After my colleague Sam Delgado published her story earlier this month about the resurgence of community spaces around D.C., I’ve been thinking a lot about the rare places people can still gather without being expected to pay for something. It’s quite fitting, then, that we published two stories this week involving the DC Public Library.
The first came from writer Becky Little about all the resources you can access with your library card, including a sewing machine, folding chairs, a 3D printer, and a recording studio. (Thank you to our readers who shared how they make the most of their library membership!)
And in the wake of Dolly Parton’s passing Tuesday, I wrote a bittersweet story about how Councilmember Charles Allen helped bring the music icon’s childhood literacy program to the District. “There are a lot of kids growing up in D.C. right now — they may know some of her music, but what they really know is that she delivers a book once a month,” Allen said of the program, which has mailed nearly 4 million free books to more than 100,000 D.C. children.
Also, take note: It’s an exciting time for the library system, as two branches — Southeast and Petworth — are reopening this summer after major renovation projects.
Speaking of gathering places we love, Beverly F. Smith contributed a heartwarming reported essay about The Players Lounge, a Ward 8 restaurant and bar that’s served as a community hub for more than five decades. Pull up a stool, and you’ll be treated like family, writes Smith, whose grieving family support group gathers at the lounge for meals and camaraderie.
Meanwhile, Robert White isn’t quite our new congressional delegate yet (he still needs to win in November), but he’s already got a new political project to defend D.C. from Congressional interference. Starting Labor Day weekend, he and a coalition of local groups want to transport local residents to knock on doors in other states to help elect candidates who will defend the city’s autonomy.
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Here are some stories you may have missed this week:
President Donald Trump's lawyers argued in a new court filing that his administration's $250 million renovation project is necessary to avoid a full demolition of the arts center, which it called a "decrepit structure." [NOTUS]
A reporter interviewed three National Guard troops, who remained anonymous to speak candidly about their frustrations while being deployed in D.C. over the past year — and for potentially years to come. [NPR]
A California man was arrested near the Supreme Court after U.S. Capitol Police found a 10-foot-tall guillotine in the bed of his pickup truck, per court records. He was charged with attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and appeared in court on Wednesday. [City Cast]
Metro is eyeing a potential expansion of the Stadium-Armory station to accommodate tens of thousands of commuters during events at the new Commanders stadium at the former RFK Stadium site. [FOX 5]
Flavor Hive — the viral meal-in-a-chip-bag and rice bowl spot from Northern Virginia — opened its Georgetown location today. [PoPville]
Democratic winners of the D.C. primaries — who are all but guaranteed to take office in November — are finding creative ways to prepare for their future elected roles. [The Post]
The District's only cookbook store — Bold Fork Books — is closing its doors next month. [City Cast]
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