News: July 2009 Archives

• Nationals 11, Astros 10
  (Game 1): If only they could start every game with a runner on first and the score tied in the bottom half of the last inning, then the Nats might win a few more. Plenty of crazy baseball oddities in this one, the completion of th May 5th game, which started in D.C. Numerous players who were involved when the rain came two months ago weren't around last night: Nyjer Morgan took the place of the demoted Elijah Dukes on first and scored the winning run on an error by Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada. Joel Hanrahan (1-3), who now plays in Pittsburgh, was the winning pitcher of record; call it a belated going away present. (Although since the guy he was traded for -- Morgan -- scored the winning run, things seem kinda even.) Technically, this doesn't stop the Nats current losing streak, but hey, a win's a win, even when it only takes seven minutes to earn. Best of luck with the box score for this one, folks.
• Astros 9, Nationals 4 (Game 2): Surprise, surprise -- middle and late-inning pitching killed the Nationals yet again in their regularly-scheduled game at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Staff ace John Lannan (6-6) and Jason Bergmann allowed two big triples in the bottom of the sixth, and what was a 4-2 lead quickly soured into a 6-4 deficit. The National bats got to Houston starter Russ Ortiz early, but five Astro relievers went six scoreless to pick up his slack. Lance Berkman put the game out of reach in the eighth with a massive three-run homer to left-center field off Nats closer Mike MacDougal. That was more than enough for the normally run-challenged Astros, who scored nine runs in a game for the first time since June 5.
• Kastles 24, Lobsters 17: The Kastles finally got one in the win column in Boston, taking down Martina Navratilova and the Lobsters with wins in both women's matches and the mixed doubles. (Party tennis: maybe not the best technical tennis, but plenty of funky team names to enjoy.)

              

Santino Quaranta's emotional evening took center stage -- but there was still the matter of the match itself, a solid 2-0 win for U.S. over a tricky Honduras side last night at a pumping RFK Stadium.

WMATA released its July weekend track maintenance schedule earlier this week (there was no work scheduled for the 4th of July holiday weekend), and it's a big 'un. The combination of so many repair and maintenance projects with the ongoing Red Line crash investigation should make for slow going in many areas across the Metrorail system for the next several weekends.

              

It's because we see something in the game that we see in ourselves.

Good morning, Washington. We hope you've been enjoying the stunningly beautiful weather we've been having this week. Our friends over at Capital Weather Gang say it's likely to continue through the weekend, though with a small chance of some more of those pop up afternoon and evening thunderstorms we grew so accustomed to in June. Still, for this time of year, we're grateful for as many eat-your-lunch-outside days as we can get.

Rockies 10, Nationals 4: So much for trying to salvage something from a miserable Rocky Mountain adventure -- Colorado pounded out eight extra base hits en route to a win and a sweep over the hapless Nats. For the second straight game, Washington's starter couldn't get out of the fourth inning -- yesterday, it was Ross Detwiler's turn. The 23-year-old lefty pitched adequately enough until the fifth inning, when the wheels abruptly fell off. Detwiler's rotten fifth: single, single, walk, base-clearing triple, and an early shower -- four runs, three hits, no outs recorded. Yuck. And somehow, the relief pitching and fielding were even worse than yesterday's debacle -- Adam Dunn committed two errors filling in for Nick Johnson at first, and Julian Tavarez and Ron Villone combined to allow four runs in the last three innings. Nyjer Morgan was the lone bright spot of the day: the speedy center fielder continued his hot streak with a three-for-four day. The Nats now head to Houston for a five-game set -- including a game that will start in the 11th inning -- and their last chance to grab something positive before the All-Star break.

If you didn't already spend your lunch hour, like we did, listening to the series of voicemail recordings, leaked to the Washington City Paper, that Marion Barry left for ex-girlfriend and alleged "stalkee" Donna Watts-Brighthaupt, we can verify that they make for fairly fascinating listening. The tapes (and the Loose Lips column that goes with them) have even started to become a bit of an internet sensation, if the WCP's Twitter feed is any judge: "Marion Barry killed our web server :'( ... we're working on bringing it back to life," they updated earlier this afternoon. The web site and the tapes are both back up now though, so take a gander, or if you can't listen in your office, they're also offering some typed up partial transcripts.

CB2, the slightly cheaper Crate & Barrel brand store that's aimed at younger, urban customers is looking for a location in D.C., the Washington Business Journal reports. The chain has reportedly been talking to Jeffrey Schonberger, the real estate developer who owns the Central Union Mission building at 1350 R Street NW, at the corner of 14th and R Streets. Central Union has long been in talks with the city to relocate elsewhere, with most recent negotiations focusing on the empty Gales School at 65 Massachusetts Ave. NW. CB2 has also reportedly been looking at other properties, but should it move into the 14th and R space, it would join the forthcoming Room & Board at 14th and T along with existing furniture stores like Vastu, Muleh and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, creating a sort of furniture corridor along that stretch of 14th.

Good morning, Washington. The Michael Jackson memorial service so thoroughly dominated the national news yesterday that there's precious little else to read about this morning - so thank goodness Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry and his ex-girlfriend Donna Watts-Brighthaupt appear to be intent on drawing out the strange spectacle of their post-romance meltdown for all to see. After news broke in the Post Tuesday afternoon that Barry had paid Watts-Brighthaupt $10,000 in consulting fees (which the City Paper says is really $20,000), Barry's spokesperson, Natalie Williams, called a press conference to address the story. The best defense Williams could offer was this: "It is not unusual, nor is it illegal, for councilmembers to award contracts to supporters or family members who qualify or can provide the services that are required," she said. Pretty weak sauce, but OK. That statement actually came after the bigger story of the press conference, though - that Watts-Brighthaupt actually showed up in person and made a spectacle of herself, attempting to shout down Williams from the podium before eventually getting into her car (and briefly talking with reporters -- see the video for more) and driving off. Yeesh. Remind us never to break up with either of them.

• Rockies 5, Nationals 4: One day after being but the eighth team to ever be shutout at Coors Field, at least the Nationals scored last night in Denver -- Ryan Zimmerman and Josh Willingham both went deep. But poor pitching and fundamentals were back again: starter Jordan Zimmermann lasted but four innings, laboring and forcing bad breaking balls over 96 pitches. It was always going to be tough for this Nats bullpen to get through five full innings. Jason Bergmann and Sean Burnett got through three innings unscathed; but Julian Tavarez (3-7) walked two in the bottom of the eighth, and then Joe Biemel turned a sure double-play dribbler to the mound into an awful overthrow, loading the bases -- a sacrifice fly later and it was yet another late-game disappointment. Huston Street overwhelmed the top of the Nats' order in the ninth for his 21st save and Colorado reliever Alan Embree (2-2) recorded the victory without throwing a single pitch.
• United 2, Harrisburg City Islanders 1: D.C. United sure likes to make these Open Cup games against teams from lower divisions interesting, now don't they? The Black-and-Red grabbed a two-goal lead after eighteen minutes through strikes from Boyzzz Khumalo and Andrew Jacobsen, and it appeared as if the rout was on. But even though Harrisburg had midfielder Mo Odour sent off shortly after the restart and United was dominant in possession throughout, the Islanders pulled one back -- a poor clearance by Greg Janicki gave Islanders rookie Nicki Paterson a one-on-one with keeper Milos Kocic, which he calmly converted to cut the lead in half. Harrisburg desperately pushed for an equalizer -- even hitting the bar late on -- but United held on for the win. They'll take on yet another lower-division side, the Rochester Rhinos, in the semifinals of the Cup on July 21, again at the Soccerplex.
• Lynx 96, Mystics 94: The Mystics blew a nine-point fourth quarter lead and lost an absolute heartbreaker to Minnesota. With eight seconds left in overtime, Marissa Coleman was fouled attempting a three-pointer, but missed her final shot which would have tied the game. Amazingly, the Lynx again fouled a three-point shooter seven seconds later -- and again, former Lynx guard Lindsey Harding missed the third free throw which would have forced a second OT, maligning what was an otherwise fantastic 27 point effort. Nicky Anosike led Minnesota with 21 points.

WJLA/ABC7 reports that an unidentified Metrorail operator was suspended for five days without pay after a Metro rider posted a YouTube video of the driver that appears to show him using a cell phone to send an SMS while operating a Blue Line train.

Do you have enough reusable bags? Mayor Adrian Fenty signed into law today the bill that will establish a 5 cent fee charged to consumers for every disposable plastic or paper bag they take from a retailer. The mayor's action means the 5 cent fee will go into effect in January (unless of course Congress intervenes, but we kinda doubt that'll happen on this one). Four out of every five cents charged will then go into the newly established Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Fund (with the remaining cent for the retailer, for their trouble).

If you so choose, here's some video of Al Franken being sworn in to the U.S. Senate by Vice President Joe Biden this afternoon, courtesy The Hill. Franken reportedly took the oath on a Bible that belonged to the family of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.). The AP noted that 'the former Saturday Night Live performer and satirist offered no jokes, just a promise that he is "ready get to work."' After months and months of waiting, the new junior senator from the state of Minnesota officially gives the Democratic Party a crucial 60-seat Senate majority.

Via the DCist tipline, we learn that D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty may actually face some "super" serious competition in his upcoming reelection campaign. A web site promoting Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, for mayor of D.C. has popped up, along with the requisite Facebook page and Twitter feed.

If it were up to conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, American citizens would still pay taxes and homage to Queen Elizabeth II. Think we're kidding? We're not. In a chat on the Post's website yesterday, Carlson inveighed against District voting rights and sided with taxation without representation. From the transcript:

Katy, Tex.: Non Palin question. Considering that the Washington, D.C., crowd continues to elect Marion Barry to publicly paid posts, why does anyone think it is a good idea to let them elect a full-fledged representative to the House?

Continue reading "Tucker Carlson Laments Independence from Britain"

Good morning, D.C., and congratulations to all the previously married same sex couples living in the city, who as of 12:01 a.m. this morning are now enjoying the rights and privileges of marriage within the District, too. The Post's Nikita Stewart lists some of those rights in a q&a sidebar: "inheritance, benefits for spouses of employees at private companies and in the District's government and spousal immunity from testifying against each other." When you look at it like that, it's hard to imagine what people who are vehemently against extending those rather simple rights to gay couples are so upset about.

Rockies 1, Nationals 0: Manny Acta's men traveled west to the run factory known as Coors Field and look what broke out: a pitchers' duel. The two teams played the full nine in a tidy two hours and twelve minutes and Colorado starter Jason Marquis (11-5) was outstanding, retaking the major league lead in wins by nursing a delicate one-run lead all night with immaculate movement and command. The Nats kept it close with three timely double plays and with some fine defensive play by first baseman Nick Johnson, but this game was disappointingly lost at the plate. In the top of the seventh, a deep Adam Dunn double and two base hits loaded the bases with one out, but Ronnie Belliard hit into an inning-ending double play. In the next inning, singles by Nyjer Morgan and Johnson and an intentional walk to Dunn again juiced the sacks for the Nats, but Josh Willingham flied out harmlessly to deep right. Rockies closer Huston Street logged a one-two-three inning in the ninth, earning his 20th save of the season. Washington righty Craig Stammen (1-4) took the incredibly hard-luck loss, even though he allowed only one run -- none after the first -- on five hits in seven incredibly solid innings. It was only the eighth 1-0 game in Coors Field's fifteen-year history.

It was just a month ago that Carol Joynt, the owner of Georgetown institution Nathan's, sent out word that after months (years, really) of speculation, the restaurant had managed to secure a lease extension, and would, it seemed, therefore stay open. But in an email to patrons late today, Joynt announced that Nathan's will suddenly be closing its doors for good on July 12. Joynt writes:

Dear Friends,

Continue reading "Georgetown Restaurant Nathan's to Close After 40 Years"

We've joked in the past about how no jail can hold Marion "Mayor for Life" Barry, but so far this latest brush with the law for the current Ward 8 D.C. Council member really does appear unlikely to come to anything beyond more embarrassing headlines.

Arlington County Police released this YouTube video over the weekend showing the suspect responsible for Friday's armed robbery and shooting at the Clarendon Apple Store. The video doesn't show a particularly clear shot of the suspect's face, but does offer at least a basic description to work with (and it doesn't show the actual shooting, in case you were worried about watching it -- the suspect can merely be seen entering the store, holding a gun to the victim, and then they walk out of view of the camera). Below is the info included with the video.

At approximately 10:15 a.m. on July 3, 2009, an unknown man rang the doorbell at the service entrance to the Apple Store in the 2700 block of Clarendon Boulevard. An employee walked to the back of the store to answer the door. A short time later, another employee heard a gunshot. The victim, a 26 year old female, was found suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the right shoulder. The suspect had already fled the area on foot. The victim was transported to an area hospital where she remains in serious but stable condition.

Continue reading "Arlington County Police Release Apple Store Gunman Video"

As City Desk noted last week, D.C. will recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions starting 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, barring any last-ditch appeal today. That’s when the clock runs out on the 30-day congressional review of the marriage recognition bill passed in May by the D.C. Council and signed by Mayor Fenty. The Board of Elections and Ethics recently rejected an attempt led by Maryland Bishop Harry Jackson to put the bill up for a referendum, a decision upheld by Superior Court Judge Judith Retchin.

Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has been named to the 2009 National League All-Star team. Every team gets an All-Star, and Ryan Zimmerman is the Nationals'. As the face of the franchise, Zimmerman is the perfect representative for the Nationals: much like the team, he is both hitting better than last year and has a lot more errors. Fans still have the chance to vote shortstop Cristian Guzman into the final National League All-Star slot.

As we return from the Fourth of July weekend, many of us are still recovering from celebrating America's independence and a system of representative government that guarantees that each and every citizen can have a voice in the policies and decisions that affect their lives. But of course, no Independence Day is free from irony for District residents -- while one of the rallying cries of the movement for independence from Britain was a lack of representation (while being taxed, no less), the 600,000 or so of us in D.C. still live with that reality, some two centuries later. Somewhere, the Brits are smirking.

While perusing the local sports headlines this weekend, it dawned on us: the Washington Capitals might be the only thing that's saving this town from a potentially large major-league sports coma.

Good morning, Washington. Here's hoping you had a pleasant holiday weekend — I certainly did, ultimately finding a spot that didn't have a good sight-line for the national fireworks, but which provided a first-class view of the smaller-scale pyrotechnics rising from seemingly every residential block in the city. Where did you go to watch the fireworks? Barry to Address Media: As you might recall, the mayor-for-life's busy churchgoing schedule has so far prevented him from publicly addressing his weekend arrest for stalking a former girlfriend. The Post has a good account of what's known about the incident, although the article doesn't contain any surprises other than the arresting officer not knowing who Barry was. Barry is expected to hold a press conference with his lawyer at 10 a.m., at which time we'll presumably hear more about his side of the story. Check back with us later this morning to see whether the Ward 8 councilmember feels that yet another woman has set him up. More Escapes at New Beginnings: The District's new youth detention facility continues to suffer from breakouts. The Post reports that six youths escaped on Sunday. They were quickly found and taken back into custody, but the incident is another black mark on the security of the intentionally un-prison-like facility, which experienced an escape as soon as it opened. Guards are apparently complaining that various design and construction practices make New Beginnings insecure; officials managing the facility continue to make improvements. Break-in Apparently Foiled in Mt. Pleasant: Details are still sketchy, but last night we began receiving a few tweets indicating that Mt. Pleasant was playing host to a police helicopter and a conspicuous arrest. The early, unconfirmed word is that a break-in attempt by a group of men was foiled, but that not all of the suspects were immediately apprehended. We'll update as we hear more. Briefly Noted: At least four shot in Southeast on Sunday, including a 10 year-old girl... Higher tolls are leading to less Dulles Toll Road traffic, but higher revenues... 13 year-old boy missing after going to watch fireworks on the Mall... Post examines personal history of accused Holocaust Museum shooter... This Day In DCist: One year ago it was a weekend day and not much was happening. But two years ago Bloomingdale's Big Bear Cafe opened, and the city suffered another panda pseudopregnancy.

• Tiger Wins AT&T National: Although an incredibly strong round by Hunter Mahan -- an eight-under 62, tying the course record that had been set by third-place finisher Anthony Kim on Thursday -- held the end result temporarily in question at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, there just wasn't any way that Tiger Woods was going to lose the tournament that bears his name. A picture-perfect iron shot on the 18th wrapped up the tournament for Woods, whose third win of the season nets him a million bucks (which he's funneling into his foundation) and a shiny silver replica of the Capitol. Here's your final scoreboard.
• Nationals 5, Braves 3: The Nationals closed out their Independence Weekend with a win, thanks to the efforts of newly-acquired center fielder Nyjer Morgan and starter Scott Olsen. Morgan had a fantastic overall game: three hits, two doubles, a run scored and one batted in, speed to burn, and two great defensive plays: a catch top of the sixth which saved extra bases and an aggressive dive and throw which nailed Martin Prado at second in the seventh. Olsen (2-4) missed pitching his first big league complete game by one out, scattering eight hits. Olsen even went two-for-three at the dish with a perfect sacrifice bunt and a RBI to boot. The home team was in charge all afternoon, and had one of their better defensive efforts this year. Of course, the Nats made it interesting -- the Braves sent seven batters come to the plate in the ninth, and had the go-ahead run at the plate, but Mike MacDougal finally coaxed Brian McCann to groundout, earning his fifth save of the season. The Nats now head off on a long road trip, stopping in Denver and Houston before the All-Star break.
• Sol 1, Freedom 0: Elsewhere in Montgomery County, the Freedom conceded a late strike from Brazilian master Marta and fell at the hands of WPS-best Los Angeles in a tightly contested game at the Soccerplex in Germantown.

Calling it "a planned new venture that went off track," Washington Post Publisher and CEO Katharine Weymouth apologized to readers today after it was revealed that the newspaper had been planning to trade access to journalists and government officials for cash in the form of "Post Salon" dinner events.

Marion Barry was arrested last night, after a woman flagged down a Park Police officer in Anacostia Park, claiming that the Ward 8 Councilman had been stalking her. The former Mayor was released after being processed at central lockup, but will need to make a court date at some point to face the charges.

Did you know that "Bethesda" is a meaningful word in Wales?

Perhaps I should reword that question. Could super agent Scott Boras choose Japan over Washington for phenom Stephen Strasburg?

Happy Fourth of July, Washington. As you might imagine, we're all looking forward to celebrating American independence by eating charred food, kicking back with a cold beer near a pool, and, of course, watching things blow up. Due to the incredible effort involved in participating in such strenuous activities, DCist will be operating on a slightly reduced schedule today.

Planning on using your day off to make a stop at the Genius Bar or finally pick up that new iPhone? Might want to head to Pentagon City, instead. NBC4 is reporting some kind of armed robbery occurred at the Apple Store in Clarendon, located in the 2700 block of Clarendon Boulevard, this morning, though details are still scant. At least one person is reported to have been injured. We'll update when we hear more.

Writing the Morning Roundup is always something of a pleasure, because I know that I'll be the first one to get some of our legendary commenters riled up. (After the lost-dog post earlier this week, though, I don't know how much more riled up they could get.) But today is a federal holiday and the start of a long and glorious weekend, and even some of our more prolific comment scribes may be taking some time to spend with the family, pay some bills or bathe. Which means I can say anything without consequence. All you Real World haters should lay off. I actually like the D.C. cupcake fad. The idea of 24-hour Metro is ridiculous. Heller's Bakery in Mt. Pleasant needs to make something good that's not bagels and donuts. Radiohead is just an OK band. Wonderland is still a pretty fun neighborhood bar. What you got, commenters? Have a great Fourth of July, everyone.

       

As we noted in Go Home Already, the cast members of the Real World house officially made their way to their new Dupont Circle home today. And I was not the only "reporter" waiting for them on the corner of 20th and S Streets NW. There was videoblogger elizabethany and her friend, along with self-proclaimed soon-to-be blogger Martin, who was keeping us informed of all the latest RWDC news (presumably via tweets from #RealWorldDCNEWZ), and a couple of other random stalkers. They brought me up to speed on what I'd missed a couple of hours earlier, principally that six cast members had arrived, without much fuss at all, despite some reports to the contrary.

Slated to open on September 11, 2011, construction on the National September 11 Memorial & Museum on the grounds of the World Trade Center is currently underway. Residents in the District have an opportunity to contribute to the construction in an early christening event: a steal beam–signing ceremony.

View Approved DC Fireworks Stands 2009 in a larger map

One day into to the official relaunch of WMATA's Next Bus service, and we've heard a lot positive feedback from bus riders about the usefulness of the system. But some problems with the real-time Metrobus arrival tool are already apparent.

Good morning, Washington. As we reported yesterday, it turns out that the train control system track circuit that appears to have played a role in last week's fatal Red Line Crash was actually replaced by WMATA maintenance staff only five days before the accident. Not just that, but data also showed that the track circuit periodically lost its ability to detect trains in the period between when it was replaced, on June 17, and the crash on June 22. Well now WJLA says it has two anonymous sources who say that Metro technicians knew that the circuit was malfunctioning days before the accident, and that they allegedly reported the problem to their supervisors. What action was taken, if any, after those supposed reports were made? WMATA had no comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

After the first draft in nearly a decade where the Caps didn't make an exciting trade or a high-profile pick, it's good to see the front office back into the mix of things, adding forward Mike Knuble at the dawn of free agency this afternoon. Costing just over $5 million for two years, Knuble snugly fits into the team's payroll as a replacement for Viktor Kozlov, who will play in his native Russia this season.

The National Transportation Safety Board has put up a second advisory today on its web site regarding the most recent findings of its investigation of the June 22 Red Line crash. In it, we learn for the first time that the train control system track circuit where the accident occurred -- the same one that investigators initially found to be not functioning properly after testing it during the first couple of days after the crash -- was replaced by WMATA maintenance crews on June 17, five days before the accident. From the advisory:

After a post- accident review of recorded track circuit data, WMATA reported to the NTSB that the track circuit periodically lost its ability to detect trains after June 17th; the NTSB is reviewing documentation on the performance of that track circuit both before and after the June 17th replacement.

Let's engage in a hardball hypothetical, shall we? Player A is a 25-year-old outfielder, hitting .244 with 6 HR, 30 RBI, and 18 runs. Not the greatest stats, but Player A is generally appreciated by the fans, and has moderate-to-good defensive capabilities, even though he might be slightly late to practice once in a while. On the other hand, Player B is a 29-year-old outfielder on the decline. Player B is currently batting .197 with only 3 HR and 16 RBI in 58 games, even though he has a reputation as a power hitter -- somehow, this power hitter's slugging percentage is lower than his poor on-base percentage. Player B is a defensive liability most of the time acceptable defensively, but strikes out nearly a third of the time he comes to the plate. Player B is also generally understood to be grossly overpaid.

Saturday was National HIV Testing Day, and as part of the national effort to get out the message to take an HIV test regularly, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty taped this PSA with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

It was a night where one would be hard-pressed to call United's 2-0 victory over the amateur Ocean City Barons at the Maryland SoccerPlex undeserved. It took a penalty kick, a mishandle by the goalkeeper, some kind woodwork, and a some spectacular efforts from Milos Kocik to get by a team consisting of collegiate players, an elementary school teacher, a civil engineer, and a youth soccer coach. You can probably forgive the few United supporters in attendance for sweating a bit.