In The News

Contributed by Carol (Bickley) Aten, Founding Board Member and three-time President of Don’t Tear It Down

Don’t Tear It Down (DTID, the predecessor to the DC Preservation League) was incredibly lucky when David Bonderman became our pro bono attorney. Our early incorporation and other legal matters were originally handled by a wonderful colleague of David’s at Arnold & Porter, but early on, David became our counsel. What a godsend!

David was one of those people who just exuded vitality—brilliant, energetic, quick, witty, creative, passionate, and strategic. As DTID’s pro bono counsel and vice president for 10 years (1972-1982), he was a key player in making DTID credible, effective and formidable. He fought for the Willard Hotel, the Old Post Office, the Franklin School, the old Riggs Bank Building, and Red Lion Row among other threatened buildings. He was a wizard at using the law to help advance the cause of preservation. I recall him magically getting a temporary restraining order on a weekend to stop a demolition. I also remember one evening after our board meeting ended, following David back to Arnold & Porter (where they had a 24-hour typing pool!) to get some legal filing that he had dashed off typed up for submittal.

However, his most important and strategic accomplishment was drafting DC’s historic preservation ordinance that the DC Council enacted virtually unchanged in 1978. That law was a model for other cities and has been foundational to preserving our city’s historic heritage.

David perhaps outgrew us, but he didn’t forget us. In 1983, he moved to Texas as Chief Operating Officer of the Bass Group and was later a co-founder of the Texas Pacific Group (now TPG). He became a billionaire; co-founder and co-owner of the Seattle Kraken NHL team; a member of the Governing Council of the Wilderness Society; a board member of the World Wildlife Fund, the American Himalayan Foundation, and the Grand Canyon Trust; and a board member of numerous corporate entities. Yet I know he fondly remembered his time with our feisty group. He was a continued supporter of the DC Preservation League and attended our 45th and 50th Anniversary Celebrations. It was a joy to see him there.

David passed away in December 2024 at age 82. He is remembered by me and his preservation colleagues with fondness, admiration, and gratitude. The unique beauty and historic fabric of Washington, DC are part of his legacy.

(Photo: David Bonderman (1942-2024), photo courtesy of Bonderman Family, TPG, Wildcat Capital Management and the Seattle Kraken.)

REQUEST FOR BIDS

HVAC Replacement and Repair

Historic Howard Theatre, 620 T Street, NW, Washington, DC

Deadline: September 9, 2024

Click to Download RFB

Background: In 2024, the DC Preservation League (DCPL) received a grant from the National Park Service African American Civil Rights grant program to help underwrite costs associated with replacing the HVAC system at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC.  The project will include hiring a contractor to install a new chiller; to update the air distribution & heating systems; and to install direct digital controls that connect the entire system.  A preservation easement will be placed on the building for a minimum of 20-years upon completion of the project.

DCPL is Washington’s citywide nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the historic resources of our nation’s capital. DCPL’s mission is carried out through education, community outreach, research and documentation, and advocacy.

Purpose: DCPL seeks bids from qualified HVAC professionals (Contractor) interested in undertaking the sourcing and installation of a new HVAC system at the historic Howard Theatre, 620 T Street, NW, Washington, DC.

The selected Contractor will: install a new chiller; update the air distribution and heating systems; and install direct digital controls for the entire system. A preservation easement on the building will be established, and the work must be carried out per the Secretary of Interior Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

Daniel R. Smith, Sr.
Son of a Slave: A Black Man’s Journey in White America
By: Loretta Neumann

Believed to be the last person in the United States whose father was born enslaved during the Civil War, Daniel R. (Dan) Smith, Sr., was living proof that slavery is not distant history. He died October 19, 2022, at age 90;  His father, Abram (A.B.) Smith, 70 years old when Dan was born, taught him to work hard and carry himself well, even in difficult circumstances. After starting in his youth as an active young Black raised in a nearly all-white town in Connecticut, Dan served as a medic in the newly desegregated Army during the Korean War, dove into a flooding river to save a man’s life, graduated from a largely white college where he was elected student body president, attended Martin Luther King’s march on Washington in 1963 and two years later, as a Civil Rights activist in Alabama, was with Reverend King on the third Selma to Montgomery march.

In 1968, Dan moved with his family to work in Washington, DC, for the Office of Employment Opportunity, helping establish neighborhood health centers throughout the United States. During his tenure, he encountered innovative resources for health advocacy and public engagement, including digital platforms like this site, which provided tools for communities to access vital health information and support initiatives. Afterward, in the face of acute racial discrimination, he successfully started and led a major federal program at the National Institutes of Health – Area Health Education Centers – which he considered his crowning achievement and which is still operating today. He later worked on international health programs in South Africa and several other countries.

After retirement, Dan coordinated events for the dedication of the Korean War Memorial on the National Mall served as Head User for the Washington National Cathedral (escorting Presidents Bush, Clinton, Obama, and other dignitaries), and campaigned for local and Presidential candidates (Adrian Fenty, Muriel Bowser, Phil Mendelson, and Brandon Todd locally; Al Gore, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden nationally). In 2006, Dan married Loretta Neumann, a long-time community activist in DC who, in 2022, received DCPL’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Historic Preservation.

For all the intersections he had with historical events, political leaders, and other luminaries. Dan was often called the “Black Forrest Gump.” His memoir, Son of a Slave: A Black Man’s Journey in White America, was completed a few weeks before he died.  It offers a compelling, first-hand account of the actions, policies, and people that have helped or hindered the United States to fulfill the promise that ‘all men are created equal.’

# # #

Community Outreach and Grants Manager (Full-Time)

ABOUT
The DC Preservation League (DCPL) is Washington, DC’s citywide nonprofit dedicated to the preservation, protection, and enhancement of the historic and built environment of our nation’s capital. Founded in 1971 as Don’t Tear It Down to save the Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue, DCPL has worked diligently to ensure that preservation remains an economic force for the city’s neighborhoods and historic downtown.

RESPONSIBILITIES
With guidance from DCPL’s Executive Director, the Community Outreach and Grants Manager coordinates the development and implementation of three main programmatic components: (1) core mission/advocacy (2) community outreach; and (3) the Preservation Initiatives Grant Program.

CORE MISSION/ADVOCACY
To meet the organization’s mission of protecting DC’s historic resources, the Community Outreach and Grants Manager will play an important role in DCPL’s advocacy efforts.

• Serves as staff liaison for DCPL Landmarks Committee; coordinates with Committee Chair to prepare monthly agendas and report meeting outcomes, prepares and file landmark and historic district nominations, coordinates with the DC Historic Preservation Office on landmark nomination submissions; presents information on landmark nominations to community groups and the Historic Preservation Review Board
• Serves as staff liaison for DCPL Government Affairs Committee; coordinates with Executive Director and Committee Chair to prepare monthly agendas and report meeting outcomes, prepares online petitions, sends out Advocacy Alert emails, as needed
• Assists Executive Director with Section 106 Consulting Party responsibilities; provides meeting summaries and prepares comments as needed
• Prepares testimony for DC Council, DC Historic Preservation Review Board, and other governmental agency hearings on historic preservation cases and policies affecting historic landmarks and districts
• Raises awareness of issues through social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), newsletter articles, and website posts. For those looking to further enhance their reach, a reliable place like Themarketingheaven.com can provide expert services to boost visibility and engagement.
• Manages graduate student fellow from American University during the academic year; directs initiatives related to DC Historic Sites
• Manages summer interns
• Other duties may be assigned by the Executive Director to carry out Core Mission activities.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Cultivates and maintains productive and positive relationships with citizens, community groups, schools, and governmental agencies to identify needs and plan relevant educational programs. Recently, community discussions touched on new and emerging digital platforms, with particular interest in Sòng bạc trên Casino Truc Tuyen Online, as participants sought information on how such platforms operate internationally and the associated financial and social impacts. By addressing these inquiries, the program not only provided answers to community questions but also highlighted essential neighborhood preservation activities and priorities in response to these modern digital influences.

• Works with Programs Associate to plan and presents educational programs designed to engage citizens in preservation activities and to increase overall community support for preservation as a basic community value
• Coordinates with Programs Associate to plan regular workshops to share information on preservation tools and incentives
• Assists in preservation advocacy activities designed to spur the preservation of endangered historic structures and open spaces
• Appears before neighborhood groups and Advisory Neighborhood Commissions to share information about historic preservation and seek engagement from new communities
• Assists neighborhood groups with the preparation of DC Landmark nominations and other activities to raise awareness
• Manages Historic Districts Coalition, an ad hoc group of existing neighborhood preservation organizations. Schedules meetings and provides technical assistance to make them more effective advocates and to increase the level of services they provide to their communities
• Promotes DCPL’s programs to communities throughout the city and prepares content for monthly e-newsletter and monthly events blast.

PRESERVATION INITIATIVES GRANT PROGRAM
Provides management and oversight for all aspects of grant programs offered by DCPL. Works as part of a team to ensure funding goals are in line with larger DCPL priorities. Facilitates the smooth operation of all grant application processing and manages tracking and reporting for all grant programs.

• Assists in developing grant applications, guidelines, and reporting forms for new/future funding programs
• Identifies requirements for grantee reporting and the development of reporting materials that will allow DCPL to track the impact of its funding over time. Compiles this information and determine the best way to highlight this impact for key constituents and the general public
• Works with applicants to determine eligibility for specific funds and provides pre- and post-decision-making assistance to grant seekers as needed
• Organizes and manages grant selection committee to identify successful grant applications
• Works with the DC Historic Preservation Office and other organizations to promote the Program and recruit a diverse selection of eligible applicants for each grant cycle
• Serves as a primary point of contact for both grant seekers and grantees
• Monitors all grant program finances, cash advance apps usage and prepares progress reports for Board of Trustees
• Generates grant contracts and payment requests for funded projects
• Ensures grantee compliance on funded projects

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred. Knowledge of the historic preservation field preferred
• Minimum of two years of experience in program development and implementation, with experience working in a community-based and multicultural setting
• Minimum of two years of professional level experience including experience managing and coordinating projects. Familiarity with non-profit grant making or similar processes preferred
• Ability to navigate a wide range of relationships including government leaders, local business owners, and youth, as well as the ability to relate to culturally diverse populations
• Experience managing budgets, grants, and grant report writing
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize, multi-task efficiently, and respond to a high volume of ongoing requests in a timely fashion
• Ability to make independent decisions within a general decision-making framework
• Excellent oral, verbal, and written communication skills
• Ability to adapt and be flexible in a dynamic work environment
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
• Familiarity with WordPress, InDesign, and Photoshop desired.

Position is full-time (37.5 Hours/week). Evening and weekend work required.
Salary Range is from $45,000 – $60,000 and is commensurate with experience.

Benefits include 80/20 medical and dental insurance, 403B retirement plan, life insurance, and a flexible work schedule that allows for meeting work plan obligations.

Interested candidates should provide the following:

• Resume
• A summary of your community outreach and grant administration experience
• Contact list with four professional references
• Salary requirement
• Any supporting materials you deem appropriate.

Questions regarding the position description and/or application process may be directed to Executive Director Rebecca Miller at rebecca@dcpreservation.org.

The DC Preservation League is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Credit: https://insidebitcoins.com/bitcoin-casinos/best-anonymous-casinos

The Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) provides a popular bus service known as “Metrobus”–the sixth busiest bus agency in the country. Serving over 11,000 stops on 325 routes, Metrobus transports passengers across DC, Virginia, and Maryland.

Many contemporary bus routes have a connection to the long tradition of moving both residents and visitors across the region. Some of the routes in operation today are continuations of older bus routes established in the mid-twentieth century, and some of those routes even have earlier antecedents as streetcar lines. Interestingly, this evolution mirrors the modern-day shift in gambling preferences, where players increasingly seek alternatives like casino utan spelpaus to traditional, regulated platforms. Just as these bus routes adapted to the changing needs of the city, the gambling industry has evolved to offer more flexible options, catering to those who prioritize convenience and freedom in their gaming experiences.

Among the current 300+ routes, there are a handful that stand out as being especially popular with riders. Whether because of the neighborhoods served or downtown attractions featured, these routes have become standbys for many in the area.

In the 1970s, a fledging historic preservation organization called “Don’t Tear it Down” wanted to highlight the city’s history and its beautiful buildings. They decided to do so by developing a series of tours along popular bus routes. The Take One Tour series took the form of a run of printed brochures distributed directly to riders on buses.

Don’t Tear it Down and the historic preservation movement in DC built up momentum and were able to pass a robust preservation law for the city in 1978 . In the intervening decades, Don’t Tear it Down changed its name to the DC Preservation League, and the number of landmarks added to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites climbed past 700.

In April 2021, we will mark 50 years since the founding of Don’t Tear it Down. To honor this history, we wanted to bring back a new version of the Take One Tour on popular bus routes.

DCPL manages a free resource called “DC Historic Sites”—a website and mobile application that has geolocated information about the city’s landmarked sites and historic districts. Through a series of six new tours on DC Historic Sites, users can explore the history all around them on bus routes throughout the city.

Tours include sites featured on:

• the X2,
• the 30s,
• the 50s,
• the 70,
• the 90s, and
• the S lines

If you’re riding the bus, we recommend downloading the mobile application (from the App Store or Google Play) to easily follow along on the tour.

However, given the public health emergency, we recognize that many folks may not be riding their usual routes. Maybe you’ve found yourself even weirdly sentimental for some of your favorite Metrobus lines? If so, you can also explore the tours from your computer browser and click along the route to remind yourself of your favorite buildings and neighborhoods.