hillrag.com • April 2014
Est. 1981
CT TRA N O C
CT TRA CON
CAPITOL HILL
CAPITOL HILL
222 15th Street, NE Fixer Upper Todd Bissey 202-841-7653 THE BISSEY TEAM
125 C Street, SE $1,700,000 4-1BR Apartments & PKG! Fern Pannill 240-508-4856
CAPITOL HILL 118 E Street, SE 5BR/3.5BA
Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com
CAPITOL HILL
653 8th Street, NE #2 $350,000 2BR/2BA Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661
CAPITOL HILL
648 11th Street, NE
We are representing the Purchaser. Todd Bissey 202-841-7653 THE BISSEY TEAM
ON THE PARK! 410 E Street, SE Knock-out renovation w/ 4BR/3.5BA. Situated on a double lot, directly across from Marion Park!
D SOL PETWORTH
Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661
4925 7th Street, NW $639,500 Fern Pannill 240-508-4856
D SOL
D SOL
CAPITOL HILL
440 12th Street, NE #003 $448,500 Todd Bissey 202-841-7653 THE BISSEY TEAM
DEANWOOD 4640 Blaine Street, NE $369,500 Fern Pannill 240-508-4856
D SOL TRINIDAD
D SOL BRIGHTWOOD
D SOL LEDROIT PARK 21 Rhode Island Ave, NW Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com
LEDROIT PARK
1418 Orren Street, NE $589,000
1359 Underwood Street, NW
249 Florida Ave., NW #23 $348,500
Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com
Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com
Todd Bissey 202-841-7653 THE BISSEY TEAM
“WHERE WASHINGTON SHOPS FOR A NEW ADDRESS!”® 225 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003
Tel: 202-544-3900 www.johncformant.com
Sales • Rentals • Commercial Leasing • Property Management • Investments
April 2014 H 3
4 H Hillrag.com
April 2014 H 5
THE SPRING HOUSING MARKET IS FULCRUM #1 FP (CR)
Fulcrum Properties Group Can Help.
6 H Hillrag.com
April 2014 H 7
8 H Hillrag.com
INTRODUCING
The Townhomes at Edmonds School
4-5 bedrooms, 4-5.5 bath townhomes now available for hard hat tours. 3,600-4200 sq ft, Roof Terraces, Parking Developed by CAS Riegler & Ditto Residential Interior Design Collaboration with Darryl Carter Starting at $1,649,000
Pamela Wye 202.320.4169 Pwye@ttrsir.com
Richard Seaton 202.907.8037 Rseaton@ttrsir.com
Office Phone: 202.234.3344 April 2014 H 9
10 H Hillrag.com
ing
Com
n Soo
00
9,5
$53
CORPORATE SPONSORS: Platinum
Jason Townsend/CCP NCB
La Lomita Dos
1207 S. Forest Dr.
Renovated 4BR, 3BA with 2-story addition. Space galore, wonderful light, award-winning schools, 6 miles to downtown Annapolis, walking distance to water
4 BR, 2 BA, Renovated Rambler w/ garage & large yard; close to Shirlington, Bailey’s Crossroads & Skyline
0 ,00 675 ct $ ntra o C er Und
11027 Marcliff Rd.
Rockville/N.Bethesda
Short Sale. Just under 3,000 sf on 3 levels with 3/4 acre lot. Opportunity to build a new home or renovate existing. Convenient to 270, parks & retail. Good schools.
Gold
Meg & George - RE/MAX CSX
er Und
12 Cindy Court
Severna Park, MD / Annapolis
Thank you to our Sponsors and the Brent community for their wonderful support of our students, teachers and PTA. A Taste of the Hill Gala was a success & a fun night to remember!
0 ,50 549 le $ a S For
er Und
0 ,00 920 t $ c a tr Con
Arlington/ Shirlington, VA
er C
Und
00
0,0
57 t $
rac ont
201 13th St. SE
Former corner store converted to 2 BR Loft-like space. Great light and 1 block to Lincoln Park.
00 5,0 $31 d l o tS Jus
00 5,0 ,79 t $1 c a tr Con
101 5th St. NE
Formerly the Bull Moose Bed & Breakfast. 11 BR, 8BA; the possibilities are endless.
000 80, t $3 c a r ont er C Und
115 D Street SE #109
Updated 1 BR Condo in the shadow of the Capitol. Walking distance to everything, next to Metro, Boutique Building.
00 0,0 $33 old S t Jus
Restaurant Sponsors: Agua 301
Acqua al 2
Belga Cafe
3517 S Street NW Georgetown
4 BR renovated semi-detached w/ large lot & off-street parking. Walking distance to parks, retail & the University.
637 3rd Street NE, #304
1 BR renovated Condo, walking distance to Union Station & around the corner from H St. Parking included.
Hank’s Oyster Bar
3211 Cheverly Hills Ct Cheverly, MD
Newly Renovated, stone-facade split-level with 3BR, 3 BA, New everything! Open floor plan, large, fenced-in yard in wonderful community on Metro line & 10 minutes to downtown DC and Cap Hill.
Charlie Palmer Chat’s Liquors
Matchbox Food Group
00 5,0 $75 d l t So Jus
The Pig
00 5,0 $52 ld o S t Jus
COULD BE YOUR HOME!
Sweet Lobby Zest
ld t So Jus
203 15th Street NE
Total renovation of semi-detached home with 3BR, 2.5 Baths plus legal 1BR apt. High end finishes, fireplace, Walking distance to Lincoln Park, H St, Eastern Mkt & Metro
3725 Kansas Ave. NW Columbia Heights
3 BR, 2 BA wide Porch-Front fixer-upper w/ lots of personality. On a nice block & walking distance to Petworth Metro. Parking included.
Call Us to Get Your Home Sold or Find a New One!
“In addition to helping Buyers and Sellers on greater Capitol Hill & DC for over 14 years, we are committed to building community in Arlington, Alexandria & close-in MD.”
April 2014 H 11
What’s Inside?
Capitol Streets 35
64 Hill Rag Crossword 160 Classified Ads 170 The Nose
78
The District Beat
The Numbers:Making Sure There’s A Place to Call Home
52
Community Meets 700 Constitution Avenue’s New Charnice A. Milton
Developers
What’s on Washington 20 Calendar
Andrew Lightman
46 50
Kate Coventry and Jenny Reed
In every issue: 16
The Bulletin Board
Denise Romano
54
ANC 6A Report
56
ANC 6B Report
Jonathan Neeley
58
ANC 6C Report
Charnice A. Milton
60
ANC 6D Report
62
ANC 6E Report
Roberta Weiner
april. Steve Holton
community life 65
E on DC – After April and Poetry, What Endures Is
66
Licensing Madness
68
Community Achievement Award Honorees 2014
Love
E. Ethelbert Miller Miriam Savad
Stephanie Deutsch 72
In Memoriam: Gertrude Louise Morgal; Richard F. Sheehy
74
87
Celeste McCall
The Channel Inn Closes as Wharf Rebuilding Begins
Annette Nielsen Michael Stevens, AICP
76
Meet the Hill’s New Downtown
78
South by West:The Wharf Finally Breaks Ground
William Rich Elise Bernard
80
H Street Life
82
Barracks Row
84
@ Your Service
85
Capitol Hill Hotel Gets A Facelift
Sharon Bosworth Ellen Boomer Celeste McCall
arts dining entertainment SPECIAL 88
Dining Review: The Big Board
92
At the Movies
Mike Canning
Emily Clark
.
UPCOMING EVENTS: April 5
123 April 26 May 3
May 10
Capitol Hill Little League Opening Day! Festivities at Payne Elementary at 3 PM. Two Rivers Framing the Future Gala SWS Auction
Volunteer Capitol Hill 2014 at Hill Center. 10-2 PM
May 10/11 Capitol Hill Restoration Society House/Garden Tour
COVER: Paul Signac, Place des Lices, St. Tropez, 1893, oil on canvas. Acquired through the generosity of the Sarah Mellon Scaife Family. Courtesy of Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh. On Exhibit at The Phillips Collection’s Neo-Impressionism and the Dream of Realities, Painting, Poetry, Music. September 27, 2014–January 11, 2015
94
Art and The City
Jim Magner
96
Dining Notes
100
Vegetable Choreography at CityZen
106
Wine Guys: Spring Gin
108
The Literary Hill
109
The Poetic Hill
110
Jazz Project
Celeste McCall Annette Nielsen
Lilia Coffin
Karen Lyon Karen Lyon Jean-Keith Fagon
real estate 113
Where and What is Buzzard Point?
116
Changing Hands
Hayden Wetzel
Don Denton
health and fitness 123
Irish Dance on Capitol Hill
Jackie Dodd
126
DC’s First Regenerative Medicine Center
130
Pet Friendly Petals
Pattie Cinelli
Matthew Antkowiak
kids and family 135
Note Book
142
School Notes
Kathleen Donner Susan Braun Johnson
FOR SALE! 606 E ST SE • $759,000 Throw open the French doors for a sip on the patio, step out to Eastern Mkt or 8th St for Greek, Italian, Baltic, Seafood, Bread, Cappuccino, Cupcakes, Wine! Say hi to the pooches at Marion Park en route to Nats Stadium/Yards Park. 2 BR, 3 Levels, hardwoods, fireplace, high ceilings, great light, beautiful built-ins and copious closets! BRENT ELEMENTARY. COMING SOON NEAR BARRACKS ROW! 1005 I St, SE • $569,000 2 big BRs, 1.5 Baths, Large Courtyard Patio
Meg & George
- hundreds of homes bought - licensed in DC, MD and sold & VA - over 95% repeat and - proud to call referral business Capitol Hill home Megan Shapiro (Cell) 202-329-4068 meg@megandgeorge.com
home and garden
George Olson (Cell) 202-203-0339 george.olson@rmxtalk.com
(Office) 202-547-5600
151
Time for Plant Tourism
Cheryl Corson
155
There Are Castles on Capitol Hill
156
What’s Your Style?
158
Garden Lady
Tom Daniel
Bruce Wentworth, AIA
Wendy Blair
www.megandgeorge.com Look Us Up on Facebook!
Allegiance
The Norris Group
F A G O N
MIDCITY
Historic Renovation & Artisan Stonework Award-Winning Mason with over 30 years of experience
GUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL
YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Specializing In:
Capital Community News, Inc. • 224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 • www.capitalcommunitynews.com
Custom Masonry • Stone • Brick Work Point Up • Restoration • Patio & Water Gardens
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner • melissaashabranner@hillrag.com
FORMER HEAD MASON OF THE ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL FROM 1989 - 1996.
Publisher: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2014 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.
All work done by Tom. No subs. Call for a Free Estimate
202-544-4484 • 202-257-8957 www.michaligamasonry.com
Editorial Staff
BEAUTY, Health & Fitness
M������� E�����: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com CFO � A�������� E�����: Maria Carolina Lopez • carolina@hillrag.com S����� N���� E�����: Susan Braun Johnson • schools@hillrag.com K��� � F����� E�����: Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com F��� E�����: Annette Nielsen • annette@hillrag.com
Patricia Cinelli • fitmiss44@aol.com Jazelle Hunt • jazelle.hunt@gmail.com Candace Y.A. Montague • writeoncm@gmail.com
Arts, Dining & Entertainment
Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com
A��: D�����:
Society & Events
Jim Magner • jjmagner@aol.com Emily Clark • clapol47@gmail.com Celeste McCall • celeste@us.net Jonathan Bardzik • jonathan.bardzik@gmail.com L���������: Karen Lyon • klyon@folger.edu M�����: Mike Canning • mjcanning@verizon.net M����: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Stephen Monroe • samonroe2004@yahoo.com R����� T������: Marissa Terrell • mterrell@sbclawgroup.com T������: Barbara Wells • barchardwells@aol.com T�� W��� G���: Jon Genderson • jon@cellar.com
Calendar & Bulletin Board Reasonable Prices • Hill Resident • Licensed - Bonded - Insured
C������� E�����: Kathleen Donner • calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com
General Assignment
LOOK FOR YOUR NEXT HILLRAG ISSUE ON: May 3rd 14 H Hillrag.com
KIDS & FAMILY
Martin Austermuhle • martin.austermuhle@gmail.com Maggy Baccinelli • mbaccinelli@gmail.com Elise Bernard • elise.bernard@gmail.com Ellen Boomer • emboomer@gmail.com Elena Burger • elena96b@gmail.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com Mark Johnson • mark@hillrag.com Dave Kletzkin • Dave@hillrag.com Stephen Lilienthal - stephen_lilienthal@yahoo.com Pleasant Mann • pmann1995@gmail.com Meghan Markey • meghanmarkey@gmail.com Charnice Milton • charnicem@hotmail.com John H. Muller • jmuller.washingtonsyndicate@gmail.com Jonathan Neeley • neeley87@gmail.com Will Rich • will.janks@gmail.com Heather Schoell • schoell@verizon.net Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Michael G. Stevens • michael@capitolriverfront.org Peter J. Waldron • peter@hillrag.com Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com Jazzy Wright • wright.jazzy@gmail.com
Mickey Thompson • socialsightings@aol.com
Homes & Gardens Derek Thomas • derek@thomaslandscapes.com Catherine Plume • caplume@yahoo.com
COMMENTARY Ethelbert Miller • emiller698@aol.com T�� N��� • thenose@hillrag.com T�� L��� W��� • editorial@hilllrag.com
Production/Graphic/Web Design A�� D�������: Jason Yen • jay@hillrag.com Graphic Designer: Lee Kyungmin • lee@hillrag.com W�� M�����: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com
Advertising & Sales A������ E��������:
Kira Means, 202.543.8300 X16 • kira@hillrag.com A������ E��������: Jennifer Zatkowski, 202.543.8300 X20 • Jenn@hillrag.com A������ E��������: Dave Kletzkin, 202.543.8300 X22 • Dave@hillrag.com C��������� A����������: Maria Carolina Lopez, 202.543.8300 X12 • Carolina@hillrag.com BILLING: Sara Walder, 202.400.3511 • sara@hillrag.com
Distribution M������: D�����������: I����������:
Andrew Lightman MediaPoint, LLC distribution@hillrag.com
Deadlines & Contacts A����������: sales@hillrag.com D������ A��: 15th of each month C��������� A��: 10th of each month E��������: 15th of each month; editorial@hilllrag.com B������� B���� � C�������: 15th of each month; calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com
We welcome suggestions for stories. Send queries to andrew@hillrag.com. We are also interested in your views on community issues which are published in the Last Word. Please limit your comments to 250 words. Letters may be edited for space. Please include your name, address and phone number. Send Last Word submissions to lastword@hillrag.com. For employment opportunities email jobs@hillrag.com.
Trying to get a
Business License?
Certificate of Occupancy?
Corporate Registration Process
What Category does my business call under?
SBRC’s New One-on-One Sessions: Basic Steps to Obtaining a Business License During this session, the DCRA Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) staff will provide one-on-one assistance with navigating through the regulatory process. You will gain in-depth knowledge of registering with corporations (i.e. Limited Liability Company, Corporations, Non-Profit, etc.) and with the basic steps of obtaining a business license. Additionally, you will receive assistance with the zoning application process (i.e. Certificate of Occupancy and or Home Occupancy Permit).This opportunity is geared towards future and current business owners looking to conduct business in the District of Columbia. To Register Go To: http://bizdc.ecenterdirect.com/Welcome.action Sessions available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday by appointment only. If you need further assistance with registering please email us at jacqueline.noisette@dc.gov or claudia.herrera@dc.gov. You can also contact us at (202) 442-4538.
SBRC’s Money Smart for Small Business Program: Financial Management and Credit Reporting Workshop What: When: Time:
If you want to gain basic financial management and credit reporting concepts of how to run your own business, these sessions are for you. Thursday, April 3, 2014 5:30 pm 7:30 pm
SBRC’s Money Smart for Small Business Program: Banking Services and Insurance Workshop What: When: Time:
If you want to learn basic banking services and insurances concepts of how to run your own business, these sessions are for you. Thursday, April 17, 2014 5:30 pm 7:30 pm
Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic Meet One-on-One with a Lawyer for Free! What:
If you are an existing or an aspiring small business owner, come and meet one-on-one with attorneys at this brief advice clinic. You can get information on business formation, contracts, leases, taxes or any other questions you may have related to small business legal issues. Or, if you do not have specific questions, come and tell the attorneys about your business—they can help you spot legal issues or give you general advice. When: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 Time: 5:00 pm 7:30 pm
What Effects the Affordable Care Act Tax Law Will Have on Your Company What:
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) introduced new tax changes ranging from new taxes, limits to tax deductions, tax breaks and tax credits. Come and listen to what business owners should know about finalizing 2013 taxes and begin planning for the 2014 tax season. Topics discussed will include tax credits, W2 reporting of health costs, additional Medicare withholding of wages and employer shared responsibility. Join us for this free listening session. When: Thursday, April 24, 2014 Time: 5:30 pm 7:30 pm
Non-Profit Seminar: Presented by DCRA’s Corporations Division, Office of Tax and Revenue and DC Bar Pro Bono Clinic’s Non Tax Act Where:
1100 4th Street SW, Washington DC, 20024 To Register: http://bizdc.ecneterdirect.com Assistance: Call (202) 442-4538
April 2014 H 15
see our website for more events! www.whatsonwashington.com
National Arboretum Garden Fair & Plant Sale This year, the National Arboretum Garden Fair & Plant Sale is on Friday, Apr. 25, 1-4 p.m. and Saturday, Apr. 26, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The annual event features new, rare, and hard-to-find plants, garden supply vendors, books, children’s activities, refreshments, entertainment, and more. Bring your garden questions to National Arboretum staff members for expert advice. On Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., the Washington Revels Gallery Voices will entertain with madrigals and some traditional Revels songs, dance the Maypole and invite fairgoers to join in Maypole dancing. Free admission. The National Arboretum is located in NE, approximately ten minutes from the Capitol Building. There are two entrances: one at 3501 New York Ave. NE, and the other at 24th & R Sts. NE, off of Bladensburg Road. The Garden Fair & Plant Sale is in the parking lot of the New York Avenue entrance. Call the Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) at 202-544-8733 for more information. usna.usda.gov
Last year’s fair attendees browsing the plants. Photo: Courtesy of the U.S. National Arboretum
Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington Cemetery On Easter Sunday, Apr 20, 6:15 a.m., all are welcome to attend the traditional, non-sectarian sunrise service at Arlington National Cemetery in the amphitheater. The service, hosted by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington Command Chaplain, supports the Command Master Religious Program and provides spiritual support for Service Members and their families. There is no Metrorail service at this hour but parking is plentiful and free. Tram transportation within the cemetery is provided to the amphitheater. Even though this is late April, expect it to be chilly and/or rainy and dress accordingly. 703-607-8000. arlingtoncemetery.org LEFT: Approximately 3,500 people will attend the Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington National Cemetery. Photo: Courtesy of Arlington National Cemetery
16 H Hillrag.com
T. rex Coming to Natural History Museum This month, Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum welcomes a 7-ton, 38-foot long new resident--a 66 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, which will serve as the centerpiece for the museum’s new 31,000-square-foot national fossil hall, slated to open in 2019. Thanks to a 50-year loan from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a spectacular real T. rex specimen will arrive on Apr. 15. This T. rex will be one of the stars of the new National Fossil Hall which opens in 2019. From Apr. 15-Oct. 20, come visit the Rex Room to see them studying, conserving, photographing, and 3D scanning its bones--and dozens of other fossils being prepared for the new exhibition. National Museum of Natural History, First Floor Special Exhibits Gallery (Off the Rotunda in Mammals Hall). mnh.si.edu Smithsonian Associates Presents “The Nation’s T. rex Is Coming… Look Out!”. Apr. 17, 6:45 p.m. in the Baird Auditorium at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. A discussion of the discovery of one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons ever found. $25. For tickets and information, call 202-633-3030 or visit smithsonianassociates.org. Jack Horner, Curator of Paleontology at Museum of the Rockies, provides scale for Tyrannosaurus rex fossils at excavation site near the Fort Peck Reservoir, Fort Peck, Mont., June 1990. Photo: Courtesy of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum
Filmfest DC The Washington, DC International Film Festival (Filmfest DC) returns for the last time April 17-27, celebrating nearly three decades of bringing awardwinning movies to Washington, DC theater goers. Among its extensive program of over 80 features, documentaries, comedies, shorts, award winners and discoveries, the District’s premiere film festival will highlight audience favorite series Trust No One: Espionage and Thrillers, The Lighter Side and Justice Matters. Feast Your Eyes will be a special series of full-length features whose fun, inventive and original stories all revolve around the theme of food. For more informationcall their hotline 202-234-FILM (3456) or search filmfestdc.org.
RIGHT: The Bachelor Weekend. Directed by John Butler Ireland
Andriessen75 at the Atlas
Bang on a Can All-Stars perform on Apr. 11, 8 p.m.
On April 6-13, five Washington, DC area organizations, including The Atlas Performing Arts Center, Great Noise Ensemble, National Gallery of Art, Strathmore, and Shenandoah Conservatory, will present Andriessen 75, a week-long festival celebrating the music of the beloved Dutch composer Louis Andriessen on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Developed by Armando Bayolo, the Great Noise Ensemble founder and New Music curator at The Atlas Performing Arts Center, the festival will feature a host of premieres and defining works by the honored composer, alongside pieces and performances by his collaborators, students, and friends. At the Atlas on Apr. 7, hear Roadmaps & Diaries II; Apr. 9, Andriessen’s Piano/Andriessen’s Jazz: Brad Linde Ensemble; and Apr. 11, Bang on a Can All-Stars. All performances at 8 p.m. The Atlas performing Arts Center is at 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org Hill Rag readers: Enjoy 10% off performances at Andriessen 75. Use code HILL75 when ordering tickets.
March 2014 H 17
18 H Hillrag.com
April 2014 H 19
H Street FRESHFARM Market
Saturdays, 9 AM-noon, Apr 19Dec 20. The H Street Market is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. SNAP (EBT/Food Stamps) accepted. 13th and H Sts. NE. freshfarmmarket.org Photo: Courtesy of FRESHFARM Markets
APRIL CALENDAR THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS Cherry Blossom peak bloom is predicted to be Apr 8-12. Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival. Apr 5, 1:00-9:00 PM (Fireworks start at 8:30 PM, rain or shine). The Southwest Waterfront community is the perfect place to enjoy more than eight celebratory hours of free music, family friendly water-related activities, cultural experiences, live entertainment and foods at multiple outdoor venues. Southwest Waterfront, 600-900 Water St. SW. Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. Apr 6, 7:15 AM. The best viewing points to see the runners on the course are located at the Lincoln Memorial Circle (1.2 miles, 2.5 miles and 3.5 miles) and along Independence Ave. near the Tidal Basin (5 miles). Washington Monument Grounds, 15th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Official Japanese Stone Lantern Lighting Ceremony. Apr 6, 2:30-4:00 PM. The ceremony features traditional Japanese music, the presentation of the United States and Japan Cherry Blossom Queens, along with the 2012 Cherry Blossom Princesses, and remarks by a number of dignitaries, including the Ambassador of Japan to the United States. Japanese Stone Lantern at the Tidal Basin at Independence Ave. and 17th St. SW. Blossoms and Baseball. Apr 9, 7:00 PM. Celebrate spring with blossoms and baseball as the Washington Nationals take on the Florida Marlins. Purchase discounted tickets at nationals.com/cherryblossom for Blossoms and Baseball. A $5 donation will be given to the Festival for each ticket purchased. Nationals Park, 1500 S. Capitol St. SE. nationals.com
20 H Hillrag.com
National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. Apr 12, 10:00 AM-noon. Vibrant costumes and blossom-inspired décor create the look of nation’s premier springtime parade. Giant colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, and performers burst down Constitution Ave. in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship seen only once a year during the Festival. Parade runs down Constitution Ave. NW, from 7th to 17th Sts. Sakura Matsuri--Japanese Street Festival. Apr 12, 10:30 AM-6:00 PM. Enjoy the family-friendly atmosphere of the largest Japanese cultural festival in the United States, featuring food, arts and culture, merchandise, and live traditional and J-Pop performances on four stages, including martial arts demonstrations. $10, children 12 and under free. 12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. sakuramatsuri.org Beyond the Tidal Basin: Introducing Other Great Flowering Cherries (self-guided tour). Mar 20-Apr 14, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. Arboretum is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays only. Come to the US National Arboretum to explore nearly forty different types of flowering cherries and discover the great diversity of shapes, sizes, flower colors, and bloom times these trees feature. Look for three new varieties developed by Arboretum scientists and don’t miss the remarkable weeping Yoshinos. Drive, bike, or walk over several miles of Arboretum roads to see them all. Pick up a brochure in the Visitor Information Center or download one at the Arboretum website after Mar. 15. Free. There are two entrances: one at 3501 New York Ave. NE, and the other at 24th and R Sts. NE, off of Bladensburg Rd. 202-245-2726. usna.usda.gov Blossoms by Bike River Ride. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Mar 22-Apr 13, 1:00 PM. Join Bike and Roll on this three hour specially-crafted tour, riding along the scenic Mount Vernon Trail from Old Town Alexandria to Washington, DC,
April 2014 H 21
{april events calendar}
and experience magnificent views of the cherry blossoms from across the Potomac River. The tour continues into DC and around the tidal basin where bikers will see the blossoms up close and learn the history of these beautiful gifts before heading back to Alexandria. $40 (must be 13 years or older). bikethesites.com/tours Alexandria Cherry Blossom Boat Tours. Saturday and Sunday, Mar 29-Apr 13, 11:30 AM, 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 PM. $14-$26. Departs from Cameron and Union Sts., Alexandria, VA. potomacriverboatco.com/blossoms2014
EASTER The Great Vigil of Easter at National Cathedral. Apr 19, 8:00 PM. This is the night when Christ broke the bonds of death…and rose victorious from the grave. Tonight we hear the ancient stories of God’s redeeming work, moving from darkness to light, from solemn chant to joyful song, as we celebrate the glorious Resurrection. Intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Aves. NW. 202-537-6200. nationalcathedral.org
Solemn Easter Vigil Mass at National Shrine. Apr 19, 8:00 PM. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. nationalshrine.com Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington Cemetery. Easter Sunday, Apr 20, 6:15 AM (but get there earlier). The Easter Sunrise Service on at the Arlington National Cemetery Amphitheater will begin with a musical prelude. There is no rail service at this hour but parking is free. 703-6078000. arlingtoncemetery.org Easter Sunrise Service at the Lincoln Memorial. Apr 20 (rain or shine), 6:30 AM. Easter morning, over 6000 people gather annually at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the sun rises over the Capitol dome, the mall rings with sounds of joyful celebration as we proclaim together that Christ as risen. Lincoln Memorial. Festival Holy Eucharist at National Cathedral. Easter Sunday, Apr 20, 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM (free tickets required). 4:00 PM, Evensong on Easter Day. 5:15 PM, Organ Recital. Intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin aves. NW. 202-537-6200. nationalcathedral.org
Easter Sunday Mass at National Shrine. Easter Sunday, Apr 20, 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, Noon, 4:30 PM. Spanish Mass at 2:30 PM. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. nationalshrine.com St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church. Apr 18, noon-7:00 PM Good Friday Services. The noon service features the performance of Stabat Mater Dolorosa by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-36) with David Ehrlich, piano reduction; Diyana Kirova, bassoon; Marje Palmieri, soprano, and Joyce Bouvier, mezzo-soprano. Apr 19, 9:00 PM, The Great Vigil of Easter. Apr 20, 9:30 AM, Easter Sunday, Holy Eucharist, Reception and Easter Egg Hunt. 600 M St. SW. 202-554-3222. staugustinesdc.org St. Peter’s on Capitol Hill. Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday, Apr 19, 8:00 PM. Easter Sunday Masses at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. 313 Second St. SE. 202-547-1430. saintpetersdc.org Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church. Easter Service at 11:00 AM. Easter egg hunt follows service. 201 Fourth St. SE. 202-547-8676. capitolhillpreschurch.org
Hopkins vs Shumenov Light Heavyweight Championship Unification. Apr 19, main event 9:00 PM. IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard Hopkins faces WBA World Champion Beibut Shumenov in an attempt, at 49-years-old, to become the oldest fighter in boxing history to unify world titles. $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300 are on sale at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. DC Armory, 2400 East Capital St. SE. World Champion Beibut Shumenov (Left) lands a left hand en route to a third round technical knockout victory over former WBA & WBF European Champion Tamas Kovacs (Right) on December 14, 2013 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Photo: Courtesy of Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions
22 H Hillrag.com
R.THOMAS DANIEL ROOFING
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ROOFER www.rthomasdanielroofing.com UNDER YOUR ROOF IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET... YOUR HOME!
PROTECT YOUR HOME NOW! Uncover Hidden Future Costs. Warning Signs Could Mean Higher Costs If Not Corrected Today! • Roof is over 10 years old • Interior water stains • Visible leaks or cracks • Loose attic insulation • Open joints and seams on roof • Drains/gutters filled with debris
Our Services: • Inspections • Repairs • Roof coating • Roof replacement • Gutters and spouts • Skylights • Brick and chimney re-pointing
CALL NOW FOR YOUR
FREE INSPECTION!
202.569.1080
tom@rthomasdanielroofing.com SERVING CAPITOL HILL HOMEOWNERS FOR MORE THAN 90 YEARS Owner Tom Daniel, a Capitol Hill resident, outside the original location of the family roofing business at 310 Independence Ave., S.E.
April 2014 H 23
Capitol Hill United Methodist Church. Easter Service at 10:45 AM. 421 Seward Sq. SE. 202-546-1000. chumc.net St. Marks Episcopal Church. Holy Eucharist at 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM. Sermon Seminar at 10:00 AM. Contemplative Eucharist at 5:00 PM. 118 Third St. SE. 202-543-0053. stmarks.net Holy Comforter-St Cyprian Roman Catholic Church. Easter Masses at 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM. 1357 E Capitol St SE. 202547-2036. holycomforterstcypriandc. parishesonline.com Lutheran Church of the Reformation. Easter Services at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM. 212 E. Capitol St. 202-543-4200. reformationdc.org Christ Church on Capitol Hill. Holy Eucharist at 8:15 AM and 11:00 AM. 620 G St. SE. 202-547-9300. washingtonparish.org
SPECIAL EVENTS National Tree Climbing Championship at the National Arboretum. Apr 5 (rain date, Apr 12), 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. Watch professional climbers compete for prizes in five different events in specially selected trees on the Arboretum grounds. Along with the climbing there will be educational exhibits, commercial vendors, demonstrations, children’s activities (including kids’ climbing), some of DC’s best food trucks, and more. Enter the R Street gate and follow the signs to the event. Free admission. There are two entrances: one at 3501 New York Ave. NE, and the other at 24th and R Sts. NE, off of Bladensburg Rd. 202-245-2726. usna.usda.gov Anacostia Watershed Society 2014 Earth Day Clean-up and Celebration. Clean-up, Apr 5, 9:00 AM-noon. Celebration, noon2:00 PM at RFK Stadium. Join 2,000 volunteers as they remove thousands of pounds of trash from neighborhoods, streams, and the Anacostia River. Clean-
24 H Hillrag.com
up is at approximately 20 sites around the Anacostia Watershed in Washington DC, and Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland. Registration is required at anacostiaws.org/earthday2014. It will include free food and drink prepared by Seafarers Yacht Club. There will also be live music, local exhibitors, and notable speakers. Registration is not required for the celebration. Shakespeare’s Birthday Open House at the Folger. Apr 6, noon-4:00 PM. Come celebrate Will’s birthday with jugglers and jesters, music, song, dance, and more. Take your chance to perform your favorite lines of Shakespeare on the Folger stage, and enjoy tours and treasure hunts of the Folger’s reading rooms. Try your hand at crafty Elizabethan activities to take home. Plus, birthday cake for all, cut by Queen Elizabeth I! Free. Folger Shakespeare Library, E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. folger.edu Of Thee We Sing: The Marian Anderson 75th Anniversary Celebration. Apr 12, 7:00 PM. Featuring Jessye Norman, Soloman Howard, Annisse Murillo and WPAS Men, Women and Children of the Gospel Choir and numerous guests as well as a new work by Ysaye Barnwell. Tickets are $5, available at wpas.org or by calling 202-785-9727. Concert at DAR Constitution Hall. Blessing of the Fleets. Apr 12, 1:00-5:00 PM. Passed down through generations of sailors and navies around the world, the centuries-old ceremony is intended to safeguard crews and ships from the danger of the seas through a traditional blessing given by a clergyman at the water’s edge. United States Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. navymemorial.org Frederick Douglass NHS DC Emancipation Day Program. Apr 12. 2:00-4:30 PM. 12 Years a Slave in the Capitol: Solomon Northup’s Washington, DC. Presentor: Historian C.R. Gibbs. Frederick Douglass NHS, 1411 W St. SE. 202-426-5961. nps. gov/frdo
April 2014 H 25
MUSIC Music at the Library of Congress. Apr 8 and 10, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group; Apr 10, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; Apr 12 (2:00 PM), “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band; Apr 24, Daniel Müller-Schott, cello / Simon Trpčeski, piano; May 2, Koussevitzky Legacy Celebration. Unless otherwise noted, all concerts are at 8:00 PM in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Thomas Jefferson Building. loc.gov Hill Center Concert Series: Richard Miller. Apr 10, 7:30 PM. Guitarist Richard Miller brings his ensemble to the Hill Center for an evening of Brazilian music. $20. Order tickets at hillcenterdc.org/home/ programs/1462. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
District Sounds hosted by Chris Richards: Carolyn Malachi. Apr 18, 7:00 PM. Carolyn Malachi combines straight ahead jazz, hip hop, spoken word, and lots of imagination. $15. Tickets available online at hillcenterdc.org/home/programs/1767. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Music at the Atlas. Apr 25, Martha Redbone; Apr 26, S Percussion; May 3, I Draw Slow. All performances, 8:00 PM. Atlas performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org
Music at Ebenezers. Apr 10, Pretty Gritty & Dave Farah; Apr 12, Stories and Songwriters; Apr 17, Rachel Pletts and M&O (formerly Milo & Otis); Apr 24, Sarah Donner, Angela Sheik, Nikki Talley; Apr 25, Phillip Noss, Zia Hassan, Rachel Levitin; May 3, Suzi Brown - Live in the Coffeehouse. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com
HR 57 Weekly Jam Sessions. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8:00 PM-midnight. Since 1993 HR-57 has provided a place where aspiring musicians gather to learn the history and cultures of the genres of jazz and blues. It’s a venue for the exchange of ideas and information between aspiring and professional musicians, students, aficionados and the general public. $8. 1007 H St. NE. 202-253-0044. hr57.org
Music at Corner Store. Apr 10, Kelly McFarling; Apr 25, King Street Bluegrass Band; Apr 27, Nan Raphael; May 2, Rachel Sage; May 4, Roy Schneider & Kim Mayfield. Corner Store, 900 So. Carolina Ave. SE. 202-544-5807. cornerstorearts.org
Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. Free but free will offering taken. 1317 G ST. NW. 202347-2635. epiphanydc.org
A Polish Renaissance: Music of Poland’s Golden Age at the Folger. Apr 11-13. Folger Consort enters into an eastern tributary to the main stream of Renaissance music-the rarely heard, extraordinary musical art of what was then Europe’s largest kingdom. With bagpipe, viols, cornetto, lute, organ, and trombone accompanying vocal ensemble The Western Wind. $37. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. folger.edu Reed Turner in Concert at Hill Center. Apr 14, 6:30 PM. Reed Turner’s wandering spirit has led him to live and travel
26 H Hillrag.com
all over the country, but it wasn’t until he returned home to Austin, TX that he found his true voice; one that is simple yet evocative, intimate but universal, and ultimately true. $20. Order tickets at hillcenterdc.org/home/programs/1641. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
Jazz Night (and fish fry) in Southwest. Fridays, 6:00-9:00 PM. Every Friday night. Expect a large, fun and friendly crowd. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW (Fourth and I, south side of intersection). The cover is $5. Children are welcome and free under 16 years old. 202-484-7700. westminsterdc.org/jazz Blue Monday Blues. Mondays, 6:00-9:00 PM. Westminster Presbyterian Church. Local musicians perform, and the Southwest Catering Company provides a fish fry from 5:30-8:30 PM. $5/general; free/ children under 16. Modestly priced food. 400 I St. SW. 202-484-7700. westminsterdc.org/blues
Thomas Landscapes Over 20 Years of Experience
REDEFINING BEAUTY ONE CLIENT AT A TIME!
Sunday Gospel Brunch Featuring the Harlem Gospel Choir. Every Sunday, 12:30-2:00 PM. $30-$45. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-8032899. thehowardtheatre.com
THEATER AND FILM Hair at the Keegan. Through Apr 12. The granddaddy of all rock musicals, Hair is at once both a joyous celebration of youth and a poignant journey through a tumultuous 1960s America. Keegan Theater, 1742 Church St. NW. 703-8920202. keegantheatre.com Water by the Spoonful at Studio. Through Apr 13. In North Philly, exMarine Elliot works at Subway, cares for his dying mom, and leans on his cousin Yaz as he tries to acclimate to civilian life. Online, four addicts cling to their chat room support group, struggling for another day sober. These lives collide as events small and large threaten their fragile stabilities, in this eloquent and haunting play about resilience, second chances, and families of both blood and choice. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org Camp David at Arena. Through May 4. sixty-two miles north of Washington, DC, nestled in Catoctin Mountain Park, lies the clandestine retreat known as Camp David. For thirteen tumultuous days, President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn host Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in an attempt to create the impossible: Peace in the Middle East. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-4883300. arena-stage.org Pointless Theatre Company’s Sleeping Beauty: A Puppet Ballet. Through May 4. Pointless Theatre presents their adaptation of Tchai-
Full-Service Landscape Design & Maintenance • • • • •
Installation, arbors, retaining walls, walkways, lighting, water features Patios, roof top gardens, townhomes, single family homes Trees & shrubs, formal & informal gardens Custom Masonry, Fencing and Iron work Restoration and Enhancement
Special Homes & Garden Coupon
10% OFF New Clients and New Installations
EXP 04/30/2014
15% OFF Any Design
DEREK THOMAS / PRINCIPAL Certified Professional Horticulturist Member of the MD Nursery and Landscape Association Member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers
301.642.5182 | WWW.THOMASLANDSCAPES.COM April 2014 H 27
kovsky’s iconic ballet with a reimagining of their very first production, Sleeping Beauty: A Puppet Ballet. This highly visual spectacle features Pointless’ distinctive blend of dance, pantomime and puppetry, and weaves a fantastical tale of the extremes of love. Sleeping Beauty premiered as part of the 2010 Capital Fringe Festival and was voted “Pick of the Fringe: Best Experimental Show.” Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW. pointlesstheatre.com Tender Napalm at Signature. Through May 11. Gentle enemies or brutal lovers, Tender Napalm explores the contradictory nature of love. A pair of young lovers creates a fantastical world through interweaving dialogue of increasing perplexity in this violent and sexually charged poetic symphony. Mature audiences. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. off I-395 at the Shirlington exit (#6). After the exit, blue Signature signs mark the way to the Theatre. signature-theatre.org The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Ford’s. Through May 17. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee follows six awkward adolescents through their daunting and hilarious championship quest. As they navigate the tournament’s pressures, the eccentric coterie finds a new sense of belonging. Along the way, they learn that there is more to life than winning a trophy. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW. 202-347-4833. fordstheatre.org One Destiny at Ford’s. Through May 17. Learn about Lincoln’s assassination from two men who were there. Actor Harry Hawk and Ford’s Theatre coowner Harry Ford revisit the events of April 14, 1865. As they reconstruct the sequence of events, they grapple with the question: Could John Wilkes Booth have been stopped? Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW. 202-347-4833. fordstheatre.org Scena Theater Staged Readings at Woolly. Apr 19, Lady Lay by Lydia
28 H Hillrag.com
Stryk (German); Apr 20, The Velvet Weapon by Deborah Brevoort (Czech); Apr 26, Guilt by John Shand (Australian); Apr 26, The Understudy by Dave Hunsaker (Alaskan), based on the Russian novella “Thirty-Three Abominations”. All readin gs at 7:00 PM in Melton Hall, Woolley Mammoth Theatre Co. scenatheater.org Henry IV, Part 1 at Shakespeare. Through June 7. A young prince must decide between tavern roughhousing and the burden of his father’s legacy, in the coming-of-age story of heroism, corruption and war. STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn directs the masterful Stacy Keach (King Lear, Macbeth) who plays Shakespeare’s beloved character, Falstaff. Shakespeare Theatre Company, Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Henry IV Part 2 at Shakespeare. Through June 8. Continuing from Henry IV Part 1, Young Prince Hal seeks to prove to his father, King Henry IV (Edward Gero), that he’s ready to the throne by leaving his lowlife behavior behind him. The King’s sudden illness and a bloody war force Hal into action. Shakespeare Theatre Company, Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Moth at Studio. Apr 9-May 4. Animeobsessed Sebastian and emo-Wiccan Claryssa survive high school with a mix of imagination and belligerence. But then a horrific event on the school’s athletic field sends Sebastian on an apocalyptic mission, changing their friendship forever. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org Golda’s Balcony at Theater J. Apr 1027. A riveting portrait of one of the great women of our time, Golda Meir, Golda’s Balcony is the final work from Tony® Award-winning playwright William Gibson (The Miracle Worker, Two for the Seesaw), and an award-winning
smash that, in 15 sold-out months on Broadway, set the record for the longest one-woman show in Broadway history. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. 800 494-8497. washingtondcjcc.org Documentary Fridays at Hill Center. Cowboys and Outlaws--The Real Billy the Kid. Apr 11, 7:00 PM. Bach & Friends, Apr 25, 7:00 PM. Free. Register online at hillcenter.org or call 202-549-4172. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Fiasco Theater’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Folger. Apr 17-May 25. Pay-What-You-Can on Tuesday, Apr 22, 7:30 PM. Tickets will be available to the public one hour prior to the performance. Cash purchases only. New York’s inventive Fiasco Theater has established its reputation for bringing Shakespeare’s most whimsical and timeless tales to the stage. This dizzying romantic adventure is a comedy filled with bandits, mistaken identity, and also the “sourest-natured” dog Crab. Folger Shakespeare Library, E. Capitol St. SE. 202-5447077. folger.edu Living Out at the Gala. Apr 24-May 18. Ana, a Salvadoran nanny and a mother of two. Nancy, a lawyer challenged by fulfilling both personal and professional goals. Two working mothers who make difficult choices so they can provide a better life for their children. A funny and touching play that explores the shared humanity between a nanny and her. GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. 202234-7174. galatheatre.org Smokey Joe’s Café at Arena. Apr 25-June 8. Let Broadway director Randy Johnson, (One Night with Janis Joplin), transport you to the golden age of Rock, Rhythm and Blues with the hits of Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame legends Jerry Leiber
April 2014 H 29
and Mike Stoller. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. arena-stage.org
LITERARY EVENTS The Literary Legacy of Seamus Heaney. Apr 7, 7:30 PM. Robert Lowell called Seamus Heaney “the most important Irish poet since W.B. Yeats.” With Eamon Grennan, Frank Bidart, Bernard O’Donoghue, Paula Meehan and Jane Hirshfield, we honor his passing in 2013 and celebrate Heaney’s legacy as an acclaimed poet, translator, playwright, and lecturer. $25. Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 E. Capitol St. NE. Buy tickets at folger.edu. Latino Poetry Lecture. Apr 10, 6:30 PM. Poet and critic Rigoberto Gonzalez will deliver a lecture titled “Latino Poetry: Pivotal Voices, Era of Transition”. Montpelier Room, James Madison Building (sixth floor). 202-707-5394. loc.gov
St. Vincent
de
Paul catholic church South Capitol and M Streets, SE
Sunday 8 am and 6:30 pm | M-F 12:10 pm www.stvincentdepauldc.org Closest Church to Nationals Park. Noon NATS MASS coming soon! StVincentDePaul
30 H Hillrag.com
Collecting Shakespeare: The Story of Henry and Emily Folger Book Signing and Conversation with Author Stephen Grant. Apr 13, 4:00 PM. In celebration of Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, Stephen H. Grant discusses his new book, Collecting Shakespeare: The Story of Henry and Emily Folger, the first biography of the Folgers, who acquired the largest and finest collection of Shakespeare in the world, housed since 1932 on Capitol Hill. Moderated by John Andrews, President of The Shakespeare Guild. Free. Register online at hillcenterdc.org/ home/programs/1796. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. National Press Club’s Book Event on Genocide. Apr 14, 6:30 PM. “The Infidels” by Joe David is about a genocide that occurred
Come Home for the ! n o s a e S r e t s a E
Palm Sunday - April 13th Mass at 8:00am, 11:00am and 7:00pm Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord’s Supper - April 17th Mass at 7:00pm Good Friday - April 18th • Neighborhood Stations of the Cross at 12noon-meet at the Church to process throughout our Capitol Hill neighborhood with our community version of the Stations of the Cross. • Choral Stations of the Cross with the HCSC Music Ministry at 3:00pm. A unique and beautiful version of the Stations with the spoken word and music. Free.
exactly 100 years ago in Persia. What makes this book relevant today is that it will bring understanding to what is currently happening in the Middle East. Free. National Press Club of Washington, DC, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor. Register at press.org/events/joe-davidinfidels. Amy Tan and Deborah Tannen: Two Lives in Language. Apr 16, 7:30 PM. Amy Tan and Deborah Tannen in Conversation. Amy Tan is the author of The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life, and The Valley of Amazement. Deborah Tannen’s books include You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, You’re Wearing THAT? (about mothers and daughters), Talking from 9 to 5 (about workplace communication), and I Only Say This Because I Love You (about adult family relationships). She has also published poems, short stories, and personal essays. Her play “An Act of Devotion” is included in Best American Short Plays 1993-1994. $15. Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 E. Capitol St. NE. Buy tickets at folger.edu. Hill Center Poetry Series--The Life of a Poet: Edward Hirsch. Apr 23, 7:00 PM. Edward Hirsch is an American poet and critic who wrote a national bestseller about reading poetry, How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry. He has published eight books of poems, including The Living Fire: New and Selected Poems, which brings together thirty-five years of work. Free. Register online at hillcenterdc.org/home/programs/1723. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Poet Laureate Final Lecture. Apt 28, 7:00 PM. Natasha Trethewey will deliver her final lecture to conclude her second term as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry and the spring literary season at the Library of Congress. Coolidge Auditorium, Thomas Jefferson Building. 202-707-5394. loc.gov
SPortS aNd FitNeSS
• Passion of the Lord/Veneration of the Cross - Service at 7:00pm (with our youth pageant)
Washington Nationals Baseball. Apr 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 at Nat’s Park. Tickets, $5, up. washington.nationals.mlb.com
Holy Saturday - April 19th Easter Vigil Mass - 8:00pm Easter Sunday - April 20th Mass at 8:00am, 11:00am and 7:00pm
DC United at RFK. Apr 5, 7:00 PM va New England; Apr 12, 7:00 PM vs. New York; Apr 26, 7:00 PM vs. FC Dallas. RFK Stadium. dcunited.com 5 Mile Disco Roll Or Run (on the waterfront). May 3, 8:00 AM. 5 Mile Disco Roll Or Run at the Waterfront in Hains Point West Potomac Park. You can take a break from just running at this fun 1st year event where you can roller skate or run. They will have 80’s music playing and want you to wear your best 80’s skating / running gear. $45. active.com 2014 Public Service 5K. May 4, 8:00 AM. To kick off Public Service Recognition Week 2014, government employees, their families and friends, and area running enthusiasts participated and showed their support and appreciation for our country’s dedicated public servants. Anacostia Park. publicservicerecognitionweek.org Tidal Basin 3K Monthly Run. Third Wednesday of each month at noon. This run is free and informal. West Potomac Park (meet on Ohio Dr. at West Basin Dr., near the Tourmobile stand). 703-5053567. dcroadrunners.org Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. Oct 5. Registration now open. 703-5874321. wilsonbridgehalf.com Marine Corps Marathon Registration. Register online at marinemarathon.com. Marathon is Sunday, Oct 26.
marKetS Penn Quarter FRESHFARM Market. Thursdays through Dec 18, 3:00-7:00 PM. North end of 8th St., between D and E, NW. freshfarmmarket.org
April 2014 H 31
Celebrate, Participate And Donate! 4th Annual Sidewalk Sale Week
Donations accepted at Chapel Entrance Monday, May 5-Friday, May 9 6:30-9:30pm
4th Annual Sidewalk Sale Saturday, May 10 8:30am-3:30pm Bag Sale starts at 2pm
Sesquicentennial Dinner Saturday, May 17 at 5:00pm
Sesquicentennial Worship Service
Sunday, May 18 at 11:00am
visit www.capitolhillpreschurch150.org for more information. 201 4th Street, SE (at Fourth and Independence Ave SE) Washington, DC 20003 • 202-547-8676
ANDREW WALTON, Pastor
RFK Stadium Farmers’ Market. Open Saturdays, year-round (weather permitting), 8:00 AM-3:00 PM. The market also has merchandise vendors. It can be seen in the RFK parking lot from the interestion of Benning Rd. and Oklahoma Ave. NE. Fresh Tuesdays at Eastern Market. Every Tuesday, 3:00-7:00 PM. Tuesday afternoon farmers’ line of fresh produce. Eastern Market, 200 block of Seventh St. SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarket-dc.com Union Market. Tuesday-Friday, 11:00 AM-8:00 PM; Saturday-Sunday, 8:00 AM8:00 PM. Union Market is an artisanal, curated, year-round food market featuring over 40 local vendors. 1309 Fifth St. NE. 301-652-7400. unionmarketdc.com Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7:00 AM-7:00 PM; Saturdays, 7:00 AM-5:00 PM; Sundays, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Flea market and arts and crafts market open Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. Eastern Market is Washington’s last continually operated “old world” market. On weekends the market area comes alive with farmers bringing in fresh produce, craft and flower vendors, artists, a flea market and street musicians. 200 block of Seventh St. SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarket-dc.com Anacostia Big Chair Flea Market. Re-opens for season on Apr. 19. Open Saturdays, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. The market features a diverse mix of art, crafts, imports, antiques, collectibles and furniture every Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The market will also feature local specialty food items such as fruits and vegetables, flowers, preserves, prepared foods and beverages. 2215 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. bigchairmarket.com
CIVIC LIFE AARP Chapter #4751 Meeting and Lunch. Apr 16, noon. Current AARP members and prospective members are welcome. $5 for lunch. River Park Mutual Home’s Community Room, 1311 Delaware Ave. SW. For further information, contact Chapter President Betty Jean Tolbert Jones, bettyjeantolbertjones@yahoo.com or 202-554-0901. Grosso Near You (informal) Meeting. First Thursday, 8:00-9:30 AM, Pound the Hill, 621 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The meetings will provide the opportunity for constituents to bring ideas and issues directly to Councilmember Grosso as part of an effort to make the DC Council more accessible. ANC 6A. Second Thursday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th St. NE. 202-423-8868. anc6a.org ANC 6B. Second Tuesday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-543-3344. anc6b.org ANC 6C. Second Wednesday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at Heritage Foundation, 214 Mass. Ave. NE, first floor conference room. 202-547-7168. anc6c.org ANC 6D. Second Monday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at 1100 4th St. SW, DCRA meeting room, 2nd floor. 202-554-1795. anc6d.org ANC 6E. First Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Meeting at NW One Library, 155 L St. NW. anc6e. org u
32 H Hillrag.com
Visionaries!
Two Master Artists to be Honored at the Smithsonian Craft Show
T
by Susan Vallon
he rock star of this year’s Art Miami wasn’t some newbie or flash in the pan artist. The octogenarian Wendell Castle is in the rarified position of being the country’s foremost designer and sculptor of wood objects. His pieces at auction regularly go well into six figures. As the father of contemporary art furniture, Castle is revered and collected by museums and private art lovers worldwide. His pieces resonate with a deep understanding of the anthropomorphic qualities of the wood that he brings to life. Albert Paley has earned his standing in the metal arts by sheer staying power. His iconic portal doors at the Renwick Gallery and recent sculptures displayed along Park Avenue this fall in New York, speak to this giant’s lasting contribution to metal art in America. What is bringing these two men together this year is the Visionary Award that will be presented to them at the Smithsonian Craft Show, an annual production of the Smithsonian Women’s Committee. The Show has brought together thousands of artisans and designers over its 32-year history, but this is the first time recognized masters and “visionaries” in the field of sculptural arts and design have been so honored. There will be an honorary dinner on Wednesday evening, April 9. The dinner is open to all attendees of the craft show for an additional cost. The men will also participate in a conversation moderated by Michael Munroe, former Curator in Charge at the Renwick Gallery, on April 14 at 6 p.m. at the National Building Museum. Advanced tickets are required. More information about the awards, the Craft Show and other events being offered this year may be found on the SWC website Smithsoniancraftshow.org. u
Albert Paley
Wendell Castle
April 2014 H 33
B
34 H Hillrag.com
{capitol streets}
Bulletin Board Overbeck Lecture: How the Folgers Brought Shakespeare to Capitol Hill On Tuesday, Apr. 8, 7:30 p.m., Stephen H. Grant will deliver an Overbeck History Lecture on the lives of Henry and Emily Folger, who amassed the world’s greatest collection of Shakespeare treasures, including 82 First Folios, and built a library on Capitol Hill to house them. Based on his new book Collecting Shakespeare, Grant will recount how the Folgers financed their collecting hobby with the fortune Henry earned as president of Standard Oil of New York and how they secretly acquired prime real estate on E. Capitol St., around the corner from the Library of Congress, for a facility that would include a reading room, a public exhibition hall and an Elizabethan theater. A block-long row of handsome Italianate town houses, known as Grant’s Row, was demolished to make way for the project. The lecture is at the Naval Lodge Hall at 330 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. and will conclude with a book signing. Admission is free but a reservation is required due to limited seating. To reserve, or to request inclusion on the lecture series notification list, contact OverbeckLecture@CapitolHillHistory.org. The Overbeck lectures are an initiative of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.
Bikes for the World Bicycle Collection at William Penn House On Apr. 22-26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., do something to help less fortunate people from other parts of the world. Donate your old bike and bring it to the William Penn House at 515 E. Capitol St SE. These bikes will then be sent overseas to many different countries to give people the power of transportation. A $10 per bike donation is suggested to help defray the cost of shipping to overseas charity partners, who recondition the bicycles and distributes them to people who need them to get to work, school, and health services. For more information, contact Jesse Sirkin at 503-318-8550 or jessesirkin@gmail.com. Read more at bikesfortheworld.org.
Capitol Hill Restoration Society Preservation Café Capitol Hill author John R. Wennersten will discuss his new book, The Historic Waterfront of Washington, DC on Wed. Apr. 16, 6:30-7:15 p.m., Ebenezers Coffee House (downstairs), 2nd and F St. NE. Wennersten is Emeritus Professor of American History at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. His other books on environmental history include The Oyster Wars of Chesapeake Bay; Chesapeake Bay: An Environmental Biography; Global Thirst: Water and Society in the 21st century; and Anacostia: The Death and Birth of An American River.
Auditions for Gilbert & Sullivan at CHAW Participants are sought for a new (and always slightly twisted) production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Patience, Bunthorne’s Bride.” All are most welcome and encouraged to try out. Auditions are Saturday, Apr. 19, 10
a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St. SE. Auditions are also by appointment if you are unable to make this audition time. Email bwashington@ chaw.org or call 202-547-6839. chaw.org
BarracksRow Entertainment Files for Chapter 11 According to The Wall Street Journal, Barracks Row Entertainment, a Baltimore based corporation, owner of the Hawk’n’Dove, Pacifico. The Park Tavern, The Chesapeake Room, Molly Malone’s, Lola’s and a number of other Capitol Hill establishments, has filed for Chapter 11 protection in US Bankruptcy Court in the District. According to a source within the company, Richard Cervera has returned to take the reins as “CEO.” Cevera, brother of the restaurants’ founder Xavier Cervera, had been fired from by the restaurants’ investors. Xavier Cervera, who been retained briefly afterward in a consulting role to try
35 H Hillrag.com
{capitol streets / bulletin board}
Several major bicycle trails make their way to and through Washington, DC. During the Festival, the National Park Service will place bike racks at Independence Ave. and 15th St. SW, close to the Tidal Basin, which bikers with their own locks can utilize for free. A map showing the location of bike parking is available on nps.gov.
and stabilize the business, was very disappointed with his brother’s management decisions. Xavier Cevera and his business partner, who hold two large notes from the current owners, are numbered among the creditors.
DC Sustainable Energy Utility POWER LUNCH The DC Sustainable Energy Utility is preparing to host the city’s most energizing lunch break--the POWER LUNCH on Friday, Apr. 25, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Half Street Fairgrounds (just outside Nat’s Park main entrance). The focus of the event is to provide Navy Yard workers and District residents with information on how they can reduce energy use in the District through a fun lunch hour with food trucks. They’re partnering with WMATA, DDOE, DDOT, and Capital Riverfront. There will be a hybrid bus, a solar display, music (live and DJ) and great raffle prizes from local businesses. For more information, visit dcseu. com/powerlunch.
Outdoor BBQ Returns to the National Building Museum Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue will return to the National Building Museum’s West Lawn. The immensely popular outdoor experience will open Thursday, May 1 and run through Labor Day weekend. In addition to award-winning Texas-style barbecue and ice-cold Shiner beers, the Backyard Barbecue will offer live music from local and touring artists. The Museum will again host a number of late nights so that visitors can enjoy barbecue and great summer programming inside the Great Hall. The National Building Museum is at 401 F St. NW. Starting Thursday, May 1, Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue will be open Thursday through Saturday from 4-9 p.m. Additionally, the outdoor venue will be available as a premiere private-event space throughout the summer. For more information about Hill Country Barbecue Market or Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue, contact Sarah Abell at Baltz & Company at sabell@baltzco.com, 917-584-8567 or Melissa Gold at mgold@hillcountrywdc.com, 703-599-1643.
36 H Hillrag.com
St. Dominic Church Spring Sale Saint Dominic Church will hold its Spring Sale daily, Apr. 4-6, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in the basement of Saint Dominic Priory, 630 E St. SW. The sale will include Waterford and other crystal, Noritake china, framed art, costume and silver jewelry, household and kitchen items, small furniture and collectibles, etc. All are welcome!
Enjoy Extended Circulator Hours This Summer DCSEU mascot and friend. Photo: Couresty of DC Sustainable Energy Utility
Save the Date for Volunteer Capitol Hill 2014 Volunteer Capitol Hill, a volunteer fair featuring over 30 organizations, will take place on May 10, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. In its second year, the event matches people of all ages and families, with the perfect volunteer opportunities that meet their availability and interests, including those for students with service requirements, one-time volunteer activities, and even those that can be done from home.
Bike to the Blossoms Capital Bikeshare will be having extra corrals during the three weekends of the National Cherry Blossom Festival: Mar. 23, 24, 30, 31 and Apr. 6 and 7. All will operate from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The corrals will be at Ohio Dr. and W. Basin Dr. SW. Capital Bikeshare offers over 2,500 bikes at 300+ stations in the District, Arlington, Alexandria and Montgomery County. Members can join for $7 per day, $15 for 3 days, $25 for a month and $75 for an annual membership. Take a bike from any station, enjoy your ride, and return it to the station of your choice. Trips under 30 minutes are free.
With opening day just a few short days away, the DC Circulator is ready to play ball! Beginning on Tuesday, April 1st, the Union Station - Navy Yard and Potomac Avenue - Skyland routes will offer extended weekday and Saturday hours, featuring an additional two hours of evening service on both routes. During baseball season, the Union Station - Navy Yard route will also feature special service for baseball fans. That means extended Circulator service until midnight after all Washington Nationals night games (beginning at 4:05pm or later). The Circulator will also operate from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on all Sundays when the Nationals play a home game. Summer hours will run until September 30th. Remember, extended service for Nationals games is only offered when the Nationals play at home, so be sure to check their schedule. For more information, please visitdccirculator.com/baseball
Eastern Market Call for New Vendors There is available space at the outdoor market and the market is currently looking for antiques, vintage, and collectibles dealers; arts and crafts vendors; ethno-specific importers; farmers, growers and producers; and prepared food vendors. Eastern Market is accepting applications until Apr. 9, 2014. easternmarket-dc.org
April 2014 H 37
Ground Broken on the Lofts at Capitol Quarter Ground has been broken on the latest addition to the Southeast community, the Lofts at Capitol Quarter. The $42 million L Street building will contain 156 marketrate and 39 affordable rental units. New residents will enjoy amenities such as a roof top deck and pool, interior courtyards, an exercise room, and a computer room. Construction is expected to be completed by late 2015. What began as one of the largest HOPE VI projects in the nation, Capitol Quarter is the result of DCHA leveraging a $34.9 million grant in 2001 with public and private dollars for a total of more than $230 million to create more than 830 rental and home ownership units, and a community center. When the project is complete, more than 1,700 units will have been created in this former public housing site, located between 3rd, 7th, and M Sts., and Virginia Ave. SE. DCHA committed to rebuilding the 707 affordable units that were previously part of the now demolished Capper/Carrollsburg buildings. There are six additional parcels on which the housing authority will construct additional units and meet
38 H Hillrag.com
its goal of replacing the 707 public housing units that existed on this former public housing development site. To date, 830 units on the former Capper and Carrollsburg public housing site have been constructed, of which 437 are public housing units, 159 are market rate rental, and 237 new home ownership units.
Congressional Cemetery Certified as Green Burial Ground Historic Congressional Cemetery announces its new certification as a Hybrid Service Provider from the Green Burial Council, the only cemetery within a 100 mile radius of Washington, DC to achieve the distinction. It stipulates that the cemetery follows strict standards for truly green burial options, in addition to traditional casket burials. At Congressional, a certified green burial does not allow for embalming or use of any concrete vault (partial, inverted or otherwise), lid, concrete box, slab or partial liner. In addition, burial must take place in an ecofriendly container such as wicker casket or plain wooden box without hardware. Some individuals wish to be buried only clothed in a shroud, which the cemetery also allows as part of its new designation. As part of the certification process, Congres-
April 2014 H 39
sional also altered its rules and regulations to include family participation in the burial and ritual process itself, including assisting in preparing the grave with flowers, lowering the body, filling of the grave, and assisting in the decorating of the grave after it has been filled. Congressional Cemetery is an interdenominational private cemetery established in 1807, and is the final resting place to more than 65,000 individuals, from ‘Presidents and residents alike.’ For more information visit congressionalcemetery. org or greenburialcouncil.org.
Thursday Game Nights at Labyrinth Every Thursday night, 6-10 p.m., come learn new games or play your favorites. They have hundreds of open board games to play. Their game nights are always free and open to the public without RSVP. Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-544-1059
Masters
The Ocracoke Observer Purchased by Former Hill Rag Writer Peter Vankevich 20 years experience
Bathroom & Kitchen Experts • Masonry Roofing • Handyman work
A+ Rating
202.528.0621 • HandymanMastersllc.com Licensed • Bonded • Insured 40 H Hillrag.com
ADVERTISE HERE. GET RESULTS. CALL KIRA
202.543.8300 X16
Islanders Connie Leinbach and former Hill Rag writer Peter Vankevich have purchased and now run The Ocracoke Observer. This print monthly newspaper is a free publication made available throughout Ocracoke Island and connecting points and areas in Hyde and Dare counties. Peter Vankevich
worked in the US Copyright Office at the Library of Congress for 16 years. For over ten years, he wrote the popular column “Spotted On the Hill” that described a bird species each month for the Hill Rag. He has a radio show called Theme Tunes on the Ocracoke community radio station WOVV 90.1 FM and online, and he serves as a volunteer fireman. The new co-owners live full-time on the island and have written for the Observer for several years. For more information, contact the owners at ocracokeobserver@gmail.com, or 252928-1811.
North Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association Yard Sale (save the date) The North Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association yard sale will be held Saturday, May 17, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the triangle park between the 1300 blocks of No. Carolina Ave. and A St. NE. This annual event is their primary source of funding for community building activities including tree plantings and NLPNA Buzz distribution. If you can make a donation or work the event, call 202-543-3512 or e-mail elizabeth_knits@yahoo.com, with “yard sale” as the subject.
Apply Now for a Barracks Row Fall Festival Booth At the Barracks Row Fall Festival, activities and booths blend urban diversity with the curiosities of small town fairs. If you want a booth on the midway, now’s the time to apply at
La Strega Accounting, Inc. Tax Services, Accounting, and QuickBooks Training
Marina L. Martin, EA, MBA
Certified Quickbooks Pro Advisor® Individual Taxes, Business Taxes, Back Taxes
www.lastregaaccounting.com
202.251.3907
(c)
202.547.9536
(telefax)
lastregaindc@gmail.com
April 2014 H 41
barracksrow.org. You can also mail an application to Barracks Row Main Street, 731 8th St. SE, Suite 201, Washington DC, 20003. There is a PayPal option this year. Their event partners and participants include the United States Marine Corps, The Trapeze School New York, DC State Fair, and the Military Hospitality Alliance (sponsors of the Military Chef’s Cook Off) as well as a medley of memorable booths and acts.
Southwest Village in Early Planning Stages Anyone interested in helping to plan a Southwest Village along the lines of the successful Capitol Hill Village, contact Andy Litsky, Commissioner, ANC-6D04 at 202-554-8070 or alitsky@aol.com. Visit the CHV website to understand the breadth of services that Villages can and do provide. capitolhillvillage.org
Playwrights’ Collective “The Welders” Awarded $5,000 to Produce New Works The Welders--Washington’s only playwrights’ collective devoted exclusively to developing and producing new plays--has been granted $5,000 by the Hollister-Clagett Family Foundation for the Performing Arts. The grant is offered to emerging arts organizations that develop and produce new work. Based in Alexandria, VA, the Hollister-Clagett Family Foundation for the Performing Arts supports small organizations devoted to deeply exploring all aspects of their art form. thewelders.org
CHRS House and Garden Tour Seeks Sponsors and Volunteers The 57th Annual House & Garden Tour will be the traditional Mother’s Day weekend and carry the following theme: ” Capitol Hill, A Community of Choice, A History to Explore”. CHRS is a volunteer-driven organization that helps protect Capitol Hill’s residential character and the House & Garden Tour is their largest and oldest fund raiser. Known as “the guardians of Capitol Hill”, CHRS works actively to keep Capitol Hill “A Community of Choice” and to
42 H Hillrag.com
protect the integrity of the largest historic Victorian district in the country. Join them in making this another successful tour of our beautiful community by becoming a 2014 Sponsor, advertiser or event volunteer. Contact Paul Cromwell paulcromwell@verizon.net.
H Street/Benning Rd Overhead Wires Are Now Fully Energized The overhead wires on the H Street/Benning Road NE line are fully energized on a permanent basis. Having power on at all times will allow the design-build team to continue necessary testing as DC Streetcar prepares for passenger service. The public, including all District service agencies and utility companies, should use caution around OCS wires and poles. The overhead wire or “catenary” is energized at 750v DC. Do not attempt to climb the poles, touch the wires, or throw things at them. Remain 10’ away from live wires at all times. Streetcar power substations are prohibited from entry for your protection. Electricity flows through the substation to the Overhead Catenary System of wires to supply power to the streetcars. dcstreetcar.com
ABRA Kicks Off Compliance Campaign on Noise Laws The Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration is encouraging ABC licensees of restaurants, taverns, nightclubs, hotels and multipurpose facilities to learn about and comply with DC noise laws. District ABC noise laws (D.C. Official Code 25-725) prohibit on-premise establishments from producing any sound, noise, or music of such intensity that it can be heard in any premises other than the licensed establishment with a few exceptions, which includes areas that are in certain commercial zones. During compliance checks, officials from DCRA stand outside of establishments with a sound meter and take a number of readings to establish the decibel level of the sound emanating from businesses. Businesses will be notified by officials if they are exceeding noise limits. DCRA will issue a warning for a first-time offense of the Noise Control Act. A second of-
fense of the Noise Control Act will result in a citation from DCRA, which is a $1,000 fine. In addition to these checks, members of the Noise Task Force will continue to respond to noise complaints. Members of the public can file a noise complaint about an ABC licensed establishment online or call 202-329-6347. ABC licensees and the public can visit ABRA’s website to learn more about District noise laws. abra.dc.gov
Waterfront Gateway Neighborhood Assoc. Grows to 8 Communities The Waterfront Gateway Neighborhood Association (WGNA) has nearly doubled in size with the addition of Capitol Park II and IV joining the affiliation of home owners associations along G and I (Eye) Sts. SW. WGNA’s objectives include advocating for the interests of it’s 879 households at the District and Federal levels, promoting the neighborhood as a desirable location midway between the National Mall and the waterfront, and exploring cost-savings and quality of live improvements amongst the eight communities. For more information see dcwaterfrontgateway.org.
DC Looking to Replace Graffiti Tagged Walls with Free Murals The Department of Public Works is seeking wall donations for its graffiti prevention initiative MuralsDC. Funded by DPW in cooperation with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, MuralsDC replaces tagged walls with original works of art. DPW will consider submissions for this free program that meet the following criteria: Donated space must be for commercial use (cannot be a private residence) and located in the District of Columbia. The program will consider concrete and brick surfaces only. Owners must consent (via a signed authorization and release form) to donate wall space for at least one year and leave the mural intact for that year. Donated space must be highly visible by vehicles and/or pedestrian traffic. Property owners can download a MuralsDC Authorization and Release Form at dpw.dc.gov by
Emotionally Challenged or Differently-Abled Child or Adult? I Help You and Your Loved Ones Build Resilience, Respect, Self-Awareness • Parent and Child Advocacy • In Home Support & Interventions • Family Therapy • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy • Positive Skill Development • Trauma Informed Treatment • Solution-Oriented Focus
Now on Capitol Hill! Michelle Chabbott, Ed.D. Licensed Psychologist
Integrated Psychological Services, LLC Located on Barracks Row
(202) 425-7262 Helping Families & Individuals Enjoy Healthy Lives
April 2014 H 43
It’s Easy to Find
The Hill Rag!
You can find The Hill Rag @ Fine Establishments: Atlas Theater Atlas Vet Bliss Cafe Caper Carrolsburg Apartments Capitol Hill Arts Workshop Capitol Hill Hotel Capitol Supreme Market Carrollsburg Condominiums CityVista Coldwell Banker Capitol Hill Congressional Cleaners Corner Market Cornercopia Cupboard – 1504 E. Capitol CVS – 12th ST CVS – 8th NW CVS – 8th ST SE CVS – Benning RD CVS – New Jersey and M ST SE CVS - NOMA Eastern Market Ebenezers Coffee Fragers @ Eastern Market Frager’s Paint Store Grubbs Pharmacy Box H St Mainstreet Harris Teeter Hill Center
Jacob’s Coffee Jenkins Row Kenny’s BBQ Lincoln Park Cleaners Lustre Cleaners Meridian at Gallery Place Metro Cleaners MLK Library Morton’s Pharmacy Mr. Henry’s National Capital Bank NE Library Neighbors Cleaners New York Pizza P&C Market Park (NAM) Market Peregrine Expresso Potomac Place Tower Prego Cafe Results Gym – Capitol Hill Riverby Books Roland’s Rosedale Library Rosedale Rec Center Safeway – Benning Road Safeway – Capitol Hill Schneider’s Liquor Sherwood Rec Center
Senate Square Sidamo Coffee Sizzling Express – Penn AVE Southeast Library Sova Espresso Bar St. Mark’s Church St. Peter’s Church Stadium Metro Super Care Pharmacy The Axiom The Jefferson The View The View 2 Town Square Towers Washington Sports Club Waterfront Tower Wisdom Yarmouth Property
The Hill Rag is Also Available in Boxes at These Locations: 8th & E ST SE 212 D ST SE 521 8th ST SE 719 8th ST SE 799 8th ST SE 15th ST & Massachusetts AVE SE
1350 Pennsylvania AVE SE 1200 New Jersey AVE SE 300 M ST SE New Jersey and I Street SE 355 1st ST SE – Capitol South Metro 400 1st ST SE 100 I ST SE 709 8th ST SE 301 East Capitol SE 501 East Capitol SE 801 East Capitol SE 201 Pennsylvania AVE SE 237 Pennsylvania AVE SE 336 Pennsylvania AVE SE 600 Pennsylvania AVE SE 621 Pennsylvania AVE SE 666 Pennsylvania AVE SE 801 Pennsylvania AVE SE 8th ST & C ST SE 700 14th ST SE 1027 Independence AVE SE 1801 E ST SE 303 7th ST SE 701 N. Carolina SE 4th ST & I ST NW 6th ST & E ST NE 220 I ST NE 3rd & I ST NE
Questions about Distribution? Email distribution@hillrag.com or call 202-400-3512 44 H Hillrag.com
414 H ST NE 530 H ST NE 801 H ST NE 961 H ST NE 1359 H ST NE 1234 H ST NE 1433 H ST NE 8 ST & H ST NE 410 H ST NE 3rd & F ST NE 200 Florida AVE NE 239 Massachusetts AVE NE 331 Constitution AVE NE 4th and Constitution NE 13th ST & Constitution AVE NE 400 E. Capitol NE 516 A ST NE 732 Maryland AVE NE 1450 Maryland AVE NE 4th and Mass AVE NE 701 7th ST NE 1305 E. Capitol ST NE 1365 H ST NE 600 E. Capitol ST NE 1200 E. Capitol ST NE 6th and I ST SW 401 M ST SW 600 M ST SW
DC residents 65 and over can take free, non-credit, courses at UDC. The deadline for the fall semester is Aug. 22. Call 202274-6697 for more information.
Organizations and individuals interested in proposing sites for the Playable Art DC Design Competition are highly encouraged to attend a Pre-Application Conference on Tuesday, Apr. 8, 4-5:30 p.m. at 1100 4th St. SW, Suite E650. This is a chance to learn more about the project, get questions answered, and meet planning staff. The application deadline is Thursday, Apr. 24, 2014. To participate in the PreApplication Conference, RSVP at playableartdc.eventbrite.com. For more information about Playable Art DC, visit playableartdc.org.
Playable Art DC International Design Competition
Foreclosure Prevention Legal Services Hotline
selecting “Sanitation Services” in the left navigation menu, then “Litter and Graffiti Prevention” and then “MuralsDC”. Further information is also available by contacting Nancee.lyons@ dc.gov or visiting muralsdcproject.com.
UDC Senior Citizens Tuition Assistance Program
The DC Office of Planning (OP) announced today the Playable Art DC international design competition, an innovative effort to bring art-based play spaces to underserved neighborhoods in the District. OP is currently requesting applications for three neighborhood sites and community partners to host playable artworks in DC neighborhoods that lack access to play. Playable Art DC promotes the use of art as a means of creating new types of play spaces in areas that are constrained by space, topography, or other barriers such as busy streets. Playable Art DC also seeks to engage the whole community in play as a way to promote fitness and exercise and create community landmarks and neighborhood gathering spots. The art works will also explore different themes of play including creative play, physical play, social interaction, and games.
DC residents who find themselves behind on their mortgage, being sued by their lender, or confronting a potential mortgage scam are urged to call a new hotline set up by Housing Counseling Services, Inc. and funded by the DC Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking. Depending on your circumstances, DC residents may receive free housing counseling from a HUD approved, non-profit housing counseling agency and free legal services. The hotline (202-2652255) is staffed Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Messages will be taken during all other hours and returned by the end of the next business day. You may also send an email to info@ housingetc.org. u
April 2014 H 45
{capitol streets / district beat}
The Primary’s Over! by Andrew Lightman
T
he District Democratic electorate has spoken. Councilwoman Muriel E. Bowser garnered 35,899 votes, a 44.24 percent plurality, to secure the Democratic mayoral nomination, though despite the spring weather, only 22.5 percent of registered Democrats bothered to go to the polls. To put this in perspective, Bowser’s winning coalition constituted a mere 10 percent of her party and eight percent of the total electorate. In comparison, the ever-popular City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson garnered 58,711 votes on the same day.
How did Bowser manage to win a plurality with such low numbers? Many of Gray’s 2010 supporters stayed home.
Gray Supporters Stayed Home In 2010, Gray won by generating large turnouts in Wards 4, 5, 7 and 8. Not surprisingly, given the ongoing federal investigation into his 2010 campaign, Gray lost an enormous amount of support between 2010 and 2014 in these wards, an average drop of 17.55 percent in overall turn out. Most of these defections were in the city’s eastern regions. In Ward 7, between 2010 and 2014, Gray
Voters gather at Thankful Baptist Church on Capitol Hill. Photo: Andrew Lightman
46 H Hillrag.com
lost 9,687 votes. In Ward 5, he saw his tally reduced by 9,939. Similar reductions occurred in Wards 4 and 8. Where did the 2010 Gray voters go in the city’s eastern Wards? “In 2010, people got animated about voting against Fenty,” says J.R. Meyers, a political consultant from Ward 5 and former Chief of Staff to Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander. In 2014, “people ultimately decided that they didn’t care. The City would operate equally well whether Vince or Muriel won,” Meyers says. “There have been so many regular and special elections that voters are fatigued. Even if the
A Comparison of 2010 and 2014 Turnout Among Gray Supporters
numbers were higher, the percentages would have remained constant,” Meyers continues. “[Any] candidate of any party, who was competent and honest, and could deliver economic opportunities, he or she would have gotten a substantial amount of votes east of the river,” Greg Rhett, a resident of Eastland Gardens in Ward 7. “The mayor’s campaign underperformed,” Meyers states.
Breaking Down Bowser Fueled by Machen’s revelations involving Gray’s 2010 campaign, Bowser racked up votes in the city’s western wards. In Ward 1, a 45.92 percent win at the polls brought her 4,654 votes. In Ward 2, she received slight majority of 50.53 percent garnering 3,398 votes. Bowser’s big win was in Ward 3. There, buoyed by multiple Washington Post endorsements, she secured 64.15 percent of the vote totaling 7,736 ballots. In Ward 6, she squeaked by favorite son Tommy Wells with 4,850 votes or 37.72 percent of the total. Together the city’s western wards constituted 57.77 percent of Bowser’s total haul. Clearly, her campaign’s message of eliminate Gray at all costs resonated. “(US Attorney) Ronald Machen was the decider. He killed Wells and Evans. He got voters to think strategically,” says Meyers. “Voters valued their vote and used it to pick a winner,” he continues.
“Voters were not affirmatively voting for Muriel, but defensively against Gray,” concurs Elissa Silverman, former Loose Lips, who ran in the 2013 special election for the At-Large seat. After romping through the city’s western wards, Bowser secured an additional 7,439 votes on her home turf of Ward 4. This was roughly the same amount she received in the 2008 and 2012 primaries. Interestingly, Bowser got 1,000 fewer votes than her mentor, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, garnered in the 2010 Primary. Bowers fell just short of securing a majority in Ward 4 with only 49.98 of the total. By holding steady in her home ward and bring in the western wards, Bowser cobbled together a large enough plurality to secure the Democratic nomination. “Muriel executed her plan and got her target numbers,” states Meyers. “She needs to embrace the Gray supporters and continue to campaign on the same high level.”
Catania’s Challenge In most years, victory in the District’s Democratic primary would all but guarantee one’s election. The November general election, usually held a few weeks after the primary, was regarded as a mere formality. All of this changed when the date of the primary was moved to April in 2012. The gap between April and November
April 2014 H 47
provides sufficient time to mount an Independent or Republican campaign against the Democratic nominee. Petitions can be picked up in mid-June and must be filed a month later. Long summer days provide excellent conditions for campaigning. Recognizing the opportunity afforded by the change in schedule, the At-Large, Independent, Councilmember David A. Catania declared his intention to run for mayor on March 12. First elected as a Republican in a 1997 special election, Catania, who shed his party affiliation in 2004, has been elected a total of five times. It is important to remember that voters for the At-Large council member can vote for two candidates. Many vote for the Democrat without selecting a second choice. For example, in 2006, this so-called ‘under vote’ totaled 65,387. So those who vote for Catania are likely to be more committed to him. In the last three November general elections, Catania has averaged 55,000 votes. This constitutes an average of 30 percent of the total votes cast. In contrast, Phil Mendelson, the Democratic candidate, received an average of 95,000 votes or 51 percent of the total. Catania’s strength is greatest in Wards 3, 4 and 6 where he routinely gets an average of 9,000 votes. In 2006 and 2010, he received more votes in Ward 4 than Bowser. In Ward 3, he received more than 11,000 votes in all three previous elections. So it is clear that Catania has the base to run on.
From Ethics to Policy “I think the vote on April 1 showed that there is a great desire for a change in the way the city is governed. As we get into a new cam-
48 H Hillrag.com
paign in which voters are judging who should be mayor rather than who should not be mayor, more attention will be paid to issues and records,” said former Ward 6 Councilmember Sharon C. Ambrose, Chair of Catania for Mayor. Issues of homelessness, education, taxation and finances, healthcare and emergency services, buried under the weight of Machen’s investigation, are likely to reemerge over the next few months as Bowser and Catania step up to each other. “Muriel and David Catania are very similar on economic policy. Where they differ is on social policy, where David is more liberal. Running against Catania is going to force her to come up with a vision for a Bowser administration.” observes Silverman. Always the policy wonk, “David is going to try to convince voters that he is the smartest person in the room,” concurs Meyers. Bowser, for her part, will be busy mending fences with the city’s many Democratic constituencies. Feelings wounded in the cut and thrust of the campaign will have to be set aside to foster unity in the face of Catania’s Independent challenge. In the meantime, voters will be working to get over their fatigue. Barbara Savage, a longtime resident of Hillcrest, has yet to make up her mind about her choice in November. She looks forward to hearing from both candidates. “I believe that our vote should be based on what’s most important to this city. Not about gender. Not about race. Not about sexual orientation. But about the ability of the person to govern the District. I have always voted that way. We can’t be one city if we are not being inclusive,” says Savage. u
April 2014 H 49
{capitol streets / the numbers}
Making Sure There’s A Place To Call Home
A
huge spike in families seeking shelter this winter caught DC’s leaders by surprise – and highlighted major shortcomings in the city’s homeless services. Instead of moving out of shelter quickly, hundreds of homeless families remain stuck in a run-down city shelter, budget motels, and until recently, rec center gym floors. The failures have been so monumental that homeless services became a major issue in the Democratic mayoral primary. But the end of the political primary season is not a time for attention to wane. This year’s homeless problem has its roots in a broken system – one that left our main shelter nearly full even before winter – and a tremendous lack of low-cost housing. How DC government responds as the weather climbs above freezing – and how it prepares for next winter – is extremely important to ensure that what happened this past winter doesn’t happen again. The solutions include better program management, increased funding for selected programs, and stepped-up efforts to create a supply of affordable housing. None of that will happen without leaders who see this as an urgent problem that they take responsibility for.
Dc Should Do Better By Homeless Families Next Year DC’s family shelters start to swell every November, because city law gives families a right to shelter when temperatures are below freezing. Yet this winter, the main emergency shelter at the former DC General Hospital was nearly at capacity when winter started. That
50 H Hillrag.com
by Kate Coventry and Jenny Reed led to a number of unfortunate steps. First, the city began to place homeless families in low-cost motel rooms. Then, after concerns were raised from officials in the Maryland suburbs about motel placements there, DC began to turn to recreation centers as shelter. Mayor Gray and his team saw rec center gyms not only as last-ditch shelter but also as a way to discourage families from seeking shelter by offering deplorable living conditions. The rec centers had flimsy partitions that did not provide privacy, sleeping spaces without doors, lights that were often kept on all night, and no access to showers. Families in rec centers also had to reapply for shelter in person every day, and were not allowed in any night when temperatures
stayed above 32 degrees. The conditions were so deplorable, in fact, that families placed in recreation centers took legal action -- and won. DC Superior Court judge. Judge Robert Okun issued an injunction against using rec centers, noting the irreparable harm that would be caused to the families if they continued to stay there. The city argues it does not have space beyond rec centers. So the mayor’s plan is to put out all families that came into shelter after January 30, when the weather warms this spring. Remember that all of these families came into shelter because they had no safe place to go. Most still do not and yet will have no access to shelter until next winter. Leaving families with no safe and stable place to go is bad not only for them but for the city as a whole. The de-stabilizing impacts of homelessness make it hard for parents to get back on their feet and hard for children to succeed in school. Failure to help families also would likely result in a repeat next year of this year’s crisis. Instead of putting families with children on the street, the city should place families in stable shelter, provide services to address the problems that led to homelessness, and allow them to stay in shelter until they help the family secure housing – undoing the harmful effects of homelessness as quickly as possible.
500 Families, 100 Days In response to growing pressure, Mayor Gray announced a new effort to identify 500 apartments for homeless families by
June – over a period of 100 days. Most families would receive short-term subsidies with supportive services, but the most troubled families would get long-term help. This effort will reduce the number of homeless families in shelter so that DC General is not full next winter, making it easier to absorb the inevitable increase in homeless families that will occur. Mayor Gray said it was a “call to arms” to the wider community—including landlords, realtors, developers, banks and the faith community—to identify low-cost apartments for these families. DCFPI applauds this effort and has advocated along with others for just such an approach. But it is important that this be seen not as a one-time event but instead that is followed up with long-term reforms to the way homeless services are provided.
Avoiding A Crisis Next Winter Given the District’s breathtaking loss of moderately or low-priced housing, the city needs a system to address the inevitable problem of homelessness. That includes better implementation of programs that work, increased funding, and a better supply of low-cost housing for families trying to exit shelters.
Those key steps include the following: Better staffing and operations of key programs. The District aims to serve most homeless families with “rapid re-housing,” a program that moves families from shelter into housing quickly with temporary subsidies and social supports. But the program is under-staffed and training is inadequate to ensure all providers use best practices. Mayor Gray pledged to hire more staff, but that is moving slowly. Better use of supportive housing for most troubled families. Permanent Supportive Housing uses the successful “housing first” model to place families into long-term housing and then provide wrap-
around services. Yet while the city budget provided funding since last October to place 20 families, the Gray Administration has not moved a single family. The District should not only use those budgeted slots but also identify more funding to serve the remaining families in need. Targeted efforts to keep families from becoming homeless. The District could adopt the “Homebase” model from New York City to target emergency rental assistance funds and to provide supports to families on the verge of seeking shelter. DC also can look to the Cleveland Mediation Center for ways to help families avoid shelter by safely reconnecting with relatives and friends. Offering access to shelter beyond the winter. As noted, families have access to shelter only in cold weather. Opening up shelter access year round would help avoid a crush of families seeking help each winter. It also would enable families to get help when they need it, thus undoing the effects of homelessness as quickly as possible. Homelessness doesn’t depend on the weather, and neither should DC’s policy to shelter families with no safe place to go. Developing a real effort to create lowcost housing. No effort to reduce homelessness can be successful in the long-term without increased resources for affordable housing. Rapid re-housing depends on a sufficient number of low-cost units for families to move into. And most poor families spend more than half their income on housing, leaving thousands at risk of homelessness. Our city can do a much better job than it did this year to help families reestablish their lives in the community and regain the stability needed to take proper care of their children. Getting as many families out of shelter this spring and summer will help thousands of children and allow the District to start next winter on the right foot. Kate Coventry and Jenny Reed are analysts with the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. u
Sidamo Coffee and Tea
Single Origin Coffee Freshly Roasted on Site! Organic & Specialty Coffees from Around the World 25 Types of Loose Teas Bagels, Salads, Sandwiches & Desserts • Catering Ethiopian Coffee Ritual Sundays @ 2pm
202-548-0081 Mon.-Fri. 7-7 Sat. 8-6, Sun. 8-5 sidamocoffeeandtea.com FREE 417 H Street, NE April 2014 H 51
{capitol streets / extra}
Community Meets 700 Constitution Avenue’s New Developers by Charnice A. Milton
A rendering of the renovated 700 Constitution Ave. Photo: 700neighbors.com
n Feb. 26 concerned residents gathered at the Northeast Library to discuss the redevelopment project located at 700 Constitution Ave. The project, set to open next summer, will convert a portion of the property into 143 luxury apartments. However, after a recent change in developers, residents needed to get to know the new team before they supported the project.
Inc.; and Ronald D. Paul, chairman of Eagle Bank. While Paul was not present at the February meeting, Busby and Borger explained their background. “Tom and I have been friends and partners for almost four years,” said Busby. He explained that his company is known for doing historical renovations throughout the city, including the Jenifer Building, located on the corner of 7th and D streets, NW. “In the past three to four years we probably renovated over a thousand residential units,” Busby explained, including the Chevy Chase Apartments and the Embassy Apartments. While neither Busby nor Borger discussed the acquisition process, they noted that they would build a new boiler room for the Specialty Hospital as part of the deal. Borger explained that the project costs about $2 million and could take at least a couple of months. They are also focusing on separating each building on the property. “It’s a difficult process because we have to be certain that anything we disconnected, or cut off, or put a valve on, or whatever would somehow find its way from our building to the hospital,” Borger said. They also began asbestos removal, pipe installation, and some exterior demolition; however, they did not have a permit for the latter.
O History
The property was established as the Eastern Dispensary Casualty Hospital in 1904. Since then it has gone through various name changes and alterations; for instance, the Specialty Hospital of Washington was constructed in the 1970s as a “patient ‘tower.’” Because the property is in the Capitol Hill Historic District, any development must be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). IBG Partners received HPRB approval in early 2012 and began seeking support from the surrounding community to convert the property into “a Class-A apartment building with approximately 140-units and 86-parking spaces.” The original plans, which did not affect the Specialty Hospital, aimed to restore the original 1928 building while altering 1956 additions. They also planned to add underground parking, as well as create a new entrance on Constitution Avenue.
New Developers A new development team bought out IBG: Terry Busby, principal of Urban Structures; G. Thomas Borger, chairman of Borger Management,
52 H Hillrag.com
Issues While HPRB initially approved under IBG, that approval is only good for two years. With a change in ownership there is a possibility that the project might return to HPRB. Also, HPRB imposed conditions on the project including further consultation with the ANCs and other community organizations, and delegated final approval to the Historic Preservation Office (HPO).
Shauna Holmes of HPRB reported that as of the meeting HPO had not signed off on permits related to the project or on final construction plans. Last year the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) not only failed to get HPO approval before issuing an interior demolition permit, but also failed to ensure that the developers’ current plans matched the scope of work. Holmes stated that the latter was “a big failure since the scope of work did not mention exterior removal of the metal harness in the Eighth Street entrance....” However, the developers thought they were approved to do the removal. “We didn’t do that exterior demolition on a whim,” said Borger. “Now, we’re going to make sure that it’s done the proper way.”
Getting Back on Track On Feb. 25 the developers met with HPO staff for a preliminary review, and discussed the exterior demolition, updated plans, and permits. The developers presented their updated plans to the community and will submit all permit applications and updates to HPO for review. “Important progress was made yesterday when the new development team met with HPO,” said Holmes. “And important progress is continuing with their meeting tonight with us.” To learn more about the project visit 700neighbors.com. To provide input on the project contact Scott Price (Scott.Price@anc.dc.gov), David Holmes (holmes6a3@gmail.com), Mary McCue (mccuem@aol.com), Drury Tallant (dtallant@aol.com), Janet Quigley (quigleyjl@verizon. net), Bobbi Krengel (Bobbi.Krengel@gmail.com), or Bjorn Jernudd (bjorn@jernudd.com). u
Do your advisors select the stocks inside your portfolio... ...or do you pay a middle man to do it for them?
A P R I L
SPECIALS! at Sizzling Express– Savings All Day Long!
Let’s Talk... 202.507.6340 Ivory Johnson, CFP®, ChFC Capitol Hill Resident • Local Business Owner • CNBC Blogger
Delancey Wealth Management, LLC
20 F Street, NW, Ste. 744 Washington, DC 20001 ijohnson@DelanceyWealth.com www.DelanceyWealth.com
Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advice offered through Delancey Wealth Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial.
Get a free 16 oz bottled water with every sandwich purchase. Every $10 spend on the hot & cold food bar will get a free cookie or 16 oz bottle water. 10% off on Beer, Wine and Cocktail Drinks at the bar
Exp. 04/30/14 * Cannot be combined with other discounts. * $10 minimum purchase before tax.
Where the Freshness Sizzles and the Service is Express
7 DAYS A WEEK 600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE OPEN 6:30 am-10:00 pm 202.548.0900 SIZZLINGEXPRESSCAPITOLHILL.COM
April 2014 H 53
{capitol streets / anc news}
ANC’S ANC 6A by Denise Romano
ANC Joins Initiative to Clean Up Anacostia River Commissioners unanimously approved a motion to encourage the District Department of Environment (DDOE) to move forward with the Anacostia River Sediment Project, an initiative to clean up the Anacostia River. Representatives from the group United for a Healthy Anacostia River were on hand at the meeting, talking about the DDOE’s plan to clean up toxic sediments in the Anacostia. Dan Smith of the Anacostia Watershed Society explained that although the city is investing billions in fixing its combined sewer overflow system, there are still toxins flowing into the Anacostia at an alarming rate, adding to the significant deposits already there. Chair Nick Alberti moved that the advisory neighborhood commission (ANC) write a letter to DDOE and the mayor requesting that as part of the plan they form a citizen’s advisory group and that they expedite the process to ensure that the planning phase is completed by 2017. The group is putting pressure on the DDOE to finish a proposed comprehensive study of what toxins there are and to issue a record of decision by 2017 for how to do the cleanup, which could involve dredging and capping. There is also a social media movement and an online petition asking that elected officials include cleanup plans in this year’s budget. For more info, visit www. healthyanacostiariver.org.
ABC Board Sides with ANC over Ben’s Chili Bowl Outdoor Hours Earlier this year members of the ANC pro-
54 H Hillrag.com
tested the Ben’s Chili Bowl license for the establishment at H and 10th St. NE, requesting that the ABC Board limit the roof deck hours. On March 12 the board granted the ANC exactly what they asked for. From Sunday through Thursday, the roof deck must be closed by 11:00 p.m., and by 12:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, due to its proximity to residences. Chair Alberti commended Commissioners David Holmes, Omar Mahmud, and Jay Williams for putting so much work into the testimony.
New Transportation and Public Space Co-Chair Commissioners unanimously voted in Transportation and Public Space Committee member Todd Sloves as co-chair. Alberti said he was “impressed with the work that he has done and is glad he is stepping up to do more.”
12 Restaurant and Lounge Stabbing In early March there was a stabbing at 12 Restaurant and Lounge, located at 1123 H St. NE. The suspect was apprehended and the victim is stable. Commissioner Williams said that the Metropolitan Police Department closed the establishment for 96 hours. The ABC Board followed up with a summary suspension. The ANC is in the process of protesting the restaurant/lounge’s liquor license and will continue to do so.
ANC Votes on New Settlement Agreement Language Commissioners voted to approve changes suggested by Commissioner Williams in the language of their standard settlement agreement. The changes improve clarity of the provisions and note that any references to the regulations within the settlement agreement are for information purposes only – the violation of a regulation is not also a vio-
lation of a settlement agreement. The ANC said that no double jeopardy was intended. One significant change would allow licensees greater flexibility to participate in pub crawls.
Sahra Lounge’s Public Space Permit Could Go up in Smoke Sahra Lounge, located at H and 12th streets NE, which landed in hot water over its illegally operated sidewalk café and summer garden earlier this year, has new plans for springtime business. The owners have agreed to come before the Transportation and Public Space Committee with their new plans before they are presented to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). However, Sahra’s DDOT hearing is currently scheduled to take place the last week in March, before the ANC would be able to take an official vote on the plans. Commissioners unanimously voted that unless Sahra agrees to postpone its upcoming DDOT public space committee hearing until the end of April, the ANC will write a letter to DDOT opposing the application on the grounds that it is a large space with too many people in great proximity to a busy intersection and residences.
Alcohol/Beverage Licensing Commissioners voted 5-0-1 to recommend that the ANC formally protest the C/T license for Halftime Sports Bar, located at 1427 H St. NE, unless a signed settlement agreement is submitted to the ANC prior to the protest date. Commissioner Williams said that the owner will likely sign the agreement. In a 5-0-1 vote commissioners approved a motion to recommend that the ANC formally protest the Class A Retailer license application for Andy Lee Liquor, Inc. (trade name TBD), to be located at 914 H St. NE, unless a settlement agreement is submitted to the ANC before the protest date. The
owner plans on converting a liquor store into a higher-end wine store, with open displays and a security guard at night if needed.
Economic Development and Zoning Motions Commissioners unanimously approved a recommendation that the ANC write a letter to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HRPB) in support of HPA 14-80, which seeks design approval for the conversion of a church and two adjoining row houses at 819 D St. NE into a 30-unit residential development, provided that the developer incorporates HPRB’s pending comments into its design prior to the March 27 HRPB hearing. Commissioner Holmes added amendments: if the louvers are replaced by new louvers, any roof deck areas should not be visible from the street; no new window cuts on 9th or D streets; stained glass should be preserved, and any HVAC units, roof deck, or roof furniture should not be visible from the street; additional third-floor levels should not be visible from the street. Chair Alberti designated Commissioner Holmes and Dan Golden, chair of the Economic Development and Zoning Committee, to represent the ANC in this matter. This motion was unanimously approved. In a 6-0-0 vote commissioners voted to approve a recommendation that the ANC write a letter to BZA in support of BZA 18755, which seeks a special exception from lot occupancy and a variance from court width requirements for 504 12th St. NE in connection with a rear addition to the existing structure.
10 th Street Auto repAirS
Serving Capitol Hill for over 25 years Owner Kevin Ehrman and his dedicated staff will treat your car as they would their own. 518 10th St., NE (MD & 10th St., NE) Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m – 6 pm • 544-1110
Law Offices Of
James m LOOts, Pc Serving the Capitol Hill Community Since 1984 General Litigation and Arbitration Franchising and Business Organizations Commercial Leasing and Development Labor and Employment Issues Contract and Licensing Matters
Other Business The “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” signs that Commissioner Holmes requested at the
TOP “AV” RATED BY MARTINDALE-HUBBELL
634 G Street SE, Suite 200 | Washington DC 20003 (202) 536-5650 • Fax: (202) 315-3515 www.lootslaw.com April 2014 H 55
{capitol streets / anc news}
intersections of 10th St. and East Capitol St. and at 10th St. and Massachusetts Ave. will be installed by DDOT. The signs may be installed at other sites as well. Commissioner Mahmud reported that as soon as the weather is warm enough to permit striping, DDOT will complete installation of bike lanes along G and I streets to provide cyclists an alternative to using H Street. Commissioner Sondra Phillips-Gilbert made calls to follow up on a broken sign pole at the Rosedale Recreation Center, sidewalk repairs, and additional trash receptacles for the community center and surrounding areas. This will keep the area cleaner and safer for the upcoming warm weather. Commissioners Calvin Ward and PhillipsGilbert will co-sponsor a community watch meeting sometime in April for their single member districts (SMDs). Phillips-Gilbert said residents are concerned about crime and want to know what the police are doing and what neighbors can do to help out. Chair Alberti announced that there are eight proposed charter schools coming to the District. As usual the Public Charter School Board has not provided the specific locations. ANC 6A meets on the second Thursday of every month (except August) at Miner Elementary School. The 6A committees meet at 7:00 p.m. at the following dates and locations: • Alcohol Beverage and Licensing, third Tuesday of every month at the Sherwood Recreation Center. • Community Outreach, third Monday of each month, Maury Elementary School. • Economic Development and Zoning, third Wednesday of each month, Sherwood Recreation Center. • Transportation and Public Space, third Monday of every month, location to be posted on the website, www.anc6a.org. u
ANC 6B by Jonathan Neely
A
dvisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6B held its monthly open meeting on Tuesday, March 11, at the Hill Center. Commissioner Garrison was absent, leaving nine commissioners to vote on motions brought before the commission.
56 H Hillrag.com
Anacostia River Sediment Project and Community Involvement Plan The meeting opened with a presentation about the Anacostia River Sediment Project from the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) and TetraTech, an environmental consulting firm hired by the city. The two organizations are finalizing plans for an initial examination of the river as well as gaining community feedback on the project, whose ultimate goal is to make the Anacostia swimmable and fishable. Once the organizations have fully assessed the Anacostia’s contamination level and obtained feedback they’ll move forward with a formal cleanup plan. Commissioners approved a letter applauding the DDOE for getting the project underway but asking that the community involvement plan formally list ANC 6B as a key stakeholder throughout the process, since the neighborhood borders the Anacostia.
Parking Community Benefits At its March 5 meeting the Transportation Committee discussed the DC Department of Transportation’s Performance Parking Zone Community Benefits Program, which takes meter money from designated zones and, based on an application process, puts it toward non-automotive transportation projects in areas that are in or adjacent to those zones. The program collected $1.4 million in 2013, and this year the deadline for project applications was March 21. “We need to spend the money this year,” said Commissioner Oldenburg, noting that last year it went to the Circulator. ANC 6B has submitted applications to DDOT for nine projects, with landscaping at Eastern Market Metro Plaza, sidewalk repair at Seward Square, and pedestrian safety improvement at Gessford Court listed as its top preferences. The commission has also joined with Barracks Row Main Street and the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District to support projects that include sidewalk brick and tile repair as well as tree box railings for trees on 8th Street SE and street lighting, intersection and crosswalk striping, and Capitol Bike Share locations between 7th Street SE and the Anacostia.
Letter to Mayor Gray Regarding Virginia Avenue Tunnel Plan The commission approved a letter to Mayor Gray regarding the Virginia Avenue tunnel reconstruction project’s draft environmental impact plan that was released last June. The letter voices
concerns over the project that range from duration (one alternative proposal said it could last for up to 66 months) to a need for more information on rodent and dust control, to post-construction restoration plans for Virginia Avenue Park, Garfield Park, and the north side of Virginia Avenue. It also asks that a formal complaint process be established for residents and businesses once the project begins, and notes that the draft had shortcomings identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that included inadequate analysis of health impacts to children and dust control. Finally, the letter references resident concerns over hazardous material going through the tunnel and requests that the mayor and DDOT work with railroad and safety experts to make sure precautions are taken, including placing limitations on what can pass through the tunnel. ANC 6B supported the project in draft form because the tunnel, which is over 100 years old, is in need of repair, but the letter notes that the commission may withdraw its support should its concerns not be addressed in the final impact statement. While the project was supposed to start this summer, commissioners expect the timeline to be pushed back.
Request for Offers for Eastern Branch Building The DC Department of General Services recently informed the ANC that it will issue a request for offer – basically an announcement that the city is taking bids from development teams – on the Eastern Branch Building (261 17th St. SE), a former Boys and Girls Club building that has been vacant and city-owned since 2006. The city has placed the building high atop a list of surplus properties for which it wants to find use. While the city will not include a community representative in its final selection process, community prioritization will be a factor in scoring the offers it receives. On Feb. 18 the Hill East Task Force held a meeting that included discussion of how the building should be used, with some arguing that plans should include the preservation of the façade while others saying it should be replaced entirely with a structure that is more accessible and energyefficient. The Eastern Branch Task Force, commissioned by City Councilman Tommy Wells, recommended that the building’s use serve families and meet community needs like daycare, senior services, or wellness and fitness. General Services has agreed to delay its request for offer until ANC 6B and residents can weigh in with formal comments in May.
Preservation Cafe: “Historic Waterfront of Washington, DC”
Capitol Hill author John R. Wennersten will discuss his new book, The Historic Waterfront of Washington, DC on Wednesday April 16, 6:30-7:15 p.m., Ebenezers Coffee House (downstairs), 2nd and F St. NE. Wennersten is Emeritus Professor of American History at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. Wennersten currently serves as Vice-President of the Friends of the Southeast Public Library and is on the Board of Directors of the Anacostia Watershed Society. The event is free, no reservations required, and the public is encouraged to attend. The 57th Annual Mothers Day House & Garden Tour, May 10 & 11: ”Capitol Hill, A Community of Choice, A History to Explore”
202-543-0425 www.chrs.org ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A NICK ALBERTI, CHAIR, 202-543-3512 Serving the Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, and Stanton Park communities
★ ★ ★
ANC 6A generally meets the second Thursday of the month, at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE.
www.anc6a.org
Next ANC 6A is 2nd Thursday, April 10 Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee 3rd Tuesday, Apr. 15, 7pm • Sherwood Recreation Center Corner of 10th & G Streets, NE • Chair, Jay Williams, 906-0657 Transportation & Public Space Committee 3rd Monday, Apr. 21, 7pm • location will be posted on the website calendar Chair, Omar Mahmud, 546-1520 Economic Development & Zoning Committee 3rd Wednesday, Apr. 16, 7pm • Sherwood Recreation Center Corner of 10th and G Streets, NE • Chair, Dan Golden, 641-5734 Community Outreach Committee 3rd Monday, Apr. 21, 7pm • Maury Elementary School, 13th Street and Constitution Ave NE Chair, Elizabeth Nelson, 543-3512
Please check the Community Calendar on the website for cancellations and changes of venue. April 2014 H 57
Tortilla Coast Issue
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C P.O. Box 77876 • Washington, D.C. 20013-7787 • www.anc6c.org Call (202) 547-7168 for meeting time and location. ANC 6C generally meets the second Wednesday of each month.
ANC 6C COMMISSIONERS ANC 6C01 Daniele Schiffman Daniele.Schiffman@gmail.com
ANC 6C04 Mark Eckenwiler 6C04@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C02 Karen Wirt (202) 547-7168 6C02@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C05 Mark Kazmierczak 6C05@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C03 Scott Price (202) 577-6261 6C03@anc.dc.gov scott.price@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C06 Tony Goodman (202) 271-8707 tonytgood@gmail.com
ANC 6C COMMITTEES Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee Contact: (870) 821-0531 anc6c.abl.committee@gmail.com
Transportation and Public Space Committee First Thursday, 7 pm Contact: (202) 641-4264
ANC 6B is continuing its protest of Tortilla Coast’s (400 1st St. SE) seeking of an entertainment endorsement for karaoke, because the bar has given no indication that it will sign a settlement agreement with the commission even after the two parties met with an Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration mediator. The commission initially voted to recommend against the endorsement in November because of recent violations by the bar that have included the absence of a manager, obnoxious security alarms, and alcohol being served to minors. Settlement agreements outline expectations between establishments and the surrounding community on matters such as noise levels and hours of operation; most bars in 6B have settlement agreements with the ANC. “We’re protesting not because we don’t want them to get [the endorsement],” said Commissioner Flahaven, “but because we want to make sure there are adequate protections addressing neighborhood concerns. We want to do as much as we can to ensure that neighbors have a voice when these kinds of endorsements are added to establishments.” u
Grants Committee Contact: SDucote@afscme.org Planning, Zoning, and Environment Committee First Wednesday, 7 pm Contact: zoning@eckenwiler.org Twitter: @6C_PZE
ANC 6C
by Charnice A. Milton
600 Massachusetts Ave. Roberta Lovatelli, who owns the property located at 600 Massachusetts Ave., petitioned the commission to support her historic preservation application for the brick patio she built in 2013. However, the patio is located in her front yard, which is considered to be public space. “No, I did not know I required a permit to re-landscape my front yard,” Lovatelli said. “Had I known it, I wouldn’t have done it this way.”
58 H Hillrag.com
She justified her work, saying the grass couldn’t grow in her yard and that the patio ensured public safety after a crashing vehicle damaged her property. Lovatelli brought Craig D’oge, a fellow Capitol Hill resident, to represent her. They argued that the neighborhood has no problem with the patio and hope to work with city government to find a solution. However, the commission noted issues with Lovatelli and D’oge’s application and presentation. For instance, Commissioner Mark Eckenwiler (6C 04) said that some of their support letters come from people living outside of the area, and showed two pictures of the same property in which grass grew. While Lovatelli and D’oge insisted that they had not heard complaints about the patio outside of the Planning, Zoning, and Environment Committee, some residents stated their opposition to the application. “Every property owner has a duty, I believe, to know what they’re buying, to know the extent of their estate, and follow the law” said one neighbor. Commissioner Danielle Schiffman (6C 01) agreed, saying that Lovatelli should have known that living in an historic district means it is necessary to seek approval for any and all changes to her property. Commissioner Schiffman, along with Commissioner Eckenwiler, also called out both the applicant and her representative for their rude behavior and attitude; both kept interrupting the commissioners, made snide comments, and were argumentative throughout the discussion. The commission voted 5-0, with one abstention, to oppose the application.
H Street Truck Loading Zones In December the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) relocated all 10 truck loading zones on H Street to make way for the upcoming streetcars. With approximately 21 loading zones now located along the surrounding numbered
April 2014 H 59
{capitol streets / anc news}
streets, DDOT representative Eulois Cleckley gave updates on their impact. He reported that trucks were still double-parking on H, as the streetcars were not yet running. The new loading zones can accommodate daily demands despite being smaller in size. However, DDOT made a commitment to dedicate the intersection of 5th and H streets to resident parking-pass (RPP) holders, and as a result might have to move the loading zone on 6th Street. Commissioner Eckenwiler said there are too many loading zones at the intersection of 4th and H streets. While three of the four corners are designated as loading zones, only one is more heavily used. Commissioner Eckenwiler stated that if the highest utilization rate is 39 percent (which includes the double-parking situation on H), there are too many loading zones. Commissioner Scott Price (6C 03) suggested looking at community impact, as the report primarily looks at how commerce is affected.
Performance Parking Zone Community Benefits Joe McCann, chair of the Transportation and Public Space Committee, said that DDOT chose the H Street Corridor as a performance parking zone (PPZ). As a result DDOT adjusted meter rates after observing usage and parking times and ensuring that 10 to 15 percent of parking spaces were open for visitors. With the extra money raised from metered parking DDOT created a fund to help pay for improvements for each PPZ. McCann reported that $560,000 in benefits was allocated for the H Street Corridor and that the commission could submit an application proposing improvements. Commissioner Tony Goodman (6C 06) presented a list of 17 proposed projects, which included curb extensions, bike lane striping, and landscaping improvements. The commission unanimously voted to send the application and to authorize Commissioner Goodman or McCann as the main contact person.
331 H Street Commissioner Eckenwiler stated that he received a letter from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) about the Great Streets Grant Initiative Program. The Alexandria-based Oliver Opticians submitted an application to bring a location to 331 H St. However, the site could be the future home to Island Dyes Head Shop, known for selling glass water pipes. While it is impossible for two businesses to occupy the same space, Commissioner Eckenwiler
60 H Hillrag.com
noted that one condition of the grant states that the applicant must have site control of the property. This means that the applicant does not have to own the property but must have at least a two-year lease. However, when Commissioner Eckenwiler spoke to Oliver Opticians, they were unclear about the state of the lease. The commission voted unanimously to send a letter to DMPED offering support for the application but expressing doubt on its validity under grant conditions.
Other News The commission unanimously voted Lauren McHale as an at-large member for the Planning, Zoning and Environment Committee and Meti Zegeye and Gerald (Jerry) Wall as at-large members for the Transportation and Public Space Committee. Alex Ripps was appointed as the 6C 06 representative for the Alcoholic Beverage Committee. The commission unanimously approved a $2,736.32 grant for the Peabody School’s garden. The money will go toward restoring parts affected by recent construction, garden structure maintenance, supporting their FoodPrints program, and annual maintenance for the food and habitat gardens. The commission voted unanimously to send a letter honoring Shauna Holmes, chair of the Historic Preservation Committee, who is retiring. u
ANC 6D
S
by Roberta Weiner
tacy Cloyd has been sworn in as the new Commissioner for ANC 6D 02, replacing Ed Kaminski who resigned in February. Her district covers an area on both sides of South Capitol Street and includes landmarks such as the Randall School, the health center, and residential units north of I Street and east of 3rd Street SW on the west side of the South Capitol, and Nationals Park, south to Potomac Avenue and east to 1st Street (with a small jog to 2nd and K Streets SE. She can be reached at 6D02@anc.dc.gov.
Unique Plans for Florida Rock Site: Welcome to 1st Street Fields Last month I wrote that the Florida Rock project was finally moving forward—well, it is, but there’s still a lot of land that they’re not using
for a while, and an enterprising group of people have come to the ANC with a carefully constructed plan for a unique-to-Washington sports facility featuring playing fields for sports like bocce and whiffle ball, beach volley ball and kick ball. This would be a site where people can come with friends to play a sport with friends, have a bite to eat and a beer and enjoy a social evening on the waterfront—which will be fenced in for safety. There would be no alcohol while playing and it would be carefully controlled. The food would be fresh and dependent on food trucks and local chefs who would do pop-up restaurants on a one- or two week cycles. There would also be specialty programming: corporate field days, teambuilding events, product launchings, community events, birthday parties, and would also include farmers’ markets, holiday bazaars, and community field days. The developers were insistent that they want to make it a safe place to come. They are looking at such issues as safety, medical issues, and crowd control, and will have changing rooms and lockers. Commissioner Andy Litsky and others got down to basics, asking questions about hours— their plan was to be open from 8 AM to 2 AM during the week and to 3 AM on weekends. Concerns were raised about that, and a suggestion was made that the closing hours be no later than the Metro closing. The ANC was assured that the sound would be carefully controlled with “integrated speaker management,” and DCRA was being consulted about the number of people the space can hold. Litsky said he would oppose signing off on the project pending the development of a Settlement Agreement that includes provisions for sound mitigation and testing. David Garber added that he is listening to community concerns, but complimented the developers on their comprehensive, detailed presentation. The Commission voted 4-2 to support the negotiation of a Settlement Agreement that includes the Metro closing hours, and, if there is any further change they will return to the ANC in April.
New Site for Weekend Farmers’ Market Sought Currently, there is a weekend farmers’ market, run by Aya Community Markets, located outside St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church at 6th Street and Maine Avenue SW. They would like to expand and move to a site at the Waterfront Metro plaza, with the potential of adding local
Try our Gourmet Cream Style Corn!
“Better Tasting than Corn on the Cob!”
100% All Natural Sweet Corn
No Added Sugar, Additives, Coloring, or Preservatives! AVAILABLE AT THESE LOCATIONS The Silver Spork - 303 7th St. SE., WDC Rodman’s - 5100 Wisconsin Ave., NW., WDC GLUT Food Coop - 4005 34th St., Mt. Rainier, MD Potomac Adventist Book & Health Food Store - 12004 Cherry Hill Rd., Silver Spring, MD
Questions? Email us at info@larrysweetcorn.com
www.larrysweetcorn.com
April 2014 H 61
{capitol streets / anc news}
entrepreneurs to the product mix at the market. However, there’s a problem: Safeway negotiated a no-competition clause in their lease with developers Vornado/Charles E. Smith and USAA Real Estate Company and they have, to date, denied the farmers market permission to relocate. Commissioner Sam Marrero presented a resolution asking that the ANC send a letter to the Safeway management and the landlords requesting a concession in Safeway’s covenant so that Aya Community Markets and other produce vendors can locate in proximity to the Metro stop. His resolution points out that the farmers’ market’s presence would “add vibrancy” to the location, help to “connect the diverse parts of the Southwest DC community, draw new shoppers to the area, grow the market to support local small businesses, and provide nutrition education…” The resolution passed unanimously.
New Capper Construction Issue Bubbling Up The final piece of the Capper Carrollsburg Hope VI construction was supposed to be construction of an office building and a mixed income apartment building to be built at New Jersey Avenue, 3rd and K Streets SE—Square 767. Without any discussion with the community, the DC Housing Authority (DCHA) has changed it plans, and several members of the Southeast community took the opportunity of the public comment period of the ANC meeting to outline many problems with the DCHA decision. What DCHA has determined to do is sell the property that was scheduled for the office building, and on the remaining half of the block build two, rather than a single building, one of which will be affordable housing, and one market rate. The residents who spoke agreed on several points, primary among them that the idea of two buildings goes totally against the original concept of the development—which has been a great success until now—to have neighbors across income levels and backgrounds living together in a blended community. One of the speakers put forward the vision of two buildings with different qualities of amenities like fitness rooms, roof decks and community rooms, which would not encourage the kind of community and connections the rest of the development successfully encourages. The speakers also pointed out that because of the reduced land, the buildings will be taller and the density greater on the edge of a town house community, and with two structures, there will be increased parking needed, requiring two
62 H Hillrag.com
sets of curb cuts. Until now, there has been no contact from DCHA, but the Commissioners are sure there will be. Stay tune.
In Other Actions… •
Heard a brief presentation from Karen Quash, the new manager of the Southwest branch of the DC Public Library. She outlined the series of exciting special events for March, ranging from lectures on gardening to events honoring Women’s History Month to Saturday movies. There is also a calendar of recurring monthly events that includes computer classes, story time, yoga sessions and game nights. The calendar is available at the library of online at dclibrary.org/southwest, 202/724-4752. • Approved a liquor license for Masala Art, the new Indian restaurant that will open on 4th Street SW within the next few months. • Discussed, but took no immediate action, on a request by Commissioner Rachel Reilly Carroll to send a letter to Abigail Smith, DC’s Deputy Mayor for Education, seeking her assistance in finding classroom space for Appletree Preschool. The Commission decided that more information was needed and representatives of Appletree should be present to answer questions. The next meeting of ANC 6D will be on Monday, April 14, at 7 PM, at the DCRA Conference Room, 2nd Floor, 1100 4th Street SW.
ANC 6E by Steve Holton
A Future for the Farm? Principal Michael Moss of the Walker-Jones Education Campus spoke before the commission to give an update on the school’s Farm Redevelopment Program. The farm is located at the corner of K Street and New Jersey Avenue NW and directly impacts the curriculum and work they do at the school as reported by Moss. The school has a substantial amount of funding directed toward the project and has created two additional positions to assist the farm. School officials are prepping the land for the upcoming growing season so that the students will be able to plant crops, which will be used to teach kids how to prepare healthy food.
“Many kids do not know how to prepare healthy food so they often go to the local carry out, which isn’t healthy, said Moss. We want to present them with ways to have a sustainable health and diet.” The future of the farm is up in the air, with the city possibly reclaiming the land and developing it. The growing question for Walker-Jones is whether or not the farm will stay in place or be relocated if the city decides to develop the parcel of land. “If it isn’t in walking distance it is of no use to us in terms of developing our curriculum, and we are seeking direct answers from the city,” said Moss. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development sent a project manager to the meeting to address the board and concerns of Walker-Jones. The project manager said that it was the first time someone from WalkerJones had spoken on behalf of an agreement between the school and the city regarding the parcel of land, and that there was no existing agreement in place between the two parties. As a result, said the project manager, the city is potentially liable if someone is injured on the property, and it will have to take measures to mitigate the liability for the District and community. The project manager said that the city is not trying to discontinue the farm but rather collect more details so that it can be integrated into any redevelopment plan as an urban farm component. The component would place the farm as close to campus as possible so that children and the community can access it. “It sounds like Walker-Jones is putting the land to good use, and we are happy to communicate with them further and discuss how we can continue the farm for both interim and long-term use,” said the project manager.
Residential Project Relief Chip Glasgow from Holland & Knight LLP requested zoning relief to construct a 10-story residential building at 1031 4th St. NW. The lot area is 12,000 square feet and the structure will be 110 feet in height with 124 dwelling units. The zoning relief request, which will accommodate construction vehicles and equipment, will go before the DC Office of Zoning with the support of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E. Groundbreaking for the project could be as early as September. Although the zoning relief request passed, the board expressed concerns about continuous construction in the area. “You may want to have a community forum, because residents are fed up with living in nothing but a noisy construction zone over the last few years” said ANC 6E 05 Commissioner Marge Maceda.
Commission Denies Temporary Firehouse Consideration DC Department of Fire and Medical Emergency Officials were on hand to discuss a possible temporary station for Engine Company 16 at 10th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NW. The temporary location would accommodate the overload from other stations until an alternate and permanent station can be built in another location. The temporary station would be directly across the street from a public school, and the board stated concern over the disruption and noise that it would bring to the community. The commission voted to oppose the plan and urged the DC fire chief to seek other alternatives.
Shaw Crime Report Sergeant Joshua Strassman gave a monthly update on crime to the commissioners and meeting attendees. There was an assault and attempted robbery on two area residents, but an arrest was made before any items were taken. Three burglaries occurred in a building on E Street NW late at night, and arrests were made in all three cases. Most crimes committed over the last few weeks have been auto theft, three of them in the vicinity of 1st and L streets NE. They usually happen during the late hours to patrons of clubs who leave purses and iPods out in plain view in their vehicle. The windows were smashed and the items stolen were the most easily available. “Officers are following up to get additional information by checking local security cameras” said Strassman. The local Walmart has had an increase in arrests by off-duty undercover officers, which has taken the burden off area patrol officers.
permit for construction that would include a curb cut for a Homewood Suites Hotel located at 465 New York Ave. NW. The curb cut will be located on the L Street side of the property and will help alleviate traffic concerns that the new hotel may bring. “The alternative would have cars approach the hotel from the back of the property, which would take traffic through neighborhoods and a local alleyway” said Fuller. The curb will be cut at an angle so that vehicles can’t make a left turn into traffic. The commissioners passed a motion to support the request when brought before the city.
Other Topics of Note A motion passed to support a revised plan for a facade on a building located at 415 M St. NW. The revised plan will be brought before the Historic Preservation Design Review Board. A motion passed to support removal of a mid-block bump-out located on the block of 900 French St. NW as a part of a streetscape improvement. A motion passed to support zoning relief for Compass Coffee located at 1535 7th St. NW to add 23 seats. The cafe currently has 18 seats available to customers. The commissioners will meet again at 6:30 p.m. on April 1 at the Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. Visit www.anc6e.org to view the ANC 6E newsletter. Follow on Twitter @ANC6E and Facebook by searching ANC6E. u
Curb Cut Approved Scott Fuller with IBG Partners requested support for a public space
April 2014 H 63
Crossword Author: Myles Mellor • www.themecrosswords.com • www.mylesmellorconcepts.com
“It’s a Men Thing” by Myles Mellor and Sally York Across:
90. Develop
18. Yemen gulf
1. Possessed, in the Bible
92. More, in Madrid
24. Remain unused
6. Holy text
94. Battery part
25. Not fresh
11. Antitoxins
95. Sour fruit
29. Brouhaha
15. Constellation bear
96. Performed a tailor’s job
31. Arranger
19. Send, in a way
99. Military chaplain
32. Introduction
20. Hells Canyon locale
100. Our sun
34. Anxieties
21. Author Turgenev
101. Knuckleheads
35. ___ l’oeil
22. Cousin of a herring
102. Fountain order
36. Dido’s love
23. Store area
104. Refine
37. Doings
26. Bone-dry
108. Honshu city
38. Some grenades
27. Terpenoid lipids
110. Kyushu city
39. Mount Vernon, for one
28. Car compartment
114. Hand over
40. Ocean menace
29. Coach
115. Great insightfulness
41. Old English letters
30. Cognizant of
118. Module
42. Cool
31. Advanced degree
119. Round building
43. Addition column
33. Pathet ___
120. Accomplishments
45. Conceited
35. Asian weight units
121. Correct
46. Sea flier
38. Constitutional add-on
122. Imposes
50. Small fort
44. Enlivens (with “up”)
123. Oil source
51. Basketball maneuver
45. Left-hand page
124. Rock debris
53. Brace
47. Posting at JFK
125. ___ Tomas de Castilla
56. Live and breathe 57. Born
48. Col. Sanders feature 49. Solitary
59. Prosthesis
50. Mexican shawls: Var.
Down:
62. Foods
52. Heels
1. Chops
65. Bow
54. Top Tatar
2. Gazillions
67. Nancy, in Nancy
55. Bad sign
3. Broad
68. Antediluvian
58. Remote stations
4. Insoluble substances
69. ___ office
60. Female benefactor
5. Mortise insertions
70. Couch
61. Chinese blossom
6. Buddy
72. Reflective power
63. German industrial city
7. Keats creations
73. Address book abbr.
64. Stand for Steen
8. Criminal charge
74. Oenophile’s concern
66. Growls
9. “Gotcha!”
76. Audition tapes
71. Inflammation
10. Certain directions
77. Camelot lady
75. Theorist
11. Feign
78. Teen bane
79. Cowardly one
12. Knotted up
79. Watch part
83. Academic ceremony
13. Stick in one’s craw
80. Narthex neighbor
85. Container weight
14. Pantry pest
81. Wrinkle remover
86. Group
15. “Back in the ___”
82. Grassland
88. Aswarm
16. Cassowary’s cousin
84. Intended
89. Frequently, in verse
17. Eastern attire
87. Indian herb
64 H Hillrag.com
Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 91. Grant
107. Net balls
93. Cig
109. Convince
95. Seedless orange
110. Art subject
97. “All in the Family” role
111. “Indeed!”
98. African antelopes
112. ___ State University
99. Sites
113. Chinese leader?
102. Billiards move
115. Medicinal amt.
103. Ottoman officer
116. Datebook abbr.
104. Atlantic fish
117. “___ the glad waters of the dark blue
105. Dessert ___ 106. Modify
sea”: Byron
{community life}
E on DC by E. Ethelbert Miller
After April and Poetry, What Endures Is Love Beverly’s hair is growing back. After months of chemo and radiation treatment my friend is getting ready to celebrate the arrival of the cherry blossoms. We live from season to season, thankful for another day to walk among the living. April is National Poetry Month and so we peel away the meaning of words, searching for their sweetness. At times we hide poems in the center of our inner darkness, afraid of how they cut or slice our secrets in half. There are times when I imagine Walt Whitman walking the streets of this city and taking care of the wounded during the Civil War. When I sit in the courtyard of the Portrait Gallery I feel his spirit. The sad eyes of men are not closed by history. During National Poetry Month I give talks and readings in the area. Often when I visit a school or prison someone will want to know where my poems come from. I think of how it must have been difficult for Beverly to say the word cancer to herself and then to others. Where did her words come from when she telephoned and told me the news? Poetry is nothing but evidence. It is cherry blossoms telling us what time it is. It’s that reaching to hold a friend’s hand in the middle of the street, and being only aware of the crossing. This year I’ve been looking for new places to sit and write. Wash-
ington has become a city of cafes. The poet Grace Cavalieri years ago proclaimed Washington the poetry capital of the world. It does feel as if everyone is walking around with a poem to recite. In the old days everyone was selling chapbooks and starting small presses in order to publish their work. There were many readings and the sharing of books. Today it feels as if poetry has become a hobby for the new generation. Words are being spoken on stages and in classrooms, on buses, and in streets, with intensity and conviction. Who is listening? Do we need National Poetry Month? I think we write because every poem requires an audience in order to complete the couplet. Eyes and ears will dance this month. For 10 years I’ve been editing Poet Lore magazine with Jody Bolz. This year marks the 125th anniversary of this journal started in 1889, making it the oldest poetry magazine in the country. Walt Whitman once placed an ad in Poet Lore to bring attention to the selling of “Leaves of Grass.” Editing a poetry magazine keeps one listening to the pulse of America. The last few months have been tough ones for poets – Wanda Coleman, Maxine Kumin, Amiri Baraka, Alvin Aubert –gone. Yet what remains is their work – the sound of their voices and the glitter of the beauty they sculptured out of language. I hope I never retire from writ-
Leaves of Grass (Boston: Thayer and Eldridge, year 85 of the States, 1860) (Courtesy of the New York Public Library)
ing. I want to always smell the blossoms. I have a new book coming out this spring. It’s a collection of poems being published by a small company in Portugal. The title is “The Shortness of Breath.” The title poem is about growing old. Should I grow a beard like Whitman?
The Shortness of Breath Knees and memories this is what goes first. The difficulty of walking embraced by the inability to remember. One falls and discovers the shortness of breath or how sunlight enters a room only to be seduced by shadows. The poems in the new book will be translated into Portuguese. The book is dedicated to my friend Beverly. Along with poetry, what endures is love. u
March 2014 H 65
{community life / strictly business}
Licensing Madness by Miriam Savad Strictly Business is a column for small businesses in Washington, DC, examining individual cases and exploring how the city could be more small business friendly.
A
cquiring a business license is one of the final, and costly, hurdles to jump through when starting a business. Most businesses need a Basic Business License (BBL) or a Professional License from the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). Licenses must be renewed every two years, and DCRA licenses more than 30,000 small businesses citywide in over 150 different categories. Of course, prior to applying for a BBL, there are a number of steps to take that are required for all licenses business activities, including: Obtaining a valid Federal Employee Identification Number (FEIN); registering with the Office of Tax and Revenue and showing that you’ve filed an FR-500 for DC business tax; obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy for your business premise or a Home Occupation Permit if you work out of your home; submitting a Clean Hands Self Certification form attesting that you do not owe more than $100 to the DC government ; and, if you are a corporation, partnership or limited liability company you must be registered in the District, be in good standing and have a Registered Agent To file for a new BBL you can apply online, mail in an application or go in person to the Business License Center at DCRA. BBL fees include an application fee of $77, an additional $27.50 per endorsement (business activity) fee, and “license category fees” that relate directly to business activities. While many businesses will just require a General Business License, there are also specialized license categories for food establishments, industry, and specific service with separate fees. These specialized license fees vary greatly. For example, a bakery has a category license fee of $375, in addition to application, endorsement and technology fees, which bring the total to $517. A grocery store has license fee of $289, with
66 H Hillrag.com
a total cost of $422.40. An ice cream manufacture license has a license fee of $2,730, with the total cost around $3,107. (Does this explain why we have so few ice cream shops in the District?) According to DCRA spokesperson Matt Orlins, “The District’s intent is to set business licensing fees that reflect the government’s actual cost in processing the licensure request. For example, the fee for a restaurant, which requires health inspections, ought to higher than the cost for a street photographer’s business license, which would not require a health inspection. In the case of a bakery versus an ice cream manufacturer, an ice cream manufacturer may be more akin to a dairy, which has historically cost much more to license than many other food providers. When the Council enacted Title 47 in 1996, the biennial fee for a bakery was set at $222, and the annual fee for a dairy was $3,300. An ice cream manufacturer fell in the middle at $1,050, annually.” Lourdes Morales of the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has provided technical assistance to aspiring entrepreneurs in the DC Metro area for many years. She tells the story of one individual who put 20 years of his personal savings into opening a restaurant. But, by the time he signed a lease and obtained all the permits, he didn’t have the $500 needed to pay for his license. Constrained by language barriers and little credit, he had limited access to capital and had difficulty in planning properly for the expense. Morales has seen many entrepreneurs stuck by these barriers and costs. As the licensing fees can prove to be a significant cost, some entrepreneurs look to the surrounding jurisdictions when preparing their business plans and doing cost-benefit analyses. Arlington County has a very different approach than the District (all Northern VA counties have similar policies). The actual business license cost for the majority of businesses in Arlington County depends on the amount of business activity each year as measured by gross receipts: • If your gross receipts for an activity are less than $10,000, you owe no tax • If your gross receipts for an activity are be-
tween $10,001 and $50,000, you owe $30 • If your gross receipts for an activity are between $50,001 and $100,000, you owe $50 • If your gross receipts for an activity exceed $100,000, the tax rate is based on the type of business (for example, for retailers/wholesalers the rate is $.20 for every $100) Similarly, in Maryland, business licensing is done on the county level and through the county court house, although some licenses can be applied for online. Fewer types of businesses require licenses, so generally unless an auctioneer, plumber or laundry service, many small businesses owners would actually be exempt. In Montgomery County a restaurant would have to pay $25 for a 12-month license and a cleaning/ laundry service with fewer than 10 employees would have to pay $15. Given that DC licensing fees are predominantly consistently higher and a more complex than the surrounding counties, I encourage DCRA, as per Mayor Gray’s Business Regulatory Task Force recommendations, and the Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs chaired by Councilmember Vincent Orange, to review and compare licensing fees, analyzing any adverse effects on potential and current small businesses. Like in Virginia, business fees should be determined by a business’s revenue, rather than an outdated system based on costs to the District. DC’s current licensing fees were set in December 2010 under Mayor Adrian Fenty and can be changed either legislatively by the DC Council or by rulemaking. Miriam Savad is an activist for community economic empowerment living in Washington, DC. u
Your One Stop Home Improvement Professional Design, Build & Construction Repair & Installation Home Remodeling & Additions Exterior & Interior Home Maintenance Handyman
FREE ESTIMATES 202.695.2074
240.839.7817 www.mrperhellc.com
SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR SPECIAL COUPONS Licensed, Bonded & Insured
April 2014 H 67
{community life / awards}
Community Achievement Award Honorees 2014 by Stephanie Deutsch
From left: Melissa Ashabranner, Becky and Michael Skinner, and Leah, Maygene and Steve Daniels. Photo: Elizabeth Dranitzke, Photopia
E
ach spring the Capitol Hill Community Achievement Awards recognize individuals who have enriched the life of our neighborhood, and this year the group is an unusually large one. Becky and Michael Skinner, Steve and Maygene Daniels and their daughter Leah, and Melissa Ashabranner will all be honored at the awards dinner on April 30 for significant contributions to Capitol Hill. Also being recognized at the dinner will be Capitol Hill Little League, which will receive $10,000 as the recipient of the 2014 Arnold Keller Jr. Award.
Melissa Ashabranner Melissa Ashabranner spent her childhood and early teens in exotic places -- Ethiopia, Libya, Nigeria and India. Living next door to Haile Selassie’s palace she could hear his lions roar in the garden. She remembers going with her professor father into the Ethiopian countryside to collect folk tales, having a monkey and a goat as pets, and having to stay inside her house for days because of political unrest in Nigeria. Returning to the U.S. for her senior year of high school, she was
68 H Hillrag.com
surprised that her new classmates weren’t closely following the war between Pakistan and India as she was. Later, with an undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology from Temple University and an MBA from Yale, she assumed she would go into some kind of international work. But a job with a small consulting firm working with non-profits brought her to Washington, DC where she met an interesting friend of a former roommate. He was publishing a monthly neighborhood newspaper on Capitol Hill using volunteer writers and his house as an office. Melissa decided to put her new MBA to use and to help Jean-Keith Fagon turn the paper into a viable business. Today, thirty years later, the Hill Rag is a cherished neighborhood institution with distinctive artistic covers and 15,000 copies distributed each month. Jean-Keith and Melissa also publish two other papers, MidCity DC and East of the River as well as the annual Fagon Community Guide which provides a wealth of information about life in the neighborhood. Jean-Keith is the publisher, Melissa is the executive editor and, in addition to parenting all these publications, they
have three adult children, Damian, Giancarlo and Olivia-Jené, and a grandson, Neo. The paper has had its ups and downs over the years. Melissa describes the decision in the late 1980s to turn it from a monthly into a weekly publication as a “disaster” and the appearance of a good rival paper a few years later as a “wake-up call.” There were distribution problems and the constant challenge of new technologies. She remembers times at the office with the children in sleeping bags under the design tables while she and Jean-Keith worked late into the night finalizing the copy and handing it off to a courier, then took turns napping while one of them got the kids to school and the other went to open the office. In 1993 Melissa became one of the founding members of the foundation created by the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals to make small grants to neighborhood endeavors. She is now one of the pillars of what has become the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, bringing a wealth of knowledge of the neighborhood to decisions about grant requests and ensuring thorough press coverage of foundation events. Melissa
has also served on the boards of The Hill Preschool (back when it was Wee Care), and the Capitol Hill Group Ministry.
Becky and Michael Skinner Becky and Michael Skinner’s impact can be felt from the big screen at the Atlas Performing Arts Center to many a Capitol Hill playing field and well beyond. An actor who came to Washington to study at the Shakespeare Theatre and because it’s a “great town for theater,” Michael Skinner is also the owner of Pendragwn Productions, a boutique film and video company producing documentaries and PSAs. He and Becky also formed the Pendragwn Film Foundation which each spring organizes the Youth Film Festival, an event that is free and open to anyone between the ages of 11 and 18. On March 15 the 12 finalists’ films (maximum length five minutes) were screened at the Atlas Performing Arts Center on H Street in front of an enthusiastic audience of parents, peers, and interested neighbors of all ages. Michael Skinner sees the festival as a way to encourage young people to tell stories and to believe that these stories can be part of important conversations about the way things are and, often, about how they might change for the better. Becky Skinner used her expertise as an analyst of educational policy at the Congressional Research Center at the Library of Congress to initiate a study for the Mothers on the Hill education committee that led to the creation of Two Rivers Pub-
Peter Frias “Your Connection to Capitol Hill and Beyond” I’ve been representing buyers and sellers on the Hill for over 15 years, and I can help you too! 1% of my commissions are donated to Habitat for Humanity DC
Looking to Buy or Sell? Call Me Today! www.peterfrias.com Peter@johncformant.com (202) 544-3900 | (202)744-8973
April 2014 H 69
lic Charter School, which opened in 2004. For 10 years Becky, as chairman of the board, and Michael were part of a small group of parents who founded the school, then led it through a difficult first year and on to extraordinary growth and success. Starting with 150 students in a previously unused wing of what was then Eliot Junior High School, Two Rivers now has 515 students and goes through 8th grade in two modern new buildings at 4th Street and Florida Avenue NE. It has been recognized as a Tier One, highperforming school and has a waiting list of 2,000 names. There are plans to open a second campus in 2015. Two Rivers Executive Director Jessica Wodatch calls the Skinners “a force of nature” and describes them as “truly selfless.” For the Skinners, coaching young athletes is in itself a team endeavor. Together they have coached innumerable T-ball, Capitol Hill Little League baseball, and Soccer on the Hill teams, often with their sons, Dakota and Logan, on the rosters. They’ve added Sunday morning Tennis on the Hill at Anacostia Park to the mix. As long as there are kids there wanting to play, they want to coach.
Leah, Maygene and Steve Daniels Also an enthusiastic supporter of Capitol Hill Little League is another Community Achievement Award honoree. Leah Daniels sponsors the Hill’s Kitchen Rangers, a team in the 8-11 year-old AAA Division. She shares her love of all things baseball (especially the Nationals) as the cheerful face behind the counter at the cookware store she runs on Eastern Market Metro plaza. Leah grew up on the Hill and learned about neighborhood engagement from her parents, Maygene and Steve, who are
70 H Hillrag.com
also being honored. When Leah Daniels started school – not surprisingly as a Sunshine – at Capitol East Children’s Center, her father was president of the board there. When she moved across Garfield Park to Capitol Hill Day she was again at a school that her family supported financially and with time. Leah Daniels herself is now at the end of a three-year board term. Maygene and Steve have been involved with the community in other ways as well. Maygene Daniels, an art historian who directs the archives at the National Gallery of Art, researched and wrote the biographical plaques in the Hill Center. Steve Daniels is the Chief Judge of the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. He has served for 15 years as board member and treasurer of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, which each year receives hundreds of donations and gives out over $250,000 in about two hundred small grants. It is a rare day when he does not write a check or do some other task relating to the foundation. Other board members rely on his meticulous attention to detail, his knowledge of tax law, and his long involvement with the community. He and Maygene are themselves among the foundation’s most generous donors. In the summer of 2002 Leah Daniels had just graduated from college and was living at home when her parents were asked by their friend Steve Cymrot if they knew anyone who might look after his second-hand book store for a weekend. They suggested Leah. That weekend turned into six years as manager of Riverby Books. Leah discovered a great love of interacting with customers. One who stopped by often was the late Tom Kelly, who had grown up two blocks from the store (and who with his wife,
HOMES THAT SHOW BETTER SELL BETTER WITH
JT POWELL!
LD
SO
Adams Morgan - 2305 18th Street NW #304: 1Br 1Bath condo in the heart of Adams Morgan close to all that U Street, DuPont Circle, and Columbia Heights has to offer - shops, restaurants, Metro, night life....New A/C, washer/dryer in unit, updated bathroom, large southern facing windows, 1 block to Zip Car, close to bike share and so much more! Sold for $284,500 Capitol Hill - 612 L Street NE: 4Br 3.5Bath elegant Victorian offering beautiful wood floors, huge mstr bedroom + private bath, giant patio+flower garden, off st pkg, stainless steel kitchen with granite counters, tumbled marble back-splash, renovated bathrooms, bsmt guest suite, 5 blocks to Red Line Metro. Sold for $754,900
D
L SO writer Marguerite, was a Capitol Hill Community Achievement Award winner in 1994). Kelly used to tell Daniels that the best education was more likely to be achieved by doing than by going to school. She thought of his words when she decided that rather than going to business school she would just open a store of her own. Hill’s Kitchen is Leah Daniels’ store, but Steve and Maygene had a major role in its creation. It was Steve and Maygene who purchased and renovated the building that houses it and which they now rent to their daughter. Come busy Saturdays or holiday time, her parents are Leah’s extra hands. It is not unusual to see Steve wearing a Hill’s Kitchen T-shirt behind the cash register while Maygene helps customers choose just the right gifts.
Arnold Keller Jr. Award Capitol Hill Little League will receive the $10,000 Arnold Keller Jr. Award. The funds will help the league improve and expand playing fields for the 30 local teams playing T-ball, softball, and baseball. The gala dinner honoring Becky and Michael Skinner, Maygene, Steve, and Leah Daniels, and Melissa Ashabranner is a fundraiser for the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. It is open to the public and will be held in the Great Hall of the Folger Library on Wednesday, April 30. For information about tickets to the dinner please contact Dee Seward at 202-547-3742 or dee. skip@verizon.net. u
View Our Marketing Online at www.JTPowell.com
LD
SO
the lights are much brighter here...
Capitol Hill - 644 Orleans Place NE: Fully Renovated! 3BR, 2,5Bath with open floor plan and super large stainless and granite kitchen with amazing counter space. Offering a dual vanity master bath, 2nd floor deck, wood floors throughout and a rear yard with alley access for off-street parking. Only 3 blocks to metro! Sold for $635,000
JT Powell – Coldwell Banker 1606 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 202-465-2357 Direct 202-478-0347 Fax info@JTPowell.com 202-387-6180 Broker
WIDE SHOE OUTLET Men’s and Women’s sizes up to 15 EE Brands: Naturalizer • Soft Spots Ros Hommerson • Propet Walking Cradles • Easy Street Slingshots are Back
Marlow Heights Shopping Center 4123 Branch Ave. Marlow Heights, MD
301-702 1401 Free Gift With Ad April 2014 H 71
{community life / in memoriam}
Gertrude Louise Morgal
C
by Celeste McCall
apitol Hill is mourning long-time Eastern Market produce vendor, Gertrude Louise Morgal, who died February 23 at age 89. For 52 years, Louise Morgal was a beloved fixture at the Market’s weekend farmers line. In cold weather, we usually saw her hunkered next to a space heater as she hawked fresh fruits and vegetables, mentally adding up tabs. Usually accompanied by her son Dave, Louise would make the long trek from Aquasco, Maryland Saturdays and sometimes Sundays. Besides selling fresh peas, lima beans, squash, eggplants, corn and other produce, she would combine seasonal bounty into $4 bags. In cold weather, we fashioned the contents into hearty soups and stews. In summer, the veggies were plopped on our outdoor grill or chopped into salads. “What can you say about Louise?” said Richard Glasgow of Southern Maryland Seafood. “The market won’t be the same without her. What a loss.” A close friend of Louise, Angie Brunson of Eastern Market’s Blue Iris Flowers, attended Louise’s funeral last month in Waldorf. “I called her ‘Miss Louise,” said Angie, who previously sold her flowers outside near Louise. “She was an 89-year-old grandmother who was sharp as a tack until the very end. Last year, I went to her stand to wish her happy birthday…she had a line of customers, and she told them to put their purchases down. Then she added the prices up in her head. She was faster than a calculator.” “Grandma’s monumental presence will be missed,” added Dan Donahue of Agora Farms, the
72 H Hillrag.com
Richard Sheehy in earlier days.
Richard F. Sheehy Louise Morgal, longtime vendor on the Eastern Market farmer’s line.
[mostly] Amish stand at the corner of Seventh and C SE. “She was true icon.” Louise greeted her regular customers personally. If I happened to wander by without Peter, she would ask, “Where’s that hubby of yours?” According to Eastern Market manager Barry Margeson, Louise Morgal began selling at Eastern Market after the K Street Market (at 5th and K NW) folded in 1963. After a brief stint at the Florida Avenue Market (now Union Market), the couple moved to the Eastern Market farmer’s line. The multi-generational Morgal family have been associated with Eastern Market for almost a century. Louise’s husband, Joseph Elmer Morgal, died several years ago. She also outlived her daughter Shirley Morgal, son John Morgal and grandson Joseph Ridgely. Louise is survived by son Dave and daughter Amy Windsor (who occasionally works at the market), four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. u
T
by Celeste McCall
he art world, business community, family, friends and neighbors are mourning the loss of Capitol Hill artist Richard F. Sheehy, who died Feb. 4. He was 84. Since 1967, Sheehy had owned and operated The Frame Up store and art gallery on Seventh St. SE. A native Washingtonian, Sheehy earned an architecture degree from Catholic University. He was an excellent photographer and prolific painter, specializing in oils and water colors. His colorful, semi-impressionist art appeared on The Hill Rag cover more than 10 times over the years. “Richard was my mentor,” said Robert Wilson, 61, a long-time close friend, who operated an antique store on Seventh Street years ago and who is now “on sabbatical” writing a book. “I knew Richard since I was 19; he had a special place in my heart. He had a photographic memory….he Self-portrait circa 2005. Photo: could go through JeopJacob Susko ardy! questions just like that!” (No, he never tried to appear on the program.) A multi-talented artist, Sheehy played piano and guitar, and was fluent in French and ASL. “A true Renaissance man,” said Wilson. He was also a true Capitol Hill man. He lived upstairs
from his shop, and neighbors often saw him relaxing on the porch, people-watching with his beloved dogs, Cocoa, a gentle Doberman, and Vita, “a cute little white dog who used to stand up on her hind legs,” recalled Roberta Blanchard, who, with husband Jack has operated Fairy Godmother next door for 30 years. “Dick was a good neighbor and a fascinating person to talk to,” she added. “We used to chat on his front porch and his dogs were always there.” Peter and I first met Richard many years ago when the late Agnes Ainilian operated an art gallery across the street from Eastern Market. Richard was a regular at Agnes’ monthly art openings; so were Peter and myself. Sheehy was also known for hosting lively dinners and get-togethers for fellow “Hill Pioneers.” In 1998, Sheehy purchased a vacation home in Dagsboro, Delaware. He became a regular at nearby Rehoboth Beach, and was active in the prestigious Rehoboth Art League, winning several awards for his paintings. Many depicted beach scenes. Sheehy is survived by his brother, Vincent Sheehy III; his sisters, Mary Ann Kiley Shugars, Mary Jane Moffett, Maria Crellin and Giovanna Riley; nieces, nephews and close friends. A memorial Mass was held at St. Peter’s on Capitol Hill. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to WhitmanWalker Health, 1701 14th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009 or The Washington Animal Rescue League, 71 Oglethorpe St., NW Washington, DC 20011. u
INSIGHTFUL! Joan Carmichael Realtor 202.271.5198 joanvcarmichael@gmail.com Bridgette Cline Realtor 202.271.4196 bcline8041@aol.com for all you real estate needs 1000 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Wash., DC 20003 office #202-546-0055 April 2014 H 73
{community life / extra}
Channeling Our Inner Southwest The Channel Inn Closes as Wharf Rebuilding Begins
M
anny Fernandez created the Channel Inn, an institution where Washingtonians have been making memories for over 40 years. “I’ve been in this business all of my life,” says Ferenendez who arrived in Miami from Havana, Cuba in 1949 when he was just 17. After a short time at the university where he was studying architecture, he left school to pursue a calling in the hospitality industry. He worked at Miami’s Fontainebleau, and also the Greenbrier, where he met his wife Alma, before making a permanent move to Washington. Marge Francese, resident of
Channel Inn facing Washington Channel. Lightman
74 H Hillrag.com
by Annette Nielsen the Southwest neighborhood and chief of staff for former Ward 6 councilmember Sharon Ambrose, says she’s been a regular at the Channel Inn. “You never go in without Manny greeting you with a hug and a kiss. It reminds me of the fifties and the sixties with real tablecloths and nicely dressed waiters, all very accommodating. It’s sad that it’s the end of an era.” Typically enjoying two meals a day at the restaurant, the dining room is home away from home for Fernandez. He’s proud of the fact that everything is made in-house, and that he has made so many friends over the years. “I believe in the community here and have always wanted to make everyone feel at home.” The Channel Inn was created during urban renewal, but when deciding on the décor, Fernandez visited the Library of Congress to research what existed along the waterfront in earlier times. He wanted to give the impression of longtime establishment. Fernandez has a personal collection of historic photos and nautical artifacts that decorate the corridors and different venues throughout the Channel Inn– the Engine Room Photo: Andrew (with a steam en-
Channel Inn owner Manny Fernandez dances at a celebration of the Inn. Councilmember Tommy Wells and his wife Barbara are behind him. Photo: Joel Nelson
gine), a jazz bar with live entertainment, the Dry Dock for breakfasts, the Pier 7 Restaurant for lunches and dinners, as well as the banquet room accommodating up to 200 people.
The Breakfast Club Lucille Pringle started working with Manny Fernandez at his earlier District venture, the Embers, before he opened the Channel Inn. She heads up the Dry Dock, or as it’s affectionately known, Lucy’s Café. A number of regulars from the neighborhood enjoy breakfast here each morning, in addition to overnight hotel guests. Clarence Harper, an attorney who lives in the Southwest neighborhood has been coming to Lucy’s Café for breakfast just about every morning since the mid-1970s. He is appreciative of the convenient location, free parking for dining guests,
and overall great value. “I regard it as a real loss. I’ve even had a few family reunions held at Channel Inn over the years,” and notes that he has planned a gathering of family and friends there before the doors close. Dr. Coralie Farlee, president of the Friends of Southwest points out that the Channel Inn has seen guests from all over – Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, in addition to those at the nearby Gangplank Marina’s liveaboard community. “The point is that it’s been a good neighborly place to stay and eat – there’s even a birthday group that celebrates together.” Pringle has seen a range of guests from Capitol Hill notables like Cong. Bennie Thompson (Mississippi) and Jerry Nadler (New York), to actor Al Freeman and the members of Duke Green’s Ham Hock Committee. Says Pringle, “I’ll really miss the customers – they’re all so special here – and we have such a great group of employees who have been working together for twenty years and longer.”
At Lucy’s Café, Vasser (left) and Legrande Baldwin with Lucille Pringle (standing) enjoying a laugh during breakfast. Photo by Annette Nielsen
Tracy (left) and Edgar Dobie (right) with Maroun Sakr (middle), Channel Inn’s Pier 7 restaurant. Sakr is a familiar face at the restaurant, as he’s been working there for 23 years. Edgar Dobie is the executive producer at nearby Arena Stage. Photo: Annette Nielsen
Founded in 1865, The Association of Oldest Inhabitants (of DC) has been lunching at the Pier 7 for over 20 years. The last luncheon took place there on Friday, March 21st. Photo: Bill Brown
Sophisticated Dining
At the Dry Dock, affectionately known as Lucy’s Café, (from left) Clarence Harper, Lucille Pringle (Lucy), Dr. Coralie Farlee and George Harley are part of a regular breakfast club at Lucy’s Café. Photo: Annette Nielsen
Vasser and Legrande Baldwin have been coming to Lucy’s Café from their home in Hillcrest for over 25 years. Vasser is a former assistant principal from Ketcham Elementary, while Legrande is a former principal from Maury Elementary. He used to bring principals to Channel Inn for meetings. “We’re typically weekenders – and there’s always stimulating conversation, either about politics or local issues. It’s a real gathering place, a tremendous resource for the community. Lucy is an absolute jewel and we’re definitely going to miss this place.” George Harley is a frequent breakfast patron. He’s been coming to the Channel Inn since 1975. “In the earlier years I often went to the Engine Room, as it was one of the few places you could go for dancing, socializing and listening to live music. So many groups over the years have performed here – it used to be a little more of a formal place where men would wear suit and tie, women would wear dresses.”
The other dining venue at the Channel Inn is the Pier 7 restaurant. As soon as you walk into the mahogany lined room with tufted red leather banquets, the seasoned wait staff anticipates every need. You might see actors and stage personnel from nearby Arena Stage here, as well as Arena’s executive producer, Edgar Dobie. Dobie came to live in Southwest with his wife, Tracy about five years ago with their infant daughter. Says Dobie, “When we first started coming here, we learned about ‘Zelda’s table’ (referring to Zelda Fichlander, founder of Arena Stage) and have had our designers and others stay here, too – it’s our own little community center.” A favorite waiter is Maroun Sakr, a veteran of the restaurant for 23 years. Tracy states, “Maroun is like family – he has a great sense of humor and more importantly, can make a dinner table in a city you hardly know feel like you have just returned home from a long journey.”
A Place to See and Be Seen The Engine Room has hosted many local bands, and in 2012, the African American Music Association chose the Channel Inn for their annual birthday celebration of musician Marvin Gaye, a star born and raised in Southwest. It’s also been said that there were times when you could hear Councilmember Marion
Barry singing a song or two on the Engine Room stage. Councilmember Tommy Wells has conducted “Community Office Hours” at the Channel Inn for the last eight years. While he says that the work on the Waterfront will be transformative, he gives credit to the tremendous work put forth by generations who have made this area a home and community. “Manny Fernandez and Channel Inn have played a central role in this community and an important role in the history of this city. They will leave an indelible legacy.” President of the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, Kael Anderson, who moved to the neighborhood ten years ago says, “It’s our neighborhood place–people go for breakfast, hear the latest news or have a nice dinner. Manny Fernandez really invested in the Channel Inn and created a sense of place.” “We’re hopeful we’ll soon see a place with a similar camaraderie and civility that we don’t often see any longer,” says ANC6D Commissioner, Andy Litsky, As of publication, a ‘Legacy Celebration’ has taken place and Pier 7 has served its last dinner, but you still have an opportunity to enjoy a breakfast at Lucy’s Café through the end of April – try her popular corned beef hash or grits. u
April 2014 H 75
{community life / capitol riverfront}
Meet the Hill’s New Downtown by Michael Stevens, AICP
A
new downtown is emerging on the Anacostia River. The Capitol Riverfront will contain approximately 37 million SF of new development at build-out, and 15-17 million SF of that total will be new office space. The neighborhood has already seen 7.4 million SF of new office space constructed and 32,000 employees work here daily. For perspective, 15 million SF of office would be approximately 10% of the District’s current office inventory. And that could mean an additional 50,000+ employees in our neighborhood which would also drive demand for new restaurants and neighborhood support retail. Our neighborhood has been considered an established office market in the District since 2007 when Co-Star designated the Capitol Riverfront as one of their office submarkets. This market was initially defined by the Forty percent of 1015 Half Street has recently been leased by National Labor Relations Board.
relocation of NAVSEA from Crystal City to the Navy Yard campus in 199597, which brought approximately 7,000 new employees in that move. As a result five (5) new Class A office buildings were constructed along M Street, SE to house the maritime divisions of defense contractors working with NAVSEA and needing to be in close proximity. The Capitol Riverfront was further branded as an office sub-market with the relocation of the Federal Department of Transportation (DOT) headquarters office in 2007 from the SW Federal Center to their current M Street, SE building. That move brought an additional 7,000 employees to the neighborhood in a 2 million SF headquarters office developed and owned by JBG. Subsequent years saw the construction of several new private office buildings; today there are thirteen (13) office buildings with 7.4 million SF of
space. In essence, our office market is approximately 50% built-out. The average occupancy rate for privately-owned buildings is 84%, with the majority of vacancy concentrated in three buildings. And while our office market is experiencing the same challenges facing the regional office market – sequestration, tightened Federal budgets, space contraction for office tenants, and a slow recovery from the Great Recession – we feel that the Capitol Riverfront is well positioned for future office attraction. For example, our neighborhood recently had a major new office tenant announcement – the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) signed a lease for 143,000 SF in the Class A office building at 1015 Half Street, SE. This lease utilizes approximately 40% of the building’s space and allows office brokers to begin signing smaller tenants in the marketplace. This building is an excellent candidate for nonprofits and
Events Update:
Spring and summer are coming That means outdoor activities in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood including: Yards Park Friday Night Concert Series – This popular and free concert series is an excellent way to ease into the weekend on the Anacostia River. Yards Park will host 16 Friday night concerts beginning on Friday, May 9, 2014. All concerts are from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Summer Outdoor Movies – the Thursday night outdoor movies return to the Capitol Riverfront on June 5th and continue through September 4th, 2014. This year’s theme is “It’s a Whole New Ballgame” and will showcase 12 family friendly sports films. Canal Park will again host the movies and all shows begin at dusk. National Cherry Blossom Festival Lantern Making Day – this popular family activity will occur on Sunday, April 13th in Yards Park from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Opera in the Outfield – this fun outdoor activity will occur on Saturday, May 3rd at Nationals Park and is free to the public. Come see a simulcast broadcast of opera from the Kennedy Center on the big screen at Nat’s Park and enjoy your favorite ballpark foods with the opera! Tour de Fat – this bicycle themed festival will occur in Yards Park on Sat-
76 H Hillrag.com
urday, May 31st and they will be the sponsors of the Friday Concert that weekend. DC Jazz Fest – coming to Yards Park the weekend of Friday June 27th, the festival will sponsor that Friday night concert and present a series of jazz concerts on Saturday and Sunday. DC VegFest – another popular festival returns to Yards Park on Saturday, September 30th and features vegetarian lifestyle options. Upcoming Restaurant Openings – several new restaurant openings will occur in the Capitol Riverfront over the next several months including: • Ice Cream Jubilee! – this new ice cream shop will open in the Lumbershed Building in June. • Willie’s Brew & Que – a sports bar and barbeque restaurant opening on the west end of the Boilermaker Shops in early summer. • TaKorean & Sweetgreen – two new restaurants will open in the Tewlve12 project in the Yards in late summer or early fall. • 100 Montaditos – a Spanish sandwich shop with 100 varieties of small sandwiches will open in the Boilermaker Shops this summer. • Big Stick – a sports themed fast casual restaurant will open this summer in 20 M Street, SE. This will be the second concept in the neighborhood by the owner of Justin’s Café.
Dave Lloyd & Associates 703-593-3204
www.davelloyd.net davidlloyd@realtor.com Enthusiastically serving clients on both sides of the river.
Michael Stevens, AICP is President of the Capitol Riverfront BID (capitolriverfrontbid.org.) u
Arlington N. $1,559,900
Oh so close to Metro! Gorgeous brand new “Madison Manor” Craftsman offering all the bells & whistles. Perfectly sited on mature lot with wrap around porch, sun-drenched exposure and walk-out elevation.
LI
ST
ED
Arlington N. $869,900
ST Room for everyone in this spacious 4 level split nestled on a lovely 6,886 sqft. garden lot in Madsion Manor. Enjoy 2,252 base sqft, open & airy mid-century floor plan, 5 BR’S, 2 remodeled baths, 2 fireplaces, comfy rec room and a convenient carport.
ST LI ST
Arlington N. $719,900
ED
Walk to Metro from this gorgeous 3,240 base sqft. grand dame center hall Colonial featuring 4 upper level BR’S, grand proportions, garage, pool & immaculate maintenance by long term owner. They don’t build them like this anymore!
JU
construction in June of 2014, and a 28,000 SF health club opening in July of 2014, office tenants have a wealth of neighborhood services to choose from. Our world class parks offer wonderful open space amenities and programming, and the 20mile Anacostia Riverwalk Trail system connects to the river and trails for walking or running. Residential Options for Employees – the Capitol Riverfront offers a variety of housing options for employees wishing to live close to work in a transit oriented, mixeduse neighborhood. Over 4,100 residents now live in the neighborhood, and many are able to walk to work on Capitol Hill, at the Navy Yard, the DOT building, or other offices. The Metro offers a one seat ride to downtown employment and attractions, and the restaurants and grocery stores make the Capitol Riverfront an attractive “bedroom community” to other employment centers. Part of any successful neighborhood is healthy mix of uses that achieves a balance of employees, residents and visitors in the creation of a vibrant community. Retail, office, residential, hotel, entertainment, sports and recreation uses, and open spaces all contribute to a robust and interactive neighborhood, with a consistent daytime and nighttime population that will support neighborhood retail. The “live, work, play stay” theme is being created in neighborhoods all over the Metro region, and the Capitol Riverfront is a prime example of that movement and the creation of a new downtown for the Hill.
JU
associations who are seeking quality office space for lease rates less than the downtown DC market. Several qualities and competitive advantages distinguish our office market in a highly competitive region: Accessibility – the Capitol Riverfront has excellent regional accessibility from the I-295/I-395 highway system and Suitland Parkway; Metro’s Green Line at the Navy Yard/Ballpark station; the Circulator Bus system connecting to Union Station and the Red Line; WMATA’s bus service; the Capital Bikeshare system; and pedestrian accessibility. Our neighborhood is a 10 minute cab ride from Reagan National Airport. Proximity – the Capitol Riverfront is located just five (5) blocks south of the US Capitol , and is at the geographic center of a circle of existing and future federal contracting at the Pentagon, the Navy Yard, the US Capitol, and the St. Elizabeth’s campus (the future home of the Department of Homeland Security). Our office market can be home to numerous contractors doing business with the Federal Government who need an office location proximate to their contract source. This concentration of office space can be the new “downtown” for the Hill and conveniently serve these government contracting centers. Economic Value – our neighborhood has office leases that are approximately $10 – $15.00/SF less than the Class A office market in downtown DC. Tenants can achieve long term savings by signing leases now at these values. Neighborhood Amenities – with 21 restaurants already open, one grocery store opening in the fall of 2014 and another starting
JUST SOLD
JUST SOLD
105 6th Street SE #105 Just Sold for $235,000
308 13th Street SE #2 Just Sold for $328,500 We brought the buyer!
Weichert, Realtors.
4701 Old Dominion Drive • Arlington, VA 22207 April 2014 H 77
{community life / south by west}
The Wharf Finally Breaks Ground by William Rich
R
epresentatives from the HoffmanMadison Waterfront team, political leaders, and neighborhood residents gathered in a large heated tent at the site of the former Kastles Stadium on March 19 for a groundbreaking ceremony to start construction on The Wharf project along the Southwest waterfront. This day has been a long time coming. More than eight years have gone by since Hoffman-Madison Waterfront began the process, which included countless community meetings, seven DC Council votes, three acts of Congress, and one Great Recession. By next year eight cranes will become a fixture along the waterfront to join the 57 other tower cranes across the city.
Celebrating the Rebirth of the SW Waterfront A choir from Amidon-Bowen Elementary School started off the program with two songs followed by an invocation from Reverend Martha Clark of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church. Then Monty Hoffman from PN Hoffman took to the stage and introduced the partners in the project, while describing the long process that culminated with the groundbreaking ceremony. In describing his interactions with Ward 6 Council Member Tommy Wells, for instance, Hoffman noted that Wells had four main themes that he wanted addressed with the project: 1. Sustainability – The Wharf will be LEEDGold certified and will have a cistern system that will be able to handle up to two inches of rainwater, along with a co-generation plant that will provide electricity to the parking garages. 2. Inclusiveness – Over 200 units in phase one will be set aside as affordable housing for a variety of income levels, starting as low as 30 percent of AMI. 3. The Lower 30 Feet – The designers took great care about the pedestrian experience by designing the lower levels on a human scale. 4. Keep Bufus! – King Ribs was the first vendor to appear on the waterfront and will remain
78 H Hillrag.com
once the project is complete. Bufus’ barbecue was available for all to enjoy after the groundbreaking ceremony, along with food from other waterfront establishments including Cantina Marina, Jenny’s Asian Fusion, and Captain White’s Seafood. The development team, along with District and local leaders, ceremonially turn dirt at The Wharf. Photo: William Rich Next up was David Brainerd from Madison Marquette who provided specifics about The Wharf, a $1.5 billion development to be built in two phases: • 1,372 residential units • 680 hotel keys • 900,000 square feet of office space • 330,000 square feet of retail • Wharf Hall, which will bring “top music acts from around the world” • A series of mews and alleys leading to Jazz Alley, which will include a movie house • Market Square adjacent to the Maine Avenue Fish Market, which will be “the hub of food activity for the whole Mid-Atlantic” • 10+ acres of public space • 450 boat slips • Four piers including a recreation pier, transit pier, District Pier, and the existing Pier 4 • A mile-long cobblestone-like waterfront promenade TOP TO BOTTOM: The Wharf development will transform the Southwest waterfront. Rendering: Hoffman-Madison Waterfront Following Brainerd were speeches from politicians including DC DelLocated at 7th Street and Maine Avenue SW, Parcel 5 will include Aloft and Element hotels. Rendering: Hoffman-Madison Waterfront egate Eleanor Holmes Norton, Congressman Darrell Issa (both presented community at the Gangplank Marina. Litsky had video speeches since Congress was in recess), a few memorable lines during his speech, but the Mayor Gray, Wells, Ward 2 Council Member Jack one that probably elicited the most applause was Evans (who used to represent SW back in the 90s), his description of creating a first-class waterfront Ward 4 Council Member Muriel Bowser, Deputy where “we won’t need a casino to keep it afloat.” Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (The comment was a dig at National Harbor in Victor Hoskins, and Advisory Neighborhood ComPrince George’s County, where an MGM Grand missioner 6D Vice Chair Andy Litsky, whose casino and hotel is coming in 2016.) single-member district includes the live-aboard After the speeches the VIPs went outside in
the rain and turned some dirt that was set up for the event. The waterfront setting of the groundbreaking allowed for the “John Glenn” water boat from the District fire department to use its water cannons along the Washington Channel following the photo-op. The program ended with a catered lunch and live music from a jazz band. Despite the rain it was a well-attended event, which several of the speakers noted, including Gray and Bowser.
Development Parcels Phillips Flagship occupies roughly where Parcel 2 will be built. An entertainment venue called Wharf Hall with capacity for up to 6,500 patrons, along with a co-generation plant and two mixed-income apartment buildings (several with micro units), will replace Phillips Flagship. A transit pier will be built nearby to serve water taxis and can accommodate several roles, such as being an ice skating rink in the winter and (with the addition of barges along its sides for seating) a stadium for the Washington Kastles if they choose to return. The plaza where 9th Street dead-ends at Water Street will be transformed into District Pier, a 650-foot structure that will start at Maine Avenue and extend into the Washington Channel. District Pier will be where tall ships can dock, and the Dockmaster building will be located at the channel end of the pier. On the land side District Pier will serve as the area where visitors emerge from the parking garage and begin to interact with The Wharf’s retail shops and cafes. Kastles Stadium was dismantled in late 2013 and will be replaced by Parcel 3, an office building and an Intercontinental Hotel. The office building will face Maine Avenue and the hotel will be on Wharf Street, a woonerf (a Dutch term for a street where pedestrians and cyclists have priority over vehicles) that will run along the length of the waterfront, with areas for outdoor café seating, a promenade, and limited vehicular traffic. A new Capital Yacht Club will be built adjacent to the hotel on the Wharf Street side. Next door is Parcel 4 which will be a mixed-income apartment building facing Maine Avenue and a luxury condo building
facing Wharf Street. Its days as a nightclub are long gone, but Zanzibar still stands; however, it will face the wrecking ball later this year. In its place will be Parcel 5, two hotels to be developed by the JBG Companies – an Element hotel and an Aloft hotel. A series of mews will connect the parcels, along with music venues in Jazz Alley that will be located between parcel 4 and 5. A forlorn plaza where 7th Street deadends with Water Street received an extreme makeover by Hoffman-Madison Waterfront in 2010 and became 7th Street Landing. Several events were programmed here during the warmer months, including jazz and blues performances, a farmers market, yoga, food vendors, and other activities. This park will become 7th Street Park, a formal green space that will serve as a front lawn for the two hotels adjacent and will be next to a to-be-built recreation pier. Once construction begins at The Wharf, the activities that used to take place at 7th Street Landing will be moved to Gangplank Marina Park, which is not a part of phase one of construction. St. Augustine’s will be closing this summer in anticipation of demolition and construction of a new sanctuary at Parcel 11, along with a mixed-income, mid-rise condo building. This parcel will be the first component of phase one to deliver – which should take place sometime in early 2016. Next door will be a new 3.5-acre waterfront park, replacing the large parking lot that is used for the dinner cruise ships. The businesses to the southeast of the Channel Inn, including Cantina Marina and the dinner cruise ship operators, will continue to operate normally during phase one. The Maine Avenue Fish Market will also remain open during construction and will be fixed up a bit. Construction of phase one of The Wharf will take approximately 42 months to complete, and phase two will begin shortly thereafter. Expect to see a very different Southwest waterfront starting in the fall of 2017. William Rich is a blogger at Southwest…The Little Quadrant That Could (www.southwestquadrant.blogspot.com). u
Looking to expand or gain a presence in the District?
Inquire about our Virtual, Shared and Dedicated desk solutions. Plans starting at $99. Fully equipped office. Total flexibility to change size and terms Premier finishes,conference room, and blazing fast internet
www.FLEXOFFICESPACE.com 1411 H ST NE PHONE: 800.665.5917 EMAIL: info@flexofficespace.com April 2014 H 79
{community life / h street life}
H Street Life
I
by Elise Bernard
t is finally time to venture out into spring and sample all that our neighborhood has to boast. Tattoo enthusiasts, parents, toddlers, art lovers, and those who love a culinary adventure can all find something in which to delight.
Art in the Alley Returns May 10th Twice a year, residents and friends of the Trinidad neighborhood gear up for a funky local arts event. Art in the Alley (http://artinthealleydc.wordpress.com) celebrates the confluence of community and creativity by showcasing local art in local spaces. The event is free and open to the public. It’s an all ages event, and well-behaved dogs are welcome (on leash). Visitors are advised to bring cash, because sometimes food trucks have showed up in the past. Do you make art? Whether you dabble a bit, or do it professionally, you are invited to participate in Art in the Alley. The organizers are currently seeking visual and performance artists of all types. In the past they’ve had everything from paintings, to photographs, to drawings, to poetry, to live music, to live painting. Be creative. Share your ideas, and your work. There is no application fee, and no fee to participate. The application is available online at http://artinthealleydc.wordpress.com/2014/03/22/ call-for-artists-2.
Fatty’s Tattoos & Custom Piercings Expanding to H Street NE If you’ve lived in the District for any substantial stretch of time, chances are that you’ve heard of Fatty’s Tattoos & Custom Piercings (also known as Fatty’s Custom Tattooz, http:// www.fattystattoos.com). Fatty (whose real name is Matt Jessup) set up shop in 1994, and relocated to DC’s Dupont neighborhood in 1994. The original Fatty’s isn’t going anywhere, but Jessup recently announced plans to open a second location at 516 H Street NE. The location is notable because the immediate area is already home to two tattoo businesses. The Dolcezza’s gelato as served at an event first of those, British Ink is located at 508 H Street NE. The second is Cirque Du Rouge egg rattlers, and boxes of scarves. You’ll also see down at 416 H Street NE. all the basic necessities: diaper changing stations, What sets Fatty’s apart is that they do pierchealthy snacks, juiceboxes, and grown up drinks for ings, which the other two studios do not. Fatty’s the adults. specializes in high quality, internally threaded All events take place on Saturdays from 11:00 jewelry. Fatty is an award winning tattoo artist who a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets (http://babylovesdisco.tix. specializes in free hand work, with the preliminary musictoday.com/calendar.aspx) are $18 each, or $60 drawings done with markers on the skin, and withfor a four pack. The targeted audience is six months out the use of stencils. According to a recent interto seven years. Non-walking babies get in free with a view in the Washington Business Journal, the new paid adult admission (all children must be accomstudio should open this summer. panied by an adult). Last year they hosted to million
Baby Loves Disco at the Rock & Roll Hotel If you are raising young children in the District, the chances are good that you have at least heard of Baby Loves Disco (http://babylovesdisco.com). Baby Loves Disco is a family friendly event that transforms bars and nightclubs across the globe into baby friendly spaces for dance parties aimed at the very young set. It’s a chance for toddlers and preschoolers to get their groove on, while parents relive their clubbing days. You won’t find the usual kids tunes here. No, this is music you know and love from the 70s, 80s, and beyond. Actual songs you might hear on the radio spun by an actual dj. Patrons will also find bubble machines, colored lights, and smoke machines,
Art in the Alley is a chance to meet neighbors and friends while enjoying the art
80 H Hillrag.com
families, and they hope to reach even more as they celebrate their tenth anniversary. The events are monthly, and will take place at the Rock and Roll Hotel (http://www.rockandrollhoteldc.com, 1353 H Street NE). The current run goes through July.
Dolcezza Gelato Opens New Factory and Tasting Room Chances are you have already had a taste of Dolcezza Gelato (http://dolcezzagelato.com), but did you know they recently opened a new gelato factory and tasting room close to Union Market? The new space is located in the Florida Avenue Market at 550 Penn Street NE. Their hours are Tuesday – Thursday, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday from noon to 7:00 p.m. Dolcezza will produce all of their gelato and sorbetto on-site, and visitors will be able to enjoy the stuff freshly spun (a sort of soft-serve gelato served at a warmer temperature than their normal
Additions & Basement Experts BUFFALO COMPANY, LLC www.buffalocompanyusa.com For all your Construction Needs ADDITIONS
stuff). The menu will vary by the day, but they will serve up their goods in sundae form.
RENOVATIONS REMODELING
Island Dyes Comes to H Street NE With the decriminalization of marijuana expected soon in the District, it was only a matter of time before H Street NE got its own head shop. Island Dyes (http://islanddyes.net) should open up an day at 331 H Street NE. Island Dyes sells Syn Glass pipes and bongs of all shapes and sizes. They also sell a variety of clothing. Island Dyes has five other locations in Virginia and North Carolina. The H Street NE location should open any day.
Ocopa Brings Peruvian Fare to the H Street NE Corridor Early on, the idea seemed to be a fast casual pollo brasa and burrito spot. It looked like it would be another Chicken Tortilla (http://www.chickentortilla. com) like the one over by Eastern Market. Along the way something changed. By the time they set up their booth at last year’s H Street Festival, the new idea had begun to take shape. I was lucky enough to sample a delicious scallop ceviche they were serving. They will still serve the familiar Peruvian chicken we have all come to love, but the menu will also boast a variety of ceviches, select other Peruvian dishes, and Peruvian cocktails and beers. For more on what’s abuzz on and around H Street you can visit my blog http://frozentropics. blogspot.com. You can send me tips, or questions at elise.bernard@gmail. com. u
KITCHENS INTERIORS
www.hillrag.com
Over 10 Years of Experience
REHAB
Craftsmanship Custom Made Cabinets & Furniture References Available
Thomas Jenkins & Company
703-786-3863
Certified Public Accountants
202-758-3396 (fax)
Corporation, Partnership, Trust, Individual Income Tax & Financial Planning
cemohome@yahoo.com licensed • insured
202-547-9004
316 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Suite 402 Washington, DC 20003
Owned & Operated by a Capitol Hill Resident
La Strega Accounting, Inc. Tax Services, Accounting, and QuickBooks Training
Marina L. Martin, EA, MBA
Certified Quickbooks Pro Advisor® Individual Taxes, Business Taxes, Back Taxes
www.lastregaaccounting.com
202.251.3907
(c)
202.547.9536
(telefax)
lastregaindc@gmail.com
JOHNSON LAW GROUP Services to individuals and businesses since 1985... Wills, Estates and Trusts • Commercial and Business Law Property Transactions and Disputes • Government Contracting • General Civil Litigation
www.jlgi.com
202-544-1515
Capitol Hill • 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003
April 2014 H 81
{community life / barracks row}
Repairs to 8th Street Sidewalks Sought by Sharon Bosworth
T
he streetscape on Barracks Row, installed in 2003-04, has begun to show the effects of its own popularity. Ten years ago Barracks Row Main Street (BRMS) petitioned the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) for the funds that added brick sidewalks, new trees, and historic lampposts to the corridor. But it’s clear now that the Row needs maintenance. We documented over 120 issues that need repair, most involving broken slate/pavers and broken or missing bricks. Help may arrive soon in the form of a grant from DDOT. The thinking in 2008, as the ballpark was comThe Bunny poses with the crowd and free baskets at Egg Hunt on 8th. pleted, was that with the arrival of throngs of fans, season after season, willing to pay special game-day rates at DC’s Sidewalk Show on Barracks Row programmable parking meters, a part of this windfall should be shared with Broad, welcoming sidewalks have always been one of the Row’s proudest nearby neighborhoods that would experience the wear and tear of 81 annual assets. Our sidewalks are the stage for a full year of events that begin with our home games. annual 8th Street Egg Hunt. On Saturday, April 19, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 Authored by Charles Allen and sponsored by Tommy Wells, the “Perp.m., Barracks Row becomes the southern end of the Capitol Hill Bunny Trail. formance Parking Pilot Zone Act” was passed in 2008, and DDOT has been The trail begins at Lincoln Park with the National Community Church’s Eggsetting aside a portion of ballpark meter monies ever since to be distributed stravaganza, held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. to affected neighborhoods. The funds may only be used for non-automotive From Lincoln Park kids can extend their hunt to Barracks Row where projects. This year local groups including BRMS, the Capitol Riverfront Busithey’ll meet the Bunny himself and pick up a free basket in front of Ted’s Bulness Improvement District, and the advisory neighborhood commission (ANC) letin, 506 8th St. Then let the hunt continue! were invited by DDOT to submit competitive proposals for the grant money.
Second Grant Request – Reinstall Tree Boxes There is also a second Performance Parking Fund project requested by BRMS, a logical extension of our application for money for sidewalk repairs. This is to re-install the tree box surrounds that were once an integral part of historic 8th Street SE. When the new streetscape was completed, the original tree box surrounds were removed and never seen again. DDOT has not revealed yet which grant proposals will be selected, but neighbors as well as ANC 6B are all rooting for our projects. Chis Hutson, who lives nearby, observes that “having broken bricks and muddy sidewalks on such a landmark street as Barracks Row … looks like we don’t care about our neighborhood.” Longtime 9th Street resident Anne Seymour noted, “I fondly recall the elegant tree surrounds on Barracks Row. Our neighborhood is known for its beautiful gardens, and Barracks Row has the opportunity with new tree surrounds to switch from dirt and mud puddles, to become a showcase.”
82 H Hillrag.com
Taste of 8th – Tickets Available Next up on the calendar, just three weeks after Egg Hunt on 8th, our focus swings to grownups with Taste of 8th on Saturday, May 3. Once again the scene unfolds outdoors on our sidewalks as 25 Barracks Row restaurants serve up samples from their inventive chefs. Some restaurants will serve appetizers, some main courses, and some desserts. A menu is available at Taste of 8th so you can plan a progressive lunch. Tickets are $5.00 each or five for $20.00. All proceeds benefit Barracks Row Main Street. Urban legend has it Taste of 8th delivers the finest $20.00 lunch in DC!
Eastern Market Metro Park Task Force at Work The Eastern Market Metro Park project is progressing toward development of a final master plan. On Feb. 26 at the Hill Center, the project’s task force met with the design team, led by Amy Weinstein, and came up with specific recommendations for each of the six parcels of publicly owned land along Pennsylvania Avenue, between 7th and 9th streets. To review the complete set
of recommendations go toeasternmarketmetropark.com. Among the most important of the recommendations were the following communityinspired ideas. • For the two Pennsylvania Ave. median strips landscaped bio-swales that will capture and manage storm water runoff from all or part of the Pennsylvania Ave. roadbed, with an historic-type wrought iron fence at the perimeter. • For the two small bow-tie parcels in front of Hine School and Community Connections/Dunkin Donuts respectively, planted rain gardens for storm water management. The rain gardens would include trees for shade and be surrounded by an outward-facing bench. • For the northeast parcel, align the main walkway between South Carolina Avenue and 8th Street with the South Carolina Avenue axis. With respect to the children’s play area, the task force said that the targeted age ranges for the design should be toddlers (2 to 5) and older (5 to 12), with the play areas for both age groups south of the walkway if possible. • For the Metro Plaza the project should move forward with a hybrid scheme to include an entrance pavilion to a below-grade addition to the Southeast Library, with a smaller tree bosque to the south and east (parallel to D Street). There has been broad community interest in the expansion of the SE Library, one of the smallest but busiest in DC. u
April 2014 H 83
{community life / @ your service}
@ Your Service by Ellen Boomer
Bringing Brasil to the Hill Take a Portuguese language or culture class with Brazil on the Hill, and you’ll quickly realize there’s more to Brazil than just gauchos and Fogo de Chao. With owner Valeria Buffo and her team of instructors, students will feel immersed in Brazilian culture without ever leaving the neighborhood. “I want people to experience Brazil from all angles: language, cooking, music, dance and culture,” Buffo said. “Brazil is so diverse.” After teaching at Georgetown for about 10 years, Buffo started Brasil on the Hill in 2012 and teaches all classes at The Hill Center. In addition to Portugese language classes, such as those focused on tourism and business, Brasil on the Hill features thematic workshops on topics including Brazilian short stories, music, cinema, politics and the economy. “Valeria makes a very safe and fun learning environment where students feel comfortable trying, even if they make mistakes,” language student Harley Stokes said. “She also makes delicious pão-dequeijo (cheese bread) which alone is worth taking the class!” Inspired by Brazil hosting the World Cup this summer, Buffo taught a cooking class on Brazilian finger food so her students can host parties with a Brazilian flair. Every Wednesday in April, Brasil on the Hill will offer a dance class for families called “Capoeira,” which is a type of martial arts that mixes music and dance. Taught by Morcego, an instructor from Capoeira Malês DC, these high-energy classes are for children as young as four years old and a great activity for parents and kids to enjoy together. Springboard, which offers after-school activities in local schools, will offer Capoeira classes beginning this summer, and Buffo will soon add
84 H Hillrag.com
children’s cooking and music classes, as well. Through her work, Buffo is adding some Brazilian zest to the Hill. “In the end, you have a big family,” Buffo said. Contact Brasil on the Hill (www.brasilonthehill.com) by calling 202-546-5229.
Making Small Businesses Her Business Every entrepreneur knows that starting a new business is just the first step on the long road to success. Viveka Bizzell-Palmer, owner of Bizzell Palmer Media, helps fledgling businesses get up, keep running and go the distance. Bizzell-Palmer’s company grew out of her recognition of the crucial role small businesses play in neighborhoods and from the opportunity to use her 15 years of experience as a marketing and media specialist to help her neighbors on the Hill. “I fill in the blanks for people,” Bizzell-Palmer said when describing the perspective she provides her clients. In addition to designing websites and logos for businesses, Bizzell Palmer Media offers an array of services including event planning, media kits, short and long-term business planning and even temporary staffing. Bizzell-Palmer studies demographic data that affects her clients’ businesses to make sure they are selling products or marketing themselves in a way that works with the neighborhood. By talking with her clients about their needs, their passion for their vocation and their vision for their company, Bizzell-Palmer and her team tailor their services to each customer and avoid a cookiecutter approach. “It’s a personal service,” Bizzell-Palmer said. “I pour who I am into it.” Contact Bizzell Palmer Media (www.bizzell-
palmer.com) by calling 202-681-1416 or by emailing info@bizzellpalmer.com.
Time After Time – Watch and Jewelry Repair Even if your watch takes a licking, Mak Khan, owner of 786 Jewelry and Watch Repair, will make sure it keeps on ticking. Opened just six months ago, this business is the only watch repair shop on the Hill. Khan will replace watch batteries while customers wait, and he guarantees his work with a oneyear warranty. “Every watch is different,” Khan said when explaining why he loves his new venture. “You have to learn things all the time.” With several years of experience in the watch business, Khan can work on everything from antique heirlooms to the most modern timepieces. In addition to stocking replacement watch batteries and watchbands, Khan sells watches that range from $20 to $150 and include brands such as Guess, Seiko and Kenneth Cole. While the majority of Khan’s business is focused on watches, he also sells jewelry and an array of cell phone cases. He even offers SIM cards, cell phones and cell phone plans through T Mobile and Go Smart. Khan is so committed to making his new business work, he’s open seven days a week. “People on the Hill appreciate my work,” Khan said. “Everyone has been very nice.” Khan’s shop is located one block west of Frager’s Paint Store on Pennsylvania Avenue. Contact 786 Jewelry and Watch Repair, 1017 E Street SE, Washington, DC 20003 by calling 202-506-3242. u
{community life}
Capitol Hill Hotel Gets A Facelift Veteran Hostelry Has a New Look
A
s travel-weary guests enter the newly renovated Capitol Hill Hotel (formerly called the Capitol Hill Suites), they are welcomed by the sleek, modern, yet homey lobby. A gas-fueled fireplace wards off the lingering, early spring chill. Red plush chairs, white banquettes, colorfully patterned rugs, and bright paintings provide a contemporary yet cozy ambience. Behind the burnished front desk is a huge, sepia-toned painting depicting what appears to be George Washington crossing the Delaware. Seated at the desk is assistant manager Norbert W. Kupinski, who was busy checking in guests when I arrived on this rainy Friday morning. General Manager Donte P, Johnson greeted me, and provided background information before escorting me on a grand tour of the beautifully revamped hostelry. Capitol Hill Hotel’s $4 million facelift was more than a year in the making. First, Dawson Designs Associates, an internationally renowned firm, began redoing the hotel’s public spaces. This included 2,000 square feet of meeting space, a business center equipped with three computers with free internet access, and a spacious state-of-the-art fitness center. The latter is appointed with several treadmills, exercise bikes and other snazzy workout equipment. The hotel’s second renovation stage, designed by Guillermo Garita of Datum Zero Architects (New York City), involved the 153 junior and senior suites. That phase commenced the day after Christmas and was completed in just three months, in spite of our brutal, endless winter. Pulling all this together was Janis Construction Management. Capitol Hill Hotel does not have a food and beverage license, i.e. a full-service restaurant, but we were assured that no one will starve around here. “We want to provide our guests with a great
by Celeste McCall opportunity to explore our neighborhood…to visit our great Capitol Hill restaurants,” said Johnson, 34, a Washington DC native. He added that the hotel does provide a complimentary, Europeanstyle breakfast of fruit juice, coffee, tea, pastries, cold cuts, cheeses and hard-boiled eggs. In addition, vending machines situated off the lobby are well stocked with chips, juices, sodas, and even Lean Cuisine and Stouffers meals ready to be zapped in each guest room’s microwave oven.
“Also, added Johnson, we have a great location….Washington attractions like the U.S. Capitol, Library of Congress and museums are within walking distance or a quick ride on Metro. But they are not in your face.” Built in 1959 at 200 C St. SE (across the street from St. Peter’s Catholic Church), the sprawling, grey edifice was originally an apartment complex before morphing into a hotel around the 1980s. The structure has two wings—east, with four floors, and the five-floor west end. The hotel is owned by Hersha Hospitality Trust. As Johnson showed us a junior suite, we noted the subtle grey, black and white color scheme, brightened with an occasional splash of red or yellow. Rooms are spacious and airy with one or two queen or king beds. Locally inspired
artwork graces the walls; we admired an intriguing, abstract rendering of a Washington area map. Bathrooms are compact, with fluffy white towels and lots of amenities. Combination tub/showers are safely equipped with grab bars. “Formerly, our guest rooms were done in traditional, neutral colors,” said Johnson. “We reclaimed that look but brightened the palate to give the rooms a more contemporary feel.” All 153 (one more than the previous number) suites have the afore-mentioned microwave, plus a small refrigerator, wet bar and a Keurig coffee maker. Senior suites, located over in the hotel’s East wing, have full kitchens, all done in pleasing, muted colors. Speaking of color, Capitol Hill Hotel has gone “green.” How? Johnson explained that the hotel has a partnership with Clean the World Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Orlando, Florida. “We send them unused soaps, shampoo and lotion,” Johnson said. “Clean the World, in turn, recycles these articles and donates them to impoverished people around the world.” In addition, each guest room displays a “linen reuse” card, which urges occupants to indicate whether housekeeping should wash their towels and/or linens or simply leave them neatly folded to be used again. Capitol Hill Hotel caters mainly to expense account travelers. Mid-week rates hover around $400 per night, while weekends attract more tourists, who might pay as little as $100-plus per night. When we visited, the hotel was almost fully booked, including all the senior suites. The hotel’s parking garage holds approximately 50 cars, and costs $44 for 24 hours. Capitol Hill Hospital is located at 200 C St. SE. For more information, call 202-543-6000 or visit www.capitolhillhotel-dc.com. celeste@us.net u
April 2014 H 85
S
86 H Hillrag.com
SPRING
A r t s
dining special April 2014 H 87
aD&E E eats
The big board by Emily Clark
T
here’s nothing more common than the burger in American cuisine, yet it’s surprising how few are really outstanding. If you want to know how to turn out the perfect burger, hang out at Big Board, a popular corner joint on H Street, where the patty is treated with respect. The owners – three Flannery brothers and a childhood friend – must have decided that if you’re going to have a
simple focus, you’d better make it a good one. In this case the focus is twofold: burgers and beer.
The Burger It starts with the meat, and in this case it’s perfected by the marinade. The Flannery brothers have honed and tweaked the marinade from an outline provided by their late father, a Navy admiral, who used to marinate and grill for the brothers and their friends. The Flannerys have
Luscious grilled Salmon Salad. Photo Andrew Lightman
The Big Board burger starts with meat perfected by marinade. Photo: Andrew Lightman
88 H Hillrag.com
had to improvise because no one has the original recipe. “We’re four brothers, and my dad sent the marinade recipe to each one of us,” says Eric Flannery. “But all four recipes were a little different, so the original recipe stays a secret, even to us.” He will allow that the marinade is soy sauce-based. Whatever it is, the marinade adds a unique flavor to the meat. When Mark, Eric, and Doyle Flannery and their friend David Drane opened the Big Board they decided to keep it simple. Burgers plus a few fish dishes and salads. And there’s respect for vegetarians too, but more on that later.
You feel at home the minute you walk in, like you’re part of the conversation. It’s an informal place, part sports bar, part Irish pub, with tables lined up along the windows facing H Street and 5th. For more privacy there’s a room upstairs for dining. Each burger comes in two sizes, 6-ounce and half-pound, with whimsical names recalling cities or countries the brothers like. There’s the Ciao Bella with prosciutto, mozzarella, roasted San Marzano tomatoes, and red pepper aioli. Le
own from a long list of options. You can craft a meal entirely from sides and appetizers: hummus plate, BBQ wings, catfish nuggets, fried pickles, cabbage slaw, green beans, and all kinds of fries – sweet potato, french fries, and tobacco onion rings. As the parent of a vegetarian and a vegan, I’ve spent the better part of two decades scanning menus for suitable eats for my daughters (who are grown and perfectly capable of reading a menu and choosing their own food, but
The interior of Big Board. Photo: Andrew Lightman
Burg-aire au Poivre is inspired by the time Mark Flannery spent as a sous-chef in France (apparently, according to his brother Eric, on a whim following a TV episode of “Dinosaurs”). It has bleu cheese, cracked black pepper, a cognac cream sauce – and a devilish kick. The Great Chicago Fire features a chipotle-dusted patty with chilimango salsa and habanero jack cheese. My personal fave is the Memphis Blues with jack cheese, barbeque sauce, and crispy tobacco onions. You can also build your
it’s a habit). Not only can you order any specialty burger with a veggie patty, but Big Board also has a black bean/chickpea vegan burger with minted cucumbers and lemon-harissa aioli and a mushroom burger. And there’s always salmon or another fish special, as well as entrée salads and a fried chicken sandwich.
The Board The Big Board concept is a riff on Wall Street, but in this
April 2014 H 89
The Hill’s Hippest Roof Opens April 2! Bask in the Sun at Capitol Hill’s Newest Cantina!
Made to Order Guacamole Handcrafted Tacos Cold Cold Margaritas Fresh Sangria
Happy Hour: Monday to Friday - 3 to 7 PM $3 tacos $4 street corn $6 nachos
Pacifico Cantina 514 8th Street SE 202-507-8143 www.pacificodc.com
case the Board represents the rise and fall of beer prices, based on demand. The more demand, the lower the price. So the more beer you drink, the bigger the bargain. During happy hour every beer on the board is sold below market price. When you look at the board, you see local offerings like Atlas District Common (symbol ADC), which comes from a micro-brewery about a mile away, and Chocolate City Sakura (CCS), as well as more familiar names like Guinness, Peroni, and Yuengling. The Board is strategically placed near the TV, where you can watch all your favorite teams. And every Thursday is Trivia Night. There’s also a small but nice wine selection for the non-beer inclined, and specialty cocktails are soon to make their debut. The Flannery brothers and their friend Dave set out to create a place that was both a restaurant and a neighborhood bar, and they’ve succeeded in both respects. Big Board has the feel of a hangout with the congenial atmosphere of Cheers and arguably the best burgers on this side of town, or maybe any side of town. It’s all in the marinade, whose secret I would love to unlock. But it’s also all the different ways they’ve managed to make an all-American burger seem delicious, and exotic, with a secret base courtesy of the Admiral. My goal is to try them all. Big Board, 421 H St. NE, 202-543-3630,http://thebigboarddc.comu
90 H Hillrag.com
Aatish on the
Hill One block from the Eastern Market Metro Station
Fine INDIAN & Pakistani Tandoori Charcoal Cuisine 10% off of your carry out order (dinner only) Buy 1 entree, get 2nd FREE Dine in, dinner only for parties of 2
NEW EXP DATE: 04/30/14
Jumbo Lunch buffet $9.95, 11:30am-2:30pm Lunch: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm daily dinner: Su-Th 5-10 pm • Fr-Sa 5-10:30 pm
609 Penn. Ave. Se, WDC 20003 • 544-0931
ADVERTISE HERE. GET RESULTS. CALL DAVE
202.543.8300 X22
April 2014 H 91
aD&E E FILM
At the Movies
Mister Whimsy: Wes Anderson Offers a European Tour by Mike Canning dy foil for Fiennes, is a classic deadpan who only tinged with bald obscenities. His servicing (in both senses) of an ancient countess, Madame slowly reveals his worship of an unbridled mentor. D. (Tilda Swinton), earns him the inheritance And it wouldn’t be a Wes Anderson film of a famous painting when she dies, and her without a parade of his actor pals showing up in uncouth son Dmitri (Adrien Brody), coveting cameo roles. In one sequence he uses the device of the artwork, vows to run Gustave to ground an underground “concierge network” to give budand claim the piece, using his henchman, the dies Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, and Owen Wilson vile stooge Jopling (Willem Dafoe). a chance to do shtick. It must be fun to be on an The film then unreels as an elaborate Anderson set.... chase, intricate and strange, which allows Anderson to bounce from train rides to prison cells, Particle Fever from classic museums to mountain retreats, It’s daunting enough to present the esoteric from palace halls to bakery shops. Gustave is world of particle physics on the big screen, but seconded all the way by the loyal Zero, who physicist turned filmmaker Mark Levinson gives Ralph Fiennes (left) and Tony Revolori star in “The Grand Budapest narrates the adventure (played by F. Murray Hotel.” Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures. audiences a chance to witness a significant and inAbraham) in the framing story. All the while, spiring scientific breakthrough as it happens. His Anderson entrances with set pieces in both real film “Particle Fever,” produced together with David The Grand Budapest Hotel settings (shot in the German province of Saxony, inKaplan, a professor of particle physics at Johns HopWriter/director Wes Anderson has a special cluding sites in Dresden and a fabulous department kins University, follows, over five years, the launch place in American cinema: since his debut with store in Gorlitz) and fantasy sites – like a convoluted of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the massive “Bottle Rocket” in 1996 he has crafted a distincwinter sports pursuit that boggles the mind. device that smashes atoms to search for the essential tive look and sensibility in his eight films. The look Who will “get” this film? One way to appreciparticles of matter. Located at the CERN complex consists of “handmade,” crafted interiors, often shot ate it is to consider “The Grand Budapest Hotel” as outside Geneva, the LHC is among the biggest and dead-on and symmetrical, in almost Crayola-type one vast, intricate toy machine, peopled with cardmost expensive experiments in history, employing colors, along with fantasy exteriors with figures roamboard characters evoking a quaintly mythical past. 10,000 scientists from over 100 countries dedicated ing a distant landscape. The sensibility is carefully Don’t take anything too seriously because one funky to a single goal: to recreate conditions that existed calibrated deadpan, with characters showing little sequence will quickly be followed by one just as moments after the Big Bang and to find the Higgs emotion and often appearing as cutouts delivering novel and surprising. Character development is not boson, potentially the basic building block of all life flat, eccentric dialogue. He has never had a smash to be expected, but whirlwind imagery is plentiful. (99 min., unrated). hit, but he has found his admirers and adherents. If all of the above sounds wholly superficial, While this sounds like heady stuff for a The latter will not be disappointed in his latest the film is anchored by one fascieffort, “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” an extremely nating character, the enigmatic odd but intriguing bow to a Central European aesGustave H. Anderson has had sinthetic that mixes period feel with contemporary gular characters before in his films sass (now in theaters; 100 min., rated R). (Jason Schwartzman in “RushTold mainly in flashback, the core story bemore,” Gene Hackman in “The gins in 1932 in the mythical Zubrowka, where the Royal Tenenbaums”), but nobody inimitable Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes) is the conquite like this concierge. Fiennes cierge of the renowned Grand Budapest Hotel, a wittily balances his natural elepink layer cake of a place suited to the country’s gance with a surprising coarseness elite. He takes on a new, untested lobby boy, Zero (sometimes a bit unbelievably so) Moustapha (Tony Revolori) who is quickly devotwhich keeps you always guessing ed to him. Gustave exhibits a mix of refined savoir about his next move or bon mot. faire and off-hand bisexuality: super-elegant diction Jake Gyllenhaal confronts himself in “Enemy.” Photo: A24 Pictures. Newcomer Revolori as Zero, a stur-
92 H Hillrag.com
documentary film, “Particle Fever” succeeds because it focuses on several fervent scientists working on the breakthrough, both the theorists who have dreamed of identifying the Higgs boson and the experimental physicists who seek concrete data. They vary from Savas Dimopoulos, Greek immigrant and endowedchair physicist at Stanford, who hopes to see his theories confirmed, to Fabiola Gianotti, an Italian physicist who leads one of the detection teams at CERN; and from Nima Arkani-Hamed, an Iranian refugee at Princeton who wants to see his ideas tested, to Monica Dunford, a lively young American post-doc who works on the ATLAS detector – one of four using the collider. All are committed, articulate, and, luckily, all-too-human as they work for years to realize their dreams. Since imagery of what the LHC actually does is impossible to view with the human eye, Levinson uses the animation company MK12 Graphics to give the viewer an explosive sense of what proton break-up might look like. The film is splendidly edited by Walter Murch, a Hollywood legend who merges a welter of images shot over many years to tell a wonderful scientific and human story.
Enemy Canadian director Denis Villeneuve had a hit in 2011 with his vibrant film “Incendies,” then directed a Hollywood project last year with the coal-black drama “Prisoners.” He is back in Canada with “Enemy,” a strange doppelganger film starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Though less savage than “Prisoners,” his new movie matches its unsettling mood, touched with sidelong surrealism. “Enemy” is a North American adaptation of Portuguese writer José Saramago’s 2002 novel “The Dou-
ble,” a treatise on the strangeness of finding another person exactly, but exactly, like oneself. Adam Bell (Gyllenhaal) is a listless university history teacher in Toronto and dutifully seeing his girlfriend Mary (Mélanie Laurent). Told to enliven his life with a movie, he views a DVD only to find a bit player in it who looks very similar to him. He runs down the fellow – Anthony Claire (Jake again) – to learn that he lives in Toronto with a wife Helen (Sarah Gadon) who is six months pregnant. Bell both calls and stalks Claire to confirm the nature of his double, and when they meet, testily, they learn that they are truly identical, in every possible way. Each man is fascinated and repelled enough with the other’s life to try to test it out and, in an almost inevitable outcome, the two switch women, with outcomes grisly and spectacularly bizarre. Jake Gyllenhaal, poor thing, has to play a double downer, with neither of his personae exhibiting any verve or humor, both living out minimal lives in a washed-out urban landscape. At best you could call “Enemy” a mood piece, but it is a story of foreboding that is impossible to warm to. For those trying to “figure it out,” there is no puzzle to be solved, only a riddle to be faced. There is a steady creepiness in “Enemy” which might offer some filmgoers a light frisson, but others will just be puzzled. Then there is a “Whoa Nelly!” final shot that will have everyone leaving the theater scratching their heads. For those willing to be weirded out (90 min., rated R).1 Hill resident Mike Canning has written on movies for the Hill Rag since 1993 and is a member of the Washington Area Film Critics Association. He is the author of “Hollywood on the Potomac: How the Movies View Washington, DC.” His reviews and writings on film can be found online at www.mikesflix.com. u
Try our Gourmet Cream Style Corn!
“Better Tasting than Corn on the Cob!”
100% All Natural Sweet Corn
No Added Sugar, Additives, Coloring, or Preservatives! AVAILABLE AT THESE LOCATIONS The Silver Spork - 303 7th St. SE., WDC Rodman’s - 5100 Wisconsin Ave., NW., WDC GLUT Food Coop - 4005 34th St., Mt. Rainier, MD Potomac Adventist Book & Health Food Store - 12004 Cherry Hill Rd., Silver Spring, MD
Questions? Email us at info@larrysweetcorn.com
www.larrysweetcorn.com
April 2014 H 93
aD&E E ART
eric celarier
tare at it from so close that the borders disappear. Or stand far away and take it all in. Something begins to happen. The objects on the wall – the electronic circuits – take on other meanings. Details begin to scramble and patterns morph into familiar impressions from the past...an aerial landscape, Grandma’s quilt, or something in a petri dish. But you soon begin to grasp the evolving reality: These are the guts of the gadgets we toss away without much thought. Eric Celarier’s series, “Wasteland,” is a story, and each of his constructions is a chapter. It’s a complex narrative, intended to be “cautionary,” not condemning, and certainly not “prescriptive.” There is no dictated formula for dealing with these untold tons of non-biodegradable detritus. He gives you much to ponder, and then throws in another sensation – the colors and compositions of art. The circuit boards of phones and the innumerable devices that now order and rule our lives can be entrancing in the hands of
by Jim Magner
Wasteland XI
an artist. Celarier mixes the “cold,” efficient beauty of electronics with the warm, “humanizing” effects of the leather border. A DC-area native, Celarier has a BA from the University of Maryland and a master’s in fine arts from the University of Cincinnati. He teaches art at an elementary school. He is now turning to more open compositions, free of defining borders, that can “open up a wall” and be part of a more comprehensive design. It is not coincidence, perhaps, that Wasteland X his newer works resemble continents. His materials are literally from the international world of communications and provide a better understanding of the scope of our transformation into a planet of unlimited junk and very limited space. You can see Celarier’s work this month at the Hill Center (see At the Galleries) and at www.celarier.com.
Jim Magner’s Thoughts on Art
Network 2
94 H Hillrag.com
Eric Celarier (see Artist Profile) teaches art at an elementary school. What he is really teaching, he says, are “critical thinking skills.” That applies equally to his compositions. If we are to allow Earth to survive, it comes down to critical thinking. He sees no point in being above the debate, simply dismissing the powerful implications of his art form. But neither does he see any value in hurling sweeping denunciations. It would be too easy to vilify our throwaway economy by shooting an artistic cannon at it. Eric wants his work to be useful, to have a positive place in the conversation. My question is, What obligation does an artist have in the critical duel between preserving and providing? What’s our place in the social swordfight in which saving the natural world and its unarmed life forms seems to be a losing battle? Actually, that may be a throwaway question because I don’t think art still has the power to change anything. Stand in the path of profit and you will be run over like a
ART & the city
S
Artist Profile:
skunk on the freeway. Sorry, but painting has been reduced to pretty pictures pretending that nothing has changed since John Constable and Thomas Cole. We want to live in the cozy landscapes of Monet, but with the next generation iPhone. The most powerful of all art forms, film, is constantly warning of the various social and environmental disasters that are rising up like Godzilla, or creeping up like Freddie or Jason. One way or the other, they will certainly destroy us. But like the Disney flick WALL-E, which begins with a dismal view of our future planet, they usually end with a glimmer of hope. That’s what Celarier wants to give us.
At the Galleries “36 Years” – Zenith Gallery Presents 1429 Iris St. NW —April 26 Thirty-six years, 36 artists. Zenith continues to celebrate its “36 Years on a Creative Journey” through April with the painting, sculpture, and mixed-media art of some of the most celebrated painters and sculptors in the region, most of whom have been represented by Zenith for many years. All in one place. And what a place! It is the home of Zenith’s Margery Goldberg, also one of the artists, and it’s chock-a-block with visual surprises and gems inside and out. Check out zenithgallery.com for the artists’ talks and book signings scheduled for April. Shelley Lowenstein, Rosemary Luckett Touchstone Gallery 901 New York Ave. NW Opening Reception: April 4, 6:00-8:30 p.m. Closing Reception: April 25, 6:00-8:30 p.m. “Quotidian: The Art of Interaction” features new oil paintings by Shelley Lowenstein. They are a visual paradox of loneliness in a time of frenzied connection. While allowing the world of strangers into our electronic life, we live in an expanding physical bubble of isolation. In these works we see people alone, even in crowed public spaces. With “Earth Blankets” Rosemary Luckett combines photographs and cloth to provide a play of flat images with “low-relief 3-D expres-
sion.” She makes the connection between what is happening to Earth and the human activities that cause those changes – activities that we try not to notice. These connections are sometimes a subtle scream, but always a pleasure to look at. info@touchstonegallery.com Multi-Artist Show Maury Elementary Hill Center Galleries 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE —April 26 The featured show is the juried exhibit of the Montgomery County Plein Air Artists. This is the best place to find area landscapes and village scenes. The work is competent and straightforward in its representation of the sights and scenes of life in the local area. Other artists on exhibit include Eric Celarier (see Artist Profile) with two major works. While you are there, walk through the exhibit of the 4th and 5th grade artists of Ms. Lauren Bomba’s classes at Maury Elementary School. I bet you can’t do it without a big smile. The kids were given the challenge to create packaging and promotion ideas for the non-perishable food items donated by the school to the Capitol Area Food Bank. They studied the art of Andy Warhol and had to draw and paint in that style. The truth is, Warhol was never this loose or uninhibited. He never had this much fun. www.hillcenterdc.org “Märchen” – Evolve Urban Arts Project Pierce School Lofts 1375 Maryland Ave. NE —May 23 Reception: April 17, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Three very accomplished painters, Jill Finsen, Kay Fuller, and Alexandra N. Sherman, interpret the themes of Märchen, those old German folktales that mix the natural with the supernatural, that often pit the mere mortal against the powers of another realm. This is a great show, and the Evolve openings always pair “assorted hors d’oeuvres and signature beverages with select works.” www. artevolvedc.com A Capitol Hill artist and writer, Jim Magner can be reached at Artandthecity05@aol.com. His award-winning book, “A Haunting Beauty,” can be acquired through www.ahauntingbeauty.com. u
Providing Capitol Hill with the most elegant and professional in-home fine dining experience.
Bridal Showers Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Engagement Parties Graduation Dinner Summer Dinner Parties
ChefNeilWilson@aol.com | 301.699.2225 ChefJasonLawrence@hotmail.com | 202.549.7422
APRIL SPECIAL!
20% OFF
Cannot be used with other offers • Exp. 04/30/2014
LAS PLACITAS RESTAURANT
The Finest Salvadorian & Mexican Cuisine Dine Outdoors in our Sidewalk Patio
517 8th St. SE • 202.543.3700 LasPlacitasDC.com Open 7 days a week – 11:30 am-10:30 pm, Carry Out & Catering Available
23 Years on Capitol Hill April 2014 H 95
aD&E E eats
Dining Notes
A
fter the relentless winter that wouldn’t quit, it looks like spring is finally here. We managed to escape some of Washington’s ice, snow, and brutal temperatures by heading south to Florida. Now we’re B-A-C-K, tanned, rested, and ready to rediscover our neighborhood’s ever expanding dining scene. Washington’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival runs until April 13 (about when blossoms are expected to peak), and restaurants are joining the festivities. Among participants is Barracks Row’s Belga Café, 514 8th St. SE. Throughout the festival Belga chef Bart Vandele has fashioned a menu around the showy blooms: royal cherry cocktail (premium beer and champagne), cherry/brie crostini, pan-seared duck breast, cherry tart. The items are available à la carte or prix-fixe for $45 per person. The cocktail is $10 extra. Belga has other events on tap as well. Coming up April 14-18 is Salad Week, followed by Easter brunch, April 20. For details call 202-544-0100 or www.belgacafe.com. By the way, I had lunch at Belga recently with a large group. Not only was the service excellent, but my salmon burger on a multigrain bun with zingy aioli was sublime. Across the street, Ambar, 523 8th St. SE, will showcase Balkan dishes with a modern twist: drunken mussels (garlic, capers, lemon, cream), cured salmon with capers, dill, onions, lemon, and lavish chips; cherry cvet (cherry brandy, gin, fresh lime juice, cranberry, simple syrup, egg white, and bitters). Call 202-813-3039 or visit www.ambarrestaurant.com.
More Cherry Cheer A Cherry Blossom Festival listing would not be complete without a Japanese entry. After all, our treasured cherry trees were a gift from Japan in 1912. Daikaya, the izakaya (Asian-style tavern) and ramen shop at 705 6th St. NW, will pour three spe-
96 H Hillrag.com
by Celeste McCall breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For hours call 202-524-5244 or visit www.redapronbutcher.com.
Carolina Cooking
The Gift cocktail from Daikaya. Photo: Brian Oh.
cial cocktails during the festival. The first-floor ramen shop will serve a Black Cherry Old-fashioned (bourbon, bitters, and black cherry syrup garnished with a lemon peel). The second-floor izakaya will present a Bark & Bite Fizz (brown sugar shochu – distilled barley liquor – and wild cherry phosphate soda), and The Gift (shochu, vermouth, and bitters, garnished with a preserved edible cherry blossom). Call 202-589-1600 or visit www.daikaya.com.
Seeing Red, Again Red Apron, Union Market’s popular butcher/ deli, has hatched another offspring. The latest spinoff is located at 709 D St. NW, in the heart of Penn Quarter. Like its sister eateries in Union Market and the Mosaic District (Merrifield), chef Adam Nathan’s latest enterprise focuses on sustainable and humanely raised meats, plus an array of hefty sandwiches and other treats served at the counter: mac and cheese, scrapple, “porkstrami,” muffulettas, burgers, dogs, and “Southern caviar.” The latter is spicy smoked pimento cheese. Red Apron also pours a decent Spanish wine plus beer and other potent potables. Penn Quarter’s Red Apron is open daily for
Chef/owner Lance London of the Carolina Kitchen has unveiled his first District enterprise. The 6,000 square-foot spinoff dishes out Southern comfort fare in the vibrant Rhode Island Row, a mixeduse development near the Rhode Island Avenue/Brentwood Metro stop. Located at 2300 Washington Place NE, this is London’s third restaurant in the DC area; others are in Largo and Hyattsville. Carolina Kitchen will serve lunch and dinner plus carryout. Inspired by his grandmother’s recipes, London showcases “rustic chicken soup for the soul,” Myrtle Beach salad (field greens, tomatoes, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, and grapes), fried chicken, spicy Thai chili, grilled Guinness barbecue, and other “Ma Pearl” entrées. The restaurant’s custom-glass oyster bar dispenses Southern-style fried lobster tail, steamed crab claws, fried green tomatoes, and pan-fried asparagus with Creole dipping sauce. For more information, go to www.thecarolinakitchen.com.
Tea Party on Eighth Capital Teas, a tea boutique and tea bar, is coming to 781 8th St. SE. Set to open this month, the Barracks Row Capital Teas is the seventh outlet of the Annapolis-based company. “We plan to offer 80 loose teas from 18 countries,” Capital Teas CEO Peter Martino told me. “A tea for every taste.” We enjoyed a sneak preview last month at Barracks Row’s Annual Meeting Celebration, which marked the arrival of 13 new businesses last year. Plus (hopefully!) the arrival of spring. The lively event included tasty tidbits, from several nearby restaurants, and beverages, the latter compliments of Chat’s Liquors. Yes, there was tea.
April 2014 H 97
Carolina Cooking The 18th Amendment, 613 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, closed last summer after acquiring a new business partner. But the shuttered pub will be renovated and reborn as Barrel later this year. Barrel’s new partner is Matt Weiss, long-time owner of the Union Pub and Lounge, 201 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Rumor has it that Barrel will showcase an upbeat, Southern menu designed by chef Garret Fleming, who hails from Charleston, S.C.. There he worked his magic at the Pig. Besides his Barrel enterprise, Fleming has opened a local Pig at 1340 14th St. NW (Logan Circle). “Barrel” refers to “barrel-aged” liquor infused or aged with bourbons, etc.
Here and There…. District Taco, 660 Pennsylvania Ave. Ave. SE, is opening another spinoff, this one at 20th and M St. NW, formerly a Cosi’s. Husband Peter had lunch there the other day and raved about the shrimp tacos…. Tony Tomelden, proprietor of the Atlas District’s Pub, 1234 H St. NE, is expanding into the burgeoning Brookland neighborhood. Later this spring look for Brookland’s Finest Bar and Kitchen at 3128 12th St. NE…. Congrats to Sapore Olive Oil & Vinegar, 660 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, which celebrated its second anniversary last month.
Initial Nibble We’ve checked out Sona Creamery and Wine Bar, 660 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Open since late January, Sona offers upscale foreign and domestic
98 H Hillrag.com
1025 First St SE Washington DC 202-652-1009
“Official Nationals Bar of 106.7”
Visit us for our progressive happy hour from 4-8pm. cheeses. Guests may also nibble cheese-infused dishes along with wines at the comfy bar and café. For a Saturday lunch we shared a Romaine wedge salad sprinkled with tiny radish circles, cukes, and bacon fragments, napped with a light herb vinaigrette. Peter’s “American classic” grilled cheese sandwich was definitely not our mothers’ version. My home-made pork pate, fromage de Meaux, and whole-grain mustard was snuggled on toasted bread baked in the Lyon bakery. The two-fisted sandwich was escorted by a crisp arugula salad. Sona is not cheap; our lunch including my glass of Washington state sauvignon blanc came to $50. Service is excellent – friendly and knowledgeable. Later this spring Sona (which means “happy” in Gaelic) will start making its own cheese, and the process will be visible through a large picture window. They will also offer cheese-making courses. Dining Notes hopes to take a class and will report on the results. Sona already sells cheese-making kits for $25. Open daily for lunch, dinner, and mid-afternoon snacks. Call 202-758-3556 or visit www. sonacreamery.com.
Drinks starting with
$3 Draft Beers $4 Rail Liquor $5 Firefly Vodka
“The only place near Nationals Stadium to pregame and postgame”
Spring Fling Just in time for spring, Lavagna, 539 8th St. SE, has added spaghetti primavera and local rockfish to its menu. At Lavagna’s upstairs bar, happy hour goes Tuesday-Saturday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., with special food and drink prices. Sunday brings halfpriced bottles of wine. Open daily except Monday. Visit www. lavagnadc.com. u
April 2014 H 99
aD&E E eats
Vegetable Choreography at CityZen by Annette Nielsen
I
f you follow an urban cul de sac off the 1300 block of Maryland Avenue in Southwest and enter the grand expanse of the Mandarin Oriental, you’ll find one of the District’s culinary gems in CityZen. With chef Eric Ziebold at the helm, the menu reflects his creative American focus with classic
French technique. Ziebold grew up in Iowa, the son of a teacher. He learned to cook at his mom’s side as she prepared dinner that was served promptly at six every night. Not influenced by one particular fad, Ziebold says that his mom always paid attention to new developments in the culinary world.
“She tried out recipes she found in magazines – she’d follow food trends. It made me realize how impressionable we are as a dining public.” After graduating with high honors from the Culinary Institute of America, Ziebold went on to work in kitchens with culinary notables – in the District at Jeffery Buben’s Vidalia, at Thom-
Turmeric-braised celtuce, a beautiful shoulder-season preparation where hints of spice and color welcome a warmer season. Photo: Celia Laurent
100 H Hillrag.com
as Keller’s Napa Valley-based French Laundry, and then was called on to help open Keller’s Per Se near Lincoln Center in New York. While not so much a trend for him, Ziebold has been engaged in a focus of healthful eating ever since he was a high school wrestler. At an early age he learned the importance of what you eat and how it makes you feel – the impact on your overall health and wellbeing. He has participated in the Cleveland Clinic’s annual “Medical Innovation Summit,” discussing and demonstrating how improving the quality of a diet is at the front lines of public health – and how “healthful” and “delicious” aren’t mutually exclusive. He truly understands the approach of “everything in moderation.” Part of how the chef brings distinctive flavor to his cooking is that he has a focus on spices during winter and herbs through the warmer months, with a range of textures no matter the season. His menu changes every six weeks, so guests are frequently tempted by something new throughout the year. Since opening CityZen in 2004 Ziebold has crafted offerings that compose the Chef’s Tasting Menu, which might include seasonally-inspired Maine lobster pierogi served with a Pernod-lobster emulsion or a pan-roasted New Zealand venison with butternut squash and chestnut truffle macaroons, as well as à la carte appetizers (look for crispy Rohan duck leg confit or curry-cured big-eye tuna) and entrees like sautéed
April 2014 H 101
• • • • • • •
A diverse product line of quality beverages from all over the world One of the largest and most unique wine selections on Capitol Hill A friendly and knowledgeable staff Located just minutes form Downtown, DC and Alexandria, VA 1 block south of Eastern Market Metro on the vibrant Barracks Row Owned by the Williams Family since 1978; established before 1919
The best weekly wine tastings on “The Hill”- Sat (3-6pm)
102 H Hillrag.com
filet of New Zealand John Dory with black trumpet mushrooms, salsify puree, and anise hyssop coulis, or a pan-roasted prime Virginia beef strip loin served with red flannel hash and Frankie’s original horseradish soubise. On the regular menu the chef typically serves something vegetarian at intermezzo as a refreshing interlude between courses. His time at CityZen helped Ziebold realize there was a segment of the population looking for vegetarian options. One summer he had the staff adopt a vegetarian diet for a few weeks. When it was a particular challenge for some, he noted that part of the issue was they had a limited sense of satiety. “Satiety is really what we want to accomplish, to have people feel as if they really went out to dinner. I realized that we needed to serve a vegetarian who came to eat at the restaurant and have them be physically, emotionally, artistically, and intellectually satiated – as they would be if they were eating a meal that included meat or fish,” says Ziebold. As the number of vegetarians has grown, whether for health, environmental, or ethical reasons, or just as a change of pace, it makes sense that chefs are more excited to prepare foods addressing this segment of the population, being more creative with their menus. When you look at Chef Ziebold’s vegetarian tasting menu you’ll notice the choreographed components of the various dishes – one might be crisp, another cold or salty. You’ll always find a couple of dishes that pair well with red wine too. With a round-up that might include red beet and caramelized sunchoke cannelloni (with poached clementine, frissee, and clove crème fraiche), or celeriac scallopine (with celery branch, Périgord truffle salad, and truffle mousseline), or turmeric-braised celtuce with melted carrots, cilantro, and French green lentils (see recipe below), even confirmed carnivores won’t miss the meat. This September marks the tenth anniversary of CityZen, and to this Chef Ziebold
Chef Eric Ziebold, a culinary stand-out in the District, celebrates 10 years at the helm of CityZen restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental, 1330 Maryland Ave. SW. Photo: Mandarin Oriental, Washington, DC
remarks, “to be relevant a decade later is really flattering, having guests continue to enjoy the experience. For me, being in the hospitality business is to make people more comfortable than they ever would expect.” The comfortable and elegant 60seat restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday; reservations strongly suggested. CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental, 1330 Maryland Ave. SW, 202-554-8588, mandarinoriental.com.
Turmeric-Braised Celtuce with Glazed Carrots, Cilantro, and Crisp Lentils Turmeric not only lends great flavor to this dish, but an outstanding vibrant yellow color. When grating the root protect your hands with latex gloves, as the stain will remain for up to a week. You can easily find celtuce (also called celery lettuce, Chinese lettuce, or stem lettuce) and turmeric in root form at Asian markets around the District. Try Great Wall Supermarket in Rockville, Md.,
Scan to visit DCanter’s website
or Falls Church, Va., or Grand Mart in Gaithersburg, Md., or Alexandria, Va. Turmeric-braised celtuce is a good shoulder-season dish, providing spice with hints of color to welcome warmer weather. Chef Ziebold says that you might transition this preparation for the warmer months by substituting a trio of seasonal zucchini, baby squash, and eggplant for winter-friendly carrots and celtuce, and replacing lentils with cooked (not fried) farro. Yield: 8 tasting or appetizer portions
Turmeric stock 2-3 tablespoons canola oil 1 pound carrots 1 pound leeks 1 pound onions 1 gallon water 3 ounces turmeric (root), grated Clean and roughly chop the carrots, leeks, and onions. In a large stock pot over medium high heat add canola oil and when hot add carrots, leeks, and onions. When vegetables start to soften add turmeric and water; bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes and strain. Reduce the liquid until you have about 10-12 cups.
Sign Up Now for Upcoming Classes! Alloro Vineyard Winemaker Bottle Signing Tue. Apr. 1st 6:30-8:00 PM Utopian Wines: An exploration of Cooperative Wineries Tue. Apr. 8th 6:30-8:00 PM Survey of Italian Wine Thu. Apr. 17th 7:00 - 8:00 PM
545 8th Street SE Washington, DC 20003 Tuesday-Saturday (11:00am-9:00pm)
Sunday (12:00pm-6:00pm)
Closed Monday
ProviDiNg CaPitol Hill WitH... • Flavorful Artisan Wines and Craft Beers • Enjoyable Tasting Events • Fun and Informative Classes
Introduction to Wine: Biodynamic, Organic, Sustainable Tue. Apr. 22nd 7:00 - 8:00 PM Blind Tasting Beer Like a Cicerone Thu. Apr. 24th 7:00 - 8:00 PM www.dcanterwines.com (202) 817-3803 hello@dcanterwines.com Follow us @dcanterwines Like us /dcanterwines
Host Your Next eveNt iN DCaNter’s tastiNg room Are you hosting a birthday, anniversary, shower, or corporate event? Let us help you plan it! DCanter offers private wine or craft beer tastings! Contact us for more information.
Eat Fresh from the Farm!
JOIN ONE ACRE FARM CSA!
Turmeric oil 1/8 cup turmeric powder 1 cup canola oil Place turmeric in a small sauté pan and heat gently over moderate heat until it starts to release its aroma. In a blender add canola oil and the heated turmeric on a medium speed for about 1 minute. Pour into a container, seal, and allow sit one day before using.
Locally grown vegetables delivered by farmer Mike weekly to the Hill NOW ENROLLING FOR THE 2014 SEASON! $660 for 22 weeks* * $30 new member fee (includes a recipe book and durable bag)
Farmer Mike: michael@oneacrefarm.com
oneacrefarm.com Check us out on Facebook: www.facebook.com/oneacrefarmmd
April 2014 H 103
104 H Hillrag.com
Turmeric sauce
Celtuce
5 cups turmeric stock 4 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup turmeric oil Thicken 4 cups of warmed turmeric stock with a few tablespoons of cornstarch until it forms a light nappe (the liquid mixture holds on the back of a spoon). Put the thickened stock in a blender and, while the machine is running, add the oil until well blended and emulsified.
8 celtuce, approximately half-pound each 4 cups turmeric stock Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Trim ends of celtuce and peel until you get just past the fibrous layer. Place in a single layer in the bottom of a baking pan, add the turmeric stock. Cover with aluminum foil and place in oven until tender, approximately 45 minutes.
Fried lentils
Final assembly
1 cup green or brown lentils 2 cups turmeric stock 3-4 tablespoons canola oil sea salt Warm stock in a 2-quart saucepan over medium high heat. Add lentils and bring to rapid simmer, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes, adding more water or stock if necessary. Drain lentils well and pat dry before frying. In a sauté pan add canola oil and heat over medium high heat until almost smoking. Add lentils and stir while cooking until they become crisp. Remove from pan with slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels and lightly salt.
8 braised celtuce 4 cups turmeric sauce 2½ cups carrot juice 3 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1½ cups thinly sliced cooked carrots 2 tablespoons cilantro, chiffonade 1 teaspoon fried lentils per serving Gently reheat celtuce in turmeric sauce in a large sauté pan. Reduce carrot juice to approximately ¾ cup; add cooked carrots, and gently warm. Slowly stir in the butter so that it emulsifies into the carrot juice. Add cilantro and lemon juice and immediately spoon into bottom of serving dish. Place celtuce in middle of carrots and sprinkle celtuce with fried lentils. u
Red Rocks, James O’Brien & Doug Baj’s award-winning Neapolitan pizzeria, has opened its sizeable doors at 1348 H Street NE. Customers can now enjoy 7000 square feet of indoor/outdoor dining, with bars on 3 levels including a rooftop bar that features spectacular views of downtown DC. More than just great pizza, RedRocks has expanded its menu to include fresh pastas, salads, and a wide array of creative Italian dishes. The bar menu is just as formidable: 20 craft beers on tap, a creative cocktail list, and wine offerings from several regions. After dinner, climb the stairs and discover Redrocks 2nd floor nightclub “The Lodge” that has quickly become…the neighborhood’s most essential DJ venue” – Washington Post, Going Out Gurus.
1348 H St, NE 202-621-7300 • www.redrocksdc.com
The Best of Capitol Hill Eating From
to
Lunch and Dinner Daily Happy Hour 3:30 pm - 7 pm Weekend Brunch 10:30 - 3 pm
Join us for brunch on Saturday & Sunday from 10:30a-3p
Join us for Game day specials before and after the game
Happy hour daily 3-7p, 9close Tue. night 1/2 price Wine Night Wed. night 16.95 1 1/4 lb Lobster!
301 Water Street, SE Yards Park 202-484-0301 • www.agua301.com
735 8th Street, SE Washington, DC 202.544.7171 • www.zestbistro.com
April 2014 H 105
aD&E E Drink
Spring Gin
Classic Cocktails for Warmer Weather by Lilia Coffin
E
ven with temperatures only just starting to creep over 50 degrees, everybody is getting ready for spring. Buds are forming on trees, people are taking any excuse to wear shorts, and Green Hat is about to release its spring/summer gin. At Schneider’s, that’s my favorite sign of the season. Once the gin requests start outweighing those for bourbon I know winter is officially on its way out. Fresh, crisp, light, and slightly sweet gin cocktails simply induce more cravings this time of year, and with good reason. They’re mouthwatering, bright, and so incredibly variable, with herbs, fruits, and liqueurs of all styles meshing seamlessly with the piney note of a good gin. Gin itself has so many fabulous variations, from the high proof brut London dry to the blackthorn plum-infused sloe gins, that experimenting is a joy! Gin is traditionally distilled from grain with juniper berries and a botanical blend recipe that varies by the brand. There are a few general distinctions among gins: clean and citrusy London dry, botanical Dutch jenevers, sweet and spiced Old Tom, the fruity sloe gin (technically a liqueur), and the new American wave of gins which entertain all kinds of floral and herbal influences. They even have barrel-aged gins in Kentucky. DC’s own Green Hat, produced at New Columbia Distillers by a veteran of Schneider’s, John Uselton, and his father-in-law Michael Lowe, uses local cherry blossoms. Dutch jenevers – malt spirit distilled with juniper, herbs, and botanicals – came first and may have been produced as early as the 13th century. Used originally as a medicine, it spread to England with the Dutch ruler William III’s Glorious Revolution of 1688, where it was cheaper than beer and safer than water. The
106 H Hillrag.com
recipe went through stages over time; Old Tom gins with added sugar were popular in the 1800s, and London dry became available with new distillation methods later that century. The homemade gins of 19th-century Lon-
don were often made with turpentine, so thank your lucky stars that we live in an age where gins are made with high-quality ingredients according to premium recipes. With so many different styles to choose from, the number of options for cocktails is almost overwhelming. Included here are the classics with a twist: they are made with some of our favorite, unique gins. These are just for inspiration, of course. This is the perfect opportunity to test out liqueurs and mixers you have yet to taste. There are enough possible combinations out there to keep you sipping gin until autumn!
Martini 1½ ounces City of London Dry Gin ($19.99) Dry vermouth to taste, about ½ teaspoon Green olive(s) Stir or shake with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass, add olive.
Aviation 1¼ ounces Green Hat Spring/Summer Gin ($36.99) ¾ ounce lemon juice 1 bar spoon superfine sugar A few dashes of maraschino liqueur Shake well over ice in a shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Gimlet 2 ounces Barr Hill Gin (from Vermont, distilled with raw honey) ($46.99) 1¾ ounces Rose’s lime juice Stir well over ice cubes in a mixing glass, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Gin Fizz 2 ounces Plymouth Sloe Gin ($35.99) 1 ounce lemon juice
Rated One of the Best Wine Shops by Washingtonian Magazine July “Best & Worst” Issue Listed in the Wall Street journal as one of the most enjoyable places to shop for wines nationwide. “Best Website Award”, 2008 by the Wine Spectator’s Market Watch
Voted “Best Liquor Store” and “Best Wine Selection” an unprecedented FIVE years in a row by the City Paper
¼ ounce simple syrup 1 bar spoon powdered sugar club soda Shake all but soda well over ice cubes, strain into a tall Collins glass filled with ice cubes, fill with soda.
The SchneiderCoupon is our monthly mixed case of hand selected wines from across the world that change according to the seasons and are priced up to 50% off the regular retail price. Purchase as many assorted cases as you like and get additional wines as the listed sale prices. This month’s case features five reds and seven whites at 50% OFF! Regular Price: $281.88 | At Sale Prices: $194.88 | SchneiderCoupon Price: $139.99............Save 50%! wine
Tom Collins 2 ounces Ransom Old Tom Gin ($37.99) about 1 ounce lemon juice about ½ ounce simple syrup club soda stemmed cherry and lemon slice Stir first three ingredients over ice cubes in a Collins glass, fill with soda, and add cherry and lemon.
The Rickey 1½ ounces Green Hat Gin ½ fresh lime handful of ice carbonated water or club soda Add ice to a highball glass. Squeeze in lime juice and drop in half of lime. Add gin and top off with club soda.
reg.
2012 2010 2012 2012 2012 2012 2010 2010 2008 2008 2011 2012
Barrique Cellars Chardonnay- Mendocino .................................... $29.99 Jean-Marc Gilet Vouvray Demi Sec ............................................. $19.99 Castelfeder “15er” Pinot Grigio Sudtirol ..................................... $19.99 Chateau Castenet Entre Deux Mers ............................................ $24.99 Boniface Apremont Vin de Savoie Vieilles Vignes ......................... $19.99 Broman Sauvignon Blanc ......................................................... $19.99 Heimberger Pinot Blanc Reserve Particulier ................................. $17.99 Bichot Beaune L’Hermitage ...................................................... $49.99 Cascina Adelaide Dolcetto Di Diano d’Alba .................................. $23.99 Blackbilly Shiraz..................................................................... $19.99 Cave les Coteaux Cotes du Rhone............................................... $14.99 Pegau Cuvee Maclura Cotes du Rhone ........................................ $19.99
sale.
$19.99 $14.99 $15.99 $19.99 $15.99 $15.99 $13.99 $29.99 $9.99 $9.99 $11.99 $15.99
T H I S M O N T H! “One of the Best Wine Stores in the Country is Right Here on Capitol Hill” SELECTION The country’s most complete range of spirits, beer & wine. Our old and rare wine list is the most extensive anywhere, and it’s in your neighborhood. PRICING We will not be undersold. Come see for yourself. SERVICE Second to none, with seven full time wine specialists to assist you. Come in and be treated like family!
View descriptions of the wines at www.cellar.com
300 Massachusetts Ave., NE • www.cellar.com 1-800-377-1461 • 202-543-9300 • fax: 202-546-6289
The Pegu Club 2½ ounces Green Hat Gin ½ orange Curacao ½ fresh lime juice dash Angostura bitters dash orange bitters Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well, and strain into a chilled glass.
The White Negroni 1½ ounces Green Hat Gin ¾ ounce Salers Gentiane ½ ounce Orchard Pear Liqueur Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Stir and strain into chilled glass. Garnish with fresh sage leaf.
The Fascinator 1½ ounces Green Hat Gin ½ ounce Cointreau ¼ ounce Campari ¾ ounce fresh lime juice Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into chilled glass. u
April 2014 H 107
aD&E E books
THE
C
Literary Hill
ome to the fourth annual Literary Hill BookFest to meet the authors featured below and dozens more, including Louis Bayard (“Roosevelt’s Beast”), Frederic Frommer (“You Gotta Have Heart”), Eastern Market chef Jonathan Bardzik (“Simple Summer”), John Muller (“Mark Twain in Washington, D.C.”), Bill Walsh (“Yes, I COULD Care Less”), and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Gene Weingarten. With a children’s corner, poets’ corner, local booksellers, publishers, libraries, and more it will be a great day for books and authors on Capitol Hill. Sunday, May 4, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in the North Hall of Eastern Market. To volunteer, donate, or learn more visit www.literaryhillbookfest or find us on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
A Heady History If anybody knows his suds, it’s Garrett Peck. Combine that love of beer with a flair for research and you’ve got “Capital Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in Washington, D.C.” In brisk and lively prose Peck covers 240 years of local brewing history, from the earliest days of British ale makers through the influx of German lagermeisters and up to the present-day craft breweries. Along the way he pauses to acknowledge the first female brewer, the contributions of major brewers like Robert Portner and Christian Heu-
Garrett Peck invites you to grab a cold one and learn about the history of brewing in DC.
108 H Hillrag.com
by Karen Lyon
rich, and the effects of Prohibition on the local industry (National Capital Brewing, where the 14th Street Safeway now stands, switched to making ice cream). Also on Capitol Hill was Beuchert’s Saloon, which was a speakeasy during Prohibition. Peck relates the sad tale of its recent renovation, when the contractor threw away dozens of vintage bottles from the “little back room” where the liquor was dispensed. “You can imagDC has had its share of crazy ladies ine what heartbreak that caused a over the years, according to a new book by Canden Schwantes. certain local author,” he writes. Richly illustrated with photowho was said to have secured the first interview graphs both old and new, as well as by a woman with a sitting president – or rather, a a colorful collection of beer art, “Capital Beer” is naked and dripping president – when she perched almost as much fun to read as “sitting in an outdoor on John Quincy Adams’ clothes on the bank of the beer garden and sipping suds with friends over a Potomac River during his morning dip and refused long, languid conversation.” to budge until he answered her questions. A local journalist, historian, and author, Peck From willful first ladies, rebellious socialhas written “Prohibition in Washington, D.C.: ites, and fiery suffragists to madams and spies, How Dry We Weren’t” and “The Smithsonian Schwantes presents a veritable gallery of unruly Castle and the Seneca Quarry.” Visit him at www. women in the nation’s capital, including the ingarrettpeck.com. domitable Alice Roosevelt and an eccentric physician whose penchant for donning tails and top hat Not Wicked, Merely Wild often got her arrested for dressing like a man. With “Wicked Women” just wasn’t working as the vintage photographs and loads of well-researched title of Canden Schwantes’ new book. “Sure, there stories, “Wild Women” is a treat for anyone inwere some affairs, some thievery and terested in the history of women in DC and the prostitution,” the author acknowl“highlights of their unconventional and sometimes edges. But “wicked?” So she opted scandalous ways.” instead for “Wild Women of WashCanden Schwantes is a local historian and ington, D.C.: A History of Disorderly tour guide who manages Free Tours by Foot. Her Conduct from the Ladies of the Disprevious book was “Wicked Georgetown: Scountrict.” She admits that even that is a drels, Sinners and Spies.” bit of a stretch. “For the most part,” she writes, “what makes these women On the Waterfront ‘wild’ is that they went against the soWith DC abuzz over waterfront developcial norm and common perceptions ment, John R. Wennersten’s new book couldn’t be of what was appropriate for a lady of timelier. In “The Historic Waterfront of Washingthe day.” ton, D.C.” he reminds us of the rich history of our Take, for example, the case of waterways and the life and commerce that thrived pioneering journalist Anne Royall, there over the past two centuries. He also reminds
POEM The Poetic Hill us of how our rivers became the “poster children [for] neglected, forgotten and environmentally mistreated” urban waterways, docklands, and the people associated with them. Focusing primarily on Georgetown and the Navy Yard, Wennersten provides a solid account of the role the rivers played in DC’s history, from the Native American inhabitants and early fur traders through the War of 1812 and the building of the capital city, as well as the Navy Yard’s contributions to war efforts and the factors that, by 1880, had caused “George Washington’s vision of a Potomac maritime empire [to] pass into history.” Massive dredging operations by the Army Corps of Engineers helped to revive the area,
John Wennersten’s history of the DC waterfront ably sets the stage for current revitalization efforts.
creating parks and dealing with river navigation and sewage, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that the waterfront was redefined “as an environmental entity rather than a commercial one.” The way was thus paved for the current wave of revitalization. Wennersten’s careful documentation of the area’s past and his balanced assessment of redevelopment efforts should provide valuable background for future planners. “Is a waterfront a front door or a back door?” he asks. If planned right, he believes, the new Washington waterfront could become a bright and magnetic point of arrival that will “further Washing-
ton’s influence as a world-class city.” John Wennersten is an emeritus professor of environmental history at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, and author of “The Oyster Wars of Chesapeake Bay,” “Anacostia: The Death and Life of an American River,” and “Global Thirst: Water and Society in the 21st Century.”
This Month on the Hill The Hill Center presents Stephen H. Grant, author of “Collecting Shakespeare,” April 13, 4:00 p.m.; poet Edward Hirsch, in a reading and conversation co-sponsored by the Library of Congress and moderated by Washington Post book critic Ron Charles, April 23, 7:00 p.m.; and John R. Wennersten, author of “The Historic Waterfront of Washington, D.C.,” April 29, 7:00 p.m. Register at hillcenterdc. org or 202-549-4172. The Folger Shakespeare Library features poet Seamus Heaney, April 7, 7:30 p.m., and a PEN/Faulkner reading with author Richard Ford, April 10, 7:30 p.m. Go to www.folger.edu/whatson or call 202-544-7077. Smithsonian Associates offers Books@Noon with Stephen R. Palumbi and Anthony R. Palumbi, authors of “The Extreme Life of the Sea,” April 2, noon; and “Steinbeck on Stage: The Grapes of Wrath at 75,” April 24, 7:00 p.m. For more, go to www.smithsonianassociates.org. At the Library of Congress Rigoberto Gonzalez discusses Latino poetry, April 10, 6:30 p.m.; authors Dinaw Mengestu and Azar Nafisi celebrate the birthday of Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov, April 22, noon; and translator Christopher Merrill reads from and discusses contemporary Burmese poetry, April 30, 7:00 p.m. For more visit www.loc.gov. u
By Karen Lyon
S
ince moving to the Hill in 1970, Joseph M. Shea has seen quite a few changes. One thing that has sustained him through good and bad times, he says, is the always present but often unnoticed beauty of the world around us. A warmweather moonrise was the inspiration for the poem below. Shea has been retired from the US Department of Agriculture for several years, and his poems, stories, articles, drawings, and collages have appeared here and abroad in publications ranging from The Roswell Literary Review to Amazing Stories.
Moon Rise over 9th Street, S.E. You first know it is there by the orange glow peeking through the leaves of the trees that live across the street. Seated on the roof of my front porch I watch the moon inch its way above the tree line to appear as a mighty orange disk. As it continues its ascent through the blue-black sky to the fully black night, it diminishes in size and shifts to shades of silver-white. Sometimes clouds sail near or pass in front of the moon presenting a special glory in contrasts of light and dark. Watching the moon rise over 9th Street, S.E. on a wonderful evening when leaf covered branches dance in fresh breezes, one comes close to saying that all the pain of life is worth just such a sight. If you would like to have your poem considered for publication please send it to klyon@literaryhillbookfest.org. (There is no remuneration.) u
Meet your favorite local authors on Sunday, May 4, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at Eastern Market! www.literaryhillbookfest.org
April 2014 H 109
aD&E E music
P ROJECT by Jean-Keith Fagon
Thoughts Of A Jazz Lover Jazz can be enigmatic, an alchemy of mysterious sounds and moods that is spontaneous and yet deliberate in its free flowing creativity. The music can be complex, but good jazz feels as simple as first love—it goes straight to the heart and rests there, beating gently. There is such a high note of haughtiness, perhaps a sort of natural aristocracy from a kind of inbred austerity about jazz that puts it in a class by itself, elevating one to a higher ground of one’s consciousness. It almost borders on elitism, and yet jazz strikes one as a beautiful music for everyone. And it is, especially for those of us who not only enjoy but truly love the music. True, most good jazz musicians more than likely think of jazz as the arbiter of modern music. And on a good day, I think they are correct. You can walk in your door after a hard day’s work and a harrowing Metro ride, put on Sarah Vaughn and your world is transformed. Your mind clears, your body relaxes and suddenly life is pretty good. There’s no drug in the world that can do that. Jazz is beautiful music.
Billy’s Back On Broadway •••• Billy Porter, Concord Film and television actor Billy Porter is a Broadway performer and fans of Broadway are going to be instantly transported the moment Mr. Porter’s voice comes alive on the opening track “But The World Goes ‘Round.” As if he senses your undying faith to that dreamy Broadway lifestyle, he serenades you with a rendition of “On The
110 H Hillrag.com
Street Where You Live”. “I’m Not My Father’s Son” is full of sweet anguish, painful loss, self-inflicting denial, and the final, life-shaping reconciliation of a father-son-love-hate relationship. It reminds me of Luther Vandross’ poignant, life-enhancing tribute “Dance With My Father Again.” Listen to both songs and feel the loss or triumph of a father’s love for his son. Salvation and redemption fill his voice with iridescent tenderness in a forgiving tribute to all of us with his heart-wrenching “Take The Moment.” Standing ovation, please, as we all shout “Bravo! Bravo!”
Extended Circle •••• Tord Gustavsen Quartet, ECM Good musicians will tell you that their music is is not just an artistic expression but an expression of their way of life. In other words, music for them is an enduring way of life. With the proliferation of the internet, the sound of every form of music ever created is but a simple touch away. Next to religion, music is one of human beings most shared passions. And so it is that we come to listen to pianist Tord Gustavsen’s latest endeavor with his friends on the Extended Circle. This is music to grow with as we travel along our lives’ journey. Mr. Gustavsen’s music is what connects the simple things to the bigger things in our lives. This is not a scientific theory, but this kind of music is as real as the air we breathe. Start with “The Prodigal Song,” followed by the tracks (4 & 7) of “The Entrance,” “The Em-
brace,” “The Gift,” and end with the “The Glow.” And then let’s say we end this discussion with the final piece, titled “Devotion.” What we have here is the merging of both classical and jazz music into a kind of spontaneous expression that one can both hear and feel with joy and comfort. It is clean, refreshing enigmatic music that at times offers loving, enduring empathy. Mr. Gustavsen’s Extended Circle should be judged as the “epistrophy” of contemporary evolutionary jazz.
Another Long Night ••• Brian Culberston, BCM Entertainment Brian Culberston’s debut album on the BCM label is creating quite a stir among jazz fans and that should come as no surprise since it boasts an extraordinary list of musicians: Lee Ritenour, Chuck Loeb, Eric Marienthal, Rick Braun, Steve Lukather, Russ Freeman, “Patches” Stewart, Candy Dulfer, Jonathan Butler, Paul Jackson Jr., Jimmy Haslip, Will Kennedy, Nathan East, the late Ricky Lawson, Ray Parker Jr., Jeff Kashiwa, Larry Dunn and Ricky Peterson along with a 33-piece orchestra playing arrangements by David Benoit and Mr. Culbertson. The first single, “Fullerton Ave.,” features guitarist Mr. Loeb.
Trio Libero •••• Sheppard/ Benita/ Rochford ECM On this album saxophonist Andy Sheppard is in peak form with his luscious, sophisticated sound rippling across ocean of melodic, rolling waves hoping to find that familiar distant shore so often frequented by the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane. And in the company of his travelling companions bassist Michael Benita and drummer Sebastian Rochford the journey is a success with the alluring and kaleidoscopic pieces like “Libertino” and “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows.” The sumptuous and celebratory “Land Of Nod” and “The Unconditional Secret” are ballads of incomparable sanguinity and bucolic resilience. The seminal “Ishidatami” is an expressive exploration of jazz, reminiscent of pianist Thelonious Monk. One final note, the triumphant and languorous “When We Live On The Stars…” has aesthetic sensibilities and is distinctly visionary in its performance.
Evolve ••• Jackiem Joyner, Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Records Saxophonist Jackiem Joyner is far from complacent and staid in his sound and style, and on his latest album, Evolve, he offers us a wellrounded, ripened and highly-rhyth-
mic performance that is full adventurous surprises. On duets with Gerald Albright (sax) and Keiko Matsui (keyboard) the music is mixed with raw passion and creative energy on the coming of age with “Generation Next,” an up-tempo urban-pop song with vibrant flashes of strings that provide a striking contrast to Mr. Joyner’s tender mellow sax. As if to say that the next of generation of jazz musicians is here to stay, music evolves, including jazz and so is Mr. Joyner. According to Mr. Joyner, “Evolve captures the changes in my musical mind and how I have evolved as an artist. Rather than fitting in with the traditional, I’m bringing the audience along with songs that unfold over different and interesting soundscapes even as I move towards a live organic sound. Other featured artists include guitarist Kayta Matsuno, bassist Tim Bailey, keyboardist Bill Steinway and drummer Raymond Johnson. All CDs and DVDS reviewed in this article are heard through Bowers & Wilkens Nautilus 801 speakers and ASW 4000 subwoofer, and Rotel Preamp 1070, amplifier 1092 and CD player 1072. B&W speakers are now available at Magnolia, Best Buys (703.518.7951) and IQ Home Entertainment (703.218.9855). CDs are available for purchase through amazon.com For more information about this column, please email your questions to fagon@ hillrag.com. u
OUR MISSION: To Strengthen Families and Build Vibrant Communities in Washington DC RISE uP client employed for more than six months. Come join the Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative’s Employment Services programs: Readiness, Individualized Support Employment Program (RISE uP), serves DC residents 18 and older who meet program eligibility guidelines Fatherhood, Education, Empowerment and Development (FEED) Program, serves fathers 18 and older who reside in Ward 5 or 6 Both Programs offer: • Resume and interviewing skills preparation • Job placement assistance • Job retention support • Case Management services Call 202-832-9400 x 127 to sign-up and energize your career search RISE uP is funded by the United Planning Organization (UPO) and is part of UPO’s Community Services Block Grant FEED is funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (Grant #90FK0054-01-00) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative 200 K Street, NW, Suites 1 & 3 Washington, DC 20001 202-832-9400 (phone) | 202-216-9263 (fax) www.ebfsc.org April 2014 H 111
COLDWELL BANKER
RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE Your Strong Local Brokerage With Deep National & International Roots
Since 2000, when we listed and sold the first million dollar property on Capitol Hill, we have continued to be the leader in marketing and selling expensive luxury homes in our neighborhood. Since that first sale in 2000, of the 360 properties that have sold for over a $1.0M on the Hill, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has listed and/or sold more than 60%.
We didn’t just discover the Hill, we have worked hard to help make it what it is today and will be tomorrow. Along the way, our company and our agents have invested nearly $1.0M and thousands of hours in our neighborhood institutions.
202.547.3525 - Main Office I N F O R M AT I O N D EEM ED R ELI A B LE B U T N O T G UA R A N T EED
112 H Hillrag.com
{real estate}
View looking northwest from Anacostia_ Washington D.C._John L. Trout, 1901 (LOC)
Where and What is Buzzard Point?
The site of the Proposed Soccer Stadium is little known to DC residents by Hayden Wetzel
F
irst of all the odd name: “Turkey Buzzard Point” is found on a map published in 1673 and all later maps until about 1800 when it became simply Buzzard Point. It is probably the oldest neighborhood name still used in the District. Clearly it refers to the birds that were reportedly still common there in the 19th century. There have been regular attempts to find some more mellifluous title for the area, but none of them have stuck. In the earliest references Buzzard Point took in all the land between the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers up to about M Street, but now it has shrunk to the area south of Q Street and east of Ft. McNair. The area was originally part of a large estate, Duddington, but had been broken up by the time of the District’s establishment, when merchant James Greenleaf purchased almost all of the southern tip and tried his hand (unsuccessfully) at house-building. A winding, murky creek (St. James Creek later shortened to simply James Creek) originated in the north, about where Randall School is now, and emptied into the rivers exactly at the Point. The land to the west was soon taken by the Government to become the U.S. Arsenal (now Ft. McNair – the tip of land there is Greenleaf Point) and Greenleaf’s “Twenty Houses” – of which far fewer than twenty were actually built – stood
empty and falling down by the 1810s. (George Washington had also bought four of these lots for speculation, by the way – perhaps he later sold them to Greenleaf’s syndicate.)
L’Enfant’s Waterfront Vision L’Enfant envisioned wharves and river commerce along Buzzard Point tied into the new city by the Washington City Canal, which his map shows using the straightened bed of James Creek. None of this happened. It was before the Civil War “a wild stretch of land with here and there a hovel or a house,” inhabited by “negroes and low whites.” James Creek was rebuilt as the James Creek Canal in 1866, five years before the rest of the city canal system was filled in; the only real benefit of the work was draining of the surrounding marshes. A count of buildings below Q Street in 1853 found exactly eight frame houses and one shop there.
Yet over time the area developed a rather unlooked-for personality – as a neighborhood of small, tidy if lower-class garden farms. Here is a description by a visitor of 1886: It [1st Street] is bordered on either side by true market gardens in the highest state of cultivation. One no longer wonders where the celery comes from: here are whole squares given up to its culture. The fields are interspaced with orchards of small fruit trees and occasionally these miniature farms have buildings set back from the road and profusely surrounded with chickens, stables and farm implements. Some of the architecture about Buzzard Point is peculiar. One of its marked features is lattice work. The more lattice work and picket fence the more the owner is looked up to in the community.
A Lively Community The occasional newspaper notices of Buzzard Point from the late 19th-early 20th centuries mostly pertain to: stray farm animals; crime; drowning and boating accidents; boats stolen, lost or sunk; illegal fishing and swimming; hunting (duck, pigeon, rabbit) and concomitant shooting accidents. The riverbank was a popular spot for mass baptisms (“by colored people”), for baseball and bowling games, and for illegal prize fights. The only (legal) businesses mentioned were “a drinking house” and a single brick yard. The 1900 census counted 231 persons living south
March 2014 H 113
of Q Street, almost exactly divided between black and white and generally on the same blocks.
A Downturn
I look TO THE HILL for my buyers, sellers, friends and neighbors!
I live, work, serve and play ON THE HILL! John Bratton Bratton Realty LLC 202-744-2642 (c) john@BrattonRealty www.brattonrealty.com
“We are part of Capitol Hill, We don’t just work here... We live here, too. Let our neighborhood experience work for you...”
202.546.3100 210 7th Street, SE. #100. WDC 20003 www.monarchtitle.net
114 H Hillrag.com
Over time the neighborhood deteriorated. Population, still almost perfectly mixed racially, fell to 87 in 1930. A visitor in 1912 reported “acres and acres of land overgrown with weeds – View southeast to the Navy Yard from Buzzard Point. Photo: Andrew Lightman weeds as tall as a man – dense, tangled masses of them.” Like plan to take railroad lines to the Point, build Blue Plains today, Buzzard wharves and zone the area industrial. What litPoint became the area for activities that nobody tle still existed of the old farm community diswanted anywhere else – particularly a series of appeared but no industrial development took trash disposal plants and the dock where dead its place beyond an oil storage facility and the animals picked up from city streets where taken still-standing PEPCO power plant, both from before shipment to downriver plants. One can1933. The desolate tip of land, with occasional not be surprised to see regular advertisements intruders such as Hall’s Restaurant and a few from this period: “FOR SALE – Is Your Busiboat yards, became as it still is today. ness Objectionable to Your Neighbors? Then buy on Buzzards Point, 1st St, SW; 10,000 feet Vignettes of life in the old for sale cheap.” Buzzard Point Railroad, industrial and river dock “It was hog-killing time on Buzzards Point schemes came and went but none transformed last week,” remarked a member of Police Capt. Buzzard Point. In 1929 the National Capitol George H. Williams’ command, speaking of a Park and Planning Commission released a
“When Grant, Ryall & Andrew say team work, they mean it and know what they are doing. They guided and encouraged me every step of the house preparation and sale process. The results are terrific and I am impressed – and happy!” Chaplain Brigadier Gen. Alphonse Stephenson – 3rd St, SE
leave-of-absence granted George N. Fitton. “George killed a number of hogs, and some of them weighed as much as 200 pounds,” he added. (1916) Another old-time character was Susan Diggs. This aged woman went from door to door begging for food, and finally, in the fifties she was taken sick in her shanty near Buzzard’s Point and died. When found on a pile of dried marsh grass in her dilapidated abode she had been dead several days. (1903) Yesterday’s warm wave caused hundreds of boys to seek relief in the water, and two of the number who went in near Buzzard’s Point were drowned. Buzzard’s Point has been a favorite swimming place for the boys who live in South Washington and in hot weather it is not an unusual thing to see fifty or more of them in the water at a time. (1904) “In dear remembrance of my dead child, Fannie. She leaves to mourn her mother, her father, a host of good friends and Cousin Lon.” Finding this note on a freshly packed grave on Buzzards Point yesterday Policeman Davis settled down to unravel what appeared to be an unauthorized burial of a baby or young child. Policeman Davis ordered the body exhumed. It was found to be a dog. (1926) Hayden Wetzel is a local historian who studied Buzzard Point to write a landmark nomination for the Buzzard Point Power Station. He will give an illustrated talk on the subject at an upcoming SWNA meeting. ◆
“Grant, Ryall & Andrew were referred to me to help sell – they developed a straightforward marketing plan, set it to a time table and executed. The depth of experience and effort they focused on my property was very impressive. If you’re looking for a results oriented real-estate team that is easy to talk to and knows the DC market – these are your guys.” Guy Mossman – 11th St, SE
Making Your Real Estate a Success Story!
The GranT, ryall & andrew Group Grant Griffith 202.741.1685 Ryall Smith 202.741.1781 Andrew Glasow 202.741.1654 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 605 Pennsylvania Ave. SE • 202.547. 3525
Your Neighbor On The Hill
“The road to success is not always straight; let me help you through the real estate maze to a happy and successful destination”
Deborah Charlton
Long and Foster Realtors Christie’s Great Estates
(202) 415-2117 (202) 944-8400 DC.DC@LongandFoster.com www.yourneighboronthehill.com
UYERS. B G IN V R E S ELLERS. SERVING SOUR COMMUNIT Y. SERVING ud Sponsor of Hilloween Pro
Jackie VonSchlegel 202.255.2537 Mark Spiker 202.341.9880
jackie@jackiev.com 202-547-5088 Licensed in DC, VA, MD & FL
April 2014 H 115
{real estate / changing hands}
Changing Hands Changing hands is a list of most residential sales in the District of Columbia from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list, based on the MRIS, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms. Neighborhood
Close Price BR
FEE SIMPLE 16TH STREET HEIGHTS 4525 ARKANSAS AVE NW 1420 MADISON ST NW 4726 15TH ST NW 1306 EMERSON ST NW
$764,900 $580,000 $550,000 $495,000
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK 4839 WESTERN AVE NW 4535 48TH ST NW 4807 DAVENPORT ST NW 4223 46TH ST NW 4901 44TH ST NW 4415 49TH ST NW 4508 ALTON PL NW 4408 SPRINGDALE ST NW
ANACOSTIA 1340 VALLEY PL SE 2126 15TH ST SE 1409 RIDGE PL SE 2235 CHESTER ST SE 2335 GREEN ST SE 1430 V ST SE
BARRY FARMS 2814 WADE RD SE
BERKLEY
4704 FOXHALL CRES NW 1847 47TH PL NW
BRIGHTWOOD
1359 UNDERWOOD ST NW 6525 PINEY BRANCH RD NW 905 QUACKENBOS ST NW 6227 4TH ST NW 7212 7TH ST NW 709 SHERIDAN ST NW 1421 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 518 ROXBORO PL NW 7518 EASTERN AVE NW 6812 6TH ST NW
BROOKLAND
12 EVARTS ST NE 330 ADAMS ST NE 2003 KEARNY ST NE 43 GIRARD ST NE 1020 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE 2 GIRARD ST NE 4310 10TH ST NE 1013 DECATUR ST NE 934 PERRY PL NE 1426 JACKSON ST NE 6 GIRARD ST NE 4705 12TH ST NE
CAPITAL HILL 1118 K ST NE 11 5TH ST SE 608 A ST NE 1335 MARYLAND AVE NE 1216 EAST CAPITOL ST NE 917 MARYLAND AVE NE 408 3RD ST SE 509 7TH ST NE 12 8TH ST NE
116 H Hillrag.com
4 6 4 4
$1,550,000 $1,452,000 $1,160,000 $1,070,000 $915,000 $905,000 $901,500 $900,000
5 4 4 5 4 3 3 3
$275,000 $250,000 $170,000 $160,000 $149,900 $108,000
3 3 3 3 8 3
$129,900
2
423 4TH ST SE 931 7TH ST NE 803 C ST NE 547 11TH ST SE 1328 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE 1617 EAST CAPITOL ST SE 523 14TH ST NE 527 14TH ST NE 1408 G ST SE 610 ELLIOTT ST NE 108 15TH ST NE 234 9TH ST SE 1667 GALES ST NE 1669 GALES ST NE 119 16TH ST SE 1916 ROSEDALE ST NE
CHEVY CHASE
5827 UTAH AVE NW 3806 MILITARY RD NW 6315 33RD ST NW 3205 OLIVER ST NW 3361 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 5426 30TH ST NW 5353 RENO RD NW 6205 33RD ST NW 6125 32ND PL NW 5720 NEBRASKA AVE NW 5310 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #9 5228 NEBRASKA AVE NW
CHILLUM $1,590,000 $1,359,000
4 4
130 MADISON ST NW
CLEVELAND PARK 3200 ROWLAND PL NW
$714,500 $690,000 $625,000 $610,000 $465,000 $447,500 $389,000 $332,500 $238,720 $800,000
3 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 5
$699,500 $600,000 $599,000 $590,000 $585,000 $580,000 $580,000 $518,500 $480,500 $459,900 $387,500 $345,000
4 4 4 4 5 4 3 4 3 3 3 3
$689,000 $2,150,000 $1,384,500 $1,320,000 $1,200,000 $1,200,000 $1,150,000 $985,000 $953,579
3 6 3 7 4 6 3 3 3
COLONIAL VILLAGE 1901 PARKSIDE DR NW
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 3543 HERTFORD PL NW 3646 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 1456 OGDEN ST NW 1321 BELMONT ST NW 500 IRVING ST NW 1340 OTIS PL NW 517 KENYON ST NW 1322 MONROE ST NW 621 KENYON ST NW 3535 HERTFORD PL NW 734 MORTON ST NW 723 GIRARD ST NW 536 HARVARD ST NW 2615 SHERMAN AVE NW
CONGRESS HEIGHTS 830 HR DR SE 725 UPSAL ST SE 623 FORRESTER ST SE 307 ATLANTIC ST SE 612 BRANDYWINE ST SE 628 MILWAUKEE PL SE 521 FOXHALL PL SE
CRESTWOOD
4222 MATHEWSON DR NW 4007 18TH ST NW 4405 COLORADO AVE NW 4564 ARGYLE TER NW
$924,500 $826,000 $810,000 $780,000 $760,000 $710,000 $680,000 $675,000 $670,000 $611,000 $566,000 $540,000 $495,000 $490,000 $459,000 $472,500
3 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 4
$2,250,000 $1,425,000 $1,335,000 $1,250,000 $1,199,000 $1,075,000 $1,045,000 $1,029,000 $850,000 $788,000 $742,000 $695,000
6 4 5 5 4 4 5 3 4 3 3 3
$473,750
3
DEANWOOD 4640 BLAINE ST NE 5401 HUNT PL NE 215 56TH ST NE 1112 51ST PL NE 78 55TH ST SE 119 48TH PL NE 837 50TH PL NE 4430 FOOTE ST NE 1025 49TH ST NE 5214 CENTRAL AVE SE 190 35TH ST NE 564 48TH PL NE 4508 LEE ST NE 4531 EADS PL NE 4531 FOOTE ST NE 809 55TH ST NE 4939 NASH ST NE
$352,500 $269,000 $263,000 $240,000 $240,000 $200,000 $190,000 $189,000 $185,000 $160,000 $147,500 $140,000 $135,000 $135,000 $122,500 $108,750 $72,500
4 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 2
$1,599,000 $772,000
5 3
$590,000 $559,500 $485,000 $425,000
3 3 3 3
$310,000 $300,700
3 3
2604 TILDEN PL NW FORT DUPONT PARK 4318 BOWEN RD SE 1140 44TH PL SE 4633 HANNA PL SE
$1,900,000
4
$412,500 $285,000 $232,000
4 3 3
3919 C ST SE
$225,000
4
$1,856,518 $1,767,985 $1,080,000
4 4 4
$3,895,000 $2,175,000 $1,720,000 $1,600,000 $1,075,000 $985,000
3 5 3 4 2 3
$750,000 $475,000
3 3
$499,000 $495,000 $465,000 $350,000 $230,000 $189,900 $125,000
3 4 3 3 4 2 2
DUPONT
1815 16TH ST NW 1758 SEATON ST NW
ECKINGTON
1936 4TH ST NE 1931 LINCOLN RD NE 209 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE 37 T ST NE
FAIRLAWN
1406 22ND ST SE #F 1406 22ND ST SE #E
FOREST HILLS $1,150,000
3
$685,000
4
$849,000 $700,000 $665,000 $628,500 $607,000 $602,000 $590,000 $582,000 $550,000 $532,500 $525,000 $440,000 $418,000 $399,999
3 5 3 4 4 3 3 5 4 3 3 3 3 3
$260,000 $234,000 $222,000 $200,000 $96,950 $93,000 $85,000
3 4 3 2 3 2 3
$1,270,300 $1,005,000 $675,000 $645,000
7 4 4 3
4121 STANLEY ST SE 1512 FORT DAVIS PL SE
FOXHALL
1411 RIDGEVIEW WAY NW 1409 RIDGEVIEW WAY NW 1409 44TH ST NW
GEORGETOWN 3321 PROSPECT ST NW 3527 WINFIELD LN NW 3317 P ST NW 3316 R ST NW 1661 32ND ST NW 1621 33RD ST NW
H STREET
915 9TH ST NE 1353 MARYLAND AVE NE
HILL CREST
2810 FORT BAKER DR SE 2518 Q ST SE 3191 WESTOVER DR SE 3024 Q ST SE 3248 O ST SE 2924 M ST SE 711 32ND ST SE
$215,000 $153,000
5 3
BLOOMING KALORAMA 2121 LEROY PL NW 2130 BANCROFT PL NW 2200 DECATUR PL NW
$3,764,040 $2,200,000 $1,200,000
SPRING MARKET AHEAD!
5 2 4
KENT 5014 CATHEDRAL AVE NW 5721 MACARTHUR BLVD NW
$800,000 $915,000
LEDROIT PARK 136 ADAMS ST NW 2306 NORTH CAPITOL ST NW 225 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW 410 OAKDALE PL NW
$699,000 $699,000 $553,600 $455,000
LILY PONDS 1112 42ND ST NE 4227 LANE PL NE
$355,000 $345,000
LOGAN CIRCLE 1459 S ST NW 1516 KINGMAN PL NW 2011 13TH ST NW
$950,000 $899,000 $1,040,000
MARSHALL HEIGHTS 5119 CALL PL SE 5216 E ST SE 5408 E ST SE 5304 C ST SE 5539 CENTRAL AVE SE 5552 BASS PL SE
$305,000 $302,000 $300,000 $298,000 $115,000 $77,500
MICHIGAN PARK 3947 19TH ST NE 4131 18TH ST NE
$304,220 $265,000
MOUNT PLEASANT 1887 NEWTON ST NW 1882 MONROE ST NW 1705 IRVING ST NW 1738 IRVING ST NW
$1,250,000 $985,000 $702,000 $650,000
3 3
$1,620,000
OLD CITY #1 1 DERBY LN SE 203 15TH ST NE 1333 C ST NE 1420 POTOMAC AVE SE 239 16TH ST SE 408 TENNESSEE AVE NE 1426 C ST NE 909 G ST SE 1703 D ST SE 264 15TH ST SE 1629 POTOMAC AVE SE 1537 K ST SE 236 WARREN ST NE 1632 D ST NE 1622 G ST SE 602 21ST ST NE 407 KENTUCKY AVE SE 326 14TH ST NE 608 G ST NE 242 14TH ST SE 1815 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE 900 13TH ST NE 606 13TH ST NE 1638 ROSEDALE ST NE
$758,000 $755,000 $745,050 $740,000 $730,000 $680,000 $675,000 $675,000 $640,000 $640,000 $615,000 $590,000 $579,900 $555,000 $541,622 $522,000 $516,000 $513,600 $470,000 $470,000 $425,000 $381,000 $360,000 $295,000
OLD CITY #2 927 FRENCH ST NW 1405 COLUMBIA ST NW 1631 NEW JERSEY AVE NW 1532 MARION ST NW 1602 6TH ST NW
$720,000 $650,000 $632,500 $565,000 $502,000
SO
2 4 4 2
3 2 5 4 4 4 4 2 2
509 7th St. NE 3 BR/2.5BA $949,000 – SOLD $985,000
!
LD
SO
R T! DE C N A U TR N CO
1745 D St. SE 3 BR/2.5BA $775,000
R T! DE C N A U TR N CO
Fully Remodeled find on Capitol Hill! 3 Levels, features 4 bedrooms with 3.5 baths. A SMART kitchen layout, original wood floors refinished to show off historic character, custom wainscoting, finished basement with entertainment space, bright skylight in Master suite, and pristine workmanship. Pre-Sold 4 days before listing.
3 3
5 2 4 3 3 3 4 4 2 3 4 3 3 2 3 2 4 3 2 3 0 3 2 3 2
536 11th St SE 3BR/3.5BA $799,900 Constructed in 1905, this wide Federal townhouse has lived many lives. Originally a retail store-front with apartment above, neighbors recall its previous incarnations as a florist shop and beauty salon. In 2004 it was expanded and transformed to a 3 level EXPANSIVE home with over 2,200 sf of living space. Throughout its history, the home has maintained its amazing ornate tin ceiling, 11 feet above gleaming heart-pine floors.
201 13th St. SE 2BR/2BA $500,000 It is THAT house you’ve been wondering about for years! Rarely available historic retail building converted to TRULY authentic loft living. Why settle for a condo or faux-loft space when you can have the real thing, plus 14 BIG windows looking toward Lincoln Park? HW floors, soaring 12-ft tin ceilings, 3 skylights, 7 bright transoms, wood FP, spacious kitchen, and oneof-a-kind dimensions.garden, prkg, decks.
5 3 3 3 G IN ! M N O C OO S
1408 G Street, SE 3BR/1.5BA $675,000 Beautifully renovated and well-maintained end-of-row home with wide open floor plan through living, dining, and kitchen space. Soaring ceilings, skylights, fireplace, bright windows, spacious lower level Guest Suite, and so much more! Bonus: delightful rear deck and brick paved garden!
ASTOUNDING Dimensions! Tall, wide, and deep Italianate with classic design and immaculate mod construction. 1200 SF per floor, 11 ft ceilings, sky-lit DR, chef’s kit open to giant bonus room! MBR/ BA of your dreams, 4 skylights, 3 FPs, patio, parking. BONUS: HUGE lower lvl ready for EZ finish
3 3
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 3616 DAVIS ST NW
!
LD
G IN ! M N O C OO S
YOUR HOUSE HERE!
In times of market shift, homebuyers and sellers are finding our energy, creativity, and direct experience more vital than ever. For the BEST RESULTS, put us to work today! Call Joel for a free consultation on market values, smart improvements, and more!
3 2 2 2 3
April 2014 H 117
Capitol Hill C&P Building
Featured Listing
PALISADES
4535 WESTHALL DR NW 5018 V ST NW 4507 Q ST NW 4625 CLARK PL NW 5746 MACARTHUR BLVD NW
PARK VIEW 650 KENYON ST NW
PETWORTH
3809 7TH ST NW 4201 4TH ST NW 833 DECATUR ST NW 5303 5TH ST NW 4925 7TH ST NW 822 EMERSON ST NW 5109 ILLINOIS AVE NW 5106 KANSAS AVE NW 4726 5TH ST NW 4617 9TH ST NW 811 MARIETTA PL NW 5132 7TH ST NW 513 DECATUR ST NW 305 TAYLOR ST NW 4607 5TH ST NW 4307 3RD ST NW 5113 ILLINOIS AVE NW 5202 ILLINOIS AVE NW 5407 5TH ST NW 413 FARRAGUT ST NW 621 HAMILTON ST NW 4520 4TH ST NW
RANDLE HEIGHTS 2220 Q ST SE 1925 ALABAMA AVE SE
RECENT SALES
Capital Location! Sun drenched sought after 2BR, 2.5 BA loft with 14ft ceilings & walls of tall windows. Near Stanton Park. Shown by Appt. 629 Constitution Ave. NE #205
RIGGS PARK 5019 DAKOTA AVE NE 5151 7TH ST NE 840 JEFFERSON ST NE 4974 12TH ST NE 5027 13TH PL NE 525 PEABODY ST NE
SHEPHERD PARK 1129 KALMIA RD NW 7511 MORNINGSIDE DR NW
108 15TH ST. NE
B
velyn R
E
A
ranic L
T
Y
1437 S CAROLINA AVE. SE
1451 S CAROLINA AVE. SE
202.741.1674
www.cbmove.com/evelyn.branic 605 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, WDC 20003 | 202.547.3525 Licensed DC, MD & VA
Steve Hagedorn Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Search listings at cbmove.com/steve.hagedorn
Specializing in all aspects of Real Estate Settlements
We Guarantee Attention to Detail & Personalized Service
TAKOMA PARK
6332 NORTH CAPITOL ST NW 6305 KANSAS AVE NE 6516 EASTERN AVE NE
TRINIDAD
1418 ORREN ST NE 1211 QUEEN ST NE 1215 18TH ST NE 1238 18TH PL NE 1524 TRINIDAD AVE NE 765 19TH ST NE 1921 BENNETT PL NE 1151 MORSE ST NE 1259 16TH ST NE 1271 MORSE ST NE 1237 16TH ST NE 1937 BENNETT PL NE 1608 LEVIS ST NE 1512 QUEEN ST NE 1512 QUEEN ST NE 1227 16TH ST NE 1107 16TH ST NE 1754 LYMAN PL NE 1728 MONTELLO AVE NE
$1,180,000 $934,600 $873,673 $820,000 $820,000
3 4 3 3 4
$696,000
3
$750,000 $725,000 $680,000 $662,500 $639,500 $620,000 $600,000 $575,000 $573,000 $500,000 $499,000 $497,000 $474,900 $445,000 $435,000 $399,999 $365,000 $350,000 $345,000 $325,000 $320,000 $294,000
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3
$310,000 $95,000
4 2
$350,000 $327,000 $321,000 $313,550 $253,000 $210,000
3 3 3 3 3 3
$640,000 $600,000
4 3
$414,000 $390,000 $182,000
3 3 2
$594,000 $515,000 $495,000 $488,000 $485,000 $480,000 $460,000 $451,500 $395,000 $375,000 $374,900 $370,000 $352,500 $325,000 $325,000 $261,500 $260,000 $257,000 $250,000
4 4 3 4 3 3 4 3 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 3 2 2
$615,000 $537,000 $505,000
4 4 4
Licensed in DC & MD
Direct: Cell: Office: Fax: Email:
202-741-1707 202-841-1380 202-547-3525 202-547-8462 shagedorn@cbmove.com
118 H Hillrag.com
650 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Suite 170 Washington, DC 20003-4318 202-544-0800
WOODRIDGE 2018 FRANKLIN ST NE 2617 NEWTON ST NE 2718 HAMLIN ST NE
3121 18TH ST NE 2016 FRANKLIN ST NE 2434 MONROE ST NE 1901 JACKSON ST NE 3219 CHESTNUT ST NE
$479,000 $446,000 $432,000 $350,000 $325,000
3 4 3 4 3
$659,900 $450,000 $375,000 $365,000
2 2 1 1
$335,000 $294,900 $264,405 $250,000
1 2 2 1
$644,000 $599,000 $583,500 $419,000 $340,000 $339,900 $320,500 $310,000 $308,000 $287,450 $275,000 $250,500 $250,000 $381,000
3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
CONDO BLOOMINGDALE
158 BRYANT ST NW #2 1810 1ST ST NW #1 1700 2ND ST NW #7 1700 2ND ST NW #10
BRIGHTWOOD
422 BUTTERNUT ST NW #105 921 BUTTERNUT ST NW #101 5414 1ST PL NW #503 305 WHITTIER ST NW #102
CAPITOL HILL
1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #233 1404 K ST SE #1 612 CAPITOL ST NE #4 1447 EAST CAPITOL ST SE #3 1020 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #405 333 2ND ST NE #202B 610 3RD ST SE #8 414 SEWARD SQ SE #202 735 12TH ST SE #1 610 14TH PL NE #3 101 CAROLINA AVE SE #109 11 2ND ST NE #305 18 9TH ST NE #207 98 15TH ST NE #98
CATHEDRAL HEIGHTS 3901 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #401
CENTRAL
616 E ST NW #1118 1155 23RD ST NW #N5J 2016 P ST NW #201 400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #612 915 E ST NW #203 777 7TH ST NW #304 400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #1004
CITY CENTER 920 I ST NW #1005
CLEVELAND PARK 3540 39TH ST NW #647 3961 LANGLEY CT NW #E-593 3883 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #415 3410 39TH ST NW #712 3883 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #503 3110 WISCONSIN AVE NW #601
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1333 EUCLID ST NW #PH2 1478 HARVARD ST NW #4 1223 KENYON ST NW #3 2725 13TH ST NW #3 3325 11TH ST NW #UNIT 8 3325 11TH ST NW #UNIT 7 1476 HARVARD ST NW #C 3475 HOLMEAD PL NW #3 3413 SHERMAN NW #1 1390 KENYON ST NW #805 1223 KENYON ST NW #1 2725 13TH ST NW #2 762 PARK RD NW #2 1512 PARK RD NW #4 1323 CLIFTON ST NW #14 1348 EUCLID ST NW #306 1323 CLIFTON ST NW #3 1356 KENYON ST NW #B 3511 13TH ST NW #205
$235,000
1
$790,000 $735,000 $585,000 $475,000 $390,000 $389,500 $290,000
2 1 2 1 1 1 0
$2,158,000
2
$448,000 $441,000 $406,500 $399,999 $399,900 $344,999
2 2 1 1 1 1
$892,500 $778,000 $755,000 $703,900 $700,000 $695,000 $673,100 $660,000 $630,000 $610,000 $600,000 $595,000 $570,000 $551,999 $525,000 $519,000 $460,000 $456,000 $449,900
3 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
NEW LISTING - DUPONT CIRCLE
Penthouse | Pet Friendly | GaraGe ParkinG | swimminG Pool
Licensed in DC, MD & VA
The Best of Both Worlds: City Loft Living On Country Waterfront!
Breathtaking views of the Wicomico River on nearly 8 acres. Old-fashioned post and beam construction combined with contemporary interior open plan design, including a loft second story master suite. One of a kind weekend retreat or year-round home. Amenities include a gourmet kitchen and radiant floor heating. All less than an hour and a half from Capitol Hill - without crossing the Bay Bridge! Potential owner financing for well-qualified buyer.- $889,000
Bonnie Baldus Grier Associate Broker bonniegrier@gmail.com
301.807.1400
April 2014 H 119
Looking to Buy or Sell on the Hill? I want to be Your Agent!
Let s get together to review the market and design a winning strategy!
Dee Dee Branand At
home on the Hill
605 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003 Office: 202 547-3525 Cell: 202 369-7902 Email: dbranand@cbmove.com Web: www.deedeebranand.com
3325 11TH ST NW #UNIT 6 929 FLORIDA AVE NW #5003 3325 11TH ST NW #UNIT 4 3325 11TH ST NW #UNIT 3 1436 MERIDIAN PL NW #402 3511 13TH ST NW #501 1417 NEWTON ST NW #303 3511 13TH ST NW #304 3500 13TH ST NW #205 3325 11TH ST NW #UNIT 1 812 OTIS PL NW ## 1 1341 CLIFTON ST NW #203 739 NEWTON PL NW #101 1451 PARK RD NW #509 1451 PARK RD NW #515 1435 CHAPIN ST NW #303 1421 CHAPIN ST NW #201 3642 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #PH
CONGRESS HEIGHTS 6 GALVESTON ST SW #301 3425 5TH ST SE #32 718 BRANDYWINE ST SE #301 4715 1ST ST SW #203 4721 1ST ST SW #301 4733 1ST ST SW #103
DEANWOOD 250 35TH ST NE #202
DOWNTOWN 910 M ST NW #606
DUPONT
1625 S ST NW #3 1332 21ST ST NW #102 1711 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #416 1 SCOTT CIR NW #709 2301 N ST NW #604 15021506 17TH ST NW #10 1 SCOTT CIR NW #101 1414 22ND ST NW #33
ECKINGTON 28 Q ST NE #2 239 R ST NE #A 28 Q ST NE #1 233 R ST NE #A 1918 4TH ST NE #3 1916 4TH ST NE #2 2004 3RD ST NE #203
FOGGY BOTTOM 2515 K ST NW #104 922 24TH ST NW #209
FOREST HILLS
2939 VAN NESS ST NW #948 3901 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #103 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #606 2723 ORDWAY ST NW #3 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #816 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #744 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #838
H STREET
1815 BENNING RD NE #1
HILL EAST
245 15TH ST SE #401
KALORAMA
2230 CALIFORNIA ST NW #4C-E 1929 19TH ST NW #3 1929 19TH ST NW #5 2115-2117 S ST NW #3D 1910 KALORAMA RD NW #101 1930 BILTMORE ST NW #300 2138 CALIFORNIA ST NW #502 1822 VERNON ST NW #303
120 H Hillrag.com
$440,000 $435,000 $400,000 $379,000 $375,000 $359,900 $349,900 $349,900 $347,250 $343,000 $325,000 $310,000 $287,500 $179,900 $179,900 $525,000 $510,000 $820,000
1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 3
$60,000 $58,000 $55,000 $53,000 $35,000 $30,000
2 1 2 2 1 1
$65,500
2
$481,000
1
$508,500 $362,000 $310,000 $250,000 $955,000 $425,000 $299,900 $675,000
1 1 0 0 3 1 1 1
$655,000 $580,000 $540,000 $530,000 $499,900 $426,400 $226,500
3 3 3 3 3 2 1
$295,000 $231,000
1 0
$540,500 $525,000 $422,000 $382,000 $295,000 $268,000 $240,000
2 2 2 1 1 1 1
$259,000
1
$750,000
2
$1,120,000 $995,000 $755,000 $725,000 $659,000 $650,000 $640,000 $509,000
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
2010 KALORAMA RD NW #102 1840 VERNON ST NW #408 1880 COLUMBIA RD NW #602 2129 FLORIDA AVE NW #503 2227 20TH ST NW #504
LEDROIT PARK 1869 3RD ST NW #B 150 V ST NW #VL03 149 W ST NW #35 1838 4TH ST NW #1-B
LOGAN
1211 13TH ST NW #804 1133 14TH ST NW #711 1413 T ST NW #306 1210 R ST NW #BO8 1245 13TH ST NW #816 2125 14TH ST NW #204 2125 14TH ST NW #202 1401 CHURCH ST NW #519 1209 13TH ST NW #202 1320 13TH ST NW #43 1300 N ST NW #611 1420 N ST NW #1005 1239 VERMONT AVE NW #310 1117 10TH ST NW #W-10 903 M ST NW #C
MOUNT PLEASANT 2435 ONTARIO RD NW #4 PH 2435 ONTARIO RD NW #3 1654 EUCLID ST NW #304 1700 KALORAMA RD NW #306 3426 16TH ST NW #105 2435 ONTARIO RD NW #1
MOUNT VERNON
115 NEW YORK AVE NW #2 301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #703 475 K ST NW #902 401 M ST NW #2 401 M ST NW #1 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #317 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #606 811 4TH ST NW #1008
$485,000 $428,700 $394,500 $369,000 $295,000
2 1 1 1 0
$474,500 $315,000 $246,082 $170,683
2 1 0 2
$605,000 $425,000 $305,000 $299,000 $294,900 $405,000 $589,000 $1,015,000 $680,000 $540,000 $425,000 $325,000 $311,000 $940,000 $320,000
1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 2
$932,000 $694,900 $579,000 $545,000 $445,000 $440,000
2 2 2 1 2 1
$392,000 $745,000 $640,000 $675,000 $610,000 $449,750 $418,000 $432,500
2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #1109 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #803 3901 TUNLAW RD NW #405 3051 IDAHO AVE NW #102
OLD CITY #1
215 I ST NE #111 215 I ST NE #202 440 12TH ST NE #105 410 11TH ST NE #7 523 8TH ST NE #103 806 MARYLAND AVE NE #3 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #548 525 9TH ST NE #103 823 13TH ST NE 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #420 410 15TH ST NE #14 1609 ISHERWOOD ST NE #2 410 15TH ST NE #27 410 15TH ST NE #22 513 12TH ST NE #6
OLD CITY #2
1740 T ST NW #1 1520 16TH ST NW #201 1325 13TH ST NW #35 1824 S ST NW #302 1741 T ST NW #301 2125 14TH ST NW #109-W 1401 1ST ST NW #2 1450 CHURCH ST NW #C-01 1520 O ST NW #4
$900,000 $625,000 $265,000 $240,000
2 2 1 1
$614,000 $525,000 $485,000 $483,900 $450,000 $390,000 $365,000 $357,000 $351,000 $350,000 $309,000 $254,000 $245,000 $231,000 $199,000
1 1 2 3 2 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 1
$750,000 $685,000 $678,000 $575,000 $567,300 $567,185 $560,000 $550,000 $508,000
2 2 2 2 3 1 2 2 2
Here Is What My Clients Are Saying... 1314 W ST NW #B 1401 1ST ST NW #1 475 K ST NW #720 1715 15TH ST NW #30 440 L ST NW #812 910 M ST NW #119 301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #504 207 R ST NW #3 1930 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #37 1733 20TH ST NW #G3 1615 Q ST NW #912 1 SCOTT CIR NW #606 1420 N ST NW #809 55 M ST NW #103 1930 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #P4
PENN QUARTER
616 E ST NW #247 601 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW #1505 915 E ST NW #407
PETWORTH
4226 7TH ST NW #103 4226 7TH ST NW #201 809 OTIS PL NW #FLAT 4 4226 7TH ST NW #202 4805 4TH ST NW #2 408 KENNEDY ST NW #302 617 JEFFERSON ST NW #203
RLA (SW)
1101 3RD ST SW #PH #815 400 O ST SW #401 800 4TH ST SW #S-825 1250 4TH ST SW #W211 700 7TH ST SW #613
SHAW
1612 5 NW #2 815 T ST NW #B 16 O ST NW #B
SW WATERFRONT 355 I ST SW #S-324 355 I ST SW #S-517
TRINIDAD
1354 QUEEN ST NE #202
WATERFRONT 240 M ST SW #E502
$479,000 $467,500 $451,000 $450,000 $445,000 $428,000 $418,000 $399,900 $399,000 $394,500 $330,000 $254,000 $219,500 $160,000 $51,500
2 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 1
$640,000 $535,000 $374,000
2 1 1
$379,950 $328,500 $319,900 $289,650 $239,500 $235,000 $230,000
2 1 1 1 1 2 2
$496,000 $300,000 $266,500 $219,000 $182,500
2 1 0 1 0
$589,000 $582,500 $470,000
2 2 2
$439,900 $360,000
2 1
$206,000
2
$238,000
1
It was a pleasure to work with Dare and she proved herself to be responsive, professional and focused on my success.
DARE JOHNSON WENZLER Realtor, Coldwell Banker Residential
202.957.2947
605 Pennsylvania Ave. SE office: 202.547.3525
Check out my blog for a weekly Capitol Hill open house update.
RealEstateOnTheHill.com
5-Star Premier agent
Two Properties for Commercial Lease!
COOP CAPITOL HILL TOWERS 1000 NEW JERSEY AVE SE #719
OLD CITY #2 1425 T ST NW #102
RLA (SW)
1301 DELAWARE AVE SW #N218 1301 DELAWARE AVE SW #N218 1311 DELAWARE AVE SW #S-244 1311 DELAWARE AVE SW #S-844 1301 DELAWARE AVE SW #N116 1311 DELAWARE AVE SW #S546
SW WATERFRONT 346 N ST SW #N-346
VAN NESS
3020 Tilden ST NW #103
WATERFRONT 560 N ST SW #PH-N904 520 N ST SW #S128 ◆
$380,000
2
$90,954
2
$155,000 $155,000 $150,000 $140,000 $137,450 $124,000
1 1 1 1 1 1
$499,000
4
$499,900
4
$399,500 $150,000
1 0
Our website just got a whole lot better! capitalcommunitynews.com
Shenandoah Vacation Home for Sale
Near Skyline Drive Hiking trails 90 minutes from DC $287,500 Completely restored 3 bedroom, 2 bath. Quiet location, 5 minute walk to historic Strasburg Hotel. Sold furnished or unfurnished. Owner financing possible.
1415 H Street NE
826 Bladensburg Rd. NE
$36,000/yr. NNN ($3,000/month) Approximately 1,412 sf of Gross Leasable Area ($25.50/sf) Landlord Deliver Warm, Lit Shell Tenant Responsible for 100% of Taxes & Insurance Flexible Lease Term with Options Outside seating for 9 tables
$78,000/yr. NNN ($6,500/month) Approximately 4,050 sf of Gross Leasable area ($19.26/sf) on 1 level Retail, Automotive, and Industrial Uses Across the Street from CVS and Hechinger Mall Plus, Parking for 5 cars, 600 sf basement, and an office
Christopher L. Dixon • 888 16th St. NW, Suite 800 202.468.8109 • www.miprealestate.com • miprealestatedc@gmail.com
Email: richshea1@Juno.com or call me at: 202-468-0870 April 2014 H 121
122 H Hillrag.com
{health & fitness}
The children’s company of Shannon Dunne Dance (L--R Grace Dodd, Leah Silverman, Leila Nelson, Ada Silverman, Lucy Upton, Katharine Cosgrove, and Christina Dodd). Photo Jackie Dodd.
by Jackie Dodd
O
n a cool night in Connemara, a region of western Ireland, I wandered away from my student group after dinner. A quiet evening, the only sounds that could be heard from the narrow street emanated from one of the handful of pubs along the road - stomping and fiddling, raucous clapping and whoops of merriment poured out of the teeny bar. I spent the rest of the evening sipping pints of Guinness (what else?), and marveling at the way the dancer and the fiddler played off each other beautifully, bonded by rhythm and movement. At the time, I remember thinking I could have spent the rest of my life in that moment and been happy. Shannon Dunne currently teaches this style of Irish dance, known as sean nos dance, throughout the area, but particularly in Capitol Hill. A professional percussive dancer, choreographer, musician and actress, Dunne’s performing arts resume is extensive. She’s studied under renowned artists and performed in festivals and theaters stateside as
Irish Dance on Capitol Hill Shannon Dunne Dance Company is an Irish Dance Camp and Performance Group
well as in Ireland. Her dance troupe, the Shannon Dunne Dance Company, is comprised of twelve adults and eight children, and is the only group in the area that specializes in this style of Irish dance. Largely improvisational, sean nos dance is historically associated with the Connemara Gaeltacht, a region in western Ireland that was isolated by language, economy, and location. To this day, some areas of Connemara are strictly Irish-speaking and retain remnants of Irish folklore and traditions you won’t see in the more cosmopolitan areas of the country. The style is deeply entrenched in Gaelic culture, and differs from the more rigid, restrictive styles that were prevalent in other regions of the country, such as the Muenster style that would go on to serve as the foundation of more well-known styles such as Riverdance.
March 2014 H 123
{health & fitness}
Dunne’s journey towards sean nos dance is an interesting one. Hailing from Point Pleasant, New Jersey, Dunne grew up in a community dominated by Irish and Italian families. The Dunne family strongly identified with the Irish part of their mixed ancestry, but for young Shannon, the draw towards sean nos wouldn’t come until much later. However, Dunne was surrounded by musical family members (her father and both grandmothers played the piano and were in bands), and she developed an intense affinity for all things dance and performance from a very early age. After college, Dunne made her way to DC and quickly became integrated into the DC theatre and dance scene, performing with Momentum Dance Theatre, Theatre Alliance, and was a company member with Synetic Theater. She picked up an instrument – the bodhran, an Irish drum, and began playing local sessions at Nanny O’Brien’s in Cleveland Park and Royal mile in Wheaton. She became intrigued by Irish dance, but wasn’t interested in Grace Dodd and Leah Silverman dance as part of the Shannon the restrictive Muenster style. Then Dunne Dance Company’s children’s group. Photo Jackie Dodd. everything changed. “On a trip to Ireland, I saw dren’s company in the Shannon Dunne Dance sean nos dancing. I was obsessed. Company all call Capitol Hill home. Over the next few years, I received grants from “Children respond positively to sean nos the DCCAH [DC Commission on the Arts and dance. It is in their wheel-house: it exists in the Humanities] to travel to Ireland and study,” she moment, it is about play, communication and writes via email. expression. There are very clear rules, in that And the rest is history. there is only one rule – that you have to dance in Not merely a performer, teaching is an intime to the music. We give them different ways tegral part of Dunne’s career and who she is as to express the music, but also allow for them to a person. As the Movement Atelierista at School express in their own way. They love that. It’s a Within School (Capitol Hill Cluster) and direcjopy to see,” she says. tor and founder of Camp Shenanigans, a perAt Camp Shenanigans, along with staff forming arts camp held in St. James Church on musician Graham DeZarn, a fourth generaEighth Street NE, she has strong ties to Capitol tion professional fiddler, Dunne calls on many Hill and believes that dance is a unique way for local professional musicians and artists to be children to connect with themselves and their guest educators, representing a range of experenvironment. In fact, the members of the chil-
124 H Hillrag.com
tise – from songwriters, storytellers, jugglers, and choreographers to musicians specializing in instruments used in traditional Irish music, such as flutes, tin whistle, Uilleann pipes, and fiddle. Children always dance to live music. “In order to truly understand the dance, you have to understand the music. And to truly understand the music, you have to understand the dance,” Dunne muses. One of the dancers, Gracie Dodd, says “I love dancing this style of Irish dance because you are telling a story with your feet.” Leah Silverman, another member of the children’s company and fellow resident of the Hill, adds “Everybody is always having fun.” Dunne offers winter break, spring break, and summer camp programs for children through Camp Shenanigans, in addition to weekly classes at St. James Church. She also offers an after-school Irish dance program for students of School Within School And – she offers classes for adults and children through Shannon Dunne Dance Company as well. That night I spent in a rural pub watching sean nos dancing, entranced by the exquisite energy of the fiddler and performer, is a cherished memory of my time in Connemara. While Capitol Hill may not exactly look like the magical green glens and rocky hillsides of western Ireland, Shannon Dunne brings a little piece of that magic to the neighborhood, and especially to its children. For more information on Camp Shenanigans and registration, visit http://campshenanigans.com and for more information on Shannon and the Shannon Dunne Dance Company, visit http://shannondunnedance.com u
Take Control of Your Health This Spring! It’s easier than you think.
Partner with Pattie Cinelli to get in shape • Feel and look good • Learn how to lose weight without dieting • Find an exercise program you enjoy and that works • Learn techniques to release stress • Schedule a wellness consultation to learn your options Pattie has 30 years in the fitness business. Her knowledge, her experience and her caring will help you meet your health and fitness goals.
It’ s never to late to start!
Call Pattie at 202-544-0177 or email her at fitness@pattiecinelli.com
Emotionally Challenged or Differently-Abled Child or Adult? I Help You and Your Loved Ones Build Resilience, Respect, Self-Awareness • Parent and Child Advocacy • In Home Support & Interventions • Family Therapy • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy • Positive Skill Development • Trauma Informed Treatment • Solution-Oriented Focus
Now on Capitol Hill! Michelle Chabbott, Ed.D. Licensed Psychologist
Integrated Psychological Services, LLC Located on Barracks Row
(202) 425-7262 Helping Families & Individuals Enjoy Healthy Lives April 2014 H 125
{health & fitness / clinics}
DC’s First Regenerative Medicine Center A Unique Medical Service on Capitol Hill
T
by Pattie Cinelli wo and a half years ago Becky Skinner had surgery for a torn labrum in her right shoulder. The surgery was “successful,” yet she plateaued in her recovery and no one could identify the reason. After several months of physical therapy and with a goal to throw a baseball in time for her son’s little league, it became clear that there was a problem with her bicep tendon. She thought another surgery to sever the tendon and reattach it elsewhere was her only option, which would directly affect her ability to throw a ball. Her physical therapist referred her to Dr. Victor Ibrahim, a sports medi-
Dr. Wang examines a patient to determine the cause of knee pain.
Dr. Ferrell conducts an ultrasound evaluation if the shoulder to diagnose a possible rotator cuff tear.
cine doctor who specializes in regenerative medicine. The physical therapist thought Ibrahim could use his advanced ultrasound technology to identify specifically the issue with the tendon (MRIs can miss up to 30 percent of tears). Dr. Ibrahim found that not only was her biceps tendon 80 percent torn, but also her supraspinatus tendon was torn as well. He treated the tears with regenerative medical procedures and as a result, both regrew. “I had no idea that regrowing the tendon without surgery was an option,” said Becky. “It was amazing to watch the process unfold over time on the ultrasound screen. While I am not 100 percent pain-free and may never be, I have regained full function in my shoulder and am stronger than ever. I am still working on throwing a ball, but I think I will be in good shape for the spring baseball season.”
126 H Hillrag.com
The ROSM team includes administrative director Kellie McDonald, research fellow and care specialist Ethan Dubin, Clinical Care Director Patricia Hall and physician partners David Wang , Victor Ibrahim and John Ferrell. The mission of ROSM is rooted in compassionate teamwork to improve patient care.
Allen A. Flood, M.D. DERMATOLOGY
Repairing The Body Without Surgery Becky is one of hundreds of patients who have had their torn tendons, damaged nerves and muscles, degenerative disks and arthritic joints repaired through the use of regenerative medicine which gives people alternatives to invasive surgeries or living with chronic pain. This past March Dr. Victor Ibrahim, Dr. David Wang and Dr. John Ferrell III opened the Regenerative Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Clinic, an affiliate of Performance & Musculoskeletal Regeneration Center (PMRCenter) at 600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE. Other affiliate clinics around the country are in Houston, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Silver Spring, MD. “Capitol Hill is my favorite place in DC. We love the community and how it supports new ideas. David and I thought opening our office just a few blocks from the Capitol is the ideal platform from which we can continue to grow locally, nationally and internationally,” said Dr. Ibrahim. The Center is dedicated to providing holistic, innovative treatment, advocacy through education and outreach to other countries and research that advances the field of stem cell science.
• • • • •
DISEASES OF THE SKIN, HAIR AND NAILS SKIN CANCER SCREENING NARROW BAND UVB PHOTOTHERAPY -Psoriasis -Vitiligo BOTOX JUVEDERM FILLERS
• • • • • •
HAIR REMOVAL HAIR RESTORATION SPIDER VEINS SPIDER VEINS LEG VEINS LEG VEINS SKIN REJUVENATION SKIN REJUVENATION HYPERPIGMENTATION
LASER TREATMENTS
650 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Suite 420 Washington, DC 20003 (202) 547-9090 (O) • (202) 547-9092 (F)
La Strega Accounting, Inc. Tax Services, Accounting, and QuickBooks Training
Marina L. Martin, EA, MBA
Certified Quickbooks Pro Advisor® Individual Taxes, Business Taxes, Back Taxes
www.lastregaaccounting.com
202.251.3907
(c)
202.547.9536
(telefax)
lastregaindc@gmail.com
What is Regenerative Medicine? Regenerative medicine is a rapidly expanding science that involves the use of growth factors and stem cells to spur natural healing, according to Dr. Ibrahim. The science of regenerative medicine is decades old, used
April 2014 H 127
Ronda Bresnick Hauss Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supporting you in having a healthy & productive life.
Psychotherapy for adults using an integrative & holistic approach: traditional talk therapy, meditation, & creative, non-verbal techniques.
Experience - Talent - Results CALL OR STOP BY TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT
MICHAEL ANTHONY
202.506.3609 H 661 C ST SE, 2ND FL. or book online:
SALON
www.MichaelAnthonySalonDC.com
www.quietwaterscenter.com “The Capitol Hill Psychiatrist”
on THE
Joseph Tarantolo, MD
Hill Sharon L. Bernier PhD, CNS, BC
Psychotherapy 236 Massachusetts Ave., NE Washington, D.C. 202-546-5311
the
1308 Constitution Ave., N.E. 202.544.5050
GO GREEN!
BOARD CERTIFIED PSYCHIATRIST CERTIFIED GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPIST HERBALIST, NUTRITION COUNSELOR
Specializing in: • Individual, Couples, and Group Psychotherapy • Patients with the Diagnosis of Cancer • Self Exploration without Psychotropic Drugs: “Talk Back to Prozac”
202-543-5290
What Makes PMRCenter Different
Schedule your next visit with
Capitol Hill’s First and Only Eco-Friendly Dentist
Terry Victor, DDS DENTIST
Receive $25 OFF Any Service MUST MENTION THIS AD DURING SCHEDULING . DISCOUNT GOOD THRU APRIL 30TH. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFER.
The DC Dentist • 509 11th Street SE (2 Block from EASTERN MARKET METRO)
call 202.544.3626 or visit www.thedcdentist.com
Slim
SPRING CLEANING FOR UNWANTED POUNDS GET RID OF BODY FAT AND CELLULITE! DROP 2-4 POUNDS PER WEEK Scientifically proven fat burning weight loss method. Call for FREE consultation. call: (202) 420-8988 website: alexandriaweightloss.com
128 H Hillrag.com
for years by veterinarians whose practices have been translated to humans. “Our understanding of how the body responds to orthopedic conditions has allowed us to promote these processes in a natural way without the use of medications,” said Dr. Ibrahim. “While many current treatments focus on alleviating or masking pain, regenerative medicine therapies are designed to heal the problem.” Regenerative medicine therapies are non-surgical and non-invasive, except for the injection. “We found ways to harvest stem cells from your own body. You are your own donor.” Because of the reputation of the treatments and the doctors, patients have flown to DC for treatment from around the United States and other countries such as Canada, England, Germany and India. “We are under a great deal of scrutiny. These patients travel far and expect great outcomes.”
Have fun teaching your best friend with ANYTIME K9! 202.236.0783 202.664.0168 www.anytimek9.com 900 M Street SE 1232 9th Street NW
We will train your dog using positive reinforcement techniques with our Animal Behavior College Certified Trainers. We also offer walking and pet sitting with Pet check technology assurance.
Classes Include: Puppy Preschool Never Too Late Middle School Marvels Wonderful Walks Agility
Sign Up Now! And Remember Anytime is a Good Time.
“We offer a collaborative approach to healing,” said Dr. Ibrahim. “We think about how to heal someone, not just get the treatment done.” PRMCenter uses the latest technology to deliver an exact diagnosis, provide treatment, and proper rehabilitation to get a person functioning again. Elizabeth Dranitzke had broken her big toe playing soccer. She is an active mother, professional photographer, and a runner who practices yoga. “After many months of rest the
Dr. Ibrahim and Dr. Wang examine a thumb together to help formulate an effective integrative regenerative treatment.
bone completely healed but I still was in pain and not able to resume my activities.” A podiatrist told her not to run or do yoga and to invest in a $500 pair of orthotics. She didn’t want to go that route so she saw Dr. Ibrahim. Through ultrasound Dr. Ibrahim diagnosed her problem: the ligament around her big toe and top of the foot was torn and had atrophied. “This was completely overlooked by the podiatrist who relied on x-rays. He was treating the bone and not thinking holistically,” said Dranitzke. He prescribed activity and prolotherapy (sugar injections). “The pain went away in a few weeks and the ligament healed on its own.”
The PRMCenter Staff Another unusual aspect of PRMCenter is the team of experts it employs to not only heal the injury, but also to bring a patient back to fully function in his/her everyday life. In addition to the three physicians, a network of holistic care providers is available to patients. They include practitioners in the field of
naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, qigong, personal training, yoga and psychospiritual care. Dr. Ibrahim is excited about how this practice can transform healthcare. Regenerative medicine is controversial, and that’s what makes it so exciting. “The core of it is a complete paradigm shift. We are not reactive, but proactive, said Dr. Ibrahim. “It is a relatively low cost treatment with no big pharmaceuticals involved. Regenerative medicine is a wonderful combination of energy medicine arts and western medicine arts. It forces you to open your mind to a new way of thinking about your body.” To learn more about the Performance & Musculoskeletal Regeneration Center go to: www.prmcenter. org. Pattie Cinelli is a writer and fitness professional who specializes in optimizing function in a client’s daily life. She has been writing her health/ fitness column for more than 20 years. To contact Pattie email her at: fitness@ pattiecinelli.com. u
April 2014 H 129
{health & fitness / pets}
Pet Friendly Petals
Choosing Garden Plants That Are Safe for Your Pets
C
herry blossoms are on the way, tulips are sprouting, and neighbors are out with their pets in droves. The long DC winter is finally behind us and spring is here! We will be spending more time outside, and our pets will be hanging out more often in our backyards. Because of this one of our clients recommended we write an article about what garden plants are safe for our pets. As cats love to chew on leafy foliage and teething puppies will literally put anything in their mouths, when better for such an article than springtime on Capitol Hill? Whether you are starting or expanding your garden, be sure to Wisteria thoughtfully consider the potential impact each addition could have on your pet. Many plants that are harmless to us can cause our pets distress or may even be
Nightshadw
130 H Hillrag.com
fatal. The worst offenders are lilies. The Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum), tiger lily (Lilium tigrinum), day lily (Lilium hemerocallus), stargazer (Lilium orientalis), and Asian lily (Lilium asiatic) are all dangerous. Any part of the plant can be toxic. Even ingestion of the pollen or drinking the water the lilies are standing in can be dangerous. Consumption can lead to severe lethargy, vomiting, and eventual kidney failure. Some kinds of lilies are less dangerous, such as calla lilies (Calla palustris) and peace lilies (Spathiphyllum), which cause gastric upset (drooling, vomiting, and loss of appetite) from the sharp calcium oxalate crystals they contain. But if you are a cat owner, you should steer clear of
by Matthew Antkowiak, DVM
planting any lilies in your garden. Spring tulip and daffodil bulbs are just making their way out of the ground. While the leaves and flowers are not very toxic, the bulbs of both can be harmful if your pet eats them. Keep your dog from digging them up by planting in hard-to-reach places, and when you store bulbs make sure they are on a high shelf. Fruit seeds can cause problems if your pet ingests enough of them. The seeds in apples and the pits in plums, cherries, apricots, and peaches all contain small amounts of cyanide. Likely if your dog was chewing on a single piece of fruit lying on the ground, there is not enough toxin to do significant damage, but there may be enough to cause vomiting or lethargy. Oleander and foxglove are beautiful garden additions that contain digitalis, a drug often used in heart medication. Chewing on this plant could be very dangerous, and we recommend keeping them out of your pet-safe garden (see photos). Azalea, laurels, and rhododendron make up the garden or front yard of many a Capitol Hill home. If ingested all parts of these plants are considered moderately to extremely toxic (from grayanotoxins). Azaleas, laurels, and rhododendron are toxic if even just a few leaves are ingested. The good news is that these plants are not very palatable, and most pets will not go out of their way to eat them. But a curious puppy should be kept far away. Nightshade has a beautiful purple flower but should be avoided in a pet-safe garden. Ingestion can lead to hypersalivation, loss of appetite, severe gastrointestinal upset, and/or diarrhea (see photo). Chrysanthemums (mums) look great in a pot on your front stoop. But your curious pet
April 2014 H 131
Masters
20 years experience
Bathroom & Kitchen Experts • Masonry Roofing • Handyman work
A+ Rating
202.528.0621 • HandymanMastersllc.com Licensed • Bonded • Insured
A NEW LOCAL COMMUNITY PHARMACY!
H ST CARE PHARMACY & WELLNESS CENTER
The pharmacist you know The care you deserve
NOW Formulating Customized Pet Medicine • • • • •
Expert Service & One on One Counseling Hard to Find and Customized Medications High Quality Nutritional Supplements Durable Medical Equipment & Supplies Free Delivery • Accept Most Insurances
NEW PET CLIENTS ONLY
$10
Gift Certificate with New & Transferred Prescriptions
132 H Hillrag.com
812 H Street NE
202.621.9667
www.hstreetcare.com
should be kept away from the flowers, which contain pyrethrins that can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, hypersalivation, and disorientation. Grapevines can be a great space filler and add color to an otherwise boring gate or fence. However, we recommend against grapevines in a pet-safe garden. If eaten, the grapes themselves have the potential to do harm to your dog’s kidneys. Wisteria vines are plentiful around Capitol Hill and are commonly found in both front yards and backyards. Unfortunately the flower is toxic as are the pods and seeds within. These should be collected regularly to Easter Lily avoid pet ingestion. We love growing tomatoes in our backyards, and the fruit of our labors is worth the time invested. However, the tomato plant itself is toxic to pets. It contains solanine, which if ingested in sufficient quantity can trigger hypersalivation, loss of appetite, severe gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, and drowsiness. Keep your tomato plants elevated or wall them off to keep curious snouts at bay. Most herbs are fine to grow. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a member of the mint family and it is thought the scent mimics “happy” cat pheromones. Rosemary and lavender are safe, and dried forms of these plants are said to have natural flea repellant properties. Thyme, sage, mint, and basil are also safe for your garden and great for cooking. I hope this has given you a brief outline of what to avoid planting in your pet-safe garden. For a more complete list please consult the ASPCA poisonous plants website, www.
aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/ toxic-and-non-toxic-plants. For immediate questions about whether the plant your pet just ingested was toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA poison control hotline, 888-426-4435 (a $65 consulting fee may be charged). Happy spring, and see you ‘round the Hill! Dr. Antkowiak resides on Capitol Hill and is the co-owner of AtlasVet (the Atlas District Veterinary Hospital) at 1326 H St. NE (www. atlasvetdc.com, Twitter: @atlasvetdc Facebook: atlasvetdc). u
April 2014 H 133
134 H Hillrag.com
{kids & family} N O T E B O O K BIG BAND JAM! 2014
Run the Bases at Nat’s Park
This is the only jazz festival in America specifically created by kids for kids. It has been selected as one of the “TOP 100” event destinations in the United States in 2014 by the ABA Tour Operators of America. This year’s theme is the “Count Basie Legacy” and the featured artist/clinician is internationally renowned saxophonist Bob Mintzer of The Yellowjackets. Mr. Mintzer will be conducting a free midday master class daily on Pershing Park plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue next to The White House. School ensembles will receive instruction daily from Apr. 22-25, noon-1 pm. In addition to these classes there will be clinics, workshops and adjudication for all participating ensembles. Additional venues that are partnering with them are Blues Alley, The Kennedy Center, Ronald Reagan Building, National Press Club, Grace Episcopal Church, Westminster Church and The Church of the Epiphany. For the schedule, visit bigbandjam.org/calendar.
Kids ages 4-12 can run the bases after select Sunday home games. Kids Run the Bases begins immediately following the game, weather permitting. Dates this year are Apr. 6, 20 and 27; May 18; June 22; July 6 and 20; Aug. 3, 17 and 24; Sept. 7 and 28. An adult must accompany runners to the field. One adult per child on the field. Starting at first base, kids will be directed to run around the bases as the adults continue along the warning track and meet the runners near home plate. Once the game has ended, it takes the grounds crew approximately 20 minutes to prepare the field. Kids and parents/guardians can begin lining up at the end of the 7th inning. Participants must exit the ballpark through the Right Field Gate. The line forms outside of the park
on the sidewalk along First St. washington.nationals.mlb.com
National Community Church Eggstravaganza on the Hill The Saturday, Apr. 19 (rain or shine), 1-3 p.m., Easter Eggstravaganza at Lincoln Park is an Easter egg hunt for kids and families on Capitol Hill (toddlers through 5th grade). The event is a time for kids to get their faces painted, play fun games, meet life size Easter bunnies, win some prizes, and have a great time in the egg hunt. About 2,000 kids and family members attended last year. It is one of the largest Egg hunts in the area (over 10,000 Eggs).
Kid-Oriented USA Science and Engineering Festival at the
Capitol Hill Cadettes Want Your Feedback Girl Scout Cadette Troop 2665 has been on a journey, which is a way for Girl Scouts to work on life skills. This journey, aMAZE, includes working on three badges--Interact, Peacemaker and Diplomat. For the Diplomat badge, they undertook a project to use what they’ve learned and find a way to show it to as many people as possible. For this take-action project, they decided to make a website about cliques and conflicts. Each wrote articles for the website, talking about what cliques are, how they are started, the different types of cliques, etc. The link is gsawareness.org. The scouts ask you to visit gsawareness.org and leave feedback. If you want to become a Girl Scout, contact girl.scouts.troop2665@gmail.com
Cadettes of Girl Scout Troop 2665 gather for World Thinking Day on Mar. 1, held at St. Peter’s Church. In addition to working on Journey badges this year, the Troop also participated in the annual Thinking Day event where each troop selects a country and provides food, cultural information, and activities of the selected country for the assembled scouts. The event drew over 150 scouts, leaders, and parents. Back row L to R, Alison Sadler, Cheyenne Smallwood, Sequoia Smallwood, Martha Hrdy, Iris Mikeska, Vanessa Lewis and Vivienne Sayle; front row L to R, Megan Powell, Sam O’Sullivan, Kelly MacGarrigle and Nicla DeBiasi. Photo: Alice Hardy
March 2014 H 135
{kids & family / notebook}
Convention Center Don’t miss the 3rd USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo on Apr. 26-27, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (both days)–hosted by Lockheed Martin. Explore science & engineering with more than 3000 fun, hands-on activities in fields like robotics, genomics, advanced manufacturing, 3D printing, space exploration and more. Other highlights include over 100 stage shows featuring Dirty Job’s Mike Rowe, Basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Grammy Award-Winners ‘They Might Be Giants’, and more. Free of charge and open to all ages. Pre-register now for a chance to win prizes. USAScienceFestival.org
Student Matinees: Fiasco Theatre Company’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona She loves him, but he loves her. Friendships and romances are tested in this tale of two friends who fall in love with the same woman, while bandits, former lovers, and Crab (the dog) attempt to catch up. On Apr. 25 and May 7, experience the excitement of live theater with a student matinee. These full-length, weekday Folger Theatre performances begin at 11:30 a.m. and are followed by post-show discussions with members of the cast. Come early and eat lunch in the Great Hall or Elizabeth Garden. To reserve tickets, call the Group Sales Coordinator, Kiersten Dittrich 202675-0336. Group rates are available for evening and weekend performances, as well. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-5447077. folger.edu
Spring Break Camps at the Hill Center Spanish Spring Break Camp (ages 3-6) with Rossana Delucchi is Monday-Friday, Apr. 14-18, 9 a.m.-noon. Bring your child to this creative, hands-on camp that will engage and educate them in the basics of Spanish. Spanish Camp introduces Spanish using the immersion method--a fun and exciting way to learn Spanish using games, songs, books, and interactive lessons. Through Audio-visual aids and other interactive tools, the children will learn greetings, songs, terms for animals as they utilize Spanish words and phrases in
136 H Hillrag.com
both indoor and outdoor activities. $225. Register at hillcenterdc.org/home/programs/1802. MathTree Masterpieces and Masterminds Spring Break Camp (ages 7-12) is Monday-Friday, Apr. 14-18, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Campers think, create, and develop their problem-solving skills through this unique art and puzzle combo camp. They spend part of each day cre-
DCtots Playtime Family Brunch @ H Street Country Club On Sunday, Apr. 13, 10-noon, come to a Playtime Family Brunch at H Street Country Club, 1335 H St. NE. The buffet features scrambled eggs with spinach, veggie burritos, bacon, veggie hash, french-mex toast and fruit with yogurt and granola. Coffee and milk are included, juice is $2, mimosas, $4, bloody marys, $5. Enjoy unlimited mini golf with tot-sized putters and wiffle golf balls and an infant/baby play area. There will be live music from Liz the Singing Lizard and a craft activity. UrbanSitter babysitters will be on hand to help out with each of the activities. Tickets are $19 for adults, $5 for kids and free for babies under a year. Advance ticket purchase is required. Space is limited so please order early. dctots.com/familybrunch
ating lovely and fascinating objets d’art with a twist of geometry, from mobiles and Mobius strips, Sierpinski’s triangle and Swirltown, to pointillism and pentagons. They view art from a geometrical point of view, learn terms of geometry naturally in the context of art projects, and discover how closely geometry and art are related. During the other part of the day, campers puzzle out solutions to a wide range of puzzles, primarily 3-D ones. They log their progress and successes, articulate how they solved their puzzles, and leave camp with an assortment of general problem-solving strategies applicable to puzzles, math, school, and life. $450. Register at hillcenterdc.org/home/programs/1696 Mad Science Spring Break Camp (grades 1-6) is Monday-Friday, Apr. 14-18. Half or full day options available. Mad Science introduces kids to life in the form of cells and organs and to how the science behind life can help them solve a crime, discover the secrets behind batteries and design marshmallow molecules, conduct electricity and power a Mad Science whirligig, experience
blood pumping through the heart and air moving through the lungs, and build a model cell and use their own traits to decode and decipher their DNA. $315/full day or $185/half day. Register online hillcenterdc.org/home/programs/1636
Yards Park Lantern Making Family Day On Sunday, Apr. 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival and the beginning of spring at the Yards Park, a Washington, DC waterfront destination. Like no other public space in the region, the Yards Park brings unique opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and the river. It is the centerpiece of the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood and The Yards development. The Lantern Making Family Day will include lantern making for kids and adults; a moonbounce and other games for kids and martial arts performances by Hapmudo. Yards park is at 355 Water St. SE (3 blocks south of the Navy Yard Metro Station and east of Nationals Ballpark). yardspark.org
APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade
Building on our strong foundation as an early childhood program
Information / Open House Sessions on the Following Thursdays, 9:30 am-10:30 am*:
April 24 May 1 *You must register to attend, limit of 20 people per session. Call (202) 545-0515 to register.
Apply for admissions at: www.myschooldc.org 2nd round applications accepted March 4–May 15.
Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Voted Best Preschool in DC, City Paper Readers Poll 2013!
Bridges PCS is an expanding elementary school growing to serve grades Pre-K–5th by 2017-2018.
• Before & After Care • Small classroom size and well trained staff • Individual planning for each student • Hands-on and project-based curriculum
www.bridgespcs.org 1250 Taylor Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011 p: 202.545.0515 e: info@bridgespcs.org
Free and open to all DC residents. Tuition paid by non-residents.
www.bridgespcs.org
April 2014 H 137
Enc Empowouraging e Imag rment and a Safe ination in an Enviro d Caring For Chnment ild Ages 3 ren -9
From June 23 - August 15, 2014 Younger children will enjoy performances, trips, picnics in the park, water play (ages 3-5). Older ones (ages 6-9) will enjoy science classes, field trips, Labyrinth games, fitness classes, arts, weekly visits to the pool, gardening and cooking classes and more. Registration Begins February 3 Stop by Maury Elementary School between 3:30-6:00pm and ask for Tina Thomas or Tia Burke to pick up your application. Or download documents at www.politepiggysdaycamp.com and bring to Maury ES. You can also mail applications to PO Box 31215, WDC 20030.
Flexible Scheduling: ages 3-5: ages 6-9:
Weekly $315 $345
Whole Day $60 $69
Half Day $41 $46
Drop In $66 $71
Early Bird Discount 5% OFF Sibling Discount - 25% OFF (any week of camp paid in full by 5/9/14)
Summer Camp Info Sessions at Maury Elementary Thursday, April 17 & Tuesday, May 13 - 6:15 pm to 7:00 pm Families may register. Children are welcome. More Info: 240-396-8957 ask for VanNessa politepiggysdaycamp.com politepiggysdaycamp@yahoo.com
Hill Preschool Spring Fair, May 3rd The Hill Preschool, the oldest preschool on Capitol Hill, will host its annual Spring Fair on May 3, from 10-1. Fun activities will include live music performance, face-painting, toddler tattooing and a bounce house. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 400 D Street SE. Check https://www. facebook.com/pages/The-HillPreschool/140536635986523 for any updates. $5 per child (age 2+)
First Moves Young Children’s Game Club at Labyrinth First Moves is a special game club for young children, ages 3-5, on the second Saturday of the month, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Your kids will play all sorts of great games designed to help dexterity and logic, math and language, and even social skills. First Moves classes are specifically designed to help children learn the basic skills needed to play games, including taking turns, winning and losing with grace, and following directions. Each class is $15 per child. You may drop your child off or stay with them as you prefer. Children must be potty trained. You must reserve a spot for this class. Please register your child at kathleen@labyrinthgameshop. com. You may also download a registration form from labyrinthgameshop.com. Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, 645 Pennsyl-
138 H Hillrag.com
2014 Summer Camp Casting Call Budding Scientists, Picasso Protégés, Environmental Enthusiasts, Curious Cooks and Crafters • Ages 30 months to 6 years old • June 23 – August 22 • Monday-Friday, 8:30am – 3:00pm • $300 per one-week session • After camp care, 3:00pm – 6:00pm (additional fee) Explore the World with Us Energetic young explorers will experience the culture and lifestyle of South America, Northern Africa, and Northern Europe through: · Creative Cooking & Crafting · Hands–on Science Experiments · Music and Movement · Outdoor Exploration
Arlington Campus 1601 S. 13th Rd Arlington, VA 22204
Now Enrolling for the 2014-2015 School Year Schedule an observation to see our certified teachers and child-centered approach to kindergarten readiness in action!
Math | Science | Language Character Development
Old Towne Alexandria Campus 688 N St. Asaph Street Alexandria, VA 22314
Capitol Hill Campus 1325 Maryland Ave NE Washington, DC 20002
www.nestars.net • 703.945.0408 • northeaststarsmontessori.nes@gmail.com
April 2014 H 139
{kids & family / notebook}
vania Ave. SE. 202-544-1059. labyrinthgameshop. com Labyrinth Games Summer Camp is on Tuesdays, June 24-Aug. 19. Labyrinth Game Club’s summer session is a great chance for game-loving kids (1st through 5th grade) to learn more about non-electronic games, from strategy to design. This is the fourth year running this incredibly popular program. RSVP at labyrinthdc.eventbrite.com. Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-544-1059. labyrinthgameshop.com
BEST Kids-Kids Fun Run It is that time a year again to break out those running shoes and dig out your favorite superhero costume for their annual BEST Kids 5k & Fun Run. On Apr. 12, 7:30 a.m. at Anacostia Park (northern end of the park adjacent to the skating pavilion), join BEST Kids for this year’s event to support youth in DC’s child welfare system served by the BEST Kids Mentoring Program. Runners, walkers, and strollers are welcome! Kids’ Fun Run is free and open to all kids under 12 years old. The Kids’ Fun Run will begin at 9 a.m. To register for the race, sign up all kids the day-of between 7-8:45 a.m. The Kids’ Fun Run is just for fun (not timed and no t-shirts). bestkids.org
Jungle Tales Children’s Program at the Botanic Garden Take a wild trip into the jungle with storyteller and mime performer Antonio Rocha. His performances celebrate nature and the environment and are brought to life through his fantastic sound effects and movements which leave his audiences spellbound. Apr. 6, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. in the Botanic Garden Conservatory Garden Court. This is a free program with no registration required. United States Botanic Garden Conservatory, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov
Shakespeare in Action Workshop for Families: Birthday Celebration On Saturday, Apr. 19, 9:30 a.m.-noon, come dance, sing, and play- it’s Shakespeare’s 450th birthday! Learn stage combat and celebrate with a performance on the Folger stage.
140 H Hillrag.com
Refreshments served. Recommended for ages 7-14. $35 per adult and 1 child ($10 each additional child). Registration Required. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202544-7077. folger.edu
Jordan Zimmermann Bobblehead Giveaway at Nat’s Game On Apr. 27, 1:35, Nats vs. the Padres, the first 25,000 fans will receive a Jordan Zimmermann Bobblehead. Fans must enter through the Center Field Gate to receive a promotional item, while supplies last. One promotional item per person, per ticket based on availability. washington.nationals.mlb.com
Family & Youth Casting Call Fishing in the C&O Canal On Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., spend a free day fishing at Fletcher’s Cove on the C&O Canal, 4940 Canal Rd. NW. They provide the instructors and all the gear you will need to catch fish! When not fishing, children can take part in activities including fish printing/art, knot tying, fly and spincasting instruction, watershed education activities, and fish hatching and local fish and animal displays. Partner agencies and organizations will have displays set up to learn about how they are helping fish and fishing across the country. familyandyouthcastingcall.com
Party for the Planet at the Zoo This year the Zoo is celebrating Easter Monday and Earth Day together on Monday, Apr. 21 (rain or shine), 10 a.m.-4 p.m. They’ll have a traditional Easter Egg Hunt and animal demonstrations as well as visits from the Easter Panda! It’s also a Party for the Planet and you can bring your old cell phone to recycling stations in the Visitor’s Center and learn about green design and sustainability initiatives at the Zoo. Admittance is free. nationalzoo.si.edu
Celebration of the Military Child On Saturday, Apr. 12, noon- 3 p.m., join them for crafts and activities that foster family team building. Kid-friendly activities will include
puppet shows, book readings, a LEGO display and face painting. The Museum’s mascot “Chesty the Bulldog” will also be on site for photos with kids and parents alike. Open to all children and families. Free admission and free parking. National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway, Triangle, VA. usmcmuseum.org
South-Asia Inspired Adventure “The Jungle Book” at Glen Echo Orphaned in the jungle as an infant and adopted by a wolf pack, young Mowgli the mancub is taught the Laws of the Jungle by Baloo, the bear, and Bagheera, the panther. As Mowgli discovers himself and his place as a human, the jungle’s greatest menace, the Bengal Tiger Shere Khan, prepares to finish the kill he abandoned years ago. With a multi-ethnic cast and crew creating a vibrant India-inspired jungle, this production showcases the best of DC area talent. Performances through May 25. Tickets are $19 and can be purchased through the box office by calling 301-634-2270 or online at adventuretheatre-mtc. org. All performances will take place at Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD, in the historic Glen Echo Park.
Science, Naturally Mystery of the Month Each month, they post a different mystery from their award-winning One Minute Mysteries book series for kids. Their three award-winning books feature one-page, literature-based math and science brainteasers. Each story takes just one minute to read and challenges a kid’s knowledge in a variety of science and math disciplines. Try one now at sciencenaturally.com/mystery_of_the_month.
“Explore the Universe Day: Everyone Looks Up” at Air and Space Understand how different cultures see the sky. Learn about telescopes and do some daytime observations (weather permitting). This event is on Saturday, Apr. 12, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the National Air and Space Museum, Independence Ave. at 6th St. SW. 202-633-2214. airandspace.si.edu
Integrated Psychological Services LLC on Barracks Row Dr. Michelle Chabbott, a clinical psychologist, relocated Integrated Psychological Services to Barracks Row in January. Dr. Chabbott brings over twenty years of experience to her new location and was formerly Clinical Director at the National Children’s Center in Washington DC and Director of the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic at Washington Hospital Center. She specializes in treating individuals and families experiencing stress, trauma or relationship difficulties who wish to learn more effective coping skills. Dr. Chabbott utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy and positive behavioral strategies. She also has extensive competence with families where a loved one has been diagnosed with developmental disabilities or serious mental illness. Dr. Chabbott is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), APA Divisions of Family Psychology and Trauma Psychology, and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. She is licensed in DC, MD, NJ, NC and DE.
The Family Dinner Project The Family Dinner Project is a start-up grassroots movement of food, fun and conversation about things that matter. Over the past 15 years, research has shown what parents have known for a long time: Sharing a fun family meal is good for the spirit, brain and health of all family members. Recent studies link regular family meals with the kinds of behaviors that parents want for their children: higher grade-point averages, resilience and self-esteem.
Additionally, family meals are linked to lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, eating disorders and depression. The Family Dinner Project believes in the power of family dinners to nourish ethical thinking. Now, through this movement, families will come together to share their experiences and insights to help each other realize the benefits of family dinners. Read more at thefamilydinnerproject.org.
Cherry Blossom Family Festival at the American Art Museum Spring has arrived! On Saturday, Apr. 12, 11;30 a.m.-3 p.m., celebrate DC’s famous cherry blossom season with floral-themed craft activities, live music, Japanese screen painting and a gardening demonstration from Smithsonian Gardens. Explore how Japanese art and culture have influenced American artists through an interactive scavenger hunt. Free. American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, 8th and F streets, NW. 202-633-1000. americanart.si.edu
Illuminated Nights at the Sackler Explore how gaslights and electricity transformed the night in the nineteenth century. Examine the content, mood, and techniques used in paintings and woodblock prints of Whistler’s London and Kiyochika’s Tokyo. In the classroom, use black backgrounds, paper cutouts, oil and chalk pastels, and wax gilt to create nightscapes of your favorite outdoor evening activities. Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 5, 6, 12 and 13 at 2 p.m. Sackler and Freer Galleries, Independence Ave. SW between 10th and 12th Sts. SW. 202-633-4880. asia.si.edu u
April 2014 H 141
{kids & family / school notes}
School Notes by Susan Braun Johnson
Capitol Hill Day School Spring at CHDS – A Happy Whirlwind CHDS packed a lot into a month shortened by snow days and spring break. We wrapped up Black History Month with student presentations celebrating the contributions of inventor and botanist George Washington Carver, and physicist Dr. Shirley Jackson, who developed telecommunications advances including caller ID and call waiting. Sixth graders launched their Year End Projects, with interdisciplinary research on a diverse CHDS 3rd graders present research on George Washington Carver. Photo Ashley Parham array of topics, including: IB training, and those hired over the summer who Eliot-Hine Ivy League vs. Historicalmissed the training will receive it in July. Each ly Black Colleges & UniversiSchool Notes student is challenged at his or her level. Learn ties; Effects of toys and games Eliot-Hine Interviews more about the IB learner profile at ibo.org. on the brain; Easter Island; BeCandidates Learn more about Eliot-Hine with Tuesday Tours havioral vs. forensic science in Eliot-Hine Radio (live365. each week from 9 to 10:30am and 1 to 3p.m. Next solving crimes; Robots; Freecom/stations/tyoung1) has broadopen house open house is May 6, 9 to 10:30am & dom of the press; Rap music ened its scope to TV broad5:30pm to 6:30pm. - EH parent Heather Schoell. Eighth graders finalized casting. Technology teacher Eliot-Hine Middle School, 1830 Constitution high school decisions, and Mandrell Birks’ students had a Ave., NE.; eliothinemiddleschool.org. @EliotHine, face7th grade parents met with book.com/EliotHineMS. Eliot-Hine is an IB Candidacy Eliot-Hine 6th grader Shaylah Jackson, rep- recording studio setup to interthe High School Advisor to Middle Years Programme. resenting Eliot-Hine Middle School, flanked view of the Ward 6 city council by Ward 6 Council candidate Charles Allen begin the high school applicaand Washington Post writer Emma Brown. candidates prior to the education process. Newly admitted Payne Elementary tion-focused debate at Stuart-Hobson on March 6. families enjoyed mingling with current parents Sixth grader Shaylah Jackson, representing EliotOh, the Places We’ll Go! and faculty at a welcome reception, and current Hine (Maury Elementary alumna), interviewed Snow days in March did not “freeze” our CHDS Board members hosted a reunion with the candidates on camera before joining them on celebration of the beloved children’s book author, Trustees from the past 45 years. stage with student reps from Stuart Hobson and Dr. Seuss! All students are learning and developFaculty spent a half day at a Capital Area Jefferson Academy. Washington Post writer Emma ing a love of literacy. First, we hosted guest readProgressive Schools conference discussing how to Brown moderated the forum. The Tech class needs ers for Read Across America Day. Our various take their schools from “good” to “great.” Head two additional TV cameras, should readers know community partners including MPD police offiof School Jason Gray devoted his monthly parent how to obtain them! cers, tutors, former teachers, parents and grandcoffee to a discussion of progressive education as a parents each shared their favorite Dr. Seuss book way of looking at children as active learners, nurIB Candidacy on Track at EH with a classroom and also helped with a fun bookturing and supporting their natural curiosity and Eliot-Hine’s IB Candidacy is on track! Ms. related activity afterwards. Our preschool “chefs” innate desire to learn. Lawrence, IB Coordinator, shared with PTO reported that the green eggs and ham were deliIn April, the whirlwind continues with meeting attendees (meets 2nd Wed. of each cious! We also hosted a Literacy Carnival that the 27th annual 8th grade vs. Board and facmonth at 5:30 p.m.) where EH is in the process, was a huge success! The exciting carnival atmoulty basketball game on April 4, and the Pop and what IB teaching and learning looks like from sphere provided something for everyone. Early Art-themed Auction at Arena Stage on April 11. the perspective of the student. The Middle Years childhood students played interactive games like - Jane Angarola, CHDS, 210 South Carolina Programme is for all students and uses Common Alphabet Bingo. The intermediate students preAve, SE, www.chds.org Core. Half of EH’s teachers have received formal sented a Readers’ Theatre production they called
142 H Hillrag.com
Payne’s Early Childhood students enjoy Read Across America Day with Dr. Seuss Books!
Claire P. Cargill, DDS Capitol Hill family Dentist
“The King and the Pumpkin” for which they received a standing ovation! The primary grades went on “Unique Text Features” treasure hunt and discovered how to use these clues given by authors to understand text they read. The staff of our Deaf and Hard of Hearing class read a story in American Sign Language and in spoken English for the carnival goers. With the enjoyable, inclusive literacy experiences we’ve had this month, our Wildcats will always remember this verse from Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go: You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes You can steer yourself Any direction you choose.
We offer complete Dental Care for adults and children.
Don’t miss our PTA Rummage Sale, Saturday, April 26!. Rakecia Whitaker Hanna, Payne Elementary, 1445 C St, SE.
Call Today for the Answer to All of Your Childcare Needs
Brent Elementary Annie Production a Success Last months’ Brent production of Annie was a tremendous success. Over eighty students
Eastern Market Metro Stop 1009 E Street, SE • Washington, DC
202-547-2491
clairecargilldds@verizon.net Free parking • Handicapped Accessible • Major Insurance Plan Accepted
CHILDCARE CH I LD D EVELO PM ENT CENTER
CHILDCARE PROFESSIONALS YOUR PLACE OR OURS
202.569.3701
SHORT OR LONG TERM SERVICES
Nanny Babysitting School Closings Holidays
Vacation Date Nights Weekends
*LESSON PLANS & ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE*
fabulouskids.net 5140 Nannie Helen Burroughs, DC 20019 1547 1st Street SW DC 20024. All childcare providers have extensive background checks, drug screens, health certificates inc. Video monitored.
April 2014 H 143
{kids & family / school notes}
in the ministry and service of St. Vincent de Paul by partnering with the global Vincentian family-specifically the Daughters of Charity. The entire school community wishes her safe travels and is looking forward to hearing about her exciting trip when she returns in the fall.
Student Families Support “Cup of Joe”
Brent’s rendition of Annie featured over eighty students and dazzled audiences!.
dazzled audiences with wonderful singing, lively dancing, and captivating acting. Congratulations to all the students, staff and parents who worked tirelessly on this production. A special thanks to music teacher Joshua Krohn, early childhood teachers Stacy Miller and Shohreh Homayoun and Brent parent Jodi Niehoff for directing the students. The Brent community eagerly awaits the next production.
Through the “Cup of Joe” program, St. Peter School Student Families made nearly 1,500 bagged breakfasts for clients at local homeless shelters run by Catholic Charities. In addition to packing a healthy morning meal, students decorated the bags and included scripture in both English and Spanish. Cup of Joe, a program started by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, has provided over 100,000 breakfast bags of food to homeless women and men in the Washington area. Launched four years ago, the St. Peter School Student Families reinforces lessons in leadership, responsibility and the need to care for others.
422 Third Street, SE. www.stpeterschooldc.org.
Capitol Hill Cluster School Student Satisfaction Award DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson will award approximately $5 million to schools to help improve student satisfaction for the 2014-2015 school year. The amount of the award will be based proportionally on student enrollment. Thanks to the efforts of the staff at StuartHobson who ensured all students were surveyed for their ideas, the Watkins staff, and those who provided a parent survey we were able to form a prioritized list for Stuart-Hobson and Watkins. StuartHobson: more field trips, including out of the DC area (e.g. Philadelphia and New York); incentive assemblies with celebrities and other exciting visitors; two plays in our newly renovated auditorium, and more lunchtime learning and community-building activities. Watkins: Assemblies focusing on Character education, Science, and Social Studies and assemblies bringing in famous authors; Outdoor
Chess Team Takes 2nd Place at City-Wide Tournament The Brent chess team check-mated the competition at last month’s citywide Chess Challenge tournament. Out of 55 schools, the Brent team placed second place overall with the several students placing in the top ten. Brent fourth grader Frederick Parse took home the 2nd place overall trophy and Brent second grader Luke Parse brought home a tenth place medal. – Denise Diggs, Brent Elementary, 301 North Carolina Ave SE; www.brentelementary.org.
St. Peter School Counselor Headed to Ethiopia! School counselor Meghan Keller has been selected as one of four missionaries to travel to Jimma, Ethiopia this summer with Vincentian Lay Missionaries (VLM). A large part of her service will be dedicated to teaching children directly, but she also will be working with local teachers and sisters in the area of professional development. The mission of VLM is to enmesh lay young adults
144 H Hillrag.com
Students in grades four through eight competed in the fourth annual school math bee.
Congratulations Mathletes! Students in grades four through eight competed in the fourth annual school math bee, answering a host of math questions focused on mental math, estimation, measurement and more. Congratulations to eighth grader Andy Beckham for being the last person standing for the second year in a row! A special shout out also to sixth grader James Holladay who recited 178 digits from memory to walk away the winner of the annual Pi contest. – Sally Aman. St. Peter School,
recess equipment for each class and indoor recess games; Field trip busses, and much more.
Peabody Primary Campus
Winter Reading Program - WE DID IT! We are very pleased to announce that our Peabody Readers not only met our Reading goals for this Winter’s Reading Program but went way beyond the finish line!! Our Pre-K and Kindergarten readers read
Winter Reading Celebration Ends with Dr. Seuss Birthday Fun in Peabody’s Room 11
18,110 books or the equivalent of 271,650 minutes!! Our goal was to read 16,666 books or 250,000 minutes. Friday was a fun day to celebrate our amazing winter reading while also celebrating the birthday of one of our most beloved author/illustrators, Dr. Seuss! Peabody students honored “Theodor Seuss Geisel” -- some ate “green eggs and ham”, some shared their favorite Dr. Seuss book, some wrote rhymes on their red/white striped hats, many showed their spirit in costume and everyone participated in an assembly to cheer and sing about our reading and to select a free book to take home!
Watkins Elementary
Watkins Winter Reading Program Results Watkins read a total of 416,095 minutes, just short of our 450,000 minutes goal. The top reading classes by grade are: 1st Grade: Ms. Bowers with 35,050 minutes; Ms. Parler with 17,850 minutes; 2nd Grade: Ms. Wertheimer with 32, 700 minutes; Mr. Miller with 17, 250 minutes; 3rd Grade: Mr. O’Neil with 39, 300 minutes; Mr. Loftis and Ms. Deprez tied with 37,200 min-
utes; 4th Grade:Ms. Ewart with 18, 400 minutes; Ms. DeAnna with 16,200 minutes; 5th Grade: Ms. Thompson with 21, 300 minutes; Ms. Sommerville with 6000 minutes. Special mention goes out to our 137 students who completed all eight reading logs to win Gold Medals for Olympic Reading! Another special shout-out needs to go to the entire third grade. Altogether, the students in the five third grade classes read 165, 095 minutes, or 39 percent of the Watkins total!
Stuart-Hobson Middle School
NASA Student Experiments Return to Earth After being launched into space and delivered to the International Space Station in February, Stuart-Hobson students received their experiments back on Earth this month. Eighth graders Lillian B., Sarah C., Cameron G. and Lia J. designed an experiment that analyzed bacterial growth on meat. According to the students, “Our proposed experiment is to test the preserving properties of salt on meat in microgravity. We developed this experiment based on our knowledge of how food was preserved in the past. Salt was used to prevent bacterial growth and preserve meat for an extended period.” Now that the samples are back, their science teacher, Mr. Creef reports, “My students thought this was the coolest thing ever! Our experiment stunk really, really bad, but the results were very
April 2014 H 145
{kids & family / school notes}
clear. The meat from space was extremely rotten and very dry but the meat from Earth still had moisture. Also, both the salty meats were different from the regular meat, which was predicted.” Congratulations, young scientists!
Stuart-Hobson Boys Basketball 2014 DCIAA Champions! The boys’ basketball team dominated Deal at the championship with a 50-34 win. Eighth grader Ron O. took control to lead the team to victory. Congratulations to the team and Coaches Newby, Booker and Hill. Go Panthers! Dawn Clemens and Beth Dewurst. Peabody Primary School, 425 C St NE; Watkins Elementary School, 420 12th St SE; Stuart-Hobson Middle School, 410 E St., NE.
Eastern High School Pilot Program, Envision at Eastern, Sees Success
1700 East Capitol St. NE; www.easternhighschooldc.org; Twitter and Instagram: @EasternHS; http://www.facebook.com/easternhighschool
John Tyler Elementary At Tyler Elementary, we are extremely proud of our early childhood education program. The current school year was the first in which DC public schools were required to adopt one of three research-based curricula for preschoolers. Tyler adopted the Creative Curriculum, and the results so far in the classroom have been very encouraging. The play-based program features a focus on long-term investigations on topics such as buildings, naStudents in the Envision Program are betture, or clothing. Cognitive ter able to get the supports they need to development (mathematics complete high school successfully.
This year Eastern Senior High School is piloting a special program called Envision@Eastern (Envision). A DCPS Twilight Academy, Envision is designed to meet the needs of Eastern students who require a different set of supports to ensure successful high school completion. The program offers 60 over-aged, under-credited students an opportunity to recoup lost credits at a faster pace than a traditional high school schedule and to pursue post-secondary opportunities through leadership, college, and career training. In just the first 18 weeks of the school year, twelve students have been promoted to the next grade after being held back the previous year and several have made the honor roll for the first time in their high school careers. Lillian, recently promoted to 10th grade told us, “Envision helps me obtain better grades in all of my subjects. The class times and knowing teachers are dedicated to our learning for staying past their regular work hours really has helped me with my classes.” This month, with the help of community partners About Face and Companies for Causes, a group of Envision students will begin paid intern-
146 H Hillrag.com
ships at local businesses so they can build their skills and confidence in the workforce. Envision also partners with the schools of social work at two local universities to provide continuous socioemotional support to students as they get their academics back on track. Eastern has initiated many programs this year including International Baccalaureate and JROTC to help students succeed since its relaunch in 2011, and Envision is one part of the effort to make “The Pride of Capitol Hill” the top performing comprehensive high school in DC. -Maryanne Laager. Eastern SHS
Tyler students enjoy a bilingual performance by Teatro de la Luna
and logical thinking) as well as language and literacy development intentionally occurs through deep study of child-friendly themes. Tyler is monitoring the success of the Creative Curriculum approach to ensure that it continues to be the most effective tool for making learning exciting and relevant for all of our youngest Tyler Tigers. We are also exceedingly proud of the significant academic gains we’ve made and continue to make among student in our upper grades. In addition to academic progress, we are also proud of our arts integration-based approach to learning. Students in 1st through 5th grades recently enjoyed Teatro de la Luna’s bilingual performance of Sanos y Contentos (Healthy and Happy). In the play, Sweet Miss Lettuce and her uncle Mr. Cucumber teach us that we can fight the evil Mrs. Laziness, discovering a world of good nutrition that, along with exercise, allows us to live happily and healthfully. Teatro de la Luna is a local theater company whose mission is to foster cross-cultural understanding through Spanish-language theater and bilingual theatrical activities. Their Experiencia Teatral/Experience Theater brings age-appropriate Spanish language plays to area schools. This performance was generously funded by a grant from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. - Colleen Cancio, ccancio@gmail. com. Tyler Elementary, 1001 G Street, SE.www. TylerElementary.net or contact
School-Within-School at Goding Auction Time! May 3! Mark your calendar and buy your tickets! It’s time for the social event of the year: the 17th Annual School-Within-School Jazz Gala and Auction. The gala is an adults-only evening of music (featuring the Lori Williams Quartet), heavy appetizers, an open bar, and live and silent auctions. Hundreds of items have already been donated, from restaurant gift cards to handmade doll dresses to member-
ships at local pools. This year’s gala will be held May 3rd at the National Press Club from 6 p.m.- 10 p.m. All the proceeds go to benefit the school, and attending is a great way to get to know the SWS community. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.swsauction.org. See you there!
Community Meetings The last two monthly community meetings were about peace and love (hosted by Mr. Jere’s kindergarten class) and building consensus (hosted by Mrs. Ricks’s pre-K class). At February’s meeting, Mr. Jere’s students performed a skit about how to show love and peace in difficult situations. To end the meeting, the whole school joined in with Ms. Rachel to sing “I’ve Got Peace like a River.” At the March community meeting, students explored the idea that in order to build consensus, everybody should be involved in decision making.-by Hannah Schardt, SWS, 920 F St NE, www.schoolwithinschool.org.
Ludlow Taylor Spring Jubilee April 26! Come and join parents, teachers and students on April 26 from 2 - 5 p.m. for the 2nd Annual Spring Jubilee at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School Take a step back in time from 2014 to 1914 and experience old-fashioned games including: Three-legged races, Dunk tank, Horseshoe toss, Potato sack races, Egg shuttles, Clip the tail on the Donkey. Other activities include a yard sale featuring children’s clothing, accessories as well as apparatus. All clothing will be in a variety of sizes and the non-clothing items, as with everything else, will be gently-used. Additionally, there will be a farmers
market within the event and cooking demonstrations showcasing food from that time period, arts & crafts for the kids, face painting and much, much more! Who knows who or what you might run into while exploring our turn of the century jubilee. So bring your walking shoes, imagination and sense of humor. Because even though things were a lot simpler back then they still knew how to have a good time! If you are planning on attending the cost will be $5 per person 13+, all others are free. The proceeds from the event will help the Ludlow-Taylor PTA continue to support teachers, events and field trips for students. Still have questions? Please email LTESspringjubilee@gmail.com. We hope to see you there! LT, 659 G Street NE.
Maury Elementary Maury Art at Hill Center Yes. It’s true. Hill Center is showing a collection of works inspired by Andy Warhol, created by Ms. Lauren Bomba’s fourth and fifth grade students. They applied what they know about color theory, logo design and mascot creation to design eye-catching packaging for a food item of their choice. To incorporate a health component, they included nutritional information not present in Warhol’s time. The project ran in conjunction with the school’s annual food drive; hundreds of pounds of food were delivered to the Capitol Area Food Bank. Photos don’t do justice to the art; it is much more engaging in person and the closer one looks, the harder it is to look away. We hope you will see for yourself. Stop by any time during gallery hours; the show is hanging on the ground floor in a
Emotionally Challenged or Differently-Abled Child or Adult? I Help You and Your Loved Ones Build Resilience, Respect, Self-Awareness • Parent and Child Advocacy • In Home Support & Interventions • Family Therapy • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy • Positive Skill Development • Trauma Informed Treatment • Solution-Oriented Focus
Now on Capitol Hill! Michelle Chabbott, Ed.D. Licensed Psychologist
Integrated Psychological Services, LLC Located on Barracks Row
(202) 425-7262 Helping Families & Individuals Enjoy Healthy Lives April 2014 H 147
{kids & family / school notes}
munity’s Family Fun Night Dance Party. Kids and parents had a great time singing, dancing and laughing! Save the Dates: Also, CHML PTSO will host an online auction this year with great items including great seats to sporting events, travel options, local art and restaurant certificates. The CHML PTSO Online Auction will take place from April 22 - May 5, 2014 at biddingforgood.com/CHML. Please Viewing the Maury “Warhol” exhibit at Hill Center check it out! –Sara Burns, CHML, 215 G St., NE; capicorridor east of the main staircase until the end of tolhillmontessorischool.org; communications@capiApril. The Maury family is very grateful to everytolhillmontessorischool.org one at Hill Center who helped to make this possible, especially Nicky Cymrot and Barbara BonFriends Community School essa for hanging the show (with help from Maury Summer Camp Update mom, Beth Dougherty), Alan Braley for creating Friends Community School will offer summer the beautiful electronic postcard announcing the camp starting June 9 and running in one or two show and Maggie Myszka for the signage. The artweek sessions through August 8. All sessions will be ists’ reception was a huge thrill. And a big “shout held at Friends’ wooded campus and LEED-certiout” to Ms. Bomba for inspiring our kids to do fied building in College Park Maryland. The prowork impressive enough to be hung in such a gram is designed for rising kindergarten to 8th grade glamorous location. Galleries hours: Monday students with a CIT program for older students. Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m; Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 For budding scientists, there are camps Rop.m; Sunday: noon to 5 pm, at 921 Pennsylvania botics & Photography and The Story of Games Ave SE. - Elizabeth Nelson. Maury Elementary, & The Science of Games. Artists might enjoy 1250 Constitution Ave., NE. mauryelementary. programs on public art, filmmaking, artistic com. Facebook and Twitter. construction and museums. Performers can go
Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan School Congratulations to our fourth, fifth and sixth graders who participated in the National Health Through Fitness Day organized by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). Our students joined 20 celebrity athletes and 150 leaders from sports, fitness and physical education industries to promote policies designed to increase participation in sports and physical activity to improve health. Our students showcased their fitness skills while wearing heart rate monitors in front of these celebrity athletes and members of Congress. Thanks to SFIA for a great event! And thank you to Groovy Nate who led our com-
148 H Hillrag.com
to performance poetry, beat making & songwriting, playwriting and drama camps. There are also sessions on Harry Potter, Spanish & international sports, app design and recreational sports. - Eric Rosenthal. Friends Community School is a small kindergarten through 8th grade Quaker school that welcomes students of all beliefs. 5901 Westchester Park Drive, College Park, MD 20740 www.friendscommunityschool.org
Elsie Whitlow Stokes PCS Stokes’ Students Meet with Swiss Authors As part of their commitment to bilingual
immersion education, recently the sixth grade French class at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School welcomed the Association de Jeunes Auteurs Romands, a francophone Swiss writing collective. The visitors conducted a workshop in which the authors and students collaborated to produce creative proses. Students used their French vocabulary to craft artistic compositions that are created by each participant taking turns adding an element. The visit was organized by the U.S. Embassy of Switzerland in association with the Francophonie Cultural Festival that runs from March 1 through April 15. This activity reinforces Stokes academic culture. Stokes is one of the few bilingual immersion D.C. public charter schools. Students from pre-K through sixth grade learn to speak, read, write and think in two languages—French and English or Spanish and English. Stokes’ students significantly outperform peers in the city’s standardized reading and math tests, both compared to students who attend D.C. Public Schools and the city’s other tuition-free public charter schools. The school is recognized as a Tier 1, high performing public charter school, one of only 23 such schools in the city. Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School, 3700 Oakview Terrace Northeast, www.ewstokes.org. /
Friendship Collegiate Academy Students Earn College Scholarships When Friendship Collegiate Academy seniors Takima Johnson, Cora Smallwood and Tynisha Little arrived at school recently they had no idea what the day had in store for them. A seemingly normal day quickly changed as they were surprised in class by representatives from Hanover College who announced the students each had earned college scholarships. Johnson was awarded the Benjamin Templeton college scholarship worth $140,000 over 4 years. At the same time, Smallwood and Little earned the Jordan scholarship to attend Hanover, which is valued at $80,000 over 5 years. This is not the first time the college has honored Friendship students. Last year, Alassane Traore earned the Templeton scholarship.
In addition to scholarships from Hanover, 82 Friendship Collegiate Academy students this year earned college scholarships from the D.C. Achievers Scholarship Program, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The scholarships total $4 million in student aid. The graduation rate at Friendship’s Collegiate Academy on Minnesota Avenue in Northeast D.C. is 95 percent - 37 percentage points higher than the graduation rate for D.C.’s traditional public high schools. And 100 percent of the graduating class is accepted to college. Friendship Collegiate Academy, 4095 Minnesota Avenue, NE, www.friendshipschools.org
Van Ness Elementary Bruce DarConte, Vice Chair of the Near Southeast Community Partners, sent this report: The Amidon-Bowen PTA President and I recently had the opportunity to tour Van Ness at 4th and M Streets SE. The school is in fairly good shape and is currently used for DCPS staff as most classrooms have been turned into cubicle-style offices. Van Ness closed in 2006 as a result of the CapperCarrollsburg Hope VI Project. There was always talk of selling the property to a developer, which thankfully did not happen. On December 8th 2010, I hosted Chancellor Henderson at a meeting to begin serious talks about reopening the school, which was attended by about 150 residents, Tommy Wells, EYA and others. Current and future data was taken to see if the numbers would support the reopening.
Some of the data in 2011 indicated that population within half mile of Van Ness was 4,464, with 350 of these individuals of elementary school age (0 – 9 years old) and 176 between 0 – 3 years old as of 2010. It is estimated that he population within a half-mile of Van Ness will increase by 58 percent by 2015, and 80 percent by 2020 (DC Office of Planning). Currently, there is a population of over 4100 living in 3024 units in Capitol Riverfront with 1264 units under construction at the end of 2013 (Capitol Riverfront BID). In May 2013, it was announced that $9.8 million was budgeted to reopen the school for SY2015. It was nice to see the inside of the building and look forward to welcoming students for SY2015. 1150 5th St SE. Bruce DarConte.
J.O. Wilson Elementary Early Spring Highlights J.O. Wilson students distinguished themselves in several important events this early Spring: J.O. Wilson’s Cheerleading Team won the DCPS DCIAA Cheerleading Championship in the Elementary Novice Division! Two fourth-graders came in second place in Division D in the Scrabble Tournament, and two other students won the “School Word Challenge!” We are very proud of their efforts and achievement. On March 21, Attorney General Holder and Secretary of Education Duncan visited J.O. Wilson to hold a press conference highlighting civil rights issues in education, specifically the importance of ensuring preschool education for children. J.O. Wilson was proud to be highlighted as a school with a large and thriving early childhood education program, including 7 classes for three- and four-year-olds. Our second, third, fourth and fifth grade students are hard at work in rehearsals for the spring musical. This year we will
be performing “101 Dalmatians.” The show will be presented at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in late May. And save the date for our Second Annual Flea Market Fair on May 3. Join us for great shopping, refreshments and family fun --open to the community. - Samantha Caruth, J.O. Wilson ES, 660 K St., NE, 202-698-4733, www.jowilsonelementary.org/
DCPS Invests Millions on Middle Schools for 2014 District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) will infuse more than $50 million in new, local funds to schools in the 2014-2015 school year, with a focus on middle-grade students, struggling schools, and improving student satisfaction. This increase, provided in Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s FY 2015 budget, will allow all DCPS middle schools, as well as the district’s lowest performing elementary schools, to have the opportunity for a longer school day next year. DCPS will also provide $5 million in funds to help schools improve student satisfaction, another key priority for DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson. Schools received their budget allocations on Wednesday. Regardless of enrollment, no schools’ budget decreased significantly, and most schools received an increase. “This is a major step forward for everyone, everywhere in DCPS and in this city,” said Chancellor Henderson. “I feel so lucky to have the resources we need to deliver to our families everywhere in this city the kind of education that all of our students deserve. We still have work to do, but this budget takes us to a very different place for our students, our teachers and our families. I am thrilled about the work ahead.” During the 2013-14 school year, nine of DCPS’ lowest performing schools implemented the Extended Day Program. Schools intensified their focus on literacy, mathematics or both. Students in Extended Day schools grew 10.6 percentage points in math and 7.2 percentage points in reading on the 2013 DC CAS, compared to 3.6 and 3.9 percentage points respectively for all students throughout the district. More details about specific school budgets will be available at www.dcps.dc.gov. u
On March 21, Attorney General Holder and Secretary of Education Duncan visited J.O. Wilson and held a press conference highlighting civil rights issues in education, J.O. Wilson was proud to be highlighted as a school with a large and thriving early childhood education program, including 7 classes for three- and four-year-olds.
April 2014 H 149
150 H Hillrag.com
{home & garden} Time for Plant Tourism!
W
ith winter finally in the rear view mirror, what better way to satisfy your pent up demand for spring than to visit some of our area’s most beautiful estates, gardens, and arboreta during their annual plant sales? Call it “plant tourism.” It’s a great way to justify taking a break from working in your own garden. You’re heading out for supplies, aren’t you? And while you’re at it, eat some fresh food, enjoy the scenery, and learn some new gardening tricks. Here’s a selected chronological list of upcoming sales worth visiting.
American Horticultural Society Spring Garden Market
by Cheryl Corson, RLA, ASLA Society. 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA. Distance from Eastern Market: 13.4 miles. http://www.ahs.org/about-riverfarm/events-programs
Adkins Arboretum Native Plant Nursery Opening Weekend, April 11-13, 2014. Friday, April 11, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for members only. Saturday and Sunday, open to the public. Come to this sale for native
April 10-12, 2014. Thursday, April 10, 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. members only. Friday and Saturday, open to the public. Dozens of regional vendors will be selling plants, including vegetable and herb seedlings, seeds, garden accessories, books, and art. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions. Local gourmet food will be available. Parking is $5, or free for AHS members. This sale allows you to enjoy River Farm, the beautiful estate on the Potomac River just south of National Airport, owned by the American Horticultural
Thousands of plants under the big Arboretum tent. Photo: Rindy O’Brian
March 2014 H 151
Offerings at the National Cathedral Flower Mart. Photo: Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine
ornamental plants, small trees, and shrubs, and learn about this lovely Eastern Shore arboretum from docents who will lead free tours. The site is 400 acres, including five miles of paths along streams, meadows, and forest. Master Gardeners will also be on hand. After this weekend the plant nursery will be open weekly through October. 12610 Eveland Road, Ridgely, MD. Distance from Eastern Market: 66 miles (worth it!). http://www.adkinsarboretum.org/ programs_events/plant_sales.html
Mount Vernon Garden Sale
Plant experts share their knowledge at the Arboretum Garden Fair. Photo: Glenda Kapsalis
April 20-May 19, 2014, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The garden sale tent is located outside The Shops at Mount Vernon and admission is not required. But if you’ve gone all the way down there, why not see what’s new at the former home of our first president? The grounds continue to be renovated following the construction of the new visitor’s center. A special $150 per person event will be held on May 9 with cocktails, tour and dinner. Just continue past River Farm to the terminus of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA. Distance from Eastern Market: 16.4 miles. http://www.mountvernon.org/calendar/view/2013-04-20/5533
Friends of the National Arboretum Garden Fair and Plant Sale April 25-26, 2014. Friday, April 25, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. members only. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and April 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. open to the public. This annual fundraiser will feature at least six plant vendors, plus exhibitors from DDOE’s RiverSmart Homes, Casey Trees, and groups like the National Capital Daylily Club, and the Potomac Unit of the Herb Society of America. Very Washingtonian! Frager’s Hardware has been known to exhibit. There will also be a used garden book sale at this very local annual event. 3501 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC. Distance from Eastern Market: 2.5 miles http://www.fona.org/gardenfair/ Happy Customer at the Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) Garden Fair. Photo: Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine
152 H Hillrag.com
Parkfairfax Native Plant Sale Saturday, April 26, 2014, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This sale, also held on September 27, 2014, was cre-
ated by volunteer native plant lover Scott Knudsen to promote native plant gardening. About sixteen vendors from four states will be on hand, some running very small specialty nurseries that you may not otherwise have a chance to see. Examples from last year are Thistlebrook Natives from Accokeek, Maryland, and Mostly Edibles from Alexandria, specializing in fruiting shrubs and trees. The event is all volunteer run and only the plant growers make a profit. 3601 Valley Drive parking lot, Alexandria, VA (near Shirlington). Distance from Eastern Market: 7.4 miles. http://home. earthlink.net/~sknudsen/ or on Facebook, https:// www.facebook.com/ParkfairfaxNativePlantSale
Virginia’s Historic Garden Week April 26-May 3, 2014. This is not a plant sale per se, rather a statewide collection of over 250 of Virginia’s most beautiful gardens, homes, and historic landmarks. Tour proceeds fund the restoration and preservation of Virginia’s historic gardens. Now in its 81st year, the event is documented in a 240 page guidebook for sale online for $10. Tickets range from $175 for a statewide pass to all venues, to $15 for some individual gardens. All over Virginia. Distance from Eastern Market: as far into Virginia as you’d like to go. http://www.vagardenweek.org/
National Cathedral Flower Mart May 2-3, 2014, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday. This year is the 75th anniversary of this outdoor festival featuring fifty booths of plants and other garden items, tours of the grounds including the famous Olmsted Woods, gourmet food, and a book sale. Embassies and talented designers will display many expert flower arrangements. Kids’ activities fill out the family event. Free admission. Event will be held rain or shine. 3690 Massachusetts Avenue NW. Distance from Eastern Market: 6.2 miles. http://dc.about.com/od/ specialevents/a/NCFlowerMart.htm
William Paca Garden Plant Sale May 7-8, 2014, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, Noon to 4:00 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. A tradition of historic Annapolis, this sale features plants grown in the site’s greenhouses by volunteers, and proceeds support the historic home and garden. Rare ornamentals, edibles, and heirloom plants of all kinds are featured. The Paca House gardens are
April 2014 H 153
Standard Cleaning Services Over15 years Serving Capitol Hill
$20 OFF First Cleaning 50% OFF cleaning after 6 visits* *New Customers
Daily * Weekely * Biweekly * Monthly Quality Professional Cleaning Affordable Ratesw Pet and Family Friendly Residential & Commercial Locally Owned
703-719-9850 703-447-9254 standardcleaningservicesinc.com aviera3939@aol.com
References Upon Request Bonded and Insured
G G ROOFING
SUBURBAN
WELDING COMPANY®
AWARDED BEST WASHINGTON, DC CONTRACTOR OF 2012 BY ANGIE’S LIST
www.suburbanweldingcompany.com See What an Experienced Ironwork Company Can Do on Our Newly Expanded Website!
• 24 Hour, Seven Day Service • Free Estimates • Over 40 Years of Experience
703.765.9344
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • “50 YEARS EXPERIENCE”
Flat Roof Specialists • Modified Bitumen • Skylights • Shingles • Slate •
Chimney Repairs Roof Coatings • Gutters & Downspouts • Preventive Maintenance • Metal Roofs • •
10% OFF WITH THIS AD
202.425.1614 WWW.GANDGHOMEIMPROVEMENTS.NET
Licensed & Insured | All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners 154 H Hillrag.com
a complete surprise, hidden behind the historic home on a typical Annapolis downtown street. The large colonial gardens step down the large site to a stream with a footbridge to a garden folly in the rear. Boxwood lovers, architecture and garden history buffs will love this hidden gem. 1 Martin Street, Annapolis, MD. Distance from Eastern Market: 30.7 miles. http://www.annapolis.org/index.asp?pageid=142
Shopping Tips Some organized people go to plant sales with a shopping list and are not overly prone to temptation. Good for them. Most of us go to plant sales to see what we may not expect, or learn, for example, that there are dozens of types of mint, some smelling like chocolate and others like grapefruit. You might want to bring some photos of your garden for a reality check when considering impulse buys. If you have a scale drawing of your garden, that won’t hurt either. Another reason to visit plant sales is to find unusual, or beautiful native plants that you can then request from your neighborhood plant vendors, who have wholesale accounts with many of the vendors you’ll see on your travels. One reason so many natives are now commercially available is increased demand from retail customers like you. So enjoy some weekend plant outings, see some new places, come home and get busy in your garden. Cheryl Corson is a local licensed landscape architect in private practice. Attending spring plant sales is her version of a busman’s holiday. www.cherylcorson. com u
{home & garden}
There Are Castles in Capitol Hill
W
ell, not exactly castles but castle-like appendages: slate turret roofs all over the Hill! Walk on the 1200 block of E St. NE or the 200 block of 8th St. SE and you will see more than 40 houses on these two blocks alone that have slate turret roofs. When you add these to the hundreds of additional houses in Capitol Hill that have slate turret roofs or slate mansard roofs, we’re talking a lot of slate! Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogenous metamorphic rock derived from an original shaletype sedimentary rock compound of clay or volcanic ash. Sounds technical doesn’t it? For our purposes slate is a natural, stone-like tile, a roofing product that can last 100 years. Slate tiles are fre-
by Tom Daniel quently gray but also are available in green, red, cyan (greenish blue), and other colors. A turret roof is a pointed, almost projectilelooking structure that was very common on old castles and can be found in Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, and many other sectors of the city. These roofs are beautiful, historic, and add much charm to the city. For this special project we have customers, Mike and Andrea, who live on the 1200 block of E St. NE. Most of the turret roofs in this block are still original, well over a century old. While beautiful, these roofs do eventually create serious problems for homeowners. There are many different ways for water to get into the house. Tiles disintegrate and expose wood to the elements, or the connection to the underlying wood decays and tiles slide down below or onto the ground. Nails fall off, connecting seams erode, and old repair work wears out. Below most of the roofs is a metal built-in gutter (BIG) that collects the water that drains off the slate tiles. Over time the metal also deteriorates and has to be repaired and eventually replaced. We see a lot of structures that have badly decayed wood underneath because of all the years of water seeping in.
For roofers, these are very difficult and dangerous projects to take on. It’s not as simple as putting up a ladder and working on a flat roof. We need special equipment, including possibly scaffolding, and high-level roofing expertise. Mike and Andrea had an original turret where tiles were missing, water was leaking into the house, and many repairs had been done over the years. They asked us to do an inspection and make recommendations after they had read about our company in Mom’s on the Hill Listserv. It was clear after just a few minutes that the roof and BIG could not be salvaged and that a new roof was needed. Like any roofing concern there is a point when repairs just won’t do the trick and a new roof is the only viable option. This was one of those times. For a roofing company one of the best aspects about this type of project is that it is true, artistic, historical roofing at its finest. The slate tiles and the copper have to be hand cut to specification, properly aligned, and patiently applied. You could call this “bespoke” roofing. Like bespoke tailoring the roofing materials are tailor-made and customized to fit the structure. Tom Daniel is the owner and general manager of R. Thomas Daniel Roofing, a third-generation Capitol Hill family enterprise that has provided roofing services for more than 90 years. He is a Hill resident, and the company is the recommended roofer of Capitol Hill Village. 202-569-1080. Visit the company website at www.rthomasdanielroofing.com. u
April 2014 H 155
{home & garden}
What’s Your Style?
Six Prominent Architectural Styles on Capitol Hill by Bruce Wentworth, AIA
I
n the Capitol Hill Historic District, there are over 8,000 homes, built from the 16th century to the early 1900s. While most people who live here treasure these bits of history that are in their care, a more comprehensive knowledge about a building’s history, style, and age can help develop a deeper appreciation for the importance of properly designed restorations, renovations, and additions. Over the past few decades, many of these older homes have been lovingly restored to their former beauty. Below we will list the features of the dominant types of Hill architecture. Remember, if your home is in the historic district, even new windows and doors must be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Office.
Italianate Style (1840-1885)
A good example of a Second Empire home is located at 6th and G Streets, SE. A rare style on the Hill, its characteristics are:
Tall, narrow windows arched or curved above frequently with elaborated crowns usually of inverted U shape.
•
Square cupola or tower.
•
Window and door hoods.
The Queen Anne style tends to have more unusual and varied windows than other styles. Typically they are double hung with one lite over one lite. Queen Anne windows occasionally have small panes surrounding a large single pane, curved patterned mullions or diamond panes. Four panel doors tend to be the norm, though there are exceptions such as double doors with two panels. Always try to repair and restore the original door if you are fortunate enough to have it. You can also have a door custom made for your home in the appropriate style.
Second Empire Style (1855-1885)
This style is delicate and subject to deterioration. Its prominent characteristics are: •
both side walls.
•
ansard roof with dormer windows M on steep lower slope.
• Molded cornices normally bound the lower roof slope both above Italianate Style at the corner of 10th and D Sts. SE.
Window sashes were typically two lite over two lite, or one over one, depending upon their location in the building. Typically doors were four panel and without glazing. Moldings tended to be heavy, and there was usually a transom panel of glass. Often a decorative hood was located over the doorway to symbolically reinforce the entry.
and below.
•
Decorative brackets beneath eaves. The mansard roof, typical to the Second Empire style, is its most important feature, and the most critical component to protect. Additionally, many of these homes once had decorative metal grilles running across the roof line. It is possible to recreate the original cresting, or repair the existing one.
Queen Anne Style (1880-1910) This style is ubiquitous to Capitol Hill. Its prominent characteristics are: •
•
Queen Anne at the corner of 10th and S. Carolina Ave, SE.
156 H Hillrag.com
Rare example of 2nd Empire at the corner of 6th and G Streets, SE.
Federal Style (1780-1840) The plainest of the styles, Federal buildings are characterized by:
teeply pitched and irregularly S shaped roof, usually with a large front-facing gable.
•
utaway bay windows or other illusory C devices to avoid a smooth-walled appearance.
• Asymmetrical façade with partial or full-width porch and extended along one or
Federal flat front in the 400 block of 6th Street, SE.
•
Semicircular or elliptical fanlight over front door often incorporated into more elaborate door surround including a decorative crown or small entry porch.
Decorative moldings highlight cornice, usually with tooth-like dentils.
Stick Embellishments on Constitution Ave. NE.
• Windows with double-hung sashes; three part Palladian windows are typical. The Federal style, sometimes called Adams or Colonial, tends to be of a humble nature and executed on a small scale. The buildings have little ornamentation and minimal detail. There are about as many frame as there are brick Federal style buildings on Capitol Hill. At the time of their construction, the technology available to produce glass was limited. Thus, Federal style homes had multi-lite windows each comprised of two sashes having six lite over six, nine over nine, or twelve over twelve. Replacing or repairing your windows to match the original is critical.
The Stick Style (1860-1890) A reflection of Victorian exuberance, there are few buildings faithful to this style on Capitol Hill, although a few have been altered at the time it was in vogue. The Stick style was meant to be rendered in wood. Characteristics: •
Overhanging eaves with exposed rafter ends (shown as brackets in town houses).
•
ooden wall cladding interrupted by W patterns of horizontal, vertical or di-
Richarsonian Romanesque in the 400 block of A Street, SE.
agonal boards (stickwork) raised from wall surface. •
Porches have diagonal or curved braces.
Richardsonian Romanesque Style (1880-1900) An American style developed by Henry Hobson Richardson, this style is more prevalent in Dupont Circle than Capitol Hill. Its characteristics are: •
Round topped arches over windows, porch supports or entrance.
•
Masonry walls with rough faced squared stonework.
•
ost have towers which are normally M round with conical roofs.
The Richardsonian Romanesque style is robust and hearty, and was always constructed of stone. Our houses are, most importantly, homes, but with imagination and professional help, they can be modernized while still maintaining their historical integrity and beauty. Bruce Wentworth, AIA, is an architect and home improvement contractor. He is president of Wentworth, Inc. Visit www.wentworthstudio.com, or call 240-395-0705 to learn more about Wentworth’s remodeling services. u
April 2014 H 157
The Capitol Hill Garden Club presents
Dear Garden Problem Lady, by Wendy Blair If memory serves, I believe the brilliant founders of the now international Capitol Hill landscaping firm of Oehme van Sweden are famous for “mass plantings.” Masses of grasses. They even said mass plantings could be achieved right here on the Hill. But our garden is beyond small. It is tiny. Minuscule. How can the idea work for me? First, the idea is less about masses of things like grasses – and more about a much less formal style of planting than that of the traditional English garden. Here’s what Lisa Delplace of Oehme van Sweden once said for larger-scale projects: “We use wheelbarrows full of bulbs, and mix them in the wheelbarrow, planting somewhat at random.” It’s the random idea to follow for tiny spaces. Just mix at least two things together, not in rows. Decide on a color scheme and stick with it. Mulch to retain moisture, but because mulch isn’t very attractive, plant densely so no mulch shows. Good bedfellows abound. Here are just a few: • Geranium x Magnifi cum with Alchemilla mollis. • Astilbe Gladstone with Astilbe Peach Blossom • Lavender mix with Pink Meidiland shrub rose • White and pink echinacea with Liatris spicata
158 H Hillrag.com
Historic Renovation & Artisan Stonework
• Allium sphaerocephalon with Russian sage • Willowleaf amsonia with vervain
Award-Winning Mason with over 30 years of experience
Specializing In: Custom Masonry • Stone • Brick Work Point Up • Restoration • Patio & Water Gardens
My forsythias have been blazing away, undeterred by the appalling temperature dips of this year’s peculiar springtime. I have always heard that the forsythia comes from China. Do the Chinese call it ‘forsythia’? Do tell. Of course not. No, no. This harbinger of spring has been called “Ying-Chun” for thousands of years in China – its name means “Welcome Springtime.” If you say forsythia in China, no one will know what you are talking about. It was relatively recently that a canny Scottish botanist named William Forsyth (1737-1804), who was royal head gardener and a founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society, brought the brilliant shrub all the way back to London and renamed it. Shameless, really. Capitol Hill Garden Club meetings are free and open to all, on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Church of the Brethren, 4th Street door, corner North Carolina Avenue and 4th Street SE. Membership details are at 202544-4261. On Tuesday, April 8, Janet Draper, distinguished horticulturist, Smithsonian gardens, will bring her creativity and experience at the Ripley Garden to show “How to Design with Texture to Make Shady Gardens Shine.” Feeling beset by gardening problems? Send them to the Problem Lady c/o The Capitol Hill Garden Club at andrew@hillrag. com. Your problems might prove instructive to others, and help them feel superior to you. Complete anonymity is assured. u
FORMER HEAD MASON OF THE ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL FROM 1989 - 1996. All work done by Tom. No subs. Call for a Free Estimate
202-544-4484 • 202-257-8957 www.michaligamasonry.com
Reasonable Prices • Hill Resident • Licensed - Bonded - Insured
Keith Roofing
EXPERT WORKMANSHIP AT REASONABLE PRICES! Residential/Commercial • Over 40 years of Experience Chimney Repairs • Storm & Wind Damage Repair
• New or Re-Roofing • Tear-Off & Replacement • Flat Roof Specialist • Copper, Tin, Sheet Metal & Rolled • Seamless & Flat Roofs • Re-Sealing • Tar, Asphalt, Gravel, Hot Coats • Modified Bitumen Insurance Claims • Free Estimates • 24Hr. Service
Fully Insured • Licensed • Bonded “No Job Too Large or Small” Senior & Military Discounts Available!
202-486-7359
All Work Inspected by Owner...Deals Directly with Customers! All Work Fully Guaranteed April 2014 H 159
Classifieds HOME SERVICES
OTHER SERVICES
PET SERVICES
MISCELLANEOUS
AIR & HEATING
APPLIANCES REPAIR
BASEMENT EXCAVATION
CARPET CLEANING
Appliances Pro, Inc.
R . W. E N T E R P R I Z E
No Extra Charge Weekends, Evenings & Holidays
“We Repair It Right The First Time!” ALL MAKES & MODELS / SERVICE & INSTALLATION
BASEMENT EXCAVATION Capitol Hill Specialists Come and see the work we have done!!!!!
Get ready for a new basement apartment also new kitchen, new bath, new bedroom and more • Basement Dig-Out • Up to 8 Foot Ceiling • All New Groundwork Plumbing • All New Underpinned
WOVEN HISTORY
We wash carpets in the traditional manner- by hand, using no chemicals or machinery. No preheated room for drying. We dry in the sun and the wind. Free pick up an delivery for Capitol Hill Residents. Call 202-543-1705. More info at info@wovenhistory.com or www.wovenhistory.com. Located at 311-315 7th St, SE. Your neighborhood carpet store on Capitol Hill since 1995
CLEANING SERVICES a clean house... a clean mind...
DC HIC 6477-6478
AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING
Service, repairs, installations, replacement on furnaces, a/c, water, heaters. Residential Boiler Specialist. 40years experience. Free estimates. Call John Fulcher at 202-258-6158.
• Refrigerator - Service within 3 hours • Washers/Dryers • Wall Ovens • Ranges • Garbage Disposals • Microwaves • Icemakers • Freezers • Dishwashers • Sub-zero Specialists
SAME DAY SERVICE
35 OFF
$
ANY COMPLETE REPAIR
CALL NOW!
FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR!
202.640.2178
www.prorepairappliance.com
Call 202-674-0300 • 301-929-0664
CABINET MAKERS
William Hoxie Woodworking Serving Capitol Hill for over 25 years Fine, Handcrafted Custom Furniture & Built-In Cabinetry *Custom Cabinets * Kitchens * Antique Restorations *Architectural Detail
“If you can dream it, we can build it.”
301.848.1231
See Us on Facebook / William Hoxie Woodworking
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
Our website just got a whole lot better! capitalcommunitynews.com
Cares about the environment in which you live • Complete residential cleaning, including laundry & ironing • Eco Friendly Clean • Customized services to fit your needs • Pet Friendly • Commercial & janitorial special rates
Call us for your free estimate
703.892.8648 www.acleaningserviceinc.com satisfaction guaranteed serving DC, MD & VA since 1985 licensed, bonded & insured
S TANDARD C LEANING S ERVICE I NC . Commercial & Residential
Olde TO BETTER YET
Custom Carpentry & Renovations Specializing in Doors & Windows, Kitchen Bathrooms, Family Rooms basements, roofing, all types of rough and finish carpentry
ROOFING
Ana Julia Viera
Call Gerold Washington
703.719.9850 • 703.447.9254 Days
oldtby@gmail.com
Free Estimates • Bonded & Insured References Upon Request
202-352-1839
Free Estimates 20 years of experience
160 ★ Hillrag.com
A Cleaning Service, Inc.
15% Discount New Customers
P
H
5
p
Over 10 years of Experience on Capitol Hill
te
om
I NC . al
ays
ed t
s
202.288.6660
CONSTRUCTION
· · · · · ·
Heritage Wood Floors, Inc. Installation • Sanding • Refinishing • Hardwood Mouldings
alex@windowscraft.com
Kitchen & Bath Remodel Interior & Exterior Painting Carpentry · Molding Floors · Hardwood Plumbing · Doors & Windows Brick Pointing · Patios
Free Estimates • MHIC #120190
Licensed, Insured and Bonded License # 69006200
301-855-3006 888-227-2882
ELECTRICIAN
Licensed & Insured Free Estimates 202-247-0104
ELECTRICWORKS ELECTRICWORKS Rapid Response & Expertise Rapid Response & Expertise
15% off all jobs over $1000
New Work • Rewiring New Work • Rewiring Lighting Design •Lighting Repairs Design • Repairs
ELECTRICWORKS
d...
s
Specializing in Historic Windows & Doors
E D D I E
S
nt
Windows
Craft, Inc.
y hand, d room pick up 3-1705. venhisighbor-
nc.
FLOORS
DOORS & WINDOWS
Residential Floors
Residential & Commercial
Residential & Commercial Licensed & Insured Rapid Response & Expertise Licensed & InsuredDedicated to Perfection
301-254-0153
301-254-0153
electricworks1@aol.com New Work • Rewiring
• Sanding and Refinishing • Installation • Repairs • Cleaning & Waxing
electricworks1@aol.com Lighting Design • Repairs 7 days a week - Free Estimates Reasonable Rates Residential & Commercial Residential & Commercial
PINEDA HOUSE CLEANING
Licensed & Insured
301-254-0153 301-254-0153
24 years of Experience in Capitol Hill
electricworks1@aol.com electricworks1@aol.com
References Available Free Estimates
571.277.1475
(301) 990-7775
Family owned and operated 3 Generations of Experience
HANDYMAN Jim's Handyman Service, LLC
pinedahousecleanings@gmail.com
Too busy to do it yourself?
CONTRACTORS Serving DC Since 1974
• • • • • • • • • • •
Home Improvement Kitchens & Baths Flooring & Tile Plumbing Electrical Carpentry Renovations Landscaping Painting Windows & Doors And Much More
Installation of Electrical Fixtures and Appliances • Window Treatments & Furniture Assembling • Fix Plumbing & Change Locks • Hang Pictures & Repair Cabinets • Painting
202-370-7902 www.jimzinn.com Residential | Commercial Historical & Architectural Structure Specialists
• Free estimates • No job is too small Affordable rates • Licensed, insured and bonded
202.965.1600 www.jfmeyer.com
HANDYMAN EXPRESS
Free Estimates Insured References
www.facebook.com/pages/JF-Meyer-Construction-Co-Inc/127977000616632
jkhuynh@cox.net
• Painting • Plumbing • Drain Service • Kitchen Disposal • Carpentry • Ceiling Fan • Electrical • Caulking • General Repairs
No job is too small!
SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS & LOCAL BUSINESSES!
Reasonable Rates • Free Estimates
Call Ty • 703.615.7122 April 2014 ★ 161
CHIMNEY REPOINTING, LINING & REPAIRS!
Thomas Landscapes
Your One Stop Home Improvement Professional
DEREK THOMAS / PRINCIPAL
Design, Build & Construction Repair & Installation Home Remodeling & Additions Exterior & Interior Home Maintenance Handyman
FREE ESTIMATES 202.695.2074 240.839.7817 www.mrperhellc.com
HALLIDAY CONCRETE & BRICKPOINTING Historic Masonry Repointing & Repairs Restoration cleaning on historical brick and stone Basements & Waterproofing
JACKS
Experts in both in new and traditional masonry NO Job Too Small! We Do it All!!
Over 20 Years of Experience
Licensed & Bonded
REDEFINING BEAUTY ONE CLIENT AT A TIME!
C
Serving D.C. since 1918
202.637.8808
7
F S
C
A a
1 C M 9
Licensed, Bonded & Insured, DC
Full-Service Landscape Design & Maintenance • Installation, arbors, retaining walls, walkways, lighting, water features • Patios, roof top gardens, townhomes, single family homes • Trees & shrubs, formal & informal gardens • Custom Masonry, Fencing and Iron work • Restoration and Enhancement
g
301.642.5182
WWW.THOMASLANDSCAPES.COM
WWW.FCIMPROVEMENTS.COM
KITCHEN
MASONRY
ADDITIONS, KITCHENS, BATH AND INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING EXPERT
MOVING & HAULING Peach Moving Services When Trust Matters Most Residential, Office & Commercial
NO JOB TOO SMALL! • 12 YEARS EXPERIENCE
Craftsmanship and Expertise
Renovations and Remodeling including Plumbing & Electrical
SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES!
Little Peach in Training
Short Term Notice Moves Local & Up to 300 mile Radius Expert Packing & Unpacking Temporary Storage by the Day Hourly Rates
Michael Pietsch (aka Peach) Capitol Hill Resident
202.368.7492
IRON WORK Suburban Welding Company
www.peachmoving.com
LANDSCAPING ®
Welding & Ornamental Iron Work • • • • •
Repairs of Original Cast Iron Staircases Window bars and door security gates Handrailings & Stair Railings Fences, Sidewalk Gates, Tree Box Fences DC code approved bedroom window security bars • Excavating, back hoe services and tree stump grinding • Certified welding
24-hours, 7-day service Free estimates
703-765-9344
www.suburbanweldingcompany.com
162 ★ Hillrag.com
Historic Renovation & Artisan Stonework
Award-Winning Mason with over 30 years of experience
SPECIALIZING IN: Custom Masonry • Stone • Brick Work Point Up • Restoration • Patio & Water Gardens
Call Tom for a Free Estimate
202-544-4484
www.michaligamasonry.com FORMER HEAD MASON OF THE ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL FROM 1989 - 1996.
Reasonable Prices : Hill Resident Licensed • Bonded • Insured
Seas remo Avail
RS!
Y
PLUMBING
COMPUTER & ELECTRONIC RECYCLER
MacKay Roofing
NG
703.378.5500
Call to schedule a pick-up (small fee)
Full Service with a Strict No Landfill Policy
Creating Jobs to Save the Planet All Equipment Drop-offs are Free except TV’s $20.
• • •
Interior & Exterior Custom Painting Restoration & Historical Preservation Residential & Commercial
202.965.1600 www.jfmeyer.com Free Estimates • Insured • References
14500 Lee Rd., Unit E Chantilly, VA 20151 Monday – Saturday 9 am to 4 pm
Just Say I Need A Plumber
®
Dial A Plumber, LLC®
• Licensed Gas Fitter • Water Heater • Boiler Work • Serving DC • References John • Drain Service • Furness Repair & Replacement
gordonfscott@forevergreenrecycle.com forevergreenrecycle.com
Licensed Bonded Insured
REGINALD’S LIGHT HAULING
Seasonal contracts. Free estimates. Major cleanups, debris removal, leaf removal, light hauling. Emergency Services Available. Call today! 240-604-5390.
PAINTING
DC P
• Chimney Repair
• Inside Ceiling Repair & Painting
• Patching - Coating - Waterproofing • Roof Certifications
• All Other Home Improvement Needs
• 24 Hours Emergency Service • Insulation
• Critter Trapping & Damage Repair
(202) 210-2179
www.LMACKAYROOFING.com LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED
Kenny
L U M M E R
’
S
L
I C E N S E
#707
ROOFING / GUTTERS
Keith Roofing EXPERT WORKMANSHIP AT REASONABLE PRICES!
ch)
om
• For All Your Roofing & Gutter Needs
202-251-1479
ing
2
ENT M N R GOVE IOR & SEN UNTS DISCO
40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE REASONABLE RATES
es
Flat RooF SpecialiStS
PEST CONTROL
F L K Termite, Pest &
Rodent Control More than just killing bugs, we take care of your home • Babies, children, pets, no worries, customized treatments • Latest environmentally sound methods and products • One time, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, yearly LICENSED & INSURED
Free Estimates
301.273.5740 301.576.3286 WWW.FLKPESTCONTROL.COM
Residential/Commercial Over 40 years in Business Chimney Repairs Storm & Wind Damage Repair
• New or Re-Roofing • Tear-Off & Replacement • Flat Roof Specialist • Copper, Tin, Sheet Metal & Rolled • Seamless & Flat Roofs • Re-Sealing • Tar, Asphalt, Gravel, Hot Coats • Modified Bitumen • Ask about our gutter specials Insurance Claims • Free Estimates • 24Hr. Service
Fully Insured • Licensed • Bonded “No Job Too Large or Small” Senior & Military Discounts Available!
202-486-7359
Our website just got a whole lot better! capitalcommunitynews.com
All Work Inspected by Owner...Deals Directly with Customers! All Work Fully Guaranteed
April 2014 ★ 163
Our Prices Won’t be Beat!
DANIEL PARKS Roofing & Gutters
NO JOB TOO SMALL!!! “Stopping Leaks is Our Specialty”
EMERGENCY REPAIRS WE DO IT ALL RUBBER & FLAT ROOFS WATER PROOFING SLATE ROOFS LEAK REPAIRS METAL ROOFS GUTTER REPAIRS SHINGLE ROOFING CHIMNEY REPAIRS FACIAL/SOFFITS ALUMINUM ROOF COATING
202-489-1728 Licensed, Bonded & Insured Free Estimates Senior and Government Discount 10% SPECIALIZING IN SEAMLESS GUTTERS
G G ROOFING
FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST
ALL TYPES OF ROOFING REPAIRS
STORAGE
B
WE STOP LEAKS! • Roof Repairs • Roof Coatings • Rubber • Metal • Slate
• Tiles • Chimneys • Gutters • Waterproofing • Roof Certifications
We Do Everything!
BOYD CONSTRUCTION INC. LIC. BONDED. INS
75 years in service
BBB
Member
202-223-ROOF (7663)
Alex Williams
Star Roofing Company RELIABLE
Specializing in Residential & Commercial Flat Roof Systems
202-543-6383 All work done by owner • Free Estimates Insured • Licensed • Bonded
R.W. ROOFING
We offer the most competitive price in town. All Roofing & Rubber Roofs. We do everything: replacements, repairs, maintenance and coatings. See our ad under general contracting. 202-674-0300 or 301-929-0664.
WATERPROOFING
Seamless Gutters
LO
• Box Gutters
W
• Gutter Guards
• • • • •
• Gutter Repairs • Gutter Cleaning • Flat Roof Repairs • Water Proofing Free Estimates
(202) 256 6981 (301) 858 6990 Licensed • Bonded • Insured
We are a family-owned business with three generations of expertise in Capitol Hill.
• New tin, copper & membrane roof systems • Inspections & repairs • Roof painting • Gutters, spouts & skylights
AL
w
i
AWARDED BEST WASHINGTON, DC CONTRACTOR OF 2012 BY ANGIE’S LIST FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • “50 YEARS EXPERIENCE”
Flat Roof Specialists Modified Bitumen • Skylights • Shingles • Slate • •
Chimney Repairs Roof Coatings • Gutters & Downspouts • Preventive Maintenance • Metal Roofs •
Recommended roofer of Capitol Hill Village and Dupont Circle Village Licensed-Insured-Bonded
•
10% OFF WITH THIS AD
202.425.1614 WWW.GANDGHOMEIMPROVEMENTS.NET
Licensed & Insured | All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners
Call now for a FREE ROOF INSPECTION
WE WILL BEAT YOUR BEST PRICE New Roofs, Maintenance & Repairs
202-569-1080
Suburban Welding Company
Seamless Gutters Experts Stopping Leaks is our Specialty!
WE DO IT ALL!
202.637.8808 Licensed, bonded & Insured, DC
®
Welding & Ornamental Iron Work
WOOD & WHITACRE ROOFING CONTRACTORS 20 years on the Hill Slate - Tile - Copper Specializing in all Flat Roof Systems and Leaks Free Estimates • Work Guaranteed Licensed Bonded Insured
JEFFREY WOOD cell 301-674-1991 www.wood-whitacre.com
164 ★ Hillrag.com
WELDING
tom@rthomasdanielroofing.com www.rthomasdanielroofing.com
• Repairs of Original Cast Iron Staircases • Window bars and door security gates • Handrailings & Stair Railings • Fences, Sidewalk Gates, Tree Box Fences • DC code approved bedroom window security bars • Excavating, back hoe services and tree stump grinding • Certified welding
24-hours, 7-day service Free estimates
703-765-9344
www.suburbanweldingcompany.com
OTHER SERVICES
Dr. David Walls-Kaufman
BEAUTY/HEALTH/FITNESS
PET SERVICES
Chiropractor 411 East Capitol St., SE All are welcome to Dr. Walls-Kaufman's free Saturday morning Tai Chi class at 8 am in Lincoln Park
202-544-6035 Because Optimal Health is Impossible Without Optimal Posture!
SHOE REPAIR
Eastern Market Shoe Repair • Shoes • Boots • Purses • Luggage LOOK AND FEEL BETTER WITH HOT YOGA!
645 Penn Ave., SE upstairs M-F 8:30-7 • Sat 9-6
New Students Only $20 For 7 Days Of Unlimited Yoga!
WE HAVE: • 37 Bikram Yoga classes weekly • Express 60 minute classes 6 days a week • Children’s non-heated Hatha Yoga on Sundays • Hip-hot yoga Friday nights • Fitness assessments including body composition (with RJL Quantum IV)
zoolatry
202-543-5632
SOFTWARE/COMPUTERS
ALL LEVELS WELCOME! No reservations required!
(zoo-ahl’-uh-tree) the worship of animals – especially a pet
The Cat Lady Over 20 years’ experience in all things cat
www.BikramYogaCapitolHill.com
• vacation/travel pet sitting for cats and other small animals
410 H ST. NE | 202-547-1208 info@bikramyogacapitolhill.com
• in-home training in medication or fluids administration • assistance with alley cats
Our website just got a whole lot better! capitalcommunitynews.com
• • • • • •
Troubleshooting, Repairs & Upgrades Virus and Spyware Removal New and Existing Computer Setup Network andWireless Installation Data Recovery, Transfer and Back-up Webpage Development
Insured – Bonded Member of National Association of Professional Petsitters
Charlotte Fox 202-341-9089
www.zoolatry.com
For cat adoptions www.capitalcats.petfinder.org
On-site Service for Homes and Businesses
Pet sitting – Medications Administered Crate Training
(202) 547-WALK (9255)
Serving Capitol Hill, near Northeast, Atlas District, Southwest & NoMA
Anchor Computers
Mid-Day Dog Walking Service
• cat behavior questions & behavior modification techniques
Specializing in Cats with Medical Needs
k
m
Living on & serving the Hill since 1986
Big dogs, puppies, hard to handle and older dogs. I love them all ….and I also love kitties.
Meet Our Walkers Online at
SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES! DOG TRAINING
Phillip DuBasky Dog Walking, Kitty Care & Pet Sitting
Serving Capitol Hill Since 1995
Never missed a walk in 10 years Experienced and Reliable Outstanding Hill References • Insured by PSA
202.889.0996
Larry Elpiner Elpiner 301.767.3355 • 202.543.7055 www.anchorcomputers.com
April 2014 ★ 165
PET ADOPTION
CAPITAL CATS
Adoption Event at Howl to the Chief Sundays Noon to 3 PM 733 8th Street, S.E.
a five-minute walk from Eastern Market Metro.
Visit our Web site to view pictures and their engaging personalities at www.capitalcats.petfinder.com or www.homealone.petfinder.com Capital Cats is a non-profit cat rescue organization on the Hill that has many wonderful, personable cats and kittens available for adoption to good homes.
MAKE YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESSFUL! MISC. HOME SALE 2BR RENOVATED
Capitol Hill (12 & PA, SE) - Renovated TH, 2 BR, 1 Bath, Hardwood Floors, Private Patio. $459,000.Call 202-236-1031
FOR RENT NONPROFIT OFFICE SPACE
Hill Center is offering nonprofit organizations the opportunity to locate administrative offices in the beautifully renovated Civil-War era Old Naval Hospital at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. One light-filled corner office with beautiful views of Capitol Hill is available on the third floor of the ADA accessible building. Office space comes with reception services at the front entrance of the building; shared access to a staff kitchenette; a shared Conference Room; and a “huddle” space. Every office is equipped with Ethernet jacks. Basic internet connectivity and utilities are included in the monthly use fee of $850 per month. For more information, e-mail diana@HillCenterDC.org or call 202-549-4172.
FOR SALE KITCHEN APPLIANCES
Big refrigerator with 5.38cuft freezer, electric stove, dishwasher with hoses. Lightly used, $300 OBO. mrmozzz@yahoo.com.
SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES!
BOX CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS (quarterly)
2”x 2” 2.5” 3” 4” 5” 7”
$150 $180 $225 $300 $360 $400
LINE CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS (monthly)
Capital Community News, Inc.
Hill Rag | Midcity DC | East of the River | Fagon Community Guides *Prepayment by check or credit card is required.
166 ★ Hillrag.com
This is a special home delivery of The Hill Rag, Capitol Hill’s own community newspaper for the past 37 years. In case you haven’t seen a copy in a while, the paper is full of news about everything going on on Capitol Hill, from real estate to school news, businesses opening to dining reviews, home and garden tips to movie reviews. Published the first week of every month, you can pick it up at any of the locations listed on the back of this flyer. During the month you can catch up on what’s going on by visiting our website at www.hillrag.com. And sign up for daily emails or tweets listing breaking news on the website.
The Hill Rag, Your Community Newspaper Monthly in print, daily on the web. Look for Hill Rag on Facebook
#capitalcommnews
Subscribe to our mailing list @ hillrag.com email address
Subscribe
April 2014 ★ 167
168 H Hillrag.com
April 2014 H 169
{the nose}
THE NOSE
Up Against The Wall…
A
by Anonymous
mericans are generally regarded as innocent until proven guilty in a court of law; so The Nose and his contemporaries learned in their ninth grade civic classes. In point of fact, as a society, not even the accusation of impropriety can be made without due process. Under federal law, a grand jury secretly deliberates on the evidence. Formal charges require a bill of indictment voted by such empaneled citizens. So imagine The Nose’s incredulity when he witnessed US Attorney Ronald ‘The Sheriff’ Machen Jr. level a thinly veiled accusation against Mayor Vincent C. Gray at a news conference. The mayor, he obliquely alleged, knew of the 2010 ‘shadow campaign.’ To be more specific, ‘Mayoral Candidate A’ submitted a one-page GOTV (Get Out The Vote) budget to Jeffrey ‘Money Bags’ Thompson, Machen stated. Thompson also provided $10,000 to a member of Candidate A’s family as well as $40,000 in home improvements and expenses to a ‘close friend.’ Had the US Attorney empaneled his fellow scribblers in the brief interlude when The Nose had nipped off to the little boys’ room? Feeling like the kid last chosen for a grade-school kickball squad, The Nose looked around for a bailiff and a bible hoping to join Machen’s merry band. In the midst of his fruitless search, The Sheriff urged all those who “participated in backroom, under the table deals with Jeff Thompson” to turn themselves in. All of a sudden, The Nose had an epiphany. Machen was not convening a grand jury; he was conducting a public plea negotiation with the Mayor and his attorney. Dear Readers, let The Nose translate prosecutor-speak for the less savvy. Machen: “Come forward now and own up to your conduct.” The Nose’s Translation: “Cop a plea with us or we will lock you up along with two people who you hold near and dear.” This whole theatrical performance may perplex readers weaned on ninth grade civics. However, in point of fact, 97 percent of federal criminal cases are settled without a trial. As glorified horse traders, federal prosecutors routinely negotiate pleas with defense attorneys. In the next two weeks, both the mayor and Robert Bennett, his attorney, responded to Machen’s public gambit. Strongly denying the allegations, they told Machen that they looked forward to seeing him in court. While Machen’s threats did not succeed in forcing Gray from the pri-
170 H Hillrag.com
mary, as was the case with Michael Brown in 2013, they certainly queered the race. Only 22.5 percent of registered voters bothered to visit the polls, a record low turnout in a mayoral primary. 9.27 percent of registered Democrats anointed Muriel “Forward” Bowser as the Democratic candidate and the probable next mayor. With a substantial assist from the esteemed editors at The Washington ComPost, The Sheriff had achieved his objective. The District had once again been made a pawn in a federal chess game. Mayor Gray, with the federal sword of Damocles hanging over your head, here is a song set to a tune from My Fair Lady: I’m getting indicted in the morning, whether or not I admit to any crime Pull out the stopper! Let’s have a whopper! But get me to the court on time! I gotta be there in the mornin’ Spruced up and lookin’ in me prime. Editors, come and kiss me; I know how you’ll diss me. But get me to the court on time! If I am cutting a ribbon, roll up the floor. If I am signing a bill, whisk me out the door! For I’m gettin’ indicted in the mornin’ whether or not I admit to any crime. Kick up an rumpus I’ve lost my moral compass; And get me to the court, Get me to the court, For Gawd’s sake, get me to the court on time! Disgusted by District politics, Dear Readers? The Nose strongly urges you to self-medicate before November’s general election. A tot of bourbon puts a rosy edge on the grayest evening. Have a comment for The Nose, email thenose@hillrag.com u