"Meet up with friends and neighbors for conversation and a beer. Let Councilmember Allen know what's on your mind." And, who knows, maybe beer is on your mind, in more ways than one.

You can RSVP here.

* GARBER GREET: DC council at-large candidate and neighborhood alumnus David Garber returns to #NavyYard today (Tuesday, Oct. 6) for a meet and greet at the Big Stick at 20 M St. SE starting at 6 pm.

* RIVER RIDE: As part of Mayor Bowser's FitDC health and wellness initiative, there will be an eight-mile bike ride through Anacostia Park on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 2 pm. If you haven't ventured across the way to use the eastern part of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, this might be a nice introduction to it. (Those of us already familiar with it are now just tapping our toes waiting for the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens segment to open, hopefully next year, though I now see "Fall 2016" as the date.)

* AGUA ATTENTION: It isn't technically neighborhood news that Zest Bistro on 8th Street SE has apparently closed its doors, but within the statement about the closure is the tidbit that the owners "look forward to the opportunity to focus solely on our most recent venture, Agua 301."

* POLL PESTERING: C'mon, you know you'd rather click a few radio buttons and checkboxes on the JDLand Reader Poll than work! Plus there's at least one tight race in one of the Favorite Lunch/Dinner/Bar categories, so every vote counts.

I've managed to summon the herculean strength necessary to pull myself out of the summer doldrums, but I'm left with only just enough energy to pass along these tidbits:

* SCARLET L(BR)UNCH: Lunch service at Scarlet Oak is expected to begin around Aug. 13, with a menu that will include more salads and sandwiches, according to City Paper. Brunch service is expected to begin later in August.

* 25 M AGAIN: Many many many moons ago, Akridge unveiled plans for 373,000 square feet of office space in two buildings at 25 M, the southwest corner of Half and M Streets, where the Fairgrounds currently resides. Now, nearly eight years and two property sales later, it's been announced that Akridge and new landowner Brandywine Realty Trust will be developing a 275,000 square feet of office space in one building on the site, which will also include 25,000 square feet of retail. It will be designed by HOK "to create a landmark presence at one of the most visible intersections" in the city, offering tenants "incredible visibility, branding, and communications opportunity." No timeline for this was mentioned. (And we're still waiting to hear what JBG will be doing with the south end of the Fairgrounds block.)

* FOR THE LADIES: There's now a nursing room at Nats Park.

Allen will be highlighting "both the good and the bad" of Mayor Bowser's proposed FY16 budget, as well as talking through his own budget priorities. But beyond that, this event is being billed as an opportunity for residents "to ask your budget questions and share your own priorities" before the council starts voting on its possible changes to the mayor's budget.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm.

So, in the interest of providing pertinent information to my readers, I zoomed the map in to show these locations in and around Near Southeast, of which there are many. The Navy Yard is one such spot, obviously (see how that "The" comes in handy?), but so is Canal Park, Virginia Avenue Park, the Marine Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, DC Water's land, various lots around the Yards including parts of the Yards Park, and the government warehouse at Half and L. Not to mention all of the shoreline east of 11th Street, plus Garfield Park, Randall Recreation Center, and a whole host of other public spaces nearby.

While the map shows you where possession will be illegal, it's not like the new law is allowing public consumption, federal land or not: "D.C. police will be instructed to continue ticketing for public smoking of marijuana, a ticket akin to drinking in public, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine."

In fact, it's probably best to read this other Post story, along with the FAQ and fact sheet released by the city--to find out exactly what is and isn't legal. But here's the basics:

As of Thursday, any individual 21 or over can:

* Possess two ounces or less of marijuana;

* Use marijuana on private property;

* Transfer one ounce or less of marijuana to another person, as long as: (1) no money, goods or services are exchanged; and (2) the recipient is 21 years of age or older;

* Cultivate within his or her primary residence up to six marijuana plants, no more than three of which are mature.

However, it will still be illegal to:

* Possess more than two ounces of marijuana;

* Smoke or otherwise consume marijuana on public space or anywhere to which the public is invited; including restaurants, bars, and coffee shops;

* Sell any amount of marijuana to another person; or

* Operate a vehicle or boat under the influence of marijuana.

UPDATE: The mayor's FAQ notes that it will remain illegal to smoke in public housing residences.

Fascett won with 62.2% of the vote, beating Josh Hart (14.4%) and TD Stanger (12.5%).

A total of 763 of the precinct's 2,911 registered voters cast ballots either today or in early voting, a 26.2% participation percentage. (Boooo....)

This was the only one of the seven ANC 6D races to be contested. Near Southeast's other commissioner, Stacy Cloyd, ran unopposed in 6D02, the district that spans South Capitol Street and includes the ballpark and blocks up to I Street SE.

In other races, Charles Allen is now officially Ward 6's council member, taking the precinct with 75% of the vote, and Joe Weedon has won the Ward 6 State Board of Education seat.

While Muriel Bowser has won the vote and will be the city's next mayor, David Catania was the neighborhood's choice by a slight margin, 366 to 336 votes or 48% to 44%.

Precinct 131 mirrored the rest of the city in the voting for the two at-large council seats, with Anita Bonds and Elissa Silverman the top vote-getters, at 20% and 13% of the vote respectively. (Though it looks like a whopping 368 of you didn't realize you could vote for two candidates in that race.)

UPDATE: Dang it, I forgot the pot vote! Neighborhood partiers voted for Initiative 71 68% to 27%. Duuuuude.....!

Here's the complete precinct vote totals.

And congratulations to Meredith!

The ANC commissioners running for 6D02 and 6D07 may be unfamilar to you, so I suggest again that you read the questionnaire they were all nice enough to fill out (even though one of them told me it was like filling out a college application).

Neighborhood residents will be voting not only for mayor and the aforementioned ANC Commissioners, but also for their Ward 6 council member, either Charles Allen or Libertarian candidate Pranav Badhwar. Voters will also choose the delegate to the US House of Representatives, two at-large council members, and the city's attorney general, which is an elected position for the first time. There's also the race for Ward 6 representative to the "state" board of education, and the "shadow" US House/Senate seats.

And if none of those races get you excited, there's also the vote for or against Initiative Measure No. 71, the "Legalization of Possession of Minimal Amounts of Marijuana for Personal Use Act of 2014."

Here's the Ward 6 sample ballot, if you don't believe me. (Scroll to page 5 for the "back side.")

The DC Board of Elections is happy to tell you that early voting is underway, up through Saturday, Nov. 1. The closest early voting center to Near Southeast is at the King Greenleaf Recreation Center, at 201 N St. SW, and it's open from 8:30 am to 7 pm daily. It's only had 504 voters so far as of this writing, the lowest of any of the early voting centers. Let's step it up, people!

If you're feeling old-school and you plan to vote on Election Day itself (that's Tuesday, Nov. 4, if you REALLY aren't paying attention), you can find your polling place here, though for most of the residents of Near Southeast you'll be voting at Van Ness Elementary School, 1150 5th St. SE. It will be open on Election Day from 7 am to 8 pm.

The Voter's Guide (with its upside-down DC flag now fixed) can help you as well.

Plus, when you vote you get one of these, which is really the best part of all.

UPDATE, 10/30: The Hill is Home interviewed mayoral candidates about Ward 6 issues. See who responded, and who didn't.

The reason he gives for the decision to quit early is that he is moving to Shaw/Logan Circle/U Street, a location that one might note is a handy confluence of two wards (with another close by) in which to continue trying to establish a base for a run for city-wide office, if one were interested in such things. Especially if one had already spent a few years in Ward 8 followed by a few in Ward 6.

But before David skedaddles, he plans to anoint a chosen successor for his ANC seat, which he will be doing on Monday, followed by an event at Willie's on Tuesday where he will "introduce people to the candidate I think will do a great job."

If you haven't checked out the questionnaires I submitted to the three people running to replace David as commissioner for 6D07, here they are.

It seems like the city has been in campaign mode for about 15 months, but we are now down to the final four weeks before the Nov. 4 general election. Which also means that it's the final four weeks before the elections for Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D.

Near Southeast is covered by two Single Member Districts--6D07 and the South Capitol-spanning 6D02--and so for the third time since I started blogging I sent out questionnaires to the candidates to try to better gauge their positions, their opinions, and their interests.

Meredith Fascett, Josh Hart, and TD Stanger are the three candidates running for the 6D07 seat being vacated by David Garber, while incumbent 6D02 commissioner Stacy Cloyd is running unopposed. All four were generous enough to reply to my multiude of questions.

While we know that I generally frown on political fisticuffs in the comments threads, feel free to mix it up in this one about your preferred (or unpreferred) candidate. Keep it civil and away from personal attacks, though.

If you are new to this whole ANC thing, here's a good explainer from, go figure, anc.dc.gov. (That's also where I pilfered the above clip art from. Couldn't resist.) The short version is that ANCs "ensure input from an advisory board that is made up of the residents of the neighborhoods that are directly affected by government action. The ANCs are the body of government with the closest official ties to the people in a neighborhood."

Also, note that the deadline to register or update one's information for the Nov 4 election is mere minutes away, on Oct 6. You can do it online at www.vote4dc.com.

Co-sponsored by ANC 6D, the Navy Yard Neighborhood Association, and the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, the event is billed as your chance to get answers on the pressing neighborhood issues of the day, such as: "Van Ness School and DCPS boundary realignment issues, how to get our long promised Community Center off the ground, how to improve Metrorail, the Circulator, timing of an M Street streetcar, parking solutions, cleaning up the Anacostia, how to attract more community serving retail, better coordination during major construction projects, pace of development and concentration of new apartment units, CSX, possible big box stores, the $1 billion South Capitol Street and Bridge reconstruction project ... "

The organizers also promise to get you home before the Nats game that night, though I fear that's a political promise that maybe should have been kept in the quiver until the full NLDS schedule is known. (The Redskins game that night doesn't start until 8:30, at least.)

And, speaking of elections, watch this space next week for the now-traditional JDLand ANC Candidate Questionnaires.