A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.
Graham on the Streets: For a member of the Adams Morgan email list, the reinstatement of Councilmember Jim Graham‘s beloved Clean Teams is too politicized. “Have you ever spoken to a Clean Team member on the street? I have a number of times in the context of saying hello as I walk by and telling them I appreciate what they are doing. What I have found is that more often than not, Jim Graham’s name comes up real fast from the Clean Team worker. It is as if they are trained to respond to a compliment by directing me to Jim Graham,” the member claims. “I have been asked to write a letter of thanks to Jim Graham by Clean Team workers and the supervisor on the street. I have heard workers tell me that none of this would be without Jim Graham. I have never heard any Clean Team people say anything about DC government, D.C. taxpayers or reply that they appreciate my support. Some people criticize Marion Barry’s efforts in the past to get people city jobs. They say he used city employment to his benefit, making people ‘owe’ him. Jim Graham does the same thing with Clean Team. Clean Team is not about clean streets. Clean Team is about Jim Graham’s power and control of Ward 1.”
Aside from Politics: A member of the Cleveland Park email list issues a request for companionship—in skydiving. “I went skydiving for the third time on Saturday,” the member writes. “I would love to share the experience with folks on the [email list]. I had 3 guests on Saturday—it made it much more fun having friends there with whom I could share the day.” If this plaintive plea isn’t enough, the member also offers, “If you’ve always thought about skydiving, but have never tried, now’s the time. I’ll drive if you need a ride.”
Politically Correct Crestwood: “Can someone explain the reference to ‘ghetto bird’?” delicately asks a member of the Crestwood email list. “I thought I’d ask before becoming immediately offended with the comment.”
Ramrod: A member of the Georgetown email list asks, “Does anyone have a saw that can cut through rod iron? I need to shorten 6 legs of floor room-divider screen by 1 inch each. I can bring the screen to you along with a 6 pack of Sam Adams (to be consumed preferable after the cutting job). :-)” (At the end of the request is a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”)