Warning to Dog Walkers: Coyotes have been spotted in the northern part of Rock Creek Park near Oregon Avenue. The Post notes that a few dogs have been thought to have been attacked by coyotes. The Post interviewed Kathi Kolbe, whose two King Charles spaniels were the victims of a “brutal and gruesome” attack in August when she let them run off-leash. She noted that when she heard her dogs scream in agony, that she “[n]ever, even in childbirth, … screamed like that.”
DCst wonders whether, like the snakehead, these creatures will be migrating closer to the city, perhaps going as far south as the National Zoo, where wild animals from the park have entered the zoo property and even killed a caged bald eagle.
Mayor Says His Education Policies Haven’t Worked: D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams has said that his record on improving the city’s public schools is not very good. The W.Times notes that with schools “plagued by violence, high truancy rates, low test scores and dilapidated buildings,” the mayor hopes to redouble his efforts to improve education in D.C. The mayor said that his policies have been “questionable” and “flaky.”
In other mayoral news, Williams congratulated President Bush and Vice President Cheney on their re-election and urged the administration to work with the District to give it budget autonomy. Additionally, Williams asked the socially reclusive President Bush to patronize more D.C. businesses in his second term, WTOP reports.
Environmentalists Angry About Hotel Site: Prince William County in Virginia may get its first luxury full-service hotel, but the site — a forested bluff overlooking the Potomac River — is angering environmentalists. The Post notes that the plan shows how Prince William County is changing from a place known as “a mecca for used cars and outlet shopping” to an area eyed for “gourmet markets and Jaguar dealerships.”
Briefly Noted: Hurricane Isabel predictions in 2003 failed to accurately forecast the severity of tidal flooding in Baltimore, Annapolis and Alexandria [WP] … Attention candidates! You have 30 days to remove your campaign signs in the District [AP via WJLA] …Extra security for Alexandria mayor ends after death threat [WP] … Investigators continue to search for the cause of the blaze that destroyed Prince George’s County’s historic courthouse in Upper Marlboro [AP via WTOP] …
