From: Erin White
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: The Friends’ Sidewalk Benefit: Big Sale for a Big Legal Fight
Friends of McMillan Park
PRESS RELEASE
FOR RELEASE: Monday, June 22, 2015
The Friends’ Sidewalk Benefit:
Big Sale for a Big Legal Fight
The Friends of McMillan Park (FOMP) Sidewalk Benefit Sale to be held on the patio of The Dupont Italian Kitchen this coming Saturday the 27th of June from 10am until 7pm, is shaping-up to be a tremendous event with over 300 items for sale from 40 donors.
A wide array of everyday items such as appliances, coffee table books, furniture, and dinnerware will be for sale. FOMP is also very excited to offer more desirable items and services such as: an antique Turkish Kelim rug, wrought iron decorated gates suspected of having been designed by Samuel Yellin, antique Chinese artifacts, a 19th Century mahogony and gilt cornucopia mirror, the services of a local artist who will paint a portrait of your beloved dog or human in acrylic, an Albert Einstein impersonator to entertain your party or another event, a professional-run tour of the city for 8 people, a licensed wedding practitioner who will conduct your wedding ceremony, and a professional facial massage at one of DC’s finest hotels.
“This legal battle we are trying to fund is not just against a poorly conceived development plan for an historic place that deserves preservation,” says Debby Hanrahan, an FOMP supporter and a Ward 2 resident, “but also a battle against a lack of transparency and the overall disregard for the voices of 7,600 DC residents who’ve made themselves clear on wanting something better for the future of this 25-acre green space. In fact, The D.C. Open Government Coalition filed an amicus curiae brief on April 27, asking the D.C. Court of Appeals to release records previously FOIA-ed by FOMP member Kirby Vining related to the pending development of McMillan Park, but was denied release. Apparently, transparency on how this McMillan deal was formed was and is not a priority for the District.”
All proceeds from the Sidewalk Benefit Sale will go towards FOMP’s legal fight with the District and its chosen developer for the Historic McMillan Sand Filtration Site, Vision McMillan Partners. The subdivision of the site for the proposed development plan is presently under review by the Mayor’s Agent for Historic Preservation. Separately, the Council will debate the Budget Support Act on June 30th and we have pressed the Council to include language restricting the use of the Mayor’s requested funds to demolish the site until after the courts have ruled on whether or not this plan is legal. Regardless of the outcome, FOMP will push forward with litigation against the City in a number of separate cases. Those who cannot attend the Sidewalk Benefit but would like to contribute to the legal fight are invited to donate to FOMP at https://www.crowdrise.com/savemcmillanpark.
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