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

Isengard on 18th Street: If you think the recent street construction on 18th Street NW has made for a sudden lack of shade, you’re not alone. One reader on the Adams Morgan email list wonders, “Has the destruction of every mature ginko [sic] tree on 18th from Columbia to Florida always been part of the plan?? It looks like a wasteland from Mary Reed on down, and all the trees to the north appear to be marked.” Another reader responds: “Yes the 18th Street Streetscape Construction project will replace all the trees. Because the sidewalks will all be much wider, the current tree boxes would be in the middle of the sidewalks and create many hazards. Thus all of the existing trees will be removed and new trees will be placed in new tree boxes.”

At Least No One Will Get Doored: Bicyclists and motorists aren’t the only people in D.C. arguing about lanes. A story in Friday’s Washington Post reveals an ongoing battle over swimming lanes at the Wilson Aquatic Center in Tenleytown. “Slower swimmers, mostly silver-haired retirees, largely stay on the right side. The faster swimmers and triathlete types stick to the far left,” writes Annys Shin. “But beneath the calm, chlorinated surface, there is conflict. A spat over the length of the lap lanes has roiled the waters. On one end: swimmers who want shorter lanes to accommodate more people and different activities. On the other: a loose coalition led by competitive athletes who want to keep the status quo because Wilson is the city’s only indoor pool with the 50-meter lanes they consider ideal for training.”

Making the World Unsafe for Comfort: From the Takoma email list: “I write with concern and confusion over someone’s choice to take our two yellow and gray floral porch swing pillows. I am almost positive that this occurred around noon today, because I was reading in the living room and thought the creaking of the porch was the mailman…An hour later, I went to grab my mail but instead of finding mail, I noticed our pillows are missing. If anyone has seen two yellow and gray pillows with a floral design created by stitching, I would love to have them back. It’s not so much about the cost of the pillows but about the sense of security someone has taken from me. Has anyone seen someone walking around with them?”

I Wouldn’t Go Trick-or-Treating Around There, Either: A reader on the Mount Vernon Square email list makes an alarming observation: “Please be alert if you walk your dog around Museum Apts at 401 K St. Someone there is putting moth balls in the grass in the public right of way. Moth balls are very toxic to dogs and children. If you see someone doing this, snap a photo.”