Welcome to the my Web site, v. XII. The blog is typically published Monday - Saturday. My primary topics tend to be the Nats, Penn State (esp. football), BeltwayLand, transportation, media, photos and more. The rest of the site gets updated as warranted and is noted on the blog.
1 day after talking to bloggers, Metro's Catoe announces resignation - William World News
Thursday, January 14, 2010
1 day after talking to bloggers, Metro's Catoe announces resignation
Catoe stepping down after three years at the helm - Not even 24 hours after he sat down with leading D.C. bloggers, including my former colleague Tom Bridge of We Love DC, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager John Catoe announced he would resign on April 2. The move signals the end of Catoe's rocky 3 years as WMATA head saw the nation's second largest subway system suffer its worst accident on June 22 (Red Line crash is worst Metro accident ever ), several employees killed on the job, a number of suicides on the tracks and worsening service. To blame Catoe, a D.C. native, for these incidents would be unfair, but he has not been able to reverse the trend. Catoe's career was more focused on buses than rails which may have hindered his time in charge. His quote about the safety problems becoming "an unhealthy distraction" is telling though. Safety problems are not what I call a "distraction." Ultimately though, the problems of an aging system and the economic crisis has been Metro's biggest problems.
As soon as I heard the news, I wondered if Dan Tangherlini would be a candidate to replace Catoe. In 2006, Tangherlini was interim general manager of Metro to great acclaim. He wanted the job permanently, but when the WMATA board wanted an extended search, Tangherlini took a job with the Adrian Fenty administration (Tangherlini leaving Metro to return to District government). I remember when Tangherlini left I told a few people that he might get another shot someday. I don't envy him if it is now though, the outlook for Metro is grim on just about all fronts.
"The Band That Wouldn't Die" looks good - William World News
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
"The Band That Wouldn't Die" looks good
I have a soft spot for the Baltimore Colts.
While my antipathy towards Baltimore's baseball team is well documented, I have said on a few occasions that the Colts moving out of Baltimore is probably the worst franchise relocation in professional sports history. The fans were great, the team had great, memorable players and a marching band with a catchy fight song. The team moved away ultimately because the owner, Bob Irsay, was a really nasty individual who was also an alcoholic. Indianapolis was and still is completely unworthy of those horseshoe helmets and uniforms.
Noted film director Barry Levinson, a Baltimore native, has made a documentary for ESPN 30 for 30 about that marching band, "The Band That Wouldn't Die." The band played on even after the team abandoned them and eventually became the Marching Ravens after the Cleveland Browns (another bad move, but one that was corrected almost immediately) came to Baltimore. The whole story gets told tonight at 8 p.m.
I don't know that Mayor Shelia Dixon has enough political capital to make a soccer stadium happen, but the chance to take something that belongs to Washington might get people a little excited. Remember the Bullets (now Wizards) left Baltimore for Landover and later Washington D.C. proper.
I have been to all of one DC United game ever and I had a good time. I'm inclined to go to more and when my son is old enough, I'd like to be able to take him. If the team leaves for Baltimore, I'm not going because they won't be a local team anymore.
Hopefully, this will wake people up and get progress back in the direction of a D.C. area venue for United. Perhaps in the interim, Dan Snyder could do something right and make FedEx Field available. I think the lower bowl could routinely be filled for DCU games and Snyder could clearly use the money. They could play there while they figure out something permanent for United.
Snyder will never let D.C. United have a full season in his stadium simply because of the amount of damage the Barra Brava and Screaming Eagles do in one game.
That's also the reason why the HFStival was only held there and up in Bhawlmuher once each. The kids who went to that trashed the place.
Now, at RFK or their own dedicated field, it wouldn't be an issue, they can trash the place all they want but at a place like Landover, no way are they going to let those fans trash the place on the regular basis.
# posted by Caps Nut :
Wednesday, October 07, 2009 10:28:00 PM
More 2010 FedEx college football - D1SCOURSE, The Wash. Times Expect more college games like this one at FedEx Field in the coming years.
Now, a few thoughts from me on this game
Indiana sold its soul for $3 million, but given l'affaire Bobby Knight, one can debate whether Indiana has a soul. They traded a Big Ten home game for a road trip that puts than 500 miles further away from home than the "visiting" team.
Based on what I am seeing on Twitter, Facebook and talking to people around the office, Nittany Lion fans are very excited about this game. Apparently, there are 40,000 alums in D.C./Va./Md./Del. Also, I know some Pennsylvania based fans who want come down. It should be a very good turnout. Indiana is on the hook for just 7,000 seats. While Penn State will certainly exceed that by a wide margin, will they buy 84,000 more? Maybe, Temple sold 69,000 tickets to their 2007 game with Penn State at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field and that included forcing fans to buy a three game package.
The Redskins initiated this game and will pay Indiana $3 million. Now, let's say that tickets cost $55 and parking costs $25. This is probably a conservative guess. I'm going to say they sell 75,000 tickets which is $4,125,000. Let's say 15,000 people park there, that's another $375,000, so right there the Redskins have already grossed $1.5 million minus the $3 million they gave to Indiana. That is before anyone buys a concession too. Chances are attendance will be higher, maybe even a sellout which would mean another 15,000 tickets sold and probably 5,000 more parking spaces.
Speaking of concessions, I do not know if they will be able to sell alcohol in the stadium. The Big Ten probably gets a say in that decision and they are ban alcohol in on-campus stadiums. Temple sold beer at Lincoln Financial Field two years ago.
This won't hurt Penn State's recruiting efforts in the greater D.C. area either, though I don't know that they can host potential recruits for the game.
I for one, am really looking forward to this game. Just the thought of being able to take the Metro to a Penn State game is very exciting. I have been hoping Maryland would come back on the schedule for this reason. Speaking of Maryland, I wonder if they will be playing in College Park that day too. The game at FedEx Field might double their attendance.
I had to remove a comment that said something unkind about the alma mater by someone who doesn't allow comments on his blog. The gist of the comment was that Penn State cannot engage in any recruiting activities during the Indiana game.
# posted by WFY :
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 9:00:00 PM
It is actually November 20, 2010 game, not 2009. Indiana fans are not happy. I'm thrilled, I can take the Metro to a Penn State game! There are about 90,000 seats. There are over 20,000 parking spaces for tailgating too. Let's sell it out. This is like a dream come true for me!
Does this mean Redskins owner Dan Snyder did something right?
Wilson Bridge Trail: State/city borders are 75% great - William World News
Monday, June 15, 2009
Wilson Bridge Trail: State/city borders are 75% great
OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER -- On my initial ride along the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail, I did not see anything marking the borders between Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland. On my second ride, I was pleased to see that some were there. The line seperating Maryland and D.C. is shown above. However, there is a problem with D.C. and Virginia:
Virginia is covered up by warning stripes! Oops. Obviously, this is not a high priority, but I would like to see it corrected. Virginia residents paid for it too, so we should get our state clearly represented.
I would also like to see the border painted on the walls too.
The Awakening's new home is lacking - William World News
Friday, June 12, 2009
The Awakening's new home is lacking
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- I was not happy that "The Awakening" was moved from Hains Point, Washington D.C. to this new resort in Prince George's County. I don't blame the developer for buying of course, it was a shrewd move to catch the Park Service napping. I do fault the developer for the new placement though. The sculpture is placed in what can accurately be described as a sandbox. It looks like was just put there in the morning, whereas in the old Hains Point location, it had a sense of place even though it was merely covered by dirt and mulch. It felt like was coming out of the ground in dramatic fashion. Here, it just looks like it was put there without much consideration to its environment.
The screwed up the perspective too. The parts are too close together. Pity.
# posted by Your Brother :
Friday, June 12, 2009 10:34:00 PM
I was thinking that too, but I could not confirm it by comparing before and after photos.
# posted by WFY :
Saturday, June 13, 2009 5:51:00 AM
Post a CommentInitial thoughts of National Harbor, Maryland - William World News
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Initial thoughts of National Harbor, Maryland
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- On Monday, when I took bicycled on the Wilson Bridge Trail for the first time, I also pedaled down to National Harbor, the new waterfront development in Prince George's County, Maryland. I regularly see it from Alexandria, but this was my first visit close up. My first impression -- this is going to be a pretty cool place someday.
The development, along the Potomac River, is not completed yet, though there are several places to eat and the enormous Gaylord hotel. The aesthetics are pleasant enoug and the docks will make it a fun stop for boaters. There were not many there, but it was Monday. I also like the distance signs with local and non-local destinations
Two things I was not crazy about -- the unpaved path from the Wilson Bridge Trail and the music piped in over loud speakers. To me, a place like National Harbor ought to sound like -- a harbor. I want to hear the water, the sound of flags blowing in the wind and the general streetlife, for a lack of a better term, not smooth jazz.
Overall though, National Harbor looks like a nice place to spend a few hours strolling with baby carriage, getting a bite to eat and looking out over the Potomac. I am sure we'll go over there sometime this summer via the water taxi from Alexandria. Once this place reaches critical mass, probably in a few years and a better economy, I expect it to be another special place in the D.C. area. I wonder if they have enough room or interest in a soccer stadium too.
The Wilson Bridge trail is wonderful - William World News
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
The Wilson Bridge trail is wonderful
LOOKING WEST -- Foreground: Pedestrian signal for the drawspan. Background: Overlook and Wilson Bridge Trail
OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER -- Last Saturday, the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge trail opened and on Monday, I bicycled on it for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed my it, the trail is a triumph for several reasons.
The trail, located on the northern bridge span (which actually carries I-95/495 SOUTH/WEST also known as the Capital Beltway's Outer Loop), is a comfortable 12 feet wide and enclosed by attractive fences on either side. The height of the fence on the river side is such that I can still see out, but not feel like it is too low. On the highway side, the fence is slightly lower, but reasonable. The grade of the trail, while steeper than the highway portion of the bridge on the Virginia approach, is barely noticeable. The pavement, concrete, is perfect, but that is too be expected.
By itself, the trail is great, but the inclusion of information signs about local history and ecology and landscaping on each shore make it more than a non-motorized transportation corridor -- it is a linear park. There are also three overlooks on the span that provide more information signs, some mounted binoculars/telescopes and benches and northern views of Alexandria and Washington D.C. The magnification on some of the telescopes are stunning, so much so that I if I lived along the Alexandria waterfront, I might keep the blinds closed.
On the Virginia side, the trail begins at the Washington Street deck which essentially a large overpass, that the Beltway travels under, with park like features. Additional trails to US 1 and the Mount Vernon Trail are adjacent connect here. Embedded compass-like wayfinders provide riders/walkers with guidance to these points.
On the Maryland side, the trail corkscrews on either side of the overpass spanning Capital Beltway (I-95/495). It looks steeper than it feels and is aesthetically pleasing. The overpass also includes a great deal of information about Prince George's County's early history as well as some ecological information. The trail diverts from the Beltway in direction of a trail to Oxon Hill Road and National Harbor. Upon entering the National Harbor property the pavement ends, something that will hopefully be rectified soon. There are unpaved trails all the way down to the completed National Harbor area that are annoying but were not a deal-breaker for me.
Even though it was a Monday, there were a fair amount of cyclists and pedestrians on the bridge. I chatted with a few, including a Park Police officer, about the project and the consensus was that this was an extremely well done project. There were lots of smiling cyclists on it. The only drawback seemed to be the lack of connections to other trails on the Maryland side, something that will have to be addressed by National Harbor and PG County. However, the biggest and hardest piece of the project is now complete and hopefully the connections will arrive soon. The stakeholders of the project, the Federal Highway Administration, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, the city of Alexandria and Prince George's County deserve a lot of praise for this latest and perhaps greatest addition to the area's trail network.
The bike trail on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is actually along the inner loop and not the outer loop. Thus you are looking at the City of Washington and not away from it.
# posted by Anonymous :
Monday, February 08, 2010 12:20:00 PM
Post a CommentNew bicycle connections: Four Mile Run & Wilson Bridge - William World News
Monday, June 08, 2009
New bicycle connections: Four Mile Run & Wilson Bridge
This spring has been a good one for area cyclists.
Shirlington Underpass Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - TheWashCycle The Four Mile Run Trail is now extended from Shirlington to Glebe Road underneath I-395 (Shirley Highway). The concrete viaduct is quite impressive, maybe even overdesigned. I rode on it before the actual dedication and enjoyed it. Now, getting past I-395 is much easier than before when cyclists had to ride over the Shirlington Circle pedestrian overpass, with its hairpin turn, and along Alexandria streets to connect between the two Four Mile Run Trail segments. According the link above, this connection has been in the works since 1985! There is room for some improvement with signage at Shirlington Road though -- it is not obvious how to get there from the existing Four Mile Run Trail or the W&OD Trail's the eastern terminus a few hundred feet away.
Wilson Bridge Bike Path Gets Rolling - The Post It is now possible to bike across every Potomac River crossing in Washington D.C. Remember, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge actually enters the District at its southernmost point for a few hundred feet. The trail opened on Saturday. I am going to go for a ride on it later this morning, I will report back on it sometime soon.
25 years ago, the Colts were taken from Baltimore - William World News
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
25 years ago, the Colts were taken from Baltimore
On March 29, 1984, Robert Irsay moved the Colts out of Baltimore under the cover of darkness to Indianapolis, an unworthy destination. In observance of the anniversary, the Sun has a number of articles in Baltimore Colts section that basically say "let's get over it already." Yes, there is a bit of irony in those statements since the paper's Web site has a regularly updated section a generation after the fact, but they are probably right. In the end, Baltimore got a new team, one that won a Super Bowl, and stadiums for football and baseball. The new team, the Ravens, came from Cleveland, but the NFL did the right thing and insisted the colors and name be left behind there and put a team back there three years later.
I have said before that while I hope for nothing failure and misery when it comes to the Orioles, I have sympathy for the Colts fans who were on the wrong end of what was likely the worst sports team move ever. Why move out of a football crazy city to an irrelevant midwestern city? The Colts left because of the absolutely belligerent and incompetent Irsay (Sports Illustrated), a drunk who shopped the team for years despite strong fan support. The team only after he died. His son, Jim Irsay, still owns the team and missed an obvious chance to redeem the family legacy when he did not return the colors and logos to the city of Baltimore. Perhaps it was because he was high (Indy Star). The Indy side of the story is here if you care.
On a lighter note the reporting of the move has been, shall we say, imprecise over the years.
Sometime when it gets warmer we will take the water taxi over to National Harbor and see what it is all about. Then we will come back and have dinner in Old Town.
Frederick, Md.: There has been some speculation on a name change for DCU. This got even more muddied during the press conference. Can you reassure some of us that you will keep United under the same name.
Kevin Payne: We have no intention of changing the most recognized name in American soccer. We have always thought of ourselves as a regional team -- the fact we have season ticket holders from so many states proves that point! We will be very much a part of the community in Prince George's County, but we will be D.C. United.
That was something I was wondering, I half expected them to become F.C. (Football Club) United.
D.C. United to become P.G. United? - William World News
Friday, February 13, 2009
D.C. United to become P.G. United?
P.G. United? Co-Owner May Move D.C. Soccer Team to Prince George's - The Post Washington's most successful franchise of the last decade or so appears to be headed to suburban Prince George's County, Md. D.C. United, winner of 4 MLS Cups had been trying to build a soccer stadium at Poplar Point, across the Anacostia River from Nationals Park, but D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty balked despite a hefty contribution from ownership. DCU even got Marion Barry (Ward 8) on board. You can get some perspective from the D.C. United fanbase over at DCenters.
I don't know if this is posturing by DCU or if they really plan on heading to Maryland, but I would not blame them. Still, moving the team out of The District is not the ideal scenario for them. I have been to all of one D.C. United match, but I am inclined to go again. Having to go all the way out to P.G. County is a deterrent.
Post reporter David Nakamura is chatting about the proposed P.G. County stadium for United right now.
It is very much like the situation that drove JKC to build his stadium for the Redskins in P.G. County and not DC. DC has had their chance to do right by DCU and has repeatedly failed time and again.
This is why people like myself am so amazed that they got it (semi) right with the Nats. But remember, they tried very hard to foul that one up too.
# posted by Caps Nut :
Saturday, February 14, 2009 7:59:00 AM
I still can't believe that Nationals Park got built.
# posted by WFY :
Sunday, February 15, 2009 8:41:00 AM
Post a CommentPlaces I went in 2008 - William World News
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Places I went in 2008
I used the same criteria as previous years -- I have to had a meal or spent the night there. Fast food does not count either.
Alexandria, Va. Arlington, Va. Bluemont, Va. McLean, Va. Vienna, Va. Virginia Beach, Va. Washington, D.C. Columbia, Md. Avalon, N.J. Sea Isle City, N.J Stone Harbor, N.J. Bronx, N.Y. New York, N.Y. Allentown, Pa. Belleville, Pa. Harrisburg, Pa. Hershey, Pa. Lewisberry, Pa. Lewistown, Pa. Manada Hill, Pa. Mechanicsburg, Pa. Reedsville, Pa. State College, Pa. Tannersville, Pa. Kenley, N.C. Wilson, N.C. Conway, S.C. Myrtle Beach, S.C. Pawley's Island, S.C.
There are a couple of exceptions to the rule -- we did not eat in Bluemont, but cut down a Christmas tree, so that counts. Also, we drove through Delaware but did not stop. This year also marked the least amount of visits to New Jersey ever. Next year, we will have to do better.
The chase, which began on Interstate 270 South in Maryland and continued onto the Outer Loop of the Beltway and into Virginia, ended shortly before 4 p.m.
Jones eventually left the Outer Loop of the Beltway at Exit 46 and drove toward the Tysons Corner area.
The 18-wheeler smashed into trees and stopped on a sidewalk at the intersection of Westpark Drive and Park Run Drive in Tysons Corner.
Tractor-Trailer Leads Police on Chase Along I-270 - The Post I looked out the window and saw "airwolf" flying low parallel to the Capital Beltway and later found out it was this chase. Surprisingly, this did nothing to increase my commute time on the way home, even though the chase ended mere minutes before I left.
It included several other schools from the Washington area in the top 100: Walt Whitman High in Bethesda (No. 44), Thomas S. Wootton High in Rockville (No. 54), McLean High (No. 55), Winston Churchill High in Potomac (No. 57), Langley High in McLean (No. 76) and W.T. Woodson High in Fairfax (No. 90).
This is one of the reasons I like living here -- good schools and a success oriented culture. By the time my son is high school, we expect to be somewhere in Fairfax County.
For what it is worth, my high school, James Madison in Vienna, was a silver medal school.
Possible NHL or NBA team in Baltimore? - William World News
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Possible NHL or NBA team in Baltimore?
Baltimore wants to build a new arena (The Sun) that could support a franchise from either the NHL or NBA. I think Baltimore could support a NBA team, but am skeptical about the NHL. Either way, should a team be placed there, the established D.C. team should be granted 90% of the new Baltimore team's television rights. After all, what is fair for Baltimore is fair for Washington, right?
By the way, which bird would be the new Baltimore team's nickname?
Which bird, eh? Well clearly the oriole and raven are off the list. And you can probably scratch any birds that exist for other professional sports teams, especially those on the east coast, so good bye to the eagle and cardinal and falcon. The canary wouldn't be fit to a pro team but would make for some eye sores of a uniform.
What about the Seagulls, or Gulls? Weak, I know.
# posted by Kevin McGuire :
Thursday, July 24, 2008 1:09:00 PM
Vulture
# posted by John Taylor :
Friday, July 25, 2008 11:34:00 AM
Post a CommentWe Love DC launches; Metroblogging DC withers - William World News
Monday, July 07, 2008
We Love DC launches; Metroblogging DC withers
Remember Metroblogging DC? I used to be a regular over there. The regulars who stayed have broken away and launched a new site called We Love DC. It is pretty much the same idea as Metroblogging, but with a superior design and completely local ownership. It went live on Independence Day. Coverage will be anything inside the Beltway. I am may even get involved with it, we'll see.
On Friday, I got an email from nationals.com titled "See your Nationals play at Camden Yards next week" offering me a chance to buy tickets for upcoming series in Baltimore. While Camden Yards is certainly an attractive ballpark (though the seats don't all face the field) and about 90 minutes away I will not be going. Long-time readers of the blog know what is coming -- don't go there. Not now, not next week, not ever. No Washingtonian should attend any Orioles game so long as Peter Angelo$ or his heirs own the O's and the Nationals do not control their own broadcasting rights. Giving an additional subsidy to Angelo$ would be akin to "providing aid and comfort to the enemy."
As a reminder of the problem, here is an excerpt of last year's list of grievances against Baltimore's most cowardly millionaire and his pathetic franchise:
Angelo$ was the only owner to vote against the Expos relocating to Washington.
Remember how most of us couldn't watch the Nationals regularly for two seasons? That was Angelo$ doing. Angelo$ and MLB made a corrupt bargain to put the Nats TV rights in the hands of someone who had an interest in limiting the ability of a "competitor" to succeed. Thomas Boswell accused Angelo$ of trying to "kill the baby in the crib." This cost the Nationals from getting full media exposure during the crucial first year which could have sold more tickets and contributed to the D.C. treasury.
He is duplicitous and hypocritical -- remember when he said "there are no baseball fans in Washington D.C. that's a fiction." If that is true Petey, why you "need" the TV rights. Also, take a look at his past rhetoric for use of the term "monopolists." Isn't it something how he forgets that he sought to retain his monopoly of baseball in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The production values of Malevolent Angelo$ Sports Network -- players being named incorrectly, poor A/V fidelity, and treating the Nats like the visiting team on their own network. Malevolent Angelo$ Sports Network screwed up a Penn State telecast last season too.
He has recklessly thrown money away (see Belle, Albert; Ponson, Sidney), but now finds it more convenient to blame Washington for his inability to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. This is the basis for his subsidy argument when in truth 15 years of bad franchise management got his team where it is now, not having another team 35 miles (and 90 minutes away on game nights) to the south.
It has been said Angelo$ wanted to by mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland. Clearly the people of that city and state knew better and are not falling for his "look, it stuck it Washington, so you should love me" actions. Washingtonians shouldn't have to suffer because Baltimore had to the good sense not to empower him from the ballot box.
In short, Angelo$ has wielded his disproportionate power to keep the Nats from fully realizing the potential of their market for petty, personal reasons and to keep himself from having to work hard. The Nats can not realize their full revenue potential because they have to subsidize Angelo$' mediocrity. Do you really want to reward that kind of bad behavior?
Though I can't dispute anything here, I'm still boycotting the Nats rather than the Orioles. Part of it is family history -- my mom's side of the family is from the Eastern Shore. Part of it is that I can usually keep my opinion of a team separate from my opinion of the owners, as plenty of Redskins fans might also tell you. (The number of Orioles implicated in the Mitchell Report bothers me a little bit more than Angelos.)
But the truth is I probably won't see either team this year, just as I didn't last year. And that's because the manner in which the Nats came to Washington soured my impression of MLB in general. They extorted hundreds of millions of dollars from a municipality that can't even tell its schoolkids where they're supposed to go for class. I simply can't support that.
Bottom line is that there's something unsavory about both teams. How much tolerance we have for it is sure to depend from person to person.
# posted by bdure :
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 7:57:00 AM
Neither MLB or the District distinguished themselves during the negotiation. That being said, I think it winds up working out very well for D.C. because a lot of the money coming in will be from suburban fans, money that would have been spent elsewhere. Additionally, the development going around the ballpark is quite impressive. The schools could learn a lot from the way the construction was managed (on time, on budget) and just well might. Allen Lew, the chief executive for the Sports Commission, moved onto lead the school system upgrade last year.
# posted by WFY :
Friday, May 16, 2008 12:26:00 PM
Post a CommentIt's National Chili Day! - William World News
Thursday, February 28, 2008
It's National Chili Day!
WTOP passed along some very important news this morning -- today is National Chili Day! To celebrate, Hard Times Cafe is giving out free bowls of chili. They have locations throughout suburban Virginia and Maryland. They will have a D.C. location in Nationals Park too.*
I'll see if I can get more details at lunch time.
UPDATED 6:55 p.m.: I went to the Old Town Hard Times to get my free chili. It turns out you have to make a purchase to get the free chili. Not a big deal, since you want something to drink with chili anyway. I had a Hard Times draft root beer with a bowl of Texas chili. Not bad for under $3 total. I was disappointed with the slow service though, it took several minutes for the bartender to acknowledge me. Had I not been getting a mostly free meal, I would have been out of there.
*I still need to comment on the recently announced ballpark food offerings. I'll get to that soon.
A Head Start for National Harbor - The Post District Treasure Goes to Pr. George's Development More about the move of The Awakening moving to National Harbor with some details about that project. There is also a video:
D.C. Giant to Be Unearthed Next Week for New Digs - The Post After residing in East Potomac Park since 1980, "The Awakening" will be dug up and moved to National Harbor starting next Wednesday. The J. Seward Johnson sculpture was owned by the Sculpture Foundation and loaned to the National Park Service until it was sold last year to the developer building National Harbor in P.G. County.
I'm really going to miss seeing "The Awakening" when I bicycle around Hains Point. I will have to stop by this weekend and get some final photographs of it.
With Virginia, The District and Maryland all having primaries on the same Tuesday, I have heard a few different ways to describe this event. Some media outlets are calling it "Potomac Primary" after the river that separates the two states and the District while other outlets are calling it the "Chesapeake Primary" after the bay that both states, but not the District, share.
Here is a very informal survey of what media outlets are calling the day:
Potomac Primary The Post The Wash. Times The Sun Times-Dispatch Post-Gazette WTTG USA Today Post-Gazette CNN FOX News Reuters The Times NPR CBS News NBC News Agence France-Presse
Chesapeake Primary WTOP WUSA WJLA
It isn't even close, it just may seem that way because of broadcast using Chesapeake. According to Google News (at 7:30 p.m. last night), Chesapeake Primary has "about 310" results, while a search for "Potomac Primary" returns "about 695."
Neither the Associated Press or The (Annapolis) Capital seem to be using either term.
Is the Purple Line in trouble too? - William World News
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Is the Purple Line in trouble too?
Dulles Rail Problems With FTA Worry Md. - The Post With the FTA showing reluctance to fund Virginia's Silver Line, Maryland officials are concerned that mass transit projects like the Purple Line won't be funded either.
As for the Silver Line, proposed to connect West Falls Church to Ashburn, it isn't dead yet, according to Dr. Gridlock's Get There blog.
Also, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority took issue with the FTA's suggestion (WTOP) that it couldn't handle building the Silver Line.
Post columnist Marc Fisher breaks down the tax burdens of the BeltwayLand jurisdictions in today's Raw Fisher post. My city, Alexandria, is the lowest listed. Would it surprise you that Montgomery County is the highest? At least they have something to show for it, unlike PG County which isn't far behind its western neighbor. The District comes in third, while Fairfax County is the highest in Virginia. Arlington is fifth highest/second lowest.
Of course the downside of being the lowest taxed could be "Now Accredited" (What, they weren't before?!) signs hanging on elementary schools in Alexandria, but truth be told, money probably isn't the only issue there.
Generally speaking, I had to either spend the night or sit down for a meal somewhere for it to qualify.
Alexandria, Va. Annapolis, Md. Arlington, Va. Avalon, NJ Bellefonte, Pa. Daly City, Calif. Eatontown, N.J. Edison, N.J. Hamilton, N.J. Harrisburg, Pa. Lake Harmony, Pa. Lemoyne, Pa. Lewistown, Pa. McLean, Va. Mill Valley, Calif. Morristown, N.J. Mount Vernon, Va. Philadelphia, Pa. Potomac, Md. Princeton, N.J. Reedsville, Pa. San Francisco, Calif. Ship Bottom, N.J. Spray Beach, N.J. Springfield, Pa. State College, Pa. Stone Harbor, N.J. Virginia Beach, Va. Vienna, Va. Washington, D.C.
Northern-most point: Blakeslee, Pa. Southern-most point: Virginia Beach, Va. Western-most point: San Francisco, Calif. (by car, Bedford, Pa.) Eastern-most point: Bay Head, N.J.
I doubt I'll get any further west this year, but I hope to get further north, east and south. Hopefully, New York and Boston can make it back on the list too.
# posted by Brad Stratton :
Sunday, January 06, 2008 3:58:00 PM
It was the closest White Castle between Brick and Edison. We had a memorial service to attend to that day.
# posted by WFY :
Sunday, January 06, 2008 4:35:00 PM
Post a Comment50 years of the Harbor Tunnel - William World News
Friday, November 23, 2007
50 years of the Harbor Tunnel
Harbor Tunnel marks 50th anniversary - The Sun The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is approaching its semicentennial. When I was a kid, it was a traffic nightmare, but once the Ft. McHenry Tunnel (I-95) opened in 1985, the Harbor Tunnel became a good alternate route.
Other notes:
I can't remember it before it was I-895, but I do remember all the non-MUTCD signs that only got replaced about ten years ago.
The Harbor Tunnel Thruway had unusual exit numbering schemes -- sequential starting after the tunnel headed northbound; mileage-based from the northern terminus southbound)
There used to be a Colt 45 brewery near the interchange with the Baltimore Beltway (I-695). It later became a Washington Flour facility.
I also remember the Segram's 7 advertisement that was on a brick building near the highway
The speed limit should be at least 55 MPH throughout the non-tunnel sections and maybe 60 MPH in the stretches without exits.
PERRYVILLE, Md. -- Right after paying the one-way $5 toll for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway there is this awful I-95 sign: This is easiest the ugliest shield on a mainline big green sign* I have ever seen on I-95. It is almost as if the Maryland Transportation Authority, administrator of the toll road, is saying "we're charging you an arm and a leg, but are going to put up ugly signs, just because we can."
*I'm excluding the odd shields on the old school variable rotating signs on the N.J. Turnpike spurs though.
Best foliage of the season -- I-95? - William World News
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Best foliage of the season -- I-95?
CECIL COUNTY, Md. -- Drought has made this autumn a disappointing one for foliage in Northern Virginia and even on the roads to Penn State. I was a bit surprised to see the best colors of the season along I-95 between Baltimore and Delaware. Granted, it has been a long time since I traveled this stretch during this part of fall, but I never remembered it being so good. I'm sure in sunlight it was bordering on spectacular.
The throwback - The Sun Recently, a reporter watched a recent Ravens game with all-time great, Art Donovan. The Bronx born former Colt is one of my favorites of old NFL Films. Unfortunately, he was been hospitalized recently:
"Broke my femur on a cruise with my wife, in Italy," he said. "I'd walked back to my cabin after dinner with half a plate of spaghetti when I leaned in to open the door. Turns out it was already open so I fell flat on my face like something from the Keystone Kops.
"They drove me to an American hospital in Rome, 3 1/2 hours away. Road must've had 15,000 potholes. I almost bounced out of the ambulance.
"At the hospital, when they lifted me into the bed they put my head halfway through the wall and knocked me out. So I said, 'Don't touch me. If I'm going to die, it'll be in the United States, not in the Middle East somewhere.' "
A week later, Donovan was flown home to Baltimore for surgery. He said he would have kissed the ground if he could have.
"I swear to God, I was so happy as we neared the airport that I didn't care if we crashed, as long as it was on American soil."
Pearlstein on Nats gala in P.G.: So what? - William World News
Pearlstein on Nats gala in P.G.: So what?
STEVEN PEARLSTEIN - A Broader View of Home-Field Advantage - The Post Using the recent controversy over the Nationals holding their Dream Gala at National Harbor in Maryland, Pearlstein argues that borders really don't matter much anymore:
Let's start with a simple but profound reality: There is no longer any such thing as the District's economy, or the Prince George's economy, or the Fairfax economy. There is only a regional economy, with a regional housing market, a regional labor market and regional retail markets. Our economic lives no longer respect the political boundaries set down 300 years ago.
Furthermore, he notes a larger regional cooperation is on the way:
As it happens, District Mayor Adrian Fenty, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, with the prodding of several business leaders, are quietly working on their own regional economic development strategy. Although still taking shape, the idea behind the Chesapeake Crescent is that the area from Baltimore to Richmond is fast becoming a single regional economy, and that collaboration in areas such as the environment, transportation, technology transfer and worker training could catalyze that process.
Very interesting. I'll bet Hampton Roads wants in too.
Back on the subject of the Nationals and the District, a Post editorial suggests that everybody Play Nice and work together as partners. Why this seemingly hasn't occurred to either the District or the Nationals is beyond me.
You know it is a tough night when 51 saves are not enough - William World News
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
You know it is a tough night when 51 saves are not enough
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- We hadn't seen the Penn State hockey club, generally known as the Icers, in about five years, so when we found out they were going to be nearby, we made sure to see them. Last weekend, they played a Friday and Saturday series with Navy, winning both games. We caught the Saturday night match-up at McMullen Arena. [flickr set: Icers: Penn State at Navy]
Penn State got off to a strong start, scoring the first goal early. Surprisingly, Navy responded soon after, but the tie didn't last long. Penn State netted another goal and went into the break up 2-1. Most telling was the Icers 17 shots to the Middies six.
The second period would be more of the same as the faster Icers dominated with speed and precision passing. In the third period, the Icers scored their final two goals while shorthanded. In total they had 57 shots on the night, while Navy had a respectable 30.
The Icers are ranked #3 in ACHA Division I. By the way, in May I spoke with someone close to the program and asked about getting a new hockey arena built which would be necessary for the Icers to move up to varsity, Big11Ten/NCAA competition. He or she said there is a lead gift for construction, but the university is holding off on big new construction projects for a while. Someday...
ANNAPOLIS, Md.-- Saturday's visit was probably the my fifthteenth to Maryland's capital city. I have been to Annapolis more than any other state capital. The only other state capitals I've actually spent time in are Harrisburg (Pennsylvania), Boston (Massachusetts), and Denver (Colorado). I've driven around or through Albany (New York), Providence (Rhode Island), Trenton (New Jersey), Richmond (Virginia), Raleigh (North Carolina) and Columbus (Ohio). I've never set foot in Richmond despite living in the commonwealth for 93% of my life. I guess I should correct that someday, but I've never felt compelled to there.
I've been to Richmond 3 or 4 times. I can't say anything would really motivate you to make the trip south. The Richmond Braves, perhaps? Though I suspect that would be more enticing if they were a Nationals affiliate.
# posted by TMBC :
Monday, November 05, 2007 8:32:00 PM
Annapolis acts like its been there before - William World News
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Annapolis acts like its been there before
ANNAPOLIS, Md.-- Prior to the Icers game against Navy, we stopped in downtown Annapolis for a quick bite to eat. An traffic jam on the Beltway limited the amount of time we could budget for dinner, so we stopped at Chick & Ruth's Delly on Main Street. Our arrival coincided with the end of regulation of the Navy vs. Notre Dame football game.
Navy went into South Bend having not beaten the Fighting Irish since 1963, coming agonizingly close several times. It seems like every time I would turn on the Navy vs. Notre Dame game, Navy would have a shot in the last few seconds. This time was no different. Navy scored a touchdown and extra point in the first overtime with Notre Dame responding accordingly. Several tables away, a midshipman announced he would do push-ups if Navy could pull it out. The second overtime saw the two gold helmeted teams trade field goals. In the third overtime, Navy threw for a touchdown on the first play and converted two points on another pass. On Notre Dame's 3rd OT possession, a fourth down pass was batted away, seemingly bringing victory to Navy, but a pass interference penalty (I suggested the ref hates America) nullified it and gave Notre Dame another shot. They ran it on fourth down and Navy stuffed them, ending the streak. There were a few hoots, some clapping, but overall the reaction was nothing more than what you would see after a regular season baseball win. The streets of Annapolis had no buzz either. I can't decide if I was disappointed or admired the restraint.
Although Chick & Ruth's wasn't what we had in mind when we planned our trip to Annapolis, we found it to be a pleasant enough diner, although I know someone who would take issue with the spelling of the proprietors' name. Clearly, there is a lot of history at Chick & Ruth's, but we were admittedly distracted from it by the game. Erica enjoyed her crabcake sandwich. Since we were in a hurry, I ordered a burger which was fine. Perhaps sometime when we spend a whole day in Annapolis (which we have been meaning to do for a long time) we'll have a more leisurely lunch there.
The No. 2 ranked Penn State Icers continue their road trip and ESCHL schedule this weekend with two games against the United States Naval Academy. The teams square off on Friday and Saturday nights at the McMullen Ice Arena in Annapolis, Md., with both games starting at 7:00 p.m.
This morning I heard filmmaker John Heyn on 98 Rock talking about Heavy Metal Parking Lot. It seems a lot of the fans in the doc came from greater Baltimore which is shocking.
Heavy Metal Parking Lot story on WTOP - William World News
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Heavy Metal Parking Lot story on WTOP
Driving home and flipping through stations, I heard the unmistakable vocie of the one and only...
ZEBRAMAN!
Sadly, I didn't hear the whole WTOP report. There isn't anything on wtop.com yet either. Anybody know why Heavy Metal Parking Lot was being referenced?
Anyway, while we wait for clarification, take time to read the interview I conducted with the creators of the movie and parking lot cinema, Jeff Krulik and John Heyn.
While I'm at it, I'll also plug Krulik's latest project:
Jimi Hendrix! Canned Heat! Moby Grape! John Lee Hooker in Adams Morgan! Crystal Mesh, Mosaic Virus and Natty Bumppo! The Ambassador Theater Lives! Washington, DC's Psychedelic Concert Hall 40th Anniversary Celebration Saturday, November 3, 2007 3PM DC Historical Studies Conference FREE. No Admission Charge Info and registration at www.historydc.org
This year's water taxi update - William World News
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
This year's water taxi update
COURTLAND MILLOY - On the River, Water Taxi Operator Sees an Open Road - The Post It seems like once a year, there is an article about water taxis/ferries running up and down the Potomac. This time around Milloy profiles Willem Polak, Potomac Riverboat Co. president. For 40 years Polak "has dreamed of operating a full-scale fleet" of water taxis. With so much development on the rivers in and around D.C., that dream may becoming closer to reality. I hope so, that'd be a great way to get around, in particular for trips to the new ballpark.
# posted by DCSportsChick :
Thursday, August 23, 2007 12:30:00 PM
I still can't believe that score. But I'd bet you Peter Angelos still finds a way to blame this on the Nats.
# posted by Fritz :
Thursday, August 23, 2007 4:14:00 PM
Post a CommentMaryland's "Mixing Bowl gap" - William World News
Friday, July 27, 2007
Maryland's "Mixing Bowl gap"
Traffic to go up and away - The Sun Now that the Springfield Interchange is completed in Virginia, Maryland is playing catch-up when it comes to complicated interchanges between I-95 and a beltway. North of the city, the I-95 (John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway)/I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) interchange is being rebuilt with "skyramps" to carry High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. Total cost: $450 million to $500 million.
The existing interchange is essentially a directional T (Kurumi) that has been doubled up. Fun fact -- all the thru lanes at this interchange cross over the opposite lanes, so the oncoming traffic is briefly on the right side.
I'm skeptical of HOT lanes in general and since these are only 10 miles long, I have to wonder if they will just complicate matters even more. Those two HOT lanes will be have to merge with four lanes of through traffic (around milepost 72) which then go down to three lanes around milepost 77.
I'll be passing through there this weekend so I'll note if there is anything interesting at that interchange.
The home page is less cluttered and has slightly more white space
Like many redesigned newspaper sites, there is a tabbed eyepiece/carousel/widget. However, there is a lot trapped white space when tabs don't have photographs, a typical situation in the early morning.
Blogs are given more prominence with a box that begins near the scroll
Columnists are not as prominently featured on the home page, but more so on the section fronts.
Video has been added to the home page and section fronts, but is below the scroll.
It is a seven column grid.
I like the three promo spots near the scroll.
I don't like the new typeface for the baltimoresun.com logo.
Overall, it is an improvement over their previous design.
The Kwik-E-Mart is real... D'oh! - William World News
Monday, July 16, 2007
The Kwik-E-Mart is real... D'oh!
BLADENSBURG, Md. -- ON Saturday, I made my maiden voyage to the town of Bladensburg, Md. to shop at "Kwik-E-Mart" (Flickr stream). Fritz (nee MC Hamme) came along with me. In anticiption of the The Simpsons Movie in a few weeks, Fox and 7-Eleven join forces to re-branded 11 locations nationwide to look like Springfield's leading convenience store.
I bought a six pack of Buzz cola, 2 boxes of Krusty O's (one is a wedding present for my brother, I wasn't going to stiff him), a blue (vanilla) Squishee and a pink donut. The total came to over $15. I don't think anything was marked up.
The parking lot and store were full of losers people with cameras. They are probably making a fortune from this promotion.
Prior to Saturday, I had probably consumed no more than two Slurpees ever and the last one would have been during Reagan's presidency -- probably his first term. After having about half of my blue Squishee, I remembered why.
Sprinkles are overrated on donuts.
I haven't tried a Buzz cola yet -- I may do it today. I'll let you know how it tastes.
There wasn't any Duff for sale or Col. Kwik-E-Mart's Real Kentucky Bourbon proving Marc Fisher is right about Maryland being a nanny state.
I missed Jasper in the freezer.
I have no idea why Bladensburg was chosen as the D.C. area location instead of someplace in the District, NoVa, or Montgomery County. At least we got one though, unlike other deserving metropolises like Boston and Philadelphia. I guess this makes up for not getting Moonites in the District.
The specific location is 4199 Kenilworth Avenue (the right side of MD 201 NORTH) not far north of Annapolis Road (MD 450)
Even a corporation owned by someone as repugnant as Rupert Murdoch can do something right occasionally.
There were five guys with custom Honda's parked side by side who asked Fritz to take their photograph. I don't get the whole customizing car thing, but it seemed to make them happy.
Note: Most of the photos in the Flickr stream are actually in focus.
Hate Angelo$ Week: Don't go there - William World News
Monday, June 11, 2007
Hate Angelo$ Week: Don't go there
Tomorrow is the renewal of the Battle of the Beltway(s) series between our beloved Washington Nationals and the hated Orioles. In case of you may be thinking of making the 90 minute drive up there, I thought I would remind you that Peter Angelo$ is a vindictive coward who has hurt the Washington Nationals and by extension the District of Columbia over the last several years.
Angelo$ was the only owner to vote against the Expos relocating to Washington.
Remember how most of us couldn't watch the Nationals regularly for two seasons? That was Angelo$ doing. Angelo$ and MLB made a corrupt bargain to put the Nats TV rights in the hands of someone who had an interest in limiting the ability of a "competitor" to succeed. Thomas Boswell accused Angelo$ of trying to "kill the baby in the crib." This cost the Nationals from getting full media exposure during the crucial first year which could have sold more tickets and contributed to the D.C. treasury.
He is duplicitous and hypocritical -- remember when he said "there are no baseball fans in Washington D.C. that's a fiction." If that is true Petey, why you "need" the TV rights. Also, take a look at his past rhetoric for use of the term "monopolists." Isn't it something how he forgets that he sought to retain his monopoly of baseball in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The production values of Malevolent Angelo$ Sports Network -- players being named incorrectly, poor A/V fidelity, and treating the Nats like the visiting team on their own network. Malevolent Angelo$ Sports Network screwed up a Penn State telecast last season too.
He has recklessly thrown money away (see Belle, Albert; Ponson, Sidney), but now finds it more convenient to blame Washington for his inability to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. This is the basis for his subsidy argument when in truth 15 years of bad franchise management got his team where it is now, not having another team 35 miles (and 90 minutes away on game nights) to the south.
It has been said Angelo$ wanted to by mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland. Clearly the people of that city and state knew better and are not falling for his "look, it stuck it Washington, so you should love me" actions. Washingtonians shouldn't have to suffer because Baltimore had to the good sense not to empower him from the ballot box.
In short, Angelo$ has wielded his disproportionate power to keep the Nats from fully realizing the potential of their market for petty, personal reasons and to keep himself from having to work hard. The Nats can not realize their full revenue potential because they have to subsidize Angelo$' mediocrity. Do you really want to reward that kind of bad behavior?
Go west, young man - The Sun Like Horace Greeley’s famed advice, curious sign on I-70 beckons yonder Near the beginning on I-70 westbound near Baltimore there is a big green sign that has the distance to four far off cities along the route: Columbus, St. Louis, Denver and Cove Fort. The first three are major cities 420, 845, and 1700 miles away, respectively. The last is located at the terminus of I-70 west in Utah. Cove Fort, a Mormon historical site, has received visitors because of the sign.
I wish more transportation departments would do this sort of thing. It is a relatively inexpensive way to make the drive more interesting. In Ocean City MDOT has one on westbound US 50 for Sacramento (3073 miles); the opposite is true in California. Maryland also has the "Eastern Continental Divide" sign on I-68. Further north in Pennsylvania there is a "Highest Point on I-80 East of the Mississippi" sign.
If it were up to me, all transcontinental routes would have the distance to their end point posted. I'd also have their halfway points posted.
By the way, there isn't a distance to Baltimore sign on I-70 east near Cove Fort.
Check out the great photo of Chesapeake Bay Bridge from a recent Sunarticle. The only thing better would be a shot of the "identical twin" spans of the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
Warming Imperils Md. Species - The Post Scientists Fear Loss Of Baltimore Oriole, Native Brook Trout I'm suprised Peter Angelo$ isn't blaming this on the Nats too.
"The city of Baltimore just got a black eye" - William World News
Sunday, January 14, 2007
"The city of Baltimore just got a black eye"
That's the text message MC Hamme sent me last night. Since Erica and I were hosting Grandma, my brother and his fiancee last night, I did not get to watch the Baltimore vs. Indy showdown. I'm glad I didn't since there were no touchdowns scored and the Ravens blew it. D'oh!
Readers of WWN might be surprised to learn that I have a lot of respect for the football culture in the next town up I-95 from here. In fact, I respect the football fans up there so much that I will even call their city Baltimore instead of Balmer like I do when I speak of Peter Angelo$ and his franchise.
I am old enough to remember when the Colts still played in Baltimore. Their owner, an evil, cowardly, alcoholic named Robert Irsay moved the team out in the middle of the night on March 29, 1984. His reason -- spite. He was upset about the way his tenure as owner was viewed by the press and mad that fans were growing weary of his incompetence. To this day Irsay is hated in Baltimore, as is his son Jim, the current owner. The younger Irsay may say that he harbors good feelings for the place, but apparently not enough to have sold or even given back the Colts name when Baltimore got a team again. That would have gone a long way to adding a little dignity to the Irsay name, but he missed a golden opportunity to right a wrong; not too mention sell a whole lot of merchandise by creating a new team name, colors, etc. Duh. It's a sin to see those beautiful uniforms representing such an irrelevant place as Indianapolis.
Harboring resentments is not a good thing for any of us, because it turns on you. No matter what the situation is in life. "If I forgive you, that frees me. Resentment is bondage. Whatever those feelings are, the cast of characters that existed when my dad was there" and all the things that went on a quarter-century ago, it's a long time ago.
Is it just me or does he sound like a recovering addict with that sort of talk? Or right, he was a pillpopper (Indy Star)! Thank goodness he's learned to forgive people!
I think the Colts leaving Baltimore may be the worst move in professional sports history. In Baltimore, a tough historical city with a distinctive culture (ever see Diner?), the Colts were passionately loved. In Indianapolis, a bland square plopped into the middle of one of the least interesting states in the union, the Colts have never been embraced the way they were in Baltimore. The fans their had trouble filling the place up until Peyton Manning showed up. It was not even a lateral move.
Now, I know people will argue that the Browns moving to Baltimore was one of the worst moves, which is true, but it was not as bad as the Colts. At least in the Browns case, Art Modell left the legacy and colors behind and the NFL acted swiftly to correct the problem. I also believe that the Dodgers move to Los Angeles is not as bad. Brooklyn's heart was broken, but that was just as much a fault of New York politicians (especially Robert Moses) as it was Walter O'Malley.
Anyhow, I've rambled a lot already and I need to get to the main point. I want to see Indy destroyed by the Ravens this weekend. I want to see a shutout. I want to see Irsay effigies. I want some serious histrionics from the Ravens, something like "we had to beat them to stick up for the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland. This was personal. As long as we have anything to say about it, Indy will never win a title. Give up the horseshoe that your drunk father STOLE, druggie!" after the game.
More coverage from The Sun: Ravens & The Indy Star: ColtsIrsays
So you would openly support an organization that has two KNOWN FELONS playing in its ranks?
Regardless of what the Irsays and Modells did with their respective franchises, I would contend that both teams are worthless, IMHO. Cleveland South has been schizophrenic for the past few years, and I'm not convinced that they're ready to return to the big dance anytime soon. Relying on a QB on the downslide is not a long term solution, and the one waiting in the wings isn't that much better. The offense is only successful with a short field. There's also a growing undercurrent from some of the wiser fans (there are a few) that believe anyone with the last name of Lewis is a cancer and should be removed as soon as possible.
Baltimore West has invested too much in one Peyton Manning, and we see how well he's done under pressure. He couldn't even beat Steve Spurrier in his 4 years on Knoxville. And they used to rely on such persons as one Mike "Idiot Kicker" Vanderjagt, only to replace him with Adam Vinateri.
# posted by Muha :
Thursday, January 11, 2007 9:10:00 PM
In the spirit of full disclosure I'll point out Muha's team went 8-8 this season and missed the playoffs.
The important point here is that Indianapolis is completely unworthy of having a team as historically important as the Colts. Can you imagine the Jacksonville Steelers or Orlando Packers? Irsay's move was that bad.
# posted by WFY :
Saturday, January 13, 2007 7:55:00 AM
But you have to realize that what the Modell family did to Cleveland is more or less what the Irsays did to Baltimore. In my mind, those two wrongs do not make it right. Why Tagliabue didn't just give Baltimore the expansion franchise rather than using the existing Browns as leverage is beyond me.
I would put out there that if the Rooney family were to do such a thing to the City of Pittsburgh, the family would not exist, because they would be lynched for even thinking of such a thing. Much like the Browns, the Steelers are a part of their respective cities. Sure, Art Modell left the records and such behind, but what good is that when they sat dormant for three years?
This once again proves the incompetence of any sort of public or private official operating out of the City of Baltimore. What makes the Irsay impasse of 1984 any different than the Modell move of 1996? They couldn't deal with an arrogant owner then, only to be an accomplice with another one years later. This city does business with PETER ANGELO$, and we all know how well THAT team has been recently. I'm surprised he hasn't threatened to move his team yet. Seems like the MO, given the track record.
So, while Baltimore West won, I just have to ask this question:
So I see that the Colts won, but why is the City of Baltimore sad?
Go Saints. They have seen a resurgence this season after such a terrible year last year. They have proven they do not need to suffer the same fate as the Colts and the Browns.
# posted by Muha :
Sunday, January 14, 2007 9:09:00 AM
Modell left the colors, history, legacy, etc. That's the difference. Had Irsay stepped up and returned the colors, etc. I think everybody would be a lot happier. Oh well. How many days until the Blue White Game?
Brooklyn! My ole stomping grounds. Next time you're going there let me know. There are some great restaurants in my old neighborhood. I miss 'em so!
# posted by Sweet :
Wednesday, January 10, 2007 4:19:00 PM
I'll keep that in mind Sweet. Our trip to Brooklyn was quite short -- we took the subway into the borough, got off and waked across the bridge. Next time, we'll actually hang around for a little while.
# posted by WFY :
Wednesday, January 10, 2007 6:45:00 PM
Counter Point: I am better than you.
Alexandria, VA Altoona, PA Annapolis, MD Arlington, VA Avalon, NJ Baltimore, MD Barneget, NJ Bedford, PA Bethesda, MD Boulder, CO Chantilly, VA Denver, CO Durham , NC Elkridge, MD Estes Park, CO Fairfax City, VA Falls Church, VA Ft. Collins, CO Galveston, TX Great Falls, VA Hagerstown, PA Herndon, VA Houston, TX Katy, TX Keswick, VA Leesburg, VA Lewes, DE Longmont, CO McLean, VA Merrifield, VA Mount Vernon, VA Newark, DE North Beach Haven, NJ Orange, VA Palmyra, VA Paris, VA Petersburg, VA Philadelphia, PA Reston, VA Richmond, VA (The City that Fun Forgot) Sky Meadows, VA Spray Beach, NJ Springfield, VA Steamboat Springs, CO Stone Harbor, NJ The Plains, VA Vienna, VA Virginia Beach, VA Washington, DC Wenonah, NJ Winter Park, CO
My brother notes that the Wikipedia entry for Art Donovan lists November 16, 2006 as the date of his death. I have not been able to verify this from any other sources.
The Bronx born Donovan was a Hall of Fame DT for the Baltimore Colts. In retirement he became an excellent contributor to NFL Films and a regular on Letterman during the 1980s and 1990s. I also remember he used to do commercials on Baltimore stations. I used to own his biography Fatso but lent it out to someone who never returned it.
Donovan always said that one day he would go out and sit under a tree at his country club and eat kosher hot dogs and drink Schlitz until he exploded. Thursday's weather was not really good for doing that which gives me hope that the Wikipedia entry is an error.
Upgrades coming to Md. I-95 service areas - William World News
Friday, October 06, 2006
Upgrades coming to Md. I-95 service areas
Travel plazas not up to speed, Maryland says - The Sun Though the Maryland House and Chesapeake House are rated in the top 5 of service areas nationwide, the Maryland Transportation Authority plans on upgrading them. The Maryland House, the first service area on I-95 north, is the nicest service plaza I have been too, but it is too crowded in its current configuration. I tend to use the Chesapeake House if I had to stop along that stretch. Upgrades to either is certainly welcome, but the upgrades I really want to see are flyer-over ramps from the right lane instead of the current left exits.
Initially, the initiative was pulled back due to inadequacies in the initial request for the proposal, however the proposal is currently back in the contracting process. DDOT is currently working with the Anacostia Waterfront Administration, as well as the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) with the intent to get the service running by Summer 2006.
The e-mail also included contact information for a DDOT employee involved with the project. I sent an e-mail to that person, but never heard back from him. Now, it is June 6 and nothing else has come out in the media, so don't get you hopes up for taking a ferry ride into DC every morning anytime soon. If you have heard more, do let us know in the comments.
Q&A: <i>Heavy Metal Parking Lot</i> 20th Anniversary - William World News
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Q&A: Heavy Metal Parking Lot 20th Anniversary
Today is the anniversary of the 1986 Judas Priest Capital Centre concert that was immortalized in the documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot. John Heyn and Jeff Krulik's 16 minute video of Judas Priest fans tailgating perfectly captured the heavy metal zeitgeist of the mid 80s. The documentary made the rounds at local film festivals before bootlegs made it a cult classic.
Heyn and Krulick's idea of filming teenagers tailgating before a rock concert became the PARKING LOT ODYSSEY, taking them to Harry Potter book signings, a Neil Diamond concert and even a short-lived cable series. But it all started with a two guys from PG County with some video equipment in Capital Centre parking lot. Recently, I interviewed Krulik, now a freelance/independent tv/video producer, about Heavy Metal Parking Lot. Heyn also contributed to a few answers and provided the images in this article.
Q: What was the inspiration for Heavy Metal Parking Lot? Were you guys Judas Priest fans?
A: No. Not in the least. We were into punk rock and the like. But we were never dismissive of the music, and luckily we blindly plicked the Judas Priest concert. Their music really holds up. It's classic and timeless.
Q: What parking lot were you guys in? Was it Stars and Stripes, Liberty Bell, etc.?
A: John and I have absolutely no recollection of the parking lot we started in. That's pretty cool you remember the names of those lots. They all had patriotic themes. I remember it was particularly sad to see all that was left of the Cap Centre after demolition were many of those giant poles with the parking lot names on them.
Q: How many times was Heavy Metal Parking Lot shown in public?
A: If I remember correctly, John arranged a screening at DC Space in the Fall of '86. Later that Spring I showed it at the Vinyl Event Record Convention in Silver Spring at my booth (I was a part-time record dealer) and then there were a few more showings, culminating in our opening slot at the AFI Theater at Kennedy Center in 1988 before the Chuck Berry documentary 'Hail Hail Rock and Roll.'
Q: How long did it take to put the original documentary together?
A: I think we spent about two hours, 2 1/2 hours on site at the Capital Centre. That was it. Stumbling around the parking lot. Then John took the footage and months later really came back with the goods. He's the genius architect behind it. My contribution was the equipment and the title.
Q: To the best of your knowledge, when did bootlegging really get going? Was there a point when you realized, "Hey, we were onto something?"
A: You bet. It was 1994. We had stopped showing it around these parts in 1990, again at the AFI Theater as part of our own self-curated program called the 'Don't Quit Your Day Job Film and Video Festival.' It was a gas. But we realized we couldn't force our friends to watch it anymore, and that was it. Finito. But then out of the blue John got a call from Sophia Coppola and he'll tell you what that was like...
John Heyn adds: Yeah, Sofia Coppola called me in '94 to inquire about using clips from HMPL in her TV pilot for Comedy Central called High Octane. She was a fledgling producer at the time (most knew her from her role in dad's Godfather III) She had tracked me down in Silver Spring thru the phone directory (there wasn't any internet back then).
She said she was a big fan of HMPL. She had rented it at a cult-video store in L.A. called Mondo Video. Mondo Video had been renting it and promoting it (as a bootleg) for some time; through them it was reaching an audience of L.A. scensters such as Belinda Carlisle (the Go-Gos) and Hollywood actor/director Paul Mazursky. This admonition was the first inkling that we had a west coast word-of-mouth following, including film & music cognoscenti. Through the seven degrees of separation, Sofia Coppola turned her cousin Nicholas Cage and filmmaker-husband Spike Jonze onto it. We've susequently sent them "official" copies.
Recently Sofia wrote me to request the newly-released DVD. I sent her a copy in Paris, where she's directing her latest film. She's remained a (fanatical?) fan all these years.
Not Sofia Coppola
Q: Did the success of Heavy Metal Parking Lot influence your career decisions?
A: It just re-inforced my decision that I love verite man on the street true life self-referential filmmaking. Sadly, it was almost 15 years too early for reality television, not to mention it was before the era of videos being submitted to 'film festivals.' It was doomed to cult obscurity early on.
Q: Initially, what stuck out about the Judas Priest fans? Have your views of them changed over time?
A: I loved those guys then. And I love them even more now. Those people feel like family to me. I'm most grateful that they never showed any aggression or hostility to us when we shoved our camera and microphone in their faces.
Zebraman
Q: Was there one fan or part of the evening that stuck out more than all the others?
A: I remember absolutely nothing from the day we taped. All my memories are from the video. Everyone loves the one they call Zebraman.
Q: Your Web site notes that Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford loves Heavy Metal Parking Lot? What kind of feedback have you gotten from Judas Priest fans over the years?
A: Truthfully, most hardcore Judas Priest fans and/or devoted metal fans never even heard of the video. Maybe that's different now, but for the longest time it was held close to the bosom of alternative rockers.
Q: When did Heavy Metal Parking Lot first appear in a film festival? How many has it been exhibited in?
A: I arranged a screening at the New York Underground Film Festival in 1997. Since then, I've lost count. But they're mostly regional fests and alternative microcinema type spaces.
Q: What was your favorite description of Heavy Metal Parking Lot?
A: Alona Wartofsky once wrote in a generally positive review in the Washington City Paper that 'the filmmakers don't reveal themselves to be much brighter than the subjects on screen' and I've always loved that line.
Q: Heavy Metal Parking Lotis now available on DVD (from Filmbaby). Had it been available for sale previously, or had it always been available only through bootlegs?
A: We had it on vhs for at least five years. Before that, it was the domain of the bootleggers and tape traders. Finally, John Heyn and the brilliant Todd Rohal (http://www.ghandshake.com) created the magnum opus DVD that we're currently self distributing.
Q: Twelve years after Heavy Metal Parking Lot, you returned to the Capital Centre/US Airways Arena/whatever for one last time to film Neil Diamond Parking Lot? Was the magic back? Do you feel you captured the zeitgeist like you did with Judas Priest?
A: We were happily surprised to see that the metal fans and Neil Diamond fans shared some sort of common gene: passionate devotion. They were a lot closer than the 180degree arc that I thought first existed.
Q: You even did a Harry Potter Parking Lot and a "parking lot" series on TRIO. Did any of them give you the same satisfaction as Heavy Metal Parking Lot?
A: I'D say the whole PARKING LOT ODYSSEY has been gratifying. Each excursion has its own thang going. I remember when I went to shoot Harry Potter Parking Lot I was thinking 'ugh' here we go again as I lugged my camera out of my car, but then an hour later the results seem to satisfy. The TRIO tv series would have been more satisfying if it was on a network that people could get.
Q: Please tell us about any of your other films.
A: I'm getting THE LEGEND OF MERV CONN ready for the Maryland Film Festival. There's a short trailer on my website. It's part of THE MARYLAND TRILOGY which also ran at the New York Underground Film Festival. I hope to screen that at the AFI if they'll have me back. There's really a pile of short documentaries I've cranked out over the years, most available on my website http://www.planetkrulik.com, although I got lazy after 2003, and there seems to be some recent web meltdowns so forgive if some of this stuff doesn't play at the moment. I've only been able to accomplish this output by the affordability and accessibilty of video. But it still requires a great deal of sweat equity.
Q: The first line of your obituary may contain, "...who created the cult film Heavy Metal Parking Lot." Do you think that this will be your lasting legacy? How do you feel about that?
A: I've always joked that my tombstone will say 'He Made a Lot of Films, But He Was Only Known for Heavy Metal Parking Lot.' This is a bittersweet thing. I guess you could call it our 20-year albatross, but hey, it's better to be known for something than nothing at all.
Q: Okay, probably the most asked question you get -- will you ever produce "Return to Heavy Metal Parking Lot." They are back together you know...
A: WE'd love to produce 'Return to Heavy Metal Parking Lot. We've pitched this thing over and over and over. We got close at VH1 but then they went all Celebreality and that's that. Can't say I blame them.
Q: Thank you for you time, any parting words?
A: I'VE said too much already. I'm a blabbermouth. I love the sound of my voice. I love the clickety clack of my typing.
John Heyn and Jeff Krulik
The story of Heavy Metal Parking Lot ends here...for now. We can only hope that Heavy Metal Parking: 20th Anniversary Reunion finds the backing it deserves. While we wait for that to happen, check out these sites below:
Will Baltimorons finally get over Jeffrey Maier? - William World News
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Will Baltimorons finally get over Jeffrey Maier?
Student exorcises O's demon in film - The Sun Remember Jeffrey Maier, the kid who caught a fly ball in game 1 of the '96 ALCS? Baltimore does. So do Yankees fans, but they remember him only as a footnote. Fans in Balmer blame him for costing the O's the pennant, which of course is nonsense. If I recall correctly, the Orioles came back and won the following game, before getting beaten by the superior team from the Bronx.
A Baltimore area native at the same college as folk hero Maier has made a short film about him called "I Hate Jeffrey Maier." Being a good sport, Maier agreed to appear in the film as himself. The filmmaker is hoping it will provide closure for Baltimore fans. The film may even be shown at Baltimore's Senator Theatre. I just wonder if the screenings will be filled with Yankees fans.
Pilgrims in an unholy land or seeing a friend's band in Balmer - William World News
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Pilgrims in an unholy land or seeing a friend's band in Balmer
BALTIMORE, Md. -- Last Saturday night, Erica, Fritz and I ventured up to Locust Point, Baltimore to see our friend Sean, the husband of my old neighbor (and former babysitter) Allison play with his band, Maggie's Leap at J. Patrick's. A great time was had by all.
I went in thinking J. Patrick's was going to be a a little rough, given the part of town it is located in. Despite having to cross nine railroad tracks to get there from I-95, Locust Point is well on the way to gentrification, so it lacked the surly longshoremen I had been led to believe spent their evenings there. The entire block featured well-maintained brownstones which we probably could not afford at this point. The bar itself was the kind of neighborhood bar that few neighborhoods have anymore. Sure, there was also plastic hanging from the ceiling, but that did not bother me or the others. It gave the place character. Also, as Sean was happy to point out, there are no TVs there. "Why go to a pub to watch TV." Hard to argue with that logic. There are no windows either.
Anyhow, Maggie's Leap took the stage around nine and would play on well past midnight. The first set was mostly traditional Irish songs that I was not terribly familiar with -- they were not rowdy drinking songs. In the second set the picked up with some more familiar audience participate songs like Whiskey in the Jar. Overall exhaustion prevented us from staying as long as we would have liked, but we had a great time.
Food wise, the wings were quite tasty and quickly devoured. A pitcher of Smithwicks did not last long either. Their Irish coffee with several kinds of liquor, including but limited to: Jameson, Kahlua, Triple Sec, was also enjoyed by the person who got it. The regular coffee was apparently quite good as well.
I don't know when Maggie's Leap is playing there again, but we are planning on making a return trip. I will let you all know about it right here.
After almost ten years in business, Bethesda sports bar Uncle Jed's Roadhouse has closed, falling short of a goal they had on their menus and Web site:
Uncle Jed's plans on becoming Bethesda's oldest neighborhood bar so please visit us regularly and plan on attending our 50th Anniversary Party on Saturday, May 5, 2046.
Last season, Fritz hosted viewing parties there for our Penn State alumni chapter there, so we got to know it pretty well. They had excellent wings and reasonable prices, along with good service. It was not as packed as other viewing sites, so we could really focus on the game. Perhaps that was the problem for them.
Cities we have visited and ones we would like to - William World News
Monday, January 09, 2006
Cities we have visited and ones we would like to
Erica and I have been to a few cities and college towns over the last five years (D.C. -- obviously, Baltimore, Philly, New York, Boston, Montréal, State College, Pittsburgh, Ithaca, Annapolis, New Haven, Charlottesville, Virginia Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale) and intend to visit more.
Key: Red - we visited together; purple - separately; blue - William; green - Erica
We decided to come up with a list (with three levels) of places we want to visit. Level 1 are cities we absolutely *have* to visit, while Level 2 is cities we really want to visit. Level 3 is more along the lines of cities we would be interested in seeing, but only if a good opportunity (like really cheap airfare) arises. Don't be offended if we did not include your town, this is just a preliminary list of cities to visit. National Parks and non-urban places are another list. Also, just assume that every Big11Ten town is on there for a PSU road trip too.
Tier 1 San FranciscoE London
Tier 2 Chicago Toronto
Tier 3 Denver/BoulderW Seattle Charleston, S.C. Savannah Niagara Falls/Buffalo San Diego
Superscript text indicates one of us has been there previously.
# posted by Anonymous :
Monday, January 09, 2006 9:36:00 PM
Madison is at the top of the Big11Ten towns to visit. September, maybe.
# posted by WFY :
Tuesday, January 10, 2006 7:48:00 AM
I'll second the call for Madison. And the early fall is a great time to see it.
# posted by dl004d :
Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:20:00 AM
What about South Bend? And I'm not strictly talking about a visit for a PSU-ND game (the cost could be prohibitive), but just in general? Also, I've heard Austin is a must-see. I would move San Diego up the list a bit.
# posted by Sam B :
Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:51:00 AM
South Bend??? I guess you might want to put Gary on the list too then.
ESPN's been replaying 1980s "Greatest Games:" last night featured the two most famous/infamous AFC Championships between Kosar and Elway of the three. For some reason Marty kept smiling.
# posted by Webster Slaughter :
Tuesday, January 10, 2006 11:58:00 AMPost a Comment
Q & A with Steve Anderson of dcroads.net - William World News
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Q & A with Steve Anderson of dcroads.net
Long Island native Steve Anderson has been running a site about New York area highways for almost nine years. His thorough research has set the standard among "road geek" sites and made him a media go-to guy when it comes to highways.
In the early part of the century, Anderson expanded extended his reach to Philadelphia and Boston. Now, he is heading south down I-95 with dcroads.net, completing his coverage of highways in the northeastern megalopolis.
dcroads.net is still under construction, but is scheduled to formally debut on New Year's Day 2006.
Q: What initially motivated you to get started on NYC roads?
A: In September 1996, I began my first web page on Geocities, which you could call an early blog-type site. At this time, I came across David Steinberg's Interstate highway site (at ihoz.com). I wrote an entry in his guestbook, confessing that I was a bit of a "road geek" (arguably the first documented use of that word). When I saw Scott Oglesby's site (kurumi.com) on three-digit Interstate highways and Connecticut roads, the writing was on the wall: I had to follow up with my own site.
Although I do not work in the field, I've always considered myself an expert in the area of highways, bridges, and tunnels. My interest began at a young age, and I must say I was privileged to have grown up on Long Island, where many of the works of master planner Robert Moses -- notably the state parks and the parkways leading to them -- were built. When I was ten years old, about a year and a half before he died, I received an 8"x10" autographed photo from Moses. When he finally passed away in 1981 at the age of 92, I saved every newspaper clipping from the New York Times and Newsday.
I launched my New York-area web site on a free site on June 1, 1997. As both traffic and content grew phenomenally -- at one point, I had my content on several different free web sitse -- I moved the site to its own unified domain -- nycroads.com -- in March 1999. Philadelphia (phillyroads.com) was launched in 2000, and Boston (bostonroads.com) followed in 2001.
Q: You are now adding a D.C. area highways site; given the number of sites already dedicated to D.C. area roads, what will make your site notable?
A: What I want to achieve with dcroads.net is providing a seamless research site for highways, bridges, and tunnels from Boston to Washington. I think the emphasis on history -- particularly individual histories of unbuilt roads and bridges -- has been the strong suit of nycroads.com, phillyroads.com, and bostonroads.com, and I think this will be the case for dcroads.net. Like other metropolitan areas in the Northeast, the DC area has plenty of highways (both built and unbuilt) that have picqued my interest.
Q. How long has dcroads.net been in the works?
A: Active research on dcroads.net began in July 2004. Because of personal obligations, I have not been able to come out with the site sooner. Even at launch time, I will have only a few pages completed, but many more will come during 2006.
Q. What kind of sources do you use for your highway profiles?
A: I use primarily a mix of historical planning reports and old newspaper clippings. Occasionally, engineers and planners who have worked on projects, as well as the journalists who covered them, will submit information and photos to me.
Q. How much time have you spent driving around the D.C. region?
A: I have been driving around the Washington-Baltimore-Annapolis area since 1988. Two of my brothers have lived in the DC area over the years, so I have done lots of driving. Needless to say, there have been quite a few changes since I started driving in the area.
Q: You are including Baltimore as part of dcroads.net. Will you include other parts of Maryland like the Eastern Shore, or parts of Virginia like Richmond and Hampton Roads?
A: I may cover a couple of highways on the Eastern Shore like the Ocean City Expressway (MD 90), but there isn't much to cover there.
However, I do not plan to venture further south of Northern Virginia at the present time as I admit my knowledge base in the southern part of the state is not as strong as in the DC area. But never say never...
Q. Is there a "master builder" of Washington area infrastructure comparable with New York's Robert Moses?
A: In the cities I cover, there is no single "master planner" who comes close to Robert Moses. I think the closest larger-than-life figure would be William Callahan, who oversaw the early development of Boston's expressway system, but even his power was limited compared to that of Moses.
Q. Did Moses play any role in D.C. highways?
A: Not in DC, but in Baltimore Moses played a significant role in the early development of that city's expressway system. In 1944, Moses spearheaded plans for the highway network in Baltimore.
Q. On you current sites you sometimes make suggestions for improving highways or bridges. Will you be recommending a solution for the I-66 inside-the-Beltway?
A: I think it could be done, but the HOV restrictions would need to be maintained. This siutation is similar to I-476 in Pennsylvania which is now completely congested. Both roads were on the planning maps for a long-time and ultimately built to half their initial capacity. Transportation officials up there are trying to widen it too.
Keep in mind that the interstates were designed to handle traffic loads 20-25 years in the future. It has been twenty-five years and I-66 has met it's design limits.
I would be open to HO/T if studies showed construction would support it. With an HO/T situation it could finance the construction since in theory you would have a dedicated funding source.
I'll have to study this more in depth, but I'd like to see a tolled or HO/T (tolled for single occupancy, no toll for HOV) I-66 tunnel underneath DC from its current end east to US 50/New York Avenue. However, as much as I would like to see an extended I-66 through DC into Maryland, I think the opportunity for building urban highways may have passed, especially with the added complication of building underneath Metro lines in addition to utility and sewer lines.
Q. Another hot button issue is the Whitehurst Freeway in Georgetown. What suggestions do you have for that road?
A: I think it should be kept as is. Tearing down the Whitehurst Freeway would make conditions along an already congested M Street even worse. I've even seen a recommendation that M Street be widened. You would destroy retail down that stretch during and after construction.
Q. In the 1970s, D.C. traded in most of their highway funds for mass-transit. What is your take on that decision?
A: I agree with that decision. Some of the planned freeways were not needed in my opinion, and the trade-in has reaped some wonderful dividends for the DC metro area, both in terms of transporting people and promoting economic development. Because of its city's density, Metro has been one of the few mass transit success stories.
Q. Would you like to see some of the highways which were cancelled looked at again?
A: In addition to an extended I-66 that I mentioned earlier, I would like to see I-395 extended north from its current terminus to meet the current I-95/I-495 interchange near College Park. Much of that highway could be built along the existing PEPCO right-of-way, thereby minimizing disruption.
Q. How does the condition of D.C. area highways compare with other eastern cities?
I think they probably about as congested as they are anywhere else in the Northeast. However, I think the highways in Maryland and Virginia are better maintained than those further north, if only because of the milder winters in the area.
Q. What is your favorite D.C. area road?
A: The Capital Beltway (I-495/I-95). It's the one I'm most familiar with.
Q. Least favorite?
A: The northerly (DC 295) stretch of the Anacostia Freeway. It's about as unsightly as the Cross Bronx Expressway (I-95).
Q. Does new highway capacity induce demand?
A: That point can be argued; however, I have found that demand often is induced even without the presence of highways, particularly here in the Northeast where land is scarce.
Q. What are your thoughts on toll roads being leased?
A: I think this phenomenon likely will expand. It's a common occurence overseas, and here in North America, a Spanish company (Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte) operates the Chicago Skyway and Highway 407 (in the northern suburbs of Toronto).
Q. How about High Occupancy Toll lanes?
A: The toll aspect of HO/T lanes could expedite construction of a needed project that could take a decade or more to build, so I'm open to the concept.
Q. Are the sites simply a personal project or have
Catoe stepping down after three years at the helm - 
Metro, WMATA,Mass Transit, John Catoe, Dan Tangherlini
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