October 8, 2007
Morning Roundup: Pseudo-Holiday Edition
Good morning, Washington. It's Columbus Day, the least observed of all the federal holidays -- or is that Veterans' Day? Unless you work directly for the government or your job is absolutely dependent on it being open for business, odds are about even you're sitting at your desk at the usual time this morning, as a trade-off for getting to take the Friday after Thanksgiving off. It's also, of course, a controversial day, and is no longer celebrated in a handful of states. All federal, state and local government offices, such as schools, libraries and courts, are closed today. Buses are operating on a normal weekday schedule, but Metro is running on a modified Saturday schedule. If you do happen to have the day off today, the Smithsonian museums are all open.
Metro Could Save $4 million with Simple Conservation: The Post details a new audit by Pepco that shows that Metro is one of the worst energy consumers in the city. The agency could stand to save in the order of $4 million a year by implementing simple measures such as changing the way their office lights are controlled and installing energy-efficient window panes. That would amount to a pretty hefty dent in Metro's $173 million budget shortfall.
West End Shooting Overnight: As many as four people may have been shot, with at least two confirmed to be injured, around 3 a.m. on the 1100 block of 21 St. NW between M and L. None of the injuries are life-threatening. Police are still investigating. The shooting took place outside of a building that contains a large space that can be rented for weddings and parties, but it isn't yet known what kind of event was being held there Sunday night.
Briefly Noted: Unidentified runner dies in Army Ten-miler ... Body found on school yard identified ... Riders injured in Six Flags malfunction ... Gray plans to introduce universal pre-K bill.
This Day in DCist: In 2004 we were getting ready for a big Bush v. Kerry debate and getting excited about the opening of Amsterdam Falafel.
Photo by IntangibleArts
|
Since when did 2 percent equal "hefty dent" in any budget deficit? I am not arguing that the money should not be saved or the energy not be used but that is a lot less than what is needed to close the gap. Metro should save it but my guess is that if energy savings is really going to be a part of any closing of a deficit, it is going to need to be a larger part than this.
I doubt it would be cost efficient, but I wish they'd just knock Metro headquarters down and start over again. It would be one fewer brutalist hunk of concrete blighting our downtown.
Then they could move on to the Tax Court and the old S.E.C. building. And then finally, the great sith lord itself, the FBI building.
Columbus Day has always been controversial. NYC declared the first one in 1792 to honor the Columbian Order, aka the Tammany Society or Tammany Hall, as much as to commemorate the explorer.
Later state, local, and federal observances were initiated by organized and active groups of Italian immigrants and Italian Americans, many of whom have lost political influence and cohesion.
Highly-visible protests by Native American groups have dissuaded many jurisdictions from sponsoring large official Columbus Day parades and ceremonies.
How is $4/173 million a "hefty dent" ?
And who calls that area the "west end?" also, the 100 block of 21st Street wouldn't be between M and L-- it'd be between A and B streets. The incident, as reported by the WaPost, occurred at 1155 21st Street, which is the 1100 block, not 100 block.
I don't normally join the PC brigade, but I agree that Columbus Day probably should be something more like St. Patrick's day or Puerto Rican Pride day, in other words, a chance for an ethnic group to have a parade and stuff, but not a reason to close the banks. I don't see why it should be a federal holiday. It's not like he ever stepped foot in America.
Maybe that's the answer. We should have Amerigo Vespucci Day instead. Italians can still celebrate and we can celebrate a man that has perhaps a bit less blood on his hands. It would be a Win-Vici deal.
Reid: Vikings, Irish, and other discovery claimants would want in on that holiday, too, and Native Americans would still protest. Let's be honest and call it Culture Clash Day. Retailers could still have sales, with ads that rhyme "clash" and "slash." Nothing useful rhymes with Columbus.
Reid: As a fan of brutalist buildings in general. I have to first say no. Although the Metro building isn't exactly a fine example of it, now the FBI building -- I hearts the FBI building. Definitely my favorite in DC.
Reid (2): Cities with a sizeable Italian population DO treat Columbus Day as an ethnic heritage event. This was always a bone of contention in SF. There's a big North Beach celebration for the holiday. Many cities have Columbus Day Parades to celebrate their Italian heritage -- SF, Denver, New York. While Berkeley and elsewhere were calling it Indigenous People's Day. I use both.
Having grown up in Illinois -- European ethnic holidays were often enough for at least statewide holidays -- I got off school for Pulaski Day and I think the Chicago city government closes for St. Patrick's Day.
the lights in the offices of the metro building are always on at all hours of the night. i can hardly imagine that the wmata employees are that dedicated.
perhaps they could start with simply turning off their office lights when they leave for the evening.
Agreed--saving $4M is a noble goal, but certainly doesn't qualify as a "dent" in the budget deficit. Maybe it's more of a gnat on the windshield . . . and right about there the metaphor fails.
#4, I used to live there, and we called it West End. It's not Foggy Bottom and it's not Dupont - you have to call it something.
Yep, west end is the term used. I lived there in the past and residents use it.
In addition to the death at the Army 10 miler I've heard folks complaining that they again got the distance wrong (with GPS readings of anywhere from 10.5 to 10.9 miles versus 10 - last year they had a bomb scare that forced a reroute halfway through and upped the distance to 11.4 miles, with no finish time reported), and that despite repeated assurances of "we'll have plenty of water since it's going to be so hot" they ran out of water at some of the later water stops on the course. Bad form, and not the way to run a race, especially one this large and well-established. Perhaps they need to take some cues from the Marines.
Miss Bee: The point is that the employees can't turn off their lights, there are no individual light switches.
Guest 4: To pile on to the others, the West End is actually a long-standing name for that neighborhood, going back to the 19th century. I believe it reflects the fact that until Georgetown was annexed in the 1880's, that neighborhood was the "west end" of the city of Washington.
DC1974: We both know that we'll never see eye-to-eye on this topic. You say tomato; I say soulless, depressing, street-life killing, eyesore.
Not to belabor the point, but GW has a dorm called "West End" and its located in North Foggy Bottom, so that has to be the southern boundary of West End, so there..
4 million is a start, how about firing all the crooks who keep approving crazy amounts of overtime work instead of just hiring new employees?
they don't have individual light switches? that's the stupidest thing i have EVER heard.
i'm not calling you a liar... but who doesn't put a light switch in a room?