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

Brain Drain: “The new trees DDOT has planted are wonderful. The watering pans are not,” writes a member of the New Hill East email list. “They have 4 or 5 pinholes for drainage that just don’t work. Consequently most of the pans—at least the ones nearby—retain green, putrid water that breeds mosquitoes. I spoke to Mr. Gabriel at DDOT this morning to suggest that they send someone around with a drill to enlarge the drainage holes. He said that we—private citizens—could drill holes in the pans, so long as we don’t ruin them. Otherwise, the summer may be over before repairs would be made.” “We find if you can rinse them out each time before filling them, they drain perfectly. That works best if you can stretch a hose to the pan-it just takes a second to turn the pan upside down, spray off the underside, turn it rightside up, spray off the inside, then fill it. If you are one of the saintly many hauling a bucket of water to the pan, the rinsing off is considerably more of a bother,” suggests another member. A third, more DIY-minded poster writes, “I pushed a skewer through the holes to make them bigger and they work much better now. But occasionally I still have to manually remove blockage from the holes. It’s worth it to have a healthy tree though.”

Flattery Gets Eyes on the Street: On the MPD 5D email list, a member writes, “We have a reccuring problem at the top of our street with men loitering, selling drugs and public alcohol consumption. When the police come, they move and return soon afterward. The men also make life difficult for the seniors who want to access the strip mall at the corner of Brentwood Road and 13th street.. Can our beloved 5D officers check this spot on a regular basis?? Thank so much for keeping us safe!!!!”

Greek Mother-Approved: “I would greatly appreciate any suggestions as to where the best baklava in town can be bought,” writes a member of the Chevy Chase email list. Suggestions from other members include, “I buy baklava at Stella’s Bakery on Rockville Pike. They have other Greek breads and spanikopita as well as a full display case of cookies, cakes, and breads. My Greek mother approves!” and “Yamas off Woodmont in Bethesda. Yummy!”

ISO Your Car: “I was out walking one of our dogs very late on Saturday night (around 2 or 2:30 a.m.), and saw a man walking up Porter Street towards 34th, testing car doors as he went. I’m assuming he was looking for an unlocked door, to either grab the car or grab whatever is in the car. I did call the police, who dispatched someone to the area, but don’t know if they found him or not,” writes a member of the Cleveland Park email list.” Another member adds, “Our car got rifled on Saturday night or Sunday morning on Ordway Street and 35th. So beware. Lock your car doors.”