Want a tree for your yard? Pepco is giving out free ones

Trees are good! They look nice, improve land value, help the environment by filtering the air and save you money by keeping your house cool on hot times and warmer on cool days. So you should plant them! Luckily, Pepco is giving out some for free. See below.

Pepco Providing 2,000 Free Trees to Maryland and DC Customers 

 Washington, D.C. – In its third year as an Arbor Day Foundation partner, Pepco is providing 2,000 free trees to customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia through the Energy-Saving Trees program. Launched as a pilot initiative in 2011, the Energy-Saving Trees program conserves energy and reduces household electricity bills through strategic tree planting. Pepco customers can reserve their free trees today at www.arborday.org/pepco. 

Within seconds of accessing the website, an online tool helps Pepco customers find the most strategic location for planting and estimates the annual savings that will result from the tree. The Arbor Day Foundation calculates that the 2,000 trees are estimated to produce more than $380,000 in energy savings within 20 years. Customers can reserve up two trees per household and the program will continue until all 2,000 trees are reserved. In exchange for the free trees, customers are expected to care for the trees and plant them in the location provided by the online tool. The two-to-four-foot trees will be delivered directly to the customer at an ideal time for planting. 

“The Energy-Saving Trees program saves money and the environment,” said Thomas H. Graham, president, Pepco Region. “More than $380,000 in energy savings within 20 years is a substantial benefit to our customers and the region.” 

The Energy-Saving Trees online tool was created by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Davey Institute, a division of the Davey Tree Expert Co., and uses peer-reviewed scientific research from the USDA Forest Service’s i-Tree Software to calculate estimated benefits 

For more information and updates, visit www.pepco.com, follow us on Facebook and Twitter at PepcoConnect, and download our mobile app at www.pepco.com/mobileapp.

Graham hit with $100 million lawsuit over lottery contract/Metro development quid pro quo

Just when you thought the Jim Graham influence peddling/quid pro quo scandal was over, it's back.

If you recall (and it's kind of confusing) Ward 1 councilmember Graham allegedly agreed to support a developer's employee's bid for the DC lottery contract if that developer dropped a bid for a Metro property on Florida Avenue NW. The reasons for doing this are unclear, but it may be because he was opposed to the developer, Sinclair Skinner, who was allegedly behind homophobic and racist signs aimed at Graham after Graham shut down a club in the Reeves Center that had some violent incidents.

Anyway, after this latest scandal, Graham was reprimanded by the council and lost a committee chairmanship, but no charges were filed.

Now that development company, Banneker Ventures, is suing Graham, the city, and another developer who Graham allegedly was helping for $100 million. Yes, million.

Graham says the suit is meritless and Banneker lost because they didn't do a good job: "Although audacious given their dismal performance and demonstrated pattern of nonfeasance, Banneker's claims are spurious and wholly unfounded. I look forward to an early dismissal."

The suit unveiled some juicy and amusing details. For one, the suit claims Graham would only meet with people from Banneker if they agreed to go to his favorite restaurant, Ten Penh. That's pretty funny. Less funny though are allegations that Graham said they first should donate $40,000 to the U Street BID, which he got up and running, before he would help them, and that they should hold a fundraiser for his campaign. If true, those are pretty serious allegations.

Photo by Mr. T in DC

Help fight sex trafficking in the area -- two events on April 9

While this is out of the neighborhood, it addresses a local issue. A few times I've written here about prostitution rings in the neighborhood getting broken up, often with women from overseas.

It's an important issue, and here are some ways to help: the White Umbrella Campaign is having a couple of events in the city. Here's more about the organization and the events. Hope you can check them out.

As you may know, D.C. is one of the top 14 cities for sex trafficking in the US according to a 2005 FBI report. We are working with a recognized leader in the anti-sex trafficking world, Wellspring Living, to put on several city stops for The White Umbrella Campaign to share and motivate about the vision to rescue, restore and renew victims in America. We have partnered with D.C.-based Shared Hope International to educate, encourage and empower communities to take a stand against the issue and walk with survivors of sex trafficking in your city.

The White Umbrella Campaign brings together local organizations, churches, law enforcement and community leaders currently working together to confront the issue through two events: a community round table and a gathering of the faith community on April 9. The schedule of events is as follows:

April 9:8 a.m. -- Community Round Table

• Will serve to unite and connect all sectors of the community to raise awareness and action against sexual exploitation, the morning will bring together key decision makers, local authorities/law enforcement, and others.  
• Location: Ebenezer’s Coffee House

                       201 F St NE
7 p.m. -- White Umbrella Campaign at National Community Church

• Educate community on how they can be involved; hear first-hand accounts; music by 714 Live Worship band
• Location: National Community Church's Miracle Theater on Barracks Row

                       535 8th Street SE

The campaign website is http://thewhiteumbrellacampaign.com and will visit other cities like Sarasota/Tampa, Dallas, San Diego, Minneapolis, LA and more. Mary Frances Bowley, founder of Wellspring Living, authored a book entitled THE WHITE UMBRELLA: Walking With Survivors of Sex Trafficking (Moody Publishing, 2012) which serves as an active resource in leaders in the fight against this form of human injustice.

Questlove of the Roots spotted in the neighborhood, photographing skateboarding dogs!

This is pretty funny: I follow Questlove, the drummer for hip-hop band The Roots, on Instagram, and the other day he posted this photo of a skateboarding dog he spotted at  about 14th and W. I'm not sure why he was in town, but it's pretty cool to see -- both him in the neighborhood, and a skateboarding dog! Has anybody else spotted this totally extreme dog around?

A number of famous types have visited our neighborhood in the past, including fellow hip-hopper Lady Sovereign, a British rapper who I saw a couple of years ago. For the whole list (including the Obamas, Jessica Alba and a lot more,) check out our previous famous people posts!

New funnel cake food truck, Reba's, to be parked on 14th Street after work!

It looks like I'm about to be 600 pounds. Last week I spotted a funnel cake food truck parked at 14th and Irving outside the CVS. (I actually smelled it about a block away first.) It was back yesterday evening so I went to chat with the folks.

The truck, called Reba's, is fairly new, and they said they'll parked there every weekday after work, and some weekends. It was about 6:30 when I saw them pulling up, but on Friday they were there earlier. Other times they'll be roaming around the city, like most food trucks. I didn't have any funnel cake, but it smelled pretty amazing.

They also have a Facebook page and Twitter (although the Twitter account hasn't been used in awhile.)

By my count, this is the third food truck I've seen parked in the neighborhood, not counting special events: the Middle Eastern truck that used to sit outside Chipotle, the tasty Mexican sandwich truck El Farolito sometimes on 14th north of Irving, and now this one. I say the more, the merrier!

I'm actually fairly surprised that more trucks don't set up around 11th Street on weekend nights, or 14th Street on weekends. I'd sure go there.

Here's a flyer too (click it for a bigger version.)

Rise and Fall and Rise of Columbia Heights lecture Wed. at the MtP library

If you're interested in learning more about the history of the neighborhood, get yourself to the DC Public Library's Mt. Pleasant branch this Wednesday at 6:30. Historian Brian Kraft will give a lecture titled the Rise and Fall and Rise of Columbia Heights.

It certainly sounds interesting. I would imagine he'd talk about the neighborhood's start as a residential suburb, those changes over time, and the 1968 riots which destroyed a lot of the commercial buildings on 14th. Here's more from the Library:

In this lecture, Brian Kraft will present a sweeping view of the history of Columbia Heights that mirrors the history of Urban America. He will trace the neighborhood's beginnings, physical development, demographic upheavals, and recent resurgence, with maps, photos, and other images.

If you'd like more about the history of the neighborhood, check out the Columbia Heights Heritage Walking Trail, or check out all the history posts I've written.

Thanks for putting up with our April Fools' shenanigans yesterday

As you may have noticed, yesterday was April Fools' Day, and I did a few posts. So unfortunately, you won't be able to go curling at DCUSA, stripping at Ruby Tuesday, or enjoy a Mme. Pamplemousse cocktail at Spike Mendelsohn's Champagne Room. (And the last post was a joke about PoPville's "Door of the Day" posts.) 

So my apologies, none of those things are happening -- however, I do have some other cool (and real) things to post about today -- a funnel cake truck, a lecture series called the Rise, Fall and Rise of Columbia Heights, and a $100 million lawsuit against Jim Graham (no, really, that's not a joke.) So stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the jokes, in any case. I've been doing this blog since 2008 and April Fools' Day is always a fun one for me, and I hope for you. I try to make them ridiculous but just believable enough. And whether you liked them or not, thanks for reading the blog for all these years! You all make it fun to do.

But that mushiness aside, here are some of the the more popular April Fools' Day posts from previous years, if you are so inclined:

In 2012, folks reacted to a story about Wonderland closing and getting replaced by a Taco Bell and Disney opening a hotel in DCUSA. In 2011, I got tired of a walkable neighborhood with lots of things to do nearby, so I moved to Maryland and renamed the site New Gaithersburg Heights, complete with a banner of chain restaurants. I did a series called Chili's of the Day, rating which Chili's was the best: Aspen Hill was the winner. 

It looks like I forgot to do jokes in 2010, but in 2009 people were pretty angry that the entire neighborhood and the Metro station were getting renamed Tivoli Heights due to supposed negative connotations with Columbia Heights. April 1, 2008 was just after the second post ever on this blog, so no time for jokes! It was "Potbelly is open." We've come a long way!