Washington City Paper: Contents for Jan. 5

Underwater Dive
When the national Aquarium opened in the basesment of the commerce Department, it was state-of-the-art. Too bad it's not still 1932.

Cover Story

Note correction: It's the Herbert Hoover Building, not J. Edgar.

The realization that things are somewhat amiss at the National Aquarium--after, that is, you notice that the place is located in the basement of the Department of Commerce's J. Edgar Hoover Building, and that it's awfully dark and a little smaller than the size of an average Petco store--hits you right about the time you get to the shark tank.

In a space not much bigger than a typical office cubicle, two lemon sharks and two nurse sharks share quarters with a red drum fish, a remora, and a rescued juvenile sea turtle from Georgia named Harold. Harold, as it happens, is an interloper. The tank next door is actually his home, but it sits empty, hidden behind a white curtain, having sprung a leak.

Though they are the largest specimens in the aquarium, the sharks are juveniles. There just isn't enough room here in Room B-077 in the Hoover Building basement, at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, for full-grown animals, unless they're clown fish or tree frogs. At about 4 feet in length, the sharks are already getting too big for their digs. And, it turns out, they have a "condition."

"Our lemon sharks have what we believe is a neurological condition and will occasionally lie on their side," explains a laminated typed note taped to the glass. "The cause of the condition is undetermined at this time. Despite this condition, they are still eating well and remain otherwise healthy. In addition, they are outgrowing our exhibit so we are identifying a facility that can accommodate their size and possibly determine the cause of the neurological condition. Thank you for your understanding." ... Continued

Issue of Jan. 5 - 11, 2001

News and Features

Underwater Dive
When the national Aquarium opened in the basesment of the commerce Department, it was state-of-the-art. Too bad it's not still 1932.
Cover Story By Annys Shin
Census
The City
Gas Attack
Stanton Park community groups take on a suburban-style mega station.
The City By Holly Bailey
Good to the Last Drop
One year later, this Y2K survivalist is down to her last two rolls of toilet paper.
The City By Janet Hopf
Scientific Americans
The Mail By David E. Moon
Naturally Yours
The Mail By Geraldine Encarnacion
Lasting Memorial
The Mail By Christine Facey
Music to His Ears
The Mail By Michael Burton
Tower of Power
The Mail By William Reed

Columns

Strike It Poor
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
PLAYING THE ANGLES
Loose Lips By Jonetta Rose Barras
Hour of Need
City Desk By Elissa Silverman
Hour of Need
City Desk By Pamela Murray Winters

Eats

Movies

Road Movies
Film Review By Virginia Vitzthum
Enemies of the Pate
Film Review By Joel E. Siegel
Cinema Siciliano
Talking Pictures By Mark Jenkins
High Society
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000
Film Review By Tricia Olszewski
The Family Man
Film Review By Tricia Olszewski

Music

Bombastic and Just Spastic
Music Review By Shannon Zimmerman
Three-Minute Hate
InDC By Mark Jenkins

Theater

Sonic Youth
Theater Review By Bob Mondello

Arts and Events

Color Guard
Wanda Whiteside waves the flag for African-American theater.
Arts By Elissa Silverman
Into the West
Art Review By Louis Jacobson
Office Space
Artifacts By Louis Jacobson
Reality TV
Artifacts By Steve Kiviat