District Department of Transportation workers this morning removed dozens of shoes that had been flung up in two trees in the 400 block of Q Street NW. The work was done after residents complained on the Third Police District email listserve that they believe the shoes had been placed there over the years as a way to mark gang or drug territory. One resident posted to the listserve over the weekend: "When will the shoes......

Friday has arrived at last, Washington. Despite the federal holiday on Monday, it's been a rather long week for many of us - though of course, we couldn't hold a candle to the week that D.C. CFO Natwar Gandhi has had. The Post writes about yesterday's lengthy D.C. Council hearing into the tax office scandal, which lasted until 9 p.m. and where it was apparently revealed late in the evening that authorities are investigating the......

By this point, you're probably quite aware whether you're someone who would roll eyes at the concept of dancing gangs snapping their fingers on the street, or someone whose heart soars when subjected to the lush, romantic melodies of Leonard Bernstein. For those of us in the latter category, Wolf Trap has just what we need as summer comes to an end – a traditional take on the musical theater classic, West Side Story. Alan......

Yesterday's WUSA newscast brought an exclusive interview that'll be of interest to anyone living near Shaw: apparently the Fifth and O and Seventh and O crews have agreed to a truce. The linked video includes a group interview conducted by Bruce Johnson in which the gang members express bewilderment at the extent of their years-long feud, and hope for a lasting truce. We certainly wish them the best of luck. Several current and former DCist......

Among all the things that come across our neighborhood listservs on a daily basis, it's easy to become frustrated with living in the District. My local listserv, which covers the eastern end of Capitol Hill, has been brimming with complaints of roving gangs of teens, vicious unleashed dogs and drug dealers that move from block to block faster than the police can stop them. And that's just today. But just recently a plea came over......

Well, it's officially one week until the big day, but it seems that law-enforcement's biggest fan isn't feeling the holiday spirit. The continuing toasty weather may also make it hard to believe you've only got five more days to purchase all the tacky reindeer sweaters you can find. Call us crazy, we're still crossing our fingers for the tiniest amount of snow by next Monday. Councilman, Sue Thy Self: Earlier this year, we made the......

With over a dozen dancers, three programs and two well-know composers, the Washington Ballet offered a compelling night of dance this past weekend at the Kennedy Center. The troupe displayed their versatility, presenting performances of wildly different styles. Starting the performance was Jerome Robbins’ In the Night, a set of romantic pas de deuxs scored to a few Chopin nocturnes. Robbins is best known for his inventive choreography in the film version of West Side......

As this is Washington, prepare for a protest tomorrow: -- the Post reports that the largest protest regarding the Israel-Hezbollah conflict is to occur tomorrow. It's expected to draw tens of thousands of people to surround the White House. Police Investigate Shootings: Last night Southeast saw four distinct shootings. Three of the shootings occurred around 9 p.m. in the area of Minnesota Avenue and Naylor Road. NBC 4 relays that three adult males and a......

Ahhh, Thursday. First day of the weekend. And a good day to play hooky and watch Trinidad and Tobago (powered by Howard alum Shaka Hislop) take on England at noon. And the news for the day: Controversy Over Terrorism Funds Continues: Local officials feel they were cheated of valuable federal anti-terrorism funds. Federal officials claim that local requests of funds for anti-terror program were ineffective at best. Who should we believe? The Post is......

Good morning, Washington. To those of you who celebrate the holiday, we hope you're having a pleasant Passover, and that last night's second Seder was, uh, salubrious. Okay, we'll stop now. Students Vote For Laxer Pot Penalties: The Post reports on yesterday's U-Md. student election results, which included a large victory for a resolution in favor of making penalties for alcohol and marijuana violations equivalent. The ballot measure was intended to send a message to......

FRIDAY: >> There are few names in modern dance as big as Merce Cunningham. The veteran dancer and choreograhper brings his company to the Kennedy Center tonight and Sat. to perform a few of their paradigmatic pieces, including Fabrications, featuring music by Emanuel Dimas de Melo Pimenta, and Sounddance, with music by David Tudor. These shows are a sure thing. $21 to $50, both shows at 8 p.m. >> Serious ambient and electronic music fans......

Be watchful, Washington -- according to news published today by the Washington Times, girl gangs are on the rise throughout the District. A city official noted in the article that over the last three years gang activity among girls has risen, and that there are now some 270 girl gangs operating throughout the District. While male gangs are commonly involved in drugs and crime, girls gangs apparently clash over "anything from fashion styles to......

At her meat counter in Cleveland Park’s Brookeville Market, Pam the Butcher expertly hacks a quarter of a sheep into a far more appetizing leg of lamb. Pam Ginsberg's tough-sounding nickname might lead her first-time customers to think that she's either the mysterious subject of one of Mike Myers' beat poems or a long-lost descendant of a Gangs of New York turf warrior. But Ginsberg's regular customers know that she earned her nickname because she's,......

Written by DCist contributor Phil Long. While our attention remains focused on the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast, many organizations in the District and around the country have worked tirelessly to bring attention to the plight of the Darfur region of the Sudan, whose residents have been subjected to coordinated attacks by marauding gangs sponsored, some say, by the Sudanese government. These series of attacks -- which have razed entire villages......

How do you best diffuse negative publicity? Well, according to Rev. Willie F. Wilson of the District's Union Temple Baptist Church, you do so by identifying a problem so grave that it necessitates being labeled a "national emergency." And what emergency is that? Young, African-American lesbians. Wilson, a firebrand preacher, community activist, former mayoral candidate, and executive director of the Millions More Movement, first stepped into hot water when in a July 3 sermon he......

A friend of DCist, former Mount Pleasant resident Anthony O'Rourke, was in town visiting from New York last weekend and recounted witnessing a run-in between two "gangs" of teens on the Red Line. O'Rourke's observations aren't necessarily a story of racial adolescent struggle, it is something greater. You may be familiar with the 1979 classic "The Warriors," perhaps the best (or only) sort-of post-apocalyptic subway gang action drama based on Xenophon's Anabasis ever created. Well......

One of the most gruesome images one can come across is that of a hacked-off limb. To shield your sensitive eyes, we decided to post this photo of a fairly innocent-looking machete. This one isn't curved like normal ones are, but you get the point. To the friendly local satellite organizations for Central American-based gangs, the wielding of a machete carries with it more gravitas than ever before. The AP, via WTOP, reports that the......

It's Finally Official: Now that Mayor Anthony Williams has signed stadium financing legislation into law, it appears that this chapter in the District's baseball history has come to a close. The Post quotes Williams as saying that this was one of his "proudest days as mayor." Williams will get to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Nationals. President Bush will get the second. Olympian Swimmer Gets Probation for DUI: Olympic swimming hero Michael......

Maybe it was just the desolate path we walked to work, but it really feels like D.C. is a ghost town this week. Appreciate it while it lasts - inauguration festivities will be starting up in not too long, and they'll be as elaborate and crazy as it gets. For example:"The Ritz-Carlton plans to give its guests white chocolate cowboy boots, yellow roses and red, white and blue cocktails with a special 'handmade' Texas vodka."......

Could al Qaeda operatives be trying to tap the resources of Central American gangs in the Washington area? The W.Times says there is evidence indicating that is the case. Adnan G. El Shukrijumah, an al Qaeda operative wanted by U.S. authorities, was spotted in Honduras in July meeting with high-ranking members of the violent Mara Salvatrucha gang, which has ties to the Washington area. More than 3,000 Mara Salvatrucha gang members are thought to be......

It's been a busy day for crime and justice news. A quick roundup ... The Post notes that a charter bus was stolen from South Capitol Street, but was found later in Prince George's County. Also three Colorado teenagers have been arrested on drug, weapons and illegal possession of fireworks charges when they drove their recreational vehicle into a restricted traffic zone near the White House. When security officials stopped the vehicle at 17th and......