Always Low Prices On Guns: It turned out Walmart didn't need much of a hard sell to get D.C. government officials to welcome them to town; the only argument the city's really putting up so far is about whether they'll deign to give us four stores, or five, not about whether they'll do things like, oh, pay reasonable wages, not lock workers in the stores overnight, and generally avoid disrupting existing businesses. But one concession the Bentonville gang had made was that, in deference to the District's gun laws, their stores wouldn't sell firearms. Now the city seems to be trying to get them to undo that, too. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier says it "makes a lot of sense" for Walmart to sell guns in D.C. When can we just go ahead and rename the Wilson Building for Sam Walton? -3

The Name Game: Some Metro stations have easy names—think "Metro Center," or "Dupont Circle." Others have complicated ones, like "Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan," or "Vienna/Fairfax-GMU." The complicated names may be on their way out; Metro officials have decided to lop off most add-ons and relegate them to subtitles, based on a series of focus groups with riders. Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals still want to add a curly "W" to the Navy Yard station on the Green Line, which riders liked. Must have done the focus groups during the recent winning streak. +2

Federal Express: Typically, it's considered bad news when any top city officials are under investigation by federal authorities. Here in D.C., we've got a whole bunch. Council Chairman Kwame "Fully Loaded" Brown's 2008 campaign finance reports have been referred to the FBI and federal prosecutors; the feds are already looking into allegations against Mayor Vince Gray (though we suspect that investigation isn't going anywhere) and Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr., and they tried to bribe Ward 1's Jim Graham already, too. At this rate, they'll be able to get a quorum together at the FBI headquarters. -3

The Future... Is Now: Trains on Metrorail have looked like relics from the 1970s since, well, the 1970s. So it'll take some getting used to the fancy new design officials unveiled today. Gone are the orange and yellow seats and brown carpets, replaced by blue seats and dark stone-looking floors. The new trains will roll out in the next two to five years. The system is also allowing riders to add money to their SmarTrip cards online, instead of having to use the farecard machines in stations to do it. Lest we all be overwhelmed by too much progress too fast, that one's just a pilot program for now. +2

Yesterday's Needle rating: 52 Today's score: -2 Today's Needle rating: 50

The former chief of staff to Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham, Ted Loza, will spend eight months in prison, another four on supervised release, and 150 hours doing community service.

Loza, who pleaded guilty to taking $1,500 in gratuities in connection with legislation on the taxi industry, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court, four months after his guilty plea. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said he was considering more than the money; he was looking at "the measure of a man," as he imposed sentencing. Prosecutors had asked the judge to send Loza to prison for 14 months, the maximum time allowable under sentencing guidelines for his offense. Loza's defense attorneys had asked for probation. (Due to an editing error, this post originally said Loza had pleaded guilt to taking bribes, not gratuities.)

In arguing for the longer sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb had asked the judge to send a clear message: "You sell your position. You go to jail." In arguing that Loza's history of community service should earn him probation, Loza's lawyer, Pleasant Brodnax, decided to read a poem at one point: "Not, how did he die? But how did he live?" the poem starts.

The poem is called the "Measure of a Man," and the judge referred back to it several times while explaining his sentencing decision. "One considers the measure of a man like Mr. Brodnax said, the good bad and the ugly," Friedman said. "I guess I'm mixing my metaphors."

Leaving the hearing, Loza, who apologized for his actions in court, seemed to think the proceeding had gone well. "It was a good day," he told some supporters.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

No Meat Suit for D.C. Council: Behold, the awesome power of sunlight and transparency! Just days ago, D.C. Council members were whining to each other about how they couldn't get free tickets to their luxury suite at the Verizon Center. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for the city, some of them also whined to The Washington Post about it. And as a result, Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham won't be attending tonight's Lady Gaga concert, after all. Instead, he's donating his two tickets to the Sitar Arts Center, presumably so Ward 1 kids can learn about how outré fashion choices can lead to big record deals. We applaud Graham for coming to his senses instead of demanding free tickets, and we'll politely ignore the fact it took a newspaper story to prompt him to do the right thing. (Er, maybe we won't entirely ignore it.) If only such sanity were contagious among his colleagues. +2

Sulaimon Showdown: The day in D.C. politics, summarized: 1) Washington City Paper reports former mayoral candidate Sulaimon Brown has been escorted from his office with the D.C. government, where he has a $110,000-a-year job; 2) Reporters attempt to get answers from Mayor Vince Gray about Brown's job status; 3) Security in the Wilson Building appears to contemplate removing reporters from the building—or worse; 4) Brown shows up at Gray's press conference about, uh, Brown, and starts crying. He'll keep his job for another 15 days, earning $4,500 from the government in the process. Anyway, if you'll excuse us, we have to go write a reality TV show pitch up. -5

Semen Sprayer Sentencing: Finally, the world has learned just what the proper punishment is for assaulting women in the particularly perverted way that Michael Wayne Edwards Jr. preferred: Spraying them with semen as they shopped in Gaithersburg grocery and craft stores. Edwards, who pleaded guilty in November, was sentenced to three years on probation. No word on whether the judge's order included any instructions to stay away from his criminal substance of choice. -1

All Wrong for Wright: For four years, point guard Chris Wright has been the heart of the Georgetown Hoyas basketball team. Sure, sometimes he made rash decisions in the middle of a fast break—but more often than not, when Wright plays well, the Hoyas win. Which is why any basketball fans watching last night's game had to be sad to see Wright leave the team's upset loss to Cincinnati with a broken left hand, in the penultimate home game of his college career. With the Big East and NCAA tournaments coming up, Georgetown's in a tough spot now. But losing Wright would hurt them at any time in any year. Some hopeful news: Early reports are that he may be back before "One Shining Moment" plays. -3

Yesterday's Needle rating: 37 Today's score: -7 Today's Needle rating: 30

Fully Unloaded: The job of D.C. Council chairman just got a lot less attractive; sure, there's the $190,000 annual salary, and the ability to boss around the other members of the legislature (though admittedly, that only goes so far). But as of today, Kwame Brown no longer gets a car. Mayor Vince Gray, apparently realizing that there was some political advantage to be gained by cleaning up the council's mess, ordered city officials to break the leases on the two Lincoln Navigators Brown had ordered. We're worried that without perks like free luxury SUVs, the D.C. Council won't be able to attract the high caliber of candidates that it has so far. (Which is, actually, pretty worrying.) +3

Tickets, Please: Fortunately for all concerned, there's more D.C. Council mess left to clean up. Besides their apparent fondness for free luxury vehicles, our elected leaders also enjoy a nice free sky suite at Verizon Center. And they're upset with Brown for not distributing their free tickets more regularly. Some of the legislators claim they want to give tickets to constituents, but Ward 1's Jim Graham tells The Washington Post he wants to go see Lady Gaga this week. By the way: Graham, like all the other council members (besides the better-paid Brown) who are, remember, demanding free tickets, makes $125,583 per year. -3

Bus Stops on the Bus Go Round and Round: Discount buses to New York had a good thing going: Low prices, free WiFi (which often worked!), plentiful trips, and convenient central locations to board from. Strike that last one. With construction beginning on CityCenterDC, the former convention center site is no longer available for Megabus and Boltbus boarding. Boltbus will move to New Jersey Avenue and F Street NW, and Megabus is shifting to North Capitol and K streets. Fortunately, with the economy as bad as it is, there should be plenty of empty lots around town in case those new locations don't work out. -2

#TBDLightsOut: Turns out the future of journalism looks a lot like the present of journalism—layoffs, unexpected mission shifts, and lousy treatment by the corporate honchos. Barely six months into what was originally promised to be a three-to-five year "runway" to try to reinvent local news coverage, TBD.com is scaling way back, laying off a dozen people, ditching most news and sports coverage, and losing a lot of the innovative features that won it so much attention. The only thing reinvented? TBD, which will become a "niche" arts and entertainment site. At least the job market for laid off journalists is robust, with massive salaries on offer all over the place! Oh, wait. From everyone at Washington City Paper to everyone at TBD: Good luck. -3

Yesterday's Needle rating: 42 Today's score: -5 Today's Needle rating: 37

Meet the New Boss: For an ambitious young House Republican, overseeing the District isn't a terrible gig. You get to tell 600,000 people what to do, without fear of retribution from any voting members of Congress, and without alienating your constituents back home, who don't particularly care what the federal government's doing to a bunch of Washingtonians. Which means Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina could be a new star soon, as he was named today to head the subcommittee that watches D.C. affairs. He's no Jason Chaffetz, but who is? Gowdy's district is one of the most conservative in the Palmetto State, including Greenville and Spartanburg—two cities that don't have a whole lot in common with our own (Spartanburg has about 289,000 people, more than two-thirds of them white). Welcome, boss! -3

Obama Park: One surefire way to irritate Gowdy and the new Republican majority in Congress? Start naming things around town for President Obama. That seems to be what Councilmember Jim Graham has planned, as he reintroduced legislation today to name the park at 14th and Girard streets NW for the president. Graham first tried this in July 2009, a mere six months into Obama's term; then, it was technically illegal, thanks to a provision of the D.C. Code that bars naming things for living people. +1

Ex Post Facto: Don't be alarmed when you pick up Sunday's Kaplan Test Prep Supplement Washington Post. Much of which, if you're one of the dwindling number of locals who get home delivery service, will actually arrive on Saturday. The Post announced new features and formats for its Sunday sections today, including a tabloid-sized Style section that sounds an awful lot like another tabloid packed with information on pop culture and life in the District that you can find around town on Thursdays. But hey, if it means people are actually making money printing newspapers in Washington, we're all for it! +2

Gay Marriage Saved: The institution of same-sex marriage doesn't go back quite as long as the institution of opposite-sex marriage (or, as Carrie Prejean would put it, "opposite marriage"), but like all marriage these days, it, too, was under threat. The danger to D.C.'s same-sex marriages came from the Supreme Court. But fortunately, the court opted not to interfere with the District's marriage equality law today, refusing to take up an appeal by opponents of the law who sought to force a referendum on it. Score it as a rare win for basic fairness and justice. +3

Metro Back in Business: News that Metro's Red Line had trouble this morning shouldn't have surprised anyone; after all, there was an ice storm, and Metro is perfectly capable of having difficulty when it's warm and sunny. This time, an insulator burning on the tracks near Tenleytown slowed service, just in time for commuters arriving two hours later than usual to get stranded. By evening rush hour, things were working as normal again—which is to say, expect delays. -2

Yesterday's Needle rating: 51 Today's score: +1 Today's Needle rating: 52

Keely Thompson, the director of Keely's District Youth and Boxing Center in Columbia Heights, has been arrested for pocketing money that belonged to at-risk kids. The former boxer allegedly stole $500,000 of grant money to have a good time.

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's office notes that the affidavit issued in connection to his arrest says "a bank record analysis revealed that Keely used the organization’s debit card to obtain more than $150,000 cash while on several cruises or at Bally’s casino in Atlantic City. In addition to a yearly salary that grew from $46,000 in 2004 to $81,000 in 2009," Keely also received 127 checks, totaling $355,210, it says. "The organization’s accounting records did not identify a legitimate purpose for these additional payments and when asked by financial professionals, Keely failed to provide supporting documentation."

The shenanigans seem to have been happening since 2004. "I used the money in the wrong way. I done it and I can't change it," Keely reportedly told the FBI.

But it gets even more interesting.

Thompson seems to have had at least one powerful supporter: Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham. According to a 2004 Washington Post article, Graham was pivotal to the gym opening: "Thompson said he opened the gym with the aid of Graham, who helped him find the funding and the space."

The gym has publicly thanked Graham for looking out for it. A former Graham staffer says that's because, in the past, the councilmember helped steer city earmarks toward the non-profit. But the ex-staffer also says that it was Graham who dropped the dime on Thompson. He learned of  "accounting irregularities" at Keely's a year ago, and sent a letter about the problem to Attorney General Peter Nickles. Nickles hasn't returned a call asking about the letter.

Still, that letter wasn't the first time the allegation that Thompson was misusing funds had surfaced. Back in 2006, in a civil trial in which Thompson was taken to task for firing a boxing trainer, a complaint filed on behalf of the trainer included references to Thompson using grant money allocated to the gym in 2004 by community organization Columbia Heights Shaw Family Support Collaborative—to buy vans to shuttle kids on field trips—to instead buy himself a BMW.

The case, which was settled, paints Thompson pretty monstrously: The suit alleges that the trainer "a man living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV), was fired from his job as a boxing trainer after his supervisor, Mr Thompson, discovered that he is HIV positive, and after [the trainer] reported that the center and/or Mr. Thompson appeared to be engaging in fraudulent and possibly criminal behavior."

The suit also says the trainer was paid less than minimum wage for his work and that Thompson, after firing the worker, falsely told a prospective employer that the trainer had AIDS and was an active drug user. He also told kids at the gym as much, the suit claims.

Thompson had grown angry with with the trainer for voicing suspicions about him to the collaborative. If the rumors were out there, one wonders why Thompson's allegedly free-wheeling ways didn't show up on Graham's radar until 2009.

Despite Graham's letter and an investigation, city funds routed to Keely's slowed, but they didn't stop. Financial documents obtained by City Desk show that in 2009, Keely's received at least one $20,000 grant from the city and at least one $75,000 grant this year. But that was all chump change compared to the past. In 2008, Keely's received a $200,000 city grant. According to documents obtained via a FOIA request, the organization entered invoices that indicated the money went to things like a $58,000 boxing exhibition. Records indicate that from 2008 to 2010, Keely's received more than $600,000 in city grants and earmarks. According to the Post, the organization has received $1.4 million in municipal funds since 2004.

Contacted today, Graham said he's no longer talking to Washington City Paper (though 15 minutes later, he commented to Housing Complex reporter Lydia DePillis on another matter). Graham hung on me before I could ask about the letter. A call placed to Thompson hasn't yet been returned.

*Photo by Darrow Montgomery

So what's the next fun ranking/list/survey that gives us a snapshot of where we live? According to WTOP, there's something called the AutoVantage Road Rage Survey that says that D.C. has the sixth-most courteous drivers in all the land. Adam Tuss notes that this "is a marked improvement from the 2008 survey, where Washington was ranked fifth from last."

Yay, we're more courteous on the roads! (But that doesn't make some area drivers "good" drivers. As Dr. Gridlock reported earlier in the year, "District of Columbia drivers are the third worst in the nation, according to a survey by an insurance company on rules-of-the-road knowledge.")

DCist rightfully questions the new driver-courtesy survey:

The rankings are based on the "likelihood of seeing fellow drivers talking on cell phones, or eating and drinking behind the wheel." I'm going to call BS on this one. I'll be the first to joke that Maryland and Virginia drivers are nothing short of criminally negligent (it's a joke, people), but I won't ever line up defend the idea that our local city drivers are all that nice or courteous behind the wheel. Maybe it's because I often experience them from the vantage point of my bike, or maybe because I become a rageful bastard when I drive around here.

Indeed. But does Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham still think that Maryland drivers are the "devil incarnate?"

Jamal Coates

Jamal Coates once existed. That's something that everyone can agree on.

Everyone can also agree that due to tragic events that unfolded Tuesday afternoon, he no longer exists. Coates died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to cops. Family and friends will want to know why they lost their loved one. But the response authorities provide to that question may land somewhere between murky and obtuse. Because the thing is, one of the gangs rumored to be involved in the violence that, after a funeral, threw U Street into chaos and left Coates dead isn't supposed to exist.

The gang has been largely dispersed. At least, that's according to a campaign season boast by Councilmember Jim Graham. The Ward 1 politician contended that with the help of a police camera at 17th and Euclid streets Northewest, the Metropolitan Police Department had "scattered" what's known as the 1-7 crew. Graham was trying to put constituents at ease about a longstanding, bloody rivalry between the 1-7 Crew  and the G-Rod Crew (14th and Girard streets NW).

It's an aggravating assertion—seeing that the 17th and Euclid area has seen several shootings of late.

One of the shootings happened on June 27. Victor Chigoziri Mba-Jonas was shot on the 2500 block of 17th Street NW. A witness who was with Mba-Jonas when it happened told police the two were walking along 17th when two men hanging out there asked "What's up with ya'll?"

The men followed them and eventually started shooting. The gunfire occurred far enough away from 17th and Euclid not to be captured by the crime camera there. The device did get footage of the alleged shooters before and after the murder. Though the suspects had hung out at 17th and Euclid that night, arrest warrants said nothing about them being gang affiliated.

But court documents attached to a more recent killing definitely mention the supposedly hobbled 1-7. Sean Robinson was torn apart by gunfire on the night of Aug. 11 in the 1600 block of Euclid Street NW.

In  court papers related to the murder investigation, MPD Investigator Thomas Ellingsworth doesn't refer to the 1-7 as a bygone difficulty, but as a current problem. "Investigator Ellingsworth has knowledge that the '1-7 crew' and 'G-Rod Crew' have been and are currently 'beefing' with one another. Additionally, Investigator Ellingsworth was aware that the decedent was affiliated with the '1-7' Crew."

A former 1-7 member, though he was a good distance from Euclid, Coates may have fallen victim to the beef. Brandon Miller has been arrested in connection to his murder. Miller is of the 1200 block of Girard NW. That's not exactly 14th and Girard, but it's close enough to stir suspicions.

Contacted, Graham sticks by the notion that the 1-7 Crew has been pushed out of the area: "I mean, they have been largely dispersed."

"Not every last one of them," he says. "I mean, they could drive back." He says what's left of the crew has been pushed into Northeast. That's achievable, adds Graham, because African American crews like 1-7 aren't as large as Latino gangs like MS-13. "They vary in size but some are about a dozen," he says.

Adams Morgan has an artsy swagger, and gang violence would seem to derail its rep as a good place to indulge in the D.C. version of hipster culture. Maybe that's why Graham has been in denial. One police source tells City Desk that though gentrification and a heavy MPD presence have taken a toll on the 1-7 (there is less blight for them to hide behind), they're still going strong.

Photo courtesy of Bryan Weaver

According to an e-mail sent to an Adams Morgan online message board, Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham said police believe that the victim was "affiliated with the 1-7 gang/crew." Graham warned that this shooting could spark a reprisal:

In consideration of possible retaliation, police patrols have been bolstered in the area and on the 1400 block of Girard.

DCist's/We Love DC's Dave Stroup reported last night that one of Graham's challengers in the September Democratic primary, Bryan Weaver, was on the scene and "and expressed worry that this might have something to do with recent murder arrests."

"Graham made the comment at the close of a Monday afternoon meeting between the Metro board and the National Transportation Safety Board. The two groups met to discuss 16 recommendations the NTSB made to the transit agency last month at the conclusion of its year-long investigation into the deadly crash....

Graham fired back at statements the federal safety board has made, including that the Metro board was 'tone deaf' to safety issues before the crash.

'What could I have done differently?' Graham asked rhetorically. 'I've asked myself that question on a personal level, and I conclude I don't know what I could have done.'"

Wow.

*file photo by Darrow Montgomery.

Weaver still probably has a long way to go. Yes, the D.C. Chamber of Commerce decided not to back Graham, either—but they went with Jeff Smith, another challenger. Still, the video's worth watching again, no matter who winds up winning the election:

Graham campaign poo-bah Chuck Thies had this reaction via e-mail:

"Not surprising at all. What has the Chamber of Commerce ever done for Ward One?  They represent downtown business interests. Maybe Jeff Smith should move downtown.  He really doesn't seem to like living in Ward One."

You'd think Graham's close ties to the taxicab industry would have put him over the top. Zing! OK, that was a cheap shot. Apologies.

Over three dozen people gathered in the sweltering heat this morning on the 1400 block of Park Road NW, in Columbia Heights, for a bricklaying on new storefronts for a retail strip next to D.C. USA. The Samuel Kelsey Community Outreach Center, Deli Grocery, and Pho 14 are among the 13 businesses getting façade renovations. The project, overseen by the Development Corporation of Columbia Heights, is expected to be complete by this fall.

Of course, that might be too late for elected officials to take credit for their part in the whole thing before the September primary. Conveniently enough, Mayor Adrian Fenty and Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham were able to drop by the ceremony today—even if they did show up 17 minutes late (as we were melting). Speeches were made, before Fenty and Graham laid the first brick together.

"Park Road is a place where you see the new stores as you go west out of Columbia Heights, now today, we are saying this will not be the end of the revitalization...[it] will continue all the way down Park Road, some 24 stores deep," Fenty said. "The leadership that has become such a staple of anything that’s happening in Ward 1, that’s born about by our fabulous Councilmember Jim Graham, give him a round of applause.”

“Mr. Mayor, you get several thank you’s today,” for moving in the lighting and the streetscape before the facades came, Graham adds.

After Fenty and Graham finished their high praise for one another, City Desk seized the chance to ask about something a little more controversial. Just a few blocks southwest of the bricklaying, residents (and potential voters) have been buzzing about a tree that was just removed from in front of Haydee’s, a Salvadorean restaurant on Mt. Pleasant Street. It seems Haydee’s—after their attempts to set up an outdoor café and register as a nightclub—decided to cut down the tree in front of their establishment, apparently without permission.

The missing tree was discovered after Gabriela Vega, a transportation planner and Ward 1 resident, noticed the tree had mysteriously lost all of its leaves earlier this month. And then, when she went to investigate it, she found something even more surprising. She wrote on the Mt. Pleasant forum, “Last night I met with [Mt. Pleasant Main Street]… I assured them I had a photo of a healthy looking tree. We walked over there and were shocked to see the tree no longer there and the tree box covered.”

Apparently, Haydee’s decided to go into the tree removal business.

When Prince of Petworth wrote about the tree recently, commenters erupted in anger, some supposing Graham had taken Haydee’s side, keeping District officials from planting a new one. “Mr. Graham likes campaign contributions as long as they aren’t from jumbo slice,” writes commenter Ragged Dog.

But Graham says that's not so. “We’ve been working with everybody involved," he told City Desk. We want that fixed right away, it’s being fixed right away… the tree box, everything.”

Finally, here's a video of Graham dancing to mariachi music during the ceremony:

Photos by Kim Chi Ha

The beats are tight; I don't even want to imagine what Jim Graham's dance floor moves to this would be. But Weaver, cash strapped and down in the polls against the mighty Graham, actually makes a lot of great points in this video. I hope this goes viral.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT—"Councilmembers To Nickles: WTF,"Poll Shows Fenty Beating Gray In Ward One," "Thieves Loot Argonaut," "Runaway Horse Dashed Through Cap Hill"

Good morning. D.C. Council Chairman and Mayoral candidate Vincent Gray didn't let the Monday break go to waste. He held a Q & A with prominent local bloggers at Ben's Chili Bowl (points off for cliche setting). Gray took questions from DCist, Borderstan, We Love DC, Greater Greater Washington, and The District Curmudgeon; the bloggers covered everything from the streetcar flip-flop and education reform to small business regulations and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier. The bloggers walked away impressed by Gray's—what else?—penchant for detail and his ability to admit when he screwed up (streetcar flip-flop). But let's just get to the news that warms this substitute LL's heart: IF ELECTED, GRAY HAS PROMISED TO BRING BACK THE WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE.

DCist's Martin Austermuhle reports: "On education, Gray spoke proudly of his ambitious plan to create a comprehensive birth-through-24 system. He pledged to be more transparent and hold weekly press conferences — something Fenty has been strongly criticized for. He agreed that the District's Summer Youth Employment Program — which 'has been about a numbers game' — needed reform, as did the District's Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services. He promised that economic development would be one of the things he tackled in his first year, using regulatory reform to improve the "Byzantine system" currently faced by the District's small businesses. And yes, Gray emphasized that he was in favor of streetcars, though he did worry that not enough planning had been done before tracks were laid down on H Street NE. When asked about the budget kerfuffle which saw funding for streetcars stripped from the city's budget and then restored, Gray admitted that 'it was a misunderstanding.' 'I'm really sorry that it happened,' he added."

More coverage via Borderstan. Greater Greater Washington's Dave Stroup summed up his impression of Gray: "Any skilled candidate will provide thoughtful and compelling answers at a session such as this. The real questions are always in the nitty-gritty. There's no doubt that Vincent Gray loves the District and wants to see things change for the better. This campaign will be won or lost on Gray's ability to convince District voters that he can make these things happen. The wisest thing Gray said on Monday was that this campaign will not come down to who has the most money. Fenty has a large war chest, and a record of results. He also has vulnerabilities. This will be an extremely close race, and it will be interesting to see whether the idealistic campaign plan of Vincent Gray can weather the long, hot DC summer."

AFTER THE JUMP—Fenty friend fails and yet still succeeds, D.C. Council pissed at Peter Nickles (again), Mary J. Blige may be enrolling at Howard University, and much, much more!

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED: The Examiner's Bill Myers breaks some news on the Parks-and-Rec-Fenty-Frat-Bro narrative with today's must read: "A D.C. board issued an engineering license to a co-founder of a company with ties to Mayor Adrian Fenty even though the man has never passed the professional exam, The Washington Examiner has learned. Abdullahi Barrow has emerged as a key figure in the ongoing investigation into millions of dollars' worth of parks contracts awarded to companies owned by the mayor's friends and fraternity brothers. One of them, Sinclair Skinner, has said publicly that he relied on Barrow's expertise to win public parks contracts for Liberty Engineering and Design, a company founded by Skinner and Barrow. But Barrow failed his engineer's exam seven times since 2002, sources said and documents obtained by [The Examiner] show. In 2008, the Fenty-appointed Board of Professional Engineers unanimously granted Barrow the professional license because of his 'eminence' in the field, board spokesman Clive Cooks said. There are three ways to obtain a professional engineer's license in the District: passing the exam, having already obtained a license in another state, or for eminence. The board rarely issues eminence licenses, Cooks said. Since 2005, only four have been given out — including Barrow's, Cooks said. Barrow's lawyer, A. Scott Bolden, said any suggestion that Barrow wasn't qualified as an engineer was 'nonsense.'"

Of course, Fenty may also have his own fence problem. Myers goes on to report: "Barrow was deposed last month. Sources familiar with his testimony said that Barrow, like Skinner, had trouble recalling basic details about his company, including its first client and the last name of a third man, 'Chris,' who initially started the business with Skinner and Barrow. Barrow said, however, that yet another company co-founded by him and his wife was paid by Liberty Engineering, the sources said. The company, Providence Construction, has also been given a contract to build a fence for the city's real estate agency, sources said."

MORE PARKS AND WRECK: WaPo's Mike DeBonis reports that several D.C. Councilmembers are ticked off at Attorney General Peter Nickles, for paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars to one Rec Center developer/Fenty pal: "D.C. Council members aren't taking well the news that the city reached a $550,000 settlement last week with Banneker Ventures, the company overseeing Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's controversial parks construction. Democrats Mary Cheh (Ward 3), Phil Mendelson (At Large) and Harry Thomas Jr. (Ward 5) have jointly taken exception to the settlement — in particular, the decision by Attorney General Peter Nickles to sign an agreement while the council's investigation of the parks contracts is ongoing. 'Your decision to settle at this particular time appears to be poor judgment and motivated by something other than the best interests of the District of Columbia,' the members wrote in a letter to Nickles delivered today. It goes on to suggest that the agreement was signed 'for no other reason than to bring this matter rapidly to a close.' Cheh was still more explicit about said motivations in an interview this afternoon: 'To make something that's problematic for the mayor go away.' She said the move was of a 'similar nature' to when the Housing Authority cut a check for $2.5 million to Banneker on Christmas Eve — when no one on the D.C. Council, which was already investigating the matter, could have stopped it." Nickles tells DeBonis that everything was above board. Of the councilmembers' complaint: "They really don't know what they're talking about." More coverage via Washington City Paper's new Loose Lips columnist Alan Suderman, and WBJ.

JONETTA ROSE BARRAS: The Examiner columnist thinks Gray's education plan reads too much like Fenty's education plan (which she likes). Still, she argues that the plan "lacks freshness and innovation." Barras concludes: "Undoubtedly, Gray and his campaign have deliberately exploited the reality that most voters aren't intimate with the details of education reform. But those who have closely followed such events won't find any substantial difference between Gray and Fenty's plan — except the council chairman offered his with a warm smile and the promise of tons of town hall meetings. There's one more thing: Fenty has been implementing his plan for the past three years."

POLLING: D.C. Wire's Tim Craig digs into the numbers behind the Graham campaign poll showing Fenty with a slight edge over Gray among Ward One voters: "According to the poll, the incumbent mayor leads Gray in Ward 1 by a margin of 43 percent to 37 percent. Despite that narrow lead, many observers believe Fenty needs a much greater margin in Ward 1 on Election Day to overcome Gray's expected advantage in communities in Northeast and Southeast Washington. Ward 1, the city's most diverse, is home to many of the new District residents that the Fenty campaign has been heavily courting. On July 4, a few hours before the fireworks, Fenty was spotted campaigning door-to-door in Mount Pleasant. In his successful 2006 campaign, Fenty won 61 percent of the vote in Ward 1, his best showing outside of his home base of Ward 4. Still, Graham's poll demonstrates that Gray still faces a challenge in becoming better known. Only three out of four Ward 1 residents recognize Gray's name, compared with the nearly 100 percent who knew Fenty's. And with 18 percent of Ward 1 residents undecided, there is still a path for Fenty to match his 2006 numbers in Ward 1."

HIV-AIDS: Amanda Hess writing over at WCP's The Sexist tries to figure out what Vincent Gray means when he says he won't "over promise" on this issue: "Is Gray suggesting that the District couldn’t deliver on its promises to its last HIV/AIDS director? A recent op-ed in the Washington Blade posits that Hader received 'little support' from the District, and that her 'hands were tied' by a 'local government that lacked the funds and the vision to realize the full potential of a more integrated, multi-agency approach needed to address this public health emergency.' It’s certainly going to be difficult to sugarcoat D.C.’s HIV/AIDS crisis for potential candidates. Without promises of additional resources, will the District be able to snag a director that’s nearly as effective as Hader?"

METRO MESS: The Examiner's Kytja Weir reports that the cheaper SmarTrip Cards will be ready in late August: "The agency is planning to drop the price of the cards from $5 to $2.50 to encourage riders to use the reusable plastic cards. But the change isn't slated to occur until Aug. 29, according to a Metro report. Consider this the latest confusing fare change at Metro. The transit agency boosted fares on June 27 but plans to increase other aspects of fares — including charging 25 cents extra per rail trip for users of paper fare cards — starting Aug. 1. But it won't reduce the cost of the SmarTrip cards until just before Labor Day. Other SmarTrip card changes are expected this fall. So riders may want to do some calculations as to what makes the most sense: buy the plastic fare cards before Aug. 1 if planning to take more than 10 rail trips before the end of the month? Or wait until the price drops? Bus riders already pay a 20-cent differential when they pay cash instead of using a SmarTrip card — and they lose out on the transfer discount when switching from bus to bus or train to bus if they pay cash. So buying a SmarTrip card now makes sense for frequent riders."

CITY POOLS: The District is extending pool and library hours, reports NC8: "District officials say they want to ensure residents have a place to get out of the heat. One of the places they recommend are public libraries. a location on m street was open until 9 Tuesday night and people stayed inside until the doors closed trying to cool off."

MARY J. BLIGE: NC8 reports that the singer may be enrolling at Howard University: A well-known singer could be packing more into her busy schedule to get a college degree from a well-known D.C. university. Mary J. Blige may have eight multi platinum records, nine Grammys and several number one hits. Now she's after her college diploma. 'I got accepted into Howard University for the class of 2014!! Cheers...' said Blige. That candid comment caught on stage for Good Morning America Friday is causing a big buzz on Howard University's campus in Northwest D.C." University officials refused to comment on whether Blige has enrolled. Doesn't this sound like a reality-show premise?

WE HAVE A DEAL: On the convention center hotel.

MAYOR'S SCHEDULE: No public events.

D.C. COUNCIL'S SCHEDULE: Confirmations of funeral boardmembers and public service commission, rent-control roundtable discussion at 11 a.m., hearing on Community Service Block Grants at 2 p.m.