East of the River Magazine December 2015 by Capital Community News

DECEMBER 2015

YVETTE ALEXANDER ON JUNE 14, 2016

RE-ELECT

To Join Her Effort to Move Ward 7 Forward

Call 202.550.0029

Paid for by The Committee to Re-Elect Yvette Alexander 2016 4508 B Street, SE, Unit 8, Washington, DC 20019 Derek Ford Treasurer A copy of our report is filed with the Director of Campaign Finance.

East of the River Magazine December 2015

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

DCRA FREE SEMINARS

FOR EXISTING AND ASPIRING DISTRICT BUSINESSES Senior Entrepreneurship Program

Money Smart for Small Business - Organizational Types & Tax Planning and Reporting

How to Open a Small Business by Navigating through DCRA’s Regulatory Process

Date: Thursday, December 3, 2016 Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (Room E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024

Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (Room E-200) Washington, D.C. 20024

To Register: http://dcbiz.ecenterdirect.com/ ConferenceDetail.action?ID=41244

To Register: http://dcbiz.ecenterdirect.com/ ConferenceDetail.action?ID=41233

A Comprehensive Guide for Small Business Planning

Navigating Government Contracting with DCPTAC

Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 Time: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (Room E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024

Date: Thursday, December 17, 2015 Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (Room E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024

Money Smart for Small SmartStart Program Business - Recordkeeping Integrated Licensing and & Time Management Money Smart for Small Date: Thursday, December 17, 2015 Business Program

To Register: http://dcbiz.ecenterdirect.com/ ConferenceDetail.action?ID=41177

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Date: Thursday, December 3, 2015 Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Location: Model Cities 1901 Evarts Street NE Washington, D.C. 20018 To Register: http://dcbiz.ecenterdirect.com/ ConferenceDetail.action?ID=41354

Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (Room E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://dcbiz.ecenterdirect.com/ ConferenceDetail.action?ID=41245

The Regulatory Process of Starting a Business Date: Monday, December 14, 2015 Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Location: Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library 5401 South Dakota Ave NE Washington, D.C. 20011 To Register: http://dcbiz.ecenterdirect.com/ ConferenceDetail.action?ID=41341

Date: Monday, December 21, 2015 Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (Room E-268) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://dcbiz.ecenterdirect.com/ ConferenceDetail.action?ID=41076

For further information : Jacqueline Noisette (202) 442-8170 jacqueline.noisette@dc.gov Claudia Herrera (202) 442-8055 claudia.herrera@dc.gov Joy Douglas (202) 442-8690 joy.douglas@dc.gov East of the River Magazine December 2015

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EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

The City’s Champion for Homeowners and Renters Making Urban Living Affordable in the District

visit www.dchfa.org

It has been a banner year at the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency. • Fiscal year 2015, the Agency financed the development or redevelopment of 1,325 affordable housing units in Wards 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

• DC Open Doors program exceeded the $100 million mark, funding home purchase and down payment assistance loans for D.C. home buyers

• The Agency was honored with five local and national housing industry awards.

The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency was established in 1979 to stimulate and expand homeownership and rental housing opportunities in Washington, D.C. We look forward to an another exceptional year of service in 2016!

815 FLORIDA AVENUE, NW • WASHINGTON, D.C. 20001 • 202.777.1600 • DCHFA.ORG

East of the River Magazine December 2015

EOR Holiday

Holiday Calendar

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

In Every Issue East of the River Calendar

The Classified

The Bulletin Board

E on DC

The Numbers

Jonetta’s Take

The Nose

Dual Language Drought

Is DC Taking Care of Returning Citizens?

Our River: The Anacostia

by E. Ethelbert Miller

by Claire Zippel

by Jonetta Rose Barras

by Anonymous

by Jonetta Rose Barras

by Stephen Lilienthal

by Bill Matuszeski

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

Home for the Holidays

St. Luke Catholic Church

Jazz Avenues

Busy as a Bee

by Barbara Wells

by Virginia Avniel Spatz

by Steve Monroe

by Meghan Markey

Homes & Garden

T’is the Season to Install Solar Energy East of the River! by Catherine Plume

Changing Hands compiled by Don Denton

ON THE COVER:

KIDS & FAMILY

Black Nativity at Anacostia Playhouse. Jakiya Ayanna. Photo: Courtesy of C. Stanley Photography. Story on page 12.

48 Da ily on l in e . Mon th ly in prin t.

Kids & Family Notebook by Kathleen Donner

E as tof th e R iv e r D C News.c om

ATTENTION: Trusted Health Plan Members Medicaid and Alliance Benefit Provider

We’re in Your Neighborhood! The Health and Wellness Outreach Center is Open!

SPECIAL UPDATE:

Trusted Health Plan celebrates its 2 year anniversary serving Medicaid & Alliance members in the District of Columbia.

8:30 to 5:00 pm Monday - Friday 10:00 to 2:00 pm Saturday We Offer: • Diabetes Education • Case Management • Glucose, Weight and Blood Pressure Screening • Exercise Classes, Including Yoga and Dance • Computer Library • EPSDT Outreach Coordinators • Member Services • Cooking Demonstrations and Nutrition Education

Free to all Members!

STOP BY OR GIVE US A CALL TODAY!

(202) 821-1090 3732 M innesota a venue ne W ashington , DC 20019 TO ENROLL, CALL (202) 639-4030 WWW.TRUSTEDHP.COM East of the River Magazine December 2015

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East of the River Magazine December 2015

Cut-Your-Own Christmas Tree Farms in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Visit pickyourownchristmastree.org for farms and directions. Then follow prompts.

Photo: Courtesy of the U.S. Navy Band

US Capitol Christmas Tree. The tree is lit every evening from nightfall until 11 PM through January 1. Visit anytime. capitolchristmastree.com. “A Christmas Carol” at The Little Theatre of Alexandria. Through Dec. 19. The family-favorite classic by Charles Dickens, equipped with special effects, Victorian carols and Tiny Tim returns to the Little Theatre of Alexandria. $15. The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria, VA. 703-683-0496. thelittletheatre.com. Georgetown GLOW. Through Dec. 20. The Georgetown BID’s holiday celebration featuring public light-art installations, holiday windows, live music, merchant promotions and more. In its second year, Georgetown GLOW

Black Nativity at Anacostia Playhouse Through Jan. 3. Langston Hughes chronicles and celebrates the birth of Jesus, while also celebrating the birth of Blackness. This classic story told through gospel, blues, funk, jazz, and dance asks you to look inward and find the wonder in life. $10-$35. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. 202-290-2328. theateralliance.com.

Navy Band Holiday Concerts Dec. 19, 7:30 PM and Dec. 20, 3 PM. This concert combines the musical forces of multiple ensembles from the US Navy Band for an entertaining family-friendly show. Santa appears. Free. Concerts are always “sold out” but there are standby seats and always some empty seats. DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW. navyband.navy.mil. will expand from a weekend celebration to 10 days of cheer and wonder. Attendance to GLOW is free. georgetowndc.com.

Jakiya Ayanna. Photo: Courtesy of C. Stanley Photography

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Step Afrika! Magical Musical Holiday Step Show 2015 at the Atlas. Through Dec. 22. DC’s internationally-known percussive dance company invites you to celebrate the holidays with clapping, stomping and all around fun for all ages featuring their furry friends from the Animal Kingdom, and a special dance party with DJ Frosty the Snowman. $15-$39.50. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-3997993. atlasarts.org.

Alexandria’s Holiday Market. Through Dec. 24. While shopping for unique art and craft items for loved ones, at this unique holiday market, visitors can enjoy live entertainment, traditional European food and sweets, wine and beer. 300 John Carlyle St., Alexandria, VA. alexandriaholidaymarket.com. The Nutcracker at the Warner. Through Dec. 27. Set in Georgetown and replete with swirling snowflakes, cherry blossoms and historical characters, including George Washington as the heroic nutcracker, The Washington Ballet’s The Nutcracker has become a tradition for generations of

East of the River Magazine December 2015

zaa. Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE. 202-2691600. danceplace.org. Del Ray Artisans Holiday Market. Dec. 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20. Market features handcrafted work from local artists; handmade ornaments to benefit Del Ray Artisans; plus a Bake Sale to benefit Alexandria Tutoring Consortium. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. TheDelRayArtisans.org. Dumbarton Concerts: A Celtic Christmas. Dec. 12, 4 PM and 8 PM; Dec. 13, 4 PM. A holiday tradition for over 25 years, the Barnes and Hampton Celtic Consort performs traditional Celtic music alongside Christmas carols by candlelight. $17-$35. Dumbarton United Methodist Church, 3133 Dumbarton St. NW. dumbartonconcerts.org.

Stars of David: Story to Song Holiday Special at Theater J Dec. 22 to 27. A funny and captivating musical revue celebrating the lives of your favorite Jewish public figures. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. 800494-8497. washingtondcjcc.org. Aaron Serotsky from the Original New York Company. Photo: Carol Rosegg

An Irish Carol at Keegan Theatre. Dec. 12 to 31. The story, a homage to Dickens’ classic, is told as only the Irish can. An Irish Carol follows one evening in the life of David, a wealthy pub owner who has distanced himself from others and lost touch with his own humanity in the interest of self-protection and material success. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 202-2653767. keegantheatre.com. National Gallery of Art Holiday Concerts. Dec. 13, 3:30 PM. Trio Sefardi celebrates Hanukkah. Dec. 20, 3:30 PM. Eric Mintel Quartet performs

music in recognition of the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Jan. 3, 3:30 PM. The New York Opera Society rings in the New Year with singers and a pair of ballroom dancers in a Viennese-style New Year concert. Concerts in the West Building, West Garden Court. nga.gov. Andrea Bocelli in Concert Holiday Tour. Dec. 13, 7:30 PM. Verizon Center. Tickets at andreabocelli.com. Thomas Circle Singers “Sing We All Nowell”. Dec. 13, 4 PM. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 4900 Connecticut Ave. NW. thomascirclesingers.org. Choir of the Church of the Epiphany Christmas Concert. Dec. 15, 12:10 to 1 PM. Seasonal musical fare from the church’s premier musical ensemble. While admission is free; a $10 donation is suggested. 1317 G ST. NW. 202-3472635. epiphanydc.org. Smithsonian Encore Chorale Free Holiday Concert. Dec. 17, 7:30 PM. The program will feature holiday and seasonal pieces including Rise Up and Follow that Star, Ose Shalom, and A Musicological Journey Through the 12 Days of Christmas. Guest artist for the concert will be clarinetist Edna Huang. In addition, the audience will be invited to join the chorale in a sing-along of holiday favorites. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G ST. NW. 202-347-2635. encorecreativity.org. Duke Ellington Show Choir presents: A Hol-

family and friends to celebrate the holidays. Warner Theater, 513 13th St. NW. 202-783-4000. warnertheatredc.com. Lights on the Bay at Sandy Point State Park. Through Jan. 1, 5 to 10 PM. $14 per car. Enjoy from your car. Sandy Point State Park, 1100 East College Pkwy., Annapolis, MD. visitannapolis.org. Festival of Lights at Mormon Temple. Through Jan. 1. Lights are on from 5 to 11 PM. 9900 Stoneybrook Dr., Kensington, MD. 301-587-0144. dctemplelights.lds.org. Christmas on the Potomac at National Harbor. Through Jan. 3. More than two million twinkling lights, amazing nightly snowfall and dancing fountains. Back this year is ICE! with a new theme featuring Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. Enjoy a live ice carving zone, a Gingerbread Decorating Corner, and the Elf on the Shelf Scavenger Hunt and much more. 201 Waterfront St., National Harbor, MD. 301-965-4000. Christmas at Mount Vernon. Through Jan. 6, 9 AM to 4 PM. Holiday visitors will enjoy themed decorations, chocolate-making demonstrations, and 18th century dancing. Mount Vernon by Candlelight is on Dec. 20, 5 to 8 PM. George Washington’s Estate & Gardens, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway. $17/adult, $8/child, 5 and under free. 703-780-2000. mountvernon.org. Gay Men’s Chorus “Rewrapped” at the Lincoln. Dec. 12 and 13. Not your grandmother’s carols! Your favorite holiday songs as you’ve never heard them before. Tickets are at GMCW.org. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. 202-328-6000. thelincolntheatre.org. The Joy of Christmas at National Cathedral. Dec. 12 and 13, 4 PM. A Washington tradition with carillon, Advent wreath procession, the great organ, and traditional carols led by the Cathedral Choral Society. $25-$75. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-6200. nationalcathedral.org. Celebrate Kwanzaa at Dance Place. Dec. 12, 8 PM and Dec. 13, 4 PM. Kick off the holiday season with Dance Place as Coyaba Dance Theater hosts their annual Kwanzaa Celebration, displaying the excitement and vibrancy of the holiday with their work based around the seven principles of Kwan-

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Zoolights Through Jan. 1, 5 to 9 PM nightly, except Dec. 24, 25 and 31. Don’t miss your chance to meander through the Zoo when it is covered with thousands of sparkling lights, attend special keeper talks, and enjoy live entertainment. Free. National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. nationalzoo.si.edu.

New in 2015 at Zoolights Dec. 10 and 17, Date Nights. There is paid admission, adult drinks, photo ops and carousel rides: activities that are fun on a date. These nights are for ages over 21 only. nationalzoo.si.edu. Photo: Jim Jenkins/Smithsonian's National Zoo

caroliNg iN the NatioNal gallery of art rotuNda Dec. 12, 13, 19 and 20; 1:30 PM and 2:30 PM. National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. nga.gov. National Gallery of Art rotunda is decorated for Christmas. Photo: Alice Rose

iday Jukebox at THEARC. Dec. 18, 7:30 PM. $25. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org. A Folger Holiday. Dec. 18, 5 PM. Join Folger Theatre and Folger Consort for a celebration of the season. Explore the Folger exhibition Age of Lawyers, and do a little holiday shopping. All attendees receive food, drink, and a 10 percent discount on items purchased at the Folger Gift Shop. Free. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. folger.edu. Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon. Dec. 18 and 19, 5:30 to 9 PM. Join Mount Vernon for an evening of family-friendly fun and fireworks choreographed to holiday music. Take a stroll through the estate while being serenaded by local choirs, visit with re-enactors from the First Virginia Regiment in winter encampment, and learn 18th-Century dance moves from costumed guides in the Greenhouse. “George and Martha Washington” will also be on site to greet Mount Vernon’s holiday guests. Watch as colonial artisans demonstrate the 18th-century process of creating chocolate. Keep toasty by warming up by a bonfire, visiting the blacksmith shop, or enjoying some hot chocolate or cider. $30, adult; $20, youth. George Wash-

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH US? Call Laura Vucci 202-400-3510

or laura@hillrag.com for more information on advertising. East of the River Magazine December 2015

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Dec. 24, 1 PM. Meet Santa and his crew at 1:30 PM. Best viewing is from Founders Park. Santa will meet kids for 30 minutes under the gazebo in front of Blackwall Hitch. Alexandria’s Waterfront between King and Oronoco Streets, Alexandria, VA. waterskiingsanta.com. ington’s Estate & Gardens, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway. 703-7802000. mountvernon.org. Luther Re-Lives Holiday Concert 2015! at THEARC. Come out and enjoy some of Luther’s favorite Holiday songs along with his R&B Classics, featuring the sultry voice of William ‘Smooth’ Wardlaw along with his fantastic band and feisty girls. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-8895901. thearcdc.org. Bethlehem Prayer Service at the National Cathedral. Dec. 19, 10 AM. Join worshipers in the nave for the ninth annual joint simulcast Christmas service with the people of Bethlehem. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-6200. nationalcathedral.org.

Kennedy Center Messiah Sing-Along. Dec. 23, 8 PM. Features the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, a 200-voice choir, professional soloists, and a very enthusiastic audience in a glorious “sing-along” of Handel’s beloved masterpiece. Free. Tickets will be given away, two per person in line, in front of the Concert Hall beginning at 6 PM, day-of. kennedy-center.org. Christmas at Washington National Cathedral. Dec. 24, 6 PM, Carols by Candlelight; 10 PM and Festival Holy Eucharist. Both services require free tickets but there is a standby line. Dec. 25, 11 AM, Festival Holy Eucharist; noon, Holy Eucharist; 3 PM, Christmas Day Service of Lessons and Carols. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-6200. nationalcathedral.org.

Photo: Kevin Koski

dowNtowN holiday Market Through Dec. 23, noon to 8 PM, daily. More than 150 exhibitors and artisans (rotating on a weekly basis) selling an array of high-quality gift items including fine art, crafts, jewelry, pottery, photography, clothing, tasty treats, and hot beverages. Market is at F Street NW, between Seventh and Ninth. downtownholidaymarket.com.

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EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Saturday, Sunday and Monday Brunch 9 TV’s, 53 ft Full Bar | Kitchen Open Late www.bensnextdoor.com

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GRAND OPENING Share Plates | Spirits | Heated Rooftop www.ten01h.com 1001 H ST NE | 202.733.2405

East of the River Magazine December 2015

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Celebration of Christmas at the National Shrine. Dec. 24, Children’s Mass with Gospel Pageant, 5 PM; Musical Meditations on the Nativity, 10 PM; Solemn Vigil Mass, 10:30 PM. Dec. 25, Masses, 7:30 AM, 9 AM, 10:30 AM and 4:30 PM; Solemn Mass, noon; Spanish Mass, 2:30 PM. 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. nationalshrine.com. Christmas Dinner for Those Who Are Alone or In Need. Dec. 25, 12:15 to 2 PM. Dining Room of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This is a walk-in meal. Just show up. To volunteer, call 202-5268300. 400 Michigan Ave. NE. nationalshrine.com. Chinatown Restaurants are Open Christmas Day. Kwanzaa at the Anacostia Community Museum. Dec. 26, 11 AM to 1 PM, Bone Soup, a Kwanzaa Musical; Dec. 28, 10:30 AM to noon, Crazee Praise; Dec. 29, 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM, Kwanzaa Arts & Crafts Day. Celebrate Kwanzaa with arts, crafts, and music in the museum’s popular threeday event honoring this traditional African American holiday. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu.

folger coNsort’s the seasoN Bids us Dec. 18 to 23. The Italian violinist Giovanni Antonio Guido spent most of his life in France and published his Scherzi Armonici sopra le Quattro Stagioni dell’Anno (The Four Seasons) in the early 18th Century in Versailles. It is not certain whether these delightful pieces for violins and bass preceded those of Vivaldi, but both composers included charming poems with each season. This program combines Guido’s engaging and pyrotechnical “seasons” with Christmas music for soprano and strings by Marc-Antoine Charpentier in a joyous celebration to ring in the holiday season. $40-$50. Concerts are across the street from the Folger at the Church of the Reformation. folger.edu. Folger Consort in 2009’s A Renaissance Christmas. Photo: Mig Dooley

First Night Alexandria. Dec. 31, 7 PM to fireworks at midnight. This annual New Year’s Eve bash takes over Old Town Alexandria with more than 100 performances at 22 indoor venues, with live music, dancing, children’s face painting and games. Fireworks at midnight on the river. $15 before Dec. 17; $20, after. Kids under 12 and active military, free. firstnightalexandria.org. New Year’s Eve Swing Dance at Glen Echo. Dec. 31, 8 PM to 12:30 AM. Beginning swing lesson at 8 PM is followed by dancing from 9 PM to 12:30 AM. No partner necessary. Light refreshments served. $25. americanswing.org. Annapolis New Year’s Eve Celebration. Dec. 31, 7:30 PM to midnight. Free. Susan Campbell Park, Annapolis, MD. 410-263-7940. visitannapolis.org. u

NatioNal christMas tree (aka white house christMas tree) Tree is lit from nightfall until 11 p.m. Visit thenationaltree.org for nightly entertainment schedule. The National Christmas Tree is illuminated on the Ellipse in Washington DC. The White House is visible in the background. Photo: Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

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East of the River Magazine December 2015

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AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD Hand of Freedom: The Life and Legacy of the Plummer Family. Through Dec. 27. This exhibit looks at the life and legacy of the Plummer family in Prince Georges County, MD in the 19th century. Adam Francis Plummer (1819 to 1905), enslaved on George Calvertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Riversdale plantation, kept a diary beginning in 1841 for over sixty years. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-6334820. anacostia.si.edu. Icons: Las Virgencitas at Honfleur Gallery. Through Jan. 8. In a series of twelve paintings, Arias depicts women from around the world as the Virgin Mary. Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-631-6291. honfleurgallery.com. La Vie en Rose by Carolina Mayorga at Vivid Solutions. Through Jan. 8. This solo exhibition by artist Carolina Mayorga is a three-part multimedia project that comments on ethnicity, gender and the roles that aesthetics and beauty play in popular culture. La Vie en Rose is a video-installation based on reactions to issues of

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washiNgtoN caPitals ice hockey

SPORTS, DANCE AND FITNESS

Dec. 16, 18, 26 and 30. Verizon Center. capitals.nhl.com.

Washington Wizards Basketball. Dec. 19, 21, 23 and 28; Jan. 1, 3, 6 and 8. Verizon Center. nba.com/wizards.

washiNgtoN caPitals Practice schedule Non-game day, 10:30 AM; game day, 10 AM; and day after game, 11 AM. All practices are at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, 627 No. Glebe Rd., Suite 800, Arlington, VA. They are free and open to the public. kettlercapitalsiceplex.com. Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie possesses the puck during the Caps game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 15 at Verizon Center. Photo: Courtesy of Washington Capitals Photography

war and violence. Vivid Solutions is a fine art gallery located at 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE within in the Anacostia Arts Center. vividsolutionsgallery.com. Holiday Starkillers at Anacostia Arts Center. Through Jan. 9. Holiday Starkillers celebrates the cultural phenomena of George Lucas’ epic space opera. In painting, photography, and sculpture, six rebel scum artists explore Star Wars’ films, thematic parallels, early conceptualizations and astounding mass merchandising. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. anacostiaartscenter.com. Washington Improv Theater presents: Improv for All Workshop. Dec. 16, 7 to 9 PM. WIT’s free introductory Improv For All workshops are high-fun, low-stress classes designed to show you how improvisers create spontaneous, off-the-cuff theater. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. anacostiaartscenter.com. Yelp’s Totally Bazaar. Dec. 19, noon to 4 PM. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. anacostiaartscenter.com.

Public Skating at Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Fridays, noon to 2 PM; and Saturdays, 12:45 to 1:45 PM. Public Skate, $5 for adults (13 to 64); $4 for seniors and children (ﬁve to 12); $3, skate rental. Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. SE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org. Canal Park Ice Rink. Through mid-March. Monday and Tuesday, noon to 7 PM; Wednesday to Friday, noon to 9 PM; Saturdays, 11 AM to 10 PM; and Sundays, 11 AM to 7 PM. Adults are $9; children/seniors/military are $8; and skate rental is $4. It’s open daily, but holiday hours vary. Canal Park is at 202 M St. SE. canalparkdc.org. National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Skating. Through Mar. 13. Open Monday to Thursday, 10 AM to 9 PM; Friday, 10 AM to 11 PM; Saturday, 11 AM to 11 PM; Sunday, 11 AM to 9 PM. $8.50 for adults; $7.50 for age 50 and over, age 12 and under, and students with a valid school ID for two hour session beginning on the hour. $3 for skate rental. Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-216-9397. nga.gov. Washington Harbour Ice Rink. Through mid-March. Monday to Tuesday, noon to 7 PM; Wednesday to Thursday, noon to 9 PM; Fridays, noon to 10 PM; Saturdays, 10 AM to 10 PM; Sundays, 10 AM to 7 PM. Skating is $9 to $10. Skate rental is $5. Washington Harbour is at 3050 K St. NW. 202-706-7666. thewashingtonharbour.com. Adult Yoga, Adult Ballet, Adult African Dance “Moving Wisdom”, Zumba and Adult African Dance at THEARC. Schedules resume Jan. 4. Adult Yoga, Saturdays, 8:45 to 10 AM; Adult Ballet, Fridays, 7:30 to 8:45 PM; Adult African Dance “Moving Wisdom”, Thursdays, 11 AM to noon; Zumba, Mondays, 7:15 to 8:15 PM; Adult African Dance, Wednesdays, 7:30 to 8:30 PM. $6 for 20020 or 20032 residents. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org. Yoga @ the Library. Saturdays, 10 to 11 AM. Wear comfortable clothing and bring

East of the River Magazine December 2015

CALENDAR

twelve years that shook aNd shaPed washiNgtoN: 1963-1975 Dec. 14 to Oct. 23. Change was in the air, some of it unsettling and threatening. Against a national background of Lyndon Johnson’s “great society,” anti-war protests, black power and feminism, this exhibition focuses on events, people and challenges that transformed the city between 1963 and 1975. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu. Demonstrators at the 1968 Poor People’s March. Against a national background of Lyndon Johnson’s “great society,” anti-war protests, black power, feminism and emerging gay rights, this exhibition focuses on events, people and challenges that transformed nation’s capital during this period. Photo: Ronald S. Comedy, for the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum Archives.

a mat, but if you don’t have one, yoga mats are available. Classes are taught by a Yoga Activist and are held on the lower level of the library in the Larger Meeting Room. Free. Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Neighborhood Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583. dclibrary.org/benning. Barry Farm (indoor) Pool. Open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:30 AM to 8 PM; and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 AM to 5 PM. Free for DC residents. 1230 Sumner Rd. SE. 202-730-0572. dpr.dc.gov. Deanwood (indoor) Pool. Monday to Friday 6:30 AM to 8 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, 9 AM to 5 PM. Free for DC residents. 1350 49th St. NE. 202-6713078 dpr.dc.gov. Ferebee Hope (indoor) Pool. Open weekdays, 10 AM to 6 PM. Closed weekends. Free for DC residents. 3999 Eighth St. SE. 202-645-3916. dpr.dc.gov.

CIVIC LIFE Councilmember Alexander’s Constituent Services Oﬃce. Open weekdays, 10 AM to 6 PM. 2524 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-581-1560. Congresswoman Norton’s SE District Oﬃce. Open weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM. 2041 MLK Ave. SE, #238.

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

202-678-8900. norton.house.gov. Eastland Gardens Civic Association Meeting. Third Tuesday, 6:30 to 8 PM. Kenilworth Elementary School Auditorium, 1300 44th St. NE. Contact Javier Barker, j58barker@yahoo.com or 202-450-3155. Anacostia Coordinating Council Meeting. Last Tuesday, noon to 2 PM. Anacostia Museum, 1901 Fort St. SE. For further details, contact Philip Pannell, 202-889-4900. Capitol View Civic Association Meeting. Third Monday, 6:30 PM. Hughes Memorial United Methodist, 25 53rd St. NE. capitolviewcivicassoc.org. Historical Anacostia Block Association. Second Thursday, 7 to 9 PM. UPO Anacostia Service Center, 1649 Good Hope Rd. SE. For further details, contact Charles Wilson, 202-834-0600. Anacostia High School Improvement Team Meeting. Fourth Tuesday, 6 PM. Anacostia High School, 16th and R Streets, SE. Fairlawn Citizens Association. Third Tuesday, 7 PM. Ora L. Glover Community Room at the Anacostia Public Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE.

ANC MONTHLY MEETINGS ANC 7B. Third Thursday, 7 PM. Ryland Epworth United Methodist Church, 3200 S St. SE (Branch Ave and S St. SE). 202-584-3400. anc7b@pressroom.com. anc7b@ earthlink.net. ANC 7C. Second Thursday, 7 PM. Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church, 5109

Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE. 202-398-5100. anc7c@verizon.net. ANC 7D. Second Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Neighborhood Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-398-5258. 7D06@anc.dc.gov. ANC 7E. Second Tuesday, 7 PM. Jones Memorial Church, 4625 G St. SE. 202582-6360. 7E@anc.dc.gov. ANC 7F. Third Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, 200 Stoddert Place, SE. ANC 8A. First Tuesday, 7 PM. Anacostia UPO Service Center, 1649 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-889-6600. anc8adc.org. ANC 8B. Third Tuesday, 7 PM. Seventh District Police Station Community Center, Alabama and McGee Streets, SE. 202-610-1818. anc8b.org. ANC 8C. First Wednesday, 7 PM. 2907 MLK Jr Ave. SE. 202-388-2244. ANC 8D. Fourth Thursday, 7 PM. Specialty Hospital of Washington, 4601 MLK Jr. Ave. SW. 202-561-0774. Have an item for the Calendar? Email it to calendar@hillrag. com. u

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East of the River Magazine December 2015

neighborhood news

kenilwoRtH ReCReation CenteR gRound bReaking CeReMony On November 6, Mayor Bowser broke ground on the future Kenilworth Recreation Center, 1300 44th St. NE. The Ward 7 center will feature an indoor/outdoor complex and an outdoor pool. Photo: Lateef Mangum, OCT

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

aRtists of tHe spiRal ColleCtive, 1963-1965 upCoMing eXHibition In 1963 Hale Woodruff and Romare Bearden began an alliance of artists who met weekly to discuss their work, politics and civil rights. The Spiral Collective came together to create meaningful dialogue on contemporary social issues and the role of the artist in meaningful social change. This Collective exhibited only once in New York in 1965, before disbanding. This exhibition looks

at the brief activities of the group and includes works by Bearden, Woodruff, Robert Alston, Norman Lewis, Alvin Hollingsworth, and othersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;before and after their time in the Spiral Collective. At the Anacostia Community Museum, Jan. 18 to Apr. 14. anacostia.si.edu.

new Cafe CoMing to anaCostia aRts CenteR In January 2016, there will be a new cafe coming to the Anacostia Arts Center. Art-drena-

, ,

line Cafe is owned by Ward 8 residents and will feature a new menu, extended hours, and window seat dining. anacostiaartscenter.com.

Birdwatching Tours at Bladensburg Waterfront Park and Heritage Marsh There is a Birdwatching Tour at Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 601 Annapolis Rd., Bladensburg, MD, on Saturday, Dec. 19 and at Heritage Marsh, near RFK in lot #6, on Saturday, Jan. 16. Both tours are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. During these tours you will learn about common birds that call the Anacostia River their home. Learn basic aspects of birdwatching and about the wetlands of the Anacostia River. No previous birdwatching experience is necessary, but you will be walking and standing on uneven surfaces for three hours. Registration is required at anacostiaws.org. Contact the Manager of Volunteer Programs Joanna Fisher at jfisher@anacostiaws.org or 301699-6204 ext. 109 with questions or concerns.

Age-Friendly DC Progress Update at Francis A. Gregory Library DC is on the way to becoming an agefriendly city. On Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1 p.m., learn about the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Age-Friendly DC 2015 Progress Report and what you can do to help transform DC into an easier city to grow up and older. The Age-Friendly DC plan includes 75 strategies that DC agencies are implementing with support from community partners to make life easier for residents

of all ages. The 2015 progress report shows what agencies and community partners are doing to help us make DC a better city for the aging. Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-698-6373. dclibrary.org/francis.

Help Restore Shepherd Parkway Volunteer from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays, Jan. 9 and Feb. 13. Shepherd Parkwayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 205 acres are home to two Civil War forts, two bald eagle nests, and some of the oldest forests in DC. Help your neighbors remove trash and invasive species from this important but neglected natural area in Ward 8. Meet at the picnic tables near the corner of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Avenues, SE. Gloves, bags, and light refreshments will be provided. Wear boots and clothes you can get dirty. For more information, contact Nathan Harrington at nbharrington@yahoo.com or 301-758-5892. Visit shepherdparkway.blogspot.com.

Jobseeker Legal Clinic at Woodridge Library Are you having difficulties getting or keeping a job? Come a Jobseeker Legal Clinic at the Woodridge Library. You can meet one-on-one with an attorney from Neighborhood Legal Services Program to find out if you have a barrier to employment that an attorney may be able to help you resolve. You can get information about issues like criminal record sealing, credit reports, background checks, obtaining driving and professional licenses, resolving child support arrearages, and other issues. Wednesday, Dec. 16, 10 East of the River Magazine December 2015

neighborhood news / buLLeTin board

a.m. at Woodridge Library, 1790 Douglas St. NE. 202-541-6226. nlsp.org.

Meet tHe autHoR – patsy MoRse fletCHeR Historically African American Leisure Destinations Around Washington, D.C. author Patsy Mose Fletcher will be at Uniontown Bar & Grill, 2200 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 6 to 8 p.m. for a book launch and signing.

senioRs got talent! at tHeaRC On Sunday, Dec. 19, 3 p.m., come for a night of music, dancing, comedy, prizes, and more, from Washington, DC’s most talented seniors. There will be celebrity judges, and a special guest host. $20. THEARC is at 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org.

Road ClosuRe on baRRy Road and eaton Road DC Water is performing construction activities on Barry Road, SE as part of its DC Clean

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touR: newseuM’s Civil RigHts at 50 On Saturday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., catch the Anacostia Community Museum shuttle and visit the Newseum in downtown Washington. Get a guided tour at 11:30 a.m. of its exhibition Civil Rights at 50. Explore the museum and gift shop before boarding the shuttle back to Anacostia. Riding the shuttle is free. For the 11:30 a.m. exhibition tour participants must purchase tickets at the museum when they arrive. Adult tickets cost between $18 and $24. This program is limited to 40 participants, so register early. Call 202-633-4844 to register. anacostia.si.edu. Make Some Noise: Students and the Civil Rights Movement. Photo: Courtesy of Newseum

Rivers Project. Through Feb. 16, 2016, weather permitting, DC Water’s contractor will be working on Barry Rd. between Firth Sterling Ave. SE and Anacostia Freeway. DC Water’s contractor will be installing a new sewer line at this location. Normal work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Barry Rd. SE near the project area will be completely closed for the duration of the project. Eaton Road will be closed to through traffic at Firth Sterling Ave. SE. Access through Eaton Rd. will be maintained for SW Distribution Center, Verizon and DC Water. Detour traffic signs, traffic control and protective barriers will be set up to maintain public safety and alert motorists of the upcoming road closure and traffic changes. Visit dcwater.com/cleanrivers for more information.

aRtist studio touR to dC On Saturday, Jan. 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., catch the museum shuttle for this popular monthly program and visit community artists in their homes and studios. You’ll visit Michael Platt (digital printmaker/mixed media) and Cedric Baker (painter). A $10 pre-registration transportation fee is required. Read more and sign up at anacostia.si.edu.

sMaRt911 Mobile app infoRMation Smart911 (smart911.com) is a program that enables citizens to create a free safety profile for their households. These profiles provide critical, lifesaving data, such as floor plans and medical conditions to 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers, which they in turn provide to police, fire and emergency medical personnel before they arrive at a scene.

fRee Holiday Cab Rides Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the annual Holiday SoberRide program will operate between 10

p.m. and 6 a.m. each evening through Friday, Jan. 1, as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk period. During these times, Washington-metropolitan area residents celebrating with alcohol may call the toll-free SoberRide phone number 1–800–200– TAXI and be afforded a no-cost (up to $ 30 fare), safe way home. AT&T wireless users can dial #WRAP for the same service. SoberRide is offered in the: District of Columbia; throughout the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s; and throughout the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, (eastern) Loudoun and Prince William. In these areas, local taxicab companies will be providing this no-cost service to local residents age 21 and older who otherwise may have attempted to drive home after drinking.

DPR Winter Programs Registration Open The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has opened registration for its Winter Programs. DPR is offering programs such as Ju Juitsu, Abstract Painting, HydroSpin, China Painting, Pottery, Tai Chi, Quilting and Zumba. To learn more and to register, visit dpr.dc.gov/service/register20152016-program. Visit dpr.dc.gov/ service/register-program for aquatics registration.

Help Keep Unsheltered Residents Safe this Winter DC’s hypothermia season runs from Nov. 1 to Mar. 31. An alert indicates a right to shelter for all of our unhoused residents because of dangerously low temperatures. Previously, an alert was called when the weather was predicted to fall to 32 degrees or below. This year, an alert will also be called when the temperature is expected to be 40 degrees or below and there is also at least a 50% chance of rain or snow. This is an important addition since a person’s body will lose heat much faster if his or her clothes are wet, putting them in danger of experiencing hypothermia even if temperatures are above freezing. The DC Government encourages everyone to keep the Shelter Hotline number, 1-800-535-7252, in their cell phone and call it whenev-

er you see an unhoused person who may need help.

Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Event (save the date) On Friday, Jan. 15, 7 to 9 p.m., celebrate the legacy of Dr. King. This year the program is held in the Baird Auditorium in the National Museum of Natural History on the National Mall. The program includes a keynote address by Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York, and an on-stage discussion on the theme of “Looking Back, Moving Forward” with moderator Richard Reyes-Gavilan, executive director of the DC Public Library system. Entertainment will be provided by the Christian-based mime troupe Crazee Praize Nation. Call 202-633-4844 to register. anacostia.si.edu.

DC’s First Bike and Segway Christmas Tour Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 4 to 6:30 p.m., through Dec. 20, Bike and Roll DC is offering Washington’s first-ever Christmas tour by bike and Segway, aptly named “Christmas on Wheels”. Tour highlights include the Botanical Gardens Season’s Greenings; a hot chocolate stop; the exquisite decorations at the Willard Hotel and the Capitol and National Christmas trees. The cost for the bike tour is $39 for adults and $34 for children 12 and under, and $64 for the Segway tour. There are a very limited number of spots available for each tour, so Bike and Roll strongly recommends making reservations as soon as possible. Reservations can be made at bikeandrolldc. com. Christmas on Wheels will run on Dec. 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th and 20th. More spots may be opened based on demand. Reservations can also be made over the phone at 202-842-2453.

MLK Library Now Processes New Passport Applications The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW, now accepts new passport applications on behalf of the US Department of State. The Library Passport Acceptance Center

HIGHLAND RESIDENTIAL LP

Armed Security Guard Services HRLP 0001-2016

HIGHLAND RESIDENTIAL LP (HRLP) is a District of Columbia Limited Partnership and an affiliate of the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA). HRLP is seeking to solicit sealed bids from qualified, Contractors to provide armed security guard services. The exact nature and extent of the services will be conducted as detailed within the above mentioned solicitation. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS will be available at the District of Columbia Housing Authority Procurement Office, 1133 North Capitol Street, N.E., Suite 300, Office of Administrative Services, Washington, D.C. 20002-7599 (Issuing Office); between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, November 23, 2015. SEALED PROPOSALS ARE DUE: Monday, December 28, 2015 @ 11:00 a.m. at the Issuing Office identified above. The solicitation is also available via DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org. Please contact Lolita Washington, Contract Specialist at 202-535-1212 for additional information. East of the River Magazine December 2015

will be open Tuesday through Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For a $25 fee, the Library will process applications for passport books that allow travel to any country and passport cards that allow travel from US to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The fee for the application is payable to the US Department of State by check or money order. In addition to the Library’s $25 processing fee, Passport Acceptance Center staff can also take passport photos for an additional $15 fee. Library fees are payable to the DC Treasurer by check or money order. To have an application processed, customers need to bring a completed passport application form DS-11, proof of US citizenship and photo identification. To learn more, visit dclibrary.org/passports.

Book Give-Away at SE Tennis and Learning Center On November 14, a partnership of 9 organizations came together to give away 40,000 new, free books to kids, parents, teachers, libraries and community organizations. Sponsored by the Washington Teachers’ Union, the American Federation of Teachers, DC Public Libraries, the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, First Book and others, the book give away took place at the SE Tennis and Learning Center. Books were also given to ARC, the Smart from the Start early childhood education program, and other groups.

DOEE Launches “Green Pathways” Website Connect with full-time and part-time green employment, internships, fellowships, volunteer opportunities, and summer jobs at the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) Green Pathways online site. Through this program, DOEE anticipates hiring more than 60 full-time and part-time employees during the 2016 fiscal year. The program has opportunities for individuals with varying levels of education, skills, and experience. For more information about DOEE, or to browse Green Pathways opportunities, visit doee.dc.gov/greenpathways.

DC Jazz Festival Announces 2016 Dates and Major Performance Venues The DC Jazz Festival (DC JazzFest) has announced its 2016 dates and major performance venues. The 2016 DC Jazz Festival dates will be June 10 to 19, presenting live jazz performances throughout the district. DC JazzFest will include a June 13 return to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The Festival’s outdoor showcase on the Capitol Riverfront at Yards Park returns for the third year with an added third day of world-class jazz and extensions at the Yards Park overlooking the Anacostia River. Returning in 2016 is Jazz at

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Hamilton Live presented by the DC Jazz Festival and The Washington Post. For more information, visit dcjazzfest.org.

League of Women Voters “Civic Cocktail” Happy Hours Join them for conversation and networking. Come talk about any topic of civic interest. “Civic Cocktail” happy hours are at Mad Hatter, 1321 Connecticut Ave. NW, 5 to 7 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Cash bar. lwvdc.org.

Madame Tussauds DC Holiday Charity Drive Madame Tussauds DC is getting in on the holiday cheer by hosting a food and electronics drive. Through Dec. 31, guests are invited to donate and will receive a discount on admission in return: Guests who donate non-perishable food items, such as canned goods, will receive $5 off their individual admission. Guests who donate small electronics, such as used mp3 players, will receive $10 off their individual admission. For more information, visit www2.madametussauds. com/washington-dc/en/news/news/spread-a-little-holiday-cheer.

Ford’s Theatre Partners with N Street Village Ford’s Theatre Society, producer of A Christmas Carol, is partnering with N Street Village, the largest provider of supportive services and housing for homeless and low-income women in DC, to create a donation drive inspired by the themes of charity in Dickens’s holiday classic. During the curtain calls for performances of A Christmas Carol, the company will collect donations on behalf of the Washington-based non-profit. Patrons also can make donations through the Ford’s Theatre Box Office. All donation checks should be made payable to “N Street Village.” A Christmas Carol plays at Ford’s Theatre through Dec. 31. Founded in 1973, N Street village has comprehensive services addressing both emergency and long-term needs. They help women achieve personal stability and make gains in housing, income, employment, mental health, physical health and addiction recovery. For more information, visit nstreetvillage.org. u

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Walking with the Cane by E. Ethelbert Miller

number of my friends are using canes these days. Quite a few have had knee and hip replacements. Like football running backs and basketball players, we have started to lose that quick first step. Suddenly it’s the last quarter or the end of the year. Will you be back next season? Before a new year begins I have a tendency to think about death. Who will die in 2016? It’s not moribund thinking but instead a nod and a wink at one’s own mortality. If you’re like me, you have a tendency to measure change and time by the death of celebrities. Each year I read the obit of a person who was once a card in my baseball collection, or a singer whose music I kept singing for days until I had memorized the lyrics to the song. Then there are the women I dated or wished I did, and one day I’m walking down the street, or on an escalator, or sitting in a cafe, and her face turns toward mine and everything is just a memory fading like evening sunlight. These are the dusk years; the years of downsizing and trying to hold a sliver of light in your hands. I remember many years ago moving into the Brightwood neighborhood. My children were young and excited about their new separate rooms, which replaced the shared bunkbed in the small Adams Morgan apartment on Fuller Street. On our new street old people sat in front of their homes or slowly exited from cars and slowly climbed the steps to the porch. They would stop to catch their breath, then one day their breath was gone. Today I’m the old man on the block. I’m still young enough, however, to rake the leaves and bag them. This soon will change, and it might be

something I won’t miss. Lately when I walk into a cafe I become immediately aware of how much younger everyone is. When I was young the first thing I noticed was how I might be the only black person in a room. Well, I will be black until I die and this is something I embrace and celebrate. Maybe one day I’ll be one of those elderly deacons in front of a church. I’ll join those men who wear suits and ties and shoes that shine. My hair will be gray and my eyes will convey warmth and wisdom. I’ll greet people or say farewell. I will be around for weddings and available to give advice to young grooms and brides. Or maybe I’ll be sitting on a park bench, feeding birds and reminding passing women of their fathers. The ones that left and the ones that stayed. I know the poems in my head will rest a little longer. Right now I’m simply trying to keep the words coming. I may be running out of years but not ideas or things to do. Life is not long, and at times it’s damn too short. It is the beauty, however, we keep discovering. Life is a kiss on the cheek and maybe the lips. Life flirts with death every day. Romance is the faith we keep inside ourselves, knowing we are blessed with another day of living. E. Ethelbert Miller is a literary activist and the board chair of the Institute for Policy Studies. His “Collected Poems,” edited by Kirsten Porter, will be published in March 2016. u

East of the River Magazine December 2015

neighborhood news / The Numbers

ealing with DC’s affordable housing crisis is like trying to run up a down escalator. While the city is making great strides to build new low-cost housing, powerful market forces are pushing up rents and home prices elsewhere, making it hard just to stay even. Each year it feels like we lose more than we gain. No wonder a growing number of DC residents see housing as the city’s top challenge, according to a new Washington Post poll, and a majority of black residents see development as bad for them. But the crisis isn’t just about a growing population and rising rents. To make matters worse, a lot of currently affordable housing could soon be lost. That includes buildings with federal subsidies where landlords want to get out and convert to luxury housing, like Museum Square in Chinatown. DC’s leaders were blindsided by the possibility that these residents, including a large share of the neighborhood’s remaining families of Chinese ancestry, would have to move out of the community where they’ve lived for years. But it should not be hard to see where development is coming. The District needs to be prepared to act quickly when affordable buildings are at risk, and make investments to keep them low-cost. Preserving what we have is far cheaper than trying to build new affordable housing in communities where the market has taken over. The District has a lot of resources to preserve affordable housing. It’s time to use them aggressively.

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

DC Can’t Afford to Lose the Low-Cost Housing It Has Left the numbers by Claire Zippel

Why We Need to Preserve Affordable Housing DC’s housing costs are rising faster than incomes for almost everyone. The impacts are harshest on low- and moderate-income families, who have watched as half of the city’s low-cost housing disappeared in the last decade. The lack of housing that residents can afford is holding the District back. When most of a family’s income goes to pay the rent, there’s less to spend on necessities like food and transportation. Unstable housing and financial stress affect how well kids do in school. High housing costs mean residents have less money to spend at local businesses, and that businesses have to rely on workers who live farther and farther from their jobs,

Two trends could soon make DC’s affordable housing crunch much worse. First, much of the city’s low-cost housing has federal subsidies that keep rents low. But these subsidies don’t last forever – they expire unless the building owner decides to renew them. When a subsidy expires, entire buildings of low-cost apartments can be lost. Situations like Museum Square will keep happening unless the city is aware ahead of time when a building is at risk, and is ready to intervene with solutions to keep the building affordable. Second, development that is happening across the District – much of it managed by the city in some way – will push housing prices up in surrounding neighborhoods. Development at McMillan Reservoir, Walter Reed, Union Market, and the 11th Street Bridge Park threaten to accelerate the loss of low-cost housing. A family displaced from an affordable apartment will have a lot of trouble finding another one, even if they get a voucher that helps pay the rent at another apartment when they leave, as sometimes happens. Those vouchers are not always easy to use, and in any case a family is uprooted from its community. Families could end up spending half or more of their income on rent, or in the worst case end up living somewhere unsafe or become homeless.

Preserving Affordable Housing Is a Good Deal The best way to tackle DC’s affordable housing crisis is not to lose what we have. It’s simply

cheaper to keep the affordable housing we have than to start over and rebuild what we’ve lost. Investments that keep existing affordable housing affordable can cost half what it takes to build new affordable housing, according to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. In some cases the District has already helped pay to build the affordable housing that’s now at risk, so adding a bit more funds can keep our initial investment working. The city can get a lot of bang for its buck by preserving federally subsidized buildings like Museum Square. A bit of local money – for renovations or loans to financially struggling buildings when owners agree to renew the subsidy – can keep the federal housing dollars flowing.

DC’s Tools to Preserve Affordable Housing The District has great tools to preserve affordable housing, though there’s more to do. • Helping Tenants Own Their Buildings. Tenants get the first crack at purchasing their building when it’s put up for sale. Over 1,400 units of affordable housing have been preserved when tenants bought their buildings with financial and technical assistance from nonprofits and the city. However, not all tenants can or want to buy their building. • Building or Rehabbing Housing. DC’s Housing Production Trust Fund provides loans and grants for preserving and building new affordable housing. This year the city invested a record $100 million in the Trust Fund, which will support 1,000 affordable homes. But that’s not a lot to go around to both preserve at-risk affordable units and build new ones. • Stepping in to Buy Affordable Buildings. The District has the authority to offer to buy certain rental buildings – with below-average rents – when an owner is ready to sell. The District’s op-

tion to purchase could be a great way to step in before affordable housing is lost, but we haven’t used it yet. Not once.

What DC Should Do Now to Preserve Affordable Housing Every day that the District fails to implement a strategy to preserve affordable housing, it risks getting further behind. So what will it take? First, DC housing agencies need a coordinated tracking system for affordable buildings at risk – like those with expiring federal subsidies – so the District can foresee crises like Museum Square and intervene early on. Second, the Bowser administration needs to finish writing rules, in progress for over five years, to allow the District to buy apartment buildings. We can’t afford to wait. In fast-growing neighborhoods like Columbia Heights the redevelopment potential of low-cost rental buildings will soon push sales prices above what the District can match. Third, our leaders need a plan to preserve affordable housing when a big redevelopment or revitalization project is coming, like Walter Reed, McMillan, or Union Market. The 11th Street Bridge project completed such a plan, aimed at ensuring that new development benefits, not displaces, longtime residents. Fourth, the city needs to continue investing in tools like the Housing Production Trust Fund to ensure resources to preserve and create the affordable housing. Finally, the District should require all the new affordable housing it helps develop to stay affordable – for the life of the building or permanently with the use of the land. Part of the reason we are in a mess today is that too many programs keep buildings affordable for too short a time, like 10 or 20 years. By working quickly and thinking ahead, we can stem the loss of low-cost housing and ensure DC remains an economically diverse and inclusive city. Claire Zippel is a policy associate at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi.org). DCFPI promotes budget and policy solutions to reduce poverty and inequality in the District of Columbia and to increase opportunities for residents to build a better future. u

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East of the River Magazine December 2015

neighborhood news / jonetta’s take

The Mental Cost of Violence jonetta’s take by Jonetta Rose Barras

sat next to her as audience members departed for the arts healing sessions during “The Gift,” a program presented by myself and Esther Productions, Inc., a nonprofit organization serving girls and women. She was reluctant to join a group, confessing a heavy heart. A day earlier, her cousin’s boyfriend had been killed; they were a close group. The 21 year-old, single-mother--call her Brenda--began crying. I put my arm around her. She sang a funeral dirge: She pointed to a name tattooed on her neck; that person also had been murdered in the District of Columbia; the person whose name was inked across the left side of her chest met a similar fate. Brenda is a walking obituary, her body a graphic narrative of the violence sweeping through urban centers. What happens to the soul, the mental health of people who witness unspeakable levels of violence? Do they lose hope? Do they become a new generation of violent perpetrators, attacking others or harming themselves? Self-harm or suicide is the third-leading cause of deaths among Americans between the ages of 10 and 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In the District, the 2012 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 14.7 percent of D.C. Public Schools students “came up with a plan to die by suicide,” said At-Large D.C. Council member David Grosso (I), chairman of the Committee on Education and Libraries. He added that “20.5 percent of high school-aged Hispanic young women and 14.1 percent” of their black counterparts “had attempted suicide within the last year.” “We have to focus on trying to identify kids who are more susceptible to committing suicide,” continued Grosso, who believes legislation he introduced--Youth Suicide Prevention and School Climate Survey Act--is the answer. That bill would require the Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE) to develop “a training curriculum on suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention to be administered by all school-based personnel.” OSSE also would be required to conduct climate surveys to help determine “if there are particular school environments that contribute to student stressors.” Ward 7 Council member Yvette Alexander (D), chair of the Committee on Health and Human Services, said she has doubts. She said the focus should be comprehensively on mental health. “The DCPS and the Department of Behavioral Health needs to put some things in place first.” Truth be told, Grosso is rearranging deck chairs. His bill duplicates The South Capitol Street Memorial Amendment Act and is a Band-Aid against a gapping wound. In 2012, the council, spurred by at-Large Council member David Catania (I), approved The South Capitol Street Memorial Amendment Act, following the murder of five youth under the age of 20. That law also mandated comprehensive mental health care--screening, assessment and actual services--in 50 percent of DCPS facilities and charters by the 2014-2015 school year, and all schools by 2016-2017.

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

They’re not even close. Grosso said he’s trying to build “trauma-informed schools.” Further, “just saying you have to have a certain number of [Full time employees] in a school is not enough.” He wants to train teachers and security guards. “These are people who are on the front line of this thing.” In ethnic and minority communities, youth typically are taught to hide their emotions, said Kimya N. Dennis, a sociology and criminal studies professor at Salem College and a national expert on suicide and self-harm among blacks and Hispanics. The absence of a positive relationship with mental health professionals or resources can also “cut people off from medical and mental health care and perpetuate the notion that time heals all wounds.” A school-based mental health program could counter misguided cultural pressures. Lawmakers seemed to understand that when they approved the South Capitol Street Act. Since then, however, they have acted like wimps. The executive hasn’t complied with the law and no one is raising holy hell. “I have asked about it during agency performance hearings,” said Grosso. “I am continually shining a light on these issues.” Michelle Lerner, a DCPS spokesperson, said via email, “The major requirements for DCPS in the South Capitol Street law revolved around truancy reporting, which are embedded in DCPS’ truancy protocol.” The DCPS also is required “to work with [the Department of Behavioral Health] to ensure teacher training to identify potential mental health challenges,” she added, which underscored the redundancy of Grosso’s legislation. Lerner said, DCPS has crisis intervention teams and is piloting a “grief and trauma intervention program” but only at 25 schools. Meanwhile, the Children’s Law Center concluded in its 2015 mental health report card that “8,000 children” in the city may be “overlooked by our current system of care.” Separately, a national study conducted by Jeffrey Bridge at the Research Institute at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio found that between 1993 and 2012, the suicide rate nationally among black children age five to 11 increased from 1.36 to 2.54 per one million children. How do children so young kill themselves? Many years ago, everyone was concerned about “suicide by cop,” said Dennis. Now, we may be witnessing “suicide by interpersonal violence,” which happens “when individuals provoke family members, friends, or strangers to make lethal responses to them. Some of these situations may amount to suicide.” Is the uptick in violence the beginning of a suicide epidemic? The council may need to answer that question before it requires some climate survey. At the very least, it should demand the executive comply with the South Capitol Street Act. That won’t necessarily benefit Brenda, but could help save thousands of other lives. Jonetta Rose Barras is a freelance writer. u

The nose

THE NOSE

It’s Too Darn Hot! by Anonymous

ast month The Nose revealed a cunning plan to revive the fortunes of the ethically challenged giants of the political hanky-panky, Michael “Piece of a Piece” Brown and Harry “The Golfer” Thomas. After prosecutors removed Brown and Thomas, voters elected earnest practitioners of campaign ethics such as Charles “Mr. Rogers” Allen, David “I Did Inhale” Grosso, Kenyan “Mr. Clean” McDuffie, Brianne “Whole Foods” Nadeau and Elissa “Miss Prius” Silverman. Frankly, this has turned council hearings into a complete snooze fest. Far better to watch the pyrotechnical Republican debates curled up on the couch in the company of one’s redbone hound and three fingers of Elmer T. Lee, than to haunt the halls of the Wilson Building. Scandal, one must remember Dear Readers, is the mother’s milk of journalism. When the politically wounded bleed, they lead. Yet, despite their propensity to purloin the proceeds of our esteemed municipality or shakedown its contractors, at least Brown and Thomas acknowledged the gains of their nefarious enterprises were illicit. They routed them through dodgy non-profits or hid them in coffee cups. The Green Team learned from their example. They have chosen to conduct their business in the full light of day. Their chosen vehicle is the political action committee (PAC) whose contributions are publicly accounted. Meet FreshPac organized by Ben Soto, treasurer of every Muriel Bowser campaign. Take the example of Fort Myers Construction, the holder of $41,500,000 in public contracts to pave the city’s streets. In the past, a cub reporter would have had to wade through arcane filings correlating the addresses of innovatively titled limited liability corporations to figure out the extent of its political contributions. Not so with their donation $20,000 donation to FreshPac, easily found through a quick search on the Office of Campaign Finance website. What about Republic Properties, owners of the Portals? Despite welshing on its community benefits agreement with Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D, the company still made the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development’s list of final three bidders for the city’s parcel at Waterfront Station. Did this have anything to do with their $20,000 contribution to FreshPac? Only the Shadow knows, boys and girls. In point of fact, FreshPac largest donors, according to WAMU’s Patrick Madden, collectively hold more than $70 million in city contracts. By revealing the real green behind the Green Team, FreshPac proved a major

boon to The Nose’s profession. Sadly, for The Nose and his colleagues, this free meal has ended. Unwilling to take the heat generated by the editorial board of the Washington ComPost, the Green Team pulled the plug on FreshPac. In recognition of his tremendous effort to ‘green’ the dais, here is a song for FreshPac organizer, Ben Soto cribbed from the current Shakespeare Production of Kiss Me Kate: It’s too darn hot It’s too darn hot I’d like to coo with my Mayor tonight And pitch a deal to my Mayor tonight I’d like to coo with my Mayor tonight And pitch a deal to my Mayor tonight But brother, can’t put the bite on my Mayor tonight ‘Cause it’s too darn hot I’d like to sup with my Mayor tonight Pony up to my Mayor tonight I’d like to sup with my Mayor tonight Pony up to my Mayor tonight But I ain’t buttering up my Mayor tonight ‘Cause it’s too darn hot It’s too darn hot It’s too darn hot According to the Washington ComPost, ev’ry average developer you know Avoids pitching his proposals to the Mayor Unless the political temperature is low Cause when the thermometer goes ‘way up And the media is sizzling hot The chances for a deal close are not ‘Cause it’s too, too, too darn hot It’s too darn hot It’s too darn hot! Can’t take the heat? Get out of the kitchen. Have a tip for The Nose? Email thenose@hillrag.com. u

East of the River Magazine December 2015

neighborhood news

he District must grow a pool of global citizens fluent in various world languages and cultures, if it’s serious about developing long-term relations with countries like China and expanding employment opportunities for its residents, says Vanessa Bertelli, co-founder and executive director of DC Language Immersion Project. Creation of dual language programs in the city’s public schools could facilitate that process – except that’s not happening with any urgency, and communities east of the Anacostia River may be more adversely affected. Of the three new dual language programs that DC Public Schools (DCPS) plans for the 2016-17 school-year, only one will be in Ward 7 – Houston Elementary School. None will be in Ward 8, according to information provided to EoR by DCPS spokesperson Michelle Lerner. Ward 7 resident Jimell Sanders and her husband joined the immersion movement after exploring educational options for their young daughter and finding few in their Deanwood neighborhood. They had heard about Washington YuYing, a public charter school that offers instruction in Mandarin. They asked themselves, “Why are [programs] located where they are? We asked education activists the history of why there are no charter or DCPS dual language programs east of the river.” There’s no good reason, other than neglect. District leaders, including At-Large Councilmember David Gross, chairman of the Committee on Education and Libraries, and Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles profess support for dual language programs. Lerner says DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson sees them as important to “preparing our students for an everchanging and interconnected world” and wants to “ensure students across the city have access to the exciting programming we have to offer.” Does that mean all eight wards?

Language Desert Most of the DCPS language immersion pro-

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Dual Language Drought by Jonetta Rose Barras

grams, which can be either full or partial, are clustered in Northwest: Cleveland, Marie Reed, Oyster-Adams, Bruce Monroe, and Powell elementary schools; Columbia Heights Education Campus Middle School and Columbia Heights Education Campus High School. The two new schools being added to the list next year, MacFarland Middle School and Roosevelt High School, are also in Northwest, Ward 4. Tyler Elementary is on Capitol Hill. In addition to YuYing there are six other public charter schools offering language immersion: Mundo Verde, Elsie Whitlow Stokes, DC Bilingual, DC International, LAMBS, and Sela. These serve students citywide, mostly on a first-come basis. “What it really comes down to is inspired principal leadership,” says Sanders, referring to the reason Ward 7’s Houston Elementary is getting a program. Principal Rembert Seaward enthusiastically embraced parents’ request. DCPS’ dual language focuses mostly on Spanish and English. But, continues Sanders, there isn’t any barrier to it also offering Mandarin Chinese, French, and Arabic, as some charters do. “For every child that gets a seat five more are on a waiting list,” adds Bertelli, whose children attend YuYing. Given that many of the schools have

small populations or are only offering partial programs, she estimates that less than 8,000 students are enrolled in dual language programs. Eboni-Rose Thompson, head of the Ward 7 Education Council, says she understands the “push for more global citizens,” which is why her group has been supportive. “If the school leadership, if the community ask for it, and if DCPS is willing to make the investment, then I am all for it.” But “it’s a huge shift. I have to be mindful and respectful of how much work it takes to run a school and how fragile school culture is,” continues Thompson, noting that “language immersion doesn’t automatically equal quality or the best.” Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander seems unfazed by the inequity in the system that results in only one dual language program east of the river. She isn’t persuaded there is a great demand or that such programs provide an important edge. “Every parent doesn’t want language immersion. They want their children to be equipped for jobs – jobs in technology, in the healthcare field. Some people look at it as an elective,” continues Alexander, arguing that the United States is the “dominant” world force. “Why are we trying to model what other countries are doing, when they are trying to be like us? Let’s master other skills. Let’s master math, science and technology. They’ve already mastered all of that and have English,” adds Alexander

Talking While Adding No one doubts that many District students need to strengthen their performance in core academic courses. Does that mean the city’s public schools have to exclude foreign languages? Some experts have said that dual language programs improve critical thinking and can help close the achievement gap. Nevertheless, the either/or mentality pervasive in the city has consistently acted as a barrier to language immersion programs. Three years ago the Ward 7 Education Council advocated for the creation of a “global zone” for students in pre-K through eighth grade to be located at Winston Elementa-

ry School. “All students need global skills, knowledge, experiences, and attitudes that will prepare them to work in our culturally diverse, globally interconnected city and world,” the council wrote in its proposal to DCPS, which, if approved, would have prevented Winston from being shuttered. The council argued that “providing global content embedded in all grades and all subjects” would help DCPS “achieve its vision of every child receiving a world‐ class education.” Not only would the zone have served students at Winston, it also could have served as a ward-wide provider, much as the Fillmore Arts Center did for DCPS students in select Northwest schools. “Global competence and second-language proficiency help students get into college and careers,” Ward 7 education advocates reasoned. Sanders says the number of parents either racing to charters, crossing the river to attend other DCPS schools, or simply leaving for private institutions is representative of the fact that families are not getting the comprehensive education they want for their children. “They should be asking parents, ‘Why don’t they have their kids in east-of-theriver schools?’ Ask them, ‘What would it take to get them to come back to their neighborhood schools?’”

Holding up tHe ReaR District residents demanding language immersion are part of a national movement. Consider that President Barack Obama has called for having one million students studying Mandarin Chinese by 2020. The International Monetary Fund’s “Economic World Outlook” estimates that between “2015 and 2020, 86 percent of global economic growth will occur outside of the United States.”

“We’re kidding ourselves if we think we can comfortably and effectively export to countries. We cannot think of them as customers if we don’t speak their language and understand their culture,” says Bertelli. “We don’t know what the critical languages will be in 20 years. But what we do know is that we need code switchers. We need flexible thinkers.” Many states agree with her assessment and are heeding the president’s call. Utah set the goal in 2010 of providing dual language programs to 25,000 students. It reached that goal two years ago, and the New York Times has reported it is “building one of the largest and most ambitious programs” in the country. New York City is trying to develop 40 language immersion programs. It’s hard to understand why the District has made such a puny effort. With a large array of foreign embassies and museums it certainly has the resources. In its “International Business Guide,” District officials tout that the region “is home to 400 international associations and 1,000 internationally owned companies.” Bertelli’s group estimates that “over 4,000 jobs requiring bilingual skills are advertised every month in the D.C. Metro area.” In 2014 visitors from China constituted the fastest growing tourist population in the region. In fact, eight of the 10 tourist groups were from non-Englishspeaking countries. “Not all business negotiations take place in the conference room,” says Sanders. If the city isn’t giving public school students critical language and cultural expertise, “that is excluding all our kids from potential jobs.” jonetta rose barras is a freelance writer. u

East of the River Magazine December 2015

neighborhood news

Is DC Taking Care of Returning Citizens? personal commitment not matched by morca budget by Stephen Lilienthal

ecently the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) announced its early release of 6,000 prisoners for drug offenses. That demonstrates how attitudes toward formerly incarcerated citizens are changing. Incarceration costs not just taxpayers but also citizens, who, given support and direction, could be leading productive, law-abiding lives. Too many DC returning citizens find themselves returning to prison. Reentering DC from prison is challenging. Many have served time in federal prisons far away. DC neighborhoods and the job market are undergoing rapid changes. Frequently time and distance erase connections between returning citizens and their families and neighborhoods. That’s why DC residents should be asking whether the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs (MORCA) is fulfilling its mission. MORCA estimates that returning someone to prison costs taxpayers $40,000 annually. Successfully reintegrating DC’s returning citizens is an issue of public safety but also cost.

Challenges of Returning Citizens Marcus Bullock, a former prisoner who now is reentry coordinator for the Free Minds Book Club, which serves returning citizens, says reentry is indeed challenging. Many returning citizens are “ostracized” by their neighbors and communities. “They do not believe that anyone wants to help.” But help exists. Samuel Bieler, a researcher with the Urban Institute, says DC, unlike many other cities, has a “progressive, forward thinking agency” in the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), which oversees parole and probation for federal prisoners, as well as MORCA and social service providers. What would make DC truly effective in reintegrating returning cit-

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

izens, Bieler asserts, would be to address the often complicated individual needs of returning citizens by linking services better. More job opportunities and more transitional housing are two pressing needs. Debra G. Rowe of Returning Citizens United emphasizes that both concerns require greater attention from policymakers. Transitional housing would help returnees, given that DC rents are high. So would DC government’s requiring its contractors to hire more returning citizens. Rowe, a returned citizen, says she “was able to turn my life around.” She’s not the only one.

What MORCA Does Bradley Holmes, 59, overcame alcohol and drug addictions and multiple incarcerations. He now leads a more sedate life as a counselor with Sa-

sha Bruce Youthwork. Holmes was mentored by Charles Thornton, MORCA’s director. The men knew each other growing up in Northeast DC. Both had been incarcerated. Thornton turned his life around and directed Holmes to a Department of Employment Services (DOES) training program. Holmes had been through it several times but, informed that this would be his last chance, he buckled down. He also obtained treatment for addictions and received computer training through MORCA. It’s unusual for an older man to cite someone younger, like Thornton, as a mentor. But Holmes insists, “Examples matter. If he could do it, so could I.”

MORCA’s Leader Thornton’s strength is that he addresses reentry issues from experience. Growing up in the East Capitol dwellings, Thornton began selling and using drugs when his teenage girlfriend (now his wife) became pregnant. Cycling between the streets and incarceration in the 1980s, he came back to DC in 1990 and was “blessed to get a mentor and sponsor and to obtain therapeutic housing in a real strength-based environment.” After work as a realtor and developer, Thornton was tapped by then-mayor Vincent Gray in 2011 to head MORCA.

MORCA under Thornton DC government outreach to people returning from incarceration has existed since the mid-1990s. MORCA (originally the Mayor’s Office of Ex-Offender Affairs) was created in 2006. Several years later a former MORCA director complained to The Washington Post that its budget of $300,000 was inadequate to effectively help DC’s returning citizens. Thornton says he’s upped MORCA’s energy level. Thornton recalled his return from prison three decades ago when services to help returnees operated as islands. His goal is to have MORCA fulfill its mandated mission of better coordinating the reentry process. The better to deliver vital services, MORCA has forged links with

Charles Thornton with a MORCA training class graduate.

social service providers and other DC government agencies including the Office on Aging and the Department of Behavioral Health. Thornton says there are older DCers returning after prison who lack digital skills and knowledge of how DC has changed. Many need treatment for mental illness or addictions. City agencies addressing employment and disability services regularly send staff to MORCA’s Reentry Resource Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE. Classes offered with MORCA client at work. other city agencies provide returning citizens the opportunity to obtain construction flagger certiMORCA’s Future fications and commercial driver’s licenses. MORThornton views MORCA as a personal mission. CA sponsors federal prison visits to promote That personal commitment is frequently missing family reunification and to acquaint returning among DC bureaucrats. Certainly there is great citizens with DC’s resources. Recently MORCA value to that approach and it is well worth retainteamed with DOES, Events DC, and the Coning. But that can only carry an office so far when gress Heights Community Training and Develthe need it serves is so great, particularly with apopment Corporation to provide job training and proximately 2,000 people returning to DC from work experience to female returning citizens. federal prison, according to CSOSA in FY 2014. Rowe compliments Thornton’s personal commitMORCA, in FY 2015, placed 247 people in ment but says stronger staffing would help MORunsubsidized employment, a notable increase CA, particularly employees who have who faced from previous years. reentry themselves or who have experience helping returning citizens. Promise Fulfilled However, OIG’s report skirts an even more or Unfulfilled important issue, which can only be answered by DC’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) monthe city’s elected policymakers. Holmes notes itors the operations of government agencies and that millions of dollars are budgeted for the agencontractors to ensure their operations are being cies overseeing corrections in DC, yet MORadministered efficiently, economically, and ethiCA receives relatively little. (Its FY 2016 budcally. OIG’s report issued in late September credget of $416,000 is an increase of approximately ited MORCA for “working diligently” to provide $50,000 from FY 2015.) That is not enough givreturning DCers with links to social service proen that most returning citizens, as well as their viders and government agencies. families and neighborhoods, have complicated But OIG asserted that MORCA’s four-person challenges for reintegration. Holmes finds it perstaff “lacked fundamental organizational mechaplexing, asserting that “MORCA can do more if nisms and resources,” meaning fewer returning given more.” citizens knew about DC’s reentry resources and there were fewer collaborations among DC proStephen Lilienthal is a freelance writer in Washington, DC. He is on viders of services that could potentially create the advisory council of the Free Minds Book Club. u smoother reentries. MORCA agreed with seven of the 12 recommendations but disagreed in specific instances, often over interpretations of appropriate roles and responsibilities.

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East of the River Magazine December 2015

neighborhood news / Our river

Charles Allen’s Vision our river: the anacostia

nyone who was around when the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative Master Plan was developed in 2000 would surely be impressed with what has been accomplished in the past 15 years. The Yards Park, Canal Park, the new trails on the east side of the river, the baseball stadium, streams like Watts Branch restored and set into parklands – the list goes on. Like all such undertakings, some things are great, some are slow, and some never seem to go anywhere. To keep things on track there must be a vision and someone in charge of reminding everyone what it is, how their efforts fit into it, and, frankly, how it sometimes must change over time. The District produced a 132-page framework plan in 2003 that said, “Change along the Anacostia is necessary and inevitable; the opportunity is to shape it.” The plan set out the goal of “an Anacostia Corridor as the center of 21st-century Washington.” Lots of broad and overlapping goals were included, focusing on cleaning up and getting out on the river, and investing in housing and the economy in the areas adjacent. In 2007 the DC Council abolished the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation and the National Capitol Revitalization Corporation and assigned their duties to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. A 52-page, 10-year progress report issued in 2010 noted the projects completed or underway and called for better coordination, especially with federal agencies. That’s where things stood until this fall, when Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen called for hearings on a strategy for economic development along the river. Allen had observed that, while in most cases District support was evident on a project-by-project basis, there seemed to be little effort from the deputy mayor’s office to deal with questions such as, “What is Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen on the Anacostia. Photo: Office of Charles Allen

by Bill Matuszeski

the vision and how do you lead investment there consistent with the framework plan?” He noted as an example that “no one had been assigned to deal with the whole range of issues with community boathouses, and accommodation of powerboats, sailing craft and self-powered boats. This despite the fact that there were changes occurring on the River,” such as the closing of the Buzzard Point boathouse by the National Park Service and the reconfiguration of the marinas at the nearby “Wharf ” project to favor powerboats. The hearing, held on Oct. 26, was well-attended with 37 witnesses signed up. While many represented relatively narrow interests in the waterfront and adjacent areas, a few impressed Allen with their broad understanding of what was going on, and reinforced his desire to have the District play a stronger role in fitting the pieces together. The deputy mayor himself, Brian Kenner, was a witness and recognized the need to do more to integrate the work of his employees and connect the teams to those investing in the river. The issues and projects along the River are in constant change, but at any time a few are getting attention. For Allen, these currently include the future of Reservation 13, site of the old DC Gen-

eral Hospital and the DC Jail, the former used until recently as a major homeless shelter; and the conflicts over what should be done with the parking lots at RFK Stadium. Whatever becomes of Reservation 13, Allen believes the future needs to take into account that “it backs up to the Anacostia, which is more and more an asset to the neighborhood”. The issues at RFK are more complex. The Mayor hopes to build a new stadium for professional football; that means lots of parking for tailgate parties. The neighbors want to tear up the parking lots for more recreation space. And the environmental community wants something done to deal with the vast acreage of asphalt now draining directly into the River. Allen thinks that whether or not there is a new stadium the decision and the associated construction is likely to consume 10 years; ”meanwhile, we should remove the asphalt and expand the existing recreation areas; even if there is eventually a stadium, the parking lots can be permeable surfaces with rain gardens and other modern means to handle the runoff.” .Allen’s view of all this encompasses a range of other issues of significance not even on the District’s radar screen. “Do you know about our fireboat?” he asks. “It is one we purchased from New York City when they declared it was at the end of its useful life in 1977, the year I was born.” It is still our only fireboat, and each year we have more and more boats on the river and the Washington Channel. It has just been repaired and is said to be good for five more years, but there is no plan to replace it. Even farther afield, Allen has learned that Maryland is making plans to replace the Harry Nice Bridge over the Potomac River, where US 301 crosses on its way to Richmond. Quite far away, but the decisions Maryland is making about boat clearances and other design factors could determine what will be able to appear on the Anacostia in the future. “Are we thinking about that?” Simply keeping track of all these issues is a major effort. Allen finds himself asking the deputy mayor, “How are you organized? We need a process; we need to put the staff to work in teams to deal with some of these issues. And we need to open up the process to the press and the public. Otherwise the pieces don’t fit and the opportunity to carry out a vision we have defined for the Anacostia is lost.” Makes sense to me. Bill Matuszeski writes monthly about the Anacostia River. He is the retired director of the Chesapeake Bay Program, DC vice-chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee on the Anacostia River, and a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia River. u

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

East of the River Magazine December 2015

East washington lifE Kyle Coffman as Artful Dodger and the company of Oliver! at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater 10/30/15 – 1/3/16.

ashington is a hub of earnest, provocative, relevant theater—where even the classic American musical or Shakespearean comedy is infused with at least a thread of social commentary. But by December, even Washington’s theaters take a break from consciousness-raising to embrace the holiday spirit and indulge in some comfort food. It’s time to enjoy heartwarming fare for the whole family. Arena Stage kicks of the season with Oliver!, a sugar-coated treat that’s every bit as bright and entertaining as it was when its host of memorable songs debuted in 1960. Despite director Molly Smith’s sobering program notes linking the show to the plight of today’s homeless children, from the production’s first notes it’s clear we’re not diving too deeply into the gritty streets of urban America or even Victorian London. As ever, in this show good people thrive, bad people get their due and kids are just plain cute—even if their comfort and security are determined, more than anything else, by accidents of birth. Set designer Todd Rosenthal recreates life under the bridge where most of the play takes place, with green-tinged iron catwalks overhead and a floor

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dc theaters serve family fare peppered with sewer grates, all in shadowy lighting by Colin K. Bills. Here dwells Oliver Twist, a tiny, feisty orphan played by Jake Heston Miller. It’s perhaps unreasonable to expect a 9-year-old to dance like a pro and express an abundance of sorrow, fear, rage and wit. But Miller has the role’s two essential qualities: unsaccharine charm and vocal pipes as clear and resonant as a flute. His first pitch-perfect solo, “Where Is Love,” is worth the price of admission. But it’s Eleasha Gamble who steals the show. As Nancy, the fallen woman with a heart of gold, she first storms the stage in spirited renditions of “It’s a Fine Life” and “Oom-Pah-Pah,” and then transforms into a formidable torch singer in “As Long As He Needs Me.” Her performance deserves a standing ovation on the spot, and thankfully Gamble has a chance to reprise it before the show ends. In between, Oliver! is a showcase for delightful bits, starting with the comedic flirtation between the evil Mr. Bumble (Paul Vogt) and the Widow Corney (Rayanne Gonzales) in “I Shall Scream,” followed by the near-immediate dissolution of their romance in “Oliver.” Both numbers lend not just humor but also full rein to Gonzales’ marvelous voice. As Mr. and Mrs. Sowerber-

ate it year after year. Adapted by Michael Wilson and directed by Michael Baron, this production is lavish, haunting and buoyant, with all the color and character Dickens deserves. A Christmas Carol, at Ford’s Theater, through Dec. 31

black natiVity Theater Alliance reprises another holiday treasure with Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity, a Helen Hayes Award-winning production that begins with the Christmas story before tracing the history of African-American music, from gospel to blues, jazz and funk. It’s a deeply moving and musically thrilling journey, featuring an ensemble cast of accomplished Washington theater veterans and promising newcomers. Black Nativity, at Anacostia Playhouse, Dec. 11 – Jan. 4

step afrika For home-grown festive music and dance, don’t miss Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show. This world-renowned step dance company presents its electrifying mix of stomps, claps and chants, set to holiday tunes with a sprinkling of snowflakes and visits by life-size polar

bears and other furry friends. As always, audience members—and especially kids—are invited to make some noise throughout the show and join the cast on the dance floor at the end. Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show, at The Atlas Theater, Dec. 11 – Dec. 22

a luMp of coal Adventure Theater adds a world premiere to our holiday roster, A Lump of Coal for Christmas. Written by Charles MacArthur and Regional Emmy Award recipient Norman Allen, directed by Helen Hayes Award-winner Holly Twyford and featuring the acclaimed Erin Weaver, this comedy holds abundant promise. According to Adventure, it’s about a lump of coal who wants to be an artist: “Traditionally the dreaded stocking stuffer for children on the Naughty List, this Lump turns one child’s worst nightmare into a dream come true.” What’s not to love? A Lump of Coal for Christmas, at Adventure Theater through Dec. 31 Barbara Wells is a writer and editor for Reingold, a social marketing communications firm. She and her husband live on Capitol Hill. u

Eleasha Gamble as Nancy in Oliver! at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater 10/30/15 – 1/3/16.

article by Barbara Wells, photos by Margot Schulman

ry, the ever-cheeky Tom Story and menacing Dorea Schmidt are a hoot, and Jeff McCarthy is in fine form as Fagin, the leader of a pickpocket gang of kids. Most appealing of all is the charismatic Kyle Coffman as Artful Dodger, who rescues Oliver from the streets. His distinct style of singing and dancing—choreographed by Arena veteran Parker Esse—anchor memorable renditions of the show’s crowd-pleasing favorites: “Consider Yourself ” and “I’d Do Anything.” After the show, you may not find yourself pondering weighty social issues, but everyone in the family will be humming a tune. Oliver!, at Arena Stage, through Jan. 3

a cHristMas carol There’s another seasonal dose of Dickens at Ford’s Theater, where Washington legend Ed Gero brings Scrooge to life in A Christmas Carol—for the seventh time. It’s a miraculous gift that Gero discovered his aptitude for embodying this role but keeping it fresh, and that now he returns to recre-

East of the River Magazine December 2015

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East washington life

St. Luke Catholic Church a close-knit community of many doors by Virginia Avniel Spatz

I visited St. Luke Catholic Church on Dec. 2 for the third in a series exploring worship communities east of the river from the perspective of a participant-observer, a roving Jew in the pew ...

t. Luke’s occupies most of the 4900 block of East Capitol Street SE, in Ward 7’s Capitol View neighborhood. In the center is the main sanctuary, where hundreds gather for Sunday Mass. To the east is St. Luke Center, with banquet facilities and room for many community activities. To the west is the rectory with a chapel at its rear. This smaller space has room for a few dozen chairs but seems to fill up with just a handful of participants. This is the place to be at St. Luke’s on weekdays: for worship, for study, and for cheesecake.

History and Mission St. Luke’s is a Roman Catholic Church founded in 1957 and associated with the St. Joseph Society of the Sacred Heart, or “Josephites.” The society formed after the Civil War to serve newly freed slaves. The Josephite mission has evolved over 140+ years but remains solely dedicated to the African-American community. One of three Josephite parishes east of the river,

Father Cornelius Ejiogu, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, is now in his third year as pastor.

St Luke’s serves Far Northeast and Southeast DC and Prince George’s County. Josephites also operate a seminary in the District and another three dozen churches and schools across seven states. Holy Eucharist, congregational literature says, is a way of celebrating “our Lord, Jesus Christ ... the center of our joy” and “an essential part of our belief system.” In Church practice, Eucharist and other sacraments are for baptized Catholics. But Father Cornelius Ejiogu, in his third year as St. Luke’s pastor, encourages “all who find it spiritually fulfilling” to participate in

other aspects of the Mass as well as prayer services and study. The regular schedule includes daily services and two weekly Bible studies. Instruction toward baptism is available for those interested. In addition the church operates a food bank and hosts many community activities as well as regular AA and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. “Our job is not to drag people into the Church,” Fr. Cornelius explains, “but to express the Gospel with our lives.”

More Than One Door

Wednesday evening Bible study at St. Luke Catholic Church. With cheesecake, though.

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The central doors of St. Luke’s main sanctuary welcome most first-time visitors. But I chose another route. The exact location of weekday services is not listed on website or bulletin, and I failed to inquire beforehand. So, on a cold morning at 7:55 a.m., I arrived at the locked main doors in some confusion. Once I found it, however, the small chapel door – under the maroon awning off the parking area – opened to a more intimate welcome. Several of the small group already present introduced themselves, while others prepared the altar or sat in contemplation. One participant disseminated the day’s readings. Fr. Cornelius opened Mass with a word of welcome to me, an obvious stranger (who couldn’t even find the door). As Mass progressed, different congregants read scripture, led prayers, and helped serve Communion. Fr. Cornelius offered a short teaching linking the day’s scriptures to the season of Advent and conducted the Eucharist service. A

regular participant waved me into a semi-circle facing the altar for consecration of the host, so I was included in the offering of host and wine. But my signal that I was not receiving was acknowledged without remark. I felt welcome to participate as my faith allowed, leaving the small sanctuary with an ethical teaching to ponder and spiritual sustenance for the world outside.

cHeesecake in turbulent tiMes Wednesday evening Bible study – be sure to check the time (which differs in winter from that posted) – was small, welcoming, and enriching. In addition to passages to be read on the following Sunday, study includes some aspect of the liturgy and sacraments. Participants suggest topics in advance, so Fr. Cornelius can bring appropriate resources to share. It was clear from the gentle ribbing about who would sit where and whether everyone would receive a fair share of cheesecake that participants knew one another. There were no in-jokes to make a newcomer feel like an outsider, however, and reference to previously studied material was shared If this entrance is closed, be calm and try the chapel door.

with opportunities for questions. There were openings to ensure that everyone was following and could express their own reflections. The hour is bookended with participant-led prayer. On the evening I visited, prayer and discussion focused on mass shootings that day and, more generally, on the violence of our times. “Many parishioners have lost children or grandchildren through gun violence,” Fr. Cornelius shared in a separate conversation, adding that addressing such losses was part of a month-long November ritual remembering parish deceased.

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brokenness and Grace And, as it happens, a loss to gun violence was the impetus for my first real encounter with St. Luke’s earlier this year: Amari Jenkins, age 21, had been participating in a program at St. Luke Center when he was shot to death. In broad daylight on East Capitol Street. On the steps of the church. In the wake of this shattering experience, directly across from the home of friends I was visiting at the time, I contacted St. Luke’s through its website. I wanted to share my prayers for the church and to ask that they pass along my condolences to survivors of the young man, whose name I did not yet know. Fr. Cornelius responded with an invitation to join a community memorial service the following week. “I saw a community coming together from across tribes and denominations, brought together by the broken peace of our neighborhood,” wrote my friend, Micah Bales, after his family and I attended the service. “I witnessed God’s power made perfect in weakness.” The St. Luke’s community might not have known the Jenkins family before their terrible loss, but the parish mobilized its spiritual and communal resources to help mend the heartbreak of Amari’s mourners and grieving neighbors, as well as that of the church itself. “St. Luke’s is a close-knit group, but we are also part of the neighborhood,” says Fr. Cornelius. “We are sustained by the mercy of God’s grace, and we are here to share that.” St. Luke Catholic Church, 4925 East Capitol St. SE. 202-584-8322. www.stlukechurchssj.org Sunday Mass: 8:30 and 11 a.m. plus Saturday vigil at 4 p.m. Monthly Masses in Cameroon and Congolese. Weekdays: Bible study, morning Mass followed by novenas. Many additional activities.

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Virginia Avniel Spatz participates in a range of Jewish and other worship communities. She participated in the “Building Abrahamic Partnerships” program of Hartford Seminary in Connecticut and has worked on interfaith and interdenominational projects. She blogs on faith topics at songeveryday.org. u

East of the River Magazine December 2015

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East washington life / Jazz Avenues

Jazz Avenues by Steve Monroe

A Happy Happy to GVJ Jr. It is that time of year for Christmas and holiday celebrations and happily looking forward to a New Year, when we can all strive to do better for ourselves and others. And those who enjoy the Washington DC Jazz Network and all the jazz presented there, and presented courtesy of George V. Johnson Jr., keeping us abreast of jazz world news via WDCJN and Facebook, can help celebrate Johnson’s 65th birthday at a star-studded gathering on Dec. 20 at Bohemian Caverns. Johnson, who most recently provided fond remembrances of the late saxophonist Arnold Sterling, who passed on to ancestry this fall, is to appear at the Caverns for “A Sagittarian Celebration” with guests including Ron Sutton, Nasar Abadey, Herman Burney, Deante Childers – and “Special Surprise Guests.” The show is from 3 to 7 p.m., $15 advance and $20 at the door. See www.bohemiancaverns. com or www.washingtonjazznetwork.ning.com. We have all benefited greatly from Johnson’s labor of love these last several years as he has singlehandedly created and maintained the jazz network, putting us on the map worldwide with an always jazzy, newsy take on the music and the people that make it go. Thank you, George. Happy Birthday and wishing you a zillion more!

Jazzy December Highlights Other events to watch for this month include the Eric Byrd Trio’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at the Montpelier Arts and Cultural Center in Laurel; saxophonist Stan Killian’s group, with Benito Gonzalez on piano, at Twins Jazz, on Dec. 18-19; sax man Javon Jackson and Sax Appeal with special guest National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Jimmy Heath, on Dec. 18-19, at the Kennedy Center; and Cyrus Chestnut’s week at Blues Alley, closing out the year in style on Dec. 26-31.

Congrats, Reginald Cyntje, Mark Meadows, Willard Jenkins! Best wishes, holiday greetings, and congratulations to these folks.

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

In Preview … The Lovejoy Group’s ‘Believe’ Watch for the holiday recording “Believe,” coming soon from dynamic songstress Karen Lovejoy and The Lovejoy Group. Advance tracks show this one is a gem, with the title tune an especially inspirational bluesy, joyful work lifted by Lovejoy’s majestic vocals. “I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Claus” is a fun treat, and “Snowfall” is an engaging, sweeping instrumental. See www.lovejoygroupmusic.com.

As we look forward to celebrating Christmas and wishing ourselves a Happy New Year, take a moment to remember our heroes, including Baltimore’s own Arnold Sterling, who passed on last month, shown here blowing riffs at Westminster Presbyterian Church a few years ago. Photo: Arnold Sterling

Cyntje and Meadows were recently cited by www.ontaponline.com as two of the top 10 local musicians. Cyntje earned mention as “a trombonist, an educator, a producer and a composer.” Between teaching at Montgomery College, running the Jegna School of Music, being featured on NPR’s “Jazz Night in America,” and winning awards for being DC’s best trombonist, he has authored a book, “Stepping Stones: 15 Studies in Improvisation,” and released his fourth album, “Spiritual Awakening.” See www.reginaldcyntje.com. Ontaponline.com said of keyboard whiz and vocalist Meadows, “his career truly exploded in 2014.” Last year Meadows, a Johns Hopkins University graduate, released his “acclaimed” second album, “Something Good,” and was named Strathmore’s Artist in Residence for the 2014-15 season. He was named both Composer of the Year and Artist of the Year in DC. See www.markmeadows.com. And muchas gracias, for all you do, to Jenkins, our man of many hats: radio programmer, educator, writer, blogger, producer, and much more. Last month the Howard University Jazz Ensemble honored him as the 2015 winner of the Benny Golson Jazz Master award for his work as artistic director of the DC Jazz Festival.

December highlights: … Luis Faife Quartet, Dec. 12, Twins Jazz … Thinking about Jazz/ Billy Taylor, Dec. 12, Westminster Presbyterian Church … Tony Craddock Jr. and Cold Front, Dec. 13, Meade Memorial Episcopal Church/ Alexandria … A Charlie Brown Christmas/Eric Byrd Trio, Dec. 13, Montpelier Arts Center … The Capital Bones/A Stan Kenton Christmas, with Lena Seikaly, Dec. 14, Blues Alley … Lori Williams, Dec. 15, Blues Alley … A Freddy Cole Christmas, Dec. 17-20, Blues Alley … Phil Butts Band, Denyse Pearson/Tribute to Billie Holiday, Dec. 18, Westminster Presbyterian Church … Stan Killian Quartet, Dec. 18-19, Twins Jazz … Javon Jackson and Sax Appeal with Jimmy Heath, Dec. 18-19, Kennedy Center … George V. Johnson Jr. Birthday Celebration, Dec. 20, Bohemian Caverns … Marshall Keys, Dec. 22, Blues Alley … Elijah Cole, Dec. 23, Twins Jazz … Wes Biles Presents, Dec. 26, Westminster Presbyterian Church … Ben Williams & Sound Effect, Dec. 26-27, Bohemian Caverns … Cyrus Chestnut, Dec. 26-31, Blues Alley … Diane Schuur and Strings/A Jazz New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, Kennedy Center. December birthdays: Wynton Kelly, 2; Jim Hall 4; Dave Brubeck, Frankie Dunlop 5; Jimmy Smith 8; Donald Byrd 9; Ray Nance 10; McCoy Tyner 11; Tony Williams 12; Clark Terry, Cecil Payne 14; Sy Oliver 17; Fletcher Henderson18; Chet Baker 23; Baby Dodds 24; Cab Calloway, Don Pullen 25; Earl Hines 28. Steve Monroe is a Washington, DC, writer who can be reached at steve@jazzavenues.com and followed atwww.twitter.com/jazzavenues. u

Britton and a vendor show off her wares.

community fixture juanita britton and the bzb holiday gift and art show by Meghan Markey

“H

ey! Admission is a smile!” A smiling, effusive Juanita “Busy Bee” Britton is sitting inside the doorway of the Shiloh Family Life Center in Shaw. The church is brimming with energy; people perusing hundreds of African artisan crafts and gifts. Britton has organized the BZB Holiday Gift and Art Show “Shop til Ya Drop” event for the past 25 years. The annual event has grown from ten or twelve vendors to upwards of 70 across two floors. A sampling of African crafts and gifts one can It all began when Britton took a trip to Lonfind at the BZB Holiday Gift and Art Show. don in 1989, specifically Brixton, a neighborhood known for its large Caribbean population. Britton took note of the colorful and culturally Anacostia Art Gallery and Boutique in SE, where rich artwork and crafts of the citizens there, and she’s lived for 30 years. attended gift shows. She thought a similar show Britton demonstrated a knack for business at would do well stateside, and thus the seed was a very tender age. As a toddler, she was always sown for the BZB Holiday Gift and Art Show. working on a handful of projects, earning her Britton set to work recruiting merchants the nickname “Busy Bee,” – as her grandmother and artisans, travelling nationwide said, she was always “busy as a bee.” and relying on word of mouth as the At age 10, Britton had set up a lemshopping extravaganza grew year by onade stand on the a corner of her year. Working with her mother and hometown of Detroit. While most “adoptive” children, Britton has children may dabble with such ennearly single-handedly produced the deavors over a summer weekend or large event every year as a side hobby. two, by the time Britton was 13, she When she’s not organizing the had six lemonade stands on different BZB Holiday Gift and Art Show, corners and essentially became a preshe operates a plethora of familiar teen franchise owner. retail stores in area airports, such And she didn’t stop there – in as Brooks Brothers, Spanx, CNBC high school, she ran a social club Newstores, interacting with nearly that organized large scale concerts Juanita “Busy Bee” 160 employees. She also owns the and other social events. In college, Britton.

Britton arranges a necklace for a customer.

she ran a hairdressing salon out of her dorm room. Her grandfather bought her an IBM Selectric typewriter. Britton charged classmates $1 a page to use it. She graduated with degrees in International Relations and Education from Western Michigan College in Kalamazoo, and returned home to her high school following graduation to teach. After a year, she came to DC to get her master’s degree in public policy from Howard University. Incredibly driven and focused, but having never taken a business class, Britton credits her family for instilling an entrepreneurial spirit in her. “My father, grandfather, even my mother all had hobbies and other businesses aside from their main careers,” she says. She named her company “BZB International,” clearly referencing her childhood nickname. However, not only does Britton possess a great amount of business savvy, she possesses an intensely warm and caring personality – one that’s always on the move, saying hello to her friends, checking on all of the merchants and hopping from one vendor to the next to offer encouragement and make sure everything is running smoothly. It is clear that the BZB Holiday Gift and Art Show is more than just an annual shopping event. It’s a chance for the community to come together and celebrate African American culture, check in with friends, and share their passions and creativity. It’s a labor of love for Britton; and it shows. Merchants travel from all over the country to participate, and sell their wares amongst local DC artisans – some vendors have participated for over 15 years – it’s an eclectic mix, and ensures that patrons will find unique gifts for their loved ones. The 25th Annual BZB Holiday Gift and Art Show operates every Saturday until Christmas at the Shiloh Family Life Center at 1510 9th Street NW. Just don’t forget – Admission is a smile. u East of the River Magazine December 2015

Homes & Garden

T’is the Season to Install Solar Energy East of the River! by Catherine Plume

he cost of installing solar panels has never been cheaper, and homeowners in DC’s Wards 7 and 8 are jumping on the renewable energy bandwagon. Working in collaboration with DC Solar United Neighborhoods (DC SUN), homeowners (and businesses owners who own their building) are establishing the East of the River Solar Co-op, using their collective buying power to get a discounted price for solar panel installation. DC SUN is hoping that at least 100 residents and business will sign up for this group bulk purchase.

How Do Solar Photovoltaic Systems Work? When you install a solar photovoltaic system – an array of solar panels – on your home or building you’ll still receive electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whether the sun is shining or not. You’ll also still receive a single electricity bill from your current electricity provider. The energy that is produced by the solar panels on your home or building will feed back into the electricity grid. You’ll be reimbursed for the energy your home/building produces on your electricity bill. As important, you’ll also receive solar renewable energy credit (SREC) payments for the solar energy produced. These SREC

payments can be used to offset the cost of installing a solar array.

Should You Consider Installing Solar Panels? There has always been an environmental benefit for installing solar panels. In DC, 95 percent of Pepco’s electricity is generated by burning coal which contributes to climate change. Solar energy is renewable and doesn’t rely on fossil fuels. Solar energy produced in the US also reduces overall dependence on foreign energy sources. But investing in a solar array also makes economic sense. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar energy prices have dropped by more than 73 percent since 2006, and homeowners and businesses across the US are turning to solar energy as it becomes cheaper. As of June 2015, nearly 784,000 US homes and businesses had installed solar for some or all of their electricity needs, with a new solar project installed every two minutes.

Why Join a Coop? Solar installation companies invest a great deal of time and resources looking for clients. Coop members work together to conduct a competitive bidding process to select a single company that will install systems on all of the participating homes. Solar companies are willing to offer discounts of as much as 20 percent to coops as

How a solar coop works. Image: DC SUN www.dcsun.org

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

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CHANGING HANDS Changing hands is a list of most residential sales in the District of Columbia from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list,based on the MRIs, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms.

they are bidding to install systems on many homes and businesses, often located in close proximity, saving them advertising and transportation revenue. Each coop member signs their own contract with the installer, but everyone benefits from the bulk discount. Members are able to consider various options for their system such as whether they buy or rent the panels. While negotiating a solar installation contract isn’t rocket science, it does require some insight and expertise. DC SUN and Community Power Network have supported coops across DC for the past six years, and have helped more than 300 DC residents and businesses install solar arrays. Their latest project is the East of the River Coop. The schematic outlines how a solar coop works. You can sign up to join at http://www.dcsun.org/ ward78/ or by sending an email to solarteam@dcsun.org. The cost of a solar installation will vary depending on the size of your roof and the amount of shade that falls on it and what you can afford. In DC the cost of a typical solar array on a home ranges from $9,000 to $27,000, but tax credits, SRECs, and lower energy bills help cover these costs. To ensure everyone who owns a home has access to solar energy, the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DDOE) has paired up with the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) to establish a program that helps lower-income residents install solar on their homes with no upfront costs. To learn more about this program you can call DC SEU at 202-479-2222 or email them at info@dcseu.com. The White House, Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, and Vatican are all generating solar energy. Join the trend! There’s never been a better time to sign up for solar. Catherine Plume is a lifelong environmentalist, a writer, and a blogger for the DC Recycler: www.DCRecycler.blogspot.com; Twitter @DC_ Recycler. u

Neighborhood

Close Price BR

FEE SIMPLE

726 50TH ST NE 5324 GAY ST NE 5812 FOOTE ST NE 4202 GAULT PL NE

$155,000 $124,900 $88,000 $70,000

ANACOSTIA FORT DUPONT PARK 1424 W ST SE $190,000 2 3915 R ST SE 1758 41ST PL SE 478 BURNS ST SE 1513 FORT DAVIS ST SE 4620 H ST SE CHILLUM 1316 44TH PL SE 5508 KANSAS AVE NW $653,000 4 5617 1ST ST NE $525,000 4 1413 18TH PL SE 1536 RIDGE PL SE 1705 W ST SE

$185,000 $185,000 $160,000

4 3 3

$364,000 $335,900 $290,000 $270,000 $267,697 $175,000

HILL CREST

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 809 MALCOLM X AVE SE 266 NEWCOMB ST SE 3904 2ND ST SW 3331 BROTHERS PL SE 424 MELLON ST SE 414 BRANDYWINE ST SE 627 ATLANTIC ST SE

$275,000 $268,000 $237,000 $175,000 $165,000 $135,000 $106,550

3 3 3 3 3 2 2

2911 W ST SE 2020 32ND PL SE 2522 33RD ST SE 3006 Q ST SE 2948 M ST SE 2833 Q ST SE 1534 25TH ST SE 2323 BRANCH AVE. SE

$550,000 $521,000 $457,500 $424,500 $297,500 $285,000 $250,000 $450,000

MARSHALL HEIGHTS DEANWOOD 4539 EADS ST NE 4810 SHERIFF RD NE 5089 JUST ST NE 4510 LEE ST NE 150 35TH ST NE 310 63RD ST NE 560 48TH PL NE 5217 BANKS PL NE 5025-5031 SHERIFF RD NE 4956 JUST ST NE

$355,000 $310,000 $304,000 $300,000 $262,500 $237,000 $229,000 $225,000 $200,000 $189,555

3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 2

5046 CALL PL SE 69 47TH ST. SE 5050 BENNING RD SE

$355,000 $250,000 $190,000

RANDALL HEIGHTS 3030 STANTON W 2208 GOOD HOPE RD SE 1879 ALABAMA AVE SE 2009 TREMONT ST SE 3424 21ST ST SE

$143,000 $290,000 $280,000 $263,000 $250,000

3 3 2 3 4 3 3 2 3 2

1915 ALABAMA AVE SE 1834 T PL SE

$187,000 $185,000

2 2

CONDO CONGRESS HEIGHTS 401 WOODCREST DR SE #401B 713 BRANDYWINE ST SE #103

$333,500 $59,001

4 2

FORT DUPONT PARK 512 RIDGE RD SE #105

$34,000

HILL CREST 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 3 3

3001 NELSON PL SE #2 1501 27TH ST SE #303 3711 ALABAMA AVE SE #101 2057 38TH ST SE #102

$109,000 $96,000 $68,000 $63,000

2 1 2 1

MARSHALL HEIGHTS 4724 BENNING RD SE #304 5106 F ST SE #12 5005 D ST SE #202

$69,900 $55,000 $51,000

2 2 2

RANDLE HEIGHTS 2850 HARTFORD ST SE #104 1907 GOOD HOPE RD SE #4

$60,000 $27,000

2 0

COOP 2 3 3 3 2

HILL CREST 28012803 ERIE ST SE #A117 u

$60,000

East of the River Magazine December 2015

Kids & familY / notEBooK

notebook by Kathleen Donner

norad tracks santa at noradsanta.orG For more than 50 years, NORAD has tracked Santa’s flight. The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement misprinted the telephone number for children to call Santa. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief ’s operations “hotline.” The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born. Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have volunteered their time to personally respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world. In addition, they now track Santa using the internet. Millions of people who want to know Santa’s whereabouts now visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website. Finally, media from all over the world rely on NORAD as a trusted source to provide updates on Santa’s journey. Phone number will be published later this month. noradsanta.org. PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - NORAD Tracks Santa volunteers Col. Alvin Vann and Maj. Miguel Pagan answer phone calls from people across the globe looking for Santa. The green hat Pagan is wearing signifies that he speaks a second language and is available to translate should another volunteer receive a call in that language. Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher

readinG witH a ranGer at kenilwortH park On Saturdays, Dec. 12 and 26, join a Park Ranger for a fun and educational story time and craft activity. Program will include the reading of a short colorful book and conclude with an arts and crafts activity based on the story. Best for ages four to seven. This free program is from 11 a.m. to noon. Call 202-692-6080 for more information. The entrance to the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens is at 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. nps.gov/keaq.

purple puck ice Hockey tournaMent at fort dupont From Dec. 28 through Dec. 31, some of the best high school ice hockey teams will compete at Fort Dupont Ice Arena. The teams are from Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.); DeMatha Catholic H.S. (Hyattsville, Md.; Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) (2014 Runner-Up); Hun School of Princeton (N.J.) (2014 Champions); Academy of the New Church (Bryn Athyn, Penn.; St. Joseph’s

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EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Prep (Philadelphia, Penn.); Calvert Hall, MD; and Malvern Prep, PA. The public is invited to watch. For schedules, visit gonzagahockey.org.

twelVe years tours to treasure at tHe acM Families are invited to a docent-led tour of the exhibition Twelve Years That Shook and Shaped Washington (1963–1975). Afterwards kids can go on a self-guided treasure hunt with an exhibition family guide to test their knowledge. They’ll receive a free gift for completing the hunt. Each Tours to Treasure program lasts approximately 60 minutes; recommended for families and children (six years, up). Tours are on Jan. 3, 10, 16 and 30 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

francis a. GreGory library cHess club Whether you’ve been playing for years, or are interested in learning, join them for an evening of chess. All ages and experience levels welcome.

The Chess Club meets in the first floor meeting room. The Francis A. Gregory Library Chess Club meets every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library is at 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-698-6373. dclibrary.org/ francis.

step afrika! MaGical Musical Holiday step faMily fun pack Step Afrika! is back, Dec. 10 to Dec. 22, to delight audiences young and old with their magical musical holiday step show. Audiences are invited to make music with DC’s internationally-known stepping company and their furry friends from the Animal Kingdom in this annual holiday tradition. Come ready to bring in the festive season with a bang featuring the electrifying artists from Step Afrika! and special guest DJ Frosty the Snowman. Tickets are $15-$39.50. The Family Fun Pack is $100 and includes four tickets, one snack and one drink, each; two patrons must be 16 and under. Step Afrika! Magical Musical Hol-

l d n m -

e y e e

iday Step is at the Atlas performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202399-7993. atlasarts.org.

Kids Computer Class at Capitol View Library Calling all kids, eight to 13 years old. Come join the Capitol View Library computer class. Learn new ways to create your own data and have fun using computers. The class meets on the second and forth Wednesdays of each month for one hour. Class repeats every month on the fourth Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.; Dec. 23, Jan. 27, Feb. 24, Mar. 23, Apr. 27, May 25, June 22, July 27. Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0755. dclibrary. org/capitolview.

Grant Helps Expand Citizen Scientist Program Watershed Testing The Anacostia Community Museum has received $54,000 in funding from the State Farm Youth Advisory Board (YAB) during the 2016 project period to support expansion of its Citizens Scientist Program (CSP) Urban Ecology Engagement Initiative. An outgrowth of the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multiyear, multidisciplinary Urban Waterways Project, CSP has engaged more than 200 local middle and high school students since 2013 to collect environmental data and conduct scientific research to improve understanding of the biology and water quality of the Anacostia River Watershed. The program is implemented in partnership with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. The museum was one of 62 organizations to be awarded the YAB service-learning, youth-led grant nationally and among the 22 selected in their eastern market area for this school year. As in 2014, the museum is acknowledging State Farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued support and larger gift by inviting its representatives to participate in a field trip Oct. 31 with CSP students to demonstrate the placement of chemical data logging devices in Watts Branch Tributary in Capitol Heights, Md

East of the River Magazine December 2015

APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR Apply for admissions at: www.myschooldc.org or call (202) 888-6336

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arts on tHe Horizon: snow day at tHe atlas One cold December morning, a young girl named Skip wakes up to find the entire neighborhood covered in a thick, dazzling blanket of white snow. A playful (if not a little mischievous) winter elf takes her on an adventure--showing her just how magical snow can be. Join Skip as she experiences all the excitement, joy, and wonder of her very first snow day. This nonverbal production features live music and lots of wintertime fun, just in time for the holiday season. Snow Day, best suited for children ages two to six, is at the Atlas, Dec. 12 to 20. $9. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org.

paJaMa story tiMe at benninG library This is an evening story time where pajamas are encouraged but not required. These 30-40 minute evening programs are designed to delight children of all ages. Filled with stories and activities that promote and develop language skills and imagination, these programs also encourage children to develop a lifelong love of reading and learning. Pajama Story Time is every Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m. Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Neighborhood Library is at 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583. dclibrary.org/benning.

Join tHe national audubon society cHristMas bird count A family holiday tradition for many, the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society, with over 100 years of citizen science involvement. It’s an early-winter bird census, where thousands of volunteers across the US, Canada and many countries in the Western Hemisphere, go out over a 24 hour period on one calendar day to count birds. To participate, you need to join an existing CBC circle by contacting the compiler in advance of the count day. All Christmas Bird Counts are conducted between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5, inclusive dates, each season. Read more and sign up at audubon.org/content/ join-Christmas-bird-count.

akeelaH and tHe bee at arena Based on the beloved film, Akeelah and the Bee tells the story of an independent 11-year-old from the Chicago projects whose razor-sharp mind keeps her one step ahead of the game in the neighborhood … but is it enough to get her to the top? Akeelah must turn to family, friends and a few unlikely mentors if she’s going to survive the final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Playwright Cheryl L. West and director Charles Randolph-Wright bring this spirited adaptation to life this holiday season. Johannah Easley as Akeelah in Children’s Theatre Company’s Akeelah and the Bee at are Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater from Nov. 13 to Dec. 27. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. arenastage.org.

wasHinGton national opera Holiday faMily opera: Hansel and Gretel Complete with a cackling witch, enchanted fairies, dancing animals, and an oversized gingerbread oven, the timeless Grimm brothers’ fairy tale returns for the holidays in WNO’s whimsical and neon-colored production from Dec. 12 to Dec. 20. $45-$59. kennedy-center.org

Visit www.ideapcs.org/ACAD to learn more or call 202.780.7750.

iMaGination staGe’s a year witH froG and toad A Year with Frog and Toad is a holiday classic based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved characters as their year of fantastic adventures is chronicled, ultimately strengthening their own friendship. Two best friends with completely opposite personalities wake up from hibernation, and enjoy hilarious and heartwarming adventures through the seasons. When Frog learns that Toad doesn’t receive mail, he quickly writes him a letter and asks the Snail to deliver it. Several uproarious Vaudeville vignettes ensue in which the friends go swimming, fly a kite, bake cookies, tell scary stories, and go sledding down a steep hill. Will the Snail successfully complete his journey to deliver the letter and a smile to Toad? Best for ages four and older, A Year with Frog and Toad runs

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tHree day faMily kwanzaa celebration at tHe anacostia coMMunity MuseuM On Saturday, Dec. 26, bring the entire family for Day One of the museum’s annual 3-day Kwanzaa celebration. This year, Culture Kingdom Kids presents the original play Bone Soup. This energetic and interactive introduction to Kwanzaa includes dancers, singers, music, colorful costumes, and lively characters. On Monday, Dec. 28, members of the multi-talented mime and performance group Crazee Praise give a high-energy, interactive performance based on the seven guiding Kwanzaa principles. This performance will be at the Fort Stanton Recreation Center located one block from the museum. On Tuesday, Dec. 29, families participate in multiple arts and crafts activities using a variety of art materials in the museum’s multi-purpose room. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu. Children and families participate in a past Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum Kwanzaa event featuring the group Melvin Deal African Drummers. Photo: Susana Raab

through Jan. 10 in Imagination Stage in Bethesda. Tickets start at $10 and may be purchased at imaginationstage.org, 301-280-1660, or at the box oﬃce.

525 SCHOOL ST SW WA S H I N G T O N D C , 2 0 0 2 4

Washington Global Public Charter School is a tuition-free middle school (6th, 7th and 8th) open to all students in Washington, DC. We offer a robust international and research-based academic program to develop globally competitive students who are ready for college and careers. Our program includes projectbased learning, small learning communities and classes, technology instruction, arts, and foreign language classes in Spanish and Chinese. We strive for all of our students to be healthy and active through our nutrition, physical education, and athletic programs. We also serve as a community school that promotes local engagement and service-learning for our students.

WHAT MAKES WASHINGTON GLOBAL UNIQUE: • Chromebooks for Each Student • College Preparatory International Curriculum • Intensive Foreign Language Courses (including intensive classes for bilingual students)

• Free Before and After Care • Free Extracurricular Activities • Competitive Sports • Free Tutoring • Comprehensive Special Education Support

Come Join Us at Our Open House for 2016-2017 Enrollment! December 16,2015 | 6-7 pm RSVP with Yezica Diaz at ydiaz@washingtonglobal.org or call 202-796-2415

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

first niGHt alexandria new year’s eVe ideas for faMilies witH kids Start the day at 2 p.m. at the Torpedo Factory Art Center and pick up a First Night Alexandria Fun Hunt clue sheet before setting off on a scavenger hunt adventure around Old Town. Not into scavenger hunts? Partake in interactive art activities in the Torpedo Factory’s great hall and The Art League Gallery or explore Alexandria’s past in the Alexandria Archeology Museum. Beside the Durant Arts Center is the Jefferson Houston School, where families are invited to join in festivities like model sailboat making, carnival games, ThinkFun games, a moon bounce and other kiddie carnival games from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. At 7 p.m., return to the Durant Arts Center for a free shuttle to the George Washington Masonic Memori-

al, where you’ll find activities like face painting, nail art, balloon sculptures by friendly clowns, music and dancing. At midnight, see the fireworks over the river. $20 for adults and kids, 12 and under are free. firstnightalexandria.org.

rocknoceros rinGs in tHe Holidays witH festiVe faMily sinG-alonGs On Thursday, Dec. 17 and Friday, Dec. 18, Rocknoceros will bring holiday cheer to sing-alongs at the Smithsonian Discovery Theater, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW, with two shows each day at 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. They’ll deck the halls with tinsel, a tree, and holiday lights, and Mrs. Claus will make her annual, merry-making appearance. A special Rockoceros tradition is to invite kids to share, via written notes hung on the tree during their shows, either a wish or a gift they’d like for the season. Recommended for ages two to six. Tickets are $3 to $8. Purchase tickets at discoverytheater.org. u

OPEN HOUSE: December 16 5pm-7pm Come tour the school and meet the staff!

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National Prep Offers: College Preparatory and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) Study Abroad with Service Learning Projects 9th, 10th and 11th Grade Honors Classes World Language Studies Small Classroom Sizes Marching Band Football Basketball STEM programs Calling all students interested in International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement classes!

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