Can DC Mayor Adrian Fenty Be Beat?

DC's 38 year old Mayor Adrian Fenty got two really bad pieces of news when he awoke Thursday morning. Number one was a Washington Post editorial blasting him for trying to evict a non profit group that had been running a Tennis and Learning Center for children in a corner of Southeast Washington.
The second bad news was no surprise to the first term Mayor, his school reforms now seem threatened by a 40 plus million dollar budget shortfall that will prompt teacher layoffs and bigger class sizes.

Its news that Fenty detractors can use as they scan the political horizon looking for that one solid candidate who could knock the young, confident and high flying triathlete off his perch.

From where I sit, in covering DC politics for more than 30 years, they haven't yet found that candidate, if in fact he or she is out there.

DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray (seen in the top photo)is being pushed to run by a lot of influential people who find themselves on the outside of Fenty's power team. Marion Barry is convinced Gray can win--that Fenty hasn't built on his roughly 50 percent take in the last mayoral race. Linda Cropp and Marie Johns won the rest of the votes when their numbers are combined.

My take is its still Fenty's race to lose--that he would have to suffer an incredible blunder or two between now and next year in order for someone to beat him.

The incumbent has the money-well over two million in the bank, the political machine, a marathoner's approach to campaigning, and no scandal that has people talking about it morning till night. There are rumors-as there always are in this town-but mostly its just talk by people trying to get reporters to do their dirty work--.

But stay tuned! Its still early in the campaign.

Okay, I'm back from vacation and ready to go to work for you. Excuse me if its taking a while to respond to the emails and letters; but rest assured I will get to them this week. As for me, I spent a good part of my time off at the beach, just outside Lewes and Rehoboth Beach Delaware. Attached is a picture from the Delaware Bay, in Lewes;

Also a picture from New York City, one of my other favorite places to spend time. That's me standing in front of the Michael Jackson tribute wall outside the Apollo theatre in Harlem.

and that's singer Freddy Jackson on stage at the "Sugar Bar" club on the west side. The place is owned by legendary singers-songwriters Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Thursday is open mike night and anyone can step up to perform. Freddy of "Rock With You" and "You Are My Lady" fame was one of several incredible performers in the club while we were there. Ashford and Simpson also showed as they always do.

Local Photographers Remember Michael Jackson

The sudden death of Michael Jackson has many reflecting on his music, dance and style as a pop icon and entertainer that touched lives around the world.

But for local photographers Don and Ron Baker they got upclose and personal with the "King of Pop" during several concerts and tours. Click on the below link to watch my interview.

http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.aspx?maven_playerId=immersiveplayer&maven_referralPlaylistId=408ab858ca54418acad4cbe79ea6f2ee57c1dcf7&maven_referralObject=1167430347

More Victims Names Released After Monday's Transit Accident

I recently did a report about three of the victim's from Monday's transit accident that killed nine people in the Nation's Capital.

Click on this link and then click the link in the right hand corner of the WUSA- 9'S webpage to watch my report.

http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.aspx?maven_playerId=immersiveplayer&maven_referralPlaylistId=408ab858ca54418acad4cbe79ea6f2ee57c1dcf7&maven_referralObject=1161857260

How Could This Happen?

Its the question everybody is asking on Tuesday morning, hours after one Metro train slammed into another on the Red Line at the height of rush hour Monday.

The death toll was scaled back from nine to seven Tuesday morning but will probably climb again with more than seventy people injured; but this was an accident that everyone had been told could not happen on Metro.

Train #112 and train #214 were both traveling between the Takoma Park and Fort Totten stations. The first car (112) was stopped or stalling because a third train had not yet cleared the above ground Fort Totten platform.

Train 214 was operated by 42 year old Jeanice McMillen of Springfield, Va. If her train was on automatic, the computer system at Metro Central should have kept her train at a safe distance.

Other operators say she should have been able to apply the brakes manually is needed.

So what went wrong?

McMillen was killed when her train slammed into the train into the rear end of the train in front of her on a crystal clear day.

Those of us who went to the scene to report the carnage witnessed one train that had been ripped open where the operator once sat...the rest of the car-crunched like a stepped on soda can-had mounted the first train.

Keith Dean of Northeast DC was one of the area residents who arrived on the scene, snapping numerous digital pictures which he made available exclusively for this blog.

His camera captured metro passengers from both trains sprawled out on the ground, having been rescued by other riders, firefighters or finding their own way out of the wreckage.

Rescue workers had to cut their way into the wreckage of both trains still on the tracks and pointing toward downtown DC. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Metro GM John Catoe and others held a press conference-giving much needed updates.

The rest of the rush hour commute was thrown into a tailspin.

The Red line stopped at Rhode island Avenue, south of the crash, and at Silver Spring to the North. Marc trains carrying commuters away from the city were delayed.

Tuesday morning begged for patience at every level. It wasn't clear at first glance just how many people had kept to plans of fidning other ways, other than metro train, of getting to work or school.

Following a Tuesday morning press conference Mayor Fenty said authorities had begun notifying families of the dead.

The NTSB is heading the investigation and refused to speculate on a cause for the deadliest accident in Metro's 33 year history.

'The Nine Lives of Marion Barry' Debuts at Silver Docs Film Festival in Maryland

The HBO Documentary, 'The Nine Lives of Marion Barry,' premiered last Saturday tonight at Silver Docs Film Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Click on the video link below to watch my report about the documentary.

http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.aspx?maven_playerId=immersiveplayer&maven_referralPlaylistId=9142a21d31bef6379dd41b5eea96867d739f06f0&maven_referralObject=1156145187

Part I: Lawrence and Karen Garrison Interview