Tom Bridge

7.18.10
courtesy of Paige Weaver

I’ve been trying to come to terms with this all day. I’ve been sitting on this post for a few hours, but it seems right now to post it. Since we moved to Brookland, our weekend haunt has been the beautiful steel diner on Bladensburg road, the Capital City Diner. I first set foot in the diner about two years ago, as we were looking at houses, and I sat down for the most amazing patty melt and milkshake I’ve had in this fair city. Since then, it’s been our Saturday and Sunday morning breakfast location. Seeing Cheryl, Matt, Frank and Sylvia each weekend has become a highlight in my week. Sunday, the Diner will close, but not before throwing one last hurrah this weekend.

When I heard today, I drove over to the Diner to get the news from owner Matt Ashburn. I was greeted at the door by Cheryl, who immediately wrapped me in a bear hug. That’s pretty much when I lost it. Cap City has been a weekend home for us. We brought Matt and Cheryl homemade jam, farm peaches, and cranberry relish, and they kept us topped up on coffee and Diet Coke, including one memorable occasion when despite being out of soda, Cheryl ran up the street to get us some.

Capital City Diner has been an oasis for us, and one of my DC Talismans, a place that I go when I need to feel that something in this world is in perfect order. The letter up on their website cites rising costs and nearby competition from a national chain that rhymes with Lenny’s. The end of the Diner may well be attributable to Harry Thomas Jr., who worked hard to bring the chain restaurant to Trinidad after seeing the Diner thrive. While perhaps bringing more business to Bladensburg Road near Trinidad is good for the local economy, something Thomas wasn’t exactly known for, his last good act might have killed the thing I loved most in the District.

Chicken and Waffle, Capital City Diner
courtesy of Kevin H.

Thank you, Matt, Cheryl, Sylvia and Frank, for the calm that you brought to my life, for the food that you made (seriously, I have no idea how you make that fried chicken, but it’s goddamned magical), and for your incredible support and friendship.

We’ll see you this weekend for one last finale. But I’ll probably cry.

IA NW: Row Houses
courtesy of kimberlyfaye

I love DC’s many housing styles. The standard federal rowhouse is a DC fixture in the neighborhoods, but how can you ignore the beauty of the Victorians that line the great boulevards? Add in the bungalows and arts & crafts houses (my personal favorite in the free-standing varietals) and you’ve got some really amazing houses in the District. DC Urban Turf breaks it down which is which, as well as adding in a little history about each model. Know your houses, DC!

one way FAIL
courtesy of philliefan99

Boy, what a morning.

First up was Alex Ovechkin, who today opted out of the All-Star Game, citing a lack of passion brought on by a 3-game suspension for an off-his-feet hit on the Penguins Zbynek Michalek during Sunday’s game. I can understand his frustration with the league for a 3-game suspension when Michalek was cleared of a similar hit in the exact same game. It can be hard to be a professional hockey player. That is also why he’s paid $9.5M on average per season. As Don Draper says, “That’s what the money is for!” I suppose that he’ll instead be chilling in his new house in McLean, valued at $4.2M.

In acting the petulant teenager, Ovechkin hurts the fans and the league, when he’s really just angry that his team can’t seem to feed him the puck up close to the net. Look, Ovi, I know you’re having a rough go of it right now, but the answer here is to buckle down and do more not do less, especially in the face of criticism. There’s a lot of concern out there for the team’s work ethic, and that there’s no combined leadership on the ice. By opting out and saying that you’re just not feeling it, well, I have to wonder – have you felt it at all this season? I know you’re hitting like crazy, and your game against Pittsburgh this week saw you with 3 points, but I’m not seeing the leader that I was hoping for.

The Capitals, in standing by their star, are at least giving him an “honorable” out, and given the lack of discipline for Michalek, that seems to be at least justified in part. In doing so, aren’t the Capitals doing more to hurt the hockey capital’s enthusiasm for the sport as a whole? I had thought that this was an organization dedicated toward hockey as a whole, but this latest set of actions seem to belie that isn’t the case always.

And now on to the firing of Flip Saunders, first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.  The Wizards have started the year at a lovely 2-15, including a 20-point loss in Philly last night, a game in which they trailed by 30 at the half, which is something I was pretty sure was only possible when a JV team plays the varsity at DeMatha. Sadly, it’s not likely that the elevation of assistant Randy Wittman to the head coach, even temporarily, is going to change the slide of the Wizards – not that they can slide much further down the charts.

I can’t remember a more terrible day for Monumental Sports in the new era, and though it feels like piling on, the state of DC sports is fairly deplorable, given the Redskins’ back to back 6-10 seasons, the Wizards seemingly-perpetual last place position, and the Capitals struggles amid an abundance of talented players. How terrible is it that a .500 season from the Nationals seems to be the brightest spot in the DC Sports world right now?

So yes, Uncle Ted, this is a day for wicked pixels, but it’s hard to dodge these as just being the words of some pajama-clad bloggers when it’s the whole of the sports media with their head in their hands wondering what could possibly be going on.

It’s hard to say how important programs like DC Central Kitchen are to the District. There’s just so many aspects to it that carry such incredible value – is it their programs providing meals for homeless shelters? their programs working with school nutrition? providing produce to markets in food deserts?

Chief among the programs that DCCK champions is their job training program, that takes people that need a second chance, and train them to work in commercial kitchens all over this city. The Liberation is a Kickstarter project that will follow one class through the 14 weeks of training through to getting their jobs. They’ve got about four days left, and they need your help to make their goal.

Contributions over $50 will be tax deductible, as well, as the Big Sky Film Institute is a 501c3 non-profit.

Occupy DC – Soapbox
courtesy of theqspeaks

Good morning, everyone. This post is specifically for Virginia and Maryland readers today, which means it’s sorta the opposite of what we strive for here at We Love DC, but for reasons that will become clear in a minute, we need your help, and all our friends that live in the District can’t help us the way that you can.

You’re going to see a lot on the Internet today, if you haven’t already, about a bill in front of Congress called SOPA or PIPA, depending on if they’re talking about the bill in the House or the Senate. It’s a pretty bad bill. Sure, its heart is in the right place, trying to stop online piracy, but the way they’ve chosen to go about doing it is pretty well awful. They’re going after a fly with a sledgehammer, and frankly, it’s just not going to work to stop piracy.

If you’ve got a second today, could you call your Congressperson and Senators and let them know it’s not cool to break the Internet?

In our environment here, we use some pretty cool tools to bring you all the news, including sites that open themselves up to host content, like Flickr, and YouTube, and other related sites. These are sites that could be paralyzed under SOPA and PIPA, and replacement companies couldn’t be created because it would require an army of lawyers just to get started.

Don’t take our word for it, see what Google has to say, or learn more about the blackout today, and then call your congresspeople.

It just takes a second to call Congress, and you don’t even have to get worked up. Just call their office, tell them your name and that you live in their District or State, and then just say, “I oppose SOPA and PIPA, and I don’t think you should vote for them.” Remember you’re talking with volunteers, and be nice, but do give them a call.

And, if you’re feeling a bit brave, or a bit cheesed off, ask for some voting rights for your friends in the District?

VOTE
courtesy of nevermindtheend

Well, at least part of DC life.

Local political advocates Bryan Weaver (you remember him from his At-Large and Ward 1 council campaigns), Sylvia Brown (An ANC in Ward 7) and Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells are teaming up to put a ballot initiative on this November’s general election ballot to end Corporate Political Donations for local campaigns.  Should the measure get on the ballot (not a certainty), and pass (doubly so), DC would join 30 states and the Federal Government that forbid corporations from donating to local campaigns.

The group would need at least 20,000 signatures in order to get the measure on the ballot, but first it must pass some oversight by the Board of Elections & Ethics, and survive a challenge period.  Should it do those things, it would end up on the November general election ballot.

There’s been a lot of focus on the national stage about the role of corporations in politics, and I would expect that this measure would draw out a number of groups both for and against the corporate contributions. This will be one to watch.

We had hoped to get the text of the proposed amendment, but Mr. Weaver did not return contact ahead of this story breaking at the Post this morning.

July09 199
courtesy of Lord Jim

If there’s a caricature in the media politics age that we live in, Rush Limbaugh is that clichéd, hackneyed caricature that you just can’t seem to scrub out of the landscape. On yesterday’s broadcast, the target of Rush’s ire was Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, for her bill from 2010 about humane trapping of wildlife (not vermin, Rush, wildlife.), as well as her supposed authoring of the plastic bag tax bill (sorry Rush, that one is on Councilmember Tommy Wells’ record).  According to DCist’s transcription of the segment, at least Rush did get one thing right:

“This Mary Cheh babe — C-H-E-H — she is the woman behind the D.C. plastic bag tax”

Rush is correct; Councilmember Cheh is, in fact, a stone cold fox. However, as it’s wrong to objectivize women, or refer to them by a slang word for their looks, we would never call a public official that.

IMG_5027
courtesy of nmmercer

Disruptive business models are hard because they challenge entrenched majorities who are often capable of regulatory backlash against new models of doing business that are more efficient and creative. Uber, the internet-dispatched creative car service, has had a rough couple of days. The trouble began on Wednesday, when the DC Taxi Commission chairman said that they were operating illegally. Their argument is that car services must operate on a time basis, instead of a mileage-based service like a taxi.

Today, according to DCist’s Benjamin Freed, Chairman of the Commission’s Ron Linton conducted a sting operation against of one of the drivers that contracts with the Uber service, that ended with the driver issued a citation, and his vehicle towed and impounded.

While I would absolutely expect taxi drivers to fight back against a perceived loss of business, Uber says they’re operating legally, based on the results of their internal code examination, and their attorneys findings. The DCTC is going for a pressure point: the limousine drivers that contract with Uber for additional funds.

Taxi service in this town, frankly, is abysmal. I live in a part of town where getting a cab takes an extra hour and costs an extra $5 to your base fare, let alone knows where he’s going. A car service is a fairly expensive, and hard to arrange unless you know where you’re going a few days in advance. Uber bridges the gap nicely between the two, and adds a level of convenience that even the taxis in the city can’t manage.

If you want to fight back, the DCTC answers to the Mayor. Mayor Gray’s office can be reached at (202) 727-6300, or via email at eom@dc.gov.

As you may be aware, this weekend is the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, the first in the Nation’s Capital since the new memorial to Dr. King opened on the mall. You may be planning to spend your Monday holiday in service-related activities, or demonstrating for the lack of civil rights in the District, but local club Barcode wants you to drink away the night before with special MLK-themed bottle service and drinks specials.  They’re even using the civil rights leader’s visage on their fliers.

Of course, if that name sounds familiar, it’s not just you. Barcode is the same spot that had a special happy hour and bottle service for the muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr back in August.

I guess there’s no holiday out there that Barcode will leave be.

I, for one, can’t wait for Barcode’s new “Dead Presidents” cocktails for President’s Day, or the Tombstone Special on Veterans Day next November.

Councilman Harry Thomas and BNCA President Caroline Petti
courtesy of tbridge

Harry Thomas Jr, seen above at Brookland ribbon cutting, tonight released a statement that he intends to resign his Ward 5 council seat in the morning, and plead guilty to two federal crimes related to $383,000 of city money that was misappropriated by a charity that Thomas operates. In his statement tonight, Thomas said, “Tomorrow morning I will plead guilty to committing two federal crimes. I am resigning my position as a member of the Council effective immediately. I made some very serious mistakes and exhibited inadequate and flawed judgment. I take full responsibility for my actions. I am truly sorry.”

Thomas is expected in court at 11:15am tomorrow for a plea hearing in Federal Court to answer for the charges that were filed against him this morning. A plea deal has been rumored by several media outlets for the last few days, and may contain up to 3 years for Thomas in prison.

A special election would take place on the first Tuesday after 114 days from the certification of the vacancy of Thomas’ seat, which would likely place the election on May 8th or 15th.  Candidates have already begun to appear, with at least six possibilities emerging as prospective candidates in the last few days, to include some of Thomas’ former challengers, including Delano Hunter and Kenyan McDuffie.

censored(red stamp)
courtesy of �ậ�ëø

The Office of Cable Television is the entity that is responsible for the broadcast of Channel 13, DC’s public access network that broadcasts (and re-shows) various hearings and meetings of the city council. Local political writer Chuck Thies says that, at the behest of Council Chairman Kwame Brown, cameras were turned off during a public press conference, and the tape was edited to remove a question from a WTOP reporter in its online and archived version.

That question’s subject matter had every reason to be embarrassing to Chairman Brown: it had to do with the ethics of the council, something that has created a dark cloud over the body’s current term, due to scandals surrounding members both at-large and from the wards.  According to WAMU, Brown and his deputy Chief of Staff are denying responsibility for the cut, the OCT has said they were just doing what they were told.

YIP 228 – Things you don’t want to see in the Metro
courtesy of (afm)

Cracked rails on the Red and Blue line this morning in commute-heavy portions of the above-ground part of the rail system have snarled morning commutes. The breaks, near the Pentagon and near Takoma, were caused by the rapid cooling of the DC area to a low of near 10 degrees Fahrenheit last night, according to Metro spokesman Dan Stessel. The breaks cannot be fixed during rush hour, and repairs will take place once morning rush is cleared.

D Block, Alcatraz
courtesy of itjournalist

We only gave Harry Thomas Jr the #3 slot in 2011’s Worst of Scandals list, but it appears he will be the number one figure in DC politics for the next few weeks. WUSA9’s Bruce Johnson is reporting that Councilmember Thomas will resign as part of a plea deal that will send Thomas to prison for 2-3 years. In addition, according to comments obtained by the Washington Post, Thomas failed to make his second scheduled $50,000 payment this week.

Thomas’ resignation would leave Ward 5 without a seat on the council (excepting At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange, who also lives in Ward 5) until a special election could be called. The District, according to law, must hold the election on the Tuesday after 114 days from the certified vacancy. Should Thomas’ vacancy be certified by Friday of this week, that election would take place on April 30th, but a May election date is more likely. Thomas faced three challengers in the 2010 primary, with none gathering more than 19%. No word yet on if any of his 2010 challengers would make a run for his seat.

Should Thomas resign, it would be nice to see the Council take efforts to, give the financial situation, amend the charter to add more flexibility to the special election options, including alignment to nearby primary and special elections, as well as provisions to allow for the Board of Elections to avoid days that could limit voters for religious reasons.

Map by MV Jantzen

We all have our own internal mental map of the Metro that takes into account weekend track work, single tracking, transfers between lines, transfers to buses, and I suspect they look an awful lot like MV Jantzen’s Distorted Metro Map. The cleverly-done HTML 5 app moves the iconic map around a polar scale, putting time distance between station at a premium instead of a clear map, moving stations into closer proximity if they’re closer by time than necessarily by distance.

There’s also a bad-ass Pac-man mode where you get to gobble up the stations like power pellets, which, frankly, is all I’ve ever wanted to do to the Red Line.

DSC_5742
courtesy of bhrome

On the coldest night of the winter so far, Mike Green returned to the ice at Verizon Center warm Caps fans’ heart, as the Caps defeated the Flames, 3-1. Though he was not his usual sterling self throughout the game, with a little over 15 minutes of playing time, Green was back in action in the Red on Tuesday night in front of a a packed house happy to see him.

The Capitals struck early, with a power play goal in just the second minute of the night off a beautiful one-timer by Ovechkin, fed by Marcus Johansson, on a well-executed 2-on-1 after some strong neutral zone play.  The neutral zone would be the focus of the first period, with the Caps transforming gradually into the Dale Hunter-lead team that fights hard in the neutral zone to maintain control of the game through the middle part of the ice. For the most part they’d succeed in pushing for possession battles outside of their own end.  Ovechkin said post game, “Everybody’s buying into everything and working very hard. That’s the most important thing. No one is taking it easy.”

The single mistake the Flames made in the first would cost them, and they’d make it again in the second, and put the red hot Caps onto the power play again. Within just seconds, Troy Brouwer would push the Caps further ahead on a beautiful rebound from a slot shot by Nicky Backstrom. Nicky would collect his third assist of the night (he’s just sorta so-so at this hockey thing) eight minutes later on a behind the net sweep to Dennis Wideman, on a gorgeous play where Marcus Johansson took out Scott Hannan to sweep the defense out of position. The Capitals’ Power Play is finally hitting on all cylinders, collecting a pair of goals tonight, and notching four goals in three games.

Tomas Vokoun would stack up 17 saves, some impressive, some fairly pedestrian, and got lucky at least once thanks to our good friend, the post. His defense did him a number of favors by pushing the Flames back into the neutral zone on numerous occasions to keep the pressure off.  ”He’s a veteran goalie, he knows how to prepare when there’s not shots early. He came up with some big saves for us,” said Hunter after the game, praising the goalie who had a rough early part to the year.

Nicklas Backstrom was unavailable for media comment as he was being examined by team physicians after an elbow to the head from René Bourque of the Flames. Coach Dale Hunter said in the post game press conference that he wasn’t sure if Backstrom was taken to the Quiet Room for examination during the game. Hunter said that Backstrom’s status would be updated tomorrow after the skate.

capitol christmas zoom III
courtesy of philliefan99

Well, it’s that time again, time to clear out the Christmas tree and pack up the ornaments and lights for another year.  Starting on the 3rd, and going until the 14th, DC DPW will accept your (bare) Christmas Tree for pickup.  Leave the tree in the treebox space in front of your home, having removed any ornaments and lights, and they’ll turn it into tasty mulch that you can pickup throughout the gardening season. Neat, yeah?

Just remember – no ornaments, and no lights.

No tree box? Leave it in the area between the sidewalk and the curb.

Nats Game Seats Below
courtesy of Mr. T in DC

2011 was not a banner year for sports in the District of Columbia, I’m afraid to say. While the Nationals worked hard to move up the NL East ladder, they still had a losing record. The Capitals once again flamed out in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wizards finished with a .280 winning percentage as the team struggled to gel. Once a bright star in DC’s sports constellation, D.C. United finished out of the post-season again. And of course there was the Redskins’ struggles this year, even as they parted ways with McNabb and Haynesworth.

It wasn’t all bad news, though, and we’ve gathered up some of the top moments in DC Sports for 2011 for you after the cut.

DSCN0882
courtesy of bhrome

Capitals beat Penguins in Winter Classic

The Winter Classic has become the second jewel in Hockey’s crown, with teams fighting to have their own berth in the outdoor event that moves from NHL city to NHL city on New Year’s Day. The Penguins were picked as host for 2011, and hosted the Capitals on New Year’s Day at Heinz Field. The series was heavily anticipated by fans from both cities, as well as the subject of a phenomenal HBO sports series, the Road to the Winter Classic, which drew critical acclaim.

Our Ben Rome was at the event, and has a full recap from the game, and a two-part feature on what it was like to be in Pittsburgh for the big day. Despite some lousy (read: warm) weather, and some occasional rain, the Caps triumphed on the day, with a pair of goals from Eric Fehr, and 32 saves from Semyon Varlamov. Both would depart the team after the end of the 2010-2011 season, Varlamov in a trade to Colorado, and Fehr leaving to free agency to the Winnipeg Jets.

The rest of 2011 would be a disappointment for the Caps, but on this shining day, there was much reason for optimism for Caps fans in DC, as it looked as they had mastered their rivals ahead of the playoffs.

walking away with a win
courtesy of philliefan99

Nationals Finish at 80-81

This was a season that went far better than expected for the Nationals, who ended 2010 with a 69-93, and without their number 1 draft pick who was recovering from Tommy John surgery. Many wrote the season off for the Nationals, expecting another 70-73 win season and a spot in the cellar of the NL East. With weak starting pitching, and many offensive question marks, it looked as if the Nationals were set for another season in trouble. In early June, the Nats found themselves 8 games under .500 and headed into a very unfriendly San Diego ballpark.  The Nationals started a 8-game winning streak, and added 4 more after a single loss to Baltimore at home, to move back to .500 near the midpoint in the season.

Then the unthinkable happened. Shortly after a dramatic 9th inning victory over Season to move above the .500 mark, manager Jim Riggleman quit the team, citing a conflict with the team’s general manager over his contract. In the 24 hours that would follow, Riggleman went on the Charlie Sheen Memorial Media Tour to tear as many new ones as he could. Bench Coach John McLaren would take the team for three days, ahead of Davey Johnson’s arrival on the 27th of June as the new field manager.

The team would struggle through July, but rally in the late months, especially after the return of Strasburg to the bump. They would finish at 80-81, having had a game against the Dodgers rained out that wasn’t necessary enough for the standings to merit a trip between the two teams. I like to think they’d have finished at .500.

Albert Haynesworth
courtesy of Keith Allison

Redskins Dump Haynesworth

This is one of those blurbs that you’d hope you’d never have to write, let alone be ecstatic about. Albert Haynesworth, he of the extensive contract, the poor fitness test results, and the sexual harassment lawsuit, was traded to the Patriots for a single 5th round draft pick in 2013’s draft. Haynesworth had long been a thorn in the side of the team, but carried too high a contract to make him valuable trade bait. Fortunately, the Patriots were willing to take a chance, but sadly it wouldn’t work out for them, as they’d just drop him in November.

DC said good riddance to bad rubbish this year, at long last.

Boxing 23
courtesy of ivan | sciupac

Title Belt for Peterson

How can you not love the hometown hero story? Lamont Peterson, once a homeless youth on the streets of DC, fought Amir Khan for the WBA and IBF Light Welterweight titles in early December, only to emerge the victor in a controversial split decision at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.  DC hadn’t hosted a championship fight in close to two decades, and picked up their first big sports championship in a decade. While the split decision has proved to be fairly contentious, with Amir Khan suggesting that he was robbed and demanding a rematch in early 2012, the victory for Peterson is a career moment, as he improves to 30-1-1. Look for a rematch in early 2012.

Photo by Paul Frederiksen for DCUnited.com

United Trades for De Rosario

You’d have to look pretty hard for a better move in DC sports this year than the pickup of Dwayne De Rosario by D.C. United in a trade that sent midfielder Dax McCarty to the Red Bulls. “De Ro”  put up 13 tallies and 7 assists for United in his time with the Red & Black this season, winning both the Golden Boot and MVP honors. McCarty put just 4 assists on his card this year, and though he improved, the straight up trade was nothing short of a triumph for United.  Any trade that has the opposing team’s GM saying the equivalent of “Of course we didn’t make a mistake!” means they made a terrible, terrible mistake.

We look forward to seeing De Ro back in 2012 and beyond in the Black and Red as Olsen’s Army keeps marching on.

Is there a worse assignment for a serious reporter than having to do live hits in a department store at 5am? Possibly, but only outside in the freezing cold, I suspect. Via Poynter’s Twitter account comes the video of News Channel 8’s Mike Conneen on Christmas Eve in the Tysons Macy’s, where he had some fun with the segment, doing some shopping for his studio anchors, including corduroy jeggings and a beautiful sequined bear hat. Watch the video and chuckle a little bit.

RFK Stadium – 05-07-11
courtesy of mosley.brian

Couldn’t get a seat to today’s matchup between Toledo and Air Force at RFK for this year’s Military Bowl presented by Northrup Grumman? That’s cool. ESPN 3 is broadcasting it live this afternoon over the Internet, so tune on in, those of you still stuck at the office.

Facepalm.
courtesy of stevelyon

If 2011 has left us with any political message at all, it’s that the term annus horribilis has to be recalibrated now and again, just to be relevant to a new generation. 2011 begin with the inauguration of Mayor Vincent Gray, and saw a nearly uninterrupted run of DC political scandals. The sheer quantity, if not quality, of these scandals runs fairly deep into the WTF scale (similar to the Beaufort scale, the WTF scale is measured in the amount of “This Blows” that local citizenry experience.) and have left many disillusioned and remembering the Fenty Administration fondly.

While this list is hardly comprehensive, the sheer volume of scandals this year make it impossible to pare it down to a single article, these are the five worst of the local political scandals to have rocked the DC area in 2011.

Number Five: “Put it in your panties.“

Jack Johnson, on the phone to his wife Leslie Johnson, as the FBI was pounding on their door, waiting to search their home.  Former Prince Georges County Executive Jack Johnson went on trial this year for corruption, related to payments made to him by developers in a pay for play scandal. He roped his wife Leslie into participating as well, and both will begin their prison sentences this year, him for 7 years, her for 12-18 months. The famous climax of the scandal was the $79,000 stuffed in her brassiere as she left, but the lasting gift was the audio from the FBI recordings as linked above, which has one of the best phrases of 2011: “Put it in your panties!”

This quote works in just about every situation.

Number Four: ANC5B’s descent into madness, $30,000 in missing money

When the chair of your Advisory Neighborhood Commission is alleged to have emptied the bank accounts (to pay his car note, natch.) with an shadily acquired ATM card, to the tune of $30,000, and then steps down, you’re in for some hard times. The problem is, that just started some of the chaos that followed. Numerous meetings were required with the remaining commissioners, and some got quite heated. Quorums that were required unmet for significant periods, delaying replaced officers, and requiring the city’s ANC liaison’s attendance at numerous meetings.

The city has settled with Shelton this week for repayment terms, according to the Post’s Mike DeBonis, include a $5,000 down payment, and $200/mo for the next 125 months. No interest has been assessed by the city in this settlement, granting Shelton a tax-free, interest-free loan in the matter. His case will likely also include federal prosecution, but the money settlement is a bit milquetoast.

Number Three: Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr has home raided

Imagine the scandal of William Shelton, but writ much much larger. Councilman Thomas is alleged by the city to have misappropriated a significant amount of money (around $300,000) that was earmarked for a youth sports program, instead spending the money at Hooters, golf trips, and a luxury SUV for himself. The City Paper dissected some of the Team Thomas financials, which track the money earmarked by the council supposedly for use by youth sports programs to other sources unrelated to youth sports.

In addition, Brookland Heartbeat suggests that Thomas’ troubles might be a whole lot deeper, as the raid may have been related to two other grants totaling $832,000 that have concerningly light paper trails and connection to Thomas’ involvement in another youth activity program and a gang-prevention program. Look for this one to get worse before it gets better. Like Shelton, Thomas has agreed to repay the money involved so far, over three years, and without penalty or interest. He remains under federal investigation.

While Thomas was stripped of his committee by the city council, the council has taken no other action. A few of his cohorts have called for his resignation, but none have stuck.

Number Two: Fully Loaded.

Hooboy. Just weeks into his term as the Council’s new Chairman, Kwame Brown found himself embroiled in an ugly scandal involving his official vehicle from the city, which his staff requested be “fully loaded” and have a “black on black” interior, to match the Navigator that new Mayor Vincent Gray has. The lease on the vehicle turned out to be as much as a DC mortgage payment at $2,000/mo.

Unfortunately, that message wasn’t correctly read by the city, though, and they got him a grey interior initially. This was unacceptable, and his office ordered a new one that was correctly configured, again, Fully Loaded. That meant that the city was on the hook for two Navigators for the council chair.  In the end, that one was returned ($5,000+ including early termination fees) and the correct one was returned after the hue and cry ($12,000+ including early termination) and lead Chairman Brown to show off some new old wheels: a black Jeep mail truck.

The ensuing investigation by councilman Tommy Wells from the Transportation Committee eventually cost Wells his committee, though, as he didn’t realize he was supposed to smooth everything over for the new council chair, instead of making things a whole lot worse. in a shuffle that neat placed several long knives in the back of Wells, Brown shuffled off Wells to the Libraries, Parks and Recreation committee

Number One: Sulaimon Brown

Hooboy.

I don’t think I can write too much here without getting into a bit of a froth, but suffice it to say it took many by surprise when fringe mayoral candidate Sulaimon Brown was hired by the Gray Administration to work in the Office of Health Care Finance to be an auditor, and earn approximately $110,000 per year in the city’s employ.  Brown lasted about two weeks.

TBD had a fairly comprehensive take-apart of what happened next written by Erik Wemple and Kevin Robillard, back when some top names still worked for the organization. Essentially, Brown lost his job for failing to get along with his new coworkers, and began to make some seriously outlandish accusations, including that the Mayor’s campaign had paid him approximately $44,000 for his continued attacks on Mayor Fenty, and also promised him a job in the Gray administration.

These were earthshaking accusations, put off only by how completely unhinged and crazy Brown appeared. He crashed Mayor Gray’s press conference, turning the whole thing into a circus, and then resisted multiple council and federal subpoenas for his testimony in the matter. He finally did testify before the City Council, and though he left the juiciest bits of his side of the story out – at the request of the FBI – he did it with an absolutely amazing style. Brown wore sunglasses the entire day, frequently made personal attacks on council members during his testimony, and generally made an ass of himself.

The biggest question out of this was – how much of what he said was true? Could he really be so crazy as to have said these things without backup? Worse – what if he had the proof he suggested he did, and the city hired him anyway?

This one may not have made the national news, like so many of the other scandals here this year, but boy did this one prompt the most embarrassing questions.