FROM THE WASHINGTON POST
  Close to Home, August 3 (In case you missed it)

  "D.C.'s FIREHOUSE FRACAS"
  On Wisconsin Avenue NW, not far from the U.S. Department of Homeland
  Security on Nebraska Avenue, sit three walls and a hole in the ground
  that were supposed to be the District's newest firehouse. But a historic
  designation for the walls - applied after contract bids had been
  received for construction of the Tenleytown firehouse - drove up the
  cost.

  This is not just a contract dispute; it is a serious situation for upper
  Northwest Washington, which has been without adequate fire and medical
  protection for years.

  In 1995 the city disbanded "heavy duty" Rescue Squad 4 over the
  objections of firefighters and affected advisory neighborhood
  commissions. In the District, a heavy duty rescue squad is manned by
  firefighters who have been trained to perform dangerous rescues related
  to water, high angles, auto accidents and fire. D.C. rescue squads do
  not transport the sick as do Bethesda-Chevy Chase squads.

  Six years later, terrorism illuminated a nation's capital with just one
  fire and emergency medical service, and the Tenley firehouse renovation
  took on a new urgency. In place of an outdated, ill-equipped and unsafe
  firehouse, a new facility would be constructed - the first in a series
  of D.C. firehouse renovations.

  The fire department's original requirement was to build such a firehouse
  with three full drive-through bays. But to preserve three historically
  designated brick walls, the plan was scaled back to two drive-through
  bays plus one tiny almost useless bay. A third drive-through bay would
  have allowed for the return of Rescue Squad 4 or other anti-terrorism
  vehicles and equipment.

  Upper Northwest is bursting with new residential and commercial
  development. It needs a state-of-the-art firehouse, large enough to
  accommodate additional apparatus (including Rescue Squad 4) and a mobile
  container of protective gear in case an act of terrorism cuts off the
  area from fire and medical supplies housed in a Northeast Washington
  warehouse.

  Now is the time for those three walls to fall to make way for a four-bay
  firehouse; time for the firehouse's neighbor, the Department of Homeland
  Security, to be approached for special funds for a state-of-the-art fire
  station; and time for the acquisition of the adjacent Mini-Mart
  property, onto which the fire station could be expanded. Northwest
  residents and businesses should urge the mayor to override the Tenley
  firehouse's historic designation in favor of a larger, more streamlined
  facility that will accommodate the future, not the past.
 
  _Amy McVey
  _Anne Renshaw
  are commissioners, respectively, of ANC 3E-01 and ANC 3/4G-03.

  ------------
 

  PEOPLE AND ADDESSES TO CONTACT

  Mayor Williams
  mayor@dc.gov
  Margret Kellems, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety
  margret.kellems@dc.gov
  Fire Chief Adrian Thompson
  adrian.thompson@dc.gov
  Kathy Patterson
  kpatterson@dccouncil.us
  Adrian Fenty
  afenty@dccouncil.us
  David Catania
  dcatania@dccouncil.us
  Phil Mendelson
  pmendelson@dccouncil.us
  Jim Graham
  jgraham@dccouncil.us
  Linda Cropp
  lcropp@dccouncil.us
  Amy McVey, ANC 3E01
  abauer4600@aol.com
  Anne Renshaw, ANC 3/4G03
  ancanne@aol.com

  Snail mail:

  The Honorable Anthony A. Williams
  Mayor of the District of Columbia
  Wilson Building
  1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
  Washington DC 20004

  Councilmember____________
  1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC 20004

  Fire Chief Adrian Thompson
  DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services
  1923 Vermont Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC 20001
 
 
 
 

  MORE ON THE 911 SYSTEM
  I spoke to Captain Jim Crane of MPD Communications Division. He said
  that to receive a busy signal (not to be confused with the recording)
  when we dial 911 is extremely rare. For a busy signal to occur, it would
  mean that all incoming trunk lines were busy, which seems unlikely for 6
  AM. He was interested in contacting our neighbor who recently had that
  experience, so I put him in touch with her.

  He also told me that Communications has been historically understaffed
  and that there are currrently 60 people in training. The first 30 will
  be starting their new jobs at the end of September, with the rest to
  follow later.

  Communications gets about 5,000 calls a day. Half are emergency 911
  calls. The others are 311 calls.

  If you have a problem like the above, where you get a busy signal when
  you call 911, he wants to know about it. Please call his lieutenant, Van
  Crawford at 671-1523. If you can't reach him, call Captain Crane at
  671-1513.
 
 
 

  STOLEN FRONT TAGS
  Someone(s) went through an area of Wesley Hts. and stole the front tags
  of a number of vehicles, on at least one block, according to a friend.
  At this moment, I have no idea of the extent or purpose of these thefts.
  If this happened to you, please let Lt. Aiello know and make a police
  report. Ask for a copy of the report and get the CCN number and
  reporting officer's name. Keep that information with you. If someone
  uses your tag and runs a red light or commits a crime and the tag is
  seen, you may get a ticket or a visit from the police as a possible
  criminal suspect.
  Lt. Robert Aiello can be e-mailed at MPDCPSA202@netscape.net. I'd also
  like to hear about it so that I can let you know of the extent of the
  problem.
 
 
 

  REQUEST ON BEHALF OF CRIME VICTIM
  The victim of the brutal June 30 attack in her home (described in an
  earlier version of Communit-E) is preparing a notebook for the judge to
  describe the attack's impact on our community. It is hoped that these
  descriptions will help to convince the judge to issue a longer sentence.
  If you have been affected by the attack in any way -- you are more
  frightened, you have changed your habits, you have upgraded your
  security system, or you are more wary as you walk in the neighborhood,
  for example -- and you are willing to write a brief description of this
  impact for use in the victim's notebook, please e-mail your description
  to me. I will turn the descriptions over to the victim. They will be
  used without attribution unless you specifically
  give permission to use your name.
  Many thanks for your help.
  Kathy Smith

  The following is part of the story from the July 7 issue of COMMUNIT-E:

  ASSAULT IN AU PARK
  Last week a neighbor awoke at 6 am just as a stranger crashed through
  her tempered large-glass French doors, went up the stairs, and entered
  her bedroom. She was able to call the police and fought him off until
  they arrived. However, it was a desperate struggle and he is believed to
  have been on PCP because he was not feeling the pain she was trying to
  inflict on his eyes and rest of his face. Normally, if you try to gouge
  out a person's eyes, they will flinch from the pain and pull back. This
  guy just kept coming.
 
 
 
 
 

  NATIONAL NIGHT OUT ON AUGUST 5TH
  From: <anc3b@aol.com>
  Each year, The Metropolitan Police Department participates in National
  Night Out. Sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch, National
  Night Out brings together tens of millions of people In 9,700
  communities from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S.
  territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide as part of
  "America's Night Out Against Crime."

  While National Night Out is formally celebrated each year on the first
  Tuesday in August, NNO is actually a year-long community building
  campaign designed to achieve four goals:
  1. heighten citizen awareness of crime prevention;
  2. generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime and
  community policing programs;
  3. strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
  4. send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and
  fighting back.

  Once again, The DC Department of Parks and Recreation is generously
  supporting this program by allowing the use of Guy Mason Field for the
  MPD Second District Community Softball Night. Members of the community,
  Officers and Officials from each PSA in the Second District, along with
  DC officials, join together for an evening of information, fun and
  community spirit.

  Please join us at Guy Mason Recreation Center, 3600 Calvert Street for
  the Third Annual 2D Community - Police Softball game to be held on
  Tuesday, August 5, 2003 at 6:00 PM.

  The Metropolitan Police Department
  Second District, PSA 205 and PSA 206
 
 
 
 

  GOOD CAFE IN THE 'HOOD
  From: "Catt family" <cattfam@starpower.net>
  My name is Mina and I am a resident on this beat as well as a
  professional middle eastern dancer. I wanted to get the word around the
  neighborhood that The Mediterranean Cafe, located at 4629 41st., NW,
  202-362-1006, now has belly dancing on Thursday evenings @ 8:30 pm. It
  has become a wonderful neighborhood spot for local entertainment and a
  nice meal. The food is tasty and moderately priced. The interiors have
  been renovated and the ambiance is very cozy, especially on Thurs.
  during the performance. I hope to see you all there.
  Mina
 
 
 

  NEW BONE BUILDING YOGA CLASS
  From: "Deborah Dougherty" <deborahd@cpcug.org>
  I just want to let the list know that there will be a new Yoga for Your
  Bones Class at nearby St. Columba's Episcopal Church (4201 Albemarle ST.
  NW) starting on Tuesday September 9th. The class will meet every
  Tuesday from 9:00 - 10:30 am.
  We will work with resistance bands, free weights, pilates-style
  core-building, yoga body balls as well as the more traditional yoga
  weight bearing, balance and joint flexibility poses. Suitable for new
  and experienced yoga students interested in building stronger bones /
  muscles.
  Please contact me directly for further details.
  Deborah Dougherty
 
 
 

  COMEDY FOR CHARITY
  From: "Mandrake" <pezdrake@yahoo.com>
  Thru: tenleytown@yahoogroups.com
  On Sunday August 10 at 8:30 PM there will be a comedy improv show at the
  Big Hunt in Dupont Circle (1345 CT Ave NW). All proceeds from the show
  go to the Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place which
  works with homeless residents of Ward Three. The minimum donation is
  only one dollar but that's the minimum - you can donate more! You don't
  get a comedy show for so cheap in this town very often...
  Thanks!
  Mandrake Sumners
 
 
 
 

  QUESTION RE: WATER POWER IN THE 'HOOD
  From: <BGAChahine@aol.com>
  I have a question about the water power. We live in AU park on Yuma
  street and ever since they upgraded the meters a few weeks ago our
  water power has been weaker. Fluctuations in the shower with use around
  the house are much more marked. Has anyone else experienced this?
  Thanks
  Britton and Alfred Chahine
 
 
 
 

  COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

  **** From: "Kathleen Conley" <kathleenconley@starpower.net>
  POSITION WANTED - ELDER CARE: CNA looking for part-time Elder Care or
  Companion.
  Mornings and late Evenings. Help for all your needs: bath, meals,
  errands, shopping, and exercises. Experienced. References available.
  Please call and leave messages at: 202-588-8529.

  **** From: "H.J. Albers" <Albers@rff.org>
  CO-OP CHILDREN'S GROUP FORMING: We are an enthusiastic group of parents
  looking for a girl to join our terrific new co-op. She should be around
  two years old, give or take a few months, and her parent should be
  willing to participate in both planning and assistant-teaching (one week
  out of every five). The co-op will meet near Tenley Circle on Monday and
  Wednesday mornings from approximately 8:30 to 11:30, starting on
  September 8th and going until early- to mid-June.
  If you are interested, please get in touch with Kita Murdock
  (kitamurdock@yahoo.com) or Karen O'Connor-Floman
  (mkfloman@starpower.net) as soon as possible. We look forward to
  hearing from you!

  **** From: <Snoozindc@aol.com>
  Local business is looking for part time help from 3:15-6 every afternoon
  M-F beginning when school starts. Would like to hire a responsible high
  school student. The job entails answering phone at business and filing.
  Please call Susan at 202-342-6294.
  Thank you.
  Susan Mitchell

  **** From: "diane zeleny" <dzeleny@hotmail.com>
  We are looking for a wonderful and reliable nanny/housekeeper to work
  from 2-7 pm every week day to help with babysitting for our 8 year old
  daughter, housekeeping, and some meal preparation. Should be available
  by early or mid September. Occasionally will need to live in house while
  both parents travel (perhaps three times per year for no more than
  three-four days each time). Must drive, be legal and have references. If
  you are interested please contact me at dzeleny@hotmail.com.

  ****from Rick Barber <divabasso@earthlink.net>
  I am an AU Park resident looking for garage space to store my popup
  camper when it's not in use. I would certainly help clean up a garage
  to create the space, and pay a reasonable rent. Contact me at
  divabasso@earthlink.net

  **** From: Margarita Covarrubias <Mcovarrubias@sjcs.org>
  Save the Date! ARTView2003, a Gala Art Auction benefiting people living
  with disabilities, will be presented by St. John's Community Services on
  Saturday, September 13, 2003, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Admission price is
  $75.00. Location: Carnegie Institution, 1530 P Street, NW, Washington,
  DC. ARTView2003 will bring together the talents of local and regional
  artists, well-known and emerging, with and without disabilities, to
  benefit people living with disabilities. For more information please see
  www.sjcs.org or call Margie at (202) 274-3406.
  Thank you,
  Margie Covarrubias
  St. John's Community Services

  **** From: Nancy Libson <nlibson@erols.com>
  Photography Workshop on Tilghman Island, Maryland, October 24-26, 2003.
  Learn to photograph people and place on Maryland's Eastern Shore 2 hours
  from DC. Washington, DC based photographer, who has photographed for
  National Geographic Traveler,and photography teacher leads this photo
  workshop which includes lots of outdoor photography, indoor slide
  presentations, critiques. For photographers of all levels. Please
  contact nlibson@erols.com

  **** From: Spilsbury <spilsbury@erols.com>
  My friend Meghan Brewer, a young Smithsonian horticulturist, seeks a
  room to rent in a Tenleytown house, preferably with a private bath.
  Please call her if you have any leads or availabilities: 202-546-3243.
  Thanks, Gail Spilsbury 202-686-7708.

  **** From: "Dorcas Adkins" <dorcas.adkins@wap.org>
  Thanks for posting my canoe offer from the paddlers' list serve. As
  testament to the number of local paddlers willing to work on and repair
  a boat, I got at least a dozen responses!

  I have several recommendations for home repair contractors:
  The first one came from you in the first place - a plumber you had
  listed as Jose Bustillos. I used Jose and found him to be dependable,
  hard-working, and honest. His name, it turns out, is Jose Farfan, of
  Master Rooter. phone #301-674-6333.

  Jose recommended an electrician I have had a very good experience with.
  Larry Hatton, 301-440-1135.

  For basement waterproofing I used B-dry. the estimator is named Rich
  Voight 301-717-9767. They were fast and good.

  For central air, Fischer Heating and Air Conditioning, 301-251-0200.
  They were amazingly quick and cleaned up well. The system really works
  well.

  Pat and I have a basement apartment almost ready to rent. It will be
  available by Sept 1, maybe a bit sooner if necessary. The view's not
  much, but the apartment is all new and comes with a high-speed internet
  access and laundry machines. Our house has a fantastic location- two
  blocks from Tenley metro. Interested parties should email me for details
  as they develop.

  **** From: "Randy at R. B. Hill Photography" <randy@rbhillphoto.com>
  Here's a website with advice from UMD's Cooperative Extension Service
  relating to the
  pet waste problem:
  http://www.agnr.umd.edu/MCE/Publications/PDFs/FS703.pdf
 
 
 
 

  WORK ON NEBRASKA AVENUE
  From: "Pagano, Penny (COUNCIL)" <ppagano@dccouncil.us>
  DDOT has notified Councilmember Patterson's office that scheduled
  construction is scheduled to begin around July 31 on Nebraska Avenue
  between Fessenden Street and Reno Road. This work is intended to address
  residents' concerns about vibration problems for homes in this area.
  DDOT expects work to be completed around September 1, 2003. During
  construction, at least one lane of traffic will be maintained in each
  direction. Access to adjacent houses will be maintained, however,
  curbside parking will be restricted in the construction area.
  Penny Pagano
 
 
 
 

  CONCLUSION OF TRAFFIC STUDY
  From: "Bird, Melissa" <mbird@louisberger.com>
  NOTICE -- PUBLIC MEETING
  Friendship Heights Transportation Study
  The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is concluding a 20-week
  study to investigate traffic and truck management improvements in the
  Friendship Heights area of Northwest Washington, D.C. Representatives
  of DDOT will provide information regarding recommendations for traffic
  calming measures in the Friendship Heights area. DDOT will be available
  to answer questions and solicit public comments from all interested
  parties during the meeting.

  The public meeting will be held Thursday, September 4, 2003 at St.
  Mary's Church at
  Fessenden and 42nd Streets, NW, Washington, DC. The meeting will begin
  at 7:00 pm.
  Written comments may be mailed/emailed to DDOT at the following address:
  Colleen Smith
  District Department of Transportation
  2000 14th Street, NW
  Washington, D.C. 20009
  Or email: colleen.smith@dc.gov

  For further information or if you have special needs to be accommodated
  during this meeting please contact: Melissa C. Bird, AICP (202) 331-7775
  at the Louis Berger Group, Inc.

  #77 ON YOUR WIRELESS PHONE
  From: <edw3qc@att.net>
   Lauren was 19 yr. old and in college. This story takes place over the
  Christmas/New Year's holiday break. It was the Saturday before New
  Year's and it was about 1PM in the afternoon, and Lauren was driving to
  visit a friend. An UNMARKED police car pulled up behind her and put
  his lights on.

   Lauren's parents have 4 children (high school and college age) and
  have always told them never to pull over for an unmarked car on the
  side of the road, but rather wait until they get a gas station, etc.,
  so Lauren had actually listened to her parents advice, and promptly
  called #77 on her cell phone to tell the police dispatcher that she
  would not pull over right away. She proceeded to tell the dispatcher
  that there was an unmarked police car with a flashing red light on his
  rooftop behind her. The dispatcher checked to see if there where police
  cars where she was and there wasn't and he told her to keep driving,
  remain calm and that he had back up already on the way.

  Ten minutes later 4 cop cars surrounded her and the unmarked car behind
  her. One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car
  behind. They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the
  ground.... the man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes.
  I never knew about the #77 Cell Phone Feature, but especially for a
  woman alone in a car, you should not pull over for an unmarked car.
  Apparently police have to respect your right to keep going to a "safe"
  place. You obviously need to make some signals that you acknowledge
  them (i.e. put on your hazard lights) or call #77 like Lauren did.
 
 
 

  MPD POLICY RE: IMMIGRATION STATUS
  From: "Crimereports.com" <reports@crimereports.com>
   Chief Ramsey this past week issued a public statement reaffirming the
  MPDC policy that prohibits officers from inquiring about the
  citizenship, immigration or residency status of individuals they come
  into contact with, and from enforcing civil immigration laws. The
  Chief was joined by leaders of DC's Latino community, as well as Ward 1
  Councilmember Jim Graham and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice
  Margret Nedelkoff Kellems in making the announcement. Ramsey said that
  while MPDC General Orders have prohibited immigration status inquiries
  for years, this announcement is important because some members of the
  community still mistakenly believe MPDC officers enforce civil
  immigration laws. As a result, many of these residents are reluctant to
  report crimes, cooperate with the police and receive the full range of
  police services that can help protect themselves and their
  communities. In addition to releasing the statement to the public, the
  Department is stepping up efforts to reinforce the policy among MPDC
  officers through training and other information. Read the complete
  news release at: http://mpdc.dc.gov/news/news.asp?sid=2226

   FOOTNOTE I: The text of the MPDC statement on immigration issues is
  available online in both English
    (http://mpdc.dc.gov/news/stmts/2003/07/072803.shtm) and Spanish
    (http://mpdc.dc.gov/news/stmts/2003/07/072803_span.shtm).

   FOOTNOTE II: This week's announcement is the latest in a series of
  reforms designed to improve the MPDC's service to DC's Latino
  communities. One of those efforts is the MPDC's Latino Liaison Unit,
  which is featured at: http://mpdc.dc.gov/about/units/llu.shtm
 
 
 
 

  THE BRAZIL BULLETIN
  From: "Heilbron, Shana (COUNCIL)" <sheilbron@dccouncil.us>
  In Last Week's Issue...
  Les Halles Cup Began July 27, 2003
  Part I: Keeping The Momentum Going in Ward 1 - The Tivoli Project
  Restaurant Week is Back! July 28, 2003 - August 3, 2003
  DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Receives Grant Awards
  Gold Star of the Week
  Bonehead of the Week
 
 

  -- END --