Dear PoPville

Photo by PoPville flickr user Julian Ortiz

“Dear PoPville,

Like you and most other sane human beings, I am a lover of dessert, especially ice cream. There have been many evenings when my wife and I, after having just completed a delicious dinner, get a craving for ice cream. Not frozen yogurt, not sorbet, but dairy cream and sugar ice cream. I’m a big fan of Dairy Queen soft serve and growing up in Texas, a cone of DQ soft serve was always easily at hand. However, one night a few years back after completing said meal, my then girlfriend and I (now my wife) got a craving for ice cream. We asked the Google to find us some ice cream, and low and behold, the closest Dairy Queen is 7.5 miles away in the Montgomery Mall in MARYLAND! (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user Peter Bjork

“Dear PoPville,

Yesterday, I was getting out of my car, and my phone was in my lap. When I got out, it fell out and right down a storm drain.

I spoke to DC Water, but they said they can’t do anything. So, what’s the story? Just give it up? Anyone know a teenage mutant ninja turtle?”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Pablo Raw

“Dear PoPville,

Do you have a recommendations for a reasonably priced newborn photographer (someone that charges $500 or less)? So far the quotes that I’ve received start at $750. Appreciate any leads you may have. Thanks!”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Jim Havard

“Dear PoPville,

Yesterday (5/15) a group of friends were alerted to the fact that one of our close friends we had not heard from this past weekend (unusual, we all keep a close circle of contact). While reaching out to others and his job, we became increasingly concerned. Once realizing that he was not at his home, and none of us were aware of travel plans, we alerted police. The police did some research and broke the news to us that he had been discharged from GW Hospital Friday evening, and transported to the morgue.

They could not give us any more information since none of us are family. Our friend who passed away is estranged from his family and has not spoken to them in years. We called the morgue and gave our contact information to provide to his family to get more information. His father eventually did call and inform us that he was told that our friend had a “medical event” on the sidewalk and got help inside a hotel lobby [Update: It was the Embassy Suites at 900 10th St NW if anyone was there or near (it began on the sidewalk we believe).] where he was transported to the hospital. He passed away shortly after 11am on Friday 5/12/17. (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user Victoria Pickering

“Dear PoPville,

My house has slate roof on the front of my house. My roof started to leak, and a roofer came out to look at it. He says some shingles have fallen off, and the shingles are brittle and failing, and the entire roof should be replaced.. He took pictures and it’s true, some of the shingles are falling off and cracking. The roof is more than 80 years old.

I received an estimate for replacement with regular, architectural shingles for about $4,000, or replace with slate at $6,000.

Does anyone have experience with this? Is it worth replacing with slate, or should I go with regular shingles?”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Lorie Shaull

“Dear PoPville,

So I have a question. I own a corner lot that currently has an old chain link fence with various tree sized shrubs grown into it along the side of the property and I was hoping to replace it with a wooden fence around 6ft tall. I have looked at my zoning and it appears that the existing fence exists 30″ beyond my official lot boundary. That is fine, I have no problem building the new fence 2 1/2ft in from the existing one, but there is also a setback line that runs along the edge of the house itself. Does this mean that I need more than a simple postcard permit in order to build this fence?”

“Dear PoPville,

I recently moved to a new condo in DC and the scooter in the picture has been sitting there for weeks. No one in my building owns it, it has no license plate and I havent seen anyone even approach it since I moved in. I called DC 311 and they told me that because its not in the street they cannot ticket or tow it. I have to believe thats not the case as its just sitting on a lawn. Any suggestions who I can reach out to get this removed?“