Hill Rag Magazine April 2017 by Capital Community News

hillrag.com â&#x20AC;˘ April 2017

Sales · Rentals · Commercial Leasing Property Management · Investments UN

Est

1981

RC ON

1350 K STREET SE

Wide, expansive layout with 2 Master Suites Parking / 3BR + Den 3.5BA · $1,139,000 Genie Hutinet · 202.413.7661

CO SOMIN ON G

1301 MARYLAND AVE NE 5BR 4.5BA/3 Car Parking $1,525,000 Genie Hutinet · 202.413.7661

AC T

505 ONEIDA PLACE NW Nantucket Holdings Renovation 4BR 3.5BA · $689,500 Genie Hutinet · 202.413.7661

NANTUCKET HOLDINGS RENOVATIONS

COMING EARLY 2017 5030 7TH STREET NW 4BR 3.5BA Genie Hutinet · 202.413.7661

“Where Washington shops for a new address! ™”

4725 SEDGWICK STREET NW

407 M STREET NE

Heart of Spring Valley 5BR 4 Full Baths 2 Half Baths Genie Hutinet · 202.413.7661

NOMA Two Unit Pete Frias · 202.744.8973

RC ON

AC T



225 Pennsylvania Ave SE Washington, DC 20003 202.544.3900 www.johncformant.com

915 E STREET NW #1005 2BR 2BA/2 Car Parking · $749,000 Pete Frias · 202.744.8973

1000 NEW JERSEY AVE SE 1BR 1BA · Unit w/Great Views Pete Frias · 202.744.8973

April 2017 H 3

R.THOMAS DANIEL ROOFING

SERVING CAPITOL HILL CUSTOMERS FOR MORE THAN 90 YEARS! Our Services: • Low Slope Roofing • Steep Slope Roofing • Gutter & Downspouts

• Skylights • Chimneys • Masonry

Uncover Hidden Future Costs. Warning Signs Could Mean Higher Costs If Not Corrected Today!

UNDER YOUR ROOF IS YOUR MOST

VALUABLE ASSET... YOUR HOME!

CHECK YOUR ROOF NOW BEFORE SPRING AND SUMMER RAINS! REQUEST YOUR FREE INSPECTION ASAP! YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ROOFER Owner Tom Daniel, outside the original location of the family roofing business at 310 Independence Ave., S.E.

• Roof is over 10 years old • Interior water stains • Visible leaks or cracks • Loose attic insulation • Open joints and seams on roof • Drains/gutters filled with debris • Loose chimney flashing or mortar • Skylight cracked or leaking

202.569.1080 202.544.4430

tom@rthomasdanielroofing.com www.rthomasdanielroofing.com

PROUD TO BE A CAPITOL HILL VILLAGE PREFERRED VENDOR 4 H Hillrag.com

April 2017 H 5

COMING SOON

1334 E. Capitol St, NE

1405 E. Capitol St, SE #1

Renovated 4BR/3.5BA w/ Garage.

Recently renovated 1BR Condo.

UNDER CONTRACT

FOR SALE

1415 E. Capitol St, SE

310 E. Capitol St, NE #E

Our clients are purchasing.

1BR+Den & Deeded Parking.

SOLD

317 10th St, NE #18

237 12th St, NE

$395, 000

$ 1 ,7 2 5 ,0 0 0

Todd Bissey 202.841.7653

todd.bissey@compass.com

Stan Bissey

202. 841. 1433

stan.bissey@compass.com

6 6 0 P E N N S Y LVA N I A AV E , S E # 3 0 0

202.545.6900

Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. Compass is licensed as Compass Real Estate in DC and as Compass in Virginia and Maryland.

6 H Hillrag.com

April 2017 H 7

8 H Hillrag.com

April 2017 H 9

In this issue... 29

Earth Day on Capitol Hill

Earth, Spring And Blossoms by Kathleen Donner

Protecting DC’s Waterways and Our Natural History by Catherine Plume

Our River: Restoring Shepherd Parkway by Bill Matuszeski

DC Eyes Becoming First ‘Green Bank’ City by Christine Rushton

Recycling and Composting in DC Are Getting Easier by Catherine Plume

April 2017

What’s on Washington by Kathleen Donner

Calendar by Kathleen Donner

capitol streets

36 Winners of 2017 Capitol Hill Community Achievement Awards by Stephanie Deutsch

Bulletin Board by Kathleen Donner

The Numbers: How Bowser Can Make the Most of DC’s Upcoming Budget by Jodi Kwarciany

Don’t Tread on DC: DC United for Statehood by Josh Burch

South by West by William Rich

Redesigning Virginia Avenue Park by Christine Rushton

Investigating Complex Crimes with Officer Byrd by Christine Rushton

Companies for Causes Donates Books to Miner Elementary by Christine Rushton

ANC 6A Report by Elizabeth Nelson

ANC 6B Report by Liz O’Gorek

ANC 6C Report by Christine Rushton

ANC 6D Report by Andrew Lightman

ANC 6E Report by Steve Holton

community life

Capitol Roots: A Musical Hall of Mirrors by Charles Walston

111

60 Don’t Tread on DC United for Statehood by Josh Burch

Hill Rag Crossword

Heard on the Hill by Jen DeMayo

Volunteering on the Hill by Quentin Wodon

Bill Walsh: A Capitol Hill Life by Jacqueline Dupree

Winners of 2017 Capitol Hill Community Achievement Awards by Stephanie Deutsch

H Street Life by Elise Bernard

The Capitol Riverfront’s Great Outdoors Signal that Spring Has Sprung by Bonnie Wright

real estate 93

Harbour Square: A Modernist Jewel of Southwest DC Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary by Donna Hanousek

Real Estate Matters by Heather Schoell

Changing Hands by Don Denton

arts and dining 105

Ragtime Raises the Roof at Ford’s by Barbara Wells

108

The Congressional Chorus Celebrates Its 30th Season A Note Above the Rest by Christine Rushton

111

Capitol Roots: A Musical Hall of Mirrors by Charles Walston

112

Dining Notes by Celeste McCall

114

The Wine Girl by Elyse Genderson

116

At the Movies by Mike Canning

120

Art and The City by Jim Magner

122

Literary Hill by Karen Lyon

124

Poetic Hill by Karen Lyon

health and fitness 127

Let’s Get Physical: Be Your Own CEO by Stacy Peterson

130

The New Sport & Health Club by Pattie Cinelli

132

Lyme Disease by Dan Teich

kids and family 135

Kids & Family Notebook by Kathleen Donner

140

School Notes by Susan Braun Johnson

homes and gardens 149

Vertical Gardening in the 21st Century by Cheryl Corson

152

Garden Spot: Spring’s Relentless Fury by Derek Thomas

154

Dear Garden Problem Lady by Wendy Blair

______________________ 156 C l a s s i f i e d s 162

The Last Shot

on the cover: “FRAGILE-2”, by Nick Fedaeff. A larger collection from Nick will be at the Gallery NK after September 2017. Gallery NK will susponsoring Nick’s Artist Residence in Washington DC. More information will be posted at the Gallery NK websiste in fall. www.galleryonk.com. 321 K Street NE, Wash., DC 20002. info@galleryonk.com, 240-486-0261. more about the artist: NICK FEDAEFF is a Kazakh artist who began his career as a singer and composer before undertaking multimedia art in 1996, which led him to produce abundant visual pieces. He uses oil paint as much as he uses acrylic paint. He also does not hesitate to adopt techniques dating back in time, such as the superimposition of layers of painting when working with oil paints. Nick draws inspiration from observing pieces from the artistic world but also by witnessing life and dreams. He composes stories, either by reinterpreting paintings he admires, or by creating his own narratives, populated with quixotic characters, always oscillating between dream and reality. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand

Capital Community News, Inc. 224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300. Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 • www.capitalcommunitynews.com • www.hillrag.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner • melissaashabranner@hillrag.com

Editorial Staﬀ

M�� E��: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com CFO � A�� E��: Maria Carolina Lopez • carolina@hillrag.com S�� N�� E��: Susan Braun Johnson • schools@hillrag.com K�� F�� E��: Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com

Arts, Dining & Entertainment A��:

D��: L��: M��: M��: T��: W�� G��:

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

Calendar & Bulletin Board

C�� E��: Kathleen Donner • calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com

General Assignment

Elise Bernard • elise.bernard@gmail.com Ellen Boomer • emboomer@gmail.com Karen Cohen • kcohenphoto@gmail.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com Stephen Lilienthal - stephen_lilienthal@yahoo.com Pleasant Mann • pmann1995@gmail.com Meghan Markey • meghanmarkey@gmail.com John H. Muller • jmuller.washingtonsyndicate@gmail.com Will Rich • will.janks@gmail.com Christine Rushton • christine.m.rushton@gmail.com Heather Schoell • schoell@verizon.net Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Michael G. Stevens • michael@capitolriverfront.org Peter J. Waldron • peter@hillrag.com

Beauty, Health & Fitness

Patricia Cinelli • ﬁtmiss44@aol.com Candace Y.A. Montague • writeoncm@gmail.com Stacy Peterson • stacy@accelerationsports.net

Real Estate

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

Kids & Family

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

Homes & Gardens

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

Commentary

Ethelbert Miller • emiller698@aol.com T�� N�� • thenose@hillrag.com T�� L�� W�� • editorial@hilllrag.com

Production/Graphic/Web Design

A�� D��: Jason Yen • jay@hillrag.com Graphic Design: Lee Kyungmin • lee@hillrag.com W�� M��: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com

Advertising & Sales

Account Executive: Kira Means, 202.543.8300 X16 • kira@hillrag.com Account Executive: Laura Vucci, 202.543.8300 X22 • laura@hillrag.com Account Executive & Classiﬁed Advertising: Maria Carolina Lopez, 202.543.8300 X12 • Carolina@hillrag.com

Distribution

M��: Andrew Lightman D��: MediaPoint, LLC I��: distribution@hillrag.com

Deadlines & Contacts

A��: sales@hillrag.com D�� A��: 15th of each month C�� A��: 10th of each month E��: 15th of each month; editorial@hilllrag.com B�� B�� C��: 15th of each month; calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com

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

Capital Community News, Inc. Publishers of: 12 H Hillrag.com

MIDCITY YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

F A G O N

GUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL

SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! bat

10% OFF

SEU

Ava i

lab

$25 OFF

LIST PRICE ON ANY EQUIPMENT INSTALLATIONS *Exp.04/30/2017

Any Service Call *Exp.04/30/2017

18 Month, 0% Interest Financing

FAST SERVICE FAST INSTALLATION Serving Capitol Hill Since 2001 • Residential & Light Commercial • Roof Top Package Units • Highly Experienced Technicians • Low Prices • Free Estimates On Replacements • Convenient Financing • Licensed, Bonded & Insured

Specializing in:

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

202-333-1310

www.polarbearairconditioning.com Your crew was really clean and tidy. Plus, they were very pleasant to work with.We really appreciated that. – Linda, Capitol Hill

All Credit Cards Accepted April 2017 H 13

Runners at the start of the first park run in Washington, DC, at Fletcher’s Cove, on Jan. 9, 2016. Photo: Andres Falconer

1 1 Fletcher’s Cove park run

The Fletcher Cover park run is a free, timed run at 9 a.m. on Saturdays. The run welcomes serious athletes alongside enthusiastic kids, runners of different capabilities and walkers. And, not seen in the picture, somewhere in the back, Mayor Bowser, who surprised everyone one Saturday morning. It’s free. Register at parkrun.us/fletcherscove before the first run. Everyone runs for their own enjoyment. Every week the runners grab a post parkrun coffee in the picnic area by the footbridge, weather permitting. It is entirely organized by volunteers. Email fletcherscovehelpers@parkrun.com to help.

14 H Hillrag.com

2 Virginia Gold Cup

The Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase distance races held on May 6 feature fence jumping, ditch obstacles, picnicing, drinking, a hat contest, VIP tents, tailgating, Kentucky Derby viewing and a lot of fun for horse lovers. The races are run before a crowd of about 50,000 people. Dress up or not and bring a picnic. The gates open at 10 a.m. A car with up to six passengers can enter for $100. Entry is by car only. Tickets are on sale now at vagoldcup.com. Th reference address for directions is 5089 Old Tavern Rd, The Plains, VA. The Plains is about one hour directly west of DC via Route 66. vagoldcup.com.

Scene from the 2016 Virginia Gold Cup races. Photo: Isabel Kurek

Courtesy of the US National Arboretum

3 5

4 Rebecca Hungerford’ s Leafy Vessel, spun, hammered, fabricated, acid-etched and colored pewter, silver wire, H:8.00 x W:10.00 x D:10.00 Inches. $400.

3 Azalea Peak Bloom at the Arboretum

The time to go to the US National Arboretum is when their famous azaleas are in bloom. The early azaleas typically bloom in the second week in April; the late azaleas in the second week in May. Peak bloom is in between. Because of climate change, visit usna.usda. gov for updates. The Arboretum grounds are open every day except Christmas from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Editor’s notes: The R Street NE entrance is closed to cars after 2 p.m., weekdays. Bicycles, pedestrians, official visitors, volunteers, tours, and contractors are still allowed in through R Street. Cars are always able to exit through the R Street gate. Also, public tram tours through the grounds are no longer offered. usna.usda.gov.

4 Smithsonian Craft Show

The Smithsonian Craft Show is at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW, from April 27 to 30. See and purchase the work of 120 jury-selected American masters. The show features jewelry, wearable art, basketry, decorative fiber, furniture, glass, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, wood and ceramics. It is open April 27, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; April 28 and 29, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and April 30, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. One day admission is $17: two days, $30. smithsoniancraftshow.org.

The All Hallows Guild’s antique carousel. Photo: Lauren Modny

5 Washington National Cathedral Flower Mart

Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW, holds its annual All Hallows Guild Flower Mart on May 5 and 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It features an irresistible array of festival foods, children’s rides, artisanal and boutique gifts, herbs and flowers, Saturday-only tower climbs ($10), carousel rides, tea, puppet shows, white elephant tent and more. As a special treat, DC based embassies present their one-of-a-kind floral displays that tells each country’s story in a beautiful way in the Cathedral nave. Flower Mart is free and welcomes all. cathedral.org.

April 2017 H 15

A P R I L CALENDAR Happy Birthday, Will! at the Folger. April 23, noon to 4 PM. join the Folger for this beloved annual tradition, as they celebrate the birthday of the Bard. From Shakespearean musical and theatrical performances to sword fighting demonstrations to Elizabethan crafts, there’s something for everyone – including birthday cake. This is also the one day of the year when the historic Reading Rooms are open to the public. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. folger.edu. The annual Shakespeare’s Birthday Open House at the Folger Shakespeare Library is a festive day for families. Photo: Jeff Malet Photography

16 H Hillrag.com

EASTER The Great Vigil of Easter at National Cathedral. April 15, 8 PM. Intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues, NW. 202-5376200. nationalcathedral.org. Solemn Easter Vigil Mass at National Shrine. April 15, 8 PM. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202526-8300. nationalshrine.com. Easter Sunrise Service at Lincoln Memorial. April 16, (rain or shine), 6:30 AM. Thousands gather annually at the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate Easter. Lincoln Memorial. capitalchurch.org. Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington Cemetery. April 16, 6:15 AM. The Easter Sunrise Service at the Arlington National Cemetery Amphitheater will begin with a musical prelude. There is no rail service at this hour but parking is free. arlingtoncemetery.mil. Festival Holy Eucharist at National Cathedral. April 16, 8 AM and 11:15 AM (free tickets required); 4 PM, Evensong on Easter Day; 5:15 PM, Organ Recital. Intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues NW. 202-537-6200. nationalcathedral.org. Easter Sunday Mass at National Shrine. April 16, 7:30 AM, 9 AM, 10:30 AM, noon, 4:30 PM. Spanish Mass at 2:30 PM. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. nationalshrine.com.

April 2017 H 17

{april events calendar}

Music at the Atlas. April 1, 8 PM and April 8, 10 PM, UrbanArias: Lucy; April 15, 8 PM, DADA People; April 20, 7:30 PM, Todd Marcus Quartet; April 21, 8 PM, Webber/Hollenbeck/Mitchell Trio; April 22, 8 PM, Ben Allison & The Easy Way; April 23, 7:30 PM, Brad Linde’s URBANE OUTFIT; May 7, 5 PM, Capital City Symphony: Times and Places. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. 202-239-7993. AtlasArts.org. DC Chamber Music Society Free Concert. April 2, 3 PM. Philip Glass String Quartet No. 1; Johannes Brahms String Sextet No. 1, Op. 18 in B-flat major; Sergei Prokofiev Quintet for Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, Viola and Double Bass, Op. 39. Donations accepted. St. Mark’s Capitol Hill, 301 A St. SE. dcconcertorchestra.org.

Nationals Manager Dusty Baker in the dugout at Nationals Park on July 19, 2016. Photo: Courtesy of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club

Washington Nationals. April 3 (Home Opener), 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 28, 29 and 30. Nat’s Park. washington.nationals.mlb.com. MUSIC Folger Consort’s Starry Messenger. Through April 2. The late 16th century saw a revolution in musical practice in Italy. Renaissance compositions gave way to the innately dramatic music of the early Baroque. Folger Consort celebrates this age of revelations with music of the spheres, dramatic songs by Monteverdi, lute music by Galileo’s father Vincenzo Galilei and brilliant early violin sonatas and keyboard pieces. $40. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. folger.edu. Music at Mr. Henry’s. Saturday Night Ladies of Jazz: April 1, Barbara Papendorp; April 8, Kim Scudera; April 15, Maija Rejman; April 22, Akua Allrich; April 29, Nina Casey. Thursday Night Bluegrass: April 6, Stewart Lewis; April 20, By & By; April 27, Justin Trawick. Friday Night Jazz: April 7, Dial 251 for Jazz; April 14, The Kevin Cordt Quartet; April 21, Herb Scott; April 28, Aaron L. Myers, II. Capitol Hill Jazz Jam is hosted by Herb Scott and

18 H Hillrag.com

Aaron Myers of the Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation every Wednesday. Shows run 8 to 11 PM.; doors open at 6 PM; no cover; two items per person minimum. Henry’s Upstairs, 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-546-8412. mrhenrysdc.com. Music at Rock and Roll Hotel. April 1, the Slackers; April 2, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down; April 3, H20; April 7, Boss Hog; April 8, Justin Jones and Summit Saturdays; April 9, Jain; April 10, Modern English; April 12, Union Brewing & Friends Records Present…INDIE DANCE Baltimore Invasion; April 13, Diet Cig; April 14, The Wedding Present; April 15, White Ford Bronco; April 18, Pigeons & Planes Presents NO CEILINGS featuring Boogie, Kaiydo, Kemba, and Michael Christmas; April 21, Parachute; April 222, Soohan and Summit Saturdays; April 25, Panama Wedding; April 27, Lucky Chops; April 28, The Wild Reeds; April 29, Pinegrove and Summit Saturdays. Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. 202-3887625. rockandrollhoteldc.com.

Phillips Collection Sunday Concerts. April 2, Anthony Marwood and Aleksandar Madžar; April 9, Gould Piano Trio and Robert Plane; April 16, Lukas Geniušas; April 23, Anne Akiko Meyers; April 30, Quatuor Danel; May 7, Maxim Rysanov and Alexander Kobrin. Concerts at 4 PM. $40, $20 for members and students with ID; includes museum admission. Reservations recommended. Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. phillipscollection.org/music.

Blues Night in Southwest. Every Monday, 6 to 9 PM. April 3, Shirleta Settles & Friends; April 10, Danny Blew & the Blues Crew; April 17, Memphis Gold Blues; April 24, Vintage #18 Blues Band; May 1, David Cole & Main Street Blues; May 8, The Nighthawks. $5 cover. Children are free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. 202-484-7700. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW. westminsterdc.org. Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Tuesdays, 12:10 PM. April 4, Washington Bach Consort; April 11, Rebecca Kellerman Petretta, Laura Choi Stuart, sopranos, Amy Domingues, viola da gamba, & Jeremy Filsell, continuo; April 18, Nikolai Popov, flute, Vasily Popov, cello, and Ralitza Patcheva, piano; April 25, The Dvorak Duo; May 2, Washington Bach Consort. 1317 G St. NW. 202-347-2635. epiphanydc.org. Jazz Night in Southwest. Every Friday, 6 to 9 PM. April 7, Lena Swings!; April 14, Good Friday Special, 2017,

Bowie State Jazz Ensemble; April 21, “Diggin’ Up My Roots” (CD Release); April 28, Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald; May 5, Jazz Academy of Music; May 13, Clarence Turner Blues Band. $5 cover. Children are free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. 202-4847700. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW. westminsterdc.org. Emancipation Day Celebration Closing Concert. April 9, 6 PM. The Sweet Heaven Kings are the musically and spiritually powerful trombone shout band from the United House of Prayer for All People in Anacostia. This concert will be held in the North Hall of Eastern Market, the corner of Seventh Street and North Carolina SE. Free. Music at Hill Center. April 20, 7:30 PM, Hill Center Jazz Ensemble, $15; April 30, 4 PM, I Draw Slow, free. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org. Second Wind Spring Fundraising Concert. April 22, 4:45 PM, reception follows. Join Second Wind as they perform selections from baroque madrigals to 20th century choral pieces. A wine and hors d’oeuvres reception will follow the concert. The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Tickets are available at the door with a free will donation. For more information, contact Marsha Holliday at 202-544-2629 or email hollidaymsd@yahoo.com. (Second Wind is a choral group that meets on Tuesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. at CHAW, 545 Seventh St. SE. They sing for fun. Their repertoire is a sampling of different eras and styles of music including early music, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century and show tunes. Because CHAW donates the use of their space, Second Wind

April 2017 H 19

Photo: Courtesy of the National Cherry Blossom Festival

Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival. April 15 (Rain Date, April 16), 2 to 9:30 PM. Fireworks at 8:30 PM. Festival, at the District Wharf, 600-650 Water St. SW, features live music, beer garden, food trucks, and all ages hands-on activities. Free. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. charges performers only the costs of the director, the pianist and a small fee for music. Financial assistance is available. For more information or to join, call Marsha Holliday at 202 544-2629.) Anderson House Spring Concert Series. April 22, 1 PM, The Singing Capital Chorus; May 20, 1 PM, cellist Tobias Werner and pianist Carlos Cesar Rodriguez. Free. Society of the Cincinnati, 2118 Massachusetts Ave. NW. societyofthecincinnati.org. CapitalBop DC jazz calendar. Visit capitalbop.com for the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most detailed jazz calendar as well as an informative online jazz periodical by noted Jazz critic Giovanni Russonello.

20 H Hillrag.com

THEATER AND FILM Parade at Keegan. Through April 8. The tragic, true story of the trial and lynching of a Jewish man wrongly accused of murder. A rich and intricate score by Jason Robert Brown; and a book by Alfred Uhry that delves fearlessly into the complexities of early 20th century social relationships in the South. A musical of profound depth and beauty. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 202-2653767. keegantheatre.com. Mnemonic at the Anacostia Playhouse. Through April 9. Through potent physicality, inventive design and striking visuals, Mnemonic reminds theatergoers of their interconnectedness in a world where people are still moving, whether

by choice or circumstance. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon PL. SE. theateralliance.com. Scena’s The Night Alive at the Atlas. Through April 9. This touching drama explores lost souls and the hope of redemption with an ample dose of Irish wit. Tommy is a disheartened schemer, estranged from his family. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. 202-2397993, AtlasArts.org. Three Sisters at Studio. Through April 23. Irina, Masha and Olga bristle against the mundanities of their backwater town in Chekhov’s tragicomic masterpiece about missed opportunities and misplaced dreams. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org. No Sisters at Studio. Through April 23. While Three Sisters plays out in one theatre, half the cast is also performing upstairs in another: Same building, different theatre... No Sisters! While Olga, Masha and Irina yearn for Moscow, the rest of the household and its hangers-on grapple with their own heartache and longing, bit players in a world whose focus is elsewhere. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202332-3300. studiotheatre.org.

Coming Soon! 1 0 3 1 1 T H S t re e t S E Love living on Capitol Hill but want something different than a typical row house? Drenched in natural light with tree top views of Lincoln Park, this stunning modern corner home offers 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, gorgeous chef’s kitchen, private patio, beautiful corner yard and a breathtaking great room that was recently described as “sexy.” Aren’t you curious? Please give us a call at 202.841.1812 for more information.

Jackie Sink

202.352.5793 jackie.sink@compass.com

Libby Clarke

202.841.1812 libby.clarke@compass.com

Crystal Crittenden

202.246.0931 crystal.crittenden@compass.com SEE OUR REVIEWS ON ZILLOW

Pike St. at Woolly. Through April 23. On the Lower East Side, a mother works hard to keep the electricity flowing for her daughter’s respirator while a hurricane looms nearby. As she prepares for disaster, a vibrant host of characters — a decorated war veteran, her ne’er-do-well father, her octogenarian downstairs neighbor — bring new meaning to the phrase “it takes a village.” Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St. NW. 202393-3939. woollymammoth.net.

Compass is a licensed real estate brokerage that abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Compass is licensed as Compass Real Estate in DC and as Compass in Virginia and Maryland. 660 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 | 202.545.6900

Lean and Hungry Theater: King Lear at the Atlas. Through April 23. A powerful leader is aging; his perceptions of the world and his family

April 2017 H 21

{april events calendar}

Mosaic’s A Human Being Died That Night. April 6 to 30. Prime Evil is what South Africans call him: a paid white political assassin currently serving two life sentences for crimes committed in the name of the apartheid state. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. 202-239-7993. AtlasArts.org. Pointless Theatre’s d0t: a RotoPlastic Ballet. April 6 to May 6. This futurist environment is visualized through large scale, toy puppet theatre and Pointless Theatre’s signature brand of multimedia spectacle. Tickets at pointlesstheatre.com/dot. Performances at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW. Henry V at CHAW. April 12 to 29. Presented by We Happy Few Productions. Tickets for ages 18 and under, $5; general admission $15; purchase online at brownpapertickets.com/event/2806541. For more information, call CHAW at 202-547-6839.

Small mammals weren’t the only ones that received goodies from the Easter Bunny – he also stopped at the Bird House! Photo: Jennifer Zoon, Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Easter Monday at the Zoo. April 17. Throughout the day, the Zoo will offer familyfocused activities, including an Easter egg hunt with prizes for participating kids, field games, special animal demonstrations and live entertainment. Don’t miss a chance to meet Easter Panda. nationalzoo.si.edu. grow increasingly confused as his brain deteriorates. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. 202-239-7993. AtlasArts.org. Midwestern Gothic at Signature. Through April 30. Set in the middle of continental nowhere, Midwestern Gothic tells the story of a small town and a young girl whose wild and twisted imagination drives her to create more and more bizarre diversions. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Shirlington, VA. signature-theatre.org. Mosaic’s Blood Knot at the Atlas. Through April 30. A parable of two brothers who share a one-room shack near Port Elizabeth, South Africa: Zachariah is dark-skinned and Morris, light-skinned. They share the same mother but find their differences lead them to a common bond as brothers and men. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. 202-2397993. AtlasArts.org. A Raisin in the Sun at Arena. Through May 7. Lorraine Hansberry’s masterpiece follows the Younger family yearning for a better life far from the cramped confines

22 H Hillrag.com

of their Chicago tenement. Hope arrives in the form of an unexpected financial windfall, but when they realize they have differing definitions of the American dream. Which dreams get realized and which deferred? Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. arenastage.org. Ragtime at Ford’s. Through May 20. Based on E.L. Doctorow’s celebrated 1975 novel, the Tony Award-winning Ragtime confronts both the unbridled optimism and the stark reality of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When the lives of a wealthy white family, a daring Harlem musician and a determined Jewish immigrant intersect, their fates are inextricably bound and profoundly changed. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. 202-347-4833. fords.org. Brighton Beach Memoirs at Theater J. April 5 to May 7. Coming of age may not be easy — but it sure can be hilarious. Eugene Morris Jerome is 15, lives in 1930’s Brooklyn and thinks of little else but playing for the Yankees… and girls. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. 800494-8497. washingtondcjcc.org.

Ally Theatre Company’s The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha. April 22 to May 20. Christmas Eve, 1800, Martha Washington, lays on her deathbed at Mount Vernon, surrounded by the slaves who will be freed upon her passing. In a fever dream of terrifying theatricality, Martha and the rest of America, yesterday and today, are put on trial for their crimes. Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Rd., Mt. Rainier, MD. joesmovement.org. Outside Mullingar at Keegan. May 6 to 28. A compassionate and delightful work by John Patrick Shanley that asks the question, “Is it ever too late to take a chance on love?” Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 202-265-3767. keegantheatre.com. Miracle Theater. Movies shown Fridays, 4 PM, 7 PM, and 10 PM; Saturdays, 8 PM and 10:30 PM; Sundays, 4 PM and 7 PM. Movies before 6 PM are $6. Movies 6 PM and after are $8; $6 for children, students, military and seniors. Advance schedule not possible here. Sign up for what’s playing at themiracletheatre.com. Miracle Theater, 535 Eighth St. SE. 202-400-3210.

SPORTS AND FITNESS DC United at RFK. April 1, 7 PM, Philadelphia Union; April 8, 4 PM, New York City FC. dcunited.com. Washington Wizards Basketball. April 4 and 8. Verizon Center. nba.com/wizards.

April 2017 H 23

Washington Capitals Ice Hockey. April 5 and 9. Verizon Center. capitals.nhl.com. Yoga Gatherings at the Botanic Garden. Saturdays, 10:30 to 11:30 AM. WithLoveDC is a movement to spread love, joy, and acceptance throughout the District. WithLoveDC offers free yoga gatherings at the US Botanic Garden. This program is first-come, first served with limited space available. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own mats. No pre-registration required. usbg.gov. Rumsey Aquatic Center. Open weekdays, 6:30 AM to 9 PM; weekends, 9 AM to 5 PM. 635 North Carolina Ave. SE. Free to DC residents. Have ID. dpr.dc.gov.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: DCHE 2017-2

LEGAL SERVICES FOR NEW MARKETS TAX CREDITS DC HOUSING ENTERPRISES (“DCHE”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA), requires Legal Services for New Markets Tax Credits. SOLICIATION DOCUMENTS will be available at the Issuing Office at 1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 300, Office of Administrative Services/Contracts & Procurement, Washington, DC 20002-7599, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, March 27, 2017 and on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org. SEALED PROPOSALS are due to the Issuing Office on or before Thursday, April 27, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Contact Lolita Washington Contract Specialist at 202-535-1212 or by email at lwashing@dchousing.org with a copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information. 24 H Hillrag.com

Pickleball at Sherwood Rec Center. Thursdays, 1 to 3 PM. Free indoor pick-up games for adults. Pickleball is a racket sport sharing features of table tennis, badminton and tennis. Equipment and instruction are provided. For more info, contact Scottlparker@ comcast.net. Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th St. NE. Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Closed for season. Will reopen in late June or early July. fdia.org.

MARKETS AND SALES Friends of SE Library Book Sale. April 8, 10 AM to 3 PM. Most books are $1. Southeast Neighborhood Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. 202-698-3377. dclibrary.org/ southeast. Ladysmiths Art Jewelry Group Sale at Arena Stage. April 22 and 23, 1 to 8 PM. The sale will showcase the work of more than 20 lo-

Dedication, Energy & Enthusiasm,

Working for You cal jewelry and fiber artists. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. St. Patrick’s Episcopal Rummage Sale. April 22, 9 AM to 1 PM. St. Patrick’s Day School Gym, 4700 Whitehaven Pkwy. NW. stpatrickschurchdc.org. Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays. Weekdays, 7 AM to 7 PM; Saturdays, 7 AM to 5 PM; Sundays, 9 AM to 5 PM. Flea market and arts and crafts market open weekends, 9 AM to 6 PM. Eastern Market is Washington’s last continually operated “Old World” market. 200 and 300 blocks of Seventh St. SE. 202698-5253. easternmarketdc.com. Dupont Circle Farmers Market. Sundays, 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM. 20th Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW. 202362-8889. freshfarmmarket.org. Branch Avenue Pawn Parking Lot Flea Market. Saturdays. Set up after 10 AM. 3128 Branch Ave., Temple Hills, MD.

I donate $500 of every sale to the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, to strengthen the fabric of our neighborhood.

When you work with me, you make a difference! 216 7th Street, SE • Eastern Market Office (C) 202-321-0874 (O) 202-608-1882 x175 heathersdc@gmail.com heatherschoell.penfedrealty.com @HeatherSchoell

Heather Schoell Real Estate

© 2016 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchise of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.®

Fresh Tuesdays at Eastern Market. Tuesdays, 3 to 7 PM. Farmers’ line of fresh produce. Eastern Market, 200 block of Seventh Street SE. 202-6985253. easternmarketdc.com. Union Market. Tuesdays to Fridays, 11 AM to 8 PM; weekends, 8 AM to 8 PM. Union Market is an artisanal, curated food market featuring over 40 local vendors. 1309 Fifth St. NE. 301-652-7400. unionmarketdc.com. Georgetown Flea Market. Sundays, 8 AM to 4 PM. 1819 35th St. NW.

CIVIC LIFE Talk of the Hill with Bill Press: Dr. Carla Hayden. April 11, 7 PM. Award-winning journalist, political insider and Capitol Hill resident Bill

April 2017 H 25

Press sits down at Hill Center for a one-on-one, thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Carla Hayden, the newly-appointed Librarian of Congress. Free. Reserve Seats at hillcenterdc.org. Southwest Waterfront AARP April Luncheon Meeting. April 19, noon. Program and speaker is about the WHARF Grand Opening in Oct. 2017. $5 for lunch. River Park Mutual Homes-South Common, 1311 Delaware Ave. SW. For more information, contact Chapter President, Betty Jean Tolbert Jones at bettyjeantolbertjones@ yahoo.com or 202-554-0901. Congresswoman Norton’s NW District Oﬃce. Open weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM. 529 14th St. NW, suite 900. 202-783-5065. norton.house.gov. ANC 6A. Second Thursday, 7 PM. Meeting at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th St. NE. 202423-8868. anc6a.org. ANC 6B. Second Tuesday, 7 PM. Meeting at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-543-3344. anc6b.org. ANC 6C. Second Wednesday, 7 PM. Meeting at Heritage Foundation, 214 Mass. Ave. NE, first floor conference room. 202-5477168. anc6c.org.

NOW OFFERING DOG WALKING & PET SITTING! Sign Up Today @ www.howltothechief.com

Your Full Service Pet Supply & Service Provider

www.howltothechief.com 733 8th Street SE | 202.544.8710 26 H Hillrag.com

Grooming and Self Serve Dog Wash Dog & Cat Adoptions Every Weekend from 12 -3 Mon. to Fri.: 10 AM to 8 PM Sat.: 9 AM to 7 PM Sun.: 10 AM to 6 PM

ANC 6D. April 3, 1100 Fourth St. SW, Second Floor, DCRA meeting room, at 7 PM. 202-554-1795. anc6d.org. ANC 6E. First Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Watha T. Daniel Library (Meeting Room One), 1630 Seventh St. NW. Have an item for the Calendar? Email calendar@hillrag.com. ◆

OUR SPONSORS MAKE PLAYING BALL A LOT

MORE FUN!

THANK YOU 2017 HILL BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Phyllis Jane Young Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate

7th Hill Pizza Agua 301 Atlas Fitness Beverly Pediatric Dentistry

Washington Nationals Dream Foundation

John Smith & Peter Grimm The Smith Team

Mac’s Tires

Burr Law Firm

Maggie Daley, Deirdre Fricke & Frank Snellings

Capitol Hill Exxon

Coldwell Banker Real Estate

DC Access Dick’s Sporting Goods Due South

Matchbox Megan Shapiro & George Olson

COMPASS Real Estate

Pretzel Bakery RedRocks RegSCAN Riverby Books Schneider’s Capitol Hill ScholarshipStats.com Sila Heating & Air Conditioning Smoothie King Tech Painting

Eastern Market Poultry

Mindful Restaurant Group

First Mortgage Savings Corp.

Music on the Hill

theGROUP

National Capital Bank

Tortilla Café

Hank’s Oyster Bar

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Trusty’s

Hill’s Kitchen

NVP Construction

Union Veterinary Clinic

Joel Nelson Group

Phil & Jeanne Team

Washington Nationals

COMPASS Real Estate

W.S. Jenks & Son

Grubbs Pharmacy

The Bullpen

CHLL’S OPENING CEREMONIES - APRIL 8TH AT RYAN ZIMMERMAN/RANDALL FIELD, 820 SOUTH CAPITOL ST. SW, 1:00 PM

www.chlldc.org

April 2017 H 27

28 H Hillrag.com

Earth Day On Capitol Hill April 2017 H 29

EarthDay

EARTH, SPRING AND BLOSSOMS Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. April. The Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup will be hosting an event weekends (plus some weekdays) during the month of April. Read more and sign up at fergusonfoundation.org. Tidal Basin Welcome Area and Performance Stage. Through April 9. Welcome area open daily, 10 AM to 7 PM; performances daily noon to 6 PM. 1501 Maine Ave. SW. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

Flower Power 2017! April 9, 1 to 5 PM. Flower Power is part of the Anacostia River Festival and the closing celebration of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. On the 1200 Block of Good Hope Road SE, enjoy an interactive art installation, art exhibitions, floral arranging classes, workshops, live music and spring fashion. This event is free and family-friendly. anacostiaartscenter.com/ event/flower-power-2017.

Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival. April 15, 10:30 AM to 6 PM. Performers and vendors travel from all over the country and the world to DC to share their love of Japanese culture and traditions with festival attendees through art, cuisine and performances. Festival is at M Street and New Jersey Avenue SE. Tickets in advance online and at the gate on the day of for $10. Children 12 and under are free. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Celebrate Earth Day! at the Botanic Garden. April 21, 10 AM to 2 PM. Come enjoy engaging hands-on activities and meet with representatives of environmental organizations from throughout the region. Drop by and learn all the ways to make the planet a healthier place and become a more active steward of the plants that support life on earth. No pre-registration required. usbg.gov. Carlyle House Garden Day Herb & Craft Sale. April 22 (rain or shine), 8 AM to 4 PM. Purchase culinary and decorative herbs, plants and flowers raised in Mount Vernonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greenhouses. Sale admission is free; house tour is $5. Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA. carlylehouse.org.

Rowing on the Anacostia. Photo: Courtesy of the National Cherry Blossom Festival

Anacostia River Festival

April 9, 1 to 5 PM. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival will focus on biking in the District and will also celebrate the new extension of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail to Bladensburg, MD. This free event will encourage District residents and visitors alike to explore communities and parks east of the river. In 2016, the Anacostia River Festival attracted nearly 8,000 people. Anacostia Park, at Good Hope Road and Anacostia Drive SE. bridgepark.org/anacostia-river-festival.

30 H Hillrag.com

Earth Day at Kenilworth Park. April 22, 9 AM to noon. Spend the morning removing invasive plants, picking up trash, planting native plants and performing other park projects. SSL credits can be earned. Register at friendsofkenilworthgardens.eventbrite.com. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. friendsofkenilworthgardens.org.

April 2017 H 31

Photo: Courtesy of the Anacostia Watershed Society

Replacement Windows & Doors Installation Group

· Specializing in Historic Window & Door Replacement · Full Tear-Out and Retro-Fit installations, Wood, Aluminum Clad or Synthetic Windows & Doors · Permit Expediting for Historic DC Properties

www.windowscraft.com Licensed, Insured and Bonded

32 H Hillrag.com

FREE NO OBLIGATION ESTIMATES 202.288.6660 info@windowscraft.com

Anacostia River Earth Day Cleanup and Celebration

April 22, 9 AM to noon. Join 2,000 volunteers in cleaning up the Anacostia River, its shores and tributary streams in DC and Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. Dozens of cleanup sites available. All supplies and equipment provided. Registration and information is at anacostiaws. org/earthday2017. Arboretum Garden Fair & Plant Sale. April 28, 1 to 4 PM; April 29, 9 AM to 4 PM. Sale features new, rare and hard-to-find plants, garden supply vendors, books, children’s activities, refreshments and entertainment. Bring garden questions to National Arboretum staff members for expert advice. The event is in and around the Visitor’s Center’s R Street NE entrance. Free admission. The Arboretum is at 24th and R Streets NE. usna.usda.gov. Bourbon and Bluegrass at President Lincoln’s Cottage. May 7, 2 to 5 PM. Lounge on Lincoln’s front lawn, sip bourbon and enjoy live bluegrass music. $60 for adults 18 and older; $30 to children, 12 to

17; 11 and under are free. President Lincoln’s Cottage is at Upshur St. at Rock Creek Church Rd. NW. lincolncottage.org. Mount Vernon Spring Wine Festival & Sunset Tour. May 19 to 21, 6 to 9 PM. Mount Vernon’s celebrates the history of wine in Virginia with evening tours of the Mansion and cellar, appearances by “George and Martha Washington” and live jazz on the east lawn overlooking the scenic Potomac River. Visitors may bring a blanket and relax on the lawn while sampling wines from 20 Virginia wineries. mountvernon.org. Volunteer with the Earth Conservation Corps. Reach them at earthconservationcorps.org/volunteer. u

DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in D.C. The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency is your homeownership resource in the District for buying a home to retaining your home, we have a homeownership program to assist you; And now our programs include HPAP! Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) DCHFA serves as a co-administrator of the DC Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) first time home buyer program, HPAP, which provides interest free deferred loans for down payment and closing costs assistance up to $84,000 combined. DCHFA administers HPAP applications for households meeting very low to low income criteria.

DC Open Doors DC Open Doors is your key to homeownership in the city. This program offers first-time and repeat buyers fully forgivable second trust loans to cover a buyer’s minimum down payment requirement in addition to below market interest rates for first trust mortgages for the purchase of homes.

Mortgage Credit Certificate The Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) provides an additional incentive for first-time homebuyers to purchase a home in the District of Columbia. An MCC provides qualified borrowers the ability to claim a Federal Tax Credit of 20 percent of the mortgage interest paid during each calendar year.

HomeSaver The HomeSaver Program is a foreclosure prevention resource for unemployed, underemployed or District homeowners who may have suffered a qualified financial hardship and are at risk of losing their homes due to foreclosure or delinquent real property taxes. Visit www.DCHFA.org for full qualification guidelines and information on how to apply to any of DCHFA’s homeownership programs.

815 FLORIDA AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 • 202.777.1600 • WWW.DCHFA.ORG April 2017 H 33

EarthDay

Protecting DC’s Waterways and Our Natural History

by Catherine Plume hile “statehood” and voting representation in Congress continue to elude residents, in February DC gained a state fish and more authority to protect its natural resources. In signing the Fisheries and Wildlife Omnibus

Amendment Act of 2016, Mayor Muriel Bowser granted the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) more authority to protect natural resources, oversee recreational fishing, and increase environmental protections for aquatic life, wetlands, and shorelines. Importantly, the act authorizes the mayor to impose penalties on persons who knowingly transport or trade in certain invasive plants and nonindigenous species. “As the nation’s capital, we need to lead the way when it comes to preserving our environment, and part of this work includes protecting our important local wildlife and precious natural ecosystems,” said Mayor Bowser. “Today, we are taking another step to ensure that our natural habitats are protected for residents and future generations to enjoy.” Mayor Bowser used the signing event, which took place along the banks of the Anacostia River, to unveil two new DC “state” species, designating the American shad as

34 H Hillrag.com

the District’s official fish and Hay’s Spring amphipod the official amphipod. Both species play an important role in DC’s natural history. According to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, the American shad (Alosa sapidissima) is a member of the herring family that spends most of its life at sea and returns to its natal river to spawn. Historically the shad run provided a tasty and important food source during spring, when other foods were often in short supply. Shad was one of George Washington’s favorite foods. Overfishing and poor water quality reduced the stocks, but restoration efforts have enabled the Potomac’s shad population to recover somewhat. Per the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Fishery Management Plan, the harvesting of shad and river herring is prohibited. The Hay’s Spring amphipod (Stygobromus hayi) is one of three amphipods unique to the District and has been found in Rock Creek Park. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, the little crustacean measures less than a halfinch long and spends its life underground. Its presence is an indicator of good water quality. While having a DC state fish and amphipod are conversation fodder, the Fisheries and Wildlife Omnibus Amendment Act does much more. At a time when

the federal government is sending signals that it will be relaxing environmental regulations, this amendment strengthens the District’s ability to enforce and regulate environmental laws, especially along rivers and creeks. Tommy Wells, director of the DOEE, stood with the mayor as she signed the legislation. “The DC Fisheries and Wildlife Omnibus Amendment Act is a sign to District residents and the nation that we treasure our natural resources,” he remarked. “It allows us to promote and regulate fishing while also providing us with the ability to levy penalties on those who introduce non-native species that can harm our wildlife (like the snakehead) or do anything to harm our waterways. This is a good bill whose time has come.” As the health of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers has improved, fishing has become a more popular sport. A fishing license is required for anyone between the ages of 16 and 65 and can be obtained online for a $10 annual fee for DC residents. Due to the residual presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other contaminants, DOEE has published an advisory for the consumption of fish from DC waters, http://doee.dc.gov/service/ fishing-district. Catch and release is encouraged. Have you checked out either of DC’s rivers lately? Spring is a great time to see them in all their ever-improving glory. Catherine Plume is a lifelong environmentalist, a writer, and a blogger for the DC Recycler: www. DCRecycler.blogspot.com; Twitter @DC_Recycler. She is also a board member for the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club. u

April 2017 H 35

EarthDay

Our River: The Anacostia

Restoring Shepherd Parkway by Bill Matuszeski Harrington’s exercise plans got diverted. With the encouragement of Phillip Pannell, then the head of the Congress Heights Community Association, Harrington formed what became the Committee to Restore Shepherd Parkway. Pannell gives him the credit for getting people organized for the cleanup of the parkway. “There were so many other issues in the community – housing, public safety, and so on – that it was tough to get the cleanup to be a priority,” he says. Major efforts have gone into removing garlic mustard, English ivy, and other invasives, as well as cleaning up trash. The committee, which Harrington chairs, advocates for hiking trails and ranger-led educational programs to make the parkway accessible for residents and visitors. Educating the youth about litter and invasive plants has been a priority. After years of advocacy, the Park Service has finally begun in-

Nathan Harrington and “Lambchop.” Photo: Bill Matuszeski

n the far southwest side of Ward 8, overlooking the confluence of the Anacostia and the Potomac, and continuing for two miles south looking out over the Potomac all the way to the Naval Research Lab, is a very special place. It is nearly 200 acres of overlooks and forests with the name Shepherd Parkway. The area was originally an important part of the ring of defensive earthen forts built around the time of the Civil War. Remnants of Fort Carroll and Fort Greble are still identified. The National Park Service took possession of the land in 1930, and it is managed today as part of National Capital Parks-East, with the parcels along the Anacostia, the rest of the ring of forts, and other park areas. There is no “parkway” to drive on; it has

36 H Hillrag.com

no roads and not even paths or trails. City streets and alleys run through neighborhoods along the east side of it, two or three roads cut across it to join the freeway and occasional grassy areas, but mostly it is a wild and unkempt forest, a wilderness in the city.

An Unlikely Advocate If you really want the word on the place, ask Nathan Harrington. A local school teacher who has devoted himself to the natural restoration, preservation, and public awareness of Shepherd Parkway, in 2009 he bought a house in nearby Congress Heights and was looking for a quiet place for hiking and running. Here was this magnificent linear park with views out over the rivers and beyond. But it had no trails, was full of invasive plants, and had been collecting trash and serving as a dump for years.

Map of the location of Shepherd Park. Photo: Google maps

stalling signs that identify Shepherd Parkway by its name. Local activist Brenda Richardson says Shepherd Parkway “was in dire need of attention, and Nathan took it on as a mission.” Meanwhile Harrington’s efforts have broadened to other areas. He is the go-to guy for trash cleanups and gets calls from schools as far away as Montgomery County that want to help students complete their service hours. Sometimes, if no project is ready in Shepherd Parkway, he sends these groups to Oxon Run or other nearby streams where he helps organize the efforts. He has also volunteered to set up the Ward 8 farmers’ market every year. Last year he received the Anacostia Watershed Society’s Anacostia Hero Award.

A Little History Shepherd Parkway is special for two reasons – its wild state and its namesake. Alexander Robey Shepherd (1835-1902) was known to all in DC as “Boss” Shepherd. In a few short years as head of public works and as governor of DC (1871-74), he filled the open sewer that ran down the Mall and oversaw the installation of hundreds of miles of paved streets and sidewalks, sewers, water lines, and gas mains. He brought streetlights and horsedrawn streetcars to DC. On the one hand, he saved the city from those who thought the grimy and diseased place should be replaced by a capital in the middle of the country. On the other, he ran the place into so much debt that Congress repealed the enabling legislation for the city government and replaced it with stronger controls. In 1876 he declared bankruptcy and moved to Mexico where he

CHANGING LIVES ONE LAWN AT A TIME

LANDSCAPING

202-903-4332 | WWW.CLEANDECISIONS.COM We hire and train those who have struggled with barriers to employment as part of reentering the community after experience in the criminal justice system. professionally trained and bonded and we guarantee 100% satisfaction

April 2017 H 37

Volunteer Capitol Hill staffers. Photo: Bill Matuszeski

Yo u r l o ca l p u b l i c s a fe t y i n fo r m a t i o n i n Th e B l o t t e r Published daily o n h i l l ra g . co m C a p i t a l Co m m u n i t y N ew s , I n c . 202-543-8300 Capital Community News, Inc. Publishers of: MIDCITY YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

38 H Hillrag.com

F A G O N

GUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL

invested in silver mines. He has remained such a controversial figure that his statue appears and disappears at different times from in front of the city’s seat of government, the Wilson Building. If you want to learn more, check out the just-published “Alexander Robey Shepherd: The Man Who Built the Nation’s Capital” by John P. Richardson, with a preface by ex-mayor Tony Williams. Aside from the moving statue and a neighborhood on upper 13th St. NW and its associated elementary school, it is Shepherd Parkway that reminds us of the man and all he did.

The Future Because it seems so central to all these

local outdoor spaces, Harrington and I talked trash for a while. He sees it as a three-part problem with readily applicable solutions. First is production and the controls that can be put on packaging to reduce the amount of trash that people have to deal with. Second is disposal, having reliable and easy-to-access places where trash can be contained and collected for disposal. Third is education so that people, especially young people, learn what can be done to reduce and contain trash as well as the damage it does to public places. Much remains to be done. Those trails and educational programs Harrington envisions are not yet in place. Playgrounds and picnic areas could be expanded, the

Thomas Landscapes Over 20 Years of Experience

REDEFINING BEAUTY ONE CLIENT AT A TIME!

ruins of the old forts given historic context, and events like concerts held more frequently. Pannell agrees: “We need to get more people in the community involved; most are still not even aware of the name of the place. The National Park Service should help put more of a family and community focus on what is there.” Harrington would like to see in Shepherd Parkway the kind of response that has occurred along Watts Branch in Ward 7, where the cleanup of the stream and the construction of the Marvin Gaye Trail have taken a place. Over 100 abandoned cars had to be removed, and the place was converted to a clean and low-litter park that folks use and enjoy in great numbers. Unlike the areas along Marvin Gaye Trail, Shepherd Parkway has historic forts and two known bald eagle nests to build on for public support and engagement. Harrington sees so much that could be done without endangering the natural feel and almost wilderness experience of the place. It requires community efforts and support from the city and the Park Service to make it happen. Richardson sees the day when Shepherd Parkway can be “a diamond in Congress Heights.” That would make “Boss” Shepherd proud. But he would want it done ASAP!

Full-Service Landscape Design & Maintenance • • • • •

Installation, arbors, retaining walls, walkways, lighting, water features Patios, roof top gardens, townhomes, single family homes Trees & shrubs, formal & informal gardens Custom Masonry, Fencing and Iron work Restoration and Enhancement

TREE & SHRUB CARE COUPON

10% OFF New Clients

EXP 04/30/2017

DEREK THOMAS / PRINCIPAL Certified Professional Horticulturist Member of the MD Nursery and Landscape Association Member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers

301.642.5182 | WWW.THOMASLANDSCAPES.COM

Bill Matuszeski writes monthly about the Anacostia River. He is the retired director of the Chesapeake Bay Program, a DC member of the Citizens Advisory Committee on the Anacostia River, and a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia River. u

April 2017 H 39

EarthDay

DC Eyes Becoming First ‘Green Bank’ City Mayor Bowser Proposes a Fund for Green Projects

evelopers and renovation projects in the District could get financial assistance from the city to prioritize “green” installations through a new bill Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed on March 15. The legislation would establish the nation’s first municipal “green bank.” Mayor Bowser has proposed that the District invest $7 million per year for five years to fund a Green Bank from a transfer of existing and future allotments in the Renewable Energy Development Fund (REDF). DC has committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent by 2032 and 80 percent by 2050, said Department of Energy & Environment Director Tommy Wells. That requires reducing energy consumption, which comes predominately from the heating, cooling, lighting, and other needs of buildings. “The only way to reach the goal is to retrofit buildings and ensure new buildings don’t contribute to the problem,” Wells said.

by Christine Rushton “High-end efficiency on energy use will save substantial sums of money over a long period of time,” he said. This saves money and may encourage the building’s owners and renters to explore alternative energy sources like solar power. In buildings that require retrofitting now, this could help make the up-

How the Bank Would Work The Green Bank would not fund projects entirely but provide guaranteed lowrate loans and reduce the risk factors for private foundations or investors who want to contribute to the projects. If the project defaults on the loan, DC ensures it will pay first, not the other investors. “The idea is – if DC invests a guaranteed $1, then that could entice otherwise wary outside investors to then bring in $5 (in theory),” Wells explained.

40 H Hillrag.com

grades better for the District and residents. “Take some of the buildings in Southwest, for example, that were built during the 60s and 70s,” Wells said. “It’s time for them to upgrade their HVAC systems. This will give them guaranteed low-cost loans to put in high-energy-effi-

ciency heating and cooling systems.” Wells said the fund could grow in amounts ranging from $20 to $50 million by 2023.

Other Bank Examples In Connecticut the state invests about $35 million annually to its bank, which started in 2011. As of December 2016 the bank had invested more than $1 billion in capital for clean energy funds in the state. The 2016 report also showed a 1:6 ratio for public-private investment in renewable energy projects: for every public $1 invested, $6 of private funding came through. Homeowners, building owners, multifamily complexes, residential contractors, towns and cities, commercial contractors, and capital providers can apply for funds from the bank. New York State started its bank in 2013 with a $210 million investment with plans to build it up to $1 billion. Projects can include solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, as well as residential and commercial energy efficiency projects, electricity load reduction, and onsite clean generation projects. In August 2016 New York announced a $37.5 million deal for solar projects across the state with company Vivint Solar. The total project investment, including private funds, came to about $167 million. Since its inception the bank has committed about $305 million in 18 transactions, resulting in a projected $1.26 billion for

clean energy projects. Mayor Bowser wants to join the two states as a leader in supporting green energy projects. It fits her commitment made at the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement to cut emissions 80 percent by 2050 and increase renewable energy and clean transportation options. “By creating a Green Bank, we will create more jobs for DC residents, which will allow us to continue our push for inclusive prosperity,” she said. “We will take an important step toward reaching the sustainability goals set forth in Climate Ready DC.”

Looking Forward to the Change Mayor Bowser’s proposed Green Bank shows great promise, said Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, who chairs the Committee for Transportation and the Environment. “I’m very enthusiastic about this,” she said. The banks in New York and Connecticut have proven successful, and since the District’s biggest energy users are the buildings, Cheh thinks this method could help curb emissions and propel the District toward its goals. District leaders tried previously to create another way for residents to get support for pursuing green installations like solar, Cheh said, but that fell through. This new proposal from Bowser could encourage residents and developers to pursue green projects, and it would be feasible owing to a fund the DC Council approved in 2016, the REDF. Cheh looks forward to discussing the measure further. u

April 2017 H 41

EarthDay

Recycling and Composting in DC Are Getting Easier

an I recycle this?” As an avid and selfpromoting recycler residing in the District, I dread this question. Unfortunately, and for too long, the answer in DC has been, “It depends.” “It depends” depends on where you intend to recycle the item and what the “material processing facility” (MRF, fondly pronounced “merf”) – the recycling company that services that recycling bin – will accept as a recyclable product. While there are many items that almost all MRFs accept, there are differences. For example, a yogurt container that is accepted by the MRF (and its associated recycling “hauler” that collects the recycling that you generate in your home) is not necessarily recyclable by the MRF/hauler that collects the recycling from your downtown DC office. This lack of standardization has caused confusion and contamination of the recycling stream, and reduced the amount of materials recycled in DC. Fortunately this is about to change. In January the DC Department of Public Works (DPW) published the Mayor’s List of Recyclables, which provides a sin-

by Catherine Plume

gle, comprehensive list of recyclable materials for DC residents and businesses. It includes over 200 items that, as of January 2018, all haulers/ MRFs operating in DC must accept, be it through contracts with businesses, DC residential recycling, or apartments and/or condos. The list was compiled through a survey of eight MRFs located within 45 miles of DC to understand what materials they accept for recycling as well as those they accept that are ultimately treated as waste. Once implemented, the list will be reviewed and updated every two years. Failure to comply with the list will prevent the MRF from reCan I recycle this? The answer is going to ceiving DC recyclables. get a lot easier. Photo: C. Plume “Providing a uniform list of what is accepted for recycling throughout rently treated as waste at MRFs. Recyclables should the District will make it easier for be dumped directly into a recycling bin (bagless), District residents and visitors to successfully parwhile plastic bags and wrap should be dropped at a ticipate in recycling and is an important step in participating local supermarket plastic bag recycling the District city meeting its bin. In the District, most if not all Safeway, Harris waste diversion goals,” said Teeter, and Giant grocery stores have plastic film/ DPW Director Christopher bag recycling receptacles. You can also find dropoff Shorter. “Waste diversion” locations near you at www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/. refers to the amount of maMore changes – including a broader list of reterial diverted from landfills cyclable items – will be announced early in 2018 or incineration. once the Mayor’s List comes into effect. More information on the Mayor’s List and the survey proCh-ch-ch-changes cess can be found on the DPW website at www. What are the biggest dpw.dc.gov/recyclingcompostlist/ or by emailing changes as a result of this zero.waste@dc.gov. DPW is developing educationlist? For now, plastic bags, al materials to inform residents about the changes. plastic film, and plastic wrap are no longer acAnd Challenges cepted in recycling beWhile DC continues to make strides with recycling cause they can clog and and composting, challenges remain. A DPW Soleven shut down recycling DC recycling, but most DC in id Waste Diversion Report for FY2015 and FY2016 ed separation machines. pt ce ac r are no longe cycling.org Plastic bags and filmdropoff bins. Photo: plasticfilmre (https://dpw.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dpw/ This plastic is curs have grocery store

42 H Hillrag.com

April 2017 H 43

44 H Hillrag.com

Additions & Basement Experts BUFFALO COMPANY, LLC www.buffalocompanyusa.com For all your Construction Needs page_content/att achments/ FY15WasteDiversionReport_f. pdf) found that the residential diversion rate was just below 21 percent. DC’s waste diversion goals are laid out in the Sustainable DC Plan and seek to reduce total waste generation by 15 percent and increase DC’s waste diversion rate to 80 percent by 2032. While exact metrics vary, DC’s 21 percent diversion rate is far below that of cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland, which have rates above 50 percent. Less than half of the 116 DC Public Schools facilities established paper-recycling programs during the FY2015-16 period, and only a third had food-waste composting programs. Overall, recycling and composting opportunities are expanding across the District. While curbside composting isn’t coming to DC soon, several local businesses provide home/apartment/business compost pickup services. Beyond this, DPW will be establishing compost dropoff spots in some farmers’ markets in each ward on Saturdays beginning in April. A January 2017 foam container ban requires that restaurants, supermarkets, food trucks, and organizations that serve food must use compostable containers. Paint can now be recycled for free at stores across DC through PaintCare.org. Ultimately the Mayor’s List of Recyclables is going to make the answer to “Can I recycle this?” a whole lot easier. Catherine Plume is a lifelong environmentalist, a writer, and a blogger for the DC Recycler: www. DCRecycler.blogspot.com; Twitter @DC_Recycler. She is also a board member of the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club. u

ADDITIONS RENOVATIONS REMODELING KITCHENS INTERIORS Over 10 Years of Experience

REHAB

Craftsmanship Custom Made Cabinets & Furniture References Available

703-786-3863

202-758-3396 (fax)

HOT in Summer, COLD in Winter?

cemohome@yahoo.com licensed • insured Owned & Operated by a Capitol Hill Resident

Keith Roofing

EXPERT WORKMANSHIP AT REASONABLE PRICES! Residential/Commercial • Over 40 years of Experience Chimney Repairs • Storm & Wind Damage Repair

• New or Re-Roofing • Tear-Off & Replacement • Flat Roof Specialist • Copper, Tin, Sheet Metal & Rolled • Seamless & Flat Roofs • Re-Sealing • Tar, Asphalt, Gravel, Hot Coats • Modified Bitumen Insurance Claims • Free Estimates • 24Hr. Service

Fully Insured • Licensed • Bonded “No Job Too Large or Small” Senior & Military Discounts Available!

202-486-7359

All Work Inspected by Owner...Deals Directly with Customers! All Work Fully Guaranteed

Experienced Residential Insulation Contractor Air Sealing Blower Door Tests Blown-in Insulation Spray Foam Insulation Batt & Roll Insulation Sound Barrier Insulation 5-STAR YELP RATED LICENSED. BONDED. INSURED.

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED.

CALL FOR FREE CONSULTATION (202) 341-6015

WWW.MAXINSULATION.US

April 2017 H 45

46 H Hillrag.com

{capitol streets}

Bulletin Board Food and Friends Dining Out for Life On April 6, restaurants throughout the greater DC area will donate 25 to 110 percent of proceeds to Food & Friends. With close to 100 restaurants already signed up, it’s easy to support Food & Friends with a delicious meal out on the town. See the list of participating restaurants at diningoutforlife.com/washingtondc/restaurants. Volunteer spokespeople for the 2017 Dining Out for Life event hosted by longtime partner Subaru include (From Left to Right) Mondo Guerra, Daisy Martinez, Pam Grier and Ted Allen. Photo: 15 Minutes Inc. and Nick D’Amico.

Volunteer Capitol Hill Volunteer Capitol Hill, April 29, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., is an annual event designed to showcase a wide variety of opportunities for volunteer service. It was established in 2013 by the Old Naval Hospital Foundation to celebrate the extraordinary contributions made by Nicky and Steve Cymrot to the Capitol Hill community over a period of forty years. The event benefits nonprofit organizations by helping them recruit potential volunteers as well as network with other nonprofits. It benefits residents by helping them match their skills and interests to the needs of the organizations. Read more at hillcenterdc.org.

CHGM Expands Services and Opens New Offices The DC Department of Human Services chose Capitol Hill Group Ministry (CHGM) to be among the launchers of its Family Homelessness Prevention Program in the fall of 2015. The CHGM’s early success led to immediate expansion in staffing and services enable the organization to help nearly three times as many families as initially anticipated. After nearly five years of planning and with the help of donors, local government and private funding, CHGM has moved into new offices at 415 Second

St. NE. Homeless services are still be offered through the Street Outreach Program and Shirley’s Place, the organization’s day hospitality center at 1338 G St. SE. In 2016, CHGM provided housing stabilization services to 459 families at imminent risk of homelessness, including 459 adults and 723 children. 91 percent of the families they served avoided a shelter stay. chgm.net.

Bayou Bakery To Close Many people will be sad to hear that Bayou Bakery, David Guas’ charming New Orleansstyle cafe in the carriage house next to Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, is closing after two years. Aaron Silverman, who owns Rose’s Luxury and Pineapple and Pearls on nearby Barracks Row, might be taking over the lease; watch for updates. Bayou Bakery will be reborn as an intimate cafe called Lilíbó in the Darcy Hotel near Scott Circle later this spring or summer. Meanwhile, David thanks the Capitol Hill community for its loyal support. His six-year-old Bayou Bakery & Coffee Bar in Arlington is still going full swing.

The Hill Rag’s Art and the City Exhibition at Hill Center For the 14th year of his column, Art and the City, Hill Rag’s Jim Magner has elected to look back at some of the artists he has profiled in years past in an exhibition at Hill Center. The show continues through April 30. This is a show in the variety of subjects and styles. The quality of work is exceptional and intellectually exciting. hillcenterdc.org.

Audition for A Midsummer Night’s Musical CHAW is seeking singers in all voice parts to audition for various roles and the ensemble of “A Midsummer Night’s Musical” o April 17, 7 to 9 p.m. and April 22, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rehearsals will begin on May 15, but will fall most intensively during July and August. People auditioning

April 2017 H 47

should come prepared to sing and act. Be prepared to sing 16 bars or a musical excerpt of one minute and to sight read from the book. Auditions, rehearsals, and performances will be held at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW), 545 Seventh St. SE. Auditions are free and open to all. For more information, call CHAW at 202-5476839 or email producer Dean Reichard at drinmdnow@yahoo.com.

Arena Stage 2017-18 Season Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Director Edgar DoFrom left to right: Trevor Dixon, Donation Atbie announce the season tendant; Jordan Barney, Donation Attendant; lineup for the company’s Velvin Fitch, Production Team Lead. Photo: Courtesy of Goodwill 68th season. Here’s the lineup: The Originalist by John Goodwill Seeks Donations Strand, July 7 to 30; Native Gardens by Karen Zacarías, and Shoppers Sept. 15 to Oct. 22; The Goodwill, 2200 South Dakota Ave. NE, is Price by Arthur Miller, Oct. open to receive donations Mondays to Sat6 to Nov. 5; The Pajama urdays, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sundays, 9 Game, book by George Aba.m. to 5:30 p.m. The adjacent retail store is bott and Richard Bissell, Oct. open Mondays to Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 27 to Dec. 24; Nina Simone: and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Goodwill’s doFour Women by Christina nations center and store is open daily except Ham, Nov. 10 to Dec. 24; Easter. Visit dcgoodwill.org to find out about Sovereignty by Mary Kathdiscounts and specials. ryn Nagle, Jan. 12 to Feb. 18; The Great Society by Robert 19 and 21? Gallery O on H, 1354 H Schenkkan, Feb. 2 to March St. NE, is looking for photos for a 11; Hold These Truths by Jeanne public exhibit from June 20 to July Sakata, Feb. 23 to April 8; August Wil28. The collected submitted phoson’s Two Trains Running, March 30 tos will become a visual time tunto April 29; Snow Child, based on the nel challenging the viewer to reflect novel by Eowyn Ivey, April 13 to May on how they have related to, reacted 20. arenastage.org. to, resisted, and re-committed in the six months since Jan. 20. The galGallery O Call for lery is seeking a broad range of subPhoto Entries missions from all levels of photograAttend the inauguration or any of the phers. It also seeks original signs and marches or protests between January

48 H Hillrag.com

April 2017 H 49

placards used in the marches and protests. Images are requested in electronic format only. The Gallery will print the photos on individual sheets. There is no fee for submissions; the maximum number is five. Include photo credit information with each entry. Complete details can be found at galleryoonh.submittable.com/ submit. The submission deadline is May 23. galleryoonh.com.

Market Day Returns In the tradition of the Market Day from your childhood, Eastern Market Main Street (EMMS) announces the first annual Market Week. From Sunday, May 14 through Sunday, May 21, EMMS will celebrate and promote the diversity and variety of the commercial corridor surrounding Eastern Market. Market Week will promote business events, specials, and activities from restaurants, retailers, and services through a Market Week Passport. Visitors and patrons can collect stamps in their Market Week Passport from participating establishments and enter to win prizes. The week will culminate in an all-day festival and “Night at the Market” event on Sunday, May 21st. For more information, visit www. easternmarketmainstreet.org/ marketweek

TAE KWON DO THOUGHTFUL CURRICULUM Not Just Kicking & Punching

FREE TRIAL CLASS Every Wednesday at 6 P.M. Like us on Facebook: “Taekwondo Capitol Hill”

50 H Hillrag.com

mastergutman@gmail.com NOW BACK AT CHRIST CHURCH EVERY THURSDAY 620 G STREET SE

Residential Street Sweeping Started Mechanical street sweeping has started. To ensure streets are swept thoroughly, motorists are asked to obey the signs posted with the days of the week and hours of the day when parking restrictions will be enforced. The fine for violating this restriction is $45. Street sweeping runs through Oct. 31.

Parked vehicles may be towed to allow the sweepers access to the curb lane. For more information, go to dpw.dc.gov.

Grand Opening of CAG’s Headquarters is April 28 Holy Comforter/St Cyprian’s Community Action Group (CAG) invites neighbors, community leaders and friends to join the celebration of its longawaited return of its newly-built multi-purpose building at 124 15th Street, SE. The festivities will take place on April 28 from 10 a.m. to noon. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen will be among the honored guests. “This major construction project was made possible by financing received from the DC Department of Housing and Community Development,” said Janice Dessaso Gordon, CAG president. CAG, which was founded in 1988, is a substance use treatment and education program with a holistic approach to help its clients get well. Since its inception CAG has served more than 15,000 clients. The opening affords CAG the opportunity to interact with the community to which it serves. “We now have space for community and civic meetings and events,” said Gordon. “We have a large space with a raised stage to rent, we have an industrial-sized kitchen and parking in the rear. We will also be able to offer special events in collaboration with other community organizations such as the Anacostia Playhouse.” For more information contact: Janice Dessaso Gordon, 202-543-4558 or jgordon@communityactiongroup.org.

GET FRESH LOCAL SUSTAINABLE

VEGETABLES

Locally grown vegetables delivered by farmer Mike weekly to the Hill

2017 ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN!!

Locally grown vegetables delivered by farmer Mike weekly to the Hill

Enrollment form at: www.oneacrefarm.com Return it with your payment to: One Acre Farm LLC 5419 Amberwood Lane, Rockville, MD 20853

Share Options – 22 Weeks: Full: $800/Small: $500 More info: Farmer Mike - michael@oneacrefarm.com

Check us out on Facebook: www.facebook.com/oneacrefarmmd

April 2017 H 51

Elements of Historic & Modern Masonry on Capitol Hill Gary Barnhart of GL Barnhart Construction will present ìElements of Historic & Modern Masonry on Capitol Hillî on Wednesday, April 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the downstairs meeting room at the Northeast Branch Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. In this discussion Mr. Barnhart will address the differences between the various elements of masonry construction in Capitol Hill historic buildings in terms of longevity and methods of maintenance to keep our then in good working order. Free, handicapped accessible and the public is encouraged to attend. Details on the calendar at CHRS. org.

Vision DC: Oil Painting the Portrait Workshop In this special three-part workshop at CHAW, April 22, 29 and May 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., students will work from the model, exploring the art of painting the portrait from life. The Teaching Artist is Kai Lun Qu. $180. To register and for more information, visit chaw.org/event/ alla-prima-oil-painting-portrait or call 202-547-6839.

Tour the Carter G. Woodson Home

Photo: Nan Rapheal

Washington Nationals “Pups in the Park” Games Purchase a discounted ticket for a favorite family pet and support the Washington Humane Society. All those with tickets purchased for Pups in the Park must enter through the Right Field Gate. All Pups in the Park attendees must print, sign and bring the Waiver Form with them to Nationals Park. For more information, visit washington.nationals.mlb.com. Pups in the Park Games this year are April 29, 1:05 p.m. vs. Mets; May 13, 7:05 p.m. vs. Phillies; June 10, 12:05 p.m. vs. Rangers; June 25, 1:35 p.m. vs. Reds; Sept. 7, 7:05 p.m. vs. Phillies; Sept. 30, 7:05 p.m. vs. Pirates.

Be one of the first visitors to step inside the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site, 1538 Ninth St. NW. In celebration of National Park Week, tours will be available April 21 to 23. Please note that the site is still undergoing rehabilitation and is open this weekend by special exception. Space is limited. Call 202-690-5152 to make a reservation.

Spring Cleaning for DC Water Pipes Through April 17, the disinfectant in drinking water that DC Water provides to its 681,000 customers will temporarily switch from chloramine to chlorine. The annual spring-time

52 H Hillrag.com

switch in water disinfection is part of a routine program to clean and maintain the drinking water system. During this time, individuals may notice a slight change in the taste and smell of their drinking water. Water authorities recommend running the cold water tap for approximately two minutes and refrigerating tap water to reduce the chlorine taste and odor. Water filters are also effective for reducing chlorine taste and odor. Individuals and business owners who take special precautions to remove chloramine from tap water, such as dialysis centers, medical facilities and aquatic pet owners, should-

P R E S E R V AT I O N C A F E ELEMENTS OF HISTORIC & MODERN MASONRY ON CAPITOL HILL Capitol Hill Contractor, Gary Barnhart will discuss masonry construction in our Capitol Hill historic buildings and maintenance methods to keep them in good working order. Wednesday, April 19, 6:30 p.m. at the Northeast Branch Library, 330 7th St., NE. (downstairs meeting room) Free, handicapped accessible and the public is encouraged to attend.

2017 MOTHERS DAY HOUSE & GARDEN TOUR Celebrating the 60th year of this Capitol Hill tradition

Saturday, May 13 & Sunday May 14 Tickets (good for both days) $35 advance - $40 tour weekend Visit CHRS.ORG for tour details, on-line sales, and ticket vendors

BECOME A MEMBER!

CHRS received a 2016 award for the DC Preservation League for its “advocacy, education, community outreach efforts and for its early and sustained contributions to preservation efforts in Washington, DC.” Visit www.chrs.org to learn more. Email info@chrs.org or call 543-0425.

April 2017 H 53

continue to take the same precautions during the temporary switch to chlorine. Most methods for removing chloramine from tap water are effective in removing chlorine. Individuals with special health concerns should consult a health care provider on the use of tap water. dcwater.com.

Renters 101 The DC Office of the Tenant Advocate will present educational sessions on tenant rights on April 26, 6 p.m.; May 20, noon; June 28, 6 p.m.; July 29, noon; and Aug. 30, 6 p.m., at Reeves Center, 2000 14th St. NW, suite 300N. Renters 101 is designed to provide DC tenants with information on their rights and responsibilities. Topics include: leases, security deposits, how to handle housing code problems, landlord disclosures required by law, reasonable notice by landlord to enter property, evictions and quiet enjoyment. Call the Office of the Tenant Advocate at 202-719-6560 to reserve a space or email delores.anderson@dc.gov. Accommodations requests must be submitted at least five days in advance. ota. dc.gov.

Good Friday April 14 12 noon Good Friday Liturgy

Monday April 10 – Wednesday April 12 7pm Spoken Mass

Easter Day April 16 6am Dawn Service with Communion 10am Sung Mass with Children’s Easter Egg Hunt

Maundy Thursday April 13 8pm Sung Mass

E B

Palm Sunday April 9 8am Spoken Mass • 10am Sung Mass

RESIDENTS LL UR AD RIG CO I H YO U HT LD 0 G N 0 EIN O W 0 E

3 0 ,

Holy Week & Easter Services

Arts and Urban Innovation Summit

St. Monica and St. James Episcopal Church Capitol Hill

222 Eighth St. NE, Washington, DC 20002 202.546.1746 • fatherwilliam@smjec.org

54 H Hillrag.com

To advertise, contact Kira 202.400.3508 or Kira.Hillrag@gmail.com

On April 24, CulturalDC, Washington’s leading arts placemaker and presenter, will host VISIONDC, Arts and Urban Innovation Summit. The event will provide an opportunity for artists, real estate developers, policymakers, business leaders and the public to consider the creative trajectory of growth in the District. Featuring Wash-

April 2017 H 55

ington’s first ever Art Tank, VISIONDC promises urban development in real time as a group of investors judge concepts for groundbreaking arts projects. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to watch as winning concepts are funded. At the summit, nationally recognized entrepreneurs, artists and commercial developers will explore gentrification in Washington’s neighborhoods and strategies that are being considered to foster equitable growth. How can creative thinking be employed to address challenges and drive economic development while considering social issues in urban areas? VISIONDC is at Arena Stage and is open to the public. Tickets may be purchased at visiondc.org.

Kusama Dots Streets of Southwest

Call Carolina Lopez 202-400-3503 or Carolina@hillrag.com for more information 56 H Hillrag.com

The Southwest Business Improvement District (SWBID) has extended the innovative work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama from the inside of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden to the streets of Southwest. Kusama’s signature dot pattern can be found blanketing the walls and sidewalks surrounding the L’Enfant Metro Station at Seventh Street and Maryland Avenue SW, the jersey barriers that line the Seventh Street SW perimeter of the Wilbur Wright Building, and outside the Hirshhorn museum itself. This outdoor display coincides with the musuem’s newest exhibition “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors.” It is the first in a series of public art programming planned by the SWBID

as part of their new artSW initiative. The dots themselves are made of a vinyl adhesive by a local fabricator. “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors” is on view at the Hirshhorn through May 14. Timed tickets are recommended. The SWBID Installation on Seventh Street SW will be up through May 1.

Woolly Mammoth 2017-18 Season Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company 2017-18 season features six provocative plays that will lean into the current moment, speak truth to power and galvanize conversations about the social and political questions gripping the country. Woolly’s new season features the work of Max Frisch, The Second City, Danai Gurira, Jennifer Kidwell and others. Here’s the lineup: An Octoroon, July 18 to Aug. 6; The Arsonists, Sept. 5 to Oct. 8; Nothing to Lose (But Our Chains), Nov. 11 to Dec. 31; Familiar, Feb. 5 to March 4; Underground Railroad Game, April 4 to 29; Botticelli in the Fire, May 28 to June 24. woollymammoth.net.

LED Bulbs Are Created Equal Don’t be fooled by fake LED lights. DCSEU offers discounted, ENERGY STAR LED bulbs at neighborhood retailers for as low as 95¢. Read more at dcseu.com/formy-home/lighting/lightingguide. Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Email it to bulletinboard@ hillrag.com. u

April 2017 H 57

{capitol streets}

The Numbers

How Bowser Can Make the Most Of DC’s Upcoming Budget by Jodi Kwarciany

s spring hits the District, there are plenty of things we can expect: more sunlight, warmer temperatures, and of course, tourists. And early Aprilwill also bring the release of Mayor Bowser’s annual budget, which will help shape the District’s spending priorities for the coming year. DC’s economy is generating more tax revenues, which the mayor could use to help meet the needs of a growing city: educating a growing number of students, rebuilding Metro, coping with the loss of affordable housing and record homelessness, getting DC’s new paid family leave program going, and more. Before even thinking about that, the mayor should take a close look at the policy adopted three years ago that put tax cuts ahead of other priorities when DC revenue collections grow. This ties her hands and makes it impossible to address school, housing, and other needs. It makes sense to put tax cuts on hold, not only for these reasons, but also to help DC brace for inevitable federal budget cuts. Here are some important things to look for in the 2018 budget, courtesy of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute.

Helping all DC Residents Find a Home They Can Afford The affordable housing shortfall is DC’s most serious challenge, affecting a large number of residents. DC lost half of its low-cost housing in the last decade, and more and more residents face difficult choices about how to put a roof over their heads as housing prices rise much faster than their incomes. Sadly, DC now has the highest rate of homelessness among 32 major cities, and a tent has become a home for too many. These problems have devastating consequences that affect all of us. When children live in overcrowded conditions, move frequently, or end up in unsafe neighborhoods, they often have behavioral or attention problems at school, with long-lasting impacts. DC residents facing chronic homelessness often have life-threatening health conditions or severe mental illness, or both. They rely on expensive emergency services and die early from diseases that could be man-

58 H Hillrag.com

aged better or prevented entirely if they had housing. Mayor Bowser and the DC Council have made big investments, but affordable housing is still less than three percent of the DC budget. The District should invest more in the Housing Production Trust Fund—which helps build affordable housing—and in the Local Rent Supplement Program, which uses rental subsides to make housing affordable for very low-income families.

Ensuring All DC Children Have their Basic Needs Met More than 10,000 children and their families face the loss of their entire income as a result of a rigid time limit in TANF—DC’s welfare-to-work program. Most states offer extensions to families in tough situations, but DC doesn’t extend aid even for parents fleeing domestic violence or dealing with homelessness. Families on TANF in DC often have disabilities or health problems, and others use welfare as a safety net in between low-wage jobs. Twenty years of federal welfare reform has shown that strict time limits hurt the most troubled families and push children into extreme poverty. A widespread cut-off would leave more families in unstable housing and more children going to school carrying stress that interferes with their learning. A “working group” of TANF parents, DC government officials, service providers and advocates pulled together by Mayor Bowser recommended restructuring TANF so that parents always have cash resources to meet their children’s needs. A family’s benefits would be cut partially if parents aren’t engaged in required work activities. Mayor Bowser and the DC Council should adopt this policy and fund it in 2018.

Helping All Children Succeed in School There is nothing more important to DC’s future than supporting our children in their early years—birth to age three—and then supporting them in school. There are big gaps that we can start to fill next year. Access to high-quality early learning can reduce the achievement gap that begins before children even reach a pre-K classroom. A history of un-

derinvestment in DC’s child care subsidy program has left many child care providers struggling to provide quality care. Many operate at a loss and are at risk of closing, taking away choices for working parents. Child care workers earn very little, making it hard to attract and retain staff. Investing more will help create better learning environments for young children. In addition, while the District has adopted smart policies to identify infants and toddlers with developmental delays, efforts to expand this have not been funded. This is a missed opportunity, because intervening early can prevent a small problem from holding a child back. DC schools—DCPS and public charter schools— need more to keep up with rising enrollment but also to better serve each student. A workgroup convened by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education recommended increasing per-pupil funding to start addressing a 15 percent gap between current funding and the amount considered adequate. Without enough money, DCPS has resorted to raiding its “at-risk” funds—money intended to provide special services to low-income students—just to fund the basics. Anacostia High School lost over 80 percent of its at-risk funds this way. Giving more to schools will help make sure high-poverty schools get the added resources they need.

Giving All DC Residents the Chance to Lead a Healthy Life With access to health insurance threatened at the federal level, it’s important to remember that DC has been a health care leader. We should work to maintain high rates of coverage no matter what happens. There is one dark spot, however, in DC’s health system. Six years ago, the District adopted new rules to make it much harder to get care through the DC Healthcare Alliance, which serves low-income DC residents who don’t qualify for other programs like Medicaid. Within a year, thousands of residents fell off the program, in part because working residents or those with childcare needs could not take the time off needed to go through the frequent interview requirements. The District should eliminate unnecessary barriers to the Alliance to help eligible DC residents keep their health insurance.

Ensuring DC residents Can Balance Work and Family Responsibilities The Paid Family Leave law recently enacted will give eight weeks of paid leave for new parents to be with their children, six weeks to workers who need to care

for an ill relative, and two weeks for workers to address their own health needs. Paid family leave will benefit two-thirds of working District residents, which is the share of residents who work for a private-sector business in the city. Before this important new benefit can be made available, DC needs an IT system that will cost around $40 million; some $20 million has already been set aside. We hope the mayor and council will put that in next year’s budget.

Untying the District’s Hands to Access Needed Resources The District’s economy is healthy, adding residents, businesses and jobs. That means revenues are growing too. Yet restrictive policies force District officials to govern with their hands tied, limiting their ability to maintain a vital city. Rather than having choices over how to use growing resources, the DC Council mandated three years ago that all new revenue go to tax cuts whenever revenue goes above what’s anticipated. In other words, we have put tax cuts ahead of schools, housing, health and other needs. Mayor Bowser and the DC Council should put tax cuts on hold for 2018, which would free up $175 million for crucial services to DC residents, and put DC in a better place to manage federal budget cuts that are likely but as yet unknown. Mayor Bowser and the DC Council have plenty of decisions to make about what they’ll prioritize in next year’s budget; we encourage policymakers to consider these important ideas that will strengthen the District. Jodi Kwarciany is a policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www. dcfpi.org). DCFPI promotes budget and policy solutions to reduce poverty and inequality in the District of Columbia, and to increase opportunities for residents to build a better future. u

YOUR DAILY ONLINE NEWS SOURCE

HILLRAG .com

CAPITOL HILL H STREET NOMA CAPITOL RIVERFRONT SOUTHWEST LIKE US

April 2017 H 59

{capitol streets}

Don’t Tread on DC

United for Statehood by Josh Burch

Virginian named Tom Garrett and a Floridian named Marco Rubio want to gut our gun laws. An Ohioan named Brad Wenstrup and an Oklahoman named James Lankford want to overturn our death with dignity law. And an insecure Utahan named Jason Chaffetz lords over the District like King George himself, spending more time meddling in our local laws than serving as a check on arguably the most corrupt president in our nation’s history after only two and a half months. None of the aforementioned of Congress were elected by the people of DC, yet they have more say over our laws than our own local officials. We have no vote in Congress, but that does not mean we should roll over and give up. Instead we should regroup, organize, and get even. This meddlesome Congress has spurred new energy in the movement for greater democratic rights via the #HandsOffDC initiative spearheaded by Councilmember Charles Allen. While it is vitally important to embrace and be active in this new movement, it alone will not end congressional meddling. Only statehood can do that. We need to use this meddling to bring new people into the statehood movement and teach the nation about our unequal and unjust status. Here is a rundown of how each of us can contribute to the cause: Host a Meet & Greet. The best way to build a sustainable movement is through personal connections. Invite friends and neighbors to your house for a statehood meet & greet to discuss our work, answer questions about the issues, and suggest concrete actions we can take to strengthen the movement. Write an Op-Ed. Use your friends or family in places outside of DC as conduits to get opeds published in the 50 states to educate the nation about our unequal and unjust status as well as our fight for equality via statehood. Attend the Tax March on April 15. The

60 H Hillrag.com

tax march is geared to raise awareness about our president’s unwillingness to release his tax returns. This is a great opportunity to reach a national audience. Make signs that highlight “Taxation without Representation” and join us to raise awareness. In 2015 we in DC contributed $26 billion in federal revenue, more than 20 other states. Host Marching Family & Friends. There will be a Science March on April 22 and a Climate March

on April 29. If you open your home to friends and family attending these marches, use that time to educate them on statehood. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s be intentional and make sure that every time a visitor comes here to advocate for a cause they care about, we teach them about our status and give them tasks to help us when they return home. We need our family and friends in the 50 states to become our advocates. We will not be a state this month or next month, this year or next year, but we can act now to start building the movement. The Tom Garretts, Marco Rubios, and Jason Chaffetzes of the world will come and go. They meddle in our affairs because they can, and they cannot control themselves. The only way to liberate ourselves from their meddling is by achieving statehood, and we must be more intentional and better organized to make that a reality. If you want to host a statehood meet and greet, write an op-ed for statehood, or help spread the word about our status and cause at one of the upcoming marches, send us an email and we will help get the tools you need. Visit www. the51st.org to get involved. Josh Burch is a member of Neighbors United for DC Statehood (www.the51st.org), a group of residents who believe that community organizing and strategic congressional outreach are the foundation and driving force behind the DC statehood movement. He can be found at josh@unitedforstatehood.com or followed at @JBurchDC. u

30,000 HILL RESIDENTS COULD BE SEEING YOUR AD RIGHT NOW! To advertise, contact Laura 202.400.3510 or laura@hillrag.com

April 2017 H 61

{capitol streets}

South by West by William Rich Development Plans Submitted for River Point Several months after it was announced that the former Coast Guard headquarters building was purchased and the buyers were planning to repurpose it as a mixed-use residential and retail project called River Point, plans have been submitted by the development team to the Zoning Commission for approval under the Capital Gateway Overlay District. The project is located be-

streets. There will be a total of 485 rental apartment units with a mix of studio, junior one-bedroom, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, with and without dens. Due to its location adjacent to the Anacostia River, the ground floor and adjacent streets will be raised above the 100year floodplain. About 70,400 square feet of ground-floor retail is planned on all sides of the building. Restaurants will generally be located on the riverfront

Other Buzzard Point Development Projects River Point is one of many projects planned in Buzzard Point. Another adaptive reuse project near River Point is 1900 Half Street SW, an office building that Douglas Development plans to convert later this year into rental apartments and ground-floor retail space. Meanwhile, Capital City Real Estate will soon build the Peninsula 88 condos across First Street from River Point. Other developers own sites in the area that are not as far along in the development process, including Akridge and MRP Realty. The National Park Service closed the Buzzard Point Marina over a year ago and is in the planning stages of transforming the space into a public park. Pepco is building a new substation to handle the power needs for the new development coming to Southwest and the Capitol Riverfront. However, the largest project underway on Buzzard Point is Audi Field, a 19,000-seat soccer stadium for DC United. Audi Field broke ground in late February and is scheduled to deliver during the 2018 Major League Soccer season, perhaps in June.

Cotton Annex Sold

Developers plan to repurpose the former headquarters of the US Coast Guard into a mixed-use development with residential and retail called River Point. Rendering: 2100 2nd Street SW LLC

tween the James Creek and Buzzard Point marinas at 2100 Second Street SW on Buzzard Point, about two blocks south of Audi Field. According to the submission, the monolithic exterior will be broken up with the addition of cutouts along the V Street, First Street, and Anacostia riverfront sides of the building. A series of courtyards will be located on the third floor, including seating areas, a yoga deck, fire pit, movie screen, lawn, kitchen, and dining room. The rooftop will include a pool and pool terrace. Residential entrances will be on First and Second

62 H Hillrag.com

side while neighborhood-serving retail will be located on V Street. Outdoor seating would be accommodated on the riverfront and First Street sides. Retail uses being targeted include restaurants, a cafe, a pharmacy, and a grocery store. The Anacostia Riverwalk will run along the south side of the building, connecting to Buzzard Point Park to the east and the Second Street cycle track to the west. A boardwalk, programable barges, fixed piers, a shell deck, public art, and a floating garden are planned for the area to the south of the riverfront trail.

The auction of the Cotton Annex building at 300 12th St. SW by the General Services Administration (GSA) was completed in February. The winning bidder is Douglas Development with a bid of $30.3 million. Douglas Developmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other holdings in Southwest include a set of one-story retail buildings on the 1200 block of South Capitol Street and a large office building at 1900 Half Street on Buzzard Point, the latter of which will be redeveloped as a 462-unit rental apartment building with ground-floor retail. Elsewhere in the city, the company has specialized in redeveloping historic structures or incorporating them into new development, including commercial buildings near the Verizon Center in Chinatown (now retail and office space), the Hecht warehouse in Ivy City (now apartments), and the Uline Arena in NoMa (now a flagship REI store and offices).

Dave Lloyd & Associates 703-593-3204 www.davelloyd.net dlrealtygroup@gmail.com Enthusiastically serving clients on both sides of the river.

Arlington $1,649,900

Arlington $1,275,000

Arlington $979,900

Arlington $949,900

Arlington $869,900

Arlington $619,000

Falls Church City $569,900

Arlington $275,000

Brand spanking new! Another fine property by A & G Homes sited on lovely 7,500 sqft. lot in Rock Spring. Enjoy 4,600 sqft. of well appointed living space, 5 bedrooms & 4.5 baths. Early Summer Delivery!

The Cotton Annex is located a block from the Smithsonian Metro and the National Mall. Photo: William Rich

Quick Cotton Annex Timeline The Cotton Annex is a six-story building constructed in 1937 for use by the US Department of Agriculture and sits on a 1.41-acre site. It is an 118,000 square-foot building with a large parking lot on the east side. The parking lot behind the building has most recently been used by the Federal Protective Service to inspect packages and trucks that visit the Ronald Reagan Building International Trade Center downtown. The Department of Agriculture vacated the building in 2007. In 2015 GSA applied for the building’s designation on the National Register of Historic Places. According to the historic designation application, the building is split into an L-shaped administrative wing and a rectangular warehouse. The pending historic designation could limit how the building is repurposed, but zoning allows for mixed-use development. GSA issued a request for qualifications in 2014 to interested entities that can provide construction and related services in an “exchange consideration” for GSA’s headquarters build-

ing at 1800 F St. NW and for up to three buildings at St. Elizabeths West for use by the Department of Homeland Security, in exchange for the Cotton Annex and GSA’s National Capital Region Regional Office Building in Federal Triangle South. This area south of the National Mall has a concentration of GSA-owned office buildings that the agency is looking to either modernize or redevelop. The proposed swap proved unsuccessful, so GSA decided to auction individual buildings, starting with the Cotton Annex. Located a block from the Smithsonian Metro and the National Mall, just off an exit ramp from the 12th Street expressway, and within walking distance of the Portals and The Wharf, the Cotton Annex has potential for redevelopment. While it is not known what Douglas Development has planned for the Cotton Annex, their prior work offers hope that this historic building will not remain vacant for much longer. William Rich is a blogger at Southwest … The Little Quadrant that Could (www. swtlqtc.com). u

Stunning Contemporary inspired renovation nestled on a beautiful 91,138 sq ft. lot in Madison Manor offering 2,850 sq ft. of space, 4 BR’S, 4.5 baths, open concept floor plan & walk-out basement. Just a few blocks from EFC Metro.

Classic, all brick 1950’s 3 bedroom Colonial on a delightful lot in Lee Heights. Enjoy generous room sizes, refinished hardwoods, finished basement & fixed stairs to the attic. Two blocks from Starbucks!

Fabulous 1,298 sq ft. unit at The Byron Condominiums offering two master suites, 2 .5 baths, large balcony with great views, 2 garage spaces, and amenities galore outside your front door.

Gorgeous Craftsman inspired expansion on professionally landscaped lot just a few blocks form Westover Center. Enjoy 3,550 sq ft. of space, 3 finished levels, 5BR’S, 4.5 baths, and top-notch finishes throughout.

Substantially expanded 4BR, 3.5 bath 1948 Colonial sited on a lovely corner lot with detached garage, fabulous deck, and charming period details seamlessly blended with today’s modern conveniences.

Smack dab in the heart of Clarendon. 2BR (popular split configuration) 2 bath upper floor unit at The Hartford Condominiums with 925 sqft. of space, 3 balconies and a myriad of wonderful amenities right out your front door.

Charming one BR, 1.5 bath town-home style condo in historic Arlington Village. Enjoy the lovely courtyard setting, private deck, community pool & tennis, and all the wonderful shops, cafe’s & restaurants along Columbia Pike.

CALL, EMAIL OR TEXT WEICHERT REALTORS ARLINGTON OFFICE #1 AGENT TODAY

Weichert, Realtors.

4701 Old Dominion Drive • Arlington, VA 22207 April 2017 H 63

{capitol streets}

Redesigning Virginia Avenue Park ANC 6B Hands Process to DDOT, DPR, CSX for Funding

eighbors around Virginia Avenue Park in Southeast may soon get a newly designed space with a community garden, dog park, and open green area. Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6B voted on March 14 to support a redesign of the park at Ninth Street and Potomac Avenue SE, which commissioners hope will begin following the completion of the CSX Virginia Avenue Tunnel project. It took two years to come up with a basic concept for the park’s redesign, said Commissioner Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04). But when she asked landscape architecture firm Oehme van Sweden to create a redesign on a pro-bono basis, the vision for the space formed. Funding has not yet been established, though. Oldenburg said the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT), tunnel project developer CSX, and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will need to negotiate the numbers. “Before, we had been working around the

by Christine Rushton edges of what it had been,” Oldenburg said. “It’s a real change for the park, putting it in a place where it will be useful and viable for the changing neighborhood.”

Changing the Park’s Personality Before the CSX tunnel project, Oldenburg remarked, the park was a “backwater” that attracted seedy people and drug deals. The city tried to curb the activity by removing shrubs, benches, and other comfort amenities, but that turned the space into an open and uninviting lot. “When Tommy Wells was councilmember, we got a fenced-in area for dogs on the plot,” Oldenburg said. “But the rest of the park was abused by drug dealings.” The new design keeps the community garden, adds a green space for people to picnic, play, and visit in, and includes a dog park. The park would need community-based friends or other partnership groups, like the Kingman Dog Park organization in DC’s Northeast.

The inspiration for the design came from a need to rationalize the entire space, said Oehme van Sweden designer Beth L’Estrange. The team knew they needed to incorporate the existing community garden into the rest of the park while still providing an open, free-form green space. Oehme van Sweden took on the case pro bono after Oldenburg approached the company’s CEO, Lisa Delplace, said L’Estrange. The design group often takes on such projects. “It’s investing back into the community,” she said. “We are participating in the community and the space in and around Eastern Market, down Barracks Row and further into the rest of the community.” And with the growing population in the Southeast, Southwest, and Capitol Hill communities, strong, useful community space is important, she said. The area doesn’t boast many open spaces at the moment, and those areas contribute to health, social wellness, and overall community engagement. “If you look in the surrounding area, this is probably one of the largest spaces open in the community,” L’Estrange said.

Timeline for the Project CSX wants to start the park redesign early in 2018 to cap its tunnel project and promise of a streetscape for the surrounding area. But the design still needs to go through a funding process and review with DDOT and DPR. “This [ANC support letter] turns it back over to them – DDOT, DPR, CSX – to figure out who pays for what,” Oldenburg said. DDOT is waiting on a formal request from the ANC and neighbors to review. Once it receives a plan and funding request, it will begin an evaluation. DPR has started conversations with the departments involved and CSX, DPR spokesperson Gwendolyn Crump said. DPR and DDOT also need to finish negotiations with the National Park Service to add a small parcel of land on the eastern end of the park bounded by L and 11th streets SE. ANC 6B requested the extension and transfer of land in September 2015. u

64 H Hillrag.com

Replacement Windows & Doors Installation Group 16 17th St NE #133 Under Contract

417 7th St NE Sold | $1,136,000

Coming Soon! 3 Gessford Ct SE 1409 G St NE, #21 1307 Emerson St NW

· Specializing in Historic Window & Door Replacement · Full Tear-Out and Retro-Fit installations, Wood, Aluminum Clad or Synthetic Windows & Doors · Permit Expediting for Historic DC Properties

FREE NO OBLIGATION ESTIMATES 202.288.6660 info@windowscraft.com

www.windowscraft.com Licensed, Insured and Bonded

April 2017 H 65

{capitol streets}

Investigating Complex Crimes with Officer Byrd Finding the Partridge in a Pear Tree

eith Byrd remembers the interrogation room where serial arsonist Maurice Dews sat in 2011. He can still see the scene when investigators brought in a sketch artist to draw the face of the man Dews swore he witnessed setting one of several fires in the District. Dews described the face in remarkable detail. He identified his own image as the arsonist’s. “It was like watching the show ‘The Wire’ in real life,” Byrd said. With the help of the arson investigation, prosecutors got Dews to plead guilty to setting five fires between 2008 and 2011, for which he received a prison sentence of 25 years. It’s cases like those that make Byrd tick. The investigation, the data collection, the tracking – that’s why he moved on from DC Fire after eight years to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in 2014. He and partner Officer James Keenan cover Police Service Area (PSA) 105 in DC’s Southwest and focus on investigating robberies and violent crimes. Their patrol can take them anywhere in the District depending on the case.

by Christine Rushton “I enjoy going out ‘ripping and running,’” Byrd said of daily patrol. “But investigation is more of a chess match against your opponent.”

MPD Officer Keith Byrd. Photo: Christine Rushton

Choosing a Career in Law Enforcement

Byrd, 35, knew in college he wanted to pursue a life in investigation and law enforcement. He grew up in Lancaster, Pa., and decided to attend Shippensburg University about 80 miles west of his hometown. There he earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2005 and went off to join the DC Fire team in 2006. Cases like Dews’ arson fires taught him the skills he needed to hone his abilities as an investigator. He worked with members from the homicide team and the alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives (ATF) team on the case. He had a theory that the arsonist had modified lighters to work as incendiary devices. ATF and others didn’t think the theory panned out, but then they conducted another interview with Dews, who they thought just witnessed the crime. Dews told them he had a theory that the arsonist had modified lighters to start the fires. Byrd started to realize the connection then. It finally clicked when Dews identified himself to the sketch artist. “It was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen,” Byrd said. Budget crunches and cuts to the arson unit started to spread the investigators too thin, though. Byrd found himself burMPD Officer Keith Byrd stops in at Philz Coffee in Southeast ied in writing reports for each case, and fiDC for his usual morning cup. Photo: Christine Rushton

66 H Hillrag.com

nally started dreading the alarm of each new fire. It meant more paperwork. “It became a cycle of not enjoying what you’re doing,” he said. His drive to investigate still kept him in the business, as he tried working private insurance cases for a while, but he couldn’t see the benefit to his community as he could on Fire. He decided to join MPD and hasn’t regretted the move. His skill set from the arson unit has helped make the transition from investigating fires to digging into the First District’s crime cases. “This is really my element, my natural habitat – tracking people,” Byrd said.

Back in the Transport Car To start nearly every day on their 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday shift, Byrd and Keenan stop at Philz Coffee near the waterfront in Southeast. On their stop on March 17 they ordered their large coffees and molasses cookies for the road, and Byrd stopped to chat with the baristas, who know his name and order. A woman sitting in the shop pulled him and Keenan away with an urgent, panicked look on her face.

She had received an alert that MPD was responding to a shooting on the 2200 block of Minnesota Avenue SE near an elementary school. Keenan and Byrd checked the information on the situation, assured the woman the incident wasn’t precisely at the school, and let her know officers were at the scene. The man shot in that case died later that day. This is what they do, Byrd said. He likes staying on the streets and in the community because he can help people like the woman in Philz better understand what the local officers can do to help protect them. Back in the car, driving toward the evidence hold in DC’s Southwest, Byrd and Keenan hash out the details of a few arrest warrants they need to put together for the US Attorney’s office. They have been working a gun case and need to get serial numbers, building descriptions, and other data to present their evidence. Their partnership got off to a somewhat rocky start back in late February, when Keenan locked the keys in the car, but now they anticipate each other’s moves. “One of the important parts of having a partner is when you complement each other,” Byrd said. And having the banter that keeps the days fresh and the team pushing through the cases, like that day in March. “We’re going to end this day with two house-search warrants,” Byrd said, steering the car toward the First District’s station. “And cell phone searches, too,” said Keenan. “And somewhere in there, a partridge in a pear tree,” added Byrd. u

April 2017 H 67

{capitol streets}

Companies for Causes Donates Books to Miner Elementary One Book at a Time by Christine Rushton

tudents at Miner Elementary (601 15th St. NE) got a special delivery on March 22 –boxes and boxes of books to kick off Literacy Week for the school. Thanks to a donation from Companies for Causes (CforC), a philanthropy-focused organization of corporations, the students will receive four to five classroom library collections worth of books to contribute to improving literacy in the District’s public schools. CforC bought the books from Science Naturally (725 Eighth St. SE), using about $1,200 raised during a “Books for Kids” campaign in the spring of 2016 on Capitol Hill. In DC, the quality and availability of books varies considerably from school to school, said Joe Weedon, Ward 6 State Board of Education representative and a CforC member. CforC wants to change that starting in Ward 6 schools. “Many of the schools do a good job of providing support, but I think we can do things on a bigger scale and look-

ing across communities,” Weedon said. CforC chose Miner for its latest donation because of the school’s relationship with Eastern High School (1700 East Capitol St.) and its Principal Andrea Mial (left) looks on as teacher and students start a science low Partnership for Aslesson with new books donated by Companies for Causes to Miner Elementary School on March 21. Photo: Joe Weedon sessment of Readiness for College and Career needs she saw in her own students. His idea: give (PARCC) scores in 2015 the schools what they actually need, not what corand 2016. Only 9 percent and 10.1 percent of Minporate CEOs think they need. er students met or exceeded standards for English “We wanted to be the guys that were helplanguage and arts and literacy skills in 2015 and ful,” Raffa said. “We didn’t want to be a founda2016, respectively. tion that says: ‘We love this concept and we want you to do this.’” CforC Invests in Eastern High Skerritt told Raffa that the school needed Eastern High re-launched its program in 2011 afbooks for the “Drop Everything and Read” proter a significant overhaul. At the time, CforC foundgram. Raffa got 6,000 books for the high school er Tom Raffa wanted to from donations totaling about $10,000, and delivfind a strong cause for ered them. But Raffa realized that though CforC his young organization could replace depleted book stocks at the school, to work with in order to it wouldn’t change the underlying issue. Students show corporate investors were still arriving at the high school level with inthe impact of donating adequate reading skills. to and investing in sociRaffa described it as like pulling babies out etal issues. “I spent a lot of a river. “We have to go up the river and figure of time advising bigger out who is throwing these babies in the river and companies, and I’d be stop that,” he said. “It’s not just fixing symptoms, fairly unsuccessful,” Rafbut solving the starting problem.” fa said. “Even if the CEO got excited about the Turning the Focus on Elementary Schools concept I was selling, it Miner scored one of the lowest averages for school wouldn’t push through.” literacy in the 2015 and 2016 PARCC scores calDeciding to tarculated by the DC Public Schools (DCPS). David get visible concerns in Treat, president of the Miner Parent Teacher OrWard 6, he reached out ganization (PTO), said the school hired a reading to Eastern and thenEastern High School Principal Sah Brown helps deliver books donated resource specialist at the start of the 2016-17 year Principal Rachel Skerby Companies for Causes to Miner Elementary School on March 21. to help improve proficiency. He said the CforC’s ritt to find out what Photo: Joe Weedon

68 H Hillrag.com

investment in the school with the book donation dovetails with the school’s priority for this issue. “Any investment of literacy resources is greatly appreciated by our community and can certainly be beneficial in boosting the reading proficiency of our students,” Treat said. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen has also pushed the District’s investment in early childhood literacy with his now year-old Books from Birth program. In order for high school students to improve their preparedness for college and careers, they need to start that development at a young age. He said he appreciates CforC’s ongoing commitment to Ward 6 students’ literacy but regrets that it takes private investments to bring public schools up to standard. “It will definitely help students and their access to books, technology, and literacy,” Allen said. “It is one of my biggest frustrations to walk into schools and see libraries with empty shelves.”

Expanding to More Schools Raffa remains wary of spreading the CforC focus too thin across the District. He wants to ensure that the investments they make impact those schools as effectively as possible and when needed. But CforC would also like to expand this model of promoting literacy to other schools. Weedon said that following the fundraising campaign for Miner’s books and the relationship fostered with Eastern, he hopes to launch a new campaign for donations in fall 2017 to buy collections in spring 2018. “One of the priorities that Eastern has always pushed forward to us – under Skerritt and now Principal Sah Brown – is the importance of reading,” Weedon said. “We want these students to have had this rich exposure to literature from day one.” u

INSTRUMENT RENTALS, LESSONS & CLASSES FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS 801 D St, NE

(202) 733-3158 m usiconthehilldc.com

PROUD TO BE AGENTS WITH THE #1 CENTURY 21 FIRM IN THE WORLD! Joan Carmichael Realtor 202.271.5198 joanvcarmichael@gmail.com Bridgette Cline Realtor 202.271.4196 bridgette.cline@c21nm.com FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS 1000 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Wash., DC 20003 office # 202-546-0055 April 2017 H 69

{capitol streets}

ANC 6A Report by Elizabeth Nelson

dvisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6A Chair Phil Toomajian called the meeting to order at Miner Elementary School (601 15th St. NE), with Commissioners Calvin Ward, Marie-Claire Brown, Patrick Malone, Stephanie Zimny, Sondra Phillips-Gilbert, Matt Levy, and Mike Soderman in attendance. The meeting began with community presentations.

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen The DC Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, which Allen chairs, is responsible for homeland security, emergency medical services, and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The committee has been busy with confirmation hearings on the new police chief. They are also evaluating the Youth Rehabilitation Act to see if changes are needed. Allen noted that 97 percent of youth sentenced under the act do not reoffend (commit violent crimes) if they complete all the requirements. Many of them are able to move forward in ways that would be difficult otherwise. However, there are cases where the community has been negatively affected. Allen is excited about population growth in the District but is aware that it increases housing pressure. He supports the Housing Production Trust Fund for its ability to preserve existing affordable housing and leverage financing to create more.

70 H Hillrag.com

Referring to Congress and the Trump administration, he sees both as an “unprecedented threat” to the District’s autonomy and thinks it is “fundamentally unjust” that our budget and local laws can be overturned by Congress. He believes that “women’s health issues should be enshrined in local law” before they can be stripped away by repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Congress does not review emergency legislation, which takes effect as soon the mayor signs it. Although such legislation expires in 90 days, it may present opportunities to avoid congressional oversight. In response to a complaint about unleashed dogs in Lincoln Park, Allen responded that it was a subject of concern. He believes that the National Park Service (NPS), which has jurisdiction over the park, will need to build a space for dogs in order to achieve a long-term solution; leash-law enforcement has not solved the problem. There is a dog park several blocks away and another one is in the planning stages at the new Virginia Avenue Park, but there is still not enough capacity. NPS has maintained a no-dog park policy. However, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco has a dog park on NPS land, so there is precedent.

Washington Gas Update on Pipeline Replacement Doreen Hope, community district manager, reported on Washington Gas’s pipe replacement projects, with a focus on the work along the 17th Street corridor, although other areas are also affected. Customers will be contacted by a Washington Gas consultant to schedule the date of their service replacement and meter relocation. Washington Gas says that crews will restore damaged landscaping to the “as found” condition, although there have been reports

of deficiencies in this area. Questions and complaints can be directed to dhope.projectpipes@ sawhgas.com, 202-624-6400, or visit washingtongas.com; click on “View Major Projects” then go to “Resources.”

Transportation and Public Space Actions ANC 6A voted unanimously to send a letter of support for the Capitol Hill Classic Race. As Toomajian noted, this race enjoys broad community support and, unlike other similar events, does not generate complaints. Proceeds benefit the Capitol Hill Cluster School, a DC public school. The commissioners voted unanimously to send a letter to the DC Council stating ANC 6A’s opposition to the Small Business Parking Permit Act of 2017. This act includes provisions for business owners each to obtain 10 residential parking permits (RPP) for the use of employees. The commissioners observed that in areas such as H Street NE this would be a very large number of parking passes and would be detrimental to the customer base, to say nothing of the impact on residents. Councilmember Allen is also opposed.

ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A PHIL TOOMAJIAN, CHAIR, PHILANC6A@GMAIL.COM Serving the Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, and H Street communities ANC 6A generally meets the second Thursday of the month, at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE.

www.anc6a.org

Economic Development and Zoning Actions ANC 6A will send a letter of support to the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) for the owners of 1126 Constitution Ave. NE, who are seeking special exemptions from lot occupancy and rear yard requirements to permit the construction of a two-story garage. Commissioners voted unanimously to send a similar letter to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). The commissioners also considered the request for a letter of support to BZA from the owners of 619 Elliot St. NE. They have applied for a special exemption from lot occupancy requirements to permit the construction of a third-story addition with roof deck. The addition would extend over the “dog leg” between the two lower floors and the property line. The owners of the adjacent property, 621 Elliot St. NE, object to the addition as it would interfere with their chimney and planned solar panels, for which they have already requested permits. There are also objections to the loss of sunlight on neighboring properties and the damage to the streetscape, though this last concern has limited application in a zoning case. In response to other objections, the owners have agreed to extend brick treatment to partially cover the sides of the house and have eliminated a planned “penthouse.” As the recommendation of the committee was contingent on the support of the neighbors, and in the hope that additional time would allow the parties to come to at least a partial agreement, the matter was tabled until the April ANC meeting. Toomajian reported the following with respect to a BZA appeal that ANC 6A unanimously sponsored in October 2016. The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) has issued notice of intent to revoke the building permit for 1511 A St. NE. The property’s owner had filed plans to build a five-story, 18-unit condo building at that address, where there is currently a single

house. DCRA’s zoning administrator admitted zoning limits were misinterpreted and agreed with the ANC and neighbors that current zoning does not allow such a massive building. The owner can appeal. No construction has been started. Toomajian thanked Commissioner Ward, former Commissioner Nick Alberti, and other community members for their work on this issue.

Reports & Announcements Toomajian announced that the Capitol Hill Classic race, an annual fundraiser for the Capitol Hill Cluster School, is scheduled for Sunday, May 21. Information including street closings can be found at capitolhillclassic.com. There is a possibility that new development at 1207 H St. NE will include underground placement of the streetcar substation now above ground, across the street. Zimny reported that neighbors are still concerned about traffic patterns generated at Chik-fil-A (in the triangle on the 1400 block of Maryland Avenue and G Street NE), but there are no further actions they can pursue until the business opens, at which time a traffic study may be requested. New recycling rules prohibit placing plastic bags into recycling bins. Materials must be placed loose, not inside a trash bag. Representatives of the Alcohol Beverage Regulatory Administration (ABRA) will attend the April 13 ANC meeting. ANC 6A meets on the second Thursday of every month (except August) at Miner Elementary School. The 6A committees meet at 7 p.m. on the following schedule: Alcohol Beverage and Licensing, third Tuesday of each month, Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th St. NE. Community Outreach, fourth Monday of each month, Maury Elementary School, 601 15th St. NE. Economic Development and Zoning, third Wednesday of each month, Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th St. NE.

Next ANC 6A meeting is Thursday April 13th, 7pm Miner E.S 601 15th St NE. Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee - Tuesday, April 18th 7pm at Sherwood Recreation Center • 640 10th St., NE Jay Williams - Co-Chair (906-0657) / Christopher Seagle - Co-Chair

Transportation & Public Space Committee - Monday, April 17th 7pm at Capitol Hill Towers Community Room • 900 G St., NE J. Omar Mahmud - Co-Chair / Todd Sloves - Co-Chair

Economic Development & Zoning Committee - Wednesday, April 19th 7pm at Sherwood Recreation Center • 640 10th St., NE Brad Greenfield - Chair (Brad.greenfield@gmail.com 202 262-9365)

Community Outreach Committee - Monday, April 24th

7pm at Maury Elementary School • 1250 Constitution Ave., NE Multi-purpose Room (enter from 200 Block of 13 Street) Dana Wyckoff - Chair (571-213-1630)

Please check the Community Calendar on the website for cancellations and changes of venue.

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C P.O. Box 77876 • Washington, D.C. 20013-7787 www.anc6c.org • (202) 547-7168 ANC 6C meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm, 214 Massachusetts Avenue N.E., except August, when there is no meeting.

ANC 6C COMMISSIONERS ANC 6C01 Christine Healey 6C01@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C04 Mark Eckenwiler 6C04@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C02 Karen Wirt (202) 547-7168 6C02@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C05 Christopher Miller 6C05@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C03 Scott Price (202) 577-6261 6C03@anc.dc.gov scott.price@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C06 Heather Edelman heatheraedelman @gmail.com

ANC 6C COMMITTEES Alcoholic Beverage Licensing First Monday, 7 pm Contact: anc6c.abl.committee@gmail.com

Transportation and Public Space First Thursday, 7 pm Contact: mark.kaz.anc@gmail.com

Grants Last Thursday, 7 pm Contact: lesliebarbour.dc@gmail.com

Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development First Wednesday, 6:30 pm Contact: 6C04@anc.dc.gov Twitter: @6C_PZE

Parks and Events First Tuesday, 7 pm Contact: ptahtakran@gmail.com

April 2017 H 71

{capitol streets}

Transportation and Public Space, third Monday of every month, Capitol Hill Towers, 900 G St. NE. Visit www.anc6a.org for calendar of events, changes of date/venue, agendas, and other information. u

ANC 6B Report

by Liz O’Gorek

he March 14 Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6B meeting was longer than usual, albeit with a smaller crowd of attendees (“the faithful,” commented one commissioner) due to the day’s inclement weather. The meeting included a lengthy presentation by Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, followed by a lively Q&A with attendees. The quorum: Jennifer Samolyk (6B01), Nick Burger (6B06, treasurer), James Loots (6B03, parliamentarian), Aimee Grace (6B07), Chander Jayaraman (6B08, chair), Denise Krepp (6B10), Diane Hoskins (6B02, vice chair), Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04), Steve Hagedorn (6B05), and Daniel Ridge (6B09, secretary).

Ward 6 Report In his role as chair of the DC Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, Councilmember Charles Allen stated that one of his top priorities is reforming the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), long a subject of interest for ANC 6B and Commissioner Denise Krepp (6B10) in particular. Allen’s data indicates that youth who complete the YRA program plan are five times less likely to reoffend than those who do not. The committee is conducting hearings and collecting data in preparation for proposed legislative change. Allen reported that public hearings are ongoing as part of the confirmation process for Acting Chief of Police Peter Newsham. A public hearing will be held on March 20 at 7 p.m. at the Kipp DC Shaw campus (421 P St. NW), before a final hearing beginning at 9:30 a.m. on March 24 at the Wilson Building. While discussing the 2017-18 budget, Allen indicated that he was working on inclusions for park renovations in 6B and protecting funding marked

72 H Hillrag.com

for the Southeast Library renovation. Allen indicated that school budgets are a priority, and he intends to pressure DC Public Schools (DCPS) to move on the renovations to both Elliot Hine Middle School and Jefferson Middle School Academy. The latter school was the subject of recent controversy following a visit from US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and Allen said that he was heartened by how much the community rallied around the school. Residents used the Q&A period following Allen’s presentation to discuss the ward’s problem with rat infestation. Attendees were asked to stand if they shared this concern. Approximately half of the attendees and two commissioners stood in response. After residents called for a systemic approach to the problem among the various agencies, Allen vowed more research and work on the issue. Commissioner Aimee Grace (6B07) asked Allen to comment on the increase in missing teens in the District apparent to those following the District Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on social media. Allen said he had reached out to MPD, which replied that there had been no change in the number of youth reported missing and that increased awareness was likely due to the fact that MPD had only recently begun making social media posts about them.

Historic Preservation Review Board The proprietor of 523 Eighth St. SE (Ambar) listed changes made to their historic preservation application (HPA), which includes plans for a 45-seat addition, a retractable roof, and exterior surfacing. Commissioners questioned the lack of provision for interior garbage storage, and some, notably Hoskins (6B02), said they would be unable to support the application without it. Commissioner James Loots (6B03) noted he could support the HPA but would consider the issue of indoor trash storage as critical when the Alcohol Beverage Committee (ABC) considers supporting the liquor license application for the additional space. The proprietor offered that he was willing to work with the ANC but called inclusion of interior trash storage “impossible.” After debate among the commissioners on the role of trash storage in an HPA, a motion of no position on the application, with no mention of trash storage, was successful. An impassioned but civil discussion on the subject of interior trash storage between residents and the proprietor continued into the hallway as the meeting progressed.

Plastic Park The ANC passed a resolution presented by Commissioner Hoskins (6B02) regarding financial contributions for a playground and public-space landscaping agreed to in a memo of agreement between ANC 6B and Stanton-EastBanc, the developers behind the Hine School project. The resolution asks that the full $125,000 commitment be directed toward establishing a playground on the northeast parcel of the Eastern Market Metro Plaza Park (EMMP), colloquially known as Plastic Park. The playground is consistent with the EMMP plans, and playground equipment could be placed as early as summer 2017.

Other Matters During the community speak out, two residents expressed concerns about developer activity in ANC 6B. One argued that the “Neighbor Notification” obtained from the ANC last year had done nothing to protect him from $1,800 in damages inflicted on his home by a developer working on property next door. Another complained that developers working on The Churchill condominiums at 514 Fourth St. SE had significantly altered plans without community consultation, including reducing the number of parking spaces and relocating the nine HVAC units to a site beside his yard. The commissioners took the following actions: • Appointed resident members to the Alcohol and Beverage Committee: Clare Palace (returning for 6B04) and Rob Cronin (returning for 6B07). • Appointed resident member Abena Disroe to the Outreach and Constituent Services Task Force. • Approved a motion to endorse the Housing Coalition Statement of Principles on affordable housing that should be addressed as part of the DC Comprehensive Plan review. • Approved a motion to support the Resolution Concerning the Physical Renovation of Jefferson Academy Middle School. Renovation now scheduled for 2022; letter asks for planning in 2018, work to be done in 2020. ANC 6B regularly meets on the second Tuesday of the month at the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. To avoid conflict with a holiday or religious day, the next meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 12, at 7 p.m. u

ANC 6C Report by Christine Rushton

hot topic and point of contention reared its head again during Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6C’s March meeting. Parking permits and residential allowances continue to plague an already congested and growing neighborhood in and around Capitol Hill and the H Street NE corridor. Commissioners argued the latest potential blow to the situation, an act proposed in the DC Council that would allow small businesses to issue residential parking permits (RPP) to employees. The quorum: Karen Wirt (6C02, chair), Heather Edelman (6C06), Mark Eckenwiler (6C04), Christine Healey (6C01, secretary), Scott Price (6C03, vice chair), and Christopher Miller (6C05, treasurer).

ANC Strongly Opposes Parking Act The Small Business Parking Permit Act of 2017 proposes giving businesses with 10 or fewer employees the chance to apply to the Department of Transportation (DDOT) for RPP permits to park near the business on residential streets. It was introduced by DC Councilmembers Robert White Jr. (At Large), Brianne K. Nadeau (Ward 1), and Brandon T. Todd (Ward 4). Commissioner Eckenwiler said that the legislation would throw a wrench into an already difficult parking permit system that went through significant overhauls just two years ago. “It’s a curious and profoundly ill-conceived proposal,” he said. He added that if the DC Council approves the act it would open up several opportunities for abuse, such as by counting employees that telework or creating multiple LLCs to get more permits. It also would encourage driving and put an unnecessary burden on neighbors, he said. Commissioner Miller questioned its value to his constituents, neighbors living around the H Street NE corridor. “Are we sure it isn’t titled the H Street Residents Drop Dead bill?” he said. The ANC voted unanimously to support a letter of opposition to the sponsors and the chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, Mary Cheh (Ward 3).

Maryland Avenue Project Update DDOT’s project to redesign Maryland Avenue NE moved to the 65-percent stage in March. All of the materials are available for the public’s review. Price said that most of the comments ANC 6C had for the 30-percent review were addressed in the 65-percent design. This is the last opportunity for the community to request major hardscape changes.

Cycle Tracks on Florida Avenue The ANC voted to support DDOT’s overall design plan for a proposed two-way cycle track running from Third Street to Ninth Street along Florida Avenue NE. This would reduce lanes to two in each direction (it’s currently three) and put in left-turn lanes. Price requested that any lighting along the route face downward so as not to disturb residential households. Commissioners also want DDOT to review the safety measures for the area at West Virginia Avenue NE.

Third-Story Addition on Orleans Place NE A family living at 638 Orleans Place NE requested the ANC’s support for zoning relief for a thirdstory addition. The lot is at 73-percent occupancy, but since it does not fall in the historic district it doesn’t require as stringent a test. The designer incorporated a few historic-design requests made by the Planning, Zoning and Economic Development (PZE) Committee, and the ANC agreed to support the project unanimously.

Montessori Parents Continue Modernization Fight Representative parents from Capitol Hill Montessori @Logan (215 G St. NE) called on community members and commissioners to support their appeal to the District to advance the school’s modernization, currently set for 2022. The parents have argued that the District inaccurately assessed the building when determining the modernization schedule, and believe that the school needs an overhaul before 2022. This includes new air vents, fixing plumbing leaks, flooding, and water fountains that have fallen off their wall mounts. Commissioners unanimously supported the parents’ letter to District leaders.

Eckenwiler to Testify Commissioner Eckenwiler requested the ANC’s support to testify at the March 16 Department of Regula-

tory and Consumer Affairs (DCRA) and April 10 Office of Planning (OP) oversight hearings at the DC Council. Eckenwiler said that while DCRA showed some improvement over the last year, the ANC would like more transparency and responsiveness when it comes to reports of permit violations. At the OP budget meeting he plans to request that the office consider adding staff to the often overwhelmed historic preservation inspection team. Right now, Capitol Hill only has two.

Other Actions The ANC acknowledged that DCRA admitted it issued the wrong permit for a project at 1511 A St. NE, which would have brought large development to a residentially zoned area. The next hearing on the case is April 5. The ANC unanimously supported a third-story rear addition at 316 G St. NE. Commissioners also supported a separate historic preservation application (HPA) on the same site for a rooftop addition and a new basement entrance that doesn’t encroach on the sidewalk. Commissioners supported a letter calling for better traffic-flow assessments and pedestrian safety measures in and around the highly congested Union Station area. ANC 6C regularly meets on the second Wednesday of the month at the Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. The next meeting is on April 12 at 7 p.m. u

ANC 6D Report

by Andrew Lightman

dvisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6D met on March 13. Commissioners Gail Fast (6D01), Cara Shockley (6D02), Ronald Collins (6D03), Andy Litsky (6D04), Roger Moffatt (6D05), Meredith Fascett (6D07), and Rhonda N. Hamilton (6D06) were on the dais.

Ward 6 Councilmember Visits Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen visited the commission. Allen reported that he had just finished chairing the oversight hearings of the DC Council’s

April 2017 H 73

{capitol streets}

Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety. The committee has jurisdiction over matters affecting the judiciary and judicial procedure that are within authority of the DC Council under the Home Rule Act of 1973. These include the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), youth corrections, fire and emergency medical services, homeland security, campaign finance, ethics, criminal justice, and miscellaneous matters of public safety. Allen is joined on the committee by Vincent Gray (Ward 7), Mary. M. Cheh (Ward 3), Anita Bonds (At Large), and David Grosso (At Large). As chair, Allen has organized three hearings on making the appointment of Acting Chief of Police Peter Newsham permanent. He has already held one in Ward 8. He will hold another on March 24 in Shaw. Allen was concerned about recent shootings in Southwest. There have been three in three weeks. One occurred in front of the entrance to the King Greenleaf Recreation Center on the 200 block of N Street. On another day, a man entered the rec center carrying a gun. Allen is working with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to increase security at the center’s entrance without creating a pat-down zone. Allen has spoken about the shootings with First District Commander Morgan C. Kane. She informed him that the shooting involved a dispute between residents of Greenleaf public housing and a group in Ward 8. Allen reached out to Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White to see if they could work together to quash the disagreement. Allen expects Mayor Muriel Bowser to submit her budget sometime after April 4. The Council, he explained, would modify her submission, which he expects will be passed by the end of May. The rebuilding of the Southwest Library is fully funded, he reported. The modernization of Jefferson Middle School is fully funded at $80 million. However, he is pushing the mayor to move up the start date. Allen will hold a Ward 6 Budget Town Hall on April 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Jefferson Middle School, 801 Seventh St. SW. An audience member raised the issue of gangs of students at the Southwest CVS, 1100 Fourth St. SW. Allen stated that he had conferred with the company’s executives to demand that they increase the store’s security. He also spoke with Commander Kane and the staff at the Southwest Library about the incidents. Apparently, the same kids were harassing library staff and patrons. Library staff identified the instigators. MPD

74 H Hillrag.com

officers paid home visits to their families. Another audience member who lives in Capitol Quarter next to CSX’s Virginia Avenue Tunnel construction project complained that the noise and vibrations caused by the construction and traffic through the completed new tunnel had damaged his home. Neighbors have demanded the railroad install damping materials. Allen promised to follow up. An audience member drew Allen’s attention to the District’s inability to plan for traffic and growth in the Capitol Riverfront and Southwest. “The plans for Buzzard Point are complete nonsense,” Chair Litsky added wryly. Allen agreed. He stated that he is pressuring the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) to commit to a minimum of quarterly meetings on the subject.

ABC Matters The Hotel Beverage Company, 1233 First St. SE, requested a letter in support of an application for a DT License at the Marriott Residence Inn. The license is meant to cover managers’ receptions held in a secondfloor meeting room. While commissioners did not object to granting of the license, they did take the opportunity to inform the hotel’s representatives that they were displeased with its digital signage. One member of the audience suggested that commissioners withhold their approval on all matters related to the hotel as a protest. Three commissioners voted to support the license, two voted against, and two abstained. An application by the owner of Masala Art, 1000 Fourth St. SW, an amendment to his license that would allow the charging of a cover fee for live music and minor changes in operating hours, triggered extensive discussions. Some commissioners were concerned that the restaurant would morph into a nightclub. There was some confusion over who and under what circumstances a cover might be demanded. One commissioner attempted to fashion an agreement suggesting limits on the hours a cover might be charged. This engendered more discussion. Under questioning by Chair Litsky, the owner admitted that he had not met with residents of The Elliot, which has only recently opened. The commissioners chose to take no action, requesting that ABC Committee Chair Coralie Farlee bring forth a more detailed proposal to the next meeting. ABC Chair Farlee complained about the slow pace of the applications her committee had received from the establishments sited on The Wharf. Only three have been approved.

Pepco Construction Pepco Public Affairs Manager Travoris Culpepper briefed the commission on the utility’s plans to relocate two 69-kilovolt feeder lines under South Capitol Street. The utilities must be moved before the rebuilding of the Frederick Douglass Bridge can proceed. The lines will be moved under Half Street SW. Construction will occur from mid-March to the end of April. Crews will splice cables at three manholes: • on South Capitol between N and P streets • on P Street between South Capitol and Half streets • on T Street near Buzzard Point Project work hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pepco has developed traffic control plans with DDOT, stated Culpepper. “DDOT is not in communication with this ANC,” retorted Chair Litsky. The chair emphasized that construction was occurring amid the baseball season. Other commissioners echoed his concerns. Culpepper promised to transmit the traffic control plan to the ANC in the next week. Culpepper can be contacted at tculpepper@pepco.com or at 202-872-2024.

555 E Street CityPartners, responsible for redeveloping the old fire station at 555 E St. SW, presented plans for streetscape improvements adjacent to their new project. They plan to remove the curb cuts installed to accommodate fire vehicles, widen the sidewalk, and add trees. Their objective is to create an attractive, wide sidewalk that will facilitate the extensive retail planned for the ground floor on both the Sixth and E Street sides of the project. The building’s loading dock will be located on School Street on the northern side. Curbside parking will be restored on east side of the 500 block of Sixth Street.

Other Matters Commissioners discussed the public space application by Slipstream Coffee, 821 I St. SE, for an ADAcompliant ramp edged by a planter designed to protect the adjacent door. Slipstream’s architect agreed to round it. The commissioners then voted unanimously to provide a letter of support. The coffee shop plans to open this coming May. Cultural DC asked the commissioners to support a new mobile gallery. Housed in a shipping container, the art space will initially be placed on land next to the historic Randall Junior High School, slat-

ed for the future Rubell Museum. The cost will total $80,000. Cultural DC asked the commissioners for a letter in support of a $30,000 grant application they are making to the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities for the gallery. Commissioners voted unanimously to support the project. The commissioners approved a letter in support of the Walk to Cure Arthritis on May 21, with Commissioner Shockley abstaining. The commissioners approved a letter in support of the DC Historic Preservation Board’s historic designation of Federal Office Building No. 6, with Commissioner Collins abstaining. Chair Litsky reported that he had met with the officials from the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) to get a clarification regarding Verizon’s mono-pole installed at Randall Recreational Field. The BZA voted to limit Verizon to a single year due in large part to the commission’s opposition, he reported. The BZA refused to allow any other carriers to collocate on the pole. The matter now goes to the Public Service Commission. Commissioners listened to a short presentation from the organizers of the 57th Annual Japanese Street Festival. The commissioners took the following actions unanimously: • approved a letter in support of Bike Ride DC, the fundraiser for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, planned for May 14 • approved a letter in support of the Race for Hope brain cancer run planned for May 7 • approved a letter in support of locating a BikeShare station at the corner of Seventh and D streets SW The commissioners discussed a plan by the Department of Parks and Recreation and Casey Trees to plant more trees at Amidon Field, Jefferson Field, and Lansburgh Park, but took no action. The plan is part of the District’s Canopy 3000 Initiative. For more information visit www.doee.dc.gov/service/

G G ROOFING

Law Offices Of

James m LOOts, Pc

AWARDED BEST WASHINGTON, DC CONTRACTOR OF 2012 BY ANGIE’S LIST

Serving the Capitol Hill Community Since 1984 General Litigation and Arbitration Franchising and Business Organizations Commercial Leasing and Development Labor and Employment Issues Contract and Licensing Matters

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • “50 YEARS EXPERIENCE”

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

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

10% OFF WITH THIS AD TOP “AV” RATED BY MARTINDALE-HUBBELL

634 G Street SE, Suite 200 | Washington DC 20003 (202) 536-5650 • Fax: (202) 315-3515 www.lootslaw.com

202.425.1614 WWW.GANDGHOMEIMPROVEMENTS.NET

Licensed & Insured | All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners April 2017 H 75

{capitol streets}

canopy-3000. There was no treasurer’s report. ANC 6D will meet on Monday, April 3, at 7 p.m., at 1100 Fourth St. SW. Visit www.anc6d.org/ for more information. u

ANC 6E Report by Steve Holton Proposed Redevelopment for RFK Campus An Events DC representative attended the March meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E to share proposals to redevelop the 190acre RFK Stadium-Armory campus. DC United will use the stadium until it moves to its new home on Buzzard Point in 2018. After the move, upgrades can begin on the stadium’s adjacent areas that are currently dominated by asphalt. Community feedback was heavily considered when drawing up the proposals, which intend to provide an immediate community benefit by creating a destination appeal for residents and visitors. Short-term plans call for 217,000 square feet of multipurpose recreational fields and entertainment venues. A 47,000 square-foot building, to be named Market Hall, will be constructed to serve as the commerce portion of the site and will offer retail shops, produce markets, and specialty dining. The campus will feature abundant green space which will include playgrounds, picnic areas, community gardens, and open courtyards. The developers thought it would be fitting to dedicate a portion of the site to honor Robert F. Kennedy by reserving 10,000 square-feet of space for a memorial. A decision to approve and build a memorial will be made on the federal level and can take several years, but the space will remain secured for it. It is estimated that two to five years will be needed to complete the short-term design concept. Long-term plans include an ice rink, indoor track facility, art pavilion, skatepark, and a 350,000 squarefoot sports and recreation complex. Waterfront amenities and pedestrian bridges will connect visitors to Kingman and Heritage islands, which will feature picnic areas, a memorial tree grove, nature trails, and a walking, running, and bike trail. Once RFK Stadium is demolished, the land will be reserved for a 20,000seat arena or NFL stadium, should a team relocate to

76 H Hillrag.com

that site. If a professional franchise decides to relocate there, it will serve as the anchor of the campus. A timetable was not given on the long-term design concept. Redevelopment funding will be provided on a phased basis. Construction could provide up to 1,300 jobs, and 540 jobs would open for District residents to staff the campus. Redevelopment is expected to generate an annual tax revenue of $450 million. Both plans are flexible, and community input is encouraged. “We want to engage every community along the way to make this a citywide discussion,” said the Events DC representative. For more information on the project visit www.rfkcampusfuture.com.

Cloakroom Requests License Change A representative of the Cloakroom Gentlemen’s Club, located at 476 K St. NW, requested support for a change in the liquor license to serve alcohol until 2 a.m. during the week and 3 a.m. on the weekend for a new rooftop garden. The rooftop garden will be on top of a three-story building, and the same hours to serve alcohol currently exist in the interior of the establishment. The representative said that the addition will be 1,600 square-feet and can accommodate up to 49 people. He also noted that there will be no disc jockeys or dance floor on that portion. The rooftop will have a more laid-back lounge feeling as compared to a nightclub. Two small speakers strategically positioned will limit noise to the outside. The commissioners offered a suggestion to conduct sound tests and consult with architects on the parameters of a partial or full enclosure that would mitigate the sound. The Cloakroom provides adult entertainment, so there was some resistance from meeting attendees who live nearby. They voiced concerns over a noisy rooftop and partially clothed employees working in plain view. The representative said that employees working on the rooftop portion will be appropriately clothed, and measures to limit sound will be taken. The commissioners motioned to protest the request to ABRA but plan on working with the Cloakroom on noise mitigating measures to create a compromise for both the establishment and neighborhood.

Condo Developers Return to Ease Parking Concerns Foundry and Holladay Corporation representatives spoke at the February meeting on the subject of a

30-unit condo project at 801 N St. NW, requesting the commissioners’ support before going to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) for final approval. The development plans provided the city would require five parking spots for the building, but the commissioners said that there was already a parking problem in the area with restaurants and events, and the required amount was low for 30 units. The developers returned to the March meeting to share new parking measures with the commissioners that will ease concerns. The representatives reached out to the Quadrangle parking company, which has agreed to offer up to 10 parking spaces to the building’s tenants on a monthly basis. Any excess parking will be available at a nearby hotel building that is under construction. The commissioners motioned to communicate support for the construction concept to HPRB, contingent on the developers including a black metal fence around the building’s landscape to be consistent with the fence patterns on Eighth Street. “We look forward to supporting you at the HPRB meeting and thank you for your cooperation with us,” said Chair Alexander Padro.

Commission Supports BZA Request Kevin Bednoski of Roadside Development requested support for a planned unit development for construction of a mixed-use building before meeting with the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). The building will have 80 mixed units with 24 percent being affordable housing. There will be 3,700 square feet of retail on the first floor, 23 parking spaces, and onsite bike parking. Landscaping will be consistently maintained on the property. Bednoski said that a $25,000 donation will be made to the Kennedy Recreation Center and a $100,000 donation will be applied to a Shaw retail promotion fund. He noted that they will work with a nonprofit to program the funds. Construction could last 18 to 20 months, and jobs will be provided to neighborhood residents. The commissioners motioned to relay support for the request to BZA. ANC 6E will meet again at 6:30 p.m. on April 4 at the Shaw/Watha T. Daniel Library located at 1630 Seventh St. NW. Visit www.anc6e.org to view the newsletter; follow on Twitter @ANC6E and on Facebook by searching ANC6E. Steve Holton can be contacted at ssholton@ gmail.com. u

April 2017 H 77

“Beautiful Songs”

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

by Myles Mellor and Sally York Across:

1. Mont Blanc, e.g. 4. Boxing blow 8. It delivers a message 15. Send-off 18. Chilled 21. Popular cuisine 22. Gun, the engine 23. Adele song 25. Chomped on 26. He succeeded Churchill 27. Joker 28. Pine secretion 30. Not live 35. The way things are going 39. Latin “I” 40. Anthony’s lover 44. Byzantine image 45. Padova’s region 49. Bagels’ sidekick 50. Levels 51. Blockbuster 53. Spherical food 54. Gasteyer of “Saturday Night Live” 55. Confer 57. Nose-in-the-air type 59. Abase 62. Cellphone storage card 63. Keen perception, musically 65. Future stallions 66. Instructions 68. NFL play 72. One might go for a buck 73. Adele song 78. Furniture wood 79. Covert bomber 80. Scream 81. Good point 83. Mouse catcher 84. Time zone 87. Scrape together 91. Shot, in an Eric Clapton song 93. Complete current path 96. Canada’s neighbor 97. Sundown in Scotland 98. Neck scarf 101. Ruined 103. Patch 104. More pretentious 106. Work over 107. Archie and Jughead

109. Media company 110. Baking devices 112. Offshoot of reggae 113. Cowboy activity 116. Represented 118. Aviation acronym 122. Running bird 123. Adele song 133. Stop for A.J. Foyt 134. Swell 135. Substance used in plastics 136. Swine enclosure 137. Washington town 138. Cancel a printing correction 139. Victorian, for one

Down:

1. Summit 2. Mutual fund fee 3. Jab with a finger 4. Map feature 5. Big deal 6. “That means ___!” 7. Below a satisfactory level 8. American newcomers, a while back 9. Automated teller 10. Bit of sunshine 11. None’s opposite 12. Career to now 13. John, in the UK 14. Vivacious 15. Victoria’s Secret specialty 16. Legendary humanoid in the Himalayas 17. Tied 19. Not so fast 20. Handful 24. Put away 29. It’s so much bigger than an epoch 31. Likely 32. Western friends 33. Choice for small toiletries 34. Shift, e.g. 36. ___ out (manages) 37. Yule libation 38. Kind of test 39. Malicious 40. Decked out 41. Situated by itself 42. Final 43. Where spores are formed 46. Novel ending

Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 47. One trying to make the grade 48. Dinner for Dobbin 52. Thus 56. Tops of carrots 58. Beginner’s walk 60. Handel oratorio about a biblical woman 61. Big lug 63. Biblical suffix 64. Pub brew 67. End date 69. Food scrap 70. With wise and worldly 71. Salutation 73. Faucet insert 74. Affirmation 75. Just on the market 76. The Cowboys, on scoreboards 77. They’re all the same

81. Sailing the Pacific 82. Disastrous situations waiting to happen 85. Cottontail’s tail 86. Piano adjuster 88. Name of three English rivers 89. Manipulative sort 90. Fancy marbles 92. Animal hides 93. Give up 94. Kettles and frying pans 95. Flash of brilliance, perhaps 99. From 100. O.T. book 102. First name among U.N. secretaries-general 105. Winter lake phenomenon 108. Joyously 111. Woeful

113. Gym activities 114. Skip 115. Tax 117. ___ of State 119. Showed 120. One serving well 121. Southern stew 124. Surrealist artist Jean 125. ___-Darwinism 126. Shaggy-haired ox 127. Early musical style of Bob Marley 128. Layer 129. Funk band 130. Go (for) 131. Hatfield to a McCoy 132. Diner sandwich

Come to our Annual Carnival of Games! There will be free popcorn, game demos with the designers, prizes, and more carnival fun!

For schedule of events go to: labyrinthgameshop.com 78 H Hillrag.com

202-544-1059 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE Wash., DC 20003

{community life}

Heard on the Hill by Jen DeMayo

he Hill has a lot to offer us, its fortunate residents. We live in a charming, walkable neighborhood populated by engaged and caring community members. Our small and local retail attracts shoppers from around the city and our restaurants win stars and critical acclaim. We can find world-class entertainment every weekend, and thoughtful, meaningful discussions between neighbors pop up in the coffee shops and along the sidewalks. We even have a Whole Foods now, and a Trader Joe’s on the way. Things are pretty great all around. But … There IS one thing we don’t have. A 24-hour Korean spa. Spa World is located in a shopping center in Centreville, Va. We are not talking one of the close-in communities where people routinely refer to themselves as being “from DC.” No, Centreville is decidedly Virginia. The shopping mall is filled with Asian businesses including an outpost of the fabulous Korean barbecue chain Honey Pig. Before we go any further, I should manage expectations. The word “spa” may conjure up images of ladies in robes with cucumber slices on their eyes. While those spas are divine, the Asian-style spa, called a jjimjilbang, is a less exclusive and more family-oriented experience. At 50,00 square feet, Spa World is the largest of this type of spa in the country. Your $40 entrance fee allows you to partake of the offerings for up to 12 hours. I don’t have that kind of stamina for leisure but you might. You are given a key to a locker in a gender-segregated locker room. You are also given an outfit. I describe the outfits as a baggy yellow gym uniform made of a sturdy yet comfy cotton. Upon donning the serviceable and in-no-way-sexy outfit, all fantasies you may have may harbored of luxe Miravalesque spas are gone. However, the pleasures of Spa World are still delightful. Lots of DC folks have become devotees, including Washington Capitals star player Alex Ovechkin, whose framed jersey hangs on the wall. Perhaps that’s why I was so easily able to convince my husband to give it a try? Once freed from the tyranny of fashion, you are able to wander the space. I recommend hanging out initially in the coed spa or poultice area. This is a large room where you will find folks in the center lounging, reading, chatting, and even napping. You will often find families with children relaxing here. Ringing this area are the actual spa rooms. These are made of different materials and heated to varying temperatures. The materials are said to have certain physical benefits. Some are merely warm while others get quite toasty. The internet’s favorite room (and mine as well because I am just a simple Everywoman) is the red clay ballroom. The floor is covered with thousands of small red clay balls, which are unpleasant to walk on, but once you find a spot on the floor you can burrow your limbs and extremities under them and enjoy their sweet, cozy warmth. In a small restaurant at the far end of the large common room you can enjoy traditional Korean dishes such as soups and bibimbap. While I would

The author in her happy place, the red clay ball room at Spa World

still visit were there not yummy food, the prospect of eating delicious lunch in comfy clothes is an additional draw. Upstairs are treatment rooms for shiatsu massage and reflexology. These services are not included in the entry fee but can certainly enhance your visit. I like to finish my visit in the Bade pool area. Yes....this is the naked part. The single-gender area features a warm pool with a variety of stations with water jets at different heights and power. You can spend a long time at each station and come out feeling as if you have had a deep massage. The room also offers a sauna, steam room, and hot tub. Visitors can book a scrub session with a staff member at an additional cost. I have yet to come anywhere close to spending 12 hours at Spa World even though I technically could. Maybe if there were one closer by.

Splash! Is OPen! Get A Spa Day… for Your Car! We car owners know that there are times when the vehicle needs a good cleaning. Sure, a bucket and hose can do the job, but I like to leave this type of task to professionals. For many years our family’s car spa of choice has been Splash, located at 10 I St. in Southeast, next to the McDonals (now closed). When our kids were little we would turn this task into an outing. We would bring the kids inside the office with a giant window where they could watch the magic happen. They loved to watch the gross family car make its way through the wash and emerge transformed. They then would fight about whose turn it was to

April 2017 H 79

{community life}

in that area of the Hill (now named Capitol Riverfront) has had an unfortunate effect on the 21-year-old institution. Owner Tim Temple ran into a neighbor at Garfield Park one day and she wanted to know what he was doing with the money. He was confused, but it seemed that she had assumed that he had sold the property to a developer and closed Splash. He realized this was probably a contributing factor to a decline in business. Temple assumed that the demolition of the Open for business. Beloved car wash Splash remains open while the neighborhood changes McDonalds made peoall around it. ple think that he too was closed. But he had a huge sign, couldn’t people see he was still open? He decided a new sign was in order. Apparently in his research he learned that women tend not to look above 13 feet. He asked a police department trainer about this and it was confirmed that female recruits are given special training to look up. I had never heard of such a thing. I am going to assume we evolved this way because females were gatherers and having to care for small children who tend to be low to the ground. Temple’s new LED sign is 13 feet Tim Temple, owner of Splash! car wash. tall, high enough for everyone to see. With a new sign and put the tip in the tip box, because of some media buzz, Temple course they did. is ready for spring, though his reason for Everyone loves it. And yet … anticipatory joy may differ from yours. The dramatic redevelopment “Pollen is good for business.” he said.

80 H Hillrag.com

CHAW Co-Directors On A Mission It was recently announced that longtime Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) Executive Director Jill Strahan would be retiring, and that taking her place would be a team of two co-executive directors. The new leaders are both longtime staffers, Hannah Jacobson Blumenfeld and Amy Moore. Moore has been working with CHAW’s programming and BluAmy Moore the new co-executive menfeld has been working with director of CHAW. Photography by Souqfly development and marketing, so the two have their individual spheres of expertise. They feel like they are still both doing a lot of hands-on work, but with broader vision. The board of the 45-year-old institution had advance warning that Strahan would be leaving and it took that opportunity to assess the structure of the organization. A nonprofit consulting group, Compass, was brought in and one of the recommendations was the idea of Hannah Jacobson Blumenfeld the new co-leadership. While not comco-executive director of CHAW. Photogmon, there have been other sucraphy by Souqfly cessful arts organizations in DC with shared leadership. many things CHAW did but I was A change in leadership can ofunderinformed. For a small buildten mean dramatic changes for an ing there is a lot going on. In adorganization, but the co-directors dition to the classes, camps, perplan on continuing to broaden and formances, and exhibits, CHAW strengthen CHAW’s community ties partners with the Homeless Chilboth inside and outside of the builddren’s Playtime Project at DC Gening. They spoke about the sense of eral. It has done murals and a phocalm, continuity, and order withtography project over there. It has in the organization. Their replacebrought kids to CHAW for DCPS ments are teaching artists who were day-off camps and conducted arts already on staff, which has made the trainings for staff and volunteers. transition much less stressful than it A large part of what happens at might have been otherwise. “They CHAW is the idea that anyone can are artists who love spreadsheets!” be an artist. Someone who takes a Blumenfeld remarked. “We don’t drawing class is an artist, though it have to be a dysfunctional nonprofmay take a while for them to believe it.” Moore chimed in, “This is not a it. Recently a pottery student, one of culture of chaos on any level.” a group that takes handmade mugs I thought I knew all of the over to the Ugly Mug after class, re-

alized that she was not simply a student but a potter herself. The realization and shift in how she thought of herself was powerful, and she attributed that to the warm and encouraging environment of CHAW. Blumenfeld and Moore are committed and passionate about the mission of CHAW and its place in the community. While the current political climate has terrified many in the arts world, the folks at CHAW have been steadily building community and connection through the arts, and they are ready to be a part of that fight with many stories about how art changes lives. Want to be a part of that change? CHAW is having a party on April 1 to celebrate Jill Strahan’s retirement and will be raising money for new chairs for the blackbox theatre. To get involved with the future of CHAW, get in touch: hjacobson@ chaw.org. Jen DeMayo has been a waitress, an actor, and a puppeteer. She worked for many years for the Atlas Performing Arts Center, which has resulted in her being a relentless H Street booster/streetcar apologist. Originally from the New York-New Jersey area, she is one of the many who whine endlessly about DC’s lack of good bagels and pizza. She is the mom to two boys who attend DC Public Schools (off the Hill). No matter what she may end up accomplishing in her life, she is sure that her obituary headline will say she was the founder of Moms on the Hill. Contact Jen at jendemayo@gmail.com. u

Volunteering on the Hill

‘Volunteer Capitol Hill 2017’ – on April 29

by Quentin Wodon

he Hill Center is a major contributor to Capitol Hill’s vibrancy. Whether you are looking for art expositions, occasional concerts, interesting speakers, or a range of classes and opportunities to learn, there is a good chance that the Hill Center has something for you. The building is beautiful, with 14-foot ceilings in many rooms and a great feeling all around. If you are hungry you can pay a visit to the Bayou Bakery, right on the premises in the adjacent small garden. I can sing the virtues of the Hill Center from experience. Just last month my Rotary club organized two training events for local nonprofits. The first was on monitoring, evaluation, and cost benefit in the morning. Hundreds of Capitol Hill residents connect with organizations that serve their neighborhood and their city each year at Volunteer Capitol Hill. Photo Monica Servaites The second in the afternoon was on communications, from websites to PowerPoint preHill Center. The organizers promise that it will be festive, with sentations. We had the CEO of Grameen food and entertainment! If you want to meet great nonprofits Foundation as keynote speaker for lunch. The event had great and find the right volunteer opportunity in Capitol Hill, this is speakers and it was a success. But the Hill Center’s location prothe event not to miss. vided an additional boost. One of the training participants who As this is a column on volunteer opportunities, let me also was wandering around during a coffee break told me that she mention that the Hill Center itself is looking for volunteers. On had always wanted to visit the Hill Center. She was thrilled by its website the center mentions opportunities to help at the rethe building and the art exposition in the gallery near the Linception desk or to serve as docent. Docents conduct tours of the coln Room (the center has six exhibition spaces). Old Naval Hospital building – the building that now houses the Now there is another great opportunity for you to visit the Hill Center – as well as the grounds and the carriage house. Hill Hill Center if you haven’t done so yet: the annual Capitol Hill Center docents are trained in the history of the place as well as volunteer fair. The fair was first held in 2013 by the Old Nathe goals of the center. Other volunteer opportunities include val Hospital Foundation to celebrate Nicky and Steve Cymserving as a community event assistant or gardening aide. The rot’s contributions to the Capitol Hill community. Last year center has a “street team” that hangs up posters and drops off some 40 nonprofits participated in the fair and 400 communipromotional materials for its events throughout Capitol Hill and ty members attended. DC. The center can also benefit from other administrative supMost of the nonprofits that I have featured in this series of port from volunteers. articles for Hill Rag on volunteering in the Hill will attend, as I hope to see you at the Hill Center on April 29. Nobody well as many others. It would probably be hard for you not to will object if you wander around to look at the art! find at least one nonprofit in the fair that works on an issue that you are passionate about. The event benefits from financial support from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, National Capital Bank, Pettie-Tubbs-Edwards Team at Coldwell Banker, and Riverby Books. Please mark your calendar: Volunteer Capitol Hill 2017 will be held on Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the

Quentin Wodon is president of the Rotary Club of Capitol Hill, which now meets (as of April) every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 a.m. at Thompson Markward Hall located at 235 Second St. NE. To contact Quentin or to learn more about the Rotary Club of Capitol Hill please send him an email through the Contact Me page of his blog at www.rotarianeconomist.com. u

April 2017 H 81

{community life}

Remembering Bill A Capitol Hill Life: 1961-2017 by Jacqueline Dupree

he news seems to be well known at this point, but I will still note here officially that Bill Walsh, known colloquially in these parts as Mr. JDLand, died on March 15 of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a rotten cancer of the bile ducts and liver made more rotten by the frequency with which it isn’t found until it has spread. I won’t run down his full biography here, except to say that he spent 20 years at The Washington Post and was known throughout the language biz as the rock star of copy editors. I used Facebook for a more personal, grief-soaked farewell that gave a hint of the heartbreak I am now facing and have lived with for the past nine months, knowing that it was highly unlikely this cancer was going to be beat. I wanted to ruminate for a moment or two about the part Bill played in JDLand, and not just as the chauffeur on that fateful day in January 2003 when I took the photos that really started this adventure. When Bill moved to this area from Phoenix in 1989, he lived in Alexandria at first, but with a commute to the Washington Times building on New York Avenue NE he was soon drawn to Capi-

With wife Jacqueline Dupree, June 1995. Photo: Jacqueline Dupree

82 H Hillrag.com

tol Hill, and found a place not far from Eastern Market. The Hill of the 1990s, of course, had a very different feel than today, as did the entire city, but he fell in love with the walkability and even the slight edginess of the time. I was born on the Hill, but my family left the area when I was a Bill Walsh on the last day of the old Washington Post newsroom, December toddler, and when we 2015. Photo: Jacqueline Dupree returned we settled in And we loved watching it change, as it really Chevy Chase. While I began to in the early 2000s. Somewhere on Bill’s considered myself a Washington-area native, I was hard drive is a running list, going back to well beensconced in the world of upper Northwest, Bethesfore we arrived, of which businesses occupied da, and points west. Sure, I had spent more than which addresses on Pennsylvania Avenue and on my fair share of time at the original 9:30 Club on Barracks Row. He loved telling people about how F Street, drank yards of beer at the old Tiber Creek Eighth Street had transformed from “our little slice Pub (where Bistro Bis now resides), served two sumof Queens” to the restaurant row it is today. mers as a Hill intern, worked at a couple of jobs Then I extended the boundaries of our interest near 16th and K, and wasn’t a-feared of going downwhen I started hearing about plans to transform the town in the late 1980s and early 1990s as many of blocks south of the freeway, an area we rarely venmy cohorts were, but it still just really wasn’t part tured into. We would sometimes jokingly sub-referof my orbit. ence “Bonfire of the Vanities” when telling people Until in April 1993, when I met a guy living how to get back to the freeway and safety: Don’t go on Capitol Hill. under the overpass! By 1995 we had bought our house on the south When I am asked to tell the story of how I beside of the Hill, much to the chagrin of friends who gan to follow the neighborhood, I almost always thought we were crazy to buy in such an unsafe mention how Bill and I used to stand on Third place, a feeling that intensified for many who came Street and look southward under the freeway to to our house-warming party via the Sixth Street exit catch a glimpse of the Anacostia River, and how we off the freeway. They were not happy to be greeted used to say to each other, “Wouldn’t it be great if by the boarded-up shells of the old Ellen Wilson someday we could walk down there from here and Dwellings and the only slightly less forbidding, notthen along the river?” (which was usually followed yet-boarded up Capper apartment buildings. by loud ironic guffaws). Then I was off on my one But we loved it. We loved walking the neighgreat hobby, watching Near Capitol Ballpark River borhood for hours. We loved Eastern Market. We Yards grow from nothing to what it is today. loved walking to the Hawk ‘n’ Dove or the Tune Through all of this, the rest of DC was changInn or La Lomida Dos. We loved going to open ing too, and we became even more intensely in love houses just to look. We loved the House and Garwith our city and what it offered. We ate at as many den Tour. We loved being 10 minutes from Nationof the city’s restaurants as we could. Bill began bikal Airport. We loved seeing the Capitol just as part ing to and from work at the Post. We would walk of the neighborhood landscape.

I received bulletins all along the way of whatever he saw that was new. We just loved living here. Every minute of it. A few weeks ago, I felt he was stable enough to allow me a little time to take some ‘hood pics for the first time in a few months. It was a beautiful day, I was doing what I have loved doing for more than a decade now, and was on autopilot – until I looked at the large, asyet-unleased corner retail space in one of the new buildings. I couldn’t breathe, because I knew it would be a restaurant, In full biking gear on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, and would be a restaurant that he would November 2011. Photo: Jacqueline Dupree never know about. That we would never eat at. to Caps games at the Verizon Center and then When my brother brought me home to home. We Bikeshared. We Car to Go’ed. We the Hill after leaving the hospice center for the Ubered. We waited for the Anacostia Riverwalk final time (I can’t even believe Bill died in ArTrail to be extended. We went to Nats games on lington and not DC), we came across the 14th a whim. We rode the H Street streetcar on the Street Bridge. I caught sight of The Wharf confirst day. We reveled in referring to ourselves destruction and burst into tears. risively as urban hipsters. We may not have been activists, or preserMuch of our daily messaging commentary vationists, or even particularly involved in the to each other was news of what we had seen and culture of the Hill and surroundings, but our heard. Did you hear Hank’s is opening on the neighborhood(s) infused every part of our days. Hill? The weird florist at Eighth and E is gone! These streets and buildings and businesses and Matchbox is almost open! Wait, let me guess, history united us as much as our life at the Post, you want to go to Morini again. our love of travel, our cats, and our expert-level In 2015, when Bill began a walking regime pop-culture referencing. to combat a bit of fatigue that was probably a Now I just have to figure out how on earth missed early sign of his cancer, his route covered to watch it all alone. all the bases, down Eighth Street to the freeway, However, having moved through the afterback up to Pennsylvania Avenue, down New math of my mother’s heartbreaking death three Jersey under the freeway, over to First Street, years ago, I do know that time heals, and what down to the ballpark, along the river, and home. feel like machete strikes to my chest today will eventually be wistful pangs. There will come a time when roaming the streets will not smack me with what he is missing but remind me of everything we shared and enjoyed so very much.

At the Yards Park, September 2010. Photo: Jacqueline Dupree

Jacqueline Dupree is the publisher, writer, editor, photographer, and webmaster behind JDLand. com, which has tracked the redevelopment of the neighborhood near the Washington Navy Yard since 2003. She has lived on the Hill since 1994. u

JOHNSON LAW GROUP Wills, Estates and Trusts Business Law and Government Contracting Property and Housing Disputes General Civil Litigation 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue SE • Washington DC 20003 202.544.1515 • www.jlgi.com

Thomas Jenkins & Company Certified Public Accountants Corporation, Partnership, Trust, Individual Income Tax & Financial Planning

202-547-9004

316 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Suite 402 Washington, DC 20003 www.tjcocpa.com April 2017 H 83

{community life}

Winners of 2017 Capitol Hill Community Achievement Awards

ne sign of spring on Capitol Hill is the gala dinner at the Folger Shakespeare Library that each year brings together several hundred people to honor neighbors for their particular contributions to the community. A fundraiser for the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, the dinner celebrates the many and varied ways that individuals enhance and support our neighborhood. This year’s honorees are Geoff Lewis, Steve and Mary Park, and Scott Kratz.

Geoff Lewis In 2005 Geoff Lewis’s attention was caught by an article in the AARP magazine about Beacon Hill Village, an organization designed to help people in a

by Stephanie Deutsch Boston neighborhood stay in their homes and familiar settings as they aged. Having seen his mother live in four different assisted living arrangements, “all of which she hated,” Lewis was immediately interested. Although he is quick to credit the many others who helped get the organization off the ground, it is thanks in large part to Geoff Lewis’s energy and determination that Capitol Hill Village is today an important part of our neighborhood with, as he says, “4 ½ full time employees,” a significant endowment fund, 500 members and more than 200 volunteers who give and receive hundreds of hours of volunteer time, driving Village members to medical appointments, doing office work, planning social activities, and making small home repairs. Geoff spent most of his childhood in the DC

Capitol Achievement Award 2017 honorees are Scott Kratz, Geoff Lewis, Sand Mary and Steve Park.

84 H Hillrag.com

area, living in Alexandria and attending Sidwell Friends School in 7th, 8th and 9th grades. Because his father was in the Foreign Service he went to boarding school in Massachusetts and spent summers and vacations “getting to see other cultures” while visiting his parents in Pakistan, Jordan, Paris and Africa. After majoring in political science at Hobart College in New York State, Geoff returned to Washington and earned a Master’s Degree in public Administration from American University. He landed a job with the national office of the brand new Head Start program, part of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. That’s where he met his wife, Terry. They married in 1970 and moved to Capitol Hill. As with many families, their chil-

2017 FA GON GUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL

Home Delive t o Yo u r D o o r e d rstep L at e A p r i l

An Insiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s G

uide to Life on

2 0 1 7 G UIDE TO CAPITO L HILL

Capital Community News, Inc. Publishers of:

MIDCITY

the Hill!

F A G O N

GUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

April 2017 H 85

{community life}

dren (two daughters, Rebecca and Jennifer) provided the entrée to volunteerism – with Terry he served as president of the babysitting coop and on the boards of Wee Care, Capitol Hill Day School and CHAMPS. By the time he retired in 1997, Geoff had spent thirty years in the federal government, much of his time in programs at EPA promoting clean water and secure hazardous waste disposal. In retirement Geoff became the first resident member of CHAMPS, volunteered at the Church of the Brethren Soup Kitchen, and worked for Sharon Ambrose’s campaigns for City Council. Recognizing that he was getting older and did not want to leave Capitol Hill, founding Capitol Hill Village was the logical next step. Friends and acquaintances, built up over decades of life here, were more than ready to talk about the idea on street corners and then to donate money, time and creativity to making it a reality. “We took the Boston template,” Geoff says, “slapped it on Capitol Hill – with some relevant modifications -- and it was a perfect place for it. It just made sense.” Of course there are still challenges, he says, but the basic concept is working and of that he is proud. “It’s the perfect example,” he says, “of neighbors helping neighbors.”

Mary and Steve Park Mary and Steve Park are neighbors who help neighbors though in a quite different context from Capitol Hill Village. Since 1995 Little Lights Urban Ministries, founded by Steve and which they run together, has been offering what they describe as “sanctuaries of encouragement, hope and practical assistance to at-risk children, youth and families in Southeast Washington.” At Potomac Gardens and Hopkins Public Housing, Little Lights offers after-school tutoring in math and reading, mentorship, summer programs, and the ongoing friendship of their steady presence in the communities there. Both Steve and Mary first came to this country as children, immigrants from Korea. Mary was 6 years old, excited to find a new home in an apartment in Westchester, New York where there were a “freezer full of chocolate bars and Tom & Jerry cartoons on TV.” It was the apartment’s landlord who chose new – American – names for Mary and her four siblings, and a teacher who offered the encouragement of smiles and patience

86 H Hillrag.com

when, on the first day of school, she didn’t know enough English to ask where the bathroom was. She quickly mastered the language and attended college at Binghamton University, where she majored in psychology, and Teachers’ College at Columbia University where she got a degree in counseling. Having moved to Maryland to live near one of her sisters, Mary was looking for a job in counseling when she met Steve and he told her about Little Lights. She thought she would do a little volunteering while waiting for a job but quickly discovered that she loved working with children. Even after she found a job as a counselor at the University of Maryland, her heart was less in her work than in “just doing random things with Little Lights.” Steve had come to the U.S at age 7, arriving in Houston with his parents and two older sisters. He got to choose his American name himself – and selected the name of the hero of the TV series the Six Million Dollar Man, Steve Austin. School was not difficult for Steve but the atmosphere in Houston was not always friendly to Asians. His parents worked extremely long hours -- “Korean immigrants selling tacos to Mexican Americans,” as he describes it. He was a “latchkey kid” with little sense of community. When his family moved to the suburbs of Washington, DC Steve attended middle and high school in Rockville where he enjoyed the more diverse and accepting community. Back in Washington after college at Boston University, where he majored in English literature, Steve experienced a spiritual crisis, feeling himself bereft of moorings and increasingly unhappy. A combination of therapy, the simple but profound lessons of the best-selling book The Road Less Travelled (“Life is difficult…..”) and the tenderness and devotion of one of his sisters propelled him towards a deeper understanding of love and a compassionate view of the world. When he started helping out at the Tae Kwan Do studio his parents had started he “fell in love with kids.” When he met an 8th grade boy who “could not read a Dr. Seuss book” he sensed the direction he wanted to go in. By the time Steve and Mary married in 2001 Little Lights was up and running, operating out of a townhouse at 7th and I streets Southeast they had renovated and named the Hope Center. Two school buses from Potomac Gardens brought guests to their wedding at the Global Mission

church in Silver Spring. “We kept it simple,” Mary says but admits there were about 500 people there. The children from Little Lights sang a rousing rendition of “I Could Sing of Your Love forever.” Since then Little Lights has continued to thrive, recruiting hundreds of volunteers and a strong board, receiving grants from the Department of Human Services and the D.C. Trust and securing interns through AmeriCorps – Vista. Steve and Mary have moved into their own home in Anacostia and have two children, Kayla and Dylan, now students at Washington Latin School. And they have seen young people they first tutored as six year olds at Potomac Gardens turn into helpers as Little Lights has expanded its reach into two different sites at Hopkins public housing and introduced new programs like the Clean Green Team, a garden maintenance company (originally started by Faith Works), and a discussion group on “race literacy” for volunteers and members of the community. Both Steve and Mary have the security of knowing that, as they both say, “This is what I am going to do for life.” Mary adds that “those of us who have need to protect those who don’t.” But they look at what they do less as helping others than as building relationships. As Steve sees it, “Little Lights can be a bridge connecting young professionals to the people in public housing. We like being in that bridge building place.”

Scott Kratz Scott Kratz is also in the business of bridge building but in his case it is a physical – as well as a psychological -- bridge. As Executive Director of the 11th Street Bridge Park project he spends his time advocating for the public park, meeting and entertainment space that is quickly replacing the old spans of the original highway across the Anacostia River. He sees the Bridge Park, a project of the Ward 8 based non-profit “Building Bridges Across the River,” as a vital connection between the neighborhoods and communities on each bank. Though often compared to the immensely popular High Line, the public walkway created on the tracks of the old elevated train tracks on New York’s lower West side, the 11th Street Bridge Park will be, according to Scott, something quite different. Like the High Line, it will be a public space where people can enjoy the outdoors but Scott sees that as just part of the story. The focus of his work

raising money for and awareness of the project has been specifically on the park’s possibility to create connections between people in different parts of the city and to encourage engagement with the river itself. If he were to encapsulate what the Bridge Park means, he would draw a picture of last April’s second annual Anacostia River Festival when 8,000 people turned out to paddle on the river in kayaks and canoes, jam with a “Go-Go Symphony,” listen to the Navy Band and dance on the river’s banks.. Scott Kratz is originally from Berkeley, a fourth generation Californian who moved east when he was in the second grade and his father got a job at IBM in New York. At the Daycroft School, where his mom was an admissions officer, he boarded during the week and went home on weekends. He was president of the student body, ran cross country, played goalie on the soccer team and was in lots of plays. He had wonderful teachers who ignited in him a “love and passion for history.” At Pomona College in southern California he majored in history, writing a thesis on the role of the media in the overthrow of President Arbenz of Guatemala in 1958. After what he describes as a “horrible stint working in real estate,” Scott found his way to the world of museums where he worked for twenty years. First at a Children’s Museum then at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, both in Southern California and, finally, at the Building Museum here in Washington, he learned the wide range of skills that inform his work on the Bridge Project -- overseeing staff, fundraising and, his particular favorite, education. At each place part of the task was to ask “What is the story we have to tell?” and “Who is this for?” In 2006 Scott and his wife, Lisa Mascaro, a journalist who covers Congress for the L.A. Times, moved

to D.C. and to Capitol Hill where both felt a great sense of neighborhood and of intimacy after the vastness of Los Angeles. In connection with his work at the Building Museum, Scott met the director of the D.C. Office of Planning, Harriet Tregoning, and asked her what he thought was an innocent question about construction in the neighborhood. “What’s happening on the 11th Street bridges?” Hearing her idea to transform the old freeway into a park over the river, he was hooked. For two years he worked as a volunteer, meeting with “any group that would have me on the agenda” to tell them about the Bridge Park concept. In over 200 such meetings he found some “apprehension” east of the river that the park might mean gentrification and a loss of the sense of the community as theirs. Scott quickly became convinced that “the only way this would work would be if it served the communities on both sides of the river.” With a significant commitment of financial support from the DC government, a grant from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a generous donation from local philanthropists Lynne and Joe Horning, and other major grants pending, with a design in place by OMA and Olin Studio, architecture firms based in the Netherlands and in Philadelphia and the permitting process begun, Scott’s enthusiasm is high. Of course there is still a lot to do including an Equitable Development Plan that will ensure that local residents who live near the future Bridge Park can stay and thrive in place. But he is eager to do it. He fully expects to be here to see the Anacostia River fishable and swimmable (or at least a lot cleaner than it is now) and the 11th Street Bridge Park a lively, inviting place for people from all over the city to mix and mingle. D.C., he says, is now “home.” u

April 2017 H 87

{community life}

t’s not just the plants in your garden that are popping up their heads this time of year. New businesses are sprouting along the H Street NE corridor, and two classics recently staged returns.

A Trip Off the Beaten Path Leads to a Japanese Treat Even if you find yourself out in the H Street NE corridor on a regular basis, there’s a good chance you might not yet have discovered the joys of Conbini Cafe (https://twitter.com/uzu9dc). It’s easy to miss the new cafe, which offers Japanese comfort food. To find it you must venture the couple of blocks over to Florida Avenue NE and step inside Shop-

The vegetable okonomiyaki, a savory pancake served at Conbini Cafe.

keepers (1231 Florida Ave. NE, www.shopkeepersgallery.com). Shopkeepers is a lifestyle boutique that sells clothing, ceramics, journals, and assorted other stock. In a rear corner you’ll find Conbini, which is a Japanese term for a convenience store. There’s a single long table and a counter for seating. The menu is simple but can vary a bit by the day. When I stopped by on a recent Saturday the list included oyakodon (chicken, eggs, onions, dashi, soy sauce, and benishoga over white rice, $11), a vegan Japanese curry over rice to which you can add pork bel-

88 H Hillrag.com

H Street Life

aration for the opening, the exterior of the building got an eye-catching paint job that will make it hard to miss. The by Elise Bernard inside is well-lit and brightly colored as well, with a bookshelf cut in the shape of a tree adorning one wall. ly, chicken, extra veggies, or cheese ($10), and three The juices and smoothies ($6.25 for the varieties of okonomiyaki ($11-14), a savory pancake 16-ounce size) make a refreshing treat, and many topped artfully with sauces. boast fun and memorable names like the Green The fridge is stocked with containers of fresh Latifah (a juice blend with apples, ginger, and fentofu, kimchi, and pickled ginger. Bags of mochi, nel) and the Happy Hemp (a smoothie with manudon noodles, and flavored Kit Kat bars and boxgoes, pineapple juice, spirulina, hemp protein, and es of Pocky line other shelves. You can even pick spinach). Two other customers were enjoying their up scallions, daikon radish, nagaimo (a white yam), wheatgrass shots ($2) when I visited. and lemongrass. Turning Natural offers a salad bar every day Shopkeepers and Conbini are open Wednesfrom 11:30 a.m. until about an hour before closdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Chef ing time. Grab one of the ready-to-go items, including the proteinpacked chi ckpea salads ($5). The spinach and veggie patties ($2) are portable and popular. Opt for the black bean burger ($6.85) when you’ve built up a more substantial hunger. The waffles ($5.50) come topped with fresh fruit and maple syrup (plus a sprinkle of powdered sugar if you like). There are plenty of dessert offerings, many vegan, to Grab a counter seat appease your sweet at Conbini Cafe if you tooth. Turning Natuwant to watch chef Hiro Mitsui in action. ral also offers multiday juice and smoothie clean packages. LimHiro Mitsui has been opening up earlier some reited indoor seating is available. The shop is open cent weekends to offer breakfast, and Conbini hosts 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 the occasional evening event that calls for extenda.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. ed hours.

Turning Natural Keeps It Fresh Do the rising temperature and sunny days have you craving something fruity and refreshing? Stop by the recently opened Turning Natural (1380 H St. NE, www.turningnatural.com), a new juice bar that also sells health food and vegan items. This is the third outpost for owner and founder Jerri Evans. In prep-

Taylor Gourmet Reopens Original H Street NE Location For months, the Taylor Gourmet (http://taylorgourmet.com) at 1116 H St. NE languished. With the shop having closed for renovations in mid-2016, neighbors had begun to question whether the location would ever reopen. But

Each spring Chupacabra awakens from its winter slumber to serve up delicious tacos.

in late March the original home of Taylor Gourmet welcomed customers again. The Taylor team also announced that Jacob Hunter of Dirty South Deli has joined as their new culinary director. Look for him to bring fresh energy to the menu while leaving the favorites untouched. The spring menu hadn’t been released at press time, but I’m told it features Taylor Gourmet’s first hoagie built around roast lamb.

Chupacabra Comes Out of Hibernation With winter now behind us, Chupacabra Latin Kitchen & Taqueria (822 H St. NE, www.chupacabradc.com) has opened its doors for the warmer months. Chupacabra wins raves for the tacos, which include the classics as well as temptations like the Borrego del Fuego (tender leg of lamb made fiery with habanero and spices) and the vegan Primavera (filled with squash, eggplant, and chipotle black beans),

priced at $3.43 each. But the tacos aren’t their only game. Order up a Cubano ($7.50), a chicken tortilla soup ($5.50), or a burrito filled with ropa vieja (shredded beef, peppers, onions, sofrito, and plantains, $8). The Pan con Huevos Rumberos (scrambled egg, avocado, pico de gallo, and cheese on a nine-inch loaf, $7.50) might be the perfect breakfast sandwich, but you can order it anytime. The covered patio is open, and Chupacabra’s fired up the outdoor heaters to chase away the chills. For now the hours are 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday through Sunday, but starting in mid-April there will be longer hours, and seven days a week. Brunch will return with the full operating hours. For more on what’s abuzz on and around H Street NE you can visit my blog at http://frozentropics.blogspot. com. You can send me tips or questions at elise.bernard@gmail.com. u

April 2017 H 89

{community life}

The Capitol Riverfront’s Great Outdoors Signal that Spring Has Sprung

he Capitol Riverfront is such an exciting environment to explore, connect with, and thrive in year-round. While the winter months keep residents, employees, and visitors cozily indoors at a variety of bars and restaurants in the neighborhood, the warmer weather beckons them outside to enjoy all that this area’s outdoors have to offer. With the open space and water features of Canal Park and Yards Park, river recreation, Nationals baseball, outdoor concerts, daily

CBS Radio Nats Opening Day. Photo:

fitness classes, outdoor movies, farmers’ markets, and a variety of festivals, there is literally something happening every day.

Opening Day The Nationals celebrate opening day on Monday, April 3, but the growth of the Capitol Riverfront is so explosive that the neighborhood holds an “opening day” of new dining and living options every month. Dining opportunities are abundant at 36 restaurants, with another 16 food and beverage options scheduled to open in 2017 including Dacha beer garden, All-Purpose Pizzeria, and District Winery – DC’s first urban winery. In addition the neighborhood anticipates the openings of popular goods and services retailers like 18 | 8 Men’s Salon, Orangetheory Fitness, and Whole Foods. For

90 H Hillrag.com

by Bonnie Wright a full list of 2017 retail openings visit www.capitiolriverfront.org/retail.

Cherry Blossoms The Capitol Riverfront neighborhood will host one of the most iconic events of Cherry Blossom Season, the 57th Annual Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival. Sakura Matsuri will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at M Street and New Jersey Avenue SE. Produced by the Japan-America Society, Sakura Matsuri is the largest one-day celebration of Japanese FreshFarm Capitol Riverfront Farmers Market. culture in the United States. Performers and vendors arrive from all over the counlearn about the Anacostia River’s history and wildtry and the world to share their love of Japalife, the environmental threats it faces, and the sonese culture with over 20,000 festival attendlutions helping it realize its full potential. ees through art, cuisine, and performances. The free guided tours launch from a variety of locations along the Anacostia River, so email Anacostia Riverkeeper to set up a date and time at Farmers’ Market info@anacostiariverkeeper.org. Outdoor activities continue with the Freshfarm Capitol Riverfront Farmers’ Market beginning May 7. New this year, the FreshConcerts farm Capitol Riverfront Market will feaThe Capitol Riverfront Outdoor Concert Series, ture locally sourced fruits and vegetables, everyone’s favorite Friday night activity, begins on meat, cheese, bread, beer, and coffee, at the May 26 at Yards Park. Each Friday night through southern block of Canal Park. Freshfarm is Sept. 1, popular performers will bring the best of a nonprofit that promotes sustainable agpop, R&B, country, reggae, and more to the Yards riculture by operating producer-only markets that provide vital economic opportunities to local farmers and food producers. The market will operate Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the fall.

Play and Explore Paddle and play along the Anacostia River when Ballpark Boathouse opens to the public on May 13. Hop into a kayak or canoe to enjoy a paddle past the historic Washington Navy Yard, and check out other sites in the neighborhood, or even watch a Friday concert at Yards Park right from the water. For another relaxing way to hit the waves, join Anacostia River Explorers for a guided pontoon boat tour to

DC JazzFest 2016

Park boardwalk. Here’s the lineup: May 26: July 21: June 2: July 28: June 9: Aug. 4: June 16: Aug. 11: June 23: Aug. 18: June 30: Aug. 25: July 7: Sept. 1: July 14: Sept. 8:

Jimi Smooth & HitTime Bachelor Boys Band Morrison Brothers Covered with Jam Jeff from Accounting Party Like Its DC Jazz Fest Sam Grow Moose Jaw Pebble to Pearl Jah Works 19th Street Band The Reagan Years Burnt Sienna Justin Trawick Rain Date

One Wednesday a month, join your Capitol Riverfront neighbors for the Rockin’ the Block Concert Series. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. the middleblock pavilion of Canal Park will feature great bands, food and beverages from neighborhood restaurants, lawn games, and more. Rockin’ the Block begins on May 31!

Keeping Fit Get active in the fresh air as Fitness in the Front returns with free outdoor fitness classes in both Capitol Riverfront parks on Monday, May 30. Free classes are available every weekday for all interests and levels with instructors from VIDA, Orangetheory Fitness, and Balance Gym.

Movies The Outdoor Movie Series, voted Best Movie Series by Washingtonian Magazine, will run every Thursday night in the northern block of Canal Park, located at Second Street and I Street SE, beginning on June 1. Each movie in this year’s lineup, selected and inspired by public demand, will begin at sundown. The business improvement district (BID) invites moviegoers to arrive at Canal Park as early as 7:00 p.m., bring a picnic, and enjoy

the show. Here is the list of movies to enjoy this summer. June 1: July 13: June 8: July 20: June 15: July 27: June 22: Aug. 3: June 29: Aug. 10: July 6: Aug. 17:

Ghostbusters (2016) Moana Me Before You Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Sister Act Arrival Doctor Strange La La Land Secret Life of Pets Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them Grease Beauty & the Beast

Outdoor Events Among the many outdoor events and festivals in the neighborhood this summer – like favorites DC Jazz Fest, Tour de Fat, and Snallygaster – one that stands out is the biggest open house in DC, the Capitol Riverfront Rooftop Hop. On Saturday, June 3, head to the neighborhood to check out apartment buildings in DC’s fastest growing neighborhood while tasting complementary bites and beverages from local restaurants. At the end of your residential building tour, head to Canal Park for live music, food, and beverages. More details to be announced at www. capitolriverfront.org/events. Altogether, the great outdoors welcome 81 Nationals games, 20 outdoor concerts, 12 outdoor movies, over 125 free fitness classes, 20 weekly farmers’ markets, daily river recreation, and a variety of outdoor festivals. Now that a sneak peek has been delivered, all that’s left is to join the fun and experience this genuine community that is the Capitol Riverfront. For more information on Capitol Riverfront developments and events visit www.CapitolRiverfront.org. Bonnie Wright is marketing and communications manager of the Capitol Riverfront BID. u

photo: Andrew Lightman

Support The Renovation of Potomac Gardens and Hopkins Housing Developments ICP Partners INC, a non-profit organization that focuses on providing affordable assets in urban and emerging markets through the applications of real estate and infrastructure development assets such as Potomac Gardens and Hopkins, Carthagerea, petitioners at 1229 G Street SE, Capitol Hill residents, and various other Americans are creating and advancing the attached 300,000 plus petition at Change.org. Please join our efforts by signing the petition for reforming affordable housing in Washington, DC, etc, specifically at Potomac Gardens and Hopkins.

“Life begins with Loving Nature and Mankind”.

April 2017 H 91

COLDWELL BANKER

RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE Your Strong Local Brokerage With Deep National & International Roots

318 7th Street NE Romanticly renovated stable/carriage home dating pre1897. Architect/builder/owner renovation ft in Hill Rag and Renovators HT. Home boasts 3bd/3ba, 2nd lot for prkg pad, custom lighting and garden, stone entry, European exterior, radiant concrete flooring and heat, Central AC, original beaming and wide plank flooring. Incredible attn to restorative details in every room. One of a kind! Must See!

Olivia Merlino (202) 491-4103

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Capitol Hill Office 605 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003 202.547.3525 I N F O R M AT I O N D E E M E D R E L I A B L E B U T N O T G UA R A N T E E D

92 H Hillrag.com

{real estate}

Harbour Square A Modernist Jewel of Southwest DC Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

arbour Square, named to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites in 2013 and included in the National Register of Historic Places, recently held a two-month-long celebration of its 50th anniversary. The complex has been home to a number of famous Washington residents, most notably Senator and later Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who lived there from 1966 until his death in 1978. His apartment was the site of numerous political meetings and media events, and the Humphreys attended community events in the Harbour Square club room. Supreme Court Justices Lewis M. Powell and David Souter also made Harbour Square their home, as did numerous senators and representatives – and some still do. The text and photos for this article are taken largely from the landmark nomination document prepared by Peter Sefton, an architectural historian who specializes in Washington’s historic resources.

The Redevelopment of Southwest DC Harbour Square was built as part of an effort to revitalize the city. By the 1950s there were essentially two Washingtons, the richer Northwest and the rest of the city. Southwest DC had functional neighborhoods with good building stock, but it also had the highest concentration of “slumlike” housing

by Donna Hanousek

ABOVE: Wheat Row (1794) and midcentury townhouses combined with midcentury midrise and highrise apartments make Harbour Square a unique complex. Photo: Peter Sefton. LEFT: Harbour Square includes gardens on several levels and features a one-acre sculptural water garden. Photo: Peter Sefton.

in the city. Federal officials, who then as now had much control over the city, decided to fix the problem through massive demolition and rebuilding from scratch – also known as urban renewal. Harbour Square was designed by Chloethiel Woodard Smith; developed by Shannon & Luchs, then one of Washington’s oldest and largest realtors; constructed by John McShain Inc., a prolific Washington building company whose projects include the Pentagon, State Department, and Jefferson Memorial; and marketed by Edmund G. Flynn, a real estate company that introduced cooperative ownership to Washington in 1920.

Smith and Kiley Chloethiel Woodard Smith and Daniel Urban Kiley were principals in the reimagining of Southwest. Smith was an eminent early modernist architect and urban planner. In 1970 Life magazine called her one of the “Eight Women Who Made It [in a Man’s World].” In 1959 she prepared a plan for the Southwest Waterfront that divided the area south of M Street (called Area C) into east and west superblocks, to be further subdivided for development by separate builders. She

April 2017 H 93

The New Team to Move Your House vote!

Clare & Steve

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

Capitol Hill Office 605 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Washington DC 20003

Office: 202-547-3525 202-904-1096 . clare.palace@cbmove.com 202-841-1380 . shagedorn@cbmove.com

Real Estate

Management Serving condos, HOA & coops plus owners of apartments, rental property including units within a building. Full service property management offering monthly/quarterly reports, budgeting, funds management & special accounts, delinquent notice & collections, building inspections, project & maintenance bidding, project planning, contract monitoring, renting/leasing & tenant screening, and more. Se habla espanol.

734 Seventh Street, SE

Office: 202.547.2707 Fax: 202.547.1977 joeltruittmanagement.com

Quality Since 1972

94 H Hillrag.com

also recommended reserving the riverbank for parks, preserving all the trees, and linking the area to the Mall’s edge with public transit. Harbour Square was her second new project for Southwest, the first being Capitol Park Tower at Third and G streets, whose first section, today’s Potomac Place, was completed in 1959. Her plans for both developments centered around a superblock, which was an approach to urban design intended to separate vehicular from pedestrian traffic and provide large interior green spaces. Harbour Square epitomized the superblock, covering an entire city block on a prime site directly on the waterfront at Maine Avenue and N Street. After completing Harbour Square, Smith established a national practice with commissions all over the country, including other projects in Washington, ranging from design work in the planned community of Reston to a prominent downtown intersection of office buildings dubbed Chloethiel’s Corner at Connecticut Avenue and L Street NW. For both Capitol Park and Harbour Square, Smith collaborated with Daniel Urban Kiley, who was perhaps landscape architecture’s most acclaimed modernist. Kiley designed a number of important landscapes around the country during the 1940s and 1950s, including the landscape for Eero Saarinen’s Miller House in Columbus, Ind., which may be the most influential private garden design of the 20th century. In 1956 he created his first design for the Southwest redevelopment area, a master site plan for public parks prepared for Saterlee and Smith (Smith’s firm at that time).

resident, Edward Simon Lewis, later became a settlement house established by Charles and Eugenia Weller. The 1794 DuncansonCranch houses at 468-470 N St. were combined in 1905 to become a larger facility for the settlement house when the buildings were purchased by Washington artist and philanthropist Alice Barney. With the inclusion of Wheat Row, Lewis House, and Barney House, Harbour Square became Washington’s earliest example of incorporating historic landmark buildings into a larger development. Unlike the “facadism” often seen today, Smith preserved entire buildings instead of just the facades and a few feet of the interior. Harbour Square’s years of construction literally stretch from 1795 to 1966. The design beautifully weaves together the elegant historic brick townhouses, new brick townhouses, and multifamily buildings of concrete and glass. The large size of the seven historic townhouses necessitated building the new townhouses larger than what was currently being built, and their 10½-foot ceilings helped set the tone of spacious luxury that Edmund J. Flynn wanted to create.

Development and Historic Preservation While modernist in its superblock site design and building materials of concrete and glass, Harbour Square incorporates seven historic landmarks. Wheat Row is comprised of four row houses along Fourth Street constructed in 1794 by James Greenleaf, who was one of Washington’s earliest and most controversial developers. The 1817 Lewis House at 456 N St., named for its first

Senator and later Vice President Hubert Humphrey was one of many notable residents who have lived at Harbour Square. Circa 1960 political cartoon by Gib Crockett of the Washington Star.

Building and Landscape Design Harbour Square was designed as a quadrangle-shaped project with buildings of varying heights. It contains 430 units with 134 different floor plans and five types of balconies. The orientation of the buildings leaves the site open to the riverfront. The apartments have beautiful views of the river or of the gardens, including a one-acre sculptural water garden that is the site’s dominant design element. Kiley designed six primary garden areas as well as several smaller ones scattered through the site and along the surrounding streets. The primary gardens are the Entrance Garden, the East Garden, the Water Garden, the South Water Garden, the Dogwood Allee, and the Great Lawn. Kiley designed with a strong sense of geometry and created planes that allow residents to view gardens on several levels as they move through the complex. Roof decks command unique views of the Washington Channel, the Potomac River, Virginia, and downtown Washington. Many top-floor units have private roof decks. The decks offer a place for quiet contemplation and celebratory gatherings – the fireworks views from the large roof decks being unrivaled. (Rooftop water View) Donna Hanousek is a zoning specialist by day and historic preservationist by night who owns a very small part of Harbour Square. The text and photos were taken largely from the landmark nomination document prepared by Peter Sefton, an architectural historian who specializes in Washington’s historic resources. u

STUNNING! 326 Tennessee Ave NE

Hub Krack was extremely knowledgeable, responsive to my every request and well educated on the market. Earl, Adams Morgan Buyer

Nearly new renovation, cathedral ceiling, exposed brick, MBR retreat, lots of storage, in-law suite, parking & a garage. $975,000

Hub Krack 202.550.2111

Pam Kristof 202.253.2550

Licensed in DC, MD & VA

RESIDENTIAL SALES AND LISTINGS COMMERCIAL LEASING AND SALES

www.hubkrack.com April 2017 H 95

{real estate}

Real Estate Matters by Heather Schoell Insulation Science

brick walls, but there’s a gap, so you can conceivIf your home is a flip, there’s a good chance ably look down from the attic to the first floor. that it’s not properly insulated because most conI recently had the not awesome experience of Those gaps pull the attic air, generally cold and tractors don’t have insulation certification, called staying in a hotel room with no soundproofing dirty (dust, dust mites, critter waste) right down BPI certification (www.bpi.org), based on scientifbetween the walls. Lying there, really wishing I the walls. There goes your warmth and your air ic standards for retrofitting. It’s a whole-house, best had earplugs, I started to wonder if there’s a difquality. Anyone with allergies, asthma, elderly practices approach with the science of thermal dyference between soundproofing insulation and family members, or small children needs none namics, moisture, air quality, and safety. They astemperature-regulation insulation. And how do of that. sess ventilation of gas, carbon dioxide, and moisthey put in insulation in a house that’s already ture – especially from showers, built? Do they have to tear up dryers, and kitchen appliancthe walls? How about floors? We es. For instance, in many oldknow how Capitol Hill ground er homes there is a bathroom floors are freezing in winter. Can that was ventilated by a window they shoot insulation into crawl instead of a fan. They can’t inspaces, or does that invite critters? sulate an attic above an unvenBack at home I called up tilated bathroom because inMax Grove of Max Insulation sulation will trap the moisture and found out there’s a lot more and breed mold. (Grove’s team to insulation than I thought. Inwill reattach vents that have sulation installation is not just come loose, but refers contracblowing stuff into the walls. It’s tors to install new ones.) a science that takes moisture, air There are the enclosed flow, combustion, and air qualiporches, bump-outs, and dogty into consideration. leg fill-ins that were almost alHow this works, at least with ways poorly constructed when Grove, is that he first identifies they were built, and probathe problem. Say a room or a side bly not insulated. This brings of a house is cold. Why? Grove down the efficiency of the uses an infrared camera to identiwhole house. fy hot spots and cold spots behind In a home without a basewalls and in attics, even in attic ment there’s probably an unareas where there’s no access. insulated crawl space. That He also does something with a space traps moisture, making fan outside the house. He walks the home clammy in the sumaround with the infrared camera, mer and bone-chillingly cold identifying where the cold air in winter. comes in and the warm air leaks Once Grove figures out out. It sounds like an episode of where the cold air is coming “Ghost Hunters,” but these cold from – the attic, the walls, and/ spots can be banished. or the crawl space – he formuOur old homes, as Grove lates a plan. I was particularly pointed out, were originally built interested in what this means for air flow, which is why we have to homeowners. How do you transoms, for example. We don’t prepare for an insulation invaneed that now, and what made air sion? Is it as disruptive as inflow in the old days now makes terior painting, which always our homes inefficient. He exseems like a good idea until plained how the joists abut the Your home will be covered in plastic like a biohazard movie scene! Photo: M. Grove

96 H Hillrag.com

Shouldn’t you work with someone you would come back to again and again? you remember about sanding? First, bearing in mind that this is Max Insulation – I didn’t survey all area insulation companies – a crew member gets to your home at 8 a.m. for prep. He hangs sheets of plastic to cover the walls, ceilings, and floors. Grove said your home will look like the movie “Outbreak.” Then the rest of the guys get there at about 9:30 and go to work. If you’re doing attic insulation, they’ll ask that you remove your storage if you have any. If there’s old blown insulation, they’ll vacuum it out. If it’s batting, that pink stuff, they’ll bag and remove it. (There are also homes with old newspapers as the attic insulation.) Then they fill in the holes with spray foam, such as at those joist gaps against the wall, and blow in a carpet of cellulose, which is a recycled product of paper and denim treated with a fire retardant and an anti-critter chemical. He said it has more R-value (insulating effectiveness) per square inch than the pink stuff, but it’s the same price. If the walls are poorly insulated, the crew will make a six-inchdiameter hole at the top of the wall. They will figure out where the wall is lacking insulation and what they need to work around, including studs, wires, and window casings. Then they blow in the insulation. They don’t do foam in closed walls because it can over-expand, damaging drywall and wires. What you need to do to get ready for your wall insulation is to move the furniture away from the walls and have some matching paint ready to go. That’s it. They will make those cuts as needed, but they put them back and spackle like it never happened. They usually only need to do exterior walls, not walls shared

with the next house. If you want to talk about soundproofing, that’s another story. They do that too, but usually for commercial ventures such as the Kennedy Center and between walls and floors of multiunit Airbnb rentals. That hotel I stayed in ought to give them a call! If you feel the cold coming up from the floor to your knees in winter, then crawl space insulation can change your reality. Vapor barriers, coupled with a thermal barrier, will keep moisture from coming out of the ground. Grove likened doing one without the other to wearing a down parka unzipped – ineffective. The work usually takes from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 or 4:00 p.m., depending on how many areas require attention. The average cost is about $2,000 to $3,000 per region – attic, walls, and/or crawl space. The resulting efficiency is immediate. Expect great savings on utility bills. One of their reviewers on Yelp said he saved 33 percent on the electric bill. If you’re just having insulation done (not as part of a whole renovation), it doesn’t require a permit.

Over 95% of our business has been referrals or satisfied past clients who have returned to buy or sell again. Let our 72+ years of experience work for you in your next real estate transaction!

Linda Pettie @ 202.741.1770 Michael Tubbs @ 202.741.1786 Mark Edwards @ 202.390.8083 Main @ 202.547.3525 www.pettietubbs.com Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 605 Pennsylvania Ave. SE

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH US? Call Carolina Lopez. 202-400-3503

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

Questions? I looked into insulation because I wanted to know more about it. Is there anything real-estate-related that you’d like for me to explore? Email me about it and I’ll work it in. Please indicate if you wish your identity to remain a mystery. Heather Schoell is a Capitol Hill REALTOR with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty and can be reached at heathersdc@gmail. com, at the office at 202-608-1880, or by cell at 202-321-0874. u

April 2017 H 97

{real estate}

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

closE pricE br

FEE simplE 16tH strEEt HEigHts 4911 13TH ST NW 4806 14TH ST NW 1434 OGLETHORPE ST NW 4702 GEORGIA AVE NW 1410 CRITTENDEN ST NW 1344 INGRAHAM ST NW 1306 GALLATIN ST NW 1213 JEFFERSON ST NW 1316 EMERSON ST NW 5733 13TH ST NW

aDams morgan 2333 17TH ST NW

$1,182,500 $964,000 $869,000 $690,000 $657,500 $635,000 $615,000 $585,000 $541,000 $522,500

5 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 3 3

$705,000

amErican univErsity park 4823 ALTON PL NW

anacostia

1341 W ST SE 1118 CHICAGO ST SE 2118 13TH ST SE 1614 W ST SE 1250 U ST SE 2554 16TH ST SE 1346 TALBERT TER SE 1618 RIDGE PL SE 1520 RIDGE PL SE

bErklEy

2170 DUNMORE LN NW 2101 FOXHALL RD NW 4901 MACARTHUR BLVD NW

bloomingDalE 43 SEATON PL NW 113 SEATON PL NW 2425 N CAPITOL ST NE 12 BRYANT ST NW

brEntwooD

1381 DOWNING ST NE

brigHtwooD

1379 SOMERSET PL NW 6021 7TH PL NW 1236 UNDERWOOD ST NW 602 QUINTANA PL NW 523 ROXBORO PL NW

brooklanD

1241 JACKSON ST NE 1551 NEWTON ST NE 1404 FRANKLIN NE 3117 12TH ST NE 4208 13TH ST NE 225 CHANNING ST NE 915 PERRY PL NE 236 CHANNING ST NE 4408 14TH ST NE 2410 4TH ST NE 424 AVA WAY NE

98 H Hillrag.com

$885,000

$546,555 $470,000 $457,500 $455,000 $435,000 $433,000 $329,000 $290,000 $201,101

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2

$4,200,000 $3,500,000 $1,660,000

7 6 6

$850,000 $830,000 $802,000 $640,000

4 3 4 3

$525,000

$675,000 $547,990 $539,000 $435,000 $424,000

4 3 3 3 3

$899,990 $840,000 $789,000 $750,000 $748,500 $745,000 $675,713 $605,236 $554,000 $536,900 $520,000

4 5 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 3

638 FARRAGUT PL NE 707 DELAFIELD ST NE 2417 NORTH CAPITOL ST NE 5066 6TH PL NE 5101 CAPITOL ST NE 315 DOUGLAS ST NE 633 FRANKLIN ST NE 706 DECATUR PL NE 706 BUCHANAN ST NE 726 EMERSON ST NE

burlEitH

3986 GEORGETOWN CT NW

capitol Hill

111 10TH ST SE 112 4TH ST NE 107 2ND ST NE 129 NORTH CAROLINA AVE SE 530 F STREET TER SE 105 E ST SE 137 D ST SE 1232 MARYLAND AVE NE 1228 C ST SE 820 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 1219 D ST NE 1006 MARYLAND AVE NE 1605 EAST CAPITOL ST SE 1353 INDEPENDENCE CT SE 1207 C ST SE 1333 NORTH CAROLINA AVE NE 1420 K ST SE 215 15TH ST SE 1313 EMERALD ST NE 1505 FREEDOM WAY SE 535 9TH ST NE

cHEvy cHasE

3903 MORRISON ST NW 3115 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 3914 MCKINLEY ST NW 6244 UTAH AVE NW 3638 JOCELYN ST NW 3837 MILITARY RD NW 4118 LEGATION ST NW

clEvElanD park 3507 WOODLEY RD NW 3501 30TH ST NW 3320 36TH ST NW

colonial villagE 2110 SUDBURY PL NW

columbia HEigHts 612 NEWTON PL NW #1-4 2912 13TH ST NW 3305 13TH ST NW 2801 SHERMAN AVE NW 1411 TAYLOR ST NW 3303 13TH ST NW 3123 WARDER ST NW 770 COLUMBIA RD NW 3221 6TH ST NW 710 GIRARD ST NW 780 GIRARD ST NW 523 LAMONT ST NW

$490,000 $485,000 $480,000 $460,000 $450,000 $399,500 $396,500 $370,000 $315,475 $305,000

3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 2

$1,272,500

$2,000,000 $1,790,000 $1,520,000 $1,450,000 $1,310,000 $1,220,000 $1,150,000 $1,039,900 $1,035,000 $1,015,600 $995,000 $990,000 $949,000 $930,750 $837,500 $800,000 $772,500 $735,000 $730,000 $672,000 $402,000

2 4 6 3 3 4 2 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 2 3 3 2 3 2 1

$1,515,000 $1,345,000 $1,050,000 $975,000 $959,000 $891,500 $810,000

5 4 4 3 4 4 2

$2,900,000 $1,500,000 $1,225,000

6 3 2

$1,025,000

$1,219,000 $1,150,000 $970,000 $945,000 $939,000 $720,000 $620,000 $534,500 $529,000 $500,000 $500,000 $475,000

8 7 4 3 4 4 3 3 2 3 6 3

congrEss HEigHts 4342 HALLEY TER SE 4296 SOUTH CAPITOL ST SW 615 BRANDYWINE ST SE 502 FOXHALL PL SE 130 CHESAPEAKE ST SW 3626 HORNER PL SE 846 XENIA ST SE 128 YUMA ST SE

crEstwooD

1824 TAYLOR ST NW 4706 17TH ST NW 4825 BLAGDEN AVE NW

DEanwooD

4424 FOOTE ST NE 915 45TH PL NE 4605 CLAY ST NE 4818 SHERIFF RD NE 4519 CLAY ST NE 3976 CAPITOL ST NE 4411 GRANT ST NE 206 56TH PL NE 5145 SHERIFF RD NE 5049 JUST ST NE 5738 SOUTHERN AVE SE 518 59TH ST NE 3956 BLAINE ST NE 127 47TH ST NE 4510 FOOTE ST NE 5024 JAY ST NE 5349 AMES ST NE

$460,000 $435,500 $330,000 $318,000 $305,000 $260,000 $254,000 $244,500

6 4 3 2 2 3 3 3

$1,550,000 $1,497,000 $899,000

5 7 5

$470,000 $449,000 $435,000 $420,000 $395,000 $350,000 $341,000 $340,000 $310,000 $288,000 $274,000 $243,987 $240,000 $225,200 $190,000 $185,000 $175,200

6 4 4 5 4 3 3 4 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 2

LET US SPRING

I N T O A C T I O N FO R Y O U! 541 59TH ST NE 620 49TH PL NE 50085010 JAY ST NE

$150,000 $137,500 $130,000

4 3 3

E BL A IL W! A AV NO

Dupont 1719 19TH ST NW

$3,000,000

Eckington 2125 4TH ST NE 164 U ST NE 2012 3RD ST NE

$670,000 $626,000 $600,000

Forest Hills 5132 LINNEAN TER NW

$980,450

Fort Dupont Park 4635 HILLTOP TER SE 1555 41ST ST SE 3217 DUBOIS PL SE 4322 E ST SE 4340 CHAPLIN ST SE 1236 45TH PL SE 1535 41ST ST SE 4296 SOUTHERN AVE SE 4305 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE

$375,000 $336,000 $325,000 $300,000 $285,000 $226,000 $220,000 $201,500 $159,500

Fort Lincoln 2526 RALPH ELLISON WAY NE 3229 FORT LINCOLN DR NE

$665,000 $540,000

Georgetown 3107 DUMBARTON ST NW 1671 34TH ST NW 3021 P ST NW 3609 R ST NW 3050 WEST LANE KEYS NW 2701 O ST NW 3411 R ST NW 3301 DENT PL NW

$4,500,000 $3,300,000 $2,857,500 $2,250,000 $2,100,000 $2,100,000 $1,532,500 $1,013,000

Glover Park 2117 TUNLAW RD NW 2025 HUIDEKOPER PL NW 3747 W ST NW 2017 37TH ST NW

$1,300,000 $1,222,000 $825,000 $820,000

H Street Corridor 688 4TH ST NE

$515,000

Hill Crest 3370 DENVER ST SE 2825 BRANCH AVE SE 3351 HIGHWOOD DR SE 3729 NASH ST SE 2912 NELSON PL SE

$600,000 $540,000 $530,200 $425,000 $325,000

Hill East 1524 D ST SE

$660,500

Kalorama 2329 CALIFORNIA ST NW 2302 KALORAMA RD NW 2200 DECATUR PL NW 2206 DECATUR PL NW

$5,500,000 $2,553,000 $2,400,000 $2,175,000

LD S! SO AY D 6

3 3 3 2 1 3 4 3 4 8

One block from both Lincoln Park AND Maury Elementary stands this tall and stately Victorian bay Front. The classic entry hall leads to the front parlor/dining room, and the original center staircase creates graceful room divisions on all three upper levels. 3 large bedrooms, 2 baths, a renovated eat-in kitchen, and private rear patio. Plus a bonus lower level for additional storage and spacious laundry. OR convert it into a wonderful guest suite or studio rental opportunity!

LD S! SO AY D 6

1605 H St. SE $949,000 4BR/3.5BA

1420 K St. SE 3BR/2BA $772,500

Just 2 blocks from Potomac Ave Metro and the renaissance of Penn. Ave. shops and cafes, standing tall alongside fellow Federal-front homes and sleek new loft condos. Classic foyer welcomes you to 2,000 sf of finished living space over 3 levels. Large wide-open living and dining with exposed brick and oak floors leads to an expanded, renovated kitchen. Just beyond, a low-maintenance deck and private parking garage!

Perfectly positioned a short stroll from Metro, Groceries, Waterfront Trail, and Watkins Elementary, this fully-renovated Hill home is the GIANT you’ve been seeking! 3 Levels, 20 feet of frontage, and 2700 sf of living space with WIDE open flow! Large renovated kitchen features copious cabinets and counters, plus French doors to your massive 200 sf deck perfect for grilling, dining, and entertaining.

4 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 4 2

1357 Constitution Ave. NE $799,900 3BR/2BA

MASSIVE on MASS AVE! This enormous 5 BR/4.5 BA four-story home is comprised of a 3 BR/3.5 BA owners’ residence UP AND a 2 BR/1BA DOWN – perfect for guests, full time rental, or Airbnb. The list of advantages is endless. Full floor Owners’ suite and two large 3rd floor bedrooms, each with an en suite bath and walk-in closet. Glass wall to screened rear porch, stone patio, full garage AND driveway. All just one block from Stanton Park!

4 4 3

3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 0

654 Massachusetts Ave. NE $1.8mm 5BR/4.5BA

E BL A IL W! A AV NO

LD S! SO AY D 8

1605 E. Capitol St. SE $949,000 4BR/3.5BA

Capture your chance to call East Cap home! The latest transformation by Quest Home Builders delivers superior construction and attention to every detail. 3 levels, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths plus rear deck and private parking. Entirely rebuilt inside and out: new roof, structure, systems, plumbing, mechanicals, wiring, and windows. Fully finished lower level offers bonus living space - den/media room, bed, and full bath. All perfectly placed 3 blocks from both Lincoln Park and the Metro escalator.

YOUR HOME HERE

We work to prepare and present ONE BEAUTIFUL NEW LISTING each week. If you are considering a sale anytime this year, NOW IS THE TIME to have us visit for a free consultation on the steps to success!

2 6 5 5 3

Kent 2839 HURST TER NW 5015 MACOMB ST NW 5409 MACARTHUR BLVD NW

$2,415,000 $1,450,000 $725,000

Ledroit Park 128 BRYANT ST NW 141 T ST NW

$1,390,000 $1,325,000

6 4 6

joel@joelnelsongroup.com 202.243.7707

6 5

April 2017 H 99

{real estate}

1910 5TH ST NW 64 BRYANT ST NW

$1,295,000 $1,105,000

Lily Ponds 3447 EADS ST NE 413 36TH ST NE 148 33RD ST NE

$290,000 $220,000 $196,500

Logan Circle 1318 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW 1204 Q ST NW 1527 T ST NW 1508 KINGMAN PL NW

$2,600,000 $1,620,000 $1,412,500 $1,385,000

Marshall Heights 5221 C ST SE 4808 BASS PL SE

$390,000 $315,000

Michigan Park 2017 QUINCY ST NE 2012 PERRY ST NE

$690,000 $530,000

Mount Pleasant 3149 19TH ST NW 1656 IRVING ST NW 1748 KILBOURNE PL NW 3303 BROWN ST NW

$1,213,000 $1,132,500 $868,000 $580,000

North Cleveland Park 3536 SPRINGLAND LN NW

$5,747,833

Observatory Circle 3714 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW

$1,172,500

Old City #1 216 10TH ST NE 245 12TH ST SE 522 7TH ST NE 312 L ST SE 642 E ST NE 253 TENNESSEE AVE NE 1111 INDEPENDENCE AVE SE 1119 SOUTH CAROLINA AVE SE 621 MORRIS PL NE 254 13TH ST NE 1522 D ST NE 649 ORLEANS PL NE 1829 INDEPENDENCE AVE SE 1438 E ST SE 1510 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE 1326 F ST NE 547 24TH ST NE 8 O ST SW 1634 F ST NE 1424 DUNCAN ST NE 1540 D ST SE 556 24TH ST NE 706 9TH ST SE 410 K ST NE 334 14TH ST NE 1214 G ST SE 422 19TH ST NE 1417 K ST SE 1231 I ST NE 1411 D ST NE 557 24TH ST NE 1402 1ST ST SW 1340 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE

$1,340,000 $1,235,000 $1,195,000 $1,190,000 $1,125,000 $965,000 $924,000 $910,000 $853,632 $850,000 $750,000 $750,000 $725,000 $725,000 $720,000 $702,000 $665,000 $650,000 $640,000 $629,000 $628,000 $590,000 $580,000 $575,000 $569,000 $550,000 $528,800 $504,000 $494,000 $462,000 $433,000 $400,000 $725,000

Old City #2 1526 SWANN ST NW 915 R ST NW 1501 6TH ST NW

100 H Hillrag.com

$1,940,000 $1,230,000 $1,130,000

$900,000 $630,000 $582,500

4 4

2247 12TH ST NW 213 BATES ST NW 1526 3RD ST NW

3 2 2

Palisades

6 6 4 3

Petworth

4 3 3 4 4 4 3 3

4542 WESTHALL DR NW 5809 SHERIER PL NW 2303 CHAIN BRIDGE RD NW

703 TAYLOR ST NW 4311 2ND ST NW 4319 3RD ST NW 4624 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 519 DECATUR ST NW 616 JEFFERSON ST NW 5519 4TH ST NW 634 FARRAGUT ST NW 5002 7TH PL NW 5314 8TH ST NW 5210 ILLINOIS AVE NW 421 JEFFERSON ST NW 729 HAMILTON ST NW 516 VARNUM ST NW 4805 8TH ST NW 609 FARRAGUT ST NW 912 DELAFIELD PL NW

$1,565,000 $1,511,000 $1,190,000 $841,000 $785,000 $765,000 $763,550 $702,500 $700,000 $695,000 $683,000 $679,000 $675,000 $665,000 $545,000 $530,000 $525,000 $465,500 $455,000 $430,000

Phillips Park 7

4420 CHESTNUT LN NW

$7,000,000

Randle Heights 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 4 3 3 4 3 3 2 3 3 4 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 5 7 3

2562 16TH ST SE 2558 16TH ST SE 2550 16TH ST SE 2556 16TH ST SE 1910 GOOD HOPE RD SE 2351 S ST SE 1430 TOBIAS DR SE 3405 25TH ST SE 1501 ERIE ST SE 2421 18TH PL SE 2010 SAVANNAH PL SE

$429,000 $426,000 $421,000 $417,000 $382,500 $359,000 $329,000 $309,000 $250,000 $170,000 $165,000

Riggs Park 5043 11TH ST NE 5737 6TH ST NE 1238 FARRAGUT PL NE 5020 13TH ST NE 943 JEFFERSON ST NE 5732 5TH ST NE

$525,000 $510,000 $495,000 $490,000 $332,500 $275,000

3 3 2 4 6 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 5 3 3 7 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 0 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 2

Shaw 906 O ST NW

$825,000

Spring Valley 4107 FORDHAM RD NW 5071 SEDGWICK ST NW 4929 TILDEN ST NW 3815 49TH ST NW

$2,145,000 $1,750,000 $1,500,000 $1,250,000

Takoma Park 727 BUTTERNUT ST NW 26 VAN BUREN ST NW 80 SHERIDAN ST NE 6502 EASTERN AVE NE 32 UNDERWOOD ST NW

$849,000 $465,000 $460,000 $420,000 $261,250

3 3 6 5 4 4 4 3 3 3

Trinidad 1312 LEVIS ST NE 1230 NEAL ST NE 1126 NEAL ST NE 1201 WEST VIRGINIA AVE NE

$785,000 $725,000 $651,700 $575,000

4 3 4 3

1236 18TH ST NE 1636 MONTELLO AVE NE 1428 TRINIDAD AVE NE 1734 H ST NE #A AND B 1720 H ST NE 1711 LYMAN PL NE 1705 LYMAN PL NE 1213 17TH ST NE 1606 LEVIS ST NE 1707 L ST NE 1829 H ST NE 1748 LYMAN PL NE

$570,000 $562,500 $535,000 $515,000 $515,000 $410,000 $399,999 $392,000 $370,000 $350,000 $340,000 $323,000

8 3 3 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 2 2

Woodridge

3619 SOUTH DAKOTA AVE NE $839,900 4 2910 20TH ST NE $825,000 4 2403 30TH ST NE $600,000 4 2602 30TH ST NE $600,000 4 3122 NEWTON ST NE $500,000 3 2228 OTIS ST NE $467,000 4 3609 28TH ST NE $439,000 3 2210 RANDOLPH ST NE $399,999 2 2651 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE $399,999 3 2232 KEARNY ST NE $350,000 3 2207 DOUGLAS ST NE $325,000 2

CONDO Adams Morgan 2550 17TH ST NW #315 2363 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #26 2357 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #302 2337 CHAMPLAIN NW #107 2422 17TH NW #302 1863 KALORAMA RD NW #4A 2337 CHAMPLAIN NW #409 2550 17TH ST NW #403 2550 17TH ST NW #502 2422 17TH ST NW #303

$679,900 $640,000 $630,000 $610,000 $529,900 $440,000 $430,000 $329,900 $294,900 $262,900

American University Park 4101 ALBEMARLE ST NW #608

$866,217

Brentwood 1384 BRYANT ST NE #202 1658 WEST VIRGINIA AVE NE #101

$280,000 $250,000

Brookland 2724 12TH ST NE #19 2724 12TH ST NE #21 1218 PERRY ST NE #201 2701 4TH ST NE #201 315 EVARTS ST NE #208 315 EVARTS ST NE #111

$609,900 $479,900 $321,600 $307,168 $245,000 $172,000

Capitol Hill 440 12TH ST NE #112 410 11TH ST NE #2 315 G ST NE #202 1401 POTOMAC AVE SE #4 117 E ST SE #204 101 NORTH CAROLINA AVE SE #206 1520 INDEPENDENCE AVE SE #3 1710 GALES ST NE #2 254 15TH ST SE #5

$519,000 $489,900 $378,500 $368,000 $315,000 $260,000 $259,000 $349,900 $600,000

2 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 2 2

Central 2425 L ST NW #706 2142 O ST NW #400 1010 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #1013 631 D ST NW #645 400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #1108

$1,190,000 $790,000 $690,000 $638,000 $595,000

2 2 2 2 1

The Grant, Ryall & Andrew Group

cHEvy cHasE

5201 WISCONSIN AVE NW #209 5406 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #601

clEvElanD park

3100 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #345 4301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #7012 3804 RODMAN ST NW #23 3026 WISCONSIN AVE NW #107

columbia HEigHts

Dupont

1 SCOTT CIR NW #317 2141 P ST NW #409 1601 18TH ST NW #405 1711 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #533

Eckington

16 T ST NE #2 126 QUINCY PL NE #1 1717 LINCOLN RD NE #2 130 U ST N #1 1920 3RD ST NE #7 1920 3RD ST NE #1 1831 2ND ST NE #309

Foggy bottom 900 24TH ST NW #B 2401 H ST NW #309 922 24TH ST NW #812 2401 H ST NW #310

ForEst Hills

3883 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #210 4007 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #502 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #1141 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #643 2755 ORDWAY ST NW #P46

1 2 1 1 1 1 0 0

Fort lincoln

3170 BANNEKER DR NE #3170 2815 31ST PL NE #2815

FriEnDsHip HEigHts 4343 HARRISON ST NW #6 4343 HARRISON ST NW #4

garFiElD $345,000 $240,000

1 1

$456,000 $439,000 $379,900 $260,000

1 2 1 1

$849,000 $730,000 $725,000 $669,900 $650,000 $639,900 $615,000 $600,000 $549,800 $543,000 $540,000 $535,000 $525,000 $508,000 $450,000 $410,500 $366,000 $360,000 $334,024 $330,500 $330,000 $325,000 $312,000 $259,000 $779,900

3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 4

$260,000 $426,400 $325,000 $300,100

1 1 1 1

$750,000 $719,000 $645,000 $633,000 $514,900 $445,000 $177,725

3 3 2 3 3 3 1

$775,000 $300,000 $252,000 $212,900

3 1 0 0

$663,000 $519,000 $269,600 $260,000 $205,000

2 2 1 1 0

2803 CORTLAND PL NW #107

gEorgEtown

3150 SOUTH ST NW #2E 3052 R ST NW #302-A 3052 R ST NW #303 3012 R ST NW #1/2 2500 Q ST NW #533 1045 31ST ST NW #401 2111 WISCONSIN AVE NW #420

glovEr park

4012 EDMUNDS ST NW #3 4012 EDMUNDS ST NW #6 4012 EDMUNDS ST NW #7 4009 DAVIS PL NW #102 4012 EDMUNDS ST NW #2 2233 40TH PL NW #2 4012 EDMUNDS ST NW #1 2400 41ST ST NW #500 2725 39TH ST NW #108 3925 DAVIS PL NW #B5

H strEEt corriDor 1026 8TH NE #A 628 I ST NE #1 1111 ORREN ST NE #303 1111 ORREN ST NE #307 1111 ORREN ST NE #508 1111 ORREN ST NE #106

Hill crEst

2001 38TH ST SE #102

kalorama

1919 BELMONT RD NW #78 1858 CALIFORNIA ST NW #40 1821 BELMONT RD NW #6 1806 BELMONT RD NW #3 1807 CALIFORNIA ST NW #T1 2456 20TH ST NW #503 1833 CALIFORNIA ST NW #102 1906 BILTMORE ST NW #2

kings court

1907 GOOD HOPE RD SE #105

laniEr HEigHts 1767 LANIER PL NW #8 1767 LANIER PL NW #5

lEDroit park

121 T ST NW #1 1907 3RD ST NW #401 5 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #203

logan

1316 S ST NW #A 1830 11TH ST NW #3 1011 M NW #403 1120 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #1 1904 VERMONT AVE NW #A 1515 15TH ST NW #430

$375,000 $225,000

3 3

$580,000 $575,000

2 2

$355,999

$3,275,000 $1,344,900 $1,230,000 $815,000 $610,000 $490,000 $318,000

3 2 2 2 2 1 1

$1,050,000 $679,000 $665,000 $526,000 $509,000 $485,000 $479,000 $355,000 $283,500 $258,000

2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 1

$705,000 $679,000 $499,900 $379,000 $375,000 $359,000

3 2 2 1 1 1

$92,000

$855,000 $592,000 $530,000 $484,000 $483,101 $399,900 $360,000 $1,462,500

2 2 2 2 2 1 1 3

$54,900

$1,119,000 $555,000

2 2

$640,000 $420,000 $365,000

3 1 2

$690,000 $563,000 $464,900 $440,000 $1,100,000 $1,200,000

2 2 1 1 3 2

Partner with our full-service real estate team…there’s no substitute for success the first time around! Grant Griffith, Ryall Smith, Andrew Glasow, Fred Saddler

T e a m L i n e : 202.741.1654 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Don Denton, VP Broker 605 Pennsylvania Ave SE, WDC 20003 - Main: 202.547. 3525

RESIDENTS LL UR AD RIG CO I H O U HT LD 0 NG Y N 0 EI O W 0 E S

E B

3614 13TH ST NW #1 1455 FLORIDA AVE NW #1B 2823 11TH ST NW #A 3415 14TH ST NW #2 1347 QUINCY ST NW #3 3035 15TH ST NW #204 1012 HARVARD ST NW #7 3475 HOLMEAD PL NW #2 1428 MONROE ST NW #A 1390 KENYON ST NW #201 1461 GIRARD ST NW #301 1390 KENYON ST NW #306 3240 HIATT PL NW #3 1412 CHAPIN ST NW #201 2910 GEORGIA AVE NW #104 1308 CLIFTON ST NW #101 1417 NEWTON ST NW #302 912 SHEPHERD ST NW #204 1438 COLUMBIA RD NW #303 3900 14TH ST NW #711 1308 CLIFTON ST NW #210 529 LAMONT ST NW #203 945 RANDOLPH ST NW #B 4120 14TH ST NW #B4 3904 KANSAS AVE NW #1

$545,000 $541,000 $455,000 $427,500 $395,000 $386,000 $380,000 $256,500

3 0 ,

1111 25TH ST NW #823 1325 18TH ST NW #703 616 E ST NW #520 915 E ST NW #1210 915 E ST NW #302 601 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW #304 1133 14TH ST NW #1009 2012 O ST NW #25

To advertise, contact Kira 202.400.3508 or Kira.Hillrag@gmail.com

April 2017 H 101

{real estate}

1515 15TH ST NW #209 1441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #321 1211 13TH ST NW #703 1450 CHURCH ST NW #204 1311 13TH ST NW #502 1300 N ST NW #518 919 R ST NW #1 1111 11TH ST NW #201 1916 12TH ST NW #1

$915,000 $745,500 $737,000 $674,000 $519,900 $455,000 $1,095,000 $649,900 $985,000

Mount Pleasant 3414 BROWN ST NW #B 2448 ONTARIO RD NW #3 2200 17TH ST NW #107 1613 HARVARD ST NW #305 1700 KALORAMA RD NW #306 1701 KALORAMA RD NW #K-4 3314 MOUNT PLEASANT ST NW #34 1901 INGLESIDE TER NW #302 3314 MOUNT PLEASANT ST NW #36

$850,000 $757,000 $690,000 $610,000 $600,000 $487,500 $444,000 $405,000 $347,500

Mt. Vernon Square 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #220 400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #901

$490,000 $507,500

Navy Yard 1025 1ST ST SE #505

$669,900

Observatory Circle 2828 WISCONSIN AVE NW #111 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #503 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #915 2111 WISCONSIN AVE NW #111 3901 TUNLAW RD NW #703

$770,000 $685,000 $630,000 $615,000 $333,000

Old City #1 1228 I ST NE #1 918 14TH ST SE #2 1433 K ST SE #PH302 1433 K ST SE #101 507 M ST NE #1 1433 K ST SE #201 707 18TH ST NE #1 504 M ST NE #2 1100 7TH ST NE #1 1500 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #203 410 15TH ST NE #21

$649,900 $649,000 $635,000 $629,000 $624,900 $429,000 $395,000 $356,000 $335,000 $329,900 $277,500

Old City #2 1605 16TH ST NW #6 1117 10TH ST NW #1001 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #1010 1920 S ST NW #203 2101 11TH ST NW #202 1535 P ST NW #2 2125 14TH ST NW #527 1930 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #34 1320 13TH ST NW #43 1442 CORCORAN ST NW #3 1800 R ST NW #802 1829 S ST NW #4 1704 T ST NW #101 1205 N ST NW #D 1225 13TH ST NW #401 1401 17TH ST NW #613 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #805 811 4TH ST NW #416 811 4TH ST NW #1001 2120 VERMONT AVE NW #322 2120 VERMONT AVE NW #19 1111 11TH ST NW #604 1425 11TH ST NW #103 1900 S ST NW #2

102 H Hillrag.com

$754,500 $715,000 $700,000 $697,000 $649,350 $640,000 $603,500 $591,000 $570,000 $558,000 $552,500 $525,000 $525,000 $500,000 $495,000 $475,000 $448,000 $435,000 $420,000 $420,000 $414,900 $400,000 $385,000 $380,000

2 2 2 2 1 1 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 1 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1

1101 L ST NW #401 1601 18TH ST NW #207 1718 P ST NW #505 1718 P ST NW #420 1711 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #401 1440 N ST NW #614

$345,000 $315,000 $304,000 $277,000 $256,000 $220,000

1 1 0 0 1 0

Palisades 4570 MACARTHUR BLVD NW #G7 5112 MACARTHUR BLVD NW #4

$255,000 $249,000

Park View 513 KENYON ST NW #UNIT A 3542 WARDER ST NW #105 701 LAMONT ST NW #23

$955,000 $677,900 $490,000

Penn Quarter 912 F ST NW #206 631 D ST NW #644 915 E ST NW #303

$1,140,000 $652,000 $442,500

Petworth 3910 8TH ST NW #3 3910 8TH ST NW #4 3910 8TH ST NW #1 3910 8TH ST NW #2 415 VARNUM ST NW #1 415 VARNUM ST NW #3 700 JEFFERSON ST NW #302 330 DELAFIELD PL NW #2

$819,900 $799,900 $719,000 $699,900 $675,000 $675,000 $215,000 $160,000

Rla (SW) 1277 DELAWARE AVE SW #68 1425 4TH ST SW #A507 700 7TH ST SW #613

$665,000 $305,000 $204,000

1 1 5 2 2

$1,025,000 $510,000 $480,000

SW Waterfront 525 WATER ST SW #314 468 M ST SW 1250 4TH ST SW #W101

$404,900 $995,000 $399,999 $249,000 $249,000 $242,000 $182,999

Truxton Circle 1615 1ST ST NW #3 1615 1ST ST NW #2

$499,900 $480,000

U Street Cooridor 1111 W ST NW #14 1111 W ST NW #1 1111 W ST NW #3 2120 VERMONT AVE NW #21

$1,000,000 $859,900 $765,000 $220,000

Wesley Heights 4200 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #813 4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #604E 4200 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #909 4200 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #211 4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #219E

$825,000 $517,250 $312,500 $268,999 $229,000

West End 1177 22ND ST NW #8J 1177 22ND ST NW #2J

$1,700,000 $1,045,000

1 2

2818 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #304 $675,000 2

CoOp Adams Morgan 1860 CALIFORNIA ST NW #201 2707 ADAMS MILL RD NW #406 2605 ADAMS MILL RD NW #NO. 23

$380,000 $345,000 $389,000

Brightwood $176,400

1 1 1 1

3 2 1

Cleveland Park

3 3 3 3 3 2 1 2

Dupont

3900 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #405-G 3022 PORTER ST NW #101 3315 WISCONSIN AVE NW #107 1701 16TH ST NW #503 1701 16TH ST NW #625 1701 16TH ST NW #610

$320,000 $293,000 $205,000 $409,000 $325,000 $194,740

Foggy Bottom 700 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #515

$430,000

Forest Hills 2 1 0 3 1 1 1 4 2

Trinidad 1717 WEST VIRGINIA AVE NE #101 1717 WEST VIRGINIA AVE NE #102 1717 WEST VIRGINIA AVE NE #104 1246 QUEEN ST NE #3

$779,000 $546,500

Woodley Park

6445 LUZON AVE NW #103

Shaw 1501 4TH ST NW #1 1001 L ST NW #407 426 M ST NW #C

2555 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW #1001 2301 N ST NW #113

2 2 2 1

3601 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #204 3001 VEAZEY TER NW #1020

Kalorama 1875 MINTWOOD PL NW #24 1840 BILTMORE ST NW #12

2 2 2 0 2 2 1 2 1 2 1

$299,900 $222,900

Mount Pleasant 2707 ADAMS MILL RD NW #400

$350,000

North Cleveland Park 3016 TILDEN ST NW #503 3900 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #205F

$651,000 $315,000

Observatory Circle 3900 WATSON PL NW #A 2F-G 3900 WATSON PL NW #A-8B 4000 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #153 B

$1,040,000 $550,000 $329,000

Old City #1 1000 NEW JERSEY AVE SE #628

1 1

$810,000 $556,000

$405,000

Old City #2 1514 17TH ST NW #610 1514 17TH ST NW #602 1701 16TH ST NW #542 1436 W ST NW #304

$434,900 $399,999 $315,000 $131,300

Rla (SW) 1301 DELAWARE AVE SW #706N 1245 4TH ST SW #E802 520 N ST SW #S25 1301 DELAWARE AVE SW #N823 1311 DELAWARE AVE SW #841

$342,500 $330,000 $315,000 $243,000 $217,500

Van Ness 3001 VEAZEY TER NW #1105

$284,500

Waterfront 530 N ST SW #S306 u

$367,500

1 1 1 1 1 0 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 4 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

April 2017 H 103

104 H Hillrag.com

{arts & dining}

Ragtime Raises the Roof at Ford’s

by Barbara Wells

Cast of the musical “Ragtime” at Ford’s Theatre, directed by Peter Flynn. Photo: Carol Rosegg

ith a mighty cast of 20 that feels at times as if it swells to 100, director Peter Flynn’s revival of “Ragtime” at Ford’s Theatre brings to life the pervasive exuberance, tension, and hope at the last century’s dawn. Perhaps unintentionally it also shows the stark contrast between common perceptions of bigotry, racial injustice, and economic inequality when the show premiered on Broadway 20 years ago, and today. It seems almost quaint that in 1997 Americans could imagine these contentious issues were safely buried in the past, when today all the challenges of tackling them have come roaring back. “Ragtime” captures the pulsing convergence of immigrants, AfricanAmericans, and the comfortable upper middle class in old-time New York, opening with a prologue and full-throated rendition of its theme song by

the entire cast portraying these three classes. Yet even as company members blend into a proverbial melting pot, distinct characters and their stories emerge: Mother (Tracy Lynn Olivera), the comfortably sheltered wife of a successful businessman (James Konicek) who is leaving her in charge during his yearlong excursion to the North Pole; Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Kevin McAllister), a ragtime musician primed to usher in a new era of opportunity for African-Americans; and Tateh (Jonathan Atkinson), an Eastern European immigrant with boundless hope and aspirations. At its heart “Ragtime” is a story of transformation. All the main characters experience an awakening that forever alters their perceptions and prospects, for better or worse. Near the end of the first act, devoted largely to the exposition of its central characters’ dreams, there are still no signs of dramatic tension. Then tension crashes down with a vengeance, in a narrative

April 2017 H 105

• • • • • • •

A diverse product line of quality beverages from all over the world One of the largest and most unique wine selections on Capitol Hill A friendly and knowledgeable staff Located just minutes form Downtown, DC and Alexandria, VA 1 block south of Eastern Market Metro on the vibrant Barracks Row Owned by the Williams Family since 1978; established before 1919

The best weekly wine tastings on “The Hill”- Sat (3-6pm)

Henry Baratz (Little Boy), Tracy Lynn Olivera (Mother), and James Konicek (Father) in the Ford’s Theatre production of “Ragtime,” directed by Peter Flynn. Photo: Carol Rosegg

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN AND LATIN CUISINE

CAPITOL HILL 1100 8TH ST SE 202.543.3700

NW DC 4724 14 ST NW SE 202.804.4507

NEW LOCATION OPEN

DINING PATIO OPEN! HAPPY HOUR 3PM - 6PM 106 H Hillrag.com

MONDAY-FRIDAY EXP. 03/31/2017

that by Act Two careens in almost unbelievable but engrossing directions. Just a few spoken words set up the show’s core of gorgeous music. Both McAllister and Olivera were featured in Ford’s “110 in the Shade” last year, but that show’s songs didn’t do them justice. In “Ragtime” their voices enjoy full rein in poignant anthems like Coalhouse’s “The Wheels of a Dream” and “Sarah Brown Eyes,” sung in duets with the outstanding Nova Y. Payton as Sarah, and in Mother’s wistful “Back to Before.” As Coalhouse, McAllister is larger than life, displaying all the swagger that attracts women in droves, with the pathos of a man who has lost everything he cherishes and, finally, the fierce charisma that draws his followers into violent rebellion. Olivera counterbalances his evolution with a steady presence, the conscience of the story and constant voice of reason and compassion. Enter Tateh, the immigrant who enriches the chronicle of black injustice and white privilege with a rags-to-riches saga. In this role the enormously appealing Atkinson conveys wild optimism, crushing disappointment, and dogged perseverance in a rich voice, showcased in songs like “A Shtetl iz Amereke” and

“Success.” As Father, Konicek shines as well. He does a masterfully subtle job of revealing the self-centered adventurer’s thinly veiled bigotry along with the tender side of a man who is more ignorant than malevolent, so that his eventual enlightenment seems perfectly natural and all the more gratifying. Gregory Maheu plays Father’s tempestuous brother-in-law with energy and conviction, while the talented young actor Henry Baratz is refreshing as Father’s son, at key intervals blurting out the truth as everyone else shrinks from it. A variety of fabled figures of the time populate the story as well, symbolizing churning social and economic change. Rayanne Gonzales, a supporting actor who has been consistently excellent in productions such as Arena Stage’s “Oliver!” and Shakespeare Theatre’s “Man of La Mancha,” stands out as union organizer Emma Goldman, her lofty soprano floating above the chorus. And Washington theater veteran Christopher Mueller is mesmerizing as the exotic and driven Harry Houdini. Music director and vocal arranger Christopher Youstra and choreographer Michael Bobbitt make the most of a small cast and

tiny stage, especially in numbers like “What a Game,” featuring every man in the company reacting in perfect sync to an imaginary baseball game. And Kim Scharnberg’s orchestrations manage to make a ninemember band sound as robust as a full orchestra. Scenic designer Milagros Ponce de Leon’s clever set, composed of vintage scaffolding, soars to a third story, where by turns it successfully evokes the bow of a ship bound for the North Pole, the attic hideaway of a distraught young mother, and the pinnacle of US industry from which Henry Ford and J.P. Morgan survey their wealth and power. (Less effective are two moving staircases rolling around the stage during lively musical numbers when they might have been better off staying put.) Lighting designer Rui Rita has worked magic too, deftly shifting the atmosphere and mood of rapidly changing scenes with carefully modulated lighting. Costume designer Wade Laboissonniere has created suitable period costumes featured through most of the show, but at the beginning and end he clothes the cast in modern-day attire. As the actors set their gaze on the audience, it’s clear they have a message for modern times: While “Ragtime” portrays an ostensibly less tolerant and equitable chapter in our country’s history, even today we have a long way to go. “Ragtime” is on stage at Ford’s Theatre through May 20. Barbara Wells is a writer and editor for Reingold, a social marketing communications firm. She and her husband live on Capitol Hill. u

April 2017 H 107

{arts and dining}

The Congressional Chorus Celebrates Its 30th Season A Note Above the Rest by Christine Rushton and young musicians in total. “Having this opportunity that we started as a small family, expanded to 25 and now is up to 80 to 90 (in the chorus alone), the scope has expanded considerably,” Buchanan said. “But it’s still like my chorus family.”

Beginnings on the Hill The group has performed concerts at the White House, the Kennedy Center, and other venues around the District. They have performed for soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and other community service programs to give back to their home city. Starting with traditional choral music, they have expanded to give jazz programs, Broadway, sacred music, and more. When the first director, Michael Patterson, died suddenly in 2006, the 25 chorus members considered disbanding, but instead a search led

Members of the Congressional Chorus dance troupe rehearse for the “Road Trip!” cabaret performance in March. Photo: Chris Bulbulia

hile passing a cafeteria notice board in one of Capitol Hill’s House office buildings, Louise Buchanan noticed a call for vocalists. It was 1987, and most of the people she knew worked as staffers day in and day out on the Hill. Buchanan loved music but commuted from Arlington to the Hill each day for work, so opportunities to sing didn’t come up often. When she saw the chance to join chorus director Michael Patterson and other Hill staffers in the group, she did. They became the Congressional Chorus. “I remember there were only eight of us, a handful,” Buchanan said. The volunteer chorus has entered its 30th year and includes many more than the original handful – about 200 singers, dancers,

108 H Hillrag.com

April 2017 H 109

{arts and dining}

a certain thrill that you just can’t get anywhere else,” Simmons said.

Singers from Elementary Age into Their 90s

The Congressional Chorus performs its 2016 show “Tinsel Town” at the Atlas Theater. Photo: Chris Bulbulia

them to hire David Simmons, and 11 years later the group has built up to six separate ensembles: two American Youth Chorus (AYP) groups, a dance troupe, the Northeast Senior Singers, the Congressional Chorus, and an a cappella ensemble. The group performs roughly seven major concerts a season with small gigs throughout the year. Simmons moved the group to the newly refurbished Atlas Performing Arts Center, where it hosted its 11th annual “Road Trip!” cabaret show in March. “The Atlas Performing Arts Center was just opening in the fall of 2006,” Simmons recalled. “I had a hardhat to wear on visits when it was literally still being constructed.” Simmons saw an opportunity at the Atlas and signed on as one of the center’s first partners. The H Street corridor didn’t look like it does today, though. It didn’t have all of the restaurants, shops, and clubs. But the chorus has grown with its neighborhood.

Finding A Soul in Music Simmons had to find his way back to music after entering DC as a staffer for H. John Heinz in 1987 and as a law school student at American Universi-

110 H Hillrag.com

ty. He had played piano and organ professionally since age 14 and worked with choirs, so when his job and career didn’t fulfill expectations, he decided to try music again. “I started teaching what I thought would be a five-to-six-month gig, and figuring out what was next with my legal career,” Simmons said. “But pretty soon I was directing musical theater.” After venturing into the Washington Opera and Gilbert and Sullivan companies, Simmons received the offer to lead the Congressional Chorus. “It’s a lot, a lot of listening, a lot of weekends, a lot of late nights – a lot of nights you feel like you want to throw the towel in,” Simmons said. “But then you get a night where the show just comes together. They put so much heart and soul into it, and really you can see the exuberance in their face and bodies.” With his schedule full of the chorus, AYP, Senior Singers, and other rehearsals, Simmons keeps busy with the music. Take the most recent “Road Trip!” show. The cabaret required weeks of rehearsal, choreographed dance numbers, and fully memorized songs, culminating in a two-hour-long production. And it all comes together. “It gives you

Natalie Grandison has spent four and a half seasons now with the chorus as a soprano vocalist, member of the dance troupe, and now board member. She lives in Southwest and works on the Hill, and learned of the group through a friend and other members of the chorus. “My favorite thing about it is the people,” she said. “I get to interact with people who work on the Hill, in education, who are retired, in the military.” A trained vocalist, she said she also appreciates the professionalism and challenge. Simmons will sometimes present the group with a piece of music that seems beyond their skills. But with a little faith and dedicated practice, they pull it off. The performances seem to get tighter and tighter. But it’s not all about the music for Grandison. Spending hours with hardworking people in pressure-packed environments means she needs a release during the week. The chorus has become her outlet. “Often we are surrounded by people in our same industry or mindset,” she said. “It’s nice to be involved with a group a people where music is the common factor.” Like Simmons, she feels fulfilled by the music in her life. “I get almost a high from rehearsal and performing that is rejuvenating,” Grandison said. Buchanan has a similar reaction and hopes to see the chorus continue to grow, though not so much as to lose its family-like feeling. Her strongest draw is the community service it brings to the neighborhood and the opportunities it gives young musicians in the AYP program. She hopes the children of the community connect with the music. “I’ve seen children absolutely just blossom,” she said. “One has sung in operas at the Kennedy Center now. I feel like we’re instilling in them a love of music, and not just for notes and rhythm, but self confidence and pride in themselves.” u

Draw Slow is a musical house of mirrors – an Irish band playing original songs influenced by American roots music that draws on Celtic traditions. Whether the members of the band are from Deep Gap or Dublin is ultimately beside the point, because they play old-time music authentically and with conviction. They’ll perform a free outdoor concert at the Hill Center on April 30 at 4 p.m., in support of their new record, “Turn Your Face to the Sun.” I Draw Slow is fronted by siblings Dave and Louise Holden, who started writing songs together about 20 years ago, with him playing guitar and her singing. Adrian Hart (fiddle), Colin Derham (banjo), and Konrad Liddy (bass) joined them in 2008 to form the current band. When the Holdens were growing up, music was always a part of their family gatherings, but it was more likely to be American songwriters like Kris Kristofferson than traditional Celtic, according to Dave. He cites other songwriters – Dylan, Neil Young, and Townes Van Zandt – as major influences. Holden fell in love with old-time Appalachian music while busking in Australia, and has been playing it ever since. During the past decade I Draw Slow has performed throughout Europe and also at major American bluegrass festivals such as MerleFest and Grey Fox. “There’s definitely a strong link between Appalachian music and traditional Irish music that makes it feel comfortable for us,” said Holden. Fiddles, tenor singing, and murder ballads, staples of mountain music, all have a place in Celtic songs as well. “We ourselves can’t hear the Irish influence in our playing a lot of the time,” Holden added. “But US audiences particularly seem to pick up on it. I guess you can’t escape your roots.” https://idrawslow. wordpress.com/ www.hillcenterdc.org/event/american-roots-concert-series-i-draw-slow/

Finding a Voice for Her Characters Brandy Clark has made two records, each nominated for a Grammy as Best Country Album. But some of her songs seem more akin to Carole King than Kitty Wells. What plants Clark firmly in the country tradition isn’t her sound but the strength of her stories. “Country music is based in storytelling,” said Clark, who will perform at The Hamilton on April I Draw Slow plays a free concert at the Hill Center on Sunday, April 30. Photo: Fionn McCann

Capitol Roots A Musical Hall of Mirrors by Charles Walston 23 with a stripped-down band of two musicians. On her debut album “12 Stories” and on 2016’s “Big Day in a Small Town” Clark gets into the hearts and heads of people she knew growing up in Morton, Wash. (pop. 900). “Small Town” tells tales of homecoming queens and lost loves, and old incidents that live on in local lore. Like the time a mother came to school and made her son drink tobacco juice he had spit into a Coke can, because she had accidently taken a sip. “I remember that being big news at the time,” said Clark. “Since You’ve Gone to Heaven” reflects on how the death of Clark’s father, who was killed in a logging accident, seemed to affect their whole community. His memorial service filled a local school gym and caused her to appreciate her hometown as never before. “Since you’ve gone to heaven, the whole world’s gone to hell … the banks are taking over, half the town is in foreclosure.” The catchy authenticity of Clark’s lyrics is what got her noticed in

Nashville, and she wrote hits for major artists like Miranda Lambert. While she was grateful for the success, she felt frustrated that some of her best songs weren’t being recorded, so she jumped at the opportunity to sing them herself. “It turned out that I was the voice meant to share those songs,” she said. Clark grew up on country music but was also heavily influenced by Carole King. Like her, King started as a successful songwriter before getting a chance to perform her own tunes. King’s influence can be heard on some of Clark’s piano-driven songs such as “Love Can Go to Hell.” While Clark is known as a strong lyricist, melodies are often the most important part of her writing process. “Usually it’s a melody that gets me to dig,” she said. “Music has to say what words can’t.” www.brandyclarkmusic.com. www. thehamiltondc.com. u

{arts and dining}

Dining Notes by Celeste McCall Coming Soon This spring, watch for The Salt Line, at 79 Potomac Ave. SE, a New England-style fish house on the waterfront across from Nationals Park. Sprawled in the Dock 79 development, the 3,500-square space will have an expansive dining room, outdoor seating, private party space, and riverfront bar. Inspired by New England cuisine, executive chef Kyle Bailey’s menu will showcase seafood charcuterie, crudos, and raw bar selections. The cocktail and craft beer list draws heavily from Northeast and local breweries. Joining Bailey is chef de cuisine Mike O’Brien, who has wielded his whisk at upscale restaurants in upstate New York, California, and the Washington area. For updates visit www.thesaltline.com. Due to arrive at the $2 billion, milelong Wharf on the Southwest waterfront: Mi Vida (“My Life,” or “My Loved One”). Created by Chef Roberto Santibanez, the 9,500-square-foot restaurant will be located adjacent to The Anthem, the Wharf’s 6,000seat music venue. A Native of Mexico City, Santibanez also operates the Fonda restau-

rants in New York. Look for Mi Vida around the end of the year.

Special Seder Passover begins at sundown on April 10, and Teddy & The Bully Bar, a PRG Hospitality restaurant, invites Jews and nonJews alike to a Passover dinner. Available on April 10 and 11, the seder menu will feature matzo ball soup with diced chicken, carrots, celery, and dill, along with Falooda, an exotic, parfait-like dessert, is available at Toli Moli, a chef Demetrio Zavala’s contemporary inBurmese food stand in Union Market. Photo: Celeste McCall terpretations of traditional Jewish dishes. Priced at $45 for adults and $21 for children 12 and under, the dinner will consist of Belga Cafe has unveiled a wallet-friendly happy hour three courses with multiple options. Teddy is and other specials. Monday through Friday, from 2:30 to 6:30 located at 1200 19th St. NW; call 202-872p.m., and Sunday from 4 ‘til closing, cocktails, wine by the 8700 or visit www.teddyandthebullybar.com. glass, draft beers, and assorted tidbits are 50 percent off. On

Barracks Row Happenings Congrats and good luck to Pineapple and Pearls, 715 Eighth St. SE, nominated by the 2017 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards as Best New Restaurant. Winners will be announced on May 1 in Chicago.

Tuesday a bucket of mussels with frites is just $16.95 for lunch and dinner. Located at 514 Eighth St. SE, Belga is open daily. Call 202-544-0100 or visit www.belgacafe.com. Nearby, Lola’s, 711 Eighth St. SE, shuttered since last fall, should reopen any day now with a new look and menu. Call 202-547-5652. After that marvelous Hill Rag-sponsored art show at Hill Center on March 8, Peter and I had a pleasant dining experience at Senart’s Oyster & Chop House, 520 Eighth St. SE. I’ve always liked oysters Rockefeller, that retro concoction invented at New Orleans’ famous Antoine’s. Senart’s is up to the challenge. Tagged at $14, a half-dozen plump oysters, draped with spinach and enriched with butter and bread crumbs, is sublime. Senart’s is open daily; call 202544-1168 or visit www.senartsdc.com. Coming up on April 29 is the annual Barracks Row Taste of 8th. Sponsored by Barracks Row Main Street, the tasty event goes from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information visit www.barracksrow.org.

Joselito Continues to Charm

At Senart’s Oyster & Chop House, oysters Rockefeller is a wonderful retro dish. Photo: Celeste McCall

112 H Hillrag.com

It’s been about three months since Joselito: Casa de Comidas arrived at 660 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Since then proprietors Javier Candon and Christiana Campos have hosted VIP guests and established a base of regulars. They have introduced chef David Sierra’s Menu del Dia, a prix-fixe lunch priced at $25, as well as dai-

ly specials. The three-course repast, which includes a glass of wine or a beer, is a great deal. At a recent lunch with my Red Hat group, I chose an intriguing salad of avocado, orange slices, jicama, tomatoes (unfortunately winter-vapid), and candied mango. My entree was skate wing, moist and flavorful with an oddly appealing texture. Other options include fish stew, hanger steak, roasted vegetables, and torrejas (Spanishstyle bread pudding). Joselito is open daily; call 202-930-6955 or visit www. joselitodc.com.

Toli Moli If you’re up for an exotic culinary adventure, try Toli Moli, a Burmese noodle and falooda eatery in Union Market. Falooda, a layered, parfaitlike melange, is a popular street snack in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, according to co-owner Jocelyn Law-Yone. The Mango Mogul, for example, is mango, rice noodle pudding, sorbet, almond milk, rosewater and of all things basil seeds. They offer luncheon specials. By the way, Toli Moli means “A little of this and a little of that.” Located at 1309 Fifth St. NE, Union Market is closed Mondays.

Cooking Demos Return to Eastern Market Eastern Market chef Jonathan Bardzik marks the return of spring with his first live cooking demonstration of the season, outside at the Market on Saturdays from 11-1. Starting his 6th season at the Market, Jonathan is known for his storytelling and farm-fresh, seasonal recipes. Join him for free tasting samples and recipe cards and tips on what’s looking fresh and delicious at the Market. His tent will be set up at the intersection of 7th and C Streets SE. For more information about Jonathan, new recipes each week, and his schedule of

monthly Eastern Market appearances, visit JonathanBardzik.com.

Dine ‘n’ Dash On June 7, from 6 to 10 p.m., Jose Andres’ Dine ‘n’ Dash will welcome celebs Andrew Zimmern and Ted Allen, and you. First buy your ticket at https:// dinendash.info and choose a restaurant (see list on the website). Then show up there at 6 p.m. on the night of the event. You’ll receive a wristband entitling you to eat and drink at other Penn Quarter restaurants. Tickets are $125 each ($380 VIP, which lets you into special restaurants and a glitzy reception afterwards). The fundraiser will benefit Jose’s World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that combats hunger and poverty.

Coming Soon Late next year, when its building is finished, look for the first offshoot of Union Square Cafe. Operated by Danny Meyer, who also has the ubiquitous Shake Shack, the Manhattan-based enterprise will occupy the ground level at 200 Massachusetts Ave. NW, part of the massive Capitol Crossing project that looms between Capitol Hill and Chinatown.

More… Dining Out for Life is on April 6. More than 100 local restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds to Food & Friends, a nonprofit that delivers meals, groceries, and nutrition counseling to persons with HIV/AIDS. For more info visit foodandfriends.org. Until next March, Matchboxfoodgroup is joining thousands of restaurants nationwide by donating 10 cents from every Matchbox pizza and 10 cents for every Ted’s Tart (up to $75,000) to raise funds for “No Kid Hungry.” For more information visit www.matchboxfoodgroup.com. u

April 2017 H 113

{arts and dining}

the wine girl Setting the Table for Spring

by Elyse Genderson

pring is a transitional season for wines. When the weather gets warmer and the mercury in the thermometer starts to climb, we start sipping on the patio and dining alfresco looking for light, elegant, and fresh wine styles. Look to zesty, dry, high-acid whites like Albariño, Txakolina, and Gruner Veltliner for a refreshing culinary treat. These tart and crisp whites are low-alcohol and are incredibly versatile and food-friendly. Pretty pink rosé, especially the light salmon-colored styles from Provence, are also ideal for the season. Weather should not be the only factor in dictating what to drink. Actually, your meal should be the driving force. After all, backyard grilling calls for a thick, juicy steak and a spicy, bold Cabernet Sauvignon to match. The weight and tannin structure of a wine (and not the color) are the most important factors in deciding what to drink in spring. The reds listed below are light-bodied enough to enjoy in the spring sunshine, yet structured enough to match grilled meats, burgers, and charcuterie.

tarine, green apple, and peach. Pair with sushi, vegetable crudités, and light cheeses.

Fourteen Spring Wines to Welcome the Season:

5. 2015 Quara Torrontés, Cafayate, Argentina ($11.99): Torrontés is Argentina’s answer to Sauvignon Blanc. It is indigenous to the country and boasts strong aromas of white flowers and tropical fruit like lychee, pineapple, and peach. There is a good deal of juicy acidity to round out the long finish. This Quara makes an ideal pairing with spicy Asian foods, Indian cuisine, and light seafood dishes.

1. 2014 Alex Gambal Bourgogne Chardonnay, Burgundy, France ($29.99): Alex Gambal is an American making wine in Burgundy. He left the world of real estate in the DC area to explore his passion for winemaking. White Burgundy is ultimate expression of Chardonnay. This bottle has just the right amount of oak to provide some weight and texture, without being overly heavy (or like drinking a stick of butter). It is balanced with juicy acidity and loaded with aromas of lemon, green apple, and pear. It is a beautiful foray into the world of white Burgundy, the gold standard of Chardonnay. 2. 2015 Forchir Pinot Grigio “Lamis,” Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy ($14.99): This golden hued Pinot Grigio hales form the Northeast corner of Italy in the Collio province between Austria and Slovenia. The high altitude, and cool climate creates crisp, bright, and zesty wines that express a sense of place. This Pinot Grigio has depth, complexity, and sensual aromas of lime, nec-

114 H Hillrag.com

3. 2015 Baigorri Blanco Barrica, Rioja, Spain ($29.99): A beautifully unique white Rioja made from Viura (90%) and Malvasía (10%), sourced exclusively from old vines in the villages of Samaniego, Navarides, and Leza Rioja Alavesa. Eight months of lees contact in small oak barrels creates a beautifully textured wine with roundness and structure. Golden in color, this wine offers intense aromas of exotic fruits, citrus, and bracing acidity. Creamy and complex on the palate this is a seriously elegant and balanced wine. 4. 2014 Domaine de Echardières Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine, Loire Valley, France (14.99): Zippy acidity, grapefruit, and lime zest dominate the aroma profile of this lovely 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. Dry and refreshing with hints of white flowers, this bottle is a tremendous value.

6. 2015 Brunn Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria ($13.99): A classic Gruner Veltliner offering beautiful notes of tart yellow apple, lemon zest, and pear with a light peppery finish. An outstanding value, this one-liter bottle is great for entertaining a crowd and outdoor picnics. 7. 2015 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvee Theo, Alsace, France ($34.99): Domaine Weinbach is considered one of the world’s most notable wineries. They were one of the first French producers to adopt the Biodynamic winemaking method in the 1980s. Before the tragic

and unexpected passing of Colette and her daughter Laurence Faller in 2015, the estate was run by Collette and her two daughters, Laurence and Catherine. The women took over in 1979 after the passing of Théo Faller, Colette’s husband. Laurence was considered one of the greatest winemakers of her time. Today, Catherine Faller, who oversees marketing and sales, and her son Théo, run the estate. Riesling is the perfect spring wine, and Weinbach Riesling offers mouthwatering, bracing acidity that keeps you coming back to your glass for more. Pair with seafood, spring salads, and poultry. 8. 2015 Brokenwood HV Semillion, Hunter Valley, Australia ($19.99): This is an outstanding springtime white wine offering notes of grass, lime, lemongrass, yellow peach, and chamomile on the nose and palate. Bright acidity and a long finish make this a perfect wine for quaffing on the terrace with a light Mediterranean pasta salad. 9. 2014 Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli, Getaría, Spain ($23.99): The vast proportion of Txakolina is consumed in the Basque country, with the United States being the biggest export market. These wines are light, simple, and low-alcohol – perfect for warm weather sipping. They offer lovely citrus notes, stony minerality, with a slightly salty finish. They make a wonderful match with shellfish. Txomin Etxaniz was established in 1930, but they have records dating all the way back to 1649, making them one of the first ever producers of Txakoli. 10. 2016 Terre de Mistral Rosalie Rosé, Provence, France ($19.99): This will be your favorite spring Rosé. It is perfumed with hints of strawberries, raspberries, rose petal, and hints of violet. It has juicy, refreshing acidity and good viscosity with a smooth texture, bone dry. 11. 2015 Barrique Cellars Grenache, Paso Robles,

Rated One of the Best Wine Shops by Washingtonian Magazine July “Best & Worst” Issue Listed in the Wall Street journal as one of the most enjoyable places to shop for wines nationwide.

Voted “Best Liquor Store” and “Best Wine Selection” an unprecedented FIVE years in a row by the City Paper

California ($19.99): Bold, bright, and clean with notes of red raspberry fruit, clove, and white pepper spice bursting from the glass. Look for a lovely and savory hint of black licorice on the nose. Well-balanced with bracing acidity and soft tannins make this wine easy to pair with a wide array of cuisines from American barbecue to Asian fare. 12. 2013 Cascina Adelaide Barbera d’Alba Mie Donne ($15.99): This is a delightful, light-bodied red with so much zesty acidity that it makes a brilliant accompaniment to almost any cuisine. It’s so refreshing that it will make your mouth salivate, stimulate your appetite, and enhance your meal. It is accessible, delightful, and loaded with tart red cherry flavors. 13. 2014 Bodega de Abad Sierra Iberica Mencía, Bierzo, Spain ($19.99): Mencía is a medium-bodied red wine with lovely floral notes and bright red fruit flavors. This rustic bottling offers notes of pomegranate, tart cherry, strawberry, and black licorice. Pair this with a juicy burger all season long.

Our Mixed Case of the Month features hand selected wines from across the world that change according to the seasons and are priced up to 50% off the regular retail price. Purchase as many assorted cases as you like and get additional wines as the listed sale prices. April Mixed Case Special! 7 Reds, 5 Whites

Retail: $320.88 | Sale: $220.88 | Mixed Case Club Price: $140.99 (an additional 30% off!) Purchase as many mixed cases as you like. Additional wines are available at the listed SALE prices.

wine

NV 2015 2015 2015 2014 2011 2006 2014 2011 2013 2014 2015

Fritz Muller Secco Muller Thurgau Dry NV Trocard Bordeaux Blanc. . . . . . . . . Escudo Real Vinho Verde . . . . . . . . Cuvee de Penya Viognier . . . . . . . . Terra do Castelo Godello . . . . . . . . Cascabel Compose Mclaren Vale . . . . . Macrae Family Winery Cabernet . . . . Bogle Essential Red . . . . . . . . . . Calstar Cellars Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast . Stylo Old Vine Grenache . . . . . . . . Telios Cabernet Sauvignon . . . . . . . Barrique Cellars Grenache. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

View descriptions of the wines at www.cellar.com

. . . . . . . . . . . .

reg.

$16.99 $17.99 $12.99 $11.99 $19.99 $22.99 $69.99 $17.99 $49.99 $19.99 $19.99 $39.99

sale.

$13.99 $12.99 $9.99 $9.99 $14.99 $19.99 $29.99 $11.99 $24.99 $14.99 $16.99 $19.99

T H I S M O N T H! “One of the Best Wine Stores in the Country is Right Here on Capitol Hill” SELECTION The country’s most complete range of spirits, beer & wine. Our old and rare wine list is the most extensive anywhere, and it’s in your neighborhood. PRICING We will not be undersold. Come see for yourself. SERVICE Second to none, with seven full time wine specialists to assist you. Come in and be treated like family!

300 Massachusetts Ave., NE • www.cellar.com 1-800-377-1461 • 202-543-9300 • fax: 202-546-6289

14. 2012 Nugan Estate Alcira Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, Australia ($24.99): Enticing dark fruit aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry mixed with a hint of mint and eucalypts mingle with earth and spice. The red sandy terra rossa soil of the Coonawarra region creates intense dark fruit tones and velvety tannins. Elyse Genderson is the HBIC at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill. Visit her at the store to discover wines you love. u

April 2017 H 115

{arts and dining}

Charlotte Rampling (left) and Jim Broadbent confer in “The Sense of an Ending”; Photo Credit: Robert Viglasky

At the Movies

Two Slices of British Pie: One Touching and Tasty, a Second Nervy and Nasty by Mike Canning ‘The Sense of an Ending’ Julian Barnes’ “The Sense of an Ending” won the Man Booker Prize as the best English-language novel of 2011. It features an unreliable narrator, Tony Webster, who finds a piece of his past interrupting his unremarkable life. Whether such a novel can work as a film is a good question, and the just-released British movie that takes it on makes a decent effort. (Now in theaters, the film is rated PG-13 and runs 108 minutes.) The film revolves around Tony (Jim Broadbent), an ordinary retiree whose ex-wife Margaret (Harriet Walter) remains a friend and confidante. He is content running a vintage camera shop and is involved in the life of his daughter Susie (Michelle Dockery), a lesbian pregnant with her first child. The arrival of a lawyer’s letter triggers a major flashback by informing Tony that one Sarah Ford (Emily Mortimer), the mother of a college lover,

116 H Hillrag.com

Veronica, has bequeathed him some documents including a diary. The flashbacks – interspersed with present-day scenes – return him to his 1960s school days and his involvement with the intellectually gifted Adrian (Joe Alwyn) and Veronica Ford (Freya Mavor), at whose family home he spends an awkward weekend. During their university days, their relationship ends, and Tony (played by Billy Howle as a young man) receives word from Adrian that he is dating Veronica. Tony replies in a vindictive letter only to learn later that the sensitive young man has committed suicide and left a diary. Back in the present, Tony wonders if his letter triggered Adrian’s death and seeks to learn what happened to his old flame through Adrian’s diary. He is able to reestablish contact with the older Veronica (played by Charlotte Rampling), but a distance remains between them. His daughter deliv-

ers a grandchild, but his attempts to reconnect with Veronica fail, though he does learn a shocking revelation about the Fords. This most English of material is crafted by Ritesh Barta, an Indian director who tasted commercial success with his first feature made in Mumbai, “The Lunchbox” (2013). Some of that film’s lovingly contained passion is evident in this film, and a calculated underplaying seems right for what is a restrained domestic mystery. Barnes’ novel, however esteemed, for this reviewer displayed a dry, unsympathetic mood, principally because of its pedestrian narrator. The script of “The Sense of an Ending” by playwright Nick Payne has the benefit of being delivered by a fine ensemble of English actors who give fully rounded life to Barnes’ characters. Some of them are barely used, like Mortimer and Matthew Goode (in a cameo), but especially distinctive is the great Jim Broad-

bent as Tony. Unlike the irresolute Tony of Barnes’ novel, Broadbent offers the avuncular presence of a decent chap who tries to do his best with his lot, given what he tries to deal with. Broadbent is so sympathetic an actor that he inevitably lends sympathy to a person trying to find answers about his life. His principal female co-stars, Walter and Rampling, provide him an added dimension as a man either worthy of such sympathy (Margaret) – or not (Veronica). This movie is an exemplar of what the British might call standard muddling-through. Not flashy but still fulfilling.

‘T2 Trainspotting’ For another side of contemporary Great Britain try “T2 Trainspotting,” director Danny Boyle’s update on his four Scottish louts from the original “Trainspotting” (1996). The first film was a wild ride through the Edinburgh underclass and drug scene. Its reputation has grown over the years as a landmark shocker in British cinema for its tawdry subject matter and its disjointed, often frenzied storytelling. It also transformed the careers of its four leads. Besides Ewan McGregor as Mark Fenton, “Trainspotting” introduced Jonny Lee Miller (as Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson), Ewen Bremner (“Spud” Murphy), and Robert Carlisle (Francis “Franco” Begbie), as respectively a handsome street hustler, an unremitting junkie, and a living temper tantrum. All are longer in the tooth in “T2” but retain their individual natures 20 years on. (The film runs 118 minutes and earns a hard “R” rating.) Mark has returned home, after 15 years living a semi-normal

30,000 HILL RESIDENTS COULD BE SEEING YOUR AD RIGHT NOW! To advertise, contact Laura 202.400.3510 or laura@hillrag.com

660 Pennsylvania Ave SE 1718 14th St. NW Union Market www.peregrineespresso.com April 2017 H 117

ARE YOU SLEEPING WITH A PSYCHOPATH!

Local author, Sandra Craig, captivates the reader with this romantic thriller, set on Capitol Hill, D.C., with a complex plot involving romance, mystery, murder and intrigue. ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY! 118 H Hillrag.com

life in Amsterdam, to deal with the death of his mum. Simon runs a shabby saloon and makes a living off sexual blackmail using a Bulgarian tart, Veronika (Anjela Nedyalkova). Spud has lost a wife and family to his habit and contemplates suicide. Franco is doing a 25-year stretch in the slammer and has just been denied parole. Though Spud, the softest of the original crew, has no bone to pick with Mark, both Simon and Franco – once they learn that Markie’s back in town – want revenge after he ran out on them with £16,000 from a big drug sale. It doesn’t take long for the one-time mates to drift back into each others’ orbit. Mark re-bonds with Spud after saving his life and reconnects with Simon over their boyhood pasts, while furious Franco escapes from prison to get back at Mark. What people remember from the original “Trainspotting” was its pell-mell pace, with the boys constantly running away from authorities or themselves, getting beaten up, or beating themselves up, often shot in jump cuts accompanied by pounding music. It also became notorious for a wretch-worth toilet scene that few can put out of their mind. Boyle’s anarchic style, which also contained moments of reflection and macho humor, became a model for subsequent tales of wayward British youth. Boyle, who went on to make films such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “127 Hours,” here revisits his rollicking style, and there are no surprises when the four lads revert to their old ways, becoming, as one character says, “tourists in their own youth.” They have “grown” little in two decades. There is some leavening of their coarseness in “T2 Trainspotting”: more family life is depicted, with even out-of-control Franco given some domestic moments

with his wife and son, and the Bulgarian is a true wild card, a streetwise young woman who assesses the four as the little boys they are. There are lovely set pieces too, as when Simon and Mark exult over their longtime soccer passions, or when the two demurely suit up to apply for an EU business loan. What doesn’t change is their language. For those with sensitive ears the dialogue is a constant stream of obscenities, a few of which cannot help but be funny. If you want to get down with some Scottish sleaze, this is your picture.

Short Takes “Land of Mine,” a nominee for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film, is a post-World War II story of young German POWs under Danish command defusing seaside bombs. It is an excellent combination of idyllic and taut: idyllic when showing the gorgeous sweep of the west Danish landscape and intensely taut in scenes when callow youngsters must defuse mines. You anxiously wait for the inevitable explosions that occur, but almost all of them are judiciously handled off camera or at a distance. As the Danish sergeant in command, Roland Moller is very fine, talking tough but gradually softening toward his (pardon the expression) youthful charges. “Beauty and the Beast” is a Disney conversion of its beloved animated film (from 1991) into a live action fairytale that could have been a disaster, but the new production is a beautifully mounted, handsome one, graced by a bevy of mostly fine British actors, led by a grownup Emma Watson as Belle and a hidden Dan Stevens as the Hairy One. The familiar songs are there, with a few new ones added, and the whole spectacle swirls with abandon and high spirits. Rated PG, it’s okay for kids nine and up. u

April 2017 H 119

he hands … watch the hands. They guide you to the eyes – the compelling gateway to Fierce Sonia’s personal exploration of the mysterious forces of nature. Once you enter, the visual voices lead you to navigate the explosive colors, intricate patterns, and swirling graphic echoes that move you through the images and further into the story.

It is not a literal narrative; it’s about feelings. Each work mirrors what Sonia is feeling at the time. If the image is complex, it’s because emotions and opinions are complex. Sonia’s intro to art was as an artist’s model. She became a physical presence in the work of every artist or photographer in the room. It

by Jim Magner

artandthecity

Artist Portrait: Fierce Sonia

allowed her to learn from every artist in the room … selectively. She began her own love of art with photography, often selfportrait figure studies, essential to her female chronicles. As the narratives advanced so did the complexity of the work. She introduced painted backgrounds and layers of photo fragments, cutouts from fashion magazines, and everything from candy wrappers to fortune cookies to build collages. That brought a greater freedom of imagination and the ability to invent forms that give the story power. Sonia loves legends with universal appeal. They are often traditional fairytales, but she champions female superheroes as well. She works primarily in series. It could be queens or mermaids, or maybe childhood memories. She has a series of her five aunts. She depicts them symbolically through her own emotional views and connections. The name Fierce Sonia is both a privacy screen and her “inspiration of fearlessness,” the battle standard of her expedition into an inner space without boundaries. Sonia grew up in Alexandria. She has a teaching degree from Virginia Tech but came back to her true love, the Torpedo Factory. You can find her in Studio 5. www.fiercesonia.com

Jim Magner’s Thoughts on Art

How do you become a professional artist, especially when your parents wanted you to become a doctor, a lawyer, or a hedge fund manager? I suspect that there are almost as many stories as there are artists, but they tend to fall into three general categories. Art major. Like most kids, art majors drew all the time or loved coloring books or made funny clay things from an early Mixed media collage and acrylic paint on wood panel, by Fierce Sonia

120 H Hillrag.com

age, sometimes better than the other kids. They got praise from family (taped on grandma’s refrigerator) and a nod of approval from the popular kids. Or they chose art because they were worse at other subjects. For me, entering college, it was either art or journalism, but art had fewer math requirements. Escape. It’s interesting how many artists started out as something else. They escaped from some higher-paid but less satisfying profession. How many lawyers really want to be artists? How many dentists want to be sculptors? My son Brian majored in math

Mixed media collage and acrylic on wood panel.

and physics but turned to 3-D animation. Accidental. You take an adult art class and discover that you’re pretty good at it. Or you take photos on family trips and get better and better, maybe take some classes. Your company needs someone to do layouts for the newsletter and is too cheap to pay a pro, so you eventually become one. However, Fierce Sonia had her own way. She started as a model at the Art League in Alexandria and became a captive of creativity and connecting visually with others. There is so much she wants to say, and so many ways to say it. Sonia finds words inadequate so she lets her works speak for her, not for clarification but as a way of expressing the strength and mystery of the female spirit. Beautifully.

At the Galleries “The Hill Rag’s Art and the City” Hill Center Galleries – Old Naval Hospital 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE Through April 30 After a terrific opening reception on March 8, the show of the 12 artists that were “REvisited” in this column in 2016 continues through April. The range of ideas, theories, and techniques is truly exciting. They are top professionals and recognized leaders in their respective fields: Alan Braley, Tom Bucci, Tati Kaupp, Matt Sesow, Jan Kern, Andrei Kushnir, Anne Marchand, Ellen Cornett, Dana Ellyn, Patrick Campbell, Barbara Nuss, and Bruce McNeil. My artist profiles are posted with each artist’s exhibit, as well as excerpts from my “Thoughts” about the themes and subjects of their work. This is not to be missed. You won’t see a show of this quality and stunning professionalism again. The show is sponsored by the Hill Rag. www.hillcenterdc.org Pam Rogers Capitol Hill Art League 545 Seventh St. SE Mixed media collage, acrylic on wood panel, by Fierce Sonia Through April 18, Reception: Fri., April 7, 5-7 p.m. bers. It’s an all-media exhibition and opens on With “Botanica Magnifica” Pam Rogers, April 22 with wine, cheese, and brief comments CHAL’s Artist in Residence, is creating an instalby the juror. This is always a delightful opportunilation “that is sculptural in form.” It’s mounted ty to talk to the artists and get personal insights in throughout the gallery. Like all of Pam’s work it is to their methods and purposes. open and filled with light. And topical. She makes her pigments and sculpture materials from wherever she is. It’s all about how we connect with a particular place and with the planet. Pam is creating narrative scrolls and largescale paper works in the gallery, so you will have a chance to see the process, watch them develop from start to finish. She is available to engage with visitors on multiple weekdays and Saturdays. For the schedule see www.chaw.org or call 202-547-6839. “This Earth” Capitol Hill Art League 545 Seventh St. SE Opening: Sat., April 22, 5- 7 p.m. This is CHAL’s spring show of local CHAL mem-

“Being bold for change” Studio 5 Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union St., Alexandria, Va. Through April 17 “Three bold female artists stand with all women to be bold for change.” Mixed-media artist Fierce Sonia, painter Barbara Muth, and studio guest photographer Julie Patrick are certainly bold in their approaches to form, color, and ideas. A Capitol Hill artist and writer, Jim can be reached at Artandthecity05@aol.com. His award-winning book, “A Haunting Beauty,” can be acquired through www. ahauntingbeauty.com. u

April 2017 H 121

the

LITERARY HILL

A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events

by Karen Lyon The Gentleman from Ohio Louis Stokes shined shoes in Depressionera Cleveland to help supplement his mother’s income as a maid. “We were poor as poor and we knew it,” he writes. But his mother encouraged him and his brother Carl to “get something in your head. Be somebody!” And they did. Carl became the first black mayor of a major American city, and Louis went on to become a criminal defense lawyer and a representative in the US Congress, where he served for 30 years. As he relates in his posthumous autobiography, “The Gentleman from Ohio,” Louis Stokes was one of only six African-Americans when he was elected to the House. As part of an “historic cohort,” he felt that he had not only a mandate to serve his district, but also “an obligation to reach out and represent black people wherever they were.” That duty defined his long and distinguished career. As a lawyer he addressed school inequality and police brutality and argued the case before the US Supreme Court that established rules for stop-and-frisk procedures. In the Congress he became the first black member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, chairing a subcommittee where he tackled racial disparities in healthcare. He also strove to maintain respectful and collegial relationships with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. That changed with the election of Newt Gingrich as speaker of the House, whose leadership ushered in a “poisonous” atmosphere that ended an era of “functional bipartisanship.” No longer wanting to “work in a place where ill will and anger were the order of the day,” Representative Stokes retired in 1999. On his final day in the House, members were still lined up to speak after three hours of tributes to him and his service. “As I walked out the door for the last time,” he writes, “I thought, what a true honor this has been.” Louis Stokes died in 2015 at age 90, just days after finishing work on “The Gentleman from Ohio.” His daughter Lori, who grew up in DC, is an award-winning journalist who got her start at WJLA-TV. She is now a news anchor for WABC in New York City but will return to DC to talk about her father and his book at the BookFest.

122 H Hillrag.com

scalding vapors. Never mind that drinking the finished product can make you sick, blind, or dead. Despite the risks, however, moonshine has been a pervasive part of human societies for thousands of years, with government revenuers always struggling to keep up. It holds a special place in America’s cultural ethos, from Prohibition gangsters to the Dukes of Hazzard. Kosar covers it all, right up to the present day when boutique distilleries are churning out “haute-hillbilly” craft spirits. Civil rights lawyer and US Representative Louis Stokes Beautifully illustrated with artwork shares his inspiring life story in and photographs, this slim volume is ala posthumous autobiography. most too elegant for its earthy subject matter. In smooth, lively prose, Kosar presents a wealth of fascinating facts, history, and anA World of Moonshine ecdotes – and he even includes recipes. A The Irish call it potcheen. The Russians guzzle Moonshine Mojito, anyone? samogon. In Kenya it’s called chang’aa (translaKevin Kosar is also the author of “Whiskey: A tion: “Kill me quickly”). And in parts of this counGlobal History” and has written and edited Alcotry you can buy yourself a jug of white lightning (if holReviews.com for nearly 20 years. Come meet you know the right people). Whatever you call it, him at the BookFest! it’s an illegally produced alcoholic spirit intended to get you drunk. Fast. Baseball for Girls In “Moonshine: A Global History” author When his two girls were younger, Michael TurnKevin R. Kosar tries to get to the bottom of the lier couldn’t find any children’s picture books that quor’s “enduring allure.” He discovers that the anconnected dads, daughters, and baseball – so he swer varies from culture to culture, whether it’s “a wrote his own. The result is “Baseball Is Back,” a way to thumb one’s nose at government taxes and delightful storybook that sets out the rules of the regulation,” a rebellious thrill, or simply “a cheap game in rhyme. way to get severely intoxicated.” He evokes the sights and smells of the ballFor some, the making of moonshine reprepark (popcorn!), shares some personal memories, sents a technological challenge, and Kosar deand even works in Yogi Berra, Willie Mays, and a scribes the process, which can result in being whole teamful of famous players. Warm, colorful blown up, overcome by gases, or sprayed with illustrations lend spirit and whimsy to the action.

Kevin Kosar reveals everything you ever wanted to know about the world’s most popular DIY booze.

Turner is clearly a huge fan of baseball, but he loves his daughters even more. “Here are some memories and rules of the game,” he writes. “Perhaps you will love it like me – just the same. / And maybe you won’t or maybe you will. / I will love you the same, yes, I’ll love you still.” Michael Turner is a Navy veteran and foreign affairs professional who lives on the Hill with his wife and three kids, who all love going to baseball games. Catch him at the BookFest on May 7.

On the Hill in April East City Bookshop hosts the ECB Fiction Book Club, discussing “Orphan Train” by Christina Bak-

A dad explains the game he loves to his daughters, assuring them that baseball also belongs to them.

er Kline, April 3, 6:30 p.m.; Ruthanna Emrys, Press” with Dr. Carla Hayden, the newly apauthor of “Winter Tide,” April 5, 6:30 p.m.; pointed Librarian of Congress, April 11, 7 p.m. Thomas Dilworth, author of “David Jones,” Free but register at www.hillcenterdc.org or April 12, 6:30 p.m.; Reality Literature, discuss202-549-4172. ing “March: Book 1,” by John Lewis, Andrew The Library of Congress presents two Aydin, and Nate Powell, April 26, 6:30 p.m.; Books and Beyond readings with Larrie D. FerIan Johnson, author of “The Souls of China,” reiro, author of “Brothers at Arms: American April 17, 6:30 p.m.; Meredith Wadman, author Independence and Men of France and Spain of “The Vaccine Race,” April 21, 6:30 p.m.; Who Saved It,” April 11, noon, and Jonathan and East City Bookshop’s One-Year AnniversaWhite, author of “The Science and Spirit of ry and Independent Bookstore Day, April 29, the Ocean,” April 20, noon; ”Fiction, Faith, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. eastcitybookshop.com and the Imagination,” a panel discussion with Folger Shakespeare Library presents “The authors/scholars Geraldine Books, Paul HardDisplaced,” a PEN/Faulkner Fiction reading ing, Steven Knapp, Alan Lightman, and 2016 with authors Laila Lalami, Library of Congress Prize Luis Urrea, and Shobha for American Fiction winRao, April 7, 7:30 p.m.; the ner Marilynne Robinson, O.B. Hardison Poetry Board April 3, 7 p.m.; and “Conreading with Jane Hirshversations with African Poets field, April 17, 7:30 p.m.; and Writers” with South Afthe Shakespeare’s Birthday rican author and 2016 Caine Open House (free), April Prize winner Lidudumalin23, 12-4 p.m.; and the Shakegani Mqombothi, April 12, speare’s Birthday Lecture noon. www.loc.gov. with Michael Witmore on Smithsonian Associates’ “The Wonder of Will” (free), four-part series “Reading the April 24, 7 p.m. Tickets and Gilded Age Authors” contininformation at 202-544-7077 ues with Theodore Dreiser’s or www.folger.edu. “Sister Carrie,” April 10, 6:45 The Hill Center presp.m.; and offers “Jane AusDon’t miss this year’s BookFest at Eastern Market on May 7, 11 ents “Life of a Poet” with ten: From the Parlor to Polia.m.-3 p.m., with local writers, Dana Levin and moderatics,” with scholar Carol Ann publishers, booksellers, and activities for the kids. Plus Poets’ tor Ron Charles, editor of Lloyd-Stanger, April 27, 6:45 Corner @Tunnicliff’s at 3 p.m. The Washington Post’s Book p.m. www.smithsonianassoFollow us at literaryhillbookWorld, April 4, 7 p.m.; and ciates.org u fest.org and on social media @ literaryhill. a “Talk of the Hill with Bill

April 2017 H 123

The Poetic Hill

by Karen Lyon

. Ethelbert Miller has been a DC poet and literary activist for nearly five decades. His important contribution to the local literary scene was recognized in April 2015 with his induction into the Washington, DC. Hall of Fame. The author of several collections of poems and two memoirs, his most recent publication is “The Collected Poems of E. Ethelbert Miller,” which brings together more than 300 poems representing his artistic journey. When he recently posted the poem below on Facebook, hundreds of people shared it. The response, he says, was “amazing.”

This Is What I Want to Tell You In the morning some of us will be missing. Some of us never came home. Some of us were rounded up and taken away. Some of us disappeared. Some of us said nothing. Some of us said it didn’t matter. Some of us didn’t care.

1025 FIRST ST SE 202.652.1009 IN THE VELOCITY CONDO BUILDING

“OFFICIAL NATIONALS BAR OF 106.7” CHECK OUT OUR PROGRESSIVE HAPPY HOUR EVERY MONDAY-FRIDAY 4-8PM

All of us are strangers. All of us will be taken. All of us are crying. All of us are angry. This is what I wanted to tell you. This is how it begins. Every ending begins with someone. Every beginning begins with us.

WATCH A GAME WITH US...

We can stop this. We can stop this now.

HALF PRICED WINE NIGHT

This is how it begins. Not with some of us but with all of us.

With 5 flat screen TV’s we carry both the MLB Game Package as well as NHL Center Ice, so you can be sure to catch every game!! Every Monday Justin’s offers half priced wine bottles to neighborhood residents.

JOIN US FOR TRIVIA NIGHT!

Live trivia every Tuesday Night at 8pm. Winner gets a $50 gift certificate to Justin’s Café. 124 H Hillrag.com

This is how it begins. It begins slowly like air. It begins invisible like fear. It begins like rain before clouds. It begins when listening is no longer heard. It begins when blood is red like eyes. It begins with silence breaking into pieces.

This is what I wanted to tell you. Now tell someone else. If you would like to have your poem considered for publication, please send it to klyon@literaryhillbookfest.org. (There is no remuneration.) u

MORE THAN 40 LOCAL AUTHORS:

Y A D N U S

MAAMY- 3 P7M

Jonathan Bardzik Louis Bayard Karen Branan Carol Booker J.N. Childress Christopher Datta Courtney Davis Hayes Davis Terry Cross Davis Charles Free Samuel Fromartz

11 NORTEHRN HMAARKLELT! OF EAST

with finanity News, Inc., Foundapital Commun ity Ca un by d mm re Co so l Hill Spon m the Capito other local fro t d or an , pp nd su l Fu l cia ria ael Fry Memo icliff ’s Tavern tion, The Mich anks to Tunn with special th contributors,

Bill Gourgey Patricia Gray Jack Healey Katy Kelly Kevin Kosar Marc Levinson Nick Mann Laura Krauss Melmed Richard Neal Terry Nicholetti Jean Nordhaus

Garrett Peck Quintin Peterson Robert Pohl Richard Rashke Frederick Reuss Kim Roberts Mark Schapiro Colleen Shogan Kathleen Smith Louise Farmer Smith Lori Stokes

Yermiyahu Taub Neely Tucker Michael Turner John Wennersten and Denise Robbins E.J. Wenstrom Tychia White Ken Wilcox Tom Zaniello

PLUS: Capitol Hill Writers Group DC Public Library East City Bookshop Green Kids Press The Hill Center Library of Congress Magination Press

PEN/Faulkner Riverby Books Ruka Press Shoutmouse Press Women’s National Book Association and many more exhibitors and vendors

AUTHOR TALKS: 11:15 11:45

12:30 1:00 1:30 2:00 2:30

Karen Branan (The Family Tree) Capitol Hill Mysteries: Colleen Shogan (Homicide in the House), Neely Tucker (Only the Hunted Run), & Bill Gourgey (Capitol Kid) Louise Farmer Smith (Cadillac, Oklahoma) The Michael Fry Memorial Talk on Local History: Charles Free (Bygone Days) Cheers!: Kevin Kosar (Moonshine: A Global History) and Garrett Peck (Capital Beer) Breaking Barriers: Carol Booker (Alone Atop the Hill) and Lori Stokes (The Gentleman from Ohio) E.J. Wenstrom (Mud)

POETS’ CORNER @ T U N N IC L IF F ’ S 3PM on the patio at Tunnicliff’s Tavern across from Eastern Market Readings by noted local poets followed by open-mic poetry readings (sign up at the poetry table at the BookFest or, after 3pm, at Tunnicliff’s)

w w w. l i tera r yhi l l b o ok fe s t. o rg Connect with us on social media @theliteraryhill April 2017 H 125

We are excited to announce that Conteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bike Shop is NOW OPEN at the Yards in Washington, DC! Just like the other Conteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s locations, this location in the Yards will offer bicycles and accessories from prominent brands such as Giant, Liv, Cannondale, BMC, Handsome, Biria and more. Our DC location will also stock electric bikes from Stromer, Cannondale, and Giant.

1331 4th Street, SE, Suite 107 Washington, DC 20003 202-558-9866 www.contebikes.com Other nearby locations:

Arlington: 3449 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201 Falls Church: 7121 Leesburg Pike Suite 101 Falls Church, VA 22043 126 H Hillrag.com

{health & fitness}

Let’s Get Physical Be Your Own CEO

by Stacy Peterson, MS, CNS, CSCS

ooking for a boutique boxing gym that is friendly and not intimidating? Are you interested in a motivating and fun place to call home for your weekly workouts? Nuboxx Fitness, Capitol Hill’s new boxing gym at 701 Second St. NE, offers a wide range of boxing classes for individuals of all levels and ages. You’ll receive your individualized, heart-pounding workout while focusing on technically sound boxing and training techniques that help you keep in shape and reach your personal health goals. I had the pleasure of being coached by Will, a former mixed martial arts (MMA) amateur boxer, throughout one of Nuboxx’s boxing conditioning classes. From warmup to warm-down we engaged in agility drills, boxing techniques with and without the bag, and core strengthening exercises, in addition to having the opportunity to take turns punching at Will’s mitts. This being my first boxing class, I appreciated the individualized attention and instant feedback on my technique. Transferring from Will’s mitts back to the bag, I could make corrections in my punching technique. Chris, one of Nuboxx’s clients, is thrilled to call Nuboxx his workout home. “Everyone at Nuboxx is open, friendly, and easy to connect with, which has made me feel comfortable every time I walk in the door,” he explained. Nuboxx’s clean atmosphere and open lounge area are inviting too. For Chris, Nuboxx provides focus during workouts, helping to make his personal health and fitness goals a reality. “As a working professional, I need something that gets me the results I want while keeping in mind my busy work schedule and limited time,”

Speed rope and core work in Boxing Conditioning. Photos: NUBOXX:

he remarked. One excellent aspect, among many, of these boxing workouts is the beauty of being present. Workouts enable you to focus on technique and what you are doing in present time. You forget about aspects of life that might be troubling. By enjoying the movements, music, and laughter with other enthusiasts you gain a sense of stress relief. “Being so unplugged helps to recover and deal with outside stressors and things life throws at you,” stated founder and owner Rachel Snider. Snider started Nuboxx due to her passion for boxing and her desire to create an enjoyable boxing environment. “Boxing was becoming a new fun workout around the country, but DC was lacking it,” she said. After three years in the making, with a lot of work, Nuboxx has officially opened. Nuboxx is a believer in you should be your own CEO – an acronym for “Conquer” whatever life throws at you,

April 2017 H 127

Conquer. Evolve. Outperform. #BeYourOwnCEO ABOVE: Mitt work with Head Coach Eric Buckner. RIGHT: Member Chris Vance, hitting the heavy bag in Technical Boxing. Photos: NUBOXX

701 2ND ST NE NOW OPEN! SIGN UP AT

NU BOXXFIT N ESS.CO M

FIRST CLASS FREE with code “HR17”

128 H Hillrag.com

“Evolve” into the best form of yourself, and “Outperform” in all aspects of life. “Be your own CEO” pertains to your workout and to all areas of life. “In the gym you are pretty much fighting yourself,” stated Snider. Essentially it’s about being your best and continuing to strive to be your best. And by putting yourself around other like-minded individuals who want to be their best, you too will grow more within yourself, becoming

better each day. You deserve it. After all, there is only one you. #BEYOUROWNCEO The small group classes, capped at 12, provide an intimate workout experience for those of all levels and abilities. Those like me who have no boxing experience are welcome no matter the shape, size, or location in the boxing journey. Nuboxx focuses on providing great workouts and teaching wonderful skill sets that are going to enhance individual strengths. Nuboxx opened last month and had its friendly grand opening on Saturday, March 18, with free classes, giveaways, and samples from Arbonne, Role Tea, and Gouter. If you are on the fence about joining Nuboxx, I recommend attending one of the classes as your first one is free. What do you have to lose? Nuboxx offers technical boxing, boxing conditioning, 30/30, and strength and conditioning workouts. You can find more information about workouts, times, and coaches at www.nuboxxfitness.com, or stop by and talk with the friendly and welcoming staff. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be happy to meet you. Stacy Peterson, MS Human Nutrition & Functional Medicine, CNS, CSCS, is a functional nutritionist, holistic health coach, and strength and conditioning coach practicing whole-foods nutrition and physical training to individuals of all ages on the Hill. She provides an integrative approach critical to everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthcare and performance team. For recipes, nutrition ideas, and exercise tips sign up for her monthly newsletter at www.accelerationsports.net. Connect with Stacy by email, stacy@accelerationsports. net, or by calling 805-704-7193 for a free 15-minute consultation to ask questions, and discuss how she can help you achieve your digestion, overall health, and fitness goals. u

Chiropractic Ease Pain

Experience - Talent - Results CALL OR STOP BY TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

MICHAEL ANTHONY

SALON

202.506.3609 H 661 C ST SE, 2ND FL.

60-year old male arrived in our office with bad localized neck and arm pain and an MRI describing surprisingly advanced neck arthritis. Gentle chiropractic neck adjustments relieve the pain very easily, very nicely in spite of gloomy prognosis.

or book online:

www.MichaelAnthonySalonDC.com

on THE

For the better health and life experience of you and your family

Hill

Dr. David Walls-Kaufman

Sharon L. Bernier

Capitol Hill Chiropractic Center 411 East Capitol St., SE | 202.544.6035

RN, PhD Psychotherapy Individuals & Couples

202-544-6465

Read More About This Subject On www.capitolhillchiropractic.com Serving The Capitol Hill Community Since 1984 April 2017 H 129

{health and fitness}

The New Sport & Health

New Life is Injected Into the Old Results Gym

alls have been torn down, work stations have been erected, new floors have been laid and new equipment fills the rooms at the Sport & Health Club on G Street SE. “We’ve improved the cardio room, created a beautiful and large mind/ body studio, designed a new functional training space and a multi-station functional training cage, and enlarged our weight room on

by Pattie Cinelli the third floor,” said Chang Yi, general manager. “We’ve also installed new flooring and a mural in the spin room with technologically advanced spin bikes.” If you’ve ever visited the former Results Gym, you couldn’t help but notice the uniqueness of the building. Giddings Elementary School closed decades ago and had been left abandoned by the city until it was converted into a gym in 2000. “It is a historic building. It’s one of a kind. We have so much

space,” said Chang. I’ve worked at the gym since it opened. In the ‘old days’ we were a family. We were neighbors. We could learn about what was happening in the neighborhood. Members and staff worked out together, socialized and had a good time getting fit. Under the Sports & Health management, I feel much of that comradery and excitement is being revitalized. “Much of the renovations are the natural evolution of the gym,” said Ben Fidler,

Photos: Sport & Health

130 H Hillrag.com

fitness director. “Some of the improvements are the way a gym should grow. Others are inspired by our goal to deliver the ultimate fitness experience to every member, every time.”

Building Renovations Some of us ‘old timers’ have been skeptical of the efficacy of the changes. Change is often hard to handle. When I watched workmen tear down the basketball hoops I couldn’t imagine the gym without them even though the basketball court was empty a large percentage of the time. “We were sad to see the children from Capitol Hill Day School leave,” said Chang. “But I understand they have found another space to rent for their physical education classes.” Now I train most of my clients in the new functional fitness room (see Hill Rag, February 2017 issue) which can have a boot camp class going on, trainers training clients and members working out on circuit machines all at the same time. Not only has the wall been torn down between the cardio room and the former abs class room on the first floor but also modern cardio equipment has been added. We have virtual treadmills that make running in different locales possible. We also have the LateralX-- a cross trainer that offers adjustable movement that transitions from a vertical stepping motion to a lateral motion for greater challenge and results. There are new stationary bikes. The Kids Club (babysitting) has been upgraded as well. “We put in new flooring, new cribs, new toys and more infant rockers,” said Chang. On the second floor the former circuit room and Pilates studio have been combined into a Mind/Body studio. Now yoga students can comfortably practice on a new bamboo floor and on new mats in a room twice the size of the studio on the first floor. On the third floor more squat

machines have been added where the rock wall once stood. The next phase of renovation will be the locker rooms. Chang said Sport & Health has submitted plans to the city for a permit to begin work updating both to include new floors, lockers, vanities and upgrades to the steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools and showers.

Program Additions Both the personal training program and the group exercise program are also being rejuvenated. The whole club has installed new computers, and staff and trainers are getting used to logging in our work hours, our personal training sessions and class attendance. Sport & Health has even utilized the once cluttered gym basement. Krav Maga, a martial arts program, has rented the facility for its classes. Zumba classes are returning and Les Mill’s Body Pump classes are coming. We also are starting small group training classes called ‘Explosive Performance’ for all ages and levels of fitness. Sport & Health has also incorporated a new nutrition program called Power Supply, meals that are nutrient dense made from responsibly sourced meats, veggies, fruits, nuts and healthy fats with no gluten or dairy. The meals are table-ready, crafted by local chefs and delivered to the gym for pick-up. Sport & Health has been on the Hill less than a year. The club is still evolving, growing and changing. If you’d like to learn more about the changes, stop by for a visit, call: 202234-5678 or log onto: www.sportandhealth.com. Pattie Cinelli is a holistic personal trainer who also teaches yoga, Pilates and barre classes. She has been writing her health and fitness column for more than 25 years. Email her with fitness questions or story ideas to: fitness@pattiecinelli.com. u

YOUR CAPITOL HILL DENTIST

General Cosmetic Family Dentistry Dentistry Dentistry

Restores Teeth Implants Whitening

Hilly Award Winner for

Best Healthcare Provider 202.543.2020 27 6th st, ne | nishanhalimdmd.com

Meet your Health & Fitness Goals! LEARN HOW TO MOVE AND FUNCTION YOUR BEST IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE Partner with Pattie Cinelli to:

• Learn how to lose weight without dieting • Find an exercise program you enjoy and that works • Learn techniques to release stress Choose a single, partner or group session in your home, office, or Sport&Health Club. Also, ask about a “ skype” workout – reasonable rates and easy to do!

Pattie has 30 years in the fitness business. Her knowledge and experience will help you achieve your goals

Schedule a wellness consultation to learn your options

202.544.0177

fitness@pattiecinelli.com • pattiecinelli.com April 2017 H 131

{health and fitness}

Lyme Disease

by Dan Teich, DVM

e prepared for an invasion. Not from across the ocean, but from little critters hitching a ride on mice: ticks. Each year the territory of ticks carrying Lyme disease appears to be spreading, and urban and suburban environments are ripe for the reason they spread: mice. While traditionally people have blamed Lyme disease on deer, mice appear to play an even larger role in spreading disease-infected ticks. Research by ecologists has shown that the numbers of mice the previous year correlates with the number of Lyme cases the following summer. Due to mild winters during the past decade, the population of mice has increased, and the range and severity of Lyme disease has increased as well. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tracks Lyme cases, and the spread of Lyme has been startling. Lyme was originally confined to New England and some areas of Wisconsin. It now can be found from Maine through Virginia, across Wisconsin and Minnesota, and in smaller pockets throughout the country. Ecologists suspect this is due to larger populations of deer, more fragmented forests (mice thrive in small patches of woodlands), decreased predators feeding upon mice and deer, and increased travel by people. DC has plenty of mice and great mouse habitat like small gardens and small patches of woodlands. Lyme is spread via an infected tick biting either you or your dog (it is possible in cats but less frequent). Infected ticks carry the organism Borellia burdorferi in their saliva and inject it into the animal while feeding. In general it takes over 24 hours for the tick to transfer Lyme to its host once it attaches. The disease is treatable in both humans and dogs, but prevention is key. Always check yourself and your dog after playing outside. Simple walks in the neighborhood are sufficient to have ticks jump onto you and the pup. Look in places for a tick to hide: behind the ears, in the groin area, under

132 H Hillrag.com

the arms. If you spot a tick on yourself or your pup, remove it as soon as possible. Grasp it with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pull it off. Do not squeeze its body. For dogs, we have a threefold method of prevention: removal of ticks, oral and topical tick preventives, and vaccination. The most effective preventives focus on killing ticks as soon as possible. Simparica, NexGard, and Bravecto work by causing uncontrolled neurologic issues in ticks, and the ticks rapidly die. The medications have a very high affinity for a specific chemical in ticks (and fleas) and usually cause no ill effects in dogs. When giving any of these three preventives, monitor your pup for adverse reactions such as vomiting, tremors, or simply not feeling well. Side effects are quite rare and pass with time. The risk from Lyme and other tick-borne disease is much greater than the risks from the preventives. There are several Lyme vaccinations available as well. They prime the immune system to recognize the Borellia organism and mount an immune response, thus decreasing the likelihood of clinical disease. Here in DC the vaccine is recommended for most dogs. Even with preventives and vaccination, Lyme can still be transmitted. We recommend that your dog be tested for Lyme once per year as part of annual parasite testing. If positive for Lyme, treatment can help prevent problems from arising. Tick and parasite control is complicated and requires several different paradigms. We veterinarians are here to help keep your pup (and to a degree you) safe from ticks and tick-borne diseases. As always, please let us know how we can help. Dan Teich, DVM, is at District Veterinary Hospital, 3748 10th St. NE, Washington, DC 20017; 202-827-1230 and desk@districtvet.com. u

WANT TO PLACE A

CLASSIFIED? Call Carolina 202-400-3503

or email Carolina@hillrag.com for more information on advertising.

April 2017 H 133

134 H Hillrag.com

NOTEBOOK

{kids & family}

by Kathleen Donner

Easter Egg Hunt at Nat’s Park On April 16, after the 1:35 p.m. game vs. the Phillies, enjoy an unforgettable experience for the family as kids get the chance to hunt for Easter eggs in the outfield after the game is over. Take home an Easter egg and basket with the purchase of a special ticket. washington.nationals.mlb.com.

Join the 2017 WIHS Junior Committee Teens can apply to work behind-the-scenes at the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS). Each year, new members are selected to join the WIHS Junior Committee. This group of teens from Maryland, Virginia and DC works with the WIHS management team over the summer and fall and during the show to help prepare for the week-long event. Applicants must be students between the ages of 14 and 18 enrolled at area schools. Review the requirements at wihs.org. The application deadline is April 3.

Mad Science Spring Break Camp Discover how things move with science. Take apart pellets to see what an owl cannot digest. View the world through a camera obscura and join a team of camper engineers and build bridges, domes, cubes and pyramids. Assemble and control pulleys, levers, catapults and simple machines. Make sidewalk chalk, crystal gardens and chromatography-dyed T-shirt. Mad Science Spring Break Camp is for grades 1 through 6, April 17 to April 21, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. $190 for week-long morning camp; $325 for week-long day camp. Register at hillcenterdc.org.

Family Day at Air and Space Understand how different cultures see the sky. Learn about telescopes and do some daytime observations. Explore the Universe Day is on April 29, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the National Air and Space Museum on the Mall. airandspace.si.edu.

Fish Tales Story Hour Join staff biologists at the Aquatic Resources Education Center in Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE, at 10 a.m., for free nature-based stories, crafts and songs for 2 to 5-yearolds and their parents or guardians. Email doee.arec@dc.gov to sign up for: April 6, Blue Crab Buddies; May 11, Fun with Fishes; Sept. 7, Turtle Time; Oct. 5, Aquatic Bird Adventures; Nov. 2, Marvelous Mammals; and Dec. 7, The Power of Plants. 202-535-2276.

Easter Monday at the Zoo On April 17, celebrate Easter Monday at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Throughout the day, the Zoo will offer family-focused activities, including an Easter egg hunt with prizes for participating kids, field games, special animal demonstrations and live entertainment. Don’t miss a chance to meet Easter Panda. nationalzoo.si.edu.

Dairy Delights Family Event On May 13, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., use recipes from the 1700s and 1800s to turn milk into

Easter Eggstravaganza at Lincoln Park The Easter Eggstravaganza, presented by National Community Church, for kids and families on Capitol Hill, toddlers through fifth grade, is at Lincoln Park on April 8 noon to 3 p.m. There will be ten free Easter egg hunts with 20,000 eggs, snacks, a photo booth, an Easter Bunny, games, a DJ, face painting and a raffle. No preregistration needed. All hunt times are first come, first served. Read more at eggstravaganzadc.com. Last year, National Community Church hosted over 13,000 people at Eggstravaganzas around DC and NOVA. Kids collected over 48,000 candy-filled eggs. Kids, bring an Easter basket. If not, goodie bags are provided. Photo: Courtesy of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club. Photo: Courtesy of National Community Church

delicious treats like ice cream and butter. This is a walk-in event. Daughters of the American Revolution Headquarters is at 1776 D St. NW. 202628-1776. dar.org.

Earth Day Family Day On April 22, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Smithsonian American Art Museum goes green for the 47th Earth Day. Follow the rhythms of Bash the Trash as they perform with instruments made from recycled and reused materials or make artworks inspired by Mother Nature. From trees, to oceans, to critters, come celebrate the many gifts this planet has. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. americanart.si.edu.

Nearly Lear What if the great and tragic story of King Lear were to be told by the King’s closest companion? In this one-woman tour-de-force, Susanna Hamnett

April 2017 H 135

{kids and family}

Register for the Marine Corps Marathon Kids Run The Marine Corps Marathon Kids Run on October 21, 2017, the day prior to the MCM, is a one-mile just-for-fun running challenge for kids ages 5 to 12. Participants may select from six specific starting waves. Shuttles from Metro, post-event hospitality, activities, entertainment, games and mascots make this an unforgettable event. Registration opens on April 27 and is $8. All participants receive a shirt, access to the Camp Miles Family Fitness Festival and a medal at the finish line. marinemarathon.com. This year, the MCM Kids Run will be held on Oct. 21, with 3,600 kid participants. Photo: Courtesy of the Marine Corps Marathon.

April 6, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at The Faunteroy Center, 4800 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE. safesleepdc.com. Here are Safe Sleep DC crib safety guidelines. Infants should always be placed to sleep on their backs in their cribs and should always sleep alone. Never put the baby to sleep with adults or other children. Always use a firm mattress with a tightly-fitted sheet. Ensure that the pack and play or crib does not contain items including pillows, toys including stuffed animals or bumpers. Never overdress the baby. Never overheat the baby.

Earth Day at the ACM!

plays the Fool and every other character to tell a personal and poignant story that borrows from the Bard’s legendary words. For ages 9, up and on stage at the Kennedy Center, May 12 to 14. $20. kennedy-center.org. The 1:30 p.m. Saturday performance is sensory friendly. Sensory-friendly performances are designed to create a performing arts experience that is welcoming to all families, including those with children with autism or other sensory sensitivities. Orders for these performances do not require these accessibility accommodations.

Sleep Safely in DC Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SID) is one of the leading causes of preventable infant deaths. In observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the DC Healthy Families Thriving Communities Collaboratives in collaboration with Child and Family Services Agency is launching the DC Safe Sleep Campaign to remind parents and caregivers of techniques that can help to substantially reduce the infant death rate. The Safe Sleep DC launches on

136 H Hillrag.com

vantage of the DC’s recently expanded solar incentive program. Participating schools include, Capital City Public Charter School in the Brightwood, Academy of Hope PCS in Langdon, Two Rivers PCS in Rosedale, Two Rivers PCS in NOMA, Maya Angelou PCS in Deanwood, Paul Public Charter School in Brightwood, and KIPP DC in Fort Dupont. At least three more charter schools are expected to join CPA’s Solar Schools Initiative over the next few months and the solar power systems will likely get installed by the end of 2017.

Our American Girl at Mount Vernon On April 8 and July 8, 1 to 3 p.m., bring a favorite doll for a special youth tour of the estate, featuring Mount Vernon’s own “American Girl,” Nelly Custis. Enjoy a special kid’s-eye tour of Mount Vernon and get a lesson in early American history with a favorite doll. This program includes refreshments with Lady Washington and Nelly Custis and a special colonial craft. This program is appropriate for ages 6 to 11. $35 for youth; $25 for adults. Note that all kids must purchase a ticket to participate. mountvernon.org.

On April 21, 10 to 11:30 a.m., in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s Office of Facilities Management and Reliability and Meridian Hills Pictures, the AnacosKids Run the tia Community MuseNat’s Bases um recognizes Earth Kids ages 4 to 12 run the basDay with an information display on enes after some Sunday home ergy conservation and re-cycling, and a games. Kids Run the Bases screening of the short film City of Trees. begins immediately followGet a tour of the museum’s exhibition ing the game, weather perThe Backyard of Derek Webster’s Imagmitting. Dates this season ination. Webster was a self-taught artist are April 15 and 29; May 27; who used discarded materials to create June 10 and 24; July 8; Aug. sculptural figures. Anacostia Communi26; and Sept. 16. An adult ty Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633must accompany runners to 4820. anacostia.si.edu. the field. One adult per child on the field. Starting at first base, kids will be directed to Seven DC PCS’s Go Solar run around the bases as the adults continue along the Seven DC Public Charter Schools have warning track and meet the runners near home plate. signed contracts to go solar through a Once the game has ended, it takes the grounds crew apgroup purchase negotiated by the Comproximately 20 minutes to prepare the field. Kids and parmunity Purchasing Alliance (CPA), a ents can begin lining up at the end of the seventh inning. member-owned purchasing cooperative However, fans who would like to stay and watch the entire based in DC. The innovative deal allows game will still be able to line up once the game has ended. schools to install solar panels on their Participants must exit the ballpark through the Right Field rooftops at no cost, receive the electriciGate. The line forms outside of the park on the sidewalk ty generated by those panels for free and along First Street SE. washington.nationals.mlb.com. earn additional revenue by taking ad-

For the 2017-2018 school year Bridges PCS is in our new location:

100 Gallatin St. NE Washington, DC 20011

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

APPLY FOR THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR APPLY TODAY FOR ALL GRADES ADDITIONAL SLOTS OPEN FOR GRADES 3, 4 and 5

Apply for admissions at:

www.myschooldc.org or call (202) 888-6336 APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED ON A CONTINUING BASIS

Open houses for the 2017-2018 school year will be held on: Fri. from 9:30 am - 10:30 am: April 14 & 28

Wed. from 6 pm - 7 pm: April 12

*You must register for these sessions by calling (202) 545-0515. Limit 30 people per session.

w w w. br i d g e sp c s . org

202.545.0515

Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Voted one of the Best Preschools in DC, City Paper Readers Poll 2013 -2016!

April 2017 H 137

TUTOR AVAILABLE Contact Sarah Call/Text: (571) 242-0522 sarahselica@gmail.com

• • • • • • •

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) graduate B.S. in ‘Biochemistry and Biophysics’ & ‘Psychology’ Experience in tutoring Elementary, High School, and College students Can tutor in English, Mathematics, and Science as well as several Elementary- High School level classes Fluent in Spanish Rates negotiable If you don’t see a particular subject listed, please feel free to contact me and ask!

Math Algebra Geometry Trigonometry Precalculus Calculus

138 H Hillrag.com

Science Biology Chemistry

English Grammar Writing

First Dance Show for the Very Young Imagination Stage presents Paper Dreams, its first dance performance-based production in the My First Imagination Stage series. A collaboration with Mons Dansa Dance Company of Barcelona, Spain, Paper Dreams explores is a fun, interactive production that tells the story of two delightful, clown-like creatures. Best for ages 1 through 5, it runs at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, MD, through April 9. Performances are Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Tickets are $14, with a $5 lap seat for children under 12 months. Tickets: imaginationstage.org, at the Imagination Stage box office, or by calling 301-280-1660. Atlas, April 27 to 30. Tickets are $6 to $10. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. 202-239-7993. AtlasArts.org.

Register for Kids’ By George, Run! Registration is open for the George Washington Patriot Run 5K/10K Race at Mount Vernon on Sept. 10, 8 AM. A special free kid’s fun run will be held near the finish line. Visit mountvernon.org/patriotrun for details.

Geography Day On April 27, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the National Museum of the Marine Corps celebrates all things Geography. They will be covering topics such as orienteering, GIS and map making and more. There’s something for everyone to learn about. The event, the museum and parking are free. 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway, Triangle, VA. usmcmuseum.com. Have an item for the Kids and Family Notebook? Email bulletinboard@ hillrag.com. u

April 2017 H 139

{kids and family}

School Notes

by Susan Braun Johnson

Brent Elementary Brent Places Second in DC Spelling Bee On March 11, Jude Martin competed with 29 of the best spellers from public, charter, private and parochial elementary and middle schools in DC at the NBC4 TV Studios. After a grueling all day competition Martin took second place. He will advance as the alternate from DC to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. Martin, a member of Mrs. Wilson’s fifthgrade class, studied more than 1,500 words to become the first Brent student to compete at the national level. He won a cash prize, tickets to a Nationals game, plane tickets and a gift certificate. Watch Martin in the Citywide Spelling Bee broadcast on NBC4 TV on April 9 at noon. Brent Elementary is located at 301 North Carolina Ave. SE. For more information, visit www.Brentelemetary.org. – Denise Diggs

The Capitol Hill Cluster Celebrating Seuss Demonstrating their school spirit the entire week leading up to the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Peabody Primary Campus staff and students started began with “Crazy Hair or Hat Day,” celebrated “Sports Day”

Tuesday and then donned mixmatch outfits for “Wacky Wednesday.” At the grand finale on March 2, Theodore Seuss Geisel’s real birthday, students dressed in “Cat in the Hat” red or red & white or came as a Dr. Seuss book character. During that last day of the week, the Specials Teachers sponsored mini-assemblies where students sang a favorite song, did their “Peabody’s Reading Down the Track” reading cheer, chose a free book to take home, completed an Dr. Seuss art activity and listened to a Dr. Seuss book read aloud.

Stuart-Hobson Debate Team members Dashielle Thompson and Adam Soltani.

STEM Fair Awards

140 H Hillrag.com

Capitol Hill Montessori Everyday DC Photographic Exhibition

Several Capitol Hill MontesFour Stuart-Hobson Middle sori at Logan (CHML) middle School students earned awards school students’ photography on March 13 at DC STEM Fair was selected to be part of “Ev2017. The annual fair challenges eryday DC,” an exhibition at the students to problem-solve, innoSouthwest Arts Club. The phovate and build STEM skills. Stutographs show daily life in the Stuart-Hobson student Charlotte dents from all eight wards particDistrict through the eyes of over Bassow Wins Grande Award at ipated. Seventh-grader Charlotte DC STEM Fair. 100 sixth, seventh and eighth Bassow was recognized with a Jugrade students from eight DC nior Division Grand Award for her project on the impublic middle schools that represent all four quadpact of salinity in water on the growth of bay grass. She rants of the city. The Everyday DC exhibition is the and fellow seventh-grader Anika Heywood were Catculmination of a multi-week photojournalism unit deegory Award winners for Earth and Environmental signed by the visual arts department at DCPS, DCPS Sciences. Sixth-grader Ella Freihage was a Category visual arts educators and the Pulitzer Center. Award winner for Physics and Astronomy. Stuart students also took home numerous SpeAfrican American History cial Awards from The American Meteorological On March 10 in honor of African-American History Society (Anika Heywood and Charlotte Bassow); Month and Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, CHML American Nuclear Society (Madeleine Salunga, sixthfifth-grade students along with Ludlow-Taylor and grade); and The Federal Water Quality Association, School Within School elementary schools read the “I Geological Society of Washington, and Society of ToxHave a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Meicology, National Capital Area Chapter all recognized morial. In addition, the students sung two songs includBassow with awards. ing “We Shall Overcome.” Students have been con-

Traveling to Debate

Brent student Jude Martin takes second place in the DC Citywide Spelling Bee.

tic regions. Stuart’s students won three of five rounds with Thompson taking home a speaker award. Peabody is located at 425 C St. NE. Watkins Elementary School @ Eliot-Hine is located at 1830 Constitution Ave. NE. Stuart-Hobson is located at 410 E St. NE. Visit the Capitol Hill Cluster School’s website at www. capitolhillclusterschool.org. Follow the school on Facebook.com/ CHCS.DC; twitter.com/CHCSPTA. – Katharine Kaplan

Stuart-Hobson Dashielle Thompson and Adam Soltani debated at the Westchester classics in New York on March 3 and 4. The Westchester Classic, a competitive tournament, brings together top students from across the Northeast and Mid-Atlan-

tinuing this tradition for over a decade! The CHML Annual Online Auction will be held from April 3 to 12. Bidding is open to the public at www.charityauctionstoday.com/auctions/CapitolHill-Montessori-1204. Items include vacation getaways, hotel stays, restaurant certificates, sports tickets, kids event birthday parties and more. All funds

KIDS CAMPS

Y Y A A W W D D A A O the RO B BR on

HILL!

ges 6-12 Arts Camp / A g in rm fo er P and Music 6-week / Acting, Dance ch 9 2 y ul –J 9 1 June hodist Chur t) ited Met Eastern Marke Capitol Hill Un (3 blocks from SE , re ua 421 Seward Sq inates program culm

CHML Fifth graders and teachers on left and right.

raised will support the primary, elementary, and middle grades programs. CHML is located at 215 G St. NE. Learn more at www.capitolhillmontessorischool.org. – PTSO Communications

Eliot-Hine Middle School Students Record National Podcast Eliot-Hine parent Suzanne Wells’ application was selected for a book review with Kitty Felde, the host and executive producer of the Book Club for Kids podcast. Sixth-graders Elizabeth Godec, Juan Turner and Malia Weedon read the book Ungifted by Gordon Korman. They then held a book discussion with Felde, who joined them in EliotHine’s Broadcast classroom for the recording. The podcast should air in May. Search Book Club for Kids, or go to www.bookclubforkids.org for more information.

Congratulations, Students! Congratulations to the Eliot-Hine Ski Club! Sixthgrader Malia Weedon took First Place Middle School Intermediate. Eighth-grader Jashon Jones was awarded Fifth Place Middle School Intermediate. Sixth-grader Elizabeth Godec took Eighth Place Middle School Novice. Congratulations to sixth-grader Lavee Jenkins for winning the February MLK quote edition of the PTO’s Artistic Expressions Contest! Jenkins did an amazing job of interpreting the quote, “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” March’s contest is about women’s rights. April’s contest will center on Earth Day, which is on April 22.

Save the Date! On April 1, from 9 a.m. to noon, Eliot-Hine will

host a Pollinator Garden Planting and Early Enrollment Event. Bring gardening tools if possible. To enroll new and returning students, bring the usual: a government ID and a utility bill with a current address. Learn about the International Baccalaureate program at Eliot-Hine! Gardeners of all ages and abilities are welcome. There will be a cool hubcap painting activity to adorn the surrounding fence. Light refreshments will be provided. Eliot-Hine IB Middle School is located at 1830 Constitution Ave. NE. For more information call 202-939-5380, visit www.eliothinemiddleschool.org or follow @EliotHine or FB/EliotHine. – Heather Schoell

Ludlow Taylor Elementary Dancing in the Second Line The Ludlow-Taylor community marked the conclusion of Black History Month with “Festival Noir,” an all-school celebration of history and culture organized by art teacher Charles Jean-Pierre. In a happy coincidence, the last day of February fell on Mardi Gras, which provided a perfect opportunity to integrate the rich culture of New Orleans into the festivities. Music teacher James Levy accompanied by two adult jazz musicians and an all-student drum section had students singing and tapping their feet. Then, the entire student body, accompanied by their teachers, led by the musicians along with the Mardi Gras King and Queen, paraded around the block. This enthusi-

family 6 week-long This exciting, ner theatre performance – in a closing din invited! and friends are

Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:30pm $2000 for 6 weeks ($333 per week) No extra charge for early drop off at 8:15 am or late pickup at 6:00 pm • Fun Rehearsals • Acting & Improvisation Games • Choreography • Music

• Character Creation • Scene Building • Set Designs • And More

performing arts camp

Eliot-Hine Sixth graders Elizabeth, Juan, and Malia, to be featured on a national podcast! Photo S. Wells.

April 2017 H 141

{kids and family}

the “Fundred Dollar Bill Project,” a nationwide collaboration to support the elimination of childhood lead poisoning with the tag line “Kids Are Worth It.” The vision of artist Mel Chin, Fundreds are individually hand-drawn interpretations of $100 bills. Students, family members and teachers all contributed to Maury’s stash of currency learning about the dangers of lead poisoning. The project culminated with the arrival of an armored truck to ferry the precious cargo off to the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at George Washington University where the Maury Fundreds will be on display with hundreds of thousands of others from across the nation. Students made posters to interpret the ideas of key thinkers from the struggle for Civil Rights.

astic spectacle that had cars slowing down for a closer look and curious neighbors emerging from their homes to check out the scene. The parade concluded on the school’s playground with more live music and dancing. More than simply a fun community event, the parade gave students a chance to show off what they had been learning. They had studied the peoples and countries that have made key contributions to African and African-American culture; important events from the Civil Rights struggle of the 1960s; and quotations from leading advocates for a more equal and just society. Students waved signs, showed off blueprints for their “cities of the future” and carried a replica of the Montgomery bus made famous by Rosa Parks. It was a testament to the school’s approach which combines the arts, creativity, critical thinking and social justice. Ludlow-Taylor is located at 659 G St. NE. To learn more, visit www.ludlowtaylor.org or follow FB/Ludlow-Taylor and Twitter/@LTPrincipSmith. – Tom Sellevaag

Ski Team Champs In a season without much snow, the Maury Elementary Ski Team was still able to clench the DC Public School’s DCIAA Elementary Division Championship for the fourth consecutive year at Roundtop Mountain Resort in Lewisberry, PA. Points in beginner, novice, intermediate and advance categories earned the Cougars the overall Team Championship title once again. Maury Elementary is located at 1250 Constitution Ave., NE. Call 202-698-3838 or visit www. mauryelementary.com for more information. – Elizabeth Nelson

Payne Elementary Social Worker Superheroes If the only task of teachers was to teach “The Three R’s”, their jobs would be easy. But as many know, there are various factors that may get in the way. When that happens at Payne Elementary, there is a

Save the Date for Payne’s First Annual Spring Auction April 13, 2017 from 6 to 8 p.m. Payne Elementary School “Where Genius Lives!” is located at 1445 C St. SE. For more information, visit www.paynedc.org or follow FB: PayneES, Instagram: PayneDCPS or Twitter: @PayneDCPS.

School Within School On March 10th, School Within a School (SWS) fifth-graders, along with fifth-graders from Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan and Ludlow-Taylor, were invited by The National Park Service to perform Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of The Lincoln Memorial. With each student reading a line on a biting cold day, the kids did an amazing job. On March 13th, the SWS fourth-grade string orchestra performed at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage for the second year.

Blasting Off to Space Camp Maury’s fifth-grade class will be traveling together in June, to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama provided they raise the funds. The whole school community is supporting the effort so that no one is left behind. Space Camp has become a Maury tradition, with the kids working hard at snack sales, babysitting nights and a talent show. Make a tax-deductible donation at mauryelementary.com/space camp.

SWS 20th Annual Jazz Gala Auction

Uniting to End Lead Poisoning

142 H Hillrag.com

Spring Auction: April 13

Citywide Performances

Maury Elementary

Maury students in all grades participated in

team of superheroes who come to the rescue! Without much fanfare, Mrs. JoEtta Thomas, Mrs. Chanda Whitaker and Mr. LaBone Workman are the School Social Workers who save the day for students, teachers and families. These three were celebrated last month as March is National Professional Social Work Month. Mrs. Whitaker and Mr. Workman work daily with students providing counseling and encouragement, facilitating improved social interactions, promoting in-seat attendance and meeting the needs of families that far exceed what most classroom teachers can provide. Mrs. Thomas joined the team through a partnership with the Department of Behavioral Health and is also making a major impact. Her small group sessions serve to enrich the lives of girls and boys who carry out those lessons learned with their peers. Their innovative way of thinking has yielded interventions that have made a strong difference and their Morning Meetings are particularly engaging. The Payne Elementary School community is far better because of the incomparable contributions of this legion of real, live superheroes!

Maury students fight lead poisoning with their “Fundreds.”

The 20th SWS Auction, which was held on March 4, is the school’s main fundraiser with

IS FROM

Encouraging Empowerment and Imagination in a Safe and Caring Environment For Children Ages 3-10

JUNE 19 to AUGUST

2017 TYLER ES

PENDING DCPS APPROVAL

the significant amount of funds raised directly supporting the its unique programming. While the Isaac Applebaum Quintet from the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra entertained, guests bid on the more than 380 items ranging from gift certificates to local restaurants and shops and professional services such as photography and life coaching, to getaways in locations including Lewes, Bethany, Budapest and Ethiopia. Following the longstanding SWS tradition, each class collaborated on a unique project. Other popular items included spirit parties, teacher experiences, Principal for a Day with Mr. Burst and Librarian for a Day with Mrs. Ochmanek. School Within School is located at 920 F St. NE. For more information call 202-727-7377 or visit www.schoolwithinschool.org. – Carolyn Banfalvi

Wheatley Education Campus

Younger children (ages 3-5) will engage in creative play, field trips, amazing classes, performers, the arts, Spanish through play, movement, plenty of outdoor time and waterplay each week. Older ones (ages 6-10) will enjoy camp mornings focused on the arts, sports, critical thinking, Spanish and cultural experiences. In the afternoon, there will also be a host of field trips, classes, performers, swimming and more.

KIDS CAMPS

CAMP

Small ratios for all campers-breakfast, snack, (maybe lunch), all performers, classes and trips included *children ages 6 and up must bring a SmarTrip card

Download applications at www.politepiggys.com Mail to PO Box 31215, WDC 20030 OR Submit either at Maury ES,Tyler ES or School Within a School ES daily between 4pm-6pm

Flexible Scheduling: ages 3-5: ages 6-10:

Weekly $340 $370

Whole Day $68 $74

Half Day (any 5 hours) $41 $47

*25% sibling discount | *$100 registration fee | kids have to be 3 by 9/30/17

Early Bird Discount: $15 weekly discount for all prepaid weeks paid for by 4/3/2017.

More Info: 240-396-8957 ask for VanNessa www.politepiggys.com • politepiggysdaycamp@yahoo.com

Partnerships Wheatley Education Campus has forged a community partnership with Folger Shakespeare Theater. Teaching artists from the theater come once a week to expose and engage the students to the works of Shakespeare. The students have a fun time trying out their acting skills. The students then audition to perform in one of Shakespeare’s play in May at the theater. In addition, the school also has a community partnership with Reading Puppies. The goal is to make reading fun for the children in addition to increasing their literacy in reading. The puppy comes once a week and the children takes a turn reading to the puppy. The children really enjoy it and have a great time.

Chili Cookoff- April 30 The Wheatley PTO will be having a chili cook off fundraiser on April 30 at the school from 4 to 7p.m. Participants contribute delicious secret chili in vy-

April 2017 H 143

{kids and family}

ities and connections between the Holocaust Museum excursion and the Martha Graham performance. Students discussed what it would have been like in the 1940s as a woman to create a new bold uninhibited style of dance and expression. They examined how refugees existed back then and still today. They pondered where they can go from here as a local and global community.

Spring Open House Join Blyth-Templeton Academy for a Spring Open House on April 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. Discover how the experiential model is built around the student. Jordyn Gooding, Jovan Cheeks, Annie Thompson, 5th-grade teacher, Amy Thompson, Folger Shakespeare teaching artist Engage with current students and their families. Alana Belton, Tykeara Darden, Zellayia Collins. Meet with faculty and staff to learn about experiential learning in very small, academically rigoring for first, second and third place prizes. Tickets are ous classes. Take a tour of the school. Enjoy some $12 adults and $5 for children 5 and up. Children breakfast refreshments. under 5 are free. Tickets include unlimited tastings Blyth-Templeton is located at 921 Pennsylvaof all the chili in addition to voting for the top three. nia Ave. SE. Learn more at www.blythtempleton.org. Included in admission will be entertainment and a Connect with the school via FB, twitter, Instagram. children’s center with arts and crafts and a tempo– Sarah Richards rary tattoo station. For ticket information and purchase, please contact Thuy Hoang at tdh17603@yaRichard Wright PCS hoo.com. Weekend Teen Reading Center Opens Wheatley Education Campus is located at 1299 Students from Richard Wright PCS belonging to Neal St. NE. For more information, call 202-939the Library of Congress Teen Board had the priv5970. – Thuy Hoang ilege of cutting the ribbon in January to open the Weekend Teen Reading Center with Librarian of Blyth-Templeton Academy Congress Dr. Carla Hayden. Students earned this DC as Classroom honor because they consistently demonstrate comBlyth-Templeton Academy (BTA) uses DC as a mitment by publishing their Book Reviews, attendclassroom so students can make real-world connecing all Book Club meetings and welcoming Library tions. At the U S Holocaust, Memorial Museum, of Congress featured teen authors to their school. students experienced “The Portal” exhibit, where Monthly, Teen Readers from three DC middle a refugee who fled Syria, now living in Berlin, vidand high schools meet at the Young Readers Center eo chatted to answer questions about his journey. Students also explored the permanent exhibit and returned to Hill Center for a powerful discussion. The Smithsonian American Art Museum recently presented “Cave of the Heart” by the Martha Graham Dance Company. BTA was fortunate to attend the matinee performance. Beforehand, BTA students learned about Martha Graham’s style of dance and “Cave of the Heart,” a one-act ballet based on the Greek myth Medea that features Isamu Noguchi set and costume designs. Following the performance, the audience had the opportunity to ask the dancers questions and visit the exhibition, Dr. Carla Hayden and Richard Wright Public Charter “Isamu Noguchi, Archaic/Modern.” School Teen Readers Edward Tolson and Varonica Back at school, students contemplated similar- Payne. Photo: John Simms

144 H Hillrag.com

to read new literature, discuss the books, meet with authors and publish book reviews that are posted to The Library of Congress’ website for teens. Richard Wright Teen Reader Jackie Lassey, grade 10, said, “the concept of reading advance copies of teen books excites me. I’ve always liked reading books and having the opportunity to review them for teens that could possibly choose to read a book because of my review deeply interests me. The Library of Congress partnership with Richard Wright has introduced us to authors like Michael Grant, an award winner for the GONE series, and Elizabeth Wein, a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of “Black Dove White Raven.”” Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts is located at 770 M St. SE. Learn more at www. richardwrightpcs.org. – Literacy Director Carolyn Youngfolk

Capitol Hill Cooperative Nursery Capitol Hill Cooperative Nursery School students rock on. Each Monday morning, the Capitol Hill Cooperative Nursery School (CHCNS - aka, simply “Ms. Frances”) is filled with the sounds of egg shakers shaking, sticks clicking and children singing. All this is thanks to a grant from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation (CHCF) to fund an early childhood music program. Under the guidance of music teacher mom, Ms. Libby, the CHCNS kids are gaining all the wonderful benefits research has shown for music exposure during their early years. “We are so honored and grateful to CHCF in providing the funds to bring a structured music program into our classroom each week,” Director and Teacher Ms. Frances Slaughter said. The children will put their musical talents on display in late April while making a cameo appearance in the Capitol Hill Cluster’s spring musical, “Into the Woods.” CHCNS is in a sunny classroom within the Capitol Hill United Methodist Church at 421 Seward Sq. SE. Reach them at info@chcns.us or www.chcns.us. – Katy Thomas

Two Rivers Public Charter School Celebrating Diversity From Mariachi bands to African drums, Two Rivers Public Charter School welcomes and celebrates the diversity of its students and community. Most recently, Two Rivers hosted a screening of “Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Cou-

Progressive Quaker Education Kindergarten - Grade 8

Experience the

Joy of Extraordinary

SUMMER CAMPS!

ric” for its families and Middle School students. The screening featured a panel of speakers on LGBTQ issues. Last month, parents and students learned about a range of arts programs at Arts Night. The event included dancing to African drums, acting out fairy tales, and photographing fellow participants. In April, Two Rivers will celebrate Span- Two Rivers middle school students dance their way ish Night, an event filled through the Latin Dance. with lively music, good Superior Sounds food, and arts and crafts. The advanced band performed at the Follow @TwoRiversPCS on Twit55th Archdiocesan Band Festival on ter and Facebook. Questions? Call March 12. Earning the highest pos202-546-4477, email info@tworiversible rating of “Superior,” they took spcs.org or visit www.tworiverspcs.org. home the commensurate trophy! The band’s success is attributed to the dedSt. Peter School ication of students, accommodation of CYO March Madness Champions! parents, teachers, Principal Ketchum Capitol Hill’s St. Peter School Boys and the tireless devotion of band direcWhite Team beat St. Peter’s Catholic tor Ms. Gerri Massimini. School of Olney, MD, 48-38 to win the An encore performance of the under-14 Catholic Youth Organization band can be heard at the Spring Con(CYO) Basketball Championship in the cert in the St Peter Church Parish Hall Region 2 Division. The White Team, on May 11th. undefeated in the regular season, narSt. Peter School can be found at rowly defeated Blessed Sacrament 39422 Third St. SE. For more informa37 to advance to the finals. The St Peter tion call 202-544-1618, email: info@ School Boys Blue Team placed second stpeterschooldc.org or visit www.stpein the CYO under-14 Region 5 tournaterschooldc.org. – Tony Militell ment, losing to St. Martin in the cham-

June 12 – August 18 Ages 3-15, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily

SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR AGES 3.5 - 4 Before- and after-care available, Early Registration Discounts

KIDS CAMPS

Friends Community School

Choose from 76 different one-week sessions:

Science, Nature, Archery, App Design, Arts, Music, Dances, Coding, Filmmaking, Language Immersion, Theater, Sports, Robotics, Harry Potter, And More! · Dynamic teachers and age-appropriate groups · Extended Day enrichment activities

For details: www.friendscommunityschool.org 5901 Westchester Park Drive College Park, MD 20740 / Tel: 301.441.2100 Only 15-20 minutes up the Baltimore-Washington Parkway!

pionship game.

Mathletes DC State Championships St. Peter School Mathletes’ performance in the D.C. Chapter competition earned them a place among the top ten schools in the DC State MathCounts. Ultimately, they finished as the sixth! Additionally, eighth-grader Maggie Hayes’s outstanding performance led the school team with an individual ranking of 18 out of 54 finalists!

St. Peter School Mathletes Maggie, Clare Anna, Will, and Kendrick at the DC State MathCounts Competition

April 2017 H 145

KIDS CAMPS

Cool Kidz Summer Camp is a theme based summer camp for children in Preschool thru Kindergarten. We provide children with opportunities to learn and grow and provide programming focused on building of leadership and social skills that enhance self-esteem. Activities will be centered on health and fitness,creative expressions, guided exploration and investigation. H Open to all kids Ages 3-7!

Program Series:

Capitol Hill Day School Learning from Abdul-Jabbar

Camp Location: JO Wilson Elementary â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 600 K Street, NE Call or Email for more info: 301-257-2922 H coolkidzcampdc@gmail.com

YOUR DAILY ONLINE NEWS SOURCE

HILLRAG .com

CAPITOL HILL H STREET NOMA CAPITOL RIVERFRONT SOUTHWEST LIKE US

146 H Hillrag.com

This was the mantra in Capitol Hill Day School (CHDS) Early Childhood classes during the school-wide Black History Month study of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Children talked about how they got to know each other. Using carrots as a model, with green leaves above the ground and the orange vegetable hidden in the earth, Early Childhood students created self-portraits, describing themselves inside and outside. They discussed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, exploring his well-known height and basketball career. They also discovered his writings, Muslim faith, activism and love of jazz. They practiced asking each other questions, and carefully listening to the answers: What do you wonder, pretend, worry about, or try to do? First through fifth-graders expanded on this theme, creating a presentation of individual student photos surrounded by words they wrote to describe themselves: reader, writer, artist, dog walker, son, daughter, cousin, sister, cook, dancer, dreamer, athlete, hiker, musician, immigrant, adoptee, naturalist, inventor, comedian. After participating in three workshops, sixth through eighthgraders created a video highlighting milestones in Kareem AbdulJabbarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. They ended the video with three promises: to understand that people have more than one side to them; to respect religion, race, gender, sexuality, etc.; and to recognize the many pieces of identity in a person. These explorations and discussions should make for interesting poetry selections at the April 18 Poetry Night! Learn more at

KIDS CAMPS

www.chds.org. Capitol Hill Day School can be found at 210 South Carolina Ave. SE. To learn more, call 202-386-9919 or visit www.chds.org. Connect through FB@CapitolHillDaySchool; Twitter @explorewithCHDS. – Jane Angarola

Friends Community School Poet Eloise Greenfield Visits Eloise Greenfield, a DC writer known for her poetry, children’s books and biographies portraying African-Americans, spoke to the lowerschool students at Friends Community School last month. Greenfield read her poem “Honey, I Love” to the students and involved the students in reciting it. She encouraged them to “pay attention to what feels right to us so we can find out what our talents are.” First and second-grade teacher Sandy Stein found herself “amazed by her.” Greenfield “had the children in her hands and the rest of us, too,” Stein said. “She practically sang the words of her poems and her cadence was spellbinding.” Stein said that Greenfield told the children she had to print her words in bold type so she could see them for her talk, because at age 88, she had lost some of her hearing and vision. “That’s okay,” she told them. “We are all not perfect.” Greenfield is a member of the National Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent and the African-American Writers Guild. Friends Community School is a kindergarten through eighth grade progressive Quaker school that welcomes students of all beliefs. It’s located at 5901 Westchester Park Drive, College Park, MD More information about the school is available at www.friendscommunityschool.org. – Eric Rosenthal Have a contribution to School Notes? Email schools@hillrag.com. u

April 2017 H 147

148 H Hillrag.com

{home & garden}

Vertical Gardening in the 21st Century Text and photos by Cheryl Corson, RLA, ASLA

he Smithsonian Associates’ March program, “Vertical Gardens,” sold out in advance. About 120 gardeners of all ages spent two hours in the S. Dillon Ripley Center with three young, highly educated, tech-savvy farmer-entrepreneurs who are leaders in the burgeoning urban agriculture movement here in DC, and nationally. These folks are the farthest thing from the back-to-the-land hippies of yore. Niraj Ray, founder of Cultivate the City (www. cultivatethecity.com/), and Mary Ackley, founder of Little Wild Things City Farm (https://www.littlewildthingsfarm.com/), practice their craft with the help of others in urban pockets including small leftover urban lots, rooftops, restaurant basements, and public school grounds. Vertical gardening helps make this possible by maximizing space and minimizing the need for water, soil, and mulch. These farmers are also organic, abstaining from herbicides and pesticides. Vertical gardening is scalable and adaptable to smaller spaces like Capitol Hill front or back yards, porches, or even rooftops. You may want to add vertical gardens to your repertoire, building on information presented here. If not, you may easily share in the bounty these two farms produce by joining Cultivate the City’s CSA (community supported agriculture) program (with shares beginning distribution on April 15) or buying Little Wild Things’ microgreens and edible flowers at local grocers listed on their website.

and international agriculture experience, let’s just say that this man loves growing strawberries and is committed to fostering resilient communities where people of all ages are familiar with and have access to locally grown organic food. Niraj’s Cultivate the City is a for-profit company that he characterizes as a social enterprise. This former National Wildlife Federation Emerging Leader Fellow and EPA staffer’s website has a mission statement and a host of impressive statistics related to the farm’s output and populations served. There is also a map of the dozens of urban farm sites under cultivation, showing many in and around Capitol Hill. These include Barracks Row, Nationals Stadium’s rooftop, J.O. Wilson Elementary School, Gallaudet University, and Union Market. The sites specialize in certain crops, depending on site conditions, which are then pooled and dis-

Chelsea Barker shows oﬀ microgreen centerpieces to workshop attendees.

Cultivate the City Tempting as it is to share the many fascinating details about Niraj Ray’s training

April 2017 H 149

tributed in weekly CSA shares. Cultivate the City has a newly opened rooftop retail garden center and farm called H Street Farm above the W.S. Jenks & Son hardware store on Bladensburg Road (www.wsjenks.com/). Here you can purchase many of the innovative vertical gardening systems and supplies Niraj uses in his production. They include lightweight fabric flower pouches and balcony-rail saddlebag planters by Root Painted VEG towers allow perimeter plantings to casPouch (http://rootcade, keeping pests away and conserving water. pouch.com/urban_ gardening); VEG Squirrel Interlude towers (www.cultivatethecity.com/ Squirrels are known garden varoverview-five/); stackable, high-denmints, but the good news is that sity, food-safe polystyrene pots slid they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like strawberries. VEG onto anchoring poles; Zip Grow towers also deter squirrels by not oftowers, which are lightweight narfering enough space for them to sit row channels that look like highand dig. Furthermore, if VEG towtech rain gutters, great for lettuce, er pots are left their native white, spinach, and other greens; and farm squirrels think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water and tend to walls, which may be mounted on stay off them. Providing a bird bath brick or sturdy wooden fences. is also a way to distract squirrels, Niraj uses primarily supersays Niraj, who reports seeing nalightweight growing media, favortive bees, hummingbirds, and even ing coconut coir, which is a waste tree frogs on his various DC roofproduct that comes in bricks and is top farms. fluffed up to fill planters. Because this PH-neutral medium is free Little Wild Things City Farm of nutrients (and therefore pests), A very different approach to vertismall amounts of water-soluble nucal gardening is employed by Littrients are added to irrigation watle Wild Things City Farm, which ter such as compost tea and wormgrows 50 varieties of microgreens casting compost tea. With the VEG and 15 types of edible flowers in towers, minimal water is required. shallow, soil-filled trays. As you may Overhead drip emitters run for just have read in my earlier column on two minutes a day. microgreens (www.capitalcommu-

150 H Hillrag.com

CAPITOL HILL

ROOFING EXPERTS SERVING THE HILL FOR 40 YEARS!

202.277.0731 for a FREE estimate

JOHN’S HOME IMPROVEMENT • Roofing

• Skylights

COPPER, FLAT, METAL, RUBBER, SHINGLE, SLATES, TILE, WOODSHAKE

• Chimney Repairs • Gutters • Waterproofing

• Masonry & Tuckpointing • Roof Coating • Certified Roof Inspections

Military, Church and Senior Discounts Emergency Service ington D ash

BEST ROOFING COM

How It’s Done nitynews.com/content/micro-plants-macroDuring the Smithsonian presentation, farm taste), these highly nutritious and tasty plants manager Barker walked attendees through mature in 9-14 days. Mary Ackley, founder, the indoor micro-green process. First, fresh and Chelsea Barker, farm manager, wanted amended soil is scooped into a shallow plant to farm without the potential risks of longertray. You can use the same plastic trays your season crops. They wanted a high-value crop nursery plants come in. Any sticks are removed, where they could specialize and quickly learn and the surface is smoothed over evenly, crefrom each short growing cycle. They correctly ating a nice seed bed. Next the soil is gently reasoned that higher turnover provides great and evenly watered. The seed is then scattered opportunity to sell. over the surface, not one-by-one but like seaLittle Wild Things Farm is organic. It ofsoning with salt, with seeds in bulk poured fers micro-produce to wholesale buyers and from a small plastic dish. Some seeds are disrestaurants. It also grows microgreen centertributed more densely than others. The seeds pieces for weddings and other events, an ecoare watered. They are not covered with soil, logical alternative many prefer. Check the only a layer of damp website to see where paper towel or a huthe products are sold. midity dome. Ambient Little Wild temperature should be Things Farm’s produce 68-70 degrees F. After is more horizontal than initial overhead watervertical, but what qualing, the trays are botifies for the vertical cattom-watered for two egory are the stackable minutes a day to retray sets for growing duce the risk of mold. greens under lights inAfter sprouting, the doors. The indoor oppaper towels are reeration is housed in the moved. The lighting is 300-square-foot basea combination of fluoment of the The Pub & rescents and LEDs run the People restaurant on timers for 16 hours on north Capitol Street a day. (www.thepubandtheNiraj Ray answers questions after the Ackley and Barkpeople.com/). Ackley Smithsonian Associates workshop. er use a special comand Barker also grow mercial blade for hargreens outdoors, on a vesting the microgreens, but for home growers one-fourth-acre urban monastery site that had a sharp pair of scissors will do. Once the green been left untended after the gardener monk tops are cut off the plants don’t grow back, so died. Now that space has been brought back the cycle is over and the trays are replanted. to life, and its small size poses no impediment Ackley, a civil engineer by training, and to the micro-crops growing there. Barker are both former Peace Corps volReal garden soil is used to grow the miunteers, First-generation farmers, they reccrogreens. And the soil is generously amended ommend the website Farm Hack (http:// with compost provided through a partnership farmhack.org). They jokingly told their with another local business, Veteran Compost Smithsonian Associates audience, “We total(www.veterancompost.com/). Veteran Comly taught ourselves to farm on YouTube.” post is a veteran-owned and -operated company serving the DC metro area by collecting Cheryl Corson is a licensed landscape archiand composting food scraps for delivery to folks tect and writer serving Capitol Hill and beyond who want it. They also make compost tea bags, (www.cherylcorson.com). She learned to grow worm-casting compost, and veggie garden-soil vegetables in the White Mountains of New mix. Ackley finds this partnership a great fit Hampshire in the distant 1970s. ◆ with the local-business model.

PA N Y

Licensed • Bonded • Insured April 2017 H 151

{home and garden}

Garden Spot

Spring’s Relentless Fury by Derek Thomas Planning and Planting Around a Finicky Season Spring for all of its beauty and wondrous renewal can be dark, often voracious. Plants have to grow at accelerated rates to please this finicky season. All the while our rapacious creditor gives no guarantee of success for their efforts. Spring takes from the delicate and quickly devours the fragile – part selection of the fittest, part only the strong surviving, with a sprinkle of Mother Nature’s twisted sense of humor. Spring can stimulate us into a planting frenzy or disappoint us with frozen magnolia blossoms, frost-killed tender shoots, and daffodils that are beaten down by a late freeze. Surprisingly we continue to plant our tender veggies, young perennials, and juvenile evergreens into what can be the ficklest season of them all. Got to love those Greek tragedies. Perhaps this is where we gardeners get our stubborn side. Or we, like the very season, are inspired by volatility.

Some plants can take a snowfall and rebound without much damage.

for next spring. 2. If you are planning an ornamental garden and have not planned for the volatility of spring, do. Many a gardener has become disenchanted when the perfect weekend, with A Strategy for Spring Planting Success perfect temperatures, spent planting How do we plan a balcony vegetable garden, a new border bed, or the installation the perfect new plants, turns into the of a specimen tree when the season we are planting in may be working against coldest Monday in weeks, freezing us? Do we need to plan for more than just the season? Will foresight outsmart out all your plantings. When shopthe trickery of spring? Flexibility in all planting is the answer. ping for plants for the new garden, 1. If you want to succeed with your lettuces and kale and are being rigask the garden center if the plants id about planting times, don’t. Planting spring veggies is a labor of love, and have spent a few nights acclimating. the reward of delicious homegrown leaf veggies can be an arduous task with If the weather has a sudden temperamany moving parts. If the spring weather is a bit cooler than normal and your ture spike, resist the urge to rush out cool-season veggie seeds were not started indoors, then turn to the garden cenand get the garden done ter starter plants. They have done the work immediately. Take the of seed planting, transplanting, and then actime to use the first really climating the plants to our climate. Save the nice spring days for prepseeds for a September planting since your ping the soil, planning cool-season veggies can have a second gothe layout of the plantaround in fall. Keep in mind the number of ings, or just going for a days needed for your particular cool-season stroll and admiring the veggies and don’t become discouraged if you neighborhood gardens to have to get the plants this spring instead of gain inspiration. doing the seeds yourself. You will still care It may be better to for the veggies, and your harvest will be just use the first good days of as delicious. the season taking a trip to If you want to get a jump on the fall seed the garden center to see planting, start saving cardboard egg cartons. what’s new, and then goFill the egg slots with a seed starter soil and ing back home and fineyour seeds and place the carton on a sunny tuning the plans for the windowsill in late August. You will have your new garden. April and Spring can work havoc on leafy vegetables own plants to plant into the garden in mid- to planted out too early. The cold temps May are great planting late September. If this works, keep it in mind have frozen this lettuce in early spring. months. Take the time,

152 H Hillrag.com

plan it out, and you will not have to replant in early spring due to a late freeze. 3. What if your spring project is something larger, like planting a tree? April and May are perfect for getting in that specimen tree. If the spring is too cold or too dry or too wet there is no need to rush it, because fall is just as good a time for tree planting. Some of the greatest mistakes are made in rushing into planting a tree. Do some research. Our gardens on Capitol Hill are for the most part challenging spatially. Planting a white oak in a 15 x 20 back yard is not a good idea. Although you may enjoy the tree in its juvenile stages, you are most likely leaving a legacy of costly care and trouble. A white oak has beautiful leaves and is an attractive tree but has no place in a small back yard. Upon maturity it will tower above the house. Planting a dogwood or flowering cherry is a much better choice for the urban back yard garden. Taking the time to plan the tree planting for late April or early May can help you not be upset by a late killing frost. Our frost-fee date in this area is April 15, but spring does not get that memo.

A Look Forward This spring I am reminded of how

unpredictable the weather can be. As I pen this column the wind has been howling and the weather forecast offers more cold ahead this evening. We are having a spring this year with brown magnolia blooms, half-frozen cherry blossoms, and daffodils that look like they were dropped after a hurricane whipped them around a bit. Our wisterias for the most part have been frozen and will not bloom. Anyone who took a chance and planted anything out in late February has most likely regretted it, since March spawned a monster. We will soon forget all this – in fact we must forget all this. I sit here closing this column, and although the wind is whipping around, I am dreaming of the flowers that have yet to bloom and the seasons yet to come. We gardeners are resilient and will go forward and plant more seeds, plan better border gardens, and install beautiful specimen trees, flowers, and shrubs because we, like our fickle friend spring, are voracious with our desire to grow and have beauty around us. Enjoy! Derek Thomas “The Garden Guy,” principal of Thomas Landscapes, is an accomplished garden designer whose designs have appeared on HGTV’s “Curb Appeal” and the DIY Network. View his garden segments on YouTube. He has contributed garden segments to Fox Five in Washington, DC, and is a contributor to the Smithsonian’s garden programs. He can be reached at www.thomaslandscapes.com or 301-6425182. You can find and friend us on Facebook at Facebook/Thomas Landscapes. Follow us on Twitter @ThomasGardenGuy for great garden tips. ◆

CHANGING LIVES ONE LAWN AT A TIME

LANDSCAPING

April 2017 H 153

Keith Roofing

EXPERT WORKMANSHIP AT REASONABLE PRICES! Residential/Commercial • Over 40 years of Experience Chimney Repairs • Storm & Wind Damage Repair

Fully Insured • Licensed • Bonded “No Job Too Large or Small” Senior & Military Discounts Available!

202-486-7359

All Work Inspected by Owner...Deals Directly with Customers! All Work Fully Guaranteed

Have You Liked Us Yet?

G G ROOFING

The Most Up-to-Date Capitol Hill News!

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

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

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

10 OFF WITH THIS AD %

202.425.1614 WWW.GANDGHOMEIMPROVEMENTS.NET

Licensed & Insured | All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners 154 H Hillrag.com

Standard Cleaning Services

Daily * Weekly * Biweekly * Monthly

Over15 years Serving Capitol Hill

Quality Professional Cleaning Affordable Rates Pet and Family Friendly Residential & Commercial Locally Owned

$20 OFF

References Upon Request | Bonded and Insured

cleaning after 6 visits (New Customers)

First Cleaning

50% OFF

703-719-9850 | 703-447-9254 standardcleaningservicesinc.com aviera3939@aol.com

The Capitol Hill Garden Club presents

Dear Garden Problem Lady, by Wendy Blair Our new townhouse back yard is entirely unplanted. There is a brick patio at the back door, a nine-foot wood fence around three sides, and nothing. What perennials do you suggest we might plant first? The Problem Lady loves a tabula rasa, but not if it exists inside the gardener’s own mind! Please stop all planting plans for a few seconds to focus on some questions: 1. What purpose must this back yard serve in your life? A place to sunbathe? Meditate? Entertain? Impress your mother? Grow vegetables? Bury pets? 2. Does your household consist of other persons beside yourself? For example, do you have a three-year-old child whose needs might be fully met by a sand box and a birdbath? Will you receive gardening help from spouse or friend? 3. From which direction, and for how long, does sunshine enter the yard? 4. Does your yard have exposure to winds coming from the northwest? 5. Of what composition is the existing soil in your yard? Why must you know? 6. How will you water your garden? It is easier to install an underground watering system now, at the outset, before any planting, if you can afford one.

7. Do you wish to have any trees or shrubs? Do you like shade gardens at all? 8. What Hardiness Zone do you live in? 9. How much time each week, if any, can you devote to caring for, nay, working, in a garden? Some say this work is a garden’s chief pleasure. 10. How many Capitol Hill back yards have you seen? Capitol Hill Garden Club’s monthly programs and walks can provide ideas that might blow your mind! We have a cheerful jasmine shrub that blooms in January. Friends tell me it is not really jasmine because it has no scent. That is not my fault. I do wish it did. Now I am curious about what true jasmine is, and what mine really is. Your shrub is winter jasmine. A deciduous shrub with no scent, it blooms with tiny yellow flowers as early as January. Your friends allude to Carolina jessamine (or jasmine). This one is an evergreen vine with intensely fragrant, tubular yellow flowers. It also blooms in late winter, and all summer too. The state flower of South Carolina, it is hardy in the same zones as yours – 6 through 9. Because it is a vigorous vine, it is happiest on a strong trellis or fence. On Tuesday, April 11, the Capitol Hill Garden Club will feature National Arboretum speaker Piper Zittel on the many different kinds of salvia. We meet at the Northeast Public Library, corner of Maryland Avenue and Seventh Street NE. Meetings start at 7 p.m. and are free and open to all. Feeling beset by gardening problems? Your problem might prove instructive to others and help them feel superior to you. Send them to the Problem Lady c/o dearproblemlady@gmail. com. Complete anonymity is assured. ◆

“High quality design and preservation framing are our top priorities” Serving Capitol Hill since 1984 Custom designed mats • Wide selection • Work done on premises 513 11TH ST. SE (EASTERN MARKET METRO)

202.544.7577 www.newmangallery.com ROTAT I N G E X H I B I TS O F LO C A L A RT I S TS

734 7th St. SE o: 202.547.2707 f: 202.547.1977 We do whole house restoration/remodeling or parts: kitchen, bath, basements, decks, porches, additions etc. And window & door restoration or replacement. Work is done in our shop or from quality manufactured sources appropriate to your building.

joeltruittbuilders.com Quality Since 1972

April 2017 H 155

Classifieds HOME SERVICES

OTHER SERVICES

PET SERVICES

AIR & HEATING

APPLIANCES REPAIR

BASEMENT EXCAVATION

MISCELLANEOUS

Appliances Pro, Inc.

Appliances Pro, Inc. No Extra Charge Weekends, Evenings & Holidays

“We Repair It Right The First Time!” ALL MAKES & MODELS / SERVICE & INSTALLATION

Refrigerator ••Refrigerator •- Service Range/ Stove within 3 hours ••Washers/Dryers Oven • Wall Ovens Dishwasher ••Ranges Washer & Dryer ••Garbage Disposals ••Microwaves Garbage Disposal • Icemakers • Freezers • Dishwashers • Sub-zero Specialists

All Major Brands We Service, SAME SERVICE Repair,DAY and Install FREE NO EXTRA CHARGE WEEKENDS, SERVICE $ EVENINGS & HOLIDAYS

35 OFF

CALL

ANY COMPLETE FREE SERVICEREPAIR CALL WITH REPAIR WITH

CALL NOW!

REPAIR!

202.640.2178 www.prorepairappliance.com 202.640.2178

A Cleaning Service, Inc. CARPET CLEANING

cares about the environment in which you live

WOVEN HISTORY

We wash carpets in the traditional manner- by hand, using no chemicals or machinery. No preheated room for drying. We dry in the sun and the wind. Free pick up an delivery for Capitol Hill Residents. Call 202-543-1705. More info at info@wovenhistory.com or www.wovenhistory.com. Located at 311-315 7th St, SE. Your neighborhood carpet store on Capitol Hill since 1995

CLEANING SERVICES

a clean house, a clean mind. Complete Residential Cleaning, including Laundry & Ironing CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATE

STANDARD CLEANING SERVICE INC. Commercial & Residential

Licensed, Licensed, Bonded Bonded & Insured & Insured

SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES!

Ana Julia Viera 703.719.9850 • 703.447.9254 Days Free Estimates • Bonded & Insured References Upon Request 15% Discount New Customers

156 ★ Hillrag.com

703.892.8648

acleaningser viceinc. com satisfaction guaranteed serving DC, MD & VA since 1985 licensed, bonded & insured

1 YEAR WARRANTY ON LABOR AND PARTS www.prorepairappliance.com

· · · · · ·

Our website just got a whole lot better! capitalcommunitynews.com

ELECTRICIAN

Let Us Chase Out the Dust Bunnies

FLOORS

Heritage Wood Floors, Inc. Installation • Sanding • Refinishing • Hardwood Mouldings 202.399.3090 www.maidpro.com/capitolhill 1100 H Street, NE • 2nd Fl YOUR LOCAL CLEANERS

Restoration & Historical Preservation Carpentry

CONTRACTORS Over 10 years of Experience on Capitol Hill

Windows & Doors

Brick & Stone Re-pointing Plumbing & Electric Service

Cabinets & Moulding

Plaster & Drywall

Wood & Engineered Floors

Painting & Decorative Finishes

202.965.1600

· · · · · ·

g, E

Residential Floors

www.jfmeyer.com • References

facebook.com/pages/ JF-Meyer-Construction-Co-Inc/127977000616632

E D D I E

301-855-3006 888-227-2882

Roofing & Guttering

Free Estimates • Insured

Free Estimates • MHIC #120190

STRUCTURE SPECIALISTS

DOORS & WINDOWS

Dedicated to Perfection

ESTATE CLEAN-OUT

• Sanding and Refinishing • Installation • Repairs • Cleaning & Waxing

7 days a week - Free Estimates Reasonable Rates Residential & Commercial

(301) 990-7775

CONSTRUCTION

Family owned and operated 3 Generations of Experience

Kitchen & Bath Remodel Interior & Exterior Painting Carpentry · Molding Floors · Hardwood Plumbing · Doors & Windows Brick Pointing · Patios

HANDYMAN

Licensed & Insured Free Estimates 202-247-0104 15% off all jobs over $1000

P McNulty Construction Complete Home Improvement & Renovations

Kitchens & Bathrooms Basements & Additions

202.909.5840

Pmcnulthy2010@hotmail.com LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED

Windows Craft, Inc. Specializing in HistoricWindows & Doors

202.288.6660 info@windowscraft.com

Licensed, Insured and Bonded License # 69006200

WWW.FCIMPROVEMENTS.COM ADDITIONS, KITCHENS, BATH AND INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING EXPERT NO JOB TOO SMALL! • 12 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Craftsmanship and Expertise

Renovations and Remodeling including Plumbing & Electrical

contact CAROLINA at 202.400.3503 carolina@hillrag.com April 2017 ★ 157

HOUSE HISTORY

LANDSCAPING

CHIMNEY REPOINTING, LINING & REPAIRS!

Do You Know the historY of Your home?

Painting & Handyman Services No Job too Small

GEORGE HALLIDAY Thomas Landscapes

Painting Interior/Exterior Drywall & Tile

DEREK THOMAS / PRINCIPAL

EVG CONTRACTORS Capitol Hill Specialists

LI CE N SE D I N DC

nmhousedetectives@gmail.com

Basements & Waterproofing

EVGcontractorsLLC@msn.com

Experts in New and Traditional Masonry

IRON WORK

A Handyman You can Trust Everything from “Honey Do” Lists to Finishing Your Basement • Kitchen Remodeling • Painting • Concrete / Masonry • General Repairs • Bathroom • Renovations & more

571.437.4696

Welding & Ornamental Iron Work • • • • •

Repairs of Original Cast Iron Staircases Window bars and door security gates Handrailings & Stair Railings Fences, Sidewalk Gates, Tree Box Fences DC code approved bedroom window security bars • Excavating, back hoe services and tree stump grinding • Certified welding

Over 20 Years of Experience

NO Job Too Small! We Do it All!!

REDEFINING BEAUTY ONE CLIENT AT A TIME!

202.637.8808

Full-Service Landscape Design & Maintenance

301.642.5182

WWW.THOMASLANDSCAPES.COM

24-hours, 7-day service Free estimates

SENATE

703-765-9344

www.suburbanweldingcompany.com

CEMENT

Free estimates • No job is too small Affordable rates • Licensed, insured and bonded

HANDYMAN EXPRESS

jkhuynh@cox.net

Licensed, Bonded & Insured

• Installation, arbors, retaining walls, walkways, lighting, water features • Patios, roof top gardens, townhomes, single family homes • Formal and informal gardens • Certified tree maintenance and removal • Custom Masonry, fencing and iron work

www.lgmhomeimprovements.com

• • • • • • • • •

CONCRETE & BRICKPOINTING

Restoration Cleaning on Historical Brick and Stone

nmhousedetectives.com

Suburban Welding Company

MASONRY Historic Masonry Repointing & Repairs

Let us create a coffee table book on the history of your home.

301.237.1748 Great Rates - Warranty on all work - References -Insured

MASONRY

202-246-1513

Painting Plumbing Drain Service Kitchen Disposal Carpentry Ceiling Fan Electrical Caulking General Repairs

We specialize in all types of masonry work including: Chimney repair and rebuild Flue pipe repair &amp; replacement

No job is too small!

Historic and modern masonry

Reasonable Rates • Free Estimates

Spot pointing

Call Ty • 703.615.7122

Total repointing Waterproofing Basement repairs

you saw them in

158 ★ Hillrag.com

Local since 1982

When Trust Matters Most

FLK

Residential, Office & Commercial

RS!

PEST CONTROL

Peach Moving Services Painting Division Interior & Exterior Custom Painting Drywall & Plastering

Historic Renovation & Artisan Stonework

Award-Winning Mason with over 30 years of experience

SPECIALIZING IN:

202.965.1600 www.jfmeyer.com

Custom Masonry • Stone • Brick Work Point Up • Restoration • Patio & Water Gardens

Call Tom for a Free Estimate

202-544-4484

www.michaligamasonry.com FORMER HEAD MASON OF THE ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL FROM 1989 - 1996.

Reasonable Prices : Hill Resident Licensed • Bonded • Insured

Historical Preservation Specialists

Little Peach in Training

Free Estimates • Insured • References

Short Term Notice Moves Local & Up to 300 mile Radius Expert Packing & Unpacking Temporary Storage by the Day Hourly Rates

www.peachmoving.com

More than just killing bugs, we take care of your home • Babies, children, pets, no worries, customized treatments • Latest environmentally sound methods and products • One time, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, yearly LICENSED & INSURED

Free Estimates

Michael Pietsch (aka Peach) Capitol Hill Resident

202.368.7492

Termite, Pest & Rodent Control

When was the last time your expectations were SURPASSED!

301.273.5740 301.576.3286 WWW.FLKPESTCONTROL.COM

PLUMBING

PAINTING

Just Say I Need A Plumber®

Preserving Capitol Hill BRICK BY BRICK since 1985 FREE ESTIMATES

202-544-9301

202.543.1914

• Professional Craftsmanship

Dial A Plumber, LLC®

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

• Interior & Exterior Imagepainting.com Painting • Clean, prompt and friendly service with a history of repeat customers

www.brickmasonrywashingtondc.com Bricklands@msn.com

MOVING & HAULING

Licensed Bonded Insured

Kenny

202-251-1479 DC P

L U M M E R

’

I C E N S E

#707

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Property Management + Design

On staff contractors for best pricing in maintenance & repairs • All-inclusive rental management services • Extensive property marketing • Tenant vetting and selection

SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES!

• Offering the most competitive rates in the market (80% first month rental fee, 8% single family homes and 7% family condos) • 24 hours emergency call service

7600 Georgia Avenue NW Suite 304 DCozyhomes@gmail.com

www.Dc-cozyhome.com

202 882 0100

April 2017 ★ 159

ROOFING / GUTTERS

R.THOMAS

DANIEL ROOFING New tin, copper & membrane roof systems Inspections & repairs Roof painting Gutters, spouts & skylights

WOOD & WHITACRE

ROOFING CONTRACTORS 30 years on the Hill Slate – Tile – Copper Specializing in all Flat Roof Systems and Leaks FREE ESTIMATES • Work Guaranteed

JEFFREY WOOD cell

301.674.1991

www.wood-whitacre.com Recommended roofer of Capitol Hill Village and Dupont Circle Village Licensed-Insured-Bonded

CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE INSPECTION!

202.569.1080 202.544.4430 tom@rthomasdanielroofing.com www.rthomasdanielroofing.com

ALL TYPES OF ROOFING REPAIRS

Keith Roofing EXPERT WORKMANSHIP AT REASONABLE PRICES! Residential/Commercial Over 40 years in Business

Star Roofing Company RELIABLE

G G ROOFING

Specializing in Residential & Commercial Flat Roof Systems

202-543-6383

AWARDED BEST WASHINGTON, DC CONTRACTOR OF 2012 BY ANGIE’S LIST

All work done by owner • Free Estimates Insured • Licensed • Bonded

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

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

10% OFF WITH THIS AD

202.425.1614 WWW.GANDGHOMEIMPROVEMENTS.NET

Licensed & Insured | All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners

FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST WE STOP LEAKS! • Roof Repairs • Roof Coatings • Rubber • Metal • Slate

• Tiles • Chimneys • Gutters • Waterproofing • Roof Certifications

We Do Everything!

BOYD CONSTRUCTION INC. LIC. BONDED. INS

Suburban Welding Company

Welding & Ornamental Iron Work • • • • •

D 24-hours, 7-day service Free estimates

703-765-9344

www.suburbanweldingcompany.com

Insurance Claims • Free Estimates • 24Hr. Service

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • “50 YEARS EXPERIENCE” •

Chimney Repairs Storm & Wind Damage Repair

WELDING

Fully Insured • Licensed • Bonded “No Job Too Large or Small” Senior & Military Discounts Available!

OTHER SERVICES

202-486-7359

CHIROPRACTIC

All Work Inspected by Owner...Deals Directly with Customers! All Work Fully Guaranteed

Living on & serving the Hill since 1986

WE WILL BEAT YOUR BEST PRICE New Roofs, Maintenance & Repairs Seamless Gutters Experts Stopping Leaks is our Specialty!

WE DO IT ALL!

202.637.8808 Licensed, Bonded & Insured

STORAGE

Dr. David Walls-Kaufman Chiropractor

PIL

411 East Capitol St., SE All are welcome to Dr. Walls-Kaufman's free Saturday morning Tai Chi class at 8 am in Lincoln Park

202-544-6035 Because Optimal Health is Impossible Without Optimal Posture!

75 years in service

BBB

Member

202-223-ROOF (7663) 160 ★ Hillrag.com

COMPUTER

CAPITOL HILL IN-HOME PERSONAL TRAINER

INTERNET

PET SERVICES personally serving our neighbors since 1999

pets on the hill Support your local Hill business "We live, work and play on the Hill"

Mid-day Dog Walking AM & PM, Weekend Walks, Petsitting • Women Owned and Operated • Expert Cat Care - All Areas of the Hill • Medications, Plant Watering, Mail and Paper • Trustworthy and Reliable

David L. Franklin

Contact Me Today!

202.277.8396 www.DLFfitness.com

10% DISCOUNT

OFF YOUR FIRST PACKAGE

Kerith Grandelli bonded & insured

202.641.7621

RADIO/MEDIA

petsonthehillDC@yahoo.com

ANCHOR C O M P U T E R S

On-site Service for Homes & Businesses Since 1994 Troubleshooting, Repairs & Upgrades Virus & Spyware Removal New & Existing Computer Setup Network & Wireless Installation Data Recovery, Transfer & Back-up TV & Phone Configuration Webpage Development

LARRY ELPINER

202.543.7055

anchorcomputers.com admin@anchorcomputers.com

FITNESS

PILATES FOR EVERY BODY AND LIFE-STAGE

SHOES

Eastern Market Shoe Repair • Shoes • Boots • Purses • Luggage

MISCELLANEOUS

man's ss at

SMALL GROUP CLASSES Pilates Mat & Springboard Classes Unlimited Monthly Membership New Student Intro - One Month Unlimited Mat $80

PRIVATE & SEMI-PRIVATE INSTRUCTION

645 Penn Ave., SE upstairs M-F 8:30-7 • Sat 9-6

202-543-5632

HOUSEKEEPER-NANNY Our housekeeper/nanny of 7+ years is looking for extra work on Saturdays. She helps us with light housekeeping, picking our 7 year old from school, taking her to her lessons, caring for pets, folding laundry and organizing. I highly recommend her. For more information please call 202-213-6941.

Personalized sessions taught on a mix of Pilates apparatus

RANDI MOORE, PMA®-CPT OW N E R & T E AC H E R

www.rootedpilates.com Randi@rootedpilates.com

511 11TH ST SE | WDC 20003 | 202.681.6755

Our website just got a whole lot better! capitalcommunitynews.com

April 2017 ★ 161

{the last shot}

“A light blanket of snow covers the Hill.” Photo: Andre Myrick For more of Andre Myrick’s work, visit www.photographercentral.com/photographer/8431300646444/capturing-the-momentdigital-photography-washington-d-c

162 H Hillrag.com