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

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

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

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

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

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."

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 Issue: A new tavern is set to move into Ward 1–and just in time, as there's nothing better than ice and boozing after a 9:30 Club show in this sweltering heat. The American Ice Company has taken over the 2,375 square foot lot once occupied by Madden Roofing, at 917 V Street NW. The owners intend give the existing warehouse, complete with a rolled-up garage door, slight renovations before opening in late summer or early fall. The tavern will be a “small neighborhood gathering place with entertainment to include dancing, DJ’s and occasional 3-piece combo band,” says the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration’s notice of a public hearing.

The bar will have a maximum occupancy of 143 with 44 seats outdoors in the summer garden, and live entertainment until close. Indoor and outdoor operating hours will be: Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Mondays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Fridays from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.–with alcohol served during all hours of operation. Some residents at Rhapsody Condominiums though, located behind the tavern at 2120 Vermont Avenue aren’t buying the “small gathering place” sell. Between the music streaming out of the garage door to the drunks on the patio, they’ll never sleep again, they argue.

It’s Just a Peaceful Patio: When the American Ice Company met with about 30 community members in early June, there seemed to be overall support, Advisory Neighborhood Commission commissioner Peter Raia said at last Thursday’s ANC 1B meeting. Joe Rivas, a LeDroit Park resident and tavern representative, says they’re going to add a perimeter wall around the front patio to keep the noise in. “We don’t have any plans for live music, any DJs or the like,” he said. They plan to work with the company that installs all the sound for Marvin and other taverns with similar complaints from neighbors. In the summer, the garage door will remain open, but when temperatures fall, the door will close, he says. “If there’s umbrellas and people want to stay outside, they’re more than welcome,” but he adds, “we’re not going to try to keep it open. I mean­—it’s a patio.” Also, a bar beats an empty lot. “Vacant buildings can be a serious ‘neighborhood health’ issue. Sure, a bar may not be the ideal substitute for all audiences, but Duffy’s is just around the corner,” writes commenter Mitchell over at Prince of Petworth.

Loud Drunks All Night: At last week's meeting, one resident of Rhapsody Condominiums (who didn't want to give her name) argued that most of the people who came to the early June meeting weren’t directly affected. Since the condominium is U-shaped, there are around 30 residents whose units directly oversee the bar, she said. The tavern’s plan to build a brick wall around the patio will only cause the noise to rise up—making it worse for residents. “When there’s two people in the alley, you can hear the whole conversation, I might as well talk back to them," she said. "So 44 drunk people, 20 feet from my bedroom…I think it’s a much bigger issue than we’re making it.” She already has two white noise machines to muffle out sounds from the alley.

If it weren’t for the outdoor space, another resident says she wouldn’t be as concerned. “I used to live in Langston Lofts, and…the noise from Marvin on the roof deck was a lot to deal with. It still makes me worry I’m going to be in my house at 11 o’clock during the week…and I’m hearing ‘boom boom’…and the idea of that is really disheartening because our neighborhood is really quiet right now,” she says. “I live in the Rhapsody and selected that building for peace and quiet, not for some dumb rowdy ghetto club,” writes PoP commenter Neighbor.

What’s Next: Some residents of Rhapsody Condominiums and the local ANC plan to protest the ABRA application in order to negotiate a voluntary agreement with the establishment later this month. A public hearing before the ABC Board is set for July 26.

Photo by d'n'c'. Creative Commons Attribution License.

The poll, commissioned and released by Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham’s campaign, pegged Hizzoner’s support among likely Democratic voters in the ward at 43 percent compared to 37 percent for Gray. Dark horse candidate Leo Alexander pulled down 2 percent, while 18 percent of the 300 voters polled said they hadn’t yet made up their minds.

One political consultant—who isn't working for either campaign but wanted anonymity because, well, D.C. can be a small town—spins the numbers as good for Gray. After all, Fenty grew up in Ward 1 and is almost universally known there, but still isn’t reaching the 50 percent benchmark that makes incumbents sleep better at night. Gray, on the other hand, has room to move upwards. (Then again, it's hard to win an election with only 37 percent of the vote.)

Graham, if you’re wondering, pulled down 68 percent of likely voters while his two competitors, Jeff Smith and Bryan Weaver split 15 percent with 17 percent undecided.

It's a story the young and nervy Weaver likes to tell as proof that the incumbent is a "dinosaur" who still plays old-style politics. Weaver most recently told a version of the story at the D.C. Democratic State Convention: In 2006, Graham investigated the questionable dealings of a particular developer, Perseus Realty, only to accept campaign donations from the very same developer years later. Graham also acquired a 20-year tax abatement for the company, Weaver says.

That particular narrative could frustrate Graham, who's still seeking to get out from beneath the shadow cast over his office by the arrest of his former chief of staff, Ted Loza, on bribery charges. But the incumbent councilmember isn't shrinking from the insinuation.

"There ain't no corruption in me," Graham tells City Desk. "I'm very sorry about what happened to one of my staff members, but I don't do that stuff."

Graham says Weaver's version of what happened between him and Perseus Realty is all mixed up. He's the hero of the story, not the bad guy: "I'm not the villain, nor was I associating with the villains," Graham claims.

In a February article, the Washington Business Journal attributed Graham's success at campaign fund-raising to two things: His cozy relationship with powerful developers and the ability of corporations to side-step the District's $500 political contribution cap:

"The good news for Graham and other city politicos, is that LLCs – limited liability corporations – each have their own contribution limits. So what do some developers do? Contribute the max for each one of their companies."

Though donating at $500 a pop won't amount to millions, it doesn't take a lot of green to have an impact on cash-strapped local races.

2010 fund-raising records appears to show Perseus Realty, responsible for various projects around the District, as one of the companies willing to ante up. City Desk came across contributions to Graham from Perseus Realty Investments, LLC; Perseus Stillman, LLC; Perseus Realty, LLC; 1110 Vermont Renaissance Assoc,VII/SCH-Perseus M Street; LLC and 14W Member, LLC. All have names that appear to be related to either Perseus Realty or a Perseus Realty project. Each LLC gave the maximum contribution of 500 bucks, save VII/SCH-Perseus M Street, LLC, which contributed only $250.

Perhaps Perseus has good feelings toward Graham because of the 14th and W project, a $97 million mixed-use Perseus development that Graham backed and which he readily acknowledges began a "new acquaintanceship" between the politician and the company.

Some five years ago, the acquaintanceship between Graham and Perseus was close to that of the hunter and the hunted. Back then, Graham was handing out subpoenas to Perseus leadership and employees. "Nobody hit them harder than I did," Graham says of that time. Graham was then chair of the Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, which oversees the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). DCRA, in turn, regulates District housing.

Graham was after the company because he suspected them of strong-arming renters and misusing a district law, one the City Paper wrote a cover story about in 2006. The law –501(f)–allows landlords who need to make major repairs to an occupied building to vacate the building of tenants while the repairs are made. Though such evacuations are supposed to be temporary, most tenants opt to move on rather than wait the length of time it would take for the landlord to invite them back. After that, the owners are free to develop or sell the property sans pesky tenant rights.

“It’s a sham process,” Jim McGrath of the DC Tenants Advocacy Coalition then told City Paper. “There’s nothing more permanent than temporary removal.”

That's perhaps how it might have gone for Perseus at 1846 Vernon Street NW in 2005: But the tenants of the building wanted to stay and fought the so-called temporary removal. That's when Perseus, a co-owner of the building, allegedly got rough.

According to a final report issued as a result of Graham's investigative hearing on the matter, bad stuff started happening to the tenants in fall of 2006:

In October and November 2006, the tenants of 1846 Vernon Street, NW stated to the Committee that since September 2006, they had observed an increasing number of incidents of violence seemingly directed against tenants and/or the building.  On October 16, 2006, vandals smashed glass panels on the doors of several apartments, and, the Committee was told, selectively cut electrical cables so that only occupied units were affected.

The report reveals that in that same year, tenant Latif Sarkar, who lived Apartment 23, "reported having received threats within the building from strangers, who told him to move out within 48 hours or else." The report also offers an account of the most dramatic moment in the battle, a late night arson:

Even more seriously, on November 5, 2006 between 10:00 and 10:30 p.m., a fire broke out at 1846 Vernon Street, NW.  Chairperson Graham and Committee staffers inspected the premises the next morning and discussed the incident with tenants, who reported the following. Three tenants of unit #28, Mahmuduel Hoque, Nasimuel Hoque and Rabia Begum, stated they were watching television with relatives when they heard two loud bangs in rapid succession, the second of which was far louder and shook their apartment "like an earthquake," according to Ms. Begum.

The bangs turned out to have a source, a blaze outside their apartment.

No one was severely injured in the fire. But tenants nevertheless slowly gave up and left.  Probably because they felt their lives were in danger. According to the report:

A fire investigator from the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department stated that the remnants of an exploded gas can was found in front of #28, and indicated his belief that the cause of the fire was arson. Tenants generally were of the opinion that whoever set the fire did so at the direction of the owner and/or the management company.

Though the arson prompted no criminal case against Perseus, Graham says he went after them "hammer and tong" and would have kept going except for having switched committees. He says Councilmember Marion Barry then took over the Committee for Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. When that happened, the investigation screeched to a halt. Graham says he asked Barry to continue pursuing Perseus, but got no response from the Ward 8 councilmember.

In any event, when the YMCA selected Perseus for the 14th and W Project, Graham put all that business behind him. Graham says that when the YMCA told him about its decision, it brought up the bad blood: "We know you've had some bad experiences with Perseus," Graham recalls YMCA officials saying. The organization explained that there was little chance for the kind of trouble that emerged on Vernon Street as there were no tenants to evict as far as their project went, Graham says.

Asking Graham about the Perseus campaign contributions seems to elicit an answer that's tantamount to "Hey, that's politics."

"Am I happy with this? No," Graham tells City Desk. "Am I a pragmatist? I have to be." Graham says he would prefer it if corporations weren't allowed to donate. Still, City Desk notices from recent records that Graham  hasn't sent back any of the money.

Weaver, meanwhile, considers Perseus too tainted to deal with.  He says an associate recently offered to introduce him to someone from the development firm. Weaver says he didn't mind the intro as long as it was understood that he would never take money from the company. Weaver says Graham losing the committee that was investigating Perseus was no excuse for no longer fighting the company. "He didn't lose the Ward," says Weaver. Weaver asserts that Graham lost interest in pursuing Perseus when the media stopped paying attention. "While the Washington Post and everyone was focused on it, he was great," says Weaver.

What happened on Vernon, Weaver says, was extremely upsetting. "It was almost old-school gangster," he says.

Graham shoots back that Weaver is just electioneering: "For Bryan, this is just simply trying to get some votes."

Photo by dbking/Creative Commons Attribution License

Graham's camp maintains there is  "zero hard evidence" of any such malfeasance.

Smith says he recently received an email from Mt. Pleasant resident Margot Berkey, alleging that the Department of Public Works (DPW), a city agency whose committee Graham oversees, has been snatching down Smith signs from light poles in her neighborhood. In the email, forwarded to City Desk by Smith, Berkey writes:

"Hello Jeff, Out walking the dog today and noticed that there was a DPW pick up truck (with a watering tank on the back) that also had your campaign signs in the back of the pick up.  Robert, my husband, spoke to them and they are under the impression that the signs are illegal and should be taken down.  They believe that only campaign signs for the mayor's race are permitted on public light poles, etc. Yard signs are okay for city council races but not other signs posted in the city. They believe this to be a DC reg. I would encourage you to research this issue and contact DPW immediately to correct it."

Contacted by City Desk, Berkey declined to comment. But Smith says Berkey and her husband  got "a detailed description of a black female with star tattoos on her eyebrows who was driving the truck."

The alleged incident prompted the chair of Smith's campaign, Denise Wiktor, to send a sharply worded email to DPW head Willliam Howland Jr. and District Department of Transportation (DDOT) head Gabe Klein:

"Although the writer states it was a DPW truck involved, it sounds like the trucks street and bridge maintenance own.  As a former longtime Public Space Manager for DDOT, I can assure you that campaign signs on light poles are very much legal. DCMR Title 24 section 108 clearly sets out the rules and regulations under which campaigns may attach signs to light poles and Mr. Smith's campaign is in full compliance. I would ask that you have your workers cease and desist this practice immediately and return any signs to our campaign in the possession of the city."

Wiktor tells City Desk that DDOT gave only a cursory response to her email, while DPW offered a mea culpa: "I apologize if a DPW worker removed the signs. As you stated campaign signs affixed to light poles are legal. I will remind the staff that we should not remove them," writes Howland.

Wiktor says that if it was DPW removing the signs, she's sure Howland had nothing to do with it. She says she wouldn't be surprised if Graham himself "intimidated" them into doing it. "Having worked for him I know he's capable of that," says Wiktor. Wiktor explains that she was once Graham's chief of staff.

Smith previously pointed to Graham's use of D.C. government contracted company MC Dean's trucks to hang vote Jim Graham signs, leading to what may be, at the very least, a conflict of interest issue, he says.

In a conversation with City Desk, Graham campaign consigliere and spokesperson Chuck Thies earlier mentioned that Smith claimed "DDOT is taking down his signs and putting up our signs." Thies says Smith had offered nothing in the way of proof that such a thing was going on. He says Smith makes a habit of hurling unsubstantiated accusations at Graham: "He claims that Jim Graham is corrupt but offers no corroboration," says Thies.

Forwarded Berkey's email last night, Thies responds with vitriol: "As with all conspiracy theories, this allegation offers details, but there is zero hard evidence. It is a charade manufactured by the Smith campaign.  If you believe that random people are emailing Jeff Smith about campaign signs, perhaps you'll buy my theory: extraterrestrials disguised as DPW workers have descended on Ward One and are intent on thwarting Jeff Smith."

Graham denied the allegation. "If you have a video of any of my staff taking down signs, bring it forward," Graham told Smith last night.

Smith further accused Graham of employing city contractors to hang up his own signs around town. Graham said there's no impropriety. He's paying the contractors to do campaign work outside of their public duties.

Fellow Ward 1 candidate Bryan Weaver, meanwhile, emphasized the "power of we." At least until the subject of the playground at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School came up.

"If you can bounce up and down on that rubber, think of me, " said Graham, apparently referring to a piece of playground equipment at the school. Weaver's voice went up as he stated that the new playground was great, but that the neighborhood boundaries of the well-performing public school need to be redrawn: "It's a Woodley Park school, it's not an Adams Morgan school," said Weaver.

Graham opened by rattling off some of his Ward 1 accomplishments, including getting rid of the scores of undesirables who once hung out at 17th and Euclid NW. "Now there's a police camera there," he said.

"I'm running for re-election on that record," said Graham.

Smith concedes that Graham has accomplished some good things during his long tenure as council member, but it's time for him to go. "Eight years would have been plenty, 16 years is too much," Smith said.

When candidates were asked about funding for the arts by debate moderator Davis Kennedy of the Current newspapers, Smith took the opportunity, as he would many times that night, to point out some of Graham's many shortcomings. Smith said that Graham's version of funding the arts involved giving out earmarks to his favorite non-profits. Smith also charged that the incumbent has given out more earmarks than anyone else on the council, excluding Marion Barry.

Graham countered that he stood by his earmarks: "They spend the money responsibly," he said of the organizations he's funded.

Weaver didn't join in the scuffle but stated that non-competitive earmarks were a problem.

However, he later took a swing at Graham for his relationship with developers, pointing out that after Graham had helped get $8.5 million in tax abatement for Donatelli Development Inc., the company contributed $5,000 to his reelection fund.

Graham challenged the accuracy of that remark, and then brought up how he'd championed development in Ward 1 without getting rid of its low income residents:"We have not torn up the fabric of our diversity," he said.

As the night wore on, Smith and Weaver continued to bring up various Graham controversies. But it was the moderator who brought up the biggest one of all: Ted Loza. Asked whether the incumbent would ever rehire his former chief of staff, now up on bribery charges, Graham simply stated: "Let Ted Loza have his day in court.".

In his closing remarks, Graham attempted to portray himself as a unifier. "Where we have worked together is where we have worked our best," he said. In their closing remarks, both Smith and Weaver took parting shots at the incumbent. Weaver  pulled a line from the movie Wedding Crashers: "I'm not saying marry me. I'm saying just don't marry him."

The Issue: First picnic tables, now a spray-painted mural of a giant dog and children blowin’ bubbles is causin' a ruckus in Walter Pierce Park. Not so much the mural, per se, but the process it took to get there. Ward 1 residents were given a 10-day notice, posted on a neighborhood Listserv, that a mural would be painted along both sides of a wall in Walter Pierce Park last October. Don’t know what a Listserv is? Too bad.

As discussions took place between Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham's office, which commissioned the artwork through his MuralsDC initiative, and  the D.C. Department of Public Works (DPW), residents and the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) were seemingly left out of the decision process. “It was only after the site was selected and announced that the ANC met with members of MuralsDC,”  says local ANC commissioner Bryan Weaver (who, perhaps not incidentally, is opposing Graham in the upcoming council election). Only after that process were residents informed, says Weaver.

The Clock Was Tickin’: “Weather was an issue,” says DPW spokesperson Nancee Lyons. Instead of starting in the summer, the program didn’t get rollin’ until last fall, so certain aspects were rushed in order for the art to be completed by winter, Lyons says. “Should there have been some signage posted at the park? Probably,” says Mindy Moretti, the local ANC commissioner and president on the board of Friends of Walter Pierce Park. But MuralsDC was heading the project, so that would’ve been their responsibility, Moretti says. “The process was obviously flawed…but this project was dealing with a short budget and timeline, and a push was made to make the project happen,” Weaver says. In the month between the Listserv announcement, and the start of the artwork, residents were mum with their opinions, he adds.

Sketches of the mural were presented at a local ANC meeting, counters Dominic Painter, executive director of the Midnight Forum, a managing agent for MuralsDC. “No one had concerns, so we went with the positive feedback. It’s a ridiculous notion to think we’re going to reach every single person that lives in the neighborhood,” he says.

Adds Graham, writing on the Listserv, “I have every reason to believe that the process was followed in this case."

What’s in a Listserv?: A single message on an email discussion group is appalling, says resident Gretchen Cook. “It assumes everyone worth consulting has a computer, knows about the Listserv and has the time to check it regularly,” she says.  There should have been a sign at the park and an open forum, she adds. Says neighbor Glenn Hennessey, “I consider the park a place to escape the city, not a place to be reminded of it….any type of artwork is wrong.” Hennessy adds that the Listserv failed to mention exactly which wall the mural would be painted upon.

What’s Next: There are no plans to do away with the mural. Instead, local artist and mural creator Aniekan Udofia is currently working on renewing one of the other three murals in the park that is deteriorating.

Photo by Glenn Hennessey.

The Issue: The saga between neighborhood residents and the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) battles on. Mount Pleasant Public Library in Ward 1, set to close on Saturday for renovation and expansion, is the latest in the spotlight of the library wars. For the past two years, DCPL and the community have been discussing the renovation of the historic Italian Renaissance-style building, says George Williams, public information officer for DCPL. Plans include expanding the library to the property line and building a new accessibility ramp that winds around the side of the building toward a rear entrance. During construction, residents will have access to an interim library at 3164 Mount Pleasant St. NW, which opens April 26. The new library is expected to open fall 2011. What could be wrong with a facelift?

Stop!: Neighborhood residents argue the problem isn’t the renovation but the lack of community input into DCPL’s plans. The last community meeting was June 2009. Many residents expressed concern over the height and placement of the accessibility ramp, and the fire hazard the expansion may pose to neighboring apartments. DCPL has failed to address these issues, says local Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) commissioner, Chris Otten. He says the expansion—“which nobody has asked for, by the way"—would "block emergency access points” because it places the renovated library 15 feet from the closest buildings. DCPL responds to questions with “no, that’s not possible or we’ll look into it,” leaving resident questions unanswered, Otten says.

For the Love of Books: “We believe that the community wants and deserves a new and renovated library,” Williams says. Mount Pleasant Public Library is the only one in Ward 1. The community needs this expansion, he says. The proposed accessibility ramp will be 120 feet long, with a 7-foot incline versus the current 3-foot incline; it was approved by the D.C. Office of Disability Rights, he adds. He says the community has had a chance to engage in discussion over the library's design. “Glad renovations are finally moving forward, though the amount of neighborhood bickering over it has been ridiculous,” writes DCist commenter CrookedRiverwoman.

What’s Next: Community residents are planning a rally/flash-mob outside and a "SaveDaLibrary Danceathon" inside the library on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Talks of a sit-in are in the works, Otten says.

Rendering courtesy of DCPL

Chief Superior Court Judge Lee F. Satterfield doesn't like the fact that Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham has been posturing about the inadequacy of D.C.'s juvenile justice system via listserv.

In an email to Ward 1 ANC commissioners, Satterfield accuses Graham of playing the blame game. Graham apparently wants his constituents to believe the court goes easy on juvenile offenders. "In his email, in reference to a particular case, CM Graham said that judge after judge did not 'take charges seriously enough' and that 'one of the reasons we have such a high level of youth violence in this city is this: Young criminals think they have nothing to fear from the courts…'"

Indeed, reviewing the email, Graham hits D.C.  judges hard, implying he has proof they take youth crime lightly.

"This week I reviewed the arrest and other records of an 18 year old man (now charged with murder). It was a sorry tale of offense after offense between the age of 14 and 18. Judge after judge did not take the charges seriously enough. If the public could see these records, there would be such a public outcry against how our criminal prosecution system works with youthful offenders."

Satterfield goes on to say Graham is full of it. In most situations, he says, the courts' hands are tied as far as young offenders are concerned:

"DC law does not provide the Court with any authority over youth committed to the custody of the city.  Family Court judges who find a juvenile ‘involved’ in a crime (the DC Code’s nomenclature for guilt), have but two options:  put the youth on probation, which the court’s juvenile probation officers monitor and over which the judges have control, or, if the judge thinks probation is not sufficient, the judge can commit the youth to the city at which point the court loses all authority over the youth including the authority to securely detain a youth."

Satterfield says he finds Graham's blaming troubling and that "No system is perfect, including the court system.  However, we make every effort to meet the needs of all residents in the community that we serve, consistent with our mandate to provide justice for all." Burn.

So some posters on the MPD listservs are still all like...get these kids off my lawn. "I live on 16th Street NE, near Mt. Olivet Rd and the loitering is worsening as the weather warms," one exasperated resident says.

The complaining is mostly about youngsters hanging out in neighborhoods in large groups, intimidating wine and cheese party attendees. City Desk asked Police Chief Cathy Lanier about the problem last week, and she pointed out that lounging about isn't illegal. There are no loitering laws in D.C., as those laws are widely thought to infringe on constitutional rights.

For those who, when it comes to loitering, fall on the side of "law and order" rather than "freedom and liberty," Jim Graham can perhaps change your mind.

Last year, the Ward 1 councilmember pushed an anti-loitering bill for what seemed a very good reason: Drunk revelers in Adams Morgan were being targeted by a group of muggers, recalls Graham communications officer Brian DeBose. Graham wanted the police to arrest or disperse members of the group before they pounced, and so drafted what turned out to be a controversial piece of legislation.

But some time later, Graham saw the light. What changed his mind? Suspicions that, in an unrelated incident, a local cop profiled two teenage girls outside the Boys and Girls Club No. 10 on 14th Street NW in Columbia Heights. Graham explains in an email to City Desk that, on March 9, 2009, "two young women (ages 15 and 17) were arrested for assaulting a police officer."

"In that situation, there were conflicting reports about whether the police were unfairly targeting kids."

After Graham met with the girls' parents, he felt differently about so-called "loitering": "I left the meeting certain that, before moving forward with this type of bill, much more work is needed to heal old wounds of misperception[s] and mistrust that run deep in our community..."

Morning!

First, a mini roundup: Washington Post readers don't like pictures of gay men kissing ("please don’t shove this 'Gay' business in our face"; "I will be glad when your rag goes out of business. Real men marry women"; "disturbing"). Former representative Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) has some splainin' to do (it's not every day you can Google "tickling" and come up with a breaking news story). And Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and his betrothed, DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee, are not Romeo and Juliet.

Now to the question of the week: Should Georgetown secede?

Discussion after the jump.

Carol Joynt, a writer and former TV producer who's behind the weekly talk show "The Q&A Cafe" and is the former owner of the now closed Nathans, threw that doozy out there this week on her blog, saying:

This isn't as much a question against the city as it is a question  for Georgetown. Its worth forming a panel to explore the idea and also inviting public debate. Reason one is that DC's not going to get home rule. I just don't see it happening. Why should we wait around, caving into powerlessness, when we could come together to create a governing body that helps to improve the quality of living right here where we live?

We could be the City of Georgetown or the Town of Georgetown. Regardless, have our own mayor, our own council, our own police force (on some streets we already do), our own public school system, contract out – like DC does – for a lot of the utility work (think: plowing snow), our own parking enforcement, our own ABC Board, and use our local tax dollars for Georgetown's own needs. We already provide a local bus system.

If you think about it, it makes sense. If you live in Georgetown, how much of the management of the city government relates to you in a positive way? How many city government decisions are made with Georgetown even remotely in the equation?

Anyone from any other D.C. neighborhoods want to answer that?

The Georgetown Metropolitan weighed in with some interesting history. Turns out there's precedent for this, and I'm not talking about the Southern states or Quebec. In 1838, Georgetown residents wrote a motion to request "retrocession" of all D.C. land west of Rock Creek. And the motion passed! And then some folks went to Annapolis, where it also seemed like a good idea! And then Congress pissed on it!

GM's Topher Matthews says, perhaps needlessly, that Joynt's suggestion is "totally ridiculous and never going to see the light of day. There is no way the government of the District or Congress would approve. And if there’s one thing that can get the rest of the District to hate Georgetown more, it would be to agitate for secession."

And Joynt more or less agrees:

I'm a realist. I know this won't happen. But I like the debate. It reminds everyone on the inside and outside of our "borders" that Georgetown is a village and the residents can be engaged in civic activism. We're not passive, but we get distracted. Too much of our focus is directed at the not always attractive commercial development of M Street, when its important to look at and nurture every nook and cranny of the commercial and residential areas.

But that's not the good part.

As for whether "secession" would further dispossess the dispossessed, I always look to Marion Barry. He treats his ward like it is a city and that he's its mayor and their needs come before all others. Say what you will about him, he looks out for his flock. He fights for what they need, what they deserve. Its the same with Ward 1's Jim Graham.

Wait, did she just say Georgetown needs someone like Marion Barry?

Photo by sylvester75117, Creative Commons Attribution License

The Issue:

The headline-snatching councilmember, Jim Graham, angered cabbies by proposing to instate a district medallion system, which would charge taxis a monthly fee to operate, and also aim to cap the district’s 8,000 cab drivers. According to the Washington Post, Graham pulled the bill on Wednesday, a decision that reportedly has “nothing to do” with the arrest of his chief of staff. So why are the cabbies still honking?

Metro It: Cab drivers hope to send a message to Ward 1 residents that the medallion system needs to be shoved off the table: John Porterfield of the Dominion of Cab Drivers told City Desk, “We want to motivate business owners in Adams Morgan that DC cab drivers are an integral part of business. They can’t just do what they’ve done to us and not have any retribution…it’s time for you people to throw Jim Graham under the bus.”

Cab It: The legislation has been discarded—and it’s unclear how many drivers will actually boycott the area, and how many will just hike up fares. And of course, the stranded wasted college students affected by the strike can’t actually vote in Ward 1.

Next Step: The taxicab hearing has been postponed to later this month, but keep track of the ongoing saga before penciling it into your calendar...

Photo by Thomas Hawk, Creative Commons Attribution License