One local non-profit is helping low-income residents of the District file their taxes.

Jessica Forres reports…



At Petey Greene Community Center, James Johson watches an I-R-S certified volunteer prepare his tax return. This is the third year he's taken advantage of the free service provided by Capital Area Asset Builders…a non-profit dedicated to moving people up the economic ladder.

IT'S FAST SO IT'S NOT A BLOWN OUT DRAWN THING ALL DAY SITTING IN LIKE H AND R BLOCK.

Colleen Dailey is the non-profit's Executive Director…

WE WANT TO PROVIDE A FREE AND SAFE SERVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD TO PAY TO FILE THEIR TAXES

Dailey's group also educates residents about the DC Earned Income Tax Credit… a refund for low wage workers.

IF A WORKER DOESN'T EVEN OWE ANY INCOME TAX , THEY DON'T EARN ENOUGH TO FILE AN INCOME TAX, THEY CAN STILL GET THIS CREDIT

The group will operate 11 tax preparation sites throughout the District until Apri 15th.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The District has launched a new after-school initiative that offers free tennis to middle school students.

Jessica Forres reports…



George Harris, a 7th grader, is playing tennis at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. He is holding a racquet and a ball made of foam.

IT'S MORE THAN JUST TENNIS, IT'S COME TOGETHER AS A LOT OF PEOPLE. IT'S HAVING FUN AS A UNIT.

He and eighty students from seven District middle schools take part in after-school programs run by Project My Time, part of the DC Children and youth Investment Trust Corporation.

Meeta Sharma-Holt… the project director…says it's the first time the students have come together to learn...and play in teams.

ONE OF OUR LONG TERM GOALS IS TO TRY TO BRING TENNIS INTO THE DCPS ATHLETIC CURRICULUM SO THAT DURING THE SCHOOL DAY THEY ARE PRACTICING AND THEN IN THE AFTER SCHOOL PLAY AS PART OF A LEAGUE.

She says the Trust will hold three tournaments a year.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Motorists and pedestrians may be safer with salted roads and sidewalks but some environmental experts say the de-icer could be doing more harm than good.

Jessica Forres reports...



As salt trucks hit the pavement to clear icy roads, Sujay Kaushal with the University of Maryland's Department of Environmental Science,…. says the compound is causing streams in Maryland to become saltier.

WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT IT CAN INFLUENCE THE TYPES OF AQUATIC LIFE IN OUR STREAMS. I THINK IT COULD LEAD TO CONTAMINATION OF SOME DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES, BUT I THINK IT ALSO CAN BE AN INDICATOR OF OTHER CONTAMINANTS IN WATER AS WELL.

Kaushal says the salt dissolves in the melting snow and runs down a storm drain and eventually into a stream and drinking water supplies.

EVEN IF WE QUIT APPLYING ROAD SALT TO OUR WATERSHED, THE WATER WOULD STILL REMAIN SALTY FOR DECADES. THIS ROAD SALT ACCUMULATES IN OUR GROUND WATER AND IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM.

The underlying problem is development. Kaushal explains, land coverage has increased in the region, by 40 percent since 1986. He researched the salinity of several streams in Baltimore.

WHEN SOME OF THESE WATER SHEDS WERE DEVELOPED, WE WERE SEEING CHLORIDE CONCENTRATIONS WERE ROUGHLY A QUARTER OF SEA WATER.

Kaushal says salinity has also increased four fold in some of Baltimore's reservoirs.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

_________________________________________________

As the snowy weather continues to sweep across the area and the salt trucks hit the pavement to clear icy roads, some environmental experts warn the de-icer may be doing more harm than good.

Jessica Forres reports.....

Motorists may be safer with salted roads, but Sujay Kaushal...with University of Maryland's Department of Environmental Science… says Maryland's waterways are not.

WHEN THAT SALT HITS THE GROUND OR HITS THE PAVEMENT THAT SNOW MELTS IMMEDIATELY TRICKLE ON THE ROADWAY, DOWN A SLOPE AND INTO A STORM DRAIN AND INTO A STREAM.

And eventually into our drinking water supplies…Kaushal…says chloride concentrations have increased four fold in some of Baltimore's reservoirs over the last twenty years.

BASICALLY IF THAT RATE OF SALINIZATION CONTINUES INTO THE FUTURE THERE COULD BE SOME DRINKING WATER PROBLEMS.

The underlying problem, Kaushal says, is development, such as new parking lots and roads. He suggests building green infrastructure is a possible solution.

IF WE INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FACILITIES AND INNOVATIVE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT THIS CAN BASICALLY SLOW THE FLOW WATER TO THE STREAM AND HELP RETAIN HELP RETAIN OR TREAT THE WATER BEFORE IT ENTERS RIVERS OR STREAMS.

People with heart ailments and high blood pressure should check the salt content of their drinking water.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The District is facing a budget shortfall well over a hundred million dollars.

But as Jessica Forres reports... Mayor Adrian Fenty remains committed to funding programs to prevent teen violence in the city.


At sixteen, Eugene Whittiesbey says he was arrested for a crime that landed him in prison for seven and a half years....

I HAD SOME TIME TO THINK. LIKE I SAID I WAS IN A FEDERAL PENETENTIONARY WHEN I TURNED THE AGE OF 18. I DIDN'T WANT THE KIDS TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE THAT I MADE.

The twenty six year-old now works for Peaceoholics…a non-profit group that works with gangs to prevent street violence.

Peaceoholics, ROPE Inc and the Latin American Youth Center were awarded nearly 240,000 dollars by the city to mentor and reach out to at-risk teens in targeted neighborhoods. Mai Fernandez is with the Center.

GETTING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE INTO POSITIVE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES. SOMETIMES IT'S A DANCE CLASS, SOMETIMES IT'S A WORKSHOPS, SOMETIMES IT'S A FIELD TRIP. BECAUSE OFTENTIMES PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT THE BIGGEST ROOT OF GANG VIOLENCE IS AND I OFTEN SAY BOREDOM.

Mayor Fenty says these groups have had great success at combating teen violence.

THE GOVERNMENT COULD NEVER BUILD THE TRUST WITH YOUNG PEOPLE THESE ORGANIZATIONS COULD BUILD. BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO TO DO A LOT WITH VERY LITTLE.

Fenty says the At-Risk Youth Assistance Program will target teens and young adults living in five of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

--------------------------------------------------

The District is helping three local organizations tackle violence among teens and young adults living in the city's most dangerous neighborhoods…

Jessica Forres reports…

At Hart Middle School in Southeast, DC, Eugene Whittiesbey is listening as Mayor Adrian Fenty announces the city's commitment to funding the At-Risk Youth Assistance Program....

ONE OF THE GREAT NEEDS THAT CONTINUES THAT TO GO UNDERFUNDED IS WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS CITY WHO YOU COULD CLASSIFY AS DISCONNECTED OR REALLY JUST IN PLAIN ENGLISH, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO NEED ADULTS…

Whittiesbey was one of those disconnected teenagers…at 16 he he was arrested for a crime he prefers not to discuss....

I WAS INCARCERATED FOR SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS. I CAME HOME IN JANUARY 24, 2007 AND THEN FROM THERE I WAS ALWAYS WANTING TO GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY.

Whittiesbey now works for Peaceoholics…one of the three non-profit groups that will share a 239-thousand dollar grant from the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation. Ronald Moten, Peaceoholics co-founder says he will hire five new employees with the money...

WE HELP THE CHILDREN GET TO CLASS. WE HELP IDENTIFY PROBLEMS IN THE HOUSEHOLD AND IN THE COMMUNITY.

Though the District is facing a budget shortfall, Mayor Fenty says funding for the program should be increased and part of the annual budget...

IF WE CAN BUILD THIS IN TO AN ANNUAL BUDGET AFTER WE'VE DONE A COMPETITIVE PROCESS LIKE THIS THEN THEY HAVE MORE CERTAINTY. WE HAVE TO AS A GOVERNMENT FUND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THIS.

The Latin American Youth Center and ROPE Inc.will share the remaining grant money.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

As inauguration visitors head home, long lines are causing major back ups at some local airports

Jessica Forres reports...



Inside Reagan National Airport, hundreds of travelers are waiting in lines that snake through terminal C. Stephanie Richardson arrived at 6:30 for her 9am flight to Tampa, Florida..But when she finally made it to the check-in counter they told her the plane was full….

NOBODY SAYS NOTHING, THEY TELL YOU NOTHING, THEY JUST LEFT US IN LINE HERDING US LIKE CATTLE.

For Judi Horrell who is trying to fly to St. Louis…the long lines caused her to miss her flight. She's still waiting and the check- in counter is nowhere in sight.

I TRIED TO CALL AND HE WAS GOING TO CHARGE ME AN ADDITIONAL 6-HUNDRED DOLLARS. IT WOULD BE 150 TO CHANGE THE TICKET BUT THEN THE FAIR HAS GONE UP TO 1-THOUSAND DOLLARS.

Despite missing her flight, Suzanne Magers is still in good spirits…

DIDN'T QUITE EXPECT THIS BUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE SO NEGATIVE, IT'S JUST YOU KNOW. THIS IS A NEW ERA, MARCHING FORWARD. I GUESS I AM STILL A LITTLE SUPERCHARGED FROM OBAMA.

AAA estimates that nearly 2-million people traveled to D-C for the inauguration.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

As President-elect Obama takes the Oath of Office, one non-profit is asking Americans to do the same.

Jessica Forres reports....


David Smith with the National Conference on Citizenship is reading one of the five pledges that make up the Citizen's Oath…

I COMMIT MYSELF TO BE INFORMED,

His organization is asking citizens to pledge the Oath today, when Mr. Obama is sworn into office...

WHILE OBAMA IS TAKING HIS OATH. WHAT ARE WE DOING? IT'S TIME FOR US TO TAKE OUR VOWS OR RENEW OUR VOWS OF CITIZENSHIP.

That includes citizens becoming more involved in their communities and the political process. Nick Centanni, a college student, is in town for the inauguration. Though he didn't vote for Obama, he is willing to do what he can as a citizen...

I THINK THE PRESIDENT-ELECT HAS HIS HANDS FULL AND I'D LIKE TO DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP OUT IN OUR COUNTRY.

Smith's organization will distribute copies of the Citizen's Oath during the inauguration and some of the inaugural balls.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

For many local residents, cycling proved to be the ideal way to get around on Inauguration Day.

Jessica Forres reports…..

In Bethesda, Maryland Jennifer Smith and Anne Gagne are bundled up and riding their bicycles to the National Mall.

BETTER THAN METRO AND THE CAPITAL CRESCENT TRAIL LOOKS PERFECT TODAY, IT'S EMPTY AND IT'S A DOWNHILL RIDE.

The 11 mile trail…which connects Silver Spring, Md to Georgetown in D.C…is one of several routes cyclists used to get into the city yesterday morning. Many of them parked their bikes with one of the two free valets run by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. Eric Gilliland…with the group…is working at the one on 16th and K St.

I THINK WE ARE GOING TO BREAK ALL SORTS OF RECORDS. THIS COULD BE A GUINESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS BIKE VALET.

Cyclist Gaby Hoof is happy with the service.

WE'RE FROM THE NETHERLANDS SO WE ARE USED TO BIKING AROUND. THIS IS A LUXURY FOR US BIKING IN THE STREETS AND HAVING A PLACE TO PARK YOUR BIKE. IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

Gilliland says his group parked a total of 2,100 bikes on inauguration day.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Metro coped with record ridership on both trains and buses today, starting early -- 4am for the first trains.

Jonathan Wilson and Jessica Forres report...



ANCHOR TAG
As of 3:20 this afternoon-- Metro reported more than 733,000 people had ridden their trains today -- more than doubling the previous one day record.RUNS 1:25

It couldn't compare to the crowds downtown later in the day -- but near the top of the escalator at the Tenleytown station a full half-hour before the stationed opened at four, a line of nearly 200 people developed -- at times breaking out into a good natured cheer.

OPEN the GATE, OPEN THE GATE.

Busier still was Shady Grove -- at the north end of the red line. The crowd there had people, like Jeff Eberhart, from Detroit, wishing he had gotten up even earlier.

I KNOW THEY EXPECTED A LARGE CROWD BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THEY EXPECTED THIS MANY, THIS EARLY.

Crowds picked up even more once everyday commuters joined the flock -- but it wasn't until later in the morning that an incident at Gallery Place had Metro officials holding their breath.

Jessica Forres has more on that...

Jon Doe, a vendor, has been standing outside the metro station all morning. He says the festive atmosphere dulled when Metro closed the station after a 68-year old woman fell on the red line tracks.

THEY STOPPED PEOPLE FROM COMING OUT OF THE METRO FOR A WHILE. EVERYBODY WAS A LITTLE HUSH HUSH FOR A MOMENT.

[NAT: AT THIS TIME]

The incident caused lengthy delays on the red line for nearly an hour.

Taryn McNeil is a spokesperson for Metro.

APPARENTLY SHE FELL ONTO THE TRACKS AND SOME PEOPLE TRIED TO HELP HER AND THEY COULDN'T GET HER UP SO SHE WENT UP UNDER THE LEDGE AREA AND WAS REMOVED AFTER THE TRAIN HAD COME INTO THE STATION.

The woman was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Officials are still investigating the cause of the fall.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood is benefiting from all of the people visiting Washington for the Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

Jessica Forres reports...


Speaking into a mega-phone, Lisa Duperier calls out to pedestrians walking on 18th street...

[GET READY TO SWING OUT THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW… ]

She's the president of Adams Morgan Main Street, a non-profit that promotes and revitalizes the neighborhood....

WHAT WE HAVE IS A LIFE-SIZE CUT OUT OF BARACK OBAMA, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMING BY AND HAVING THEIR PICTURE MADE WITH HIM AND AT DIFFERENT TIMES WE HAVE AN ELEPHANT PINATA, IT'S IN GOOD FUN, OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW.

There's also a "Tell the President" kiosk where anyone can post their ideas for Mr. Obama....

[NAT: HITTING PINATA]

Stacy Moye, a neighborhood resident, takes a swing at the red, white and blue Elephant Pinata...and successfully breaks it open....

[NAT: BREAKING PINATA]

IT WAS VERY CLEANSING, A GREAT IDEA, IT WAS ALL IN GOOD FUN.

Lisa Dupiere's group is promoting Adams Morgan as "Destination Change...."

THAT YOU'RE AWAY FROM WHERE ALL THE STREET CLOSINGS ARE, SO IF YOU WANT TO PICK AND CHOOSE FROM M A VARIETY OF LIVE MUSIC, THERE'S SAMBA FOR OBAMA, THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS OUR BUSINESSES ARE DOING.

Costume contests, pajama brunches and walking tours are just few of the other events planned for this week.

Jessica Forres Wamu 885 News

Businesses in DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood are hoping for an Inauguration Day-inspired economic shot in the arm.

Jessica Forres reports…


Adams Mill Bar and Grill is one many bars and restaurants lining 18th street. Darrell Green is the owner…

WE HAD TO PREPARE BECAUSE THEY AREN'T DOING DELIVERIES OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND SO WE HAD TO PRETTY MUCH OVERSTOCK ON EVERY KIND OF FOOD ITEM AND CLEANING SUPPPLIES, PAPER TOWELS, ALMOST DO A DOUBLE ORDER AND IN ANTICIPATION FOR THE LARGE CROWDS.

And large crowds are expected.

Charles Brazie...with the Adams Morgan Business and Professional Association...says the neighborhood is prepared to handle the throngs...

WE HAVE A VERY LARGE POLICE CONTINGENT THAT WILL BE UP HERE FROM THIRD DISTRICT. THEY ARE ALL ON 12 HOUR SHIFTS SO WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF PERIPHERAL SECURITY AS WELL. WE EXPECT TO HAVE AN EXCELLENT WEEKEND AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT AND OUR BUSINESSES ARE READY FOR IT.

He says about twenty bars and restaurants will have extended hours....staying open an hour later until 4am on Tuesday.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Students, veterans and leading figures from the arts, government and media took part in a weekend event at the Newseum to celebrate the Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

Jessica Forres listened as they read the U.S. Constitution…


Standing at a podium is Charles Overby...

THE FIRST AMENDMENT, CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION,
OR ABRIDGING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OR OF THE PRESS.

He's chairman of the Newseum...

YOU KNOW WE HAVE A SEVENTY FOUR FOOT HIGH SIGN OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT ON THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING RIGHT THERE ARE PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE. SO TO BE ABLE TO READ IT IN FRONT OF ALL THE PEOPLE AND FOR THEM TO SPONTANEIOUSLY CHEER FOR EACH FREEDOM WAS VERY HEARTWARMING.

The People for the American Way Foundation selected the 34 readers. Kathryn Kolbert... the group's president....says it's the first time the organization has held an Inaugural reading...

WE ARE THRILLED TO BEGIN THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION WITH THE READING OF THE CONSTITUTION SO THAT WE CAN RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW TO THIS NATION.

Helen Ingalls and Susan Gutchess of DC sat in the front row...

OUR EXPERIENCE OF THE INAUGURATION IS GOING TO BE COMPLELTELY AMORPHOUS. WE'RE GOING TO ENJOY THE MUSEUM. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IT TODAY.

Civil rights pioneer Mary Frances Berry and students from DC's Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy also participated.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Thousands of volunteers have received their assignments and are gearing up for Inauguration Day.

Jessica Forres met some of them at the third and final training session held by the Presidential Inaugural Committeee.


Inside an exhibit hall at the Washington Convention Center, 5-thousand people are waiting for their assignments and getting fired up over volunteering Inauguration Day...

[NAT: FIRE IT UP, READY TO GO, FIRE IT UP]

Juanita Ballingame of DC is assigned a blue ticket, which means her post will be on the National Mall. She expects...

MASS CONFUSION, LOTS OF PEOPLE JUST ENJOYING THEMSELVES. HAVING A GOOD TIME.

Mass confusion is what the Presidential Inaugural Committee is trying to avoid. That's why they held three volunteer training sessions.

Kevin Griffis... a spokesperson for the committee...says the sessions highlight the basics of crowd control...

ABOUT 85 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE USHERS. THEY ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE STATIONED AT METRO STATIONS, ALONG MAJOR PEDESTRIANS ROUTES, WHERE THE FOLKS ARE GETTING LET OFF OF BUSES.

Most of them, he says, helped out with the campaign and see this as an opportunity to stay involved. Peter Ohr canvassed during the general election....

IT'S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME THING FOR MANY, MANY PEOPLE AND YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

Joan Lee is from Laurel, Maryland....

WELL I VOLUNTEERED IN DENVER AND IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK SO I'M GOING TO TAKE OFF MY JOB AND JUST HOPEFULLY HAVE A MEMORABLE ALBUM AND SAY I WAS REALLLY A PART OF HISTORY, I MEAN REALLY A PART OF HISTORY.

The 18-thousand inaugural volunteers will be wearing badges and red stocking hats.

Jessica forres WAMU 885 News

In the District, some grandparents are urging lawmakers to continue funding for a program that helps them support their grandchildren.

Jessica Forres reports....


Inside her grandmother's one-bedroom apartment, Tierra Joppy who is eight years old, remembers when her classmates cruelly teased her about her clothes...

AND MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD SAY THAT'S ALL WE CAN GET BECAUSE WE WAS BROKE.

Balinda Cunningham...Tierra's grandmother...says social security wasn't enough to cover all of her expenses...eventually they were forced to live in a homeless shelter. They were there for two years...

TIERRA HAD TO SLEEP IN A TENT ON THE FLOOR AND THEN SHE COULDN'T SLEEP IN THE BED BECAUSE THE MICE WOULD CRAWL UP IN THE BED.

Last summer, things started looking up - when they were accepted into the Grandparent Caregiver Pilot Program, which allows eligible grandparents to receive the same child care subsidies that are given to foster parents.

But Cunningham is worried the three-year pilot program will be cut when it sunsets at years end.

WE PRAY HARD EVERY DAY, EVERY NIGHT THAT WE CAN SURVIVE AND IF THE SUBSIDY IS CUT OFF I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.

Councilmember Tommy Wells supports the program, but concedes that expansion to cover 1-hundred and fifty children on the waiting list is unlikely.

IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM WHEN THE CITY'S FACING A 3-HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR FINANCIAL SHORTFALL.

A-A-R-P says the percentage of children in D-C living in a household headed by a grandparent is more than twice the national average.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News…
_______________________________________

A-A-R-P is urging lawmakers from DC to continue subsidizing low-income residents who are raising their grandchildren by themselves.

Jessica Forres reports…

Balinda Cunningham and her granddaughter Tierra Joppy, who is eight, are sitting in the living room of their apartment in Southeast, DC...

HER MOTHER WAS HAVING SOME PROBLEMS AND WASN'T ABLE TO CARE FOR HER AS A PARENT. IF NOT TIERRA WOULD HAVE BEEN IN FOSTER CARE. AND HER FATHER IS NO WHERE AROUND IT WAS UP TO ME AND MY SOCIAL SECURITY.

But social security wasn't enough to cover her expenses...

THE BILLS WERE JUST TOO MUCH WE JUST COULDN'T MAKE IT SO WE WERE EVICTED AND WE LIVED IN A SHELTER FOR TWO YEARS.

Last summer, she was accepted into the Grandparent Caregiver Pilot Program, which gives grandparents the same child care subsidies that are given to foster parents. Denise Rolark-Barnes is with AARP… hopes the city will make the program permanent at yearsend and will also cover those on the waiting list....

THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM COSTS ABOUT 40-THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR FOR ONE CHILD THAT GOES INTO THE FOSTER SYSTEM. THE GRANDPARENT PROGRAM COST 7-HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH.

Councilmember Tommy Wells supports continuing the subsidies, but is doubtful the program will be expanded....

IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO CUT THE SUBSIDY OFF… THE DIFFICULT THING WILL BE ANY EXPANSION OF THE PROGRAM SINCE WE HAVE A SEVERE BUDGET DEFICIT THE CITY IS FACING.

A-A-R-P says the percentage of children in D-C who live in a household headed by a grandparent is more than twice the national average.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Dozens of local environmentalists plunged into the icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay over the weekend to raise awareness about global warming.

Jessica Forres was there…



[NAT: WAVES]

At the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Annapolis headquarters the wind is blowing and the temperature is in the high 30's yet Leanna Howser... dressed in her bathing suit... is ready to jump into the Bay's frigid waters...

I'M ACTUALLY KIND OF GETTING NUMB SO IT'S NOT THAT BAD ANYONE AND ONCE YOU GET IN YOU HAVE TO DIVE. THERE'S NO POINT OF GOING IN AND KEEPING YOUR HAIR DRY.

She is taking part in the Chesapeake Climate Action Network's fourth annual Polar Bear Plunge.

Mike Tidwell is with the non-profit. He says the plunge is meant to raise awareness about global warming and show support for a bill that would reduce 25 percent of the pollution generated in Maryland by 2020...

WE WILL SUFFER FOR A FEW LONG MOMENTS IN ORDER TO RAISE AWARENESS THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP WINTER COLD TO SAVE OUR CLIMATE, SAVE OUR ECONOMY AND SAVE THIS PLANET.

[NAT: NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE… WOOOOOO]

About a hundred people decided to take the plunge…

- HOW DO YOU FEEL
- COLD
- GOOD GOD
- COLD, PRETTY FRIGID
- IT WAS COLD
- IT FELT LIKE TWENTY OR THIRTY DEGREES IN THERE. MY FEET WERE NUMB AS SOON
- AS I WENT IN, IT WASN'T LIKE THAT LAST YEAR. OH MY GOD IT WAS SO WORTH IT.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

It's been three months since Congress passed a 700-Billion dollar rescue plan for banks...but as Jessica Forres reports...many local homeowners who are facing foreclosure are NOT receiving the relief they need...



Juliana Anane of Silver Spring, Maryland is seven months behind on her mortgage, so she's attending a workshop at Montgomery College on how she can save her home...

I HAVE A PAYCHECK BUT I MEAN MY HUSBAND DOESN'T HAVE A PAYCHECK. HE DISABLED NOW AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE FELL BEHIND BECAUSE HE CANNOT WORK.

In 2003… when she bought the home…the interest rate was 6 percent...but now that the rate has adjusted upward, she says the bank refuses to work with her...

THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT I CANNOT AFFORD THE HOME AND I'M TELLING THEM THAT IF THEY CUT THE INTEREST RATE FROM 9.25 TO WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THAN I COULD AFFORD MY HOME.

Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards hosted the "Save Your Home" workshop where struggling homeowners received counselling. She's frustrated because banks are not providing the help homeowners need....

WELL IT HAS BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE TO PUSH THE BANKS, EVEN THOSE BANKS THAT HAVE RECEIVED FEDERAL MONEY IN THE BAILOUT TO WORK OUT THEIR LOANS. I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TO COMPEL OUR TREASURY DEPARTMENTAT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO USE THE MONEY DIRECTLY FOR HOMEOWNERS.

Representative Edwards says during the third quarter of 2008 half of the 8-thousand foreclosures in Maryland are located in Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

____________________________________________________________

Some homeowners in the DC region say the 700-billion dollar rescue plan for banks is not providing the help they need to stave off foreclosure.

Jessica Forres reports…

Joan...not her real name...is attending a free workshop at Montgomery College where struggling homeowners receive counseling on how to avoid foreclosure.
She questions whether it's worth the effort...

IT'S A DISAPPOINTMENT. THE INFORMATION LEVEL IS NOT MATCHING THE PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS AND THE INFORMATION ALL LOOKS LIKE HERE'S THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO AND YOU SOUND REALLY HOPEFUL BUT FOR ME IT'S NOT HOPE.

She's keeping her head above water now..but she fears what could happen...
THEY SAID HOW MANY MONTHS ARE YOU BEHIND. WELL I'M NOT, I'M PAYING IT WELL THEN WE CAN'T HELP YOU. I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT LATE. I KNOW WHAT'S COMING.

Dozens of homeowners showed up for the "Save Your Home" workshop hosted by Congresswoman Donna Edwards who says it's a challenge to convince banks to modify the loans they've made...

I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TO COMPEL OUR TREASURY DEPARTMENT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO USE THE MONEY DIRECTLY FOR HOMEOWNERS. AND I'M CONVINCED THAT THE INCOMING OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND THE NEW SECRETARY OF TREASURY ARE COMMITTED TO DOING JUST THAT. YOU KNOW A PORTION OF THE 350 BILLION DOLLARS WILL BE USED DIRECTLY FOR HOMEOWNERS.

Representative Edwards says the number of foreclosures in Montgomery and Prince George's counties totaled 4 thousand in the third quarter of 2008.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Some community members are urging Fairfax County Public Schools to change the grading scale . They say it puts students at a disadvantage when applying to college.

Jessica Forres reports...


Kenzie McDonald attends San Diego State University in California.

I WAS LOOKING TO GO TO A UC SCHOOL BUT I ENDED UP GOING TO A STATE SCHOOL BECAUSE I ENDED UP HAVING A 3.5 WHEN I FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL.

She blames the six point grading scale at Oakton High School in Vienna. When she transferred there from the Montgomery County school system in Maryland, her G-P-A dropped from a 3.66 to a 3.25...

THEY CHANGED IT I KNOW IF I HAD A HIGH B THEN THEY COULD CHANGE IT TO A C-PLUS.

Catherine Lorenze is with Fairgrade, a local group that supports a 10 point grading scale where an A requires a percentage of 90 to 1-hundred instead of 94 to 1-hundred.

She says Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairgrade conducted reasearch on how the current grading system impacts students applying to college....

THEY DON'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT WE'RE ON THIS ABNORMAL SIX POINT SCALE. THEY COMPARE OUR KIDS TO EVERYBODY ELSE WHETHER THEY'RE ON A 10 POINT SCALE OR A NUMERIC SCALE.

Paul Regnier, a spokesperson for FCPS, says the County's Superintendent, Jack Dale, supports adding weights to advanced courses but disagrees with changing the grading scale....

THE READING OF THE REPORT INDICATED THAT THE GRADING SCALE AND THE WEIGHTING DOES NOT REALLY CLEARLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ADMISSIONS TO SELECTIVE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

Fairgrade's Lorenze says community members are also urging Loudoun County Public Schools to change their grading scale from seven to ten points.

Fairfax County School Board members will take up the issue tonight.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

__________________________________________________

Hundreds of parents and students in Virginia are asking the Fairfax County School system to change its grading system.

Jessica Forres listened last night as many of them voiced their concerns at a school board meeting....

Inside a packed auditorium at Luther Jackson Middle School, Emily Goodnight addresses the school board...

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE MY PAINFUL AND FRUSTRATING STORY IN AN EFFORT TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THE COUNTY'S GRADING POLICY ON ME.

She says her 3 point 3 Grade Point Average… would have been 3 point.5 if the county had weighted her Honors classes and used a ten point grading scale rather a six point one....

NO MATTER HOW MANY LETTERS MY GUIDANCE COUNSELOR WRITES ON MY BEHALF EXPLAINING FAIRFAX COUNTY'S GRADING SCALE IT IS UNCLEAR IF I WILL ACTUALLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS.

Hundreds of frustrated parents and students wearing white shirts stand during her speech.

Marcy Newberger...with a local group called FairGrade..helped organize the protest against the policy that requires a grade of 94 to 100 to warrant an "A"...

WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SOLIDARITY.

Much of the anger has been focused on Jack Dale...the School Superintendent...who supports weighting advanced courses but opposes changing the district's grading scale...

I THINK OUR SCALE ARTICULATES HIGH EXPECTATIONS, HIGH STANDARDS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND IF IT'S WORKING WE'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL WHY WOULD WE WANT TO CHANGE THAT. IF WE DID WANT TO CHANGE OUR GRADING SCALE THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO SAY OKAY WHAT IS THE BEST.

The school board is expected to vote on the superintendent's recommendation at the end of this month.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News