DCentric

Smithsonian

Squee! Lion Cub news, after the jump!

Good morning, DCentric readers! Here are your extra-fun Friday links:

Debating the District’s Deficit: Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans “Ultimately, it comes down to spending, and it comes down to being more efficient with the money the District has. “I challenge Tommy and the rest of my colleagues to spend less time pontificating on why we should tax rich people and spend all their time on analyzing the programs that are currently in place — how long have they been there and what are they producing for the city other than rhetoric…It’s a cynical view, and I don’t mean to say that that’s everything, because there are programs that are taking care of people and there are many people in need and they do need assistance from the government,” he says.” (DCist)

DC-3, ChiDogO’s Bring Hot Dogs to D.C. “There’s not much history with hot dogs here. So far, Ben’s Chili Bowl and the Vienna Inn are the only notable brick-and-mortar restaurants in the area able to turn a sustainable long-term profit on a hot dog–heavy menu. And both of those establishments leverage their history and neighborhood tradition more than the quality of their food…It may just be the nitrates talking, but some of the chefs behind the hot dog boom say the District might yet turn into a sausage town, no matter how dim the history is. “This city wasn’t a hamburger town years ago, and Five Guys changed that,” Bruner-Yang says. “Two years ago it wasn’t a food truck town, either.” (Washington City Paper)

Fear, hope and a failed Dunbar High “The design process began only a couple years after the 1968 riots decimated inner-city neighborhoods, including the Seventh Street commercial district just a few blocks west of Dunbar. And the buildings subsequently designed for those neighborhoods, in essence, had to be riot-proof – made of sturdy concrete or metal or other materials that would be difficult to vandalize. Glass, and hence sunlight, was essentially prohibited. “I remember having to fight for the windows we did have,” deJongh said, adding that those that did make it into the final design were covered with heavy wire mesh.” (The Washington Post)

Update on the Zoo’s Lion Cubs: Cubs Spend More Time With Luke “Over the weekend Naba and Shera looked as though they were passing off the parenting duties to Luke…One of the cubs tried to nurse from Luke, another spread out across his rear feet, and later Luke even tolerated another cub’s persistent tail attacks. One of the sweetest moments occurred yesterday. While walking past a small pile of sleeping cubs, Luke bent down and gave Aslan a little lick across the head! He still swats and snarls at their attempts to play with his tail and mane, but sometimes it appears as though he’s playing with them.” (Smithsonian National Zoo)

Always innovative Toronto Public Library lets us check out humans as well as books “”People appreciate my personality. I’m very straight to the point,” Hibbs tells me and it’s at this point I realize his name tag features a barcode that looks like a book’s ISBN code. He’s one of the volunteer “books” in the Toronto Public Library’s Human Library project. I used my library card to check him out of the Bloor/Gladstone branch. I have to “return” Hibbs in a half-hour so another library user can check him out…the idea of a Human Library first emerged in Copenhagen about a decade ago, as a way to break down prejudice by bringing people of different backgrounds together for one-on-one conversation.” (yongestreetmedia.ca)

Autopsy Report in Ali Ahmed Mohammed’s Death Outside DC9 Ready for Release “The cause and manner of Mohammed’s death will be announced to the public either today or Monday, the OCME’s office says, as Mohammed’s family must be notified first. The determination of Mohammed’s cause and manner of death may bring some closure to an incident steeped in controversy. Supporters of the men once accused of killing Mohammed have said they aren’t capable of beating a man to death, as police originally asserted. But Mohammed’s network of family and supporters strongly believe otherwise, and have protested the decision to drop charges.” (Washington City Paper)