A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.

SIX (6): On the FairlawnDC email list, a member writes, “A few months back, there was a discussion on the board about DC deploying more speed cameras. Some people supported the increased number of them as traffic calming and some others thought they were nothing but a money grab. I made a comment at the time that I didn’t see it as a big deal because to get a ticket you pretty much had to be exceeding the posted speed limit by at least 10mph.  I had known no one who had gotten a ticket for less than 10mph nor did anyone else who replied. This week, a co-worker informed me she got a $125 ticket for going SIX (6) miles per hour over the posted speed limit of 30 mph on South Dakota Ave NE.  Tuesday I was driving behind two cars on Bladensburg Road heading east, a few blocks before Eastern Ave NE when a car in front of me that clearly not going faster than 10mph in a 30mph zone, was flashed by a photo equipped car as it passed by. I looked at my speedometer and I was at maybe 33 and the car that was flashed was not going much faster than I was.” He asks, “So the question is, do any of you know of people who have now been given a photo ticket for LESS than 10mph over? Has there been a policy change by MPDC to set a lower MPH ticketing point? If so, I’m now on the other side of the argument because with the increased fines and a lower threshold for using speed cameras, that DOES seems a money grab…” Presently, no one on the list has offered any anecdotes.

Playing Dead in Crestwood: “We seem to have an opossum that has taken residence in our  yard. He is fearless, comes up to our deck and is not bothered in the least when we turn on the back light or bang on the door. Does anyone have a  recommendation for a humane service to trap and remove animals? I worry that there may be a nest or others on our property,” writes a member of the Crestwood email list. Another member responds, “We have had opposum(s) in our yard since I lived here (over 30 years). We have experienced no harm from them.”

Scooting Squirrels: On the Chevy Chase email list, squirrel(s) are the problem: “We believe that we have a squirrel(s) in our fireplace. We would appreciate any recommendations on a contractor to to help us check and to remove the squirrel(s),” writes a member. “We once had a squirrel which slid down our chimney by mistake. The squirrel does not want to be in your house. We were told to open the nearest window (or door), sprinkle talc or powder on the sill or door (to see pawprints which affirm that the squirrel has left the premises) and disappear for a while to give the frightened squirrel a chance to leave,” suggests another member. They continue, “In our case, we thought it had left but it hadn’t. A week or two later, my husband was scared out of his wits when the squirrel, who had managed to survive in our home somehow, ran past him and butted into the patio door in an attempt to get outside. My husband opened the door and the squirrel scooted out.”

Stolen in Cleveland Park: Warns a member of the Cleveland Park email list, “I found six security system yard signs in the ivy next to my house this evening. They are ADT, Cain, Protection One and a few others. I also found two solar powered outdoor lawn lamps. I’m not sure how long they have been there, since they were hidden.”