NOV-A-13

SEVERAL MEETINGS OF CONSEQUENCE:

MY DERWOOD VISIT WITH DALE KRAMER TO ADD SOME CHANGE ORDERS IN THE RAPID PACE OF CONSTRUCTION ALL THE WAY TO LANDSCAPING;

THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ICC—

WHICH TWO PROPOSALS MIGHT MAKE

MY NEAR NEIGHBOR!—

AND THE ROBERT F. KENNEDY HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD CEREMONY IN THE RUSSELL US SENATE OFFICE BUILDING; ALL BEFORE TAKEOFF TO THE ONE WAY AIR TRAVEL TO IOWA WITH THE RETURN BY AUDI

November 20, 2003

There had been an explosion of activity in the Derwood woods! After I had cleaned up the woods (filling a dumpster to the brim with the windfalls) they had to replace it with a new oversize dumpster. The Tuesday I went to Derwood was overcast at the time I was scheduled to meet with Dale Kramer to go over some in course progress reports. It was almost a squeeze to find a place to park! There were at least a dozen men swarming over the house and yard, and eight trucks in the drive with two in the street. One of those had off-loaded the backhoe which was busily leveling off the landscaping around the north and east sides of the house and the additions, and even as the expert masons were finishing the pillars under the Great Room, the backhoe was filling in the dirt around theme and progressing through seeding and straw-covering the back “lawn.”

I keep using the large number of downed trees on the other side of “Butterfly Creek” on the underused part of my property that is the site of the garden with the “deer-proof fence” as a marker as to whether Ernie Shifflett and his crew have come around. I had asked them to grind the stump near the breakfast room which was holding up the replacement of the stairs and sidewalk back there, and then to tidy up the remaining part of the woods that they did not even know was part of my lot after they had scoured the woods on the driveway and house sides of the creek. Since I saw no evidence of any activity over there, I was surprised to come around the walk way and to find that it had been all torn up, and even the brick walkway had been picked up and moved. So had one of the wood piles and the compost heap and the boat trailer and the cat house. It wasn’t until later that I realized that the stump had been ground away and the whole area had been landscaped with the backhoe and scraper and already was seeded and looking like it was now ready for the stairs and sidewalk to be restored when that comes around. So, this must have been a major orchestration to get all the “just-in-time” pieces of this puzzle in place.

There were three electricians inside stringing the last of the upstairs electrical cables, and al the recessed lighting fixtures are in place—they look like stainless steel cooking pots upside down. The masons had fully rebricked the hall way new window in place and had replaced the chiseled out Kitchen bay window and seated it in the limestone that was originally blasted out from what was to become the foundation of the house. The carpenters were “flashing” the roof line where the roofers had half finished and left---which was annoying Glenn, who is back on the job and giving two groups a lot of calls. One of these is the plumbing contractor who is short-handed and is now over several weeks late. All the appliances are sitting inside the house and being held up by their installation. The roofers should have gone straight through to finish, but the group had left, so the extra shingles are still left in place. The last of the window contractors activity filled in two basement windows and the masons bricked up two more. So both the masons and the window folk are completed but the plumbers have held up the electricians. As I stood there the big truck drove up to deliver the siding, and dry wall is supposed to arrive later this week. So, all the way through landscaping, the parkside façade of the house is being rapidly completed—hold that thought. It is the parkside façade that may be the concern of the next part of this series of meetings to be discussed a few paragraphs later!

MEETING WITH DALE KRAMER AT DERWOOD

AND ADDITION OF SOME “CHANGE ORDERS” AND MODIFICATIONS

I talked over with Dale Kramer a couple of modifications to the plan. One is that the doorway to the storage room now completed is framed up and ready to be bricked in. This would mean that the large double doors that they had installed in the outer wall of the newly constructed addition would be the only access to this room, and it would be non-climate controlled, it is not radon vented, and it would be somewhat a damp outside “mud room.” I am not looking to store shovels and tools out there but the large collection of file cases and papers—and perhaps even the abundant boxed photo albums which have proliferated again to over fourteen for this year alone. So, I will have that framed in door made into a single door communicating with the finished and furnished downstairs “Exercise Room,” or “grandkids Room” if you use Dale’s name or my name for this room.

The bathrooms have all got new plumbing being installed and there must be, according to code, vented to the roof—anew regulation that means we have to install it, and there is no decision to be made there since it is required at a few thousand dollars. The former suggestion of a flooring in the kitchen will now be contiguous with the Breakfast Room all in Mexican Tile, so that will add a couple thousand there. And the “back splash tiling around the kitchen for the hand painted Portuguese style tiling will be another $1500 to add. The next big decision point is the wall that is an archway over the entry dividing the living room and a foyer at the front door. This has really created a

waste space, and it could be taken out since it is not weight bearing. There are two air ducts and some electrical cables in it, but the electricians are already preparing as though it will not be there, and that is not a major project except that the hardwood floors need to be “re-toothed” under the wall if removed. Unfortunately, that hardwood floor is running at right angles, so it is not just a few boards that need to be replaced, but the whole foyer area needs to have new hardwood flooring put in and that which is there ripped out and fitted into what the rest of the hose looks like. This will be upwards of $3000. And, now, on to the bigger ticket time of add-on in the change order: The library will have stained red oak book shelves built in. There will be two window seats beneath each window, and the electricians had installed indirect recessed lighting that will need to be redone, so the new additions in the library come to an additional $10, 000. So, about the equivalent of the same checks I had just given Glenn on Friday in double dose will be due to make these changes

These changes and the probable reawakening of the stock market and the eventual rise in the interest rates had me talking with Bill Morgan and Keith Carr and discussing with them the advisability of getting a mortgage and locking in an interest rate at a low point—about 6% with about four thousand dollars in costs that include the fee, title search and insurance, and a MD mortgage tax of $2,070 at the front end. I will meet with Keith Carr on Tuesday and had sent an email and call to the Wendy Steinberg that Bill Morgan had recommended for a mortgage at the limit of what they suggest, and the monthly bills can be set up to be paid out of the Legg Mason account whether I am at home—“enjoying” the new home—or, as it seems more likely, that the whole string of foreign trips will begin again in earnest this next month after Christmas, with Cumberland followed by Mindanao, Taiwan, Haiti, Tahoe, Amazon and then the series of Himalayan excursions.. Some part of that may be resolved after discussions in this coming weekend’s trip toward which I am heading as I board this Northwest Flight to Iowa.

AND, NOW, THE TALES OF THE ROAD—

A MAJOR HIGHWAY—THE ICC—

AND, HOW FAR IT WILL EXTEND AND WHEN—AND WHETHER IT WILL BE MY NEARSEST NEIGHBOR!

I had tried to make it to the public hearing of the State Highway Commissions to hear about the ICC—the proposed InterCounty Connector—that has been proposed for decades, and at all times previously blocked or run so high in costs that it was tabled. Now a democratic Montgomery Council and a Republican Governor have declared it to be the single highest priority project. For 3 billion dollars, it will make the roads around here not one bit less congested, but will take the “increases in non-local traffic off the local roads.” For that, they have proposed a four lane dug down and in 60-mph highway through the middle of the woods, just on the other side of the creek behind my house. What this means, is that I may have just invested a fortune in the floor to ceiling windows to let me walk out into the woods and enjoy the sweeping panoramic view of----a highway!

I tried to get to the hearing on Saturday of last week, but got so far into the cleanup of the woods and all its windfall branches that I field up the dumpster instead. The next (and last) one of these hearings was held in Gaithersburg, and I went through a downpour last night to attend. I talked to several of the engineers, economists, and two of the biologists, and learned that there are two options A and B for the roadway to go directly behind me through the stream bed, which would put it six hundred feet behind me—well within sight and sound and I would be looking straight down into it. A third option C would have it loop around the woods and go through right of ways on the other side of Redland Road Presbyterian Church—the logical choice if I were to go to a neighborhood church—and it is less likely. It has the advantage of lessened forest and parkland impact (one of the laws requires this) but option C would have to uproot about fifteen homes, and I can hear that hue and cry already. The biologists were sympathetic to my “stakeholder status” and asked if they can come again and walk through my woods and look at the speices that would be threatened and endangered. They usually park in the Presbyterian Church parking lot, and walk in. I told them that they are welcome to come in to my home and use that as a base for the biologic survey and GIS of the impact zone along the streams and wet lands, and that I had just made a rather extraordinary investment in preserving the woods and cleaning it up after Hurricane Isabel as well as a major home improvement to defend and protect against the bulldozing and high rise developing of the land use under my control.

I also spoke with the protestors who also had a table set up to gather names of those who seek to petition to support the “no build” option under the enormous investment of $3 billion dollars for no benefit and a lot of as yet unknown harm. We will see what comes of this proposed roadway, but I do not think that it is any immediate threat, since the county is a bunch of eco-activists. They are tired of the gridlock in the local streets, but that is not going to be relieved by a major through corridor that they cannot access in any event.

ROBERT F KENNEDY MEMORIAL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD CEREMONY IN THE US SENATE OFFICE BUILDING

This morning I went by Metro to the Senate and attended the RFK Memorial Award ceremony. I sat next to Harry Belafonte—who I had met when he was at the George Award Ceremony in New York when I was the recipient. He did not remember me, of course, but I told him he must make a living in attending these award affairs. I listened to the three awardees who were Mexican and Guatemalan farm workers who were kept in slavery in Florida and in other vegetable and fruit pickings, and escaped. They had heard their colleagues sold for $340--$500 apiece. When they escaped, they had gathered evidence and a few of the conspirators who had held them captive are doing hard time of up to fifteen years in federal prisons for human rights violations. This is the first time in twenty years that the group is assembled on Bobby Kennedy’s birthday (he would have been 78 today) that they have given the award to immigrants to the US for a US violation of human rights—quite typically decried in other countries like South Africa, Myramar (Burma), Viet Nam, and the Middle East.

Since last year’s awardee, Loune Viaud, is the Haitian head of the Cange Hospital with which I work, I came to hear her speech from being the awardee last year. Ted Kennedy, who is much older now and walks slowly with a limp, read a speech with a careful quaver when he remembered his brother again. He was introduced as the brother of the late Senator, and the Uncle-in-law of the new governor of California. He responded that of all the introduction she had had, that was the most recent.

Each awardee gave a speech in Spanish which was translated into English and which was a rallying cry for a boycott of Taco Bell. Then the “Keynote” was given by an actor Oulmes, who was the teacher in “Stand and Deliver.” His was a pure theatric event, breaking into tears when appropriate, and waving the term racism around and in great demagoguery, challenging anyone in the audience to name an author or statesman or any other notable they had studied in school who was born in the United States and was of African, Asian, or indigenous descent. He was threatening, and no one responded—although I could list at least a half dozen. He finally allowed as how Martin Luther King would get his five minutes, but the point was that we were a racist society since we only talked abut European ancestry. And he wanted us to honor our Great, great, great…… (Repeat thirty times for effect) grandmother who was African! Well, talk to me as an anthropologist, and this is hardly startling news, but it seemed to be a revelation to those mesmerized by the demagogic delivery. It was a firebreathing performance, after which the emcee, Al Hunt, said “Now, that’s a keynote!” That’s political rhetoric from an actor, and we have the fine tradition of Ronald Reagan, Jessie Ventura, and now the nephew-in-law of the senior citizen of Massachusetts in the finest of these traditions.

I said hello to Loune after the event and bumped into Kennedy and told him that I had been his congressional delegate to Southeast Asia a quarter century earlier with Dale De Haan, whom he remembered warmly. I scurried back to get the details of the office concluded, proofed the cover of my new 2003 year-end letter, and am now in the air on my way through Memphis to Des Moines to begin two ten-hour days of driving back to Maryland. This will deliver the Audi A-4 and will introduce Virginia to Derwood, which she last saw when it looked like a somewhat tired and outdated, but still home-sweet-home, before it was gutted and redone. We will also have a chance to make it for several important meetings when we are here, the conclusion of several unbraided threads before the Thanksgiving season starts up and hunting season and the Christmas holidays begin.

THE ELDP COURSE APPLICATION PROCESS

I worked diligently during the rains storms to get several projects completed I knew I would probably not be able to focus on nor complete in time if I postponed them. One, you will see soon enough—and that depends on when I can put in an all-nighter or two on a copying machine that does not break down. Second is the completion of each of the writing projects that were due for the ELDP course I had taken in “Advanced readings.” The last of these sessions was held on this past weekend and I drove down through the northern approach around Frederick and across the Potomac at Point of Rocks into Loudon County Horse Country.

I had to produce a final Integration Paper by December 15, which is the date I will be coming back from Berkshire Medical Center where I am giving their Grand Rounds and also the International Night lecture—this time on Zanskar and the Kashmir Himalaya from the Lingshed Trek. I only now learned that of the group of us in that seminar, only a dozen of us would be accepted for “Cohort Fifteen” which is the next group of the anointed to enter the program for a doctorate in Education on the subject of leadership. It turns out that although I thought I had been complete—my application is-- I need to be in a group interview for three hours on December 16, then a decision will be reached by them—and by me—whether I want to go the distance in this program. I learned from one of the participants that there is a kind of “Boot Camp” for a month in June with the large syllabus and readings for a retreat for an intensive start up to the probable six year program. I will see on the December 16 date whether I will be doing this, but meanwhile, I did complete the course work for the introductory readings program. I like the discussion and writing more than the readings.

THE PORTENDING HUNTS

It is beautiful, and a the number of deer I saw at every turn was impressive. When I had talked with Dale Kramer and showed him the pictures of Drew’s buck, he said “Well, let me take you out to the truck.” There he had a very pretty eight point buck, which he had shot with an arrow only an hour before. It is on its way to make a shoulder mount. I had given Dale permission to come to bowhunt here on Thanksgiving morning and to bring along Tim, the Production Manager, whom I have never met, but inevitably will. I outlined the limits of my property, which surprise Dale, since he did not know about the extension across the creek, where a regular flow pattern of deer continues to go, which he thought was out of my purview and authority to grant him permission. We will probably all hunt together, possibly for geese at some time soon, or go off muzzleloading at some time. Then, of course, there is Cumberland coming up where we will be rendezvousing and Schaefers and Griffioens and others will be coming in to join us.

One other “hunting souvenir” has just arrived. After I had made multiple calls to Knight’s Taxidermy in Anchorage Alaska to remind them that the bearskin rug was late from its delivery over sixteen months ago, they shipped it by my cost on Fed Ex. There was no bear skull inside, nor were the plaques of the identification all of which was pre-paid. I called again, and got no response. When I called yet again, I got a series of explanations and promises that I would be called again with more explanations. I suggested that this was not the product I was looking for but that I did have in mind getting the service I had prepaid for and which now was coming up short, late, and with lots of surcharges after the payment in full over a year and a half ago. Finally the owner called and said he would send the skull as soon as possible, but still he wanted to charge me for the plaques at $150—I declined, and said I would be awaiting the skull that had been ordered in the prior order prepaid

This is about the third example in a couple of weeks about prepaying for a service for which the incentive is absent for any customer satisfaction after that point in merchants who can blow that one off with nothing more to gain. I have sent letters, faxes and calls to each –a mark of a more intolerant age, perhaps—announcing clearly that I would not take this service, and that I expected them to honor their commitments and correct their own mistakes. Perhaps this is because I am concerned about much bigger plans coming unglued and am taking it out on smaller ones that I can still fix. So far, I highly recommend the quality and integrity of the workmanship of DG Liu, which, though expensive, has been very high quality throughout. I have already recommended them to a couple of the neighbors, and Debbie Lubers next door says that my activities up the hill from them have really set them off into a spending spree that can never match up with what I have had done up there. I laughed and told them that I will have an open house for the neighbors when it is finished, and at that point will accept food stamps, will work for food, or swap goods in kind.

Now, I will be coming up on a major experience in the long drive back from Iowa, and I sincerely hope that it may bring resolution to some worries that may make some major modifications in plans!

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