Fun Fairly Certain to End
The brouhaha over Fun Fair Video continues. Last month, Mount Vernon Square residents staged a protest outside the porn shop complete with color-coordinated signs, cute photo-ops of local protesting children, and a crowd with a noticeable proportion of media people. But apparently that wasn’t enough to close the place, which is operating without the proper permit (and attracts a lot of crime, neighbors say).
Last Thursday, the publicity-happy Coalition to Shut Down Fun Fair Video issued yet another press release about its thus-far futile efforts. On October 1, the group announced that it was starting a countdown to the closing of Fun Fair, after the Board of Zoning Adjustment issued an order revoking the Certificate of Occupancy, which was supposed to be effective in 10 days, according to the press release. On Thursday, several locals marched down to the video store to check out if the order had been enforced. It hadn’t.
For a second there, it seemed like the group was losing steam. The canned publicity quotes sounded a bit sour, certainly less empowered: “We are optimistic” turned into “we hope.”
But yesterday, the coalition was back! Oh boy, was it back. Cary Silverman, the organization’s president, sent out an e-mail trumpeting a press release from the District of Columbia Attorney General’s Office.
"Fun Fair Video has been operating outside of the law for too long,” D.C. Attorney General Linda Singer states in the release. Her office has requested the D.C. Superior Court to order Fun Fair Video to immediately stop operating.
“The hearing on the request for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) will be heard Wednesday October 17, 2007, at 10 a.m. in Judge in Chambers,” the press release states.
The drama is unrelenting.
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Linked From: October 6th, 2008Washington City Paper: Housing Complex - Mount Vernon Square’s Pretty Nice Actually
4:38 pm[...] my mind. The neighborhood conjured up images of empty and/or depreciating condos, parking lots, a porn shop with peep show booths, and one Cary Silverman, former Ward 2 city councilmember candidate, on a [...]
12:48 pm
My God. Porn! What's next?
The shit people take seriously never fails to amaze me. I moved to the city to escape the narrow-minded hysteria of morals-improving idiots. But evidently they're everywhere.
Watch out, all you perverts! The dogs of decency have been loosed!
2:49 pm
there's enough sarcasm in here to kill an elephant. can't you people make a point without it being snarky?
3:28 pm
This is not about porn or morals. It is about a store without a business license, without a certificate of occupancy that is clearly operating as a crack house. There was even a murder across the street a few weeks back. These residents are protesting an illegal business that is endangering their lives and supporting criminals. You people need to invite this store into your neighborhood if you are so "high" minded.
4:14 pm
Ruth -- why the sarcastic tone? Do you support criminals or residents who are investing in this city. These people moved on top of a parking lot. They didn't replace anyone and they are demanding that the city do its job by arresting criminals and getting rid of crack houses. You should be supporting people who are dedicated to the city like this not sniping at them. Those are exactly the types of citizens that we need. Shame on you.
4:23 pm
We need more citizens like Cary Silverman that keep the pressure up on the City to do its job. If the City enforced its laws more often than every ten years, perhaps the coalition you made so much fun of would not have to do so many press events. Why do you have a problem with this Ruth?
4:43 pm
Alt-weekly accused of being "snarky." News at Eleven!
6:49 pm
Yeah -- the coalition lost so much steam that it cleaned up the two parks in the neighborhood this past weekend and did a community walk with the City Council Member on Monday. Don't quite get where you say the coalition has lost steam. And it seems that without "drama" this ten plus year neglect by DCRA would only continue. This "tired" little coalition will just keep on trying to improve the community. We invite City Paper to join us in that effort.
10:35 am
Why are so many people against what a neighborhood coalition wants out or closed in their own backyard. It seems if these folks lived here and had to deal with the crime, the drugs,street walkers, johns,etc. they would want the same thing done. Give us folks a break come live next to an illegal business that is endangering lives and supporting criminals and then let us know what you think