SYMHM: The Weekend Roundup

From Mike Kohn. Got some news for Mike? Drop him an email or find him on Twitter @mike_kohn.

More Mexico in our Midst?

Apparently the opening of El Centro DF wasn’t enough for our neighborhood. A tip from U Street Girl tells us that we’re soon to have a taco stand nearby at 9th and U Streets NW. Set to be called “El Rey,” expect a garden and a place large enough to hold about 150 people. Not a whole lot of news on the new place, but hey, having new restaurants seems like a good idea, sí?

Jury Deliberating for Dupont Trial

The jury will soon decide the fate of Jorida Davidson, who stands on trial after being accused of voluntary manslaughter as part of a hit-and-run. According to DCist, Davidson hit Kiela Ryan with her SUV in Dupont Circle and then fled the scene last October. Ryan had been celebrating her 25th birthday and was trying to get out of her own car when Davidson struck her. While prosecutors claim Davidson was just plain drunk, the defense holds that her post-traumatic stress disorder from growing up in war-torn Albania flared up just after hitting Ryan and caused her to run. We’ll see what the jury says about this one.

Father’s Day Surprise for the Mayor

No, not a good one. People sure do have strong feelings about Mayor Vincent Gray. The The Washington Post shows off some new numbers in the most recent poll about his popularity. Since soundly defeating incumbent Adrian Fenty, Gray’s favorability has decreased by 13%, though it still holds at 47%. And while previously maintaining only a 16% unfavorable rating, now 40% of the population has an unfavorable opinion. Interestingly enough, the number of people citing “no opinion” has dropped from 24% to 14%, meaning that more and more people have something to say (and in this case, something negative to say) about the District’s leader.

Metro Forward… to What?

Credit to WMATA, who really has been hard at work making communication more transparent lately (so even if we all see more delays and more escalator outages, at least we know about it). From DCist, the transit organization has built and launched a new website, MetroForward, designed to outline the six-year action plan that should truly enhance our commuting. Basically, they’re working to really tell you more about what’s going on and give details about how they’re working to make things better — so you won’t be too mad when every single line forces you to add 30 minutes to your commute time to get to your destination.

Safeway Safe Once Again

After a Safeway employee at the 1100 4th Street SW store referred to a gay couple with a derogatory term (you know the one), Jason Morgan and his partner Brendan Harrinton filed an official complaint with the D.C. Office of Human Rights on June 13. Not ones to sit on the issue, Safeway terminated the employee and issued an apology to the couple, which Morgan and Harrinton accepted. Safeway will be investigating the incident as well as looking into the ”unsatisfactory” response customers received when bringing the matter to Safeway’s attention. The company is also intending to purchase a full-page apology printed in the Metro Weekly, so be on the lookout for that.