East of the River Magazine December 2017 by Capital Community News

DECEMBER 2017

H O L I D AY 16

SPECIAL

Holiday Events by Kathleen Donner

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS 26

The Bulletin Board

Alonzo Smith and Special Policing by Virginia Avniel Spatz

‘A War of Ideas’ by Chris Myers Asch and George Derek Musgrove

32 34

DC Prep’s Anacostia Campus and DCPS’s Ketcham Elementary Uplift Together

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IN EVERY ISSUE 06 Calendar

by John Muller

48 The Classiﬁed

DC School Teams Up with Muralists to Create Outdoor Learning Space

50 The Crossword

D E C E M B E R 2017

by Jonathan Lewis

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

36 38

Call the Midwife by Candace Y.A. Montague

Jazz Avenues by Steve Monroe

HOMES & GARDENS 39

Changing Hands compiled by Don Denton

KIDS & FAMILY

Notebook by Kathleen Donner

ON THE COVER: Craig Wallace returns to play Ebenezer Scrooge in the 2017 Ford’s Theatre production of “A Christmas Carol.” Photo: Scott Suchman. See story on pg. 16.

N E X T I S S U E : J a n . 13

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Medical Cannabis on Barracks Row

LEGAL. SAFE. RELIABLE. In pain? Stressed out? Can’t sleep?

Capital Community News, Inc. 224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 • 202.543.8300 • capitalcommunitynews.com Executive Editor: Melissa Ashabranner • melissa.ashabranner@gmail.com Publisher: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2016 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.

EDITORIAL STAFF

202-902-9991 mwcdc.com/eotr

Don Denton • DDenton@cbmove.com Heather Schoell • heathersdo@gmail.com

ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

Derek Thomas • derek@thomaslandscapes.com Catherine Plume • caplume@yahoo.com Cheryl Corson • cheryl@cherylcorson.com Rindy 0’Brien • rindyobrien@gmail.com

Art:

Dining: Literature: Movies: Music: Theater: Wine Girl:

Jim Magner • jjmagner@aol.com Phil Hutinet • phutinet@yahoo.com Celeste McCall • celeste@us.net Karen Lyon • klyon@folger.edu Mike Canning • mjcanning@verizon.net Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Stephen Monroe • steve@jazzavenues.com Barbara Wells • barchardwells@aol.com Elyse Genderson • elyse@cellar.com

CALENDAR & BULLETIN BOARD

Metropolitan Wellness Center

Capitol Hill’s neighborhood cannabis dispensary

409 8th St., SE, 2nd Floor

REAL ESTATE

Managing Editor: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com CFO & Associate Editor: Maria Carolina Lopez carolina@hillrag.com School Notes Editor: Susan Braun Johnson schools@hillrag.com Kids & Family Editor: Kathleen Donner kathleendonner@gmail.com

Calendar Editor: Kathleen Donner • calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com

KIDS & FAMILY

Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com

HOMES & GARDENS

COMMENTARY

The Nose • thenose@hillrag.com The Last Word • editorial@hilllrag.com

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Art Director: Jason Yen • jay@hillrag.com Graphic Design: Lee Kyungmin • lee@hillrag.com Web Master: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com

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GENERAL ASSIGNMENT

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BEAUTY, HEALTH & FITNESS

Account Executive: Kira Means, 202.543.8300 X16 • kira@hillrag.com Account Executive: Maria San Jose, 202.543.8300 X20 • maria@hillrag.com Account Executive & Classified Advertising: Maria Carolina Lopez, 202.543.8300 X12 • Carolina@hillrag.com

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DEADLINES & CONTACTS

Advertising: sales@hillrag.com Display Ads: 15th of each month Classified Ads: 10th of each month Editorial: 15th of each month; editorial@hilllrag.com Bulletin Board & Calendar: 15th of each month; calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com

Patricia Cinelli • fitmiss44@aol.com Candace Y.A. Montague • writeoncm@gmail.com Stacy Peterson • stacy@accelerationsports.net We welcome suggestions for stories. Send queries to andrew@hillrag.com. We are also interested in your views on community issues which are published in the Last Word. Please limit your comments to 250 words. Letters may be edited for space. Please include your name, address and phone number. Send Last Word submissions to lastword@hillrag.com. For employment opportunities email jobs@hillrag.com.

Capital Community News, Inc. Publishers of:

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DECEMBER

2018 FRESH START 5K

Jan. 1; 8 AM, registration; 9 AM, run. This free fun run and walk at Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Drive, is a wonderful way to start the new year. Enjoy morning refreshments, a free t-shirt, fun fellowship with neighbors and more with Mayor Bowser. Register at 2018freshstart5k.splashthat.com.

A R O U N D T H E N E I G H B O R H OO D Theatre Prometheus Presents “Soldier Poet”. Through Dec. 21. In the falling city of Aleppo, two American Army Rangers rescue an injured Syrian woman about to give birth. At a nearby hospital, a neonatal nurse with an unwavering sense of duty struggles to save the lives of infants as her hospital is bombed. $20. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. anacostiaartscenter.com.

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Your Community, Your Story at the ACM. Through Jan. 6, 2019. For ﬁfty years, the Anacostia Community Museum has pushed the boundaries of what “museum” means. Conversations with neighbors have shaped exhibitions and programs. Collections preserve the stories of everyday people. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

The Washington Ballet @ THEARC. Through May 25, 2018. Mondays, 7:15 to 8:30 PM, Adult Vinyasa Yoga; Tuesdays, noon to 1:15 PM, Adult Ballet; Wednesdays, noon to 1 PM, Adult Barre; Thursdays, 10:15 to 11:30 AM, Adult Modern; Thursdays, 7:15 to 8:15 PM, Adult Pilates; Saturdays, 8:30 to 9:30 AM, Adult Zumba. Single classes are $12. A discount of $6 is granted to

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HOLIDAY STARKILLERS STRIKE BACK

Through Jan. 20. Gallery hours are Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 AM to 7 PM. Holiday Starkillers Strike Back exhibit celebrates the cultural phenomena of George Lucas' space saga. Featuring works by Andrew Wodzianski, Scott G. Brooks, Greg Ferrand, Chris Bishop, Jared Davis, J.D. Deardourﬀ and Steve Strawn. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. anacostiaartscenter.com.

adults from the zip codes 20020 and 20032. A valid ID is required to receive the discount. Class cards good for 12 classes are $100/$60 for Wards 7 and 8 residents. THEARC is at 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. thearcdc.org. Fort Dupont Ice Arena Public Skating. Public ice skating 1 to 3 PM on Dec. 9, 16 and 23; noon to 2 PM on Dec. 5; 2:30 to 4:30 PM on Dec. 10 and 17; 3:30 to 5:30 PM and 6 to 8 PM on Dec. 23. $5 for adults; $4, 12 and under and seniors 60 and over; $3 for skate rental. Fort Dupont Ice Arena is at 3779 Ely Pl. SE. fdia.org. The Spirit of Kwanzaa at THEARC. Dec. 15, 7 PM; Dec. 16, 6 PM; and Dec. 17, 2 PM. the Dance Institute of Washington presents “Kwanzaa, a Winter Holiday.” This celebration

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draws on the agricultural ceremonies of Africa. The Spirit of Kwanzaa celebrates the holiday’s principles with dance, music and spoken word performances. General admission is $20 in advance, $25 at the door; children age 12, under are $12 in advance, $15 at the door; children age 3 and under, free. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. thearcdc.org. The Guestworker Film and Discussion. Dec. 15, 11 AM to noon. This engaging documentary chronicles the life of Candelario, a seasonal farm worker who has been going between Mexico and the United States for 40 years harvesting crops and trying to provide for his family. In Spanish with English subtitles. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

Kwanzaa Celebration at Anacostia Community Museum. Dec. 26, 11 AM to 1 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration with Nana Malaya Rucker, The Dancing Diplomat & Nubian; Dec. 27, 11 AM to 12:30 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration with Melvin Deal African Heritage Dancers and Drummers and Dec. 28, 10 AM to 2:30 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration with Arts & Crafts. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu. Triplets; the enigmatic egos by Jenna North at Honfleur Gallery. Jan. 26 to March 3. Opening reception, Jan. 26, 6 to 9 PM. Open Wednesdays to Saturdays, noon to 7 PM. Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. honfleurgallery.com.

MUSIC AROUND TOWN Music at Hill Country. Dec. 9, The Currys; Dec. 16, Vintage #18; Dec. 17, Three Bad Jacks; Dec. 21, Kiti Gartner; Dec. 22, The Woodshedders; Dec. 23, Colonel Josh & the Honky Tonk Heroes; Dec. 26, Woody Pines; Jan. 7, Fred Eaglesmith Traveling Show Starring Tif Ginn; Jan. 13, The 19th Street Band. Hill Country Live, 410 Seventh St. NW. hillcountry.com/dc. Music at 9:30 Club. Dec. 9, Gary Numan and American Freak Show feat. Bear Grillz; Dec. 10, Mogwai; Dec. 11, Hiss Golden Messenger; Dec. 13, The White Buﬀalo; Dec. 14 and 15, Angel Olsen; Dec. 16, Victor Wooten Trio; Dec. 17, Municipal Waste; Dec. 18, Up and Vanished Live; Dec. 22, Ookay; Dec. 23,

Next Up II; Dec. 28, Flosstradamus; Dec. 30 and 31, Spoon; Jan. 5, The Dead Milkmen; Jan. 7, Boat Burning: Music for 100 Guitars; Jan. 8, The Wombats; Jan. 11, Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven; Jan. 12, The Disco Biscuits; Jan. 14, Revival. 815 V St. NW. 930.com.

Music at Black Cat. Dec. 12, Cinema Hearts; Dec. 14, Chris Fleming; Dec. 125, Harry & The Potters; Dec. 17, Rock-N-Shop; Dec. 22, CUMTOWN Live Podcast; Dec. 23, The Obsessed; Dec. 30, Ex Hex and Invazion. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com.

Music at the Lincoln. Dec. 9, 16 and 17, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington presents: The Holiday Show; Dec. 13, Kip Moore, Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen; Dec. 30, White Ford Bronco. The Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. thelincolndc.com.

Music at Ivy City Smokehouse. Dec. 14, J. Peter Loftus, Dec. 18, Heather Renee; Dec. 22, Matt Waller Live; Dec. 28, The Ryan Forrester Trio; Dec. 29, John Schreiner Trio; Dec. 31, Ivy City Ball. Ivy City Smokehouse, 1356 Okie St. NE. ivycitysmokehouse.com.

Music at Sixth and I. Dec. 9, Storm Large; Dec. 10, Jake Bugg; Dec. 14, Alone & Together. Sixth and I, 600 I St. NW. sixthandi.org.

Jazz Night in Southwest. Every Friday, 6 to 9 PM. Dec. 15, Tribute to Joe Williams; Dec. 22, Eric Byrd Trio; Dec. 29, Fred Foss’ Alto Summit. $5 cover. Children are free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals oﬀered. 202-4847700. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW. westminsterdc.org.

Music at Pearl Street Warehouse. Dec. 9, Chopteeth; Dec. 14, Roosevelt Collier Trio; Dec. 15, Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble; Dec. 16, Holidelic; Dec. 22, Revelator Hill; Dec. 23, Miss Tess & the Talkbacks; Dec. 29, King Soul; Jan. 5, Bakithi Kumalo; Jan. 6, Jacob Joliﬀ Band. Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW. pearlstreetwarehouse.com. Music at Rock and Roll Hotel. Dec. 9, The World Is a Beautiful place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die; Dec. 12, Converge; Dec. 15, Schmalls Fest; Dec. 16, The Virginia Southpaws; Dec. 21, FV, Walkney & Rent Party; Dec. 29, Ruse de Guerre; Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve Blowout; Jan. 6, Dream Syndicate. Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. 202-388-7625. rockandrollhoteldc.com. Music at The Anthem. Dec. 9, Fantasia Christmas After Midnight; Dec. 15, Lil Uzi Vert; Dec. 16, O.A. R.; Dec. 17, A Pentatonix Christmas Tour; Dec. 29, Soja; Dec. 31, Thievery Corporation; Jan 10, The Killers. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. theanthemdc.com. Blues Night in Southwest. Every Monday, 6 to 9 PM. Dec. 11, The Nighthawks; Dec. 18, Shirleta Settles & Friends; Dec. 26, Vince Evans Blues Band. $5 cover. Children are free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. 202-484-7700. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW. westminsterdc.org. Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. Dec. 12, Jeremy Lyons, guitar, & Lisa Perry, soprano; Dec. 19, The Choir of the Church of the Epiphany & the AYPO Brass Ensemble with Jeremy Filsell, director, & Christopher Betts, organ. 1317 G St. NW. epiphanydc.org. Music at U Street Music Hall. Dec. 12, Cousin Stizz; Dec. 14, Fat Trel; Dec. 15, Shamir and Sharam; Dec. 28, Angerﬁst; Dec. 30, Deep Sugar DC; Dec. 31, Nadastrom. U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St. NW. ustreetmusichall.com.

Music at The Howard. Dec. 19, Dave East; Dec. 22, Reggae Fest vs. Soca; Dec. 27, Ace Hood; Dec. 28, Elle Varner; Dec. 29, Rakim; Dec. 30, Reggae Fest New Year’s Eve All Black Aﬀair. Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. thehowardtheatre.com. Groupmuse Concert House Parties. You can attend a concert for a $3 registration fee and a $10 plus per person donation to the musician(s). Concerts are BYOB and welcome all ages. Read more and sign up to host or attend at Groupmuse.com. Concerts added continuously.

SPORTS AND FITNESS Washington Capitals Ice Hockey. Dec. 12, 16, 28, and 30: Jan. 7, 9, and 11. Capital One Arena. capitals.nhl.com. Washington Wizards Basketball. Dec. 13, 15, 17, 19, 23, 29 and 31; Jan. 3, 6, 10, 12 and 13. Capital One Arena. nba.com/wizards. Wharf Ice Rink. Open every day mid-December through late February, depending on weather. Mondays and Tuesdays, noon to 7 PM; Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 9 PM; Fridays, noon to 11 PM; Saturdays, 11 AM to 11 PM; Sundays, 11 AM to 7 PM. Live DJ, Fridays, 8 to 10 PM. Adult admission, $10 with $2 discount to active military, seniors; $8 for children 12 years and younger. Skate rental is $6. Wharf Ice Rink is on Transit Pier, across from The Anthem, 960 Wharf St. SW. wharfdc.com/wharf-ice-rink. Canal Park Ice Skating. Sundays, 10 AM to 10 PM; Mondays to Thursdays, noon to 10 PM; Fridays, noon to 11 PM; and Saturdays, 10 AM to 11 PM. Special hours on holidays. Skate fees are adults, $9; kids and seniors, $8; skate rental, $5. 200 M St. SE. canalparkiceskating.com.

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FREE YOGA BY TRANSP0SE LITE

Dec. 16, 11 AM (every third Saturday). Transp0se Lite is a gentle yoga class that infuses yoga and meditation for beginner yogis. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. transp0se.us. Photo: Courtesy of Transp0se Lite

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink. Through March 11, daily except Christmas and New Year’s Day, weather permitting. Open Mondays through Thursdays, 10 AM to 9 PM; Fridays, 10 AM to 11 PM, Saturdays, 11 AM to 11 PM; and Sundays, 11 AM to 9 PM. Skating fees for a two-hour session are $9, adults; $8, seniors, students with ID and children 12 and under. Skate rental, $3.50. nga.gov.

and occupancy of the public right of way that do not fall within the regular permitting process such as sidewalk cafes; overheight retaining walls; over-height fences; and security bollards. Meeting at 1100 Fourth St. SW, 2nd Floor, Hearing Room. ddot. dc.gov/page/public-space-committee-meetings.

MARKETS AND SALES

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.

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

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.

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

Anacostia High School Improvement Team Meeting. Fourth Tuesday, 6 PM. Anacostia High School, 16th and R Streets SE.

ANC 7D. Second Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Dorothy I. Height Neighborhood Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 7D06@anc.dc.gov.

Benning Ridge Civic Association. First Wednesday, 6:30 to 8 PM at the Ridge Road Community Center, 830 Ridge Rd. SE

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

Capitol View Civic Association Meeting. Third Monday, 6:30 PM. Hughes Memorial United Methodist, 25 53rd St. NE. capitolviewcivicassoc.org.

ANC 7F. Third Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, 200 Stoddert Place, SE.

Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 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 St. SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarket-dc.org. Branch Avenue Pawn Parking Lot Flea Market. Saturdays after 10 AM. 3128 Branch Ave., Temple Hills, MD.

CIVIC LIFE DDOT Public Space Committee Meeting. Dec. 14; 9 AM. The Public Space Committee meets monthly to review and render decisions on a variety of types of permit applications for the use

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

Eastland Gardens Civic Association Meeting. Third Tuesday, 6:30 to 8 PM. Zion Baptist Church of Eastland Gardens, 1234 Ke-

nilworth Ave. 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.

ANC MONTHLY MEETINGS

ANC 8A. First Tuesday, 7 PM. HCD Housing Resource Center, 1800 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. anc8adc.org.

Make Central Union Mission #85786 your Combined Federal Campaign beneficiary because no one should live hungry and homeless.

With rehab for homeless men, employment programs for men and women, summer camp for children and fellowship for seniors, Central Union Mission helps everyone in need who comes to its doors.

Visit www.missiondc.org to learn more about us.

Humberto and Epiphaney were both Army veterans, but their young family was living in their car!

Central Union Mission gave them a new start in life with furniture, groceries and employment.

CENTRAL UNION MISSION | 65 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. NW WDC 20001 | 202.745.7118

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Call Carolina Lopez 202-400-3503 or Carolina@hillrag.com for more information SOUNDS FROM THE SEA BY MARTHA JARVIS JACKSON AT HONFLEUR GALLERY

Through Jan. 13. Open Wednesdays to Saturdays, noon to 7 PM. Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. honfleurgallery.com. Sounds from the Sea VIII. Image: Courtesy of Martha Jarvis Jackson and Honfleur Gallery

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.

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

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The Washington, D.C. Region’s Must-See Holiday Attraction Returns! Now – January 1, 2018 New for 2017 is ICE! featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Experience favorite scenes from this classic tale brought to life in magnificent sculptures hand-carved from more than TWO million pounds of ice. ICE! is an indoor winter wonderland featuring: • • • •

Walk-through holiday attraction, kept at a chilly 9 degrees Hand-carved by 40 artisans from Harbin, China Depicts the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Enjoy five two-story ice slides Tickets Starting at*

ADULT

(ages 12+)

CHILD

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Unlimited Priority Entry to ICE!

with overnight packages, starting at $219**

Tickets and Packages on Sale Now! ChristmasOnThePotomac.com | (301) 965-4000 Located in National Harbor, MD – Conveniently located minutes from Washington, D.C. and across the river from Old Town Alexandria. *Subject to 10% entertainment tax and transaction fee per ticket. **Per room plus tax, resort fee and parking. Package pricing, components, show schedules and entertainment subject to change without notice. See website for restrictions. PEPSI, PEPSI-COLA and the Pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo, Inc. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and all related elements © & ™ under license to Character Arts, LLC. FUJIFILM and INSTAX are trademarks of FUJIFILM Corporation and its affiliates. © 2017 FUJIFILM North America Corporation. All rights reserved.

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NATIONAL HARBOR, MD

ICE! PRESENTED BY

PRESENTED BY

PRESENTS

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H O L I D AY

Cut-Your-Own Christmas Tree Farms in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Visit pickyourownchristmastree.org for farms and directions. Then follow the prompts. US Capitol Christmas Tree. The 2017 tree is from the Kootenai National Forest, Montana. Visit anytime. capitolchristmastree.org. White House Christmas Tree Lighting. Visit The National Christmas Tree anytime

Zoolights

EVENT

throughout the holiday season. thenationaltree.org. “A Christmas Carol” at The Little Theatre of Alexandria. Through Dec. 16. The family-favorite classic by Charles Dickens, equipped with special effects, Victorian carols and Tiny Tim returns to the Little Theatre of Alexandria. $17. The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria, VA. thelittletheatre.com.

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

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NTS Photo: Courtesy of the Folger Consort

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Dec. 15 to 23. Folger Consort celebrates the season with evocative Advent. Enjoy holiday music from Germany from the medieval majesty of the 15th-century Glogauer Liederbuch to the flower of the 17th Century German Baroque. $50. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. folger.edu.

Community Sing: Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming at the Folger

Dec. 17, 1 PM. Folger Consort musicians lead audience members in learning holiday songs from the medieval to the baroque. Enjoy singing and visiting the Folger during this festive holiday time. Suitable for all ages and skill levels. Free. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. folger.edu.

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Live Entertainment at the White House Christmas Tree. Through Dec. 21 (except Dec. 11 and 18), 5 to 8 PM, Tuesdays through Fridays; 1 to 8 PM, Saturdays and Sundays. Musical entertainment features performances by choirs, bands and dancers. thenationaltree.org. Downtown Holiday Market. Through Dec. 23, noon to 8 PM, daily. More than 150 exhibitors and artisans selling an array of high-quality gift items including fine art, crafts, jewelry, pottery, photography, clothing, tasty treats and hot beverages. Market at F Street, between Seventh and Ninth Streets NW. downtownholidaymarket.com. The Washington Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Through Dec. 24 at the Warner Theatre. Set in Georgetown and replete with swirling snowﬂakes, cherry blossoms and historical characters including George Washington as the heroic nutcracker, The Washington Ballet’s The Nutcracker has become a tradition for generations of family and friends to celebrate the holidays. warner.theatre-dc.com. Festival of Lights at the Mormon Temple. Through Dec. 31, 5 to 11 PM. A diﬀerent performing artist or group is showcased each night, including bell ensembles, choirs and orchestras. Each performance is presented at least twice nightly. Concert tickets are handed out at the Visitors’ Center 60 minutes before each performance. 9900 Stoneybrook Dr., Kensington, MD. dctemplelights.lds.org.

Gaylord National’s Christmas on the Potomac. Through Jan. 1, 2018. Experience Christmas On the Potomac, a magical wonderland with lavish décor, twinkling holiday lights and indoor snowfall. ICE! returns with a new theme, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Plus enjoy Gingerbread Decorating, Build-A-Bear Workshop, a new ice skating experience and an all new live entertainment show, “JOY A Holiday Spectacular.” 201 Waterfront St., National Harbor, MD

A Christmas Carol at Ford's

Season’s Greenings at the Botanic Garden. Through Jan. 1, 2018, daily, 10 AM to 5 PM. Remember that the best things in life are free: the fragrance of a freshly cut fir tree, the magic of holiday lights, sumptuous decorations, and the delight of a child discovering the make-believe world of model trains. Free. 100 Maryland Ave. SW. usbg.gov.

Through Dec. 31. Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. Ford's Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. fords.org. Craig Wallace returns to play Ebenezer Scrooge in the 2017 Ford’s Theatre production of “A Christmas Carol.” Photo: Scott Suchman

Mount Vernon by Candlelight. Dec. 9 and 17; 5 to 8 PM. Join the estate for a candlelit character-guided tour and learn more about holiday traditions in 18th Century Virginia. Timed tickets are $24 for adults and $16 for children 11, under. George Washington’s Estate & Gardens, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Alexandria, VA. mountvernon.org. Caroling in the Rotunda at the National Gallery of Art. Dec. 9, 10, 16 and 17; 1:30 and 2:30 PM. nga.gov. National Harbor Elf Run 5k. Dec. 9. Come Run with The Elves! Join Santa and the Reindeer and run a 5k at National Harbor. Registration includes entry into The SantaLand the race, Souvenir Elf Hat, snacks and drinks Diaries at Drafthouse at the Christmas VilComedy Theater lage. visitprincegeDec. 7 to 23. Broadway actor Cameron Folmar orgescounty.com.

stars as a gay, out-of-work writer who lands a job as a Macy’s elf — and spills the beans behind the scenes. $20. Drafthouse Comedy Theater, 1100 13th St. NW. drafthousecomedy.com. Cameron Folmar as Crumpet the Elf in The SantaLand Diaries by David Sedaris at Drafthouse Comedy Theater. Photo: Donald Kemp

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The Christma s Revels. Dec. 9 to 17. A French-Canadian celebration of the winter solstice. Lisner Auditorium at GW University. revelsdc.org.

Gay Men’s Chorus The Holiday Show. Dec. 9, 16 and 17. The holiday extravaganza returns with fabulous treats and festive seasonal favorites. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. gmcw.org. US Air Force Band Spirit of the Season. Dec. 9, 3 and 8 PM; Dec. 10, 3 PM. Enjoy classic and modern holiday music and a surprise visit from the North Pole. Free tickets available at usafband.af.mil. There will be a stand-by line. DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St NW. usafband.af.mil. Thomas Circle Singers “The Wonder of Christmas”. Dec. 10, 4 PM. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 4900 Connecticut Ave. NW. thomascirclesingers.org. A Candlelight Christmas presented by The Washington Chorus. Dec. 10, 2 and 5 PM; Dec. 16, 4 PM; and Dec. 21 and 22, 7 PM. Featuring brass, organ, sing-alongs and the magnificent Candlelight Processional. A Candlelight Christmas includes favorites such as The Dream Isaiah Saw, Hallelujah Chorus and more. $18 to $72. kennedy-center.org. National Menorah Lighting. Dec. 12, 4 PM. Free dreidels, latkes, donuts and menorah kits. Ceremony is on the Ellipse, south of the White House. Free tickets required at nationalmenorah.org. First Night of Hanukkah Celebration at The Wharf. Dec. 12, 5 to 8 PM. Watch the lighting of the menorah. Enjoy complimentary cookies, s’mores, and live music. Plus, kids can get creative at a special crafts station. Sutton Square. wharfdc.com.

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THEPIANOGUYS CHRISTMAS TOGETHER at the National. Dec. 13 to 16. THEPIANOGUYS comes to the National Theatre this December for a special holiday residency. National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. thenationaldc.org. SING! An Irish Christmas at the Kennedy Center. Dec. 13, 8 PM. Keith and Kristyn Getty bring their touring Irish Christmas show back to the Kennedy Center in a program built around their Christmas church music catalog and their love for historic carols. kennedy-center.org. Trans-Siberian Orchestra “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve”. Dec. 14, 7:30 PM. Capital One Arena. trans-siberian.com. An Irish Carol at Keegan Theatre. Dec. 14 to 31. The story, an homage to Dickens’ classic, is told as only the Irish can. An Irish Carol follows one evening in the life of David, a

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Holiday Ordeal at Sixth and I

Holiday Ordeal at Sixth and I. Dec. 9, 8 PM. Both a solo artist and a featured vocalist with Pink Martini, Storm Large is a force of nature on stage, lending her commanding voice and bawdy humor to jazz standards, hard rock and everything in between. $40. Mature audiences. washingtonperformingarts.org. Storm Large

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wealthy pub owner who has distanced himself from others and lost touch with his own humanity in the interest of material success. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. keegantheatre.com. NSO’s Handel’s Messiah. Dec. 14 to 17. Join the NSO, gifted singers, and a heavenly chorus for this holiday tradition. Experience the hope, redemption and grace of Handel’s cherished Messiah in the festively decorated Concert Hall. kennedy-center.org.

time for their annual holiday production. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org. Navy Band Holiday Concerts. Dec. 16, 3 PM and 8 PM and Dec. 17, 3 PM. This concert combines the musical forces of multiple ensembles from the US Navy Band for an entertaining family-friendly show. Santa appears. Free. Tickets are online and there are stand-by seats. DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW. navyband.navy.mil/holiday_concert.

Nog Fest at The Wharf. Dec. 16, 1 to 4 PM. Enjoy a mug of a favorite seasonal drink or sample other tasty winter beverages at The Wharf’s Waterfront Beer & Wine Garden. Fun activities for all ages, along with games and prizes. Wharf Street, District Pier. wharfdc.com.

Cathedral Choral Society: Joy of Christmas. Dec. 16, 2 PM and 7 PM; Dec. 17, 4 PM. A well-loved Washington, DC holiday tradition, this concert includes Christmas favorites and a festive carol sing-along. The program will feature a newly commissioned carol by popular British composer Paul Mealor. Tickets are $25, up. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. nationalcathedral.org.

Sweet Spot Aerial Productions: A Circus Carol at the Atlas. Dec. 16 and 17. It’s holiday pageant time at W.T. Dickens High School! Chaos reigns supreme throughout the school halls as teachers, administrators and students try to get it together in

Christmas with Choral Arts at the Kennedy Center. Dec. 17 to 24. The Choral Arts Society of Washington celebrates the joys of the season in a delightful program of popular holiday standards and seasonal Christmas classics. kennedy-center.org.

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Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon

Dec. 14 to Jan. 5. Since the Christmas Bird count began over a century ago, it has relied on the dedication and commitment of volunteers. The local count will occur on one day between those dates. Read how to participate at audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count.

Dec. 15 and 16, 5:30 to 9 PM. Join Mount Vernon for an evening of family-friendly fun and fireworks choreographed to holiday music, with fireworks beginning around 9 PM. Event also features local choirs, re-enactors from the First Virginia Regiment in winter encampment, and 18th-century dance lessons. George Washington's Estate & Gardens, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Alexandria, VA. mountvernon.org.

Tufted Titmouse. Photo: Michele Black/Audubon Photography Awards

Atlas Presents: A Bohemian Christmas. Dec. 18, 7:30 PM. Celebrate the Holidays in style with Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra. The 17-piece big band will perform jazz classics. Also on the program, original arrangements of beloved carols and a recitation of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. $28 to $32. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org. Choir of the Church of the Epiphany Christmas Concert. Dec. 19, 12:10 PM. Enjoy their annual selection of contemporary music for Christmas in a concert of season readings and music. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. epiphanydc.org. NSO Pops: Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration. Dec. 20, 8 PM. Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration is a 25th anniversary concert celebration of the acclaimed album that reinterpreted Handel’s oratorio Messiah. kennedy-center.org.

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Photo: Courtesy of George Washington's Mount Vernon

Civil War Christmas in Camp Open House

Dec. 9, noon to 4 PM. Holiday event interprets how Christmas was observed during the Civil War. $2 per person; $5 for families. Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site, 4301 W. Braddock Rd. Alexandria, VA. alexandriava.gov/FortWard. Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site

Christmas Caroling at The Wharf. Dec. 23, 7 to 8 PM. Enjoy the sounds of the season, featuring the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. Enjoy s’mores at The Wharf fire pit and visit the lighted Christmas Tree. Wharf Street, District Square, District Pier. wharfdc.com.

Christmas at Washington National Cathedral. Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, 6 PM, Service of Christmas Lessons and Carols; Dec. 24, 10 PM, Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist; Dec. 25, 11:15 AM, Christmas Day Holy Eucharist; Dec. 25, 1:30 PM, Christmas Day Organ Recital. Washington National

Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. nationalcathedral.org. Celebration of Christmas at the National Shrine. Dec. 24, Children’s Mass with Gospel Pageant, 5 PM; Musical Meditations on the Nativity, 10 PM; Solemn Vigil Mass, 10:30 PM. Dec. 25, Masses, 7:30 AM, 9 AM, 10:30 AM and 4:30 PM; Solemn Mass, noon; Spanish Mass, 2:30 PM. 400 Michigan Ave. NE. nationalshrine.com. Kennedy Center Christmas Day Jazz Jam. Dec. 25, 6 PM. The Christmas Day Jazz Jam is a Millennium Stage tradition. Free. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org Kwanzaa Celebration at Anacostia Community Museum. Dec. 26, 11 AM to 1 PM.

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Waterskiing Santa on the Potomac

Dec. 24, 1 PM (pre-show at 12:45 PM). It will be along the Old Town Alexandria waterfront, from Waterfront Park to Founders Park. Santa's helpers come out early to ensure it's safe for Santa (considering the Grinch or Jack Frost may be around). Ho Ho Ho... waterskiingsanta.com.

US Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting

Photo: Nick Eckert

Dec. 6, 5 PM. The 2017 tree is from the Kootenai National Forest, Montana. No tickets needed. capitolchristmastree.org. Photo: Andrew Lightman

Kwanzaa Celebration with Nana Malaya Rucker, The Dancing Diplomat & Nubian; Dec. 27, 11 AM to 12:30 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration with Melvin Deal African Heritage Dancers and Drummers; and Dec. 28, 10 AM to 2:30 PM. Kwanzaa Celebration with Arts & Crafts. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu. Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert at Strathmore. Dec. 30, 3 PM. Celebrate the ageless beauty of Viennese music with the venue’s 17th annual New Year’s Concert. Strauss waltzes and sweeping melodies from operettas are performed by hand-picked Eu-

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ropean singers and full orchestra. Beautifully costumed dancers present romantic vignettes. $49 to $125. strathmore.org. First Night Alexandria. Dec. 31, 10 AM to just after midnight. This annual New Year’s Eve bash takes over Old Town Alexandria with more than 100 performances at 22 indoor venues with live music, dancing, children’s face painting and games. Fireworks just before midnight on the river. $20 before Dec. 10; $30, after. Kids under 12 and active military, free. firstnightalexandria.org. Annapolis New Year’s Eve Celebration. Dec. 31, 8 PM to midnight. Free. Party at An-

napolis City Dock with a DJ from 8 to 9 PM and Radio City Band from 9 PM to midnight fireworks. Annapolis, MD. visitannapolis.org. Fiesta de los Reyes Magos at GALA. Jan. 7, 11:30 AM and 2 PM. GALAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional Three Kings celebration features the Magi, live animals, local performers, a walk through the neighborhood and gifts for every child. Free for the entire family. Tickets will be distributed at the GALA Box Office at 10 a.m. for the 11:30 a.m. show, and at noon for the 2 p.m. show. No tickets reserved by phone. Maximum six tickets per person in line. galatheatre.org.

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neighborhood news

National Park Service Approves Anacostia Park Management Plan National Capital Region Director Bob Vogel has signed a Finding of No Significant Impact selecting Alternative #3 as the new Anacostia Management Plan/Environmental Assessment. The plan provides a framework on how to manage Anacostia Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural and cultural resources as well as shape how people experience Anacostia Park for the next two decades. The chosen plan guides park management on how to manage and assess specific zones within the park, based on what people would expect to see, do or experience. The zones are (1) Natural Resource Recreation Zone; (2) Park Administration / Operations Zone; (3) Community Activities and Special Events Zone; (4) Organized Sport and Recreation Zone; (5) Golf Course Zone; and (6) Special Permit Zone. The Anacostia Management Plan outlines a big-picture direction for the park, but does not describe programs or projects to be implemented. It will help park managers consider the entire park, rather than just certain sections, as they devise strategies for park operations, resource protection, restoration and partnerships. The parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foundation Document, which was completed in September 2016, identifies

MAHOGANYBOOKS TO OPEN AT ANACOSTIA ARTS CENTER

Previously solely an online bookstore created by husband and wife team Derrick and Ramunda Young, MahoganyBooks is the first book store in historic Anacostia in over two decades. It will feature a wide array of books, events and services geared towards supporting, empowering, and engaging readers and writers. A grand opening and community celebration will be held during Black History Month. The store is in the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. Derrick and Ramunda Young. Photo: Davene Turner Photography

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DC HOUSING ENTERPRISES

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: DCHE 2017-6 additional plans, describes what is most important about the park and affirms its core mission and significance, key resources and values and important themes and stories. To read more, visit parkplanning.nps.gov.

Help Clean-up Shepherd Parkway Shepherd Parkway volunteers hold their signature community clean-ups every second Saturday of the month, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers meet in the picnic area near the corner of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Avenues SE. Gloves, bags, and light refreshments are provided. Wear boots and work clothes. Contact Nathan at nathanbharrington@gmail.com.

Kitchen Table Talks Join the African American Women’s Resource Center for Kitchen Table Talks on Dec. 9, 30 and Jan. 6; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 840 First St. NE (third floor). Kitchen Table Talks is formed because the African American Women’s Resource Center believes that there is a need to gain from the knowledge and strategies of women who were engaged in organizing social justice movements in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. They do this by having talks with women of color who participated in the civil rights, women’s rights and LGBT rights movements. Kitchen Table Talks come from the African American tradition of sitting around the kitchen table sharing important and often life-saving information in a manner that everyone can understand. aawrc.org.

$242K Judgment Against Rowena Scott Attorney General Racine has announced that his office has secured a judgment against Rowena Scott, the former board president of the non-profit Park Southern Neighborhood Corporation (PSNC), for abusing her authority and acting contrary to the charitable mission of PSNC by siphoning non-profit funds from its 360-unit affordable apartment building at 800 Southern Ave. SE. While the building fell into disrepair and fi-

nancial distress, to the detriment of its tenants, Scott paid herself tens of thousands of dollars a year and gave herself free rent for a period of nearly nine years. After a trial to determine the amount of funds Scott improperly diverted from PSNC, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia has ruled that Scott must return $242,605.01 to the non-profit.

Revitalization of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE Public Meeting The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) invites you to the second public meeting to discuss the Revitalization of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE Project (South Capitol Street to Milwaukee Place) to be held on Thursday, Dec. 14, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center, 2730 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. DDOT will present design concepts based on community feedback and gather additional comments from the community at this public meeting. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue from South Capitol Street to Milwaukee Place is a four-lane undivided street that runs in a north-south direction. The project’s goal is to provide an improved and sustainable transportation network, pedestrian and vehicular safety, efficient travel options, street and sidewalk enhancements, improve the aesthetics of the corridor and complete other improvements. For more information about the public meeting, contact Stacee Hemby at stacee@tbaconnects.com.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR RENOVATION OF SCATTERED SITES “937 R STREET, NW”, WASHINGTON, DC DC Housing Enterprises (DCHE), a wholly owned subsidiary of the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA), requires a General Contractor for Renovation of Scattered Sites “937 R Street, NW”, Washington, DC. 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, November 13, 2017 and on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Tuesday, January 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.

Year of the Anacostia Launched A group of local organizations, District and state agencies and the National Park Service have joined forces to launch the Year of the Anacostia! The Year of the Anacostia is a yearlong invitation to honor history, celebrate progress and enjoy the Anacostia River and its surroundings while envisioning an inspiring future. Throughout the year, organizations are invited to host events, activities, programs and projects along the Anacostia River to celebrate the ecological restoration, economic growth and community unity of

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neighborhood news / bulletin board

the Anacostia watershed. In 2018, Anacostia Park, a national park in the heart of Washington, DC, that offers fun, learning and inspiration on the banks of the Anacostia River turns 100 years old. For more information, visit yearoftheanacostia.com.

New Tech Lounges Announced DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) announced the unveiling of three new tech lounges that serve as the model for the way residents will interact with technology in recreation centers across Washington, DC. Each lounge will have a separate launch event to showcase its complete remodel to the community in December. DPR Director Keith A. Anderson said that the new tech lounges will be more comfortable and vibrant with bigger screens, and faster internet speeds, making them destinations for technology, learning and fun as opposed to just a place to check email. The new tech lounges are located at Deanwood, Riggs LaSalle and Hillcrest Recreation Centers. Each lounge boasts a 65-inch Smart TV, IPads and computers with 27-inch monitors. The decor includes cocktail tables and armless, low back chairs, with sofas and lounge chairs for a more sociable setting. The computer desks are also based on modern concepts. Beyond computers, tech lounge entertainment ranges from video games to board games. Tech Lounge Launch Events: Thursday, December 14, 2017, - 6 p.m. at Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center; Thursday, December 21, 2017, 2-6 p.m. at Hillcrest Recreation Center. Refreshments will be served while supplies last. For more information about the launch events and to RSVP visit DPR.events.

Capitals Casino Night Tickets Now Available Capitals Casino Night tickets are now available. Capitals Casino Night will take place on Jan. 4, 7 to 11 p.m., at the MGM National Harbor. The event benefits Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation and features gaming with Capitals players, a raﬄe, a silent auction and a live auction. Games include blackjack, Texas hold’em, roulette, craps and slots. There also will be an auction featuring Capitals game-used equipment as well as autographed items from other professional NHL athletes. A live auction will offer fans the chance to win unique, oncein-a-lifetime experiences with players. In addition, fans can also win autographed memorabilia, hotel stays and gift certificates through the raﬄe. Purchase tickets at nhl.com/capitals/fans/casino-night.

2018 Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment The Affordable Care Act provides individuals, families, and small businesses in the DC with affordable options for quality health insurance. DC Health Link is the District’s online health insurance marketplace which allows visitors to shop, compare, and enroll in coverage that fits their needs and budgets. Open Enrollment for individuals and families ends Jan. 31, 2018. Eligible District residents can enroll in a health insurance plan online through DCHealthLink.com or by calling 855-532LINK (5465). Eligible residents who enroll on or before Dec. 15 will have their benefits effective Jan. 1, 2018. After that, plan selections made by the 15th of each month during Open Enrollment will be effective on the first day of the following month. Small businesses, as well as individuals and families eligible for Medicaid can enroll through DCHealthLink.com at any point.

2018 Caps Canine Calendar Available The 2018 Caps Canine Calendar is now available for purchase, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting Homeward Trails Animal Rescue. 2018 Caps Canine Calendars will be available for $20 at the team store and at merchandise stands throughout Capital One Arena. Caps Canine Calendars also are available online at WashCaps.com/ CanineCalendars and at the team store at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

SELFIES WITH SANTA 2017

On Dec. 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., celebrate the holiday season at Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE, with free photo with Santa; holiday shopping with MahoganyBooks, Nubian Hueman, Vintage & Charmed, and The Den; hot drinks and treats from Artdrenaline Cafe; music by DJ The Cosmic Edge; art activities by Project Create; Holiday Starkillers Strike Back Art Exhibitions in the Lounge, sponsored by ARCH and Anacostia BID. anacostiaartscenter.com. Photo: Courtesy of SnapFiesta and Anacostia Arts Center

Leaf Collection Season Starts Through Jan. 12, the DC Department of Public Works (DPW) will collect and compost nearly 8,000 tons of leaves throughout the District. This is a free service for all DC residents. To prepare for leaf collections, residents are asked to rake their leaves and place them by the curb or tree box on the Sunday before their scheduled collection week. DPW will collect leaves in residential neighborhoods at least twice through Jan. 12. Find the leaf collection schedule for each ward at leaf.dcgis.dc.gov.

DCCAH Call for Panelists! The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is seeking advisory review panelists for the FY18 season to perform evaluation and rating of applications, provide comments and score applicants to recommend recipients of CAH awards. To apply, email the completed nomination form and resume with home address clearly stated at the top to Coordinator Travis Marcus at travis.marcus@dc.gov. For full details on the panels application process, visit dcarts.dc.gov/page/fy18-call-grants-panelists.

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Grants Guidelines and applications are available for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) FY18 Curatorial Grant Program. They provide support to qualified individual curators in the visual arts for exhibition proposals intended for presentation in CAH’s 200 I Street Galleries, Lobby Gallery, which is a District-owned exhibition space located at 200 I St. SE. Visit dcarts.dc.gov/page/getting-started to learn more and apply. Early submissions are highly encouraged. Submission deadline is Friday, Dec. 15, 4 p.m. Have an item for the Bulletin Board, email it to bulletinboard@hillrag.com.

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Alonzo Smith and Special Policing New Case, New Regulations, New Aim for Justice by Virginia Avniel Spatz

win for one, in a police brutality case, is a win for all,” says Beverly Smith, Ward 8 re s i d e n t and mother of a 27-year-old lost in such an incident a few blocks from her home. The death of Alonzo Fiero Smith, in custody of special police officers at Marbury Plaza Apartments, 2300 Good Hope Rd. SE, was ruled a homicide. Before he was even laid to rest in November 2015, BevAlonzo Smith (Jan. 2, 1988-Nov. 1, 2015). Photo: Smith family erly Smith was working for justice in Alonzo’s case. That goal has never The wrongful death lawsuit makes civil charges, been separable, she says, from promoting community both federal and local, against the individual SPOs as control of police and ending police brutality. well as others allegedly responsible for Smith’s death. JUSTICE4ZO AT TWO YEARS Defendants include Blackout Investigation and SecuriBeverly Smith marked the second anniversary of ty Services, which employed the SPOs; Marbury Plaza Alonzo’s death with a group of neighbors and supand management, which hired Blackout; and the District porters outside Marbury Plaza, remembering his life of Columbia, which created the rules, regulations and and announcing a lawsuit in his name. The suit seeks training for SPOs. The complaint alleges several forms financial damages on behalf of his estate, but Smith of negligence along with violation of Fourth Amendment primarily hopes the proceedings will yield a full acrights against unreasonable seizure and restraint. count of the incident and admissions of responsibility. “It took us a long time to find attorneys willing and Last year, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of able to help,” Smith said in late November. She reportColumbia announced “insufficient evidence” to pursue ed that the firm of Price Benowitz had been investicriminal charges, federal or local, against the special pogating for months before the suit was filed. “We were lice officers (SPOs). This determination, the statement blessed to have this firm to accept this case.” continued, does not “suggest anything further about SPO TRAINING CITED AND REVISED what evidence, if any, exists,” because such a criminal The Oct. 31 filing in Smith’s case cites SPOs Aloncase must “not only prove that the force used was exso Wilson and “Officer” Vega, alleging, among a litacessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, ny of charges, that both “failed timely to employ resusthat the officer acted with the deliberate and specific incitation efforts and failed to protect the life of Smith.” tent to do something the law forbids.” Civil charges do In particular, the complaint alleges, “Wilson used exnot require the same “willfulness” proof.

cessive force which would not have been used by a reasonable law enforcement officer in similar circumstances against Smith,” and “Wilson also stole Smith’s cell phone.” Throughout the filing, plaintiffs allege that defendants, including Blackout and the District, knew that DC’s commissioning of SPOs posed “pervasive and unreasonable risk of constitutional injury to Smith and other persons.” Many charges center around inadequacy of training. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, then chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, proposed enhanced training for SPOs – particularly around the use of force – in late 2015, citing Smith’s death and that of James McBride, killed in a separate SPO incident the same year. That legislation remained in committee. In June 2016, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced her own proposed training enhancements, specifically mentioning “carotid neck restraint, knees in the back, and positional asphyxia,” relevant in Smith’s and McBride’s cases. In the ensuing months, Beverly Smith repeatedly asked the mayor to share an update, receiving no response.

EXECUTIVE AND COMMITTEE UPDATES

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice reported at press time that “proposed revisions ... are slated for implementation upon securing the required funding. The Bowser administration is committed to ensuring individuals who serve as special police officers in the District will be properly trained to protect residents and visitors and that the necessary funding is considered during the upcoming budget cycle.” The Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, now chaired by Charles Allen, says that during McDuffie’s tenure, the mayor and the Metropolitan Police Department [MPD] “agreed to create and implement new regulations guiding behavior, training and misconduct penalties for special police officers operating in the District. MPD’s oversight already included conducting more than 300 annual site visits.” The new regulations have not been implemented, however, according to Allen’s office, and required funding must be identified by DC agencies like the DC Public Library and General Services that employ SPOs. “The role of SPOs, including considering regulations and the progress of changes, is always included as part of committee’s ongoing oversight of MPD,” the committee’s statement adds. “As the new chair of the Council’s committee on judiciary and public safety, Councilmember Allen will be inquiring about the status of the regulations governing SPOs in the coming oversight hearings as well.” Virginia Avniel Spatz writes irregularly for Capital Community News, maintains WeLuvBooks.org, EducationTownHall. org, and SayThisName.Wordpress.com and blogs at SongEveryDay.org.

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‘A War of Ideas’

Remembering Reconstruction in Washington, DC

by Chris Myers Asch and George Derek Musgrove

mericans are fixordinate a suffrage campaign, and ated on the Civil black professionals spearheaded the War – its battles, First Ward Civil Rights Association, soldiers, monuwhich organized boycotts of businessments and legaes that opposed suffrage. John F. Cook cies. The war’s Jr., a leading black educator, helped 150th anniverget 2,500 signatures on an 1865 pesary has come and gone, but the books, tition calling on Congress to support documentaries and news articles conblack men’s access to the franchise. tinue apace. The petition found a receptive auWhat came after the war, howevdience among Radical Republicans as er, gets remarkably little attention. The well as a growing number of moderNational Park Service has yet to open ate Republicans. While some Radicals its first site on Reconstruction, and such as Charles Sumner and Thaddefew pundits, politicians or filmmakers us Stevens genuinely believed in black seem to notice the era’s sesquicentenpolitical equality, strategically mindnial milestones. Yet the battles of Reed Republicans recognized that black construction, even more than those of voting was key to maintaining political the Civil War, resonate to this day as power and implementing the RepubliAmericans fought over fundamental can vision of postwar Reconstruction. ideas about race, equality, federalism The issue also touched an emoand the meaning of freedom. tional chord. Indiana Representative Reconstruction was a time of revGeorge Julian argued that black men olutionary change, with the very creshould be granted the right to vote, ation of modern American citizenship not just “as a matter of justice to them” through the 14th Amendment, the but also “as a matter of retributive jusfounding of Southern public schools tice to the slaveholders and rebels.” In and colleges and the establishment of DC, a city then run by white Demothe post-emancipation black commucrats with southern sympathies, Connity – some four million souls entering gress had “the power to punish by balthe realm of legal personhood. lot, and there will be a beautiful poetic Perhaps no change had more impact justice in the exercise of this power.” (then or now) than black voting, which Republicans made the DC sufled to an unprecedented, if short-lived, frage bill a top priority – it was H.R. flowering of interracial democracy. And 1, the first piece of legislation that the that revolution began 150 years ago in House considered when the 39th Con“Significant Election Scene in Washington, June 3, 1867.” Image: Library of Congress the District of Columbia, which became gress convened in December 1865. As (in the words of one critic) “an experiwith emancipation, Radicals hoped to mental garden for radical plants.” use Washington as a testing ground for Though many outsiders describe the District toflowed toward black political empowerment as the war black men’s suffrage, which they planned to implement day as a rarefied reserve for government insiders, set itself, and the crucial role that black soldiers played in across the South. The bill “completes Emancipation by off from and alien to the rest of the country, the Dishelping to win it, catalyzed supporters of black sufEnfranchisement” and would “set an example to the trict’s unique governance structure makes it, in fact, an frage. Just as it had been three years earlier with emanwhole country,” Sen. Sumner said. “It becomes a pillar exaggerated expression of American democracy. Subcipation, Washington became the focal point of a naof fire to illumine the footsteps of millions.” ject to the whims of its congressional overseers, the city tional effort to win the vote for black men. Most white Washingtonians reacted with alarm is uniquely susceptible to national political currents. Black Washingtonians led the charge. Local church bordering on hysteria. In a late 1865 referendum, only By the end of the war in 1865, those currents leaders organized the United Franchise League to co35 voters in Washington City supported black suffrage,

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while 6,591 opposed the idea; in Georgetown, the vote was 712-1 against. “This District has been experimented upon in various forms of legislation, odious to the citizens,” and now Radicals sought “to force negro equality upon the unwilling people of the District of Columbia,” wrote the editors of the city’s most prominent newspaper, the National Intelligencer. Despite such opposition, the House passed the black men’s suffrage bill in January 1866, and the Senate followed in December. President Andrew Johnson promptly vetoed it, but Congress overrode the veto on January 8, 1867. The bill went into immediate effect. What had been unthinkable a half decade before had become the law of the nation’s capital and soon would become the law of the land. Black Washingtonians organized political clubs and joined the interracial Central Republican Association to mobilize and register new black voters. To the chagrin of white conservatives, the black elite – educated, prosperous, native to the city – joined forces with formerly enslaved people in supporting the Republican Party. Their organizing efforts were remarkably successful. Despite being only 30 percent of the population, by election time black men were nearly 50 percent of registered voters. Black men in Georgetown had the first chance to flex their political muscle. In February 1867 they ousted incumbent Mayor Henry Addison, who had complained about “nigger voting” and had long been a scourge of the black community. Washington City’s black voters got their turn that June. Starting at 2 a.m. on Election Day, black buglers marched through the streets reminding folks to vote. Black Washingtonians came out in force, and their votes wrought significant change. Republicans, who had played only a marginal role in local politics before 1867, won a majority of seats on both the Board of Aldermen and the Common Council. The next year, black voters helped elect white abolitionist Sayles Bowen to the mayor’s office, along with the city’s first black elected officials: Alderman John F. Cook Jr. and Councilman Carter A. Stewart. A new political day had dawned. In the years ahead, DC’s black voters raised to power a biracial government that provided jobs to a burgeoning black middle class, implemented massive public works projects, gave black men the right to serve on juries and supported the expansion of the nation’s best black public school system. They also passed anti-discrimination legislation that later provided the legal foundation for DC’s post-World War II civil rights movement. It was “quite a revolution,” the Evening Star conceded. Perhaps no one embodied the promise of the new era more than George Hatton. Born enslaved in Prince George’s County, Hatton gained his freedom in April 1862 and a year later was among the first black men to sign up for military ser-

But this war will not consent to be viewed simply as a physical contest … It was not a fight between rapacious birds and ferocious beasts, a mere display of brute courage and endurance, but it was a war between men of thought, as well as of action, and in dead earnest for something beyond the battlefield. — Frederick Douglass vice with the US Colored Troops. A stocky five feet six, Hatton had a powerful voice, a winsome speaking style and a distinctive limp after suffering a gunshot wound to his knee at the Battle of Petersburg. He returned to Washington in 1864 ready to assert his rights as a combat veteran and full citizen. He joined the Republican Party and waded into political battles over suffrage, integrated schools and labor rights. Within five years, the 27-year-old former slave was elected to the city’s Common Council. Yet for all the accomplishments of the immediate postwar period, biracial democracy in the District was still a fledgling endeavor vulnerable to changes in economic conditions, national politics and powerful personalities. A counter-revolution percolated below the surface of DC politics as white supremacists organized in opposition to Radical rule, clashed with their Republican opponents and challenged the basic premise of self-government. Led by businessman Alexander Shepherd, who rejected all democracy, biracial or otherwise, white conservatives convinced Congress in 1871 to establish a “territorial” government that limited voter influence and consolidated power in a Board of Public Works run by Shepherd himself. When the profligate board ran afoul of the city’s congressional overseers, Congress, newly swelled with Democrats intent on overturning Reconstruction, rendered a swift and painful judgment in June 1874. It stripped all District men, white and black, of the right to vote and imposed a presidentially appointed board of three commission-

ers to manage the city. District voters would not cast another meaningful ballot for nearly a century. Congress’s two-step retreat from democracy in the District – first by limiting voter influence in the territorial government, then abolishing elected offices altogether – was a precursor to the national Republican retreat from Reconstruction across the South. Three years after Congress passed the DC disfranchisement bill, legislators gathered at the Wormley House at the corner of 15th and H streets NW to broker the deal that ended Reconstruction. Within a generation, bills limiting voting rights had passed every Southern state legislature. The Republican Party, no longer interested in defending its civil rights agenda, instead followed Alexander Shepherd’s model of promoting economic development for the benefit of white elites. In Washington this meant downplaying or ignoring the interests of the black community and focusing on economic growth to build a grand capital “worthy of the name.” Development had triumphed over democracy – and not for the last time. To justify their actions, the advocates of disfranchisement created a fantastical story of Reconstruction. “The taxpayers were completely swamped” by newly arrived former slaves, wrote the Evening Star, and scheming “Murder Bay politicians” – shorthand for Radical Republicans – took advantage of them and plundered city coffers. This dubious interpretation quickly hardened into incontrovertible truth among white Washingtonians, even though the infamous territorial legislature had only two black members and white appointees on the Board of Public Works had committed the worst abuses. Today Americans are less inclined to defame Reconstruction than they are to ignore it. Anxious to avoid the thorny issues of race, power and equality that were at the heart of that grand experiment in biracial democracy – issues that divide us to this day – we focus instead on the mechanics of the war itself. Speaking at the 1877 Dedication Day ceremonies in New York, as the last federal troops left the South, DC resident and elder statesman Frederick Douglass bemoaned Americans’ growing tendency to focus on the battlefield “bravery and skill” of the soldiers. Instead, he insisted, we must see the late war as a “war of ideas, a battle of principles,” principles embodied in the Reconstruction governments. The great orator, who had dedicated his life to the freedom of his race and the enlargement of American democracy, then boarded a train to return to his home in the voteless capital of the United States. From “Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation’s Capital.” Copyright © 2017 by Chris Myers Asch and George Derek Musgrove. Used by permission of the University of North Carolina Press, www.uncpress.org.

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DC Prep’s Anacostia Campus and DCPS’s Ketcham Elementary Uplift Together by John Muller

enerations ago, three school buildings, Van Buren on W Street, Ketcham on 15th Street and St. Teresa on V Street SE, served the Anacostia neighborhood. After being the lone school within the historic district for more than a decade, Ketcham Elementary School was joined this fall with the opening of DC Prep’s Anacostia Elementary Campus in the renovated and modernized St. Teresa School, which closed in 2006 as Our Lady of Perpetual Help School. Around the corner from each other, Ketcham, a traditional public school, and DC Prep, a charter school with multiple campuses around the city, have supported each other and the collective work of uplifting their students. “When we opened our newly renovated doors on the first day of school this past August, there was such a feeling of excitement,” says Emily Lawson, founder and CEO of DC Prep. After enduring two school years in portable classrooms on W Street behind the Big Chair, the new Anacostia Elementary Campus was recently dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with key supporters including philanthropist Josh Rales and members of his family, building teams and parents. “Father Raymond East of St. Teresa of Avila was one of our speakers and we were honored to have community partners and neighbors there as well,” Lawson says. “One of our guests had attended the school back in the 1960s. She was in awe of the revitalized space and was so pleased that future generations of children would get to learn in the building. It was very moving.” Others have taken notice of the new school and its import. “DC Prep did an outstanding job in restoring

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the school building to its former glory,” observes Charles Wilson, a neighbor and former member of the Historic Preservation Review Board. “The new building has brought some positive energy to the block that I am sure will be infectious to the rest of the neighborhood.” While an exponential increase in space has been a positive experience, Lawson says students and facility are still getting acclimated to the extra elbow room. “Our preppies love the new playground, full gym and amenities. I think teachers love the workroom where they have space for meetings with team

members and families alike. There is limitless potential for the facility.” Lawson confirms, “Our DC Prep team has always wanted the campus to serve as a key partner in the neighborhood.” True to the that spirit, in December the campus will host a Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Community Conference and on Jan. 27 will be home to a Ward 8 education fair, with schools in the area gathering to give families information about their educational choices. DC Prep’s Anacostia Elementary Campus will be accepting new students, pre-K3 through second grade, via My School DC in the upcoming 2018-19 enrollment cycle. Consistent with its model across five schools, DC Prep opened the Anacostia Elementary Campus in 2015-16 with the earliest grades and is “growing up” a grade each year. At full scale in the 2019-20 school year, the Anacostia Elementary Campus will serve 450 pre-K3 through third-graders. For more information about DC Prep’s Anacostia Elementary Campus, visit www.dcprep.org/ or call 202-729-3500.

KETCHAM MATH TEACHER WINS NATIONAL AWARD

At the long-standing and locally revered Ketcham Elementary School, on the corner of Good Hope Road and 15th Street, nearly every student is enrolled in the free lunch program and around one-fifth are considered homeless, yet those statistics mean nothing to Milton Bryant and his young fourth- and fifth-grade mathematicians.

DC Prep’s Anacostia Elementary Campus cuts the ribbon on its new building at 1409 V St. SE.

Milton Bryant of Ketcham Elementary School is known locally and nationally as an innovative educator.

In recent years, with the guidance of Maisha Riddlesprigger, in her fifth year as principal at Ketcham, and dedicated staff, standardized test scores at Ketcham have elevated above their public school contemporaries in Wards 7 and 8. Bryant, known in the classroom and community as Mr. B, wrote an essay explaining his innovative methods and approach to student achievement, which was selected as one of four winners of the Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice. When asked what distinguishes Bryant’s classroom, a number of students agreed he connects with them in unique ways, expects learning to be exciting and has used technology to support the traditional pencil and paper calculations. “He breaks things down, so it can be easier,” says Tayania Taylor. “Mr. B was fun because he made games and activities that made us distracted and not notice that we were learning.” Students like Clifton Covington praised Mr. B’s creativity. “He makes class fun by playing games like Survivor’s Island where we got to stand in chairs and work on our math.” On occasion, Bryant has been known to take his students on field trips down the street to the 7-Eleven, as he explains in his essay, “to help students solidify their understanding of es-

timates, rounding and exact numbers.” Due to teaching methods that transcend the four walls of his classroom, Bryant has achieved significant gains with his fourth- and fifth-graders. Whereas public schools in Ward 7 and Ward 8 typically score between nine and 16 percent proficiency on the national Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam, last year’s average at Ketcham was 34 percent. In Mr. B’s class, 72 percent of students were proficient – more than twice the school average and four times the average of neighboring schools. No stranger to fellowships and awards, Bryant, takes the accolades in stride. “Being a teacher isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle,” he explains. “Teaching at Ketcham is special to me because I see so much of myself in many of the scholars whom I support daily. I had a similar upbringing to many of the scholars I work with, and I am committed to providing them with a high-quality learning experience that promotes thinking, creativity and exploring ideas. I know that our scholars can be successful and become anything they want to be if we build up their self-esteem and ability to think.” For more information on the goings on at Ketcham, follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/ketchameagles or on Twitter at @KetchamEs.

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0001-2018

DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MANAGEMENT and FINANCIAL CONSULTING SERVICES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires Development Project Management and Financial Consulting Services to support the efforts of its Development Projects. 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, November 27, 2017 and available for download on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Friday, December 29, 2017 at 12:00 PM. 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. E ast

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DC School Teams Up with Muralists to Create Outdoor Learning Space article by Jonathan Lewis | photos by No Kings Collective

hen students at Turner Elementary School returned to classes this fall, they were greeted with a spectacular sight: a school garden in full bloom after months in the summer sun, and behind it the enormous image of a rocket ship blasting off the outer wall into outer space. The mural embodies not only the remarkable transformation of a brick wall and an overgrown lot into a magnificent learning space, but also the upward trajectory of the school itself. Turner is an extended-year, pre-K-fifth-grade public school in Ward 8. It is also one of DC’s five participants in the Turnaround Arts program, a partnership led by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Every Turnaround Arts school receives funding to engage in a project with local community partners. Typically these projects involve music, dance and theater. “Turner was unique in that they specifically wanted to beautify the aesthetic of their school,” said Katherine Park, the local director of Turnaround Arts for the five public schools. Principal Eric Bethel had in fact envisioned a complete transformation of the lot on the south side of the school, turning it into an outdoor learning space. Janet Newton, a Spanish teacher at Turner, partnered with George Washington University students to redesign the space into a living classroom. They dug up the weeds, and soon the area was planted with grass, flowers and a vegetable garden. The school even installed picnic tables.

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“Now we had this wonderful garden and learning space,” said art teacher Liz Dittamo, “but we also realized there was this huge wall that needed some attention.” Bethel, Dittamo and Park decided that adding a mural would be a good way to promote school culture and pride while giving something beautiful back to the community. Additionally, they felt that whoever was chosen to design the mural should have a connection to the community. They selected Brandon Hill and Peter Chang, two local artists who run the No Kings Collective, a design-build studio, creative agency and events production company all rolled into one. Since the theme of Turnaround Arts is “whole school improvement,” Dittamo wanted feedback from students. Each class was asked the following prompt: “Which colors, images, words or shapes come to mind when you think of Turner?” In response, students wrote or provided images on a large sheet of butcher paper to form a “vision board.” Dittamo then gave the vision boards to No Kings Collective, which produced two images: one of a sleek rocket ship, the other of a vivid garden. Then all students, teachers, administrators, families and school partners were asked to vote for their favorite mural design. The images were even displayed during afternoon pickup to allow parents the opportunity to vote. The competition was close; the image of the rocket ship won by just 40 votes. As they worked on the project, No Kings Collective also provided Turner’s students with lessons in mural painting. Artist Hill felt energized from the student response: “For me it’s pretty cool to watch how their minds connect the dots together, realizing people can do this, and that they can do it too.” On the last day of June, students, teachers, parents

and community members gathered at Turner for the official unveiling. The project that had brought everyone together had now become a community celebration, with speeches, cupcakes and a countdown as they pulled back the tarp to reveal the new mural. Next to the rocket ship, the artists had added a slogan which perfectly captured the process for how it all came together: “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.” Principal Bethel was thrilled with the result: “When I joined Turner three years ago, I envisioned this outdoor space as part of our learning community,” he said. “I’m so proud of our team for making this vision into a reality and creating something beautiful at Turner that will last for years to come.”

welcome to the

No Kings Collective artist Peter Chang stands in front of the empty brick wall that would eventually display the new Turner Elementary School mural

The completed mural of the rocket ship, along with Turner’s slogan, “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.”

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Park agreed, adding that while artistic outcomes are sometimes difficult to measure, the outcomes here are easy to observe. “You get a more beautiful space, community involvement and school pride,” she said. “And when people drive by the school, they see Turner.” Jonathan Lewis has written articles about education and the arts for East of the River, EdSurge, ArtsBlog and KnightBlog. He works for DC Public Schools in the Oﬃce of Teaching and Learning.

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Call the Midwife

Expectant Mothers Facing Closed Doors at Maternity Wards Have Other Options by Candace Y.A. Montague

he recent closures of maternity wards at United Medical Center and Providence Hospitals have left expectant mothers in a bind. The dearth of healthcare outlets in the East End is an S.O.S. of sorts. It is frightening not to have a birthing plan in place. It is even more unnerving to know that if something happens during the pregnancy you may have to rely on someone who isn’t familiar with your medical history for help. But from the glass-half-full perspective, times like these can be a great opportunity to

Ebony Marcelle, director of midwifery at Community of Hope’s Family Health and Birth Center, checks on an expectant mom. Photo: Community of Hope

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get educated on other choices for pre- and postnatal care. Enter the Certified Nurse Midwife. The title itself means “with woman.” More women are discovering that having a CNM with them throughout their pregnancy can mean access to more personable and personalized care.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD PRENATAL CARE

In some cases, prenatal care is literally a matter of life and death. Recent reports indicate that maternal mortality rates in the United States have increased by 26 percent over the last 10 years. According to an estimate by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women. The infant mortality rate (IMR) in the District has been elevated far above the national rate since 2004. In 2014 there were 72 infant deaths in DC, making the IMR 7.6 per 1,000 live births. How can death be introduced so promptly at the beginning of life? It starts with basic prenatal care. One of the leading causes of death among infants before the age of one is low birth weight. According to the March of Dimes,

the medical factors that could possibly cause low birth weight include pre-term labor and chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes and infections. Having a medical professional, such as a CNM, monitor the mother’s health throughout her pregnancy with frequent checkups can reduce the chances of low birth weight.

MIDWIVES ANSWER THE CALL

Ebony Marcelle is the director of

The African-American commidwifery at Community of Hope’s munity has strong ties to midFamily Health and Birth Center. wives. In precolonial Africa, midwives were exclusively used to deliver babies. But they also were the healers and advisers to families. They supported mothers with issues like breastfeeding and nutrition and tended to their postpartum needs. The tradition continued through slavery as midwives helped deliver slaves’ and white women’s babies. Over the years, black midwives have become less present, but the need for midwifery services has not declined. Certified Nurse Midwives can handle a variety of health care needs for women within their own community. Many Ward 7 and 8 residents, including expectant mothers, have to travel 10 miles or more for screenings, checkups and medical procedures. However, the East End has a few hidden gems that can meet the needs of pregnant women. Ebony Marcelle is the director of midwifery at Community of Hope’s Family Health and Birth Center, located off of Benning Road in Northeast. She says that midwives are often underused despite being right in the neighborhood. “We see a lot of people who want to have a birth-center birth, but because it’s not heavily utilized by their community they get scared. But the folks that we’ve had are very happy. We are the only freestanding birth center in DC. We have an amazing amount of wonderful midwives. We can take care of you at either location.” Community of Hope is also located on Atlantic Street in Southwest. The birth center is a different setting for labor and delivery, and that is on purpose. Not only is the setting different but so is the approach. It’s mother-focused. Marcelle explains the difference between the hospital and birth center. “It’s very different when you go to the hospital. At a hospital, you get admitted. You have to stay in bed. Here we keep you upright and moving. So that’s a form of pain relief in itself.” She continues: “We also have our Jacuzzi tubs. You can turn on the jets. I’ve had moms who have had epidurals with previous pregnancies who have had far superior pain relief with the jets in the tub. Our rooms don’t look like a hospital. Our birth rooms look like bedrooms. We don’t have restrictions on who can come. It’s really nice to be surrounded by the friends and family that you want around you.” What if something goes wrong? What if the pain is just too much?

Marcelle says not to fear, CNMs are prepared for it. “If something goes wrong, it’s okay. We are monitoring you constantly. We monitor you while you’re pregnant, during delivery, and we monitor you while you’re here. If you leave the realm of normal, we transfer you. We don’t wait. Since we are an accredited birth center, we have to be within a five-mile radius of a hospital. We have attending midwives at Washington Hospital Center,” she explains. “If we feel like that baby needs more attention we will transfer them. Our transfer rate is about three percent. Most of the time we transfer because mom is just tired. She wants to rest.” Marcelle estimates that many of their patients deliver within four hours. Midwives do more than catch babies. They also perform gynecological services and wellwoman visits. They have a lot of clients who started coming to them for annual exams and then continue when they become Birthing rooms at the Family Health and Birth Center. pregnant. Midwifery services are covered by most insurance Doulas of Capitol Hill has a variplans including Medicaid and Medicare. ety of doulas to assist mothers during WHERE TO GO FOR CARE and after childbirth. They offer eduWHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING cation so mothers know what to exCommunity of Hope Family Health pect when expecting. They also ofand Birth Center, located in Northeast, fer breastfeeding support. Doulas of is a nationally accredited birth center. Capitol Hill rents tools for alternative The midwives can provide prenatal pain management such as a birth pool, care throughout the entire pregnancy. birth stool and transcutaneous electriFHBC accepts Medicaid and Medicare cal nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, a as well as private insurance. procedure using mild electric pulses Mamatoto Village, also located in to block pain. Northeast, offers maternity services So the news, while severe, isn’t all pre- and postpartum. It provides supbad about maternal health services in port for breastfeeding mothers in home the east end of the city. For some womand at the office. It has a host of doulas, en it may be just a matter of taking a birth coaches who support the mothmoment to get educated on their choicer-to-be during delivery. Mamatoto Viles. Having a healthy baby is certainly lage hosts Hypno Babies Hypnosis, a worth the effort. six-week training for mothers who desire to deliver their newborns without Candace Y.A. Montague is the health reporter medication. for Capital Community News.

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uke [Edward Kennedy Ellington], who acquired his sobriquet as a youth for his dignified demeanor and smart dress, took piano lessons at an early age. He often recalled, however, that he was at first more interested in baseball, art, and girls than in music. In high school, he began to take the instrument seriously, studying the piano rolls of Harlem stride pianist James P. Johnson … He declined a scholarship to study painting at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn because he was a financially successful pianist and booking agent in the Washington, D.C. area.” “Jazz Portraits” by Len Lyons and Don Perlo (William Morrow and Company Inc., 1989)

WISHING ALL A MERRY JAZZY DECEMBER

Wishing one and all a merry jazzy December and urging all to enjoy the bountiful holiday music awaiting us this month, including a rendering of “Nutcracker Suite” music by our own DC jazz legend, Duke Ellington. The Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra presents the suite at Blues Alley on Dec. 12. According to his website, www.ericfeltenorchestra.com, Felten, now based in this area, “grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where he began studying trombone at age nine with his grandfather, a veteran of east-coast bands from the Swing Era. At 24, Eric was named best new jazz trombonist by the International Trombone Association. He moved to Washington in 1989, and in 1990 formed the Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra, a big band known for its interpretations of the music of Frank Sinatra, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Count Basie and Benny Goodman, among other greats of the big band era.” Ellington recorded “The Nutcracker Suite” for the Columbia label in 1960, featuring jazz interpretations of the Tchaikovsky “Nutcracker” arranged by Elling-

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ton and Billy Strayhorn. For more information on the Felten orchestra date, go to www. bluesalley.com. Other merry offerings include the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra on Dec. 18 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center; Joe Herrerra & Rodney Richardson’s “Holiday Party” on Dec. 24 at Blues Alley; Wade Beach’s Brazilian Jazz shows at Twins Jazz on Dec. 2931; Cyrus Chestnut’s New Year’s Eve gig at Blues Alley on Dec. 31 and Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Jazz New Year’s Eve at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 31.

INREVIEW … TEDD BAKER’S ‘DUOS, VOLUME I’

Our living legend, vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, entertains at the Kennedy Center for a New Year’s Eve Show on Dec. 31.

Our formidable tenor saxophonist Tedd Baker, one of our favorite Jo Jo’s Lounge performers, who is always pushing the envelope, has released his first volume of “Duos,” a recording pairing him with various, also formidable, artists like Sharon Clark, Paul Pieper, Kris Funn and Quincy Phillips. Baker and vocalist Clark form a personal gem on “Autumn in New York,” while Baker and drummer Todd Harrison sizzle on “Joshua” for example. Other highlights include Pieper with Baker on “Turn Out the Stars”; the mystical rendering of the Thelonious Monk “Eronel” with Baker and drummer Phillips; “Minority” with Phillips; “Ask Me Now” with Baker and bassist Funn; and “Chega De Saudade,” the Antonio Carlos Jobim tune, with Baker and drummer Alejandro Lucini. From his website we learn that Baker, besides his impressive solo career, has worked with a “wide variety of jazz greats and contemporary artists” including Barry Harris, George Duke, Duane Eubanks, David Sanborn, Slide Hampton, Eddie Daniels, Jon Faddis, Vanessa Rubin, Jason Moran, Jeremy Pelt and Butch Warren, among others. He began playing professionally in Boston as a teenager and in 2002 he joined the Airmen of Note, US Air Force Band, in Washington, DC. For more information see www.teddbaker.com.

DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS: … Sharon Clark, Dec. 9, Jazzway 6004/Baltimore … Victor Provost, Dec. 10, DC Jazz Jam/The Brixton … Fred Foss, Dec. 17, DC Jazz Jam/ The Brixton … BSQ, Dec. 10, Twins Jazz … Ben Williams and The Bethesda Blues & Jazz Orchestra, Dec. 12, Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club … Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra/ Duke Ellington “Nutcracker,” Dec. 12, Blues Alley … Freddy Cole, Dec. 14-17, Blues Alley … Tribute to Joe Williams/ Aaron Myers, Dec. 15, Westminster Presbyterian Church … Michael Thomas Quintet, Dec. 15-16, Twins Jazz … Harriet Tubman Trio, Dec. 16, Kennedy Center Jazz Club … Thinking about Jazz/Joe Williams w/Aaron Myers, Dec. 16, Westminster … Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra/A Bohemian Christmas, Dec. 18, Atlas Performing Arts Center … Eric Byrd Trio & Friends, Dec. 22, Westminster … John Lamkin “Favorites” Jazz Quintet, Dec. 22-23, Twins Jazz … Joe Herrera & Rodney Richardson’s “Holiday Party,” Dec. 24, Blues Alley … Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Dec. 26-30, Blues Alley … Wade Beach & Brazilian Jazz, Dec. 29-31, Twins Jazz … A Jazz New Year’s Eve/Dee Dee Bridgewater’s “Memphis,” Dec. 31, Kennedy Center … Cyrus Chestnut/Integriti Reeves, Dec. 31, Blues Alley DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS: Wynton Kelly 2; Jim Hall 4; Dave Brubeck, Frankie Dunlop 5; Jimmy Smith 8; Donald Byrd 9; Ray Nance 10; McCoy Tyner 11; Tony Williams 12; Clark Terry, Cecil Payne 14; Sy Oliver 17; Fletcher Henderson18; Chet Baker 23; Baby Dodds 24; Cab Calloway, Don Pullen 25; Earl Hines 28 Steve Monroe is a Washington, DC, writer who can be reached at steve@jazzavenues.com and followed at www. twitter.com/jazzavenues.

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

DC HOUSING ENTERPRISES

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: DCHE 2018-1

NEW MARKETS TAX CREDITS (NMTC) APPLICATION ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES DC Housing Enterprises (DCHE) a wholly owned subsidiary of the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) Application, Administration and Support 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, December 4, 2017 and on DCHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at www.dchousing.org. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Monday, January 08, 2018 at 11:00 AM.

NEIGHBORHOOD

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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4338 H ST SE $325,000 3 1620 FORT DAVIS PL SE $314,000 3 4322 GORMAN TER SE $306,000 3 FEE SIMPLE 1607 FORT DAVIS ST SE $291,000 3 4657 H ST SE $215,000 3 ANACOSTIA 4028 ELY PL SE $211,000 3 2247 MOUNT VIEW PL SE $665,000 4 3357 DUBOIS PL SE $200,000 3 1350 VALLEY PL SE $482,000 3 1540 42ND ST SE $165,000 3 1415 HOWARD RD SE $424,000 3 1410 22ND ST SE $397,000 3 HILL CREST 1627 U ST SE $365,000 3 2115 36TH PL SE $645,000 4 1616 W ST SE $290,000 5 3635 HIGHWOOD DR SE $515,000 3 1633 U ST SE $285,000 3 3210 W ST SE $472,500 3 1510 19TH ST SE $257,000 3 3746 SOUTHERN AVE SE $465,000 2 1631 U ST SE $250,000 3 3601 CAMDEN ST SE $460,000 4 1623 RIDGE PL SE $217,560 2 1724 30TH ST SE $440,000 3 1003 30TH ST SE $280,000 3 DEANWOOD 3208 G ST SE $27,800 5 5136 LEE ST NE $438,500 6 428 60TH ST NE $412,000 4 KINGMAN PARK 905 47TH PL NE $399,900 3 2030 E ST NE $514,000 2 96 54TH ST SE $399,800 3 5715 CLAY ST NE $393,900 3 RANDLE HEIGHTS 3948 CLAY PL NE $375,000 4 2715 HARTFORD ST SE $397,000 4 4209 HAYES ST NE $359,700 3 1851 TUBMAN RD SE $345,000 3 5650 A ST SE $355,000 3 2021 ALABAMA AVE SE $322,000 3 827 52ND ST NE $331,500 2 3227 15TH PL SE $315,000 2 324 EASTERN AVE NE $309,000 2 1951 ALABAMA AVE SE $308,500 2 337 54TH ST NE $299,900 4 1925 VALLEY TER SE $222,000 4 5092 JAY ST NE $290,000 3 5029 AMES ST NE $287,000 2 CONDO 4411 HAYES ST NE $274,400 3 204 56TH PL NE $270,000 3 18 53RD ST SE $265,000 2 ANACOSTIA 828 DIVISION AVE NE $252,000 2 1262 TALBERT ST SE #A $255,000 3 4986 JUST ST NE $245,000 3 1 54TH ST SE $216,300 3 DEANWOOD 502 60TH ST NE $196,900 3 4610 KANE PL NE #101 $114,000 2 4214 GAULT PL NE $196,500 3 5320 JAMES PL NE $190,000 3 FORT DUPONT PARK 529 45TH ST NE $180,000 2 3421 MINNESOTA AVE SE #2 $120,000 1 823 46TH ST NE $145,000 3 5514 CLAY PL NE $137,000 2 HILL CREST 319 60TH ST NE $125,000 2 2143 SUITLAND TER SE #201 $80,000 2

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The Spirit of Kwanzaa at THEARC On Dec. 15, 7 p.m.; Dec. 16, 6 p.m.; and Dec. 17, 2 p.m., the Dance Institute of Washington presents “Kwanzaa, a Winter Holiday Celebration.” Drawing on the agricultural ceremonies of Africa, the performance celebrates the holiday’s principles with dance, music and spoken word. General admission is $20 in advance, $25 at the door; children age 12, under are $12 in advance, $15 at the door; children age 3 and under, free. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. thearcdc.org.

Kwanzaa at Anacostia Community Museum On Dec. 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., there is a Kwanzaa Celebration with Nana Malaya Rucker, The Dancing Diplomat & Nubian. On Dec. 27, 11 a.m. to noon, there

STEP AFRIKA!’S FAMILY FUN PACK

From Dec. 15 to 30, celebrate the holidays with clapping, stomping and all-around fun featuring their furry friends from the Animal Kingdom, and a special dance party with DJ Frosty the Snowman. Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show is suited to adults and kids ages 4, up. Join them in the lobby 30 minutes before show time to decorate a musical instrument to make music with Step Afrika! Attending as a family? Get four tickets for $100 with their Family Fun Pack (includes two adult tickets and two tickets for children 16 and under). Regular ticket prices are $18 to $45. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org. Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show’s contemporary, interactive step performance has become a beloved, festive tradition at the Atlas. Audiences can take part in a pre-show instrument making workshops and a post-show dance party.

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is a Kwanzaa Celebration with Melvin Deal African Heritage Dancers and Drummers. On Dec. 28, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. there is a Kwanzaa Celebration with Arts & Crafts. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

“Snow Day” at the Atlas One cold December morning, a young girl named Skip wakes up to find the entire neighborhood covered in a thick, white blanket of white snow. It is her very first snow day. Skip meets a playful and mischievous winter elf, who shows her how magical snow can be! This nonverbal production, Dec. 17 to 30, features live music and lots of wintertime fun, just in time for the holiday season. This Theatre for the Very Young production is best for ages 2 to 6. $12. All patrons age one and above must have a ticket. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS WINTERFEST

Season’s Greenings at the Botanic Garden Season’s Greenings is open every day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Jan. 1, 2018. Remember that the best things in life are free. Enjoy the fragrance of a freshly cut fir tree, the magic of holiday lights, the beauty of sumptuous decorations and the delight of a child discovering the make-believe world of model trains. Free. 100 Maryland Ave. SW. usbg.gov.

Seasons of Light On Dec. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14, 18, 19, 20 and 21; 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. (also a 1 p.m. show on Dec. 7, 12 and 19); enjoy “Seasons of Light,” an annual celebration of seasonal holidays from around the world. The history and customs of Diwali (Devali), Chanukah, Las

The Washington Nationals 2017 Winterfest is Dec. 16 and 17, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW. Attend clinics with Nationals players and coaches. Watch a Home Run Derby featuring the Nationals mascots. Make a snow fort. Participate in the steal home challenge and take batting practice. Hear a winter or baseballthemed story read by a Nationals player. Participate in the Kids Press Conferences. Sign up for 2018 season Jr. Nats Kids Club memberships. Ride down a giant slide reminiscent of a sledding hill; and “Video Pitch,” where fans can give virtual batters their best pitch. Tickets start at $25 for kids; $35 for adults. nationals.com/winterfest. Photo: Courtesy of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club

ANACOSTIA PLAYHOUSE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

Beth Bradley’s church’s Christmas pageant is predictable every year: the angel choir wears too much lipstick, the shepherds are all in their father’s bathrobes and the minister’s son is permanently cast in the role of Joseph. But when authoritative pageant director Mrs. Armstrong breaks her leg, it is up to Beth’s inexperienced mother Grace to step in. The timing couldn’t be worse, as the rambunctious Herdman children, a rough and tough group of siblings from the “wrong side of the tracks,” descend upon the pageant, lured by the promise of free dessert at Sunday school. They are determined to win all the lead roles for themselves. The church “ladies” are beside themselves. All the shepherds quit because Gladys Herdman “hits too hard.” The show is briefly re-titled “Revenge at Bethlehem.” The church catches on fire. But Beth and her community watch in surprise as the same old Christmas story is rejuvenated by the creativity, energy and unexpected sincerity of a misunderstood young family. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will run at the Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl. SE, from Dec. 9 to 23, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. $20 to $40. PWYC will be available at door 30 minutes prior to curtain. anacostiaplayhouse.com. L to R, Sonia Parham, Peyton Holmes, Drew Muie belt out Christmas carols. Photo: Courtesy of Anacostia Playhouse

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Posadas, Ramadan, Sankta Lucia Day, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and the First Nations’ tradition of the Winter Solstice make for an amazing interactive event that bridges communities and cultures. Back for its 19th season, this signature Discovery Theater show sells out early, so get tickets now. For ages 5 to 10. 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. Twelfth Night at Shakespeare. Through Dec. 20. Stranded on the coast of Illyria, the quick-witted Viola assumes the disguise of a page boy for Duke Orsino and finds herself at the center of an explosive love triangle in which identity, passion and gender all threaten to come undone. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. shakespearetheatre.org.

Get a Letter from Santa Write Santa and get a personalized response from the North Pole with an official North Pole Postmark! Read more at about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2017/pr17_072.htm.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins In the small town of Stillwater, painter and decorator Mr. Popper is a pleasant, practical, predictable person who periodically pines for polar adventures. But when a peculiar package on the Poppers’ porch produces a penguin, chaos waddles into their lives. Soon, the Poppers open their home and hearts to not one, not two, but a bunch of boisterous black-and-white birds! With catchy songs and penguin puppets aplenty, this fresh and funny musical adaptation of Richard and Florence Atwater’s popular book will leave the audience chirping with cheer. On stage at the Kennedy Center, Dec. 19 to 31, it is most enjoyed by ages 3, up. All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket. kennedy-center.org. Stay after the 1:30 p.m. performance on Dec. 22 for a free Kids’ Chat. Following the performance, young audience members can ask questions and hear engaging stories in an up-close-and-personal talk with some of the artists.

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The Big Meow The Big Meow, adapted from the book by Elizabeth Spires, is the story of an ever-hopeful fluff-ball who desperately wants to belong to the band of neighborhood cats. A story of hope, disappointment, courage and the need for belonging, this wonderful tale told through the experiences of Little Cat, a potential weakness is a unique strength. The Big Meow, on Jan. 13 at 3 p.m., is presented by Jane Franklin Dance at Theatre on the Run, 3700 S Four Mile Run Dr, Arlington, VA. $15 for adults; $10 for kids under 10. janefranklin.com.

Nominate a Kid for the DC High School Hall of Fame The District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) is accepting nominations for the DC High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018. The Hall of Fame recognizes teams and individuals that have demonstrated exceptional athletic success during their enrollment at, or service to, a District of Columbia public, public charter or private school. The Hall of Fame also looks to honor individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to District secondary athletic programs and the overall District secondary athletic community. The Hall of Fame nomination form is at dcsaasports.org/page/show/3453861-hallof-fame. The nomination deadline is March 2, 2018.

Frosty the Snow Man Adventure Theatre MTC, recent recipient of three 2017 Helen Hayes Awards, brings to the stage the tale of winter joy, Frosty the Snow Man. Based on popular song written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson, this beloved tale of a snowman “dancing through life” is recommended for all ages. It is on stage at Glen Echo through Dec. 31. Tickets are $19.50 and can be purchased online at adventuretheatre-mtc.org or by calling 301-634-2270. All performances will take place at Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD, in historic Glen Echo Park.

Don’t Miss Our 2018

EDUCATION winter-spring edition • PreK-12 ON STANDS JANUARY 2018 A RESOURCE FOR THE EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT OF STUDENTS IN WASHINGTON DC WILL INCLUDE ARTICLES ON: Public, Private, Charter and Parochial Schools 2018 Summer Camp Guide A CAPITAL COMMUNITY NEWS PUBLICATION capitalcommunitynews.com We are DC’s Leading Resource for Education! Look for our education news every month in the:

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The Nutcracker A Washington tradition for 26 years, “The Nutcracker” is the story of Clara-Marie’s favorite toy, and their adventures together in the Land of the Sugerplum Fairy. Music from Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet blends with marionettes and costume characters to create this unique production. On stage at Glen Echo, through Dec. 31. This show is recommended for ages 5, up. Running time is 45 minutes. Tickets are $12. thepuppetco.org. Have an item for the Kids and Family Notebook? Email it to bulletinboard@hillrag.com.

THE 20TH ANNUAL DC SCORES POETRY SLAM!

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The 20th annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!, the largest youth spoken-word competition in the District, showcased original poetry and songs written by students who participate in the award-winning after-school program. November’s two-night event was held at Roosevelt High School on Nov. 15 and H.D. Woodson Senior High School on Nov. 16. On the first night of the Poetry Slam!, students representing 23 elementary and middle schools performed in front of a near-capacity audience. The poems illustrated how proud students are of their differences, and gave them a forum to express their anxieties during such a time of angst in our country. Immigration and embracing differences were common themes. The poems truly showed how powerful DC students’ voices are. Elementary school winners were Seaton (First); Tubman (Second); and H.D. Cooke (Third); while Diamond G. of Seaton won the individual Shine Award. Middle school winners were Truesdell (First); Brightwood (Second); and Chavez Prep (Third). Ja’Quan W. of Lincoln won the Shine Award. DC SCORES creates neighborhood teams that give kids in need the confidence and skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom, and in life. To learn more, volunteer or donate, visit DCSCORES.org. Miner Elementary School performs at the Eastside DC SCORES Poetry Slam! Photo: Aya Takeuchi

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D ECEmBER 2017

“Duos, In A Way” by Myles Mellor Across:

1. Sing 4. Club 8. Stirring state 15. Four-poster, e.g. 18. Like the first ever 21. Sweet wine 22. Serving of corn 23. Spanish duo 25. Exist 26. 6 mo. of the Jewish calendar 27. Mature gracefully 28. Offspring 30. Source of much tea from Asia 35. River to the Missouri 39. Outward flow 40. On hold 44. Persia, now 45. Bank profit source 49. Lawyers’ org. 50. Capably 51. Airplane flap 53. Is obliged 54. Fjord country, briefly 55. Oscar-winning Hitchcock film 57. Germ free 59. Asian hostess 62. Hubbub 63. Muslim pilgrimage 65. Bias 66. Endless times 68. Not stingy 72. Type of truck 73. English duo 78. Before Homeland Security 79. Hit the spot 80. Farm building 81. People person 83. Southern soldier 84. Byron’s over 87. The way we word 91. Surveyor’s instrument 93. ____ riche 96. Street of Nightmares 97. Potential heir 98. More brashly presumptuous 101. Become beneficial 103. Multitude 104. Dances like Miley

Crossword Author: Myles Mellor • www.themecrosswords.com • www.mylesmellorconcepts.com

106. Type of berry 107. Readers, e.g. 109. Tee off 110. Twilled cloth 112. Pushed forward 113. Jewel 116. Country lodging 118. Indian dish made with stewed legumes 122. Power serve, perhaps 123. French duo 133. Service station offering 134. Widow of a Tsar 135. Courteous chap 136. USNA grad. 137. Completely round 138. Scapegoat 139. University conferral

Down:

1. Hick 2. Detail-oriented, to say the least 3. Shortened preposition 4. Return envelope, abbr. 5. Web browser entry 6. Words of accord 7. Storage unit 8. Memory-challenged one 9. “Cool!” 10. Tolkien beast 11. Olympics chant 12. Blue 13. Woodcutter Baba 14. Slothful person 15. Hunk 16. Merit 17. Liquid sediment 19. Reputation 20. Civil aviation controllers 24. Past 29. It’s a wrap in Japan 31. Springs area 32. Singers 33. It’s just for openers 34. Singer ___ Moore 36. Opera song 37. Rodeo female 38. Compass heading

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

Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 39. Group of poems 40. Twinge 41. Orchestral instrument 42. Indian silk dress 43. Like Easter eggs 46. Jot into record 47. Rope factory employee 48. Schismatic group 52. Eastern potentates 56. Winter ailments 58. Igneous rock beneath the earth’s surface 60. Had a hunch 61. Coal carrier 63. Chicken creator

64. Geometry line 67. Trapper 69. UN currency agcy. 70. Marshy stream 71. Times to play or relax 73. Hide 74. Surfing? 75. Took the cake? 76. Quill point 77. Canny 81. Assign roles 82. Causes to go broke 85. No good deed 86. Kidney secretion 88. Pop quiz

89. Aweather’s opposite 90. Dec. holiday 92. Writing surface 93. Within view 94. One of a kind 95. Car 99. Donde __? 100. Bump off 102. Poetic preposition 105. Duran Duran song 108. Throw off 111. Objective 113. To soak leather 114. Desktop folder, e.g. 115. Feast of Lights observers 117. Peck at 119. Sailcloth fiber 120. Far East nurse 121. Make a loan 124. It was sacred to Isis 125. “Well done!” 126. Fury 127. Elton John, for one 128. Literary olio 129. Kan. neighbor 130. African antelope 131. Baseball’s Master Melvin 132. The greatest! (abbr.)

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