Hill Rag Magazine – December 2020

hillrag.com . December 2020

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS! CONTACT US NOW FOR YOUR FREE WINTER ROOF INSPECTION! SECURE YOUR ROOF BEFORE WINTER SETS IN. EMAIL US TODAY AT TOM@RTHOMASDANIELROOFING.COM OR CALL US AT 202-569-1080 WHILE APPOINTMENTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!

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IN THIS ISSUE DECEMBER 2020

41

88

Holiday l a i c e p 5 S 1

pg.

14 Holiday Discount Coupons 16 What’s On Washington

by Kathleen Donner 22 Support Your Community with Your Holiday Shopping

by Claudia Rausch 32 When Dracula Tangled With The Virus by Maggie Hall 34 Happy 10 Years, Labyrinth

by Elizabeth O’Gorek 38 Wine Girl by Elyse Genderson

Keeping Connected: How Capitol Hill Village Helps Members Interact Through COVID

Mural at Hopkins Apartments Reflects Urban Farm and Community by Phill Hutinet

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

81

Capitol Cuisine

by Celeste McCall

93

A Later-in-Life Passion for an Unconventional Sport

by Pattie Cinelli

capitol streets 41

Keeping Connected: How Capitol Hill Village Helps Members Interact During Covid

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

44

Capitol Hill Community Foundation Meets the Pandemic by Stephanie Deutsch

48

John Franzén: 1946-2020

by Stephanie Deutsch

50

Eastern Market Strategic Plan

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

54

My Life’s Work Podcast by Sarah Cymrot

54

The Life’s Work of David Stute by Sarah Cymrot

56

Success of Phelps High School; ANC6A Report by Nick L. Alberti

58

ANC Opposes Liquor License for Penn Avenue Sportsbook; ANC 6B Report

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

60

Rental Rulemaking And Games of Skill; ANC 6C Report by Sarah Payne

62

Afterhours Construction Permitting Debated; ANC 6D Report by Andrew Lightman

64

Bulletin Board by Kathleen Donner

homes and gardens 71

The DC Residential Sales Market 2020 Thru October by Don Denton

72

The Rental Market in DC by Michael Frias

74

Making Good on DC’s Climate and Renewable Energy Goals by Catherine Plume

75

Dear Garden Problem Lady by Wendy Blair

76

Changing Hands by Don Denton

arts and dining 81

Capitol Cuisine by Celeste McCall

84

At the Movies by Mike Canning

86

Art and the City by Jim Magner

88

Mural at Hopkins Apartments Reflects Urban Farm and Community by Phill Hutinet

90

Literary Hill by Karen Lyon

91

Poetic Hill by Karen Lyon

family life 93

A Later-in-Life Passion for an Unconventional Sport

by Pattie Cinelli

96

The District Vet: The Liver by Dan Teich, DVM

98

Climate Change: Eliot Hine Junk Art Club At Hill Center’s Young Artists Gallery by Elizabeth Nelson

100

Kids & Family Notebook by Kathleen Donner

106 CLASSIFIEDS 110 CROSSWORD

on the cover: Oh Happy Day Tricia Biyce Paper Sculpture, 30x40 Available at the Hill Center www.hillcenterdc.org/galleries Inquire at: Galleries@HillCenterDC.org

Next Issue: January 2nd

Capital Community News, Inc. Publisher of: MIDCITY

F A G O N

GUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL

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EDUCATION

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Capital Community News, Inc. PO Box 15477, Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 • www.capitalcommunitynews.com • www.hillrag.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner • melissa.ashabranner@gmail.com

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Editorial Staff

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Arts, Dining & Entertainment Art:

Dining: Literature: Movies: Music:

Theater: Wine Girl:

Jim Magner • jjmagner@aol.com Phil Hutinet • phutinet@yahoo.com Celeste McCall • cmccall20003@gmail.com Karen Lyon • klyon@literaryhillbookfest.org Mike Canning • mjcanning@verizon.net Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Stephen Monroe • steve@jazzavenues.com Barbara Wells • barchardwells@aol.com Elyse Genderson • elyse@cellar.com

Calendar & Bulletin Board

Calendar Editor: Kathleen Donner • calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com

General Assignment

Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Tom Daniel • tom@rthomasdanielroofing.com Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com Pleasant Mann • pmann1995@gmail.com Meghan Markey • meghanmarkey@gmail.com William Matuszeski • bmat@primary.net Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Michael G. Stevens • michael@capitolriverfront.org

Beauty, Health­­& Fitness

Patricia Cinelli • fitmiss44@aol.com Candace Y.A. Montague • writeoncm@gmail.com

Real Estate

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

Kids & Family

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

Homes & Gardens

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

Commentary

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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.

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l a i c e p S y olida

Photo: Mount Vernon

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WHAT’S ON W A S H I N G T O N WINTER GLOW AT MOUNT VERNON On Dec. 11 to 13 and 26 to 28, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., see Mount Vernon illuminated with soft lights and holiday patterns as you listen to Christmas carolers and visit an 18th-century winter encampment. Chat with soldiers at the encampment; see sparks fly at the blacksmith shop; listen to costumed Christmas carolers; meet Aladdin the camel; shop for artisan-made goods crafted using 18th century techniques; purchase warm food from the Mount Vernon Inn food truck; and shop for holiday gifts at The Shops at Mount Vernon. Tickets are $30 to $45. mountvernon.org.

CARLA BERROCAL WINDOWS AT THE FORMER RESIDENCE OF THE SPANISH AMBASSADOR Through Jan. 31, Spanish artist and illustrator Carla Berrocal pays tribute to classic and contemporary Spanish culture in her creations on the facade of the Former Residence of the Spanish Ambassador in the United States-- the BeauxArts Mansion at 2801 16th St. NW. She says, “This is my tribute to Spanish culture. I planned the project so that the lower windows were classic-art-oriented and the upper ones contemporary-art-oriented.”

Read more at spainculture. us/city/washington-dc.

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Craig Wallace. Photo: Carol Rosegg

FORD’S THEATRE PRESENTS “A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE RADIO PLAY” In time for the holiday season and in partnership with WAMU 88.5 FM, DC’s NPR news station, Ford’s Theatre presents a one-hour radio play adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, featuring acclaimed Washington actor Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge. WAMU 88.5 FM will broadcast the play on Dec. 25, at noon. The radio play will also be made available to the public on Dec. 14, at fords.org/carol-radio.

VANESSA COLLIER AT THE HAMILTON American blues, funk, and soul saxophonist, singer and songwriter, Vanessa N. Collier is at the Hamilton, 1600 14th St. NW, on Thursday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.).

She has been nominated for five Blues Music Awards and won one of them in 2019 and another in 2020. Tickets are $50 to $150. live.thehamiltondc.com.

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l a i c e p S y a Holid CHRISTMAS WITH THE FOLGER CONSORT: A VIRTUAL CONCERT In Christmas with the Folger Consort: A Virtual Concert, Folger Consort presents a program of early music holiday favorites filmed in the nave of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill. Two sections of the program are centered on the German text “Wachet auf” (“Sleepers Wake”), with a performance of J.S. Bach’s cantata BWV140 and Michael Praetorius’s setting of “Wachet auf” from a century earlier. One of Bach’s most intimately scored cantatas, a socially distanced Baroque ensemble playing on historical instruments and solo vocalists bring the work to life. The Folger Consort makes the holiday-themed concert available for on-demand streaming, Friday, Dec. 11, through Tuesday, Jan. 5. Tickets are $25 to $50 at folger.edu/consort.

WELCOME TO NAS’S SCIENCE SPEED DATING The National Academy of Sciences’ Science Speed Dating brings together experts from some of the most hotly contested fields of science: climate change, genetically engineered foods, evolution, and vaccines. Filtered through campaigns of misinformation and political rhetoric, the underlying science of these topics is often obscured or misconstrued. But the science is not just another opinion to add to the mix. So how do they tell that story properly? How do they cut through the noise to achieve impact? Their four experts will give us a sense of the public’s current understanding of their field and the way in which they now seek to communicate effectively to create change going forward. scienceandentertainmentexchange.org/blog/watch-science-speed-dating.

METEORS AND METEORITES: GEMINIDS LIVE On Monday, Dec. 14, 6:45 p.m., join George Mason University Observatory’s Peter Plavchan and geologist-turned-meteorite scientist Tim Gregory on Zoom for a night illuminated by meteors and meteorites. When a fragment of rock streaks through the atmosphere as a brilliant meteor (or “shooting star”), it sometimes makes landfall on the Earth. We call these surviving rocks meteorites, and they have inspired legends and lore for millennia. Modern science has shed these celestial rocks with a fascinating light, and from them we have learned the story of our solar system’s deepest history. Meteorites are the only way we can get our hands on pieces of a newly forming system of planets. $25. smithsonianassociates.org.

RIGHT: A thin slice of a chassignites, which are pieces of the Martian surface that arrive here on Earth as meteorites.

JOIN THE AUDUBON CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Since the Audubon Christmas Bird Count began over a century ago, it has relied on the dedication and commitment of citizen volunteers. This year, Audubon’s 121st Christmas Bird Count will be conducted between Monday, Dec. 14, 2020 and Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Your local count will occur on one day between those dates. Participate in as many counts as you wish. You can stay at home or go farther afield. There is a specific methodology to the CBC, and all participants must make arrangements to participate in advance, but anyone can participate. Read more and sign up at audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count.

Photo: Courtesy of the National Audubon Society

DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY MARKET DC’s Downtown Holiday Market runs through Dec. 23 (closed Mondays, Dec. 7 and 14), noon to 8 p.m. This year’s market has moved off its previous sidewalk location to take over two blocks of F Street NW, from Seventh to Ninth. The outdoor shopping village’s increased footprint allows for wider aisles on the street and guests can shop confidently in a safe and socially distant experience in accordance with current COVID-19 guidance. The market layout features a single entryway check-in located on the sidewalk of F Street in front of the National Portrait Gallery, streamlined one-way and properly distanced foot traffic managed to ensure circulation around the market’s back-to-back retail vendor tents. downtownholidaymarket.com.

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l a i c e p S y Holida OTHER OUTDOOR MARKETS FOR HOLIDAY PRESENTS, GREENERY AND CHEER Eastern Market’s outdoors, 225 Seventh St. SE, is open on Tuesdays, noon to 4 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shop for trees and wreaths; gifts; and fall/winter fruits and vegetables. easternmarket-dc.org.

Victura Park Holiday Market at the Kennedy Center’s the REACH is a family-friendly, open-air market that features a rotating lineup of local artists and artisans. It is open Dec. 4 to 6, 11 to 13 and 18 to 20; Fridays, 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, noon to 9 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 8 p.m. victuraparkdc.com/holiday-market.

Held Saturday mornings year-round for more than 260 years, the Old Town Farmers Market, in Market Square, 301 King Street, 7 a.m. to noon, is the oldest continuously-run farmers market in the US. George Washington even sent his produce from Mount Vernon to be sold here.

Free parking. visitalexandriava.com.Photo: C. Martin for Visit Alexandria

BUY NOTHING. GIVE FREELY. SHARE CREATIVELY. The Buy Nothing Project began in 2013 when two friends, Rebecca Rockefeller and Liesl Clark, created an experimental hyper-local gift economy on Bainbridge Island, WA. Since then, it has become a worldwide social movement, with groups in 30 nations. Local groups form gift economies that are complementary and parallel to local cash economies. Whether people join because they’d like to get rid of things that are cluttering their lives or simply to save money by getting free things, they quickly discover that a gift economy’s real wealth is the people involved and the web of connections that forms to support them. DC currently has 13 groups (more added continually). Find your closest at buynothingproject.org/find-a-group/#DC.

IN SERIES’S ORPHEE ET EURYDICE EXPLORES LOVE AND LOSS IN THE TIME OF COVID

Capitol Hill resident Rachel Kaplan with Lina whose “outfit” was acquired through the Lincoln Park Buy Nothing Project group.

Photo: Meg Levine, justwalkdcportraits.visualsociety.com

ART IN ISOLATION: CREATIVITY IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 Through Jan. 29, 2021, Art in Isolation pays tribute to the experiences and reflections of artists from the Middle East and its diaspora during a period of global crisis. The MEI (Middle East Institute) Art Gallery’s first-ever open call, Art in Isolation, invited regional artists to submit artwork made at the height of the global pandemic around the theme of sheltering in place. Thirty-eight of the 54 works are hanging in the Gallery with the full exhibition featured on the MEI website. All works are for sale. The Gallery, 1763 N St. NW, is accepting in-person appointments to view the exhibition. mei.edu/art-gallery.

Ilyes Messaoudi’s HELP, 2020. Mixed media on canvas, 3.28 x 3.28 ft. Ilyes Messaoudi is a Tunisian visual artist working in painting, collage, and embroidery. His work, which is rooted in his North African heritage, connects tradition and modernity to reveal identity struggles, taboos and stereotypes within the Middle East, and critiques on contemporary culture.

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IN Series has returned to the original revolutionary opera, Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice, for an intimate film experience exploring love, loss, and grief during a global pandemic in which millions have lost those they love. For this uniquely personal project filmed during isolation, husband and wife Benjamin Williamson (English National Opera, Bonn Stuttgart) and Paula Sides (English Touring Opera, Royal Opera House) allowed a PPE protected filmmaker into their home to make a cinematographic opera experience about a husband losing his beloved wife to sickness and entering into the unspeakable process of grieving that follows.

Orpheus and Eurydice is available, free, at invision. inseries.org/full-feature/orphee-et-eurydice.

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l a i c e p S y a Holid

Support Your Community with Your Holiday Shopping

by Claudia Rausch

Shop Early, Shop Locally–In Person and Online

T

he holiday shopping season is upon us, and Capitol Hill’s small business owners are here for all of your shopping needs. From clothing to toys to gourmet food products and more, you can find something for everyone on your list right here on the Hill.

There are many reasons to shop locally, especially in a neighborhood like Capitol Hill, where you are buying from a neighbor when you buy from one of our independent businesses.

Many of our store owners are fellow residents with whom you develop relationships over time.

They get to know you and your family, which means that they can contribute significant expertise when selecting the perfect gift. And unlike the big chain stores, independent retailers have curated inventory that is much more enjoyable to browse.

Shopping at stores where you know people is also more fun, engaging, and gives you a sense of belonging. In turn, that contributes to your mental health, which is especially important as we deal with life during a pandemic.

Shop to Win Shopping locally this year can also translate into prizes with the help of CHAMPS, Capitol Hill’s Chamber of Commerce. In place of its annual Sip and Shop event, which usually draws hundreds to our local retailers, CHAMPS has launched a Holiday Passport program. Shoppers can be entered into a raffle by shopping online or in-person at partici22 H HILLRAG.COM

You really can find something for everyone while shopping on the Hill.

Shop Early

Owner Laurie Gilman of East City Bookshop

pating retail businesses between November 28 and December 11. You can learn more at capitolhill.org.

We spoke with several Capitol Hill business owners to get their advice on making this a successful shopping season. What they want you to know?

2020 is the year to ditch the procrastination and get your shopping done early. With limits to the number of shoppers permitted in stores at a time, increased cleaning protocols, and altered business procedures, store owners everywhere are urging people to shop early this year.

If there is a specific item you are searching for, inquire with local shops about their ability to order it for you. Just because it’s not on their shelf does not mean that they don’t have access to it through their suppliers.

East City Bookshop (645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, eastcitybookshop.com) is an excellent example of this. Simply browse for a title on their website and place an online order for delivery or pickup. They generally receive orders from their suppliers within two or three days and will call you when it’s ready. The Bookshop has set up a pickup window for online orders to manage crowds in the store, making the process very efficient. Keep in mind that it is vital to ask about special orders as early as possible.

If you can’t get the exact item you want in time, consider a gift card that will allow the recipient to pick out their perfect gift.

Shop (Locally) Online Many retailers who did not previously have online shopping options have launched new digital sites to make it easier to order from them without making an

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DCanter owners Michelle Lim Warner and Michael Warner.

appointment or waiting in line.

DCanter (545 8th St SE, dcanterwines. com) relaunched its website this summer with an upgraded user experience to make the online shopping experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. Owner Michael Warner remarked on the community that has formed from their online events. “We have a lot of regulars joining our Friday night ‘Taste at 8:00’ wine classes, and many have started to form some online friendships. It’s been a lot of fun to see how Capitol Hill’s strong sense of community has car-

ried over into online events, even if we all long to share a glass of wine in person again soon.”

On H Street, C.A.T.Walk Boutique (1000 H Street NE, thecatwalkdc.com) has been leveraging social media to promote products. Owner Carolyn Thomas encourages anyone looking for unique women’s clothing to follow her on social media (instagram.com/c.a.t.walk_boutique/), where they can place orders and receive free shipping.

Labyrinth Games & Puzzles (645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, labyrinthgameshop.com),

C.A.T. Walk Boutique’s Carolyn Thomas

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Tis the season of jigsaw puzzles, and Labyrinth has a full selection.

Photo: Claudia Rauch

which celebrated ten years on the Hill this November, offers most of its inventory on their new online shop; customers have the option to pick up their order in the store or have it shipped to them. Labyrinth now offers shipping to anywhere in the US, making it a great place to shop for all of the gamers and puzzlers on your list, near and far. The popular game shop has also launched a new Gift Assist program to help shoppers find the perfect gift.

Be Patient To keep shoppers and staff safe, there will be limits to the number of patrons allowed in a store at any given time, browsing for long periods of time is discouraged, masks will be strictly required indoors, and you will be asked to sanitize your hands upon entry.

“If you’ve ever been to Hill’s Kitchen in a weekend in December, there are lines to the back of the store,” but it cannot be that way this year, says Hill’s Kitchen

Leah Daniels keeps Hill’s Kitchen open seven days a week until Christmas. Photo: Claudia Rausch

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owner, Leah Daniels. “We are physically a small store, and we are limiting how many people can come in. I encourage people to shop alone or with one other person and to not come with their kids.”

It’s a change that is hard on the retailers as well as shoppers. “The fun of a neighborhood store is taking your time, browsing around, seeing what’s new. And that’s the fun of it as a retailer too,” Daniels said. “As a retailer, I want to create a place where you feel comfortable spending time; it’s a neighborhood touchstone. The reason that you Roberta Blanchard, owner of Fairy Godmother, can help love small businesses is that you love the you with your gifts for little ones. Photo: Andrew Lightman people, you love the atmosphere that it creates, and that goes for all the stores in tail shops. Some of my favorite stores for unique the neighborhood.” But safety must come first. gifts these days are Steadfast Supply (301 TingAs have many store owners, Kathleen Doey Street SE #120, steadfastsupplydc.com) nahue of Labyrinth Games and Puzzles has reand Made in DC (multiple locations, shopmamained committed to maintaining both her deindc.com). Steadfast Supply features goods staff ’s safety and Labyrinth’s high level of cusfrom independent brands and designers from tomer service. “A store built around communiaround the globe, while Made in DC focuses ty interaction suffers when events must be poston DC-based designers and retailers. They nevponed,” she remarked while also applauding the er disappoint, and I always seem to find somecommunity’s support. “But with some luck and thing extra for myself. the outpouring of community support the busiThe weekend Flea Markets at Eastern ness has received, Labyrinth is hopefully here Market (easternmarket.net) is another spot that for many more years of fun and games.”

I always swing through for gifts. Shopping the Flea Markets is especially festive this time of year Find Something for Everyone when you are treated to the smell of Christmas Capitol Hill has a very diverse selection of retrees under the Farmers’ Line while you shop.

At Groovy DC, owners Manuel Cortes and Dennis DeWees have everything you need to decorate your home and gifts.

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Music on the Hill can help you pick out the right guitar and even delivers.

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The pandemic has seen a rise in reading among all age groups, which means everyone could use a few new books this year. East City Books and Solid State Books (600 H Street NE, solidstatebooksdc.com) have you covered for all of the latest releases and popular finds of the year. And don’t miss out on the gems within Capitol Hill Books (657 C Street SE, capitolhillbooks-dc.com), where their amazing collection of used books spans the store’s three floors.

Right around the corner from Capitol Hill Books, pop into Fairy Godmother (319 7th Street SE) for children’s books and gifts. After, swing by Groovy DC Cards & Gifts (321 7th Street SE, groovydc.com) for home accessories, cards, and other gifts. Then head upstairs to Paris Bleu (321 7th Street SE), which has a fabulous selection of Parisian handbags, accessories, and gifts that will delight. Next, head a few doors down to Woven History & Silk Road (315 7th Street SE, wovenhistory.com) for beautiful handspun rugs.

If you or someone on your list is into fashion, you are covered from Yards Park to H

Street. In addition to the women’s fashion at C.A.T.Walk Boutique, Clothes Encounters (202 7th Street SE, clothesencountersdc.com) offers an ever-changing selection of beautifully curated consignment clothes and accessories. A Ma Maniere (1214 H Street NE, a-ma-maniere.com) and Maketto (1351 H Street NE, maketto1351.com) also provide a great selection of fashion wears, including men’s items.

If you or someone on your list has taken up running as a way to exercise this year, Pacers on H (600 H Street NE, runpacers. com) has everything you need from shoes to clothes for both men and women. Summit to Soul (727 8th Street SE, summittosoul.com) carries a curated collection of responsibly-sourced athletic apparel and accessories and offers custom gift boxes that make great presents. They and Pacers also have a fun selection of DC-themed shirts that you’ll be proud to sport on your morning jog.

For gifts for your favorite pet, go to Howl to the Chief ( 733 8th Street, SE yummy yummy cookies, bones, and treats.

The shop also has a wide variety of dog coats that will fit the smallest to biggest dog on the block.

Another dog haven, Dogtopia, 900 M Street, SE, in the Navy Yard, will give your pet the perfect place to play safely while you ready the house for the holidays. Unleashed in the Navy Yard at 300 Tingey St SE, a part of the Petco chain, offers and wide array of toys, beds, treats, and more.

Music on the Hill is ready to help you surprise your loved ones this season. Come in and buy your instrument (appointments are required). From guitars to the most colorful collection of ukuleles around to Casio digital pianos, this shop is making sweet music. Instruments, gift cards for lessons, and fun stocking stuffers are all great ideas awaiting you at the store, 801 D Street, NE. And finally, 2020 has been a long year, and the holidays call for some libations. DCanter, Chat’s (503 8th Street SE, chatsdc.com), and Schneider’s of Capitol Hill (300 Massachusetts Avenue NE, cellar.com) can help you keep your wine and bar cart stocked with the bestcurated wines and liquors. Delivery is free on

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Burnie Williams at Chats will help you pick out fine wines. Photo: Celeste McCall

orders over $100. Chat’s even has a section featuring Black-owned wine and spirit companies that are fantastic picks. Each of these local stores is owned and staffed by experts who have impeccable taste and suggestions. What’s even better is that you don’t have to leave your house to send some spirited cheers to someone on your list because Schneider’s, DCanter, and Chat’s all deliver!

While you are out shopping this holiday season, be sure to tag @HillRag on Instagram to share how and where you are supporting your community by shopping local.

Claudia Rauch is a Capitol Hill native, a long-time resident of the Hill, and serves on the CHAMPS board. You can find her on Instagram at @claudiahrauch. u

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l a i c e p S y a Holid

WHEN DRACULA TANGLED WITH THE VIRUS

by Maggie Hall

to the lavatory. And no queuing once you got there after tripping over out-stretched feet or some kid’s soft toy in the aisle.

A main reason for so few travelers is that anyone entering from the USA has to go into 14 days quarantine and only citizens or green card holders can enter the US. Flying to “see the Queen” requires a Border Control form to be submitted before departure and a copy has to be handed in at immigration on arrival. It reveals all contact info, about where you live and where you’re going. And it stresses that under the threat of a stiff financial penalty you must not venture out from your given quarantine address. Along with a warning that the authorities will check that you are behaving yourself. Nobody contacted me. one was seated within shouting distance of each other, On the return there was a similar US Federal unless they were traveling with a “bubble” companform to be handed in on arrival at Dulles. I waved my ion. The drinks’ service was as frequent as you wantform in front of three uniformed people. They all just ed it to be; no scrambling over a sleeping body to go shrugged and waved me on.

Now, many people will view my traveling overseas as foolhardy. But I had a compelling reason. I needed to get to the British publishers of the book I wrote during lock-down. The finishing touches, as in several final edits, meant a constant back and forth of the manuscript, a very lengthy procedure if done by mail.

So, for readers who recall my previous articles on the virus, where I confessed to not clearing out even one closet, making bread or reading War and Peace, or any other book for that matter, I was busy doing nothing but penning one. Had I not been imprisoned by the virus I would never have done it!

Here is my full-frontal plug for the finished product. It’s All Things Dracula: An A-Z Of The Count Who Refuses to Die. You can guess from the sub-title that it’s a trivia read, jammed with all manner of information about products, services, items, that have taken the name of the world’s number one vampire. It ranges from fun stuff to seriously academic matters. It has entries about animals, ballet, crosswords, flowers, jokes, museums, opera, royalty, stamps, technology, universities, wool, zoos and so much more. There are also tons of American references, particularly to Philadelphia, Harvard and Walt Whitman. While it is not the finest piece of literature ever it is a great BSB. No, not a bedside book but - and excuse the Brit colloquialism - a bogside-book.

And it has two “Christmas” entries. One Maggie Hall wanders the Eastern Market farmer’s offerings.

A STOCKING-STUFFER EMERGED

M

y family in Jolly Olde is delighted that I won’t be home for Christmas! It will save them the pain and trauma of abandoning me to my own resources. As back in Britain I would be forced to endure a solo “celebration.”

All to do with the severe--make that draconian-restrictions in place.

The rule is (at the time of writing): no more than six from the same bubble around the Christmas dinner table, and that includes toddlers.

Of course, because of the simmering civil unrest in Britain, as the ways of dealing with the “will-it-ever-end” corona-virus stumble from tiers of terror to total lock-down back to “tears,” the rules might change before the Christmas tree drops its first needles.

But, whatever. I will still stay put in my cozy Eastern Market apartment, cosseted by the way the Capitol Hill community has managed to stay apart but together and basically healthy. At least compared to the raging virus rates in other parts of the country and world.

Though I will miss experiencing, again, the one thing I have loved during the whole, miserable last ten months - crossing “the pond” by plane. Why? Because the safest I’ve felt (apart from being at home on my own) is on the two flights I made, DC to Heathrow to DC. Defying the virus, I escaped in early August to my seaside home in Whitby, Yorkshire. There were 58 passengers on the Airbus A350. It carries 331. On the November 2nd return there were 94, an increase probably due to Americans rushing home at the last minute to vote. The delight was that no

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is the little known, but highly-rated film Christmas at Dracula’s. Perfect holiday viewing for the family when the TV offerings don’t appeal.

Watch it on YouTube. The other is a much-lauded children’s book, Little Dracula’s Christmas, by the awardwinning Irish author Martin Waddell. Out of print, search for it on AbeBooks and eBay. It will set you back around $30 plus.

As for the virus? It’s in there.

One entry reads: “The Malaysia Chronicle in a feature headlined, ‘The Lighter Side to Covid 19,’ wrote: ‘Yes, Covid is more horrifying than even Dracula as Dracula kills only an average of 365 people a year...’.”

On that grim thought, with Christmas looming, don’t forget to “santa-ize” and I hope you don’t have to “elf-isolate.” Also, should you fork out $10 plus for a copy as a gift for yourself or someone on your stocking-stuffer list, “fang you.”

# All Things Dracula is available directly from the publisher at: https://www.ypdbooks.com/nonfiction/2184-all-things-draculaYPD02456.html, The Book Depository and Amazon. u December 2020 H 33

l a i c e p S y a Holid

10

Happy Years, Labyrinth!

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

Find the Spirit of Play And Community at the Hill”s Favorite Game Shop

A

new, unable to imagine returning to her career as an international business consultant, but wanting to get back to work full time. As inspiration, she drew on the spirit of play she remembered at Kobe’s Corner, a hobby store in her hometown of Pensacola, FL, that carried Dungeons and Dragons, puzzles, loads of games —and would let kids play with them.

Playfulness has been with Labyrinth from the beginning. In non-COVID times, families would come in and try out most everything in the store on tables throughout the store. People came in for birthday parties, events, and clubs from the First Moves game hour for four and five year olds, to a Mahjong night for the members of Capitol Hill Village.

Labyrinth taught Kathleen Donahue in front of Labyrinth Games and Puzzles the community, and the (645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) just before the store opened in community taught Lab- November, 2010.Photo: A. Lightman yrinth. Early on, parents emphasis on community from the little convenience asked Donahue to offer and liquor store her father ran while she was growing chess lessons, so Donahue up. People would come just to talk and hang out tobegan offering classes in game gether; in the evenings, after work, there was a bit of strategy. At the request of fama happy hour. ilies at Brent Elementary and “It was a lot like Cheers,” Donahue said now.

Two Rivers Charter School, “Very community-oriented.”

Labyrinth staff brought classDonahue said she remembered her father getting es into the schools, the zygote calls, asking for donations and contributions to comof an after-school program munity causes, and very early on made the decision that last year offered multiple that Labyrinth would support kids in the local comprograms in nearly 20 differmunity, with a focus on local schools. ent District schools.

Labyrinth has donated tens of thousands of dollars to schools, teachers and non-profits. In 2019 Building Community alone, Labyrinth raised over $8,000 for Children’s Kids Play Chickyboom, a game teaching about weights and balance, at Maury Community building is key to National Hospital by hosting a 24-hour board gamSTEM Night, March 2019.

Donahue. Labyrinth brings an community center was born in the middle of the 14th Street Bridge one November day ten years ago.

Kathleen Donahue got the idea for Labyrinth Game Shop (645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) while sitting in the middle of traffic.

She had driven out to Northern Virginia in search of a mancala board that her son David, then six years old, wanted to bring as a gift to a birthday party.

Now she was trapped in traffic on her way home, late to collect David, and on the phone with her husband. “That’s what you should do,” he told her. “You should open a toy store in Capitol Hill.”

Toys, Donahue wasn’t interested in. But puzzles and games?

Donahue had been looking to start something

34 H HILLRAG.COM

ing event. For its contributions to the community, Labyrinth was named the Retailer of the Year by the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) in 2019. Donahue was also awarded the 2020 Steve Cymrot Spark award by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, an award that recognizes individuals whose contributions have ignited institutions of lasting value and importance to the neighborhood.

Donahue said the community is the key to the success of the store and to her satisfaction with her daily work. “I cannot possibly tell you how many amazing people I’ve met in the last ten years because of the store, and just seeing the people get to know one another and become friends from game nights really means the world to me,” Donahue said. “If anything that’s my best legacy, probably. Just all the people.

I love them.”

The people love Labyrinth back, with more than 6,000 following the store on Facebook alone. Donahue says that she has tried to reach out to a lot of different groups, from those following one game, like Magic: The Gathering, to those favoring jigsaws and crosswords.

Labyrinth has survived the COVID-19 epidemic with that community support, Donahue said. Many have started their holiday shopping early, and are taking advantage of Labyrinth’s Holiday Gift Assist, where customers fill in a form giving information and Labyrinth staff make really detailed gift recommendations. “It’s my way of trying to give online shopping a little Labyrinth flavor,” Donahue said.

Donahue wrestles with how to remain competitive in a world where shopping is increasingly done online or through big box retailers. She said she hopes people think about the way they are shaping their own

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Labyrinth has impacted the landscape of Capitol Hill, said Lyman Moquis. Moquis is a long-time Hill resident and father of four. When he moved here twenty years ago, he said that he feared the revitalization of Pennsylvania Avenue SE would lead to a row of bars and restaurants, but a loss of retail.

“Her store, plus the bookstore right next to it, have created this kind of linchpin in the neighborhood where not only did she have some interesting offerings, but immediately had an impact on the local environment,” he said.

One day, Moquis was looking at Carcassonne, a boardgame in which players construct a medieval landscape. His six-year-old daughter walked into the room and told him she had played it in her after school program, put on by Labyrinth at Maury Elementary, that same day.

Moquis thought this was extraordinary — not just that his child was playing a relatively rare German boardgame, but also, as he put it, “I didn’t even know about this, and here I am, Mr. Gamer.”

Moquis is a not just a gamer. He’s a multiple-World Boardgaming Champion. His eldest daughter went to school with Donahue’s son, and he gave some early input on the kinds of games Labyrinth should stock. He said gamers have a special place in their hearts for stores like Labyrinth, known as an FLGS or “Friendly Local Gaming Store.” The FLGS not only provide games for sale, but game nights, clubs and events, critical to continuing the culture of board games and building community.

“It was really intriguing to me how the creation of a store like this could begin to have real effects on people’s lives,” he said. Kids played the game at school and told their parents, who then went to buy it.

“Maybe there’s a little less video game playing, a little less TV watching, a little more family interaction with some fairly simple cardboard and wooden bits that teach you things about applied math, strategy and social dynamics that you wouldn’t learn at school,” he said.

Magic: The Gathering Tournament at Labyrinth January 2019. Capitol Hill Village Boardgame Club plays Rummy and Cahoots, October 2018.

The Future Even as she celebrates this milestone, Donahue isn’t sure what the future holds. She said she never expected to make it ten years in the first place, but these days much of what she loved about running Labyrinth has been erased by COVID. The events room is now the shipping room, filled with product going out for online sales. There are currently no families coming in to play, and she misses the community part of her work. Donahue said some days, it feels like she’s running a warehouse. ”If we can’t have the events again, and if we can’t have people come in and play, I don’t know how much longer I want to do it. I miss the community part of it so much.”

Moquis encourages people who are on the fence about buying a game to just go get it — from Kathleen. “Nothing at Christmas is better than a game that brings a family together.”

Or a whole community. Happy Birthday, Labyrinth. Here’s to ten more years of playing together.

Shop online and get really detailed Holiday Gift Assistance at store.labyrinthgameshop.com. See all the online events at labyrinthgameshop.com u

December 2020 H 37

l a i c e p S y a Holid

thE WInE GIRL

by Elyse Genderson

The Best Gifts for Wine Lovers!

Schneider’s 2020 Gift Guide

T

he Schneider’s team has compiled the ultimate holiday beverage guide!

We’ve combed through our inventory and curated the best wine, spirits, and beers to delight everyone on your list. From the connoisseur searching for top-scoring showpiece bottles, to the novice just starting their wine journey, and for those experimenting with athome mixology, this list has something for everyone’s tastes. This year, get excited about giving, we’ve selected the best libations from our historic shop to bring joy and smiles to your loved-ones.

Give the Gift of Old Wine Everyone loves mature wine! At Schneider’s we buy private cellars and vet the provenance and quality of each bottle rigorously. Our cellar contains incredible, rare, and mature wines from the most sought after First Growths to lesser-known but stunning Italian bottles. Some selections we’re excited about include a classically rustic Italian, 1990 Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva ($74.99) and a rich and bold Aussie, 2001 Oliver Hill Bradey Block Grenache ($39.99). Just stop in the store or call to speak with one of our wine experts who will guide you in selecting the perfect bottle of mature and rare wine.

2016 Purlieu Napa Cabernet Sauvignon $99.99 Located in the new Coombsville AVA at the edge of the forest and the Napa Valley, Purlieu is a stunning expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker, Julien Fayard, produces wines of pure terroir, highlighting the specificities and characteristics of the fruit, vineyard management, soil, and climate.

He began his wine career at his family’s winery in Provence making rosé. Then on to Lafite and Smith Haut Lafitie. Give the gift of a truly special Napa Valley Cabernet.

38 H HILLRAG.COM

2015 Parducci Coro Mendocino Red Blend $19.99 Coro means chorus in Italian and Spanish and is reflective of the spirit of this wine, many voices singing the same song. 60% Zinfandel, 16% Syrah, 16% Petite Sirah, 6% Grenache, 2% Carignane make up the blend, and what beautiful music they make! Ideal for the American wine enthusiast.

2016 Ferragu Valpolicella Superiore, Verona, Italy $49.99 Deep, rich, super concentrated, and offers floral aromas with hints of sweet blackberry jam, prune, cinnamon, anise, and clove. Extremely velvety and supple, this is the perfect wine for a woman who loves decadence.

Demiere Confiden’s Subtil Brut $49.99 Give the gift of stunning Grower Champagne! Château Demiere was founded in 1936, on the right bank of the Marne Valley, in the heart of historic Champagne. Their vineyards are composed of the classic three grape varieties of Champagne (50% Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay). The current owner, Jerome Demiere, is a dynamic 40-year-old, 3rd generation, winemaker. You can taste his love and passion for life in each glass of his Champagne.

Ainneamh 20 Year Wardhead Blended Scotch $119.99 Ainneamh (pronounced an-yoov) means a rare thing in Gaelic and it is the perfect name to describe this independent bottling company owned by Brian Woods and Scott Watson. Wardhead is the name for Glenfiddich with a dash (1%) of Balvenie. This lovely lightcolored whiskey was aged for 20 years in refill hogshead cask. The straw color is the perfect example of what natural aging with no color additives looks like. Don’t be fooled by the artificial color added to

many other whiskeys – a dark color is not indicative of quality! Bright notes of apple, toffee, baking spice, and savory smoke appear on the nose. The palate is incredibly smooth with hints of burnt orange peel, and caramel. Any scotch lover will appreciate this sophisticated blend.

Leopold Raffin Napoleon Cognac $49.99 Leopold Raffin started making cognac in 1889.

The grand tradition continues with a stunning line of innovative Cognacs. The Napoleon is one of the house’s finest cognacs. The dark mahogany hue complements the sweet, light flavors of cinnamon and gingerbread, accented with notes of dried plums and cooked red apple. The long lingering finish is accented with spiced apricot.

Jefferson Wood Experiment $79.99 Bourbon lovers rejoice! This is a gift set for the whisky nerd in your life. They’ll get to comparatively taste five expressions of Jefferson’s aged in experimental wood casks. The team took four-year-old bourbon whiskey and aged it in one of 13 different cask types, from new wine barrels, to toasted hogshead barrels, to standard charred bourbon barrels with a variety of staves. This collection stands on it’s own as the most diverse and exciting array of youthful bourbon expressions.

Bells Christmas Ale (six pack) $13.99 This traditional Scotch Ale is rich and malty with notes of caramel and toast. An effortless, seasonal gift for craft beer enthusiasts.

Visit Elyse Genderson at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill to discover wines you love. u

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capitol s ree s t

t

KEEPING CONNECTED

How Capitol Hill Village Helps Members Interact During Covid

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

A

bout 40 people, most of them seniors, gathered on the plaza outside the North Hall at Eastern Market Monday, Oct. 19.

Many carried American flags and homemade signs with hand-written slogans such as “VOTE”. Most of them carried their ballots. Socially distanced, but together, they marched from the ballot dropbox located near the Market to those all over the Hill, stopping at each to hear a short story from the history of American democracy.

The event was organized by the Capitol Hill Village (CHV) Urban Walkers, part of the largely volunteer-driven community that helps Hill seniors age in place.

You might think that seniors would be sitting back and waiting for COVID-19 to pass. After all, most of the membership is at or past retirement age, in the demographic most vulnerable to the pandemic.

But if you thought that you’d be very, very wrong.

CHV members are not the type to sit around and wait at any time, let alone in the middle of a national crisis. CHV has made changes in the way they offer ser-

Walk the Vote participants listen to remarks at Rosedale Library. Courtesy: Karen Stuck

vices, activities and engagement to members. But the commitment of CHV didn’t waiver. Members simply organized, planned, adapted and kept on going.

“If you look at what these people have accomplished in their lives —where they come from, what

they’ve done —this is a high-powered group, just in terms of their experience and their abilities, there’s no question,” said CHV Executive Director Judy Berman. “It’s a resource that you won’t see replicated in a lot of places across the country.”

December 2020 H 41

.capitol streets.

Keeping Members Safe – and Connected

and her income curtailed, CHV gave her a $1,000 grant towards the expenses. When someone suggested that, with markets closed for the foreseeable future, Janice’s Table should branch out into online sales on Facebook Marketplace, CHV put out a call for someone to help.

Familiar with computers and smartphones, Brock was nonetheless overwhelmed at the prospect of learning a new online platform. Fifteen-year-old Nicolai Tablion, responded to the call and has been showing Brock the ropes. “This kid is so smart, and light years ahead,” Brock said.

Founded in 2006, CHV aims to sustain and enrich the lives of seniors for the long term, helping to build a community that helps people age on their own terms. They do this by providing care support to members where needed, offering learning and social opportunities, and creating opportunities for civic engagement.

The organization leans heavily on volunteers, many of them members themselves. Volunteers lead the “affinity” or interest groups, help people get to the doctor or to do grocery shopping, advocate on policy and issues in the community and lead instruction sesTransitioning to sions on topics from wellness to current afVirtual Programming fairs to technology.

As the pandemic continued, CHV began tranWhen COVID-19 hit, these activities sitioning as many of its programs as possible could no longer be offered in person, but CHV to virtual platforms.

It was a learning curve for was determined to stay engaged with membereveryone, and at first, Berman said, there was ship —and with the wider Hill community. some resistance.

CHV offers a host of proBerman said that reducing social isolagrams, from biking and tai chi, to cooking and tion is one of the most important challenges a board games club.

As volunteer organizers to aging in place that CHV faces. Loneliness CHV ensures the safety of members. Here, a member participates grew more comfortable with the technology is associated with cardiac damage and cogniin a Village flu clinic. Courtesy: CHV and limitations, they made the move online. tive decline, and it is aggravated by the very In September, CHV hosted a virtual inmeasures that older people are being told they “A Very Wise Decision of Mine” ter-generational LBGTQ symposium, centering the must take to protect themselves from the virus.

Janice Brock joined CHV in January, just before the voices and experiences across generations. “We had “I think one of the things that COVID has expandemic hit. “It was a very wise decision of mine,” to learn how to do a virtual symposium,” said Berposed is sort of the underlying ageism in our culBrock said. “It was pure luck I decided to join it in man.

“We had to learn how to engage people, make ture,” Berman said. Many people believe seniors January, right before the virus.” them feel they were part of something when they must all live together in nursing homes or assisted Brock has lived on Capitol Hill for 30 years. wouldn’t be physically seeing people.” living, where they will have to isolate until the panShe is the proprietor of Janice’s Table, which imMore than 50 people attended the event, which demic is over, however long that takes. ”We’re deports fine European linens and sells them at marfeatured conversation and dialogue from a wide varisigning a world that doesn’t take our highest risk kets throughout the area. ety of LGBTQ individuals on their lived experience. folks into account [and] is a manifestation of the Off work one day, she took a look around the CHV Advocacy Committee Chair Susan Sedgageism and ableism that COVID has exposed, just neighborhood to see who she could have coffee with wick said that while the forms of engagement have as it has also exposed racism.” and realized just how much her personal communichanged as a result of the virtual format, it has neiBut CHV wanted to ensure every member ty had changed. “A lot of the people that I knew had ther reduced the number of members involved or was safe. When stay-at-home orders were issued in left,” she said, “I thought, I’ve at least got to have a their dedication.

Sedgwick said she attended a lot of March, volunteers swiftly set up an emergency concircle, a support group somewhere and maybe get younger people’s Zoom meetings to get the hang of it. tact system, organizing membership into sectors to know other people my age.”

“As much fun as it is to have people over to based on geography. They called those on the list When the pandemic hit, Brock was in a good my dining room tablewe’ve switched over to the once a week to ensure that members had what they place. She is agile and able to get her own groceries Zoom, and I think we’ve gotten pretty proficient needed, be it toilet paper, thermometers, or grocerand go outdoors for walks. Still, CHV called weekly at it,” she said. ies. They distributed PPE to home health workers to see how she was doing and supplied her with face After a lengthy series of online meetings and to keep them safe, helping to keep members and the masks. “It was nice to know that if anything went appearances before Advisory Neighborhood Comwider community safe in the process. wrong, there was a support system there,” she said. mission (ANC) 6B, CHV successfully advocated CHV consulted with Dr. Pedro Kremer, a Hill ”If I needed someone to fix a lightbulb, I could call.” for $250,000 in funding to be part of a communiPhysician and epidemiologist, to be sure they underCHV offered all sorts of support. In the spring, ty benefits arrangement with the developer of 1333 stood the risks, formulating guidelines for CHV proBrock, who has a history of jaw problems, had to M St. SE, earmarking that money for an Adult Day gramming and services throughout the pandemic. have extensive dental work. With markets closed 42 H HILLRAG.COM

Health Center (ADHC).

Composed of eight members, the steering committee, and an ‘advocacy core’ of about 30 members, are focused on a number of issues key to quality of life on the Hill, including more affordable housing for seniors, ensuring there are sufficient numbers of home health workers being educated to meet future need, and making recommendations to the Office of Planning on the Comprehensive Plan (CP) to be sure future development takes the needs of seniors into account.

Building Health and Connection For a few months beginning in the summer, CHV decided to carefully resume some socially-distanced outdoor activities, and under CHV guidelines, the Capitol Hill Urban Walkers again began walking throughout the neighborhood. For participants at the Walk the Vote event, Co-Chair Mary Case ensured that participants each had a buddy with whom they exchanged emergency contact information, and a route on sidewalks and neighborhoods chosen to allow for social distancing between pairs.

For Case, the event was critical on multiple levels, for building health and connection, and participating in community and politics.

“There’s nothing more important than keeping our old bones moving, filling our lungs with fresh air and exploring our beautiful city,” said Case, “and in that way, supporting and knowing about all of the important things that are happening in this city.”

Learn more about membership, volunteering, programs and how to support Capitol Hill Village by visiting capitolhillvillage. org or by calling 202-543-1778. u December 2020 H 43

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CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION MEETS THE PANDEMIC Local Hard-Hit Organizations Are Receiving CHCF Support

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by Stephanie Deutsch

In spite of this, the Serve Your City/ Foundation was able to Ward 6 Mutual Aid make its usual spring grants Serve Your City had for and, in May, to augment years been providing afterthem with special grants toschool and weekend entaling $100,000. This was richment for underserved possible because as Cymyoung people, activities like rot said, “Every single perfinancial literacy classes, son who had bought tickets tennis and rowing. Foundto the dinner that we had to er Maurice Cook says that cancel left their contribuCovid has “shined a flashtions and pledges in place.” light” on deeper needs The special grants went to in the community – the five organizations Cymlack of adequate access to rot calls “anchors” of the the technology and skills community – CHAMPS needed for virtual school(the Capitol Hill Associing as well as more basic ation of Merchants and needs like food. Building The CHCF Literary Pumpkin Walk was held in Professionals), Hill Center on his connections in the place of Literary Feast dinners which usually at the Old Naval Hospital, raise $40,000 for school support programming. community, Maurice has The Walk did not raise any money, but the winEveryone Home DC (forturned Serve Your City ner was given a grant of $1,000 to donate to a merly Capitol Hill Group into the lead partner in the local school. Photo: CHCF Ministry), Little Lights and newly formed Ward 6 MuServe your City, all organitual Aid. The special grant zations with which the Foundation has strong, ongofrom the Foundation allowed him to begin to dising relationships. tribute large amounts of school supplies, food and household items, storing them in space provided by Everyone Home DC the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. He sees tremen“I was stunned,” says Karen Cunningham, dous, increasing need especially as winter approachExecutive Director of Everyone Home DC of es and tent encampments continue to grow. her reaction to news of the special grant. “It said that we trust you in this uncertain time.”

Little Lights Because the homeless and housing-inseThe early summer brought not just the cancellation cure population with which her organization of events and uncertainty about the future course of works is especially vulnerable to the virus, evthe virus, but the crisis that followed the death of ery aspect of what they do had to change with George Floyd in Minneapolis. Little Lights, a longthe pandemic. The day hospitality center at established organization bringing tutoring, mentorShirley’s Place that had been offering a place ing and a host of other services to residents of public to do laundry, to take showers, to use computhousing on Capitol Hill, had responded to the paners was shut down by the city (though it is now demic by stepping up its partnership with the DC partially reopened). Cunningham had to manFood Bank, enabling it to bring ready-to-go meals age an increased and changing work load and for distribution at Potomac Gardens and Hopkins plan for what she fears may be drastically inapartments. But Little Lights also saw hugely inLittle Lights tutors have stepped in to help with supervised virtual learning. Photo: Courtesy Little Lights creased need this winter. creased interest in the “Race Literacy 101” class it ow do you meet twice the need with half the resources? How to you offer financial assistance to organizations facing dramatically changing circumstances without the in-person fundraising events that for years have provided money for hundreds of small grants? That is, more or less, the situation being faced by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation and other organizations as the neighborhood copes with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In late March Foundation president Nicky Cymrot realized that emerging consensus around the virus meant that 250 people could not safely gather for the annual Capitol Hill Community Achievement Awards dinner that has for many years been the Foundation’s largest fundraiser. The event was cancelled. This fall the popular Literary Feasts that normally raise $40,000 to underwrite grants to local public schools were replaced by a Pumpkin Walk -an invitation to create decorations inspired by books and then to vote for a favorite. The result was 40 homes and yards decorated with witches from Macbeth, spiders from Charlotte’s Web, a skeletal Dorothy and Toto from the Wizard of Oz and other spooky sights. It was lots of fun, but it didn’t raise any money.

44 H HILLRAG.COM

This year, like everyone, we have learned to adjust and balance. had been offering to the public for several years. The in-person series of classes scheduled to begin in June with 30 participants had to be cancelled. The virtual version that replaced it has been extremely popular with over a hundred participants in the first ten-week session and the upcoming session sold out with 150 people, some from foreign countries, signed up. The course is a mixture of small group discussions, videos and reading about historical events and current concerns like mass incarceration, and with a focus on the spiritual aspects of racial reconciliation.

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Hill Center Goes Virtual Hill Center Executive Director Diana Ingraham says of the emergency grant from the Foundation in the spring that it “saved our bacon.” In mid-March, the city ordered the closing of public places and cancellation of large events which immediately shut off the earned income the Center has relied on to cover operating expenses. But the grant from the Foundation, followed in June by a payment from the federal Payroll Protection Program, allowed Ingraham to keep paying longtime staff members. A combination of other grants from DC and federal programs, and a lot of careful planning, has allowed Hill Center to develop new ways of doing things.

Ingraham says that the last in-person art show opening, last February, brought 400 people to the Hill Center. The newest art show is entirely on line as was the very popular annual fall pottery show. And virtual cooking classes have been very successful. 30 people recently learned to make pastry with only the chef actually in Hill Center’s demonstration kitchen. So, while it has been demanding to adjust to the needs created by the pandem-

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The Hill Center has moved its programming online. Bill Press interviewed former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in July for his Talk of the Hill series. 150 people were able to attend via Zoom. Photo: Hill Center

ic, Ingraham is confident that “we WILL get through this.”

Spring Grants Top $220,000 This fall, holding meetings via Zoom, pulling in recommendations from 15 dedicated grants committee members, digging deep into dwindling financial reserves while expressing confidence in the results of its upcoming annual end-of-year fundraising appeal, the Foundation gave away $220,000. This was the second largest batch of seasonal grants ever. The grants went to many of its usual grantees as well as going to some endeavors made timely by the pandemic and a renewed focus on improving racial understanding – hypothermia supplies for Everyone Home DC, on-line performances from the Capitol Hill Chorale, REACH’s program to pay Eastern High School students to tutor elementary school kids on-line, parent discussion groups at local schools facilitated by Kindred, increased support for Little Lights’ ra-

cial literacy class. “I am always pleasantly surprised,” says grants committee chairman Mark Weinheimer, “that there are so many organizations doing interesting, imaginative and productive work in our community.” Board President Nicky Cymrot echoes his thought and says, “Of course, we can only do this because of the extraordinary generosity of people in this community.” She then adds, almost as an aside, the astonishing fact that since its founding thirty years ago, the Capitol Hill Community Foundation has given away $9.5 million, money raised almost entirely from local residents and businesses. “People here,” she says, “tend to be generous and they tend to care about their neighbors.”

As if in confirmation of this confidence, Karen Cunningham reports that with just on-line and word of mouth fundraising, Everyone Home DC met its goal of being able to provide 150 families with grocery store gift cards for Thanksgiving. u

Give Locally Opportunities for end of year donations may be found at: capitolhillcommunityfoundation.com everyonehomedc.org serveyourcitydc.org littlelights.org hillcenterdc.org 46 H HILLRAG.COM

DDOT PLANNING ON THE HILL COMMUNITY FORUM WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 6:30 PM Curious about the planning process behind the Pennsylvania and Maryland Avenue projects? At this virtual meeting, DDOT personnel will outline the factors that were considered, including the need for different transportations modes, and provide updates on the current status. Visit chrs.org/ddot-planning-on-the-hill/ for more information.

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IN MEMORIAM

JOHN FRANZEN: 1946-2020

J

by Stephanie Deutsch

ohn Franzén, who died November 1, was a than one-third in three days. longtime resident of both political WashingIn the spring of 1999, John was invited by a friend ton, DC and the Capitol Hill neighborhood to attend the annual dinner of the Capitol Hill Comand made enormous contributions to both. munity Foundation and found himself seated next As a media consultant, he ran over 300 winto Ruth Ann Overbeck, a historian who specialized ning campaigns for office, wrote materials for a huge in local history. John found her “smart as hell” and number of education and environment-focused bal“charming.” Six months later Nicky Cymrot, presilot initiatives, and saw examples of his work placed dent of the Foundation, called. Cymrot asked him if he in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Muwould be willing to use his media background to tape seum of American History. Still, he once told an insome interviews with Overbeck, then very ill but anxterviewer that working with over 90-year-old Mary ious to pass on her extensive knowledge of the neighGray to produce a memoir of her family’s life on the borhood. Franzén agreed, visiting with her several Hill from 1840 to the 1930s was one of the most times, hearing her account of the life of this place beworthwhile projects of his life. He had a deep apginning with the Nacotchtank Indians. The last interpreciation of the place which, almost by accident, view was recorded at Sibley Hospital a few days behad become his home. fore Overbeck died.

Growing up one of six brothers on a farm in From that almost accidental connection came a a thinly-populated corner of South Dakota, John whole slew of new projects. John joined the board of learned to read in a one-room schoolhouse. He was the Capitol Hill Community Foundation and became driving a tractor and doing heavy farm work with one of the founders of the Ruth Ann Overbeck CapiJohn Franzén. Photo: Photopia his father and grandfather by the time he was nine. tol Hill History Project which has recorded over 200 At high school in Langford, the nearest town, he played the trumpet in the band interviews with residents and people with knowledge of the neighborhood. When and was captain of the football team. Always, though, he longed to see a wider a series of public lectures about local history was proposed, John took that on too, world, to live in a place where “conversation didn’t revolve around the weather planning 57 talks over fourteen years on subjects ranging from the 1864 Arsenal and farm machinery.”

Explosion to Frederick Douglass in Washington to the Breweries of Capitol Hill.

So, Franzén turned down the opportunity to play football for the UniversiWhen a group began gathering to discuss the future of the deteriorating Old ty of South Dakota, and went instead to Concordia College in Minnesota, where Naval Hospital building on Pennsylvania Avenue, John joined them becoming, in he majored in English and philosophy, and then went on to graduate work in Engthe words of Executive Director Diana Ingraham, a “founding visionary” of what is lish at McGill University in Montreal with plans to get a PhD. But, after getting his now the Hill Center. John created a fundraising video and recorded the voice-over MA, John instead left Canada for Europe. A visit to a friend in Amsterdam turned for it and also served for a time as president of the Board. Concerned that the fuinto two years working there for a small English-language publisher, time he used ture of the Center be secure, John led the effort to create a Preservation Fund, writto travel and write and think about what would come next. ing individual notes to 400 donors.

What he decided to do was to come home and get involved in the political fight In 2008 John met Mary Gray who, encouraged by Overbeck History project to end the war in Vietnam. George McGovern was not yet a presidential nominee volunteers, was writing a memoir of her family’s life on the Hill and her childhood but John had met him briefly at the South Dakota State Fair and even credited him growing up in the neighborhood in the 1920s. Over a period of several years, and with getting his father to change his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. along with other Overbeck volunteers, John encouraged her to keep writing, read So he threw himself into work for the fledgling effort, beginning as a volunteer but drafts of the manuscript and then created the Overbeck History Press to publish quickly moving into doing communications in the presidential campaign. In the fall “301 East Capitol, Tales from the Heart of the Hill” with a photograph of Gray that of 1972 McGovern lost in a landslide but John had found his voice. he had taken on the cover. He accompanied her to book signings and invited her For the next thirty years, national politics was John’s world. He was, as he once to give one of the Overbeck lectures. They became close friends. It was, John said, said, more familiar with the 16th congressional district in California, where he ran one of the most worthwhile things he ever did. six winning campaigns for Leon Panetta, than with Capitol Hill where he lived. He John Franzén will be remembered not just for these many and lasting contritraveled constantly, organizing media for candidates and for environmental groups, butions to our national political landscape and to the Capitol Hill neighborhood. teachers’ organizations, and the AARP. In 1990 he ran the reelection campaign for He once described his early mentor George McGovern as “a wonderful man…

Senator Bennett Johnson in Louisiana. The ad he made showing challenger Dathoughtful, articulate, a true patriot, a gentleman.” These words could certainly be vid Duke presiding at a cross burning was, he said, “the most negative ad I’ve ever said of Franzén as well. He was a person of unusual dignity and grace, of both seput on the air. Also the ad I’m most proud of.” Support for Duke dropped by more riousness of purpose and great good humor. He will be missed. u

48 H HILLRAG.COM

My Life’s Work

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December 2020 H 49

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EASTERN MARKET STRATEGIC PLAN “Lots of Good Ideas” But Questions About Process

I

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

n a critical moment for Eastern Market, a new toolkit has been completed to help ensure the long-term viability of the icon at the center of our community.

The Eastern Market Strategic Plan, commissioned by the Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) almost a year ago, was released to the public Oct. 7. The plan, budgeted at $300,000, was commissioned from Hill-based consulting firm Architrave, and was endorsed by the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) in a letter that asked for details on specifics as it called for speedy implementation.

study also recommends EMCAC be reconfigured “to ensure equal representation by individuals with a stake and expertise in the operation of Eastern Market.”

The plan calls for a reconfiguration of the stalls in the South Hall and a rethinking of the organization of the outdoor market. There are to be additional events, such as musical performances, and placemaking such as beer gardens, tables and chairs. Marketing is to be emphasized, primarily through the hire of a full-time marketing director, but also through signage and campaigns. Online shopping options are proposed, together with the creation of a customer hub.

What’s Inside

A Toolkit

The 100-page report, issued Oct. 7, comes with an additional five appendixes containing an impressive 300-pages of information and data about the market and the area economy and makes 12 recommendations supported by 52 strategies.

The plan encompasses the Eastern Market Special Use Area (EMSUA), which includes the market inside the building, an ecosystem of outdoor markets and the brick and mortar businesses in the area.

It calls for major changes at the market, including replacing existing management (the Department of General Services advised by EMCAC, with a nonprofit public-partnership board composed of DC government reps, stakeholders, and community members. Elements of the plan are to be coordinated by an implementation committee, which is to be made up of similar membership. The

Architrave Project Manager Scott Betz said that the firm sees the plan as a toolkit, providing goals for Eastern Market, a strategy to implement them, and the data to back up the recommendations. The report is based on more than 3,800 responses to a community survey issued in January, workshops with stakeholders, and studies of five similar public markets throughout the United States.

Some of these recommendations will sound familiar to long-time followers of Eastern Market management, said Peter J. Waldron. Waldron said that while the report is well-done, little in it is a surprise. “They’re all recommendations the very able EMCAC members have raised and discussed,” he said. “But EMCAC is an advisory body, so it can’t make the decisions —the city and the Department of General Services (DGS) does.”

Waldron has covered Eastern Market and monthly EMCAC meetings for the Hill Rag for the last 13 years. He was also part of the Eastern Market Task Force, a committee commissioned by then-Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells to study market management and make recommendations for new oversight. That report, released in April 2011, also recommended that legislation governing Eastern Market be changed to allow for management by a not-for-profit quasi-public entity composed of a board of directors of 11 members. That legislation stalled in council.

Who Implements the Implementation Committee?

While that recommendation may be the same, the path laid out by the 2020 Strategic Plan is not as developed. The 2011 task force proposed not only who should be members of such a board, but also offered guidance on appointments and term lengths. This year’s plan is vague on those details, instead proposing that an implementation working group, composed of members of EMCAC, DGS, and merchant vendors lead and coordinate the implementation of the Strategic Plan.

Without clear guidance for who should be on the committee and who should select members and provide leadership, some fear the plan could fail before it is initiated. The absence of 50 H HILLRAG.COM

clear direction for the Implementation Committee is a problem, wrote EMCAC Chair Donna Scheeder in a letter to DGS Director Keith Anderson, because it is charged with coordinating and implementing the strategies.

Betz said that Architrave was deliberately vague about committee composition. “In terms of a working group, we didn’t want to be overly prescriptive about that, because that’s sort of an implementation thing. We didn’t want to decide who sits at the table and who doesn’t,” he said.

Architrave Associate Architect Owen Weinsten said that the role of a strategic plan is to lay out specific goals and strategies that have been proven to work. “Our role was never to give people a step-by-step walk through, because we’re not managing implementation and so that would be inappropriate for us.”

Anderson said that since the plan was released in October, DGS has already initiated work on five of the 52 initiatives with the Implementation Committee slated for creation in January 2021. Anderson did not provide details on how the committee would be formed.

He said that DGS supports an effective approach to managing and continuing the successful operations at Eastern Market. “Market operations at public markets run by third-party non-profit entities are standard and can also be very successful,” Anderson said, noting that DGS is pleased with the level of meticulous research that went into the Strategic Plan.

Financial Impacts While the plan contains a market analysis, pointing to areas where retail is lacking in the area, it does not contain a financial analysis, a fact pointed out in the EMCAC December 2020 H 51

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letter to DGS and by Waldron. “There is no real sense of, if you do this, this kind of revenue will come,� he said. “By definition, a strategic plan is projection, and that usually means money, dollars —there’s nothing.�

Waldron said an easy place to do this would be to project the benefits of a validated parking agreement with a neighboring lot, such as the Colonial Parking lot or the underground parking garage in the 600 block of Pennsylvania Ave. SE, or in projecting the increased potential revenue potential of the North Hall, for instance, if legislation were changed to allow political fundraisers.

Architrave’s Weinstein said that every time there were real numbers that could be applied, they were utilized, and the report includes a chart showing the relative impact of each recommendation on the operating budget.

Much of the research began before COVID-19 hit, he added. “I can understand the desire that folks would have for like, ‘do this recommendation and it will double revenues for the merchants,’� he said. “I think the reality is it’s a little disingenuous for anyone to try to make a concrete dollar prediction in that category.�

What is possible, Weinstein said, was to make recommendations that are proven to have a financial impact at other markets.

‘A Lot of Really Neat Stuff’ “There’s a lot of really neat stuff in it that will help us, and make a nice market,� said Union Meats owner Bill Glasgow of the strategic plan.

Glasgow started at the market 59 years ago and now represents the South Hall Merchants on EMCAC. He said many recommendations in the strategic plan would

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really help the market grow, pointing in particular to the emphasis on marketing and a move to dedicated management, which he said would improve market efficiency and adaptability.

However, Glasgow also said he has concerns about the way some of the recommendations could affect fresh food merchants.

Some public markets used as examples in the plan, like Seattle’s Pike Place, are not analogous, he said, partly due to size or because they are not primarily fresh food markets. “It’s a tourist trap, that’s all it is, they don’t sell meat,” he said of Pike Place. “We’re a working market that serves our community.”

Some of the recommendations in the plan would hurt the merchants, he said, such as suggestions to reconfigure the south hall by reducing the size of stalls so more merchants can be added, or the suggestion that merchants sign 3-year leases, which Glasgow said will make loans impossible, instead of long-term leases currently mandated by legislation.

Glasgow said the plan de-emphasis of parking ignores its role in facilitating grocery purchases, especially for older people.

Both Eastern Market and the community have long benefited from one another, Glasgow said. “We know we’ve made it this long because of the wonderful community base,” he noted. “I just want to make sure when this is all said and done, we can all survive, and thrive.”

Read the full Eastern Market Strategic Plan by visiting easternmarket-dc.org/about/eastern-market-strategic-plan/. Learn more about Eastern Market by visiting easternmarket-dc.org. Learn more about Architrave and their work at https://www.architravepc.com u

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MY LIFE’S WORK PODCAST Teenagers Nathaniel Liu and Sarah Cymrot Ask Hill Neighbors the Big Life Questions

by Sarah Cymrot

A

t some point in their childhood, every kid is asked the same question: what do you want to be when you grow up? Amid the turmoil and uncertainty of the past spring, Nathaniel Liu and I found ourselves considering this very question while trying to maintain a bright outlook on our futures. As high school students facingstay at-home orders and learning virtually, we began mulling over big life questions.

In these discussions, we grappled with issues such as: how does a high school passion morph into a full-fledged career? How do we broaden our awareness about the range of careers that exist beyond our parents’ jobs and friends’ parents’ jobs?

What makes for a meaningful and fulfilling career?

We began to realize that our neighbors, currently hunkered down behind the doors of their houses, had a wealth of stories and advice waiting to be shared. We knew we somehow wanted to learn from these neighbors and so we slowly formed our plan by consulting with local experts. Just as we

Nathaniel Liu and Sarah Cymrot

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knew that there was expertise all around us to help us chart our life path, we also knew there were neighbors who could help us figure out how to develop a podcast that would tap into that expertise.

Over the course of the summer, we talked to two of our neighbors in particular—Stephanie Deustch and KK Otteson. Not only were they extremely generous with their time and supportive to both of us in this process, but they each had expertise that they were willing to share with us. Stephanie Deustch is a published author who writes the elegant profiles of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation Achievement Award winners and KK Otteson, also a published author, frequently has her interviews and photographs published in the Washington Post Magazine.

These conversations reminded Nathaniel and I how central a strong and thriving community is to our Capitol Hill lives. It is particularly hard in this isolating time to continue to strengthen our relationships with our neighbors and community. But our interviews have allowed us to get to know new people, as well as get to know old acquaintances better. We are sharing them in the form of a new podcast, My Life’s Work.

Our goal with My Life’s Work is both to tell our neighbors’ stories and to explore the types of careers and career paths that people take. Seeing how people navigate their lives is important learning for us, and we hope to you. We will release an episode monthly, along with a written profile on HillRag.com that tells their unique journey.

In our first episode, we interview a once up-and-coming young cellist who took a winding path away from both his home in Germany and his musical aspirations, to become a Hill resident working in transnational law. This is the story of David Stute, who spoke to the intricacies of making a transition in one’s career and whose career is an example of taking a non-linear path. The episode is available to listen to at www.mylifesworkpodcast.org.

We are looking to interview Capitol Hill residents at any stage of their career who have a story to share about their journey and the choices they have made. If you have any ideas of people to interview, please send your thoughts to mylifesworkpodcast@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

Listen to the introductory podcast now at mylifesworkpodcast.org. Subscribe to “My Life’s Work” on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. u

THE LIFE’S WORK OF DAVID STUTE My Life’s Work Podcast Focuses on Surprising Career Transition

by Sarah Cymrot

F

or the first episode of our podcast My Life’s Work, Nathaniel Liu and I talked to David Stute, whose career path veered in an unexpected direction. David’s story taught us that there is no risk in dedicating ourselves to what has meaning to us in the moment --even if it doesn’t lead to a future career. He reminded us that especially in times of uncertainty, it is important to chart our own path forward.

If you have ever attended a Chiarina concert at St. Mark’s Church, you know David Stute as the friendly greeter at the check-in desk. While David is an enthusiastic supporter of his wife Carrie’s musical career, his own career path is fascinating, particularly due to the turns it has taken.

David grew up in Detmold, Germany--a tiny town near a music conservatory--the son of a carpenter and an elementary school teacher. Like many, David’s career path was shaped by his environment. He envisioned his future at a young age: “The only way to get out of that town as a teenager and to try to chart a path, the only path that I could see,” he said, “was through music.” By the age of ten, he had decided to become a professional cellist.

David spent his childhood practicing, attending music festivals, and soaking up the world of classical music. He described the impact that music had on his outlook: “It completely opened my horizons for what could

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David Stute, Hill resident and attorney.

come after. I wasn’t confined to my hometown,” he said. “I wasn’t confined to Germany necessarily.”

While David’s passion for music brought him across the Atlantic to the Cleveland Institute of Music, his fascination with history, philosophy, and politics grew and the seed of his future career was truly planted when he decided on a second major in philosophy. These competing interests had always been bubbling below the surface and David ultimately shifted gears from music to law, in part motivated by his realization that he would have more opportunities as a transnational lawyer than as a cellist.

“There are three or four openings in a good year in the United States for a decent cello position,” he said. “You compare that with thousands upon thousands of great jobs in law in a given year.” David reflected on the similarities in his seemingly disparate pursuits. “There was so much to explore in music between the repertoire and the people and the physical aspect of trying to master [the piece],” he said. “When I started philosophy and later law in college, I feel like it was in many ways a repeat of that same process just that the challenges were different.” David continues to keep music in his life, but as he

said, “I felt like I really got what I could get out of that track [and] at the end of the day, I have never regretted that decision.”

After graduation, David landed on Capitol Hill during a blazing summer. His internship with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) unexpectedly converted to an unpaid position and he moved to New York to work at a law firm. Always curious about new opportunities, a Craigslist search landed David at Google where his bilingual language skills enabled him to work with American and European lawyers to develop international protocols for the removal of personal, sensitive or defamatory material from the internet.

After Google, David enrolled at University of Michigan Law, and graduated with the question every young lawyer faces-- what to do with a law degree? He clerked at the DC Court of Appeals and is now working in transnational law at a private law firm. David is excited to continue delving into new aspects of the law and expects to continue in this field for the foreseeable future.

David reflected on what he finds meaningful about both music and law. “It’s really expanding what you know and pushing yourself to do whatever you are doing very well that keeps me engaged. It’s wrong to think that you just become an expert in a given area at 35 or 40 or 45 or whatever age. If you stop learning or stop wanting to learn you are probably in big trouble because as human beings, we aren’t wired for stagnation.”

To hear more of David’s story, visit mylifesworkpodcast.org/episodes.

The next episode featuring an interview with KK Otteson of the Washington Post will be released in late December. Nathaniel and I are excited to share her story and her life’s work with you. u

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Success of Phelps High School ANC6A Report

by Nick L. Alberti Chair Amber Gove (6A04) convened the November 12, 2020 meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6A via WebEx with Commissioners Marie-Claire Brown (6A01), Commissioners Phil Toomajian (6A02), Mike Soderman (6A03), Stephanie Zimny (6A06), Sondra Phillips-Gilbert (6A07) and Brian Alcorn (6A08) in attendance. Ruth Ann Hudson (6A05) was absent.

Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School Olatundun Teyibo, Director of Phelps Architecture. Construction and Engineering High School presented on how Phelps High School is serving students from ev-

ery ward in DC as part of the National Academy Foundation, which is a movement to ensure young people are prepared for the future whether it be attending college or starting to work immediately after high school.

Phelps has six pathways for students to follow; architecture, carpentry, electrical, HVAC, engineering and IT networking. The pathways at Phelps include lectures with guest speakers from each industry, on-site visits for students to see firsthand what working in their given field looks like as well as holding mock interviews, informational reviews, job shadowing and even paid internships and apprenticeships. This provides invaluable experiences for the students plus gives them faceto-face interactions with potential future employers and other members of their chosen field.

Committee Motions and Recommendations:

Community Outreach Committee • The Commissioners approved a grant in the amount of $1,000 to the Ludlow Taylor Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for the continual use of IXL for virtual education and $1000 for school supplies. The Commissioners tabled the motion to approve a grant in the amount of $1,000 to the Ludlow Taylor PTO for the continual use of City Year to support best educational practices in the classroom.

Transportation and Public Space Committee

• The Commissioners voted, unanimously, to send a letter of conditional support to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) for a fence in public parking at 205 15th Street NE [Public Space Application #358240], provided that it be placed on the line in the site drawing that the applicant provided to the ANC, that it not exceed four feet in height and that it be lattice (as specified in the application) or other open construction (at least 40% open).

• The Commissioners voted to send a letter to DDOT 6in opposition of the construction of a shed in public parking at 205 15th Street NE [Public Space Application #358240], as the use is incompatible with public parking. The vote was 5-0-2 with Commissioners Toomajian and Alcorn abstaining.

• The Commissioners voted to complete the public restroom pilot survey indicating a first choice of locations at 8th and H Street NE and a second choice being wherever along the H Street NE corridor would be suitable given pedestrian traffic and plumbing needs.

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ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A AMBER GOVE, CHAIR, AMBERANC6A@GMAIL.COM Serving the Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, and H Street communities ANC 6A generally meets the second Thursday of the month, at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE.

www.anc6a.org

ALL ARE WELCOME • The Commissioners voted to send a letter to DDOT in support of Traffic Safety Assessment Service Request for a red-light camera at the intersection of 9th and C Street NE. • The Commissioners voted to request a postponement of DDOT Public Space application #343819, for paving driveway(s) at 1518 North Carolina Ave. NE. Due date is currently 12/3/2020, insufficient notice for a meaningful review.

Economic Development and Zoning Committee • The Commissioners voted to submit comments to the full Zoning Commission making recommendations that facade preservation be included in any IZ FAR bonus, that the FAR bonus for IZ be subject to special exception relief, that guidance for FAR bonuses for PUD developments be included, and that the FAR bonus be capped at 2.0 for buildings under 85 feet.

• The Commissioners voted to send a letter of support to BZA for special exceptions under Subtitle E § 5201, from the lot occupancy requirements of Subtitle E § 304.1, and from the rear yard requirements of Subtitle E § 306.1, to construct a second story rear deck addition to an existing semi-detached principal dwelling unit at 722 19th Street, NE (BZA Case #20295) in the RF-1 Zone.

• The Commissioners voted to send a letter of support to BZA for a special exception under the off-site parking spaces requirements of Subtitle C § 701.8 (f ), applied for by DC Department of General Services, to relocate 8 of the required parking spaces to the adjacent street to enlarge

the outdoor play area at Maury Elementary School, 1250 Constitution Avenue, NE (BZA Case #20323) in the RF-1 Zone.

The Economic Development and Zoning Committee recommends the ANC support the request on condition that the parking implications of this action be considered at the November 2020 Transportation and Public Space Committee meeting.

New Business The Commissioners voted to: • send a letter to DDOT in support of the Traffic Safety Assessment Questionnaire submitted

by Mr. Burnett, including ANC6A support for the request for installation of speed humps on 18th Street NE, at Gales Place NE and Rosedale Street NE. • approve the appointments of Andrew Burnett to the Transportation and Public Space Committee and Samuel Deluca to the Economic Development and Zoning Committee.

• approve the appointments of Daniel McPheeters and Kristin Garrity to the Economic Development and Zoning Committee.

• to send a letter to DCPS Chancellor Ferebee reflecting community concerns regarding the firing of School Without Walls Principal Trogisch.

• to send a letter supporting apartment style housing and additional funding to support the unhoused during hypothermia season and opposing the proposed increased capacity and 24/7 use of Recreation Centers to house more than 50 people during this hypothermia in light of the serious health concerns posed by mass gatherings during the pandemic.

The Next meeting is 2nd Wednesday, December 9, 7:00 p.m.

Due to the current COVID - 19 Pandemic ANC6A will be hosting the October ANC Meeting virtually via WebEx Community Outreach Committee meeting 3rd Monday, December 14, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via WebEx Economic Development and Zoning Committee meeting 3rd Wednesday, December 16, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via WebEx Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee meeting 4th Tuesday, December 22, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via WebEx Transportation & Public Space Committee meeting 4th Monday, December 28, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting via WebEx Instructions for accessing the meeting via WebEx has been posted under Hot Topics at anc6a.org.

Call-in information will be announced via listserv announcement and posted 24 hours prior to the meeting on this page (Community Calendar at anc6a.org). You will be able to enter the meeting no earlier than 15 minutes prior to its scheduled start time.

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C P.O. Box 77876 • Washington, D.C. 20013-7787 www.anc6c.org • (202) 547-7168

Next meeting Wednesday, December 9.

Information will be posted on the ANC 6C website.

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

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

ANC 6C02 Karen Wirt 6C02@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C05 Joel Kelty 6C05@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C03 Jay Adelstein 6C03@anc.dc.gov

ANC 6C06 Drew Courtney drewcourtney.anc @gmail.com

ANC usually meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm, 214 Massachusetts Ave, N.E. Please check the ANC 6C website for dates.

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

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

Grants Last Thursday, 7 pm Contact: torylord@gmail.com Twitter: @ANC_6C_Grants Environment, Parks, and Events First Tuesday, 7 pm Contact: jgmccann@gmail.com

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

December 2020 H 57

• Visit www.anc6a.org for a calendar of meeting times, meeting agendas and other information. u

ANC Opposes Liquor License for Penn Avenue Sportsbook ANC 6B Report

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

C

ommissioners voted 6-2 with one abstention to protest an application for a new liquor license from Handle19, a sports betting restaurant planned at 319 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, formerly Stanton

Greene. The proposed venue would include dining on the main floor, while the second floor is earmarked for televised games and betting at eight kiosks.

When businesses are purchased, licenses are passed along with the sale, including Settlement Agreements (SA) between the licensee and the community as represented by the ANC. This is a new application, however, and no SA has so far been negotiated, but ANC 6B Alcohol Beverage Committee (ABC) Chair Chander Jayaraman (6B08) said it was likely that the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), which regulates licenses, would compel the parties to do so, given community feeling.

Handle19 does not need an alcohol license to operate a “sportsbook” or sports betting venue or to serve food. Handle19 Attorney Ian Thomas, who appeared at the meeting, said that he did not know how plans would be affected if the applica-

A pedestrian walks by 319 Pennsylvania Ave SE in September, 2020. At their November meeting, ANC 6B voted to oppose a liquor license from an applicant planning to open a sports book at the venue. Photo: E.O’Gorek/CCN

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Remembering John FranzĂŠn 1946-2020 tion is denied. He said that owner Shane August has a partner to provide food and beverage services.

Two different groups of residents have declared themselves parties in opposition to the application. At the meeting, one representative cited statistics showing that a sportsbook would increase neighborhood crime. Commissioners in opposition argued that sports betting does not belong in a residential neighborhood and will increase both vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the area.

Other commissioners argued that the ANC should pursue a SA rather than oppose the application, saying that many of the concerns about Handle19 did not differ from those about any other restaurant, despite the role of sports betting. A date for the hearing before ABRA has not yet been set.

ANC Opposes Boys & Girls Development Until ANC Gets Answers Commissioners voted to approve a letter to DC Council requesting that the city deny a new term sheet for redevelopment of the former Eastern Branch Boys and Girls Club (261 17th St. SE) unless the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) responds to ANC questions about the project and Reservation 13. The letter also included a request that DC Council not consider the matter before Dec. 1 to allow for further community discussion.

Developers are seeking an extension to the agreement on disposition of property, which expires Dec. 4, and to contract terms.

The latter would involve changing plans for the development from a 50 percent affordable condo build-

Photo by Bruce Guthrie

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ing to a 100 percent affordable senior rental.

At the October meeting of ANC 6B, the developer Century Associates Joel Kelty told commissioners that the original plans proved not “economically feasible” due to rising construction costs.

Century has converted to 100 percent affordable rental from 50 percent affordable condos for purchase, with the support of DMPED. At that time, Commissioner Denise Krepp (6B10) questioned whether the changes merited an additional RFP process.

At the November meeting, Krepp proposed a letter opposing the extension unless ANC 6B got answers from DMPED about this project and about development on Reservation 13. Other commissioners were hesitant to derail any development on the site. A second letter, requesting DC Council refuse the extension of the agreement with Century unless the ANC got answers from DMPED, passed 7-2.

Commissioners Want Role for ANC in Eastern Market Future Commissioners voted 8-0-1 to send a letter to the Department of General Services (DGS), managers of Eastern Market, and to Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D) noting that as elected representatives of the community in which the market is located, they were surprised that they were not specifically named in the Strategic Plan for Eastern Market.

Commissioners said the letter was necessary because the role of the ANC needed to be asserted from the beginning of the process.

The study, commissioned by DMPED and conducted by Architrave P.C., makes 12 key recommendations. Primary among these is that the recommendations be guided by an implementation committee, and that Eastern Market should eventually be managed by a nonprofit private-public partnership. Aside from government and DC agencies, the report does not specify the composition of these groups, other than suggesting they be composed of “stakeholders”.

Read the strategic plan in its entirety online at https://scottbetz.wixsite.com/easternmarketplan

Kentucky Ave. Bike Lanes The ANC unanimously approved a letter to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in re-

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gard to the Kentucky Avenue bike lanes. During the October meeting of ANC 6B, commissioners voted to support the concept for the bike lanes. However, owing to the late arrival of drawings, commissioners voted without specific details on the route.

Once that detail was provided, residents on the 100 and 200 block of Kentucky Avenue raised concerns with the plans. Commissioners Holtzman and Oldenberg said between the correspondence addressed to themselves and Councilmember Allen, hundreds of emails had been exchanged on the topic. Many are seniors are concerned with the impact of the loss of parking spots on safety and mobility. Others took issue with the positioning of a new crosswalk, and many thought the use of temporary measures such as pylons and paint was ugly and unsafe.

The ANC approved a letter asking DDOT to consider suggestions from residents, including: repositioning the 13th Street crosswalk, the north bike lanes and making changes to the intersection at Kentucky Ave and East Capitol Street. If these alternatives are rejected, the ANC asks DDOT to explain why. The letter also notes an offer from Councilmember Allen to find capital funds for permanent installation of road alterations, and asks DDOT to commit to an assessment of the efficiency and safety of the changes within two years and to convert changes to permanent landscaping depending on the availability of these funds.

The ANC Also Voted to Support: •

A letter to DDOT requesting that they undertake a traffic assessment to convert Burke Street SE from two-way into a one-way street by a vote of 8-1-0. Appearing at the meeting, former ANC 6B10 Commissioner Francis Campbell said that Burke Street currently functions as a cul-de-sac between Independence and Massachusetts Avenue. According to current plans, once Reservation 13 is developed Burke Street and Massachusetts Avenue will be the only streets that extend into the development. Campbell said he wants to increase traffic safety, avoid increased traffic once development increases and to avoid the use of Burke Street as a route for buses and service vehicles in the future.

ANC 6B held the November meeting of the full commission on Tuesday, Nov. 10th virtually via We-

bex with a quorum of nine commissioners. Appearing were Commissioners Jennifer Samolyk (6B01), Gerald Sroufe (6B02, Secretary), Brian Ready (6B03, Chair), Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04), Steve Holtzman (6B05), Corey Holman (6B06, Treasurer), Kelly Waud (6B07, Parliamentarian), Chander Jayaraman (6B08, Vice-Chair) and Denise Krepp (6B10). ANC 6B09 is currently vacant.

The next meeting of ANC 6B is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 8. For the most up-to-date information on meetings and how to join a virtual meeting via Webex, visit anc6b.org.

ANC 6B has been working to update its website. You can visit the new site, learn about Commissioners and committees, and subscribe to the newsletter by visiting anc6b.org or connect with the commission via email at 6b@anc.dc.gov or find @ANC6B on Twitter. u

Rental Rulemaking And Games of Skill ANC 6C Report

by Sarah Payne

A

t the Nov. 12th meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (6C), commissioners continued discussions about construction traffic and games of skill and discussed novel short-term rental rulemaking policies in the District. All six ANC commissioners: Christine Healey (6C01), Karen Wirt (6C02), Jay Adelstein (6C03), Mark Eckenwiler (6C04), Joel Kelty (6C05) and Drew Courtney (6C06) were in attendance.

Construction Traffic at Logan School The construction at the Logan School (641 Third Street NE) has been ongoing for an extended period, however there have been new complaints made by residents involving reports of construction trucks driving through neighborhoods near G Street and other nearby side streets.

Christy Kwan, Transportation and Public Space Committee Chair, emphasized a need for stronger lines of communication about the flow of

traffic and expectations in this area noting a “disconnect between the construction managers onsite and the truck drivers” in the construction zone.

Previously, the committee unanimously agreed to draft a letter of concern about these traffic violations by truck drivers and proposed that the ANC send it to Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), Ward six councilmember Charles Allen, the DC Public Schools and the Department of General Services. This motion passed with unanimous support from all commissioners.

Games of Skill At Thursday’s meeting, the commissioners discussed the game Dragons Ascend and the addition of a third location in the District applying for these games of skill.

Proposals for game of skill endorsement have been discussed previously for two locations in ANC 6C jurisdiction; Bar Elena (414 H St NE) and Allure (711 H St NE) and the third will be Union Pub (201 Massachusetts Ave NE).

Union Pub as applied for an endorsement and their status will be addressed at future committee meetings.

Steve O’Neal, chair of the Alcohol Beverage and Licencing Committee, spoke about “whether the ANC wants to take a position that we oppose all game of skill endorsements” across the board.

O’Neal said a concrete position from the commissioners may be a helpful step forward in this process. Joe McCann, chair of the Environment, Parks and Events committee, spoke in support of the games of skill endorsements.

“I just don’t know if and how it could get unruly or out of hand or what people’s concerns are with it,” McCann said. “It seems rela-

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tively innocuous, but I’ll be glad to listen to other people’s reactions.”

Commissioner Kelty (6C05) expressed hesitation about implementing these games of skill and emphasized the importance of providing guidance to the committee.

“I may be in the minority here, but I’m very skeptical about whether this is really such a great idea on H Street,” Kelty said. “I think we have to give (these establishments) a mandate as to what we want them to do.”

The committee plans to meet and continue discussions about these endorsements at the ANC 6C December meeting.

Short-Term Rental Rulemaking Commissioner Eckenwiler (6C04) discussed recommendations from the committee about proposed changes to short-term rental policies for rentals such as Airbnb in the District.

Eckenwiler expressed confusion about inconsistencies of how property owners can identify their homes; short-term rentals and vacation rentals. For a property to be considered a short-term rental the owner must be present and the property must be their primary residence. For vacation rentals, landlords may rent out a non-primary residence without the requirement of being onsite for up to 90 days per calendar year. The current legislation states that a property owner must select one of these classifications for their property, however in another section, it says that they can select both.

Kelty expressed concern about the legislation calling it “completely unenforceable.”

“The notion that you can get an exemption from the 90 day limit doesn’t make sense to me, if you have to be out of town for more than 90 days, the solution is simple: register as a rental property and rent your property out. I just think that that exemption is ripe for abuse, and I’m sure it will be abused,” Kelty said.

Eckenwiler also discussed the regulations pertaining to parking in both short-term and vacation rentals. Parking is not currently in the rulemaking and the committee recommends including a recommendation to add regulations into the new proposal with the DC council. Kelty expressed disagreement with adding in these regulations citing their unenforceable nature. He said it could cause issues beyond parking into a public disregard oth-

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er city rules.

“I think the one challenge with throwing in rules that are completely unenforceable is that people are will know they’re enforceable,” Kelty said.

“I suspect that it creates a tendency to just disregard all rules, and I know that’s a bigger thing than short term rentals, but something I think we should think about as a community.”

The ANC voted unanimously after discussion and deliberation to send a letter to DCRA regarding their suggestions for the legislation as well as the parking enforcement for both types of rentals.

Additional Items •

•

•

•

•

The Giant grocery store (300 H Street NE) and Union Kitchen (538 Third Street) liquor licenses are up for renewal and the ANC voted unanimously to protest these renewals on all three grounds, as the Alcohol and Beverage Licencing Committee recommended, citing ongoing issues with delivery trucks idling at both locations.

Kwan discussed a traffic calming request that was made for Fifth St. NE between Eighth St. NE and Florida Ave. NE. The transportation and public space committee recommended the ANC send a letter to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to support traffic calming measures, particularly adding or reconfiguring speed humps along the road in response to expected results of the traffic safety assessment recently conducted. The motion to send a letter to DDOT was passed unanimously by the ANC. The DC Council is hosting a roundtable discussion and is accepting community feedback through virtual or written means until the end of the month regarding the slow streets initiative. The committee recommended the ANC submit a testimony to the council regarding street closures, mid-block signage and crosswalk sign locations.

Commissioner Kelty reported that the ANC 6C account was reconciled exactly and that there were no new expenses to report for November.

The leaf collection program started the week of Nov. 9 and will continue throughout November This year, the city is not collecting bags of leaves and is requesting that residents sweep

leaves out to the street for pickup. The pickup dates for specific locations can be found on the city’s website.

ANC 6C will meet next on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. virtually via Webex. Find the link to the meeting, agendas and more information about the commission at www.anc6c.org.

Sarah Payne is a History and Neuroscience student at The University of Michigan interning with HillRag. She writes for and serves as an assistant news editor for Michigan’s student newspaper, The Michigan Daily. You can reach her at sarahp@hillrag.com. u

Afterhours Construction Permitting Debated ANC 6D Report

by Andrew Lightman

A

dvisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6D met Nov. 16 over WebEx. Commissioners Gail Fast (6D01), Ronald Collins (6D03), Andy Litsky (6D04), Fredrica (Rikki) Kramer (6D05), Rhonda Hamilton (6D06) and Edward Daniels (6D07) were in attendance. Anna Forgie, chair of ANC 6D02 Committee also participated.

Anthony Diallo, community outreach specialist from the Dept. of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), gave an overview of the agency’s operations. Commissioners brought up the issue of the Novell exterior neon lighting. They also quizzed him about afterhours construction permits in particular involving utility companies.

Afterhours permits are supposed to be approved by the Commission. Utility companies often take advantage of emergency exemptions to this rule, according to commissioners. Commissioner Daniels stated he had discovered lots of incorrect permits.

“The way the process is working now there is no benefit,” stated Commissioner Colling pointedly.

Diallo stated that responsibility for approving such permits was being shifted from DCRA to the DC Dept. of Transportation (DDOT) Public Space

Additions & Basement Experts BUFFALO COMPANY, LLC www.buffalocompanyusa.com For all your Construction Needs administration. However, he added, the agencies had not finalized the transfer. Listky asked for the opportunity for the commission to comment on the operational changes.

It needs to be clear who is in charge of what, DCRA or DDOT,” stated Commissioner Litsky.

Litsky pointed out that The Wharf had received three stop work orders. In none of the instances, had the city informed him as the commissioner representing that Single Member District (SMD). Diallo pointed out that such orders are a matter of public record.

Litsky responded that nevertheless the agency should inform the commission.

Talking Transportation DDOT Ward 6 Community Engagement Specialist Andrew DeFrank briefed the commission on his department’s Ward 6 projects.

DDOT will install a traffic light at the intersection of New Jersey Avenue and I Streets SE in 2021, he stated. Moreover, he promised increased enforcement against delivery vehicles illegally parked in the crosswalk on the southwest side of the intersection making deliveries to Harry’s Liquors. If a commissioner witnesses a DDOT vehicle blocking a crosswalk, please call him, he instructed.

Commissioner Daniels pointed out that the striping and flex posts were missing on I Street SE between New Jersey and South Capitol. “In my opinion, the situation (on I Street SE) is now working well for residents,” he stated.

Other Matters MPD Captain Jonathan Dorrough briefed commissioners on public safety. There has been a significant decrease in property crime. However, violent crime is up 71 percent. In particular, thieves are targeting delivery vehicles for “hop in” thefts. Last month, there were nine such incidents in ANC 6D. Public Service Area (PSA) 107 saw four armed robberies and one assault with a deadly weapon. A shooting took place at the Waterside Metro. There was a domestic homicide at 101 Fourth St. SW. There were two robberies including one assault of a Vespa rider. PSA 105 saw two assaults with deadly weapons and a shooting injuring a man in the

leg. PSA 106 saw two robberies both involving guns including one carjacking.

“We are concerned about the increase in gun violence in the city as a whole,” stated Dorrough. “It’s just terrifying,” said Commissioner Hamilton, commenting on the shooting in her neighbor that involved multiple rounds from a high caliber weapon.

There has been progress on the new Southwest Library, Friends of the Southwest Library reported. Its opening is imminent.

Commissioners heard a presentation from the organizers of the Southwest Community Center. The Center is a 6,000 square foot facility tentatively opening in October of 2023.

Chair Ashton Rohmer and members of the Center’s Communications Committee gave a rundown of their efforts to map social assets in Southwest and solicit community engagement.

For more information, visit www.swdccc.org.

The ANC voted to: • approve the October and September minutes; • send a letter to the Zoning Commission opposing the neo exterior lighting on the Novell building; • send a letter to the DC Attorney General about the safety of cellular mono poles close to residences; • send a letter to the DC Dept. of Health (DOH) requesting a permanent COVID testing site in Southwest; • send a letter to Toll Brothers regarding the size of the loading dock at its Park Riverside II development; • supported the applications for liquor licenses and cooperative agreements for Boomerang Boats and the Hilton National Mall (1300 Maine Ave. SW); • appointed Matthew Leddy as an At-Large representative to the commissions Alcohol Beverage Committee.

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ANC 6D meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every month. The next meeting of ANC 6D is for Dec. 14 via Webex. For more information and links to join ANC meetings, visit anc6d.org. u

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BULLETIN BOARD Neighbors for Justice Launched Capitol Hill residents who live near the jail have formed an engagement and advocacy group to support the 1,400 District residents living at the jail.

Their first efforts include: Compassionate release-There are 700 DC residents who have requested compassionate release during COVID, but need lawyers to process their request; ANC commissioner at the jail--Inmates at the jail have the opportunity to run for and vote for a never-before-filled ANC commissioner seat; Medical lockdown--All 1,400 residents at the DC jail have been in their cells for 23 hours a day since March, even though there are no COVID cases. neighborsforjusticedc.org.

Capitol Hill BID Virtual Holiday Celebration Videos The Capitol Hill Business Improvement District has announced the virtual celebration of our neighborhood traditions. Keeping everyone’s health and safety in mind during this unprecedented time, Capitol Hill BID has arranged for Dec. 4 tree lighting and the Dec. 10 Menorah lighting to be captured on video without an audience to be later released online for the community to enjoy. The public is asked to come view the holiday decorations and menorah in the newly renovated Parcel One of Eastern Market Metro Plaza, Pennsylvania Avenue and Eighth Street SE, safely and socially distanced on their own time. capitolhillbid.org/things-todo/bid-events.

Grubbs Pharmacy Offers COVID-19 Rapid Testing Grubbs Pharmacy, 326 East Capitol St. NE, now offers both the An64 H HILLRAG.COM

tigen test and the Antibody test. Appointments are required and can be scheduled at grubbs.timetap.com.

Talk of the Hill with Bill Press: Ina Garten On Wednesday, Dec. 9, 6 to 7 p.m., award-winning journalist, political insider and Capitol Hill resident Bill Press hosts a live, interactive Zoom discussion with Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. Bill takes a break from politics to talk to Ina Garten about her newest cookbook, “Modern Comfort Food,” in which she shares 85 new recipes that will feed your deepest cravings. Many of these dishes are inspired by childhood favorites—but with the volume turned way up,

The Essential Theatre Presents The Resurrection of Alice The Essential Theatre has launched the first in a series of virtual performances. The Helen Hayes Award nominated one-woman show, “The Resurrection of Alice,” is its first presentation available thru Jan. 10, as a Pay-WhatYou-Can on-demand performance run. Written and performed by two time Helen Hayes Award nominee, Perri Gaffney, the play is an exceptionally heartwarming, funny and poignant exploration of a young girl’s journey into a pre-arranged marriage with a much older man to financially sustain her family during the great depression of the 1930’s. Recommended for audiences aged 17 and older for its mild sexually suggestive situations. Tickets are available at theessentialtheatre. org or call 800-868-3006.

Perri Gaffney

such as Cheddar and Chutney Grilled Cheese sandwiches (the perfect match for Ina’s Creamy Tomato Bisque), Smashed Hamburgers with Caramelized Onions, and the crispiest hash browns that are made in a waffle iron! The ticket is $10; ticket and signed book from East City Books, $40. hillcenterdc.org.

Folger ENCORES Online Series ENCORES is a weekly online series highlighting past performances and recalling the rich history of programming on the historic Folger stage. As many arts and cultural institutions remain closed during this time, these ENCORES provide a way to connect and revisit the breadth of Folger offerings with a

Do you need mortgage assistance due to the effects of COVID-19?

DC MAP (Mortgage Assistance Program) COVID-19 is here to help District homeowners stay in their homes during this pandemic.

As businesses in the Washington, D.C. region have had to close or reduce staff, the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) recognizes the need to provide assistance to those impacted by the pandemic.

DC MAP COVID-19 provides zero- interest monthly mortgage assistance loans that now include the coverage of condo and homeowner association fees up to $5,000 for up to six months for qualified homeowners.

Borrower Qualifications: • Must be borrower’s primary residence and must be located in the District of Columbia • Must have been current as of the March 1st payment (prior to being affected by COVID-19) • Must be able to document income affected due to COVID-19 • Borrower must be the borrower on the home loan, not just a member of the household • Must show proof that the borrower is not eligible for forbearance or other types of relief offered through the servicer and/or Hardest Hit Funds • If borrower is still affected after the CARES Act ends, then relief may be offered at that time (See additional terms)

For a full list of borrower qualifications and loan terms, visit

www.dchfa.org/homeownership

DC MAP COVID-19 financial assistance will be granted on a first come, first served basis until the program allocation has been exhausted. Homeowners seeking assistance through DC MAP COVID-19 should call 1-833-429-0537 to begin the process of applying. Questions regarding DC MAP COVID-19 may also be emailed to DCMAP@dchfa.org.

December 2020 H 65

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Hill Center’s Uniting US: Veterans (virtual) Art Show Uniting US is organized by a small nucleus of veterans, family members and friends who promote art-making as a mode of wellness. Through Dec. 31, Uniting US showcases their artistic expressions through exhibition and sales. National in scope, these artists have lived in every US state and territory and in more than 50 countries worldwide. In addition to unique and inspiring art shows, Uniting US also offers the opportunity to sponsor an artist, or to learn more about military life with “Art Framing the Discussion” artist talks. The organization communicates regularly with United US artists and facilitate donations of art supplies, classes/ trainings, and art exhibitions. All artwork is available for purchase. hillcenterdc. org/artist/uniting-us-veterans-art-show.

SE, on Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. If you are going to any District testing site, please pre-register at coronavirus.dc.gov/register. You will provide your insurance information when you pre-register online and you will not need to show your insurance card at the site. If you provide insurance, you will not be charged a copay. Testing remains free, and no one will be turned away or denied testing if they do not have insurance.

Really Reading Romance Pride And Prejudice Party Really Reading Romance is full of romance readers who love, well, love. Join us on Friday, December 18, 2020 - 6:30pm to discuss Pride and Prejudice. Everyone reads their choice of a Pride and Prejudice retelling. The group will discuss pluses and minuses of the respective books. This book club is open to anyone who wants to join the discussion. If you’d be interested in joining this virtual event email Book Club Coordinator Destinee Hodge at destinee@eastcitybookshop.com. Sign up here to be notified of upcoming meetings for this book club. Learn more about all of East City Bookshop’s at https://www.eastcitybookshop.com/event.

SE Library Community Meeting DC Public Library will host a virtual meeting about the Southeast Library modernization plan on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 6:30 p.m. The design team will share concept designs and gather community feedback. The WebEx meeting link will be available at dclibrary.org/southeastlibraryrenovation.

WINTERFEST at Wunder Garten

Everyday Superhero by Mark Tobin, mixed media, 16” x 20”

wider audience. Each Friday, a “from the archives” performance will be released on our YouTube channel, introduced by some of their favorite artists, showcasing the best of Folger Theatre, Folger Consort, O.B. Hardison Poetry, and lectures. folger.edu.

DDOT Planning on the Hill Curious about the planning process behind the Pennsylvania and Maryland Avenue projects? DDOT Planning on the Hill is presented by the Capitol Hill Restoration Society on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 6:30 pm. DDOT 66 H HILLRAG.COM

personnel, George Branyan and Abdullah Mohamed will outline the factors that were considered, including the need for different transportations modes. They will also discuss current progress on these important projects and answer questions. Visit chrs.org/ddot-planning-on-the-hill/ for more information, including WebEx/call-in information.

Nationals Park is now a COVID-19 Testing Site Nationals Park has opened as a new COVID-19 testing site. You can get tested in the GEICO Garage, 16 N St.

Through Sunday, Dec. 20, Wunder Garten, 1101 First St. NE, hosts its fourth annual WINTERFEST holiday pop up festival. Find everything from Christmas trees, holiday craft activities, Santa Pet Photos, seasonal beers and warm cocktails. The Giving Tree Christmas tree lot is back selling a wide variety of fresh-cut trees--from Frasier Firs, Balsam Firs, Douglas Firs, White Pine, Scotch Pine and Blue Spruce. Giving Tree has staff on hand to help tie trees to your car, and parking is available through PMI (entrance on L Street). Giving Tree hours are Mon-Thurs, 4 to 8 p.m.; Fridays, 4 to 9 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 9 p.m. At WINTERFEST, there will be Drag Queen Bingo, Drag Queen Trivia, and Holi-gay parties hosted by DC’s very own Queens, Crystal Edge and Katrina The Hurricane Colby. Also, WINTERFEST will host a variety of popup restaurants throughout the season.

Wunder Garten adheres to the Phase 2 COVID restrictions announced on Nov. 24. Space for activities will be extremely limited. Masks are required for entry and no more than six people at a table. Wunder Garten hours of operation are Mondays to Thursdays, 4 to 10 p.m.; Fridays, 3 to 10 p.m.; Saturdays to Sundays, noon to 10 p.m. wundergartendc.com.

Holidays at the Capitol Riverfront The holidays are not cancelled in Capitol Riverfront. 12 Days of CapRiv, Dec. 9 to 20, brings an exciting lineup of festive activities to safely celebrate the holidays in a fun and socially-distanced way during a time when many holiday traditions and events are not possible. From holiday-themed drive-in movies and virtual winter cocktail-making classes with local restaurant bartenders, to a holiday family photo pop-up and pet portraits with Santa, these two weeks of remixed holiday traditions will keep the reason for the season alive

EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF CAPITOL HILL & BEYOND at the riverfront. Activities are open to the public—some free and some ticketed, with proceeds going to local neighborhood charities and foodsupport charities throughout the District. capitolriverfront.org/do/12days-of-capriv.

Grief During the Holidays Virtual Support Group A death changes those left behind.

The grief that follows such a loss is natural and normal, but many of us find our own reactions are unexpected, especially during the holidays. VITAS’ Healthcare invites you to a free six-week series of classes on Fridays or some Tuesdays (December 4, 11, 18, 22, 29, 10 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.) provided in partnership with Capitol Hill Village. This group is for anyone who is grieving the death of a loved one.

Come to learn about the symptoms of grief, what you can expect to experience, how to respond to the occasional hurtful statements made by wellmeaning people and more. There is no cost, but space is limited.For login information and to RSVP, contact Jasmine Blue at Jasmine.Blue@vitas.com or 202-414-5424.

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Updated DC Travel Guidance Mayor Bowser has issued Mayor’s Order 2020-110, which modifies the requirements for visitors coming into Washington, DC and District residents returning to DC from any state or country that is not considered “lowrisk.” Requirements for visitors coming into Washington, DC from a jurisdiction with more than 10 cases per 100,000 people include: Before you travel, get a test. If you test positive, don’t travel. Get tested within 72 hours of traveling. If you are a close contact of a confirmed positive case, don’t travel.

If you are visitor to DC for more than three days, get tested within three to five days of arrival. Exceptions are visDecember 2020 H 67

itors from Maryland and Virginia, essential workers and family emergency.

Requirements for DC residents returning after traveling to any place other than Maryland, Virginia, or a lowrisk state or country include: Limit daily activities and self-monitor for 14 days upon their return; or limit daily activities until they obtain a test for COVID-19 within three to five days after their return and have received a negative COVID-19 PCR test result. For more information on the District’s response, visit coronavirus.dc.gov.

DDOT Planning on the Hill – Community Forum DDOT Planning on the Hill, presented by the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, Wednesday, December 16, 6:30 pm. Curious about the planning process behind the Pennsylvania and Maryland Avenue projects? DDOT personnel, George Branyan and Abdullah Mohamed will outline the factors that were considered, including the need for different transportations modes. They will also discuss current progress on these important projects and answer questions. Visit chrs.org/ddot-planning-on-thehill/ for more information, including WebEx/call-in information.

Survey to Shape Future of Parks and Recreation Released The Bowser Administration and DPR has released a citywide survey to gather public input to create, “Ready2Play”, a new 20-year parks and recreation master plan for the District. Now live on ready2playdc.com, the survey will be available until Dec. 20, 2020. The Ready2Play plan will take a holistic view of parks and recreational opportunities throughout the District, not just at DPR’s existing parks and recreation centers, but also at federal parks, school sites and other locations. DPR will host community meetings citywide in January 2021. Residents can send any com68 H HILLRAG.COM

Law Offices Of

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moveDC 2021 Feedback Sought

The 2020 Literary Pumpkin Walk was a Huge Success!

Since the ever-popular Literary feast dinners could not be held this year, the Capitol Hill Community Foundation created a self-guided tour of book-themed pumpkins across the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The Literary Feast usually raises about $40,000 for grants to local schools, through a series of book-themed dinners held in homes across the Hill. Because of the pandemic the Foundation focused on building a sense of community and working with the community to create a safe Halloween season. The winner of the Pumpkin Walk (voted by residents) was Adrienne Wojciechowski and her family, who were given a grant of $1,000 to donate to a local school. They chose Maury Elementary. ments, questions, or concerns directly to DPR by emailing ready2play@dc.gov.

DCPSC Offers Free Home Weatherization The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia kicks off its annual Winter Ready DC campaign from November to March to encourage District residents to prepare their homes for winter to help avoid high utility bills. District residents can receive a free weatherization kit and learn about resources and assistance programs to help manage their utility bills. To receive a kit, you must be a District resident and sign-up at dcpsc. org/winterreadydc. The free weatherization kits are designed to help seal air leaks in your home, and include door/window weatherstripping, foam pipe insulation, foam switch and outlet gaskets and a window insulation shrink kit.

Do you drive, walk, bike, ride a bus, or take a train in the District? DDOT needs your feedback for moveDC, the District’s long-range multimodal transportation plan, which will set the 25-year vision for the transportation system. Share your vision for the city’s transportation system by providing comments on interactive network maps, participating in telephone office hours, watching a recording of their virtual town hall, and participating in an online survey. Visit movedc-dcgis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/resources. You can also learn more and share your ideas by email at movedc@ dc.gov or phont 202-599-7371.

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#FITDC3: Take Control of Your Health Campaign

On Nov. 12, the Bowser administration launched the #FITDC3 campaign to prepare residents for 2021 and beyond by offering a new, online health and wellness resource guide designed to make healthy living easier. Powered by AETNA, a CVS company, and executed by the Department of Parks and Recreation, #FITDC3 will be a year-long campaign featuring: online fitness content and nutrition information for the body; monthly mental health checks and good habits to adopt for the mind; and virtual fitness events that unite and inspire communities to be their fittest selves. All content and programming are available on the newly launched, FITDC3.com.

DC’s COVID-19 Hotline District residents who are homebound due to COVID-19 can request support from the District for food and other essential items. Call 1-888349-8323 or visit coronavirus.dc.gov/gethelp.

Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Email the information to bulletinboard@hillrag.com u

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD REALTOR

GEORGE OLSON (202) 203-0339 - (M) (202) 203-0339 - (D) george.olson@cbmove.com Capitol Hill Office 605 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE 202.547.3525

December 2020 H 69

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home and garden THE DC RESIDENTIAL SALES MARKET 2020 THRU OCTOBER And What A Year It Has Been

by Don Denton

A

s we motored through January and February, things were looking like business as usual for Washington DC. The number of contracts were up nearly 10% year over year(YOY).

Prices seemed to be slightly up and inventories were tight as usual. Then March roared in like a lion and went out like a lamb! Like every other business in the country, we were trying to plan for what was ahead. Things looked pretty bleak. Staff furloughs, salary cuts and expenses slashed to the bone. It was “plan for the worst and hope for the best.�

As you can graphically see below, April was the worst for residential sales in Washington DC. At least through November, 2020 (and things are looking pretty good as we move forward).

The graphs below represent properties that actually went under contract per month as compared to the same month the year before. The graphic below clearly shows a pattern. Steep dive in April and then clawing our way out through May and June. Every real estate crisis is different, but this is a pattern similar to 9/11 in 2001. The biggest factors at work for us today are as follows: 1. The reality and promise of continued low mortgage rates. 2.

mained very tight. Consider that in September 2001, there were approximately 1,400 single family homes on the market in Washington DC. Today, there are 645.

Commercial Real Estate and Rentals

The continued huge demand for homes and condos in the DC area. 3. Continued stability of the area as an employment center. 4. The probability of a vaccine within next 6 to 9 months. 5. Finally, while our demand has remained high, our inventories have re-

The real estate market has many pieces. We have been discussing the residential sales market. Before March 2020, with a few small exceptions, the residential market had been on a 20 year tear. However, before COVID, there were a number of negatives that had already been at work in other parts of our business. Consider the following. First, as to the commercial office market, before COVID, the downtown commercial vacancy rate was at its highest level since 1993. Many properties that were being developed with a commercial office component had pivoted to residential use. Retail has been under increasing pressure as the on-line shopping market has exploded. Second, multiunit apartment buildings with loads of amenities have been sprouting up like tulips in spring. Many of our local property owners with a unit or two are having trouble getting the rents that they are used to. Part of the problem is this (Continued on pg. 75)

December 2020 H 71

. home and garden .

THE RENTAL MARKET IN DC

Owners of Rental Properties Are Having to Adjust to Decreasing Demand

T

hese are uncertain times for the rental market in Washington, DC. In this year’s feast-or-famine market, chances are that if you had a vacant residential rental unit in DC this past year, you were either very quickly successful or spent a long time waiting. There wasn’t a whole lot of in-between.

Owners of vacant commercial properties have had a tougher year and are still be waiting for improvement in the market.

Perhaps the biggest factor determining how successful you were in placing a residential tenant was the time of year. Property owners who experienced turnovers during the months May through July were generally much more successful than the unlucky landlords whose vacancies occurred before or after those months.

The rental market in Washington, DC normally follows a predictable pattern. This year, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has upset normal market trends thereby creating a lot of unease among owners of rental properties. While typically the spring rental market is fairly active, this past year there was virtually no market at all as tenants hunkered down, mostly conforming to city-wide stay at home orders and postponing plans to move. In May, talks of lifting these orders began and tenants flooded the rental market seeking more suitable housing for their work from home needs. These needs drove an unusually brisk summer market. As tenants found suitable housing for the coming year, the demand slowed in August and has remained very slow ever since.

Consistent with a slow market, rental rates seem to be falling as landlords, eager to fill vacancies, try to lure tenants by offering bargain prices.

At the moment, units that tend to move more quickly are those offering COVID-safe features such as

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by Michael Frias private entrances and work from home spaces while the hardest hit are those in multi-unit properties with shared common areas. Basement units are also moving more slowly as there are currently above-ground options for tenants at bargain rates.

Recently, my office has been fielding requests from existing tenants to lower rent. Such requests, though few so far, have come from tenants with COVID-related reduced income or job loss, or more recently, from tenants struggling to find roommate replacements. Tenants looking for roommate replacements are experiencing the same market slowdown my office has seen; some tenants unable to locate roommate replacements may now be considering a move as their only option if their landlord is unwilling to lower the rent.

Because the pandemic has altered the rental market dynamics in so many ways, my office is having a difficult time predicting what the near-term future will look like. We are hopeful that the recent elections will provide a boost to the market. Nonetheless, until the market picks up appreciably, we are evaluating requests from tenants to reduce rent individually and recommending to owners that they carefully consider their options before making a decision.

At the moment, in some circumstances it may be better to tolerate a temporary reduction in rental income than to risk a vacancy. Factors to keep in mind include the quality of existing tenants and the need for improvements at the property. A slow market is sometimes an opportunity to improve a rental property and/or to take care of deferred maintenance.

Many commercial businesses have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. For example, tenants operating restaurants, gyms, and parking lots are experiencing extreme difficulties and in some cases landlords have had to reduce and even waive rents

for an undetermined period of time. Demand for office space is also very low right now. I believe that demand for office space may increase briefly after the elections though overall demand will probably remain low for a longer period of time, while area businesses with large numbers of employees who have learned how to successfully work from home re-evaluate their need for office space.

While the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have altered the Washington, DC rental market, I believe those effects will eventually bring the market to a new “normal.” Extreme changes in demand we have seen this year will probably fade and predictable patterns will re-emerge. Some changes, however, may be here to stay. Commercial properties may see the biggest changes and many properties may have to be re-purposed to meet the shifting demands of the market. As more people are working from home, many companies will be re-evaluating their needs for office space and vacancy rates may remain high for a while. Growth in the city was slowing even before the pandemic, according to the DC Office of the Chief Financial Officer, and that will likely prevent rental prices from escalating rapidly.

Owners of residential units may wish to prepare their properties for the future by optimizing work from home space within their units, if possible. Work nooks, dens, and usable outdoor spaces will probably become more desirable, and offering such accommodations will likely provide a marketing advantage over other units.

I hope that you find these thoughts to be helpful. Be safe!

Michael Frias is General Manager/Owner of Tiber Realty Group, a real estate brokerage serving Washington, DC. u

734 7th St. SE o: 202.547.2707 f: 202.547.1977

joeltruittmanagement.com info@joeltruitt.com

(Continued from pg. 73) competition with newer properties with lots of amenities and some free rent up front. Another piece is the additional units placed on the market that were heretofore used as short term rentals. Finally, some of the stress in the rental market has without a doubt been COVID related. We hear every day about a tenant who has left the area and is working virtually from home in Wyoming or went to Asia to visit family and can’t get back into the US. Then there was the new spring crop of college graduates that would normally be coming into our market and looking for rentals. Jobs are scarce and many of those fortunate enough to get a job are working virtually from home. Like any other aspect of the real estate market, supply and demand rules and that can be a fragile balance. Right now we have a lot of supply and more on the way.

What I have written here is only meant to shed a little light on one aspect of our economy and our lives. Nothing has been intended to make light of COVID and its impact on our business and personal lives. It has been and continues to be staggering. My heart goes out for all. I see wonderful restaurants with an owner’s life savings on the line, many hanging on by a thread. We all pray for an effective vaccine and the return to some sense of normalcy. Whatever that will be, will be and we will adapt and thrive as we have done after every crisis before this one.

Don Denton is Branch Vice President, Coldwell Banker Realty, 350 7th Street SE. 202-256-1353 u

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I

f you had to pick a color for DC, what would it be?

While some US cities balk at action to mitigate global warming, other are embracing carbon reducing strategies - creating jobs and cleaner air for their residents. Often, residents aren’t aware of these changes that are improving the quality of life – for humans and wildlife. DC is a case in point. In January 2019, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, one of the most ambitious clean energy bills in the US today. The bill sets a mandate of 100% renewable electricity use by 2032.

The Sierra Club DC Chapter is just one group working to ensure that DC meets these goals. Lara Levison, the Chapter’s Clean Energy Committee Chair notes, “This groundbreaking law gives us an enormous boost toward achieving the District’s ambitious but essential climate and clean energy com-

by Catherine Plume mitments. The Sierra Club DC Chapter is working with the Council and DC agencies to implement these policies and build upon them as we face up to the climate crisis.”

Specific bill goals include: • Mandating 100% of electricity sold in DC comes from renewable sources.

• Doubling the required amount of solar energy deployed.

• Making improvements to the energy efficiency of large (new and existing) buildings.

• Providing energy efficiency, weatherization, and energy assistance to low/ moderate-income residents.

It’s easy to moped yourself to a greener DC! Photo: C Plume • Requiring all public transportation and privately owned fleet vehicles to DC residents who can’t install solar arrays (due to be emissions-free by 2045. shading or because they don’t own a house) can • Funding the DC Green Bank for private investpurchase renewable energy through a renewable ment in clean energy projects. energy provider while Pepco continues to deliver Despite the pandemic electricity to their home. And Pepco itself is slowly and its economic set-back, getting into the game and will be adding a small perDC is making progress on centage of renewable energy to its electricity sourcthese goals. es by 2024.

Renewable Energy Options

There’s solar everywhere in DC! Photo: C Plume

74 H HILLRAG.COM

Solar arrays can be installed on many DC roofs and have a payback period of only four-six years. A number of DC-based companies provide solar array installation services. While homeowners with these solar arrays see an immediate reduction in their electricity bills, income-challenged residents often can’t afford the upfront installation costs. DC’s Solar for All program covers these costs for lower income households. Meanwhile those

Improving Building Energy Efficiency The Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018 also requires that large buildings that currently fall below median energy efficiency increase their efficiency 20% by 2027. DC’s energy efficiency standards will be released in early 2021, and these requirements could pose a challenge to affordable housing units as the energy savings may not entirely cover the cost of the needed investments. To address this issue, the clean energy law sets aside $3 million per year starting in 2022 to assist affordable housing providers and rent-controlled building owners in making these upgrades.

Greening the Fleet DC is also making investments in a greener fleet. The DC Circulator began purchasing electric buses in 2018. The 3000 Series electric Proterra E2 Cata-

lyst buses are US-manufactured and 100% battery powered. Each of these buses has zero emissions, eliminating thousands of gallons of diesel use while reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and noise pollution. Meanwhile, the District is adding hybrid and hybrid-electric vehicles to its fleet while low/ no-carbon transportation options such as Capital Bikeshare, scooters, and mopeds are ever more available in DC neighborhoods.

A Green Bank Finally, DC’s Green Bank is a reality! This bank will leverage private investment, remove upfront costs, and accelerate energy efficiency improvements that will deploy clean energy in DC. An Executive Director has been hired, and the bank is now in its startup phase.

Tommy Wells, Director of DC’s Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) is pleased with the District’s progress on these goals, noting, “The Clean Energy DC Act was our down payment on achieving Mayor Bowser’s goal to make DC carbon free by 2050. As of 2018, we have already cut carbon pollution by 27% since 2006 and thanks to policies to save energy in our buildings and transition to cleaner sources of electricity, we are on track to achieve our goals while creating jobs, cutting air pollution, and improving the health of our residents.”

So what color is DC? There are many right answers, but it’s certainly getting greener.

Catherine Plume is a lifelong environmentalist, a writer, and blogger for the DC Recycler: www.DCRecycler. blogspot.com; Twitter: @DC_Recycler. She is also the Chair of the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club, however, perspectives expressed are her own and do not necessarily represent the positions of that organization. u

The Capitol Hill Garden Club presents

Dear Garden Problem Lady,

by Wendy Blair My beautiful Boston fern of many years became so potbound that I had to remove it from its pot, cut off the dried mass of impacted roots, and pick about five small fern groups to re-pot. Each had at least one new shoot.

Well, it has been 2 months since I brought them indoors, and they seem light years away from the mass of healthy leaves they used to be.

Maybe only months – not light years away. Small divisions will root easily in rich, humusy soil, moderately watered. You can mist them from time to time. These ferns thrive in indirect light – a bit of morning sun, perhaps, is all they need. Now is a good time to have done this. Failure to re-pot could have caused death. They’re resting now, until the growing season starts again.

How long do garden chemicals last? I have a big bottle of liquid iron, and some MiracleGro, acid and base. All are far from new.

Congratulations that you are even thinking about this. You won’t need either the iron or the growth inducing products until spring. In general, chemicals such as MiracleGro stored closed, in a relatively cool (not cold) place, have a shelf life of up to three years -powder or liquid. Pesticides last for two years, unless they were exposed to sun or heat. Now that it’s too late, my advice is to buy garden chemicals in small quantities, unless you know you need a lot.

Isn’t winter the time to prune trees and plants? Our Azaleas are hugely overgrown, and yet my husband is unwilling to bring them back to the right size. Are there rules?

Because pruning is important, you must memorize which trees and shrubs should be pruned while dormant in winter, and which NOT! Here is a general rule: if the plant flowers before June 1st, prune it during or shortly after flowering. If the plant blooms after the first of June, prune it in late winter before flower buds appear. So December is not the time to prune your overgrown Azaleas!

However – there are rules, and there’s common sense. Perhaps your Azaleas should be pruned now any-

way. They will lose much bloom next spring – but it’s a Hobson’s choice you are free to make.

Are all Azaleas really Rhododendrons?

Yes. All Azaleas are Rhododendrons. But not all Rhododendrons are Azaleas!

Their leaves and branches differ slightly, and Azaleas are deciduous, while Rhododendrons are evergreen.

Their flowers differ, too.

The next public meeting of the Capitol Hill Garden Club occurs on January 12, 2021 at 7:15 pm on Zoom. Meetings are free and open to all, by invitation. Membership and Program Topic details are at capitolhillgardenclub.org.

Feeling beset by gardening problems? Your problem might prove instructive to others, and help them feel superior to you. Send them to the Problem Lady c/o dearproblemlady@ gmail.com. Complete anonymity is assured. u

December 2020 H 75

. home & garden.

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

NEIGHBORHOOD PRICE

BR

FEE SIMPLE 14TH STREET CORRIDOR 1318 Belmont St NW

ANACOSTIA

2116 15th St SE 1348-1350 U St SE 1350 Talbert Ter SE 1635 R St SE

ATLAS DISTRICT

916 7th St NE 1225 Wylie St NE

BLOOMINGDALE

28 Quincy Pl NW 5 Adams St NW 157 U St NW 62 Seaton Pl NW

BRENTWOOD

1336 Downing St NE 1421 Downing St NE

CAPITOL HILL

620 A St NE 232 9th St SE 125 12th St NE 126 3rd St SE 317 5th St NE 127 North Carolina Ave SE 644 5th St NE 914 C St NE 310 5th St SE 1225 Constitution Ave NE 920 South Carolina Ave SE 430 10th St NE 106 4th St SE 529 14th St NE 1107 D St SE 1230 C St SE 208 11th St SE 648 G St NE 21 7th St NE 1346 D St NE 726 6th St NE 1358 North Carolina Ave NE 608 E St SE 17 15th St SE 534 13th St NE 631 L St NE 825 E St SE 1828 Potomac Ave SE 711 A St NE 1367 E St SE 1011 C St NE 530 4th St NE 617 Lexington Pl NE 1233 Maryland Ave NE 219 14th Pl NE

2,100,000

6

578,888 450,000 435,000 363,000

3 4 3 2

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129 Raleigh St SE 170 Elmira St SW 127 Danbury St SW 700 Bonini Rd SE 166 Forrester St SW 837 Yuma St SE 4049 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SW 404 Orange St SE

1,018,670 760,000

3 3

1,075,000 1,063,000 992,775 890,000

4 4 3 3

640,000 525,000

3 3

2,800,000 1,850,000 1,600,000 1,500,000 1,400,000 1,307,500 1,253,000 1,250,000 1,235,000 1,225,000 1,195,000 1,190,000 1,155,000 1,137,500 1,124,500 1,100,000 1,069,000 1,020,000 1,015,000 1,005,000 920,000 913,500 899,000 890,000 890,000 880,000 878,500 840,000 825,000 800,000 791,000 761,000 750,000 710,000 675,000

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

1,389,000 800,000 710,000

4 3 2

440,000 415,000 414,000 407,000 403,000 385,000 305,000 305,000

DAKOTA CROSSING 3300 Theodore R Hagans Dr NE

DEANWOOD

CAPITOL HILL EAST

623 14th St NE 1649 C St NE 1407 K St SE

CONGRESS HEIGHTS

5905 Eads St NE 4408 Gault Pl NE 125 57th St SE 5308 Central Ave SE 801 55th St NE 5116 Sheriff Rd NE 139 57th Pl SE 50 53rd St SE 4717 Eads St NE 928 52nd St NE 4403 Hayes St NE 4512 Eads Pl NE 5101 Sheriff Rd NE 5086 Jay St NE 851 50th Pl NE 5512 Blaine St NE 840 52nd St NE 302 55th St NE 207 54th St NE 929 48th St NE 5337 Hayes St NE 4119 Gault Pl NE 4252 Dix St NE 4228 Eads St NE

DUPONT CIRLCE 1774 T St NW

ECKINGTON

134 R St NE 1809 N Capitol St NE 154 R St NE 2029 3rd St NE

EDGEWOOD

204 Channing St NE 220 Adams St NE

635,000

3

606,000 560,000 540,000 539,990 525,000 505,000 504,000 502,500 455,000 435,000 430,000 430,000 418,000 415,000 415,000 389,000 385,000 375,000 360,000 350,000 349,000 327,000 305,550 299,900

4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 2 4 4 3

1,070,000

3

1,175,000 930,000 718,000 660,000

4 6 3 3

780,000 652,222

4 3

FORT DUPONT PARK

1301 46th St SE 4203 H St SE 1703 Fort Davis St SE 4373 F St SE 1233 44th Pl SE 3236 E St SE 1311 SE 45th Pl SE 4351 G St SE

FORT LINCOLN

3642 Wright Ter NE 3716 Hansberry Ct NE

489,900 449,900 429,000 356,900 325,000 276,000 275,000 272,000

3 3 3 2 4 4 3 2

675,000 665,000

4 4

H STREET CORRIDOR 657 K St NE

1,300,000

1841 12th St NW 1441 Rhode Island Ave NW #113 1111 R St NW 1449 Swann St NW 942 T St NW

4 3 3 4 3 5 2 3

4

1,529,000 960,000 857,000 2,090,000 2,075,000

MARSHALL HEIGHTS

5028 B St SE 5096 Kimi Gray Ct SE 4715 B St SE 5445 B St SE

NAVY YARD

1029 5th St SE 927 5th St SE

NOMA

663 K St NE 1122 6th St NE

OLD CITY #1

photo: Andrew Lightman 825 8th St NE 812 12th St NE 729 K St NE 327 K St NE 1226 Linden Pl NE 1312 I St NE

HILL CREST

2210 30th St SE 2132 31st St SE 3311 Carpenter St SE 3344 Alabama Ave SE 3012 Alabama Ave SE

HILL EAST

235 16th St SE 272 15th St SE 1009 15th St SE 1342 K St SE 1637 Kramer St NE

KINGMAN PARK 516 24th St NE

LEDROIT PARK

235 Florida Ave NW 1913 6th St NW 2009 4th St NW

LILY PONDS

648 Barnes St NE 327 34th Pl NE 198 35th St NE

LOGAN CIRCLE

1449 S St NW 1912 10th St NW 1534 T St NW 933 O St NW

1,275,000 920,000 915,000 900,000 827,500 780,000

3 3 4 4 2 3

1300 I St NE 501 L St NE 1315 Corbin Pl NE 900 10th St NE 636 15th St NE 1029 6th St NE 325 18th St NE 1420 South Carolina Ave SE 1527 Constitution Ave NE 706 4th St SE 1611 Massachusetts Ave SE 822 13th St NE 1652 F St NE

OLD CITY #2

939 Westminster St NW 1201 4th St NW 2127 10th St NW 613 Rhode Island Ave NW 1213 Rhode Island Ave NW

755,000 695,000 650,000 610,000 480,000

5 4 4 3 5

980,000 860,000 799,000 734,000 649,900

3 3 4 2 3

1821 T Pl SE 1444 Smith Pl SE 2000 Trenton Pl SE 3447 24th St SE 2031 Alabama Ave SE 3413 21st St SE 1889 Alabama Ave SE

550,000

2

RLA (SW)

1,150,000 1,100,000 692,000

4 5 2

510,000 439,250 330,000

3 3 3

965,000 990,000 1,880,000 1,700,000

4 3 5 3

RANDLE HEIGHTS

610 H St SW

SHAW

811 T St NW 802 Rhode Island Ave NW 1411 5th St NW 1913 4th St NW 1618 4th St NW 1824 10th St NW 417 Warner St NW

TRINIDAD

1255 Owen Pl NE 1109 Owen Pl NE 1405 Trinidad Ave NE 1228 Orren St NE

3 2 2 4 5

455,000 415,500 412,000 385,000

4 3 3 2

1,057,100 647,000

4 2

1,320,000 1,013,000

3 4

1,420,000 1,100,000 829,000 816,500 812,500 800,000 790,000 699,950 690,000 647,000 635,900 625,000 520,000

0 5 3 3 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2

1,175,000 1,049,900 720,000 680,000 630,000

5 3 2 2 0

505,000 450,000 430,000 419,500 405,000 354,000 350,000

2 4 3 3 3 3 3

1,175,000

4

2,200,000 1,300,000 1,225,000 1,200,000 762,500 649,000 603,000

7 6 4 4 2 2 2

901,000 824,900 815,000 795,111

4 4 4 3

HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS! 1245 Owen Pl NE 1210 Owen Pl NE 1422 Morse St NE 1347 Queen St NE 1336 Levis St NE 1515 Queen St NE 1832 L St NE 1228 Owen Pl NE 1026 18th St NE

788,000 788,000 786,000 750,000 720,000 640,000 515,000 475,000 405,000

4 4 3 4 3 3 2 3 4

!

EW G N IN T S LI

645 Lexington Pl NE 5BR/4.5BA $1,850,000

!

EW G N IN T S LI

GRAND re-imagining of classic Wardman-style home on quiet and coveted Lexington Place – 6 blocks to Union Station, Eastern Market, or H Street Whole Foods! 2600 SF of gracious dimensions and craftsmanship over FOUR big levels featuring all the key ingredients – stunning kitchen, wall of South-facing glass, FIVE bright bedrooms, plus cozy lower den and INSPIRED sky-lit home office. CELEBRATE the end of 2020 with the big MOVE-UP you’ve been dreaming of!

TRUXTON CIRCLE

36 Florida Ave NW 885,000 3

1425 A St SE 4BD/3.5BA $1,390,000 TOP TO BOTTOM TRANSFORMATION ALONG A ST SE! Porchfront faces wide, wonderful A Street SE, with elevated porchfront and large rear deck and yard + garage. Huge 16 ft addition gives you PLENTY of room across three levels 2480 SF of impeccable renovation, from upper beds / baths, gourmet kitchen and open floor plan, to separate entry lower level. Short stroll to METRO, River Trail, and Beckert’s Park Safeway!

CONDO 14TH STREET CORRIDOR

1423 Clifton St NW #4 1801 16th St NW #504

718,000 415,000

ADAMS MORGAN

1700 Kalorama Rd NW #407 2363 Champlain St NW #23 2550 17th St NW #213 2380 Champlain St NW #10 1701 Kalorama Rd NW #405 1701 Kalorama Rd NW #206 1654 Euclid St NW #202 2630 Adams Mill Rd NW #5 1833 California St NW #301 1949 Calvert St NW #1949 1/2 1827 Florida Ave NW #203 2611 Adams Mill Rd NW #306

890,000 819,900 710,700 678,000 672,500 670,000 650,000 625,000 437,000 427,000 399,000 389,000

BARRY FARMS 3287 15th Pl SE #102

247,500

BLOOMINGDALE

117 T St NW #2 67 Randolph Pl NW #2 1812 1st St NW #1 70 Rhode Island Ave NW #204 1826 N Capitol St NW #1

899,000 766,000 715,000 500,000 341,000

BRENTWOOD

1386 Bryant St NE #103 1716 West Virginia Ave NE #202

325,000 290,000

CAPITOL HILL

1341 Maryland Ave NE #103 901 D St NE #206 56 15th St NE #56 615 D St NE #1 1391 Pennsylvania Ave SE #309 900 11th St SE #405 1449 A St NE #B 408 Seward Sq SE #5 410 15th St NE #14 1209 G St SE #6 1710 Gales St NE #5

1,000,000 844,000 701,000 680,000 650,000 507,500 456,000 448,000 429,000 425,000 402,500

CAPITOL HILL EAST

1832 D St NE #1 1220 Potomac Ave SE #8 1821 I Street NE #13

613,000 560,000 540,000

2 1

EW !

N ICE PR

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1

ER T! D C N A U TR N CO

1622.5 E St SE 4BR/4.5BA $1,622,500 ONLY ONE REMAINING IN CUSTOM BUILDER’S GRAND NEW ROW! GRAND custom classic home by C&S Builders - Tall & Handsome- 2,563 Bright SF - 3 expansive stories ABOVE grade - No dark basements here!

Honed White Oak floors throughout, pro-grade open kitchen, expansive rear patio & parking, Metro + grocery just 2 blocks. Every SINGLE detail large or little has been carefully considered in this beautiful Hill home.

706 12th Street NE 3BR/3.5BA $974,000 STRONG AND STATELY VICTORIAN STEPS FROM H STREET!! Just Steps to H/Atlas District, call this tall and handsome Victorian home your own! Ornate stone façade and elevated entrance. 2BR/2BA with soaring loft office on the upper level, plus separate 1/1 apartment for income below. Together, lock your monthly housing cost at less than nearby tiny condos!

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

ER T! D C N A U TR N CO

818 13th St NE 3BD/2BA $719,000

E BL A IL W! A O AV N

TALL + TANTALIZING - YOUR ATLAS DISTRICT DOMAIN! Standing tall at the THRIVING heart of the H St/ Atlas District corridor, overlooking countless food and drink destinations and the weekend FRESHFARM Market! WELCOME HOME to this cheerful bayfront Victorian - a real row of historic homes among the new condos!

Featuring owners’ bedroom with soaring ceilings, bay windows and transoms across THREE levels, open kitchen with breakfast bar, flex lower level suite with separate entrance, and BONUS rear private patio.

717 F Street NE 1BR/1.5BA $629,000 HISTORIC STOREFRONT NOW A STYLISH LOFT! Looking for simple and stylish, new and low-maintenance like a condo but with the privacy of a home? This rare historic neighborhood store-front retail shop has been creatively transformed into a dramatic loft residence! Prime location - 2 blks to H Street - 6 to Union Station - stroll to the best of Capitol Hill.

Open living-dining-kitchen and lofted bedroom, all new and of truly custom-crafted design!

Vaulted ceilings, gleaming concrete and wood floors, granite and stainless, and more.

3 2 2

CENTRAL

400 Massachusetts Ave NW #514 1133 14th St NW #1011 809 6th St NW #51 915 E St NW #601 1415 21st St NW #A

574,900 503,000 489,900 470,000 358,200

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 3874 9th St SE #102

120,000

1 1 2 1 0 2

202.243.7707

info@joelnelsongroup.com December 2020 H 77

742 Brandywine St SE #303

90,000

DEANWOOD

4407 Gault Pl NE #1 239,000 4915 Nan. Helen Burroughs Ave NE #201 225,000 210 43rd Rd NE #303 160,000

DUPONT CIRCLE

1720 S St NW #SE 1800 R St NW #602 1612 Q St NW #1 1330 New Hampshire Ave NW #821 1529 Q St NW #4 1736 18th St NW #404 1815 18th St NW #500 1401 17th St NW #612 1401 17th St NW #404 1511 22nd St NW #42 2012 O St NW #54 1930 New Hampshire Ave NW #37 2012 O St NW #12 1301 20th St NW #213 1752 Corcoran St NW #2A 1330 New Hampshire Ave NW #202 1727 Massachusetts Ave NW #208 1601 18th St NW #912 1801 16th St NW #105 1704 T St NW #403

ECKINGTON

307 Todd Place NE #2 211 R St NE #B 302 Todd Pl NE #1

685,000 502,500 495,000 342,500 1,285,000 790,000 790,000 676,000 645,000 546,188 520,000 415,000 410,000 371,000 360,500 342,500 280,000 265,000 915,000 900,000 800,000 733,000 410,000

3960-3960 Pennsylvania Ave SE #108 229,900

H STREET CORRIDOR

HILL CREST 2032 Fort Davis St SE #B

LEDROIT PARK

531 T St NW #203 122 Bryant St NW #1 2035 2nd St NW #G107 129 W St NW #102 511 Rhode Island Ave NW #A

LOGAN CIRCLE

1425 Rhode Island Ave NW #42 1515 15th St NW #607 940 P St NW #A 1401 Church St NW #520 1720 13th St NW #2 1325 13th St NW #12 1325 13th St NW #29 1401 Church St NW #402 1741 Johnson Ave NW #202 1312 Massachusetts Ave NW #601 1209 13th St NW #806 1515 15th St NW #414 1529 14th St NW #401 1404 11th St NW #301 1133 14th St NW #1102 1550 11th Street NW #204 1300 N St NW #804 1245 13th St NW #911 1314 Massachusetts Ave NW #405 1300 N St NW #104 7 Logan Cir NW #3 1125 12th St NW #85 1441 Rhode Island Ave NW #410

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2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2

MT VERNON SQUARE

469 M St NW #NO. 1 408 M St NW #4 1010 Massachusetts Ave NW #1201 1117 10th St NW #1002 1126 5th St NW #3 426 M St NW #D 440 L St NW #807

NAVY YARD

70 SE N St SE #406 70 SE N St SE #408

NOMA

50 Florida Ave NE #213 50 Florida Ave NE #211 50 Florida Ave NE #216

OLD CITY #1

1105 7th St NE #2 1526 Massachusetts Ave SE #1 254 15th St SE #3 1025 1st St SE #104 1007 Maryland Ave NE #101 14 15th St NE #14 410 15th St NE #26 1209 G St SE #4

OLD CITY #2

FORT DUPONT PARK

1000 I St NE ##1 714 11th St NE #302 660 Morton Pl NE #5 1111 Orren St NE #100

1

899,000 465,000 450,000 275,000

2 3 2 3 4 1 2 0

224,000

2

939,000 745,000 499,900 459,000 355,000

2 2 1 2 2

700,000 2,800,000 1,425,000 1,175,000 1,048,000 900,000 869,500 774,900 755,000 710,000 702,000 670,000 630,000 599,555 520,000 469,000 457,000 455,000 449,900 425,000 384,900 325,000 629,000

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

1514 8th St NW #8 408 M St NW #2 1515 15th St NW #212 408 M St NW #3 35 Q St NW #1 1527 Church St NW #A 1925 16th St NW #201 1413 T St NW #408 1125 12th St NW #35 1440 N St NW #704 440 L St NW #814

PENN QUARTER

616 E St NW #1155 912 F St NW #1108

RANDLE HEIGHTS

1725 28th Pl SE #B 1723 28th Pl SE #A 2472 Alabama Ave SE #B1

RLA (SW)

350 G St SW #N605 355 N St SW #355 1101 3rd St SW #411 300 M St SW #N609

SHAW

928 O St NW #3 1601 5th St NW #D 1013 T St NW #A 1413 5th St NW #200 1910 8th St NW #2 810 O St NW #403 1824 9th St NW #1 1539 9th St NW #1

SOUTH WEST

827 3rd St SW 355 I St SW #S320

SW WATERFRONT

106 G St SW 1101 3rd St SW #113 525 Water St SW #327

989,900 849,000 930,000 649,000 630,000 510,000 510,000

3 2 2 2 2 2 2

545,900 537,900

1 1

489,650 481,400 430,500

1 1 1

799,900 745,000 565,000 439,900 435,700 415,000 350,000 128,146

2 3 2 1 2 1 1 1

965,000 849,000 750,000 750,000 660,000 590,000 458,000 310,000 304,000 268,000 234,086

2 3 1 2 3 1 1 0 1 1 1

895,000 869,000

3 2

355,000 295,000 65,000

3 2 1

420,000 351,500 320,000 319,000

1 1 1 1

2,325,000 1,440,000 1,140,000 842,500 731,000 719,900 695,000 575,000

3 4 3 3 2 2 2 2

708,399 405,000

3 1

700,000 461,000 417,000

3 1 1

Real Estate

Management Attention Condos, Coops, HOAs, Apartment Owners, Homeowners, & Investors:

Serving Capitol Hill and SW DC for Over 30 Years! - Locally Owned

TRINIDAD

1315 Trinidad Ave NE #2 1267 Penn St NE #B 1255 Penn St NE #4 1255 Penn St NE #1 1244 Raum St NE #4 1714 West Virginia Ave NE #4 1016 17th Pl NE #404 1230 Meigs Pl NE #4 1016 17th Pl NE #500 1016 17th Pl NE #403 1104 Holbrook Ter NE #1 1016 17th Pl NE #205 1016 17th Pl NE #206 1016 17th Pl NE #103 1016 17th Pl NE #6 1830 I St NE #1

700,000 694,000 650,000 599,900 550,000 425,000 414,900 410,000 390,600 354,900 350,000 339,900 339,900 329,900 284,900 283,250

TRUXTON CIRCLE

139 P St NW #B 24 N St NW #1

939,000 755,000

U STREET CORRIDOR

1939 17th St NW #2 2125 14th St NW #319W 2121 11th St NW #3 929 Florida Ave NW #7002

375,000 1,050,000 729,000 500,000

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

WATERFRONT

1425 4th St SW #A703 327,500 1 355 I St SW #S411 488,000 2

COOP ADAMS MORGAN 1801 Clydesdale Pl NW #621

186,000

CAPITOL HILL 516 A St NE #101

590,000

CAPITOL HILL TOWER 1000 New Jersey Ave SE #202

500,000

DUPONT CIRCLE

1514 17th St NW #514 1701 16th Street NW #424 1514 17th St NW #215 1701 16th Street NW #446 1701 16th St NW #725

390,000 675,000 399,000 395,000 375,000

NAVY YARD

1000 New Jersey Ave SE #328 1000 New Jersey Ave SE #229

495,000 390,000

SW WATERFRONT

342 N St SW 1311 Delaware Ave SW #S-846 u

625,000 227,000

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CAPITOL CUISINE

by Celeste McCall

W

e really enjoyed Moon Rabbaby bok choy. Heartier options are lemongrass pork Caribbean Kith/Kin? Moon Rabbit’s dinner for two with a drink apiece came to $78 before tip. Serbit. That’s the name of Execblade steak with coconut rice and a 16-ounce ribvice was excellent. The restaurant’s name, by the utive Chef Kevin Tien’s new eye served with Caesar salad and pureed potatoes. way, comes from a mythical lunar-dwelling bunny “modern Vietnamese restauDessert: coconut milk custard with coffee in Asian folklore. rant” in the District Wharf ’s caramel syrup, chocolate pearls and a scattering Located at 801 Wharf St. SW, Moon Rabbit is of salt. From the drink menu, Essay Syrah (South InterContinental Hotel. On a chilly November eveclosed Monday. Call 202-878-8566 or visit www.

African wine) and Ethiopian beer are perhaps ning, we were seated by ourselves at a long table moonrabbitdc.com. holdovers from the hotel’s previous tenant, Afro/ near the lobby. Moon Rabbit’s sharp-edged décor features cool tones of beige and grey, with wooden accents.

At his new enterprise, Tien is rediscovering his Vietnamese roots. (His parents immigrated from Vietnam, and Tien grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana.) He’s been reading Vietnamese cookbooks, exploring dishes while reconnecting with his mother, who was raised in Ho Chi Minh City.

We were tempted by Tien’s garlicgrilled prawns accompanied by muối ớt xanh sữa đặc— a sauce of sweetened condensed milk enlivened with incendiary Thai green chilis. But I settled on twice-fried Pennsylvania quail, marinated in soy sauce and five-spice seasoning. The plump, crispy birds arrived with honey and Szechuan peppercorn-spiked butter and feather-light buttermilk biscuits. “The biscuit recipe is a nod to my Louisiana upbringing,” Tien explained.

“I’ve been working on the recipe for a long time,” he said, adding that most ingredients are made in-house: honey, butter, and the five-spice seasoning.

Peter’s moistly delicious branzino (subbing for traditional catfish), was At the District Wharf, Executive Chef Kevin Tien works his magic in Moon Rabbit’s kitchen. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images) napped with turmeric curry, turnips and December 2020 H 81

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And… In the Navy Yard, a ramen shop aptly named Basebowl, has opened at 1201 Half St. SE, near Nationals Park. Operated by Leopold Liao, the 2,400-squarefoot eatery occupies the base of West Half, the JBG Smith mixed-use development.

Atlas Happenings While the Atlas District was dormant during much of the pandemic, the street is reawakening. A newcomer is KitchenCray, 1301 H St.NE. Chef-owner J.R. Robinson launched his spinoff (parent restaurant is in Lanham, Maryland) last month. A survivor of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, Robinson started Kitchen Cray as a catering business. He now showcases Cajun and Caribbean flavors while honoring his Harlem roots. Expect generous portions of oxtail Benedict, shrimp (or catfish)-and-grits, crab cake BLT, fried chicken with French toast. KitchenCray (“Creative Revolutionary Artistic Youth”) is open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner; Saturday and Sunday brunch. Call 202-396-2729 or visit www.kitchencray.com.

Fond of Fondue To stave off winter chill, Swiss restaurant Stable (Atlas District) has added fondue to its seasonal menu. To start, the kitchen launched “Little Stable,” a fondue popup, down the street from its permanent address. Seating was in an outdoor courtyard, with heat lamps and blankets. But when we dined there on a mild November evening, we were able to doff our coats. Ambience was festive, with red-checked tablecloths and twinkling lights. After

its temporary pop-up, Stable moved back into its regular digs at 1324 H adding fondue to its regular menu.

From “Little Stable’s” abbreviated lineup, we chose Beiper Knolle fondue, traditional cheese fondue with the addition of Beiper Knolle, garlic and black pepper cheese. Tagged at a rather steep $30 per person, the bubbling pot came with homemade bread cubes. You can also go with “traditional,” with two kinds of Swiss cheese, or a charcuterie (air dried beef, ham, mustard, pickles).

A crisp green side salad counteracted the rich cheeses.

Also on H Street, Milk and Honey is a welcoming restaurant serving Southern-style comfort food. Courtesy: Milk & Honey

Pete McCall samples bubbling cheese fondue at Stable’s lively pop-up. Photo: Celeste McCall.

ABOVE LEFT: In the Atlas District, Stable’s fondue pop-up features a warm, festive atmosphere. Photo: Celeste McCall.

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The drink list offered Gluhwein (hot spiced red wine), hot apple cider, beer, wine Kirschwasser, Schnapps and other potent potables. Service, rendered by Joseph, was pleasant and informative. Our dinner, with a wine apiece, came to $90. Pricy but fun, a welcome diversion in these troubled times.

Stable is open nightly (closed Monday), plus weekend brunch. Call 202-733-4604 or visit www.stabledc.com.

Honey on the Hill Milk and Honey (in Smith Commons), is a yearold, warm and welcoming place with a Motown vibe. For lunch try the tempting shrimp-and-grits, Cajun pasta (cream sauce with choice of protein), or lobster tail-egg-and-cheese biscuits. A popular choice is the crab hash, jumbo lump crab and tomatoes served with cheesy hash browns topped with Cajun cream sauce. I’ve tried the New Orleans-style fried shrimp Po’ Boy sandwich. The accompanying homemade truffle chips are positively addictive.

Milk and Honey cares about the environment: compostable plates, paper drinking straws.

Owner/chef is Sammy Davis Jr, a Food Network celeb and “Chopped” winner. Co-owner is Monique Rose. Located at 1245 H St. NE, Milk and Honey serves “all day brunch” and dinner except

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A huge barbecue truck, Big Frank, is parked weekends in front of Valor Brewpub on Barracks Row. Photo: Celeste McCall.

for Monday, when it’s shuttered.

Call 202-396-0038 or visit www. milknhoneycafe.com.

On Barracks Row… A humongous barbecue truck is parked outside Valor Brewpub, 723 Eighth St. SE, Thursday through Sunday. Dubbed Big Frank, the 20-foot rig is equipped with a 1,500-pound smoker that churns out more than 300 pounds of meat daily including ribs, pork, brisket, chicken and delicious candied bacon. We’ve sampled Big Frank’s succulent pulled pork (rubbed and smoked for 20 hours) and two sides: Rosemary’s blue-cheese-laced coleslaw and bourbon BBQ-baked beans. We also enjoyed the smoked half-chicken with truffle fries, a slab of dry-cured candy bacon and beef brisket, For the project, Gaynor Jablonski, who owns Valor and the Ugly Mug, has joined with longtime friends and fellow veterans: Mark Moore and Frank Boland.

Holiday Tradition As always on Christmas Day (plus New Year’s), La Plaza, 629 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. will be open all day for lunch and dinner. Call 202-5469512 or visit www.laplazadc.com. u

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AT THE MOVIES New Films from England and Romania: A Sensual Period Piece and A Searing Contemporary Documentary

by Mike Canning

Ammonite It might seem like slim pickings to make a movie drama out of the limited, but productive, life of a woman obsessed since youth with collecting fossils off a harsh English coast, but we now have it with “Ammonite,” the saga of the18th C. self-taught fossil hunter, Mary Anning (d. 1847). Starring Kate Winslet as Mary, the film was written and directed by Yorkshireman Francis Lee. But rather than just recounting the scientific drudgery of “a woman who sells seashells by the sea shore,” Lee relates the more compelling story of a furtive lesbian encounter on the rock-bound swells of Dorset (the film is rated “R” and runs 117 minutes).

Mary lives a repetitive, barren life in a grim stone house in the sea-side town of Lyme Regis with her widowed mother Molly (Gemma Jones), where they make a meager living selling sea trinkets to tourists. With lights low and clothing thick, their lives are shrouded in hues of dusty grays and dank blues, and poor mother, mildly addled, focuses slavishly on polishing eight ceramic figures, the number of children she has lost.

Into their lives comes a fossil enthusiast, Roderick Murchison (James McArdle) and his proper but ailing wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan). Once they’ve settled in, the husband asks for a favor from Mary: he must go on a scientific trip, but could the Annings (especially Mary) keep Charlotte entertained with life by the sea so she can get out of her stupor? This means going shelling with Mary to pass the time.

Their relationship is rocky to start: Mary has no time for coddling this woeful woman and Charlotte is put off by Mary’s rough curtness. With time (the film does this quite gradually) Mary notices a spark in Charlotte, while the latter leaves her primness behind, gets muddy on the beach, and admires Mary’s sense of purpose. An accident leaves Charlotte abed, and Mary, perforce, becomes her caregiver, pushing the relationship along.

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Saoirse Ronan (left) and Kate Winslet discover each other in the film “Ammonite.” Photo: Claire Timmons, courtesy NEON films.

those movies, usually tagged as “Based on a true story,” which veers wildly into amatory fiction to enliven a turgid environment with sensuous punch. Also to note: while the development of the affair is mostly in furtive, modest steps, there is one erotic scene that more than earns the film’s “R” rating.

“Ammonite” (a coiled, chambered fossil shell from the Cretaceous period) is a studied two-hander for Ronan and Winslet, and they acquit themselves well. The young Irishwoman’s transition is convincing; a young city lady warming to a woman of sturdy competence and strength. She comes to shine just as her early pallor transforms into roseate cheeks. You can see why Mary becomes smitten. Meanwhile, Winslet also brightens, if more slowly, as she encounters sentiments she has never felt before. This is the kind of role in which Winslet—head down, hair in a tight bun, eyes forlorn--excels: a wary, suppressed

woman discovering new human terrain. She is like one of her fossils, which, when cracked open, reveals a hidden, primordial beauty.

“Ammonite” may sound grim, like a naturalistic novel by Thomas Hardy, who chronicled this same Dorset coast, but it contains a glimmer of hope.

Collective This documentary about ingrained corruption in contemporary Romania is a wonder: a meticulously crafted landmark of investigative journalism, done in the spirit of the great 2015 film “Spotlight,” except it is real (the film is not rated and runs 109 mins).

The title (“Colectiv” in Romanian) comes from the name of an underground nightclub in Bucharest, that, in October 2015, burned to the ground in a fire, killing 25 patrons and leaving 180 wounded. As if the fire deaths were not bad enough, 37 of the burn vic-

Journalists Mirela Neag (left) and Catalin Tolontan appear in “Collective,” an Alexander Nanau Production, Samsa Film, HBO Europe 2019. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

tims died of infections in the aftermath in city hospitals, causing a scandal and national protests against a sketchy drug supplier (Hexi Pharma) and a corrupt regime. By early 2016, director Alexander Nauau and his crew began covering the wide-ranging scandal and the government’s response, tracing the hospital deaths to diluted disinfectants (watered down by 90 percent) from Hexi Pharma to treat burn victims.

The scandal keeps expanding, led by a crusading journalist Catalin Tolotan, a Romanian-German reporter from the “Sports Gazette” newspaper, who leads a team to root out the truth through persistent inquiry, street smarts, and shoe leather. The paper’s reporters, with the help of betrayed whistle blowers, reveal the chemical company’s nefariousness, harass government spokesmen, find dirty money used as payouts, and do dogged research to parcel out the story over many months. Their pressure is enough to topple a government, leading to calls for reform and a new election.

While the journalistic story is fascinating (and repellent), equally telling is the appearance of another truth-teller, a new interim Minister of Health (Vlad Voiculescu) who comes from Vienna with credentials in patients’ rights cases. His transparency is stunning, and he allows the Gazette team into

his confidence, allowing them to film his staff meetings and sit in on whistle blowers’ testimony as he works to put together a case for prosecution. This is the kind of backstory to corruption that is rarely seen in cinema.

The film outlines in great detail the tenacious labor of Nauau (his own cinematographer) and his collaborators: the reporters filmed steadily from early 2016 to mid-2017, they took another year-and-one-half to edit and polish the documentary.

The style may remind fans of the works of the legendary Frederick Wiseman: no interviews, no voice over explaining things, no suggestive music track. Just the bald presence of the allseeing camera whose images are precisely cut to slowly reveal the shame of a society. “Collective” showcases a number of fascinating characters, none more striking than Tedy Ursuleani, a survivor of the fire left with harrowing burns. Posing in dramatic couture outfits while still showing her wounds, she embraces her shattered self as a symbol of the Collective horror.

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

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ARTandtheCITY

by Jim Magner

ARTIST PORTRAIT: KATHY TURNER

S

ailors on shore leave in NYC are “grabbing a moment.” It was a moment grabbed by many sailors and soldiers in World War II, but this one is more personal to Kathy Turner—the handsome, laughing man holding the bottle was her stepfather. He survived the war, but what happened to his buddy? Nobody knows.

Kathy loves to drag the backstories from vintage black and white photographs like “First Maide.”

It’s an instant in the life of real people—lives assembled from millions of moments. It’s a “jumping off point.” She enlarges and reassembles each life in a painting to where it is renewed and recreated. The color is hers, as is the arrangement of some pictorial elements. She explores the personalities, using “creative license” and makes the ordinary extraordinary.

She often paints on “found” scrap rusty metal, using water-based vinyl pigment. She starts with “washi,” (literally, Japanese paper), made from mulberry and other fibers. Applied wet, it shrinks slight-

First Maide, 24" x24", vinyl paint on metal ceiling tile.

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ly and melds with the surface of the metal. It makes the colors denser and more vibrant. Kathy also paints on wood. “Lifting as We Climb (Sojourner Truth)” is oil on an old door panel. She doesn’t use an undercoat of gesso so the grain can show through.

Kathy grew up in a creative home—her mother was a seamstress and she has inherited those sewing skills. Shore Leave, 18"x30", vinyl paint on wood panel Her father was a WWII vet employ a spiritual artist who composes the evening who gave her the stories behind her art. Since gradspectacle? It seems like it. uating from Towson University with a BFA, her art And art? Does art wish to be seen? What other has developed in all directions in both topics and purpose does art have? What other gift could it give? techniques. You can see the wide range of her work Some paintings, I have noticed, practicalon her Face Book page, “KA Turner Art,” and in the ly hang themselves.

They appear to fly up to the current virtual show at the Hill Center, “Uniting US.” hook, preen in the light and ruffle their pigments as (see At the Galleries.) you pass by. They droop with disappointment if you pass without even a glance. If you stop to look with Jim Magner’s Thoughts on Art honest interest, they happily reveal their secrets. It’s I have written much about seeing. Not just suryour reward for being cool enough to care and smart face appearances but the meaning that lies beenough to understand. The more you look, the hapneath…those insights that prowl the depths of pier they become. understanding. You can sense the implications The people resurrected in the paintings of that surround reality and give them significance.

Kathy Turner (see Artist Profile) beam with pure But what about the power of being seen? joy at having been studied keenly and given a new Most living beings seem to understand that they life in color and visual harmony. Actually, the whole can be seen and are sometimes watched. Anipainting gleams. You are seeing below the surface to mals, both predators and prey, are acutely aware the depths of understanding. You recognize a periof that. Those closest to the bottom of the food od of great significance—a time of daring and dedchain live in a state of constant awareness. ication. You look at the painting and it smiles back What about humans wanting to be seen? with exalted pride.

There are untold numbers of narcissists who strut and posture and demand to be observed At the Galleries and admired. Others are uncomfortable in the Bradley Stevens limelight.

Zenith Gallery, 1429 Iris Street NW What about flowers? Do they pose and – Jan. 9, 2021 deliberately act pretty? Do mountains rise up Zenith Gallery Presents “Intimacy & Isolation.” to be more easily observed? Does the sunset Bradley Stevens “explores the psychological inter-

Lifting as We Climb (Sojourner Truth) 16"x24" oil paint on old door panel

section of people and interior spaces.” As usual, he puts it all together—color, composition, exacting technique—creating a space that you will want to share…to mingle with the familiar visitors to a museum—connecting, but without losing the shared sense of contemplation in isolation. www.zenithgallery.com Uniting U Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave., SE – Dec. 31 This is a very special virtual exhibit featuring the art of 30 US military veterans and vet families.

There are 125 works of all kinds and varied subject matter—organized by Uniting US, veterans’ family members and friends. Kathy Turner (see Artist Profile) is included in the show.

Also, the annual Regional Juried Exhibition continues through 2020. A wonderful work from each artist can be seen at: www.hillcenterdc. org/galleries Cristy West Foundry Gallery, 2118 - 8th St., NW Dec. 4–27 Cristy West is fascinated by marks. “Runes and petroglyphs, the scripts of other languages, children’s drawings—all these point to meanings I don’t quite understand. “ Yet, marks with now obscure meanings can have a power that common words and representational art may lack

cristy.west1@gmail.com. cristywest.com. info@ foundrygallery.org Capitol Hill Art League Frame of Mine Gallery, 545 8th St SE – Dec. 9 The “Winners Circle” exhibit features CHAL members who have won awards in various shows in the past year: Louise Holland, Kim DiDonato-Murrell, Linda Norton, Karen Cohen, J Jaffery, Judy Searles Ken Bachman, Nan Raphael, Deb Furey, Erika Rubel, Rindy O’Brien, Tamora Ilasat, Mike McSorley, and Jane Mann. www. caphillartleague.org/ www.frameofminedc.com “Small Treasures” American Painting Fine Art, 5125 MacArthur Blvd., NW, Suite 17 Dec. 5 – Jan. 30 Recp. Sat. Dec. 5, 5-8 This is a terrific show for the holidays with an actual Reception, (complying with the usual requirements). You’ll find the small, less expensive works from the wonderful “American Scene” painters who exhibit at the gallery. Perfect for gifts. For complete information: classicamericanpainting.com.

Happy Holidays everyone. Buy art. – Jim A Capitol Hill artist and writer, Jim can be reached at Artandthecity05@aol.com u

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MURAL AT HOPKINS APARTMENTS REFLECTS URBAN FARM AND COMMUNITY

A

s summer began to recede, a new mural came to life at Hopkins Apartments. Created by the residents with the help of two local artists, the new mural reflects a recently developed onsite urban farm. Located between two apartment buildings at 1000 K Street SE, Hopkins’ urban farm is one of six “Bridge Park Plots” initiated

by THEARC’s 11th Street Bridge Park organization. Destinee Johnson, Program Associate at the 11th Street Bridge Park, sought to “activate around the farm” to ensure residents felt ownership of the newly developed plots. To this end, at the request of the Hopkins residents, Johnson sent out a call for art-

by Phill Hutinet ists to create a new mural to give the plots a sense of place. Through a competitive panel selection, artists Mark Garrett and Dietrich Williams were selected.

Urban Farming Like the other five Bridge Park Plots that dot DC’s eastern neighborhoods, the Hopkins farm is part of THEARC’s 11th Street Bridge Equitable Development Plan. The urban farming initiative began in 2016 in response to over 1000 meetings with area residents who expressed a desire to experience urban agriculture. Each urban farm, including Hopkins’, includes a strong community engagement component to connect residents to the new plots.

As Johnson explains, “We had [Hopkins] community members be part of the process. In meetings, the idea of having urban agriculture spaces kept coming up.” Officially called Hopkins Garden & Orchard, the urban farm was established spring of 2018 and comprises 40 garden plots and 20 fruit trees.

Hopkins serves its residents first and foremost as a place to call home while the urban farm provides residents with a shared amenity. Johnson added, “One of the biggest things was to work with residents to make sure they felt they had ownership of the farm space.” In meetings with the farm manager, Johnson discussed various ideas on how to reinforce Artists Dietrich Williams and Mark Garrett with the Hopkins Urban Garden Mural.

Photo: Ayanah George Photography

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that sense of ownership and the idea of creating a mural came up. Johnson said that, “We then spoke with stakeholders like the resident council, asking them ‘how do you want to engage with your surroundings?’ The mural was also seen by the council as a way to beautify the space.”

Community Engagement Through Shared Visual Language Johnson circulated a request for proposals which yielded several artist applicants. Out of the pool of artists, the selection committee, which included Hopkins residents, chose Mark Garrett and Dietrich Williams both of whom are DC-native, locally based artists.

Garrett and Williams had submitted a joint proposal. This was neither their first collaboration nor their first community mural as the duo had just finished a similar project. Both artists saw the Hopkins mural as an opportunity for them to continue working together as artists.

The artists presented their initial design to the Hopkins community which allowed residents to make changes. “Some of the things they wanted to see were literally added to the design” says Williams.

Garrett and Williams wanted to create a piece of art that reflected and highlighted the garden. As Williams describes it, “We wanted to cre-

ate some activity around the mural, to look at the piece and spend some time in the garden.

I wanted them [the residents] to a have greater appreciation for their residence and make Preparing the them proud of wall. Photo: where they reside.”

Ayaneh George Photography The project took several weeks to complete and was finished on September 18. The mural itself was a three-part process in which Hopkins residents were invited to participate. First, residents helped with the carpentry and created the panels upon which the mural would be painted. Next, residents painted the mural which was broken down into different sections. Lastly, the mural was mounted along a fence.

The artwork consists of large depictions of plants from the urban farm which frame the words “Hopkins Gardens” in the center. The words appear in the foreground in bold letters and seemingly rest atop an image of the Hopkins apartment complex.

Artists Garrett and Williams’ creative mark on Capitol Hill has just begun. They plan to work on many more projects together including a mural of late congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis. The duo hopes to start the mural no later than spring 2021. When completed, Lewis’ likeness will adorn the side of a commercial building at 12th and Pennsylvania Avenue SE, overlooking the gas station, greeting passersby heading southbound towards the John Philip Sousa Bridge.

To learn about the Bridge Park Plots visit bbardc.org/farm-garden Phil Hutinet is the publisher of East City Art, DC’s alternative art source. For more information visit www.eastcityart. com. u

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the LITERARY HILL A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events

by Karen Lyon

They Paved Paradise…

In the 1920 photo, Hans Wunderlich stands on the stoop of his C Street townhouse with his dog Archie at his side. Wunderlich was a German immigrant and cornet player for the US Marine Band. His widow lived in the home, with its jaunty striped awnings, until her death in 1958. It was razed in 1964 to make way for the Hine Junior High School playground and is now the site of senior housing on the newly reopened street.

Wunderlich’s home is only one of many buildings—and their stories—surveyed by Hill historian Elizabeth Purcell in her new book, “Capitol Hill: Past & Present.” Presenting more than 80 pages of before-and-after photographs, she digs into Capitol Hill history, exploring what used to be, why it’s gone, and what’s there now.

Much of the story is sad: houses torn down to make way for government buildings, churches leveled to accommodate the freeway, businesses destroyed to create parking lots. Fires, riots—and even a rare tornado that damaged the 1200 block of C Street in 1927—also took their toll on the Hill’s older buildings.

But Purcell also points out some bright spots. The destruction of a stately 19th-century building at 500 East Capitol Street in 1972 so outraged local citizens that it led to the establishment of the Capitol Hill Historic District. Frager’s Hardware not only survived its 2013 fire, but moved back better than ever into its restored building. And the Old Naval Hospital’s transition to the vibrant Hill Center has been a boon to the entire neighborhood.

Purcell spent nearly a year researching “Capitol Hill,” reaching out to friends, the Historical Society of Washington, DC, and the Library of Congress to unearth the stories behind the Hill’s lost treasures.

The result is a book that will intrigue—and sometimes dishearten—history lovers. We can only hope it will also serve as a cautionary tale to future generations about the importance of preserving our past.

Beth Purcell is both a past and current president of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society. All royalties from the sale of “Capitol Hill: Past & Present” will be donated to the CHRS. www.chrs.org

Enough Stuff

Kim Roberts has compiled a century’s worth of DC poets and poetry in a new anthology, “By Broad Potomac’s Shore.”

Photo by Mark Gann

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Did you ever stop to think about how your favorite Brazilian coffee got here?

Hill economist Marc Levinson has. In his insightful new book, “Outside the Box: How Globalization Changed from Moving Stuff to Spreading Ideas,” he describes how world trade evolved and how it is now shifting from goods to services. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Levinson starts by describing how globalization first came about in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, aided by

Local economist Marc Levinson explains the intricacies of globalization and how it has changed our world in “Outside the Box.” Photo by Karen Sayre

the development of canals, steamships, and the telegraph. WWI brought a halt to this first phase—and the Great Depression further “put an end to hopes of recovery”—but after WWII, the Second Globalization was able to capitalize on new, standardized containerships to “supercharge” international commerce. The bubble burst in the 1980s, due in part to shifting exchange rates that “turned banking into a game of three-care monte.”

The Third Globalization, fueled by deregulation, saw the rise of international trade agreements, paving the way for more countries, such as China, to become global players. Supply chains began shifting to “value chains,” where production of a given item could involve parts from one country, manufacture in another, and design, finance, and engineering from yet another location. This “age of stuff,” as Levinson calls it, fizzled out after the economic collapse of 2007.

Now, he contends, we’ve moving into a Fourth Globalization, in which “moving ideas, services, and people around the world matters more than transporting boatloads of goods.” The reasons why “stuff ” is losing ground are myriad. Levinson points

to an aging population that already has all the furniture and clothing they need. Digital downloads and streaming services, bike-sharing, and ride services also mean less need to purchase goods.

He warns, however, that building a new framework to guide international trade “is likely to prove far more difficult than demolishing the structures of the past.” It could be a bumpy ride. Happily, however, we’ve got clearthinking analysts like Levinson to steer us through it.

Marc Levinson is an economist, historian and journalist who has written several books, including “The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger” and “The Great A&P and the Struggle for Small Business in America.” www.marclevinson.net

A Century of DC in Verse If you’ve found yourself turning to poetry lately, you’re not alone. The restorative power of verse often helps us express the inexpressible. You need only look into Kim Roberts’s new anthology, “By Broad Potomac’s Shore: Great Poems from the Early Days of the Nation’s Capital,” to find precedence. From slavery, race riots, and suffrage to the Civil War and the Lincoln assassination, local poets have brought lyricism, passion, and clarity to the topics of the day.

Roberts has done a masterful job of bringing to life more than 130 poets who were born before 1800 through 1900 and who lived and worked in Washington. In her thoughtfully crafted introduction, she sets the stage, describing how DC institutions and historical events affected society and the arts in the nation’s capital. Then, chronologically and by theme, she presents concise but lively biographies for each poet—sometimes including contemporaneous descriptions from newspaper obituaries—and samples of their work.

The poets represent the diverse voices of federal workers and journalists, women and those born enslaved, reformers and radicals,

THE POETIC HILL

by Karen Lyon

Hill historian Elizabeth Purcell shows which buildings have survived – and which have not – in “Capitol Hill: Past & Present.”

the famous and the obscure, which together “present an authentic, polymorphic view of the capital city.” They also provide a window on DC’s history, as well as “the identity of the country as a whole.”

Readers will find something of interest on every page. Who could resist the “gossipy” delights of “Mrs. Adams’s Ball” by John Agg; fail to be moved by Walt Whitman’s “The Wound Dresser,” about his work as a nurse in the Civil War, or Anne Kelledy Gilbert’s “Grief,” inspired by the Adams Memorial in Rock Creek Cemetery; or not be stirred by T. Thomas Fortune’s “Nat Turner” (“He stood erect, a man as proud / As ever to a tyrant bowed”)?

An eminently browsable book, with more than 300 pages of poems and life stories, “By Broad Potomac’s Shore” is a worthy addition to the history of the DC literary scene. And here’s a holiday shoppers’ alert: The University of Virginia Press is giving 30% off on Roberts’s book and other select new titles through the end of December. Use the code https:// www.upress.virginia.edu/title/5493 Kim Roberts is an award-winning poet, literary historian, and editor who is the author of five books of poems, including, most recently, “The Scientific Method.” She is also co-editor of the web exhibit “DC Writers’ Homes” and author of “A Literary Guide to Washington, DC.” www.kimroberts.org u

I

n something of a departure this month, we’re reaching back in time to highlight a poet featured in Kim Roberts’s new anthology, “By Broad Potomac’s Shore” (see review opposite). Carrie Williams Clifford (1862-1934) was a poet and writer whose work was published in the leading African American journals of her time. She and her husband moved to DC in 1910, where she hosted salons for artists and intellectuals of color at her home at 939 S Street, NW. In the preface to “The Widening Light,” her book of poems published in 1923, she wrote, “The author makes no claim to unusual poetic excellence or literary brilliance. She is seeking to call attention to a condition, which she, at least, considers serious… [She] sends these lines forth with the prayer that they may change some heart or right some wrong.”

Peril

As, when some filthy sore grows menacing, Polluting all the currents of pure air, Dispersing its vile atoms everywhere While with death-poisoned tentacles they cling, To our hearts’ treasuries, devouring, And laying waste the temples of our care, The surgeon with blade kind but firm lays bare And cuts away the flesh, foul, festering: So must the learned doctors of the State Relentlessly cut the leprous sore Of prejudice! else will they find too late, Its rank corruption eating thro’ the core Of human brotherhood! Grim germs of Hate, Razing our kingdom with titanic roar!

If you would like to have your poem considered for publication, please send it to klyon@literaryhillbookfest.org. (There is no remuneration.) u

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A LATER-IN-LIFE PASSION FOR AN UNCONVENTIONAL SPORT

by Pattie Cinelli

G

ina Eppolito loves to run. Since 1980 she has run in 10ks, triathlons, half marathons and 10 marathons leading to Boston in 2003.

She has been dedicated in keeping up her overall fitness as well. I used to regularly chat with her on her way out of the gym after a weightlifting or yoga class.

Recently, Gina has been feeling the cumulative effects of the years she pounded the pavement. “Last January I was talking to my husband about not being able to run anymore,” she said. “My knees were fried. I told him

I needed another sport to do. I wanted a sport that was high intensity and I wanted to learn new skills and play with a group.”

She focused on fencing and ice hockey. But fencing classes were all located in the suburbs too far away from Capitol Hill. So ice hockey became her choice. Gina took off her sneakers, put on her blades and headed to Medstar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington to learn to play ice hockey.

Gina first class was sponsored

by The Scarlett Caps, a group dedicated to growing and supporting the women’s hockey community in the DMV. It offers a winter and summer

Gina Eppolito (bottom, far right) and friends in Hockey 4 & Learn to Play.

Gina Eppolito and her family Kinley, Zaida and Francis Slakey come to the rink to do Pod Skate and family scrimmage together.

season that feature four to six all-female teams. Gina began with skating fundamentals. “Ice hockey skates are very different from figure skates,” said Gina. “A hockey skate doesn’t have a toe kick. It also has a shorter blade so you can move and maneuver better and faster. It’s a heavier boot than a figure skate--thick nylon with a very stiff plastic hard shell.

“Staying up on hockey skates is very different from figure skating,” she said. But from learning how to stand up she progressed to learning how to go backwards, crossover and do circles skating with pucks.

After that first class Gina was hooked. So were the other five women who were in class with Gina. “We all became friends and signed up for the next class together.”

The next level of instruction – Hockey 1- was co-ed. “We all got through Hockey 1 and graduated to Hockey 2, she explained. “Once past Hockey 2 we were able to wear our hockey gear when we got on the ice where we all learned and practiced specific hockey drills and scrimmaged. We learned to play the game.”

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Gina was able to play regularly all through the summer. “The ice is available all year.” Often, after their practice, she and the other skaters would sit in a beach chair in the parking lot at Ballston (six feet apart) and have a tailgate party.

Gina also got her family involved in the sport. In addition to taking class twice a week and playing a Sunday morning game of “Stick and Shoot” she skates with her husband Slake and her twin 11-year-old girls Zaida and Kinley.

She finds it a perfect way to clear her head. “It’s an endurance sport.

It’s challenging. You need to focus and you need to have enough strength and balance to know how to be in control of your body enough to stay on your skates.”

By choosing ice hockey when her knees screamed ”no more running, please!” Gina found a new passion. “I had no idea I would love it as much as I do. I want to eat, drink and sleep this ice. It’s a really fun, exciting activity for me.”

By being flexible and open to change Gina found she could build new friendships and learn something new about herself at a time when ev-

erything else seemed so paralyzed to her. “It allowed me the ability to be refreshed with something completely new. This is my medicine. This is my happy place.”

In addition to ice hockey classes, Medstar Capitals Iceplex where the Washington Capitals practice, offers classes in figure skating for skaters from ages 4 to adult. For more information log onto: www: medstarcapitalsiceplex.com.

Pattie Cinelli is a health and fitness professional and journalist who has been writing her column for more than 20 years. She focuses on non-traditional ways to stay healthy and get well. Please email her with questions or column suggestions at: fitmiss44@aol.com. u

December 2020 H 95

. family life .

/ The District Vet /

THE LIVER

Your Pet Can’t Live Without It

Y

ou can’t live without a liver. Spleen?

Sure. Only one kidney? You bet. But the liver? Nope. It serves myriad functions, which cannot be substituted by another organ. For both pets and humans, liver care is essential.

The liver is the largest internal organ in a mammal’s body, sitting on top of the intestines and directly below the diaphragm and the lungs. As food travels through the intestines, nutrients are absorbed by intestinal cells and essentially dumped into the blood flowing through the intestinal walls. All of this blood eventually collects in the intestinal blood vessels and funnels into the liver via the portal vein. The liver then processes all of this blood before the blood returns to the heart. So whatever you or your pet eats or drinks in some way flows to the liver.

All of these nutrients and molecules from the intestines are processed by the liver. Many toxic chemicals and compounds are broken down into less toxic or non-toxic substances, which the body then eliminates in either the bile or urine. This is where alcohol is processed and removed from the body via several enzymes: first alcohol dehydrogenase then aldehyde dehydrogenase. This process also deactivates / processes other chemicals, too. And many other enzymes deal with myriad chemicals and medication, too, rendering them either active, or deactive, depending upon the substance. There is only so much capacity in the liver to do these functions, so for you humans, don’t drink too much!

Many of the substances coming from the intestines need to be processed into other substances. One is sugars. While the body can use glucose directly, the liver also stores sugars in the form of a molecule called glycogen. When exercising and in need of energy, the liver mobilizes this glycogen, providing sugars for energy. Fats are also processed into usable materials. The liver breaks them down and can even reassemble new fats. It also takes up cholesterol and makes different compounds from cholesterol, including bile and bile salts. In order for the intestines to break down and absorb fats in the first place, they need to be processed, and this is done by bile, which is released from the liver, stored in the gall bladder (a sac located under the

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by Dan Teich, DVM liver) and secreted into the small intestine. Once the bile salts do their job, they are resorbed by the intestines and reprocessed by the liver via a process called enterohepatic recycling.

Cats are prone to developing fatty liver disease when the liver is processing too much fat. This is seen in cases where an overweight cat stops eating, or is eating less than required, and fat is mobilized for energy. Too much fat can cause liver dysfunction and may even lead to death. Treatment requires supportive care and restoring proper nutritional intake.

Bilirubin, a byproduct of recycling red blood cells, is also processed by the liver. Bilirubin is a good indicator of liver function - unless there is an under-

lying disease causing rapid destruction of red blood cells, the only other main reason for elevated bilirubin is decreased clearance by the liver. In animals the first sign of liver disease may be jaundice, where the gums, whites of the eyes, and skin take on a yellow/orange tinge. This is from a bilirubin build-up. Jaundice in any animal should be considered an emergency in need of an immediate diagnostic work-up.

The liver is the main manufacturer of the blood protein albumin, which maintains oncotic blood pressure. Without albumin, fluids leak out of the blood vessels, causing swelling of tissues. It also produces blood clotting facers, which are essential to stop bleeding. Myriad other substances are also manufactured b liver tissues.

Liver disease can cause a failure of any of the above processes. In people with cirrhosis of the liver, they don’t produce enough albumin, can have clotting disorders, poorly digest food ingredients, may have problems regulating their blood sugar. Both dogs and people can have bile tract problems, leading to gall bladder problems, including formation of stones in the gall bladder and even deadly infections.

Many diseases can cause liver problems in animals. Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection found here in DC, can damage liver cells, leading to liver failure.

Cancer of the liver is sadly common. And in some cases, slugging bile can cause severe liver disease. Leptospirosis is seen in unvaccinated dogs, with the first signs usually being lethargy, vomiting, and overall not feeling well. Treatment is with supportive care and antibiotics, but frequently this disease is fatal.

When veterinarians are concerned about liver disease, the first test performed is a chemistry, looking at liver values and bilirubin. X-rays may also be indicated. Further examination may require an ultrasound of the abdomen and liver, which enables the clinician to see the lobes of the liver, the gall bladder and associated structures. In certain cases a needle aspirate can be obtained, especially when a cancerous process is suspected. In dogs hemangiosarcoma, adenocarcinoma, and lymphoma are amongst the most common liver tumor types.

In many cases, there will be mild elevations in liver markers noted on routine chemistries and no apparent reason for these abnormalities. Many times the pet will be placed on a liver support supplement such as SAMe, which helps improve blood flow through the liver, restoring normal liver values and function. Careful monitoring is instituted to monitor for any changes.

When there are elevations in liver markers, it is important to attempt to ascertain the cause of the elevations. Prompt intervention can help prevent further damage to the liver, especially in treatable disease. Given time and love, the liver has an amazing ability to regenerate itself. But it is most important to be kind to your liver in the first place: you can’t live without it.

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

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December 2020 H 97

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Eliot Hine Junk Art Club At Hill Center’s Young Artists Gallery

F

by Elizabeth Nelson, photos by Suzanne Wells

ans of the Junk Art Club at Eliot-Hine MS will be pleased to know that the pandemic has not prevented them from staging another show at Hill Center. Even after the schools shut down in March, the artists were able to put the finishing touches on five new pieces. As with the club’s first two shows, the work speaks to the effect of human activity on the environment.

The timely topic presented an opportunity for learning as well as self-expression. One student reported that she “didn’t think climate change was really that big of a deal” until she started researching it for this project. Many a unfamiliar with the work of Greta Thunberg, an internationally known Swedish environmental activist only a few years older than they are. As they became more aware of the seriousness of the issue, they want to share their concern with others. As club member Catie Guire said, “I just want everyone young and old to be aware of it and to know there is a younger generation that has to deal with these problems and are wanting a solution.”

For materials, the students relied primarily on recycling a diverse array of discarded items. A broken mirror, plastic detergent bottle, wooden bed slats and used tea bags were all pressed into service. Each piece conveys the serious environmental impacts of climate change, or offers hope that it can be slowed or reversed. Fish Sticks portrays four fish species endangered by rising ocean temperatures. Climate Change Through the Eyes of a MidFish Sticks Climate Justice Sunflower

dle Schooler a triptych by Zola Coleman, addresses wildfires, pine beetle damage in forests, and pollution in urban areas.

The Plant a Tree assemblage

by Jackson Sanders and Marcus McQueen promotes planting trees as part of the solution to reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Catie Guire’s portrait, School Strike for Climate Change, honors Thunberg’s individual decision to strike, 98 H HILLRAG.COM

Climate Change Through the Eyes of a Middle Schooler

FOLLOWING STRICT COVID-19 STATE’S REGULATIONS

Our schools have been successfully operating during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Please refer to the website for the COVID-19 policies.

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Plant a Tree Broken Mirror

which led to an international movement. Camille Benedict’s Climate Justice Sunflower reflects her understanding of climate change as a social justice issue as well as an environmental one.

While the general public won’t be able to enjoy it in person, Hill Center has created a virtual gallery on

their website: www.hillcenterdc.org/ artist/young-artists-gallery/ The students are excited to share their work and hope you’ll make a “visit.” As Camille puts it, “It’s really cool that Hill Center allows us to show our work to the community.” It is cool. Check it out; you’ll be glad you did. u

School Strike for Climate Change

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kids&family

NOTEBOOK

by Kathleen Donner

Season’s Greenings in 2020 The United States Botanic Garden will have expanded online programming and limited holiday decorations this year. Festive adornments, winterberries, lights, and greenery will be placed in the Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Park through Jan. 10, 2021. There will not be a train display this year, and the Conservatory and gated outdoor gardens remain closed time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Garden’s free annual holiday concerts will stream online this year. Festive concerts of seasonal music will feature Chelsey Green (classical, R&B, and hip hop fusion) on Dec. 8; Cantor Arianne Brown (Chanukah and world music) on Dec. 15; Chris Urquiaga “JChris” (pop, R&B, and Latin) on Dec. 22; and Veronneau (acoustic jazz with a global twist) on Dec. 29. The concerts will premiere at 5:30 p.m. on the Garden’s website at USBG.gov/HolidayConcerts and on the USBG Facebook and YouTube channels.

Greater DC Diaper Bank Celebrates a Decade of Diapers The Greater DC Diaper Bank has just marked its 10th anniversary and is inviting individuals, families and groups to help celebrate and support their work to provide essential goods for babies and families throughout DC, Maryland and Virginia. Interested individuals, families and groups can help by hosting its first Give A Little, Change A Lot! Virtual 5K event, which can be run, walked, skated or danced. The only rules are to complete a 5K through the end of this year and have fun. Individuals and businesses can host a diaper drive or spend a few hours volunteering. Since its founding in 2010, Greater DC Diaper Bank has served tens of thousands of families and has distributed more than 12 million diapers. This year, GDCDB is on track to distribute more than seven million diapers. For more information, visit greaterdcdiaperbank.org.

ZooLights Express Visits DC’s Eight Wards ZooLights Express—powered by Pepco—will bring the colorful glow of Washington, DC’s beloved Smithsonian’s National Zoo holiday tradition into the community. Festively decorated with light displays and featuring “Panda Claws,” the 24-foot ZooLights Express truck will hit the road, visiting one Washington, DC ward each Friday and Saturday night from 6 to 8 p.m. Here’s the remaining city schedule: Dec. 5 (Ward 4), Dec. 11 (Ward 5), Dec. 12 (Ward 6), Dec. 18 (Ward 7) and Dec. 19 (Ward 8). Usually held onsite at the Zoo for the past 13 years, ZooLights has been reimagined into ZooLights Express, a distanced and safe way to bring joy and bit of holiday sparkle. Specific ZooLights Express routes are posted on nationalzoo.si.edu and shared on social media encouraging people to watch for the truck in their neighborhood.

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Mosaic Theater’s Inaugural High School Playwriting Contest Submissions are now being accepted for Mosaic’s Inaugural playwriting contest which is open to all students in grades nine through twelve currently enrolled at DC and Prince George’s County public and public charter high schools. Students may compete in as many as three categories of any genre and topic (though a student can only win in one), determined by length and cast size of play: a monologue of up to 10 minutes; a multi-person play of up to 10 minutes; and a multi-person play between 10 and 20 minutes in length.

Each category will award first, second and third prizes, accompanied

100 Gallatin St. NE Washington, DC 20011

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

APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR ALL GRADES FOR 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR ADDITIONAL LOTTERY FOR STUDENTS WITH HIGH LEVEL SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS.

Apply for admissions at:

www.myschooldc.org or call (202) 888-6336 Lottery Deadline March 1, 2021

Open Houses School Year 2020-2021 Nurturing life-long learners, courageous risk-takers, and joyous peacemakers.

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December 2020 H 101

Inspiration: Big Ideas Make for Big Music The National Symphony Orchestra's Young People's Concerts are full orchestra concerts for school groups, grades 3-8. Each season, these performance demonstrations introduce students to the instruments and musicians of the orchestra, as well as musical concepts and curated selections from the orchestral repertoire that connect to educational themes. Hear/view them at kennedy-center.org/ypc.

by $300, $200 and $100, respectively, to be announced Jan. 28, 2021. The top three plays in each category will enjoy a live-streamed performance hosted by Mosaic in late February, featuring a company of professional actors and directors. For a list of rules, formatting guidelines, writing

prompts and to submit, visit mosaictheater.org/on-the-move. Submission deadline is Dec. 15, 11:59 p.m.

Natural History’s Perish or Evolve Board Game Natural History’s Perish or Evolve Board Game was developed by artist-

Lights on the Bay at Sandy Point State Park Through Jan. 2, daily, 5 to 10 p.m., Lights on the Bay features a two-mile scenic drive along the Chesapeake Bay with approximately 70 animated and stationary displays illuminating the roadway, including traditional Maryland-themed favorites, holiday and children’s displays. Enjoy from your car at $20 per car; $30, passenger vans; $50, buses. Lights on the Bay benefits the SPCA of Anne Arundel County. Sandy Point State Park, 1100 East College Pkwy. (off Route 50, at exit 32, near the Bay Bridge), Annapolis, MD. lightsonthebay.org.

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Audubon for Kids In many ways every child is born a scientist--exploring their world, leading small experiments, asking questions, searching for answers.

That innate curiosity and drive to inquiry is what Rachel Carson, the groundbreaking conservationist and author, called a sense of wonder. Audubon.org/getoutside/Audubon-for-kids aims to bring together activities from across Audubon’s national network of environmental educators. These activities can be done at home or in a yard or park, sometimes with the help of a computer. The goal isn’t to teach a child how to name and identify bird species, but rather to give them space to explore and feel connected to the natural world. If you’re a parent or caretaker, that means you don’t need to worry about your own knowledge of birds or plants. All you need to be is a companion to your child’s curiosity.

illustrator Hannah Bonner and the Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems Program, Smithsonian Institution. The set-up is similar to Chutes and Ladders--you use chips and a die to reach the finish. Evolve or Perish, however, also takes you through 630 million years of evolution from life in the sea to life on land. The guidebook explains all the organisms and events in more detail and supports learning about the history of life on our planet. The game can be played by two to four, at two levels--beginner and advanced—and takes 15 to 30 minutes. Download the game, instructions and guidebook at naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/paleontology/evolve-or-perish-board-game.

Holidays at the Capitol Riverfront The holidays are not cancelled in Capitol Riverfront. 12 Days of CapRiv, Dec. 9 to 20, brings an exciting lineup of festive activities to safely celebrate the holidays in a fun and socially-distanced way during a time when many holiday traditions and events are not possible. From holiday-themed drive-in movies and virtual winter cocktail-making classes with local restaurant bartenders, to a holiday family photo pop-up 104 H HILLRAG.COM

and pet portraits with Santa, these two weeks of remixed holiday traditions will keep the reason for the season alive at the riverfront. Activities are open to the public—some free and some ticketed, with proceeds going to local neighborhood charities and food-support charities throughout the District. capitolriverfront.org/ do/12-days-of-capriv.

Serve DC Says “Make Fire Safety Fun with Kids” Build a Kid-Free Zone in the kitchen. Make your own STAY OUT OF THE 36” KID-FREE ZONE sign and serve up safety in the kitchen by following the family cooking safety checklist at nfpa.org. Lead the conversation about fire safety with kid-friendly activities. Go to sparky.org for kids’ games, videos and activities.

National Cathedral (online) Family Christmas Service On Thursday, Dec. 24, noon to 1 p.m., come one, come all for this joyful service of carols, prayers, and the Nativity story in the Bishop’s Garden—including live animals! Free. Register at cathedral.org. u

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571.437.4696 lgmatluk@hotmail.com December 2020 H 107

ng mmunity 4 years!

FITNESS

HOUSE HISTORY

Do You Know the historY of Your home?

HOT YOGA CAPITOL HILL

Redefining Beauty One Client at a Time!

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT IN THE HEART OF LEDROIT PARK

Thomas Landscapes Full-Service Landscape Design & Maintenance

Let us create a coffee table book on the history of your home.

nmhousedetectives.com

nmhousedetectives@gmail.com

Installation, arbors, retaining walls, walkways, lighting, water features Patios, roof top gardens, townhomes, single family homes Custom Masonry, Fencing and Iron work

Derek Thomas / Principal

$39 for an entire month of unlimited classes

Certified Professional Horticulturist | Member of MD Nursery Landscape and Greenhouse Association

301.642.5182 202.322.2322 (Office) thomaslandscapes.com

hotyogacapitolhill.com

INTERNET

FLOORS

Tired of Working At Home?

Need a Quiet Clean Space to Work Without Distractions?

Freshly Painted, Office Space from 170 SF- 425 SF Affordable Rent $750 - $1,250 per month.

All Inclusive

CALL 202-258-8812 OR 202-585-1142

Shawna Jones • LRES - Lewis Real Estate Services

Trees & shrubs, formal & informal gardens Restoration and Enhancement

New Student Hot Deal

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OFFICE SPACE

OVER 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN CAPITOL HILL

Tone • Stretch • Melt

Maximize your Health!

Hot Yoga (26 + 2) -plusHot Pilates HIIT • Warm Flow • Piyo Spa Yoga • Sculpt & Barre Yoga Restorative • Children’s Programs 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Retreats & more

LANDSCAPING

ORGANIZING STAY CALM AND GET ORGANIZED!

Navy Yard resident with 19 years experience will provide handson professional organizing assistance in your home or virtually.

Free initial consult. Text/call 757-999-2664 www.clutterdr.com

PAINTING

MOVING & HAULING

BEST RATES IN DC $80 x Two Men- 2 or 3 Hours Minimum • Pickups / Deliveries

CONTINENTAL MOVERS Professional Movers Who Really Care

Residential Floors

Owner Operated Since 1982 References – Local & Long Distance Packing Services – Pianos & Big Objects

Dedicated to Perfection • Sanding and Refinishing • Installation • Repairs • Cleaning & Waxing

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Call for a FREE Quote

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Family owned and operated 3 Generations of Experience

FOR SALES

IRONWORK

Peach Moving Services When Trust Matters Most Residential, Office & Commercial

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

www.peachmoving.com

108 H HILLRAG.COM

Painting Division Interior & Exterior Custom Painting Drywall & Plastering

Call 202.965.1600

DCRA Lic 9115 • Insured • References

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G G ROOFING

PEST CONTROL

F L K Termite, Pest &

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

Rodent Control

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

More than just killing bugs, we take care of your home

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We Do Everything!

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75 years in service

LIC. BONDED. INS

BBB

Member

WOOD &

202-223-ROOF (7663)

ROOFING CONTRACTORS

SHOES

WHITACRE

30 years on the Hill Slate – Tile – Copper Specializing in all Flat Roof Systems and Leaks

PET SERVICES

FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST

FREE ESTIMATES • Work Guaranteed

JEFFREY WOOD cell

301.674.1991

www.wood-whitacre.com

Eastern Market Shoe Repair • Shoes • Boots • Purses • Luggage 645 Penn Ave., SE upstairs M-F 8:30-7 • Sat 9-6

202-543-5632

WELDING

Continental Welding

ROOFING/GUTTERS

SPECIALIZING IN IRON REPAIR WORK

4 Iron Gates & Fences 4 Railing & Stairs 4 Steel Repair Work 4 Metal Structural Support 4 Security Gates for Windows & Doors

PLUMBING

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Dial A Plumber, LLC®

ALL TYPES OF ROOFING REPAIRS

Kenny

202-251-1479 L U M M E R

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Star Roofing Company RELIABLE

Licensed Bonded Insured DC P

CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE

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’

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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.

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202-543-6383 All work done by owner • Free Estimates Insured • Licensed • Bonded

December 2020 H 109

www.themecrosswords.com • www.mylesmellorconcepts.com

XWORD “Singing Greats”

by Myles Mellor Across: 1. Shooter’s setting 6. One of TV’s ‘Friends’ 12. Evenings 15. Shameless and corrupt 17. “We, the Living” novelist 19. Dancers move them a lot 21. She beat Bo Bice 24. Cartographic speck 26. Stumbling expressions 27. Celebrity 28. Roman moon goddess 29. Make a quest for 30. Sill of a window 33. Via for office jokes 36. Bauble 37. Tickable things 38. “El Capitan” composer 40. Discourages 43. Basement 46. Flavonoids-rich berry 47. Daytime operas 48. Famous singing duo 53. Gothic author Radcliffe 54. Deli need 55. Crack, so to speak 56. Bridge declaration 61. Cloaked in vine 62. Insult 64. Birchbark 65. “Dream Girls” singer 70. Former Dodger pitcher, Carl __ 72. Daughter of Juan Carlos I 73. Unduly curious 77. Practice piece 80. Less 81. Corinne Bailey ___ Grammy nominee 82. Negligent 84. Not many 87. “The Voice” coach 92. Tiny creature 94. Chemical suffixes

95. Andean animals 96. Nonconformists 99. Flower section 101. Canadian poet, Edwin 102. Sleep (slang) 103. Maj.’s superior 105. Bank vaults 109. Sumptuous 110. Sicilian smoker 112. Jaime Murray, on “Dexter” 114. International Bollywood star (last name) 115. Willow 117. Singers of “Roses” and “Closer” 122. “Chicago” character, Roxie 123. Garage floor blemish 124. Dreams 125. Google Maps dir.

126. Deliberately precious 127. Sounding right

Down: 1. Stands up to 2. On the ball 3. Body area shown in exercise machine ads 4. NHL great 5. __ gow poker 6. Hat 7. Mythical serpent 8. Next to nothing 9. Behave like a human?

10. Sob 11. “Stop right there!”

12. Greek letter 13. Error 14. Organs 16. Guitarist Paul 18. Beneficiary 20. Looks like 22. Beehive State athletes

Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 23. Fancy patterned fabric 25. Acknowledgment, for short 31. Sonja Henie’s birthplace 32. Student’s financing 34. Badge 35. Yarn spinner 37. Writing styles 39. Hungarian, Finnish and Estonian 41. Sorts (through) 42. Egg 43. Letters on some Civil War buckles 44. Freud’s one 45. Letter run 46. James who wrote “A Death in the Family” 49. David of ‘’Casino Royale’’ 50. Early 7th C. date 51. Web address

52. Manhattan sch.

57. Neighbor of Iran, abbr.

58. Keel-billed bird 59. Junior, e.g.

60. Date 63. Make even deeper 65. Steeler’s Big QB 66. Rock group from the 70s 67. Furthermore 68. “Bird ___ Wire,” 1990 film 69. Developing 71. Spring (from) 74. ‘Either she goes -- go!’

75. Lander in Stockholm 76. Abominable snowmen 77. Famous Papa’s first name 78. Earl Grey and Darjeeling 79. “Kill Bill” star, Thurman 83. “The Da Vinci Code” albino 84. Opposite of masc.

We’ll help find the perfect gift for everyone on your list.

Please shop local and shop small this holiday season!

labyrinthgameshop.com SHOP IN STORE OR ONLINE; Shipping anywhere in U.S.

Monday to Friday: 11am - 7pm • Saturday and Sunday: 10am - 6pm

645 Pennsylvania Ave SE • 202.544.1059 110 H HILLRAG.COM

85. Gothic time, for example 86. Extinction verb 88. They produced “Angels of America” 89. Illegal enterprise 90. Like some flights to LAX, abbr.

91. Land for out-of-touch folks 92. Mimosa family shrubs 93. Those who give birth 96. March marchers 97. Graph starter 98. Causing suspension of breathing 99. Having a sharp tip 100. Building extensions 101. Golf Club employee 104. Advertising awards 106. “Super ___” (Rick James hit) 107. Country rocker Steve 108. Cream puff 111. Censorship-fighting org.

113. Parisian pal 116. Road map abbr.

118. Presidential monogram 119. Do like 120. ___meter 121. Knowledge

2020 IS (almost) OVER!

S SU TUN NL NI IG NG HT

DE DO LIG M HT IC FU IL L E

If You Want To Know What Your Home Is Worth; Call, Email, Write or Text THE SMITH TEAM for A Free Rapid Market Analysis! (To HILL with the Suburbs!)

521 11TH ST, SE

1660 EBENEZER CT, SE

Detached Brick All-in-One Home! Garage, 3800 sf, Huge Rooms, Multitude of Windows, Hardwood Flrs, Stone Counters in Kit & Baths, 2 Primary BR Stes., Owners Ste, Wet & Dry Bars, Pvt Patio, Deck, 5 burner electric Cooktop, 2 wall Convection Oven, 2 laundries, 5BR/4ba, BIG, BRIGHT, BEAUTIFUL! $1.589M

Licensed in DC & MD

thesmithteam.penfedrealty.com

John Smith Aaron Smith Peter Grimm Kristine Jones Peter Davis Office

202.262.6037 202.498.6794 202.270.6368 202.415.4716 301.332.1634 202.608.1882

705 North Carolina Ave, SE Washington, DC 20003

BO

UT

IQ

UE

UN

IT

!

LIN C LO OLN VE P LY AR ! K

Unique Blend of Old & New, petite porchfront hides 2600+ sf of New Renovated Home, w/ new floors, windows, doors, appliances, Utilities! Gas Fireplace, Stone Kitchen & Baths, Breakfast Bar, French Doors to Flagstone Patio & Gated OSP, w-in CLoset, Top Floor Aerie Guest Rm w/ Roof Decks East & West.

4BR/3ba! $1.795M

TO HILL WITH SUBURBS!

245 15TH ST, SE #202

1369 INDEPENDENCE AVE, SE

BUT WE CAN AND WILL HELP YOU SELL OR BUY YOUR HOME!

Large Three Level Flat-front Steps from Lincoln Park and Eastern Market 3BR, 3BA with en suite Primary Bedroom and Finished Basement Large Gourmet Kitchen, Original Features, Smart Upgrades Deck & Cedar-fenced Private Patio!

NOW $1.069M

ESTATES? BANKRUPTCIES? PROBLEMS? WE CAN HELP!

PO PA RCH RA FR DI ON SE T !

UN IO N HO M M AR E! KE T

Spacious HILL East Condo with Garage Parking!

1BR+DEN+2BA, Gourmet Kitchen, Open Layout, Patio Balcony, Garage Parking. Steps to the Pretzel Bakery, New Safeway, Metro, Menus and MORE! NOW $569K

WE AREN’T SAINTS (ALTHOUGH WE ARE SAINTS FANS!)

NOW LEASING MULTIPLE UNITS! CALL

1241 MORSE ST NE

TRINIDAD TREASURE! Two building property w/ high-end finishes on secluded & spacious semidetached lot offers 3BR/2.5BA main + Souped up new construction 2 Lvl, 2BR/1.5BA Carriage house, both buildings on 1 large lot w/ plenty of outdoor living space and 3 private OSP spaces! $1.275M

662 MARYLAND AVE, SE

Large Library Facing Wardman Awaits, deep front yard, deck & patio-worthy bkyd, 4 lvls spread out over 3000 SF include 5BR/2BA + unfinished LLvl w/ rear access, great original features incl. woodwork, fireplace & hdwd flrs, smart upgrades include CAC, On-Demand Hot Water, Newer Windows, all in convenient HILL location steps from Parks, Union Station, Library, Capitol, Eastern Market, H Street, Union Market and More! CALL US FOR DETAILS!

202-270-6368 FOR DETAILS!

1701 TRINIDAD AVE, NE SIX 2 & 3 BR Renovated Units w/ in unit Laundry

KEEP IN TOUCH ABOUT HILL REAL ESTATE AT/ON: www.facebook.com/TheSmithTeam.DC | twitter.com/OneHillofaAgent | www.instagram.com/the_smith_team

416 A ST, SE THREE units, Contemporary Styling, MOVE IN READY!