The NorThwesT CurreNT
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Vol. L, No. 28
Serving Communities in Northwest Washington Since 1967
Council bill seeks vote for Norton
NATIONALS READING
■ Politics: Legislation aims
for voice on D.C.-only issues By CUNEYT DIL
Current Correspondent
In an unconventional effort to give D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton a long-sought vote in the House of Representatives, Ward 3 D.C. Council member Mary Cheh introduced a bill Tuesday for the
council to grant her that right. Most of Cheh’s colleagues are in support of the legislation, and while it would only give Norton a vote on matters that deal with the District, the change would mean that she could actually vote on matters that affect only her constituents. As it stands now, D.C.’s delegate can speak in the House but can only vote in committee, not on final legislation. Can D.C. just decide to give
itself a vote in Congress, even a partial one? Cheh said she is relying on court precedent and the Home Rule Charter, the city’s governing document that was passed by Congress in 1973. The charter gives the D.C. Council “the authority to amend federal legislation that applies exclusively to the District,” Cheh said. One example is the Federal See Cheh/Page 10
ANC says Cafritz project harmed trees By ALEXA PERLMUTTER Current Correspondent
Brian Kapur/The Current
As part of the Washington Nationals’ participation in the D.C. Public Library Summer Reading program, Nationals center fielder Adam Eaton answered questions and read to local youth at the Tenley-Friendship Library on Saturday.
Two sizable street trees in front of a Connecticut Avenue apartment building in Chevy Chase have recently been found to be in distress, despite prior promises from a developer to maintain them. Cafritz Enterprises opened the 10-story luxury apartment building at 5333 Connecticut Ave. NW in June 2016. As part of often-contentious discussions with residents and neighborhood leaders during the yearslong permitting process for the project, Cafritz secured approval to construct a circular driveway in front of the building, as long as it committed to preserving two red oaks, each 25 to 30 feet tall. But local concerns about the project were renewed in May after Randy Speck, chair of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3/4G (Chevy Chase), noticed while driving past that the trees appeared to be dying. See Trees/Page 12
Alexa Perlmutter/The Current
Cafritz had agreed to protect these two oak trees when constructing the controversial apartment building at 5333 Connecticut Ave. NW.
Cathedral grad wins national competition
Gas meter work faces review for effect on historic districts
Current Correspondent
■ Utilities: Agencies examine placement of gas meters.”
with regulations regarding the
By ANDRIA MOORE
Georgetown resident Skye Bork made history July 1 when she became the first-ever D.C. winner of the national Distinguished Young Women of America scholarship program. The recent National Cathedral School graduate took home $36,500 total to attend Columbia University this fall. Distinguished Young Women (formerly known as Junior Miss) was founded in 1958, but D.C. didn’t begin competing as a district until last year. The competition encourages high school seniors to pursue higher education, and honors their academic and extracurricular accomplishments. The first-place winner receives an automatic $30,000 to attend the university of her choice, but cash prizes can also be awarded for placing in individual categories. This
issue after resident complaints By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Distinguished Young Women of America
Skye Bork, a Georgetown resident, won $36,500 as the District’s first winner of the national contest.
year alone the program awarded $2.1 million in scholarships. “One of the biggest challenges is educating the public in what this program is about,” said Mohra Gavankar, D.C. chair of Distinguished Young Women. “It’s not a beauty pageant.” See Award/Page 12
If Betty Ann Kane wants to replace the windows of her Capitol Hill home, the permit would need review by the D.C. Historic Preservation Office to ensure there’s no damage to the fabric of the designated historic district where she lives. Accordingly, Kane told The Current, “it seems to be reasonable that the Historic Preservation Office could come up
Kane is the chair of the city’s Public Service Commission, which oversees the rates, safety, reliability and quality of the District’s electricity, natural gas and telecommunications services. The commission has an open case regarding complaints that Washington Gas has damaged the aesthetic of historic neighborhoods — including areas of Capitol Hill and Foggy Bottom — with unsightly installations of exterior gas meters. With limited authority to govSee Meters/Page 10
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INDEX
Ward 4 shelter
NWLL wins big
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Calendar/16 Classifieds/23 District Digest/4 In Your Neighborhood/14 Opinion/6
Project breaks ground in Petworth as first step toward D.C. General closure / Page 3
Northwest Little League 10U and 11U teams won their respective District championships / Page 9
Police Report/8 Real Estate/13 Service Directory/21 Sports/9 Week Ahead/3
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