Morning Shot: April 18, 2012

• Birthday Shots
  Today’s birthday shot goes out to my good friend Andy Walker, who used to be a neighbor of mine back on Freedom Way (Penn Ave.). He had to go and ruin a good thing by moving. And by good thing, I mean cigar night every other week. A shot also goes out to a person I refer to as The Sheriff. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, but Casey Pick runs the LCR National office. Nothing goes on there or within any of our chapters without her knowing about it. She’s a great person and a great friend. Happy birthday, Casey and Andy!

• A Conversation with Police Chief Cathy Lanier
  Tonight, the DC Chapter of Log Cabin Republicans will host Police Chief Cathy Lanier to have a conversation to address the recent string of violent attacks towards members of the LGBT community. We expect Chief Lanier to discuss the recent arrest in the IHOP incident, as well as other hate-crime related activities around the District. After Chief Lanier’s presentation, she will entertain a Q&A with members and guests.

• 311? There’s an App for That!
  Borderstan reports that last week, Mayor Vincent Gray’s office announced the launch of DC’s new smart-phone application, DC311 See Click Fix. The app allows citizens to use their iPhone or Android mobile device to make service requests, including complaints about trash, potholes, graffiti and illegal dumping.

• Song of the Day: “If You Could Read My Mind,” by Stars on 54
  This song is was recorded for the soundtrack of the 1998 film, 54, which starred Mike Myers as Steve Rubell, owner of the Studio 54 nightclub. It was a cover dance version of the 1970 Gordon Lightfoot song. This version always gets the blood pumping and flowing through the body.

Push Back Against Hank’s Oyster Bar

Yesterday, Tom Hay over at Borderstan.com posted a great piece on push back against Hank’s Oyster Bar wanting to expand to their immediate right, into an empty building.  At first, this sounds eerily familiar to when JRs wanted to expand over at 17th & Church.  But at closer look, it’s a little different.

When Leeds the Way, LLC, the company that owns Hank’s, appeared before the Dupont ANC back in June, to petition terminate their Voluntary Agreement, the ANC took no action.  No action was taken again at the July ANC meeting.

Now, a group of 23 Dupont residents have filed a protest with the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration opposing the expansion, citing, among other things, the 17th Street moratorium that took effect years ago, and renewed back in 2006.

It will be interested to see which sides prevail.  I say go HANKS!

One last thing — there’s no agenda item on Hank’s so far set for the Dupont ANC’s next meeting, which is next Wednesday.

Morning Shot: April 20, 2010

• This Day in History
  On April 20, 1980, the Castro regime announces that all Cubans wishing to emigrate to the U.S. are free to board boats at the port of Mariel west of Havana, launching the Mariel Boatlift. The first of 125,000 Cuban refugees from Mariel reached Florida the next day.

• The passing of a pioneer
  Dr. Dorothy Height, one of the Mothers of the civil rights movement passed away this morning. According to the National Council of Negro Women, she died of natural causes. She was extremely instramental in the struggles for school desegregation, voting rights, employment and public accommodations (you know, those restrooms and water fountains for whites only).
  .
  From WaPo, “In the turmoil of the civil rights struggles in the 1960s, Ms. Heights helped orchestrate strategy with movement leaders including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Roy Wilkins, A. Philip Randolph, Whitney Young, James Farmer, Bayard Rustin and John Lewis, who later served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia.”

• Oh Nellie’s…Robbed… WTF?
  Several local blogs yesterday reported that Nellie’s Sports Bar, where DC Log Cabin Republicans have their monthly happy hours, was robbed in broad day light at gun point. Borderstan.com first the story, and then 14th&U picked it up. And DC wants to keep law abiding citizens from having guns.