Mid City DC Magazine – February 2022 by Capital Community News

FEBRUARY 2022

CONTENTS

NEXT ISSUE: March 12th

FEBRUARY 2022 Special Issue

Celebrating Black

History

12 Making an Impact: John Lewis Mural Celebrates Civil Rights Legend • Elizabeth O’Gorek

ON THE COVER:

16 A Washington Matriarch: Gloria Jean Campbell – Her Family, Her Home, Her City • Stephanie Deutsch

Jesus Christ Superstar at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman-Murphy

04 what’s on washington out and about 20 Insatiable • Celeste McCall

your neighborhood 24 Shaw Streets • Pleasant Mann 26 ANC 6E • Pleasant Mann 28 Bulletin Board • Kathleen Donner

at home 33 Changing Hands • Don Denton

kids & family

34 Notebook • Kathleen Donne

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EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner • melissa.ashabranner@gmail.com MANAGING EDITOR: Andrew Lightman • andrew.hillrag@gmail.com PUBLISHER: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2022 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.

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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PICASSO: PAINTING THE BLUE PERIOD AT THE PHILLIPS Focusing on the years 1900 to 1904, this exhibition tells the story of how the young Spanish artist, then a fledgling painter in his late teens and early twenties, formulated his signature Blue Period style by engaging with the subject matter and motifs in specific works he encountered—by Old Masters and his contemporaries alike—as he moved between Barcelona and Paris. The Blue Period works in the exhibition reveal Picasso’s evolving and sometimes controversial approach to issues of sex, class, poverty, despair, charity, and female incarceration. Picasso: Painting the Blue Period is at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW, from Feb. 26 to June 12. phillipscollection.org.

ABOVE: Picasso, The Blue Room, 1901, Oil on canvas, 19 7/8 x 24.1/4 in. The Phillips Collection, Acquired 1927, Estate of Pablo Picasso/ Artists Rights Society, New York.

BALLET FOLKLORICO DE MEXICO DE AMALIA HERNANDEZ Founded in 1952 by dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández, Ballet Folklórico brings together the music, dance and costume of Mexican folklore from pre-Colombian civilizations through the modern era. With its permanent home at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, one of Mexico City’s most historic venues, the company has developed choreography for 40 ballets, composed of 60 folk dancers and musicians who have performed extensively across Mexico and abroad. $30 to $60. Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez is at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW, on Friday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m. thelincolndc.com.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA’S WRITTEN IN STONE What stories do our monuments tell? What legacies do they embody? What memories do they cement? Four iconic places. Four creative teams. Four intimate stories. Some of America’s most exciting artists, musicians, composers, and librettists assemble to create four unmissable world premieres as a jewel in the crown of the Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary season. Inspired by Washington DC’s iconic monuments and the ideals embodied by President Kennedy, the world premier Written in Stone is a series of interwoven short works presented together in a single evening from March 5 to 25. $35 to $199. kennedy-center.org/wno/ home/2021-2022/written-in-stone.

OPERA LAFAYETTE’S SPIRITUEL AUX CARAIBES Pedro Memelsdorff, whose research focuses on music in the French colonies in the Caribbean, conceives a program of French music performed between 1760 and 1790. The musical life of the colonies involved enslaved, formerly enslaved, and free peoples. The program addresses the extraordinarily complicated dynamics between the musical culture of imperial France and the people of the Caribbean. Sung in Latin and French with English subtitles. Opera Lafayette’s Spirituel aux Caraïbes is on stage at the Kennedy Center on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. The Era of Marie Antoinette, Rediscovered, is the theme of Opera Lafayette’s 2022 season, with three programs of French music from the 1760’s through 1780’s and a unique focus on its resonance in the Americas. operalafayette.org.

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Sophia Burgos, soprano. Photo: Courtesy of Sophia Burgos

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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MUSEUM REOPENS The National Geographic Museum is reopening to visitors on Wednesday, Feb. 16. After being closed for nearly two years, the Museum is welcoming visitors back by offering free admission during February with pre-registration for tickets. The Museum is launching two new exhibitions, “Once Upon a Climb: Stories of Everest” and “The Greatest Wildlife Photographs.” Visitors will have the chance to step into the shoes of the few extraordinary men and women who’ve climbed 29,045 feet into the sky to summit the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest. Then, after descending the mountain, they can cross the hallway to see iconic wildlife photography through nearly 70 images that showcase the very best wildlife pictures from the pages of National Geographic magazine. The Museum, 1145 17th St. NW, will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pre-registration is suggested at natgeomuseum.org.

WHAT’S ON WASHINGTON

Arts Special

Photo: Bobby Model

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S DON QUIXOTE Choreographed by Marius Petipa and his talented contemporary Alexander Gorsky, after Miguel de Cervantes’s sweeping tale of romance and chivalry, Don Quixote features the misadventures of the titular knight-errant of la Mancha and his devoted squire. With bravura dancing by the spirited maiden Kitri and her charming amour Basilio, this staging by Kevin McKenzie and Susan Jones explodes with a feast of choreographic fireworks. $29 to $169. Don Quixote is performed at the Kennedy Center from March 31 to April; Bernstein in a Bubble, March 29 to 30. kennedy-center.org.

ABIGAIL DEVILLE: LIGHT OF FREEDOM AT THE HIRSHHORN Abigail DeVille’s critically acclaimed sculpture Light of Freedom is a mixed-media installation through which the artist responds to the Black Lives Matter movement within the larger context of America’s long relationship to the idea of liberty itself. The Hirshhorn presentation of the 13-foot-tall artwork situates it within the Museum’s outdoor Sculpture Garden on the National Mall. DeVille is widely recognized for works that mine the overlooked, often traumatic histories of Black America to spotlight cultural contradictions and inequities. Visit anytime. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence and Seventh, SW. hirshhorn.si.edu.

ABOVE: Abigail DeVille draws inspiration from an 1876 photograph that captures the disembodied hand of Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty in New York’s Madison Square Park. Photo: Courtesy of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Jesus Christ Superstar is an iconic musical phenomenon with a worldwide fan base. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, a new mesmerizing production comes to North America. Originally staged by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, this production won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival garnering unprecedented reviews and accolades. With music and lyrics by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane,” and “Superstar.” $49 to $185. Jesus Christ Superstar is on stage at the Kennedy Center from Feb. 22 to March 13. It is recommended for ages 10 and up. kennedy-center.org.

The company of the North American Tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman-Murphy

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THE HOUSE ON THE LAGOON AT GALA

WHAT’S ON WASHINGTON

Arts Special

In The House on the Lagoon, Isabel Monfort struggles to understand and find her voice in writing the histories of her family and the family of her husband, Quintin Mendizábal. As she unveils family secrets that reflect a society rooted in racial, gender and class strife, she threatens the family patriarchy. This suspenseful saga weaves several generations of family history with a chronicle of the political history of Puerto Rico that continues to unfold. $48. The House on the Lagoon is at GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW, from Feb. 3 to 27. galatheatre.org.

AFRO-ATLANTIC HISTORIES AT THE NGA For centuries, artists have told and retold the complex histories of the African Diaspora. The National Gallery of Art’s Afro-Atlantic Histories takes an indepth look at the historical experiences and cultural formations of Black and African people since the 17th century. More than 130 powerful works of art, including paintings, sculpture, photographs, and time-based media by artists from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean, bring these narratives to life. This exhibition was initially presented as Histórias Afro-Atlânticas in 2018 by the Museu de Arte de São Paulo in Brazil. Afro-Atlantic Histories is at the National Gallery of Art, West Building, from April 10 to June 17. On April 30, the John Wilmerding Community Celebration will invite audiences to experience the art and culture of the African Diaspora with music, dance, and spoken word. nga.gov

RIGHT: Barrington Watson Conversation, 1981, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Jamaica, gift of Workers’ Savings & Loan Bank. © Estate of Barrington Watson.

I LOVE U STREET ST. VALENTINE’S BAR CRAWL On Saturday, Feb. 12, from 2 to 10 p.m., join thousands of bar crawl lovers for eight hours of nonstop fun. There will be nine+ DJs spinning different genres of music from Classic Hip Hop, Soca, Reggaeton, RnB, Afrobeat, Trap, Top 40 Hits, etc at 9+ amazing bars along the U Street Corridor. It’s the time of the year when we celebrate love with good drinks, good music, and good people. It’s all love on this bar crawl for everyone. The bar crawl also features swag bags and drink specials. $10. Tickets at regmopromo.com/loveu-street-valentines-bar-crawl/.

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THE CHOIR OF THE CATHEDRAL OF THE MADELEINE The Choir of the Cathedral of the Madeleine featuring the Choristers of the Madeleine Choir School will perform on Sunday, February 6 at 7:30 pm as part of the Sacred Music on the Hill concert series at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. The Madeleine Choir School is the only pre-K through 8th grade Roman Catholic choir school for boys and girls in the United States. There is no cost to attend this concert. Face masks are required. For more information about this concert and St. Peter’s Sacred Music on the Hill concert series, please see saintpetersdc.org/music

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Special Issue

g n i t a r b e l e C

Black

History

FEBRU ARY 2 0 2 2 1 1

Celebrating Black History

g n i k a M an t c a p m I

crowd gathered Dec. 16 in the parking lot of the Sunoco Station at 1347 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. It is a busy gas station lot, but on that day it was being christened as one of the District’s newest – and more powerful – art galleries. Along the exterior walls of buildings to the west and north of the station loom dramatic portraits of civil rights leader and former Congressman John Lewis. On the north wall, a portrait of Lewis’s face is rendered 40-feet high in stark black and white, above his statement “Getting in trouble, Good

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Attendees at the mural ribbon-cutting in front of the section of the mural on the west wall of H.I.S. Grooming (1242 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).

John Lewis Mural Celebrates Civil Rights Legend by Elizabeth O’Gorek trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” Along the west wall of H.I.S. Grooming, images from Lewis’s life fill the skies. Lewis is shown in a barber chair. The barber chair was a place where the civil rights legend was able to relax, tell stories and give advice. The works of art on the exterior of the shop depict both the life of an incredible man but also underline his connection to the culture —and the neighborhood.

The Man

H.I.S. Grooming owner Jared Scott

Artists Mark Garrett and Dietrich Williams speak at the dedication of the mural, Dec. 16, 2021.

remembers an early morning in 2018, as he stood waiting at his shop window, watching as a shiny black car pulled up outside shiny H.I.S. Grooming early one morning. Scott had reluctantly agreed to give a customer’s ‘boss’ a haircut before opening hours. The door opened and out walked Congressman John Lewis. “And I just trembled,” Scott remembered. “My hands shaking, [I was] crying—I’m supposed to shave this man’s head!” “And he just walks up and says,’ Hi, I’m John. I have an appointment’,” Scott said. “And I was just like, we know who you are.” Most people know of John Lewis. An American Congressman who served Georgia’s 5th congressional district for more than 30 years until his death in 2020, he was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966 and one of the “Big Six” leaders of groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington and led the first of three Selma to Montgomery marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965. Now the legend was in Scott’s shop. But he didn’t act like a legend. “John always paid,” Scott said, “and not only paid, he tipped.” He declined the many offers from other customers to cover his bill. Always humble, Lewis never believed he deserved special treatment. “Once, he even waited,” Scott said. Michael Collins, Lewis’s former Chief of Staff, explained how that first early morning appointment came about, and how it became one of the famed civil rights leader’s routines. “What happened in the last years of the Congressman’s life, is that he became very particular about his hair. He would start talking about [how] he needed a haircut every week,” Collins said. Collins scrambled to find the perfect place—somewhere comfortable for the congressman but also convenient for his busy sched-

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Celebrating Black History

Congressman; besides airplanes, Collins said, Scott’s chair was the only place Lewis could fall asleep. As Scott cut his hair, Lewis told the barber and his staff about the freedom rides and his civil rights work, about fire hoses and dog attacks. Scott recalls Lewis telling him about March 7, 1965, as he prepared to march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL. Lewis was beaten bloody. Images from the march prompted public support for the marchers and their voting rights campaign. Lewis told Scott that as he prepared to cross he did not know if he was still going to be alive the following day. “That was a moment that really just stood out to me,” Scott said. “How do you keep going in full capacity when you know that this may be your last moment? And that’s because John just had something more to him.” Scott described how Lewis became a mentor and a friend, someone from whom he sought advice on his personal troubles. He said that Lewis charged him with keeping ‘it’ going. “I’ll spend the rest of my life finding out what it is,” Scott said.

Black History in Perspective

Scott knew who Lewis was when he walked in the door of his shop —but Mark Garrett didn’t. When he first met John Lewis, more than a decade ago, the muralist was working as a modeler in a trophy shop, an artist just trying to make a living in his field. The congressman came in to pick up work ordered by his office. “I had no idea who he was at the time, I’m

Jared Scott shaves the head of legendary Civil Rights leader and Congressman John Lewis at H.I.S. Grooming (1242 Pennsylvania Ave. SE). Courtesy: J. Scott

ule. Scott’s shop was perfect: a true barber shop, just a short ride down Pennsylvania Avenue from Lewis’s home and the Capitol building.

A Relaxing Place

Barber shops have long been a part of American Black culture. Scott moved from Norristown, PA to Capitol Hill ten years ago with a passionate dream

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and a vision for what the barbershop stands for in the community. He loves cutting hair, he said, but that’s not why he was drawn to the business. “Truly my passion is the barbershop and the community aspect that it brings. I grew up in a barbershop,” he said. Collins said that Lewis loved the attention he received from Scott. It became one of the most relaxing times the Chief of Staff could arrange for the

Barber Jared Scott prior to the ribbon-cutting.

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ashamed to say,” the artist said at the dedication of the mural he co-created in Lewis’s memory. “I was probably like 25 years old; I should have known who John Lewis was.” His boss sat him down and gave him an education, Garrett said. “He showed me clips of [Lewis] marching and protesting in the past.” From then on, he prioritized the work he did for the living legend. But this latThe ‘Good Trouble’ section of the mural. est work for what I knew is gone,” he said at the Lewis came with dedication. fear, too, Garrett said. The work of “And me being here doing this the civil rights icon was met with viis a representation of everything… olence in the 1960s, and Garrett was and the heaviness of it,” said Wilaware there were many who would liams. “Because everybody doesn’t have a similar reaction today. recognize what these things mean, He did much of his work at how big a deal it is. When we create night, harnessed to a hydraulic things like this in spaces like this, it crane. “Some nights I was wonderdoes mean a lot.” ing whether or not somebody who Now Williams runs a company didn’t feel so happy about me dothat creates public art, with plans ing work on John Lewis might do for works in Wards 7 and 8. Positive something.” representation of Black lives is critiGarrett’s fellow creative Dietcal, Williams said, at the dedication rich Williams was also processing of the mural. feelings. Williams grew up on 15th “We don’t need to wait until a Street in the 1980s and 90s, and has person has put in 70 years of work watched the area go through a sigto see a reflection of ourselves and nificant transition. what we can do,” Williams said. When he was a kid, Williams “Th is is all I plan to do for the rest said, people didn’t want to come east of my life.” of Third Street, where Lewis lived. Residents of Capitol Hill will He said the quotations from Martin feel the impact of the work he and Luther King, Jr. that can be seen in Garrett put together for years to Hill yards are signs of change. come, the size of artwork dwarfed In the course of creating the only by Lewis’s impact in life. ◆ mural, Williams said, he really felt that change weigh on him. “I realized that a lot of the fabric of

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Celebrating Black History

A Washington Matriarch: Gloria Jean Campbell

Her Family, Her Home, Her City by Stephanie Deutsch

loria Jean Campbell is 89 years old and has lived in Washington, DC her whole life. Among the things about life here that she remembers are H Street NE in the 1940s and 50s as our “big town” where everyone went to shop. There were intriguing giant fish tanks in the G.C. Murphy five and dime store, the latest records for sale at SoulShack and elegant clothing to be had at stores called Morton’s and Cavalier’s. She recalls going to Cardozo High School and learning to type so fast and use an adding machine so well that after she graduated in 1950 she had no trouble finding jobs with various federal government agencies. She remembers that she never learned to drive but she walked “everywhere” including to the Howard Theater to see comedian Moms Mabley and to hear Pearl Bailey and Ella Fitzgerald sing. And she remembers houses—in Southwest where she was born at 122 M Street SW which now is the development called Greenleaf Gardens; at 15th and Constitution Avenue NE where she and her parents and six brothers and sisters lived at 1536 B Street NE next door to her grandparents and where she met the young man across the street she was to marry; and, of course, the house at 1349 South Carolina Ave. SE where she and her late husband Francis, raised seven children. Today, sitting in the living room of his mother’s current home on North Carolina Avenue SE, her oldest child, Francis M. Campbell, says, “We’ve Mrs. Campbell in front of her home at 1349 South Carolina Ave. SE with children Francis Michael, Mark, Robin, Anthony and learned – in our family – that Carlton. Family photos courtesy of Robin Campbell-Bennet

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Mrs. Campbell today. Photo: David S. Deutsch

you always want to own a home.” That may sound like conventional wisdom but for African Americans in Washington, DC and elsewhere home ownership has often been an elusive goal. Post World War II redlining made mortgages out of reach for most Black people; restrictive homeowners’ covenants kept them out of many neighborhoods; and, especially in Southwest D.C., 1960s and 70s urban redevelopment displaced Family around the table, 1966. Mrs. Campbell with her children, large numbers of residents and l to rt, Mark, Robin, Anthony, Francis Michael, Donna, Kim, destroyed great swaths of afCarlton. courtesy Robin Campbell-Bennet fordable housing stock. Francis himself remembers buying his first home in 1977. He knew that the person selling a house at 1805 Burke St. SE had a daughter who was about to be married. An accomplished musician, Francis offered to play music for the wedding for free in exchange for a reduction in the price of the house – and it worked. He became a homeowner. Gloria Campbell’s husband’s grandfather, Prince Robinson, worked for many years in the U.S. Senate barbershop where he became well known as the “Singing Barber” who, while he cut their hair, entertained and soothed his clients with spirituals and popular songs. When he died in 1927 a Senate fund paid off the amount remaining on the mortgage on his house at 15th and B Streets NE. A few years later the street’s name was changed to Constitution Avenue (while B Street SE became Independence Ave.) The house passed on to his daughter, Blanche Campbell, Mrs. Campbell’s mother-in-law. Her father

Frank had steady employment at Arlington Cemetery where he was, among other things, a grave digger. Gloria lived with her parents and six sisters and brothers across the street. Gloria attended Lovejoy Elementary School on 12th St. NE (in a building that is now Lovejoy Lofts). The junior high school closest to her home, Eliot, did not admit Blacks so Gloria went to Brown Junior High on 26th Street NE, a school so overcrowded that students attended in split shifts and from which would come one of the early legal cases challenging segregation in schools. From there she went not to nearby Eastern High School – again, a school at that time reserved for white students – but to Cardozo, then located at 9th and Rhode Island Ave. NE from which she graduated in 1950. That same year she married Francis J. Campbell. Gloria worked in various government agencies located in or near what is now L’Enfant Plaza. Her husband would often drive her to work, then return home and literally run to his own job as a supervisor at the main post office near Union Station. When they bought a home at 1349 South Carolina Avenue SE, Francis’s mother, now widowed, moved in with them. And there they raised their own family of seven children – four sons and three daughters. Oldest son Francis M. Campbell, who served for many years as an ANC 6B commissioner, remembers lively family dinners with ten people around the table, a Catholic blessing said by his father or grandmother, and good food. “Meat loaf, fried chicken, fresh greens from our garden…and then cakes.” His grandmother was famous for her yellow cake with chocolate frosting and for the cinnamon buns that would fill the house with delicious smells. In a crock pot she kept under the stairs she made wines -green grape or dandelion. There was a regular rotation for the children to wash and put away the dishes and

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do other household chores. She also made their clothing. Family activities often centered around oldest daughter, Robin, who early on distinguished herself as a gifted middle distance runner. She remembers running through the halls of her mother’s office in the Housing and Urban Development building at L’Enfant Plaza and competing in events at Madison Square Garden and the Richmond Coliseum. In 1973, when she qualified for the In Door National team, her picture was on the front page of the Washington Post. But she was only 13, too young to be selected. Early on she had caught the eye of Brooks Johnson, a teacher and athletic director as well as track & field coach from St. Albans School in Northwest DC. He encouraged her, invited her to work out with the St. Albans team and, in 1975, when he was recruited to coach at the University of Florida, invited her to come live with him there so she could continue training with him. Her mom insisted that her sister go too so, when they were 15 and 13, Gloria’s two daughters, Robin and Donna, went to live in Gainesville (where the round the corner neighbor, Dr. Robert Cade, was developing Gatorade and became a friend, asking the sisters to comment on different flavors. They liked lime.) Robin went on to qualify for two Olympic teams. The United States boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow but in 1984 the whole Campbell family went to see her compete in Los Angeles where Brooks Johnson coached the U.S. women’s track team and Robin placed fifth in the semi-finals. Robin remembers that, although her family was way up in the top of the viewing stands, above all the noise she could pick out her mother’s voice, yelling her name and urging her on. When Mrs. Campbell retired in 2003, she had worked for the federal government for 53 years. She had raised seven children, six of whom went to college and all of

Robin Campbell competed in every Olympic trial between 1972 and 1984. In the 1972 trials, she placed first in the 200 and 1500 meter exhibition races as she was only 13 and too young to make the Olympic track team. courtesy Robin Campbell-Bennet

whom now own their own homes. She has four living siblings all of whom own houses. There are thirteen grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She takes pleasure in seeing family, in keeping big scrapbooks recording their births and graduations and weddings, in working in her yard, tending to the dahlias and shooing away the squirrels and birds from her fig trees, listening to the news or watching The Price is Right. And most of all, she says, she likes “keeping my house up.” In her long life there have been many houses – each one of them an anchor of economic progress, a center of family activity, a place of hard work, of deep affection, of respect, and of fun – in short, each one has truly been a home. ◆

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OUT AND ABOUT

Insatiable by Celeste McCall

ince Jan. 15, diners 12 and older entering a District restaurant, bar, nightclub or entertainment venue must show proof that they have had at least one shot of an approved coronavirus vaccine. As of Feb. 15, everyone visiting those same venues will have to demonstrate they have had “a full initial course of vaccination,” not including boosters.

Joyful Japanese

Peace and Joy. What a welcome thought on a dreary, miserable winter day. That was our pleasant experience at Takara 14, which debuted late last year at 1326 14th St. NW. The Logan Circle newcomer is upstairs from Ammathar Thai Cuisine. Takara is Japanese for ‘peace’ and Joy was the name of our wonderful server. We climbed the rainbow-hued steps which led to a cheery, cherry blossom-filled dining room. One wall was painted pale pink. Was it spring already? A spacious two-level bar in the back was festooned with

multi-colored lights, glittering chandeliers and brightly painted chairs and banquettes. Chef John Yi’s menu with international flair focuses on hot and cold small plates: Expect house-smoked Norwegian salmon with edamame mash, soy sake, basil oil and salmon roe; tuna “tartare;” a soothing miso soup laced with assorted mushrooms; grilled nasu (eggplant); vegetable tempura; the ubiquitous brussels sprouts enlivened with bonito flakes. A quartet of New Zealand baked mussels was arranged on a copper-tinted plate with a pair of little wooden spoons for easy eating. But I gobbled my chicken karrage, Japanese-style fried chicken morsels, with my fingers, which proved easier than wielding chopsticks. Sushi shines here, with an assortment of fishy and vegetarian options. For an omakase, the At Logan Circle’s Takara 14, rainbow-hued stairs lead to an chef will choose equally colorful dining and bar area. Photo: Celeste McCall favorite sushi and sashimi, perhaps the tiny floral saucers. A charming touch of class. Our “opal,” blue fin tuna, salmon, lunch for two came to $65.40 including tax and yellowtail and pickled radish, Joy even signed our check with a “thank you.” swathed in sesame soy, or Takara 14 is closed Mondays. For more splurge-worthy wagyu items in information, including hours or to place an order, the $30 range, perfumed with visit www.takara14dc.com truffles or other luxuries. I settled for a la carte sushi: yellowtail tuna rolled with rice and scallions wrapped in seaweed; and my favorite, With the Super Bowl coming up Feb. 13, our unagi, eel, perched on a rice pillow bound thoughts turn to comforting, yet festive, party fare. with a strip of seaweed. After cancelling our holiday plans when Peter and We also found moderately priced bento I both caught COVID, we are ready to party, safely boxes, as well as rice and ramen bowls. Add in a of course, masked, vaxed and boosted. High on full bar with happy hour. Our server Joy poured our list of celebration victuals is tummy-warming our warm sake into little white cups, resting on chili with myriad toppings. We are listing only

Chilling Out

2 0 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M

three here, but many more favorites are out there; most offer dine-in, takeout and delivery. Ben’s Chili Bowl has multiple locations including the legendary original at 1213 U St. NW. Ben’s zesty chili (beef, turkey or vegetarian) comes in large or small bowls, piled atop the famous half smokes, as well as on burgers, subs and fries. Visit www. benschilibowl.com. At Meats & Foods, 247 Florida Ave. NW, beef or vegetarian chili is incorporated in yummy Frito pies, piled atop potatoes, on half smokes or snuggled in a “chilito,” a burrito made with a flour tortilla burrito. Visit www.meatsandfoods.com. At Republic Cantina, 43 N St. NW, Truxton Circle’s TexMex hot spot concocts a bean-free brisket with chili powder, onion, cilantro, crema and cotija cheese. At the bottom is a surprise layer of caramelized cornbread. Visit www. republic-cantina.com.

New on U

London Curry House, the first District outpost of the Londoninspired restaurant group, has arrived at 1301 U St. NW. The creator is Mumbai-born Asad Sheikh, who has brought us Bombay Street Food on Barracks Row and Butter Chicken Company in Atlas District. London Curry’s 75-seat dining room displays the melding of Indian and British cultures. A reminder of India’s Aug. 15 Independence Day is splashed across a mural. British flags frame the bar, along with a print of Big Ben. A bright red British telephone booth, complete with its original rotary phone, adds to the ambience. There’s also an image of the late Anthony Bourdain, who loved Indian cuisine. Bourdain would surely approve of Sheikh’s menu: dopiaza, an onion-heavy South Indian staple with chili, ginger and garlic;

FEBRU ARY 2 0 2 2 2 1

OUT AND ABOUT

Takara 14’s pastel décor provides a cheerful, colorful respite from a dreary winter day. Photo: Celeste McCall

saagwala, a milder, spinach-based curry common in northern India; chicken tikka masala; goat curry and lamb rogan josh in a creamy tomato sauce. Yes, you’ll also find fish and chips. For more information, visit www.dclondoncurry.com.

Smoky Market Watch

A recent arrival at Union Market is 2fifty’s barbecue. The newcomer’s “Central Texas style” ribs, pulled pork, brisket, sausages and other items are wood-smoked at 2fifty’s parent eatery in Riverdale, Maryland. You can also find sandwiches, platters and more. Union Market is located at 1309 Fifth St. NE. For hours, more information and to place orders visit www.its2fiftys.com.

Across the River

Shaw’s El Rey Mexican restaurant is reaching across

2 2 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M

the Potomac, launching a spinoff at 4201 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood. Like its parent restaurant at 919 U St. NW, the suburban offshoot specializes in tequila and tacos, plus burritos, quesadillas and papas birria nachos, described as Mexican-style cheese fries. For more information, visit www. elreyva.com.

Ciao for Now

As we do every February, Peter and I are headed for the warm and sunny climes of Florida. Therefore, I won’t be contributing a March column. See you in April! u

On U Street NW, the original Ben’s Chili Bowl is famous for half smokes and lots of chili. Photo: Celeste McCall

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NEIGHBORHOOD

Shaw Streets by Pleasant Mann Roadside Development tops off Intersect at O residences. Photo : Courtesy of Roadside Development

Coalition on DC Bike Plans Holds Town Hall with DDOT Director Lott

A virtual town hall on the installation of protected bicycle lanes was held the night of Jan. 25 by the Coalition on DC Bike Plans with the participation of Everett Lott, director of the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT). The forum convened to discuss community concerns about the direction of DDOT’s program of installing protected bike lanes. The town hall’s moderator, civic activist Jamal Mohamed, also known as DJ One Love, managed the presentations and asked questions at the end. Director Lott started with a presentation about the current program of installing protected bike lanes. He stated that DDOT has a goal from the Mayor to install 10 miles of bike lanes every year for three years. At a meeting of ANC 8C07 last

2 4 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M

October, he made a commitment to meet with residents with concerns about the program. Lott also noted that he had gotten complaints from people who said he should not participate in the town hall. Presentations from the coalition began with Dr. Allison Agwu, who outlined the frustrations caused by the installation of protected bike lanes on West Virginia Avenue NE, where she is a property owner. Next, Ed Hanlon, a Dupont Circle lawyer, questioned whether current plans met the legal requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act for accessible parking and recounted the experiences of two disabled residents with installed bike lanes. Rev. Dexter Nutall, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, brought the discussion to the cycletrack planned for Ninth Street in Shaw. Nutall outlined his concerns that the track would disrupt the activities of his and other churches in the neighborhood.

Discussion of the Ninth Street cycletrack continued when Alexander Padro, executive director of Shaw Main Streets, outlined how he thought DDOT’s current plans would adversely affect the businesses along the Ninth Street commercial corridor. He noted the problem of trucks having to make daily deliveries to restaurants, bars and the Washington Convention Center with a double cycletrack on the east side of the street. The cycletrack would also take out restaurant streateries that have been an important revenue source to Shaw businesses during the pandemic. Padro also pointed to an article from San Diego, California, documenting the loss of small businesses after installation of a cycletrack there. Padro offered three modifications of the plans for the Ninth Street cycletrack that might make it more acceptable.

First was to convert Ninth Street, between Florida and Massachusetts avenues, to a one-way street going south. Ninth Street is already oneway south of Massachusetts Avenue. Converting Ninth to a one-way street would make it wide enough to support commercial activities as well as a protected cycletrack. Second was to convert the 1900 block of Ninth Street to a one-way street to avoid the congestion that a cycletrack would bring to the densest block on the commercial corridor. Third was to locate the cycletrack in the center of the street, as on Pennsylvania Avenue, allowing unhindered commercial traffic and parking on Ninth Street. By the time of the question-andanswer session, at least 200 people were in the forum, with a number vigorously expressing their opinions via Zoom chat. To one of the questions, Lott mentioned that DDOT does not study the economic impact of its projects. He hoped that the town hall would continue and broaden DDOT’s conversation with the community.

Roadside Tops Out Intersect at O

Roadside Development and Dantes Partners recently announced that they have topped out Intersect at O, their building on the southeast corner of Eighth and O streets. Designed by Shalom Baranes Associates, the architects of City Market at O across the street, the mixed-use condominium building should complete in late 2022. In outlining the demand for new housing in the community, the developers noted that “the Shaw neighborhood boasts a Mobility Score of 100 and a Walk Score of 95.” Besides providing a mix of market-rate and affordable housing units, the developers of Intersect at O are giving financial support to local businesses, providing a parish office to the Immaculate Conception Church and making a donation to the nearby Kennedy Recreation Center.

Qui Qui Expands with Pop-Up

Qui Qui, Shaw’s Puerto Rican restaurant located above The Passenger at 1539 Seventh St. NW, has established takeout lunch service. It accepts orders online via a Toast app. It also offers a special on Sundays only, both in-house and to-go, of Sancocho, an island stew made with corn, plantains and root vegetables. Qui Qui is also serving as a ghost kitchen, a sort of pop-up within a pop-up. Spud’s Subs and Soups will take orders for pickup or delivery weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Despite the name, the pop-up, led by Chef Mykie Moll, goes beyond potatoes to offer a variety of light Eastern European dishes. ◆

FEBRU ARY 2 0 2 2 2 5

NEIGHBORHOOD

ANC 6E by Pleasant Mann

dvisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 4. Due to pandemic restrictions on public gatherings, the meeting was held as a virtual conference. Commission Chair Rachelle Nigro (6E04) called the meeting to order with Michael Eichler (6E01, vice chair), Alex Lopez (6E02, secretary), Frank Wiggins (6E03, treasurer), Patrick Parlej (6E05), Denise Blackson (6E06) and Kevin Rogers (6E07) in attendance. There was a quorum to conduct official business.

ANC Officer Elections

ANC 6E started the year by electing new officers, under the supervision of former ANC commissioner Alex Marriott. The new officers are: chair, Michael Eichler; vice chair, Rachelle Nigro; secretary, Alex Lopez; treasurer, Frank Wiggins. The new chair will begin presiding in February.

Police Service Area (PSA) Reports

Lieut. Donigian of the First Police District reported that the previous month saw two violent crimes south of New York Avenue. On Dec. 4, one person was shot in the head. One member of the group that shot him was arrested and the case remains open. There were 30 shots fired on North Capitol Street on Dec. 11, with one person being taken to the hospital. Statistics on property crimes are improving, however. Lieut. Daee of the Third Police District reported there were two daylight robberies of construction workers last month. While thefts and carjackings increased in the District overall, the activity in the ANC 6E area was limited. Eichler asked about gunfire on New Year’s that put bullet holes in the Giant supermarket and Convivial restaurant. Daee responded that although there were no injuries, the police were still investigating. A resident asked if a police presence could be located closer to the Giant store. Captain Small of 3D answered that while officers are often posted near Sixth and O streets, it is not a permanent, fixed location for the police. Eichler asked about a focused community policing unit devoted to Shaw. Small said that deployment of the community-based policing unit will be determined by the chief of police, although

2 6 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M

it should be in the greater Shaw area soon. Nigro asked for a greater police presence at Morgan and Kirby streets.

Councilmember Charles Allen

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen attended the meeting largely to review the recently completed ward redistricting. He said that the population rise in Ward 6 necessitated that pieces of the ward be reassigned to neighboring wards. The portion of the Shaw neighborhood north of New York Avenue is now part of Ward 2, and a small part of ANC 6E is going to Ward 5. The District has to finalize the boundaries for new ANCs and single-member districts. Allen noted that ANC boundaries can be drawn across ward boundaries if there is a need to maintain neighborhood cohesion. Nigro stated that the rules for residential parking zones, which now match ward boundaries, would remain unchanged. Parlej noted that there have been problems with the new protected bike lane on K Street and that the Department of Public Works (DPW ) and the Department of Transportation (DDOT) seem reluctant to deal with the issue. Rogers seconded Parlej’s points, saying that DDOT did not show detailed plans for the bike project, took more parking spaces than publicly stated and has not addressed the constant complaints of residents. Allen responded that he thought that DPW has been a particular problem in terms of performance. The agency’s leaf collection did not go well this year, snow removal is lagging and a program to help people get jobs in the agency had barriers that kept it from working. Allen, who chairs the DC Council’s Judiciary Committee, believes that all areas of public safety can be fully funded. He has put money in the budget to address the safety issues in Shaw. There is a problem with the Department of Forensic Sciences, which lost its accreditation, jeopardizing the prosecution of court cases. It will have to be rebuilt in order to get criminal convictions. Eichler said that residents wanted more police on the sidewalks, but the police said they were understaffed. Allen noted that the mayor’s last budget called for a reduction in police funds.

Zoning and Development Committee

Nigro announced that she was temporarily chairing the Zoning and Development Committee. The only request before the committee was support for 211 Morgan St. NW, a waiver before the Board of Zoning Adjustment. Plans were to build a two-story addition with a spiral staircase in the back of the building, which would increase the percentage of the area of the lot used. Nigro reported that the committee supported the request. Her motion to support the request to allow greater lot density was approved unanimously.

Parcel 42 – Dantes Partners

The commissioners were briefed on the development of Parcel 42, a city-owned vacant lot on the corner of Seventh and R streets NW that has been the subject of disposition proceedings. The presentation was given by Buwa Binitie, principal of developer Dantes Partners, as well as Stacy Meyer of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. Meyer related that the long-vacant site was disposed to Dantes Partners last year. Lopez noted that the project can be done by right, without a zoning adjustment, and would be a significant asset to the neighborhood. According to Binitie, Dantes Partners has about 100 team members focused on affordable housing. It has produced over 5,600 affordable units so far in DC and New York. In Shaw, it was responsible for the Hodge on 7th, which is a senior building at City Market at O, and Capitol Vista at 810 New Jersey Ave. NW. He noted that because both buildings are affordable, they are always at full capacity, with a waiting list. In presenting the plans for the 110-unit building, Binitie noted that the site is on top of a Metrorail station, and the building is at grade, with nothing underground. It will have a fitness center on the second floor and a community room at the top. It will also offer space for retail, although leasing retail space has been difficult lately. Dantes Partners would like to break ground on the building in the first quarter of 2022, with completion planned 24 months later. ANC 6E will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 6:30 p.m. Plans are to hold this meeting as a virtual conference. Visit www.anc6e.org for more information. u

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Shaw Main Streets is a designated DC Main Streets program and is funded in part by the Department of Small and Local Business Development, Muriel E. Bowser, Mayor.

FEBRU ARY 2 0 2 2 2 7

NEIGHBORHOOD

BULLETIN BOARD

Help Name NoMa’s Newest Park

The NoMa Parks Foundation (NPF), an affiliate of the NoMa BID, is seeking community input to help officially name NoMa’s newest park, which has been going by the working name Swampoodle II. Located at the northwest corner of Third and L streets NE, the 5,800-squarefoot parcel of land was purchased by NPF with DC government funds to address the absence of parks and green spaces in the NoMa neighborhood. Community members are encouraged to propose permanent names for Swampoodle II by visiting www.imaginenomaparks. org, where neighborhood background and design renderings can be reviewed. Those without internet access can call 202-289-0111 to request a form in the mail. Proposed names are subject to government review and approval. Deadline for submitting park names is Feb. 14. www.nomaparks.org

Wards 1 & 2 COVID Centers Open

Folger and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

National Geographic will premiere a documentary special,“Clotilda: Last American Slave Ship,” about the most intact slave shipwreck found to date and the only one for which we know the full story of the voyage, the passengers and their descendants.

COVID centers in Wards 1 and 2 have opened. COVID centers provide access to vaccinations, boosters and take-home rapid antigen tests, as well as a new walkup testing opportunity that will enable residents to administer and register a PCR test themselves. The Ward 1 center at 800 Euclid St. NW and the Ward 2 center at 926 F St. NW are open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; closed Sundays. www.coronavirus.dc.gov

Free Electronics Recycling

Reverse Logistics Group, in partnership with electronics manufacturers Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, Samsung and Vtech, will hold 32 free electronics recycling events on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout 2022 in each of the District’s

2 8 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M

Transatlantic Slave Trade Podcast Launched

Ahead of Black History Month, National Geographic has launched a new podcast, “Into The Depth,” that uncovers the history of the transatlantic slave trade as it follows a group of black divers dedicated to finding and helping document slave shipwrecks. The series trailer is now available on Apple Podcasts and wherever podcasts are found, as well as at www. natgeo.com/intothedepths. The six-part series highlights the journey of National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts (@curvypath_tara on Instagram), who quit her job to follow in the footsteps of Diving With a Purpose, a group of black divers who traverse the globe in search of longlost slave shipwrecks and the truth of the history that accompanies them. The podcast follows Roberts from Florida to Costa Rica, and from Africa back to her family home in Edenton, North Carolina. 8 wards, rain or shine. Collection vehicles will be stationed near Department of Parks and Recreation community or recreation centers, District parks or local farmers markets. Residents, small businesses and nonprofit organizations may drop off any of the listed acceptable items; items not listed on the acceptable items list are not eligible. Accepted items include computers, tablets, monitors, TVs, desktop printers, mice, keyboards, video game consoles and cell phones. A complete list of acceptable items, collection event dates and locations can be found at www.rev-log.com/DCecycling.

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m., the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series at the Folger presents a poetic mix-tape in response to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s exhibition “It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope, and Empowerment.” Poets Patricia Spears Jones, Nate Marshall, Reuben Jackson and Ashley M. Jones read their poetry to explore the rage, hope and empowerment embedded in the historic musical legacy of such artists as Public Enemy, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and James Brown. The reading will combine poetry and music from the exhibition. Tickets for this virtual event are $5 to $30, with a suggested price of $15, and can be purchased at the Folger Box Office at 202-544-7077 or by visiting www.folger.edu/poetry.

Return of Regular Metrobus Service

Metro has announced that Metrobus will return to regular weekday service on Monday, Feb. 7. Metrobus has been operating on a modified Saturday schedule, offering approximately 75% of normal weekday service, since Jan. 10 due to COVID-related staffing shortages. Metro will also deploy additional buses when possible to help increase capacity on busy lines. Once regular service has resumed, trips may need adjustment based on employee availability each day. Metro will provide updates about service changes through MetroAlerts text and email messages and on the Status and Alerts page at www.wmata.com.

Disposable Food Service Items Policy Changed

To keep our rivers cleaner and reduce waste, effective Jan. 1, all District restaurants and food-serving entities

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Choral Evensong Returns at Washington National Cathedral

One of the treasures of the Anglican tradition, evensong is a service of sung evening prayer. The interspersing of music spanning from the Renaissance to the modern day, between familiar passages of scripture and ancient prayers, creates a contemplative mood. Lasting less than an hour, this service is offered on Sundays at 4 p.m. Join in-person or online. www.cathedral.org are prohibited from automatically including small disposable food service items (including but not limited to plastic utensils) with the food they serve. Restaurants and food-serving entities are now required to keep small disposable items either behind the counter for customers who request them or in a self-service area for customers to take on their own. The new requirements apply to in-person, online and mobile orders. A grace period of six months, with no fines, will allow for training staff, updating operating software and addressing other aspects of the transition.

Christmas Tree and Holiday Greenery Collection

Through Feb. 28, the Department of Public Works is collecting Christmas trees and holiday greenery from homes that receive DPW curbside

3 0 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M

pickup. Residents may leave trees and greenery at the normal point of collection for trash and recycling or at the curbside. DPW will compost the items and in spring offer the mulch to residents at no cost. Residents may also drop Christmas trees and/ or holiday greenery at Benning Road Transfer Station, 3200 Benning Rd. NE; Fort Totten Transfer Station, 4900 John F. McCormack Dr. NE; Bryant Street Sweep Shop, 201 Bryant St. NW; and South Capitol Street Graffiti Shop, 2700 South Capitol St. SE. www.dpw.dc.gov

Free Tax Prep Services for Earned Income Tax Credit

Mayor Bowser has announced that free and virtual tax preparation services are available to low- and moderateincome District residents by the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) and United Way of the National Capital Area (United Way NCA). The earned income tax credit (EITC), one of the nation’s largest and most effective anti-poverty programs, is a refundable tax credit. For the 2021 tax year, households with incomes not exceeding $57,414 can qualify for the EITC, which could put up to $6,700 into the pockets of eligible taxpayers. According to the IRS, 25 million workers and families got about $62 billion in EITC as of December 2020. Tax preparation services are available virtually or in person (following COVID-19 safety protocols). All United Way NCA Financial Empowerment Centers (FECs), except the DC office, as well as IRS VITA sites located throughout Maryland and Virginia will be offering free tax services until the week of April 15, 2022. For more information, visit www.unitedwaynca.org/vita.

Pay-Your-Age at Arena Stage: An Under 30 Program

Arena Stage offers Pay-Your-Age tickets available for the 30-and-under crowd. Just as the name says, age

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NEIGHBORHOOD

determines the price. Tickets are available online, by phone or in person on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to four per household. Tickets become available about two months before the show’s first performance. Proof of age for each member of the party will be required at time of pick-up. Fees are not included in ticket prices. Children under age five are not permitted in the theater. www.arenastage.org/ tickets/savings-programs

Bridge Fund for DC Small Businesses

Mayor Bowser announced a new $40 million round of the Bridge Fund Grant Program that will provide financial support to brick-and-mortar businesses grappling with the COVID-19 health emergency in the restaurant, entertainment and retail sectors. The grant program will provide flexible financial relief to small businesses and

DCRA Accepting License Applications for Short-Term Rentals

High-Impact Tutoring Grants Available

Community-based organizations can submit applications for grant funding through the District’s $41 million High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) investment. The HIT grants aim to increase access to evidencebased tutoring programs for Pre-K through grade 12 students. Application deadline is March 10, 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.osse.dc.gov/page/highimpact-tutoring-hit-grants-tutoring-programmingstrategic-program-supports-and-program.

$22,000 Raised from “A Christmas Carol” at Fords during 2021

New Leaf Blower Regulations

On Jan. 1, the Leaf Blower Regulation Amendment Act of 2018 took effect. The act prohibits the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers in the District. Individuals and companies who continue to use gasoline-powered leaf blowers after this date will be subject to fines of up to $500 for each offense. Violations of the law can be reported by any person who observes a gas-powered leaf blower being used. The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) will accept photographic and recorded (video and audio) evidence in support of these citations.

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Housing Counseling Services Webinars

Housing Counseling Services will be holding free webinars throughout February for people looking to rent, buy or keep their housing in the DC metro area. Registration is required. You may register at www. housingetc.org/webinar-registration. housingetc.org.

As of Jan. 10, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) began accepting applications for residents to license short-term rentals for 30 or fewer continuous nights. A 90-day enforcement grace period gives short-term rental hosts enough time to get their required licenses. Short-term rentals are limited to a host’s primary residence, which the law defines as a property for which the owner is eligible for the homestead tax deduction. Only natural persons are eligible for short-term rental licenses; business entities such as an LLC or corporation are not eligible. The cost for a two-year short-term rental license is $104.50, which includes a $70 processing fee, a $25 endorsement fee, and a 10% technology fee. www.dcra.dc.gov/shorttermrentals

Ford’s Theatre has announced that audiences and the company raised $22,109.83 for Theatre Washington’s Taking Care Fund during performances of this season’s “A Christmas Carol.” Since 2009, the company has raised more than $900,000 for Washington-area charities, aiding thousands within the DC-area who experience homelessness and hunger. www.fords.org

less in revenue. Applicants must be located in DC with an active DC basic business license, less than $5 million in gross receipts each in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the ability to demonstrate at least a 30% loss of revenue during the period April 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021. www.obviouslydc.com/fy22business-funding-opportunities

Hypothermia Alerts

George Bernard Shaw’s “Mrs. Warren’s Profession”

Two of Shaw’s greatest women clash as Mrs. Warren and her daughter Vivie struggle to connect in light of their differing views on women, morality and business. Shaw’s play was considered explosive when it premiered in 1905, drawing ire from the Lord Chamberlain’s office for its frank examination of the hypocrisy surrounding prostitution. It still packs a punch today. “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” is at the Washington Stage Guild, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW, from March 3 to 27. www.stageguild.org food trucks that experienced revenue loss during the emergency. Grantees may use grant funds for needs such as rent, payroll and labor, inventory and operating expenses. Awards range from $20,000 to $100,000. The program prioritizes businesses that have not received federal relief funds and microbusinesses with $2.5 million or

Hypothermia alerts activate when the National Weather Service forecasted temperature, including wind chill, is or will be 32° F or below; or, when the temperature is forecasted to be 40° F or below and the chance of precipitation is 50% or greater. Transportation to shelter is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To report someone outside in need of shelter or a welfare check, call the Shelter Hotline at 202-399-7093 or dial 311. If there is an immediate risk to safety call 911. When calling include the time, the address or location of the sighting and a description of the person.

Open Call for 2022 Capital Fringe Festival

Have a show idea and specifics ready for the 2022 Capital Fringe Festival, July 11 to 24. Artist registration is open through Feb. 18. There is no registration fee. Learn more and apply at capitalfringe.org/artist. u

REAL ESTATE

changing hands

Changing Hands is a list of most residential sales in the Midcity DC area 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

BLOOMINGDALE 86 V St NW 20 Bryant St NW 2009 Flagler Pl NW

$1,625,000 $1,500,000 $876,000

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 729 Park Rd NW 1100 Irving St NW 3495 Holmead Pl NW 3561 11th St NW 743 Quebec Pl NW 3632 11th St NW 735 Fairmont St NW 924 Spring Rd NW 1347 Newton St NW 741 Princeton Pl NW 1229 Shepherd St NW 616 NW Kenyon St NW 612 Columbia Rd NW 650 Newton Pl NW #3

$1,249,900 $1,226,000 $1,086,500 $1,060,000 $1,000,000 $958,000 $956,000 $870,000 $862,500 $839,800 $809,000 $763,000 $605,000 $429,900

LEDROIT PARK 84 V St NW 2100 Flagler Pl NW 304 T St NW 1851 3rd St NW 130 W St NW

$1,396,000 $913,200 $907,500 $903,500 $799,000

MOUNT PLEASANT 3147 17th St NW 1827 Lamont St NW 3204 17th St NW 1676 Kalorama Rd NW

$1,737,500 $1,550,000 $1,480,000 $845,000

4 4 3 4 5 4 6 7 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 2 4 3 3 3 2 5 5 7 2

1831 Belmont Rd NW #505

$385,000

150 V St NW #VL06

$470,000

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS

1313 Irving St NW #1 $855,000 1354 Euclid St NW #402A $800,000 2541 13th St NW #1 $772,000 700 Quincy St NW #1 $765,000 1020 Girard St NW #1 $689,000 SHAW 3622 Georgia Ave NW #41 $679,900 914 S St NW $1,449,000 4 1217 Park Rd NW #2 $660,000 1408 5th St NW $1,330,000 4 1510 Park Rd NW #2 $588,000 1536 6th St NW $1,099,000 3 1444 Ogden St NW #102 $556,000 22 Quincy Pl NW $1,082,825 3 2910 Georgia Ave NW #302 $520,000 1808 8th St NW $975,000 3 3500 13th St NW #201 $412,000 TRUXTON CIRCLE 1417 Newton St NW #504 $385,000 29 Q St NW $1,210,750 4 610 Irving St NW #T04 $365,000 3902-3902 14th St NW #514 $325,000 U STREET CORRIDOR 1443 Oak St NW #101 $280,000 2002 15th St NW $1,648,500 5 2022 10th St NW $942,000 LEDROIT PARK 18 Channing St NW #2 $985,000 2014 2nd St NW #2 $799,900 46 Channing St NW #2 $645,000 CONDO

14TH STREET CORRIDOR

2125 14th St NW #910 1401 R St NW #406 1418 W St NW #501 2125 14th St NW #607

$1,000,000 $560,000 $549,900 $399,999

ADAMS MORGAN 1610 Beekman Pl NW #B 1700 Kalorama Rd NW #204 2514 17th St NW #2 2357 Champlain St NW #102 1811 Ontario Pl NW #1 2363 Champlain St NW #A 1947 1/2 Calvert St NW

$865,000 $865,000 $745,000 $741,700 $700,000 $645,000 $422,000

LOGAN CIRCLE 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1

1209 13th St NW #103 1311 13th St NW #T08

BLOOMINGDALE 1115 12th St NW #103

1211 13th St NW #PH 807 $775,000 1309 Q St NW #2 $1,525,000 1302 R St NW #1 $1,065,000 1209 O St NW #1 $960,000 1220 N St NW #2 $794,000 1210 R St NW #101 $720,000 1306 Rhode Island Ave NW #1 $692,500 1210 R St NW #114 $660,000 1109 O St NW #302 $618,000 1225 N St NW #A $605,000 1401 Church St NW #417 $576,000 1133 14th St NW #406 $510,000 1312 Massachusetts Ave NW #110$390,000

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

1 Scott Cir NW #2 1631 16th St NW #4 1317 11th NW #7 1317 11th St NW #3

$339,000 $304,000 $255,000 $245,000 $685,000 $535,000 $399,000

MOUNT PLEASANT

2328 Champlain St NW #311 1615 Kenyon St NW #34

$705,000 $377,500

MT VERNON SQUARE

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2 1

424 M St NW #7 $745,000 907 N St NW #A1 $655,000 811 4th St NW #810 $585,000 1001 L St NW #603 $581,000 424 M St NW #4 $544,000 1011 M St NW #201 $530,000 910 M St NW #307 $500,000 811 4th St NW #1103 $605,000 910 M St NW #303 $560,000 437 New York Ave NW #1103 $488,000 400 Massachusetts Ave NW #710 $440,000 1001 L NW #711 $430,000

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

725 Euclid St NW #PH3 1643 6th St NW #2 223 Florida Ave NW #1

3 2 2

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • “50 YEARS EXPERIENCE”

Flat Roof Specialists • Modified Bitumen • Skylights • Shingles SHAW • Slate $1,087,500 $515,000 $355,000

TRUXTON CIRCLE

57 N St NW #PH 410 57 N St NW #110

$670,000 $315,000

U STREET CORRIDOR

2020 12th St NW #108 1390 V St NW #522 2004 11th St NW #430 2031 13th St NW #1

$565,000 $499,000 $445,000 $440,000

1 0 2 1 1 1

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The Lunar New Year (online) Family Zone

Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is celebrated around the world and is a time to cherish loved ones both near and far. This year the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) is highlighting the Chinese traditions and celebration of the Year of the Ox. Enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities you can complete at home and with your extended family and friends via Zoom. Watch traditional Chinese craft demonstrations and performances. Join the Madison Chinese Dance Corporation for acrobatics, yo-yo, and other Chinese dance traditions. americanart.si.edu/events/family-zone/lunar-new-year.

y l i m a f & s kid

Take a Live, Virtual Capitol Tour

Due to Covid, the Capitol Visitor Center remains closed, but you can still join one of their knowledgeable guides for a live, virtual tour that includes the Crypt, Rotunda and National Statuary Hall. The tour will have live video and audio. Register in advance for these online tours offered Monday through Friday at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Tours last 45 to 60 minutes, including time for questions and answers. Tour participation requires a device that plays sound and video. Participants will not be on camera and will submit questions via the chat feature. Registration for online tours closes at 9 a.m. the previous day. To register, visit the visitthecapitol.gov/virtual-capitol-tour and use the calendar feature to select a date and time. Once registered, you will receive a conﬁrmation with the link for the tour you selected.

US Capitol, Statuary Hall

All Aboard for Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails!

The world’s most beloved #1 blue engine has rolled into National Children’s Museum this winter for exciting fun and adventure. Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails!, an interactive exhibit created by Minnesota Children’s Museum and inspired by the popular children’s series now on Nick Jr, steamed into the Museum on Jan. 22, for a four-month stay through Sunday, May 15. Featuring favorite engines and destinations from Thomas & Friends, this STEM–focused exhibit seeks to engage children, ages two through seven, and families in foundational skills that foster STEM literacy through playful learning experiences. Museum admission is $15.95 for one adult and one child. The National Children’s Museum is at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. nationalchildrensmuseum.org.

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Old Town’s George Washington Birthday Parade Old Town’s George Washington Birthday Parade, honoring the 225th celebration of the birth of Father of our Country, is on Monday, Feb. 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. The oldest and largest parade celebrating the birth of George Washington in the US, it winds through a one-mile route along the historic streets of Old Town. (The parade date is weather dependent.) Read more at washingtonbirthday.com.

Come se hine learn C us! h wit

YU YING IS OPEN TO ALL! • We’re one of 11 DC public charter schools with equitable access preference. • Parents and guardians – you don’t need to speak Chinese for your child to attend. Learn more and register for an upcoming virtual open house at washingtonyuying.org/enroll

PREK 3 - GRADE 5

DC Prep campuses now accepting applications for the 22-23 school year, serving students PK3-8th grade in wards 5,7,8. Preparing students for an academically and socially successful future.

Call 202-780-5126 for more information or visit:

dcprep.org

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KIDS AND FAMILY

Becoming Chinese American (Girlhood – It’s complicated)

Chinese American Virginia Lee wore the vest and trousers on display in the early 1900s. Born in the United States but raised in immigrant households, Chinese American girls embodied multiple cultures. They were expected to conform to American culture while maintaining Chinese values. Clothing became an important way for Chinese American girls to navigate cultures and identities. Virginia, a first-generation Chinese American, grew up in New York City. Becoming Chinese American is in the New Perspectives case outside on the Second Floor, East, of the National Museum of American History. americanhistory.si.edu.

Soar Together @ Air and Space Virtual Family Day: What’s Beyond Our Solar System?

Soar Together @ Air and Space is a monthly virtual family program from the National Air and Space Museum. Through live events and interactive activities you can do anytime, your family can explore a different air and space topic every month. This month’s family program, on Feb. 18 and 19, all day, will explore the questions, “How do we know what is out there beyond our own universe?” and “What world do you imagine?” You’ll learn about the ways scientists study planets outside our solar system, and then use your creative side to imagine what it would be like to live on another planet. Register at airandspace. si.edu/events/soar-together-air-andspace-virtual-family-day-whats-beyond-our-solar-system

Darbuka Drumming at the National Children’s Museum

On Saturday, Feb. 12 and Sunday, Feb. 13, join in on an authentic Darbuka drumming session. You’ll learn more about Arabic music and instruments like the Darbuka, an iconic percussion instrument used in the Middle East. The program, in the Creative Corner on the first floor, lasts approximately 30 minutes and will start at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. It is recommended for all ages, especially five to nine. Museum admission is $15.95 for one adult and one child. The National Children’s Museum is at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. nationalchildrensmuseum.org.

Balloonacy atImagination Stage

Balloonacy is a beautiful, movement-based show that revisits the classic film The Red Balloon. Nothing can go right for the character of the old man, whose days are gray and dreary–until he is visited by a friendly red balloon. In the playful physical style of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the old man--an adult version of the boy in the film--regains his youthful spirit, with the help of the red balloon. $12. Balloonacy is at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda Feb. 5 to 20. Best suited for ages five to eleven. Imaginationstage.org.

How Things Fly

Virginia and her siblings wore Western-style clothing as everyday attire, but on special occasions donned imported clothes to showcase their Chinese heritage.The outfit will also be made available as a 3D scan.

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How does an airplane stay aloft? How can something as insubstantial as air support all that weight? Why do you become “weightless” in space? How can you propel yourself there, with no air to push against? These and many other questions are answered in How Things Fly, a gallery devoted to explaining the basic principles that

allow aircraft and spacecraft to fly. The emphasis here is “hands-on.” Dozens of exhibits invite you to push, pull, press, lift, slide, handle, touch, twist, turn, spin, bend, and balance. Open Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The National Air and Space Museum’s building on the National Mall will temporarily close to the public March 28, 2022 until fall 2022.

National Zoo Webcams

See giant pandas, elephants, lions and naked mole-rats on animal cams streaming live, 24/7 from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. nationalzoo. si.edu/webcams. Download Animal Cam Bingo Cards at nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams. These activities are designed to engage learners of all ages in looking closely and thinking deeply about animal behavior and habitats. Welcome to the wild side of learning!

SERVING GRADES 6-12

MLK Library Virtual Story Time

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 to 11 p.m., enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and more for ages birth to five and their caregivers on Facebook Live. Tune into the fun at facebook.com/dclibrary. You will not need a Facebook account to view the program.

Show Way: A Book in Concert at the KC

Soonie’s great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She began to stitch a Show Way, a quilt with secret meanings to show enslaved people the way to freedom. As each generation passes, the Show Way shines a light on the past and paves a road to the future, stitching together possibility and promise. Through Feb. 20, the Kennedy Center’s Education Artistin-Residence Jacqueline Woodson’s Newbery-winning book of history, love, and resilience becomes a world premiere stage adaptation. This moving, lyrical account based on Woodson’s own family pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledge illuminate their daughters’ lives--from enslavement to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches, and the fight for literacy. $20. Most enjoyed by age seven and older. kennedy-center.org.

Because: A Symphony of Serendipity

How can music change a young person’s life? See for yourself when Kennedy Center Education Artistin-Residence Mo Willems’s story of chance makes its world premiere as a concert with the National Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, March 20 at 2 and 4 p.m. The 2 p.m. concert is sensory-friendly. Most enjoyed by ages five, up. $20 to $55. kennedy-center.org. ◆

YOUR LEGACY STARTS HERE. Apply today for School Year 2022-2023. Seats are limited. Complete the application online through MySchoolDC.org. #ChoosePaul and we’ll choose you back! Increase your chances of being matched with Paul PCS by making us your #1 selection.

WHY PAUL PCS FOR 6-12 GRADE? • Tier 1 High School; on average 1:15 ratio for MS and HS classes • Guaranteed seat for Paul middle school families into Paul IHS • SAT Prep, Tutoring, Honors AP Classes, Dual Enrollment and In-House College Assistance

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• Wraparound Services, Counseling and Student Support Resources for IEP families

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www.shawmainstreets.org Shaw Main Streets is a designated DC Main Streets program and is funded in part by the Department of Small and Local Business Development, Muriel E. Bowser, Mayor ©2022 Shaw Main Streets, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Mid City DC Magazine – February 2022

Articles inside

ANC 6E • Pleasant Mann

Shaw Streets • Pleasant Mann

Making an Impact: John Lewis Mural Celebrates Civil Rights Legend • Elizabeth O’Gorek

Insatiable • Celeste McCall