Turn Out The Lights: It always feels a little Christmas-y in Adams Morgan, thanks to the illuminated martini glass, music note, coffee cup, and shoe that have been hanging from lightposts in the neighborhood for the last decade. But like a tree that's dropped all its needles and needs to go out to the curb, the lights will soon be retired. The Business Improvement District in the area is replacing them with banners, like the ones that have popped up everywhere else in the District recently. On the plus side: The lights look sort of silly. On the minus side: So do banners. +1

A Drum Major For Accurate Quotes: A mere six months after people realized the National Park Service had bowdlerized Martin Luther King Jr. in inscribing a quote of his on a new memorial to the civil rights leader, the agency is getting around to fixing it. The solution—recutting the memorial slightly to fit the actual words King uttered, not the paraphrased version—turned out to be so simple that it's tempting to wonder why they didn't just do it that way the first time around. But that way lies madness! +2

Vegas, Baby: The real test of whether local favorite Lamont Peterson benefited from home judging, as Amir Khan's fans allege, in their boxing championship match here last year will come soon enough. Peterson and Khan will have a rematch in May nowhere near the District—specifically, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. If only the D.C. Council hadn't repealed iGaming, maybe we could just declare the D.C. Convention Center a casino and hold the fight here. -1

The Discontent Of Our Winter: Two years ago at this time, there was a record amount of snow on the ground and the District was pretty much paralyzed by the effects of two massive snowstorms in a row. This year, the winter's been so odd that the forecast for Saturday—a dusting of light snow showers—seems like the 2012 equivalent. Just ask the D.C. Department of Public Works, which commemorated the weather advisory by posting a photo of snowboarders on its Facebook page. +2

Yesterday's Needle rating: 37 Today's score: +4 Friday bonus: +2 Today's Needle rating: 43

1700 Block of Lanier Place NW (Rear), January 18

Page three photos are also in a big picture gallery.

But not all of the bike brawling has been of the electoral variety: In May, after a Camaro accidentally rammed a bike in the 1800 block of Adams Mill Road NW, an actual brawl broke out. Cyclists Ian Barry and Saul Leiken told City Desk that after the vehicle skidded into a bike lane and threw Barry onto its windshield, the driver of the Camaro and several of its passengers got out and attacked the duo.

On Wednesday, the bikers had their day in court. Driver Demarcus Boulware, after having pleaded guilty to one count of simple assault, was sentenced.

So will Boulware do hard time, warning all frustrated sports car owners drivers off punching it out with cyclist they've just potentially mangled? Not likely. Boulware was given a suspended jail sentence of 50 days and a year's worth of probation. Though that's fitting since it was his first offense, it's unlikely to scare any bullying drivers straight.

Leiken, who was at the Superior Court sentencing and watched Boulware make nice in front of the judge, wasn't exactly impressed. "I'm conflicted. No priors, but at the same time he showed little remorse in his apology to me (didn't look me in the face)," he tells City Desk via tweet. Leiken, who managed to photograph the cars license plate as he was being punched and kicked—he turned the pic over to police who used it as evidence— suspects it could all happen again. "I'm also not confident that he'll take responsibility for his actions BEFORE an arrest warrant is issued next time." Boulware's lawyer couldn't immediately be reached.

In any event, you can bet that bike versus driver disputes will continue in a city where the bike has come to symbolize various divides.

Meanwhile, happy Car-Free-Day, Washington!

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.”

Summer moon.

Pencil, tapping.

Cable news talking heads flash silently across the room.

Blah blah blah... debt ceiling... blah Obama

Coffee once steaming, now cold.

Cursor, flashing.

Flashing.

How to make this story interesting?

Interviews?

No.

Researching the effectiveness of citizen patrollers?

No, not that.

Never that.

Just describe the night.

Whatever words come to mind.

Iniquity. Molten. Calisthenics.

This is where the writer types.

There is time yet for a hundred visions and revisions—oh wait.

[Bleep.]

Stream of consciousness.

The silent click of the keyboard.

Shift.

Just write.

They’ll love it.

The moon is rolling its eyes.

Cops believe they've caught the driver of a red Camaro that plowed into District cyclist Ian Barry in May.

Barry and his friend Saul Leiken (pictured above) say they were pedaling their bikes home along an Adams Mill Road NW bike lane when the Camaro tried to make a turn into a nearby alley; the car missed the alley, but caught Barry dead on. After Barry demanded the Camaro's driver get out and exchange information, several men exited the car and jumped them, they say.

But Leiken, who ended up with a concussion, was still able to get the Camaro's license plate. On July 6, police arrested 23-year-old Demarcus Boulware of Tempe Hills, Md., for the alleged assault. According to court documents, Boulware was identified in part by a photo on his Facebook page. He's pleaded not guilty to a simple assault.

Boulware's lawyer declined comment.

Leiken says that since the incident, tons of local cyclists have been coming to him with car on bike horror stories. "It's disconcerting and scary to hear about," he says.

Photo of Saul Leiken by Charlie McCormick

Addressing McCormick's woes after Graham reached out to D.C. police, Captain Aubrey P. Mongal wrote back that there were certainly some bad elements seeping into the neighborhood.

"The predators appear to be identifying individuals or couples that have left the main 18th street area and [are] walking in areas not known as high traffic areas." McCormick tells City Desk the crime spike is changing the character of Adams Morgan. "It's losing its friendliness," he says.

There's evidence he's right. Police Chief Cathy Lanier recently said the 3rd police district, where Adams Morgan is located, "has the highest volume of crime in the city, and the third highest volume of calls for service." That's one of the reasons why, as part of citywide police district realignments, the Metropolitan Police Department will be changing its boundaries so that a neighboring police district takes on Mt. Pleasant, helping shoulder the problem.

In Adams Morgan itself, so far this year when compared to statistics from last year, total crime is up 13 percent, according to the MPD crime map. That increase might or might not qualify as a spike. We're dealing with small numbers here, so even a slight change amounts to a dramatic difference in the percentage.

There's been an 8 percent increase in violent crime, but that just means there were 64 instances of violent crime in 2010 as compared to 69 in 2011. Cars in the neighborhood have definitely seen better days. 97 cars were broken into in 2010, and 127 in 2011, a 31 percent increase. There's been no change in the number of armed robberies. But in the same period in 2009, total  crime was down 9 percent.

It's well known that Adams Morgan goes through a crime wave every once in awhile. It usually passes with increased police patrols. In that case, trimming down the police district that responds to the area is a good idea, as it should free up some manpower and just might bring back the the neighborhood McCormick remembers.

Photo by Matt Dunn

One more for the annals of  D.C.'s ongoing car culture versus bike culture conflict.

At 2 a.m. last Friday, cyclist Ian Barry tried to fight back. Standing at 6'1", he was bigger than the guy trying to put him down on the 1800 block of Adams Mill Road NW. But Barry was also looking at some disadvantages. First, he was wearing road racing shoes, which, Barry says, "is like running on ice." Second, he'd just been hit by a 2011 red Camaro, he says.

As he squared up with his opponent, in a nearby alley, he could see his buddy, Saul Leiken, taking a beating. He saw attackers let go a flurry of punches and kicks that would leave Leiken with a concussion.

Just moments before, as Barry, on a fixie, and Leiken, on a Surly Travelers Check, biked toward Leiken's home in Mt. Pleasant after visiting some friends, everything had been fine.Barry had decided to crash at Leiken's place. Leiken said it was okay, but also came up with the perfect way to top the night off: taquitos from a 7-Eleven on Columbia Road NW. Thinking about the small, stuffed corn tortilla rolls that churn endlessly on the store's rolling grills got the two excited. They were talking over the merits of the delicacy when the Camaro screeched in, going for a "curb cut" that led to an alley.

Both Barry and Leiken are avid cyclists who work at City Bikes and have been in car versus bike conflicts before. Many started the way this one did: with a car cutting across a bike lane for some reason. Though the city has been installing bike lanes to make things easier on both cyclist and drivers, it's well-known that the narrow lanes have become battle zones. ”The drivers always want to say that it's the bikers fault," says Leiken. Leiken thinks Adams Morgan cyclists have a particularly hard time because of narrow streets.

The sports car made a left turn, theoretically heading for an alley. ”It him head on," says Leiken, who was stunned as he watched his friend crash onto the car's windshield. Those inside the vehicle were shocked, too. From inside the shiny car, Leiken remembers hearing panicked voices: "Oh my God, oh my God, you hit someone!"

Maybe it's because he's used to toughing things out in the rugby matches he's addicted to, but in a moment, Barry was both on his feet, and pissed off.

At first, the driver and four passengers refused to get out of the car. Barry insisted they had to because he needed their information. "He was yelling, so they might have felt threatened," Leiken says. When the all-male group (dressed "club-casual," Barry says) finally emerged from the vehicle, they told him to "get out of their face," Barry remembers.

Then the guys jumped on Barry. Leiken called the cops on his cell phone, but when the guys from the Camaro noticed him trying to read the car's tag number, they were on him, too. The battle took a turn when a bystander came to their rescue. Pointing what the cyclists later discovered was a fake taser, the bystander chased the Camaro guys away.

The cops have been looking for the assailants, and have a lead, so there could be an arrest any day.

Leiken seems scarred by the whole ordeal: "I have yet to ride my bike at night again," he says. "I'm a little afraid of doing so."

Photo of Saul Leiken by Charlie McCormick

Save the Newel Post!: Park View D.C. ponders a single-family home renovation that has progressed quite oddly: "According to the permits on the front it still looks like the house is intended to be a single family home with a rental in the basement. I think this is good. On the other hand, I think it’s sad, but not unexpected, that the debris pile in the back yard contains the original hardwood pocket doors, newel post, and stair railing." Commenters are also distressed by the stripping of the home's original features. One says, "It is so sad to see that stuff thrown away. It seems like our neighborhood has extremes – really good renovations that incorporate the charm of our old houses and ones that just destroy it. You wonder if these flippers really know what people want in houses today. It seems like this has the potential to be a disaster. I’m also thinking of the house on Newton across from the school which had such promise and now is looking quite fugly and is now boarded up again," while another ruminates, "I agree, that just hurts. I’ve seen so many houses in our neighborhood now with all the old baseboards, flooring, doors, walls, etc. removed and replaced with cheap junk materials. They don’t have the same craftsmanship or style. And you know that, one of these days, the whole “open floor plan” fad, where the entire downstairs has no walls, will go out of style…"

I Can Haz?: "Any suggestions/advise on what to do when you realize water is entering your basement from the bottom up? At this point its only a small puddle. I told a co-worker about this and all he said was, 'Welcome to DC,'" writes a member of the Brookland email list. But the thread title takes on the parlance of the Internet: It's entitled "Halp! Water in the basement."

Bright Ideas: One member of the Adams Morgan email list asks, "Does anyone have a place they recommend for lamp repair? I have two fairly new lamps that need repairs to the electrical wiring. I called Annapolis Lighting and they said it takes a minimum of two weeks to have a lamp repaired, even if the repair is simple. I was hoping for something more like a few days or a week at longest." But members of the list well-versed in the delicate business of soliciting a lamp repair shop offer other suggestions: "In all of DC, I think there are a total of two places. One is way up Connecticut Avenue. The other is right here in Adams Morgan, the Brass Knob. They charge an arm and a leg. They repaired a lamp of mine, and I'm fairly satisfied, except for the price which was over the top, but I needed it done. I think they are faster than Annapolis," says one. Another adds, "I have had fast, polite, and effective service at Artisan Lamps in Cleveland Park. They've repaired electrical and structural issues for me and they re-wired a lamp to add an additional bulb and a new kind of switch."

Cleveland Park, ISO: Under a thread titled "ISO Occasional Weekend Dog Walker," one member of the Cleveland Park listserv requests, "We're looking for an occasional weekend dog walker for our 70 lb black lab. Can be a neighborhood high schooler or professional. We need a visit this Saturday. Please contact me offlist." There is no mention of what "occasional" might constitute.

More Than the Sum of Tom-Tom: The Very Cherry AdMo Pop-Up Shop sprung up to fill the empty space on 18th Street left by Uptowner Deli, but members of the Ward 1 email list are crediting it with more than merely activating a storefront. "We bought several items, but we liked that they sent us to other local retail stores. They sent us to Tora Mata, the art of Peru, when we said we needed a religious themed item for a friend and we bought also at the Tibet Shop and Crooked Beat records which we did not know was in Adams Morgan. Also did not know before about Planet Pet either," writes one. Another reports a similar experience, saying "Yes, we also learned much from the Adamsmorgan Mainstreet about the local businesses right here in Adams Morgan. They gave us the information on many more of the true restaurants are here than we knew. We had made the mistake to think that Brassknob was a bar, and learned they have wonderful things. Then went to the AMWine Shop to make the purchases and a special trip to Meeps Vintage." Who knew the strip responsible for the phrase "Adams Morgan Effect"—deployed by ANC commissioners hoping to quash the rapid spread of bars in their own neighborhoods—could be so charming?

Airing of Grievances: Tenleytown email list members feel the city is unfairly targeting their cars and residences in order to generate revenue. Prompts one, "Let's count the ways that the city is sticking it to us lately..."—and a list was born! Though the slew of annoyances is bound to grow, here's what Tenleytown residents feel are costing them too much money, at present:

1. Ticket for Bulk Trash with confirmation number
Then failing to pick up for 3 weeks.
2. Ticket for personal property inside fenced yard.
3. Ticket for speeding in a car we have never seen.
4. Ticket for trash cans in the alley.
5. Tickets for displaying a parking pass that has not yet expired.
6. Ticket for turning right on red after stop at Fessenden St.
7. Ticket for tree branches overhanging an alley.
8. Refusal to produce public records relating to the District's plans to develop the Tenley-Friendship Library/Janney E.S. site.

No Laundry Here: 14th & You checks in on the status of the "Shirt Laundry" building on 14th and Q streets NW—which many expected to be under construction to become a restaurant by now—but doesn't have great news to share: "Plans for the restaurant have...been shelved. Last month, the Whisk Group announced that they were pulling out of the project because of unexpectedly high cleanup costs. (Dry cleaners tend to leave a lot of mess in their wake.) This now leaves an open question as to what might end up there, if not a food-serving establishment? Several ideas have been floating around (it's been a poorly kept secret that Walgreen's would like to set up shop in the neighborhood, for instance) but nothing has been announced at this point." A commenter is hoping the former is still a go, noting, "I'd love to see a place to grab something casual and healthy. Teaism would be perfect. I love all the upscale restaurants, but if you want something quick or without reservations/a long wait, burgers seem to be the only option."

When The Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Disappear'd, UPDATE: Cleveland Park's infamous lilac thief has been spotted! One member of the neighborhood email list reports, "He was walking northbound along the Glover-Archbold Park stream valley path this morning about 6:45am in full flower. He was carrying a large armful of lilacs."

I Love the 90s: The 90 bus line's stops in Adams Morgan have been rerouted to accommodate the 18th Street streetscape construction, and some residents are none too happy. Writes one, on the Adams Morgan email list, "Who the hell at metro is in charge of putting up signs telling us the 90 busses have been detoured? Considering more people in Adams Morgan take the bus than own a car, you'd think somebody (hint hint ANC and councilmembers) would be on top of this. Count me as cranky when I saw my bus drive down Columbia instead of down 18th where I was standing." Though the complaint might be warranted, another list member feels that the ire was directed to the wrong parties: "You'd think the "someone" to be on top of this would the rider of the 90 busses.  A simple phone call would probably get you the answers you're looking for.  What the hell does the ANC or the councilmember have to do with it?  Yet another example of the ANC used as the whipping dog of the community.  Grrr, back atcha."

Hine Times, Pt. II: EMMCA has a vastly detailed explanation of community requests for the Hine School project, as well as the summarization of comments from Councilmember Tommy Wells regarding "why it is difficult to reduce massing – and the complex set of economic relationships between amenities and a profitable real estate venture." The Hine School redevelopment has become a touchy subject, and a commenter offers a possible reason why: "buried in the article is an important fact that does not get enough attention: because of the inability of Stanton/Eastbanc to recruit or retain tenants, this project has become MUCH MORE residential than originally projected. the burden of this revision has fallen upon 8th st. neighbors. people removed from this discussion are wondering why they are being so vocal (read: difficult). but the project has indeed changed in ways that are totally unfavorable to them."

Must Love Dogs: The Bloomingdale Blog reports that a pet store, reportedly called GreenPaws, is seeking to open in the neighborhood. Though a few commenters seem pleased by the potential of a storefront being filled, one commenter notes, "I have mixed feelings about this store. While I think it's wonderful that there might be some alternative pet food options close by, and even though I could certainly benefit from the convenience of having grooming and walking services in Bloomingdale, I'm concerned that this will be another business catering to the wealthier residents, and that it will offer prices beyond what many of us in the neighborhood can afford."

Takoma Park Problems: Spring is in the air, so what better to do than shore up one's flower beds? But, it seems like good soil can be hard to find. Writes one member of the Takoma Park email list, "I got my soil tested and it has slightly elevated lead levels (111 ppm). I would like to buy other soil to mix in with my soil – does anyone know of a good place that will deliver good soil?"

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

Chainification: While it's always nice to see empty storefronts filled in, new tenants can occasionally be, well, underwhelming. The former Popeye's space in Adams Morgan will soon house a 7-11, reports The 42 Bus, and a new Corner Bakery location is springing forth in Mount Vernon. Though the latter will no doubt cater to the suited-up lunch crowds, Mt. Vernon Triangle ponders whether it will provide a much-needed breakfast option.

The Counting Continues: Everyone is still turning over that Census data released last Thursday. Though the numbers have been discussed at length by various news sources (including this blog), there's still a lot to talk about. InShaw carefully examines one particular block—in Shaw, of course—and concludes that "between 1990 and 2000 a whole bunch of people left prior to the wave of gentrification between 2000 and 2010. So black folks were trending out of the neighborhood..." Park View D.C. analyzes the number of children in the neighborhood, which decreased despite an overall gain in population.

The Land Before Nellie's: Left for LeDroit delves into the photography of Addison Scurlock, whose studio was located where Nellie's Sports Bar now stands from 1911 to 1976. Featured in Left for LeDroit's post is the building at 455 Florida Avenue NW, formerly Harrison's Café, "a neighborhood restaurant and bar that attracted the various musical and academic notables of the area." More of Scurlock's work is accessible through the Smithsonian Institution.

Take Our Advice: In last week's Best Of D.C. issue, we anointed the chivito, a sandwich of Uruguayan origin available at the Fast Gourmet in the Lowest Price gas station at 14th and W streets NW, Best Uruguayan Sandwich. Over the weekend, New Columbia Heights sampled the delicacy, proclaiming it "big and delicious."

Photo by  Alex S. via Flickr/Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0.

18th St., Adams Morgan. © 2011 Michael W. Hicks

18th St., Adams Morgan. © 2011 Michael W. Hicks

As far as we know, there's no brothel around the corner from Washington City Paper's offices.

But there is a curious sign in the window of a now-closed Adams Morgan bar. "Warning: This area has been declared a prostitution free zone by order of the chief of police," reads the sign, at the Adams Mill Bar and Grill. At Prince of Petworth, commenters are theorizing about what the sign means.

Well, theorize no more.

The sign, which is hanging in the front window of the bar on Adams Mill Road NW, is bright red. It warns that it's unlawful to congregate for the purposes of prostitution, and that anyone caught doing so could face a $180 fine or 180 days in jail or both. The sign appears to be signed by Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier. Next to the sign hangs another that says "Berlusconi was here."

A worker who came out of the restaurant, who would only identify himself as Joe Blow, says the sign "is a joke" and claims that the business is only closed for remodeling.

Third District Commander Jacob Kishter pretty much corroborates the story, saying he doesn't remember any of his forces shutting down the place. He does, however, remember "signing off" on the posting of anti-prostitution signs in a number of public areas. But after taking a look at the one hanging outside the bar, Kishter says it's "not one of ours."

Photo by Rend Smith