Hill Rag Magazine – June 2024

SELLING THE HILL…

A way of life for generations

Listing a family property is a real responsibility and I take that responsibility seriously!

1340 Valley Place SE

119 8th Street SE • The Charlotte Lee

420 4th Street, SE

730/730A/732 11th Street, SE

Fantastic buy at $599,000

Rare investment opportunity: $3,850,000

Unique Capitol Hill Jewel

Incredible investment opportunity.

6 units: 3 ones, 2 twos and a four bed.

Incredible garden area. 3 BR, Sweet home!

Under Contract: $1,249,000

Listing Agent: Don Denton (202) 256-1353

Listing Agents: Topher Cushman (202) 327-4682

Don Denton (202) 256-1353

648 Masssachusetts Avenue, NE

SOLD: $2,000,000

Listing Agent: Don Denton (202) 256-1353

DON DENTON

Listing Agent: Don Denton (202) 256-1353

Larry Hodgson (202) 236-5800

902 South Carolina Avenue, SE

SOLD: $1,300,000

Listing Agent: Don Denton (202)256-1353

Under Contract: $1,999,000

SOLD: $1,610,000

Listing Agents: Don Denton (202) 256-1353

Topher Cushman (202) 327-4682

11 4th Street, SE

The General’s House

SOLD: $1,550,000

Listing Agent: Don Denton (202) 256-1353

Don Denton

Summer! k Special

by Celeste McCall

Theo Weller

Next Issue: July 6

Capital Community News, Inc. Publisher of:

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Summer! k WHAT’S ON

WASHINGTON

Capital Fringe Festival

The Capital Fringe Festival runs from July 11 to 21, on Thursdays and Fridays, 6 to 11 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It features original theater, dance and unclassifiable productions with a total of 150 cast and crew members, 83% of whom are from the DMV area. The festival has moved and will take place in the Golden Triangle neighborhood, in three vacant retail storefronts on Connecticut Avenue NW. 1150, 1122 and 1129, equipped with three stages, as well as two additional stages at the Edlavitch DCJCC and Theater J. On June 20, the full festival schedule will be released and tickets will go on sale. www.capitalfringe.org

National Capital Barbecue Battle

The 32nd Annual National Capital Barbecue Battle is on the weekend of June 22 and 23, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Sunday, on Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and Seventh streets NW. Attractions are an art to go-go village, kid’s activities, DC sports teams, Monumental Sports Zone, cooking demonstrations, four stages of live music, DJs, bike and skateboarding stunts and more. $20 admission; $30 weekend pass; under 12, free. www.bbqindc.com

Kenilworth Park’s Lotus & Water Lily Festival

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is a unique destination within Anacostia Park. The summer lotus and lily blossoms are a “must see” during the peak blooming period in July, not unlike viewing the cherry blossoms in spring. The Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens’ Lotus & Water Lily Festival is from Friday to Sunday, July 19 to 21: Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are children’s activities and a neighborhood night on Friday. Saturday and Sunday feature stage performances, art classes, yoga, ranger programs, food trucks and an artist market. The park is at 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. There’s a parking lot and neighborhood parking. www.nps.gov/keaq

National Park Service/Rachel Hendrix

The Wandering Associates at the 2017 Capital Fringe Festival at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

Summer! k

Hot August Music Festival

The Hot August Music Festival is on Saturday, Aug. 10 (rain or shine), from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (gates at 11:00 a.m.), at Oregon Ridge Park, 13403 Beaver Dam Rd., Cockeysville, Maryland. Hear Grace Potter, Snarky Puppy, Neal Francis, Eggy, Cris Jacobs, Sam Grisman Project, Pressing Strings, PRS Eightlock, Hot August Collective and others. General admission tickets are $89; kids 12 and under are free. www.hotaugustmusicfestival.com

Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington: “Portraits”

Through visual art, music and dance, “Portraits” represents the spectrum of sexual, gender, racial, ethnic and cultural identities in a brand-new, nine-movement oratorio. Each movement features one of nine artworks brought to life through music and motion by GMCW and 17th Street Dance. Each piece will highlight an aspect of the human experience, inspired by the “Portraits” artwork of the composer’s choosing. On Sunday, June 16, at 5 p.m., in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, the music and artwork will be combined by a choreographer to create the final piece. Tickets are $25. www.kennedy-center.org

Around the World Cultural Food Festival

On Saturday, Aug. 24, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Oronoco Bay Park in Old Town Alexandria, enjoy a celebration of cultures from every corner of the world. This free festival features over 20 ethnic food vendors. Performances will showcase the rich tapestry of global cultures and explore unique treasures, from handmade crafts to cultural artifacts. www.visitalexandria.com

A Taste of the DMV: Food, Music & Cultural Festival

On Saturday, June 15, noon to 7 p.m., indulge in a gastronomic adventure with over 175 vendors, including food trucks, food booths and a plethora of non-food vendors. The festival features 40 acts on multiple stages and a diverse lineup from all over the DMV and beyond. An adults-only area offers beer and alcohol vendors, local breweries, bartenders, music and vendors geared toward adults. A Taste of the DMV is on Pennsylvania Avenue at Third Street NW. Admission is $10; free for kids 10 and under. Tickets at gate. www. atasteofdmv.com

Grace Potter

Summer! k

WHAT’S ON WASHINGTON

Blues Singer Buffalo Nichols at Jammin Java

This is music that comes straight from the present, and as such is a reminder that the same urge that drove the first blues singers to pick up a guitar is still present behind the throbs of hits today. Buffalo Nichols is at Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave., East, Vienna, Virginia, on Friday, June 21, 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.). General admission tickets are $15. www.jamminjava.com

“10,000 Dreams: A Celebration of Asian Choreography” at the KC

A blossoming initiative to recognize and elevate Asian creatives working in ballet will grace Kennedy Center stages as a weeklong festival, June 18 to 23. “10,000 Dreams: A Celebration of Asian Choreography” spotlights Asian and Asian American choreographers representing the ethnic heritages of Singapore, China, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and more. The Washington Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Singapore Ballet, Goh Ballet, Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, Ballet West, Houston Ballet and dancers from the National Ballet of China will join the festivities. www.kennedy-center.org

Beethoven’s Ninth at the National Cathedral

On Sunday, June 30, at 6 p.m., the National Orchestral Institute and Festival, conductor Marin Alsop and the Heritage Signature Chorale perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, with poetry by 2017 Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, alongside Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon’s composition “blue cathedral.” $94. www.cathedral.org

National Book Festival

The 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Allen Y. Lew Pl. NW, on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (doors at 8:30 a.m.). The event is free and open to the public. For those who cannot attend in person, a selection of programs will be livestreamed online, and videos of all programs will be available shortly after the festival. Follow “bookmarked” for all festival news at www.blogs.loc.gov/bookmarked. www.loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival

Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company in “A Tribute to Marian Anderson.” Dancers

Joan Ayap & Felipe Oyarzun Moltedo.

Photo: Robin Michal

Buffalo Nichols performing at the 2023 Winnipeg Folk Festival (Bird’s Hill Provincial Park) at the Old Time Feeling workshop at Snowberry stage.

Summer! k

WHAT’S ON WASHINGTON

Comedian Steve Treviño at MGM National Harbor

Comedian Steve Treviño, “America’s Favorite Husband,” can “speak wife fluently” and knows better than to “make his own decisions,” since decision-making is a privilege reserved solely for his wife. His relatable approach affirms his status as one of the nation’s premiere stand-up comedians. Tickets start at $25. Steve Treviño is at MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Friday, July 12, at 8 p.m. www.mgmnationalharbor.mgmresorts.com

La Placita DMV: DC’s Puerto Rican Fest

On Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., join La Placita DMV 2024, a celebration of Puerto Rican culture, music, food, crafts and more. Dance all day to the pulsating beats of Limite 21 and the Marc Anthony tribute by Luva. Enjoy food trucks, craft vendors and a large area for kids. Participate in the fun and competitive spirit of the People’s Choice Awards and Domino Competition. $25 admission; kids under 12, free. La Placita DMV 2024 is at Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave. NE. www.laplacitadmv.com

DC Arts Center’s “WallMountables” 2024

From Friday, July 12 (opening celebration), to Aug. 11 (closing reception), experience the inclusive spirit of “WallMountables,” one of the District’s largest open community exhibitions, at the DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. Since its establishment in 1989, DCAC has been committed to nurturing underrepresented artists. During “WallMountables,” DCAC transforms its gallery walls into a floor-to-ceiling grid of 2 x 2-foot squares, as a canvas for artists to display their work. The result is a visual tapestry encompassing creations from children, students and self-taught artists, as well as emerging, mid- and late-career artists. www.dcartscenter.org/wallmountables24

Iron & Wine at the Anthem

American singer-songwriter Sam Beam, better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases. Beam released his first Iron & Wine album, “The Creek Drank the Cradle,” in 2002. The album’s music has been compared to that of Nick Drake and Simon & Garfunkel. He brings his Light Verse 2024 Tour to The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW, on Aug. 9, at 8:00 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.). $45. www.Theanthemdc.com

Sam Beam aka Iron & Wine.

Photo: Paul Mobley

Summer! k

Maryland Seafood Festival

The Maryland Seafood Festival is a two-day event offering a wide array of food vendors and activities on Sept. 14 and 15, at Sandy Hook State Park on Chesapeake Bay. Hear live music while enjoying your favorite seafood. You can even order fresh steamed crabs ahead of time. The Crab Soup Cook-Off occurs onsite on Saturday, and tickets are available in advance. This year’s event will also feature local restaurants and chefs. General admission is $20; kids, 12 and under, free. www.abceventsinc.com/maryland-seafood-festival

Sing-Along “Sound of Music” at Wolf Trap

On Friday, Aug. 16, at 7:00 p.m. (gates at 5:30 p.m.), before the Oscar-winning family favorite film begins, the audience will be led through a vocal warm-up, gifted an interactive fun pack and asked to judge if their costume really is “Something Good!” Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Ticket prices are the same for adults and children. www.wolftrap.org

Rock the Dock Free Summer Concerts

All summer long, through Labor Day, come to The Wharf on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. for free concerts on Transit Pier. Here’s the lineup: June 5, Keeton (rock); June 12, David Thong (pop); June 19, Juneteenth Extended Concert, 3 to 9 p.m.; June 26, Capital Effect (80s pop); July 3, Jimi Smooth & HitTime (Motown); July 10, La Unica (Latin); July 17, Pebble to Pearl (R&B/soul); July 24, Uncle Jesse (90s pop); July 31, So Fetch (2000s pop); Aug. 7, Justin Trawick and the Common Good (Americana); Aug. 14, Nkula (reggae); Aug. 21, Driven to Clarity (pop and rock); and Aug. 28, Perfekt Blend (R&B/pop/jazz). All ages are welcome; also dogs on a leash. Limited bench seating and tables and chairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis. www.wharfdc.com

National Dance Day at the REACH

On Saturday, Sept. 21, starting at 10 a.m., find joy in communities created through dance. Join the Kennedy Center at the REACH for another National Dance Day celebration with free classes, performances and parties. This year’s event explores how dance builds and strengthens community wellness. National Dance Day coincides with the fifth anniversary of the REACH’s opening, so get ready for arts activities and performances all weekend long. www.kennedy-center.org

Justin Trawick and the Common Good perform on Aug. 14.

Photo: Jati Lindsay

After the 4th of July parade, Barracks Row Main Street invites residents, visitors, and ice cream enthusiasts of all ages to join in a historic attempt to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® for the Largest Human Ice Cream Cone.

Participants will gather on 8th Street SE to form the shape of a gigantic ice cream cone, with each person representing a colorful scoop of ice cream. Join us for an unforgettable day of music, food, and community!

Register at Barracks Row Guinness World Record to be part of the Largest Human Ice Cream Cone.

guinnessworldrecords.com/worldrecords/ 108832-largest-human-ice-cream-cone

Summer! k

WHAT’S ON WASHINGTON

“Motown DC” at the Anacostia Arts Center

The African American Music Association in partnership with the Anacostia Arts Center presents “Motown DC: A Photographic and Memorabilia Exhibition.” It is on display through Tuesday, July 7, at the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Marion Barry Ave. SE, daily, except Mondays, noon to 5 p.m. The exhibition displays photographs of legendary Motown artists as well as personal items on loan by a number of original Motown artists and Globe posters promoting the famous 1964 Motortown Revue. www.anacostiaartscenter.com

The Folger Shakespeare Library Reopens

Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment at the NGA

From Sept. 8, 2024, to Jan. 19, 2025, discover the origins of the French art movement in a new look at the 1874 exhibition considered the birth of modern painting. A presentation of 130 works includes a rare reunion of many of the paintings first featured in that now-legendary exhibition. Revisit beloved paintings by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and meet their lesser-known contemporaries. The National Gallery of Art is the only US stop for this historic exhibition. www.nga.gov

After a four-year renovation, the “new” Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE, will open on Friday, June 21 at 1 p.m. Items on public exhibit for the first time include 82 copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio and a new installation by renowned artist Fred Wilson, whose works reframe cultural symbols and encourage users to reconsider social, racial and historical narratives. And much more, including the new Quill & Crumb cafe. www.folger.edu

ABOVE: The First Folio was printed in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death. Without it, 18 of Shakespeare’s plays might have been lost forever. Photo: Lloyd Wolf, Folger Shakespeare Library

Auguste Renoir, “La Loge” (Theater Box), 1874, oil on canvas. The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust). Photo © The Courtauld

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

STUDIO ARTS

Contemporary Watercolors Workshop Saturday, June 8, 12:00pm-2:00pm

Introduction to Linocut Printmaking Workshop Saturday, June 8, 2:30pm-5:00pm

CONCERTS

American Roots Concert Series: Sunny War

Sunday, June 2, 4:30pm

Sea Shanties and Songs with Seán Dagher of Assassin’s Creed Fame Thursday, June 13, 7:00pm

Stone Room Concerts @ Hill Center Featuring Rochelle Rice with Pianist Janelle Gill Friday, June 14, 7:00pm

A GROOVY SUMMER SOLSTICE! Featuring OCEAN Celtic Quartet Sunday, June 23, 4:30pm

COOKING CLASSES & TASTINGS

Chef’s Table Featuring Magpie and the Tiger’s Roren Choi & Caleb Gang: Luxury Korean BBQ Friday, June 7, 6:00pm

Master Chef: Simple, Sophisticated Pastry Classics Featuring Picket Ong Sunday, June 30, 11:00am

LECTURES & CONVERSATIONS

Former Architect of the Capitol, Alan M. Hantman, Discusses His New Book Under the Dome: Politics, Crisis, and Architecture at the United States Capitol Wednesday, June 5, 7:00pm

Programmatic support provided by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation and the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.

Chelsea Samo Lipman MSHS, PA-C

Summer! k

Waxcahatchee.

Waxcahatchee, Snail Mail and Tim Heidecker at Wolf Trap

On Sept. 6, at 7:00 p.m. (gates at 5:30 p.m.), indie rockers Waxcahatchee and Snail Mail join comedian and musician Tim Heidecker for an evening under the stars at Wolf Trap. Waxcahatchee, the work of Katie Crutchfield, has released three Top 10 Billboard folk albums in the past decade. Snail Mail, a project of Maryland native Lindsey Jordan, delivers emotionally vulnerable songwriting with a doctorate in shredding. Heidecker, best known as half of the comedy duo Tim & Eric, released his sixth solo album, “High School,” in 2022. Tickets are $39, up. Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, Virginia. www.wolftrap.org

Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Indigenous Voices of the Americas

In celebration of the National Museum of the American Indian, from June 26 to July 1, at the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall, Indigenous artists and makers, professional chefs and home cooks, musicians, dancers, athletes and storytellers will demonstrate multigenerational traditions as well as innovative approaches to cultural expression. Learn stories that underlie Indigenous sports and games. Hear how Indigenous youth are reclaiming their languages through spoken-word and hip-hop. Explore traditional arts that flourish in their connections to place and environmental knowledge. Festival hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with evening concerts Friday through Sunday from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. www.festival.si.edu

The Hold Steady at the 9:30 Club

The Hold Steady is an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2003 and now based in Brooklyn, New York. Noted for lyrically dense storytelling and classic rock influences, the band’s narrative-based songs frequently address themes such as drug addiction, religion and redemption. The Hold Steady is at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW, on Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22, 7 p.m. both nights. Tickets start at $45. www.930.com

International Rugby: Scotland vs. US

Read the rules before you go. A match consists of two 40-minute halves. Play starts with a kickoff from the center of the field. Players can run forward with the ball, pass the ball backward to teammates or kick the ball forward. The defending team tries to prevent the attacking team from encroaching on its territory and seeks to gain possession of the ball. Read more at www.britannica. com/sports/rugby. Tickets start at $29. See a professional match, Scotland vs. US, on Friday, July 12, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., at Audi Field, 100 Potomac Ave. SW. www.audifield.com

Photo: Wade Bricknell

Summer! k

WHAT’S ON WASHINGTON

“Bye Bye Birdie” at the KC

From Friday, June 7, to Saturday, June 15, teen idol Conrad Birdie is drafted into the Army in this ebullient winner of four Tony Awards, but before he leaves, he’ll perform a new song on the Ed Sullivan Show and give one last kiss to a lucky fan. Tickets start at $67. www.kennedy-center.org

“Comedy of Errors” at Shakespeare Theatre Company

From Sept. 10 to Oct. 6, confusions collide at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in this hilariously illogical comedy. Lookalikes Alex Brightman and David Fynn come together as Dromio and Dromio (respectively) to add a splash of rock ‘n’ roll to Shakespeare’s play. Directed by Simon Godwin (“Much Ado about Nothing,” “Macbeth”). Tickets are $35 to $119. At the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre. www.shakespearetheatre.org

Smithsonian Solstice Saturday and Astronomy Festival on the Mall

On June 22, the Smithsonian marks the first Saturday of summer, Solstice Saturday, by staying open late and hosting programs and performances throughout the day and night. Solstice Saturday is held in association with Hofstra University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Hofstra University’s Astronomy Festival on the National Mall also takes place Saturday, June 22, from 6 to 11 p.m., in front of the Hirshhorn Museum. www.si.edu/solsticesaturday

“The Hatmaker’s Wife” at Theater J

Magic and realism collide in this modern fable about learning to love. A young woman moves in with her boyfriend, and when she has trouble getting comfortable, her strange new home seems determined to help out, literally. The walls start to talk, words magically appear, and a golem with a taste for Cheetos gets into the action. A cross between a ghost story and a Yiddish fable, Lauren Yee’s moving and whimsical “The Hatmaker’s Wife” redefines home, family and love. At Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW, from June 5 to 25. www.edcjcc.org/theater-j

Alex Brightman (left) and David Fynn (right).

PET PHOTO

CATEGORIES:

• Best Overall Photos

• Darling Dogs

• Finest Felines

• Cleverest Caption

• Best Buddies

• Human & Pet Best Buddies

• Hill Haunts

• Cutest

at fame! Remember, the best photos tell

Send us your favorite photo for a chance at fame! Remember, the best photos tell a story — of love, companionship, and enjoyment of our Hill neighborhood. Winning entries will be published in our July Hill Rag special pet issue and posted on our website at hillrag.com.

TO ENTER:

• Email photo to pets@hillrag.com

• Hi-res photos, 300 dpi+

• Maximum of two photos per entry.

DEADLINE:

• Include your name, a phone number, the name of your pet, a caption and category for the photo.

6/14/24

PUBLICATION DATE: 7/6/24

Summer! k CALENDAR

DC Defenders Football at Audi Field. June 2, noon to 3 p.m., vs. Arlington Renegades. The DC Defenders are a professional American football team based in Washington, DC. Audi Field, 100 Potomac Ave. SW. www.audifield.com

“The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence.” June 6 to July 14. Step Afrika!’s “The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence” tells the story of one of the largest movements of people in US history, when millions of African Americans moved from the rural South to the industrial North in the 1900s to escape Jim Crow, racial oppression and lynchings. www.arenastage.org

Adult Chess Club. Thursdays, 6 to 7 p.m. All levels welcome. Sharpen your skills and learn from others. Friendly games for teens and adults. SW Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. www.dclbrary.org

SW Night Market. June 7 and 21, July 5 and 19, Aug. 2, 16 and 30 and Sept. 13 and 27; 4 to 10 p.m. Fourth and M streets SW. www.marketswdc.com

Atlas Presents “City at Peace” in Performance. June 7, at 7:30 p.m., and June 8, at 3:00 and 7:30 p.m. “City at Peace” is a year-round, social justice and theater program for area youth. $12. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. www.atlasarts.org

Brought to You by Schneider's of Capitol Hill

DC Front Runners 5k Pride Run. June 7, at 7 p.m. Join over 1,200 runners at Congressional Cemetery as they kick off Pride Weekend 2024 with a running start. $55. www.congressionalcemetery.org

SE/NE Library Book Sale. June 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Most books are $1. The new book sale location is NE Library, 330 Seventh St. NE (corner of Seventh Street and Maryland Avenue NE). www.dclibrary.org

Congressional Baseball Game for Charity at Nats Park. June 12, at 7 p.m. General admission, $10; reserved seating, $15. www.mlb.com/ nationals/tickets/congressional

The Drive-In at Union Market on Fridays. June 14, “Momma Mia,” 9:10 p.m.; July 12, “Ratatouille,” 9:05 p.m.; Sept. 13, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” 7:45 p.m.; Oct. 4, “Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” 7:45 p.m. $20 per car. For those on foot, pack your chairs and blankets and set up shop in front of Union Market for great views and picnic-style entertainment at no charge. Union Market is at 1309 Fifth St. NE. www.unionmarketdc.com/events

Hill Center Concert featuring Singer/Songwriter Rochelle Rice with Pianist Janelle

JUNE MIXED CASE SPECIAL!

Just in time for summer BBQs and dining on the patio, take home our exquisite, deeply discounted mixed case of summer wines. It has everything you need for entertaining. 7 Reds, 2 Sparklers, 3 Whites

Retail Price: $467.88

Sale Price: $374.88

Mixed Case Price: $279.99 more than 40% Off Retail!

SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP TODAY

Are you an aspiring or existing business in the District? The Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) is here for you!

Wednesday, June 5, 2024 • 10:00 am Register: dlcpsbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/63700

Wednesday, June 12, 2024 • 10:00 am Register: dlcpsbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/65567

Wednesday, June 12, 2024 • 6:00 pm Register: dlcpsbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/63810

Thursday, June 13, 2024 • 10:00am Register: dlcpsbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/63708

Thursday, June 13, 2024 • 2:00 pm Register: dlcpsbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/64121

CONTRACTING

Thursday, June 20, 2024 • 2pm Register: dlcpsbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/63807

WEBINAR: BUSINESS FOUNDATION SERIES: THE LEAN BUSINESS PLAN

Thursday, June 27, 2024 • 2pm Register: dlcpsbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events/64122

Monday – Friday • By appointment between 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Register: dlcpsbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events

Wednesdays • by appointment between 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Register: dlcpsbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events

Wednesdays • by appointment between 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Register: dlcpsbrc.ecenterdirect.com/events SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE

Pride vs. Washington

at Exploria Stadium, Aug. 4, 2023.

Washington Spirit Women’s Soccer at Audi Field. June 15, at 7:30 p.m., vs. San Diego Wave; June 29, 7:30 p.m., vs. North Carolina Courage; July 21, 4:00 p.m., vs. Chivas de Guadalajara; July 31, 6:30 p.m., vs. Chicago Red Stars. www.washingtonspirit.com

Gill. June 14, from 7 to 9 p.m. Singer, songwriter and podcast host Rochelle Rice walks a fine line along jazz and folk, between the cracks of hard-and-fast genre rules. $20. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. www.hillcenterdc.org

Sing Out Piano Bar and Open Mic with Gay Men’s Chorus. June 19, July 17 and Aug. 21, from 7:30 to 11:00 p.m. Sing with a live piano accompaniment or just enjoy the music. Free admission. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. www.atlasarts.org

DC United at Audi Field. June 19, at 7:30 p.m., vs. Atlanta United; June 22, at 7:30 p.m., vs. Houston Dynamo; July 3, at 7:30 p.m., vs. FC Cincinnati; July 13, at 7:30 p.m., vs. Nashville SC. Audi Field, 100 Potomac Ave. SW. www.audifield.com

Screening of “Take Me to the River.” June 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. “Take Me to the River” celebrates the musical heritage and influence of New Orleans and Louisiana. James Madison Building, Pickford Theater

(LM302), 101 Independence Ave. SE. www.loc.gov/live

Carpe Librum Book Sales. June 23, July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 22 and Oct. 13; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weather dependent. Eastern Market Metro Plaza, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. www.turningthepage.org

A Groovy Summer Solstice! Featuring Ocean Celtic Quartet. June 23, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Hear Ocean Celtic Quartet, an award-winning Maryland/Virginia ensemble, in a program of traditional and original music celebrating the mystery and symbolism of the sun. $20. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. www. hillcenterdc.org

Northeast Library’s Garden Concert Series. June 30, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. The Gliders, a fixture on Capitol Hill, specialize in “acoustic roots and rhythm & blues with a big dollop of soul.” NE Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. www.dclibrary.org

Orlando

Spirit

Capitol Hill Art League Juried Art Show. Through Sept. 7, featuring the work of 50 artists. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. www.hillcenterdc.org

Brazilian Samba Sensation & Latin Grammy Nominee Roge. July 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. Roge, a samba idol in the clubs of Rio before relocating to Los Angeles, is a master of samba-funk, a contemporary brew of samba, soul reggae and Motown. $20. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. www.hillcenterdc.org

Cinematery (Movies) at Congressional Cemetery. Fridays: July 5, “The Sixth Sense,” 7:30 p.m.; Aug. 2, “The Haunted Mansion,” 7:00 p.m.; and Sept. 6, “Casper,” 7:00 p.m. $10. At the movie no dogs allowed. Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. www.congressionalcemetery.org

The Civil War at Congressional, Docent Tour. July 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Explore the graves and memorials that showcase individual stories from the Civil War in a docent-led tour. $5. Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. www.congressionalcemetery.org ◆

Nan Raphael’s “Toward the Black Hole.”

Summer! k

JUNETEENTH

Juneteenth Commemorative Collection. The National Museum of African American History and Culture Juneteenth Merchandise Collection has launched. It includes tote bags, scarves, tumblers, shirts, towels and more. Visit www. nmaahc.si.edu/visit/museum-store.

First page of the Emancipation Proclamation.

See the Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3. When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, he said, “I never in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this paper … If my name ever goes into history it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.”

The document proclaimed that enslaved people held in areas still in rebellion “are and henceforward shall be free.”

By the end of the war, nearly 200,000 Black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation is on display at the National Archives, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, from June 18 to 20, with extended hours, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. www.archivesfoundation.org

“Fighters for Freedom”: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice. Through Sept. 8 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and G streets NW. William H. Johnson (1901-70) painted his last body of work, the “Fighters for Freedom” series, in the mid-1940s as a tribute to African American activists, scientists, teachers and performers as well as international leaders working to bring peace to the world. For the first time since 1946, this exhibition brings together 34 paintings featured in the series. www.americanart.si.edu

CALENDER

Juneteenth Half-Marathon & 10k. Saturday, June 15, at 6:19 a.m. Both start at Fort Stanton Park, 1820 Erie St. SE, and take runners along the entirety of the Civil War defenses of the Washington Trail. Free registration. Post-race festivities, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. www.juneteenthmarathon.org

Heroes of Civil Rights Specialty Tours at the Capitol. Weekdays at 3 p.m. Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass and Charles Sumner all fought for an end to slavery and the equality and freedom of all Americans. Learn how they shaped the path from slavery to civil rights. The tour includes Emancipation Hall and the Old Senate Chamber. Free passes are at the information desk in Emancipation Hall. The tour lasts one hour. www.visitthecapitol.gov/visit

The Enslaved People of Mount Vernon Tour. Daily, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Listen to the stories of the enslaved people who built and operated Mount Vernon, and learn about their daily lives during this 60-minute tour. www. mountvernon.org

Lincoln’s Toughest Decisions: Complexities of Emancipation. Saturday, June 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Commemorate Juneteenth at President Lincoln’s Cottage by discovering often unheard perspectives on emancipation. $15. President Lincoln’s Cottage, 140 Rock Creek Church Rd. NW. www.lincolncottage.org

“A Seat at the Table”: A Juneteenth Conversation with Bryant Terry and Kevin Young. Saturday, June 15, from 6:45 to 9:30 p.m., at the National Museum of African America History and Culture. Indulge in a special,

plant-based meal curated by Bryant Terry, designed to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of African American cuisine and Juneteenth. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss healthier ways of eating, explore ancestral forms of cooking and learn how to share time-honored meals and practices with families and communities. $40. www.nmaahc.si.edu

Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival. June 15 to 19. Spanning five days and eight venues, the festival will offer 23 events across Montgomery County. June 19, at 8:00 a.m., Juneteenth 5k Road Race and One-Mile Family Walk; 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Children’s Carnival and Food Court at Cabin John Park; 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Juneteenth Parade. www.juneteenthscotland.org

NMAAHC Juneteenth Community Day. On Saturday, June 15, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., visitors can celebrate the history, art and culture of Juneteenth at the National Museum of African American History and Culture with events at the annual Community Day. All programs are free, but registration is required for indoor activities. Register at www.nmaahc.si.edu/events/juneteenthcommunity-day-celebration.

Family 365 Genealogy Block Party. Saturday, June 15, from 1 to 5 p.m. This is a first-ever event in a celebration of similar and shared heri-

EASTERN MARKET METRO PARK

June 7th - 5:30 pm

Herb Scott Band

June 14th - 5:30 pm

Love Station

June 21st - 5:30 pm The Green Team

June 28th - 5:30 pm

Too Much Talent Band

First Fridays on Barracks Row

Chess Tournament at Eastern Market Metro Park

June 7th - 6 pm – 10 pm

Expect a lively and vibrant atmosphere filled with the sounds of live music. Best of all, most of the music can be enjoyed for free! Whether you’re a fan of rock, country, bluegrass, jazz, hip-hop, folk, or classical music, 8th Street Barracks Row has something for everyone. Our diverse lineup of musicians ensures that there’s always something new and exciting to discover every first Friday night.

LOCATIONS:

June 1st - 10 am – 1:30 pm

Yoga in the Park at Playground Side

June 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th - 10 am – 11 am

Weather Permitting

Live on the Hill - The Dragon Clan!

June 29th – Noon

Eastern Market Metro Park

701 Penn. Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20003

Eastern Market Playground at 9th & Penn

900 D St., SE, Washington, DC 20003

Summer! k

Southwest Juneteenth Festival (History, Heritage, Hope). On Saturday, June 15, noon to 3 p.m., enjoy music, dance, food, children’s activities, games, giveaways, free books and a walking tour. 1354 First St. SW. www.asalh.org

tage, history and identity. Discover how to unlock the secrets of your ancestry with renowned genealogists. The DC Office of the Medical Examiner will be onsite to highlight Black and Brown missing persons cases. This event also features live music, cultural, performances, free food, a game truck and giveaways. Free and open to all. Episcopal Church of the Atonement, 5073 East Capitol St. SE. www.info@majani.org

A Gospel Symphony Celebration at the Kennedy Center. Tuesday, June 18, and Wednesday, June 19, at 8 p.m., both days. In celebration of Juneteenth, witness the fusion of two musical worlds. Grammy Awardwinning producer Dr. Henry Panion III leads the NSO, local gospel choirs and special guests at an evening of soulful celebration. $33 to $114. www.kennedy-center.org

Juneteenth Celebration at Church of the Epiphany. Tuesday, June 18, from 12:10 to 1:00 p.m. Celebrate Juneteenth with countertenor Andrew Chukwuku Egbuchiem. Free; donations accepted. 1317 G St. NW. www. epiphanydc.org

Juneteenth at Lincoln Park. Wednesday, June 19, at 6:30 p.m. Program features Nathan Richardson as Frederick Douglass. Bring chairs or blankets. Lincoln Park is on East Capitol Street at 12th Street SE. www.nps.gov/cahi

Juneteenth for the City Block Party. Wednesday, June 19, from 1 to 6 p.m. This family-friendly block party in the heart of Anacostia features a local Black-owned business marketplace, food, live performances and educational sessions – all rooted in Black culture and history. Bread for the City, 1700 Marion Barry Ave. SE. www.breadforthecity.org/ Juneteenth

Civic Season at the American History Museum. Juneteenth on June 19 to July 4. An annual Civic Season connects Americans nationwide with ways to explore our complex past, take action in the present and shape the future. The Fourth of July commemorates the moment when a new generation articulated the values of freedom, equality, justice, rights and opportunity. Juneteenth reminds us that people in the United States have fought to make those values a reality for hundreds of years. www.thecivicseason.com

Juneteenth at National Harbor. Wednesday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Celebrate Juneteenth at National Harbor and visit the Freedom Day Black-Owned Marketplace in the Capital Canopy. Support the community and stick around for cultural performances starting at 5 p.m. on the Plaza Stage. www.nationalharbor.com

Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent Tours at Tudor Place. Extended through Oct. 13. The tour uses audio recordings, maps, artifacts and photographs to reveal how individuals practiced resistance and activism while navigating the traumas that came from the institution of slavery. Tudor Place Historic House & Garden is at 1644 31st St. NW. www.tudorplace.org

Juneteenth Freedom Celebration at the ACM. Wednesday, June 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join the Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE, for a daylong celebration as family, friends and neighbors honor the present and reflect on shared tradition and history. www.anacostia.si.edu

Live! at the Library: Juneteenth Celebration Concert. Thursday, June 20, from 8 to 10 p.m. Immerse yourself in the rhythms and energy of two-time Grammy-nominated Cha Wa, a musical force guaranteed to make you move and groove. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Coolidge Auditorium. www. loc.gov/live

Mount Vernon Juneteenth Family Days. On Wednesday through Saturday, June 19, 20, 21 and 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., each day, discover how enslaved men and women at Mount Vernon defined their agency and the legacies they left behind. Also learn about Ona Judge, Christopher Sheels and Mount Vernon’s many enslaved people who resisted enslavement and sought freedom before the Emancipation Proclamation. Activities are included with Mount Vernon admission. www. mountvernon.org

African Americans at Congressional Cemetery: Guided Docent Tour. Saturday, June 22, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. From the formerly enslaved to philosophers, to DC’s Mayor for Life, come and join an expert docent for an exploration of African American history in honor of the Juneteenth holiday. $5 donation. Congressional Cemetery is at 1801 E St. SE. www.congressionalcemetery.org

Home Rule Music Festival at The Parks @ Walter Reed. Saturday, June 22, from noon to 9 p.m. This event celebrates all things jazz and gogo, where talented artists take the stage to rock your world. Free admission. The Parks @ Walter Reed are at 1010 Butternut St. NW. www.homerulemusicfestival.com u

Photo: Southwest Juneteenth Committee

PRIDE MONTH!

The Hill is A Rainbow

Celebrating the LGBTQ Community Past and Present

by Liz O’Gorek

The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has certified The Capital Candy Jar at 201 15th St. NE as a LGBTQ owned business. Founded by David Burton, a gay man, the local candy maker, ice cream and treat shop is featured regularly by Destination DC, the District’s tourism office.

Burton believes the identification was needed. “I think visibility is important in the LGBTQ community,” Burton said. “Growing up I didn’t know anyone else who was gay and because of that I thought it was something to be ashamed of.” Meeting other LGBTQ-identified people living happy successful lives gave him the courage to come out and be his true self, he said.

“I hope that by being visible I can pass that on to others who might be struggling in their own process of self-acceptance,” Burton said.

In June, the entire country takes “Pride” in the LGBTQ+ communi-

ty. Capitol Hill is no exception. This article celebrates the LGBTQ people who are now and have been an essential part of the social and commercial life of the Hill community.

“Gay Way”

Capitol Hill has long been a center for the District’s LGBTQ residents. In 1949, Johnny’s, a gay singalong club, opened at Eighth and E streets SE. In the 1950s, the Guild Press, operating out of what is now what is now Taoti Creative at 507 Eighth St. SE published gay fiction, travel guides and a local newspaper, the Gay Forum. In the 1960s, Plus One at 529 Eighth St SE became the first gay-owned bar to allow same-sex dancing. JoAnna’s at 430 Eighth St. SE later opened the floor to lesbians. By the late 1960s, Barracks Row had become “gay way,” a key social center for the LGBT community.

Today’s Barracks Row carries on that legacy. Temporarily closed for structural work as of May 2024, safe

space, restaurant and lounge

As You Are (AYA) opened in 2022 at 500 E St. SE.

Down the street at 737 Eighth St. SE, Little District Books owner Patrick Kern picked Barracks Row for his LGBTQ bookstore because he liked the neighborhood’s “hustle and bustle,” but also referenced its history. “We are a proud part of a neighborhood that has been a haven for the LGBTQ+ community over the past 50+ years,” Kern said.

small business owners.

Mr. Henry’s at 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE has been expressly gay-friendly for more than 50 years. Former hairdresser and openly gay proprietor Henry Jaffe bought the place in 1966. “Mr. Henry’s was also known for attracting a diverse crowd that included white, African-American, and gay patrons, an unusual mix in the 1960s,” according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

“We have become a gathering space for folks of various backgrounds, neighbors, music lovers, mahjong players, book clubs and of course, our regulars,” said current proprietor Mary Quillian Holmes.

Those businesses aren’t just on the Hill because it is welcoming. They also help create the amicable community that is the Hill, said Dr. Dan Teich.

A 17-year Hill resident, Teich operates District Vet in three locations, including in Brookland, Navy Yard and near home, at Eastern Market. While it has recently become fashionable for corporations to put out the Pride Flag, Teich said the commitment to equity and to being heard is most genuine from LGBTQ

“If somebody feels like they are being discriminated against, we take it personally,” Teich said. “You are more likely to be heard at a small business. And that’s what feeds community.”

LGBTQ businesses owned by locals, he said, like his, realtors like Gary & Michael at 350 Seventh St. SE or retail stores like the gift, card, party supply store Groovy DC at 321 Seventh St. SE, are a presence that creates an eclectic community.

Resting in Peace

Pride past and present crosses paths at Congressional Cemetery, site of the 12th annual Pride Run 5K, where more than 1,200 are expected to get a running start on Pride weekend June 7.

Congressional Cemetery is the final resting place for many of the modern gay rights movement’s leaders. You can celebrate Pride by visiting the resting places of important District figures. The grave of Frank Kameny, the co-founder of early gay rights organization the Mattachine Society and the first openly gay person to run for Congress in 1971 is located there. Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen, who founded the first American lesbian rights organization in 1958 and worked to convince the American Psychiatric Asso-

Hill residents joined with members of the Parasol Patrol Feb. 25, 2023 amid reports extremists would come to break up Ms. Tara Hoot’s Drag Story hour at the now shuttered Crazy Aunt Helen‘s (714 Eighth St. SE). So many turned out that the rainbow defense line of neighbors and friends occupied the entire 700 block of Barracks Row.

David Burton says visibility is important in the LGBTQ community. Photo: E.O’Gorek/CCN

PRIDE

ciation to remove “homosexuality” from its list of mental illnesses rest there as well.

San Francisco Mayor Harvey Milk’s ashes were scattered at Congressional in part. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover is buried right up the road from the man he breakfasted with most mornings, his longtime companion Clyde Tolson.

Nourishing the Spirit

Many LGBT congregations were launched on the Hill. In 1971, a group gathered to worship in the home of Rev. J.E. Paul Breton at 705 Seventh St. SE; that group would go on to found the Metropolitan Community Church, at 474 Ridge Rd. NW in 1992. In 1975, the Bet Mishpachah Synagogue, a congregation composed of self-identified “homosexuals,” began meeting weekly at Christ United Methodist Church at 900 Fourth St. SW before moving to the Jewish Community Center at 1529 16th St. NW in 1997.

Today, LGBTQ members of the community are also leaders of many religious institutions on the Hill. Rabbi Jenna Shaw, who identifies as queer and uses they/them pronouns, is High Holiday Assistant Rabbi for Hill Havurah (212 E. Capitol St. NE). Last October, Shaw told the Hill Rag that being part of the LGBTQ community has affected the way they deal with questions of authority and power. “I think, for me, my queerness has put me in a place where I’ve had to think a lot about power and I’m really mindful of how much power and authority I have,” Shaw said.

The Reverend Michele H. Morgan is the rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at 301 A St. SE, the first to identify either as a woman or as queer. The St. Mark’s community has been welcoming for decades, hosting early meetings of the Mattachine

Society and supporting the Episcopal Caring Response to AIDS (ECRA) in the 1980s.

Rev. Morgan has been out since the mideighties and married to her wife, Michelle Dibblee for 22 years. She said her sexual identity was unimportant to the congregation when they selected her; more important was her ability to help the church expand into their then new building and to invite the community in. For her personally, living her authentic identity is key to her relationship with Jesus and to her role as a spiritual leader.

“To be of service in sacrificial ways and profound ways,” she said, “I think I have to show up [as] who I authentically am.”

Morgan knows that there are people who want to deny her existence as a reverend and as a queer person. She says being a queer woman who works as a spiritual leader on Capitol Hill “has a weird cache for a lot of places in the world, I am always really surprised by it,” Morgan said. “[But] it affords me the chance to have conversations with [LGBTQ] people who are still convinced that the church hates them.”

Civic Leadership

LGBTQ residents have also played a key role in politics. Navy Yard resident David Meadows has served as former Chief of Staff to At-Large DC Councilmember Anita Bonds and as past president of the Ward 6 Democrats and the Gertrude Stein Club, in addition to many other positions. He has lived all over Ward 6 before settling in Navy Yard where he was redistricted into Ward 8 in 2020. His political goals include DC Statehood as well as equity for all. Equity, he said, is not a war to win but a battle constantly fought, often from the Hill.

Meadows cites activist Paul Kuntzler, who worked with Mattachine’s Frank Kameny on the latter’s historic 1971 run for DC’s delegate to Congress; and Richard Rausch, an early and open advocate for LGBTQ and women’s rights in his role as staff member for various Congress people and in leadership positions in the Democratic Party, including co-founder of the Ward 6 Democrats.

Meadows says politicians need to stay vigilant. In May, Iowa Republicans included a repeal of the same-sex marriage law as part of their platform. “You’ve got to continue, because we’re under attack, we’re under attack today,” Meadows said. “And it’s Iowa last week, but it could be DC tomorrow.”

Other District political leaders agree. Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) Robb Dooling (6A06) identifies as both Deaf and Queer. In 1973, DC became the first major city in the country to pass a law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in the areas of employment, education, housing, and public accommodations. “Statehood is an LGBTQ issue,” he said, because Congress has the power to repeal District law.

While Ward 6 has run at least one gay candidate for council, notably Steve Michael, who ran in a 1997 special election, the strongest showing of LGBTQ elected officials is our Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners (ANCs). That list is led by former ANC 6D05 Chair Andy Litsky, who was probably the longest-serving openly gay public official in the nation when he stepped down in 2022 after 24 years. The new chair of ANC 6D is Edward Daniels, who identifies as Black and gay. Unlike earlier leaders like Kameny, Daniels doesn’t see his sexual identity as driving his politics, but it does help him understand alternative perspectives, he said.

“It sounds cliché, but representation matters,” Daniels said, intending it doubly: both as an elected official, and at the intersection of multiple identities.

While so much change has taken place in the 55 years since, Pride as an event that inspires future progressive action is still needed, he said. Samesex sexuality and non-binary gender identities are not yet widely accepted, he noted. “It’s still something that isn’t as easily discussed within the Black community for some reason,” Daniels said.

He points out that Pride has roots in the 1969 Stonewall riots, when police raided New York City’s Stonewall Inn. “It wasn’t a party, it was a riot,” he said. “And it was led by transgender people; those people had enough.”

It is the same folks who

District Vet Dr. Dan Teich says the LGBTQ businesses of the Hill helped to form the fabric of the welcoming community.

Photo: E.O’Gorek/CCN

Little District Books (735 Eighth St. SE) features LGBTQ authors and stories as well as events around the LGBTQ community and its literature. Photo: E.O’Gorek/CCN

need our support today, Daniels said. Transgender individuals, who have a di erent gender identity than the one assigned at birth, and drag queens, artists who put on an exaggerated performance of femininity, are conated by extremists and are together the targets of the most intense vitriol. But recently the Hill has shown its support of the LGBTQ connumity.

Capitol Hill Pride

In 2023, conservative groups threatened a children’s story hour hosted by drag queen Ms. Tara Hoot at the now shuttered Crazy Aunt Helen’s on Barracks Row. Hundreds of people turned out in force with rainbow umbrellas, not only guarding the restaurant and children throughout story time, but occupying the entire block.

In 2020, Pride events were cancelled due to the pandemic. One Northeast Hill neighborhood decided to give a 12-year-old a chance to celebrate Pride. Michael McKeon was not allowed to re-enroll at his school when he announced he identi ed as male; 50 neighbors marched in a Pride parade behind him, culminating in a block party. He went on to attend Capitol Hill Day School (CHDS) the following year, a school that expressly considers gender expression as a learning opportunity.

Meadows said that doesn’t surprise him to hear. “One good thing about the neighbors on Capitol Hill and throughout Ward 6 is we’ve been fortunate to have strong, straight allies,” he said. Working together with members of the community, Meadows said, Hill allies have been critical to the advance of LGBTQ rights in the last fty years, citing the time and money they have given to the pursuit of equity.

“Because it wasn’t a one-person event,” Meadows said. “It truly did take a village. And that is why the Capitol Hill village is a special place.”

“High

C A L E N D A R

Drag Storytime in Adams Morgan. Sundays, June 2 and 30, July 28, Aug. 25, Sept. 29 and Oct. 27, at 11 a.m. Presented by the Adams Morgan BID, The Line DC and DC Public Library at Unity Park, 1771-1795 Columbia Rd. NW. www.admodc.org/storytime

Drag Bingo at Nellie’s. Every Tuesday, 7 p.m. $3 Nellie beer; $7 Malibu cocktails; $15 beer buckets. 900 U St. NW. www.nelliessportsbar.com

PG County Police Department’s Pride Walk. June 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at National Harbor. Celebrate diversity, promote equality and connect with others who share the same values. Walk the Harbor Trail and celebrate with a finish-line party. There will be live music, activities and vendors/resources. www.nationalharbor.com

Pride Night Out at the Nationals. Thursday, June 6, at 6:45 p.m. Nats vs. Atlanta Braves. www.mlb.com/nationals

RIOT! The Capital Pride Official Opening Party. Friday, June 7, 9 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. A star-studded drag performance features headliner Sapphira Cristal of Rupaul’s Drag Race and the region’s most amazing performers and DJs. At EchoStage, 2135 Queens Chapel Rd. NE. Tickets $27 up. www.capitalpride.org

Capital Pride Parade. Saturday, June 8, from 3:00 to 7:30 p.m. New parade route starts at 1844 14th St. NW and ends at 919 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The parade family area, which features fun and children’s activities, is at Stead Park from noon to 5:00 p.m. A designated family area for parade viewing is on P Street east of 17th Street NW. www.capitalpride.org

Pride on the Pier (at The Wharf).

June 8, from 2 to 10 p.m. District Pier offers a DJ, dancing and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older. 9 p.m. fireworks. www.prideonthepierdc.com

Capital Pride Festival and Concert. Sunday, June 9, noon to 10 p.m. Enjoy a full day of entertainment on three stages, food, drink and advocacy with over 300 exhibitors. Free admission. Third Street and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. www.capitalpride.org

Pride Family Day at SAAM. Saturday, June 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Start the day with a performance by DC’s Different Drummers, followed by GenOUT, the youth chorus of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC. Then move to the Brazilian beats of Batala Washington. Attendees can make rainbow-themed crafts, and face painting will be available for visitors ages 12 and under. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is at Eighth and G streets NW. www.americanart.si.edu

Gay Gardens at Wunder Garten. Every Tuesday, 6 p.m., LGBTQIA+ happy hour. Come as you are, and all are welcome. Wunder Garten, 1101 First St. NE. www.wundergartendc.com

Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s “Portraits.” Thursday, June 16, at 5 p.m. Through visual art, music and dance, “Portraits” represents the vibrant spectrum of sexual, gender, racial, ethnic and cultural identities in a nine-move-

ment oratorio. $25 to $80. www.Kennedy-center.org

Monthly Sing Out Piano Bar and Open Mic with Gay Men’s Chorus. Next up, June 19 and July 17, from 7:30 to 11:00 p.m. Sing with live piano accompaniment or just enjoy the music. Free admission. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. www. atlasarts.org

Pride Run 5k. Friday, June 7, at 7 p.m. Registration is $55 and includes a commemorative T-shirt, medal, after party with a live DJ, drag performances and beer/hard seltzer provided by DC Brau. Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. www.congressionalcemetery.org

Jackie Sink

202.352.5793

jackie.sink@compass.com

Libby Clarke

202.841.1812

libby.clarke@compass.com

Crystal Crittenden

202.246.0931

crystal.crittenden@compass.com

Pride LGBTQ+ Tour of Congressional Cemetery. Saturday, June 1, 11.a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (rain or shine). Historic Congressional Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries with a dedicated LGBTQ+ section. Find out who is buried there, including many founders of the modern gay rights movement, and learn about DC’s role in the history of the LGBTQ rights movement. $5. www.congressionalcemetery.org

Rock the Dock Extended Pride Concert. Wednesday, June 19, from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. JWX-The Jarreau Williams Experience, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.; Jogo Project, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.; De’la Dona, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Concert takes place at Transit Pier at The Wharf, 970 Wharf St. SW. www. wharfdc.com

Out and About Festival at Wolf Trap. Saturday, June 22, at 3:00 p.m. (gates at 2:30 p.m.). With three stages, including Grammy winner Brittany How-

ard, indie-pop sensation Jenny Lewis and the high-energy sounds of Lawrence, it’s a day of nature, music and Pride in America’s only national park for the performing arts. Expect fun surprises, tasty bites, community connections and a celebration of LGBTQ+ talent and allies. Tickets start at $49. www.wolftrap.org

Laura Doherty & the Heartbeats at Wolf Trap. Saturday, June 22, at 10:30 a.m. (gates at 10:00 a.m.). Move with the music of Laura Doherty & The Heartbeats as they bring their joyful sound to Children’s Theatrein-the-Woods. Doherty’s lyrics make young listeners feel that she is singing directly to and for them. Laura Doherty & the Heartbeats are part of Wolf Trap’s Out and About Festival. Tickets are $12. Theatre-in-the-Woods, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, Virginia. www. wolftrap.org

Seventh Annual Pride Bar Crawl. Saturday, June 22, from 4 p.m. to midnight. Enjoy handpicked inclusive bars, exclusive drink specials and freebies that are available only to Pride Bar Crawl participants. Dress in vibrant attire and express your true self in a safe, welcoming space. Required check-in at SPIN Washington DC, 1332 F St. NW. $10 to $15. www.messenger.com/t/ CrawlWithUs

Annapolis Bike Party Pride Ride. Friday, June 28, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The ride starts from Acton Cove, 14 South St., Annapolis, Maryland, at 7:30 p.m. Wheels up at 8:00 p.m. Finish by 9:15 p.m. www.annapolispride.org

Pride Month Glow Yoga. June 29, from 8 to 9 p.m. Yoga on the Yards Park Great Lawn. www. capitolriverfront.org ◆

Full-Service Landscape Design & Maintenance

Redefining Beauty One Client at

• Installation, arbors, retaining

•

• Trees & shrubs, formal & informal gardens

• Custom Masonry, Fencing and Iron work

• Restoration and Enhancement

Our Gratitude & Thanks

Capitol Hill Animal Clinic is Closing on June 15, 2024

After 22 years of taking care of your beloved pets, it is with a heavy heart I am announcing the closing of the Capitol Hill Animal Clinic on June 15, 2024.

Lynn and I want to express our gratitude to all our clients that entrusted us with the care of their pets through the good times and the very hard times.

There are puppies and kittens that I will miss seeing them grow up. There are so many pets I have taken care of for their whole lives. I will remember them all!

Lastly, I will miss all our wonderful clients. Thank you for supporting our Capitol Hill Animal Clinic family all these years. We intend on continuing to live on the hill. If you see me out and about, I hope you’ll stop me and say Hi!

– Dan & Lynn Murphy

YOUR PET’S MEDICAL RECORDS CAN BE OBTAINED BY EMAILING chac1240@aol.com TO REQUEST THEM.

We would like to recommend other local veterinarians in the area for any continued care your pet(s) may need in the future. The Atlas Vet on H Street and District Vet @ Eastern Market or Navy Yard would be recommended. There are 2 or 3 other clinics in SE & NE that have opened recently, I am just not familiar with their doctors and staff enough to recommend them.

Happy Anniversary to Hill Family Biking Group

Switches Gears, Becoming Nonprofit Organization

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

The bikes begin to swoop in, one by one, a trickle, then a deluge, turning from Tennessee Avenue toward 13th Street NE. They come in all sizes and colors, some with streamers and signs, many with kids on the back, buckets in the front or trailers behind.

The woman standing with her dog in the triangle park near the Balance Statue releases the grip on her

leash as hundreds of bicycles flood around her, but no worries, the dog is also transfixed as the bikes glide past the park to find a place to lock up.

It is an astonishing sight every time you are lucky enough to see it.

The 200 or so cyclists have just completed the Hill Family Biking Anniversary Ride, celebrating one year of community-organized, family-oriented rides around the Hill and District. They’re capping off the ride with a party on the 200 block of 13th Street NE, complete with a Chalk Riot mural, popsicles, a DJ and an extremely fancy potty from Throne.

Mark Sussman is a driving force

Hill Family Biking core organizers at the block party celebrating the one year anniversary. (L-R): Sava Tshontikidis, Jay Williams, Mark Sussman, Amber Gove, Sam Moghtaderi, Will Handsfield and Matt Arnn. Courtesy: Hill Family Biking

Members of Hill Family Biking around a mural created by Chalk Riot at the anniversary block party.

Photo: E. O’Gorek/CCN

behind the project, which kicked o in April 2023. I asked him if he anticipated the group would be such a big success.

“Yes, I did,” he told me, grinning. “There was this unbelievable groundswell of unmet demand for homegrown family-friendly biking events on Capitol Hill,” he said.

Sussman predicted more than 200 riders would show up for that rst ride. 250 people rode the four miles with Sussman and the core organizers, including ANC 6A Commissioner Amber Gove, bike-lane guru Will Hands eld, organizer Jay Williams, technical expert Save Tshontikidis and Dr. Sam Moghtaderi, an orthopedic surgeon who became the Hill Family Biking historian after he brought a clicker to the inaugural ride and counted participants.

Pedaling Fun

Gove has served as a marshal on the rides, keeping riders together and ensuring safe crossings at intersections. She has also assumed the role of Chief Fun O cer, or CFO, taking responsibility for the bubble machine and musical playlist that accompanies the group on the rides. She loves the joy the ride brings to riders and bystanders.

“Lots of smiles, lots of smiles,” she described the reaction, “particularly seeing lots of [young] independent riders.”

The Hill Family Biking concept is modeled

on Kidical Mass (www.kidicalmass.org), a legal, safe and fun ride for kids and families rst held in April 2008 in Eugene, Oregon. The relatively short rides start at a park and end at a fun place ‒ the inaugural Hill Family Biking ride ended at Capital Candy Jar for ice cream.

The Hill rides often start in the parking lot at Maury Elementary (1250 Constitution Ave. NE) with an opportunity to do a little bike maintenance ‒ tools and amateur mechanics provide help. Sussman said the rides are intended to build community, highlight the bene ts of cycling and draw attention to the need for safer streets.

These are big goals, but the rides are all built around fun. One of the most popular was the costume ride in October 2023, which drew 270 riders dressed as everything from skeletons to turtles to Spiderman. Several rides have taken the group to libraries; in November, the DC Public Library’s Book Bike came along for a ride to Rosedale.

The group has a core of regular riders who say there’s one big reason why they do it. “It’s fun!” declared Rose Connelly. She and husband Chris do the rides with their six-year-old daughter whenever their schedules permit.

”I think there’s such a great community aspect, where you see people you know,” Connelly said. “But you also go to a few spots that you might not otherwise think to ride to in the neighborhood.”

Hill Family Biking has pedaled across the

Frederick Douglass Bridge and to the Canal Park ice rink, nishing up with some skating. But Sussman says his favorite ride was December’s “tiny street” ride, a route that took riders along several of the one-way streets that run for a single block on the Hill.

“These streets are picturesque and not often traveled,” Sussman explained, “so it provided a special treat for our riders and showed them some alternate safer routes they may have never considered before.”

Chain Reaction

That is a core goal of Hill Family Biking, said Gove. “We take people on rides to places and show them how to get there on a bike. Then they realize, hey, I could actually cycle down to Nationals Park or Audi Stadium with my child.”

The group is often accompanied by the Metropolitan Police Department’s First District community outreach team. The marshals direct the group along the route. And Dr. Moghtaderi provides an extra layer of security to the less certain riders, ready to provide medical attention where needed, although so far he says he’s only had to administer water to prevent heatstroke.

Like the Connellys, many monthly riders are regulars. But a key mission of Hill Family Biking is to welcome those new to the Hill and to cycling. Families moving to the District have con-

DCPL’s Book Bike leads the way at the November 2023 Book Bike Ride. Photo: Courtesy Hill Family Biking

The Connelly family dressed as cycling skeletons for the costume ride last October.

Photo: Courtesy Hill Family Biking

Kids get comfortable learning to ride safely at the anniversary ride. Photo: Sam Moghtaderi, courtesy Hill Family Biking

tacted the group even before their move, Moghtaderi said, wanting to help their kids become part of the community and get used to cycling ‒ something they didn’t regularly do before the move. And families have noticed. In May, Katie Coester was at her daughter’s lacrosse practice on Kingsman Field when a group of cyclists started flowing down D Street NE.

“Is this a parade?” she asked no one in particular.

“No,” said another bystander, waving furiously at the wheeled group as they passed by, “it’s Hill Family Biking!”

Coester wouldn’t describe herself as a confident cyclist. She has some trepidation about riding on the street, especially with her three kids, all between four and eight years old. But she wants to do more riding on the Hill. The size of the ride, together with the marshals and the police presence, might just be the doorway they need, she said. “This offers a low-barrier opportunity to meet with families who bike on the street and to participate in a ride,” she remarked.

Cranking It Up

The mission doesn’t end there. Sussman, whom Moghtaderi calls the “real and spiritual leader of the group,” has big goals for the future. He wants streets safe enough for kids to ride without fear, “an incredibly lofty goal,” he acknowledged.

But, he added, “in many of the cities that have attained these goals ‒ Amsterdam, Copenhagen and most recently Paris ‒ it was a groundswell of kids and families demanding safer streets that was the catalyst for change.”

Sussman said that as HFB grows it will need more volunteers to keep the wheels turning. It has already inspired groups in other DC neighborhoods, including one in Ward 5. HFB wants to do more age-specific programming, including teen programming in the summer and working closely with the Capitol Hill Village Bike A nity Group. On Aug. 31, they’ll do the Back to School Ride, and they want to fundraise with Maury Elementary to install art in the right-of-way where families cross to get to school (something similar has been done at Miner Elementary). They’re also about to introduce a line of swag, which could include T-shirts and yard signs.

Spokes-People

To that end, Hill Family Biking became a 501(c)(3) nonpro t organization in April 2024. Sussman said that after the rst ride attracted 250 participants, they realized they’d need a budget. The organizing committee footed the bill for some things, like promotional materials, safety vests and walkie-talkies. They considered working under an established organization, but decided to go their own way. Local businesses have sponsored the rides, including realtors Jeanne, Phil, Meg. The new nonpro t has applied for a grant from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. In December 2023, Hill Family Biking received the Civic Pride Award at the Ward 6 17th Annual Brickies. The event, hosted by Ward 6 Councilmem-

ber Charles Allen (D), celebrated the people, businesses and organizations that make the Hill a great place to live. “The group has quickly established itself as an impactful organization dedicated to building community through learning, exploration, collaboration and fun, embodying the true meaning of civic pride,” Allen declared.

Even those who haven’t had a chance to participate say they love what Hill Family Biking is doing. Passersby often can’t contain their smiles, waving as the group of colorful riders from ages eight to 80 pass them by. “As a neighbor and observer, I think of it as a joyful parade and I love to cheer and wave from the sidewalks,” said Kelly Waud.”

One year in, Sussman is enjoying the anniversary, even as he prepares for the future.

“It simply feels amazing,” Sussman said. “It’s one thing to do something as a one-o , have some success and then it peters out. I’ve had my share of those kinds of endeavors. But to have organized 13 rides now with a core group of enthusiastic organizers, and our reach and momentum just continues to climb upwards ‒ it is pretty incredible.”

Learn more about Hill Family Biking at the June 8 open house, starting 10 a.m. at Stanton Park. Volunteer, sign up for the main list or donate by visiting www.hillfamilybiking.org. Follow @hillfamilybiking on Instagram, Facebook and Mastodon or @hillfamilybikin on Twitter. ◆

Meet Shanice Wright Pre-K3 Teacher at Miner Elementary School

by Stephanie Deutsch

On a recent sunny morning, a preK3 classroom at Miner Elementary School on 15th St. NE was a busy place. Children crowded around a teacher’s aide holding one of the fuzzy chicks that had hatched in the incubator they had been tending. Others gathered in a corner of the room that had become a pet store, re flecting the subject they had chosen to study. Stuffed dogs and cats were available for adoption. Several children were coloring and cutting out pictures of pets and pet vocabulary words, while in a nearby nook a boy sat quietly with a book.

Amid it all was teacher Shanice Wright. “I love the kiddos,” she said, adding, as if it were not obvious, “I am happy in the classroom.” She has, she says, found her “purpose.”

they chose McKinley Tech, the District’s premier STEM-focused school. Being “super interested in forensics” and envisaging a career gathering evidence and solving crimes, Wright chose the biotech track.

It wasn’t always apparent to her what that purpose was. Describing herself as “super-shy” and “in the shadow of my sister Nicole,” Wright grew up in Northeast DC not far from the school where she now teaches. She attended LudlowTaylor Elementary school, where sister Nicole was a year ahead of her, and where her mother, a “staple” of her life, was an administrator.

In second grade their mother wanted a more diverse student body, and both sisters transferred to Watkins. From there they went to Stuart-Hobson Middle School, and for high school

For college Wright again followed her sister, this time to Virginia State University, an historically Black college in Petersburg. There she explored another of her interests – fashion design. But an elective course in education that sent her to visit schools “curated” her developing interest in teaching. As part of Daughters of Destiny, a youth mentorship program sponsored by her church, Wright had helped out with younger children when she was in high school. She began to discern a purpose that involved teaching.

Her life came full circle when, after college graduation, at her mother’s suggestion, she applied for a job at her old elementary school, Ludlow-Taylor. After two years as a para-professional aide in a pre-K classroom, she took her principal’s advice and enrolled in the Relay Graduate School of Education, with classes at TheARC in Southeast and the Walker Jones Education campus in Northwest, to get a master’s degree. During her second year she had a residency at Miner Elementary School. In August 2020 she received her MA and began a job at Miner.

COVID-19 arrived, and soon, rather than

setting up a classroom, Wright was transforming her dining room into a space for virtual teaching. Working online was interesting and challenging, but she found herself longing to be back in the classroom with the children.

School, she realized, is about character and care as much as skill and knowledge. And both character and care are best communicated in person.

With the pandemic receding, Shanice is now happily back at school, a lead teacher in pre-K3, but again facing a challenge. She was asked to be a leader in the LEAP program (Learning Together to Advance our Practice), meeting weekly with a group of eight other teachers. Working with adults, she says, has been a stretch. “I’ve been pushed to be uncomfortable,” she says. “But I’ve loved this journey of being uncomfortable.”

She is excited about the future. After a summer when she’ll be babysitting for a child who is a former student, she will probably start next year at New Miner, a beautiful, century-old building next to the existing school, which is being restored as an early childhood center. The surroundings will be new but the tasks will be the same – to stimulate, help and challenge children, to guide them as they choose areas to explore while strengthening their core skills and encouraging their growth and sense of worth.

Wright’s sister Nicole, now a member of the US Marshall’s service, is the first member of their family to earn a BA degree. Shanice is the first to receive a master’s. Both were empowered by the consistent message they got from their parents, who did not complete high school, that nothing about the past should limit their expectations about what they might accomplish. Fortunately for staff and children at Miner Elementary school, it’s a message that Wright is committed to passing on. u

How to Vote

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

Tty ly

he primary election is June 4. This is when voters a liated with particular parties choose their candidates for o ce in the general election.

The general election takes place Nov. 5 and will involve the candidates selected by each party and those running as independents. However, DC is largely a blue city, so the primary elections often function as the main event.

for registered to vote or claim residence in another country It does not matter how members

igible of them to

As of May 5, 2024, all residents over 18 who have lived in DC for 30 days can register to vote in local elections, provided they are not registered to vote or claim residence in another country It does not matter how they entered the U.S. This year, noncitizen residents can vote for councilmembers (at-large and in ward of residence) but cannot vote in federal elections.

Voters who registered as a Republican, Democrat or DC Statehood Green by May 14 are eligible to vote in their party primaries. Registered independents do not vote in the primary. The DC Board of Elections (DCBOE) started mailing ballots to voters on April 29. Voters can mail them back immediately and track them online (https://votedc.ballottrax.net/voter/), but they must be postmarked by June 4 and received by June 14. Alternatively, ballot drop boxes are set to open May 10 and will accept ballots until 8:00 p.m. on June 4.

Early voting takes place in person between May 26 and June 2 (except Memorial Day, May 27), from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., at any of 25 vote centers. 75 centers will be open on primary election day (June 4) from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Voters do not have to go to any particular voting center. A full list of early and day-of-voting centers is at https:// www.dcboe.org/voters/ nd-out-where-to-vote/vote-center-locator-tool.

A registered voter will not need any particular identi cation to vote, except at same-day voter registration, when proof of residence will be required. That can include a DC-issued ID (e.g., driver’s license or REAL ID), a government check or paycheck, a bank statement, a current utility bill, a lease or any o cial document that includes the voter’s name and current District address.

Those who are incarcerated, regardless of the o ense, can vote. If they are under court supervision or residing at a halfway house after release, they can vote. Residents who received a mailed absentee ballot, and were released from incarceration before it arrived, may vote at any voting center during early voting or at any voting center on Election Day. Upon release, they should contact the Board of Elections to make any updates to their mailing address.

DCBOE usually posts results for mail and early in-person voting shortly after polling places close on Election Day, followed by the day-of results. But nothing is o cial until results are certi ed, tentatively scheduled for July 3.

Limited races: DC Councilmembers for Ward 2, 4, 7 and 8; ward-based committee members of the DC Democratic State Committee.

Citywide races: DC Councilmember At-Large, Delegate to the House of Representatives, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Presidential Preference.

Find out more about the June primaries by visiting www.dcboe.org/Elections/2024-Elections.

TThe Sewer Overflows to The Anacostia are No More!

What’s Next?

by Bill Matuszeski

he Anacostia River is on the mend. Water quality is steadily improving, habitat is recovering, wildlife is returning, and the goal of a swimmable, fishable river is within reach, though perhaps not by the deadline we have come to expect. “The longstanding goal for the Anacostia River has been swimmable and fishable by 2025,” Chris Williams, the President and CEO of the Anacostia Watershed Society, told me recently. “It looks like we’re going to meet the goal only partially, but we are making great progress and success is within reach.”

Chris is a longtime resident of the DC region and the Anacostia watershed who took the reins of AWS in 2021. He brought with him a depth of experience doing river conservation work nationally and internationally at American Rivers and World Wildlife Fund, bringing a new point of view to the work of restoring our neighborhood rivers and streams. “All river conservation work is local, whether you are in Africa, Asia, or the District of Columbia,” says Williams, “but I’d hoped I could bring some big picture perspective with me as I dove (figuratively and literally) into my local watershed.”

Sewer Overflows

A few years ago parts of DC got regular overflows from the DC’s combined sewers which were installed a century or so ago when it was

thought to be no problem to connect the sewer overflows to the river. This was done in that time for sewers throughout the world, but as DC installed more buildings and paving, overflows occurred more and more, and separate sewers were installed outside of center city. As urban centers grew and pavement moved the water faster and further, the combined sewers were often overwhelmed.

The choice became to have the water back up and fill the basements of houses in a storm, or install valves to open up the sewers to discharge the raw sewage into the rivers and streams of the city. Thus the water bodies in all our old urban areas carried sewage to bigger rivers where it would hopefully spread out and be absorbed.

Massive Storage Tunnels

Now, Our River, the Anacostia, is celebrating. A new system of tunnels surrounding the older parts of the City, where combined sewage and street sewer runoff remain, now feeds underground tunnels the size of subway tunnels. They can store overflow until the treatment plant on the Potomac in Anacostia across from National Airport can handle it.

This tunnel system that has been designed and completed for the Anacostia is not only the most advanced and effective in our metropolitan area, it promises results that may well be the best in the nation. So this year for the first time we should begin to see an Anacostia River that is cleaner and clearer. How much cleaner and clearer is hard to tell because the combined sewage cleanup is only one part of the variety of actions needed to meet our goals for the Anacostia as a place to swim, to catch fish to eat, and to enjoy as a worthy ad-

Lower Beaverdam Creek runs along Route 50 in Maryland, from the Beltway to the Anacostia, picking up industrial pollutants of all kinds from abandoned, buried, and new industries.

National Arboretum: The restored and lively Springhouse Run enters Hickey Run, a black and polluted lifeless waterway enroute to the Anacostia from above New York Avenue.

dition to neighborhoods along both sides and up and down the stream.

So let us rejoice in the progress we have made and learn how much it needs to be augmented by other actions that we need to take. There is much more we can do and must do to restore our streams and the branches of the Anacostia. But with the heavy load from the combined sewers now under control, what remains is more doable and less costly if we all get behind it and keep the pressure on.

Other Sources of Pollution

One problem is that, with all the attention given to the combined sewer overloads and what to do about them, it has been di cult to get an idea of the other sources of pollution, their relative importance and how costly it would be to clean them up. But we must follow up on these other sources if we want the River and its tributaries to be safe.

There is only limited understanding of how much sewage has accumulated in the water and the soil at the bottom and the shorelines of the streams and rivers. Should this be allowed to clear up on its own now, or are there places where it needs to be removed?

While guring this out, we also need to check for pollutants that get in the water or on the shoreline from sources other than sewers—pipes from nearby factories (even those no longer in use), runo from development, etc.

Another area to keep in mind are shallows that are used by canoes and other small vessels. There are often proposals to deepen these shallows, but they may well be exactly where the stream slows and drops what it is carrying, which may be toxics that would be stirred up by the deepening. It is hard to keep the toxics from

polluting the river. We need to avoid creating new problems while solving old ones.

One of few remaining hot spots for pollution entering the Anacostia from its streams is at the boundary between Maryland and DC. There are two streams there with major problems yet to be addressed, Lower Beaverdam Creek in Maryland and Hickey Run in the District. Beaverdam runs along Route 50 in from the Beltway, and picks up a large amount of toxics passing over old industrial sites, many of which have new and cleaner buildings, but have kept the toxic soils and water below or along side.

Hickey Run enters the Arboretum under New York Avenue and is lled with toxics of all kinds from neighborhoods and industries in DC to the north. Its cleanup has been delayed by resistance from homeowners and businesses. Not only that, one e ort by the city to capture and treat the Hickey Run pollution has failed with an ine ective treatment attempt in the Arboretum just south of where the water passes under New York Avenue.

The nal story is in the Arboretum, which worked hard with the DC Government to clean up Springhouse Run. It entered the Arboretum under New York Avenue fairly clean and was rejoined to a pond and discharged to a eld and stream below it. It runs clean and clear, and has been such a welcome to all manner of birds, beavers, and other critters that it creates a very special natural area surrounded by elds and forests. The only problem is that it must get to the Anacostia by joining the dirty Hickey Run. So we are back to the problem of pollution in old Hickey Run. Meanwhile, don’t miss Springhouse Run and what can be the future life and look of the Anacostia. ◆

BEMER Enhances: ~ Local Blood Flow ~ Oxygen Delivery ~ Energy & Vitality ~ Endurance ~ Recovery

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Pattie Cinelli is a writer and holistic fitness professional who focuses on how to get and stay well and thrive.

Deputy Mayor Listens to Public Safety Concerns

ANC 6A REPORT

by Sarah Payne

C Street between 17th and 16th streets NE. It also recommended reducing the travel lanes of westbound North Carolina Avenue from two to one, from 16th to 14th streets NE, to reduce vehicular speed and improve pedestrian safety along the corridor.

The commission voted to:

Briefing by Deputy Mayor

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6A met via Zoom on May 9. Commissioners Keya Chatterjee (6A01, vice chair), Mike Velasquez (6A02), Roberta Shapiro (6A03), Amber Gove (6A04, chair), Dave Wethington (6A05), Robb Dooling (6A06, secretary) and Steve Moilanen (6A07, treasurer) were in attendance.

Lindsey Appiah, the deputy mayor for public safety and justice, briefed the commission on Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) FY25 budget. Unveiled in early April, the budget maintains current priorities and funds new projects with a focus on public safety, education and revitalizing the downtown corridor, Appiah stated. It includes major Capital One Arena renovations, the modernization of public housing units and the implementation of the Secure DC legislation. The budget also contains program cuts. Commissioners were concerned about how the cuts and overall reallocation of funds would impact public safety. While “grateful” that Monumental Sports is remaining in DC, said Velasquez, the prioritization of funds in this budget cycle sends the wrong message to residents and local business owners. “I’m really concerned that one billionaire can complain about crime and get immediate attention from the mayor while repeated, serious concerns of hardworking and income-tax-paying residents’ requests for better policing along H Street get ignored,” he stated.

Several initiatives, including the Safe Commercial Corridor Hubs, are part of how the District plans to prioritize public safety in the next scal year, Appiah stated, pointing to hubs in Chinatown and Anacostia. Shapiro emphasized the “desperate need” for the hub’s resources along the H Street corridor. “H Street is about to go into a death spiral unless the city allocates

[funding],” Shapiro said. The maintenance of schools, Gove argued, is also crucial for public safety. She acknowledged the bene ts from the modernization and construction of new schools but expressed concern about the District’s “sheer failure” to maintain the facilities. “We have many schools that have nonfunctional locks, which is absolutely unacceptable in the kind of environment that we’re in and the level of gun violence that we’re in,” Gove said.

Chatterjee asked how cuts to school staff will impact student safety and other key issues such as chronic absenteeism. “There needs to be a lot more planning, and it needs to be clear that our schools are a priority because our kids are a priority,” she said.

The commission took no vote on the mayor’s budget.

Other Matters

The commission voted to write the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in support of the lane recon guration of westbound

• protest the Class A retail liquor license application for Jumbo Liquors at 1122 H St. NE in the absence of a settlement agreement (SA);

• protest the stipulated retailer’s Class C license application of Smokin’ Pig (1208 H St. NE) in the absence of an SA;

• support the application of the owners of 430 10th St. NE to the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) for a special exception from the lot occupancy requirements to construct a rear addition to an existing, attached, twostory with basement;

• protest the Class A retail liquor license application of Noble Liquor and Tobacco at 1305 H St. NE on the grounds of peace, order and quiet;

• support DDOT’s notice of intent (NOI) for the Vision Zero hardening program at the intersections of 13th Street, Constitution Avenue and Tennessee Avenue NE, and recommend changes to the proposed project to i mprove pedestrian safety.

The next meeting of ANC 6A is at 7 p.m. on June 13 via Zoom. Get details on committee meetings and how to join online at www.anc6a.org.

Sarah Payne is a reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@hillrag.com. ◆

ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A

AMBER GOVE, CHAIR, 6A04@ANC.DC.GOV

Commission Concludes Agreement with Conservative Partnership

ANC 6B REPORT

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6B held a hybrid meeting via Zoom and in-person, at 700 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, on May 14. Frank Avery (6B01, treasurer); Jerry Sroufe (6B02); David Sobelsohn (6B03, secretary); Frank D’Andrea (6B04); Kasie Durkit (6B05); Vince Mareino (6B07, vice chair); Edward Ryder (6B08, Chair); and Matt LaFortune (6B09) were present, either online or in the room. Chander Jayaraman (6B06) was not present..

Request by Conservative Partnership

Clear Plains LLC has applied to the District to close a dead-end alley in Square 762 behind the former Capitol Lounge, 229 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. This is one of nine properties on the block purchased by the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) since 2022.

The applicant plans to incorporate the historic structures into a single building featuring first-floor retail, second-floor offices and second- and thirdfloor event spaces. The project will make additions to two of the historic buildings. The courtyard created by the alley closure will serve as an event space.

The applicant has negotiated a community benefits agreement (CBA) with the commission to earn its support and compensate for the loss of public space. The CBA includes requirements for:

• indoor trash storage and limitations on hours and frequency of collection;

• security cameras on the alley space and a blind-corner mirror and additional lighting;

• a contribution of $100,000 total to the Capitol Hill Community Foundation on the following schedule: $10,000 within a week of approval by the ANC subcommittee; $15,000 more within a week after ANC approval; the remaining $75,000 within week after a bill is passed by the DC Council;

• a detailed construction management plan addressing traffic, communication, site management, rodent control, work hours and truck access;

• agreement not to alter the zoning of abutting properties as long as they are owned by applicant;

• restrictions on the hours of courtyard use: 7 a.m. to 12 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. until 1 a.m., Friday to Saturday, hours that would apply to any alcohol license application;

• a provision that a ground-lease tenant can use the courtyard. If there is no tenant at the two-year mark after the passage of a law closing alley, the public should be granted access;

• permission for the ANC to use the alley up to six times per calendar year;

• provision of interior space 12 times per calendar year for ANC community meetings, starting within six months after the agreement is approved by the ANC.

Serving the Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, and H Street communities

ANC 6A generally meets the second Thursday of the month, virtually on Zoom. www.anc6a.org

ALL ARE WELCOME

The Next meeting is 2nd Thursday, June 13, 7:00 p.m.

Transportation & Public Space Committee meeting

3rd Monday, June 17, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Economic Development and Zoning Committee meeting

3rd Tuesday, June 18, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Community Outreach Committee meeting

4th Monday, June 24, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee meeting

4th Tuesday, June 25, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual meeting via Zoom

We seek community-minded 6A residents interested in joining ANC 6A committees. Visit anc6a.org or email 6A06@anc.dc.gov for more information.

Instructions for accessing the meeting via Zoom have been posted under Hot Topics at anc6a.org. Call in information will be posted under Community Calendar at anc6a.org 24 hours prior to the meeting. You will be able to enter the meeting no earlier than 15 minutes prior to its scheduled start time.

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 7D “Uniting Communities East and West”

Representing the Capitol Hill/Hill East, Eastland Gardens, Kenilworth, Kingman Park, Mayfair, Parkside, River Terrace and Rosedale neighborhoods and the RFK Stadium Complex.

Join us for our Next Virtual Public Meeting Tuesday, June 11, 2024 - 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

How to participate:

By computer: https://dc-gov.zoom.us/j/9162864

7160?pwd=NVdldTZiRitFODdSUVJZQVBGdHk5UT09

Passcode: anc7d Or by phone: 1-301-715-8592

Webinar ID: 91628647160 Passcode: 776540

Wendell Felder Parkside – 7D03 7d03@anc.dc.gov

Chairperson

Brian Alcorn Capitol Hill/Hill East – 7D08 7d08@anc.dc.gov

Vice Chair

Brett Astmann Rosedale – 7D07 7d07@anc.dc.gov

Treasurer Ashley Schapitl Hill East – 7D09 7d09@anc.dc.gov

Secretary

Siraaj Hasan Eastland Gardens/ 7d01@anc.dc.gov Kenilworth – 7D01

Mike Davis River Terrace – 7D04 7d04@anc.dc.gov

Ebony Payne Kingman Park – 7D05 7d05@anc.dc.gov

Marc Friend Rosedale – 7D06 7d06@anc.dc.gov

Brianne Hill East – 7D10 7d10@anc.dc.gov

Eby-Stockert

Vacancy in Single Member District 7D02

DO YOU LIVE IN THE MAYFAIR COMMUNITY?

We are looking for a Commissioner to serve for 2024!

At stake is not who owns the alley property but an easement held by the city for public access to the space, stated ANC Planning & Zoning Committee resident member and former ANC 6B05 commissioner Ken Jarboe. In this case, the alley was created from private property in three stages between 1887 and 1911, he said. District guidelines say once the space is no longer needed as an alley, it should revert to private property, in this case to the applicant, Jarboe said. “I am surprised there is a [community benefits] agreement,” Jarboe added, given this application’s ad-

herence to those standards.

Alley closings require the passage of a bill by the DC Council and signed by the mayor. The Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) and the National Capital Planning Commission both must approve the closing. No public hearing is necessary since CPI owns all the adjacent property. As with other District legislation, Congress has final approval.

Discussions around the CBA had been ongoing at committee level for over a year, said P&Z Committee chair Frank D’Andrea (6B04), noting that further negotiations may jeopardize the balance that had been struck,.

The CBA is controversial in part due to politics. CPI is chaired and was founded by former Senator Jim Demint after stepping down from his role at the Heritage Foundation. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is a senior partner.

LaFortune expressed his appreciation of the work of the P&Z Committee but was not supportive of the agreement. The benefits were insufficient to compensate for the closure of the alley, he said. Neighbors do not support the agreement, he added. “It has pretty much been unanimously in opposition to this alley closing, for a lot of reasons, frequently specifically because they do not support CPI,” he said.

The application needs to be considered on neutral grounds, stated Sobelsohn. “Few of us like the Conservative Partnership Institute,” he said. “Many of us think they support politicians who disregard principles of democracy like freedom of speech and the sanctity of elections. But as Americans we have to follow our principles ‒ our Constitution prioritizes equal treatment, not just for ideas that we cherish but also for ideas that we hate.” The ideology of the applicant cannot matter in the ANC’s consideration of the application,

Sobelsohn argued; such discrimination would be a violation of the First Amendment.

Some commissioners objected to the approval of the CBA, arguing there had been insufficient opportunity for public comment. A few more rounds of public review would not be unusual, said Avery. However, a motion to table the agreement failed, with Ryder abstaining.

Particularly controversial was a provision of the CBA stating that until the DC Council voted to approve or reject the alley closing, “a representative of the ANC will periodically contact DC’s Ward Six Councilmember to urge Council approval of the alley closing.” Durkit worried that the clause would put the ANC in the position of lobbying for CPI. However, CPI’s attorney, Christopher Cohen, offered to drop the the clause.

The ANC voted to approve the CBA without the requirement, with Avery in opposition and Durkit and LaFortune abstaining; as well as send a letter in support to the DC Office of the Surveyor. The commission further agreed to request the DC Council incorporate the provisions of the CBA in any legislation related to the alley closing.

Other Business

The ANC voted unanimously to:

• write to the mayor’s office and the DC Council suggesting the District increase the gasoline tax in light of the budget shortfall. DC has a tax of 23.5 cents per gallon, compared to 38.5 in Virginia and 47 in Maryland;

• write the DC Department of Parks and Recreation in support of the Congressional Women’s Softball Game hosted at Watkins Elementary at 400 12th St. SE on June 26;

• appoint Sarah Moore as the 6B05 resident member to the SE Library Task Force.

ANC 6B will meet via Zoom and in-person at 700 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, at 7 p.m., on Tuesday, June 11. ANC 6B usually meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Find details at www.anc6b.org. u

Map showing conditions and alley on Square 762, the 200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Image: CORE Architecture, from NCPC application

Conceptual design showing the former alley space as courtyard. Image: CORE Architecture, from NCPC application

DON’T MISS!

Liquor Store

Parking Sparks Frustration

ANC 6C REPORT

by Sarah Payne

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6C met on May 8 via WebEx. Commissioners Christy Kwan (6C01), Leslie Merkle (6C02, secretary), Jay Adelstein (6C03), Mark Eckenwiler (6C04, chair), Joel Kelty (6C05, treasurer) and Tony Goodman (6C07, vice chair) were in attendance. Patricia Eguino (6C06) was absent.

Parking Problem

The owner of Oasis Market Liquor Store, Eun H. Park, has applied for a renewal of the establishment’s Class A license. The establishment is located at 1179 Third St. NE. Commissioners were concerned about illegal parking on the adjacent piece of land. They suggested ameliorating the “public nuisance” by adding a no-parking sign near the space as well as planters to obstruct vehicular access.

Customers and “unrelated vehicles” park in the space, stated Park. Kelty reported receiving numerous complaints about “both the owner and his customers” parking in the area. Kelty emphasized the importance of taking action through the liquor licensing process, since it’s “the only leverage” the commission has.

The owner has been a “good neighbor” to the community, stated Goodman. It was “unreasonable” to threaten his license, he said. “We have levers to pull and we have things to do besides modifying the settlement agreement.”

The liquor store has not been “an overall problem for the neighborhood,” but the parking situation has created problems for its neighbors, stated a resident. “I think the only solution that’s going to get us any progress is some sort of physical barrier,” the resident added.

While acknowledging the overarching problems with illegal parking along the corridor, Goodman said the liquor store “isn’t even the worst case within a block of public space violations.” He discouraged the commission from taking action on this matter. “The fact that we’ve got one resident, one person who emails every single time does not

mean that that is worse than the other situations in the neighborhood,” Goodman added. The commission took no vote on this matter.

Other Matters

The commission voted to:

• support the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) concept planning for bicycle and multimodal safety improvements along Massachusetts Avenue and C Street NE;

• request the installation of traffic cameras along E and F streets NE to assist in the enforcement of the restrictions against heavy trucks and buses from using these blocks as through streets;

• protest the substantial change to the Class A liquor license application of High Spirits at 301 H St. NE, on the basis of peace, order and quiet, citing concerns about extended hours and reported problems under new ownership including trash and public urination;

• protest a new Class C tavern license for Manifest at 1242 Third St. NE.

ANC 6C will meet on June 12 at 7 p.m. via WebEx. Visit www.anc6c.org to learn more about the commission and register to attend the meeting.

Sarah Payne is a reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@hillrag.com. u

New Stops for the 74 Bus

ANC

6D REPORT

by Andrew Lightman

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6D met on May 13 via Zoom. Commissioners Bob Link (6DO1, vice chair), Ronald Collins (6D02, treasurer), Gail Fast (6D03), Andrea Pawley (6D04), Bruce Levine (6D06, secretary) and Fredrica (Rikki) Kramer (6D07, chair) were in attendance. Chearie Phelps-El (6D05) and Rhonda Hamilton (6D08) were absent.

Bus Service

Charles Dingboom, bus service planning manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit

Authority (WMATA), briefed the commission on plans to establish two new stops for the 74 bus route along Half Street SW on Buzzard Point. Due to construction at The Stacks, WMATA detoured the 74 from its route on First and T streets to Half Street SW, which dropped two established bus stops.

WMATA has decided to make the 74’s detour route permanent on June 16, Dingboom stated. The agency plans to add two stops at Half and T streets and Potomac Avenue and R streets SW. The DC Department. of Transportation (DDOT) has issued a notice of intent (NOI) establishing the stops in public space, since they require curb improvements to operate, he added. The stop at Half and T streets will be done for the route change and the other stop by the end of summer, confirmed Maya Coleman, DDOT’s Ward 6 transportation planner.

Kramer, whose single member district (SMD) is impacted, proposed writing DDOT and WMATA a letter in support of the NOI. Fast and Pawley objected, questioning whether the public and the ANC’s Transportation Committee had sufficiently weighed in on the matter. The commission voted to send the letter, with Fast and Pawley in opposition.

Merchant’s Marina Special Meeting

The commission has consistently objected to encroachments on public space at The Wharf. Most recently, it has raised objections to the establishment of summer gardens along Water Street SW. According to Levine, Phillippe Chow is building a pavilion on M Street Landing, which is the pedestrian space between The Amaris at 760 Maine Ave. and 610 Water St. SW, which houses Politics and Prose. The restaurant has applied to DDOT for a streetery license to permit it to operate a new outdoor sports bar, known as the Merchant’s Marina, in that space.

The previous commission, Levine stated, supported Phillippe Chow’s liquor license. The current commission has negotiated a cooperative agreement with the restaurant that includes the new location, he added. However, the commission has not had the opportunity to take a position on the construction of the physical structure itself. Generally, the commission opposes commercial encroachment on pedestrian space at The Wharf, Levine stated, with no objection from his colleagues.

Phillippe Chow, however, has applied to the Zoning Commission (ZC) for a “modification of

consequence” to the planned unit development (PUD) that governs the development of the second phase of The Wharf. The DC O ce of Planning opposes the structure, Levine stated. The ZC had originally scheduled a hearing on the matter for May 10, which was postponed at the applicant’s request to May 30 to allow for more negotiations with the commission.

After some discussion on the requirements of legal notice, the commission voted to address the matter at a special meeting on May 23.

Public Safety

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Captains Hrebenak and Tyler briefed the commission on public safety. Crime is trending down, Hrebenak stated, though there were three robberies in the last 30 days.

Several juveniles committed a robbery at L’Enfant Plaza. Police closed the case with the quick arrest of four youths, Hrebenak said. The robbery of a DoorDash scooter driver on the 1100 block of Fourth Street SW is still under investigation. The last robbery, involving several students and an adult perpetrator, occurred on the 400 block of C Street SW, Hrebenak stated.

Police also closed a homicide on Buzzard Point involving a dispute between two employees, due to quick work by an o cer at the scene, he said. Scooter and bike patrols will be ramped up as the summer arrives. There are still issues with theft from autos and automobiles from parking garages, he reported.

Other Matters

Tiffany Crowe, director of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), briefed the commission on Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) FY25 budget. Crowe touted $460 million in Ward 6-speci c investments and another $600 mil-

lion of general projects impacting the ward. She cited improvements to the Fish Market, public schools and rec centers. Collins asked about the cuts to payments to childcare workers. Fiscal constraints forced the mayor to make some di cult choices related to childcare, Crowe stated, but the program has not been eliminated.

The developers of 280 12th St. NW, a triangular plot located next to Cotton Annex, have requested a twoyear extension on their PUD to develop a hotel. Development had been approved by the ZC with support from the previous commission, stated Link. The project then encountered delays to accommodate a WMATA underground power station and the need to settle a legal dispute over a right-of-way easement. No design changes are contemplated, reported Link. The commission voted to support the extension.

Collins appointed Wilma Goldstein as his representative to the Transportation Committee.

Kurt Sanders, chair of the Transportation Committee, briefed the commission on his committee’s work. The committee is focused on The Wharf’s issues with delivery trucks and for-hire vehicles. Committee members held a successful meeting with a group of DDOT representatives on the matter. Fast and Levine encouraged the committee to dig into DDOT’s Better Bus Plan. Kramer requested the committee to map out existing curbside parking.

The commission voted to:

• support renaming the 1100 block of Sixth Street SW as Zelda Way in honor of Zelda Fichandler, founding artistic director of Arena Stage;

• support the Paul Taylor Birthday Party on June 15 at Lansburgh Park;

• support renewal of a Class A li-

Next meeting Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Information will be posted on the ANC 6C website.

ANC 6C usually meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7pm via Webex video conference. Please check our website for dates.

ANC 6C01

Christy Kwan

6C01@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C02

Leslie Merkle

6C02@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C03

Jay Adelstein

6C03@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C04

Mark Eckenwiler

6C04@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C05

Joel Kelty

6C05@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C06

Patricia Eguino

6C06@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C07

Tony Goodman

Alcoholic Beverage

Licensing

First Monday, 7 pm

Contact: drew.courtney@gmail.com

Grants

Last Thursday, 7 pm Contact: torylord@gmail.com

Transportation and Public Space First Thursday, 7 pm Contact: anc6c.tps@gmail.com

Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development First Wednesday, 6:30 pm

JOHNSON LAW GROUP

Integrity, Value, and Social Responsibility

quor license for Cordial Craft & Liquor at its new location at 70 District Square SW;

• protest the licenses for two vessels at the District Pier operated by American Cruise Lines on the basis of peace, order and quiet in the absence of a community agreement;

• write to Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis and DDOT objecting to the establishment of streeteries at The Wharf which reduce pedestrian space;

• support the license and community agreement for Hen Quarter, withdrawing an earlier protest;

• approve the commission’s quarterly financial reports for the first and second quarters of 2024.

ANC 6D meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every month. The next meeting is June 10. For more information, visit www.anc6d.org. u

Naming of Alley Controversial

ANC 7D REPORT

by Sarah Payne

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 7D met May 14 via Zoom. Commissioners Siraaj Hasan (7D01), Wendell Felder (7D03, chair), Mike Davis (7D04), Ebony Payne (7D05), Marc Friend (7D06), Brett Astmann (7D07, treasurer), Brian Alcorn (7D08, vice chair), Ashley Schapitl (7D09, secretary) and Brianne Eby-Stockert (7D10) were in attendance. Single Member District 7D02 remains vacant.

Alley Naming

Builder Jeffrey Keil requested the assistance of Alcorn for naming an alley in Square 1084, which sits between 16th and 17th streets and East Capitol and A streets NE. Keil is developing a carriage house on the alley that requires service from DC Water. The utility requires a street address, which the alley does not have because it is unnamed.

Alcorn queried his constituents by flyer, receiving more than 15 suggestions. Those included several “thematic” and “localized” recommendations. “Typically, the District of Columbia looks

to designate its public places and spaces to recognize people or institutions that were locally significant,” he said.

Some community members objected to two proposed names, Moriah Court and Mount Moriah Court. These appellations refer to nearby Mt. Moriah Baptist Church at 1636 East Capitol St. NE. The alley, they said, serves as a community space and therefore should be named nondenominationally.

“There are definitely two Hindu families, there are multiple Muslim families and multiple Jewish families who all live and own houses right on this alley,” a neighbor noted. “We play in the alley and our kids play in the alley.”

The church “does not use the alley at all,” neighbors pointed out, suggesting a naming representative of all residents who live nearby. “I don’t have any negative feelings or anything toward them, I just don’t believe that the name is inclusive,” said another. Another neighbor suggested that Friendship Court would best represent the “diverse neighbor group” living there and emphasized that residents prefer a nondenominational name.

Former commissioner Sondra Phillips-Gilbert questioned the neighbor’s relationship and knowledge of the church’s history. “We need to be considerate of the history of the community,” she said. The proposed names emphasized the importance of maintaining the history and legacy of community institutions. “It [isn’t] just about the religion, it is the history,” said Phillips-Gilbert.

The commission took no vote on this matter.

Other Matters

Representatives from Prologis briefed the commission about the company’s proposal to redevelop land decommissioned by Pepco at 3340 Benning Rd. NE as large wholesale distribution centers. Commissioners were concerned about the project’s impact on nearby residential neighborhoods and roadways.

A representative from the Department of Energy & Environment’s RiverSmart Homes Program shared information about how residents can reduce the impact of stormwater runoff through landscaping measures available at a subsidized cost. The program is completely voluntary. Residents can schedule an assessment of their property at www. doee.dc.gov.

The commission voted to:

• write the DC Department of Buildings (DOB)

about after-hours and holiday construction permits for the Old Miner School renovation;

• ask the DC Council to fund a new library and new recreation center in the Rosedale community;

• write the National Capital Parks East, Events DC and DOB about the raze permit for RFK Stadium;

• ask the office of Councilmember Vincent Gray and the office of Councilmember Brianne Nadeau to rename the entirety of Gales Street NE to memorialize Malachi Jackson.

ANC 7D will meet on June 11 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. You can learn more about the commission and register to attend at www.7d0761.wixsite.com/anc7d-1.

Sarah Payne is a reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@hillrag.com. u

Councilmember Henderson Visits

ANC 8F REPORT by Andrew Lightman

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 8F met on May 14. Commissioners Nic Wilson (8F01, treasurer), Rick Murphree (8F02, vice chair), Brian Strege (8F03, secretary), Edward Daniels (8F04, chair) and Clayton Rosenberg (8F05) were in attendance.

Briefing by

Councilmember Henderson

At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson (I) briefed the commission on the DC Council’s FY25 budget discussions. Henderson, chair of the Committee on Health, detailed recent legislative achievements.

In January 2025, infertility treatment will be covered by health insurance for the first time, Henderson stated. The DC Council has increased resources to DC Healthcare Alliance and Medicaid to provide their members parity in securing surgical approvals. It has allocated additional funds to DC’s Produce Plus to give SNAP recipients online grocery delivery options, she continued. The council made targeted investments in maternal health. Henderson’s committee is also involved in discussions

to employ DC’s portion of the national opioid legal settlement proceeds to deal with fentanyl addiction, she said.

Murphree asked Henderson her views on ranked choice voting. The councilmember has been a proponent, introducing legislation to introduce the practice. However, due to the current voter initiative, Henderson has backed o her e orts.

Murphree then turned his attention to transportation since Henderson serves on the council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment. The Tra c Operation and Parking Plan of DC’s Department of Transportation (DDOT), which governs transportation issues on game days at the stadia, “is a copy and paste every year,” Murphree complained. Moreover, the plan “is focused on making visitors’ transportation easier, not residents’, he contended. He asked Henderson to raise the issue at the committee level. He requested Henderson’s assistance in making Vann and Half streets SE oneway thoroughfares.

Henderson should examine DDOT’s provisioning of protected bike lanes (PBLs) and priority bus lanes, Daniels stated. These lanes cut o curb access for delivery vehicles, which has created chaos in the Navy Yard, he said. DDOT has not listened to residential concerns about this issue. Henderson needs to be a fresh set of eyes, he argued.

Strege asked Henderson for her view of the recently proposed Initiative Amendment Act. Henderson opposes the measure, promising to move an amendment to strip any such language from the FY25 Budget Support Act if necessary. This act needs to go through regular order, since it changes the rights of the electorate, she stated.

Murphree queried Henderson on her views of crime and public safety. Henderson laid the problem of accountability at the feet of federal prosecutors and judges, responsible for charging and adjudicating adults under the District’s unique federalized criminal justice system. There is no accountability for the federal elements of the city’s justice system, she stated.

Strege raised the issue that the old ANC 6D kept all its funds. How should new ANCs be funded? Murphree requested Henderson’s aid in securing government space for an ANC 8F ofce, complaining about the current cost of rent-

ing space at a local co-working location. Strege added an observation about the di culties that new ANCs face when the commissions whence they are spun o retain existing funds.

Murphree asked if the council has discussed reestablishing a standalone Education Committee. “That debate is coming,” said Henderson.

Other Matters

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Lieutenant Kenneth Taylor briefed the commission on public safety. Crime is generally down, particularly violent crime, Taylor stated. Homicides for the First District have dropped 50%, he said. The only uptick has been theft from autos. Criminals have been targeting cars in parking garages, he warned.

Sta member Noah Glasgow gave an update on the range of constituent services offered by the o ce of Congressmember Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D).

US Representative Dr. Oye Owolewa outlined the activities of his o ce, which serves as an advocate for DC statehood.

The DC Housing Authority (DCHA) has agreed to clean the fenced lot on Square 739, said Strege. Strege and Daniels had met with DCHA. The BID is working with them to gure out alternative temporary uses for the parcel, he added. The commission resolved to resubmit an earlier resolution from ANC 6D to the Zoning Commission, opposing any extensions for development of four the remaining DCHA parcels in the Navy Yard.

The commission voted to:

• protest the renewal of Harry’s license on the grounds of peace, order and quiet, specically objecting to its delivery vehicles continually blocking the intersection at New Jersey Avenue and I Street instead of using the provisioned loading zone;

• approve its Q2 nancial statement;

• request extra funds from the DC O ce of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC) for provisioning a camera for hybrid meetings.

ANC 8F’ s next meeting is scheduled for June 18 at DDOT headquarters, 250 M St. SE, at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.anc8f.org. ◆

Community Resources

Service Providers

Home Improvement

Real Estate

Arts & Dining

Bulletin Board

NPS to Improve Turf at Lincoln Park

The National Park Service will overseed and aerate the grass in the center panel of Lincoln Park. The center panel of the park is closed through July 8. NPS asks for cooperation in helping to preserve the grass: (1) leash your dog; (2) observe closures to give the new grass a chance to grow and be ready this summer; (3) keep off wet grass to avoid compacting the soil and damaging the roots. www.nps.gov/cahi/parkmgnt/turf-improvement

Peterbug’s Juneteenth 5k

Every year in June the corner of E Street and Peterbug Matthews Way SE comes alive to celebrate the contribution of John “Peterbug” Matthews and a remembrance of Juneteenth. This year, added to the celebration is the designation of the Peterbug Academy as a contributing landmark in Capitol Hill, thanks to the preservation efforts of Lady Bird Johnson who donated the land to the District where the Peterbug Academy now sits. There is a “take a bite out of crime” dog parade on Friday,

June 21, 6:30 p.m., at 502 13th St. SE. Peterbug’s Second Annual Juneteenth 5k is on Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m. (sign-in at 8 a.m.), at Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. A block party follows at 502 13th St. SE. $35. runsignup.com/Race/DC/ Washington/PeterbugJuneteenth5K.

Sunset Cinema at The Wharf

On Thursdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, come to Transit Pier, 970 Wharf St. SW to enjoy the following free outdoor movies: June 6, “Love & Basketball”; June 13, “Mean Girls” (2004); June 20, “Captain Phillips”; June 27, “50 First Dates”; July 11, “Angels in the Outfield”; July 18, “Dreamgirls”; July 25, “King Richard”; Aug. 1, “Top Gun: Maverick”; Aug. 8, “Boys in the Boat”; Aug. 15, ”Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”; Aug. 22, “Wonka”; and Aug. 29, “SOUL.” Movies begin at 7:30 p.m. Limited Adirondack chairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 7:00 p.m. Bring a blanket or folding chairs to this event. www. wharfdc.com/ sunsetcinema

What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?

On Thursday, July 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., join the National Park Service at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W St. SE, for the annual reenactment of Frederick Douglass’s classic speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” In addition to a dramatic portrayal of Douglass, there will be live music and house tours. www.nps.gov/frdo

Congressional Baseball Game for Charity at Nats Park

The Congressional Baseball Game is an annual bipartisan event that enables members of the United States Congress to solidify friendships away from the House and Senate floors and on the baseball diamond. Hill staffers, lobbyists, consultants, baseball fans and friends are encouraged to join in the fun at Nationals Park on Wednesday, June 12, at 7 p.m., for the 91st Annual Congressional Baseball Game. Lots of giveaways. General admission is $10; reserved seating is $15. www.mlb.com/nationals/tickets/congressional

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Waterfront Village Art Exhibition

Waterfront Village, a nonprofit helping older adults in Southwest and Navy Yard, is hosting an art exhibition the weekend of June 7 and 8. The Waterfront Village Art Exhibit and Silent Auction is on Friday, June 7, from 5 to 8 p.m., at 222 M St. SW. It is an evening of art and community to celebrate the creativity of older adults from Southwest and Navy Yard. Tickets are $25. Proceeds benefit Waterfront Village. The exhibit open house is on Saturday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., also at 222 M St. SW. www.dcwaterfrontvillage.org

Major League Pickleball in Southeast DC

From June 13 to 16, witness top professional pickleball players battle at Major League Pickleball’s first-ever event in the region, at Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, 200 Stoddert Pl. SE. MLP Washington DC will feature 15 teams, including hometown favorite DC Pickleball Team, and 35 matches over four days. MLP features eight regular season events, a midseason tournament and the 2024 MLP Playoffs. Public tickets are $40 a day; $120 for a four-day-pass. www. eventsdc.com/events/ major-league-pickleball-washington-dc

Friday Night Dancing at The Wharf

Come to The Wharf for free themed dance nights at Transit Pier or District Pier, with live music on the second Friday in June, July and August at 7 p.m. Each night will feature a different style of music and dancing. Here’s the lineup: June 14, Country Line Dance; July 12, Swing Dance; Aug. 9, Salsa Dance with music from Cubano Groove (located on District Pier); Oct. 4, Polka Dance to kickoff Oktoberfest. Dance lessons begin at 7 p.m., followed by open dancing. This event is family-friendly, all ages are welcome. www.wharfdc.com

Common Good City Farm: A Night on the Farm

Folger Shakespeare Library Presents DC&Me

The Folger Shakespeare Library has opened the first in a series of art installations dedicated to representing the personal stories of District residents. Part of the Folger’s DC&Me project, each installation weaves together paintings and mixed-media pieces created by residents, with QR codes directing viewers to short films of actors portraying the residents and their stories. The installation also features a hotline prompting viewers to engage with the project by recording their own story or listening to stories recorded by residents. There is an Anacostia Library installation on view, June 1 to July 24, and a Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library installation, July 27 to Sept. 9. The Folger will also exhibit the installations at its home on Capitol Hill after each library presentation. www.folger.si.edu

Common Good City Farm hosts its annual A Night on the Farm on Friday, June 7, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. This year highlights Ethiopian culture and cuisine with chef Galila Daniel. The cocktail hour is 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. and costs $50; seated dinner, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., costs $85. Common Good City Farm is a nonprofit urban farm located in LeDroit Park, 300 V St. NW, that offers a pay-what-you-can farm market and programming for youth and adults about gardening, cooking and other topics that center wellness and food sovereignty. Find details at www.commongoodcityfarm.org.

Country Line Dancing is on Friday, June 14, at 7 p.m. on Transit Pier. Photo: Courtesy of The Wharf

Tom Walsh’s painting “#160” will be exhibited at the Waterfront Village Art Exhibit.

Tai Chi Chuan at Hill Center

Tai chi chuan is a discipline for health and serenity and also a complete system of self-defense and a martial art. Classes are conducted in a relaxed, go-at-yourown-pace. Both beginner and intermediate classes are offered. Intermediate and advanced students learn push hands, saber, sword and spear. All ages are welcome. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:15 p.m., and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Classes cost $150 per month. www.hillcenterdc.org

2024 Homeless Point-In-Time

Results Released

The District’s Department of Human Services has shared the results of the 2024 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count, the annual census of individuals experiencing homelessness. This year’s count took place on Wednesday, Jan. 24, and showed an overall 14% increase from 2023. Despite this increase, the total count remains 12% lower than the count recorded in 2020, the last PIT conducted before the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Between 2023 and 2024, homelessness among unaccompanied individuals increased 6% and was similar to the level recorded in 2020. Homelessness among families increased 39% but remained down 30% from 2020. Major US cities experienced a 52.7% increase in homelessness between 2022 and 2023, while the District saw a 11.6% increase in this period. Additionally, between 2020 and 2022 the District saw the largest percent decrease in homelessness nationwide, with a 30.9% decline.

The District decreased inflows into homelessness in 2021 and 2022, which can be attributed to historic federal investments in housing retention efforts and the implementation of the eviction moratorium. www.mwcog.org/homelessnessreport

A Prohibition Era Mystery at Congressional Cemetery

On January 17, 1920, the United States went dry. The 18th Amendment ushered in a new era in American history, one characterized by booming business, new fashions, and immense cultural upheaval. The march of progress that dominated this new modern era resulted in the banning of alcohol, with personal freedom sacrificed to preserve a perceived sense of collective morality. Washingtonians grappled with this paradox of prohibition in different ways, shaping events, influencing popular culture, and transforming American society.

On Saturday, June 29, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE, invites you to a one night only, one-of-a-kind immersive experience. Discover, detect, and deduce at Gentleman’s Gambit: A Prohibition Era Mystery. $50. congressionalcemetery.org.

Cultivate Summit: Women Leading with Intention

Independence Fireworks at Mount Vernon

On Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29, from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m., enjoy an evening of family fun and fireworks along with patriotic music to celebrate our nation’s founding. The fireworks show begins at about 9:15 p.m. Concessions are available for purchase on the East Lawn. Listen to a concert by the National Concert Band on the South Lawn from 7:45 to 9:10 p.m. On the bowling green, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., experience a variety of 18th-century entertainments and join popular dances. Ticket with mansion tour, $53 for adults, $41 for kids; without mansion tour, $48 for adults, $36 for kids. www.nountvernon.org

On Friday, June 21, 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., at 600 14th St. NW, the Enterprising Women of Color DMV Business (EWOC) Center at WACIF presents the second annual Cultivate Women’s Summit. This year’s theme is Leading with Intention. Women entrepreneurs will be empowered to transition from the day-to-day operations of their businesses to strategic and intentional leadership roles. This event offers a platform for cross-sector collaboration, educational opportunities, networking, and individualized technical assistance. Breakfast and lunch provided. The day will culminate with a networking happy hour. Registration is $100. Read more and register at ewoc-thecultivatesummit.org.

Go-Go on the MLK Library Rooftop Returns

On June Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m., MLK Library, 901 G St. NW, is honoring the rich history and enduring influence of Black music. From iconic artists of the past to the vibrant sounds shaping the present, attend exciting free concerts, author talks and screenings; check out recommended reads for all ages; stream unlimited music with your library card and more. Here’s the lineup: June 9, E.U. with Still Familiar and MAB 2.0; June 16, Black Alley; June 23, Backyard Band with Relentless Band; and June 30, Junkyard Band with R&S Project. dclibrary.org.

Kennedy Center Summer Movies @ The REACH

Experience the magic of the big screen while enjoying the beautiful surroundings and vibrant atmosphere of the Kennedy Center’s REACH campus, with films shown every Friday evening at sundown on the REACH video wall. No tickets are required, but registration is encouraged. A limited number of seats is available for guests with disabilities. Films start at sundown or around 8:30 p.m. Here’s the remaining lineup: June 7, “Dreamgirls”; June 14, “10,000 Dreams: A Festival of Asian Choreography”; June 21, “Elemental”; June 28, “Ratatouille”; July 5, “In the Heights”; July 12, “The Peanut Butter Falcon”; July 19, “A River Runs Through It”; July 26, “The School of Rock”; Aug. 2, “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”; Aug. 9, “Rear Window”; Aug. 16, “Free Solo”; Aug. 23, “Lincoln”; Aug. 30, “Chocolat.” www.kennedy-center.org

The Hill Rag Bulletin Board includes event notices, volunteer opportunities and other community news. Do you have a notice for the Bulletin Board? Send it to www.bulletinboard@hillrag.com. u

HOMES& GARDENS

Restoring Massachusetts Avenue and Eighth Street NE Triangle Park A Lady Bird Johnson Project

At the corner of Massachusetts Ave. and 8th St. NE sits a triangle park that for years was abandoned and, most recently, camouflaged behind large chain fences partly covered by canvas. Located at a busy intersection, it was a major eyesore.

But a few months ago, the corner went from ugly to stunning, as the DC Department of Parks and Recreation took down the fencing and revealed a spectacular pocket park for all residents to enjoy. “A lot of good karma happened over the past few years,” says Dare Johnson Wenzler, neighbor and advocate for the park.

Unearthing History

Many of the District’s triangle and small parks were part of the masterplan devised by Pierre L’Enfant in 1790. Over the years, the city ne-

article and photos by Rindy O’Brien

glected these spaces. When Lady Bird Johnson came to the White House in 1963, the country was dealing with the escalation of the war in Vietnam and the social tumult of the struggle for civil rights. Sometimes we forget that our not-too-distant past was filled with a state of uncertainty, not unlike today.

Lady Bird wanted to help the country heal from all the tensions. “Ugliness is so grim. A little beauty, something that is lovely, I think, can create harmony which will lessen tensions,” Lady Bird noted.

Following her husband’s vision of a green legacy, Lady Bird created the Committee for a More Beautiful Capitol in February 1965. Her goal was to beautify her newly adopted hometown. She felt it important to tackle trian-

The Department of Parks and Recreation recently reopened the triangle park at the corner of Eighth Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE after the park sat neglected for many years.

gle parks and neighborhoods rst, and legend has it that the 8th and Massachusetts Avenue park was one of the rst focal points.

It is also thought that Darwina Neal, the rst woman elected president of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and known as a trailblazer in landscape architecture, was responsible for the original redesign of the park. Neal was assigned to assist Lady Bird Johnson through the National Park Service (NPS). Many triangle landscape drawings from this time are archived in the NPS les. The fact that this park sat across from Capitol Hill’s hospital made it of special interest to the White House.

PET PHOTO

CATEGORIES:

• Best Overall Photos

• Darling Dogs

• Finest Felines

• Cleverest Caption

• Best Buddies

• Human & Pet Best Buddies

• Hill Haunts

• Cutest

Send us your favorite photo for a chance at fame! Remember, the best photos tell a story — of love, companionship, and enjoyment of our Hill neighborhood. Winning entries will be published in our July Hill Rag special pet issue and posted on our website at hillrag.com.

TO ENTER:

• Hi-res photos, 300 dpi+

• Email photo to pets@hillrag.com

• Maximum of two photos per entry.

• Include your name, a phone number, the name of your pet, a caption and category for the photo.

DEADLINE: 6/14/24

Neighbors a Catalyst for Change

Capitol Hill residents are not shy about advocating for and digging in to improve neglected spaces in their neighborhood. Over the years, whether it was picking up trash, planting containers or mowing grass, neighbors would get together to clean up the park. Dare says three years ago the neighborhood group received a grant from the Capitol Hill Garden Club to repair and replant the broken containers in the park. “I think we caught the attention of DPR, and shortly thereafter, the city began its work to x the park,” says Dare.

Maygene Daniels, longtime Hill resident who lives on the block, is quite pleased with the nished result. Others in the neighborhood clean-up group are also delighted. The project began with a community kicko meeting on June 3, 2021, and the completion that had been predicted for August 2023 happened early in 2024.

All residents involved said their experience working with the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation sta was a very positive one, and they appreciated the thoughtful, inclusive approach of the landscape designers and architects.

Kudos to DPR and Department of General Services

The budget for the project was $615,000, which included ADA improvements like building a ramp into the park on the Constitution side to make it wheelchair accessible. The ramp was funded through a di erent budget line, adding $250,000 in funds. “It slowed down the process,” says Dare, “but it is such a wonderful addition. I walked by the other day and saw a few residents in wheelchairs enjoying the park.” John Stokes, associate director of

New features in the park are the water fountain to fill reuseable water bottles and a lower fountain for children.

external a airs at DC’s Department of General Services, says the city is working on improving other triangle and pocket parks and hopes the Gar eld Park improvement plan will begin construction very soon.

In addition to the ramp, the renovation tore out and replaced the broken benches and added a backless circular bench in the middle of the park. Originally there may have been a water fountain in the middle of the park, but now there are beautiful native plants, including Heuchera americana, wild columbine, Pennsylvania sedge, miniature rush and even some Christmas ferns. A drinkable water fountain was added that includes a waterbottle ll up.

The project planning included a 2022 survey and several Zoom calls with the community. An overwhelming number of residents wanted to have DPR repair the masonry to maintain the open space, add seating and improve the landscaping, while 53% of respondents said they visited the park multiple times a week, including 23% reporting they visited daily.

The end product is a real delight. A great big thank you to all involved in making history come alive by preserving and improving the 8th Street and Massachusetts Avenue triangle park. It is fabulous when the community and city departments come together to make our Hill neighborhood more beautiful. Lady Bird would be so proud.

Rindy O’Brien nds the abundance of open spaces and little parks one of the best

of living on Capitol Hill. To contact her: rindyobrien@gmail. com. ◆

Dear Garden Problem Lady,

IN THE WEEDS

What plants could you suggest for a sunny front yard garden that would offer a long bloom time, are low maintenance, and attract pollinators to bring life into my garden?

Summer gardens are always expected to perform with non-stop color, despite the heat, and xeric conditions. There are several plants that will be outstanding and will perform beyond average expectations. Consider Callirhoe involucrata, Poppy Mallow, or Winecup. This native plant creates quite the outstanding vibrant purple/pink display of summer beauty. A North American native groundcover, with a moderate height of eight to twelve inches, Winecup blooms from early spring until frost and can cover a width of at least five feet. When it comes to maintenance, cutting this plant back in the late winter will remove any brown or discolored foliage as new growth begins. Should the plant become leggy, a gentle pruning is advised. Callirhoe

thrives in zones 4 – 9 and is one of the early blooming perennials which attracts bees and butterflies all season long.

This plant is great for the front of the border and to partner with Perovska (Russian Sage), or Rudbeckia Triloba (Brown Eyed Susan). Summer annuals which complement this groundcover are Cosmos, Celosia and Cleome, to name a few. Other long blooming plants are Zinnia’s, Angelonia, Gomphrena, Lantana, as well as assorted varieties of marigolds. Inviting life in the garden without consistent maintenance is merely a matter of selecting the right plant.

What can I plant in a small area near the curb? I need moderate height plants that are shallow rooted, can handle neglect, heat and offer intermittent color.

There are quite a few plants that meet the durability requirements of street-side beds frequently visited by people and pets. Consider making these spaces a welcome mat for your front yard garden with minimal maintenance. Start with a few durable bulbs such as daffodils or muscari. Planted in the center of the beds, it provides passersby something to look forward to. Planting Achillea or Yarrow will add moderate height color with minimal care. The semi-evergreen silver colored foliage stands out in the winter garden. No water needed after this plant is established. Yarrow is a great plant to attract pollinators and thrives in poor soil with little attention. At 18 – 24 inches tall, there are cultivars which grow in clumps and others which will sprawl.

Delosperma cooperi (Hardy Ice Plant) makes a great drought tolerant ground cover and handles temperature extremes quite well. As a succulent, this plant will hold water in its leaves for those dry spells. This plants does very well with a small stone or gravel mulch,

Wine Cups. Photo: Teri Speight

which will also make the colorful blooms stand out. Delosperma grows to a height of 3 – 6 inches. This semi-evergreen foliage serves as a backdrop to the colorful blooms which attract honeybees and butter ies.

Nepeta x faassennii or Walker’s Low Catmint is a perennial that keeps on giving to mankind and nature as well. The beautiful blueish purple spikes of long blooming color attract butter ies and bees. When the rst ush of bloom has nished, consider shearing this plant in half. This will keep it compact and encourage a second ush of bloom. I have personally used this plant and have experienced three ushes of bloom in one season. Also consider low growing sedums, Mediterranean herbs or low growing native grasses.

Join the Capitol Hill Garden Club, more information on the club website at capitolhillgardenclub.org.

Nepeta. Photo: National Garden Bureau Website

Changing Hands

Changing Hands is a list of residential sales in Capitol Hill and contiguous neighborhoods from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list, based on the MRIS, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, Associate Broker at Coldwell Banker Realty on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms.

BLOOMINGDALE

CONDO

Theater Night A Curated Review of Theater in the DMV

by Matthew McClure

In the dark early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village was raided by the NYPD and became ground zero for a queer revolution. After years of police harassment, patrons of this seedy, Mafia-owned bar and nightclub ‒ a refuge for New York City’s queer community ‒ finally had enough. What followed was two days of protests that sparked gay pride marches, inspired the publication of queer-focused literature and birthed LGBTQI+ activist movements and organizations. In June, we commemorate not only this momentous night, but the many individuals both before and after who sacrificed so much in this ongoing battle for equality. This month’s column previews theater that highlights queer cul-

ture and life. We’ve also included an exclusive, behind-the-curtain look at the revamped Folger Shakespeare Library to open on June 21.

In the Spotlight

“Where the Mountain Meets the Sea,” Signature Theatre Showing May 27-July 7, sigtheatre.org In cultures across the world, tales of epic journeys abound. Think Homer’s “Odyssey” or the “Epic of Gilgamesh.” Playwright Jeff Augustin’s “Where the Mountain Meets the Sea” brings this ancient narrative formula to vivid, contemporary life as it tells the story of Jean (a Haitian immigrant) and his queer son Jonah, who traces his father’s cross-country journey in a quest of self-discovery.

Originally commissioned for the 2020 Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theater of Louisville, this play will see its third time before an audience, and for its DC debut it’s being directed by Timothy Douglas (Signature Theatre’s “The Color Purple,” Arena Stage’s “King Hedley II” among many others). “This is inherently a story about a Black father and son coming to terms with each other, specifically, around the son’s queerness,” says Douglas, who confesses he feels an affinity for the subject matter. “More than 50% of the productions I’ve directed over my career at core deal with a Black father-and-son relationship.”

Augustin draws his creativity from Haitian mythology and folklore. As the first-generation child of a Haitian father, storytelling flows through his blood, with music being a crucial component of

his work. The first two productions of “Where the Mountain Meets the Sea” incorporated the live musical stylings of a husband-and-wife duo, the Bengsons, whose lyricism is as evocative of the Southern US as it is of Haitian twoubadou ballads. Douglas’ interpretation, however, casts Jim Morrison and Awa Sal Secka in these roles, alongside Isaac “Deacon Izzy” Bell as Jonah and Robert Cornelius as Jean.

Douglas has worked hard to craft a liminal, meditative space in this production, within which the varied perspectives of the performers can act as catalysts for a performance that differs markedly from what has come before. “It’s a grounded story but experienced ethereally,” Douglas explains. “It’s a meditation on mortality and the afterlife. It has a particularly meditative pace to it. This piece defies description. It’s not a traditional play by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a not a musical, but music is an essential driver and participant in the storytelling.”

For Douglas, the emphasis of the play is on the relationship between Jean and Jonah. “In the end, it’s the very personal story of father and son discovering one another with perspective and distance. There’s a lot going on, and actually not very much!” he says, laughing. “It’s really in the end a very simple story.”

Coming Attraction

“Funny

Girl,”

Kennedy Center Opera House Showing June 25-July 14, kennedy-center.org “Hello, gorgeous!” What is it about the musical “Funny Girl” that cemented it (and Barbra Streisand) firmly in the hallowed halls of queer culture?

The Broadway National Tour of “Funny Girl” at the Kennedy Center’s Opera House stars Katerina McCrimmon as tough-as-nails Fanny Brice, who falls head over heels in love with bad boy gambler Nicky Arnstein. While ostensibly not a queer story, Brice teaches us that standing out isn’t a bad

thing and that within our differences we can find strength. Important lessons in today’s world.

Written by Isobel Lennart and directed by Michael Mayer with original music by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill (“Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “People”), this one isn’t to be missed.

Behind the Curtain

Renovation of the Folger Shakespeare Library Open June 21, folger.edu

At the end of May, Michael Witmore (director) and Peggy O’Brien (director of education) ushered me through the softly lit exhibition halls and sparkling corridors of the newly renovated Folger Shakespeare Library on Capitol Hill, as part of a special preview for Hill Rag readers of an impressive $80.5 million, four-year revamp.

“We did some research over a year. All kinds of focus groups and community groups, including families on the Hill and further afield including Ward 8,” O’Brien tells me, as she gestures to the beautifully curated collections housed in the new exhibition hall. “The results were consistent: people didn’t know what we are or what we did and whether we were open to families. That informed a lot of what this looks like now. We wanted to show a lot of things to a lot of people.”

The first thing visitors will see is a quote by lauded African American poet and essayist Rita Dove inscribed along the new garden path: “Clear your calendars. Pocket your notes …” ‒ an in -

vitation to open your mind and enter the world of William Shakespeare. A new work by artist Fred Wilson – commissioned by and for the Folger by Witmore –calls upon patrons to enter the new Shakespeare Exhibition Hall. Wilson has crafted a Venetian Murano glass mirror in shades of smoky ruby red, set against a crimson wall. In its faceted surface, you’ll see reflections of the iconic Sieve portrait of Elizabeth I (painted by George Gower in 1579), which Wilson has placed in conversation with a depiction of actor Ira Aldridge, who at age 17 in 1825 was the first African American to play “Othello” in Shakespeare’s tragedy of the same name. This contemplative work sets the tone for what to expect as you move deeper into this new world: interactive exhibits for kids and adults alike, and objects, artworks and ephemera that remind us how words can forge entire worlds. Pages copied from various articles within the larger collection embellish the walls like jewels; visitors are encouraged to touch and interact with them. “The visitors are their own interpreters. We don’t think of ourselves as interpreters,” O’Brien says. Display cases covering the history of Shakespeare’s work in DC (don’t miss the links to Howard University and Frederick Douglass) are a special feature, along with a handmade oak printing press built by Alan May according to instructions by Joseph Moxon written more than 340 years ago.

Arguably, the stars of the show are 82 original First Folios – some marked by Henry Clay Folger himself in order of preference – that have for the first time been brought out of storage for public view. These copies of 36 of Shakespeare’s plays were first printed in 1623, and the impressive glass display case allows you to delve deeper into them based on whether you want to be a detective, storyteller or collector.

Witmore is stepping down as director this

summer, so in a very real sense this reimagining of the Folger Shakespeare Library is his swan song. “Changes in words over there change people’s lives,” Witmore tells me as he points to the Capitol building less than a mile away. “It’s appropriate to have a place like this here. This has been hugely emotional. Hugely gratifying. I’ve been fortunate to have a group of people around me who not only wanted to go there, but are now out ahead of me, and that makes me feel good about being done.” u

Katerina McCrimmon and Izaiah Montaque Harris in “Funny Girl” at the National tour of “Funny Girl.” Photo: Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Display of First Folios and oak printing press at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Photos: Lloyd Wolf.

Artwork by Fred Wilson.

Hello summer! As we swim into warm weather and sunshine, our restaurant scene is heating up ‒ literally. Jab We Met Indian Kitchen has opened at 515 Eighth St. SE, where El Bodegon used to be. It’s a pretty place, decoated with royal blue banquettes and chairs and pale gold walls. No stranger to our restaurant scene, proprietor Parminder Singh Manan also operates Naanwise Indian Cuisine in Woodley Park and Oh! Naan in Logan Circle.

Capitol Cuisine

by Celeste McCall

A week or so after it opened, Peter and I dined there on a drizzly Friday evening. Seated at a spacious table, we began with an order of veggie samosas. The feather-light pastries were lled with spicy potatoes and peas, delivering just enough firepower. Peter then ordered an appetizer of honey garlic shrimp. Served cold, the shrimp were perfectly timed, and the sweet and hot spices balanced each other nicely. For an entree I went for a favorite: lamb rogan josh. (As I requested, the kitchen toned down the repower in the peppers, ginger and garlic paste.) Unfortunately, some of the lamb chunks seemed tough. We also ordered papadam, the crispy Indian bread, along with chutney and green sauce.

Also emerging from Jab We Met’s kitchen: palak chat (crispy spinach, chutney, yogurt), coconut curry, ery vindaloo dishes, tandoori kebabs and other classics. Full bar and happy hour. Visit www.jabwemetindiankitchen.com.

More Pizza... and Indian

The Capitol Hill pizza wars continue. Earlier this spring, Mad Over Pizzas opened at 1123 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, next to Frager’s Hardware. We soon learned that Mad Over Pizza dispenses more than pizza, lots more. Moreover, its pies and other items span international boundaries ‒ management hails from India. “Athens via Santorini” is

topped with gyros meat, feta, spinach, tomatoes and tzatziki. Delicious, with a springy, chewy crust. The subcontinent is represented by butter chicken pizzas, tandoori, kabob meri jaan (skewered chicken). Pies come in medium, large and extra-large, priced from around $18 to $25. Besides pizza, this newcomer also serves myriad tasty appetizers; we loved the crispy samosas accompanied by spicy green sauce. Other starters encompass garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno peppers. Among other choices are wings, pastas, calzones, salads and subs.

A few days later, we returned to Mad to try a sub. We wanted an Italian sub (ham, salami, provolone), but the kitchen temporarily lacked the ingredients, so we settled for a $12.99 12-inch Bombay chicken club. Nestled in a warm sub roll were spicy chicken tikka cubes, chutney, cucumbers, green peppers and cheese. The only missteps: vapid, out-ofseason tomato wedges.

More Indian

Speaking of Indian cuisine, Peter and I decided to revisit a Barracks Row favorite, Bombay Street Food, 524 Eighth St. SE. Joined by three friends, we settled into the sidewalk cafe. First we shared a generous appetizer: palak chat, the slightly sweet, crispy spinach dish topped with yogurt. Then I chose my menu favorite, Bombay biryani, the spicy, basmati rice concoction laced with big chunks of lamb. (Other biryani protein options include goat,

Open daily, Mad Over Pizzas is a modest spartan nook with a TV and a few tables for dining in. For more information or to order takeout visit www. madoverpizzas.com.

At Jab We Met, veggie samosas are stuffed with potatoes, peas and spices, plus dipping sauces.

On Barracks Row, Jab We Met Indian Kitchen has opened across the street from Bombay Street Food.

Joining the Hill’s pizza family is Indian-operated Mad Over Pizzas, next to Frager’s Hardware.

On Barracks Row, Bombay Street Food dispenses zesty dishes including Palak chat, spinach topped with yogurt.

chicken or shrimp.) This signature dish is draped with bread, which our server ceremoniously removed. From the Indo-Chinese listing, gogi Manchurian is a sinus-clearing montage of ginger/garlic paste and soy sauce served over cauli ower orets. There are several vegetarian and vegan dishes. We also shared a basket of assorted Indian breads.

Potent potables include cocktails, wine and beer. From the nonalcoholic listing, Peter sipped mango lassi. Lunch for two came to $52 including my glass of pleasant pinot grigio. For hours and more information visit www.bombaystreetfooddc.com.

Sushi in the Sky

Now you can enjoy sushi with a disco scene and panoramic vista. Perched atop the Citizen M Hotel near L’Enfant Plaza is the brandnew Sushi by Bou, 550 School St. SW. Part of an upscale chain, the fishy newcomer offers omakase courses (chef-created menus) along with a spectacular view. Expect creative concoctions involving hamachi (yellowtail), unagi (eel), akami (tuna), ikura (salmon roe), sake (salmon) and more. Plus signature cocktails involving such ingredients as Japanese gin, sake, yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit and honey. The convivial bar also pours more conventional

At the Eastern Market’s weekend farmers row, Yalla

highballs, wine and beer. For hours and more information visit www.sushibybou.com.

Market Watch

How often do you encounter Egyptian cuisine on the Hill? On a recent Saturday, husband Peter stumbled upon an exotic new vendor near the outdoor Farmers Row: Yalla Koshary. Named for a traditional street food, the stand is operated by Egyptian-born Mostafa Wafa. Curious, Peter checked it out. Having visited Egypt long ago, we’ve always been fascinated by the culture and cuisine of that North African nation. So, Peter purchased the koshary, a vegan, layered mixture of lentils, pasta, rice and spices, topped with fried onions and zesty tomato sauce. The $7 dish was accompanied by garlic vinegar and an incendiary tomato and hot pepper concoction.

Versions of koshary date back 4,000 years, when Egyptian priests would consume a concoction of wheat, lentils, chickpeas, rice, garlic and onions. Centuries later, Peruvian tomatoes and Italian pasta joined the ancient mix.

You’ll nd Yalla at Eastern Market most Saturdays and Sundays. For more information visit www. yallakoshary.us.

Gone

Harvest Tide Steak and Seafood, at 212 Seventh St. SE, is “permanently closed.” Sister restaurant Coastline Oyster Company, 319 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, is “temporarily closed.” And on Barracks Row, As you Are, the LGBTQ+ friendly restaurant/bar at 500 Eighth St. SE, is “temporarily closed” due to a water issue, we’re told. ◆

Koshary serves a vegan dish made with lentils, rice and pasta.

HEMPHILL Artworks

Franz Jantzen: May 18-June 29 hemphillfinearts.com/exhibitions/ franz-jantzen3

Franz Jantzen’s current exhibition at HEMPHILL Artworks highlights his meticulous approach to digital photography, reflecting his dual roles as an archivist and an artist. Jantzen’s process involves a painstaking documentation method, perfected over decades. He spends countless hours layering individual images, stratifying visual information to create compositions that convey deeper meanings. His latest series, “The Great Trek,” reimagines a journey undertaken by his father’s family, depicted through intricate renderings of paving stones in Pompeii.

Jantzen shares his personal connection to the work as follows: “In 1880, a group of pacifist Mennonites, including my father’s family, followed a doomsday prophet from Russia across the desert to Uzbekistan, where

Art and the City

by Phil Hutinet

they believed God would arrive in 1889. Although my family left before reaching the final destination, they experienced both the kindness of strangers and significant hardships. My series traces six geographic locations from their journey, in the order they encountered them.”

Through his work, Jantzen invites viewers to delve into the rich layers of his images and the historical references they encompass. By presenting variations of his compositions, he hopes to evoke a sense of wonder and careful observation, encouraging audiences to appreciate the intricate connections between past, present and future. The exhibition offers a thought-provoking exploration of history and personal legacy coupled with an innovative use of contemporary digital art. HEMPHILL Artworks is located at 434 K St. NW. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and by appointment. 202-234-5601

Hill Center Galleries

Capitol Hill Art League (CHAL)

Juried Exhibition and “The Art of Healing”

May 14-Sept. 7

hillcenterdc.org/galleries

Two intriguing new exhibits are now on view at Hill Center Galleries through the summer ‒ Capitol Hill Art League’s annual juried exhibition and “The Art of Healing.” These exhibitions provide a varied showcase of artistic talent and creativity, highlighting diverse perspectives and the therapeutic power of art.

The 2024 Capitol Hill Art League Juried Exhibition features works by 50 CHAL member artists, selected by Hill Center Galleries director Nicky Cymrot and artist Alan Braley. The exhibition, which includes a wide variety of media and viewpoints, can be viewed both inperson and online. All exhibited artworks are available for purchase, providing an excellent opportunity to support local artists.

Complementing the CHAL member exhibit, “The Art of Healing” is an inspiring intergenerational exhibition which showcases the artistic contributions of the military-affiliated community. This exhibition emphasizes collaboration among veterans, active-duty personnel, military families and caregivers, showcasing how art can serve as a powerful tool for healing and expression.

The exhibitions at Hill Center Galleries not only celebrate artistic excellence but also demonstrate the pro-

found impact of art on individual and communal well-being. They offer insight into the healing power of making art while providing an opportunity to appreciate the talent of community-based artists. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital is located at 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 202-549-4172

National Portrait Gallery

May 31, 2024, through June 8, 2025

“Picturing the Presidents: Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes from the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection” www.npg.si.edu

As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery has unveiled a timely new exhibition titled “Picturing the Presidents: Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes from the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection.” Running through June 8, 2025, this exhibit, curated by senior curator of photographs Ann Shumard, features historic photographic portraits of 11 US presidents.

Among the exhibition’s highlights is the 1843 daguerreotype of John Quincy Adams, the earliest surviving photograph of a US president. Another standout piece is an ambrotype pin from Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 campaign that showcases Mathew Brady’s first photograph of Lincoln ‒ an image widely credited with helping secure Lincoln’s election victory.

“These vintage daguerreotypes and ambrotypes 88 H HILLRAG.COM

HEMPHILL: Franz Jantzen, Ebenezer (The Great Trek Series, 2 of 6), 2023, Edition of 15, Pigment ink on smooth cotton rag paper mounted on aluminum panel, 28” x 25½”. Image courtesy HEMPHILL Artworks, Washington, DC

Hill Center Galleries: Herman Murno, “Helios Descending into Poseidon’s Realms.” Image courtesy of the artist

Portrait

Open seven days a week,

Open seven days a week, 11:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Closed Dec. 25. 202-633-1000

The Mansion at Strathmore

Translation through Art May 14-July 27

earliest photographic likenesses of

are among the treasures of the Portrait Gallery’s collection,” Shumard stated. “They o er visitors a unique opportunity to view some of the earliest photographic likenesses of our nation’s Presidents.”

The exhibition also includes representations of presidents whose terms predated the advent of photography in 1839. Visitors can view a daguerreotype of Gilbert Stuart’s 1796 painting of George Washington and an ambrotype of Andrew Jackson based on a painted miniature. Other featured presidents include Martin Van Buren, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan and Chester Arthur. Additionally, a modern daguerreotype documenting Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration serves as a tting conclusion to these early presidential images.

Although daguerreotypes and ambrotypes were one-of-a-kind objects with limited circulation, they inspired numerous popular prints that reached countless American households. The exhibition includes three such prints featuring John Quincy Adams, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan.

“Picturing the Presidents” complements the museum’s renowned “America’s Presidents” gallery, which showcases portraits of all past US presidents in various media. This exhibition o ers a unique historical perspective, connecting early photographic techniques with the broader narrative of American presidential history. The National Portrait Gallery is located at Eighth and G streets NW.

strathmore.org/events-tickthrough-art/

strathmore.org/events-tickets/exhibitions/translationthrough-art/

Strathmore Mansion’s current exhibition, “Translation through Art,” curated by Emon Surakitkoson, features work by Asian American and Paci c Islander (AAPI) artists from the greater Washington and Baltimore region. The exhibition includes a variety of media such as painting, photography, collage, digital illustration and sculpture, highlighting the diverse artistic expressions of AAPI artists.

The exhibition aims to provide a platform for AAPI artists to share their stories and cultural heritage, fostering a sense of community and encouraging meaningful conversations among visitors and artists. By increasing the visibility of AAPI artists, the exhibition o ers opportunities for connection, healing and growth.

Viewers will experience a blend of traditional and contemporary art forms with each work, re ecting each artist’s personal story and cultural identity. For those interested in exploring the rich and varied works of AAPI artists, “Translation through Art” at Strathmore Mansion o ers a compelling and insightful journey. The Mansion at Strathmore is located at 10701 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 12-4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday. 301-530-5109

exhibition o ers a unique historical photographic techniques with the broader narrative of American Rockville, Tuesday through Friday, Sunday and Mon-

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Phil Hutinet is the founding publisher of East City Art, DC’s visual art journal of record. For more information, visit www.eastcityart.com. ◆

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our Hill neighborhood. Winning entries will be published in our July

Send us your favorite photo for a chance at fame! Remember, the best photos tell a story — of love, companionship, and enjoyment of our Hill neighborhood. Winning entries will be published in our July Hill Rag special pet issue and posted on our website at hillrag.com.

TO ENTER:

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National

Gallery: Abraham Lincoln, Artist: George Clark. Copy after: Mathew B. Brady. Ambrotype campaign pin. 1860. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

The Mansion at Strathmore: Ameena Fareeda, “Peacock Pareidolia.” Image courtesy of the artist

the LITERARY HILL

A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events

DC History: Suffragists, Royals, Forgotten Forces and the Folger Reopening

For this month’s column, I interviewed Shirley Marshall, author of “A Radical Suffragist in Washington, DC,” a timely book that peers into the personal letters of Elizabeth Kalb, one of many players in the long and contentious fight to gain women the right to vote. Marshall’s book brings to visibility what it takes to make political and democratic change, even the sort of change that we might now take for granted.

Literary Hill: Much of this book is devoted to the letters of Elizabeth Kalb and her experience volunteering in DC for the National Women’s Party. Why did you choose to focus on Elizabeth Kalb and her letters in your retelling of the history of women’s suffrage activism in this era?

Shirley Marshall: To understand the history, we need to understand the activists. What was their work? Why defy society’s norms and risk imprisonment? Elizabeth’s letters bring to life how

by Michelle LaFrance

physically and emotionally challenging was the work – and why she kept going. In addition, she brings to life other activists, their personalities and struggles.

I find her story, while in details unique to a time and place, still relevant today. A young adult comes to DC to support a political cause. Through her eyes, we see history not as preordained but as a constant struggle until final and often narrow success.

LH: Alice Paul, the leader of the National Women’s Party in this era, is another figure who looms large in this book. Do you have a favorite story about Alice Paul of her time in DC?

SM: While Elizabeth shares some great stories about her boss, to me a later incident reflects Paul’s complex legacy.

Unlike most suffrage leaders, Paul was singularly and solely focused on women gaining legal rights. After ratification, a large delegation appealed for Paul’s help. They knew that Southern Black women could not access this new right. Of Paul’s refusal to help, Mary Church Terrell later said, “Alice Paul had displayed the most painful lack of tact I had ever seen …”

But for Paul, once voting rights were granted then her job was done. And this tight focus, a harsh drawing of lines, is how she had leveraged a small membership and limited funds to great impact. A single-minded, absolute commitment to one cause at a time. First to the suffrage amendment and then to the Equal Rights Amendment.

LH: What might today’s women’s rights activists take from the stories you share in this history of the fight for women’s suffrage?

SM: First, everyone can contribute and each must be valued. From political strategizing to feeding the workers, all have roles. Second, have a clear and mea-

surable ask – or demand. Keep focused on a specific change. And third, make sure you are not leaving people out. In the fight for women’s suffrage, some people got pushed aside or ignored. Either in the moment or when your objective is achieved, work to ensure all affected voices are heard.

LH: Thank you for this timely and important read, Shirley!

June Reviews

“A Radical Suffragist in Washington, DC: An Inside Story of the National Women’s Party.” Shirley M. Marshall’s book bridges local and national history through the letters of Elizabeth Kalb, a women’s rights activist and an employee of the National Women’s Party, a frontline organization in the fight for women’s suffrage. World War I, the bustle of Capitol Hill, historic Lafayette Square and tempestuous protests provide a rich background, as this herstory tackles the long-game political strategies and resilience necessary to secure women’s right to the vote. Kalb’s letters, primarily to her mother, provide incisive glimpses into life as a political radical in the early 20th century, illuminating the contributions of countless groups and people whose tireless efforts led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

A Radical Suffragist in Washington, DC: An Inside Story of the National Women’s Party Author: Shirley M. Marshall

Royal Audience: 70 Years, 13 Presidents–One Queen’s Special Relationship with America. Author: David Charter

“Royal Audience: 70 Years, 13 Presidents – One Queen’s Special Relationship with America.” David Charter’s latest highlights Queen Elizabeth II’s “special relationship” with America and its leaders. Throughout her 70 years of enigmatic rule, Elizabeth cultivated extraordinary personal connections with 13 US presidents, from her rst meeting with Truman, sharing scones with Eisenhower, horseback riding with Reagan and nding kinship with the Bushes and the Obamas. Readers will enjoy stories of Jackie Kennedy’s indecorous gossip (following an awkward dinner with the monarch), the Queen Mother’s headline-making kiss on the cheek from Jimmy Carter and numerous behind-the-scenes examples of her steadfast duty and service.

“Wide Awake: The Forgotten Force That Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War.” Written by Capitol Hill resident and Smithsonian historian Jon Grinspan, this history of the Wide Awakes is sure to please those who enjoy Civil War-era history or histories of grassroots activism. The Wide Awakes defended anti-slavery stumpers from attack in the initial years of the 1860 presidential campaign. As the movement grew to include hundreds of young working-class white and Black men (and some women ‒ gasp!), Grinspan details how the Wide Awakes became one of the most interesting political movements in American history. A savvy history that examines compelling issues: majority vs. mob rule, what it means to defend free speech and the precarious relationship between speech and action in American democracy.

Celebrate the “New” Folger: Ribbon-Cutting. On Friday, June 21, the Folger will host a reopening ceremony for its renovated interior and exhibits. Leaders from the Folger and local VIPs will attend the ribbon-cutting, scheduled for 10 a.m.

Visitors will now be treated to the Quill & Crumb cafe and a 12,000-squarefoot wing with never-before-seen artifacts. View rare books, manuscripts and art, as well as interactive experiences such as a 20-foot vault that displays 82 copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio (the largest collection in the world); a copy of Cicero with Henry VIII’s schoolboy inscription, “Thys Boke Is Myne Prince Henry”; a proclamation on pirates from Queen Elizabeth I; and a replica of a 17thcentury printing press like one used to produce the First Folio.

After June 21, it will be free to visit the Folger. An advance reservation ticket is recommended, with a sliding scale/suggested donation of $15. For more info or tickets, please visit www.folger.edu.

Michelle LaFrance is associate professor of English at George Mason University. She blogs about writing, her upcoming writing classes and writing retreats at www.writinglostriver. org. ◆

Poetic Hill Michelle LaFrance

by Sandra Beasley

Michelle LaFrance writes poetry, creative non ction and ction but publishes primarily in academic venues. She lives in Southwest DC but on weekends can be found in Lost River, West Virginia. In her day job as a professor of writing and rhetoric at George Mason University, she teaches writers to love every aspect of the writing process. LaFrance is often inspired by DC’s lively and rich neighborhood cultures and histories. Her latest poetry collection (in progress) sits with competing ideas of belonging and images of the weekender. Her latest monograph, “21 Ways to Read a Cemetery,” walks readers through the new materialist methodologies animating the eld of rhetorical studies. She o ers classes for writers and writing retreats through www.writinglostriver.org.

Potomac Crows

Research shows, back in 1886, as many as 150,000 crows roosted along the shore of the Potomac River on the northwest side of Washington, D.C. Today there are still three large roosts occupied by thousands of crows, just a few miles from the original location.

From “Riverside Echoes: A Second Collection of Poetry and Stories”

Riverside Writers (Fredericksburg, Virginia)

It is always best when the poem is a loose agreement, even as the awkward stanza of these birds, is a run-on sentence, unraveling dark dots, a parade of raggedness and wing.

Crow and crow and crow, bird and bird and bird, unfolding punctuation. So far up they are more exhale than whisper, seven here, twenty here, three, a gap, then one bird urgent and alone ‒insistent and black as a kerfu e.

Sandra Beasley is the curator of “Poetic Hill,” a resident of Southwest and the author of four poetry collections. If you live in DC and you’re interested in being featured, reach her at sandrabeasley@earthlink.net for questions and submissions (one to ve poems). ◆

Photo: Andrew Lightman

Wide Awake: The Forgotten Force

That Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War. Aurthor: Jon Grinspan. Photo: Elizabeth Dranitzke

2024! CLASS Congratulations of

Dear Class of 2024,

It’s with great pride that I take the opportunity to congratulate you and wish you the very best as you commemorate this significant accomplishment. Regardless of the path you’ve taken to get to this moment, your graduation is the result of hard work, focus, and dedication.

As you near graduation, you’ll find many people have words of advice for you. This is because we can all recognize the potential within each of you. I have no doubt there are great things ahead for the Class of 2024.

Life may feel very urgent right now. Your next step into the world comes at a complex time, with pressing issues such as gun violence, climate change, the fight for a more equal and inclusive society, entrenched partisanship, and threats to the rights of marginalized communities looming large. Add to that the frustration that even as you become more aware of injustices, you recognize that as a DC resident, you don’t have a real voice in national matters. But despite these challenges, you have an obligation to take on these issues for the betterment of our community. My foremost wish for you is to recognize this agency – and the responsibility you have – in affecting change.

Despite the seemingly slow pace of progress, it’s crucial to acknowledge the significant strides we’ve made working together – and sometimes, at odds. These advancements come from people like you who refuse to shy away from the hard work of making a difference. And there are countless avenues available to you to enhance not only your own lives but the lives of those around you.

Class of 2024, I have great hope for your future, and I’m so proud of you. As you embark on your next endeavors, remember Ward 6 and the District stand firmly behind you and wish you all the best.

Congratulations!

Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6

TThe Summer Before College Hill Seniors Plan to Travel and Work

he beginning of college marks a major shift in life for most of us, ushering in greater independence and freedom. While exciting, this shift also can bring stress. Gone are the days of care-free living with no need for employment and parental prepared meals. Gone are the comforts of living in the place you’ve been your whole life. For local seniors, this shift is coming ever closer, along

by Theo Weller

with some appreciation for the unique neighborhood where they spent their childhoods.

Seniors “Heart” Capitol Hill

“I really liked how close everything was, you could always walk to where you wanted to go in 15-20 minutes and a bike ride would halve that time,” said Max Zeidler, a School Without Walls High School (SWW) senior who plans to attend Loyola Marymount University (CA) in the fall. This proximity helped to create a close community among Capitol Hill kids. “Being close to the Capitol and the National Mall was awesome, especially going there with friends and walking around at night,” he said.

Stephen Showalter, who also goes to School Without Walls and will be attending the University of Pittsburgh (PA) in the fall, said that the community Capitol Hill fosters has been “the most beneficial part” of his life. Mia Davidson, who will be graduating Edmund Burke High School and plans on attending Syracuse University (NY) this fall, agreed saying that her “favorite thing about living on Capitol Hill is the community. Everybody is somehow connected and that is a special thing.”

Travel

guage and experience living in the country where my family came from.”

SWW Senior Ishan Hsu, who plans on attending McGill University (CAN) in the fall, is also focused on summer travel.

Many seniors are taking this summer to travel before heading off to college. Dylan Park, a Washington Latin senior going to Pomona College (CA) in the fall, is traveling to Korea. The trip is result of a scholarship offered by the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). Run by the US Department of State, the initiative offers language immersion programs in several different countries. Park choose NSLI-Y to “learn my native lan-

“I’m going to California for a sleep away camp, on a climbing trip with my friends to the New River Gorge in West Virginia and to Edinburgh for my uncle’s birthday,” Hsu said. “This summer will be my last summer with my friends before I go to college and since I have already committed [to McGill], I don’t have anything to worry about so I’m trying to fill my summer with fun activities.”

Max Zeidler is headed off to Iceland with his dad. Then he plans to spend two weeks in Europe with fellow SWW seniors. “I wanted to get out

Dylan Park at his senior prom.

Ishan Hsu playing guitar at a school music performance. Photo: Rami Noursi.

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of DC and create some long-lasting memories before I really become an adult and go to college. That’s why I decided to spend so much time traveling,” said Zeidler. “I’ve also worked since October so I have some money saved up.”

this summer commonly plan to work as waiters or in food in some other way, like at an ice cream shop. Most of them seem to be working on their own accord, wanting to get ahead on the increase in spending in college.

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For teens like Zeidler, traveling feels like the perfect way to enjoy the last months of pre-adulthood.

Work

“This summer I will be traveling with friends and family and working at Calleva,” Mia Davidson said. “I have worked at Calleva the past few summers and I’ve loved it so I keep going back.” Calleva is an outdoor education organization in Maryland that hosts summer camps for kids ages four to 16.

Teens who are choosing to work

“This summer, I’ll be working at Aqua 301 in Navy Yard. I’m trying to earn some spending money for college and save up to buy a car,” said Jackson-Reed High School Senior Tommy Johnson. Johnson plans to attend Auburn University (AL) in the fall.

Part of this summer, SWW Senior Showalter will return to the NOMA restaurant Laos in Town, where he has worked previously as a waiter. For the remainder, he plans to be a summer camp counselor.

Showalter is trying to make “as much money as possible” this sum-

Stephen Showalter (left) and Max Zeidler (right) at their school. Photo: Theo Weller.

mer, citing the high price of college tuition as his reason. Despite his focus on work, Showalter is still spending a week in Spain with his friends.

“I’m really looking forward to that...it’s just going to be such a blast,” said Showalter.

Leaving Home

“I’m pretty sad to move away from DC and Capitol Hill,” said Zeidler, “I think a lot of people want to get away from where they grow up but over the last few months, I’ve realized how lucky I am in DC and how much I take for granted.”

Hill seniors aren’t just sad to leave DC, but also apprehensive about dealing with the stress of navigating a new city.

Davidson, however, isn’t too worried. “It is sad to think about the fact that I won’t be on Capitol Hill or in DC all the time anymore,” she said. “But the fact that my family will still be here makes it feel like I’m not actually moving away and that allows me to be more excited than sad about going to college. It is comforting to know that even though I’m going to be in college somewhere else, I always will be able to come back here.”

Davidson’s sentiments are widely shared by her peers.

“I feel sad about moving out of Capitol Hill, but I will be back for the summer and for holidays so it’s not all bad,” said Hsu.

Overall, Capitol Hill’s seniors feel some sadness about leaving Capitol Hill and the fond memories they had growing up on it behind. But they are definitely excited for the new experiences that lie ahead. Perhaps Park put it best, “Change is sad but necessary for growth, so I’m looking forward to embracing it.” u

S chool N otes

Northeast Stars Montessori

Preschool

Northeast Stars students recently studied angles. They learned that an angle is the amount of space between two lines that meet at a point. During circle time, the children used their arms to make angles! They learned that a right angle stands straight up and looks like an L. The children spent their independent work cycle building different angles and shapes. Northeast Stars Montessori Preschool, 1325 Maryland Ave NE; nestars.net

Maury

On March 28, Maury students exhibited science fair projects and local organizations gave demonstrations at this year’s STEAM EXPOan ‘A’ was added into ‘STEM’ to highlight the role the arts can play in supporting environmental initiatives. Fifth-grade students rocked the runway in “Trashion Fashion” attire created from recycled materials. Booths included: Maury’s Kitchen Cart, Garden, and Grade 3 Recycling Station plus NASA; International DarkSky Association; D.C. Beekeepers; Anacostia Watershed Society; Casey Trees; U.S. Forest Service; University of Maryland’s Entomology Department; Labyrinth Puzzles and Games; Northeast Library; Eastern HS, McKinley Technology HS; and Jackson Reed HS. Maury Elementary, 1250

by Susan Braun Johnson

Constitution Ave. NE; mauryelementary.com

Miner Elementary

On April 8, 2024, Miner Elementary students and their families participated in a special Solar Eclipse STEM Event. All students, staff, and families received eclipse glasses, and after looking at the sun safely, they had the opportunity to participate in a variety of eclipse-related activities. After the event, glasses were retuned and donated to schools in South America where an eclipse will occur this October. Miner, 601 15th St NE; minerelementary.org

DC Prep

DC Prep is proud to be one of the highest-performing public charter school networks in our nation’s capital! DC Prep was recently named a nationwide literacy “bright spot” by The 74, and its three middle schools were named city-

wide math “bright spots” by the DC Math Hub. Home to two National Blue Ribbon Schools and recognized globally as a Cognia School of Distinction, DC Prep is an award-winning college-prep program, serving students in PK3-8th grade. For enrollment info at any of DC Prep’s six schools in Wards 5, 7, and 8, please visit www.dcprep.org, or call or text (202) 780-5126.

Mundo Verde PCS

At J.F. Cook Campus, Mundo Verde students showcased their remarkable talents in a vibrant talent show. The evening was a highlight of impressive performances, featuring everything from piano solos and karate demonstrations to singing and mesmerizing dance routines, each act highlighting the students’ diverse skills and boundless creativity. J.F. Cook Campus - 30

NE Stars

<MauryMiner>

Mundo Verde

DC Prep

P St. NW; Calle Ocho Campus - 4401 8th St, NE; mundoverdepcs.org

Capitol Hill Day School

What’s that on the picnic table? While playing outside earlier this winter, PreK and Kindergarten students at Capitol Hill Day School discovered a bess beetle on their playground that sparked many wonderings:

• What do they eat and what do they do?

• Why do some beetles have pinchers?

• Do beetles bite and does it hurt?

• Do they eat trees or worms?

As part of Capitol Hill Day School’s emergent curriculum, students dove right into an explora-

tion of beetles that included learning about different types of beetles, what they eat, and where they live. Stories have been read, observational drawings have been created, field trips taken, and much more. Capitol Hill Day School, 210 South Carolina Ave, SE; chds.org

Eastern HS

Congratulations to Eastern High School Head Baseball Coach, Corey Jordan, on being named DCIAA HS Baseball Coach of the Year. Student-athletes, William Weedon (Pitcher) and Aaron Williams (Outfielder) made DCIAA All League First Team for the 2024 school year! The baseball team made it to the semi-finals in DCIAA playoffs this year.

Templeton Academy

Students from Templeton Academy recently participated in the Future City Competition, where they had a fantastic time engaging in hands-on learning. The event provided them with a unique opportunity to apply their knowledge and creativity to real-world problems. Throughout the competition, the students demonstrated remarkable teamwork and innovation, making the experience both educational and enjoyable. Templeton Academy, 406 7th St NW; Templetonacadmey.org

Eliot Hine

Eliot Hine is wrapping up the school year with a lot of fun trips and experiences. The choir and

Capitol Hill Day School

Templeton Academy

Eliot Hine

band recently went to Hershey Park to compete and won big. The intermediate band won 1st place and overall best concert band of the day! Choir and Beginner Band both won 2nd place. Eliot Hine, 1830 Constitution Ave NE; eliothinemiddleschool.org

Waterfront Academy

Waterfront Academy celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week on May 7. The school’s teachers are wonderful, loving and thoughtful people. The school also held a donation drive for clothes, books and home goods. Upcoming events that the school are excited about include an upcoming Jog-a-Thon (with sponsors East City Book Shop, the International Spy Museum and Labryinth) and a moving up ceremony for graduates. Waterfront Academy, 222 M St. SW; waterfrontacademy.org/

Friends Community School

Friends Community School Kindergarten and 1st and 2nd Grade students recently ventured to Catoctin Quaker Camp in Thurmont, Maryland. Students and parents prepared meals together, enjoyed campfires, searched the pond for frogs, and so much more. Friends Community School, 5901 Westchester Park Drive, College Park, MD; friendscommunityschool.org u

Waterfront Academy

KIDS & FAMILY

Friday Night

Fishing on the Anacostia

Anacostia Riverkeeper’s Friday Night Fishing program is a free, family-friendly learn-to-fish program. Open to all ages, it takes place along the Navy Yard on the Anacostia each summer. The Anacostia Riverkeeper and partner Earth Conservation Corps provide fishing gear, safety vests and a mini demo on fishing, fishing safety and fun facts about the fish in the river. The 2024 season takes place Friday nights June 21 to Sept. 6, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Diamond Teague Park Recreation Dock. (No Friday night fishing on June 28 and July 5.) Adults need a DC fishing license to actively fish. Registration is recommended via the Anacostia Riverkeeper Eventbrite page. Every participant must fill out and complete the Anacostia Riverkeeper’s liability waiver. Wear closed-toed shoes and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Bring water to drink. www.anacostiariverkeeper.org/friday-night-fishing

July 4th Family Activities at the National Archives

Join the National Archives on Constitution Avenue in celebration of July 4th. Celebrate America’s birthday on the steps of the National Archives with reenactors, family fun and the iconic Declaration of Independence reading ceremony. The music starts at 9:00 a.m. From 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. there are speeches, readings and music. From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. there are family activities. Inside the building sign the Declaration of Independence, make your own flag, do a scavenger hunt and have your picture taken with Revolutionary War figures. www.archivesjuly4.org

Story Time at Nats Park

Join the Washington Nationals this season for Story Time at Nationals Park. These pre-game programs are held on Sundays before the 1:35 p.m. games start. The Left Field Gate opens at noon. Remaining dates this season are all on Sundays: June 16, “Ballpark”; July 7, “Just Like Josh Gibson”; Aug. 4, “Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings & Adventures in Ana Park”; Sept. 1, “Clemente.” Families in attendance will read along with a Nationals player, receive free books and participate in literacyfocused activities in partnership with the Library of Congress, Smithsonian National Postal Museum and National Geographic Kids. Anyone with a ticket for the day’s Nationals game can attend. Story Time is held in the Kennedy Conference Room and begins at 12:15 p.m. www.mlb.com/nationals/community/summer-reading/story-time

The Atlas Presents “City at Peace” in Performance “City at Peace” is the Atlas Performing Arts Center’s year-round, social justice and theater program for area youth. This year, the performances are on Friday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, June 8, at 3:00 and 7:30 p.m. $12. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. www.atlasarts.org

Story Time with Trevor Williams. Photo: Courtesy of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club

Photo: Courtesy of Anacostia Riverkeeper

Polite Piggy’s

JUNE 26th – August 2nd

Children ages 3-10 (PK3-5th Grade)

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE

Whether you are looking for the morning, full-day, or all five weeks, we have you covered with top-notch programming.

Why Choose Polite Piggy’s This Summer?

Your child will find joy, friendships, and caring team members daily. In addition, we offer unique classes like art, music, sciences, Stemovate, chess, fitness, sports, cooking, Legos, and a hiking club with Aunt Lizzie.

P.S. We forgot to mention there are weekly water play sessions and plenty of popsicles!

HOURS:

Full Day: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Half Day: 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Half Day: 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM

2024 SUMMER CAMP FEES

Full Day: $87 per Day       $435 per week

Half Day: $67 per Day      $335 per week

Sibling Discount: 15% discount for each child after the first.

Non-Refundable Registration Fee (Per Child):

Three weeks or more: $150

Two weeks or less: $75

* Includes a t-shirt and transportation for field trips.

Free Summer Film Nights at the Zoo

Come to the National Zoo for an unforgettable cinematic experience. Summer Film Nights at the Zoo is a free outdoor summer event series, showing movies on Lion-Tiger Hill, the grassy lawn located near the Harvard Street entrance. Select food options will be available at the family-friendly event. Guests may bring their own blankets. Relax under the stars on Thursdays: June 20, “Turning Red” (2022), and July 18, “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” (2012). En -

Mount Vernon Juneteenth Family Days

On June 19, 20, 21 and 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., discover how enslaved men and women at Mount Vernon defined their agency and the legacies they left behind. Learn about Mount Vernon’s many enslaved people who sought freedom before the Emancipation Proclamation. Here’s each day’s schedule: Welcome Table and Family Hub, 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Enslaved People of Mount Vernon Tours, 10:00 a.m., noon and 2:00 p.m.; Story Time, 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.; Character Programs, 9:00 a.m.; Meet Christopher Sheels, 10:00 a.m.; Meet Ona Judge, 11:00 a.m.; Meet Ona Judge and Christopher Sheels, 1:00 p.m.; Meet Christopher Sheels, 2:00 p.m.; Meet Ona Judge; Slave Memorial Commemoration Ceremonies, 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Activities are included with Mount Vernon admission. www.mountvernon.org

try at 6:00 p.m.; previews and zoo trivia at 6:30 p.m.; movie starts at 7:00 p.m. Movies are free; parking is $30. Entry passes to the zoo are required. www.nationalzoo.si.edu/visit/events

New Digital Game Shows Historical US Presidents’ Perspective

iCivics, the nation’s leading civic education nonprofit, and the White House Historical Association have launched Brief the Chief, a digital game that teaches students how the President of the United States makes difficult governing decisions. Brief the Chief also gives an inside look into the White House offices of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon B. Johnson as they navigated some of the most pivotal moments of their presidencies. The game positions students as trusted advisors to the president, challenging them to consult with a variety of sources and confidants within the White House and use evidence-based reasoning to give counsel on different situations. They also speak with historical figures such as civil rights leader Amelia Boynton, the Johnsons’ personal cook Zephyr Wright, and Haitian leader Jean Jacques Dessalines. Brief the Chief is available for free at www.icivics.org/games/brief-chief.

Children’s Book Festival

The 2024 Children’s Book Festival returns to Wilson Plaza at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on Saturday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tented, outdoor event features awardwinning local authors and activities from partners such as National Children’s Museum, DC Public Library, Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC, Washington Nationals and more. www.turningthepage.org

Climate Action Heroes at the National Children’s Museum

The National Children’s Museum has launched its “Climate Action Heroes” exhibit-distribution project in partnership with Nickelodeon Our World. The project enables children’s museums and science centers across the globe to receive complimentary access to a version of the museum’s exhibit that integrates beloved Nickelodeon IPs, including SpongeBob SquarePants

NMAAHC Juneteenth Community Day

On Saturday, June 15, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., celebrate the history, art and culture of Juneteenth with several wonderful events at the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s annual Community Day. This special day is designed to engage people of all ages in a meaningful celebration of freedom and cultural evolution, commemorating Juneteenth’s significance in the journey toward equality and recognition in American history. Visitors can explore the gifts of gardening and the culinary arts, listen to stories and music and discover an inner artist with crafts for all ages. They can visit the museum’s galleries, grounds and Sweet Home Cafe to create memories and learn more about this historic holiday. All programs are free, but registration is required for indoor activities. Registration permits entry to events at the museum throughout the day. www.nmaahc.si.edu/ events/juneteenth-community-day-celebration

The Office of the President of the United States, also known as the Oval Office.

and Dora the Explorer. “Climate Action Heroes” was developed by the National Children’s Museum to empower children to effect change through a suite of digital extension tools, including an exhibit headquarters with monthly missions, virtual eld trip, athome activity videos and podcast episodes. www.climate-heros.org

National Capital Barbecue Battle (Free, under 12)

The National Capital Barbecue Battle is on Saturday, June 22, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, June 22, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (rain or shine). The twoday event along Pennsylvania and Constitution avenues, between Third and Seventh streets, features barbecued and grilled food samples all weekend, 30 bands performing across three stages, celebrity chefs, cookbook authors, microbrew and wine sampling and cooking competitions. Kids 12 and under are free. Kids will enjoy sports activities from the Washington Capitals, Mystics, Wizards, DC United and others. There will be BMX stunt bike and skateboarding shows, free food, candy and ice cream samples, arts activities and more. Daily pass, $20; two-day pass, $30; family four-pack (adults), $60. www.bbqindc.com

SW

Night Market: A Family & Pet Friendly Gathering

Market SW, at Fourth and M streets SW, is on alternate Fridays, 4 to 10 p.m. Remaining dates this season are June 7 and 21; July 5 and 19; Aug. 2, 16 and 30; and Sept. 13 and 27. It o ers a mix of local and creative businesses,

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“Star Wars: A New Hope” in Concert at Wolf Trap

On Saturday, July 13, at 8:00 p.m. (gates at 6:30 p.m.), “Star Wars” comes to Wolf Trap from a galaxy far away. From the triumphant opening fanfare to the ethereal “Princess Leia’s Theme,” the National Symphony Orchestra brings John Williams’ Oscar-winning score to life in this multimedia experience. The full feature film will be projected in HD onto screens in-house and on the lawn, accompanied by the music of a live symphony orchestra. Tickets start at $46. Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Ticket prices are the same for adults and children. www.wolftrap.org

food trucks, live music, a fully stocked beer garden, colorful lights and familyfriendly activities. The market is directly across the street from the Waterfront Metro station and near Arena Stage. www.DiverseMarkets.net

Three DPR Outdoor Kids’ Swimming Pools

Happy Hollow Children’s Pool at 2200 Champlain St. NW, Park View Children’s Pool at 693 Otis Pl. NW, and Lincoln Capper Children’s Pool at 555 L St. SE, are open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Additionally, Park View and Lincoln Capper close from 2 to 3 p.m. www.dpr.dc.gov/outdoorpools

Kids Run the Bases at Nats Park

Kids ages four to 12 can run the bases after every Sunday day game throughout the season. This year’s remaining dates are June 9 and 16, July 7 and 21, Aug. 4 and 11 and Sept. 1 and 15. Kids Run the Bases begins immediately following the game, weather permitting. Participants must exit the ballpark through the Right Field Gate. The line forms outside of the park on the sidewalk along First Street. www.washington.nationals.mlb.com

Family-Friendly Late Skate at Anacostia Park

VR Safari at the Zoo

Come face-to-face with wildlife in a live-action virtual reality safari. Strap on VR goggles and experience lush jungles and endless savannahs on a journey across the wilds of Africa. Passengers must be 42 inches tall unless accompanied by an adult. Manufacturers recommend that users be at least 13 years of age. Children younger than 13 who are at least 42 inches tall may ride with consent of a parent or guardian. General admission is $12. Tickets sold on-site at the VR attraction at the Conservation Pavilion (next to Mane Grill). The zoo is free to visit but entry passes are required, including infants. www.nationalzoo.si.edu/visit/virtual-reality-safari

Semper Fi Fathers’ 10k, 5k and Kids’ One-Miler

Skate anytime at Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion ‒ the only roller-skating rink in the National Park Service. Skate rental is available from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rentals are free with a government-issued ID. Socks are required to rent skates. On the last Saturday of the month, June through October, June 29, July 27, Aug. 31, Sept. 28 and Oct. 26, skate until 10 p.m. and enjoy the featured DJ or band. Events last throughout the day and include double-Dutch, lawn games, job fairs, boat trips and more. www.nps.gov/anac

On June 16, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., the Semper Fi Fathers’ 10k ($55) and 5k ($35) and Kids’ Run ($20) is at Mason Neck State Park, 7301 High Point Rd., Lorton, Virginia. Enjoy this scenic, flat 5k/10k that runs along a bike path through Mason Neck State Park. There is race day registration. Participants need to arrive around 45 minutes before the race to get registered. www.bishopsevents.com/ event/2024-semper-fi-fathers-5k-10k-1m/

Building Readers Club at the National Building Museum

The Building Readers Club explores the world of architecture, engineering, construction and design found in the pages of children’s books. The primary educational program of the National Building Museum’s exhibition “Building Stories,” the club provides suggested books to read and monthly activities to inspire children to find their place within a complex world and become agents of change. Children in

Photo: Skip Brown, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

kindergarten through eighth grade, along with their families, are invited to sign up. Joining the club is free and easy. Membership includes monthly age-appropriate activities and book suggestions, free access to the “Building Stories” exhibition and family-friendly club activities at the museum four days per year, a monthly newsletter, book and prize giveaways and early access to “Building Stories” programming. Sign up at nbm.org/building-readers-club.

“Children of Anguish & Anarchy” with Tomi Ademeyi

On Wednesday, June 26, from 7 to 9 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library hosts New York Times bestselling author Tomi Ademeyi, for her book “Children of Anguish & Anarchy.” Guests ages 13 to 19 can use code KNOWYOURPOWER24 for a complimentary copy of the book, care of the DC Public Library Foundation and the KNOW YOUR POWER Teen Arts Contest. www.dclibrary.org

Children’s Carnival at Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival

On Wednesday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., for the Juneteenth national holiday celebration, the Cabin John Regional Park, 7701 Tuckerman Lane, Potomac, Maryland, comes alive with rides, music, performances, old-time photos, face painting and a petting zoo. The festival will also include an interfaith and social action pavilion, a health and wellness pavilion, a food court, a classic auto show, a 5k and fun run, a music stage, baseball, an art pavilion and a lm festival. www.juneteenthscotland.org

Children’s Theatre-inthe-Woods at Wolf Trap

Across the meadow from the Filene Center, at Wolf Trap National Park, the Children’s Theatre-in-theWoods has been a summer tradition for generations. Here’s June and July’s lineup: June 20, Musiquita; June 21, Meki’s Tamure Arts Group; June 22, Laura Doherty & the Heartbeats; June 25, Taratibu Youth Association; June 26 and 27, Captain Nemo’s Adventure Academy; June 28, 29 and 30, The Wizard of Oz; July 5, An Introduction to American Indians; July 6, Danny Weinkauf & His Red Pants Band; July 7, Joanie Leeds; July 9, Choy Wun Lions; July 10, Red Yarn; July 11, Uncle Jumbo; July 12, 13 and 14, The Amazing Max; July 16 and 17, Awesome Allie: First Kid Astronaut; July 18, Lucy Kalantari & the Jazz Cats; July 19 and 20, Kiddle Karoo’s Monster Puppet Playhouse; July 23 and 24, Professor Gizmo’s Fun & Science Show; July 25, Mayur Dance; July 26, 27 and 28, Maryland Youth Ballet; July 30, Carpathia Folk Dance Ensemble; July 31, DJ Willy Wow! and Friends. All shows are at 10:30 a.m. (gates at 10:00 a.m.). Tickets are $12. After each performance, children and parents are encouraged to continue enjoying the free and open space in the park. Theatre-in-the-Woods, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, Virginia. www.wolftrap.org

Laura Doherty & the Heartbeats at Wolf Trap

Laura Doherty & the Heartbeats bring their joyful sound to Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods. With songs celebrating the joys of childhood, from rst birthdays to rst days of school, lyrics make young listeners feel that Doherty is singing directly to and for them. Laura Doherty & the Heartbeats are part

PET PHOTO ENTER THE ANNUAL

CONTEST!

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Send us your favorite photo for a chance at fame! Remember, the best photos tell a story — of love, companionship, and enjoyment of our Hill neighborhood. Winning entries will be published in our July Hill Rag special pet issue and posted on our website at hillrag.com.

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DEADLINE: 6/14/24

PUBLICATION DATE: 7/6/24

Free Family-Friendly Movies on the Pitch at Audi Field

On select Thursday nights, Audi Field transforms into an outdoor cinema as Movies on the Pitch shows lms on the stadium’s Jumbotron screen. Here’s the remaining lineup: June 6, “Barbie”; June 20, “Mean Girls”; June 27, “The Marvels”; and July 18, “Wonka.” The family-friendly experience will begin at 7:00 p.m., with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. Audi Field o ers concessions for purchase during each movie (no outside food or alcohol permitted). www.capitolriverfront.org/events

of Wolf Trap’s Out and About Festival. This show is at 10:30 a.m. (gates at 10:00 a.m.). Tickets are $12. Theatre-in-the-Woods, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, Virginia. www.wolftrap.org

“Knuffle

Bunny: A Cautionary Musical”

Trixie and her father bustle through the streets of New York City, through the park, past the school to the Laundromat. But returning home, Knu e Bunny is gone, and Trixie cannot tell her father what is wrong. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org or by calling 301-634-2270. “Knu e Bunny: A Cautionary Musical” is at Adventure Theatre, Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, Maryland, from June 21 to Aug. 19. www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org

Imagination Stage’s

“Miss Nelson Is Missing!”

The fth graders of Smedley Elementary School’s Room 207 are the “worst kids of all!” No matter what their sweet and caring teacher Miss Nelson tries, they simply won’t listen. Fed up with their behavior, Miss Nelson leaves her class in the hands of dreaded substitute teacher Miss Viola Swamp, infamous for bringing “woe to those who misbehave.” Terri ed, the kids must work together and with Detective McSmogg to nd their kindhearted teacher and win her back. Tuneful and hilarious, this Imagination Stage original has been a hit at theatres from coast to coast. $12, up. “Miss Nelson Is Missing!” is at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, Maryland, from June 20 to Aug. 10. www.imaginationstage.org ◆

The District Vet Cicada

by Dan Teich, DVM

Three years ago, the Northeast experienced trillions of cicadas emerging from the ground. In suburban and wooded areas, the ground was covered in chitinous brown shells, with an incessant siren-like wail in the background. This was Brood X of the 17-year periodic cicada.

Of the 3,000+ known species of cicada, periodic cicadas emerge all at once, every 13 or 17 years, and annual cicadas emerge every year. This year, two large broods will be emerging in the Midwest and Southeast, just missing the District. Your ears will be thankful. Residents of Illinois will have a loud summer.

Before reading further, it is important to note that cicadas, although resembling small ying tanks, are not dangerous. They lack biting mouthparts and do not sting. They are not toxic, although you probably should not eat them. We know your dog will ‒ but no signi cant danger aside from possible intestinal upset. That doesn’t mean your dog should go on the cicada bu et: too many can cause a possible intestinal blockage. Your biggest danger is being hit in the face by an errant cicada on its merry way to a di erent tree.

many blockage.

“sing” a week or so after crawling out of the ground. He climbs up a tree, molts, spread his wings and hardens his shell. By vibrating tymbals ‒ special ridges on his thorax ‒ 300-400 times per second, he can make a loud call audible over great distances. When the sounds of many neighboring cicadas synchronize, the volume can approach 100 decibels and sound like a car alarm. The calls are also used to mark out territory. The boys are not totally to blame for the cacophony: female cicadas can make clicking sounds with their wings to attract a mates. Although lacking chewing mouthparts, adult cicadas feed on trees and shrubs. They pierce the leaf or twig with their mouthparts and ingest a watery uid from the xylem of the plant. Since they feed on a uid, cicadas secrete a watery waste product. Yes, you can get pooped on by a cicada when walking under a tree!

Once the eggs are laid in a small cut on a tree, they hatch into little nymphs in about six weeks. Then they fall to the ground, where they burrow and spend years slowly feeding o the roots of

Even during large brood years, cicadas are not known for causing signi cant damage to trees, shrubs or crops. They will not decimate your garden and should not be sprayed with pesticides. And in the end, they are around only for about four weeks.

You may not realize the impacts that cicadas have on the ecosystem. When they emerge, especially in large numbers, they provide a bountiful feast for birds, reptiles and many small mammals. This in turn allows caterpillars and other small prey to have a reprieve and increase their numbers. Trillions of cicadas leave behind trillions of burrows in the ground. These can serve as homes for other creatures and are important in providing aeration to the soil. And last, in death cicadas add nutrients to the soil as they decompose (gross).

Cicadas are really cool!

and spend years slowly feeding o the roots of trees and shrubs.

turbing your afternoon nap. After a number

ground warms to 64 degrees, cicadas make their way to the surface from subterranean burrows.

living for only four to six weeks. Dur-

Whereas female mosquitoes bite, male cicadas are responsible for most of the noise disturbing your afternoon nap. After a number of years underground, once the ground warms to 64 degrees, cicadas make their way to the surface from subterranean burrows. Emergence occurs over approximately two weeks, with the adult living for only four to six weeks. During this period the cicadas must mature into adults, nd the mate of their dreams and lay their eggs on trees. Then they die.

Be nice to them. They just spent years underground only to be in the sun for about a month.

To woo a female cicada, the male starts to

Dr. Teich is the medical director for District Veterinary Hospitals in Navy Yard, Eastern Market and Brookland.

CROSSWORD

Foods for Thought

by Myles Mellor

Across:

1. Goodfellas actor

6. Blues legend, “Muddy”

12. TV company, part of Disney

15. Maker of sculpture

17. Of the study of cultures

20. Event attended by Cinderella

22. Type of soup

24. Word with green and rings

26. Geological time division

27. Skater Thomas

28. Inventor of the rst passenger elevator

29. Smart of ‘’24’’

30. Waste

33. Portable Indian dwelling

36. Believer, suf x

37. __ Terre, MO.

38. Up the road

40. Experts in warfare tactics

43. Report back to

46. “___, Brute?”

47. Neither’s alternative

48. Prepared the beef in a special pot, perhaps

55. Go downhill fast?

56. Jazz singer Reeves

57. Khloe’s sister

58. Packing

61. “The ___ of Wake eld”

62. Good thing for rock climbers

64. Unsophisticated

65. Covers up

70. Quip

72. British biscuit

73. It’s softer than gypsum

77. Boxing term

80. Out of port

81. Scooby-___ (cartoon dog)

82. Mexican muralist

84. Business degree

87. Perfects the salad perhaps

92. Post delivery, abbr.

93. Budge

94. Manual motoring

95. Used in “keyhole” surgery

100. Obscure

102. Formula 1 champion, Mansell

103. Sun Tzu’s “The Art of ___”

104. Jostle

106. Tough, durable wood

110. Accomplishment

111. Rather

113. It may be on a roll

115. “Yo!”

116. Eaten with onions

118. Dairy product with a strong odor

123. Claudius’s successor

124. Shiftier

125. Plaid fabric

126. Storm heading: Abbr.

127. Dry gulch

128. Domesticated sh

Down:

1. Walked nervously

2. Typo

3. Old-style dictation expert

4. Foreign analyzers

5. School of thought

6. Duck foot shape

7. “Take ___ down memory lane . . .”

8. Notwithstanding, brie y

9. SASE, for one

10. Rich, Spanish

11. “Nova” follower

12. Hematological system

13. Blue grass instruments

14. Patron

16. The fox in Disney’s “The Fox and the Hound”

18. Select group

19. Heeds

21. Financing options

23. Greek cheese

25. Compass direction

31. Polio vaccine developer

32. Started back

34. Job preceder

35. Jazz singer Jones

37. Indian rice dish

39. Salad ingredient

41. Sweetened biscuits

42. Government dot

43. IV amounts

44. Excellent

45. French for law

46. Sicilian peak

49. Midriff

50. Business magazine

51. Olive or castor

52. “Kill Bill” star, Uma

53. Pain in the neck

54. Persian Gulf leader

59. Actress, Longoria

60. Like L.B.J.

63. Cut at an angle

65. Guinness suf x

66. Of cer, abbr.

67. Soprano Ponselle

68. Flat

69. This could __ __ __! (bargain)

71. Era

74. Include

75. Mauna ___

76. Popular Hearst mag

77. Humble oneself

78. Jacket type

79. Lacto-___-vegetarian

83. Pro t

84. Yours truly, facetiously

85. Storage receptacle

86. High school subj.

88. Elder

89. Frank admissions

90. Bill Clinton’s birthplace

91. Wit Bombeck

95. Be situated

96. Desert plants

97. Fizzles (out)

98. Big name in vaccines

99. Black Sea neighbor

100. Lively dance

101. Decorative pitcher

102. Patriot’s org.

105. Stroke over par

107. Scarlett’s love

108. France’s equivalent to an Oscar

109. African carnivore

112. Black Diamond need

114. Halloween mo.

117. Line

119. Kiev is its cap.

120. Southern vacation spot

121. Tam or beret

122. Afore

PET PHOTO

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Georgiana Barnes arrived in Washington at the dawn of the Great Depression in search of education and jobs. She finished high school, married and in 1933 moved to Capitol Hill, starting a family and working nights cleaning offices in the House of Representatives. Completing the dream of education and jobs that brought her to Washington, Georgiana went on to supervise the 300-person cleaning staff who worked in the House office buildings. Read Georgiana’s oral history at CapitolHillHistory.org. Help preserve Capitol Hill history by becoming a volunteer.

Photo by Lis Wackman

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