Washington City Paper: Contents for Apr. 28

Waiting for the Man
What do you do when your son doesn&'t come homefrom school and the cops are nowhere to be found? Feed the baby and pop in a Destiny's Child concert DVD.

Cover Story

The shots went off sometime last night. Jay Chism, 25, thinks he heard about 12 pops, maybe more, outside his apartment. People were shouting. Glass broke somewhere in the building.

Gunshots aren’t unusual on this strip of Southern Avenue SE, near Barnaby Terrace, just inside the Prince George’s County line. In fact, this morning’s fusillade was typical enough that Jay simply went to sleep once it was over. His wife, Montisha Chism, also 25, says their two little girls, 5-year-old Daizha and 1-year-old Delana, slept right through it in the bedroom they share.

When they rousted the children this morning, Jay and Montisha were relieved the girls hadn’t stirred and moved from their beds during the mayhem. One of the bullets had come through the girls’ window and lodged in their closet. The glass Jay had heard breaking was in his daughters’ room.

“Kids’ room. Third floor. Imagine that,” he says.

Montisha pried the bullet out of the closet and wrapped it in a plastic glove, careful not to contaminate it with her own fingerprints. “We watch Forensic Files,” she shrugs.

When Montisha called police at around 9:30 a.m. and explained the situation, she was told an officer would come by to pick up the bullet and complete a damage report. Eager to perform her civic duty and have something official to show insurance agents, she planted herself on the concrete steps of her building and set her eyes on Southern Avenue for her personal squad car. She might as well have called for cable service.... Continued

Issue of Apr. 28 - May. 4, 2006

News and Features

Waiting for the Man
What do you do when your son doesn&'t come homefrom school and the cops are nowhere to be found? Feed the baby and pop in a Destiny's Child concert DVD.
Cover Story By Dave Jamieson
Nats to Nothing
Need work? How 'bout $8 an hour to sweep up peanut shells at 4 a.m.?
The City By Ryan Grim
Happy Valley
1240 W St. NE
The City By Rachel Beckman
Super Foods
1255 4th St. NE
The City By Rachel Beckman
Vajrayogini Buddhist Center
Dupont Circle
The City By Aaron Leitko
Circuits Maximus
The Mail By Charles Badley
Circuits Maximus
The Mail By Lana G. Cohen
Show and Tell
The Mail By Eileen McCarthy
A Big Meth
The Mail By Michael G. Tancyus, LCSW and DCSW
Tourist Class
The Mail By Allan West
Complex Messiah
The Mail By Paul R. Freedman
Correction
Correction

Columns

Slow to Develop
Former Redskins' Anacostia project takes its sweet time.
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
VINNY'S TOUGHEST CONSTITUENCY
Loose Lips By James Jones
The Bread Line
Veteran Posties are queuing up to talk buyouts with Al Crenshaw.
Dept. of Media By Erik Wemple
Savage Love
Savage Love By Dan Savage
Channel Serf
Television By Mario Correa

Eats

Quarrel House
Young & Hungry By Tim Carman

Movies

Simon Says...Nothing
Film Review By Tricia Olszewski
In the Mode for Love
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Friend of a Friend of the Devil
Talking Pictures By Tricia Olszewski
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
Directed by Dan Ireland
Film Review By Louis Bayard
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Directed by Jeff Feuerzeig
Film Review By Mark Jenkins

Music

The Terror of History
Music Review By Brent Burton
Angel/Helluva Band
Angel
Music By David Dunlap Jr.

Theater

A Bright Room Called Day
Theater Review By Pamela Murray Winters
This Septic Isle
Theater Review By Trey Graham
Who Farced?
Theater Review By Bob Mondello

Arts and Events

Bot Seriously
Roboticist Thomas Edwards makes art that makes people laugh--but he isn't kidding when he says it's the future.
Arts By John Metcalfe
Asserted by Language
Artifacts By Rachel Beckman
Borough Deeper
Artifacts By Mark Richardson
Culture Vultures
What does it take to get an arts grant from the D.C. government?
Culture Vultures By Rachel Beckman