PCA General Meeting* * * * NEW DATE * * * *

• Tuesday, November 9• 7:30 PM• Palisades Rec Center• Update on Palisades Park

master plan (see below)• Proposed development of

the Murphy property (see right)Agenda items and order are subjectto change.

Volume 16 • Number 2 • November 2004Representing The Greater Palisades Area www.palisadesdc.org

Overdevelopment Again Threatens PalisadesMorton Bender, a well known Washington D.C. commercial developer, two years

ago purchased the former Murphy property on Chain Bridge Road, adjacent to BatteryKemble Park. Bender is now threatening to create a housing development and buildthirteen luxury homes where one modest residence formerly stood.

The Murphy property consists of four acres of mature trees and plantings andincludes a former African American schoolhouse that is a designated historic landmark.The property also has extensive frontage on Chain Bridge Road, and development willhave a strong visual impact on neighbours and neighbouring Battery Kemble Park.

The area is within the Chain Bridge Road/University Terrace Tree & SlopeProtection Overlay, which neighbours fought to have created to protect the area in 1999.At a community meeting arranged at his request on the evening October 11, Benderpresented some of his plans for locating thirteen large houses on the steeply slopedproperty. He was defensive about neighbours’ concerns about the huge scale of thedevelopment, protected tree requirements, and ensuing water runoff, erosion control,soil stability, traffic and sewer problems.

Members of the Chain Bridge Road/University Terrace Preservation Committee,which fought successfully to have the Overlay adopted, expressed grave concerns aboutthe appropriateness of a major subdivision on the historic road, and have vowed to fightit. They have distributed leaflets stating that full development of this land will cause

Review Planned for PalisadesPark, Rec Center

The DC Department of Parks &Recreation and landscape architecture firmRhodeside and Harewell will present plansfor the renovation of the Palisades park atthe November 9 PCA meeting. There willbe architectural renderings for review anda preliminary list of improvements andadditions that have been incorporated intothe planning to date, whichinclude a new youth soccer field,skating area, picnic pavilion, andrain garden. Furtherenhancements includewalkways, parking lot,playground (tot lot), basketballcourts and tennis courts. Watchfor an overview of the projectdistributed by the Friends ofPalisades Park to facilitatecommunity input during andfollowing the meeting. Pleaseattend to review the plans andmake suggestions for theimprovement of this greatcommunity asset.

—Jimmy Ervin, Chair, Friends ofPalisades Park, j.ervin@rcn.com

Continued on page 8

Volume 16 • Number 2 • November 2004page 2

on theBULLETIN BOARD

Wednesday, October 27: The Children’s Room HalloweenParty, 4 PM, children ages 2 and up should come in costumefor the annual parade and festivities, Palisades LibraryChildren’s Room, 282-3113.

Saturday, October 30: Friends of the Palisades Library“Sorting Saturdays", 10 AM-Noon, spare an hour once amonth to help sort books, Palisades Library, Elinor Tucker,416-7651 or 966-2873.

Saturday, October 30: Join the Potomac Conservancy to plant500 white oak and other saplings at Riverbend Park, 10AM-1 PM, 8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls, VA, toolswill be provided, families and young people welcome, RSVPto Lisa Bright, 703-764-4830, lbright@earthsangha.org

Tuesday, November 2-Friday, November 5: The CommunityPreschool of the Palisades annual Book Fair, 8:30 AM-Noon, featuring soft and hard-back books for children of allages, Palisades Community Church, 5200 Cathedral Avenue,Memorial Hall, 966-7929.

Wednesday, November 3-Sunday, November 21: The PuppetCompany Playhouse presents “Toyland”, Wed, Thu &Fri, 10 & 11:30 AM, Sat & Sun, 11:30 AM & 1 PM, GlenEcho Park, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, $7, 301-320-6668,www.thepuppetco.org.

Wednesday, November 3: ANC3D meeting, 7:30 PM, SibleyHospital’s Ernst Auditorium.

Thursday, November 4: Planning Your Will, 9:30-11 AM,small-group workshop on wills, trusts, probate, powers ofattorney, charitable giving and more, free, ChristinaBerkemeyer, 537-4362.

Saturday, November 6: Palisades Branch Library 40th

Birthday Celebration, 10 AM-2 PM, includes used booksale, book discussions and signings, and the Discovery Creekrolling rainforest truck (see p. 3), 282-3139.

Saturday, November 6-Sunday, December 5: AdventureTheatre presents “Molly’s Pilgrim”, Sat & Sun, 1:30AM & 3:30 PM, Glen Echo Park, see above, $7, 301-320-5331, www.adventuretheatre.org.

Saturday November 6-7: Art Glass Exhibit & 75th birthdaycelebration for Zayde Zman Sleph, award -winning glassartist and founding member of the Glen Echo Art GlassConsortium, Sat 1-9 PM, Sun 1-8 PM, reception on Sat 7-9PM, Glen Echo Park, see above, 301-229-4184.

Tuesday, November 9: NEW DATE - PCA generalmembership meeting, 7:30 PM, Palisades Rec Center.

Wednesday, November 10: PCA board meeting, 7:30 PM,

Palisades Community Church, parlor, see above, open to all.Thursday, November 11: Psychic Fair with readings by DC’s

top mediums, 7 PM, Institute for Spiritual Development, 3419Sherier Place, www.isd-dc.org.

Friday, November 12: Bethesda Art Walk, 6-9 PM, walk ortake a free shuttle among Bethesda’s many art galleries,includes light refreshments, free, www.bethesda.org.

Saturday, November 13: Bird Hike, 8:30-11:30 AM, join thePotomac Conservancy and the Wild Bird Center for a hikealong the C&O Canal to catch a glimpse of the tail-end offall migration, geared toward novice birders, but open to all,free, reservations required, berres@potomac.org.

Saturday, November 13: Veterans Day Benefit SwingDance, lesson from Flying Feet Enterprises, 8-9 PM,dancing until midnight, vintage or military attire encouraged,Glen Echo Park, Spanish Ballroom, see above, $15, 301-299-8728, ellen@flyingfeet.org.

Tuesday, November 16: “United for EducationalExcellence” forum sponsored by the DC Federation ofCivic Associations, 6:30-9 PM, Sumner School, 17th & MStreets NW, invited guests include Mayor Williams, CityCouncil members, DCPS Superintendent Janey, SchoolBoard members, principals, teachers, parents, students andother interested parties, www.dcfca.org

Tuesday, November 16: The Palisades Stamp Club, 7:30PM, Palisades Library.

Tuesday, November 16: The Palisades Book Club, 7:30PM, Palisades Library.

Saturday, November 20: Friends of the Palisades Library“Sorting Saturdays", 10 AM-Noon, see above.

Saturday, November 20: Samaritans Ham & OysterDinner, Bake Sale and Mini Bazaar, 4:45-7 PM,Palisades Community Church, see above, $15 for ages 12+,$4 for ages 6-12, children under 6 are free, reservations arevery helpful, 966-7929.

Thursday, December 2: Making an Informed Decisionabout Assisted Living, 10:30-11:30 AM, Heidi Brown, EDof Grand Oaks, answers your questions, Sibley Hospital'sRenaissance Building, Room 1, free, 364-7602.

Sunday, December 5: Veronica House 10-YearCelebration & Open House, 1-4 PM, 4891 MacArthurBoulevard, sponsored by Friendship Place and theCommunity Council for the Homeless (see p. 6).

Saturday & Sunday, December 11-12: Key SchoolChristmas Tree and Wreath Sale, Wachovia Bankparking lot, corner of Arizona Avenue and MacArthurBoulevard. Luminary sets will also be on sale for thebenefit of the Palisades Community Fund.

Tuesday, December 14: Friends of the Palisades Librarymeeting, 7:15-8:45 pm, Palisades Branch Library, upstairs,open to all, 282-3139.

The Palisades Citizens Association page 3

from the.......

PRESIDENT'S DESKI recently received a flyer

about a house for sale in thePalisades which said “and thisproperty is only minutes from astroll down MacArthurBoulevard and its manywonderful shops andrestaurants.” I could not say itany better. Over the last fewyears, MacArthur has beentransformed into a melange ofdelights for diners, shoppersand median gardeners who

keep this ribbon of green beautiful all year.The flyer prompted me to measure the distance from

Cathedral Avenue to Parker’s Exxon, which is 1.2 miles. In thisstretch we have twelve restaurants and a new one on the way(see the profile on BlackSalt on p. 6); coffee can be found at anynumber of spots and during warm weather, benches, chairs and

brick walls become meeting places for joggers, shoppers,bikers and dog walkers. Aside from esthetics and charm, thePCA could not function without the financial support of thesebusiness friends and members, many of whom helped in ourvery successful 2004 membership drive. I want to thank themagain for their generosity and contributions to our neighborhood.

Things have been happening recently with L’Appetito,reopening after a substantial renovation, the DC Boat Houseenjoying growing patronage, Café Etore replacing BistroBernoise, and Crème de la Crème expanding its line ofMediterranean food and pastries. When you combine this withour old friends at Starland, Chens Gourmet, Bambu, Listrani’s,Marvelous Market, Palisades Pizzeria and Clam Bar, LittleChina Café and Makoto, you get some idea of why that realestate agent wrote about the Boulevard.

We even have one “restaurant” that is only open one daya year, and I hope you were at the Firehouse on October 24 toenjoy the PCA Annual Firehouse Dinner. Have a great Fall.

—Stu Ross, President

Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 6 to celebratethe 40th Birthday of the “new” Palisades Library in its presentlocation. There are a lot of great events planned. The Friends ofthe Palisades Library will be holding a huge used Book Sale 10AM-4 PM. There are books on almost every subject in goodcondition at great prices. This is the perfect opportunity to stockup on winter reading or get a head start on holiday shopping.

We are also pleased to host local authors Joel Achenbach,author of "The Grand Idea: George Washington’s Potomac andthe Race to the West", Michael Dolan, author of "The AmericanPorch: An Informal History of an Informal Place", and CarolynReeder, author of "Shades of Gray", who will be at the library at11 AM to discuss and sign their books. Copies of their works willbe available for purchase that day.

The Chesapeake Area Lace Group will present a lacemaking demonstration at 10 AM and the Palisades Stamp Club, the

Palisades Library Book Club and the Western Ellington AlumniAssociation will be on hand with displays.

And the wonderful Discovery Creek Rolling RainforestTruck will be rolling up to the Palisades Library from 10 AM-2 PMproviding an exciting opportunity to explore an actual rainforestenvironment. We are very grateful to the Discovery CreekChildren’s Museum for making this possible. As those familiarwith local history already know, the “old” Palisades Library washoused in the Discovery Creek building at 4954 MacArthurBoulevard until November 14, 1964. At that time the books weremoved down the street to the “new” Palisades Library whichopened on November 20, 1964.

At noon there will be Birthday greetings, cake cutting,refreshments and prizes.

—Lucy Thrasher, Manager, Palisades Branch Library

Library Celebrates 40 Years with Guest Authors, BookSale, Community Groups, a Rolling Rain Forest andBirthday Cake (of course!)

Volume 16 • Number 2 • November 2004page 4

(After an illustrious career as a newsman, professor, andtwo-terms as an ANC3-D commissioner, Watson Street residentJohn Finney has decided to focus on his and his wife's health.)

I was born on December 5, 1923, in Springfield,Massachusetts. My father, Jack, was a salesman, with accountsat places like A&P. My mother’s name was Martha. I like to thinkI was born in Springfield because my father was a bit of a tinker,moving south to escape the winter, when my mother said, “Well,Jack, we’re not going any further just now.”

I had an itinerant childhood, as my parents, my youngerbrother, and I moved from place to place, seeking lodging. The oneplace we stayed any length of time was Meriden, Connecticut. I

was reared on the water, and inmy leisure time I did some sailing.

I enjoyed school, especiallyLatin. One day my father, who’dgone to Yale, sat me down andsaid, “John, you’re not going toget a good education at the schoolshere in Meriden, so you shouldapply to the prep schools.”

I of course had no ideawhat a “prep school” was, but hegave me a list, and I sent them allletters, explaining that I neededa scholarship. The only one I

heard from was Choate, whose admissions director loved Latin,and was fascinated by this young man who also loved Latin, andwas winning prizes at it. That was how I got into Choate in 1938.It was a good education – a little elitist, though I struggled not tobe. I worked on the school paper, which I enjoyed.

When I graduated from Choate in 1942, it was a given thatI’d go to Yale; I did, again as a scholarship student. But since PearlHarbor had occurred the December before, I also enrolled in aNavy program called “V12,” which was an accelerated officer-training program. We went around the clock and around thecalendar. I attended midshipman’s school – at Notre Dame, of allplaces. I worked on the Yale Daily News. Then I went off toHarvard to learn how to touch-type, because only officers couldhandle top-secret communiqués. After Harvard, I attended PatrolTorpedo boat school at Narragansett, Rhode Island. I was takingall these courses and getting so well trained, but the war was going

palisades PROFILEWorldy Finney Serves Locally

on, and the world was waiting for Finney to save democracy.Toward the war’s end, I was sent to the Philippines, as

captain of PT-150. It wasn’t a very heroic career. They droppedthe A-bomb; the war ended, and I was transferred to Manila,headquarters of the Philippines Sea Frontier, to serve as acommunications officer. When he learned I’d commanded a PTboat, the commodore I worked for told me he’d convincedMacArthur to use the PT squadrons in the invasion of Japan. “Wewere going to run them up and down the beach,” he said. I askedwhat casualties he’d anticipated. “Oh, thirty percent or more!” hesaid. After I mustered out, I returned to Yale. I graduated in 1947with a degree in history. They were so anxious to get rid of usfellows who’d come back from the war.

I enrolled in law school at Yale, but didn’t like the law. Aftera semester I went back to sea, working on a tramp steamer. Theship was Norwegian, sailing under the Panamanian flag. I spent18 months going to fascinating places. We left Philadelphia forManila with a load of cement, then from Manila to Dairen,Manchuria, which was under both Russian and Chinese control.That was a great time – I had a White Russian girl, and all that.I did some spying for the American consul, who wanted to knowmore about Russian ships undergoing repair in the port of Dairen.

We sailed to Petropavlovsk, on the Kamchatka peninsula,with 10,000 tons of cement that I think went into submarinebunkers during the Cold War, and on to Vancouver. When I gothome, my father asked where I was going next.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ll have to wait to see where the shiptakes me.” My father blew up. “Goddamnit,” he said. “I didn’traise you to be a bum at sea! Get a real job!”

Well, I’d worked on the Choate News and the Yale DailyNews. Journalism seemed like fun. I knew a blonde in Washington,so in 1949 I came to D.C. The United Press hired me as adictationist. I worked on the seventh floor of the National PressBuilding. I had an old Royal and a telephone. The reporters wouldcall in stories and I’d take them down. I learned a lot. They put meon the rewrite desk, the overnight shift, and eventually, in 1953, Imoved into reporting. I covered the Pentagon and the Senate.

I was going about my business at UP when James Reston,New York Times Washington bureau chief decided the Timesneeded to cover atomic energy. He went up to Harvard, wherepeople told him he’d never find a scientist who could write, or whowould accept the wages he was paying, so he’d be better off hiringa reporter who could learn. And he hired me. My knowledge ofphysics had stopped at Newtonian physics, so every day was acram course – Sputnik, the space program. It was very exciting.

Journalism always brings you new meat to chew. For awhile, I covered the State Department, though not very successfully.

Photo by Bill Petros/The Current.

The Palisades Citizens Association page 5

to Leslie Archer and Eliza Dunn foronce again organizing one of the PCA’s mostpopular events, Family Night at the Fire Station.

to Sheila Hafter Gray, MD, who willreceive the Outstanding Senior Delegate awardat the DC Federation of Civic Associations’annual awards ceremony on November 6. Sheand her spouse, Oscar S. Gray, are the PCArepresentatives to the DCFCA Assembly ofDelegates. It will be a busy week for Dr. Gray,part of the leadership team that is beingrecognized by the Medical Society of the Districtof Columbia’s Committee on ContinuingMedical Education at its annual meeting onNovember 10.

to Spence Spencer and Harold Gray,who will join Dr. Gray (no relation) in beinghonored at the DCFCA ceremony as the DCGrass Roots Honoree, and Father of the Yearfor the Palisades, respectively. This is thesecond year in a row that an active PCAmember has won the Grass Roots award.

to Barbara Shaw of MacArthurBoulevard, who was in Kenya over the summerworking with the Maasai Girls Education Fund(www.maasaigirlseducation.org), an organizationshe started in 2000 to help young girls get intoschool in lieu of the customary early and pre-arranged marriages. The web site features aletter from Shaw, profiles of the girls, somehistory of the project – and tells you how youcan contribute to this worthy cause.

to Rachel Thompson, who broughtShaw’s good works to our attention.

to the District II school boardcandidates Hugh Allen, Thomas Dawson,David Jordan, Mai Abdul Rahman, VictorReinoso, and Laura McGiffert Slover, andincumbent Dwight Singleton, whoparticipated in a lively and informative educationforum hosted by the PCA at its October generalmembership meeting.

KUDOS....

That was like chewing on marshmallows. I also covered the great debates onCapitol Hill: the anti-ballistic missile treaty, Vietnam, Senator Fulbright and hishearings – a great experience.

But my legs got tired. I offended some editors. I’d spent my whole careerin Washington, which was a handicap in New York. I was made news editorat the Washington bureau – very challenging job, managing forty prima donnareporters. The first big story I had to organize was Ronald Reagan’s firstinauguration and the release of the hostages from Iran – on the same day. Wow,was that a day!

As time passed, I realized I ought to step aside for younger men, likeHowell Raines. I began a second career – teaching at the GeorgetownUniversity Graduate School of Foreign Service. The course was on the pressand policy, or, as I called it, “Who’s Diddling Who?” I did that for 12 years.

Being an editor and being a teacher are very similar. In both situations,you’re trying to lead a collegial discourse in a thoughtful and intelligent way,getting people to cover or to understand events with a good overview and senseof context and intellectual energy. I decided to stop teaching when, at the endof one semester, I couldn’t remember the students’ names. I thought that wasa good time to get out.

I lived in Georgetown during my earlier marriage, but when Theresa andI got married in 1973, we moved to Palisades, and I became active in the CitizensAssociation. In 1998, I ran for a seat on ANC-3D, and I served two terms.

One of the things I’m proud of was working with the TransportationDepartment to try to make sure that when they redo roads, they are meetingspecific needs of the community, such as enlarging the storm drains to cope withrun-off. I worked to get appropriations for a sidewalk along Arizona Avenue,which someday shall come to pass. I helped begin the work of building a biketrail along Dalecarlia Parkway to link the neighborhoods. And I worked withSibley Hospital to make sure Sibley takes into account the neighborhoods’needs. I think we have a good relationship with the hospital. Overall, we havebeen able to get the city agencies to think of the neighborhood. We have a goodrelationship with Transportation; with DCRA, we haven’t done not so well.

I fought a failed battle over the location of St. Patrick’s middle school,though I still think my position was right. We have a major problem in theemergence of these affluent private schools – how do we come to terms withthem in terms of traffic, and socially?

Overall, the question is of the changing nature of the Palisades. How dowe exert some control, keep some memory of the past? That’s really the issuebehind the effort to save the Jesse Baltimore house. We need some remindersof the way things were.

It’s been a wonderful process. Grass-roots democracy works fairly well.I don’t know if I think in terms of accomplishment as much as somehowcontributing to the process of making this city work. I’ve enjoyed it immensely,though lately I’ve been thinking about that automobile commercial that talksabout a 100,000-mile guarantee, and then asks, “What happens at one hundredthousand and one miles?”

— As told to Michael Dolan, October 13, 2004

Volume 16 • Number 2 • November 2004page 6

neighborhood NOTICESThe south tennis courts at GWU’s Mt. Vernon

campus reopened for public use on Monday, October4. The courts are available weekdays from 7:30 AM-dusk and weekends from 8 AM-dusk. Use is first-come,first-served with a 1 hour limit for singles and a 1.5 hourlimit for doubles if the courts are crowded. Enter thecourts from the Clocktower. Court time is free for theremainder of the fall; tennis, swim and combinedmemberships will be available in spring 2005.

GW Athletics, 242-6285

DC residents in crisis can learn which governmentagencies and nonprofit, community-based organizationsare available to help them with critical programs andservices, such as shelter, medical care, daycare, jobtraining, and bill payment, by simply dialing 211.DC is the first jurisdiction in this region to implementdialing 211.

PCA Membership Update: The PCA welcomed3 new memberships and registered 49 renewals inOctober. If your membership has expired, you will havea remittance envelope in your newsletter. Please sendin your dues promptly. Thank you for your continuedsupport and a warm welcome to all new members.

The Potomac Conservancy needs volunteer officeadministrators to assist with data entry, mailingpreparation, filing, and other office duties. A minimumfour-hour commitment per week is required.

Jen Schill, schill@potomac.org

At its October meeting, the general membershipof the PCA approved the 2004-2005 budget asproposed, with Revenue and Expenses balanced at$50,500 each for the fiscal year. At the same meeting,it was announced that the PCA's innaugural housetour will be postponed until the spring.

Ten years ago the Palisades community welcomeda nonprofit organization, Community Housing Trust(CHT), into its neighborhood. In 1994 CHT purchased ahouse at 4891 MacArthur Boulevard that becameVeronica House, which today houses five formerly

Once upon a time there were few eating options alongMacArthur Boulevard. Those days are long gone. Today, you cansample Chinese, Japanese, Italian and much more along thecorridor that runs from Reservoir Road to Loughboro.

Later this month, restauranteur Jeff Black adds BlackSaltto the mix. Best known as the chef behind Addies in Rockville andBlack’s Bar and Kitchen in Bethesda, Black will open a seafoodmarket, restaurant and bar in the former site of MacArthur Drugs.

Black, a resident of Kensington, says he is getting acquaintedwith the neighborhood, though his two sons were born at Sibley.He and his wife Barbara bought the building at 4883 MacArthurand are “planning to be in the neighborhood a long, long time,” hesays. Major improvements to the building reflect that commitment.

Patrons who walk through the door of BlackSalt willdiscover “a bustling, fresh seafood market,” says Black, who waspreviously with Kinkaids, Pesce and 21 Federal. “We are investingan enormous amount of time, energy and money into the market.”In addition to “the freshest fish available” the market will carrysuch items as Mediterranean grilled squid salad; smoked shrimpgreen chili salsa; smoked salmon, trout, scallops and shrimp; anassortment of caviars; gourmet dried tuna; high-quality prosciutto,specialty vinegars and oils, and a line of branded spices. “Our planis to offer a retail mix that complements what’s already availablealong MacArthur Boulevard,” says Black.

The menu is still being developed for the café, from a listof 60-70 new recipes. Patrons may see a few favorite dishes fromAddies and Black’s, but many new ones as well, emphasizingglobal cuisines that have produced great fish recipes—Spain,Peru, Japan and Thailand, for instance. “Think citrus, bright fishflavors, sushi, sashimi, ceviches,” said Black, who will be in thekitchen, along with sous chef Joseph Zumpano, who has workedside-by-side with executive chef Black for many years. Therestaurant will also offer wood-roasted whole fish prepared on aspecial grill and is planning a kids’ menu and take-out menu.

Black is sensitive to concerns of the neighbors, which wereshared with him at ANC meetings. He is hopeful the restaurantwill be able to offer valet parking to minimize on-street parking.

BlackSalt, which will accommodate about 90 patrons at atime, will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, and lateron for lunch as well. The market plans to open in November.

♦♦♦♦♦ BlackSalt, 342-9101, fax 342-9100—Janice L. Kaplan

palisades PROFILEBlackSalt Adds Fish to Mix

Continued on page 8

The Palisades Citizens Association page 7

ART IN THE PALISADES

In one week, Key School hosted two very important groups:1) children from all over the Palisades at its annual HarvestFestival on October 17; and 2) the new DCPS Superintendent, Dr.Clifford B. Janey, and other District dignitaries on October 13.

The Harvest Festival was started several years ago as a"calling card" to the community according to festival chair and Key

School parent LauriMenditto. "It's a way toshowcase not just the newfacilities, but also thewarm, committed spirit ofKey School families forour friends and neighbors.And with moonbounce,cake walk and climbingwall, the kids love it!" Thefestival is low-cost, but still

manages to raise several thousand dollars for the school's PTA,which supplements funding for classroom aides, the library andcomputer lab, among other things.

October 13 is a day that Laura Hills is not likely to forget -the day she experienced the surprise of a lifetime. Mrs. Hills wasone of 100 outstanding educators across the country to besurprised with a $25,000 Milken National Educator Award.

Lowell Milken, chairman of the Milken Family Foundation,presented the award in a suspenseful and thrilling all-schoolassembly. Foundation Trustee Rosey Grier introduced Milken byexplaining to the students, “He was such a good businessman and

made lots of money. But he didn’t just keep it all. He gives someof it away to help folks.”

The ceremony was attended by Ward 3 City Councilrepresentative Kathleen Patterson, District 2 School Boardrepresentative Dwight Singleton, DCPS Superintendent Janey,and U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA).

Janey praised Key School for its strong leadership andoutstanding levels of community support, and described Mrs. Hillsas a model leader, praising her for being a smart, caring andcreative teacher who has the respect and trust of parents. KeySchool Principal, David Landeryou, proudly congratulated Mrs.Hills, noting, “Laura Hills brings a level of dedication andcommitment to teaching that sets her apart as an educator. It’swonderful to see someone so deserving be rewarded for all herhard work,” he added.

In her impromptu remarks, Mrs. Hills described KeyElementary as a place where parents, staff and community allcome together to create a successful learning environment: “Wehave the most wonderful staff, the most incredible principal herethat supports us. And our parents work so hard to provide us witheverything we need to do our job.”

Other highlights of the assembly were musical performances,including traditional Indonesian music performed by a gamelanensemble made up of fifth graders and an Indonesian danceperformed by a group of kindergarten and first-grade students.Mrs. Foster’s fourth-grade class led the assembly in the Pledge ofAllegiance followed by a rousing medley of patriotic favorites.

—Catherine Stirling

Key School Earns Local Community Support, NationalTeaching Recognition

Top: Key unveils its new climbing wall at the Harvest Festival. Left: 2nd grade teacher Laura Hills (fourth row, center) celebrates with her students. Right: Milkenuses students to suspensefully announce the size of the award. Photos by Hugh Winkler and courtesy of the Milken Family Foundation, www.mff.org.

Volume 16 • Number 2 • November 2004

The Newsletter of The Palisades Citizens Association is published 9 times each year by The Palisades CitizensAssociation, P.O. Box 40603, Palisades Station, Washington, DC 20016.

Material must be submitted to the editor by the 15th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s edition.Editor: Julie Russell -- 244-5513, FAX: 509-479-0688, email julie.russell@palisadesdc.org. Contributing editors:

Judith Dollenmayer, John W. Finney, Janice Kaplan, Penny Pagano, Sheila Rotner, Linda Starke

President: Stuart Ross, 966-0645; First Vice President: Spence Spencer, 363-3662; Second Vice President:Carolyn Ortwein, 338-2603; Treasurer: Bill Barnard, 966-2167; Secretary: Alan Aiches, 364-2412.All email addresses are firstname.lastname@palisadesdc.org.Administrator: Anne Ourand, 363-7441, palisadesdc@hotmail.com, www.palisadesdc.org.

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The Palisades Citizens Association Membership: Individual: $15; Household: $25; Sponsor: $50; Patron: $100.To join, or for additional information, contact Administrator as listed below.

major changes to Chain Bridge Road and heavily impactBattery Kemble Park. Loss of trees, increased traffic anderosion on the street, and major new areas of hardscape willcertainly affect the Park, the historic schoolhouse, and theentire adjacent area. On land that has remained undisturbedfor many, many years, these changes will permanently alterthe fabric of the neighbourhood and the quality of our enjoymentof the Park.

Bender’s proposal for a theoretical subdivisionrequires a special exception from the Board of ZoningAdjustment. Bender will present his proposal to ANC3Dduring its next meeting, Wednesday, November 3, at 7:30 inSibley Hospital's Ernst Auditorium. In addition, both Benderand the Chain Bridge Road/University Terrace PreservationCommittee will present their views of the proposed housingdevelopment at the PCA meeting, Tuesday, November 9.

Palisades residents as well as Park users are encouragedto attend the two meetings, listen and voice their concerns.

—Art Watson, 363-8882

Overdevelopment, continued from page 1homeless women ages 45 to 79; one has lived there 10years and several others have lived in the house overeight years. In an era of “Nimbyism”, Veronica Househas been a model of acceptance and integration into itscommunity. We are proud to have partnered with thePalisades to create affordable supportive housing in themidst of affluence and growth. And we are grateful to bethe stewards of assets that will continue to serve ourformerly homeless neighbors in the years to come. OnDecember 1, 2004 Veronica House will be debt-free.The $325,000 purchase and renovation has served 11women over the past decade and continues as apermanent home for five women. Its residents havewatched the July 4 parade from their front porch foryears, just like so many other Palisades residents. Theyhave nurtured a vegetable garden in the backyard withthe help of a devoted volunteer. And they have been loyalcustomers of MacArthur Boulevard retailers. Visit usfrom 1-4 PM at our Open House on December 5, you'llfeel good about your neighbors and yourself.

Claudia Coonrod Barnett, 669-9072

Notices, continued from page 6