Photo by andertho

As we come to the end of a week where the District dealt with the death of another child — this time it was nine-year-old Oscar Fuentes in Columbia Heights — there doesn’t seem to be much to say about a city that while significantly better than it was a decade ago still suffers from stubborn crime and violence. Post Metro columnist Petula Dvorak today proves that point with a column that can be summed up as such — Columbia Heights has come a long way, but it still has a ways to go. It’s not really groundbreaking reading, and it doesn’t offer any real solutions. (Thankfully, she carefully toes around the issue of race, avoiding the minefield that is pretty much any discussion on gentrification.) But it does make the case again that Columbia Heights has become a microcosm of the District as a whole, an area that has changed dramatically in some ways while remaining exactly the same in others.

Council Seeks Compromise With Church: Last week members of the D.C. Council were expressing annoyance at the Archdiocese of Washington, which had said that sure-to-pass same-sex marriage legislation would force them to stop providing charitable services in the city. This week, a compromise may be on the horizon. The Post reports that council members Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) and David Catania (I-At Large) have asked the Archdiocese to follow the lead of Georgetown University and the church in San Francisco, both of which offer benefits to same-sex couples by allowing employees to have add one domiciled resident — irrespective of gender — as a beneficiary. Church officials haven’t yet said much, but what little they are saying doesn’t hint that they’re too keen on the proposal.

Virginia Restaurants Prepare for Smoke-Free Future: With December 1 fast approaching, Virginia restaurants are readying themselves for the smoking ban that few thought would ever become a reality. The Examiner reports that health officials are traveling across the state to make sure restaurants comply, but are finding that many already do. Some 66 percent of restaurants in the commonwealth — many of them in Northern Virginia — went smoke-free before the ban was passed, and since then the number has risen to 73 percent. The ban allows restaurants to wall off a separate room for smokers, and outdoors spaces remain legal for lighting up. Violations of the law would cost a mere $25.

More Controversy Over Mayoral Exercise Habits: When he was first elected, District residents seemed to marvel at Mayor Adrian Fenty’s exercise habits. Now they complain about them whenever they can. According to NBC4, there has been a recent brush-up over lane configuration at the newly renovated Wilson Aquatic Center, with parents arguing that lanes are not set up for the school team’s practices and instead for those who train for triathlons. Like the mayor. OK, so it’s not exactly Bicyclingate, but an interesting read no less.

Briefly Noted: Nickles says Gray home repairs were kosher … AOL trims hacks workforce … Jogger in Takoma Park sexually assaulted … Kaine asked to restore voting rights for felons.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2008, Robert Wone’s three roommates were indicted on conspiracy charges and Metro announced commemorative SmarTrip cards for Barack Obama’s inauguration. In 2007, the Supreme Court announced it would hear the case that became the momentous Heller D.C. gun ban decision.