A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.
Don’t Write About my Backyard Like That: The Triangle, a Mount Vernon-based blog, asked its readers what they thought of Dan Zak‘s Washington Post profile of transgender prostitutes that occupy the neighborhood during odd hours. The responses were wholly negative, with several commenters stating they’d be happy to see Zak’s subjects displaced. “Why can’t ‘Staci’ and her pals go peddle their wares over in Virginia, where she apparently is from? Oh, that’s right, it’s Virginia, where they would just lock her in jail and throw away the key. So I guess we lucky residents of Mount Vernon Square get to put up with this nonsense,” says one. “Dan Zak apparently doesn’t find it necessary to mention the ‘straight boys’ loitering around this scene are there to sell drugs. I suppose that didn’t fit in his narrative of trying to portray Staci and her pals as harmless & colorful characters,” writes another. Says a third, “I think this piece was irresponsible of the Post. I receive the police alerts from our neighborhood and I haven’t heard anything about shootings, so I am particularly disturbed by their mention of shots ringing. This can’t be helpful for our property values. Although I know the prostitution persists, there have also been huge improvements in that area in the past 18 months and the article should have highlighted that.”
Fallout: “We’re not sure if the cracks in our basement are serious or not, but I want to get a structural engineer out for a consult. I realize I may not be the only one thinking about this and we’ll probably have to wait a while,” writes a member of the TakomaDC email list. “Does anyone have any recommendations? Also, perhaps several households could save some money by getting together to hire the same engineer, coordinating the day/time.” Presently, no one has expressed interested in attempting to wrangle a bulk purchase deal out of an engineer. On the Tenleytown email list, this offer stands: “You’re welcome also to join us for Yoga and Meditation this Thursday at 6:30pm at the Center in Tenleytown and do this meditation in a group and magnify the healing effects!”
Charity: A member of the Hill East email list offers, “I have an assorted collection of English bone china tea cups that I want to donate to a non-profit. I would like to give them to a group, such as a church, that would truly use them. I know Goodwill and big organizations take donations, but I’m afraid they will get broken.” They continue, “So, if you belong to a non-profit that can offer me a tax receipt, I am eager to donate them in the next month.
What to Steal in the Second District: On the MPD 2D email list, which covers upper Northwest, a member asks for additional details on three recently-reported car break-ins. An officer responds, “The first incident involved an unlocked door. Stolen was a briefcase with items inside. The Second incident involved an unlocked door and stolen was coins. The third incident involved an unlocked door and stolen was an ipod.”