The Manhattan Project
Controversy Over Rhee Now to Include Sex, Congress
Increased Urban Walkability For The Win
Report: CCDC Split From UDC Is "Critical To Success"
D.C. United Icon Ben Olsen To Retire
Good morning, Washington. We know how it is, the week before a major holiday when you've probably got travel plans -- Friday can't come soon enough. There's only two full work days left to go before you get to walk out that office door and do a little dance of joy, but in the meantime, we'll do our best to distract you from that increasingly nagging feeling that you might soon completely lose your mind if you have to sit through one more meeting. So sit back, relax, maybe even try to get your leg to stop jittering under your desk, and enjoy today's headlines. We'll get through this trying to time together.
So Many Broken Hydrants: D.C. Fire Chief Dennis L. Rubin is now estimating the number of busted hyrdrants in the District is more like 25 percent (before it was only 10 percent, and WASA quickly denied that was the case). Rubin testified before the D.C. Council that the problem is much more widespread than he originally thought. WASA General Manager Jerry N. Johnson reiterated his position that only a fraction of hydrants are out of service. The issue became news in late April when firefighters were unable to use the hydrants closest to the Georgetown public library fire.
Hospital in Extremely Bad Condition: The WaPo reports on recent testimony before the D.C. health committee that gives details on the sad state of affairs at Greater Southeast Community Hospital. The hospital lacks adequate technicians and medical specialists, and needs more than $16 million in basic equipment. Council member David Catania (I-At Large) warned the hospital's corporate owner that improvements will be required.
Briefly Noted: Alleged 4th St. Mob drug dealers arrested in FBI/MPD sting ... D.C. to rehire firefighter fired in Rosenbaum case ... Police shoot, kill man in motel parking lot in Alexandria.
This Day in DCist: In 2005 we reviewed Jessica Cutler's book, The Washingtonienne, and in 2006 we first told you that a Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum was on its way to the District.
Photo by iceman882
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it's really unbelievable how something as vital as our fire hydrants can be in such bad shape. this post brings up a good point about how we pay outrageous taxes in dc but get very little in return:
dc.metblogs.com/archives/2007/05/got_water_2.phtml
The rehiring of that guy gives additional importance to the credo of "Don't get hurt in DC!"
Is anyone else noticing that the Post's Web site is completely hosed?
"WASA General Manager Jerry N. Johnson reiterated his position that only a fraction of hydrants are out of service."
Yeah, 1/4 is a fraction, too. A whopping big one.
Good grief, is anybody minding the store. It seems like any changes that happen in the district are always reactionary! Someone has to die, nearly die or get busted on TV in order for anything positive to happen. Maybe it's just my view...does anybody else feel that way?
No, Lavatory Lady, you're completely right. DC is a third-world, ghetto shithole.
An example: I live near the corner of 16th St & Columbia Rd, NW, where a bus shelter had one of the glass panels broken out about THREE WEEKS AGO. This was a serious situation - there were huge sheets of shattered plate glass lying on the sidewalk in front of a church, which has a school inside. I e-mailed a local Ward 1 poobah who keeps putting flyers under my door, and she told me to call the city help line, which I did. They told me it'd be fixed within five business days, which was unacceptable. After multiple additional e-mails and phone calls between myself, the ward poobah, someone from the city apparently came last week, took the glass of the ground, and LEANED THE JAGGED PLATES OF GLASS AGAINST THE BACK OF THE BUS SHELTER, unbroken edge down, jagged edge up. They MOVED the glass but did not REMOVE it.
The poobah (sorry, I don't know what her official role is) finally got Jim Graham involved. He e-mailed a slew of people at WMATA, including Catoe, and the glass was finally taken away yesterday.
Again, I repeat: third-world shithole.