Evening star., 1934-03-08
CITIZENS DEBATE
SCHOOL LEASING
Friendship Association n
Moves to Protect Inter.
estS of st. AIMS Parish.

A successful membership drive and
a controversy over proposed legislation
designed to enable st. AIMS parish to
buy the old Tenleytown School build
ing which II now leases for parochial
school purposes, brought out record
attendance Of nearly 200 last night at
the meeting of the Friendship Citizens
Association.
After a spirited discussion, the as
sociation rejected by an overwhelming
vote a motion opposing the sale of
the school building to any person or
group and approved the appointment
OF committee ITO protest the inter-
ests Of st. AIMS parish" in the pro-
posed sale of the building Both
questions, which many contended were
inconsistent with each other had been
adopted at previous meeting. with
a result that friends of the parochial
school turned cut enmasse last night
to settle the controversy definitely one
way or the other.
131 New Members Added.
J. H. Mitchell, chairman of the
membership drive. reported 1877 new
members and Representative Virginia
Jenckes of the House District Com
mittee, who had appeared in b half
of the bill she intends to introduce to
authorize sale of the Tenleytown
School building. paid a tribute to the
citizens movement in Washington.
After the matter of ST AIMS School
facilities were disposed Of. however.
the meeting broke up Unexpectedly
and no new business was tranacted
The committee to appear in behalf
OF st. AIMS interests consists of
Harry Friendman, president of the
association: S. j. Flickinger. r. H.
Rice and c. D. Franks. Copies of the
resolution approved last night will be
forwarded to the District Committees
in Congress, the Board of Education
and the District Commissioners
c. Garafols, Rosa F. Downing and
Representative Jenckes we're the prin-
cipal speakers on behalf of the ac-
bsn and brought out the facts in the
situation with regard to the old
school building. which had been con-
demned as unfit for occupancy several
years ago by the Board of Education.
st. AIMS Parish leased the building
for two years, it was contended, the
Board Of Education requiring the par
ish first to put the building in fit con-
dition.
Parish Spent $4,000.
The old building had been prac-
tically dismantled by District authori-
ties, and the parish has spent $4,000
on re-equipping it, The proposed bill
IS to authorize the District govern
ment to sell the building. and St
prospective purchaser.
1t was brought out that the Zoning
Commission has repeatedly refused to
commercialize the site.
Both Mr.. Garafols and Mr.. Downing
stressed the fact the $50 pupils now
occupying the building would tax the
capacity Of neighborhood public
schools if ST. AIMS Paris we're deprived
OF the privilege of purchase. The
parochial school, supported entirely
by the parish, was declared to save
the District government about $4,000
. annually.
Representative Jenckes briefly ex-
planned her interest in the matter and
said the Sisters of Providence. who
operate the school, had greatly i'm
proved the appearance of the build
ing, formerly an "eyesore" in the
neighborhood
The success of the membership drive
has put new life into the association,
the meetings of which are usually at
tended by only a few faithfuls Some
Of the 1877 new members numbered
persons readmitted to the association.