http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/02/18/where-the-brookland-bloggers-at/

I am so glad you found my item and read it. I was not at the hearing, I watched it online and took notes of your testimony and the testimony of Ms. Hall.It's interesting that you plead with me to visit the TR Center and other facilities. I have visited the TR Center many times along with other DPR outlets.

Why is this interesting? Because you testified that you don't live anywhere near the TR Center and do not frequent it. It seems like your group is bent out of shape based on one really weak complaint: You didn't know about Positive Nature before they moved in.

You marshaled a lot of seniors and a lot of anger based on ignorance. PNI had an open house! They got the word out. The fact that you didn't know they were moving in may have more to do with the fact that you live in Ward 6.

Also: DPR employees were moved to other facilities. At least the majority of them remained gov employees. Maybe some of them migrated to the three other DPR facilities that have senior programming in Southeast.

You may not have come to the hearing to spread false rumors and ignorance, but that was the effect. The City Paper is not my personal platform to spout opinions about various councilmembers. But it is a platform to call out stupidity.

Mr. Cherkis,
Were you at the DPR Oversight Hearing on 2/18/09. You could not have been there because your article does not reflect what was said by the Concerned Seniors of the TR Center. The purpose of our testimony was to show how DPR has no concern for the DPR employees, the programs and the community as a whole. If you are going to write a story you should write what is accurate and not use the City Paper as your personal platform to air your feelings about the Council. You mentioned my name, you should have contacted me personally for my comments and not assume what my purpose is with the
concern seniors. This is a group that was organized to reveal the mishap handling of this Partnership between DPR and Positive Nature. I'm most concern about the welfare and programs for the youth just as I am about the seniors. Before you get on the bandwagon for Positive Nature or any organization that is here for our youth, you should do your research and visits to make sure they are performing as need be. What you should be reporting is the condition of DPR under the directorship of Clark Ray. I have been a avid reader of the City Paper which I will continue to do so, but I will take your reporting with a grain of salt..Alice Love

Even more irksome and scary than Councilmember Thomas (who with enough pushing and enough cameras will show up to try and help)...is the treatment that Brookland ANC 5A is getting from its new commissioner, Carolyn Steptoe.

If you can, you should join the Brookland listserv. There are weekly, if not daily, posts asking Ms. Steptoe for her position on community issues such as Streetscapes, Small Area Plan, Metro Development, GLBT issues...and to date, Ms. Steptoe has refused to state any postion on any issue. Demands that community members who want to ask her position or get her response show up to her SMD meetings...and then either cancels the meetings or doesn't hold them for months at a time.

Oh, and when a meeting does occur (only one has)...she packs the agenda with far too many items than can be covered in 2 hours and then insists if you ask a question of her, her position, her political agenda, etc. that is not on her meeting agenda that you hold your question until the end...if there is time.

Guess what...the meeting ran out of time. So, community members asked her on the listserv. She states that she, as an elected official, cannot publicly answer any question or state any position on any legal matters that involves DC elected officials, DC government officials, or DC community members. Then, she has the audacity to lump every question, concern or topic that was asked of her into one of those categories above...thus giving a blanket statement that she cannot and will not discuss her views on any of the issues.

When pressed to use the listserv, as many members of Brookland work late, have small children, or otherwise cannot always make it to her (manatory) meetings...she simply quipped that the listserv does not provide the ability for proper discussion of topics...and therefore she would not use it to share any opinions, thoughts, or views of her positions on community issues.

(however, whenever it suited her needs...she certainly had no problem using the listserv...like when she stated that she witnessed 2 people vandalizing her election posters. Only 2 posters were vandalized. The two right outside her front door. Apparently, these 'vandals' didn't even tear down the other 20 posters they would have passed in the direction she 'claims' they ran off...)

For over 3 years before the work started, the community pleaded with DDOT and Thomas' office to include burying the overhead Pepco Utility lines underground for the one mile stretch along 12th Street NE. Thomas just ignored the request until the community's public rally and press coverage forced his hand. He then came and marched and showed his support. He pledged to get Pepco to bury the lines. He introduced legislation that would require Pepco use the money...only the legislation was so full of loop holes it allowed Pepco to submit an estimate that was $15 Million for the one mile stretch. $15 Million...a figure that was proven to be nearly 8 TIMES higher than industry and regional averages. A figure that was 8.5 times higher than a report that Pepco participated in two years earlier that stated it would be $1.6M/per mile in DC.

The Brookland community, through a former ANC Commissioner, fought Pepco and DDOT in court...at its own cost. Where was Thomas during all of this...? Completely absent. Even while Pepco completely ignored his legislation, he never once followed up on the issue. He got his picture in the paper, and then moved on to the next set of cameras.

The result...DDOT sped up the construction work resulting in sidewalks being constructed hastefully, needing to be torn up and put back down. We have 'bulb-out' corners that are too wide for EMS/FIRE and Buses to get around. Bike lanes are now missing. The light fixtures hardly work and are tacked, hidiously, to the Pepco power poles. And, worst of all, even after continued Community uproar, they look to still want to build a median down 12th Street. A median that will cut off access to dozens of local businesses, add horrific traffic backups and prevent Fire/EMS/Police safe, quick routes to 3 major hospitals and thousands of residents.

For the record, the Court ruled that Pepco's estimate was garbage and that a more reasonable estimate was clearly closer to $2.5M, and well within the budget to have been completed. But, since DDOT had sped up construction and now didn't he he funds available, the Court stated that the burying of the utilities underground was no longer a feasible component to the Brookland Streetscape.

No one from Harry Thomas' office ever bothered to show up at the hearing. All were invited three times.