Doin' It In The Park: Rock Creek Parkway runs, as its name implies, through Rock Creek Park, which is, of course, a national park. So it might be reasonable to expect that the National Park Service, which manages it, would follow environmental regulations when performing work on the parkway. Reasonable, that is, but apparently not realistic. Construction has been halted, and $10,000 worth of work will have to be redone, on upgrades to a 700-foot stretch of the parkway near Oak Hill Cemetery, because a 2006 environmental assessment's requirements hadn't been obeyed. -2

Burger Market: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 423 points today, a 3.9 percent increase that didn't quite make up for the massive sell-offs that occured on half the other days of the week. But if you're still mourning your 401(k) balance—since, chances are, it'll tank again tomorrow—don't forget to look on the bright side. Z Burger will give away free hamburgers on days after the market loses 500 points or more. The bad news: You won't be able to afford to buy food if things keep up the way they've been. The good news: You won't have to. +2

Wait, Another Triathlete?: Here at Washington City Paper, we refer to D.C. Council Chairman Kwame "Fully Loaded" Brown by that nickname, in honor of his choice of leased cars. But now we may need a new nickname for him: Kwame "Adrian Fenty II" Brown. Brown is planning to race in the Nation's Triathlon this year, complete with a 1.5 kilometer swim in the Potomac River, a 40 kilometer bike ride, and a 10 kilometer run. Admittedly, our former mayor would have probably said that only counted as a morning warm-up. But still—is there something in the water in the Wilson Building that makes people get all athletic? +1

Today In Depressing Weather News: The 90-degree streak is temporarily over, it's gorgeous outside, and there's very little humidity. So how can Mother Nature fulfill its apparent mandate to make us all feel like the world is ending? Drought! The D.C. region is officially in "moderate" drought condition—not nearly as bad as Texas and Oklahoma, where lakes have all but evaporated away, but dry enough to damage crops (or gardens) and make water use restrictions start to seem like a good idea. (Which may explain why, the last time we mowed our lawn, the end result was basically just a few scorched pieces of straw-looking mess.) Rain this weekend might help alleviate things; chances are, that'll wind up meaning floods. -2

Yesterday's Needle rating: 60 Today's score: -1 Today's Needle rating: 59

Guandique originally faced another count of first-degree felony murder for allegedly sexually assaulting Levy in the trial that started Oct. 25.  The kidnapping and attempted robbery charges were also dropped due to the statute of limitations on those allegations. Guandique, an illegal immigrant, was indicted for Levy's murder in May 2009 while he was serving time for other attacks in Rock Creek Park.

Jurors faced a lack of hard evidence to base their verdict. Prosecutors were unable to provide any DNA or eyewitnesses to link Guandique to the murder. The jury heard testimony from Armondo Morales, Guandique's former cellmate, who testified that he admitted to killing Levy.

Guandique will be sentenced on Feb. 11.

Those PETA folks sure are astute
They do more than shout, "cows pollute!"
At noon they will blast
The sound of gas passed
As their 'inconvenient (fake) toot'

Remiss if I do not opine
on all that involves DC9
First charged with assault
Now booze sales may halt
Seems business (and fun) will decline

You talk while you drive in DC?
You dumbass; that comes with a fee
The news: cops are nabbing
More drivers while gabbing
So hang up or do it hands-free

Ms. Levy's been dead such a while
That jogging Rock Creek's back in style
The news is replete
With many a tweet
As Ingmar prepares to stand trial

Rock Creek Park, July 2

A recent article in the local Washington, DC press documented the activities of several persons who were panning for gold in Rock Creek Park. It is critical that park visitors understand that any recreational or commercial activity that damages, harms or removes any natural, cultural or archeological resource is illegal. Violators are subject to fines and criminal prosecution by the United States Park Police.

The account of the victim's ordeal is nothing short of tragic, and also leaves one to wonder if the system currently in place for dealing with domestic abuse didn't break down.

The victim sought help from authorities in May 2009, acquiring a Temporary Protection Order (TPO) that Escalante quickly violated, court papers show. And even after she decided to move into a domestic violence shelter, the victim wasn't safe. Instead, she was sexually assaulted right there on the premises.

Court documents provide a picture of the first time Escalante abused his then girlfriend, and it's graphic. Documents say the victim and Escalante had just moved in together in September 2008 when things began to go horribly wrong. During that month, the victim went off to Boston to check out a job prospect. When she returned, Escalante allegedly beat her up and accused her of going to Boston to prostitute herself.

After the beating, Escalante wanted sex. Dragging the victim into the bedroom by her hair, he demanded she take off her clothes. When the victim refused, Escalante allegedly tore off the apparel and forced her. "This is what women are useful for," Escalante stated, according to court papers.

Escalante's physical and sexual assaults would continue to intensify.

During a sexual assault at Rock Creek Park on the morning of Dec. 12, 2008, for instance, Escalante not only threatened the victim's life, but began shearing her hair off.

"Once arriving at the park, the defendant showed the complainant two knives and told the complainant that he was going to use one to kill her and one to kill himself. The defendant then proceeded to cut the complainant’s hair and stated that she better be quiet or it was not just her hair he was going to cut."

After multiple other instances of abuse, on May 7, 2009, a TPO was served on Escalante on behalf of the victim. Such an order is issued by a judge and requires an abuser stay away for a fourteen day period, giving the victim time to get a more permanent protection order. Escalante violated the TPO on May 19. Police were called but it's not clear whether Escalante was arrested. Christel Nichols of House of Ruth, an organization that often works with domestic violence victims in the District, says that in her experience, TPO's tend to be ineffective as far as protecting abuse victims goes. Cops, she says, have wide latitude when it comes to whether or not they're going to do anything about the violation, and sometimes do nothing at all.

Even after the victim moved into a domestic violence shelter, she wasn't safe. Documents say Escalante came to the place –located in the Northwest quadrant of the city– and walked right through the front door, which was open. According to documents,  finding the victim in her room, he bit her lip and sexually assaulted her while holding a pillow over her face.

The next day, the victim reported the abuse to a friend and police showed up at the shelter and arrested Escalante.

Nichols, whose organization has multiple domestic violence shelters around the city, but did not house Escalante's victim, says that among other security protocols at House of Ruth facilities, doors are kept locked and visitors have to get past shelter staff in order to enter.  "There's  no way someone could just walk in," she says. But though House of Ruth shelters tend to be vigilant about safety, the approach of other shelters to that issue vary. Nichols says the city imposes no standards regarding what a domestic violence shelter must do to keep its clients secure.

My morning ride through Rock Creek Park is one of the best parts of my day, and it's even better in the rain, when joggers and other distractions are few and I can ride in a head-clearing Zen state.

But the bike path is covered with squishable threats to this Zen state. Namely, worms, who for whatever reason, crawl out in the rain. If you want to avoid them, you end up swerving around like Monsieur Hulot. If another cyclist is approaching, avoiding worms is downright dangerous! So this is my question: Is it OK, morally, to flatten a worm when your safety and that of others is not in question? Or should one ride in a state of vegetarian terror?

Paul Sharp of the Omni Shoreham e-mails about the snowy path I blogged about yesterday. "We'll take care of the path," he writes. "My chief engineer is a rock star." I stopped and spoke with a rock star this morning, who confirmed he'd cleared the path and was doing a little tree care while he was at it. The path looks great. Doing things you don't have to do because they make the city a better place is the essence of the urban compact.

Rock Creek Park, February 11

So it didn't surprise me to see Washingtonians skiing past my Dupont apartment all day, about two or three every hour. Two of them, Meredith Schonfeld-Hicks and Adam Gerhardstein, stopped by for beer and mac and cheese. (Full disclosure: They're friends with my roommate. I had dinner with them once before. They're lovely people.) They're both experienced skiiers—Schonfeld-Hicks is participating in the 54-kilometer American Birkebeiner race in Wisconsin in a few weeks—so I asked them a few questions about skiing through the snowpocalypse.

Washington City Paper: Where did you ski today?

Meredith Schonfeld-Hicks: We left our house in Mount Pleasant and we skied past the back entrance to the National Zoo and down onto Rock Creek Parkway. And it was awesome, because there weren't any cars—there were just other skiers and runners. So we skied all the way down the parkway, past the Kennedy Center and over to the National Mall. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the World War II memorial. And then we went downtown Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, and then down 16th Street to 17th Street and then we stopped here on 19th Street.

WCP: What kind of gear are you using?

MSH: I am skiing on Madshus skis with Fischer boots and Swix blue wax. I'm getting some great kick today.

Adam Gerhardstein: I'm using waxless skis. We're both on cross-country skis, obviously. And I've been thinking about this, and there's something I'd like to say. The city is magical today, and for three reasons: First, because this is not just any storm. Secondly, because people are out and about and they're being nice. Third, because I have traversed the city in a way I never thought possible.

First, the reason this is not just any storm is: I've been to Colorado, Utah, Canada. I've skied in Minnesotta, in Michigan, in Vermont, and I've never seen anything like this. It has been snowing for over 24 hours. I shoveled this morning; it took me almost one-third of my strength, and I am very strong.

WCP: A full third?

AG: Yes. And the level of snow is approaching 20 inches. Now secondly, people are being nice. We've been skiing all over the city. People are smiling. They're sort of in awe of the way the city is covered in snow. It's awe-inspiring, and so when you go past somebody, especially when you're wearing skis, they find it quite amusing and fun and they say, "Oh, let me take your picture," and that's fantastic. And there was a penguin at the White House! There was a guy dressed up as a penguin wearing a placard about a dating Web site—like a publicity stunt, and everyone was getting their picture taken with him.

MSH: And he said the best way to survive a snowstorm is to find someone you love and snuggle up with them.

AG: That's absolutely true.

MSH: But we think skiing is a pretty good way, too.

AG: And so my final point: I traversed the city in a way I never thought possible. We skied all the way around the city, in the middle of roads that I have drove on going 50 mph. And we were not bothered by a soul. It was peaceful. It was like snowmaggeddon. The world ended for a day—in a good way. It was just like the world stopped.

WCP: What were the conditions like?

MSH: There were major drifts of snow, so the best places for skiing were in the roads where there had been attempts at plowing—the snow was thinner so you could glide across it. There's been a consistent snowfall throughout the day so it's very snowy and in-your-face. We both had to wear our ski goggles or glasses. And it was very wet. But I got really excellent kick and the glide was great. So conditions were great for skiing.

WCP: What kind of interactions did you have with other skiers?

MSH: Well, I was so surprised to see so many Nordic skiers out there. It was like all these kindred spirits coming out of the woodwork. We passed a guy on Rock Creek Parkway and he said, "You know, this happens every 10 years and I'm always waiting for it."

AG: When you go to a ski resort and you go cross-country skiing and you pass someone—there's particular times at these resorts when it's really snowy and you have this moment of bonding where you say, "Man, these are quite the conditions today. Snow's really packed." And it was like that today—like, "Hey, there's great snow up there by the White House."

WCP: What's the best skiing spot in D.C. right now?

AG: I think the best conditions were on Rock Creek Parkway—they were plowing it pretty consistently so you really have to catch it at that moment.

WCP: Any skiing tips for the day?

MSH: Wear sunglasses.

Top photo by Emily Goodstein. Above: Snowshoers on 19th Street. Photo by Abra Lyons-Warren.

PICK UP A PAPER! We're trying a new cover design thingy. E-mail me what you think, and CC: the Sexist!

Does anyone now what kind of mushroom this is? E-mail me, and CC: the Sexist! Do you like real mushrooms, or do you prefer mushrooms made of gourds? It is America! You don't have to choose!)

AMAZING story by Paul Duggan this morning about horrorcore rap, goth, murder, and part-time preaching. In Farmville, Va.! (Hey Spin, 2009 called and it wants 1999 back! Get Mark Schone! Get Mike Rubin to do a sidebar! Get me if those guys are busy! It's time to get the band back together!)

After the jump: No way lynching this Census employee related to carefully stoked nutball rage; Caps, Nats win; Terry Wogan standing next to a cake of Terry Wogan.

Ruh roh! You don't think all that birther/9/12/teabaggin'/townhallin' had anything to do with this horrific murder, do you? Oh don't be ridonkulous!  (HT: Federal Eye) Also, this just in, dead body in SW.

Caps win! (Wait, it's hockey season?) Nats win! (Wait, McKenna was right?) Zorn and Campbell not so bad! (Dan Steinberg's new niche: Skins con-wiz challenger.)

ANNALS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR DEPT: Here is a photo I took this morning at the entrance to Rock Creek Park on Calvert Street NW. As you can see, the entrance is blocked off. Why? Who knows! But here are people not just ignoring the sign, but LINING UP TO IGNORE THE SIGN. They can't go down the hill—Park Police have blocked off the road further down, too. Why do people assume "DO NOT ENTER" means "EVERYONE BUT YOU, OF COURSE"?

Finally, if you are British or love someone who is, you probably watch the Eurovision Song Contest whenever you can. (Or is that just me?) ANYWAY, here is a picture of longtime Eurovision presenter Terry Wogan next to a life-sized cake of himself. #WEIRD!

I gotta bounce! Follow me on Twitter, and CC: the Sexist!

Proponent: Adrienne Colman, Superintendent of Rock Creek Park, says: "It's just one of the options. Montgomery County has been sharpshooting for some years now...It reduces the deer population fairly quickly."

As in Montgomery County, the Rock Creek crew would donate the meat to charity. Three words: free venison burgers.

Opponent: John Hadidian, director of the Urban Wildlife Program at the Humane Society of the United States is sticking up for the deer: "We don't think that the deer should be blamed for something that is natural to them. It doesn't seem that there is a compelling reason to kill these animals."

Alexa Fritts, spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association, says: "overpopulation of deer can have a devastating effect on...songbirds."

Next step: The National Park Service is holding a public meeting at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center (5200 Glover Rd NW) on Wednesday, September 2 to debate the options.