A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.
A Kinder Chevy Chase: After a drive-by rock throwing incident, someone in Chevy Chase was heartened by the email list’s neighborly advice. He writes, “Please let me take the time to thank those who responded to my dispirited ‘plea’ last week that was precipitated when a rock came flying though my front door window. The replies came in great variety but had much in common: They were thoughtful, concerned, caring and generous of spirit — qualities that I associate with genuine neighborliness.” He goes on to explain that this reaction might be something of a rarity: “What I can say from this experience is that this [email list], which too often gives the impression of a fractious community, full of snarky self-righteousness, has another dimension that needs to be celebrated.”
The Clean: Various Ward 1 communication forums continue to debate what the reintroduction of Jim Graham‘s beloved Clean Teams means. One member writes, “Our civic challenge is to work beyond the machinations of CM Graham’s pay-to-play machine and the sucking up moves of an ANC commissioner and work with [the person in charge of the Clean Teams] to make this program sustainable and work for this community and those who work in the service/program.” Councilmember Jim Graham responds on the MPD-3D email list that he hears “your support for the Clean Teams” and will work on revising their schedule to address neighborhood concerns. Back on the Columbia Heights list, the conversation turns to individual and corporate responsibility to maintain private plots of land, as well as what role the city should play in the upkeep of public areas. One person wants to avoid being overly proactive in policing litterbugs: “I’m sorry but did you hear what happened to the guy at 14 and W who tried to talk to the person littering in front of the building? No, it wasn’t a kid but given the very real problem with juvenile crime in DC I don’t blame anyone for biting their tongues. Cleaning tree boxes I do agree with but not with having to roll the dice with confronting litterers. Call it cowardly but I don’t want my face punched in over a beer can or chewing gum.”
When Shit Hits the Spokes: An avid biker wrote in to Prince of Petworth, revealing a vicious dog poop-throwing incident in Georgetown. The letter reads, “I live in Shaw and have been biking around town for about two years and haven’t encountered many dog owners who don’t pick up after their dogs, but then this past Saturday I was biking through Georgetown (distinctly remember being at 29th and P) when a lady literally threw her dog’s droppings in the street, narrowly missing me as I passed by.” The most shocking part of the incident was that “she had a plastic bag on her hand. I mean seriously, she had a plastic bag, why couldn’t she bag it up? Just wondering if you’ve ever heard anything like this before?”
Wiseguy Supercans: Someone on the Chevy Chase email list offers a solution for an apparent neighborhood problem: Supercan theft. He writes, “Uncertain remedy: paint your address on your Supercan. That might deter a neighbor who is thinking of swiping it (for any number of uses) or a wiseguy who thinks he/she can sell it for cash. Might, or might not. It’s a vexing problem.” A tentative solution for a vexing problem.