The Washington times., 1938-09-22
R. !, AVE. CITIZEN
SOCIETY OPENS
FALL SESSIONS
Widening of Street Is
Subject Of Debate
BY A. J. DRISCOLL
Citizens Associations Editor

First fall meeting of Rhode
Island Citizens Association was
held last night as a joint session
with the Brookland Woodbridge
Business Mems Association.
The object of the joint meeting
was to obtain an expression of
opinion regarding proposal to
widen Rhode Island Avenue east
Of Fourth Street 16 feet to permit
Of 76-foot roadway.
After President Freeman Weiss
stated the object Of the meeting
debate Immediately arose between
merchants who favored the widen
ing and home owners who opposed
the move.
WIDENING URGED
Mrs. Cleo Mardfeldt said she
had been in business along Rhode
Island Avenue for some IA years
and was entirely in favor of the
project. She was joined by w. T.
Peeler, R. w. Parry, John Fowler
and others.
Opposition was voiced by Frank
e. Langdon, home owner. and T.
A. Hall, who operates a tourist
home.
In a record vote of the IS pres
ent, 81 were in favor of the widen
ing, with fiV& opposing.
Vigorous discussion also arose re-
garding the one hour parking re-
strictions, assertions being made
that the police of No. IL precinct
were not enforcing the limitations
against business men with parking
trucks in front of drivewayS at
private homes.
REFERRED TO GRANT
After a defense of the police by
Mr.. Parry, president Of the Bus1-
ness mems Association. the matter
was referred to Fred M. Grant for
investigation and report.
Last nights vote was taken TO
indicate to the District Highway
Department how both organiza-
tions stod as to the widening, as
the avenue is scheduled for reSur-
facing. The action taken by both
groups will come up for approval
at the next meeting of each organl-
cation.
The other action was the ap-
proval of report by Fred T. De
vine submitting applications OF "a
new members who were duly
elected. "
McCOACH ASKS AID
Stressing the importance in any
municipality of close coopera-
ton with civic leaders and gov
erning bodies, Col. David Nc
Coach, jr., recently appointed Dis
trict Commissioner, at a Joint
luncheon meeting yesterday of the
committee on bridges and streets
and avenues of the Washington
Board of Trade, welcomed sugges-
tions from any group or individual
that may tend to make his ad-
ministration a success.
Every person, he said, who
comes to Washington is impressed
with its beauty, wide thorough
fares and fine type of bridges.
Capt. H. c. Whitehurst sub
mitted for consideration the fol-
lowing list of streets for i'm
provement in the 1910 District
budget: Montana Avenue North
east; Seventeenth to Rhode Is
land Avenue, extension of South
Dakota Avenue to Michigan Ave
nue.; Loughboro Road, Conduit
Road to Glenbrook Road; Lincoln
Road to Rhode Island Avenue to
Douglass Street; Kennedy Street,
Kansas Avenue to North Capitol
Street, Seventh Street, Independ-
ence Avenue to Constitution Ave
nue. and widening of Eleventh
Street, Rhode Island Avenue to
Vermont Avenue.
Capt. Whitehurst revealed So,
10000 would be realized from
the gasoline tax fund, mostly all
earmarked for needed improve
ments, an dpointed out he would
not sanction an increase in the
amount, should it mean an in
crease in taxation.