Nearly a thousand gas stations have shut down in D-C, Maryland and
Virginia in recent years.

And as Jessica Forres reports... that number is expected to rise.



A chain-link fence surrounds what used to be a gas station in downtown
Bethesda, Maryland. The gas pumps have been ripped out and all that
stands is a boarded-up convenience mart. There's a popular sports bar
next door. Rob Benning is the manager. He says the station has been closed since
January.

IT WAS SURPRISING BECAUSE I THOUGHT, I MEAN I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY
PEOPLE STOPPED IN THERE FOR GAS, MAYBE THAT WAS THE PROBLEM.

Abandoned gas stations line South Capitol Street near the Nationals
Ball Park. Stanley Bradley lives in the neighborhood.

THERE WAS ONE BP UP THERE, THEY SHUT THAT DOWN, THERE WAS TWO EXONS,
ONE BP, ONE SHELL STATION ON M STREET AND UP FURTHER AS YOU GET TO
11TH STREET WAS AN EXON, THEY SHUT IT DOWN.

Jeff Lenard is with the National Association of Convenience Stores.
He says the closings are an acceleration of a national
trend spanning more than a decade.

NUMBER ONE GAS MARGINS ARE VERY THIN, TYPICALLY YOU NEED ABOUT 12
CENTS TO BREAK EVEN SELLING THE GAS PER GALLON. THE MARKUP THE FIRST
HALF OF THE YEAR HAS BEEN ABOUT 10 CENTS PER GALLON AND RETAILERS
HAVE REALLY TAKEN A POUNDING FROM THIS. THE OTHER FACTOR IS THE
LIQUIDITY CRISIS. YOU’RE HAVING BANKS PULLING BACK ON LOANS. LOANS
THAT THEY WERE PERFECTLY WILLING TO MAKE LAST YEAR, THEY’RE NOT
MAKING NOW AND IT’S PUTTING A SQUEEZE ON SOME OF THE SMALLER BUSINESS
THAT DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO CAPITAL. AND PUTTING A REAL SQUEEZE.

More than 30-thousand gas stations have closed in the U.S since 1995.

______________________________

Gas stations continue to disappear from the Washington region.

And as Jessica Forres reports...some local residents are not happy about it.



A chain-link fence surrounds the lot of what used to be a gas station
in Bethesda, Maryland. Rob Benning is the manager of the sports bar
next door. He says the gas station, which closed in January, was there
one day and gone the next…

THERE WAS A BRIGHT LIGHT AND NOW IT’S KIND OF EMPTY OVER THERE. YOU
DON’T GET THE SAME LIKE FOCUS OF LIGHT. SO YOU WALK OUT AND YOU
DEFINITELY MISS IT. IT’S LIKE ONE OF THOSE THINGS, LIKE THE EXONN USED
TO BE THERE.

The scene is much the same on South Capitol Street in D-C., where we
counted three abandoned gas stations. Stanley Bradley lives in the
neighborhood.

WELL IT’S A LITTLE ROUGH FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. PEOPLE WHO HAVE CARS WE
ALL HAVE TO GO UP TO 11TH AND WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.

Since 2001, more than a thousand gas stations have closed in D-C,
Maryland and Virginia. Jeff Leonard...with the National Association of
Conveniece Stores... says it's a nationwide trend..

I THINK WHAT WE’RE SEEING NOW WITH A NUMBER OF STORES CLOSING IS
REALLY AN ACCELERATION OF WHAT WE’VE SEEN FOR MORE THAN A DECADE…. IN
1995 THERE WERE ABOUT 200-THOUSAND FUELING LOCATIONS IN THE U.S.
TODAY THERE’S ABOUT 160-THOUSAND THAT’S A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT DROP
AND I THINK THAT DROP HAS BEEN CONTINUED BY THE LIQUIDITY CRISIS THAT
RETAILERS FACE IN GETTING CAPITAL. THE CONTINUING SQUEEZE ON MARGINS
AND IRONICALLY THE COMPETITION FROM BIG BOXES.

He says

Jessica Forres

Some member of Caribbean community are urging the U.S. Census Bureau to add a
Caribbean-American race category to the 2010 census.

Jessica Forres reports…



Hundreds of local residents are celebrating D-C’s 17th annual
Caribbean Carnival at Banneker Recreation Park. Among the vendors is
the U.S. Census Bureau. Representatives with the agency are passing
out information about the 2010 U.S. Census.

Chris Toussaint is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, but he’s lived
in the U.S for more than twenty years. He believes American-Caribbean race
category should be added to the census.

IT’S NOT THAT WE’RE TRYING TO SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM BLACK-AMERICANS
BECAUSE WE ALL BLACK PEOPLE, BUT WE WANT TO SAY YES AMONG THESE BLACK
PEOPLE, THIS PERCENTAGE IS FROM THE CARIBBEAN.

Judith Martin…who was born in the U.S.… disagrees. Her grandparents
are from Jamaica and Antigua, but she considers herself
African-American.

I FEEL WE’RE ALL ONE YOU KNOW THAT WE ALL BLEND IN AS ONE. I DON’T
CONSIDER US AS SEPARATE EVEN THOUGH WE’RE FROM THE CARIBBEAN.

Alison Assanah-Carroll is a spokeswoman for the Bureau. She urges
residents to fill out "other" if they don’t identify with a particular
group.

BY DOING SO IT CAN ACTUALLY ESTABLISH A GIVEN PATTERN AND HELP TO
DESIGN FUTURE QUESTIONAIRES RELATIVE TO HOW WE SEE THE DATA BEING
TABULATED OR REPORTEDBY PERSON’S WHO ARE SELF-IDENTIFYING WHEN THEY
RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONAIRE.

More than 300-billion dollars of government funding are awarded to
states and communities based on census data.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 news.

Thousands of local residents are celebrating D-C’s 17th annual Caribbean Carnival...

Jessica Forres took in some of the festivities…



Music blares as Micah James and her family walk around the baseball field in Banneker Recreation Park …. where vendors are selling Caribbean food and reggae music. She lives in Maryland, but is originally from the island of Grenada. She says carnival is a celebration of her culture.

WE HAVE CARNIVAL IN GRENADA AROUND AUGUST WHICH IS UPCOMING AND YOUKNOW IT ALSO CONNECTS US WITH BEING BACK HOME.

Chris Toussaint is originally from Trinidad and Tobago. He helped organize the two-day festival....starting with a parade down Georgia Avenue.

FOR THE FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY, THEY HAVE GROWN TO LOVE ANDSOMETIMES HATE THE CARNIVAL BECAUSE WHEN WE COME DOWN THE AVENUE ITTENDS TO CREATE A LITTLE BIT OF TRAFFIC.

He says the festivities end at 7pm.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

As American car manufacturers struggle to survive, Ford Motor Company
is producing more sustainable and fuel-efficient vehicles.

But as Jessica Forres reports… convincing local motorists to buy
"green" may not be that easy.



In Virginia, Tom Rolewicz is driving the new Hybrid Fusion. As an
engineer with Ford Motor Company, he’s happy to show off the new
technology...

THERE’S A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE CAR.

-IS THAT SURPRISING ?

- YOU KNOW IT’S GRATIFYING I WILL SAY. I MEAN BECAUSE PEOPLE REALLY
DO WANT THE CAR. I THINK PEOPLE WERE MADE VERY AWARE OF THE PRICE OF
FUEL LAST SUMMER.

Jay Ward…a Ford spokesperson…says the hybrid is just the beginning…
electric and fuel efficient vehicles will be on the market within the
next two years...

THIS IS A CHANCE TO REALLY DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM WHAT’S GOING ON AND
REALLY START PUTTING THE FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR.

Some salesmen and customers at a Ford dealership in Silver Spring,
Maryland, tell a different story. Salesman Kenneth Mitchell waits
outside for potential buyers...

WE DON’T EVEN HAVE ANY EXPEDITIONS ON THE LOT BECAUSE THEY’RE SOLD OUT
YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN GAS PRICES WENT BACK DOWN THREE OR
FOUR MONTHS AGO, EVERYONE RUSHED IN WITH THEIR LITTLE CAR AND BOUGHT
ALL THE BIG CARS, ALL THE EXPLORERS AND ALL THE EXPEDITIONS.

Inside, Warren Romine wants to buy the Mustang Convertible. He’s
excited about the cars extras, such as blue tooth technology and an
upgraded interior...

-WHAT ABOUT THE FUEL ECONOMY OF THE CAR? IS THAT A CONCERN FOR YOU?
-WELL IT’S ALWAYS A CONCERN, BUT I’M NOT BUYING A CAR JUST BASED ON
FUEL ECONOMY.

Ford Motor Company says there’s a waiting list to buy the new Hybrid Fusion.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The D-C branch of a national bone marrow program is encouraging more minorities to become donors.

Jessica Forres reports...



[NAT: CHOIR]

A choir performs at the New Life Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland as members of the congregation line up to provide samples of their DNA.

Juliette Williams of the National Marrow Donor Program is recruiting two, young black men, Termayne Douglas and Stephen Yirenkyi...

THIS IS THE KIT YOU’RE GOING TO TYPE YOURSELF WITH. WE HAVE FOUR Q-TIPS, TWO IN A PACK. YOU ARE GOING TO SWAB EACH SECTION OF YOUR MOTH FOR TEN SECONDS.

- HOW ARE YOU FEELING RIGHT NOW
-HEROIC
-SCARED

Williams says more than 6-thousand patients…suffering from various blood cancers, such as Leukemia or Lymphoma...are in need of bone marrow transplants each year. Finding a match isn’t easy…. especially for minorities who only make up 8 percent of donors...

THE BEST MATCH FOR A PERSON COMES FROM THEIR OWN RACE OR OWN ETHNIC BACKGROUND. SO THAT’S WHY WE’RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, WE HAVE OVER 7 AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE ON THERE AND MINORITIES ARE NOT ON THERE IN THE NUMBERS WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

There are 3 and a half million white donors... sevens times the number of blacks on the list...

ONLY 6 PERCENT OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICANS ON THE REGISTRY WILL GET A TRANSPLANT THE OTHER 94 PERCENT WON’T BECAUSE THERE’S NOT ENOUGH ON THE REGISTRY.

The next bone marrow drive in D.C. takes place on Thursday at Galludet (GALLA-det) University.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

_____

A local church is trying to save lives this Easter weekend by encouraging minorities to become bone marrow donors.

Jessica Forres reports...

At the New Life Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Stephen Yirenkyi, a young black man, is about to swab the inside of his mouth with a Q-Tip...

HOW DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW?

-SCARED

He's hoping his DNA will lead to saving the life of a cancer patient some day...


- I’M GOING TO SUCK IT UP BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO REALLY NEED HELP…


Juliet Williams...with the National Marrow Donor Program...says that's especially true for minorities... who make up about 8 percent of the registry...


THE BEST MATCH FOR A PERSON COMES FROM THEIR OWN RACE OR OWN ETHNIC BACKGROUND. WE HAVE OVER 7 AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE ON THERE AND MINORITIES ARE NOT ON THERE IN THE NUMBERS WHERE WE NEED TO BE.


William's program hosts a bone marrow donor drive every week in the Washington, DC area.


Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

(It's still a debate about whether this creek is in D.C. or Maryland, but I'm posting the story anyway. I drove by there the other day and it looks like it's split between D.C. and Maryland. Regardless, residents from D.C. and Maryland cleaned up the important estuary together).

Thousands of volunteers swept the Potomac River watershed for trash and litter. The clean up was part of a regional effort organized by the Alice Ferguson Foundation.

Jessica Forres reports…



Near busy 16th street in Silver Spring, Maryland, Katherine Trimble and her two young children comb Fenwick Branch North-Portal Tributary for trash.

I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR DOING THIS. AFTER THE FIRST YEAR I STOPPED USING PLASTIC BAGS.

She and more than 12-thousand volunteers from Pennsylvania to Virginia are taking part in the 21st Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. Ginny Harris...with the Alice Ferguson Foundation…organized the event. She calls us from another clean up site in Accoceek, Maryland.

IT EDUCATES PEOPLE WHAT IS FLOATING DOWN OUR DRINKING WATER, WHAT’S FLOATING DOWN THE POTOMAC RIVER AND HOPEFULLY YOU’LL START MAKING CHANGES.

A total of 30-thousand trash bags were distributed at 500 sites across the Mid-Atlantic region.

_______________________

Thousands of volunteers collected trash in the Washington, DC area as part of a regional effort to clean up the Potomac Watershed…

Jessica Forres reports...

Cars speed past local residents sweeping Fenwick Branch North-Portal for trash. It’s a small creek near busy 16th street that eventually flows into the Potomac River.
A local boy scout troop shows us what they’ve collected...

A BASKETBALL, SOME CIGARETTES

Boy Scout JEROME WALKER says it makes him angry.

BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST THROW THEIR TRASH OUT HERE WITHOUT THINKING TWICE.

Ginny Harris with the Alice Ferguson Foundation… is on her cell phone at another cleanup site in Accoceek, Maryland. Her group organized the2 1st annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup.

HOPEFULLY YOU’LL START MAKING CHANGES . YOU’LL SEE THAT YOU CAN PICK UP A HUNDRED STRAWS IN TWO FEET OF AREA. AND THEN YOU DECIDE MAYBE NEXT TIME I WON’T GET A STRAW.
She says more than 12-thousand volunteers collected trash at nearly 500 sites throughout the Potomac Watershed.

Some local advocacy groups are holding a series of educational workshops designed to address tensions and stereotypes that exist between some members of the black and latino communities.

Jessica Forres reports…



At D-C’s Foundry Methodist Church, Jorge, who prefers not to give his last name, is standing in a hallway.

“I’M AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT. I’M FROM GUATEMALA”

He along with 40 Latino and African American men and women are attending a workshop focused on building alliances between the two communities. Kristi Matthews… with the Fair Budget Coalition… helped organize the forum... She talks about some of the issues dividing both groups.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO I WORK WITH SPECIFICALLY FEEL, IMMIGRANTS ARE COMING HERE, TAKING OUR JOBS THEY ARE DRIVING DOWN THE WAGES, TAKING OUR JOBS AND WITHIN THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY THEY FEEL BLACK PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE ARE LAZY, THEY DON’T WANT WORK TO HELP, THEY ARE ROBBING ME,

She says it’s the people in power who are creating these divisions.

WHEN YOU’RE FIGHTING OVER THIS 1300 HOUSING VOUCHER AND IT GORES TO IMMIGRANT..ALL YOU SEE IS THE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIRGANT TOOK YOUR VOUCHER, YOU DON’T SEE THAT WAS A POLICY PUT IN PLACE. WHAT YOU DON’T SEE IS THAT THERE WEREN’T ENOUGH VOUCHERS FOR ALL OF YOU..

Jorge, through a translator, says he's never experienced discrimination, but he thinks creating a dialogue between the two communities will help him at his job as a Day Laborer.

I'VE HEARD OF CASES WHERE COMPANIES USE TACTICS TO DIVIDE THE WORKERS. BUT I HAVE LEARNED WHILE BEING HERE THAT WORKERS HAVE SOLVED PROBLEMS OF DIVISION BY COMMUNICATING AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS.

Matthews group started hosting hosting the educational workshops in 2007.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

___

Some local advocacy groups are trying to bridge the divide between African-Americans and Latinos in the D-C region.

Jessica Forres reports…

African-American and Latino men and women sit on folding chairs inside a large room at D-C’s Foundry Methodist Church. They are listening to Kristi Matthews as she recounts why the history of Latino migration to the area.

[LATINOS BEGIN TO IMMIGRATE FROM MANY PLACES IN CENTRAL AMERICA WAS IN THE 90’S AND 80’S SPECIFICALLY SALVADORIANS, GUATEMALANS, NICARAGUANS TO COME TO DC AND OTHER PARTS OF THE US.]

Matthews is with the Fair Budget Coalition. Her group and DC Jobs with Justice are holding a series of educational workshops. They are designed to address tensions and stereotypes that exist between some members of the black and Latino communities. Jorge who prefers not give his last name, is a day laborer. He talks… through a translator… about some of the issues.

AFRICAN-AMERICANS SAY THAT WE ARE TAKING THE JOBS BECAUSE WE TAKE JOBS AND WE DO THEM FOR LESS MONEY... AND FROM OUR PART THERE’S ALSO DIVISION BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CONTRACTORS WHO PICK UP DAYLABORERS WILL NOT PAY IF THEY HAPPEN TO BE AFRICAN-AMERICAN, IT BECOMES A NEGATIVE THING.

Matthews, herself, blames politicians for exacerbating these divisions.

WE’RE DEALING SO MUCH WITH DIVISION TOOLS THAT ARE BEING USED VERY INTENTIONALLY BY POWERS THAT BE THAT KEEP US FIGHTING OVER THE CRUMBS, WE’RE NOT ABLE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PIE AND ASK FOR MORE.

More than 40 people attended the workshop on Saturday…

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Thousands of local residents celebrated the first day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival…

Jessica Forres was there for some of the events…



[NAT: DRUMMERS]

Near Union Station, Taiko drummers are performing in front of the National Japanese American Memorial. About 2-hundred people are getting ready for the 11th annual Freedom Walk. It commemorates the military service of Japanese Americans and their internment during World War II.

Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki… watches the performance…

IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER OF COURSE THE MILITARY SERVICE OF JAPANESE AMERICANS THROUGH VERY HARD EXPERIENCES AND INTERNMENT WAS A VERY HARD EXPERIENCE AND THEY HAVE OVERCOME AND I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IT.

The walk kicked off the two-week long Cherry Blossom Festival. The tradition dates back to 1912, when Japan donated the first of the famous Yoshino Cherry trees in a gesture of friendship. For some local residents, such as Quail Rogers-Bloch, the festival is a celebration of spring. Her favorite event...the Kite Festival near the Washington Monument...

[THE KITE FESTIVAL IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITES..]

The Cherry Blossoms are expected to be in full bloom between April 1st and April 4th.

Runners weren’t the only ones taking part in the fourth annual National Marathon… the event also brought out local peanut farmers who are racing to rebuild consumer confidence in their products.

Jessica Forres was there…



[NAT: GET YOUR PEANUTS]

That’s Clarke Fox…a peanut grower in Virginia. He’s at the D-C armory passing out airplane size peanut bags.

I CAME OUT TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITS OF PEANUTS.

He says times have been tough since January when more than 2-thousand peanut products tested positive for Salmonella and they were all recalled.

THE MARKETPLACE ISN’T SUPPORTING THE PEANUT INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW BUT WE’RE HOPING FOR A QUICK TURN AROUND TO GET THIS THING BACK ROLLING AGAIN.

Marie Fenn, with the National Peanut Board hopes attending events such as the National Marathon… will do just that and rebuild consumer confidence.

MOSTLY WHAT WE’RE HEARING IS OH PEANUTS I LOVE PEANUTS…

Fenn says major national brands of jarred peanut butter were not among the products recalled.

_________

Peanut farmers are reaching out to marathon runners and their supporters in hopes of restoring consumer confidence in their products…

Jessica Forres reports…

Runners…taking part in the fourth annual National Marathon…are crossing the finish line at D-C’s armory.

[NAT: ANTHONY PERKINS]

They are being greeted by the customary race officials and someone they may not have expected, a peanut farmer from Virginia. Clarke Fox is passing out packets of peanuts. He hopes this little snack will wet their appetite for more. Fox says times have been tough this year after more than 2-thousand peanut products were recalled following a Salmonella outbreak.

WELL RIGHT NOW I’M COMMITTED TO GROWING ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF WHAT I HAD PLANNED ON GROWING FOR THIS COMING YEAR.

Standing next to Fox, Marie Fenn with the National Peanut Board says their free samples seem to be working...

WE’VE HAD A FEW PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS SO WE CAN HELP TO CLARIFY THAT PEANUT BUTTER SOLD IN THEIR GROCERY STORE AND IN THE JARS HAS NEVER BEEN IMPACTED BY THE RECALL.

Published reports have suggested jarred peanut butter sales decreased about 20 percent in January compared to the same time period last year.

One D-C Councilmember is turning the dream of college into a reality for some local High School students.

Jessica Forres reports…



Twenty four students from Anacostia High School are on their way to North Carolina where representatives from more than twenty Historically Black Colleges and Universities will either admit or deny them on the spot.

Madeline Foreman, an English Teacher, rides with her students on the charter bus...

I PICK THE ONES WHO HAVE THE 2.0’S , THE 1.7’S. THE KINDS OF G.P.A’S THAT NOBODY WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT.

But the students, she says, have the same potential as an IVY- Leaguer...

I SEE THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE SOME PUSH BEHIND THEM. THEY DON’T GET IT AT HOME MAYBE OR MAYBE THEIR PARENTS ARE WORKING..

Such as Joi Martin… a senior at Dunbar High School…She is one of a hundred students from 15 D-C High Schools who decided to attend the fair. She holds a transcript in one hand and five applications in the other…

MY MOTHER SHE NOT REALLY INVOLVED IN MY EDUCATION LIKE SHE SHOULD BE SO THAT’S WHAT MADE REALLY START PUSHING MYSELF.

Taunya Monroe… a senior admissions officer at North Carolina’s Bennett College for Women… looks at her transcript and likes what she sees...

CONGRATULATIONS MA’AM AND WELCOME TO THE CLASS OF 2013,

It's the second year D-C Councilmember Kwame Brown organized and raised money for the trip...

YOU KNOW I WAS AT THE BOTTOM AND SOME OF THESE KIDS ARE AT THE BOTTOM SOMEONE NEEDS TO SAY THEY TOO CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IF SOMEONE GIVES THEM A HAND UP AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO HERE TODAY.

More than 80 percent of the qualifed students were accepted into at least one college.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News



D-C Councilmember Kwame Brown is helping local high school students realize their dream of a college education.

Jessica Forres reports...

At a community college in Tarboro, North Carolina, Joi Martin, a senior at Dunbar Highschool, is talking with admissions officers who are accepting and denying students on the spot. She hands Chris Withers her transcript...

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS GET YOUR G-P-A UP BECAUSE OF THIS RIGHT HERE.

Martin is one of a hundred seniors and juniors from 15 D-C High Schools who traveled on charter buses for the fair of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

D-C Councilmember Kwame Brown who helped organize the trip... says most of the students have low grade point averages but great potential...

SOMEONE HELPED ME RIGHT AND I NEED TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN AND HOPEFULLY I’M HELPING THE NEXT ONE OF ME THAT’S GOING TO GO FARTHER AND BETTER.

Martin is one of those students...she received three F's her first two years of high school, but is now making A's and B's.

I WAS EXPECTING MY MOTHER TO BE WELL LIKE YOU NEED TO SEEK THAT CHANGE BUT WHEN I NOTICED IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN I'M LIKE I JUST HAVE TO DO IT FOR MYSELF.

Her dedication finally pays off. Taunya Monroe…the senior admissions officer at North Carolina’s Bennett College for Women...likes what she sees...

WELCOME TO THE CLASS OF 2013, YOU JUST HAVE TO CHOOSE US NOW CUZ WE’VE CHOSEN YOU.

It's too early to tell how many seniors were accepted but Councilmember Brown says last year 43 out of 44 students gained acceptance into at least one college.

Kavitha Cardoza, my colleague at WAMU 88.5 FM and one of the best reporters I know, was snubbed by DC's Mayor Adrian Fenty when she asked him to explain his answer to her question.

More reporters, including myself, should be more like Cardoza. It's our job to find out what public officials actually mean when they give us blanket statements such as the one Mayor Fenty gave Cardoza.

The City Paper's Mike DeBonis sums it up nicely on his blog.

Kudos to commenter “al gonzales” for pointing this out.

Yesterday, WAMU-FM reporter Kavitha Cardoza did a piece [Windows Media/RealPlayer] on the DCPS budget hearing held Tuesday, which was announced only six days ahead of time and which only “about a dozen” persons reportedly attended.

Kind of a boring piece, with requisite outrage from veteran activists Mary Levy and Margot Berkey—until Cardoza put Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on the spot about the short notice.

His verbatim reply, if you can call it that: “Yeah, I think the person who said it right is that we’re providing an information in real time probably summed it up best.”

A typical content-free response from Fenty, sure, but that isn’t even a sentence, far as LL can parse. Replied Cardoza, “What does that—I don’t understand what that means.”

Said Fenty, “I can’t translate. All I can give you is a response to your question.”

In that case, we’re all still waiting.

A local non-profit is hoping that a little sprucing up in D-C's Adams Morgan neighborhood will help bussiness owners attract more customers.

Jessica Forres reports…



Batuhan Sen stands outside of Meze Restaurant… one of the many independent, restaurants and bars lining 18th street. He’s been there since the restaurant opened eight years ago and this is the first time he’s seen sales decline...15 percent down from a year ago.

WE ARE TRYING TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN. WE ARE TRYING TO REDUCE THE COSTS AND I MYSELF HAVE STARTED BARTENDING DURING THE WEEK.

Sitting outside of the Adams Mill Bar and Grill, Lisa Duperier with Adams Morgan Main Street… a non-profit dedicated to revitalizing the neighborhood…says there’s no question that businesses are cash-strapped. That’s why the group is helping redo their exteriors...

THERE’S A LOT OF COMPETITION FOR DOLLARS NOW AND PATRONS HAVE CHOICES OF WHERE TO GO SO MAKING SURE THAT THE BUSINESS EXTERIORS LOOK INVITING AND INVITE PEOPLE IN SO WHEN THEY ARE WALKING ALONG THE STREET PERHAPS SEEING IT FROM A BUS OR A CAR IF THE EXTERIOR LOOKS MORE INVITING THERE’S A GREATER CHANCE OF PATRONS INSIDE.

Back at Meze, the patio floor has been paint red and the rails black and white. Sen says it's the little things that are important...especially now...

ITS PART OF THE AMBIENCE SO I BELIEVE AS IN TOTAL IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

It's too early to tell if the work is paying off, but Adams Morgan Main Street’s Duperier notes no bussinesses in Adam's Morgan have closed yet.


Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

____

Some businesses in DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood are receiving help from a local non-profit to spruce up their store fronts.

Jessica Forres reports...

Crooked Beat Records on 18th street specializes in vinyl records. Bill Daily is the owner.

WE’VE BEEN AROUND FOR TWELVE YEARS AND WE’VE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON INDEPENDENT LABELS AND STUFF THAT’S REALLY HARD TO FIND. WE KIND OF SHUN THE MAIN STREET STUFF OF WHAT CIRCUIT CITY AND BEST BUY ALL OF THEM DO.

His sales are up but the number of walk-in customers is down.

WE’VE TURNED OUR FOCUS IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS A LOT MORE ONLINE. WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN SELLING ONLINE AND NOW WE’VE PROBABLY DOUBLED OUR EFFORTS ON ONLINE SALES.

Lisa Duperier with Adams Morgan Main Street… a non-profit dedicated to revitalizing the neighborhood… is sitting outside of Adams Mill Bar and Grill. Her group is helping business owners, such as Daily, beautify their store fronts to attract customers.

THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT EVERYONE CAN TELL THERE’S AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN AND ADAMS MORGAN IS NO DIFFERENT AND WHAT ADAMS MORGAN MAIN STREET TRIED TO DO IS A QUICK FIX DESIGN FAÇADE SPRUCE UPS THAT MEANS FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU HAVE A BASEMENT ENTRANCE, YOU PAINT THE BASEMENT STAIRS AND YOU TRY TO MAKE THE AREA MORE INVITING.

The group paid a professional to paint the wall outside Daily's store.

HE’S DONE SEVERAL COATS AND IT REALLY STANDS OUT A LOT BETTER AND CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE MADE COMMENTS ARE REALLY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT THE GUY HAS DONE.

They're hoping those comments result in more business. Dupiere notes no businesses inAdams Morgan have closed yet.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 news

The National Park Service has proposed a new plan to renovate the Mall and restore some of its monuments…

But as Jessica Forres reports some local students are already on it ...

[NAT: SWEEPING]

Hidden behind trees and overgrown shrubs, there stands the DC World War I memorial. But the monument.. which honors those who fought in so-called Great War of the 20^th century…isn’t looking so great.

Leaves and branches litter the ground and mold stains the white, marble dome.

That’s why Ruth Fikeru, an eighth grader from DC’City Public Charter School, is sweeping the cracked sidewalk in front of the memorial.

IT’S NOT A NATIONAL MEMORIAL IT’S LIKE JUST FOR D-C AND SO IT’S KIND OF LIKE OUR JOB TO CLEAN IT UP AND I THINK THAT WAS ALSO THE PLAN WHEN THEY WERE BUILDING THAT D-C WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT.

But neither DC nor the National Park Service have taken responsibility for maintaining the monument. Edwin Fountain is with the WWI Memorial Foundation, a group trying to raise funds for the memorial’s restoration.

WHEN THIS WAS DEDICATED IN 1931 THERE WERE NO NATIONAL WAR NO NATIONAL WAR MEMORIALS BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL THE VIETNAME VETS CAME ALONG THAT THERE BECAME A MOVE FOR A NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL TO THE VIETNAM WAR.

He says so far 14-thousand dollars has been raised.

____________________________________

The National mall is one of the most visited landmarks in the nation’s capital and one of the most neglected.

Jessica Forres reports on how local students are trying to help out...

RUNS: 38

SOC

[Nat sound of student sweeping ground…]

Ruth Fikeru, a student at Capital City Charter School in DC, is sweeping the leaves around the WWI memorial.

THE DEBRIS FROM THE TREES AND EVERYTING IS GETTING ON THE MEMORIAL AND THE ACID RAIN IS RUINING THE MARBLE.

Fikeru and her classmates along with students across the nation are trying to clean and raise funds for the restoration of the memorial. Edwin Fountain is with the World War I foundation.He says the National Pak Service has been taking care of it but lately that has become a struggle.

“Funding”

The foundation has raised 14-thousand dollars in the US and is reaching out to European countries for support.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

More than 12-thousand young environmental activists have descended on the District.
Jessica Forres reports… they are urging Congress to pass climate change and energy legislation.



At the Washington Convention Center, hundreds of students and young professionals are excitedly wandering throughout the foyer and exhibit halls.... where they are buying global warming posters, attending activist training sessions and protesting…

[NAT: HI HO, HI HO, WE’RE DONE WITH DIRTY COAL]

They are in Washington for the 2009 Power Shift summit organized by the Energy Action Coalition. Jessy Tolkan is with the group. She says Congress needs to build a green economy and address the climate crisis.

WE’RE HERE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT OUR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION DIDN’T STOP ON ELECTION DAY. WE’RE HERE TO HOLD OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE. AND WE’RE GOING TO DO WHAT OUR PRESIDENT ASKED US TO DO.

On Monday, the activists will head to Capitol Hill to lobby legislators.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

KIPP DC has announced plans to expand its network of college preparatory charter schools in the city.

Jessica Forres reports…



Middle school students are cheering inside the gym at KIPP DC’s Key Academy in Southeast.
[NAT: Cheers]

They are celebrating the planned expansion of seven new charter schools…one- a new high school. Darlene Dicks, a parent, is thrilled...

WELL SHE’S IN EIGTH GRADE NOW AND THEN SHE’S GOING TO COLLEGE PREP SO THERE WAS NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. I’M JUST LIKE STICKING WITH KIPP ALL THE WAY.

Three schools are planned to open in Southeast this July...Susan Schaeffler is the Executive Director. The expansion, she hopes, will mitigate D-C’s education crisis.

WE ARE OPERATING WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY TO GET KIDS IN CLASSROOMS WITH GREAT TEACHERS WITH GREAT RESULTS.

Mayor Adrian Fenty and Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee were on hand to show their support. Rhee says KIPP can serve as a model for D-C public schools.

I THINK THERE ARE MANY PRACTICES THAT THEY IMPLEMENT HERE AT KIPP SCHOOLS AND THAT WE HAVE TO BE IMPLEMENTING AT OUR SCHOOLS.

Nationwide 80-percent of students who complete the eighth grade at KIPP go on to college.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

D-C Councilmember Marion Barry is successfully recovering from a kidney transplant at Howard University Hospital.

Jessica Forres reports…



Natalie Williams, a spokesperson for Barry, says the former mayor is awake and a little groggy after undergoing a kidney transplant yesterday evening...

HE SAID YOU TELL THE RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT THAT I'M DOING A OKAY.

Williams says the donor, Kim Dickens, who is 47 and a long-time friend of Barry, is also well and resting without complications. Dickens, she says, was out with a group of friends when Mr. Barry shared with them that he needed a new kidney...

THE NEXT DAY SHE CAME TO HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND WAS TESTED AND THE FOLLOWING DAY SHE WAS TOLD SHE WAS A MATCH.

Barry's doctors say his kidney problems are the result of diabetes and hypertension.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News.

Local residents often move to remote suburbs for affordable homes… But as Jessica Forres reports the cost of commuting to work may offset those savings...



Peter Haas...with the Center for Neighborhood and Technology... demonstrates how to use an online calculator that lets local residents compare their transportation and housing costs when planning where to live. He computes the cost of living in DC's Takoma Park and Frederick, Maryland.

YOU CAN SEE DOWN HERE, WHERE WE SHOW YOU THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TRANSIT CONNECTIVITY OUT THERE. ZERO BUSES OR TRAINS IN WALKING DISTANCE

The online calculator is part of a report released by Haas's organization, the Urban Land Institute and the Center for Housing Policy. It measures the combined housing and transportation costs for 22 areas within the Washington region. Jeffrey Lubell is with the Center for Housing Policy.

THE FURTHER YOU MOVE FROM YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, THE HOUSING COST SAVINGS ARE LESS THAN THE TRANSPORTATION COST INCREASES IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR TRANSPORTATION COSTS KEEP GOING UP, YOUR HOUSING COST GO DOWN, BUT AT SOME POINT YOUR NOT COMING OUT AHEAD BECAUSE YOUR SPENDING MORE ON TRANSPORTATION THAN YOUR SAVING ON HOUSING.

The report says region-wide households spend an average of 23-thousand on housing and 13-thousand on transportation annually…
Jessica Forres WAMU 885 news


______


Those who live in outer Washington suburbs pay more on average for housing and transportation than those in inner suburbs.

Jessica Forres has the story...

The median household income is 78-thousand dollars in the D-C region. Though that number seems high, so is the cost of renting or owning a home. Jeffrey Lubell is with the Center for Housing Policy.

He says residents who move to remote suburbs for affordable homes often save less if they live 15 miles or more away from their jobs. That's because of transporation costs.

THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT'S ONLY FACED BY THE POOR ALTHOUGH THEY DO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS FACED PEOPLE AT THE MEDIAN INCOME LEVEL, 78-THOUSAND DOLLARS, THIS IS A PROBLEM WE ALL FACE.

A report released by Lubell's group, the Urban Land Istitute and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, measures the combined housing and transportation costs for 22 areas in the region. Virginia's outer suburbs such as Clark and Fauquier Counties are in the study.

THE HOUSEHOLDS SPEND ON AVERAGE ABOUT 19-THOUSAND 778 DOLLARS PER YEAR ON HOUSING COSTS. THAT'S ABOUT THE SAME AS THEY SPEND IN CENTRAL JURISDICTIONS LIKE WASHINGTON, DC BUT THEY SPEND MORE THAN 6-THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE ON THEIR TRANSPORATION COSTS.

Peter Haas with the Center for Neighborhood and Technology…says local residents can now estimate their transportation costs when planning where to live. His group created an online calculator.

YOU CAN DECIDE WELL THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND ON TRANSPORTATION. IS IT WORTH OR NOT WORTH IT TO ME

The report says about 60 percent of households have either high housing or transportation costs, or both.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Students from across the District are break-dancing for cash…

Jessica Forres watched some of their moves at the Heart Break Ball…



[NAT: Music]

Hip-hop music blares inside St. Stephens Church and Rudy Castellanos, a student at University of D-C, drops to the floor and dances...

JUST A SIMPLE, TOP ROCKING, BASIC SIX STEP, INTO A HEAD STAND

He is a b-boy, or break-dancer, participating in a battle hosted by Words, Beats and Life Incorporated...a non-profit that offers free after school hip-hop classes to students.

Cory Stowers.. with the group...hopes the event will raise a thousand dollars for the program.

IT WILL GO TO BUYING SUPPLIES FOR THE ART CLASS TO BUYING ANOTHER PIECE OF LINOLEUM FOR THE B-BOYS TO PRACTICE ON.

Stowers says hip-hop classes keeps students fit and out of trouble. B-Boy Castellanos agrees…

IT HELPS ME CLEAR MY MIND AND LET GO OF A LOT OF ANGER.

1-hundred and forty students in DC take part in the after school program.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Dozens of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will lobby on Capitol Hill this week.

Jessica Forres reports...



At Garrett's in Georgetown, local veterans are socializing. They're part of the 4th annual "Storm the Hill" campaign organized by the group...Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Patrick Campbell says 120 meetings with Senators and Congressmen will take place over the next four days...

WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO TELL OUR STORY AND THAT STORY IS GOING TO BE THE STORY OF 1.8 MILLION VETERANS FROM IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.

He says the group's priority is the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs....

THE VA IS CONSTANTLY GETTING THEIR BUDGET LATE. YOU CAN'T PAY RENT IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR PAYCHECK, THEY CAN'T PAY STAFF OR THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE TO RUN THE VA. SO WE ARE GOING TO GET THAT BUDGET APPROVED A YEAR IN ADVANCE SO EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE QUALITY CARE THEY NEED.

Washingtonian Sam Corum served two tours in Iraq......

I WANT BETTER BENIFTS FOR VETERANS, ALL VETERANS, BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE GO THROUGH AND THE SACRIFICES WE MAKE.

Mandatory counseling for returning veterans is another of the group's concerns.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

As Congress looks at ways to revive the auto industry, car makers from around the world are here in D-C to show off their latest innovations.

Jessica Forres got behind the wheel of one of the "Green" rides.



NAT: DOOR SHUT]
-TURN THE KEY TO ON
-HOW DO YOU DO IT?
-OH
- THAT'S IT, THAT WAS IT, THOSE COUPLE CLICKS, IT'S ON
- IT'S ON?
-IT'S ON

Silence…that's what you hear when you turn the ignition key of the Ford Focus. That's because it's fueled by electricity. Bob Storc is with Magna…the company that manufactures the electric battery for the car.

Outside, he points to the gas cap.

INSTEAD OF A GAS CAP WE HAVE A PLUG. YOU JUST PULL OFF A RUBBER BOOT
-HOOK IN A PLUG AND YOU'RE READY TO GO.

Ready to go a hundred miles after charging it for ten to twelve hours. Storc expects the car to hit the market in 2011.

WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO FORD FOR OVER TWO YEARS. THINGS GOT VERY SERIOUS IN AUGUST WHEN WE SHOWED THEM THIS CAR.

The Ford Electric Focus is one of 8-hundred vehicles on display at the Convention Center for the Washington Auto Show. Bob Yoffe is the Show's Director.

MOST OF THE AUTOMOBILES THAT ARE IN THE SHOW RIGHT NOW ARE CARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME AND THERE ARE MANY PROTOTYPES AND CONCEPT CARS THAT ARE HERE AS WELL.

Several top officials in President Obama's administration are expected to tour the Auto Show this week, which runs until Sunday.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

___________________________________

Automakers from around the world are in Washington to show off their new products...and commitment to building "Green Cars."

Jessica Forres reports…

More than 7-hundred automobiles are parked inside the Washington Convention Center…taking up 750-thousand square feet of exhibit space. They are on display for the Washington Auto Show…an annual event that started in 1921. Bob Yoffe is the Show's Director.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH AUTO MANUFACTURERS FOR A GOOD TWELVE MONTHS FROM THE LAST SHOW TO THIS SHOW TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE HERE TO PARTICIPATE WITH ALL THEIR LATEST PRODUCTS, THE NEWEST PRODUCTS, THE GREEN PRODUCTS, SO THEY CAN HELP SHOWCASE THEM TO THE PUBLIC.

But some of the 42 manufacturers present are mostly concerned with showing off their Green Products...

The Ford Electric Focus and the Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid, are two innovations on display. We test-drove the Ford Focus, a battery-electric vehicle expected to hit the market in 2011. .

Bob Storc is in the passenger seat. His company…Magna….manufactures the electric battery for Ford.

[NAT: DOOR SHUT]
-TURN THE KEY TO ON
-HOW DO YOU DO IT?
-OH
- THAT'S IT, THAT WAS IT, THOSE COUPLE CLICKS, IT'S ON
- IT'S ON?
-IT'S ON

Storc says the car can travel a hundred miles after it charges for about 10 hours.

IT'S A PERFECT SOLUTION FOR A CONGESTED CITY WHERE YOU WANT ZERO EMISSIONS.

The Auto Show starts tomorrow and will run until Sunday.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News