SYMHM: “Black Cat Bill” Very Much Alive (Correction!), National Tree, Guardian Angels

From Mike Kohn. Got some news for Mike? Find him on Twitter @mike_kohn or drop him a line at [email protected].

Rest in Peace“Black Cat Bill” Very Much Alive

November 30 Update and Correction: “Black Cat Bill” is very much alive. The Washington City Paper‘s Ryan Little even paid a visit to William “Willy” Turner. Our original story is below. We regret that our information was incorrect — apologies all around, including to Mr. Turner. – The editors

We Love DC shared the sad news that Black Cat Bill had passed away a few days ago. They said it best, Bill, “the unofficial doorman for the Black Cat on 14th Street NW… was is an institution… for years and years, panhandling in front of the rock club, his signature call of ‘Black Cat, Black Cat, how bout a little change for the homeless,’ is familiar to anyone who ever caught a show at the Cat.”

Walking in Winter Wonderland

The first sign of the impending winter holidays (which looks a lot closer on this side of Thanksgiving) is here! The National Christmas Tree is up, according to the National Park Service. This year’s tree replaces a previous Colorado blue spruce that was replanted on the Ellipse after the previous tree was damaged by a wind storm in February of this year. The lighting of the tree will take place on December 1 from 5 to 6 pm, and the Pathway, featuring trees to represent US states and territories, will run from December 6 to 23, daily from 11 am to 11 pm.

Guardian (Shopping) Angels

This year, the Guardian Angels were out in force, protecting citizens during the craziness that is Black Friday, according to Washington City Paper. Not only did they hand out safety tips, but they also escorted patrons from stores to cars and public transportation and identifying criminals in action, sometimes making citizens’ arrests! We’ll all look forward to seeing the stats from this year’s holiday season. An early thank you to anyone who participated!