When selecting a community, nearly half of the public (47 percent) would prefer to live in a city (19 percent) or a suburban neighborhood with a mix of houses, shops, and businesses (28 percent). Another four in ten (40 percent) would prefer a rural area (22 percent) or a small town (18 percent). Only one in ten (12 percent) say they would prefer a suburban neighborhood with houses only.

Also of particular interest are the findings about what various types of Americans prefer:

• Younger people who are unmarried tend to prefer the convenience of smart growth, walkable communities. Subdivision-type communities appeal more to middle-aged, married couples.
• Political views are predictive of what type of communities Americans prefer.  Democrats and liberals tend to prefer smart growth-type communities, while Republicans and conservatives are more likely to favor sprawl-type communities.
• In general, adults’ current housing situations reflect their preferences.  Those who live in housing-only suburbs, small towns, and rural areas prefer more spread out, less walkable communities, whereas urban residents and those who live in suburbs with a mix of housing and businesses prefer more walkable, smart growth-type communities.
• Those on both ends of the socio-economic scale tend to prefer smart growth communities while those in the middle are more drawn to sprawl-type communities.

Above all, though, Americans really like privacy, and they'll give up smart growth for it. Which means they'd pick a detached home on its own lot in the suburbs over a rowhouse or condo in a walkable neighborhood. Anyway, there's lots more to the survey: Dig in.

Photo by Mike Hicks

Stealing Home: Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos is one of the team's up and coming stars. Which may be why Venezuelan gunmen took him from his home near Caracas last night; if you can't ransom a millionaire baseball player for a hefty sum, who can you kidnap? Fortunately, authorities in Venezuela say they believe Ramos is alive. Unfortunately, his family hasn't heard from the men who took him hostage. Games in the country's winter baseball league went ahead today as planned. -3

Location, Location, Location: Houses in D.C. aren't just expensive—they're also small. A new study by Realtor.com shows the median home size is 1,000 square feet, while the median price is $432,500. That could buy you a 3,890 square foot, 5-bedroom house in Omaha, Neb. Of course, then you'd live in Omaha, Neb. -1

Thanks For The Monuments: Climbing the Washington Monument appears to be addictive. The same team of engineers that rappelled down the obelisk in September looking for earthquake damage did it again today, setting up equipment to begin preparing the monument for winter. We didn't realize the Washington Monument was basically a summer vacation condo rental where you had to be sure to take the patio furniture in. The engineers have also, of course, scaled the National Cathedral; if not for the Height Act, they'd probably have a lot more stuff to climb around town. +2

So Long, Soccer?: The official policy of Major League Soccer is that D.C. United can stay at RFK Stadium, but not for the price it's paying in rent now. So said MLS CommissionerDon Garber, who went on to mock RFK in a media conference call by talking about the various fauna that have taken up residence in the stadium. If United can't adjust its lease, or build a new stadium in the area, or build one in Baltimore, the league will move the team. Which would mean not a single pro sports team left in D.C. that's won a league title in the last 20 years. -2

Troy Johnson

Johnson, 75, a retired Service Employees International Union organizer, lives in the Campbell Heights Apartments, a 10-story, 171-unit independent-living facility for senior citizens at 2001 15th St. NW, overlooking the hopping U Street corridor.

For years, Johnson and his fellow tenants have worried about outside developers snatching up this prime piece of real estate, converting its subsidized affordable-housing units into more lucrative condos, and thereby kicking low-income elderly tenants to the curb.

More recently, though, Johnson’s suspicions have turned to his own neighbors.

Last year, the Campbell Heights Residents Association, backed by a majority vote of its members, exercised its rights under the District’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) and put together a formal bid to buy the building from its landlord, Colorado-based Apartment Investment and Management Company (AIMCO). The proposed purchase totals more than $20.6 million, according to a sale contract obtained by Washington City Paper.

The deal, scheduled to close in June, is backed by D.C. developer Jair Lynch, who, according to a March 31 residents’ association newsletter, will “share equal ownership” with the tenants group, once the sale is complete.

However, a document filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which provides the building’s rent subsidies, indicates a much greater role on the part of the developer. Albeit listed as a “Limited Partner,” Lynch will maintain a 99.9 percent ownership interest in the project, whereas the “General Partner,” the residents’ association, will own 0.05 percent. Lynch’s company, LDP Acquisitions, LLC, will own the remaining 0.05 percent. (An organizational chart of the tenant-developer pact, also obtained by City Paper, confirms the ownership scenario.)

Tenants have been told not to worry. “Investors will provide some of the money needed for the purchase, but will have no control over running the building,” according to the residents’ association newsletter. “The plan includes keeping the Section 8 rental assistance contract, so you can be assured Campbell Heights will remain affordable senior and disabled housing for current and future residents.”

Johnson, for one, is not convinced. Theoretically, he says, the developer could let the apartments deterioriate to the point that HUD revokes the Section 8 rent subsidies. (According to a copy of the proposed sales contract, the building’s owner would need to maintain the facility in accordance with certain federal physical conditions standards in order to keep the housing assistance funds flowing.)

Adding to his misgivings, Johnson points to a February 2007 interview with real estate newsletter Bisnow on Business in which Lynch predicts “[a] big potential market for ‘non-assisted’ senior urban living.”

Lynch, a former Olympic silver medalist in gymnastics, declined to be interviewed until the sale is complete.

Standing in the developer’s corner is Sandra Butler-Truesdale, a minister, art-gallery owner, and former D.C. State Board of Education member who currently serves as president of the Campbell Heights Residents’ Association.

Butler-Truesdale has championed the pending sale as a victory for tenants’ rights. In a piece of citizen journalism published in the Washington Times last May, she writes, “The dream of ownership is slowly becoming a possibility for 171 residents at Campbell Heights.”

Butler-Truesdale’s track record in resident relations at the building is a long one. She used to work on behalf of the current landlord, AIMCO, which hired her nearly a decade ago to coordinate events and services for tenants of the building. In 2005, she quit her job to help her daughter with childcare and ultimately sued AIMCO for unemployment benefits, arguing that the landlord had changed her job duties and failed “to investigate and address incidents involving physical threats to her safety and verbal abuse” from Campbell Heights residents, court records show.

At one point, Butler-Truesdale herself took up residence in the building. But not for long. Complaining about the building’s smells and lax security, she told the Washington Informer in April 2008, “I felt I would get sick if I stayed there.”

Yet despite relocating to a less fragrant condo in Southwest D.C., she has retained her title and position with the building’s residents’ association.
Her outside residence has become a source of controversy. Annie Jones, 69, the residents’ association’s former secretary and two-year tenant of the building. points to finance reports from 2009 listing monthly $250 disbursements earmarked for “transportation,” all of which went to Butler-Truesdale, she says. “Just to come from Southwest twice a month for $250? I don’t think so,” Jones says.

This past January, Jones quit her position as the group’s secretary, citing the disbursements she questioned and concerns over the pending sale of the building. “I cannot continue this charade,” Jones wrote in an e-mail to the residents’ association board members. “I care too much for the outcome of this venture the building is going through. The Board should stop taking advantage of and confusing the Seniors.”

The disbursement also became an issue during Butler-Truesdale’s campaign for re-election as residents’ association president this past December. Her opponent, Campbell Heights tenant Eugene Prince, handed out fliers with the catchy slogan, iam a resident, i live here! i won’t need any transportation fee to come here and answer your questions.

Butler-Truesdale nonetheless won re-election. Jones says Butler-Truesdale uses her position as a reverend to sway the elderly, whose advanced age and health problems put a renewed urgency on spirituality. “When you get old, you have a tendency to lean towards the Bible,” she says.

Contacted by City Paper, Butler-Truesdale responded through her attorney, daughter Tonya Butler-Truesdale, who e-mails: “At this time she is of the opinion that her work speaks for itself, that the work of the organized leadership of Campbell Heights speaks for itself and, that the organized residence of Campbell Heights should be applauded for their refusal to be victims of expanding conglomerate interests and or governmental disinterest.”

She defends her mother’s transportation fees. “Given the price of gas and public transportation, she does not feel that the allotment is unreasonable,” the lawyer says.

She further dismissed her mother’s critics as “a few elders in the building who prefer to remain disenfranchised, property-less, pawns so that they can continue to conduct activities on the premises which would not be tolerated in an occupant owned environment.”

The residents’ association attorney, Elizabeth Elia, a master of laws candidate at Georgetown University Law Center, adds that tenants’ concerns about deteriorating conditions and losing Section 8 funding are unfounded. “[T]he HUD subsidy is an essential part of this transaction,” writes Elia via e-mail. “Additionally, the building will undergo a modest renovation after the purchase to maintain and extend the useful life of the building and improve aesthetics. Finally, and most importantly, the reason that the majority of residents at Campbell Heights voted to exercise their TOPA rights to buy the building is so that they can be sure that the building is well managed, well maintained, and well run as affordable housing for low income seniors and the disabled long into the future.”

Both attorneys declined to address the spiritual concerns.

Why would investors want to pay for the purchase and upkeep of a subsidized-housing building in an area still ripe for upscale development? A tax break. To make the building more attractive, D.C. Council passed a bill in March introduced by Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham, exempting the building from real property taxes as long as it remains affordable housing.

Johnson doesn’t believe developers are motivated by charity and taxes, and he’s been out collecting signatures from fellow concerned tenants as part of a petition drive contesting the sale. “They’re not going to come upstairs, spend all this money, for people living on Social Security,” he says.  CP

Ph0to by Darrow Montgomery

Abe Pollin—real estate developer, philanthropist, and owner of the Washington Wizards and other sports teams—has died at 85.

Pollin today is remembered most fondly as a sports team owner—the man who bought the Baltimore Bullets to Washington and renamed them Wizards, brought NHL hockey to the city, women's pro basketball, and other sporting endeavors.

He presided over one world championship, the 1978 Bullets' NBA title.

But he was also a crackerjack businessman, a developer who left his legacy across the region's landscape, in numerous apartment towers in Montgomery County and the District. His prime development legacy, let there be no doubt about it, will be the MCI Center, which Pollin built out of his own pocket while the city suffered from crippling financial woes and went on to anchor the rebirth of downtown Washington.

Though well known as a hellish negotiator, Pollin was generous with his riches, donating heavily to Jewish causes (he helped save the Sixth & I Synagogue, for instance) and, among other good works, paying for an entire elementary-school class to go to college.

The cause of Pollin's death has been reported as corticobasal degeneration, and he had appeared frail in rare public appearances in recent years. ESPN.com reports this comment from the July 2008 re-signing announcement for Antawn Jamison: "I'm getting a little old and a little sick....But I'm still around, and I'm going to be around until we win the...championship. I'm stubborn and hardheaded."

The Washington Post writes:

Pollin was among the last of the old-school pro sports owners who ran his teams as a family business, shaped by his strong personality and his intense loyalties. His teams lost more than they won, and fans often criticized his personnel moves and his failure to spend more money, but Pollin invariably remained set in his ways.

He was also a major philanthropist in the community, paying for affordable housing and endowing a local Boy's and Girl's Club. His grandest project was building the MCI Center (now Verizon Center) in 1997 and triggering a stunning renaissance of Gallery Place and surrounding neighborhoods.

WRC-TV's Lindsay Czarniak interviewed Pollin's beloved wife Irene last month:

ESPN.com notes his impact on the D.C. sporting world and beyond, and notes that Ted Leonsis, who bought the Bullets and Mystics from Pollin, stands to take over his empire, Washington Sports & Entertainment:

Pollin was the NBA's longest-tenured owner. With his death, a group led by longtime AOL executive Ted Leonsis is poised to take ownership of a Washington-area sports empire that began when Pollin purchased the Baltimore Bullets in 1964....

"There's no important initiative or any end to difficult situations or any settlement or any legislation that Abe was not leading the way on across all these years," NBA commissioner David Stern said in March. "He's been an extraordinary league person, always voting the league way, similar to what he did in building Verizon Center. He was going the D.C. way, not necessarily what was in his best economic interest but what was in the best economic interests of Washington, D.C."

Former WaPo sports editor George Solomon is now hosting a live chat on Pollin at washingtonpost.com.

A statement from the Washington Nationals:

The Washington Nationals and the Lerner family join all of the Washington DC community and sports fans nationally in mourning the loss of Abe Pollin. He was not just the beloved owner of sports teams in the Nation's Capital for almost 40 years; he was also a significant force in the rebirth of downtown Washington DC, and a magnanimous contributor to the personality, health, and well-being of everyone who calls our community home. He leaves an important legacy. Our deepest affection and condolences are with the Pollin family and the Washington Sports and Entertainment organization in their time of grief.

Here are some of the best Pollin-related columns by WCP's Dave McKenna:

• About Pollin's team-owner bona fides...back in 2003! "More than ever before, he thrives in comparison with the other major-league owners in town. With every passing week, Dan Snyder proves himself the Redskins equivalent of star-crossed Cubs fan Steve Bartman: a superfan who, when given a chance to control the fate of the team he idolizes, screws it up for everybody. And Ted Leonsis, long billed by the Capitals as "the most accessible owner in sports," committed the mortal sin of ownership by blasting the fans for not coming out to watch his overpaid underperformers fold against Tampa Bay in last year's playoffs." (So he was a little off about Leonsis; the new Caps owner would get Best Sports Owner honors from McKenna this year, with Pollin runner-up.)
• About a group of fans who mobilized to "Save the Caps" in the early '80s after Pollin threatened to move the team unless Prince George's County handed him tax breaks.
• About a Pollin and his documentarian, who won "Unsportsman of the Year" honors in 2007 for making an unnecessarily mean-spirited biopic. Among its revelations: That Michael Jordan “called me a liar, and the worst thing he said to me was, ‘You’re a no-good redneck bastard.’”
• About the Wizards' re-embrace of the Bullets moniker, which Pollin famously discarded citing his feelings on violence in the mideast and in the inner city.
• About Pollin's encounter with rocker Nils Lofgren, author of "Bullets Fever"

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has issued a statement:

Today the District of Columbia has lost one of our greatest treasures. Abe Pollin almost single-handedly revitalized the Gallery Place / Chinatown neighborhood by turning down offers from suburban jurisdictions to finance and build the Verizon Center on 7th Street NW. My deepest condolences go out to Mr. Pollin’s family, most especially his wife Irene, who was always his partner, in sports, construction, philanthropy, and of course, family.

Abe Pollin will be remembered in the District for adopting our city as his hometown, having lived in the area since the age of eight; for more than 40 years as owner of the Washington Wizards; and for being the original owner of the National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals and the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Washington Mystics.

He will be truly missed.

Here's At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown's statement:

I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Abe Pollin, a true pioneer who contributed to the growth of professional sports and gave unselfishly to our communities.” In 1997, Abe & Irene Pollin saw their dreams to fruition with the completion of a state of-the-art sports and entertainment facility in our nation’s capitol.

Mr. Pollin, not only achieved his goal to create a facility that would “be the catalyst that turned the city around,” he also demonstrated his commitment to ensuring that our residents became the primary benefactors of the city’s resurgence. Together, the Pollins’ contributions to our communities are invaluable. From employing many of our District residents to giving many of our students the opportunity to attend college, Mr. Pollin embodied the intangible qualities of a wonderful humanitarian, businessman and father, whose legacy will continue to inspire others.”

The prayers of the Councilmember, his family and staff go to Abe Pollin’s wife and partner, Irene and his two sons Robert and James.

The Wizznutzz tweet a tribute: "WE LOVE U ABE POLLIN u helped build DC with your hands & your hope"

Here's D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray:

I am saddened to learn of the passing of Abe Pollin, one of Washington’s most-respected businessmen and philanthropists. He and his wife, Irene, have made a huge difference on the lives of countless residents in the District of Columbia and in the region. My sincere condolences go to Mrs. Pollin and their family.

In the late 90s, Abe Pollin brought the Wizards and the Capitals to what’s now called the Verizon Center. Now, a decade later, the Pollins can take a large part of the credit for the bright lights, crowds and remarkable revitalization of downtown Washington.

It’s not just the mixture of sports and business that made Abe Pollin a household name. He also will be remembered for the benevolent business partnerships with the District that sparked housing and other projects to improve the quality of life for some of our residents most in need. I worked closely with Mr. Pollin on numerous projects and will miss his personal, gentle style of collaboration. Ironically, today I chaired a hearing on the plan for the continued cultural development and revitalization of Chinatown.

Mrs. Pollin was an active partner with her husband on many fronts. No doubt she will continue their immeasurable work to ensure Mr. Pollin’s legacy lives on.

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans calls in with his thoughts:

He was a great man. His contributions to the city were enormous, to many of the philanthropic causes, to affordable housing, to the synagogue at Sixth and I, his reach was extraordinary. But what he will absolutely be remembered for is bringing the two teams, the Bullets and the Caps, to downtown Washington and the area that was absolutely deserted and dangerous. And then, when the city could not fulfill its part of the deal, to build the arena, he used his own money to building the arena. It was the catalyst for the revitalization of Washington. You can't say enough how much this city is indebted to Abe Pollin....

I saw him at a game recently, must have been a hockey game. He was not in good shape. I don't know that he recognized me; he was definitely on the downswing. But they had a special place for him in the box....

Every time I saw him, he was so upbeat about the city.

A statement from Washington Convention and Sports Authority CEO Greg O'Dell:

The Washington Convention and Sports Authority, along with the entire Washington, D.C. community, mourns the passing of Abe Pollin, a legendary figure on the D.C. sports scene and a visionary whose dedication to the community is an inspiration to us all. He was a beloved sports owner in the District for more than 40 years and his pioneering efforts were a significant factor in the revitalization of downtown Washington. He will be missed, but his legacy will live on forever. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife Irene, his two sons and the entire Pollin family.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder's statement:

Abe Pollin was a great owner for Washington, as well as a personal friend. His legacy will live through his teams and the arena he built, and just as importantly, through his commitment to his family and to Washington. My thoughts and prayers go out to Irene and the rest of his wonderful family.

Developer Douglas Jemal shares some thoughts with Washington Business Journal:

Jemal...recalled Pollin as a wonderful man and a business icon who did things the old school way.

"I knew him very well and spent a lot of years with him down here when he was building the Verizon Center. And I can tell you when the Verizon Center was being built, he was down here every day monitoring construction," Jemal said.

One day, when a worker on one of Jemal's buildings had a construction accident, Pollin was there to help, Jemal said. "He came running across the street to see what he could do."

Pollin represented a now gone era of "independent, old-school team owners" who cared about the city's where they did business. "I think that team was his life," Jemal said. He said that even when the team was not winning, "he would sit in that owners' box by himself and watch every time that team played."

ESPN.com:

Pollin will be remembered for several things. He was the NBA's longest tenured owner. He was the guy who fired Michael Jordan. And he was the person who changed the name of his team from the Bullets to the Wizards after his friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was killed.

NPR:

Pollin will long be known as the man who stopped Michael Jordan's basketball ambitions, not on the court where few people could stop His Airness but in the front office. After Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls, Pollin brought him to Washington in 2000, selling him a minority stake in the Wizards.

Jordan, with his towering ego, eventually proved insufferable, especially to Pollin. According to reports, Pollin was particularly irked by Jordan's presumption that he would one day own Pollin's team.

After Jordan sold back his minority stake in order to put on his basketball shoes and play a few seasons for the Wizards, Pollin outfoxed him by refusing to sell back to Jordan once he retired from playing again, the minority stake Jordan had given up. Jordan left the organization in 2003.

From GWU President Stephen Knapp:

Many years ago, Abe Pollin envisioned Washington, D.C., as an international sports town with a full complement of teams and events. The realization of that vision is no more present than in his legacy of accomplishments.

The Washington Post already has an editorial written:

AS FAR AS Washingtonians are concerned, the most important thing about Abe Pollin is that he was one of us. By that we mean not that he was necessarily a man of the people, whatever that is these days, but simply that he was part of this community through and through. He did well here, and he did a lot of good in return. He made a fortune in construction but became better known as the owner of Washington's pro basketball team. And while he hadn't had a champion in a long time, he accomplished something far more important for Washington sports fans: Rather than taking teams out of this town, he brought them here. He built, first, an arena on the Beltway and then the one downtown that has contributed greatly to the renaissance of a neighborhood rich in history and tradition....

He was a thoughtful and public-spirited man whose list of charitable and civic activities — helping feed and educate the city's schoolchildren, aiding the homeless, establishing a prize for pediatric research, and much, much more — was as impressive as his work for mutual understanding and respect among the people of this region. Much of his life was a sustained effort, with his wife, Irene, to better the community, and for the most part it was carried on without a great deal of public attention....

From AIPAC, the pro-Israel policy shop:

As a member of AIPAC's board of directors and friend of many of our country's most influential policy makers and elected officials, Abe never missed an opportunity to stress the importance of America's special and unbreakable bond with the State of Israel.

We are profoundly saddened by his loss, but comforted by the knowledge that Abe's courageous and tireless spirit made a profound difference for a cause in which he deeply believed – the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

And from the Israel Project:

Mr. Pollin was a great lover of Israel and the Jewish people. He and Irene have been champions of important causes, both Jewish and in the wider community. Mr. Pollin joined The Israel Project’s board in June of 2004 and he was especially proud to fund our TV ads in Washington that showcased Israel’s democratic nature and desire for peace. Despite health issues he was recently re-elected to the board. He will be missed especially by the Jewish community and by the city of Washington, DC – a place that was made better 1000 ways because of Abe Pollin.

Via Examiner, a statement from NBA Commissioner David Stern:

With Abe Pollin's passing, the NBA family has lost its most revered member, whose stewardship of the Wizards franchise, together with his wife Irene, has been a study in unparalleled dedication to the city of Washington....During his illness he fought with a determination and valor that will remain an inspiration to all.

And more on his philanthropic activities:

Pollin was a philanthropic force, putting his wealth behind numerous charitable organizations including N Street Village, the Salvation Army, the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue and the I Have a Dream Foundation. Partnering with Calvary Baptist Church, Pollin's Abe's Table program fed the homeless twice a week over the past decade.

"He loved making sure everybody had enough to eat," said Rev. Amy Butler, senior pastor at Calvary. "That was his thing. He really put all of the resources that he had to bear on that, and it was great to partner with him."

The Post has uploaded a fabulous photo gallery.

The official WaPo obit is now up, written by Peter Perl. The lede:

He arrived in Washington more than 75 years ago, the gangly son of a Russian metal worker named Morris Pollinovsky who came to America a poor man speaking no English. Through decades of hard work and a seemingly unstoppable will, Abe Pollin rose to the top of the worlds of business, philanthropy and professional sports. In the process, he transformed his adopted home town by bringing professional basketball and hockey franchises here and by spending $220 million of his own money to build a massive sports and entertainment arena that has dramatically changed the face of downtown Washington.

A statement from Eleanor Holmes Norton:

Abe Pollin built an unparalleled sports empire that left almost no game out, but his heart was in building a better District of Columbia. His agreement to bring his teams from Maryland and build the Verizon Center in the midst of the city’s worst financial crisis in this century was emblematic of his devotion to the town that helped form him from his childhood. In more small and large ways than will ever be widely known, Abe made himself citizen number one in this city. I had many occasions to work with Abe and Irene, who has made unique contributions on her own to our city. What I will remember beyond my friendships with Abe and Irene is how generously they befriended the District of Columbia.

Housing Complex's Ruth Samuelson gets Gallery Place developer Herb Miller on the record:

He was always a very humble man, who could deal with anyone in any capacity. I didn’t know him well professionally until the last 15 years. We could never have built Gallery Place without his help and cooperation. At any rate, the city wanted the connection we built in the atrium between the two....

Two hundred years ago, 7th Street was the main street of the city, and then it died out in the 1950s, and our idea was to bring Main Street back alive. They had already built the Shakespeare Theater on 7th. The goal was to use 7th as the retail core of the city, to literally connect it: At one end, you had the Smithsonian with 30,000 visitors a year. We put the convention center at the other end. It was truly a community effort, but if it wasn’t for Abe Pollin nothing would have happened because he started it. For him to go build the Verizon Center with a risk associated with it—most people would have done it only if the government paid for everything. And bringing his teams into the city at a time was quite a bold and risky proposition. If you walked through downtown then, people were afraid to even go to downtown. People thought it was dangerous.

If he hadn’t committed to the first major project downtown, I don’t think the rest of it would have happened.

From President Barack Obama:

Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Abe Pollin – a giant in the world of professional sports and someone I was proud to call a friend. Abe was a man who knew that being an owner wasn’t just about winning championships, although his teams had plenty of success. It was about helping young athletes become good people as well as good players. And it was about being part of a community. Abe believed in Washington, D.C. when many others didn’t – putting his own fortune on the line to help revitalize the city he loved. He was committed to the teams he guided, generous to those who needed it most, and as loyal to the people of D.C. as they were to him.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Irene, his sons Robert and James, and the entire Pollin family.

Two of the issues involve the fates of onetime public schools. For one thing, the council is proposing that the Grimke School, across Vermont Avenue NW from the east entrance of the U Street Metro stop and current home of the Fire and Emergency Medical Services department headquarters, to be reserved for the African-American Civil War Museum. That's a project headed and championed by former Ward 1 Councilmember Frank Smith. The problem, Albert writes, is that several developers have entered into a bidding process on the property, incurring "significant expense" to do so. He asks that the council allow the bidding process to continue.

Another point of contention regards the recently closed Bertie Backus Middle School, on South Dakota Avenue NE close to the Fort Totten Metro station.

Like with Grimke, the deputy mayor's office has started to entertain bids on the property, and, like Grime, the council has its own plans. In a plan championed by Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr., the council proposes handing the school directly to the University of the District of Columbia in order to house its new community college.

However, Albert points out, "since UDC has no approved community college plan, and no resources with which to carry out such a plan, the Backus School Provision effectively requires that the school remain vacant for many
years. Because of this, the school will be a blight on the community and is likely to attract illegal and undesired activity."

"Furthermore," he writes, "the designation of the Backus School as the site for a community college occurred without an opportunity to consider the potential significant, positive impacts that could result from locating the community college in another area of the city, such as a location east of the Anacostia River."

Albert suggests taking the Backus handover out of the budget bill and working out a mutually agreeable plan.

Military politics, insular media rambling, and medical marijuana, after the jump.

• The Illinois State Senate passed a bill yesterday legalizing medical marijuana. Pot, along with gay marriage, is going to make this country a better place. I can feel it. (I actually don't have any more to say on this. Let's just bask in the THC glow for a bit.)
• Jon Soltz writes in the Stimulist that military men and women are moving left politically: "The trend gained momentum with President Obama and Hillary Clinton during the primaries, and it’s about to get fast-tracked with Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney taking control of Republican messaging, ideals, practices, and policies." This is a great chance to plug Babylon By Bus, a first-person account written by two U.S. employees of their time in Baghdad in 2003. Based on their book, and on accounts from imbedded reporters, I'd wager that the rank-and-file switched political allegiances long before the top brass decided it wouldn't kill their careers to do the right thing.
• In media land: Tim Cavanaugh, former editor of Suck.com and a contributing editor at Reason and reason.com, is now blogging regularly for the latter. This is good news for all human beings who can use an Internet, as Cavanaugh was a pioneer of snarky outgoing links, snarky essays, and snarky snark-snark. He's mellowed out in the years since, but is no less great a read. (Srsly, I'm not just schilling for a some-time employer). In somewhat less groundbreaking news, I just saw that Jake Tapper pissed off a whole army of progressive idiots by twittering, "Have MediaMatters or CAP said one critical word about POTUS support of "state secrets," or military commissions, or indefinite detention?" Ha. He's just asking, people!

Keeping a decent neighborhood listserv going means posting a lot about lost dogs, reporting on gunshots, and cranky neighbors dropping weird racial stereotypes related to crime. All of these will keep the message board well stocked with posts. But few posts beat the mysterious stranger knocking on doors thread that pops up once in a while. Years ago, we chronicled one mystery woman roaming Cap Hill.

The Shepherd Park listserv has a pretty good mystery stranger story this week. A poster writes:

"There was a guy in front of my house this afternoon at about 4 ranting at people who were coming up my steps.  He was yelling about wanting to talk about real estate and how is parents watched me move in.  He said he was from the neighborhood.  I told him we were busy, but he persisted and knocked on the door.  I repeated that we were not interested in talking and he went away."

A cop then responded to the listserv.

Lt. Ronald Thomas writes:

"If anyone observes anyone leaving items (packets of rantings) in doorways or mailboxes please call 911 so that we may identify and speak with this person, who may be in need of mental observation.  Please give a description if possible."

"Going great," he says.

Seems Nickles is closely monitoring developments in the financial sector before moving forward with his search. If lending guidelines ease, he says, he'll be more likely to buy than rent.

"I read in the newspaper that the Fed will come in and guarantee these low mortgage rates," he says. "If the Fed comes in with 3.5 percent...that would tip the scales."

The floor currently under discussion is 4.5 percent, so the scales may not tip as far as he might think.

Nickles warns LL that he has no plans to disclose where his future place of residence will be, citing "crazies" that have come out of the woodwork in recent weeks after his confirmation vote, leading to extra security being placed at his One Judiciary Square offices.

I'm not sure this has anything to do with Schwartzman's premise that Mount Pleasant is suffering a downturn because the neighborhood is a) too close to the Columbia Heights big boxes; b) filled with rabid NIMBYs; c) saddled with recovering from that massive apartment fire d) filled with opposing views of residents who either want a Red Derby or a McDonald's.

Mount P certainly has suffered. It has become way more known for fighting over music than having cool places to eat or shop. The best hangout is still the Raven (which is totally fine) and Heller's and Haydee's.There are very few reasons for residents outside of the neighborhood to come visit and spend their money.

In fact, there are very few reasons for Mount P residents to shop on the main drag. There is no doubt that the Target and the shops/restaurants around the Target are drawing residents from Mount P. I see that every weekend. It's this great migration across 16th.

So what do you think needs to happen in Mount Pleasant?

* Headline of Politico's VP debate preview makes me giggle. Plus: We watch for the crashes:

With all their potential for pitfalls and insta-classic moments, the pair has made the build up to the showdown, to take place here Thursday night at Washington University, feel more like a NASCAR race than a serious political forum: the audience may be tuning in as much in anticipation of cringe-inducing pile-ups as they are to watch the typical parry-and-thrust of debate.

* The Onion, on the other hand, makes me cringe.

* Financial bailout: U.S. Senate tries, tries again, this time with "higher tax breaks, FDIC limits," reports the Washington Post: "The Senate last night easily approved a massive plan to shore up the U.S. financial system, but the measure faces a tougher test tomorrow in the House, where leaders will try to reverse the stunning defeat the legislation suffered earlier this week."

* Some inside stuff: Atlanta Magazine's Steve Fennessy, a veteran of City Paper owner Creative Loafing, lends some valuable insight into the inner workings of CL and CEO Ben Eason, who Fennessy calls "a tireless networker with a love of jargon." The piece details a history of the Eason empire and its plans for the future. I'll say this: Despite the bankruptcy crunch, Creative Loafing employees and alums have been producing some great work about Creative Loafing lately.

* Catch up on Wonkette's gchat interview with "Washington's Only Wasillan." Spoiler: She's a sarcastic liberal! She's also boring enough to have to block during daytime hours to prevent that incessant gmail "ding" from disrupting your office banter. Pay $25 tonight to hang out with her at an Obama fundraiser at James Hoban’s, 1 Dupont Circle NW.

* And in this newspaper (still here!):

- Delaney, Greenwood, Janssen, and Wemple gang up on the Washington Nationals: Take my ticket, please!

- In Loose Lips: the Nats' finances are fucked, too.

- Tricia Olszewski on Bill Maher's Religulous and teenage love adventure Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

- The debut of our new real estate column, Ruth Samuelson's Housing Complex.

Photo by Jeff Kubina