* The Washington Business Journal says in today's print edition: "The debate about whether Poplar Point should include a soccer stadium could take a back seat to whether Poplar Point should be developed at all. A coalition of environmental groups wants to stop a $2.5 billion, 40-acre mixed-use project by Clark Realty Capital LLC and transform the 110 acres along the Anacostia River into an urban public park -- "a Rock Creek Park for residents of Southeast," one of the coalition's leaders calls it. The coalition plans a June 24 announcement to kick off its campaign to derail the development." The Earth Conservations Corps is one of the groups. Meanwhile, this effort "comes on the heels of a Government Accountability Office report that raises questions about how quickly the site, owned by the federal government, can be transferred to D.C. and how much environmental cleanup will be required. The June 13 report estimates it could take three years before the transfer, which was established by a 2006 law."

From the Nats, word that the new bar(s) located in the wide-open area behind the scoreboard will be officially opening tonight: "The Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk Bar will open on Friday, June 20, prior to the Nationals 7:35pm Interleague contest against the Texas Rangers. The Grand Opening, beginning at 5:30pm, will feature live music, Miller Lite giveaways and the opportunity to win Nationals prizes. Located on the Nationals Park Club Level in Center Field, the 1,000-square-foot bar is open to all Nationals fans during home games. The area will feature local bands before each Friday home game from 6:00pm to 7:30pm." I hope this doesn't now mean that there will be a bunch of tipsy knitting hooligans running around....