Thanks to Andy for sending: “Spring migration means some seasonal visitors coming back to (or passing through) DC’s wild spaces. The top photo is a scarlet tanager, the middle photo a black-and-white warbler, and the bottom photo an osprey. We’ve got ospreys year round, but this one was hanging out by Rock Creek keeping an eye on the spring shad run. All spotted in Rock Creek Park on May 4th.” (more…)
From Surfside (4200 Wisconsin Ave, NW at Van Ness):
“Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Surfside!
Serving up $5 margaritas with any taco order. Also offering Family Style Fajita Box and 32oz Margarita for $99 – a fiesta starter perfect for serving 5 to 7 people! (more…)
If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. If you love the animal fix and want to ensure PoPville’s long term viability please consider donating to our Patreon here.
“Remus – age 10 – and Nammoura – age 1 cuddled up the other day in our Brookland home.”
“Hazel the dog, rescued from Mutt Love Rescue back in 2017, enjoying self-isolation more than anyone else in our house.”
You’ve probably never read your building’s property management contract all the way through. Most board members haven’t either. If you did, you’d find a carefully defined scope of work — vendors coordinated, maintenance dispatched, assessments collected, reports generated.
What you wouldn’t find: anything about fiduciary duties. Reserve funding strategy. Compliance tracking. Case documentation. Institutional memory. The legal obligations that make your board personally accountable to unit owners.
That’s not an oversight in the contract. It’s the contract. Property management was never designed to cover governance. And yet most boards — paying $10,000 to $18,000 a year for the service — assume it does.
Operations and governance are different jobs. One has a contract. The other has a fiduciary duty.
Beyond the management fee, most property management companies mark up vendor invoices — the plumber, the landscaper, the elevator contractor — by 10 to 15 percent before passing the bill to the association. It’s legal. It’s common. And boards have almost no visibility into it. (more…)
1539 7th Street, NW
Thanks to a reader for passing on from The Passenger:
“Hey guys. Thank you all so much for coming out and supporting us over these last weeks. We regret to announce that we are suspending all business, effective immediately. We hope you and yours stay safe and can’t wait to see you again when we’re able to reopen.”
Melissa writes: “Sad news about The Passenger. I have REALLY loved their $3 growler fills with purchase of food. Now that they are closed, any leads on other cheap growler fills in the area?“
1124 9th Street, NW
From emails:
“Corduroy and Baby Wale are reopening this week with Dinner To Go, A Virtual Farmers Market,and Liquor Mart.
The menu for dinner to go will change frequently. This week we are offering 3 soups, Red Snapper Bisque, Chestnut Soup, Parsnip Soup and an Asparagus and Frisee Salad with an onsen egg. Main courses include Grilled Lamb Loin with a Rutabaga Gratin and Pork Cheeks Osso Bucco Style with Tarbais Beans.
The Virtual Farmers Market is a convenient way for people to get fresh local produce and support local farms without having to contend with crowds at farmers markets. Many of the farms that we buy from only sell to restaurants. They are not set up to sell to large grocery stores. Farmers had already planted many crops when the virus hit and their produce will probably be wasted if it does not go to a restaurant. This is not the cheapest produce available but it is super fresh and we are marking it up as little as possible. This week we have asparagus, strawberries, red and green leaf lettuce, garlic with green tops and smooth Kale. This list will grow and change with the season.
The Liquor Mart will offer beer, wine and liquor at great prices. (more…)
Once a year we open the warehouse just for you.
Inside: a designer-curated mix of expressive new pieces and vintage finds on sale up to 75% off from the Lisa & Leroy collection.
Amazing specimen. Thanks to Hannah for sending this fine find from 14th and S Street, NW.
Last Christmas Tree in Town is brought to you by the Friends of the White Whale Society!
Photo by Lisa Kaneff
Thanks to Lance for sending: “Page 21 of DC’s COVID bill requires buildings to refund amenity fees if closed during emergencies”. It says:
“(b) If, during a public health emergency that has been declared pursuant to section 5a of 478 the District of Columbia Public Emergency Act of 1980, effective October 17, 2002 (D.C. Law 479 14-194, D.C. Official Code § 7-2304.01) and consistent with applicable law or an Order issued 480 by the Mayor pursuant to section 5a of the District of Columbia Public Emergency Act of 1980, 481 effective October 17, 2002 (D.C. Law 14-194, D.C. Official Code § 7-2304.01), a housing 482 provider temporarily stops providing:483 “(1) An amenity that a tenant pays for in addition to the rent charged, then the 484 housing provider shall refund to the tenant pro rata any fee charged to the tenant for the amenity 485 during the public health emergency; or 486 “(2) A service or facility that is lawfully included in the rent charged, then the 487 housing provider shall not be required to reduce the rent charged pursuant to section 211 of the 488 Rental Housing Act of 1985 (D.C. Code sec. 42-3502.11).”.
“Capital View on 14th St NW has reopened its roof and pool. Saturday, May 2, 2020”
“Dear PoPville,
I’d be interested to know the status of rooftops for buildings around DC? I emailed mine after the Mayors order struck language around rooftops from some of the social distancing guidelines and the building had no plans to reopen, however I see some are open based on friends social media posts.”
Thanks to John for sending: “DC’s finest helping a mother in need! The ducks 7 babies had all fallen into a sewer. Animal Control on their way to rescue!”
And thanks to Ryan for the live action: (more…)
‘The Bestie’ courtesy Butter Me Up
From a press release:
“HalfSmoke (651 Florida Avenue, NW), known for its gourmet, house-made sausages and signature wood-grilled entrées, is pleased to debut Butter Me Up, a new virtual kitchen pop-up to help meet the demand for additional breakfast options in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Spearheaded by Michelle Andrade, general manager & chief operating officer for HalfSmoke, Butter Me Up’s mission is to curate innovative, yet familiar breakfast staples while uplifting the community on a path to wellness and self-care. Beginning Friday, May 8, Butter Me Up will offer a rotating selection of breakfast sandwiches, coffee, tea and two boozy cocktails available a la carte. (more…)