I always forget this but not anymore!! Check out the goods here.
Photo by PoPville flickr user Katie Yaeger Rotramel
Thanks to a reader for passing on, wishing a very speedy recovery to President Garvey:
“Dear Members of the University Community,
I want to thank everyone for your continued messages of prayer and concern as I awaited the results of my COVID-19 test. Today I received word that my test result is positive. Jeanne will be tested today.
According to CDC protocol, I am to continue my quarantine that began on March 13. I am in close contact with our family doctor and the D.C. Department of Health, who are advising me on next steps. I no longer have any symptoms, but I could still be carrying the virus. They will advise me on when I may end my self-isolation in accord with the latest CDC guidelines.
I have notified people with whom I was in contact recently, and will do so again. The general guidelines are that if you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, then you are to self-quarantine for 14 days since your last contact. (more…)
Thanks to Sarah and Dennis for sending. Dennis reports: “Union Market’s rules: they divided the stores between grocery and takeout.”
Sarah reports: “Union market requiring everyone to order through an app and then have things brought to them. it looks like most will take caviar, door dash, postmates, grub hub, and Uber eats. Peregrine espresso uses an app called Joe Coffee.”
The reality
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.
What your building is paying — and what it’s getting.
What the contract covers. What it doesn’t.
The markup problem most boards don’t know about.
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…)
Based on all the joggers I've seen and based on all the booze photos I've seen – half of us are gonna come out of this in the best shape of our lives while the other half will have lived their best life.
After careful consideration I've committed to the latter.
— PoPville (@PoPville) March 17, 2020
Thanks to Natalie for sending: “In the vein of creative entrepreneurial responses to COVID19 disruptions to local businesses”
From Cycled:
“We are excited to announce the CYCLED! Home Bike Rental Program! We have heard the community loud and clear, and we are thrilled to offer a weekly rental program to help you continue to enjoy the classes you know and love ♥︎ We have 45 bikes available for weekly rentals at the rate of $39 per 7 days. Checkout the details below, including the specifications of the bike, to determine if this is a good fit for you. (more…)
Ed. Note: NBC Washington reported: “2nd DC Firefighter Positive for Coronavirus, As Many as 100 Quarantined: Sources”.
Regarding the police – “Metropolitan Police Department Operational Adjustments During COVID-19”.
“Dear PoPville,
My cousin is a dc firefighter (I know we’re not supposed to start stories with that rn but it’s true!). Last few days have been hearing horror stories about all the non-emergency calls they’re still getting. Thankfully at the end of last week DCFEMS received protective gear + new protocols.
But… been spinning my wheels for how to help get out the message that we need to protect our first responders by not sending them into homes with potential CoVid19. We need to do this by not allowing non-emergency calls (ones with mild symptoms and not life threatening) to be answered by DCFEMS, possibly exposing entire firehouses and extra families to this virus. Can the city/mayor find a way to direct people’s 911 calls with flu-like symptoms elsewhere? Believe Uber is offering vouchers + there’s a nurse line to call for advice. How can we administer some sort of penalty for arriving at the home of someone who is not in fact experiencing life-threatening symptoms? (more…)
Join us for an enjoyable evening tasting a wide variety of wines, spirits, craft brews, and other beverages from the Land of the Hellenes… all to benefit the trees! We have brought together an impressive collection of brands that are committed to sustainability, and a splendid time is guaranteed for all.
ForestPlanet is a 501(c)3 organization that supports large scale, low cost-per-tree reforestation efforts all over the world. We help plant trees where they bring the most benefit to the region’s soil, habitat, the global environment, and local communities.
Silver lining is those God forsaken reversible lanes during rush hour have been suspended
From a press release:
“The District of Columbia Government has modified its operations in order to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the District Department of Public Works (DPW) have modified several operations, systems and services.
District Department of Transportation (DDOT)
- All rush hour parking restrictions will be suspended effective Thursday, March 19 at 6:00 a.m.
- Rush hour reversible lanes operations on Connecticut Avenue and 16th Street NW will be suspended effective Thursday, March 19 at 6:00 a.m. Reversible lanes operations on Independence Avenue and Canal Road will continue to operate as normal during the morning and evening rush hours. DDOT will use dynamic message boards to communicate these changes to the traveling public.
- Effective immediately, the DC Circulator is suspending fares on all routes during the declared public health emergency. Additionally, effective Thursday, March 19, the DC Circulator will suspend service on the National Mall Route. Suspension of fares allows passengers to board the bus from all doors in support of social distancing practices recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Passengers who require wheelchair access may still use the front door to board.
5th and P Street, NW
VJ first reported at 9pm: “just heard about 10 rounds of gun fire in Shaw?”
Many others confirmed hearing the shots and Will captured the scene above noting a man was placed into custody. Since I didn’t see any official MPD reports apparently, fortunately, nobody was hit by the gunfire.
Earlier around 8:10pm MPD reported: “Alert: MPD is on the scene of a confirmed Shooting in the 3900 Block of Clay Pl NE. No Lookout Information.”
In Petworth just near Sherman Circle, MPD reports:
“On March 19, 2020, at approximately 1:25am in the 4700 block of 5th St NW, a male shot and grazed another male in the face during a dispute. The victim was transported to a local hospital and listed in stable condition. The suspect was placed under arrest for ADW Gun. The firearm was recovered, and there is no threat to the community.
This case is a great example of expedient police service and superb police work on the part of Fourth District members.”
Thanks to Samantha Summers for sending the shot above and cherylbee for the shot below:
Friends of the White Whale Society is brought to you by the team behind Last Christmas Tree in Town.
Photo by PoPville flickr user Ted Eytan
You can talk about whatever is on your mind – quality of life issues, a beautiful tree you spotted, scuttlebutt, or any random questions/thoughts you may have. But please no personal attacks and no need to correct people’s grammar. This is a place to vent and/or celebrate things about daily life in D.C.
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Photo by PoPville flickr user Jim Havard
Ed. Note: They no longer breakdown the new positive cases by age and gender.
From the Mayor’s Office:
“As of 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, the District’s coronavirus (COVID-19) data includes eight new positive cases, bringing the District’s overall positive case total to 39 individuals.
With ongoing community transmission, contact tracing is focused on positive cases associated with childcare facilities, schools and universities, healthcare facilities, senior care facilities, correctional and detention centers, and facilities serving individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Guidance will be published for healthcare providers, employers and the public to provide information on what to do if you have been diagnosed with or are a contact of someone who has COVID-19.
District residents are encouraged to continue practicing social distancing and take the following actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19: (more…)