East of the River Magazine – October 2022

In Memoriam

Buddy Harrison

ELECTION SPECIAL

The At-Large Council Race: Crime, Housing & Education by Elizabeth O’Gorek

Election of ANC Commissioners on November Ballot: Redistricting Changes Boundaries, Shifts Incumbents by Elizabeth O’Gorek

The Old Man of Anacostia Serve Your Community: Run for The ANC by Philip Pannell

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

In Memoriam: Arthur “Buddy”

Harrison – Local Boxing Coach and Community Servant Killed Sept. 24 by Elizabeth O’Gorek

Lidl Opens at Skyland Town Center: First Opening of Full-Service Grocery East of River in 15 Years by Elizabeth O’Gorek

I-71 Enforcement Halted: Gray Market Cannabis Too Big to Stop? by Kenneth V. Cummins

Our River: The Anacostia: The APACC Leads The Private Sector In The Clean-Up of The Anacostia by Bill Matuszeski

Bulletin Board by Kathleen Donner

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

The Anacostia Coordinating Council Boat Ride by Michael Sainte-Andress, Photos, Lamont Mitchell

Meet Troy Rogers: Google Salesman, Family Man by Anthony D. Diallo

The Eastsider: An African Journey by Leniqua’dominique Jenkins

Changing Hands compiled by Don Denton

KIDS & FAMILY

Notebook by Kathleen Donner

EVERY ISSUE

Crossword

Classifieds

COVER:

The Washington Ballet’s NEXTsteps

NEXTsteps, featuring new ballets created just for The Washington Ballet by emerging and acclaimed choreographers, re ects the voices of our time. On Oct. 12 to 16, at Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW, stretching the boundaries of modern ballet, NEXTsteps continues with fresh works created by visionaries Dana Genshaft and Silas Farley alongside The Washington Ballet’s Andile Ndlovu as he features a new commissioned work following his highly lauded B1 (‘Be One’), a celebration of human unity. $25 to $105. washingtonballet.org.

The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci at STC Comprised solely of text from the surviving notebooks of the 15th-century Renaissance man himself, Notebooks is a true revelation that celebrates the interplay of science, art, and the human spirit in a glorious kaleidoscope of beauty and remarkable insight. Through Oct. 23, Tony Award winner and MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient Mary Zimmerman, the creative leader behind some of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s most imaginative productions, brings the writings of Leonardo da Vinci to life in this stunning revival of one of her earliest creations. Shakespeare Theatre Company, Klein Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. shakespearetheatre.org.

Photo of Adeoye in Goodman Theatre’s 2022 production of The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci by Liz Lauren.

Il Trovatore at the KC (For a family at war, the enemy is within.)

Jealousy. Sorcery. Vengeance. Forbidden love. Verdi’s melodrama set in 16th century Spain has it all for the “perfect” opera night out, with one rousing aria and chorus after another. Washington National Opera audiences last saw the sweeping tale in 2004, and it returns with grand sets, elaborate period costumes, soaring melodies, and the instantly recognizable Anvil Chorus. Few singers can master Verdi’s demanding vocal acrobatics, and a world-class cast assembles now to give justice to one of opera’s most spectacular works. Tickets are $45, up. Il trovatore is at the Kennedy Center from Oct. 22 to Nov. 7. kennedy-center.org.

Photo: Cory Weaver

Photo: Spencer Bentley

Emergency Neon at Honfleur Gallery

Through Nov. 5, Hon eur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE, presents a solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed light sculptor Craig Kraft. Kraft, a Smithsonian instructor for the past 24 years, has used neon light to create monumental outdoor light sculptures, such as Vivace sited at the Shaw Library in DC, but now turns his attention to pressing social and political issues such as ignored and unaccounted for missing children, climate change, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump in American politics, and nding HOPE against all odds. Gallery hours are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment. hou eurgallerydc.org.

Sanctuary City at Arena

From Oct. 21 to Nov. 27, Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok brings us the powerful story of two young DREAMers who ght to establish a place for themselves in America, the only country they know as home. Poignant, timely, and highly theatrical, Sanctuary City illuminates the triumphs and challenges these lifelong friends face, and how

Move the Way you Want

at the Phillips

Move the Way you Want is a site-speci c immersive installation transforming the former Dining Room of the Phillips House into phantasmagoric dreamscapes where past and present meet, and the sacred and urbane overlap. In adhesive canvas printed with digital imagery, Gothic-like archways and lavish Baroque-like windows frame a present-day beach scene with bike shares, abandoned scooters, Pelotons, and hi-tech gadgets. Additionally, a video-projection features a mythical horse walking on a beach toward a spaceship-coffeeshop-altar, ready to embark on an unknown journey. All of this reinforces the fantastic and ritualistic aspects of the project, as well as the cynical view of our fast-paced, consumerist culture. Move the Way you Want is at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW, through Dec. 31. phillipscollection.org.

Beth Orton at Sixth & I

After struggling with incorrectly diagnosed health issues for years, the singersongwriter turned a major corner in 2014 when she was nally able to begin managing her condition with medication after the correct diagnosis. These experiences turned into the eight-track Weather Alive, the rst album she’s ever self-produced in her nearly 30-year career. On Tuesday, Nov. 1, 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.) the pioneering folktronica artist showcases her signature storytelling and explores themes of acceptance and healing. $30. Sixth & I. 600 I St. NW. sixthandi.org.

Detail from Climate Change. Materials used: Neon, Animation Controllers, found storm debris: wood, steel,

Jonathan Monaghan, Move the Way you Want (still), 2022, Vertical video (color, sound), media player, projector, 8-minute seamless loop, Courtesy of bitforms gallery, New York

Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience. at the NMAAHC

Visual art has long provided its own protest, commentary, escape and perspective for African Americans. The Black painters, sculptors, photographers and textile artists featured in Reckoning exemplify the tradition of exhibiting resilience in times of con ict, as well as the ritual of creation, and the de ant pleasure of healing. Reckoning: Protest. De ance. Resilience. looks at the ways in which visual art has long provided its own protest, commentary, escape and perspective for African Americans. National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW. nmaahc.si.edu/reckoning.

Created by: Charles Henry Alston, Walking, 1958, oil paint and gesso on canvas, H x W (framed): 48 1/2 × 64 5/8 × 1 1/4 in. (123.2 × 164.1 × 3.2 cm). Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Sydney Smith Gordon, © Charles Alston Estate

Arcade Fire at The Anthem

Arcade Fire, a Canadian indie rock band, has also been described as indie art rock, dance-rock, and baroque pop. They play guitar, drums, bass guitar, piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, glockenspiel, keyboard, synthesizer, French horn, accordion, harp, mandolin and hurdy-gurdy, and take most of these instruments on tour; the multi-instrumentalist band members switch duties throughout shows. $69.50 to $194.50. Arcade Fire performs as part of the “We” Tour with Beck, at The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW, Oct. 27 to 29 (Oct. 28, sold out). The anthemdc.com.

US Oyster Festival in St. Mary’s County

The 56th annual US Oyster Festival at St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds is on Saturday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 16, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cook-offs are on Saturday and shucking contests are on Saturday and Sunday. The festival features good food; live music; and Professor Horn & Punch & Judy shows both days. Kids’ features include in atable slide, face painting, corn hole and scavenger hunts. Entry at gate is $15; free for ten and under. St. Mary’s County Fairground, 42455 Fairgrounds Rd, Leonardtown, MD, is about 50 miles from DC. usoysterfest.com.

Photo: W.E. Stone Photography

Washington Bach Consort’s Free Noontime Cantata Series

Now entering its 34th season, the Washington Bach Consort’s Noontime Cantata Series continues its mission of bringing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach to Washington, DC audiences. Concerts on Mondays, Oct. 3, 31; Dec. 5; March 6; April 3; and May 1, at 12:10 p.m., are at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A St. SE. Concerts on Tuesdays, Oct. 4; Nov. 1; Dec. 6; March 7; April 4; and May 2, at 12:10 p.m., are at Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. The Consort is committed to ensuring that current and future audiences experience the music of Bach and his contemporaries by performing the music of Bach and his contemporaries to the highest artistic standards, and nurturing the appreciation of Bach’s music through education and community outreach activities, and interpreting the music for audiences of today, thereby ensuring his legacy. bachconsort.org.

Photo: Tom Wolff

“Dracula” at Synetic

Howling wolves, creeping mists, a ruined castle silhouetted against the night sky . . . Bram Stoker’s classic tale rises again in Synetic’s bold and bloody adaptation of the world’s most iconic horror story. This sensuous and terrifying thriller arrives just in time for Halloween. $20 to $60. Dracula is at Synetic Theater, 1800 S. Bell St., Crystal City from Oct. 13 to Nov. 6. synetictheater.org.

Art and Ideals: President John F. Kennedy

On its 51st birthday, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts celebrated its namesake with the opening of Art and Ideals: President John F. Kennedy—a new permanent exhibit exploring Kennedy’s presidency and his commitment to the arts. Crowning the Center’s landmark 50th anniversary season, the exhibit looks back at Kennedy’s Presidency and legacy and examines how his values continue to inform the vision of the nation’s cultural center. Bringing to life the worlds of culture and politics at a time of tremendous social change, Art and Ideals appeals to a wide range of visitors, whether familiar or unfamiliar with US history, whether grade-school level readers or far above. kennedy-center.org.

Authentic Flamenco by the Royal Opera of Madrid

Flamenco is an expression of passion and emotion; with it, the feelings that make us human are honored and celebrated. Originating in Spain, this special show, in partnership with the Royal Opera of Madrid and produced by SO-LA-NA, brings together award-winning professionals for an unforgettable performance with stunning vocals, instruments, and dances. Whether you’re an avid amenco lover or just seeing it for the rst time, there’s no better, more authentic way to witness rsthand the raw power of this captivating Spanish art form. General admission is $49.50. Authentic Flamenco by the Royal Opera of Madrid is on stage at The Miracle Theatre, 535 Eighth St. SE, from on select days, Oct. 14 to Nov. 6, 6:30 and 9 p.m. themiracletheatre.com.

“Intimate Apparel” at Theater J

The time is 1905, the place the Lower East Side. Sewing beautiful lingerie gives Esther, an African American seamstress, an intimate look at the love lives of her diverse clientele, but she yearns for a romance of her own. She nds herself in an epistolary courtship with a mysterious Caribbean man, though her heart secretly belongs to the Orthodox Jewish

fabric merchant with whom she can never share a touch. Written by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner and MacArthur grant awardee Lynn Nottage, this moving portrait of love, resilience, and the triumph of the human spirit has become one of the most beloved plays of our time. $64 to $89.

“Intimate Apparel” is on stage at Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW, Oct. 19 to Nov. 13. theaterj.org.

Authentic Flamenco star Yolanda Osuna performs. Photo Courtesy hunt&gather

RuPaul’s Night of the Living Drag at National Harbor

The dolls are back and this time it’s getting deadly as a cast of Rupaul’s Drag Race favorites steps into the heels of the seven deadly sins! Hosted by spook queen superstar Yvie Oddly, join Lady Camden (Pride), Aquaria (Sloth), Kim Chi (Gluttony), Vanje (Wrath), Asia O’Hara (Envy), Deja Skye (Greed), Bosco (Lust) and Rose (Vanity) for a spine-tingling, hellraising dragtastic spectacular. On Friday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m., lled with humor, drama and constant entertainment, the show shines a light on drag queen culture and LGBTQ+ issues, breaking into the mainstream with charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. $58 to $68. The Theater at MGM National Harbor, 7100 Oxon Hill Rd., Oxon Hill. MD. mgmnationalharbor.mgmresorts.com.

Sheila Blake’s “Memory is a Funny Thing” at Foundry Gallery

Two quotes from the artist: “I’ve begun to paint my memoir. I invited the spirits of my former life and trusted that I would have a chance of touching on what Wallace Stevens called the essential poem at the center of things.” “I’ve been a painter all my life. Creating the illusion of space and light with paint is what thrilled me from the beginning, and it is what thrills me now.” Memory is a Funny Thing is at the Foundry Gallery, 2118 Eighth St. NW, through Oct. 30. Gallery is open Friday to Sunday, 1 to 7 p.m. foundrygallery.org.

The DC Beer Festival Returns

On Saturday, Nov. 5, 3 to 5 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. (rain or shine), the DC Beer Festival returns to Nationals Park, bringing together dozens of craft breweries, featuring their fall seasonal beers. Taking place throughout the stadium’s concourse including Center eld Plaza, Budweiser Brew House, Bud Light Loft and Budweiser Terrace, the DC Beer Fest will have over a dozen food trucks throughout as well as lawn games, DJs, and more. General admission for either session is $50 which includes unlimited tastings with food sold separately. dcbeerfestival.com.

Craig Finn & The Uptown Controllers at Union Stage

Craig Finn is a Minnesota-bred singer/songwriter based in New York City, best known as the singer of The Hold Steady. The Hold Steady achieved critical acclaim and a worldwide fanbase with their unique pairing of dense lyrical narratives with big rock guitars. The Hold Steady has released eight LPs, including Open Door Policy in February 2021. Finn’s fth solo album, A Legacy of Rentals, was released in May 2022. When performing his solo material live, Craig Finn is joined by a dynamic group of musicians called The Uptown Controllers. $30. Craig Finn & The Uptown Controllers perform at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW, on Sunday, Oct. 16, 8 p.m. (door at 7 p.m.). unionstage.com.

We Happy Few’sLa Llaorona

The weeping woman of Lat-in American myth and legend ismore than just a warning for mis-behaving youths. This ghost storytakes us on a horrifying journeyback in time to meet La Llorona inthe esh and to watch as the trag-ic young woman becomes a thingof nightmares. La Llorona’s ori-gin story weaves us through threegenerations of women and theirrelationship with family, love, andcolonization. We Happy Few’s LaLLaorona is on stage at CapitolHill Arts Workshop, 545 SeventhSt. SE, from Oct. 26 to Nov. wehappyfewdc.com/lallorona.19.

The Temps and The Tops at National Harbor

The Temptations, often referred to as American Music Royalty, are world-renowned superstars of entertainment, revered for their phenomenal catalog of music and proli c career. Dr. Otis Williams, the sole surviving, original member of The Temptations, Ron Tyson, a lead vocalist with the group for 39 years, Terry Weeks, a lead vocalist for 25 years, Willie Greene, Jr., bass vocalist with the group for six years, and Anthony Grant, who recently joined the group, always look forward to serenading fans with their soulful voices, lighting up stages with their famous Temptations’ Walk, and bringing joy to audiences. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, the Tops also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and were ranked #79 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. $55 to $75. Saturday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m. The Theater at MGM National Harbor, 7100 Oxon Hill Rd., Oxon Hill. MD. mgmnationalharbor.mgmresorts.com.

Both Sides Now: Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen

Longtime friends and one-time lovers Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen are two of the most in uential songwriters and storytellers of the past 50 years. Celebrate their mutual in uence on the others work with some of their beloved chart-toppers including “Cactus Tree,” “Hallelujah,” “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Suzanne,” “Both Sides Now” and many other unforgettable tunes that de ned a generation. $38. This Cabaret show is at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. Arlington, Nov. 1 to 13. sigtheatre.org.

The Cabaret will be performed by Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz, above. Terror in the Parlor: The Evolution of the American Horror Story

On Saturday, Oct. 22, 6 to 9 p.m., explore the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum after hours and learn the history behind our horror stories, from folk tales told ‘round the re to the black and white terrors of the silver screen. $25. Registration includes a drink ticket (good for beer or wine), light snacks. Cash bar for additional drinks at $5. This event is for age 21, up. DAR Museum, 1776 D St. NW. dar. org/museum.

Ani DiFranco with The Righteous Babes Revue

Widely considered a feminist icon, Grammy winner Ani DiFranco is the mother of the DIY movement, being one of the rst artists to create her own record label in 1990. Her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica and even more distant sounds. Her collaborators have included Utah Phillips, R&B saxophonist Maceo Parker and Prince. After recording with Ani in 1999, Prince described the effects of her independence. “We jammed for four hours and she danced the whole time. We had to quit because she wore us out. After being with her, it dawned on me why she’s like that—she’s never had a ceiling over her.” $41. Anni Di Franco is at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW, on Sunday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m. 930.com.

Chiarina Chamber Players in Concert

Founded in 2015 by pianist E Hackmey and cellist Carrie Bean Stute, Chiarina ChamberPlayers brings distinctive chamber music performances and innovative programming to an in-timate neighborhood setting on Capitol Hill. With a roster of world-class artists, their missionis to create an engaging, inclusive listening experience that connects audience members, per-formers, and music by a wide spectrum of composers from the eighteenth through the twen-ty- rst centuries. Upcoming concerts are Oct. 1, Attacca I: Grieg, Shostakovich, Shaw; Oct. 2,Attacca II: Ravel, Schubert, Shaw; Nov. 6, Form, Shape, Groove; and Dec. 4, Winter Journey.Concerts are 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s, 301 A St. SE. $25 online; free for 18 and un-der. chiarina.org.

Mosaic’s “The Till Trilogy” (in rotating repertory)

The Till Trilogy, Oct. 4 to Nov. 20, is a series of plays by noted playwright Ifa Bayeza that re ect on the life, death, and legacy of Emmett Till, whose murder in 1955 remains one of the most pivotal moments in American history. Under the direction of Talvin Wilks, the three plays—The Ballad of Emmett Till, Benevolence, and the world premiere That Summer in Sumner—will star 10 actors performing in rotating repertory for the rst time. Filled with music, poetry, and imagination, this rare theatrical event will honor the ongoing ght for racial justice in our country and offer audiences an opportunity for collective reckoning, re ection, and response. $50 to $64. $20 for students; $10 rush tickets available for each performance. Mosaic Theater Company at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. mosaictheater.org.

Elegies: A Song Cycle at Keegan

Elegies is a celebration of life and music, penned by Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist William Finn, which commemorates the lives of people both real and ctional with rousing theatricality and unforgettable songs. From Finn’s friends, to his mother, to his dogs, to the victims of the World Trade Center collapse, these characters and their stories will enchant and enrich your spirit in this stunning masterwork that celebrates the human experience and life’s in nite joys. $65; $55 for students and seniors. Elegies: A song Cycle is at Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW, from Oct. 22 to Nov. 20. keegantheatre.com.

National Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Nurit Bar-Josef performs with pianistEfi Hackmey during a recent concert presented by Chiarina Chamber Players, Capitol Hill's cham-ber music series.

Election Special Coverage for the District of Columbia 2022

t h E A t - l A rg E c ouncil r A c E

Crime, Housing & Education

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

The marquee race on the ballot is for two of the five at-large seats on the Coun cil. However, the District Home Rule Charter reserves two of the at-large seats for non-Democrats. Incumbents Anita Bonds (D, anitabonds2022.com) and Elissa Silverman (I, elissafordc.com) are competing in an eight-way contest that includes incumbent Dem ocratic Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyon McDuff ie (D, mcduffiefordc.com), who was ruled ineligi ble earlier this year to run for Attorney General as a Democrat. Also running are Republican Giuseppe Niosi (niosi2022.com), Green Party candidate Da vid Schwartzman (dcstatehoodgreen.party/candi dates/David-Schwartzman) and independents Fred E. Hill (fredhill4councilatlarge.com), Karim D. Mar shall (marshallfordc.com) and Graham McLaughlin (grahamfordc.com).

The race to date has mostly focused on public safety, the District’s housing crisis and the state of Dis trict education. Where do the candidates stand?

Crime

This year’s rise in crime has been a major focus dur

ing primary debates. Bonds supports Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s (D) proposal to ex pand the ranks of the Met ropolitan Police Department (MPD) to 4,000 officers. While a “big proponent of community policing,” Bonds believes more offi cers could both improve the police department’s clear ance rate in solving crimes and help increase the pub lic’s comfort.

“I really and truly be lieve that we need to see more officers on the streets,” Bonds said at last spring’s Hill Cen ter forum. “People feel com fortable when they see an officer in their community and we just don’t have officers in our community as we once did.”

Hill and Niosi agree, but take it a step further. The police are being under-resourced and understaffed, they argue.

“When the guns are going off, nobody’s dial ing “love, peace and understanding,” they’re all dial ing 911,” Hill said. “And if you don’t have the officers and the first responders there to respond to that, we’re all going to be in worse shape than we are now.” Hill would raise salaries for police officers by 30 percent.

The Council has been unresponsive to “rampant crime” in the District, Niosi argues. Police face un derstaffing, underfunding and antiquated technology.

“Our neighbors, including small children, are dying because the Council continues to slap our po lice force in the face,” Niosi said in an August press re lease. “They bow to national progressive special inter ests at the expense of lives here in the District.”

Meanwhile, Marshall is tired of debates over the number of city police officers. There should be more of an emphasis on how they are trained and recruited instead, he states, pointing out the recommendations of the police reform commission were largely ignored.

“To destroy crime, you have to eliminate the parent of crime —poverty,” Marshall says, pointing to additional opportunity for youth and a fo cus on rehabilitation for youth crime as solutions.

Silverman agrees. The recommendations of the DC Police Reform Commission still need to implemented, she says. DC needs to work to build community trust in po lice. In particular, the com mission’s recommendation to pair behavioral specialists with MPD officers needs to be implemented, she says. Traf fic enforcement should also be moved from MPD to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT).

McDuffie points to his authorship of the NEAR act. “We need to double down on the work,” to em phasize accountability for crimes. “We cannot simply focus on law enforcement, we have to focus the op portunity side of the equation,” he says. He believes the answer lies in expanding job training and provid ing more economic opportunities.

Schwartzman supports “defunding police” and redistributing funds to other programs. The NEAR Act, he says, should be fully implemented. In particular, he supports the creation of an office of violence prevention in the DC Dept. of Health. He wants to equip The Civilian Complaint Review Board with subpoena powers to better hold offi cers accountable.

McLaughlin believes a multi-level approach is necessary. In conversation, he called for a “social con tract” that provides universal childcare and good ed ucation. Still, an adequate force is necessary to hold people accountable if they hurt others, he says. Pros ecution and incarceration are necessary, but jail needs to be reconsidered to be more therapeutic and prepare returning citizens for re-entry into the community.

Anita Bonds

Elissa Silverman

Bonds currently chairs the Council’s Committee on Housing and Executive Administration. DC has been recognized as a national leader on a ordable housing, she has proudly pointed out during primary debates. “Building, preserving and providing housing at a rent that residents can a ord are challenging processes, but DC is slowly overcoming,” she says. She is committed to working to ensure that every District resident has a safe, sanitary, and a ordable place to call home and pushing for policies that expand tenants’ rights and preserve and increase of the District’s a ordable housing stock.

McDu e, another incumbent, agrees. New housing should be built across the city. He touts Mayor Bowser’s e orts to distribute new housing more equitably across the city. He credited his legislation with establishing affordable housing set-aside requirements when Districtowned land is being disposed for the development of multi-family residential projects.

Bonds has had her record challenged. During a debate at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Marshall criticized her committee’s oversight of DC’s housing agencies. Bonds “is kind of asleep at the switch,” he says. The city needs a way to leverage the more than 10,000 vacant homes across the District into a ordable housing, he suggests.

Piling on, Schwartzman pointed out the Housing Protection Trust Fund (HPTF) has not meet minimum requirements for a ordable housing in the law, according to the DC Auditor. Those requirements should be increased in the short term, he says. A longer-term solution he suggests, is for DC to “decommodify housing” by adopting a social housing approach and supporting community land trusts with rent set at 30 percent of household income.

Hill criticized the city’s definition of affordable. DC, he argues, should reformulate the Average Median Income (AMI) to exclude its suburbs, “two of the wealthiest counties in the country.” He joins Marshall’s call for greater oversight of developers. Project plans that start from high-proportion affordable housing rarely still include

them when built, he claims.

Silverman, a member of Bond’s committee, has been a persistent critic of the operations of the HPTF. She has also questioned the operations of the DC Housing Authority (DCHA). In the Council’s discussions on the Comprehensive Plan, Silverman, while a strong supporter of historic preservation, called for increasing residential density and housing for the lowest income brackets. Affordable housing should be located in a uent communities as well. The preservation of a ordable housing stock should be the city’s highest priority, she argues.

McLaughlin largely agrees with Silverman. Housing, he argues, should be built throughout the city, particularly near transit hubs in wealthier neighborhoods. He also calls for the preservation of the current affordable housing stock. However, councilmembers, he believes, need to get more involved in the weeds of housing development. DC must use every tool available, increasing density, expanding two and four-unit zoning, partnerships with faith-based institutions, to build more a ordable housing, he believes.

Education

With the post-pandemic return of District’s students to in-person learning, education is at the forefront of voter concerns. With DCPS teachers working without a contract for three years, the public school system appears to be in crisis. Most of the candidates faulted the mayor.

Hill calls for the elimination of mayoral control. He criticizes Council for inadequate oversight. “The only way we’re going to x that part is if we change from those people who sit in those seats right now,” he says. Bonds disagrees. She is a strong supporter of the mayoral control.

Silverman splits the di erence. High-need schools are not seeing the bene ts of mayoral control, she argues. Placing education under a standing council committee will lead to more e ective oversight, she argues. In addition, the school funding formula needs to be reexamined, because it leaves schools with high-needs students

Giuseppe Niosi

David Schwartzman

Fred Hill

Graham McLaughlin

Karim Marshall

with insu cient resources. She calls for the creation of baseline funding, ensuring every school would have key personnel such as nurses.

McDuffie did not weigh in on mayoral control. Di erent schools have di ering resources and needs and also di erent resources, he says. There is a need to make sure funding is equitable, pointing to issues with funding transparency, particularly the way in which at-risk dollars are spent, he argues.

There just needs to be a single person to hold accountable, Marshall contends, whether the mayor or a superintendent. The system also requires more council oversight. Planning should become a function of the education committee and for smarter budgeting, he says.

McLaughlin calls for a unified educational plan encompassing both public and public charter schools. Just by looking at school modernizations across DC, anyone can see the inequities in education, he says. He claims it is impossible to assess the e ectiveness of the District’s $450 million in at-risk student funding. “We need to get into the details and nd where that money is and hold folks accountable to ensure the money is going to kids that need it,” McLaughlin says. McLaughlin would fund The Birth to Three Act. He supports engaging in high impact tutoring for grade two students, as they switch from learning to read to reading to learn. He calls for the District to create pathways for post-graduation, either to college or to trades.

Niosi believes mayoral control has led to greater accountability. He strongly supports school choice. Parents can be trusted to know what is best for their children, he argues. However, the inadequate state of some school buildings makes choice uneven. The Council should examine school maintenance policies and reevaluate the school budget process, he says.

ction of

on n ov

Redistricting

r b

c

Shifts Incumbents

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

n the Nov. 8th General Election, DC residents will have the opportunity to elect the ANC (Ad visory Neighborhood Commission) represen tative in their district. The ANCs are a nonpartisan body of elected officials that represent local community members.

Commissioners serve two-year terms without pay. All commissioners in all wards are up for election this year. Each commissioner represents a Single Member District (SMD) of approximately 2,000 residents. The ANCs’ main role in the District is to be the official voice in advising the District government (and Federal agencies) on things that affect their neighborhoods.

The boundaries of the ANCs and SMDs are updated every ten years, based on the results of the latest decen nial census. The latest boundaries were approved by the DC Council on June 7, 2022, and approved by Mayor Mu riel Bowser on June 16, 2022. Updated ANC and SMD boundaries will be used for the November 8, 2022 Gen eral Election.

To see if your ANC or SMD boundary has changed, en ter your address in the new 2023 Locate Your ANC/SMD tool at https://arcg.is/1PrKXG.

Changes to ANC Boundaries

In Ward 7, Kenilworth, Eastland Gardens, Mayfair-Park side and River Terrace are now part of a reconstructed ANC 7D, which now goes south to East Capitol and across the river. ANC 7C includes Deanwood, Burrville and Lincoln Heights while ANC 7E now encompasses most of Mar shall Heights and Benning Ridge. Greenway moves from

ANC boundaries changed as a result of the 2022 redistricting process. Map: DC Office of Planning (OP)

HE

WIN!!

GRANT

THE GRANT ADMINISTRATION WILL:

7F to ANC 7B, and ANC 7F now includes Fort Dupont, the Fort Chaplin Park Apartments and Hillbrook, as well as a portion west of the river.

The new boundaries of Ward 7 ANCs also include three neighborhoods west of the Anacostia: Kingman

Park, included in 2000; the portion of Hill East that is east of 15th Street; and Rosedale. Both the latter were former ly in Ward 6. The Ward 7 Redistricting Taskforce incor porated these neighborhoods into two cross-river ANCs: 7D and 7F. Former residents of ANC 6A07, 6A08, 6B09

and 6B10 are now in Ward 7 ANCs 7D06, 7D07, 7D08 and 7D10.

Meanwhile, the former 7D01 retains the same bound aries but is now 7D05. ANC 7F07, which is entirely pop ulated by the DC Jail, also remains the same. Phase 1 and 2 of Reservation 13 development, including the Park Ken nedy Apartments (1901 C St. SE) and The Ethel (1901 C St. SE) are part of ANC 7F08.

Ward 8 has also been redrawn to include a west of the river commission, 8F, which includes Navy Yard and two ward 6 SMDs (8F04 and 8F05). East of the River, ANC 8B experienced the greatest amount of change, with much of 8B01 now in 8A; and much of Douglass-Shipley (for merly 8B07 and 8B06) now in 8E01, 02 and 03. Bolling Air Force Base is now split between 8D and 8C.

Changes in Representation

Many commissioners will not seek re-election for 2023. Tiffany Brown steps down in 7B02, having watched Sky land come to fruition. After co-chairing the Ward 7 re districting committee, Tamara Blair steps down in 7D01, now the new 7D05.

But others are staying the course. First elected to rep resent 7C02 in 1992, Dorothy Douglas has represented 7D03 for 20 years, and now seeks re-election in the newly redistricted 7C07; she is running against incumbent An tawan Holmes, first elected in 2012.

Opportunities for Write-Ins

Many of the races in Wards 7 and 8 are extremely com petitive. There are races in 7F05 and a three-way race in 7F07, which stretches from Stadium Armory Metro Sta tion to Benning Recreation Center. But change has left an opportunity for write-in candidates in several Ward 7 SMDs including 7C06 in Burrville, where Patricia Stamp er is running as a write-in candidate, and 7C03 east of Kel ly Miller Park.

Candidates are on the ballot for nearly all of the Hill East ANC 7D SMDs. In addition to Horn in 7D10, re turning commissioner Brian Alcorn steps up to repre sent constituents again in the new 7D08; Ashley Schapitl and Shane Seger are running to represent 7D09, Denise Krepp’s former ANC.

Although there is no representative on the ballot for SMD 7D07, the SMD north of C and east of 15th Street NE, Brian Voorhees is running as a write-in candidate. In terms of the full cross-river commission, there is not yet a name on the ballot for SMD 7D02, between Hayes Street NE and Benning Road NE along the Anacostia; nor for 7D03, which represents communities in the buildings bound by Hayes and Jay Streets NE, Mayfair and Para dise-Parkside.

There are also representatives needed for 7E01 and 7E02, on either side of Burns Street, SE; as well as 7E05 and 7E07. 7F04, from Eads Place to East Capitol Street NE; and 7F06, to the north of Fort Dupont Park.

In Ward 8, Four of seven commis sioners are running for re-election in ANC 8A. Three people are running to represent 8A02, Anacostia north of Good Hope Road to a jagged line at 18th Street, but nobody is on the ballot to rep resent 8A07.

There are races in six of eight ANC 8C SMDs, with only current Chair Salim Adofo (8C07) and newcomer Georgette Joy Johnson (8C01) unchallenged.

Although three races are challenged in ANC 8D, all in the Bellevue area, there are no candidates in 8D01, 8D02, 8D03, 8D04 or 8D07. Those SMDs represent Blue Plains, the south portion of Bol ling Air Force Base and DC Village. Al though ANC 8E has candidates in 7 of 9 SMDs (and races in four of them), no one is in the race for 8E07 and 8E09, north of Southern Ave, and between Fourth and Seventh Streets SE.

Finally, there is no one registered to run in the race in 8F05, on the west side of the river between the Southwest Freeway and I Street and along S. Cap itol Street.

Write-In

If you wish to vote for a write-in can didate, or an individual whose name is not printed on the ballot, you may write in that individual’s name on the blank “write-in” line and fill in the oval to the left of that line.

Those candidates still have to file pa perwork with the DC Board of Elections (202-727-2525) if they want to win the election as a write-in candidate. Write-in nominees have to file an Affirmation of Write-in Candidacy on a form provided by the DCBOE not later than 4:45 p.m. on the seventh day immediately follow ing the election.

Write-in nominees who fail to sub mit the documents required by this sec tion within the required times will be deemed “ineligible.” That means if they don’t file, they can’t win, even if they have a thousand votes and there is no other candidate.

Learn more about the 2022 General Election at dcboe.org. Learn more about ANCs at anc. dc.gov. To see if your ANC or SMD boundary has changed, go to the new 2023 Locate Your ANC/SMD at https://arcg.is/1PrKXG u

Grey areas indicate candidate vacancies.

WARD 8

T he O ld M an O f a nac O s T ia

Serve Your Community: Run for The ANC

by Philip Pannell

What if an election were held and there were no candidates on the ballot? For the November 8th general election, thousands of DC voters will receive ballots that have no candidates for Advisory Neighborhood Com missioner. Each of the 50 ANCs is divided into Single Mem ber Districts (SMD) of approximately 2,000 residents. There are 345 SMDs and 57 (16%) of them have no candidates on the November 8th ballot. For the full roster of ANC can didates, please visit dcboe.org, click on elections and scroll down to ANC candidates.

After the votes are tallied there will be few vacant SMDs be cause of write-ins. In the past some persons have been elected commissioners simply because they wrote in their own names. However, we should be concerned that currently 114,000 resi dents have no candidates running to represent them at the grass roots level. The commissioners are the governmental eyes and ears of and for the neighborhoods. ANCs are where the rub ber hits the road.

Why are there so many vacancies on the ballot? Well, obvi

ously there are many neighborhoods in DC where no one is in terested in running for ANC. All the wards have candidate va cancies. So, evidently not a single ward councilmember took the time or interest to make sure that there is at least one candidate for every SMD on the ballot. Why weren’t the community activists and leaders on the case? Of the 57 SMD vacancies, 24 are east of the river. Once again another example of the political weak ness of east of the river residents is in full display. Again another chapter is written about the disempowerment of predominately African American and economically challenged neighborhoods.

Let us be honest. With the new residents moving into DC and the inexorable gentrification we are experiencing, east of the Anacostia River might as well be called the ebony coast. It is apt and symbolic that the nickname for Ward 8’s Congress Heights neighborhood is Soul of the City. We who live east of the riv er should be alarmed and shocked that there are SMDs with no candidates. In Ward 8, ANC 8D which encompasses the Bellev ue and Washington Highlands neighborhoods has eight SMDs and five have no candidates. That is disappointing at best and shameful at worst.

Hopefully by the time the first ballots reach the mailboxes of voters, our elected leaders and community activists will put

out the call that our neighborhoods are looking for a few good candidates to wage write-in campaigns for ANCs. We need some young people to work their social media magic and send out the messages that we are looking for a few good can didates. And I hope that the write-in candidates that come forth will take their volunteer service seriously after they are sworn into office. There have been too many instances of ANC members be ing chronically absent resulting in some commissions at times being unable to achieve quorums to do official commis sion business. Successful ANC candi dates, whether they were on the ballot or write-ins, should be as serious and com mitted to their voluntary, uncompensated duties and responsibilities as they would be about their paid employment. The community deserves that and hopeful ly their personal reputations would de mand it.

Advisory Neighborhood Commis sions are grassroots governmental bodies that do serious business for the people. Never again in DC where we are strug gling to become a state should there be any position on any ballot that has no candidates. How serious should we be about ANCs? Ask Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson who began their elected careers serving as Advisory Neighborhood Commis sioners in Wards 4 and 3 respectively.

Long-time Ward 8 community activist Phil ip Pannell can be contacted at philippannell@ comcast.net. u

In Memoriam:

Arthur “Buddy” Harrison

Local Boxing Coach and Community Servant Killed Sept. 24

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

In

the summer of 2019, Arthur “Buddy” Harrison was suffering from pancreatic cancer. Early one morning, my then-four-year-old daughter got up early to leave him a gift on his front step: flowers and a note, ask ing him to be “friends forever.”

Buddy made a video to thank her, saying “she is proof that angels do exist.”

True to form, he also made a joke. “If my wife didn’t see them this morning, I would have got them and pretended I got them for her,” he said.

A father, boxing coach, mentor, communi ty servant, as well as a comedian, Buddy Har rison died in hospital Saturday, Sept. 24. He was shot outside his home in Naylor Gardens (2700 30th St. SE). Police believe Harrison was targeted.

A police spokesperson said officers later found the white Kia Optima sedan believed to have been involved in Harrison’s mur der. It had been set on fire and abandoned in Maryland. They are still looking for up to three suspects.

Anyone with information about this case should call the police at 202-727-9099. You can also text anonymous information to the de partment’s text tip line to 50411.

The owner of Old School Boxing Gym (3100 Branch Ave, Hillcrest Heights, MD), Harrison was well-known in the District for both his work and his good works. A man of deep faith in God, he dedicated his life to help ing others escape the lifestyle that so nearly de stroyed him.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Leonard Poe said when he heard of Harrison’s murder. “Bud dy wouldn’t hurt nobody, so it was just un believable.”

Poe, a former boxer, has known Harrison for more than 20 years. They met when Poe’s trainer brought him to Harrison’s Hillcrest gym. Harrison would bring his son to box, and let Poe bring his nephews, James and Donnell

Poe, to the gym hoping they would stay out of trouble.

Poe said Harrison’s death affects the whole community. “You don’t just have people help like him. You don’t just see people like him all the time—especially in areas like this— who just reach out and try to help anybody.”

Turning His Life Around

Arthur “Buddy” Harrison was born April 4, 1960 in DC, the first of three sons born to Arthur “Dusty” and Jean Ma rie Harrison. Buddy and his brothers, Richard and Gerald, grew up in Hillcrest a few blocks away from where he was killed. His father was a mechanic who worked at the Sunoco on Pennsylvania SE; his mother worked at the Curtis Brothers Furniture Store.

“I guess it was pretty rough back then, and I got in a lot of trouble and I been to every re form school you can think of,” he told the Hill Rag in a 2018 interview. “They always told me, “If you keep it up, then one day you’re going to wind up in prison,” and I said, “Oh, no I’m not.” You know, thought I knew everything.”

He was in and out of trouble, a self-de scribed “lost kid,” until his arrest and convic tion for armed robbery at the age of 19. He was sentenced to 19 years and served nearly 10. He was 30 when he was released from prison.

It wasn’t too long before he realized things needed to be different. “I got home, and one day – things were still rough when I got home – I dropped to my knees and I asked God to come into my life. It changed my whole life. Turned everything around.”

That decision also changed the lives of thousands of others in the District, people who Harrison encouraged and helped through challenges in their own lives.

A One-Man Army for Good

Harrison spent the rest of his life turning his faith into action. Over the past decade, Har rison spent most weekends distributing cloth ing, shoes and food to unhoused residents throughout the District. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, he would forgo time with his family during the day to deliver hot meals to the peo ple on the street, many of whom he knew in timately. He set multiple families up in apart ments with furniture, dishes and toys. In 2020,

Buddy Harrison poses with some of the kids from Old School Boxing, having just given one a bicycle. “He was so excited,” Harrison said. Courtesy: B. Harrison

he put a large, free little pantry near his 30th Street home, filling it almost daily and delighting when families would come by to fill grocery bags.

When busloads of immigrants were dropped at Union Station, Harrison and his wife would order massive num bers of pizza and distribute food, clothing, shoes and oth er necessities to people bedded down inside the station.

In 2017, Bishop MacNamara High School (BMHS) honored Harrison by using his image as artwork for Sta tion Seven of the school’s Stations of the Cross, “Jesus Falls for the Second Time.” Artist Terry Quinn said that Harri son’s community service, his work with youth at his gym and among the homeless, ideally suited him to a piece used for contemplation of the crosses we all bear.

Harrison’s son, boxer Dusty Hernandez-Harrison, said the family was aware that his father did good works, but not of the extent of his labor. Harrison rarely spoke of it at home, he said. But after Harrison’s death, the family started to hear stories from people in the community.

“We’re trying to keep doing it, and it’s amazing how many people it’s going to take to step up to do what one man did,” Hernandez-Harrison said in a Sept. 28 press conference.

Fighting for Life in the Ring

Hernandez-Harrison, an undefeated welterweight boxer, was trained by his father from the age of two.

The boxer said Harrison took great pride in coach ing his son, providing guidance even when other coaches stepped in that role. “I’m kind of him, in his footprint and what he’s done,” Hernandez-Harrsion said.

Harrison used the ring to give other young people a fighting chance. He said that after he was released from pris on, he found it difficult to be hired with a criminal record. A former boxer himself, Harrison opened his own gym on

30th Street, later moving it to Rosecroft Race Track and then to its current location in Hillcrest Heights.

Initially Harrison trained only kids and men he thought had talent, working them out alongside his own son. But Harrison’s goals for the gym quickly changed. He wanted to give youth a safe space and the attention and guidance that he didn’t get.

“Most of them come from families without a mom and dad, and they don’t have a lot,” Harrison said. Few of those who came to his gym could pay full membership fees, but none were turned away.

“They’re champions to me now. I don’t care if they ever win a fight,” he said. “I just want them to stay out of trouble.”

Harrison also wanted to ensure his kids had a bet ter relationship with law enforcement than he had in his youth. He began to offer free training to all Met ropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Prince George’s County Police officers. “Growing up as a kid, I was taught that all police are bad. So, these kids are thinking the same thing,” he explained. “My goal was to get them close and help the kids.”

Violence and Peace

Harrison was a fighter in more than one sense. In 2015, he suffered a heart attack. He recovered but was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few years later. He worked hard to stay fit and triumph over the disease.

“He would wake up at 5:30 [a.m.], run, go to che mo, workout afterwards at 10:30,” Hernandez-Harrison recalled. “He was getting three workouts a day during chemotherapy.”

Harrison often lamented the violence in the District, mourning each time he lost one of his boxers or neighbors to prison or violence. He would often speak of the sound of gunshots, worried for chil dren in the neighborhood and for his family. Despite the chal lenges, he did what he could to fight for them, in the ring and in the streets.

In one particular incident, saving a young man meant Har rison had to hit him. In Decem ber 2020, Harrison heard gun shots outside his home. From his window, he saw a man ran domly firing a gun in each hand. Harrison went outside with his dog, Chuck, who bit the man in his side, allowing Harrison to get close enough to deliver a knockout punch.

life in order and come to the gym. “I’m not sure if I saved anybody’s life but I may have saved his,” Harrison told Fox 5 after the incident, “because if the police came and he’s got a pistol in each hand, I don’t think they’re going to do what I did — they’re probably going to shoot him.”

Harrison’s friend Tammy Keene said it could have been the same Sept. 24. “He didn’t deserve this at all,” Keene said. “Probably the same people that did it, he would have helped them. He probably would have told them, “stop; let me pray for you.”

“That was Buddy,” Keene said. “His faith was very strong.”

Harrison’s family say they are able to stay strong be cause of Buddy’s faith. “I want everyone to take peace with the fact that he had a great relationship with God, right up until the very end,” Hernandez Harrison said at a candle light vigil outside his father’s home on Sept. 29.

Indeed, Harrison found strength and solace in his re lationship with God.

“I don’t know if anybody ever prayed that no matter where you’re at, whether you made it to heaven or not, I hope God can forgive you and you end up being with me one day up there,” Harrison once said in a video he record ed as he visited the graves of his parents. “I’m going. There’s no doubt in my mind whatsoever that I will be in heaven one day,” Harrison said.

“I love you and I hope that I see you all again one day.”

A viewing is scheduled for 2 to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10 at Kalas Funeral Home (6160 Oxxon Hill Rd., Oxon Hill, MD). Funeral Services for Buddy Harrison will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11 at St. Joseph’s Church on Capitol Hill (313 Second St. NE) with a noon internment at Con gressional Cemetery (1801 E St. SE). A repass will follow at Rosecroft Raceway (6336 Rosecroft Dr., Ft. Washington, MD). In lieu of flowers, donate to Old School Boxing, via oldschoolboxing-gym.business.site uArtist Terry Quinn and Buddy Harrison with Station Seven of the Cross at Bishop McNamara High School. E.O’Gorek/CCN

Afterward, Harrison said he was mostly concerned for the man, who he hoped will get his

“I never thought I’d been in a photo with a police chief,” Harrison said of this picture, taken with then-Prince George County Police Chief Hank Stawinski (R), his wife, Thy Harrison, and former Maryland State Senator Thomas “Mike” Miller (L). Courtesy: B. Harrison

Lidl Opens at Skyland Town Center

First Opening of Full-Service Grocery East of River in 15 Years

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

“Idon’t

know if we ever thought that this was going to happen,” said Ward 7 Councilmem ber Vincent Gray (D) at the ribbon-cutting for the new Lidl grocery store at Skyland Town Center (2224 Town Center Dr. SE) Sept. 27. “But it happened!”

“For the 160,000 people who live on the east end of the District, this is a huge, huge win,” Gray said.

It’s also a huge deal. It’s the first gro cery store to open on the east side of the river in 15 years, since Ward 8 welcomed the Alabama Avenue Giant.

“It’s been 15 years since we opened a full-service grocery store in Ward 7,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “It won’t be 15 years until we open the next one.”

Long Time Coming

Development of the Skyland site has been a 30-year project, one spearhead

ed by community groups such as the Washington East Foundation. Com munity members have long wanted to see the area developed, bringing eco nomic stimulation, commercial ame nities and fresh food to the area.

Washington East Foundation Board Chair Carrie Thornhill has been involved for all three decades. She said the opening of Lidl was a move to change the food desert and pointed to the more than 60 new jobs created at the store, 90 percent of which are held by residents in wards 7 and 8.

The 29,000 square foot Lidl is only the fourth full-size grocery store east of the river; ward 6 alone has at least ten. 85 percent of DC residents who live more than a mile from a gro cery store are residents in neighbor hoods on the east side of the Anacostia.

As mayor in 2012, Gray nego tiated a deal that would bring two Walmarts to Wards 7 and 8, including one at Skyland at the same time as three others were opened in more affluent neighborhoods. After build ing the first three, Walmart pulled out of the deal.

“But we didn’t give up, did we? We never gave up,” Gray said. “And now we’ve got Lidl.”

At the event, Mayor Muri el Bowser (D) noted that five Mayors had worked on the Skyland project. “But I will be the last one,” she said, vowing that the District would con tinue to leverage purchasing power, eminent domain and

Shoppers examine offerings at the sneak preview.

Mayor Muriel Bowser, Councilmember Vincent Gray (Ward 7-D), Lidl Store Manager Malaysia Mitchell and community members cut the ribbon of the Skyland Lidl Sept 27.

Friends Kevin Jones, Yetter and Crest resident Les Taylor attend the ribbon-cutting

the courts to achieve their goals.

Touting the store as a community bene t, Bowser said the grocery store was the result of demands by a community that approached then-Mayor Anthony Williams to ask for change.

“We have to have more amenities in our community,” she said as she recounted their concerns: “We’re tired of always having to cross the bridge and we’re tired of having to go to Maryland.”

We Deserve It

At the ribbon-cutting, residents said they were excited to see the new Lidl. “I like to see a new store in the neighborhood,” said April, a neighborhood resident. “We deserve it.” She said she wanted to see fresh produce and the kinds of o ering they have at competitor Aldi.

Les Taylor has lived in the new development for nearly a year and welcomed the convenience of the Lidl. But he said it was the economic opportunity and the jobs created that were the biggest plus for him, but he also wanted to see a wider array of fresh foods and better customer service.

“It’s a fantastic idea,” said Yetter, who joined Taylor and his friend Kevin Jones at the opening. “I’m glad that it will give the community a plethora of choice in di erent foods and the pricing should be good for them.”

The Lidl is only the latest opening at Skyland. The 263-unit Crest Apartments opened in spring 2021. Already open are CVS, Chase Bank, Like That Barber Shop and restaurants including Roaming Rooster and Fuji Hibachi. More businesses are scheduled to open later this year.

More to Come

In June, Bowser announced that the District would use eminent domain to acquire Capitol Gateway Marketplace (112 59 St. NE) for development, which is set to include a Giant Grocery Store.

The city is moving to spur grocery investment in communities east of the river. In 2017, Councilmember Gray introduced three east end economic development bills focused on ending food deserts in Wards 7 and 8 by incentivizing infrastructure and economic development that would bring needed neighborhood amenities to Wards 7 and 8.

The Lidl bene ted from $43 million in tax increment nancing that funded capital infrastructure and utility improvements for Skyland.

DC also provides a Neighborhood Prosperity Fund grant for the commercial funding of development in targeted census tracts. $73 million has been allocated to the Food Access Fund, a grant that provides funding for grocers and restaurants in lower-served parts of the District. Several tenants at Skyland bene t from the fund, including Tropical Smoothies and Half Smoke.

Ebony moved to the Crest Apartments in June and attended the event Sept. 27. “They have a lot of nice stu in there,” she said after the ribbon cutting, which featured a sneak peak of the store.

But she was also intrigued by information shared about the Food Access Fund. “I already like to cook and I was already considering opening a restaurant,” she said. “Maybe this could be my opportunity.”

Learn more about Lidl at www.lidl.com/stores

Learn more about the Food Access Fund at dmped.dc.gov/page/food-access-fund

I-71 Enforcement Halted Gray Market Cannabis Too Big to Stop?

by Kenneth V. Cummins

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) haphazard effort to gain control of DC’s spi raling illegal, gray market for marijuana has quietly halted after the may or and her top aidesappear have apparently had a Hamlet moment: “To be, or not to be.’’

With entrepreneurs crowding to cash in on the cannabis gold rush, the so- called I-71 market, named for the referendum that legalized personal use, pos session and exchange of cannabis, appears to have grown too big to shut down. Capital Community News’ recent Spotlight DC-funded investigation found single storefronts grossing as much as a quarter million a month. More to the point, of view of the I-71s, the more than150-plus businesses employ ing significant numbers of District residents.

Flush with cash, members of this nascent I-71 industry retained the services of wellknown lobbyist Josh Lopez to protect their interests. In Septemberlate August, Lopez managed to convince the mayor’s office to shut down the first coordinated, multi-agency attempt at enforcement.

Enforcement Derailed

The planned Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA)

Joint Cannabis Task Force, com

prised of eight District departments and agencies, was scheduled to begin inspecting the I-71 stores after Labor Day. The week before, according to government and indus try sources, the mayor’s office quietly pulled the plug.

“I’ve heard that Josh Lopez was hired by the so-called I-71 businesses, and his con nections with the EOM (Executive Office of the Mayor) stopped the Task Force, ‘’ said DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), an advocate of enforcement, who has been grappling with the cannabis legislation since last winter and who has oversight over Tthe DC Dept. of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA).

According to council and administration sources, after the mayor’s office was con tacted by Lopez, John Falchiccio, the mayor’s chief of staff who doubles as Deputy May or for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), directed Task Force Coordina tor, ABRA Director Fred Mosally to put the effort on hold. Mosally relayed the order to DCRA Director Ernest Chappah and the “roll-out’’ of the Task Force stopped. Mosally had announced the creation of the Task Force the first week of August.

Falchiccio, administration sources say, is theonly one person empowered to make that call for Mayor Bowser. Lopez and Falchiccio’s long relationship dates back to early days of the Mayor Adrian Fenty’s (D) administration. They worked together for much of the past eight years for the Bowser administration. Neither Falchiccio nor DMPED’s spokesperson replied to questions about the enforcement pause.

Lopez’s name comes up as a “Registrant” in the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA) Reporting Search tool for District. However, a search returns no records matching his name under any of the headings.

The I-71 Industry

“I-71’’ is the term created by cannabis entrepreneurs, who claim to be le gally operating under the provisions of Initiative 71, passed by voters in 2014. The referendum legalized recreational and medicinal use of marijuana in the District but per mitted person al possession of no more than two ounces and the non-commercial exchange of up to an ounce.

These entre preneurs offer ser vices and goods for sale. Any pur

chase is accompanied by a “gift” of cannabis. The businesses claim this is sanctioned under I-71, since the weed is not being “sold.”

In September, Capital Community News (CCN), in partnership with and funding from Spotlight DC, published an investigation of 60 I-71 storefronts. Of the 60 stores identi ed, 31 appeared to be operating withouta Basic Business Licenses;. 29 had business licenses on record with the DC government (28 current and one expired) and only. 35 of the 60 shops had Certi cates of Occupancy. Reporters were unable to clearly establish whether all of these businesses were collecting sales taxes.

A typical cannabis dispensary, the CCN investigation found, maintains an inventory of multiple pounds of weed. , pPossession of such amounts, with the exception of District District-licensed medical dispensaries, remains a felony under city law. ThusTask Force inspections, therefore, might have triggered criminal as well as civil enforcement.

Dodging The Bullet

Political observers speculate that Bowser wants to avoid the chaos that would ensue from caused by shutting down more than 100 I-71 businesses that operate in the District. In the wake of criticism of the national War on Drugs, locking up gray market entrepreneurs on felony drug charges is not a good look.

Moreover, the e ort threatened to put hundreds of DC residents out of work just weeks before her November re-election.

“If something dramatic is done, there will be thousands of people who lose their jobs,’’ warns Maryland attorney Lonny Bramzon, owner of Street Lawyer Services on H Street NE. “I see a lot of people thriving from this, and their families, too. A lot of Black and Brown people are building careers and building communities around this.’’ Bramzon’s shop “gifts’’ weed in re-

turn for donations to his business.

“I’m concerned that we are ignoring the reality on the ground,’’ says one H Street NE I-71 store owner Lonny Bramzon. “If all the gifting shops are shut down, there will be people all over the streets trying to sell weed . . . . “That would create problems we are trying to avoid here.’’

The Sound of Crickets

Asked to comment, Lopez failed to respond to phone calls and text messages. Acquaintances and medical marijuana industry sources also report di culty in contacting him.

Much of the DC government hasalso has gone silent on the subject. ABRA’s spokesman, who was responding to questions prior to the pause in enforcement, is directing reporters’ questions to the Mayor’s o ce, which has been slow to respond. Calls and texts to Falchiccio were not returned. Questions submitted to the mayor’s o ce remained unanswered at the time of publication.

The loudest silence is coming from DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Chief Robert Conte, who refused requests for an interview and forbid his District Commanders from commenting. Conte in the past has been vocal about the negative impacts] of I-71 businesses on public safety.

Due to the primarily cash nature of cannabis commercial transaction, security at stores is tight. According to sources within MPD, Conte was concerned police o cers accompanying the I-71 enforcement e ort might could encounter armed guards. In addition, as sworn ofcers, police would might be compelled to arrest entrepreneurs found with multiple pounds of weed in their possession.

Talk of “riots and mayhem are is just scare tactics,’’ says Chair Mendelson `If we don’t act now, it (the I-71 market) will get bigger,’’ he predicted. “And, the bigger it gets, the harder it will be to

Our River: The Anacostia The Apacc Leads The Private Sector In The Clean-Up of The Anacostia

by Bill Matuszeski

The Anacostia Park and Community Col laborative (APACC) was founded in 2015 by Phil Pannell of the Anacostia Coordi nating Council and Doug Siglin. It has grown and begun to emerge as a major leader of the private sector in efforts to engage the citi zens of Wards 7 and 8 in activities related to the Anacos tia River and adjacent public lands, and to involve Ward 6 folks as they turn towards an ever more attractive water body and shoreline offering many forms of engagement. As the leaders of the group would say, their main goal is to make “the River and its park system the best possible

resource for residents of Wards 7 and 8”. But they would like it all to attract and entertain whoever is drawn near.

Last February, the APACC hired Brenda Lee Richard son to the top management post of Coordinator. She has been President of Chozen Consulting LLC, a company focusing on community engagement and government re lations, with much of their work in our area. As a former Board member of many local environmental and develop ment volunteer groups, she has already brought a sense of urgency and organization to APACC. She has her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan and her Masters in Social Work from the University of Maryland.

APACC now has 42 member organizations, some lo cal, some regional and some national, but all dedicated to making the River something the local residents will to be drawn to. Examples from different levels include Zion Baptist Church of Ward 7; Fairlawn Citizen’s Association in Ward 8; Community Preservation and Development Corporation in both Wards 7 and 8; Living Classrooms on Kingman Island in Ward 6; Anacostia Riverkeeper in the entire Anacostia watershed; DC-wide Appleseed Center for Law and Justice; region-wide Casey Trees; and the national office of the Audubon Naturalist Soci ety. These and the other members bring a wide range of

View Upriver from Poplar Point. Photo: Bill Matuszeski

expertise and experience to the table.

As an Anacostia watershed citizen, how do you relate to all this and figure out how to engage? The best place to start is the Anacostia Parks and Community Collabora tive website at http://www.anacostiaparkcommunity.org. There you will learn of up coming events affecting the River, the parks along it and the neighborhoods adjacent. You can share your ideas and build your coalitions to work on a range of projects. For example, there is a Citizens’ Poplar Point Working Group that is documenting and el evating the stories and dreams of folks who have been working to transform the large vacant area north of the Frederick Douglas South Capitol Street Bridge for thirty years; it is now subject to a wide range of conflicting development plans, although 70 of the 130 acres are allegedly set aside as parkland.

The overall purpose of the APACC effort is to bring the communities along the Riv er into the decisions about the future offerings that it provides to all who live there. Ev eryone’s participation is needed. The local focus on priorities and needs and threats to communities and the environment must be available and listened to. The environment should be defined as much broader than what nature and the River bring; it should include ways to take advantage of nature and enjoy its ability to refresh us in all man ner of ways. APACC can be seen as a forum to work out issues related to changes be ing proposed. It provides a source of funds and other support for local projects. En vironmental education and projects to improve the communities should also be seen as a source of training and jobs for local talent.

We can make it happen along Our River, and we cannot afford to let the opportu nities to work together with APACC pass us by.

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 National Arboretum and on Citizen Advisory Committees for the Chesapeake and the Anacostia. u

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0026-2022

MARKET STUDY SERVICES

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires detailed market studies to reflect nationally and locally (Washington DC) recognized standards.

SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available beginning Monday, October 3 on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations”.

SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 11:00 AM.

Email Lolita Washington, Contract Specialist lwashing@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.

APACC Equity Tour by Brenda Richardson with Government and Non-Profit Representatives. Photo: Brenda Richardson

East of the River Steel Band at Kenilworth Park

On Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m. to noon, join your neighbors at the park for this year’snal live performance by the East of the River Steel Band. Listen to the sweet sound of the steel drum while enjoying the change in the seasons. Bring a blanket or grab a seat. They recommend registering in advance. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. kenaqgardens.org.

Tai Chi with Coach at Kenilworth Park

On Sunday, Oct. 15, 9 to 10 a.m., Coach Fogan leads one nal Tai Chi class this season at the park as part of WELLderness. Registration is recommended. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. kenaqgardens.org.

Frederick Douglass Family Day at Anacostia Park

On Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the National Park Service invites you to come out to Anacostia Park and explore your own physical and mental well-being surrounded by community and the in uence of Frederick Douglass. From 11 a.m. to noon, meet Frederick Douglass during a performance and talk with Frederick Douglass reenactor Nathan Richardson. From noon to 4 p.m., enjoy bike rides, yoga, 19th century lawn games, live music and storytelling. Frederick Douglass Family Day is being held at Anacostia Park near the Skating Pavilion, 1500 Anacostia Dr. SE. nps.gov/frdo.

Halloween Trunk-N-Treat at THEARC

The annual Halloween Trunk-N-Treat at THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE, is on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2 to 4 p.m. at THEARC West, parking lot. The event will include a fun and spooky haunted house. They are still in need of volunteers to run concession stands, decorate cars and the haunted house. If you are interested, email Vice President of Programs and Operations at ljones@thearcdc.org.

In This Together Community Walk

Over 90 supporters and friends came together at Anacostia Park on Saturday, Sept. 24, to walk together in support of women ending their homelessness for good. Calvary Women’s Services, 1217 Good Hope Rd. SE, o ers housing, health, education and employment programs that empower homeless women in Washington, DC to change their lives. calvaryservices.org.

Fort Dupont Ice Arena Public Skating in October

Fort Dupont Ice Arena two-hour skating sessions are on Sundays, 2:30 p.m.; Fridays, noon and Saturdays, 1 p.m. Sessions are $5 for adults; $4 for kids and seniors; $3 skate rental. The arena is at 3779 Ely Place SE. fdia.org.

Friends of the National Arboretum Fall 5k

On Saturday, Nov. 12, at 9 a.m., join Friends of the National Arboretum for a 5k run or walk on the idyllic grounds of the National Arboretum. Strollers and dogs are allowed but must stay on a ve-foot, non-retractable leash. Children 12 and under are free but must be registered. Register by Oct. 16 to receive early-bird pricing, $40, and a race shirt. Standard registration after Oct. 17 increases to $50 and does not include a shirt. fona.org.

Calvary Women’s Services had an impressive turnout for their rst in-person In This Together Community Walk.

DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in the District.

DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in the District.

DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in the District.

DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in the District.

DC Open Doors

DC Open Doors

DC Open Doors is your key to homeownership inthe city. is programo ers competitive interest rates and lower mortgage insurance costs on rst trust

DC Open Doors

DC Open Doors

homebuyer or a D.C. resident , be purchasing a home in the District of Columbia

DC Open Doors

DC Open Doors is your key to homeownership inthe city. is programo ers competitive interest rates and lower mortgage insurance costs on rst trust

homebuyer or a D C. resident , be purchasing a home in the District of Columbia

DC Open Doors is your key to homeownership int city. is programo ers competitive interest rates and lower mortgage insurance costs on rst trust

DC Open Doors is your key to homeownership int city. is programo ers competitive interest rates and lower mortgage insurance costs on rst trust

HPAP provides interest free deferred loans for down serves as a co-administrator of this DC Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) rst-time home buyer program.

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 mortgages. You are not required to be a firsttime homebuyer a D.C. resident to qualify for DCOD. You must, however, be purchasing a home in the District of Columbia.

homebuyer or a D C. resident , be purchasing a home in the District of Columbia

homebuyer or a D.C. resident , be purchasing a home in the District of Columbia

HPAP provides interest free deferred loans for down serves as a co-administrator of this DC Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) rst-time home buyer program.

Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP)

HPAP provides interest free deferred loans for down serves as a co-administrator of this DC Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) rst-time home buyer program.

HPAP provides interest free deferred loans for down

years or older who have fallen behind on insurance and tax payments as a result of their reverse mortgage. Quali ed District homeowners can receive up to

serves as a co-administrator of this DC Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) rst-time home buyer program.

HPAP provides interest free deferred loans for down payment and closing cost assistance up to $202,000 combined. DCHFA serves as a co-administrator of this DC Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) first-time home buyer program.

years or older who have fallen behind on insurance and tax payments as a result of their reverse mortgage. Quali ed District homeowners can receive up to

DC4ME

years or older who have fallen behind on insurance and tax payments as a result of their reverse mortgage. Quali ed District homeowners can receive up to

DC4ME provides mortgage assistance with optional down payment assistance to D.C. government employees. DC4ME is o ered to current full-time District government employees, including employees of District government-based instrumentalities, independent agencies, D.C. Public Charter Schools, and organizations, provided the applicant/borrower's employer falls under the oversight of the Council of the District of Columbia.

years or older who have fallen behind on insurance and tax payments as a result of their reverse mortgage. Quali ed District homeowners can receive up to

COVID-19

DC4ME provides mortgage assistance with optional down payment assistance to D.C. government employees. DC4ME is o ered to current full-time District government employees, including employees of District government-based instrumentalities, independent agencies, D.C. Public Charter Schools, and organizations, provided the applicant/borrower's employer falls under the oversight of the Council of the District of Columbia.

DC4ME provides mortgage assistance with optional down payment assistance to D.C. government employees. DC4ME is o ered to current full-time District government employees, including employees of District government-based instrumentalities, independent agencies, D.C. Public Charter Schools, and organizations, provided the applicant/borrower's employer falls under the oversight of the Council of the District of Columbia.

DC MAP COVID-19 provides nancial assistance to those a ected by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quali ed borrowers can receive a loan of up to $5,000 per month to put toward their mortgage for up to six months.

COVID-19

DC4ME provides mortgage assistance with optional down payment assistance to D.C. government employees. DC4ME is offered to current full-time District government employees, including employees of District government-based instrumentalities, independent agencies, D.C. Public Charter Schools, and organizations, provided the applicant/borrower’s employer falls under the oversight of the Council of the District of Columbia.

DC4ME provides mortgage assistance with optional down payment assistance to D.C. government employees. DC4ME is o ered to current full-time District government employees, including employees of District government-based instrumentalities, independent agencies, D.C. Public Charter Schools, and organizations, provided the applicant/borrower's employer falls under the oversight of the Council of the District of Columbia.

DC MAP COVID-19 provides nancial assistance to those a ected by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quali ed borrowers can receive a loan of up to $5,000 per month to put toward their mortgage for up to six months.

COVID-19

Homebuyers

www.DCHFA.org

COVID-19

DC MAP COVID-19 provides nancial assistance to those a ected by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quali ed borrowers can receive a loan of up to $5,000 per month to put toward their mortgage for up to six months.

to apply to any of DCHFA’s homeownership programs.

Visit www.DCHFA.org

DC MAP COVID-19 provides nancial assistance to those a ected by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quali ed borrowers can receive a loan of up to $5,000 per month to put toward their mortgage for up to six months.

www.DCHFA.org

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

DC Lidl Market in Opens in Ward 7

On Sept. 27, DC’s rst Lidl Market, 2224 Town Center Dr. SE, opened in Ward 7. This is the rst full-service grocery store to open East of the River in more than a decade.

Weekly Food Distribution at THEARC

Families can come to THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE, every Wednesday and receive a free bag of groceries. Their weekly food distribution begins at noon at the white tent in THEARC West parking lot. There are also free health screenings which will include blood pressure screenings, glucose screenings, weight/ BMI, and consultations with a doctor. Volunteers are needed every Wednesday, anytime between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., to support this e ort. Reach out to Jamal Lamar Chevis, Director of Development Operations at jchevis@thearcdc.org if interested.

Anacostia Playhouse Seeks Liaison Members

Anacostia Playhouse is looking for Anacostia residents, businesses, organizations and institutions to serve on their Anacostia Liaison Committee. The members of this group will help guide and support Playhouse programming strategies that will engage the whole community. They will also help to create and maintain the volunteer organization for Anacostia Playhouse. If you are interested, contact them at info@anacostiaplayhouse.com.

The Turkish Festival

The Turkish Festival is organized, delivered, and nanced by the Turkish Americancommunity and businesses in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. It draws crowdsof up to 20,000 and features live music, DJs, dance performances, a oating stage, foodcourt, kids’ tent, tea house and beer garden. The 2022 Turkish Festival is on Sun-day, Oct. 16, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Pennsylvania Ave. NW, between Third and Sev-enth. Free admission. turkishfestival.org.

Join Fort Stanton Park or Shepherd Parkway Cleanups

On the rst Saturday of every month, help remove trash and invasive plants from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers meet in front of the Ft. Stanton Recreation Center, 1812 Erie St. SE. On the Second Saturday of every month, help remove trash and invasive plants from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers meet at 555 Newcomb St. SE. Wear boots, durable pants, and clothes you won’t mind getting dirty. Gloves, bags, and water are provided. Documentation of community service hours will be provided upon request. For questions, contact Nathan at nathan@ward8woods.org.

Vassar Haiti Project Art Sale

The Vassar Haiti Project co-hosts the fourth bi-annual sale of Haitian paintings and handcrafts at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A St. SE, on Nov. 4 to 6: Friday, opening reception, 6 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All funds raised will support art, education, health and sustainable development in villages in rural Haiti. The event is a celebration of Haitian art and culture, showcasing over 200 original paintings and handcrafts. Masks and registration at the door will be required. Visit thehaitiproject.org, to learn more about their work and the upcoming event.

There is also an open invitation to colleges, schools, churches, o ces and other groups who wish to leave their mark on either cleanup. You pick the date and time. Contact Nathan at nathanbharrington@gmail.com to arrange your groups volunteer experience.

Your Family Tree: Researching Your Family History

On Saturday, Oct. 27, 3 to 4 p.m., learn how to use Ancestry Library Edition to begin researching your family’s history at Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE. dclibrary.org/benning.

Anacostia Video Visitation

On Thursdays and Fridays, 2 to 4 p.m., family and friends of DC Jail inmates have the opportunity to access video-visitation stations at Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE, to make live connections with DC Jail inmates. For more information, visit visitation.doc.dc.gov or call 888-906-6394 or 202-442-7270, Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. dclibrary.org/anacostia.

Device Advice at Bellevue Library

On Tuesdays, Oct. 18, Nov. 1, Nov. 15, Dec. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m., you can get

The Giving Tree by Adrien Seide

hands-on help with your device—basic cellphone use and applications; basic tablet use; and general internet and computer instruction. Register at dclibrary.org/Bellevue. Bellevue Library is at 115 Atlantic St. SW.

DC Women’s Sports Teams

Adopt Anacostia River

On Sept. 8, the Department of Energy and Environment and Sustainable DC Ambassador Anna Heilferty announced that the Washington Coalition of Women’s Professional Sports (WCWPS) is adopting the Anacostia River, re ecting their commitment to becoming environmental stewards of the river. The WCWPS—which features the Washington Mystics, Washington Spirit, DC Divas and DC Shadow—serves as a supportive organization for all women’s sports programs and professional clubs in the greater Washington, DC region. Earlier this summer, Washington Spirit soccer player Heilferty became the rstever Ambassador for Sustainable DC, a mayoral initiative centered on environ-

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Walk/Run 10k

The annual Bay Bridge Run is on Sunday, Nov. 13.

To ensure the safety of the participants, the Bay Bridge Run begins in waves of approximately 2,000 participants each on a staggered timeline every 15 minutes beginning at 7 a.m. and ending at 8:30 a.m. Start times for the Bay Bridge Run will be selected by the participant during registration. Walkers, who have 2.5 hours to complete the course, are welcome and stay in the right-hand lane. Registration is now $95. thebaybridgerun.com.

mentalism and sustainable planning. sustainable.dc.gov/sdc2.

MPD Now Offers a $20k Hiring Bonus

MPD is now o ering a $20,000 hiring bonus. Start earning a full police salary

Hitchcock on the Big Screen

“Master of Suspense” Alfred Hitchcock (1899 - 1980) was an English lmmaker widely regarded as one of the most in uential gures in the history of cinema. In order to give you a good scare this Halloween season, The Miracle Theatre gives you a chance to see four of his best on the big screen. Here they are: on Friday, Oct. 7, Vertigo (1958) with James Stewart and Kim Novak; on Thursday, Oct. 13, Rear Window (1854) with James Stewart and Grace Kelly; on Friday, Oct. 21, Psycho (1960) with Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh; and Friday, Nov. 11, The Birds (1963) with Tippi Hedron and Rod Taylor. All movies begin at 7 p.m. $8 for adults; $6 for students with ID, military and seniors. The Miracle Theatre is at 535 Eighth St. SE. There is a public parking lot on Eighth, between I St. and Virginia Ave. SE. themiracletheatre.com.

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0021-2022

PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires a Project Management Information System (PMIS) for construction project data.

SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available beginning Monday, September 26, 2022 on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations”.

SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Thursday, October 26, 2022 at 12:00 PM.

Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0013-2022

GENERAL CONTRACTORS FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZE CONSTRUCTION

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires experienced General Contractors (GC’s) and Architecture Engineering (AE) Firms to provide GC Services throughout various DCHA properties.

SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available beginning Monday, September 26, 2022 on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations”.

SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 12:00 PM.

Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.

of $60,199 ($65,863 after 18 months) when you begin training in their academy which is also non-residential, which means you can go home every day. In addition, they also o er $6000 in rental assistance, covering both a 14-day initial hotel stay—to ease the transition for those relocating from beyond 50 miles—and ongoing DC rental assistance for the remainder of the bene t for those who choose to reside in DC. To learn more and to apply, visit JOINMPD.DC.GOV.

Cedar Hill Medical Center to Expand

Mayor Bowser and Universal Health Services have announced a plan to expand the size of the new Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, GW Health on the St. Elizabeths East Campus in Ward 8, made possible through a $17 million investment from Universal Health Services. This will allow an additional fourth patient oor and larger diagnostic and treatment to be included in the new hospital. The new oor will be able to accommodate 48 additional beds, increasing the total number of beds from 136 to 184. When it opens its doors to patients in early 2025, the new Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, GW Health will be the rst new inpatient facility to open in DC in over 20 years. The state-of-the-art, full-service hospital also includes a trauma center, ambulatory pavilion for physician o ces, clinics and community space, a 500-car garage, and a helipad for emergency transports.

NMAAHC Celebrates Gen. Colin Powell

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture celebrated the life and contributions of the late Gen. Colin Powell (1937–2021) with a dedication ceremony naming its military gallery the “General Colin L. Powell Gallery” on Sept. 22. The change re ects Powell’s longstanding support for the museum and his lifelong service to the country. Powell’s story is also featured in the museum gallery alongside several objects he donated to the museum’s collection, including two military uniforms. The military gallery, which includes more than

Dead Man’s Run 5k at Congressional Cemetery

After a rain washout last year, Dead Man’s Run makes it triumphant return to Historic Congressional Cemetery on Friday, Oct. 28, 6 p.m. No bones about it, their annual 5k is a dose of healthy Halloween fun. Dress in your best costume, put on your running shoes, and come with an appetite for fun. There are awards for the top three male, female, and non-binary nishers, as well as best individual costume and team costume. Beer and wine will also be served. $35. Register at runsignup.com/Race/ DC/Washington/DeadMansRun

170 objects, conveys a sense of appreciation and respect for the military service of African Americans throughout the nation’s history. The gallery shows how the African American military experience shapes opportunities for the greater community and has profoundly shaped the nation. nmaahc.si.edu.

Something Wicked This Way Comes: Evil Laugh Contest

Through Oct. 20, compete in DC’s Annual Evil Laugh Contest. Submit a 10-second video of yourself doing your most wicked, spine-tingling evil laugh. Who can participate? Anyone and everyone can—your grandmother, your screaming baby, your pet guinea pig, all of your cousins, your school principal. Trophies will be awarded in several categories such as, Best Vocals, Art Direction, Dramatic Performance. If you win, you must be able to pick up your prize at your local participating

DC Public Library. For inspiration, check out Evil Laughs on Film at dclibrary.org/node/68802. For more Evil Laugh Contest details, visit dclibrary.org/evillaughcontest.

Fall Harvest Festival at Mount Vernon

On the Oct. 22 and 23 weekend, celebrate the crisp autumn season with 18th-century activities and demonstrations at the Farm at Mount Vernon. You can explore the farm; meet General Washington; view demonstrations of 18th-century cooking, candle making, and coopering

(making and repairing buckets and barrels); visit with the Farrier to learn how horseshoeing was performed in the 18th century; and learn about textile production. Activities included with regular admission: $28 for adults; $15 for ages six to eleven; free for infants to ve. mountvernon.org.

Food & Friends’ Slice of Life

Thanksgiving Pie Sales Open Slice of Life has become a tradition in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Pie Sellers and Pie Teams come together to raise money, ensuring that neighbors facing serious illnesses can enjoy

DCHFA Funds Affordable Housing Rehab at Ridgecrest Village

The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency has nanced the rehabilitation of Ridgecrest Village Phase I in Ward 8’s Shipley Terrace neighborhood. The Agency issued $21.9 million in tax exempt bonds and underwrote $16.83 million in DC and federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity. Phase I of the project will consist of remodeling 13 existing buildings on the property originally constructed in 1951. The work will include repairing exterior walls, replacing light xtures, reshaping parking lots, installing security screens and windows and constructing new sidewalks and ramps among other things. In-unit amenities will include vinyl ooring, new kitchen cabinets and xtures, coat closets, upgraded bathrooms, new blinds, ceiling fans and energy-e cient lighting. The community consists of four one-bedrooms, 88 two-bedrooms and 48 three-bedrooms. Twenty apartments will be reserved for residents earning 80 percent or less of the area median income, 57 for those earning up to 60 percent AMI, 35 for those earning up to 50 percent AMI, and 28 units will be designated Permanent Supportive Housing for residents earning 30 percent or less AMI.

Staged Readings of Brute Farce by DC Playwright

Craig Houk

Four vengeful, narcissistic actors, with the assistance of a brutish stage manager and a cynical stagehand, abduct and hold captive a theater critic notorious for shutting down productions and ending careers through his malicious reviews. To confound matters, they intend to carry their plan out during a performance of a show they’re all currently appearing in. Less than an hour before the curtain is due to rise, their scheme begins to quickly unravel as we discover that none of the conspirators are familiar with the actual plan or its designed outcome. Brute Farce is a satirical commentary on the perpetually symbiotic, oftentimes dysfunctional, and occasionally turbulent relationship between actors and reviewers. $10. Brute Farce will have four staged readings at the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE, on Oct. 27, 7 p.m.; Oct. 28, 7 p.m.; and Oct. 29, 3 and 7 p.m. archdevelopmentdc.org/valleyplace.

a wonderful Thanksgiving meal complete with two delicious pies. Each pie is baked fresh and picked up on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at conveniently located pickup sites. Each pie sale provides a full days’ worth of nutritious meals for a neighbor in need. There’s no easier way to give back during the holidays. Pie sales have started. sliceo ifedc.org.

Autumn Hiking: Sugarloaf Mountain

Natural beauty and fascinating history await this fall. Spend an autumn day hiking to the summit of DC’s local mountain, less than an hour’s drive from the city. Sugarloaf o ers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside of Montgomery and Frederick counties in Maryland. With color in the trees and fallen leaves on the ground, exciting rural vistas open up. Guided by popular study leader Melanie Choukas-Bradley, learn about the mountain’s plants and wildlife, seasonal changes, geology, and history. Spend time on the summit, composed of pink quartzite and forested with uncommon table mountain pines and mountain laurel, for a light lunch and a bit of “forest bathing. $75. Autumn Hiking is available on Nov. 9, 10 and 11; 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8. smithsonianassociates.org. ◆

New Signs and Pet Waste Station at Kenilworth Park

Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, the o cial nonpro t fundraising partner of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Ward 7, has enhanced the accessibility of the park by adding more signage. In addition to the waysides and new welcome signs, the organization has also added a pet waste station. The pet waste station is a direct result of Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens listening to community members’ concerns around the need to keep the adjacent community clean and further open up Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to dog walkers. The station has been installed at Kenilworth Park at 40th Street and Anacostia Avenue, near the Kenilworth Park tennis courts. kenaqgardens.org.

Courtesy of Friends of Kenilworth Park

The Anacostia Coordinating Council Boat Ride

Article by Michael Sainte-Andress, Photos by Lamont Mitchell

Neither drizzly, overcast skies nor cool weather de terred the crowd of over 300 people who came to celebrate this past Saturday with the Anacos tia Coordinating Council (ACC) on the Spirit of Washington river boat (still technically referred to as the Spirit of Baltimore). This event has literally become an annual local area "must go to affair."

It has attendance across the spectrum of race/ethnicity, age, residence, politics, education and social standing. Leaving from the docks of the DC waterfront on the Potomac River, it cruises for more than two hours to the edge of Alexandria, VA and back to DC. Once onboard and the cruise begins, the celebration encompasses the energy of people determined to have a good time and to acknowledge how much they have to appreciate and be grateful for.

Old friends greet each other and catch up on what's been happening in their lives and new acquain tances get to know each oth er and form new alliances and connections. This is not just a DC attendee's event; people come from Maryland, Virginia and beyond.

The boat is a three-tiered, floating wonder. Except for liv ing quarters, it comes close to being a yacht. The self-serve dining is bountiful and de liciously prepared. The bar prepares just about whatever potable you could imagine (al coholic or not) and the wait staff is accommodating and efficient.

Lamont Mitchell, ACC Chair, brought forth a pastor

Anacostia Coordinating Council Executive director Philip Pannell addresses the crowd (DC Shadow Senator Michael Brown on right).

ACC Fundraiser Co-Chair Catherine Buell and Lamont Mitchell, Board Chair

Eleanor Holmes Norton addresses guests at ACC Annual Luncheon Cruise.

ACC Fundraiser Co-ChairDiane Groomes and PhilipPannell, Executive Director

Guests enjoy to the band.

to bless the day and introduced the ACC staff and local people of note: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton vowed to fervently continue her push for DC statehood, Mayor Muriel Bowser affirmed her com mitment to continue moving the city to provide DC citizens the best opportunity to have good lives and City Council Chair Phil Mendelson made comments.

The entertainment featured poet Charity Blackwell (from Bus boys and Poets) who gave a stir ring rendition of her poem "Shaq," which used the metaphor of bas ketball as a means to pursue one's dreams. The Terrys (a father and daughter duo) gave engaging ren ditions of several R&B and soul classics by Anita Baker, Cha

ka Khan, Donny Hathaway and others. The Experience Band, featuring vocalist J'Ta Freeman, provided lively versions of music by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and others. They had the floors packed with rhythmic bodies rocking and rolling to the joyful sounds. What fun!

Philip Pannell, ACC Exec utive Director, enthusiastically pumped up the crowd with his exhortations about the commu nity work, service and support that ACC provides and expressed his grati tude for the success of the Boat Ride over the years. He promised that next year, the 40th an niversary of ACC, will be a joyous celebration.

It was noted that next year (2023) no sin gle tickets will be sold. People were advised to connect with those purchasing table spots to ensure their inclusion.

This post-COVID event clearly illustrated how relieved and grateful people were to just be able to congregate, socialize and enjoy an after noon of conviviality, entertainment and adven ture. It was invigorating and reassuring and the joy and appreciation was palpable.

Hope to see you next year!

ANC-8B

Join Zoom Meeting by Video:

Where: Zoom.us

Meeting ID: 944 9344 8524

Passcode: 3275KC1

Dial in by Phone:

Where: 1-301-715-8592

Meeting ID: 944 9344 8524 Passcode: 6755143

ALL ARE WELCOME

Michael Sainte-Andress is the Anacostia Coordinating Council’s Arts and Culture Ambassador u

“Charles the Violinist” performs.

DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and Marcus Batchler.

Democratic Candidate for Attorney GeneralBrian Schwalb and Mayor Muriel Bowser (D).

Meet Troy Rogers Google Salesman, Family Man

by Anthony D. Diallo

Southeastnative Troy E. Rogers, 51, has reason to smile and celebrate life. Rogers, a successful salesperson, grew up in Ward 7 and still calls East of the River home after buying his dream house there seven years ago.

This father of three has meticulously carved out a middle-class lifestyle for himself and his family. The savvy salesperson works hard for Google and savors the rewards of his e orts that allow him to live comfortably in a beautiful house with a panoramic view of the city.

Early Life in the Village

“I was a bene ciary of some amazing people [parents, friends, and family members]. I owe them a lot. I did not have to overcome anything while growing up in Fairfax Village,” Rogers said, commemorating his childhood. Rogers lived in Fairfax Village with his two younger brothers, his mother, and his stepfather.

“DC is special, I think, because of the African American community present here. Besides on television or in the movies, I didn’t see a white person in my [southeast] community until I was around twelve. All my neighbors were black. The mailman was black. The people in the [mom and pop] stores were black,” Rogers remembers with a sense of pride.

His True Love

Although he lived in Las Vegas for ve years as well as California, Rogers has in the past, continues now, and says he will always call Washington, DC, and particularly southeast—his true love—home.

“I have the best view of the nation’s capital from my southeast backyard. I can see everything! I can see the Basilica [of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception], the Washington National Cathedral, and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. Southeast has everything,” says Rogers.

He bought his current home for $300,000. The

house is in Hillcrest enclave called Westover. He shares the single-family all-brick house with his girlfriend Jennifer Anaya and their three children—Karl, 16, Kayla, 14, and Troy Rene, 6. Rogers describes the Ward 7 home as a hidden gem that is exceptional due to the “oversized lots and a real sense of community.”

uments, arti cial intelligence, and machine learning.

I have more than 20 years of experience in IT sales.”

He plays a part in Google’s quality assurance by always ensuring that clients acquire the greatest value out of the Google Cloud Portfolio. Rogers, who possesses a top secret clearance, is pro cient at building compelling business models and proactively assessing risk, and crafting migration strategies.

The Different Sides of Troy

Before working at Google, Rogers was a Senior Systems Engineer in California and a Technical

Consulting Manager in McLean, Virginia. The 1992 Towson University graduate has always toiled his technical craft both e ciently and expeditiously. In addition, for one year, from 1999 to 2000, Rogers was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland University College in Rockville, Maryland.

Fairfax Village was originally built and developed between the years 1939 and 1941 for the newly arrived federal workers that rented the small garden apartments and semi-detached townhouses during World War II.

between the years 1939 and 1941 for the newly arrived federal workers that rented the small garden

The Village, which was the shortened nickname given to the community by locals, always had a reputation for being well maintained and the home of aspiring southeast residents that were both owner-occupied and rented. The entire complex of Georgian-style brick buildings was converted to condominiums in 1976. Alabama Avenue binds Fairfax Village to the northwest, Pennsylvania Avenue to the northeast, Suitland Road to the southwest, and Southern Avenue to the east.

Cloud Engineering Manager for Google for two years. He specializes in a working knowledge of the Google Cloud portfolio and the ability to share direct involvement in relevant case studies.

“I sell cloud services to the federal government including such things as doc-

Rogers is not one-dimensional; he knows how to rest, relax, and have some fun.“I put on a big front, but I’m really shy. I’m an extroverted introvert. I’m in sales where I have to turn ‘it’ on and engage. I had to learn to ip the switch,” he said. Rogers’ overall positive nature supports

his beliefs. His strength comes from God and gives him the guidance and wisdom needed to have in uence in the world.

“Troy is the epitome of Washington, DC. He continues to give back [to others less fortunate]. He has shown an innate ability to rise to a challenge. He stands up for his community and he stands up for his children as a father,” said long-time friend DeVonne Collins, a Contract Specialist with the U.S. Department of Education, who rst met Rogers when Collins was middle school.

Raised in the Catholic faith, Rogers graduated from Bishop McNamara High School, a Catholic college preparatory school in Forestville, Maryland. Later, he joined the Knights of Columbus, a global fraternal service order founded in 1882 by a priest—Blessed Michael J. McGivney. He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi which is a historically African American fraternity that began in 1911 at Indiana University.

“If you grew up here in the nation’s capital, you have an a nity for the news. It’s in your system. DC is the most educated African American community that I know. There are special kinds of Blacks here,” concluded Rogers who aspires to retire by age 62 and go on an extensive trip to Africa so that he can “touch a pyramid, visit Egypt and Morocco, and end in South Africa.

The Eastsider

An African Journey

by Leniqua’dominique Jenkins

Two weeks ago, I packed a bag and decided to explore Nairobi and a few other neighboring cities for sev eral weeks with a very im pressive social entrepreneur, Anji Degante. Anji is the founder of Accent Styles Boutique. Her African-focused product line donates a percentage of sales to support an orphanage she sponsors in Kenya and provide scholar ships for Kenyan youth to attend school. Ev ery year Anji creates an experience for folks to tour Kenya and to learn more about her ef forts. This year, for the third time, I packed a bag and joined her.

I have been touring various parts of Africa since 2005. I have taken courses to complete my minor in African American Studies at the

University of Ghana, I have met with promi nent leaders to discuss timely and pertinent issues. I have sat and had wine with close friends that live in Kenya that now have be come family. Yet each day of this trip chipped away at all the things I thought I knew about Africa, and replaced it with new positive in formation. My experience in Kenya helped me redefine Africa.

Over the span of several weeks, I paddled the Congo River, fed giraffes, hiked Karura Forest, explored Crescent Island and learned about exotic wild game and birds. But spend ing time at the orphanage and learning about all the work Anji was doing to make life bet ter for kids who had experienced great hard ship was what really made my heart smile. Through the contributions of her brand she

Anji Degante (middle) founder of Accent Style Boutique surrounded by Maasai tribesmen on Dasani Beach in Mombasa, Kenya.

provides food, hygiene products, school supplies, and academic programming and support on site at the orphanage.

Towards the end of the tour I traveled to Mombasa. It was on Diani Beach that I had the unexpected opportunity to stand face to face with the Maasai tribesmen. At that moment, although I could still feel the grains of sand falling between my toes to indicate to my brain I was still walking, time still felt as though it had stopped. I didn’t reach for my phone to take a pic ture because I was present. I merely stood in awe of the uninfluenced Maasai cul ture. I took in their tall slender frames, shaved heads, heavily adorned bodies with handmade jewelry, and captivat ing white smiles. Our audible exchange was simple. A few “hello’s“ and “how are you’s” were all I could muster up. My mind quickly processed the beauty, and sacredness of the moment.

I was sharing space and time with my ancestors. I was not a Negro, a Colored person, or a Black/Brown person, which is not exclusive to folks with African an cestry. All of these names were forceful ly given to me through oppressive struc tures and have a heavy political history. This practice of addressing melanated people by words that are void of respect project inferiority. It reduces that person to a non-person, particularly in newspa per accounts. In reporting incidents in volving blacks, the press usually adopt ed the gender-neutral term "Negro," thus designating blacks as lifeless and unknown. I was home and had reached a level of cultural maturity. I now had a personal connection to land, a language, a flag, and most importantly myself.

I encourage all people to voyage to Ke nya. I’m sure, like me, you will find some thing you never knew you lost yourself.

To learn more about Kenya, sched ule a visit, or to support the orphanage please visit accentstylesboutique.com or email Anji at Anjidegante@accentstyles boutique.com

Leniqua’dominique Jenkins holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the Universi ty of Houston and has worked on Capitol Hill and in Africa, India and Spain. She is a pre school teacher at a language immersion school in Ward 7. u

a list of

Changing Hands

of

every issue, this list,based on the MRIs, is provided courtesy of Don Denton,

and

NEIGHBORHOOD PRICE BR

FEE SIMPLE

ANACOSTIA

1111 Sycamore St SE $727,085 2

2305 1/2 Elvans Rd SE $650,000 4

2303 1/2 Elvans Rd SE $650,000 4

1900 Q St SE $610,000 3

1438 SE Minnesota Ave SE $540,000 9

2319 Minnesota Ave SE $500,000 3

1519 W St SE $500,000 4

2806 Bruce Pl SE $405,000 3

2208 16th St SE $373,000 2

BARRY FARMS

2607 12th Pl SE $185,000 2

CAPITOL HILL EAST

336 15th St SE $782,500 2

CARVER LANGSTON

1919 Bennett Pl NE $799,900 4

CONGRESS HEIGHTS

700 Alabama Ave SE $590,000 4

3808 1st St SE $550,000 4

539 Mellon St SE $499,900 3

123 Danbur y St SW $449,999 3

95 Forrester St SW $415,000 2

855 Barnaby St SE $399,900 3

557 Foxhall Pl SE $390,000 3

733 Alabama Ave SE $310,000 5

612 Mellon St SE #101 $158,000 2

DEANWOOD

5007 Lee St NE $799,000 7

205 49th St NE $518,500 4

5401 Hunt Pl NE $434,500 3

809 51st St NE $429,900 3

5352 Hayes St NE $380,000 4

Ames St NE $290,000 2

614 49th Pl NE $275,000 3

35th St NE $240,000 2

FORT DUPONT PARK

1655 Fort Dupont St SE $480,000 3

Hillside Rd SE $479,000 4

4258 Southern Ave SE $405,000 3

4808 Texas Ave SE $400,000 3

1180 46th Pl SE $400,000 2

4409 G St SE $270,000 3

FORT LINCOLN

3724 Comm. Josh. Barney Dr NE $865,000 3

HILL CREST

36th Pl SE $750,000 3

Austin St SE $675,000 3

1412 30th St SE $618,000 4

Nash Pl SE $510,000 4

D St SE $941,999 3

P St SE $675,000 4

Westover Dr SE $620,100 3

33rd St SE $599,950 4

27th St SE $415,000 4

KINGMAN PARK

18th Pl NE $800,000 3

24th St NE $768,000 3

LILY PONDS

Eastern Ave NE $610,000

Albert Ir vin Cassell Pl NE $458,995

Eads St NE $425,000

Blaine St NE $420,000

34th St NE $357,000

36th St NE $322,000

MARSHALL HEIGHTS

B St SE $585,000 4

A St SE $510,000 6

Call Pl SE $450,000 6

B St SE $445,000 2

E Capitol St SE $403,000 4

C St SE $325,000 2

A St SE $205,000 2

RANDLE HEIGHTS

Elvans Rd SE $435,000 3

U Pl SE $415,000 2

Skyland Ter SE $321,000 3

TRINIDAD

Morse St NE $940,000 3

Oates St NE $700,000 3

Lyman Pl NE $675,000 3

18th St NE $475,000 2

21st St NE $250,000 2

CONDO

ANACOSTIA

Talbert Ct SE #A $450,000 3

High St SE #3 $430,000 3

High St SE ##4 $422,500 3

High St SE #1 $410,000 3

Naylor Rd SE #8 $250,000 2

BARRY FARMS

Hunter Pl SE #104 $90,000 2

Wade Rd SE #13 $74,000 2

CAPITOL GATEWAY

V St SW #208 $1,140,000 2

V St SW #209 $800,000 1

V St SW #512 $547,000 1

CAPITOL HILL EAST

16 17th St NE #133 $475,000 1

CAPITOL RIVERFRONT

1211 Van St SE #1211 $799,900 2

Van St SE #301 $650,000 2

Van St SE #609 $400,000 1

CARVER LANGSTON

761 19th St NE #4 $635,000 3

1019 17th Pl NE #401 $484,000 2

761 19th St NE #2 $474,000 2

1019 17th Place NE #202 $449,000 2

17th Place NE #001 $400,000 2

CONGRESS HEIGHTS

3221 8th St SE #15 $255,000 2

717 Brandywine St SE #204 $148,000 2

705 Brandywine St SE #203 $132,000 2 3865 Halley Ter SE #204 $98,000 1

DEANWOOD

200 43rd Rd NE #101 $190,000 2

FAIRFAX VILLAGE

3914 Southern Ave SE $255,000 2

FORT LINCOLN

3197 Apple Rd NE #9 $380,000 3

3156 Apple Rd NE #18 $350,000 2 3109 Berr y Rd NE #13 $308,611 3

H STREET CORRIDOR

614 I St NE #1 $799,000 3

1105 7th St NE #1 $645,000 2

1102 Staples St NE #203 $589,900 2

HILL CREST

1800 28th Pl SE #303 $250,000 2

3918 Southern Ave SE #A $175,000 2

HILL EAST

1722 Independence Ave SE #1 $699,000 3 217 20th St NE #1 $650,000 2

STADIUM/ARMORY

1722 Independence Ave SE #2 $899,000 3

17th St SE #1 $655,000 2

TRINIDAD

West Virginia Ave NE #3 $860,000 5

Neal St NE #2 $828,000 3

M St NE #2 $589,000 3

Bladensburg Rd NE #5 $550,000 3

17th Pl NE #UNIT 308 $319,000 1

Bladensburg Rd NE #0A $277,200 2

Montello Ave NE #4 $225,000 1

Artist: Jay Coleman

Photo: Elizabeth

kids & family

by Kathleen Donner

The Butter y Pavilion

Visit the Butter y Pavilion to experience a tropical oasis in the middle of the National Museum of Natural History. It is always a picture-perfect summer day in the Butter y Pavilion. Butter ies y freely from one bloom to another and sometimes land on visitors. During this immersive live butter y experience, you will stroll along tropical plants and experience a rare opportunity—approximately 300 living butter ies from around the world gathered in one place. It is wheelchair accessible. Open daily with timed entries, 10:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. $8 for adults; $7 for kids and seniors; Tuesdays, free. Online ticket sales at naturalhistory.si.edu/exhibits/butter y-pavilion. Free Tuesday tickets are available only onsite at the Butter y Ticket Desk.

The “Butter ies + Plants: Partners in Evolution” exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Photo: Chip Clark

In-Person Día de los Muertos Family Day

On Saturday, Oct. 29, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., join the Smithsonian American Art Museum in celebrating Día de los Muertos. Bring the whole family to see exciting live performances from Ballet Folklorico Mi Herencia Mexicana, Mariachi Aguila DC, and Sol y Rumba. Enjoy face painting and their featured Día de los Muertos–themed crafts for all ages. Free. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and G Streets, NW. americanart.si.edu.

Family Happy Hour with King Bullfrog at Hill Center

On Friday, Oct. 14, 5 to 7 p.m., bring the family out to enjoy a Friday evening lled with live music perfect for all ages. This concert will be outdoors in their West Plaza, perfect for little ones to run, dance, laugh, and play to the beat of their favorite songs. Beer, wine, and cheese and pepperoni pizza will be for sale. Families may bring their own picnics for the evening together. Kids admission $10; adults, $5. Hill Center is at 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org.

Family Guide for MNAAHC’s Reckoning: Protest, De ance, Resilience.

Reckoning: Protest. De ance. Resilience. tells stories of injustice, resistance and courage. Use their Family Guide to introduce these complex ideas and facilitate conversations in de-

Finding Rhythm: Grow Your Brain with Go-go Music

On Saturday, Oct. 29, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., take a journey through the musical brain with Mother Dance, Father Rhythm, and the Curious Scientist. DC’s own Go-go music and brain science come together for this lively show that’ll have kids singing and dancing to the beat. Learn the origins of human rhythm, how rhythm grows the brain, and where children nd the source of their own power and connection. Music neuroscientist and show creator Dr. Jessica Phillips-Silver draws together a team of master musicians and teaching artists to tell this powerful, unifying story. This isn’t the Mozart E ect—it’s the Go-go E ect. $20.

Best for ages ve, up. kennedy-center.org.

Photo: Courtesy of the Artists

100-yard Kids’ Dash for ages three to 10 is a great way to encourage your child to be active and

Race for Every Child Kids’ Dash

The Race for Every Child, on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Freedom Plaza, supports children and families by raising funds for specialized medical care, research into childhood diseases, and important wellness and preventive services at Children’s National Health System. Participants may register to join inperson or virtually. Registration is free. Registration gives you access to a personalized fundraising dashboard and the opportunity to recruit team members and raise vital funds to support Children’s National Hospital. Those who raise $30 or more will receive a Race for Every Child: 10th Anniversary Edition t-shirt. Just one block long, the Kids’ Dash route is on Pennsylvania Ave. NW, starting at 12th St. and nishing at 13th St. It will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. and participants will dash in waves, based on their age group. childrensnational.donordrive.com.

My Clients Are Saying…

Dare managed the renovation of our home, including getting multiple bids from contractors... We ended up being extremely satisfied

We loved her attitude and approach. She was confident, and helped us move forward, without pressuring us unnecessarily. She was nonjudgmental. She gave us space when we needed. We felt like she was letting us make decisions, but also was willing to sit in the driver’s seat as much as we needed.

She spent tons of her time -- much more than we would have expected from her. She told us beforehand that she enjoyed managing renovation projects, and it was clear that she did. She came by the property frequently during the renovations, to check on how things were going.

She took the lead in marketing the home, and in negotiating the sale for us. The sale price ended up exceeding our expectations.

We’d work with Dare again without hesitation.

Dare Johnson

velopmentally appropriate and meaningful ways for children through questions and activities connected to featured artworks. Note: To best honor children’s developmental and emotional needs, they’ve provided a preview of the sensitive and graphic imagery and audio in the exhibit. nmaahc. si.edu/reckoning.

Día de los Muertos Special Concert with Quetzal

The National Museum of the American Indian and the National Museum of the American Latino invite you to celebrate the return of the ancestors with a special Día de los Muertos concert on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2 to 3 p.m., featuring the Grammy award-winning band Quetzal. Quetzal is a bilingual rock group with roots in the cultural and social justice landscape of East Los Angeles. An “ofrenda” (altar) will be featured in the museum’s atrium from Oct. 26 through Nov. 2. Visitors can also create paper butter ies for a display in honor of their loved ones. americanindian.si.edu.

Drop-In Hang-Out: Teen Voting in the DMV

Is your voice being heard? Do your DC School Board student representatives know your concerns? Do any of the DC candidates stand for what matters most to you? If you are 16 or older and already registered, what could make voting easier for you? Do you have all the required documents to vote once you leave for college? Does anyone

Boo at the Zoo

It’s no trick, only the sweetest treat: Boo at the Zoo, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s beloved family-friendly Halloween event is back Oct. 28, 29 and 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets include special afterhours access for animal viewing at the Elephant Community Center, Small Mammal House, Reptile Discovery Center, Great Ape House and Think Tank, dance party, a souvenir tote bag and around 30 trickor-treat stations around the Zoo. $35. Boo at the Zoo is perfect for kids ages four to twelve. All guests ages two and older must have a ticket. Parking pass is $30 (not included in ticket price). Reserve tickets at nationalzoo.si.edu.

The Witch Wartsmith’s Halloween Spooktacular

Witch Wartsmith hosts the annual Halloween Spooktacular and you get to vote on the winner. Part contemporary competition show, part vin tage telethon, and part punpalooza, this spooky variety show will tickle your funny bone. Some of their contestants will change year to year, so come back to see old and new friends alike. Witch Wartsmith’s is on stage from Oct. 1 to 31 at the Glen Echo Playhouse, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo and is recommended for ages four and older. It runs on Thursdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tickets are $15. thepuppetco.org.

Hill-O-Ween at Eastern Market

This year’s Hill-O-Ween is on Friday, Oct. 28, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Eastern Market. For 20 years, Hill-O-Ween has been a cherished tradition on Capitol Hill. It’s a chance for kids to show their creativity, dress up, play, and make some of the best memories of their childhood. Hilloweendc.com.

you know need help voting while in jail? Have you ever got ten paid for being a student poll worker? Every Monday in October, 6 to 7 p.m., join the Monday Teen Conversations where you can raise your issues, hear the concern of other teens, and learn about resources you might not know are available. MLK Library, 901 G St. NW. dclibrary.org/mlk.

Air Play at the KC

On Friday to Sunday, Nov. 4 to 6, umbrellas fly, fabrics soar over the audience, balloons swallow people, and snow swirls, filling the stage. Air Play transforms ordinary ob jects into uncommon beauty through a wordless, magical adventure as two siblings journey through a surreal land of air. Created by circus performers Seth Bloom and Chris tina Gelsone in collaboration with kinetic sculptor Dan iel Wurtzel, this enchanting spectacle combines comedy, live sculpture, circus, and theater to fill both the young and young at heart with wonder. Air Play can be enjoyed by all ages. kennedy-center.org.

Harbor Halloween

National Harbor Halloween, at 150 National Plaza Na tional Harbor, Maryland, is on Sunday, Oct. 30, 12:30 to 3 p.m. Here’s the schedule: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Trick or Treating; 1 to 2:30 p.m. community canopy activities; 1 p.m., Halloween movie; 2:30 p.m., chef pumpkin carv ing contest; 2:45 p.m., costumed pet parade. nationalhar bor.com.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, wel comes Honolulu Theater for Youth’s production of “In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson” to play a spe cial limited engagement from Oct. 15 to 22. The protago nist in the play, Shirley Temple Wong, and her family move from China to the United States in 1947, the year Jackie Robinson was breaking records and racial barriers in base ball. Told through humor and a rich multimedia staging, the play celebrates the bravery and sacrifice of those who bring new perspectives to our country. $12 to $39. imag inationstage.org.

Spies 2: Flight of the Hawk

Oct. 29 to Nov. 20, join S.P.I.E.S. in person, where it is more interactive than ever. This follow-up to the online hit S.P.I.E.S. & the Lost Treasure of Atlantis combines live theatre and taped adventure scenes to create a collabora tive and exciting experience where each audience gets to be the hero and solve the puzzles–and no two performanc es are alike. Best for ages five to eleven. Imagination Stage is at 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda. imaginationstage.org.

Pumpkin Village at Leesburg Animal Park

Flamenco en Familia at GALA

On Saturday, Nov. 5, 1:30 p.m., Sara Jerez and Richard Marlowe lead interactive demonstrations with castanets, fans, and zapateo for children as part of the Fuego Flamenco Festival at GALA The atre, 3333 14th St. NW. Free ad mission. GALA’s Fuego Flamen co Festival, Oct. 29 to Nov. 13, features local, regional, and in ternational artists in an expand ed three-week festival. galathe atre.org.

Through Nov. 6, Leesburg Animal Park celebrates the sea son with giant hill slides, lawn games, pony rides, a hay maze, pedal carts, moon bounces and plenty of animal meet-and-greets. Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and weekends, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. $20.95 for adults; kids two to twelve and seniors, $17.95; under two, free. Leesburg Animal Farm is at 19270 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg, VA. pumpkinfestleesburg.com.

Black Student Fund & Latino Student Fund Annual School Fair

The Black Student Fund & Latino Student Fund Annual School Fair is on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2 to 5 p.m., at the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt Vernon Pl. NW. Admission is free. The Black Student Fund’s commitment to bringing inde pendent schools and black families together led

to the creation of the annual Fair in 1972. The BSF/LSF School Fair provides a networking opportunity to meet with representatives from more than sixty independent schools. Parents and prospective students get first-hand knowledge about each school’s programs, community, admission requirements and financial aid process. In addition, the fair features interactive seminars focused on the admissions process, the financial aid process and personal/family financial management. Read more and register at blackstudentfund.org.

Frederick Douglass Family Day at Anacostia Park

On Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the National Park Service in vites you to come out to Anacostia Park and explore your own physi cal and mental well-being surrounded by community and the influence of Frederick Douglass. From 11 a.m. to noon, meet Frederick Douglass during a performance and talk with Frederick Douglass reenactor Na than Richardson. From noon to 4 p.m., enjoy bike rides, yoga, 19th cen tury lawn games, live music and storytelling. Frederick Douglass Fam ily Day is being held at Anacostia Park near the Skating Pavilion, 1500 Anacostia Dr. SE. nps.gov/frdo. u

National Air and Space Museum Opens Renovated West End

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum reopens half of its flagship building on the National Mall on Friday, Oct. 14. Eight new and renovated exhibitions, the planetarium, museum store and Mars Café open on the building’s west end. The museum has been un dergoing a seven-year renovation and includes redesigning all 23 exhibitions and presenta tion spaces. Free timed-entry passes are required to ensure visitors have an enjoyable expe rience. airandspace.si.edu.

Maryland Renaissance Festival

Fall Harvest Festival at Mount Vernon

On the Oct. 22 and 23 weekend, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., each day, celebrate the crisp au tumn season with 18th-century activities and demonstrations at the Farm at Mount Vernon. You can explore the farm; meet General Washington; view demonstrations of 18th-century cooking, candle making, surveying, and coopering (making and re pairing buckets and barrels); visit with the Farrier to learn how horseshoeing was performed in the 18th century; watch 18th-century spinning demonstrations; and learn about textile production. Activities included with regular admission: $28 for adults; $15 for ages six to eleven; free for infants to five. mountvernon.org.

Unique among most festivals, including re naissance festivals, the Maryland Renais sance Festival utilizes a story line and pro gresses each year forward in the timeline of Henry VIII, through all his reign and all six of his wives. This season the year is 1536, and as ever, the King’s love life is the source of gossip. The Maryland Renaissance Fes tival runs Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 23, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., for weekends of thrills, feasting, handmade crafts, entertain ment and merriment in Crownsville, near Annapolis. The 27-acre Village of Rev el Grove comes to life each autumn with more than 200 professional performers on ten stages, a 3,000-seat arena with armored jousting and streets filled with village char acters. Admission is $30 for adults; $15 for ages seven to fifteen; under seven, free. Tickets sold online only. rennfest.com.

Photo: Courtesy of the Maryland Renaissance Festival

Photo: Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Jumbles”

Across: