Results tagged “rockcreekpark”

Written by DCist Contributor Lauren Evans

The man who was found dead in Rock Creek Park on Friday has been identified as Larry Frankel, 54. Frankel was State Legislative Director for the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office, and previously served as executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

There are early reports coming in that D.C. police have found the body of a man in Rock Creek Park. A jogger reportedly called in finding the body at around 11 a.m., and police say it was lying in a creek near 24th Street and Beach Drive NW. Another Rock Creek jogger who happened by the scene tells DCist that the man appeared to have been discovered face down in the water, and that he was dressed in jogging clothes. No word yet from police on the cause or nature of this death.

The bees of Rock Creek Park are officially out to get us. At around 3:15 p.m., D.C. Fire/EMS responded to a call of multiple bee stings in the area near the horse stables inside the park, at 5000 Glover Rd. NW. Spokesperson Pete Piringer says that seven children and one adult suffered multiple stings, but none of them appeared to be in serious condition and no one needed to be taken to the hospital. This is now the third reported bee attack in the same area over the last week, after two incidents occurred last Thursday.

The Rock Creek Park Nature Center is apparently under a full on assault from nature. D.C. Fire/EMS now report that they've responded to a second yellow jacket attack (the fire department is still referring to them as bees, but the National Park Service seems to think they are indeed yellow jackets). Department spokesperson Pete Piringer puts the initial count of victims this time at 14 children being evaluated for stings at around 3:30 p.m. Earlier today, eight people, mostly children, were stung in the same area. That's all we know right now, but we'll go ahead and recommend not heading to the Rock Creek Nature Center today.

D.C. Fire/EMS crews were dispatched at around noon to the 5000 block of Glover Road NW in Rock Creek Park, for a report of multiple bee stings. According to Fire/EMS spokesperson Pete Piringer, a tour group going through the park came across a bee hive, the bees became agitated somehow, and a total of eight people, both adults and children, were stung multiple times. Two children were taken to Children's Hospital, while six others were well enough to skip the ambulance trip. The condition of the two children at the hospital is described as not serious, but they did receive multiple bee stings. No word on how many total people were in the tour group, but it seems fair to guess that nearly all of them will come away with a lifetime fear of bees. Shudder.

U.S. Park Police are investigating a sexual assault that took place Wednesday morning along a running path in Rock Creek Park, FOX 5 reports.

A maintenance worker found a grenade near the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Rock Creek Park early this morning. There's some confusion over whether the grenade is "live" or not -- the Post quotes a U.S. Park Police spokesperson as saying the grenade is genuine and not a toy, while WTOP has a source saying the grenade is live. An Army bomb squad is on the scene to deal with the device.

It's marijuana Thursday! The AP via WaPo reports that a 19-year-old Chevy Chase man has been arrested for growing approximately 10 marijuana plants in Rock Creek Park. Isiah Johnson was caught tending the plants after the National Park Service discovered them in what's being described as a "remote" part of the park, and set up surveillance. Not remote enough, apparently.

It wasn't a very merry Christmas for Michel Morauw, the manager of the Park Hyatt Washington Hotel. NBC4 reports that an MPD officer shot and killed Morauw's dog on Monday in a small park adjacent to Rock Creek Park at 24th and N Streets NW.

We were alerted yesterday via the Art Law Blog that the U.S. Department of the Interior is gearing up to change motion and still photography rules on federally run lands. In an amendment to current regulations, three DOI agencies, the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Services, and the National Park Service, will be authorized to charge standardized fees to and require a permit from commercial photographers who want to shoot in an area...

>> "Florida's top police agency said Wednesday its investigation into former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley's lurid Internet communications with teenage boys has been hindered because neither Foley nor the House will let investigators examine his congressional computers." [AP via TPM] >> "A New Carrollton mother accused of leaving her five young children in filth pleaded guilty in the case on Thursday." [NBC4] >> "A D.C. Superior Court judge today sentenced a former D.C. police...

It's hard to believe it's been six years since congressional intern Chandra Levy disappeared. This week marks five years since her body was finally discovered in Rock Creek Park, almost 13 months after she vanished without a trace. No one has ever been charged with her murder.

Our friends over at OffSeventh are, if you pardon the expression, losing their shit over some pet owners' inability to pick up after their pooches. They're up in arms over a monumental amount of dog waste occupying a strip of sidewalk on 9th Street. The city is littered with signs warning people to curb their dogs, or face a weighty ticket. Yet it's clear that a few dog walkers still aren't scooping the poop....

It was two years ago that we first took notice of D.C.'s new population of coyotes. Back then we worried about the threat of an international incident as the animals made their way to Embassy Row. Today the Post confirms that coyotes continue to roam the edges of Rock Creek Park, bringing them in much closer contact to city residents. This is one case of animal/human cohabitation that can't be blamed on urban development pushing...

Good morning, Washington. Today is the day of the Voting Rights March. If you can, gather at Freedom Plaza at 2:30 p.m. to march to the capitol with your friends from DCist and other Washingtonians. Or, just meet us for the rally planned at 4 p.m. at the Capitol Reflecting Pool. Either way, we hope you make it out for at least one hour to show your support for District voting rights. Don't let this...

Yesterday Mayor Fenty made his way to the far north end of the city with plans to demolish a brand new home. Why would the mayor and neighbors invite the media to see the shiny, $1.5 million building dismantled piece by piece? The answer lies in an almost farcical gaffe on the part of city officials and the federal government's control over lands in the District. We've mentioned it briefly before, but the full story...

Hope you didn't stay up too late debating the President's speech with friends last night, Washington. We stayed up a bit past our bedtimes ourselves, mostly pondering the rhetorical significance of the difference between the phrases "mistakes were made", and "where mistakes have been made". Either way, we take full responsibility for any mistakes that were/have been made in this morning roundup, which was completed with the known unknown of the amount of sleep we...

Good morning, Washington. As you may have heard, former President Gerald Ford passed away yesterday. The Post has all of the currently available details, as well as the detailed obituary you would expect. Moussaoui Barriers To Remain In Alexandria: The Post reports on a story near of particular interest to us. Alexandria resident Jim Savage has been trying to get rid of the allegedly-temporary security barriers that were placed around the town's courthouse for the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui. Now that the trial has concluded, the barriers should presumably be removed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, officials disagree, and they now say that the barriers will be replaced with permanent versions. We suppose it's best to let the experts make the call, but we still can't help despairing at the idea of D.C. and its suburbs being permanently disfigured by the last half-decade's (admittedly understandable) invasion of jersey barriers, bollards and poorly-placed planters. Introducing The Singing Cabbie: NBC4 warns us to keep an eye out for Diamond Cab number 555. Manned by Ricky Celdran, passengers in the taxi are treated to performances of songs from the driver's repertoire of about thirty tunes. We can't tell if this would be fantastic or horrifying. Has anybody run into Mr. Celdran? Fatal End To Standoff With Reservist: The standoff between Maryland police and an army reservist has ended tragically, according to the Post. James Emerick Dean had barricaded himself in his father's house after receiving news that he would be headed to Iraq. The authorities were called, the situation escalated, and Dean was ultimately shot by a sheriff's deputy. Briefly Noted: Fundraising going well for Fenty's inaugural party... Virginia DNA review project not going so well... Man rescued in Rock Creek Park... Seriously, don't thaw pipes with a blowtorch... New condos planned for top floor of building housing soup kitchen... No blue laws on New Year's Eve, either... This Day In DCist: One year ago we reviewed Wicked and celebrating some Washington sports victories.. Two years ago we brought news of Wegmans and covered an MMORPG with a local connection. Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user christaki

It's been a tradition since time immemorial (or at least since pagan days): the Christmas tree. A reader getting into the holiday spirit wondered where to get their piney living room centerpiece in the city, since it's probably frowned upon to take a saw to some trees in Rock Creek Park. Thankfully, at least for those among us with the Christmas spirit, trees are available all over the city. Here's a few of our...

So, apparently it rained last night...A tornado touched down in Severna Park, Maryland. The Post says that according to area utility companies, 30,000 customers across Maryland, Virginia and the District lost power last night. I know my Internet is out; can I blame the storm? In other news, today is the 116th birthday of Rock Creek Park: check out the National Park Service's list of activities celebrating the District's very own nature-y goodness. District Teen...

Last month we reported that the District's first official triathlon, the Nation's Triathlon, was a go. After months of haggling with competing jurisdictions for permit, race organizers got the final go-ahead for the event, which would include a swim in the Potomac River, a bike ride up Rock Creek Park, and a run to the U.S. Capitol and back. Plenty of readers made jokes about swimming in the Potomac. Hell, so did I --...

It's the weekend, which means it's time to leave the cement palaces behind and find something a bit more soothing. Turns out you don't have to stray too far from home to hang with Mother Nature for awhile, as Flickr user Grundlepuck shows us with this photo from Rock Creek Park. Pack a picnic, avoid the annoying Metro delays, and hang with the water striders tomorrow. EXIF....

After months of torturous planning, organizers of the first officially sanctioned triathlon in the District announced today that the race is on. The Nation's Triathlon, set for September 16, 2006, will take its 1,750 participants on a short 1 kilometer swim in the Potomac River, a 32 kilometer bike ride up Rock Creek Park and back, and an 8 kilometer run around the city's monuments. Pre-registration is closed for the race, though organizers have said that slots may still open up.

Part of DCist's very nearly award-winning Deluge '06 coverage If you get on Rock Creek Parkway at Calvert and Connecticut in Northwest to drive through gorgeous Rock Creek Park on your daily commute, then you, too, have been experiencing a series of headaches and u-turns the past few days. Though local radio has been reporting that parts of the RCP have been reopened, a significant portion of it is still closed. We found a press...

for Shakespeare," it's almost your time of year.

So, this morning we told you all about Lincoln Ross' potential District anthem. Now, as suggested in the comments, we're going to take a vote. Here are the nominees:

Back in the summer of 2001, news stations were broadcasting saturation coverage of the disappearance of Chandra Levy, the Federal Bureau of Prisons intern who was allegedly having an affair with California Representative Gary Condit.

It's Labor Day weekend, and you thought everybody had gotten the hell out of Dodge City, hadn't you? Well, they probably have, and we're experiencing serious envy of anyone who's on a beach right now with a margarita in hand. But don't despair - there's still tons to do in D.C. this weekend, and we've rounded up the best of the best for you to do in a special extended version of Weekend Picks. But...

In an interesting article highlighting the power of blogs and internet forums in promoting democratic discourse, the Examiner today reports on a heated debate that has developed on D.C. Watch's bi-weekly online newsletter concerning a new $400 million, 250-bed hospital being planned for Southeast. Gary Imhoff, longtime city activist and the newsletter's publisher, recognized the importance of new forums in allowing residents access to large audiences, stating, "There are few places where someone who doesn't own a printing press can really get his or her opinion out citywide." We'd like to think we offer readers the same soapbox, whether on issues as serious as the budget surplus and smoke-free bars or as mundane as cupcakes and gentrified bars.