BaancBlog

From Stupid Quotes:

"This is no longer a slum neighborhood. I haven't heard of a Cubs fan being shot in a long time."
- Anonymous Wrigley Field Neighbor, Chicago, IL

The editor saw Jack Evans at the WCCA Advisory Committee meeting last Thursday. His major topic was essentially what was in his recent newsletter:

The Mayor has proposed the “Omnibus Anti-Crime Amendment Act of 2009” to strengthen our crime fighting tools. My colleagues have made various proposals as well. Given the recent homicide at 7th and M Streets in Shaw last week, and the shocking incident in Adams Morgan this past weekend where two police officers were shot, we need to do everything possible to get the upper hand on criminal activity.

Particularly important to me are the gang-related provisions, which I think will be useful countering gang activity in Ward 2 and through out the city, as well as increasing penalties for the use of stolen cars in the commission of a crime. It’s bad enough when a criminal steals a car, but even worse when they use that vehicle for a drive-by shooting or other crimes, which has been an unfortunate and emerging trend. There are also a variety of proposals to increase gun possession penalties that make sense as well. Together these proposals are aimed at fighting crime and disrupting the activities of gangs to make our city safer.

The Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, on which I serve, has already held two hearings on the legislation, and I believe it is incumbent upon the Council to move forward quickly on the emergency version of the legislation in June. Under normal legislative procedures, the Council would vote twice on permanent legislation and then it would go through a 60-day Congressional review period. Obviously, the summer would be long over by then – thus it is absolutely imperative we move the most important parts of this legislation forward on an emergency basis on June 2nd so we can give our police officers and the US Attorney the tools they need to combat crime. So before my thoughts turn to summer vacations and other pleasant things, I appreciate we have some important work to do first to help make everyone’s summer happy and safe.

The editor remembers remembers LT Mike Smith and his crew talking about the importance of "Stay Away" orders over the years. He doesn't recall that there were many of them, but against certain people, usually prostitutes, the police believed they held down crime. He also remembers that they took a lot of work on the part of the police down at US Attorneys offices and the court house.

Commander Kucich was at the meeting and allowed as how it would be a good thing. Not a total solution, but would help. The editors experience over the years is that many of the nagging, year-after-year crime problems go away after the police and the US Attorney and the Councilman manage to get a little change here and there and finally the people involved in the crimes (which include prostitution and drugs) go somewhere else. The editor should weep for the places the lowlifes go, but we've done our time. Now it's someone else's turn.

The omnibus bill above moves the "stay away" level of proof from "beyond reasonable doubt" to "preponderance of evidence". In other words, somewhat easier. And for this Summer, that means that getting one in place for certain individuals on certain corners of the Far Side might actually happen.

"Emergency" legislation just fits this coming Summer and the attendant problems. The normal procedures for implementing a law mean that there's a pretty good chance it might be in place next Summer. Let's hope the Council moves quickly.

As a side note, the WaPo had a chin puller in the Outlook section that an individual who has his name on such a stay away order might be hobbled for life. Poor dears. Actually, the editor guesses that getting on a stay away order takes real work and a bit of a record anyway. The piece seems not be available on-line. It must have just floated away, as happens when objects have no weight.

One of the commenters on the last post referenced the Tally-Ho stables in Naylor Alley, a picture of which is found here, which is about the "Shaw" Historic District. I say "Shaw" because Naylor Court and Blagden Alley are in the Blagden Alley and Naylor Court Historic District, amazingly enough. With the number of pictures from the BA&NC HD in the Shaw HD brochure one might surmise a bit of envy. The editor would not do so, however.

But that's not the point. The drawing of the TallyHo stables seems to correspond to

which looks like the DC Archives, on the south end of the eastern north-south segment of Naylor Court. (The editor loves to write that kind of stuff!)

The former stables seen here

with detail

is on the conjectured segment of Naylor Alley.

Another structure in Naylor Court probably was

This time, it's the west side of the 1200 block of Tenth Street. And, no, the editor did not consider "West Side Story" as a title, as that would be too precious. And, yes, he thus will never write for the WaPo Style section.

From some pictures Jim Loucks and Brad Smith took back in the mid-1980's.


The red townhouse is Brad and Jim's. It will appear here a good bit.

And some of the original renovators, including Larry Peterson from across the street.
And another

of Jim Loucks in 1252. Jim is not just a renovator. Over the years, he has been a consistent voice of reason on preservation matters and a strong liaison with the District and the various authorities for the interests this community. A good portion of the character of this part of the world has been influenced by Jim.

One more, a bit farther south on the block:


With that last one in mind, look at it today

The curved glass is nice.

Those units to the right of Brad and Jim above are now this:

Another simple doorway renovation from the old days:


There are several more of the old and new photos in the album (touch "photos" at the top of this page).

The editor was asleep, then heard what sounded like four gunshots, not evenly spaced, several houses away. Then three more farther away a bit later. Having lived here too long, he thought serious firecrackers and went back to sleep. The folks at the Whitman didn't.

Lisa Amore wites:

Hi all.
No.. that was not fireworks that you might have heard at around 10:50pm tonight. It was gunfire.

I heard 2 shots as I was walking in my door from just coming inside with Bruno. I quickly heard about 4-5 more shots, and leaped to the window as I was grabbing my phone to call 9-1-1.
I witnessed a guy in a black hoodie and black pants on foot, and another guy on a bike. They were moving relatively quickly, but not necessary running or taking off on the bike. The shots that I witnessed took place right near the tree in the grassy expanse directly across from The Whitman front door. They then proceeded towards 10th St.and Blagden Alley (where my neighbor...says that they divided.) Within about a minute, there was yet more gunfire, most likely from a semi-automatic weapon (per another neighbor), as the gunfire was much quicker. This seemed to happen further North and West of us.... possibly in the direction of 10 and N Sts...

When the cops finally arrived, they were concentrating at the corner of 9th and M St's in front of the Convention Center, possibly where someone else was hit. [Name deleted] on the 1st Flr. said that he saw the shooter(s) running from down M St. toward where I had seen them... but turned and shooting toward the Convention Center.

The cops cordoned off the grassy area with police tape, and found at least 6 bullet casings, but no blood, and no evidence of anyone being wounded at that location.

It would be great if we cound find out more information about this if possible, to share with the rest of the folks in the building. A lot of people came out front / outside, when I was back down there explaining to the cops where they should look for the casings. Everyone was greatly concerned.


And later:

A friend, neighbor and ABC7 reporter convinced me to go downstairs and give a statement to the detective.

In so doing, we found out the following:
From what the detectives can tell, amazingly - no one was hit. There are no traces of blood anywhere.
In a strange coincidence, the ambulance on the SE corner of 9th and M St's at the time of the shooting was actually treating someone for a completely different circumstance, and they had simply not left the scene yet. However... the cameras on the Conv. Center did catch suspects on camera shooting at other people at the corner of 9th and M, and the people who were being shot at in that incident fled down 9th St. The cops then found bullet casings on both sides of M St. Bullets apparently hit a jeep that was parked in front of Whitman unit #120. Two more vehicles (a VW and a Volvo) were hit as they were parked in front of 911 M St, across the street. The majority of the casings, however, were found in the grassy area and on the sidewalk directly across from the front door of The Whitman. Finally, they did also tell us that there was a report of gunshots fired at 13th and N St's.

At present, the investigation is obviously still ongoing, and they have no suspects yet.