We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

As much local politics as humanly possible. Send your tips, releases, stories, events, etc. to lips@washingtoncitypaper.com. And get LL Daily sent straight to your inbox every morning!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

  • More Fenty Campaign Aides Get Raises, City Jobs
  • Congress Heights Gets Ready for New Money
  • Good morning sweet readers! LL thought this was a pretty amazing video, but there’s no way he’s sending his iPhone up in space. News time:

    And I’ll Remember, The Strength That You Gave Me: WaPo’s Tim Craig chronicles the beginning of Still Mayor Adrian Fenty‘s farewell tour, which kicked off yesterday at the reopening of the Georgetown Public Library. “Since Fenty took office, the city has opened new or refurbished libraries in Takoma, Shaw, Deanwood, Anacostia and the Parklands-Turner neighborhood and on Benning Road NE. By the end of the next year, new or refurbished libraries are slated to open in Tenleytown, Washington Highlands, Petworth, Mount Pleasant and on 36th Place SE. Many of the projects originated under former mayor Anthony Williams (D) as part of a capital construction project he launched in 2005. But advocates say Fenty deserves credit for pushing the projects through to completion, despite a weak economy that drained city revenues. ‘There is probably no other city that has done so much in such a short period of time,’ said John Hill, president of the District of Columbia Public Library Board. ‘It’s not just about the edifice. It’s the quality of the services and technology.’ Before he and Gray cut the ribbon, Fenty seemed a bit nostalgic. He noted that it was the last time he would attend an official library opening as mayor. ‘You can never open too many libraries,’ Fenty said in an interview. ‘I just like to get things done, and this is just the latest example.'”

    AFTER THE JUMP: Write-in Fenty Effort Still Exists; Being a Gay Foster Teen is Not Easy; Please Sell Tomatoes …

    Write-in Fenty Steps it Up with Robocalls: Craig also has the scooplet that city Republicans received robocalls this weekend telling them to write-in Fenty instead of voting for… well, who else are Republicans going to vote for? No one is coming forward to cop to producing the calls, Craig reports, which is kind of shady in LL’s opinion. There’s nothing wrong with the write-in campaign, as long we know who is behind it. Craig gets all Oliver Stone and suggests Vince Gray’s campaign may be up to it: “In an overwhelmingly Democratic city, it’s not totally unreasonable to speculate that perhaps a Gray supporter organized the calls to try to tie the write-in effort to the local GOP. If local Democrats believed the Fenty write-in campaign was sponsored by the GOP, it could help rally Democrats to the polls for the general election. But Mo Elleithee, a Gray strategist, said the Gray campaign had nothing to do with the calls. ‘I can assure you, it’s not in our interest to urge anyone to write in Fenty,’ Elleithee said.” That would be remarkably convoluted as political strategy goes (and probably not as effective, in the end, as simply… reminding Gray voters to show up).

    Speaking of the write-in campaign, Craig spent part of his weekend watching write-in leader Josh Lopez canvass for votes. Craig also notes that Fenty, who put out a statement Friday afternoon asking his supporters to vote for Gray, that he won’t personally ask his supporters to drop the write-in effort. “Still, few expect the write-in campaign to be successful, although it could embarrass Gray on Election Day if enough voters opt to write-in Fenty instead of voting for Gray. ‘It’s not going anywhere,’ Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who supported Fenty in the primary but now is campaigning for Gray, said after seeing a copy of the ‘how to vote’ flier.” Meanwhile, the G’Town Saucer urges the write-in folks to spend their energy on more worthwhile pursuits.

    Queer and Loathing: Man, that Jason Cherkis guy can write. Be sure and read his pretty depressing profile in Mother Jones of a gay teen whose had a rough go in the District’s foster care system. How’s this for a start?: “Nothing frightened Kenneth Jones more than the prospect of his first real date. He prepped for it like a court appearance, saving up for a black button-down shirt and for a salon treatment to tame his spiky locks and paint his nails with intricate black-and-gray swirls. He still remembers those last anxious teenage moments. ‘A lot of mirror time,’ he recalls. ‘Tons of mirror time.’ He needed this to go well. As a gay foster child in Washington, D.C., Kenneth spent most of his weekends alone. By the summer of 2009, the isolation had gotten so bad that he’d started calling his cell-phone carrier’s help line with imaginary complaints, just so he could vent to somebody about something. He would even text himself encouraging messages, like ‘Good job,’ or ‘Damn you so strong.'”

    One ‘S’ Away From a Much Tastier Topic: Councilmembers Kwame Brown and Mary Cheh want to provide subsidies to corner stores to sell fruits and veggies in neighborhoods considered “food deserts,” reports Freeman Klopott. Says Brown: “We have small corner stores that will sell a six-pack in a minute but not a tomato.” In related news: D.C. public schools are now feeding kids all three meals.

    And You Thought Eleanor Was Crazy: NBC 4’s P.J. Orvetti introduces us to another comical opponent of Eleanor Holmes Norton. Her name is Sandra Queen Noble and she’s got a video. Her quote: “America is a stolen country.” Noble also says Norton has been in office for “60-70 years.” Norton gives a three-minute interview to the Examiner.

    Bishop Harry Jackson asks Supreme Court to weigh in gay marriage vote.

    Councilmember Tommy Wells seeks to limit D.C. shelters to D.C. families.

    Homicide rate breaks 100 for the year.

    The alleged sign-stealing lady is back.

    Fixing special ed is a top priority for new schools head Kaya Henderson.

    NAACP Washington offices evacuated over white powder.

    Greater Greater Washington contributor Laura Gutman says Henderson is good pick.

    Jaffe tells Gray to pick Channing Phillips to replace Peter Nickles. Wait, what? Nickles is leaving?

    Mayor’s schedule: Nothing.

    Council’s got a full legislative hearing, starting at 11 a.m.

    Gray’s Ward 1 town hall is tonight, at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, 1100 Harvard St. NW, 6:30 p.m. (But LL is guessing it won’t start on time.)