying to
troubleshoot the problem myself, I was ready to go out and buy a new
computer. But then remembered seeing an ad for "Mac the Knight." After
leaving a distressed message on a voice mail, I got a call back within
minutes. Dave Felton came to my rescue the next day at noon. Right on
time, Dave arrived with his diagnostic CDs and immediately went to work.
Less than fifteen minutes later, my computer was working and I was back
in business. If you ever are stranded with a problem on a Mac or PC, I
highly recommend that you call Dave at
703-447-7323.
 
 

AVALON TO REOPEN. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED.
From: Jennifer Kaplan <jenikap@bellatlantic.net>
Reply-To:  tenleytown@yahoogroups.com
A change in the terms on which the Avalon Theater may be leased has
brought a much improved prospect for reopening the Theater as a movie
house.

Ward 3 Councilmember Kathy Patterson sponsored a meeting in her office
last Thursday with Doug Jemal and a number of community
representatives.  The negotiation resulted in a challenge to Avalon
Theater Project (ATP), enthusiastically accepted, to bring a proposal to
Douglas Development by June 21. At that time, ATP is to offer a sound
business plan, with partners and funding accounted for.  If all is in
place, Jemal has pledged to sign the lease with a lease rate that makes
operation of the theater feasible.

An OPEN HOUSE FOR VOLUNTEERS & SUPPORTERS will be held in the Chevy
Chase Community Center on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3 at 7:00 pm.  The latest
Avalon news will be reported, a discussion of needed action will take
place, and opportunities to volunteer to take
part in this important and challenging effort will be presented.  The
job is large and will need many volunteers.  See
http://www.theavalon.org/pr1.html for more information.

Please join us in reopening The Avalon!  It's up to you now!
Jennifer Kaplan, The Avalon Theater Project, Inc., http://theavalon.org
 
 
 

ADAMS MORGAN HOME TOUR (AMHT)
From: Ken Levy <kblevy@yahoo.com>
Dear Neighbors:
I would like to invite you and members of your neighborhood group to
attend the Adams Morgan House Tour, which will be held on April 21,
2002.  This event will mark the first home tour of this neighborhood in
over 20 years and proceeds will be directed to a preservation fund for
the historic Holt House which overlooks the National Zoo on land owned
by the National Department of  Parks. The Tour is sponsored by the
Kalorama Citizens Association, which will put the proceeds from the
house tour back into the community to further preserve its historic
assets and public spaces.

Sunday, April 21, 2002 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM - 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
reception at Perry's Restaurant, 1811 Columbia Rd NW
TICKETS: Beginning March 9, advance tickets: $15.00, Purchase at:  The
Brass Knob,
2311 18th St NW; Home Rule, 1807 14th St NW;  The Third Day, 2001 P St
NW; Idle Time Books, 2410 18th, NW ;  Miss Pixie's at Dupont, 1608 20th
St., NW; Miss Pixie's, 1810 Adams Mill Road;   Manoukian Bros, 1862
Columbia Rd NW; Little Shop of Flowers, 1812 Adams Mill Rd; Cleveland
Park Valet,  3303 Conn. Ave.  NW
 
Day of Tour: $20.00, Purchase at: The Wyoming, 2022 Columbia Road; and
Police Substation beside the Sun Trust Bank at 18th & Columbia Road, NW
CONTACT: Wanda Bubriski, (202) 232-6113   WBUBRISKI@YAHOO.COM
For more information, visit: www.AdamsMorganTour.com

--END--