Good afternoon! How can you be mad at life when we were all #blessed with the wonder that is 55 degrees this morning? I looked all over the internets for an article to tell me exactly when mosquitoes die or at least go dormant, and the closest I came was this article from the Journal of Medical Entomology, which says that genus Culex basically need a temperature above 50-51ºF to barely function. And you know what? I’ll take it. (Incidentally, this second article also from the Journal of Medical Entomology featured mosquitoes from Takoma Park and is also very interesting. PG county mosquitoes, amirite?)
That fall snap in the air can only mean leaf-spotting and our pals at Casey Trees have you covered. They recently updated their fall colors map, so you can enjoy your neighborhood walks in between bouts of online school.
Yep! The Roost’s multifaceted hall is open and Cameo and Shop Made in DC are the first, um, facets to gleam. Washingtonian has more details.
Greater Greater Washington is collecting your questions for ANC commissioner candidates on local controversies. I would ask my commissioner, Karen Wirt, what she plans to do about the growing unhomed encampment at the triangle park that’s on Massachusetts and D Streets NE. While I am very sympathetic to the people who camp outside and don’t want to see them harassed, that park is in a vulnerable, open area and winter is approaching. What would you ask? Leave them a comment.
Tony Tomelden, owner of the Pug, reminisced about Capitol Lounge over at Barred in DC. Adding to the roster of bad news over on Raman’s site, he also revealed that Granville Moore’s may be no more as of the end of September. Some people out there have made less than kind comments about how restaurants are announcing their impending closure as a gimmick to get people through the door. Please, don’t be those people: The life of a restaurant is one that’s always fraught with peril and low funds even during the best of times. The Coronavirus pandemic has made those margins even slimmer and it has added a lot of pressure to an industry that is fragile to begin with. Decisions like closing a place are not easy to take. Don’t trivialize the pain of others –many of whom are your friends and neighbors, and certainly MY friends and neighbors– and call it a gimmick. Instead, support them as they keep going.
Washington City Paper asked kids what they missed most about dining in restaurants and several Capitol Hill favorites, such as Ted’s Bulletin, appeared on the list. I asked my 14-year old what he missed most, if anything, and he laughed, shrugged and said, “Uh, nothing? Getting carryout is just as good and it’s probably safer.” Okay, but he still supports restaurants with his legendary appetite, so that’s that.
Incidentally, if you’re running for ANC in the area or know of someone who is, have them email me a candidate statement at info@thehillishome.com. They will be published in my Election 2020 page.
A Payne Elementary teacher is one of two DCPS teachers who’ve recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the DC Post reports. WUSA-9 clarifies that the DCPS member was actually a staff member. Wishing both members a speedy recovery.
Mozzeria is not just a cool concept, but they are so pretty, they get a write-up on ARCHITECT magazine.
Amazingly, coworking spaces are still opening up. CommonGrounds recently opened at 99 M Street SE and it occupies two floors and boasts gorgeous river views. Wear a mask and bring hand sanitizer, I guess. PR Newswire
ANC 6B helped secure funding for an adult care center in a project whose zoning application had been stalled. More details over at Capitol Hill Corner.
So glad to see that Union Pub is doing the responsible thing and canceling their college football game-watching parties for now. But you can still support them– they deserve rich reward for doing the right thing, after all. You can order pitchers and party platters or make reservations at the socially distant patio. Other bars around the area are juggling things the best way they know how. Washington Post
EventsDC is partnering up with something called SurfaceGuard, which is some sort of antibacterial coating they can spray in porous and nonporous surfaces and it sounds mysterious and a little suspicious. Am I being paranoid? What does SurfaceGuard really do? PRNewswire/WFMZ-TV
More outdoor movies! WTOP has details.
Hey, want to join a block printing class and help a local charity? Everyone Home DC is trying to raise $35,000 through virtual events during what they are calling their September Challenge. You can sign up for cool things throughout the month, such as this block printing class here. Sign up by tomorrow so you can receive your kit on time.