Hill Rag Magazine – October 2023

You did a fantastic job and treated us like family. We really appreciated it!

Selling the Hill... A Way of Life for The Generations

Seriously your help getting the property ready was above and beyond any of our expectations. one could have done

us.

rent the other 3!

Listing Agents: Don Denton (202)256-1353 & Topher Cushman(202)327-4682 Active - $1,999,000

TIME TO SELL

Listing Agents: Don Denton (202)256-1353 & Topher Cushman (202)327-4682

1013 I Street SE Unmatched Historic Gem

Listing Agents: Don Denton (202)256-1353 & Sam Pastore (202)441-9823 SOLD - $1,535,000

did a fantastic job and us like family. We really appreciated it!

1417 A Street NE Coveted Carbarn Condo

Agent: Don Denton (202)256-1353

- $785,000

If you are a prospective seller and plan to sell in the next two weeks or the next two years, it is time to sit down and map out your sales strategy. What is the local market looking for. Staging? Absolutely. Today it makes all the difference. It is a big mistake to put your property on the market empty or with your own old comfortable furniture! A little market fluff? Essential! $15,000 to freshen up the look! Will make all the difference. I can make the process easy, painless and affordable.

Seriously your help getting the property ready was above and any of our expectations. could have done more

1225 C Street SE

Selling Agent: Don Denton (202)256-1353 SOLD - $800,000

- $432,000 648 Mass Ave NE

902 South Carolina Ave Listing Agent: Don Denton (202)256-1353

11 4th Street SE

The General’s House Listing Agent: Don Denton (202)256-1353

946 14th Street SE Sweet front porch for rockin the evenings away!

n

34] The Fourth Wall: A Curated Selection of Theater in the DMV by Matthew McClure

38] Art and the City by Phil Hutinet

40] Capitol Cuisine by Celeste McCall

44] The Literary Hill by Michelle LaFrance

45] Poetic Hill: Michael Gushue by Sandra Beasley

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A TS R Autumn

SPECIAL ISSUE

“As You Like It” at STC

It’s the 1960s and flower power, peace, and love are in the air. The free-spirited Rosalind is exiled from court and escapes to an alternative community, where everything is possible. Mistaken identities and mixed signals come together, melding the Bard’s verse with the beloved music of The Beatles. This tuneful take on Shakespeare’s romantic classic will be perfect for the holiday season, reminding us that in times of trouble, all you need is love. Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Harmon Hall from Dec. 2 to 31. Shakespearetheatre.org.

What’s on Washington

The Aizuri Quartet at St. Marks

On Sunday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m., the award-winning Aizuri Quartet collaborates with Chiarina this fall. Known for “captivating” performances that draw from a meld of intellect, technique and emotions, the quartet presents chamber works of Béla Bartók and Johannes Brahms whose ideas of depth, detail, and extreme mirror the vibrant Japanese art style for which the quartet is named. A song transcription for quartet helps turn a page in the romantic story of Clara Schumann, Chiarina’s namesake. St. Mark’s is at 301 A St. SE. Tickets are $30; 18 and under, free. chiarina.org.

Dorothea Lange: Seeing People at the NGA

During her long, prolific, and groundbreaking career, the American photographer Dorothea Lange made some of the most iconic portraits of the 20th century. This exhibit reframes Lange’s work through the lens of portraiture, highlighting her unique ability to discover and reveal the character and resilience of those she photographed. Featuring some 100 photographs, the exhibition addresses her innovative approaches to picturing people, emphasizing her work on social issues including economic disparity, migration, poverty, and racism. National Gallery of Art’s West Building from Nov. 5 to March 31, 2024. nga.gov.

Dorothea Lange Displaced Tenant Farmers, Goodlett, Hardeman County, Texas, July 1937, printed 1950s gelatin silver print image: 19 x 24 cm (7 1/2 x 9 7/16 in.) National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Daniel Greenberg and Susan Steinhause.

The Cast of As You Like It at Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival.

Capital City Symphony: Our Journey Begins City Symphony: Our Journey

Capital City Symphony’s season begins on Sunday, October 15 at 5 p.m., at the Atlas, with the powerful and emotional Concert Overture No. 1 in E minor by groundbreaking 19th-century composer, Louise Farrenc, launching their adventures into places known and unknown. “Drama is at the center of this overture with silent bars adding to the tension. A triumphant ending brings together all the melodic fragments, which creates a truly electrifying atmosphere.” $35. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org.

Washington National Opera’s “Grounded” at the KC

Jess is an accomplished F-16 fighter pilot—until pregnancy grounds her to the “chair force” to target enemies via drones from a trailer in Las Vegas. This new arrangement seems ideal at first: by day, Jess uses her elite training to protect and serve America, and by night, she returns to her family. Ultimately, we see that protecting Jess from physical danger does little to shield her from the psychological trauma of war-by-proxy. This world premiere by Jeanine Tesori is based on the award-winning play by George Brant and co-produced with the Metropolitan Opera. $45 to $269. “Grounded” is at the Kennedy Center Opera House from Oct. 28 to Nov. 13. kennedy-center.org.

Native Art Market at the American Indian Museum

On Saturday, Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, award-winning and innovative Indigenous artists from the Western Hemisphere are presented in the annual Native Art Market at the American Indian Museum, Fourth and Independence SW. The weekend event offers visitors a unique opportunity to purchase traditional and contemporary handcrafted artworks— including beadwork, jewelry, paintings, photography, pottery, and sculpture. Meet Native artists and learn about traditional arts and contemporary Native creativity. americanindian.si.edu.

“Winyan Wánakikśin” (Women Defenders of Others) buffalo horn belt, 2018. Made by Kevin Pourier (Oglala Lakota, b. 1958) and Valerie Pourier (Ogala Lakota, b. 1959). Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota. 27/215.

“POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive” at Arena

When the Commander-in-Chief publicly calls his wife a “See You Next Tuesday,” all H-E-Double Hockey Sticks breaks loose. In this searingly funny Broadway hit, POTUS follows how seven women of dramatically different backgrounds minimize the damage done by male arrogance and political posturing, in an endearing homage to the women who keep things running behind the scenes. This quintessentially-DC story is brought to life on Arena’s Fichandler Stage, from Oct. 13 to Nov. 12, by an all-star cast comprised of many DC-based favorites. $56 to $95. arenastage.org.

gOD-Talk: A Black Millennials and Faith Conversation at NMAAHC

The documentary gOD-Talk is a series of conversations on film aimed at uncovering how Black millennials interact with religion and the transformative nature of community, the internet, and space. The rise of the “spiritual but not religious” designation has led to a decline of millennial participation in mainstream religious traditions with many questioning the relevance, mission, and overall purpose of organized religion in the 21st century. gOD-Talk is a groundbreaking project led by the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life in association with the Pew Research Center. gOD-Talk will be screened on Oct. 23, 7 to 9:30 p.m.; and Oct. 25, 26 and 29, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Free but registration required. nmaahc.si.edu.

Darlingside at The Howard

Comprised of Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji, Harris Paseltiner and David Senft, four likeminded multiinstrumentalists who first met at Williams College in 2009, Darlingside’s career has been defined by the elegance of their compositions and the unity of their four voices. Becoming beautifully unindividualized has, in other words, worked very well for Darlingside. They have, over the years, experimented with all manners of idiosyncratic methods for elevating and upholding a truly democratic process of songwriting—processes that include multiple rounds of group writing and recording exercises— all with the aim of escaping the trap that bands with multiple songwriters often fall into: ego-driven infighting and artistic incoherence. Darlingside is at the Howard Theater, 620 T St. NW, on Thursday, Nov. 30, 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.). $20 to $40. thehowardtheatre.com.

Mosaic Theater’s “Confederates” at the Atlas Sara is an enslaved rebel turned Union spy. Sandra is a tenured professor at a modern-day university. Despite living 160 years apart, their parallel struggles unite them across time. Celebrated American playwright, MacArthur Fellow, and two-time Tony Award nominee Dominique Morisseau (Ain’t Too Proud, Skeleton Crew) forges into brand new modes of storytelling in this breathtakingly fierce examination of history, race, and the women who stand on the frontlines of freedom, no matter the cost. Tickets are $42 to 70. “Confederates” is at the Atlas, 1333 H St. NE, from Oct. 26 to Nov. 19. atlasarts.org.

Two-time Tony Nominee “Confederates” playwright Dominique Morisseau.

Contrastock (all-day contra dancing event)

On Sunday, Oct. 15, 1 to 10 p.m., the Folklore Society of Greater Washington invites you to enjoy eight hours (there’s a dinner break) of contra dancing in the Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park, 7300 Macarthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD. The bands are Kingfisher (Jeff Kaufman on keyboard, mandolin, drums, etc, and Cecilia Vacanti on fiddle); Live Wire (Tom Krumm on fiddle, Bill Quern on mandolin, banjo, melodeon, Ben Kennedy on keyboards, and Sarah Gowan on guitar); and Elke Baker (fiddle) and Larry Unger (guitar). The callers are Diane Silver, Bob Isaacs, and Janine Smith. General admission for the day is $45; student/youth, $25. fsgw.org.

Captured on April 25, 2015, the day of a major peace rally and later uprisings in Baltimore, Maryland following the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray. Gray died from spinal cord injuries sustained while in police custody.

Photo: Damu Malik

Moses at Theater J

How do you start over after everything you know has been erased?

Michele Lowe’s Moses follows one man’s epic journey as he searches for forgiveness, a long-lost dream, and himself. A Theater J Vradenburg New Jewish Play Prize finalist, Moses is a world premiere about faith, love, and going it alone. It is directed by Theater J Associate Artistic Director, Johanna Gruenhut. $49.99 to $90.99. Moses is at Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW, Dec. 1 to 24. theaterj.org.

Annapolis First Sundays Arts Festival

The last of this season’s Annapolis First Sundays Arts Festivals is on Sunday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thousands of visitors will enjoy shopping during this special Holiday Market along West Street in downtown historic Annapolis. The market features wood carving, paintings, metalwork, watercolors, jewelry, glass, textiles, soaps and more. Here’s the music lineup: the Groove Spot Band, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Johnson Male Chorus, 1:45 to 2:15 p.m.; Troll Tribe, 2:30 to 5 p.m.; and in the People’s Park, noon to 5 p.m. Priddy Music Academy, Naptown Sings. innerweststreetannapolis. com/first-sunday-arts-festivals.

Screaming Females at Songbyrd

“There’s this cool unsaid group consciousness that comes together where everyone decides, this is the right way to go.” Now a band for half the lifetime of its members, Screaming Females have long been pounding out their own path. Formed in 2005 in New Brunswick, NJ, the trio has consistently created a hearty, surprising mix of indie-, alt-, punkand stoner-rock. Songbyrd Music House, 540 Penn St. NE, on Saturday, Dec. 16 (new date), 8 to 11, p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.). Admission is $18 to $22. songbyrddc.com.

A Musical Conversation with Valerie June, Rachael Davis, Thao, & Yasmin Williams

On Nov. 15, 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), have a musical conversation at Sixth & I, 600 I St. NW, with Valerie June, Rachael Davis, Thao and Yasmin Williams. Inspired to hit the road together following their exhilarating performance at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, the collective weave interactive conversation segments with songs in a Nashville-style round. This powerhouse collective of women from uniquely different backgrounds, ages, and views share united auras of sound and music. $39.50 in advance; $45, day of; and $164.50 with meet and greet. sixthandi.org.

Both Sides Now: Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen at Signature

The cabaret featuring Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz returns for encore performances at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, on Dec. 5 to 17. Celebrate longtime friends and one-time lovers Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen’s mutual influence on each other’s work with some of their beloved chart-toppers including “Case of You,” “Hallelujah,” “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Suzanne,” and many other unforgettable tunes that defined a generation. sigtheatre.org.

Valerie June, Rachael Davis, Thao and Yasmin Williams.

Photo: Andrew Rogers

Photo: Krista Schlueter

Kill the Ripper (A Feminist Victorian Revenge Play)

It’s Victorian England and Jack the Ripper is on the loose. The police have very few leads as to the identity of this serial killer with a penchant for prostitutes. So what are three savvy ladies-of-the-night to do? Step one: Learn to fight. Step two: Take down Jack the Ripper themselves! This is revisionist history at its best: told through a feminist lens and with plenty of action. This sexy, silly, and touching play will leave you feeling empowered and ready to take on the world. Tickets start at $5. We Happy Few’s Kill the Ripper is on stage at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE, from Oct. 25 to Nov. 18. wehappyfewdc.com/killtheripper.

Kishi Bashi Presents His Song Film: Omoiyari at the Lincoln

The event, on Saturday, Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW, will be the screening of the documentary film, Omoiyari, followed by a conversation and live set by Kishi Bashi performing the album in its entirety accompanied with a string quartet. He released his album “Omoiyari” (a Japanese word for the idea of creating compassion toward other people by thinking about them) in 2019, in support of his feature length documentary “Omoiyari: A songfilm by Kishi Bashi” which explores minority identity and the Incarceration of Japanese Americans in WWII. $45 to $55. Thelincolndc.com.

IN Series: The Promised End

This extraordinary theater-music experience that has defined a new era for IN Series returns to the stage as part of District-wide SHAKESPEARE EVERYWHERE Festival. This original and unlikely piece brilliantly weaves together the entirety of Giuseppe Verdi’s shattering REQUIEM, performed by eight exceptional vocal artists in a version that allows audiences to hear this music as if for the first time, and a onewoman monodrama depicting the composer Verdi, the play “King Lear,” and aged King Lear himself. The text is formed by Artistic Director Timothy Nelson from an essay by renowned Shakespeare scholar Marjorie Garber. Nanna Ingvarsson returns to reprise her shattering interpretation of the role. Don’t miss this second chance to see a modern masterpiece resurrected. $20 to $68. The Promised End is at Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW, from Nov. 18 to Dec. 10. inseries.org.

DMV Black Comedy Homecoming (Because They’re Funny)

On Sunday, Oct. 8, 8:30 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), enjoy a night of celebration and laughter as The Anthem reunites top standup comics from the DC area. Performances by Tommy Davidson, Donnell Rawlings, Tony Woods, Red Grant, Pierre, and Joe Clair. Hosted by Yvonne Orji. $39.50 to $249.50. The Anthem is at 901 Wharf St. SW. theanthemdc.com.

Photo: Renee Levasseur

“Public Obscenities” at Woolly (SNAPSHOT: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT DEVELOPS)

When Choton returns to Kolkata on a research trip with his Black American boyfriend Raheem, his grandfather’s photograph stares down at him from the walls of his family home. Choton loves being the translator, toggling nimbly between Bangla and English, interviewing queer locals, showing Raheem his world. But through the lens of Choton’s grandfather’s old camera, Raheem begins to notice things Choton can’t. Peer into this bilingual play from visionary writer-director Shayok Misha Chowdhury about the things we see, the things we miss, and the things that turn us on. $25 to $85. Public Obscenities is at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW, from Nov. 13 to Dec. 23. woollymammoth.net.

Public Obscenities at Soho Rep Production.

LOVELOUD Festival at The Anthem

Founded in 2017 by Dan Reynolds, LOVELOUD is a catalyst to bring communities and families together to help ignite the vital conversation about what it means to unconditionally love our LGBTQ+ friends and family. LOVELOUD offers hope to people, letting them know they’re not alone and encouraging acceptance in the home and community. LOVELOUD is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that produces a yearly charity concert that brings together a variety of communities through the power of music and the sharing of stories. $49 to 80. This year’s DC concert, featuring Lindsey Stirling, Victoria Monet, David Archuleta, Allison Russell, Dan Reynolds and Tyler Glenn, is on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m. (doors at 5 p.m.). at The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. theanthemdc.com.

Middleburg Film Festival

The Middleburg Film Festival, Oct. 19 to 22, offers four days of films in a spectacular setting, one hour from Washington, DC. A carefully curated selection of narrative and documentary films screen in intimate theatre environments, followed by conversations with world-renowned filmmakers, actors, and other special guests. The films include festival favorites, world and regional premieres, first-class foreign films, and Oscar contenders. Other special events include conversations with filmmakers and actors in intimate settings, master classes, concerts featuring the work of renowned composers and songwriters, tastings at local wineries and breweries, and great parties. middleburgfilm.org.

Quilan Arnold, Lauren DeVera and Malcolm Shute at Dance Place

On Saturday, Nov. 18, 7 to 9 p.m., These Beating Hearts: Dances for our Ancestors presents contemporary dances by Quilan Arnold, Lauren DeVera, and Malcolm Shute. Each artist has a debt to their ancestors to reflect on. For Arnold, it’s understanding his grandfathers’ fight to be fully recognized by leadership within the US marines. DeVera underscores topics of family and intergenerational trauma in her work. For Shute, it’s the way his father continues to contribute to his life after passing. Shute’s “Rain on Window” depicts times in our lives when we hit a wall, as in times of grief. $10 to $30. Dance Place is at 3225 Eighth St. NE. danceplace.org.

Photo: Julieta Cervantes

Photo: Maria J. Hackett.

S AV E T H E DAT E

Sing Out: GMCW Piano Bar and Open Mic Nights

Sing Out: A Piano Bar and Open Mic with Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington is on Wednesdays, Oct. 18, Nov. 8, and Dec. 13; 7:30 to 11 p.m. (Singing starts at 8 p.m.), at the Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. Come out to sing with live piano accompaniment in the Atlas lobby or just enjoy the music. Broadway showtunes, jazz standards, pop arrangements, whatever you like. Just bring sheet music for their accompanist, sign up with the host, and have a great time. A few boxes of sheet music will be available for anyone to use as well. Free admission. atlasarts.org.

“An Irish Carol” at Keegan

Simone Leigh at the Hirshhorn

This exhibition, at the Hirshhorn from Nov. 3 to March 3, 2024, surveys approximately twenty years of production in ceramic, bronze, video, and installation and will feature works from Simone Leigh: Sovereignty, the artist’s Venice Biennale presentation, providing audiences the opportunity to experience this landmark installation. Over the past two decades, Leigh has created works of art that situate questions of Black femme subjectivity at the center of contemporary art discourse and explore ideas of race, beauty, and community in visual and material culture. Addressing a wide swath of historical periods, geographies, and traditions, her art references vernacular and hand-made processes from across the African diaspora, as well as forms traditionally associated with African art and architecture. hirshhorn.si.edu.

Simone Leigh’s “Façade”, 2022. Thatch, steel and wood, dimensions variable. “Satellite+, 2022 bronze, 24 feet X 10 feet X 7 feet, 7 inches.

“Swept Away” at Arena

When a violent storm sinks their whaling ship off the coast of New Bedford, Mass., the four survivors face a reckoning: how far will they go to stay alive? And can they live with the consequences? With music and lyrics from The Avett Brothers whose 2004 “Mignonette” was inspired by an 1884 shipwreck and the struggle of four men to survive, Swept Away is an electrifying, soul-stirring new musical exploring how facing tragedy can open the door to forgiveness… if only we’ll let it. Tickets are $66, up. Swept

at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW, from Nov. 25 to Dec. 30. arenastage.org.

An original work by Keegan favorite Matthew J. Keenan, An Irish Carol is an homage to Dickens’ classic told as only the Irish can. This comic and touching play, set in a modern Dublin pub, follows one evening in the life of David, a wealthy pub owner who has lost touch with his own humanity in the interest of self-protection and material success. But on this Christmas Eve—challenged by a voice from the past, provoked by those in the present, and faced with the reality of a lonely future—David’s life may change forever. $55 to $65. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW, from Dec. 2 to 31. keegantheatre.com.

Courtesy of the artist and Matthew Marks Gallery.Photo: Timothy Schenck

Rinaldo Martinez.

Photo: Michael Key

Away is

(l to r) Stark Sands (Big Brother), Wayne Duvall (Captain), John Gallagher, Jr. (Mate), and Adrian Blake Enscoe (Little Brother) in Berkeley Rep’s world premiere production of “Swept Away”, book by John Logan and directed by Michael Mayer. Photo: Kevin Berne/Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Grand Reopening of the National Museum of Women in the Arts

On Saturday, Oct. 21, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., be among the first to explore The Sky’s the Limit exhibition and the remixed collection galleries. Join to celebrate the grand reopening with a day full of art making, interactive fun, performances and spotlight tours of the special exhibitions and newly renovated space. Activities include typewriter poetry by Ars Poetica, flash tattooing by Bibi Abelle and vodka tastings with Republic Restorative. Les the DJ, BOOMscat and Batala Afro Brazilian will perform. Free but reservations are required. The National Museum of Women in the Arts is at 1250 New York Ave. NW. nmwa.org.

Folger Theatre’s “The Winter’s Tale”

After its long renovation, on Nov. 3 to Dec. 17, Folger reopens its theatre with the magic and fantastical elements of a fairy tale—Shakespeare’s astonishing romance filled with emotional depth, extreme behavior, complex relationships and a bear in pursuit. The Winter’s Tale presents a rich tapestry of love, strife, hope, human folly and resurrection. Relaxed performances on Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 29, 2 p.m., are designed to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for audiences with autism, sensory sensitivities, social, learning, and cognitive disabilities. Open-captioned performances are Dec. 3, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Folger Shakespeare Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. folger.edu.

The Phillips Collection’s 2023-2024 Concert Season

The Phillips Collection marks its 83rd season of celebrated concerts with a line-up of critically acclaimed artists as well as partnerships with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Howard University, and the USC Thornton School of Music. Phillips Music connects audiences with artists celebrated worldwide, presenting a diverse range of styles, world premieres, and new collaborations. The upcoming season will be presented in-person and livestreamed in high-definition video. $45, in person; $15, virtual. The Phillips Collection is at 1600 21st St. NW. phillipscollection.org.

The Allman Betts Family Revival at Capitol One Hall

It’s been seven years since Devon Allman put together a show at the Fillmore in San Francisco to celebrate the life of his father Gregg Allman. What started as one night of the Devon Allman Project featuring Duane Betts along with a bunch of guest artists has turned into a one-night festival visiting 18-20 cities a year. They have programmed an array of guests who will perform two sets—one featuring songs by Gregg Allman and one featuring songs by Dickey Betts. $49.75 to $89.75.

Gregg Allman, 2011

Capitol One Hall at Tysons, VA, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.). allmanbettsfamilyrevival.com.

The season will be presented in-person and livestreamed in high-definition video with pristine sound beginning on Oct. 15 with a solo recital by British pianist Isata KannehMason. Photo: David Venni

LOCAL CALENDAR

Atlas Presents Silent Film Series: Across to Singapore (1928). Oct. 22, 4 p.m. Across to Singapore stars Ramon Novarro, a Mexican American actor promoted by MGM as a “Latin Lover” and sex symbol, although in his time living a closeted, conflicted life as a homosexual. Shown with live musical accompaniment by pianist Andrew Earle Simpson. $25. The Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org.

all the games, so you’re invited to come have some good, old-fashioned fun. Northeast Library is at 330 Seventh St. NE. dclibrary.org.

Carpe Librum Book Sale. Saturdays, Oct. 14, Nov. 11, and Dec. 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the middle block of Canal Park, 200 M St. SE, for an outdoor pop-up, nonprofit used-book sale. Browse through thousands of books all under $6. capitolriverfront.org/canal-park.

Northeast Library’s Garden Concert. Oct. 15, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Baltimore’s Caleb Stine is a singer-songwriter who plays solo and with the Americana-rockers The Brakemen. He has been compared to Townes Van Zant and the Harvest-era Neil Young. The concert takes place in the library’s outdoor garden/ patio area. Light refreshments served. Northeast Library is at 330 7th St. NE. dclibrary.org.

NFL Sundays at Wunder Garten. Sundays, 1 to 11 p.m., through the end of football season. They will be airing two 1 p.m. games; the 4:15 p.m. game; and Sunday Night Football at 8:25 p.m. Beer specials from 1 to 11 p.m. Wunder Garten is at 1101 First St. NW. wundergartendc.com.

NoMa’s Weekly Outdoor Movies. Wednesdays, Oct. 4, La La Land; and Oct. 11, The Greatest Showman. Movies start at about 7 p.m. Alethia Tanner Park, 227 Harry Thomas Way NE. More details at nomabid.org/cinomatic.

Last Drive-In Movie of the Season at Union Market. Oct. 6, 8:30 p.m., Selena. For those on foot, bring your chairs and blankets and set up shop in front of Union Market for picnic-style entertainment at no charge. Cars are $20. unionmarketdc.com.

American Roots Free Outdoor Concert. Shamarr Allen, Oct. 8, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org.

Soul Strolls at Congressional Cemetery. Oct. 20 and 27, 6 to 9:30 p.m.; Oct. 21 and 28, 5 to 9:30 p.m. Discover a selection of tragic tales of Congressional Cemetery’s residents. Learn how they are alive today in our memory. $40 for adults; $15 for kids. Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. congressionalcemetery.org.

Global Sounds on the Hill. Oct. 12, 7 to 9 p.m. Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band in Concert; Nov. 7, 7 to 9 p.m., Rwandan Duo The Good Ones in Concert. $20. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org.

Grown-Up Game Night. Oct. 12, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Come to Northeast Library every second Thursday of the month for Grown-Up Game Night. They have

Chiarina Chamber Players Concert. Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m. The award-winning Aizuri Quartet comes to Chiarina this fall with guest artist Dana Kelley! As Japanese artists used new pigments in woodblock printing, different ideas of depth, distance, and extreme were emerging in the chamber works of Béla Bartók and Johannes Brahms. $30; 18 and under, free. St. Mark’s, 301 A St. SE. chiarina.org.

A Writer’s Craft Featuring Elliot Ackerman: A Literary Hill Salon Hosted by Dr. Michelle LaFrance. Oct. 23, 7 p.m. Award-winning writer, former Marine, and Hill resident, Elliot Ackerman sits down for an in-depth conversation with Dr. Michelle LaFrance, Associate Professor, Rhetoric and Writing, George Mason University and a contributing writer at Hill Rag. $10. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org.

Superfine Art Fair at Union Market. Oct. 26, 6 to 10 p.m.; Oct. 27, 4 to 9 p.m.; Oct. 28, noon to 9 p.m.; and Oct. 29, noon to 6 p.m. Join them for installation art and live mural contests on the patio, DJ sets and live musicians, an off-site dinner party for invited guests + Superfamily members, and a pop-up film series. $22.50 to $135. unionmarketdc.com. u

SW Library Book Sale. Oct. 7, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Oct. 8, 1 to 3 p.m. Find great deals on books and more while supporting the library at the Friends of Southwest Library book sale. SW Library is at 900 Wesley Pl. SW. dclibrary.org.

Brought to You by Schneider's of Capitol Hill

THE FOURTH WALL

A curated selection of theater in the DMV

by Matthew McClure

The moment we step out our front doors, we take on identities that perpetually transform based on where we work, play and relax and in October, everyone gets to have fun with this idea by playing dress-up to celebrate the season of spookiness. As the weather starts to get a little chillier and the foliage turns, this month’s Fourth Wall column looks to theater that examines the concepts of altered identity and costume. Read on for our curated selection.

On Right Now

Espejos: Clean,Studio Theatre

Showing 13 Sep – 22 Oct

www.studiotheatre.org

In the immaculately turned down suites and on the pristine white beaches of a luxury resort in Cancún, a storm is brewing. Studio Theatre opens its new season with the rich and imminently topical Espejos: Clean, adapted and translated by Paula Zelaya-Cervantes from Christine Quintana’s original work.

Director Elena Araoz’ rendition of Quintana’s play is beautifully minimal. We are introduced to Adriana, a Mexican hotel manager from Chetumal who left an abusive father at 19 and Sarah, a Canadian hotel guest attending the wedding of her sister while carrying a dark secret. As both women navigate the emotional and physical pitfalls of family, inherited trauma and inti-

ABOVE: Lauren Karaman and Legna Cedillo. LEFT: Lauren Karaman. Photos: Margot Schulman

macy against the backdrop of hotel cleaning and wedding preparations, a tropical downpour becomes the catalyst for an unexpected meeting.

Araoz has deftly choreographed a synchronised series of interactions between Legna Cedillo (Adriana) and Lauren Karaman (Sarah) on a pared-back set that heightens the raw emotion and eloquent dialogue. “In this play, we get to see the inner workings of someone’s brain while they’re at work, and to see the labor it takes to be able to be OK in society when things might be falling apart at home,” says Araoz. The play is fully bilingual, with Adriana and Sarah speaking in Spanish and English respectively and subtitles being used throughout the performance.

Costume is an important storytelling device in Espejos: Clean. Adriana and Sarah alternate between outfits that mirror the psychological conflicts each of them is mediating. Adriana’s starched, navy blue uniform acts as a layer of protection. It is the armor that keeps emotion at arm’s length. Sarah, on the other hand, wears her rebelliousness—and her beachwear—for much the same reasons. “Adriana moves through her pain by immersing herself in a life of routine and structure,” Cedillo relates. “That regiment of repetition is important to her, and she’s made this resort a safe space for herself.”

Karaman’s Sarah, on the other hand, is a beautiful disaster. “It’s looking at how do we live with these traumas that have happened to us, and then invite the people that we love and care about into our healing process,” Karaman says. “It’s messy and it’s scary. Sarah deals with the pain by making light of it.”

On the surface, the class con-

flict highlighted by Espejos: Clean is obvious, but it’s also a deeply relevant American tale of femininity, responsibility, and pain, as Araoz points out. “You can’t help but notice that this is also a conversation about America. Where do we stand in terms of women in the workplace and our understanding of how we help women in trauma. I hope the audience leaves thinking ‘Am I making a mess, or am I cleaning it up?’”

Scene Stealer

In the first half of the play Sarah wades into the warm sea, allowing the salty water to penetrate a raw wound on her knee. In surrendering herself to the pain, the audience is made privy to a powerfully intimate moment that provides critical insight into the character and her subsequent motivations. It’s potent playacting at its best.

In The Spotlight

The

Chameleon,TheaterJ

Showing 11 Oct – 5 Nov

www.theaterj.org

Riz Golden-Kruger has perfected the art of blending in. A descendent of Ashkenazi Jews from Europe, Riz’

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

FAMILY FUN

Family Day

Sunday, October 1, 2:00pm - 6:00pm

STUDIO ARTS

‘A Very Starry Halloween’ - Children’s Van Gogh Pumpkins (Ages 5-8)

Saturday, October 21, 1:30pm - 3:00pm

Local Makers Workshop: Needle Felted

Pumpkin Workshop w/ Rock Paper Plant

Sunday, October 22, 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Introduction to Linocut Printmaking

Workshop

Saturday, October 28, 2:30pm - 5:00pm

Local Makers Workshop: Soy Candle

Making w/Defined Elegance Candle Co.

Sunday, October 29, 2:00pm - 4:00pm

CONCERTS

American Roots: Shamarr Allen

Sunday, October 8, 4:30pm-6:30pm

Global Sounds on the Hill: Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band in Concert

Thursday, October 12, 7:00pm-9:00pm

House Concerts at Hill Center: Ft. Synae

Sunday, October 22, 4:30pm-5:30pm

COOKING CLASSES & TASTINGS

Master Chef: Essential Fall Baking

Featuring Award-Winning Pastry

Chef Lisa Ruland

Saturday, October 7, 11:00am-2:00pm

Congo Cravings: Chicken Mwamba, Sweet Plantains, & Fufu

Thursday, October 12, 6:00pm-8:30pm

Family Style: Chen ou Jen, the National Dish of Senegal, with Marianne Tshihamba

Saturday, October 14, 11:00am-2:00pm

Pera Eats: Live Fire GrillingAuthentic Kurdish Kebabs

Saturday, October 14, 11:00am-2:00pm

Kitchen 101: Knife Skills

Sunday, October 15, 6:00pm-7:30pm

Easy Vegetarian Indian Cooking: Creating Quick Curries

Thursday, October 26, 6:00pm-8:00pm

LECTURES & CONVERSATIONS

Mapping Segregation: A Walking Tour of DC

Saturday, October 14, 10:30am

Australian Literary Legend Helen Garner Discusses her Life & Work in Conversation with Publishing Giant Lisa Lucas

Sunday, October 15, 4:30pm-5:30pm

A Writer’s Craft Featuring Wlliot

Ackerman: A Literary Hill Salon

hosted by Dr. Michelle LaFrance

Monday, October 23, 7:00pm

LOOKING AHEAD

Pottery on the Hill

Friday, November 17 - Sunday, November 19

ONGOING PROGRAMS

Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP)

Basic Drawing Techniques

Busy Bees: Music & Art Playgroup

Contemporary Watercolors

French Courses: Various Levels

District Flow Yoga

Frontlines: Infant and Child CPR

Gottaswing

Meditation in Capitol Hill

Mr. Mike’s Music Together

Opera Starts with Oh! - Opera Lafayette *

Piano Lessons with Gordon Tenney

Profs & Pints DC*

Shakespeare Theatre Company*

Spanish Courses: Various Levels

Studio One Dance*

Super Soccer Stars

Tai Chi Chuan

Tippi Toes Dance

Warrior Fusion Karate

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

perfectly groomed exterior is a meticulously constructed costume designed to dissociate her future career as an actor from her boisterous Jewish family. But it’s all about to come crashing down. “This play is about the ways in which we show up in the world, and how we choose to present, the idea of who we really are versus who we want the world to see us as,” says Jenny Rachel Weiner, award-winning playwright and creative genius behind The Chameleon.

Weiner’s play, the first production in what promises to be a stellar 2023/2024 season for Theater J, is a deeply personal examination of what it means to be Jewish in a world that’s increasingly hostile to minorities. The story is told through the eyes of Riz who, in the opening scene, has just discovered she’s gotten the leading part in a new superhero franchise titled The Chameleon. Dina Thomas plays Riz, who must delicately negotiate her family dynamic while receiving devastating news that threatens her newfound success.

Weiner’s intention is for the audience to reflect on what it means to consciously change your identity in different contexts, much like the titular superhero in her play. “When Eastern European Jews came to this country, the only way to survive was to assimilate, and that was both a blessing and a curse. So many actors feel the need to somehow become a little bit more of a blank canvas, or not identifiably Jewish, so what are the implications of that? I wanted to explore this idea of Riz feeling like she needed to fit some sort of mold.”

While the play dissects topical issues like cultural assimilation, family politics and authenticity, it’s all through the lens of Weiner’s characteristically bold, comedic, and theatrical writing, which brings

some levity and irreverence to these weighty themes.

Scene Stealer

We can all relate to feeling like you’re on top of the world and then having the rug pulled out from under you. Watch this play to see Riz dealing with this rollercoaster of emotion. “That moment of being exalted, and then that fall, I think audiences will find it thrilling and funny and heartbreaking. That’s what sets the play in motion,” says Weiner.

Special Mentions

Mrs Doubtfire

The New Musical Comedy, The National Theatre

Showing 10 Oct–15 Oct

broadwayathenational.com

Who can forget the late Robin Williams’ iconic portrayal of British nanny Mrs. Doubtfire in the 90s classic film of the same name? For a limited run at The National Theatre, Rob McClure dons a dress, housecoat and feather duster to take on his Tony Award-winning role alongside a stellar cast. Don’t miss this dose of good old-fashioned nostalgia.

Sister Act, Toby’s DinnerTheatre Showing until 5 Nov

tobysdinnertheatre.com

In keeping with the theme of 90s cinematic icons, Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Maryland, is staging a rendition of Emile Ardolino’s 1992 classic box office smash Sister Act. See it for Alan Menken’s joyously uplifting musical stylings and to take a break from all things serious. u

ART and the CITY

by Phil Hutinet

Experience the evolution of artist Jacob Kainen’s work at HEMPHILL Gallery’s retrospective exhibition, spanning 1951-1988. Hill Center Galleries showcases 11 local artists in their 2023 Fall Solo Exhibitions, and Luis Pazo’s PFA Washington DC debuts with inaugural exhibition “Epicenter”.

HEMPHILL

Jacob Kainen

Through October 28

www.hemphillfinearts.com

HEMPHILL Gallery unveils a major exhibition of artist Jacob Kainen’s work which premiered September 16. This highly anticipated event will remain a captivating fixture at the downtown DC gallery through October 28. The exhibition offers a retrospective voyage through Jacob Kainen’s remarkable artistic odyssey spanning the years 1951-1988, complemented by a carefully curated selection of works on paper from 1950-1970.

Jacob Kainen, born in 1909 in Waterbury, CT, embarked on his artistic journey under the tutelage of the Art Students League and further honed his craft through participation in the WPA Graphic Arts program during the 1930s. His early oeuvre, steeped in the ethos of social realism, poignantly captured the turbulent era of the Great Depression and World War II. However, Kainen’s relocation from New York to Washington in 1942 marked a transformative juncture in his career, heralding the embrace of organic abstraction and the development of a distinctive spatial, gestural painting style that ingeniously incorporated everyday objects, rendering them enigmatic through abstraction.

The exhibition commences with a selection of paintings from 1951 and 1953, accompanied by a series of paintings on paper that illuminate the

rapid evolution of Kainen’s innovative abstract style. Notably the masterpiece “Mr. Kafka” (1970) draws its creative impulse from suspended clothing, crafting a compelling representation of the human form. This composition became a recurring motif, revisited by Kainen in various sketches and etchings. Throughout the ensuing decades, particularly the 1970s and 1980s, Kainen navigated between periods of lyrical and geometric abstraction, employing meticulous layering techniques to craft compositions that evoke ethereal, floating elements.

Jacob Kainen’s current exhibition is the seventh solo exhibition of the artist’s work at HEMPHILL Artworks since 1997. Kainen’s illustrious career achieved well-deserved recognition with a retrospective exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 1993. His artistic legacy resides in the prestigious collections of institutions such as the National Gallery of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Yale University Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others. Hemphill is located at 434 K Street NW, Washington, DC. Tuesday-Saturday, 12-5 p.m. 202-234-5601.

Hill Center Galleries

2023 Fall Solo Exhibitions

Through January 7, 2024 Hillcenterdc.org

Hill Center Galleries presents its annual 2023 Fall Solo Exhibitions featuring the exceptional works of 11 local artists including Suzi Balamaci, Alan Braley, Barbara Brennan, Paula Cleggett, Jeffrey FeltenGreen, Scot McKenzie, Isabella Merlos, Terence Nicholson, Rindy OBrien, Felicia Reed, and Nazanin Sadri. This diverse lineup promises a captivating blend of artistic expressions that will be available both online and in-person from Septem-

Jacob Kainen, “The Absent One”, 1972, oil on linen, 48 x 60 inches. Image courtesy Hemphill Fine Arts.

Scot McKenzie “Desert Mystery”

ber 11th, 2023, until January 7th, 2024.

Alan Braley’s art invites viewers to lose themselves in a world where color and space intertwine, evoking dreamlike memories. Scot McKenzie, inspired by nature and surrealism, crafts metal sculptures that challenge our perception of reality. Barbara Brennan transforms vintage postcards into timeless pieces of art, while Paula Cleggett’s narratives on canvas o er compelling stories with vivid characters and palettes.

Isabella Merlos delves into therapeutic and intricate creations that foster empathy, while Suzi Balamaci explores the moments she missed becoming a part of the world. Je rey Felten-Green’s art ranges from satirical to serious, re ecting in uences and muses. Terence Nicholson embraces Taoist thought’s “emptiness” in his art, while Felicia Reed’s “Healing Wraps” blend traditional techniques with positive energy.

Rindy OBrien’s rich textures and colors invite viewers to step into her artworks, and Nazanin Sadri’s powerful message against discrimination and gender-based dress codes adds a thought-provoking dimension to the exhibition. Hill Center Galleries’ Fall Solo Exhibitions promise a journey through diverse artistic visions and narratives, inviting visitors to explore, re ect, and appreciate the creative talents of these local artists.

921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, DC. Monday–Thursday: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. | Friday: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. | Saturday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Sunday: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 202-549-4172

PFA Washington DC “Epicenter”

Through November 2

pazofineart.com

Luis Pazo is set to open PFA Washington DC, a new art gallery just o U Street Northwest.

Located in a brand new building set among older brick row houses, the setting captures the essence of visual art’s evolution in a city steeped in both rich heritage and constant change. The inaugural exhibition titled “Epicenter,” showcases the works of Sue Crawford, Elise Ferguson, and Richard Tinkler, o ering a journey into abstract expressionism.

In conversation with Luis Pazo before the inaugural public opening, the gallerist unveiled the serendipitous origin of PFA’s expansion into DC, driven by the opportunity to open a gallery once occupied by Hamiltonian, known as H-Space. Pazo’s aspiration for PFA to become an integral part of DC’s art scene fueled this move and he emphasized the gallery’s goal to contribute to the city’s artistic community.

The gallery’s unique approach combines renowned artists from New York with local DC talents, fostering artistic dialogue and elevating each artist’s signi cance.

The “Epicenter” exhibition introduces artists Elise Ferguson, a Paris-based phenomenon, Sue Crawford, whose talent emerged from a group exhibition at PFA Kensington, and Richard Tinkler, an artist seamlessly straddling abstraction and representation.

Pazo clari es the nomenclature of PFA’s two locations, PFA Kensington and PFA Washington DC, underscoring their shared name and distinct presence in their respective art scenes.

Luis Pazo’s innovative strategy of juxtaposing local and established artists fosters artistic dialogue and promises an enduring impact on contemporary art. 1932 9th Street NW, #C102, (Enter from 9 1/2 Street) Washington, DC. Open by appointment Tuesday through Saturday. 571-315-5279

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

Installation view, “Epicenter”.

Photograph by Vivian Marie Doering. Courtesy Pazo Fine Art.

CAPITOL CUISINE

by Celeste McCall

Like the universe, Capitol Hill is ever expanding. Last month, the fourth Sala Thai restaurant opened at 1901 C St. SE, in the Park Kennedy mixed development complex. You’ll find the zesty newcomer between the Stadium/Armory Metro stop and Congressional Cemetery. So far, business is brisk, thanks to neighborhood residents.

Sala Thai’s décor can be described as sleek, with bright lighting and a long, handsome bar in front. Thanks to the large TV, the venue is ideal for football viewing. (However, we opted for a table near the window.) A huge blue elephant mural adorns one wall, with a colorful tree motif nearby. The menu offers an extensive sushi lineup, as well as a selection of popular Thai dishes. The menu will expand eventually, we were told.

Peter chose Pad Thai, the mélange of rice

noodles, scallions, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts and a trio of plump, perfectly cooked jumbo shrimp. The tangy peanut sauce was well balanced–sweet and slightly spicy.

Paired with golden crispy fried chicken strips, my green curry spiced rice–laced with red bell pepper strips–delivered just enough firepower.

Among other creations are “Pinky in the Blanket” (deep-fried shrimp rolls); tom kha kai (chicken/coconut soup spritzed with lime); po tak (mixed seafood in hot and sour lemongrass soup); beef sukiyaki (cellophane noodles stir-fried with “chef’s “special sauce”); several vegetarian and vegan items. There’s a full bar.

The new Park Kennedy development is growing; soon to open next to Sala Thai is Duffy’s Irish pub. Watch for updates.

The Sala Thai Park Kennedy Bar is open daily for lunch and dinner. For exact hours and more information visit www.salathaidc.com.

Sala Thai restaurants, by the way, have been around for 37 years. Founded by Oy Changsila, the original Sala Thai opened October 14, 1987, in Dupont Circle.

Chicken Delight–Korean Style

Our beloved Nats have departed for the season, but the area surrounding Nationals Park is alive and kicking. Peter and I decided to revisit Bonchon Korean BBQ, 1015 Half St. SE, near the Navy Yard. Perched at the

wide comfy bar, we sipped Sauvignon Blanc and a Mimosa. The latter arrived with a Cava (sparkling wine) split. Nice touch. Our friend Katherine sipped green tea.

As we perused the menu, we realized that perhaps the best thing to order here is chicken, presented in myriad yummy forms, especially fried Korean style.

However, I love eight-legged critters, and could not resist the Takoyaki, a beautifully arranged plate of fried octopus dumplings drizzled with Japanese mayo, katsu sauce and showered with bonito flakes. The cephalopods tasted as good as they looked.

The talented kitchen at Sala Thai turns out a delicious rendition of traditional Pad Thai.

Traditional Pad Thai and spicy green curried rice head the comprehensive menu at Sala Thai.

Back to poultry: In lieu of fried drumsticks, I decided on a sharable plate of wings. Anointed with garlic soy sauce (other options were “spicy” or “half-andhalf”) accompanied by coleslaw, the eight wings were crunchy on the outside, moist inside. Delicious, but three-napkin messy. You can also order wing/drumstick combos, fun for a table to

10/5

10/6

10/7

10/12

10/13 - Halley Shoenberg

10/14 - John Lamkin

10/19 - Fran Vielma’s Jazz Orchestra

10/20 - Janer Paulsen

10/21 - Jeff Weintraub

10/22 - Cap Lab Band

10/26 - An evening with Strayhorn

10/27 - Aaron Myers

10/28 - Capitol Hill Jazz Orchestra

share. Other menu options are potstickers, beef (or chicken) bulgogi, sh-and-chips. Sides encompass white rice, fries, kimchi, sesame ginger tofu salad.

Peter chose the Korean standby, bibimbap, long on savory rice but short on chicken, he said. Katherine ordered japchae, silken glass noodles laced with thinly sliced beef and veggies. While tasty, the dish beneted with a splash of soy sauce.

Lunch for three came to $86 before tip. Service was wonderful. Our server/bartender Issa patiently pointed out MSG-free

A colorful tree mural graces a wall at Sala Thai in the mixed-use development Park Kennedy complex.

GUIDED WALKING TOUR

OCTOBER 7 & 8

Themes include “Southeast Alleys”, “Parks:Treasures of Capitol Hill”, “Building Capitol Hill”, and “The Civil War and Before”. Eventbrite link and additional info at chrs.org/walking-tours-fall-2023

REUSE, REPURPOSE, REDISTRIBUTE WITH COMMUNITY FORKLIFT

PRESERVATION CAFE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 6:30 PM

Community Forklift is the Washington, DC-area’s reuse center for building materials and home goods.

Scott Buga, Director of Communications, will discuss their mission to reduce construction waste. He will explain why reuse is important and how to incorporate it into your projects at home. Free and virtual. Info and reservations at chrs.org/community-forklift-pc1023/

items to Katherine, who is allergic to the additive.

The word “bonchon,” by the way, is Korean for “my hometown.” Part of a local restaurant group, Bonchon is open daily for lunch and din-

And…

Soon to arrive on the “Avenue:” Los Toros Tort-Illa Reform, 217 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Look for missionstyle burritos, tacos, salads, guacamole, and nachos. Watch for details.

And...

CONNECT WITH US!

ner; for exact hours and more information visit www.bonchon.com.

Coming soon…

If not already: Chef Paolo Dungca’s highly anticipated Hiraya, 12481250 H St. NE, a two-tier Filipino allday café. Joining Dungca is Juan and Jeremy Canalas. The father-son-duo is also behind Supreme Barbecue in Ivy City and AunTea Boba (various area locations). Hiraya seats 48. Look for Filipino pastries, breakfast sandwiches, lattes made with ube (purple yams), tea from AunTea Boba and silog, the Filipino morning staple made with garlic-fried rice, “runny” eggs and longganisa sausage. Upstairs, seasonal ala carte plates will involve local asparagus, Maryland blue crab, sea grapes (a type of seaweed). The chef will also unveil a $95 tasting menu. For updates and more information visit www.hiradc.com.

Coming soon: Los Caballeros Restaurant, 308 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, where La Lomita Dos used to be. Watch for details.

Literary Feast Returns

It’s back! After a covid-shutdown hiatus, the Literary Feast returns October 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, the fun event consists of dinner parties hosted in Capitol Hill homes. Each repast is themed on a well-known book. Reading the selection is optional (Literary Feast is not a book club). A few days before the feast, the Foundation releases a list of book titles. Participants purchase tickets, select six top book choices, not knowing who is hosting what. Peter and I try to attend every year; previous book themes were “The Other Boleyn Girl” (when Peter dressed like Henry VIII), “Pillars of the Earth,” “Old Man and the Sea.”

Hosting the post-prandial fete is the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. To purchase Literary Feast tickets and more information visit www.capitolhillcommunityfoundation.org. ◆

While Bonchon is known for Korean-style chicken, Takoyaki (octopus dumplings) is an interesting appetizer.

the LITERARY HILL

Celebrating Cooler Days and Fall Reads

As the temperatures dip and the leaves begin to color, what could be better than a good book, a cup of tea, and a cozy sweater? This month’s column highlights three excellent reads by local authors to help you welcome in fall.

The Burning of the World: The Great Chicago Fire and the War forthe City’s Soul,Scott W.Berg

Scott W. Berg’s third nonfiction release is an exhaustively researched story of the Great Fire in Chicago. On October 8, 1871, near 8:30 p.m., the fire began in a neighborhood just southwest of the city center. Berg’s engaging storytelling enables the reader to peer through history, seeing the immigrant shanty town that was the fire’s epicenter, “a terra incognita to respectable Chicagoans,” Berg writes, “a neighborhood ‘thickly studded with onestory frame dwellings, cowstables, pig-sties, corn-cribs, sheds innumerable; every wretched building within four feet of its neighbor, and everything of wood—not a brick or a stone in the whole area.’”

Aided by a stretch of unusually hot and dry weather, winds that carried embers between first houses, then neighborhoods, then across the river, a construction style named “balloon frame building,” which relied on inexpensive pine supports, and an understaffed fire department, the fire

by Michelle LaFrance

burned for two days, jumping the south branch of the Chicago River, and consumed four miles of buildings. When it was over, 300 people were dead and a swath of just under 3.5 miles smoldered in ruins.

Berg’s book stands apart from others on the Great fire for its focus on the aftermath of the two-day conflagration, a glimpse into the contests of wealth, ideology, and urban policy that still—as any of DC’s ANC commissioner will tell you— often shape city planning conversations today. Throughout The Burning of the World, Berg shows us a Chicago that operated outside the norms of national politics, adhering to its own enigmatic rules and dynamics. His meticulous examination of four years of Common Council proceedings showcases the intricacies and complexities of Chicago’s political landscape, offering readers a captivating glimpse into what we now call “disaster capitalism,” borrowing from Naomi Klein. Ultimately, collective efforts to reshape Chicago left an indelible mark on the modern cityscape.

Combining his passion for the Windy City with his fascination for disasters and their aftermaths, Berg crafts a narrative that provokes as much consideration as it does entertain. Berg is also the author of Grand Avenues: The Sto-

ry of Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C. and 38 Nooses: Lincoln, Little Crow, and the Beginning of the Frontier’s End.

For more info about Scot W. Berg: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/57957/scott-w-berg/

DC Scavenger: The Ultimate Search for Washington DC’s Hidden Treasure

JoAnn Hill, a well-known tour guide in Washington, DC and the author of Secret Washington, DC: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, invites readers on an engaging journey through our nation’s capital. “DC Scavenger” isn’t your typical guidebook; it’s an interactive treasure map full of riddles and games— all written by Hill herself, drawing on her many years writing history and directing walking tours in DC–to help you encounter seventeen unique neighborhoods and sites throughout Washington, DC. Decipher the clues and photos curated to reintroduce you to renowned monuments, innovative artworks, celebrations of activism and diversity, historical markers, markets, architectural marvels, beloved businesses, theaters, libraries, museums, and tranquil green spaces that are the city’s treasured gems. For those stymied by any of the cues, do not despair; Hill includes an email address in the introduction should readers need additional clues to solve the riddles.

Photo: Britton Murray

Watching Bees: New and Selected Poems

Michael H. Levin’s latest poetry chapbook, “Watching Bees,” weaves together familial bonds, our intricate relationships with the natural world, and the dark realities of human cruelty and suffering. Opening introspection and enlightenment, the collection elevates each subject explored, inviting readers to consider their own humanity and relationships. Whether inhabiting the persona of a survivor of Mount St. Helen’s eruption (with no hair left on one side of his body) or mourning the death of his border collie, Levin’s range of voices resonates with humility, resilience, and grace. An example is the poem, “Dumbarton Oaks,” where stanzas celebrate the flush of spring:

“This is the sylvan time when finches purple up, curled fiddleheads emerge, and weather bunches and uncoils like racehorse haunches as it nickers through new leaves. When even artifice –that master gardener’s hand – reclines beneath a cloak of flowering vines”

More about Michael H. Levin at: https:// www.michaellevinpoetry.com/

Literary Happenings

Friday, October 6th, 6:30pm, East City Bookshop and the Folger Shakespeare Library are co-hosting a book fair. Literary delights have been inspired by the Folger Theatre’s reopening season, poetry and book groups. Enjoy sips, snacks, poetry reading, and learning more about what the Folger has planned from Folger staff on hand. Attendees can be entered into drawings for Folger tickets, swag, and more.

Also mark your calendars for this month’s Capital Bookfest, a popup bookstore at Wilson Plaza (in front of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.) From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., book lovers can shop a wide range of used books, CDs, DVDs and vinyl (all on sale). Proceeds support Turning the Page, a nonprofit the supports a family approach to education.

Michelle LaFrance is Associate Professor of English at George Mason University. She teaches creative nonfiction, life writing, and civic writing at the Hill Center and can often be found in the company of a cranky chihuahua. She blogs about writing, announces her upcoming classes and events, and offers coaching services at writinglostriver.org. u

POETIC HILL

Michael Gushue

by Sandra Beasley

Michael Gushue is the co-founder of the heteronymic nanopress Poetry Mutual. He co-ran the BAWA reading series, the Capitol Hill reading series, Poetry at the Watergate, and the Vrzhu Bullets of Love blog. His books are Pachinko Mouth, Conrad, Gather Down Women, and, in collaboration with CL Bledsoe, I Never Promised You a Sea Monkey and The Judy Poems. He lives in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

This poem is from Gushue’s new chapbook, Sympathy for the Monster. “All the poems have something to do with movies and film. Some of them are not about a particular movie, but about kinds of films. More are about a specific movie, one that has had a place in my mind and imagination for a long time—which can be as an image or a number of images, or the just the film itself. And, as the title suggests, many are horror films, although it doesn’t have to be a horror movie to have a monster in it.”

TWILIGHT ZONES

The secret of the universe is in a cigar box on a dusty shelf of an abandoned pawnshop.

An alcoholic lawyer, steals it, sells it to a shut-in mogul whose bad heart can only be saved by an ex-surgeon, hands shaking like jumping beans. He prays for a steady knife then drops it, impaling the cabin boy’s foot under

the flaming gaze of the cannibal sailors. Hiding in the crow’s nest, Satan. From his lookout, he watches a drop

of sweat fall onto a worn bench where the washed-up heavyweight struggles in the sauna of his thoughts

towards the love of a convent girl dying of an infected wound on the slopes of Kilimanjaro.

The final twist is me, alone with my robot mom. No one has explained what I was seeking at those altitudes.

Sandra Beasley is the curator of “Poetic Hill,” a resident of Southwest, and the author of four poetry collections. If you live in D.C. and you’re interested in being featured, you can reach her at sandrabeasley@earthlink.net for questions and submissions (1-5 poems). u

Photo: Bruce Guthrie

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?

WHY DO KIDS CARJACK?

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

It was 5:20 in the afternoon on Mon. Aug. 28, 2023, the rst day of school. Parents and children spilled out Maury Elementary School lling the surrounding neighborhood.

A few blocks away on the 300 block of 12th Street NE, a delivery driver pulled up to the curb tailed by a black sedan. That car suddenly pulled around in front of him into an alley. Out jumped several teens. They ran to the delivery vehicle and tried to force the driver out. When he resisted, they beat him.

On the crowded street, the incident did not go unnoticed. A passerby dropkicked the teen punching the driver, subduing him. Another teen grabbed a golf club out of the black sedan and headed towards the melee on the ground. “Look behind you!” yelled a bystander.

The teen on the ground used the distraction to escape, jumping into the black sedan. He and his compatriots then drove o leaving the delivery driver bruised and shaken.

The entire incident was captured on a bystander’s cell phone.

A few days later, the ve teens were apprehended after crashing a stolen black sedan in the wake of another attempted robbery. All ve were between 13 and 16 years of age, and now face multiple charges. One of them, a 13-year-old girl, was charged with four counts.

Youth crime dominates the District news and discussions at the DC Council. Kids are committing carjackings, often armed, sometimes in broad daylight.

A July 2021 study of carjackings from 2016 to 2020 found the average age of individual perpetrators at the time of the o ense to be 23. Most MPD o cers say carjackings are committed by young people aged 20 and younger.

Is youth crime increasing and increasingly violent? Are kids behind the increase in the District’s carjackings? What are their motivations for committing such violent crimes? Let’s begin with an examination of the data.

Youth Crime on The Rise

Public consensus appears to be that youth crime is on the rise. The data, however, presents a murkier picture.

As of late September 2023, violent crime is up 36.4 percent in the District compared to the same time in 2022. In 2023, there were 3,893 violent incidents as opposed to 2,838 in 2022. Robberies, which include carjackings, were up 65 percent. As of Sept. 24, there were 2,532 robberies in the District as opposed to 1,531 at the same point in 2022.

However, since not every crime results in an arrest, it is impossible to know what percentage of robberies were committed by youth.

More youth are being arrested. MPD releases reports every six months. Arrests of youth for crimes increased by 17 percent from January to June 2023 compared to the rst half of 2022. In 2023, there were 992 arrests compared to 847 in 2022.

An increasing percentage of youth arrests are for violent o enses. These arrests, for murder, assault with a deadly weapon, rape and robberies increased by seven percent for the rst half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. In 2023, there were 236 arrests compared to 220 in 2022. Many were for robberies, which includes carjacking.

So, what about carjacking speci cally?

What About Carjackings?

In the District, carjackings have climbed 350 percent since 2019. As of September 2023, there were 706 incidents. However, police made only 102 arrests. Of those, 65 percent were youth. Nothing is known about the perpetrators in the remaining 604 incidents.

In 2022, police made arrests in roughly 25 percent of reported carjackings. 68 percent of those arrested were youth. In 2021, police made arrests in 34.5 percent of reported carjackings. 67 percent of those arrested were youth. So, from 2021 to 2023, youth made up an average of 66.66 percent of those arrested for carjackings.

Kids make up the majority of those caught for carjacking. Does this mean they also commit the majority of such crimes or is there another explanation?

Bad Driving & Bad Judgement

Of the youth arrested for carjacking in 2023 as of Sept. 25, 43 were aged 15 and 16. Kids that old, as police o cers point out, do not know how to drive. This supposition is buttressed by the large number of youth carjackings that end in crashes.

O cers on the street acknowledge that youth are easier to catch than adults. Aside from bad driving, they are often brazen.

“Some of them don’t have the whole criminal mindset; like they’ll do stupid things,” one o cer explained, speaking anonymously, “Like they’ll steal a car around the corner and then stop at a 7-11, say ‘Hey, I want something to drink,’ — [they] stole the car right there.”

So, the high percentage of youth apprehended for carjacking is likely due to their risky behavior. Yet, the question remains. What is it that motivates kids to carjack? One answer is as old as human adolescence. Stealing a car to joyride is a cheap thrill.

A Cheap Thrill

Most of the carjackings are “not done for any motive except just having fun,” said one sergeant,

speaking at a public safety walk.

“I mean they’re not stealing cars to sell parts, they’re just stealing cars to steal cars,” the o cer added. Most cars, he pointed, are taken from one part of the city and later found parked in another quadrant.

“A lot of times the kids don’t really understand what they’re doing. I truly believe that,” said one violence interrupter. “They just want to get a car to have a car. It’s just what they do,” he added. “They don’t understand the traumatizing effects that it has on the person they’re doing it to. And I see that a lot.”

Carjacking is a high-risk activity, what sociologists call “edgework,” high risk activity to escape from social boundaries. It’s a de ant thrill. That is particularly potent for kids in their teenaged years.

Sensation seeking, experts say, is at an all-

time high at mid-adolescence. Kids at that age also have di culty being empathic or contemplating risks and consequences.

A 2023 article in “The Criminologist” points out that this is not new. Seventy years ago, the majority of motor vehicle thefts reported each year were the work of young males, stated the study. “Many of whom did it for thrills.” “Youth with its desire to ride in an automobile is the constant and most important single factor in large-scale automobile theft,” its author stated. Little has changed in seven decades.

Why not just steal the cars?

The rise in carjackings is directly tied to the improvement of automobile security features, a 2023 study in the “Journal of Criminal Behavior” noted.

It is actually faster and simpler to carjack a car than to try to steal it from the curbside. Whereas

Video stills in sequence of a teenager armed with a golf club, heading to attack a passerby who was attempting to stop a carjacking in Northeast Capitol Hill. Courtesy Brian Beaty

a car thief used to force a screwdriver in the ignition, newer cars no longer have ignitions at all. Many require the presence of a microchip in a fob to start. Contrast this complicated scenario with a carjacking, which experts say takes an average of less a minute from start to finish.

Yet, thrills are not the only motivation. Sometimes, kids just need a free ride.

A Free Ride

“They call them free cars,” said Ms. Hardy, a violence interrupter. That is the term that kids use to mean any stolen car. Some are used in other crimes. Others are simply driven overnight to another part of the city and abandoned.

Youth blur the lines between theft and carjackings, say adults who work with them. “Cars are so easy to steal,” said one violence interrupter, “and a lot of times, kids, they’re out late and night doing whatever and they just go, ‘Oh, this is an easy take, so I’m going to take this car from this lady.’”

Kids are starting to see stealing cars as an easy form of transportation, concurred one MPD officer who patrols the Navy Yard. Late at night, he is sometimes flagged down by kids who need a ride home. Their parents just never came to get them or they have no money for the bus, he added. Given that cars are being taken in one District neighborhood and found in another a few hours later, “it appears they’re using these cars like Citi Bikes,” the officer said.

The hashtag “#freecar” is used on a wide variety of social media posts that range from kids summarizing DMV slang to rap

videos extolling a violent lifestyle. It’s the name of a popular song, “Free Car Music,” by Southeast rapper Yung Threat (feat. Yung Dizzy). Yung Threat is affiliated with the Fox 5 Gang, both a music group.

Aside from providing free transportation, cars are also a valuable tool to commit other crimes.

Driven to Commit Crimes

A few cars are stolen to sell. For example, an 18-year-old was arrested and charged in six successful and one attempted carjacking after stealing a Mercedes and selling it to an undercover officer at a Florida Avenue garage only 20 minutes later. However, this is rare, say officers on the street.

“It’s not like there’s a bunch of chop shops in DC where they’re taking cars,” one pointed out.

What makes cars valuable, however, is their use as an essential tool in committing other crimes.

“You’re not going to do it (a robbery) in a car that’s traceable to you,” the Navy Yard officer said, “A lot of these kids are too young to have cars, anyway.”

In August, the US Attorney arrested 14 people ranging in age from 20 to 32 involved in a violent, national conspiracy employing stolen vehicles. The defendants committed multiple carjackings. Then, they used the cars to commit armed robberies of jewelers in cities from Harrisburg, PA to Jacksonville, FL. This is a large example of what is happening on a smaller level in the District.

This past summer, a group of 14-year-old girls were arrested after wrecking a car that they had stolen on Michigan Avenue. The arrest closed 13 open robbery cases, stated the Fifth District.

For many, the roots of carjacking, a self-destructive, criminal youth behavior, lie in the squalor of their circumstances as well as the lack of more constructive, legal outlets for their self-expression.

Desperate Circumstances

Many of the children who are robbing people don’t have much at home, said Joanna Hardy, founder of Guns Down Friday. “You see all sorts of things when you open up those doors.” Situations often lead to behaviors that stem from idle lack of direction to hopelessness spiraling all the way to desperation.

Those who engage in criminal behaviors are not simply “bad kids,” said a violence interrupter. They are products of an environment of scarcity and deprivation in which idle lack of direction can swing to hopelessness and spiral into desperation.

These kids “are just following the same line that everyone else is doing,” he said.

Q: Why [they] wanna live like this? It’s no glory in this shit. A: It’s a generational curse –Exchange on DC social media page [Reddit]

“They are no playgrounds around here,” Hardy noted ruefully. In some cases, a single parent is caring for many children simultaneously, stretched thin in terms of both attention and money. Kinds end up scrounging for both.

“I just want some money in my pocket,” kids say, according to Hardy.

Schools are where adults check in with kids. However, many of the kids describe them as dilapidated, said Devin Turner, lead pastor of Revolution Church at 4601 Texas Ave. SE. These educational institu-

tions lack the kind of services and programs available at their more affluent counterparts, he pointed out.

The pandemic exacerbated the situation. Children missed critical years of social and emotional development that could have helped them cope with conflict and emotional turmoil, said DC 127 Executive Director Tara Woods. The program at District Church at 3101 16th St. NW works with kids on the verge of placement or already in foster care

“We’ll be seeing those effects for decades,” said Woods.

Unsafe Neighborhoods

DC youth are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetuators. A child is shot an average of between two and three times a week in the District, often accidentally. By far, the bulk of these incidents involve Black boys younger than 15.

In violent areas of the city such as Police Districts 6D and 7D and areas of Southwest, youth live in fear as the social media exchange below illustrates.

Q: “Dumb ass shit if u grow up in dc in a hood u are beefing only way to prevent that is to move away kids literally being born into this shit”

A: “If u grow up a hood how can u not? only way is to stay in the house all ur childhood and not make any friends and u still might get shot leaving out ur house smh”

–A Social media exchange on the merits of “beefing”

“Beefs” among groups of youth are acted out in the streets, said a youth counselor for Neighbors for Justice (NFJ), who works with kids at risk of becoming justice-involved. He cited this example.

Neighborhood A has a beef

with neighborhood B. Perhaps someone from B killed someone from A. Perhaps, a member of A posted to TikTok a rap lyric considered disrespectful to A.

A few days later, a group of kids from A driving by a bus stop see a kid from B waiting there. The kid might have nothing to do with the beef. He might simply be on his way to school or work. It doesn’t matter. They might shoot him just because of where he lives, the NFJ counselor said.

In late August, a 16-year-old girl stabbed another in a dispute over dipping sauce. In May 2023, a 17-year-old was shot on the Green Line after an argument. In September, a 17-year-old was shot on his way to his job at a sandwich shop after an argument in the parking lot.

Young black men literally will “rep their street and die for their hood,” said Turner. All they have, he said, is their reputation. “We need to educate and train our young people so they understand that their self-worth doesn’t come from what they can take from others,” he said.

In this context, it is easy to see how a kid might consider carrying a weapon, in particular a gun, for protection.

Violence & Guns

Kids have no difficulty getting guns, said Turner. All you need is some money and the Internet. Since 2009, it simple to order a ‘ghost gun’ right off the Internet and download directions to manufacture the key missing part on a 3-D printer.

Once a kid has a gun, they fall into what NFJ counselor terms “the trap.” Having a gun makes it that much easier to get into a variety of trouble; carjackings — and worse.

“It becomes bad,” he said. Guns allow youth to take what they want, said Pastor Turner. Kids post videos of themselves with firearms. They lm themselves inside stolen vehicles.

In sum youth are not just being in uenced by social media; they are in uencers. “Their followers just do what they see,” said the NFJ counselor. “It’s a mentality,” the counselor said. “I wave this little three-pound piece of iron in your face and now, I have total control.”

It is about money, but it is more about power. “Power is better than money, because if I have power I can take your money,” said Pastor Turner.

“They say that the mental frontal lobe doesn’t fully grow until like, 21,” Pastor Turner said. “You got a lot of guys, they say, “Well, what were you thinking?” —they weren’t thinking,” Turner concludes. “That’s the whole point.”

For the delivery driver and Capitol Hill residents involved in the August melee, the motivations and factors driving the teens to commit such violence are perhaps beside the point. The question for them is one of accountability.

Next month, a follow up article will examine the consequences for youth arrested for carjacking.

Is Amidon-Bowen Swinging Too Far?

Proposed Location 3.5 Miles Away

by Rachel Royster

The Amidon-Bowen Elementary School community is reeling, frustrated after DC Public Schools (DCPS) suggested a swing space for the 2027 fiscal year that is 3.5 miles away from their home campus at 401 I St. SW.

Amidon-Bowen is slated to be modernized in 2027 and reopened in 2029. The AmidonBowen population is set to move into a temporary space from 2027 to 2029 during the planning, design and construction phases. The fully modernized school is scheduled to reopen for the 2029-2030 school year. The project will cost an estimated $84.2 million and the new building will be able to serve 373 students.

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Planning Actively for Comprehensive Education Facilities (PACE) Annual

Supplement for Fiscal Year 20242029, Amidon-Bowen community members learned the former Meyer Elementary School (2501 11th St. NW) would be the temporary campus for their PreK to Fifth grade students.

“It was frustrating to hear about the swing space plan for the first time because a parent happened to see the reference to Meyer in the Mayor’s CIP plan,” said Sarah Buckley,a member of the Amidon-Bowen PTA Advocacy Group (ABPTAAG). “We feel like we can’t count on DCPS to

keep us informed, let alone take the community’s views into account.”

Meyer elementary, located in Columbia Heights, is 3.5 miles away and over a half-hour commute by public transit — a striking difference to the two-three block walk for most AmidonBowen families. Buckley, whose child attends kindergarten at Amidon-Bowen, became immediately concerned and joined the ABPTAAG.

“It’s three and a half miles through some of

the most congested parts of the city,” Buckley said. Being miles away from her child’s school is especially worrisome given his number of serious food allergies, said Buckley.

The Community Objects

In response to the potential swing space, ABPTAAG wrote city leaders, pleading with them to find a new swing space geographically closer and to establish a working group to listen to the community’s needs.

“I think that there are a lot of times that DCPS or the DC Dept. of General Services (DGS, responsible for modernizing school facilities) pays lip service to community engagement without offering that engagement when it can actually affect decision making. That’s why we think it’s important to advocate now and it’s important to start having stakeholder engagement now,” Buckley said.

Buckley hopes DCPS puts together a School Improvement Team (SIT) of community members, parents and teachers to gather more community input to incor-

Now-shuttered Meyer Elementary, the proposed swing space for the modernization of Amidon-Bowen Elementary, is more than 30 minutes away by transit. Screenshot: Google Maps

The Amidon-Bowen Elementary School community is pushing DCPS to find a swing space for the school’s modernization that is closer to the school site. In June, community members found out their potential swing space is over a half-hour public transit commute from the school. Photo: R. Royster

porate into the swing space plan.

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners (ANC) Gail Fast (6D03) and Andrea Pawley (6D04) have been working together with ABPTAAG and Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D) on the issue and are hoping to galvanize action as Council resumes session.

“I think the part that is so frustrating to me is that no one wants to think outside the box, and they just want to take the kids and send them up to Columbia Heights, which makes no sense,” Fast said.

Fast pointed to other potential locations for swing space in the area, suggesting mobile classrooms in the eld behind the school, similar to those erected beside EliotHine Middle School (1830 Constitution Ave. NE) when Maury Elementary (1250 Constitution Ave. NE) was renovated.

Another possible site is at Fourth and M Streets SW, site of a temporary Southwest Library during the building renovation. The commission would also like to look at the feasibility of using vacant ofce space in the area.

The ANC would likely consider a resolution in October, Fast said, but said it is activism in the school community that will ultimately make the di erence. “It’s really the parents that are going to be the drivers of this,” Fast said, “but we’ll get behind them to try to keep the kids in Southwest.”

Councilmember Allen is a proponent of Amidon-Bowen modernization. However, he terms DCPS’s decision on the AmidonBowen swing space premature.

“For whatever reason, DCPS seems to have gotten way out ahead of themselves and told people about a location that one,

Sergio.Abarca@edwardjones.com Crystal.Norman@edwardjones.com

didn’t seem to make a lot of sense for where their school communities located. And secondly, DCPS is now saying they hadn’t even made a decision. So, I’m not even sure of where they made that mistake,” Allen said.

“I’m committed to work with Amidon-Bowen and DCPS, as I have with our other organizations, to try to nd a good space, and make sure there’s transportation and a lot of other accommodations, to make sure that the students have what they need,” Allen added.

DCPS Responds

The June report was an overview of school modernizations for 20242029, DCPS Chief Operation Ofcer Ely Ross stated in an email to stakeholders. The document only gives preliminary plans for future projects, meaning the AmidonBowen swing space location had yet to be concrete, he wrote.

“I want to clarify that at this point in the planning process, the identified swing site is preliminary, and no nal decision has been made,” Ross wrote. “We understand the concerns that you have raised and are thankful that you have brought them to our attention.”

When DCPS chooses a swing space, factors such as travel distance, commute time during pick-up and drop-off hours and availability of swing facilities are considered, Ross wrote.

When no space is available within two miles of a school undergoing modernization, DCPS provides transportation from their permanent school location to the swing space for pick up and drop off, Ross stated.

“In the case of Amidon-Bowen’s project, DCPS will continue to explore alternative swing space locations,” Ross wrote. “DCPS

looks forward to working with the Amidon-Bowen community to develop a modernization project that supports the current and future school community.”

The geographic accessibility of the swing space, as Ross stated, is crucial to its success.

Swing Location Threatens School Viability

If more convenient swing space is not found, parent and resident Southwest Alexandra Gutierrez will consider sending her daughter elsewhere.

“We moved to the neighborhood when I was pregnant with our daughter and were really excited about living in a place where we would be a two-block walk from the local school, where I could drop her o at school on my walk to work,” Gutierrez said. “And so, we just kind of assumed that that would be where she would go, so long as we lucked out with the lottery. But with this [situation] you know, it’s made the decision a lot harder just because she will be entering kindergarten, the year that the swing space is going to be in e ect.”

“I think parents are rightfully concerned that if their children are being sent across town for a couple of years, that’s going to have a negative impact on the community,” Gutierrez said. “It’s going to make neighborhood parents less likely to send their kids there. It’s going to make people start to wonder, ‘Okay, should I send my kid to another elementary school?’ And that’s going to affect children’s friendships. It’s going to a ect their stability in school.”

DCPS did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. ◆

Joe Shymanski: 1971

to 2023 Eastern Market’s Photographer

by Andrew Lightman

Walk into any Capitol Hill home and you will likely nd a photo taken by Joe Shymanski hanging on the wall. Joe, a resident of D Street SE, was a longtime vendor at the Eastern Market’s Flea Market, where he made a living selling his photographs. Recently, a tragic crime robbed the Capitol Hill community of his kind, thoughtful, gentle presence.

In July 2009, I organized a historical exhibit in the North Hall of Eastern Market to celebrate its reopening. Joe kindly donated 120 photos of his fellow vendors. This month, The Hill Rag has chosen to commemorate Joe’s life by republishing a selection of these portraits.

For more information on Joe and his work, visit www.facebook. com/joeshymanskiphotography.

Golsha Agdasi

Marie Chiza

Curtis Baity

Rachel Boozer Nikki Dean

Kamlesh Choksey

Anthony Driver

Dan Kessler

Allen Small

Idil Harun

Malien Lane

Angelique MsVoodoChild

Lynne Holland

Fabian Maldonado

Lejla P. Ebner

Zoe March

Andrew Shelton

Our River, The Anacostia

Opinion: Let’s Make RFK A Teaching Center for the Anacostia’s Renewal

by Bill Matuszeski

Over the decades there has been an unparalleled effort among the general public, interest groups and a vast range of city and federal agencies to restore and make better the Anacostia River. It seems a shame not to share the lessons and the results with other parts of the metro area, other states and even other parts of the world. We all need to think through how to make that happen.

I have a couple of ideas we might build on. Oddly enough, it all starts with the idea of bringing the professional football team, the Commanders, back into town from the suburbs. Many think they should return to the RFK Stadium that is at the west end of the bridge carrying East Capitol Street over the Anacostia River. That stadium is in very poor shape after years of neglect and would need to be rebuilt. More important is that the surrounding neighborhoods give a strong sense that they do not want the activity to return with all its effects on local parking and congestion.

So if the team were to decide to settle elsewhere in DC, the most obvious place would be in the area on the west side of the Frederick Douglas Bridge, which carries South Capitol Street over the River. The new stadium could be placed in the area to the south near the soccer stadium, in a broad area where parking and other services could be shared and impacts on residential areas would be marginal. Not only would this be an efficient and attractive addition to the area, it would be an attraction to further development along the River south of the bridge.

This move would free up the site of the old stadium to build a welcome center for the Anacostia right where East Capitol Street comes over the bridge. This would be a place to come to learn what has been accomplished, to celebrate it, and to plan what more is needed. It would be a great benefit to the effort to celebrate and broadcast the successes in the restoration of the Anacostia River. The site where the current decayed stadium sits is a perfect location for a facility that can teach the public what has been accomplished, how it was done by getting all to work together east and west of the River and far up into its origin among the streams and marshes of Maryland and DC. The new facility would serve as a center of knowledge and learning from classrooms to outdoors, with direct connections to the projects carried out and in the plans for the adjacent islands of Kingman and Heritage.

How could this happen? How could the success of the restoration of an urban stream be set out in a way that taught lessons for all who came by?

That is a critical question.

One possibility would be to engage the Smithsonian to work with local groups and agencies to design a facility and programs to achieve these results with the public. They are experts in taking difficult subjects of science, nature and even aircraft design, and making them understandable to the public. This would be a natural extension of their efforts in the Natural History Museum, and would add the opportunity to learn from what has been done on the ground and in the water. This would be a place for local folks to learn and help reach consensus about what more we can do together. But it could also be a place for us to learn from others and help others draw from our on-theground experiences.

Please let me know what you think of either (1) getting the City to give priority to a new stadium site near the others at the base of the Frederick Douglas Bridge near the other stadiums; or (2) setting up on the site of the old stadium, with the help of the Smithsonian and/ or others, a facility to inform and teach all who stop by and to provide support for the ongoing River restoration efforts of Federal and City agencies, non-profit volunteer groups and citizens of Maryland and DC. I would also like to hear your ideas about the value and role of those staffing and supporting such a facility. Maybe the current level of effort and cooperation among participants is likely to be more fun and more effective, and I am dreaming nonsense.

If you have something to say, please e-mail me at: bmatsedc@ gmail.com and tell me if I can quote you or not. Thanks! u

DDOT Discusses Traffic and Pedestrian Safety

ANC 6A REPORT

by Sarah Payne

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 6A) met via Zoom on July 13. Commissioners Keya Chatterjee (6A01, vice chair), Roberta Shapiro (6A03), Amber Gove (6A04, chair), Dave Wethington (6A05), Robb Dooling (6A06) and Steve Moilanen (6A07) were present. Commissioner Mike Velasquez (6A02) was absent.

Department of Transportation Deputy Director Sharon Kershbaum appeared before the commission to discuss current programs, upcoming projects and improvements and tra c and pedestrian safety. She also answered questions from residents.

“It’s so bad that whenever we drive on Florida Avenue NE our toddler asks to take a di erent route because it’s too bumpy,” said resident Jesse. “How old will she be when this street isnally paved properly?”

Jesse raised concerns about the “undrivable” condition of Florida Ave NE. She was not alone. Commissioners and community members presented a variety of concerns to the Deputy Director, particularly pertaining to sidewalks.

Kershbaum acknowledged the long backlog of sidewalk requests within the DDOT system. She explained that, unlike road issues such as potholes, sidewalks tend to be more complicated, and take longer to x. Safety assessments, she noted, are made rst and unsafe situations are prioritized. Bundling the non-urgent requests within the same area together helps to streamline the process.

Commissioner Shapiro noted a survey previously conducted by ANC 6A that highlighted the state of disrepair of the sidewalks through injury and fall reports. “We have a terribly unsafe

situation,” Shapiro noted, acknowledging the complexities that accompany repairs to brick, historic sidewalks around the ANC.

The Safe Routes to School program will likely address some of the sidewalk concerns across the city. The program, aimed to improve safety and encourage children to walk or bike to school, will see new resources allocated through funding and personnel in FY 24.

Several areas in the District do not have sidewalks on either side of the street, and DDOT is working to address these gaps, Kershbaum stated.

Kershbaum outlined several ways in which schools will remain a priority for the department. Each year DDOT will work with 25 schools on “deep dive interventions” focused on improving safety in and around the property. Additionally, any requests made to DDOT within a 350 ft. radius of the school will be given priority. “I think you’re going to see a lot more activity around

schools,” Kershbaum said of FY 24.

Other projects were also discussed. Neighbor Eliz asked about the projects along the 600 block of Eighth Street NE and questioned if they were motivated by the Eighth Street bus priority project or the school safety initiative. “We want our neighborhoods to be safe for those transiting, but we feel the needs of residents aren’t necessarily being prioritized,” Eliz noted.

“I don’t see this as a tradeo for one or the other, I know we can do both,” Kershbaum responded.

Commissioner Gove noted that tra c safety input requests are a feature of 311 app that can be added at any time without an endorsement from the ANC. The commission did not vote on any matter discussed. Visit ddot.dc.gov for more information about programming and to submit a request.

The Commission Voted To:

• request DDOT evaluate of the 11th and F and 10th and F Street intersections as to meet with the sta of School within Schools at Goding, 920 F St. NE, to discuss tra c safety and create a proposal for raised crosswalks and other tra c calming measures;

• write to the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) in support of Eastern High School’s proposal for their annual homecoming parade on Nov. 3, 2023;

• write in support of DDOT’s parking proposal at Maury Elementary School, 1250 Constitution Ave. NE, and to request an

adjustment of the restricted hours on the east side of the 200 block of 12th Place NE to 8 p.m. instead of 10 p.m.;

• support a Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) special exception request for the Slutty Vegan, 1244/1246 H St. NE, to construct a side and rear addition, and permit a fast food establishment use, to the existing, attached, two-story commercial building;

• support a BZA special exception request at 1371/1375 H St. NE for a modification to an existing animal boarding use and from the minimum vehicle parking requirements to construct a new, attached, six-story building with roof deck, 30unit, mixed use building due to a lack of alley access and curb cuts, parking access cannot be provided;

• support a BZA special exception request for a residence at 314 Ninth St. NE from the rear addition requirements to construct a two-story building with cellar, rear addition, to an existing, attached, two-story building with cellar, principal dwelling unit.

Other Matters

Former Commissioner Gentille resigned from her position and Commissioner Dave Wethington will now represent 6A05.

Enora Moss of the DC Smart Street Lighting Project attended the meeting and spoke about the improvement project which will modernize more than 72,000 street lights across the District and is a sustainability initiative. The project started in May 2022 and will continue through 2037. Ward 6 is in group 3. Visit streetlights.dc.gov

for more information about when specific streets will be impacted.

The next meeting of ANC 6A is at 7 p.m. October 12 via Zoom. Get details on committee meetings and how to join online at anc6a.org.

ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A

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

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, October 12, 7:00 p.m.

Transportation & Public Space Committee meeting

3rd Tuesday, October 17, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Economic Development and Zoning Committee meeting

3rd Wednesday, October 18, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Community Outreach Committee meeting

4th Monday, October 23, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee meeting

4th Tuesday, October 24, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Call in information will be posted under Community Calendar at anc6a.org 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Eighth Street Bus Project Stirs Controversy

ANC 6B REPORT

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B met via Zoom on Sept. 12. Frank Avery (6B01, treasurer); David Sobelsohn (6B03, secretary); Frank D’Andrea (6B04); Kasie Durkit (6B05, parliamentarian); Chander Jayaraman (6B06, vice chair); Vince Mareino (6B07); Edward Ryder (6B08, Chair); Matt LaFortune (6B09). Jerry Sroufe (6B02) did not attend.

Voices at the Sept. 12 meeting of ANC 6B were at times emotional as they discussed the addition of bus priority lanes on Barracks Row.

District Department of Transportation (DDOT) DDOT Planner

Andrew Grinberg shared concepts for the Eighth St. SE Bus Priority Project at the meeting. The project aims to improve bus operations and safety on the street between East Capitol and M Streets SE. In addi-

Advisory Neighborhood Commission

“Uniting Communities East and West”

7D

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

Join us for our

October Virtual Monthly Public Meeting

Tuesday, October 10, 2023 - 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Via Web: https://zoom.us/j/95618118940 and enter passcode: anc7d

Via Phone: 301-715-8592, and enter meeting ID: 95618118940, and passcode: 254313 Agenda will be posted on our website 1 week in advance of meeting.

Public Safety Committee Meeting

Monday, October 16, 2023 – 6:30 p.m.

Via Web: https://zoom.us/j/98491691190 and enter passcode: anc7d Via Phone: 301-715-8592, and enter meeting ID: 98491691190, and passcode: 254313

Transportation & Public Space Committee Meeting

Wednesday, October 25 – 7:00 p.m.

Via Web: https://zoom.us/j/98059997689 and enter passcode: anc7d Via Phone: 301-715-8592, and enter meeting ID: 98059997689, and passcode: 254313

Volunteer Opportunities!

We are now recruiting community volunteers to build our five Commission committees. Our committees include: Community Outreach/Grants, Economic Development/Housing Justice, Environment, Public Safety, and Transportation/Public Space. Contact any Commissioner or 7d@anc.dc.gov for more information.

How To Participate with ANC 7D

Do you have an agenda item or wish to speak formally to ANC 7D? Contact your Commissioner or the Commission directly at 7D@anc.dc.gov

Do you have a public comment? Our monthly public meetings allow time for community comment. Do you have a zoning, alcoholic beverage, or other matter you would need us to weigh in on? Contact your Commissioner or the Commission directly at 7d@anc.dc.gov

For more information and meeting agendas and materials, visit: https://7d0761.wixsite.com/anc7d-1

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

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.

tion to improving bus speed and reliability, the project aims to alleviate concerns with deliveries, loading and walkability.

The project is part of a DDOT bus priority program launched in 2021 to improve the efficiency of public transit. 51 bus corridors were identified as part of the program, including Eighth Street NE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE.

The Eighth Street SE Study focuses on Metrobus routes 90 and 92, routes that were assessed by WMATA in 2022 as having the second highest contribution to the bus network. 2,900 riders pass through the corridor on those buses daily; 1,200 board there, Grinberg said. 380,000 riders (about half the population of Delaware) ride the two routes annually, he added. Current maps show congestion hotspots for buses in all parts of the day. Buses are largely running under eight mph and are rarely on time.

Key Proposals

DDOT concepts, which Grinberg stressed are in the very early stages, showed a revamp of the north side of the Eighth and D intersection (near Trader Joes). Pedestrian Refuge islands will be maintained but the crosswalks will be consolidated to increase safety. A contraflow bike lane will be added to the north side of D Street SE and traffic will be reversed on the 800 block.

Angled parking on the 500 block of Eighth Street SE (between E and G Streets) would be converted to parallel parking, creating space for a southbound bus lane. Streeteries will be preserved. Lighting has already been improved for the underpass car park between I Street and Virginia Avenues SE. The currently proposed changes will result in a loss of 51 of the 660 parking spots along this segment of Eighth Street, half of which (25) will be removed to bring the street into compliance with DC regulations.

There was some discussion about bus stop bulb-outs proposed for some of the bus stops, including the ones at Eighth and G Streets. Vice Chair Chander Jayaraman said he was concerned about the bulb out on the north side, arguing that if a bus cannot pull up to the curb there, it will instead stop in the traffic lane, frustrating traffic, which will then speed right onto G Street towards Tyler Elementary, endangering children. Later, Chair Edward Ryder pushed back against

that idea, calling that characterization “disingenuous” and arguing that it is the current status quo that endangers children.

Reversing D Street

Proposed (Again)

Perhaps the most controversial proposal from DDOT was to reverse traffic on the 700 and 800 blocks of D Street SE. North of the playground on D Street, traffic would be directed eastbound (towards RFK Stadium); in front of Hill’s Kitchen, traffic would be redirected westbound, away from Eighth Street SE. DDOT says these changes will increase pedestrian safety.

A similar proposal to reverse the flow of D Street SE was made in 2019 around the construction of the Eastern Market Metro Plaza Park (EMMP). Former ANC commissioner Steve Holtzman said that while DDOT might be able to mitigate resident concerns now, the agency did not provide any details on how to do so when asked by the ANC four years ago.

ANC 6B supported a letter to DDOT and DC Council that asks DDOT to work with Barracks Row Main Street (BRMS) to address the concerns of businesses on the corridor. The ANC thanked DDOT for sharing plans, but flagged neighborhood concerns about the impact of the change in direction on the 700 and 800 blocks of D Street SE. The letter also expresses concern with parking for employees of the businesses and recom-

mends investigation of “geofencing” to redirect delivery drivers during periods of high area traffic, encouraging DDOT to work with businesses on these issues.

DDOT is collecting feedback on the project until Oct 10. Design will begin in January 2024 with 30 percent designs expected in March and final designs in June, with a goal of construction beginning in Fall 2024.

DDOT is looking for public input right now. See the presentation and give your views at buspriority.ddot.dc.gov

In Other Business

The ANC voted unanimously to support:

• A letter to the Department of General Services (DGS) listing maintenance needs at EMMP. It requests a maintenance plan for the park and an outline of which agency will be responsible for each task.

• A resolution requesting the DC Housing Authority (DCHA) to take steps to improve work order processes, place urgency on maintaining and preparing vacant apartments for occupancy; and to address security concerns and ensure security technology is maintained and monitored. The letter urges the Mayor and DC Council to ensure sufficient funding and resources are available to DCHA.

• A letter to DCHA asking DCHA to address issues at Potomac Gardens along the

On the 500 block, angled parking will be converted to parallel parking and bulb-outs will be added at bus stops. Screenshot: ANC 6B/Zoom

above lines, particularly around the poor state of vacant apartments, issues with the work order process, concerns around safety. The letter says that residents are being pressured to move rather than have maintenance issues addressed. The ANC also urges communication to address concerns around the long-term plans for the future of the building.

Neighborhood Crime and Prosecution Concerns

ANC 6C REPORT

by Sarah Payne

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6C met on June 14 via WebEx. Commissioners Christy Kwan (6C01), Leslie Merkle (6C02, secretary), Commissioner Jay Adelstein (6C03), Mark Eckenwiler (6C04, chair), Commissioner Joel Kelty (6C05, treasurer) and Tony Goodman (6C07, vice chair) were present. Commissioner Patricia Eguino (6C06) was absent.

Neighborhood crime, centered on the H Street NE commercial corridor, was the central concern of the commission at its Septem-

The next full meeting of ANC 6B takes place online via Zoom at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10. Get full details at anc6b.org.

ber meeting. Commissioners were incensed by decisions of the US Attorney Office (USAO) to decline prosecution of criminal offenders arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

“Residents are no longer comfortable visiting the quarter and frequenting the businesses there,” stated Commissioner Kelty. He attributed the recent closure of several businesses including Kitchen Cray, Beer Garden and Dirty Water to crime. Illegal drug sales continue to afflict nearby streets, he said.

MPD officers, Kelty reported, feel making arrests is “pointless” because the cases will not be prosecuted. He highlighted two cases specifically involving two adults arrested for the distribution of a controlled substance.

“MPD has done their job, and now, the US Attorney’s office needs to do its job and protect our neighborhood,” Kelty said. “This is a chance for the community to back the police department in protecting us,” he stated emphasizing the importance of community support for MPD.

Commissioner Goodman echoed Kelty’s concerns. However, he also encouraged the commission to consider alternative approaches, including the consideration of the development of a crime committee as “none of [these issues] are unique to our agency.”

Commissioners Merkle and Kwan debated the benefits of an establishing a public safety related committee. Commissioner Eckenwiler suggested it be discussed at a later date.

The commission voted to write to US Attorney Matthew Graves, Assistant US Attorney Douglas Klein, Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen (D), MPD Acting Chief of Police Pamela Smith and First District Commander Colin Hall expressing concern about several crimes the US Attorney’s office has declined to prosecute. In particular, they asked for the prosecutorial status of two recent H Street NE arrest cases.

Other Matters

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) red line service will be unavailable at Farragut North Metro Center and Gallery Place stations from Dec. 18 to 30. Additionally, the Judiciary Square station will close rom Dec. 22 to. 24. Visit wmata.com for more information about the closure and to plan alternative routes.

Commissioners discussed Reservation 315, a

parklet located at Fifth & I Streets NE, currently under the authority of the National Park Service (NPS). Several years ago, the NPS agreed to transfer the land to the District; however, the DC government has yet to accept the property. The commission sent letters to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser in June 2021 and October 2022 without response. They discussed sending another letter to Bowser’s office, but took no action.

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) issued a notice of intent (NIO) to restripe the 600 and 700 blocks of K Street NE after repaving and to include protected bike lanes on both sides of the street. This would require removing parking on the south side of the street. The public comment period for this project closed on Aug. 31, however several community members expressed opposition to these bike lanes and frustration with the lack of communication from DDOT. The commission took no action on the matter.

The commission voted to:

• approve an expenditure of $1,560 to place ads in the Hill Rag to alert the community to upcoming meetings of ANC 6C;

• write to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen and DDOT in support of changes to the underpasses at both M and L Streets NE to restore the use of the underpasses;

• oppose the Historic Preservation Application (HPA) for 621 Maryland Ave. NE for a new roof structure on an existing roof deck due to several elements that will be visible above the cornice of the property;

• write again to Mayor Bowser, the DC Council and the Acting Chief of Police regarding public safety and crime in the H Street NE corridor. The commission previously sent a letter highlighting similar concerns about an increase in crime and illegal drug sales 11 months ago and has yet to receive a response;

ANC 6C will next meet on October 11 at 7 p.m. via WebEx. Visit anc6c.org to learn more about the commission and register to attend the meeting.

Smart Street Lights

ANC 6D REPORT

by Andrew Lightman

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6D met on Sept. 11 via Zoom. Commissioners Bob Link (6DO1, vice chair), Ronald Collins (6D02, treasurer), Gail Fast (6D03), Andrea Pawley (6D04), Ashton Rohmer (6D05), Bruce Levine (6D06, secretary), Fredrica (Rikki) Kramer (6D07, chair) and Rhonda Hamilton (6D08) were in attendance.

The DC Dept. of Transportation (DDOT) provided a presentation on its smart lighting initiative. The agency is modernizing 72,000 street lights, converting them to LED between May 2022 and May 2027. The program will reduce greenhouse gases. Design and construction are underway now.

DDOT plans to update poles and arms. Engineers will check all the foundations. Workers will not be onsite more than two weeks in a single location. Maintenance will be performed on street lights as well. The agency will give the community 52 hours’ notice if curbside reservations are required for construction vehicles.

Commissioners expressed concerns about traffic disruption. No travel lanes will be closed, a DDOT representative stated.

Other Matters

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Lt. Elias Daho briefed the commission on the public safety. Two deaths occurred on 200 block of M St. SW, he stated. The violence was contained in a single apartment. There were four assaults with deadly weapons. There were also four robberies, he stated.

The commission discussed written testimony of Ashton Rohmer before the Transportation Committee regarding four bills on dangerous driving and safe streets being introduced by Ward 6 Councilmember and Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment. The commission approved Rohmer’s draft testimony and authorized her to testify at Allen’s hearing.

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

Commission voted to protest Hell’s Kitchen, 652 Wharf St. SW, in absence of community agreement.

After July’s vote to protest, the Hive has withdrawn its application, Commissioner Link reported.

The commission:

• supported Mutt Strut on Oct. 7 and Children’s Hospital 5K;

• appointed Charles Yager, John Abowd, Kirk Sander, James Haile to the new Transportation Committee;

• tabled the revision of bylaws to change the name of ABC Committee to ABCA Committee and authorize it to deal with cannabis issues to allow for the required 30-day’s notice;

• protested Little Chicken located on Pearl Street SW in the absence of a community agreement on the grounds of peace, order and quiet;

• authorized Commissioner Link to testify at the protest against Hell’s Kitchen at the Sept. 18 hearing;

• approved a continuing budget resolution for the period between the end of the scal year and the approval of the FY24 budget.

• approved access to Zoom services for ABCA and the Transportation Committee not to exceed $300;

• rati ed the hiring of Donna Purchase with hourly rate of $27.50.

ANC 6D meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every month. The next meeting is Oct. 16, 2023. For more information, visit www.anc6d.org. ◆

DCPS Chancellor Talks Education

ANC 7D REPORT

by Sarah Payne

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 7D met May 9 via Zoom. Commissioners Siraaj Hasan (7D01), Wendell Felder (7D03, chair), Commissioner 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 (7D10) were in attendance. Single Member District 7D02 remains vacant.

DC Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Lewis Ferebee appeared before the commission to outline several newly implemented initiatives to improve academic opportunities and performance for students. Acknowledging the shortcomings of online education throughout the pandemic, he noted the “lack of mastery and proficiency” in mathematics as a priority.

A comprehensive solution, Ferebee said, includes involving parents to help implement learning outside the classroom. He also highlighted new in-school programming, Building Blocks, that will start in elementary school and aims to have all students prepared for algebra by eighth grade.

“We are doubling down on our efforts and building math fluency and expanding the math curriculum. That starts with our early child education program,” Ferebee said.

School Transportation

Transportation was also discussed by the commission. Commissioner Astmann presented concerns about the “soft spot” of the school busses. He noted that transportation to and from extracurricular activities and sporting events is not happening so events and games are being missed.

Following an accident, Ferebee reported a “pivot in policy” noting several transportation challenges and the national shortage of bus driv-

ers for the issues. He expressed confidence in the current contracts DCPS has with driving companies to get students where they need to go.

Chair Felder inquired about school safety practices. The Chancellor outlined how various agencies, including contract security, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and school resource officers, collaborate to promote and maintain safety for students and staff. “We all work together,” Ferebee said.

Equity, Ferebee noted, also remains a top priority of DCPS as pandemic recovery continues. “We have some of the most significant socio-economic disparities in our city and want to ensure that students that are not in the communities as well-resourced as others are getting the best possible educational experience,” he said.

Ferebee emphasized that while there are “never enough” resources, DCPS remains grateful to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) for the funding allocated to the schools and resources to support students with additional needs including English language learning and special education.

Other Matters

School boundaries were last adjusted in 2014 and will again be adjusted in 2024 for the 20252026 school year. The District is currently conducting a boundary study to develop recommendations for these assignments. Visit dme.dc.gov/ boundaries2023 for more information.

Erwin Stierle from the DC Chapter of the American Red Cross encouraged community members to consider volunteering, particularly in Ward 7, where they are experiencing a shortage. Visit redcross.org to learn more, donate and to sign up for opportunities in the neighborhood.

Friends of the DC Streetcar will host a community meeting on October 16 at 7 p.m. at the Marshall Heights Community Development Headquarters (3939 Benning Road NE). They are planning to discuss the future of the project, particularly in regards to its extension east of the river. Visit friendsofdcstreetcar.wixsite.com for more information and to RSVP for the event.

The Commission voted to:

• appoint sev eral community members to serve on the ANC’s Transportation and Public Safety committees;

• ask Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen

(D) and Ward 7 Council member Vincent Gray (D) to rename a portion of 1300-1600 Blocks of A Street NE to honor the Eastern High School Marching Band.

ANC 7D will meet next on October 10 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. You can learn more about the commission and register to attend at 7d0761.wixsite.com/anc7d-1.

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

No Night Time Noise Enforcement from DOB

ANC 8F REPORT

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8F (ANC 8F) met on Sept. 26. Commissioners Nic Wilson (8F01), Rick Murphree (8F02), Brian Strege (8F03), Edward Daniels (8F04), Clayton Rosenberg (8F05), were in attendance.

DC Dept. of Buildings (DOB) Acting Strategic Enforcement Administrator Keith Parsons briefed the commission on his agency’s protocol for resolving noise complaints, especially those occurring at night.

The city advised residents, dealing with excessive nightlife noise, to call DOB for enforcement, Chair Daniels stated. However, DOB often schedules inspections for the following day, he pointed, after the issue has abated. The ANC wants DOB to establish a real-time, late-night response, the chair stated.

The agency investigates noise regulations within their service level agreement, which is 15 days, Parsons stated.

Could the agency conduct on demand night noise inspections? Chair Daniels asked. “It’s not a direction that the DOB is going to go.” Parsons demurred. The DOB mission is centered around building safety, Parsons said. “If it walks or drives

or oats,” he said, “it’s not ours.”

The commission should ask the DC employees responding to assess sound levels with noise guns, Parsons suggested.

Prior to Oct. 1, 2022 when the former Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) was split into DOB and the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), DCRA participated in a multiagency nightlife task force that was out on streets at night. It included sta from DCRA as well as Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA), Parsons stated.

In general, Parsons said, there was an understanding between the three agencies. DCRA dealt with noise in the day ABCA dealt with issues on premises with liquor licenses. MPD dealt with everyone else, he stated.

Since the split, DOB no longer participates in the task force, Parsons said. Building inspections are not possible at night and DOB lacks sufficient human and budget resources to establish a night shift solely to address noise, he stated.

The ANC voted unanimously to resolved to ask DOB to assess the need for a procedure that will allow for full-time, real-time noise inspection between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The resolution was sent to DOB, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Council.

Support for Affordable PUD

The ANC unanimously approved a letter to the Department of Housing and Community Development (DCHD) supporting a Planned Unit Development

(PUD) application to build 127 affordable units at 101 Tingey St. SE.

Chris Marshall from The NRP Group and Babatunde Oloyede of the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization (MHCDO) described the project, which will occupy the privately-owned triangular plaza at that address and include market-rate retail at ground level as well as wraparound service for tenants.

50 units will be offered at 30 percent Median Family Income (MFI) and 77 at 50 percent MFI. The developers sought general support for an application for District financing.

Marshall said the PUD application will be filed Sept. 27. The application for funding goes in on Oct. 2. The ANC supported the application but cited concerns with congestion on Tingey Street SE as well as the need to address concerns with parking, which is not currently a part of the concept.

Eighth Street

Bus Project

District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Planner Andrew Grinberg briefed the commission on the Eighth St. SE Bus Priority Project. It is the second time the commission has discussed the project. Grinberg appeared at its June meeting.

The project aims to improve bus operations and safety on the street between East Capitol and M Streets SE. Design will begin in January 2024 with 30 percent designs expected in March and final designs in June. DDOT is committed to starting construction beginning in Fall 2024.

Two blocks of the project are in ANC 8F, while the bulk falls in ANC 6B. The project will remove about 50 parking spaces. The agency will remove approximately half to ensure curbside conditions match District regulations. The remainder will be removed to the offset a dedicated southbound bus lane, which allows for parking and streeteries. That lane ends at L Street, as most buses turn at M Street SE. A shorter northbound bus lane will run from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Grinberg stated.

The angled parking on the 500 block will be converted to parallel parking to create space for the bus. Existing streeteries will not be impacted. The biggest impact to curbside is due to improved safety features, Grinberg said. The 54 spots under the Virginia Avenue underpass will be preserved and lights are repaired. There will be bump outs at the bus stops including at L Street SE. Paint and flex posts will be installed.

Image: Site plan for NRP/MHCDO affordable housing concept at 101 Tingey St. SE. Courtesy: ANC 8F

DDOT is seeking for public input online until October 10. There was no vote on the matter.

Other Matters

The commission voted to support a new liquor license application and cooperative agreements for Tinette’s at 71 Potomac Ave. SE. They voted to drop a protest of the new liquor license application from El Rey at 79 Potomac Ave. SE prior to supporting a new cooperative agreement with that applicant. Finally, the commission supported a cooperative agreement with Maman at 1300 Yards Pl. SE.

The commission requested:

• DLCP and DOB respond to its July request that the agencies abate conditions at Onyx on First and revoke the business license of UIP Property Management;

• DDOT relocate the valet stand at the Thompson Hotel that is causing tra c build-up at Tingey Circle;

• DDOT respond to its March request to consider a change of direction on Vann Street SE southbound one way and Half Street SE one way northbound.

ANC 8F generally meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month. The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 4 at DDOT Headquarters at 250 M St. SE. For more information, visit anc8f.org. ◆

Friends of the National Arboretum Annual Fall 5k

On Nov. 12, 9 a.m., enjoy autumn at the US National Arboretum during FONA’s Fall 5k. This run/walk will take you past garden collections brightly colored with fall foliage, over tree-lined rolling hills, and along streams winding their way to the Anacostia River. This race is not only scenic, but also safe and secure. All roads are closed to cars during this race so you can safely enjoy running or walking through this 451-acre urban green space. They will have a professional race announcer calling out runners as they cross the finish line and there will be music before and after the event to get you in the groove. Strollers and dogs are allowed, but dogs must stay on a six-foot non-retractable leash. Register by Oct. 8 for $45 (tee shirt included); after, $50 or $55. runsignup.com/fona5k.

Bulletin Board

CHRS Home Expo

CHRS holds its annual House Expo, featuring a wide variety of home service exhibitors and representatives of city agencies, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Eastern Market. Finding qualified experts to do work on your house can present a challenge. Often the best contractor is a local contractor—and you can meet them at House Expo. You’ll also find experts in related fields, including real estate, finance, insurance, property management and representatives of city agencies. There will also be guided tours of the Eastern Market. chrs.org.

Photo: Courtesy of Friends of the National Arboretum

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DCHFA, Your Homeownership Resource in the District.

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DC Open Doors

DC Open Doors is your key to homeownership int city. is programo ers competitive interest rates and lower mortgage insurance costs on rst trust homebuyer or a D C. resident , be purchasing a home in the District of Columbia

DC Open Doors is your key to homeownership inthe city. is programo ers competitive interest rates and lower mortgage insurance costs on rst trust homebuyer or a D C. resident , be purchasing a home in the District of Columbia

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

DC Open Doors is your key to homeownership in the city. This program offers competitive interest rates and lower mortgage insurance costs on first trust mortgages.You are not required to be a first-time homebuyer or a D.C. resident to qualify for DCOD. You must, however, be purchasing a home in the District of Columbia.

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

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

DC4ME

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

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

DC4ME provides mortgage assistance with optional down payment assistance to D.C. government employees.

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

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

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

COVID-19

DC4ME is offered to current fulltime District government employees, including employees of District government-based instrumentalities, independent agencies, D.C. Public Charter Schools, and organizations, provided the applicant/borrower’s employer falls under the oversight of the Council of the District of Columbia.

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

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

COVID-19

COVID-19

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

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

A Writer’s Craft Featuring Elliot Ackerman: A Literary Hill Salon

hosted by Dr. Michelle LaFrance

Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, has launched a literary series this fall in partnership with Hill Rag and East City Bookshop that will explore the practice of writing with some of Capitol Hill’s most noteworthy neighbors. On Monday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m., award-winning writer, former Marine, and Hill resident, Elliot Ackerman sits down for an in-depth conversation with Dr. Michelle LaFrance, Associate Professor, Rhetoric and Writing, George Mason University and a contributing writer at Hill Rag. Elliot Ackerman is the author of the novels Halcyon, Red Dress in Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, and the memoirs The Fifth Act and Places and Names. Michelle LaFrance is a feminist critical ethnographer, who teaches courses on community writing, feminist methodologies, writing studies, and critical pedagogy. $10. hillcenterdc.org.

Jazz in Canal Park

Through Oct. 11, weekly live music is back in Canal Park with the return of Jazz in Canal Park, featuring local jazz performances at the middle block of Canal Park (Second and L streets, SE) each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. capitolriverfrton.org.

St. Mark’s Players Open 40th Season with Our Town

St. Mark’s Players opens its 40th season with a production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. The show will run Oct. 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, and 21

John Philip Sousa Birthday Concert

On Friday, Nov. 6, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., join Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE, and the Marine Band for a celebration of the life and legacy of John Philip Sousa. The Marine Band plays the music the “March King” composed at his graveside every year on his birthday and the public is encouraged to attend. Congressional Cemetery will start the program at 10:30 a.m. with a short awards ceremony, followed by a brief talk by a John Philip Sousa impersonator. The Marine Corps band will enter through the 17th Street gate at precisely 11 a.m. for a 25-minute concert at the grave site, located near the chapel. Rain or shine; free to the public. Closed to dogs. congressionalcemetery.org.

at 8 p.m., with an additional matinee production on Oct. 14 at 2 p.m, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A St. SE. The three-act play, called “the greatest American play ever written” by Edward Albee, presents the fictional small town of Grover’s Corners between 1901 and 1913 through the lives of its residents. Tickets may be purchased at via tickettailor.com/events/stmarksplayers/1004639 or at the door. $25; $22 for seniors/students. stmarksplayers.org.

DC Beer Festival at Nat’s Park

Folger Book Fair at East City Bookshop

On Friday, Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m., the Folger Shakespeare Library and East City Bookshop, 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, are teaming up for an old-fashioned book fair highlighting programs from the Folger’s reopening season. Shop a curated book selection inspired by Folger Theatre, Poetry, and Book Club programs while learning more about what the Folger has planned. O.B. Hardison Poetry Series, Folger Poetry Program Manager Teri Cross Davis will read poems throughout the evening from their upcoming poetry season and Folger staff will be on hand to answer questions about upcoming Folger events. Enjoy complimentary beverages and snacks as you browse, with the opportunity to enter drawings for Folger tickets, swag, and more. After you select your books, take your receipt to Mr. Henry’s to enjoy 10% off your pre-tax bill. folger.edu.

On Saturday, Nov. 4, noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. (rain or shine), the DC Beer Festival returns to Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol St. SE, bringing together dozens of craft breweries that will feature seasonal beers, plus food trucks, dueling pianos, cover bands, DJs, and more throughout the park. $50 general mission includes unlimited samples from over 80 breweries. Everyone must be 21 and older. No pets. dcbeerfestival.com.

First Folio in the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC, USA.

THE CAPITOL HILL RESTORATION SOCIETY THANKS PROFESSOR JOHN RENNIE SHORT

We resumed this annual program on September 29, after a pandemic break. We would also like to thank all the CHRS and Community members who attended. We hope to see you again in 2024.

SW Waterfront AARP Luncheon with Councilmember Charles Allen

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, noon to 2 p.m., the Southwest Waterfront AARP Chapter welcomes AARP Members, prospective members, guests, neighbors and visitors to their community luncheon meeting at River Park Mutual Homes, 1311 Delaware Ave. SW. The keynote speaker is Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen. Lunch is available for $5. For further information, contact Betty Jean Tolbert Jones at bettyjeantolbertjones@yahoo. com or 202-554-0901.

Tech Help at SW Library

On Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2 to 3 p.m., get help with digital devices and accounts for free at the SW library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. Drop by Tech Help, a one-hour technology assistance clinic, for guidance from library sta . Come prepared with any necessary log-in information, your charged device, and any documents or assistive devices (including your glasses) you may need.

NPS Awards Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park Seawalls Repair Contract

The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund is providing $112.76 million to the National Park Service for a contract to rehabilitate the failing seawalls around a portion of the Tidal Basin and along the Potomac River through West Potomac Park. The contract was awarded to Cianbro Construction of Pitts eld, Maine on Aug. 29. The project will rehabilitate approximately 6,800 linear feet of seawall and extend its life expectancy by approximately 100 years. Construction on the project is expected to begin in mid-2024. Repair of the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park seawalls are part of nearly $500 million in planned infrastructure improvements on the National Mall prior to the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026. nps.gov.

Be ready to learn new skills and get comfortable in the digital environment while accomplishing the tech tasks you need done. Note

THE 2023 DICK WOLF LECTURE SPEAKER FOR HIS PRESENTATION

“THE COLLAPSE AND THE OPPORTUNITY: CITIES AFTER COVID”

that staff cannot assist with computer viruses or performance issues. If you are interested in scheduling one-on-one Tech Help appointment for 30 to 60 minutes, fill out the form at dclibrary.libnet.info/ event/8935446 and a staff member will be in touch. Need help filling out the form? Visit Southwest Library for assistance. dclibrary.org.

DC’s Taste of the Nation

On Sunday. Oct. 8, 1 to 4 p.m., join No Kid Hungry at M Street and New Jersey Ave. SE for an afternoon featuring exceptional eats, craft cocktails, and delectable desserts from the city’s top culinary talents and renowned No Kid Hungry chef supporters. Guests will enjoy bite-sized fare, entertainment, games and more. 100% of the proceeds benefit the No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger in the US. $130 general admission; $50, ages 11 to 16; free for ages to ten. capitolriverfront.org/do/dctaste-of-the-nation

Double Exposure Film Festival Returns

On Nov. 2 to 5, the Double Exposure Film Festival returns for its ninth year with a prescient and impactful slate of films at the intersection of investigative storytelling and narrative documentary film making. Most of this year’s films will take place at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library’s 290-seat theater. Double Exposure is the only film festival dedicated to investigative reporting on film. It pairs four days of film screenings with a professional symposium that brings together watchdog journalists and filmmakers venturing into investigative storytelling. To purchase passes, visit doubleexposure23.eventive. org/passes/buy.

2020: A Year to Remember

The Camera 1 Group, and the Ruth Ann Overbeck Capitol Hill History Project have announced a collaborative project to capture and preserve first-hand accounts of the tumultuous events that rocked Capitol Hill and the city during 2020. Specializing in personal biography films, and The Camera 1 Group, a local Emmy-award-winning production company, recorded nearly fifty interviews during the early months of the pandemic and captured critical events, including the shutdown, protests following the death of George Floyd, the outpouring of grief for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the lockdown of Capitol Hill following Jan. 6. Working with the Overbeck History Project, they want to expand their existing collection of interviews to create a comprehensive and diverse record of the pandemic and other important events. Interviews will be recorded as oral histories and preserved on a dedicated page of Ruth Ann Overbeck’s Capitol Hill History Project. Backstory Media will record select interviews for a documentary film. They are also seeking written, photo, and video submissions. To share your story or photos, email dcremembers2020@gmail.com.

WABA’s The Cider Ride

On Saturday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m., join the Washington Area Bicyclist Association for a 10-, 30-, or 55-mile ride, followed by a post-ride celebration. Enjoy crisp autumn air, picture-perfect foliage, and a day spent on the Prince George’s County trails. This ride is a fundraiser. Registration fees support WABA’s work in the DC region and their mission to empower people to ride bikes, build connections and transform places. waba.org.

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C

P.O. Box 77876 • Washington, D.C. 20013-7787 www.anc6c.org

Next meeting Wednesday, October 11, 2023. Information will be posted on the ANC 6C website.

ANC 6C COMMISSIONERS ANC 6C COMMITTEES

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 6C07@anc.dc.gov

Grants

Last Thursday, 7 pm

Contact: torylord@gmail.com

Twitter: @ANC_6C_Grants

Environment, Parks, and Events

First Tuesday, 7 pm

Contact: jgmccann@gmail.com

Transportation and Public Space First Thursday, 7 pm

Contact: anc6c.tps@gmail.com

First Wednesday, 6:30 pm

Contact: 6C04@anc.dc.gov

Twitter: @6C_PZE

“The New Republic” presents DC Political Trivia

On Thursdays, Oct. 26, Nov. 30 and Dec. 21, test your useless knowledge about politics over adult beverages with a roomful of like-minded people at Blackfinn DC, 1620 I St. NW. Participants can win drinks, food and cash prizes. The winning team receives $50 off their tab, second place $25 off their tab, with additional prizes. Bring your own campaign team or fly solo or in pairs (they’ll match you up). The game is free but reservations are required at capitalcityshowcase.com.

CHRS Preservation Café: Reuse, Repurpose, Redistribute

Scott Buga, Director of Communications at Community Forklift, will discuss his organization’s mission to reduce construction waste at a virtual Preservation Café on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. He will explain why reuse is important, and how to incorporate it into your projects at home. Hosted by the Capitol Hill Restoration Society. Details and reservations are at chrs.org/ community-forklift-pc1023/.

Foley Foundation 5k Freedom Run/Walk

The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation has announced that its annual Foley 5k DC Freedom Run/Walk will be held Oct. 15 at Anacostia Park with a 7 a.m. onsite registration time and an 8 a.m. race time. The race is a companion to the popular Freedom Run hosted annually in New Hampshire where

conflict journalist Jim Foley was raised. Participants are also able to run/walk and raise funds wherever they live around the world as part of a virtual run. James Foley was brutally murdered by ISIS on Aug. 19, 2014, after 21 months in captivity. He had been covering the Syrian civil war for Global Post and Agence France Presse at the time of his capture. The Foley Foundation was created to advocate for the safe return of all Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. To learn about the foundation, contact Patricia Eisner at patricia.eisner@jamesfoleyfoundation.org.

Capitol Hill Art League Art Supply Swap

The Capitol Hill Art League is holding an art supply swap at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE, on Saturday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to noon. Bring what-

ever art supplies you no longer want to trade with other artists. Weather permitting, they’ll be outside. If not, they’ll be in the Gallery. What isn’t taken will be donated. Questions? email solopikolo@aol.com.

The DC Row House: A Capitol Hill Perspective

Washington International Horse Show

Established in 1958, the Washington International Horse Show is one of North America’s most prestigious, competitive and entertaining equestrian events with competition for international, professional, amateur, junior and child riders. The 65th WIHS will be held Oct. 23 to 29, at The Show Place Arena at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center, 14900 Pennsylvania Ave., Upper Marlboro. The schedule offers seven days and three premier nights of top hunter, jumper, and equitation classes, as well as exciting exhibitions and entertainment. Tickets are on sale now for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Every other day, all day long, and daytimes Thursday through Saturday are free for all spectators. wihs.org.

Row houses, Washington’s most dominant building type, line Capitol Hill’s streets and characterize the neighborhood. On Monday, Oct. 16, Alison K. Hoagland will present an Overbeck lecture with a look at the evolution of row houses, sorting them by types of floor plans, from the 18th century to the present. Reasons behind their distinctive appearance include the constraints imposed by building regulations and the city plan. Speculative builders took several different approaches to constructing rows of houses and three Capitol Hill builders who characterized these approaches will be highlighted. Alison K. (Kim) Hoagland is the author of the recently published The Row House in Washington, DC: A History (University of Virginia Press, 2023) as well as five other books on various aspects of vernacular architecture of the US. This illustrated presentation on the changing face of Capitol Hill’s streets is on Monday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. at Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Reservations can be made at hillcenterdc.org or 202549-1172. u

Teddy Roosevelt speaks to the crowd in front of Knox College’s Old Main during a campaign rally for William McKinley’s presidential bid. Roosevelt was McKinley’s running mate.

What Would Olmstead Do?

A Tour of the Capitol Grounds

article

and

photos by Rindy O’Brien

One of the less noticed and appreciated natural treasures of Capitol Hill is the wonderful array of trees on the Capitol grounds. On September 15, 2023, as part of Casey Trees’ Urban Tree Summit, Jim Kaufmann, Director of the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum staff, led a very informative tour of the grounds for the group of arborists, park staff, gardeners, landscapers, and interested tree advocates.

Throughout the nearly three-hour tour, Capitol Grounds and Arboretum staff shared details about the history of the 286-acre grounds. They also offered horticultural tips from their day-to-day work keeping the grounds and trees looking their best.

Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead

The Capitol grounds were designed in 1874 by the renowned landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmstead. He is often called the father of American landscape architecture. Central Park in New York City is his best-known legacy, but over his career he designed 100 public parks and recreation grounds. Here in DC, in addition to the Capitol grounds, Olmstead drew up plans for the National Zoo. Gallaudet University is one of many campuses to have been touched by the famous landscaper, along with Duke, Sewanee, Colby, and Harvard.

At the time Olmstead worked on the Capitol Grounds, they only covered 50 acres, so his visions to create a park were abandoned. He instead concentrated on featuring the Capitol building by grouping trees and shrubs to frame the beauty of the building. “Twenty-one streets touched the Capitol grounds, with forty-six entrances for both pedestrians and carriages,” according to the

United States Capitol Historical Society. Olmstead wanted the Capitol building to always be the focus.

His plans are still the blueprint for the Capitol Grounds and there are special efforts to restore the grounds, trees, and even buildings, like the “summer house” at the bottom of Capitol Hill to the original plan. Kauffman says the first thought any of the staff has when confronting maintenance of the grounds is “What would Olmstead do with this situation?”

Today’s Capitol Grounds and Arboretum Staff

Kauffman directs a staff of 80 professional arborists, landscapers, turf specialists, gardeners, and a PhD entomologist. He is very proud that, in the past few years, more professionals have been brought into the care of the

The original grounds plan by Frederik Olmstead focused on the entry ways to the Capitol Building. This is one of the entries from the west side of the Capitol grounds.

This is the 12th year of Casey Trees and Montgomery County Parks department annual gathering, which includes a day of lectures and talks from arborists and research scientists from around the world and includes two to three field trips.

Capitol grounds. The staff cares for over 4,600 trees, some dating back to Olmstead. In January 2022, the Capitol achieved accreditation as a level III arboretum. Among the nation’s 504 accredited arboreta, it is just one of 40 that have attained this level of recognition. Jim says that having such status really helps in long term planning and provides many educational opportunities for the staff to interact with the public and members of Congress.

The mission of the staff is to serve, preserve, and inspire. Four million visitors come to the Capitol grounds each year. The hard-working staff strives to make sure the grounds look beautiful and inviting, while preserving the history of many of the original trees, as well as caring for the hardscape of sidewalks, walls, and the large turf area on the west side of the Capitol. Besides the day-to-day work, the Capitol Grounds support the Inaugural every four years and three to four large concerts every year like the Memorial Day and Fourth of July concerts.

HOMES&GARDENS

The compacted soil of the Capitol grounds is one of the challenges confronted by the staff. They work very hard to find ways to improve the soil, and deal with issues like storm water runoff. The turf specialists have turned to their colleagues in the sports world for advice. On the west side of the Capitol (where the concerts are performed), they are planting a Bermuda-like grass commonly known as Tahoma 31. The cultivar was developed at Oklahoma State University and is used at many golf courses and sports fields. The Capitol grounds staff report that they will be putting this grass in other areas of the Capitol in the future.

Memorial and Famous Trees

The Capitol’s trees cover a wide array of tree types. Some like the Sequoia Redwoods are not in the friendliest climate, and they are showing it. As trees need to be replaced, the staff tries to choose native tree specimens. But there are other considerations including special requests when it is a memorial tree. It takes an act of Congress for a memorial tree to be planted on the grounds. It is a very lengthy process, but it does happen. An example of a memorial tree is the Anne Frank Tree. It was grown from a sampling of the original horse chestnut tree that grew behind the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz sponsored the planting of one of the 13 saplings on the House side of the U.S. Capitol’s West Front and on April 30, 2014, there was a ceremony in National Statuary Hall dedicating the tree.

There are a couple of flowering cherry trees on the west side that are believed to be part of the 1912 original shipment of trees from Yokoyama, Japan. Other trees from this original shipment are preserved around the Jefferson Memorial’s tidal basin, as well as at the United States National Arboretum. On the east side, there are five crab apple trees planted to remem -

ber the five Sullivan brothers who died when the U.S.S. Juneau was sunk in 1942 during World War II. After the tragedy there were efforts to pass a law prohibiting siblings and family members from serving together in combat zones, but it never passed. Today’s policy of the Department of Defense provides opportunities for service members to transfer under these circumstances.

The Public Is Welcome to Use the Grounds

Kauffman is very happy that the grounds are open to the public and many visitors come every day. In the two oval grassy areas on the east side of the Capitol, he says there are often local Hill residents enjoying recreational time by picnicking or walking their dogs. He says there are three laws that prohibit certain activities. First you cannot cut down any tree; second, you cannot sleep or lay down on the grounds, and three, no sports. But Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has always gained permission for Hill kids and families to use the snow-covered ground for sledding, which is very much a tradition of Hill life, and is an exception to the rule.

There are many ways to learn more about the trees and grounds of the Capitol.

You can download the free Capitol Grounds and Arboretum app and it will provide you with a tour of all the trees, as well as history and natural information. There is a very informative map and brochure called, Explore, highlights and map of the U.S. Capitol Grounds that is available from the Architects’ office. Using your GPS to identify a tree will also net you great information. If you go to www.aoc.gov and find the Office of Operations, https://www.aoc.gov/about-us/organizational-structure/office-chief-operations, you can direct questions to the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum staff.

The Capitol grounds are a great public space for all to enjoy, and a real treasure for us locals.

Rindy O’Brien finds the Capitol grounds a great place to go for outdoor solace. To contact Rindy, rindyobrien@ gmail.com u

Jim Kaufmann, Director of the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum staff, has 25 years of public gardens and professional grounds management experience. He led the tour of the grounds for the Casey Tree Summit field trip in late September.

Memorial trees are found throughout the 286-acre campus. This chestnut oak was planted in 1949 to honor Senator Thomas P. Gore from Oklahoma.

Keith Roofing

Garden Problem Lady,

by Wendy Blair

Why do we plant spring ower bulbs now, rather than next spring?

Planting now is essential. It’s not that winter’s cold weather “stimulates” dormant spring bulbs to grow roots. It is the soil that does, and the timing. Bulbs planted now still have months in which to grow roots until the ground freezes. Freezing doesn’t kill the roots, just halts their growth, until spring. More than spring can, fall planting gives roots the growing time they need.

Autumn is the best time to plant shrubs and trees – say my gardening friends. Isn’t that counter-intuitive? Nothing you plant now will bloom until the spring.

The best gardeners must learn the EXCEPTIONS to gardening rules! If you garden where winters are extremely cold yes, spring planting is better, especially for tender shrubs. But springtime has fewer temperate days, between the last frost and summer’s high heat, than autumn does. In fall’s waning sun new trees, shrubs, and perennials can put all their energy into growing strong roots, readier to absorb and use soil nutrients and water.

• You can use less water because plants that are slowly going dormant are less thirsty.

• Water well as you plant, then water only every four weeks through winter.

• Give no high nitrogen fertilizer; it would encourage growth

The Capitol Hill Garden Club presents Dear

in plants going dormant.

• For color now, plant pansies. They can bloom until spring temperatures reach 75 degrees.

I have two new clematis vines, and I’m cross-eyed over when they need to be pruned. In the fall? Or in the spring? Do mine bloom on “old wood”? Or “new wood”? and what’s the di erence?

You can prune o dead vines or re-direct healthy ones anytime – and even not pruning is OK. But for maximum health and bloom, experts do prune. You just have to nd out when your Clematis bloom!

• Clematis that bloom on “old wood”, meaning on vines from the previous year – Pruning Category 1 – must never be pruned this late in the season (November) because you’d be cutting o next year’s blooms, which are already forming.

• Clematis that bloom on “new wood” – Pruning Category 3 – you can prune either now, or up to early next spring before they start branching their “new wood” vines. But don’t wait past March.

• Most Clematis fall into Pruning Category #2. They bloom on both new and old wood, and often bloom twice in one season. Prune the same as #3 – early in spring before new growth begins.

On Saturday, October 14 members Capitol Hill Garden Club will enjoy a tour of the Bishop’s Garden at the Washington National Cathedral. For more information, please visit the club’s website at capitolhillgardenclub.org.

Feeling beset by gardening problems? Send them to the Problem Lady c/o the Editor, Hill Garden News. Your problems might even prove instructive to others and help them feel superior to you. Complete anonymity is assured.

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.

NEIGHBORHOOD PRICE BR

AVAILABLE NOW!

1825 Massachusetts Ave SE 4BR/2.5BA

$999,000

SERENE SLICE OF CAPITOL HILL WITH SMART SETUP! Just past Lincoln Park and steps to Metro and new cafes, a row of DEEP front gardens and proud porch fronts! Steps inside to a delightful balance of historic features - original oak floors, casing, doors, hardware -- and transformative interior updates, all basked in southwestern sunshine! Fantastic flow: Spacious living room leads to large central dining, open to fully custom kitchen of copious cabinets, plus stunning rear sunroom! Upstairs a skylit modern bath is book-ended by spacious front bedroom, and three rear rooms offering ultimate family flexibility. The lower level boasts a BONUS: second kitchen, separate entry, and full bath perfect for welcoming guests, or short term rental stays.

AVAILABLE NOW!

342 8th St NE 3BR/3BA/2,448 SF

$1,299,000

RARE MIXED USE OPPORTUNITY IN CAPITOL HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT! WIDE 2-unit building delivers tremendous flexibility: Unit 1 features classic retail storefront with tall ceilings, big dimensions (20’x60’), bay front, and bonus basement studio with kitchen. Currently the home of Nana’s Place - trusted neighborhood early childhood daycare provider to Hill families. Second floor features unit 2 spacious THREE BR apartment with renovated kitchen and TWO updated baths. LOFT-like feel includes exposed brick, skylights, gleaming floors, new windows and HVAC. Live upstairs while the Unit 1 LEASE PAYS ALL the monthly costs of ownership!

UNDER

CONTRACT!

553 15th St SE 4BR/3.5BA/SOLAR PANELS

$1,099,000

WIDE AND WONDERFUL ON A CAPITOL HILL CORNER! Tired of typical? Look no further for coveted, convenient Capitol Hill location and a RARE WIDE, WONDERFUL corner home with great green curb appeal! Steps to Metro, Safeway, Roost and River Trails, enjoy 38 feet of frontage for side patio and gardens, and 22foot wide building front for extra large living area with wood burning hearth. Easy entertaining flow from front and side entry. FULL RENOVATION ten years’ young with all new windows, wiring, mechanicals and plumbing, and finishes. Rooftop solar PV system covers your electric bill - sustainable in every way!

900 8th ST NE 4BR/3.5BA/GARAGE

$1,598,000

COMPLETE CORNER TRANSFORMATION! Striking semi-detached anchors this block with fabulous wrap around yard and glorious Southern Magnolia. Reinvented top to bottom featuring gourmet kitchen, glass wall opening to private patio, soaring ceilings, exposed brick,and sunny skylights. Full footprint basement affords flexible options as a den or guest suite with kitchenette, fourth bedroom/ home office, and rare mudroom entrance from attached garage. Short stroll in any direction to thriving Union Market district, Whole Foods, H Street/Atlas Corridor.

1300 I St NE 2BR/2BA/ROOFDECK

Unit 1: $747,000

Unit 3: $699,000 Unit 4: $739,000

STUNNING BOUTIQUE CONDOS! ONLY

A FEW UNITS REMAIN! All new ground-up construction of unparalleled quality from Schmidt Development - maker of Hill mansions! Every unit is a grand corner at ‘Eye’ Street Condominium; Unit 1 delivers a private entrance, Units 3, 4 & 5 offer entry from 13th Street gardens with roof deck

Are You an Active Ager?

by Pattie Cinelli

How well older people can function is a hot topic these days, not only in the work force and in politics, but it has also found its way into heated discussions among family and friends.

Aging is changing societies on a global level, according to the International Council of Active Aging (ICAA). Today, just over 34 percent of the US population is 50 and over and that number is rising rapidly with the baby boomer generation. Worldwide, that number increases to almost 38 percent. No matter where you live, or what your specific lifestyle and health situation is, anyone can be an active ager, according t o Colin Milner, who founded ICAA in 2001. “Even if you are in long term care, you can always squeeze the juice out of life so you can live better and longer,” he said.

Millner turned his belief that all our years “be alive with purpose and brimming with healthful activity” into a new kind of organization that helps change the way society perceives and responds to its older population. His organization also has created an Active Aging Week, Oct. 2-8, 2023.

Active aging sees all individuals—regardless of age, socioeconomic status or health—fully engaging in life within all aspects of wellness that include emotional, environmental, intellectual/cognitive, physical, professional/vocational, social and spiritual. Research shows that an active lifestyle can lessen challenges and increase opportunities associated with aging.

Following the ICAA’s principles of active aging can help extend longevity and quality of life, according to Milner. “Physical activity is just one of the many elements that makes up a person. “It’s just as important that we are socially connected and that we are intellectually active.” You don’t have to start running marathons, but you do want

ago are two aspects that influence me actively aging I can’t change. I can, however, choose to think that what I do in the present is most important.

Stay positive – Active aging starts with having a positive attitude about getting older. Yale psychologist Becca Levy has found that negative attitudes about aging can trim 7.5 years off your life. Other studies have found positive thinking can lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well as improve quality of sleep.

Stay connected – Older people with active social interactions, either in person or virtually, may live longer and reduce their risk of depression, according to The American Geriatrics Society.

Stay involved – Participation in cultural, social, economic, and civic affairs as well as volunteering and helping out neighbors can also help foster wellness and healthier aging regardless of physical or cognitive status, the WHO reports.

to get your body, mind and soul moving and be fully engaged in living life.

How to be an Active Ager

The ICAA offers guidelines on how to stay well and live longer. While I like to believe I’m on the correct path to staying well until the day I die, a few guidelines require maintaining a positive attitude and letting go of things I cannot change.

What genes I was born with and how I lived years

Stay healthy at all ages –Your early life behavior that includes diet, alcohol and tobacco use, sets the stage for later-life active aging, according to Dr. Susan Friedman, a geriatrician and professor of medicine at the University of Rochester. However, changing to a healthier lifestyle at any age can help minimize the effects of disease and extend longevity, she added.

Stay curious – Intellectual engagement is as important as physical and social stimulation. Efforts that promote brain health, like taking a class, playing music, reading books about new subjects, or learning new skills, keep the brain

Active agers Patrick McClintock and Fabiola Nadjar enjoying a spectacular sunset in Lewes, DE.

engaged and neurons ring.

Stay calm – Stress can creep into our lives no matter what life phase we are in. Exercise, deep breathing techniques, mindfulness or meditation, and increased social and mental health support are just some non-pharmacologic ways to help.

While other factors like income, education, and access to healthcare play roles in healthy longevity, everyone can take an active approach towards aging, regardless of their particular circumstances.

A 2020 report from the McKinsey Global Institute concluded that we should be thinking about health and aging more as an economic and social investment rather than a strain on the economy. “Long-term prevention and health promotion cannot simply be left to healthcare providers or healthcare systems. It is quite literally everybody’s business,” the report said.

There are no hard and fast rules for active aging, except to engage your whole self as much as possible. “Being young isn’t about age: it’s about being a free spirit,” said Lesley Lawson “Twiggy”, who is now 74 years old. Cecily Tyson, who died at 96, said, “Life and aging are the greatest gifts that we could possibly ever have.”

For information on the International Council on Active Aging: www.icaa.cc.

Pattie Cinelli is a health and tness professional and journalist who has been writing her column for more than 25 years. She focuses on nontraditional ways to stay healthy, get t and get well. Please email her with questions or column suggestions at: tmiss44@aol.com. ◆

Len Kirsten was a true Capitol Hill pioneer. In 1965, the entrepreneurial Len opened the Emporium, the Hill’s first trendy gift and novelty shop, in the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. For the next 10 years he sold posters, costume jewelry, political buttons and much more, items he said his customers had to travel to Georgetown to find before he opened his shop. Read about Len in his oral history at CapitolHillHistory.org. Keep Capitol Hill history alive by becoming a volunteer.

Photo by Gayle Krughoff

The District Vet Glaucoma

by Dan Teich, DVM

Glaucoma isn’t only a disease of people. Cats and dogs can have elevated eye pressure, too!

Many people have heard of glaucoma, but what is it? Let’s talk in simple terms. The eye is a hollow organ with a window at the front and it is filled with fluid. The back of the eye has an organ which detects light, similar to a digital camera. This is the retina. In order to keep the eye in its round shape, the eye has a moderately increased pressure, similar to why a balloon stays inflated. This fluid is called the aqueous humor.

Glaucoma is when the pressure in the eye is too high, like an over-inflated balloon. While the eye will not pop (unless there are complicating factors), this elevated pressure can damage sensitive parts of the eye, leading to pain and blindness.

Aqueous humor in the eye circulates: it is constantly produced and reabsorbed at the same rate when everything is working as it should. Problems arise when there is decreased absorption of the fluid or if there is a structure in the eye blocking its ability to flow and drain.

The most common sign seen with glaucoma is an “angry” eye; there is redness of the white of the eye, excessive blinking, differing sized pupils, swollen eye(s), a color change to the clear portion of the eye (cornea), sudden blindness, signs of pain or discomfort, and other symptoms.

Elevated pressures cause numerous problems, with some, but usually not all of these clinical issues being present. The excessive pressure may slowly kill the cells in the retina which detect light and send messages to the brain. This leads to decreased sight and eventual blindness if too much of the retina dies. In cases where the

ing the firmness of the cornea, similar to poking a balloon and seeing how much give it has. This is called tonometry and is easily measured in the hospital. When measuring eye pressure, it is important to get a number of measurements and to check both eyes. The pressure can be artificially elevated in a stressed pet, one who is being held too tightly, or affected by sedatives. Low pressure can occur if there is an infection in the eye or some types of inflammation.

Elevated eye pressure and glaucoma is seen most commonly in purebred dogs and cats, especially any dog with a smooshed face (boxer, pug, Boston), cocker spaniel, Shiba Inu, shih tzu, Scottish terrier, Cairn terrier, beagle, and in Himalayan cats. But any dog or cat can develop glaucoma.

eye swells and becomes larger, it can tear the delicate strands of fibers which hold the lens in place. This can lead to the lens popping out of place, and even lead to further glaucoma, specially if the lens migrates toward the font of the eye, acting like a plug.

Glaucoma is diagnosed by measuring the pressure. The simplest method involves assess-

Treatment depends upon the cause of the elevated pressure, but regardless, the goal is to lower the eye pressure back to normal. Surgery can be performed using lasers. The laser destroys some of the tissue that produces aqueous humor, therefore allowing the eye more time to absorb the fluid. This is the most common surgical procedure. Placing a stent may also be done, but this is far less common. Topical medications aimed at either creating production of fluid or increasing the outflow of fluid can be tried.

Dan Teich, DVM, Medical Director, District Veterinary Hospital. www.districtvet.com u

photo: Angela Schmidt

S chool N otes

by Susan Braun Johnson

NorthEast Stars Montessori

The 2023-2024 School Year started with the NES students learning to unroll and roll a “work mat.” In the Montessori classroom, children use individual work mats to establish and organize their personal workspace. At the beginning of any floor work, and before taking materials from the shelf, the children are asked to create their workspace by placing a mat on the floor. Carrying the work mat back to the floor and then rolling it marks the beginning of the children’s work. Similarly, rolling up the mat and returning the mat to its basket marks the end. Northeast Stars Montessori 1325 Maryland NE; nestars.net

DC Prep

DC Prep is proud to be one of the highest-performing public charter school networks in the nation’s capital! A Stanford study recently found that a DC Prep education is the equivalent of an additional 132 days of math instruction and 42 days of ELA instruction per year. Home to two Nation-

al 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.

DC Prep, 2330 Pomeroy Road, SE; www.dcprep.org

Watkins Elementary

Watkins’ Equalizers Club is an equity-centered leadership club focusing on making Watkins fairer and more inclusive.

Watkins Elementary, 420 12th St SE; capitolhillclusterschool.org.

Maury

Lauren Bomba’s students in Studio Maury kicked off the school year by creating their own Personal Pantone colors, blending hues, tints, tones, and shades using only the primary colors and black and white. All 550 artists are using their unique colors to paint a wooden paintbrush as part of a school wide art installation - and to sign the Studio Maury contract encouraging artists to be bold,

kind, responsible, and creative risktakers all year long.

Maury Elementary, 1250 Constitution Ave. NE, mauryelementary.com

Capitol Hill Day School

In mid-September Capitol Hill Day School celebrated the beginning of the academic year with their annual Common Threads assembly. Every September they use this time to gather as a full community, introduce new faces (students and educators), and sing Count on Me led by performing arts teachers Jill and Shelly. Head of School Jason Gray remarked on the importance of com-

munity and being there for one another, sharing the following quote from the beloved Fred Rogers: “All of us, at some time or other, need help.

DC Prep

Capitol Hill Day School

Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”

Capitol Hill Day School, 210 South Carolina Ave, SE; www.chds.org

Van Ness

Van Ness is so excited for the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, because of this amazing group of educators. Thank you, teachers! Wishing everyone an Otterly wonderful school year!

Van Ness Elementary, 1150 Fifth St, SE; www.vannesselementary.org

Waterfront Academy

Waterfront Academy celebrated their first day of school in September. They also welcomed new staff members including

Juan Torrico and Desiree Filardi. The school is also eagerly looking forward to celebrating their 10th anniversary.

Waterfront Academy, 222 M St. NW; waterfrontacademy.org

Mundo Verde

To mark the beginning of the school year, Mundo Verde students started

their academic journey with an exciting month filled with laughter, learning, and new friendships.

J.F. Cook Campus, 30 P St NW; Calle Ocho Campus, 4401 8th St, NE; www.mundoverdepcs.org

Miner Elementary

Students and staff at Miner Elementary have kicked off the school year with a series of back-to-school events over the past month. The administration and parent teacher organization hosted a Back to School Bash, three grade level orientation sessions, Back to School Night, and as pictured, Popsicles with the Principal and ECE team.

Miner, 601 15th St NE, Minerelementary.org

Eastern HS

DC’s Historic Preservation Review Board unanimously designated Eastern as a historical landmark on the DC Inventory of Historical Sites. The school celebrated its 100th Anniversary in the building last spring.

Eastern Senior HS 1700 East Capitol St. NE; easternhighschooldcps.org u

Waterfront Academy

Mundo Verde

Miner

Eastern HS

Van Ness

Kids & Family

Boo at the Zoo (always sells out)

It’s no trick, only the sweetest treat: Boo at the Zoo, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s family-friendly Halloween event is back on Oct. 20, 21 and 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. Guests can feast their eyes on spellbinding habitats decorated with Jack-O-Lanterns, spooky enrichment and tasty treats for the animals. Fiendishly fun vignettes featuring frolicking skeletons and fantastical creatures liven up the Zoo’s main pathway, Olmsted Walk. Tickets include special after-hours access for animal viewing at the Elephant Community Center, Small Mammal House, Reptile Discovery Center, a souvenir tote bag and around 30 trick-or-treat stations around the Zoo. Tickets are $35; parking, $30. nationalzoo.si.edu/events/boo-zoo.

Día de los Muertos Family Day at SAAM

On Saturday, Oct. 28, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., celebrate Día de los Muertos with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and G streets, NW. Bring the whole family to see exciting live performances, including traditional Mexican folk dance by Ballet Folklorico Mi Herencia Mexicana, an exhilarating mariachi performance by Mariachi Aguila DC, and a showcase of different Latin American music genres and dances with Sol y Rumba. Attendees ages 12 and younger can enjoy face painting throughout the day, while visitors of all ages can try out their featured Día de los Muertos-themed crafts. Have fun with a Día de los Muertos scavenger hunt that will take you through the museum’s new Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea exhibit. Free; no registration required. americanart.si.edu.

Hill-O-Ween @ Eastern Market

For 20 years, Hill-O-Ween has been a cherished tradition on the street in front of Eastern Market. It’s a chance for kids to show their creativity, dress up, play, and make some of the best memories of their childhood. This year, Hill-O-Ween is on Friday, Oct. 27, 5 to 8 p.m. at Eastern Market, 225 Seventh St. SE. hilloweendc.com.

Photo: Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum; photo by Norwood Photography

Hallowee-ones Costume Party at Atlas

On Saturday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. to noon, it’s time for your favorite and funniest characters galore. This family-friendly event is hosted by none other than drag sensation Tara Hoot “darling you’re gorgeous!” Show off your favorite and funniest costume and enjoy story time, music, dancing, creation stations, a costume parade, and trick-or-treating. Recommended for ages birth to ten. Free but registration recommended. The Atlas is at 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org.

Capitol City Symphony’s Silent Movie “One Week”: A Family Concert

On Sunday, Nov. 12, 2 and 4:30 p.m., it’s time for Capitol City Symphony’s annual interactive family concert at the Atlas. Travel with CCS to the golden era of silent films with a live performance of Andrew Earle Simpson’s original score accompanying a screening of famed comedian Buster Keaton’s hilarious—but silent—romp One Week. Ideal for audiences of all ages, One Week chronicles the comedic misadventures of a newlywed couple’s attempt to build a DIY house they were given as a wedding gift—all in 22 minutes. Plan to arrive early. 30 minutes before the concert starts, an instrument petting zoo will be held throughout the concert hall and lobby, giving your family a hands-on opportunity to get to know their artists and their instruments. $20. The Atlas is at 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org.

AlegreMENTE: Happy Brain Opens at National Children’s Museum

National Children’s Museum, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, welcomes AlegreMENTE | Happy Brain: Celebrating Early Connections, a bilingual Spanish/English exhibit that invites young learners, birth to five, and their caregivers to learn about healthy brain development through play. The Alegre-

Flamenco en Familia at GALA

On Saturday, Nov. 4, 1:30 p.m., Sara Jerez and Richard Marlowe lead interactive demonstrations with castanets, fans, and zapateo for children and the entire family. Free; no tickets necessary. Just show up at GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. galatheatre.org.

MENTE | Happy Brain exhibit focuses on the basics of early brain development using interactive features set in a whimsical forest, including a light-up tilt table, dance studio, creative storytelling game and dedicated infant area. This enables caregivers to explore, alongside their children, and discover that they’re equipped with everything they need to support early brain development and build healthy connections. This exhibit runs through Jan 1. 2024 and is included in the cost of admission. The National Children’s Museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day except Tuesdays. nationalchildrensmuseum.org.

Arts for All! Children’s Fest at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage is hosting an Arts for All! Children’s Fest on Saturday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (rain or shine), at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave, in Bethesda. The festival is a free, fun, indoors/outdoors and hands-on celebration of performing and visual arts especially for children ages one to eight. Four DMV arts organizations are partnering and leading lively workshops. imaginationstage.org.

Garlic Planting Party in Arboretum’s Youth Garden

Join Friends of the National Arboretum on Saturday, Oct. 28, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., for their annual Garlic Planting Party in the Washington Youth Garden. Celebrate their WYG community and the end of the growing season with gar-

Kids’ Day at the Horse Show

lic planting, face painting, fall art activities, food tastings, vegetable harvesting, and more. Wearing costumes is highly encouraged. Enter the Arboretum through either the New York Avenue (3501 New York Ave. NE) or R Street entrances (2400 R St. NE). fona.org.

Family Spooky Halloween Disco at Dance Place

On Saturday, Oct. 28, 4 to 8 p.m., join Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE, for an all ages, family-friendly Halloween Disco. This indoor/outdoor event features a DJ, games, snacks, and a host of other spooky surprises. Adults, be sure to come dressed to impress for a chance to win their costume dance off, judged by their youth panelist. danceplace.org.

Culture Queen Kids Hour: Native American Heritage Party

On Saturday, Nov. 4, noon to 1 p.m., Grammy-nominated teaching artist Culture Queen cordially invites your royal children to the Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE, to create cultural holidays celebrating the people, milestones, and things that matter most to them through fun, interactive, and engaging music, movement, storytelling, and craft activities. Free. anacostia.si.edu.

On Saturday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain or shine), enjoy the activities outside, then come into the Prince George’s Equestrian Center to watch the competition in action. Washington International Horse Show Kids’ Day is a free, fun, and educational event created to share the joy of horses with kids and their parents. All events and activities are free. Parking is also free and has easy access to Kids’ Day. Prince George’s Equestrian Center is at 14900 Pennsylvania Ave., Upper Marlboro, MD. wihs.org.

Photo: Alden Corrigan Media

PumpkinPalooza at Alethia Tanner Park

On Thursday, Oct. 26 (rain date, Friday, Oct. 27), 4 to 8 p.m., join the NoMa Business Improvement District at Alethia Tanner Park, 227 Harry Thomas Way NE, for free, fall fun for the whole family. There is a Halloween party from 4 to 6:15 p.m. and a screening of Hocus Pocus at 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Other activities include a free pickyour-own pumpkin patch, costume contests for people and dogs, live music, face painting and Timber Pizza food truck on-site. nomabid.org/pumpkinpalooza.

The ABCs of Hip Hop at Discovery Theater

On Thursday, Oct. 26 and Friday, Oct. 27, 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. (both days), Baba Bomani uses rhythm and rhyme to illustrate basic reading and math concepts, such as recognizing syllables, and demonstrates how a rapper’s flow is simply a number bond math equation. Young audience members will pick up active-listening skills and have some fun learning how to rap the alphabet backwards. Tickets are $8 for adults; $7 for kids; $3 for kids under two. Tickets are on sale now. It is recommended for ages three to six. Discovery Theater’s Ripley Center is at 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW (on the National Mall). discoverytheater.org.

Fall Harvest Festival at Mt. Vernon

On Oct. 21 and 22, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., each day, celebrate the crisp autumn season with 18th-century activities and demonstrations at the Farm at Mount Vernon. You can explore the farm; meet General Washington; view demonstrations of 18th-century cooking, candle making, surveying, and coopering (making and repairing buckets and barrels); visit

with the Farrier to learn how horseshoeing was performed in the 18th century; watch 18th-century spinning demonstrations. $28 for adults; $15 for ages six to eleven; free for infants to five. mountvernon.org.

Dead Man’s Run: Kids’ Run

The Dead Man’s Run 5k at Congressional Cemetery is on Saturday, Oct. 14, 5:30 p.m. As the funeral bell tolls, runners bound around the cemetery and continue out onto the Anacostia Trail for a ghostly evening run full of spooky music and fun. Costumes are encouraged, with prizes for best individual and teams. Registration is $35. There is a kids’ race prior to the start of the 5k. Participation is free for any child who comes with a registered runner. If no runners are registered, children may still participate for a $5 fee. Registration for the children’s race is in the chapel on the day of the race. A parent or guardian must sign a waiver. All proceeds support the cemetery’s non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and fund the preservation of this National Historic Landmark. congressionalcemetery.org.

Find a Corn Maze, Pumpkin Patch or Hayride

Find pumpkin patches, pick-your-own pumpkin farms, hayrides and corn mazes in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia at pumpkinpatchesandmore.org. The site claims to have the world’s best pumpkin pie and pie crust recipes as well. It also has home canning, preserving, drying and freezing directions. Most pumpkin patches and corn mazes open by mid-September; some earlier. In winter, you’ll find cut-your-own Christmas tree farms at pickyourownchristmastree.org.

Ten Museum of African Art At-Home Activities

Visit africa.si.edu/education/at-home for details about at-home projects for kids, K to 12. Here are some explored ideas: (1) Research a particular re-

gion of Africa (2) Explore African art through an African lens (3) Make a poster board focusing on the geography of Africa (4) Create a power point presentation (5) Read a book by an African author (6) Watch a film about Africa (7) Create a blog (8) Compose a poem (9) Create a virtual tour (10) Write a commentary. africa.si.edu.

Girls on the Run 5k

The Girls on the Run 5k is on Sunday, Nov. 19, 8 a.m. (pre-run activities start at 7 a.m.) at Anacostia Park. It is a 3.1-mile loop around the park. All participants can walk, run, push or roll safely and at their own happy pace. Family, friends and community members outside of the program can participate but must register. At Girls on the Run, they inspire all girls to build confidence and make intentional decisions, while fostering care and compassion for self and others. Read more at gotrdc.org.

WABA and DC Dream Center Family Bicycle-Trail Riding Basics

This family bicycle-trail riding class is on Sunday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m. at Anacostia Park. It is hosted by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association in partnership with the DC Dream Center. WABA’s Trail Riding Basics teaches bicyclists of all ages the skills needed to ride safely, confidently, and considerately on our region’s many trails and multi-use paths. Instructors discuss the importance of trail etiquette while riding on a multi-use path and answer any questions that participants may have about trail riding for commuting or recreation. At the end of the three hours, you’ll go for a group trail ride, where participants put their newly acquired skills to the test. $10. Have any questions? Email them at education@waba.org. Register at waba.org/ blog/2023/08/dc-dream-center-family-trail-riding-basics.

Moongaze on International Observe the Moon Night

On Saturday, Oct. 21, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., come view the moon and other night sky objects during International Observe the Moon Night. This stargazing event will take place outside the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Experienced people will help you to observe the moon, as well as planets and stars. Leave your personal telescopes at home; all equipment will be provided for

Photo: Nina Ramadan Photography

this event. moon.nasa.gov/observethe-moon-night.

The Dragon King’s Daughter at KC

Twelve-year-old Kenny Li is being bullied at school. When he nds a magical tablet, he is transported to the Jade Kingdom where he meets Xing, the Dragon King’s daughter. Together, they go on a quest to save the world, nding courage and friendship along the way. Chinese dragon mythology, martial arts, and stunning voices combine in this world premiere musical following an unlikely young duo on a daring adventure. Marcus Yi’s heroic story and inspiring songs come alive onstage, with direction by Chongren Fan and choreography by Billy Busta-

NSO Family Concert: Halloween Spooktacular

On Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., in an October tradition, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall transforms into a ghostly sight when National Symphony Orchestra musicians perform new and old classics to celebrate Halloween and Día de los Muertos. Arrive early for trickor-treating and a special Haunted Hall Musical PLAYspace. The Halloween Spooktacular is most enjoyed by ages ve, up. $18 to $20. kennedy-center.org.

mante. At the Kennedy Center, from Nov. 18 to Dec. 17. It is most enjoyed by aged seven and older. $20. kennedy-center.org.

KEENFest 2023: The Greatest Show

On Saturday, Nov. 4, plan to join KEEN Greater DC-Baltimore at the Capital Hilton Hotel, 1001 16th St. NW, for KEENFest 2023: The Greatest Show. KEENFest is their annual gala fundraiser featuring live performances by KEEN athletes, dinner, fantastic auction items, music, entertainment and dancing. Proceeds from the event support KEEN Greater DC-Baltimore’s sports and recreation programs serving children, teens and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities at no cost to the participants or their families. keengreaterdc.org.

Kids’ Play Space at the NGA

Kids’ Play Space is designed for the National Gallery of Arts littlest art lovers. Play, build, sort, and stack in a hands-on space on the rst Saturday of every month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the East Building Atrium. Just drop-in. Children must be accompanied by an adult. nga.gov.

Protect Tiny Hummingbirds With an Adoption!

They’re small but mighty. Weighing less than a nickel, these pintsized marvels cross the Gulf of Mexico in a single non-stop flight during migration. Celebrate Hummingbird Day with a Ruby-throated Hummingbird adoption, and you’ll protect birds and their habitats for generations to come. You can also adopt a painted bunting, a bald

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: DCHE 2023-6

NMTC PROGRAM UNDERWRITING AND TRANSACTION SUPPORT SERVICES

DC Housing Enterprises (“DCHE”) is a wholly owned subsidiary, and an instrumentality of the District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) is requesting underwriting, transaction and technical support services to assist in evaluating NMTC funding applications.

SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available beginning Monday, September 11, 2023 on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations”.

SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 12:00 NOON.

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

eagle, and a peregrine falcon. All adoptions are $60. You receive a small plush bird as a thank you. Transactions made through the Audubon Gift Catalog are symbolic. Funds will be directed to Audubon’s mission to protect birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Call 800361-7724 if you have any questions or would like to place your order over the phone. audubon.org.

A Year with Frog and Toad (save the date)

Kingman Island Family Day

On Saturday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., explore Kingman and Heritage Islands with your family and friends. Experience all the amazing activities the islands offer including paddling, nature walks, fishing, scavenger hunts. Activities include Anacostia Green Boats; Ask a Ranger; Bark Rangers (bring your dog); Bird with Us; Fish of the District; Learn to Row; Island Info Table; Meadow Exploration; Meet a Freshwater Mussel; Tree Bingo & Scavenger Hunt; Watershed Simulation Model; Nature Story Time; and Sensory Observation Exploration. Free admission. Kingman And Heritage Islands Park, 575 Oklahoma Ave. NE. kingmanisland.com.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

SOLICITATION NO.: 2023-7

New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) Application Administration and Support Services

DC Housing Enterprises (“DCHE”) is a wholly owned subsidiary and an instrumentality of the District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) seeks qualified firms to provide NMTC Application Administration and Support.

SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available

beginning Monday, September 25, 2023 on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations”.

SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 12:00 NOON.

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

In this musical, two best friends with opposite personalities wake up from hibernation and enjoy hilarious adventures through the seasons. Light-hearted, with a sprinkle of nostalgia, this show is inspired by the acclaimed children’s books. A Year with Frog and Toad is at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, MD, from Nov. 15 to Jan. 7. Best for ages four, up. imaginationstage.org.

You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown at Adventure Theatre

Through Oct. 29, Adventure Theatre, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD, kicks off its 2023-2024 Professional Season with the beloved Peanuts gang in the musical, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Based on the 50-year-long syndicated comic strip, this nostalgic and fun revue of songs and vignettes is perfect for all ages. With charm, wit, and heart, the show explores life’s big questions through the eyes of the Peanuts gang as they play baseball, fly kites, struggle

with homework, swoon over crushes, and celebrate the joys of friendship. Growing up is a serious business! $25. adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

Witch Wartsmith’s Halloween Spooktacular at Glen Echo

Through Oct. 29, the Puppet Co. at Glen Echo presents the Halloween Spooktacular, a funny competitive variety show where the audience gets to vote for the winner. This not-so-spooky show, filled with puns and Halloween humor, will entertain kids and parents. Shows take place on Thursdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Recommended for ages four and up. $15; free for under age two. The run time is about 45 minutes. Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD. thepuppetco.org. u

Photo: Krista Schiver

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

CROSSWORD Matters of Law

by Myles Mellor

Across:

Down:

60. Nation on the equator

___ in one

short

Government security agency, abbr.

“Cool” dude

Cut off

Hot stuff

Scandinavian first name

Customary practices

Environmental watchdog, for short

Michael Stipe’s band

Digital recordings

Misinforms

Nutritional inits.

Snake River st.

Filmmaker Spike

Future atty.’s hurdle

88. Medical org. 89. Spanish for month 90. Atlanta-based channel

Parabolic shape

Deer

Official

Operatic villains, often

Artistic period

___-en-Provence

Baton Rouge inst.

Brain scan, for short

Crack

Bowl sound

“Give it ___!”

Deviate

Black, to Blake

Put ___ to

Acorn or pecan

Celebs acquire it

Iridescent gem

Artist Paul

___ time

Dr.’s orders

Corp. exec.

Instant-messaging pioneer

Substantially

___ Miss (Eli Manning’s alma mater) 126. Blame 127. Stanford-Binet test results 128. Country N. of Slovenia 129. High school subj.

Corner Colonial (3192 sf) ‘rockin’ porchfront w/ 4 car parking, legal 1BR unit & 3BR/2.5ba Main. Bright and Centennially Classic, this home has separate living, dining and kitchen, along with a half bath, pantry, wood-burning fireplace, coffered ceiling, wood plantation shutters, screened porch w/ private patio. Generous upper floor has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, absolutely stunning! A bedroom is remodeled into a ‘twin’ home office. The LL BR apartment/ in-law suite has its own laundry! The home shines in a traditional fashion of oak & chestnut, a home with STYLE!