Yesterday the Associated Press sent out a story (published all over the country) about the Nationals leaving RFK: "Still, not too many tears are being shed at the thought of departing for a brand new ballpark next season." It's a nice farewell to a stadium that was a nice temporary home to the Nationals, but lays out a pretty good case as to why they're not staying there. And speaking of the new ballpark, if you look at the Stadium Web Cam's centerfield view and zoom in on the scoreboard at the left of the image, you'll see the big red neon N - A - T - I - O - N - A - L - S letters that have now been installed across the top.

(Sorry for the earlier problems with this entry; I've been snakebitten these past two days, buit I should be back now.) From today's Post: "The District has formally abandoned its plan to move police headquarters to an industrial building in Southeast Washington that it began leasing in July but plans to use the building for other government offices, officials said yesterday. The statements, made at a D.C. Council committee hearing, were the latest twist in the on-again, off-again project to move the headquarters from the main municipal building downtown to a vacant warehouse at 225 Virginia Ave. SE." I haven't had a chance to watch any replays of this council hearing, but I hope to catch one if available and get more detail as to what was said. One item from the article that might need clarification: it says that "the police headquarters move has been discarded because it would cost more than $100,000 to renovate the building" -- that is indeed the case, but a number closer to $100 million was what had been being bandied about for the cost to renovate the building. One more quote: "Carrie Brooks, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said that Etzkorn asked the landlord to stop the design work for the police headquarters but that the building might be used as offices for other government agencies." If you want background on this on-again off-again move, read the Past News tab on my 225 Virginia page.