District Chronicles V15 Issue 10 by District Chronicles

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Students voice concerns at the District of Columbia Youth hearing Page 4 October 29 - November 4, 2015

Milestone’s Black heroes make a comeback Page 3 www.districtchronicles.com

Volume 15 Issue 10

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Editorial

Republican Bengazi witch hunt committee fails to hurt Clinton By Lee A. Daniels George Curry Media Columnist

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Add another line to Hillary Clinton’s qualifications for the presidency: “Faced down the latest Republican Party attempt to wreck the Democratic Party and the twoparty system in America.” The woman who would be president – whose public career includes being First Lady to a governor and a president, winning election to the U.S. Senate, running a tough campaign for her party’s presidential nomination, and service as Secretary of State – last week met the greatest challenge to her candidacy with a resolve and clarity of explanation that couldn’t be shaken by the Republican members of the House Select Committee on Benghazi. “We should debate on the basis of fact, not fear,” she told the committee in her opening statement. “We should resist denigrating the patriotism or loyalty of those with whom we disagree ... And my challenge to you, members of this Committee, is the same challenge I put to myself. Let us be worthy of the trust the American people have bestowed upon us. They expect us to lead. To learn the right lessons. To rise above partisanship and to reach for statesmanship.” Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), the chair of the committee Republicans had set up in the wake of the deadly September 2012 terrorist attack on a State Department compound in Benghazi, Libya, in which four Americans including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya were slain, declared at the hearing’s opening that its goal was solely to pursue “the truth” of why the attack succeeded. It was not, he said to Clinton, “about you. Let me assure you it is not.” But the committee’s true purpose had been perfectly captured by Washington Post cartoonist Tom Toles’ October 21, cartoon. Toles’ drawing shows Clinton and three Republican committee members seated at separate tables facing each other across an open space at the edges of the cartoon. Between them at the top of the space is a simple clothes rack with

Republicans failed to hurt Clinton from Benghazi committee witch hunt.

a long black dress hanging on it, a broom leaning against it on one side and a conical black witches’ hat perched on it on the other side. Toles’ bubble comment has Gowdy asking Clinton, “ ... if you could put on the testifying outfit and take your seat ... “ It quickly became clear, however, that Clinton wasn’t about to let herself be labeled a sorceress or made a victim. “I’m sorry [the facts don’t] fit your narrative, congressman,” Clinton said sternly at one point during a terse exchange with Republican Jim Jordan, of Ohio. “I can only tell you what the facts were.” But, as the Toles’ cartoon indicated, Clinton was not the only one under scrutiny at the hearing. Indeed, the legitimacy of the committee itself had been all but erased in stunning fashion by the comments of two prominent GOP officials. First, in early October Kevin McCarthy, who as House Majority Whip is the number two official in the House’s leadership hierarchy, boasted on the GOP-friendly forum of Fox News commentator Sean Hannity’s program that “Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable. But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping.” McCarthy’s boast, which quickly destroyed his own can-

didacy for Speaker of the House of Representatives, was later, in effect, seconded by Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) who said on a radio talk program, “there is a big part of this [Benghazi committee investigation] that was designed to go after people – an individual, Hillary Clinton.” And still later, a former Benghazi committee staffer now suing it for wrongful termination said he had been fired in part because he resisted an order that the entire staff focus not on Benghazi but on trying to find something damaging in Clinton’s partially using her private e-mail account for State Department business. These comments punctured the Benghazi Committee’s masquerade: It really should be called the GOP’s ‘Get Clinton’ Committee, for it starkly represents what the Republican Party, deranged by the success of President Obama and addicted to pursuing a cloaked White-supremacist electoral strategy, has given itself over to. The GOP’s tricked-up Benghazi committee should propel those who want a democratic (with a small “d”) United States to form a “Get Clinton” committee of their own-one that will get Hillary Clinton into the president’s chair in the White House. Lee A. Daniels’new collection of columns, Race Forward: Facing America’s Racial Divide in 2014, is available at www.amazon.com.

African Americans have place in comic book industry By Jeremy Lott Urban News Service

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It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … Icon! Or is it Hardware rocketing through the skies, or Static Shock surfing on his big, floating garbage lid? These three Black superheroes soon will return to a comic book store near you. If all goes well, cartoons, television appearances, movies and toys will follow. That is the message that Milestone Media and DC Comics have been leaking out, by dribs and drabs, all year long. Industry professionals Denys Cowan, Derek Dingle, Dwayne McDuffie and Michael Davis planned Milestone in the early 1990s as an independent, AfricanAmerican-owned and controlled comic book. It launched instead as an imprint of one of the “big two” publishers, with a special arrangement between Milestone and DC. It was hailed as a pioneering event in the comic book world. Milestone would have total creative control over its comics, retain the copyright to all of its characters and have the final say on merchandising and licensing deals, according to the deal. Marvel and DC, the Coke and Pepsi of the comics industry, had dabbled in creatorowned projects before. But a deal of that size and scope was unprecedented. The arrangement was “very unique in that it allowed Milestone access to a complete system of distribution and promotion while still maintaining a great deal of independent control over the content of the books,” said Jeffrey A. Brown, Bowling Green University professor and author of “Black Superheroes, Milestone Comics, and Their Fans.” The agreement “proved beneficial to both DC and Milestone,” he said. It “facilitated the Static Shock animated series,” which ran for 52 episodes on the WB Network from 2000 to 2004. It also “kept the characters alive with occasional appearances in the DC Universe after Milestone closed down.” Milestone’s comic book line launched in 1993 and went on hiatus in 1997 after giving readers hundreds of individual issues.

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Milestone Media beloved heros are making a comeback, form DC partnership.

Why did it shut down? “The various titles published by Milestone had a very dedicated fan following but the glut of new publishers over-saturated the market,” said Brown. Despite rapid expansion, the American public’s interest in comics waned in the late 1990s, partly due to fascination with the still relatively new internet. Dozens of comic book companies and thousands of comic-specialty retailers went bust. Now, thanks to television, social media and stronger story lines, comics are in another growth phase. The number of shops has risen and other distribution channels have emerged and improved. You can buy individual issues at comic book stores, digital comics for your tablet – via Amazon or ComiXology – and graphic novels are now seen as a legitimate genre of literature. The new “it” now: Comic-cons, which feature costume contests (cosplay) and panels with comic book creators and filmmakers – essential marketing events for the comic, television and film industries. Milestone has picked an oppor-

tune time for a comeback, but why as part of DC, rather than going it alone? DC is a subsidiary of the Warner Bros. movie studio, which could make it easier to develop projects. But there’s more to it than that. “People don’t like ‘superhero comics’ [generically]. They like Marvel comics, they like DC comics. They like genre comics,” Matthew Klokel, founder of the Washington DC-based shop Fantom Comics, told Urban News Service. Even in the ’90s, when the DC and Milestone universes were technically separate, the two companies found ways for the characters to cross over. DC’s Steel fought with and then alongside Milestone’s Hardware. Superboy hit on Icon’s young female sidekick Rocket. During part of Milestone’s long hiatus, Static Shock was a member of DC’s Teen Titans. Milestone and DC promise that what comes next year will be big. “All the characters that you know and love will be back: Hardware, Icon and Rocket, Static Shock … Xombi … Blood Syndicate,” said Milestone Founder Denys Cowan at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.

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District of Columbia public high school student Milagro Argueta said that if she and her Spanishspeaking friends are lucky enough to eat lunch at their school in peace, it’s a good day. They have the money, she said through an interpreter, but they don’t speak enough English to easily order lunch. So, they can only point to what they want to eat, and frustrated, sometimes insensitive, cafeteria personnel lash out at the students, she said. Another public school student complained that the teachers at her schools were so bad that she and her parents had to seek other educational opportunities. Another told the adults Black male students need mentors, not more police and another said poor kids need the schools to help them out of poverty. The four were among the 66 D.C. Public Schools’ students who testified at the Issues Facing District of Columbia Youth hearing earlier this month at City Hall about problems and changes they said need to be made in the school system. They shared with Washington City Council David Grosso, chair of the Committee on Education, and other education committee members and school officials the good and bad they have encountered as students in the District. Argueta and the teens who attend Columbia Heights High School asked Grosso to quickly pass the Language Access for Education Amendment of 2015 bill, which will require schools with more than 10 percent of students enrolled in the English as a second language program, to train their staff on how to better handle language barriers, with the help of interpreters. Destine Whittington, a senior at Richard Wright Public Charter School and a student member of the DC State Board of Education, said she feels there is a lack of teacher quality, credibility and accountability that she has seen as a life-long student in DCPS. She said she hopes switching to a char-

Students offer solutions to improve the learning environment in public schools.

ter school will help. “In the classroom, you have teachers who do not truly understand what they are teaching, do not care to go in depth about what they are teaching, as well as those that do not provide proper academic support,” said Whittington. Consequently, she said, she felt she was not smart because she did not learn how to multiply properly until she was a 6th grader. “I thought I was the problem,” she said, “but as I got older, I realized that it was not my fault, but that my teachers who didn’t teach me properly. Richard Wright has changed that for me, and now I have outstanding experiences.” Nate Green, 17, a junior at KIPP DC College Prep, also serves on the same committee as Whittington, discussed his concerns about police and their relationship with Black students. Green said that instead of locking up troubled youth, a better solution would be to provide them with mentorship with the police officers. “Sometimes these kids just get off track and they told me, ‘We just want someone to talk to us.’ I come here ask you to create a mentorship program between MPD and students in the high school system,” said Green. Dershika Robertson, Quinell Hargrove, and Richard Johnson, who attend Dunbar High School,

said they feel that the system as a whole needs to do a better job in helping students who come from lower-income backgrounds. Johnson, who was born and raised in Ward 8, said he did not attend Anacostia High School near his home because he and his parents agreed the school would give him an adequate education needed to get him to college and beyond. “I’ve seen what poverty can do to people,” said Johnson. “The one thing that is lacking is belief and accountability. “Many schools that are not named Duke Ellington, School Without Walls, or Wilson lack basic resources those schools are afforded. For the longest, we didn’t even have a set of dictionaries at our school. It is a basic book.” Although the panel was meant for students to express grievances, some students brought stories of triumph. Tremayne Chatman, a graduate of Francis L. Cardozo Education Campus, said he was encouraged to be successful during his years at Cardozo. Chatman said he had an opportunity to go abroad to Jamaica with his school to build schools for low income students. “Not every student wants to go to college, but we all have dreams and goals,” said Chatman. HUNS reporter Alyssa Smith contributed to this story.

Divine Intervention ‘Splainer: Getting to the roots of witching By Kimberly Winston Religion News Service

Q: Why do witches wear black? A: Witches wear black only in our contemporary imagination. The first witches were healers, herbalists, midwives and wise women – village women who likely wore homemade dresses and robes that blended in with the outdoors they roamed for the goods of their trade. Our American idea of a witch in black likely comes from two sources: * The Massachusetts witch trials (1645 to 1693). More than 300 people – mostly women – were accused of being witches, and more than 30 were hanged or pressed to death with stones. Most of the victims (and their tormentors) were Puritans – members of a Christian sect that favored dark clothing, including tall, black hats. * The 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” with its Wicked Witch of the West, immortalized by actress

To-SiLand/Creative Commons

he ‘Splainer (as in “You’ve got some ‘splaining to do”) is an occasional online feature in which RNS staff give you everything you need to know about current events to hold your own at a cocktail party. Dress as a witch this Halloween and you have a frighteningly high chance of meeting other witches on the trick-or-treat trail. That’s because the National Retail Federation predicts the witch will be the most popular Halloween costume for the 11th year in a row – and that’s just among adults, with 4.3 million saying they plan to wear black and pick up a broomstick and a pointy hat. But that image of a witch is one most cultures, both ancient and contemporary, would not recognize. To the ancient Greeks, the witch Circe lived in a mansion and helped Odysseus get home (eventually), while the Bible depicts the Witch of Endor as giving comfort to a distraught King Saul. How did our image of the Halloween witch evolve, and why? Let us ‘Splain …

The witch has been the most popular costume at Halloween for 11 consecutive years.

Margaret Hamilton in full green makeup, flowing black dress, pointy hat and flying broomstick. The film won two Oscars and by the 1970s was aired annually on television in October, further cementing the image of the blackclad hag on a flying broomstick. How could Glinda the Good Witch, the other Oz witch, hope to compete? Q: Yeah, but the Wicked Witch of the West had flying monkeys! And all I get as a Halloween witch is a stupid cat. How did that happen? A: Witches are often shown with “familiars” – animals thought to do their bidding. But the cat is only one of a long list of creatures thought to cavort with witches – goats, toads, dogs, snakes and even cattle were sometimes associated with witches. But try to get one of those on a broomstick. Other cultures associate different animals with witches. In Japan, they are thought to have sinister pet foxes. Meow. Q: OK, now explain the flying broomstick. A: Witches didn’t always ride broomsticks. In the 15th and 16th centuries, illustrations show them riding goats, stools, even

cupboards. By the 17th century, witches are shown riding out of chimneys. Scholars speculate this evolved as women grew more linked with the hearth and less with the farm and the field. So what fits up a chimney and is kept by the hearth? A broomstick. Then there’s the less-G-rated version – women believed to be witches often dealt in hallucinogenic herbs. They got, quite literally, high. “Some historical accounts suggest witches applied these ointments to their nether regions,” writes Megan Gannon at LiveScience, in an attempt to explain how witches might fly. Q: Are there real witches today? A: You bet – though most prefer the original Old English word “wicca” to “witch.” Most are neo-pagans – people who revive pre-Christian religions and give them a contemporary twist – and there are many men in their ranks. Today’s Wiccans focus more on “good” or “white” magic, crafting “spells,” which are a kind of prayer or intention to the Goddess. And in a real twist, there is even a “church” and “school” of wicca, the latter offering an “essential witchcraft course” for $190. That and a broomstick should stand you in good stead for more treats than tricks.

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The agony of growing up with parents behind bars

By Brelaun Douglas HU News Service

asmine Arrington grew up like most of the other children in her neighborhood, but one part of her life that she kept mostly locked away, one that she says caused her lots of pain, embarrassment and financial struggles. For most of her life, her father was locked away in a Georgia prison while she lived in Washington. And later, because he was in prison, she and her brothers ended up being raised by their grandmother instead of their mother or father. Arrington is a part of a growing demographic, children whose parents are behind bars. Approximately 2.7 million children in the United States have a parent who is incarcerated. Local residents, City Councilmember LaRuby May, community organizations and others gathered recently in southeast

Washington to discuss the phenomenon at a forum sponsored by the Strengthening Families and Communities Coalition. The event, titled Improving the Lives of Children of Incarcerated Parents, was held earlier this month at the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center. Perry J. Moon, executive director of the Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, said the subject is important, particularly to residents of southeast D.C. “We see firsthand the impact that incarceration of parents causes young people: the trauma, the impact on their education and violence in the community,” said Moon. “I missed a lot of time growing up,” said Arrington. “I missed having that father-daughter relationship. “When schools would have father daughter dances and Girl Scouts would have father daughter events I didn’t have my father there to participate.” “Fortunately, I still had a lot of

other people – mentors and family and church family – that would speak positive to me: ‘You’re intelligent, beautiful. You’re going to make it and go far.’ So, I have a pretty good positive self-esteem.” Arrington said her father is currently out of prison and has been able to obtain construction work through a federal agency; she said that they have been able to establish a positive relationship. Hendricks explained how in a Hazelton penitentiary survey of 66 women, it was shown that usually when a parent is incarcerated, the child can end up in foster care, living independently or more often with relatives, usually the maternal grandmother. Arrington, 22, a fellow at the Washington public relations firm Hager Sharp and a graduate student Howard University School of Divinity, said that was part of her experience as well. Life had already been financial-

ly challenging for the family and their mother, who worked for the military for a short time before taking a job at the National Institute of Health before her death. Her mother died when Arrington was 13, she and her two younger brothers moved in with their grandmother. Arrington said when she began applying for college, her grandmother pointed out that there were no scholarships for children of inmates. So, she decided to take action. She created ScholarCHIPS in 2010. ScholarCHIPS is a non-profit organization that awards scholarships and book awards to children with incarcerated parents. Since its beginning, the organization has awarded 23 scholarships. CSOSA has also taken action. CSOSA partners with Hope House, which works with children of incarcerated parents, to use video conferencing to allow parents and children to see and speak with each

other on a more regular basis. May told the audience that she introduced a bill to the District’s City Council in July that she said will help those children as well. The bill requires the mayor to identify children of incarcerated parents in the District and do a full assessment on them. “Once we find out what their profile is, then we look internally in the District and across the country for the best practices on how it is we serve the children that we identified,” said May. Arrington said what children need the most is mentorship. “They need mentors in their lives, and they need people who believe in them and who don’t stigmatize them and don’t say, ‘You’re going to be just like your parents,’ or who even subconsciously treat them differently,” said Arrington. “They need what every other student needs: financial support, love and affection.”

Dems: GOP spending restrictions unfairly hurt people of color By Briahnna Brown Howard University News Service House Democrats came to Howard University to dramatize how, they say, Republican-initiated federal funding policies are disproportionately hurting Black and Hispanic college students, Black and Hispanic families and the educational opportunities for all public school students. The policy, called sequestration, was enacted in 2011 by the Republican controlled House of Representatives as a plan to force Congress to reduce the country’s federal budget deficit. Under the plan, when Congress cannot agree on the budget, as the nation saw in 2013’s fiscal year, mandatory, across-the-board spending cuts are made under sequestration that Democrats say have unfairly and unwisely cut certain programs. “There are no Democrats who support sequestration,” Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland’s 5th District said. “Sequestration is a complicated word that starts with ‘S’ which stands for stupid. It is an irrational policy.” The act lowers defense and nondefense spending by about $900 bil-

lion over 10 years. Sequester-level funding was avoided during the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years, but it is expected to return this year unless Congress takes action. “In short, [sequestration is] a disinvestment in America,” said Hoyer. Rep. G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina, who is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland, Calif., who is chair of the Democratic Whip’s Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality, and Opportunity; and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia echoed Hoyer’s statements. The group held a roundtable discussion Tuesday, Oct. 20, in Founder’s Library and focused on the impacts that sequestration has on minority communities across the country—particularly on the effects of sequester cuts to education. “Sequestration and budget cuts are hurting students, they’re hurting your families back at home, they’re hurting your communities back at home and we must do something about it,” Butterfield said. According to the Pell Institute, over 50 percent of African-American and 40 percent of Latino college students rely on Pell grants.

6 | Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2015 | District Chronicles

Additionally, 27.6 percent of all Pell grants go to African-American students and 24.7 percent go to Hispanic students. In 2008, according to The Journal of Blacks and Higher Education, 155,000 Pell grant recipients were enrolled in historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). Over 90 percent of students at eight HBCUs received Pell grants and had 80 percent of students at 17 HBCUs receive the aid, the journal said. “What has happened as the Pell grant has gone down is that our students are increasingly dependent upon loans,” Norton said. “To take a loan for part of what it takes to go to college is manageable, but borrowing more than $10,000 is detrimental to students, to their future and to the future of the country.” Lee added that sequestration is having a far ranging impact on the current generation’s future. “When you look at the relationship between income inequality and education … what we are witnessing now is a devastating impact on the African-American community as it relates to moving into the middle class,” she said. In addition to hurting Pell grant funding, sequestration also reduces

Panel of House Democrats at Howard University discuss the effects of sequester cuts.

federal funding to pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade education programs nationwide, the panel said. Federal educational programs for low-income families, like Head Start, ended services for 57,000 children last fall, according to the Committee on Education Funding. During the 2013-2014 school year, 29 percent of pre-kindergarten Head Start students were African American and 38 percent were Hispanic, according to the organization. Chante Hopkins, a Howard University senior political science major from North Carolina, asked the panel how they expect students like her to trust senior elected officials to efficiently challenge the

sequestration. Hoyer did not respond directly to Hopkins’ question, but instead talked about what he and others in Congress need to do. “We need to go back to rationally deciding what are the priorities of this country,” he said, “what are the needs of this country, and then what do we need to invest to have a better future. “The most vulnerable [people] in America – the seniors, low-income families, the homeless, the hungry and the sick – will be disproportionately adversely affected by sequestration. This ought to be of particular concern to communities of color, but of general concern to each and every one of us.”

Ben Carson wouldn’t vote for Muslim for president

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Ben Carson’s views on not voting for a Muslim president are based on his religious beliefs that many voters share.

By Trevin Wax Ben Carson doesn’t think a Muslim should be president and despite widespread criticism, he hasn’t backed down. The controversy over Carson’s comments encapsulates the ambiguity of our country’s relationship to religion – a relationship that goes back to the Founding Fathers and the writing of the Constitution. It’s clear that by not having an established national church, the earliest Americans did not want to impose a religious test for public office. As a Baptist, I’m glad we don’t have that kind of test. The earliest Baptists were the outsiders in American life, often threatened, suppressed, and jailed for their beliefs. Other religious groups, like Roman Catholics, were also culturally disenfranchised, which is why the ascent of John F. Kennedy to the presidency was such a monumental moment in our history. So, even though the earliest Americans did not impose a religious test for office, they would have had a difficult time imagining a Catholic like Kennedy or a Baptist like Truman occupying the White House. But here’s the catch – the fact that our country has never had religious test for public office, and that no one is automatically disqualified due to religious beliefs does not mean that religion doesn’t matter.

The reason why Kennedy’s Catholicism was controversial in 1960 was because many feared that Kennedy’s view of the papacy would give the pope an outsized, inappropriate influence in American governance. Some of the opposition to Kennedy was based in ignorance and prejudice against Catholics, but for many, it was because they took Kennedy’s religion seriously that they chose not to vote for him. Today, the people who were most astonished at Ben Carson’s comments seem to think that a person’s religious beliefs should be totally irrelevant to how they govern or to how one votes. But that kind of religious reductionism is silly to most religious people … We know that religion matters in our daily lives, in how we think and how we live. So, ironically, Carson is the one taking Muslims and the Islamic faith seriously when he said he would not vote for a Muslim for president. He is opposed to the establishment of a theocracy, and he believes the theocratic elements of Shariah law are incompatible with the religious pluralism at the heart of our society. Because he takes that religious perspective seriously, he factors it into his choice of presidential candidates. Since his initial comments, Carson has clarified that he would not have a problem with a Muslim running for office if that candidate rejected the imposition of Shariah

law, and that is an important qualification. The truth is that people have a right to take a candidate’s religious views into account before they cast a vote – whether they are evangelical, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, or not religious at all. What the Carson controversy shows us is that many people in a secular society are OK with religion, whatever religion, as long as it doesn’t really impinge upon one’s view of the world or how one votes or what platforms one endorses. The secular mindset is fine with religion; whether it is Christian, Hindu, Muslim or even atheism; as long as it is a thin veil on top of a bland sort of secularism. The problem, for many secularists, is not religion per se, but people who take their religion too seriously. Religion still matters. For the record, I’m thankful to live in a country where there is no religious bar from public office. But I’m also thankful to live in a country where a voter can take into account a candidate’s religious views. Religion should matter to a voter if it matters to a candidate. That’s why we see a clash– not of Islam as opposed to Christianity, but of secularism as opposed to serious religious faith. Trevin Wax is managing editor of The Gospel Project and author of multiple books, including “Clear Winter Nights: A Journey Into Truth, Doubt and What Comes After.”

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Offers valid through 10/30/15 and require activation of new qualifying DISH service with 24-month commitment and credit qualification. An Early Termination fee of $20 for each month remaining will apply if service is terminated during the first 24 months. All prices, fees, charges, packages, programming, features, functionality and offers subject to change without notice. PROGRAMMING DISCOUNT: Requires qualifying programming. Receive a discount for each of the first 12 months as follows: $35 per month with America’s Top 250; $30 per month with America’s Top 200; $25 per month with America’s Top 120, America’s Top 120 Plus; $15 per month with Smart Pack; $25 per month with DishLATINO Dos, DishLATINO Max; $20 per month with DishLATINO Plus; $15 per month with DishLATINO Clásico; $5 per month with DishLATINO Basico. After 12-month promotional period, then-current monthly price applies and is subject to change. You will forfeit discount in the case of a downgrade from qualifying programming or service disconnection during first 12 months. HD FREE FOR LIFE: Requires qualifying programming and continuous enrollment in AutoPay with Paperless Billing. Additional $10/mo. HD fee is waived for life of current account. Offer is limited to channels associated with selected programming package. Qualifying programming packages are America’s Top 120 and above, DishLATINO Plus and above. You may forfeit free HD in the case of service disconnection. PREMIUMS FREE FOR 3 MONTHS: Receive Showtime, Starz, Blockbuster @Home and Encore free for the first 3 months. You must maintain all four movie services during the promotional period. Offer value $132. After 3 months, then-current prices will apply unless you elect to downgrade. 6 FREE MONTHS OF PROTECTION PLAN: Receive the Protection Plan free for the first 6 months. Offer value $48. After 6 months, then-current price will apply unless you elect to downgrade. Change of Service fee will apply if you cancel the Protection Plan during the first 6 months. DIGITAL HOME ADVANTAGE: EQUIPMENT: All equipment remains the property of DISH at all times and must be returned to DISH within thirty days of account deactivation or you will be charged an unreturned equipment fee ranging from $100 to $400 per receiver. Lease Upgrade fees are not deposits and are non-refundable. Maximum of 6 leased receivers (supporting up to 6 total TVs) per account. You will be charged a monthly equipment rental fee for each receiver beyond the first, based on model of receiver. WHOLE-HOME HD DVR: Monthly fees: Hopper, $12; Joey, $7, Super Joey, $10; second Hopper, $12. First Hopper HD DVR receiver and up to 3 Joey receivers available for a one-time $199 Upgrade fee. $199 Upgrade fee waived at time of service activation with subscription to America’s Top 120 and above or DishLATINO Plus and above. A second Hopper HD DVR receiver is available for a one-time Upgrade fee: $49 for a Hopper, $99 for a Hopper with Sling. With a second Hopper HD DVR receiver, one additional Joey receiver is available for a one-time $99 Upgrade fee. Hopper and Joey receivers cannot be combined with any other receiver models or types. PrimeTime Anytime and AutoHop features must be enabled by customer and are subject to availability. With PrimeTime Anytime record ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC plus two channels. With addition of Super Joey record two additional channels. AutoHop feature is available at varying times, starting the day after airing, for select primetime shows on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC recorded with PrimeTime Anytime. Recording capacity varies; 2000 hours based on SD programming. Equipment comparison based on equipment available from major TV providers as of 12/01/14. Watching live and recorded TV anywhere requires an Internet-connected, Sling-enabled DVR and compatible mobile device. On Demand availability varies based on your programming subscription. Requires Android OS 4.0 or higher to watch on an Android device and iOS 7.0 or higher to watch on iPhone or iPad. Select DVR recordings cannot be transferred. ALL OTHER RECEIVER MODELS: Lease Upgrade fee(s) will apply for select receivers, based on model and number of receivers. Monthly DVR and receiver fees may apply. Digital Home Advantage offer is available from DISH and participating retailers for new and qualified former DISH residential customers in the continental United States. You must provide your Social Security Number and a valid major credit card. Participating retailers may require additional terms and conditions. The first month of DISH service must be paid at time of activation. Number of channels may decline. Local and state sales taxes and state reimbursement charges may apply. Where applicable, monthly equipment rental fees and programming are taxed separately. Standard Professional Installation includes typical installation of one single-dish antenna configuration, typical hook-up of an eligible receiver configuration and equipment testing. More complex installations may require additional fees; other installation restrictions apply. Prices valid at time of activation only; additional fees will apply to upgrade after installation. Any unreturned equipment fees will automatically be charged to your DISH account or credit or debit card provided to DISH. DISH shall determine eligibility for this offer in its sole and absolute discretion. Programming and other services provided are subject to the terms and conditions of the Digital Home Advantage Customer Agreement and Residential Customer Agreement, available at www.dish.com or upon request. Blackout and other restrictions apply to sports programming. All service marks and trademarks belong to their respective owners. ©2015 DISH Network L.L.C. All rights reserved. HBO®, Cinemax® and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand® require compatible HD DVR receiver model. HBO GO® and MAX GO® are only accessible in the US and certain US territories where a high-speed connection is available. Minimum connection of 3 Mbps required for HD viewing on laptop. Minimum 3G connection is required for viewing on mobile devices. Some restrictions may apply. SHOWTIME and related marks are registered trademarks of Showtime Networks Inc., a CBS Company. STARZ and related channels and service marks are property of Starz Entertainment, LLC. ESPN GamePlan, NHL Center Ice, NBA League Pass, ESPN Full Court and MLS Direct Kick automatically continue at a special renewal rate each year provided DISH carries this service, unless you call to cancel prior to the start of the season. ESPN GamePlan, NHL Center Ice, NBA League Pass, ESPN Full Court and MLS Direct Kick are nonrefundable, nonproratable and nontransferable once the season begins. NHL, the NHL Shield and Center Ice name and logo are registered trademarks and The Game Lives Where You Do is a trademark of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © NHL 2015. All Rights Reserved. NBA, the NBA logo and team identifications are the exclusive property of NBA Properties, Inc. © 2015. All rights reserved. © 2015 NFL Enterprises LLC. NFL and the NFL Shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League. MLS Direct Kick is a trademark of MLS. Sling is a registered trademark of Sling Media, Inc. All new customers are subject to a one-time processing fee.

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8 | Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2015 | District Chronicles

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(BPT) – Research shows Americans spend $33 billion annually on aftermarket products to enhance the styling and performance of their vehicles. Whether it’s for functionality or appearance, you can find just about any product to modify your car, truck or SUV to fit your needs. An updated navigation system, hands-free Bluetooth, or new speakers might be the thing you need to re-focus your energy and make your drive a bit more enjoyable. “The auto industry as a whole is constantly finding ways to give drivers access to more products that will make their ride smooth and enjoyable,” said Chris Kersting, president and CEO of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), an automotive trade organization. “Thousands of aftermarket manufacturers offer innovative products to personalize and enhance your driving experience.” Here are some product ideas to help drivers ease their commute to and from work: Bluetooth: Made to give drivers a hands-free experience, Bluetooth offers much more than talking on the phone. Integrating wireless functionality, Bluetooth systems allow a connected phone to play

music stored on the device, stream from an Internet radio system, or listen to podcasts. They’re easy to install and come with a variety of different features allowing you to select a product and brand that stays within your budget. Portable navigation device (PND): While GPS-enabled smartphone devices are remain popular, it’s not the same as a PND. As technology has advanced, navigation systems have evolved to include features such as voice commands, real-time traffic updates and large, easy-to-read screens. A portable navigation device can be installed in just about any vehicle and will include a windshield or dash mount for optimal viewing. Air filter: If you have a long commute, you can improve performance, save money on fuel and lessen your chance of engine problems with an aftermarket air filter. A replacement filter is an easy, affordable and reusable way to help your vehicle run more efficiently. Audio system: As you’re sitting bumper to bumper thinking about all of the things you could be doing instead of driving, consider playing an audio book, podcast or music from a new artist. Upgrade your factory system with an aftermarket stereo, also known

as a receiver or head unit, for a fuller sound. Most systems will offer better AM/FM reception, lower volume levels and include options such as a USB or auxiliary input to charge a phone or play music. Aftermarket stereos can be purchased at a local car audio retailer where they’ll be professionally installed. Car and trunk organizer: Nothing’s worse than feeling cluttered. Keep your car in order and your work materials organized with a collapsible trunk organizer or mobile cargo bin. There are tons of different styles and sizes of organizers available, giving you the option to select one that best fits your needs. Window tint: It’s a hot summer afternoon and the sun is beaming down through your windshield. Protect your skin from the UV rays and cool down the inside of your vehicle with tinted windows. Not only does it reduce the heat inside your car, the film is designed to prevent a window from shattering, holding the broken glass in place. Wherever you’re headed, there are thousands of aftermarket products and accessories available to modify your vehicle in preparation for the commute ahead.

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In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington

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Atlantic Gardens is one of the Southeast D.C. apartments to get renovated.

District of Columbia Atlantic Gardens, Atlantic Terrace to get facelift

he District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency issued $32.1 million in tax exempt obligations to fund The Atlantics, its first development project of the new fiscal year. The project is comprised of the preservation of two affordable housing apartment complexes subsidized by project-based Section eight contracts. Atlantic Gardens and Atlantic Terrace, in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast D.C., consist of more than 300 units housed in 11 buildings. Both Ward eight properties, last renovated in

1988, are owned by affiliates of the WinnCompanies. The closing of this first FY 2016 transaction comes on the heels of the Agency’s banner year of affordable multifamily housing production in FY 2015. In the last fiscal year, the Agency financed the development and redevelopment of 1,325 affordable housing units in the first ward, second ward and wards four through eight. “This robust period of activity is evidence of how great the need for affordable housing is in Washington, D.C., as rental rates and

making an impact throughout the District.” In FY 2015, $345 million in total development activity was financed in part by $171 million in tax-exempt housing mortgage revenue bonds and $97 million in LIHTC equity, underwritten by DCHFA’s Public Finance Division. With the closure of 11 transactions in Fiscal Year 2015, the Agency’s production has consistently increased since 2010. DCHFA issues tax-exempt housing mortgage revenue bonds to lower the developers’ costs of acquiring, constructing and rehabilitating rental housing. The Agency offers private for-profit and non-profit developers lowcost construction and permanent financing that supports the new construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing in the District.

We are combating ... lack of affordable housing

– Maria K. Day-Marshall, DCHFA

home prices continue to soar,” said Maria K. Day-Marshall, interim executive director, DCHFA. “We are combating the issue of a lack of affordable housing, and

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Call 202-806-9401 to advertise in the District Chronicles. districtchronicles.com District Chronicles | Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2015 | 11

In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington Montgomery County

Montgomery County implements money saving solar energy projects

ontgomery County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett announced the county’s largest solar initiative. The project with SolarCity encompasses 14 individual projects and will produce approximately 6 million kilowatthours each year – enough to power nearly 600 average size homes. The county will realize significant savings from the move to clean solar, with combined project savings expected to be approximately $11 million dollars over the next 20 years. The recent announcement highlighted the first phase of the initiative, led by the Department of General Services (DGS), at the Jane Lawton Community Recreation

Center in Chevy Chase. The first phase of the project, competitively awarded to SolarCity, will include the installation of solar panels on libraries, recreation centers, correctional facilities, Department of Environmental Protection Solid Waste Services’ sites and other County buildings, grounds and parking lots. To expand the amount of clean energy installed in Montgomery County and Maryland, the county government will host more than five and a half megawatts of solar on county buildings and facilities. The systems will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4,200 metric tons annually, the equivalent of taking 870 cars off the road or planting 100,000 trees. Additional projects are currently being identified. DGS will work with departments to create programming to educate future green technology professionals about the benefits of renewable energy. The Jane Lawton Community

Recreation Center Project is one of the county’s first photovoltaic projects. The system is 40 kilowatts (kW) in capacity and will generate over 50,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh’s) a year. “In this initiative, the county is taking the lead in renewable energy,” said Leggett. “We’re showing the promise of solar power in our community and saving taxpayers money while doing it. And we aren’t stopping here. We have launched our Commercial PACE program and are developing the first local Green Bank in the nation, both of which will provide more low-cost financing options to individuals and businesses looking to improve the efficiency of their buildings and make the transition to solar.” “We are making great strides for both our environment and our green economy, and we are proud to have a leader in that sector, SolarCity, as a strong partner in this endeavor,” said Councilmember Roger Berliner, chair of the Coun-

cil’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee. Under the agreement with the county, SolarCity will design, finance, own and operate the projects hosted on county facilities. The county has agreed to purchase the power for 20 years. On average, the county will pay less than half of what it would ordinarily pay for electricity at a fixed price for the life of the contract. “Incorporating clean energy technologies into county facilities is a top priority for the DGS Office of Energy and Sustainability, and we are continuing to identify additional projects,” said DGS Director David Dise. “We carefully timed this project to take advantage of reductions in solar project costs to provide the most comprehensive project possible and largest savings to the county. This effort is part of DGS’s overall commitment to lead by example and reduce the environmental impact of county opera-

tions.” SolarCity recently expanded its Maryland presence with a new 11,000-square foot operations center in Clarksburg – its fourth location in the state. This latest expansion pushes SolarCity’s total Maryland staffing to more than 700 people. The county is also evaluating other sources of clean and local generation for its portfolio, including microturbines, small efficient generators that produce heat and electricity efficiently. Several facilities are also being evaluated for their potential as microgrids. Microgrids combine solar and other sources of generation with efficiency and advanced controls to ensure uninterrupted power delivery to critical facilities. To track the progress of the latest solar and advanced energy initiative, visit the interactive map on the Office of Energy and Sustainability’s website. www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dgs-oesor contact Eric Coffman at 240.777.5595.

Douglas blanks the Bald Eages at semi-final Pop Warner game at Spingarn High school

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

12 | Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2015 | District Chronicles