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KLMNO POSTLOCAL Talk to us. Talk to newsmakers. Talk to each other. Join the conversation at
postlocal.com At the Vietnam memorial, a solemn tribute gains new life JOHN KELLY’S WASHINGTON
In Bird v. Cat, people do all the arguing
T
he Three Servicemen statue, created by art- ist Frederick Hart in 1984 as part of the Vietnam Veterans Me-
morial, has undergone restora- tion since May 25 by David Sho- walter and Matt Gemell of New Arts Foundry in Baltimore. The restoration removed
weather damage and oxidation, which had turned parts of the figures’ faces, noses, arms, hands and weapons a greenish-blue. The statue has been restored to its original colors. “For almost as long as the Wall has been in place, the Three Ser- vicemen statue has been an im- portant component” of the site, said Jan C. Scruggs, president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. The National Park Service and
private donors paid for the resto- ration, which is set to be un- veiled at a program at 10 a.m. Thursday.
To watch a video of the restoration, go to
postlocal.com. PHOTOS BY GERALD MARTINEAU FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
matchups evoke more passion than this one: cat vs. bird. “There’s been more than ample evidence that
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free-ranging pets and feral cats have an impact on birds,” said Ellen Paul, executive director of the Ornithological Council. “The bird folks feel that any accommodation
of cats in an outdoor environment puts birds at risk,” said Francis Battista of the Best Friends Animal Society. “But there’s no real coherent solution to that apart from ‘Kill them all.’ That doesn’t work ethically. It doesn’t work practically.” “Both sides get their hair up, and their backs
Conversations
Readers discussed Lisa Rein’s story about federal lawmakers who want to expand the number of long-distance flights at Reagan National Airport, easing long-standing restrictions designed to protect neighboring communities from noise and air pollution, on
postlocal.com.
Now arriving: Debate over longer flights at National
Capitalpolitico: “Thank goodness it looks like the hysterical opponents of this new change at Reagan are going to lose, just like the hysterical opponents of the World War II Memorial lost. And guess what?? Life in Washington won’t come to an end.”
waterfrontproperty: “This is about the privileged class not having to go to Dulles or BWI to get home.”
sciencegrrl: “I wholeheartedly support this proposal. I live in Arlington because of its proximity to DCA, and the ability to hop a flight to most of the destinations that I travel to in the eastern U.S. However, I do travel to the western U.S. several times during the year.”
ceefer66: “Get over yourselves. You bought a house in the path of flight pattern.”
jap219: “I live a mile from National Airport, and I don’t want increased noise and air pollution.”
allanVA: “I live in Alexandria, and yes, I bought there after the airport was there. I bought there knowing the airport was there, and I consider it an amenity.”
hoos3014: “Raise your hand if you’ve been dying for a nonstop flight to WEST TEXAS.”
Standing out
Toni Reinhart was working as an information technology manager 10 years ago when she decided she wanted to shift to a career that would give her the opportunity to help others. Now Reinhart, 55, is the owner of Comfort Keepers Northern Virginia, a licensed home-care agency with five office workers and 70 home health aides. She lives in Reston with her husband and two dogs.
From lingerie sales to health entrepreneur
First job: Reinhart grew up in Hagerstown, Md., and Northern Virginia. Her father owned an insur- ance company, and her mother worked as a recep- tionist for WTTG (Channel 5) after their five kids entered school. “My brother used to deliver pa- pers, and he broke an arm or a leg or something, and I delivered papers for him.”
Worst job: She attended Northern Virginia Com- munity College but dropped out of George Mason University. “I married early, divorced early. I was a very late bloomer. I was probably too pretty for my own good because life was more fun than school.” After leaving school, she sold lingerie. “It felt like my whole life was nothing but folding up panties
Hot topic: Heat
Post commuter columnist Robert Thomson, a.k.a. Dr. Gridlock, recorded a 100-degree temperature in a Metrorail car Tuesday afternoon. “At 6:08 p.m., just outside Vienna,” he wrote, “the temperature on car 5121 read 100 degrees. I think to some of my fellow riders it was grimly satisfying, a final confirmation of their weakened senses before they exited at Vienna into a refreshing blast of hot air on the platform.” Readers discussed their hot trips on the system yesterday on
postlocal.com.
100 degrees on the Metro?
KS100H: “The end cars are pretty good bets since that’s where the drivers are.”
jercha: “Employers take note and allow your male workers to ditch the tie and long sleeves.”
jckdoors: “These things are like greenhouses, and it’s wrong to make people travel in them.”
ArlingtonHOO: “As a rush-hour rider, I’d rather
Share your thoughts and knowledge on area transportation issues at
washingtonpost.com/transportation.
Today on
POSTLOCAL.com Record highs?
Stay on top of the weather with forecasts, maps and the Capital Weather Gang, and interact with its community of weather buffs and area residents.
washingtonpost.com/weather
THE DAILY QUIZ
According to today’s Crafts column, what can you turn tomato cages into?
EARN 5 POINTS: Find the answer, then go to
washingtonpost.com/postpoints and click on “Quizzes” to enter the correct response.
Summer video contest: What are you doing this summer? We want you to show us by
Safety issues
Get the latest news on crime and criminal justice news from your neighborhoods and courthouses. Then send us questions, comments and tips.
washingtonpost.com/crime
POINTS EVENTS
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have a hot train than less trains in service.”
TheBoreaucrat: “I have continued biking to work, and while it’s unpleasant and uncomfortable, stewing in a Metro crockpot sounds much worse.”
catsndogs: “I have always simply gotten off at the next stop and gotten on another car, where I have always found more comfort.”
Tell us about your commute in the summer heat at
washingtonpost.com/drgridlock. and putting them back in the right place.”
What made her start her own business: “I was a female IT training manager facing a recession. . . . I was pretty tired of traveling on someone else’s schedule to places where someone else wanted me to go.”
What inspires her: “My family members and the family members of the people I care for, just to see how much relief we can bring to them, how much hope.”
Read the rest of this interview at
washingtonpost.com/onsuccess and meet our panel of success experts.
get all arched about this,” said Stephen Zawistowski, executive vice president of programs at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The bird people say cats are responsible for widespread avian carnage. The cat people say cats are just being cats. Make that some cat people. Plenty of animal groups insist that the best place for a house cat is a house. That’s the recommendation of Best Friends, the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States. “People who own cats really should keep them indoors,” said Betsy McFarland, senior director of companion animals at the Humane Society. “There is that view that cats want to roam and hunt, but the domestic cat does really well inside.” A house cat is a healthier cat, she said, less susceptible to parasites, less likely to find itself under an all-season radial. Perhaps, bird people say, but just look around. Apparently not everyone agrees. “There’s a very famous birding area over in Alexandria called Monticello Park,” said Ellen, who heads a consortium of 11 bird groups. “It’s a little pocket park, famous because the birds are concentrated in a tiny patch of habitat. Birds come down from treetops and bathe in the stream. It’s amazing. People in that neighborhood have cats that roam all over the place and go after those birds.”
A bird here, a bird there — it soon adds up. “The severity of the conflict tends to increase depending on how rare the bird is,” Stephen said. If only cats could be counted on to kill only starlings and English sparrows, which are not native to North America. Then again, as bird people point out, neither are house cats. Well, cat people say, cats may pose a threat to birds, but a greater threat comes from habitat loss, although, as Stephen said, “You’re not going to go to South America and stop the guy clear-cutting a section of the rainforest. What you do see is your neighbor’s cat walking down the street with a little tuft of feathers in its mouth [and you think]: Can I at least address the threat that is there in front of me?” Animal experts say not all cats have the urge to hunt but all have the urge to chase. To that end, many companies offer cat-entrancing toys, from lasers to feathers. And a whole industry has arisen to create enclosed outdoor spaces for cavorting, the “catio” (for “cat patio”). As someone who loves watching songbirds at
my feeders, I always thought bells were the answer. A bell on a cat at least gives the bird a fighting chance, right? Then I read a scientific paper that tracked various house cats and their prey. Out of the sample, a belled cat killed the most birds. Cats are stealthy. Cats are fast. Most birds probably never know what hit them.
Send a Kid to Camp
This certainly isn’t the healthiest economy, which is why I’m so grateful to the many readers who are helping to support Camp Moss Hollow this summer. A tax-deductible gift will help ensure a needy child will get to experience the great outdoors. Mail a check or money order, payable to “Send a Kid to Camp,” to P.O. Box 96237, Washington, D.C. 20090-6237. Or contribute online by going to www.
washingtonpost.com/camp and clicking on the donation link. To use MasterCard or Visa by phone, call 202-334-5100 and follow the instructions on our taped message.
kellyj@washpost.com
Join me at noon Friday for my online chat. Go to
washingtonpost.com/discussions.
n the vast world of animal-on-animal conflict— cobra vs. mongoose, bear vs. salmon, sperm whale vs. giant squid — fewer
THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010
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