B2
S
KLMNO
Take that, winter
JOHN KELLY’S WASHINGTON
Getting some breathing room on the road is just a sign away
Imentioned that student drivers in Britain are required to display L plates (for “learner”) and wondered whether they’d be a good idea here. Definitely, said
Ann Taylor of Woodbridge.
“When my daughters were learning to drive, I bought large, magnetic ‘Student Driver’ signs for the car,” Ann wrote. “We put them all around the car for the kids, but took them off for us more ‘mature’ drivers. “One day, I drove up to D.C.
M
from Woodbridge and couldn’t believe how considerate the drivers were. Everyone gave me space, let me merge, no one honked. What a pleasurable drive. It was only after I parked that I realized I had left the ‘Student Driver’ signs on the car! I guess they work.”
Reader Judi Cloutier
recommends the signs, too. “We put them on both sides and the back of the car. Other drivers seemed a little more
understanding and usually gave us our ‘safety bubble,’ ” she wrote. “My son would even remind me to put the stickers on before we went out. We are now using them with our 16-year-old daughter.” Fran DeNinno is from Hawaii, but she and her family are living in Springfield while her husband is stationed here. The weather isn’t the only difference between island life and Washington life. Driver behavior is a big difference, too. In Hawaii, Fran wrote, “we slow down to let others in and rarely do you ever hear a horn being blown. People don’t tailgate and are extremely polite. Most people will even give a friendly wave or a ‘shaka’ (not the middle-finger wave given here) to the other drivers. Of course we can all see who the mainland drivers are. They are the ones driving aggressively, blowing their horn and cutting others off. . . . I am just praying that this rude driving won’t wear off onto me.” Bruce Jenkins noticed that I’d mentioned my daughter sometimes has a problem drifting whenever she looks over her shoulder before making a lane change. “Instruct her to have an elbow on the armrest before looking,” Bruce wrote. “This stops the tendency, to drift as you can now feel that the steering wheel is turning as you look. . . . I wish you well in the training. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with is watching my teenager drive away by himself.”
aybe we should all go to L.
In a column last week,
The rest of the stories
They’re smiling over at the Spanish Catholic Center at 16th and Monroe NW. That’s because the nonprofit center’s dental clinic, which treats 400 low-income patients a month, won a $20,000 grant from Tom’s of Maine to install digital radiography equipment. They were among the top five
vote-getters in an online contest sponsored by the toothpaste people. I wrote about the clinic last month, and your votes helped put them over the top. “We are eternally grateful for the support that the Spanish Catholic Center has received from all of our many friends and especially the people who read John Kelly’s columns,” said
Sister Janice Heisey, the dental
administrator. The nifty new machines should cut the waiting time for dentists to get X-rays.
Also grateful: Chris Horowicz,
the physical therapist with
“I am just praying that this rude driving won’t wear off
onto me.”
— Fran DeNinno, a resident of
Hawaii who is temporarily living in Springfield
Professional SportsCare & Rehab I wrote about last month. Chris collected used assistive devices to send to amputees in Haiti. The final tally: 700 pairs of crutches, 300 walkers, 100 wheelchairs and about 100 canes. “It’s just an incredible amount of stuff,” said Chris, and more than half of it came from Post readers. Everything will be cleaned and packed into 19 cargo pods, then shipped to several locations in Haiti, courtesy of Project Hope.
And finally: On Monday, the
Friends of PeirceMill announced that some of the stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will stimulate the old gristmill that once operated on Rock Creek. It should be enough money to have the water wheel turning, the gears spinning and the stones grinding by fall. “We opened a bottle of champagne at our board meeting last week,” said Richard Abbott, president of Friends of Peirce Mill. “It’s been 13 years, and this is the final piece of the puzzle.”
kellyj@washpost.com
TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2010
MICHAEL S. WILLIAMSON/THE WASHINGTON POST
Rain-dappled daffodils dot an area along Beach Drive near Connecticut Avenue in Kensington, in seeming defiance of a harsh winter that buried the bulbs under piles of snow. Rain and clouds are expected to continue Tuesday, with sunshine returning Wednesday. Weather, B10.
Red tape hinders AIDS programs
Awaiting federal funds, some local groups delay, cancel services
by Sandhya Somashekhar
Abureaucratic bottleneck hold- ing up federal funds in Prince George’s County has forced some local medical clinics and nonprof- it groups to delay or cancel ser- vices for people with AIDS. Donald Shell, health officer for
the Prince George’s Health De- partment, said he is aware of the difficulties experienced by some of the groups. He said the delays were the result of the county’s lengthy, exhaustive contract re- view process. Federal and local monitors
have repeatedly expressed con- cerns about the problems, noting that they affect groups across sub- urban Maryland and that small providers could be forced to shut down. The financial issues, stem- ming from the county’s adminis- tration of funds from the federal Ryan White program, come as the District is trying to rein in an epi- demic whose effects can be felt beyond city borders. Groups have had to limit emer-
gency food vouchers or postpone nonessential dental work for as long as six months. One organiza- tion temporarily halted a pro- gram that provided rides to HIV/ AIDS patients who needed to get to doctor’s appointments. The small, church-based nonprofit ended that program last year.
“They really need to work this out so there is some continuity of care for residents,” said Douglas Morgan, who oversees the Ryan White program nationwide for the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. “This is the one disease where you don’t want major disruptions in the continuity of care.” The Ryan White program pro- vides money for medical and oth- er needs of low-income people with AIDS and HIV who lack in- surance. In this region, the money flows from the federal govern- ment to the D.C. Department of Health, which in addition to man- aging its own program oversees the distribution of about $12 mil- lion annually to the suburbs and two counties in West Virginia. The District contracts with the
Prince George’s Health Depart- ment to distribute about $7 mil- lion to government agencies, hos- pitals and nonprofit groups in suburban Maryland, including in Charles, Frederick and Montgom- ery counties. The District also sends about
$4.7 million to agencies in North- ern Virginia, but local and federal monitors have singled out subur- ban Maryland for concern. “Our hands are tied. We can’t
do anything until they have their ducks in a row,” said Shannon L. Hader, director of the District’s HIV/AIDS Administration. Last year, monitors for the
Health Resources and Services Administration complained that Prince George’s had not signed its contract with the District a full four months after the grant year
LOCAL DIGEST
THE DISTRICT
Rhode Island Ave. Metro lot to close
The parking lot at the Rhode
Island Avenue-Brentwood Metro station will close next month as construction begins on a mixed- use project there. Metro officials announced
Monday that the lot will be shut down April 30 to allow the build- ing of 274 apartments, nearly 70,000 square feet of retail space and a 215-vehicle garage. Some bus stops will be affected by the construction during its lat- er stages. Taxis, pickup, drop-off, car-sharing and ADA-accessible parking will be available at the Kiss and Ride area during con- struction.
Customers who routinely park
at the station or are permit hold- ers will be able to park or buy a reserved parking permit at an- other Metro station if space is available, Metro officials said.
— Ovetta Wiggins
VIRGINIA
Fairfax woman dies after car hits tree
A Fairfax County woman who
THE DAILY QUIZ
How tall are whooping cranes?
(Hint: The answer is in today’s Health & Science section.)
EARN 5 POINTS: Find the answer, then go to washingtonpost.com/postpoints and click on “Quizzes” to enter the correct response.
was in a one-car crash in the Ma- son Neck area Friday morning died Sunday, Fairfax County po- lice said. Shortly before 11 a.m., as Julie
A. Cahill, 34, of the 11300 block of River Road in Lorton drove in the 9900 block of Gunston Road, just east of Route 1, she apparently lost control of her Honda Civic,
POINTS EVENTS
Filmfest DC,Washington’s longest running and most prestigious film festival, is set to kickoff April 15 with eleven days of the best in new international cinema. This year the festival will feature Bel Cinema, a selection of new Italian films; The New Romanian Wave, a program of cutting edge work from one of the hottest spots on the international cinema scene and Stand for Justice, features and documentaries exploring issues of social justice.
DC International Film Festival
Now celebrating its 24th year, Filmfest DC presents feature premieres, restored classics, shorts and special events in an enjoyable atmosphere for movie lovers. The festival’s audience is widely diverse, curious and knowledgeable. Filmfest DC has developed into one of Washington’s major cultural events. Screenings will be held at Regal Gallery Place and E Street Cinema with opening night at AMC Mazza Gallerie. For more information visit www.filmfestdc.org or call 202-234-FILM.
Blossom Watch: Best Bets
Blooming period
Washington’s cherry blossoms are predicted to be in peak bloom, with 70 percent of blossoms open, Thursday and Friday.
= peak
SM T W T F S
21 22 23 24 29
28 4
11
MARCH APRIL
25 26 27 30 31 12 3 5 67 8 9
Cherry Blossom Festival
March 27–April 11
Tuesday’s scheduled events:
• Target stage at Sylvan Theatre
Performances include Rich Patrick
(band), G Major & MDK, Warrenton Ballet and Kalavaridhi (dance).
Location: Sylvan Theatre at Washington Monument grounds Time: Noon Cost: Free
10
• Washington restaurants serve “cherry picks”
More than 70 restaurants are offering cherry-inspired entrees, desserts and cocktails. www.nationalcherry blossomfestival.org/cherrypicks
• Japanese-style garden days at Hillwood Museum, Estate and
Gardens
Explore Hillwood’s Japanese-style garden on this blossom-themed tour.
Location: 4155 Linnean Ave.; Metro: Van Ness-UDC Time: 1–4 p.m.
Cost: Suggested donation: $12, adult; $10, senior; $7, student; $5, ages 6 to 18; 5 and younger, free.
For a guide to events throughout the festival, as well as a downloadable audio tour of the Tidal Basin, go to washingtonpost.com/cherryblossoms.
crossed the double yellow line, ran off the road and hit a tree, po- lice said.
Cahill was taken to Inova Fair-
fax Hospital, where she died at 10:48 p.m. Sunday. Police said alcohol appeared to
have been a factor in the crash, but a police spokeswoman said she did not have any further de- tails.
— Tom Jackman
Reston man charged in girlfriend’s death
A Reston man was arrested
Saturday and charged with mur- der in the October shooting of a woman in his apartment, Fairfax County police said Monday. Karen Deck, 42, of Reston was found Oct. 24, fatally shot in the upper body inside the apartment of her boyfriend, Ronald Rob- ertson, on Winterthur Lane in the Hunters Woods area. According to court records,
Robertson, 45, had called his par- ents to tell them that “he had ac- cidentally shot and killed his girl- friend,” and his parents called 911.
Officers who arrived at Rob-
ertson’s apartment “heard bang- ing coming from inside,” accord-
ing to an affidavit by homicide Detective Brian S. Colligan. The apartment door was closed but unlocked, Colligan wrote, so offi- cers entered and found Robert- son, Deck and a weapon on the floor.
Robertson was not charged im-
mediately with the homicide, but he was charged four days later with being a violent felon in pos- session of a gun, court records show.
A preliminary hearing in that case was held last week, and the case was sent to the grand jury for possible indictment. Court records show that Rob-
ertson pleaded guilty in 1989 to shooting at an occupied vehicle. He received a five-year suspend- ed sentence.
— Tom Jackman
Woman charged with FBI impersonation
An Arlington County woman has been charged with imperson- ating an FBI agent after neigh- bors said she fooled them into taking jobs as her assistant. Brenna Reilly, 29, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Alexan- dria last week.
According to a court affidavit,
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Reilly told neighbors in her apartment complex that she was the FBI’s director of forensics. Two neighbors agreed to work as Reilly’s assistant and filled out purported job applications, which required such information as a Social Security number. She gave the assistants tasks
that included writing letters of condolence to family members of agents killed in the line of duty. But authorities say that Reilly was never an FBI agent and that the jobs were phony. Her attorney declined to com-
ment.
— Staff reports
MARYLAND
Burglary suspect is caught napping
Princess Anne police arrested a
burglary suspect after he fell asleep on a bed in an apartment he had broken into. Officers say Jaimie Goodson, 19, broke into the apartment Sat- urday and had bagged numerous items from the home and put them near the entrance. Officers, called to the scene for a burglary in progress, found Goodson asleep on a bed.
— Associated Press
had begun, leaving the AIDS groups without the ability to get reimbursed for the services they were providing. Shell said Prince George’s offi- cials have asked the District for help in addressing the problem. “Our staff has had some dia- logue with the District on ways we could begin this process five months earlier,” he said. “We want to make sure that our residents have every opportunity to receive care.” Morgan said it is incumbent on both jurisdictions to speed up the process for the sake of patients and groups that serve them, espe- cially small organizations that do not have deep reserves of cash. The burden has been exacer-
bated by the nationwide credit crunch, he said. In the past, agen- cies could take out loans to pay for services for the needy if there was a lag in reimbursement. But now because of tight credit, they are delaying and curbing services, he said.
Suburban Maryland has far
fewer HIV and AIDS cases than the city, which at 3 percent of the population has the highest HIV/ AIDS rate in the nation. But from 2001 through 2006, Maryland’s Washington suburbs logged more new cases of HIV infection than did the District, a city-commis- sioned study showed last year. Prince George’s has the second- highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in the state after Baltimore. Experts say it is crucial that
HIV patients get regular care to keep the disease from progressing and to curb its spread.
Richard Allen Community De- velopment, a tiny faith-based nonprofit that in 2008 had a budget of about $300,000, strug- gled to pay its transportation con- tractors as the group awaited ap- proval of its budget, documents show. A consultant hired by the District found that the nonprofit had to discontinue transportation services “at least temporarily” in 2008 as a result of the delayed funding. The group ended its Ryan White-funded program last year. The Rev. Cassandra Sparrow, ex- ecutive director of the organiza- tion, declined to comment. The delays have also had an im-
pact on more established health- care providers. Darlene Armacost, program manager for communi- cable disease and preparedness at the Frederick County Health De- partment, said her agency has had to put off non-emergency ser- vices. A client, for example, might get instant attention for a tooth- ache but have to wait several months for a set of dentures. “Clients with immediate needs receive them in a timely manner. Other non-emergent services are provided, but not necessarily im- mediately,” Armacost said in an e- mail. She said the delays do not have an impact on overall quality of care, noting that “we pride our- selves on providing excellent cli- ent services.” Some agencies, such as the
Montgomery County health de- partment, said they have not had difficulty with delays. Several de- clined to comment.
somashekhars@washpost.com
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