An Urban Lifestyle Magazine
MIDCITY FEBRUARY 2015
APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR Pre-K to 3rd grade
Building on our strong foundation as an early childhood program
Open Houses on the following Thursdays, 9:30 am-10:30 am*:
February 19 & 26 March 19 & 26 * You must register to attend. Call (202) 726-1843, limit of 20 people per session.
Apply for admissions at: www.myschooldc.org Application deadline March 2, 2015.
Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Voted Best Preschool in DC,City Paper Readers Poll 2013! • Before & After Care • Small classroom size and well trained staff • Individual planning for each student • Hands-on and project-based curriculum Free and open to all DC residents.Tuition paid by non-residents.
Bridges PCS is an expanding elementary school growing to serve grades Pre-K–5th by 2017-2018.
www.bridgespcs.org 1250 Taylor Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011 p: 202.726.1843 e: info@bridgespcs.org
For the 2016-2017 school year Bridges PCS will be in our new location: 100 Gallatin St. NE, Washington, DC 20011.
www.bridgespcs.org
February 2015
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CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2015 08 10 50
22
what’s on washington calendar classifieds
16
black history special 16 18 21
MIDCITY
E on DC • E. Ethelbert Miller Understanding How Real Change Occurs • Chris Myers Asch Black History Calendar
out and about 22 Insatiable • Jonathan Bardzik 26 Let’s Get Physical • Jazelle Hunt 28 Depeche Art • Phil Hutinet
ON THE COVER:
your neighborhood 30 32 34 36 39 40 41 42 44
Bulletin Board • Kathleen Donner District Beat: The Freshman Troika • Andrew Lightman The Numbers: Left Behind • Ed Lazare Eye on McMillan • Jeffrey Anderson Mt. Vernon Triangle • Ellen Boomer Bloomingdale Buzz • Ellen Boomer ANC 6E • Steve Holton Shaw Streets • Pleasant Mann Logan Circles • Mark F. Johnson
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Police and protesters face off over voting rights in Selma, Ala., May 7, 1965, a day forever known as Bloody Sunday. Photo: Spider Martin
kids and family 45 Notebook • Kathleen Donner
at home 49 Changing Hands • Don Denton
February 2015
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06 MIdCITydCNewS.COM
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NeXT ISSue is on MarCH 7th!
C������� E�����: Kathleen Donner • calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com
General Assignment Elise Bernard • elise.bernard@gmail.com Ellen Boomer • emboomer@gmail.com Elena Burger • elena96b@gmail.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com Mark Johnson • mark@hillrag.com Stephen Lilienthal - stephen_lilienthal@yahoo.com Pleasant Mann • pmann1995@gmail.com Meghan Markey • meghanmarkey@gmail.com Charnice Milton • charnicem@hotmail.com John H. Muller • jmuller.washingtonsyndicate@gmail.com Jonathan Neeley • neeley87@gmail.com Will Rich • will.janks@gmail.com Heather Schoell • schoell@verizon.net Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Michael G. Stevens • michael@capitolriverfront.org Peter J. Waldron • peter@hillrag.com Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com Jazzy Wright • wright.jazzy@gmail.com
KIDS & FAMILY Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com
Homes & Gardens Derek Thomas • derek@thomaslandscapes.com Catherine Plume • caplume@yahoo.com Cheryl Corson • cheryl@cherylcorson.com
COMMENTARY Ethelbert Miller • emiller698@aol.com T�� N��� • thenose@hillrag.com T�� L��� W��� • editorial@hilllrag.com
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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.
February 2015
DCRA FREE WORKSHOPS FOR EXISTING AND ASPIRING DISTRICT BUSINESSES
Date:
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Money Smart for Small Business: Organizational Types & Tax Planning and Reporting
Time:
9:00 am – 11:00 am
Date:
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Location: Bernice Elizabeth Fonteneau 3531 Georgia Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20011
Time:
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Senior Day Program
To Register: http://goo.gl/CRlNrk
Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/jws1Oy
A Comprehensive Guide for Small Business Planning
Regulatory Process of How to Open a Small Business in DC
Date:
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Date:
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Time:
2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Time:
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, DC 20024
Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-200) Washington, D.C. 20024
To Register: http://goo.gl/vB0En7
To Register: http://goo.gl/cX9usw
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Time:
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/czYJu5
Date:
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Time:
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-200) Washington, DC 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/p3OH1P
Money Smart for Small Business: Recordkeeping & Time Management Date:
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Time:
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/k0g0rE
SBRC’s Navigating through Business Licensing and Corporations Process
The District of Columbia Procurement Technical Assistance Center (DC PTAC) Series Date:
Meet One-on-One with a Lawyer for FREE!
Date: Monday – Thursday Time: By Appointment between 10:00 am – 2:00 pm For further information, please contact: Jacqueline Noisette (202) 442-8170 jacqueline.noisette@dc.gov Claudia Herrera (202) 442-8055 claudia.herrera@dc.gov Joy Douglas (202) 442-8690 joy.douglas@dc.gov
Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-268) Washington, DC 20024 To Register: http://bizdc.ecenterdirect.com
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08 MId cit yd cn ew s . co M Holly Twyford as Queen Elizabeth and Kate Eastwood Norris as Mary Stuart. Photo Teresa Wood
Mary Stuart at the Folger
Intrigue and scandal followed Mary Stuart all during her reign in Scotland-an unhappy marriage, birth of James VI of Scotland (James I of England), her husband’s murder, her subsequent marriage to the probable murderer, her abdication and eventual beheading for high treason. Here’s where the Folger picks up the storyline: “Imprisoned by her Protestant cousin and Queen of England Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots anxiously waits for her fate to be decided. Leading ladies Kate Eastwood Norris and Holly Twyford reunite for the ultimate regal showdown in this bold new translation.” On stage at the Folger, 201 E. Capitol St. SE from Jan. 27-Mar. 8. folger.edu
Alexandria’s George Washington Birthday Parade
On Monday, Feb. 16, 1-3 p.m., the largest parade in the country celebrating Washington’s birthday marches a one-mile route through the streets of Old Town. The Reviewing Stand is on Royal Street at King Street. With nearly 3,500 participants, this community parade honors one of Alexandria’s favorite sons. The parade begins at the corner of Gibbon St. and S. Fairfax St., travels north on S. Fairfax St. and then turns west on Queen St. After one block, the parade continues south on S. Royal St, ending on Wilkes St. 703-539-2549. visitalexandriava. com. After the parade, you’re invited to tour Gadsby’s Tavern, 134 N. Royal St., for free. Learn from costumed guides and the museum’s Junior Docents about the place Geroge Washington dined and danced in Alexandria.
February 2015
Cupid’s Undie Run
Started in 2010, it’s hard to resist. Hundreds of attractive people running through the streets (for about a mile) in their Valentine underwear in February. This year 38 cities are participating--last year, 30. CUR is on Sunday, Feb. 15. Festivities start at noon at any one of three bars on Pennsylvania Ave. SE, between 3rd and 4th. The run itself starts at 2 p.m., heads toward the Capitol, then Independence Ave., right on First St. past the Capitol and Supreme and then back again. Sign up as an individual or team. After Feb. 8, $80 per runner. The annual run has raised millions for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. cupidsundierun.com Courtesy of Cupid’s Undie Run
The Image of Truthiness: Colbert Comes Back to the National Portrait Gallery
Botanic Gardens from Old World to New World
Botanic gardens are sanctuaries of nature. They are an image of plant diversity in an enclosed space that gives a sense of the infinite diversity of the world. While their creation is often linked to the rise of modern science, this lecture series showcases how botanic gardens, with a focus on medicinal and nutritional plants, have been present for millennia. Join Alain Touwaide, Scientific Director, Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions, and Research Associate, Smithsonian Institution, as he virtually explores four gardens and periods of botanical history, investigating all four from new viewpoints--Pompeii on Feb. 6; Cordoba on Feb. 13; Padua on Feb. 20; and Birth of Modern Botany on Feb. 27. All are free, noon-1 p.m. and require registration at usbg.gov.
In recognition of the end of Stephen Colbert’s decade-long persona for Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, the National Portrait Gallery has borrowed Colbert’s portrait, which was created for the final season of the show. You’ll find Stephen on the second floor of the museum where the earlier iteration of his portrait appeared: between the bathrooms and above the water fountain. The National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F Sts. NW, is open daily, 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. npg.si.edu
and aide’s work Alain Touw century. m o fr is e g th Ima from the 11 is of a book
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Calendar F
VALENTINE’S
“With Love Yoga” Gatherings: Stop and Smell the Roses at the Botanic Garden. Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28; 10:3011:30 AM. WithLoveDC is a movement to spread love, joy, and acceptance throughout the district. The Practice With Love classes aim to create an accessible space for all people to tune into their breath while enjoying the amazing spaces around this beautiful city. Free. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own mats. No pre-registration required. usbg.gov Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015
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Synchronicity performs at the Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival, Mar. 1, 5 p.m. Photo: Zavier Northrup
The Language of Flowers: Victorian Bouquet Making at the Botanic Garden. Feb. 13, 1:00-2:00 PM. Learn how to make bouquets that say “I love you”, “thank you” and “best wishes”. Free. No pre-registration required. usbg.gov SweetARTS and Valentines at the American Art Museum. Feb. 13, 11:30 AM-7 PM. Make the perfect, personalized card—they supply all the necessary materials at no cost. For those who are feeling fancy, horticulturists from Smithsonian Gardens can help them make an orchid corsage for a materials fee. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F Sts. NW. americanart.si.edu Valentine Weekend with Ms. Lauryn Hill at the Howard. Feb. 13-14. Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-8032899. thehowardtheatre.com Chad America’s 16th Annual VALENTINE’S DAY ROCK & ROLL DANCE PARTY. Feb. 14, 10 PM. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com SpeakeasyDC at the 9:30 Club on Valentine’s Day. Feb. 14, 7 PM. The stories cover a range of narrative and
emotional territory about things like navigating the dating world (badly); challenging sexual taboos (clumsily), battling disapproving parents (heroically) and so much more. Mature material. Recommended for 18+. $25. 9:30, 815 V St. NW. 877-4359849. 930.com or speakeasydc.com/ events/item/sucker-for-love2 Valentine’s Day Celebration at the Church of the Holy City. Feb. 14, 6:30 PM. Special recital devoted to love in poetry and song. $10 suggested donation. Church of the Holy City, 1611 16th St. NW. 202-4626734. churchoftheholycitydc.org
A Drag Valentine’s Salute to the Divas at the Howard. Feb. 8, 8 PM. Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com “What is Love? Romance Fiction in the Digital Age” Conference at the Library of Congress. Feb. 10-11. The conference is free and open to the public. Center for the Book, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE. loc.gov
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Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival.
INTERSECTIONS presents over 125 performances in music, theatre, dance, film, spoken word and performance art that offer new ways to celebrate connections between the audience and artists. The 6th annual INTERSECTIONS festival showcases more than 700 talented artists from DC and beyond. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org Music. Cheick Hamala Diabate, Feb. 20, 7:30 PM, Feb. 28, 9:30 PM; Washington Performing Arts and Atlas presents Face the Music, Feb. 21, 3 PM; The Chromatics / AstroCappella, Feb. 21, 4:30 PM; Veronneau, Feb. 21, 5:30 PM; Urbanarias, Feb. 21, 7 PM, Feb. 27, 9:30 PM, Feb. 28, 7 PM; Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, Feb. 21, 9:30 PM; Rachel Ann Cross, Feb. 21, 9:30 PM; Washington Dunhuang Guzheng Academy, Feb. 22, 3 PM; Invoke, Feb. 22, 5 PM; All Points West, Feb. 27, 7 PM, Mar. 6, 9:30 PM; Capital City Symphony, Feb. 27, 8 PM; Wytold, Feb. 27, 9:30 PM; David Schulmnan & Quiet Life Motel, Feb. 28, 4:30 PM; Brad Linde’s Dix Out, Feb. 28, 9:30 PM; Not What You Think, Mar. 1, 4 PM; Synchronicity, Mar. 1, 5 PM; Rajas, Mar. 6, 9:30 PM; Imani, Mar. 7, 8 PM; Olayimika Cole and L’ife Productions, Mar. 7, 9:30 PM. Dance. Furis Flamenca Dance Company, Feb. 20, 8 PM; The National Hand Dance Association, Feb. 20, 9:45 PM; Company Danzanta Contemporary Dance, Feb. 21, 7 PM, Feb. 22, 2:30 PM; Asanga Domask, Robert J. Priore & Sarah J. Ewing, Feb. 22, 5:30 PM; Deviated Theatre, Feb. 27, 7 PM, Feb. 28, 4:30 PM; Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble, Feb. 28, 1:30 PM; Jayamangala, Feb. 28, 2 PM; Airborrne DC!/Zip Zap Circus USA, Feb. 28, 5:30 PM and 8 PM; Tehreema Mitha Dance Company, Mar. 1, 2:30 PM; Nancy Havlik’s Dance Performance Group, Mar. 1, 2:30 PM; Vision Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Mar. 1, 3 PM; Jane Franklin Dance, Mar. 1, 5 PM; Dissonance Dance Theatre, Mar. 1, 5:30 PM; Moveius Contemporary Ballet, Mar. 6, 8 PM, Mar. 7, 1:30 PM; Mark H. Taiko & Uprooted Dance, Mar. 7, 1:30 PM; Pace Street Dance, Mar. 7, 4 PM; Gin Dance Company, Mar. 7, 4:30 PM; Sole Defined, Mar. 7, 7 PM; Open Marley Night, Mar. 7, 9:30 PM. Storytelling and Theater. Taffety Punk Theatre Company, Feb. 20, 8 PM, Feb. 21, 4:30 PM; The concilation Project. Feb. 21, 2 PM, Feb. 22, 5 PM; Split This Rock, Feb. 21, 5:30 PM; Folger Shakespeare Library, Feb. 21, 7:30 PM; SpeakeasyDC, Feb. 21, 8 PM; Arena Stage’s Voices of Now, Feb. 22, 2 PM; Freshh Inc (for us colored girls), Feb. 22, 3:30 PM; Wit’s End Puppets, Feb. 28, 2 PM, Mar. 7,7 PM; B-Fly Entertainment, Feb. 28, 7 PM; Dog & Pony DC, Feb. 28, 8:30 PM, Mar. 7, 3 PM and 8:30 PM; Young Playwrights for Change, Mar. 1, 2 PM; Jessa, Mar. 6, 7 PM; Goldie Deane, Mar. 6, 7:30 PM, Mar. 7, 4:30 PM; Closer Look, Mar. 6, 8:30 PM, City at Peace, Mar. 7, 2 PM. Free Lobby Performances. Veronneau Trio, Feb. 20, 7 PM; Josh Walker & Karine Chapdelaine, Feb. 20, 9 PM, Mar. 6, 8:30 PM; Boogie Babes, Feb. 21, noon, Feb. 28, 10:45 AM, Mar. 7, 11 AM; Washington Revels Gallery Voices, Feb. 21, 2:30 PM and 4 PM; Cecily, Feb. 21, 5 PM and 6:30 PM; Atlantic Reed Concert, Feb. 21, 7:30 PM and 9 PM; Musical Theatre Division of the Catholic University of America, Feb. 22, 1:30 PM; Alpha Dog Blues, Feb. 22, 3:30 PM; Andrea Wppd, Feb. 27, 6:30 PM, 7:30 PM and 9 PM; Matthew Mills, Feb. 28, noon; #randomactsoftaiko, Feb. 28, 2:30 PM; Music Pilgrim Trio, Feb. 28, 4 PM, 5 PM and 6:30 PM; Flo Anito, Feb. 28, 7:30 PM and 9 PM; Mar. 1, Chamasyan Sisters, Mar. 1, 2 PM; Elizabeth, Phil & Chris, Mar. 1, 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM; Herb & Hanson, Mar. 6, 6:30 PM; Elise Kress & Pat Egan, Mar. 7, 2:30 PM; Sow It Goes (closing party), Mar. 7, 7:30 PM, 9 PM, 10 PM. See Kids and Family Notebook for family programming schedule.
ImaginAsia: Love in Every Language. Feb. 14-15, noon-4 PM. Enjoy a digital slideshow of images of love in Asian art from the Freer|Sackler collections. In the classroom, use prints that say “love” in more than a dozen Asian languages to create a Valentine’s Day card to take home, and learn how to fold heart-shaped origami. All ages welcome. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. asia.si.edu
PRESIDENT’S DAY
Library of Congress Main Reading Room Open House on Presidents Day. Feb. 16, 10 AM-3 PM. Twice each year, the Library of Congress opens its magnificent Main Reading Room for a special open house to share information about how the public can access the Library’s resources yearround. Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. loc.gov Free Admission to Mount Vernon. Feb. 16, 8 AM-4 PM. The traditional wreathlaying ceremony at Washington’s Tomb takes place at 10 AM, followed by patriotic music and military performances on the Bowling Green at 11:15 AM. Visitors can mingle with costumed characters from George Washington’s world from 11 AM-1 PM. “General Washington” is on the grounds to greet visitors and receive birthday wishes all day. MountVernon.org President’s Day Public Skate at Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Feb. 16, 11 AM-2 PM. Free skating, skate rental and skating lessons. Skates available on
FeBRUARy 2015
a first come, first served basis. Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. SE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org
MUSIC
Music at Black Cat. Feb. 8, Fellow Creatures; Feb. 9, Brooke Fraser; Feb. 11, The Sidekicks; Feb. 13, Church Night; Feb. 14, Bodywork; Feb. 15, Franz Nicolay; Feb. 19, Mark Normand; Feb. 20, Georgetown Cabaret; Feb. 21, Coup Sauvage & The Snips; Feb. 24, The Dodos; Feb. 25, Helmet; Feb. 26, Turtle Recall; Feb. 28, Trash Talk; Mar. 3, ELEL; Mar. 4, The Juliana Hatfield Three; Mar. 6, Cursive; Mar. 7, Murder by Death. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com Music at 9:30. Feb. 11, Chris Robinson Brotherhood; Feb. 12, Phox; Feb. 14, MIXTAPE: Alternative Dance Party; Feb. 18, JJ Grey & Mofro; Feb. 19, Big Head Todd and the Monsters; Feb. 20-22, Punch Brothers; Feb. 23, Ariel Pink; Feb. 24-25, SleaterKinney; Feb. 26, Echosmith; Feb. 27-28, Railroad Earth; Mar. 1, Aesop Rock with Rob Sonic; Mar. 3, Gang of Four; Mar. 4, Josh Abbott Band; Mar. 5, Pat Green; Mar. 6, The Travelin’ McCourys featuring Billy Nershi and The Jeff Austin Band; Mar. 7, of Montreal. 9:30, 815 V St. NW. 877-435-9849. 930.com Music at The Howard. Feb. 12, Matters of the Heart R&B Benefit; Feb. 15, Stephanie Mills; Feb. 17, Dawn Richard; Feb. 18, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic; Feb. 19, PRhyme; Feb. 20, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas; Feb. 21, Amel Larriurx; Feb. 22, The Luther Vandross Re-lives Tour; Feb. 24, Parks and Rec Finale Party; Feb. 26, Eric Krasno (of Lettuce & Soulive), Lee Fields, Irma Thomas, Alicia Chakour & The Dynamites: Blues at the Crossroads; Feb. 27, Brand Nubian & Kool G Rap; Feb. 28, Luke James & BJ The Chicago Kid; Mar. 3, Curren$y; Mar 4, Luciano; Mar. 5, Red Baraats Festival of Colors. Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com Music at Ebenezers. Feb. 12, Micah, Amanda Lee, Jen Miller, Jeff Waters; Feb. 13, The 9 Singer-Songwriter Series; Feb. 21, Daphne Lee Martin--Live in the Coffeehouse; Mar. 5, Caroline Spence CD Release and Robby Hecht. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Music at Sixth and I. Feb. 19, Kishi Bashi String Quartet; Feb. 26, Al Di Meola. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 202-4083100. sixthandi.org Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. Free but a free will offering taken. 1317 G ST. NW. 202-3472635. epiphanydc.org
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Unique Handcrafted Papier-Mâché Mirrors Made by Artist Tuesday Winslow since 1995 feminist writer of the Americas. GALA, 3333 14th St. NW. galatheatre.org Frozen at Anacostia Playhouse. Through Mar. 1. Frozen tells the story of the disappearance of 10-year-old Rhona, and follows her mother and killer over the years that follow. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. Tickets may be purchased at anacostiaplayhouse.com.
GMCW vocal ensemble Potomac Fever. Photo: Emily Chastain
PHOTO- “WHEEL” WORLD MAP
Artistic and Functional Accents for Kids Rooms • Office • Foyers • Hallways • Bathrooms Mayan Inspired | Respectful of the Environment Made Locally | Artist Signed
LOVE ROCKS BY THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON.
Feb. 12 and 14, 8 PM. New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave. NW. gmcw.org Sunday Gospel Brunch Featuring the Harlem Gospel Choir. Every Sunday, 12:30-2 PM. $30-$45. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com
THEATER AND FILM
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Black Film Festival at MLK Library. Every Tuesday in February, 6 PM, MLK Library, Room A-5. This year’s selections feature leading men including Denzel Washington, Chadwick Boseman, Morgan Freeman and Boris Kodjoe. Please call 202-727-1291 for titles and more information. dclibrary.org/org Life Sucks (or the present ridiculous) at Theater J. Through Feb. 15. It’s tough being the gorgeous woman desired by all but understood by none. Or the homely girl with a heart of gold. Or the middle-aged man insightful enough to see the depth of his own failings. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. 800-494-8497. washingtondcjcc.org The Widow Lincoln at Ford’s. Through Feb. 22. Set during the weeks following Abraham Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre, The Widow Lincoln portrays a very human Mary in the aftermath of her husband’s death as she mourns the post-war life they will never share. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. fords.org Choir Boy at Studio. Through Feb. 22. A music-filled story of masculinity, tradition, coming of age, and speaking your truth, set in the gospel choir of an elite prep school for young black men. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: at Sherlock Holmes Mystery at Arena. Through Feb. 22. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson must crack the mystery of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” before a family curse dooms its newest heir. Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. 202-488-3300. arenastage.org House of Desires at Gala. Through Mar. 1. DC premier of Los empeños de una casa/House of Desires, a comedy of errors by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the first published
Mary Stuart at the Folger. Through Mar. 8. England’s most storied rivalry sets an imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots up against her cousin and captor Queen Elizabeth I in a Tudor world flush with subterfuge and revenge. Folger Shakespeare Theater, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. folger. edu
Cherokee at Woolly. Feb. 9-Mar. 8. Two couples—one black, one white— flee their suburban pressures and try to connect with nature by going camping in Cherokee, North Carolina. But their vacation is upended when one member of the group vanishes and the others are then visited by a mysterious local… who unearths buried desires that might change all their lives forever. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. 202-393-3939. woollymammoth.net “Grand Illusion: The Art of Theatrical Design” Exhibition. Feb. 12-July 25. The Library of Congress exhibition “Grand Illusion: The Art of the Theatrical Design” will show how designers create their magic, with a behindthe-scenes look at stage productions, from the Baroque courts of Europe to the Broadway venues of the United States. Exhibition is in Performing Arts Reading Room, James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE. loc.gov Kid Victory at Signature. Feb. 17-Mar. 22. Seventeenyear-old Luke returns home after vanishing a year ago. Profoundly changed, Luke and his parents struggle to adjust to life following his disappearance. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. off I395 at the Shirlington exit (#6). signature-theatre.org
SPORTS AND FITNESS
Washington Capitals Practice Schedule. Non-game day, 10:30 AM; game day, 10 AM; and day after game, 11 AM. All practices are at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, 627 No. Glebe Rd., Suite 800, Arlington, VA. They are free and open to the public. kettlercapitalsiceplex.com Washington Spirit Women’s Soccer Open Tryout. Feb. 21, 10 AM-noon and 3-5 PM (Attendance at both sessions is required.). $50. Maryland SoccerPlex, Field 20, 18031 Central Park Circle, Boyds, MD. Open to players 18 years of age and older. Interested players with previous college or professional experience are invited to register for the tryout online at washingtonspirit.wufoo. com/forms/washington-spirit-pro-team-tryouts. For ad-
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ditional information, email mparsons@washingtonspirit.com. DC United Opening Game. Mar. 7, 3 PM. DC United vs. Montreal at RFK Stadium. dcunited.com Canal Park Ice Skating. Monday and Tuesday, noon-7 PM; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, noon PM; Saturday, 11 AM-10 PM; and Sunday, 11 AM-7 PM. $9, adults; $8, children, seniors and military. $4, skate rental. Canal Park Ice Rink is at 202 M St. SE. 202-554-6051. canalparkdc.org Ice Skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Through mid-March. Monday–Thursday, 10 AM–9 PM; Friday-Saturday, 10 AM–11 PM; Sunday, 11 AM-9 PM. Two hour sessions begin on the hour. $8, adult; $7 seniors over 50, students with ID and kids, 12 and under. $195, season pass. $3.00 skate rental (ID required) and $.50 locker rental with $5 deposit. 7th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. 202-216-9397. nga.gov Public Ice Skating at Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Fridays, noon-1:50 PM and Saturdays, noon1 PM. $5, adults; kids 2-12 and seniors, $4. Skate Rental, $3. Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. 202-584-5007. fdia.org
MARKETS
Dupont Circle Farmers Market. Sundays (rain or shine), year round, 10 AM-1 PM. 20th St. and Mass. Ave. NW, 1500 block of 20th St. NW (between Mass. Ave. and Q St. in the adjacent parking lot of PNC Bank). 202-362-8889. freshfarmmarket.org U Street Flea. Saturdays and Sundays, 10 AM-5 PM. The market is in the parking lot, next to Nellie’s Sports Bar (three blocks east of U Street Metro), at 912 U St. NW. ustreetflea.com Branch Avenue Pawn Parking Lot Flea Market. Saturdays, year-round (weather permitting). Set up after 10 AM. 3128 Branch Ave., Temple Hills, MD Georgetown Flea Market. Sundays year around (except in the case of very inclement weather), 8 AM-4 PM. 1819 35th St. NW. georgetownfleamarket.com
CIVIC LIFE
All Ways Mount Pleasant. First Saturday, noon- 2 PM. LaCasa. All Ways is a citizen’s association primarily for the tenants of the larger apartment buildings of Mount Pleasant. 3166 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. aass.org Chinatown Revitalization Council. Fourth Monday, 7-8 PM. 510 I St. NW. Chinatown
Revitalization Council (CRC) promoting the Chinatown renewal and the preservation of its cultural heritage. The public is welcome. Convention Center Community Association. Last Tuesday, 7-8:30 PM. Kennedy Rec Center, 1401 7th St. NW. Downtown Neighborhood Association. Second Tuesday, 7-9 PM. US Naval Memorial Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. miles@dcdna. org. dcdna.org East Central Civic Association of Shaw. First Monday, 7 PM. Third Baptist Church, 1546 Fifth St. NW. Contact: Al Hajj Mahdi Leroy J Thorpe Jr, 202-387-1596. Eckington Civic Association. First Monday, 7:00-8:30 PM. Harry Thomas Recreation Center, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. eckingtondc.org Edgewood Civic Association. Last Monday, 7:00-9:00 PM. Edgewood senior building, 635 Edgewood St. NE, 9th floor. theedgewoodcivicassociationdc.org Logan Circle Citizens Association. Please contact Jennifer Trock at jennifer.trock@ logancircle.org for meeting dates and times. logancircle.org Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association. Third Tuesday, 7:30-9:30 PM. Yale Steam Laundry, 437 New York Ave. NW. lifein. mvsna.org U Street Neighborhood Association. Second Thursday, 7-8:30 PM. Source (second floor classroom), 1835 14th St. NW. ANC 1A. Second Wednesday, 7 PM. Harriet Tubman Elementary School, 3101 13th St. NW. 202-588-7278. anc1a.org ANC 1B. First Thursday, 7 PM. Reeves Center, 2000 14th St. NW (second floor). 202-8704202. anc1b.org ANC 1B11. Second Monday, 7 PM. LeDroit Senior Building (basement community room), 2125 Fourth St. NW. 202-481-3462. anc1b.org ANC 1C. First Wednesday, 7 PM. Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Health, 2355 Ontario Rd. NW. 202-332-2630. anc1c.org ANC 1D. Third Tuesday, 7 PM. 3166 Mount Pleasant St. NW. 202-4628692. anc1d.org ANC 2C. First Wednesday, 6:308:30 PM. Watha T. Daniel Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202682-1633. anc2C.org ANC 6E. First Tuesday, 6:30 PM. NW One Library, 155 L St. NW. anc6E.org u
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FeBRUARy 2015
“Without education, you are not going anywhere in this world.” MALCOLM X
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
S P E C I A L S E CTI O N
“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.” W.E.B. DeBOIS “In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” THURGOOD MARSHALL
“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.” ROSA PARKS
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E on DC Black History Month and Memory Loss
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Carter G. Woodson
By E. Ethelbert Miller
am sitting at a table next to a woman I’ve loved my entire life. She is a few years older than I am. I am showing her how to write her name again. She has trouble remembering – it’s the first stages. I print her name in a notebook and ask her which letter she would like to try and write. She picks out the “I” and struggles to make one. She knows how but she can’t tell her hand to follow directions. It’s frustrating. She looks up at my face and I’m smiling back, encouraging her to continue. For months I had been talking to her on the phone, and our conversations touched on so many topics that I thought she was well and perhaps never feeling better. But on the first day of the year I took a trip to see her. When she opened the door she was frail and behind her was an apartment having lunch with chaos. How does one prepare to be a caretaker? Where are the blueprints and directions? This February I have a better understanding of the historian Carter G. Woodson. Here was a man (responsible for starting Negro History Week in 1926) who was concerned with preserving the “collective” memory of African Americans. He was up against not an illness but rather a systemic and conscious attempt to erase the recognition of black achievements and contributions to the building of America. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and also taught at Howard University for a number of years. One of his best known books is “The Mis-education Of The Negro” published in 1933. For the last several months our nation has been concerned with the dead and the living; the past and the urgency of now. Black History consists of Selma victories and frustrations deeper than Ferguson. Woodson did groundbreaking work collecting the stories of a race and race matters. As citizens we are responsible for preventing the erasure of that history from one generation to the next. Every February I feel like a sentinel protecting a sacred trust – our collective memory. There is much to celebrate in 2015. This year my father would have been 100 years old. If he was still living, I doubt if he would want to set the clock back. The good old days were filled with segregation and hatred. Still, America is a place of hope and incredible progress. Life is lived forward and never backwards. Every February I wonder
FeBRUARy 2015
if I’m listening to the same notes being played over and over again. What I have learned from being around a loved one battling the loss of memory is that I must be more patient than patient. I must accept terrifying news that some illnesses cannot be stopped or reversed. There continues to be a crippling fog that hurts our brains. Is there a cure for racism? I don’t know but I want someone to win a Nobel Prize one day for ending it. Until we can curtail the hidden racism in our bone marrow there is still a need to celebrate Black History Month every year. One can begin within one’s family by listening to elders. A few weeks ago I mentioned in my ENotes (blog) that we have a tendency to discuss certain historical periods more than others. Overlooked is the era of Reconstruction which is rich with stories that have yet to be told on the center stage. The years after the Civil War were filled with hope, dreams and reconciliation. It was also a period of lost opportunities and violence. Studying and talking about Black History should also include an examination of class and gender conflicts in our society. We tend to shy away from this type of analysis, but it is essential if we wish to understand contemporary economic and social conditions. February has become a month during which we exhale. Let us take a deep breath and never give up on love or change. We must have the courage to find our second wind. Black History Month is the time to remember that history is made every day we live. Memory is precious and a terrible thing to lose. u
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Understanding How Real Change Occurs by Chris Myers Asch
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Was Important, but His Success Was the Result of Years of Work by Hundreds of Community Organizers
hen I told my five-year-old daughter that I was going to see “Selma,” the new film about Martin Luther King, Jr., and the campaign to win black voting rights, she was not impressed. “What about the other people?” she asked. “All the other people who helped him?” Yes, indeed. What about all those other people? In her five-year-old way, my daughter raised a fundamental question about our collective memory of the civil rights movement. It was, after all, a movement, the most powerful collective push for social justice in the 20th century. Yet for many Americans the “movement” boils down to King (with an occasional shout-out to his sidekick, Rosa Parks). Take a stroll down to the Tidal Basin and you will see Kingcentrism on full display — a mountainous Martin stares majestically over the water, with nary a word about the movement beyond him. Americans struggle to understand movements. We prefer stories of individual greatness. We want to see courage and grit and spirit embodied in a leading figure who inspires us to be better than ourselves. King certainly fits our image of a “great man,” an extraordinary leader whose courage and eloquence deserve our nation’s admiration. But if all we remember about the movement is King, then we may find that we are learning the wrong lessons from the past. Our memory of the movement is not just a question for civil rights scholars to debate in ivory towers; it is a matter of strategic importance to activists involved in any struggle for racial justice, including the current “Black Lives Matter” protests
against police brutality. Unfortunately, in shining yet another spotlight on King, “Selma” inadvertently obscures our understanding of how and why the civil rights movement was successful, as well as where it was not. I should make clear that “Selma” is an impressive movie with a strong cast and powerful cinematography. Like Steven Spielberg in “Lincoln,” director Ava DuVernay chooses not to tell her subject’s entire story from birth to death. Instead, she focuses on King’s role in the Selma campaign in early 1965. In those few months, we see King as an inspiring but flawed figure, a man deeply committed to the struggle yet burdened with guilt and weary of the responsibilities that have been thrust upon him. We see not only the depth of his personal commitment, but also the physical and emotional toll that the movement exacted on him and his family. The story is complex but compelling, and it does not hide the movement’s “dirty laundry,” including King’s marital infidelity, his controversial decision to stop the second Selma march, and the rift between King and younger activists in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). “Selma” shows how far Hollywood has come in the generation since “Mississippi Burning,” the wildly inaccurate 1988 film about the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers that painted black Southerners as passive, pitiful people waiting desperately for heroic FBI agents to save the day. Instead, in “Selma” we see a powerful, black-led social movement pressuring political leaders in Washington to act. The message is clear: social change comes only when pushed from below.
“Thank God almighty, we are free at last!” 5th graders from Watkins Elementary School in Washington, DC, end their annual recital of the “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, January 16, 2015. Photo: Tim Brown
FeBRUARy 2015
And yet “Selma,” too, offers a distorted picture of the movement. Much of the criticism of the movie has focused on its treatment of President Lyndon Johnson. But a deeper and more troubling problem is the film’s embrace of a traditional interpretation of the movement that emphasizes the singular efforts of male ministers who led dramatic protest campaigns between 1955 and 1965. This “top-down” interpretation has been upended by more than two decades of careful research that has shown that “the movement” was in reality a collection of countless local movements that were driven by less-visible activists working with ordinary people, particularly women, who engaged in the tedious, time-consuming, but arguably more important work of organizing their communities around issues of local importance. (For students of D.C. history, the traditional interpretation of the movement offers no guidance whatsoever — few national figures, including King, paid much attention to the city, and most of the important struggles in D.C. took place either before the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott or after the Voting Rights Act of 1965.) The traditional interpretation of a male-led, top-down movement grew out of contemporary press coverage. Journalists who covered the movement, like the reporter depicted in the film, often focused on King and his coterie of ministers in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) — older, educated men whom they believed were appropriate spokesmen in a movement that embraced the young and the poor. Following this narrative, the early histories of the struggle emphasized King and exalted what historian Charles Payne calls the “community mobilizing” tradition of civil rights activism. The way to create change, in this tradition, is to mobilize the community through dramatic protest. “Negotiate, demonstrate, resist,” King tells skeptical SNCC members during one
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Going to a protest march may momentarily bring attention to the cause, but what happens after we go home? If we have not cultivated grassroots leadership, if we have not organized around issues that are winnable, then whatever reforms we seek will wither away. This kind of grassroots organizing may not make for a dramatic film, but it can help achieve lasting justice. - Chris Myers Asch
A scene from "Selma." Atsushi Nishijima / Paramount Pictures
crucial scene in the film. Stage a protest, get it on the nightly news, then pressure the politicians to act. “It requires drama,” he emphasizes. In that scene, King and his lieutenants dismiss the community organizing work that SNCC had been doing in Selma for two years prior to their arrival. The “big boys” come in, lecture the SNCC youngsters, then take over to get things done. SNCC is portrayed as fractious, bitter, and juvenile – not up to the challenge. The organization that was so critical to the success of the movement in Selma and across the South then disappears from the movie altogether. Yet without the patient, unglamorous organizing work of SNCC, as well as the three decades of local organizing by Amelia Boynton and the Dallas County Voters League, King would not have found any traction in Selma. He came to Selma because the foundation there had been laid; his campaign succeeded there because local people had been primed to get involved long before he came on the scene (and would remain active after he left). SNCC’s community organizing approach, encouraged by Ella Baker, may not have attracted much media attention, but it helped build the trust and develop the relationships necessary to make any protest campaign succeed. The film’s singular focus on King’s efforts also distorts the pace of social
change. The entire movie covers just a few months of a decades-long struggle for racial justice that began at least in the 1930s and extended long after King and the cameras left town. There is no question that King’s work in early 1965 was critical to building support for what would become the Voting Rights Act just a few months later – a monumental achievement. But by focusing solely on that short-lived campaign (while neglecting or belittling the work that came before and after), the movie sends a powerful but misleading message: that a magnetic figure leading a dramatic, high-visibility protest movement can effect quick changes in the system. That message is more than just historically inaccurate. It also can be discouraging and disempowering to contemporary struggles for social justice. The “Black Lives Matter” campaign has embraced the “it requires drama” approach, mobilizing supporters with marches, candlelight vigils, “dieins,” and other creative protests that have dramatized the issue in cities across the country. Yet, all that drama has yet to yield much substantive change in the six months since the killing of Michael Brown sparked the first wave of protests. Part of the problem is that creating and sustaining drama is harder today than it was in King’s time. Our villains are not swaggering, racist caricatures such as Selma Police Chief Jim Clark; even Darren
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BLACK HISTORY CALENDAR Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who shot Brown, comes across less as a sinister, all-powerful villain than as a scared, clueless, trigger-happy rookie. We also suffer from what might be called “drama fatigue” — we are exposed to so many causes, so many injustices, so many appeals to our conscience, that we can feel overwhelmed or incapacitated rather than inspired to act. But part of the problem may be in the “it requires drama” approach itself. Successful social movements require more than just drama. They require patience. In an age of Instagram and instant messaging, when we think we barely have time to make a phone call or read more than a headline, we have lost the patience of community organizing – the kind of work that SNCC engaged in. To translate anger into fundamental reform, activists must motivate people to remain committed to a tedious, long-term struggle of incremental change. Going to a protest march may momentarily bring attention to the cause, but what happens after we put our cell phones back in our pockets and go home? If we have not developed relationships, if we have not cultivated grassroots leadership, if we have not organized around issues that are winnable, then whatever reforms we seek will wither away. This kind of grassroots organizing may not make for a dramatic film, but it can help achieve lasting justice. Historian Chris Myers Asch is the author of The Senator and the Sharecropper: The Freedom Struggles of James O. Eastland and Fannie Lou Hamer. He currently is working with G. Derek Musgrove on a book about race and democracy in D.C. u
Black History Month at Mount Vernon. During February, at 11:30 AM, a daily Slave Life at Mount Vernon Tour explores the lives and contributions of the slaves who lived at Mount Vernon. The tour will conclude with a wreath laying at the Slave Memorial site. The fee for the tour is included in admission. mountvernon.org Madame Tussauds Unveils Frederick Douglass Wax Figure. Madame Tussauds Washington, DC presents the never before seen wax figure of abolitionist Frederick Douglass as they kick-off their tradition of celebrating Black History Month with some of the most iconic Civil Rights leaders of the nation’s past. Madame Tussauds Washington DC, 1001 F St. NW. madametussauds. com/Washington Freedom Just Around the Corner: Black America from Civil War to Civil Rights. Opens Feb. 12 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. This is the museum’s first exhibition devoted entirely to African American history. Marking 150 years since the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery throughout the United States, the exhibition chronicles the African American experience through the perspective of stamps and mail. postalmuseum.si.edu Redemption Songs: Suing for Freedom before Dred Scott at National Archives. Feb. 13, noon. The Dred Scott case is the most notorious example of slaves suing for freedom. In conventional assessment, a slave losing a lawsuit against his master seems unremarkable. But in fact, that case was just one of many freedom suits brought by slaves in the antebellum period in an attempt to win the ultimate prize: their freedom. For over a decade, legal scholar Lea VanderVelde has been examining a collection of hundreds of newly discovered freedom suits. National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. archives.gov Frederick Douglass’s 197th Birthday Celebration. Feb. 13-14. Behind the Scenes: Archival Tour at the Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE, Feb. 13, 1:30-2:30 PM; House Party with DJ Scooter MaGruder at Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE, Feb. 13, 7-10 PM;
Police and protesters face off over voting rights in Selma, Ala., May 7, 1965, a day forever known as Bloody Sunday. Photo: Spider Martin
Opening Ceremony at Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl. SE, Feb. 14, 10:30 AM; Walking Tour--Frederick Douglass’s Washington begins at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W St. SE, Feb. 14, 12:30-1:30 PM; Frederick Douglass Actor at Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W St. SE, Feb. 14, 1-1:45 PM; Historical Trek through Anacostia and Uniontown at America’s Islamic Heritage Museum and Cultural Center, 2315 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE, Feb. 14, 1-1:45 PM; A Look at Frederick Douglass’s Hillsdale Neighbors at Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W St. SE, Feb. 14, 2-2:45 PM; Genealogy Workshop at America’s Islamic Heritage Museum and Cultural Center, 2315 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE, Feb. 14, 2 PM. Frederick Douglas Day at the Anacostia Community Museum. Feb. 14, 11 AM12:30 PM. A museum educator will provide a walk-through tour of the exhibition How the Civil War Changed Washington, then participants board the museum shuttle bus to take part in a map study of Anacostia/Uniontown. Call 202-633-4844 to register by phone. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu A Chosen Exile: A History of Racial Passing in American Life at National Archives. Feb. 27, noon. Between the eighteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, countless African Americans passed as white, leaving behind families and friends, roots and communi-
ty. It was, as historian Allyson Hobbs titled her book, A Chosen Exile, a separation from one racial identity and the leap into another. National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. archives.gov Virginia Black History Month Gala. Feb. 28, 5-11 PM, at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center, 1320 Central Park Blvd, Fredericksburg, VA. Keynote by Georgetown University Professor Michael Eric Dyson. For more information, call 540907-1857 or visit vabhma.com. NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom Online Exhibition. The NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom exhibition presents a retrospective of the major personalities, events, and achievements that shaped the NAACP’s history during its first 100 years. myloc.gov/Exhibitions/naacp Visit the MLK Memorial. Open to visitors all hours, every day. 1964 Independence Ave. SW. nps.gov/mlkm Alexandria’s Watson Reading Room. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 AM-4 PM. Visitors should call in advance for holiday hours. Located next door to the Alexandria Black History Museum, the Watson Reading Room is a non-circulating research repository focusing on issues of African-American history and culture. Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA. 703-746-4356. alexandriava.gov/historic u
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22 MIdcITydcnews.coM OUT & ABOUT / DINING
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ith a winter full of work travel, my husband Jason and I won’t be getting away. In lieu of that, we’re doing a little international tourism right here in DC’s food scene.
comfort and cocktails at slipstream
winter staycation
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by Jonathan Bardzik Slipstream, a 14th Street coffee shop and cocktail lounge serves up a new comfort food menu including silky, rich ramen and bánh mì on housemade brioche.
Walking up 14th looking for a late dinner, Jason and I stumbled upon Slipstream (SliptreamDC.com, 1333 14th St. NW), a coffee shop-cumcocktail bar-cum-restaurant. Lured by the promise of a bowl of ramen, and chef Jonathan Bisagni, formerly of Toki Underground and Doi Moi in the kitchen, we grabbed a table. The menu’s creativity and attention to detail started with my cocktails. I chose an “Into the Nightlife,” which was rich, dark and strong from espresso and coffee bitters, with smooth, full body from the egg and a nice alcoholic backbite of Rye. While I drank I sampled one of the day’s two shrubs--a blend of strawberries and vinegar. For those who don’t know, a shrub is a cocktail or soft drink made by mixing a vinegared syrup with spirits, water, or carbonated water. I chose their daily cocktail, a warming blend of the shrub with Redemption bourbon. Stop by from 4:30 -6:30 to check out the shrub cocktails of the day. $6 for one or $10 for both. Before I start sounding too drunk to rate the menu, let’s talk about the food. The seared Skipjack tuna was nearly sashimi, tasting mildly of salt and strongly of sea. The lightly dressed greens got a punch from bright, acidic, pickled brown Beech mushrooms and a smear of citrusy Ponzu butter on the side of the plate. While good separately, this dish is at its best when the flavors combine as a whole. The ramen was gorgeous! The broth had a
Compass Rose’s menu of international street food moves deftly from Georgian Khachapuri and Spanish patatas bravas to this Indian salad, Bhel Puri Chaat.
silky texture with a nutty, toasted flavor. The pork belly was meltingly tender, while still meaty and the perfectly cooked egg ran out over the fresh noodles. It was comfort food in a bowl, rich and mild with a buttery mouthfeel, the bright burst of ginger at the bottom of the bowl and a subtle hint of umami bringing it into subtle balance. Intrigued by a menu selection of “toasts” we order the duck liver mousse and raspberry jam, served on a thick slice of toast. Despite the highbrow ingredients it delivered notes of cranberry and Thanksgiving stuffing, herbal and buttery. The sweet, rich flavor could be breakfast or dessert while the savory notes make it at home in the middle of dinner. So yeah, we liked it. Chef “Johnny” has created a comfort food menu, filled with rich flavors and textures. The deft use of umami brings each dish into balance without overpowering earthy notes.
‘round the world’ at compass rose
Compass Rose (compassrosedc.com, 1346 T St. NW) sits one building off 14th Street next to Café Saint Ex. Walking into the row house transports you into a dimly lit, cozy space, reminiscent of an international food bazaar. The manager, Mark (in full disclosure, a good
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friend) and our server, Tess (who we’d never met before, but would love to have a drink with) took us through the menu of shared plates. Owner Rose Previte has traveled the world with her husband, David Greene, co-host of NPR’s Morning Edition. Upon returning home, she wanted to share the flavors and street foods she had discovered with DC’s diners. Lucky us! The highest of the highlights? We started with Bhel Puri Chaat, an Indian salad. Light and citrusy, the fresh taste of mint is balanced by crispy pops of puffed rice. Fried potato cubes and carrot shreds add richness to balance the beautifully bitter flavor of large radicchio leaves that we heaped the salad into and ate with our hands. The Lebanese Lamb Kefta is based on a recipe from Rose’s grandmother. The meat was perfect, tender and moist, with wonderful smoke and complex, but subtle spic-
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es. Freekeh, served along side, is like a barley tabouleh. The larger, slightly chewy grain delivers a light salad, fresh and green (in flavor and color) with lots of parsley. For pure decadence, you have to indulge in the Khachapuri. This Georgian comfort food, which Jason described as a bread canoe, is filled with cheese and topped with an egg yolk and a large pat of farm-fresh butter. Our server whipped out two forks, broke the egg yolk, and swirled everything together. The cheese mixture blending ricotta, mozzarella and feta - is curdy, creamy and chewy. Most impressive is Compass Rose’s ability to capture distinctly different flavors from country to country with a subtlety that transitions easily from dish to dish. When you go, go hungry.
Alphonse, That Little Italian Place
DC’s food scene is not lacking for high-concept, chef driven osterias , and we even have great delivery options now (I love you Pizza Parts & Service!), but the good ol’ fashioned American-Italian restaurant has been fairly elusive. Enter Alphonse Italian Market and Osteria (AlphoneseDC. com, 1212 U St. NW). Alphonse is your neighborhood Italian restaurant complete with fantastic thin crust pizza and perfectly cooked and sauced pasta. With readyto-eat dishes, cheese and meat cases and dry goods, you could eat here seven days a week. If you’re looking to start with just one, let me suggest Monday, when bottles of wine are half-price. As our dinner guests that evening stated, “At that price we can each get one!” While Alphonse may look like the pizza place you grew up with - right down to the red and white checked table cloths - the food is anything but. Our arugula salad was bright and fresh. Toasted pine nuts and sweet currents balanced the peppery greens. The celery root soup with sausage meatballs
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immediately caught my attention. The celery root flavor was clean and earthy, balanced perfectly by the richness from the meatballs and a drizzle of fruity olive oil. The two pizzas we ordered had just the right, light char on the edges of the crust with a sauce that tasted fresh tomatoes and little else. Jason’s Carciofe paired sweet pork, rich artichokes, and fresh arugula. Our friend Mark’s Pollo pizza offered the classic pairing of chicken and pesto with sweet cherry tomatoes, grounded by smoky shallots. My cousin Sarah and I ordered pasta. Her pappardelle was tossed with a hearty, rich bolognese while my bucatini came surrounded by sweet, fresh mussels topped with puttanesca. Both were delicious, but most impressive was the difference in the pasta. The pappardelle was tender, without being mushy, the perfect sensation when slurping broad, flat noodles. My bucatini, on the other hand was on the firmer side of al dente, an equally perfect preparation for the thin, hollow tubes of pasta.
Happy travels
After a month of delicious dining we’re sitting safe and warm at home, quite satisfied with the lack of road closures and flight delays required for a great meal here in the city. Enjoy! Jonathan Bardzik is a cook, storyteller and author living in Washington, DC. Known for his weekly, live cooking demos at Eastern Market (Saturdays from March to November), Jonathan loves cooking fresh ingredients as much as seeking them out in DC’s growing restaurant scene. His first cookbook, Simple Summer: A Recipe for Cooking and Entertaining with Ease is available now. Grab a copy and find out what Jonathan is cooking at www. jonathanbardzik.com or his Facebook page “Jonathan Bardzik.” Need some foodporn? Follow @JonathanBardzik on Twitter and Instagram. u
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26 MIdcITydcnews.coM OUT & ABOUT / FITNESS
LeT’s GeT PHysIcAL
bollywood buff
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by Jazelle Hunt
n 2005, Doonya: The Bollywood Workout hit the D.C. fitness scene with the steps and sounds of popular Indian cinema. The dance fitness system has since spread from coast to coast, but Jordin’s Paradise is its exclusive hometown location. Now there is a tougher spin-off, Doonya: Power Cardio and Abs. Recently, 25 women of varying ages, races, and body types filled the studio ready to sweat and shoulder-shimmy through the next hour. To my surprise, instructor, Jeannie Baumann advised the class to grab yoga mats and hand weights for later. For the uninitiated, the hook at Jordin’s Paradise is that working out should be unmitigated fun—so the announcement definitely raised an eyebrow. But there was no time to give pause. Baumann took the class straight into an energetic warm-up, with lunges, squats, and oblique work disguised as dance moves, set to rhythmic Bollywood jams. Ten minutes in, I was well past warm and had worked up a light sweat. In addition to getting the blood going, the warm-up provides a crash course on fundamental Doonya moves, which is particularly helpful for newcomers. While actual choreography from Indian films is already vigorous, Doonya draws from these moves and merges them with exercises. Unlike original Doonya, the Power Cardio and Abs class adds a high-intensity workout to target the abs, back, and obliques. The Doonya train is nonstop—Baumann’s warm-up led to a 20-minute block of cardio that, at times, felt like pure dance, at other times like step aerobics, and other times a blend of the two. Each song on the playlist brought an up-tempo routine, with repetitive footwork and expressive hands, arms, and shoulders. Each routine hit a particular area, from arms, to core, to thighs and calves. Sweat flowed into my eyes as one song flowed into the next, keeping the class moving in all the cardinal directions. The cardio block moves swiftly, with few opportunities to steal a sip of water or wipe sweat away. Pro-tip: do not do yourself the disservice of forgetting a water bottle. Good coordination is also a must. For example, there might be a little hop or grapevine step thrown into the middle of a standing oblique crunch; meanwhile, the arms have their own cheeky choreography going on. After the cardio came five minutes of work with the hand weights, including dead lifts, hammer grabs, and shoulder presses. Compared to the cardio, this was a cool-down. Then ab work on the yoga mats, starting with Spiderman planks. Let’s be honest; planks imbued with the superpower of a radioactive spider do not sound like fun. And they weren’t— instead of simply waiting for the still, tightly coiled moments to
Doonya: Although now headquartered in New York, Kajal Desai (front left) and Priya Pandya (front right) launched Doonya: The Bollywood Workout right here in the District. Photo courtesy Doonya.
pass, these planks require a climbing motion, bringing one foot as far up to the shoulder as possible and back down again, alternating feet each time. By this time, I was dripping sweat all over my mat. The next 10 minutes brought a barrage of bicycles, scissor kicks, and plank hops (planks, this time with the legs doing a jumping jack motion). It wasn’t exactly painful, but it was very challenging—as it was designed to be. “When [Doonya] first started we were more dance, more technique,” says Baumann, who is the first instructor trained by Doonya creators, Priya Pandya and Kajal Desai. “But people started to notice a transformation in their bodies. …We kind of evolved. Now we are a dance fitness program rooted in Bollywood movements.” Doonya is a well-certified exercise system that also stays true to its roots in Indian choreography—the moves all match the songs’
meanings, and each song focuses on a particular body area. And the booming Bollywood tracks are vibrant and varied, from more classical songs all the way to a Bolly-mix of Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass.” “I love the music. That’s why I got started, that’s why I’m still here. It’s just fun! I like the movies too,” Baumann says. “Bollywood itself as a genre comes from the movies, so there’s a lot of genres in it—Latin, hip-hop, poppy songs, or more classical or folk Indian music. The beats are fascinating.” Having never taken original Doonya, I found it hardest to keep up with the distinct hand and arm choreography so central to Indian dances. But both Baumann and participants say that keeping up is a common concern. Columbia Heights resident Leah Sisk, for example, says that this is her biggest challenge, despite being a regular.
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“[Baumann] does a great job teaching…. but learning anything dance-related, I find it hard to keep up. But I always find myself smiling during class,” says Sisk, who has been taking the class steadily for about six months. “People should just try it out. The moves will come.” There’s also the added layer of cardio and conditioning that makes this version of Doonya more intense, and the choreography less important. Dupont Circle resident, Nitya Menon has taken Doonya for more than two years, and decided to try the cardio when it was offered. “I prefer the Doonya because it’s more dancing, but I don’t get the opportunity to just focus on core and toning. The transition to the abs section is hard because it’s at the end, and you’ve exhausted yourself by then,” says the Dupont Circle resident, adding that Baumann keeps the energy in the room high despite the grind. Original Doonya burns up to 800 calories per session, but I knew this class had gone above and beyond—so much so that I briefly entertained the fantasy that I could afford a trip to Shake Shack across the street. (Don’t judge me). Instead, I simply left Jordin’s Paradise tired, but in good spirits. And to my pleasant surprise, very little soreness followed me home. Doonya: Power Abs and Cardio is on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., at Jordin’s Paradise (1215 Connecticut Ave. NW 4th Fl). To get your feet wet first, Doonya: The Bollywood Workout is on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at noon. A one-class drop is $25; a four-class pass is $49; an eight-class pass is $88; and a 10-class pass is $99. The studio also offers unlimited classes per month for $149, or unlimited classes per year for $999. Call (202) 997-8211 or visit www.jordinsparadise.com for more information. u
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28 MIdcITydcnews.coM OUT & ABOUT / ART
depeche Art
February shows at Midcity Galleries by Phil Hutinet
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n the dead of winter, you can count on two things in MidCity— lovers will pack restaurants up and down the 14th Street corridor on Valentine’s Day and the area’s galleries will host some of the most important openings in the DC region. In February, in addition to a number of exhibitions still currently on view (don’t miss Hemphill Fine Art’s Willem de Looper retrospective which we covered last month), plan on attending several openings including a tenth anniversary exhibition at 14th Street’s gallery plan b. Touchstone opens thought provoking solo work by Janathel Shaw and glass inspired work by Harmon Biddle. Lastly, Long View Gallery presents a group exhibition featuring Mike Weber, James Hunter, Ryan McCoy, Robert Stuart, Casey Vogt and Rebecca Coles.
Gallery Plan b Turns 10
The ten year celebration will keep with the gallery’s tradition of showing local artists, many of whom are actually hyperlocal, meaning that they create work in studios just blocks away from the gallery. TEN BY TEN, the anniversary exhibition’s title, will consist of small pieces ten inches by ten inches in size and will feature DC-based artists including many of the gallery’s mainstays. At the time of this writing, the gallery has been working on the final list of artists. If the gallery exhibited an artist you enjoyed seeing in the past or if you have a
One of the 14th Street corridor’s first galleries will celebrate its ten year anniversary this month. Considering both the recent economic climate which has adversely impacted many area galleries, staying in business for ten years is a major feat!
REMEMBRANCE by Harmon Biddle. Image courtesy Touchstone Gallery.
small space in your home or office which needs an image you can connect with, this exhibition is the perfect opportunity for you to add to your collection.
Janathel shaw’s Powerful Imagery at Touchstone
In Unspoken Messages, this month’s solo exhibition at Touchstone Gallery, Janathel Shaw engages the viewer in a powerful series of thought provoking work. She attempts to make sense of the recent slayings of young black men. Rather than seeking to fan the flames of controversy, Shaw highlights the transformational nature of these injustices by focusing the strength of the human spirit and the power of familial love. The viewer should expect to see a mixture of both freestanding ceramic pieces for which Shaw is known and, in a departure from her usual work, a series of large-scale graphite and charcoal drawings.
Pleasant Plains workshop curated exhibitions at dc’s newest bookstore
White Series - Untitled V by Aster da Fonseca at Gallery Plan B.
813 Mixed Media by Victoria Cowles at Gallery Plan B
Pleasant Plains Workshop’s owner Kristina Billonick will
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curate a series of art exhibitions at DC’s newest bookstore Upshur Street Books this coming year. Currently on view, Print Exchange features a series of hand-pulled prints by local artists who work in PPW’s atelier on lower Georgia Avenue. In an age where independent bookstores and screen printing have recessed, this offering provides a breath of fresh air amidst the ubiquity of chain retailers that have taken over our commercial corridors in DC.
February MidCity Gallery Openings: GALLERY PLAN B
1530 14th Street NW 202.234.2711|galleryplanb.com TEN BY TEN:The Anniversary Show February 18–March 22, 2015 Gallery plan b will be celebrating its 10 Year Anniversary. A select group of artists exhibited at the gallery from the past 10 years will present 10” x 10” works. OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, February 21, 4-8 p.m.
LONG VIEW GALLERY
1234 Ninth Street NW 202.232.4788|longviewgallerydc.com February 26–March 29 ReFresh V Featuring new works by Mike Weber, James Hunter, Ryan McCoy, Robert Stuart, Casey Vogt and Rebecca Coles. OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, February 26th, 6:30-8 p.m.
TOUCHSTONE GALLERY
901 New York Ave NW 202.347.2787|touchstonegallery.com • Unspoken Messages: The Art of Janathel Shaw • Earth’s Elements by Harmon Biddle February 6–March 1, 2015 PREVIEW: February 4-5, 11am–6 pm OPENING RECEPTIONS: Friday, February 6 from 6-8:30 pm
Current Exhibitions on View: PLEASANT PLAINS WORKSHOP
2608 Georgia Avenue NW www.pleasantplainsworkshop.com Print Exchange NOTE: Exhibition is at Upshur Street Books, 827 Upshur Street NW Hand-pulled prints by Pleasant Plains Workshop resident artists. Through Mar 29
HAMILTONIAN GALLERY
1353 U Street NW 202.332.1116|hamiltoniangallery.com Assignment: Happy Birthday by Naoko Wowsugi + Whoop Dee Doo. Through February 14
HEMPHILL FINE ARTS
1515 14th Street NW 202.234.5601|hemphillfinearts.com Stained Paintings: 1964-1970 by Willem de Looper. Through March 28
LONG VIEW GALLERY
1234 Ninth Street NW 202.232.4788|longviewgallerydc.com Past, Present & Future by Jodi Walsh. Through February 15
TRANSFORMER
1404 P Street NW 202.483.1102|transformerdc.org NOTE: Exhibition is at AU Katzen Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW Locally Sourced Provides an in-depth look at the extensive collections of six regionally focused Community Supported Art and Flat File programs that seek to grow recognition and support for artists in their communities. Through March 15 Phil Hutinet is the publisher of East City Art, a publication dedicated to DC’s visual arts. For more information visit www.eastcityart.com u
Future Deferred by Janathel Shaw. Image courtesy Touchstone Gallery.
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30 MIdc i tydcnews.coM Neighborhood / BULLETIN BOARD
Team Selected to Redevelop the Historic Grimke School in the U Street/Shaw District
Roadside Development LLC and Sorg Architects have been selected to redevelop the historic Grimke School at 1923 Vermont Ave. NW and an adjacent District-owned parcel at 912 U St. NW. The Roadside-Sorg team will rehabilitate the historic school building, while transforming it into a mix of uses which include a permanent home for the African-American Civil War Museum, space for a number of non-profit performing-arts organizations, and commercial office space. The remainder of the school lot will be developed into townhomes while the lot at 912 U St. will be developed into condominiums and ground-floor, neighborhoodserving retail space. Roadside/Sorg’s proposal includes a diverse mix of uses and will create approximately 125 jobs in the area. This will promote daytime use of the site, which will complement the already burgeoning food and entertainment district in the area.
Job Fair at Arena Stage
On Friday, Feb. 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Arena Stage, partnering with Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen and At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman, along with local businesses, non-profits and government employment agencies, will host a job fair. Arena Stage is at 1101 6th St. SW.
Improve Your Google Fu: Become a Better Searcher
“Google” is now a commonly accepted verb. But does anyone use all
that the search engine has to offer? In this hands-on class, students explore the breadth of Google’s tools, including Boolean operators, methods of refining results, and advanced searches. Their Google Fu skills will go from yellow belt to black as they learn to deftly find reliable information. This class is on Monday, Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m. at Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. 202-727-1288. dclibrary.org/watha
ArtJamz Brookland Studio Opens
ArtJamz Brookland Studio joins 26 other artist studios along with businesses Brookland Pint, Filter Coffeehouse & Espresso Bar, Busboys & Poets and &pizza in making The Arts Walk and Monroe Street Market one of Washington DC’s premier artistic destinations. It is situated steps away from the Brookla- Boogie Down at the White House. Image: Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum nd-CUA metro on the red line along train tracks where much of the city’s best graffiti can be found. Parking is ample and easy via nearby garages and both metered and The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s “Mingering Mike’s Supersonic neighborhood street parking. Greatest Hits” presents more than 100 works of art by a Washington, DC, ArtJamz is America’s original artist known only by his alter ego, “Mingering Mike.” The collection, crepublic art studio and bar/lounge ated between 1968 and 1976, comprises artworks constructed as part of where anyone can paint an original the artist’s youthful fantasy of becoming a famous soul singer and songwork of art while enjoying drinks writer, including LP albums made from painted cardboard, original album and great music in a lively, creative art, song lyrics and liner notes, self-recorded 45 rpm singles and more, all and social setting. They supply evtracing the career of a would-be superstar. The works powerfully evoke the erything needed to create an original black entertainers of the late 1960s and ‘70s and are a window onto an hiswork of art, including art materials, torical moment when black radio and Washington-based performers were paints, canvas and tips, guidance gaining national attention and transforming the American music scene. and encouragement from their artThe installation will be on view, Feb. 27-Aug. 2, at the Smithsonian Ameritrained Creative Enablers. Visit artcan Art Museum, 8th and F Sts. NW. americanart.si.edu jamzdc.com.
“Mingering Mike’s Supersonic Greatest Hits” at the American Art Museum
February 2015
Statement from DDOT’s Acting Director on the Status of DC Streetcar
Below is a statement on the status of the DC Streetcar from the District Department of Transportation Acting Director Leif Dormsjo: “Passenger safety is the number one priority for public transportation in the District of Columbia. Further, given the need to achieve safety certification, the District Department of Transportation will not set arbitrary deadlines for the independent State Safety Office (SSO) to complete their regulatory compliance review. The Bowser Administration will work to launch the H Street line of DC Streetcar as part of our effort to expand the District’s transportation infrastructure and will put this long-delayed line on track. DDOT will continue to work with the independent SSO to ensure that Streetcar meets--and exceeds--all safety specifications before setting an official date to begin passenger service.”
Free Yoga Series “Yoga with Nya” Returns to Union Market
Union Market welcomes back its free Yoga series titled, “Yoga With Nya.” Classes take place every Sunday at noon at Dock 5. The sessions, suitable for all levels, feature Vinyasa yoga, in addition to specialty workshops and guest teachers. Students should arrive at Dock 5, 15 minutes prior to class and are advised to bring their own mats and blocks. While the class is free and open to all, a $5 donation is encouraged. Preferred entrance to Dock 5 is through the stairway on the far right side of the market. yogawithnya.com
The Atlas Welcomes Mosaic Theater Company to 2015-2016 Season Schedule
The Atlas Performing Arts Center on H St. NE has confirmed that former Theatre J Artistic Director Ari Roth and his new company, Mosaic Theater
Free Home Radon Test Kits for DC Residents
Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless gas that comes from deposits of uranium in soil, rock and water. Prolonged exposure to elevated levels of radon can be harmful when found in homes. District residents can obtain a free radon test kit by calling the radon hotline at 202-5352302 or by submitting a free radon test kit request online form at ddoe. dc.gov/radon.
Breaking Barriers to Employment: Ban the Box, Fair Criminal Records Screening Act at MLK Library
Free Small Business Advice Legal Clinic
There is a Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 5-7:30 p.m. at the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Small Business Resource Center, 1100 4th St. SW, on the second floor. DCRA and the DC Bar Pro Bono Program are working together to offer this free legal clinic. It is for aspiring or existing small business owners.Attendees will meet one-on-one with attorneys for brief advice on any legal issues their businesses may be facing.
tasked with recruiting energetic, forward-thinking individuals. The Office of Talent and Appointments is in the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 211.
Company, will become an Atlas resident arts partner. With performances scheduled to begin in the 2015-16 season, Mosaic Theater Company plans to present full productions as well as their Voices from a Changing Middle East Festival.
DC Office of Talent and Appointments Unveiled
Mayor Bowser has unveiled the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments along with a new way for Washingtonians to join Boards and Commissions or seek senior-level appointed positions. The website, mota.dc.gov, will be the key entry point for District residents and other interested applicants to apply for appointment to leadership staff positions or boards and commission. The new office, directed by Steve Walker, will oversee a team
Jobseekers with questions about criminal records and credit reports or who believe that their criminal record or credit report is preventing them from getting or keeping a job should attend this event. On Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2 p.m., as part of the DC Public Library and Neighborhood Legal Services Program’s Breaking Barriers to Employment series, Marina Streznewski, Executive Director of the DC Jobs Council, will give a presentation on the new Criminal Records Screening Act (a.k.a. “Ban the Box”). She will discuss how this new law will help jobseekers better deal with their criminal record, especially those records that cannot be sealed or expunged. For more information, please contact Daniel Choi at 202-269-5111. This program is at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. dclibrary.org/mlk u
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32 MIdc i tydcnews.coM Neighborhood / District beat
The Freshmen Troika
Allen, Siverman and Nadeau join the DC Council
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he election of 2014 was a watershed for the DC Council. Three long-time members left its ranks: Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), David Catania (I-At Large) and Jim Graham (D-Ward 1). They were replaced by Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) and Brianne K. Nadeau (D-Ward 1). The change was both generational and ideological. Here is a look at their respective agendas.
Allen: First Out of the Gate
As the chief of staff to his predecessor, Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) is well acquainted with the corridors of the Wilson Building. Allen has hit the ground running with legislative initiatives involving transportation, small business development and education. Along with Transportation Committee Chair Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Allen has introduced the State Safety and Security Oversight Agency Establishment Act of 2015. This act, whose cumbersome title masks its true focus, is designed to bring the District into line with rail safety practices of surrounding jurisdictions. Rather than allow unsupervised transit across the District, the act requires rail security inspection, mandates coordination with neighboring states, and requires the reporting of hazardous cargo. “Thousands of District residents–many in Ward 6– live and work near the rail lines that cross through our city. We can’t wait for a derailment of hazardous materials or other rail disaster before we act to improve safety and transparency,” Allen states. (The issue of rail safety is the subject of another article in the February Hill Rag.) To aid small business development in the District, Charles Allen (D-Ward 6)
by Andrew Lightman Allen has introduced the Small Business Incubator Act of 2015. This law creates a mechanism for entrepreneurs to obtain short-term business licenses as well as expedited licenses for those willing to locate in currently vacant storefronts. “I am committed to making DC a great place to do business and create jobs. One way to invest in the success of our small businesses is to reduce regulatory barriers and make it easier for them to open their doors in our neighborhoods. This bill will support entrepreneurs as they take risks Brianne K. Nadeau (D-Ward 1) and bring new ideas to the marketplace,” says Allen. A third legislative measure introduced by Allen is the so-called “Books from Birth” bill. Under its aegis, the DC Public Library (DCPL) will mail a book to every child in the District, regardless of means, from birth through age five. The age-appropriate books will be selected by a committee of volunteers organized by DCPL. “Less than half of third graders in the District score proficient or advanced in reading skills. It is critical that the District confront the literacy and achievement gap at its starting point, well before it shows up in the classroom. Books are direct building blocks for learning, but children must be exposed to them to use them,” says Allen.
Allen sits on the Committee for Education; the Committee for Transportation and the Environment; and the Committee for Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
Nadeau: Translating Community Concerns into Legislative Priorities
Nadeau developed her legislative agenda walking doorto-door in Ward 1. A series of four ‘community conversations’ conducted during the fall with constituents helped her refine her focus. “My role is to make sure that the community voices are coming into the process,” Nadeau states. Affordable housing tops the list of Ward 1 community concerns. “Skyrocketing prices are forcing out too many of our neighbors,” says Nadeau. From her seat on the Council’s Committee on Housing and Community Development, she intends to delve deeply into the weeds of city’s execution of its housing policy and hold agencies strictly accountable. “We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We need to be tweaking things,” states Nadeau. In particular, Nadeau points to the process of Planned Unit Development (PUD). This is a process in which the DC Zoning Commission grants developers greater density in return for specific community benefits. Typically, developers promise to develop a percentage of affordable units in excess of the requirements of inclusionary zoning. Even though the granting of a certificate of occupancy is tied to the fulfillment of the affordable housing requirements, no agency is truly tasked with auditing PUDs after project completion, Nadeau points out. “The oversight of PUDs does not have a home.” Since the Committee of the Whole has retained jurisdiction over the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, she hopes to hold developers
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accountable for their promises. Nadeau is a fan of ‘Smart Growth.’ She believes that parcels adjacent to transit are ripe for denser housing. Despite this, Nadeau supports recent moves by the Office of Planning (OP) to reign in small condo development and pop-ups in R4 residential areas. “The theory is that an increase in housing reduces prices, but OP has found that condo conversions of single-family homes are not yielding that result,” she states. In its absence, she believes the cost in congestion is too high. Education is Nadeau’s second priority. Here, she squarely believes it is her role to be the advocate for her ward’s schools. While not sitting on the Education Committee, she intends on “being a partner in the public and public charter schools in Ward 1.” With the ‘community school’ model in mind, Nadeau wants each of her ward’s schools to provide wraparound services, such as medical care and counseling, to support parent engagement and student well-being. Ethics and clean government are Nadeau’s third concern. During her campaign, she accepted corporate contributions which was legal under the prevailing rules. Moving forward, she supports a ban on such monies. She is a co-sponsor of the bill put forward by Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) to eliminate council votes on city contracts. Nadeau believes that the Council can build on earlier reforms piloted by then Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser. Citing a recent report by the Board of Ethics and Governmental Accountability (BEGA), she wants to extend the body’s authority by incorporating language to that effect into all DC governmental contracts. She also wants non-paid work placed under the same ethical regime as salaried labor. From her perch on the Committee of Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Nadeau promises a careful evaluation of the procurement process involving awards to Certified Business Enterprises. She believes
Elissa Silverman (I-At Large)
that Ana Harvey, the new acting director of the Department of Small and Local Business, is off to a good start in this regard. Nadeau sits on the Committee for Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs; the Committee for Health and Human Services; and the Committee for Housing and Community Development.
Silverman: Punching the “O” in Oversight
Unlike the other two freshmen who had the benefit of an eight month lame duck period between the Democratic Primary and November’s General Election, Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) is fresh off the campaign trail. Not surprisingly, she is hard at work making the transition to governing. Transparency, accountability, integrity and smart investment, themes of her race, remain her watch words. While it is the Mayor’s role to set the vision for the city, it is the job of the Council to hold the executive accountable for its actions, Silverman believes. The key to success, she argues, lies in effective legislative oversight. Councilmembers must partner with the agencies to ensure the public’s money is accounted for and its assets fully leveraged. How can agencies work better? How do we measure success? These
are the questions that centrally preoccupy Silverman. ‘I am concerned about those making zero to 30 percent Area Median Income (AMI), which is basically minimum wage,” states Silverman. Not surprisingly, employment and affordable housing lie squarely at the top of her agenda. “If you don’t have a stable place to live, everything gets worse,” Silverman observes. The solution lies in preserving existing low income rentals, maintaining affordable purchase options, and maintaining existing public housing. As a member of the Council’s Committee on Housing and Community Development, Silverman has spent the first weeks of her term trying to gain an understanding of the alphabet soup of District and federal programs that promote and protect affordable housing. “It is confusing. There are tons of different programs,” she states. Silverman cites the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) as one example. Under this law, renters organized collectively have the first right of refusal when their building is offered for sale. However, lower income tenants may not have the organizational wherewithal to manage such a process. The law allows the city to exercise the right for them. Yet the District has never done so. “Are we using all the tools in our toolbox?” Silverman asks. Employment and housing are a “chicken and egg” problem, Silverman observes. One cannot find employment without a residence or secure housing without a job. “Are we spending federal and local dollars to train people for actual jobs?” Silverman asks. Washington’s economy is driven by administration, health care and hospitality. The unskilled can be trained to be phlebotomists, sous chefs, help desk staffers or dental technicians, she points out.
“Are we connecting the unemployed to real unsubsidized career paths?” As a member of the Committee of Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Silverman will have a hand in overseeing the Department of Employment Services and the Workforce Investment Council responsible for many of these programs. Silverman sits on the Committee for Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs; the Committee for Housing and Community Development; and the Committee for Finance and Revenue.
The Impact of the Troika
Silverman, Nadeau and Allen share a strongly progressive ideology focused on making government work cleanly and effectively for all its citizens. All share a commitment to ending corporate contributions in campaigns, tightening ethical rules and increasing transparency in government. The impact of the three will be shaped by their committee assignments. Allen, walking in the footsteps of his predecessor and mentor, will involve himself in educational, transportation and environmental issues. Nadeau will focus on health, affordable housing, homelessness, healthcare, and community development. Silverman will turn her attention to civic finances, affordable housing and workforce development. All three freshmen sit on the Committee for Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, chaired by Vincent B. Orange (D-At Large). This committee has jurisdiction over a wide range of issues from civic regulation to employment issues and workforce development. Given the strong ties all three have to Washington’s small business community, one can expect a major effort to simplify and streamline municipal regulations. “I have four years to make a difference here; and I am very mindful that the clock is ticking,” says Nadeau. u
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34 MIdc i tydcnews.coM Neighborhood / the numbers
Left Behind
DC’s Economy is Failing Many Residents “
T
he best social program is a good job.” That’s from Bill Clinton, but it could have come from Marion Barry too, who will be most remembered for giving DC residents their first job through the Summer Youth Employment Program. A good job is important not only to meeting financial needs, but also to dignity and self-worth. But what happens when good jobs just aren’t there? When residents who want to work cannot find a job, or when the jobs they find don’t pay enough or offer enough hours to make ends meet? These questions are important because this is the reality for many DC residents right now. The District’s economy recovered well from the Great Recession, with more housing, jobs, and retail to serve a growing population. But a look beneath the surface shows that many residents are being left behind. Wages are falling for workers on the low end of the earnings scale. Residents without a college degree face unemployment levels that are almost twice as high as before the recession. People who become unemployed are staying out of work longer, and many residents work part-time when they really want a full-time job. If DC’s best social program is the economy, then it is a badly failing many of us. Rather than creating broad prosperity, the economic recovery in the District is really just a recovery for a small number of residents. There are things that can be done about this. The District has a number of strengths to build on, including a minimum wage that will rise to $11.50 an hour by 2016, and a requirement that all employers give their workers paid sick leave. But more needs to be done to strengthen literacy and training programs to so that more residents can earn a living wage. Helping more DC residents build job skills – and making sure that jobs in DC offer the pay and benefits people need to succeed – should be top priorities for Mayor Bowser and the DC Council. This will require improving literacy and training programs, strongly enforcing the minimum wage and other employment laws, and strengthening policies to ensure that jobs in the city are good ones.
Wage Gap in DC Is at a Record Level
DC residents working for low wages have seen their pay fall in recent years, while paychecks for higher-wage workers have grown by thousands of dollars. One of five working DC residents earns $13 an hour or less, and their pay has fallen one percent since 2007. Meanwhile, earnings have risen $3 an hour since 2007 for middle-wage workers and $6 an hour for high-wage workers – to $45 an hour. Growing wage disparity is a long-term trend in the District. Hourly pay for DC residents working at low-wages increased only seven percent over the last 35 years – about two cents an hour per year, after inflation – while middle-wage workers have seen a 35 percent wage increase and high-wage workers have seen wages grow 55 percent. The gap between low and high-wages in DC is now at a 35 year high.
by Ed Lazere
Unemployment Still 2 Percent Higher than Before the Recession
The District’s unemployment rate has been falling for several years, to 7.4 percent in late 2014. But that is still higher than it was before the start of the recession – 5.5 percent in 2007 – which means that DC residents have not fully recovered from the recession. And some groups of residents have been hit harder than others. About 18 percent of residents with a high school diploma are unemployed, almost double the 10 percent rate in 2007. Workers with some college experience, including those with an associate’s degree, face an unemployment rate that is three times higher than in 2007. And 16 percent of black residents were unemployed in 2013, more than double the unemployment rate for Hispanic residents and more than quadruple the unemployment rate for white residents. When DC workers lose their jobs nowadays, they are increasingly out of work for a long time. Nearly half of all unemployed DC residents in 2013 had been looking for work for at least six months. In 2007, by contrast, over 80 percent of unemployed workers went back to work in less than 6 months.
We Can Help More Residents Get Good Jobs
The rising cost of living in DC means that residents will face growing challenges if they are not able to find good-paying jobs. Yet the latest economic statistics show that a good job is increasingly out of reach for many residents. The District has a number of strengths to build on. The city’s minimum wage will rise to $11.50 an hour in 2016, and all workers in the city earn paid sick leave starting with their first day on the job. Legislation adopted in 2014 will prohibit employers from asking about an applicant’s criminal record until a job offer has been made. And the District operates a number of training programs for adults and youth. But that’s not enough. To more effectively combat high unemployment and lagging wages, the District should: Enforce New Wage and Job Benefits: In addition to minimum wage and paid sick leave changes, the District recently adopted stronger penalties for employers who fail to pay their workers all they are due. These changes will need to be communicated to workers and businesses, and the District will need adequate staff to enforce them.
FeBRUARy 2015
Raise the Minimum Wage for Waiters and Other Tipped Workers: The minimum wage for workers whose jobs require them to rely on tips in addition to salary is just $2.77 an hour, and was not raised when the basic minimum wage increased to $11.50. Expand Access to Child Care: Ensuring that parents have convenient access to high-quality childcare is important to enabling parents to go to work. Yet the amount the District provides to subsidize child care is well below market rates. Increasing child care reimbursement rates would support expansion of quality child care throughout the city. Connect Literacy Programs and Job Training: A “career pathways” task force will issue recommendations this year to better connect literacy programs and job training that leads to employment. The mayor and Council should implement those recommendations. Adopt Family Leave Insurance: The District should create a system that workers can pay into and draw from to replace wages if extended leave is needed to be with a new child or to care for an ailing relative. Make Better Use of Federal Job Training Money: SNAP (food stamps) provides federal funds to cover half the cost of providing job training and work supports such as transportation or work uniforms for SNAP recipients. Yet the District does not take full advantage of this important tool. We should strive for an economy that creates good jobs for everyone willing to get up and go to work every day. There is a long way to go, but we can get there. Lazere is executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi.org). DCFPI promotes budget and policy solutions to reduce poverty and inequality in the District of Columbia, and to increase the opportunity for residents to build a better future. u
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36 MIdc i tydcnews.coM Neighborhood / Eye on Mcmillan
McMillan Development Arrives At A Crossroads
Making Decisions on the Best Use of the District’s Historic Green Space
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by Jeffrey Anderson
ith DC still in building mode, and a pile of development projects on her plate, Mayor Muriel Bowser faces unique challenges in ordering her priorities. One project particularly fraught with complexity and controversy has landed on the desk of her agent for historic preservation, who is expected to make major de-
photo: Andrew Lightman
Februar y 2015
cisions in the coming weeks: The McMillan Sand Filtration Site. Slated for residential, retail and medical office space, and a park, the 25-acre historic water filtration facility is located in Ward 5, bordered by North Capitol Street, First Street, Michigan Avenue and Channing Street, NW, adjacent to Children's National Medical Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center. It consists of 20 underground sand filtration cells, 20 cylindrical, ivy-covered brick storage bins and regulator houses, and an expanse of open space adjacent to McMillan Reservoir, which is still in use. The reservoir, named for Michigan Senator James McMillan,was designed and built in the mid-to-late 19th century by Army General Montgomery Meigs as part of the Washington Aqueduct, which carried water from the Potomac River to the site, where it was filtered and purified for drinking in a sand bed filtration system designed by hydraulics expert Allen Hazen. Upon its completion in 1905, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. was commissioned to design the entire area consisting of the reservoir and the filtration site. The public enjoyed the grounds until the early 1950s when the government fenced off the facility to ward off attack by foreign enemies. The Army Corps of Engineers decommissioned the site in 1985 after installing a chemical filtration plant at the reservoir. The McMillan site is a DC Historic Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the DC Inventory of Historic Sites. The National Capital Planning Commission designated it as a site for a national monument or museum. The DC Preservation League lists it among the city's most endangered historic sites. In 2007, Vision McMillan Partners, a team consisting of EYA LLC, Trammell Crow Company and local "urban regeneration company" Jair Lynch Development Partners, secured development rights and now has exclusive right to purchase the parcel, which the District bought in 1987 from the Army Corps for $9.3 million. Residents have been at odds with the city over what to do with the site ever since. If completed, the VMP development
would consist of a medical facility with ground-floor retail, a residential block of 281 multifamily units and 146 row houses with a grocery store, and a 6.2 acre park with a community center. It would feature a natural amphitheater, water playgrounds, and a "walking museum" to evoke McMillan's history. The development would "amplify a unique place in Washington, DC," according to VMP's website. Last Thursday, the developer asked the Historic Preservation Review Board for approval to subdivide the site. Finding the proposal "incompatible" with its historic nature, the board referred the matter to the Mayor’s Agent for Historic Preservation, Peter Byrne, for a decision in keeping with "the character of the historic landmark." Byrne already is considering whether an exception to the Landmark Preservation Act should be granted for demolition of the site. That would require a finding of "special merit," defined as "significant benefits to the District of Columbia or to the community by virtue of exemplary architecture, specific features of land planning, or social or other benefits having a high priority for community services.� VMP is confident that its plan meets the criteria: At the HPRB hearing, Lynch likened the preservation of many of the site's historic elements to a "fine Swiss watch," with no one factor dominating "the enhancement of its design."
Why McMillan? Why Now?
Facing an $83 million budget deficit for the coming fiscal year, Bowser already is looking to build a soccer stadium at Buzzards Point, redevelop Walter Reed Army Medical Center and convert St. Elizabeth's Hospital into a secure facility to house the US Department of Homeland Security. Even though a master plan for McMillan has been approved and a deal is in place for
Inside an underground sand filtration cell. Courtesy Friends of McMillan Park
VMP to purchase the land, which the DC Council has approved as surplus, no sale has occurred and the onus is on the mayor to bring some form of development to fruition. But there are competing visions: To some, the site is an untended eyesore overdue for development. (VMP estimates a 30-year return of approximately $513 million from the project, and the creation of 1,584 permanent jobs, at least a third of which are to be set aside for DC residents.) Others see it as a sacred space, the lungs of the city for much of the 20th century, an architectural and engineering marvel to be preserved for adaptive re-use. In 1989, two years after the District purchased the site, residents staved off a proposal to build a K-Mart and a church. Though the District has solicited proposals several times over the years, the site has proven too complex to tackle. In 2012, VMP presented its development plan to the HPRB, prompting Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1B, Stronghold Civic Association and Bloomingdale Civic Association, to oppose the project. A group calling itself "Friends of McMillan Park" has gathered some 7,000 signatures asking the mayor to consider more creative land use designs, preserve at least 50 percent open space and re-purpose the underground caverns. A counter-resistance, under the banner "Create McMillan Park," supports the VMP plan, as does ANC 5C. The site is complicated by the Clean Rivers Project, which has DC Water using two underground cells and the southern portion of the site for storm-water retention. In 2013, HPRB approved a master plan that would demolish most of the remainder of the underground cells. Last October, the DC Zoning Commission said it was approving a Planned Use Development permit, but has yet to issue a written order. In December, the Council unanimously approved a resolution to declare the land surplus
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and a resolution to allow the sale to go forward. Neither VMP nor District officials appear eager to talk about McMillan. Baltimore's Fontaine and Company, "a grassroots advocacy and public affairs firm" that represents VMP, referred questions to Bowser. Her office did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Ward 5 Council member Kenyan McDuffie, who has thrown his weight behind the project. DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson made his feelings about McMillan clear in 2012, before he became Council chair: "I am aware of the desire of the government to see this site developed," he wrote to the HPRB. "Presumably the District would recoup its [financial] investment, this fallow land would be put to use, new housing units would be built and commercial opportunities created, and the tax base would grow. But enthusiasm for development must be tempered against the qualities of this unique site -- exactly the purpose for the Landmark Preservation Act -- which is why the proposed plan should be rejected." However, since becoming chairman, Mendelson has sided with his colleagues. He did not respond to a request for comment. Three new members of the Council are playing catch-up on the McMillan saga, and two more will be elected this year. Recently elected At-Large Council member Elissa Silverman, an
Independent, said she appreciates the proximity to nearby hospitals, which are major employers, but noted that transportation options are limited and expressed an interest in preserving "green space." Should a bond issue or other matter come before the Finance and Revenue Committee, she said, "I will be looking more closely." Proponents regard the project as a virtual fait accompli. "We need approval for the affordable housing component, and then the only thing left is a lawsuit," said Cheryl Cort, policy director of the Coalition For Smarter Growth, with a chuckle. Cort points to the medical offices as a revenue generating enterprise in an area that suffers for jobs. "We need to increase the role of the medical center and redevelop what is underutilized space, and integrate it with public space and incorporate retail and affordable housing." Cort notes that, "We added 30,000 new residents between 2000 and 2010, and since then even more. We want to stop sprawl and bring people into the city. The challenges now are how to make the city affordable and adaptive." Peter Harnik, director of The Trust for Public Land's Center for City Park Excellence, which has no official position, said undeveloped, public-owned urban land with historical protection is somewhat of a rarity, and that it takes a long time for the public to take the issues seriously. "It's hard to fall in love with [McMillan]," Harnik said, noting that it's been fenced off for so long that "the city has marginalized it." Harnik acknowledged the importance of creating jobs, housing space and transit options while preserving "a significant chunk" of green space, and pointed to "tremendous success" in Seattle, New York and Detroit to "use indigenous historical artifacts" in the adaptive re-use of existing infrastructure.
At What Cost McMillan?
Although tight-lipped on McMillan, District officials seem resolute in preparing to meet the challenges articulated by Cort and other "smart growth" advocates. But for the moment, it is unclear how Bowser will proceed with such a full plate before her. In that regard, McMillan is a slow-rolling train, destined to test Bowser's vision and ability to bal-
ance growth through density with preservation and re-use of historic sites. The project could clear another hurdle any week now. The Mayor's Agent is expected to rule by the end of March on whether the plan is compatible with McMillan's historic nature, and delivers "significant benefit" from a planning, architectural and community needs perspective, which could set the stage for a sale of the land and, eventually, shovels in the dirt. But other issues exist beyond community opposition and the potential for a lawsuit, not the least of which is how to pay for the project at a time in which the city is weighing numerous other highprofile developments. A Nov. 25, 2014, memo from DC Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey DeWitt to DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson warns that "Funds are not sufficient in FY 2015 through FY 2018 budget and financial plan" to transfer the property to VMP under a "Land Disposition Agreement" signed by the parties last October. For the District, the estimated costs of meeting its obligations to provide "infrastructure improvements and amenities" is $78 million, according to DeWitt. Currently, approximately $45 million is budgeted through FY 2016, resulting in a $33 million shortfall. Once approved for sale, DeWitt continues, the disposition of the site will reduce the city's real property assets by more than $31 million. In order to facilitate the sale, the District must amend its laws to ensure proceeds go to upholding its obligations under the LDA, the memo states. Even then, the District will be $6 million short of fully funding the project. Meanwhile, the city is paying VMP's bills and those costs are adding up. Last October, the DC Council approved a $1,340,000 budget for VMP for development services in FY2015 alone. According to contractor and subcontractor invoices submitted to the mayor's office, the District already has paid out more than $6 million, for landscape design, consulting fees, public relations services, and lobbyist and lawyer fees. All of which suggests that Bowser's agent for historical preservation is about to make a decision that could be an early but key piece of her evolving legacy -- one that she'll have to figure out how to pay for. This is the first of a series on the McMillan site that will examine how the District is making decisions on the best use of its land and resources. u
Fe bruar y 2015
Tots in the Triangle
Mt. Vernon Triangle
The Kids in the Triangle group (KITT) helps neighborhood families get the benefits of a small town in the middle of a booming city. From yoga classes to parent forums to swim lessons, KITT is making it easier and more fun for kids to grow up in DC. Started in 2010 by Michelle Martin, KITT K Street. From a booming lunch scene to the happy hour sojutinis to a evolved from a group of four families at City Vista late-night bar menu, Mandu has something for everyone. to over 100 members who live in MVT, Mount VerDanny Lee, who owns and manages Mandu with his mother Yenon Square and Shaw. Martin, her husband and their soon, lived in MVT for many years. So four-week-old daughter when City Vista contacted him about addswam against the tide ing a second location of his Dupont Circle and moved back into DC restaurant, Lee saw a great opportunity. from the suburbs. “I knew if we hit the timing right beInstead of backyards fore it exploded…and managed the business and barbecues, families in properly, after a couple years it would pay off,” MVT take advantage of Lee explained. the outdoor green space Now that Mandu is firmly rooted in the and rooftop pools many neighborhood, Lee is occasionally shaking of the neighborhood’s up the status quo and opening up a pop-up apartment buildings feain his restaurant called Anju, which means ture. The MVT CID “bar food” in Korean. With guest chefs, hosts several kid-friendly brand new drinks and $6 plates, this recurevents, including Hal- Josie Martin, daughter of KITT founder Michele Marten, and ANC Comring late-night event is bringing even more loween trick-or-treating missioner Rachelle Nigro at the MVT FRESHFARM Market. attention to MVT. and a Santa celebration, “Our mission was to win over the neighborhood,” Lee said, addand local businesses donate drinks and toys. ing, “The community has been very supThe ANC and Mount Vernon ANC commisportive. It has been incredibly touching sioner Rachelle Nigro have also supported urban for my family and me.” families as they make the city their home. “RachThere’s also a sense of camaradeelle helped get the Kennedy playground cleaned rie among the neighborhood business up, and she listens to the needs of the neighbors,” owners. During the derecho a few years Martin said. ago, an umbrella smashed through the “We’re seeing an increase of families staying,” front window at Mandu. “Employees Nigro said. “We need more amenities for them to from the other restaurants helped our make sure they stay, which also ties into a better manager clean up and keep the place school system. We want to form a great neighborDanny Lee, Mandu’s co-owner. safe,” Lee said. hood with different age groups.” Photo: Greg Powers Contact Mandu (mandudc.com) at In addition to offering social activities, KITT hosted an education forum to help families navi453 K Street NW, Washington, DC, gate the lottery system. “Our job is to share the 20001, by emailing info@mandudc.com information we have,” Martin said. “Why should or by calling 202-289-6899. other parents spend hours and hours reinventing the wheel?” Contact Kids in the Triangle at https://groups. Q-West Nails 2 opened a year ago, and google.com/forum/#%21forum/kidsinthetriangle they’ve already proven they’re as tough or by emailing kidsinthetriangle@gmail.com. as nails. They bounced back after the neighboring building collapsed and forced them to close for two weeks, but Celebrating their fourth anniversary in MVT, even a crumbling gentlemen’s club can’t Q-West Nails 2 co-owner, Kathy Tran, outside the salon. Mandu has made bulgogi and kimchi a staple on take them down.
The Quest for the Perfect Manicure
Korean Cuisine on K Street
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by Ellen Boomer
Sisters Kathy and Lina Tran opened their first Q-West Nails in Dupont Circle in 1998 and took their time looking for the right neighborhood for their second location. Gina Schaefer, owner of Ace Hardware, encouraged the Tran sisters to come to MVT. “We’re trying to make it the best we can,” Kathy said. “We’re here to help everybody — ladies and gentlemen, too.” This full-service, two-floor nail salon has eight massaging pedicure chairs, six manicure stations and over 200 regular and gel colors to choose from. The ground floor can be reserved for bridal groups or birthday parties. “Many nail salons feel rushed and impersonal, but Q-West is not that kind of place,” City Vista resident Tarcy Thompson said. “They are very professional and do a fantastic mani/pedi. If you want a little pampering, it’s a great place.” Q-West is featuring a couple of winter specials, including a gel manicure and pedicure for $55 and is offering discounts during Ace Hardware’s annual Ladies’ Night event. The Tran sisters are looking forward to more businesses joining them along K Street. Contact Q-West Nails 2 (www.qwestnail.com) at 468 K Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001 or by calling 202-289-5000. u
40 MIdc i tydcnews.coM Neighborhood / NEWS
Bloomingdale Buzz by Ellen Boomer
Bloomingdale’s (Unofficial) Mayor
enue, known as The Providence. “That Scott Roberts has been called many was the day, where I things over the years, but his favorite realized, ‘Holy crap! moniker is “neighbor.” A BloomingWe’re there.’” dale resident for the past 25 years, “I’m a very selfRoberts channels his abundant enish property owner ergy into making sure the neighborwho would love hood stays welcoming, friendly and to, when he retires even a little hip. and goes to the old In his characteristic, rapid-fire folks’ home, be able speech, Roberts rattled off a long to sell my house for list of the social media tools he uses whatever I can,” to keep the neighborhood informed Roberts said. “If we about local events and issues of conhave vibrant, robust cern such as pop-ups and untenantretail that everyone ed buildings. loves, it benefits the “The drug business was notorineighborhood and me.” ous,” Roberts said when describing Roberts is on the boards of the Bloomingdale in the early 1990’s. “I Bloomingdale Civic Association got my urban education (bloomingdalecivicassoliving in this neighborciation.org) and North hood.” However, Roberts Capitol Main Streets was charmed enough by (northcapitoldc.com) the sense of community and manages several, that he bought a house locally-focused social in 1992. media accounts. “All of my neighbors “He’s a gift to the came out and applaudneighborhood,” Uncle ed when I moved in,” Bloomingdale blogger Scott Roberts Chip’s owner Shannon Roberts said. Boyle said, echoing the When Roberts, who works from sentiments of many. home, needs a break from his IT If you’re in Bloomingdale, you’re work, he walks through the neighbound to run into Scott Roberts. Just borhood, takes pictures to post on look for his signature purple glasses Instagram and greets everyone he and perfect teeth. passes. Last spring, he launched the “Say Hi to Your Neighbor” campaign in an effort to “bring back the ‘neighbor’ to our neighborhood,” as Shannon Boyle, owner of Uncle he wrote on his Bloomingdale blog. Chip’s cookie and dessert suppliers, Roberts realized the neighborwon’t reveal the secret ingredient that hood was changing when a group of makes her signature, egg-free cookies New York investors came to look at the perfect combination of crunchy the building at 70 Rhode Island Avand chewy. The cookies are so good,
Cookies on North Capitol
to add a full-sized kitchen and baking area. “We’re expecting more and more people in this area, so having a kitchen will be a lifesaver,” Boyle said. “We have a cult following here,” said Boyle, who opened her bakery on North Capitol in 2012. “We have a lady who lives four doors down, and she comes in every single day for a peanut butter cookie. It’s been a year now.” This cookie connoisseur has made North Capitol a whole lot sweeter. Contact Uncle Chip’s Cookies (www.unclechips.com) at 1514 North Capitol Street Northwest, Washington, DC, 20002, or by calling 202-999-4990. They ship their products nationwide.
though, that you’ll stop wondering and just keep eating. Named after Boyle’s Uncle Chip, the cafe sells a variety of classic cookies, breads, bagels and sandwiches as well as vegan and gluten-free products, including a black bean brownie that manages to be Uncle Chip’s owner With its view of the Capitol Buildboth healthy and Shannon Boyle ing and a wrap-around patio, The Pub delicious. and the People restaurant is poised to “The black bean be the next neighborhood hotspot. brownie is 40 percent bean and has a The menu, which will feature good fiber to calorie ratio,” Boyle said. about 15 to 20 items, will eschew the “It’s one of those products I’ve worked current trend of small plates in favor on for five years.” of generous portions of American fare The sandwiches are Boyle’s take on and will offer some hearty vegetarian traditional deli items but with names options, as well. inspired by pop culture, such as a meatPub patrons can sit at one of the dominant sandwich called “RIP James window seats or belly up to the long Gandolfini,” and by the neighborhood, bar, which is made from the buildincluding a turkey and cheese combo ing’s repurposed wood ceiling joists. named “Bates Street Special.” The bar will feature 10 beers and vari“Uncle Chip’s keeps me coming ous liquors, with an emphasis on loback with their consistently delicious cal breweries and distilleries. At the cookies and a welcoming ‘hello’ from ShanA rendering of the Pub and the non,” neighborhood People. 1648 North Capitol St. NE resident Kyle Thomas said. “It’s a great place to meet neighbors for a coffee, sandwich (try the Saigon Sam) and, of course, their famous chocolate chip cookies.” Uncle Chip’s recently received a Great Streets Capitol Improvement Grant, which will enable Boyle
The People’s Pub
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Fe bruar y 2015
back of the restaurant is an open kitchen, so customers will be able to see Chef Dan Dalcin, the sous chef from Black Salt, and his team at work. Owners Nick Bernel, Matt Murphy, Brittany Ryan and Jeremy Gifford (a Bloomingdale resident and owner of Petworth’s DC Reynolds) want to take advantage of their location on North Capitol by having the majority of their seating on the patio, which will be surrounded by enough planting to cut down on noise while still allowing customers to follow all the neighborhood activity. “Our neighbor is doing the planting for us,” Bernel said. “She used to be a gardener and knows what she’s doing.” While the exposed brick and wood are fixed aspects of the pub’s look, the overall aesthetic and theme will develop once the restaurant opens. He anticipates the pub will open late winter or early spring. “This is a great neighborhood,” Bernel said, pointing to neigboring restaurants DCity Smokehouse and The Washington Firehouse Restaurant. “It’s evolving rapidly.” Contact The Pub and the People (thepubandthepeople.com) at 1648 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001 or by emailing hello@thepubandthepeople.com u
ANC 6E by Steve Holton
DC Water Contamination Update
DC Water Assistant Manager, Charles Kiely, visited the January meeting to give the status of an incident that occurred within the DC water distribution system on the evening of Dec. 16. A call was placed to the DC Fire Department to report a gas smell in a 6E area school building. The District Department of Environment (DDOE) reached out to a civil support team to do field tests on soil, air and water to identify a petroleum-based substance which generally happens in larger buildings. After the inspectors detected the substance in one of the hydrants, the Toxic Substance and Disease Registry and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were called in immediately. Over 150 people from District and federal agencies were brought in to control the situation since it was found in the water distribution system. The EPA issued a “Do Not Drink Recommendation” to 130 impacted residents from 4:00 p.m. until midnight on the day of the incident and the city delivered cases of water during the interim. Water samples were then transferred to Fort Meade, where the EPA ran extensive tests for chemical compounds. During the ANC meeting Kiely said, “This is still classified as an unknown substance and although I am not sure of the concentration, it has the characteristics of a petroleum-based compound.” EPA officials said that there was a heavy motor oil consistency and advised the District to not lift the drinking ban until further notice. On the following Friday morning, EPA and the Washington Aqueduct Laboratory gave indication that the substance is now gone and the distribution system has since been flushed twice. “Further forensic analysis was performed on the substance but since so many agencies are involved we haven’t
gotten the final results,” said Kiely. Kiely also noted that the cause is unlikely to be deliberate due to the difficulties and factors that have to occur to contaminate a distribution system. He plans to come back to a future ANC 6E meeting after the final report surfaces in late January to discuss its findings.
ANC 6E New Leadership And Venue
The committee held a vote and elected Marge Maceda (6E05) to hold the Chair position and Alexander Padro (6E02) will be the new Vice Chair. Future ANC 6E meetings are to be held at Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library located at 1630 Seventh St. NW. Each meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. and will be held on the first Tuesday of every month.
Bus Service Changes
Ann Chisholm and Bryant McClary of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), spoke at the ANC 6E meeting on the topic of recent bus service changes. WMATA is looking to consolidate stops that are too close in proximity or have little activity. A Consolidation Pilot Program that started a couple of years ago has proven successful in terms of getting people to their destination in a more timely fashion. A plan has been hatched to remove thirty total stops with 6E area’s M St. and First St. NW stop being one of them. The first step in the process of removing any stop is to post a notice informing the public that WMATA is considering removing the stop. The public will then have a comment period and based on the feedback the stop will either be pulled or left alone. Certain requirements are met within the plan such as the location and surrounding area of each stop so all senior living centers, recreational centers, schools and churches will be untouched. “Please give us a month’s notice on any future stop closures so that we can get the info out to our constituents. We publish a newsletter in the middle of every month and hand deliver it to everyone,” said ANC 6E05 Chairwoman, Marge Maceda.
New Restaurant Coming To Shaw
A motion passed to support a Retailer’s Class C Restaurant ABC License and Outdoor Café Public Space Permit for Terroir, LLC, located at 1015 Seventh St. NW. The restaurant will have two floors with one being on the basement level. The street level portion will be a relaxed atmosphere and serve modern American food with the basement level being more formal offering gourmet food. Although Terroir is permitted to install a sidewalk café, the owners state it is not certain when or if this will happen.
Shaw Crime Report
There were four robberies reported in the month of January with two involving a firearm and the other two classified as “snatch robberies.” One of the gunpoint robberies occurred on 93 K St. NW while the other incident happened at a Papa Johns on 313 H St. NW. Auto theft continues to be an issue especially on dimly lit streets. Seventh and O St. NW and Eighth and R St. NW hasn’t seen another incident since a shooting that happened over a month ago. DCPD feels that the presence of 24 hour surveillance has helped mitigate the problem.
Other Topics
A Request for Support of a Public Space Permit for a Curb Cut at Golden Rule Plaza West located at 1035 Fourth St. NW and 307 K St. NW was passed. The 24 foot wide cut will allow loading and parking in the new building. A representative of the United House of Prayer for All People presented comments to the committee on Sunday Diagonal Parking. The committee agreed to review the comments and report their stance on special parking privileges for church goers during Sunday worship hours. ANC 6E will meet again at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 3 at the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library located at 1630 Seventh St. NW. Visit “www.anc6e.org” www.anc6e.org to view the ANC 6E newsletter. Follow on Twitter, @ANC6E, and on Facebook by searching ANC6E. u
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42 MIdc i tydcnews.coM Neighborhood / NEWS
Shaw Streets by Pleasant Mann
Shaw among the Nation’s Most Competitive Neighborhoods for Homebuyers
A special report from REDFIN, a web-based real estate brokerage, declared Shaw (including Cardozo) to be the 20th most competitive neighbor-
recipients across the country this school year receiving the honor and the only one in the District. Typically awarded as a surprise, Johnson found out that she had won the prize in a morning assembly at Seaton. Milken Family Foundation Co-Founder Mike Milken, along with DC’s Interim State
Michelle Johnson, Seaton Elementary award-winning teacher and Seaton students mimic the alphabet. Photo: Pleasant Mann
to the foundation. In giving Johnson the award, the Milken Foundation credited her with halving the number of “far below” grade level students in her class, while improving students’ reading at a faster pace than any other teacher in the building. Ninety percent of her students finished out the year by moving up a proficiency level or reaching the proficient/advanced level. Johnson also participated in the Common Core Reading Corps, writing an extensive curriculum that is now used on a daily basis by every second grade teacher in the District. The following week, on Monday, January 12, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan used Seaton Elementary as a platform to announce his priorities for the nation’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Secretary Duncan asked for a new law that would insure real opportunity, expanding support and funding for schools and teachers, increasing access to quality preschool, modernize teaching, and continue to enable parents, educators and communities to know how much progress students are making.
Shaw Markets Pop Up
hood for homebuyers in the United States for 2014. Their list of the 30 most competitive neighborhoods in the nation is developed from the data they have complied on criteria such as time on the market and number of offers made on homes in each neighborhood. According to REDFIN’s data, the average home for sale in Shaw was on the market for only seven days, with over half of them receiving multiple offers, and 44 percent of Shaw homes selling for more than their original asking price. The median sale price for Shaw homes in 2014 was $600,000, a price growth of 4.4 percent over the previous year.
Shaw Teacher Wins Major Award
On January 8, Michelle Johnson, a second grade teacher at Shaw’s Seaton Elementary School, on the 900 block of Rhode Island Avenue NW, won a Milken Educator Award for 2014-15 from the Milken Family Foundation. She is one of up to 40
Superintendent of Education Amy Maisterra, delivered the news to the shocked young teacher. Described as the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher Magazine, the Milken Educator Award recognizes exemplary elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and specialists who are furthering excellence in education. The award comes with an unrestricted cash prize of $25,000. Milken Awards recipients are selected through each participating state department of education, which appoints an independent blue ribbon committee to confidentially review candidates for recommendation
The Shaw Arts, Craft and Fashion Market (651 Florida Avenue NW ) opened on Friday, January 16, continuing the arts market that Shaw Main Streets The Shaw Arts, Crafts and Fashion Market features live painting by artists like Jamie Chew on Friday nights. Photo: Alexander Padro
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and Art Rave DC started during the December holidays. The opening included performances by the Tutubi Evolution Band and live painters. The market will be open every weekend, starting on Fridays at 11:00 a.m., with fashion designers and crafts artisans showing their work until 5:00 p.m. Then it reopens Friday night at 7:00 p.m. with a paintingsonly display until 12:00 midnight. There will also be a live musical or dance performance every Friday night. The market is open on Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission is free. On Sunday, February 8, Shaw will have a Trader’s Market with the theme of “Treat Yo’ Self !” Intended as a source of locallymade and distinctive gifts for Valentine’s Day, the Treat Yo’ Self Holiday Trader’s Market will be held at side-by-side establishments Eat the Rich, Southern Efficiency and Mockingbird Hill on the 1800 block of Seventh Street NW. Each venue will offer wares that match the space. Each space will also feature a unique music soundtrack curated by Derek Brown, the owner of the three establishments, and One Love Massive. There will also be food and drink specials featured during the market. The Treat Yo’ Self Holiday Trader’s Market will start at 3:30 p.m. and go until 8:30 p.m. On Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14, the Watha T. Daniel Library (1630 Seventh Street NW ) will be the site of a major book sale. The Friends of the library will offer thousands of recently published books, CDs and DVDs for sale, most for a dollar or less. There will also be a table offering free books. The sale will go on from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. u
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44 MI dci ty dcn ews. co M Neighborhood / NEWS
Logan Circles by Mark F. Johnson
Bang & Olufson Closes
It’s been cold out no doubt, but if you’ve walked on 14th Street between Que and R lately you might have noticed that two businesses have closed down since the beginning of the year. Bang & Olufsen, the high-end Scandinavianbased store that sells relatively expensive sound system and television equipment, has closed their location near the corner of Que Street. Apparently the international chain has been losing its “bang” in the area of profit shares lately Bang & Olufsen announces closing at the and the company is seeking a 14th and Que location buy-out. So, with the closure of the and pizzas. rather beautiful and very Modernist storefront at It’s interesting that the concept is changing to 1604 14th, the race is on for yet another small resItalian, which is fairly well represented in U/14. taurant, bar or perhaps a coffee shop to take up Asian cuisine on the other hand, with the excepresidence on the strip. Another retail establishtion of Rice and Thai Tanic, isn’t quite so plentiful. ment would be much more welcome to some who Sette Osteria is scheduled to open in early spring. feel as though 14th Street is already too food and drink heavy. B&O has been at that location for the last seven years.
Hasta La Vista Mexican and Au Revoir Belgian
M Café Closes as Concept Changes
About a block down at the corner of R Street, M Café has announced that it will close down in order to reopen under a different concept. This is exactly what transpired with its neighbor across the street which reopened a few months ago as Red Light District. The cuisine at M Café is headed west and southward from its Asian palate toward the European Mediterranean. And with the cuisine change comes a new name. The new restaurant at 1634 14th will be named Sette Osteria according to press releases. According to reports, the new place will specialize in house made pastas
Two other closings in U/14 have come as much more of a shock, at least to me. The biggest reason is that neither place has been around all that long. Diego, at the corner of 14th and V has served up Mexican food for just over a year. They have closed down and they say that they are changing concepts. The place, owned by the Dupont Italian Kitchen backers, took forever to open in the first place and then once it did open it almost immediately closed so that they could serve better food, they stated. With all the money they put into the building, I’m sure the owners want to get it right. The other surprise closing was Locolat on Florida Avenue near 18th St. About a year ago,
the Belgian place known mostly for its pastries and chocolate, changed owners. Some have speculated that the location was too off the beaten path for many, but that certainly doesn’t explain the popularity of other businesses on the strip like Pleasant Pops at the corner of Florida and California.
Neighborhood not “Going to the Dogs”
We’ve been expecting Planet Pet to make the announcement that they were officially relocating for a while now. So when the news finally came near the end of January, it was a disappointment for many, but not a surprise. The site that the pet boarding, grooming and retail store occupies, at the corner of Florida Avenue and Champlain, is about to go upscale residential and retail. In the meantime, the many local residents who bring their pooches there for daycare and boarding are reliving the 1970s as their “kids” are being bused to the suburbs to another boarding and daycare facility. Planet Pet promises that this will be a temporary solution to the eviction. They are searching for a permanent location in the District to replace the large space they have been put out of. They had identified a space in Northwest not very far from their current location, to the satisfaction of many of their patrons who want their canines and felines to stay close by. But, once word got out that they were interested in this space, the price got bid up to the point that they were unable to afford it. So this time, Planet Pet is keeping their location search close to the chest, except to say that they intend to stay in the NW quadrant. u
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K I D S A N D FA M I LY
by Kathleen Donner
Student Matinees at National Geographic
On Feb. 10, National Geographic Emerging Explorer Nizar Ibrahim will make a presentation to students in grades 6-7 about his work on Spinosaurus, the largest predatory dinosaur and first known semiaquatic dinosaur, now on display in the National Geographic Museum. On Mar. 10, photographer Christian Ziegler will talk about “Jungle Treasures, Tropical Tales” to students in grades 4-8. The student matinee schedule wraps up on Mar. 26 with Hogan and “Monster Fish.” Nat Geo Live’s student matinees are open to school groups for $10 per student and include admission to the National Geographic Museum. For tickets or more information on the student matinees, call 202-857-7281. nglive.org
Kids’ Music: Rainbow Rock Band at Ebenezers
On Saturday, Feb. 25, 10:30-11:15 a.m., the Rainbow Lady (Kate Moran), joined by some of her friends, will entertain the little ones with a combination of classic and original children’s songs. These talented tunesters will keep the kids bopping in their socks until they just can’t rock anymore. Inside the box of fun, tambourines, shakers and more are always on hand for the little ones to join the band. $6, advance; $8, door. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com
Chinese New Year Family Festival at the American Art Museum
On Saturday, Feb. 14, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., help the American Art Museum bring in the year of the sheep with fun craft activities, traditional performances, artists, and demonstrations. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F Sts. NW. americanart.si.edu
African American Pioneers in Aviation Family Day at Air and Space
On Saturday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., celebrate the many accomplishments of African Americans in
45 kids and family / notebook
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the fields of aviation and space exploration. Visitors enjoy presentations, hands-on activities, and stories, and may have the opportunity to meet astronauts, fighter pilots, and others who will share stories of their challenges and accomplishments. They also learn about inspiring historic figures like Bessie Coleman through reenactments or story times. National Air and Space Museum, Independence Ave. at 6th St. SW. 202-633-2214. airandspace.si.edu
which later merged with the Cookman Institute to become Bethune-Cookman College, now University. Mary McLeod Bethune worked tirelessly to influence legislation affecting African Americans and women and continued to be an important voice for human rights until her death in 1955 at the age of 79.
Weekly Reading Ranger Event at Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site
Mayor Bowser and District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Henderson have launched Empowering Males of Color. The effort is part of the Bowser Administration’s effort to advance achievement and opportunity and reduce racial disparities for boys and men of color across Washington, DC. Currently, male students of color make up 43 percent of the overall DCPS student population and those students, as a whole, are
Empower Males of Color Initiative
Join National Park Service Rangers every Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, 1318 Vermont Ave. NW, for a fun and educational story time and craft activity. Reading Ranger programs are geared toward children under 5 years old and their caregivers. These events are free and open to the public. All children Photo: Courtesy of the National Building Museum must be accompanied by an adult for the entirety of the program. Mary McLeod Bethune demonstrated the value of education, a philosophy of universal love, and the wise and consistent use of political power in striving for racial and gender equality. The 15th of 17 children of former slaves, Bethune grew up amidst poverty and oppression of the Reconstruction South, yet rose to prominence as an educator, presidential advisor, and political activist. Through her On Feb. 28, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., the National Building Museum and the own schooling by missionaries in National Engineers Week Foundation invite all to debunk the myths of South Carolina, Bethune recogengineering and discover how professional engineers turn an idea into nized the importance of educareality. Celebrate National Engineers Week by participating in this free, tion in the emerging struggle for hands-on, and fun-filled festival. Discover Engineering Family Day is civil rights. In 1904 she founded designed to introduce students ages 6-12 to the wonder of engineering the Daytona Educational and and the importance of technological literacy. This is a free, drop-in proIndustrial School for Negro gram. $5 donation suggested. The National Building Museum is at 401 Girls in Daytona Beach, Florida, F St. NW. engineeringfamilyday.org
Discover Engineering Family Day at the National Building Museum
46 MIDCItyDCNews.COM
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FeBRuARy 2015
not meeting their potential. Black male students in particular have the lowest attendance and student satisfaction rates. The Bowser Administration will invest $20 million over the next three years in Empowering Males of Color to target the most urgent and persistent challenges. In partnership with the White House’s My Brother’s Keeper effort, DCPS will use three key strategies to address the needs of male students of color: mentoring, targeted funding for grants to schools, and a new all-male college preparatory high school. To learn more, visit emocdc.org.
science, technology, engineering and Mathematics (steM) Programs: ways to Close the under-representation Gap
African Americans, according to the July 2014 issue of the American Society for Engineering Education, earned only 2.4 percent of all bachelor degrees awarded in engineering and lag behind White Americans in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. On Wednesday, Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m., in recognition of African American History Month, Charles F. Bolden Jr., adminisrtator of the the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), will provide a presentation on challenges and solutions to underrepresentation in STEM programs. MLK Library, 901 G St. NW. 202727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk
Family-Friendly Lunar New year Celebration at the sackler
On Saturday, Feb. 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., celebrate the Lunar New Year with a day full of festivities hosted by the Freer|Sackler and the Smithso-
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47
Family Performances at Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival
nian Asian Pacific American Center. Explore the many countries in Asia that celebrate the holiday through family-friendly tours, hands-on activities, cooking demonstrations, and illustrated book readings.
NPS Washington Monument Family Activities
On Saturday, Mar. 7, noon-5 p.m., the National Park Service will provide four activity stations exploring aspects of the Civil War in Washington using excerpts from the Civil War-era diary of 27-year-old DC resident Mary Henry. Mary’s diary provides a detailed account of what daily life was like in the nation’s capital. Participants can pick up an activity book from any of four stations at the Washington Monument. The activities focus on technology, service to country, fun and games and legacy.
President's Day Public Skate at Fort Dupont Ice Arena
The President's Day Public Skate at Fort Dupont Ice Arena is on Feb. 16, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. There is free skating, skate rental and skating lessons. Skates are available on a first come, first served basis. Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. SE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org
OrKID Family Festival at the Museum of Natural History
On Saturday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., visitors of all ages are invited to explore the world of orchids at the OrKID Family Festival. This fun-filled day of free activities celebrates the exhibition, Orchids: Interlocking Science and Beauty. The event is a collaboration between Smithsonian Gardens, the United States Botanic Garden, the National Museum of Natural History and the North American Orchid Conserva-
tion Center. Activities include constructing a field journal, an orchid corsage and an orchid puzzle. Visitors can even pot an orchid to take home. Orchid experts from the Smithsonian and US Botanic Garden will be available to answer questions and tell visitors about unique plants from their collections that will be on display. This free program is at the Evans Gallery at the Museum of Natural History. No registration required. usbg.gov
MySchool DC Lottery Information Session at Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library
On Wednesday, Feb. 25 and Mar. 2, 4-7 p.m., a representative from MySchool DC will be on location to help guide parents and teens through the school lottery process. Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library, 1630 7th St. NW. 202727-1288. dclibrary.org/watha
Through Lincoln's Words: Target Oratory Festival Celebrates Lincoln's Birthday
On Feb. 10 and 11, at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., more than 375 Washington-area elementary and middle school students will perform a selection of President Abraham Lincoln’s speeches on the Ford’s Theatre stage as part of Ford’s Theatre Society’s seventh-annual Target Oratory Festival. This year’s program features students who have benefitted from the integration of historical speeches and letters into History and English classes to help strengthen their understanding of history and improve their publicspeaking skills. Tickets are available on a first-come basis on the day of event. Learn more at fords.org/home/
Arts on the Horizon: Sunny and Licorice. Can two very different orangutangs become friends? Find out in a delightful non-verbal play with music created especially for ages 2–5. Feb. 27, 28, Mar. 6, 7 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.; Mar. 1 at 11:30 a.m. $8. Happenstance Theater: Pinot & Augustine. Enjoy laughs galore when two very silly clowns are seen in a show that bubbles over with physical comedy, virtuosity, and musical surprises. Ages 3+. Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. and Feb 28 at 11:30 a.m. $10-$15. Pinot & Augustine perform on Feb. 21 and AirBorne! DC & Zip Zap Circus: Â Above 28. Photo: Mukul Ranjan and Beyond. Two international circus stars from South Africa join daring aerialists from DC and beyond to salute the bridge-building power of risk and love. Ages 5+. Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. $16.50-$27.50. Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble. This world premiere by Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble, an electrifying, young repertory tap dance company, will explode all notions about tap. Ages 8+. Feb. 28, 1 p.m. $16.50-$22. Free in the lobby are Boggie Babes on Feb. 21, noon; Feb. 28, 11 a.m. and Mar. 7, 11 a.m.; National Gallery of Art collage creation on Feb. 21, noon-3 p.m.; and Capital City Symphony Musical Instrument Petting Zoo on Mar. 7, 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. INTERSECTIONS presents over 125 performances in music, theatre, dance, film, spoken word and performance art that offer new ways to see oneself and to celebrate connections between the audience and artists. The 6th annual INTERSECTIONS festival showcases more than 700 talented artists from DC and beyond. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org education/school-programs/targetoratory-festival. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. fords.org
Kids Celebrate African American History Month at Oxon Cove Park
On Sunday, Feb. 8, 2:30-3:30 p.m., kids ages 7-13 can learn about "Civil Rights: Why Are We Still Talking About This in 2015?" One weakness of the Bill of Rights was that it largely left unprotected the majority of people who lived on the Mount Welby property, present-day Oxon Hill Farm. Who were these unsheltered people and why were they not protected by the Constitution’s first ten amendments? There will also be discussions on what actions the government has taken since the Bill of Rights to protect all citizens’ civil rights and why civil rights is still an important topic in 2015. On Sunday, Feb. 15, 1-2 p.m. and
Monday, Feb. 16, 9:30-10:30 a.m., kids ages 0-4 can hear "Reading Stories with Ranger Steph: West African Tales for Your Ding Ding Kende (Good Little Child)." At Oxon Cove Park every third Sunday and Monday of the month, kids can listen to stories, sing songs, and enjoy other activities. For Black History Month, meet Clever Anansi, Boastful Bullfrog, and other characters from West African oral tradition. For centuries, griots have delighted children with these colorful tales, full of rhythm, music, and opportunities for listener participation. Storytelling was an important connection that the enslaved could share with their ancestors and with each other. Meet Ranger Steph in the Visitor Barn. Oxon Hill Farm is at 6411 Oxon Hill Rd., Oxon Hill, MD. For more information, call 301-839-1176 or visit nps.gov/oxhi. u
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Changing hands is a list of most residential sales in the District of Columbia from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list, based on the MRIS, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms. Neighborhood
Close Price
FEE SIMPLE
BR
BLOOMINGDALE 32 BRYANT ST NE
$599,900.00
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1344 PARK RD NW 4120 13TH ST NW 1307 RANDOLPH ST NW 3662 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 1325 TAYLOR ST NW 2803 SHERMAN AVE NW 741 GIRARD ST NW 717 GIRARD ST NW
$709,000.00 $649,900.00 $640,000.00 $615,000.00 $575,000.00 $553,000.00 $460,000.00 $450,000.00
LOGAN CIRCLE 1438 CORCORAN ST NW
$1,900,000.00
MOUNT PLEASANT 1834 LAMONT ST NW 1861 MONROE ST NW 3108 16TH ST NW
$1,159,118.00 $945,000.00 $595,000.00
OLD CITY #2 2034 HILLYER PL NW 411 M ST NW 1814 FLORIDA AVE NW 56 NEW YORK AVE NW 1227 1ST ST NW 714 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW 437 RIDGE ST NW
$1,800,000.00 $899,000.00 $795,000.00 $765,000.00 $579,000.00 $495,000.00 $385,000.00 $875,000.00 $810,000.00
4 3 3 3 5 4 3 3 4 5 4 3 3 3 3 4 2 2 2 4 2
U STREET CORRIDOR
2125 10TH ST NW $600,000.00 2 2024 10TH ST NW $600,000.00 2
CENTRAL 2425 L ST NW #402 1150 K ST NW #1109 1280 21ST ST NW #703 801 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW #1005 1133 14TH ST NW #707 912 F ST NW #900
$1,121,000.00 $554,900.00 $399,000.00 $360,000.00 $280,000.00 $550,000.00
CHINATOWN 809 6TH ST NW #13
$335,000.00
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 3579 13TH ST NW #8 PH-2 2543 13TH ST NW #2 1309 FAIRMONT ST NW #B 3579 13TH ST NW #3 2920 GEORGIA AVE NW #403 2920 GEORGIA AVE NW #407 3579 13TH ST NW #2 1350 RANDOLPH ST NW #2 1420 CLIFTON ST NW #401 2920 GEORGIA AVE NW #205 912 SHEPHERD ST NW #202
$781,000.00 $765,000.00 $740,000.00 $660,000.00 $579,900.00 $539,900.00 $502,000.00 $434,000.00 $385,000.00 $384,900.00 $320,000.00
$310,000.00 $285,000.00 $197,000.00
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DUPONT 4
SHAW 219 R ST NW 1414 COLUMBIA ST NW
1451 PARK RD NW #203 1420 CLIFTON ST NW #307 1401 COLUMBIA RD NW #212
2 2 1 1 0 1
2142 O ST NW #900 1425 HOPKINS ST NW #202 1700 17TH ST NW #506 1615 Q ST NW #1213 1727 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #414 2200 17TH ST NW #106 1817 CORCORAN ST NW #2 1737 P ST NW #502
$1,155,000.00 $485,000.00 $445,000.00 $340,000.00 $240,000.00 $589,900.00 $526,500.00 $475,000.00
KALORAMA 1807 KALORAMA SQ NW #4 2225 CALIFORNIA ST NW #202 2029 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #4 2123 CALIFORNIA ST NW #F1 2006 COLUMBIA RD NW #6 2126 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #9 1901 COLUMBIA RD NW #205 2153 CALIFORNIA ST NW #607
$2,875,000.00 $1,375,000.00 $995,000.00 $642,000.00 $545,000.00 $529,000.00 $459,000.00 $310,000.00
LOGAN CIRCLE 1900 15TH ST NW #5 939 M ST NW #UNIT A 1431 CORCORAN ST NW #3 1431 CORCORAN ST NW #1 1502 13TH ST NW #2 1316 12TH ST NW #2 1440 N ST NW #911
$341,700.00 $1,082,500.00 $700,000.00 $606,000.00 $500,000.00 $399,555.00 $288,700.00
MOUNT PLEASANT 1801 CALVERT ST NW #G8
$346,900.00
MT VERNON SQUARE 1001 L ST NW #905 811 4TH ST NW #315 440 L ST NW #713
$578,000.00 $415,000.00 $460,000.00
OLD CITY #2 1443 S ST NW #2 1450 CHURCH ST NW #302 910 M ST NW #1101 1715 15TH ST NW #38 1300 N ST NW #716 1621 T ST NW #T6 1 SCOTT CIR NW #506
$967,460.00 $640,000.00 $475,000.00 $449,000.00 $399,000.00 $305,000.00 $251,660.00
PENN QUARTER 1
912 F ST NW #300
$495,500.00
RESIDENCES AT CITYCENTER 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2
925 H ST NW #313
$713,000.00
2 2 1 1 0 1 1 1
$915,500.00 $839,000.00 $549,000.00 $441,000.00
U STREET CORRIDOR 919 FLORIDA AVE NW #206 u
$460,000.00
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1 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
SHAW 1839 6TH ST NW #7 1839 6TH ST NW #6 1839 6TH ST NW #2 1839 6TH ST NW #3
Licensed & Insured | All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners
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Chimney Repairs • Roof Coatings • Gutters & Downspouts • Preventive Maintenance • Metal Roofs •
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Full-Service Landscape Design & Maintenance • • • • •
Installation, arbors, retaining walls, walkways, lighting, water features Patios, roof top gardens, townhomes, single family homes Trees & shrubs, formal & informal gardens Custom Masonry, Fencing and Iron work Restoration and Enhancement
February Specials Coupons
15% OFF
10% OFF
All Masonry and Fencing Projects. New Clients Only
All Landscape Design New Clients Only
EXP 02/28/2015
EXP 02/28/2015
DEREK THOMAS / PRINCIPAL Certified Professional Horticulturist Member of the MD Nursery and Landscape Association Member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers
301.642.5182 | WWW.THOMASLANDSCAPES.COM
49 real estate
, e
Fe br u ar y 2015
CLASSIFIEDS
50 MIDCITYDCNEWS.COM
AIR CONDITIONING
ELECTRICIAN
LANDSCAPES
AIR CONDITIONING Thomas Landscapes DEREK THOMAS / PRINCIPAL
Polar Bear
AIR CONDITIONING PLUMBING & HEATING, INC.
202-333-1310 www.polarbearairconditioning.com
Over 20 Years of Experience
LICENSED BONDED INSURED FALL & WINTER SPECIALS FREE ESTIMATES
REDEFINING BEAUTY ONE CLIENT AT A TIME!
Full-Service Landscape Design & Maintenance • Installation, arbors, retaining walls, walkways, lighting, water features • Patios, roof top gardens, townhomes, single family homes • Trees & shrubs, formal & informal gardens • Custom Masonry, Fencing and Iron work • Restoration and Enhancement
CLEANING SERVICES S TANDARD C LEANING S ERVICE I NC . Commercial & Residential
301.642.5182
HEALTH & FITNESS
TONY’S BOXING GYM
& FITNESS CENTER
Ana Julia Viera 703.719.9850 • 703.447.9254 Days Free Estimates • Bonded & Insured References Upon Request 15% Discount New Customers
PROFESSIONAL & AMATEUR BOXING LESSONS • All Types of Exercise Machines • Diet Counseling & Nutrition • Olympic Free Weights • Free Personal Training • Seniors Welcome · Handicap Accessible
-5711 202-889 t Olivet Rd, NE 1216 Moun
WWW.THOMASLANDSCAPES.COM
MASONRY CHIMNEY REPOINTING, LINING & REPAIRS!
HALLIDAY CONCRETE & BRICKPOINTING Historic Masonry Repointing & Repairs Restoration cleaning on historical brick and stone Basements & Waterproofing Experts in both in new and traditional masonry NO Job Too Small! We Do it All!!
Serving D.C. since 1918
202.637.8808
CAREGIVER
Licensed, Bonded & Insured, DC
EXPERIENCED CAREGIVER
I have 17 years of experience caring for adults and elders. As a caregiver I have assisted with their special needs and daily living such as: bathing, changing, cleaning, preparing nutritious meals, grooming, and taking them to and from the hospital for appointments and other activities. I am certified in Basic First Aid and CPR. I can also perform light housekeeping tasks. In addition to these skills, I also speak fluent Spanish. References available. I can be reached at (703) 868-8587 or Dorisefalcon@aol.com.
HOUSING NEW CONSTRUCTION IN DC <$275K
CLOSE TO SHOPPING, FOR FAMILIES WITH SECTION 504 MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS and/or VETERANS/MILITARY. $59K 0% int. loan for qualified applicants, 3BR/1 – 2B, Mortgage payments estimated at $1,200, Only $500 down, Central Place NE. Must have a family size of 4 – 6. All applicants must meet Habitat for Humanity of WDC & DHCD HPTF program requirements; Call 202882-4600 x200 for more information.
SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS
AND LOCAL BUSINESSES!
NANNY FOR HIRE
ROOFING
Our Prices Won’t be Beat!
QUALIFIED AND PASSIONATE NANNY
Keith Roofing
DANIEL PARKS
I have 17 years of experience caring for newborns, children and teenagers. As a babysitter I have prepared bottles, changed diapers, washed and ironed children’s clothes and planned and prepared meals and snacks for the children. I have also bathed babies and supervised baths and bedtime routine for older children. I can also transport children to and from school and to their extracurricular activities. I can also perform light housekeeping tasks. I am certified in Basic First Aid, CPR and child CPR. In addition to these skills, I also speak fluent Spanish. References available. I can be reached at (703) 868-8587 or Dorisefalcon@aol.com.
PAINTING
EXPERT WORKMANSHIP
AT
Roofing & Gutters
REASONABLE PRICES!
Residential/Commercial • Over 40 years in Business Chimney Repairs • Storm & Wind Damage Repair
• New or Re-Roofing • Tear-Off & Replacement • Flat Roof Specialist • Copper, Tin, Sheet Metal & Rolled • Seamless & Flat Roofs • Re-Sealing • Tar, Asphalt, Gravel, Hot Coats • Modified Bitumen • Ask about our gutter specials
WE WILL BEAT YOUR BEST PRICE New Roofs, Maintenance & Repairs Seamless Gutters Experts
Insurance Claims • Free Estimates • 24Hr. Service
Stopping Leaks is our Specialty!
Fully Insured • Licensed • Bonded “No Job Too Large or Small” Senior & Military Discounts Available!
WE DO IT ALL!
202-486-7359
All Work Inspected by Owner...Deals Directly with Customers! All Work Fully Guaranteed
202.637.8808 Licensed, bonded & Insured, DC
NO JOB TOO SMALL!!! “Stopping Leaks is Our Specialty”
EMERGENCY REPAIRS WE DO IT ALL RUBBER & FLAT ROOFS WATER PROOFING SLATE ROOFS LEAK REPAIRS METAL ROOFS GUTTER REPAIRS SHINGLE ROOFING CHIMNEY REPAIRS FACIAL/SOFFITS ALUMINUM ROOF COATING
202-489-1728
G G ROOFING
AWARDED BEST WASHINGTON, DC CONTRACTOR OF 2012 BY ANGIE’S LIST FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • “50 YEARS EXPERIENCE”
Flat Roof Specialists Modified Bitumen • Skylights • Shingles • Slate • •
FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST WE STOP LEAKS! • Roof Repairs • Roof Coatings • Rubber • Metal • Slate
PLUMBING Just Say I Need A Plumber
Dial A Plumber, LLC®
• Licensed Gas Fitter • Water Heater • Boiler Work • Serving DC • References John • Drain Service • Furness Repair & Replacement
Licensed Bonded Insured
Kenny
202-251-1479 P
L U M M E R
’
S
L
I C E N S E
#707
BOYD CONSTRUCTION INC. LIC. BONDED. INS
10% OFF WITH THIS AD
202.425.1614 WWW.GANDGHOMEIMPROVEMENTS.NET
Licensed & Insured | All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners
75 years in service
BBB
Member
202-223-ROOF (7663)
SPECIALIZING IN SEAMLESS GUTTERS
•
We Do Everything! ®
DC
• Tiles • Chimneys • Gutters • Waterproofing • Roof Certifications
Chimney Repairs Roof Coatings • Gutters & Downspouts • Preventive Maintenance • Metal Roofs •
Licensed, Bonded & Insured Free Estimates Senior and Government Discount 10%
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WELDING
Tell Them, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shaw Main Streets Sent
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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 Bowser, Mayor.