East of the River Magazine July 2018 by Capital Community News

JULY 2018

16 AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH & WELLNESS

16 20

Activate Your Summer! by Candace Y.A. Montague

Herbal Ascension Yoga by Candace Y.A. Montague

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IN EVERY ISSUE 06 What’s on Washington

J U LY 2018

N E X T I S S U E : a u g u s t 11

Overcoming Diabetes Challenges by Candace Y.A. Montague

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

08 Calendar 45 The Crossword

46 The Classiﬁed

The Bulletin Board Getting into the Swing of Things: Your Guide to All-Star Week by Elizabeth O’Gorek

Our River: The Anacostia by Bill Matuszeski

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

36 38

DC Strings Performs Music With, Not For, the Audience by Gavrielle Jacobovitz

Jazz Avenues by Steve Monroe

HOMES & GARDENS 39

compiled by Don Denton

ON THE COVER: Photo: Tim Brown. Tim has been photographing in Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens for 10 years. The place seems quiet, but is teaming with life of all sorts. Tim’s take-away - the longer you look the more you see. See his photos on Flickr.

Changing Hands

KIDS & FAMILY 40

Notebook by Kathleen Donner

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F A G O N

GUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL

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AUDI FIELD OPENS

The DC United’s first-ever match at Audi Field is on July 14, 7 p.m., vs. the Vancouver Whitecaps. The new sports arena cost 500 million dollars and took almost a year and a half to build. It has a total seating capacity of 20,000. Audi Field also features a fan plaza outside the main gate, the rooftop patio with sweeping DC views, a team store and a rooftop bar. It is located along the Anacostia River in the historic Buzzard Point neighborhood at 1711 First St. SW. Here’s are the next games: July 25, 7:30 p.m., vs. New York Red Bulls; July 28, 7 p.m., vs. Colorado Rapids. Get tickets at dcunited.com. Photo: Courtesy of DC United

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THE COLOR PURPLE AT THE KENNEDY CENTER “The Color Purple,” the 2016 Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival, is at the Kennedy Center from July 31 to Aug. 26. With a Grammywinning score, the play gives an exhilarating new spirit to Alice Walker’s 1983 Pulitzer-winning novel. Taking place in rural Georgia, the plot focuses on the life of African-American women in the Southern United States in the 1930s. Tickets are $69 to $149. It is recommended for ages 10, up. kennedy-center.org. Carla R. Stewart (Shug Avery) and the North American tour cast of The Color Purple. Photo: Matthew Murphy, 2017

PURCELLVILLE WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL The Purcellville Wine & Food Festival is on July 21, 2 to 8 p.m., at the Fireman’s Field Complex in Purcellville, VA. This annual July event has drawn thousands of attendees and won several awards in its six-year history. Leashed, friendly dogs are welcome. Wineries and vineyards will be sampling a wide array of varietals. There is a nominal fee for tasting. Live entertainment, on two stages, begins at 1:15 p.m. Purcellville is about one hour away via VA-267 W. purcellvillewineandfood.com. Photo: Amie Ware, Town of Purcellville

WEDNESDAY AT THE WHARF SUMMER CONCERTS “Wednesdays at The Wharf,” presented by Landshark Lager, is a free summer concert series that brings live music to Transit Pier on Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. July 4, David Thong Band; July 11, Brent & Co.; July 18, The Woodshedders; July 25, La Unica; Aug. 1, Pebble To Pearl. Transit Pier at The Wharf. wharfdc.com.

LIVING EARTH FESTIVAL AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

This family-friendly event focuses on heritage tourism, traditional agricultural practices and the importance of Native foods in our diets. The Living Earth Festival is July 20 to 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Learn about how indigenous communities use tourism to educate and provide a source of economic development. Meet young farmers from the MA’O Organic Farms on Oahu, Hawaii; young people who are learning about traditional foods and farming through Dream of Wild Health in Minnesota and the Food Sovereignty Project of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The National Museum of the American Indian is on the National Mall between the National Air & Space Museum and the US Capitol Building. nmai.si.edu.

Photo: Courtesy of The Wharf Student interns and staff at the MA’O Organic Farms on O’ahu. The farm produces fruits and vegetables for local stores, restaurants and farmers’ markets. Young farmers from MA’O will be at the festival to talk about how they are combating food deserts. Photo: Courtesy of MA’O Organic Farms

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JULY AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD Ward 8 Farmer’s Market. Saturdays, 10 AM to 2 PM. In the parking lot behind Martin Luther King Elementary School, 3200 Sixth St. SE, at Alabama Avenue. ward8farmersmarket.com. Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Public skating is weekdays, 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays, 1 to 3 p.m. and Sundays, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Skating is $5 for adults; $4, 12 and under and seniors 60 and over. $3 for skate rental. fdia.org. Addiction/Recovery Project. Through July 15. This world premiere play by James J. Hsiao, MD, introduces audiences to five recovering addicts and their sometimes-catastrophic attempts to survive a 28-day recovery program. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. theessentialtheatre.org. East of the River Jazz Night. July 28, 3 to 5 PM. Hear great music and check out the different plants that bloom at different times of the year. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. friendsofkenilworthgardens.org. Urban Gardening Series-Summer Harvest. July 28, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Professional landscape designer and gardening pro, Derek Thomas will guide participants in how to harvest the late spring vegetable garden. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu. Film and Director Q&A with Doug Harris. Aug. 4, 2 to 4 PM. Filmmaker Doug Harris’s documentary “Uzikee─Washington, DC’s Ancestral Sculptor (2018)” explores the life of sculptor Uzikee Nelson. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

COMMUNITY FORKLIFT JULY SALES

Open daily 9 AM to 6 PM. Throughout July, save 50 percent off doors from every era, including reclaimed barn doors, antique wood panel doors, modern doors, French doors and iron security doors. 4671 Tanglewood Dr., Edmonston, MD. Sign up for sale alerts at communityforklift.org.

OUTDOOR MOVIES, MUSIC AND CEREMONY Military Band Concerts at the Capitol. Weeknights in summer at 8. Mondays, US Navy Band; Tuesdays, US Air Force Band; Wednesdays, US Marine Band; Thursdays, US Army Band or US Marine Band; Fridays, US Army Band. West side of the Capitol. There’s plenty of parking near the Botanic Garden. aoc.gov. Marine Barracks Evening Parades. Fridays, 8:45 to 10 PM Parade is at the Marine Barracks on Eighth Street SE. Reservations suggested. barracks.marines.mil/Parades/Evening-Parade. Jazz in the Garden at the NGA. Fridays, 5 to 8:30 PM. The free concerts feature locally and nationally acclaimed musicians perform-

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ing a wide variety of musical genres. National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden between Seventh and Ninth Streets on Constitution Avenue NW. The full schedule is at nga.gov. Wednesday at The Wharf Summer Concerts. Through Aug. 22; 6 to 8 PM. Wednesday at The Wharf is a free summer concert series that brings live music to Transit Pier. July 11, Brent & Co.; July 18, The Woodshedders; July 25, La Unica; Aug. 1, Pebble To Pearl; Aug. 8, Monster Band; Aug. 15, Dixie Power Trio; Aug. 22, 19th Street Band. Transit Pier at The Wharf. wharfdc.com. Yards Park Summer Concerts. Fridays, 7 to 9 PM. July 13, 19th Street Band; July 20, Jeff

Photo: Carrie Delesky

From Accounting; July 27, Trailer Grass Orchestra; Aug. 3, Practically Einstein; Aug. 10. capitolriverfront.org/yards-park. Jazz on Jackson Place Summer Concerts. The White House Historical Association announces Jazz on Jackson Place, a summer concert series held in the courtyard of historic Decatur House on Lafayette Square from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. The $35 ticket includes live music, hors d’oeuvres, open bar, tours of Decatur House and a raffle. July 12, Bassist Adi Meyerson; Aug. 9, Drummer Sanah Kadoura. whitehousehistory.org.

Cinematery at Congressional Cemetery. July 20. BYOB and dinner, too. No dogs. $10 suggested donation at the main gate. Visit congressionalcemetery.org for movie title and start time. US Navy Band Concerts on the Avenue. July 24 and 31, 8 PM. 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. navyband.navy.mil.

Happy Ending. Aug. 9 to 25. Happy Ending tells of two sisters, Ellie and Vi, who work as maid and laundress for the wealthy Harrisons. As the play begins they are sitting at the kitchen table in a tenement apartment in Harlem, lamenting the end of their good times. Anacostia Playhouse is at 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. Tickets are at anacostiaplayhouse.com. Anacostia Parkrun. Saturdays, 9 AM. Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE. Registration required before first run. Beginners welcome. Every week runners grab a post parkrun coffee in a local café. Read more at parkrun.us/anacostia. A Right to the City. After a half-century of population decline and disinvestment, DC has been witnessing a “return to the city,” with rapidly growing populations, rising rents and home prices. “A Right to the City” explores the history of neighborhood change in the nation’s capital. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

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Wine; Aug. 4, Hayes Carll with Travis Linville; Aug. 5, Lori Williams Album Release Show; Aug. 8, The Alarm; Aug. 10. City Winery, 1350 Okie St. NE. citywinery.com/washingtondc. Music at Pearl Street Warehouse. July 7, Jonny Grave CD Release Party; July 12, FY5; July 14, Ellis Dyson and The Shambles and Revelator Hill; July 15, Cicada Rhythm; July 18, Michael McDermott; July 19, The James Hunter Six; July 20, The Mighty Pines; July 21, Randy Thompson Band; July 24, “Jambalaya on the Bayou” Happy Hour with Kevin Gordon Trio, Kevin Gordon; July 26, Larry Keel Experience; July 27, The Dirty Grass Players Perform Pickin on The Dark Side of the Peach; July 28, Maybe April; Aug. 3, Eli Cook; Aug. 4, Blair Crimmins and the Hookers; Aug. 8, Matt Schofield; Aug. 10, Swift Technique. Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW. pearlstreetwarehouse.com.

12TH ANNUAL EAST OF THE RIVER EXHIBITION

Through July 28. A full day of artist talks takes place on July 14, noon to 6 PM selected for their presentations of 3Dimensional work. The show highlights the work of Craig Kraft, Diane English, Jay Coleman, Lisa Swanson, Luis Peralta De Valle, Lyric Prince, Malik Lloyd, Amber Mimz, Jeri Hubbard and Ibé Crawley. Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. honfleurgallery.com. Castillo Dots by Craig Kraft; acrylic paint, pastels, colored pencils; 28” W x 20 3/4” H x 4 1/4” D, 2015

MUSIC AROUND TOWN Music at 9:30 Club. July 7, Steve Hofstetter; July 13, Hot In Here: 2000s Dance Party; July 14, The Circus Life Podcast 5th Anniversary Concert; July 15, The Get Up Kids; July 20, Greta Van Fleet; July 21, Deafheaven; July 22 and 23, Sleep; July 25, 26 and 27, The XX; July 28, The 70s Party; Aug. 2, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic; Aug. 3, Andrea Gibson; Aug. 4, White Ford Bronco: DC’s All 90s Band; Aug. 5, Bitch Sesh. 815 V St. NW. 930.com. Music at U Street Music Hall. July 7, Ghetto Showcase ft. Julius Jetson & special guest Gerry Gonza; July 8, King Princess; July 13, Todd Terry; July 14, Katie Herzig; July 15, Mister Nice Jewish Boy; July 21, Ar’mon & Trey; July 25, 26 and 27, GoldLink-The God Complex; July 26, Shannon And The Clams; July 30, Rex Orange County; Aug. 4, Bae K-Pop Dance Party; Aug. 7, Lydia. U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St. NW. ustreetmusichall.com. Music at Black Cat. July 7, Winzday Love; July 10, OS Mutantes; July 11, The Body; July 12, Boayt; July 14, Wussy; July 15, Wild Moccasins Fitness; July 17, Little Junior; July 18, Pearl Charles; July 20, Two Inch Astronaut; July 22, Romane & Lettuce; July 23, D.O.A.; July 25,

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Music at Union Stage. July 7, Vintage DC/Roots Rock Songs; July 9, The Octopus Project; July 10, The Sound of Musicstars; July 11, Butch Walker; July 12, Rayland Baxter; July 14, Mountain Ride and Tobtok; July 16, The Magic Numbers; July 18, Jake Clemons; July 20, A Tribute to the Music of Motown and EMO Night Brooklyn; July 21, A Drink With Friends; July 22, Toni Romiti; July 24, Energy 2.0 Overcharged; July 25, DMVTRACKSTARS; July 26, The 9 Songwriters Series; July 31, Boy Pablo; Aug. 3, Sons of Bill “Oh God Ma’am” Tour; Aug. 4, Flashband 70s Showcase; Aug. 6, De Lux: More Disco Songs About Love Tour; Aug. 9, Wild Riv-

ers; Aug. 10, The Reagan Years: The Original 80’s Tribute Band. Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. unionstage.com. Music at Rock and Roll Hotel. July 7, Night Out; July 12, Quiet Slang; July 14, White Ford Bronco; July 18, Petal & Camp Cope; July 19 and 20, Japandroids; July 21, Ezra Mae and the Gypsy Moon; July 25, Nikki Lane; July 27, Frass Green; July 28, Dr. Badlove and the Remedies; July 31, The Vaccines; Aug. 1, The Sheepdogs; Aug. 2, Black Milk; Aug. 3, Party Like It’s...; Aug. 4, Latinsound; Aug. 8, Alex Lahey. Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. rockandrollhoteldc.com. Blue Monday Blues in Southwest. Every Monday, 6 to 9 PM. July 9, Sol Roots Band; July 16, Louisiana Mojo Queen w/ Memphis Gold; July 23, Vince Evans Blues Band; July 30, Dave Chappell Blues Band. $5 cover. Children are free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW. westminsterdc.org. Music at The Howard. July 11, Freddie McGregor; July 13 and 14, Beres Hammond; July 20, August Alsina; July 25, The Dave Matthews Tribute Band; Aug. 3, Guillermo Davila. Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. thehowardtheatre.com. Library of Congress Homegrown Concert Series. July 12, noon, Newpoli; July 20, 7 PM, From the Mountains to the Sea”: The Anne and Frank Warner Collection; Aug. 1, noon, Lone Piñon; Aug. 8, Grupo Rebolú; Sept. 12, 7:30 PM, John McCutcheon. Concerts are in Coolidge Auditorium on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Performances are free. No tickets required. loc.gov. Music at The Anthem. July 12, Hatsune Miku Expo 2018; July 20, Janelle Monáe; July 21, Gre-

Wild Maker; Aug. 3, Tiny Cat Dark Music Festival; Aug. 7, The Essex Green; Aug. 8, Wimps; Aug. 9, the Shondes; Aug. 10, Kill Lincoln. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com. Music at Hill Country. July 7, The Honey Dewdrops & Caleb Stine Band; July 8, C2 and The Brothers Reed; July 10, Molly Stevens; July 12, Drivin’ N’ Cryin’; July 13, Dirty Blanket; July 14, Bastille Day Ft. The Highballers; July 19, Andrea von Kampen, Peter Harper; July 20, 6 String Drag; July 21, Bluegrass & Brews Ft. Hollertown; July 23, Sam Lewis; July 24, The Mammoths; July 28, Folk Soul Revival; Aug. 2, Lance Lopez Band; Aug. 3, Kurt Crandall. Hill Country Live, 410 Seventh St. NW. hillcountry.com/dc. Music at City Winery. July 7, Sail On-The Beach Boys Tribute; July 8, Aztec Two-Step featuring Rex Fowler & Friends; July 9, Kinky Friedman’s Circus of Life Tour; July 13, Yarn and Friday the 13th Funkdown w/ Superflydisco in the Wine Garden; July 14, Anthony David; July 15, “The Rebirth of Soul” Tour with Syleena Johnson; July 19, Tortured Soul; July 20, An Evening with Paula Cole; July 22, Ray Wylie Hubbard; July 23, DakhaBrakha; July 24, Cracker; July 25, The Quebe Sisters; July 26, Brand Nubian; July 27 and 28, Eric Roberson; July 29, Vivian Ross: The Four Queens; Aug. 1, God Street

AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC CONCERT SERIES AT THE BOTANIC GARDEN

5 to 7 PM. July 12, Justin Trawick & The Common Good, Americana/bluegrass; July 26, Seth Kibel, jazz; Aug. 9, Moonshine Society, blues/rock; Aug. 23, Ruthie & The Wranglers, country. Provided seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. Alternatively, bring a blanket or chair. National Garden Amphitheater (rain location is Conservatory Garden Court). usbg.gov. Photo: Courtesy of the US Botanic Garden.

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LOTUS & WATER LILY FESTIVAL

July 21 and 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Lotus and Water Lily Festival is an annual event that celebrates global culture in the wild wetlands of the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. At this free celebration, enjoy cultural exhibitors, hands-on activities, lotus tea tasting, traditional Latin, Asian and African performances. Of course, don’t miss the spectacular lotus and water lilies in full bloom. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. friendsofkenilworthgardens.org.

ta Van Fleet; July 24, Courtney Barnett; July 25, Echo & The Bunnymen and Violent Femmes; July 26, Sylvan Esso; July 27, Sylvan Esso; July 28, Arctic Monkeys; Aug. 2, Father John Misty. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. theanthemdc.com. Jazz Night in Southwest. Every Friday, 6 to 9 PM. July 13, The Smokin’ Five; July 20, Steve Washington Sings; July 27, A DC/Baltimore Connection. $5 cover. Children are free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW. westminsterdc.org. Music at Sixth and I. July 15, Sleeping with Sirens: Chill Out Summer Acoustic Tour Featuring Special Guest The Rocket Summer; July 25, Fantastic Negrito; July 31, Us the Duo: The Together Tour-Summer 2018. Sixth and I, 600 I St. NW. sixthandi.org. Music at Ivy City Smokehouse. July 16 and 30, Caiso Steel Drum. Ivy City Smokehouse, 1356 Okie St. NE. ivycitysmokehouse.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Friends of Kenilworth Park

Music at the Lincoln. July 25, Blackmore’s Night; Aug. 3, Roy Ayers. The Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. thelincolndc.com.

SPORTS AND FITNESS National Bonsai and Beijing Museum’s Summer Yoga. July 7 and 21; 8:30 to 9:30 AM. Unwind with an all-level yoga class with certified instructor and artist Kate MacDonnell. $12 per session. On grounds of the National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. Tickets at bonsaisummeryoga.eventbrite.com. Washington Nationals Baseball. July 7, 8, 20, 21, 22 and 31; Aug. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9. mlb.com/nationals. DC United Audi Field Opens. July 14, 7 p.m., vs. the Vancouver Whitecaps; July 25, 7:30 p.m., vs. New York Red Bulls; July 28, 7 p.m., vs. Colorado Rapids; Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m., vs. Portland Timbers. dcunited.com. The Color Run MLB All-Star 5k. July 14, 8 AM. Soar to new heights in the Hero Zone, confront double the color in two brand-new SUPER Zones, and suit up in a limited-edition participant kit. This year’s kit features a unicorn hero medal, lightning bolt tee and much more. thecolorrun.com. Citi Open Tennis Tournament. July 28 to Aug. 5, at the Rock Creek Tennis Center, 5220 16th St. NW. Single session tickets are $15 to $120; week long passes, $200 to $750. citiopentennis.com

MARKETS AND SALES Ward 8 Farmer’s Market. Saturdays, 10 AM to 2 PM. In the parking lot behind Martin Luther King Elementary School, 3200 Sixth St. SE, at Alabama Avenue. ward8farmersmarket.com. H Street NE Farmers Market. Saturdays. 800 13th Street NE. freshfarm.org. Farmers Market SW. Saturdays, 9 AM to 1 PM. Now entering its fourth season, the market attracts hundreds of weekly shoppers and features live music, performances, lawn games, children’s activity and more. 425 M St. SW. diversemarkets.net. (night) Market SW. Fridays, July 13 and 27; Aug. 10. Art, food, flea, live music, beer garden. 425 M St. SW. diversemarkets.net. Goodwill Store and Donation Center. Mondays through Saturdays, 9 AM to 8 PM; Sunday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Donations accepted Mondays through Saturdays, 9 AM to 6:30 PM; Sunday,

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9 AM to 5:30 PM. Weekly half-price specials based on price tag color. 2200 South Dakota Ave. NE. dcgoodwill.org. Eastern Market. Tuesdays through Fridays, 7 AM to 7 PM; Saturdays, 7 AM to 6 PM; Sundays, 9 AM to 5 PM. Flea market and arts and crafts market open weekends, 9 AM to 6 PM. Eastern Market is Washington’s last continually operated “old world” market. 200 and 300 blocks of Seventh Street SE. easternmarket-dc.org.

Eastland Gardens Civic Association Meeting. Third Tuesday, 6:30 to 8 PM. Kenilworth Recreation Center, 4321 Ord St. NE. Contact Rochelle Frazier-Gray, 202-352-7264 or richelle.frazier@longandfoster.com. Fairlawn Citizens Association. Third Tuesday, 7 PM. Ora L. Glover Community Room at the Anacostia Public Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE.

Branch Avenue Pawn Parking Lot Flea Market. Saturdays after 10 AM. 3128 Branch Ave., Temple Hills, MD.

Ward 7 Education Council Meeting. Fourth Thursday, 6:30 PM. Capitol View Library, 5001 East Capitol St. SE.

Union Market. Tuesdays to Fridays, 11 AM to 8 PM; weekends, 8 AM to 8 PM. Union Market is an artisanal, curated, food market featuring over 40 local vendors. 1309 Fifth St. NE. unionmarketdc.com.

ANC MONTHLY MEETINGS

CIVIC LIFE

ANC 7B. Third Thursday, 7 PM. Ryland Epworth United Methodist Church, 3200 S St. SE. anc7b@pressroom.com. anc7b@ earthlink.net.

Councilmember Grosso’s Education Town Hall. July 18, 6 to 7:30 PM. Parents, students, educators, and any interested community members are invited to share their thoughts, ideas and concerns about moving DC schools forward. Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. dccouncil.us.

ANC 7C. Second Thursday, 7 PM. Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church, 5109 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE. anc7c@verizon.net.

Congresswoman Norton’s SE District Oﬃce. Open weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM. 2041 MLK Ave. SE, #238. 202-678-8900. norton.house.gov.

ANC 7E. Second Tuesday, 7 PM. Jones Memorial Church, 4625 G St. SE. 7E@anc.dc.gov.

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. 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. Benning Ridge Civic Association. First Wednesday, 6:30 to 8 PM at the Ridge Road Community Center, 830 Ridge Rd. SE Capitol View Civic Association Meeting. Third Monday, 6:30 PM. Hughes Memorial United Methodist, 25 53rd St. NE. capitolviewcivicassoc.org. Deanwood Citizens Association. Fourth Monday, 6:30 PM. Deanwood Recreation Center, 1300 49th St. NE.

ANC 7D. Second Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Dorothy I. Height Neighborhood Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 7D06@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. HCD Housing Resource Center, 1800 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. anc8adc.org. ANC 8B. Third Tuesday, 7 PM. Seventh District Police Station Community Center, Alabama and McGee Streets, SE. anc8b.org. ANC 8C. First Wednesday, 7 PM. 2907 MLK Jr Ave. SE. ANC 8D. Fourth Thursday, 7 PM. Specialty Hospital of Washington, 4601 MLK Jr. Ave. SW. ANC 8E. First Monday, 7 PM. Eagle Academy, 3400 Wheeler Rd. SE.

Have an item for the Calendar? Email it to calendar@hillrag.com.

WHAT IS A PUBLIC BANK? SAVE-THE-DATE

Join the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) for the last public meeting on the feasibility study to establish a public bank in the District of Columbia. District of Columbia residents, small business owners and other stakeholders will learn: • What is a public bank? • What are the core tenets of public banking? • What other states and municipalities have public banks? • What is the role of a public bank? Also, attendees can provide feedback on topics such as the bank’s purpose, mission and services.

Find out more on:

July 25 @ 6:30 p.m. at the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center, 2730 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE, WDC 20032

For more information, visit https://disb.dc.gov/page/ public-banking-district or call (202) 727-8000 E ast

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THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE TO YOUR FAMILY IS

SPECIAL ISSUE

AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH & WELLNESS IN DC

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Activate Your Summer! Fitness Opportunities are Abundant in River East

arm weather days are here. People are shedding their winter clothes and winter blues and putting on a pair of fitness shoes. Exercise comes in many forms and has been a proven source of physical and mental therapy. An article published last year by the DC Policy Center (https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/ gym-deserts/) revealed some disappointing yet familiar statistics. Wards 7 and 8 are a commercial gym desert. In addition, residents report that they are less likely to work out because of obstacles such as commute times, crime and stress. If issues like these are working against someone, they may not feel like giving an hour

by Candace Y.A. Montague

of cardio a go three days a week. So, what are the options for making physical activity more accessible and maybe even fun? River East offers some enticing, valuable, fun workout options that are good for the body and easy on the budget.

Go Outside Who says that a workout has to be contained within four walls? There are opportunities to walk or run in many neighborhoods. Wards 7 and 8 have green spaces that are paved and shaded for an optimum outdoor workout. Take a neighbor, a friend or the kids and hit the park. The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) offers guided walks and bicycle tours during

Bike tour in Marvin Gaye Park at the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue in Ward 7. Photo: WABA

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the week. Charles Taylor, recreation specialist at Kenilworth Recreation Center in Northeast, leads fitness walks on the Anacostia River Trail and through the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on Monday and Wednesday mornings. He also leads bike rides. Taylor says lack of fitness centers is no excuse not to get active. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although there is a shortage of gyms in Wards 7 and 8, there are still many opportunities for residents east of the river to live a healthier and more active lifestyle by taking advantage of parks, green spaces, trails, rivers and recreation facilities in our community. Exercise outdoors and at recreation facilities can be conveniently beneficial, both mentally and physically.â&#x20AC;?

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is move, grow and be green. You can go to the rec center to get a quality workout or try something new like gardening or recycling. Our cooperative play, summer camps and youth sports present options to move more, which fits the mandate of Fit DC.”

African Dance: It’s a [Fitness] Thing!

Washington Area Bicyclist Association leads tours around Wards 7 and 8. Photo: WABA

Taylor adds that moving your routine outside has multiple benefits. “Taking your fitness routine outdoors can be a great way to stay active and develop a relationship with nature/the environment. Gyms are nice to have, but there are many ways to be a happier, healthier and more active community.” Find out more at https:// http://dpr.events/. Love bicycling? There are many opportunities to get active and absorb some amazing scenery on a bicycle. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) offers guided rides of historic landscapes free of charge to people of all ages. Its East of the River program was created in 2010 to support new and existing riders through their journeys. (http://www.waba.org/ programs/east-of-the-river/) WABA offers instruction on how to cycle and navigate on busy city streets. Says Ursula Sandstrom, Trail Ranger coordinator for WABA, “We have a number of different programs that serve all different places, but there’s a lot of work being done in Wards 7 and 8.” She adds, “We have Trail Rangers on DC urban trails. They are part-time folks who are out six months a year running events in Marvin Gaye Park, Anacostia and the Suitland Parkway trail. There’s a lot of history that the park has seen. We have fun rides through the park to help people connect with neighbors about the history that’s in their backyard.”

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In the fall, WABA will offer learnto-ride and city-cycling classes in Anacostia Park. The learn-to-ride class is a three-hour course designed to get newcomers up and about on their bikes.

#FitDC If you haven’t noticed by now, the DPR is opening up more opportunities to get fit and stay active through the #FitDC initiative. Fit DC, the brainchild of Mayor Bowser, offers classes and fitness events to residents across the city. (http://dpr. events/) It is also the point of contact for the fitness centers that are available in many of the recreation centers. Sherman M. Nelson Jr., health and wellness/combat sports coordinator for DPR, says there are many opportunities to stay active in Wards 7 and 8. “East of the river we have 12 recreation centers; 11 of those sites have fitness classes and nine of them have fitness centers. The mayor has directed us to make the centers free for DC residents. All they have to do is go online and create a membership account and they will have access to all the fitness centers in the city.” Many of the fitness centers under the care of DPR are being renovated or receiving new equipment. Nelson admits that DPR has to toot its horn more often to make residents aware of the conveniences available right in their backyard, but he adds that DPR is prepared to help residents increase their physical and personal development. “Our motto

Can you hear the drums calling? They’re sounding off every Sunday in Northeast at the Riverside Healthy Living Center on Foote Street. (https:// www.washingtonparks.net/eventspaces/riverside-center/) Ni Dembaya (“spirit family”) has a class to lift your spirits as well as your feet. The African dance class offers instruction on West African dance moves and drumming. It’s open to children as well as adults. But do men dance? Do women drum? Yuma “Docta Yew” Bellomee, cofounder and director of Ni Dembaya, says that there aren’t many assigned gender roles in African dance. “Men are definitely encouraged to dance in our classes. Some men have apprehension about taking classes from women. But we have men teaching the classes off and on. In African society everybody dances. Same thing with women and drumming. There is no ‘women aren’t supposed to drum’ rule. Women shy away from it, but we encourage the women to drum as well.” Dance fitness has many health benefits including cardiovascular, lowerbody muscle strengthening and even curbing social anxiety.

Planet Fitness Coming Soon to Penn Branch Get ready, Penn Branch neighbors! Planet Fitness is bringing its purple wave to your backyard this fall. This will be the first location in River East, and Chris Cavolo, CEO of Planet Fitness, says in a statement that it will be fully equipped to handle your fitness needs. (https://www.planetfitness. com/) “The new Planet Fitness Penn Branch is scheduled to open in the late fall of 2018. Our new 24-hour location will feature a vast selection of state of the art cardio, strength and functional equipment along with FREE fitness training, all in a clean, comfortable and friendly ‘judgment free’ environment.” The new club will also have the signature “Black Card Spa Area” that features hydromassage beds, hydromassage chairs, tanning beds and total body enhancement therapy. “We look forward to becoming a positive addition to the Penn Branch community,” the statement continues, “by offering both tremendous service at a great value and being a strong corporate citizen for this neighborhood.” As with any form of exercise, you should check with your doctor first to ensure you are healthy enough for cardiovascular activity. Candace Y.A. Montague is the health reporter for Capital Community News. Follow her on Twitter @urbanbushwoman9.

Charles Taylor (far left) leads a Nature Fitness Walk from Kenilworth Recreation Center on the Anacostia River Trail and through Kenilworth Aquatic Garden. Photo: Charles Taylor

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Herbal Ascension Yoga One Local Man’s Quest to Bring Healing to Ward 8 Using Yoga and Cannabis

f words like namaste, Om, asana and Shanti make you want to tune out of a conversation, you may want to tune back in. Vocabulary like this comes from a southern Indian language known as Sanskrit. Sanskrit is frequently used when practicing the moves of yoga. Yoga has been lauded for its many physical and mental benefits. The movements of yoga have been credited with relieving chronic pain and are used as a form of mental health therapy. It is difficult to find a yoga space in Wards 7 and 8, but one man has created a holistic health and wellness space with open doors for people with open minds.

by Candace Y.A. Montague

H. Alejaibra Badu, yoga instructor and wellness, life and love coach. Photo: Robin Kenyatta

Coach Badu Meet H. Alejaibra Badu, a 35-year-old yoga instructor, intuitive life and love coach, energy healer. He hails from North Carolina but has lived in many places before settling in DC nine years ago. “I consider myself a nomadic,” he states with a smile. Badu is also the founder and proprietor of Madison House, a healing space in Ward 8 that he named after his daughter. Badu settled on the U Street SE location because he wanted his work to be accessible for his targeted audience. “I always said that I love my people. So how dare I have gifts that can reach my people and then make them travel to Northwest to find me. Why not be right here pumping a light that’s different? It only made sense for me to be in Southeast in the middle of it all.” Badu says that after leaving the healthcare profession, yoga fell into his path and he followed the light. “Yoga found me. When the spirit of yoga hits you, you find yourself moving and breathing and stretching. That was the journey. I’ve always been a dancer, and then when I moved into holistic practices yoga was my next step. I’ve been a holistic practitioner for three years.” In addition to yoga and life coaching, he works as a death doula. “It is peaceful and honorable to be a death doula. To be in a sacred space to provide ease and comfort in their space of transition.”

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A Sanctuary What is Madison House? It’s a place to let it out. The “it” that visitors release can be anything from stress to tears, to laughter, to breath to body parts. Madison House was started by Badu in 2016 with the intention to be that confidential open space where people can release fear long enough to let love in. Badu designed the space to be welcoming, from the art to the colors to the scents. “I would like for everyone to be comfortable. That’s why I allow my energy to be inviting. You are always home at the Madison House. A lot of times people don’t feel at home in their own homes, so it’s important that I make people comfortable and let them know it’s okay to express themselves, to feel themselves, to honor themselves. For some people these are new thoughts. We’re never told to put ourselves first. We’re told to do everything for everyone else and save five seconds for yourself, if

that. Giving a person permission to pause, breathe and reflect is important at the Madison House.” Madison House offers varied events such as guided meditation, hug therapy, full moon naked yoga and the crying room, just to mention a few. Yoga is a set of movements fashioned to increase breathing and mobility in order to release energy and multiply tranquility. With the help of a trained instructor, students work on poses that exercise the seven different chakras of the body: root, sacral or pelvic, navel, heart, throat, third-eye and crown. Although it may sound like a pious sect, yoga is not religion. “It’s a prayer of sorts,” explains Badu. “Yoga is silencing. It’s a stillness. Any time that you are in a place of stillness you are able to hear more from the spirit. You are able to hear more from yourself. You’re able to hear more from universal forces. Yoga isn’t religion. You have a lot of people in the

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Christian world who are told to pray to this man to get to this god, and if you do it any other way then it’s wrong. Yoga has nothing to do with that. Essentially it’s about aligning your body with the central flow of life.”

Herbal Ascension Madison House offers marijuana-induced yoga classes on Sunday. It may sound a bit unorthodox but it’s actually becoming the norm in states where cannabis is legal. Badu’s class is a part of a growing trend. There have been claims that the combination of yoga poses and select strains of marijuana can be beneficial for sleep, lower-body pain relief and energy. Badu also makes cultural connections in his herbal ascension class. “Herbal ascension is speaking about the spiritual aspects of the herb cannabis. In this class we talk about the ways that the ancestors did it. We speak about the Dogons out of Mali in West Africa. We speak about the Rastafarian culture. We speak about the southern Indian culture and their goddess named Shiva. Our ancestors embraced the herb. Cannabis itself is a medicinal plant. So you’re able to spend time infusing your energy with this plant. And then you reach a higher level within yourself.” Herbal ascension class has been going on for the last 18 months with loyal followers. The Sunday afternoon gathering begins with partaking in the herb and then moves into the chakra of the day. “We provide the herb for the class. Sometimes we do herbs that you can smoke. Sometimes we do herbs that you can vape. Or we offer it in a tincture. And in teas. I make some amazing teas.” Madison House invites newcomers. Visit www.themadisonhousedc.com or call 202-427-7192.

H. Alejaibra Badu, yoga instructor and wellness, life and love coach. Photo: Reese Bland

Candace Y.A. Montague is the health reporter for Capital Community News. Follow her on Twitter @urbanbushwoman9. H. Alejaibra Badu consults with a client. Photo: Reese Bland

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Don’t Miss Our 2018 SUMMER/FALL EDITION PRE K-12

Family Medicine and Primary Care for all Ages Summer Series of Education Group Visits and Community Classes July to September 2018 Nyame Nti Health Solutions, LLC is a family practice office that focuses on the health of the body, mind and spirit of individuals and community. We do this by offering primary care services for all ages; individualized nutritional, exercise and stress reduction plans; educational group visits to keep you inspired; and exercise and stress reduction classes to promote health for the entire community.

Educational Group Visits

*For Nyame Nti Natural HealtH SolutioNS PatieNtS oNly*

Monday, July 9th at 8am – “Dry Brushing” Wednesday, July 25th at 6pm – “Foot Detox Baths” Wednesday, August 8th at noon – “Everyday Juicing” Friday, August 24th at 2pm – “Infrared Saunas” Wednesday, September 5th at 6pm – “Juicing for Healing” Tuesday, September 18th at 6pm – “Meditation in Preparation for the Fall Season”

Advanced Meditation Group Visits

*For Nyame Nti Natural HealtH SolutioNS PatieNtS oNly*

The Following Thursdays from 12-2pm July 13th & 20th August 16th & 23rd September 13th & 20th

Outdoor Meditation & Yoga Summer Series *For tHe eNtire CommuNity*

Please call the office for more information

3424 N Street SE Washington, DC 20019 202-491-5687 nnhealthsolutions.com | facebook.com/nyamentihealth

A CAPITAL COMMUNITY NEWS PUBLICATION CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

ON STANDS AUGUST 11, 2018 A RESOURCE FOR THE EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT OF STUDENTS IN WASHINGTON DC We are DC’s Leading Resource for Education!

Interested in advertising in this special supplement? Please contact your Sales Rep today! 202-543-8300 • Carolina x12 • Kira x16 • Andrew x19 Look for our education news every month in the:

A CAPITAL COMMUNITY NEWS PUBLICATION • capitalcommunitynews.com

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Overcoming Diabetes Challenges

United Medical Center offers diabetes care and education. Photo credit: United Medical Cente

There is Help for Preventing or Controlling Diabetes by Candace Y.A. Montague

iabetes has been a formidable foe for many, many African-Americans. If you have ever been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes you know about the struggle to keep everything under control. When it comes to winning the battle against “sugar,” it helps to start with understanding the condition and ensuring that you have devices in place to win every step of the way. Where does that wisdom come from? Stay tuned. There are quite a few resources here in DC to support you.

Scope of the Problem The number of diabetics in the District has declined over the years. Once upon a time, in 2010, 10.9 percent of the city’s population was diabetic. The latest findings come from 2016, when the percentage hovered around 7.7. The further east you go in the city, the higher the rates become. Wards 7 and 8 present the most severe statistics. According to the District government, 13.4 percent of Ward 7 residents were diabetic in 2014, while Ward 8 had a whopping 19.7 percent, more than double the national rate. Prediabetics, people told by their doctor or a medical professional that they are borderline diabetic, are at the crossroads where health decisions can make their status take a turn for the better or for the worse. It mostly depends on the actions they take after diagnosis. According to DC Health Matters, the number of prediabetics in Wards 7 and 8 in 2011 was not the highest in the city. Ward 6 had the highest percentage of pre-diabetics at 9.1 percent, followed by Ward 5 at 9.0 percent. Wards 7 and 8 stood at 7.0 and 7.5 percent respectively.

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When It Isn’t Food That Drives Your Blood Sugar Levels Up We know that what you eat is the primary factor that influences glucose levels. However, food is not the only culprit. Social determinants of health are being studied more closely these days and with good reason. Social and economic factors can markedly influence glycemic levels. When a person is experiencing stress from trauma, homelessness or in their personal life it can affect their decision-making in the area of selfcare. Environmental or neighborhood factors can also deter a person from prioritizing their health. Simply stated: If you’re suffering from a tremendous amount of stress you may eat more or make poor food choices. If you don’t feel safe enough to walk outdoors, exercise may be the last thing on your list. These factors can lead to higher glucose levels and put a person at risk for uncontrolled diabetes. Another often-ignored influence on blood sugar is sleep deprivation. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that not getting enough sleep can contribute to higher hemoglobin A1C levels. Sleep disturbances such as restless leg syndrome, periodic limb movements, peripheral neuropathy or sleep apnea put a person at a higher risk for developing obesity. Obesity is linked with higher risk for developing diabetes.

Making a 180-Degree Turn Although the numbers and statistics look grim, there is room to turn it all around. Diabetes is a reversible condition. DC Health (formerly known as the Department of Health) created the website DiabetesFreeDC.com to help give diabetics and prediabetics the tools they need to manage their condition. In collaboration with healthcare professionals, community health partners

and diabetes experts, Diabetes Free DC offers navigation tools for patients and providers alike. Chronic disease management and prevention has been a focus at DC Health. Shalewa Noel-Thomas, bureau chief for cancer and chronic disease prevention at DC Health, explains how the department is stepping up its efforts to get people on the path to wellness. “We are not focused on solely treating diabetes and chronic diseases but we’re focused on preventing chronic diseases and promoting wellness that people can better manage, including diabetes.” Noel-Thomas adds that DC Health keeps the social determinants of health in mind as well when addressing diabetes. “We are working with providers and community-based partners and others to ensure that we increase awareness of the importance of the social determinants of health. When we talk about social determinants we are talking about issues such as employment, housing and education that really affect people’s environment.” Individualized help is even more important. Robin Diggs Outlaw, division chief for chronic disease at DC Health and chronic disease director points out that environmental changes are critical for success. “The environment that residents live and work in really has to support healthy lifestyles. A lot of our work is not just focused on clinical management of diabetes but also environment changes that we can implement and how can we improve access to healthy foods, how we can ensure that there are adequate sidewalks and safe places for people to engage in physical activity.”

Amerihealth Offers Healthy Interventions Are you an AmeriHealth Caritas DC member? AmeriHealth has developed a more personable, community approach to addressing diabetes. In addition to a free Weight Watchers program and gym memberships,

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it offers metabolic-syndrome wellness circles for people who suffer from diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol. Keith Maccannon, director of marketing, community relations and outreach at AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia, explains how the circle works. “We have wellness circles with a community group called Shire. People who are living with one or more of these [chronic] conditions meet every other week for 12 weeks to learn about label reading, how to cook healthy, how to shop healthy, learn more about their condition. Most importantly they get to share with each other the strategies they use to get better. What makes the program so successful is that alumni come back as peer educators and they act as coaches.” People suffering from uncontrolled diabetes need a more intense approach. AmeriHealth provides extra assistance in order to reduce their A1C levels. “If someone is identified as uncontrolled diabetic with an HbA1C of greater than 9, we actually put them on a food-asmedicine program. We send diabeticfriendly prepared meals to their doorstep each week. They can get 21 meals for three meals a day or 14 meals. And we typically put them on that program for 90 days to replace the meals they would normally eat. We wrap that with nutrition counseling with one of our certified nutritionists to help them understand how to prepare meals. No charge to the members.” Personalized services like this train people to be more aware of what they eat and become more independent. Other healthcare organizations such as Trusted Health Plan, United Medical Center and Unity Health offer similar diabetes management programs. If you suffer from diabetes, there are resources for you. Be relentless in your pursuit of information, follow up with your healthcare provider often and, most of all, never give up.

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Candace Y.A. Montague is the health reporter for Capital Community News. Follow her on Twitter @urbanbushwoman9.

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DDOT Rehabilitates Anacostia Freeway Bridges On June 4, DDOT began rehabilitating the Anacostia freeway bridges over Nicholson St. SE. This project focuses on the bridge deck and adjoining ramps on I-295. Temporary lane closures and construction-related detours will impact traffic. The project is expected to be completed 375 calendar days. During the construction, two lanes of traffic will remain open in both directions. Crews will also restore the pavement and replace the

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sidewalks along Nicholson St. SE under the bridge. Temporary lane closures will create a one-way lane along Nicholson. Visit NicholsonSE.AnacostiaBridges.com.

Ward 8 Artist Market Connect with fabulous East of the River creative entrepreneurs. On July 13, 11 a.m. to 3 pm, the artists will be featured at the Capital Harvest on The Plaza in Woodrow Wilson Plaza at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. capitalharvestdc.com.

DC STATE FAIR RETURNS TO SOUTHWEST, CONTESTS ANNOUNCED

On Sept. 23, Southwest DC hosts the DC State Fair at the Waterfront Station. Enjoy this ninth annual free event. Included are the contests that crown the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best growers, crafters, and cooks; performances from local musicians and dance troupes; and food, arts and crafts vendors. Contest entries for 2018 already open include the popular Best Bud, Honey, Wine, and Fiber Arts categories. New this year: Best Salsa, Best Biscuit and Best Cookie. Visit dcstatefair.org/contests. Photo: Courtesy of Blushing Whale Films

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0032-2018

LAWN/SNOW EQUIPMENT The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires Lawn/Snow Equipment Maintenance, Repair and Parts Services at DCHA. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available at the Issuing Office at 1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 300, Office of Administrative Services/Contracts and Procurement, Washington, DC 20002-7599, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, June 25, 2018 and on DCHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at www.dchousing.org. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at 11:00 AM EST. Contact Lolita Washington, Contract Specialist at (202) 535-1212 or by email at lwashing@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.

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neighborhood news / bulletin board

$10 HAMILTON TICKETS

The Kennedy Center digitally raﬄing Hamilton tickets. Forty orchestra tickets will be sold for every performance for $10 each through Sept. 16. The lottery will open at 11 a.m. two days prior to every performance date and will close for entry at 9 a.m. on the day prior to the performance. Winner notifications will be sent at approximately 11 a.m. the day prior to the performance. Each winning entrant may purchase up to two tickets. Only one entry per person. Tickets must be purchased online with a credit card by 4 p.m. the day prior to the performance using the purchase link and code in a customized notification email. Tickets not claimed by 4 p.m. the day prior to the performance are forfeited. Lottery tickets may be picked up at will call beginning two hours prior to the performance with a valid photo ID. Lottery tickets void if resold. Patrons must be 18 years or older and have a valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the name used to enter. Visit hamiltonmusical.com/lottery to register. Hamilton Chicago Company. Photo: Joan Marcus, 2016

THEARC Fundraising Gala AfterDark@THEARC, held on Sept. 29, is an elegant evening honoring THEARC’s 14 resident non-profit organizations. This year, the funds raised at the gala will fulfill the commitment to complete THEARC’s campus. Sponsorships are available starting at $1000 for a position on the host committee. Individual tickets are $250. thearcdc.org.

Triple Delight Aquatics Wins Award

THE ANACOSTIA MUSICAL THEATRE LAB

Anacostia Musical Theatre Lab had it’s workshop performance at Anacostia Arts Center on June 29. The Lab is a project created through the incubator residency program from ARCH. Its purpose is to highlight the vital stories and experiences of the Anacostia neighborhood, through musical theatre pieces created in collaboration with residents, local writers, composers and musicians. The Lab aims to reflect the voices of the community and provide opportunities for underserved populations to use music as a means of storytelling, healing and hope. As a community on the cusp of rapid social and economic change, there is a great need for art and culture infused community development as a way to reflect on the past and prepare for a neighborhood transition that is underway.

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Barry Farm senior aerobics instructor Jeannie Brown Johnson and her partners, Erica Wilson and Linda Grymes, collectively “Triple Delight Aquatics,” received the 2018 AEA Global Award Winner for Aquatic Professionals of the Year for their dedication, leadership & contributions to aquatic fitness.

Anacostia’s New Works Festival Anacostia Playhouse is seeking new and non-produced 10-minute and oneact plays for the 2018 New Works Festival: Visions/Revisions. Selected playwrights will have the opportunity to work with a professional director and actors to prepare for the final staged reading or performance. Play submissions should address the themes of de-

terioration and renovation, both physically and socially, over the course of Anacostia’s long history and the impact of revisionist history on its residents. This New Works Festival will be held Nov. 15 to 19 at the Anacostia Playhouse. Winning 10-minute plays will receive a staged reading. One-act plays will receive a full production. Submission fee is waived for high school students. For more information, visit anacostiaplayhouse.com/news.

Oral History Training Course On July 11, 18, and 25; 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., this three-week course will introduce participants to doing oral history. Participants are expected to attend all three workshop days to complete the program. Completion of the Oral History Training Program will give participants access to the DC Oral History Collaborative(DCOHC) digital audio recorders for interviews. Participants may submit their interviews to the DCOHC’s growing collection. Free; prior registration required. Watha T. Daniel Neighborhood Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. dclibrary.org/watha. Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Email it to bulletinboard@hillrag.com.

GORGEOUS MAGNIFICENTLY RENOVATED

To our Colleagues at

As fellow newspaper professionals we mourn your loss. We understand because we have our own. Our reporter Charnice Milton was killed by random gunfire in May 2015 while on assignment. Her killer was never apprehended. As so many said in their tributes to The Capital - community papers are the glue that holds the community together. We applaud your bravery and dedication.

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The Staff of Capital Community News Publishers of Hill Rag, East of the River and MidCity DC THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0027-2018

LANDLORD and TENANT LEGAL SERVICES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) invites qualified legal firms to provide landlord and tenant legal services. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available at the Issuing Office at 1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 300, Office of Administrative Services/Contracts and Procurement, Washington, DC 20002-7599, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, June 25, 2018 and on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at 11:00 AM. Contact LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at (202) 535-1212 or by email at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.

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Getting into the Swing of Things: Your Guide to All-Star Week

Photo: Michael Stevens

Events Bring Crowds, Fun and Traffic Restrictions by Elizabeth O’Gorek

his month we celebrate America’s game: Baseball. The Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game is coming to Nationals Park Tuesday, July 17th, and it’s bringing the party with events taking place all week long leading up to the game. The area will be packed with fans of baseball, beer and good times, so street closures and changes in bus routes can be expected along with a strong repre-

sentation of fans wearing Nationals red and as well as 2018 All-Star hats, the latter’s design reminiscent of the DC Flag with three stars along each side of the brim.

What’s On FanFest is on at Walter E. Washington Convention Center all day Friday , July 13 to Tuesday, July 17. The event features theme days with giveaways (Friday is Kids’ Day!) and opportunities to meet baseball legends such as 1976 World Series MVP Johnny Bench, eight-time Golden Glove and 1987 Home Derby Winner Andre Dawson, seven-time AllStar Maury Wills. On Sunday, someone named “Ryan Zimmerman’ will appear. There will be opportunities to get autographs, ask questions and participate in clinics as well as lots to see and do with about 50 exhibits and attractions like pitching tunnels, batting cages and Hall of Fame displays. Single-day tickets are

Photo: Courtesy of the Washington Nationals

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$35 for adults and $30 for children ages 3-12, but FanFest Monday Madness $10 tickets are available for Monday, July 16, using the coupon code FFMM. All FanFest attractions and autograph opportunities are included in the price of admission. All-Star fun continues outdoors in The Yards. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Tuesday, The Yards (First and M Streets SE) will host PLAY BALL Park, a 56,000 square foot interactive area put together by MLB and partners with activities for younger players and their families. At 8 a.m. Saturday, Yards Park will also host the Color Run MLB All-Star 5K, which starts just south of Nationals Park on Potomac Avenue. It begins with a pre-race party featuring music, dancing, stretching and prizes. The run crosses the Anacostia at the South Capitol Street Bridge and recrosses at the 11 St Bridge, then follows the river and through Yards Park to finish near First and M Streets SE where a stage will greet finishers. Actual baseball action begins Sunday with an ear-

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Getting There DC United will add to the excitement of All-Star week when they play their inaugural game at Audi Field (100 Potomac Ave SW) against the Vancouver White Caps at 7 p.m. Saturday July 14.

ly All-Star double-header featuring the Minor League prospects game and the Celebrity Softball Game, both at Nationals Park. On Monday night, Nationals Park hosts the Home Run Derby, and Tuesday the grand finale, the AllStar Game itself, with an 8 p.m. start. All-Star balloting began June 1 and continues through July 5 so there’s still a chance for you to cast a ballot at MLB. com for your favorite Nationals player. At press time, Nats star Bryce Harper is third in All-Star outfielder voting.

DPR Gets in the Game On Saturday, July 14, the District Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is throwing the first ever AllStar Music Festival at Randall Field (South Capitol & I Street SW), with food, music and activities to celebrate the District music and arts scene. Guests and performers include Pro Boxing Champions Jarret “Swift” Hurd and Anthony Peterson, R&B artist Levert, Hip Hop artist Ozone

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and many more. Tickets are free but limited to those who RSVP at allstarmusicfestival.splashthat.com At 10 a.m. Monday, kids aged 6 to 13 can return to the Randall Field to participate in the New Balance Fitness Challenge, a fitness event led by New Balance sponsored professional athletes to promote fitness, strength and flexibility. All participants will receive a t-shirt and challenge journal. Checkin is at 9:15 a.m. Register at www.nbfitnesschallenge.com/ All this All-Star action happens amid the kind of excitement that has come to characterize Southwest: Capital Fringe Fest is on from July 7 to July 29, running nightly shows at five Southwest venues. Two farmers markets will be open as usual: Market SW from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday evening and Farmers Market SW from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday morning, both located at Fourth and M Streets SW. And check out the numerous art galleries in the area, including the MLB Assembly,

an all-day art festival celebrating baseball’s intersections with art, fashion and music, centered at 101 District Sq. SW at The Wharf.

Audi Field Opener DC United piles on the sports excitement as they play their first official game at Audi Field (100 Potomac Ave. SW) at 7 p.m. July 14th against the Vancouver Whitecaps in front of a sold-out crowd. The game will be a party in itself. Audi Field features a fan plaza outside the main gate, a rooftop patio with sweeping DC views, a team store and a rooftop bar. That party is sure to add to the weekend’s Southwest bustle, though not intentionally. DC United tried to schedule their inaugural game for June 30th, but league conflicts led to it taking place the Saturday of All-Star Week. It is the first of three dates this year when the Nationals and DC United both have games scheduled, the other two being August 19 and September 2.

All these events will draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Southwest and Southeast according to the Executive Office of the Mayor. Parking and traffic restrictions in the area mean that public transit is likely the best way to get around. There is no word on modifications to Metro service at press time, but recommended Metro exits for fans going to Audi Field are Waterfront and Navy Yard/Ballpark Stations. Fans attending MLB events near Nationals Park could also use Capitol South Station. MLB All Star FanFest is located in the Convention Center, at Mt. Vernon Square/7th Street Convention Center Station. The New Eastern Market – L’Enfant Plaza Circulator route provides regular service to Nationals Stadium via M St. & Half St. SE. Though this route is expected to be modified due to street closures during All-Star week, it will till take riders close to the action and is a good alternative to the Metro. Event organizers recommend you leave your vehicle at home. But if you must drive, know that driving and parking around All-Star Week venues will be very limited. Traffic will be restricted at Nationals Stadium between South Capitol and Third Streets SE and between I Street and Potomac Avenue SE beginning July 13 and ending on July 17. First Street and Potomac Avenue SE will be one way, limited to southbound traffic. The streets will be divided into three lanes. The eastern lane will accommodate Hampton Inn’s hotel valet and access to Nationals Stadium Garage C, as well as VIP buses. The center lane will be restricted to emergency vehicles. The western lane will provide access to DC Water, Dock 79 or on bicycles. Traffic will also be restricted around Audi Field for those dates, between Potomac Avenue and V Streets SW and between Second and Half Streets SW. Bicycles are welcome at both Nationals Stadium and Audi Field. There will be a bicycle valet located at Nationals Stadium near First Street and N Place SE and at Audi Field, near the intersection of T and Second Streets. Around FanFest at the Convention Center, L Street NW will be closed be-

tween Seventh and Ninth Streets NW, and parking will be restricted on Seventh and Ninth between L and M Streets NW. A taxi stand will be located on Ninth Street between L Street and Massachustts Avenue NW. The District has created a website, sportscapital. dc.gov, to gather District events and news around AllStar week events. The site advises fans that perhaps the best rubber to burn travelling around All-Star Week events is on the soles of your feet. “Moving around Washington DC on the dates around the MLB’s All-Star Game and our DC United’s first home game at Audi Field, especially near Nationals Park and the Waterfront, requires patience and a good pair of walking shoes,” the website says. “With hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to join in our celebration of this city’s enjoyment of sports, walking is the best mode of transportation.”

Slugging One Back All that walking can make a fan thirsty. Fortunately, neighborhood businesses are getting into the swing of All-Star week as well. Jeremy Carman is a co-owner of The Salt Line (79 Potomac Ave. SE), located directly across from Nationals Stadium. He said that AllStar week has been on their radar since the business opened last June. From Saturday to Tuesday of All-Star Week, The Salt Line will extend their patio into a portion of the neighboring Dock 79 space, expanding the outdoor

capacity from about 150 to around 300. “We’re just really excited,” said Carman. “It’s something we’ve been looking forward to since before construction on the restaurant began.” In addition to the restaurant’s waterfront views, guests can enjoy comfortable seating, lighted fountains, and other design touches. The extended Salt Line summer garden will have an Airstream trailer outfitted as a bar serving tasty beverages, and an 8-foot boat tricked out as an oyster shucking station in addition to grills offering lobster tails and half-smokes. Carman said that the restaurant has been fielding inquiries related to All-Star week for the last six months to a year. But they’ve chosen to avoid booking themselves to capacity in advance. “We want to be open to the faithful, loyal guests that come down here every weekend, every game,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to being part of the culture of the weekend.” Bluejacket partner and Beer Director Greg Engert has put together a line-up of events all over the city in celebration of MLB All-Star week, with giveaways for beer lovers who manage to hit all five Neighborhood Restaurant Group restaurants (Bluejacket Brewery, ChurchKey, The Sovereign, EatBar and the Partisan). The All-Stars of Craft Beer will be celebrated throughout the weekend, beginning Friday when Bluejacket Brewery will debut two new DC-themed cans in honor of All-Star Week 2018. Engert said that

Bluejacket was prepared for big crowds. “We increased our production as the baseball season began, looking forward to increased crowds and our first can releases. Looking ahead to the All-Star game, we’re brewing even more to make sure we have plenty of cans and kegs for what promises to be a huge week in Navy Yard.” Over on Barracks Row, The Brig (1007 Eighth St. SE) is putting together a package highlighting ‘baseball beers’ around from around the country. This includes Blue Moon, initially created for Coors Field, and Devils Backbone, which was initially brewed as Earned Run Ale for Nats Park. They will be open extended hours from July 14 to 18, including alcohol service from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. every day. General Manager Ryan C. Roller said the Brig was really excited for All-Star Week. “DC Sports are quickly changing this year with the Caps raising the Cup, and [with] Nationals Park and the surrounding neighborhoods being featured for four days in a national showcase,” he said. “It’s a really proud moment for the city, for the Capitol Riverfront, for Barracks Row, and for Capitol Hill.” For more on official All-Star Week events or to vote for your favorite Nationals players, visit https:// www.mlb.com/all-star. For up-to-date information on traffic and street closures visit https://sportscapital. dc.gov. For up-to-date info on traffic, weather, parking and safety sign up for alerts by texting “DCSports” to 888-777.

The Salt Line (79 Potomac Ave SE) will expand its summer garden capacity to about 300, with an Airstream trailer modified to be a bar and an 8-foot boat tricked out as an oyster shucking station. Photo: Greg Powers

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Our River: The Anacostia

The Anacostia At Last Receives A Passing Grade!

by Bill Matuszeski

t has been a long struggle – over 25 years of effort – but the Anacostia River has finally received a passing grade. Last month, after ten years of issuing F’s, the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) released its annual Report Card and the overall grade was a D. While this may not appear to be a level of improvement worth celebrating, the Society is a tough grader and it took a lot of effort and measurable improvement for them to settle on a D. But that is only part of the story. The passing grade reflects a substantial change in the water quality of the river; in fact the overall mark went from 49 to 63 in just one year, a 29 per-

cent improvement. Furthermore, the data used are from 2017 and do not reflect the major benefits that have already come from this May’s start-up of the DC Water Returning freshwater mussels to the Anacostia. Photo: Anacostia Watershed Society tunnel system to capture, store underground and ultimately treat what used to be regular overflows into the river of the combined storm and sanitary sewers. DC Water estimates that the new system has already diverted hundreds of thousands of gallons of sewage that would have otherwise entered the Anacostia. As AWS President Jim Foster said, “Today’s announcement is a victory for 25 years of citizen activism and government leadership.” Tommy Wells, Director of the DC Department of Energy and the Environment, added, “The Anacostia is steadily being restored to a healthy state, thanks in part to ongoing cooperative efforts with our partners in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.” A freshwater mussel. Photo: Anacostia Watershed Society. A lot of celebration for a D grade. But the D is one way to make clear to the public that the stormwater runoff volume. What is interesting about job is not done – far from it if these is that they will all be given a big boost up the you look at the various parts of scale by the DC Water Tunnel project, which keeps the AWS analysis. The Report the polluted, low oxygen and muddy combined saniCard is made up of eight sepatary and storm sewers out of the river and stores it in rate measures, six water quality the tunnels until the Blue Plains Treatment Plant has indicators and two remediation available capacity to treat it and release it into the Po(or clean-up) indicators. Of the tomac. The same is true for the fecal coliform indisix water quality indicator grades, cator, which got a D; this is a direct measure of raw three are still F’s; these are for dissewage so should improve rapidly with the tunnel in AWS President Jim Foster issues the Report Card. Photo: Anacostia Watershed Society solved oxygen, water clarity and operation. The remaining two water quality grades are

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a B- for chlorophyll a and an A+ for submerged aquatic vegetation, which has come roaring back. The other two indicators both received F’s for progress to date. These are toxic remediation and trash reduction. The toxics issue is heavily tied to old industrial sites and contaminated sediment areas in and alongside the nearby River. These are all part of a clean-up plan under development by the City, the National Park Service (which owns the bottom) and the facility owners; the Plan is to be ready to implement by the end of 2019. The trash issue is more complicated; much is washed in upstream by storm sewers into which it floats. The ultimate solution is to educate the public and change littering habits. The bottom line is that nearly all the indicators are poised for major improvements in the near future, with the water quality measures seeing the most immediate and rapid change for the better.

Using the River on the Upswing Meanwhile, more and more people are using the River. Hundreds of young people from schools and colleges throughout the area are on the river from Benning Road to Bladensburg nearly every weekday afternoon, learning and practicing their competitive water sports in everything from kayaks to 12-seat sculls. Rentals and put-ins are appearing up and down the River, and programs are expanding. Riverkeeper has announced free Friday night catch-and-release fishing for kids every Friday this summer from 5 to 8 p.m. at Yards Park.

Heron at Kenilworth Marsh. Photo: Anacostia Watershed Society

Spellman Elementary Students on Planting Day. Photo: Anacostia Watershed Society

The opportunities for all to enjoy the river keep expanding as the water quality gets better. New species are being returned to the river. Last month the AWS worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Maryland to deploy young Eastern Lampmussels in small floating baskets and silos at different locations along the River this summer to track their survival. This is the first effort to restore freshwater mussels to the Anacostia. A fully fishable and swimmable river by 2025, just seven years off, at last seems a reasonable and achievable goal. But it will take a lot of work., a lot of volunteer hours, a lot of public funds and a lot of political pressure. All these need constant vigilance, dedication and a willingness to engage and energize the public. That’s us. By 2025, we need to have completed the full set of tunnel projects and related DC Water improvements to keep the sewage out of the Anacostia. We need to make sure the plan to deal with the contaminated sediments is being carried out expeditiously. We need to continue the work upstream, especially with storm sewer renovation – storm sewers have a nasty way of accumulating illegal sanitary sewer tie-ins, we are discovering. We need to assure safe removal and/or containment of any toxics in and near the River. By 2025, we need to have an extensive system of permanently protected streamside and riverside parks

and natural areas throughout the watershed, with an 11th Street Bridge Project in place and careful development that protects public access and use of the river. As it becomes cleaner, the development value of adjacent areas will skyrocket and constant vigilance will be needed to keep it in check. By 2025, we will have hikers and bikers and fishers and boaters and swimmers and picnickers and we will need to make them all feel welcome and fulfilled. By 2025, we will have birds and beavers and shad and stripers and native plants and habitat for all. And by 2025, we will have natural resiliency so that storms will refresh and replenish the lands and waters and not erode and flood them with silt and debris. And it looks now that all this is going to happen -- if we keep watch, keep the pressure on and, above all, reinforce the depth of our support by getting out there and learning to enjoy the lands and waters of OUR watershed. Bill Matuszeski writes monthly about the Anacostia River. He is the retired Director of the Chesapeake Bay Program, a DC member the Citizens Advisory Committee on the Anacostia River and a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia River. He is also Board Vice-Chair of the Friends of the National Arboretum.

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DC Strings Performs Music With, Not For, the Audience by Gavrielle Jacobovitz

Lovancy Ingram (left) and Kate Epstein (right); back row, Peter Clamp, Benjamin Bodnar, Alexander Powell. Photo: Keith Waters/Kx Photography

n a church with yellow walls and stainedglass windows, a red carpet and maybe two dozen audience members scattered on benches, an orchestra plays the Haydn Cello Concerto in C major. It’s the DC Strings June 2018 finale concert. The nonprofit was founded just over two years ago and has performed over 30 concerts since then. Lisa Premo sits front and center as the featured performer in the piece. Premo joined the orchestra by “serendipity.” She was making latkes with her mother and felt a sudden urge to play music. “So, I emailed

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Andrew” – Andrew Lee, founding arts director of DC Strings, an organization she had discovered previously at a meetup – “and I asked, are you still looking for cellos?” He said yes, they still needed cellists. She hadn’t made the rehearsal, and the performance was the next day. Yet, when she arrived at the performance, two cellists showed up. “It’s really indicative of the miracles that Andrew pulls off time and time again, where people will show up,” she observes. DC Strings held its first concert in December 2016 at the Covenant Baptist Church in Southeast, perform-

ing the Messiah. Over 300 people attended. “We’re really onto something,” the performers thought. Lee, who grew up in Atlanta, where he was exposed to orchestral music at a performing arts high school, has lived in DC for nearly a decade. “I realized that there was a group of people that were being left out from traditional orchestra concerts,” Lee says. “Our mission is to reach those people, engage them, excite them.”

On a Mission “We need to have more music, more live music,” Lee reflects. “And not everyone can afford to go to the Kennedy Center.” When I speak with members of the orchestra about why they decided to join, why they decided to stay, a single answer emerges: the mission. From the start, the members of DC Strings founded their orchestra “on the belief that access to excellence in music is an essential human right.” It’s an effort that permeates everything the orchestra does. To Lee, the mission is about working to “celebrate contributions of people who are not typically on stage,” including performing pieces by, and welcoming membership of, women and people of color. Violinist Peter Clamp is drawn to the organization for its mission. DC Strings, Clamp explains, “is about transforming lives through music.” Knowing that the music he’s playing has an “extra mission behind it” gives him a “double pleasure.” Central to the mission is making certain music available to communities that may not otherwise have access to it. “We don’t just show up, play a concert and leave,” Lee notes. Rather, the organization prioritizes community engagement. Lovancy Ingram, the orchestra’s concertmaster, recounts, for instance, that they once performed Messiah at a church where it had never been performed before. Most concerts are free. Clamp reinforces this aim, contending that “the orchestra takes the music to the people as much as the people are coming to the orchestra.” The orchestra is “breaking down those invisible barriers and making music in places music doesn’t often get to.” Premo agrees: “We’re not doing something for [audiences],” she says, “we’re doing something with them.” DC Strings uses more than just concerts to reach audiences. Music is the means for impact. The organization goes to local public schools, like Hart Middle School, to lead educational music programming. Dr. Raymond Pitts, who plays cello, says he is particularly interested in using music to reach and educate children. “I speak to children about how music is created and how it can help you as a person,” Pitts explains.

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0033-2018

BATHTUB RESURFACING SERVICES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) invites highly qualified and insured companies to provide bathtub resurfacing services. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available at the Issuing Office at 1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 300, Office of Administrative Services/Contracts and Procurement, Washington, DC 20002-7599, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, July 2, 2018 and on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 11:00 AM.

Conductor Andrew Lee and piano soloist Kevin Shu. Photo: Keith Waters/Kx Photography

He teaches them to understand the way vibrations of strings create sounds, and how this idea can help them express their own feelings. Another way DC Strings works to fulfill its mission is by prioritizing the diversity of members and of composers. The average person who knows something about classical music, Ingram explains, may have heard of Beethoven or Bach, “great composers, but then there are others out there, and there are contemporary folks, too.” The orchestra, she explains, performs pieces by “people of color,” underrepresented in performances like these. The orchestra is open-minded to diversity in a myriad of ways, even in the instruments they welcome. For instance, Premo recounts, a recorder player “showed up,” and so the organization performed a recorder concerto. Many orchestra members explain that music is not limited to classical. “Orchestras by and large don’t have reputations of being particularly diverse groups of people,” says Clamp. Most pieces played by orchestras, for instance, will be by “old white European men, and many orchestras are biased in that direction in their membership.” Inspired by DC’s residents, DC Strings forefronts local engagement, which also means being local at every step of the way. Lee says the organi-

Contact LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at (202) 535-1212 or by email at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.

zation engages with local conductors, local musicians, local artists and soloists. They hold a concerto competition, where the winner performs a concerto with the orchestra. Clamp observes that in performing concerts in churches, community members are engaged in ways they may otherwise not be.

A Community in Harmony Pitts values DC Strings for the people, among other reasons. The members have a variety of backgrounds, he explains. “They’re all kinds of people interested in all kinds of instruments.” Maybe they’re from a conservatory, maybe they played in a military band, and “they’re here because they love music.” Remarks Lee, “Young, old, professional musicians, and amateur musicians and people in the middle – they come together to really do and present great work.” Ingram, who began playing violin at age three, studied music through a nonprofit whose motto was “Music within reach.” For her, music is a “beauty” coming from self-expression and allows people to connect at a level they may not otherwise experience. Music is really like a language of the heart,” Ingram concludes, and DC Strings “is trying to bring that human element to places where it hasn’t been before.”

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0029-2018

APPRAISAL SERVICES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires qualified respondents to provide professional Appraisal Services. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available at the Issuing Office at 1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 300, Office of Administrative Services/Contracts and Procurement, Washington, DC 20002-7599, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, July 2, 2018 and on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Thursday, August 02, 2018 at 11:00 AM. Contact Lolita Washington, Contract Specialist at (202) 535-1212 or by email at lwashing@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.

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per Club and July 14 at the Lake Arbor Community Center in Mitchellville, Md. See www.lakearborjazz.com.

Balbed Plays Petworth Jazz

by Steve Monroe

e honor Carl Grubbs, a performer last year at the Anacostia Comunity Museum, as one of our July birthday jazz heroes, along with Johnny Hartman, Hank Mobley, Billy Eckstine, Philly Joe Jones, Cal Tjader, Charlie Christian and others: “Carl Grubbs [is] an internationally renowned jazz saxophonist who has been recognized numerous times for his distinguished musical career … [and who] along with his wife, Barbara, founded Contemporary Arts Inc. 15 years ago to provide meaningful and accessible music experiences to Baltimore youth. Carl received a Rubys grant to support the writing and arranging of new compositions for Inner Harbor Suite Revisited … featuring saxophones, strings, group improvisation, and ensemble performance.” - Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, 2014

Khalid Gray Group Plays at Anacostia Arts Center The Anacostia Arts Center’s “Second Sunday Jazz” show features the Khalid Gray Unitet from 2 to 4 p.m., July 8, in a performance produced by the center and East River Jazz (www.eastriverjazz.net). The Khalid Gray Unitet includes Gray on trombone, Julian Spires, piano/keyboard, Wally Davies, bass, and Angeliqua Bethea, drums. The Anacostia Arts Center is at 1231 Good Hope Road SE. This is a free admission event, with donations “appreciated” according to East River Jazz, and reservations are suggested. See www.anacostiaartscenter.com or www.eastriverjazz.net. The Lake Arbor Jazz Festival returns for its ninth year with shows on July 12 at the Olde Town Inn in Largo; July 13 and 15 at Bethesda Blues & Jazz Sup-

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The Petworth Jazz Project, a free, outdoor, live jazz series, will have “Elijah Jamal Balbed Presents an Evening of Jazz and Go-Go” at 6 p.m. on July 29, at the Petworth Recreation Center at Eighth and Taylor streets NW. See www.petworthjazz project.com.

All-star bassist Herman Burney, a DC native, performs at Westminster Presbyterian Church on July 13 with Smokin’ Five and on July 27 for the DC/Baltimore Connection show. Photo: Herman Burney

JACS, Brother Ah Spotlighted Willard Jenkins, DC Jazz Festival guru and WPFW-FM programmer, featured our own musician, historian and WPFW-FM programmer Brother Ah in his “Open Sky” blog in May. Check it out at www.openskyjazz.com/2018/05/a-life-in-music-from-robertnorthern-to-brother-ah/. Noted writer Michael J. West, who has started a weekly column, “Crescendo in Blue,” in Washington City Paper, featured the Jazz and Cultural Society in a story for The Washington Post. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/music/at-alices-jazz-and-cultural-society-theyre-there-to-hear-themusic/2018/05/08/90fbe46c-4ee9-11e8-b725-92c89fe3ca4c_ story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0ea08e71ab18.

InPerson … DC Jazz Festival Tia Fuller’s performance at City Winery was one of the highlights of June’s DC Jazz Festival, with the alto saxophonist and composer following the rousing show by the opening String Queens with a rousing show of her own, blowing some hot, soaring and wailing licks on tunes from her “Diamond Cut” album and tender, enchanting riffs on Cole Porter’s tune “I Love You,” while being supported by jamming guitarist Andrew Renfroe in particular. Saxophonist and trumpeter Clarence Ward III blew some ripping licks on both instruments on tunes like “Star Eyes” and “Misty” during his show at the Jazz and Cultural Society, backed by Mark Meadows’ bright ripples on piano and Kris Funn’s grooving bass work. Vocalist Rochelle Rice delivered an impassioned set at The Wharf on that last Sunday of the festival with a stirring “Think of the Children” and “Stella by Starlight,” among other tunes. Also that last day, Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana pleased a large crowd with some funky as well as melancholy streams of spirited riffing. Reginald Cyntje’s group with Brian Settles on sax played some sparkling Caribbean/calypso jazz; and Ancestral Memories, led by saxophonist Yosvany Terry, jammed away with world music flavors.

JULY HIGHLIGHTS: … The Smokin’ Five/w Kenny Rittenhouse/Antonio Parker, July 13, Westminster Presbyterian Church … Frank Lacy, July 13-14, Twins Jazz … #SonicDuo/Allyn Johnson/Reginald Cyntje, July 15, An die Musik/Baltimore … Jordan Dixon, July 15, DC Jazz Jam/The Brixton … Shannon Gunn & The Bullettes, July 16, Blues Alley … Duane Eubanks Quintet, July 18, Blues Alley … Lena Seikaly, July 18, Live from the Lawn/Strathmore … Poncho Sanchez, July 19, Blues Alley … Steve Washington, July 20, Westminster … Project Natale, July 20-21, Twins Jazz … Paige Wroble, July 21, The Alex … Pete Muldoon, July 22, DC Jazz Jam/The Brixton … Fairfax Swing Jazz Ensemble, July 23, Blues Alley … Joe Vetter Quartet, July 25, Twins Jazz … A DC/Baltimore Connection/Craig Alston/Herman Burney, July 27, Westminster … Jazz Night at the Movies/ Art Blakey, July 27, Westminster … Kenny Rittenhouse, July 2728, Twins Jazz … Lionel Lyles, July 28, Germano’s Piattini/Baltimore … “Bass In 3D Rex + 2/ Mike Bowie/JamesKing/Steve Novosel, July 28, NOVA Community College/Alexandria … Integriti Reeves, July 28, The Alex/Graham Georgetown Hotel … Lenny Robinson, July 29, DC Jazz Jam/The Brixton … JULY BIRTHDAYS: Rashied Ali 1; Ahmad Jamal 2; Johnny Hartman 3; Hank Mobley 7; Louis Jordan 8; Billy Eckstine, Lee Morgan 10; Albert Ayler 13; Philly Joe Jones 15; Cal Tjader 16; Chico Freeman 17; Sonny Clark 21; Billy Taylor 24; Johnny Hodges 25; Carl Grubbs 27; Charlie Christian 29; Hank Jones, Kenny Burrell 31. Steve Monroe is a Washington, DC, writer who can be reached at steve@jazzavenues.com and followed at www.twitter. com/jazzavenues.

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HAMILTON ON BROADWAY MAKES DC DEBUT

The innovative educational program that launched at Hamilton on Broadway will make its debut in DC on Sept. 12 when more than 2,150 students and teachers from area schools attend the matinee performance of the musical at the Kennedy Center. This is the first of two all-student performances that will provide more than 4,300 local high school students from underserved communities the opportunity to experience the musical Hamilton after having spent several weeks in their classrooms studying a special integrated curriculum about Alexander Hamilton and the nation’s Founding Fathers. The second allstudent matinee performance will take place on Sept. 13. Chris De’Sean Lee, Jose Ramos, Wallace Smith, Miguel Cervantes - HAMILTON Chicago Company. Photo: Joan Marcus 2016

Fort Dupont Ice Arena Reopens

Advanced Summer Teen Writing Institute

The Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. SE, reopens July 9 for camps and public skating. Public skating is weekdays, 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays, 1 to 3 p.m. and Sundays, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Skating is $5 for adults; $4, 12 and under and seniors 60 and over. $3 for skate rental. fdia.org.

From Aug. 13 to 17, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., writer and literacy specialist Pier Penic leads this special writing workshop designed for teens, ages 14 to 18. Using the exhibition, “A Right to the City” as a foundation, participants will read excerpts by noted writers living in DC and then write their own individual reflec-

E a s t o f t h e R i v er D C N e w s . c o m

tions on continuity and change. Emphasis of the workshop includes techniques on developing persuasive narrative through exploration of various forms of the written word including poetry, memoirs, short stories and other inflective pieces. On the last day of the workshop, teens give individual spoken word performances inside the main exhibition gallery. Register early as space is limited. Register at anacostia.si.edu or call 202633-4844. Anacostia Community Museum 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

Deanwood Reading Power Hour Weekdays at 6 p.m., Deanwood Library helps children build strong reading skills. Children are encouraged to select a book and read it to library staff. The individual reading sessions are designed to increase reading skills and promote engagement with a variety of liter-

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CANAL PARK’S KIDS IN CANAL RETURNS

ature. For kids ages 4 to 12. Kids under 9 require a caregiver. Deanwood Library is at 1350 49th St. NE. dclibrary. org/deanwood.

Fort Read at Deanwood Bring pillows, blankets and a snack and curl up in the Deanwood reading tent. Every weekday this summer at 4:30 p.m., report to Fort Read and listen to 20 to 30 minutes of an audiobook previously selected by young library voters. This program is geared towards ages 6 to 12 and will feature longer children’s novels. Deanwood Library is at 1350 49th St. NE. dclibrary.org/deanwood.

Ladybug Release On July 6 and 20; and Aug. 3 and 17, 10 to 10:15 a.m., kids can help the Smithsonian Gardens staff release ladybugs into the croplands of the National Museum of the American Indian. This hands-on event will be followed by a make-and-take activity for children, led by staff of the imagiNATIONS Activity Center. Meet at the south entrance of the museum, Independence Avenue between Third and Fourth Streets SW. Ladybug releases will be cancelled in case of inclement weather. AmericanIndian.si.edu.

Batting Helmets and Bobbleheads On July 22, 1:35 p.m., the first 10,000 fans age 12 and under, receive a batting helmet at the Nat’s vs. the Atlanta Braves game. On Aug. 3, 7:05 p.m., the first 25,000 fans age 12 and under, receive an Anthony Rendon Bobblehead at the Nat’s vs. the Cincinnati Reds. mlb.com/nationals.

Newseum’s Summer Fun Deal Through Labor Day, the Newseum waives admission for youth visitors age 18 and younger. Up to four kids visit for free with each paid adult or senior admission or Newseum Membership. Open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Newseum is at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. newseum.org.

Kids Ride Free Updates to the Kids Ride Free (KRF) program will make the program easier

EastofthERivERDCNEws.Com

to use and more accessible. Beginning next school year, students will no longer use their DC One Cards to access public transportation. Students will use a new KRF SmarTrip card to access Metrobus, Metrorail and the DC Circulator. More information about the KRF program can be found at kidsridefree.dc.gov.

Kids in Canal is free, kid-friendly entertainment Wednesdays, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Bring the little ones to the middle block of Canal Park to enjoy magic shows, children’s songs, science demonstrations and puppet shows. Then take a splash in the Canal Park dancing water fountains. Here’s the lineup: July 11, The Great Zucchini; July 18, Rocknoceros; July 25, Carousel Puppets; Aug. 1, Mad Scientist. Canal Park is at 200 M St. SE. capitolriverfront.org. Photo: Nicole Wolf

Safe Passage The School Safety and Safe Passage Working Group focuses on six priority areas. In each priority area, school leaders work with government and community partners, including the Metropolitan Police Department, the Metro Transit Police Department and the District Department of Transportation to address student safety issues. The six priority areas, which were chosen based on the number of student-involved incidents during the 2016-2017 school year, include: Anacostia Metro Station, Minnesota Avenue Metro Station, L’Enfant Plaza/Waterfront Metro Station, NoMa-Gallaudet Metro Station, Good Hope Road SE Corridor and Congress Heights.

MLB All Star Game FanFest GEICO All-Star FanFest, July 13 to 17 at the Washington Convention Center, is the largest interactive baseball theme park in the world. For five days, meet MLB Legends, get free autographs and receive daily giveaways. FanFest features batting and pitching cages with the latest technology. Purchase a FanFest Family Four Pack that includes admission for two adults and two children for one low price. Visit mlb.com/ all-star/tickets.

Online Hip-Hop Platform Created Full Potential is accepting applications for the first Hip Hop Beatz, Song, Poetry and Mime Competition that allows youth around the world, ages 5 to 18, to compete individually or as a group for cash prizes. Video submissions should be no longer than three minutes showcasing participant’s original or favorite rap, song, poetry or mime category. Slots are limited so earlier submissions receive priority. Participants are promoted on Full Potential’s website, newsletters and social media platforms. For application, rules and video submissions,

information can be obtained at fullpotentialdc.org/hip-hop-beatz.

DAR World’s Fair On Aug. 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., experience the excitement, innovation, and wonder of a c.1900 World’s Fair. Know what foods debuted at these fairs? Or what games children played? Learn about inventions that thrilled fairgoers and taste the snacks made popular by these grand events. Celebrate cultures around the world by exploring the

booths of local embassies and cultural centers. Daughters of the American Revolution, 1776 D St. NW. dar.org.

Discovery Theater on the Mall On July 10 to 13, 10 a.m. and noon, enjoy “Culture Shock DC Celebrates Hip Hop.” The show shares the power, beauty, and energy of hip-hop in an interactive performance. Find out what makes hip-hop such a unique and vibrant form and cheer these amazing dance artisteducators in action. L earn some of the

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ALL-STAR FAMILY DAY

Baseball Americana at the Library of Congress opened on June 29, just before Washington’s Nationals Park hosts Major League Baseball’s 89th All-Star Game on July 17. The Library of Congress is hosting an All-Star Family Day on July 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Building. Here is the schedule: 10 a.m. to noon, Vintage Baseball Clinic; 10:30 a.m., Baseball Story Time; 11 to 11:50 a.m., “Black Diamond:” A Play from Smithsonian’s Discovery Theater; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bat-Making Demonstration; 1 to 2 p.m., “The Origins of the Modern Game: The Laws of Base Ball.” Baseball Americana celebrates baseball as community, including the people, from amateur players to professionals, baseball diamonds from city lots to rural fields and places across the globe that have embraced the game. It explores baseball’s gritty roots, its changing traditions and the game today. The Baseball Americana yearlong exhibition is on view in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. It is free and open to the public, Mondays through Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. loc.gov. “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” by Albert Von Tilzer and Jack Norworth, 1908. Sheet music cover. Music Division (036).

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group’s choreography and take the stage to show off freestyle moves. For ages five to sixteen. On July 17 to 20, 10:30 a.m. and noon, enjoy “The Future is Now!” with the Science Guys of Baltimore. Discover the engineering marvels, new and old, that make the world great. Explore new technologies that will make it even stronger. Ride on a futuristic hover board. Fire projectiles using one of the most basic engineering defenses: a catapult. Learn about renewable solar and wind technologies. Try to demolish a building to better understand earthquake construction and natural disaster protection. For ages 5 to 12. On July 24 to 27, 10:30 a.m. and noon, enjoy SWAGFUNK Band. Can’t spell funk without “fun,” which is guaranteed when SWAGFUNK takes the stage. The DC band’s musical mix of funk, jazz, rock, pop, R&B and reggae celebrates the joy of classic styles. For ages 5 to 16. On July 31 to Aug. 3, 10:30 a.m. and noon, enjoy “Soul in Motion.” This explosive company from Montgomery County shares the richness of African American culture by dancing the heritage of the African homelands. In a spectacular performance that blends chestpounding drumming and foot-stomping leaps and steps, these performers create an infectious joy that captures hearts and sprits. For ages 5 to 16. These shows are at the Smithsonian Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. Tickets are $6 per child, $3 for under two and $8 for adults. discoverytheater.org.

The Stroller Run The first, fun 5k that benefits local children’s charities. Decorate the stroller. Dress up the kids and “run like a mom” even if you’re a dad. This race is less about clocking time and more about getting out of the house, being active with the kids and socializing with other active parents. Afterward, drop the kids off with their new friends at the free Stroller Run Kid’s Camp (Child care professionals provided by Care.com.). Then relax and enjoy some shopping and a beverage at the Mom Expo. The run is on Aug. 11, 10 a.m., at National Harbor, 165 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, MD. Register at thestrollerrun.com.

Dance the Day Away with Paper Dreams Imagination Stage, at 4908 Auburn Ave. Bethesda, MD, presents the dance performance-based production Paper Dreams through July 29 as part of the My First Imagination Stage series. A collaboration with Mons Dansa Dance Company of Barcelona, Spain, Paper Dreams explores the many facets of creativity, including movement. This fun, interactive production tells the story of two clownish creatures that live in a wastepaper basket. Paper Dreams is best for ages 1 to 5. Performances are weekends at 10 and 11:15 a.m. Tickets are $12 in advance or $14 the day of the performance, with a $5 lap seat for children under 12 months. Tickets may be purchased at imaginationstage.org, at the Imagination Stage box office, or by calling 301-280-1660. Have an item for the Kid and Family Notebook? Email it to bulletinboard@hillrag.com.

RIDE THE ZOO’S CONSERVATION CAROUSEL

Situated across from the Zoo’s Lemur Island, Speedwell Conservation Carousel features dozens of custom-carved and hand-painted animals under a brightly colored, open-air pavilion. Tickets at $3.50 can be purchased at the carousel or in Zoo gift shops. Riders under 42 inches must be accompanied by an adult. Zoo admission is free; parking is $25. Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. nationalzoo.si.edu. Scimitar-horned oryx and red-necked ostrich on the Speedwell Foundation Conservation Carousel. Photo: Devin Murphy/Smithsonian’s National Zoo

“A Tale of Two Cities”

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by Myles Mellor Across:

1. Company 5. Mountain shoe 8. “Be silent,” in musical scores 13. Head-turner 17. Nom de guerre 19. Reposed 20. Agreement 21. Plaintiff 22. Two cities 26. Something doomed to failure 27. Footed vase 28. Electrical particle 29. Exact repro. 30. Orange tuber 31. Dined at McDonald’s 34. African tourist trip 36. Peculiar 39. Noodle 42. Proposal 44. Feat 45. Cards with three pips 48. Scraps 50. Meeting of the minds 52. Lunkhead 53. Just not done 54. Indian butter 55. Sly one 57. Blunt 59. Pastoral expanses 62. Saharan nomad 67. Network of nerves 70. St. Anthony, notably 74. Pulitzer Prize category 75. Two cities 82. Used 83. Durable wood 84. Arm bone 85. Loan officer, for one 87. Totals 89. Home cocktail station 95. Good employee attitude 99. Long time 102. Came to 103. Volume measurement (abbr.) 106. Offspring 108. A bunch of 109. Pine tree sap 110. A Disney bear 111. Spread a wet substance 113. It follows “high” or “Texas”

115. Terminate 116. Charioteer constellation 119. Appropriate 121. Star Wars Jedi first name 124. Quid ___ quo 125. Gadsden locale 127. Fanciful story 128. Silvery metallic element 133. Two cities 138. Type of berry 139. Data transmitter 140. Highland hillside 141. Flies alone 142. Arias, usually 143. Ready to be drawn, at the bar 144. “Pledge of Allegiance” ender 145. Store section

Down:

1. Eagle type 2. Tissue additive 3. Columbus’ favorite 4. Pops 5. Submerged 6. Poke fun at 7. Opinion 8. Use an exit ramp 9. Dragonfly prey 10. Intelligence gathering org. 11. French handbag 12. Steno goofs 13. Tire pressure fig. 14. Float alternatives 15. Fastens 16. Fearful 18. Fountain order 19. Water body in Quebec 23. Paralyzed 24. Black and white cookie 25. Essential cell comp. 31. Hollywood inhabitant, e.g. 32. Fuzzily photographed craft 33. Small gull 35. “Black box”ers 36. Bismarck’s first name 37. Hardly exciting 38. Card balance 40. Measurement of force 41. Spa sound 43. Repent

Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 46. Word said while pointing 47. Mayday! 49. Peek at 51. Gym floor covering 56. Antelope with corkscrew horns 58. Miss the mark 60. Synthetic resin 61. Old French coin 63. Place for a tattoo 64. Talk 65. It has a green egg and runs fast 66. Long-snouted fish 68. Scratch (out)

69. Bar bill 71. Disgust 72. Plumber’s pipe bend 73. ___ for office 75. Bust 76. Time to arrive 77. ___ Wang, emperor of China who established the first zoo 78. Big laugh 79. Crude group? 80. Code of life 81. Regulation 86. Jamie Foxx’s legend 88. Water blocker

ANNUAL USED GAME SALE

Live and silent auctions for the hotter ticket items Saturday, July 28, 10am-6pm and Sunday, July 29, 10am-6pm *All funds raised will be used to buy local teachers games for their classrooms, to support Labyrinth’s afterschool game clubs, and to buy new demos for our game library.

CELEBRATION OF GAMING

July 28 to August 5th – Storewide sale and special events.* *Roll a 20-sided die for a discount

Labyrinth Game Shop

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To sell games or sign up as a bidder for the auction go to www.labyrinthgameshop.com

645 Pennsylvania Ave SE | 202.544.1059 | www.labyrinthgameshop.com E ast

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90. Much decorated lobe 91. Losing come-out roll in craps 92. High tech speakers 93. Comparable (to) 94. Tear up 96. Board room votes 97. Old Russian assembly 98. Teller’s stack 100. Richard Bach novel 101. Big Apple 103. Cuckoo-like African bird 104. Sisterly 105. Eagles, on scoreboards 107. Old-time street illuminator 110. ‘60s All-Star pitcher Milt 112. Undo 114. Wanderer 117. Driver’s need 118. “Remember The ___” 120. Toast 122. Food collectors? 123. Manner of speaking 126. Ever and ____ 128. Iranian capital 129. Consume 130. Sea key 131. Once ____ a time 132. Miss Kate 134. 3 in Roman letters 135. “Silent Spring” subj. 136. Can be open or choppy 137. It might end in net R iver M agazine

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