Parkour Enthusiasts Spotted on Georgetown Rooftops

August 31, 2015

Last week, Georgetown resident Shelley Clark and her cat were startled when they heard scampering on her rooftop. Clark rushed outside her home on 29th and Dumbarton streets NW to determine the cause of the commotion, expecting to find a large critter on her roof. Instead, she looked up and saw the faces of two local parkour enthusiasts who, she learned after her partner Andy Leddy confronted them, were using her and nearby residents’ rooftops to practice their jumps, vaults, leaps and flips.

Clark and Leddy’s neighbor wrote a post on the neighborhood’s public safety messaging board on GroupMe to further illuminate the situation. “A neighbor on 29th street called 911 last week to report 3 young men on the roof of a home on Dumbarton. After calling 911, the neighbor confronted the men on the roof who explained they’re Urban Roof Runners and using our neighborhood as an obstacle course,” she wrote, adding, “please we aware of this trending activity and call 911 should you see anyone taking part in this dangerous practice.”

Leddy called the police but by the time officers arrived on the scene the roof runners were gone. According to NBC 4, police have seen an uptick in roof running in Georgetown recently, and those caught participating in the activity “could face charges.”

According to Wikipedia, “parkour is a training discipline using movement that developed from military obstacle course training. Practitioners aim to get from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible without reverting back to point A. This is done using only the human body and the surroundings for propulsion, with a focus on maintaining as much momentum as possible while still remaining safe. Parkour can include obstacle courses, running, climbing, swinging, mantling, vaulting, jumping, rolling, quadrupedal movement, and other, similar movements depending on what movement is deemed most suitable for the given situation.” Participants usually perform the activity in urban spaces.

However, “you don’t want people running around on your roofs,” Clark told NBC, “these are historic houses.” Old and aging rooftops may be a cause for concerns for parkour enthusiasts, too.

So urban runners, beware. Not only are Georgetown residents and police now on the look out. Aging rooftops could give way, leading to serious injury or worse.

It started with a post on neighborhood public safety mes

A.U. Alum Shot, Killed Outside Shaw Metro Station


Matthew Shlonsky, a 23-year-old District resident, 2014 American University graduate, Cleveland native, Deloitte consultant and former Capitol Hill intern, was gunned down outside the Shaw-Howard University Metro station Aug. 15, while on his way to a party at Right Proper Brewing Company.  He was pronounced dead at Howard University Hospital shortly after the 5 p.m. shooting. 
 
According to police, Shlonsky hopped out of a cab with friends at the corner of 7th and S streets NW when he was hit by a bullet meant for someone else.  Police are searching for a burgundy color Chrysler 300 with Maryland license plates after reports that a vehicle matching that description fled the scene around the time of the shooting.
 
The shooting was the latest in a string of gun violence in Shaw, a rapidly changing historic downtown neighborhood that many residents generally consider safe. Notably, at 7th and O streets NW, a few blocks south of where Shlonsky was killed, three people were shot last Tuesday, August 11 and one person was shot and killed on Memorial Day. 

U.S., Cuba Resume Diplomatic Relations

August 17, 2015

At midnight July 20, the U.S. and Cuba resumed diplomatic relations after 54 years of broken ties. Amidst the celebration, the media went into a frenzy, creating copious Cuba content. Below are some of the more interesting pieces, on history, architecture, politics, gossip and more that came out of the day.

As part of the network’s coverage on Cuba, CNN looked at the fraught history of the Cuban Interests Section here and the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.

CNN also took video inside the Cuban Embassy on 16th Street, showcasing the property’s elaborate architecture, ornate stain glass ceiling, marble staircases and more.

The New York Times reports on the U.S. embassy opening from the ground in Cuba, and looks at the changes the country faces as diplomatic ties fade away.

A new CBS poll shows that 58% of Americans support resuming diplomatic ties with Cuba while only 24% oppose it. In addition, 54% of Americans support ending the trade embargo between the two countries.

In a press conference today, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said that as diplomatic ties resume, so should the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba end. He added that the blockade “caused a lot of suffering to the Cuban people.”

The Washington Post’s Reliable Source theorizes that restored diplomatic ties will lead to more soirees at the Cuban Embassy, where an exclusive bar Hemingway’s serves the best mojito in town, according to one source.

In other U.S.-Cuba news, the U.S. Men’s national soccer team trounced the Cuban team 6-0 on Saturday to advance to the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Gold Cup Semi-Finals.

Developer Pulling Out of M Street ‘Micro-Unit’ Project


Local developer SB-Urban has dropped its plan to convert the Latham Hotel at 3000 M St. NW in to a “micro-unit” apartment complex, according to the Current Newspapers.

The Latham Hotel micro-unit project was one of three that SB-Urban is developing in Northwest Washington targeting affluent young people with small but well-furnished apartments located in desirable neighborhoods. The company’s two other developments, slated for Blagden Alley in Shaw and at 15 Dupont Circle in the historic Patterson Mansion, are still a-go, with plans to begin construction on both this year.

SB-Urban bought the Latham Hotel building in November 2013 for $45.4 million. After the purchase, the company went through a number of hoops, gaining the approval of the Old Georgetown Board and the Board of Zoning Adjustment to renovate the space into a development consisting of 140 units with 330 square-foot floor plans.

SB-Urban’s Mike Balaban told the Current, “At the time we acquired the site, the hospitality market in D.C. was quite depressed, and that has now long since changed,” adding, “It’s now a very strong market that’s very actively being sought by investors and operators from literally all over the world.” On the building’s future, Balaban said, “We think it’s a great site and something great will come of it.”

MPD Cracks Down On ‘Johns’ With Prostitution Sting


The Metropolitan Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit has arrested 41 men since July 14 for soliciting prostitution in Northwest D.C.

Starting in January, the MPD unit has conducted a number of sting operations at hotels around Thomas Circle not far from the city’s old Red Light District on 14th Street NW. Police lured johns online with fake advertisements, giving the men men hotel room numbers and arresting the ones who showed up.

Police were spurred by reports of street prostitution from local businesses and churches around Thomas Circle and along the bustling 14th Street corridor downtown. Prosecutors in the District have increasingly focused on prostitution cases of late in an effort to battle human trafficking.

The arrests come after Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans proposed new legislation that would crack down on johns by allowing police to tow and boot their cars. The “honey, I lost the car” bill, as Evans dubs it, is meant to embarrass johns and decrease prostitution in the city. He said recently there has been an “enormous increase in street prostitution” in the city.

His proposal comes from a long line of ideas the District has experimented with to crack down on prostitution since the early 1990s. Other ideas tested out by the city government to put a damper on prostitution include banning right turns on certain streets and starting a “John School” to shame and frighten men caught soliciting prostitutes.

Goats Return to Congressional Cemetery


The keepers of the Historic Congressional Cemetery brought in the goats for another, 24-hour round of heavy landscaping today. The goats, officially called the Browsing Green Goats of Prosperity Acres in Sunderland, Maryland, come in every year to clear out invading vines, poison ivy, weeds and other unwanted vegetation from the cemetery, which was established in 1807. In the process, they drop their own brand of organic fertilizer which helps grass grow in the lot. Check out photos of the Historic Congressional Cemetery clearing below.
[gallery ids="102275,128177,128169,128182" nav="thumbs"]

Knife-Wielding Woman, Shot by Police, in ‘Serious Condition’


A woman is in serious condition MedStar Washington Hospital Center after threatening police officers responding to a fire in Northeast with a knife on Saturday. The woman, who has been identified as Renita Nettles, 22, by the Washington Post, is being charged with assault with a deadly weapon and arson, according to a police report. She suffered a single gunshot wound to the shoulder, according to the Post.

The police officer who shot Nettles has not been identified by the Metropolitan Police Department, but a spokesman said he has been placed on administrative leave, which is routine in cases like this one.

The source of confrontation in the Clay Terrace neighborhood is unknown, but many bystanders took photos and videos of the shooting, sharing them on social media, too. One of those videos, which is graphic in nature, can be seen (here)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQjh_nsMI1Q]. Viewer’s discretion is advised.

Beleaguered Georgetown U. Track Team Under Fire for Sexual Misconduct

August 13, 2015

After facing an investigation earlier this year over racial bias, the Georgetown University track program is being probed about allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

A day after a blog post titled, “Georgetown Track Exposed” appeared online July 16 providing information about sexual misconduct on the men’s track team, Georgetown U. released a statement acknowledging a probe into such activities that started in April 2015. In addition, the University’s communications office wrote that the university has met with every member of the team to review school policy and the allegations. The university also closed the men’s track locker room, where some of the misconduct was said to have occurred.

Georgetown University’s statement did not bring light to the activities that led to the investigation, though it did note that the sexual misconduct investigation is “separate from a review regarding allegations of racial bias within the track program being conducted by the Georgetown University Office of Institutional Diversity Equity and Affirmative Action (IDEAA), which began in late March following a report of racial bias.” That investigation stems from runner Stefanie Kurgatt’s claims that track program coaches conspired to kick her off the team.

The “Georgetown Track Exposed” blog post, on the other hand, provided more detail on why the team is under investigation for sexual misconduct. The anonymous blogger wrote, “During conversation concerning discrimination [with the university], issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the MEN’s LOCKER ROOM were brought up.” The writer goes on to describe a video the men’s team produced as a trailer for its annual “Hoya Snaxa Awards” that included long distance runners performing “overtly sexual activities between each other.” The awards, emails posted by the anonymous blogger show, were given out for things like “Hottest Mom,” “Best Drunken Performance,” among with other crude superlatives.

The author says that the video previewing the awards “prompted the University to open an additional Title IX investigation based on violations of the Georgetown University’s Code of Sexual Conduct.” In addition, the blogger says the university immediately took the video, which was released “through Georgetown University Email accounts,” down.

According to the university, neither investigation has concluded.

Urban Chic to Close for Good by the End of the Month

August 7, 2015

Clothier Urban Chic will close its Georgetown store for good at the end of this month. Owner Lindsay Buscher announced Thursday that the shop, known for carrying clothes by high-end designers like Diane Von Furstenburg and Trina Turk, is closing and attributed its failure to the rise of cheaper clothing outlets (namely, H&M and T.J. Maxx), and upstarts like Rent the Runway in Georgetown.

Buscher attempted to revive the flailing store in March with a relaunch focused on drawing in younger customers. The bid failed but Buscher told the Washingtonian, ““I love Georgetown, and I love and will miss all of our loyal customers that have stood by our side for the last decade.”

The store is holding a closing sale, starting today, with prices starting at 35 percent off. Urban Chic paid rent for the month of July but a store representative says she doubts that the merchandise will last until the end of the month. Urban Chic is located at 1626 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

Retreat Into Nature

July 16, 2015

Since vacations are for taking a step back from day-to-day life, take advantage of your time off this summer and retreat into nature. Follow our suggestions below or blaze your own path. Whatever you do, spend your trip enjoying the environment — and be sure to unwind, decompress and unplug along the way.

Moab: In the Land of Extremes
Moab is hard to get to. But hauling it from a distant airport — Las Vegas, in my case — is worthwhile, not only because of the destination’s otherworldly beauty, but also for the geological diversity that haunts and amazes during the drive: mammoth mountains, precipitous canyons and rivers plunging through gorges.

The town itself isn’t much — T-shirt stores here, Mexican restaurants there, motels marking the main drag — but it’s sandwiched between two of our country’s preserved treasures, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. These two parks offer some of the best hiking trails and most spectacular views of nature in the world. Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park, is a must-see for visitors of any experience level. The hike is short (two miles), but steep, so get ready to work those calves. The view of Delicate Arch, at the end of the hike, is breathtaking, making any scrambling up the trail’s slick sandstone well worth it.

Experienced hikers, on the other hand, should head to the Syncline Loop at Canyonlands. Why the park is called Canyonlands becomes obvious a few hours into the hike, as sharp red walls rise above the trail and one canyon leads to the next, on
and on. Sometimes you’ll hike through massive round boulders; other times you’ll need to be on the lookout for sharp crags jutting into the trail.

About halfway through the eight-mile hike, you’ll be greeted with the Island in the Sky, a brilliant geological feature offering many photo ops. But no matter what, pay attention to pylons guiding the path and bring lots of water on this trip. (You can thank me later for the water tip, as you make your way to the top of false peak after false peak, trying to get out of the canyons.)

Moab Adventures is a one-stop shop for other extreme activities, including rock climbing, rappelling, canyoneering and rafting on the Colorado River. Trip leaders will bring you to hidden local gems like Corona Arch in your search for outdoor thrills.

The store also rents mountain bikes to ride on nearby Slickrock Trail, a mountain biker’s paradise, hailed as some of the best terrain anywhere for off-road cycling. To call it a trail, though, is a bit deceiving. It’s more like round-topped sandstone hills that grip a mountain bike’s tires. Riding can be strenuous, not to mention dangerous, when you’re riding up and down, up and down, with unending hard slopes under your wheels.

Bald Head Island: A Different Kind of Beach
Escape the boardwalks, chain stores and tattooed tourists with a beach trip to Bald Head Island in North Carolina. A photo of the island’s South Beach, with its long stretches of sand and homes on stilts, make Bald Head look like many other shore destinations on the East Coast. But Bald Head’s special qualities include a diverse natural landscape, tons of outdoor activities and, best of all, no cars. Visitors can rent golf carts and bikes to navigate the island after disembarking from the ferry that leaves from the town of Southport.

Once you’re on island, you can lay low at tranquil South Beach or head to East Beach for larger waves, suitable for surfing and boogie boarding. The island’s country club offers golf, tennis and swimming for the family — but watch out for alligators in nearby bodies of water.

Want to get even closer to nature? Take a stroll through the Maritime Forest Preserve, where beautiful Spanish moss climbs up ancient oaks. Or check in with the Bald Head Island Conservancy and schedule a visit to see endangered loggerhead turtles. The turtles lay their eggs in May and June and the little hatchlings emerge from their shells and waggle their way to the Atlantic in August and September.

Fishing is big on Bald Head Island, and there are lots of ways to do it. The easiest way is to bring your rod to one of the beaches and surf fish. You can also charter a boat from one of the outfitters and go searching for the giants of the deep. Or why not rent a kayak or paddleboard and go fishing or crabbing on the marshes around Fishing Creek?

With so much to do, it’s helpful to have a guide. The luxury vacation company Natural Retreats has a host of them. Not only will their people help you nail down accommodations, they have a team on site to take care of all your needs. Natural Retreats runs trips to destinations all over the world, but Bald Head Island is their top trip this summer.

Primland: View from the Treetops
Want to spend a few days living in a luxury treehouse? How about riding a horse or an ATV through verdant pastures? Have you ever contemplated playing 18 holes in the mountains or disc golf in the wilderness? Or just climbing tall trees in the Blue Ridge and stargazing from a mountaintop?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, Primland is the vacation destination for you.

Primland is an eco-friendly luxury resort nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, almost as far south as you can go in Virginia, and it’s the perfect place to take a break from the speed and anxiety of city life.

The resort has been lauded in the Washington Post, Town & Country, Golf Magazine and many other publications — and for good reason. Primland is one of the most dynamic yet secluded resorts in the country. The 12,000-acre resort is well stocked with magnificent mountain views and out-of-the-box outdoor activities. With upgrades to the classic resort offerings, like golf, swimming and spa treatments, this resort provides a country escape both luxurious and contemporary.
[gallery ids="102109,133839,133841,133835" nav="thumbs"]