SATURDAY: Shaw Dog Park Festivities, 14th & U Farmers’ Market

Three more weeks this season: The 14th & U Farmers' Market is Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Luis Gomez Photos)

The Shaw Dog Park on 11th Street celebrates its first anniversary Saturday, noon to 2 p.m. (Luis Gomez Photos)
The Shaw Dog Park celebrates its first anniversary tomorrow from noon to 2 p.m.—with raffle prizes. The park is next to the Cardozo Playground on the 1600-block of 11th Street NW between Q and R Streets. There will be prizes and an agility contest (for the dogs). Full Saturday details below the fold.
The 14th & Farmers’ Market is open for three more Saturdays this season. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Find the market on Facebook.
Borderstan Movie Fan: Children’s Movies for Grandparents (Part 1)
by Mary Burgan
Other Reviews by Mary
- High School Musicals
- Movies for Foodies
- Health Care Options at the Movies
- My Favorite Sexy Movies
- “Borderstan Movie Fan” Tells You What to Rent
This week Mary the Borderstan Movie Fan reviews and recommends movies for younger children. Her column runs every two weeks and her next one is on movies for older children.
Children’s Movies for Grandparents: Part 1
When I travel to see my grandkids, which I am going to do this Thanksgiving, I always end up renting a few flicks to help while away our mutual boredom. I will offer suggestions for movies for kids in the next month to help readers in my situation. Read more »
At 6 PM: GLOV Forum with U.S. Attorneys on Hate Crimes
At 6 p.m. this evening,GLOV (Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence) is holding a public forum with representatives of U.S. Attorneys Office at Foundry United Methodist Church, 16th and P Streets NW. The topic is anti-gay hate crimes.
Got “Maine Sads?” Lulumon on P St. Has Free Equality Hugs

Lulumon Athletica at 1461 P St. NW. (Photo: Luis Gomez Photos)
The Lulumon Athletica store in Borderstan at 1461 P Street NW put these signs in the front window on Wednesday. A favorable vote on proposition 1 in Maine on Tuesday would have been preferable, but the sentiment and support are appreciated.
Corcoran Street: Down Go the Ginkgos

Tuesday: Work crews cut down mature female Ginkgo trees on the 1500-block of Corcoran Street NW. (Click to enlarge.)
The city cut down seven mature female Ginkgo trees Tuesday on the 1500-block of Corcoran Street NW. City officials talked to residents on the block before making the decision and will replace the Ginkgos with other varieties.
Still, it’s unnerving to see some pretty big holes in the shade canopy on the 1500 block, although I know how much nastiness and messiness they caused with their berries. (See Why Do Ginkgo Tree Berries Smell Like Dog Poo?) Efforts to spray the female trees over the years ultimately proved not enough to stem the smelly squishy berries.
The replacement of the Ginkgo trees follows the installation of brick sidewalks on this stretch of Corcoran.
DC Unemployment: 5.8% in Ward 2, 11.4% Citywide, 28.3% in Ward 8
In some ways, we live in a bubble of non-reality in DC—some of it good, some of it not. In Ward 2, with live in a bubble within a bubble when it comes to jobs and unemployment. I don’t often link to these types of stories, as Borderstan focuses on a pretty defined area of the city; the bulk of the hood is in Ward 2 with some in Ward 1.
However, an article in the Washington Business Journal caught my eye because of the sheer (but not really shocking) discrepancies in the unemployment rates by DC wards: “Ward 8 unemployment tops 28 percent.” Citing DC labor stats, the WBJ article notes:
The unemployment rate in D.C.’s Ward 8 remains one of the highest in the nation, reaching 28.3 percent in September, according to the D.C. Department of Labor. By contrast, D.C.’s Ward 3, with neighborhoods such as American University Park, Foxhall and The Palisades, has one of the region’s lowest unemployment rates at just 3.2 percent. Ward 2, whose neighborhoods include Dupont Circle, Georgetown and Sheridan Kalorama, had an unemployment rate of 5.8 percent in September. Read entire article
The September unemployment rate for the entire city was 11.4%, according to the DC government. You can find unemployment numbers by ward at the DC DES site and compare them to one year ago.
DDoT: 15th Street Bike Lane Operational by Week’s End
Can you stand another posting on the 15th Street NW bike lane? I am nearing my limit, but here goes.
DDoT told me yesterday that the contraflow-southbound bike lane on 15th Street NW—the one that will between parked cars and the west curb—should be operation by week’s end. Parked cars on the west side of 15th Street will be between the bike lane and northbound traffic. The lane will run just about 1 mile from Massachusetts Avenue to Florida Avenue NW (its actually W Street at that corner).

Clear as day? Signs of the time on 15th Street NW.
DDoT also said that a northbound bike lane is still planned for the east side of 15th Street, but I did not get an installation time line. In addition, car traffic will eventually be only two lanes, not three, as was shown in the original plan for the street’s reconfiguration.
Call me relieved as I could not see how you could possibly add two bike lanes and still have three lanes of northbound car traffic. View the updated reconfiguration plan (page 2 of PDF): 15th NW Contraflow_100909
Co-owner of Coppi’s Restaurant Found Murdered in Apartment
NBC-4 has the story: Nori Amaya was found dead in her apartment in the 3600-block of 16th Street NW. Police have apparently ruled her death a murder by strangulation. Amaya was the co-owner of Coppi’s Organic Restaurant at 1414 U Street NW. Commenters at the Prince of Petworth and at Mount Pleasant DC Forum are saying that Amaya lived at The Woodner.
According to NBC-4: “Nori Amaya’s death has been ruled a homicide. The cause of death was determined to be strangulation.”





