East of the River Magazine – February 2022 by Capital Community News

FEBRUARY 2022

E AST OF THE R IVER M AGAZINE F EBRUARY 2022 N E X T I S S U E : M A R C H 12

CELEBRATING BLACK HIS TORY

IN EVERY ISSUE

SPECIAL

A Washington Matriarch: Gloria Jean Campbell – Her Family, Her Home, Her City by Stephanie Deutsch

Making an Impact: John Lewis Mural Celebrates Civil Rights Legend by Elizabeth O’Gorek

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS 24

Our River: The Anacostia – The Big Picture from Tommy Wells by Bill Matuszeski Bulletin Board

The Old Man of Anacostia: Our Neighborhoods by Philip Pannell

Changing Hands

by Don Denton

KIDS & FAMILY 36

Kids & Family Notebook by Kathleen Donner

ON THE COVER:

Meet Your Neighbor– Shango Kwame: Independent and Free-Spirited by Anthony D. Diallo

Capital Community News, Inc. Publisher of: Capital Community News, Inc. PO Box 15477, Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 www.capitalcommunitynews.com www.hillrag.com

What’s on Washington The Crossword The Classifieds

by Kathleen Donner

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE 32

04 42 43

H.I.S. Grooming owner and barber Jared Scott with his most famous client, Congressman and civil rights icon, John Lewis. Courtesy: Jared Scott.

MIDCITY

F A G O N

GUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL

FAGON

EDUCATION

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner • melissa.ashabranner@gmail.com MANAGING EDITOR: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com PUBLISHER: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2022 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.

We welcome suggestions for stories. Send queries to andrew@hillrag.com. We are also interested in your views on community issues which are published in the Last Word. Please limit your comments to 250 words. Letters may be edited for space. Please include your name, address and phone number. Send Last Word submissions to lastword@hillrag.com. For employment opportunities email jobs@hillrag.com.

E ast

of the

R iver M agazine

F ebruary 2022

N O S ’ T A H W O N N G T W A S H I

l ts Specia r A g n i r p S

PICASSO: PAINTING THE BLUE PERIOD AT THE PHILLIPS

Focusing on the years 1900 to 1904, this exhibition tells the story of how the young Spanish artist, then a ﬂedgling painter in his late teens and early twenties, formulated his signature Blue Period style by engaging with the subject matter and motifs in speciﬁc works he encountered—by Old Masters and his contemporaries alike—as he moved between Barcelona and Paris. The Blue Period works in the exhibition reveal Picasso’s evolving and sometimes controversial approach to issues of sex, class, poverty, despair, charity, and female incarceration. Picasso: Painting the Blue Period is at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW, from Feb. 26 to June 12. phillipscollection.org. ABOVE: Picasso, The Blue Room, 1901, Oil on canvas, 19 7/8 x 24.1/4 in. The Phillips Collection, Acquired 1927, Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society, New York.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA’S WRITTEN IN STONE BALLET FOLKLORICO DE MEXICO DE AMALIA HERNANDEZ

Founded in 1952 by dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández, Ballet Folklórico brings together the music, dance and costume of Mexican folklore from pre-Colombian civilizations through the modern era. With its permanent home at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, one of Mexico City’s most historic venues, the company has developed choreography for 40 ballets, composed of 60 folk dancers and musicians who have performed extensively across Mexico and abroad. $30 to $60. Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez is at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW, on Friday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m. thelincolndc.com.

OPERA LAFAYETTE’S SPIRITUEL AUX CARAIBES

What stories do our monuments tell? What legacies do they embody? What memories do they cement? Four iconic places. Four creative teams. Four intimate stories. Some of America’s most exciting artists, musicians, composers, and librettists assemble to create four unmissable world premieres as a jewel in the crown of the Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary season. Inspired by Washington DC’s iconic monuments and the ideals embodied by President Kennedy, the world premier Written in Stone is a series of interwoven short works presented together in a single evening from March 5 to 25. $35 to $199. kennedycenter.org/wno/home/2021-2022/written-in-stone.

Pedro Memelsdorff, whose research focuses on music in the French colonies in the Caribbean, conceives a program of French music performed between 1760 and 1790. The musical life of the colonies involved enslaved, formerly enslaved, and free peoples. The program addresses the extraordinarily complicated dynamics between the musical culture of imperial France and the people of the Caribbean. Sung in Latin and French with English subtitles. Opera Lafayette’s Spirituel aux Caraïbes is on stage at the Kennedy Center on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. The Era of Marie Antoinette, Rediscovered, is the theme of Opera Lafayette’s 2022 season, with three programs of French music from the 1760’s through 1780’s and a unique focus on its resonance in the Americas. operalafayette.org. 04

EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

Sophia Burgos, soprano. Photo: Courtesy of Sophia Burgos

E ast

of the

R iver M agazine

F ebruary 2022

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MUSEUM REOPENS

The National Geographic Museum is reopening to visitors on Wednesday, Feb. 16. After being closed for nearly two years, the Museum is welcoming visitors back by offering free admission during February with preregistration for tickets. The Museum is launching two new exhibitions, “Once Upon a Climb: Stories of Everest” and “The Greatest Wildlife Photographs.” Visitors will have the chance to step into the shoes of the few extraordinary men and women who’ve climbed 29,045 feet into the sky to summit the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest. Then, after descending the mountain, they can cross the hallway to see iconic wildlife photography through nearly 70 images that showcase the very best wildlife pictures from the pages of National Geographic magazine. The Museum, 1145 17th St. NW, will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pre-registration is suggested at natgeomuseum.org.

WHAT’S ON WASHINGTON

Spring Arts Special

Photo: Bobby Model

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S DON QUIXOTE

Choreographed by Marius Petipa and his talented contemporary Alexander Gorsky, after Miguel de Cervantes’s sweeping tale of romance and chivalry, Don Quixote features the misadventures of the titular knight-errant of la Mancha and his devoted squire. With bravura dancing by the spirited maiden Kitri and her charming amour Basilio, this staging by Kevin McKenzie and Susan Jones explodes with a feast of choreographic fireworks. $29 to $169. Don Quixote is performed at the Kennedy Center from March 31 to April; Bernstein in a Bubble, March 29 to 30. kennedycenter.org.

ANNAPOLIS OYSTER ROAST & SOCK BURNING

After a hiatus during the pandemic, the Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning is back to celebrate the maritime culture of the Eastport community and all things Chesapeake Bay on Saturday, March 19, noon to 4 p.m. General admission tickets are $40 for adults; $10 for children five to ten; kids under five, free. Admission includes unlimited raw and roasted oysters and live music. Food trucks will be on site with additional food offerings, and beer, wine, and select cocktails will be available for purchase. The always-popular oyster shucking contest returns this year, along with electric boat tours of Back Creek and the Wilma Lee. amaritime.org. “Say goodbye to winter, only deck shoes we wear! Though the socks we burn leave a stink in the air!”

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

ABIGAIL DEVILLE: LIGHT OF FREEDOM AT THE HIRSHHORN

Abigail DeVille’s critically acclaimed sculpture Light of Freedom is a mixed-media installation through which the artist responds to the Black Lives Matter movement within the larger context of America’s long relationship to the idea of liberty itself. The Hirshhorn presentation of the 13-foot-tall artwork situates it within the Museum’s outdoor Sculpture Garden on the National Mall. DeVille is widely recognized for works that mine the overlooked, often traumatic histories of Black America to spotlight cultural contradictions and inequities. Visit anytime. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence and Seventh, SW. hirshhorn.si.edu. ABOVE: Abigail DeVille draws inspiration from an 1876 photograph that captures the disembodied hand of Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty in New York’s Madison Square Park. Photo: Courtesy of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

E ast

of the

R iver M agazine

F ebruary 2022

THE HOUSE ON THE LAGOON AT GALA

WHAT’S ON WASHINGTON

Arts Special

I LOVE U STREET ST. VALENTINE’S BAR CRAWL

On Saturday, Feb. 12, from 2 to 10 p.m., join thousands of bar crawl lovers for eight hours of nonstop fun. There will be nine+ DJs spinning different genres of music from Classic Hip Hop, Soca, Reggaeton, RnB, Afrobeat, Trap, Top 40 Hits, etc at 9+ amazing bars along the U Street Corridor. It’s the time of the year when we celebrate love with good drinks, good music, and good people. It’s all love on this bar crawl for everyone. The bar crawl also features swag bags and drink specials. $10. Tickets at regmopromo.com/loveu-street-valentines-bar-crawl/.

AFRO-ATLANTIC HISTORIES AT THE NGA

For centuries, artists have told and retold the complex histories of the African Diaspora. The National Gallery of Art’s Afro-Atlantic Histories takes an in-depth look at the historical experiences and cultural formations of Black and African people since the 17th century. More than 130 powerful works of art, including paintings, sculpture, photographs, and time-based media by artists from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean, bring these narratives to life. This exhibition was initially presented as Histórias Afro-Atlânticas in 2018 by the Museu de Arte de São Paulo in Brazil. Afro-Atlantic Histories is at the National Gallery of Art, West Building, from April 10 to June 17. On April 30, the John Wilmerding Community Celebration will invite audiences to experience the art and culture of the African Diaspora with music, dance, and spoken word. nga.gov RIGHT: Barrington Watson Conversation, 1981, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Jamaica, gift of Workers’ Savings & Loan Bank. © Estate of Barrington Watson.

BLACK GIRLS ROCK WITH THE NSO

From March 10 to 12, following previous engagements at the Kennedy Center including sold-out concerts, discussions, workshops, secret shows, community events, and the annual BGR!FEST, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! returns for its anticipated ﬁrst-time collaboration with the NSO—presented in partnership with the Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Culture program. Each night at 9:30 p.m., the BGR!FEST, BLACK GIRLS ROCK closes out with an opportunity to experience the best in DJ culture and live performance with BGR!FEST After Dark. $45. Kennedy-center.org.

EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

In The House on the Lagoon, Isabel Monfort struggles to understand and ﬁnd her voice in writing the histories of her family and the family of her husband, Quintin Mendizábal. As she unveils family secrets that reﬂect a society rooted in racial, gender and class strife, she threatens the family patriarchy. This suspenseful saga weaves several generations of family history with a chronicle of the political history of Puerto Rico that continues to unfold. $48. The House on the Lagoon is at GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW, from Feb. 3 to 27. galatheatre.org.

THE CHOIR OF THE CATHEDRAL OF THE MADELEINE

The Choir of the Cathedral of the Madeleine featuring the Choristers of the Madeleine Choir School will perform on Sunday, February 6 at 7:30 pm as part of the Sacred Music on the Hill concert series at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. The Madeleine Choir School is the only pre-K through 8th grade Roman Catholic choir school for boys and girls in the United States. There is no cost to attend this concert. Face masks are required. For more information about this concert and St. Peter’s Sacred Music on the Hill concert series, please see saintpetersdc. org/music

E ast

of the

R iver M agazine

F ebruary 2022

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

E ast

of the

R iver M agazine

F ebruary 2022

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

UE SPECIAL ISS

G N I T A R B E CEL

BLACK

Y R O T S I H

E ast

of the

R iver M agazine

F ebruary 2022

CELEBRATING BLACK HIS TORY

A WASHINGTON MATRIARCH: GLORIA JEAN CAMPBELL

loria Jean Campbell is 89 years old and has lived in Washington, DC her whole life. Among the things about life here that she remembers are H Street NE in the 1940s and 50s as our “big town” where everyone went to shop. There were intriguing giant fish tanks in the G.C. Murphy five and dime store, the latest records for sale at SoulShack and elegant clothing to be had at stores called Morton’s and Cavalier’s. She recalls going to Cardozo High School and learning to type so fast and use an adding machine so well that after she graduated in 1950 she had no trouble finding jobs with various federal government agencies. She remembers that she never learned to drive but she walked “everywhere” including to the Howard Theater to see comedian Moms Mabley and to hear Pearl Bailey and Ella Fitzgerald sing. And she remembers houses—in Southwest where she was born at 122 M Street SW which now is the development called Greenleaf Gardens; at 15th and Constitution Avenue NE where she and her parents and six brothers and sisters lived at 1536 B Street NE next door to her grandparents and where she met the young man across the street she was to mar-

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

Her Family, Her Home, Her City by Stephanie Deutsch

ry; and, of course, the house at 1349 South Carolina Ave. SE where she and her late husband Francis, raised seven children. Today, sitting in the living room of his mother’s current home on North Carolina Avenue SE, her oldest child, Francis M. Campbell, says, “We’ve learned – in our family – that you always want to own a home.” That may sound like conventional wisdom but for African Americans in Washington, DC and elsewhere home ownership has often been an elusive goal. Post World War II redlining made mortgages out of reach for most Black people; restrictive homeowners’ covenants kept them out of many neighborhoods; and, especially in Southwest D.C., 1960s and 70s urban redevelopment displaced large numbers of residents and destroyed great swaths of affordable housing stock. Francis himself remembers buying his first home in 1977. He knew that the person selling a house at 1805 Burke St. SE had a daughter who was about to be married. An accomplished musician, Francis offered to play music for the wedding for free in exchange for a reduction in the price of the house – and it worked. He became a homeowner.

Mrs. Campbell today. Photo: David S. Deutsch

Mrs. Campbell in front of her home at 1349 South Carolina Ave. SE with children Francis Michael, Mark, Robin, Anthony and Carlton. Family photos courtesy of Robin Campbell-Bennet

SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP TODAY For existing and aspiring District businesses - the Small Business Resource Center is here for you!

WEBINAR: HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR MADE IN DC CERTIFICATION Thursday, February 3, 2022 10:00 am Register: dcrasbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/55600

WEBINAR: LEARN HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (CBE) Wednesday, February 7, 2022 10:00 am Register: dcrasbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/56490

WEBINAR: ALL THINGS NON-PROFIT Thursday, February 10, 2022 10:00 am Register: dcrasbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/55689

WEBINAR: FOUNDATIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS: MODULE 2, THE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS Thursday, February 10, 2022 2:00 pm Register: dcrasbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/56309

WEBINAR: MARSHALL HEIGHTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION (MHCDO) PARTNERSHIP: STEPS TO OBTAINING A BUSINESS LICENSE Wednesday, February 16, 2022 6:00 pm Register: dcrasbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/57123

WEBINAR: INTRODUCTION TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING Wednesday, February 23, 2022 2:00 pm Register: dcrasbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/56305

WEBINAR: NAVIGATING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WITH THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROCUREMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER (DCPTAC) Thursday, February 24, 2022 10:00 am Register: dcrasbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/55480

WEBINAR: FOUNDATIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS: MODULE 3, THE BUSINESS PLAN Thursday, February 24, 2022 2:00 pm Register: dcrasbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/56319 Small Business Resource Center (202) 442-4538 | dcra@dc.gov

E AST

OF THE

R IVER M AGAZINE

F EBRUARY 2022

CELEBRATING BLACK HIS TORY

Gloria Campbell’s husband’s grandfather, Prince Robinson, worked for many years in the U.S. Senate barbershop where he became well known as the “Singing Barber” who, while he cut their hair, entertained and soothed his clients with spirituals and popular songs. When he died in 1927 a Senate fund paid off the amount remaining on the mortgage on his house at 15th and B Streets NE. A few years later the street’s name was changed to Constitution Avenue (while B Street SE became Independence Ave.) The house passed on to his daughter, Blanche Campbell, Mrs. Campbell’s mother-in-law. Her father Frank had steady employment at Arlington Cemetery where he was, among other things, a grave digger. Gloria lived with her parents and six sisters and brothers across the street. Gloria attended Lovejoy Elementary School on 12th St. NE (in a building that is now Lovejoy Lofts). The junior high school closest to her home, Eliot, did not admit Blacks so Gloria went to Brown Junior High on 26th Street NE, a school so overcrowded that students attended in split shifts and from which would come one of the early legal cases challenging segregation in schools. From there she went not to nearby Eastern High School – again, a school at that time reserved for white students – but to Cardozo, then located at 9th and Rhode Island Ave. NE from which she graduated in 1950. That same year she married Francis J. Campbell. Gloria worked in various government agencies located in or near what is now L’Enfant Plaza. Her husband would often drive her to work, then return home

and literally run to his own work out with the St. Albans job as a supervisor at the main team and, in 1975, when he post office near Union Station. was recruited to coach at the When they bought a home University of Florida, invitat 1349 South Carolina Aveed her to come live with him nue SE, Francis’s mother, now there so she could continue widowed, moved in with them. training with him. Her mom And there they raised their own insisted that her sister go too family of seven children – four so, when they were 15 and sons and three daughters. 13, Gloria’s two daughters, Oldest son Francis M. Robin and Donna, went to Campbell, who served for live in Gainesville (where the many years as an ANC 6B round the corner neighbor, commissioner, remembers Dr. Robert Cade, was devellively family dinners with ten oping Gatorade and became people around the table, a a friend, asking the sisters to Catholic blessing said by his comment on different flavors. father or grandmother, and They liked lime.) Robin went good food. “Meat loaf, fried on to qualify for two Olymchicken, fresh greens from Robin Campbell competed in every Olympic pic teams. The United States our garden…and then cakes.” trial between 1972 and 1984. In the 1972 triboycotted the 1980 Olympics she placed first in the 200 and 1500 meter His grandmother was famous als, in Moscow but in 1984 the exhibition races as she was only 13 and too for her yellow cake with young to make the Olympic track team. courwhole Campbell family went chocolate frosting and for the tesy Robin Campbell-Bennet to see her compete in Los Ancinnamon buns that would geles where Brooks Johnson fill the house with delicious smells. coached the U.S. women’s track In a crock pot she kept under the team and Robin placed fifth in the stairs she made wines—green grape semi-finals. Robin remembers that, or dandelion. There was a regular although her family was way up in rotation for the children to wash the top of the viewing stands, above and put away the dishes and do all the noise she could pick out her other household chores. She also mother’s voice, yelling her name made their clothing. and urging her on. When Mrs. Campbell retired Family activities ofin 2003, she had worked for the ten centered around oldfederal government for 53 years. est daughter, Robin, who She had raised seven children, six early on distinguished of whom went to college and all of herself as a gifted middle whom now own their own homes. distance runner. She reShe has four living siblings all of whom own housmembers running through the halls of her es. There are thirteen grandchildren and four great mother’s office in the Housing and Urban grandchildren. She takes pleasure in seeing family, Development building at L’Enfant Plaza and in keeping big scrapbooks recording their births and competing in events at Madison Square Gargraduations and weddings, in working in her yard, den and the Richmond Coliseum. In 1973, tending to the dahlias and shooing away the squirrels when she qualified for the In Door Nationand birds from her fig trees, listening to the news or al team, her picture was on the front page of watching The Price is Right. And most of all, she says, the Washington Post. But she was only 13, she likes “keeping my house up.” In her long life there too young to be selected. Early on she had have been many houses – each one of them an ancaught the eye of Brooks Johnson, a teachchor of economic progress, a center of family activity, er and athletic director as well as track & a place of hard work, of deep affection, of respect, and field coach from St. Albans School in NorthFamily around the table, 1966. Mrs. Campbell with her children, l of fun – in short, each one has truly been a home. u west DC. He encouraged her, invited her to to rt, Mark, Robin, Anthony, Francis Michael, Donna, Kim, Carlton. courtesy Robin Campbell-Bennet

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

WIDE SHOE OUTLET Men’s and Women’s sizes up to 15 EE Savings in store and online

simplywide.com Brands: Naturalizer • Soft Spots • Ros Hommerson • Propet Walking • Cradles • Easy Street

10 off

All Sales

Limited Time simplywide.com

Lots & Lots

All Day Comfort

Wide Width Shoes

4279 Branch Avenue Marlow Heights, MD 20748

301-702 1401 E AST

OF THE

R IVER M AGAZINE

F EBRUARY 2022

CELEBRATING BLACK HIS TORY

G N I K MA AN T C A P IM

Attendees at the mural ribbon-cutting in front of the section of the mural on the west wall of H.I.S. Grooming (1242 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).

John Lewis Mural Celebrates Civil Rights Legend

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

crowd gathered Dec. 16 in the parking lot of the Sunoco Station at 1347 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. It is a busy gas station lot, but on that day it was being christened as one of the District’s newest – and more powerful – art galleries. Along the exterior walls of buildings to the west and north of the station loom dramatic portraits of civil rights leader and former Congressman John Lewis. On the north wall, a portrait of Lewis’s face is rendered 40-feet high in stark black and white, above his statement “Getting in trouble, Good trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” Along the west wall of H.I.S. Grooming, images 18

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

Artists Mark Garrett and Dietrich Williams speak at the dedication of the mural, Dec. 16, 2021.

from Lewis’s life fill the skies. Lewis is shown in a barber chair. The barber chair was a place where the civil rights legend was able to relax, tell stories and give advice. The works of art on the exterior of the shop depict both the life of an incredible man but also underline his connection to the culture—and the neighborhood.

The Man H.I.S. Grooming owner Jared Scott remembers an early morning in 2018, as he stood waiting at his shop window, watching as a shiny black car pulled up outside shiny H.I.S. Grooming early one morning. Scott had reluctantly agreed to give a customer’s ‘boss’ a haircut before opening hours. The door opened and out walked Congressman John Lewis. E ast

of the

R iver M agazine

F ebruary 2022

CELEBRATING BLACK HIS TORY

early morning appointment came about, and how it became one of the famed civil rights leader’s routines. “What happened in the last years of the Congressman’s life, is that he became very particular about his hair. He would start talking about [how] he needed a haircut every week,” Collins said. Collins scrambled to find the perfect place—somewhere comfortable for the congressman but also convenient for his busy schedule. Scott’s shop was perfect: a true barber shop, just a short ride down Pennsylvania Avenue from Lewis’s home and the Capitol building.

A Relaxing Place

Jared Scott shaves the head of legendary Civil Rights leader and Congressman John Lewis at H.I.S. Grooming (1242 Pennsylvania Ave. SE). Courtesy: J. Scott

“And I just trembled,” Scott remembered. “My hands shaking, [I was] crying—I’m supposed to shave this man’s head!” “And he just walks up and says,’ Hi, I’m John. I have an appointment’,” Scott said. “And I was just like, we know who you are.” Most people know of John Lewis. An American Congressman who served Georgia’s 5th congressional district for more than 30 years until his death in 2020, he was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966 and one of the “Big Six” leaders of groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington and led the first of three Selma to Montgomery marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965. Now the legend was in Scott’s shop. But he didn’t act like a legend. “John always paid,” Scott said, “and not only paid, he tipped.” He declined the many offers from other customers to cover his bill. Always humble, Lewis never believed he deserved special treatment. “Once, he even waited,” Scott said. Michael Collins, Lewis’s former Chief of Staff, explained how that first 20

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

Barber shops have long been a part of American Black culture. Scott moved from Norristown, PA to Capitol Hill ten years ago with a passionate dream and a vision for what the barbershop stands for in the community. He loves cutting hair, he said, but that’s not why he was drawn to the business. “Truly my passion is the barbershop and the community aspect that it brings. I grew up in a barbershop,” he said. Collins said that Lewis loved the attention he received from Scott. It became one of the most relaxing times the Chief of Staff could arrange for the Congressman; besides airplanes, Collins said, Scott’s chair was the only place Lewis could fall asleep. As Scott cut his hair, Lewis told the barber and his staff about the freedom rides and his civil rights work, about fire hoses and dog attacks. Scott recalls Lewis telling him about March 7, 1965, as he prepared to march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL. Lewis was beaten bloody. Images from the march prompted public support for the marchers and their voting rights campaign. Lewis told Scott that as he prepared to cross he did not know if he was still going to be alive the following day. “That was a moment that really just stood out to me,” Scott said. “How do you keep going in full capacity when you know that this may be your last moment? And that’s because John just had something more to him.” Scott described how Lewis became a mentor and a friend, someone from whom he sought advice on his personal troubles. He said that Lewis charged him with keeping ‘it’ going.

Barber Jared Scott prior to the ribbon-cutting.

“I’ll spend the rest of my life finding out what it is,” Scott said.

Black History in Perspective Scott knew who Lewis was when he walked in the door of his shop —but Mark Garrett didn’t. When he first met John Lewis, more than a decade ago, the muralist was working as a modeler in a trophy shop, an artist just trying to make a living in his field. The congressman came in to pick up work ordered by his office. “I had no idea who he was at the time, I’m ashamed to say,” the artist said at the dedication of the mural he co-created in Lewis’s memory. “I was probably like 25 years old; I should have known who John Lewis was.” His boss sat him down and gave him an education, Garrett said. “He showed me clips of [Lewis] marching and protesting in the past.” From then on, he prioritized the work he did for the living legend. But this latest work for Lewis came with fear, too, Garrett said. The work of the civil rights icon was met with violence in the 1960s, and Garrett was aware there were many who would have a similar reaction today. He did much of his work at night, harnessed to a hydraulic crane. “Some nights I was wondering whether or not somebody who didn’t feel so happy about me doing work on John Lewis might do something.” Garrett’s fellow creative Dietrich Williams was also processing feelings. Williams grew up on 15th Street in the 1980s and 90s, and has watched the area go through a significant transition. When he was a kid, Williams said, people didn’t want to come east of Third Street, where Lewis lived. He said the quotations from Martin Luther King, Jr. that can be seen in Hill yards are signs of change. In the course of creating the mural, Williams said, he really felt that change weigh on him. “I realized that a

Now Available ONLINE @

in the Whole Foods Section

The best corn you’ve ever had 100% ALL NATURAL!

Available at I N T H E F R OZ E N V E G G I E S S E C T I O N

NO added sugar, additives, coloring or preservatives

More info and recipes at: larrysweetcorn.com E AST

OF THE

R IVER M AGAZINE

F EBRUARY 2022

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

The ‘Good Trouble’ section of the mural.

lot of the fabric of what I knew is gone,” he said at the dedication. “And me being here doing this is a representation of everything… and the heaviness of it,” said Williams. “Because everybody doesn’t recognize what these things mean, how big a deal it is. When we create things like this in spaces like this, it does mean a lot.” Now Williams runs a company that creates public art, with plans for works in Wards 7 and 8. Positive representation of Black lives is critical, Williams said, at the dedication of the mural. “We don’t need to wait until a person has put in 70 years of work to see a reflection of ourselves and what we can do,” Williams said. “This is all I plan to do for the rest of my life.” Residents of Capitol Hill will feel the impact of the work he and Garrett put together for years to come, the size of artwork dwarfed only by Lewis’s impact in life. ◆ E AST

OF THE

R IVER M AGAZINE

F EBRUARY 2022

neighborhood news

Our River: The Anacostia The Big Picture from Tommy Wells by Bill Matuszeski

hen one asks about the recovery of the Anacostia River, “Who in DC is in charge?”, the answer comes back, “Tommy Wells”. That is because he wears the two key hats as Director of the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) and Board Chair of DC Water. And before he took the DOEE job in 2015, he had been since 2006 the Ward 6 City Councilmember. It is a love forged from many years boating on and living near the Anacostia. “I grew up along the wild and scenic Cahaba River in Alabama, and the family had two cabins and 23 acres along a lakeshore with marshes in Minnesota for summers,” he tells me. He bought his first canoe at 16 and when he came to DC 35 years ago he was “impressed” by the Anacostia and bought another canoe and later a 19-foot day sailor called the “Flying Scott.” When he became the DOEE Director, he discovered an aluminum canoe that came with the job. He

Winter 2022 on OurRiver. Photo: Bill Matuszeski

uses it to take government officials inly breezes. Floating debris is a special cluding City Councilmembers and problem and can take weeks to leave even Adam Ortiz, the EPA Regionthe river, unlike on the Potomac, which al Administrator, out on the river to has a clear shot to the Chesapeake. make them aware of the potential of The US Army Corps of Engineers log a restored Anacostia. His guests are removal boat and the DC Water skimalways surprised at the extent and mer boat are both essential, as are betvariety of birds and other wildlife on ter controls on upstream sources. That the shores. Spreading the awareness involves everything from reducing the of the river’s existing and potential use of plastics in packaging to teaching offerings to the public builds supfolks that dropping trash in the street port for funding its continued recovor on the ground starts it on a route ery. And Mayor Bowser has assured to the river through the storm sewers. Wells she will always support the resThe part of the watershed on comTommy Wells along the Anacostia, Photo: Tommy Wells toration efforts. bined sewers has the recent addition of The Anacostia is a watershed with tunnel storage, which has reduced the many sources of pollution – even the air emits chemicals regular overflow of both sewage and debris into the riv(mostly from burning fuels) that cause harm. Much of er to under five percent of what it was. Where there are the river in DC is tidal, and it has difficulty flushing beseparated sanitary and storm sewers, the storm sewers cause of the pushstill empty into the river and take the trash along. And back from the Podrainage of areas near and along the river still enters ditomac and the rectly with whatever trash and pollutants it is carrying. prevailing westerSo there is still much for businesses, homeowners and

Adam Ortiz, past Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties’ Environment Director and newly named EPA Regional Administrator. Photo: Tommy Wells

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

volunteers to do to reduce the runoff and the littering. Another potential pollutant source is the resuspension of pollutants in sediments that have settled along the river bottom. This involves identifying the hotspots and either covering or removing them. Wells feels this part of the city-funded clean-up efforts is underway and in good hands. In general, Wells is seeing data that shows we are making real progress in restoring the Anacostia. For example, a number of the fish species that spend their entire lives in the Anacostia are showing more improvement in numbers and overall health than species that spend part of their lives in the oceans and other estuaries. This is good news! I asked Wells what part of the river was his favorite. “I love boating on the part along the Arboretum and up towards the New York Avenue bridge,” he said. “It is peaceful and natural—you cannot believe you are inside the Beltway, and you get a sense of time and the past —very refreshing.” Finally, what does Wells think citizens on both sides of the river can do to help along the efforts toward its restoration? “The most important thing is to become and remain aware of the issues facing the river, and how you can help by getting involved in volunteer projects to deal with them. Some activities can be on your property at home, such as the RiverSmart Program’s assistance with replacing im-permeable surfaces with gardens and retaining rainwater. Others would be in your neighborhood or down by the river. But the most important thing is to get out and enjoy the Anacostia by walking, biking or rowing along it, or by using the playgrounds and other facilities that are coming. You will be inspired by what you see and what you can do to help!” Bill Matuszeski is a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia River, and the retired Director of the Chesapeake Bay Program. He also serves on the board of Friends of the Na-tional Arboretum and on Citizen Advisory Committees for the Chesapeake and the Anacostia. u

E ast

of the

R iver M agazine

F ebruary 2022

neighborhood news / bulletin board

by Kathleen Donner

Cash Assistance to Expectant Mothers in Ward 8

Amerigroup DC is providing Martha’s Table, a communitybased organization, with a $180,000 grant for a new cash assistance program for expectant mothers. This program will transfer $300 a month for a full year to 50 pregnant women living in Ward 8. Direct cash assistance is a proven way to promote family stability amid times of financial stress. Funding will cover increased costs families experience when preparing for and raising a newborn. www. marthastable.org

Ward 8 Woods Conservancy Wins $10,000 Grant

The Maryland-DelawareDC Beverage Association, in partnership with local beverage bottlers and the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America, has announced a $10,000 grant to the Ward 8 Woods Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that rejuvenates and enhances more than 500 acres of forest in Ward 8. The contribution will support environmental work along the Suitland Parkway, an area that boasts natural riches but has suffered from 26

National Geographic will prem the only one for which we kno iere a documentary special, “Clotilda: Last American Slav w the full story of the voyage, e Ship,” about the most inta ct slave shipwreck found to the passengers and their desc date and endants.

Transatlantic Slave Trade Podc

ast Launched Ahead of Black History Month , National Geographic has laun ched a new podcast, “Into Th transatlantic slave trade as it foll e Depth,” that uncovers the hist ows a group of black divers ded ory of the icated to finding and helping doc er is now available on Apple Pod ument slave shipwrecks. The seri casts and wherever podcasts are es trailfound, as well as at www.natgeo.co highlights the journey of Nation m/intothedepths. The six-part al Geographic Explorer Tara Rob series erts (@curvypath_tara on Instagra footsteps of Diving With a Pur m), who quit her job to follow pose, a group of black divers who in the traverse the globe in search of of the history that accompanies long-lost slave shipwrecks and them. The podcast follows Rob the truth erts from Florida to Costa Rica, in Edenton, North Carolina. and from Africa back to her fam ily home

EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in the District. DCHFA, Your Homeownership HomeownershipResource Resource in the District. DCHFA, Your in the District. DCHFA, YourHomeownership Homeownership Resource the District. DCHFA, Your Resource in theinDistrict. DC Open Doors DC Open Doors is your key to homeownership in the city. This program offers competitive interest rates and lower mortgage insurance costs on first trust DC Open Doors DC Open Doors DCDC Open Doors Open Doors isD.C. your key to homeownership DChomebuyer Open Doors key to homeownership in the oris ayour resident DC Open Doors is your key to homeownership in the DC Open Doors in the city. This program offers competitive in-and city. This program offers competitive interest rates , be purchasing a home in the DC Open Doors city. program offers interest ratesinand DCThis Open Doorsinsurance is yourcompetitive keycosts to homeownership the lower mortgage trust costs District ofDoors Columbia. terest rates and lower mortgage insurance DC Open is your key tofirst homeownership lower mortgage insurance costs onon first trust city. This program offers competitive interest rates and in the on trust mortgages. You not required city.first This program offers competitive interest rates and lower mortgage insurance costs onare first trust homebuyerorora aD.C. D.C. resident homebuyer resident lower costs on first trust to be amortgage first-time,insurance homebuyer or a D.C. resident be purchasing a home in the , be purchasing homebuyer or a D.C. resident a home in the to qualify for DCOD. You must, however, District Columbia. HPAP provides interest free deferred loans District ofofColumbia. be purchasing a home in thebe for down homebuyeraorhome a ,D.C. resident purchasing in the District of Columbia. District of Columbia. , be purchasing a home in the of serves as a co-administrator District of Columbia. this DCPurchase Department of Housing and Community Home Assistance HPAP providesinterest interest free deferred loans down HPAP provides free deferred loans forfor down Development’s (DHCD) first-time home buyer HPAP provides interest free deferred loans for down Program (HPAP) program. serves as as a co-administrator of of serves a co-administrator HPAP provides interest free deferred loans of this DC Housing and Community this DCDepartment Department of Housing and Community serves as a co-administrator HPAP provides of interest free deferred loans for down Development’s (DHCD) first-time home buyer for DC down payment and closingand cost assistance this Department of Housing Community Development’s (DHCD) first-time home buyer program. Development’s first-time home buyeras a program. up to $84,000(DHCD) combined. DCHFA serves serves as a co-administrator of program. co-administrator of this Department of this DC Department of DC Housing and Community Housing and Community Development’s Development’s (DHCD) first-time home buyer years or older who have fallen behind on insurance program. (DHCD) first-time home buyer program. and tax payments as a result of their reverse mortgage. Qualified District homeowners can receive up to years or older who have fallen behind on insurance years orpayments older who have fallen behind on insurance and tax or as ahave result of their reverse mortgage. years older who fallen behind on insurance DC4ME and tax payments as a result of their reverse Qualified District homeowners can receive up mortgage. tomortgage. and tax payments as a result of their reverse DC4MEDistrict provides mortgage assistance Qualified homeowners can receivewith up to Qualified District homeowners can receive up to optional down payment assistance to D.C. DC4ME provides mortgage with government employees. DC4ME is offered to optional years or older who have fallenassistance behind on insurance down payment assistance to D.C. government and taxfull-time payments as a result of their reverse mortgage. current District government employees, DC4ME provides mortgage with optional employees. DC4ME isassistance offered tocan current full-time Qualified District homeowners receive up to including employees of District governmentDC4ME provides mortgage assistance with optional down payment assistance to D.C. government District government employees, employees DC4ME provides mortgage assistanceincluding with optional down payment assistance to D.C. government employees. DC4ME is offered to current full-time based instrumentalities, agencies, down payment assistance toindependent D.C. government of District government-based instrumentalities, employees. DC4ME is offered offered tocurrent currentemployees full-timeSchools, District government employees, including employees. DC4ME is to full-time independent agencies, D.C. Public Charter D.C. Public Charter Schools, and organizations, ofDistrict District government-based instrumentalities, government employees, including employees District government employees, including employees and organizations, provided the applicant/borrower's the applicant/borrower’s employer independent agencies, D.C. the Public Charter Schools, ofofprovided District instrumentalities, District government-based government-based instrumentalities, employer falls under oversight of the Council of and organizations, provided applicant/borrower's independent agencies, D.C.the Public CharterSchools, Schools, independent agencies, D.C. Public Charter falls the of theassistance Council ofwith the optional DC4ME provides mortgage theunder District ofoversight Columbia. employer falls under the oversight of the Council of and organizations, provided the and organizations, provided the applicant/borrower's down payment assistance toapplicant/borrower's D.C. government District of the District of Columbia. Columbia. employer falls the oversight of the Council ofof employer falls under oversight of the Council employees. DC4ME is offered to current full-time theDistrict District of of Columbia. Columbia. the District government employees, including employees DC MAPgovernment-based (Mortgage Assistance ofCOVID-19 District instrumentalities, independent agencies, D.C. Public Charter Schools, COVID-19 DC MAP COVID-19 provides assistance to Program) COVID-19 financial and organizations, provided the applicant/borrower's COVID-19 DC MAP COVID-19 provides financial assistance to COVID-19 those affected by the impacts of the COVID-19 DC MAP COVID-19 provides financial those affected byQualified theunder impacts ofoversight the COVID-19 employer falls the of the Council of DC MAP COVID-19 provides financial assistance pandemic. borrowers can receive atoto loan of DC MAP COVID-19 financial assistance assistance toby those aprovides ected by the impacts of pandemic. Qualified borrowers can receive a loan of mortgage those affected the impacts of the COVID-19 the District of Columbia. up to $5,000 per month to put toward their those affected by the impacts of the COVID-19 uppandemic. to $5,000 per month to put toward theirborrowers mortgage Qualified borrowers can the pandemic. Qualified forCOVID-19 up six months. pandemic. Qualified borrowers canreceive receivea aloan loanofof for up sixto months. up toto $5,000 per month to put toward per theirmonth mortgage can receive a loan of up to $5,000 to up month to put toward their mortgage fortoup$5,000 to six per months. for uptoward to six months. put their mortgage for up to six months. COVID-19 DC MAP COVID-19 provides financial assistance to those affected by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualified borrowers can receive a loan of Visit www.DCHFA.org Visit www.DCHFA.org up to $5,000 per month to put toward their mortgage Visit www.DCHFA.org how to any DCHFA’s homeownership programs. Visit www.DCHFA.org for up toto sixapply months. how to apply to of any of DCHFA’s homeownership programs.

how to apply to any of DCHFA’s homeownership programs.

how to apply to any of DCHFA’s homeownership 815 FLORIDA AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 • 202.777.1600programs. • WWW.DCHFA.ORG 815 FLORIDA AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 • 202.777.1600 • WWW.DCHFA.ORG 815 FLORIDA AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 • 202.777.1600 • WWW.DCHFA.ORG 815 FLORIDA AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 • 202.777.1600 • WWW.DCHFA.ORG E R M F Visit www.DCHFA.org how to apply to any of DCHFA’s homeownership programs. AST OF THE

IVER

AGAZINE

EBRUARY

2022

815 FLORIDA AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 • 202.777.1600 • WWW.DCHFA.ORG

neighborhood news / bulletin board

a PCR test themselves. The Ward 7 center at 3925 Minnesota Ave. NE is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; closed Mondays. The Ward 8 center at 3640 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; closed Sundays. www.coronavirus.dc.gov

New 801 East Men’s Shelter in Ward 8

On Jan. 24, Mayor Bowser cut the ribbon on the new 801 East Men’s Shelter on the St. Elizabeths East campus in Ward 8. The mayor was joined by members of the Goodfellas Team ‒ seven residents from the old shelter who received workforce training and were hired to assist with construction of the replacement shelter. The $56 million, 396-bed facility includes a low-barrier shelter, a work bed program and beds reserved for seniors and individuals with medical needs, as well as capacity to expand during hypothermia season. The facility also provides a daytime services center with a mail room, computer lab, barbershop and laundry. Other onsite resources will include housing-focused case management, behavioral health and harm reduction supports and a culinary training program.

Cupid’s Undie Run Photo: Colin S. Johnson/Washington National Cathedral

Choral Evensong Returns at Washington National Cathedral

One of the treasures of the Anglican tradition, evensong is a service of sung evening prayer. The interspersing of music spanning from the Renaissance to the modern day, between familiar passages of scripture and ancient prayers, creates a contemplative mood. Lasting less than an hour, this service is held on Sundays at 4 p.m. Join in person or online. www.cathedral.org years of neglect. www.ward8woods.org/ ward8woods.org

Fort Dupont Ice Arena Closes for the Season

At the Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. SE, the schedule for public skating through Feb. 27 is: Sundays, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Fridays, noon to 2:00 p.m. Adult admission is $5; kids, $4. Skate rental is $3. The arena will then be rebuilt to reopen in September 2023. www.fdia.org

Mayor Bowser Clears Path to Bring a New Grocery Store to Ward 7

Mayor Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development have announced a plan to bring 28

EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

a grocery store to the vacant retail site at Capitol Gateway Marketplace, located in Ward 7 at the intersection of East Capitol Street and 58th Street NE. Mayor Bowser has requested the District Council to authorize the use of eminent domain to initiate action at the Capitol Gateway Marketplace and make the long-promised grocery store a reality. Ward 7 has only two fullservice grocery stores, serving 80,669 residents. The new grocer would put an additional 10,700 residents within one mile of a grocery store.

Wards 7 and 8 COVID Centers Open

COVID centers in Ward 7and 8 have opened. COVID centers give individuals access to vaccinations, boosters and take-home rapid antigen tests, as well as a walk-up testing opportunity that will allow residents to administer and register

In 2010, a group led by Brendan Hanrahan, Chad Leathers and Bobby Gill dropped their pants and ran through the DC cold to raise money for research to help end neurofibromatosis (NF), a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. Now, in midFebruary, participants in 38 cities in the US will run about a mile through the streets, mostly in Valentine-related underwear, to raise money to help treat and end NF. DC runs on Feb. 12; $45. Read more and register at www.my.cupids.org/cur/city/Washington,DC.

Return of Regular Weekday Metrobus Service

Metro has announced that Metrobus will return to regular weekday service on Monday, Feb. 7. Metrobus has been operating on a modified Saturday schedule, offering approximately 75% of normal weekday service, since Jan. 10 due to COVIDrelated staffing shortages. Metro will also deploy additional buses when possible to help increase capacity on busy lines. Once regular service has resumed, trips may need adjustment based on employee availability each day. Metro will provide updates about service changes through MetroAlerts text and email messages and on the Status and Alerts page at www.wmata.com.

Free Tax Prep Services for Earned Income Tax Credit

Mayor Bowser has announced that free and virtual tax preparation services are available to low- and moderate-income District residents by the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) and United Way of the National Capital Area (United Way NCA). The earned income tax credit (EITC), one of the nation’s largest and most effective anti-poverty programs, is a refundable tax credit. For the 2021 tax year, households with incomes not exceeding $57,414 can qualify for the EITC, which could put up to $6,700 into the pockets of eligible taxpayers. According to the IRS, 25 million workers and families got about $62 billion in EITC as of December 2020. Tax preparation services are available virtually or in person (following COVID-19 safety protocols). All United Way

SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! bat

10% OFF

LIST PRICE ON ANY EQUIPMENT INSTALLATIONS *Exp.02/28/2022

Ava U ilab l

$25 OFF Any Service Call *Exp.02/28/2022

18 Month, 0% Interest Financing

NCA Financial Empowerment Centers (FECs), except the DC office, as well as IRS VITA sites located throughout Maryland and Virginia will be offering free tax services until the week of April 15, 2022. For more information, visit www.unitedwaynca.org/vita.

FAST SERVICE FAST INSTALLATION

Franklin and James Brown. The reading will combine poetry and music from the exhibition. Tickets for this virtual event are $5 to $30, with a suggested price of $15, and can be purchased at the Folger Box Office at 202-544-7077 or by visiting www.folger.edu/poetry.

Serving Washington DC Since 2001 • Residential & Light Commercial • Roof Top Package Units • Highly Experienced Technicians • Low Prices • Free Estimates On Replacements • Convenient Financing • Licensed, Bonded & Insured

Folger and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Collaboration

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m., the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series at the Folger present a poetic mix-tape in response to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s exhibition “It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope, and Empowerment.” Poets Patricia Spears Jones, Nate Marshall, Reuben Jackson and Ashley M. Jones read their poetry to explore the rage, hope and empowerment embedded in the historic musical legacy of such artists as Public Enemy, Nina Simone, Aretha

“A House Built by Slaves”

On Wednesday, Feb. 23, 5 p.m., on YouTube, author Jonathan W. White presents the story of how President Abraham Lincoln welcomed African Americans to his White House during a divided and war-torn era and why that transformed the trajectory of race relations in the US. Beginning with his 1862 meetings with black clergy, Lincoln invited African Americans of every background into his home, from ex-slaves to champions of abolitionism such as Frederick Douglass and

Specializing in:

Equipment: Change outs & Complete Ductwork Systems + High Velocity Systems WE SERVICE & INSTALL ALL MAKES & MODELS

202-333-1310

www.polarbearairconditioning.com All Credit Cards Accepted

Photo: Courtesy DC Department of Parks and Recreation

Find an East of the River Indoor Pool

Ward 7 indoor pools: Deanwood Aquatic Center, 1350 49th St. NE, open Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sunday. H.D. Woodson Aquatic Center, 540 55th St. NE, open Monday to Friday, 6 to 8 a.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Ward 8 pool: Barry Farm Aquatic Center, 1230 Sumner Rd. SE, Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sunday. Therapeutic Aquatic Center in Ward 7 and Ferebee-Hope Aquatic Center in Ward 8 are closed for renovations. All DPR indoor pools are free for DC residents (with photo ID) and require a paid membership for non-DC residents. www.dpr.dc.gov/page/indoor-pools-00 E AST

OF THE

R IVER M AGAZINE

F EBRUARY 2022

neighborhood news / bulletin board

Sojourner Truth. He conferred with his guests about the essential issues of citizenship and voting rights. White reveals how African Americans used the White House as a national stage to amplify their calls for equality. This is a free program of the National Archives. www.archives.gov/calendar/ event/a-house-built-by-slaves-africanamerican-visitors-to-the-lincolnwhite-house

printers, mice, keyboards, videogame consoles and cellphones. A complete list of acceptable items, collection event dates and locations can be found at www.rev-log.com/DCecycling.

Bridge Fund for DC Small Businesses

Mayor Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development have announced a new $40 million round of the Bridge Fund Grant Program that Grounds of Frederick will provide financial support to brickDouglass National Historic and-mortar businesses grappling with the COVID-19 health emergency in Site Are Open the restaurant, entertainment and retail The grounds of Frederick Douglass sectors. The grants provide flexible National Historic Site, 1411 W St. SE, financial relief to small businesses and are open on Fridays and Saturdays, the On Jan. 8, ground was broken on DC’s first Lidl Supermarket at Skyland Town Center, food trucks that experienced revenue hours varying by season. The Visitor 2704 Good Hope Rd. SE. loss during the emergency. Grantees Center and Historic Home remain may use grant funds for needs such as closed. There are no ranger-led tours, rent, payroll and labor, inventory and but visitors are invited to ask questions ton on Nov. 4, 2021. Tickets are $10 to $30 ($15 sugoperating expenses. Awards range of park staff. www.nps.gov/frdo gested price) at www.folger.edu/events/autumn-leaves. from $20,000 to $100,000. The program prioritizes Available through June 30, 2022. businesses that have not received federal relief funds and microbusinesses with $2.5 million or less in revenue. “A Changing America: Applicants must be located in DC with an active DC 1968 and Beyond” High-Impact Tutoring Grants Available basic business license, less than $5 million in gross “A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond” at the Mayor Bowser has announced that community-based receipts each in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the ability National Museum of African American History organizations can submit applications for grant funding to demonstrate at least a 30% loss of revenue during and Culture explores contemporary black life through the District’s $41 million High-Impact Tutoring the period April 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021. www. through stories about the social, economic, political (HIT) investment. Administered by the Office of the State obviouslydc.com/fy22-business-funding-opportunities and cultural experiences of African Americans. Large Superintendent for Education and established using fedgraphics and original artifacts lead visitors from the Black eral funds received through the American Rescue Plan Arts Movement to Hip Hop, the Black Panthers to “Yes (ARP) Act of 2021, HIT grants aim to increase access Small Disposable Food Service Items We Can” and Black is Beautiful to #BlackLivesMatter. to evidence-based tutoring programs for Pre-K through Policy Changed The exhibition also considers the challenges African grade 12 students. Application deadline is March 10, 3 To keep our rivers cleaner and reduce waste, effective Americans face as they seek racial equity and social p.m. For more information, visit www.osse.dc.gov/page/ Jan. 1, all District restaurants and food-serving entities justice. www.nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/ high-impact-tutoring-hit-grants-tutoring-programmingare prohibited from automatically including small dischanging-america strategic-program-supports-and-program. posable food service items (including but not limited to The National Museum of African American Hisplastic utensils) with the food they serve. Restaurants tory and Culture is open Wednesday through Sunday and food-serving entities are now required to keep small from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visitors may enter until Free Electronics Recycling in DC disposable items either behind the counter for customers 4:00 p.m. Free timed-entry passes are required. www. Reverse Logistics Group, in partnership with electronics who request them or in a self-service area for customers nmaahc.si.edu manufacturers Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, to take on their own. The new requirements apply to inSamsung and Vtech, will hold 32 free electronics recycling person, online and mobile orders. A grace period of six events on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout months, with no fines, will allow for training staff, upFolger’s “Autumn Leaves” 2022 in each of the District’s 8 wards, rain or shine. dating operating software and addressing other aspects “Autumn Leaves” is an improvisation in poetry and jazz Collection vehicles will be stationed near Department of of the transition. with pianist Cyrus Chestnut and poets Lenard D. Moore Parks and Recreation community or recreation centers, and Kyle Dargan. The artists share their compositions District parks or local farmers markets. Residents, small to spark one another in this freestyle performance. The businesses and nonprofit organizations may drop off any Christmas Tree and Holiday evening concludes with a discussion among the performof the listed acceptable items in as-is condition for safe Greenery Collection ers, Folger director of programming Karen Ann Danhandling by a responsible recycler; items not listed on Through Feb. 28, the Department of Public Works is iels and Folger director Michael Witmore. “Autumn the acceptable items list are not eligible. Accepted items collecting Christmas trees and holiday greenery from Leaves” was recorded live at the Arts Club of Washinginclude computers, tablets, monitors, TVs, desktop 30

EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

homes that receive DPW curbside pickup. Residents may leave trees and greenery at the normal point of collection for trash and recycling or at the curbside. DPW will compost the items and in spring offer the mulch to residents at no cost. Residents may also drop Christmas trees and/or holiday greenery at Benning Road Transfer Station, 3200 Benning Rd. NE; Fort Totten Transfer Station, 4900 John F. McCormack Dr. NE; Bryant Street Sweep Shop, 201 Bryant St. NW; and South Capitol Street Graffiti Shop, 2700 South Capitol St. SE. www.dpw.dc.gov

Pay-Your-Age at Arena Stage: An Under 30 Program

Arena Stage offers Pay-Your-Age tickets available for the 30-and-under crowd. Just as the name says, age determines the price. Tickets are available online, by phone or in person on a first-come, firstserved basis, limited to four per household. Tickets become available about two months before the show’s first performance. Proof of age for each member of the party will be required at time of pick-up. Fees are not included in ticket prices. Children under age five are not permitted in the theater. www.arenastage.org/tickets/savings-programs

$22,000 from “A Christmas Carol” at Fords during 2021

Ford’s Theatre has announced that audiences and the company raised $22,109.83 for Theatre Washington’s Taking Care Fund during performances of this season’s “A Christmas Carol.” Since 2009, the company has raised more than $900,000 for Washingtonarea charities, aiding thousands within the DC-area who experience homelessness and hunger. www.fords.org

DCRA Accepting License Applications for Short-Term Rentals

As of Jan. 10, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) began accepting applications for residents to license short-term rentals for

30 or fewer continuous nights. A 90-day enforcement grace period gives shortterm rental hosts enough time to get their required licenses. Short-term rentals are limited to a host’s primary residence, which the law defines as a property for which the owner is eligible for the homestead tax deduction. Only natural persons are eligible for short-term rental licenses; business entities such as an LLC or corporation are not eligible. The cost for a two-year short-term rental license is $104.50, which includes a $70 processing fee, a $25 endorsement fee, and a 10% technology fee. www.dcra. dc.gov/shorttermrentals

New Leaf Blower Regulations On Jan. 1, the Leaf Blower Regulation Amendment Act of 2018 took effect. The act prohibits the use of gasolinepowered leaf blowers in the District. Individuals and companies who continue to use gasoline-powered leaf blowers after this date will be subject to fines of up to $500 for each offense. You can report violations if you observe a gas-powered leaf blower being used. The DCRA will accept photographic and recorded (video and audio) evidence in support of these citations.

Hypothermia Alerts

Hypothermia alerts activate when the National Weather Service forecasted temperature, including wind chill, is or will be 32° F or below; or, when the temperature is forecasted to be 40° F or below and the chance of precipitation is 50% or greater. Transportation to shelter is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To report someone outside in need of shelter or a welfare check, call the Shelter Hotline at 202-399-7093 or dial 311.

Open Call for 2022 Capital Fringe Festival

Have a show idea and specifics ready for the 2022 Capital Fringe Festival, July 11 to 24. Artist registration is open through Feb. 18. There is no registration fee. Learn more and apply at capitalfringe.org/artist. ◆ E AST

OF THE

R IVER M AGAZINE

F EBRUARY 2022

east washington life

Meet Your Neighbor

Shango Kwame: Independent and Free-Spirited by Anthony D. Diallo

ard 7’s Shango Kwame has not donned a shirt in at least 15 years. Easily recognized in Wards 7 and 8, he is the gentleman with the well-defined, bare torso, riding through the streets. Any shirt, sweater, jacket or coat, he said, hinders him on his bicycle, he said, and shirts are unnecessary in general. In the winter, Kwame mentally masters the cold. “I move a lot. Staying in motion is part of the key to my success,” said Kwame. Asked his age, he answered

Shango Kwame is shown enjoying time at Benjamin Banneker Tennis Court.

“infinity.” “I used to do push-ups and work out” to keep energized and withstand the elements. “I still do but (the need) is not as much” said Kwame. Known as ‘Baba,’ father/elder, Shango, which means the warrior willing to stand alone, Kwame is an entrepreneur, drummer, health care professional and nutritionist. However, he might best be described as a determined non-conformist. For example, he chooses to ride one of his two bikes 10 to 20 miles a day, despite both being stuck in a single gear.

Baba Shango and his son Ifasen at the latter’s African rite of passage.

Early Career

Kwame began by studying healthcare in Marietta, Georgia. Then he served as a paramedic with the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Shortly around the time his son was born, he quit after being placed on suspension twice for not cutting his decade-old dreadlocks. While never regretting that decision, he later cut off his long, flowing locks in solidarity with his son. Kwame then worked at the District’s Hadley Memorial Hospital before the facility closed in 1990. He then moved to the trauma center at the University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center. Ultimately, Kwame choose to shelve his hospital career to become a nutritionist and healer. Now, this holistic practitioner is building a business offering clients “healing touches or massages.” “All the things I frowned upon in the past,” Kwame says with a wry smile. “I make and sell African shea butter for the hair and skin. I sell African clothing and accessories to uplift black people and help them recognize their African root culture. I also sell cultural African books based upon spirituality,” said Kwame. He plans to 32

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

build a website for his products with the help of his son. Those interested can now contact him at (202) 246-4321 or shangokwame@aol.com. All of Kwame’s work reflects his spiritual orientation.

Spirituality

Shango Kwame believes that not belonging to a specific religion or denomination allows him to remain open to

Shango Kwame prepares to drum at Malcolm X.

Shango Kwame electrifies the crowd after playing the drums at Meridian Hill (Malcolm X) Park. Shango Kwame exercises at Great Falls, Maryland.

a variety of different doctrines and spiritual practices. Kwame lived in Puerto Rico for three years and is able to comfortably converse in Spanish. He is also knowledgeable about Yoruba spiritual practices. The Yoruba are one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria and parts of Benin and Togo, numbering an estimated 20 million. Today, the Yoruba are mostly Christians and Muslims. However, aspects of their traditional religion survive, including a supreme creator as well as 400 lesser gods and spirits. Much like the principles of Kwanzaa, Kwame believes in the celebration of family, community and culture rooted in the values of Africans and Black Americans with strict attention for a meaningful, principled and productive life. He is a strict vegan. All these practices he incorpo-rates into his home life “Shango by nature is a community person. He’ll give you everything that he has. He is all about up-lifting the community and people of African descent. He was born to serve in the spirit of Dr. King,” said Gary Daniels, a retired DCPS teacher who met Kwame about four years ago.

Living The Good Life

A Ward 7 resident, Kwame rents a home in Twining

with his wife “Mama Jessica” and 15-year-old son Ifasen, which means “it performs a miracle.” “My biggest accomplishment is raising my son and being with his mother,” he said. “I am proud of them. Ifasen is a student of the Sankofa Home School Collective (sankofahomeschool.org). This is an Afri-cancentered homeschool community for families of color. Like a certain percentage of American students, Ifasen has never attended a traditional public school. Kwame and his son are active and excel in sports. Ifasen’s primary sport is soccer. Kwame plays as much tennis as he can. “If it is at least 48 degrees, we will be playing some tennis. Sometimes we’ll play for three hours straight and then go cycling,” said Daniels. Besides being an avid tennis player, Baba Shango is an ardent drummer. He performs at Malcolm X Park in Adams Morgan and in Benjamin Banneker Park in Southwest as well as New York City and New Jersey. “Shango Kwame is a great brother in the community who holds strong attributes,” said Sister Sumayyah Abdullah, a poet and African dancer who has known Kwame for several years. “He’s acknowledged for the many skills of artistry that he brings to the world like his drumming, coaching tennis, and selling all-natural body creams to name just a few. Shango is full of life and always speaks words of power and positivity,” she said. u E ast

of the

R iver M agazine

F ebruary 2022

ANIMAL CLINIC OF ANACOSTIA Candace A. Ashley, DVM

The Old Man of Anacostia Our Neighborhoods by Philip Pannell

T WE TREAT YOUR PETS LIKE FAMILY!

Serving the East of the River community for over 40 years! 2210 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, SE

202.889.8900 I doctorashleydvm.com

EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

he redistricting of the wards is complete. The demographic and statistical profile of Ward 8 has changed dramatically. Its boundaries now include the Navy Yard, Nationals Stadium and a portion of the Capitol Riverfront. Ward 8’s median income and educational attainment level have increased. The ward’s food desert has been watered by Harris Teeters and Whole Foods. Its boundaries now include a plethora of sit-down restaurants. Please forgive me for not joining in the celebration of the new Ward 8. The new tony housing within its borders remains unaffordable to most of its original residents It now includes grocery stores where they will never shop and eateries they will never patronize due to transportation and income challenges. Most Ward 8 kids will not be able to enjoy games at Nationals Stadium, unless they receive complimentary tickets; not to mention, money for the pricey refreshments. Neighborhood boundaries, I have always maintained, are just as important, if not more so, than ward boundaries. Since the advent of Home Rule, the Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE, has been in Wards 6, 7 and 8. The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, now a Ward 8 landmark, was once in Ward 6. Wards are geopolitical entities that last only a decade. Neighborhood boundaries rarely change. The Anacostia Library has always been in the Fairlawn neighborhood. Our community activists and leaders should pay more attention to neighborhood boundaries. They should become neighborhood boosters. Far too many people consider everywhere ‘east of the river’ to be Anacostia or “Southeast.” Too many of the area’s residents remain ignorant of their own neighborhoods. Neighborhoods have history, traditions. They give their residents a sense of place and pride. DC

has scores of neighborhoods. Many of them have functioning civic associations, some of which date back decades. Unfortunately, Ward 8 has only six representing the Anacostia Historic District, Bellevue, Congress Heights, Fairlawn, Fort Stanton and Washington Highlands. A few decades ago there were more. Buena Vista, Garfield-Douglass, Hillsdale, Knox Hill, Shipley and Skyland neighborhoods had active civic associations. Their loss is regrettable. Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) are not civic associations, unlike what some may believe. Like the wards, their boundaries are redrawn each decade. They are governmental bodies that possess restricted duties and functions. Their coffers, filled with District funds, are tightly controlled. Civic associations, on the other hand, are grassroots organizations run by the residents. Unlike ANCs, they can sue the government. Many predate Home Rule. Let us respect and celebrate their histories. The DC Office of Planning, which lists neighborhoods on its website, plays no role in de-termining their boundaries other than the historic districts. In the absence of viable and strong civic associations, neighborhood histories are ignored and their identities erased by gentrification or powerful interests. For example, NoMa, the creation of developers, has no longstanding history. Much discussion, organizing and energy were spent on the redistricting of wards. The process forward for the District, I believe, starts with organized community conversations about what defines and constitutes a neighborhood. On June 21, the District will hold the primary elections. During the preceding candidate forums, I will ask all the candidates, “Are you a member of your neighborhood’s civic association?” Will you? Philip Pannell is a long time Ward 8 community activist. He can be contacted at philippan-nell@comcast.net. ◆

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

PRICE

FORT LINCOLN

FEE SIMPLE ANACOSTIA

1915 21st Pl SE 2509 West St SE 1416 19th St SE 2529 High St SE 3337 5th St SE

BARRY FARMS

1413 Morris Rd SE 2927 Stanton Rd SE

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 2914 7th St SE 162 Joliet St SW 632 Brandywine St SE 3904 2nd St SW

DAKOTA CROSSING

3235 Theodore R Hagans NE

DEANWOOD

4939 Fitch Pl NE 47 53rd Pl SE 4520 Clay St NE 54 53rd St SE 4210 Dix St NE 1015 48th St NE 100 56th Pl SE 807 51st St NE 1115 51st St NE 214 35th NE 4622 Hayes St NE 13 58th St SE 3964 NE Ames St NE 249 55th St NE 5104 Hayes St NE 5824 Eads St NE 24 53rd Pl SE 345 NE 36th St NE

FORT DUPONT PARK 4237 Alabama Ave SE 864 Burns St SE 3331 Ely Pl SE 4219 Hildreth St SE 1557 42nd St SE

1661 Fort Dupont St SE

$484,900 $480,000 $365,000 $345,000 $290,000

2 3 2 3 3

$710,000 $529,000

7 4

$540,000 $540,000 $440,000 $400,000

3 5 3 3

3129 Fort Lincoln Dr NE 3708 Hansberry Ct NE 2504 Baldwin Cres NE

HILL CREST

3147 Westover Dr SE 1718 29th St SE 717 Croissant Pl SE 3360 Erie St SE 3323 Carpenter St SE

KINGMAN PARK 2021 Rosedale St NE

LILY PONDS

3341 Ames St NE 3318 Ames St NE

MARSHALL HEIGHTS $699,000

$565,000 $555,000 $535,000 $520,000 $516,800 $499,000 $490,000 $450,000 $433,000 $403,000 $399,000 $395,000 $390,000 $379,000 $315,000 $286,000 $265,000 $260,000

4 5 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 3 2 2

$550,000 $517,500 $495,000 $460,000 $350,000

6 4 3 3 2

5025 Ayers Pl SE 5052 Queens Stroll Pl SE 5233 D St SE 5116 A St SE 5020 Kimi Gray Ct SE 5122 Southern Ave SE 5001 Ayers Pl SE 4920 B St SE

RANDLE HEIGHTS

1909 Minnesota Ave SE 3434 21st SE 1833 S St SE 1895 Alabama Ave SE

RIVER TERRACE 3327 Clay Pl NE 3320 Clay St NE

$340,000

$900,000 $665,000 $620,000

4 3 3

$725,000 $510,500 $508,000 $450,000 $437,000

4 3 4 3 3

$545,000

$500,000 $335,000

3 2

$600,000 $510,000 $485,000 $465,000 $450,000 $410,000 $373,000 $135,000

4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3

2105 Suitland Ter SE #B 3922 Southern Ave SE #101

FORT DUPONT PARK

3960-3960 Pennsylvania Ave SE #306 4002 E St SE #105

2016 37th St SE #301 3941 Pennsylvania Ave SE #102 1727 28th St SE #204 3709 Alabama Ave SE #302

KINGMAN PARK 1620 E St NE #4 218 20th St NE #1

MARSHALL HEIGHTS 17 46th St SE #9

$480,000 $430,000 $395,000 $278,000

3 4 2 3

$484,500 $483,500

2 2

$291,000 $149,000

2 1

$208,000 $77,000

2 2

CONDO FAIRFAX VILLAGE

HILL CREST

RANDLE HEIGHTS

1721 28th Pl SE #A 1719 Gainesville St SE #301

$180,000 $144,500 $130,000 $111,000

2 1 2 2

$590,000 $549,900

3 2

$122,000

$295,000 $180,000

2 2

$42,250

COOP CONGRESS HEIGHTS 20 Chesapeake St SE #24 ◆

E AST

OF THE

R IVER M AGAZINE

F EBRUARY 2022

kids & family

by Kathleen Donner

The Lunar New Year (online) Family Zone

Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is celebrated around the world and is a time to cherish loved ones both near and far. This year the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) is highlighting the Chinese traditions and celebration of the Year of the Ox. Enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities you can complete at home and with your extended family and friends via Zoom. Watch traditional Chinese craft demonstrations and performances. Join the Madison Chinese Dance Corporation for acrobatics, yoyo, and other Chinese dance traditions. americanart.si.edu/events/family-zone/lunar-new-year.

Soar Together @ Air and Space Virtual Family Day: What’s Beyond Our Solar System?

Soar Together @ Air and Space is a monthly virtual family program from the National Air and Space Museum. Through live events and interactive activities you can do anytime, your family can explore a different air and space topic every month. This month’s family program, on Feb. 18 and 19, all day, will explore the questions, “How do we know what is out there beyond our own universe?” and “What world do you imagine?” You’ll learn about the ways scientists study planets outside our solar system, and then use your creative side to imagine what it would be like to live on another planet. Register at airandspace.si.edu/events/ soar-together-air-and-space-virtual-family-day-whatsbeyond-our-solar-system

Balloonacy at Imagination Stage

Balloonacy is a beautiful, movement-based show that revisits the classic film The Red Balloon. Nothing can go right for the character of the old man, whose days are gray and dreary–until he is visited by a friendly red balloon. In the playful physical style of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the old man--an adult version of the boy in the film--regains his youthful spirit, with the help of the red balloon. $12. Balloonacy is at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda Feb. 5 to 20. Best suited for ages five to eleven. Imaginationstage.org.

Darbuka Drumming at the National Children’s Museum

On Saturday, Feb. 12 and Sunday, Feb. 13, join in on an authentic Darbuka drumming session. You’ll learn more about Arabic music and instruments like the Darbuka, an iconic percussion instrument used in the Middle East. The program, in the Creative Corner on the first floor, lasts approximately 30 minutes and will start at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. It is recommended for all ages, especially five to nine. Museum admission is $15.95 for one adult and one child. The National Children’s Museum is at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. nationalchildrensmuseum.org.

How Things Fly

How does an airplane stay aloft? How can something as insubstantial as air support all that weight? Why do you become “weightless” in space? How can you propel yourself there, with no air to push against? These and many other questions are answered in How Things Fly, a gallery devoted to explaining the basic principles that allow aircraft and spacecraft to fly. The emphasis here is “hands-on.” Dozens of exhibits invite you to push, pull, press, lift, slide, handle, touch, twist, turn, spin, bend, and balance. Open Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The National Air and Space Museum’s building on the National Mall will temporarily close to the public March 28, 2022 until fall 2022.

National Zoo Webcams

See giant pandas, elephants, lions and naked mole-rats 36

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

P.Nokio: A Hip-Hop Musical at Imagination Stage

G.Petto is an ingenious computer games designer who one day discovers that his newest game character P.Nokio can live outside the computer. G.Petto is thrilled at the prospect of having a “son,” and with the help of the Graffiti Fairy, he teaches P.Nokio how to become a real boy. But, P.Nokio falls in with con artists and finds himself in a web of lies that endangers his father. To save G.Petto, P.Nokio must wise up, keep it real, and learn that words and truth are the mightiest weapons of all. A completely contemporary, high-energy musical update of Pinocchio, on stage at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, from Feb. 26 to April 9, is best suited for ages five to eleven. ASL-interpreted performance is March 27 at 1:30 p.m. Sensory-friendly performance is April 3 at 11 a.m. imaginationstage.org.

E ast

of the

R iver M agazine

F ebruary 2022

Come se hine learn C us! with

YU YING IS OPEN TO ALL! • We’re one of 11 DC public charter schools with equitable access preference. • Parents and guardians – you don’t need to speak Chinese for your child to attend. Learn more and register for an upcoming virtual open house at washingtonyuying.org/enroll

All Aboard for Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails!

The world’s most beloved #1 blue engine has rolled into National Children’s Museum this winter for exciting fun and adventure. Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails!, an interactive exhibit created by Minnesota Children’s Museum and inspired by the popular children’s series now on Nick Jr, steamed into the Museum on Jan. 22, for a four-month stay through Sunday, May 15. Featuring favorite engines and destinations from Thomas & Friends, this STEM–focused exhibit seeks to engage children, ages two through seven, and families in foundational skills that foster STEM literacy through playful learning experiences. Museum admission is $15.95 for one adult and one child. The National Children’s Museum is at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. nationalchildrensmuseum.org.

on animal cams streaming live, 24/7 from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. nationalzoo. si.edu/webcams. Download Animal Cam Bingo Cards at nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams. These activities are designed to engage learners of all ages in looking closely and thinking deeply about animal behavior and habitats. Welcome to the wild side of learning!

MLK Library Virtual Story Time

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 to 11 p.m., enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and more for ages birth to five and their caregivers on Facebook Live. Tune into the fun at facebook.com/ dclibrary. You will not need a Facebook account to view the program. 38

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

Show Way: A Book in Concert at the KC

Soonie’s great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She began to stitch a Show Way, a quilt with secret meanings to show enslaved people the way to freedom. As each generation passes, the Show Way shines a light on the past and paves a road to the future, stitching together possibility and promise. Through Feb. 20, the Kennedy Center’s Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson’s Newbery-winning book of history, love, and resilience becomes a world premiere stage adaptation. This moving, lyrical account based on Woodson’s own family pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledge il-

SERVING GRADES 6-12

luminate their daughters’ lives--from enslavement to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches, and the fight for literacy. $20. Most enjoyed by age seven and older. kennedy-center.org.

Take a Live, Virtual Capitol Tour

Due to Covid, the Capitol Visitor Center remains closed, but you can still join one of their knowledgeable guides for a live, virtual tour that includes the Crypt, Rotunda and National Statuary Hall. The tour will have live video and audio. Register in advance for these online tours offered Monday through Friday at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Tours last 45 to 60 minutes, including time for questions and answers. Tour participation requires a device that plays sound and video. Participants will not be on camera and will submit questions via the chat feature. Registration for online tours closes at 9 a.m. the previous day. To register, visit the visitthecapitol.gov/virtual-capitoltour and use the calendar feature to select a date and time. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation with the link for the tour you selected.

YOUR LEGACY STARTS HERE. Apply today for School Year 2022-2023. Seats are limited. Complete the application online through MySchoolDC.org. #ChoosePaul and we’ll choose you back! Increase your chances of being matched with Paul PCS by making us your #1 selection.

WHY PAUL PCS FOR 6-12 GRADE? • Tier 1 High School; on average 1:15 ratio for MS and HS classes • Guaranteed seat for Paul middle school families into Paul IHS • SAT Prep, Tutoring, Honors AP Classes, Dual Enrollment and In-House College Assistance

• Over 20 competitive middle school, Jr. Varsity, and Varsity Athletic teams • Free daily breakfast, lunch and Extended Day afterschool programs including E-Sports, American Sign Language, and Homework Help

Explore the Rhythm and Magic of Percussion Instruments

On March 5 and 6, discover the range of percussion instruments through two imaginative stories featuring assistant principal timpanist of the NSO, Scott Christian. I Dream of the Moon (A Young Boy’s Adventure Through Space) by Keeghan Fountain tells the story of a young boy’s journey from his own backyard to the furthest reaches of the moon in a non-verbal performance on the vibraphone with projected images of original artwork by Nehemiah Russell. Xavier’s New Friends by Peter Gilbert introduces the main percussion family instruments through Xavier the Xylophone as he searches for percussion friends to join his band. Most enjoyed by ages five, up. March 6 at 4 p.m. is a sensory-friendly performance. kennedy-center.org.

• Wraparound Services, Counseling and Student Support Resources for IEP families

Visit www.paulcharter.org to learn more. Questions? Email: Enrollment@paulcharter.org

5800 8th Street NW Washington, DC I (202) 291-7499

Make Way for the Ducklings

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are exhausted from E AST

OF THE

R IVER M AGAZINE

F EBRUARY 2022

kids & family

Because: A Symphony of Serendipity

Old Town’s George Washington Birthday Parade

Old Town’s George Washington Birthday Parade, honoring the 225th celebration of the birth of Father of our Country, is on Monday, Feb. 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. The oldest and largest parade celebrating the birth of George Washington in the US, it winds through a one-mile route along the historic streets of Old Town. (The parade date is weather dependent.) Read more at washingtonbirthday.com.

How can music change a young person’s life? See for yourself when Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems’s story of chance makes its world premiere as a concert with the National Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, March 20 at 2 and 4 p.m. The 2 p.m. concert is sensory-friendly. Most enjoyed by ages five, up. $20 to $55. kennedy-center.org.

Family Dance Workshop: ABT

Free, no tickets required. On Sunday, April 3, 11 a.m., join dancers at the Kennedy Center for this 45-minute workshop led by artists from American Ballet Theatre. Designed for families with children ages 10 and under, the workshop explores music, movement, and/or themes of a ballet while taking families through learning simple ballet steps or choreography. Children must participate with an adult. Pre-registration will be available approximately one month before the event and is highly recommended. kennedy-center.org.

Photo: Steve Muth

their search for a starter home when they land in the Boston Public Garden as a potential home. Surprised by a few conditions in the Garden, the Mallards move on to continue their search until their baby ducklings are born. When the ducklings begin to explore the world around them, the challenges of parenthood in the busy Boston environment create a fun bit of family drama. A classic story for all ages, this world premiere musical celebrates family, Boston, children, and the beings who make an unfamiliar place a home. $25. Adventure Theatre’s Make Way for the Ducklings is on stage at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Glen Echo, MD, from Feb. 4 to March 27. adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure”

In PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure,” Mayor Goodway is getting everything shipshape for a big Pirate Day celebration in Adventure Bay. When Cap’n Turbot falls into a dark and mysterious cavern, it’s PAW Patrol to the rescue! Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Rocky and Zuma save Cap’n Turbot and discover a secret pirate treasure map that leads them on an epic adventure. The performance is an interactive live stage show, encouraging audiences to learn pirate catchphrases, dance the pirate boogie and help the pups follow the treasure map and solve picture puzzles throughout their mission. PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure” is at the EagleBank Arena, 4500 Patriot Cir, Fairfax, for seven performances from March 31 to April 3. Tickets are on sale now. ticketmaster.com. u

Celebrate Washington’s Birthday at Mount Vernon

On Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., celebrate the first president of the United States at his beloved home. Admission is free for both days—Presidents Day and George Washington’s birthday. On Feb. 21, witness a presidential tribute and a wreath laying at the Washington’s Tomb; listen to special remarks given by Doug Bradburn, president of Mount Vernon; and meet George Washington and other characters on the grounds of the historic area. On Feb. 22, observe a moving ceremony in which candidates from across the world become US citizens. Timed tickets for Mansion tours are distributed upon entry and are limited in number. Face masks are recommended indoors for all persons, vaccinated or unvaccinated. Face masks are required for all unvaccinated guests. mountvernon.org. 40

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

Virginia and her siblings wore Western-style clothing as everyday attire, but on special occasions donned imported clothes to showcase their Chinese heritage. The outfit will also be made available as a 3D scan.

Becoming Chinese American (Girlhood– It’s complicated)

Chinese American Virginia Lee wore the vest and trousers on display in the early 1900s. Born in the United States but raised in immigrant households, Chinese American girls embodied multiple cultures. They were expected to conform to American culture while maintaining Chinese values. Clothing became an important way for Chinese American girls to navigate cultures and identities. Virginia, a first-generation Chinese American, grew up in New York City. Becoming Chinese American is in the New Perspectives case outside on the Second Floor, East, of the National Museum of American History. americanhistory.si.edu.

100 Gallatin St. NE Washington, DC 20011

Pre-K 3 through 5th grade Building a strong foundation for learning

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ALL GRADES FOR THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR ADDITIONAL LOTTERY FOR STUDENTS WITH HIGH LEVEL SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS.

Apply for admissions at:

www.myschooldc.org or call (202) 888-6336 Lottery Deadline March 1, 2022

Open Houses School Year 2022-2023 *All sessions will be virtual using ZOOM video conferencing. To register please call (202) 545-0515 or email info@bridgespcs.org to get information on how to join the session.

English

Spanish

Friday 10:00 am - 11:00 am February 4th • February 18th

Friday 10:00 am - 11:00 am February 4th Tuesday 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm February 15th Friday 9:00 am - 10:00 am February 18th

Tuesday 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm February 15th

Scan this QR code to register for an open house session.

w w w. br i d g e sp c s . org I 2 0 2 . 5 4 5 . 0 5 1 5 Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

EARLY CARE AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM Ages 6 weeks to 12 Years Old Monday - Friday | 6:30 AM - 6:00 PM

OUR PROGRAM OFFERS

Developmentally Appropriate Programs Toilet Training Certified Educators Education Field Trips LOCATIONS: Income-Based Tuition MINNESOTA Summer Camp 4021 Minnesota Ave., NE

202.397.1170 ANTIOCH 1105 50th St., NE 202.397.8754 GOOD HOPE ROAD 2503 Good Hope Rd., SE 202.582.0323

www.commresh.com

DC Prep campuses now accepting applications for the 22-23 school year, serving students PK3-8th grade in wards 5,7,8. Preparing students for an academically and socially successful future.

Call 202-780-5126 for more information or visit:

dcprep.org E AST

OF THE

R IVER M AGAZINE

F EBRUARY 2022

www.themecrosswords.com • www.mylesmellorconcepts.com

XWORD “Famous Names” by Myles Mellor Across: 1. Sun Bowl venue 7. English afternoon break 14. Tracks 19. Bread puffer-upper 20. Served, as soup 21. Head or honeydew 22. Jameses 25. Dead to the world 26. Long-eared beast 27. Artistic period 28. Mus. chart 29. Pa. neighbor 30. Killer of Antony’s lover 32. Snowmobile trademark 34. Choice words 39. Indian cuisine 41. Civil rights organization 44. Bar or lands? 45. Store sign 46. Record label 48. Appeal to the judge 50. Holm or Fleming 52. Fearsome dino 53. Erics 59. Austin time 60. On the way out 61. Lines of a verse 62. Pre-med course, abbr. 63. “Do _____ say!” 64. Miss Piggy’s query 65. Fall month 66. Group of whales 69. All inheritable traits 71. Ozone layer pollutant: abbr. 74. Big inits. in photography 76. Rebel 78. Girl’s name 79. One of a chair pair 81. El Dorado’s lure 83. Switch positions 85. Confess 86. W. Africa republic 90. “Let’s Make __” 91. Today, in Tijuana

94. Annes 96. Pancake maker 98. Waikiki wear 99. Fictional monkey 100. Spring mon. 101. Fragrant flowers 103. Bite at 106. Runny-nose condition 108. Short time segment, abbr. 111. Japanese city 112. Ice, and others 114. Ponder 116. Muppet Show eagle 118. Deer 120. “Conquest of Space” writer Willy 121. Famous West 123. Knife brand 125. Janes 131. Russian range 132. Hit from behind 133. Call on unexpectedly 134. Fix firmly 135. Instructions 136. Imbues

Down: 1. Charlton Heston title role 2. Tilted 3. Actress Anderson of “Baywatch” 4. State firmly 5. Sealy rival 6. Yoko of “Dear Yoko” 7. “Joy of Cooking” abbr. 8. Tour de France downfall substances 9. Huffington Post owner 10. Arcade coin 11. Lined up 12. Threaten 13. Roush of baseball fame 14. Actor Sharif 15. A beautiful Bugatti 16. “That’s ___!” 17. London lav 18. Elder

Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 23. California wine valley 24. Body mark, for short 31. Irritated state 32. Exhausted 33. Not straight 35. Letters after Q 36. Drug squad officer 37. Encouraging words 38. TelePrompTer filler 40. Simple shack 42. Causing suspension of breathing 43. Applaud 45. Burdensome 47. Prius’s advantage 49. Kicker Vinateri 51. Yemen port 53. Funnel-shaped 54. Tropical woody climber 55. Words of understanding

56. Med. care providers 57. Coup d’___ (quick glance) 58. Reply to an invitation 60. Baby talk 63. TV antennas 66. Accepting that.. 67. Drenched 68. Cry like a baby 70. Beat to a pulp 72. ___ song 73. Sticking point, metaphorically 75. Former White House nickname 77. Detection methods 80. Disburse 82. Beauty products provider 84. Outlaw Kelly 87. Zoo heavyweight 88. Observers

GAMES AND PUZZLES FOR EVERYONE!

Tues, Thurs, & Friday: 11am -10pm Wed: 11am – 8pm Sat + Sun: 10am – 7pm

645 Pennsylvania Ave SE (Steps from Eastern Market Metro)

• Friendly, knowledgeable staff • Board Games • Card Games • Puzzles • Building Toys • Events

202-544-1059 • labyrinthdc.com 42

EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

89. Contract 90. Noted artist Jean 91. Handle 92. Home of Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland 93. Sheep skin grease 95. Renown 97. Settle a debt 102. Baby 104. “Maybe” 105. Goddess of duty 107. Not mint 109. Narrow ___ (close shave) 110. Kitty treat 112. Vacation locale, with “the” 113. Colorists 115. Apply muscle power 117. Periods of time 119. Hop making place 121. “Death in Venice” writer, Thomas 122. “No ifs, ___ ...” 124. Soothing plant 125. Shed stuff 126. “... ___ quit!” 127. SAT follower 128. Web address 129. Prefix with classical 130. Drilling professional, for short

AIR & HEATING

HAIR SALON P D EL E H NT A W

Look Fabulous

To place a classified in East of the River, please call Carolina at Capital Community News, Inc. 202.543.3503 or email Carolina@hillrag.com

UNISEX HAIR SALON

Men’s Haircut - $15 Locs/Twist Specials - $50 Weaves Sewn - $100

PAINTING

1ST TIME CUSTOMER ONLY

Nail Technician on Site MANICURES • PEDICURES • FULL SET

CLEANING SERVICES PROFESSIONAL CLEANING AT AN AFFORDABLE RATE

202.581.1700 | 2203 Minsesotta Ave. SE / lookfabulousunisexhairsalon

MASONRY Serving Capitol Hill & SW DC for Over 30 Years!

$20

Locally Owned

Off Your First Clean NEW CLIENT SPECIAL

DAILY • WEEKLY • BIWEEKLY • MONTHLY PET & FAMILY FRIENDLY GET STARTED WITH YOUR FREE ESTIMATE!

703-719-9850 703-447-9254 standardcleaningservicesinc.com REFERENCES • BONDED & INSURED

ELECTRICIAN

GEORGE HALLIDAY

MASONRY CONCRETE & BRICKPOINTING • Restoration Cleaning on Historical Brick & Stone

PLUMBING

Just Say I Need A Plumber®

• Licensed Gas Fitter • Water Heater • Boiler Work • Serving DC • References John • Drain Service • Furness Repair & Replacement

• Basements & Waterproofing • Experts in New & Traditional Masonry

Chimney Repointing, Lining & Repairs! NO Job Too Small! We Do it All!!

202.637.8808 Licensed, Bonded & Insured

G G ROOFING

Dial A Plumber, LLC®

AWARDED BEST WASHINGTON, DC CONTRACTOR OF 2012 BY ANGIE’S LIST FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • “50 YEARS EXPERIENCE”

Flat Roof Specialists Modified Bitumen • Skylights • Shingles • Slate •

Licensed Bonded Insured

•

Kenny

202-251-1479 DC P

L U M M E R

’

I C E N S E

#707

WE STOP LEAKS! • Tiles • Chimneys • Gutters • Waterproofing • Roof Certifications

We Do Everything!

LIC. BONDED. INS

10% OFF WITH THIS AD

202.425.1614 Licensed & Insured | All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners

FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST

BOYD CONSTRUCTION INC.

•

WWW.GANDGHOMEIMPROVEMENTS.NET

ROOFING

• Roof Repairs • Roof Coatings • Rubber • Metal • Slate

Chimney Repairs Roof Coatings • Gutters & Downspouts • Preventive Maintenance • Metal Roofs •

75 years in service

BBB

Member

202-223-ROOF (7663)

East of the River Magazine – February 2022

Articles inside

Making an Impact: John Lewis Mural Celebrates Civil Rights

Bulletin Board by Kathleen Donner

Kids & Family Notebook

Meet Your Neighbor Shango Kwame: Independent

Changing Hands by Don Denton