East of the River Magazine March 2016 by Capital Community News

ALEXANDER MOVES WARD 7 FORWARD $100 Million of Capital Improvements Under Construction New Recreational Facilities for Residents: • The Ridge Rd Recreation Center • Kenilworth Recreation Center • Benning Stoddard Recreation Center • The Marvin Gaye Recreation Center • Fort Dupont Ice Arena Expansion • The Baseball Academy New Affordable & Market Rate Housing: • 180 Housing Units Under Construction at Parkside. • 40 Phase I Townhouse Sold at Parkside • K Hovanian Homes Underway at Parkside Phase II • 600 Units at Hill East Work Continues on a Tax Abatement for Another 400 Workforce Units at Parkside. Stay Tuned for the 2017 Ground Breaking! New Government Funded Projects: • The Benning Road DMV • Parkside Pedestrian Bridge

To Join Her Effort to Move Ward 7 Forward

Call 202.550.0029

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

East of the River Magazine March 2016

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

In Every Issue Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Washington

East of the River Calendar

The Classified

The Crossword

The Bulletin Board

Right Back Where They Started From

The Numbers

A City Breaking Apart

Our River: The Anacostia

by Jonetta Rose Barras

by Ed Lazere

by Peter Tuths

by Bill Matuszeski

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

A Robust Theater Season Gathers Steam

Growing Out of a Food Desert

When Black Men Turn Blue

In and Outside Church Walls

Jazz Avenues

by Barbara Wells

by Christine Rushton

by Candace Y.A. Montague

by Virginia Avniel Spatz

by Steve Monroe

REAL ESTATE

ON THE COVER:

Christa Bennett and ensemble in For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf nnow playing at Anacostia Playhouse. Photo: C. Stanley Photography. See page 8 for performance details.

Changing Hands compiled by Don Denton

KIDS & FAMILY

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

Kids & Family Notebook by Kathleen Donner

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

East of the River Magazine March 2016

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REAL ESTATE

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For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf and Word Becomes Flesh - Theater alliance at Anacostia Playhouse An American classic, the power of for colored girls… is eternal. This stirring choreopoem weaves together 20 separate poems with music and movement to tell the stories of love, empowerment, and struggle of seven African American women. Originally produced on Broadway in 1976, Ntozake Shange’s work proves as vital today as it was then. Through spoken word, dance, music, and visual images, Word Becomes Flesh is a collective of performers who deliver a series of letters from a single father to his unborn son, documenting the range of emotions, fears, and expectations, and examing the relationship of Afican American fathers and their sons. Both productions through March 26 on a rotating schedule. Go to www.theateralliance.com for details. Gary L. Perkins III, Clayton Pelham, Jr., Justin Weaks, Chris Lane, Louis E. Davis in Word Becomes Flesh. Photo: C. Stanley Photography

Kay WalkingStick: An American Artist Kay WalkingStick: An American Artist is the first major retrospective of the artistic career of Kay WalkingStick (b. 1935), a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and one of the world’s most celebrated artists of Native American ancestry. Featuring more than 65 of her most notable paintings, drawings, small sculptures, notebooks, and the diptychs for which she is best known, the exhibition traces her career over more than four decades and culminates with her recent paintings of monumental landscapes and Native places. Over decades of intense and prolific artistic production, she sought spiritual truth through the acts of painting and metaphysical reflection. The exhibit traces a path of constant invention, innovation, and evolving artistic and personal growth through visually brilliant and evocative works of art. At the National Museum of the American Indian through Sept. 18, 2016. nmai.si.edu. Kay WalkingStick (Cherokee, b. 1935), New Mexico Desert, 2011. Oil on wood panel, 40 x 80 x 2 in. Purchased through a special gift from the Louise Ann Williams Endowment, 2013. National Museum of the American Indian 26/9250.

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Virginia Horse Festival at the Meadow The Virginia House Festival is April 1 to 3, at The Meadow, home of Secretariat, in Doswell, Va. The festival features horse health clinics, demonstrations, everything-for-the-horse-and-rider vendors, a Parade of Breeds, and the annual Secretariat Birthday Celebration. The birthday celebration at The Meadow Event Park honors not only “Big Red,” but also his birthplace, as 2016 marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of Meadow Stable in 1936. Doswell is about 85 miles south of DC on interstate 95. Adult one-day admission is $12 ($15 at gate) and kids one-day admission is $7 ($10 at gate). A three day pass is $20 ($25 at gate). virginiahorsefestival.com. Mustang Makeover Finals held at the 2015 Virginia Horse Festival. Photo: Kathy Dixon

The Great Vigil of Easter at the National Cathedral The Great Vigil of Easter is on Saturday night, March 26, 8 p.m. to midnight. Passes are required for entry. Passes for the Easter Vigil and 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Easter services are available at cathedral. org or by calling 202-537-2228. There is complimentary parking in the Cathedral parking garage. “On this night, Christ broke the bonds of death and rose victorious from the grave. We light the Easter fire and hear the stories of God’s redeeming work among God’s people. As solemn chant turns to joyful song, we baptize new Christians and worshipers ring bells to announce the Resurrection.”Myer Dr., Arlington, VA. The entire show is $14; Saturday is $8. $5 admission on Saturday for librarians and students with valid ID. Children 12 and under, free. Read more at wabf.com. D. Thomas, Washington National Cathedral

US Botanic Garden Production Facility Open House Rarely does the public get to see the US Botanic Garden (USBG) growing facility, the largest greenhouse complex supporting a public garden in the United States. The site, completed in 1994, includes 85,000 square feet under glass that is divided into 34 greenhouse bays and 16 environmental zones. In addition to foliage and nursery crops, see all of the USBG collection including orchids, medicinal, carnivorous, rare and endangered species. At the open houses, get a brief orientation to the facility, meet the gardeners, ask questions and wander through this working wonderland of plants. Fifty people are allowed per entry time. The open house is on March 12 with entry times at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. $10 entrance fee. Pre-registration required. usbg.gov. US Botanic Garden staff talk with visitors amidst cacti at the 2015 Production Facility Open House. Photo: US Botanic Garden

East of the River Magazine March 2016

CALENDAR

BLOSSOM KITE FESTIVAL April 2, 10 AM to 4:30 PM. The Blossom Kite Festival kicks oﬀ the kite flying season with five areas to explore and enjoy: The Competition & Demonstration Field, The Family Field, The Kite Club Display Area, activity tents, and The Public Field. Free. Washington Monument grounds, Constitution Avenue and 17th Street NW. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Photo: Courtesy of the National Cherry Blossom Festival

MARCH

calendar Saint PatricK’S

ShamrockFest. March 12, 3 to 11 PM. ShamrockFest is America’s largest St. Paddy’s Day celebration features Celtic and alternative rock. RFK Stadium. shamrockfest.com.

iriSh barS Molly Malone’s. March 17, 11 AM to 3 AM. Drink specials. 713 Eighth St. SE. 202547-1222. mollymalonescapitolhillsaloon.com. Star and Shamrock. March 17, 8 AM to 1:30 AM. Drink specials. Live music in evening. 1341 H St. NE. 202-388-3833. starandshamrock.com.

Solemn Easter Vigil Mass at National Shrine. March 26, 8 PM. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. nationalshrine.com. Easter Sunrise Service at Lincoln Memorial. March 27, (rain or shine), 6:30 AM. Thousands gather annually at the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate Easter. Lincoln Memorial. Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington Cemetery. March 27, 6:15 AM. The Easter Sunrise Service at the Arlington National Cemetery Amphitheater will begin with a musical prelude. There is no rail service at this hour but parking is free. 703-607-8000. arlingtoncemetery.org. Festival Holy Eucharist at National Cathedral. March 27, 8 AM and 11 AM (free tickets required); 4 PM, Evensong on Easter Day; 5:15 PM, Organ Recital. Intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, NW. 202-537-6200. nationalcathedral.org. Easter Sunday Mass at National Shrine. March 27, 7:30 AM, 9 AM, 10:30 AM, noon, 4:30 PM. Spanish Mass at 1:30 PM. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. nationalshrine.com.

Kelly’s Irish Times. March 17, 11 AM- to 1:30 AM. Live Irish music starts at noon. 14 F St. NW. 202-543-5433. kellysirishtimesdc.com.

around the neighborhood

Dubliner. March 17, 10 AM to 2 AM. Three bands on two stages and giveaways. Full menus served with $10 cover. The Dubliner also features live Irish music every night at 9 PM; Sundays at 7:30 PM. 4 F St. NW. 202-737-3773. dublinerdc.com.

Word Becomes Flesh at Anacostia Playhouse. Through March 26. Through spoken word, dance, music and visual images, a collective of performers delivers a series of letters from a single father to his unborn son, documenting the range of emotions, fears, and expectations. theateralliance.com.

Fado Irish Pub. March 17, 8 AM to 2 AM. Full Irish breakfast. $10 cover starts at noon; live music at 2 PM. 808 Seventh St. NW. 202-789-0066. fadoirishpub.com.

The Great Vigil of Easter at National Cathedral. March 26, 8 PM. Intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues. NW. 202-537-6200. nationalcathedral.org.

Hawk ‘n’ Dove. March 17, 11 AM to 2 AM. Irish menu. 329 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-547-0030. hawkndovedc.com.

Rí Rá Georgetown. March 17, 9 AM to 2 AM. Live music and drink specials. 3125 M St. NW. 202-751-2111. rira.com.

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For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf at Anacostia Playhouse. Through March 26. This stirring choreopoem weaves together 20 separate poems with music and movement to tell the stories of love, empowerment, and struggle of seven African American women. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. theateralliance.com.

East of the River Magazine March 2016

CALENDAR Remembering Marion Barry Tours and a Performance. March 6, 11 AM and noon. There will also be a performance by Cuban Hip Hop artists Obsesione at 1 p.m. in the program room. Anacostia Community Museum is at 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu. Environmental Film Festival Screenings. March 18, 6:30 to 8:30 PM, Makoshika; March 25, 6:30 to 8:30 PM, Written on Water. Anacostia Community Museum is at 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu. Electric Jazz Improv Collective. March 19, 8 to 10 PM. This electric guitar, amplified cello, acoustic and computer processed saxophone quartet probes jazz, rock, blues, techno, funk, and classical music for new sonic environments. $10. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. anacostiaartscenter.com.

SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT FIREWORKS FESTIVAL April 9 (rain or shine), 1 to 9 PM. Fireworks at 8:30 PM. Enjoy free music, family friendly water-related activities, cultural experiences, live entertainment and delicious foods at multiple outdoor venues at the Southwest Waterfront. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Photo: Courtesy of the National Cherry Blossom Festival

Rhythm Cafe: Women in Jazz Presents Sassy Sarah Vaughn. March 19, 2 to 4 PM. Enjoy an afternoon of music at this annual program as Women in Jazz founder Amy Bormet, and singer Jessica Boykins-Settles present background information on Sarah Vaughn along with musical selections. Anacostia Community Museum is at 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu. French Doors by Aziza Claudia Gibson-Hunter Exhibition. March 25 to May 13. Opening reception is April 1, 6 to 8 PM. Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. honfleurgallery.com. Fashion Meets Literature at Honﬂeur Gallery. March 26, 8 to 10 PM. Through the well-versed thoughts of contemporary romance novelist Keesha D. Fox, the three main characters of her latest read, Unthinkable, will be brought to life through the designs of FOX MOD and Weird Art Society. Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. anacostiaartscenter.com. Dinner at Tuesday’s. April 10, 5 PM. The theme is “finding love after 60, sisterly love, domestic violence in elder population, healing, hope and reconciliation.” Anacostia Playhouse, 2120 Shannon Pl. SE. anacostiaplayhouse.com. Free Eclectic Tuesdays at the Anacostia Arts Center. Tuesdays through June 6, 7 to 9 PM. This is a 13week performance series with a wide array of performers ranging between dance, music, poetry, magic, theatre and more. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. anacostiaartscenter.com.

muSic around toWn Music at the U Street Music Hall. March 5, Louis The Child; March 6, Goldfish; March 8, Bag Raiders; March 10, Hinds and Dusky; March 11, Alt Nation Advanced Placement Tour and DJ Dan; March 12, Eli Paperboy Reed and Marco Bailey; March 17, Detroit Swindle; March 18, XXYYXX; March 19, Daphni; March 21, Hippie Sabotage; March 22, Wiki+Antwon; March 23, Blockhead & Eliot Lipp; March 25, Way Out West; March 26, Stick Figure and Stanton Warriors; March 27, Gin Wigmore; March 28, HÆLOS; March 30, Skizzy Mars; March 21, Deep Medi 10 Year Anniversary Tour; April 1, Charlie Puth and Derrick Carter; April 2, TOBACCO, March 6, Cloud Cult; April 8, Max Graham; April 9, Run River North and Prince Fox. U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St. NW. 202-5881889. ustreetmusichall.com. Music at The Howard. March 5, Exquisite Ghana Ball; March 6, The Music Box; March 10, Mark Farn-

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er; March 13, Edwin McCain and Celebrity Birhday Bash feat. Junkyard Band; March 15, Tank; March 17 and 18, Keith Sweat; March 19, Pete Yorn; March 20, Mosh Ben Ari; March 23, Silverstein USA Tour; March 26, Rawkus 2016; March 28, Delta Deep; March 30, Living Colour; April 1, White Ford Bronco; April 2, HIROMI the Trio Project; April 4, Gato Barbieri; April 7, The Sweet Spot DC-Make it Rain Edition; April 8 and 9, Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton. Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com. Music at 9:30 Club. March 5, Drive-By Truckers; March 6, Ra Ra Riot; March 7, Troye Sivan; March 8, Troye Sivan; March 10, Twiddle; March 11 and 12, Railroad Railroad Earth; March 14, Rachel Platten; March 15, Brian Fallon & The Crowes; March 16, GoldLink; March 17, Cowboy Mouth; March 18 and 19, Galactic; March 23, Pusha T; March 24, G. Love & Special Sauce; March 27, Savages; April 1 and 2, The Infamous Stringdusters feat. Nicki Bluhm; April 3 and 4, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals; April 7, Jonathan Richman featuring Tommy Larkins and Baauer; April 9, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors. 815 V St. NW. 877-435-9849. 930.com. Music at Black Cat. March 5, Anthony DeVito, Jeﬀ Simmermon; March 7, Dougie Poole; March 8, Rob Crow’s Gloomy Place; March 9, Des Demonas; March 10, Mass Gothic Sunflower Bean; March 11, Blur vs Oasis vs Pulp vs Suede; March 12, HTC; March 16, Wild Adriatic; March 18, New Order Dance Party and Bump & Grimes II; March 19, Tortoise; March 23, Mal Blum; March 24, Dreamers Arkells; March 29, Junior Boys; March 30, Chad Valley; March 31, The DMA’s; April 2, Dance Yourself Clean; April 3, Laura Stevenson; April 7, High Highs. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com. Music at Sixth and I. March 5, Zuli; March 10, Deer Tick “Acoustic”; March 12, An Evening With Greg Dulli; March 21, Andra Day. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 202-408-3100. sixthandi.org. Music at the Lincoln. March 5, Adam Lambert;

March 12, 19 and 20, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington presents: Boots, Class & Sass; March 16, Yamato-The Drummers of Japan; March 18, Indigo Girls; March 26, The ACA Challenge; April 1, Citizen Cope; April 7, Jewel; April 10, The Smashing Pumpkins-in Plainsong. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. 202-328-6000. thelincolndc.com. Music at Rock and Roll Hotel. March 5, Common Kings; March 8, RNDM; March 9, Porches and Alex G; March 10, Shearwater; March 11, Mount Moriah; March 12, White Ford Bronco and DJS Rex Roit & Basscamp; March 13, Those Darlins “Farewell Tour”; March 15, Trixie Whitney; March 16, Foxing; March 17-18, J Roddy Walston & The Business; March 19, DJS Rex Roit & Basscamp; March 26, The Family Crest; March 28, Intronaut; March 29, Basia Bulat; April 1, Autolux; April 3, Young Fathers. Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. 202-388-7625. rockandrollhoteldc.com. Sunday Concerts at the Phillips. March 6, Jordi Savall, viol; March 13, Christopher Park, pianos; March 20, Sandbox Percussion/Amphion Quartet; March 27, Richard Goode, piano; April 3, Valentin Uryupin & Stanislav Khristenko, clarinet and piano; April 10, Ingolf Wunder, piano. $30, $15 for members, students, and visitors 6 to 18; includes museum admission for day of the concert. Reservations recommended. phillipscollection.org/music. Blues Night in Southwest. Every Monday, 6 to 9 PM. March 7, Danny Blew & the Blues Crew; March 14, Lou Jerome Band; March 21, Nadine Rae & the All-Stars; March 28, Vintage #18 Blues Band. The cover is $5. Children are welcome and free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. 202-484-7700. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW (Fourth and I, south side of intersection). westminsterdc.org. Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. March 8, Sarah Biber, cello Jeremy Filsell, piano; March 15, The Choir of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, UK; March 22, Richard Giarusso, Baritone Lauren Rausch, violin Jeremy Filsell continuo; March 29, Andrew Sords, Violin Ina Mirtcheva, piano; April 5, Washington Bach Consort. Free, but offering taken. 1317 G ST. NW. 202-347-2635. epiphanydc.org. Music at the Library of Congress. March 10, noon, The Anchiskhati Ensemble; March 23, noon, Cheick Hamala Diabate Ensemble. These free concerts are in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. loc.gov. Jazz Night in Southwest. Every Friday, 6 to 9 PM. March 11, Eric Byrd & Friends; March 18, Shannon Gunn & the Bullettes; March 25, Tribute to Calvin Jones and Jazz Night at the Movies, 9:15 PM, Gloria Lynne--I Wish You Love; April 1, The Fabulous Sharon Clark; April 8, Howard University Jazz Ensemble. The cover is $5. Children are welcome and free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. 202-484-7700.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW (Fourth and I, south side of intersection). westminsterdc.org. Music at the Atlas. March 12, Great Noise Ensemble DANCEWORKS; March 13, Capital City Symphony Haunted Topography, Heavenly Life; March 17 to 20, Congressional Chorus-Tinseltown A Hollywood Cabaret. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-3997993. atlasarts.org. Folger Consort Playing with Fire. March 18 to 20. Virtuoso instrumental music of the Renaissance. $25-$40. Folger Theater, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202544-7077. folger.edu. Society of the Cincinnati Concerts. April 2, 10:30 AM, William Baskin, acoustic guitar; May 21, 10:30 AM, Beau Soir Ensemble. Free. Anderson House, 2118 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-7852040. societyofthecincinnati.org.

SPORTS AND FITNESS Washington Wizards Basketball. March 5, 14, 16, 19, 23 and 25; April 6, 10 and 13. Verizon Center. nba.com/wizards. Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Health & Fitness Expo. March 10, noon to 7 PM and March 11, 10 AM to 7 PM. Free and open to the public, this expo, at the DC Armory, features the latest in running technologies, fitness apparel, health and nutrition information and interactive displays. runrocknroll.com/dc. Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K. March 12, 7:30 AM. Starts at Constitution Ave. at 14th St. NW. runrocknroll.competitor.com/dc. Washington Capitals Ice Hockey. March 15, 18, 26 and 28; April 5 and 7. Verizon Center. capitals.nhl.com. Washington Capitals Practice Schedule. Non-game day, 10:30 AM; game day, 10 AM; and day after game, 11 AM. All practices are at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, 627 No. Glebe Rd., Suite 800, Arlington, VA. They are free and open to the public. kettlercapitalsiceplex.com. DC United at RFK. March 20, 5 p.m. vs. Colorado Rapids (home opener); March 26, 4 p.m. vs. Dallas. dcunited.com. Washington Nationals Spring Training Games at Nat’s Park. April 1, 6:10 PM and April 2, 12:05 PM; vs. Twins. Home Opener on April 7, 4:05 PM vs. Marlins. washington.nationals.mlb.com. Zumba at THEARC. Mondays, 7:15 to 8:15 PM. Ditch the workout, join the party! Latin Dance-Fitness fuses hypnotic East of the River Magazine March 2016

CALENDAR Latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic fitness program that will blow you away. $6 for 20020 or 20032 residents. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org. Adult Yoga at THEARC. Saturdays, 8:45 to 10 AM. Vinyasa Yoga is a practice where postures or asanas are connected through the breath for a transformative and balanccing effect. it builds heat, endurance, flexibility and strength. $6 for 20020 or 20032 residents. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org. Adult African Dance at THEARC. Wednesdays, 7:30 to 8:30 PM. Taught by Sylvia Soumah, founder of Coyaba Dance Theater and teacher at The Washington Ballet (SE Campus), Adult African Dance classes provide a friendly environment to learn West African dance. Come feel the beat. $6 for 20020 or 20032 residents. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202889-5901. thearcdc.org. Adult Kundalini Yoga at THEARC. Thursdays, 7:30 to 8:45 PM. Come experience Kundalini Yoga, a science that works on your engery system using various hand and fingeer positions (mudras) body postures (asanas), and chants (mantras). $6 for 20020 or 20032 residents. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org. Free Weekly Jazzercise Class. Wednesdays, 6:30 to 7:30 PM. Jazzercise is a 60-minute workout that incorporates cardio, stretch and strength-training exercises. Bring weights and a mat. 4800 Nannie Helen Burroughs (ground floor community room). Yoga @ the Library. Saturdays, 10 to 11 AM. Wear comfortable clothing and bring a mat, but if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have one, yoga mats are available. Classes are taught by a Yoga Activist and are held on the lower level of the library in the Larger Meeting Room. Free. Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Neighborhood Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-2812583. dclibrary.org/benning. Canal Park Ice Skating. Through midMarch. Monday and Tuesday, noon to 7 PM; Wednesday to Friday, noon to 9 PM; Saturday, 11 AM to 10 PM; and Sunday, 11 AM to 7 PM. Adults are $9; children/ seniors/military are $8; and skate rental is $4. Holidays hours vary. Canal Park is at 202 M St. SE. canalparkdc.org. National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Skating. Through March 13. Open Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Thursday, 10 AM to 9 PM; Friday, 10 AM to 11 PM; Saturday, 11 AM to 11 PM; Sunday, 11 AM to 9 PM. $8.50 for adults; $7.50 for age 50 and over, age 12 and under, and stu-

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dents with a valid school ID for two hour session begining on the hour. $3 for skate rental. Seventh St. and Constitution Ave. NW. 202-216-9397. nga.gov. Washington Harbour Ice Rink. Through mid-March. Monday-Tuesday, noon to 7 PM; Wednesday-Thursday, noon to 9 PM; Friday, noon to 10 PM; Saturday, 10 AM to 10 PM; Sunday, 10 AM to 7 PM. Skating is $9-$10. Skate rental is $5. Washington Harbour is at 3050 K St. NW. 202706-7666. thewashingtonharbour.com. Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Arena closes for annual maintenance from March 13 until first week in July. Fort Dupont Ice Arena is at 3779 Ely Pl. SE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org. Barry Farm (indoor) Pool. Open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:30 AM to 8 PM; and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 AM to 5 PM. Free for DC residents. 1230 Sumner Rd. SE. 202-730-0572. dpr.dc.gov. Deanwood (indoor) Pool. Monday-Friday 6:30 AM to 8 PM; Sat-Sun, 9 AM to 5 PM. Free for DC residents. 1350 49th St. NE. 202-671-3078. dpr.dc.gov. Ferebee Hope (indoor) Pool. Open weekdays, 10 AM to 6 PM. Closed weekends. Free for DC residents. 3999 Eighth St. SE. 202-645-3916. dpr.dc.gov. Free Public Tennis Courts in Wards 7 and 8. Fort Davis Community Center, 1400 41st St. SE; Hillcrest Recreation Center, 3100 Denver St. SE; KenilworthParkside Recreation Center, 4300 Anacostia Ave. NE; Randle Highlands Tennis Courts, 31st St. and Pennsylvania Ave. SE; Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE; Bald Eagle Recreation Center, Martin Luther King, Jr Ave. and Joliet St. SW; Congress Heights Recreation Center, 611 Alabama Ave. SE; Ferebee-Hope Recreation Cemter, 3999 Eighth St. SE.; Fort Stanton Community Center, 1812 Erie St. SE. All courts are open daily, dawn to dusk. Some are lighted for extended evening play. Courts are available on a first come, first served basis for one hour intervals; extended use of tennis courts requires a permit. Proper shoes and attire is required. 202-671--0314. dpr.dc.gov.

MARKETS Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7 AM to 7 PM; Saturdays, 7 AM to 5 PM; Sundays, 9 AM to 5 PM. Flea market and arts and crafts market open Saturdays and Sundays, 9 AM to 6 PM. Eastern Market is Washington’s last continually operated “old world” market. 200 block of Seventh St. SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarketdc.com. Dupont Circle Farmers Market. Sundays (rain or shine), year round, 10 AM to 1 PM. 20th St. and Mass. Ave. NW, 1500 block of 20th St. NW (between Mass. Ave. and Q St. in the adjacent parking lot of PNC Bank). 202-362-8889. freshfarmmarket.org. Branch Avenue Pawn Parking Lot Flea Market. Saturdays, year-round (weather permitting). Set up after 10 AM. 3128 Branch Ave., Temple Hills, MD. Fresh Tuesdays at Eastern Market. Tuesdays, 3 to 7 PM. Farmers’ line of fresh produce. Eastern Market, 200 block of Seventh St. SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarketdc.com. Union Market. Tuesday-Friday, 11 AM to 8 PM; Saturday-Sunday, 8 AM to 8 PM. Union Market is an artisanal, curated, year round food market featuring

over 40 local vendors. 1309 Fifth St. NE. 301-652-7400. unionmarketdc.com. Georgetown Flea Market. Sundays year around (except in the case of very inclement weather), 8 AM to 4 PM. 1819 35th St. NW. georgetownfleamarket.com.

CIVIC LIFE Congresswoman Norton’s SE District Office. Open weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM. 2041 MLK Ave. SE, #238. 202678-8900. norton.house.gov. Eastland Gardens Civic Association Meeting. Third Tuesday, 6:30 to 8 PM. Kenilworth Elementary School Auditorium, 1300 44th St. NE. Contact Javier Barker, j58barker@yahoo.com or 202-450-3155. Anacostia Coordinating Council Meeting. Last Tuesday, noon to 2 PM. Anacostia Museum, 1901 Fort St. SE. For further details, contact Philip Pannell, 202-889--4900. Capitol View Civic Association Meeting. Third Monday, 6:30 PM. Hughes Memorial United Methodist, 25 53rd St. NE. capitolviewcivicassoc.org. Historical Anacostia Block Association. Second Thursday, 7 to 9 PM. UPO -Anacostia Service Center, 1649 Good Hope Rd. SE. For further details, contact Charles Wilson, 202-834-0600. Anacostia High School School Improvement Team Meeting. Fourth Tuesday, 6 PM. Anacostia High School, 16th and R Streets, SE. Fairlawn Citizens Association. Third Tuesday, 7 PM. Ora L. Glover Community Room at the Anacostia Public Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE.

ANC MONTHLY MEETINGS ANC 7B. Third Thursday, 7 PM. Ryland Epworth United Methodist Church, 3200 S St. SE (Branch Ave and S St. SE). 202-584-3400. anc7b@pressroom.com. anc7b@ earthlink.net. ANC 7C. Second Thursday, 7 PM. Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church, 5109 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE. 202-398-5100. anc7c@verizon.net. ANC 7D. Second Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Neighborhood Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-398-5258. 7D06@anc.dc.gov. ANC 7E. Second Tuesday, 7 PM. Jones Memorial Church, 4625 G St. SE. 202-582--6360. 7E@anc.dc.gov. ANC 7F. Third Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, 200 Stoddert Place, SE. ANC 8A. First Tuesday, 7 PM. Anacostia UPO Service Center, 1649 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-889-6600. anc8adc.org. ANC 8B. Third Tuesday, 7 PM. Seventh District Police Station Community Center, Alabama and McGee Streets, SE. 202-610-1818. anc8b.org. ANC 8C. First Wednesday, 7 PM. 2907 MLK Jr Ave. SE. 202-388-2244. ANC 8D. Fourth Thursday, 7 PM. Specialty Hospital of Washington, 4601 MLK Jr. Ave. SW. 202-561-0774. u

East of the River Magazine March 2016

neighborhood news / bulletin board

then given to their director and actors. Those teams then have roughly nine hours to take the play from “words on a page” to “live performance.” On Saturday, March 12, 6 to 11 p.m., the shows hit the stage for you, their audience. Tickets are $15, advance; $20 at the door. A ticket gives access to one of the performance times, the silent auction and all three bands. Read more at liveartdc.com. LiveArt in a Day 2016 is at the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE. anacostiaartscenter.com.

fort duPont iCe arena CLoses for annuaL MaintenanCe Fort Dupont Ice Arena is closed for maintenance from March 13 until the first week of July. Fort Dupont Ice Arena is at 3779 Ely Pl. SE. 202-5845007. fdia.org.

arena site deMoLition started

anaCostia river festivaL (save the date) The National Park Service and the 11th Street Bridge Park present the second annual Anacostia River Festival, a premier event and official closing program of the 2016 National Cherry Blossom Festival. This year’s Anacostia River Festival, April 17, 1 to 5 p.m., celebrates “connecting people to parks” in recognition of the National Park Service’s 2016 Centennial celebration. Activities include kayaking, boating, fishing workshops, hands-on art projects, musical performances, bike parades, pop-up stores and other unique programs engaging families with the river, its history and ecology. Held in Anacostia Park, this free event will encourage District residents and tourists alike to explore communities and parks east of the river. Photo: Courtesy of the National Park Service

Liveart in a day 2016 LiveArt in a Day consists of two performances of ten-minute plays, three live bands and a silent auction. The way it works: On Friday, March 11, at 6 p.m., the five playwrights will each be ran-

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

domly assigned elements (director, actors, prop, DC landmark/celebrity). The plays will explore the sites, personalities and events that make DC a special place. The playwrights have until Saturday morning to turn around a script, which is

On Feb. 13, Mayor Bowser led the demolition of two buildings at St. Elizabeths campus, making way for a new state-of-the-art sports and entertainment arena and Phase I infrastructure development at the site. The arena is scheduled to open in September of 2018. Operated by Events DC, the 5,000 seat venue is projected to produce $90 million in new tax revenue over 20 years, attract more than 380,000 annual visitors per year, produce more than 600 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs. Hiring priority will be given to Ward 7 and 8 residents. Washington, DC-based Marshall Moya Design and internationally iconic, ROSSETTI, have begun developing designs for the state-ofthe-art arena in Congress Heights.

woMen of CoLor and environMentaL justiCe CoMMunity foruM This forum is a discussion on diversity in the green movement. On Saturday, March 12, 2 to

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4 p.m., join in as community women of color discuss their place in the fight for environmental justice and the importance of self-reliance, activism, and resistance. The forum is at the Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

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Honfleur Gallery Calls to Artists and Curators for 2016-2017 Exhibition Schedule

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Honfleur Gallery review unsolicited proposals from artists and curators on a quarterly basis. Instructions for proposals are at honfleurgallery.com/gallery/calls-toartists. Due to the number of submissions they receive, they cannot guarantee a response. Proposals that do not include the requested materials will not be considered. They do keep proposals on file to refer to for future projects and partnerships. If you have questions or would like confirmation of their receiving your application, email arts@archdc.org.

Monthly Artist Studio Tour from the ACM On Saturday, March 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., catch the museum shuttle for this popular monthly program and visit community artists in their studios. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll visit Viola Leak (mixed media, painter), Bernie Brooks (painter), and Gwen Aqui (quilter). Assemble inside the museum before boarding the bus. Enter the museum through the side staff entrance. The bus leaves promptly at 10 a.m. A $10 transportation fee is required. Pay online or by calling 202-633-4844. If you cannot pay online, you can pay by cash on the bus, or by check made out to Anacostia Community Museum. anacostia.si.edu.

Lane Changes for Minnesota Avenue Project The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has implemented a lane shift, partial street closure and detour as part of the ongoing reconstruction of Minnesota Ave. NE. The continuous lane changes will allow crews to safely install the new roadway on Minnesota Ave. from A St. to just south of Benning Rd. NE. Northbound Minnesota Ave. between A St. and Ridge Rd. SE will shift to the center of the roadway. Southbound traffic will remain unchanged. Eastbound Ames St. will be closed between Minnesota Ave. and East Capitol St. This will temporarily eliminate the ramp access to westbound East Capitol St. NE. Westbound Ames St. will remain open. Cars traveling eastbound on Minnesota Ave. will make a right onto Blaine St. NE, a right onto 40th St. NE, and a right onto East Capitol St. NE. Trucks will be directed to use eastbound Dix St. to 40th St. to East Capitol St. NE. Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are urged to stay alert and to use caution when traveling through the work zone. DDOT will continue to inform the public of lane closures and changes as they occur.

Saturday Volunteer Event at Kenilworth Park On Saturday, March 19, 9 a.m. to noon, spring into action and help get the Gardens ready for the season. Join your neighbors as they remove invasive plants, weed and mulch the entry gardens, and assist with other park projects. Individuals and groups are welcome. SSL credits can be earned. Register online at friendsofkenilworthgardens. East of the River Magazine March 2016

neighborhood news / bulletin board voLunteer at theater aLLianCe Want to be more involved in the community East-of-the-River? Theater Alliance is always in need of ushers and box office assistants. See behind the scenes, meet their artists, and see the show for free. Send an email to kat@ theateralliance.com to join their volunteer roster and learn about upcoming opportunities. theateralliance.com.

free tax heLP at east of the river PubLiC Libraries Saturdays through April 16, 10 a.m., meet with a qualified AARP tax aide at Bellevue (William O. Lockridge) Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW, to help answer your tax questions and prepare your 2015 income tax filing. Tax help is also available at Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE, on Tuesdays, through April 12, 11 a.m.; and at Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE on Mondays and Wednesdays through April 18, 10 a.m. dclibrary.org.

woMen’s history biKe tour On Saturday, March 26, 10:30 a.m., join the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s Women and Bicycles group for a ride through women’s history. This bike ride, open to all ages and genders, will visit three library branches with activities surrounding a moment in women’s history at each stop. The ride will convene in the Dream Lab at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial library at 10:30 a.m. and visit the Anacostia Library and Northeast Library. Please bring a helmet and bike lock. dclibrary.org.

benning ridge dMv serviCe Center oPens

exPosed dC PhotograPhy show Exposed DC announces its 10th annual Exposed DC Photography Show hosted by the Historical Society of Washington, DC from March 10 to April 1, on the second floor of the Carnegie Library, 801 K St. NW. These 47 winning photographs were chosen from a contest for their unique view of the Washington area--not as a political venue or tourist destination, but as a place where we live and work and love every day. Five of those photographs will be awarded Best in Show prizes, each one chosen by a panel of distinguished metro-area photographers: Lucian Perkins, Susana Raab, Lauren Stockbower, Yodith Dammlash, and Carolyn Russo. Exhibit hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, March 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

eventbrite.com. Kenilworth Park is at 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. friendsofkenilworthgardens.org.

voiCes united! woMen’s rights MoveMent ‘60s and ‘70s PaneL disCussion On Sunday, March 20, 2 to 4 p.m., join this discussion moderated by curator Marjorie Lightman and featuring panelists who were active participants in the growing women’s rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. This program is being presented in conjunction with the exhibition Twelve Years That Shook and Shaped Washington, 1963-1975, and in recognition of March Women’s History Month. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

the antioCh Law sChooL, engine of Change PaneL disCussion On Saturday, April 2, 2 to 4 p.m., join this discussion that looks at the history of this influen-

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EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

tial school that would eventually become the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. Established in 1972 by legal rights advocates Edgar S. Cahn and Jean Camper Cahn, established and supported the school’s “open-admissions” policy. This afforded the opportunity for many low-income minority students to obtain a quality post-secondary education during the 1970s. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

City on fire: the 1968 washington, dC riots PaneL disCussion On Saturday, April 9, 2 to 4 p.m., join academics Carroll Gibbs, Derek Musgrove, Sheila Harmon Martin, and Denise Rolark Barnes as they discuss and reflect on the riot’s cause, effects and outcomes as well as its connections to contemporary urban protests such as Black Lives Matter. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

DC DMV opened its Benning Ridge Service Center, 4525 Benning Rd. SE, on March 1. This location replaces the Penn Branch Service Center. Benning Ridge will offer the same services that are available at DC DMV’s current service centers. Additionally, as the agency’s largest facility, it has inside queuing, so customers are able to wait inside the building.

heLP restore shePherd ParKway Volunteer from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, and Aug. 13. Shepherd Parkway’s 205 acres are home to two Civil War forts, two bald eagle nests, and some of the oldest forests in DC. Help your neighbors remove trash and invasive species from this important but neglected natural area in Ward 8. Meet at the picnic tables near the corner of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Avenues, SE. Gloves, bags, and light refreshments will be provided. Wear boots and clothes you can get dirty. For more information, contact Nathan Harrington at nbharrington@yahoo.com or 301-758-5892. Visit shepherdparkway.blogspot.com.

the rosa ParKs CoLLeCtion is now onLine The Rosa Parks Collection at the Library of Congress has been digitized and is now online at loc.gov/collections/rosa-parks-papers/about-thiscollection. The collection, which contains approximately 7,500 manuscripts and 2,500 photographs, is on loan to the Library for 10 years from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The Library received the materials in late 2014, formally opened them to researchers in the Library’s reading rooms in February 2015 and now has digitized them for greater access by the public.

dC oPen doors hoMebuyers seMinar Statistics prove that homebuyer education contributes to successful homeownership. On March 16, 6:30 to 8 p.m. come out and learn how you can purchase your home in the District of Columbia using a DC Open Doors mortgage product. The free seminar is at the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency, 815 Florida Ave. NW. There is free parking in DCHFA garage and it is walking distance to U Street Metro. For more information, contact Deborah Jones at HomebuyerSeminar@dchfa.org or 202-777-1600.

Father’s Rights in the District Low-income fathers can sometimes encounter difficulty exercising all their parental rights. On Thursday, March 10, 6:30 p.m., family law attorneys from Neighborhood Legal Services Program will use scenes from classic films like Crooklyn, Daddy’s Little Girls, and Kramer v. Kramer to talk about child custody law in the District of Columbia and explore how fights over paternity, child support and custody/visitation can interfere with a dad’s ability to play a full role in his child’s life. This program is at Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202-281-2583. dclibrary.org/benning.

POLITICS & ART: A Jam Session at the Wilson Building On Wednesday, March 16, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. leading performing arts presenter Washington Performing Arts, in partnership with DC Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large), will host POLITICS & ART: A Jam Session at the Wilson Building. This second annual event allows the worlds of local politics and arts to intersect through various presentations of local artists and organizations. Admission is free and open to the public. Attendees must register at washingtonperformingarts.org. All are encouraged to bring their musical instruments for the opportunity to jam with other artists.

Free Spanish Language Small Business Advice Legal Clinic There is a Spanish Language Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic on Saturday, March 19, 9:30 a.m. to noon, at the Office on Latino Affairs, in the Reeves Municipal Building, 2000 14th St. NW. OLA and the DC Bar Pro Bono Center are working together to offer this free legal clinic for aspiring or existing small business owners. Attendees will meet one-on-one with attorneys for brief advice on legal issues. All are welcome but Spanish speaking volunteers will be available to assist Spanish speaking attendees.

DC Hands on Hearts CPR Program DCFEMS offers free classes on the basics of hands-only CPR and AED awareness. The training instructs participants to focus on their hand placement, tempo and the number of compressions for

two minute intervals. To host or attend a hands-only CPR class, call 311 or visit 311.dc.gov.

Recycle Your Bike On Saturday, March 19, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can recycle your bike for a good cause. Bring it to the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. They want any serviceable complete (or nearlycomplete) bicycle, adult or children’s, accompanied by a suggested minimum $10 per bike donation to defray a share of the costs in getting bikes to quality programs overseas. Flat tires or a missing seat or pedal don’t matter. Fat-tired mountain bikes and one-speed “cruisers” are the most-desired models. They also accept tandems, recumbents, adult tricycles, trail-a-bikes, and even unicycles. Read more at bikesfortheworld.org. Bikes for the World makes quality used bicycles and parts affordable and available to lower income people in developing countries, to enhance their lives and livelihoods through better transport. It also generates skilled employment in bicycle repair and maintenance overseas, and provides environmental and humanitarian community service opportunities for volunteers in the United States.

2016 Fish Consumption Advisory DOEE urges limited consumption of Anacostia and Potomac river fish. PCBs and other chemical contaminants have continued to be found in certain fish species caught in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers and their tributaries, including Rock Creek, within the Distric’s boundaries. Because of these findings, DOEE advises the general public to limit consumption of fish from all DC waters, as follows: Do not eat eel, carp or striped bass. You may eat four servings per month of sunfish, or three servings per month of blue catfish or white perch, or two servings per month of largemouth bass, or one serving per month of brown bullhead catfish or channel catfish. Choose to eat smaller fish of legal size. The practice of catch and release is encouraged. To prepare, skin the fish and trim away fat. Cook fish and drain away fat because chemical contaminants tend to concentrate in the fat of the fish. These recommendations do not apply to fish sold in fish markets, grocery stores, and restaurants, since commercial fishing is prohibited in DC waters; thus fish from these venues will not be from the Po-

East of the River Magazine March 2016

neighborhood news / bulletin board tomac nor Anacostia Rivers. Catching and handling fish that may be contaminated poses zero risk to the angler. Commercial fishing is prohibited in the District, so the advisory pertains only to fish caught recreationally. It does not apply to fish sold in fish markets, grocery stores, and restaurants. The Advisory pertains to all portions of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers within the District’s boundaries.

Trapeze School New York Washington, DC Opens Trapeze School New York-Washington, D.C. (TSNY-DC) has announced it is open for business at its new location, 1299 New Jersey Ave. SE. With a new building directly across from the Navy Yard Metro in The Yards community in the Capitol Riverfront, TSNY-DC offers a full roster of flying trapeze and aerial classes for students of all ages and fitness levels. In addition to people taking a class simply for a few hours of unique fun, many students have discovered the amazing health benefits that come with flying trapeze and the aerial arts. Students achieve new levels of strength, flexibility and fitness and overcome physical, mental and emotional boundaries with every class. TSNY-DC offers classes seven days a week, where first time beginner students can learn side by side with more experienced students, and everyone progresses at their own pace. During the spring and summer months, TSNY-DC will also operate an on-site outdoor flying trapeze rig. Additionally, TSNY-DC offers an aerial arts program. Aerial classes include aerial fabric (silks), aerial hoop (lyra), static trapeze, Spanish web, acrobatic partner balancing, and trampoline. The school also offers juggling and conditioning classes. Read more at washingtondc.trapezeschool.com.

DPR Accepting Summer Employment Applications The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is accepting applications for Summer 2016 jobs. DPR strives to provide high quality recreational programming and is looking for talented individuals to join their team. Visit careers.dc.gov/ts2__JobSearch and to go directly to a listing of DPR summer job applications. Note that the DPR Summer Hire application is not the same at the Summer Youth Employment Program application nor DPR’s full time employment opportunities.

Union Station Expansion Project Informational Forum The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) invites the public to review the draft project elements for the Union Station Expansion Project. The project elements include rail infrastructure, public concourses, parking, bus, and taxi facilities, retail space, and public open spaces. FRA is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for the project. The Informational Forum will be an open house on Wednesday, March 30, 4 to 8 p.m., at Union Station’s Presidential Room with two brief identical presentations at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Visit WUSstationexpansion.com for more information.

Replace Your Social Security Card Online Social Security has initiated a service that allows their DC customers to request a replacement Social Security card online. The new online version of the Application for a Replacement Social Security Card allows people to request a replacement card online through their secure my Social Security portal without traveling to a field office. You can create or log into your personal my Social Security account at socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

Cherry Blossom Festival Seeks Volunteers The National Cherry Blossom Festival, March 20 to April 17, provides cultural experiences that are (largely) free and open to the public. As a volunteer, you support an event that not only enhances, but defines life in our community. Festival organizers seek friendly, cooperative, and reliable volunteers. Knowledge about Washington, DC and the surrounding area is especially

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

helpful--many visitors are from out of town and may need advice getting around. For more information and to sign up, visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/get-involved.

DC’s First Solar Powered Eagle’s Nest Cameras Go Live Eagles have landed again at the US National Arboretum, and for the first time, the public can view them via a pair of newly installed eagle nest cams. The bonded bald eagle pair has returned to the same nest where they successfully raised their eaglet last year. Dubbed “Mr. President” and “The First Lady,” they are the first mated pair to nest at the National Arboretum since 1947. The eagle nest cams, which were installed by the American Eagle Foundation in cooperation with National Arboretum, can be viewed 24 hours a day at eagles.org/dceaglecam. Installing cameras protects the nesting pair by allowing people to view them while minimizing disturbances from park visitors. People, noise, and other distractions could cause the nesting pair to abandon their nest and eggs. Access to the area within approximately 660 feet around the nesting site is restricted during the critical nesting period.

Mayor’s Plan to Close DC General The District’s Department of General Services (DGS) conducted a months-long search to identify suitable sites for the new short-term family housing. DGS looked for spaces that could collectively serve the same number of residents at DC General, with access to services and public transportation. The locations include a mix of District-owned properties, as well as newly purchased or leased private property. They are: 2105-2107 10th St. NW (Ward 1); 2619 Wisconsin Ave. NW (Ward 3); 5505 Fifth St. NW (Ward 4); 2266 25th Pl. NE (Ward 5); 700 Delaware Ave. SW (Ward 6); 5004 D St. SE (Ward 7); and Sixth Street & Chesapeake Street. SE (Ward 8). A new women’s shelter in Ward 2, at 810 Fifth St. NW, has been opened. This facility will accommodate up to 213 women and will replace two outdated facilities at Second and D Streets, NW. Each short-term family housing site will accommodate up to 50 families. Unlike DC General, these facilities will have places for children to play and do homework. They will also include the kind of services and programming that helps families exit shelter and move to permanent housing as soon as possible.

DC Health Link Data for Third Open Enrollment Period The DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (HBX) has released preliminary individual marketplace data for the third open enrollment pe-

riod for DCHealthLink.com, the District’s online health insurance marketplace for individuals, families and small businesses. There are 22,912 customers with 2016 health insurance coverage through DC Health Link’s individual marketplace: 6,012 new customers have completed their insurance applications and selected a health plan; 3,085 existing customers shopped and changed their coverage; and 13,815 existing customers were renewed automatically. This open enrollment, DC Health Link has 6,012 new customers compared to 4,879 new customers last year, which is a 23% increase in new customers. Existing customers saved on average 4% in premiums.

2016 Walk For Wishes The Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic’s Sixth Annual Walk For Wishes on April 10, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in Washington, DC, is a community-wide celebration and effort to grant wishes for local children with life-threatening medical conditions. Walkers will fundraise leading up to the Walk For Wishes then join wish children, families, and other enthusiastic supporters of the Make-A-Wish mission. Make your walk more meaningful by forming a team of your family, friends, colleagues or community group. Activities will include inflatable games, crafts, face painting and music--all while enjoying the beautiful National Mall. Read more at walkforwishesdc.org.

Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC Announces 2016 Harmony Award Recipients The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) announces three Harmony Awards that will be given in the spring of 2016. The award is given to an individual from the community, an organization, and an individual from within the Chorus family who exemplify GMCW’s mission and work to champion equality. The National Center for Transgender Equality, two of GMCW long-time singers and supporters, as well as the founder of GMCW will receive the organization’s highest honors.

Marine Corps Marathon Lottery March 24-30 Here’s the schedule for registering for the 2016 Marine Corps Marathon which happens on Oct. 30. Enter the Lottery between March 24 to 30. No charges for registration or training items will be incurred until a runner is officially registered when the MCM announces the field on March 31. marinemarathon.com. u

East of the River Magazine March 2016

neighborhood news

Right Back Where They Started From Ward 7 Election by Jonetta Rose Barras

“I

’m experiencing ward envy,” says John Capozzi, a Hillcrest homeowner. “I look at Ward 5 and [it] practically has a restaurant opening every week. And we have three restaurants in the whole ward.” Similar concerns were expressed by several other Ward 7 residents as East of the River newspaper begins a series of articles examining the candidates and the issues in the upcoming DC Council primary election scheduled for June 14. Education and economic development seem to rank the highest—a position they have claimed for more than a decade. Unemployment and affordable housing were also percolating issues. In 2004, many Ward 7 residents bemoaned the lack of white table restaurants and dearth of retail outlets. They pointed to three shopping strips—the one near Fairfax Village, Penn Branch and Skyland—as places where upscale eateries and boutiques might be located. Unhappy with the incumbent Council member Kevin P. Chavous, an active group of voters persuaded Vincent C. Gray, then head of the nonprofit Covenant House Washington, to jump into the race. Now, 12 years later, some of the same complaints are surfacing and once again Gray is expected to be on the ballot, as will his political protégé Yvette Alexander. Ed Potillo, Grant Thompson, John Campbell and Delmar Chesley also have picked up nominating petitions

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from the DC Board of Elections. Those forms must be returned by March 16. But with only 250 valid signatures required to get on the ballot, most of the candidates are expected to reach that goal. As in previous elections, residents are evaluating what has occurred in their community over the past decade and who of the current group of candidates can be responsive to their concerns. “The problems we have have been around forever. Things don’t change,” continues Capozzi, a District government employee. “I look at change happening across DC; it stops at Ward 7,” says Maceo Thomas, a resident of the Fort Dupont-Benning Ridge, adding that his community doesn’t look “drastically different” than it did 10 years ago, although household incomes have increased. Located east of the Anacostia River, Ward 7 is predominantly African American and has a substantial stable middle-income community; 40 percent of the housing is owner occupied, according to the Urban Institute. By comparison in Ward 8—its closet neighbor--only 24 percent of the population owns their homes. The average income for Ward 7 residents between 2008 and 2012, the most recent data from the Urban Institute, was $59,161; citywide it was $119,511. While residents are unhappy about economic development, in fairness, The Dorothy Height Library, Deanwood Recreation Center, the H.D. Woodson Senior High School and an

apartment complex at Minnesota Ave. NE. and Benning Rd. NE were all constructed during the preceding 16 years. None of the current candidates can take full credit for those, however. A renovated Woodson opened in 2010, for example, during the waning days of Mayor Adrian M Fenty’s administration; he also championed bike lanes and the Bike Share stations in the ward. Gray could claim partial responsibility for the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy. But those don’t satisfy residents’ 12-year craving for decent, upscale establishments. Jeanne Contardo, a Hillcrest resident acknowledges that a few improvements are coming east of the river, although it’s mostly in Ward 8, where some believe conditions are more abysmal. “I’m happy to see everyone coalescing around [it] in ways that wasn’t happening before. Look at what’s happening at St. Elizabeth,” she continued, citing the Wizards and Mystics basketball teams practice facility under construction near the Congress Heights Metro Station, which she hopes will create a rippling effect. Contardo says while the Walmart was expected to open in the old Skyland Shopping Center, it should have been a warning to every one that “We had to twist their arm to come.” The multibillion-dollar retailer recently decided not to build the new store citing insufficient resources. She says Ward 7 has “tiny pockets of activity. [But] we need a strong economic development platform.”

Incumbent Vs Incumbent Ironically, in 2011, there was a trifecta of political power from Ward 7: Gray was mayor. Kwame Brown, a Ward 7 resident, became council chairman. And Yvette Alexander remained the ward’s legislative representative. “[Gray and Alexander] have almost 20 years between the two of them,” laments Thomas. Now Gray is trying to return to the post where he began his political career: the council. He and Alexander are the two candidates to watch. She was the person he endorsed to replace him on the council in 2006, when he stepped into chairmanship of the legislature.

In Thomas’s opinion, Gray and Alexander have had their chance. “You don’t put them back in office,” says Thomas, adding that he may vote for Potillo. “The only thing Yvette has excelled at is attracting enough opponents to stay in office,” says Capozzi. In her 2012 re-election bid, she faced five challengers, resulting in the vote being so split that none of her opponents could overtake her. “I’m not happy with either [Gray or Alexander]. It’s not personal, it’s business,” says Greg Rhett, an Eastland Garden resident and private health care broker. “If you have someone at the table who consistently brings nothing back, then we need someone else at the table. When we had the crown prince [Gray], we had nothing to show for that either.” He blasted the quality of government services and transportation. “Employment in Ward 7 didn’t gain anything,” continues Rhett. “We still have people unemployed or under-employed.” In January 2004 the unemployment rate in Ward 7 was 12 percent. Eleven years later, in January 2015, it was at 13.3 percent, according to Neighborhood Profiles prepared by the Urban Institute. “SOME [So Others Might Eat] built transitional housing across the street from Denny’s [restaurant], and our council member is touting that as an accomplishment,” says Rhett. “The city has built a single story, single use government entity—the DMV—across from the Benco Shopping Center. I just got word someone brought the Shrimp Boat [restaurant] who is talking about converting into a drive thru Checkers. “They are killing us,” adds Rhett, decrying the fast-food establishments and bevy of government buildings as not quality development. “We had Ray’s the Steak,” says Thomas grumbling that it was allowed to close. “Council members are supposed to be advocates for small business, asking them ‘How do we knock down barriers to help you.’ ” Alexander defends her efforts to bring economic development, offering changes along Minnesota Ave near Benning Road NE. as fruit

of her labor. She admits that it may appear Ward 8 is getting more. She attributes that to the fact that there is more vacant land there. “We don’t have the same amount of space.” Further, she says “Ward 8 doesn’t have the division we have in Ward 7. It’s a challenge.” But, she says “I can appreciate [residents’] critique of me. After a while, people get antsy. They are not used to anyone after two terms continuing to show interest in the ward.” Giving herself a “B” for her performance as a legislator, she says “Nothing is ever perfect.” She contends, however, that many people she speaks with tell her they “see me as growing over the years in presentation and in advocacy for the ward.”

THE BIG HURDLE: Education Perhaps the issue most important to residents EoR spoke with is education. Contardo, vice president for regional operation at Excelsior College, says the city needs “a transparent pathway not just from K through 12 but also for adults who need ongoing training and ongoing education. We have an extremely strong elementary system. With middle schools there is still glaring gap. “The problem we have in D.C. education pathways is more systemic,” she added. No one questions the notion that a quality education is the prime vehicle out of poverty and the antidote to economically based crimes, like robberies. It is that “pathway to the middle class” that Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke about last year. But Rhett says the education eco-system in Ward 7 has been destroyed. “Vince Gray devastated the public education landscape. Our children are going to schools outside of our ward. How could you do that to the children you claim as part of your own community?” In 2004 there were 29 traditional DCPS facilities. In 2013, after mandatory closures during Fenty’s administration and later Gray’s administration, there were only 16 traditional public schools. The narrative for charter schools is just the opposite. In 2004, there were only seven of the independent facilities; in 2013, however, there were 17 charters located in Ward 7, according to the Urban Institute. Gray declined to be interviewed for this article. Alexander admits that education is “always a challenge, especially with [it] still under mayoral control.” She says during the last round of closures “I was instrumental in saving some schools,” citing Smothers, River Terrace and Ron Brown Middle School. The latter is expected to become home of the all male-school, as part of Mayor Bower’s males of color initiative linked to President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Program. “I can only do so much as a council member,” continues Alexander. “People have to hold Vince Gray as accountable as they are holding me. He was in position to do the most.” jonetta rose barras, a freelance writer, also blogs at jonettarosebarras.com u

East of the River Magazine March 2016

neighborhood news / the numbers

Keep Industrial Areas From Disappearing by Ed Lazere

leaming condos may soon replace a gritty industrial area of DC north of Florida Avenue NE – and that’s not necessarily a good thing. Residential development is spreading throughout the District, with a growing number of college-educated and middle-to-higher-income households contributing to population growth, revitalized commercial areas, and a stronger tax base. There are also downsides, of course. Housing costs are growing faster than incomes for most of us, with the most devastating impacts felt by low-income residents. The city’s daunting homelessness crisis is the most obvious sign. Development also is eating into the city’s industrial land, overtaking areas that have played a vital role in the DC economy for decades -- and provided thousands of blue-collar jobs. This is most evident in Ward 5, especially the Florida Avenue NE warehouse that is now home to Union Market. Developers are buying up land near there with plans for residential development and retail to support it. Preserving industrial space is important for many reasons. Businesses in these areas are a major source of good-paying jobs for residents without a college degree. In contrast, retail jobs generated by residential development, while welcome, tend to be part-time and pay close to minimum wage. DC’s industrial areas are home to important things all cities need, like repair shops, and in DC are increasingly home to small-scale manufacturing, like local breweries, that support a creative class and add unique vitality. The developers eager to build around Union Market want $90 million from the city to support infrastructure improvements to move their project forward. (So far, Mayor Bowser has not shown much interest in giving them that.) Yet it may be more important to invest precious economic development resources to help the displaced wholesalers find a new home, and more generally to support a vibrant small-scale industrial sector.

What’s Happening at the Florida Avenue Market? Union Market, an upscale food hall, opened up in 2012 on 6th street NE, just north of Florida Ave and walking distance to H Street and Capitol Hill. It opened up in a former warehouse with a parking lot that had hosted a weekly flea market. Union Market has been wildly popular. A pop-up movie theater and “gelato factory” have opened up nearby. And more is coming. One developer has plans for a 300-unit residential building a few blocks away, and the owner of Union Market is planning hundreds of more units of housing, a movie theater, and possibly office space. Not surprisingly, commercial rents in the nearby warehouse district are going up and some businesses have been told by landlords that they have to leave to make way for the new development.

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Photo: Andrew Lightman

Wholesale Jobs Are Better Than Retail

Industrial Space Supports a Creative Class

Replacing industrial space with residential also means replacing wholesale and related jobs with retail jobs to serve the new residents. A new Chipotle or &Pizza are popular additions to most of us. But in general, retail jobs are not living wage jobs. A survey of 436 retail and food service workers in 2015 found workers earning about $10 an hour for 32 hours a week. The 11,000 industrial jobs in DC – in production, distribution, and repair -- pay $5 to $7 more per hour, according to a DC government study on Ward 5 industrial land. For a full-time worker that amounts to a $14,000 annual difference, which could mean a lot for someone trying to afford to stay in DC. The typical DC resident with a highschool education has seen their pay fall to $13 an hour, from $15 a decade ago. These residents are desperate for better paying jobs, including the kinds of jobs found in industrial areas.

That 2014 report from the DC government also highlights the important economic role that industrial land plays in Ward 5, which is home to much of the city’s industrial areas. This includes fresh produce markets, restaurant supply, construction contractors, repair shops for cars and equipment, breweries and distilleries, and maintenance yards for taxis and the District’s fleets and equipment, and artist studios. A Metro trip from Brookland to Union Station (or a bike ride down Metropolitan Branch Trail) is a reminder that DC has industrial areas – for now. These businesses “support a very different workforce from the city’s prevailing knowledge economy,” according to the study. That’s a nice way of saying better job opportunities for workers who didn’t go to college. Cheap industrial space also supports a “maker economy,” or small-scale production that usually start small but has the potential to take off. Artists and start-up manufacturers depend on cheap rents found in industrial areas for the space they need.

A City Breaking Apart

Steps to Preserve Industrial Spaces and Their Jobs in DC As more people move to the District, and as residential development continues to spread, pressure to redevelop industrial space will only grow. Is there anything we can do about it? Yes, in fact. The Ward 5 Industrial taskforce recommended that DC’s economic development agency – the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development – create a position to serve as an advocate for the industrial sector. An industrial advocate would focus on marketing, business attraction, technical assistance and coordination among businesses. An advocate can also help ensure that zoning rules preserve industrial land as residential development gets closer and closer. This work could start with taking steps now to preserve the warehouse businesses near Union Market. It may be too late to keep those businesses there, but the city could help them relocate in the city. Other jurisdictions, like Prince George’s County, are already working to lure them out. And the industrial sector should be an active part of all of the city’s economic development programs. The grants, loans, tax abatements, and technical assistance DC offers should be directed to industrial development as much as to other more visible and high-end projects. And industrial businesses should be vital partners in the city’s efforts to train and place DC residents in jobs. E c o n o m i c d e ve l o p m e n t shouldn’t just be about the next gleaming office or retail development. It should be about good jobs for DC residents, wherever they can be generated, including in a greasy repair shop. DC shouldn’t let its industrial sector disappear. Lazere is executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi.org). DCFPI promotes budget and policy solutions to reduce poverty and inequality in the District of Columbia, and to increase the opportunity for residents to build a better future. u

The Incomes of DC’s Poorest Residents are Falling, While Economic Growth is Benefitting Better-Off Residents by Peter Tuths

C’s poorest families have suffered a dramatic loss of income since the Great Recession, while higher-income families have seen their incomes rise. The District, a city always marked by inequity, is breaking apart economically, and the development that is pushing up housing costs throughout the city is leaving collateral damage in its wake. The poorest fifth of DC households had an average income of only $9,300 in 2014, a loss of $1,500 since 2007. These residents are overwhelmingly African-American, and nearly half were born in DC. This means that long-term communities of color are being left behind as the District’s population and economy continue to grow. The shocking increase in family homelessness is the tip of the iceberg of a much larger problem. Without bold steps to help residents build better incomes and afford DC’s unaffordable rents, more residents will struggle and many will simply be pushed out.

Census Numbers Show Stark Income Inequality The Great Recession that started in 2008 wreaked havoc on many households, but the lingering effects have weighed most heavily on the poorest families. The average income of the poorest fifth of DC households fell 14 percent since 2007, the only group of residents to suffer an income loss. This reflects an economy that is not working for all residents. Wages have fallen since 2007 for working DC residents other than those with a college degree. And 28 percent of DC residents with a high school diploma were under-employed in 2014 compared with 17 percent in 2007. (That means they were unemployed, working part-time despite wanting full-time hours, or too discouraged to look for work.) DC’s low-income residents have incomes that are roughly the same as low-income families in El Paso, Texas and Albuquer-

que, New Mexico, where the cost of living is about half of Washington’s. Meanwhile, incomes are growing or staying steady for middle- and upper-income residents. The middle-fifth of DC households saw average incomes rise 14 percent from 2007 to 2014, to $72,000. And incomes rose 10 percent for the second highest fifth of households, to $120,000. And the top five percent of DC households have incomes averaging $487,000. That is 52 times the income of the poorest households, and makes DC’s rich-poor gap the fifth widest among large U.S. cities.

Keeping the District from Breaking Apart These findings illustrate the urgency of taking steps to help offset economic trends that are making life more precarious for many DC households. The District should help protect families with children by making its TANF time limits more flexible, so already-poor children are not thrust even deeper into poverty. To create paths to better jobs for DC residents, the city should address challenges in its system for job training, adopt legislation to require employers to give service-sector workers more predictable schedules and full time hours, and establish paid family leave insurance. These are all steps that can help to enhance economic mobility and promote stable living environments for the district’s most vulnerable residents. Finally, more investment is needed in affordable housing to keep up with rising needs. Steps should include preserving and repairing the District’s existing low-income housing, as well as establishing rules that enable all families to return to redeveloped properties. Tuths is an intern at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI promotes budget and policy solutions to reduce poverty and inequality in the District of Columbia, and to increase the opportunity for residents to build a better future. Tuths latest report, “A City Breaking Apart,” can be found at www.dcfpi.org. u

East of the River Magazine March 2016

neighborhood news

Our River: The Anacostia Down by the Riverside 2016 What We’d Better Keep an Eye On by Bill Matuszeski

here are lots of good things in store for the Anacostia in 2016. Two that come to mind are the beginning of regular boat trips funded by the city and run by the Anacostia Watershed Society and Riverkeeper; and completion of the last gap in the trail system between Benning Road and the Bladensburg Marina. But there are also a few places we had better watch for developments. I see at least five along the tidal river that deserve our vigilance. All are large-scale efforts and right on the river. Some warrant attention because there is nothing happening and something should. Others are because something seems to be happening, but exactly what is not clear. And for still others there is a lot of disagreement over what should be happening. Let’s start in the north and come south. 1. Dredge ponds in Colmar Manor. It takes a good deal of dredging to keep the river open for boaters in the Bladensburg area, where all the tributaries gather, reach tidal waters, and drop large amounts of sediment. The US Army Corps of Engineers has created and used a series of artificial ponds across the river from the Bladensburg Park and Marina on land adjacent to the village of Colmar Manor. For many years these ponds supported a wide variety and volume of wildlife – birds and especially turtles and other amphibians and reptiles – along with grasses and other natural vegetation. But according to Fran

Kenilworth playing fields. Photo: Bill Matuszeski

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lease in Maryland runs until 2026. Dan Snyder is non-committal, but apparently vast areas are needed for tailgate parties, which folks evidently don’t like to have in multilevel parking garages. It is National Park Service land, under a long-term lease to the city, which has assigned management to the Washington Convention and Sports Authority t/a EVENTS DC. You can pretty much tell from the name where their priorities lie. Capitol Riverside Youth Sports Park (CRYSP) hopes to use much of the land for a complex of youth playing fields and a permanent site for the farmers’ market. It is not clear if the fill under the parking lots is free of contamination, so CRYSP is thinking of layering soil and turf

Toler, head of the nearby Friends of Dueling Creek, in recent times the ponds have been drained and allowed to dry out. The habitat and the wildlife they supported are gone. Why was this management decision made and what can be done to question and possibly reverse it? Shouldn’t the ponds become a natural area with public access? 2. Kenilworth Park athletic fields. This large area north of the now removed Pepco plant on Benning Road in the District was used by the DC government as essentially an unregulated open landfill between 1942 and 1970. Old-timers report that it was constantly smelly and smoldering. After it was closed it was leveled off, covered with a thin layer of earth, seeded, and opened as a set of athletic fields by the National Park Service. My kids played and refereed soccer games there. But eventually it was agreed that it was in need of toxic remediation. Beginning years ago the south part was closed for cleanup and the rest was allowed to fall into decay and disuse. Not much seems to be happening to this park of several hundred acres River’s edge on Buzzard Point. Photo: Bill Matuszeski right next to the river. Despite a cleanup plan issued over two years ago, progress seems nil. There is activity with trucks on top. That might be OK for the kids, but it is on the south side of the site, but it looks mostly like a temporary dump for not going to prevent the stormwater from hitting building materials and little else. Meanwhile the new bike path is being routthe old asphalt and moving right over to the rived “temporarily” through nearby residential neighborhoods. Temporarier. What should happen? ly until when? If you ask me, we should get rid of all the as3. RFK Stadium parking lots. This 80-acre slab of virtually unused asphalt now! If there are toxic spots underneath, we phalt surrounds the stadium and receives enormous amounts of stormwashould remediate regardless of future use. That ter, which washes directly into the Anacostia. Nobody likes this, but nobody is the law and the right thing to do for everyone seems to want to do anything about it, at least for the next decade or more. The including the kids and the river. If there is evenmayor holds out hope for a return of the Redskins, but their current stadium tually a decision to build a new stadium, a very minor part of the cost would be the installation of parking areas with state-of-the-art stormwater management including permeable pavers, rain gardens, and the like. 4. Buzzard Point. The DC government has done it again for poor old Buzzard Point! Last summer it waited until everyone left town in midAugust and released the cleanup plan for the soccer stadium site for a 30-day comment period ending the week after Labor Day (they did kindly extend it for an additional 15 days when residents complained). Then we had the Office of Planning’s 90-page Vision Framework and Implementation Plan for the entire Buzzard Point

District Of Columbia Housing Authority SOLICITATION FOR

OWNER’S REPRESENTATIVE SERVICES FOR PARKWAY OVERLOOK, LP Request for Proposal No.: POLP 0002-2016 The District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) solicits proposals from qualified entity’s to provide Owners Representative Services for Parkway Overlook, LP. Parkway Overlook, LP is a District of Columbia Limited Partnership and an affiliate of the District of Columbia Housing Authority. Requests for Proposal documents will be available at the Issuing Office at 1133 North Capitol Street, N.E., Suite 300, Office of Administrative Services-Contracts and Procurement, Washington, D.C. 20002-7599 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, February 29, 2016, and on the DCHA website www.dchousing.org Dredge pond near Colmar Manor. Photo: Bill Matuszeski

land area, conveniently issued for comment on December 28, 2015, just when we were looking around for something to read. It is actually a well-presented 15-year plan for building a “Vibrant Mixed-Use Neighborhood” of several thousand new housing units and substantial commercial areas around and south of the new stadium. There is at least one piece of refreshing news. Turns out, the place got its name way back in 1673. Those folks who told us it was named much later for all the dead horses that were dragged down there and left for the buzzards are wrong! But there are real issues here. Access to this area of proposed extensive high-rise and high-density development will be off the new and potentially very congested traffic circle at the base of the South Capitol Street Bridge. Drivers would have only three streets which pass to the south from the existing Southwest neighborhoods. That does not even consider the impact of the soccer stadium and related parking issues. There is much food for thought for the folks in the neighborhood, who have already spent so much useful effort on getting the stadium right. 5. Poplar Point. Right over the bridge from Buzzard Point is land owned by the Park Service that runs from the entry of the Anacostia River into the Potomac all the way upstream to the 11th Street Bridge. This is Poplar Point, an area of primarily landfill that has been called the last great riverfront development opportunity in the East.

In 2006 Congress passed a law transferring the 110 acres from the Park Service to DC, with the proviso that 70 acres be kept in parkland and the rest developed. A number of issues have cropped up and the transfer is yet to be completed. For one thing, the Park Service regional office and its supporting Park Police and helicopter facilities are located on the 70-acre parcel and will need to be relocated; funds are lacking. For another, much of the land has been contaminated by three prior landowners – the Navy, which used it as a “recovery station” for decades; the city for a tree nursery; and the Architect of the Capitol for greenhouses. The latter two contaminated the soil with pesticides and other chemicals and the Navy left a long list of toxics. The environmental community brought a lawsuit to require EPA investigations under Superfund. These efforts are ongoing, and it is unclear when, if ever, the city will find the funds, the Park Service will get new facilities, the contamination will be remediated, and the courts will let it proceed. But there are those who still think it could all happen and soon. On the other hand, “the last great riverfront development opportunity in the East” could remain just that. So enjoy the river, the trails, the history, and the parks – but keep your eyes open for what is happening around us. Bill Matuszeski writes monthly about the Anacostia River. He is the retired director of the Chesapeake Bay Program, DC Vice- Chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee on the Anacostia River, and a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia River. u

Responses by Sealed Proposal are due to the Issuing Office no later than 11:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, March 30, 2016. Contact Issuing Office, Lolita Washington, Contract Specialist at 202-535-1212 or email business@dchouisng.org for additional information.

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH US? Call Kira Means 202-400-3508

or kira@hillrag.com for more information on advertising.

East of the River Magazine March 2016

East washington life

A Robust Theater Season Gathers Steam by Barbara Wells

ast fall and all winter long, Washington theaters showed their stuff – from Studio Theatre’s gritty “Between Riverside and Crazy” to Shakespeare Theatre’s delightful “Kiss Me Kate.” An abundance of memorable productions has captivated audiences, but fasten your seatbelts: There’s more. Whether you eagerly scan local season’s announcements for prospects or haven’t even considered buying a ticket, it’s a great time to see what’s in store this spring. Here’s just a sample of shows that have something special.

Yes, I’m a Fan

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Alyssa Wilmoth Keegan (Maggie) and Gregory Wooddell (Brick)

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Actors and directors become your favorites for both the work they produce and the pieces they choose. So this spring I’m taking a chance on “110 in the Shade” at Ford’s Theatre simply to see Lynn Olivera, a gifted actress and singer who rarely gets a star turn. As the “eternally single Lizzie Curry” she’ll be awakened by a charming stranger in this musical scored by the creators of “The Fantasticks.” Next I’ll head out to Round House Theatre for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” a production with Helen Hayes Award-winning director Mitchell Hebert at the helm. His cast features several local favorites, including Gregory Wooddell, who is familiar to Shakespeare Theatre audiences and anyone who saw his remarkable performances in “Stage Kiss” at Round House or Signature’s “Cabaret.” In addition to Wooddell’s Brick, the fabulous Rick Foucheux and Sarah Marshall – recently seen sparring and bonding as siblings in Studio’s “The Apple Family Plays” – will play Big Daddy and Big Momma.

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Foucheux also returns to Theater J this spring for “Another Way Home,” a drama about the search for a child who’s missing from summer camp. The play’s cast includes the versatile Naomi Jacobson, last seen as Mrs. Drudge, the hilariously surly housekeeper in Shakespeare Theatre’s “Real Inspector Hound.” Another Washington-area treasure returns this spring. The ubiquitous Ed Gero follows his indelible Scrooge with his debut in “The Nether,” a futuristic crime drama at Woolly Mammoth. Gero was so convincing as Antonin Scalia in Arena’s production of “The Originalist” last year that one senator mistakenly posted Gero’s picture in his online tribute to the justice. Serge Seiden, who wowed Washington with his productions of Studio’s “Bad Jews” and “The Apple Family Plays” two years running, will direct Mosaic’s “When January Feels Like Summer” about the unlikely collision of five young lives in Anacostia and on H Street. He’ll also make a welcome return to family fare with Adventure Theatre’s “Jumanji,” building on the success of his Helen Hayes Award-nominated productions of “A Little House Christmas” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Mathew Gardiner, another director who captured my heart with his masterful revival of “West Side Story,” brings “La Cage Aux Folles” to Signature Theatre in June. And as I noted in my season roundup last September, I’m eagerly anticipating Ethan McSweeny’s Studio debut directing Deirdre Kinahan’s “Moment.”

Ask the Experts Every great show begins with inspiring material. While an esteemed award is no guarantee of a winning production, it offers assurance that a show stands on sound footing. “Disgraced,” opening at Arena Stage in April, earned a Pulitzer Prize for Ayad Akhtar’s story about the son of south Asian immigrants grappling with the conflicts between his success and cultural identity. As a bonus, in this production Nehal Joshia finally takes on a leading role, following his impressive performances in “Mother Courage and Her Children” and “Oklahoma!” at Arena and in Shakespeare Theatre’s “Man of La Mancha.” Arena also presents “All the Way,” which won a 2014 Tony Award for its take on the presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Look forward to Jack Willis assuming the role of LBJ on the heels of his formidable performance in Arena’s “Sweat.” Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s Obie-winning “An Octoroon” promises provocative humor in what The New York Post called

an “entertainingly demented” satire on the legacy of slavery. And don’t forget Signature Theater’s “flick,” a play I noted last September for winning an Obie Award in 2013 and a Pulitzer Prize in 2014.

OK, I’ll Bite Amid the tried and true, many companies offer familiar material with a twist. Theater Alliance reenvisions two popular plays about African-American youths – “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf ” and “Word Becomes Flesh” – by juxtaposing them in repertory. Through poetry, music, and movement the first play comprises 20 poems about the triumphs and challenges of seven black women, while the second presents a single father’s letters about becoming a man. At the Folger, “District Merchants” reimagines “The Merchant of Venice.” Aaron Posner, winner of four Helen Hayes Awards for outstanding direction, wrote this adaptation – a comedy of sorts about predatory lending, love, and mercy, set in Washington during Elizabethan, post-Civil War, and modern times – all at once. In another novel take on the Bard, The Reduced Shakespeare Company returns to the Folger with the premiere of “William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged),” the latest of Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor’s witty distillations of revered texts (including the Bible) into wordplay, puns, and physical comedy. Other shows bring unusual performance methods. At Studio, physical theatre artist Geoff Sobelle teams with scenic designer Steven Dufala for a “performance-installation” called “The Object Lesson,” battling boxes stacked to the ceiling in a funny but poignant exploration of the human relationship with things. I’d be more skeptical if Time Out New York hadn’t said, “Go to the show ... You won’t be prepared for how beautiful it is.” Faction of Fools Theatre Company at Gallaudet University hearkens back to the Renaissance, infusing its production of Moliere’s “The Miser” with its signature commedia dell’arte, a high-energy, physical style of performance that marries the play’s rapid-fire dialogue with improvisation by masked actors. This intriguing troupe won the 2012 Helen Hayes Award for outstanding emerging theatre company and regularly earns glowing reviews.

Don’t forget the kids In addition to Adventure Theatre’s “Jumanji,” the Puppet Co.’s “Beauty and the Beast” offers

Disgraced at Arena Stage.

high-quality family entertainment featuring a cast of large marionettes. The production won a Citation of Excellence from the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionette and has played to enthralled children and families nationwide. Another fairy tale comes to life at Imagination Stage in its second collaboration with the Washington Ballet. Choreographed by the ballet company’s longtime artistic director Septime Webre and former associate artistic director David Palmer, “The Little Mermaid” follows this team’s 2012’s highly acclaimed “The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe.” Washington’s theater offerings seem to grow more expansive, diverse, and fascinating with every year. With the 2015-16 season the momentum just keeps building. Barbara Wells is a writer and editor for Reingold, a social marketing communications firm. She and her husband live on Capitol Hill. u

East of the River Magazine March 2016

East washington life

Growing Out of a Food Desert The Art-drenaline Cafe in the Anacostia Arts Center Focuses on Healthy Food Options by Christine Rushton

owls of able,” she said. chopped Lightfoot agreed. vegeHe said he traveled tables across the world and sit preworked in major city pared behind glass rerestaurants studying frigerator doors. Covthe culinary arts for ered pastries stack on about 25 years. He display in wicker basloves marrying flakets. Panini presses vors to create Medline the wood kitchen iterranean dishes. counter, cooling from He wants to share an afternoon of melthis passion with his ing cheese and toastown community now. ing bread. Shawn “Just because you Lightfoot arrives at have something nice Art-drenaline Cafe in your neighboron 1231 Good Hope hood, that doesn’t Road SE around 6 mean you aren’t wela.m. most mornings come to it,” he said. to get ready for the The two knew the first customers. He neighborhood needstarts preparations ed help improving its the night before to access to healthy food keep up with customresources. Art-drenaers who stop in for a line’s atmosphere Amanda Stephenson and Shawn Lightfoot, co-owners of Art-drenaline and the Fresh Food Factory. Photo: Christine Rushton morning boost. works to start changLightfoot and his ing the expectations partner Amanda Stephenson opened the Artof readily available fresh options. The Fresh Food Lightfoot want to make healthy food accessible for their neighbors through drenaline Cafe, tucked in the Ward 8 Anacostia Factory helps small businesses expand their own both ventures. “What we grow we want to sell,” Stephenson said. “We’re Arts Center, as a brunch pop-up in December food ventures without the burden of investing in hoping it gives people new vision, new insight.” 2015. It replaced the Nurish Food + Drink Cafe. a brick-and-mortar establishment, Lightfoot said. They officially opened Art-drenaline as a perTogether, the two intend to abolish food desOvercoming the Health Food Stereotype manent installation in late January after the test erts across the river. “You want the community to Art-drenaline’s menu features organic products – kale salads, mozzarella parun. They now serve breakfast, pastries, sandknow you’re there to build,” he said. ninis, granola, fresh-made smoothies – and options for those with allergies wiches, soups, salads, and Sunday brunch six including soy milk and coconut milk. Once Lightfoot and Stephenson dedays a week – Tuesday-Thursday from 8:00 a.m. Selling an Atmosphere of velop their Fresh Food Factory building and 125,000-square-foot plot on to 4:00 p.m.; Friday-Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to Howard Road SE near the Anacostia Metro Station, the two plan to feature Art and Food 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 that produce at their cafe. Lightfoot and Stephenson founded Fresh Food p.m. Lightfoot, a trained chef, and Stephenson, Lightfoot and Stephenson said they have set their goal on building a susFactory and the cafe using their own money. Now, a businesswoman and graphic artist, also own tainable community for Ward 8. They hope to start their gardens this spring. Fresh Food Factory partners with companies like the cafe’s parent company, Fresh Food Factory, The kitchen incubator will offer the space to small food businesses to make the United Nations of Individuals Fighting Ima food incubator for underserved food business their products, test their business out, and receive training and help to launch possibilities (UNIFI), Greater Washington Urowners in the Anacostia community. their ventures. But Stephenson said that even with the successes they still ban League, Green Door, and Simply Sustainable Too many regions in the Anacostia commuface the challenge of letting the community know their food is not costly, but LLC. They hope to use that support to foster more nity are food deserts, Stephenson said. She and healthy and affordable. “Some people find something like this unapproachsustainable practices in Ward 8 neighborhoods.

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

An art piece by Luis Peralta Del Valle, Amanda Stephenson’s husband, hangs in Art-drenaline. Photo: Christine Rushton

And while they focus on healthy food accessibility, they also want to offer a welcoming, art-filled space for customers. Visitors ranging from teenagers to elderly often stop in for a meal or a peek at the new space, Stephenson said. If they stay, they can experience artwork channeling both graffiti and classical styles. “We like to feature local art,” Stephenson said. “It builds conversation.” Graffiti on the main walls and some of the artwork hanging in the main cafe come from the studio of Stephenson’s husband, Luis Peralta Del Valle. Other artwork in the seating room features local artists. “It exposes a lot of young people to art,” Lightfoot said. “A lot of peo-

ple don’t associate food with creative art, but it is a culinary art,” he added to explain why they decided to host their restaurant in a gallery setting. Since the opening, Stephenson said, people like to stop in for a coffee in the morning and often in the afternoon to sit and work on a laptop or read. Art-drenaline offers a fresh, crafted meal, a dining option not easily found in the area. “People like the fact they can get a panini across the river,” she said. The two hope to expand their one cafe to more, but for now they will focus on Art-drenaline and the Fresh Food Factory. “This is your home away from home,” Stephenson said. u

Shawn Lightfoot preparing a fresh-made pizza at Art-drenaline Café in the Anacostia Arts Center in Ward 8. Photo: Shawn Lightfoot

East of the River Magazine March 2016

3

East washington life

When Black Men Turn Blue A look at How Local Men Take Control of Their Depression by Candace Y.A. Montague

n African proverb says, “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” A mental health struggle is an adversary that corrodes the strength of a person from the inside, making them unable to take on obstacles that lie in their path. In order to overcome this battle it will take more than faith or education or medication. It will take submission on their part and support from their inner circle. Two men have fought mental health problems while coming of age in DC and share their stories.

‘I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore’ Anthony Lorenzo Green is a sharp, community-oriented, politically active young man living in the prime of his life. As the chairman of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 8B his face is well known around Ward 8. What may not be so evident are his periodic problems with depression, also prevalent among as many as 10 percent of black men according to the National Institutes of Health. Anthony, 30, has survived molestation from two predators and animosity against his sexual orientation. But depression remains a constant in his life. I was raised by my grandmother in the Holiness Church. I had a lot of attitude in those days. One day when I was about eight or nine years old the ladies in the church decided they were going to cast my demon out. They pinned me to the floor and started praying for three hours straight. Afterwards the pastor’s men then took me to his office where he started asking me questions. What’s going on? Are you having any problems? Are you gay? I started thinking, Oh, so that’s what this is about? I was struggling with whether I was gay or not. That’s when I started hating myself and the church because I felt like God didn’t love me. My mother took me to therapy where I was diag-

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

nosed as depressed. Therapy was problematic because I felt like they [mother and therapist] were just ganging up on me. In eighth grade things really started to fall apart. I was smart as hell but I had an attitude. I was quick to fight yet I felt vulnerable. I struggled with my identity, my family, my sexuality, friendships, everything. The depression was there but it came in waves. It went on like that for years while I was trying to get through HD Woodson and graduate. When I was around 18 years old I had enough. I was at home alone one evening. I wrote a note to my grandmother about how unhappy I was and got some pills ready to take. At the same time I was corresponding with one of my buddies online.

I told him, I don’t wanna be here anymore. He asked what that meant, but I just kept repeating it. The next thing I know, two police officers showed up at my door and talked to me for about an hour. They gave me some resources and their phone numbers in case I ever wanted to talk. That experience was a turning point for me. It made me feel like maybe there is something out there for me. Anthony still goes through waves of depression but he fights back with the help of meditation and medicinal marijuana. He says it’s not easy, but he refuses to give in or give up on his progress.

‘I’m Just Hurt’ It’s hard to overlook Marquett Brown. From his 6-foot, 5-inch frame to his outspoken personality, Marquett, 27, is a marked leader. But he feels that his life was cursed from day one and that it was up to him to break that curse. I was in foster care from age 18 months until six years due to neglect. My biological mother got me back for a few years, but I ended up back in foster care around 11. When I went back to my foster mother at age 12 I had a lot of anxiety and fear. I was unhappy. One day I was playing with my little brother in the basement and I got into trouble. I didn’t think I did anything wrong but I got punished anyway. I put a shoe inside the purse with a long strap, threw the purse over the door, and put the strap around my neck on the other side. My foster mother found me and got help for me at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington. That experience opened my eyes. I was like, this is not me. I don’t belong here. I’m just hurt. When I was in the psychiatric institute they diagnosed me with depression and ADHD. They gave me Zoloft. I feel like it was depression by circumstance because I was in foster care. Once I reached a certain point I told my foster mom I wasn’t going to take the medicine anymore. I didn’t like how it made my body feel. But I did keep up with my therapist the whole time. Af-

The next thing I know, two police officers showed up at my door and talked to me for about an hour. They gave me some resources and their phone numbers in case I ever wanted to talk. That experience was a turning point for me. It made me feel like maybe there is something out there for me.

Anthony Lorenzo Green, ANC 8B chair, battles depression with the help of meditation. Photo: Anthony Green

ter that episode I had to switch schools from Blow Pierce Public Charter to an alternative school. I did extremely well in the alternative school. I was on honor roll and I made the basketball team. When I was 22 I got locked up for five years for robbery. Basically following the wrong crowd. But even in prison I kept doing well. I didn’t fall back into the depression in spite of my circumstances. I was released in 2009 and I haven’t had an issue with the law since. I know that God has a purpose for my life. Marquett is now an event planner, motivational speaker, and youth advocate. He is a dedicated member of his church.

Expert Opinion Lottena Wolters, licensed professional counselor at Capitol Hill Consortium of Counseling & Consultation, says that depression among black men is deeper than what meets the eye. “When we look at black men they tend to get help for anger management. And that can dis-

guise depression. Anger is the biggest masker. It masks hurt and pain. So you end up treating the symptom of depression which is anger but without necessarily going underneath.” Urban warfare, foster-care woes, trouble in school, and family struggles can create a breeding ground for depression. But there is help. Wolters says, look into alternative therapy. “Anti-depression drugs are usually prescribed for about a year to get you open to therapy and get your serotonin levels up. If that’s not working, you can try things like vitamin supplements, mindfulness yoga, and of course therapy. Therapy helps people learn the signs of a depression mode, learn their triggers and to give themselves a pass.” Mental health therapy is just a phone call away. For a list of local mental health providers visit the DC Department of Behavioral Health website, http://dbh. dc.gov/. Candace Y.A. Montague is the health reporter for Capital Community News. u

Marquett Brown uses his life story to motivate at-risk youth. Photo: Candace Y.A. Montague

East of the River Magazine March 2016

East washington life

In and Outside Church Walls Two Communities Share Their Approaches to Lent by Virginia Avniel Spatz

ardi Gras signals the start of the Easter “season,” although the connection is sometimes lost in the hoopla. Washington also has unique seasonal activities, like the Post’s annual Peeps Diorama Contest and the White House Egg Roll. For better or worse, though – and many say “better” – the approach of Easter doesn’t create great commercial and media buzz. The Christmas season, with $630 billion in US sales each year, ensures that even non-Christians cannot miss its approach. Easter yields only about 3 percent of that figure, mostly in food and clothing for celebrations, so the holy day arrives with far less fanfare. Historically, many denominations did not observe a formal period of preparation for Easter, but that has changed in recent decades. Although beliefs and practices vary widely, more Christians now observe Lent. The 40 days of Lent represent the period Jesus spent in the desert, fasting and wrestling temptation (Matt. 4). Over the centuries Lent has continued to focus on fasting and repentance, as well as anticipation of Resurrec-

tion, celebrated on Easter Sunday. Many contemporary teachers, however, shift the tone from one of self-denial to that of strengthening individual and communal spiritual lives. Fasting and abstinence remain common Lenten practices and are still required in the Catholic Church. In some communities pre-Lenten drinking and feasting on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) anticipate Lent’s absence of alcohol and meat, beginning with Ash Wednesday. Differing physical practices are accompanied by prayer, study, public worship, and acts of charity. As this series on worship east of the river continues, two congregations share their approaches to preparing for Christianity’s central holiday.

Metro Stations and Stations of the Cross Atonement Episcopal Church, 5073 East Capitol St. SE, was founded in 1914. Rev. H. Jocelyn Irving was called as rector in 2005. Lent has long been part of the Anglican tradition. Visit the church, call 202-582-4200, or find them on the web at AtonementEpiscopalChurch.org.

Rev. H. Jocelyn Irving (front left) leads Stations of the Cross following Lenten Bible study at Atonement Episcopal Church.

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Public partying on Mardi Gras, much of it unrelated to anticipating Lent, can receive a higher profile than the season of Easter preparation that follows. The Episcopal denomination’s “Ashes to Go” campaign makes the start of Lent more visible in the community, bringing an opportunity for “spirit, belief, and belonging” outside church walls. This year, Rev. Irving brought “Ashes to Go” to the Benning Road Metro Station. In the few moments commuters had to spare, during morning and evening rush hours, she offered the brief ritual and prayer, telling participants: “Remember, you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19). The symbolic reminder of God’s creative power and forgiveness of penitents came with an invitation to explore the season of Lent more thoroughly. The church also takes Palm Sunday out to East Capitol Street, complete with a donkey to help evoke Jesus’ final entrance into Jerusalem. The parish shares palms with the community, along with an invitation to Holy Week observances, which include special services for Maundy Thursday

Rev. Kip B. Banks (center, back) with Bible study group at East Washington Heights Baptist Church.

ilies,” says Banks. “We also have a clothes closet.” With over half of the congregation living in nearby Hillcrest or East Washington, Banks continues, the church is always asking: “What can we do to reach into the Southeast community? To improve access to jobs and economic development?” The church also partners with a Guatemalan mission in an effort “to make a tangible difference, not just east of Ecumenical Palm Sunday service outside East Washington Heights Baptist Church, 2010. the river.” Holy Week offers another opportunity for the church to connect with and Good Friday. the wider community. Last year, explains Banks, Throughout Lent, Atonement Episcopal EWHBC hosted a community-wide Palm Sunday Church offers noonday prayer on Thursdays and service. “Episcopal, Lutheran, and Methodist all a morning prayer call on Wednesdays. Wednesday gathered together for a joint community service on evening Bible study is followed by Stations of the the lawn. We were not focused on difference, but Cross. During this period, text study and reflecon the need for us all to walk in Jesus’ footsteps ... tion, led by Rev. Irving, focus on “How is the SpirThe message was love for all, reconciliation.” it of God Speaking to Me?”

Adding Something to the World East Washington Heights Baptist Church, 2220 Branch Ave. SE, was formed in 1894. Rev. Kip Bernard Banks Sr. was welcomed as pastor in 2002. For Baptist congregations Lent is a newer, and not universal, practice. Visit the church, call 202-5824811, or find them on the web at ewhbc.org. Rev. Banks does not view Lent as a time for “giving something up.” Instead, he says, East Washington Heights Baptist Church (EWHBC) is “more focused on what we need to add to our spirituality – not just in our own lives, but adding service to others ... We have emphasized adding something – peace, loving kindness – to the world, when so much is needed.” For Lent, church members engage in a “40 Days of Transformation” study based on “The Disciple’s Cross.” “We are revisiting what it means to be follower of Jesus Christ,” Rev. Banks explains, “focusing not on sacrifice but on love, kindness, peace, and forgiveness.” Other Lenten activities include special prayer services and a 24/7 vigil, during which a member is praying every hour throughout the week, as well as community action. Some of EWHBC’s community work is locally oriented. “The food pantry feeds over 150 fam-

Rend Your Hearts As this article appears, fewer than 40 days of Lent remain, but there is plenty of time to explore messages of the season. These might be found around the corner – where doors to congregations like Atonement and EWHBC remain open throughout the season and year-round – or from farther afield. This one reached me, as things do these days, through a New York minister whom I met during a DC gathering, sharing a message from a Virginia Theological Seminary graduate working in Tennessee. Rev. Broderick Greer cautions that Lent is not “just another self-help routine” but a time for deep rending, as in the verse associated with Ash Wednesday, “Rend your hearts, not your garments ...” (Joel 2:13). He notes that the prophet Joel was speaking not just to individuals but to an entire society. “The rending that we need is not one of clothes but of systems.” Virginia Avniel Spatz participates in a range of Jewish and other worship communities. She participated in Hartford Seminary’s “Building Abrahamic Partnerships” program and has worked on a number of interfaith and interdenominational projects. She blogs on faith topics at songeveryday.org. u

East of the River Magazine March 2016

East washington life / jazz avenues

Jazz Avenues by Steve Monroe

WWJF Opens at THEARC in SE East of the River welcomes the sixth annual Washington Women in Jazz Festival with an opening show featuring young artists, compliments of the Levine School of Music and festival founder Amy K. Bormet’s vision for expanding the music’s reach. The festival opens on March 12 with the Young Artist Showcase and Jam Session at 2 p.m. at THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. Emerging female jazz musicians – vocalist Ayodele Owolabi of Howard University, drummer/percussionist Sophie Adelman of Johns Hopkins, vocalist Amanda Ekery of the University of North Texas, tenor saxophonist Seika Van Keuren of George Mason University, and baritone saxophonist Ingrid Winkler of Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville) – will perform with the WWJF Trio and in a jam session afterward. The Levine School of Music, based in Northwest DC, has helped educate young musicians east of the river for several years. “We have been at THEARC since the building opened in the spring of 2005,” says Levine’s director of marketing and communications Angie Fraser, “but have had a presence east of the river since (at least) the early 90s. We have about 250 students at this location.” The Levine School was founded in 1976, and “we are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year … [this] is our third year hosting the Young Artist Showcase … and the second year that it is at THEARC.” Other WWJF events include a Kickoff Jam with pianist Bormet and friends at 6:30 p.m. on March 13 at The Brixton, and the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra and guest alto saxophonists Alexa Tarantino and Caroline Davis for 8 and 10 p.m. shows on March 14 at the Caverns. Then, as Bormet says, “WWJF favorite Leigh Pilzer is bringing some of her amazing colleagues from DIVA down from New York City to perform swinging music at a new intimate venue, Allyworld [7:30 p.m. March 15], in Takoma Park … [and] the people of DC and my band demanded that [vocalist/composer] Fay Victor return to perform with us [7:30 p.m. March 16 at the Hill Center], after our spectacular sold-out concert last year at the House of Sweden.” Also, Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes return to Westminster Presbyterian Church at 6 p.m. on March 18. The festival has another event east of the river, the free closing show with vocalist Jessica Boykin-Settles at 2 p.m. on March 19 at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE. Boykin-Settles – who delivered a poignant song and history tour of the life of Billie Holiday at last year’s festival – this year presents “A guided tour of Sarah Vaughan, her life and music.” For complete information, see www.washingtonwomeninjazz.com.

InPerson … Mid-Atlantic Fest a Jammer A potpourri of sessions attended by good crowds highlighted the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival’s seventh annual get-together at the Hilton in Rockville last month, including the National Jazz Workshop All-Star Orchestra show in the atrium, with vocalist Rachel Neff ’s soaring vocals on “Cherokee” matching the swinging horns, and then her joining the horns herself as a trumpeter on the front line; the Crooner’s Caucus show entertaining a large crowd at the Ronnie Wells main stage, while at the same time pianist Eric Byrd’s show in the MAJF Club featured jazz and gospel and soul jazz; the MAJF Juke Joint show one night had heads bobbing with Anthony “Swamp

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Vocalist/educator Jessica Boykin-Settles performs during the Washington Women in Jazz Festival, which opens with a Young Artists Showcase event on March 12 at THEARC in Southeast.

Dog” Clark’s blues band; and festival organizer Paul Carr and vocalist Sharon Clark’s show before a packed main stage show for their CD release performance of “Carr & Clark,” their new recording that brims with hot romance and bluesy soulful storytelling on tunes such as “Bye Bye Blackbird” and “Stella By Starlight.”

ente, March 29, Blues Alley … Electric Jazz Improv Collective/East of the River Concert Series, March, 19, Anacostia Arts Center … Danielle Wertz, March 20, The Brixton … Cold Spring Jazz Quartet/Music of Horace Silver, March 26, Germano’s/Baltimore … Seth Kibel, March 27, The Brixton …

March Highlights: … Tim Whalen Septet, March 5, Twins Jazz … Jason Moran/Bohemian Caverns All-Stars, March 5, Kennedy Center … JazzForum/Zev Feldman, March 9, University of the District of Columbia Recital Hall/Bldg. 46 … Nasar Abadey, March 11-12, Twins Jazz … Washington Women in Jazz Festival March 1219/www.washingtonwomeninjazz.com … Iva Jean Ambush, Karen Lovejoy, March 13, Jazz@ The Motor House/Baltimore … Brad Linde/Alexa Tarantino, March 13, Twins Jazz … Twins Jazz Orchestra, March 17, Twins Jazz … Benito Gonzalez, March 18-19, Twins Jazz … Kevin Eubanks, March 24-27, Blues Alley … Afro Bop Alliance, March 25-26, Twins Jazz … Trio Cali-

March Birthdays: Benny Powell 1; Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Doug Watkins 2; Jimmy Garrison 3; Ricky Ford 4; Wes Montgomery 6; George Coleman 8; Herschel Evans, Ornette Coleman 9; Bix Beiderbecke 10; Leroy Jenkins, Bobby McFerrin 11; Terence Blanchard 13; Quincy Jones 14; Cecil Taylor, Charles Lloyd 15; Tommy Flanagan 16; Nat King Cole 17; Harold Mabern, Charles Thompson 21; George Benson 22; King Pleasure 24; Ben Webster, Sarah Vaughan 27; Thad Jones 28; Michael Brecker 29; Freddie Green 31. Steve Monroe is a freelance writer based in Washington, DC. He can be reached at steve@jazzavenues.com or @jazzavenues. u

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.

Neighborhood

Close Price BR

FEE SIMPLE

FORT DUPONT PARK 1644 FORT DAVIS ST SE

ANACOSTIA 3322 CROFFUT PL SE 2243 PROUT ST SE 1326 MAPLE VIEW PL SE 1446 V ST SE

$425,000 $315,000 $250,000

4 3 3

718 HILLTOP TER SE 4336 F ST SE

$290,000 $278,000 $163,000 $150,000

HILL CREST CHILLUM 2111 32ND PL SE $320,000 5621 2ND ST NW

$470,500

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 637 ALABAMA AVE SE 3217 12TH PL SE 214 MALCOLM X AVE SE 165 CHESAPEAKE ST SW

$285,000 $250,000 $235,000 $184,219

3 3 2 4 3

2322 BRANCH AVE SE

MARSHALL HEIGHTS 5027 CALL PL SE 5109 BASS PL SE

2422 HILLSDALE PL SE

$384,000 $327,900 $300,000 $294,000 $280,000 $275,000 $220,000 $180,000 $130,000 $125,000 $115,000 $107,500

3 3 3 4 4 3 2 2 2 4 4 2

$284,500 $274,900

RANDLE HEIGHTS

DEANWOOD 2305 MINNESOTA AVE SE 926 45TH PL NE 5215 DIX ST NE 4039 CLAY PL NE 120 54TH ST SE 5045 CAPITOL ST SE 5212 JAY ST NE 1045 47TH ST NE 5103 JUST ST NE 4250 DIX ST NE 4073 GRANT ST NE 4806 HAYES ST NE 239 57TH ST NE

$277,000

2420 18TH ST SE

$315,000 $260,000 $160,000

3 3 2 4 3 2 4 4 3 3 3

CONDO CONGRESS HEIGHTS 210 OAKWOOD ST SE #106 709 BRANDYWINE ST SE #101 724 BRANDYWINE ST SE #203

$205,000 $70,000 $40,000

KINGMAN PARK 423 18TH ST NE #12 u

$350,000

2 2 1 2

East of the River Magazine March 2016

KIDS & FAMILY / NOTEBOOK

notebook by Kathleen Donner

school graduates of Ward 7. Two $2,500 scholarships will be awarded. Applications must be received by the Lloyd D. Smith Foundation, P.O. Box 10473, Washington, DC 20020-9994 by April 16. To download an application, visit lloyddsmithfoundation.org or email the Foundation at info@lloyddsmithfoundation.org. If you have any questions, contact Mary Ann Smith at 202-584-1826.

Auditions for Summer Dance Programs at THEARC The Washington School of Ballet will hold auditions for its TWB@ THEARC Summer Dance Programs at its Southeast DC campus. Programs are open to students of various skill levels, ages four to18. Summer programs are offered June 27 to July 23 and include day and evening classes. Auditions are held the weeks of March 7, April 4 and May 2. Parents must call to schedule. Contact The Washington Ballet @THEARC at 202-889-8150 to schedule an audition or visit washingtonballet.org/summer-programs for more information. THEARC is at 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE.

District to Offer Free Children’s Books Kites of Asia Family Day at Air and Space On Saturday, March 19, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., celebrate spring at the National Air and Space Museum’s Kites of Asia Heritage Family Day. Talk to kite experts, see pan-Asian kite displays, marvel at indoor kite flying, make your own kite – and maybe even take a dance lesson. Throughout the museum. airandspace.si.edu. A young visitor designs her own kite at the Kites of Asia Family Day, an annual event at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Photo: Mark Avino, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

Sidewalk Painting at the ACM

The DC State Athletic Association is accepting applications for the DCSAA 2016 Student Athlete Academic Scholarship Awards program. Now in its third year, the program provides $1,000 college scholarships to 15 of the District’s top high school student athletes in partnership with Modell’s Sporting Goods and Wendy’s restaurants. The scholarships are designated for DC high school seniors who have played at least two seasons of varsity sports and maintain at least a 3.0 average. Applications must be received by April 25. More information and an application can be found at dcsaasports. org/studentathletescholarship.

Easter Monday at the Zoo

Paws to Read at Capitol View Library

Lloyd D. Smith Foundation College Scholarships for Ward 7 Students The Lloyd D. Smith Foundation announces college scholarships for 2016 high |

DC State Athletic Association Scholarships

On Saturday, March 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., celebrate Smithsonian Museum Day! Using different color chalk sticks, families can decorate the sidewalks leading to the entrance of the museum with their own original portraits of inspirational women of color in history. The activity will be led by artist and educator Jay Coleman. Participants will be assisted with their drawings by students interested in museum careers from Excel Academy, Washington’s first public charter school for girls. All materials provided. Anacostia Community Museum is at 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

Come to the National Zoo for special family-focused activities and live entertainment on Easter Monday, March 28. They’ll have a traditional Easter Egg Hunt with prizes. Older children will enjoy field games. Special animal demonstrations are planned as well as visits from the Easter Panda. Be advised the Zoo enhances security during high visitation days and guests may experience bag checks. Easter Monday at the Zoo is free. Parking is $22. Reserved parking near the Zoo can be purchased ahead of time through Parking Panda. nationalzoo.si.edu.

There is a new component of the DC Sing Talk and Read (STAR) Program called Books From Birth. The program, introduced to the DC Council by Councilmember Charles Allen, will send every child in the District under the age of five a free book each month. With the potential for newborns in the District to receive more than 50 books by the time they turn five, this program will substantially impact the city’s work to create better educational outcomes for children and families. To sign up for this program, residents can visit dclibrary.org/freebooks or email booksfrombirth@dc.gov.

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Would you like to read a story to a furry friend? Join your neighbors at the Capitol View Library on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. Choose a fun book and come prepared to share your story with a friendly dog. Individual families or school groups are welcome as long as you let library staff know in advance. Capitol View Neighborhood Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0755. dclibrary.org/capitolview.

Twelve Years to Treasure Tour at ACM Families are invited to a docent-led tour of the exhibition Twelve Years That Shook and Shaped Washington (1963–1975). Afterwards kids can go on a self-guided treasure hunt with an exhibition family guide to test their knowledge. They’ll receive a free gift for completing the hunt. This tour is rec-

ommended for families and children (six years, up). The tour is Tuesday, March 15, 11 a.m. to noon. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

Twelve Years to Treasure Arts and Crafts at the ACM Families can pre-register up for a docent-led tour of the exhibition Twelve Years That Shook and Shaped Washington, 1963-1975. Kids and their parents then participate in an art activity using fluorescent color strips to create art panels reminiscent of the 1970s Washington color field school of art. This event is on Sunday, April 10, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

Ward 7 Family Services Providers and Policymakers Networking Morning On Friday, March 18, 9:30 a.m., the neighborhood Legal Services Program invites representatives from the many organizations that advocate for children, youths and families in Ward 7 to join them for a focused conversation with local policymakers on how we better partner to formulate and move forward an agenda of public policy to strengthen Ward 7 families. This networking event is at Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. 202281-2583. dclibrary.org/benning.

Anacostia Watershed Society and the DOEE Announces Five New RiverSmart Schools The Anacostia Watershed Society and the DC Department of Energy and the Environment have selected five District schools to participate in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RiverSmart Schools program. These innovative schoolyard greening projects focus on incorporating landscape design principles that create habitat for wildlife, emphasize the use of native plant, highlight water conservation and either retain or filter stormwater runoff. In addition, these outdoor classrooms support effective teaching practices, promote student learning, and advance environmental literacy. Selected schools are Bruce-Monroe Elementary School at Parkview, East of the River Magazine March 2016

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3560 Warder St. NW; Hart Middle School, 601 Mississippi Ave. SE; Mundo Verde Public Charter School, 30 P St. NW; Payne Elementary School, 1445 C St. SE; and Seaton Elementary School, 1503 10th St, NW. The value of the support given to each school ranges between $3,500 up to $70,000, depending on the scale of the project. In addition, schools receive funding for maintaining the sites for five years. Selected teachers will also receive a minimum of 16 hours of professional development on watershed ecology as well as lesson plans and curriculum that support DC educations standards.

SPaCe BoP at the atlaS On March 12, at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., journey to the musical cosmos in Arts on the Horizon’s worldpremiere piece for babies and toddlers, SpaceBop. Drawing on a little one’s early love of light and vocal play, SpaceBop takes place under the starry sky and features GRAMMY- nominated hiphop artist and beatboxer, Christylez Bacon, a Chaplinesque hero, and the endearing denizens of outer space. The $9 performance lasts 60 minutes. The Atlas Performing Arts Center is at 1333 H St. NE. The box office number is 202-399-7993 Ext. 2. atlasarts.org.

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On Saturday, March 26, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., celebrate Washington, DC’s cherry blossom season at the National Building Museum with a series of handson family programs exploring Japanese arts and design on weekends. Note: this series will require pre-registration, and will be presented in lieu of the usual larger festival day. Register at nbm.org.

Cherry BloSSoM CeleBration at SaaM On Saturday, April 9, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., join the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) for a celebration of Japanese culture and the arrival of the cherry blossoms. A taiko drumming performance kicks off the afternoon, followed by other traditional Japanese music and dance, face painting, and cherry-blossom

East of the River Magazine March 2016

KIDS & FAMILY / NOTEBOOK themed crafts. Create a koinobori windsock at one of their crafting tables or check out the spring book corner with their friends from MLK Jr. Memorial Library. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets, NW. americanart.si.edu.

Saturday Morning at The National You and your children are invited to the National Theatre on Saturday mornings for a series of free programs that engage and inspire the young mind. Play, laugh, learn and discover through interactive performances, puppets, dance and music. Saturday programming is best suited for children four to 10 years. Siblings and friends of other ages are always welcome. Performances take place each Saturday of the season at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the Helen Hayes Gallery. The National Theatre is at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets may be reserved one week prior to the performance. The reservation system closes at 10 a.m. on the Friday before the performance. Visit thenationaldc.org/saturdaymorningatthenational for more information.

Washington Capitals, DCPS Launch District-Wide Street Hockey Curriculum Through a partnership with DC Public Schools, the Washington Capitals will introduce hockey to more than 48,000 students across 111 schools through a multi-week street-hockey curriculum. The programming, which will become a core unit in the physical education curriculum, is part of the Capitals’ investment of more than $1.6 million toward the development of youth hockey in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, and is funded primarily by the National Hockey League’s Industry Growth Fund (IGF). $300,000 has been awarded to initiatives focusing on diversity and $900,000 will go to the advancement of ball and street hockey. The Capitals will contribute an additional $401,000 toward the growth of youth hockey. In December the Capitals provided each elementary, middle, and high school PE teacher in the city with hockey skills training from the Washington Capitals community relations and youth hockey staff. In January, the Capitals provided schools with a full set of branded street hockey equipment specifically designed for their students’ age group. During the school year, Capitals staff will continue to provide guidance and instruction to DCPS, and select schools will be invited to the Capitals practice facility to watch the team practice and participate in a free skate.

Fly Afghan Fighter Kites In the exhibition Turquoise Mountain, venture into an Afghan caravanserai, complete with artisan stalls and architectural elements. Hear stories about the people, places and heritage of Afghanistan. Then, return to the classroom to work with an Afghan American kite maker to create a kite. This program, March 19 and 20, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m., is designed for children ages six to 12 and adults to enjoy together. The Sackler Gallery is at 1050 Independence Ave. SW. asia.si.edu.

DPR Reduces 2016 Summer Camp Fees The DC Department of Parks and Recreation has announced revised policies and procedures for DPR’s Summer Camp Reduced Rate Policy. Federal household income guideline changes went into effect on Jan. 1 for the 2016 summer season. The DPR Summer Camp Reduced Rate program allows children of qualifying families to attend with a discount of either 50 or 75 percent per child, per camp session. DPR can only accept applications for reduced rate in person. Applications must be approved for reduced rate prior to registering for camp. For more information, contact the DPR Summer Camp office at 202-671-0372 or DPR.Camps@dc.gov.

DC Do The Write Thing Publishes Anti-Bullying Books In response to the growing problem of bullying, a Do The Write Thing of DC (DTWT), has developed an antibullying program. DTWT has published two books to encourage youth to pledge not to bully others – Be A Superhero by Saying No To Bullying (third to fifth graders) and Stand Up Against Bullying Like a Superhero (preK to second graders). Read more at

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

NatureFest Spring Break 2016 at Kenilworth Park Kenilworth Park seeks volunteers for their second annual NatureFest Spring Break camp with kids from the Kenilworth and Parkside neighborhoods. They need adult volunteers (18+ years) to act as “counselors” for a small group of students (K to fifth grade) leading them from one activity station to the next as they explore plants, animals, arts, and ecosystems at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Email tina@friendsofkenilworthgardens.org to sign up for a shift and find out more. NatureFest Spring Break 2016 is on Monday, March 28 through Friday, April 1. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is at 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. friendsofkenilworthgardens.org.. NatureFest makes the Kenilworth Park more accessible. This is the second year the park will host up to 100 students from the neighborhood for a free week-long NatureFest spring break day camp. Photo: Courtesy of Friends of Kenilworth Park

dothewritethingdc.com. The books are available at amazon.com.

National Gallery’s Kids Movies All children’s films are shown in the East Building Auditorium, which seats 500 people. Seating is offered on a firstcome, firstserved basis. Programs are free. No advance registration is required. Coming up is Monkey Kingdom (ages 6, up), Saturday, March 19 at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday, March 20 at 11:30 a.m. nga.gov.

Superman 2050 On Friday, April 1, at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, at 1:30 and 4 p.m., seven performers on a tiny platform act out the Man of Steel’s latest adventure at hilarious breakneck speed using only their bodies and voices to create every prop, scene, character and sound effects. For ages 7, up. $20. kennedycenter.org.

“Boxes, Boxes, Boxes!” “Boxes, Boxes, Boxes!” makes its return to the My First Imagination Stage theatre series. The show is best for ages one to five. It runs at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, MD, March 8 to April 10. Performances are Saturdays and Sundays at and 11:15 a.m. Tickets are $14, with a $5 lap seat for children under 12 months. Purchase tickets at imaginationstage.org, at the box office, or by calling 301-280-1660.

Mouse in House at Theatre on the Run Adapted from the book by Elizabeth Spires, “Mouse in House” reveals an unlikely friendship between a mouse and reclusive 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson. The mouse’s life changes forever when a gust of wind blows one of Emily’s poems her way. Moved by Emily’s evocative words that capture her own feelings, the mouse becomes determined to be a poet herself. At Theatre on the Run, 3700 South Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington, VA, on Saturdays, March 12 and 19 at 3 p.m. $15 at door; $10, advance. Children 17 and under, $10. Available online at janefranklin.com/performances/tickets.

LOC Symposium on Literacy and Health The Library of Congress will hold a symposium, “Literacy and Health: New Perspectives,” in cooperation with Nemours Children’s Health Network on Wednesday, March 17, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Literacy and Health” will bring together experts in the field, including physicians, policymaking officials, children’s authors and businesspeople. The symposium will be in the Montpelier Room, on the sixth floor of the James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE. It is free and open to the public; no tickets are required. For more information, visit read. gov/literacyawards. u

East of the River Magazine March 2016

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“Presidential Namesakes”

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

by Myles Mellor Across:

1. Level 6. Cover story? 11. Calcite rock 15. Small salmon 19. Hang loose 20. 60’s protest 21. Passing notice 22. Financial page heading 23. Ready 24. Serf 25. ___-soap 26. Like hen’s teeth 27. Jackson 31. Prom conveyance 32. Cousin of an ostrich 33. Dissertation 34. Indian queen 38. Morning moisture 39. Narcissist’s love 41. Member of Cong. 42. Small fort 44. Cobbler 46. 2009 tsunami site 51. Johnson 59. Devout 60. Disconcert 61. Make a comeback 62. Bring in 63. Sir or madam 64. Goes bad 65. Blueprint 66. Dump 68. Pokes fun at 70. Breathe hard 71. “The Three Faces of ___” 72. Kilt pattern 75. “Saturday Night Fever” music 77. Scale part 78. Subjective 80. To whom a Muslim prays 81. Aussie “bear” 84. Adams 88. Creep 89. Plastic ___ Band 90. Most like a ghost 91. Madness

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94. Lackluster 97. European peak 99. To be, to Tiberius 100. Army units 105. Go right 106. Tree trunk 108. Carter 115. Prefers, with “for” 116. Pivot 117. Lush 118. Showed displeasure 119. “Groovy!” 120. Deep-six 121. Keyboard key 122. Greek mountain nymph 123. Bungles 124. Ella Fitzgerald specialty 125. Some factory workers 126. Joins

Down:

1. Mavens 2. Fast time? 3. Puente ___ 4. Indian bread 5. Cough up 6. “That’s ___” 7. Hide 8. “___ have to do” 9. Deserts or grasslands, e.g. 10. Eventually 11. Brit’s “Baloney!” 12. German sub 13. Marching band members 14. Potsdam Conference attendee 15. Diamond measure 16. Certain Arab 17. Range rovers 18. Kind of daisy 28. Spread 29. Mea ___ 30. Payments of a sort 34. Invitation request 35. Medicinal berry 36. Serious 37. Empowers 40. Alpine sight

Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 43. Kind of control 45. Ancient Italian 47. Electrify 48. Some preserves 49. Club publication 50. Skilled 52. Welcome ___ 53. From the beginning 54. Like some communities 55. Man, for one 56. ___ cheese 57. Suffix with auction 58. Female lobster 64. Electrical pioneer 66. Tablelands 67. Happening

69. Easter flower 70. Kind of cut 72. Seat for an extra rider 73. “Malcolm X” director 74. Not to mention 76. Physicist Georg 77. Gull-like bird 79. Darjeeling or oolong 82. Setback 83. Bet 85. Cut out 86. Large branch 87. Big name in computers 92. Lampoons 93. As a whole 95. Let

96. Tart 97. Maltreater 98. Introverts 100. Call 101. Persona non grata 102. Place to exchange vows 103. Exams 104. “King Cotton” composer 107. Macaroni shape 109. Egg container 110. Burlap fiber 111. Bygone time 112. Wassailer’s song 113. Numb 114. Puts in

H y p e r L o c a l | hīpər

. lōk(ə)l |

Hyperlocal connotes information oriented around a well defined community with its primary focus directed toward the concerns of its residents. synonym: eastoftheriverdcnews.com Daily online. Monthly in print.