December 1, 2003 - Taking Note

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Taking note . . .

Observations about public affairs in the nation’s capital
by the editor of The Common Denominator

PARTY TIME: With the District’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary on Jan. 13 turning into a bust in a city with approximately 70 percent of all voters registered as Democrats, D.C. Democratic Party leaders plan to re-group on Dec. 4 for a soul-searching session to seek direction for their efforts in 2004.

The forum, sponsored by the local party’s elected leadership committee, seeks "to better understand and gauge the sentiments and opinions on the outlook and direction of the Democratic Party – locally, nationally, and regionally – and its impact on the future of D.C. and America in 2004 and beyond," according to promotional materials for the event.

D.C. Democratic Party Chairman A. Scott Bolden, who took over the reins earlier this year, said his party "must engage in an honest dialogue to see where the party needs to head."

The free public forum, which begins at 8 p.m. in the old city council chamber at One Judiciary Square, 441 Fourth St. NW, is being billed by the D.C. Democratic State Committee as a "talk-show format" with questions from the audience to be fielded by a diverse group of political activists and commentators.

One ground rule for the evening may be hard to enforce in a room full of politicians: "No speeches."

PARTY PLANS: December civic meetings in the District often turn into a string of holiday parties, and local politicians also are beginning to announce plans for their annual constituent soirees.

Ward 4 Councilman Adrian Fenty’s annual "Constituent Services Fundraiser and Holiday/Birthday Party" is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 6 at Lowell Elementary School, 1640 Kalmia Road NW.

[For readers who are new to the District or unfamiliar with these events, council members traditionally seek donations for their official Constituent Services Fund as "birthday gifts" for the member. Financial disclosure reports for these funds are required to be filed with the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics’ Office of Campaign Finance.]

Ward 5 Councilman Vincent Orange’s annual "Ward 5 Christmas Party" is scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Franciscan Monastery’s St. Francis Hall, 1340 Quincy St. NE.

RENEWING THE ZOO: Friends of the National Zoo and zoo officials will host a public presentation at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 in the Visitor Center auditorium of plans for the first major project of a planned 10-year campaign to "renew the zoo." The planned Asia Trail will feature a new habitat for the giant pandas and will include the zoo’s sloth bears, fishing cats, red pandas and Asian elephants. Species new to the zoo, including clouded leopards and giant salamanders, also are included as part of the plans. An environmental assessment of the project’s effects on the zoo and its Northwest Washington neighbors is expected to be available Dec. 16 for public comment at http://nationalzoo.si.edu and at local libraries.