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

Outsnaked: “I do not know if we can post photos but this snake is in my front door now. Can anyone shed some light on what kind it is? I am a bit startled,” writes a member of the Palisades email list. The member of the group clarifies—”FYI -this Listserv does not permit POSTING OF PHOTOS”—but immediately follows up with this message: “Hopefully, someone will ask you to send them a photo to their inbox for identification for future reference. Some years ago we had a huge black snake at our door but that was a one time occurrence and since (over 25 years ago) have not sighted another snake on our property.”

Carbon Sequestering: After a spate of postings about Pepco and Comcast outages on the Chevy Chase email list, a member proposes this solution in a message titled “Avoid future outages”: “I say: 1. Bury the power lines. 2. Replace trees lost, and then some (but this time, not next to the curb; surely trees don’t grow root systems beneath the street). Trees sequester carbon, but here in the East we’re losing them due to violent storms, even as they succumb to forest fires out West. Every day should be Arbor Day.” This platform clearly has traction. A second member writes, “Also: this will create much needed jobs!!”

Under the Jail: “The Metropolitan Police Department has announced that an arrest has been made in the two Burglaries in which elderly victims have been targeted,” says an announcement on the MPD 7D email list. “The reported crimes occurred on June 19, 2012 in the 1400 block of Florida Avenue, NE and on June 26, 2012 in the 1200 block of G Street, SE. In both instances the suspect knocked on the victims’ door, advised he was a maintenance worker, and that he needed to fix a toilet that was leaking to the below apartment. After gaining entry the suspect went to the bathrooms and surveyed the toilets. He then assaulted the victims and stole personal property.” An appreciative member of the list responds, “I’m so glad, they should put him under the jail.”

Big Boss Man in the Trees: A member of the Mintwood Place email list writes, “Councilman [Jim] Graham: As Big Boss Man of Ward One, and a major supporter of the 18th Street Streetscape project, which was also supported by the ANC1C, the BID, etc., could you please explain why it is that the new trees of the Streetscape do not appear to be watered regularly?  We are in the second record-breaking heat wave of this month alone, yet the trees, especially the ones down at the Florida Ave. end of the project, are in soil dry as a bone.” The member continues, “Nowhere in the entire Streetscape is there as much as a single one of the water percolating pans used to hold and slowly release water to the trees, the ones that DDOT has made a great show of placing about here and there. Not one! What is the problem on 18th St.?  Why are the trees not being watered?  For that matter, why are all the other street trees not being watered?  Walk anywhere in  Ward One and you’ll see dead and dying trees— if you choose to see them—” A second member agrees, saying, “I agree — it’s a waste money and resources to plant trees and let them die!  My husband is trying to personally keep some of the trees watered on Biltmore Street.”