I Feel The Earth Move: Last summer, the D.C. area shook through a 3.6 magnitude earthquake. 2010: Consider yourself topped. A 5.8 magnitude quake centered 87 miles away (near Mineral, Va.) and about 4 miles underground rumbled this afternoon, forcing buildings to be evacuated, damaging some facilities, and generally freaking everyone the fuck out. The good news: There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or truly devastating damage. The bad news: There may also be a hurricane on the way. -7

Silly Rabbit, Fireworks Are For July: The annual Independence Day fireworks show draws a big crowd. Which may be why Glenn Neff planned to do his own, authorities say: As part of a protest against the banking industry, he was going to set off a bunch of explosives on the Mall. Neff, 27, of Stuart, Fla., was found sitting in his car in Cabin John Regional Park with fireworks, a turret, and tubes to launch them. The bankers, we presume, remain unconcerned. -2

Tickets R Us: In these troubled economic times, tax revenues are dropping, leaving city budgets around the country strapped. The District, though, has a backup plan. Last year, D.C. collected more than $80 million from parking tickets; this year, it had already picked up $50 million through May. That puts it on a pace ahead of Chicago, the third-biggest city in the nation (D.C. is only the 24th-biggest). The revenue may not solve all of D.C.'s financial woes, though: AAA claims 47 percent of tickets were dismissed when contested. +1

Fully Fed: Going to a food bank to feed your family is, by definition, a last resort for people who can't afford to buy groceries. So when the Capital Area Food Bank had to implement a 10 cent-per-pound fee to other food distribution centers to pay for fresh produce, it was a bad sign. But William Conway, managing director of the Carlyle Group, has stepped in with a $1 million donation to cover the costs the fee was going to pay for. Conway, one of the 400 richest people in the country, also gave $5 million to the food bank last year. +2

Yesterday's Needle rating: 69 Today's score: -6 Today's Needle rating: 63

Exploding Evidence: Around the time that the ad hoc fireworks shows around District neighborhoods were reaching a crescendo last night, the D.C. Fire and EMS department tweeted out a plaintive message—remember, those things are illegal. And in fact, some of them are; authorities busted the dealers of about $10,000 worth of fireworks in two separate raids, netting 2,710 explosives. Still, people were shooting off fireworks on almost every block in the city (well, except maybe some of the leafier blocks in Ward 3), rivaling the display down on the Mall. Next year, we're not sure officials should even bother trying to crack down. After all, who doesn't love fireworks? +2

Tuned Up: Few bars in the city have drawn as loyal—or as diverse—a following over the years as the Tune Inn. So when the Capitol Hill favorite burned last month, its fans rallied. A fundraiser is now scheduled for employees, whose lost income while repairs are made won't be covered by insurance, for July 15. It'll be at the nearby American Legion hall, which for now, at least, is as close to the Tune Inn as you get. +1

Lama Landing: Most groups that come through D.C. for rallies or protests stick around for a few hours, then pack up and leave. But the Dalai Lama is, according to tradition, the 14th reincarnation of a holy man originally born in the 14th century, so perhaps his schedule moves more slowly. The former Tibetan head of state (who resigned recently to focus on his spiritual duties) will lead a 10-day kalachkra, a complex Buddhist peace ritual, in the District starting this week. Most of it will take place at the Verizon Center; no word on just how much chanting it will take to undo the bad karma of past monster truck rallies. +3

The Heat Is On: The next time someone tells you they don't believe in global climate change, tell them you've got firsthand experience to the contrary. Last month was the third-hottest June on record in D.C., topped only by June 2010 and June 1943. Three of the hottest six Junes ever have come in the last four years. The city had 10 days at 90 or above during the month, which is more than average. But look at the bright side: Last June, 18 days—more than half the month—were that hot. -2

Friday's Needle rating: 45 Today's score: +4 Today's Needle rating: 49

1600 Block Marion Street, NW.  July 4th.  © 2011 Matt Dunn

Fioriti says he was having a get-together in his yard , when "suddenly a 'boom' as loud as a cannon went off in front of the alley five doors down from us. It shook the windows and set off car alarms! People actually ducked and hit the dirt!" After the detonation, all hell broke loose: "[T]here were teenagers setting off fireworks, M80's and roman candles that they were aiming at the windows and roof tops of the houses and at the cars driving by. People walking down the sidewalks arriving from the fireworks displays and "get togethers" would walk just past Faircliff East and duck, cover their head with their hands and run down the block... drivers would floor their vehicles to get down the block from Faircliff East..."

Fioriti says though the cops eventually showed, they didn't do much to curb the explosions.

Which, really, wasn't much of a surprise; fireworks were going off all over the city Sunday (and, for that matter, all weekend). Did anyone actually get in trouble this year for possessing contraband that goes boom? Contacting MPD, City Desk learned police issued only 14 citations for illegal fireworks during the whole weekend. In addition, one person, Danielle Adams, was arrested on the 4th for possession of an illegal firework.

But Adams was also charged with possession of cocaine. Local prosecutors have decided not to pursue the possession of illegal firework charge.

So the moral of the story, for next year, appears to be: Blow up whatever you want. Just make sure you ditch your drugs first.

Along with barbeques, displays of patriotism, and droves of tourists descending upon D.C., Fourth of July means fireworks galore. WaPo explores local pyros. Apparently more people are injured each year in bike, motorcycle, and car accidents than in fireworks-related incidents. Put that one in the Duh Column.

Will the soon-to-be-open CVS cause light pollution in Park View/Petworth? As a resident of the neighborhood–and one that could easily be affected by the light, too–I don't care, I just want a drug store already.

Chinatown Coffee Company will be adding beer, wine, and absinthe to their menu. Hmm, bet they had an easier time getting their liquor license than some other coffee shops around town.

Oh, Robert Byrd, why'd you have to go and die right around Independence Day? The flag at the Capitol has been flying half-staff since his death, and is supposed to stay there until his funeral next week. But Federal code dictates the flag fly at full staff July 4.

Katie Smith scored 9 points in the final seconds of the game to help the Mystics beat the Phoenix Mercury 107-104 last night. I've seen that woman up close, and she has got some impressive guns–metaphorically speaking, of course; it's not like she's the female Gilbert Arenas.

Photo: onetravel.com

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT—"Defendants Often Left Door Unlocked, Ex-Housemate Testifies In Wone Case," "Friendly Card Game Leads To Homicide At Salina Restaurant," "Witness Recalls Defendant in Wone Case Talking About Blood Evidence," "Ellwood Thompson's Opening in Columbia Heights In January-ish," "Applying For Permits? Budget Accordingly."

Howdy. After an extended break involving a trip to Upstate New York and a move to Takoma—still in D.C., Thank G-d—the Original Substitute LL is back with the morning links. Let's get to it. WaPo's Bill Turque reports that DCPS' teachers' union ratified the new contract yesterday, voting in favor of the deal by a wide margin. After all the wrangling, the vote wasn't even close on the contract which expands Michelle Rhee's powers to remove teachers and places an emphasis on classroom performance over teacher seniority; the contract also provides teachers with a significant salary bump. Turque provides the details: "Members of the Washington Teachers' Union approved the pact 1,412 to 425 after a two-week voting period. The agreement now goes to the D.C. Council, where it is expected to be swiftly approved. The contract, a product of nearly 2 1/2 years of contentious negotiations, combines a rich traditional financial package with unorthodox initiatives historically resisted by unionized teachers. It includes a five-year, 21.6 percent increase in base pay that will boost the average annual salary of a D.C. educator from $67,000 to about $81,000 and gives the city's public school teachers salaries comparable to those in surrounding suburban districts, according to a union survey. The payday stands out amid a wave of deep school budget cuts across the country. New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said Wednesday, for instance, that his city will eliminate raises for its public school teachers and principals over the next two years to avoid deep job reductions. Although the contract breaks new ground for the District, the extraordinary pace of change in national education policy has in some ways overtaken the document. When negotiations started in late 2007, the concepts embedded in Rhee's contract and evaluation proposals — performance pay linked to test score growth, weakening of seniority and tenure — were far more politically polarizing." Key Comment: "Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, who shared negotiating responsibilities with Parker, was less effusive. She said she was pleased that after months of divisiveness, the two sides found common ground in 'wanting teachers to be the best they could be' with provisions for increased professional development and classroom resources.... 'At the end of the day, this is still one of the industrial model contracts where a lot of the authority is reposed in the chancellor herself,' said Weingarten, adding that the union was able to incorporate checks and balances into the contract that lend more transparency to Rhee's power."

The Examiner's Leah Fabel calls the pay-for-performance plan the "most robust" in the nation. More coverage via WTOP, NC8, WUSA9, WashTimes. Statement from D.C. Council Chairman/Mayoral Candidate Vincent Gray: “Today’s vote has been almost three years in the making and I believe it’s high time we seal the deal. Therefore, I will urge my colleagues on the Council to follow the teachers’ lead and give final approval as soon as possible. In the coming days, the Council will engage in an open, transparent approval process that aims to restore the public trust in the ability of its government to implement the contract effectively and fund it within the existing Council-approved DCPS budget without any indirect cuts that negatively impact other areas of the school budget."

AFTER THE JUMP: New York Ave. water main break, Fenty checks BlackBerry during mayoral forum, Don Peebles is still a tease, Chesapeake Bay meetup, and much, much more!

MAYORAL FORUM: The D.C. Wire's Tim Craig has the scene from last nights mayoral forum: "If Wednesday night's D.C. for Democracy candidates forum had been televised, viewers would have seen Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) looking annoyed, distracted and uneasy. The mayor had a vexed look on his face during much of the forum as he fumbled with his BlackBerry. At one point, he picked up the BlackBerry and handed it to an aide so she could take an incoming call for him. But viewers also would have heard a mayor who is starting to sharpen his message about why he thinks he's a better candidate than his chief rival in the September Democratic primary, D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray....In response to a question from the moderator, Gray and Alexander criticized the Fenty administration's record on affordable housing. Fenty hit back. 'As you can tell the gentleman on my left and the gentleman on my right are really big critics,' Fenty said, referring to Gray and Alexander. 'If we were electing a chief critic for the District of Columbia, I would probably recommend either of them. But we are electing a chief executive officer and that means we need someone who can get things done.'"

YOUR COMMUTE MAY HAVE SUCKED: A water main break on New York Avenue NE caused a huge traffic tie-up yesterday. WASA officials had hoped to fix the busted old pipe but now say the break could still cripple the morning rush hour. NC8 reports: "When WASA crews reached the 79-year-old pipe they realized there was no quick fix. Their goal is to get the lanes re-opened by the morning rush hour, but Wednesday night there was still a huge gaping hole as crews worked to replace more than 30 feet of pipes. Digging around gas and electric lines by hand, WASA's crew knows exactly what to do. two years ago, a similar split happened a quarter mile up the road. 'You don't want to be tying up New York Avenue on a work day. We understand that and apologize to the residents that's we've impacted,' stated Charles Kiely with WASA. A total of four businesses lost water Wednesday, including a Comfort Inn Hotel." More coverage via WTOP. WaPo has more from DDOT: "John Lisle of DDOT said the surge of water early Wednesday damaged a pair of traffic signal control boxes. He said one was replaced and the other repaired so that all lights would be functioning when the road is ready to reopen."

MORE ON TEACHERS CONTRACT: WaPo columnist Robert McCartney wonders if the ratified contract signals a new era of cooperation between the teachers' union and Michelle Rhee: "Both Rhee and the union will have to shed their mutual hostility to make it work, but the rewards would be great. If they succeed, it would make the District a national showpiece for successful school reform. In particular, it would demonstrate that teachers unions can become allies of change rather than obstacles to it. 'I feel like we're finally moving out of a hole in D.C. It seems like we've improved scores, and if Chancellor Rhee and the union can work together, then we really have a chance to move forward and keep that momentum,' said Steve Aupperle, who coaches middle school teachers at Truesdell Educational Center in Northwest Washington and is a former member of the WTU's executive board. Although critical of Rhee's approach in some ways, Aupperle stressed that the union had to cooperate, too. 'If the union kind of goes back to old-fashioned tactics of fighting at every junction to get control [of work processes], it's just not going to work,' he said."

PEEBLES WATCH: WaPo's Mike DeBonis has taken on the task of hounding Maybe Mayoral Candidate Don Peebles until he finally makes up his mind on whether to make a run for D.C.'s top elected office. DeBonis offers and timeline of Peebles' waffling and writes: "While us full-time D.C. residents are trying to stage a nice, tidy, exciting, mano a mano mayoral race this summer, Peebles and his potential self-financed $5 million war chest wait in the wings. Get in or get out — the moment sure isn't going to get any riper."

While you wait, maybe you should skim Peebles' book. It's awesome. In fact the book is so awesome, it has even received praise from Steve Jobs Sunglass Hut Founder(!!) Dr. Sanford Ziff: "This book is a brilliant example of entrepreneurship, creativity, and principles. Peebles walks you through many of his successful deals, from their inception to their completion. Once you start the book you won't be able to put it down until you've finished the last page." LL's fave chapter title: "North Capitol and G Streets: Carpe Diem."

AREA UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS: Jobless claims fell dramatically in the Metro region, WaPo reports: "In April, the region's not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 5.9 percent, compared with 6.6 percent in March, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The region gained a net 5,800 jobs during the 12 months ending in April. Local economists had predicted that the increase would be as high as 20,000. Still, 5,800 represented the largest net gain of jobs among major U.S. metropolitan areas and marked the first time since October 2008 that the Washington region added more jobs than it lost."

CHESAPEAKE CLEANUP MEETUP: Today, Mayor Fenty is meeting in Baltimore with Gov. O'Malley and Gov. McDonnell to discuss the on-going restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, WaPo reports: "The gathering in Baltimore comes after decades of failure to meet goals set to cleanse the bay, and after a pair of potentially significant developments that will put additional pressure on state and local governments in the 64,000-square-mile watershed. An Obama administration initiative rolled out two weeks ago requires that each of the six watershed states and the District come up with its own restrictions on farmers, developers, homeowners and others to curtail the flow of pollutants into the bay. The Environmental Protection Agency is at work determining what's called the Total Maximum Daily Load that bay waters can absorb if water quality is to improve. The TMDL will be apportioned to the states. A second fresh element in play when Maryland's Martin O'Malley (D) and Virginia's Robert F. McDonnell (R) meet with Fenty (D) on Thursday is the settlement last month of a lawsuit brought against the EPA by bay advocates. That agreement leaves the federal agency legally vulnerable if it fails to enforce new limits on nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment flowing into the bay."

FIREWORKS BUST: A Northeast man was busted with a huge cache of professional-grade fireworks. WUSA9 reports: "The man says authorities are overreacting to the Times Square car bomb and just picking on him. But federal agents say they found some 20 cases of explosives in [the suspect's] vehicle. 'With that amount, it would have almost been a large vehicle bomb... like a truck bomb.'" Authorities do not believe the man is a terrorist or had plotted to do anyone harm.

COMMUTER NEEDS: Amtrak says it will continue to offer free wi-fi service on its trains.

IF ONLY 'LAW & ORDER' HAD BEEN RENEWED: The AP reports that a Virginia charged with murdering his wife is claiming that a lethal mix of steroids and Starbucks coffee were big, mitigating factors: "Philip Kingery pleaded guilty Wednesday in Franklin County Circuit Court to second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his wife Rose. He also pleaded guilty to use of a firearm in commission of a felony. Defense attorney Tony Anderson said Kingery had 'diminished capacity' at the time of the slaying last year because of steroid abuse and an addiction to coffee, particularly Starbucks coffee. Judge William Alexander sentenced the 48-year-old Kingery to 40 years in prison on the murder charge but suspended 18 years. Kingery received a three-year sentence on the firearm charge."

ROBERT WONE: A rundown of the 11th day of the trial.

FENTY SCHEDULE:

7:10 a.m. Guest
Fenty on Fox
Location: Fox 5

11:00 a.m. Remarks
Annual Executive Council meeting of the Chesapeake Bay
Location: Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum
1417 Thames St, Baltimore, MD 21231

COUNCIL SCHEDULE:

4 p.m. Committee on Health (Round Table)
Implementation of the Youth Sexual Health Project
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 123

"The District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department met with the Washington Nationals to identify additional measures to ensure spectator safety during pyrotechnic activities at Nationals Park. These new measures will be put in place to serve as an additional layer of protection to reduce debris when fireworks are used during the National Anthem, when the team takes the field, and during the Nationals' homeruns and victories. Normal pyrotechnic activities will resume for the next home game."

More details after the jump.

The District now moves at super-sonic speed to fix major safety problems. Or the fireworks problem wasn't much of a problem at all. Alan Etter, the spokesperson from the fire department, says the angle in which the devices were being deployed had to be changed so the fallout would end up outside the stadium. "They did tell me that the product itself is being revised so that there's less debris that is subject to fall on people," Etter says. But adds: "None of this stuff is on fire."

What if it's windy? "That will be something the experts ... will consider," Etter says. "The wind is the huge determination."

What fell on Rubin? Paper debris—the wadding. "There was no fire, no fire that landed on anybody," Etter says.

The new precautions were ironed out during a meeting held today between the Nationals and the Fire Department. Etter says Rubin was in attendance.

Etter says he does not know why Rubin had overruled the department's fire inspector at Nationals Park yesterday.

Today, the Nats lost more than just a game (the team got blanked 7-0 vs. the Mets), the Nats also lost use of its pyrotechnics. D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin put at least a temporary end to the stadium's fireworks displays. Rubin attended today's game, and after a fireworks display for the National Anthem ordered them to be stopped. Why?

Fireworks debris had fallen on the fire chief. According to a source familiar with the dustup, the chief then got super testy—at one point, invoking his fancy fire chief title.

Fire Department spokesperson Alan Etter confirmed the basic account via e-mail.

"[Rubin] said debris did fall on him – he was not hurt," Etter wrote. "He did have a safety concern, that's why the decision was made – so the process can be examined and adjusted, if necessary."

The firework company had been launching its pyrotechnics since the Nats called RFK home. The company's work had been vetted repeatedly. We're awaiting comment from the firework company. There's much more to this story.

Update 7:35 p.m.: According to a source, Rubin was hit with paper debris.

According to a fire department document obtained by City Desk, the fireworks company had a permit for its work at the Nats stadium. There are also clear lines of responsibility regarding fireworks safety. It appears that Chief Rubin overruled one of his own firemen when he shutdown the fireworks.

The document states that department "provides site safety for the pyrotechnics shot at the Nationals Ballpark on game days. The shoot is from the rooftop.... The shoot consists of multiple shots (National Anthem, team-on-field, and any home run/victory)."

The document goes on to state:

"It is the responsibility of the [fire department] inspector to communicate with the operator any observed risks or deficiencies and take the necessary actions to prevent injuries or damage. It is also the responsibility of the inspector communicate with the Nationals Command any observed risks or events that could lead to injury or damage."

Rubin would have had to overrule his own on-scene fire inspector to halt the fireworks displays.

"I know there's something going on. The fire inspector, it wasn't his call. The actual fire inspector on duty. I know it wasn't his call. It was 100 percent Chief Rubin's call and he was just there for the game. He wasn't there for official business," says a source familiar with today's events. The source says the fireworks were completely safe; there had been no complaints until today.

Fluttering-post-launch-paper debris, the source contended, was normal.

Rubin was not exactly diplomatic when he argued for the fireworks to be shutdown. According to the source, Rubin at one point told authorities: "Do you know who I am?"

*photo by Darrow Montgomery.