Yahoo! Groups is deleting its archives and making other changes that have left listserv owners scrambling to find alternatives for what they say are crucial tools of local communication.

The Cleveland Park listserv is the biggest of its kind in the city, and it just turned 13. We asked co-creator and moderator Bill Adler what he loves and hates about his lively listserv.

Earlier this week, we wrote about the difficulties police are facing patrolling the Metropolitan Branch Trail, an eight-mile route between Union Station and Silver Spring which has been the scene of several attempted assaults and robberies in recent weeks. Last night, police say that another incident occurred — but an arrest was made on the scene.

The Metropolitan Branch Trail, an 8-mile route between Union Station and Silver Spring, has become a popular one for cyclists. Recently, though, several assaults and robberies reported along the Trail have exposed the frailties of law enforcement.

The District’s neighborhood listservs provide one particularly valuable service to jittery residents: they’re searchable repositories of suspicious activity. Shady newspaper salespeople, magazine peddlers, people dressed as utility technicians — just a sample of the alleged scam artists who prowl the city’s residential streets in search of their next victim. Recently though, we’ve noticed another class of accused scammer popping up on the listservs: the guy who sells meat out of a van — who some residents aren’t just afraid will swindle their money, but perhaps also their digestive health.