capitalcommunitynews.com • May 2012
Est. 1981
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CAPITOL HILL
CAPITOL HILL
822 11th Street, NE Listed at $738,000 - SOLD We represented the buyers. Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD THE BISSEY TEAM
CAPITOL HILL
815 8th Street, NE
329 East Capitol Street, SE
$799,500
$1,850,000
16th STREET HEIGHTS
CAPITOL HILL
1303 Buchanan Street, NW
1615 H Street, SE 4BR/3.5BA & Parking. COMING SOON! Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661
www.MouseOnHouse.com/17998
www.homevisit.com/DC7645189
$674,500
Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com
Stan Bissey 202-841-1433 THE BISSEY TEAM
Colin Johnson 202-536-4445
www.MouseOnHouse.com/18710
IF YOU HAD TO MOVE OFF THE HILL…
1310 12th Street, NW #6 This top floor 2BR/2.5BA Penthouse w/ roof deck would be a good choice! www.MouseOnHouse.com/18692
PETWORTH 434 Randolph Street, NW
$725,000
$639,500 - SOLD www.MouseOnHouse.com/17767
Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com
CAPITOL HILL
OPEN SUNDAY 5/6 From 1:00-3:00
CAPITOL HILL
637 3rd Street, NE
517 7th Street, SE
3BR/2.5BA & Parking. $829,500 www.MouseOnHouse.com/16695
Colin Johnson 202-536-4445
Colin Johnson
WOODRIDGE
202-536-4445
PETWORTH 5107 8th Street, NW $419,500 – CONTRACT www.MouseOnHouse.com/17230
Fern Pannill 240-508-4856
CAPITOL HILL 614 E Street, SE
$878,500 - CONTRACT
2814 18th Street, NE
www.chriszimmer.com/517se7
$429,500
Charming 2BR/1.5BA. $659,000 – CONTRACT
Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD THE BISSEY TEAM
www.MouseOnHouse.com/18331
www.MouseOnHouse.com/17623
Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661
Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661
RANDLE HEIGHTS 1928 Good Hope Rd, SE $214,500 Fern Pannill 240-508-4856
“WHERE WASHINGTON SHOPS FOR A NEW ADDRESS!”® 225 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003
Tel: 202-544-3900 www.johncformant.com
Sales • Rentals • Commercial Leasing • Property Management • Investments
Come to the
2nd
A n n u kaFeslt, Literary Hill Boo
Sunday, May 6, 11am-3pm,
ll in the North Ha
et. of Eastern Mark
Participating Authors: Meredith Henne Baker’s first book, The Richmond Theater Fire: Early America’s First Great Disaster, is winner of the 2012 Jules and Frances Landry Award. Louis Bayard’s best-selling historical mysteries include The Pale Blue Eye, Mr. Timothy (a New York Times Notable Book), The Black Tower, and The School of Night. Stephanie Deutsch is a Capitol Hill journalist whose new book is Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South. Oscar Gonzalez is the author of Central America in My Heart, a collection of poems about his native Honduras. Mary Z. Gray writes about growing up on Capitol Hill in her memoir, 301 East Capitol Street: Tales from the Heart of the City, the first title published by the Overbeck History Press. Sharon M. Hannon is the author of Punks: A Guide to an American Subculture, and Women Explorers, part of the Library of Congress’s Women Who Dare series. Nancy James is an Episcopal priest who writes frequently about Madame Guyon, a 17th-century French mystic. Her latest book is The Complete Madame Guyon (2011). Lucinda Janke is an independent historian who provided the captions for a book contrasting historical with contemporary photographs, Washington D.C.: Views of the Past and Present (2011).
Katy Kelly has written six books for young readers featuring Lucy Rose, Adam (Melonhead) Melon, and other kids growing up on Capitol Hill (as Katy and her siblings did). Marguerite Kelly writes the nationally syndicated column The Family Almanac and is author of The Mother’s Almanac (1975), still billed by Doubleday as “the most complete book ever written about loving and living with small children.” Claire Kincannon is a local writer and editor who helped local high school students put together a compendium of stories, photos, poetry and vignettes called Rockin’ with Porch Memories. Kevin R. Kosar’s 2010 Whiskey: A Global History is, according to The Washington Post, “the perfect primer for the person who wants to quickly learn the basics.”
Ariel Sabar’s debut book, My Father’s Paradise, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography. His latest book is Heart of the City: Nine Stories of Love and Serendipity on the Streets of New York. Paris Singer and her son Adam Russell have recently published their first book, Lunch with Diogenes: The Greek Philosopher and the Philosopher Dog, about the lessons learned from their rescue mutt and philosopher dog, Diogenes. Louise Farmer Smith has just published One Hundred Years of Marriage, a novel-in-stories, one of which was nominated by the Bellevue Literary Review for a Pushcart prize.
Marc Levinson is a local journalist, historian, and economist who is the author of The Great A&P and the Struggle for Small Business in America.
James Swanson is the author of The New York Times bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer, and Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln’s Corpse.
James Magner is a decorated Vietnam veteran and artist whose 2011 book, A Haunting Beauty, recently earned the Richard Boes Award for the Best Debut Book by a Veteran (fiction or memoir).
Cathy Travis is author of the bilingual Constitution Translated for Kids and Kindle versions of a journal (Target Sitting) and a novel (Elected).
Chuck McCutcheon is an award-winning journalist and author who is the author of Nuclear Reactions, a history of the world’s first radioactive waste dump, and What Are Global Warming and Climate Change?: Answers for Young Readers. Jean Nordhaus’s books of poetry include A Bracelet of Lies, The Porcelain Apes of Moses Mendelssohn, and Innocence, which one reviewer called “a superb work of poetic art.” Garrett Peck is a journalist whose books include Prohibition in Washington, DC: How Dry We Weren’t (2011) and The Potomac River: A History & Guide (2012).
Jerry Weinberger is a political scientist and journalist whose books include Science, Faith and Politics, and Benjamin Franklin Unmasked: On the Unity of His Moral, Religious, and Political Thought. Gene Weingarten is a Pulitzer prize-winning syndicated columnist whose books include Old Dogs Are the Best Dogs and The Fiddler in the Subway. John R. Wennersten’s books include the Oyster Wars of Chesapeake Bay, Anacostia: The Death and Life of An American River, and his newest, Global Thirst: Water and Society in the 21st Century.
Robert Pohl is the author of The History of 219 11th St SE Washington DC, the brand-new Wicked Capitol Hill: An Unruly History of Behaving Badly, and the co-author (with John
Booksellers, Libraries, and Other Participants:
The Literary Hill BookFest is sponsored by Capital Community News, Inc. with financial support from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, Walter B. Quetsch, Barracks Row Entertainment LLC, Tom Faison/RealEstateinDC.com, Karl and Carrol Kindel, Susan B. Waters, and many other generous donors
Wennersten) of Abraham Lincoln and the End of Slavery in the District of Columbia.
Capitol Hill Books Capitol Hill Writers Group DC Public Library Fairy Godmother Books and Toys Folger Shakespeare Library Global Fund for Children Books Historic Congressional Cemetery Library of Congress Platypus Media/Science, Naturally! Riverby Books Ruka Press USborne Books Washington Conservation Guild
Book Talk Schedule: 11:30-11:50 Meredith Henne Baker 12:00-12:20 Mary Z. Gray 12:30-12:50 James Swanson 1:00-1:20 Katy Kelly 1:30-1:50 Ruka Press 2:00-2:20 Stephanie Deutsch 2:30-2:50 John Wennersten
6 H HillRag | May 2012
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GRAND RE-OPENING!
Prizes & Drawings: Win Free Food for a Year! Doggie Ice Cream Social & Raw-Bark BBQ & More!” Come Check Out The Changes We’ve Made! May 5th & 6th
Pet Food • Raw Dog & Cat Foods • Pet Supplies Grooming • Self Serve Dog Wash Howl to the Chief (formerly Chateau-Animaux)
733 8th Street SE • 202-544-8710 www.howltothechief.com
capitalcommunitynews.com H 7
05.12
What’s Inside
ineveryissue 12 14 54 89 140 148 150
Go ... See ... Do Washington’s Best Calendar Hill Rag Crossword Dining Coupons Classified Ads Last Word The Nose
capitolstreets
83
27 30 38 40 42 44 46 48 49 50 51
Hill Buzz: Kathryn Stillman Heads Post 8 / Maggie Hall The Bulletin Board The District Beat / Martin Austermuhle The Numbers /Jenny Reed Frager’s Under Siege / Peter Waldron A Bridge to Everywhere / Dana Bell DDOT’s Controversial Site for Car Barn / Dana Bell ANC 6A Re port / Roberta Weiner ANC 6B Report / Emily Clark ANC 6C Report / Roberta Weiner ANC 6D Report / Roberta Weiner
communitylife 55 58 62 64 66 68 70
Reliving The Dream / Claudia Brindley Hill’s Spiritual Side / Rindy O’Brien H Street Life: / Elise Bernard Barracks Row / Sharon Bosworth South by West / William Rich Capitol Riverfront News / Micheal Stevens @ Your Service / Heather Schoell
realestate 73 76
A Capitol Urban Legend / Robert M. Pohl Changing Hands: Home Sales / Don Denton
ARTSdiningentertainment Special 83 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100
Ethiopic / Celest McCall Dining Notes / Celeste McCall The Wine Guys / Jon Genderson Theater: God of Carnage / Barbara Wells Theater: Serious About Comedy / Amanda Wilson At the Movies / Mike Canning Art and The City / Jim Magner The Literary Hill / Karen Lyon The Jazz Project / Jean-Keith Fagon
beautyhealthfitness 103 106 108 109
A Life-Changing Journey/ Pattie Cinelli Does It Work? Spray Tan / Jen Zatkowski The Chocolate Lab / Matthew Antkowiak, DVM Your Brain: Wired for Survival and for Suffering / Ronda Bresnick Hauss
kidsandfamily 111 116 117 118
Kids & Family Notebook / Kathleen Donner The Phantom Tollbooth / Dana Bell City Dance’s DREAM Program / Amanda Abrams School Notes / Susan Braun Johnson
homesandgardens 127 132 136 138
The Hill Gardener: Rejoicing in Rain / Rindy O’Brien Garden Spot: Remake of 1100 Constitution / Derek Thomas One Zone Does Not Fit All / Cheryl Corson Dear Garden Lady / by Anonymous
COVER: Félix Vallotton, On the Beach, 1899. Oil on board, 16 1/2 x 18 7/8 in. Private collection, Switzerland. On display at The Phillips Collection’s Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to Vuillard Exhibition. 1600 21st St., NW. Washington, DC 20009. www.phillipscollection.org
HILL RAG MID CITY DC EAST OF THE RIVER FAGON COMMUNITY GUIDES
CHIROPRACTIC BLOOD TEST
Capital Community News, Inc. 224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 • www.capitalcommunitynews.com
By Dr. David Walls-Kaufman
I
like to keep Capitol Hill cutting edge, and I believe I’m doing an especially good job these past few months by bringing in the serum Thiol blood test. This test is the definitive test for human health. It is the easiest comprehensive measure for how secure our health is. It has been around since the 1980s and was developed by a pharmaceutical company to assess cancer and AIDs risk. Low levels of the protein strongly correlate to shortened lifespan and to all nine categories of disease, including cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. If you measure low levels of this protein, which opens the DNA strand for repair, then you exhibit a 95% risk of developing any of the major diseases. This may seem to some like flirting with doom - why waste ones few short hours before doom strikes knowing it will come?! But the point is - almost all of us have tremendous control over doom to bend it away from our door if we simply change our lifestyle. And researchers found that chiropractic was one of the two strongest influences for bending away health calamity. The other tool was certain anti-oxidants. They found, also, that long term chiropractic folks showed the highest levels of DNA repair, and that these high levels appeared to correlate with the highest categories of good health, and that this higher wellbeing was an attribute of chiropractic care, not of the benefit of overall higher health awareness of people that use chiropractic. For the better health and life experience of you and your family – Capitol Hill Chiropractic Center 411 East Capitol St., SE 202.544.6035. Serving our neighborhood since 1985. ADVERTISEMENT
10 H HillRag | May 2012
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner melissaashabranner@hillrag.com EDITORIAL STAFF
SOCIETY & EVENTS
Managing Editor: Andrew Lightman andrew@hillrag.com CFO & Associate Editor: Maria Carolina Lopez carolina@hillrag.com School Notes Editor: Susan Braun Johnson schools@hillrag.com Kids & Family Notebook Editor: Kathleen Donner kathleen.donner@gmail.com
Mickey Thompson • socialsightings@aol.com
HOMES & GARDENS
Rindy O’Brien - Hill Gardener • rindyob@mac.com Derek Thomas • derek@thomaslandscapes.com Judith Capen • judith.capen@architravepc.com HomeStyle: Mark Johnson • mark@hillrag.com
NEWS & NEIGHBORHOOD REPORTS
ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
Art: Jim Magner • jjmagner@aol.com Dining: Emily Clark • clapol47@gmail.com Hit the City: Joylyn Hopkins • joylyn@joylynhopkins.com Literature: Karen Lyon • klyon@folger.edu Movies: Mike Canning • mjcanning@verizon.net Music: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Retail Therapy: Scott Fazzini • scott.fazzini@gmail.com Theater: Barbara Wells • barchardwells@aol.com Travel: Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com The Wine Guys: Jon Genderson • jon@cellar.com
CALENDAR & BULLETIN BOARD
Hill Rag, MidCity DC & East of the River: Calendar Editor: Kathleen Donner calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com
GENERAL ASSIGNMENT
Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Celeste McCall • celeste@hillrag.com Heather Schoell • hschoell@verizon.net Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Peter Waldron • peter@hillrag.com Kathleen Donner • kathleen.donner@gmail.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Alice Ollstein • alice.ollstein@gmail.com Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com Gwyn Jones • gwynjones@aol.com John H. Muller • jmuller.washingtonsyndicate@gmail.com Amanda Wilson • amanda.mc.wilson@gmail.com Dana Bell • dana@hillrag.com Damian Fagon • damian.fagon@gmail.com
BEAUTY, HEALTH& FITNESS
Patricia Cinelli • fitmiss44@aol.com Ronda Bresnick Hauss, LCSW • www.quietwaterscenter.com
KIDS & FAMILY
Kathleen Donner • kathleen.donner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com
anc6a, 6b, 6c, 6d:
Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com • clapol47@gmail.com Barracks Row: sharon@barracksrow.org Cap.Riverfront: Michael Stevens • michael@capitolriverfront.org H Street Life: Elise Bernard • inked78@hotmail.com the Nose: thenose@hillrag.com Logan Circle • mark@hillrag.com Shaw • Ralph Brabham: Ralph • ralphbrabham@yahoo.com The Triangle • Amanda Wilson • amanda.mc.wilson@gmail.com anc6b: Emily Clark
PRODUCTION/GRAPHIC DESIGN
Associate Art Director: Jason Yen 202.543.8300 X21 • jay@hillrag.com Graphic Designer / Web Master: Jason Nickens 202.543.8300 X17 • jason@hillrag.com
ADVERTISING & SALES
Senior Account Executive: Deborah Bandzerewicz 202.543.8300 X13 • deb@hillrag.com Account Executive: Kira Means 202.543.8300 X16 • kira@hillrag.com Account Executive: Lucy Fagon 202.543.8300 X20 • lucy@hillrag.com Classified Advertising: Maria Carolina Lopez 202.543.8300 X12 • carolina@hillrag.com Marketing Asst.: Giancarlo Fagon
DISTRIBUTION
Distribution Manager: Andrew Lightman Distributors: Southwest Distribution Distribution Information: distribution@hillrag.com
DEADLINES & CONTACTS
Advertising: sales@hillrag.com Display Ads: 15th of each month Classified Ads: 10th of each month Editorial: 15th of each month; submissions@hillrag.com Bulletin Board & Calendar: 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.
Publisher: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2012 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.
capitalcommunitynews.com
Proud Sponsors of the 55th Annual
CAPITOL HILL RESTORATION SOCIETY HOME & GARDEN TOUR
Join us Mother’s Day Weekend, May 12/13! And Bring Your Mothers! www.chrs.org for more info
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GO.SEE.DO. Woodrow Wilson House Electric Car Rally.
Woodrow Wilson House, in partnership with the Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, DC, will host an electric car rally on Saturday, June 2, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. during Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk Weekend. The event will include a parade of electric vehicles down Massachusetts Avenue to Dupont Circle at 11:00 a.m. followed by a display of historic and modern electric cars in Wilson House’s driveway and garage. Visitors can have their photo taken behind the wheel of an electric car, speak to electric car owners to learn what all the fuss is about, discover how to build and race a solar-powered model electric car and see some in use (weather permitting), and get special behind-the-scenes access to the 1921 Milburn Light Electric Opera Coupe-the same make and model driven by Wilson’s secret service agents in the White House – on loan from the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles. Visitors will also enjoy free access to the museum and the exhibition, “Woodrow Wilson, President Electric: Harnessing the Power of Innovation in the Progressive Era” on display through October. Woodrow Wilson House, 2340 S St. NW. 202-387-4062. woodrowwilsonhouse.org 1921 Milburn Light Electric Opera Coupe. Photo: Courtesy of Woodrow Wilson House, a National Trust Historic Site, Washington, DC
Literary Hill BookFest.
The first Literary Hill BookFest in 2011 attracted nearly a thousand visitors to meet and talk with local writers, hear talks by selected authors, buy books, learn about our local libraries and other literary resources, and enjoy all that the Eastern Market area has to offer. We expect this year to be even bigger and better! Join us on May 6 to enjoy a taste of the literary richness of Capitol Hill. Admission is free. May 6, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. North Hall of Eastern Market, North Carolina and 7th St SE. literaryhillbookfest.org
12 H HillRag | May 2012
Marine Barracks Evening Parade.
The Evening Parade has become a universal symbol of the professionalism, discipline and Esprit de Corps of the United States Marines. The story of the ceremony reflects the story of Marines around the world. The ceremony begins with a concert by the United States Marine Band. Free. It is wise to have reservations that can be made online at mbw.usmc.mil. Friday evenings, through Aug 31. Guests admitted starting at 7:00 p.m. Guests should be seated by 8:00 p.m. Program begins at 8:45 p.m. Marine Barracks (front gate), Eighth and I Sts. SE. 202-433-4073. mbw.usmc.mil Marine Barracks Evening Parade. Photo: Cpl. Dengrier Baez
Lamb Jam.
Eighteen of DC’s top chefs will ewe-night for the second annual American Lamb Jam produced by the American Lamb Board. This ultimate taste-off will feature top chefs and their creative preparations of lusty lamb dishes accompanied by several wineries, breweries and more. Judging will include awards for Best of Show, 1st Place Awards for Shoulder, Leg of Lamb, Shank and Loin tastes. Guests vote and determine the People’s Choice winner. This year’s chefs are from Bibiana, Poste, Urbana, Occidental, West End Bistro, ici, Againn, 701, Oyamel, Max Fox Brewing Company, Cava, Bistro 525, Bourbon Steak, Boxcar Tavern, Granville Moore, PS’7 and Vidalia. People’s Choice Award for 2011 went to John Critchley from Urbana. $50. Monday, May 21, 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Eastern Market North Hall. dc.fansoflamb.comg
The Preakness Infield.
The Infield action is the people’s party. This popular, multi-entertainment festival features live music on two stages, the bottomless MUG Club and a line-up of activities capped off by the thrilling 137th Running of the Preakness Stakes. InfieldFest features performances by Grammy Award winners Maroon 5 and multi-platinum rapper Wiz Khalifa! The Beer Garden Jägermeister Stage welcomes regional favorites, Mr. Greengenes, Nashville-based country band, Little Big Town, and British rockers, The Darkness. You”ll also see the Budweiser Clydesdales, the famed 82nd Airborne Division Freefall Parachute Team drop-in, the US Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth fly-over and hear the Naval Academy Glee Club sing “Maryland, My Maryland.” $50 until May 12 and then it’s $60. preakness.com. Shackleford and jockey Jesus Castanon hold off Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom to win the $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course last May. The 137th running of thoroughbred racing’s middle jewel of the Triple Crown is set for Saturday, May 19 in Baltimore. Photo: Tom McCue, Maryland Jockey Club capitalcommunitynews.com H 13
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HillRag CALENDAR
A Capitol Hill resident doing her farmers markets shopping at H St., NE FRESHFARM Market
H Street FRESHFARM Market at New Location. Saturdays, 9 AM-noon. 1300 H St. NE. The market is a producers-only outdoor market offering fruit, vegetables, meats, baked goods, cheese, flowers and more for sale. freshfarmmarket.org 14 H HillRag | May 2012
MOTHER’S DAY CHRS House & Garden Tour. May 12, 4:00-7:00 PM; May 13, noon-5:00 PM. This year’s tour will concentrate on the area bounded by Massachusetts Ave. and E. Capitol St. between 2nd St. and 11th St. NE. $25 in advance and $30 the weekend of the tour. They may be purchased on-line and at select venues around the Hill. chrs.org Hill Center’s Mother’s Day Tour and Treat. May 13, noon-6:00 PM. Activities will include refreshments, docent led tours of this beautiful, historic building and an art exhibition featuring a wide variety of beautiful pieces from emerging and established artists. Every mom will also receive a special sweet treat. Free. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-5494172. hillcenterdc.org Mother’s Day 5K Dash. May 13, 8:00 AM at Rock Creek Park. The Dash 5K is a challenging, chip-timed 5K through scenic Rock Creek Park benefiting ACHIEVE Kids Tri. $40. 202-271-1633. capitalsprints.com Mothers Day Concert with Blue Magic, Mad Lads, Al Johnson Unifics, Black Ivory and Urban Guerilla Orchestra. May 13, 5:30 PM. $50. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. 202-328-6000. thelincolntheatre.org
Y
capitalcommunitynews.com H 15
MAY CALENDAR
H H H (Virginia end of Memorial Bridge). 703-6078000. arlingtoncemetery.org Memorial Day at the World War II Memorial. May 28, 9:00 AM. Wreaths will be placed in honor of our veterans. Guest speakers will give remarks. World War II Memorial, 17th St. between Constitution and Independence aves. NW. Memorial Day Wreath Laying at US Navy Memorial. May 28, 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. US Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-737-2300. navyband.navy.mil Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom. May 27, noon. “Rolling Thunder” is an annual motorcycle rally held in Washington, DC during the Memorial Day weekend. Thousands of motorcycles will depart from the Pentagon at noon and will roar across Washington, DC on their motorcycles as a tribute to American war heroes. Assemble at Pentagon north parking lot. rollingthunderrun.com
Front Flicks Movies. Photo: Courtesy of Capital Riverfront BID
Front Flicks Movies. May 24, Lara Croft Tomb Raider; May 31, Sahara; June 7, Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl; June 14, National Treasure; June 21, The Goonies; June 28, Raiders of the Lost Ark; July 5, City Slickers II The Legend of Curly’s Gold; July 12, O Brother, Where Art Thou; July 19, The Da Vinci Code; July 26, Muppet Treasure Island. Movies are held at Tingey Plaza just one block from the Navy Yard Metro (New Jersey Ave. exit) behind the US Department of Transportation building. capitolriverfront.org. PATRIOTIC AND MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND EVENTS VE Day at World War II Memorial. May 8, 9:00 AM. Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) was on May 8, 1945, the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany. In commemoration of VE-Day, a wreath will be placed at the World War II Memoria, 17th St. between Constitution and Independence aves. NW. 2012 Twilight Tattoo at Fort Myer. Wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30; June 6, 12 (Army birthday celebration), 20 and 27; July 11, 18 and 25, Aug 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29. 7:00 PM with pre-ceremony pageantry starting at 6:45 PM. The 2012 Twilight Tattoo season has been extended and will run through the entire summer. Members of the 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard), the US Army Band “Pershings Own,” Fife and Drum Corps and the US Army Drill Team will perform an hour-long sunset military Pageant. Over 100 Old Guard soldiers dressed in period
16 H HillRag | May 2012
uniforms will provide a glimpse of Army history from colonial times to the soldier of the future. Check for location – either Summerall Field or Whipple Field – on historic Fort Myer in Arlington, VA. usarmyband.com GI Film Festival. May 14-20. The GI Film Festival is the nation’s only film festival dedicated to celebrating the stories of our nation’s armed forces. The GIFF will present films from new and established international and domestic filmmakers that honor the heroic stories of the American Armed Forces and the worldwide struggle for freedom and liberty. Some of the films screened will be fan favorites. Others will be screened for the first time. All will in some way express the courage and selflessness of our fighting men and women and the value of their work. Festival at the US Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. $12, screening. gifilmfestival.com National Memorial Day Concert. May 27, 8:00-9:30 PM. The National Symphony Orchestra performs the first of three outdoor holiday
concerts. The concert is free and is broadcast live on PBS. Memorial Day is a day to remember the sacrifices made by so many … and a day for healing. On the eve of Memorial Day, come out and enjoy the National Memorial Day Concert, a deeply moving and reverential tribute to the men and women who have given so much to preserve America’s freedoms. Free. West Lawn, US Capitol. “Flags-In” at Arlington Cemetery. Memorial Day Weekend, 8:00 AM-7:00 PM. Each year for the past 40 years, the 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard) has honored America’s fallen heroes by placing American flags before the gravestones and niches of service members buried both at Arlington National Cemetery and the US Soldier’s and Airmen’s National Cemetery just prior to Memorial Day Weekend. Arlington National Cemetery (Virginia end of Memorial Bridge). 703-607-8000. arlingtoncemetery.org Memorial Day Wreath Laying at Arlington. May 28, 11:00 AM. Arrive much earlier. Expect heavy security. Arlington National Cemetery
Women in Military Service Honors Memorial Day. May 28, 4:00 PM. The program includes formal military honors, remarks from servicewomen representing each of the services and the Women’s Memorial traditional Rose Petal Ceremony with personal tributes to departed comrades. Members of the public are invited to join in the personal tribute segment of the program. The Women in Military for America Memorial is the nation’s only major memorial honoring all servicewomen, past, present and future. Ceremony at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington VA. womensmemorial.org Memorial Day at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. May 28, 1:00 PM. This year’s Memorial Day observance pays tribute to those who served and died in Vietnam. The ceremony will include Presentation of the Colors, and remarks by a special guest. The observance also includes a laying of wreaths by several patriotic organizations. Each year on Memorial Day veterans and their families congregate at “The Wall” to remember and to honor those who served in the US Armed Forces. On this special day prominent Americans from all walks of life come to the Memorial to deliver thoughtful and patriotic speeches. National Memorial Day Parade. May 28, 2:00 PM. Beginning at Seventh St. and Constitution Ave. NW and ending at 17th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Expect a lot of music, color and old-fashioned patriotism. nationalmemorialdayparade.com Memorial Day in Logan Circle Park. May 28, 11:00 AM-noon. The program features remarks from local dignitaries, a wreath-laying ceremony at the statue of General John Logan, and musical entertainment. It is old-fashioned, wonderful, and emblematic of Logan Circle village. Residents and visitors alike are invited to this celebration of authentic Washington, DC and its heritage. Following the commemoration, come to a reception hosted at the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, 1318 Vermont Ave. NW. logancircle.org
ARLINGTON CAMPUS OPENING FALL 2012 • • • • • •
Ages 3 years – 5 years Weekdays, 8:00am-3:00pm Afterschool program, 3:00pm-6:00pm Space sharing for part-time enrollment Low teacher/student ratios Credentialed educators
OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE Thursday, May 17th: 9:30AM-10:30AM (NES ARL) Tuesday, May 22nd: 6:30PM–7:30PM (NES CAP HILL) Wednesday, July 18th: 9:30AM-10:30AM (NES ARL)
www.nestars.net Family Fun Day
Saturday, June 2nd: 11:00AM-1:00PM (NES ARL) Arlington Campus 1601 S. 13th Rd • Arlington, VA 22204 • 703.627.2585 Capitol Hill Campus 1325 Maryland Avenue NE • Washington, DC 20002 • 202.399.2208
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MAY CALENDAR
H H H breth and Karen Jonas are joined by Dan Dutton on double bass as they play tunes of heartache and heartbreak. $15 donation in advance ($20 donation at door). Corner Store, 900 So. Carolina Ave. SE. 202-5445807. cornerstorearts.org SAW’s Emerging Artist Showcase at Ebenezers. May 11, 7:00-11:00 PM. Free. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Brahms Meets Jazz at the Atlas. May 13, 5:00 PM. Performance by the Capital City Symphony. $20-$25. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org Jazz at the Atlas-Cout of the Cool-Gill Evans at 100. May 16, 8:00 PM. Composer/ arranger Gil Evans was influential in the development of cool jazz, modal jazz, free jazz and jazz fusion, working with icon Miles Davis on a series of highly praised albums including “Porgy and Bess” and “Sketches of Spain” and working with his own groups. Atlas presents Evans’ music with several ensembles including nonet, tentet, big band, and jazz orchestra. $15-$25. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-3997993. atlasarts.org
Let’s Move! with Smithsonian Gardens. May 11-12. Join Smithsonian horticulturalists as they share their extensive gardening knowledge through fun, hands-on demonstrations and family-friendly activities. Visitors can participate in a wide variety of free activities highlighting the theme “Gardening for Healthy Living” including proper tree planting techniques, tips on growing organic vegetables and healthy lawn care to getting fit with yoga demonstrations. Music, roaming storytellers and dancing add zip and zing to the event. Enid A. Haupt Garden, behind the Smithsonian Castle, 1000 Jefferson Dr. SW. gardens.si.edu Navy Memorial Concerts on the Avenue. Tuesdays, May 29-Aug 28, 8:00 PM. Come out to the US Navy Memorial for an evening of relaxing music by the United States Navy Band and its specialty groups. Free. US Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-737-2300. navyband.navy.mil Docent-Led Tour of Historic Congressional Cemetery. Saturdays, May through October (weather permitting) at 11:00 AM. Free. 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. congressionalcemetery.org
SPECIAL EVENTS BikeFest at Eastern Market. May 11, 8:00 PMmidnight. For one night only, they’re inviting you to pedal back in time and relive the roaring twenties! They’re turning DC’s Eastern Market into a bicycling speakeasy, so spread the word. Whether you’re a WABA member or not, come on down! Flappers, bootleggers, guys and dolls, and everyday Joes and Joans will jump, jive and wail all evening! You bring the excitement and plenty of cold hard cash, and they’ll provide the
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jazz, drinks, food, treats, and more as we celebrate our victories and raise some funds for bike advocacy. $55, $45 members. Eastern Market’s North Hall. waba.org DC101 Chili Cook-Off. May 12, 11:00 AM. True to its name, the Chili Cook-Off features an intense competition between 101 chili cooks in four categories: Red Chili, Green Chili, Freestyle, and Salsa. Benefits National Kidney Foundation. Also performing at this year’s event is Cake, The Airborne Toxic Event, Angels & Airwaves, Awolnation, Neon Trees, Civil Twilight and Twin Atlantic. $35 ($60 day-of). RFK Stadium. kidney.org Saint Sophia Greek Festival. May 18, 19 and 20; 10:00 AM-10:00 PM. 2815 36th St. NW. 202333-4730. saintsophiawashington.org Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk Weekend. June 2, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM; June 3, 1:00-5:00 PM. Discover ten diverse museums in one of Washington, DC’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Save on gas and museum admission by hitting the pavement and taking a walking tour or riding the free shuttle between sites. Visit in any order you choose! Free. dkmuseums.com
MUSIC AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD Organ Concert at Capitol Hill UMC. May 7, 8:00 PM. Award winning, improvisational organist Tom Trenny will be performing. He will be playing the organ in accompaniment to the silent film “One Week” by Buster Keaton. Free. Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, 421 Sewards Sq. SE. 202-546-1000. chumc.net Great Noise Ensemble at the Atlas. May 11, 8:00 PM. Great Noise Ensemble is a working embodiment of its mission to fight for the performance of new works and promote emerging talent in contemporary music. Born in 2005 when composer and conductor Armando Bayolo placed an ad on Craigslist.org seeking likeminded musicians passionate about contemporary music, Great Noise Ensemble has become one of the most important and adventurous ensembles in the District of Columbia’s new music scene. $15-$25. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org The Parlor Soldiers at Corner Store. May 11, 8:00 PM. Fredericksburg songwriters Alex Cul-
Harmonic Blue, Rhianna LaRocque, Micah, and Sarah Castille at Ebenezers. May 17, 7:30-10:00 PM. $8. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com New Music at the Atlas-International Contemporary Ensemble. May 17, 8:00 PM. The International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) is dedicated to reshaping the way music is created and experienced. With a flexible roster of 33 leading instrumentalists performing in forces ranging from solos to large ensembles, ICE functions as performer, presenter, and educator, advancing the music of our time by developing innovative new works and pursuing groundbreaking strategies for audience engagement. ICE redefines concert music as it brings together new work and new listeners. $15-$25. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202399-7993. atlasarts.org Crys Matthews with M’Balia and Stephanie Nilles at Ebenezers. May 18, 7:30-10:00 PM. A prolific lyricist and composer, Crys Matthews has penned three full-length albums and has already began working on a fourth. Backroads and Driveways is her debut album and first studio release. $10. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Chester River Runoff. May 18, 8:00 PM. A return visit from this fine bluegrass band from Maryland’s rural Eastern Shore. Their honest, unaffected sound features big harmonies, insightful songwriting, and tight instrumental work, and they preserve in their live shows the warm spirit and humor of friends. Corner Store, 900 So. Carolina Ave. SE. 202-544-5807. cornerstorearts.org
Narak Hahknazaryan-Cello. May 19, 2:00 PM. A recital by 23-year-old Armenian cellist Narek Hahknazaryan, a Young Concert Artists laureate who captured the 1st Prize and Gold Medal at the 14th International Tchaikovsky Competition in June 2011. Pianist to be announced. Free. Coolidge Auditorium, Thomas Jefferson Building. loc.gov Joe Craven Trio. May 22, 8:00 PM. A power trio of keyboards, key bass, drums, fiddle, mandolin, found sound and vocals, this celebration is a surprisingly full sound for a party of three, paying tribute to Traditional American Folk, Blues, New Orleans, Swing, Funk, as well as the music of Brazil, Haiti, Ireland, Cuba and Puerto Rico. Corner Store, 900 So. Carolina Ave. SE. 202-544-5807. cornerstorearts.org Patrick Donovan Mulroy (Grain Thief), Matt Ralph, Alex Pelzer, and Jukebox Serenade at Ebenezers. May 24, 7:3010:00 PM. Singer-Songwriter Night. $10. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com The Honey Dewdrops. May 25, 8:00 PM. Singing, Writing, Traveling…Hailing from the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, VA, the Honey Dewdrops are Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish. $25. Corner Store, 900 So. Carolina Ave. SE. 202-544-5807. cornerstorearts.org Jazz in the Garden Concert Series. May 25-Aug 31, 5:00-8:30 PM. The free concert series features an array of jazz artists performing a wide variety of styles-including salsa, blusion, vibraphone, and Afrofunk – every Friday evening in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Musicians perform in front of the Pavilion Café while visitors sit around the grand central fountain or relax on a blanket, enjoying the beautifully landscaped grounds. 7th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. nga.gov Jazz at the Atlas-Dan Tepfer Trio. May 30, 8:00 PM. Dan Tepfer is a New Yorkbased pianist and composer and one of the most formidable jazz musicians on the international stage – hailed as “brilliant” by The Boston Globe, “remarkable” by The Washington Post. Dan has developed a rare improvisational gift and a complex yet deeply melodic approach to music. $15-$25. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org Anna Dagmar with Margot MacDonald and Gideon Grove at Ebenezers. June 1, 7:30-10:00 PM. Her love of words was born at a tiny desk, in a tiny room, just north of London. The St. Albans’ Cathedral choir, her father’s classical radio, and her mother’s lullabies echoed all around. And at age seven, she perched on the steps of a new home in Massachusetts, on lookout, for the piano delivery truck. $10. Ebenezers Coffee-
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MAY CALENDAR house, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Kate Klim and the 2nd Story Band. June 1, 8:00 PM. Kate Klim, the winning singer/songwriter from the Kerrville FolkFest returns to the Corner Store for an encore performance. Great musician, earthy lyrics, beautiful voice, not to miss. $20. Corner Store, 900 So. Carolina Ave. SE. 202-544-5807. cornerstorearts.org New Music at the Atlas-Deviant Septet. June 2, 8:00 PM. The mission of the Deviant Septet is to fulfill the vision Igor Stravinsky had for his “L’histoire du Soldat” ensemble. By commissioning modern composers, the Deviant Septet will complete its primary goal of creating a repertoire for this unique ensemble which is otherwise nearly non-existent. $15-$25. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-3997993. atlasarts.org HR 57 Weekly Jam Sessions. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8:00 PM-midnight. Since 1993, HR-57 has provided a place where aspiring musicians gather to learn the history and cultures of the genres of jazz and blues. It’s a venue for the exchange of ideas and information between aspiring and professional musicians, students, aficionados and the general public. $8. (Tuesday, draft beer $3.) 816 H St. NE. 202-253-0044. hr57.org Jazz Night (and fish fry) in Southwest. Fridays, 6:00-9:00 PM. Every Friday night. Expect a large, fun and friendly crowd. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW (Fourth and I, south side of intersection). The cover is $5. Children are welcome and free under 16 years old. 202-484-7700. westminsterdc.org/jazz Blue Monday Blues. Mondays, 6:00-9:00 PM. Westminster Presbyterian Church. Local musicians perform, and the Southwest Catering Company provides a fish fry from 5:30-8:30 PM. $5/ general; free/children under 16. Modestly priced food. 400 I St. SW. 202-484-7700. westminsterdc.org/blues
THEATER AND FILM AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD The Seafarer at H Street Playhouse. Through May 20. Witness a group of Irish lads playing cards at a boozy Christmas party. When they run out of things to wager, they bet their souls. Yet, there is hell to pay when the devil comes to collect. $10-$20. H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St. NE. 703-684-7990. scenatheater.org Taffety Punk Theatre Company-“Oxygen”. May 7-19 (Wed-Sat), 8:00 PM, Sat matinees at 3:00 PM. Russian playwright Ivan Vyrypaev sets up two actors and a DJ to take on ten language intense tracks about love and suffocating, and suffocating in love. Directed by Lise Bruneau with music by the Caribbean. $10. CHAW, 545 7th St. SE. taffetypunk.com. The Secret Garden at St Marks. May 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18 and 19; Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 4:00 PM. A musical based on
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the 1911 novel of the same name is set in the early 20th century. A young English girl raised in India is sent to England to live with relatives she has never met. Her own personality blossoms as she and a young gardener bring new life to a neglected garden, as well as her sickly cousin and uncle. St Marks, 301 A St. SE. 202-546-9670. stmarksplayers.org
poetry and prose, and received numerous accolades, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, an American Book Award, and a finalist for the National Book Award. In this reading, Snyder will share favorite poems by other poets in addition to reading from his own work. $15. Folger Elizabethan Theatre, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-5447077. folger.edu
The Music Man at Arena. May 11-July 22. Having exhausted all 102 counties in Illinois, “Professor” Harold Hill gives Iowa a try and soon enough convinces River City of its trouble with the “sin and corruption” of the pool hall, trouble that can only be stopped by forming a boys’ band. Marian the librarian suspects he’s a con man, but she begins to trust him after seeing how he’s given confidence to her shy younger brother. Soon, this “Music Man” has transformed the entire town, not only turning the bickering school board into a barbershop quartet, but himself into an honest man. When the stage erupts with “76 Trombones,” you’ll be cheering along with River City for Harold Hill! Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. 202-488-3300. arenastage.org
International Literature-Herta Müller Reading. May 15, 6:30 PM. Nobel Laureate Herta Müller will read from her work, followed by a conversation with Georgetown University Professor Peter Pfeiffer. This event is free and open to the public. Book sales and a signing will follow. Co-sponsored by the European Division of the Library of Congress, and presented in collaboration with the Goethe Institute. Free. Montpelier Room, James Madison Building (sixth floor), 101 Independence Ave. SE. 202-707-5394. loc.gov
Documentary Screening: Dinah Washington. May 20, 3:00-4:30 PM. Join them for the BBC documentary screening for Dinah Washington Evil Gal Blues followed by a discussion by the author of Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington, Nadine Cohodas. $5 suggested donation. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-549-4172. hillcenterdc.org NoMa Summer Screen. May 23-Aug 8. Bring a blanket, Frisbee and picnic cooler starting each Wednesday at 7:00 PM and connect with friends as you enjoy great films under the stars. All films start at 9:00 PM. Subtitles will be provided for all movies. Summer Screen, 2nd and L sts. NE. nomabid.org The Taming of the Shrew at the Folger. Through June 10. The battle of the sexes wages on as the arrogant Petruchio and the headstrong Kate face off in Shakespeare’s comedic examination of the institution of marriage and the journey toward love. $30-$65. Folger Elizabethan Theatre, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202 544 7077. folger.edu Suicide, Incorporated at H Street Playhouse. May 30-June 23. The DC premiere of a this tragicomic story about a business that helps its customers to perfect their suicide notes, and the new employee who might have other motivations. Come see the show that was hailed in the Chicago Tribune as, “…a hugely exciting new play,” and “a deeply moving inquiry into what lives are worth.” $25. H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St. NE. norulestheatre.org
LITERARY EVENTS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD 2nd Annual Literary Hill BookFest. May 6, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. Impressive line-up of Capitol Hill authors. Free. North Hall, Eastern Market, 7th St. and No Carolina Ave. SE. Folger Poetry Board Reading-Gary Snyder. May 14, 7:30 PM. Snyder has published 16 books of
Close Readings in Contemporary Poetry. Tuesdays, May 15-June 19, 6:30-8:30 PM. Close readings of recent books by three contemporary poets will examine how the poems are made and explore how poets manage to find and transform the matter of our ordinary world. $215. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-549-4172. hillcenterdc.org Literary Birthday Celebration-Walt Whitman. May 31, noon. Poets Joshua Beckman and Stanley Plumly celebrate the birthday of American poet Walt Whitman by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing. This event is free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. Free. Whittall Pavilion, Thomas Jefferson Building (ground floor), 10 First St. SE. 202-707-5394. loc.gov
EXHIBITIONS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD “It’s a Wonderful World?” Exhibition at CHAW. May 12-June 1. Opening reception, May 12, 5:00-7:00 PM. The Capitol Hill Art League proudly presents its third annual metro DC open juried exhibit. The juror for the exhibit is F. Lennox Campello, DC area art critic, award winning artist, and supporter of the visual arts. CHAW, 545 7th St. SE. 202-547-6839. chaw.org. Art Exhibition at Hill Center Galleries. Through May 20. The new exhibition will showcase works including colored pencil drawings, digital prints, acrylic paintings, glass mosaic paintings and watercolor paintings. The exhibit also features a bold collection of wood and metal sculpture. In celebration of the Cherry Blossom Festival, several exquisite hand embroidered kimonos, obis and silk paintings will also be on display. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-5494172. hillcenterdc.org Shakespeare’s Sisters: Voices of English and European Women Writers, 1500–1700. Through May 20. Virginia Woolf famously evoked Shakespeare’s sister in A Room of One’s Own as she tried to imagine the difficulties women writers faced during the early modern period. In
fact, Woolf was not aware of how many women actually were writing during that time, because many of their works were never published, and those that were, lay in relative critical neglect. This exhibition explores those women who were, in fact, writing during Shakespeare’s time. It reimagines the “conversations” of these early women writers: with each other as members of families or groups; with the Bible; with spiritual and secular ideas; and with male writers of the time. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu “Sakura: Cherry Blossoms as Living Symbols of Friendship” Exhibition at Library of Congress. Through Sept 15. The Library of Congress will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the gift with this exhibition. In 1912 the city of Tokyo gave Washington, DC, a gift of 3,000 flowering cherry trees (“sakura” in Japanese), as a symbol of enduring friendship between Japan and the United States. Despite a war, the friendship has prevailed, and the trees every spring have bestowed upon the US capital a graceful beauty and a time-honored tradition of gathering and admiring the pink blossoms. Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. loc.gov Pastels by Ellen Cornett. Through May 27 (view by appointment). Opening, May 6, 5:00-8:00 PM. Corner Store, 900 So. Carolina Ave. SE. 202544-5807. cornerstorearts.org Rosetta DeBerardinis Exhibition. June 2-July 8 (view by appointment). Opening June 2, 6:008:00 PM. Corner Store, 900 So. Carolina Ave. SE. 202-544-5807. cornerstorearts.org Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to Vuillard. The Phillips Collection’s. 1600 21st St., NW. Washington, DC 20009. www.phillipscollection.org
MARKETS AND SALES Southeast Library Book Sale. May 12 (monthly on the 2nd Saturday), 10:30 AM. 403 Seventh St. SE. 202-698-3377. dclibrary.org/southeast Great Brookland Yard Sale. May 12, 10:00 AM2:00 PM. Dozens of yard sales all around Brookland neighborhood. Get details and a map at brooklandblog.blogspot.com. Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church “It’s History” Sidewalk Sale. May 12 (rain or shine), 8:30 AM-3:00 PM. Donations will be accepted at the Chapel on the west side of the church, May 7-11 from 6:00-8:00 PM. Donations of household goods, seasonal decorations, clothing and accessories, children’s toys, sports equipment, furniture, office equipment and supplies, books, music and electronics are welcome. For more information or questions about donations to the sidewalk sale, send your inquiry to activitieschpc@gmail.com or contact the church at 202-547-8676. Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 201 4th St. SE. St. Peter’s Annual Yard Sale. May 19, 9:00 AM1:00 PM. Capitol Hill’s biggest yard sale features
yard sale treasurers, a fun fair, grilled food and a bake sale. St. Peter’s Church Hall, 313 2nd St. SE. North Lincoln Park Yard Sale. May 19, 9:00 AM. Donated items (tax deductible) to sell and volunteers to help stage the event are needed. Sale will be in the triangle park between the 1300 blocks of No. Carolina Ave. and A St. NE. 202-543-3512 or elizabeth_knits@yahoo.com. Friends of the Northeast Library Annual Book Sale. May 19, 10:30 AM-2:00 PM. The sale, which will take place inside and outside also if the weather is nice, raises money for programs at the library and to support the librarians. Most books will sell for $1, with many paperbacks going for 25 cents. The sale will start at 9:30 a.m. for members of FONEL and at 10:30 a.m. for everyone else. You can come early and join FONEL on the spot for $5. For more information, email vsmorris@gmail.com. Northeast Neighborhood Library, 330 7th St. NE. 202-698-3320. dclibrary.org/northeast The Market at Miner. Every Sunday and second and third Saturday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Come join the Miner Elementary School PTO-a great opportunity to support a neighborhood school! Recent offerings have included fresh produce, great deals on collectibles, jewelry, baked goods, quality clothing, wood carvings, toys, natural body products and cosmetics, and much more. New vendors are welcome. 601 15th St. NE. For information, contact Omowali Sia, 240-464-0268. NOMA Farmers Market. Wednesdays, May 30-Oct 31, 3:00-7:00 PM. NOMA Metro Plaza, Second and N sts. NE. nomabid.org Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7:00 AM-7:00 PM; Saturdays, 7:00 AM-5:00 PM; Sundays, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Flea market and arts and crafts market open Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. Eastern Market is Washington’s last continually operated “old world” market. On weekends the market area comes alive with farmers bringing in fresh produce, craft and flower vendors, artists, a flea market and street musicians. 200 block of 7th St. SE. 202698-5253. easternmarket-dc.com Aya Community Market. First and third Saturday of every month through Nov 17, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM, Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, 3000 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The market provides resources for healthy and sustainable communities through farm fresh produce; educational health speakers and live musical performances; locally produced handmade crafts and baked goods; art, youth activities and more. dreamingoutloud.org 9th and U Flea Market. Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. 9th and U sts. NW.
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Georgetown Flea Market. Sundays year around (except in the case of very inclement weather), 8:00 AM-4:00 PM. The crowd is as diverse as the items for sale! Antiques, collectibles, art, furniture, rugs, pottery, china, jewelry, silver, stained glass, books and photographs are an example of the available items. 1819 35th St. NW. 202775-3532. or georgetownfleamarket.com Mi Tierra (Latino) Market at Unity Park. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (weather permitting). 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Unity Park at Champlain St., Euclid St. and Columbia Rd. NW. Mi Tierra market has 18 approved vendors that sell foods and crafts from their native countries in the heart of Adams Morgan.
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Dupont Circle Farmers Market. Sundays year round (rain or shine), 8:30 AM-1:00 PM (April-Dec. 2012); 10:00 AM-1:00 PM (Jan.-March 2013). The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times of London named the market one of the top farmers’ markets in the country. During the peak season, there are more than 30 farmers offering fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, cheeses, fruit pies, breads, fresh pasta, cut flowers, potted plants, soaps and herbal products. 20th St. and Mass. Ave. NW, 1500 block of 20th St. NW (between Mass. Ave. and Q St. in the adjacent parking lot of PNC Bank). 202-362-8889. freshfarmmarket.org
SPORTS, DANCE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Nats Baseball. May 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20; June 1, 2 and 3. $5, up. Nationals Park. 202-675-6287. washington. nationals.mlb.com National’s Ballpark Tours. WednesdaySunday (non-game days), 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. On day of night-time home games, tours at 10:30 AM. Take the Nationals Park Ballpark Tour for a behind-the-scenes look at Nationals Park. Over the course of an hour and fifteen minutes you will visit the PNC Diamond Club, the Lexus Presidents Club, the Stars & Stripes Club, luxury suites, the Shirley Povich Media Center, Nationals dugout and Nationals clubhouse. Throw a pitch in the Nationals bullpen. $12-$15. All proceeds from Nationals Park Tours will be donated to the Nationals Dream Foundation. washington.nationals.mlb.com Race for Hope 5K. May 6, 9:00 AM, at Freedom Plaza (14th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW). Event offers flat, fast course with the start and finish on Pennsylvania Ave. Prizes given to top finishers. All participants recieve a colorful t-shirt and post race refreshments. Proceeds benefit both the National Brain Tumor Society and the Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure. braintumorcommunity.org Bright Beginnings 5K Run. May 12, 8:00 AM, at Haines Point. Bright Beginnings is a
MOTIVATED SELLERS WILL CONSIDER ALL OFFERS! fully accredited child and family development center dedicated to homeless families with young children in Washington, DC. 410-292-1131. active.com/running National Police Week 5K. May 12, 9:00 AM at 3rd St. NW, between E and F. $30. 703-828-5842. nationalpoliceweek5k.com Washington Mystics Basketball. May 14, 19, 26 and 30. 7:00 PM. $17, up. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. wnba.com DC United Soccer Home Matches. May 16 vs Colorado Rapids; May 19 vs Toronto FC; May 26 vs New England Revolution; 7:30 PM. $23-$52. RFK Stadium. 202-5875000. dcunited.com Komen Global Race for the Cure 5K Run/Walk. June 2, 8:00 AM. Event offers a flat, fast, course with ChronoTrack timing. Awards offered to top finishers. All participants receive a commemorative tshirt and post race refreshments. Proceeds benefit both the National Capital Area Komen screening, treatment & education programs along with the Susan G. Komen Global Promise Fund. 703-416-7223. globalrace.info-komen.org Workouts at Corner Store. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30-9:30 AM. The Morning Workout blends dance and pilates for a full body strength and flexibility workout. The instructor is Roberta Rothstein, with occasional substitutes. Wednesdays, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM. Gentle Pilates with Katherine Richardson features a classic Pilates mat workout. No pre-registration. Strictly walk-in. $10. Corner Store, 900 So. Carolina Ave. SE. 202-544-5807. cornerstorearts.org
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Capitol Hill Tai Chi Study Group. Saturday mornings (except when it’s below zero or very inclement weather), meeting to teach and practice Tai Chi, 8:00-10:00 AM. All styles and abilities welcome. First hour form practice, second hour the martial practice of Push Hands. Lincoln Park. Dr. David Walls-Kaufman, a Capitol Hill chiropractor, conducts this class every Saturday morning. Please dress comfortably. Free. E. Capitol St. between 11th and 13th sts. 202-544-6035. Tidal Basin 3K Monthly Run. Third Wednesday of each month, noon. This run is free and informal. West Potomac Park (meet on Ohio Dr. at West Basin Dr., near the Tourmobile stand). 703-505-3567. dcroadrunners.org Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. Oct 7. Registration open. 703-587-4321. wilsonbridgehalf.com Marine Corps Marathon Registration. Register open at marinemarathon.com. $90. Marathon is Sunday, Oct. 28. Free public tennis courts in Ward Six. King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N St. SW; Garfield Park, Third and G sts. SE; Randall Park, First and I sts. SW; Rosedale Recreation Center, 1701 Gales St. NE; Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th St. NE. All courts are open daily, dawn
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to dusk. Some are lighted for extended evening play. Courts are available on a first-come, first-served basis for onehour intervals; extended use of tennis courts requires a permit. Proper shoes and attire is required. 202-671-0314. dpr.dc.gov/DC/DPR Pick-up Field Hockey on the Mall. Every Monday at 6:00 PM. Meets at the fields in front of the Smithsonian Metro stop for males and females who have a passion for field hockey. No experience necessary. Bring water, shinguards, mouthguard, cleats, a field hockey stick, and either a reversible jersey or a light and dark shirt - no grays please. Free.
UMC
UNITED MEDICAL CENTER
“My name is Dr. Raymond Tu and I choose United Medical Center!”
Dr. Raymond Tu – Chair, Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging
D
r. Raymond Tu is a true local doctor. Dr. Tu was born in Washington DC, grew up on Southern Avenue and first joined our hospital as a student in 1977, enticed by his first opportunity in “central reproduction” (the copy room). Dr. Tu returns as the UMC Chairman of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging. As a true Washingtonian, Dr. Tu has served on the DC Board of Medicine, advisor to Medicare and currently serves on the Board of Medicine Telemedicine Taskforce. In addition
to practicing medicine at UMC, Dr. Tu teaches at George Washington University School of Medicine. As a part of his ongoing mission, he has appeared on radio and television shows including hosting his own show, Wellness, which ran for three years. Dr. Tu has received prestigious honors such as the Governors Citation for Community Service, written numerous scientific papers, book chapters and lectures all across the world. We are proud to have Dr. Raymond Tu back home at UMC!!
United Medical Center 202-574-6000 1310 Southern Avenue, SE WDC 20032 www.united-medicalcenter.com
www.capitalcommunitynews.com
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Roller Skating at Anacostia Park. Skate weekends, sunrise to sunset. This is a covered, outdoor skating pavilion. Free. One-hour free skate “rental” has started but sizes and supplies are limited. During summer months, open daily. Go east on Penn. Ave. across Anacostia River and make the first right turn onto Fairlawn Ave. and another right onto Nicholson and then into the park. 202472-3873. DC Outdoor Public Pools Open Memorial Day Weekend. All DC public outdoor pools will be open on Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day weekend and weekends thereafter until school is out and then daily through the summer. Every outdoor pool is closed one day a week for cleaning and maintenance. All DC public pools are free for DC residents. 202-673-7647. dpr.dc.gov Capitol Hill Group Ministry’s Annual “Hope for the Homeless” Golf Tournament. Save the date. Sept. 24. $125 ($575 for a foursome) before July 31. Bay Hills Golf Club, Arnold, MD. 202544-0631. capitolhillgroupministry.org
CIVIC LIFE Community Office Hours with Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells. First Thursday in Southwest at Channel Inn; third Thursday on H St. NE at Sova; fourth Thursday in Shaw. Please call the councilmember’s office for Shaw location as it varies. 8-9:30 AM. All Ward 6 residents encouraged to come out and meet with Wells and members of his staff. 202-724-8072. tommywells.org Homebuyers Pre-Purchase Orientations. May 10, 17, 24, and 31; 11:00 AM. Housing Counseling Services, Inc., a HUD approved non-profit agency, now offers free two-hour Pre-Purchase Orientations every week to help firsttime homebuyers navigate the homepurchase process and take advantage of special loan programs offered by DC government. Housing Counseling Services, 2410 17th St. NW. For more information, call Elias Cohn at 202-667-7006. H
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Capitol Streets HillBuzz
Volunteer Job Caps Them All
Kathryn Stillman’s Work With American Legion Earns Her More Stripes
I
n her varied path through life, Kathryn Stillman has worn many hats – metaphorically and for real. First as a nursing aide, then in the Air Force, followed by the US Capitol Police, and currently with the US Senate Sergeant at Arms. For the last year she’s sported yet another cap. Her volunteer job gives her the right to a very impressive piece of head-wear. But she doesn’t wear it. Not for any reason other than she still has to order it. She’s so busy carrying out her duties she’s never got round to it. Kathryn is an American Legion Commander right here in the heart of our community. She’s the “boss” of Post 8. After a full day in her Dirksen Building office, Kathryn can invariably be found, well into the evening, at the Post, on the corner of 3rd and D Streets, SE. There’s always something to do – be it working on boosting membership, co-coordinating the next youth event, organizing a fund-raiser for any number of military-linked charities, sorting out the logistics of hosting wounded veterans, recruiting members to supervise the numerous gatherings in the “to rent” event room, or preparing for official occasions, like Memorial and Veterans Day. “I wish I was independently wealthy,” she says. “Then I could devote all my working time to the Post. There’s just so much important work, always to be done.” But happily – and Kathryn emphasizes this – she is surrounded by an enthusiastic, skilled, ready-at-amoment to pitch in, band of Post members. Since becoming Com-
by Maggie Hall
Commander Kathryn Stillman. Photo: Maggie Hall capitalcommunitynews.com H 27
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mander, Kathryn has infused the Post with a heightened “let’s get it done” passion. Asked how she manages to round up enough people to achieve that, she laughs and says, “It’s called pissing and moaning.” And, as Kathryn puts it, for those who get her “over the hump,” she has a special reward. They get a tiny glass camel, which they can exchange for a drink at the Legion bar, or keep – to start a collection like Kathryn has. Though it will take any recipient of a Kathryn-Camel years to come anywhere close to hers. She has hundreds, crafted out of all manner of materials, such as leather, china, wood, even knitted. The collection, which includes paintings and photos, started because, in a former life, she had a husband who smoked. Yes, he smoked Camels. And before he became an ex-husband, Kathryn got a tattoo (talk about being ahead of her time). But not a rose, or a love-knot, for this spirited gal. She had a camel tattooed on her...well, never mind. The only person who knows is semiretired DC lawyer Jim Fairbairn, with whom Kathryn has joyfully shared a Capitol Hill home for the last 20 years. Rhode Island-born Kathryn grew up in Oregon. From the time she was a teenager, she had her eye on becoming a police officer. “My big ambition was to be a Seattle police officer,” she recalls. “They had a scheme where you became a cadet, then joined the force at age 21. I was all set to do that, then just as I graduated high school the program was bumped because of budgetary problems.” So, with her dream of joining the police crushed, Kathryn went to work as a nursing aide. A couple of years later she moved to Maryland, to work as a private care nurse. A colleague’s husband was in the Air Force, based at Andrews. “His involvement with the military piqued my interest. I signed-up for the Air Force Reserve.” For the next
24 years, Kathryn served, as a reservist at Andrews. She learnt MASH techniques and ended up on a medical air-vac triage team. She also trained as a firearm’s instructor. In 1985 she fulfilled her dream of donning a police badge. She joined the US Capitol Police Force. As she admits, “I was a bit of a late starter. There were few rookies of my age.” But that didn’t get in her way. She retired 24 years later as a lieutenant – with a ton of high-profile memories. As Commander of the Special Events Unit, she met with countless global dignitaries, like Margaret Thatcher, the Dali Lama, numerous heads of states and royalty and, of course, US Presidents. On leaving the force, she joined the Senate Sergeant at Arms office, where she coordinates all access to the Senate. While Kathryn is not the first female commander of Post 8 (there was one for a short time years ago) she is still a rare breed. Only a handful of the posts around the country are led by a woman. This month Kathryn stands for re-election. She will, understandably, be unopposed. As Mick Nardelli, Commander of the Sons of the American Legion, so aptly says, “Kathryn has brought a unique and powerful leadership to Post 8. Her passion is contagious. She has raised the profile of our Post and our mission.” Sentiments echoed by Ariane Sweeney, who heads the women’s Auxiliary. “I’m always amazed that anyone would accept the position of Commander. You are essentially running a small business, without any financial compensation. Though she has a full-time job, Kathryn has been tireless in her efforts to ensure the Post runs smoothly and to bring about improvements.” A sentiment all Post 8 members raise their caps to. H
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bulletin board
Friends of the Northeast Library Annual Book Sale
Friends of the Northeast Library will hold their annual spring book sale on May 19 at the library. The sale, which will take place inside and outside also if the weather is nice, raises money for programs at the library and to support the librarians. Most books will sell for just $1, with many paperbacks going for 25 cents. The sale will start at 9:30 a.m. for members of FONEL and at 10:30 a.m. for everyone else. It will run until 2 p.m. You can come early and join FONEL on the spot for $5. For more information, please email vsmorris@ gmail.com. Northeast Neighborhood Library, 330 7th St. NE. 202-6983320. dclibrary.org/northeast
National Capital Bank Capitol Hill Classic 10K
Join thousands of runners, kids, and their parents on Sunday, May 20 for the 33rd running of the race. The Classic consists of three races: a 10K, which begins at 8:30 a.m.; a 3K, which begins at 10:30 a.m.; and a kids’ fun run, which begins at 11:00 a.m. and goes around Stanton Park.
The Capitol Hill Classic 10K. Photo: Courtesy of Capitol Hill Classic 30 H HillRag | May 2012
All races begin and end at the Peabody School, on Stanton Park at 5th and C Sts. NE. All proceeds benefit the Capitol Hill Cluster School, a neighborhood DC public school serving more than 1000 DC children ages 3-8 on three neighborhood campuses. For registration, sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, and more information, visit capitolhillclassic.com. The 10K Capitol Hill Classic is Washington’s longest-running 10K and the only race run entirely through historic Capitol Hill. This year, a new, more level course takes runners from the vibrant H St. corridor to the US Capitol and then to RFK Stadium. The 10K and 3K are both fast, USATFcertified courses with ChronoTrack timing, mile splits, and water stations.
Capitol Hill Group Ministry Looking for Board Members
CHGM is seeking to expand and diversify its board of directors. Board members will have an opportunity to help shape the future of this agency that serves homeless and at-risk neighbors each year. CHGM engages neighbors, congregations and organizations in our community in celebrating our shared commitment to social justice. They empower and provide hope for families and individuals who are homeless or in crisis that they may lead healthy, fulfilling and productive lives. The board meets every other month in the evening, and holds a morning teleconference on the off months. A planning retreat is also held
Friends of the Northeast Library Annual Book Sale. Photo: Vincent Morris
each year. If interested in learning more about CHGM or just getting involved, contact Executive Director Barfonce Baldwin at Baldwin.chgm.net. 202544-6186. chgm.net
information about this work or the 11th Street Bridge Project, contact DDOT Project Manager Ravindra Ganvir at 202-359-6948; visit ddot. dc.gov/11thStreetBridge.
Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church “It’s History” Sidewalk Sale
Third Annual Tour de DCPL
Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 201 4th St. SE, is holding the “It’s History” Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, May 12 (rain or shine), 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Donations will be accepted at the Chapel on the west side of the church, May 7-11 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Donations of household goods, seasonal decorations, clothing and accessories, children’s toys, sports equipment, furniture, office equipment and supplies, books, music and electronics are welcome. For more information or questions about donations to the sidewalk sale, send your inquiry to activitieschpc@gmail.com or contact the church at 202-547-8676.
Off-Peak Lane Closures Possible on 11th Street Bridges
DDOT may close lanes during off peak travel times on the 11th Street bridges, related ramps, and portions of the Southeast/Southwest Freeway, I-295/DC 295 and local streets through Friday, June 29 for the 11th Street Bridge Project construction activities. For more
The Tour de DCPL is a librarythemed bicycle ride of DC, stopping at five DC Public Libraries. Bicycleriding library staff and volunteers organize the ride each year as a way to promote environmentally friendly transportation and explore how DC’s neighborhood libraries connect with their communities. This year’s ride is on Saturday, May 19 and begins at the Southwest Neighborhood Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Arrive at 9:00 a.m. for registration, snacks, library card sign up, and more. The ride will start at about 9:30 a.m. The route is to begin at Southwest Neighborhood Library; stop at Anacostia Neighborhood Library; stop at Francis Gregory Interim Library and ride by site of the new library: Designed by “starchitect” David Adjaye; stop at Benning Neighborhood Library and end at Southeast Neighborhood Library. Register in advance at bit.ly/ JvKdlY. bikedcpl@gmail.com
CHRS Preservation Cafe
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capitolstreets news cious true stories from his new book “Wicked Capitol Hill,” Wednesday, May 16, 6:30-7:15 p.m. at Ebenezer’s Coffee House (downstairs), 2nd and F St. NE. The event is free and handicapped accessible, and the public is encouraged to attend. chrs.org Bulletin Board, however the location was listed as the Meade Theater, 535 8th St. SE, while the press release Don sent more recently notes the location as the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. The Champs website also lists the Atlas as the location (time is the same, still free admission, Tommy Wells is still speaking, etc.), just need to correct the address in Bulletin Board for that event.
Theater Alliance presents World Premiere of “Hum” at Atlas
Theater Alliance presents the World Premiere of Nicholas Wardigo’s “Hum” at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. This bold new piece directed by Colin Hovde challenges our expectations of storytelling. Set in a world filled with a constant, pervasive hum that blocks out verbal communication, this contemporary allegory echoes Orwell and Asimov and packs a mighty punch. The show runs May 14 through June 2. Tickets are $35. Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays at 8 p.m. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE, 202241-2539. theateralliance.com
Howl to The Chief Grand Re-Opening
Howl to The Chief ’s grand reopening takes place May 5 and 6 with a doggie ice cream social (a probiotic healthy ice cream, of course), a Bark BQ and a prize wheel with lots of great prizes! Enter the raffle for a chance to win free food for a year, Nationals Tickets, a free grooming appointment and other prizes. Food vendors will be on hand to answer questions and demo their products. Specials on collars, leashes, books and various brands. Find great new products, too – with a great assortment of birthday cakes, cookies and 32 H HillRag | May 2012
other supplies. 733 Eighth St. SE, 202-544-8710.
CHAMPS Discussion on Real Estate Development on/near Capitol Hill
When will the new Capitol Riverfront neighborhood around Nationals Park become fully built-out? When will the Hine site at 8th and Pennsylvania be developed and what will it look like? When will key sites on H Street and in NOMA be developed and what shape will such development take? When will Hill East move from being a plan to being developed and how? CHAMPS, the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, is sponsoring an educational series on these and other real estate-related issues to help the community better understand the pipeline of projects coming to the Capitol Hill community. The co-sponsors include the Capitol Hill BID, Capitol Riverfront BID, NOMA BID, and the Barracks Row and H Street Main Streets. The series involves two sessions. The first program, held on Apr 17, focused on development activity south of E. Capitol St. and east of South Capitol St. The second program, May 8, will feature developments north of E. Capitol St. and east of North Capitol St. The May 8 program will feature presentations highlighting various development projects, and guest speakers will provide development overviews of the subject areas and the projects. Councilmember Tommy Wells will also speak. Free admission. May 8, 7:00 p.m., Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. champsdc.org
Tuscan Dinner with Chef Daniele
Learn to make a Tuscan Dinner: Ribollita (Bean Soup), Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu, Zuccoto (Ricotta Cheesecake). Daniele was also a participant in 2003 on the famous Food Network show, “Iron Chef America,” in the battle of Donna vs. Morimoto. At the age of twenty-three, Daniele became the exclusive chef at Galileo. In 2006, Chef Catalani moved on to consult with restaurants in the Washington metro area. He also started
his own catering company, Toscana Catering, which offers a variety of catering for everything from large law firms and businesses to private events. Saturday, May 12, 10:00 a.m.noon. $65. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-549-4172. hillcenterdc.org Italian Sauces with Daniele: Bolognese, Amatriciana, Putanesca, Arrabiata. $65. Saturday, May 26, 10:00 a.m.-noon. also at Hill Center.
NOMA Bike to Work Day
This year, Bike to Work Day takes place on May 18. Join over 10,000 area commuters for a celebration of bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work. Those who register and attend one of 58 regional pit stops will receive a free Bike to Work Day T-Shirt (limited to the first 11,000 who register), food, drinks, and a chance at winning bicycles or other great raffle prizes. The NoMa pit stop at 1200 First St. NE, will offer special NoMa-centric giveaways and a bike clinic staffed by BicycleSPACE. Visit the newly launched web site at biketoworkmetrodc.org and register.
Free YMCA Sponsored Water Aerobics at Rumsey
Join the free YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, Care FirstBlueCross BlueShield sponsored aqua aerobics classes Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8:00-8:45 a.m. and 9:00-9:45 a.m. at William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center, 635 North Carolina Ave. SE. This program is a wellness, education, and socialization program unique to the needs of DC residents age 55 years and up. The “Y” invites our senior community to enjoy fun and interactive classes with a strong support group of wellness experts and fellow seniors. This program also incorporates health and lifestyle assessments, inter-generational activities, social clubs and much more. For more information on all of the YMCA-DC Fit & Well Seniors programs, call 202- 232-6700 or visit ymca.org.
Capitol Hill Group Ministry’s 10th Annual Golf Tournament
Capitol Hill Group Ministry’s “Hope for the Homeless” Golf Tournament will be held at Bay Hill Golf Club on Sept. 24, 2012. All of the tournament proceeds will go to supporting homeless families and individuals in the Capitol Hill community. Visit Golf.CHGM.net for additional golfer and sponsorship information. You can also call R. Jacob Wilkins at 202-544-6186. CHGM.net
New Folger Reading Room Tours
Visitors to the Folger Shakespeare Library are now able to venture into areas previously unavailable to the general public. New Reading Room Tours are offered on Saturdays at noon and take visitors into the Folger’s historic reading rooms, where researchers from around the world gather to study materials in the Folger collection. Tour highlights include: 16th- and 17th-century French and Flemish tapestries; Portraits of Henry and Emily Folger, the Folger Shakespeare Library’s founders; Shakespeare-inspired paintings by Henry Fuseli and other artists; Nicola D’Ascenzo’s stunning “Seven Ages of Man” stained glass window. Tours are led by docents and spaces are available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Free. Advance reservations are recommended. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu
2012 Military Bowl
The 2012 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman will kickoff Thursday, December 27 at 3:00 p.m. at RFK Stadium. The game, which benefits the USO, will be televised nationally on ESPN for the fifth straight year. This year’s bowl game will feature Army against an opponent from the Atlantic Coast Conference, pending bowl eligibility. Army would be the third service academy to play in the Military Bowl, following Navy in 2008 and Air Force in 2011. The week leading up to the 2012 Military Bowl will include a full slate of ancillary events, including the popular Military Vil-
Peter Frias Real Estate lage, Official Tailgate Party and Teams Luncheon. Additional Bowl Week events benefiting our nation’s armed forces will be announced closer to the game. MilitaryBowl.org
“Your Connection to Capitol Hill and Beyond”
I’ve been representing buyers and sellers on the Hill for over 15 years, and I can help you too! 1% of my commissions are donated to Habitat for Humanity DC
“Headquarters” Creative Working Space Near Eastern Market
Headquarters is a unique warehouse office space in the Eastern Market neighborhood that currently houses graphic designers, architects, documentary filmmakers, an author and clean tech entrepreneurs. Headquarters focuses on creating space for and building community among creative professionals. They opened their doors 10 months ago and the space has grown into a wonderful community of people. Headquarters has a space or two left if other creative or entrepreneurial types are interested. Individual offices are semi-private and look out onto a shared common space. Rates start at $950/month. The office share is $475. Headquarters is at 528 F St. Terrace, SE. headquartersdc.com
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Pups in the Park Back by “Pup”ular Demand!
Get ready to enjoy extraordinary afternoons of baseball this season with your fourlegged friends! Purchase a discounted Washington Nationals ticket for you, your family and your favorite pups and support the Washington Humane Society. 100% of every $8 dog ticket purchased for a Pups in the Park game will benefit WHS. Remaining Pups in the Park dates are Saturday, June 2 vs. Atlanta Braves 4:05 p.m.; Saturday, July 7 vs. Colorado Rockies 4:05 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 22 vs. Milwaukee Brewers 1:05 p.m. Human tickets, $22. Dog tickets, $8. All dogs must have a dog ticket to enter the game. Nationals Park, 1500 S. Capitol St. SE. nationals. com/pups capitalcommunitynews.com H 33
Join the CaPitol hill Fourth oF July Parade!
Southwest Duck Pond Clean-up
J
oin neighbors, family, friends, princesses, pets, PTA’s, The Commandant’s Own Drum and Bugle Corps and the contestants for the Ms. United States Pageant! It’s the 2012 4th of July Parade on Capitol Hill! Walk, run, roll or dance down Barracks Row in your best Independence Day design. Bang pots, blow a kazoo, decorate a bike, car, float, wagon or yourself with streamers, balloons, paint or flags. The more creative the better! The Miss United States Pageant Contestants will sign autographs at the Metro Plaza for attendees afterwards. It’s the eleventh year for our community event. You can’t miss it!
Wednesday July 4th, 2012 @10 aM starting at 10 aM at 8th and i and ending at the eastern Market Metro
Plaza
For more information and to register...please register by July 1st, even if you just want a space in the line-up! www.tiberdc.com/4thofjuly http://4thofjulyparadeoncapitolhill.eventbrite.com/
Sponsored in part by Tiber Creek Associates of Capitol Hill, Inc., Naval Lodge No. 4, Barracks Row, The Miss United States Pageant, The Commandant’s Own Drum and Bugle Corps, Robert Bergman and The Hill Rag,
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Neighbors of Southwest Duck Pond gathered Apr 7 to kick-off another season of community clean-ups and activities in the iconic Southwest park. Changes for 2012 include returning the pond to its traditional water fountain format from a more duck-friendly ecologically-balanced body of water concept attempted in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. “The ducks were happy, and several dozen joined us last summer,” said ANC 6D Commissioner Bob Craycraft. “But the water color and odor drew so many resident complaints that we’ve changed the maintenance plan back to a chemically-treated fountain for 2012. The water will be clearer and the pumps run stronger and require less maintenance, but it remains to be seen if the ducks will approve.” A new central fountain nozzle was installed over the winter, resulting in a plume of water up to 35’ high, and one of the smaller perimeter nozzles repaired. Disappointing news for the volunteer group was that over $50,000 budgeted by the Department of Parks & Recreations to repair the park’s collapsing brickwork this fiscal year has been reallocated to other DPR facilities. For more information on the park and it’s volunteers, visit southwestduckpond.org.
Capitol Hill Group Ministry’s 10th Annual Golf Tournament Announced
Capitol Hill Group Ministry’s “Hope for the Homeless” Golf Tournament will be held at Bay Hill Golf Club on Sept. 24, 2012. All proceeds go to supporting homeless families and individuals in the Capitol Hill community. Visit Golf.CHGM.net for additional golfer and sponsorship information. You can also call R. Jacob Wilkins at 202-544-6186. CHGM.net
Town of North Beach Dedicates Wetlands Overlook Park
On Apr 17, the Town of North
Beach dedicated the new Department of Public Works Building and Wetlands Overlook Park, both located at the northern end of Dayton Ave. The new Wetlands Overlook Park is a small nature park that will serve as an attraction for those interested in observing the wildlife inhabitants of the wetlands and the migratory fowl that rest there during the flights up and down the Atlantic Seaboard. The park includes a pier and two gazebos for visitors to sit and relax while viewing and photographing the wildlife and wetlands. The area has public restrooms and vending machine refreshments. This park was made possible by funding from the Town of North Beach and Program Open Space (Parks and Playground Grant). northbeachmd.org
DDOT Selects American Manufacturer to Build New Streetcars
DDOT has selected Oregon Iron Works, Inc. to manufacture two modern streetcars for the DC Streetcar system. The new vehicles will be built in the United States and will run-along with the three vehicles the District already owns on the H Street/Benning Road line beginning in 2013. The proposed Cooperative Purchase Agreement sent to the Council utilizes an existing contract for streetcar vehicles between Oregon Iron Works and the city of Portland, Oregon. Oregon Iron Works was founded in 1944 and now has more than $100 million in annual sales and 400 skilled craftsmen and support employees. It is the only domestic manufacturer of streetcar vehicles and has the only streetcar test track in the US for testing vehicles before they are delivered. For more information about the DC Streetcars, visit dcstreetcar.com.
DC United Collects Children’s Toys in May
By donating four individually packed new toys on May 26, individuals will receive a “United Drives Buy One, Get One Free” ticket voucher, redeemable for that day’s match or any other MLS regular season home game. The toys are destined for Children’s Medical Center. United Drives benefits worthy non-profit organizations in the area by collecting much-
needed items to help with each beneficiary’s mission. This initiative assigns a different charity drive for each month of the MLS regular season, including the collection of soccer equipment, food, children’s books, and school supplies. A collection location is set up outside of Gate A at RFK Stadium. The collection will begin two hours prior to kickoff and end 15 minutes into start of the game. dcunited.com
Affordable Organic Produce Coming to DC Neighborhoods
Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative is bringing fresh, organic produce to neighborhoods in the DC area. LFFC is a non-profit organic farmers’ cooperative based in Lancaster County, PA. The co-op serves individuals and families through its Community Supported Agriculture program. Members of the program purchase a subscription before the season begins, helping to support the farm operation when start-up costs are highest and farm income is at its lowest. In return for their investment, members receive a weekly box of fresh, nutritious, high quality produce at an affordable price. Since everything is grown locally, members are assured the food is sourced from a transparent farmer who is farming ethically and sustainably. Neighborhoods in the Glover Park, Capitol Hill and Shaw will be served by LFFC during the upcoming Spring/Summer growing season. Shareholders can pick-up their CSA at a neighborhood pick-up site, once weekly, during a designated pick-up window of approximately four hours. A complete list of available locations as well as registration is available on the co-op’s website, and the season will begin the first or second week of May (depending on weather). For more information, contact Evan Miller at 717-656-3533 or csa@lancasterfarmfresh.com.
Science Trivia Night at Koshland
Put together a team of friends, or come and meet new people while enjoying this fun and engaging night of science trivia and discussion. Topics will test your knowledge on the science of sleep, the content of the newly opened Life Lab exhibit and capitalcommunitynews.com H 35
other hot topics in science. Tickets are $10, or $7 for students, and can be purchased at the door. Food, wine, and beer are free with the admission fee. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended, as space is limited. For tickets, purchase online at sciencetrivia.eventbrite.com or contact the Koshland Science Museum at 202-334-1201 or ksm@nas.edu. Admission includes light snacks, and prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-place winners. May 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Koshland Science Museum, 525 E St. NW. nas.edu
Anacostia River Earns a Failing Grade in New Report Card
JOB FAIRS D.C. National Guard Armory Job Fair FRI, MAY 16, 10am-2pm Open to all civilian and military 2001 E. Capitol St, SE, D.C. 20007 – (convenient to metro) Partial company listing (est. 35-40) include: Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Financial Crimes, Alban Cat, Southwest Airlines, Six Flags, various Law Enforcement in the Metro area, Transportation Security Administration and Arlington County Government, PLUS many others. Pre-registration is not required but recommended.
OTHER JOB FAIRS INCLUDE:
Pentagon Washington Area Top 3 Job Fair – WED, MAY 9, 10am-2pm.
Sheraton National-Arlington 900 South Orme St, Arlington 22204. Hotel Shuttle from Pentagon, Pentagon City, Crystal City, Airport
Fort Belvoir-Springfield Job Fair – FRI, MAY 11, 10am-2pm.
10am-12 Noon – Military, Vets, Family Members 12-2 pm – open American Legion, 6520 Amherst Ave, Springfield 22151
36 H HillRag | May 2012
RESUME WORKSHOP WILL BE AVAILABLE. FOR UPDATES VISIT WWW.JOBZONEONLINE.COM/EVENTS For more info, contact 434-263-5102 / 540-226-1473 Janet.Giles@JobZoneOnline.com
A new Report Card on the State of the Anacostia River, released today by the Anacostia Watershed Society, shows that despite improvements in some key indicators, the river still suffers from pollution caused by stormwater. Data is collected for four parameters over three sections of the river, for Maryland, Upper DC, and Lower DC. The Maryland section received the highest score, a B-, due primarily to the higher dissolvedoxygen levels in the more agitated tributaries as well as more tree canopy and lower water temperature, which prevent algae growth. Both DC sections received a C. Any score below an A is considered failing. While the report card shows improvements in fecal bacteria levels over the past decade, thanks in part to infrastructure improvements by DC Water and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, the key pollutant, sediment, continues to worsen. High sediment levels yielded poor grades for water clarity in all three sections of the river. The lack of sunlight that can reach the river’s bottom means no submerged vegetation has been observed in the river since 2003. The Anacostia Watershed Society is dedicated to cleaning the water, and recovering the shoreline. Since 1989, AWS has worked to conserve and protect the land and water of the Anacostia River and its watershed communities
through educational programs, stewardship efforts, and advocacy projects. AWS works to make the Anacostia River and its tributaries swimmable and fishable as required by the Clean Water Act. For more information, visit anacostiaws.org.
Capital Bikeshare Launches Online Helmet Sales and Annual Monthly Installment Memberships
Capital Bikeshare announced that members will now have the option to purchase helmets at a reasonable cost online and to pay for annual memberships in smaller, monthly installments. The customized Capital Bikeshare helmets will be available for purchase at www.capitalbikeshare.com and will be sold at a discounted rate of $16, with an annual or monthly membership purchase or renewal. The new monthly installment payment option allows members to pay just $7 a month with a full 12-month commitment. capitalbikeshare.com
GreenUp DC and Green Dashboard
The GreenUp DC interactive tool (greenup.dc.gov) provides property owners the chance to explore existing projects in their neighborhoods and around the city and to then plan their own green projects. Its interactive mapping features, created by ESRI, the world’s leader in mapping technology and geographic information systems, allow users to see existing green energy, stormwater reduction, and energy conservation projects and to immediately calculate the potential benefits of these types of conservation projects on their property. The Green Dashboard (greendashboard. dc.gov) offers an easy to read and engaging platform to access information on approximately 60 indicators in six categories-air quality and climate, energy and building, nature, transportation, waste and recycling, and water. H
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May is Bike Month. Join us for Bike to Work Day May 18 and lookout for other events. Visit www.capitolhillbikes.com or like us on Facebook to keep up with the action.
At Capitol Hill Bikes, we take our name from the neighborhood we’ve served for 12 years!
capitalcommunitynews.com H 37
capitolstreets
April Primary Adversaries by Martin Austermuhle
T
he April 3 D.C. primary came and went, but the issue of the April 3 primary isn’t going anywhere. In the wake of last month’s balloting, plenty of residents and political watchers are openly wondering whether an April primary should be repeated. This was the first year that the District’s primary—usually held in September—was moved up. The change came in the wake of a 2009 federal law making it easier for overseas voters and service-members to cast absentee ballots; while D.C. was given as pass on the new requirements for the 2010 mayoral election, it was forced to comply for the 2012 primary.
Anti-April
But was April the best choice of months? Many seem to think not. Candidates and their campaigns said that it disturbed what had become a comfortable rhythm in D.C. politics: hopeful politicos could use the warm weather and neighborhood parades that mark the summer months to raise awareness, attract support and pitch their candidacies. With an April primary, they were left with much less favorable conditions—who wants to knock on doors in January and February, after all? But it wasn’t just the candidates griping. Parents of D.C. public school students were concerned that an April 3 primary would coincide with spring break, meaning that they might be out of town. Challengers and political analysts said that residents seemed blissfully unaware that an election was coming 38 H HillRag | May 2012
up, making it harder to attract their attention or raise money. All told, many said, this gave incumbents an additional advantage leading into re-election contests. (D.C. history shows that incumbents certainly don’t need more advantages—every incumbent in April won their respective races.) Others complained that in a city where the Democratic primary is the de facto general election, the April primary could produce elected officials that will stay in office for eight months after losing. In a 2011 committee report on the legislation moving the D.C. primary up to April, Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) commented that having lame ducks for that long might lead to “the current officeholder pursuing his or her duties with less zeal during the several months prior to the term’s expiration.” More broadly, April just seems to be a bad time for elections—for last year’s April 26 special election, a rabbi sued over the fact that balloting coincided with the last day of Passover. And if the current schedule is kept, the 2014 D.C. mayoral primary will fall on—no, really— April Fools Day.
Moving Months
In the wake of the April 3 election, D.C. legislators have already started floating the idea of changing the election’s date. Speaking on “The Politics Hour” on WPFW 89.3 FM shortly after the balloting, councilmembers Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) and Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) said that the primary should be moved to later in the year.
“April is a crazy time to be voting,” said Barry. Wells agreed. “I think that having it in April is not fair to the voters. I think that we got a very low turnout, I don’t think people fully knew who the opponents were...a lot of people didn’t know there was an election going on in April and I think we should change it back to June,” he said. Cheh, who ushered through the bill that changed the date of the primary, doesn’t seem particularly keen on the idea, though she did hint that June might be a possibility. “We couldn’t have a September primary because of federal law. By the time we would have sent out absentee ballots and the like, the earliest the primary could have been was August. No Councilmembers wanted an election in August, and the same with July. I personally wanted a date in early June, but other members were adamant about having it as early as possible,” she said. Chuck Thies, a political analyst and consultant who has worked on a number of local campaigns, seems to think a change would only be fair to challengers. “In all seriousness, the current schedule benefits incumbents. The 2014 date should be moved back such that petitioning and campaigning begins in the same year as the election. Challengers lose valuable weeks during the holidays,” he said. Maybe so, but one thing seems unchanged from years past—turnout. While many assumed it would be low, possibly historically low, some 17 percent of voters came out to vote on April 3. Compara-
tively speaking, that’s not bad. The September 2008 primary with the same combination of ward and AtLarge seats didn’t even hit 13 percent. Moreover, had the Democratic presidential primary been contested this year, turnout would likely have been even higher. (The February 2008 presidential primary saw turnout of close to 40 percent.) Seeing that turnout was par for the course, it would seem to make sense to stick with April instead of changing the date—again. But if the primary were moved to June—May is a likely no-go, seeing as it falls squarely during D.C. Council budget sessions—it would be best to move the presidential primary alongside the local primary, both for cost-savings and turnout. Cheh noted the benefit of joining the two. “Having the primary on April 3 allowed us to combine it with the Presidential preference primary, and aligned us with other states like our neighbors in Maryland and also Wisconsin. The other great thing about combining them is that we saved the city $800,000-$1 million in election costs,” she said. While we often say that democracy is invaluable, it isn’t free—the D.C. Council has had to allocate hundreds of thousands in extra funding for elections in 2011 and 2012. For Thies, any talk of a new primary date should come along with more substantial changes to how D.C. runs its elections. In a column published by NBC4, Thies argued that the current system “tilts heavily in favor of incumbents and the deep pocket special interests who support them.” To correct that tilt, he
called for public financing of campaigns and non-partisan primaries where the two top vote-getters move on to the general election. That may take longer to happen—if it ever happens at all—but any discussion of changing the date of the primary will have to happen sooner. Under the current schedule, mayoral hopefuls are likely to start announcing their intentions by early 2013. And if it goes anywhere, it’ll have to pass through Councilmember Muriel Bowser’s (DWard 4) Committee on Government Operations—and Bowser’s name has been floated as a potential mayoral contender. She’d be running with the advantages of incumbency that Thies cited, and to date she’s been quiet on whether or not an April primary should be repeated.
Final Count in Orange/ Biddle Rematch
As we went to press last month, the contest between Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large) and Sekou Biddle was separated by only 543 votes—and that was without provisional and absentee ballots. On April 13, those were counted, and Orange widened his lead to 1,746 votes. While that guaranteed him the victory, it also marked the second in as many elections where he has won by a very narrow margin. In Orange’s case, the win all but guarantees him a continued spot on the D.C. Council—but not much beyond that. His poor showings in wards 1, 2, 3, and 6—not to mention the fact that he narrowly lost the all-important Ward 4 vote—means that any future attempts at higher office may be damned. Martin Austermuhle is the Editorin-Chief of DCist.com and a freelance writer. He lives in Petworth. H
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Going, Going, Gone
DC’s Affordable Housing Stock Is Disappearing
A
nyone who has tried to rent or buy a home in DC recently knows what a struggle it has become to find a decent place to live that fits even remotely within their budget. New research confirms what we can see around us – that rents have skyrocketed throughout the city, even in the face of a recession, and far outpaced changes in the incomes of most DC households. While DC’s increasingly expensive housing is affecting many of us, the challenges are particularly great for low- and moderateincome households whose incomes have barely budged to cope with rent hikes. Over the last decade, half of the low-cost rental housing options have disappeared in the midst of DC’s renaissance, leading to more and more families having to pay more than half of their income on housing. This can be a big problem because it means that they have little left for other basic necessities like food, clothing, and transportation each month. There is no way DC will hold on to the affordable housing it still has – to maintain diversity in areas such as H Street and SW Waterfront – without concerted investments from the city. The good news is that DC has a variety of housing tools to build and preserve more affordable housing. The bad news is that these tools largely have been left idle in the shed in the wake of the Great Recession. And DC’s main source for affordable housing construction and renovation has been cut significantly meaning that the District’s future capacity to build and preserve
40 H HillRag | May 2012
by Jenny Reed affordable housing will be considerably restricted.
A Quick Climb
Rents in DC are rising, and quickly. The typical rent for a onebedroom apartment rose 50 percent over the past decade, beyond inflation, to $1,100 by 2010. And surprisingly, prices haven’t slowed in the recession. In fact, median rent rose faster in just the last 3 years of the decade than in the first seven. Why? It’s largely due to the fact that more people have moved to DC recently to take advantage of the relatively strong job market but also that many people are opting to rent while they wait out the housing bust. And it isn’t just rents that have climbed quickly over the last decade. Despite a dip in the recession, home values remain far higher than they did at the start of the decade. The median home value in DC in 2010 was $400,000, double the 2000 level.
Going, Going, Gone
As hard as it may be to believe, DC has not always been a place where rents start at $1,100. In 2000, about half of all apartments in the city rented for under $750. That obviously is no longer the case. The rapid rise in housing prices has led to a disappearance of DC’s affordable housing stock over the last decade. Since 2000, DC has lost 35,000 apartments with rent and utility costs under $750 a month, fully half of what was affordable in 2000. (That would be affordable – using the standard that someone
should not spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent – to someone making roughly $15 an hour. While that is a pretty modest salary, it is well above DC’s minimum wage of $8.25 an hour and DC’s living wage of $12 an hour.) That decline is the equivalent of losing a 300-unit building month in and month out for a decade. Meanwhile, DC’s housing stock is just becoming filled with a much larger share of high-cost rental units. Higher-cost rental units – with rents over $1,500 – more than tripled over the past decade. High cost rental units made up just eight percent of the rental stock in 2000; by 2010, they made up over 30 percent. Things look even worse for DC’s stock of affordable houses, which have almost vanished. The number of homes with values of $250,000 or less – a good option for moderate-income households – fell by 70 percent over the past decade. At the same time, the number homes with values over $500,000 more than doubled.
A Rising Burden
The incomes of most households are not keeping pace with rising rents. As a result, housing is consuming a growing share of household budgets in the District, and many now have “severe housing cost burdens” as defined by the federal government – meaning that they spend more than half of their income on housing. One in five DC households, or more than 50,000 households, spent more than half of their income on housing in 2010,
an increase of 15,000 households since 2000. The severe housing burdens are most heavily concentrated on DC’s lowest income households. Nearly two-thirds of these families spend more than half of their income on housing. But severe burdens are impacting more moderate-income residents, too. About one-third of renters that earn between $30,000 and $60,000 have severe housing burdens, a large jump from the less than one in ten households at the start of the decade.
The District’s Investment in Affordable Housing
The combination of rapidly rising housing costs and stagnant incomes is making it harder and harder for DC’s low and moderate-income residents to live in the District. Since the private market produces almost no affordable housing on its own, it is critical that the District support the creation and preservation of affordable housing. The District has a variety of housing tools, each serving a specific purpose and each critical to make housing available all along the continuum of affordable housing needs – from homelessness to homeownership. These tools help the District to create and preserve affordable rental and homeownership opportunities. Unfortunately, these affordable housing tools have largely been dormant due to the Great Recession. In fact, the District’s investment in affordable housing has fallen by onethird since the start of the recession.
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One of the programs that has taken the biggest hit is the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF) – DC’s main source for affordable housing construction and renovation. The trust fund’s resources are tied to DC’s deed recordation and transfer taxes, which took a big nosedive in the recession. In addition, it has experienced significant cuts both last year and in the Mayor’s FY 2013 proposed budget. These cuts will severely limit the District’s future ability to support the creation and preservation of affordable housing. Mayor Vincent Gray has put together a Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force to make recommendations this fall that would lead to the creation of increased affordable housing. These would be updates to a 2006 task force that issued a 15-year housing strategy blueprint for DC. With the rapid loss of affordable housing in DC, it’s critical that task force find ways for the District to produce and preserve additional affordable housing in DC.
Kitchens • Bathrooms • Basements • Wine Cellars • Art Studios • Additions
Reed is policy director at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www. dcfpi.org), which conducts research on tax and budget issues that affect low- and moderateincome DC residents. To read the new report, Disappearing Act: Affordable Housing in DC is Vanishing Amid Sharply Rising Housing Costs visit www. dcfpi.org H
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Frager’s Under Siege by Peter Waldron Editor’s Note: As we go to press, CWC, Inc. (the business owner/operator of Frager’s Hardware Store) and Keith and Emily Murphy (as well as a number of Frager’s neighbors who own property abutting or in close proximity to Frager’s) have signed an Agreement which addresses the neighbors’ concerns (particularly those commercial activities in the rear of the Frager’s property) that includes: the rear of the property will be more visually attractive, truck and other motorized traffic from 11th Street will be prohibited, noise from ‘walkie-talkies’ used by Frager’s employees will be greatly diminished and other improvements to the rear of Frager’s property will be made. In addition to the Agreement, a letter of support signed by the same neighbors will be sent to the Board of Zoning Adjustment (B.Z.A) for Frager’s Hardware Store’s zoning adjustment application number 18352. Additionally, at the ANC 6B Planning and Zoning Committee Meeting on May 1, there was a unanimous vote to support Frager’s request to the BZA, stipulating that the property at issue be used only for display of seasonal merchandise typically sold by a hardware store.
convenience of a Mom & Pop store. And squeezed into the narrowest of shopping aisles are a highly trained, helpful and knowledgeable staff as exists in the metro area. John Weintraub and Ed Copenhaver bought the store in 1975 after returning home from their respective Vietnam tours of duty. They met while freshmen at the University of Virginia. Both are long time Hill residents and are fully participant in community life, including generous
customer base in every direction. Frager’s is the recipient of the coveted Capital Hill Community Foundation’s Achievement Award (2002). According to Weintraub, his business has grown thirty fold over the past four decades. Frager’s employs sixty full- and part-time staff, with many having worked at Frager’s for over twenty-five years.
Neighbors’ Complaints
The issue that has created this dustup is that Frager’s has been using
Split Zoned: Achilles Heal
Brief History
Frager’s Hardware, a Hill institution for over ninety years, finds its business under attack from its residential neighbors over property it has been using commercially but is zoned as residential. Consequently, Frager’s has had to re-arrange the physical location of its garden center business at great cost after complaints were made to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). One secret to Frager’s long time success and broad support in the Hill community is that its three thousand square feet of enclosed space are jammed with an inventory that matches the box store capacity of the Home Depots even as it offers the 42 H HillRag | May 2012
products and trash trucks entering a private alley most of which is owned by Frager’s. One neighbor Ben Krasnow states, “I searched the records for what type of use was permitted,” which led to the discovery of Frager’s non-compliance with zoning regulations. Krasnow, a one-year neighbor of Frager’s, says he took action when his half a dozen complaints were ignored. Asked about a potential agreement resolving these issues, Krasnow says he fears the situation would deteriorate to status quo ante and insists that current zoning be enforced. Krasnow is an otherwise strong supporter of Frager’s as a business. A complaint was lodged at DCRA and in a letter dated November 14th Frager’s was given notice “to discontinue illegal use of premises” in “violation of DC zoning regulations...specifically the Property located in a residential zone for retail use.” Frager’s had been using this property commercially for over fifty years. Frager’s immediately responded moving a large part of its storage and inventory to a site in Maryland at considerable cost.
contributions supporting a wide array of Hill causes. Weintraub says that he and Copenhaver agreed to “buy a business” soon after they met. Frager’s business has flourished including a huge expanded garden center business as Hill home ownership has stretched their
a portion of its rear and landlocked property commercially for storage and a garden center. Residents who abut property along 11th Street have grown unhappy with the noise associated with Frager’s business. Among the complaints are the sounds of walkie-talkies, forklifts moving large flats of mulch and other garden
Frager’s made an application to the Board of Zoning Adjustment on January 27th for a “use” variance on the R-4 or residential portion of this property which is “split zoned” meaning that it is zoned for both residential and commercial, stating that its use is principally “seasonal in nature.” A use variance authorizes the use of land not normally permitted by zoning regulation and does not change the underlying zoning. The bar for issuance of this variance in the District is set high and requires that the property must be unique, have no undue hardship associated with it (monetary loss is not considered a
factor). Any use variance must do no harm to the public. Frager’s application states that the property was split zoned for over fifty years, has been used for “display, storage and sale of seasonal merchandise” and that it intends to continue that use. Frager’s contends that there is no other reasonable use for this landlocked space and to deny its owners use would be to cause a decline in sales. Finally, Frager’s application cites precedent in its application referring to a BZA order granting a previous use variance to its property in 1991 as being “in harmony with the general purpose and intent of the Zoning Regulations and Map.”
Frager’s Accommodations
Consistent with his long-standing commitment to the community, Weintraub closed the private alley allowing its use only for the affected residents who are protected by an easement. Weintraub also added earpieces to silence the noise of the walkie talkies and moved trash pickup to Pennsylvania Avenue. Weintraub hired an architect to design and buffer with landscaping a compatible and gardenlike look to this rear property enhancing its attractiveness to residents. Asked about the costs of legal fees, compliance with zoning regulations and the larger cost of lost business, Weintraub paused and replied, “in a range of $300 to 400 thousand.”
Community Support
Gary Peterson, Chair of the Zoning Committee of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society suggests that Frager’s work out an agreement with its neighbors Peterson feels strongly that the application for a use variance is a high bar to surmount, “It helps Frager’s to have an agreement. We want to be able to support an application if the community is behind it.” According to Peterson, it’s insufficient that breaking the law unknowingly is a sufficient reason for its being granted. Meanwhile Jacques DePuy, a prominent land use attorney representing Frager’s is optimistic that he will be able to forge an agreement with the community before the BZA hearing, stating, “Initially it was contentious. There were strong feelings. Frager’s was responsive e.g., they discontinued the use of their private alley for trash or any purpose. That went a long way to addressing one of their major concerns.” DuPuy continued, “A use variance requires an applicant to demonstrate that a property cannot reasonably be used for pur-
poses allowed in the applicable zone – so we would be required to demonstrate that a townhouse, or a medical clinic or a fraternity or private club, can’t be stuck in the middle of the block on a landlocked parcel with no street access – and show that denial of such a variance would cause “hardship” to the owner. In this case, Frager’s had to rent space in Maryland to take the place of the lost space and can’t get access to the rented space on its busiest days, Saturday and Sunday.” DePuy feels that “the heat and emotion have gone out of the conflict” and that an agreement is likely, adding, “We are on the way.” Frager’s has mounted an effort for support of its application, appealing to countless friends in the community. Already ANC commissioners Oldenburg (6B04) and Metzger (6B03) have written letters of support as have a number of prominent Hill residents and businesses. And Frager’s has gathered an unprecedented six hundred signatures to a petition supporting their use application. Long time customer Dawn Nelson commenting on her forty years as a Frager’s customer said, “The staff is so knowledgeable. When you go there for a project they get you the things you need and then they show you how to use them. It is invaluable.”
Neighbors Concerns Continue
One issue that concerns some neighbors otherwise supportive of Frager’s is the permanence that comes with approval of Frager’s application. With a contentious fight with a nearby nightclub still fresh in the minds of impacted residents, there is concern as to what happens to the property if its use changes. One neighbor wishing to remain anonymous said, “I like Frager’s but there needs to be a fine line between residential and business concerns.” This neighbor would be more supportive if the variance were to revert to residential once Frager’s were no longer Frager’s. This neighbor concedes she bought her house fully aware that it was next to a hardware business.
Next Steps
The next steps in the process are that There will be full consideration of the application at ANC6B’s monthly meeting on May 8th. The matter then goes to the BZA for consideration on May 22nd. Repeated attempts to reach many of the neighbors impacted by this change and involved in any potential agreement were unsuccessful. H capitalcommunitynews.com H 43
capitolstreets news
A Bridge to Everywhere
A recreation bridge connecting Capitol Riverfront and Anacostia is proposed by Dana Bell
W
hen DDOT planned the new 11th Street Bridge, it imagined a more efficient way to get cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists across the Anacostia from Capitol Hill to Ward 8. The new bridge would have three spans, including an expansion of pedestrian and bike lanes sixteen feet across. The two outermost bridges-the downstream bridge and the upstream bridge, as they are referred to – would be demolished, their piers converted into osprey habitat. But when the DC Office of Planning took a closer look at the bridges, they saw an opportunity to make something completely different. These days, bridges are more than just utilitarian thoroughfares that get you from point A to point B. They are Point A. The gold standard of bridge-as-destination is the High Line – an old railway bridge converted to a linear public park spanning neighborhoods on Manhattan’s West Side. There are plenty of river bridges that have also been re-commissioned – Austin, Columbus, and the Hudson Valley all boast popular attraction bridges. “Who doesn’t love a bridge?” Harriet Tregoning, the Director of the DC Office of Planning asked at a preliminary meeting in March. As the plans for the bridge kick off, the promise of the project is clear – as is the enthusiasm for it. The new bridge offered up a blank slate for the two sides of the river, a way to connect a city that has been divided for a long time. Could a recreation bridge 44 H HillRag | May 2012
be what DC needs to stitch together the two sides of the river?
A Community Connector
The Office of Planning deliberately chose the downstream bridge – the bridge next to Poplar Point and the baseball stadium – to connect the two developing riverfronts. Any activity on the bridge will be in view of the activity along the Navy Yard and Yards Park and within view of the fireworks during the baseball games.
As Poplar Point becomes a part of the Anacostia Riverfront Park, the bridge can serve as a unifying property. “At the minimum, it could be a community connector...It’s great that we have a lot of activity but we are divided literally by the river,” said Tregoning. The bridge and the surrounding parks are at the heart of a huge amount of development. Projects in downtown Anacostia, the development of St. Elizabeth’s, and further
growth at Capitol Yards and Hill East will grow the population to upwards of 30,000 people. “This is an area with a lot of population growth,” says Tregoning. Connections to this part of town are also improving. The Circulator routes provide a direct connection to the area. The streetcar will facilitate access in the future, especially if a stop is installed directly on the bridge. But the two banks of recreation remain largely divided. The improved pedestrian bridges will make it easier to move between the two, but making the bridge a part of the recreation infrastructure would create unity between the two banks. To make the bridge a viable park, it needs to have types of activities that would regularly bring residents onto the river. So the DC Office of Planning is taking it to the people to find out what would it take to make a bridge a destination. “The majority of meetings have been in Ward 8, because that’s where the residents are most intimately connected with the river,” says Patricia Zingsheim, the Associate Director of Revitalization and Design and the Project Manager for the bridge.
A Blank Slate
After meeting with dozens of neighborhood leaders and groups in the community, the DC Office of Planning hosted its first informational meeting at the end of March. Tregoning presented the “word cloud” that they had compiled over the past meetings. The largest words were the ones brought up the most frequently.
The four biggest words were “education,” “checkers,” “health,” and “tables.” The suggestions at the meeting reached far and wide as people considered everything that could be accomplished on the bridge. Tregoning rattled off different ideas for activities. “It could be a park...there could be adventure recreation with rock walls, ziplines, things that we don’t have anywhere else in the city,” she said. Other recommendations included concerts, horseshoes, pole vaulting, a Truckeroo, a permanent café and vertical agriculture. The participants offered up their own suggestions, such as vertical agriculture, solar panels, and emphasizing that no matter what, there would need to be ample shade. One man suggested utilizing the space under the bridge, adding “I want to say that we should think outside the box but what I really want to say is we should think under the bridge.”
An Active Bridge
An important aspect of the bridge is to address the lack of recreation space East of the River. “We’re a city that has a lot of disparities, and the Anacostia River is a dividing line in those disparities,” Tregoning said. Ward 7 and Ward 8 had the highest prevalence of obesity in the city, at 39.9% and 41.9% respectively, compared to Ward 3 which has a low of 18.7%. The DC Office of Planning tapped the DC Department of Health to develop an active program that would deal with some of the health problems in the District. For the Department of Health, this project represents a new approach to health. “We have to cast a focus on the individual, but look at solutions through the community,” said Autumn Saxton-Ross from the DC Department of Health. “We want to create intersections here to promote health and not just have a fun bridge,” Saxton-
Ross said. An additional programmatic element comes from the youth employment program that will incorporate a mentorship for twenty interested youths in design, engineering, landscaping, and urban planning.
An Ambitious Plan, an Uncertain Future
The project has been embraced by many in the city, but that does not guarantee it a future. “I can’t think of any infrastructure project that solves so many different issues,” said Scott Kratz, who has been volunteering on this project for the past 10 months. Greta Fuller, an ANC Commissioner in Ward 8, was also optimistic about the project, but tempered her enthusiasm. “I think it’s a wonderful thing,” she said. “It’s truly in the conceptual stage. There are so many things to make it into a destination.” No matter how great the plan, there has to be a way to pay for it. It is currently estimated between $25-35 million to reconstruct the bridge, and it is unlikely that any of that money can come from the cash-strapped District budget. Like the High Line, the bridge would likely receive most of its funding from private sources. Tregoning listed different potential partners, both local and national, and the participants suggested other sponsors, from Wal-Mart to Hudson Trail Outfitters. A very preliminary timeline estimated that securing funding, holding a design competition, and constructing the bridge would bring about an opening in 2016 at the earliest. “This could be iconic, it could be a new landmark of the city,” Tregoning said. “If not, the bridge will go away as it was planned to do, and we’ll all go back to doing what we were doing. H
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capitolstreets news
DDOT Chooses Controversial Site for Car Barn by Dana Bell
O
ver the winter, DDOT has finalizing the work that needs to be done to make the long-awaited streetcar a reality. They have been working on the engineering aspects of the turnaround by Union Station. They have chosen a manufacturer for the cars, and are designing the substations and cantilevers that will power the trains along the line. When DDOT held its quarterly update this month at Spingarn High School, it introduced one of the last major components. The location was integral to the presentation as DDOT presented its plans for building the Car Barn Training Center (CBTC) on the western lawn of Spingarn. The CBTC is the last piece of the puzzle, a 15,000 square foot structure that will eventually house the fifteen cars, office space, and the training facilities for the DC Streetcar. But the CBTC is also proving to be one of the most controversial steps as DDOT hurries to finish up this line. The line from Benning Road that will eventually reach up to Georgetown is tentatively called the “One City” line, a nod to Mayor Gray’s ubiquitous governing slogan, but the meeting at Spingarn showed how hard that promise may be to keep.
A Rendering of the Proposed Car Barn Photo: DDOT 46 H HillRag | May 2012
A Tight Deadline
DDOT has been considering several different locations along the line, but the summer 2013 deadline limits the number of suitable locations. The priorities of the CBTC are the location and the constructability: it should be accessible from the streetcar line and on a property already owned by the DC government. “We want to stay on budget and stay on schedule,” said Monica Hernandez, a spokesperson for DDOT. One of the requirements for the choice of the car barn was that it could be “constructible for a late summer, early fall service,” suggesting that the deadline might already be extended from the last quarterly update meeting. As DDOT ran through the options, the importance of the deadline ruled out some of the parcels that were further away from the line or had complicated ownership problems. The western abutment of the line by Union Station has two potential spots: one is not owned by the District and another runs through a residential neighborhood, a battle that DDOT already avoided earlier this year. Still others, like the Eads Street Garage, the former trash transfer site and former Pepco site across the Benning Road Bridge, are not owned by the
District and are a considerable distance from the existing tracks. A site on the RFK parking would be a fairly non-controversial place for the site except that it is owned by the Federal Government and has prohibitive zoning that makes it recreation-only. For all of these sites, DDOT says that either the distance or the “ownership constraints” makes them ineffective for the deadline and budget of the streetcar.
Choosing Spingarn
That leaves the Spingarn lawn as the favored choice of DDOT engineers and planners. “We have criteria that we’re looking for,” Hernandez said. “The space is large enough, there is existing right-of-way, it’s DC government-owned, and there is proximity to the actual streetcar line.” The site also gains additional points for its proximity to Spingarn itself—DDOT plans to partner with the school to develop a high school vocational program that would train students in the upcoming field of train and trolley maintenance. The community survey put out by DDOT informed their design plans for the car barn. The results favored green, traditional architecture, and landscaping for the car barn. Nearly three-quarters of respondents wanted an observation area for school groups and others to observe the process. For the most part, there is still optimism about the streetcar and the benefits it could bring along the H Street and Benning Road corridor. But much like the outrage from the speculation over a streetcar line through 2nd and 3rd Streets in Northeast, there was a vocal and passionate response from many members of the community. “I’m not disheartened, I’m angry,” says Kathy Henderson, who is running for the Ward 5 Council seat. “We are primary stakeholders,” says Henderson, “and they are proceeding quickly in light of not having a councilmember.” Henderson is currently circulating a petition against the streetcar barn. The construction on the property is especially acute for Spingarn High School and for the vistas onto the Langston Golf Course. Both hold an important historical role in the African American communities of DC and the construction of a trolley barn – the bastion of the gentrified DC – is a sensitive proposition to make. “They don’t have the right to force this on us because it’s easier,” Henderson said after the meeting. As DDOT moves forward, they are still working with the community to implement the various elements of their plan. The materials from this meeting, and from previous meetings, can be found at www.dcstreetcar.com. H
capitalcommunitynews.com H 47
capitolstreets ANC reports
NEWS ANC 6A
by Roberta Weiner
A
NC 6A had an abbreviated meeting in April. Beginning an hour late due to another meeting scheduled for the same time that Commissioners had to attend, Chairman David Holmes efficiently dispatched all the required administrative tasks – treasurer’s report, single member district reports, etc. – and still had time for some discussion before the Miner School’s 9 p.m. curfew intervened.
Just How Much Room Do You Need?
One significant discussion was precipitated by a request from the H Street Country Club to add an outdoor patio to its establishment on H Street, near the Atlas Theatre. (This discussion took place after the Commission voted to approve the change in its liquor license – and an accompanying addition to its Voluntary Agreement (VA)—that would permit them to do so) The owners of the establishment, which features a miniature golf course and other games, and, somewhat incongruously, Mexican food, are seeking permission for a single row of five tables-for-two enclosed by low planters outside their front door. And while several H Street restaurants have outdoor cafes, they are placed on the much broader side streets that border their corner locations; this will be the first sitting on H Street, and the Commissioners were concerned about setting a precedent for those that will surely follow. It emerged from the owners’ care48 H HillRag | May 2012
fully drawn maps that there are 15.5 feet from the building line to the curb, and the Commissioners discussed how many feet were needed for two people to walk comfortably side-byside down the street. Transportation and Public Space Committee Chair Omar Mahmud suggested that these were questions that the Public Space Committee at the Department of Transportation, (which has jurisdiction over outdoor patios and the like) had the expertise to answer, but members of the Commission thought that the ease of traversing H Street was important and it is an issue they should weigh in on. And they did: a resolution supporting the use of the outdoor space, with the caveat that there be only a single row of tables, and at least 10 feet between the curb and the edge of the outdoor café area.
FreshFarm Market Finds a New Home
The FreshFarm farmers’ market, an annual H Street spring and summer Saturday highlight was, as reported here for the past several months, imminently about to be homeless as construction is slated to begin on a major project at its previous site, a parking lot between 6th and 7th Streets. After considering several other alternatives, they have settled on the site of the former Robert Christian Library on the northeast corner of H and 13th Streets, a setting that will provide adequate space for the vendors and their trucks in a location that will be highly visible to both old and new customers. Additionally, FreshFarm will not be saddled with the significant fees they would have had to pay to use the Ludlow-Taylor School schoolyard, the leading alternative that was being considered. An important feature of the market is that it accepts SNAP cards
(low income food assistance). The Market runs from April 21 to November 19, on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. The ANC voted unanimously to write to DDOT expressing its support for the relocation.
And After That?
Coincidentally, supporting the farmers’ market was not the only action taken by the Commission relating to that location. The office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development has, according to a letter drafted by ANC Chair David Holmes, “repeatedly” stated that it plans to surplus the site of the library and release it for mixed-use development. Most recently, in the fall of 2011, the Commission was told that the release of a RFP (request for proposal) was “imminent.” However, nothing has happened since, and the RFP seems to be delayed indefinitely. The ANC voted unanimously to invite Victor Hoskins, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, to appear at its May meeting (or its subsequent Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee meeting) to provide the community with an update on the status of the R.L. Christian Library site RFP.
Lots of Alcoholic Beverage Action
a case-by-case basis as a substantial change to a license, and the potential for disruption with the later hours is too great. The vote to oppose the Mayor’s proposal was unanimous (except for Nick Alberti who, as a member of the ABC Board does not vote on issues having to do with the Board’s jurisdiction); • Heard that the ABC Board did not look kindly on ANC-suggested modifications to its changes to several of the ANC’s voluntary agreements (VAs), and voted to accept the Boards suggestions and to change the standard VA to be consistent; • Voted to support eff orts to amend the DC alcoholic beverage law that will expand the current Ward 6 ban on the sale of single cans to include a ban on selling two- or three-packs of alcohol. Many of these packs are put together by the seller, not the manufacturer just to get around the ban; • Approved an amended version of a questionnaire that is posted on the ANC’s website for use by people seeking alcohol beverage licenses to give them an idea of the things the Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee is looking for from a prospective licensee.
There was, as usual, a substantial amount of Alcoholic Beverage activity. The ANC: • Discussed Mayor Grey’s proposal to increase District revenues by In other actions, the Commission… extending the hours that bars and • Approved a $650 grant to the Capitol Hill Garden Club to pay taverns can remain open and serve for bulbs to be planted in public liquor. The consensus among the space within the boundaries of commissioners is that the extenANC 6A. This is the third year for sion of hours should be done on this very successful program.
ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A DAVID HOLMES, CHAIR, 202-251-7079 • Voted to send a letter of support to the BZA for a special exception to construct a garage at 808 L St. NE • Joined with ANC 6A and Gallaudet University to send a letter to DDOT in support of traffic calming efforts on Florida Avenue NE between 2nd Street and West Virginia Avenue, including an analysis of the result of reducing one lane of traffic in each direction, the installation of turn lanes and widening sidewalks, among other initiatives. The next meeting of ANC 6A will be on Thursday, May 10th at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th St. NE, at 7:00 p.m. For more information: anc6a.org H
ANC 6B by Emily Clark
N
ine commissioners were present for the April meeting of ANC 6B (Commissioner Green was absent). Issues ranged from local to citywide concerns, and multiple votes on a number of proposed negotiating points regarding the Hine School project caused the meeting to run late.
Late Nights and Fast Cars
During community speak out, Hill resident Catalin Florea asked about the DDOT speed camera now in operation on Independence Avenue near RFK Stadium. Speed cameras have been in the news lately, with Mayor Gray vowing to blanket the District with the devices in an effort to stop speeding and raise revenues. Florea said that he and other residents had received speeding tickets and that camera placement in this location seemed arbitrary and unnecessary. He suggested that the camera be moved to another location. Commissioner Campbell noted that the ANC is not responsible for the placement of the speed cameras but that he had written to the Metropolitan Police to request the camera be moved to avoid creating a speed trap. But he also pointed out that, regardless of the camera’s location, the speed limit in the area is 25 miles per hour,
just like it is throughout the District. “So if you’re going 36 miles per hour, you’re going to get a ticket,” he said. In an attempt to raise money, DC government has proposed allowing bars to stay open an hour later – until 3 a.m. weeknights and 4 a.m. weekends. Commissioner Pate said that any such establishments should be required to have a voluntary agreement in place with the ANC before being granted permission to extend hours. But Commissioner Garrison added, “I can’t imagine anyone being happy to have such late hours in a residential area like Capitol Hill.” Commissioner Critchfield added that the new proposed hours are after the close of the Metro, which could create more problems by putting drunk drivers on the street. The Commission voted 9-0 to require all establishments applying for extended hours to have a signed Voluntary Agreement (VA), and that if the law is enacted, all current and future license holders must sign a VA. A motion by Commissioner Garrison stating that ANC 6B opposes extended hours in the neighborhood passed 8-0-1 (Commissioner Pate abstaining).
Serving the Kingman Park, Linden, Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, and Stanton Park communities
★ ★ ★
ANC 6A generally meets the second Thursday of the month, at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE.
www.anc6a.org ANC 6A, 2nd Thursday, May 10, 7 PM Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee 2nd Tuesday, May 15, 7pm • Sherwood Recreation Center Corner of 10th & G Streets, NE • Chair, Adam Healey, 556-0215 Transportation & Public Space Committee 3rd Monday, May 21, 7pm • Sherwood Recreation Center Corner of 10th and G Sts. NE • Chair, Omar Mahmud, 546-1520 Economic Development & Zoning Committee 2nd Wednesday, May 16, 7pm • Sherwood Recreation Center Corner of 10th & G Streets, NE • Chair, Drew Ronneberg, 431-4305 Community Outreach Committee 3rd Monday, May 21, 7:30pm • Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith Annex 1235 C Street, NE • Chair, Elizabeth Nelson, 543-3512
Please check the Community Calendar on the website for cancellations and changes of venue. Attend a meeting! Volunteer for a committee! It’s your ANC!
Community Court Initiative
Judge Juliet McKenna of the DC Superior Court presented the new Community Court initiative, a community-based diversion program for minor offenders. The initiative has been successfully tested in a few select wards and is now being adopted citywide. Under its provisions, first offenders or those with minor criminal records could see the charges against them dropped if they undergo regular drug testing and perform community service. Offenses to be considered for diversion include possession of drugs (though not with intent to distribute), petty theft and minor vandalism. McKenna said that the program so far has been successful and recidivism has dropped in the areas where it has been in place. “Each judge monitors the people on this probation more carefully to ensure compliance,” she said. McKenna also urged crime victims to give victim impact statements and urged communities to provide service opportunities for minor offenders.
Preservation Cafe May 16, 6:30 pm Ebenezer’s Coffee House, 2nd & F St. NE
Robert Pohl will relate salacious true stories from his new book “Wicked Capitol Hill” Preserve and Protect Your Neighborhood Join the Capitol Hill Restoration Society CFC # 50747 202-543-0425 www.chrs.org capitalcommunitynews.com H 49
capitolstreets news Pets and Peeves
The Commission voted 9-0 to approve a special exception and variance to permit an animal boarding and grooming establishment called Wagtime to open at 900 M St. SE. The facility will also include retail and an outdoor play and training area. The owners, who operate another facility in the Shaw district, have agreed to a set of conditions to meet neighborhood concerns. Commissioner Oldenburg said that the conditions were added because of current neighborhood objections to another operator of a similar facility that she said “was grandfathered in and doesn’t have to comply with the criteria.” The conditions are mostly regarding odor control, waste and trash disposal and parking concerns, as well as limiting the hours that animals can be outside in the fenced training area.
Hine School Project
Commissioner Frishberg presented updates to negotiating points to take to developers of the Hine School project. “My understanding from the developers is that there will be a Zoning Commission hearing in mid-June, so we would like an ANC agreement prior to that,” he said. Even though it was late, Commissioner Pate asked the Commissioners to move through critical components of the negotiating points, “so that we have a framework for going forward.” So, in a series of rapid-fire votes that extended the meeting beyond normal hours, the Commission approved seven different documents (an eighth had already been approved at an earlier meeting). The suggested negotiating points include building height restrictions on 7th Street, location and types of retail establishments in the development, as well as limits on sidewalk cafes. Commissioner Frishberg said that there had been “an intense set of meetings” to develop negotiating points with various groups. For example, the guiding principle of the retail working group is to make 7th Street a “retail row” rather than a “restaurant row,” he said, with emphasis on locally owned businesses. The retail group also wants to restrict sidewalk space for cafes, to 50 H HillRag | May 2012
allow more pedestrian access. Recommended design changes include reducing the height of the 7th and Pennsylvania commercial/ office building by a full story and reducing the mass of the plaza component through height restrictions or setbacks. Other negotiating points include transportation, community use and public space mitigations and recommendations from the Historic Preservation Review Board. “The developer needs to understand these issues,” Frishberg said, “so that we can hear their ideas and responses and hopefully get to an agreement.” H
ANC 6C by Roberta Weiner
Maryland Avenue Pedestrian Safety Plan Okayed
The treacherous stretch of Maryland Avenue NE where it intersects with 7th and D Streets has been, over the years, the site of numberless accidents, and “almost-accidents” with people barely making it successfully across the street. Not only is it the longest intersection in the area, but it may be the most hazardous. Among those who have been working with DDOT and traffic planners and consultants to develop workable solutions for these problems are ANC 6C Commissioner Scott Price and Transportation and Public Space Committee member Gary Barber. Barber gave a thorough presentation at the committee’s early April meeting, leading to its being forwarded to the full ANC by a unanimous vote, where the nine-point plan was presented to the commission. Among the recommendations presented by Mr. Price were the reduction of Maryland Avenue to a single lane in both directions, with a broadening of the median so people will be able to cross one lane at a time (the ANC was assured that there is excess capacity for traffic on Maryland Avenue so that the traffic flow will not be negatively affected); the elimination of 7th Street as a through
street by extending the triangular curb past 7th Street where Maryland and D Streets intersect; the installation of pedestrian-controlled traffic lights; the construction of curb extensions to improve sight lines at critical corners and the reconfiguration of the intersection of E Street, 9th Street and Maryland Avenue to discourage traffic from leaking onto local streets. The Commission unanimously passed a resolution approving of the proposed changes and authorizing Mr. Price to work with ANC 6A and DDOT on implementing the plan.
Northeast Library Renovation Moving Forward
And before we leave the corner of 7th and D Streets: The long-awaited renovation of the Northeast Library – in the works since 2007 – appears to be moving closer to occurring, and representatives of DC Public Libraries (DCPL) came before the ANC to ask for support for an Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) concept review for an addition to the west side of the library building to house a staircase that will replace stairs that will be removed during the extensive interior modifications that are planned. The HPRB application is only for the staircase addition, not the interior renovation, which will require separate approval from HPRB. According to the DCPL, the plans have been undertaken in regular consultation with the Friends of the Northeast Library, Peabody School and nearby residents. The addition would be located on top of an existing garage, and will be brick with glass on its north and south facades. The library’s HVAC unit, currently located on top of the garage will be moved to the top of the addition, which will have the added benefit of reducing the current noise level, which not only affects the library, but the adjacent neighbors as well. Neighbors at the meeting complained about the noise of the HVAC and the fact that an unpaved alley next to the property is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The Commission approved the planned design with several caveats, reflecting the views of its Planning,
Zoning and Environment Committee. It requested that the alignment of the windows of the addition and the original building be improved; that the addition’s roofline be modified to make it more distinctive; that an archway or other architectural figure be added to better define the ramp entrance to the building; that adaptive uses be explored for the area currently occupied by the existing driveway; that the addition’s rooftop HVAC unit and other equipment not be visible from the street; and, that there is certainty that the addition will not encroach onto neighboring property.
Historic District Expansion Enters New Phase
Another long-term project of the ANC, along with 6A, is the potential expansion of the Capitol Hill Historic District, which currently extends only to F Street NE. It’s a long process, involving a survey of all the buildings in an area to see which, and how many, contribute to the District. After that, community meetings are held and then a vote is taken. Funds to underwrite the process were included in the original PUD for the project. Drury Tallent, who has been an active supporter of an expansion, said at the meeting, that the study is completed and it is time to begin the community meeting component of the process. He suggested starting with the blocks from 2nd to 4th and F to H Streets NE, on the grounds that these are the most threatened blocks in the area, and that it would be easier to get a small area done quickly. He reported that two row houses that are part of a large development are now, because the project has a new developer, threatened with demolition and Tallent believed this is one way to slow the process. He said there are other developable properties in that area, behind Logan School, Commissioner Tony Goodman pointed out that there was money in the PUD for many more blocks to be included in the application for historic designation, and he disagreed that so few blocks were being considered. He felt the conversation should be more inclusive, and that every house in the neighborhood should be leafleted.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C P.O. Box 77876 • Washington, D.C. 20013-7787 www.anc6c.org
Mr. Tallent said he had received only six or seven responses to a mailing he sent out, and that he had spoken with people at HPRB and they had no problem with the small area. The Commission, however, agreed with Mr. Goodman and voted unanimously to assist Mr. Tallent in facilitating meetings across the entire survey area, F to H Streets, from 1st to 8th Streets NE.
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In Other Actions…
• Voted unanimously to send a letter to Councilmember Wells requesting his assistance in modifying the municipal regulations governing visitor parking passes to issue passes for two 15-day periods per year, rather than the new 45-day pass. • Approved two grant applications, one for $4943 to the Capitol Hill Cluster Schools PTA to enhance the outdoor classroom spaces and gardens at Peabody Elementary School, and provide staff training for nature learning experiences during the school day, before and after school programs and summer camps. The second, for $3850, was to the JO Wilson Elementary School PTA for a student production of Annie, the Musical, to be presented, for the first time, at the Atlas Theatre, with an additional performance for the community. • Supported the application of Be the Change Development, a project of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, which is seeking financing from the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for the construction of 121 units of affordable housing, including units for veterans transitioning from homelessness, at 1005 North Capitol Street. The DHCD grant will cover 10-15% of the development costs. • Heard a presentation about a yearlong phased renovation of the Stuart Hobson School that will begin this spring with the gym and end next summer with the construction of a “Museum Magnet/Art Integration Addition. The goal of the renovation is to create a sustainable building with green roof, reduced water consumption,
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storm water management, and other initiatives that will create a LEED Silver building. Supported a BZA application for a variance and a special exception for a new Hyatt hotel to be built at 33 New York Ave. NE. It will be the third hotel in the neighborhood near the New York Avenue Metro stop. Learned the Twitter account number that has been established for the Planning, Zoning and Environment Committee -- @6C_PZE or http//www.twitter.com/6C_PZE – to improve communication concerning PZE actions and matters within the committee’s area of responsibility. Approved sidewalk cafes for Engine Six, at 438 Massachusetts Ave. NW, and the Corner Bakery at 777 6th St. NW. Agreed to send a letter to the City Council opposing the Mayor’s plan to extend the hours of bars and taverns as a revenue source for the City. Approved en bloc four races: Bike DC, Sunday, May 13; Stop the Silence, April 29; Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, May 5-6; and the Walk for Hope, April 27.
Call (202) 547-7168 for meeting time and location. ANC 6C generally meets the second Wednesday of each month.
ANC 6C Commissioners: ANC 6C01 Keith Silver 6C-01@anc.dc.org ANC 6C02 Mark Dixon (202) 438-2228 mdixon402@hotmail.com ANC 6C03 VACANT
ANC 6C04 Tony Goodman (202) 271-8707 tonytgood@gmail.com ANC 6C05 M.Tony Richardson (202) 997-6662 tonyrichardson08@gmail.com ANC 6C06 John Scott Price (202) 577-6261 6CO6@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C07 Bill Crews anc6c07@aol.com ANC 6C08 Karen Wirt (202) 547-7168 6C08@anc.dc.gov ANC 6C09 Kevin Wilsey (202) 669-5184 kwilsey@thelansburgh.com
The next meeting of ANC 6C will be on Wednesday, May 9th at the Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE, at 7:00 p.m. H
ANC 6D by Roberta Weiner
Harbor Place to be Nominated for Historic Designation
Several months ago, Tiber Island, one gem of Southwest’s considerable inventory of notable mid-century modern architecture, was nominated to be designated as a historic landmark by the District and for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places as well. At the time it was pointed out that many other local examples of these important residential buildings would also, one by one, go through the landmarking process. And that is now what’s happening with Harbor Square, the impressive red brick development south capitalcommunitynews.com H 51
of Tiber Island at 4th and N Street SW. Designed by Cloethiel Woodard Smith, one of Washington’s most distinguished and prolific architects, Harbor Square is comprised of 430 apartments and 10 townhouses set around a series of gardens and landscape features including a large loggia facing the Washington Channel. It is in a different style than its neighbor to the north, but certainly considered as distinguished. The Homeowners Association of Harbor Square has filed an application with the Historic Preservation Review Board and came to the ANC to seek its support. There was some discussion about the process the Harbor Square board undertook to get approval from its shareowners for the application, and the Commission was told that the shareholders were notified 45 days prior to its submission with a request for comments. There were only 12, and most of them were supportive. The issue was also discussed at Harbor Square’s annual meeting; one issue raised was the encumbering of a future generations of shareholders with something previous homeowners had done. However, the Harbor Square board voted 8-1 in support of submitting an application, and the ANC followed suit with a unanimous vote to support it.
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Commissioner Ron McBee, who has been a devoted advocate over the years for Southwest schools, reported to the Commission that AmidonBowen School is slated to lose about $580,000 of its current $3,465,800 budget, and he presented to the ANC a detailed letter to Mayor Gray and School Chancellor Kaya Henderson outlining why that would be a bad idea. He pointed out in the letter the substantial amount of current and future development in the community, and that Amidon-Bowen is the only elementary school in the neighborhood. The additional funds are needed, he said, if the school and its students are to improve their academic performance to meet the needs of this growing community. He pointed out that the community
has worked with the school to try to improve “abysmal” test scores, and that there is a strong new principal and a significantly more effective staff leading successful efforts with new programs. The letter points out that the school is beginning to get badly needed physical, as well as programmatic, improvements, and that these things could, if the budget were there, encourage the greatly increasing number of local parents to place their children in their neighborhood school, which is not happening now. The ANC voted unanimously to also send the letter to Councilmember Wells, Council Chairman Kwame Brown, and the at-large Councilmembers, as well as the Mayor.
CSX Tunnel Construction No Nearer Resolution
Construction on the CSX freight rail line that runs along West Virginia Avenue, north of Capitol Quarter townhouses and parallel to the Southwest Freeway has been under discussion for many months. CSX is planning to lower the bed of the train tracks so that it can transport double-decker freight cars, carrying twice as much freight. CSX has had meetings with the community and made presentations to the ANC, but after months of conversation, no decisions have been reached on what its final plan will be. There is much frustration among the line’s neighbors, which has been reflected by the neighborhood’s Commissioner, David Garber, who presented for discussion at the meeting, a working draft of a letter to CSX and DDOT with an opinion on the status of the project. What he suggests, working on the issue with ANC 6B, is that the tunnel be left just as it is now, or that it be moved to a location outside the District. He also raised the real concern about the idea of an open trench running through the neighborhood with standing water, insects and trash, a necessity during construction to enable the trains to run while the existing tracks are rebuilt. The members of the community who were present were sympathetic to Garber’s arguments, but expressed a strong consensus that it was time to mobilize the entire community
for action to move CSX to doing something, Another new issue that came up—not specifically germane to the tunnel issue, but important nonetheless—was the sorry condition of CSX’s infrastructure, with cracks in the cast iron bridge supports and other conditions in need of attention.
In Other Actions…
In other actions, the ANC… • Agreed to support several races, regular standbys on the Southwest/Near Southeast schedule: the 28h Annual Army 10-Miler, on October21st and the 17th Annual Marine Corps Marathon on October 28th. • Heard a presentation on the Anacostia Watershed Society and their efforts to clean up the trash and monitor and advocate for the ecosystems of the Anacostia. • Listened to a presentation about the DC Fiscal Policy Institute and its on-going efforts to analyze and advocate on issues pertaining to the DC Budget and city finances • Had a discussion about the fact that Safeway had not yet signed off on the graphic display to be shown on a panel on the facade facing the Metro exit. Commissioner McBee said there had been a meeting with Safeway executive Craig Muckle and Cecile Chen, the program’s designer, and AANC Chair Andy Litsky, and he felt assured that the authorization would be imminently forthcoming, while others felt there should be some limit set on waiting time. In the end, a two week waiting period was approved, after which action would be taken with Councilmember Wells to encourage Safeway action. NOTE: The next meeting of ANC 6D will be at one of its regular alternate locations: the Marriott Courtyard Hotel, 140 L Street SE. (One block from the New Jersey Ave. entrance of the Green Line Navy Yard Metro stop). The meeting will be on Monday, May 14 at 7 p.m. H
It takes a Village. Shop Locally.
www.capitalcommunitynews.com capitalcommunitynews.com H 53
HILLRAG CROSSWORD Daily Doubles
by Sally York and Myles Mellor Across:
1. “Is that ___?” 4. Ghost 9. Road shoulder 13. Bozo 17. Batman and Robin, e.g. 18. Vitamin H or B7 19. Companion of Artemis 21. “I had no ___!” 22. Sign in D.C. tourist center? 26. Crook 27. Great Lakes salmon 28. Vibrating effect 29. Austrian province whose capital is Innsbruck 30. Cram, with “up” 31. Arduous journey 32. Abbey area 35. Feet parts 38. Microbe 42. 1980s car lot sign? 49. Finger, in a way 50. Spot broadcast, often 51. Grandmothers, in the U.K. 52. Low point 53. Birdlike 55. Soaking completely 57. Bantu language 58. “Out of Africa” director 60. 18-wheeler 61. Attention ___ 63. Railroad support 64. Sound of frustration 67. Asian expanse 72. Gang land 74. Chit 75. Raises 76. Foray 80. Kind of microscope 84. Blue stone 85. Decree 86. Identifying mark 87. Piece of land 89. 12-point type 90. Sign posted at V.F.W. hall? 94. ___ and terminer 95. Car wash employee, at times 96. Hoopla 97. Back 98. Declines 101. #1 song 106. Humiliating 110. Coronet 112. Kneecap 114. Sign in diner? 117. Marine eagle 118. Minimum 119. Sponsored boy 120. Squeeze 121. Attraction 122. “Eh” 123. Sudden bursts, of a kind 124. Bloodshot
54 H HillRag | May 2012
Down:
1. Scorched 2. Full of vigor 3. Doofus 4. Locale 5. 2:00 or 3:00 6. Absorbed, as a loss 7. “Saturday Night Fever” music 8. ___ a high note 9. Division of Cameroon 10. Border lake 11. ___ publica 12. Bed part 13. 2003 Bollywood flick 14. Taro variety 15. “Get ___!” 16. Send to the canvas 18. “___ of John and Yoko” (with “The”) 20. Coercion 23. Certain religious adherent 24. Each 25. “A rat!” 30. Witch’s broom 31. Objects 33. Drivel 34. One who hits 36. Doctor Who villainess, with “the” 37. Blue hue 38. Vex, with “at” 39. Icelandic epic 40. Drops from the sky 41. “___ Breckinridge” 42. Not fitting 43. Enjoy 44. “South Pacific” role 45. Wheels’ partner 46. Dark area 47. Waterwheel 48. Detangle, as hair 54. More dapper 56. Language branch that includes Hungarian 57. Ball field covering 59. Game name 62. Having a spare tire? 65. “___ go!” 66. “Faster!” 68. Jetés, e.g. 69. Flavorful 70. “All My Children” vixen 71. Test, as ore 73. Intellectually productive 76. Clash of heavyweights 77. Sanction 78. Dash 79. Pre-1917 ruler 81. 1968 Chemistry Nobelist Onsager 82. European tongue 83. Promises 86. Small signboards 88. Ram, in Leeds 91. Threefold
Crossword Author: Myles Mellor • www.themecrosswords.com • www. mylesmellorconcepts.com
Last Months Answers: 92. Apprehension 93. Overlay 97. Greetings 99. Fort near Lafayette 100. Anabranch 102. Checkers, e.g. 103. Tree with catkins 104. Quench 105. Mowed and cured grass 106. Acted like 107. Momentum 108. “___ Karenina” 109. Bias 110. Chuck 111. Digging, so to speak 112. “Hey ... over here!” 113. Andy’s radio partner 115. ___ jacket 116. Driver’s lic. and others
Community Life Reliving the Dream
Gearing Up for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington
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ugust of 2013 will mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, when thousands gathered peacefully on the National Mall, and Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his inspiring “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Because experiences of that day still reverberate in the minds of those who were present, planning is underway for a commemoration in February 2013. The event, a joint effort of Capitol Hill Village and the Ruth Ann Overbeck Capitol Hill History Project, will focus on story-sharing that might lead to discussion on the March’s legacy today. The two sponsor groups, predominantly people who remember the past, are eager to involve today’s students in the event, as a personal means of passing on the dream. A meeting on Saturday, May 19, at the Hill Center is open to anyone with ideas about how best to accomplish this goal. Teachers, scout leaders, and others who work with young people are encouraged to participate and contribute suggestions. The blueprint for next year’s anniversary event is a gathering that took place in February of this year. Held at the Hill Center and organized by Capitol Hill Village, it invited Capitol Hill residents to share their
by Claire Brindley
stories of August 28, 1963. To an audience spanning from college students to senior citizens, the raconteurs recalled standing near (or very far from)
Dr. Martin Luther King at the Lincoln Memorial, the extreme heat of the day, and the tense atmosphere of civil rights advocacy in 1960s Washington. (A representative of the Overbeck Project recorded the session, which was later transcribed by a volunteer; the full transcript is available on the project website, CapitolHillHistory.org.) The day of the March came back in scorching detail. Hill residents Pat Driscoll and Marguerite Kelly stayed home to care for their children, but still have evocative memories of that hot day in August. Driscoll had both black and white children at her house, and filled a large tub in the yard with water in an effort to cool them off. But when a neighbor started yelling his disapproval, she had to bring all her charges inside, away from the rancor. Kelly’s children offered lemonade and cookies to people on their way to the Mall. They hung a banner in the window that said “Free Lemonade for Freedom Marchers.” Marguerite’s daughter Katy, then a young child, remembers marchers “in church clothes, like gloves, pocketbook, tie, the men in jackets, hats.” Paul Hollister was just 13 when his mother took him to see Dr. King speak, but still recalls feeling that “something big was happening.” capitalcommunitynews.com H 55
His mother Margaret Hollister felt a certain tension as she got closer to the Lincoln Memorial – “you were waiting for something to happen, just plain happen.” But she and her son were lucky enough to get close to Dr. King, and remember the feeling reverently. Margaret, 94, calls walking into his presence “one of the major experiences of my life.” As a member of the DC National Guard, Larry Pearl had no choice but to go to the Mall that day. He was stationed at the Washington Monument on the east side of 15th Street, monitoring the flow of people to the Lincoln Memorial. “I’d like to think that I would have gone to the March if I had a choice,” he said. He also remembers being on duty with the metropolitan police, who made “racist, obscene comments.” Ida Prosky wanted to go to work at the Washington Post as usual, but was cautioned against going out in public. She went to her job anyway. Joan Keenan stayed home but her husband Frank attended the march; she shared a photo Frank bought soon after the march without realizing that it had been copyrighted and shouldn’t have been sold. The stories told at the February gathering ranged far beyond the 1963 March. Pat Driscoll recalled that Capitol Hill in the early 1960s was a place of contrasts: young, idealistic people working to improve “separate and unequal” schools and confronting racism among some neighbors. Marguerite Kelly felt that among the younger residents “there was so much hope, and so much enthusiasm, that we’re going to fix this, and we’re going to fix it right now.” Other speakers talked about experiences in the South before the march and the despair of the 1968 riots that followed the assassination of Dr. King. Joe Cooney marched at Selma, seeing the groundwork laid for protest in the nation’s capital. When Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, Marguerite Kelly helped drive African American women back to their cars after the buses stopped running. Cooney described the fires set during the rioting: “H Street was burning, and 56 H HillRag | May 2012
so was upper Seventh and 14th Streets, and over in Anacostia. There was smoke all over the city.” Cooney’s wife, L. Marie Guillory, added a chilling reminder of what life was like for African Americans in the South in the not-so-distant past: “we lived with terrorism.” She remembers her father finally being able to register to vote in 1953, only two years after one man in their town who tried to register was killed. There will always be another story to be shared, another question to be asked, and a legacy to pass on to the children. This is the spirit that the Overbeck Project and Capitol Hill Village hope to channel into the February 2013 event. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom may be approaching fifty years old, but experiences of that day are still fresh, and curiosity urges more reflection. Even as the crowds gathered and the speeches were given, Bill Driscoll sensed that he was “present for a remarkable moment in American history.” Whether you joined the demonstrators on the Mall on August 28, 1963, or saw the civil rights movement unfold in Washington or beyond, or simply want to hear more about this period, next year’s event is aimed at airing, sharing, and asking questions. We all carry something of this day. There is no single lens through which to examine or learn about the legacy of civil rights. At the February session, L. Marie Guillory evoked the importance of understanding the moment of action: “I have great admiration for the elders who are here who understood that moment when it was necessary for them to stand up.” The informational meeting for planning a February 2013 commemorative event will be held on Saturday, May 19 at the Hill Center (third floor Frager’s conference room) from 10 a.m. to noon. If you would like to be further involved in planning or have stories to share, please contact Margaret Missiaen at Missiaen@verizon.net or Pat Driscoll at 202-543-5409. The transcript from the February 11, 2012, session is available at CapitolHillHistory.org. H
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communitylife
Hill’s Spiritual Side
Congregations Celebrate Passover and Easter
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apitol Hill is blessed to have a wide diversity in houses of worship. For the Christian faith, Easter is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the most well attended Sunday service of the year. For those of the Jewish faith, Passover, the eight-day commemoration of the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery, was observed this year from April 6th through 14th. Spring signals a time of renewal for nature and holds the same importance for the Hill churches. The profiles are only a sampling of the kinds of churches found on the hill.
Hill Havurah
The Hill Havurah began in the late 1990s when Capitol Hill residents started getting together in one another’s homes to welcome the Shabbat, the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest. Traditionally, the dinner is on Friday night with Saturday being the day of rest. From the small intimate dinners, a community of over 200 has been created and the 2012 Community Seder Dinner for Passover sold out weeks ahead of time. The Hill Havurah is unique in that it is en-
Article and photos by Rindy O’Brien tirely volunteer-run and led. It partners with the National Havurah Committee, the Greater Washington Jewish Funeral Practices Committee and the Capitol Hill Group Ministry. Mark Sherman is the current Chair, and Laurie Solnik the Vice Chair. Michael Allen leads the Hill community in liturgy. For special religious celebrations, the Hill community joins the Historic Synagogue at Seventh and I Streets. Unlike some of the more traditional synagogues, Hill Havurah tries to blend the Hebrew Liturgy with innovative English supplements. The name of the community’s newspaper, Schmoozy News, speaks volumes of the warm and joyous nature of the Hill Havurah. The electronic newsletter helps keep everyone connected, and with the growing number of programs for young children and families, it is an essential link. Sig Cohen, a founding member of the Hill Havurah, says that “finding a permanent home for our schools and to worship is a goal of the community, and I hope that can be achieved in the not so distant future.” Sig says, “The growth of our Gan Shalom Preschool and Tot Shabbat speaks to the interest of families and individuals to continue their education in the Jewish faith.” The Hill Havurah meets on the third Friday of the month at Christ our Shepherd Church at 801 North Carolina Ave. SE, and the Tot Shabbat is held every second Saturday morning of the month at 10 a.m. at the same location. The website, www.hillhavurah.org, can provide you with more of the programs being offered.
Rev. Paul Abernathy has been serving St. Mark’s for over 14 years, making him the longest serving minister on Capitol Hill.
the US Department of Interior as a significant building. The cherry trees in the courtyard were given by President and Mrs. Lyndon Johnson, who often attended St. Mark’s when they were in Washington. Rev. Paul Abernathy is the rector of the church, and is now the longest tenured minister on Capitol Hill. He began his service with the community in 1998. Last
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
Michael Allen is a volunteer leader of Hill Havurah and helps the community tie its fellowship with the writings of the faith. 58 H HillRag | May 2012
Unlike Hill Havurah, which is searching for a physical home on the Hill, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at the corner of Third and A Streets SE have had a building since 1894. The building itself is on the National Register of Historic Places, having been selected in 1973 by
The cherry trees at St. Mark’s were a gift of President Lyndon Johnson.
Celebrate and Participate! Sunday Worship Service at 11:00am Accepting donations for “It's History” Sidewalk Sale May 7-11 from 6:30 – 8:30pm Household goods, seasonal decorations, clothing and accessories, children’s toys, sports equipment, furniture, office equipment and supplies, books, music and electronics.
“It’s History” Sidewalk Sale Saturday, May 12, 2012 8:30am-3:00pm In case of rain the sale will be held in the Chapel.
Peter Yarrow Concert Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 8:00pm Tickets: $60 and $40
visit www.capitolhillpreschurch.org for more information. 201 4th Street, SE (at Fourth and Independence Ave SE) Washington, DC 20003 • 202-547-8676
ANDREW WALTON, Pastor
The azaleas at St. Monica-St. James Parish frame the red door to the English styled church on Eighth Street.
year, Rev. Rebecca Justice Schunior joined him in service, as the assistant rector. The congregation is flourishing, in part to the forward-looking approach the church has maintained since its inception. The St. Mark’s community numbers approximately 750 adults and 132 children. The community is seeing an influx of younger families with 43% of the members of St. Mark’s falling in the 22 to 59 age category. The mission of St. Mark’s is to be an open community that is welcoming to people wherever they are on their faith journey. St. Mark’s has had a long history of caring for others “with love, justice, and compassion.” St. Mark’s was ahead of the times in adopting a policy of blessing same-sex unions, long before the DC Council passed its law legalizing same-sex marriages. St. Mark’s offers three services on Sunday at 9:00 a.m., 11:15 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m. in the nave and one at noon on Thursday in the Chapel. The church is unique in that the central altar is in the round. The community has also recognized the growing number of children in the congregation by adding a children’s worship service at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays. The Sunday School program provides families with a chance to educate their children. It operates from September through May each year. The young adult program is structured to really connect with young people in discussing the issues and pressures they face in today’s world. For more information go to www.stmarks.net
Parish of St. Monica and St. James
At 222 Eighth St. NE sits a very English looking church with very bright red doors. The courtyard has some of the most brilliant azaleas in all of Capitol Hill and creates a capitalcommunitynews.com H 59
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60 H HillRag | May 2012
Christ Church is the oldest of churches on Capitol Hill and is recognized by a plaque and seen on a summer day the castle-like structure reaches to the clouds.
beautiful and peaceful setting. The congregation is the merger of two of the older Episcopal congregations on Capitol Hill. Its determination in overcoming change and declining membership is a testament to the strength of its mission. St. Monica and St. James’ programs are steeped in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. As one congregant said, “this is the perfect place for my family. I came from a rather traditional Christian upbringing and my husband was raised in the Catholic faith. We didn’t feel comfortable in each other’s faith, but here at St. Monica and St. James we found that it met each of our fundamental beliefs and worshipping styles.” Following the merger, the congregation is one of the more diverse in the city. The merged congregation’s philosophy is “make no peace with oppression but see God’s image in each other.” Easter is an especially significant part of St. Monica and St. James’ year, and the congregation works weeks in advance to clean the courtyard and polish all the brass in the church for the special week of worship. It is one of the few churches on the Hill that actually holds an Easter Vigil through the night beginning at 8:00 p.m. on the Saturday before Easter. It also holds the washing of the feet on Good Friday. Rev. Milton C. Williams, Jr. is the Priestin-Charge and just in the past year has become a full time staff member. Two other priests in the area, Rev. Robert MacFarlane and Rev. Michael Marrett, help out. Children are welcome at the services and a Sunday School is also provided. Services on Sunday are held at 8:00 a.m. and another “high” mass is conduct-
ed at 10 a.m. For more on programs, see www. saintjameschurch.org.
Christ Church + Washington Parish
Christ Church is another Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill with a long history dating back to 1794. That makes it the first Episcopal Church in the non-Federal City. Thomas Jefferson is said to have worshiped at the Washington Parish. The 215-year-old church also has an inviting red door and sits up from the sidewalk at 620 G St. SE. The Christ Church congregation might be nicknamed the “foodie” congregation. Its membership loves to serve food to those in need, making over one hundred lunch bags to serve the homeless each month. Christ Church hosts an annual Saint Patrick’s Day dinner and auction and last summer hosted barbeques after services. The congregation describes itself as a second family to many of its congregants, and sharing a meal together is exactly what a family would do after worshipping together. Christ Church has continued the Easter Parade that was started by the Capitol Hill Group Ministry 40 years ago. It kicked off Easter Week on Palm Sunday with a procession or parade from Eastern Market, at the Port Java Coffee Shop, to the church. It provided an opportunity to spread the joy of the Easter Week with the community. Each Sunday the services begin at 8:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. Rev. Cara Spaccarelli is the new head of Christ Church and has brought a lot of energy to the congregation. Rev. Betsy Gonzales assists her on Sundays. Christ Church parish describes itself as young and old, gay and straight, conservative and progressive, families and sin-
gles, funny and serious, passionate and laid back. Over 77% of the congregation lives on Capitol Hill and enjoys the ability to walk to the church and pass their fellow church members on the street everyday. For schedules go to www.washingtonparish.org.
Capitol Hill Baptist Church
Dr. Mark Dever heads up one of the largest congregation’s on Capitol Hill, the Capitol Hill Baptist Church. The church is located at 525 A St. NE and over 1,000 people come to worship each Sunday, many walking from the Union Station metro stop through Stanton Park to the church. Others in the congregation have worshiped at the Southern Baptist site for decades. When asking different members of the congregation why they have chosen this particular community to join, they almost always site the deep connection to the 9Marks Ministry, which was developed by the senior
pastor, Dr. Dever. The ministry takes biblical vision and relates it to practical reality. The nine sections of the ministry include preaching, gospel, and biblical theology along with leadership and other more functional issues. Clearly, the approach speaks to many younger people and families. It is also been noted that because of the numbers of young working professionals attending the congregation and finding a community where members share common beliefs, the number of couples that end up getting married is quite high, making Capitol Hill Baptist Church maybe the “match-making” congregation of the Hill. In addition to the weekly Sunday morning and evening services, Capitol Hill Baptist holds a Wednesday evening session at 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. For more on the schedule of activities consult the website, www.capitolhillbaptist.org. H
CHRIST CHURCH + WASHINGTON PARISH Join us for worship, fellowship, outreach and education
Holy Eucharist: Sunday: 8:15 and 11:00 am Wednesday: 7:30 am Adult Education 9:45 am on Sundays Childcare and Sunday School offered at both Sunday services We will be having grill outs on the front lawn all of June on Thursday nights 6-8pm. We will be having a short children's program at 7pm each night with children's songs and story. Come as you are and join a welcoming community of faith, spiritual growth, fellowship and service.
Capitol Hill Baptist Church has recently added this new sign on the 6th Street side of its building.
202.547.9300 620 G St., SE Washington, DC 20003 www.washingtonparish.org capitalcommunitynews.com H 61
communitylife
h streetlife
T
he past year has seen a great deal of change on H Street NE. Many new restaurants and taverns have opened. That’s great news. More great news is that we’re beginning to see some retail opening on the western end of the H Street NE Corridor. A healthy mix between entertainment and retail is a sign that the Corridor is maturing.
Hunted House Brings Mid-Century Modern to H Street NE
Article and Photos by Elise Bernard his experiences on H Street NE, and his hopes for the future. They had only been operating on H Street for one day at that point, and were eagerly chatting with curious customers who happened by. Johnson is still exploring H Street, but he expressed a sentiment that I hear frequently from business owners there. He said other business people along the strip have been quick to offer advice and support. He said that the H Street
are on the way. Additional retail and housing are also in the pipeline.
Chinito’s Burritos
If you haven’t yet tried the carne asada tacos at Chinito’s Burritos (http://chinitosburritos.com, 635 Florida Ave. NE) you are missing out. The food is simple, yet very tasty. Chef (and owner) Jin Chong uses all fresh ingredients, never anything frozen, and it shows. The flavors here
Hunted House (http:// www.huntedhousedc.com, 510 H Street NE), a dealer in mid-century modern home furnishings, recently opened its doors on H Street. Hunted House is a transplant from 14th Street NW. Hunted house occupies the first floor, and the basement of 510 H St. NE. Each floor provides approximately 1,000 square feet. On 14th Street, their space was broken up like an apartment. Their H Street space is a stark contrast. It’s wide open, with a more industrial feel. The first floor is attractively staged, while the basement serves as a Hunted House has everything you need for your mid-century modern pad combination sales and storage area. Hunted House is a joint project Corridor seemed to have a sense of really pop, and are happily washed of Mark Johnson and Ed Rudock. It community very different that what down with an ice cold Mexican began informally with sales on craig- he had encountered on 14th Street Coke. Chong sources many of his slist, then at Eastern Market, before NW. H Street is also at a very differ- ingredients from the Florida Avenue finally moving onto a brick and mor- ent stage in its development than is Market. He views its proximity as tar storefront. Their new H Street 14th Street. Whereas Johnson feels one of the many pluses of his locaspace brings exciting change for that 14th Street is “getting pretty tion. At 7th and Florida, Chinito’s is them, as well as much needed retail saturated,” H Street NE is wide right across the street from Gallaudet University. Students, and others on the H Street NE Corridor. open. The western end in particular I stopped in last week to chat is only beginning to take off. New from the Gallaudet community, are with Mark Johnson, and we discussed restaurants have opened, and more regulars at Chinito’s. The restaurant boasts a large col62 H HillRag | May 2012
lection of various hot sauces customers can use to spice up their selections. These include commercially bottled offerings, as well as some of Chong’s own concoctions. The bread and butter at Chinito’s are, unsurprisingly, tacos and burritos. These are available with meat and seafood fillings that vary by the day. Also available as primary fillings are grilled veggies, pinto beans, rice, and vegan black beans. Vegans should note that the rice they typically use in the burritos contains eggs. Rice without eggs is available upon request. They offer three basic salsas. The first is a pico de gallo, the second is a mild tomatillo sauce, and the third is a spicy roasted tomato salsa. Aside from the egg in the rice, Chinito’s Burritos takes a light tough with the Asian influence. This may not always be the case. Chong discussed plans to introduce more innovative items on the dinner menu. He described a mouthwatering kimchi braised pork shoulder that I’m definitely going to try.
Former Capital City Diner Heads to Florida Market
The mystery is solved. The diner formerly known as the Capital City Diner has moved to its new home, and that home is the Florida Market. Or should I say Union Market (http://unionmarketdc.com)? Edens, the developer that purchased the diner is seeking to rebrand the market as Union Market. This does make some sense, as that was an earlier historic name for the market.
Jin Chong has big plans for the tiny Chinito’s Burritos Chinito’s Burritos uses only fresh ingredients for all of their tacos and burritos
Edens isn’t saying exactly what they’ll do with the diner, but it’s sure to play an interesting role in remaking Union Market as a foodie destination. Last year Edens brought on former Café Atlántico head chef Richard Brandenburg as director of culinary strategy. They’ve held a popup ice cream/gelato tasting, and there’s a big celebratory Sunday Supper planned for June 3rd. The Sunday Supper (http://unionmarketdc.com/ sundaysupper.html) is a (culinary) star-studded $240 a plate affair. It’s a fundraiser for the James Beard Foundation, which serves to “celebrate, nurture, and preserve, America’s diverse culinary history and future.” The supper will serve as
a launching point for shaping the market’s future.
Boundary Road Adds Brunch
Local bistro Boundary Road (http://www.boundaryrd.com, 414 H St. NE) is still feeling the bump in business from a dinner visit by President and First Lady Obama. If you haven’t been able to get a table for dinner, you might try their newly launched brunch. Brunch is every Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The menu features everything from corned beef eggs Benedict, to a peanut and banana Monte Cristo. Prices range from $7-14. For more on what’s abuzz on and around H Street you can visit my blog http://frozentropics.blogspot.com. You can send me tips, or questions at elise.bernard@gmail. com. H
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communitylife
You’re Invited
Barracks Row Garden Party - Thursday, June 7 by Sharon Bosworth Meet the Chefs at Deer House
Completed in 1903, Deer House is a home that has been updated with respect and verve. Over the years, the owners of Deer House have preserved the lot to the east side as an enchanting private garden. At our Garden Party the entire front and side yards, now in full spring bloom, as well as the first and second floors of Deer House, will be open for you to enjoy. The Annual Garden Party fundraiser is a mid-year moment when Barracks Row Main Street looks to the future to introduce new businesses on the Row and to the past to thank those who made our success possible. During Meet the Chefs Who Create Culinary Masterpieces the evening, we highlight our newest restaurants with “Meet une is a near perfect month for us the Chefs” – a gala introduction to the in Washington, DC, at the end of Capitol Hill community of the chefs spring yet not quite summer. We who make it all possible. This year, we enjoy warm days and cool nights with are honored to present four new busilow humidity we won’t see again until nesses; two restaurants that are curfall. Celebrate June by making your rently open and two that are about to way to our annual Barracks Row Garopen. Samples of their cuisines will den Party at Deer House, 712 East be created for you while you enjoy Capitol Street, NE, on Thursday, June drinks, meet friends new and old, tour 7 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. this lovely home and enjoy live music Platinum sponsors at this time are made for a lush June evening. the International Dairy Food AssoThe background story of our ciation, CSX, and the National Capital chefs this year will inspire you. The Bank. There are further sponsor opMcIntosh siblings, Winnette and portunities at Platinum, Gold, Silver Timothy lived on 4th Street, SE, and Bronze levels. This year consider for many years. Both attended MIT joining the Tipton Group and Gary where they studied engineering. They Jankowski who are supporting us at then moved on to Paris for training in Silver level and, at Bronze Level, The the finer points of French desserts – Grant, Ryall, & Andrew Real Estate especially macarons. With a nod to a Group (Coldwell Banker), Tabula Rasa famous industry historically found on and Capital City Church. These fine the Hill, the McIntosh duo returned organizations recognize the impact of home and in 2011 opened The Sweet our work as Barracks Row / 8th Street Lobby at 404 8th Street, SE. continues its transition to prosperity.
J
64 H HillRag | May 2012
Cupcake Wars - Organic Flour – Perfect Apples
breads and desserts. But sourcing special organic flour is not enough for these owners, as I discovered. I attempted to phone Hatib last fall but our calls kept being dropped; he was driving back from rural Pennsylvania with a truckload of apples from an orchard where the fruit was ideal. Katherine and the other bakers were ready and waiting with organic flour to make pie crusts befitting perfect apples. Spring Mill Bread was simply making apple pies their way, for the first day of fall.
Their macarons were a hit and the pair was soon discovered by the Food Network. They entered the Food Network’s contest, Cupcake Wars, and won. To celebrate their victory, Winnette and Timothy have gone back into their test kitchen determined to invent a completely new dessert. As we go to press, the identity of this dessert is a closely guarded secret. Therefore, we strongly advise you to attend the Garden Party, meet the creators of this new temptation and sample it on the spot. You can learn the whole story straight from them! Three blocks away, another unusual Sample Sushi and Kebabs In a business, Spring Mill Bread, recently Magical Garden opened at 701 8th Street, SE. At the At the Garden Party you’ll also Garden Party you will meet own- meet the owners of two soon-to-open ers, Katherine Rurka and Hatib Joof. restaurants, Nooshi Sushi and Tash. Spring Mill Bread on Barracks Row Vanessa Lim is the moving force beis the fourth in the DC metro area, hind Nooshi Sushi, a group of several but first in the District. It is not just a well-regarded Asian restaurants in bakery, but also a welcoming café open DC and Virginia featuring luscious from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Katherine sushi and sparkling Thai cuisine. With and Hatib have been friends for many a reputation for adapting each locayears– each of them works every day in tion to suit the architecture of the site the business. Both are married to part- and local market, Vanessa is slowly ners who are not involved with baking; crafting a very special Nooshi Suboth have children. In fact, you might shi for Barracks Row upstairs at 524 run into Katherine’s oldest son as he 8th Street, while husband, Nariman delivers supplies to the Barracks Row store on Saturday. The secret ingredient behind the success of Spring Mill Bread is vertical integration. Flour is carefully sourced from certain organic wheat growers; the organic wheat is ground to their specifications at specialized mills and delivered to the bakery where it Guests Enjoy Oysters and Champagne At Deer House Garden is made into unique Spring 2011
HOMES THAT SHOW BETTER SELL BETTER WITH Modanlou, develops plans for Tash, a sophisticated kebab emporium downstairs. From the sidewalk on 8th Street it’s hard to imagine a sushi heaven up there on the second and third floors but that seems to be exactly what’s in store for sushi fans patiently awaiting the opening. Though the plans for the interior of Nooshi Sushi are still evolving, Vanessa will be introducing her well-practiced sushi chefs at the Garden Party. Gather round and watch the experts as sushi creations are made before your eyes in a magical garden setting. The design for Tash is even more under wraps than Nooshi Sushi. It is the very first new concept kebab restaurant for Nariman Modanlou who also owns the Moby Dick’s House of Kebabs restaurants in the DC Metro area. The chef from Tash will be at the Garden Party creating gourmet kebabs over an open grill, early samples of what will be on the menu when Tash opens on the first floor of 524 8th Street, SE later this year. Invitations to our Garden Party go out to all friends of Barracks Row Main Street. We also invite our neighbors who serve in Congress and the Senate, and their staffs as well as our neighbors in military, both the Marines and the Navy. Barracks Row Main Street is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street division; we are the only Main Street in the country that proudly hosts two military bases. When your invitation arrives, make a donation to Barracks Row Main Street knowing we have created a clean, safe and prosperous business district for you and your family to enjoy. Then mark your calendar and join us as we toast the accomplishments of the entire Capitol Hill neighborhood with a special focus on Barracks Row at a June party you’ll remember all year long. To buy a ticket to the Barracks Row Garden Party 2012 or to volunteer to help Barracks Row call Sharon Bosworth, 202-544-3188; sharon@barracksrow. org. Tickets are also for sale on line at www.barracksrow.org H
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communitylife
BYwest
SOUTH Amidon-Bowen on the Mend
B
ig changes are underway for Amidon-Bowen Elementary School, the only elementary school in Southwest. Starting on June 15, the school will begin a modernization program to be done in three phases. Five million dollars has been allocated for Phase One of construction, but funding has not been secured yet for the subsequent phases. Phase One will include a new ADA-compliant entrance, a new administrative office suite, a new walk-through from the front to the play area in back, a new air conditioning system, and re-sized classrooms with technology upgrades and movable walls. Phase Two will improve support components, such as the gymnasium and all-purpose room while Phase Three will improve interior systems. Quinn Evans Architects designed the planned upgrades, which include distinct color schemes for each section of the school to help differentiate spaces for administrative, pre-k, kindergarten, and other grade levels. Landscaping will also be refreshed with native plants and a miniwaterfall system that will capture rainwater and lead the water to a small streambed. The renovation program complements a $200,000 grant received last summer from Target to redo the school’s library on the second floor with light construction, technology updates, new furniture, carpet and shelves, and 2,000 books. Construction will be on-going all summer both day and night to get the school ready for the first 66 H HillRag | May 2012
by William Rich day of class for students on August 27. The parking lot facing G Street SW will be used as a staging area for construction, so those parking spaces will be unavailable for visitors to Westminster Presbyterian Church’s weekly Jazz and Blues Nights located across the street from Amidon-Bowen. In addition to school modernization efforts, recent personnel changes have taken place at the school. Amidon-Bowen was
reconstituted this past year in order to help improve the school’s performance. Test scores for reading and math at Amidon-Bowen have been among the lowest in the city. According to DC Public Schools, only 15% of students at Amidon-Bowen met or exceeded the Washington, DC Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS) standards in math and 19% met, or exceeded standards in reading. As a part of the reconstitution,
all faculty members had to reapply for their jobs and a new principal, Izabela Miller was hired. Meanwhile, the operation budget for Amidon-Bowen was cut for the 2012-13 school year. DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson stated in an email responding to a letter of concern written by the Near SE/SW Community Benefits Coordinating Council (CBCC) that the budget cuts were directly tied to the projected decline in student
The new entrance to Amidon-Bowen Elementary School will be ADA compliant with regional plantings and a mini-waterfall to collect rainwater. Rendering courtesy of Quinn Evans Architects.
H enrollment at Amidon-Bowen. DCPS projects enrollment next year at Amidon-Bowen to be 252 students, the second consecutive year of decline in student enrollment, which places the school in the category of “small schools,” or schools with fewer than 300 students. As a result, budget cuts throughout DCPS targeted smaller schools to reduce costs since the per student cost at small schools are higher due to economies of scale. Next year, the art, music, and physical education teachers will become part-time positions instead of full-time. In addition, the librarian/media specialist will become a part-time position as well as the business manager. Two teachers and one custodian will be let go, but a parttime school psychologist will be hired. While student enrollment continues to decline, it is hoped that the reconstitution, along with the renovation program, will help retain and attract new students, as well as improve test scores.
Record Crowds at Fireworks Festival
Near perfect weather greeted the thousands of people who descended upon the waterfront on Saturday, April 7 for the annual Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival, which is one of the official events of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, celebrating the centennial of the gift of trees. This year’s fireworks festival was the largest one to-date, with four stages set up along a three-block stretch of Water Street SW from the Gangplank Marina Park to Kastles Stadium. It was a daylong event that ran from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. Music, roving street performers, dragon boat demonstrations, market vendors, face painting, boat making, and a number of giveaways were just some of the activities available for people of all ages. Several food trucks were on hand at Kastles Stadium and
the beer and sake garden next door, including Fojol Brothers, Red Hook Lobster Pound, TaKorean, DC Slices, Cap Mac, Sidewalk Sensations, Goode’s Mobile Kitchen and Tasty Kabob. There were 20 kegs of beer available, but they were all tapped out in just four hours. Prior to the start of the festival, a small ceremony took place at the SW Duck Pond where Japanese lanterns were hung from trees in the park. This ceremony has become an annual tradition on the day of the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival to turn on the pond’s fountains. The Neighbors of the SW Duck Pond organization was hoping the ceremony would coincide with the completion of improvements to the park, but work on those repairs has been delayed. In the evening, there were some special tributes prior to the fireworks show, including a school of swimming koi in the Washington Channel, the lighting of a cauldron in the shape of a cherry blossom petal at the end of the commercial pier below 7th Street Landing, a theatrical performance by Dance Afire, and the illumination of the boats along the waterfront in pink. This year’s fireworks featured special Japanese fireworks presented by Nagaoka City, Japan. The Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival is produced by the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington Waterfront Association and Hoffman-Madison Waterfront. Several local volunteers helped put the event together, including Barbara Ehrlich, who is a member of the National Cherry Blossom Festival board, J Nickerson of the Gangplank Marina and Washington Waterfront Association, Jason Kopp of the Gangplank Slipholders Association, Josh Perry and many others.
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capitalcommunitynews.com H 67
communitylife
Front Row Seat to the Outdoors & Activities
W
ith the onset of warmer weather, we in the Capitol Riverfront like to turn our attention to the variety of outdoor activities that we offer to the public from May through September. The early warm weather has brought many residents, employees and visitors outside to enjoy spontaneous visits to the Yards Park, Diamond Teague Park & Piers, and the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail for lunch, a picnic on the weekend or a stroll along the river. Nats’ fans are also enjoying the new Riverwalk Trail connection from the Yards Park to Nationals Park. We recently hosted the National Cherry Blossom Festival Lantern Making Family Day in the Yards Park and hundreds of people came by to make a lantern and celebrate what is becoming an annual rite of spring in the Capitol Riverfront. The Appalachian Children’s Choir performed, as did the Hapmudo Martial Arts Academy. Many of our most popular outdoor events and spaces are ready for another season of outdoor fun for the family, including: The Yards Park – the Park is open for business and all the water features are up and operational! Both children and adults took advantage of the warm weather at the lantern-making day to cool off in the fountains and the wading pool, as well as to enjoy the quiet of the great lawn overlooking the river. The Riverwalk Trail connection to Nationals Park is proving to be a wonderful place to stroll and enjoy views of the river and the historic DC Water pump house; Yards Park Events – this will be our second season of hosting events in the Yards Park that help generate revenue for its maintenance, security and programming. While certain events are private and not open to the general public, we always have a portion 68 H HillRag | May 2012
by Michael Stevens, AICP
Friday Night Concerts in the Yards Park run from May 4 – September 14
The fountains, waterfall and canal basin/wading pool in the Yards Park. All photos: Courtesy of Capitol Riverfront BID
of the Yards Park open and available to the public. Several of the events being hosted in the Yards Park are free and family oriented, such as The Kennedy Center’s “Streets Across America Festival” that will occur Saturday, May 12th from 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. and will feature a variety of arts oriented performances and participatory activities. Other events will charge a nominal fee, such as the LivingSocial dodge ball tournament that will occur on the East Lawn on Sunday, May 6th from 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. Visit www.yardspark.org
for the event calendar and a full listing of all the Park events and happenings; Friday Night Concert Series – our popular Friday night concert series returns again this year starting Friday, May 4th with a twenty (20) concert line-up that will run every Friday evening (weather permitting) through September 14th. The concerts will occur from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on the River Terrace Steps in the Yards Park, and there will be a variety of food and beverage offerings from Buzz Bakery, Frank by Red Apron, Luke’s Lobster,
ChurchKey and more. Monster Band will be our first band and the second week will feature The Cruisers, a wonderful musical group from our friends at the Navy Yard; Summer Outdoor Movie Series – our Thursday night outdoor movie series begins again on Thursday, May 24th at Tingey Plaza behind the US DOT building. This year’s theme is “Treasure Hunting” movies and we will offer 10 of these family themed movies. Our version of the “walk-up” movie will offer Pinkberry frozen yogurt on five of the movie nights, and other movie snacks will be available as well. During the month of June, there will be scavenger hunt adventure races before the movie from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. sponsored by Pacers Running Store. Form teams, bring your iPhone and follow clues on the iPhone app for a chance to win prizes. All contestants receive free food and drinks at the completion of the race before the movie. Movies start at approximately 8:45 p.m. (dusk), so bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy the show! Noontime Concert Series – our 5th annual summer lunchtime concert series will be hosted at the Fairgrounds complex starting in late May/ early June on Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. There will be 15 concerts and you will be able to buy lunch from food trucks on site and enjoy the concerts over your lunch break. Stay tuned for more information regarding the start date of the series as well as the featured musical line-up.
Other Updates: •
The historic Lumbershed Building will undergo a complete renovation starting in mid-May and will be closed to the public for about 14 months. Upon reopening, it will be home to an Italian restaurant concept by Chef
Michael White of New York called Osteria Morini, and three to four other restaurants on the ground floor. Forest City Washington, the developer of the project, will be moving their DC corporate offices to the second floor. • Canal Park is now scheduled to open to the public on November 1, 2012 with the opening of the ice rink for a full ice skating season. The Park Tavern restaurant will also open at that time, as well as the middle and northern blocks of the park. • The final block of the second phase of the Arthur Capper EYA townhouse project is under construction and all units should be finished by September 2012. All 223 of the townhouse units have been sold or leased. • Excavation continues on the site for the new 50,000 sq. foot Harris Teeter grocery store at 1212 4th St. SE. The project will also include 225 units of apartments, a 30,000 sq. foot health club, and another 15,000 sq. feet of neighborhood serving retail and should open in the 4th quarter of 2013 or the first quarter of 2014. I invite you to come spend some time outdoors in the Capitol Riverfront along the Anacostia River and experience an event at the Yards Park, take a stroll on the Riverwalk Trail, sit on the docks at Diamond Teague Park and Piers and catch a water taxi to Georgetown, or watch the sunset from the great lawn. Our Friday night concerts are a wonderful way to ease into the weekend, and our Thursday night movies offer a summertime take on the old drivein movie scene. There is magic in the water, whether one is a child playing in the Yards Park fountains or wading pool, or whether you are an adult listening to music while watching the river roll by. The weather is warming, the water is inviting, the parks are open and we are ready to host some summertime fun! Come and visit us in the Capitol Riverfront. H
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communitylife
@ Your Service Heather Schoell Cooking Thyme Rachel Moore cookingthyme.org
Cooking Thyme is, as Rachel Moore says, an indirect peacemaker at the dinner table, as they get kids accustomed to trying foods that they normally wouldn’t touch, taking out what she refers to as “the eew factor”! Rachel, combining her loves of cooking and teaching children, created Cooking Thyme, offering summer camp, birthday parties and after care (currently in Polite Piggy’s at Maury and Tyler, and also at Brent, Two Rivers, and NE Stars). In her camp, they shop for fresh ingredients from Eastern Market, and talk about where food comes from and do a little cooking science and math. They may prepare marinara (from scratch, not a jar) and Parmesan oven fries – they eat and drink what they make. Rachel’s birthday parties in your home may have a Mexican, Italian, or tea party theme – you choose the menu. Her courses are nut-free and they do not work with raw meat or seafood. If you’re interested in culinary summer camp for your 3- to 13-year-old, email kimberlee.curtis@cookingthyme.com.
Flats at Atlas Jessica Murphy 1600 Maryland Ave. NE 202-652-4736 flatsatatlas.com
Natural light, maximized, in this 2-bedroom flat. Photo courtesy Flats at Atlas.
Kimberlee (l) and Rachel (r) help Sola prepare salsa.
The proximity to H Street is great from the Flats at Atlas – you’re basically catty corner to the Argonaut. The building, which by June will have 247 well-designed units, is a hybrid of modern and natural elements (stone, wood, fire, and the air of lofty ceilings and lots of natural light). The 24-hour concierge desk offers dog treats from Metro Mutts, and you can exit the garage elevator onto your floor. You can log into the Flat’s internal website to check if your package has arrived or if your dry cleaning is done. The half basketball court is always open for a game, or you can work out in the fitness center, or stop in for yoga or Zumba class. The patio is in the works – it’ll have a community fire pit, grills and a pool. There’s a pool table, a huge 3D TV and a large kitchen and dining space that residents may reserve for parties. Flats at Atlas bring in international flavor with help from their namesake – their focus on Spain showcased Flamenco dancers from the Atlas. Check it out for some urban living!
Closet America Skip LaBella 240-408-3953 closetamerica.com
Despite its name, Closet America is actually a small, local business, employing about 50 people, and manufacturing their materials in-house. Despite the name, Closet America is not just closets – they maximize space, wherever the space. Capitol Hill homes are no strangers to nooks and doglegs – dead space that can be configured into usable storage opportunities. An underused kitchen space can become a pantry, or a place to store the large serving bowls and standing mixer that you seldom use. They also do entertainment systems, built-in bookcases and – if you’re that lucky – garage storage. Closet America is award-winning in customer service (Angie’s List, for one), and their designers will happily do a free walk-through of your home to identify possibilities where you can gain space that you may not have thought of. They produce a 3D model for you to view right then. Their designs are flexible to suit your space and your needs. May is Closet America’s Multiple Sale – save 10% off one design space, 20% off two or 30% off three or more! 70 H HillRag | May 2012
“@ Your Service” is a compendium of what’s happening in the service and consumer industry on the Hill. Know something really cool and new for sale or for service? Let us know!
Skip LaBella in one of his company’s creations. Photo courtesy Closet America.
Heather Schoell is a regular contributor to Capital Community News and can be reached at hschoell@verizon. net. H
www.jackiev.com Helping Buyers. Helping Sellers. Helping Our Community! Jackie VonSchlegel 202.255.2537 Peter Principe 202.297.5586 Mark Spiker 202.341.9880
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Frager’s Hardware
Locally owned and operated on Capitol Hill since 1920. To continue doing all it does... FRAGER‘S NEEDS A VARIANCE FROM THE DC BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT • • • • • • •
For over 90 years the Frager family and then John Weintraub and Ed Copenhaver (last 37 years) have used the back of the lot they own and that lies behind their store for commercial purposes. A little less than 5,000 sq. ft., this parcel was zoned for residential use circa 1958; due to its location and configuration, no residence may be built on it. Along with a similar but much smaller adjoining lot lying behind Mi Vecindad Restaurant and rented by Frager’s, the back lot, through the years, has served for inventory holding, parking, and display of seasonal merchandise. Recently it has emerged that the back lot’s functions are at odds with its zoning classification, and we have been ordered by the District to cease commercial use of that portion of our property. In order to continue using the back lot Frager’s has filed for a zoning variance. The intent of the filing is to continue to use the back lot in the way it has been for the last 90 years. Frager’s has no plans to foul the air with a tanning plant, cause a ruckus with heavy metal band practices, or maintain cages of endangered species. Neither does Frager’s intend to rent or sell the parcel. To the contrary, plans for the lot are to upgrade it with expanded and larger seasonal offerings such as recreational items, outdoor equipment, and Christmas trees.
Thanks for being willing to become aware of this issue. We hope you will support us in this application. Please stop by to discuss and learn more about the issue.
Thank you for your continued support and patronage, The Owners and Employees of Frager’s Hardware 72 H HillRag | May 2012
Real Estate A Capitol Urban Legend
The True Story of the Keeper of the Crypt
Y
ou’ve all heard those stories, the ones that always happen not to the teller, or his friend, but a friend of his friend. The missing kidney, the vanishing hitchhiker, the expensive car sold for cheap as revenge – they have become part of our shared memory, they often have morals – and they are almost invariably false. Capitol Hill is not immune to these stories, and one particular story not only exemplifies the genre, but shows how it grew into the story that is still told today.
The Tale as it is told
by Robert S. Pohl year thereafter, the supposed guardians of the public purse had simply taken over the line item from the previous year’s budget, and the keeper found himself the perfect sinecure: A job that all he had to do was show up for a few hours a day, collecting for this a handsome paycheck. Even better, when he retired, his son was brought in as a replacement, ensuring a steady income for the whole family. Butler immediately had the poor wretch fired immediately, saving the country literally hundreds of dollars. It’s a great story, particularly for those who feel that the budget has gotten out of hand, and that it is too large and too wasteful. It’s a story that resonated not only in 1869, but today. It’s also a story that is almost completely without truth.
The generic telling of the tale goes something like this: Benjamin Butler, ex-General, now Representative from Massachusetts, is looking through the budget one day in 1869 and discovers a line Benjamin Butler during his time as a Representative from Massachusetts. item for a “keeper of the Photo: Library of Congress crypt.” Puzzled by this entry, he begins to make A Legend is Born of the Capitol. This plan had been inquiries. In the course of these, he energetically opposed by WashingHow did such a story come to be? discovers that the keeper is a watch- ton’s descendents, but by the time The genesis was in an article pubman who was hired to watch over the that had become clear, the keeper lished in the New York Tribune in grave of George Washington, which had already been hired, and his salary 1869. In it, the story appears much some had planned for the basement made part of the US budget. Every as above, though with some notable
capitalcommunitynews.com H 73
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differences – including getting the job title right: He was actually the Superintendent of the Crypt. Unfortunately, the writer seems to have done no real research in writing the story. Had he done so, he would have learned a few things. Most importantly, the line item for a watchman in the crypt had been added only a few months before Butler ‘discov-
The Capitol crypt today. Photo: Robert S. Pohl
those working there was an important job. Finally, the job had not been around since the building of the Capitol, but rather from the mid 1850s, coinciding with the replacement of the heating system in the Capitol, during which the fires in the crypt that had previously warmed the Congressmen were replaced with a more modern heating system.
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ered’ it. Previously, the watchman had simply been part of the budget for the capitol police. Secondly, far from being a sinecure with no real duties, the watchman was responsible for keeping order in the crypt, which was an important passageway at the time. The Capitol was used by many more people in those days, and keeping those who were simply there for recreation away from
Architectural drawing of the Capitol Rotunda, by Charles Bulfinch. The hole above the crypt can be seen in the center of the floor. Photo: Library of Congress
In short, very little of the original story was true. Nonetheless, versions of this
report were printed all across the country, along with a fair bit of outrage at this waste of taxpayer dollars. In the telling, the tale grew, adding various additions over the years, most often that the keeper of the crypt was responsible for the eternal flame that burned above what was to be Washington’s tomb. Another variant of the tale had Butler meeting up with “a spectrallooking individual” on one of his perambulations through the Capitol, and thus setting in motion the investigation into the keeper and the firing from his job. The story is even told today, and in the course of his research, Dan Brown came across it. It was added to his book “The Lost Symbol” in the following form. “The hole in the floor [in the Capitol Rotunda],” Langdon told them, “was eventually covered, but for a good while, those who visited the Rotunda could see straight down to the fire that burned below.” Sato turned. “Fire? In the U.S. Capitol?” “More of a large torch, actually - an eternal flame that burned in the crypt directly beneath us. It was supposed to be visible through the hold in the floor, making this room a modern Temple of Vesta. This building even had its own vestal virgin - a federal employee called the Keeper of the Crypt – who successfully kept the flame burning for fifty years, until politics, religion, and smoke damage snuffed out the idea.” Though it would be nice to think that a thorough debunking of the tale will ensure that it will no longer be repeated, this would be entirely contrary to previous experience. As long as people rail against the unmanageable size of government, this story will be told, and retold – possibly with new details added – as a cautionary example. Robert Pohl’s latest book, “Wicked Capitol Hill,” came out last month. He will be appearing at the Literary Hill’s Bookfest, as well as at a CHRS Preservation Cafe on May 16. H
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Perfect location between Eastern Market and Lincoln Park! Gorgeous woodwork throughout this Wardman with 3 bedrooms and 2-1/2 baths up and a full finished lower level with a 3rd full bath, private deck with hot tub, patio and large garage.
907 Kent Place NE – $649,000
Stunning New Renovation! Prettily perched along quiet, one way street this 3 bedroom, 3-1/2 bath Porchfront home is steps from H Street, the Atlas Theatre in the epicenter for new restaurants and entertainment venues.
Coming Soon! 1742 Massachusetts Avenue SE – $525,000
Corner 2 unit easily converted back to single family residence when desired. Stunning new kitchen and bath on 1st level, 2 enclosed rear porches; upper unit currently occupied and rented at $1350/ mo. Possible owner financing with flexible terms.
Coming Soon!
Live-in & renovate at your leisure! Large, liveable Victorian with 3-4 bedrooms, full english basement, large yard and parking located along quiet block on Capitol Hill. Make it your own!
35 YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING ON YOUR BEHALF Looking for Results AND Straight Talk about buying or selling your home– contact us today.
bobwilliams@mris.com www.bobwilliamsrealestate.com
202.543.5959 ie s t l r i g e h t n i o j e C om l le gi r l o f a l l , Is a be
6-9 p.m. Thursday, May 3rd !!
All Properties Listed On: BobWilliamsRealEstate.com ColdwellBanker.com CBMove.com Realtor.com WashingtonPost.com Yahoo.com Google.com Trulia.com NYTimes.com HomesDatabase.com OpenHouse.com
Girls Night Out ! Art & Soul, 225 Penn. Ave., S.E. Thursday, May 3 • 6-9 p.m. Discounts, give aways, refreshments, surprises ! Our faabulous-dahling clothing & jewelry. Not to be missed ! 225 Penn. Ave. SE, Washington, DC H 202.548.0105 Mon.-Sat. 11-6, Thurs. 11-7 H Capitol South Metro capitalcommunitynews.com H 75
realestate
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. 1626 16TH ST SE
$80,000
BARRY FARMS 2216 HUNTER PL SE 2331 14TH PL SE
$100,000 $80,000
3 4 2
BERKLEY 4405 W ST NW 4524 FOXHALL CRES NW 4746 BERKELEY TER NW 4815 FOXHALL CRES NW
$1,275,000 $1,205,000 $1,365,000 $1,612,000
BLOOMINGDALE 31 RANDOLPH PL NW
$583,000
BRENTWOOD 1505 DOWNING ST NE 1835 KENDALL ST NE 1931 CAPITOL AVE NE
$217,500 $288,990 $205,000
BRIGHTWOOD 1212 UNDERWOOD ST NW 1314 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 409 MISSOURI AVE NW 515 UNDERWOOD ST NW 521 QUINTANA PL NW 5815 6TH ST NW 6205 12TH ST NW 6631 13TH ST NW 804 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 825 SHERIDAN ST NW
$515,000 $479,000 $226,000 $390,000 $399,500 $535,000 $473,000 $425,000 $402,500 $255,000
BROOKLAND
Neighborhood
Close Price
BR
1007 TAYLOR ST NE 1221 MICHIGAN AVE NE 1228 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE 1236 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE 1428 BRENTWOOD RD NE 1437 OTIS ST NE 15 FRANKLIN ST NE 321 BRYANT ST NE 3422 9TH ST NE 3616 17TH ST NE 4000 10TH ST NE 4107 12TH ST NE 4116 12TH ST NE 613 GIRARD ST NE 906 HAMLIN ST NE
$525,000 $498,000 $299,900 $195,000 $350,000 $547,000 $467,000 $283,000 $389,000 $330,000 $315,000 $510,000 $390,000 $300,000 $355,000
5 3 5 4 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3
$589,000 $480,000 $933,500 $569,000 $725,000 $790,000 $750,000 $610,000 $494,600 $735,000 $382,500 $507,500 $740,000
CHEVY CHASE 3031 MILITARY RD NW 3105 MILITARY RD NW 3500 MORRISON ST NW 4811 41ST ST NW 4817 41ST ST NW 5040 NEBRASKA AVE NW 5120 CHEVY CHASE PKWY NW 5130 NEBRASKA AVE NW 5606 BROAD BRANCH RD NW 5719 CHEVY CHASE PKWY NW 6016 NEBRASKA AVE NW 6520 BARNABY ST NW 6946 GREENVALE ST NW
$905,000 $735,000 $936,500 $835,000 $690,000 $735,000 $1,190,000 $721,000 $602,000 $1,100,000 $800,000 $875,500 $905,000
3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3
4 3 4 2 3 4 3 2 2 3 3 3 3
DEANWOOD
4 5 3 3 3 4 4 5 2 4 4 5 6
DUPONT
CHILLUM 103 LONGFELLOW ST NW
$230,000
CLEVELAND PARK
BURLEITH 3613 T ST NW $739,000 3 FEE SIMPLE 3918 HIGHWOOD CT NW $1,400,000 3 3988 GEORGETOWN CT NW $1,100,000 3 16TH STREET HEIGHTS 1943 39TH ST NW $819,500 3 1206 GALLATIN ST NW $350,000 3 1213 DECATUR ST NW $330,000 4 CAPITOL HILL. 1518 ALLISON ST NW $515,000 4 624 9TH ST NE $562,500 4 4502 IOWA AVE NW $339,000 3 1102 EAST CAPITOL ST NE $1,000,000 3 4707 PINEY BRANCH RD NW $609,000 4 1142 4TH ST NE $531,000 4 4711 PINEY BRANCH RD NW $665,000 5 128 D ST SE $1,165,000 4 5301 13TH ST NW $365,250 3 1302 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE $861,000 4 5504 13TH ST NW $351,227 3 1311 INDEPENDENCE AVE SE $750,000 3 1350 C ST NE $399,999 2 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK 1360 EMERALD ST NE $600,000 2 4204 RIVER RD NW $900,000 4 1376 F ST NE $600,000 3 4228 BUTTERWORTH PL NW $875,000 4 1416 A ST NE $635,000 3 4305 VAN NESS ST NW $1,150,000 5 1437 G ST NE $590,000 3 4348 GARRISON ST NW $910,000 4 1439 CONSTITUTION AVE NE $661,000 3 4508 FESSENDEN ST NW $935,000 4 1506 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE $500,000 2 4630 DAVENPORT ST NW $1,437,200 4 154 11TH ST NE $679,000 3 1912 C ST NE $275,000 3 2010 C ST NE $385,000 4 ANACOSTIA 211REAR 11TH ST SE $295,000 0 1322 MAPLE VIEW PL SE $95,000 3 223 3RD ST SE $886,000 4 1327 T ST SE $162,000 3 248 9TH ST SE $670,000 3 1439 22ND ST SE $75,000 2
76 H HillRag | May 2012
252 14TH ST SE 305 KENTUCKY AVE SE 322 E ST NE 333 K ST NE 407 E ST NE 413 K ST SE 415 E ST NE 519 K ST NE 522 TENNESSEE AVE NE 607 F ST NE 818 K ST NE 925 K ST NE 340 13TH ST NE
2821 ORDWAY ST NW 3115 34TH ST NW 3200 38TH ST NW 3200 PORTER ST NW 3301 MACOMB ST NW 3513 IDAHO AVE NW 3519 QUEBEC ST NW 4010 RENO RD NW
$1,495,000 $1,285,000 $1,060,000 $950,100 $1,426,010 $1,285,000 $828,750 $1,125,000
COLONIAL VILLAGE 7909 ORCHID ST NW
$1,655,000
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1008 FAIRMONT ST NW 1329 SPRING RD NW 445 NEWTON PL NW 516 PARK RD NW 605 KENYON ST NW 609 R CREEK CHURCH RD NW 613 IRVING ST NW 622 R CREEK CHURCH RD NW 719 HARVARD ST NW 741 FAIRMONT ST NW
$585,000 $700,000 $439,000 $460,000 $320,000 $346,000 $326,000 $460,000 $320,000 $525,000
CONGRESS HEIGHTS 133 WILMINGTON PL SE 1342 BARNABY TER SE 238 SAVANNAH ST SE 256 NEWCOMB ST SE 3643 HORNER PL SE 3917 MLK JR AVE SW 4047 1ST ST SW 713 BONINI RD SE 817 CHESAPEAKE ST SE
$175,000 $79,000 $129,000 $179,900 $125,000 $80,000 $127,500 $115,000 $120,000
CRESTWOOD 1619 DECATUR ST NW 1705 ALLISON ST NW
$800,000 $684,500
DAKOTA CROSSING 3287 FORT LINCOLN DR NE 3292 THEO R HAGANS DR NE
$365,000 $439,000
5 5 6 4 5 4 6 3 6 5 3 4 3 4 6 3 3 5 4 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 2 4 3 7 3 3 3
1123 46TH ST NE 217 56TH PL NE 3914 EAST CAPITOL ST NE 40 54TH ST SE 406 59TH NE 4520 FOOTE ST NE 4914 N HELEN BURROUGHS AVE NE 5002 JAY ST NE 5114 SHERIFF RD NE 5626 CLAY PL NE 576 49TH PL NE 831 52ND ST NE 913 52ND ST NE 1618 CORCORAN ST NW 1814 19TH ST NW
$280,000 $191,000 $135,000 $140,000 $108,000 $70,000 $70,000 $150,000 $235,000 $190,000 $118,000 $71,000 $136,000
$1,600,000 $2,100,000
ECKINGTON 134 QUINCY PL NE 168 TODD PL NE 1706 3RD ST NE 215 T ST NE 35 S ST NW
$547,000 $290,000 $451,000 $525,000 $495,000
FOREST HILLS 2840 CHESAPEAKE ST NW 4935 LINNEAN AVE NW
$1,455,000 $2,000,000
FORT DUPONT PARK 1231 45TH PL SE 1302 44TH PL SE 4119 STANLEY ST SE 4218 FORT DUPONT ST SE
$285,000 $165,000 $233,000 $230,000
3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 5 3 3 2 3 4 5 4 3 4 3 3 6 7 3 2 3 3
FOXHALL 1429 FOXHALL RD NW 1450 FOXHALL RD NW 4437 VOLTA PL NW 4445 VOLTA PL NW
$695,000 $2,150,000 $799,000 $875,000
FT. TOTTEN 24 HAMILTON ST NE
$295,000
3 6 3 3 3
GATEWAY 3104 ADAMS ST NE
$217,000
GEORGETOWN 2704 N ST NW 2715 O ST NW 3007 P ST NW 3021 DENT PL NW 3301 DENT PL NW 3304 N ST NW 3345 RESERVOIR RD NW 3721 T ST NW 4046 MANSION DR NW
$635,000 $865,000 $1,995,000 $1,100,000 $850,000 $1,857,000 $1,900,000 $757,500 $1,237,500
GLOVER PARK 2120 TUNLAW RD NW 3758 BENTON ST NW
$645,000 $739,000
H STREET CORRIDOR 646 MORTON PL NE
$600,000
HILL CREST 1825 29TH ST SE 3619 36TH PL SE 3625 SUITLAND RD SE 3826 CARPENTER SE
$161,000 $280,000 $355,000 $394,485
IVY CITY 1940 CAPITOL AVE NE
$210,000
3 2 2 4 3 2 6 4 3 4 2 4 3 3 3 4 3 4
KALORAMA 2537 WATERSIDE DR NW
$930,000
S P R I N G
4
KENT 2738 CHAIN BRIDGE RD NW 3025 ARIZONA AVE NW 5009 HAWTHORNE PL NW 5032 DANA PL NW
$1,650,000 $1,125,000 $1,025,000 $1,359,000
LEDROIT PARK 122 V ST NW 1831 4TH ST NW 1850 2ND ST NW 1910 4TH ST NW 2034 1ST ST NW 501 T ST NW
$650,000 $550,000 $505,000 $355,000 $425,000 $657,000
LILY PONDS 222 34TH ST NE 313 34TH ST NE
$88,000 $125,000
3 3 5 6
Is In Full Swing For Hill Buyers!
5 3 3 3 5 4 3 2
LD S! SO AY
7
D
LOGAN 949 T ST NW 1310 T ST NW 1441 Q ST NW 1318 10TH ST NW 1431 R ST NW
$675,000 $811,000 $1,685,000 $875,000 $980,000
MARSHALL HEIGHTS 420 53RD ST SE 5039 HANNA PL SE 5301 D ST SE 738 51ST ST SE 841 51ST ST SE
$157,000 $195,000 $265,000 $195,000 $62,500
MICHIGAN PARK 3925 18TH ST NE 4116 18TH PL NE
$335,500 $250,000
MOUNT PLEASANT 1835 MONROE ST NW 1860 INGLESIDE TER NW
$985,000 $870,000
NOMA / H ST CORRIDOR / CAP. HILL 645 K ST NE
$465,000
OLD CITY 1025 FLORIDA AVE NE 1131 7TH ST NE 1212 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 1249 I ST NE 1418 POTOMAC AVE SE 1523 INDEPENDENCE AVE SE 1535 K ST SE 1615 D ST SE 1629 E ST SE 237 14TH ST SE 241 16TH ST SE 308 16TH ST NE 530 8TH ST NE 538 11TH ST SE 919 6TH ST NE 925 5TH ST NE 1127 5TH ST NW 1439 Q ST NW 1501 3RD ST NW 1703 SEATON ST NW 1735 CHURCH ST NW 216 FLORIDA AVE NW 310 FLORIDA AVE NW 61 P ST NW
$494,900 $399,000 $585,000 $359,000 $335,000 $379,900 $322,000 $461,500 $520,000 $415,000 $651,000 $604,000 $556,000 $450,000 $520,000 $635,000 $780,000 $1,300,000 $616,000 $680,000 $1,100,000 $516,000 $485,000 $384,900
3 3 5 3 4
LD S! O
S
3
Y DA
6 4
9
D
1334 ½ L Street SE 2BR/2BA $449,000
LD S! SO Y
5
DA
333 17th St. SE 2BR+DEN/2.5BA $499,000 Beautifully-expanded + updated Federal row, just 2 blocks from Metro. Open plan, well-designed kitchen, and generous rear addition. Brick hearth, oak flrs, stylish open kitchen for entertaining. Master bed/bath suite with glass and balcony rail overlooking private patio, with gated off-street parking beyond!
831 11th St. NE 3BR/2.5BA $539,000 At the heart of the H Street Renaissance!! Just steps to all your favorite dining and entertainment options. Don’t wait around for the streetcar, start calling this stylish bayfront home now! Wide-open main level with two FP mantels, exposed brick, granite/stainless kitchen, and immaculate bluestone patio and workshop building beyond. Upstairs a master suite with soaring ceilings plus room for kids, guests, and home office.
E BL A IL W! A AV NO
Quest Home Builders DELIVERS at a value price! Eastbridge Court – the best-kept secret condo on the Hill, an intimate association of seven townhomes. Just two blocks from Potomac Metro. New kitchen & baths, hardwoods, FP, and balcony. 3 Finished levels plus private underground garage – an amazing package!
3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 4 5 4 3 5 3 4 4 5 3 3 3 4 3
LD S! SO AY
Brand new renovation on intimate 1-way block! All the right ingredients – rich Rosewood floors, chef’s kitchen at the center of open-plan 4-rooms-deep main level. Upstairs, tall master suite in the front bay,two more spacious BRs and sky-lit hall, bath, and laundry. Rear patio with parking and only a 6-blk stroll to NY Ave Metro and Harris Teeter (and only 4 to H Street) – every convenience for smart city living!
3 3 5 4 3 4 3
646 Morton Place NE 3BR/2.5BA $589,000
1306 Penn. Ave SE #402, 2BR/2BA $579,000 The Iridium - Newly-constructed in ‘08 entirely of steel and stone, with just 2 units per floor – walls of glass, wide balconies, and streamlined modern style! A rare find for the Hill -- like boutique units in Logan Circle, but for $75K less! Open plan, gleaming walnut floors, custom Euro fixtures, and bright Southern exp. down the Ave to Harris Teeter and METRO!
E BL A IL W! A AV NO
912 EYE St. SE 2BR/2.5BA + studio $720,000 Literally STEPS from Barracks Row shops and restaurants awaits this 1850s Federal-front Classic! Tall ceilings and historic features blend seamlessly with renovated kitchen and 2 baths. Finished LL den w/ walk-out plus BONUS carriage house GARAGE with studio loft above. In between, an enchanting private garden!
PALISADES 4428 LINGAN RD NW 4507 MACARTHUR BLVD NW 5205 SHERIER PL NW 5737-5739 POTOMAC AVE NW
$695,000 $550,000 $810,000 $1,188,500
3 3 3 4
PETWORTH 210 GALLATIN ST NW 222 VARNUM ST NW 241 GALLATIN ST NW 3916 5TH ST NW 411 BUCHANAN ST NW 4139 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 4217 4TH ST NW 4219 8TH ST NW 434 RANDOLPH ST NW 436 EMERSON ST NW 4601 GEORGIA AVE NW 4922 NORTH CAPITOL ST NW 5015 9TH ST NW
$394,999 $450,000 $312,500 $350,000 $283,500 $350,000 $505,000 $545,000 $639,500 $285,000 $334,000 $260,000 $265,000
4 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 4 3
capitalcommunitynews.com H 77
Location, Location, Location 1352 North Carolina Ave NE $605,000
Lincoln Park a block away! Located on wide tree lined avenue. 3 Bedroom 1 Bath porch front home with old world charm, heart pine floors, CAC. Spacious kitchen with W/D. Second level 2 bedrooms plus large Master Bedroom with Elfa outfitted closet, 3 large windows with Southern exposure. Attic access for seasonal storage. Deep landscaped front yard, and paved rear patio & garden. A quick walk to Eastern Market and metro.
726 4th Street SE $1,495,000
Step inside- an oasis! 3810 SF New construction traditional Victorian finishes in classic Capitol Hill style. 3BR 2.5BA plus 2BR 1BA English Basement unit w/ C of O or easily combine w/ internal staircase to 5BR 3.5BA home. Wide 23'6" x 52' light filled w/windows on 3 sides. 10'8" ceiling ht. Formal LR & DR w/ gas FP, Custom Kitchen w/ bay, natural cherry cabinetry, granite counters, glass tile backsplash, island, SS appliances. Walk in pantry, wet bar, table space in Bay & open to sunny Family Rm. Oak floors. 8' French drs access private huge rear & side landscaped garden. MBR w/2 walk-in closets & MBA suite, glass shower, marble counters, dbl. sinks, Jacuzzi,Sep WC. 2 spacious BRs+ 2nd BA, 2 Linen Cl & sep Laundry/utility Rm, Storage. 3 car Pkg from private gated access. Built 2006 Lenox School Townhouses.
Kitty Kaupp & Tati Kaupp Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 605 Pennsylvania Ave SE 202-255-0952 • 202-255-6913 kkaupp@cbmove.com
www.kittykaupp.com
5305 5TH ST NW 5512 9TH ST NW 5527 9TH ST NW 5730 8TH ST NW 809 JEFFERSON ST NW
$332,000 $385,000 $564,500 $255,000 $250,000
RANDLE HEIGHTS 2252 S ST SE 2728 KNOX TER SE 3404 23RD ST SE
$151,000 $241,000 $169,999
RIGGS PARK 328 OGLETHORPE ST NE 420 RIGGS RD NE 465 MADISON ST NE 5005 13TH PL NE 5009 DAKOTA AVE NE 509 PEABODY ST NE 653 KENNEDY ST NE
$261,000 $299,500 $272,500 $274,900 $157,000 $245,000 $240,000
3 3 4 4 4
BRIGHTWOOD
4 3 2
CAPITOL HILL
4 3 3 3 3 2 3
SHAW 455 Q ST NW 53 BATES ST NW 608 R ST NW
$690,000 $507,000 $645,000
SHEPHERD PARK 1214 GERANIUM ST NW 1339 KALMIA RD NW 1446 JONQUIL ST NW
$670,000 $655,000 $588,000
SPRING VALLEY 4838 RODMAN ST NW
$802,500
TAKOMA PARK 6626 BLAIR RD NW
$260,000
3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3
TRINIDAD 1210 OATES ST NE 1225 18TH ST NE 1254 QUEEN ST NE 1712 MONTELLO AVE NE 1720 L ST NE 1935 BENNETT PL NE 806 21ST ST NE
$205,000 $205,000 $170,000 $364,000 $187,000 $298,500 $179,000
U STREET/OLD CITY #2 1208 V ST NW
$1,019,000
4 3 5 4 2 3 3 4
Deborah Charlton
Long and Foster Realtors Christie’s Great Estates
(202) 415-2117 (202) 944-8400 DC.DC@LongandFoster.com www.yourneighboronthehill.com 78 H HillRag | May 2012
BROOKLAND 1041 MICHIGAN AVE NE #1041 60 HAWTHORNE CT NE 101 2ND ST NE #101-3 11 2ND ST NE #402 1391 PENN AVE SE #330 18 3RD ST SE #1-B 215 WARREN NE #A 216 3RD ST NE #28 243 15TH ST SE #203 301 G ST NE #11 315 G ST NE #304 315 G ST NE #305 440 12TH ST NE #213 614 MARYLAND AVE NE #2 624 MARYLAND AVE NE #5 626 INDEPNED AVE SE #205 626 INDEPEND AVE SE #302 626 INDEPEND AVE SE #303 94 15TH ST NE #94 1630 ROSEDALE ST NE #1 1630 ROSEDALE ST NE #2
$219,000 $205,000 $395,000 $223,000 $340,000 $749,000 $589,900 $385,000 $430,000 $371,500 $309,000 $287,830 $484,000 $332,000 $420,000 $349,900 $344,900 $414,900 $323,000 $249,900 $289,900
CARROLLSBURG SQ CONDO ASSOC-RLA (SW) 307 N ST SW
$515,000
1010 MASS AVE NW #1008 1133 14TH ST NW #908 1140 23RD ST NW #302 1140 23RD ST NW #701 1140 23RD ST NW #903 1150 K ST NW #706 1155 23RD ST NW #N4E 2130 N ST NW #208 2425 L ST NW #621 400 MASS AVE NW #804 631 D ST NW #644 777 7TH ST NW #318 912 F ST NW #701
$609,950 $506,000 $460,000 $370,000 $517,000 $380,000 $885,000 $193,000 $559,000 $260,000 $575,000 $335,000 $479,900
CHEVY CHASE
WESLEY HEIGHTS
CLEVELAND PARK
4525 GRANT RD NW
$625,000
$735,000 $1,564,433 $885,000
3 3 4 4
1869 CHANNING ST NE $185,000 2 2016 JACKSON ST NE $202,400 3 2535 BLADENSBURG RD NE $172,000 4 2924 26TH ST NE $470,000 5 3104 MONROE ST NE $399,900 3
CONDO 1323 GIRARD STREET CONDOMINIUM 1323 GIRARD ST NW #1
$434,000
16TH STREET HEIGHTS 1320 MISSOURI AVE NW #401 4306 ARKANSAS AVE NW #302 5511-5517 CLRD AVE NW #401 5832 GEORGIA AVE NW #201
$120,000 $142,000 $360,000 $130,000
ADAMS MORGAN 1600 BELMONT ST NW #D 1725 EUCLID ST NW #1 1793 LANIER PL NW #1 1793 LANIER PL NW #4 1811 WYOMING AVE NW #T-1 1811 WYOMING AVE NW #T-4 1855 CALVERT ST NW #104 2450 ONTARIO RD NW #4 2713 ONTARIO RD NW ##3 1801 WYOMING AVE NW #5 1811 WYOMING AVE NW #22 1811 WYOMING AVE NW #32
$631,500 $476,625 $409,000 $490,450 $309,900 $269,900 $288,600 $689,000 $460,000 $329,900 $609,900 $629,000
BARRY FARMS 2636 WADE RD SE #14
$54,600
2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 0 2 3 2 1 2 2 2
1 2 2 1 0 1 3 3 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 3 3 3
CENTRAL
4301 MILITARY RD NW #711 4750 41ST ST NW #TH-2 5410 CONN AVE NW #217
WOODRIDGE
“The road to success is not always straight; let me help you through the real estate maze to a happy and successful destination”
$175,000
WAKEFIELD
4323 EMBASSY PARK DR NW 4433 KLINGLE ST NW 4501 MACOMB ST NW
Your Neighbor On The Hill
6425 14TH ST NW #102
2724 ORDWAY ST NW #5 2902 PORTER ST NW #40 3026 WIS AVE NW #109 3601 WIS AVE NW #103 3880 PORTER ST NW #C-351 3896 PORTER ST NW #339 3961 LANGLEY CT NW #593 4007 CONN AVE NW #512 4301 MASS AVE NW #A312
$1,725,000 $939,000 $210,000 $431,000 $550,000 $250,000 $1,600 $325,000 $360,000 $399,900 $352,500 $330,000
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1008 SPRING RD NW #2 1008 SPRING RD NW #3 1020 MONROE ST NW #203 1020 MONROE ST NW #208 1020 MONROE ST NW #303 1020 MONROE ST NW #401 1101 FAIRMONT ST NW #8 1300 EUCLID ST NW #4 1312 EUCLID ST NW #3 1323 GIRARD ST NW #2 1323 GIRARD ST NW #3 1323 GIRARD ST NW #4 1343 CLIFTON ST NW #101 1350 RANDOLPH ST NW #1 1372 MONROE ST NW #B 1421 COLUMBIA RD NW #105 1423 COLUMBIA RD NW #3 1432 MONROE ST NW ## 4 PTHOUSE 1435 CHAPIN ST NW #203 2639 15TH ST NW #202 2901 16TH ST NW #303 2910 GEORGIA AVE NW #C03 3465 14TH ST NW #A 3465 14TH ST NW #B 3465 14TH ST NW #C 3465 14TH ST NW #D 3900 14TH ST NW #622 529 LAMONT ST NW #304 648 NEWTON PL NW #4
$349,900 $395,000 $328,000 $476,000 $324,900 $454,900 $457,000 $475,000 $538,000 $547,725 $545,000 $710,000 $185,000 $306,400 $484,536 $330,000 $410,000 $580,000 $377,000 $218,500 $220,000 $299,900 $397,500 $349,000 $426,000 $472,500 $230,200 $212,500 $169,900
2 2 2 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 2 1 1 3 3 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 1 2 2 1 3 1
925 RANDOLPH ST NW #925D 1441 FLORIDA AVE NW #2A 1531 PARK RD NW #2
$249,000 $616,000 $508,000
1 2 2
CONGRESS HEIGHTS
914 BARNABY ST SE #202 $45,000 1 DEANWOOD 4110 AMES ST NE #301 $50,000 2
DUPONT 1330 N HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #201 1615 Q ST NW #5 1762 CORCORAN ST NW #2 1829 S ST NW #1 1841 16TH ST NW #PH3 1930 18TH ST NW #31 2114 N ST NW #33 1520 16TH ST NW #803 1414 22ND ST NW #3 1631 16TH ST NW #2 2117 N ST NW #2
$417,000 $553,000 $552,000 $510,000 $740,000 $350,000 $270,000 $655,000 $565,000 $860,000 $489,000
ECKINGTON 12 S ST NE #2 1921 2ND ST NE #201 215 R ST NE #B
$319,000 $287,000 $440,000
FOGGY BOTTOM 2141 I ST NW #204 800 25TH ST NW #904 922 24TH ST NW #718
$199,000 $954,500 $238,000
FOREST HILLS 2755 ORDWAY ST NW #202 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #1026 3883 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #101 4007 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #204 4007 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #504 4701 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #205
$180,000 $279,000 $375,000 $285,000 $230,000 $520,000
1 2 2 1 2 1 0 2 1 2 2
$495,000
GEORGETOWN 1015 33RD ST NW #505 1632 30TH ST NW #3 2111 WISCONSIN AVE NW #617 3120 R ST NW #202 3225 GRACE ST NW #223
$650,000 $540,000 $460,000 $635,000 $535,000
GLOVER PARK 2325 42ND ST NW #410 2339 40TH PL NW #303 2650 39TH ST NW #1 4100 W ST NW #507
$255,000 $350,000 $499,000 $222,000
H STREET CORRIDOR 1629 L ST NE #102 1629 L ST NE #302
$157,000 $175,000
KALORAMA 1811 WYOMING AVE NW #31 1827 FLORIDA AVE NW #401 1832 CALVERT ST NW #1 1833 CALIFORNIA ST NW #303 1840 CALIFORNIA ST NW #2A 1842 CALIFORNIA ST NW #2B 2003 ALLEN PL NW #101 2032 BELMONT RD NW #526 2032-2040 BELMONT RD NW #502 2032-2040 BELMONT RD NW #609 2145 CALIFORNIA ST NW #304 1844 COLUMBIA RD NW #301 1937 CALVERT ST NW #A
$669,900 $599,995 $374,000 $309,000 $496,500 $499,000 $227,000 $240,000 $303,000 $310,000 $310,000 $311,000 $789,500
LEDROIT PARK 2223 1ST ST NW #1
$475,000
Active Listings:
505 6th St SE GRACIOUS GARDEN
Surrounds this charming Capitol Hill semi-detached home. Amazing gourmet kitchen with adjacent garden room. Two enormous bedrooms, two baths. $749,900. Call Hub 202-550-2111.
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GARFIELD 2725 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #808
Over $13.4 million in sales and listings in the month of April. Call us for your next real estate transaction.
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Silver Spring / Capitol View $285,000
Delightful, Delectable, Delicious 3BR condo alternative, loaded w/ charm, large main floor BR w/sitting room, large kitchen w/stainless appliances, family room addition, large flat yard, multi-car parking. 10238 Capitol View Ave. Call Hub 202 550-2111.
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LOGAN 1306 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #2 1314 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #705 1401 Q ST NW #503 1433 R ST NW #3 1440 CHURCH ST NW #102 1440 CHURCH ST NW #501 1441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #201 1515 15TH ST NW #209 1225 13TH ST NW #808 1300 N ST NW #408 1310 12TH ST NW #8 1420 N ST NW #207 1441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #701
$700,000 $379,500 $940,000 $770,500 $590,000 $635,000 $626,000 $748,500 $336,000 $275,000 $735,000 $299,900 $633,000
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capitalcommunitynews.com H 79
1515 15TH ST NW #214 1515 15TH ST NW #602 1515 15TH ST NW #701 605 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #3
$580,000 $530,000 $690,000 $375,000
MARSHALL HEIGHTS 5212 F ST SE #2
$155,000
MOUNT PLEASANT 1661 PARK RD NW #406 1670 BEEKMAN PL NW #D 1801 CALVERT ST NW #504 2440 16TH ST NW #425 2630 ADAMS MILL RD NW #1 3420 16TH ST NW #109S 3426 16TH ST NW #407
$395,000 $592,000 $349,900 $315,000 $355,000 $289,000 $469,000
MOUNT VERNON 310 M ST NW #4 1222 4TH ST NW #1 1224 4TH ST NW #2 1226 4TH ST NW #2 1228 4TH ST NW #2
$238,000 $609,000 $634,900 $614,900 $614,900
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 2828 WISCONSIN AVE NW #304
$500,000
OLD CITY
Prime Office & retail OPPOrtunity! lOcated at 660 Pennsylvania ave se
fOr mOre infOrmatiOn, cOntact stantOn develOPment
202-544-6666
Kitty KauPP & Ken GOldinG KKauPP@cbmOve.cOm
251 14TH ST SE #251-B 1324 Q ST NW #A 1390 V ST NW #510 1423 R ST NW #303 1427 5TH ST NW #1 1441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #302 1441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #310 1753 SWANN ST NW #2 1827 6TH ST NW #2 1830 17TH ST NW #104 20 LOGAN CIR NW #LL-3 2120 VERMONT AVE NW #122 2238 11TH ST NW #1 301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #202 440 L ST NW #1002 475 K ST NW #411 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #301 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #909 80 NEW YORK AVE NW #302 811 4TH ST NW #412 936 N ST NW #3
$360,000 $825,000 $353,000 $370,000 $590,000 $627,000 $480,000 $600,000 $341,000 $640,000 $335,000 $328,500 $485,000 $441,000 $371,000 $399,999 $399,000 $360,000 $185,000 $495,000 $425,000
PENN QUARTER 616 E ST NW #654 631 D ST NW #926 715 6TH ST NW #201 801 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW #1112
$545,000 $527,500 $317,500 $355,000
POTOMAC PLACE CONDOMINIUMS 355 I ST SW #S-505
$310,000
RANDLE HEIGHTS 1631 GAINESVILLE ST SE #301
$50,000
RLA (SW) 1425 4TH ST SW #A606 300 M ST SW #N312 800 4TH ST SW #S-608
EASTERN MARKET / CAPITOL LIVING HOBAN HOUSE 2BR CONDOMINIUM
$215,000 $125,000 $248,000
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SHAW 301 R ST NW ##2
Enjoy location, style and comfort only steps to The Hill, Eastern Market, Metro, Barracks Row! Property features hardwood floors, remodeled galley kitchen, built-ins, fireplace with exposed brick hearth and more! Delightful boutique bldg features low condo fees, laundry facility and large serene garden patio! Offered at $397,500. If you would like to discuss this property or any real estate questions just give me a call!
$525,000
THE VELOCITY 1025 FIRST ST SE #901
$395,900
U STREET 1332 BELMONT ST NW #301 2001 12TH ST NW #102 2100 11TH ST NW #407 2125 14TH ST NW #706 1922 12TH ST NW #1 2001 12TH ST NW #209 2214 11TH ST NW #4
$791,000 $363,000 $712,000 $435,000 $775,000 $460,000 $790,000
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WAKEFIELD 4740 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #1005
COLDWELL BANKER 605 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Washington, DC 20003
202.258.5316 Cell 202.741.1676 Direct Line cburger@cbmove.com
Visit www.chuckburger.com
WATERFRONT 300 M ST SW #N114
$236,000
WESLEY HEIGHTS 3101 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #828 4200 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #707 4200 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #904
80 H HillRag | May 2012
$350,000
$430,000 $245,000 $219,000
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4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #1113W 4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #1419W 4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #505E 4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #523E
$245,000 $215,000 $539,000 $382,000
WEST END 1099 22ND ST NW #406 1177 22ND ST NW #1A 1177 22ND ST NW #7H 2201 L ST NW #308
$650,000 $1,350,500 $1,154,000 $298,000
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Hi! I am Terri Lahlou and I’m delighted to have recently joined Long & Foster’s Capitol Hill team as Branch Manager. I have always wanted to get back to the Hill, my first home and first love among DC’s wonderful neighborhoods. I am proud to be with L&F, the #1 residential real estate company in DC and one of the strongest and most respected residential real estate companies in the nation. If you’re in real estate on the Hill, whether you’re new to the business or an old pro, I invite you to join L&F Capitol Hill as we build on our success.
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WOODLEY PARK
2818 CONNECTICUT NW #102 $349,900 1 2818 CONNECTICUT NW #401 $550,000 2
And say hello to our very own Thais Austin, who earned top selling honors as the Long & Foster 2011 Rookie of year award for the DC/Montgomery County region. Here she is with L&F Chairman & CEO, Wes Foster, and Gary Scott, President of Real Estate Brokerage, Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Come by and get to know us!
COOP ADAMS MORGAN 1820 CLYDESDALE PL NW #311 1820 CLYDESDALE PL NW #408 2853 ONTARIO RD NW #110
$125,000 $280,000 $399,999
CAPITOL HILL TOWER 1000 NEW JERSEY AVE SE #1109 1000 NEW JERSEY AVE SE #PH16
$565,000 $379,900
CATHEDRAL HEIGHTS 4000 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #733B 4101 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #1211 4101 CATHEDRAL NW #605 3900 WATSON NW #A-8B
$265,000 $225,000 $575,000 $514,000
CLEVELAND PARK 3024 TILDEN ST NW #304 3618 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #402 3620 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #30 3930 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #103-H 3930 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #304-H
$335,000 $365,000 $374,000 $455,450 $319,000
CONGRESS HEIGHTS 20 CHESAPEAKE ST SE #C31
$17,000
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DUPONT 1514 17TH ST NW #408 1701 16TH ST NW #740
$249,000 $239,900
FOGGY BOTTOM 2475 VIRGINIA AVE NW #427 2475 VIRGINIA AVE NW #703 700 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #121 950 25TH ST NW #413
$225,000 $399,999 $1,275,000 $206,000
FOREST HILLS 3001 VEAZEY TER NW #908 3001 VEAZEY TER NW #919
$372,500 $255,000
HARBOUR SUARE 560 N ST SW #N 714
$220,000
KALORAMA 1840 BILTMORE ST NW #10
$419,000
MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE HEI 2700 CALVERT ST NW #118 2700 CALVERT ST NW #515
$1,200,000 $1,225,000
MOUNT PLEASANT 1801 CLYDESDALE PL NW #412
$98,000
OBSERVATORY CIR 2720 WISCONSIN NW #501
$220,000
RLA (SW) 1301 DELAWARE AVE SW #721
$120,000
SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT 1301 DELAWARE AVE SW #N-214 429 N ST SW #403 , 407
$148,900 $485,000
U STREET CORRIDOR 2039 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #504
$399,000
WATERFRONT 520 N ST SW #S-29
$125,000
WATERGATE 2510 VIRGINIA AVE N #205-N H
$256,000
Sincerely, Terri B. Lahlou Branch Manager - Capitol Hill
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202-547-9200 • 721 D Street SE, WDC www.sellcapitolhill.com
Specializing in all aspects of Real Estate Settlements
We Guarnatee Attention to Detail & Personalized Service 650 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Suite 170 Washington, DC 20003-4318 202-544-0800
Thais Austin was awarded: Long & Foster 2011 Rookie of the Year for DC/Montgomery Co. Region
www.CapitolHillRealtors.com “We are part of Capitol Hill, We don’t just work here... We live here, too. Let our neighborhood experience work for you...”
202.546.3100 210 7th Street, SE. #100. WDC 20003 www.monarchtitle.net
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“Rebuilding Lives – Strengthening Communities” Our mission is to help homeless, at-risk individuals and families return to self-sufficiency and independent living, through a range of residential and social services.
In 2010 the Coalition served 440 homeless individuals and families daily.
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304 individuals and families were placed into permanent and stable housing. 203 adults were placed in employment.
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9 families with children were prevented from becoming homeless.
Please support us by donating through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) # 83436 or United Way #8194
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For more details on our program and services, please visit our website at www.dccfh.org. Headquarters: 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW Suite C-1015, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347-8870 / Fax: (202) 347-7279 • Open Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm
capitalcommunitynews.com H 81
Call Us Any Time to Schedule an Appointment!
Patrick Morris
James T. Lisowski
Celeste Streeter
Tom Kavanagh
Ty Voyles
F
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A T
3823 Ingalls Ave. Alexandria, VA 2BR, 1.5BA $349,500 www.3823IngallsAve.com
505 6th Street NE COMING SOON!
1003 15th St. SE COMING SOON!
1418 W Street NW Unit #402 1BR, 1BA COMING SOON! www.1418WStreetUnit402.com
337 16th Street SE 3BR, 1.5BA www.33716thStreet.com
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1237 Crittenden Street NW 5BR, 4.5BA $849,500 www.1237CrittendenSt.com
5122 Fulton Street NW 2BR, 2BA $725,000 www.5122FultonStreet.com
Keller Williams Capital Properties 801 D Street NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 573-8552 agent@capitolrealtyteam.com
718 Park Rd. NW Unit #3 COMING SOON!
1704 Massachusetts Ave. SE COMING SOON!
At home in DC
Capitol Realty Team
Search for homes in real time!
www.CapitolRealtyTeam.com 82 H HillRag | May 2012
315 18th Street SE 4BR, 3.5BA $679,500
E S
Team Agents: James T. Lisowski Tom Kavanagh Ty Voyles Patrick Morris
ARTS & Dining Ethiopic
W
ith a large Ethiopian population in the District and restaurants all around Washington, it was only a matter of time before Ethiopian cuisine joined the burgeoning restaurant scene on H Street. Ethiopic is a welcome addition to the mix, with a great location at the corner of H and 4th Streets NE. Ethiopian dining is such a tactile experience – you’re not quite eating with your fingers, but close. Dishes come with rolled up pieces of injera, made from the grain teff and fermented in much the same way as sourdough bread. The result is tangy, spongy bread perfect for scooping up the spicy food that comes steaming to your table.
by Emily Clark Because Ethiopia has traditionally been somewhat isolated, never colonized by an outside power and only briefly occupied by Italy during the Second World War, influences on its cuisine are subtle and have been adapted to the traditional foods of the country. Grains and spice mixtures enhance all vegetarian dishes, and meats are steeped in flavor. Our first visit was our favorite. Ethiopic is light and airy, with wood floors, an exposed brick wall and two walls of windows for great street views. In good weather, diners can choose to sit on the patio outside. The owners did much of the building’s renovations themselves, and the interior features lighted, cloth-wrapped
columns decorated with letters from the Amharic alphabet. There’s a bar at the back and some well-placed paintings and colorful baskets. Our table was one of a few located in a window alcove, giving us the feeling of a private room. Although the wine list is small, there’s enough variety for a choice, including Ethiopian honey wine. And who knew that there was really great beer from Ethiopia? I opted for a glass of pinot grigio, while my husband chose Meta beer. When the drinks came and I tasted his beer, I almost wanted to switch. Meta is light and somewhat sweet, a perfect accompaniment to the meal. Our drinks were accompanied by a yeasty bread with spicy dipping oil.
Lamb Tips, a signature dish, consists of chunks of marinated leg of lamb flavorful, simmered with onion, garlic, tomato, rosemary and other spices. Photo: Andrew Lightman capitalcommunitynews.com H 83
a taste of
Old Havana!
Banana Cafe & Piano Bar Brunch All Weekend Saturdays & Sundays
10 AM TO 3 PM REGULAR MENU ALSO AVAILABLE
Where Every Customer is Family! Serving the Finest Cuban, Puerto Rican and Latin Cuisine.
Kidest Tariku serves two customers Lamb Tips. Photo: Andrew Lightman
We ordered the 7-item vegetarian platter, definitely enough for two, and a good mix of mild and spicy. All items were served on a large circle of injera, with a salty tomato-onion-jalapeno salad in the middle. I learned later that, if you can avoid the jalapeno and its seeds, the salty tomatoes are good for taking the burning out of your throat from the other dishes. Here’s the rundown: dishes packing a punch included miser wot (lentils simmered in berbere spice); shimbra asa wot (chickpea dumplings), and fosolia (caramelized green
beans with onions, carrots and jalapenos), which was hot but also sweet (and delicious). Mild dishes on the platter: gomen (collard greens); kik aletchka (yellow split peas simmered in an onion and spice sauce); tikile gomen (simmered cabbage and potatoes), and dinich wot (curried potatoes with red onion, garlic and jalapenos). Even though we felt virtuous and self-satisfied eating vegetarian (and in fact, most dishes are vegan), we were too stuffed to consider one
202-543-5906 500 8th Street, SE www.bananacafedc.com
Capitol Hill’s #1 BBQ Restaurant! Have you been INSPIRED yet?
Find us on:
Inspire BBQ
84 H HillRag | May 2012
650 H Street NE 202.391.0741 www.inspiredbbq.com
Mention this ad and get a free cup of Love Juice Iced Tea with the purchase of each meal
Ethiopic’s owners did much of the building’s renovations themselves, and the interior features lighted, cloth-wrapped columns decorated with letters from the Amharic alphabet. Photo: Andrew Lightman
of the fresh sorbets on the dessert menu. We still loved Ethiopic on our second visit. This time we ordered two of the signature dishes, lamb tibs and shiro—pureed yellow split peas cooked with red onions and garlic. Our dinner came with the same tasty salted tomato salad that we enjoyed the first time, as well as a flavor paste that tasted slightly fruity and tart. The shiro was quite mild, and the chunks of marinated leg of lamb flavorful, simmered with onion, garlic, tomato, rosemary and other spices. However, I would have preferred the lamb a bit more fork-tender; it was a little chewy. It could be that I’m just trending vegetarian and want any meat I ingest to melt in my mouth and absorb all the flavors it was cooked in. There’s a lot left to try on the menu—salads, chicken and fish, beef and desserts. Service was gracious and efficient, and Ethiopic is definitely easy on the wallet. It’s becoming popular, so reservations are highly recommended. A few walk-ins arrived while we were eating, and I could practically feel them breathing over my table waiting for me to leave. Abraham Verghese’s novel “Cutting for Stone” describes a childhood in Ethiopia, and you can see that same graciousness and hospitality at Ethiopic. Although Ethiopia has been plagued by famine and war for decades, the food remains creative, delicious and definitely worth trying. If flavorful, interesting cuisine weren’t enough, consider that Ethiopic’s owners also donate two percent of their profits to an initiative called World of Tomorrow (WOT), to benefit Ethiopia’s children and schools.
Join Us for
Mother’s Day Brunch! 9:30 AM to 3 PM
Large Reservations Are Welcome. Serving Lunch & Dinner Daily 11 AM to 10 PM Weekend Brunch 10 AM to 3 PM Weekend Late Night Dining Until 1 AM Patio Open Daily – Available for Private events!
THE CHESAPEAKE ROOM 501 8th Street SE On Barracks Row (202) 543-1445 thechesapeakeroom.com
Ethiopic Restaurant 401 H St. NE 202-675-2066 or www.ethiopicrestaurant.com
Tuesday through Thursday 5-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon-10 p.m.; reservations recommended, either through the restaurant or at www.opentable.com. H capitalcommunitynews.com H 85
ARTS& Dining
Dining Notes
F
olks who missed the popular (if somewhat grungy), Florida Avenue Market – which suffered a devastating fire last October – may rejoice: After extensive renovation, the venerable landmark – also known as Union Market – is reopening in June with a festive Sunday Supper. The celebration is a joint effort of EDENS – one of the nation’s leading retail real estate owners/developers – and the James Beard Foundation. (Based in New York’s Greenwich Village, the Foundation is a national, professional non-profit organization named after the legendary food writer/cookbook author, who died in 1985.) On hand for the glitzy opening feast will be a slew of local chefs and restaurateurs including Jamie Leeds (owner/chef of Hank’s Oyster Bar, due to arrive on Capitol Hill); R.J. Cooper (Rogue 24); Robert Weland (Cork Wine Bar); Nate Anda (Red Apron Butchery); Katsuya Fukushima (Daikaya), and many more. Joining these top toques will be mixologists Derek Brown of the Columbia Room and Gina Chersevani, who will set up her bar in Hank’s (see the following Dining Notes item.) Sunday Supper will take place June 3 at Union Market, 1309 Fifth St. NE. A 6 p.m. cocktail reception kicks off the festivities, followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $200 for James Beard members and $240 for the general public. For more information call 301-347-3294 or visit www.unionmarketdc. com.
by Celeste McCall small production wines. Fancy cocktails will involve mezcal, rye, salt water taffy foam, spiced rum, clove tincture, pineapple cardamom soda, beet and vanilla syrup. Whew! Hank’s will be open daily for dinner with late weekend hours. “We are very excited to bring Hank’s to Capitol Hill,” says Jamie Leeds. “Patrons have asked why I did not look at opening on The Hill, so we are coming.”
Outdoor market watch
Now that summer is almost here, Eastern Market’s weekend food vendors are out in full force. A weekend stroll along Seventh Street and North Carolina Avenue SE turns up oodles of culinary options. Among them are: Chef Susan Painter’s woodfired pizza and freshly-made salads at the Red Zebra (410-800-8661). Nearby, hungry market goers may sample – and buy – smoked seafoods (salmon, trout and mussels) as well as smoked vegetables (including garlic), and house-made pâté at Neopol Savory Smokery (410-433-7700). At Indigo (Indian to go), Indian curries are ladled atop rice or wrapped in naan. At Puddin’, you’ll find shrimp and sausage gumbo, shrimp‘n’grits, shrimp po’boys and brown butter bourbon bread pudding. Most food vendors operate Saturdays and/or Sundays, but days and
hours can change.
More market news
And speaking of outdoor markets, the FRESHFARM market in the Atlas District has a new home: 1300 H Street NE. You’ll find the vendors every Saturday from 9 a.m to noon, hawking handmade cows’ milk cheeses, yogurt, organic and grass-fed meats, produce, eggs, pastries, sorbets, ice creams, flowers and more. FRESHFARM Market is a partnership project with the H Street Main Street Program and the DC Office of Planning. For more information call 202362-8889.
South-of-the border
Probably not in time for Cinco de Mayo, but it looks like the Atlas District will be getting a couple of Mexican restaurants. (South of the Border eateries abound all around the Hill, but we’ve not seen any on H.) At 1251 H St. NE, next to Smith Commons, look for Sol Mexican Grill, with a full bar, outdoor seating and a weekend DJ. Also on the drawing board is Impala Cantina & Taqueria, 1358 H St. NE, offering patio and rooftop dining. Stay tuned.
Hank’s hits the Hill
At last, it looks like 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE will have a permanent occupant: Hank’s Oyster Bar, due to arrive this summer. Chef/restaurateur Jamie Leeds, known for her two popular neighborhood restaurants, is teaming up with celebrity mixologist Gina Chersevani. Their new 40-seat establishment will be “cocktail-driven with a welcoming neighborhood vibe and wallet-friendly pricing.” Restaurant designers Lauren Winter and Brian Miller will create the décor for the newest Hank’s. Leeds’ menu will retain her popular “Meat & Two” which allows diners to choose a protein and two sides. Other favorites will be the lobster roll, fried oysters, seasonal daily fish, molasses-braised short ribs, steaks and chops, with seasonal specials. Chersevani – who will reign over her own 20-seat Eddy Bar – will showcase local beers and 86 H HillRag | May 2012
Gina Chersevani, Co-Owner of Hank’s Oyster Bar. Photo Andrew Lightman.
Jews and Brews
Members of Hill Havurah – the organization serving Capitol Hill’s Jewish community – and friends are meeting Tuesday evenings every month or so, at various Hill pubs. The first gathering was last month at the Star and Shamrock, a combination New York style deli/Irish bar on H Street NE. “The idea is to create an occasional happy hour geared towards bringing together fellow Jewish beer lovers [and non beer drinkers as well], in a social, non-religious setting for camaraderie, networking and just fun,” said Hill Havurah’s Joel Kelty. “Some events will be happy hours...but we might also expand to other beer-related activities like a trip to a local brewery (owned by a fellow Jew of course), craft beer tastings and dinners, or even a brew your own beer event or hops harvest.” Kelty added that in keeping with the Jewish notion of Tikkun Olam (“healing the world”), the outings might also provide opportunities to raise money for local non-profits. For up-to-date information on Jews & Brews, send an email to: jewsandbrews@gmail.com.
Pretzels
We LOVE pretzels. Therefore, we did not mind waiting in line on opening day – April 21 – for hotfrom-the-oven soft pretzels at The Pretzel Bakery, 340 15th St. SE. The pretzels can be enjoyed with squeezes of spicy or plain mustard – other dips include Nutella and cream cheese; soft drinks including Pennsylvania Dutch birch beer are available. The creation of Philadelphia-bred Sean Haney, the tiny bakery is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. However, hours may change, so it’s best to call 202-251-0953 or visit thepretzelbakery.com.
Mom’s the Word
Mother’s Day is May 13, and the Sou’Wester restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental is honoring Moms and their families with a festive brunch. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Priced at $65 for adults and $35 for children under 12, the menu encompasses southern style ambrosia, frit-
tatas, baked oysters, fried chicken and waffles, herb-roasted leg of lamb, tomato-braised collards, grilled asparagus, caramel kettle corn, banana pudding triffle. The Mandarin Oriental is located at 1330 Maryland Ave. SW; for Mothers Day brunch reservations call 202-787-6148 or email at mowas-restres@mohg.com. The Mandarin also offers a Mother’s Day Moment room package and spa treatments. For more information call 202-787-6140.
Old but new
You would hardly recognize the place. The former Wellness Café, 325 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, sports a brand new look: Proprietor Uzay Turker decided to give his space a much-needed facelift, and the result is the spiffy Acacia Gourmet. It debuted last month. The bright new interior has reddish painted walls and bricks, with a counter and a few tables. The new menu offers sandwiches like cold heros, “DMV local” (Virginia ham, goat cheese, apples), the “omnivore” (roast beef, turkey, pastrami and Swiss), homemade sausages, burgers (including the popular salmon burger), paninis and desserts. Acacia is open daily; call 202-543-2266.
Coming Soon:
NoMa will soon welcome Zuppa Fresca, at 2509 K Street NE. Also in the works is the Carving Room, 300 Massachusetts Ave. NW, which will dispense house-cured meats and pickles. Look for the carving later this summer or fall.
Monocle founder dies at 93
The restaurant world mourns the death of Constantine “Connie” Valanos, who died April 2 in Boca Raton, Florida. He was 93. In 1960, Valanos introduced the Hill to fine dining when he launched the Monocle restaurant. Among the chic but causal restaurant’s many fans was John F. Kennedy, who favored the roast beef sandwich on a poppy-seed roll. Valanos’ son John took over the management after his father’s retirement in the mid-1980s. Even after 52 years, the Monocle, located at 107 D St. NE, is still going strong. H capitalcommunitynews.com H 87
ARTS& Dining
2011, A Crazy Vintage & Latour Pulls Out of Futures! by Felix Milner
W
ithout even going into the minutiae of each of the world’s most important or prestigious wine regions, it is fair to say that after two consecutive utopian like vintages in 2009 and 2010, 2011 was a topsy-turvy rollercoaster for most farmers and winemakers. Generally speaking, a vigneron’s ideal growing season is one that is long and balanced. A long, slow season is where there is a gradual build up of sugar, developing the fruit’s acids at a similar rate to its phenolic components (tannins in the skin, seed and stalks). A balanced season is a prerequisite to a long one. Any sharp change in either temperature, precipitation or humidity can be disastrous. Vines can be very responsive to sudden drops or heat spikes. When temperatures exceed 104° F the enzymes involved in carrying out photosynthesis stop working. When this is combined with low humidity and a lot of sunshine (which can also cause water stress), it will stop the vine from producing fruit. On the other hand when temperatures drop precipitously, the vine goes into a similar temporary state of hibernation, transferring any energy that was directed to fruit development towards carbohydrate reserves in the hard wood and roots. Low temperatures can also be accompanied by high rainfall, or, even worse, hail. The increase in humidity exposes the vine to fungal infection. Although this can be desirable for the development of botrytis in the last stage of ripening certain white grapes used for dessert wines, for black grapes, particularly early in the season, it can result in the disastrous onset of gray rot. 2011 had just about every situation a vigneron dreads. California started off with a very late spring, and when it did finally arrive, it was relatively cold and wet. Hail even hit parts of the central coast in April. Conversely, Europe got off to an unusually warm spring. By May, however, continued high temperatures and lack of rainfall had not just caused excessive water stress but had teased the vines into thinking it was summer. By June, some grapes had even started véraison, the conversion of grapes from being hard and green to a soft colored state, a process which normally takes place later on in August. July and August went in to reverse, with damp, cool weather halting the premature ripening in Europe. In California, the weather flipped dramatically, with a few heat spikes towards the end of August and September. These were not sustainable enough to aid balanced ripeness, and some growers were still holding off on harvesting until mid to late October. Even in such a difficult year, great wine will still be made. Quantities from 2011 will be significantly lower but careful producers, who have invested the time and money tending the vines, 88 H HillRag | May 2012
pruning appropriately, and utilizing their sorting table to remove any green or rotten fruit, will reap the rewards. For many in the wine world, the lingering question has been how this turbulent vintage will affect prices for the 2011 Bordeaux futures. While the first barrel tastings for trade and journalists have been taking place over the last couple of weeks there has been much discussion in the business and across the web as to how much 2011 prices need to fall to take into consideration it was a fairly average vintage and the astronomical prices asked for in 2009 and 2010. Meanwhile, Château Latour took this as an opportune time to declare itself out of the en primeur (futures) business entirely. Instead of selling wine before it’s bottled, Latour will hold the wines at the Chateau until it decides they are ready for drinking. Although this is practiced in other parts of the world, particularly next door in Spain where the Bodegas of Rioja hold their wine for 10 to 15 years and sometimes longer, it is revolutionary in Bordeaux. If other producers follow suit this would be a sea change in the way Bordeaux is traded. One of the criticisms of futures (apart from the many intrinsic problems of basing reviews and scores off wines that are by no means fully formed, which is a topic for another day), is that the wines are bought mainly for investment purposes, creating incredible inflation over the last decade, and, as a result, pricing out all but the wine connoisseurs in the 1 percent club. The advantage for the customers, apart from removing the need to lay down large amounts of cash years before its ready to be consumed, is that worries over counterfeit bottles and provenance will no longer be an issue. In the short term Latour will no longer benefit from the cash injections from selling futures, but in the long term, it will give them greater control over whom they sell to and hopefully contribute towards a more stable environment for both the producer and the consumer. So, while we wait 20 or 30 years for Latour’s 2012 vintage, why not enjoy a number of Bordeauxs that are ready to drink now? Du Tertre 1982, Margaux ($75) Chateau Branaire Ducru 2002, St-Julien ($50) Chateau Brown 2000, St. Emilion ($50) Beausejour Becot 2000, St. Emilion ($80) Chateau Rol Valentin 1998, St. Emilion ($150) Felix Milner is Schneider’s New Media Manager H
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ARTS& Dining
TH E ATE R God of Carnage: Expect the Unexpected by Barbara Wells
T
wo upper-class couples meet in a trendy Brooklyn apartment to discuss a playground altercation between their 11-year-old sons that took out two of little Henry’s front teeth. Sound predictable? The premise for an “us” versus “them” exploration of conflicting over-involved parents, perhaps one couple demanding restitution and the other committed to a “boys will be boys” position of laissez faire? Not a bit. In Signature Theatre’s Washington-area debut of God of Carnage, the issue of dealing with a child who took a stick to his playmate’s jaw rapidly gives way to a far
more interesting question: How do we navigate the tightrope between portraying the people we think we ought to be and just being the people we really are? Instead of moralizing on the origins of violence or the nature of parental responsibility to raise children who are better than ourselves, this play glories in hypocrisy, duplicity and shifting alliances among four adults tempted but unwilling to break free of their chosen roles. Are women the guardians of morality and drivers of a higher level of civility or just selfish, demanding spouses? Are men defenders of principle and order or thugs who really
respect survival of the strongest and loudest? Maybe neither—or both—in Yasmina Resa’s hyperactive play, which translator Christopher Hampton has easily adapted from settings in Switzerland and England to the United States; Brooklyn, to be exact, but the play resonates with audiences from Broadway to the homes of countless regional theatres nationwide. Even Resa herself seems ambivalent about whether her Tony Award-winning play is the stuff of comedy, but under the deft direction of Joe Calarco (Urinetown, Assassins, and Side Show at Signature), there’s no doubt about the humor to be mined here – and it’s
the best kind, drawn not just from witty remarks but the ridiculous behavior of ordinary people in an ordinary situation. Naomi Jacobson oozes comic potential as Veronica Novak, the outwardly gracious social crusader who usually fights her battles as a writer, decrying atrocities in Darfur from the comfort of her tastefully decorated home. Without ever missing a beat, every muscle of Jacobson’s body amplifies her own pronouncements or reacts to someone else’s – from arched eyebrows to flared nostrils and, ultimately, al-
LEFT: Vanessa Lock (left, as Annette) and Naomi Jacobson (as Veronica) share a laugh and a drink. Photo: Scott Suchman. CENTER: Paul Morella, as Alan Raleigh, can’t seem to get off the phone. Photo: Scott Suchman. RIGHT: Andy Brownstein (Michael Novak) and Naomi Jacobson (Veronica Novak) make a strong alliance. Photo: Scott Suchman. 90 H HillRag | May 2012
ternately vibrating with fury and dissolving into laughter. Veronica is the one with the agenda. She called the meeting and clearly won’t give up until she has her way, despite a brief show of conciliation when she agrees to edit her painstakingly crafted statement of the facts to say her son’s assailant was “furnished” rather than “armed” with a stick. She never gives up pretending to listen when all she wants is for everyone, including her own husband, to behave as she instructs. At first the rest of the cast seems rational, affable and hardly notable. Alan Raleigh (Paul Morella) is an attorney eager to settle the matter of his son’s behavior and get back to the office – and, fittingly, fly the next day to The Hague to argue a case at the World Court. His wife Annette (Vanessa Lock) is literally buttoned up in a blue suit, with her hair neatly restrained in a French twist. And Veronica’s husband Michael (Andy Brownstein) resembles nothing so much as a big, lumbering teddy bear. For a while they all stick to their scripts and say the right things – whatever they think everyone else needs to hear. Throughout, the true meaning of their little dance is illuminated by Alan’s conversations with a pharmaceutical client in crisis over revelations in The New York Times about dangerous side effects of an enormously profitable drug. Every time the cell phone rings, Alan’s counsel is the same: Pick your words to placate adversaries and dodge liability – an apt metaphor for exactly what’s going on in the Novak’s apartment. Few cracks appear in the couples’ politically correct masks until an explosive moment when everyone almost literally begins letting their hair down. Before long, the cracks become fissures, and with
a liberal dose of vintage rum, all four characters completely break loose. One wonders what’s keeping them in that living room for so long, enduring this free for all when they could just walk away. There’s only one answer: the release is as intoxicating as the rum. As Annette, Vanessa Lock is the biggest surprise, trading her prim demeanor for brazen accusations, declarations and even a show of aggression toward everyone, especially her husband, who apparently values his cell phone more than his family. Andy Brownstein’s Michael comes out of his shell too, literally peeling away the Nordic sweater his wife made him wear to reveal the “Neanderthal” within. Only Paul Morella’s Alan, the lawyer, maintains a peculiar integrity. He’s not just made a career of defining what people need to say and hear; for him, doing so comes as easily as breathing. When Michael takes a call from his ailing mother and enlists Alan to tell her not to take the very same drug that his client is in the throes of defending, Alan effortlessly convinces her to defy her doctor’s orders, using precisely the right words. In this 80-minute production, the audience is firmly buckled into the real-time roller coaster these characters ride. Director Calarco has beautifully choreographed every moment, and his actors so seamlessly roll through demanding physical action – involving the perfect placement of props and execution of a special effect or two – that it all seems perfectly spontaneous. Whether laughing out loud or just dropping their jaws in shock, the audience never lets go. God of Carnage is playing at Signature Theatre through June 24, 2012. Barbara Wells is a writer and editor for Reingold, a social marketing communications f irm. She and her husband live on Capitol Hill. H
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ARTS& Dining
TH E ATE R Serious About Comedy
Faction of Fools in Residence at Gallaudet by Amanda Wilson
F
action of Fools is bringing Commedia dell’Arte to the District. Faction of Fools is one of the only companies in the United States to specialize in the classical Italian comedic performance style, first popularized in 16th century Renaissance Italy, which uses gesture, physical movement, and language to propel its form of storytelling. The company held its first performance in Washington, DC in 2009 and is now in residence at Gallaudet University, the world’s first higher-level educational institution for deaf and hard of hearing students. This April and May the company is teaming with the school’s theater arts department for a Commedia-style performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The play features Artistic Director Matthew R. Wilson in the title role and set design by Gallaudet Theatre Arts Chair Ethan Sinnott. The show runs April 26 through May 19 at Gallaudet University and features two Gallaudet student performers. Faction of Fools will stage select performances of “Hamlecchino” with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation.
From the Old World to the New World
While modern-day Italian audiences might choose television over this classic Italian performance style, which features actors in leather masks and expressive, physical acting, audiences in District have been surprised and captivated by the company’s productions. Faction of Fools performed a Commedia-style Romeo and Juliet in January and February at Flashpoint Theater’s Mead Theatre Lab to soldout audiences, landing a Helen Hayes Awards recommendation. Faction of Fools has also performed Romeo and Juliet in several local schools. 92 H HillRag | May 2012
A Commedia Romeo and Juliet. Presented at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, Jan 12 — Feb 4. Left to right: Paul Reisman as Mercutio and Drew Kopas as Romeo. Photo by Clinton Brandhagen.
Faction of Fools’ performances have a certain magnetism, and, according to Wilson, that holds true for theatergoers already in love with some of Faction of Fools’ more wellknown works, like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and for those with neither a penchant for Shakespeare nor a knowledge of Commedia dell’Arte. At a recent show at the Greenbelt Arts Center, not even the youngest members of the audience, 30 to 40 children around the age of six, could look away. When Wilson first saw the audience before the play started, he thought it would be a disaster. A bunch of six-year-olds and an hourlong Shakespeare play. But the children loved it. “They were transfixed,” Wilson said. “By the time Tybalt died, every child in the room had crept down below the first row of seats and they were all just sitting there like this,” said Wilson, propping his chin on two fists, as if in Commedia style. Wilson said that in Commedia dell’Arte style, internal thoughts,
schemes, and emotions are expressed physically, in full view of the audience. “If you are excited, your feet are excited. If you are sad, it’s not just a little tear, it’s ‘my back is sad,’” Wilson explains. “Every emotion, idea or scheme or plan is physically manifest.” While the company’s name implies foolishness, Faction of Fools is serious about the power of comedy to carry deeper messages. “Shakespeare himself talks about the all-licensed fool who through comedy is allowed to speak wisdom. Many of his low-status comic characters end up saying the most poignant things in his plays,” Wilson said. “We think that humor is powerful and deserves to be taken seriously.”
braggart “capitano” character, and male and female “lover” characters. Consensus holds that the bard must have been influenced by Commedia style, Wilson said. Even before Shakespeare was born, Commedia companies from Italy were touring in England, and they were present in France and Germany when Shakespeare’s company, the Chamberlain’s Men, performed there. But Wilson said knowing the history of Shakespeare and Commedia isn’t necessary in order to enjoy a Faction of Fools performance. “I don’t think that anybody needs to learn about theatrical history to appreciate this,” he said. “It’s not our goal to teach the audience a lesson about an old style. Our goal is to entertain people, and we believe that this style that started 500 years ago actually works really well and is still really entertaining.”
Elements of Commedia Style in Shakespeare
Shakespeare matches well with Commedia style, Wilson said, because the characters in Shakespeare’s plays evoke traditional Commedia archetypes: the buffoon servant, the babbling “professor” type, the brash
Tales of Love and Sausages, presented at Capital Fringe in summer 2010. Top to bottom: Daniel Flint as Brighella and Lindsey Snyder as Pantalone. Photo by Virginia Vogt.
Full cast of Machiavelli’s The Mandrake. Presented at Gallaudet University, Sept 15 - Oct 8, 2011. Photo by C. Stanley Photography.
And not all of the company’s shows are Shakespeare. In fact, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlecchino are the company’s first Shakespeare plays. A romantic comedy called The Mandrake, by Machiavelli, who is most famous for authoring The Prince, was Faction of Fools’ first play in residence last fall at Gallaudet. Faction of Fools’ first big show in 2010 was based on a script from an archive of 290 existing “scenari” – essentially, fragmentary stage notes from working theater companies - from late 17th Century Naples. The cast improvised using the three-page comedic “scenario”, consisting of entrances and exits and basic plot points. Wilson said he hopes to stage another “scenario” in spring, 2013. Faction of Fools has performed at the Capital Fringe Festival, Arena Stage’s Edward Albee Festival in Spring 2011, and at the Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival two years in a row. The company also serves as the coordinator in an annual festival dedicated to Commedia style, called Commedia dell’Arte Day. The festival, held every February 25th, is a worldwide event in which over 100 theatre companies and schools on all seven continents have participated.
Commedia dell’Arte
The story of how Faction of Fools’ creative director Matt Wilson first trained in Commedia Dell’Arte weaves back over a decade, to Italy and back. Wilson, who was working as an ensemble and Shakespearean actor in New York, went to Italy in 2001 looking for “new techniques for the old bag of tricks.” For the next two years, Wilson trained in Italy with Antonio Fava, one of the most important maestros of Commedia style in the world today. He was later invited back to teach on the faculty of The International School of the Comic Actor (Scuola Internazionale dell’Attore Comico) in Reg-
gio Emilia. He moved to Washington, DC in 2007 for the Master of Fine Arts program at the Shakespeare Theater and George Washington University’s Academy for Classical Acting. He and his wife liked the city so much, they decided to stay. But of all of the different theater companies in town, nobody was doing Commedia Dell’Arte. Wilson went around and asked if he would be stepping on any toes if he established a company. They said no, and so he did. “It has been amazing to see how this community of actors is willing to collaborate,” Wilson said. “I don’t think this company would have worked in New York. Nobody is that willing to commit to an ensemble.”
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Faction of Fools has worked with over 80 actors, and there are 24 who are associated actors with the company. The company’s residence at Gallaudet University came out of an invitation from the University’s theater arts department. Under the coordination of Faction of Fools’ Director of Access and Inclusion, Lindsey Snyder, the company had already collaborated with Gallaudet and held workshops there as guest artists. “We had been interested for a long time in sign language, gestural language – Commedia dell’Arte is a very physical form – and access is something that is important to us,” Wilson said. He said one of Faction of Fools’ professional cast members is legally blind, and the two student actors are deaf. “We think that theater should be a place for everybody to collaborate.” More information about Faction of Fools, as well as ticket information and information about ASL-interpreted performances, can be found on their web site: www.factionoffools.org H
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ARTS& Dining
ATTHE MOVIES
The Teacher and the Preacher: Fine Films from Canada and Italy by Mike Canning
Monsieur Lazhar
Every year at Academy Awards time, movie buffs learn of foreign language films that they have never seen. These films, submitted by individual countries, are nominated by members of a special screening committee. The final five, selected late in the previous year, only rarely get a commercial release in the US before the ceremony itself. Still, the selection committee often does a fine job, and, with luck, Americans get to see the best of these international works. This year, the finalists have, for this reviewer, indubitably proved their worth. As it turns out, three have already been assessed in these pages (“A Separation,” “In Darkness,” and “Footnote”). This May issue of the Hill Rag describes another fine nominee, “Monsieur Lazhar,” made in French Canada (the film, which opened April 27, is rated “PG-13” and runs 94 minutes). The monsieur of the title is a 55year old Algerian immigrant living in Montreal. Needing work, he notices in
the paper of the suicide of a teacher in an elementary school, applies for the job (lying about his lack of credentials), and is hired by the desperate school. While Bachir Lazhar (Fellag) encounters some culture shock in dealing with his class, he is diligent and adaptable and slowly adjusts to his charges. Those students, particularly the bright Alice (Sophie Nélisse) and the troubled Simon (Émilien Néron), find themselves struggling to understand the fate of their beloved teacher, Mlle. LaChance. Meanwhile, Lazhar himself undergoes his own personal trial. He has lost his activist wife and a daughter in Algeria and is anxiously awaiting a ruling on a refugee application to grant him asylum in Canada. A budding romance might be possible with another teacher, Claire (Brigitte Poupart), but Lazhar has time only for his kids and trying to get them over their loss. That catharsis is made the harder by the sturdy school rules against any physical contact with the students.
Lazhar tries to do what he can before he is finally found out. French-Canadian director Philippe Falardeau directed the film and adapted it from a play “Bachir Lazhar” by Evelyne de la Cheneliére. He has made a decidedly low-key but very humane film, one where small moments become more portentous because of the delicacy of the telling. “Monsieur Lazhar” is full of such subtle treasures, as when Bachir seems so sweetly oblivious to Claire’s moves on him. Or when Lazhar tries, uncomprehendingly, to read the faces of a judge who will rule on his case. Or, most tellingly of all, at the very end of the picture, when a simple act by Alice comforts her, redeems Lazhar, and wondrously violates the “touching” ban—all in one sequence. Falardeau has cast well. A parade of teachers and youngsters are convincing and natural. The two lead child actors, young Nélisse and Néron, are exceptional, just youngsters but playing nuanced, complex people. Fellag (he goes by one name) dominates the film as Lazhar with a measured mien, a mix of perplexed, thoughtful, and mostly, quietly compassionate. You root for him to make it in North America.
Views of the Director
Fellag stars as the title character of “Monsieur Lazhar.” Photo: Courtesy of Music Box Films. 94 H HillRag | May 2012
In a conversation with a DC screening audience, director Philippe Falardeau described the creation of his “Monsieur Lazhar.” He formed his film from a one-man show, de la Cheneliére’s play. Thus, he had to devise parts for a whole range of characters only mentioned in the play’s text, and even invent some, like the little boy Simon. He also had to devise the whole matter of the school’s busi-
ness, the classrooms and activities, the teacher conferences and the parents’ meetings, etc. He also shifted the film thematically. The original play dealt more with Lazhar’s asylum conundrum; Falardeau wanted to emphasize the context of the school. He did a lot of research to get the flavor of Canadian schools but realized he couldn’t just hang around the schoolyard observing kids. He joked, “I strolled around schoolyards with candies, and that quickly got me to the police station.” More often, he observed classroom activity. Once finished, he worried whether he had captured the flavor of a real school. In a screening for teachers, “I felt like I was going to a slaughterhouse,” but the reaction was positive. Besides presenting the character of Lazhar, he was most interested in the touchy (pardon the pun) relationship with youngsters, including the politically correct phenomenon of banning physical contact between student and teacher. Though he understands where this trend comes from, Falardeau laments it: “The contact question in school protocols has gone too far.” Finding Lazhar took Falardeau to France given the lack of a good pool of Arabic actors in Canada. He first saw the actor in a YouTube video and found out that Fellag, an Algerian exile himself, had performed the play in France. This was not his typical gig, Falardeau explained: “Fellag is mostly a stand-up comedian, but, like many comics, he is unassuming.” Falardeau called him “a man who is comfortable on stage but not in public,” just right for the part. Falardeau purposely avoided emphasis on Lazhar’s immigration status, more emphasized
Director Philippe Falardeau. Courtesy of Music Box Films.
in the play, because “he wanted to focus on the school.” Asked about Fellag as a Muslim, he answered; “It didn’t matter. I didn’t want to emphasize that,” so his religion is ignored in the screenplay. Overall, his research and work on the film left him awed by what he saw in the classroom. “I want this film to be an Ode to Teachers,” he concluded.
We Have A Pope
Nanni Moretti, the Italian writer-actor-director, should be better known here. His wry, sardonic, yet politically cutting films over the last 35 years offer a searching panorama of Italian life over those decades. It should be noted that his films are very Italian and, perhaps for that reason, they don’t travel well across the pond. His latest, “We Have a Pope” (“Habemus Papam”) may have a bit wider appeal, especially for Catholics with a sense of humor. The title is the phrase used by the Church when the College of Cardinals has elected a new pontiff—symbolized by the white smoke streaming from a Vatican stack. This film opens at that moment when the College meets (in a fine re-creation of the Sistine Chapel) to name a new pope. The vote is divided, so a compromise candidate, Cardinal Melville (Michel Piccoli) is selected. But the retiring Melville is shocked by his election, feeling he is not worthy. Though duly elected, he panics before addressing the faithful. Fellow cardinals try to convince him to accept, and they even call in
a psychoanalyst, Professor Brezzi (the sly Moretti), to assist him, yet he escapes from his Vatican prison to hide in Rome’s streets. The Vatican’s spokesman ( Jerzy Stuhr) tries to locate him in vain, while all the cardinals are effectively held hostage inside the Vatican from by the choice they’ve made. Meanwhile, Melville is on the loose, discovering how the Romans live, telling bystanders (and another psychiatrist) that he is “an actor” (his real first love), and falling in with a Chekhov troupe. This is all done with tender humor, although Piccoli’s vivid and touching performance makes his pontifical stage fright all too believable. One can clearly sympathize with the weight of responsibility a sheltered personality might sense, and Piccoli delivers that dread. Moretti himself, as the psychiatrist used to plumbing psyches but who can get nowhere with the secretive clergy, is wry and winning. Especially so when he, playing for time while the search for Melville goes on, organizes a volleyball tournament for the gym-shy cardinals. This is sweet parody for Italians, effective enough for the film to be nominated this year for the Donatello Awards, the country’s equivalent of our Oscars (the film opened in DC April 27; it is not rated, running time 104 min.). Long-time Hill resident Mike Canning has written on movies for the Hill Rag since 1993 and is a member of the Washington Area Film Critics Association. His reviews and writings on film, including the foreign films mentioned above, can be found online at www.mikesflix.com. H
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I
t is impossible to separate David Camero from his art. Painting, dance, performance, collage, mask making, books, poetry, and hundreds of creative statements inhabit every inch of his home and studio. His life is one continuous performance. And color. The vibrant reds, blues and golds are inherited from his native Venezuela, but it is a color sense that hasn’t diminished in his stays and education in Europe and the US. If anything, the accumulative effect has become more complex, subtle and joyful. It is the joy of living in the creative moment that has captured him from an early age when he read about Isadora Duncan— the flamboyant American dance innovator of the turn of the 20th Century. He was captured. To David, “She was a missionary.” Unstoppable. Pure energy and audacity. Her message to him was, “Push, push, go far. “ You see that creative fearlessness in the performances of his “modern day jesters, ”Le Compania del Bouffon.” Their songs, skits and games are based on the techniques of the Commedia del’Arte, street theater and mime drama. Yet, he feels a deep connection with the art and customs of other indigenous people throughout the Americas. His collages look for that deeper commitment to nature that is common to the early origins of the native peoples.
Masks. Photo: Ma. Pia~Younger 96 H HillRag | May 2012
A Capitol Hill artist and writer, Jim can be reached at ArtandtheCity05@aol.com
All of this energy comes together in his masks, the art most associated with the exuberant festival of Corpus Christie throughout Latin America. But, more so, they recall the golden age of the jesters, whose costumes and masks were made to delight and make people laugh. They are made from just about everything—everything biodegradable. They come alive with brilliance. Just like David Camero. You can find more on his work, and information about his performances at: www. lacompaniadelbouffon.com.
tifs and a balance of color. Beyond that, he had an illustrator’s knack for telling a story, as saccharine as it may have been. Ultimately, he may have been his own worst critic. His self-destructive binges and battles may have been the inner artist yearning to break loose and be respected by history. Or not.
Jim Magner’s Thoughts on Art
If you want to throw an art critic into an epileptic tizzy, you just have to say two words: “Thomas Kinkade.” I’m not sure what has generated such unbridled animosity. Maybe it was his Hollywood-scale financial success and movie star fame. His boast of being the “world’s most collected artist,” and adoration by the masses didn’t help. He pulled in millions with dubious “originals” and questionable business practices while most artists could barely afford paint. (That’s annoying.) No, I think it was his super-saturated sweetness—the dreamy cottage scenes, the pristine everything-in-bloom landscapes, heroic ships on the high seas, and the sentimental Disney series—that set critics off. Heck, even his crowded cityscapes are somehow warm and cozy. And why not? His heroes were Uncle Walt, for whom he worked doing background scenes, and Norman Rockwell, the king of the naive ideal. In those footsteps, Kinkade was the premiere illustrator of the never-was and never-will-be: a chaste, unpolluted fantasy, but with sophisticated technique. That is what gets lost in the criticism; he was very good at what he did. He understood the dramatic power of warm and cool contrasts. He used perspective to pull you into a never-ending tunnel of love…a warm tender world without evil or taxes. His compositions were held together with repeated mo-
Chicken al Mole recipe. Photo: Ma. Pia~Younger
Artomatic
Artomatic 2012! 1851 South Bell Street Crystal City, VA May 18 - June 23
Artomatic is wonderful. It is one big circus of art, performance, film, music and everything else under a full moon, from high-end professionals to the wild imaginings of first time exhibitors and players. Anyone can participate–no art credentials are necessary. Space is allocated on a first-come basis. In its last event in 2009, there were more than 1,200 visual artists and 600 performers. Seventy-five thousand people made their way through multiple floors of wonderfully good and wonderfully awful delights. Admission is free. Opening night is a big party. It began years ago in an empty Laundromat, hence the name, which has stuck. So has the democracy and freedom. There are no concerns about being too political,
artandthecity
Artist Portrait: David Camero
by Jim Magner
“METALmorphology “ Washington Project for the Arts 2023 Massachusetts Ave. NW May 4 - 25
The Coup d’Espace Project by Edward Bigelow Baker III, explores the aesthetic possibilities of scientific processes with sculptures that are created through the process of electro-deposition. They are accompanied by a selection of images that capture the detailed surfaces of the pieces using microphotography. Reception: Fri., May 4, 6-8 p.m., www. wpadc.org.
“Two Views/One Vision” Parish Gallery, 1054 31st St. NW --May 15
Immigrant Shadows. Photo: Ma. Pia~Younger
too raunchy, too off-the-wall, or too anything. The arts fly. If you are an art purist, stay away. If you believe art is of and by the people, you are going to love it. www.artomatic.org. It’s also on Facebook. One block from the Crystal City Metro Station. There is also free parking.
At the Galleries
“Elevator to the Moon” Artisphere 1101 Wilson Blvd. ,Arlington, VA -- June 9
In this rather expansive exhibit, “Elevator to the Moon: Retro-Future Visions of Space,” fifteen artists, including some highly imaginative people, “draw inspiration from 20th century predictions to create work that celebrates beautifully flawed ideas and inspires new visions for the future of space travel.” It’s a fun show. www.artisphere.com.
Two Artists Touchstone Gallery 901 New York Ave. NW May 4 - 29
“It’s My Nature,” features new works by Kate McConnell. She approaches her landscapes and “treescapes” with a colorist’s view. Her emphatic saturated color affects each object, and the overall composition, with happy energy. She reaches her purpose of bringing her “sacred places to life.” Colleen Sabo’s abstract landscapes reflect the passion of the artist in her pursuit of color and light. Reception: May 4, 6-8:30 p.m., www. touchstonegallery.com.
“Two Views/One Vision: The Paintings of Richmond Jones and Christine Osada Jones,“ presents the contrasting but compatible works of two long-time professional artists. Raymond Jones’s award-winning traditional watercolors, and oils and pastels of Christine Jones have been shown together for over 12 years. www.parishgallery.com.
Capitol Hill Art League 545 7th St. SE May 12 – June 1
The theme of the CHAL all-media May show is “It’s a Wonderful World?” The juror, F. Lennox Campello, DC area art critic and artist, will present his insights on the works selected at the opening reception, Sat. May 12, 5-7 p.m. www.caphillartleague.org.
“Sailing to Byzantium” Zenith Gallery at Eleven Eleven 1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW -- June 23
These highly polished bronze sculptures by the internationally renowned artist, Sica, dance and play in a solo show curated by Zenith Gallery owner, Margery E. Goldberg. Sophisticated but enticing, they draw inspiration from cultures throughout the world. www.zenithgallery.com.
Eleven Artists The Hill Center 9th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. SE -- May 20
The spring show features artists with a wide range of techniques and styles, including drawings, prints, paintings and sculpture. If you have not been to the Hill Center yet, this is would be a great time to go. www.hillcenterdc.org. Jim’s award-winning book, “A Haunting Beauty” can be acquired through www.ahauntingbeauty.com. H
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the
LITERARY HILL
A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events
by Karen Lyon
M
eet our local literary talent at the Literary Hill BookFest on May 6! Pulitzer prize-winning columnist Gene Weingarten, children’s book author Katy Kelly, and New York Times bestselling author James Swanson will be on hand, as will historical mystery writer Louis Bayard, award-winning journalist Ariel Sabar, memoirist Mary Z. Gray, and all of the writers whose new books are reviewed below. See elsewhere in this issue for a list of all participants.
Working Up a Thirst
Author of several books on the Chesapeake Bay and the Anacostia, John R. Wennersten expands his focus to the world’s water supply in “Global Thirst: Water and Society in the 21st Century.” “That there will
always be water,” he writes, “is the major selfish conceit of the affluent West.” This perception is not only short-sighted, he argues, but dangerous. “Our landscape is beginning to unravel in terms of available choices we have to make regarding water,” he warns, and as a result, “the global water supply is in peril.” Drawing on examples from China, India, the Middle East, and the US, Wennersten describes a series of “troubling scenarios” brought about by climate change – dying rivers, droughts, rising tides – which, in concert with the challenges of pollution, sanitation, and water rights, will create “a new era of thirst.” His wake-up call concludes with a number of proposed solutions, including desalination, new water conservation technologies, and better regulation, but ultimately, he writes, “hope is not a strategy; and the eleventh hour is upon us.”
A Family Saga
John R. Wennersten calls attention to the world’s endangered supply of water in “Global Thirst.” 98 H HillRag | May 2012
A novel in stories, Louise Farmer Smith’s “One Hundred Years of Marriage” tells the saga of the Hale family’s history, from their early days settling the Oklahoma territory in the late 19th century through the social upheaval of the 1970s – with all the loving and struggling and suffering in between. In 1923, little Alice tearfully sells her prize pig to fend off the bill collectors when her father refuses to get a job. By the time we meet her again in the 1960s, she is crushed by a lifetime of passivity, and scorned by her daughter Patricia as “a little creep-around woman.” Ten years hence, Patricia revises her view of her
In a novel in stories, Louise Farmer Smith tells the saga of three generations of a family.
mother. “She’s amazingly strong,” she realizes, “but she uses that strength to hold herself in.” Smith’s gracefully written stories tell not only of births, deaths, courtships and marriages, but also of missed connections in a family whose members seem unable to see past the layers of pretense and pain to find one other. “One Hundred Years of Marriage” is a beautiful debut book by an award-winning short story writer who deserves as wide an audience as she can find.
a substance in their blood called LAL. “Everything that goes into the human body,” he notes – from hip replacements to heart valves to IV drips – has been tested for bacterial contamination using LAL from horseshoe crabs. A professor of education at York College of Pennsylvania, Fredericks’s experience as a science teacher shows in his straightforward prose and his lively digressions (vintage horror movies are a favorite), which make learning about these odd-looking crustaceans seem more like a salt-and-sand field trip than a dry classroom lecture. Where else would you learn that horseshoe crabs mate “with all the passion and ardor of a sailor home from a sixmonth deployment”?
Crab Fest
“‘Cute’ is probably not the first word you think of ” when encountering a horseshoe crab, concedes author Anthony D. Fredericks, but in “Horseshoe Crab: Biography of a Survivor,” the latest offering from local environmental publisher Ruka Press, his appreciation for this unsung marine hero is clear. These “living fossils” are not only interesting in and of themselves, but they also provide a number of useful products, including fertilizer, bait, and
An underappreciated “living fossil” is the focus of a new book published by Ruka Press.
Learning at the Master’s Paws
When Paris Singer dutifully picked up her son Adam Russell’s
Hill: An Unruly History of Behaving Badly” with myriad examples of scurrilous doings at the Capitol, the Marine Barracks, and elsewhere around the Hill. Take the case of the appropriately named Craven E. Silcott, the cashier for the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, who absconded with the lawmakers’ salaries. Or Mary Ann Hall, who was, “not Paris Singer and Adam Russell share what they’ve learned from Diogenes the to put too fine a point on Philosopher Dog. it, a madam.” Pohl claims that rescue mutt for a lunch break, her expectahis book “intends only tions were not high. However, she writes, it to amuse and divert” – a goal in which he took “all of two blocks for me to realize that succeeds admirably – but he also shares I have signed up for more than lunch.” A his deep passion for Capitol Hill hisquick study, she soon learned that Diogenes tory. From dueling Congressmen to grave the Philosopher Dog had a lot to teach her robbers, Pohl engagingly fills us in on some about life. of the less than worthy eminences who have The result is “our first-ever mother-son graced our neighborhood. H collaboration,” “Lunch with Diogenes: The Greek Philosopher and the Philosopher Dog,” a charming book that pairs photos of Diogenes with quotations from the 4th century BC Greek philosopher. The pairings are wise, funny, poignant, and remarkably contemporary. Here is Diogenes racing down a beach: “To own nothing is the beginning of happiness.” And, looking innocently puzzled: “I peed on the man who called me a dog. Why was he so surprised?” “We hope it is a good book for the friends, family, lunch pals, philosophers, and puppies in everyone’s life,” says Singer. Diogenes will steal your heart.
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Wicked Capitol Hill
As Robert S. Pohl shows in his new book, you’ll never be at a loss for subjects if you’re looking for examples of bad behavior on Capitol Hill. He packs “Wicked Capitol
Join us for the second annual Literary Hill BookFest, Sunday, May 6, 11am to 3pm, in the North Hall of Eastern Market.
CREATIVE DESIGN SOLUTIONS Jason Nickens.com 202.321.0793 | www.jasonnickens.com capitalcommunitynews.com H 99
ARTS& Dining
Thoughts Of A Jazz Lover
Jazz can be enigmatic, an alchemy of mysterious sounds and moods that is spontaneous and yet deliberate in its free flowing creativity. The music can be complex, but good jazz feels as simple as first love—it goes straight to the heart and rests there, beating gently. At times, the music can be so life-like that it speaks to you with honesty and love. One still gets a keen sense of understanding of the complexity of the music. There is such a high note of haughtiness, perhaps a sort of natural aristocracy from a kind of inbred austerity about jazz that puts it in a class by itself, elevating one to a higher ground of one’s consciousness. It almost borders on elitism, and yet jazz strikes one as a beautiful music for everyone. And it is, especially for those of us who not only enjoy but truly love the music. True, most good jazz musicians more than likely think of jazz as the arbiter of modern music. And on a good day, I think they are correct. You can walk in your door after a hard day’s work and a harrowing Metro ride, put on Sarah Vaughn and your world is transformed. Your mind clears, your body relaxes and suddenly life is pretty good. There’s no drug in the world that can do that. Jazz is beautiful music.
Skala ••••
Mathias Eick, ECM 2187
The River of Anyder ••• Stefano Battaglia Trio, ECM 2151
The great beauty of music lies in its interplay with the mind and the resulting effect of feeling so alive and connected to our life’s experiences and the world around us. The title track, “The River of Anyder,” from Stefano Battaglia Trio’s latest release is a wonderful and thoughtful piece of music. With Stefano Battaglia on piano, Salvatore Maiore on double-bass and Roberto Dani on drums, all of the music on this album is for total relaxation and peace of mind. Standouts here include “Ararat Dance,” “Ararat Prayer,” and “Anagoor.” 100 H HillRag | May 2012
Considerable respect should be given to the majesty of the trumpet and the lush, beautiful foliage of the saxophone when it comes to jazz music. The poignancy of the trumpet’s radiant voice mixes with the rich, expressive saxophone tone. From the opening title track, “Skala” followed by “Edinburgh” and “Biermann,” the hits just keep coming. More to the point, the album boasts a stellar list of musicians with Mathias Eick (trumpet), Tore Brumborg (tenor saxophone), Andreas Ulvo (piano), Audun Erlien (electric bass), Torstein Lofthus (drums), Gard Nilssen (drums), Morten Ovenild (keyboards), and Sidsel Walstad (harp).
Speak To Me •••
Marc Copland & John Abercrombie, Pirouet Records
The latest explorations of Marc Copland (piano) and John Abercrombie (guitar) are imbued with the passion and intuition that have guided these two renowned musicians over the years. The fluency and elegant spaciousness of both the piano and guitar are all heard here throughout the album. Highlights include “Left Behind,” “If I Should Lose You,” “Blues Connotation,” and “Talking Blues.”
Orvieto •••
Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani
The album Orvieto from pianists Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani is a re-
markable classic jazz album both in presentation and scope. The music shimmers with perfect tonal refinements, brilliant radiance, and languid spaciousness. The saying two for one is in order here, followed by gratitude and applause. Sheer charisma and pinpoint accuracy on the piano is what makes this album a delight. Recorded live at Umbria Jazz Winter 2010, Orvieto features 13 tracks with highlights like “Orvieto Improvisation No. 1,” “If I Should Lose You,” “Jitterbug Waltz,” “Este Seu Olhar,” and “Blues In F.” All CDs and DVDS reviewed in this article are heard through Bowers & Wilkens 802D Speakers and ASW 4000 subwoofer, and Rotel Preamp 1070, amplifier 1092 and CD player 1072. CDs are available for purchase through amazon.com For more information about this column, please email your questions to fagon@hillrag.com. H
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102 H HillRag | May 2012
Health & Fitness
Chronicles of a Life Changing Journey Surfing and Mountain Climbing Around the World
F
rancis Slakey (Slake) started out with a simple plan to climb the highest mountain on every continent and surf every ocean. He wasn’t trying to bring purpose to his life or anyone else’s. “My work as a physicist was intellectually stimulating. I thought this challenge would push my physical limits.” Slake chronicles the 12-year journey that transformed his life in a book published this month by Simon and
by Pattie Cinell Schuster, “To the Last Breath.” Mountain climbing and surfing are sports that are performed primarily solo. They were perfect for the Georgetown physics professor who was very familiar with detachment and isolation. He had been practicing it for decades. At 37, Slake had no permanent ties. He had sworn off marriage, house ownership and children. “I’d been climbing since my teens and got my first surfboard in my 20s. If I pasted the two skills I already had together I could be the first person to accomplish this goal.” He envisioned the task to be straightforward, working through the list of mountains and oceans without distraction. Slake said he also chose these sports because of the differences between the two. “In surfing, when your paddle speed matches the wave speed you connect and are carried by nature unlike any other sport. Climbing is the exact opposite. You are in constant battle with nature. I love the physical challenge of both sports. You’re guaranteed to be presented with significant moments in which you have to make life or death decisions. It’s not the same in everyday life.” The monumental task he set forth for himself couldn’t have been further from what he imagined. His
Slake split image. photo: Matthew Girard
journey was filled with life-altering encounters and unexpected challenges. Slake discovered he wasn’t the man he thought he was. He reconnected with his true self. I first met Slake at the gym where I work. He was married to my friend Gina Eppolito. When I found out they met at base camp of Mount Everest even though they lived three metro stops away from each other in DC, (Slake is one of the 10 Americans to have climbed to the summit), I featured them in my Hill Rag colcapitalcommunitynews.com H 103
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Relaxing in a high camp on Denali, in the Alaska Range. photo: Mike Farris
umn for Valentine ’s Day a few years ago. When he told me about what he did, I was in awe. When he told me about his forthcoming book, I was excited to read it. Once I got my hands on it, I could hardly put it down. It was spellbinding – an adventure mixed with mystery and self-actualization. Simon and Schuster describes it as, “A journey to the most extreme points on earth and deep inside the human psyche.” I expected Slake’s travels in the book to be riveting. I did not A breaking wave at Kuta Beach Bali. Photo: Tommy Schultz expect the mystery and mind altering revelations to be so poignant. The mystery began for Slake on his way to base camp of Everest. He stopped for a blessing at a monastery. After receiving a blessing from the holy Rinpoche, Slake broke protocol and asked, “Can you give me an insight to keep in mind as I climb the mountain?” Later that evening a monk delivered an amulet to Slake with unreadable letters freshly etched by the Rinpoche. Slake became obsessed with translating the amulet. He spent years searching for the letters’ meaning. It was not revealed to him until the end of his 12-year journey. When he decided he would do this incredible crazy adventure, Slake’s scientific mind and self-proclaimed geekiness caused him to create his own bizarre but very logical work-out formula for getting into shape – one that apparently worked very well. He laughed when he explained it to me. “I’m so much of a geek. I figured out that I needed to do the maximum number of pull-ups divided by my resting heart rate (it’s 39). Then I multiply that number by the maximum pounds I can leg press. That number has to be greater than 400.” He said the formula works because all three of the elements are critical for both sports and all work against each other. By balancing the three, it keeps any one thing from getting out of hand. “I could do more pull-ups but I would sacrifice my body weight and leg strength. When everything is in balance, I know I am ready for a climb.” 104 H HillRag | May 2012
Slake is neither verbose nor rhetorical in “To the Last Breath,” yet what he says is powerful. I felt what he felt as he climbed the tallest mountain in the world. His description of his arrival was understated and dramatic. “I am taking deep rasping breaths, satisfied, on my knees at the summit of Mount Everest.” When he returned home to DC after his last surf on a remote beach in Vestagoy Island in Norway in the Arctic Ocean, Gina suggested he document his completion of his quest. “It didn’t really happen if it’s not on the internet.” Slake agreed and wrote an article for Slate.com. “I started hearing from publishers who wanted me to write a book. At first I said no.” He said it took him a year to complete “To the Last Breath.” The title “To the Last Breath” comes from the book. “I use the phrase twice. The first is when I see Ang Nima sitting down, dying in the snow and it doesn’t square with my world view which is climb to the last breath. I use the phrase a second time when I describe how I was inspired and changed by Patsy Spier to push for justice, to the last breath.” Ang Nima is a fellow climber he was with on the Mount Everest climb. Patsy Spier is a survivor of an ambush by guerillas in Indonesia. If you want to hear more about “To the Last Breath” Slake will give a talk and book signing this month in DC on Thursday, May 10 at the National Academy of Sciences. He is then off on a national tour. When the dust settles this summer and he’s back home in DC Slake said he’ll be looking forward to his next adventure. He still works out vigorously to keep his heart rate low and has added yoga twice a week to his regimen. “I’m done with climbing and done with surfing but I’m still training. Being fit opens up other opportunities. Maybe I’ll run a marathon. I’m still a work in progress.” Slake has no idea what adventure is next, but he is looking forward to the possibilities. You can “like” “To The Last Breath” on Facebook or contact Slake at www. tothelastbreath.com.
The amulet a Lama gave Slake on the way up Everest, etched with letters that contain “life’s meaning.” photo: Matthew Girard
Pattie Cinelli has been writing her health and f itness column for more than 15 years. She also has a f itness business that specializes in weight control and core strength and flexibility. She can be reached at: f itness@pattiecinelli.com. H
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Does it Work? Spray Tan
I
willingly admit it – I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to have a tan. While everyone else is slapping on the SPF 50, I am the one spritzing on the dark tanning oil. I was recently in Mexico and spent almost every available moment basking in the sun, coveting a tan to sport at our school auction. But considering that even the cast of The Jersey Shore has forsaken the real suntan (even though tanning-bed induced), I knew it was time to seek an alternative. I refuse to be the ghostly-white, blindingly pale member of Cheverly over Memorial Day weekend that I usually am before I can rack up countless hours building up a summer tan. So, I was intrigued when I learned that Michael Anthony Salon (661 C St. SE, 2nd floor) is now offering custom airbrush tanning – one of only two places in Washington, DC offering this service. Airbrush tanning differs from the usual spray tanning in that the tan isn’t applied by a machine, but by a person. I thoroughly exfoliated right before my appointment, as instructed, and wore an old bikini under sweats to the salon. Hunter Barnes, stylist with Michael Anthony for the past seven months, explained to me in detail the process before we started. He patiently answered every question I had, and showed me the tan color he had chosen. While the 106 H HillRag | May 2012
by Jen Zatkowski client can specify how dark they want the tan to be, Hunter has the experience to choose the most natural color for each client. It was now time for me to lose the sweats and get sprayed! A large black tent was set up in the middle of the salon, and a machine that looks like the paint sprayer I rented from Frager’s a few years ago was all set up. You step into the tent, and Hunter sprays you first with a pre-tan base coat that is essentially lemon and water to make sure there are no oils on your skin. Next, two coats of tan are applied. It is definitely weird to be standing in a tent half naked while someone instructs you on how to pose as they spray you from head to toe. The tanning mist is cold at first, then warms just a bit from the heat of the machine. Hunter was very knowledgeable and very professional. After a few minutes, I was much more comfortable and didn’t feel on display any more. As he was spraying on the tan, he educated me on how the booth-type of spray tans are inferior – even going so far as to point out that since my calves are so wide, “a machine would leave a noticeable stripe” down the middle of my calf, whereas he can make sure I am evenly covered. Thanks Hunter – I had no idea my calves were so unusually wide. The tanning process
Ready to apply a tan, without the sand or the sun.
contains an instant bronzer, so that you immediately look tan. Ok, so I definitely looked like Snooki when I left. I was sticky everywhere, including my cheeks, which I realized when my cheek stuck to my cell phone, and left a bronze swath on the screen. When I ate and wiped my mouth, the napkin was bronze. I blew my nose, and the tissue was bronze. I was glad I had nothing scheduled for the rest of the afternoon since it is best to leave the bronzer on for at least 7 to 8 hours for the full effect. I was afraid to fold laundry for fear that the whole load would end up somehow bronze. And, I was apprehensive about sleeping without showering. Surprisingly, the next morning, my sheets were not bronze. But I was still sticky and as I made breakfast and lunches for the kids, the bronzer was streaking off. Even though I was just going to the gym, I HAD to shower. The water rushing off my body was bronze for quite some time, but when I got out, the tan had settled in nicely and my skin had a healthy, rosy glow. What I wasn’t prepared for was that my sweat would be brown for days. Over that first week, several people asked where I had gone away, since I was so tan. I took their inquiries to mean my tan looked natural, not orange or streaky. My face faded more quickly than my body, and the whole effect lasted about a week and a half. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my rosy glow. And it took so much less time than tanning the old-fashioned way. Now, if Michael Anthony invests in a “sounds of the ocean” CD and a margarita machine, I may never travel to Mexico again. Airbrush Tanning is offered at Michael Anthony on an appointment basis. Full Body is $50, Half Body or Face Only is $30. You can make an appointment at 202-506-3609. If you have a product you want me to try, please email me at jenzatkowski@gmail. com. H
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The Chocolate Lab
Veterinary Emergencies Deconstructed (Part I of 7)
W
by Matthew Antkowiak, DVM
ith the onset of spring, heart rate. And in more severe cases, Doing some math, we get signs of we take our pets to the muscle tremors, vomiting or seizures. toxicity at 1.5 ounces per 10 pounds local dog parks and allow The same effects we might feel from of body weight for milk chocolate, our cats more supervised outdoor polishing off an entire pot of SOVA 0.6 ounce per 10 pounds of body time and windowsill time. Whether coffee…or two…or three. weight for semisweet chocolate, and it is due to this increased daily pet Yikes! Sounds horrible! Choco- a measly 0.2 ounce per 10 pounds of interaction or an alteration in cir- late IS bad for my dog! Ok. Deep body weight for Baker’s chocolate. cadian rhythms, veterinary emer- breath. Before we start throwing away So your 80 pound Rhodesian gency rooms see a spike in visits in all spare chocolate in our homes, let’s Ridgeback would have to eat about the spring and summer months. Many of the emergencies we see are legitimate, urgent problems that need immediate attention. However, a good many of them are because concerned pet owners have not been well informed about what constitutes a true emergency. In this first of a series of articles, we will discuss common veterinary emergencies and information that will aid the pet owner in helping decide whether or not to spend that $150-200 on an emergency exam at their local veterinary emergency room. In this article, we tackle the mother of all canine emergencies: chocolate ingestion! Poor chocolate. How can one of life’s greatest pleasures get such a bad rap? Eastern Market on any given weekend has plenty of forms to choose from. Brownies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crepes, Share your affection with Fido, just not your chocolate treats. Photo: Andrew Lightman chocolate bars. So delicious, yet also malicious? The veterinary ER gets many examine just how much chocolate three-quarters of a pound of milk calls and visits, especially around needs to be ingested before our ca- chocolate to get mild theobromine chocolate-centric holidays that focus nine friends start having these signs. toxicity, 1.5 pounds to have moderon a dog ingesting a Snickers bar, or How much theobromine is in ate to severe signs. Your 10 pound a Hershey’s Kiss or a hollow Easter chocolate? On average, milk choco- Yorkie: 1.5 ounce (roughly a Herbunny. Is it bad for Sunny to ingest late (Snickers, Hershey bars) contains shey bar) of milk chocolate for that plate of brownies? Well, first we 50-60 mg of theobromine per ounce, mild signs and 2 Hershey bars (3.0 have to understand why chocolate semisweet chocolate (chocolate ounces) for severe signs. However, is so “bad.” The toxin involved with chips) contains 150 mg per ounce, those same dogs would only have chocolate is theobromine (a xan- Baker’s chocolate 390 mg per ounce. to eat 1.5 ounces and 0.2 ounces thine compound in the same family How much theobromine does it of baker’s chocolate, respectively, to of caffeine) and it takes a fairly large take to cause problems? Mild toxic have the same signs. (source: http:// amount of theobromine to cause tox- signs appear at roughly 20mg per ki- vspn.org/Librar y/misc/VSP N_ ic effects. What are the toxic effects? logram of body weight, more severe M01325.htm) Hyperexcitability, nervousness, fast signs at 40-50mg per kilogram. Note: The sugar and fat con108 H HillRag | May 2012
tent of the chocolate may very well cause diarrhea and vomiting. This is not the same as theobromine toxicity but may require the same treatment as any other dietary indiscretion nonetheless.
Bottom line: •
Size matters – small amounts of chocolate will not kill your dog and may not even harm him/her, however the size of your dog, the concentration of theobromine in the chocolate and the amount ingested play a huge part in how they will be affected; • Play it safe – don’t purposefully feed your dog chocolate. There are better snacks available. • Call – when in doubt about something your pet has ingested, including chocolate, call a poison control center, your veterinarian or the closest emergency vet. My favorite is the ASPCA Poison Control Center http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ poison-control/. It may cost you $65, but it is cheaper than an ER vet visit and they have trained veterinarians on duty 24 hours a day with a comprehensive list of possible pet toxins and how to proceed if ingested. Next up in July: House plants: Friends or Foes? See you ‘round the Hill!
Both Dr. Antkowiak and Dr. Miller reside in Capitol Hill and are the owners of AtlasVet (the Atlas District Veterinary Hospital) at 1326 H St. NE (www.atlasvetdc.com, www. facebook.com/atlasvetdc) Dr. Antkowiak is a graduate of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and has been an emergency veterinarian at VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Center for 15 years. Dr. Miller is a graduate of the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and was 2011 Caring Hands Arlington Doctor of the Year. H
Your Brain:
Wired for Survival and for Suffering by Ronda Bresnick Hauss, LCSW
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
– Buddhist Proverb
The Brain works to Promote Survival
As we humans evolved over many millions of years, we developed three fundamental strategies to secure our survival, according to the book, “Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom” by Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius. The first strategy for survival was to create a separation between the individual and the rest of the world. The second strategy was to try to maintain stability, and the third was to approach opportunities and avoid threats.
Unfortunately, that Leads to Suffering
While these strategies have worked well to increase our chances of survival, they also come with pain and distress. This is because, as the authors of “Buddha’s Brain” point out, everything is connected, everything keeps changing, opportunities routinely disappoint us and many threats are unavoidable (i.e. aging and death). When we think that we are separate from the world – an individual that is not connected to others – the world becomes an unsafe place, to be feared and resisted. In our brains, the left lobe establishes that the body is distinct from the world and the right lobe locates where the body is relative to features in the environment. The result is the automatic assumption that we are separate and independent. However, we are in reality interdependent beings. We must exchange energy and matter with our environment. Many people and life events have shaped us into who we are. Because our brains automatically assume that we are separate from others, however, we often feel isolated, unsafe or as if we are in a struggle with the world rather than connected to it. The world is always changing, although we try to restore equilibrium. There are changes to our environment, our relationships, and our own bodies. To survive, the brain keeps trying to stop the river – find a permanent plan for constantly changing conditions. When there is instability, the brain produces uncomfortable signals of threat. Since everything is
changing, the signals of threat just keep coming. We have also evolved to approach opportunities and avoid threats. For our survival, our brains are wired more for avoiding than approaching. Avoiding danger or death was more important to our ancestors at any given moment than the opportunity to find food or to mate. However, avoiding threats requires us to be both vigilant and anxious. The brain is also wired to detect negative information faster than positive information and negative events generally have more of an impact on us than positive ones. This built in negative bias keeps us avoiding more than approaching. It also has us overlook good news, focus on bad news and creates anxiety and pessimism.
tion, taking in a big inhalation and releasing a big exhalation, touching your lips, and using positive visualizations.
Practicing Kindness
If compassion is the wish that others and we not suffer, kindness is the wish that others and we be happy. By practicing kindness, we decrease separation and increase love. There are many ways to practice kindness including: having the conscious intention to be kind, focusing on kindness in your daily life, meditating on loving-kindness, resolving to meet mistreatment with loving-kindness, extending the circle of “us” to include as much of
One Way Out of Suffering
So, we are wired for separation, anxiety and negativity. How then, do we reduce this suffering? First, just knowing how we are wired can help us to manage our automatic reactions. Awareness is the first step to making a change. Having compassion for our suffering is also important. Because the brain is busy storing, recalling and reacting to negative experiences, it is important that we consciously look for and take in positive experiences. The authors of “Buddha’s Brain” note that it takes an active effort to internalize positive experience and heal negative ones. This means turning positive facts into positive experiences, savoring these experiences and sensing them sinking in to your body and mind. The authors also suggest that the most powerful way to improve your mental and physical health is through calming your autonomic nervous system and activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Some ways you can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system include: deeply relaxing your body, practicing mindful medita-
the world as you possibly can. Practicing kindness means consciously warming your heart toward the whole world. In the words of the Buddhist scholar Shantideva, “All joy in this world comes from wanting others to be happy, and all suffering in this world comes from wanting only oneself to be happy.” Ronda Bresnick Hauss is a licensed clinical social worker and the founder of the Quiet Waters Center for Trauma, Stress and Resilience, on Capitol Hill. She uses an integrative & holistic approach to psychotherapy – addressing the connection between the mind, body and spirit through the use of traditional talk therapy, hypnosis, meditation, visualization, and creative, non-verbal techniques. She can be reached at: 202-544-5050. H
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kids&family NOTEBOOK Buzz Lightyear Donated to Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum has received the Buzz Lightyear action figure that traveled in space along with educational material related to its mission. The Buzz Lightyear figure flew
by Kathleen Donner
River City of its trouble with the “sin and corruption” of the pool hall, trouble that can only be stopped by forming a boys’ band. Marian the librarian suspects he’s a con man, but she begins to trust him after seeing how he’s given confidence to her shy younger brother. Soon,
Buzz Lightyear at the Launch Pad. Photo: Courtesy of NASA
into space aboard STS-124 on Discovery, and returned from space aboard STS-128, also aboard Discovery. In the meantime, the figure was used by the astronauts of ISS Expeditions 18, 19 and 20 to perform educational demonstrations-and, occasionally, to have a little fun on the side. Buzz will be on view later this year. Watch this column. nasm.si.edu
“The Music Man” Family Fun Pack
Having exhausted all 102 counties in Illinois, “Professor” Harold Hill gives Iowa a try and soon enough convinces
this “Music Man” has transformed the entire town, not only turning the bickering school board into a barbershop quartet, but himself into an honest man. When the stage erupts with “76 Trombones,” you’ll be cheering along with River City for Harold Hill! Four seats are $125. Your party must include at least two patrons between 5 and 17 and must be purchased by phone or in person. Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. May 11-July 22. Sales office number is 202-488-3300. arenastage.org
National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Walter Dean Myers iat LOC
Walter Dean Myers, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature 2012-2013 and a renowned author of books for young people, will tell stories, read from his books and talk with members of the audience in a program that marks the Library’s celebration of Children’s Book Week. Myers is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and has received two Newbery Honors. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be on Friday, May 11, at 11:00 a.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium, located on the ground floor of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. No tickets are required. During the event, representatives from the District of Columbia Public Library will introduce this year’s summer reading program, themed “Dream Big – Read!” Children who join the summer library program keep their brains active and enter school in the fall ready to learn and ready to succeed. Kids can sign up for the summer reading program at any neighborhood library in the District of Columbia starting May 14 for a chance to win prizes. loc.gov
Hill Center and Living Classrooms Form Partnership
Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital and Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region have been working together to supply Capitol Hill and the greater Washington DC area with diverse offerings to support a capitalcommunitynews.com H 111
diverse population. Living Classrooms Foundation strengthens communities and inspires young people to achieve their potential through hands-on education and job training, using urban, natural, and maritime resources as “living classrooms.” Living Classrooms Foundation is a BaltimoreWashington based non-profit educational organization. Since 2001, LC-NCR has served over 100,000 children and youth, with a special emphasis on those living in under-served communities. Living Classrooms will be offering Summer Camp at Hill Center this July. Kids will have the opportunity to explore the natural environment, create their own volcanic eruptions, learn the essentials of camping, investigate the mysteries of our prehistoric past through excavation and discover the wonders of growing their own food. 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. HillCenterDC.org
LEGO Master in Action at National Building Museum
Meet and talk with LEGO master Adam Reed Tucker as he completes the White House model for the Museum’s current exhibition LEGO Architecture: Towering Ambition. Take part in LEGO design challenges throughout both days. Become your own LEGO master and build with thousands of bricks in the Great Hall. May 12 and 13, noon-4:00 p.m., both days. Free, drop-in program. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. nbm.org
Free Kids T-Shirts at Nats vs. Orioles
On May 20, 1:35 p.m., the first 10,000 fans 12 and under get free t-shirts presented by ExxonMobil. washington.nationals.mlb. com
Mysteries in the Garden Children’s Storytelling
Susan Strauss, professional storyteller-The Origin of Medicine (Cherokee), the Nordic Tree of Life, Yggdrasil, the Zuni Cre112 H HillRag | May 2012
Little League AA Mud Hen players Noah Richmond, Danielle Chandler, Owen Meier, Zoe Edelman, and Jeremiah Richmond, one of Capitol Hill Little League’s twenty teams, participated in Opening Day festivities at the Payne Elementary School field on Saturday, April 14th. The Mud Hens coach is Adam Meier assisted by Boyle Stuckey and Lauren Huseby. They are sponsored by Beverly Orthopedic Dentistry. Photo: Adam Meier
Capitol Hill Little League Opening Day
On April 14, Capitol Hill Little League celebrated Opening Day at Payne playground with a carnival of games and moonbounces. The event included games of baseball trivia and knock the cans down, a temporary tattoo parlor and face painting. About 300 kids, ages 7-12 are playing this spring. Forty-five adults are volunteering as coaches and many families volunteer their time to maintain five playing fields. This season CHLL is working with both Eastern High School and Eliot-Hine Middle School to maintain their fields, which are used by Little League when the schools are not playing. In addition, Capitol Hill Little League also plays on the fields at Ludlow-Taylor, Payne and Tyler elementary schools. ation-these and otherworld mythologies hold remarkable images of photosynthesis and the extraordinary ways plants support life on earth. Ancient myths could be seen as the most enjoyable way to learn science. These stories told by the ancients, revitalized by Susan Strauss’ poetic storytelling, awaken an undeniable curiosity about the quiet green world. Susan Strauss is internationally recognized as a storyteller, keynoter and for her signature
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Passionate Fact Workshops. She teaches at Oregon State University and is a trained Eurythmist. Saturday, May 19, 11:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00-2:00 p.m. US Botanic Garden Conservatory Garden Court, 245 First St. SW. Free. usbg.gov
Voices of Now Festival at Arena
Arena Stage announces a fourday festival featuring performances by 11 youth ensembles from the Community Engagement program capitalcommunitynews.com H 113
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Voices of Now. The festival will bring together more than 150 young artists, ages 11-23, from DC, Maryland and Virginia who have been working with professional theater artists from Arena Stage for eight months to devise original one-act plays. The ensembles will come together at 7:30 p.m. each day, May 9-12 to perform and discuss their work. Through creative writing, improvisation, movement and acting, Voices of Now gives young artists the opportunity to learn about theater and performance, with the ultimate goal of devising and performing a piece of theater based on their own writing that poses difficult questions about social, cultural and emotional issues. It is tailored to middle and high school groups and is available to schools and various community groups throughout the area. In addition to performing at Arena Stage, ensembles perform in their own communities. Admission free, reservations required, 1101 6th St. SW. arenastage.org
Adventure Theatre’s Summer Music Theatre Camp at the Atlas
Be a part of Adventure Theatre’s musical theatre world at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in a camp complete with choreography, acting and singing! Each two-week workshop concludes with two full-scale productions with costumes and props on stage at the Atlas. Children, ages 6-12, will participate in classes, workshops and rehearsals culminating in the productions of Disney’s “Mulan Jr.” and “Tom Sawyer.” Camp is weekdays from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Aftercare will be provided from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at an additional cost. July 2-13 and July 16-27. Contact the Atlas Box Office at 202-3997993 x2, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org
Independent Youth Cinema at Southwest Library
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Weekly independent films that feature youth and mature young adult themes that “flip the bird” at authority, conformity and the mainstream. Join them every Friday, 3:00-5:15 p.m. These are the movies you may have missed the first time around. Movies are for ages 1321. Free. Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752. dclibrary.org/southwest
Stellae Boreales Play the Classics at the Botanic Garden
Stellae Boreales is Canada’s premier youth violin ensemble. Founded in 2004, it promotes musical excellence and community spirit among its members. The ensemble is comprised of 25 talented violinists ages 1117. Stellae Boreales is enthusiastic in sharing
the gift of its music with community audiences all over the world. Recent performance tours have included Japan, China and Iceland. The ensemble performs a classical repertoire and this season’s selection includes works by such artists as Vivaldi, Kroll, Mussorgsky and Ravel. Come hear this fabulous group and see the product of the fiddlewood tree in action! Sunday, May 20, 2:00-3:15 p.m. in the US Botanic Garden Conservatory Garden Court, 245 First St. SW. Free. usbg.gov
Middle School Chess Tournament
A Citywide Middle School Chess Tournament, sponsored by Chess Challenge in DC in partnership with DCPS, takes place June 2, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Woodrow Wilson High School, 3950 Chesapeake St. NW. Unrated and open to all DC middle school students, it is a four round tournament with blitz play-off. There are trophies for top three finishers and prizes for all. Early registration through May 18 is $10 – includes tshirt, lunch and prizes. Register at chesschallengeindc.org. 202.363.2008.
Common Good City Farm Summer Youth Program
Imagine work crews of DC area youth making a difference in our food system, earning a wage, and developing life skills – that’s their vision. And they need your help! Are you age 14-17 and looking for the best summer job of your life? Do you have experience mentoring youth and a desire to serve? Apply for Crew Leader or Youth Program Coordinator. Common Good City Farm is on V St. NW, between 2nd and 4th Streets, 202-5597513. commongoodcityfarm.org
G Rated “To The Arctic IMAX 3D” Opens at Natural History Museum
An extraordinary journey to the top of the world, the documentary adventure “To the Arctic IMAX 3D” tells the ultimate tale of survival. Narrated by Oscar winner Meryl Streep, the film takes audiences on a never-before-experienced journey into the lives of a mother polar bear and her twin seven-month-old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating, adventurous and intimate footage brings moviegoers up close and personal with this family’s struggle to survive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls, and majestic snow-bound peaks. Johnson IMAX Theater, National Museum of Natural History, 10th St. and Constitution Ave. NW, $9. Reserve tickets at 866-868-7774. mnh.si.edu
DCPS Receives Across the Board Increase in Lottery Applications
District of Columbia Public Schools experienced an across-the-board increase in applications for the annual Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and K-12 Out-of-Boundary lottery with strong gains at the preschool and pre-kindergarten levels reflecting a continuing trend of growth in those grades. This year, DCPS schools received a total 7,299 lottery applications, an increase of about 9.5% over the 2011 lottery. Much of the increase reflects continued strong interest in early childhood programs with 4,106 applications for seats at the preschool and pre-K levels, an increase of about 8% over 2011, when DCPS received 3,807 applications for preschool and pre-K seats. The 10 schools to receive the most applications saw the bulk of requests at the preschool and pre-K levels, including Maury Elementary in Ward 6 and Bancroft Elementary in Ward 1, two schools new to the top 10. Increases in preschool and pre-K applications reflect a coordinated effort led by the DCPS Office of Early Childhood Education to engage families and caregivers about the importance of enrolling our youngest learners in quality education programs. dcps.dc.gov
Hill Preschool Spring Fair
The Hill Preschool, the oldest preschool on Capitol Hill, will host their Spring Fair on May 5 (rain date, May 12), 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. There will be a music performance, facepainting, toddler tattooing, moon bounce, Ted’s pop tarts, pizza and homemade goodies. $5 per family. Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 400 D St. SE. thehillpreschool.org H
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kids&family
The Phantom Tollbooth and Capitol Hill Day School
T
he students of Capitol Hill Day School lined up to walk through a purple cardboard tollbooth that any reader of the beloved children’s classic “The Phantom Tollbooth” would have recognized. One girl was dressed up as a “Which,” several were wearing tiaras, and one boy carrying a red balloon passed through the tollbooth to hear the books author, Norton Juster, speak about his book. Students and teachers alike were excited to hear from the author of the book, now in print for 50 years, which is still relatable across the generations. It is fitting that he came to speak at Capitol Hill Day School this past month, an urban school where the curriculum is based around field trips – getting out of the classroom and into the city. “The Phantom Tollbooth,” much like Capitol Hill Day School’s field trip curriculum, teaches the value of learning away from the textbook.
Writing from Experience
by Dana Bell Knowledge – academia, in a physical form. Milo goes on a journey to rescue the Kingdom of Knowledge and learns the value of curiosity through the process. “A lot of kids ask, ‘who gets the tollbooth, and why?’” Juster said. “The tollbooth is not terribly important in and of itself. But in almost everybody’s life, there are particular times or moments when you un-
Norton Juster went to a school like Capitol Hill Day School. Or rather, a school that looked like Capitol Hill Day School. “It’s one of those things built at some undecipherable era, some long time ago,” he said. “I remember that all the stairs were surrounded by cyclone fencing. It always reminded me of a prison.” To that effect, Juster was like most students. “I was not a great seeker of knowledge. I liked reading, I liked doing things, but I didn’t like school, because I always seemed to be slightly off key,” he said. After college, Juster got a grant from the Ford Foundation to write a book about cities, but encountered writer’s block. That’s when he started to Students listen to Norton Juster at an Assembly. Photo: Capitol Hill Day School write “The Phantom Tollbooth.” “I never wrote it sequentially, except for the beginning part which tells you who Milo is, which is derstand something in a way that you have never understood it before or you see it in a new way. The only me,” Juster said. Milo, for those unfamiliar with the book, is a word that complements that is an epiphany.” young boy who is not interested in anything. One day, he gets a mysterious package in the mail – the purple The City of Reality tollbooth. He drives his electric car through the tollThere is a chapter in “The Phantom Tollbooth” booth and finds himself in the mystical Kingdom of where Milo finds himself in a city called Reality. Ex116 H HillRag | May 2012
cept that it doesn’t look like a city – only crowds of people walking with their heads down, on sidewalks with no buildings. Milo’s guide explains that the residents of Reality found they could get to places more efficiently if they walked with their heads down and didn’t get distracted along the way. As a result, the city fades away. When Capitol Hill Day School was founded in 1961, its founders wanted to make sure that the students weren’t walking around with their heads down. “The families that started the preschool program took a good look at where the school was located and they took advantage of it,” said Lisa Sommers, the Director of the school’s field education program since 1984. The program has grown significantly since its conception – from one bus and one driver and just a few trips a year, it now boasts three buses, overnight trips, and over 350 trips a year. “All of the field trips are directly connected to the curriculum,” said Sommers. “What they’re learning about has relevance. They can see or experience something or meet someone that will add a whole other dimension.” The fourth grade, for example, supplements their year-long study of immigration with an overnight trip to New York City. Instead of just reading and memorizing facts about the history of immigration, students get to experience it by visiting the Tenement Museum, or Little Italy’s first pizza parlor. “The Phantom Tollbooth” is at its core an urban book – through Milo, the reader discovers how to learn from your surroundings. Through the field trip program, Capitol Hill Day School encourages this type of learning as a way to nudge its students closer to that moment of epiphany. Juster describes a feeling that is familiar to anyone who has lived in a city. “You’re walking down a street you’ve been down a thousand times and you suddenly say, ‘How long has that been there?’ And then you realize: it has always been there. You just haven’t seen it.” H
CityDance’s DREAM Program It’s Not Just About Dance
I
by Amanda Abrams
t was halftime at the Verizon Cenengage in it, and then they choreograph a ter and the crowd was dispirited. The dance and perform it at the end of the year. Washington Wizards had taken on This year’s show will occur at the Atlas the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Wizards Performing Arts Center on May 25. were down by a few points and the night Those dances might look completely wasn’t looking so good. different from one another. A few years Suddenly, a bevy of kids in brightly ago, Quinn remembered, one group was colored t-shirts – more than 100 in all working with senior citizens and choreo– swarmed the court. Within seconds, graphed an abstract set of movements to they had arranged themselves in a large the song “Wade in the Water.” Meanwhile, spiral pattern and laid down quietly unanother group that was focusing on recytil the sound of an alarm clock filled the cling chose a much more literal theme that space. Then it was five minutes of nonincluded cleaning up a trash-strewn stage. stop dancing to a bouncy hip hop beat. That final project focuses on comAnd then it was over, six weeks’ worth of munity service, but the process itself emrehearsals that had finally come to fruipowers students. As a group, they choose tion. – with little input from the teacher – their That sounds like the end of a story, subject and activities, and later make a but it’s not. For the kids, participants swath of decisions about the performance, On parents’ night at Turner at Green Elementary School, DREAM program students show their stuff. Photo credit: CityDance in an after-school program led by the including its movement, storyline, music North Bethesda-based CityDance, it and costumes. “Throughout the year, the strong classes and activities for students – “but we’re was merely a midpoint. Sure, the March program leads up to a place where the kids 3 Wizards show was a huge adrenaline rush and a also very, very sensitive to the needs of the commu- can do something like that,” said Quinn. “They can’t very big deal, but it was only one component of a nity.” do it by day one, but we develop a very strong class Over time, the initiative has gradually evolved culture of belonging and membership and teamproject that has community engagement, not perinto a fairly standard progression. CityDance begins work that’s 100 percent necessary for the outcome.” formance, at its heart. The project is CityDance’s DREAM initiative, the year with a kickoff performance at each particiThat sense of belonging was clear one afternoon an outreach program that provides dance lessons and pating school that showcases professional dancers – at Turner at Green Elementary, located on Missishistory to DC public school students in grades three men and women representing a range of ethnicities sippi Avenue in Southeast. Six students were lying through five while simultaneously guiding them to and demonstrating a variety of styles – in action. “It’s on the floor developing colorful posters featuring apply their potential for expression to community the best way we know to get kids excited and inter- themes of nonviolence and peace – anti-violence service projects. It’s the newest project of an organi- ested in dance,” said Quinn. “We try to show that was their chosen topic – breaking the silence to joke zation that’s best known for its ballet and contem- this isn’t just about leotards and tights.” with one another or comment on their creations. And then it’s first-come, first-serve for those The environment was clearly a welcoming one. porary dance classes for Montgomery County teens. But CityDance, which is housed in the Strathmore students who want to sign up for the program, Rayshon, a sprightly fifth grader who’s in her Music Center, takes pride in its efforts to reach a which occurs twice a week after school for 32 weeks. third year in the program, said she loves it. “I like Quinn and her five teachers use the program as Miss Rachel” – that’s Rachel DiLeo, the teacher – “I range of children and adolescents throughout the a vehicle for lessons related to community engage- like dancing, I like us all getting along.” region, including those in schools located east of the ment. So, early in the year, when teachers introduce Anacostia River. Her brother, Nikko, joined the program this year, a dance genre like hip hop to the students, they em- after seeing how much his sister enjoyed it. While Established seven years ago through a pilot program at Ward 8’s Turner at Green Elementary phasize its roots in self-expression and empower- working on his poster, he was a little distracted. But School, the DREAM initiative quickly expanded. ment, and encourage the students to talk about how the third grader shone when the group rehearsed a These days, it covers roughly 110 children in sev- it relates to ideas of community-building. movement sequence DiLeo had choreographed to The big performance – at a Wizards or George- a Ray Charles song – particularly during the imen schools located throughout the city. East of the river, 25 kids from Turner at Green and CW Har- town University basketball game (or both, like this provisation section, when he was allowed to be fully ris elementary schools are involved in the program. year) – comes near the middle of the program. That physical. Meanwhile, CityDance is developing a partnership means the two months prior to it are spent feverThat’s kind of the point of the program, exwith KIPP’s Benning Road campus and has begun ishly learning choreography created by local hip hop plained Quinn: because it emphasizes a number of teaching classes there to middle schoolers who aged artist Aysha Upchurch. The students first learn it on different skills, children have a chance to excel in a their own, then eventually come together with the variety of ways, even if they’re not great dancers. out of the DREAM program. It’s an initiative whose motives and progress six other schools and practice as a group. “Some kids might not be the best movers in After the big performance, the kids begin a com- class, but then they take ownership in the class have been deeply thought out. “We like to be strategic,” explained Kelli Quinn, CityDance’s director munity service project of the kids’ own choosing. It structure and are natural leaders. You see all kinds of of early arts and community programs. “We come might focus on anti-bullying, self-esteem or work- things with the kids,” related Quinn. “That’s what’s into a community with basic goals” – like providing ing with senior citizens; each school picks a different beautiful with dance: there’s a place for everyone.” H topic. First the students learn about the topic and capitalcommunitynews.com H 117
kids&family
School Notes compiled by Susan Braun Johnson
Eliot-Hine Middle School News Library Windfall
As the 2011-2012 school year began, Eliot-Hine MS discovered that increased enrollment brought even more eager readers – but no additional volumes for the school library. Unlike most of the Capitol Hill elementary schools, who received new libraries several years ago, Eliot-Hine’s current selection of library books was small and outdated – nearly non-existent. There was a need for books representing a range of reading levels to accommodate the interests and abilities of advanced students, as well as engaging below-basic students. The situation was of particular to concern to Principal Young who believes “the library is an important educational resource, because it provides free access to information and literary fun. The library supplements the content students learn in class as well as provides a means for students to self-educate as they read books of interest to them.” Although Ms. Bradshaw, the librarian, worked wonders with limited materials at her disposal, something clearly had to be done. Then, inspira-
tion struck. Since DCPS had no plans or resources to rectify the situation, it was thought that ANC 6A might be able to help. Ms. Bradshaw and the business manager, Ms. Jackson, representing the PTSA, teamed up with a Maury ES grant writer to submit a request for funding. Although the original request was only $4,000, the Commissioners raised the amount to $5,000 before approving the request. Ms. Jackson and Ms. Bradshaw ordered the books and had them on the shelves shortly after the students returned from winter break. Ms. Bradshaw reports that she is nearly “stalked” by a cadre of avid readers, constantly looking for new books. It gives her tremendous pleasure to finally be able to accommodate them. Eliot-Hine Middle School, 1830 Constitution Ave. NE, Elizabeth Nelson, Elizabeth_knits@yahoo.com. http://www.eliothinemiddleschool. org/ or 202-939-5380
The Hill Preschool Hill Preschool Spring Fair on May 5th
The Hill Preschool, the oldest preschool on Capitol Hill, will host
its second annual Spring Fair on May 5, from 10 a.m. -1 p.m. There will be a music performance, face painting, toddler tattooing, moon bounce, Ted’s pop tarts, pizza and homemade goodies. Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 400 D St, with a rain date of May 12. $5 per family, stay all day! Check w w w. t h e h i l l p re school.org/ for any updates if it looks rainy.
Capitol Hill Cluster School Capitol Hill Classic May 20
Students, teachers, parents, friends, and neighbors are getting in shape for the National Capitol Bank (NCB) Capitol Hill Classic—an annual 10K race, a 3K race, and a kid fun run—in support of the Cluster School. Open to the public (register through the school website), the races will take place Sunday, May 20, 2012. Approximately 3,500 people from across the metropolitan area— including many Cluster students, who trained with the Watkins Running Club, Girls on the Run, and the Stuart-Hobson track team—are expected to participate in this popular, fun Hill event. Proceeds will fund art and classroom projects, field trips, professional development, and more.
Stuart-Hobson
Eliot-Hine’s Eager Readers Checking Out Books 118 H HillRag | May 2012
Peabody Elementary families enjoy the annual exhibit of student Knee Bowls—students use their knees to sculpt the bowls and their imaginations to paint them.
Middle schoolers at StuartHobson had a strong showing at the school’s annual National History Day competition. Students produced documentaries and web sites, made
exhibits, gave performances, and wrote papers. Topics of the winning projects ranged from the Revolution of Apple Personal Computers (by Liana King) to Cultural Revolution in China (by Donae Smith and Anaya Awkard), and from the American Disabilities Act (Sheina Crystal and Mackenzie Pomroy) to the DC Riots on H Street (Nakiya Griffin and Dominique Thomas)—and much more. As we go to press, the schoolwide winners in grades 6 through 8 are preparing for the citywide competition. We hope to post results in a future Hill Rag.
Watkins
First and second graders at Watkins Elementary enjoyed a field trip to the Mall to watch the space shuttle Discovery’s final flight. Older students whose classes are at the top of the building—simply looked out their windows, with views of the Capitol and the Discovery.
Peabody
Student artists at Peabody Early Childhood Center recently exhibited their colorful, hand-painted, ceramic Knee Bowls, created by shaping clay
around their knees. Each student at the school worked with art teacher Katie Cushman to make and paint the bowls, which were then fired in the school’s kiln and displayed in the art studio. - Molly Dewsnap Meinhardt. Peabody Early Childhood Campus – 425 C St. NE; Watkins Elementary Campus – 420 12th St. SE; Stuart-Hobson Middle School Campus – 410 E St. NE; www.capitolhillclusterschool.org.
J.O. Wilson Elementary
A Strong Partnership: J. O. Wilson ES and the FBI Junior Special Agent Program ( JSA) J. O. Wilson students are active participants in the Junior Special Agent Program ( JSA), a partnership with the US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, DC Field Office. In previous years, J. O. Wilson sixth-graders participated in the program, and this year, through the continued generosity of Mr. Jose Rodrigues, President, Fort Myer Construction, fifth-grade students were invited to participate at no cost to families. The JSA program, coordinated by Mrs. Shernita Morris, includes sessions led by special agents on anti-gang and anti-violence work, cyber-bullying, “inside scoop” on FBI surveillance, and encouragement to stay physically fit. Activities have included: an etiquette class and lunch at Clyde’s at Gallery Place, a visit to the White House and the US Capitol, gift copies of
Dr. Benjamin Carson’s autobiography “Gifted Hands” and attendance at a talk given by Dr. Carson at Johns Hopkins. Students also visited President Abraham Lincoln’s Cottage, which directly correlates to the fifth grade curriculum. In May, the students will take a tour of the National Mall, explore Manassas Battlefield, and travel to Quantico to participate in the JSA Fit Test and to compete against other JSA schools. Four students will participate in the Excellent Incentive Day, which recognizes students who have shown discipline and enthusiasm in the overall program. During the June graduation ceremony, additional honors will be awarded for participation in the fit test, essay contest, and poster contest. The JSA program at J. O. Wilson allows students to make curriculum connections, visit national monuments, meet influential people, and gain exposure to careers for the future. - Samantha Caruth, J. O. Wilson Elementary School, 660 K St. NE, 202-698-4733, www.dcps. dc.gov/jowilson.
Capitol Hill Day School News Capitol Hill Day School Travels Through “The Phantom Tollbooth”
CHDS students enjoyed an exceptional treat when “The Phantom Tollbooth” author Norton Juster visited the School, answered questions, read from and signed his
Harmonica duet with Norton Juster and Capitol Hill Day School teacher Pearl Bailes. Photo: Lisa Sommers capitalcommunitynews.com H 119
books, and picked up some harmonica tips They were also lucky to have 15-20 Foodfrom 4th grade teacher Pearl Bailes. After 50 Corps (http://foodcorps.org/) volunteers years, “The Phantom Tollbooth” still engages who helped build eight raised garden beds and inspires readers of all ages, and Mr. Juster in front of the parking lot and prepare them seemed pleased with the students’ exuberant for planting. The students had participated and creative maps, costumes, and word play directly with the building of those garden – not to mention a replica of the phantom tollbooth. Author studies figure prominently at CHDS, and in addition to meeting Mr. Juster, CHDS students have met Carl Hiassen, Emily Jenkins, Neela Vaswani, and Sharon Draper. These conversations with authors help students add depth and perspective to their independent and assigned reading and writing, including their personal response journals. Drawing on her own immigrant experience in her book “Same Sun Here,” Neela Vaswani urged 4th graders to include sen- Students from Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan participate in the sory details in their writing, rein- Extreme Garden Makeover, Part II forcing a recent classroom topic. This conversation also enriched the students’ exploration of early American boxes (and further prepared for CAS testculture and the immigration history of North ing) by working with neighbor Tim Abdella, America. Two highlights are the individual to determine what length and size to cut the presentations on Family History Day, and wood to build the garden boxes. the overnight trip to New York City’s Ellis Among other garden tasks, the side yard Island and Tenement Museum. was raked to prepare for the outdoor classIn every grade, CHDS students search room that will be built on May 19 with for patterns and relationships in depth, across Hands on DC. The students had a great subjects, developing habits of observing, ana- time raking the leaves (and losing shoes in lyzing, and predicting. In focused thematic the process), finding worms to add to their studies, students examine relationships be- earthworm bin, and rolling down the giant tween environment and culture. Over 300 pile of clean dirt. The next garden work day will be May field trips each year connect the classroom to the outside world, bringing themes to life. - 19; all friends and neighbors are welcome to help transform their space into a garden Jane Angarola Capitol Hill Day School, 210 South Caro- oasis. – Julie Stewart. Capitol Hill Monteslina Ave. SE, 202-386-9919,, janea@chds.org. sori at Logan, 215 G St. NE, 202-698-4467, http://capitolhillmontessorischool.org.
Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan News
Extreme Garden Makeover, Part II at CH Montessori at Logan
On April 14, there was a strong contingent of volunteers for Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan’s Extreme Garden Makeover, Part II. This is the second work day CHM@L has held to implement the $10,000 garden grant (one of only three schools in Ward 6!) received from Office of State Superintendent of Education. Several parents and students came out, along with Principal Brandon Eatman, teacher Waduda Henderson, and School Garden Coordinator Curis Taylor, to continue transforming their gardens. 120 H HillRag | May 2012
St. Peter School News Exploring Morality through Plant Life Cycle
St. Peter School second graders recently read Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax” to reinforce the importance of seeds in the plant life cycle. Second grade teacher Mrs. Pruitt was so impressed by the students’ higher level thinking about the moral of the ecology story that she launched a genre study of stories with morals. Inspired by identifying life lessons in literature, students developed their own stories featuring characters facing moral decisions. Students dramatized life lessons about honesty, sharing, gratitude, good vs. evil and forgiveness.
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benefiting St. Peter School on May 19 at 9 a.m. in St. Peter’s Parish Hall. As always, festivities will include kid’s activities, grilled food and bake sale treats! St. Peter School, 422 Third St. SE, 202-544-1618, www. stpeterschooldc.org.
Amidon-Bowen Elementary School News Justice Thurgood Marshall Exhibit Dedicated in Amidon-Bowen Library
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St. Peter School second grader with story character she created
Newbery Club – Medieval Times
St. Peter School students in grades four through six joined this year’s Newbery Club and committed to reading and reporting on three Newbery medal books of their choice; reading and extensively detailing themes and historical references related to the Club’s featured Newbery medal book, “A Door in the Wall.” Club activities culminated in a field trip to Medieval Times where students experienced a live history lesson presented by a King and his Noble Court set within the walls of an 11th century-style castle. Students took a personal journey back to the Middle Ages, including a live jousting performance!
On April 20, The Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) History Task Force and the Amidon-Bowen 4th grades, hosted the dedication of a Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall Exhibit to be housed in the Amidon-Bowen Library. Heather Evans, a 4th grader, was Mistress of Ceremonies. After welcoming remarks by Principal Izabela Miller, a congratulatory letter from Mrs. Thurgood “Cissy” Marshall was read to the group. Justice and Mrs. Marshall were residents of Southwest for many years. Rick Bardach, Interim Chair of the SWNA Youth Activities Task Force, and Daryl Lucas, President of the World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund Staff African American Association, offered comments and congratulations. Cecille Chen, Chairperson of the SWNA Southwest Heritage Project, added comments about the importance of this project to the history of Southwest. The program included a keynote ad-
“Annie – The Musical”
Boost your Childs Skills this summer: Multisensory Reading Programs Expressive Writing Programs Reading Comprehension Programs Ages 6-15 Preschool Language Groups Ages 3-5
Two locations: Washington DC, Vienna, VA June 25- July 27 • July 23 - August 17 202-253-1654 703-830-1136 www.readingllcenter.com 122 H HillRag | May 2012
Plan on attending the St. Peter School annual musical on May 11 or 12 at 7 p.m. in the St. Peter’s Church parish hall. This classic, engaging performance is perfect for all ages and audiences!
Annual School Yard Sale
Don’t miss the tried and true annual yard sale
NAACP Legal Defense Fellow, address the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades at Amidon-Bowen ES
exciting opportunities! For those who are unfamiliar, expeditions at Two Rivers are cross-disciplinary, hands-on explorations that place students at the heart of some of the real-world’s most compelling challenges. Through the Expeditionary Learning educational model, Two Rivers’ stuMaury Elementary second-grader, Clara, peeks in at the shad hatchery in dents master the the school’s lobby. skills and knowledge they need dress by Christine Ingram, Legal while participatFellow, NAACP Legal Defense ing in a collective journey that invites and Educational Fund who was in- them to discover how the concepts troduced by Eugene O’Carroll. Po- and dimensions of the world unfold ems by Langston Hughes – “Words all around them. Like Freedom” and “I Dream of a This spring, Two Rivers’ eighthWorld”- were read by Taije Cham- graders are exploring the question bliss and Heather Evans. Jessica “who owns my DNA, and under Zeiler, Amidon-Bowen ES Librar- what circumstances would I share it ian, summed up the importance of for the good of society?” By uncovtoday’s youth understanding the ering the genetic and ethical dimenrole Southwest residents has had in sions behind DNA research, they the shaping of our history. have learned about the tension that Thanks go to Joy Austin, Ex- exists between one’s individual rights ecutive Director of The Washing- for privacy and the promises of sciton Humanities Council, and the entific advancement in both their Southwest Library, for their sup- science and language arts classes. Usport, and LaTonya Sellers, Assis- ing “The Immortal Life of Henrietta tant Secretary, World Bank Group- Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot as their anInternational Monetary Fund Staff chor text, eighth graders have learned African American Association. about DNA and the principles of Special thanks go to Thelma Jones, inheritance to better understand the Program Director and Vice Chair, question. They also met an NIH geSWNA YATF, who has spearhead- netic researcher, and most recently, ed the efforts to keep the contribu- sent poetry to Rebecca Skloot hertions of Thurgood Marshall before self, who read and “loved” their work the residents of Southwest and the and invited students for a meet-andcity at large. A reception followed. greet! Congratulations to Two Rivers’ - Meg Brinckman. Amidon-Bowen eighth graders for achieving such an Elementary School, 401 I St. SW. exciting opportunity – keep up the 202-724-4867. good work! For more information on Two Rivers and its Expeditionary Learning approach, please visit www. tworiverspcs.org. You can also follow the school on Facebook at Two Rivers Eighth Graders Explore www.facebook.com/tworiverspcs, or Twitter, at @TwoRiversPCS.— Genetics and Meet Famous Author on Paul Staats Eighth graders at Two Rivers are Two Rivers Public Charter in the middle of an expedition on School, 1227 4 St. NE. genetics that has lead to some pretty
Two Rivers Public Charter School News
Maury Elementary School News Congrats to the Cougar Cheerleaders!
Dedication, discipline, and teamwork were all words the Maury Cheerleading Team showed to win 2nd place at the DCIAA Cheerleading City Championship on March 10. Competing against nine teams, the Cougars made a nail biting, victorious win. Maury cheerleaders are: Ne’vaeh Alston, Xia Gardner, Shaylah Jackson, Alaiya Johnson, Lamia Lowery, Tamyrah McLendon, JaNyia Prescott, Mikalah Ray, Ravyn Tyree, Diara Stubbs, Joniece White, Kayla White, and Taja White; they are led by Coach Ericka. - Chantese Alston.
Maury’s Science Corner
Maury greets spring with exciting science partnerships! Thanks to grants from the National Environmental Education Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Trust, and Target, students at every grade level will participate in a number of environmental initiatives, including: Shad Restoration Project – In this program, the environmental educators from Living Classrooms will work with first grade students on raising shad eggs. Students will take care of the shad eggs for one week as they hatch into fry and then release them into the Anacostia River. We have set up the hatchery station in the front lobby to share this project with entire community! River Habitats – First and second-grade classes will participate in an amazing, service-oriented program from the Anacostia Watershed Society with a focus on animal adaptation and the local wildlife habitat needs. The program is comprised of in-class instruction, a field study experience on the Anacostia River, and a restoration activity. Second-graders will take part in a meadow restoration project by planting native plants grown in their classrooms. Both grades will go on pontoon boat field trips on the Anacostia River to gain a firsthand look at the river and begin to identify its surrounding wildlife. Flower Power: Our PS and PreK teachers are collaborating on a special
springtime flower study unit. Students are learning about the functions and parts of flowers and will grow plants for a May schoolyard planting day. The teachers participated in a professional development session conducted by a local beekeeper! - Think Tank teacher, Mrs. Ford. Maury Elementary, 1250 Constitution Ave. NE. Carolyne AlbertGarvey, Principal. 202-698-3838 or mauryelementary.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School News Exploring the World
Pre-school children are exploring Morocco this spring, while prek classes let their imaginations take them to Egypt, Japan, and China. Each of the six early childhood classes chose countries at the beginning of the year. While pre-school classes are rotating through several, each pre-k class has focused on a specific one for the entire year. In pre-school, dramatic play centers have become Moroccan markets, and construction centers hold Kasbahs, riads, and mosques. Children in Ms. Campbell’s pre-k talk about bartering and hieroglyphics, built pyramids, and turned dollar store Barbie’s into mummies. Ms. Townes’ pre-k students studied the Japanese tsunami, brainstorming ways to help the Japanese people and reenacting relief efforts. Mrs. Johnson’s pre-k students have been learning all about China. Spring field trips took students to the Sackler and Freer Galleries of Art, the Egyptian exhibit at the Natural History Museum and the Egyptian area at Port Discovery.
Spring Testing
Older students prepared for DC CAS tests with a busy spirit week, complete with sports, wacky hair, and mismatch days. To keep things quiet for the test-takers, younger students had early morning recess and nearby excursions to the Postal Museum, Stanton Park, the Sherwood Recreation Center and the Northeast Library.
Generous ANC Grant
ANC 6C awarded a much-apcapitalcommunitynews.com H 123
kids&family preciated grant to the PTA to help fund new kung Fu and robotics clubs for older children in aftercare. The PTA bought Kung Fu uniforms and equipment and elaborate Lego kits that the children are using to build and program robots. - Sara McLean, Ludlow-Taylor ES, 659 G St. NE.
Eastern Senior High School News Good Things Are Sprouting at Eastern!
Eastern Senior High School recently won a $10,000 grant from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to start their campus greenhouse and garden. The effort was led by Eastern staff and included
Work in the greenhouse and garden will continue through the summer utilizing students employed by Paxen through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). In the fall, the garden coordinators will integrate the garden with general and special education curricula in biology and nutrition. If you are interested in lending your garden, greenhouse or carpentry expertise, volunteering for a few hours in the garden or would like to donate new or used garden supplies (tools, seeds, soil, mulch, pots, etc.) please reach out to Emma Osore, Coordinator of School Affairs at 202-698-4500 or emma.osore@ dc.gov; Eastern Senior High School, 1700 East Capitol St. NE, www.easternhighschooldc.org, Twitter: @EasternHS, http://www.facebook.com/ easternhighschool, 202-698-4500.
Miner Elementary School Notes Scouting for Food at Miner
Cub Scout Pack 312 at Miner is learning about the positive impact they can have on others and the satisfaction of contributing to the local community by collecting donations of canned or dry foods for the needy and homeless for its spring service project. These foods will be donated to Martha’s Table, a local non-profit that helps at-risk children, youth, families and inEastern High School students, members of the studentdividuals improve their lives by led Greenhouse and Garden Club, starting seeds in the providing educational programs, greenhouse. food and clothing. – Lauren Kabler. Myrtilla Miner Elementary community partners, City Blossoms School, 601 15 St. NE. LaVonne Taliaand The Paxen Learning Corporaferro-Bunch, Principal, 202-397-3960 tion’s About Face Program. Although or http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/miner. they are still waiting on the funds, not only has the 30-student Greenhouse Follow on Facebook. and Garden Club successfully started sunflowers, tomatoes, cilantro, peas, cabbage, calendula, marigolds and more from seed in the greenhouse, they also hosted a garden workday with Food Corps to build compost bins and outdoor beds. In addition, they planned and organized a “Legacy Class” (Class of 2015) Tree Planting and Dedication Ceremony (check out the small grove of 15 symbolic trees on the front left corner of the Eastern campus), and conducted a Mother’s Day plant sale! 124 H HillRag | May 2012
Friendship Public Charter School News Increase Your Child’s Chances for College
Recently, public high schools in the District of Columbia were assessed according to a new way of measuring graduation rates. The new measure counts how many students graduate after attending high school for four years. Donald L. Hense,
chariman and founder of Friendship Public Charter High School is proud of the students, teachers and staff, as they learned that their fouryear graduation rate was 85 percent. This compares to 80 percent for all DC public charter schools and a 53 percent graduation rate for District of Columbia Public Schools, the city’s traditional public school system. Friendship operates two public charter high schools: Friendship Collegiate Academy in Ward 7 and Friendship Tech Prep Academy in Ward 8. They also manage one traditional public high school in partnership with the traditional school system: the Academies at Anacostia in Ward 8. In the seven District campuses, Friendship Public Charter School works hard to ensure that students graduate high school—an essential qualification for getting to college, which vastly improves urban youth’s prospects. The current unemployment rate for those over the age of 25 who are high-school dropouts is 14 percent nationally—and much higher in urban areas. For college graduates, the rate is four percent. The flagship charter high school, Collegiate Academy, has graduated nearly 2,000 students since it first opened, and Friendship graduates 44 percent of all students who receive a high school diploma in Wards 7 and 8. Friendship students have received $21 million in college scholarships over the past three years. Visit www. friendshipschools.org. – Donald L. Hense, Chairman and Founder of Friendship Public Charter School.
Proving What’s Possible DCPS Grant Deadline May 18
District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced a new $10 million grant program to dramatically improve student outcomes across the district. Beginning today, all schools will be able to apply for the program, called Proving What’s Possible (PWP). “In order to achieve the ambitious goals we’ve outlined for our schools, we need to do more,” said Henderson. “Innovation and continuous improvement are essential to growth in any industry, and education is no different. Our stu-
dents deserve nothing less than our very best.” All DCPS schools are eligible to apply for either of the two types of PWP grants. Major Grants ($250,000 to $400,000) are designed for schools with the largest population of students in need of academic improvement or a group of students who need to make the largest academic gains. Targeted Grants ($50,000 to $100,000) are designed for schools that want to focus on supporting a targeted intervention for a subgroup within a school. Schools are encouraged to propose research-based approaches that have a track record of success in urban schools. They are also encouraged to focus their applications on how time, talent and technology can help them to make dramatic academic gains, such as extending the school day, utilizing technology in innovative ways, and rethinking how they ensure that their highest caliber staff are reaching as many students as possible. Each proposal must also include a detailed fiscal application that includes the overall budget and a spending plan. The funding for this grant comes from funds previously spent on centrally mandated pilots and programs. With this new fund, schools will have the opportunity to spend the money where they think it will have the greatest impact. Schools will have until May 18 to apply for this grant. Schools received a FAQ document to help support their applications. In addition, Central Office staff will be available to provide technical assistance until May 17. Awards will be announced on June 1 and the funds will be made available on July 1. “We believe in the power of school-based innovation. Principals are always telling me that if they only had more money or more time, they could get closer to their goals, and now we’re coming through to help them deliver,” John Davis, Chief of Schools at DCPS. “This year, we’re facing increased administrative costs across the district, but we were able to identify this money and target it to innovative and measurable solutions in the area that ultimately matters the most: our students’ success.” H
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Homes & Gardens Rejoicing in Rain
New Rain Barrel for Hill Opens at Church of the Brethren
O
article and Photographs by Rindy O’Brien
n April 11, the Anacostia River community joined with the congregation of the Church of the Brethren in celebrating the completion of a very special project. It’s a new rain barrel – called a cistern when it’s as big as this one. Despite the cold, threatening skies, and harsh wind, a crowd gathered on the front lawn of the church to witness the opening of the tap. The large, bright red rain barrel will provide free rainwater to the Hill community and at the same time prevent more than 50,000 gallons of storm water from entering the Anacostia River.
Your Bag Dollars At Work
Since 2010, every time you shop in DC and forget your cloth shopping bag, you are charged five cents for the shop to provide you with a plastic bag. The Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act (‘Bag Law’) requires all district businesses selling food or alcohol to charge 5 cents for each disposable paper or plastic carryout bag. A recent survey conducted by the Alice Ferguson Foundation found that the recent DC bag fee has been overwhelm-
The new red rain barrel is right in front of the Church of the Brethren and is available for all to use.
ingly effective in changing behavior, with 75% of district residents reporting a reduction in their bag usage, and businesses reporting drastic reductions in bag usage. The bag tax raised approximately $2.6 million through April 2011, according to the DC Department of Environment (DDOE) and some of this money was passed through to the Anacostia River Keepers to put the rain barrel in place at the Church of the Brethren. The number of plastic bags handed out by supermarkets and other establishments dropped from the 2009 monthly average of 22.5 million to just 3 million a month in the early months of the program. The Church of the Brethren rain cistern cost about $10,000 and was paid for by the bag tax. Mike Bolinder, the current AnaA small crowd gathered on April 11 to celebrate the completion of the rain barcostia Riverkeeper, noted at the rel at the Church of the Brethren. capitalcommunitynews.com H 127
Dottie Yunger was the first Anacostia Riverkeeper and spearheaded this project.
public event,“It was great that the fund could be used here. But, I hope that one day there will be no money in the fund, because all shoppers are bringing their own bags when shopping. It would be a good problem to have,� he said.
A River Keeper’s Outreach
The Anacostia Riverkeeper is a non-profit position that is part of the national Waterkeeper Alliance. The Anacostia Riverkeeper has worked over the past eight years to stop storm water from
Dennis Chestnut spoke before the gathering about the work of the Anacostia Greenwork organization in getting the project completed.
Mike Bolinder, new Riverkeeper for the Anacostia looks forward to monitoring the success of the use of the free water. 128 H HillRag | May 2012
polluting the Anacostia River by introducing rain barrels, and other low-impact development technology to our area. Dottie Yunger held the position as Riverkeeper starting in 2008, while also studying theology at the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington. She served as student associate pastor at the Capitol Hill United Methodist Church and began to connect different churches on the Hill with her efforts to be better stewards of the river. She developed an
easy and comfortable relationship that the leadership of the Church of the Brethren. Together, they worked to establish a giant rain barrel to capture the rain running into the street and sewers. Congregants of the Church of Brethren are thrilled to be a part of this project. “We really didn’t do any of the hard work in getting the barrel in place,” said Fred and Gwen Martin, “but we are rejoicing in the completion of the project and feel blessed that it is here.” Yunger said in her blessing of the cistern, “We are
A sacramental bowl was borrowed from the Church of the Brethren for the christening of the barrel.
blessed to share this water with our community and hope that the blessing spreads through our community.” Dottie has moved from being the Riverkeeper to a new position that marries her two passions in an even greater effort. As of September 2011, she was appointed as the first professional executive director of the Chesapeake Covenant Community. More than sixty leaders and others from Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities have signed a commitment to honor God’s Covenant with Creation and are finding ways to work on saving the Chesapeake Bay and nearby rivers, like the Anacostia. She hopes to talk more churches on the Hill into collecting their rainwater, so they can put their water to better use. capitalcommunitynews.com H 129
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The bright red barrel that now sits in front of the Church of the Brethren at 337 North Carolina Ave. SE is available to anyone in the Hill community to use as water for their gardens. You just need to bring your containers and turn on the tap. Mike Bolinder says that he will be monitoring the use of the water in the coming months, so he can get a sense of how the rainwater is being used. The project truly was a community effort. A representative from DDOE rode up on his bicycle for the event. Fragers Hardware sent flowers to plant around the new barrel and more flowers for participants to take home and plant. Dennis Chestnut with Groundwork Anacostia River DC was also on hand to celebrate the opening of the barrel, and to pledge that staff will continue to be available to provide maintenance and assistance for the project. Groundwork Anacostia had four workers spending about 30 hours installing the guttering and bringing the large barrel on site. “It wasn’t as heavy as it was wide and hard to maneuver from the truck to the site,” said Vaughn Perry, Groundwork project director. “We were really pleased to be part of this project,” said Dennis, “and I hope it spins off many more efforts like this.” Capitol Hill is blessed to have so many people and organizations pulling together to make our environment better and all are encouraged to stop by and bring your watering cans. Rindy O’Brien lives on the Hill and applauds the efforts of the Church of the Brethren. For thoughts or ideas, contact Rindy at rindyobrien@ gmail.com. H
130 H HillRag | May 2012
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homesgardens gardenspot
The Remake of 1100 Constitution Avenue NE
J
article and photos by Derek Thomas
ust over three years ago, Barry couple, for they had found a new And Donna Brauth packed up home. As the months turned into their lives and trekked south years, the couple knew they had to from Albany, New York to spread do the garden and in the summer new roots in the heart of Capitol of 2011 they jumped in feet first. Hill. Donna says, “I wanted to move You see theirs is a sprawling corner to Washington for the weather and wrap around garden with planting lifestyle. City living was attractive to areas on both Constitution and me. I wanted to be able to walk to 11th Street. stores, restaurants and markets.” And for Barry the move to Washington A time to garden was a long anticipated one, “all my The garden at 1100 Constitulife I wanted to live here,” says Barry. tion Ave. NE is in fact quite large, Their search for a new home took the very public, and has all the microcouple to many Washington neighclimates that most massive estates borhoods, however when they disare in envy of. The Constitution covered Capitol Hill they knew they Avenue side faces south and bakes were finally home. “What we loved and blisters in the summer sun. This instantly about the Hill was it’s transpace pushes around the corner to Barry and Donna Brauth enjoy their new garden on a perfect Capitol Hill afternoon quil and sedate village look with a 11th Street where street trees begin small town feel, while still being very to offer dappled sunlight and a taste urban. I knew we’d found home,” says of reprieve from the sun’s onslaught. one for the couple. The home had been renovated Donna. Barry felt it was a beautiful part of the city and the couple felt right from the moment they As the garden continues along 11th Street, the sun and thought he would have no problems adjusting to crossed the threshold. This feeling would last fades away behind the shade of mature hemlocks, the type of city living the Hill had to offer. throughout all the untimely repairs that popped dogwoods and hollies. The street trees assist in up over the next few years. “We encountered all transforming the harshest western exposure into A Home on the Hill the “This Old House” worries with in the first few a shaded oasis where moss and lichens would be After looking around the Hill, the home at years,” says Donna. Leaking roofs and a multi- perfectly, unexpectedly at home. The spaces were 1100 Constitution Ave. NE was instantly the tude of fixes and repairs did not discourage the originally landscaped with masses of liriope and
Before the seas of liriope overpowered even the harsh cement pavers 132 H HillRag | May 2012
After the garden flows and drifts through its many microclimates
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cement steppers. A minimalist’s rendering of “since I don’t know what to do with the space, let’s plant it out with seas of indestructible liriope and hope for the best,” style of landscaping. Perhaps the only source of joy the garden squeezed out for Barry and Donna during their first years was the rose who, in spite of the couple’s forced neglect, bloomed. Oh, and the badly – no, really badly – pruned Crape Myrtle. So, the couple started the interviews for the
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A foxgloves’ petals perches upon the peeling bark of a Kousa dogwood
designer who could take their green sea of liriope and transform it into a garden that was theirs. In fact, during the forced interior repairs they were researching the differences of gardens in the Mid-Atlantic compared to their former New York State. Donna was checking out the plants that would work for her tastes and thrive in the multi-climate garden. Barry felt, “being a corner lot we have a bigger obligation to do our garden, and do it right.” At first, many of the designers were not able to grasp the garden, the neighborhood, and the style and aesthetics that
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Even the tree box’s new resident is a show off in Barry and Donna’s new garden
work on Capitol Hill. “Some of the designers wanted to put in plants that would make me feel like we were back in the suburbs. I did not want this,” says Donna. When they met their designer they knew the fit was right. “We decided fairly quickly that this was the one,” says Barry.
The Renovation
Over the next month the drawings and plans came together, the brick walkway to the main entry and the broken up cement driveway gave way to European inspired pavers. The seas and seas of liriope were tamed and repurposed into the tree boxes. Iron hairpin tree box fencing was added, and the massive amounts
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A rose frolics along the restored iron fence
of iris that once fought and vied for earth in the main garden was transplanted into the newly renovated tree boxes. The rose who fought for survival for the past few years was put into the south west tree box with a second surviving rose who had been planted under the cover of a second story bay and had survived. The cement pavers gave way to large field stone steppers that helped to break up the straight, staid lines of the former paths. The garden was planted with drifts of plants that would normally not be found in the same garden together. Due to the multi climates, Barry and Donna’s garden has hosta and hydrangea, playfully existing with Christmas Ferns and foxglove. Camellias and dwarf Nandina joust with topiary boxwoods and drifts of pansies. Otto laurels and Nandina show off berries in winter and spring. Hummingbird mint and iris play off the cool leaves of coral bells and cone flower. The once solitary rose has been replaced with a proper English rose garden that is built around the stately structure of a specimen Crape Myrtle. Large mature Nandina and chindo viburnum help to soften the southeast corner of the home. The new garden flows and ebbs in a tranquil display of coy and subtle navigation from harsh sun, to part shade, to dense understory shade, seamlessly and unpretentiously. In a very similar replication to the cool, self-assured folks who now call the entire space, garden and house, home. Derek Thomas is principal of Thomas Landscapes. His garden designs have been featured on HGTV’s “Curb Appeal” and “Get It Sold.” His weekly garden segment can be seen on WTTG/Fox 5 in Washington. He can be reached at www. thomaslandscapes.com or 301-6425182. You can find and friend us on Facebook at Facebook/Thomas Landscapes. H
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homesgardens
One Zone Does Not Fit All Climate Change on the Hill by Cheryl Corson
O
n a recent balmy evening, I linger over the intense fragrance emanating from a nearby eucalyptus tree. Am I in the Berkeley Hills? No. I’m on Capitol Hill (on C Street, NE). When I first heard about this tree in 2003, I bicycled right over to see it. And in 2012, after Snowmageddon, several big hurricanes, an earthquake, and the fourth warmest winter on record, it’s doing just fine. In fact, it’s nearly 20 feet tall. A large prickly pear cactus and a yucca plant grow in front of it. Don’t tell the tree it shouldn’t grow here.
Nursery in Raleigh, NC, cautions that while the USDA Hardiness Zone map is based on average winter low temperatures, it doesn’t take rare extremes into account. Still, he sees the new map as a dramatic improvement due to the inclusion of a larger (30 year) temperature data set and many more recording stations. An excellent discussion of the ins and outs of hardiness zones may be found on the back page of the informative and fun Plant Delights catalogue. (see: www.plantdelights.com)
Experts & Empiricists
The best way to “cheat the zone” if you wish to grow plants on the margins of their hardiness is to create or utilize micro-climates. These are areas of your garden that are particularly protected, receive reflected heat from a brick or stone wall, or are just on the south side of the street, out in the open. Observe your site in various seasons and really learn about its light and wind exposure and drainage. Armed with this information, you can usually “squeeze out an extra zone,” as Tony Avent says. This is what our friends did with that eucalyptus tree. But micro-climate only goes so far. Daniel Mullins, of the local Deep Roots Landscape Company, cautions that the increase in weather volatility as a result of climate change will be a more salient factor than mild temperature increases in years to come. To cope with this volatility, he advises that plants which are, “properly planted, pruned, and mulched are better equipped to handle extreme weather conditions. Proper mulching can reduce erosion and protect plants during heavy downpours as well as retain soil moisture when dry conditions persist.” Mullins also encourages deep watering, which produces deeply root-
There are scientists and then there are gardeners. While not mutually exclusive, the former will say there is a difference between climate, which spans long time frames, and weather, which is more immediate. Gardeners, on the other hand, will tell you that plants that couldn’t be grown here twenty years ago without special care, now do well due to warmer temperatures. Both will acknowledge that extreme weather events are also becoming more frequent. Experts, like Dr. Catherine Woteki, USDA Under Secretary of Research, Education and Economics, and a Hill resident and gardener, will point you to the newly released USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, updated for the first time since 1990. This map has an online interactive feature that shows more detail than the static maps. With it, you can see that although much of Washington, DC is considered “Zone 7a,” the next warmest “Zone 7b” now covers the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, including a pocket or two on Capitol Hill. (see: http://www.planthardiness. ars.usda.gov/) Tony Avent, of Plant Delights 136 H HillRag | May 2012
Micro-Climate Manipulation & More
ed plants that are much less susceptible to drought.
Celebrate the Heat
We can now grow figs, camellias, Chindo viburnums (a personal favorite) without winter protection. But there is an entire category of plants that also love our new weather (or is it climate?) – tropicals! These are plants that still need extra winter care, like being brought indoors, but can be enjoyed outdoors for more weeks of the year than in the past. Christine Moschetti, Live Goods Manager at Frager’s Hardware is just the person to see if you want to grow bouganvilla, tropical ginger, birds of paradise and tropical hibiscus. She comes to DC after 28 years on Maui, and still visits her ancestral Italy every year, so she’s got a real feel for the Mediterranean climate as well. She loves tropical plants, and has even brought a mahogany tree to Frager’s Nursery as an experiment. Moschetti has noticed a Pennsylvania Avenue restaurant that has already brought some of its potted tropicals outdoors after being wintered over inside. She points out the difference between tropical and perennial (native) hibiscus, which can be planted in the ground and will come back year after year. “If you’ve got the indoor space for wintering them over, think of trying lemons or oranges,” she suggests, “their fragrance is intoxicating.” When I ask if she can imagine olive trees on Capitol Hill, she laughs and says, “maybe not yet, but who knows?!” Cheryl Corson (www.cherylcorson. com) is a landscape architect who has worked on the Hill since 1998. H
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t rained hard yesterday. Half our peonies, which have not even bloomed yet, have fallen over. I forgot to stake them properly. What should I do now? Shake the water off when the rain stops and figure out a way – using stakes around the circumference – to tie supporting twine around at a high enough level to keep them upright. Some people wrap chicken wire around the stakes. You learned the hard way (best teacher) that the time to install supports is soon after the red peony shoots appear. Use one of those support cages with a crosshatched top, making sure that it is tall enough. Another type of support consists of two circles – one about 15 inches from the ground, and the other a foot higher. Now is the time to support shrubby later bloomers such as New England asters. My husband teases me with Freudian interpretations because I just love watering our garden. So what if squirting water out of a hose is fun, say I. Now I have a deeper question – is there a right way and a wrong way to water? Oh, yes. Both Freud and Jung would have recommended watering only in the early morning, and from the bottom. Squirting water all over the tops of foliage encourages wet leaves,
which attract funguses and all manner of slugs that eat flowers and leaves. Watering from the bottom is accomplished best by the rich – who install underground piping with small, low spray faucets every so often that emit discreet sprays of water on a timer. You could try a soaker hose, although these can get clogged over time. Just try to aim your water at the ground, not the leaves. And “deep” is the right word – water deeply – soak the soil. On sunny, hot days in DC you will still need to water daily. Otherwise, once every two or three days works during the growing season. What exactly is ‘powdery mildew’? We had a lot of it last summer – all over the Monarda and the zinnias– and I am wondering if there is something I can do this year to avoid it. Powdery mildew is a fungus that looks like a white powder and attacks flowering annuals. It does not harm the plant, just looks bad. Place plants in the sun, with good air circulation via spacing, and in the fall remove all affected foliage. Avoid overhead watering. Try spraying afflicted plants with 1 tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. horticultural oil, mixed in 1 quart warm water.
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When would be the time to prune a truly overgrown azalea bush? Immediately after blooming. The next public meeting of the Capitol Hill Garden Club is September 11, 2012. Membership details at 202-543-7539. Feeling beset by gardening problems? Send them to the Problem Lady c/o The Capitol Hill Garden Club at andrew@hillrag.com. Your problems might prove instructive to others, and help them feel superior to you. Complete anonymity is assured. H
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Derek Thomas / Principal - Certified Professional Horticulturist, Master Gardener. Member of the MD Nursery and Landscape Association & the Association of Professional Landscape Designers
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S
references
Capitol Hill Specialists
Renovations & Remodeling Painting Interior/Exterior Drywall & Tile Harwood Floors Carpentry & Cabinets
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No Job too Small Great Rates Warranty on all work References Available Insured
E V G CONTRACTORS Contracting & Handyman Services
301-237-1748
EVGcontractorsLLC@msn.com
JOHN HENRY HANDYMAN SERVICES 25 years experience. Hardwood, Concrete counters, Welding, Carpentry, Kitchens & Baths, Paint work, Light electrical. Small jobs welcomed. 703-597-5561. johnhenryservices.com
142 H HillRag | May 2012
LANDSCAPING
Suburban Welding Company
®
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
24-hours, 7-day service Free estimates
703-765-9344
www.suburbanweldingcompany.com
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REGINALD’S LANDSCAPING Specializing in perennial gardens, landscape design, yard maintenance, seasonal contracts-free estimates for major cleanups, spring/fall cleanups, mulching, pruning, trimming, weeding, debris removal, leaf removal, light hauling, planting and much. Pressure washing, decks patios. Call today! 240604-5390 or 301-420-7027.
CONTINENTAL MOVERS FOR A STRESS FREE MOVE Owner Operated since 1982
Free Estimates Insured • Licensed
• Local Moving • Long Distance All East Coast cities from Florida to Maine
• Packing Services • Pianos and Big Objects
202-438-1489 • 301-340-0602 www.continentalmovers.net Cmora53607@msn.com
Peach Moving Services
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Remodeling • Painting General Repairs Inquire about our cleaning company RamosPainting1956@live.com
301-661-3515 301-680-2065
When Trust Matters Most
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DC 202.547.3477 MD 301.420.3200 WHS PLUMBING & HEATING Superior Service and Quick Response
We are Repiping & Drain Cleaning Specialists
Hill Family Owned & Operated
ent
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Plumbing and Heating Licensed and Insured
· Competitive On The Spot Pricing · Same Day, Nights, Weekends & Emergency Service · Licensed Plumbers and Gasfitters · Underground Domestic Water and Sewer Line Leak Detection · Underground Pipe Locator
Residential, Office & Commercial
nd
ES
Serving Capitol Hill for 50 Years
OSEPH C. BAUER, INC.
MASONRY
e!
Ricardo Ramos
PLUMBING
Little Peach in Training
P. Mullins Concrete
Specializing in Masonry & Concrete • Concrete Steps • Flagstones, Pavers & Patios • Driveways & Walkways • Basement Excavation • Retaining Walls • Interior & Exterior Demolition • Tuck & Brick Pointing • Historical Restoration Specialists • Power Washing • Small Jobs
Call William at
(202) 255-9231
Short Term Notice Moves Local & Up to 300 mile Radius Expert Packing & Unpacking Temporary Storage by the Day Hourly Rates
20 years of experience Licensed, Bonded and Insured LSDBE Certified
www.whsplumbingandheating.com
Michael Pietsch (aka Peach) Capitol Hill Resident
202.368.7492
www.peachmoving.com
MOVING & HAULING Do you need pickup truck service and a strong driver? Call Norris Wilkins. Phone 202-544-1581. Cell 202-271-0450.
202-270-8973 Bonded, Licensed & Insured
MOVING & HAULING
PAINTING
PEST CONTROL
FLK
Termite, Pest & Rodent Control Highly Rated in Consumers’ Checkbook, Better Business Bureau, Yelp and Angie’s List
Local, Long Distance, Pianos
301.699.2066 www.greatscottmoving.com
ROOFING / GUTTERS
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
301.273.5740 301.576.3286
capitalcommunitynews.com H 143
Alex Williams Seamless Gutters • Box Gutters • Gutter Guards • Gutter Repairs • Gutter Cleaning • Flat Roof Repairs • Water Proofing Free Estimates
(202) 256 6981 (301) 858 6990 Licensed • Bonded • Insured
Our Prices Won’t be Beat!
DANIEL PARKS Roofing & Gutters
NO JOB TOO SMALL!!! “Stopping Leaks is Our Specialty”
EMERGENCY REPAIRS WE DO IT ALL RUBBER & FLAT ROOFS WATER PROOFING SLATE ROOFS LEAK REPAIRS METAL ROOFS GUTTER REPAIRS SHINGLE ROOFING CHIMNEY REPAIRS FACIAL/SOFFITS ALUMINUM ROOF COATING
WE STOP LEAKS! • Roof Repairs • Roof Coatings • Rubber • Metal • Slate
• Tiles • Chimneys • Gutters • Waterproofing • Roof Certifications
BOYD CONSTRUCTION INC.
75 years in service
LIC. BONDED. INS
BBB
Member
202-223-ROOF (7663)
ROOFING FLAT ROOF SPECIALISTS MODIFIED BITUMEN 10% OFF SKYLIGHTS WITH SHINGLES THIS AD SLATE CHIMNEY REPAIRS COATINGS & PAINTS GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS ALUMINUM & VINYL SIDING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED
“50 Years Experience” All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners
G&G
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
202-425-1614 Licensed & Insured
ALL TYPES OF ROOFING REPAIRS
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Residential/Commercial Over 40 years in Business 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 • Ask about our gutter specials
WELDING
Insurance Claims • Free Estimates • 24Hr. Service
Suburban Welding Company
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
Johnston & Johnston Roofing “Try a new coating vs. a roof replacement.”
• FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST • WATERPROOFING • ALUMINUM ASPHALT COATING • SLATE REPAIRS • SHINGLE REPAIRS • CHIMNEY REPAIR
• ALL ROOF REPAIRS • ROOF REPLACEMENTS • GUTTER REPAIR • GUTTER REPLACEMENT • INQUIRE ABOUT OUR SPECIALS • FREE ESTIMATES
We install new rubber and shingle roofs
Licensed, Bonded & Insured Free Estimates Senior and Government Discount 10%
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EXPERT WORKMANSHIP AT REASONABLE PRICES!
We Do Everything!
202-489-1728
SPECIALIZING IN SEAMLESS GUTTERS
Keith Roofing
FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST
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
24-hours, 7-day service Free estimates
202-607-4038 202-487-7182
We are a family-owned business with three generations of expertise in Capitol Hill.
703-765-9344
WINDOWS 2012 ON THE INSIDE
RELIABLE
Specializing in Residential & Commercial Flat Roof Systems
202-543-6383 All work done by owner • Free Estimates Insured • Licensed • Bonded 144 H HillRag | May 2012
202-569-1080
tom@rthomasdanielroofing.com www.rthomasdanielroofing.com
R.W. ROOFING We offer the most competitive price in town. All Roofing & Rubber Roofs. We do everything: replacements, repairs, maintenance and coatings. See our ad under general contracting. 202-674-0300 or 301-929-0664.
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Replacement Window & Door Installation Group Historically Accurate Replacement of Exterior Window Casings Wood, Fiberglass Framed & Vinyl Windows, Replacement & Full Tear Out Installation, Wide Range of Custom Moldings
Windows Craft, Inc. Specializing in historic buildings
202-288-6660
Star Roofing Company
19 D Street, SE
1880 ON THE OUTSIDE
alex@windowscraft.com www.windowscraft.com
Call now for a FREE ROOF INSPECTION
• • • •
The Best Installation Crew
• New tin, copper & membrane roof systems • Inspections & repairs • Roof painting • Gutters, spouts & skylights
Recommended roofer of Capitol Hill Village and Dupont Circle Village Licensed-Insured-Bonded
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www.suburbanweldingcompany.com
Licensed • Bonded • Insured
Family owned & operated 40 Years Experience
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WOOD & WHITACRE HISTORIC RENOVATIONS 20 years on the Hill Slate - Tile - Copper Specializing in all Flat Roof Systems and Leaks
Licensed, Insured and Bonded DC Home Improvement License # 69006200
Our website just got a whole lot better!! capitalcommunitynews.com
Free Estimates • Work Guaranteed Licensed Bonded Insured
JEFFREY WOOD
cell 301-674-1991
202-828-0713
www.wood-whitacre.com
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OTHER SERVICES BEAUTY/HEALTH/FITNESS HERBAL LIFE
Want to get healthy, want to lose weight go to jag.herbalcoach.com or call Judy @ 202-669-402
, SE
onded ement 06200
202-638-1708
Living on & serving the Hill since 1986
Dr. David Walls-Kaufman Chiropractor 411 East Capitol St., SE
WhelanStrengthTraining.com
COMPUTERS/SOFTWARE
All are welcome to Dr. Walls-Kaufman's free Saturday morning Tai Chi class at 8 am in Lincoln Park
MAC ONLY Take the puzzle out of operating your computer
202-544-6035 Because Optimal Health is Impossible Without Optimal Posture!
Software Installation
On-site Service • Reasonable Rates
FRENCH TUTOR
Tutoring in French for adults or children. Long teaching experience. Call Carole at: 202-731-6238.
MUSIC INSTRUCTION Evelyn Hodges, MFA GIANCARLO FAGON 202.250.1215 gbfagon@gmail.com Basic Care - $50/h
. Initial System Setup and Software Installation . Internet / Networking / Wireless . Virus / Spyware / Malware
Chord Language
Play piano like the pros! Learn to read chord symbols! First meeting - No Charge Professional Pianist – 25 Years Experience
202-246-0077
Adware Removal . Maintenance / Cleaning Performance Boost . Computer Instruction and Tutoring
Advanced Care - $80/h
. Hardware / Setup / Repair . Custom Computer Building
Troubleshooting
Evelyn Hodges, MFA PIANO LESSONS CLASSICAL & JAZZ First Meeting - No Charge.
Upgrades
k
m
PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINING
Computer Trouble?
Look Good, Feel Great, Live Well!™
Reasonable Rates
fagon@hillrag.com 202-250-1217
We’re here to help you stay focused and push you past your comfort zone! • • • •
Personal Training Customized Meal Plans Wellness Lectures Boot Camps For more information
888.899.5320 info@justefitness.com www.justefitness.com
Anchor Computers On-site Service for Homes and Businesses • • • • • •
Troubleshooting, Repairs & Upgrades Virus and Spyware Removal New and Existing Computer Setup Network andWireless Installation Data Recovery, Transfer and Back-up Webpage Development
Burn Over 700 Calories in one class
Computer ServiCe
INSTRUCTION Evelyn Hodges
M. Ed. in Reading, UVA
TUTORING Grades K-12 Emphasis on Parental Empowerment First Meeting – No Charge
202-246-0077
WE OFFER 40 CLASSES A WEEK!
Larry Elpiner 301.767.3355 • 202.543.7055 www.anchorcomputers.com
Introduction Offer $29
LOGOS
Professional Tennis Instruction
25 Years Experience
202-246-0077 MUSIC INSTRUCTION
Kapital Kids Strings - Affordable group instruction in violin, viola and cello is available at Hill Center (921 PA Ave. SE) for children 8 - 12 years of age; all skill levels; $15 per session. 45-minute classes on Thursdays between 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. Contact instructor Phyllis Fleming at flemingp@ gmail.com.
ORGANIZING JILL-OF-ALL-TRADES
Question: How is de-cluttering like an artichoke heart? Answer: The outer layer is crusty and a bit sharp and hard to penetrate. But the inner layers have tasty treats. Sometimes people are concerned that decluttering will be all drudgery and no fun. But all kinds of delightful, interesting and important items -- “old friends” -- actually emerge in the process. There is joy attached to this useful process other than the resulting clear spaces and loss of the stress of the frequent panic-y feeling over items gone missing again. Call Jill Lawrence, CPO-CD at 202-544-5455 or visit www.jillofalltradesDC.com for help setting up simple storage systems to match your needs and desires.
SHOE REPAIR
ALL LEVELS WELCOME! No reservations required!
Bailo Ba Davis Cup Veteran
• Reduce stress • Increase Strength + Flexibility
bailoba2@verizon.net
Eastern Market Shoe Repair
Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill 410 H ST. NE 202-547-1208
All Skill Levels $62 private $35 semi-private $26 group lesson
for 7 days of unlimited yoga!
www.BikramYogaCapitolHill.com Look better, feel better and change your body!
202-415-2807
Lessons on Capitol Hill Professional Tennis Registry
• Shoes • Boots • Purses • Luggage 645 Penn Ave., SE upstairs M-F 8:30-7 • Sat 9-6
202-543-5632 capitalcommunitynews.com H 145
PET SERVICES
WINNER!
FOR RENT/SALE COMMERCIAL SPACE
Big dogs, puppies, hard to handle and older dogs. I love them all ….and I also love kitties.
Phillip DuBasky
One Stop Shopping for your Mutt or Meow
Serving Capitol Hill Since 1995
4 Hire Dog Walker* 4 Arrange for Cat Sitting*
Never missed a walk in 10 years
Ad! *FREE Consult when you mention this
202.889.0996 Personally Serving our Neighbors since 1999
PET SITTING
Would your cat or kitten like to be pampered, cared for and played with while you’re away or at work? Then you should give me a call as I would love to pet-sit your cat or kitten. Joyce at 202-547-0556
zoolatry (zoo-ahl’-uh-tree)
Mid-Day Dog Walking Service Pet sitting – Medications Administered Crate Training Insured – Bonded Member of National Association of Professional Petsitters
• Women Owned and Operated • Expert Cat Care - All Areas of the Hill • Medications, Plant Watering, Mail and Paper • Trustworthy and Reliable
H I L L P E T S @ YA H O O . C O M
ORGANIZATION COORDINATOR
the worship of animals – especially a pet
Mid-day Dog Walking AM & PM, Weekend Walks, Petsitting
202.546.6785
JOB OFFERS
Personalized Service from our Knowledgeable Staff
Support your local Hill business "We live, work and play on the Hill"
bonded & insured
Want to get healthy, want to lose weight go to jag.herbalcoach.com or call Judy @ 202-669-402.
4 Pick up Kitty Litter 4 Buy Dog Food, Treats & Toys
pets on the hill
Kerith Grandelli
HEALTH & FITNESS HERBAL LIFE
Dog Walking, Kitty Care & Pet Sitting
Experienced and Reliable Outstanding Hill References • Insured by PSA
Dupont Circle office for sale or rent. 1325 18th ST. N.W. More info: James Connelly, LPC Commercial Services, Inc. 202 -491-5300, jconnelly@lpc.com.
(202) 547-WALK (9255) 508 H St. NE 202.450.5661 407 8th St. SE 202.629.2967 Dog Walking 202.450.9258 We Are Looking For Dog Walkers To Join Our Pack!
www.metromuttsdc.com
Meet Our Walkers Online at
www.zoolatry.com
PET ADOPTION
The SE/SW Community Benefits Coordinating Council (CBCC) wishes to hire a half-time Organization Coordinator. This position is open, effective immediately. Request Job Description and/or submit resumes to rwh@westminsterdc.org or mail to CBCC c/o 400 I Street SW, DC 20024.
LEARN LANGUAGE
Chinese on the
Hill
Helen Zhu
professional language instructor (for children and adults) Group classes at Hill Center September 4
Mandarin lessons Cooking lessons
CAPITAL CATS
Adoption Event at Chateau-Animaux
Sundays Noon to 3 PM 733 8th Street, S.E.
a five-minute walk from Eastern Market Metro.
202.885.9406
www.chinesehorizon.net Visit our Web site to view pictures and their engaging personalities at www.capitalcats.petfinder.com or www.homealone.petfinder.com Capital Cats is a non-profit cat rescue organization on the Hill that has many wonderful, personable cats and kittens available for adoption to good homes.
MISC. FOR HIRE BABYSITTER
Mature, reliable and caring babysitter available Mon-Fri for childcare in the mornings until 2:00 pm. Could converse in French with your child (Native Speaker). Excellent references available. Call Carole at: 202-731-6238 146 H HillRag | May 2012
WANTED TO BUY BUYING VINYL RECORDS
Jazz, R&B, Soul, Blues, Rock N Roll, Disco, Gospel, Reggae, Ska, Looking for 33 1/3 LPs, 45’s and 78’s, Prefer larger collections of at least 100 items. CALL JOHN 301-596-6201.
ADVERTISE
CONTACT
CAROLINA
LOPEZ 202.543.8300
X12
N.W. s, Inc.
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ouncil rdinaequest stmin20024.
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The Categories: Best Overall Photo Best Cat Photo Best Dog Photo Loveliest • Cutest Funniest • Cleverest Caption Best Buddies (human and pet) Best Buddies (pets) Most Laid Back • Most Unusual
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MAKE YOUR ANIMAL FRIEND A STAR.
Send us your most adorable, funniest, most outrageous pet photos for a chance at fame and prizes! Winning entries will be published in the July 2012 issue and will appear on our website at www.capitalcommunitynews.com To Enter:
Send photos to 224 7th St., SE, Washington, DC (Attention Pet Contest 2012) or e-mail to pets@hillrag.com (300 dpi). Maximum of two photos per entry. Include your name, a phone number, the name of your pet, a caption for the photo and/or category.
Photos cannot be returned.
thelastword Goodbye ANC 6B
I have had the pleasure of being the Executive Director of ANC 6B for 8 years. It has been my pleasure to be a member of my local governmental organization that is dedicated to representing my fellow residents of Capitol Hill. Over the past years, I have had the opportunity to work with some outstanding individuals who were elected to represent their respective Single Member Districts. We worked together in harmony to do what was best for the entire Capitol Hill community. There was collaboration, trust, respect and teamwork. As a result, the Commission successfully accomplished many goals. I was pleased to serve as a valuable part of this institution. The 2010 election ushered in a 40 percent turnover. This resulted in a dramatic change in the Commission’s working atmosphere. The relationship between new and old commissioners became contentious. I thought this was part of the merging process. Being an optimistic individual, I was of a mind that this poisoness mien would morph over time into a collaborative atmosphere similar to the earlier commission. Unfortunately, this has not proved to be the case. My current working relationship with a number of the commissioners on ANC 6B has reached such a negative point that I am deeply concerned for my own mental and physical health. Therefore, I have submitted my notice of resignation effective May 1, 2012. I am moving to Texas to retire near my family. I will miss all the many citizens who I have worked with over the years. Goodbye, Capitol Hill. Bert Randolph, Executive Director ANC 6B brandolphii@hotmail.com
Fragers Deserves Zoning Relief
I’m the General Manager at Frager’s Hardware, and I want to bring your attention to the trouble we have been going through for the last six months. It has been a painful bur148 H HillRag | May 2012
den on our business, and on the community we serve. In May 1958 the District of Columbia implemented a new set of Zoning Regulations and Maps to address the inadequacies of the circa 1938 land use controls. When a new zone boundary line was drawn for Square 994, it split Frager’s property into two different zones: commercial use to the north and residential use to the south. Drawing the zone line in this way actually goes against the stated intent of the Zoning Regulations. As a result, a portion of our property that had been in continuous commercial use since at least 1920 was re-zoned to residential without consultation or notification. Recently, we have been denied the use of that portion of our property (by order of the District in November of 2011), and the expense of applications and negotiations to regain its use. These expenses have impacted our ability to support the many community groups and organizations we have helped to support for many decades, and the denial of use has impacted our ability to stock sufficient inventory to meet the needs of our community. In recent years the District has recognized that the 1958 Zoning Map and Regulations no longer optimally serve the best needs of our city. Since 2007, study groups have been re-thinking the existing Zoning Map and Regulations toward creating a new set zoning controls better suited to the present day. Perhaps our situation will help to expedite the process of cleaning up our zoning in general, but until then it has placed a large, unreasonable, burden on us. We cannot afford to wait for this citywide effort. Frager’s needs a Board of Zoning Adjustment (“BZA”) variance in order to restore commercial use of our property. We have a hearing before the BZA #18352 on May 22nd for a variance to continue to use the residential zoned area of our property as we have for decades: storage for green goods, garden
materials, and outdoor furniture, and the like. I see this as an opportunity to correct many of the problems that have surfaced over time, and produce a system that makes sense to residents, businesses, and the District. We at Frager’s are willing to adapt with the times, and support this overhaul of the system, but need relief now from this specific instance. It has always been our desire to be good neighbors and we have gone out of our way with that purpose in mind. We are very conscious of the community we serve, live in, and work in. We hope you will lend us your support. Nick Kaplanis, General Manager Frager’s Hardware
Improving Stuart-Hobson Is Not Enough
Across Ward 6, middle class parents are “buying into” our neighborhood public elementary schools, in numbers not seen in decades. The resources they bring with them have greatly improved school offerings, attracting ever-broadening participation. But these gains are fragile. They depend on similar improvements at the middle school level. If these don’t happen now, families will abandon even the elementary schools, believing that they lead only to a dead end. The resources they bring will be lost; programs will contract; and we’ll be back where we were a decade ago. I’ve been a volunteer at Maury ES for over twenty years and what I see happening in the upper grades causes real concern. Every year there is a huge waiting list for the youngest children, but vacancies in the upper grades as older students transfer into more desirable middle school feeder patterns or leave DC for the perception of better suburban schools. The District and DCPS have two options: further increase investments in the current Ward 6 middle schools to secure the highquality academic offerings put into place to ensure that all students attending Ward 6 middle schools can succeed in a rigorous academic setting OR consolidate our middle
school options to allow for the Ward 6 community to come together build a successful middle school(s) that will serve all of our neighborhood. And that is why I take such exception to Chairman Brown’s letter in the April Rag. He argues that, in a time of severe budget constraints, an enormous amount of money should be expended to refurbish Stuart-Hobson Middle School, a facility so small that it can accommodate only a fraction of Ward 6 Middle School students, leaving all the rest “twisting in the wind”. It would be far more sensible, and equitable, to renovate the Eliot-Hine Campus, a facility large enough to accommodate all and generally in far better condition. It has the added benefit of extensive athletic fields (not possible at StuartHobson) and access to the gorgeous performance spaces just across the street at Eastern Senior High School. The entire Stuart-Hobson school community could be moved, intact, and co-located into this improved facility. But whatever action is taken, if there is not an improved perception of Ward 6 middle schools in the very near term, we are at risk of losing it all. Elizabeth Nelson elizabeth_knits@yahoo.com
Reservation 13: Correcting The Hill Rag
I was delighted to see the article about Reservation 13 in the Capitol Streets/News section of the April edition of the Hill Rag. I was looking forward to reading an informative explanation of where we are today. Unfortunately I was disappointed to see many errors and misinformation in the news article and believe that was written would have been more appropriately labeled an opinion piece. Ms. Clark states that “many buildings, some with landmark status, are vacant and run down.” While no one would argue that there are vacant and run-down buildings, there is only one building that has landmark or historic status – Anne Archbold Hall.
Then there is the assertion that the Hunt plan failed. There is no evidence to support this assertion and it seems instead to be simply inflammatory. We will never know if the Hunt plan failed because, instead of having the opportunity to succeed or fail, the Fenty administration continued to postpone making a selection between the final two master developer proposals. It should be pointed out as well that the Hill East Master Plan is not something that a few community members decided would be a good idea to enhance their neighborhood. It is a plan that was developed with community involvement, but was led by wellrespected urban planners and architects, both city agency staff members and consultants, based on solid urban planning practices. The concepts behind the development, both the Hill East Waterfront as well as the other planned developments along the Anacostia Riverfront, have garnered the attention of the global architecture and planning community. The description of the complication of the redistricting starts off as a promising description of issues inherent in redistricting. But it doesn’t deliver. Instead the article misstates that all negotiations and plans formerly went through Ward 6. Although the Ward 6 Council Member and ANC commissioners weighed in on the process, the process itself was open to the entire city, spanned many years and was thoroughly vetted by many organizations and individuals. This project is part of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, a development plan led by the District government that involved multiple agencies, thousands of stakeholders, 19 Federal agencies and Congress. Developing vibrant communities along the Anacostia River is described by the District Government as a laudable goal that enriches the entire city. It transcends Wards. It was wonderful to also see that information on the zoning was being presented. Unfortunately, the information presented was
confusing, misleading and incorrect. Ms. Clark correctly states that the site, when it was under Federal control and called Reservation 13, did not have city zoning or land use regulation. The District has long had zoning in place for the rest of the city and was performing its duty in zoning this property thereby acknowledging its status as part of the District as well as complying with the terms of the land transfer – one of the conditions of the transfer was adherence to the Hill East Master plan and the zoning reflects that. And, contrary to what is written in the article, it is not an overlay district – an overlay district is an area that has underlying zoning with additional requirements overlaid, therefore, overlay. The inclusion of the potential toxicity of the RFK parking lots seems like another inflammatory or misleading statement. RFK and the parking lots are not part of the site. Information is available about what chemicals may be in the ground and where and was included in the original request for proposals. Yet that did not stop four development teams from submitting proposals to develop the site during the Fenty administration. Nor did the relocation of existing social services – either onsite or elsewhere – discourage the four very interested teams who spent time and money developing their proposals. Occupancy lists, along with sizes, were included in the proposal requests. Frankly, the statement about potential off-site toxicity and how that might affect development along with potential remediation due to lead and asbestos in existing buildings reads as scare tactics. It is common, even in our homes, to have to remediate for lead and asbestos. I love that light is finally shining on what is happening at Hill East Waterfront and hope that it continues to shine. I was so disappointed, though, that this article was riddled with inaccuracies. Colleen Garibaldi Hll East Resident H capitalcommunitynews.com H 149
the NOSE
Me and My Shadow
I
by Anonymous
f you really need a friend in Washington, get a dog. There is something to be said for this old piece of wisdom. After all, what would Fido say to the FBI agent knocking on his door? Agent: “Did you ever contribute to Vincent Gray’s campaign?” Dog: “Woof!” Agent: “Did you ever purchase a money order at the behest of Jeffrey Thompson?” Dog: “Woof! Woof!” Agent: “Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?” Dog: “Woof! Woof! Woof!” (Head nodding vigorously.)
Having plumbed the depth of his most confidential source in the city’s administration, The Nose was confident of getting a leg up on his competitors at Channel 411, WAM-PU and WBTM. In the early hours of the morning, in the parking garage of the Reeves Center, The Nose met with Vince’s Shadow.
Departing this frustrating interview, driving down through the historic center of DC Jazz, The Nose whistled this tune: Like the slogan on a bumper Like the yard sign on a lawn Like you’ll never get rid of your shadow Vince, you’ll never get rid of me Let all the others investigate and fuss Whatever happens, we’ve got us. Me and my shadow We’re closer than money orders and Mr. Thompson We’re closer than Mr. Sulaimon and Mr. Brooks Strolling down the Pennsylvania Avenue Wherever you find him, you’ll find me, just look Closer than a blogger and his keyboard Me and my shadow We’re closer than cigar smoke in the Players’ Lounge We’re closer than Barrack is to Michelle No prosecutor can bust this team in two We stick together like glue And when it’s campaigning time That’s when we walk Doorbells start to ring Cabs and buses pickup seniors Robotic fingers work the phones What a surprise Then Cha-Ching Cha-Ching! Victory! Me and my shadow And now to repeat what I said at the start They’ll need a grand jury to break us apart We’re alone but far from new Before we get finished, we’ll make the town roar We’ll talk it up on Kojo, and then a few more We’ll wind up at the Wilson Building with all of our friends, A hiring party that will never end For my shadow and me!
The Nose: “I hear that you were a busy beaver during Vince’s last campaign.”
After all, what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows. H
Loyalty, it seems, has gone to the dogs. Ruminating late one night over this issue, his brain cells greased by his favorite poison, The Nose had a revelation. The only really trustworthy thing in life is one’s shadow! Think about it. No matter which way one turns, one is followed by this gray doppelganger. Perhaps this is why the District’s politicians have over the years turned to these confidants to run dark operations in support of their campaigns. With all the press reports of money orders and other shenanigans, it was time to go to the source, The Nose mused. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed Vincent Gray’s closest advisor, Samurai “The Cat.” The Nose: “Samurai, I need a favor.” Samurai: “Meow!” The Nose: “Can you give me the cell for Vince’s Shadow?” Samurai: “Meow, Meow!” The Nose: “Come on Samurai! When I have ever asked for anything?” Samurai: “202-SHA-DOOW.”
150 H HillRag | May 2012
Vince’s Shadow: “No comment.” The Nose: “Didn’t you realize that the press would notice consecutively numbered money orders? All of us graduated from elementary school.” Vince’s Shadow: “I will neither confirm nor deny knowledge of such contributions.”