Another Friday in August

It's been a slow week for news here in DC. Somewhat. The City Paper has been doing a good job keeping up with the latest on the whole Pershing Park mess. This all dates back to the 2002 mass arrests by MPD in Pershing Park, and a flurry of controversy and suits that have followed. I remember when the arrests happened back in 2002 at the IMF/World Bank protests. I recall the outrage, but who knew seven years later we'd still be discussing. In any event, DC Attorney General Peter Nickels is in the hotseat with some calling for his resignation. Here's a good background story on the civil suit and the apparent mishandling of evidence. Check CityDesk for more recent updates.

It's still August, and as best I can tell most everyone is still on vacation. Especially on Friday. So what's going on? Well, WTOP reports Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is coming to Maryland. They will also apparently be building a community center in the District. That's moderately interesting, I'm occasionally a sucker for that show.

No 'bee crisis' here in Rock Creek Park. I know there's some sort of worldwide concern that honeybees are dying in epic numbers, possibly fortelling of global catastrophe. Apparently bees are still in full force in Rock Creek Park, and they are pissed. Looks like DC Fire and EMS had to be called twice to respond to children getting attacked by bees. 22 people, in fact, were stung by bees.

What else is going on? Well, I'm surprised that in just a few days, with little coverage on other blogs, the WMATA petition received 145 signatures. I'm going to leave the link up and occasionally promote it. 145 isn't a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but for the dead of summer I'm going to call it a bit of a success. It got some people talking. Also, hilarious result of the whole thing was that WUSA-9 showed an image of the site on their newscast, clearly broadcasting Dick Cheney's "Go Fuck Yourself" quote. Stay classy!

On deck I have a reader request post for some information on dog parks. Namely, where the funding is coming from for the posh dog park on New Hampshire Ave near R Street in Dupont. I've scoured the Parks and Recreation site, to find that the dog parks are "sponsored" but this only appears to help defray maintenance costs. I put a request for information in to Councilmember Jack Evans, who referred me to the Director of DPR. Still no response. Who is paying for the doggy drinking fountains and the astroturf? Not a huge deal, but I'm curious nonetheless. Hopefully we'll have something on that next week.

Here's a doozy. I've taken a break from bashing on fellow bloggers, but this just makes me groan. Over at DC Metblogs, we have a discussion about the decline and fall of Cleveland Park. This is completely laughable. This is from someone called Suburban Sweetheart, who hails from Ohio and is deeply disturbed that Cleveland Park will soon be a ghetto. A really really white, upscale and safe ghetto.

Who pays $1,200 a month to live in a ‘hood void of Starbucks AND Slurpees? (Me, I guess.)

I moved to Cleveland Park because its subtle vibrancy & friendly, suburban feel made me feel like I could live an Ohioan’s life in a Washingtonian’s land. But as my adopted neighborhood begins to go under, I’m left wondering: Is it worth it? Take note, Cleveland Park. It’s time to reassess your value & reinvent yourself. As neighborhoods like Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant gain go-to tenant traction, Cleveland Park is losing both its relevancy and its luster, & even the most devoted among us are beginning to reassess.

Yes, if by most devoted you mean someone who moved there from Ohio in the last couple of years and is pondering moving because some stores have closed. Cleveland Park is not going anywhere, it's a central location near bus lines and the Metro. There are some issues with attracting retail along Connecticut Avenue, but that won't be forever. There are still businesses worth patronizing. Comparing Cleveland Park to Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant makes no sense. You want a commercial strip devoid of resources, check out Mt. Pleasant St. Oh, and how many shootings and robberies do you have over there, Ms. Sweetheart? Your $1,200 per month can purchase a lot of Starbucks back home in Ohio.

Finally, reader and fellow blogger Jamie wrote in mentioning a curious lack of shootings in Columbia Heights over the past month or two. Come to think of it, I believe he's correct. I've heard shots fired in Columbia Heights, but as it stands now it looks like no one has been hit since the incident at the Metro. I might be forgetting something. However, it's never too soon for MPD Chief Cathy Lanier to call victory over violent crime in Columbia Heights. The same can't be said for Shaw at this point, though.