Great news for every Eastern Market enthusiast!

Tommy has worked hard with the Mayor to make the transition in the fire's aftermath a process that protected the merchants both inside and outside the fire ravaged building. But as of tomorrow morning, the temporary structure housing the displaced merchants will be open for business. This week, merchants starting moving in for a soft opening, but tomorrow will bring the first full day of customers. You'll see a big difference in the lay-out of 7th Street with the farmer's line and merchants, and the flow of foot traffic to and from the temporary structure will probably take some getting used to. But overall, the temporary structure will bring welcome relief to the displaced merchants and give them a home for the next year or two while the Historic Eastern Market is repaired and rebuilt.

Last week our office received a number of calls and emails concerning repeated power outages in Ward 6. I was frustrated to find that this had happened on more than one occasion in the past ninety days. These outages are affecting some of our most vulnerable residents who are bed ridden and have respiratory needs, not to mention those days when the temperatures soared. Many others have lost food due to lack of electricity.

When our office has received inquiries we have contacted PEPCO directly for assistance.  We are often told that crews are on the scene and will stay there until the problem is resolved.  Unfortunately, we have not been able to obtain the cause for the outages, nor heard an outline from PEPCO for a permanent solution.

To this effect, I wanted to share with everyone another avenue of complaint if you feel PEPCO is not being responsive to your concerns. Of course, always feel free to contact us directly, but you can also file a complaint with the Office of the People's Council (OPC) and of the Public Service Commission (PSC).  The OPC serves as the advocate for customer complaints with utility service and provides information on consumer rights and actions that can be taken against the utilities.  The PSC is the regulatory agency over the utilities. The contact information is as follows:

The Office of the People's Counsel for the District of Columbia
1133 15th Street N.W., Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: (202) 727-3071   Fax: (202) 727-1014   TTY-TTD: 727-2876
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District of Columbia Public Service Commission
1333 H Street, NW, Suite 200, West Tower;
Washington, DC 20005

Phone: (202) 626-5100 Fax: (202) 393-1389
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Both of these agencies will work to help solve your problems related to PEPCO. PEPCO has also encouraged people to contact them directly through Ms. Linda Jo Smith at PEPCO who can be reached at 202-872-2024 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

On September 25, 2007 at 10:00 am in Room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building the Committee on Human Services will conduct a confirmation hearing on Mayor Fenty’s appointment of Mr. Clarence H. Carter as the Director of the District’s Department on Human Services.  

Since April 2005, Mr. Carter has served as the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Stamp Program.  Appointed to the position by President Bush, Mr. Carter was the chief executive officer of the multibillion-dollar national food stamp program.  As Deputy Administrator, Mr. Carter developed the Hurricane Katrina Evacuee Food Stamp Evacuee policy, which allowed food stamp recipients to access their Food Stamp Benefits at the jurisdictions where they were relocated.  Mr. Carter also lead the effort to modernize of the Food Stamp state information system with emphasis directed toward healthy eating initiatives.  Prior to becoming the Deputy Administrator of the Food Stamp Program Mr. Carter was appointed by President Bush to serve as the Director of the Federal Office of Community Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2001-2005).  Mr. Carter was responsible for supervising a 60-person staff, strategic planning, annual budget and legislative policy development, and the design and execution of agency programs and services meeting the needs of impoverished individuals and communities.  Mr. Carter’s other career positions have included serving of the Executive Director of the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation (2000-2001), Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services (1996-2002), Adjunct Professor at Virginia Union University (1998), Executive Director, Governor’s Employment & Training Department (1994-1996), Vice President of Operations for CD Associates and Director (1993-1994), African-American Political Affairs for the Republican National Committee (1990-1992) and Staff Associate for the New Jersey General Assembly (1985-1990).  Mr. Carter has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1981).  

Those who wish to testify at the hearing on Mr. Carter’s appointment should contact Ms. Michelle Chisolm of the Committee on Human Services by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by telephone at (202) 724-8191 by Tuesday, October 9, 2007.

Due to the townhouse density in Ward 6, many of us have the pleasure of seeing our neighbors leaving for and returning from work.  We share both the pleasures and difficulties that close proximity to each other garners.  Many of my neighbors know that I work with Tommy Wells, so I am frequently the go to person that they contact when something unusual happens on our block.  

Recently, one of my neighbors told me that a teenager brandishing a gun, robbed him at gunpoint very near to my home.  He indicated that he was tired of hearing about teenagers committing crimes and that the District government should do something about it.  He mentioned that the person who robbed him was between 14 and 17 and slight of build.  However wisely, my neighbor had chosen not to confront the teen upon seeing the weapon that he had in hand.  His recommendation for District policy was that the key be thrown away for both teens and adults found guilty of using a gun in a crime.  He asked what would happen to a teen arrested on a gun charge.  I responded that frequently teens so charged are tried as adults.    

On Friday, August 10, 2007, an editorial was published in the Washington Post titled “Jailing Juveniles”.  The editorial mentioned that in the District, the average daily count of juveniles being held in adult jail before trial has nearly tripled in the past year and that studies have shown that children incarcerated in adult jails are more likely to be arrested again and to commit graver new offenses.  The editorial indicated that juveniles placed in DC Jail awaiting trial are kept apart from adults, but benefit from little rehabilitative programming or the structure provided by juvenile detention centers.  The Post Editorial conclusion was that exposing troubled children to less structured and more dangerous adult jails can only harden them and lead to more crime, more arrests and more expensive imprisonment. Jailing juveniles in adult facilities is a bad investment of public funds and worsen troubled American youths.

The District Department on Youth Rehabilitative Services (DYRS) is the Agency responsible for overseeing youth who have been arrested as youth and held at the District’s Youth Correction Facility or at secured detention youth residences.  DYRS is currently cooperating in the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) with representatives of Family Court, the Office of the Attorney General, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and others.  The goal of the JDAI workgroup is to make better use of alternatives to secure detention and reduce dependence on secured confinement for youth awaiting trial while protecting public safety.  

Councilmember Wells has been working with DYRS, JDAI and the Family Court in the hope that a greater number of youth arrested in the District will be able to receive supportive services rather than be confined at adult facilities while awaiting the outcome of their trail.  The answer to stopping youth violence is not to throw a key or a troubled life away.  To stem the tide of youth violence our first step must be to provide a helping hand of compassion to the victim and well as the teens who have chosen to take a destructive course in their road to adulthood.  Crimes committed at an early age are truly signs of children who have faced years of neglect by parents and in some cases government institutions.  Alternatives are needed to incarcerating youth in adult facilities.  We have heard from the editor’s of the Post and we would welcome your suggestions.  What do you feel should be expected from parents whose children are found to be breaking the law, what role should the government play in expanding services to victims of crimes and youth who commit crimes, what role should the schools, churches or community organizations play?  We look forward to hearing from you.