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.

Our neighbor was not raped or killed, but she believes that was what he
was trying to do to her.

Once her 911 call went through, the police came very quickly and pulled
him off of her. She told me that the responding police officers were
"wonderful."  They sent her and her attacker to the hospital for
treatment. She is back home and he is in jail.

The 911 system was another matter. She was trying to call 911 as well as
pushing him out of the bedroom and blocking the door. She slipped and he
was able to get back in.  When she first  dialed 911, she got a busy
signal, hung up and called again. Luckily she got through the second
time. I have since checked with Communications and learned that you have
to call again, as she did,  if you get a busy signal. If you get a
recording, you stay on the line and it will be answered, but  that does
not happen with a busy signal. In order to get my question answered, I
called 911 and got a recording that recycled twice through the message
-- at least a two-minute delay until someone picked up. I have been told
that the police will automatically send a scout car if they answer a 911
call and there is no voice on the other end. So don't hang up if you get
a recording but have to put down the phone.

Our neighbor credits her ability to temporarily hold off her attacker to
a self-defense course she took that adds practice on a mannequin to
theory so that her actions were second-nature. They at least bought her
time until the police arrived. She strongly recommends this course which
is described on www.dcimpact.org.

Our neighbor's attacker was a stranger to her, an Hispanic male about 20
years old.  I don't know anything more about him at this time or why he
chose this particular house. Did he previously see her go in alone? Was
he a workman in the area -- there are a lot of casual laborers around
that are hired by companies for temporary construction, painting, and
gardening  jobs. Did he know that her husband was not home? How did he
know this?  Hopefully, some of these questions will be answered.
Apparently some neighbors heard the breaking glass but assumed it was
from a nearby construction job.

In the future, it might be a good idea to call the police and let them
find out the nature of the breaking glass sound or other sound that
could indicate a break-in.

A passing jogger heard her scream and ran to the house next door to ask
them to call the police. She wants to thank that jogger and her
neighbors for their help and support.

She says that the police have been very supportive of her and she will
keep us posted as to how this case progresses through the court system.

In the meantime, I encourage you to contact  Lt. Aiello and ask for a
police officer to come and inspect your house for security weak spots.
It's a valuable free service. I had that done several years ago, and as
a result, had two security doors installed on the back, an extra dead
bolt on the front door, and a decorative iron grill made for widows in a
French door.  I would also urge you to make sure your basement windows
are not vulnerable to entry.  Lieutenant Robert Aiello is  on
MPDCPSA202@netscape.net.

I believe that attacks of this sort are fairly rare here in PSA 202, but
this is one more example why we should not think "it can never happen
here."  It can happen anywhere. The increased use of PCP is particularly
worrisome to the police at this time. Chief  Ramsey mentioned it in a
Washington Post article last week. It's a really dangerous drug that is
plentiful and cheap on the street.

One other item related to this: Since the attacker was caught and not
still on the loose, the police did not notify me of this incident. I
only learned about it later when the victim, who is a friend, called me.
If something happens to you that you want the community to know about,
please drop me an e-mail. Don't assume I'll hear about it otherwise.
 
 
 
 

VANDALISM IN THE 'HOOD
From: "robert m. olshan" <rmocpa@erols.com>
Sometime on Monday night or early Tuesday morning, June 16-17, our two
cars were pelted with raw eggs on Warren Street and 46th in front of our
home. We found them on Tuesday morning and called the police and cleaned
up the mess.  The eggs could ruin the paint on a car.  This happened
again on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, June 18-19.  Our
cars happen to be white Mercedes Benz's.  One is a 1993 and the other is
a 1982.  That's right -- someone doesn't like a 22 year old car and a
ten year old one either.  We made police reports each time.  If it
happens again, we will hire a private detective to find the bastards.
While these occurrences can't rival a break in or mugging, they are
terribly upsetting, take time away and make one wonder if their is some
kind of personal vendetta (we have no enemies that we know of). Have you
received any other reports of this type of malicious vandalism in AU
Park?
 
 
 
 
 

PATUXENT RIVER SOJOURN
On a  happier note,  I did a week-long kayaking/camping trip with the
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.  This was a first for me and I was
really impressed with the beauty of the Patuxent River - a gorgeous
river that probably few of us know and yet is practically right here in
our back yard. I was encouraged to learn that it is possible to clean up
a river like the Patuxent as well as the Chesapeake Bay. However, I was
horrified to learn how much the river had been degraded in the past. It
was a dead river 20 years ago. It is slowly coming back but needs a lot
of work to bring back more of the life along and in it.  The Chesapeake
Bay is still going downhill.  I'll be mentioning more of this in later
issues, but we need to remember that the world we live in goes beyond
our neighborhood boundaries.  The major problem affecting these
waterways is too many nutrients. Their decomposition uses up the oxygen
and kills off or causes health problems for the animals living in or on
the river and bay.

Raw sewage used  to be dumped into the Patuxent. That was stopped with
the building of a waste treatment plant in Upper Marleboro about 20
years ago. There are still major problems with runoff from our streets,
from our chemically treated lawns, from agricultural wastes, from auto
pollutants, etc., etc.  But the treatment plant stopped raw swage from
flowing down the river. We swam in the Patuxent  and had a great time,
something we could not have done 20 years ago.

As a footnote,  I would urge you to never eat raw oysters, if you have a
taste for them. It is no longer safe to eat them or any raw shell fish.
If the degradation of the bay continues, it might not even be possible
to get them or blue crabs. These animals used to be plentiful and are
now disappearing at a fast rate.
 
 
 
 

ANC 3E MEETING NOTICE
From:  "Polly King" <pking@lldhhome.org>
     ANC 3E July 10, 2003 Meeting Notice
     St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church
     42nd & Fessenden Streets, NW
     7:30 pm
   1.Announcements
   2.Open Forum - opportunity for members of the community to raise
issues of concern or importance to the 3E neighborhood
   3.Presentation by 2nd District Police
   4.Discussion with Phil Mendelson, Councilmember At-Large, on the "
Alcohol Beverage Control Board Affected ANC Amendment Act of 2003"
(tentative)
   5.Discussion of and vote on the overcrowding on evening buses that
travel the N-Line; especifically the area of Mass. Ave., AU Park and
Wesley Heights.
   6.Discussion of and possible vote on realigning PSA 202 with ANC3E,
and PSAs with ANCs citywide
   7.ANC Business

TURTLE PARK'S ICE CREAM SOCIAL
From: <toddandjean@netzero.com>
Please join Friends of Friendship Park for the 3rd Annual Turtle Park
Ice Cream Social and Summer Concert on Tuesday, July 15 at 7 pm.  "Oh
Susannah" will be performing on the basketball courts and Gifford's ice
cream will be served following the concert.  This is a free community
event and will be held in fair weather only.  Friendship "Turtle" Park
is located at 45th and Van Ness St. NW, Washington, DC.  Please call
202-966-8309 for more information or visit www. turtlepark.org.
 
 
 
 

ST. LUKE'S GARDEN JAZZ CONCERTS
From:  <anc3b@aol.com>
2nd Annual Jazz in the Garden Concert Series at St. Luke's 2003 Summer
Season continues Thursday, July 10th at 6:30 pm, with the Greg Jenkins
Trio. Bring a picnic dinner and blanket to sit on (no alcohol, please;
children and dogs welcome). Free and open to all.  Cancelled in the
event of rain. St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3655 Calvert Street,
NW, Washington DC 20007, 202-333-4949, www.saintlukesmethodist.org

2nd Annual Jazz in the Garden Concert Series at St. Luke's 2003 Summer
Season continues Thursday, July 24th at 6:30 pm, with the Hokum Jazz
Trio. Bring a picnic dinner and blanket to sit on (no alcohol, please;
children and dogs welcome). Free and open to all.  Cancelled in the
event of rain. St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3655 Calvert Street,
NW, Washington DC 20007, 202-333-4949, www.saintlukesmethodist.org
 
 
 
 

WILSON HIGH'S WEB SITE
In response to an earlier question:
From: "buddydc1 YINGLING" <buddydc1@msn.com>
Wilson's web-site is wilsonhs.org
 
 
 

"DO NOT CALL"  LIST INFORMATION
From: Constance Rhind <tachi5@comcast.net>
This article tells all about the new legislation. I can't log in to the
site as I assume there are tons of people trying right now. Still if you
sign up by Aug. 31 it's effective Oct. 1. The attached article has all
the details and the website and phone number.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=569&ncid=578&e=3&u=/nm/20030627/tc_n
m/telecoms_telemarketing_dc
 
 
 

TENLEY FIREHOUSE
From:  "Buddy Yingling" <buddydc1@msn.com>
Anybody have any news on the status of the Tenleytown Firehouse?  The
last I heard the contractor was asking for more money.  Has there been
any progress?  Is it time for the community to seek an  alternative
solution?
 
 
 
 

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

**** From: <LRol@aol.com>
I have moved my disabled father here form Fla. My AU Park home is not
accessible for a wheelchair. I am looking for a house that is, or can
easily be made so....I need to sell mine and buy another...or trade, or
rent, or something. My house is a semi detached and well kept up.
Perhaps there is someone out there who wants to downsize a bit.
Lori

****From: "Julie Abrams" <jabrams@prodigy.net>
We are looking to buy a student trumpet. If you have one for sale (or
give away), please contact: Julie Abrams, jabrams@prodigy.net, (301)
986-8889. Thanks!

**** From: dbruno <dbruno@gwu.edu>
A responsible 15-year-old girl is looking for part-time babysitting jobs
in the AU park neighborhood.  Please contact Debbie Bruno, her mother,
at  dbruno@gwu.edu.
Thanks!

**** From: "Nadine Horenstein/Clifford Johnson" <nadineh@mindspring.com>
Our wonderful cleaning lady, Maria, is looking for other days to fill.
She is very hard working and reliable and has her own transportation.
Please let me know if you are interested (nadineh@mindspring.com) and I
will forward this information to her.

**** "diane zeleny" <dzeleny@hotmail.com>
My family and I have been living  overseas for the past three years and
will be moving back to our Warren St. house in August. We're on the hunt
for a great babysitter/housekeeper for us and our 8 year old daughter
and Emily told me you have a newsletter which might help us out.
Ideally, we are looking for an experienced babysitter/housekeeper from
2-7 pm every weekday, available when my daughter gets home from school
(via bus) or after school activities, can drive and has own car,  light
housekeeping, grocery shopping and prepare very simple meals.
Thanks, Diane

**** From: "JULIE SLATTERY, <JSLATTERY@bloomberg.net>
FOR SALE: Various window unit air conditioners- Various sizes and
models. Email  me at jslattery@bloomberg.net if you are interested in
buying as we just put in central air. Discounted rate   Thanks  -Julie

**** From: "Grace and John Hyslop" <gjh@boo.net>
We're looking for a tree trimmer to remove a dead limb from the large
old cherry tree in our back yard.  202-966-2997

**** From:  "Laura Kaiser" <lfkaiser@starpower.net>
Any recommendations for an EXTERIOR SIDING CONTRACTOR? We need someone
who can reshingle our gables and repair/replace our clapboards.

**** From: Donna DeSilva <rjodmd@starpower.net>
I am looking for a reliable and trustworthy individual or service to
come in and clean my house one day a week, who is willing to work
independently and thoroughly without supervision.  I am willing to give
a house key to an individual with good clean reference or the owner of
a cleaning service whose workers are bonded and insured.  If I am hiring
a service, I expect that cleaning supplies will be provided.  For an
individual I am willing to have them be an independent contractor, where
no taxes are paid only a fee, and the person provides their own supplies
(or a fee is paid for supplies) otherwise, I must pay their taxes and
have a valid social security number for him or her.   Please email me
with anyone you can recommend.  rjodmd@starpower.net.
thanks.  Donna DeSilva

**** From: "Dr. Melvin Blecher" <MelBlecher@comcast.net>
"For sale. Two years old, virtually unused Nikon Coolpix 800 digital
camera with CFI card scandisk  64MB, NiK AC adapter/charger, NiK
battery, and USB connector. Originally $997. Best offer.   202 363 3338
or 202 363 0373"

**** From: <MargaritaCrocker@aol.com>
I am looking for recommendations for having a flagstone walkway
installed.   Thanks.

**** From: <Abauer4600@aol.com>
Power Washer
I recently had my flagstone walkways, porch, and patio cleaned by a
gentleman who I can highly recommend for his good work.  My walkways had
become quite slick over the past few years and due to the constant snows
and rains of the last few months, had become progressively worse. Aaron
Dawkins, who has been on the DC Fire Department at the Tenley Firehouse
for many years, has a power washing business in the area.  I was stunned
to see how clean he was able to get my property and feel that he has
reasonable rates.  Aaron Dawkin's phone number is 202-829-8789. He
returns calls promptly.
Amy McVey

**** From: <ANDERSENAN@aol.com>
Housing for Rent -- Quiet AU Park. Furnished studio. 1 1/2 rooms and
bath. Big closet, fridge, microwave, tv, VCR. $ 700/month (utilities
included)
Start: 9/2003  Nonsmokers/F only please.

**** From: "Aaron Epstein" <aajacks@starpower.net>
Thru:  <tenleytown@yahoogroups.com>
For anyone who deals with Amazon.com, it is impossible to find a
customer service number on its website when something goes awry, as it
has with me. BUT, by a circuitous route, I have tracked down the number
-- and lo, when I called it, I actually found a live person willing and
able to help. So in case anyone ever needs it, these are the numbers:
Phone: (800) 201-7575
Fax: (206) 266-2950
 
 
 
 

BULLPEN TO CELEBRATE COLONEL BROOKS' TAVERN
From: <Ricebill@aol.com>
 Bullpen to Celebrate Colonel Brooks' Tavern and Brookland with
Councilmembers Vincent Orange and Phil Mendelson and School Board Member
Tommy Wells Friday, July 11, 2003, 6:30 p.m, Colonel Brooks' Tavern, 901
Monroe St., NE   Colonel Brooks Tavern is a great neighborhood and
citywide
institution in one of the District's most vibrant, historic
communities.  The
Bullpen will honor the community of Brookland and the Tavern, a former
pickle factory, both named after Colonel Jehiel Brooks who settled in
the area in the 1800s.
Bill Rice, 483-2037, ricebill@aol.com
 
 
 

REQUEST FOR ACTION RE: TENLEY LIBRARY
From: "Elinor Green and Joel Hunter" <greenhunter@starpower.net>
Dear Friends of the Tenley Library,
 What follows is an urgent request for action from your Friends'
Executive Board. The message is necessarily long because the issue is
complicated.
But it's also important, so please bear with us.

The Problem:   DC Councilman Harold Brazil, who is Chair of the
Council's Committee on Economic Development has introduced "A Proposed
Resolution" (PR 15-0267) in the City Council that would, if adopted,
negate more
than two years of work on a 10-year Capital Construction Program by the
DC Public Library System (DCPLS), its 26 branches, and Friends groups
throughout the city, very much including our own.

Brief History:  The construction program was announced in early 2001 and
a public process seeking community input began. DCPLS Director Molly
Raphael and other staffers held open meetings at each of the first four
branches chosen for renovation (2) or rebuilding (2). To our delight,
the
Tenley-Friendship branch was one of them. After listening to the views
of library patrons and Friends groups in each ward,  including the 100
or so Tenley patrons who responded to our own community survey in
addition
to those who attended the several meetings, a design/build Request for
Proposals (RFP) was issued in December 2002. DCPLS has received a number
of excellent proposals and was planning to announce its choice by early
Fall. (Another public process is mandated to begin immediately upon the
award of a contract; interested patrons must be consulted at four stated
stages of the design period and the DCPLS had hoped to avoid scheduling
any
such meetings during the summer months when large numbers of people are
absent from the city.)

Effect of PR 15-0267:  The plans and processes described above would
grind to a halt and send the DCPLS (and all of its branches) back to
Square One (i.e., 2000/2001) if the Council were to approve of
Councilman
Brazil's sudden intervention. His "Sense of the Council in Favor of
Mixed-Use
Redevelopment of the District of Columbia Public Libraries Resolution of
2003", PR 15-0267, includes the following statement: "It is further the
sense of the Council that DCPL should withdraw the current RFP and issue
a new RFP which will allow and encourage the mixed-use development of
the
District's public libraries."  Whatever you may think of mixed-use
development in general, when it comes to libraries, it is a far more
complex and controversial topic than the text of the resolution
acknowledges and sparked little or no support through the two years of
wide public discussion of the Library's plans. Raising the issue now not
only devalues the time, dedication, energy, hard work and funds that
staff
and library supporters have already expended; it insures several
additional years of city-wide leaking ceilings, recalcitrant air
conditioning,
impotent boilers, inoperative fixtures, and the like, before the
construction process is able to restart.

Action Requested: As fellow Friends of one of the branches slated for
demolition (March, 2004) and its subsequent rebuilding as a shining
example of a 21st Century state-of-the-art library structure that uses
its small site far more efficiently than in the past, we hope that you
will use
part of your weekend to phone, fax, or e-mail ALL Council members (see
list
below) by Monday morning to ask them to reject Resolution PR 15-0267
(you must include its number) and allow the Library's Capital
Construction Program to continue as originally scheduled.

Councilman Brazil has referred his "Sense of the Council" resolution to
his Committee on Economic Development which will hold a hearing on the
proposed legislation at 4 p.m., Monday, June 30, in the Council Chamber
in the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. If you would like
to
testify, please call Barry Kreiswirth at 724-8792 to have your name
added to the list and be sure to bring 20 hard copies of your
four-minute testimony
to the hearing.

FYI: A June 18 memorandum referring the proposed legislation to the
above committee lists Chairman Cropp and Councilmembers Ambrose,
Catania,
Evans, Mendelson, Orange and Schwartz as Co-Sponsors, but a delegation
from the
Tenley Friends Board on June 25 received a commitment from Councilman
Mendelson that he no longer supported the resolution. Nevertheless,
please let him hear from you.

And if you can personalize your messages, please thank Kathy Patterson
and Vincent Orange for their April actions in adding $1,500,000 to the
Library's budget.

Here's the list:
lcropp@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724-8032;    fax - 724-8085
hbrazil@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724-8174;    fax - 724-8156
schwartzc@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724-8105:    fax - 724-8071
dcatania@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724-7772;    fax - 724-8087
pmendelson@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724-8064;    fax - 724-8099
jgraham@dccouncil.us;     phone - 724-8181;    fax - 724-8109
jackevans@dccouncil.us;      phone - 724-8058;    fax - 724-8023
kpatterson@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724-8052;    fax - 724-8188
afenty@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724-8052;    fax - 724-8120
vorange@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724-8028;    fax - 724-8076
sambrose@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724-8074;    fax - 724-8054
kpchavous@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724- 8068;    fax - 724-8097
cmallen@dccouncil.us;    phone - 724-8045;    fax - 724-8055
 
 
 
 

NEW SIDEWALKS / GRASS
From:  Steven Gross <gross2@phil.upenn.edu>
This up-date is mainly addressed to my neighbors on and near the 4900
block of 47th street, but might be of interest to other area residents
whose blocks also received new sidewalks this past spring.

The sub-contractors hired by the city to install new sidewalks tore up
some dirt and grass from our lawns when they removed the old sidewalk.
This is understandable: it's hard to be delicate removing cement with a
back-hoe. But we wondered whether the city planned to fix things up
afterwards or whether we'd be left with the job ourselves. When no one
returned to reseed or sod, I called the city hotline (claim # 458-135).
This was April 9. I was told that the city would have it taken care of.
Nothing ever happened. I called back today (July 7) and was told that
the sub-contractors claim to have returned May 9. (It is true that I saw
about 10 guys on two trucks come by around then. One got out and looked
around. I walked over and asked if he happened to know if there were any
plans to fix up the grass. He said he'd make a note of it. And then they
drove away. I don't know whether this was the visit the sub-contractors
referred to.) The person at the hotline said she'd have her supervisor
look into it. I also left a message on the voicemail of the
Transportation Division project manager in charge of our ward.
Steven Gross
 

--END--