Washington City Paper: Contents for Feb. 17

Wild Pitch
When they moved to condemn her land, city officials informed Patricia Ghiglino that her property in Southeast D.C. was worth $1.8 million. They just wouldn't show her how they came up with that number.

Cover Story

Patricia Ghiglino and her lawyers should have known the city couldn’t afford to play fair.

Director of a nonprofit sculpture center near the Navy Yard in Southeast D.C., Ghiglino owned roughly 9,600 square feet of land that sits right in the footprint of a baseball-stadium site the city envisions for the Anacostia waterfront. In order to pave the way for D.C.’s next great entertainment destination, District officials planned to condemn her land and give her $1.8 million in compensation. In mid-November, Ghiglino and her counsel sat down with representatives of the District government at the John A. Wilson Building to negotiate for more money.

Dale Cooter, one of Ghiglino’s lawyers, says that this “settlement meeting,” as it was billed, had little chance of ending in smiles and handshakes across the table. The city’s point man in the room was Stephen Green, director of development in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and an old buddy of Mayor Anthony A. Williams’ from Yale University. Green bears a reputation as a hard-nosed negotiator, and he made it clear to Ghiglino’s people that the city wouldn’t stray far, if at all, from its original offer.

“The city’s approach was obnoxious; they essentially declared themselves all-seeing and all-powerful,” says Cooter. “We’re experienced in cases like this, and measured against our experience, their performance was laughable.”... Continued

Issue of Feb. 17 - 23, 2006

News and Features

Wild Pitch
When they moved to condemn her land, city officials informed Patricia Ghiglino that her property in Southeast D.C. was worth $1.8 million. They just wouldn't show her how they came up with that number.
Cover Story By Dave Jamieson
Group Therapy
I feared my sickness would disgust my housemates. They ended up disgusting me.
Feature By John H. Tucker
A Fine Excuse
Overdue and missing books add up to big losses for the D.C. Public Library.
The City By By Huan Hsu
Branch Out
The problems at the Langston Community Library go well beyond uncollected fines.
The City By Huan Hsu
El Amigo Carry-Out & Deli
3612 14th St. NW
The City By Rachel Beckman
Church of the Pilgrims
Dupont Circle
The City By Aaron Leitko
A Question of Bust
The Mail By Malcolm Carter
A Question of Bust
The Mail By Neil Ward
A Question of Bust
The Mail By Dino Drudi
Not the Marion Kind
The Mail By Scott Hixson
Dogs on the Hill (Cont.)
The Mail By Michael E. Herman

Columns

Something in the Airwaves
Warner Wolf was one of many D.C. sportscasters to break out.
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
Olfactory Seconds
City Desk By Isaiah Thompson
Who Wants a Free Kid?
City Desk By Jason Cherkis
Straight Dope
The Straight Dope By Cecil Adams
Young and Cheap
Loose Lips By James Jones
The Washington Post Freelancer's Guide to Not Getting Fired
Dept. of Media By Mike DeBonis and Jason Cherkis
Savage Love
Savage Love By Dan Savage
Channel Serf
Television By Mario Correa

Eats

Broth Deeply
Young & Hungry By Anne Marson

Movies

Fables of the Deconstruction
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Man's Best Co-Star
Film Review By Tricia Olszewski
Neil Young: Heart of Gold
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Final Destination 3
Film Review By Matthew Borlik
Garcon Stupide
Film Review By Trey Graham

Music

Comfort of Strangers
Beth Orton
Music Reviews By Aaron Leitko
Singles and Sessions: 1979-81
Delta 5
Music Reviews By Mike Kanin
The Greatest
Cat Power
Music Reviews By Rachel Beckman
Last Fool Here
J.P. McDermott and Western Bop
Music By Dave Nuttycombe

Theater

Takeout or Delivery?
Theater Review By Bob Mondello
Emerald Bile
Theater Review By Trey Graham

Arts and Events

Le Musee des Faux-Arts
A. Clarke Bedford's totally contrived collection of paintings, sculpture, and argyle socks
Arts By Adam Mazmanian
The Tao of Loo
Artifacts By Huan Hsu
In on the Filmmaker
Artifacts By David Dunlap Jr.
All Economics Is Local
Books By Jandos Rothstein
Culture Vultures
What does it take to get an arts grant from the D.C. government?
Culture Vultures By Rachel Beckman