Snipets from Adams Morgan

I occasionally peruse the Adams Morgan message board ... which, by the way, I am often shocked is still in use. I, for some reason or another, associate message boards with the forgotten times of AOL ISP monopolies; I find it surprising that there is so much activity on local message boards in a world where blogging is growing exponentially. There is an interesting article here about how the anonymity of message boards brings out the worst in people ... and I definitely have to agree with that in the case of the Adams Morgan Yahoo message board. Blogs and message boards are not mutually exclusive, but I just don't know anyone that contributes to message boards these days ... well, besides my mom.

Anyhoot, two items that I found particularly interesting:

1. A link to a WaPo Christmas Day opinion article from ANC 1C Chairman, Bryan Weaver, discussing the alarming nature of a recent shooting in Adams Morgan -- Callousness Against Hope in D.C. Commissioner Weaver discusses how disappointing it is that people have such a jaded response to crime and are unconcerned with the loss of human life. He makes a very good point in this article and I was shocked to see people asking for an apology from Weaver on the message boards -- gimme a break, AdMo residents.

2. There has been a crazy flurry of messages concerning the new interesection at 18th and Columbia Roads (where the festivus pole is). You can see the official changes to the intersection here, which are not totally completed, by the way. The problem with the intersection after the change is that people want to turn right to get across the bridge to Woodley Park ... but this is next to impossible because of pedestrian traffic. This causes a severe backup of traffic on Columbia Road, which I myself have experienced while riding the 42. The original intentions of the changes were to make the intersection safer to pedestrians ... so I'll take pedestrian safety over faster moving traffic anyday.

Ummm ... Hi

Okay, I'm back in the District.

First off - we have the stupidest girl in the world.  Click here to see the girl who accidentally texted her Dad after losing her virginity.  [cite: H]

In other news - River Road in Potomac, MD (outside Bethesda) has actually turned into a river this morning due to a 66-inch water main break.  Cocktail sent this to me this morning, the article can be viewed here on WJLA's website and I have embedded the video below.

And...

Via DCist - The Examiner is reporting that over 300 bars, clubs, and restaurants that have 'voluntary agreements' with their ANC's must close at their current closing time - not the 4am that the DC Circus Ruling allows them too.  You can read about it here, but basically DC AG Nickles has determined that the agreements with the ANC's are binding contracts and must be upheld - unless of course the particular ANC votes to change their feeling on the matter for the 5 day inaugural party (which they should).

Metro ... Metro ... Metro - They are at it again.  Following Thursdays Board Meeting, with many protests over the Google Transit debacle (over 750 signed GGW's petition) - Metro has begun working on some better lines, rather than telling people they just want money.  They now say they are going to work with Google Transit, and that getting their data out in the open is very important to them.  Righttttttt.  Though this is coming from Metro's Chief Administrator, Emeka Moneme - who is a step about Metro's Bumbling Idiot, John Catoe.  Metro has been kind enough to put up an FAQ page as to why they hate data-openness, you can read it here.

Justice!

At the risk of infuriating Tim (and his newfound teetotaling ways), here is a link to a great post on DCist by Kriston about Graham's (Bojangles') proposal to issue a warning to first time offenders that serve alcohol to minors.

A quick excerpt:

It never made any sense for the D.C. Council to be in the business of managing bar employees. A more reasonable rule (such as the one that will govern D.C. for the next year as an experiment) would provide a warning so as to tease out the lazy or merely mistaken bartenders from the habitual offenders. That puts the onus of enforcement on bar employers, where it belongs. Where bar owners and managers are negligent, repeat offenders will prove.

Now this measure will only apply for a year on an experimental level After the year has ended any ANC may reverse the measure as they see fit without any say from DC Council (The Circus). Here's hoping it works (and that my local Adams Morgan ANC pays close attention to see if this is a successful measure)!

Community Issues- Hate Crimes

While hardly a topic in the spirit of holiday cheer, just a quick post on a serious issue: hate crimes. Those who follow the news closely will recall that there has been a spate of bias-related crimes in the area, particularly directed at members of the LGBT community. DC is ahead of the curve in many ways, particularly by having a specific unit of MPD that specializes in LGBT issues, but this hasn't stopped hate and bias crimes from being perpetrated. Moreover, the number of hate crimes in DC is believed to be greatly underreported, partly because of hesitance on the part of victims to come forward and partly due to a lack of recognition of a crime as hate-motivated.

Recently the DC Council Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary held hearings on the issue. Our friend and Dupont ANC Commissioner Jack Jacobson presented enlightening testimony on the matter that can be found here. Jack's testimony includes a set of suggestions to help increase the reporting (and accuracy) of hate crimes as a starting point to reassess how to curb the incidence of these crimes. Interested in getting invovled? Check out Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence, MPD's Gay and Lesbian Liason Unit, get in touch with your Council member
or keep up with Commissioner Jacobson and his important public safety work.