SYMHM: Koi Rescue at Meridian Hill Pond

From Michelle Lancaster. Follow her and tell her your news on Twitter @MichLancaster or email her at [email protected].

How on earth is it the end of November? It seems the weather is finally recognizing that December is nearly upon us, unfortunately. The rest of us have been jolted into submission by Black Friday, spending most of Monday waiting for a website to load to use a 50% coupon or the arrival of a (shudder) holiday Justin Bieber album. At any rate, here’s the news.

Last Day for Koi Rescue at Meridian Hill Park

The Washington Humane Society says today, November 30, is the final day for volunteers to come out and help rescue the Koi in the pond at Meridian Hill Park. According to a spokesperson for WHS, “This summer, a resident brought several koi fish to the “pond” at Meridian Hill Park in an attempt to beautify his neighborhood. However, the fish multiplied tremendously and now the pond is now scheduled to be drained for the winter season. There was no plan in place for these fish and the community was concerned. When our officers learned that these fish might not survive, they immediately contacted groups across the region to help ensure these fish could be safely removed from the pond and given a new home.

“Eventually, we connected with G and G Aquatics, a trusted organization that serves the mid-Atlantic region including the National Zoo and National Aquarium, who agreed to help to find homes for these fish. The rescue efforts began on November 17, and quickly proved to be a very large task with hundreds more fish than originally estimated, so we have been recruiting volunteers to assist with our efforts and placement as G and G is unable to take additional fish.”

Transience: A Good Thing for DC?

The Washington City Paper takes the positive spin on how transient DC is, citing an expert that finds changes in population may mean more diversity, less poverty and more happiness. While that may mean that few people are born and raised Caps fan (and therefore knew who Dale Hunter was prior to Monday) and Yankees games are promo-worthy at Nats Stadium, it’s a much more pleasant way to view the in and out nature of our population. It’s worth checking out the map and figuring out which states are ‘stuck’ and which are not. I bet there’s at least one that surprises you!

Non-Transient DC: Barry to Run Again

This time, who knows what “b*&^h” set Marion Barry up; for another run at DC Council, that is. The Washington Post got the tip off Tuesday after Barry filed papers to run again in Ward 8. Despite his checkered past, seven opponents and extremely long tenure in DC politics, observers think the seat is his for the taking. Barry has spoken of the importance of job training in his ward, and has recently announced his intent to provide ex-felons protection from employers who are ‘biased against’ employing them given their records. I have to confess, when I heard this news, I thought he was running for mayor again…

What Did the Obamas Buy at Kramerbooks?

If we were like ‘OK’, we’d file this under, “POTUS: Just Like Us!” Alas, we have slightly more self-respect and only cover the literary and fine dining adventures of the Obamas in the news section. At any rate, we told you the family visited Kramerbooks over the weekend. But what did they buy? Find out at Melville House. Am I geeking out that I own and love the first book on the list? A little. Please don’t judge me.