WAMU: Local News

Marion Barry Offends Polish People During Apology To Asians

WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:40:16 -0400

D.C. Council member Marion Barry may have offended another ethnic group yesterday while in the process of apologizing for his recent controversial remarks targeting the Asian community.

At a press conference yesterday, Barry publicly apologized for comments he made in April about Filipino nurses and "dirty shops" owned by Asians. Then, as he outlined the racial tensions that have affected the United States throughout its history, he inadvertently used a derogatory term for people of Polish origin to make his point.

"The Irish caught hell, the Jews caught hell, the Polacks caught hell, the chinese caught hell," Barry said. "That didn't start yesterday; it started some time back."

After the press conference, while some Asian-American advocacy groups say they are grateful for the apology, they say the issue is more about restoring mutual respect.

"While he apologized, that's not really the important part," said Vincent Villano, a spokesman for the DC Chapter of Asian Pacific Americans for Progress. "I think the important part for us is actually working together to do the work that's needed … we believe we have a true commitment from his office to do that."

Villano said there's important work to be done in Ward 8, especially in the cases of some of the stores that do actually live up to Barry's characterization of them as "dirty."

"A lot of the issues that Council member Barry brought up in his remarks were true to a certain degree regarding what we called quote "dirty Asian shops" and dilapidated buildings," Villano said. "And we are working to set up regular meetings with Council member Barry's office to think about very specific policies to improve those conditions for Asian American owned businesses and really all small businesses in Ward 8."

In his statement, Barry said he was "enlightened by the dialogue," adding he wanted Ward 8 to be a model of diversity and inclusiveness.

Barry has not addressed the possible offense he caused to Polish-Americans in his statement.

Montgomery County Teen Court Going Strong For 15 Years

WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:00:14 -0400

A group of Montgomery County high school students are exercising their civic duty in Teen Court by serving on real cases. It's a typical day in the court, and about 100 students serving as jurors on cases involving juvenile first-time offenders at Circuit Court in Rockville.

"We call up cases, we read out swearing people in and the decisions and basically ensure that the court process runs smoothly," says 11th-grader Susan McGratten, who serves as a court clerk.

One of the few adults in the room is Georgine DeBord of the State's Attorney's Office. She runs the Teen Court program.

"The kinds of cases that we take? Shoplifting, destruction of property, possession of marijuana, possession of knives," she says.

Inside one courtroom, a remorseful 15-year-old boy tells a jury of his peers he is very sorry for stealing a $3 box of candy, and for having marijuana in his possession.

Angie Peterson, a 10th-grader, served as a juror in the trial. "We kind of all agreed in the jury room that he was really honest," she says. They sentenced the young man to community service and ordered him to write an apology letter to his mom, who was in the back of the courtroom crying.

Some of the students at Teen Court have actually been on both sides of the bench. 17-year-old Chris Leischenring, who started as a juror and now is working as a clerk and a bailiff, was arrested last year for stealing his parents' credit card. His dad sent him to teen court.

"I was actually really upset at my dad for doing that," Leischenring says. "I hated him, I just thought he was a horrible father, but then I started to think that all he wanted to do was teach me a lesson and get me to change before I went and did something worse."

In the past 15 years 4,000 teens on both sides of the law have gone through the program.

U.S. Route 1 Widening Decision Coming Soon

WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:16:27 -0400

The Federal Highway Administration is on the verge of making a difficult decision for Virginians about how and where to widen U.S. Route 1, also known as Richmond Highway, in Fairfax County.

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) last year helped secure $180 million to widen the heavily traveled north-south thoroughfare in an effort to accommodate the increased traffic because of BRAC-related expansion of Fort Belvoir. Now that the money is available, a new problem has emerged surrounding where should the road be widened.

If it's expanded in its current location, it would go through a graveyard and encroach on a historic property. If a new route is created to the southeast, a horse stable would have to be closed to accommodate the new road. Moran says the lease for the Woodlawn stables is up 2015, which could influence the decision.

"There's no point in fighting to preserve them if they are not going to have their lease renewed or have their lease renewed at such a high rate that the current users can't even afford it," Moran says.

Widening the rode is a high priority because Fort Belvoir already has thousands of new daily commuters.

Maryland Senators Pushing Equal Pay For Women

WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:36:17 -0400

Maryland's Democratic senators are pushing legislation to help women get the same salaries as their male counterparts, but the bill faces an uphill battle in this divided Congress.

Even with the economy front and center on most voters' minds, women's issues continue to play an outsized role in this year's campaigns. Democrats continue to accuse Republicans of engaging in a war on women, and want to put them on record yet again about a touchy gender issue: pay disparity. Maryland Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski is helping lead the fight to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act — that would give females more negotiating power with their employers.

"Fourty-nine years ago, Lyndon Johnson passed the equal pay for equal work bill and women are still making 77 cents for every dollar a guy makes for the same job," says Mikulski. "So we think to commemorate this anniversary we're going to vote to close the loopholes and vote to make sure women get equal pay."

Polls show the GOP has lingering problems with female voters, which puts their conference in a difficult position when it comes to the Paycheck Fairness Act. Republicans blocked the legislation two years ago and it's unclear if any in their party are softening to the bill.

The Senate is scheduled to be in recess next week but the legislation is expected to come up for a vote when they return to Washington.

Arlington Cemetary Gets Prepped For Memorial Day

WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:04:09 -0400

The U.S. Army's ceremonial unit is marking Memorial Day with a solemn ritual. The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the "old guard," is carrying on with a tradition that dates back to 1948 — the flags-in ceremony. Every available old guard soldier will place a small American flag on the grave markers at Arlington National Ceremony.

Scores of these men and women, uniformed in their green battle fatigues march into Arlington Cemetary, section 60. They carry dozens of flags in their backpacks. Approaching each marker, they solemnly place the flag exactly one foot in front and in the center of the headstone. The soldier then moves away. There are family members there as well, they look on with gratitude.

The solemn ritual to honor the men and women who answered their nation's call, will be repeated more than 220,000 times, at each and every marker in Arlington. From the first union soldiers buried at the site in 1864 to the more recent markers, where Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers were laid to rest.

The flags will also be placed at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Virginia 511 System Offers Enhanced Traffic Info

WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:09:39 -0400

As the long Memorial Day holiday weekend approaches, many travelers will now be able to take advantage of a new and improved 511 Traffic Information System in Virginia. The state has tweaked its program so it's more user-friendly and compatible with many mobile devices.

The free Traveler Information Telephone Number, 511, allows motorists to access instant, updated information on road conditions, weather, traffic, construction delays, and detours. 511 on the web provides trip-planning tools, live congestion maps, public transportation information, and more. Governor's spokesperson Taylor Thornley says the new system helps users avoid distracted driving by giving them more accessibility before they hit the road.

"You can see real time traffic cameras, travel times, electronic message signs and traffic maps on your phone," says Thornley. "It also features a new telephone system with better voice recognition and a better map and video system so you can see quickly and timely what's going on on Virginia's roads."

The website also features sharper images from the traffic cameras installed alongside the roads. The Governor is also touting this new system because the 511 signs now integrate sponsorships that will help pay for the services and enhancements provided by VDOT.

Avoiding Memorial Day Traffic On The Bay Bridge

WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:46:45 -0400

This Memorial Day weekend, more than 350,000 motorists are expected to travel across the Bay Bridge to and from the Eastern Shore. Officials with the Maryland Transportation Authority have some suggestion to make the trip easier.

Most are expected to cross the bridge sometime beginning this Friday through Monday the 28th. Major Michael Kundrat, with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, says you can travel more efficiently, and with less stress if you plan to cross the bridge during off peak hours.

The best times to travel the Bay Bridge this holiday weekend will be Friday, Saturday, and Monday from before 10 a.m. and after 10 p.m., and on Saturday before 7 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

Kundrat also reminds you to plan ahead, and don't change lanes when crossing the bridge.

Andrews Air Show Moves To Biennial Schedule

WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:15:34 -0400

The Joint Base Andrews air show will not return to the Washington region next year. Officials at Andrews Air Base say budget cuts are forcing them to make the yearly air show into a biennial event.

Approximately 200,000 people attended last weekend's free show, but the region will have to wait until 2014 for the next one.

A spokesperson for the base says the air show, which costs $2.1 million dollars to produce, is important for community outreach, but the military needs to save money.

Analysis: Rough Week For Mayor Gray's Campaign Team

WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:05:12 -0400

Two members of D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray's 2010 campaign staff, Howard Brooks and Thomas Gore, have been charged in an ongoing federal probe. For months, investigators have been looking into allegations that the Gray campaign made illegal payments to former mayoral candidate Sulaimon Brown. Brown says the campaign paid him for verbal attacks against then-Mayor Adrian Fenty. But no charges had been filed until this week.

WAMU 88.5's District reporter Patrick Madden talks with Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey about the latest on the story and what this means for city hall. Hear are some highlights:

On what has led to these charges: "It's that old adage, 'it's the cover up not the crime,'" Madden says. "That's the serious charges these two men are facing. Gore kept a spiral notebook detailing these payments to Brown, and when a Washington Post article came out with Brown's allegations, he destroyed this notebook and later lied to the FBI about it. With Brooks, he liked to the FBI about the payments to Sulaimon Brown.

The extent of the mayor's involvement, even as he continues to deny knowledge of they payments: "That's the key question here. Thomas Gore is not some low-level staffer. This was a man who ran Gray's council races in '04 and '06, and he was pretty much the guy running this campaign, he's someone who was a close associate of Gray's," Madden says. "So, the mayor, who is known as being a micro-manager, as someone who knows what's going on, did the mayor know about this scheme to pay Sulaimon Brown?"

On Gray's public response: "The mayor was criticizing the press for being so focused on the charges, and not asking about all these other good positive stories happening in the city," Madden says. "But when you have two members of your campaign team who are being charged and pleading guilty to these campaign finance violations, it's hard to focus on anything else."

Whether the mood at city hall has been affected: "There's this level of uncertainty about what's going to happen, when is the next shoe going to drop, what does this mean for the council and for the mayor," Madden says.

How the scandal has affected the work of the Gray administration: "Having this cloud over city hall right now really hurts their ability to get things done," Madden says. "On the other hand, this administration has done a good job of pushing through this. The mayor said yesterday to reporters, he can't comment on this, this is an ongoing investigation, and all they can do is really keep moving forward."

Firefighters Sickened After Responding To Fire In PCP Lab

WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:14:10 -0400

Eight D.C. firefighters are recovering today after being exposed to dangerous chemicals while they battled a blaze in Northeast D.C. Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. The firefighters were taken off-duty yesterday to be brought to a clinic.

D.C. Fire and EMS was called to the scene of a fire at a house on the 3700 block of Hay Street NE Wednesday morning. By Wednesday evening, the firefighters were suffering headaches, dizziness, blurry vision, vomiting, and had difficulty breathing.

The fire has now been classified as a hazmat incident. It's believed the burning home was a PCP lab and chemicals used to make the illegal drug sickened the firefighters. The incident is still under investigation.