District Chronicles V14 Issue 49 by District Chronicles

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PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL CLINTON BACKS D.C. STATEHOOD 12

Lady Bird emerges! The tunnel boring machine completes its task. Page 4

Drew Bates/Creative Commons

July 30 - August 5, 2015

Tips to keep your car repair cost down Page 8 www.districtchronicles.com

Volume 14 Issue 49

Editorial

President Obama basks in string of victories

Youtube/The White House

Jam packed week President Obama. He created a deal with Iran that enrages republicans and addresses prison reform.

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

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(TriceEdneyWire.com) – For the past several weeks, it has seemed that President Obama could do no wrong. Even some critics see his success. Media types say he’s had “good weeks.” Using my own terminology, I say that everything he’s touched has turned to gold. Although we always expect the best, I’m sure there’re many who stand in awe of Obama and his ability to pull victories from the jaws of defeat. I’m sure some call it luck, but I attribute his successes to the combination of superior intellect and good, old-fashioned common sense. I also believe he has been blessed with an anointing from God. My first source of political joy came from the announcement that a deal had been struck with Iran, preventing its development of nuclear weaponry. As a proponent of peaceful conflict-resolution, I joined those Americans who embrace diplomatic resolutions to this – and future – problems emerging from the Mid-East. From the start this deal has faced an uphill battle against the criticism from Obama’s mostly Republican political opponents and the elected Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. As negotiations continued, objective observers understood that no settlement would be acceptable to those who were and still are entrenched in positions that lead only to war. The military men and women

I know believe the military to be established to protect and defend national interests when diplomacy fails. Fanatics who stand in opposition to negotiated settlement apparently want military force as the first alternative to conflict management. Without question, the U.S. has the best, most technologically advanced military in the world, but we should not let ourselves be forced into a fight just because we can. Significantly, until July 14, 2015, those in opposition had no substantive knowledge of the terms and conditions of the agreement. That fact begs the question, “How can you be against an agreement when you don’t know the outlined terms?” Despite the logic of this question, those whose only opposition to Obama is his race and/or his party believe and are able to convince other likedminded bigots that the agreement is bad. Details of the agreement are too extensive to fully outline, so I urge you to read them for yourself or listen to Obama’s July 15 press conference. On July 14, I was present as Obama addressed the NAACP Convention in Philadelphia. His speech contained his proposals to reform sentencing procedures for non-violent drug offenders. Overwhelmingly, his speech was welcomed. In my opinion, this speech was part two of an outstanding presidential week. To anyone listening objectively, the President’s logic was pure. Some of the facts he presented

were: The U.S. is home to 5 percent of the world’s population, yet houses 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Taxpayers spend 80 billion each year to pay for U.S. prisons. A causal factor for the prison population increase is sentencing that is not proportional to the crime committed. The U.S. incarceration rate is four times higher than China’s. The U.S. imprisons more people than the combined prison population of the top 35 European countries. In 1980, the U.S. prison population was 500,000. Today, it is 2.2 million. In the last two decades, the U.S. prison population has doubled. The president is proposing restructured sentencing, alternative or diversionary sentences, drug courts and other innovative methods to reduce the imprisonment of non-violent drug offenders. This is especially important to communities of color since many of our citizens fall victim to excessive law enforcement and number among the non-violent drug offenders. It was a very good week for the President Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc.

President Obama to help track billions of stolen Nigerian assets

Finance

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Global Information Network

Pete Souza/White House

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – With a dangerous insurgency spreading within his borders, the visit to Washington this week by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was certainly going to touch on increased military support against Boko Haram. But it also encompassed a discussion of stolen assets – namely billions of dollars siphoned away by bankers, ministers, and in some cases newly-minted millionaires. According to the new president, about $150 billion has been stolen in the past decade and held in foreign bank accounts by former corrupt officials. It could have been used on education and healthcare, among other spheres of national life, he said. Adetolunbo Mumuni, director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), praised the agenda: “We welcome the commitment by President Obama to assist the Buhari gov- President Barack Obama and President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria shake hands ernment in tracking down billions before Oval Office meeting, facing the Press. of dollars stolen from the country. According to SERAP, “Recov- Nigeria should not rest essentially However, greater efforts are re- ering stolen assets from the US is on a security and military-to-miliquired by the Obama government a lingering issue that requires jus- tary relationship,” he said. to follow through its commitment tice and fairness especially given Still, to demonstrate his reif it is to secure a measure of justice the complicity of US banks and solve at purging incompetence in for Nigerian victims of corruption other institutions in corruption the military, President Buhari last and money laundering.” and money laundering in Nigeria, week dismissed his entire miliThe Nigeria-based organisa- and the fact that stolen assets have tary top brass, even as militants tion asked President Obama to contributed to the growth of US launched deadly attacks in Ni“establish a Presidential Advisory economy. “ geria’s remote northeast and in Committee Cameroon. and facilitate This was a Congressiodiscussed at nal Hearing on a breakfast stolen assets meeting Monfrom Nigeria. day with Vice These initiaPresident Joe tives would be – Johnnie Carson, adviser to the U.S. Institute of Peace Biden where tremendously they compared important in notes on the bringing renewed attention to Johnnie Carson, a former assis- terror war. “Victory cannot come repatriation of stolen assets to tant secretary of state, concurred in from the military option alone,” Nigeria.” the view that Washington should Biden told the Nigerian leader. “Corruption, money launder- not let security issues overshadow After the high-level meetings ing and systematic violations of the need for closer trade and in- with Obama and Biden, Buhari human rights go hand in hand vestment ties. is scheduled to meet with World and that is why President Obama “Nigeria is the most impor- Bank executives, members of the should do everything within his tant country in Africa,” said Car- U.S. Congress and West African power to get to the bottom of the son, currently an adviser to the diplomats. He is also scheduled to stolen assets from Nigeria kept in U.S. Institute of Peace. Now more hold a town hall meeting with Nithe US,” the group said. than ever, “the relationship with gerians in the DC area.

Nigeria is the most important country in Africa

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Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington

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DC Water’s first tunnel boring machine completes four and a half mile tunnel for cleaner Anacostia River

ady Bird emerges! DC Water’s celebrated tunnel boring machine (TBM), Lady Bird, has completed her mission, creating a four-and-a-half-milelong tunnel that will be used to help improve the water quality in the Anacostia River. Lady Bird completed her dig earlier this month and today her cutterhead was extracted from a 100-footdeep shaft near DC Water’s Main Pumping Station in Southeast Washington, DC. Lady Bird began her journey two years ago, in July 2013, from a starting point at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. She tunneled along the Potomac River northward to Poplar Point and then crossed under the Anacostia River and continued west, finishing at a deep shaft along Tingey Street, SE. To prepare for her arrival, this shaft was filled with flowable fill concrete and water, to protect against changes in pressure as Lady Bird mined through the shaft wall. Crews then dug out the concrete to reveal the muck-brown machine the bright blue, green and white paint she wore into the tunnel long since burnished away. A special heavyduty crane was deployed to hoist the cutterhead, the elaborate steel face of the machine with built-in cutting and slicing tools and the other pieces of the TBM that were too heavy for the cranes on site. ”This is a terrific milestone for DC Water’s Clean Rivers Project,” said DC Water CEO and General Manager George S. Hawkins. “We are fortunate that the tunneling went so smoothly, finishing on time and on budget, and I applaud our DC Water staff as well as Traylor Skanska Jay Dee and everyone else who took part in this successful dig.”

dcwater.com

4 | Jul. 30 - Aug. 5, 2015 | District Chronicles

District of Columbia

Lady Bird’s mission on building this tunnel is finally over.

DC Water’s Clean Rivers Project will incorporate two methods to keep combined sewage and stormwater from overflowing into waterways, during heavy rains in the parts of the city with a combined sewer system. The first is to build underground tunnels that will hold combined sewage and stormwater until rain subsides, then convey it for treatment at Blue Plains. The second is to create green infrastructure to capture and infiltrate rain on-site before it can reach the combined sewer system. Carlton Ray, Director of the DC Clean Rivers Project, added “Lady Bird performed as well as projected having a one-day best mark of 150 feet. In her best week, she tunneled 631 feet. This TBM’s success means we are one step closer to a cleaner Anacostia River.” Lady Bird dug the southernmost segment of the Anacostia River Tunnel. The next section will be mined by another TBM named Nannie, who is preparing to begin her tunnel at a site near RFK Stadium. The Northeast Boundary

Tunnel is the longest portion of tunnel, and that contract has yet to be awarded. At the northern tip of the tunnel system is the First Street Tunnel, a relatively short tunnel that will be mined by Lucy, and is designed as a flood protection project for the Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park neighborhoods. Lady Bird removed approximately 1.2 million tons of material that she mined. This was hauled away in nearly 72,000 truckloads over the last two years. She built the tunnel with 28,189 pre-cast concrete segments which made up 4,027 full rings. The cost of tunnel boring machines is included in the contract for each tunnel segment; therefore, the TBMs are owned by the contractors for each tunnel portion. Lady Bird is the property of the contractor and can be extracted and used on another project. Lady Bird is being sold back to her German manufacturer, Herrenknecht. For more information about the Clean Rivers Project please visit: dcwater.com/cleanrivers

Divine Intervention

Blame abortive culture on U.S., not Planned Parenthood By David Gushee Religion News Service

AMG | PHOTOGRAPHY We photograph concerts, birthdays, weddings, sporting events, portraits and more. E-mail amgunited@ymail.com to receive a free quote on your next event. Messiah and Friends at G2 Lounge 10-21-11. See more photos at flickr.com/amgunited.

David Gushee/Courtesy Photo

f you were repulsed by the viral video of Planned Parenthood discussing shipping fetal tissue to medical research labs, you’re not alone. But you know who is really responsible? Americans. A sting operation by the Center for Medical Progress captured Planned Parenthood Senior Director of medical services Deborah Nucatola doing some lunchtime shop talk. Nucatola was, at one point, describing how abortions are best performed if one wants optimal fetal tissue/organ preservation – and discussing how much money Planned Parenthood receives for this. The release of the video has freshly inflamed the abortion part of the culture wars. We know that videos can be edited. We know how much some people hate Planned Parenthood. And we know that doctors can easily sound cavalier about practices they routinely employ and the rest of us could not imagine. I won’t pile more blame on Dr. Nucatola. The video seems pretty disastrous for her and for Planned Parenthood. But I will pile on us. Yes, we the people of the United States of America. We are the ones who have created a society in which we have become utterly dependent on abortion. We are the ones who choose every year to turn to abortion clinics and drugs to end one out of five healthy pregnancies. We are the ones who keep having sex outside of committed and marital relationships, thus risking an unwelcome pregnancy. We are the ones who keep having sex without using contraceptives, even when they are readily available. We are the ones who fight over the politics of abortion without doing much to reduce demand for it. Men, I speak to you: How many of you would really like to live in a society in which abortion was not available as a backup for your sometimes casual and irresponsible sexual encounters?

Dr Gushee challenges us all to rethink ways to lessen the number of unnecessary abortions we americans have overlooked.

How many of you churchgoing, supposedly God-fearing American men have ever had sex you shouldn’t have had? How many of you have been awfully glad that in the end abortion was available to save your marriage, career, reputation and bank account? How many ministers in that number? How many politicians? We can blame the Supreme Court for Roe v. Wade all we want. We can blame Planned Parenthood. But the Supreme Court voted as it did in large part because of how much demand there was for abortion in sexual-revolution America. The court has had 40 years to undo its decision. There has been no reversal of our national sexual practices – and consequently, no reversal of that decision. Republicans, I speak to you: For all your pro-life rhetoric, would you really pull the trigger on rolling back abortion access in any serious way? Would you really want to face the political consequences of making abortion largely illegal, in this libertine country? (We all might just find out after 2016 if a Republican is elected president.) Democrats, I speak to you:

Who among you are willing to say that this video reflects an attitude toward the moral status of fetal life that is less than appealing? And by the way, whatever happened to “safe, legal and rare?” Where’s your energy for seriously driving down abortion rates and being willing to talk about why such a goal would reflect your party’s values of concern for the vulnerable and powerless? This is what happens in the belly of the beast. People who help women end their unwanted pregnancies believe in the moral rightness of the work, so they get used to the less savory part of it. And then the products of their procedures turn out to have value to others. That value must be preserved. And we can talk about it over lunch. We created the beast itself. We chose to create a society in which the trade-off between our sexual practices and fetal life is won by our sexual practices. Everything else is postscript. The Rev. Dr. David Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University.

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District Chronicles | Jul. 30 - Aug. 5, 2015 | 5

Cover Mass incarceration makes country worse off

The Shorter sentences for lowlevel drug dealers. Reduced sentences for prisoners who complete programs

that make them less likely to commit a repeat offense. Innovative new approaches to link former prisoners with employers and help them stay on track with good jobs. “Ban the Box” on job applications that ask about incarceration histories “so that former prisoners who have done their time and are now trying to get straight with society have a decent shot in a job interview.” The right to vote upon reentry to society for people who have served their time. The NAACP applauded Obama’s proposals. Three days earlier, the President had commuted the sentences of 46 non-violent prisoners with federal drug convictions. It was also two days before he became the first U. S. President to actually visit a federal prison. Obama told the audience that a third of the Justice Department’s budget now goes toward incarceration. “But every dollar they have to spend keeping nonviolent drug offenders in prison is a dollar they

can’t spend going after drug kingpins, or tracking down terrorists, or hiring more police and giving them the resources that would allow them to do a more effective job community policing,” he said. He added that there are immeasurable costs – those that come from the racial disparities of the system and the disproportionate impacts on people of color. “African Americans and Latinos make up 30 percent of our population; but they make up 60 percent of our inmates. About one in every 35 African American men, one in every 88 Latino men is serving time right now. Among white men, that number is one in 214,” he said. “The bottom line is that in too many places, black boys and black men, Latino boys and Latino men experience being treated differently under the law. “This is not just barbershop talk. A growing body of research shows that people of color are more likely to be stopped, frisked, questioned, charged, and detained. African Americans are more likely to be arrested. They are more likely to be sentenced to more time for the same crime. And one of the consequences of this is, around one million fathers

Pete Souza/White House

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - For the $80 billion that America spends annually to keep people incarcerated, the nation could have universal preschool for every 3-year-old and 4-year-old in America; could double the salary of every high school teacher; could finance new roads, bridges, airports, job training programs, research and development, President Obama told the NAACP convention earlier this month. In a speech to the NAACP’s Annual Convention in Philadelphia, President Obama called for criminal justice reforms that would reduce mass incarceration. Obama described the issue as an “aspect of American life that remains particularly skewed by race and by wealth. “There’s a long history of inequity in the criminal justice system in America,” he said, adding that more Americans have come to realize the level of racism in the criminal justice system. Policies he said he will push include:

Obama called for reforms that reduce mass incarcerations at the NAACP 106th convention.

are behind bars. President Obama has spoken to the NAACP just about every year since he’s been in office, but never with as much detail about the perils of racism and injustice. “What is that doing to our communities? What’s that doing to those children? He asked. “Our nation is being robbed of men and women who could be workers and taxpayers, could be more actively

involved in their children’s lives, could be role models, could be community leaders, and right now they’re locked up for a non-violent offense.” “So our criminal justice system isn’t as smart as it should be. It’s not keeping us as safe as it should be. It is not as fair as it should be. Mass incarceration makes our country worse off, and we need to do something about it.”

Questions continue to surround the death of Sandra Bland (TriceEdneyWire.com) – Sandra Bland has become the latest in a string of African Americans who have experienced suspicious deaths in police custody. In the rapidly developing case, the medical examiner has ruled the death a suicide. But the FBI is now investigating the case as a possible murder. According to widespread reports, Bland was arrested for allegedly kicking a police officer July 11. She was found dead, hanging in a holding cell the morning of July 13. Family members said the 28year-old from Naperville, a Chicago suburb, had no indications of an emotional state that would lead to suicide. According to the Associated Press, she was arrested following a traffic stop for failing to signal a lane change and was jailed in a Waller County jail cell in Hempstead, Texas. Protests are rapidly increasing over the death, which is under in-

vestigation by Texas Rangers. Already, hashtags #JusticeForSandy and #WhatHappenedToSandyBland are trending on social media. “Based on the Sandy that I knew, that’s unfathomable to me,” said Bland’s sister, Sharon Cooper, at a news conference in Chicago, according to AP. Another sister, Shante Needham, said they learned of Bland’s death as they tried to raise money for her bail. “This family is really looking to understand what happened,” said the family’s lawyer, Cannon Lambert, during the news conference. “We don’t understand this. It doesn’t make sense.” Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis claims there is so far no evidence of foul play. “If I receive information that there’s something nefarious going on, or foul play, we will certainly get to the bottom of that,” said Mathis in an interview with the Chi-

6 | Jul. 30 - Aug. 5, 2015 | District Chronicles

Sandra Bland died in police custody after a traffic stop led to her arrest in Texas.

cago Tribune. “I understand there’s some disbelief among some friends and family that she would do this to herself. That’s why it’s very important that the Texas Rangers be allowed to conduct a thorough investigation.” However, Mathis later told a local television station, “I will admit

it is strange someone who had everything going for her would have taken her own life. That’s why it’s very important a thorough investigation is done and that we get a good picture of what Ms. Bland was going through the last four or five days of her life.” Bland was about to start a new job Aug. 3, at the Historically Black College Prairie View A&M, where she received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture in 2009. She was reportedly taking a position as a programming associate for the school’s cooperative extension. Reports say that Needham, her sister, said Bland called her from jail on July 11. Bland reportedly told her that an officer had placed his knee in her back and she thought her arm had been broken. “She was very aggravated. She seemed to be in pain. She really felt that her arm had been fractured,” said Needham, according to AP. “I told her I would work on getting

her out.” Although the Harris County medical examiner has classified Bland’s death as a suicide, it remains under investigation as a normal protocol when anyone dies in police custody. Erik Burse, a trooper and spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, told the Chicago Tribune that Bland “was outside the car and about to be issued a written warning when she kicked the officer and was then arrested.” Lambert, the family’s lawyer, said he didn’t know what happened prior to the arrest, but he did not believe Bland would kick an officer unless provoked. No one in her circle of friends believes the police. LaVaughn Mosley told KPRC TV, “Anyone who knows Sandy Bland knows she has a thirst for life. She was planning for the future, and she came here to start that future, so to say she killed herself is totally absurd.”

Politics

Site of Mike Brown’s death to become center of hope By Marc H. Morial

thegatewaypundit.com

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – “Up from a past that’s rooted in pain / I rise / I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide / Welling and swelling I bear in the tide / Leaving behind nights of terror and fear / I rise / Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear / I rise” – Dr. Maya Angelou, “Still I Rise,” 1978 Today, in the face of tragedies that shock the collective conscience of our nation, it has become commonplace for national media to ask, “What will happen after the cameras shut off, the notepads are tucked away and the reporters have gone home?” Those in the community – who have been most intimately touched by the calamity – will wonder aloud, and to themselves, “What comes next?” Those questions lingered in the smoldering air of Ferguson, Missouri, after the death of Michael Brown – an unarmed Black teen shot and killed by a White police officer – ignited protests, riots and left behind a trail of urban destruction in its wake. Last week, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, under the leadership of President and CEO Michael P. McMillan, provided its response to those persistent questions. From the ashes of a convenience store burned in the unrest following Brown’s death will rise the new Urban League Community Empowerment Center. The center, set to complete construction in fall 2016, will house the Urban League’s recently launched Save Our Sons program. The workforce-training program will provide life- and communitychanging assistance to AfricanAmerican men living in Ferguson

and surrounding North St. Louis County communities. The fourweek training program serves to broaden access to education, job training, economic self-reliance and employment for its participants. Since the initiative’s launch in January, over 100 Black men from Ferguson and its surrounding neighborhoods have already found gainful employment. Along with three other social services organizations: Provident, Better Family Life and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, the center will also offer counseling for housing, assistance with utilities and rent, as well as mental health services. The Save Our Sons initiative has proven its value and now, it can continue to provide its muchneeded services in a new home. Eleven months ago, a QuikTrip stood where the new empowerment center will one day stand. The nondescript convenience store at the corner of West Florissant Avenue and Northwinds Estates Drive was set on fire the day after Brown’s death, and in the days that followed, it became a powerful symbol and staging ground for protesters and rallies. QuikTrip, an Oklahomabased chain of convenience stores, had the lot cleared, erected a fence, demolished the store’s remains and contacted the Urban League with an offer to donate the property and a request that a community center be built in its place. This is how we rebuild communities. This is how we work

The new Urban League Center will be built on the site of Quiktrip store burned in the aftermath of Ferguson riots.

as partners –private, corporate and government – to save our cities. This is what a commitment to changing lives for the better and empowering our fellow citizens to become productive members

Lesley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown – broke ground together, determined to bestow meaning and purpose to pain. Building a new empowerment center in Ferguson represents tangible movement on the issues of social injustice and inequality that create the cycle of povand vio– Ferguson erty lence that entraps so many of our citizens in our nation’s most vulnerable communities. The new empowerment center means we put boots on the ground and listened to the needs of the community. McMillan has said the community center and its

What will happen after the cameras shut off ... of their communities looks like. From once scorched land, a beacon of hope and lasting change will rise. At a site once marred by anger and violence born of tragedy, the Urban League and community members – including

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direction and purpose is a direct result of conversations the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis had with young people following Brown’s death. The Urban League Community Empowerment Center will also be the catalyst for further development in the area, kicking off business development along the West Florissant Avenue corridor. Debate and conversation has its rightful place in our nation, but rhetoric without resources and a resoluteness to enact reforms leaves us in the same place it found us. Debate and conversation may sometimes represent motion, but building the Community Empowerment Center represents movement – movement in a positive direction with a higher purpose

District Chronicles | Jul. 30 - Aug. 5, 2015 | 7

Cars and Trucks

What’s the real cost of that auto repair for best dollar bang?

Geoffrey Spencer/District Chronicles

Maintaining your car in great shape in not an easy process for some. Here are some tips that will help those who are stuggling.

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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.

8 | Jul. 30 - Aug. 5, 2015 | District Chronicles

(BPT) - Do you take your car’s “health” for granted? Only when the check engine light comes on do you realize how important a fully functional vehicle is to your daily life. Feelings of fear, regret and anxiety often rush in: “Will my car break down?” “Should I have gotten my oil changed sooner?” Can I trust that I’m receiving a fair price for repairs?” These are all reasonable concerns, according to Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com executive editor. “According to Mintel, on average, drivers spend nearly $1,000 per year maintaining their cars, and that number will likely only increase as the average age of vehicles continues to get older,” says Wiesenfelder. “Even more important, a recent survey by Cars.com and Toluna found that one in three drivers don’t trust that the prices mechanics quote to them are fair. ‘Expensive’ and ‘stressful’ are the top words that come to mind for many consumers when they’re thinking about car maintenance and repairs.” Knowledge is power, but for many consumers, car maintenance can be shrouded in mystery. Many don’t know which mechanic to go

to, how much to pay or if the price they’re being quoted is accurate. Thankfully, tools and resources are available to help drivers confidently navigate the automotive service and repair process. Here are a few expert tips, resources and busted myths to arm you with the information you need to make informed, confident decisions about car service: 1. You probably don’t need to change your oil every 3,000 miles. Due to technology advancements, many auto manufacturers recommend changing oil at intervals of 7,500 miles or more for new cars.

ensure drivers never overpay. The online tool also helps drivers find local service providers and offers reviews from actual customers to help them find a quality mechanic. 4. Drivers expect the tires that come with their new vehicle to last a long time, but tire life depends on many factors, including: the quality of the tire, its treadwear rating, whether it is an all-season, summer performance or winter tire, the type of vehicle and where and how it is driven.

2. Does a dirty air filter really hurt performance? A clogged air filter won’t significantly affect fuel economy, but it can reduce acceleration from 6 to 11 percent, according to a U.S. Department of Energy Study. For that reason, it’s a good idea to periodically visually check the engine air filter.

5. Service engine? If the check engine light comes on and has a steady illumination, that indicates a possibly serious issue, and it should be dealt with quickly by a mechanic. If the check engine light is flashing, find a place to park the vehicle and turn the engine off as quickly as you safely can. Ignoring your check engine light increases the likelihood of additional problems.

3. Cars.com has launched a new “Service & Repair” feature that provides a fair price estimate for different types of service, helping

For more information, tips and to learn more about Cars.com’s Service & Repair tool, visit www. cars.com/auto-repair.

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 766 Doris L. Davenport Name of decedent Carl E. Snead 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., #190316 Washington, D.C. 20004 Name and Address of Attorney Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs Celestine Smith, whose address is 1837 9th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Doris L. Davenport who died on May 15, 2015, with a will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington D.C. 20001, on or before 1.16.2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 1.16.2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication 7.16.2015 Personal Representative Celestine Smith 202-667-2162 TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

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In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington

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The Smithsonian crowdfunds to raise money to restore and preserve Neil Armstrong’s suit on Kickstarter.

District of Columbia Norton introduces bill to strengthen Smithsonian fundraising capabilities

ongresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has introduced a bill to strengthen the Smithsonian’s governance and fundraising capacity, marking the first significant change to the institution since it was established in 1846. Norton said her bill is particularly timely, given that the Smithsonian launched a crowdfunding campaign on July 19, to raise $500,000 to preserve and display Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 space-

Southeast Waterfront Development Bill has major economic impact with “Ballpark Square” groundbreaking

In April, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) spoke at a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of a 450,000 square-foot development project in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood at 99 M Street SE. The development of the new parcel resulted from Norton’s Southeast Federal Center PublicPrivate Development Act of 2000, which allowed private sector development of federal land for the first time. Norton wrote the unique

suit. Norton said America’s finest cultural institution should not have to rely on targeted online crowdfunding campaigns to display its world-class artifacts. Instead, the Smithsonian should have a governance structure that facilitates much larger fundraising efforts to build a solid endowment. Norton’s bill makes changes to the Smithsonian’s governance structure by expanding and changing the current 17-member composition of its Board of Regents, which includes public officials – six Members of Congress, the Vice President of the United States, and the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and nine private citizens. Norton’s bill brings the board to 21 members, comprised solely of private citizens. Unlike officials

such as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, private citizens are more fully able to reach out to the public and philanthropists for fundraising. The bill would, however, preserve and strengthen the traditional role of the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and President of the United States in selecting members of the Board. “The Smithsonian Institution, with its world-class museums art galleries, research facilities, educational showplaces, and the National Zoo, needs a board equal to the task of raising far more funds to help support this unique institution,” Norton said. “Federal funds cannot cover all the Smithsonian’s unique expenses, as the search for funding Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit points out.”

legislation, launching a new direction in federal land use, to benefit the District as well as the federal government. This parcel, located north of Nationals Park, will consist of residential, hotel, and retail units and is another major step toward the activation of the Capitol Riverfront area. “The Capitol Riverfront was perhaps the most valuable brownfield in the United States before our Southeast Federal Center Public-Private Development legislation was enacted in 2000,” said Norton. “Today, it has become an entirely new D.C. neighborhood and one of the fastest growing areas in the city. Capitol Riverfront

not only created a new section of the city, but has opened the river to the city, compounding its own value. With each new project, we are closer to achieving the full economic renaissance we envisioned when Capitol Riverfront was a wasted asset on the waterfront more than a decade ago. Capitol Riverfront, which has restaurants that seat customers near the river, housing with terrific views, and office space, is already a go-to section of our city. Ballpark Square will fuel the continued development of the Southeast Washington community through new jobs, investment, and tax revenue for the city.”

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District Chronicles | Jul. 30 - Aug. 5, 2015 | 11

In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington District of Columbia

Congresswoman Norton: Hillary Clinton supports D.C. Statehood

illary Clinton, candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, has personally told Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton that she strongly supports statehood for the District of Columbia. “I have always been with you, Eleanor,” Clinton told Norton. “Of

course I support D.C. statehood.” In their conversation, Norton spoke to former Secretary of State Clinton about how D.C. wanted the vote, but only statehood could free D.C. from congressional interference and Clinton agreed. “I have known Secretary Clinton since she was First Lady, so I was not surprised by her support for D.C. statehood,” said Norton. “President Bill Clinton was the first president to support statehood for the District of Columbia, and President Obama has followed in endorsing D.C. statehood. “President Clinton made

phone calls that helped get Democrats to support my statehood bill when I first came to Congress. I am not surprised that President Clinton and Secretary Clinton have long been on the same page for full and equal rights for the residents of the District of Columbia.” On July 14, Norton attended three Capitol Hill meetings with Secretary Clinton: a Democratic Caucus meeting, at which Norton asked Clinton about the Iran nuclear deal, a Congressional Black Caucus meeting and a Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) meeting.

Norton said she waited until the conclusion of the CPC meeting because she wanted to have a personal conversation about this top issue for District residents and be assured of Clinton’s support in the future. In 1993, almost two thirds of House Democrats and one Republican voted for D.C. statehood in the only vote on the issue that has ever occurred on the floor in either chamber. Republicans have mostly controlled the House since Norton came to Congress, making it difficult to get a statehood vote to the floor since. At the beginning of this Con-

gress, Norton introduced her bill to make the District the 51st state with a record number of original cosponsors (93) and a current record number of cosponsors (121). Sen. Tom Carper, ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced the companion to Norton’s D.C. statehood bill with a record 17 original cosponsors, including the top four Senate Democratic leaders. Last September, the Senate held its first-ever D.C. statehood hearing and the first congressional hearing on D.C. statehood in over 20 years.

District residents crowd flea market stalls at Eastern Market in Southeast in D.C.

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

12 | Jul. 30 - Aug. 5, 2015 | District Chronicles