Beltway Area Indymedia

On Friday, June 29th, DC Superior Court Judge Bruce Beaudin ordered that no demolition of the Benning Library, abruptly closed in 2004 without community input, shall take place before July 20th, 2007. On that date, the involved parties will appear before Judge Retchin to argue more of the merits of the case. Community members had sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction to prevent the demolition of their library.

Concerned and outraged members of the community, including Dorothy Douglas (Chair of ANC Commission 7D), Rick Tingling-Clemmons (ANC 7D05), Betty Diggs (concerned community member), Eddie Rhodes, Cynthia Payne-Davis (President of Central NorthEast Civic Association), and Jane Zara (ANC 1D01) were forced to take legal action, after being consistently shut out of matters relating to their library. The Benning Library was closed in 2004, along with the Anacostia, Tenley, and Watha T. Daniel (Shaw) branches, supposedly for renovation, and without community input.