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Nation club off-limits to military Navy investigators to 'monitor activities' at Southeast D.C. club By LOU CHIBBARO JR. The Southeast D.C. nightclub Nation, including its Saturday night gay dance party, Velvet Nation, has been declared off limits to all military service members because of "illegal drug activity inside the establishment," a military board ruled last month. A spokesperson for the Military District of Washington said the Joint Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board for the National Capital Region voted unanimously Aug. 22 to prohibit military members from patronizing Nation. The spokesperson, Tom Findtner, said the decision followed a "lengthy investigation" in which military investigators "observed service members engaging in activities involving ecstasy and marijuana inside the club." "Throughout the investigation," Findtner said in an Aug. 28 statement, "the military worked in coordination with local and federal law enforcement agencies." He said that since 1999, as many as 91 military members have been apprehended on illegal drug charges stemming from alleged drug transactions inside Nation. "The military's criminal investigation agencies will continue to monitor activities at Nation, which is located at 1015 Half St., SE, to ensure service members stay away from the premises," Findtner said. John Guggenmos, co-owner of the company that promotes and produces the Velvet Nation party for a primarily gay crowd on Saturday nights, said "most of the incidents" that prompted the military board to issue its stay-away order occurred other nights of the week, which feature rave and hip hop dance parties. Guggenmos said it would be inappropriate for him to comment further on the matter. Jim Boyle, an official with the Primacy production company, which operates Nation nightclub on nights other than Saturdays, could not be reached by press time. News of a military investigation into drug related activity at Nation first surfaced in April 2000, when the Naval Criminal Investigative Service confirmed it had been conducting undercover operations at Velvet Nation and four other gay bars since 1998. The information emerged in testimony by three NCIS agents during a military court proceeding at the Washington Navy Yard on April 28, 2000. At that time, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which represents gays serving in the military, said naval investigators appeared to be targeting only gay clubs for drug investigations. SLDN officials said they were concerned that the drug probe was being used as a ruse to identify and discharge gay service members under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. In addition to Nation, NCIS agents said they had conducted undercover visits between 1998 and 2000 at Tracks, a gay nightclub in Southeast that has since closed, and the Dupont Circle gay bars JR.'s, Badlands and Chaos. Navy denies singling out NCIS officials denied they were targeting gay clubs, saying they were investigating several non-gay nightclubs for drug activity. They declined to identify the non-gay establishments, saying that doing so would jeopardize an on-going investigation. NCIS officials told gay activists in two separate meetings in July 2000 that gay military service members apprehended in drug investigations at gay bars or nightclubs would be prosecuted only on drug-related charges and would not be charged with violations related to their sexual orientation. Steve Ralls, a spokesperson for SLDN, said this week that SLDN is not aware of any sexual orientation discharges stemming from the Navy's drug related investigations at D.C. area gay clubs over the past several years. Ralls said the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays in the military prohibits officials from penalizing service members for patronizing nightclubs or bars solely because those establishments cater to a gay clientele. But Ralls said the military has authority to bar its uniformed personnel from patronizing any establishment where illegal activity takes place. Col. Michael Stewart, president of the joint armed services board that issued the off-limits order against Nation nightclub, said military members who violate the order are subject to disciplinary action under Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He said the maximum penalty for violating Article 92 is a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay, and imprisonment for two years. "We determined that conditions inside the establishment were unsafe," Stewart said in an Aug. 28 statement concerning Nation nightclub. "To help maintain the health and welfare of our service members, it was necessary to place Nation off limits." Stewart said the stay-away order would remain in effect indefinitely, although he said the board would consider lifting the ban if Nation owners show that "substantial corrective measures" have been implemented. "Before reversing this policy, we would need to see a cessation of all drug activity in the club, as well as a change in the atmosphere that fosters drug activity," he said. FOR MORE INFO Joint Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board Col. Michael Stewart, president Chief of Staff, Headquarters Command Group U.S. Army Military District of Washington 103 Third Ave., Bldg. 32 Fort Lesley J. McNair, DC 20319-5058 202-685-3041 www.ndw.army.mil

Chicken Butt ---> KFC

fake ---> Britney

clueless ---> Cher

I took a peek from afar after work on Friday -- they seemed to have a decent amount of people at that time (5ish). Dieselboy was spinning! I even checked it on his website b/c I couldn't believe it was him but it was confirmed there. . .wowie. I didn't hear any of the speeches or anything. . .anybody else??

An independent scientific study has revealed that the answer is. . . NO!

franks & beans...franks & beans ---> bleeder

---> chains

Oh definitely. . .it's all in those eyes.

I'm guessin' the big guy -- that's the one that's giving me the shivers anyways. . .

siesta ---> fiesta

my pink, purplish hell ---> kindergarten

maybe. . .but then again it could just be in your head. . . . . .nah i did change it - i wanted to post the first one but grabbed the wrong cover.

'stina like: because DeVit is the man! -- the one who started it all, and the album just rocks so hard. . . 'stina no like: can you say "Great Ape"!?!

Yeah I'm not up to much this weekend either -- I have a lot of crap I've been putting off that I have to take care of . . .<yawn> . . . unless anyone has a better idea.

Haven't heard it, but that track listing =

time ---> flies

"I feel it deep inside me, I wanna ride it, Can't fight it, I might as well rely on the drum beat DJ pump the low end frequency Can't hide it I wont deny it 'Cos I'm addicted to drums and I'm a slave to the dark beat" damn do i <3 that track

bracelets ---> beads

hooker ---> transvestite

TIESTO!!! I am so there.

smash ---> mouth

raver ---> bouncy