FOG -- 03/16/2011

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Serving Foggy Bottom & the West End

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Vol. VI, No. 14

THE FOGGY BOTTOM CURRENT Probe clears Fenty over park deals

Schools clamor for full funding levels

SKILL O’ THE IRISH

■ Budget: Extra funds reduce

By ELIZABETH WIENER

cuts but don’t eliminate them

Current Staff Writer

An 18-month investigation into contracts for city parks and recreation projects is winding down much the way it started — with rancor, and some questions still unanswered. Special counsel Robert Trout last Friday delivered his long-awaited written report on the case, finding “no wrongdoing” by former Mayor Adrian Fenty, and no intent by his administration to circumvent the D.C. Council’s role in approving multimillion-dollar contracts. But Trout also found that the layered contracting process resulted in approval of “grossly inflated” bills and “significant waste of taxpayer funds.” In answer to the thornier question of criminal culpability, Trout recommended that U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen investigate allegations of contracting irregularities by two firms, Banneker Ventures and Liberty Engineering and Design, and their owners, Omar Karim and Sinclair Skinner, both friends of Fenty who benefited from the fat park contracts. At a hastily called news conferSee Contracts/Page 23

By JESSICA GOULD Current Staff Writer

Dozens of parents, students and advocates lobbied against proposed cuts to their school budgets Monday evening, while Mayor Vincent Gray emphasized that he has done his best to protect the schools during this tough time. “When I ran for mayor, I said it was my top priority to provide an

18th Street project tries to limit impact on area ■ Transportation: Agency

kicks off Adams Morgan work Bill Petros/The Current

Sunday’s 40th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade along Constitution Avenue featured colorful floats, high school marching bands, traditional Irish step dancers, drill teams, Irish wolfhounds and a variety of revelers.

Plans would link Kennedy Center, river By CAROL BUCKLEY Current Staff Writer

National Park Service and federal transportation officials are proposing to solve a long-recognized flaw of Foggy Bottom’s iconic Kennedy Center: its isolation from the Potomac River and a path popular with pedestrians and cyclists. The performing arts center is one of the most identifiable properties in Washington, and theater, dance and opera patrons crowd the waterfront terrace during intermissions for one of the city’s most famous views. But the white-marble structure is divorced from the Potomac as well as nearby neighborhoods by a tangle of roadways. Now, a renewed effort to connect the building to the river it borders is running into criticism from some res-

NEWS ■ UDC plans net initial neighborhood support. Page 3. ■ Potential tax hikes spawn early debate. Page 5.

excellent education to the children of the District of Columbia,” Gray said. But, he added, “We’re facing a huge budget deficit.” Gray said he was able to soften the blow to the schools after chief financial officer Natwar Gandhi announced an unexpected increase in the District’s projected revenue for fiscal year 2012. Of the $105 million in additional funds, Gray directed $76 million toward the schools, resulting in a $50 million budget gap. The school system’s total proposed local budgSee Schools/Page 32

Courtesy of Arthur Cotton Moore

Some residents are calling for a reconsideration of Arthur Cotton Moore’s 1987 design. idents, who are challenging both the design-selection process so far and the schemes that planners have put forward. See Steps/Page 25

EVENTS ■ Ford’s Theatre to stage Revolutionary musical. Page 30. ■ Colorist Palermo gets first U.S. retrospective. Page 31.

By KATIE PEARCE Current Staff Writer

One analogy has been particularly helpful in preparing for the reconstruction of 18th Street NW. “It’s kind of like a root canal,” said Thomas Pipkin, community liaison for the recently launched streetscape project. “No one’s happy doing it or going through with it, but at the end, things are going to be better.” In the making for about seven years, the Adams Morgan project aims to improve 18th Street, both functionally and aesthetically, from Florida Avenue to Columbia Road. The half-mile stretch — “the most business-dense section of the city,” according to Pipkin — will be under construction until at least May 2012. The $6.52 million redesign kicked off late last month at the crossroads of 18th Street and Florida Avenue, now a scene full of orange cones and concrete barriers. Workers there are installing a new

PA S S A G E S ■ Exhibit offers kids’ space for playing, relaxing. Page 15. ■ GDS debate team charges ahead without coach. Page 15 .

Bill Petros/The Current

Construction along the street will continue until at least May 2012. water main before reconfiguring the thorny intersection, which is home to a handful of shops and restaurants. “There’s always an impact when you have construction right in front of your building,” said Ana Reyes, general manager of El Tamarindo Restaurant at 1785 Florida Ave. But she said she has not seen much decline in business, and that construction work has wrapped up each day before her restaurant begins dinner service. See Construction/Page 24

INDEX Business/9 Calendar/26 Classifieds/37 District Digest/4 Exhibits/31 Foggy Bottom News/13 In Your Neighborhood/22

Opinion/10 Passages/15 Police Report/6 School Dispatches/16 Real Estate/21 Service Directory/33 Theater/31


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