DC: Mayor B-Day Bash/Protest/Street Repairs

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DC: Mayor B-Day Bash/Protest/Street Repairs

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Washington, DC – Hundreds attended Mayor Adrian Fenty's birthday party/2010 re-election fundraiser at the historic Owl's Nest, home of real estate developer Chris Donatelli on Saturday. Many arrived in cars sporting Maryland and Virginia license plates. While outside a comparable number of protesters arrived via walking from the public transit Metro station blocks away. A flurry of snow greeted all.

Attendees partied in a large tent on the front lawn. Protesters gathered across the street on a freshly re-built sidewalk.

Protesters included many from: Empower DC, Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO, Jobs with Justice and other groups. They wanted Mayor Fenty to stop supporting monied developers and other private interests who destroy DC families and communities with their short-term profit taking.

In addition several people walked up to inquire about the traffic jam backed up to Connecticut Avenue. When informed of the circumstances, they joined in protesting the Mayor.

The 2 blocks of road and sidewalk on Chesapeake Street from Connecticut Avenue to Chris Donatelli's front entrance is being resurfaced and replaced by the city. Chris Donatelli is known for real estate development and now for supporting Adrian Fenty's 2010 re-election. Signs posted earlier in the week indicated the work closest to the fund raiser would be finished within an 1 ½ hours of the Mayor's birthday party start. Like most publicly financed construction in DC, it was not completed on time.

This post-Thanksgiving road work was not well publicized. Several cars received tickets for being in the path of the construction zone that popped up. With Ward 3 Councilmember Mary “Boss” Cheh living just 3 blocks away, many wondered why there was no advanced notice for this city project which will give Donatelli a smooth ride from his house to Connecticut Avenue.