Locally
Morning Roundup: Need More Coffee Edition
Photo by jim_darling. Good morning, Washington. So, did everyone enjoy the Ron Moten-Marion Barry "debate" last night? It was everything we hoped for and more, including money quotes from Moten (“Adrian Fenty has made some mistakes, just like Marion Barry's made some mistakes.”) and Barry (“What we have here is a situation where the voters, the majority of the voters, are disgusted.”). We'll dive a little further into the talking points later today. Frankly, we're just impressed that the whole thing went down on time, within the time constraints and without a go-go concert breaking out or something.
Two Men Barricade Themselves In Homes In Separate Incidents: Washington police have responded to two separate incidents of men barricading themselves in homes over the last 12 hours. The most recent, occurring near the 1300 block of Canal Street SW, involved a person who was allegedly holding another individual inside a residence. The man was arrested around 8:30 this morning without incident, though several roads were blocked. Last night, another man barricaded himself inside his apartment on the 300 block of 56th Street NE. He eventually set the residence on fire, suffering severe burns. Fortunately, no other apartments in the building were affected.
One More Round of the Money Game: Last night was the last chance to get a snapshot of candidate's bank accounts with just a few days left before the Democratic primaries. Vince Gray continued to raise money at an impressive clip, once again beating Mayor Adrian Fenty in the reporting period, raising $461,585 since August 11. The Mayor raised $229,916, significantly less than Gray over the period; but Fenty still has nearly a two-to-one advantage in cash on hand, $809,574 to $443,935. Gray got over 70 maximum contributions from across the board, while Mayor Fenty certainly won the glamour war, getting $2,000 from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. Perhaps the most telling statistic here: in the last three weeks, Fenty has spent 1.3 million bucks, Gray just a little over $700,000 -- over the course of the campaign, Fenty has outspent Gray by an amazing $2.8 million.
In Case You Forgot How Important Michelle Rhee Is: It's old hat around these parts, but the national media is here to remind you that, yes, Michelle Rhee is very important to Mayor Fenty's reelection chances. See both The New Republic and GOOD Magazine for examples; if you missed our candid interview with the Chancellor yesterday, check that out too.
Briefly Noted: FIFA officials hit Washington this morning on a whirlwind tour of the United States as part of our bids for the 2018/2022 World Cup...Pedestrian struck at H and 2nd Street NW...16-inch water main break on Eastern Avenue NE caused traffic issues this morning...No, really, there were snakes on the plane...What if Donovan McNabb played for the Redskins last year?...Prince George's police officer arrested on assault charges...Cyclist struck on 1900 block of 14th Street NW during afternoon rush hour...I knew it! Men's pant sizes are totally bunk.
This Day in DCist: Last year, the first yard signs for this year's election made their appearance, and in 2008, we went to the Renaissance Festival.
Judging Buildings – 2311 Connecticut Ave, NW
Animal Fix: One Awesome Rooster and some chill pets
In the Eyes of the World, RFK Stadium Isn’t Soccer-Friendly?
A group from FIFA, the all-powerful and mostly shady global soccer sanctioning body, is in town this morning for a quick look-see of the local facilities as part of a national tour before deciding if the U.S. should be granted another shot at hosting a World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
Here's the itinerary for the traveling party, released last night:
TOMORROW September 8, 2010 7:25 a.m. ET -- Breakfast at the White House with VIP, FIFA Technical Tour and USA Bid Committee, Washington, D.C.8:30 a.m. ET -- Site visit and private tour of the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.
9:30 a.m. ET -- Visit FedEx Field, Landover, MD
--Delegation departs for Miami, FL
Couple stick-outs here. First, not even a drop-by at R.F.K. Stadium, the only pro soccer venue in the city and the home of D.C. United, the flagship franchise of America's top soccer league? Could this mean team management's criticisms of RFK as unsuitable have merit*?
And, B: These World Cup people think they can start a tour of the Washington Monument at 8:30 a.m., then beat the rush hour traffic and be atFedExField by 9:30 a.m.? Didn't anybody tell them FedExField isn't anywhere near the Washington Monument or anything else worth looking at?
*More to come in this week's pulpy Cheap Seats
Tues. Afternoon Rental Option – Shaw
Go Home Already: Picturesque
Photo by Karon.
- Ron Moten (who met with Office of Campaign Finance officials today about his Fenty go-go events) is apparently going to debate Marion Barry at 10:30 tonight on Fox 5. Who's bringing the popcorn?
- What do Vince Gray's mayoral campaign and the Tea Party have in common? Kevin Robillard expands on Adam Serwer's tweet, and finds that there's actually plenty, if you just set aside the fact that Gray isn't an extremist who wants to eliminate the Department of Education.
- NBCWashington.com breathlessly reports that Pinkberry is finally opening a D.C. location, just in time to compete with the million or so other fro-yo joints that have opened here in the last two years.
- The man who threatened a woman with a gun in Bethesda this morning surrendered to authorities in Pennsylvania this afternoon.
- Lesson: don't take any advice from four drunk dudes at a "wing crawl," even if that advice is about wings.
- Huzzah! The Potomac has largely shed its reputation as "a severe threat to the health of anyone coming into contact with it."
- Joe Theismann has been added to the NFL Network's announcing booth for the season. The guy is a Redskins legend and all, but when it comes to his broadcasting ability, I concur with Drew Magary's NSFW take.
- If this is what WaPo telemarketers were dubbing those reluctant to subscribe back in 1984, I can only imagine what they're calling them today.
Dear PoP – Alcohol in Parks?
Photos from PoPville – No Theme Just Awesome Shots
Dear PoP – “What kind of punk steals a little kid’s wagon??”
Good Deal or Not? “built-in book cases” edition
Returns From D.C. Tax Amnesty Are Lagging
Oh, D.C. government. You were so optimistic. You thought, "hey, maybe we'll give people a break and, in turn, we'll be rewarded for extending the social olive branch to our constituents with tax monies." But you were wrong. So, so wrong. (So far, at least.) The District's Tax Amnesty Program -- which has been popping up during television ad breaks more and more recently -- just hit the halfway point, and the results are not promising. The government only recouped $2 million of the nearly $170 million it is owed in backtaxes during August. OTR had projected that it would get $20 million in owed revenues from the program, which runs until the end of September.. Sure, a majority of scofflaws won't probably take advantage of the amnesty until the end of the month, but if that $20 million goal isn't met, the difference will come out of the 2011 budget -- in which the city is already running a deficit.
Dear PoP – Behold the Pawpaw Fruit
The Needle: A River Runs Through It Edition
Clean Me a River: Long-time Washingtonians may sometimes wonder what's going through the heads (or digestive tracts) of people fishing on the banks of the Potomac River. For decades, the river's been considered so polluted as to be a national disgrace. Turns out those people fishing were just ahead of the curve, though; a new study finds the Potomac is in better health now than it was in the 1950s. Evidently, all it took was putting an end to the practice of dumping sewage into the water. Scientists needed 60 years to think of that? +5
Ride a Bike: With schools back in session everywhere in the region and drivers returning to the roads after August beach vacations and last-gasp Labor Day trips away from home, today was officially declared "Terrible Traffic Tuesday," which, as arbitrary names go, is far catchier than "Cyber Monday," but still kind of... silly. So far as we could tell, traffic wasn't actually any worse than usual. That's because we rode our bike to work today, just like we do most days. Sure, it was hot, and there's always the risk of getting run over by a frustrated driver, but isn't that more fun than being the frustrated driver? -2
No, Really—Ride a Bike: A DDOT study shows drivers on 15th Street NW have been speeding less since a "contraflow" bike lane was installed running south on the one-way northbound street, and more cyclists are using the street to get around, with a 40 percent increase in bikes spotted at 15th and T. The lane will soon be extended so it runs from E Street NW to W Street NW; now, it only goes between U Street NW and Massachusetts Avenue NW. Best news? D.C.'s bike lanes cost only $100,000 a mile, as opposed to New York City's tab: $1.5 million per mile. (On the other hand, New York's bikes probably cost more, on average, too, thanks to the prevalence of hipsters riding expensive track bikes from dive bar to dive bar—here, we just don't have as many dive bars to commute between on carbon fiber frames.) +3
Marty Peretz Weighs In: Any voters still undecided between Vincent Gray and Adrian Fenty now, officially, no longer have an excuse not to make up their minds—The New Republic's D.C. mayoral endorsement is finally out! Counter-intuitively, TNR decided not to go the counter-intuitive route, and endorsed exactly the candidate you'd expect for a neo-liberal opinion journal mostly written and read by over-educated white people: Fenty. (Of course, that's a whole different demographic than, say, an alt-weekly mostly written and read by over-educated white people.) Admittedly, TNR's editorial wisdom has not always persuaded the masses; otherwise, we might be living through President Joe Lieberman's second term. If Fenty wins, we at Washington City Paper look forward to the inevitable "Were We Wrong?" follow-up sometime in 2013. 0
Friday's Needle rating: 37 Today's score: +6 Today's Needle rating: 43
Phil Mendelson Finally Splashing Some Cash
Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) is obviously feeling the heat.
In a reversal of his heretofore thriftiness, Washington Business Journal reporter Michael Neibauer tweets that Mendo's finally spending some cash -- and a hearty portion, at that: $192,704 since August 11, or a whopping 84 percent of his total fundraising balance. This is quite the binge for the campaign -- Mendelson had only spent $16,000 on his entire reelection operation through August.
DCist HQ even received a Mendelson mailer on Friday -- the first we've gotten from his campaign all summer. But the literature takes the high road, omitting the identity mixup, and focusing on Mendelson's record of getting things done.
Those who have officially backed Mendelson aren't so shy about voicing their displeasure with the Brown issue, having understandably grown fearful that their guy might be in the market for a new job come January. Most media have kind of danced around the suggestion, but today, an organization printed an editorial plainly suggesting that Michael D. Brown, the Shadow Senator allegedly skating by on the popularity of current Councilmember Michael A. Brown to a lead over incumbent At-Large Councilmember Phil Mendelson, just bow out of the race -- you know, to uphold the integrity of the Council. Or something. Take it away, Georgetown Dish!
This suggestion, no, let’s call it a plea, is addressed to Shadow Senator Michael Brown, the At-large candidate for the D.C. Council:Drop out of the race.
[...]
You are not playing fair with the voters. You have not mounted a serious campaign in the At-large race. You entered to "make D.C. statehood a focus for the council," you said. Yet, you have not appeared at forums, you have not raised money, you have not rallied statehood supporters. Even your posters highlight “Democrat,” and barely mention “statehood.”
Ironically, this is the sort of maneuver, resulting in who knows how many erroneous votes, that makes Washington, D.C. a perennial butt of jokes and an easy target for disrespect in our nation. Rush Limbaugh, are you ready?
The District's voters should not be subjected to this damaging sleight of hand.
We can very easily see the District's rep taking a bit of a hit if Brown is elected and fails to produce as a Councilmember, but it would hardly be the end of the world. I'm sure that radio pundits can and will find plenty to make fun of about our fair city, regardless of who ends up winning the race for an at-large Council seat.
Random Reader Rant and/or Revel
Kevin Anderson Named New Maryland Athletic Director
Less than 24 hours after Maryland defeated Navy in the Crab Bowl Classic, the University unveiled former Army athletic director Kevin Anderson as the new athletic director in College Park. Anderson was selected late last week after a 17-person search committee deliberated over three finalists that also included University of Connecticut athletic director (and Maryland alumnus) Jeff Hathaway and University of Buffalo athletic director Warde Manuel.
University president-designate Dr. Wallace Loh and acting president Nariman Farvardin had the final say in the decision and officially announced Anderson as the incoming athletic director today at noon. Anderson will take over for former AD Deborah Yow. Yow left College Park for the same position at North Carolina State University earlier this summer.
While some critics might point to Anderson's lack of AD experience outside of a service academy, the San Francisco State graduate has held administrative positions at several major programs such as Stanford and California. He was also Oregon State's executive associate athletic director before taking the athletic director position at West Point in 2004.
Anderson will preside over 27 teams and a $55 million operating budget.
