According to our kitchen team they were told by DOH officials we scored a 98 out of 100 and the only demerit came from some aluminum pans that were being recycled being in a bag that was not fully closed. It would have been nice for that to be reported so the public could see how we are approaching the importance of public health and sanitation. I suspect we did as well, or better, than many restaurants in the District.

While there is a rat problem at Freedom Plaza this has always been true, long before the arrival of the Occupation of Washington, DC. Most rats are off the Plaza area in the grass and dirt. We take great care not only to clean the kitchen but the entire Plaza. You will often find people brushing and cleaning the Plaza. We have never had any rats in our kitchen and we store all food off the ground and clean the kitchen floors more than once a day.

The mayor's suggestion that the two camps be consolidated at Freedom Plaza will present some challenges. Feeding more people means a significant increase in cost and great stress on our kitchen team. Our peacekeepers will have more people to monitor and keep at peace with each other. The two camps have different personalities and we do not want to lose the personality of Freedom Plaza. Our occupation team at Freedom Plaza is currently looking at how best to proceed if the mayor's vision becomes a reality.