The time has almost come for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's annual birthday spectacle.

Two years ago, Fenty threw a grand, open-door party at the Washington Convention Center. A year ago, Fenty kicked off his re-election campaign with a massive fete at the Forest Hills home of local developer Chris Donatelli. This year, for Hizzoner's 39th, the birthday bash/campaign fundraiser will also take place at a tony, oversized residence. This one, however, isn't occupied by any developer.

In fact, it's vacant. The Dec. 5 event will be held at 1821 Hoban Road NW, a 7,000-square-foot, six-bedroom model home built as part of the Residences at 1801 Foxhall, a development of 27 single-family homes in the upscale Ward 3 neighborhood.

According to an e-mail sent out to Fenty supporters, guests will "mingle in a signature Fenty outdoor tent" and can "do a dine-around on quick healthy bites of tacos, turkey chili or mac and cheese catered by On The Fly"---the ex-business of Fenty transportation director Gabe Klein. Oh yes: "There will also be a large cache of Wine, Beer & Soft Drinks."

There is a slight bit of irony to the location: The 1801 Foxhall residences are being built on the site once proposed for a grand mayoral manse.

Potomac, Md., philanthropist Betty Brown Casey (widow of developer Eugene Casey and the name behind Casey Trees) had proposed donating the former Marjorie Merriweather Post estate to the city and building a grand residence thereupon, to be named Casey Mansion. She even bought some $2 million worth of furniture for the dwelling. Alas, after years of feuding with neighbors, activists, federal and local officials, Casey dropped the plan in 2003.

St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School bought the property and in turn sold a portion to McLean-based Elm Street Development to finance a new campus for the school.

If you attend the fundraiser and like the house, it can be yours for $3,849,000.

Stories broke this morning in the Los Angeles Times and in the Examiner reporting that D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee took an active role in investigations of her fiance, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Allow LL to explicate a little more fully what this is and what Rhee is alleged to have done.

Rhee's involvement in Johnson's dealing has been revealed as part of an investigation by two congressional Republicans into the firing of Gerald Walpin, who had served as inspector general for the federal AmeriCorps program until June. Republicans allege that Walpin was fired by the Obama administration for political reasons---in particular, for pressing his investigation of mismanagement of federal funds by St. Hope, the nonprofit founded by prominent Democrat and Obama ally Johnson. The Republican report [PDF], released today, concludes that the White House's decision to fire Walpin was "based on incomplete and misleading information"; that a White House lawyer's explanation for the firing is "not credible"; and that the firing "is likely to have a chilling effect on the IG community." In other words, there's a lot of political posturing going on here.

But along with their report, the Republicans also released Walpin's IG report on St. Hope, which includes interview notes indicating that Rhee got involved after a St. Hope employee reported being "touched inappropriately" by Johnson.

Rhee's involvement in the probe stems from the statements of Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez, a former St. Hope staff member, to federal investigators. According to an interview report, Wong-Hernandez told an investigator that Rhee was well known as someone who filled several roles with Johnson's St. Hope organization and would use Johnson's office when she was in town. Wong-Hernandez said that Rhee 'played the role as "Damage Control". When there was a problem at St. HOPE, Ms. Rhee was there the next day taking care of the problem.'

When the sexual misconduct allegations were raised, Rhee contacted Wong-Hernandez to figure out what had happened, telling her "she was making this her number one priority and she would take care of the situation." Subsequently, Wong-Hernandez found out that Johnson's lawyer had contacted the accuser, after which the accuser dropped the complaint.

Disgusted with how the incident had been handled, Wong-Hernandez quit St. Hope, and it was Rhee who conducted the exit interview. She told Rhee the reason she was leaving was the way St. Hope had handled the sexual misconduct allegation. According to the interview report, "Ms, Wong-Hernandez also informed Ms. Rhee that she didn't trust the management at St. HOPE. Ms. Rhee documented the interview in her daily planner and responded to Ms. Wong-Hernandez by thanking her for bringing it to her attention how disorganized the program had become. Ms. Rhee didn't try to talk Ms. Wong-Hernandez into staying."

The L.A. Times further reports that Rhee spoke directly to Walpin, having discussions "in which she made the case for Johnson and the school he ran in Sacramento" and described Johnson as "a good guy." Still, the paper reports, "Rhee's position had little effect on [Walpin], who filed a criminal referral to the U.S. attorney on Johnson....But both the Sacramento police and federal attorneys declined to pursue charges."

When Walpin's report had to say regarding Johnson's sexual misconduct was a relatively minor part of the report, which focused on misappropriation of federal funds and other serious-but-less-salacious charges. But allow LL to share what Walpin turned up---the first instance related in the report is what was described to Rhee by Wong-Hernandez; it's unknown if Rhee was aware of the other allegations below:

G. Improper Sexual Physical Conduct

Our investigation disclosed evidence of sexual misconduct towards young female Members by Mr. Johnson. One Member, [REDACTED] (Ex. 19 hereto), reported that, in the February/March 2007 time frame, she was entering grades into the SAC High database system per Mr. Johnson's instructions at the St. HOPE office at night, purportedly as part of her AmeriCorps service. [REDACTED] contacted Mr. Johnson to inform him that she had completed the grades and wanted him to review them. About 11:00 pm, Mr. Johnson arrived at St. HOPE and instructed [REDACTED] to gather her things and come with him. Mr. Johnson drove to [REDACTED] apartment, which is managed by St. HOPE Development and houses its AmeriCorps Members, purportedly so that they could review the students' grades. While in [REDACTED], in which another AmeriCorps Member had a separate bedroom, Mr, Johnson laid down on [REDACTED's] bed, [REDACTED] sat on the edge of the bed to show him the grades, at which time Mr. Johnson "layed down behind me, cupping his body around mine like the letter C. After about 2-3 minutes or so, I felt his hand on my left side where my hip bone is." Further, although not detailed in her written statement, [REDACTED], during the interview, demonstrated, while explaining, that Mr. Johnson's hand went under her untucked shirt and moved until his hand was on her hip. [REDACTED] immediately got up and stated she was done and left the room. When she returned, Mr. Johnson was still in her bed, but now apparently sleeping. Only after [REDACTED] sought to take a blanket to sleep elsewhere did Mr. Johnson exit to the living room of the apartment. [REDACTED] related that Mr. Johnson slept on the couch in her apartment living room that night and subsequently left the apartment at approximately 6 a.m. the next day.

After, as [REDACTED] put it, she "got the courage to tell... my supervisors," she reported the incident, which, she was informed, was communicated to St. HOPE Academy's Human Resources Department and the Chief Financial Officer. The night after [REDACTED] made her report, Mr. Johnson approached her and apologized. Subsequently, Kevin Hiestand, Johnson's personal attorney, met with [REDACTED], described himself only "as a friend of Johnson," and "basically asked me to keep quiet." Also, about one week after this incident, when [REDACTED] told Mr. Johnson she was going to quit because of financial and family reasons, Mr. Johnson "offered to give me $1,000 a month until the end of the program," stating that it would be confidential "between him and I." As [REDACTED] related that conversation, Mr. Johnson "said all he needed was my savings account number," he would make the deposit and "no one needed to know about it." [REDACTED] did not accept this offer by giving Mr. Johnson her account number.

Another former Member, [REDACTED] (Ex. 20 hereto), reported that, while attending a St. HOPE sponsored trip to Harlem, NY, from June 26 to July 16, 2006, Mr. Johnson, on three occasions, "brushed [her] leg with his hand," including once "flip[ingj up the edge of her skirt. Other times, she stated, Mr. Johnson kissed her cheek, brushed up against her as he walked past, and massaged her shoulders. ([REDACTED] reported another incident that occurred in Sacramento, CA, in which Mr. Johnson touched [REDACTED's] inner thigh with his hand while enroute to a restaurant. [REDACTED] said she did not report the incidents to AmeriCorps officials at that time because she feared she would be terminated from the program and because Mr. Johnson was assisting her in obtaining acceptance into the United States Military Academy, where she subsequently enrolled.

In addition, former SAC High teacher Mr. Erik Jones (Ex. 12 hereto) reported that a former AmeriCorps Member, [REDACTED], reported to him, sometime in 2007, that, while at SAC High, Mr. Johnson had inappropriately touched her. Mr. Jones stated that [REDACTED] had reported that Mr. Johnson started massaging her shoulders and then reached over and touched her breasts. (Attempts to interview [REDACTED] have been so far unsuccessful.) Mr. Jones related that, after he reported this incident to St. HOPE Academy officials, he was contacted by Mr. Hiestand, Mr. Johnson's attorney, but who identified himself solely as St. HOPE'S counsel, and stated he was conducting an internal investigation. Mr. Hiestand told Mr. Jones that [REDACTED's] "story" was different from Mr, Jones' and told Mr. Jones to change his "story" and then go back to work. Mr. Jones, realizing what he was being asked to do, elected to resign as a teacher and left SAC High.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT---"Sullivan to Nickles: 'You're Playing Games With The Wrong Judge'"; "Ximena Hartsock Headed to Youth Trust?"; "Pershing Park Case: Patterson Hopes District Has Learned Its Lesson"; tweets galore!

Greetings all. A congressional report connects Michelle Rhee to unsavory personal accusations involving her now-fiance, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. KJ has been accused of sexual misconduct with young women, and Examiner columnist Byron York writes that Rhee, while serving on the board of Johnson's St. Hope nonprofit, 'learned of the allegations and played the role of a fixer, doing "damage control"' for Johnson. A former St. Hope employee says 'that Rhee told her that "she was making this her number one priority, and she would take care of the situation." A short time later, the employee learned that the girl who had complained about Johnson had received a visit from Johnson's personal attorney.' Allegations against Johnson and St. Hope were first leveled by AmeriCorps' inspector general, who referred the matter to federal prosecutors in California. The L.A. Times reports that Rhee had 'several conversations' with the IG 'in which she made the case for Johnson and the school he ran in Sacramento...[saying] he was "a good guy."' As part of a settlement with St. Hope, the sexual misconduct allegations were not addressed, and the IG was fired by the Obama administration in June. The LAT story notes that Rhee's 'role in the incident may have repercussions among city officials in Washington, where she has developed the profile of a contentious and controversial schools chief.'

AFTER THE JUMP---WaPo ed board calls for probe of Gray allegations; ex-official's name appears in court docs filed in taxi bribery case; Fenty's swim habits spark Wilson pool controversy; council, Catholics explore compromise; DISB changes birth-control policy for insurers; Fenty airplane pitch leads to possible move for Bethesda company; report says UDC should spin off community college

The WaPo editorial board digs into Vincent Gray's recent bad press, saying that an 'independent look' into allegations of improper fundraising and questionable home repairs 'would serve the interests of both Mr. Gray and the city.' With regard to his home, 'questions remain,' they write. 'Was it appropriate for a company that gets millions of dollars in D.C. government business to get involved in a project of this nature? Was there any connection between Mr. Gray's payment and the inquiries by' a WaTimes reporter? 'Mr. Gray suggested that politics...is what's at play. He would do better to clear up any questions by insisting that the city's inspector general, or some other independent body, review the transaction. Likewise, the revelations about Comcast---which Mr. Gray acknowledged should have been handled differently---make it increasingly clear that either the Office of the Attorney General or the Office of Campaign Finance needs to get to the bottom of how the D.C. Democratic State Party handled its funds and fundraising last year.'

INCIDENTALLY---Peter Nickles says he sees nothing untoward about Gray's home renovations, done by a subsidiary of William C. Smith & Co., the megadeveloper: 'There's no indication of quid pro quo, except innuendo....It's just a bunch of isolated facts put together.'

At long last, the name of former Taxicab Commission chair Causton Toney surfaces in court documents, Del Wilber reports in WaPo, as part of an affidavit filed in support of a warrant to search his house. According to prosecutors' allegations, Toney 'participated in a long-running bribery scheme that sought his influence to obtain lucrative taxi licenses,' though he has not yet been charged and his lawyer denies any wrongdoing. The FBI has phone calls where Toney appears to have knowledge of and participate in the scheme whereby cab company owner Yitbarek Syume attempted to bribe current DCTC chair Leon Swain to obtain company licenses ahead of an anticipated moratorium. At one point, Swain asks Toney where his bribe money is. Replies Toney: 'Okay...I didn't know what was going on. I didn't even know that was going on at all....I'll just tell him to get his act together.' Toney's name had earlier appeared on FBI audiotapes played in court.

ALSO---More on Ted Loza's alleged misdealings: Warrants indicate he was pulled into the investigation through 'intercepted conversations' with Abdulaziz Kamus, whom he is alleged to have taken bribes from. 'In a November 2007 phone call, Loza asked Kamus whether he could "raise a little money for us to go on this trip" to El Salvador. The next day, Kamus handed Loza $500 for the trip, the FBI alleged. By the next year, the FBI said, Kamus had arranged for Loza to accept about $3,500 for a trip to Ethiopia from an undercover FBI agent posing as a taxi investor, the court papers say....In the court papers, an agent wrote that a District-based advertising firm, Prisma Communications, paid for Graham to fly to El Salvador last year. Graham said that he knew a company had financed the trip but that it had no business with the city. He has denied any wrongdoing. "I am not a target of this investigation," he said Thursday.'

Another exercise-related controversy for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty: Per the reporting of WRC-TV's Tom Sherwood, users of the spanking-new Wilson Aquatic Center (particularly Wilson HS swim team parents) are 'grousing that the pool too often is not configured for the team's 25-meter practices and contests. Instead, there are only eight lanes that each are 50 meters. The parents say that the longer lanes were there because Mayor Adrian Fenty---a triathlete---wanted the long lanes for his training and those of other triathletes.' Fenty 'didn't directly answer whether he wanted the long lanes [but] said the pool is big enough for compromise so all swimmers can be accommodated during any week.' DPR is coming up with a new lane schedule.

Speaking of the Democratic State Committee and handling of its funds, D.C. Wire airs more evidence of the internal dissension that's plagued the party organ for months. Jeff Richardson, Stein Club president and DCDSC member, sent an e-mail yesterday to Lenwood Johnson and Philip Pannell asking them to cool their ongoing requests for federal investigations into DCDSC finances. He wrote: 'In light of today's press in the Post and the CityPaper and given the direction this investigation is going with the intense response by the D.C. Republican Party, I am personally requesting that you both consider delaying your action to allow DCDSC members to hear your specific concerns with the hopes of outlining a plan of action to address your specific concerns without further public embarrassment to the D.C. Democratic Party and D.C. Democrats.' Johnson said he already sent a letter to the U.S. attorney; Pannell sent the e-mail to the press.

Petula Dvorak writes in her WaPo column that while the retail opportunities may have changed, some things in Columbia Heights have stayed the same. Such as the violence that recently claimed 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes. 'The kids standing around with tattoo girl rolled their eyes and laughed at me when I asked whether they were surprised by the shooting and whether it's made them more frightened to be out. "Where are you gonna hide? Kid got shot in his place. With his family right there," a teenage boy with peach fuzz on his chin said....They are pretty blind to the optimism that a billion-dollar commercial development along this stretch brought to adults.' WUSA-TV explores similar themes.

ALSO---'On Thursday, as Oscar's family was preparing his funeral arrangements and kids stayed away from the playground, the Prince of Petworth blog posted a reader's complaints about the neighborhood...."I ordered latté and it was a disaster...."'

Has a new spirit of compromise come to city legislators and local Catholic leaders? Tim Craig reports in WaPo that councilmembers and Eleanor Holmes Norton are 'reaching out to the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington to see whether they can find a compromise so the Church will not end its social services contracts.' Church leaders have met with Vincent Gray, and Norton has spoken with Archbishop Donald Wuerl. One possible compromise broached by the council is to extend health benefits to another member of an employee's household without specifying 'spouse' or other such language; similiar arrangements are used by Georgetown University and in San Francisco. ADW spox Susan Gibbs says 'archdiocese officials were happy that city leaders were "finally responding," but she said she was not sure the proposal alleviates the Church's concerns.'

WBJ's Jonathan O'Connell identifies the business that the Fenty administration wants to hand a major tax break: It's CoStar, 'a global leader in commercial real estate data.' The deal went down this way, according to its CEO: 'Fenty, sitting next to him on a flight back from a shopping center convention in Las Vegas last May, gave Florance a sterling pitch to move the company's offices from Bethesda. When Florance brought up the difference in taxes, the mayor said, "We could try to solve that problem for you." Fenty kept his word. In October, he proposed a tax abatement for CoStar worth an estimated $7 million over a 10-year period, provided the company sign a five-year lease in D.C. and maintain at least 250 employees there.' A complication is that the CoStar tax abatement is intertwined with a Urban Institute tax deal that's now on hold.

In another WBJ report, O'Connell looks at the $5M TIF deal that brought a West Elm furniture store to the Woodies building in 2007. The revenues from that deal are reportedly not meeting expectations. 'Many retailers, particularly those linked to home sales, have not fared well in the housing bust and long recession, which could be hurting the 37,500-square-foot store.' In the big picture, things are fine, CFO says: 'In fiscal 2008, the city took in $30.2 million from TIF-related sales and property tax revenue and is required to spend only about $9.7 million meeting the associated obligations.'

ALSO IN WBJ---DDOT's Gabe Klein talks streetcars and more; hotel investments start to rebound; coverage of whether 2050 regional plan is realistic; WaPo online workers unionize.

New report urges UDC's new community college to go it alone in order to 'be embraced as "credible and legitimate" by a business community that has lost faith in UDC,' Daniel de Vise reports in WaPo. The report, commissioned by D.C. Appleseed and the Brookings Institution, essentially argues that the community college should 'focus on remediation, needed by more than 70 percent of students who entered the old UDC' so that the 'university, largely pruned of remedial students, can focus on raising the graduation rate.' UDC leaders aren't buying that total separation is necessary: 'What's more important, they said, is to produce results that will win over skeptics.' They 'endorse a separate administration for the community college, but not necessarily an independent board.'

Faced with uproar, Metro decides to delay SmartBenefits changes for a year. 'The revisions were supposed to take effect Jan. 1. But Metro officials said Thursday that after hearing from commuters and employers, who also complained that the proposed changes were confusing and announced too late, they decided to push back implementation to give employers more time to figure out how they will administer the plan,' Lena Sun writes in WaPo. 'Metro officials said Thursday that the one-year delay might allow them to speed up the timetable for other SmarTrip improvements that have been repeatedly postponed.' Also Examiner.

ALSO---Metro opens its arm to Tri-State Oversight Board's track inspectors, WaPo reports, requiring 'all agency employees Thursday to cooperate fully with the transit system's safety oversight body and executives to notify the board before denying a request from the group.' The board also 'called on the localities that fund Metro to provide more resources for the Tri-State Oversight Committee and urged the federal government to institute "robust" safety regulation and oversight of transit.' Also Examiner, WTOP.

Harry Jaffe is glad to report that a federal jury has 'absolved' MPD Detective Kevin McConnell 'of violating the rights of a man he shot in self-defense, in the line of duty' as part of a civil case concerning a 2007 scuffle outside a Skyland carryout. 'The question is, will the victory in federal court persuade D.C.'s police department to stop trying to kick him off the force?...McConnell was scheduled to come before the MPD's Trial Board this week to defend himself against termination. The federal case forced a postponement. McConnell deserves a medal, not a slap-down. "Maybe," he says, "somebody will do the right thing." Somebody, like Chief Cathy Lanier.' (Incidentally: Jaffe, in his story, refers to the good detective as 'Mike McConnell' even after he properly called him Kevin McConnell in a June story.)

Arrest made in the cold-blooded killing of Petworth shopkeeper Rufina Hernandez. Police yesterday afternoon apprehended Andres Lopez, 45, near Fourth and Kennedy Streets NW. WaPo reports that Police Chief Cathy Lanier 'said Lopez had been arrested previously in the area near the store. She declined to say whether Lopez was the suspected shooter or whether the gun used in the slaying was found. The search for a second suspect continues, and Lanier sought further help from neighborhood residents.' Also NC8, WRC-TV, WTTG-TV.

Blogger reports that Insurance Commissioner Gennet Purcell has ruled that coverage of birth control by health insurers is no longer mandatory. 'Under Purcell's watch, private insurance companies operating in Washington DC are now allowed to opt out of covering contraception in individual plans. This coverage is considered "non-mandatory" by the insurance commissioner and some women are finding their birth control coverage suddenly dropped.' An online petition has been started.

HERE WE GO AGAIN?---Jonetta Rose Barras reports in her online column that Jack Evans is pledging to reintroduce civil gang injunction legislation after the Fuentes murder. '"I intend to introduce it as stand alone legislation," Evans said, adding that he also is working with the Office of the U.S. Attorney on another bill. He declined to provide details, however. Evans said the spate of murders in the city demand the council take strong and immediate action.'

Bill Turque with a D.C. Wire post on the cognitive dissonance between Rhee's recent comments to a WSJ panel ('collaboration and consensus building are quite frankly overrated in my mind') and her inclusion in a Tom Brokaw-hosted 'Characters Unite National Town Hall'---'a national town hall to search for common ground on complex social issues.' Turque adds: 'To be completely fair, her point is that too much collaboration and consensus building can lead to paralysis when trying to transform troubled institutions such as DCPS.'

Also from Turque: Watkins Security, which was kicked out of D.C. schools 'after an inspector general's report found that it was overpriced, underqualified, ineffective and employed some guards with criminal records,' is back at DCPS schools as a subcontractor for U.S. Security Associates, one of the firms hired to take over from Hawk One. Says Watkins exec: 'I don't want to get into opening old wounds....I don't need any adverse publicity. I want to go about my business.'

More unconfirmed rumblings from Candi Peterson that DCPS continues to hire teachers. She writes: 'I have received emails confirming sightings of new 'teacher hires' beginning the second week of November, only a month after the notices of layoffs were given to 388 DC teachers and school staff.'

WaPo's Ian Shapira examines the burdens of being a liberal trust-funder in this town, including a look at some who gather for 'a kind of group therapy session about their families' wealth....They are young people who have inherited or stand to inherit big money, and they are spending their post-college years living modestly and working to address the needs of the poor, hungry and politically disadvantaged. But the privilege they grew up with and the money coming their way nag at them in ways few people not in their position can fathom.'

THE BLADE REBORN---The D.C. Agenda, successor publication to the Washington Blade, is now live on the Web. Writes editor Kevin Naff: 'The former staff of the Washington Blade remains united and DC Agenda represents our effort at continuing the important mission and work of the Blade. It will grow and evolve to include a much larger and more diverse group of voices. But the core of the Washington Blade's work remains unchanged. We will cover Congress, the White House, the LGBT rights movement, the D.C. marriage fight, local hate crimes and other political issues important to the LGBT residents of the city.'

WAMU-FM's Kavitha Cardoza covers city's cuts to child-care subsidies for low-income D.C. parents. 'Fahim Shabazz says he has a four and five year old who attend St. Philip's Child Care Center in South East D.C. He says his costs jumped from less than 10 dollars a week to more than 110 dollars for each child. And Shabazz says he doesn't know what to do. "Should the day care bills be paid or should the house bills be paid?"' Also NC8.

Mother says her 9-year-old quadriplegic daughter was stabbed on DCPS school bus en route to St. Coletta's School, NC8 reports. 'Her mother says the bus driver called her and told her what happened. "She said the little girl that cut Nadja is 17 years old and they attend the same school," said Rowe.' St. Coletta's says she cut herself; she remains hospitalized.

The new clerk for the District's federal court will be Angela Caesar. WaPo's Del Wilber reports that she 'will oversee a staff of 84 and an annual budget of about $10 million. She has worked in the office for 19 years and was deputy for administration before being given the top job.' ALSO IN WAPO BRIEFS---Saturday is adoption day for dozens of city foster children.

Want to know more about Georgetown U.'s 10-year campus plan? The Voice can help.

WaPo letter writer has kudos for city health officials for the H1N1 clinics. 'I want to commend the D.C. Department of Health for the planning, organization and human resources that went into this successful effort....Though most doctors and pharmacies in Washington have yet to receive their allotments of the H1N1 vaccine, I am pleased to say that the Health Department clinic offered a painless option for those who wish to be vaccinated now.' WUSA-TV reports that the clinics, now at rec centers rather than schools, are still quite crowded.

Urn filled with veteran's ashes still not found.

D.C.'s office vacancy rates likely to hit 15 percent before stabilizing, says Jones Lang LaSalle. 'Expected boosts in the federal budget will continue to cushion the D.C. office market and shift absorption back into positive territory in 2010. But the continued delivery of speculative construction projects in the area is expected to force vacancy rates further upward and keep leverage squarely with tenants, said JLL.'

D.C. Health Care Finance Agency cuts staff, WBJ reports: 'During the realignment, which took place Aug. 31, 79 separation letters were issued and 62 new positions were posted online for which its employees could apply. Of those 79, 47 were hired into new positions, seven retired, nine did not apply for any positions, and 16 applied and were not hired back, according to the department...."As the Department completed its transformation to a cabinet level agency, it was imperative for our organizational structure to mirror our mission," the department said in a statement.'

14th & R condo deal moves ahead.

To reduce backlog, D.C. Court of Appeals tries shortening oral arguments from 30 minutes a side to 15 minutes a side. ALSO in Legal Times: Lobbyist accuses NYT reporter Ian Urbina of conflict because his father is federal judge Ricardo Urbina, who ruled on case involving lobbyist's client.

WRC-TV covers Ray's the Steaks move to Ward 7 as part of Donatelli development at Minnesota and Benning. And organic market headed east of the river, to Pennsylvania Avenue development. ALSO: Attention Kelo activists: 'Mayor Adrian Fenty has proposed legislation that would allow the use of eminent domain to acquire property on the 2200-2500 blocks of Pennsylvania Ave. and the 2200-2400 blocks of Minnesota Ave. According to the legislation, on which the D.C. Council had a hearing today, eminent domain is needed because vacant buildings there are "obsolete, dilapidated, and deteriorated to the point of being nuisances to the community" and they "must be redeveloped in order to improve the safety and quality of life in the area and to attract businesses that are desired by nearby residents."'

Superior Court Judge William Jackson, who presides over the family division, gets 3-Minute Interviewed by Examiner.

'Spotlight On: Michelle Fenty'

Read Alice Rivlin's testimony in support of District budget autonomy.

WTOP's Mark Segraves tags along on Coast Guard training mission.

Tommy Wells and residents ponder how to make ballpark area livable-walkable. Also: Ward 6 to get 'new bike racks, wayfinding signs, large map kiosks at Metro stations, a heritage trail connecting Barracks Row and the ballpark neighborhood.'

Cyber-bullying at charter school!

Video of Jack Evans on a bike (plus Fenty and Klein), courtesy of WRC-TV. Borderstan has more.

D.C. COUNCIL TODAY---10 a.m.: Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary hearing on 'Hate Crimes in the District of Columbia and Police Response to Reports of Hate Crimes,' JAWB 500; 11:30 a.m.: Committee of the Whole roundtable on 'Implementation of an Independent Community College in the District of Columbia,' JAWB 412; 1:30 p.m.: Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs roundtable on PR18-579 ('People's Counsel Vicky Beasley Confirmation Resolution of 2009'), JAWB 120; 2 p.m.: Committee on Health roundtable on 'The Performance of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Administration,' JAWB 123.

ADRIAN FENTY TODAY---10:45 a.m.: remarks, Eastern SHS modernization groundbreaking, 1700 East Capitol St. NE.

The soon-to-be-ex-director of the city parks and recreation department might have been rejected by the D.C. Council, but Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has made no bones about declaring Hartsock to be a model municipal administrator deserving of continued government employment.

And yet, the confirmation battle has soured relations between Hartsock and several councilmembers, making any appointment to a council-confirmed post a futile exercise. But a solution may exist.

The rumblings are this: Hartsock's next stop in municipal government is likely to be as chief executive of the Children and Youth Investment Trust Corp. That is a quasi-governmental nonprofit that partners public and private entities to fund and oversee various youth programs. Crucially, the president/CEO post is appointed solely by the nonprofit's board.

Fenty last year asserted control over the body by ousting several high-powered board members and replacing them with close allies. After the power move, the board selected Millicent Williams, who had been Fenty's volunteerism head, as chief executive.

Williams departed late last month to take over the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency; she's been replaced on an interim basis by longtime CYITC exec Ellen London.

The move would play to Hartsock's strengths---CYITC's focus is more purely on out-of-school youth programs (which was Hartsock's job as a top official for the D.C. Public Schools) than DPR's---while avoiding her political Achilles' heel.

Then again, perhaps not. Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. tells LL that a Hartsock appointment "would lead to a tough funding situation" for businesses that partner with the CYTIC. "Funders would look at the controversy around her, and they would perceive her as not having the most positive relationship with the council," he says. (The agency's budget is overseen by Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells, who voted for Hartsock's confirmation.)

Thomas, for the record, put in a good word for London: "Why doesn't this administration, instead of shuffling people around, look at people who have experience, who have worked at these agencies, and who have done good work?"

Hartsock's spokesperson had no comment on the matter. London tells LL she's heard nothing from board members except that a search would be undertaken. One board member tells LL that the Hartsock move is rumored but that the mayor has yet to pass any names to the board.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT---"The Vincent Gray Home Improvement Invoices"; "Vincent Gray Calls Misconduct Allegations 'Clearly Political'"; "Affidavit: Ramsey Ordered Pershing Park Arrests"; "Jim Graham's New Logo Embraces Sartorial Trademark"; tweets galore!

IN LL WEEKLY---All Bets Are Off: The lottery contract saga goes on. Also: Fired DPR employees claim the stats were juked to force layoff.

Greetings all. LL realizes the drip-drip-drip of recent news related to the 2002 Pershing Park arrests must be making his readers' eyes glaze over at this point, but a rather momentous allegation surfaced yesterday in federal court: A D.C. cop has said in a sworn statement that he heard then Police Chief Charles Ramsey order the illegal arrests, saying, 'We're going to lock them up and teach them a lesson.' WCP's Jason Cherkis notes that Ramsey 'repeatedly stated in depositions that he had not ordered the mass arrest of approximately 400 people during the Sept. 27, 2002, World Bank/IMF protests.' The cop, Detective Paul Hustler, 'states in his affidavit that officers were ordered to funnel people into the park' and that he 'was standing near Ramsey and various police officials at the time' that the order was given. As troubling here is the cover-up: The city has sought to bar Hustler from giving a deposition; federal Judge Emmet Sullivan has ordered it to go forward, with U.S. Marshals or a magistrate judge in the room to make sure city lawyers don't unduly interfere. Also Jordan Weissmann at Legal Times and Del Wilber in WaPo, Scott McCabe in Examiner, and AP. Ramsey's lawyer, Mark Tuohey, says 'Hustler's comments might not be accurate and prove only that the detective overheard a conversation.'

AFTER THE JUMP---Vince Gray starts answering questions about home renos, DNC fundraising; Chaffetz asks city honchos about feuding; Fenty tries to sneak in People's Counsel nominee; Examiner editorial board not Fenty fans; Rhee gets WSJ ink; JBG lawsuit persists

Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray spent yesterday playing defense after a pair of newspaper stories raised questions about his ethical judgment. Gray addressed the allegations on NewsChannel 8, answering host Bruce DePuyt's questions defensively but frankly; LL summarized his remarks. WJLA-TV, WRC-TV, WUSA-TV, and WTTG-TV all picked up the reports. And now, the second-day stories: Jeffrey Anderson follows up on his WaTimes scoop with more on how the work done on Gray's house was 'outside the normal scope of practice' for William C. Smith & Co.'s construction subsidiary. A company spokesperson 'was unable to point to any other examples of construction management jobs for single-family homeowners that involved minor repairs' and declined to confirm, as Gray claimed, that the small repairs were incidental to a larger renovation. And WaPo joins the story, with a report from Nikita Stewart and Tim Craig saying that the deal 'raised questions about whether Gray had used his influence to get the repairs from a developer that usually does not perform work on single-family residences' though the WCS spokesperson said her company 'has performed work on other private residences.' The WaPo article also briefly explores the political ramifications, noting that '[i]n recent weeks, Gray supporters have said he could fashion a campaign around questions about Fenty's ethical standards.' Also see Jonathan O'Connell's WBJ reporting on the matter; LL has posted the invoices for the work. Meanwhile, in today's Examiner, Michael Neibauer looks at the Democratic National Convention fundraising letter Gray sent to Comcast on council letterhead. In his NewsTalk appearance, Gray admitted that using the official stationery was a bad idea.

City leaders appeared yesterday morning before a House subcommittee in order to stump for legislative and budgetary autonomy for the District---an Eleanor Holmes Norton-sponsored bill that would effectively remove congressional review of local government actions. In WaPo, Tim Craig frames things this way: Fenty and Gray 'put aside their political differences Wednesday to support an effort on Capitol Hill to give the District more control over its budget and laws.' Said Fenty to the lawmakers: 'The District government of today is not the District government of the 1990s....We have come a long way, and we are not going back.' The Democrats on the panel are cool; the Repubs, not so much. That includes our old friend Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah. His take: 'The District of Columbia is not a state, and it should be treated differently.' Also NC8, Reuters, WAMU-FM, which notes that 'District resident Nikolas Schiller wore colonial garb to today's hearing, a protest that D.C. still has no representation. But Capitol police ordered him to remove his tri-cornered hat.'

GREAT---'At one point, Chaffetz tested the unity of Gray and Fenty, who have been feuding all year over a variety of issues, including tickets to Nationals baseball games and the handling of city contracts. "If things are going so well, what sort of grade would you give the mayor?" Chaffetz asked. "This legislation is not about the mayor," Gray replied.'

As expected, pushers of a marriage initiative have filed suit in Superior Court seeking to overturn the elections board's rejection of the measure. And they have turned to a novel legal argument to do so, WaPo reports: 'In the 15-page filing, [Bishop Harry Jackson] and his seven co-petitioners argue that the city's ordinances gives residents the same lawmaking power as the council, except for appropriations...."The people of D.C. have a right to vote on the definition of marriage," said Austin R. Nimocks, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, the conservative legal group representing Jackson. "The D.C. Charter guarantees the people the right to vote, and the council cannot amend the charter for any reason, much less to deny citizens the right to vote."' Funny, because the right to initiative/referendum is nowhere in the charter. Also Metro Weekly.

ALSO---Chaffetz weighed in on gay marriage at autonomy hearing: 'I'm disappointed the people are not getting an opportunity to vote on this issue,' he told Fenty. Hizzoner 'responded that he stands by the board's opinion..."The voters of the District of Columbia have elected a fabulous council to make those decisions."' And Rep. Brian P. Bilbray of California asked Fenty what he should tell his constituents about the District's decision not to follow in his home state's footsteps and allow a vote. Said Fenty: 'What you can say is the people of the District of Columbia have a different set of laws.' Snap!

GOOD NEWS---'Chaffetz said Wednesday that he does not see how same-sex marriage opponents will be able to derail the bill in Congress. "Democrats have the House and the Senate and the presidency," Chaffetz said. "I'm going to try to fight back, but procedurally, they've got us pretty well wrapped up."'

Dorothy Brizill raises questions in themail about an upcoming hearing for People's Counsel designee Vicky Beasley. Muriel Bowser, she writes, 'has gone to great lengths to limit citizen participation in the hearing....[There was] no notice of the hearing published or posted on the council's online calendar, not was a written notice of the hearing available at the council's Office of Legislative Services....It clearly appears that Bowser, working in collaboration with the Executive Office of the Mayor, fabricated a tight time frame for council review and public scrutiny of Beasley so that the council will be forced to vote on her nomination at its next legislative meeting, on December 1.' LL also notes that Fenty has not held a press conference to announce Beasley's nomination.

MORE ON BEASLEY---'Beasley's nomination by Fenty is at the behest of her mentor at Patton Boggs, Matthew Cutts, a Fenty pal who was selected by the mayor in 2007 to head the Sports and Entertainment Commission. Apparently, Cutts discussed with Beasley several possible positions in the Fenty administration, and she selected the People's Counsel office, even though she is not a litigator and the People's Counsel is a litigating position. The most important duty of the People's Counsel is to protect the citizens from unjustified and unnecessary rate increases by utilities, and Noel's success at that has led to Fenty's displeasure with her. When Beasley met with some citizens who asked her what her priorities would be for the office, she didn't mention rate regulation at all; instead, she said her top three priorities would be "smart metering, smart grid, and submetering." These priorities should please landlords and utility companies, but they are peripheral to the real job of the office — representing citizens in the regulating process and protecting them from the rapacious utilities that are Fenty's primary concern in making this nomination.'

A local editorial board says it's 'Time to stand up to Fenty'! No, silly, not that one---the Examiner editorial board! The jumping-off point for the righty opinionists is the parks contracting scandal. 'Deputy Mayor Valerie Santos' claim that "there was no intent to sidestep the council" is ludicrous. And if Fenty didn't think [Ximena Hartsock] was capable of managing his parks projects, why did he nominate her to run the entire department? Because he knew she'd keep her mouth shut?' The editoral dredges up other old Fenty nuggets, concluding: 'The unspoken message is that the criteria for getting a top-level appointment or a lucrative government contract is not who's the best qualified or who can do the highest quality work for the least cost, but who has the closest ties to the Fentys. This kind of cronyism inevitably leads to widespread government corruption. If the mayor's friends are first in line at DPR, there's a good chance the same thing is happening in other departments.'

WSJ covers Michelle Rhee's campaign against teacher tenure, writing that the 'Obama administration says it wants to remake public education around the principle that the best teachers should be promoted and rewarded, regardless of seniority. And a brawl over just that idea is now playing out in the shadow of the White House.' The story quotes Arne Duncan on DCPS teacher contract negotiations: 'We generally don't weigh in on local labor disputes, but this has gone on too long and they need to bring it to closure....There are a lot of good ideas on the table and this agreement could be a national model'

And PBS's NewsHour delivers its latest report about DCPS under Rhee. This time, John Merrow looks at the teacher layoffs: 'Rhee has been no stranger to controversy since she took control of D.C.'s public schools over two years ago. She's closed 25 schools, replaced almost half her principals, and battled the teachers union over a new contract. But some believe Rhee's latest actions pose a threat to her larger reform effort. When we spoke with Rhee back in July, she didn't see money trouble on the horizon. According to her, the budget was strong.'

ALSO---DCPCSB member Will Marshall praises Rhee as an 'undiplomatic' woman. Check short video of Rhee remarks at Arkansas college. And DCPS is doing a recruiting event Dec. 2 at the CityVista Busboys.

Councilmembers want to establish 50-foot-radius 'safety zones' around all city transit stops, Neibauer reports in Examiner, inside of which criminals would be subject to enhanced penalties. 'The measure seeks to deter crimes "where we know people are proven to be targets," said Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr., who co-introduced the bill Tuesday with at-large Councilman Michael Brown. Criminals "prey on these persons who go back and forth using our public transportation system," he said....A person who commits a serious crime, like assault, robbery or rape, within the zone faces 1.5 times the maximum fine for that act and 50 percent more jail time.'

And Tommy Wells wants to reduce the number of unexcused absences that D.C. public schoolkids can accumulate for authorities investigate, Kavitha Cardoza reports for WAMU-FM. 'Children in D.C. public schools can have 20 total days of unexcused absences within a school year before a referral is made to Child and Family services. At least seven council members support changes to the District's truancy regulations; they want children between the ages of five and 13 to have just 10 unexcused absences within a school year before authorities are contacted.'

From Tom Sherwood's Notebook: Yvette Alexander wasn't invited to Fenty's bag-tax press conference in Ward 7 earlier this week. '"Things were good at one point," she said of her relationship with the mayor, "but now it seems we've taken a turn for the worse." Alexander did not just support the bag-tax bill. She pointed out that she was a willing proponent who combated those who claimed the bill would affect low-income and seniors unfairly....Not inviting ward council members to events is nothing new for the mayor. But if he or his staff thinks they're making political points, they might rethink the policy. What good does it do to irritate more than half the council on such things?.'

Metro board today will vote on approval for an executive's 12-day, $14,000 trip to the Czech Republic, Kytja Weir reports in Examiner, even though said executive left on the trip 10 days ago. 'The transit agency is asking for permission to approve sending Damon Cannon, a project manager, to oversee the shipment of three D.C.-owned streetcars that have been in storage...for more than a year. The board is required to approve all international travel---though such approval is supposed to happen in advance. Yet his trip began Nov. 9, according to agenda materials.'

ALSO---Metro employee allegedly used Farragut West station PA to ask riders to sign pro-union petition, WTOP reports.

Jim Graham has officially launched his re-election campaign, complete with nifty new Web site and logo. Jonetta Rose Barras, meanwhile, isn't so high on Graham, writing: 'If there were a "Chutzpah of the Year" award, D.C. Councilman and Metro Board Chairman Jim Graham would win hands down. The man is amazing.' This, she says, because Graham embraced the idea of federal transit oversight while failing to exercise any meaningful oversight in his role as WMATA board chair. '[H]e has been adept at covering his flank, protecting his board colleagues and his main man Catoe during this season of intense scrutiny. What Graham hasn't done, however, is adequately perform his oversight duties, guaranteeing a well managed, cost efficient, and safe mass transit system.'

Developer JBG's lawsuit against the city over the convention center hotel deal has survived a motion to dismiss, Melissa Castro reports in WBJ. At an Oct. 29 hearing, Superior Court Judge Natalia Combs Greene 'expressed deep skepticism toward the city's jurisdiction argument, and her written decision reaffirmed the points she made in the courtroom. If neither the Contract Appeals Board nor the court had jurisdiction to second-guess the city, "then no governmental authority could prevent the District of Columbia's executive and judicial branch from colluding to violate its own laws," she wrote.' Meanwhile, hotel construction is stalled: 'Construction was slated to start in October or November, but no bonds have been issued to finance the project.'

Gruesome details emerge in the murder of 55-year-old Rosa May Fludd-Ross. She was beaten to death with a vase by her husband, Keith Alexander reports in WaPo. Fludd-Ross, he writes, 'was found Sunday on the living room floor in her home in the 3100 block of 35th Street NE. She had been beaten, and an autopsy showed that she might have been dead since Friday or Saturday....Blood was splattered on the living and dining room walls and ceilings, according to the documents. The living room furniture, including the coffee table, was covered in blood.' Her husband, Kenneth L. Ross, had been arrested twice before on domestic violence charges.

Emmanuel Johnson, 19, is wanted in the Oct. 30 murder of Deuante Ray, Examiner reports. 'Johnson is described as a black male, 6-foot-1, weighing 157 pounds with medium length braided hair. Johnson is known to hang out between Minnesota Avenue NE and 49th Place NE. He may be staying with family or friends in Northeast Washington or Prince George's County.'

Pedestrian struck and killed near National Cathedral identified as Donald Skelley, 78.

Metro Weekly covers GLLU changes.

Five GWU students arrested in raid of Foggy Bottom townhouse. 'During the raid - which occurred the evening of Oct. 30 at a townhouse at 26th and I streets - police seized $1,171 in cash, three plastic bags of a substance that tested positive for cocaine, about 160 grams of marijuana, a scale, and plastic baggies, according to police reports and court documents.'

Allegro Apartments in Columbia Heights auctioned for $77.5M. The buyer, WBJ reports, is Georgetown's Federal Capital Partners.

View 14 developer explains to Housing Complex why he deserved a $5.7M tax subsidy.

Speaking of tax breaks, D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute notes that, under mayoral-introduced council bill, 'high technology commercial real estate database and service providers' stand to 'get up to $700,000 in annual property tax breaks for 10 years — a $7 million subsidy. Considering that the District is already anticipating a $300 million budget shortfall for FY 2011 now seems to be an especially bad time to be giving up precious tax dollars.' Who would this benefit? 'No companies are named in the legislation, but in testimony before the DC Council a representative from the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development testified that they are actively recruiting one company, which was not named.'

Seminar teaches clergy how to develop affordable housing.

122,000 free reusable bags offered to seniors.

WCP's Sexist explains what kind of discrimination would be allowed on your gay wedding day under the D.C. marriage bill: 'The legislation says any "religious society, or a nonprofit organization which is operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious society" may deny same-sex couples any "services, accommodations, facilities, or goods for a purpose related to the solemnization or celebration of a same-sex marriage." So just what sort of "services, accommodations, facilities, or goods" can be safely withheld here? The following is your guide to Legal Same-Sex Wedding Day Discrimination.'

Watch lengthy CNN piece on Catholics vs. gay marriage; Mary Cheh does some talking head.

GLAA's Rick Rosendall writes WaPo about gay marriage editorial: 'The editorial concerns a threat by Catholic Charities to stop providing social services for the city unless the bill is amended to grant the church a broader exemption to discriminate. The Post talks about self-righteous D.C. Council members while ignoring the self-righteous intransigence of the archdiocese.'

Georgetown Voice's Will Sommer asks LL, Sherwood, and Mark Plotkin for their 2010 political predictions.

Lotsa vacant office space. WRC-TV also covers spate of foreclosures, mentioning Senate Square and Allegro.

WaPo covers culinary competition featuring Rhee, Jack Evans plus kids.

In WaPo letter, a call to make the 15th Street NW bike lane two-way.

Center for American Progress debunks Harry Jackson.

City H1N1 clinics today and Saturday.

We're No. 1 in STDs (versus states, natch)!

Public Enemy---yes, both Check D and Flava Flav---stop at Sasha Bruce Youthworks house, then do mobile concert through Foggy Bottom. WAMU-FM, NC8, WTTG-TV.

D.C. COUNCIL TODAY---10 a.m.: Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary and Committee on Health joint hearing on B18-71 ('Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act of 2009'), JAWB 412; Committee of Finance and Revenue hearing on PR18-544 ('The River School Revenue Bonds Project Approval Resolution of 2009'), PR18-564 ('AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School Construction Revenue Bonds Project Approval Resolution of 2009'), PR18-565 ('Qualified Zone Academy Revenue Bonds Project Approval Resolution of 2009'), PR18-566 ('Hyde Leadership Public Charter School of Washington, D.C. Inc. Qualified School Construction Revenue Bonds Project Approval Resolution of 2009'), and PR18-567 ('E.L. Haynes Public Charter School Qualified School Construction Revenue Bonds Project Approval Resolution of 2009'), JAWB 120; 11 a.m.: Committee on Economic Development hearing on B18-497 ('Washington Convention and Sports Authority Alcoholic Beverage Sales Amendment Act of 2009'); B18-399 ('Pennsylvania Avenue-Minnesota Avenue S.E. Eminent Domain Authorization Act of 2009'), and B18-457 ('Small Business Stabilization and Job Creation Strategy Act of 2009'), JAWB 123; 2 p.m.: Committee on Government Operations and the Environment meeting (scheduled), JAWB 120; 6 p.m.: Committee on Aging and Community Affairs hearing on B18-324 ('Advisory Neighborhood Commission Vacancy Amendment Act of 2009'), JAWB 412.

ADRIAN FENTY TODAY---11 a.m.: remarks, 15th Street bike lane ribbon-cutting, 15th and Caroline Streets NW.

To Gray's credit, he has [PDF].

The documents include a consolidated invoice issued by WCS Construction, the Smith Co. subsidiary, plus invoices from four subcontractors. The combined invoice was sent on Oct. 30; the first of the subinvoices was sent on July 30, the last on Oct. 28.

What do the documents mean? LL knows little of the contracting realm, so how about a little crowdsourcing? Have a look at the PDF above or image links after the jump, and let LL know if you see any matters that deserve further scrutiny.

Notice any familiar accouterments?

The first, and more serious, story was penned by Jeffrey Anderson in this morning's Washington Times. It detailed various small jobs done on Gray's home by William C. Smith & Co., the politically powerful local development company. The second, a Washington Post story by Tim Craig, involved his use of council stationery to ask Comcast for a $20,000 donation to the local delegation to the Democratic State Committee. Gray addressed the controversies in an afternoon appearance on NewsChannel 8's NewsTalk With Bruce DePuyt.

Regarding the DNC allegations, Gray made the case that the fundraising effort was focused on voting-rights awareness, and thus kosher. Given that the check benefited local Democrats attending a political convention, it's awfully questionable distinction to make. But he gets points for this realization: "'If I had to do it over again, I certainly wouldn't have used the stationery."

As for the work on his Hillcrest home, Gray insisted "there was no impropriety that was involved."

Gray went on describe his relationship with Chris Smith, the president and CEO of WCS&Co., which, he says, stretches back some 15 years to his time as executive director of Covenant House, when Smith;s company built youth housing and other projects. "There's a longstanding relationship here," Gray said. "Chris Smith is a guy of impeccable integrity. I like to phrase it that he's the best blend of economic development and social justice that hes ever seen."

The renovation project, he says, came about this way: "When I wanted to do a renovation on my house, I turned to him, and he said that he though that his company could help me."

Gray repeated that he paid in full for the work that was done, that no favors were extended. He went out to emphasize that this was intended to be no small job, that WCS&Co. helped identify an architect that he paid for. The small jobs mentioned in the Times story---painting a room, changing a door, washing a driveway---were incidental. "Had this larger project not been on the table, they never would have done the work," Gray insisted.

Then there's the issue of the payment. The WaTimes story implied that Gray only paid for the work done once the paper started asking questions. Gray says he got an invoice on Oct. 30, and paid it within two weeks, adding that he was not aware of reportorial inquiries until Monday, after the bill was paid. "My payment was not in response to anticipation of a story from the Washington Times."

DePuyt asked a smart followup about whether he had put any money down, as home-improvement contractors often require. "That may well have been the case if we had started the renovation," Gray said, adding, "There was no project that had been authorized to go forward. We were in the architectural development stage at that point."

Then there's the permit issue; the Times story found no evidence that nay permits had been issued. Said Gray, "There were no permits that were required. I cannot imagine that a permit would have been required for this work."

For more explanations on the renovation issue, do see Jonathan O'Connell's reporting today for Washington Business Journal. A William C. Smith & Co. exec explained to him that a company subsidiary called WCS Construction LLC did the work, describing it as "a Ward 8 business....they hire local contractors and that's really important in this city."

The exec, Carol Chatham, responded to the idea that her company did the work hoping to receive contracts thusly:

"The council does not award development projects. That comes through the mayor's office of economic development," she said. Given the lousy mayor-council relations, she said, "if we were trying to curry favor with the mayor we certainly wouldn't be doing favors for the chairman of the council."

She's got a point there.

In all, not a bad first-day reaction from Gray---defensive at times, sure, and his accusations of political motivations were unnecessarily ugly, but he exhibited some awareness that there are legitimate questions that need to be answered. Whether this turns into a two-day story or something more depends on some questions yet to be answered: Has this WCS Construction done other similar home improvement work---for politicians or anyone else? Will the firm continue handling Gray's home renovation project? Was the work priced appropriately? Will Gray release the invoices for public examination?

With regard to the fundraising questions, DePuyt asked Gray if he'd be willing to have lawyer Bob Bennett, currently examining other D.C. Council ethics issues, examine the matter. Said the chairman, "I'd be happy for him to take a look at it."

Then DePuyt asked the money question: He asked Gray if he thought that the appearance of the stories represents a "brushback pitch" from the Fenty camp. Said Gray: "Absolutely. I think it's clearly political."

Gray insisted the stories would have no bearing on his decision whether to run against Fenty or not: "You called it a brushback pitch, I used to play baseball...When you get in the batters' box you better be ready for what comes."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT---"Elections Board Rejects D.C. Gay Marriage Initiative"; "Traci Hughes Is Out As Police Spokesperson"; "Gay Marriage Debate: Another Reason to Ditch Employer-Based Health Care!"; tweets galore!

Morning all. Two ugly headlines today for Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray. For one, he's been pulled into the D.C. Democratic State Committee's financial mess: Tim Craig reports in WaPo that Gray, on council stationery, sent a fundraising appeal to Comcast for last year's Democratioc National Convention. He asked government affair rep Kathy Etemad Hollinger for $20,000 to finance 'voting rights' activities. Local Democrats ended up getting $10K from Comcast, plus $5K from a cable PAC. (Hollinger, incidentally, is now Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's chief of film and TV development.) Gray tells Craig that he was just 'trying to be helpful.' More serious are the Ted Stevens-esque allegations in WaTimes by reporter Jeffrey Anderson that megadeveloper William C. Smith & Co. did work on Gray's Hillcrest home. 'In an interview in his city hall office Monday, Mr. Gray at first denied that the company did any work for him, aside from arranging for an architect to design a renovation that he said has yet to commence. Later in the day, a spokeswoman called back to say that the company repaired a door to the roof of Mr. Gray's 2,800-square-foot home and installed a lock on his iron gate and exterior floodlights.' The company, which typically doesn't do home renovations, was paid more than $10,000---but only 'after The Washington Times began asking employees of William C. Smith & Co. about the work, and a month after the paper filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking permits on the property.' No permits were issued, either. Gray's explanation: 'I have known Chris Smith a long time, I know the quality of the work....I don't want to sound holier than thou, but I take my integrity very seriously.'

AFTER THE JUMP---BOEE tells marriage initiative supporters to tell it to the judge; Harry Jackson gets the WaPo Style treatment; L.A. Times' editorial board more supportive of D.C. lawmakers than WaPo's; accused child murderer was called 'psychopath'; CSX tunnel work brings out Hill NIMBYs; Durso leaving Hotel Association; Santos is a big boxing fan

As expected, the Board of Elections and Ethics has rejected a ballot initiative seeking to prohibit same-sex marriages. 'The board cited the city Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination against gay men and lesbians...[noting] that some gay couples in the District are already legally married,' Craig notes in WaPo, meaning a Dec. 1 first-reading vote on gay marriage is likely. Bishop Harry Jackson deems the ruling "outrageous and a slap in the face of every resident of the District of Columbia" and vows to pursue court appeals. Incidentally, the council marriage bill will officially see a first-reading vote on Dec. 1. Also Examiner, WaTimes, WAMU-FM, AP, Christian Post, American Prospect.

Speaking of Harry Jackson, Wil Haygood gives the good bishop a full-blown WaPo Style profile today, examining his Cincinnati football-star and corporate-sales background. 'Setbacks seem only to embolden him. "All over the country, it's evident that the strategy of the radical gay movement is to work the courts and legislatures," Jackson says. "It's gonna be a knock-down, drag-out legal situation." His neck is thick---nearly stretching the clerical collar---and his voice is smooth as molasses. "I just feel like I'm on a mission," he says. "It's not a mission of hate. It's a mission to protect godly boundaries."...He found the pulpit, just as a cause found him. "Some of the smartest people I knew in college were gay," he says. "Some black students I knew who were gay were off-the-charts smart." But gay marriage is wrong, he says. "I don't know of anybody black who says, 'I hate gay people.' We're more accepting generally. But you overlap that---homosexuality and gay marriage---with broken families, and we don't know how to put it back together."'

THE TRIALS OF HARRY JACKSON---'More than once, police have stopped by his Southeast Washington apartment to check on his safety....Someone slipped a note under his door at his apartment. "Bishop Jackson, 50% of the people in this building are gay!" "I was in line someplace recently," Jackson says, "and a woman who obviously opposes what I'm doing looked at me and said, 'You better go back to Maryland.'"'

Catholic bishops weigh in on marriage debate with 'pastoral letter,' Michelle Boorstein reports in WaPo. 'The campaign initially was meant to highlight the divine in everyday aspects of marriage. It has turned recently to more political concerns, such as the creation of a committee to lobby against same-sex marriage bills such as the one pending in the District....The D.C. measure was not addressed directly in the pastoral letter, although it was a topic of discussion in the halls at the annual bishops' meeting at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel.'

ALSO---The archbishop himself weighs in. Donald Wuerl writes in a WaPo op-ed: 'Catholic Charities and the Archdiocese of Washington are committed to continuing to serve the people of the District as we have for many decades. That includes partnerships such as St. Martin's. Unfortunately, the D.C. Council is considering legislation that could end these kinds of partnerships....It doesn't need to be that way. While we do not agree with the council on redefining marriage, we recognize that it is firmly committed to opening marriage to homosexual couples. We are asking that new language be developed that more fairly balances different interests — those of the city to redefine marriage and those of faith groups so that they can continue to provide services without compromising their deeply held religious teachings and beliefs.' The Episcopal archbishop, for the record, disagrees.

The L.A. Times, however, applauds the D.C. Council for standing up to the Archdiocese. 'So far, the District of Columbia Council is showing more backbone on this issue than the Obama administration. Barack Obama promised during his presidential campaign that he would end the practice of allowing faith-based groups receiving federal money to discriminate in hiring---for example, by not employing people who hold other religious beliefs. But he has backed off from that vow. In contrast, D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray said the city would find another contractor if the Catholic Church severed its ties. That was the right response, and we hope it rang loud enough for Obama to hear.'

The police checkpoint program is finished. Following federal appeals court loss, the District has decided not to pursue a Supreme Court appeal. AP reports that '[i]n a court filing Monday, D.C. Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier has canceled the special order authorizing the Neighborhood Safety Zone program.'

WTTG-TV's Karen Gray Houston says the parks contracting questions have halted work on all projects in questions, except one: 'The former Gage-Eckington School in LeDroit Park has been demolished, and a work crew was at the scene doing site preparation work for a three-acre community park. That, while the D.C. Council and the Fenty administration try to resolve what happens next.'

More from WaPo's Paul Duggan on the shooting of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes: 'Maritza Fuentes had gone to a baby shower Saturday with others in her family. She returned to the apartment about 9:30 p.m. and was inside with her 54-year-old mother, Oscar and an older son when the trouble began outside....Tenants have long complained about the cracked and warped door, which has no knob or lock. "He came in behind us," Alicia Fuentes said. "When we were walking up the stairs, he said he wanted money."...She said she and the others hurried up the stairs to the apartment where Maritza Fuentes has lived for three years. "I was the last person into the apartment," she said. "He was coming to the door, and I told him to leave. I closed the door and put the chain on the door."...While the grownups talked about what had just happened, Oscar walked to the door and looked out the peephole, Alicia Fuentes said. Then came the shot, the bullet piercing the gray door.' Also WAMU-FM, WTOP, WaTimes, NC8, WUSA-TV.

MORE ON THE SUSPECT---Examiner's Scott McCabe reports that the the suspect, originally reported to be named 'Josue Pena,' is actually named Jose Diaz. 'Chief Cathy Lanier said Diaz, of the District, was not a full-fledged gang member, but he was "associated with" MS-13. Witnesses said the shooter was known as "Sicopata," or Psychopath....Police searched a home of a relative of Diaz on the 700 block of Kenyon Street NW on Tuesday, where they found a nine-shot .22-caliber revolver with a long barrel. The pistol was found hidden between a mattress and a box spring, and contained seven live rounds, with one spent round still in the chamber. Police said Diaz denied robbing anyone but said the pistol was in his waistband when it accidentally went off while he was walking up the stairs at the apartment building. Police said the bullet hole in the door was inconsistent with a bullet fired from the defendant's waistband.' Also NC8, WRC-TV, WUSA-TV, WTTG-TV.

The city's GLBT news will hit the streets Friday, ex-Blade staffers promise, but in what format and under what name is unknown. Meanwhile, it turns out that at least two offers to buy the Blade prior to liquidation---one from employees, one from Falls Church News-Press publisher Nicholas F. Benton---were rejected. And here's the WaPo editorial board on the death of the Blade: 'The Blade's importance to our area cannot be overstated. From the HIV/AIDS epidemic to hate crimes to the drive for marriage equality, the paper reported stories that the mainstream press initially didn't or wouldn't cover. And in the quest for fairness, it held people accountable---gay and straight, elected officials and community leaders....[Editor Kevin Naff] told us that there will be a new paper. The intention is to have it hit the streets this Friday. The name will be different from the one they labored for. Our hope is that its mission to inform and enlighten will be the same.'

Harry Jaffe puts his civil libertarian hat on in examining the legal battles of drug kingpin Antoine Jones, who was convicted through evidence that included an unwarranted GPS device placed on his car by federal agents. 'Defense lawyers said the evidence was not admissible, the judge disagreed, they appealed. The government argued in its briefs that Jones "had no reasonable expectation of privacy" because he was traveling on public streets; the ACLU said: "Without a warrant requirement, an individual's every movement could be subject to remote monitoring" at the whim of a police officer.' Also Legal Times.

Jonathan O'Connell looks in WBJ at Eastbanc's second bite at the West End redevelopment project: 'Rather than sue the city, something other developers are happy to do, [Anthony Lanier] waited patiently and raised some campaign funds for the mayor. After the dust settled, Fenty, with Councilman Jack Evans at his side, announced that the properties would be open to competitive bidding. Lanier, with his knowledge of the small West End community and only one, out-of-town competitor, has to be considered the favorite.'

WRC-TV's Tom Sherwood looks at concerns from Capitol Hill residents---particularly owners of pricey Capitol Quarter townhomes---that CSX's three-year $160M Virginia Avenue tunnel construction project will make their lives miserable. One says 'We're just very fearing that we're going to be living through what they say is going to be a three-year issue. I think it's going to be more than that.'

Man, in his 70s, is struck by a car and killed while crossing Cleveland Avenue NW near the east end of the National Cathedral yesterday evening. WaPo reports that police 'are seeking help in identifying him. They said he had white hair and wore blue pants and brown New Balance athletic shoes. Interviews with residents Tuesday night did not find anyone who knew him.' The accident follows a deadly pedestrian collision Sunday on the Mall.

District man, 29-year-old Eugene A. Jackson, charged with first-degree murder in Charles County killing. The victim, WaPo reports, 'had tried to rob Jackson of drugs and money in the parking lot of Mattawoman Seafood on Nov. 7, and Jackson pulled out a gun and open fire, police said.'

New city streetcars have left the Czech Republic! WBJ has pictures, via DDOT. 'According to agency spokesman John Lisle, the city will store the vehicles at a yard at the Greenbelt Metro station, to be maintained by Metro on D.C.'s dime. "Having them local will also allow us to familiarize ourselves with the cars," Lisle said.'

Filipino paper covers DMPED Valerie Santos. She's Manny Pacquiao big fan: '"We would love boxing to come here in the District," she tells ABS-CBN News, as she pondered on the feasibility of a Pacquiao bout here. She revealed she has already been talking with boxing promoters but the biggest obstacle was the venue. The city has three major-league stadiums but nothing that can host a major fight like those in Las Vegas.'

Examiner FOIAs for employee salary data, runs into problems.

Emily Durso is leaving the presidency of the Hotel Association sometime next year, WBJ reports. Says Durso: 'My 20th year is coming up in January, and I've been thinking about it, and thinking about facing another labor negotiation season and all the politics, and I just didn't want to do it anymore....I am looking at many things; some are very different, others are more traditional. I want to do something of value that means something, but that's not so-all encompassing.'

More WaTimes 'CITIZEN JOURNALISM': D.C. Public Library board chair John Hill talks up library improvements, does no small amount of self-congratulating: 'Strong leadership, well-defined priorities and a renewed commitment by many have transformed a system that once was considered an embarrassment to one that is thriving and relevant....Though we still have a long way to go and a lot more work to do, we have a transforming library system that is fiscally responsible, well-managed and supported and used by residents.'

Michelle Rhee speaks to WSJ's 'CEO Council.' Lots of the old chestnuts: '"Collaboration and consensus-building are quite frankly overrated in my mind," she said. "None of you CEOs run your companies by committee, so why should we run a school district by committee?"'

WTOP covers STD testing for high school students.

WAMU-FM covers changes to the MPD's gay and lesbian liaison unit.

WRC-TV with more on the death of restaurateur Nori Amaya. Brother tells of his discovery of her body.

Move Khalid Sheik Mohammed terror trial to D.C.? Blogger makes the case.

USDA to move into Trammell Crow's Patriots Plaza III building in Southwest. And FERC is signed as tenant at Tishman Speyer's 1100 First St. NE building in NoMa.

Verizon to cut 1,000 local jobs.

Let the turkey giveaways begin!

Public meeting on NY Avenue projects tonight at McKinley Tech.

ON THE HILL---Congressional hearing on District budget/legislative autonomy. Scheduled to appear: Fenty, Gray, Natwar Gandhi.

MUST SEE TV---Gray will appear this afternoon on NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt, 4 p.m. on NewsChannel 8.

D.C. COUNCIL TODAY---2 p.m.: Committee on Human Services meeting (scheduled), JAWB 123.

ADRIAN FENTY TODAY---9:45 a.m.: testimony, Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia legislative hearing, Rayburn HOB Room 2154.

The initiative, sponsored by a group including Bishop Harry Jackson, the Rev. Walter E. Fauntroy, ANC member Bob King, and others, would establish that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in the District of Columbia."

The rationale for the board's decision, according to a press release, is such: "Under current law, the District recognizes as valid same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. The Board concludes that that Marriage Initiative of 2009 would, if passed, strip same-sex couples who have entered into such marriages of rights afforded to them by that recognition." And that would authorize discrimination prohibited under the District of Columbia Human Rights Act.

Hence, no vote. You can read the board's decision in full [PDF]. The initiative's sponsors can appeal to the D.C. Superior Court (which rejected an earlier attempt at a gay marriage referendum), and on to the D.C. Court of Appeals.

Says board chair Errol Arthur in a statement: "We have considered all of the testimony presented to the Board and understand the desire to place this question on the ballot....However, the laws of the District of Columbia preclude us from allowing this initiative to move forward."

The archdiocese's issue seems to come down to two issues: adoptions to same-sex couples (which are already legal, as it happens), and mandated employee benefits for same-sex spouses of archdiocese employees.

As WaPo's Tim Craig reports, neither of the bill main sponsors, Phil Mendelson or David Catania, are budging on the issue. Said Mendo: "The way this issue has been approached by the archdiocese in the past week was tantamount to drawing a line in the sand and it may be hard for them to show some flexibility." Catania went on to ask how the archdiocese could give employee benefits to "fornicators and adulterers" but not gay couples.

LL's quick thought: Isn't this yet another argument for abandoning the already problematic employer-based health insurance model? Why should the institutional policies of an employer, subject to religious/moral/political dealings, affect the well-being of employees and their families?

Discuss.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT---"Nickles Attempts To Prevent Detective From Testifying"; "Blade Staff to Launch New Publication"; tweets galore---including live coverage of yesterday's council hearings

Morning all. The Washington Blade, what legendary activist Frank Kameny calls 'the voice of record for the gay community,' is closed---temporarily, all hope. The paper's owner, Window Media, succumbed to crushing debt, and then yesterday 'nearly two-dozen employees arrived at their downtown offices Monday to start a new workweek, only to be ordered to clear out their desks by midafternoon,' according to Paul Schwartzman's WaPo A1 requiem. He adds: 'The Blade's closing comes at a moment of extraordinary optimism for many gays in Washington. The big story [Lou Chibbaro Jr.] and the paper's other writers have been covering is the bill supported by nearly all of the D.C. Council's members that would legalize same-sex marriage in the city.' But Blade writers, as WCP reports, are planning a new venture. And hey: Eleanor Holmes Norton, calling the Blade a 'weekly must-read,' pledges her support to any successor publication. Also WaTimes, WBJ, WTOP, WRC-TV, WUSA-TV.

AFTER THE JUMP---Man arrested in 9-year-old's murder; another council contracts hearing, another round of executive no-shows; Catania threatens DOH officials with weekly HIV/AIDS hearings; remembering Oscar; man, in apparent suicide, becomes year's 22nd Metro death; the bag tax is almost here---Safeway and CVS have free reusable bags for you!

BREAKING---Police have arrested a 26-year-old man, identified as Josue Pena, early this morning in Hyattsville for the murder of Oscar Fuentes. Press conference at 10 a.m.

At vigil yesterday, family, friends, and neighbors remembered the slain 9-year-old. They 'gathered on the steps of his apartment building, lighting candles, singing songs and pondering how a boy so young could meet such a violent end,' Matt Zapotosky writes in WaPo. 'Oscar's relatives sobbed during the vigil, and his mom's cousin, Rufino Fuentes, said it was too difficult for immediate family members to return to the scene. Oscar's grandmother Antonia Fuentes appeared at the vigil but did not speak. At one point, a cousin of Oscar's collapsed and had to be taken away on a stretcher.' Said Fenty: 'We are in a lot of pain in the city right now....Everyone has a loved one. There is no good way to lose someone, especially so young.' Also NC8, WRC-TV, WTTG-TV.

THE INVESTIGATION---'Family members told of the slaying by others offered differing accounts of what happened. David Fuentes said that he was told a group of people, including Oscar's aunt, were walking home from a baby shower when they were approached by someone outside asking for money. They ignored the request, David Fuentes said, and hustled into the second-floor apartment as Oscar let them in. As Oscar looked through the peephole, a shot came through the door, David Fuentes said....Rufino Fuentes gave an account that excluded the man asking for money, and he said he was not sure whether the family members were being followed into their home. He did say that family members told Oscar to move away from the door.' Also Examiner, NC8, WUSA-TV, WTTG-TV ('Somebody heard like a firecracker in the hallway. They saw the little boy crying saying mom, mom look what they did to me. He was holding his back with his hand covered with blood. Then he collapsed'), and WAMU-FM covers a sweep of the Columbia Road property by housing inspectors.

More on the alleged murderer of George Rawlings: Police arrest 17-year-old Jeffrey Britt on first-degree murder charge, Keith Alexander reports in WaPo. Britt, like Rawlings, had attended the funeral of Ashton Hunter at a Maryland Avenue mortuary. 'At the funeral, several witness allegedly overheard Britt and others say that George Rawlings was involved in Hunter's killing. One of the witnesses heard Britt say he "should kill" Rawlings as Rawlings entered the funeral home, according to the documents. After the funeral, Britt and two other individuals followed Rawlings as he left.' Rawlings was murdered as he boarded a bus blocks away.

WaPo editorial board holds forth on the violence that claimed Fuentes, Rawlings and Kenyetta Nicholson-Stanley: 'The loss of these lives in the past five weeks is a sorrowful reminder that -- even as the District homicide rate declines -- violence maintains its pernicious grip on troubled neighborhoods....That a little boy dies under such circumstances, that a family loses two sons to street violence and that no one steps forward to help police find a murderer should jolt the city out of any complacency about its declining murder rate.'

Another day of D.C. Council hearings on the fishy parks contracts. The big revelation yesterday, according to Michael Neibauer in Examiner, is that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty chose to break ground on projects when funding to finish them is far from assured. CMs called the parks projects a 'bill of goods' and a 'dog and pony show.' Appearing before the council were DMPED Valerie Santos and soon-to-be-ex-DPR chief Ximena Hartsock. Not appearing, after a pair of recesses, were DMPED employees David Jannarone and Jacqui Glover, who played integral roles in the contracting and could not be summoned to the JAWB 412 for the proceedings, according to Nikita Stewart's D.C. Wire reporting and David Lipscomb's WaTimes reporting and WTTG-TV, WTOP, and DCist, too. Expect subpoenas for Jannarone and Glover---maybe Clark Ray and Omar Karim, too.

At yesterday's other big council hearing, David Catania demanded that health department officials comply promptly and completely with HUD's requests for information on HIV/AIDS housing programs. And, until public trust in AIDS funding is restored, Catania said he's dragging them into hearings every Friday. Writes Darryl Fears in WaPo: '"I am not happy," Catania said to Health Department Director Pierre Vigilance and AIDS Administration Director Shannon Hader...."It does not seem to me that it should be that difficult to provide them with information they asked for when they asked for it," Catania said....Vigilance and Hader agreed to comply and work with Catania to overcome the city's reputation as a poor manager of AIDS funds.'

Man throws himself in front of Blue Line train at McPherson Square, killing himself after the evening rush hour. His was the 22nd Metro death this year, Examiner notes.

Husband is charged with murder and assault in wife's beating death Sunday morning. Kenneth L. Ross, 52, allegedly murdered Rosa May Fludd-Ross, 55, and seriously injured another victim, WaPo reports.

Police did not disclose any motive for the attack, nor would they disclose the age or gender of the other victim, who they said is hospitalized in critical condition.

At February hearings on June Metro crash, NTSB plans to bring in state transit regulators from across America to share best practices, Kytja Weir reports in Examiner. 'NTSB Chairwoman Debbie Hersman said Monday during a speech at the National Press Club that the outside groups could provide guidance on how federal officials could make safety oversight more "robust."'

Fenty kicks off bag-fee awareness campaign, complete with reusable bags donated by Safeway and CVS. The tax goes into effect Jan. 1, Jonathan O'Connell reports in WBJ, but '[b]efore the new law goes into effect, the D.C. Department of the Environment will distribute at least 122,000 free, reusable bags to D.C. residents. The city is producing 100,000 beige and blue bags with the slogan “Skip the Bag, Save the River” printed on them. CVS is producing 12,000 similar bags with the chain’s logo on the flip side while Safeway will produce 10,000 bags of unknown design. The city is planning an advertising campaign to promote the reusable bags, which it will finance using the fees it collects.' Also WaPo, WRC-TV.

Also from O'Connell: Bids are in to redevelop West End parcel. Eastbanc, beneficiary of original sole-source deal, has bid, as has famed McMansioneers Toll Brothers.

Contract Appeals Board has rejected a bid protest by furniture distributor Configuration Inc., Melissa Castro reports in WBJ. The company 'had contested the award of a multi-million dollar contract to Baltimore-based M.O.I....to furnish the city’s new offices at Waterfront Station in Southwest D.C....The bid protest arose just as the business community is increasingly asking questions about the way D.C. doles out its contracts ­— Mayor Adrian Fenty has taken heavy criticism for steering parks contracts to allies while circumventing contracting officials and the city council, and business owners are lining up against a proposed bill that would give the contracting office wider latitude to award longer-term contracts and to remove some purchasing categories from competition requirements altogether....Certain council members...expressed interest in investigating the furniture bid.'

More on a possible visit from the Giro d'Italia, from VeloNation and cyclingnews.com: 'The United States' capital city wants to hold a prologue and circuit race, both passing many national monuments. "The course promises to be one of the most spectacular prologues ever used in a Grand Tour. It seems very appropriate that the prologue for the first US start be held in the heart of the nation's capital," said Mark Sommers, race director of DC's Capital Criterium [and BOEE chair nominee].'

Children's Hospital has been dealing with a 'unheard-of number' of flu cases, Donna St. George reports in WaPo. 'With a daily caseload that has surged as much as 80 percent, the emergency room at Children's National Medical Center allowed a glimpse on two recent days inside the deluge, at a time when lab-coated doctors and scrubs-clad nurses tend the flu-stricken, round-the-clock....The sick tend to arrive in waves -- in the morning, after school, after work -- bleary-eyed mothers and fathers and grandparents with toddlers in arms, with infants in strollers, with stuffy-nosed school-age children....The peak came Oct. 26, a Monday that brought in 429 patients, including 232 with flulike symptoms.' None have died since spring.

Mouhamed Diop, 32, of Suitland dies from wounds suffered in Nov. 11 car shooting at 42nd and Meade Streets NE. Another victim, Babacar Ndiaye, 37, of Oxon Hill, died soon after the shooting.

Ex-WASA employee sues over firing after double-lung transplant, NC8 reports. Tania Little, who had sarcoidosis of the lungs, returned to work, but 'WASA wanted her back full-time but doctors wrote that she needed to start off part-time for two weeks in order to "reacclimate." WASA wrote back because of her inability to work at "full capacity," she was terminated, saying "I wish you well."'

WaPo letter writer stands up for Hardy MS principal Patrick Pope. Plus: More letters on Catholics and gay marriage.

DCmud with the latest on Morton Bender's N Street boutique hotel plans: 'Bender, his N Street Follies Ltd. (NSF) and their latest architect, Andrulis Janezich Architects, go before the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) this week for review of the newest site plan....For the first time since the property was purchased in 1988, it looks like NSF will be able to secure HPRB approval for a conceptual design with the support of the Dupont Circle Conservancy and the ANC.'

District Chronicles covers opposition to gay marriage: 'Rev. Anthony Evans, executive director for the D.C. Black Church Initiative [says] "There is significant support for the Board of Elections to approve a ballot initiative," Evans said. "If we fail, we will have a movement to impeach the mayor of D.C., Adrian Fenty; D.C. Chairman At-Large Phil Mendelson, and Councilman Kwame Brown."' And from Brian Brown's National Org. for Marriage: 'Beating Down the Beatitudes in DC?...Since our nation’s founding, America in particular has benefited from the fact that churches have united together to feed the poor, clothe the naked, care for the fatherless and motherless, and comfort the sorrowful. But right now, in our nation’s capital, the City Council is poised to beat down the church’s ability to fully embrace and act out its Gospel message. Astonishingly, members of the City Council of the District of Columbia, led by Chair Vincent Gray and David Catania, are pushing a same-sex marriage bill that will force the Catholic Church (and other churches) out of providing for the least of these.'

Superior Court Judge Robert R. Rigsby is back from mideast tour as military judge, WTOP reports. 'During his six-month deployment, the 48-year-old Army Reserve colonel heard about 30 cases involving a variety of charges, including involuntary manslaughter and drug charges.' WTTG-TV, too.

Only a matter of time before Skins logo bites the dust?

Air America blogger: Arne Duncan's 'politically-balanced approach runs counter to the zero-sum combat of, say, DC Schools Chancellor Rhee, who has spent the better part of her two years as schools chief facing-off against teachers, principals and the DC Council.'

MEA CULPA---LL flubbed the link to Cary Silverman's anti-Mendo screed yesterday. Here's a good one!

D.C. COUNCIL TODAY---10 a.m.: Committee of the Whole meeting, JAWB 500.

ADRIAN FENTY TODAY---No public events scheduled.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT---"D.C. Democrats Not Off the Hook, Say Finance Officials"; "The Friday Limerick Review"; tweets galore!

FLASH---The Washington Blade is reported to have closed. Check City Desk for updates!

Morning all. This weekend saw the year's penultimate All Hands on Deck for city police---a program that continues in spite of an arbitrator's ruling ending it, as Theola Labbé-DeBose reported Saturday in WaPo. Sadly, the enhanced deployment of officers failed to stop the violence in city neighborhoods. On Saturday night, a bullet ripped through the door of a Columbia Heights apartment and killed 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes. Just before 10 p.m., WaPo reports, 'the boy's family had rushed into the apartment to avoid an attempted robbery. The assailant, the sources said, fired through the door hitting the boy.' Says one neighbor in today's WaPo followup, 'We have a chronic problem in the neighborhood with these gangs. It's not okay for them to just come in and shoot people.' The building at 1433 Columbia Road NW, Examiner reports, 'reeks of urine and lacks a lock on the front door and even a doorknob, letting all types of problems inside. On Sunday afternoon, no one answered the door at Oscar's apartment. A hole less than a centimeter in diameter was visible in the door. It cut cleanly through at an angle, about a foot above the doorknob. The hallway showed no other signs that a crime had occurred. A Happy Birthday sign hung above the door of the apartment next door.' May the 'assailant'---much too kind of a term---be brought to justice swiftly. Also NC8, WRC-TV, WUSA-TV, WTTG-TV.

AFTER THE JUMP---Rhee says she's to blame if Fenty can't get re-elected; WaTimes does the full foundering-Fenty treatment; neighborhoods still want their parks, contracts be damned; FBI's Persichini calls it quits; feds get serious about regulating transit; lots more on Catholic gay marriage conflict

ALSO---In the first killing of this All Hands of Deck weekend, Frederick Darnell Ard, 42, was found shot multiple times on the 2000 block of 16th Street SE early on Saturday. In the third, Rosa May Fludd-Ross, 55, was found beaten to death Sunday morning on the 3900 block of 35th Street NE.

In Sunday WaTimes, David A. Lipscomb chronicles the transformation of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty from populist world-beater to vulnerable incumbent. 'The 38-year-old mayor won all 143 precincts in the city's Democratic primary three years ago after a populist campaign largely based on a record of fulfilling constituent service requests as a council member. But since spring he increasingly has come under fire for what some describe as a heavy-handed, authoritarian style of governing. Now, despite gains in test scores among D.C. students, a dramatic decrease in crime and relative financial stability in a down economy, the mayor's leadership style and some questionable choices about how he has used the privileges of his office could endanger a re-election campaign that a year ago seemed virtually certain. And potential opponents who seemed like long shots now are emerging as contenders.'

And what if Fenty were to lose? He has a scapegoat already volunteering! Michelle Rhee was asked at a Friday Newseum event 'how responsible' she'd feel if Fenty weren't re-elected, Bill Turque reports at D.C. Wire. Her reply: 'Very responsible....When he hired me he told me this was his No. 1 priority and that he was willing to risk his entire political career in the pursuit of trying to fix the schools. The decisions we have made...were not always things that would guarantee harmony among adults.' She also recounted his response to the realization that Fenty was 'losing the PR battle' over the teacher RIF: 'It doesn't matter if we lose the PR battle. And, in fact, it doesn't even matter if we lose the re-election as long as we are operating with the endgame in mind. And for us, that is improving the schools. We're not going to compromise any step of the way in that. And if I'm not re-elected then we'll go down in history as the only administration that made every decision in what we believed to be the best interests of children instead of what was in the best interests of getting re-elected.'

As the D.C. Council takes Fenty to task over millions in surreptitiously awarded parks contracts, Nikita Stewart reports in WaPo on 'a chorus of community activists and parks advocates throughout the District who say they fear that long-awaited parks and recreation facilities will be delayed or stopped' by the tussle. The threatened facilities include Fort Stanton Recreation Center, French Street Park, and Rosedale Recreation Center. One Rosedale supporter tells the council: 'We would appreciate them not putting our concerns between a political fight with the mayor.' And Ward 7 ANC Willie Ross, concerned about the Kenilworth-Parkside Rec Center, says 'the contracts must be investigated, but the council should have been more vigilant about its initial oversight...."I'm not speaking on the mayor's behalf. I'm not speaking on the council's behalf," he said. "They've made all these promises. They showed us state-of-the-art designs. Right now, the people just want the community center opened."' Hearings on the parks contracts continue this morning.

About those parks contracts: On Friday, Vincent Gray posted a letter to Fenty saying he's 'deeply concerned about the growing controversy involving contracting that does not comply with the law' and asking Hizzoner to 'personally step in and send all unlawful contracts to the Council.' Michael Neibauer reports in Examiner that the letter was problem by a recently discovered memo from AG Peter Nickles, written last January, that 'directed city contracting officers to stop submitting contract options to the council. That memo was not sent to the legislative branch.' Nickles says he's 'completely stunned' by Gray's position. Also WaPo.

At Friday hearing, Gray took OSSE to the woodshed over delays in pre-kindergarten implementation, Leah Fabel reports in Examiner. 'This [law] has little to nothing to show for it,' said Gray of one of his signature legislative initiatives, adding complaints about 'a lack of communication and progress from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.' Some charters have opened new slots, but few private providers have been brought in the fold. Here's your signature anecdote: 'A [private] facility designed for about 60 infants and toddlers has stood vacant since its opening in 2006.' Superintendent Kerri Briggs 'laid out progress made during her 8 months on the job, including the establishment of early-learning standards, the awarding of nearly 30 grants, and continued efforts to bring together interested parties.'

A pair of momentous retirements in the realm of federal justice: Joe Persichini, head of the FBI's Washington Field Office since 2006, is calling it a career as of Dec. 25, Del Wilber reports in WaPo. 'In a brief phone interview, Persichini said he chose Dec. 25 as his final day on the job as a "Christmas gift for my wife."' And Nancy Mayer-Whittington, clerk of the U.S. District Court since 1991 who 'spent her career pushing the court to improve its technology and services,' retired Friday.

An arrest has been made in the Wednesday daytime killing of George Rawlings, WaPo reports, though details are sketchy: 'Based on information from one investigative source, the arrest came either late Friday or early Saturday. It was not clear what charge had been placed in the incident, and investigators gave no information about a possible motive in the killing.' WRC-TV, WTTG-TV report that the suspect is a 17-year-old.

On the issue of gay marriage and Catholic Charities, WaPo editorial board sees compromise where councilmembers do not: 'The clash raises tough questions. But they strike us as solvable, if council members shelve the self-righteousness and look for solutions....The city can ill afford to lose Catholic Charities' services at homeless shelters and in health care. It's the largest nongovernmental provider of social services in the District and certainly among the most competent. That's why we're somewhat mystified by the complacency reflected in comments such as those of council members Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), who dismissed Catholic Charities' concerns as "somewhat childish," and David A. Catania (I-At Large), who said that the city would simply find another partner. Given the District's dismal track record with other nonprofit providers of social services---see, for example, recent Post reports about the misspending of HIV/AIDS housing money---we wonder at his confidence.'

Jonetta Rose Barras, too, argues that the church 'should keep the faith' on gay marriage concerns. 'Catholic Charities is a well-managed operation. It provides high-quality services and kicks in its own money....The money from the District is substantial, but so is the money contributed by Catholic Charities---$10 million in any year can do a lot of good. The archdiocese and executives at Catholic Charities could consider using this moment as an opportunity to launch a declaration of conscience campaign.'

ALSO---More perspectives on the gay marriage/Catholic Charities story from Blade, AMERICAblog, Harry Jackson, Raw Story, Living Church, Eric Sheptock, Timothy Carney

The WaPo ed board today lauds Fenty & Co. for finally offering an unused DCPS school, Draper ES, to charter schools as an 'incubator.' 'There are six incubator sites in the city. Three are former schools that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty agreed to make available. We hope that's a sign of a new willingness by the city to make sure surplus schools are used for public education by allowing charters to buy or lease them.' And Harry Jaffe goes a step further and calls the opening of the Acheivement Preparatory Academy at Draper reason 'to start thinking about public education in Washington D.C. in a new light.' His take: 'Change is afoot, and the prospects for students of all ages and places are brighter---much brighter....[S]tudents from the city's roughest neighborhoods can hope for a decent, even stellar, education.'

NOTA BENE---On Friday, 'Mayor Adrian Fenty showed up to cut the ribbon on a charter school. It was the first time he had given such attention to a charter.'

Obama administration, citing Metro Red Line crash, announces plan to regulate transit systems, pointing to 'haphazard and ineffective oversight by state agencies,' WaPo writes. 'Under the proposal, the U.S. Department of Transportation would do for transit what it does for airlines and Amtrak: set and enforce federal regulations to ensure that millions of passengers get to their destinations safely. Administration officials said the plan will be presented in coming weeks to Congress, which must approve a change in the law. The proposal would affect every subway and light-rail system in the country.' Says Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood: 'After the [Metro] train crash, we were all sitting around here scratching our heads, saying, 'Hey, we've got to do something about this'....And we discovered that there's not much we could do, because the law wouldn't allow us to do it."' Metro says it welcomes the plan 'with open arms.' Also Examiner, NC8.

The federal announcement follows a Saturday WaPo story by Joe Stephens and Lena Sun on a Metro oversight innovation. To wit, the system's safety officer, Alexa Dupigny-Samuels, will have to consult with Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn before taking any substantive action. This comes after it was revealed that Dupigny-Samuels was complicit in the decision to keep oversight inspectors off Metro tracks. 'Asked whether Dupigny-Samuels had been demoted, [board chair Jim Graham] replied: "I would consider this a reorganization of her responsibilities in recognition of events."'

ALSO---Turns out Metro's labor wrangling is expensive. Who knew? WMATA and the transit workers' union are paying $60K for arbitration in their pay-raise dispute, Kytja Weir reports in WaPo. That's in addition to tens of thousands more in legal fees.

D.C. school officials have kicked off a program to serve breakfast to schoolkids in their classrooms, Bill Turque reports in WaPo. 'Educators and health experts have long stressed the link between breakfast and academic performance, reduced obesity rates and other benefits....Educators say that a classroom breakfast helps minimize two traditional obstacles to getting more kids to eat. Many students from low-income families who eat free and reduced-price lunches underwritten by the federal government don't take advantage of breakfast. It often requires them to go early to the school cafeteria, and it can carry the stigma of a government program, experts say.' Eight charters, plus Garfield ES, are giving it a shot.

Dorothy Brizill, in themail, raises concerns about People's Counsel designee Vicky Beasley: 'Beasley is currently a corporate attorney with the law firm of Patton Boggs and has no knowledge or expertise in administrative law, utility regulation, or consumer issues....on Saturday, the Office of the People's Counsel and the DC Department of the Environment held an Energy Expo at the Convention Center. Beasley attended, but would only speak with the exhibiting vendors. She refused Noel's offer to introduce her to the OPC staff, and she refused to speak with me regarding her nomination.' Also: Gary Imhoff points out a big problem with the District's new Hatch Act.

City lawyers are still defending D.C. cop Kevin McConnell, who shot a perp dead in 2007 in what was later judged to be an unjustified shooting, Scott McCabe reports in Examiner. 'The family's attorney points to a internal affairs report that determined the shooting was not justified and to a disciplinary review that is seeking to fire McConnell over the incident. The District is trying to prevent that evidence from being heard, arguing that the findings don't address the issues that will be presented at trial, court filings said. "Now, in the civil case, the District is trying to say he did nothing wrong," said family attorney Gregory Lattimer.' No comment from Nickles.

Another OCTOgate plea is finalized: Farrukh Awan, 37, admitted Friday to taking some $50K in kickbacks for steering city technology contracts. He faces up to 30 months in federal prison; sentencing is on Feb. 12. Only Yusuf Acar and Sushil Bansal are yet to plead out.

Report says language is an ongoing problem at city health care facilities, Neibauer writes in Examiner. 'Of the 72 limited-English-speaking community members surveyed by the D.C. Language Access Coalition, about half of whom were uninsured, many told stories of trouble accessing medical services....The study's subjects struggled to communicate their concerns and understand the instructions of their providers. They spoke of having appointments canceled because no interpreter was available, of being "left for last" while waiting for care, of struggling to have questions answered over the phone, and of not having access to important forms and documents in their native language.'

Fire, ruled accidental, destroys one DCPS school bus, damages two others at New York Avenue lot. Also: Saturday house fire injures three on the 1900 block of Kearney Street NE in Brookland. Two of the injured were burned firefighters.

Guns, cash, drugs seized by police from Shaw home, Examiner reports: 'The district's third patrol unit executed a search warrant for a house on the 1800 block of Vermont Avenue NW. Roy Rosa, 35, was charged with the intent to distribute drugs while armed.'

International cocaine trafficker Gregory Joel Sitzmann is sitting in D.C. Jail awaiting trial, and will remain sitting there, Examiner reports. 'Sitzmann's attorneys argued that he should be allowed out on bail so he could receive proper care for an injured shoulder. His lack of passport will keep him from running, they said...."The defendant's claim that he is not a flight risk is ludicrous," prosecutors wrote. The judge agreed.'

WaPo gives the 15th Street 'contraflow' bike lane the full treatment. 'In an attempt to minimize the conflicts, the invisible line that separates drivers and cyclists on most busy urban streets has been defined by more than a half-mile of yellow posts on 15th Street NW, in the District's first attempt at walling off a bike lane from cars,' Ashley Halsey writes. 'Following the lead of Paris, New York, Montreal and dozens of other cities, Washington and its bicycling mayor are reclaiming a piece of the road for people who travel on two wheels instead of four.'

On Sunday, rider tells Dr. Gridlock that he's not sold on the bike lane: 'I have had too many close calls with left-turning cars. If it was on a two-way street, where left turners might fear an oncoming car, it would make sense. I'm guessing the least anticipated problem is the oak trees above the lane. Because the city can't get a street cleaner down the lane, it is covered in acorns, which play havoc with my tires. All this being said, I really have to say thank you to the city for at least thinking of trying something different.'

ALSO---City bike chief Jim Sebastian says 'the city hopes to develop dedicated bike lanes on at least four streets, two running north-south and two running east-west. He mentioned M and L streets as possible candidates.'

Joe Biden served the lunch crowd Friday at St. Aloysius Church's Father McKenna Center. The veep's presence, Daryl Fears reports in WaPo, 'startled some of the 80 men who stood stiffly as the vice president's entourage rushed past the dining area. Biden, casually dressed in a black baseball cap, black V-neck sweater, khaki trousers, rubber gloves and a worn brown apron, took his place behind a folding table and a tray of fish sticks. The vice president said he served the men because "you've got to remind yourself that but for the grace of God there go I. Sometimes you forget that this is real."'

Bill requiring health insurers to cover child autism to be unveiled today by Muriel Bowser and Tommy Wells.

WAMU-FM covers DCPS 'master educators' program. Rhee, Kavitha Cardoza reports, has 'hired 30 former successful teachers to coach and evaluate D.C.'s teachers in their subject area. Rhee hopes the coaching will improve the good teachers and that the master teachers' critical eye will help get rid of the bad ones.'

Rhee appeared in a brief videotaped segment on this week's Meet the Press, providing conversational fodder for Arne Duncan, Newt Gingrich, and Al Sharpton.

Jack Evans and Cary Silverman are together on one issue: Hating Phil Mendelson's crime positions.

WRC-TV's Joe Krebs covers the story of two brothers, murdered months apart on D.C. streets.

Cold case: Two-year-old murder of Chinese restaurant deliveryman Hong Zhi Wang, 29.

VotH on efforts to create H Street historic district.

Rundown of Thursday's Healthy D.C. hearing.

District bard Edward P. Jones is profiled by Neely Tucker in WaPo mag. A good long read for lunchtime.

City woos nonprofits for Walter Reed site, WBJ reports.

The case against parking tickets, from GGW.

After nearly four years of construction, the Minnesota Avenue Metro parking garage is open. Also: The Black Rooster reopens today!

MWCOG is in on Prince William ferry plan.

Washington Gas had a very good year.

The Redskins will keep on being the 'Redskins.'

D.C. COUNCIL TODAY---10 a.m.: Committee on Economic Development hearing on B18-497 ('Washington Convention and Sports Authority Alcoholic Beverage Sales Amendment Act of 2009'), B18-399 ('Pennsylvania Avenue-Minnesota Avenue S.E. Eminent Domain Authorization Act of 2009'), and B18-457 ('Small Business Stabilization and Job Creation Strategy Act of 2009'), JAWB 412; joint public oversight roundtable on 'The Contracting Process Related to Parks and Recreation Projects,' JAWB 412; 11 a.m.: Committee on Aging and Community Affairs roundtable on PR18-543 ('Commission on Aging Eugene Coffey Confirmation Resolution of 2009'), JAWB 123; 1 p.m.: Committee on Health roundtable on 'The Performance of the HIV/AIDS, STD, and Tuberculosis Administration,' JAWB 500.

ADRIAN FENTY TODAY---10:30 a.m.: remarks, launch of Anacostia River education campaign, Anacostia Avenue and Blaine Street NE.

According to an interim audit report released Monday, the city campaign finance office did not accept explanations offered by DCDSC officials for fundraising irregularities. Audit officials maintain that the committee needs to return some $37,000 to donors, and it may be subject to fines.

At issue was lax reporting of receipts and expenditures by the DCDSC, but more importantly questionable practices in fundraising for last year's Democratic National Convention.

Top DCDSC honchos, including chair Anita Bonds, set up a separate organization to raise funds for the District's DNC delegation. But they did so in some instances by invoking the name and authority of the DCDSC itself, raising issues as to whether the fundraising was subject to city contribution limits and disclosure regulations.

After a preliminary audit report was issued in August, raising such concerns, the DCDSC responded by providing affidavits and other documentation stating that the convention account was wholly separate and not subject to city regulation. The Office of Campaign Finance, however, isn't buying what the DCDSC is selling.

"Overall, the audit findings are devoid of any substantial documentation upon which to conclude that the [convention committee] intended or attempted to operate independently of the DCDSC," the report reads. "In fact, the activity was integrated to the extent that the D.C. Denver Convention 2008 is indistinguishable as a separate entity and bares absolutely no independent identity."

In the report just released, city auditors point out that a solicitation to convention donors came on DCDSC letterhead and was signed by Bonds as "DC Democratic Chairman," and that 17 checks deposited in the convention account were made payable to the DCDSC. It also noted that more than $45,000 in convention expenses were spent on non-DNC matters---in particular, a inauguration gala hosted by Bonds & Co. in January. The report also notes that the convention committee had never registered with federal election authorities, either.

In sum, the report says, the convention committee is "not clearly distinguishable" and "is not a separate entity" from the D.C. Democratic State Committee.

David Meadows, the DCDSC's executive director, declined to comment on the report's contents. "This is an ongoing investigation and we look forward to a resolution," he says.

Last night, DSDSC members gathered for the group's regular monthly meeting. The finance inquiry has deeply split the membership already, and members discussed the report for more than an hour without coming to a resolution on how to proceed. The $37,000 that OCF holds should be returned exceeds what's currently in the DCDSC coffers. Action has been delayed until the next meeting, on Dec. 3.

The DCDSC has until Dec. 9 to respond to the interim findings, before a final report---and possible sanctions---are issued.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT---"Pershing Park Case: Council Hearings Unlikely"; "David Catania Smacks Down Anti-Gay-Marriage Law Prof"; "WTOP's Mark Segraves to Get TV Show"; "Is Adrian Fenty Exercising Too Much?"; tweets galore!

Morning all. The Archdiocese of Washington is playing hardball, holding that the District's gay marriage bill, as currently written, threatens to end their involvement in various city services. And the D.C. Council has swung right back. In second-day story, WaPo reporters write that councilmembers are 'hardening their opposition' to the archdiocese, 'setting up a political showdown between the city and one of its largest social service providers.' Says Tommy Wells: 'It's a dangerous thing when the Catholic Church starts writing and determining the legislation and the laws of the District of Columbia.' No CM is acting conciliatory at the moment, and the archdiocese is trying to draw a semantic distinction: that the District is 'giving the ultimatum,' not the church. But WaPo columnist Petula Dvorak isn't buying it: 'By trying to play political hardball with the District, no matter how carefully they word their objection to the bill, officials at the Archdiocese of Washington and Catholic Charities are telling our city's most vulnerable people---homeless families, sick children, low-income mothers---that they are willing to throw them on the table as a bargaining chip. What the Church is doing is an uncharitable and cruel maneuver.' Still yet to enter the debate: Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl. Also Examiner, NYT, WaPo blog, WaPo chat, WaTimes, LAT blog, NC8, WRC-TV, WTTG-TV, World mag, Atlantic, TPM, lots more.

AFTER THE JUMP---More on the fate of Hardy MS; Harold Brazil sues tattoo shop whose floor he soiled; movie tax pondered to fund arts groups; murdered Rawlings brother said to be implicated in Halloween killing; D.C. Jail to join federal immigration-check program

WHAT'S AT STAKE---From WaPo: 'Among the programs [Catholic Charities head Ed Orzechowski] said were vulnerable: A medical clinic at the Spanish Catholic Center serving 3,000 people, which gets 60 percent of its budget from the District, much of it in reimbursements from the city-run HealthCare Alliance insurance coverage....Tutors for people preparing to take GED tests under a program in which the city subsidizes more than 35 percent of the cost....Foster care and adoption placements for about 100 children a year, none of them to same-sex couples, more than 90 percent funded by the city....In addition, Catholic Charities gets city funds to offer mental health services, to operate nine homeless shelters and, during the winter months, to run several hypothermia shelters.'

IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING---Yvette Alexander, Muriel Bowser, Vincent Gray, and Harry Thomas Jr. are Catholic.

Bill Turque follows up in WaPo on the Hardy Middle School story first reported by Jonetta Rose Barras. 'An emerging debate over [Hardy's] future illuminates one of Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's greatest challenges: to increase the diversity of the school system by drawing in more white, middle-class families without compromising the interests of its predominantly poor and minority student population. With most middle-class children leaving the system after the fourth or fifth grade, Rhee must sell D.C.'s middle schools as an attractive option.' But does the school need to 'turn,' as she told a Georgetown civic meeting? 'In an interview Thursday, Rhee would not disclose her plans for the school, but she said the "turn" she described had nothing to do with its racial composition. "What that implies is that what is good for one group of kids is not good enough for another," she said. "I think that's not only false but incredibly harmful." What needs to turn, she said, is the attitude of the school's leadership, which she said has not always been welcoming to neighborhood families...."We need to do a lot of clarifying," she said. "Hardy has an arts component, but you don't have to think you have the next Whitney Houston on your hands to send your kids to this school."' From LL's reading, it doesn't look like well-respected principal Patrick Pope is long for his job.

THE NUMBERS---'Of the 135 fifth-graders who completed Stoddert, Key, Hyde and Eaton last spring, 49 are enrolled in Hardy's 177-student sixth-grade class this fall. Most of the rest come from public schools outside Hardy's attendance area, according to school data. But with completion of a $48 million renovation last year and, perhaps, the effects of the recession, community interest has increased. And so has discussion of changes in Hardy's program.'

You can jump on a man, and he can urinate on your floor, but you can't keep him down! Harold Brazil is suing the tattoo parlor where he was arrested for assault last October, Melissa Castro reports in WBJ. He was convicted of the offense in May, though he is appealing. 'Brazil wouldn't talk much about his suit, other than to say he's appealing the conviction and he questions "the true motive...behind the prosecution and the unfairness of prosecuting a former politician for no articulable reason."'

ALSO IN WBJ---Sarah Krouse on efforts to beautify city gateways; Jonathan O'Connell on how the council killed a tax abatement deal for the Pew Chritable Trusts; O'Connell on Harriet Tregoning's temporary uses for stalled construction sites (Southwest waterfront beach?); O'Connell on funding arts groups that lost earmarks (new tax on movie tickets/rentals?); and a profile of GGW's David Alpert.

An interesting WaPo editorial on the city's decision to settle its receivership suit against Individual Development Inc., the operator of group homes run by a cabal of politically connected lawyers. 'Given the group's track record of unkept promises, it's understandable for skeptics to question the decision---and to wonder whether the political prominence of IDI officials David W. Wilmot, A. Scott Bolden and Frederick D. Cooke Jr. was a factor.' Peter Nickles, of course, 'denies any political considerations,' arguing that 'the settlement is the better outcome for residents of the homes,' as it would bring change faster, covers all 11 of the company's homes, and carries stiff penalties. Says WaPo: 'These are persuasive arguments. But the District was remiss in not acting sooner, so the onus is on Mr. Nickles and the mayor to ensure that the settlement leads to rapid improvements in the homes or tangible consequences for their operator.'

NOTE---The piece says that 'Mr. Wilmot recently helped host a fundraiser for Mayor Adrian F. Fenty (D).' No, his middle initial isn't F, and, yes, the case was settled mere days after that fundraiser.

The D.C. Jail will start participating in federal program 'whose ultimate aim is to check the immigration status of every person booked,' N.C. Aizenman reports in WaPo. 'The program, known as Secure Communities, matches inmates' fingerprints against a federal database so that federal authorities can identify and possibly remove deportable illegal immigrants before they are released from custody. Similar checks are done at all 1,200 federal and state prisons. But authorities have lacked the ability to do them across the nation's 3,100 local jails.' About 1,900 have been deported nationwide under the program, but 'advocates have expressed concern that Secure Communities will ensnare many illegal immigrants who are convicted only of minor crimes or of nothing at all.' Also Examiner. Expect to hear a lot more about this.

The caped columnist, Harry Jaffe, recounts a lot of anecdotes about rising violent crime, along with a few well-selected statistics, and warns that D.C. Council cuts to the MPD officer corps threaten more violence. '[T]he city council's actions might make the streets even less safe. Last year the city council ordered the police to bring its force up to 4,200. Last month the same council approved a hiring freeze---at 4,060 cops. With no hiring and normal attrition of 20 officers a month, the force will drop below 3,800 by next year. "At that number, we cannot to do our job," says Kristopher Baumann, police union president. "Officers will be racing from radio call to radio call. Everyone will be less safe." And we can expect more candlelight vigils.'

Contradicting an anonymous police account yesterday, Scott McCabe reports in Examiner that George Rawlings, murdered Wednesday morning on H Street NE, was indeed involved in the Halloween killing of Ashton Hunter---whose funeral he had just attended. Polices sources say 'Rawlings was being looked at as the getaway driver or the provider of the sport utility vehicle used' in Hunter's murder. The suspected triggerman, Darrell Calvin Lee, is already in custody. 'All three men were associated with the Kennedy Dog Pound, or KDP crew, that operates in the vicinity of Seventh and O streets NW in the Shaw neighborhood, according to police and court documents. Their was an internal beef within KDP and the crew appeared to be "cleaning house."' Also WRC-TV.

Did police shoot the wrong guy at a Benning Road gas station in August? A witness tells WTTG-TV that the man killed by police, 25-year-old Salvador Buruca 'was no threat to police' and 'did not have a gun and was raising his hands when an officer shot him multiple times.' The witness, Paul Christmas, 'says he doesn't understand why police didn't go after two men he saw running from the station.' Buruca's family is considering a lawsuit.

Metro has been charged with criminal violations of federal clean-water laws, WaPo reports, for 'releasing hazardous chemicals into the sewer system over a six-day period in 2003.' Such a criminal suit, write Maria Glod and Meg Smith 'is extremely unusual, and a search of federal and state court records revealed no other such cases.' Records from federal court in Greenbelt say that 'polluted water left over after Metro cars were washed at the New Carrollton and Branch Avenue rail yards was released into sewer pipes without being properly treated. A contractor hired in the mid-1980s to clean the cars used chemicals including hydrofluoric acid, "an extremely corrosive and hazardous chemical know for its ability to dissolve metal oxides," prosecutors wrote.' A plea agreement has been reached.

ALSO---'Federal prosecutors had asked that the case remain sealed, writing that "avoiding unnecessary publicity prior to the date of the plea hearing is in the interest of the parties and the public." U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus denied the request. "This court's business is public business, and that is especially so when the defendant before it is a public agency."' Good for him!

WaPo, following Examiner scoop, covers upcoming NTSB hearings on Metro crash, pegging the dates as Feb. 23 and 24. 'A public hearing into the Red Line crash had been widely expected by transit safety experts. The board uses the hearings to supplement facts gathered at the scene and during its follow-up investigation....The hearing will be chaired by NTSB board member Robert L. Sumwalt, who, along with investigators, will hear testimony on the adequacy of Metro's actions to address safety issues; the adequacy of state safety oversight of rail transit systems, including the Tri-State Oversight Committee that oversees Metro; and the adequacy of federal safety oversight of rail transit systems, among other issues.' Examiner's Kytja Weir adds that a House subcommittee will hold a Dec. 8 hearing on 'the federal role in transit safety.' featuring Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff.

Can AIDS be eliminated by aggressively treating HIV? That's the question to be tested by a new joint program of the National Institutes of Health and the D.C. health department, Darryl Fears reports in WaPo. AIDS expert Anthony Fauci tells him, 'The purpose is to get the...level [of HIV in the blood] down so that people will not infect anyone because their viral load is so low.' It's unclear 'how much money and other resources would be devoted to the study before the project begins next month,' as well as where the study will take place. 'The study, scheduled to be launched by the White House on or around World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, has major challenges. Researchers must first determine whether testing every adult for HIV is feasible. Then they must determine whether people who test positive will opt for treatment.'

Three are slashed in embassy knife attack, after Togo native Kokou Bocco, 31, walked into that country's chancery on the 2200 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW. Paul Duggan reports in WaPo: 'Bocco "became agitated" while speaking with embassy workers, then pulled out a knife and attacked them. By the time other employees subdued him, three workers and Bocco had been injured....[T]he workers and Bocco were taken to George Washington University Hospital. None of the wounds is considered life-threatening, officials said.' Also WRC-TV, WUSA-TV, WTTG-TV.

The ashes of Col. Norbert Otto Schmidt, set to be interred today at Arlington National Cemetery, have disappeared in an apparent theft, WaPo reports. 'The incident began after family members finalized arrangements at Arlington and drove the 12-seater van to the National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall about 3 p.m. Thursday. When the relatives returned to the parked van, in the 300 block of Jefferson Avenue SW, about an hour later, the lock on its door was broken, they said. The brass urn had been inside a turquoise bag. Also missing were a computer, jewelry and electronic equipment, along with Schmidt's Army discharge papers and his death certificate.' There's a $1,000 no-questions-asked reward for the urn's return.

Which World War I memorial should be the official one? Michael Neibauer reports in Examiner that the Senate will have to decide whether the D.C. WWI memorial on the Mall will be rededicated as a national memorial, or will the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City will get the honors?

Jonathan O'Connell reports at WBJ on tensions between developers and city planners on parking requirements for new projects at Brookland and Fort Totten Metro stations. 'The last thing D.C. wants is more pricey, underused garages like we have at DC-USA, which is why it is rewriting its zoning to rules to replace parking minimums with parking maximums. Some developers don't like the idea.' Both Jim Abdo and the Cafritz Foundation say their condo dwellers want parking spaces!

AND UH-OH---Washington Convention Center loses major meeting to National Harbor, O'Connell reports. A spokesperson for the International Council of Shopping Centers 'offered no reason for the switch.'

House repos are down, WaPo reports: 'In the District, the number of real estate-owned properties---when a bank has taken possession of a home and evicted the borrower---fell by half to 46 in October compared with 102 in September. In Maryland, bank repossessions fell to 786 from 865 the previous month. Virginia also saw a decrease in bank repossessions, 1,845 in October compared with 2,028 in September....This year, 590 homes have been repossessed in the District, down slightly from the same period last year.'

It's official: John Solomon is out as top editor of WaTimes. He will be missed by LL. Reports WaPo: 'Solomon, who made a mission of boosting the newspaper's fairness while trying to expand its reach, concluded that he could no longer be effective after a shakeup that ousted the Times' publisher, say staffers who declined to be identified discussing personnel matters.' In Examiner, Neibauer notes: 'Security has been beefed up at the paper's New York Avenue NE headquarters, and the gates to the parking lot are being kept closed.'

Just a huge amount of Jack Evans news today. First, WTOP's Mark Segraves reports that the Ward 2 CM has bought himself $2,000 worth of bobbleheads with campaign funds. 'Evans' bobblehead has him sporting a black suit and a black and white striped tie. The likeness is pretty good, although the bobblehead has more hair and fewer wrinkles than the real Evans.' And WAMU-FM's Kavitha Cardoza reports that Evans participated in a cookoff against Michelle Rhee. 'Their teams had to serve up a three course meal and signature drink in 35 minutes. Rhee cooks a mean lasagna while Evans serves up perfect pancakes. But in this high pressure kitchen cook-off, it wasn't clear if those skills were enough.' Their kids helped out; Rhee's team took the win with 'a shrimp and tofu salad, a steak and asparagus pasta and a mango lassi with melted gummy bears.'

Blade's Amy Cavanaugh kicks off two-parter about GLBT climate at Georgetown U. after bias-related incidents. And Lou Chibbaro Jr. previews the first-reading marriage vote, set for Dec. 1.

Michelle Rhee: a 'true public innovator.' Also, someone's hero!

Ground is broken on Petworth CVS, Housing Complex notes.

Tree falls on vehicle in Northeast.

Unclog your storm drains!

Five arrested for 'stealing tons of reusable containers and plastic pallets from area companies, which were then sold to recyclers at a per-pound price.'

Examiner, WAMU-FM, WTOP cover new wheelchair-friendly taxicabs.

Yvette Alexander hosting citywide gathering of ANC commissioners, on Nov. 21. Agency heads have been invited; let's see if they show.

D.C. COUNCIL TODAY---10 a.m.: Committee of the Whole hearing on 'Progress in the Implementation of the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Act,' JAWB 412; 1 p.m.: Committee on Health roundtable on 'Pharmaceutical Issues in the District of Columbia,' JAWB 500.

ADRIAN FENTY TODAY---10:30 a.m.: remarks, Minnesota/Benning parking facility ribbon-cutting, 4000 block of Minnesota Avenue NE; 1:30 p.m.: remarks, kickoff of All Hands On Deck Phase VII, 7th and Kennedy Streets NE [there is no such intersection---LL thinks it must be NW].