An Urban Lifestyle Magazine
MIDCITY MARCH 2014
APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade
Building on our strong foundation as an early childhood program
Information / Open House Sessions on the Following Thursdays, 9:30 am-10:30 am*:
March 20 & 27 April 24 May 1 *You must register to attend, limit of 20 people per session. Call (202) 545-0515 to register.
Apply for admissions at: www.myschooldc.org 1st round application deadline March 3rd. 2nd round applications accepted March 4–May 15.
Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Voted Best Preschool in DC, City Paper Readers Poll 2013!
Bridges PCS is an expanding elementary school growing to serve grades Pre-K–5th by 2017-2018.
• Before & After Care • Small classroom size and well trained staff • Individual planning for each student • Hands-on and project-based curriculum
www.bridgespcs.org 1250 Taylor Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011 p: 202.545.0515 e: info@bridgespcs.org
Free and open to all DC residents. Tuition paid by non-residents.
www.bridgespcs.org
March 6, 2014 – January 4, 2015
T
oday, China and the United States are the world’s two largest economies, major powers that often cooperate strategically. They also share a complicated history. The two have been World War II allies and Cold War enemies, partners and rivals. Using mail and stamps, Pacific Exchange brings a human scale to Chinese-U.S. relations in three areas: commerce, culture, and community. The exhibit focuses on the 1860s to the 1970s, a time of extraordinary change in China. It also explores Chinese immigration to the United States, now home to four million Chinese Americans.
www.postalmuseum.si.edu/PACIFICEXCHANGE 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE (Next door to Union Station) Midcity DC | March 2014 u 3
CONTENTS MARCH
MIDCITY
08 What’s on Washington 10 Calendar 20 Election Special 22 24 29
22
A City in Crisis • Andrew Lightman The Ward 6 Council Race • Andrew Lightman A Race that Matters - At-Large • Denise Romano
34
out and about 32 34
your neighborhood 36 38 40 42 43 44 45
54
Insatiable • Jonathan Bardzik Let’s Get Physical • Jazelle Hunt
Bulletin Board • Kathleen Donner The Numbers • Jenny Reed Strictly Business • Miriam Savad Shaw Streets • Pleasant Mann Logan Circles • Mark F. Johnson Bloomingdale Bites • Jazzy Wright ANC6E • Steve Holton
kids and family 46
Kids and Family Notebook • Kathleen Donner
at home
52 54
Changing Hands • Don Denton The Garden Fairy • Frank Asher
56 Classifieds COVER: Tommy Wells. Photo by Andrew Lightman
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 5
WIDE SHOE OUTLET
HILL RAG • MID CITY DC • EAST OF THE RIVER • FAGON COMMUNITY GUIDES
Men’s and Women’s sizes up to 15 EE
Capital Community News, Inc. 224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 capitalcommunitynews.com
Brands: Naturalizer • Soft Spots Ros Hommerson • Propet Walking Cradles • Easy Street
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner • melissaashabranner@hillrag.com
PUBLISHER: JEAN-KEITH FAGON • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2013 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.
Slingshots are Back
Look for Next Issue of MCDC on APRIL 12 Marlow Heights Shopping Center 4123 Branch Ave. Marlow Heights, MD
301-702 1401 Free Gift With Ad
EDITORIAL STAFF MANAGING EDITOR: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com CFO & ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Maria Carolina Lopez • carolina@hillrag.com SCHOOL NOTES EDITOR: Susan Braun Johnson • schools@hillrag.com KIDS & FAMILY NOTEBOOK EDITOR: Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com FOOD EDITOR: Annette Nielsen • annette@hillrag.com Social Media: Giancarlo Fagon • gbfagon@gmail.com ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ART: Jim Magner • jjmagner@aol.com DINING: Emily Clark • clapol47@gmail.com Celeste McCall • celeste@us.net Jonathan Bardzik • jonathan.bardzik@gmail.com GENERAL ASSIGNMENT: Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com LITERATURE: Karen Lyon • klyon@folger.edu MOVIES: Mike Canning • mjcanning@verizon.net MUSIC: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Stephen Monroe • samonroe2004@yahoo.com RETAIL THERAPY: Marissa Terrell • mterrell@sbclawgroup.com THEATER: Barbara Wells • barchardwells@aol.com THE WINE GUYS: Jon Genderson • jon@cellar.com CALENDAR & BULLETIN BOARD CALENDAR EDITOR: Kathleen Donner • calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com GENERAL ASSIGNMENT Maggy Baccinelli • mbaccinelli@gmail.com Elise Bernard • elise.bernard@gmail.com Ralph Brabham • ralphbrabham@yahoo.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Mark Johnson • mark@hillrag.com Stephen Lilienthal - stephen_lilienthal@yahoo.com Celeste McCall • celeste@hillrag.com Charnice Milton • charnicem@hotmail.com John H. Muller • jmuller.washingtonsyndicate@gmail.com Will Rich • will.janks@gmail.com Linda Samuel • lindabsamuel@yahoo.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 Jennifer Zatkowski • jenn@hillrag.com
KIDS & FAMILY Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com SOCIETY & EVENTS Mickey Thompson • socialsightings@aol.com HOMES & GARDENS Derek Thomas • derek@thomaslandscapes.com Catherine Plume • caplume@yahoo.com COMMENTARY ETHELBERT MILLER • EMILLER698@AOL.COM THE NOSE • THENOSE@HILLRAG.COM PRODUCTION/GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGN ART DIRECTOR: Jason Yen • jay@hillrag.com Graphic Designer: Lee Kyungmin • lee@hillrag.com WEB MASTER: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com ADVERTISING & SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Kira Means, 202.543.8300 X16 • kira@hillrag.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Jennifer Zatkowski, 202.543.8300 X20 • Jenn@hillrag.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Dave Kletzkin, 202.543.8300 X22 • Dave@hillrag.com CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Maria Carolina Lopez, 202.543.8300 X12 • carolina@hillrag.com BILLING: SARA WALDER, 202.400.3511 • SARA@HILLRAG.COM DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Andrew Lightman DISTRIBUTORS: MediaPoint, LLC DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION: distribution@hillrag.com DEADLINES & CONTACTS ADVERTISING: sales@hillrag.com DISPLAY ADS: 15th of each month CLASSIFIED ADS: 10th of each month EDITORIAL: 15th of each month; submissions@hillrag.com BULLETIN BOARD & CALENDAR: 15th of each month; calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com
BEAUTY, HEALTH & FITNESS Patricia Cinelli • fitmiss44@aol.com Candace Y.A. Montague • writeoncm@gmail.com
We welcome suggestions for stories. Send queries to andrew@hillrag.com. We are also interested in your views on community issues which are published in the Last Word. Please limit your comments to 250 words. Letters may be edited for space. Please include your name, address and phone number. Send Last Word submissions to lastword@hillrag.com. For employment opportunities email jobs@ hillrag.com. 6 u midcitydcnews.com
DC
Government
grants information
What: DC Government Economic Development Cluster’s “Building Bridges to Success” Information Seminar Description: At this seminar, DC Government staff will present information to current and future small business owners on the regulatory process of obtaining a business license, grant opportunities and gaining an in-depth knowledge of how to apply for the Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) program. • Licensing Process (DCRA) • Great Streets Small Business Capital Improvement Grants (DMPED) • Small Business Assistance and Façade Improvement (DHCD) • Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) Program (DSLBD) • Green Financial Incentive Grant Program (DDOE) When: Monday, March 17, 2014 beginning at 9:00 am through 12:00 pm What: How to Open a Business Through DCRA’s Regulatory Processes Description: At this training session, DCRA staff will walk you through everything you need to do to open a new business: • Benefits of incorporating or creating an LLC • Types of business licenses and how much they cost • How to apply for a business license • Zoning requirements for types of businesses • Obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy • What building permits are needed to do renovations • How to apply for a building permit When: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 beginning at 9:00 am through 12:00 pm
FOR MORE INFO PLEASE VISIT: HTTP://BIZDC.ECENTERDIRECT.COM OR CALL 202-442-4538 Midcity DC | March 2014 u 7
see our website for more events! www.whatsonwashington.com
Corcoran Uncorked
Photo: Kate Warren
After a brief hiatus, Corcoran Uncorked is back! Join them on the third Wednesday of every month, 5-9 p.m., for a new and different kind of Corcoran experience. Each month brings with it a different themed evening and will include creative art making activities, playful and enlightening gallery talks, tours and games, lively music and a cash bar. The theme for Corcoran Uncorked on March 18 is “I Love Spring Break.” Admission is $12, and pre-registration is recommended. Otherwise it’s first come, first served. Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW. 202-639-1700. corcoran.org/corcoran-uncorked
Soar into spring at the annual Blossom Kite Festival on the grounds of the Washington Monument. Photo: Nick Eckert
Blossom Kite Festival on the Washington Monument Grounds
On Saturday, Mar. 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., spring is literally in the air. The fourth annual Blossom Kite Festival presented by the National Cherry Blossom Festival showcases the creativity of kite makers and skill of kite fliers from across the US and other countries through a variety of competitions and demonstrations including the popular Hot Tricks Showdown and the Rokkaku Battle. Bring your own kites or children can make a kite at an activity station (while supplies last) to fly on the Public Field. The Blossom Kite Festival includes five areas to enjoy: the Competition & Demonstration Field, Family Field, Kite Club Display Area, Activity Tents, and Public Field. Participation is free.
8 u midcitydcnews.com
The celestial hues of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant in the constellation of Taurus, captured in Hidden Universe. Photo: NASA, ESA, J. Hester and A. Loll (Arizona State University)
“Hidden Universe 3D” IMAX at Air and Space
An extraordinary journey into deep space, Hidden Universe 3D brings to life the farthest reaches of our universe with unprecedented clarity through real images captured by the world’s most powerful telescopes. Stunning, highresolution 3D images of space allow you to peer deep inside the earliest galaxies and nebulae, watch stars being born in vivid clouds of gas and dust, tour the surface terrain of Mars, and witness images of distant celestial structures including awe-inspiring views of the Sun. Seen for the first time in IMAX 3D, these dramatic new images offer fresh insight into the origins and evolution of the universe. National Air and Space Museum on the Mall. airandspace.si.edu
Photo: Courtesy of the Washington Nationals
Play Ball
It may be cold and rainy but for DC fans, the Nat’s season begins with a spring training game (schedule magnet for first 20,000 fans) on Mar. 29, 2:05 p.m. vs. the Tigers. Opening Day (Opening Day cap for first 30,000 fans) is on Apr. 4, 1:05 p.m. vs. the Braves. Capital Community News covers the season through September in the Calendar and Kids and Family Notebook. There you’ll find t-shirt, cap and tote giveaways, $1 hot dogs, “Pups in the Park” games, autograph opportunities (Signature Sundays), chances for kids to run the bases and more. Tickets are on sale now at the box office and at washington.nationals.mlb.com. Tickets start at $5 for same-day grandstand seats ($15 for marquee games).
Last year’s crowd. Photo: Courtesy of Timonium Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival
Timonium Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival
The Timonium Beer, Bourbon and BBQ (all indoors) Festival is on Friday night, Mar. 21, 6-10 p.m. and Saturday, Mar. 22, 2-6 p.m. at the Cow Palace on the Timonium Fairgrounds. It features 60 beers, 40 bourbons, lots of barbeque, eating contests and live entertainment. Here’s how the organizers describe it. “Join us at the festival for a great day of beer sippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, cigar smokin’, and barbeque eatin’. Your admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy an all-you-can-taste sampling of beer and bourbon. Some of the best barbeque vendors are on-site if you get hungry all while enjoying seminars in the tasting theater and live music all day.” Tickets range from $25 (designated driver) to $89 for VIP access both days. Timonium is about 60 miles north. Take BW Parkway, go around the Baltimore beltway heading northwest in the direction of Randallstown and then watch for signs. beerandbourbon.com/maryland
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 9
calendar ★ ★ ★
MARCH
The Washington, DC Fire Department Emerald Society Pipes and Drums band marching proudly during the 2013 St. Patrick’s Parade.
DC St. Patricks Day Parade Mar 16, noon, Constitution Ave. between Seventh St. and 17th St. NW. The colorful three-hour procession of floats, marching bands, and drill teams will also feature antique bicycles, cars, fire trucks, and Irish wolfhounds. Grandstand seats are $15. 202-670-0317. dcstpatsparade.com
10 u midcitydcnews.com
ST. PATRICK’S CELEBRATIONS
Gaithersburg Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Mar 15, 10:00 AM-noon. Washingtonian Center. The parade starts at the Corner Bakery and ends at Kohls.
St Patrick’s Day 8K. Mar 9, 9:00 AM, Freedom Plaza. This event offers a great downtown course, a deep awards structure, team competition, a 1K Kids Run, Irish dancing, refreshments, random prizes, and much more. Bring the family for a day of fun and help support Special Olympics DC, Habitat for Humanity & Back on My Feet. $40. 301-871-0400. runwashington.com
Christ Church St Patrick’s Dinner and Auction. Mar 15, 5:30 PM. This much-anticipated neighborhood event is their biggest fun and fund raiser each year. For more than 40 years they have celebrated St. Patrick’s with a feast of corned beef and cabbage. $25 at the door. Children under 14 are free. Christ Church, 620 G St. SE. 202-547-9300. washingtonparish.org
The Chieftains at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts. Mar 16, 4:00 PM. This is a spirited St. Patrick’s Day celebration that captures the profound beauty of the Emerald Isle. For more than fifty years, these six-time Grammy Award winners have uncovered centuries of Irish song and made these traditional works their own through the inimitable style that has won them countless fans throughout the decades and their iconic sound has become synonymous with the revival of traditional Irish music. Center for the Arts at Mason, 4400 University Drive, MS 2F5, Fairfax, VA. cfa. gmu.edu St Patrick’s Day Concert at National Geographic. Mar 17, 7:00 PM. Enjoy a lively St. Patrick’s Day celebration with a group that is fast gaining a following for their refreshing approach to traditional and contemporary Celtic material. Based in the Philadelphia area, Runa recently released their third album, Somewhere Along the Road, and won Best Song in the traditional music category of the 2012 Independent Music Awards. $30, up. National Geographic, 1600 M St. NW. 202-857-7700. nationalgeographic.com National ShamrockFest ‘14. Mar 22, 3:00-9:00 PM at RFK Stadium grounds. Event features nine musical stages, tented party areas, beer stations, bar-game areas and athletic competitions, craft, food and beverage markets and strolling entertainers and more. shamrockfest.com Dubliner. Mar 17, 10:00 AM-3:00 AM. Three bands on two stages and giveaways. Full menus served with $10 cover. The Dubliner also features live Irish music every night at 9 p.m.; Sundays at 7 p.m. 4 “F” St. NW. 202-737-3773. dublinerdc.com Kelly’s Irish Times. Mar 17, 10:30 AM-3:00 AM. Live Irish music all day. 14 F St. NW. 202-543-5433. kellysirishtimesdc.com Molly Malone’s. Mar 17, 11:00 AM2:00 AM. Discounted Irish whiskey and beer. Drink and food specials.
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 11
713 Eighth St. SE. 202-547-1222. mollymalonescapitolhillsaloon.com
THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival. Apr 5, 1:00-9:00 PM (Fireworks start at 8:30 PM, rain or shine). The Southwest Waterfront community is the perfect place to enjoy more than eight celebratory hours of free music, family friendly water-related activities, cultural experiences, live entertainment and foods at multiple outdoor venues. Southwest Waterfront, 600-900 Water St. SW. Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. Apr 6, 7:15 AM. The best viewing points to see the runners on the course are located at the Lincoln Memorial Circle (1.2 miles, 2.5 miles and 3.5 miles) and along Independence Ave. near the Tidal Basin (5 miles). Washington Monument Grounds, 15th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Official Japanese Stone Lantern Lighting Ceremony. Apr 6, 2:30-4:00 PM. The ceremony features traditional Japanese music, the presentation of the United States and Japan Cherry Blossom Queens, along with the 2012 Cherry Blossom Princesses, and remarks by a number of dignitaries, including the Ambassador of Japan to the United States. Japanese Stone Lantern at the Tidal Basin at Independence Ave. and 17th St. SW. Blossoms and Baseball. Apr 9, 7:00 PM. Celebrate spring with blossoms and baseball as the Washington Nationals take on the Florida Marlins. Purchase discounted tickets at nationals.com/ cherryblossom for Blossoms and Baseball. A $5 donation will be given to the Festival for each ticket purchased. Nationals Park, 1500 S. Capitol St. SE. nationals.com National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. Apr 12, 10:00 AM-noon. Vibrant costumes and blossom-inspired décor create the look of nation’s premier springtime parade. Giant colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, and performers burst down Constitution Ave. in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship seen only once a year during the Festival. Parade runs down Constitution Ave. NW, from 7th to 17th Sts. Sakura Matsuri--Japanese Street Festival. Apr 12, 10:30 AM-6:00 PM. Enjoy the family-friendly atmosphere of the largest Japanese cultural festival in the
12 u midcitydcnews.com
United States, featuring food, arts and culture, merchandise, and live traditional and J-Pop performances on four stages, including martial arts demonstrations. $10, children 12 and under free. 12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. sakuramatsuri.org Beyond the Tidal Basin: Introducing Other Great Flowering Cherries (selfguided tour). Mar 20-Apr 14, 8:00 AM5:00 PM. Arboretum is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays only. Come to the US National Arboretum to explore nearly forty different types of flowering cherries and discover the great diversity of shapes, sizes, flower colors, and bloom times these trees feature. Look for three new varieties developed by Arboretum scientists and don’t miss the remarkable weeping Yoshinos. Drive, bike, or walk over several miles of Arboretum roads to see them all. Pick up a brochure in the Visitor Information Center or download one at the Arboretum website after Mar. 15. Free. There are two entrances: one at 3501 New York Ave. NE, and the other at 24th and R Sts. NE, off of Bladensburg Rd. 202-2452726. usna.usda.gov Blossoms by Bike River Ride. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Mar 22-Apr 13, 1:00 PM. Join Bike and Roll on this three hour specially-crafted tour, riding along the scenic Mount Vernon Trail from Old Town Alexandria to Washington, DC, and experience magnificent views of the cherry blossoms from across the Potomac River. The tour continues into DC and around the tidal basin where bikers will see the blossoms up close and learn the history of these beautiful gifts before heading back to Alexandria. $40 (must be 13 years or older). bikethesites.com/tours Alexandria Cherry Blossom Boat Tours. Saturday and Sunday, Mar 29-Apr 13, 11:30 AM, 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 PM. $14$26. Departs from Cameron and Union Sts., Alexandria, VA. potomacriverboatco.com/blossoms2014
SPECIAL EVENTS National Tree Climbing Championship at the National Arboretum. Apr 5 (rain date, Apr 12), 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. Watch professional climbers compete for prizes in five different events in specially selected trees on the Arboretum grounds. Along with the climbing there will be educational exhibits, commercial vendors, demonstrations, children’s activities (including kids’ climbing), some of DC’s best food trucks, and more. Enter the R Street gate and follow the signs to the event. Free admission. There are two entrances: one at 3501 New York Ave. NE, and the other at 24th and R Sts. NE, off of Bladensburg Rd. 202-245-2726. usna.usda. gov
Shakespeare’s Birthday Open House at the Folger. Apr 6, noon4:00 PM. Come celebrate Will’s birthday with jugglers and jesters, music, song, dance, and more. Take your chance to perform your favorite lines of Shakespeare on the Folger stage, and enjoy tours and treasure hunts of the Folger’s reading rooms. Try your hand at crafty Elizabethan activities to take home. Plus, birthday cake for all, cut by Queen Elizabeth I! Free. Folger Shakespeare Library, E. Capitol St. SE. 202-5447077. folger.edu Blessing of the Fleets. Apr 12, 1:00-5:00 PM. Passed down through generations of sailors and navies around the world, the centuries-old ceremony is intended to safeguard crews and ships from the danger of the seas through a traditional blessing given by a clergyman at the water’s edge. United States Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. navymemorial.org
MUSIC Music at 9:30. Mar 9, Broken Bells; Mar 15, Dr. Dog; Mar 19, Typhoon; Mar 20, RAC; Mar 21, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.; Mar 22-23, Drive-By Truckers; Mar 24, 2 Chainz; Mar 26, We The Kings; Mar 27, John Newman; Mar 28, Daley; Mar 29, The Infamous Stringdusters; Mar 30-Apr 1, GROUPLOVE; Apr 2, Real Estate; Apr 4, Kraftwerk: 3-D Concert; Apr 5, Gramatik; Apr 6, Shpongle; Apr 7, The Hold Steady; Apr 8, Carolina Chocolate Drops; Apr 11, Flight Facilities; Apr 12, The Sounds. 9:30, 815 V St. NW. 877-435-9849. 930.com Music at The Howard. Mar 10, Tribute to Biggie Smalls; Mar 12, the Omar Hakin Experience; Mar 13, SaltN-Pepa; Mar 15, Bohannon; Mar 16, Icon Award to the Legendary Steven T. Herrion; Mar 21, Get the Led Out; Mar 22, SWV; Mar 23, Marsha Ambrosius; Mar 28, The Prince and Michael Jackson Experience; Mar 29, Jon Batiste and Stay Human; Mar 30, Mack Wilds; Apr 1, Cultural Profetica; Apr 2, Erica Campbell; Apr 4, El Gran Combo; Apr 10, Gato Barbieri; Apr 11, Jesse Cook; Apr 12, Southern Soul Assembly. Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com
THE DATE! AVE SMarch 19, 2014 | 9 am – 7 pm 2014 GWHCC BUSINESS EXPO Connections Opportunities and Growth! Walter E. Washington Convention Center 801 Mt. Vernon Place, NW Washington, DC 20001
Free Admission – Register at:
www.gwhcc.org/expo If you want to be and entrepreneur or have a business and want to get more contacts and resources, join us for this event. • • • • • •
Connect with Local Businesses Meet Buyers and Decision Makers Attend Business Workshops Explore International Business Opportunities Network, Network and Network Learn about our Small Business Assistance Program
For more information call: (202)728-0352 or email Alma Alfaro-Laska at: aalfaro-laska@gwhcc.org. Our Small Business Assistance Program is funded by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development with suppot from Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs.
Music at Black Cat. Mar 12, Moonface; Mar 13, RIPS (ex-PHOBES); Mar 15, Party Lights; Mar 17, Swearin; Mar 22, Dum Dum Grils; Mar 23, Adam Faucett and the Tall Grass; Mar 24, Warpa-
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 13
“Peruvian Gold” at National Geographic. Apr 10Sept 2. “Peruvian Gold: Ancient Treasures Unearthed” will showcase extraordinary objects from Peru’s pre-Inca heritage, including gold ceremonial and funerary masks, textiles, ceremonial ornaments, ceramics and jewelry. National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. ngmuseum.org LEFT: El Tocado, an extraordinary gold headdress from the Sican period (900-1100 A.D)., the largest and most ornate pre-Columbian headdress that has ever been discovered. It will be the first time the illustrious headdress is shown in the United States since it was unearthed in 2001. Photo: Rafael Rioja
int; Mar 25, Joe Mande; Mar 27, Vip Deceiver; Mar 28, Eighties Mayhem; Mar 29, Fairweather; Mar 31, Cosmonauts; Apr 2, W.C. Lindsay; Apr 4, Elikeh; Apr 9, Those Mockingbirds; Apr 11, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com Music at Sixth and I. Mar 13, Wanting; Mar 18, The Internet; Mar 19, A Winged Victory for the Sullen; Mar 22, Tinariwen; Mar 25, Three of Clubs Tour; Mar 29, River City Extension; Mar 30, Bumper Jacksons; Apr 8, James Vincent McMorrow; Apr 9, Hurray For The Riff Raff. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 202-408-3100. sixthandi.org Music at the Lincoln. Mar 22, Steve Hackett: Genesis Revisited 2014 World Tour; Mar 26, Experience Hendrix; Apr 1, Emmylou Harris; Apr 11, Neil Finn; Apr 12, Rufus Wainwright. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. 202-328-6000. thelincolntheatre.org Thomas Circle Singers March Madness. Mar 22, 7:00 PM. An evening showcasing the lighter side of TCS, including laugh-out-loud compositions like Daniel Pinkham’s “The Saints Preserve Us!” and Eric Whitacre’s “Animal Crackers,” as well as familiar tunes from the Great American Songbook. Stay after the concert for savory delectables, wine, signature cocktails, and tempting treasures at our annual silent auction to benefit the Thomas Circle Singers. St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 4700 Whitehaven Pkwy. NW. thomascirclesingers.org National City Christian Church Organ Concerts. Every Friday, 12:15-1:15 PM. Free. 5 Thomas Cir. NW. 202-2320323. nationalcitycc.org Gospel Choir Brunch at Union Market. First Saturday of every month, usually starts at about 12:30 PM (recent time change). Experience Gospel Choir Brunch on the first Saturday of every month with a dynamic performance featuring the Israel Baptist Church. Brunch specials are available from vendors. Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. unionmarketdc.com Sunday Gospel Brunch Featuring the Harlem Gospel Choir. Every Sunday, 12:30-2:00 PM. $30-$45. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com HR 57 Weekly Jam Sessions. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8:00 PM-midnight. Since 1993 HR-57 has provided
14 u midcitydcnews.com
a place where aspiring musicians gather to learn the history and cultures of the genres of jazz and blues. It’s a venue for the exchange of ideas and information between aspiring and professional musicians, students, aficionados and the general public. $8. 1007 H St. NE. 202-2530044. hr57.org Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. Free but free will offering taken. 1317 G ST. NW. 202-347-2635. epiphanydc.org Steinway Series of classical music concerts at American Art Museum. Second Sunday, 3:00 PM The Steinway Series is a classical music concert that features the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s refurbished Steinway Concert Grand piano. Free. McEvoy Auditorium, Lower Level American Art Museum (between Seventh and Nineth and and F and G sts. NW.) 202-633-1000. americanart.si.edu “Take Five” (free jazz at the American Art Museum). Third Thursday, 5:00-7:00 PM. Smithsonian American Art Museum, (Great Hall on the 3rd floor), Eighth and F sts. NW. 202-633-1000. AmericanArt.si.edu
THEATER Richard III at the Folger. Extended through Mar 16. Weighing how history is written, Robert Richmond returns to direct another of Shakespeare’s celebrated stories of the English throne. With the skeletal remains of the long-vilified king being discovered earlier this year, beneath a parking lot of all places, this staging features Drew Cortese as the Machiavellian king. Folger Shakespeare Library, E. Capitol St. SE. 202544-7077. folger.edu The Importance of Being Earnest at Shakespeare. Extended through Mar 16. Oscar Wilde’s most perfect of plays is a comedy of class, courtship, and avoiding burdensome social conventions. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Tribes at Studio. Extended through Mar 16. Billy, a deaf man whose hearing family has never listened to him, comes to define his identity on his own terms in this sophisticated drama about family, belonging, and the limitations
of language. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-3323300. studiotheatre.org Water by the Spoonful at Studio. Through Apr 13. In North Philly, ex-Marine Elliot works at Subway, cares for his dying mom, and leans on his cousin Yaz as he tries to acclimate to civilian life. Online, four addicts cling to their chat room support group, struggling for another day sober. These lives collide as events small and large threaten their fragile stabilities, in this eloquent and haunting play about resilience, second chances, and families of both blood and choice. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org Normal at the DC Arts Center. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, through Mar 30, 7:30 PM. 2438 18th St. NW. 202-462-7833. dcartscenter.org The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Ford’s. Mar 14-May 17. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee follows six awkward adolescents through their daunting and hilarious championship quest. As they navigate the tournament’s pressures, the eccentric coterie finds a new sense of belonging. Along the way, they learn that there is more to life than winning a trophy. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW. 202-347-4833. fordstheatre.org PLACAS: The Most Dangerous Tattoo at Gala. Mar 14 and 15. Fausto, a Salvadoran immigrant and former gang member, is paroled from prison after he removes his gang tattoos-a cleansing of the skin in a hopeful effort to reunite his family and break a lifetime of violence, war, forced migrations and street crime. And so begins the journey of healing between Fausto and Edgar, his teenage son who is now vulnerable to the appeal of gang life. GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. 202-234-7174. galatheatre.org Hair at the Keegan. Mar 15-Apr 12. The granddaddy of all rock musicals, Hair is at once both a joyous celebration of youth and a poignant journey through a tumultuous 1960s America. Keegan Theater, 1742 Church St. NW. 703-8920202. keegantheatre.com The Admission at Theater J. Mar 20-Apr 6. An Israeli homage to All My Sons set in Haifa during the first Intifada. Giora is a young professor engaged to Neta but in love with Samia, the Palestinian daughter of a family friend who becomes troubled when Giora’s father’s company begins building on the site of a battle that took place 40 years ago. Giora struggles to find the truth about his father’s war-time secrets, confronting the causes of his brother’s death and how Giora
came to incur his own war-time injuries in Lebanon. As Giora’s family presses him to look forward, not back, the play asks how we can move forward toward peace while still wrestling with the ghosts of war. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. 800 494-8497. washingtondcjcc.org Camp David at Arena. Mar 21-May 4. sixty-two miles north of Washington, DC, nestled in Catoctin Mountain Park, lies the clandestine retreat known as Camp David. For thirteen tumultuous days, President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn host Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in an attempt to create the impossible: Peace in the Middle East. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. arena-stage.org Henry IV, Part 1 at Shakespeare. Mar 25-June 7. A young prince must decide between tavern roughhousing and the burden of his father’s legacy, in the coming-of-age story of heroism, corruption and war. STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn directs the masterful Stacy Keach (King Lear, Macbeth) who plays Shakespeare’s beloved character, Falstaff. Shakespeare Theatre Company, Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org One Destiny at Ford’s. Mar 25-May 17. Learn about Lincoln’s assassination from two men who were there. Actor Harry Hawk and Ford’s Theatre co-owner Harry Ford revisit the events of April 14, 1865. As they reconstruct the sequence of events, they grapple with the question: Could John Wilkes Booth have been stopped? Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW. 202-347-4833. fordstheatre.org
EXHIBITIONS, OPENINGS AND GALLERIES Form Transformed: Five Sculptors at Touchstone. Through Mar 30. Light and Dark Member Show Touchstone member artists explore the dance between darkness and light at the spring equinox, at the juncture of heart and mind, and where inclusion and intolerance meet. Ceramics, painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, and collage. Touchstone Gallery, 901 New York Ave. NW. 202-3472787. touchstonegallery.com Nelson Gutierrez at DC Arts Center. Through Mar 16. DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St., NW. 202-462-7833. dcartscenter.org Cindy Cheng: The Hero and the Villain at Flashpoint. Through Mar 29. Flashpoint Gallery showcases bold, new work
and cultivates emerging and mid-career artists working in a variety of media including site-specific installations, performance pieces, new media and other experimental forms. Flashpoint Gallery, 916 G St. NW. 202-315-1305. culturaldc.org Studio Gallery. Through Mar 29. Solo Show, Dialogue: A Restrospective, Bud Hensgen. Bud Hensgen’s work has evolved from colorful and flamboyant to more simple forms which, in his view, encourage the observer to reach deeper. This retrospective traces the development of Hensgen’s work over the past six years. It includes several paintings from the series “Palestine Interrupted.” Studio Gallery, 2108 R St. NW. 202-2328734. studiogallerydc.com “Out of Africa-New Photographs of the Broad Canopies” at Cross Mackenzie Gallery. Through Mar 31. “Nucleus” is an exhibition of new ceramic sculpture by the prolific and compelling California based artist, David Hicks. Cross Mackenzie Gallery, 2026 R St, NW. 202-3337970. crossmackenzie.com
Saturday, March 8th 6:30pm International Spy Museum 800 F Street, NW Please join BASIS families and friends in celebrating BASIS teachers and a world-class education. All proceeds support the BASIS DC Annual Teacher Fund.
questions volunteer donate contact: bassisstarsgala@gmail.com www.facebook.com/BASISStarsGala
The Lobby Project: featuring Fawna Xiao. Through Apr 18 at at 1200 First St. NE. Printmaker Fawna Xiao’s “Black Mountains” are abstracted responses to black and white photographs of mountains covered in snow, with a focus on rocky faces and folds. The series is an exploration in texture and shape; Xiao seeks to transform the natural landscape into unnatural geometry. Shakespeare’s the Thing at the Folger. Through June 15. Explore Shakespeare’s influence on visual art, performance, and scholarship through treasures from the Folger collection hand-picked by Folger staff, including a special look at how fans have celebrated Shakespeare from his time to ours. Marking Shakespeare’s 450th birthday. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu Cool & Collected: Recent Acquisitions. Through May 25, 2015. The National Building Museum presents an exhibition dedicated solely to the objects and documents in the Museum’s permanent collection. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. nbm.org “A Thousand Years of the Persian Book” Exhibition. Mar 27-Sept 20. An exhibition at the Library of Congress will explore the rich literary tradition of the Persian language over the last millennium, from illuminated manuscripts to contemporary publications. The exhibition will bring attention to the literary achievements of Iran and the greater Persian-speaking regions of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Central and South Asia and the Caucasus. Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 E. First St. SE. loc.gov
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 15
lic, the program will be held in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE. loc.gov DC United at RFK. Mar 29, 4:00 PM vs. Chicago; Apr 5, 7:00 PM vs. New England. RFK Stadium. dcunited.com Canal Park Ice Rink. Open through mid-March (weather permitting), Monday-Friday, noon-9:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM-10:00 PM; Sunday 10:00 AM-7:00 PM. Adult fee is $8; children, seniors (55+) and military fees are $7. Skate rental is $3. On Tuesdays, two can skate for the price of one from 4:00-6:00 PM. The park is at Second and M sts. SE, one block from the Navy Yard Metro (New Jersey Avenue exit). canalparkdc.org Ice Skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Open through mid-Mar (weather permitting). Monday-Thursday, 10:00 AM-9:00 PM; Friday-Saturday, 10:00 AM-11:00 PM; Sunday, 11:00 AM-9:00 PM. $7 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under, students with ID and seniors 50 and over. Skate rental is $3. Seventh St. and Constitution Ave. NW. 202-289-3361. nga.gov/ginfo/ skating Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Closes for the season on Mar. 16 and re-opens June 30. For more information, call 202-584-5007. Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. NE. fdia.org
Crowd shot at ShamrockFest 2013. Photo: Jay Lessard Photographs
National ShamrockFest ‘14. Mar 22, 3:00-9:00 PM at RFK Stadium grounds. Event features nine musical stages, tented party areas, beer stations, bar-game areas and athletic competitions, craft, food and beverage markets and strolling entertainers and more. shamrockfest.com First Fridays in the Dupont Circle Neighborhood. First Friday of every month, 6:00-9:00 PM. First Friday openings are a collaborative effort to strengthen arts and culture in the beautiful, multi-cultural neighborhood of Dupont Circle. On the first Friday of every month, galleries in the neighborhood host simultaneous openings for art enthusiasts from all walks of life. They encourage all come to the openings and to circulate between neighboring galleries, which host an ever-changing array of styles and media. $5 suggested donation. ASCAP: One Hundred Years and Beyond” Exhibition. Through Feb 14, 2015. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers exhibition features 45 objects, including sheet music, photographs, pamphlets, posters and more. Some highlights include the first ASCAP license, which was issued to Rector’s Restaurant in New York City (Broadway and 44th Street) in 1914; the original manuscript of “The Pink Panther,” in the hand of composer Henry Mancini; Paul Williams’ lyrics for “The Rainbow Connection”; and the original lyrics, including drafts and revisions, for “The Way We Were” by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Performing Arts Reading Room Gallery on the first level of the James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE. The exhibition is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. loc.gov
16 u midcitydcnews.com
SPORTS AND FITNESS Washington Capitals Ice Hockey. Mar 8, 10, 14, 16, 25, 29; Apr 1. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 202-628-3200. capitals.nhl.com DC Rollergirls. Mar 9, 4:00 PM. (Doors open at 3:00 p.m.) Tickets are $12 for ages 12 and up, $6 for children 6-11, and free for kids 5 and under. Tickets are available in advance at ticketmaster.com or at the door on bout day. Individuals with a valid military ID can purchase tickets for $10 at the door. Temple Hills Skating Center, 3132 Branch Ave., Temple Hills, MD. dcrollergirls.com Washington Wizards Basketball. Mar 12, 15, 26, 28, 29; Apr 2 and 5. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 202-397-SEAT. nba.com/wizards Golden Moments in Sports Discussion. Mar. 14, noon. Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Ron Barr—founder, producer and host of network radio’s “Sports Byline USA”—has interviewed some of the most legendary sports figures in the history of athletic competition, including John Wooden, Dale Earnhardt, Mickey Mantle, R.A. Dickey, Willie Mays, Bill Russell, Bonnie Blair, Jim Brown, Joe Frazier, and hundreds more. Barr will bring his charismatic interview style to a unique roundtable discussion of his historic conversations and the Library’s acquisition of the Sports Byline archive in 2013. Free and open to the pub-
Washington Harbour Ice Skating. Open through mid-Mar (weather permitting). Monday-Thursday, noon-9:00 PM; Friday, noon-10:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM-10:00 PM; Sunday, 10:00 AM-7:00 PM. At 11,800 square feet, the new Washington Harbour Ice Rink is DC’s largest outdoor ice skating venue, and is also larger than New York City’s Rockefeller Center rink. Adults, $10; children/seniors/ military, $8. Skate rental is $5. 3050 K St. NW. thewashingtonharbour.com Pentagon Row Outdoor Ice Skating. Open through midMar, 10:00 AM-11:00 PM. $7-$8. $3 for skate rental. 1201 South Joyce St. Arlington, VA. 703-418-6666. pentagonrowskating.com Nearby (heated) indoor public swimming pools. Turkey Thicket, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-576-9236. Rumsey Pool, 635 No.Carolina Ave. SE. 202-724-4495. All DC public pools are free for DC residents. Have ID. dpr.dc.gov Tidal Basin 3K Monthly Run. Third Wednesday of each month at noon. This run is free and informal. West Potomac Park (meet on Ohio Dr. at West Basin Dr., near the Tourmobile stand). 703-505-3567. dcroadrunners.org Rock N Roll Marathon Registration Open. Marathon is Mar 15. runrocknroll.competitor.com Rock N Roll Mini Marathon (new in 2014). Mar 15. Feel all of the excitement in just 3.1 miles. Participate in the Mini Marathon, which will be an officially timed 5k. runrocknroll.competitor.com Spring 5K. Mar 16, 8:00 AM. Starts at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr SW (East Potomac Park). 703-486-1466. racepacket.com Scope It Out 5K Run/Walk for Colon Cancer Awareness. Mar 23, 9:00 AM. Freedom Plaza. 1-855-610-1733. scopeitout5k.com The Runway 5K & 5 Miler-Where Fashion Meets Fitness. Mar 29, 8:00 AM. Hains Point East Potomac Park. 240472-9201. dcrunningclub.com
Race4Respect. Mar 30, 9:00 AM. Pennsylvania Ave on Freedom Plaza. crowdrise.com/raceforrespect Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. Oct 5. Registration now open. 703-587-4321. wilsonbridgehalf.com Marine Corps Marathon Registration. Register for marathon lottery is open online at marinemarathon. com. Marathon is Sunday, Oct 26.
MARKETS RFK Stadium Farmers’ Market. Open Saturdays, year-round (weather permitting), 8:00 AM-3:00 PM. The market also has merchandise vendors. It can be seen in the RFK parking lot from the interestion of Benning Rd. and Oklahoma Ave. NE. Branch Avenue Pawn Parking Lot Flea Market. Saturdays. Set up (depending on the weather) after 10:00 AM. 3128 Branch Ave., Temple Hills, MD Fresh Tuesdays at Eastern Market. Every Tuesday, 3:00-7:00 PM. Tuesday afternoon farmers’ line of fresh produce. Eastern Market, 200 block of Seventh St. SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarket-dc.com Union Market. Tuesday-Friday, 11:00 AM-8:00 PM; Saturday-Sunday, 8:00 AM-8:00 PM. Union Market is an artisanal, curated, year-round food market featuring over 40 local vendors. 1309 Fifth St. NE. 301-6527400. unionmarketdc.com Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7:00 AM-7:00 PM; Saturdays, 7:00 AM5:00 PM; Sundays, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Flea market and arts and crafts market open Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. Eastern Market is Washington’s last continually operated “old world” market. On weekends the market area comes alive with farmers bringing in fresh produce, craft and flower vendors, artists, a flea market and street musicians. 200 block of Seventh St. SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarket-dc.com Anacostia Big Chair Flea Market. Saturdays, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. The market features a diverse mix of art, crafts, imports, antiques, collectibles and furniture every Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The market will also feature local specialty food items such as fruits and vegetables, flowers, preserves, prepared foods and
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 17
beverages. 2215 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. bigchairmarket.com Dupont Circle Farmers Market. Sundays year round (rain or shine), 9:00 AM-1:00 PM. The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times of London named the market one of the top farmers’ markets in the country. During the peak season, there are more than 30 farmers offering fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, cheeses, fruit pies, breads, fresh pasta, cut flowers, potted plants, soaps and herbal products. 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). 202-3628889. freshfarmmarket.org Georgetown Flea Market. Sundays year around (except in the case of very inclement weather), 8:00 AM- 4:00 PM. The crowd is as diverse as the items for sale! Antiques, collectibles, art, furniture, rugs, pottery, china, jewelry, silver, stained glass, books and photographs are an example of the available items. 1819 35th St. NW. 202-775-3532. or georgetownfleamarket.com
East Central Civic Association of Shaw Meeting. First Monday, 7:00 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. www. eckingtondc.org Edgewood Civic Association. Last Monday, 7:00-9:00 PM. Edgewood senior building, 635 Edgewood St. NE, nineth floor7-9pm. They encourage all Eckington and Edgewood residents to come out and take part in the lively civic life of our communities. www.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, 7:00-8:30 PM. Source (second floor classroom), 1835 14th St. NW
CIVIC LIFE Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic. Mar 22, 9:30 AM-noon. This clinic is for aspiring or existing small business owners. Attendees will meet one-onone with attorneys for brief advice on any legal issues their businesses may be facing. DC Women’s Business Center, 727 15th St. NW (10th floor). Congresswoman Norton’s NW District Office. Open weekdays, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. 529 14th St. NW, suite 900. 202783-5065. norton.house.gov All-Ways Mount Pleasant. First Saturday, noon-2:00 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. aa-ss.org Chinatown Revitalization Council. Fourth Monday, 7:00-8:00 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, 7:00-8:30 PM. Kennedy Rec Center, 1401 Seventh St. NW. www.ccca-online. Downtown Neighborhood Association. Second Tuesday, 7:00-9:00 PM. US Naval Memorial Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. miles@dcdna.org. dcdna.org
18 u midcitydcnews.com
ANC 1A. Second Wednesday, 7:00 PM. Harriet Tubman Elementary School, 3101 13th St. NW. 202-588-7278. anc1a.org ANC 1B. First Thursday, 7:00 PM. Reeves Center, 2000 14th St. NW (second floor). 202-870-4202. anc1b.org ANC 1B11. Second Monday, 7:00 PM. LeDroit Senior Building (basement community room), 2125 Fourth St. NW. 202481-3462. www.anc1b.org ANC 1C. First Wednesday, 7:00 PM. Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Health, 2355 Ontario Rd. NW. 202-3322630. anc1c.org ANC 1D. Third Tuesday, 7:00 PM. 3166 Mount Pleasant St. NW. 202-462-8692. anc1d.org ANC 2C. First Wednesday, 6:30-8:30 PM. Watha T. Daniel Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW (new location). 202-682-1633. anc2C.org ANC 6E. First-Tuesday, 6:30 PM. NW One Library, 155 L St. NW. u
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 19
Board of Directors of the Greater Washington Urban League And The Annual Gala Committee Cordially invite you to the
42nd Annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Memorial Gala Wednesday, March 19,2014 Grand Hyatt Washington 1000 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 Auction 5:30 PM – 8 PM | Reception 5:30 – 6:30 PM Program 6:30 PM
Attire: Black Tie and Sneakers First 50 tables will receive 10 $100 gift certificates from Southwest Airlines
20 u midcitydcnews.com
ELECTION SPECIAL 2014
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 21
ELECT ON SPECIAL
The District Beat
A City in Crisis?
22 u midcitydcnews.com
by Andrew Lightman
C
ranes dot the District’s skyline, Mayor Vincent C. Gray is fond of pointing out. Their number is a visual barometer of the city’s desirability and success, he argues – a claim bolstered by the monthly growth in the city’s population, declining unemployment, flourishing restaurants, and pedestrian traffic jams created by large number of strollers on the sidewalks. Bullet-ridden corpses on the street, the sight of a mayor in handcuffs, the demands of a congressionally imposed Control Board are distant memories. Let the good times roll! At every whistle-stop Gray touts lower unemployment, increased development, stable finances, high bond ratings, rising student test scores, and successful school reform. “I have a record I am very proud of,” he declares. In the mayoral campaign’s debates his claims are echoed by opponents Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Vincent B. Orange (DAt Large), who together form his Greek chorus, disputing only the credit for the city’s renaissance. The city’s success, Evans and Orange argue, should be laid at the door of popular former Mayor Anthony A. Williams. Wrapping themselves in his mantle, they claim to be essential members of the merry band of councilmembers who assisted the city’s climb out of bankruptcy and laid the foundations for its current growth. Evans, the Al Gore of DC politics, takes credit for everything from the Verizon Center and Nationals Stadium to the P Street Whole Foods. Orange, for his part, touts
his involvement in the Home Depot/ Giant on Rhode Island Avenue NE and the modernization of McKinley Technology Education Campus. The only thing left to fight over is the surplus. Evans supports the mayor’s decision to stash it in the city’s rainy day accounts. Orange, accusing the mayor of “hording our money at the expense of citizens,” departs from his brethren, arguing they are too focused on pleasing Wall Street. And businessman Andy Shallal agrees: “We are saving too much.”
A City in Crisis? In contrast to the mayor and his two backup singers, Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), and Shallal all argue the city is in crisis: • The corrupt mayor cheated to get elected. • Homeless children are housed in rec centers. • The city can’t count its ambulances. • Residents are dying of heart attacks in front of firehouses. • The Office of Tax and Revenue is selling residents’ tax liens to shysters. • The achievement gap between black and white students is widening under school reform. These charges are hurled at Gray at every debate. “Why do we have a surplus when we have that much need?” asks Bowser rhetorically. “We need to be concerned not just about our bond rating on Wall Street but about our human rating on Main Street,” chimes in Wells. “We have a surplus in our budget and a deficit in our vision. Cranes are pushing aside people,” charges Shallal. Midcity DC | March 2014 u 23
Artisan
Providing Capitol Hill with the most elegant and professional in-home fine dining experience.
Cuisine
why go out?
Celebrate spring with a dinner party at home!
ChefNeilWilson@aol.com | 301.699.2225 ChefJasonLawrence@hotmail.com | 202.549.7422
ADVERTISE HERE. GET RESULTS. CALL KIRA
202.543.8300 X16 Masters
20 years experience
Bathroom & Kitchen Experts • Masonry Roofing • Handyman work
A+ Rating
202.528.0621 • HandymanMastersllc.com Licensed • Bonded • Insured 24 u midcitydcnews.com
Ethics Ethics is the leading edge of the troika’s attack on Gray. They have plenty of material to draw from, with three former councilmembers convicted, a host of 2010 Gray campaign aides entering guilty pleas, revelations of payoffs to a minor candidate, and an illegal shadow campaign financed by a city contractor. Gray, for his part, aside from a general apology in his kickoff speech, has largely stayed mum on the subject of 2010’s campaign shenanigans, citing legal advice. Both Wells and Bowser have called for his resignation over the matter. Wells takes his critique of Gray a step further. He questions the mayor’s decision to settle a contract dispute with DC Charted Health, owned by the alleged funder of the shadow campaign. This decision, claims Wells, resulted in a $40 million loss to the city. Wells, who voted for the settlement, claims to have been duped. Bowser keeps her criticism of the mayor more general. The public has lost confidence in their government, she states. Moreover, the federal investigation into the 2010 campaign has created a major distraction. New leadership would allow the city to put the scandals of 2010 behind it. She urges voters to help her drive out the incumbent. Bowser also touts the ethics legislation that she steered through the council. She points to the ethics actions taken against Orange and Marion Barry by the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability. “The message has been sent across the government that there is a sheriff in town,” declares Bowser. Wells, who is known for tilting at legislative windmills on the dais, faults his colleagues explicitly for not adopting stronger standards such as the banning of corporate contributions. Permitting donations from limited liability corporations, whose ownership is often opaque, allows an individual to sidestep the cap placed on the donations of individual citizens, giving them outsized influence. Wells himself has refused to accept any corporate donations. Wells along with Evans also supports ending the council’s role in contract approvals. In addition he believes that donations from city lobbyists
and contractors should be banned. He concurs with Orange that councilmembers should forgo outside employment.
Homelessness and the Less Fortunate With DC General’s shelter at capacity and the city stashing needy families in Maryland hotels and rec centers, homelessness has emerged as a major campaign issue. The blame rests squarely on the mayor’s shoulders, Wells believes. DC General was at capacity in the fall, and the administration did not plan for additional capacity during hypothermia season. “We just don’t have to give up,” Wells states. It costs $54,000 per year to house a family at DC General, states Shallal. Wells, Shallal, and Bowser argue for a return to the Housing First policies of the Fenty administration. The idea is to rapidly rehouse families first and then provide wraparound services to stabilize them. Wells touts his work in shepherding this initiative through council and faults the mayor for abandoning it. The three critics argue for spending money on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which subsidizes families to prevent them from losing their residences in the first place. They also want increased funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund. “We have to step up and pay for it,” states Bowser. “Use the Trust Fund. We need to act now,” echoes Wells. Affordable housing is also central to the critique of Gray’s stadium deal. It must be a central element of any project involving city land, argue Bowser, Wells, and Shallal. Bowser also questions the methods the administration is using to value the Reeves Center, saying they should be marketbased. Shallal complains, “We have turned the city into a pawnshop. We need to make sure we get our money’s worth for public property.” He would like the Reeves Center turned into an uptown Torpedo Factory. Gray defends his homeless policy vigorously. He points to significant recent increases in funding for the Trust Fund. He faults the council for not
providing him with greater flexibility in interpreting the city’s right-to-housing law.
Tax Lien Sales and the Elderly Bowser, Orange, and Wells among others support legislation designed to end abuses resulting from the sale of residential tax liens. Bowser, however, also believes that elderly residents of the city need to be better protected against rises in property taxes. Under current law, the elderly are exempted from half the taxes assessed on their properties. Bowser supports legislation proposed by Anita Bonds (D-At Large) that would completely exempt long-term residents with household incomes under $60,000 from taxes. Bowser says the income limit is too low. Gray and Wells prefer to increase the standard deduction, which they argue will put money in the pockets of a larger number of less-well-off residents including renters. Wells also wants to create a District-owned transportation system that is more affordable than WMATA to help reduce the costs of living in the city for the less fortunate.
School Reform Bowser, Wells, and Shallal attack Gray’s stewardship of school reform. They cite the 62-point achievement gap between black and white student test scores, which had narrowed during Fenty’s tenure then widened and has been constant since 2011. The councilmembers’ policy fixes are specific, while Shallal questions the whole enterprise. DC’s middle schools are the problem-children of school reform, according to Bowser. Her model is Ward 3’s hugely successful Alice Deal. Funding such institutions is her number-one fiscal priority. In addition she wants to make sure that public charter and traditional public schools complement one another. “Every family in DC should have a great local elementary school,” declares Wells. Ward 6’s schools have been so successful that the ward is adding traditional public schools, unlike its neighbors. The key, says Wells, is to empower principals to take an entrepreneurial approach to education, giving parents what they request. “I’ve done it in
Ward 6 and I can do it citywide.” Shallal attacks the entire school reform enterprise. To begin with he promises to end the closing of public schools and to limit the growth of charters. He questions the current test-oriented evaluation of teachers. He has also suggested DC go back to an elected school board. In response Gray touts increases in test scores and takes credit for DC’s commitment to early childhood education, which he championed as chair of the council. He also points at efforts to reinvigorate vocational education. Lastly he lauds his appointment of Chancellor Kaya Henderson.
Fire and Emergency Services The recent tragic death of 77-year-old Cecil Mills across the street from a firehouse has propelled DC’s troubled Fire and Emergency Services Department (DCFEMS) into the center of the campaign. In the debates Wells, whose council committee holds jurisdiction over the department, has blamed the mayor for its dysfunction. Aside from Mills’ death he points to the inability of DCFEMS to service or even count its equipment. Wells has recently called for the resignations of both the fire chief and the deputy mayor for public safety.
Is the Mud Sticking? Gray’s challengers argue that an incompetent mayor has led the city into a crisis. Moreover, they argue, the mayor’s removal is of paramount importance when voters make their choice on April’s ballot. Given the District’s current renaissance and budget surplus, this is a fairly difficult sell. In a recent Marist Poll commissioned by NBC4, WAMU, and the Washington Informer, 56 percent of Democrats approved of Gray’s handling of the city and 31 percent believed that he deserved to be reelected. On the other hand, 41 percent of Democrats polled stated that they would definitely vote against the mayor in the general election in November. So, some of the mud flying around the debates may be sticking. Yet, can any of the challengers harness this “anyone but Gray” sentiment in time to play the ultimate joke on the incumbent on April 1? u Midcity DC | March 2014 u 25
ELECT ON SPECIAL
W
The Ward 6 Council Race
O
n April 1 voters of Ward 6 will make a choice in the Democratic primary between Charles Allen and Darrel Thompson. Having worked for eight years as Councilmember Tommy Wells’ chief of staff, Allen wants to continue to serve his ward as councilmember. Citing “the missed opportunities of the last eight years,” Thompson wants to employ the skills he learned in the national arena working for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and former Congressman Richard Gephardt for the betterment of his ward.
Darrel Thompson A Six Point Plan for Progress If perchance you ran into a friendly man dressed up in a Nationals uniform at Hilloween, you have likely met Darrel Thompson. While shaking your hand and asking for your vote, he probably did not have time to explain the six point “Plan for Progress” he has put forward for Ward 6’s future. Thompson begins with education. Rather than focus on a particular component of the public school system, he prefers what he calls a “comprehensive approach.” This starts at the beginning by working to increase the Pre K lottery slots by 10 percent. According to Thompson, the educational reforms and elementary school renaissance of the last decade has been uneven. While flagships such as Maury, Brent and the Watkins flourish, others have not progressed as far. Creating equity among all Ward 6 elementary schools is one of his major priorities. He supports increased funding to provide additional 26 u midcitydcnews.com
aid to students from disadvantaged backgrounds to allow these institutions to help close the achievement gap between minority and white students. He also stresses the need for effective oversight particularly of public charters. “Parents want options,” Thompson stated in a recent debate. He supports increased funding for the arts, languages, libraries, after-school programs and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Thompson focus on equity extends to the high school level as well. “I’ll see to it that the students at Dunbar High School and Eastern High School get the same access to a quality education as the students at Woodrow Wilson High School,” he states on his website. The needs of the students now enrolled in Ward 6 middle schools and at Eastern are being overlooked in the race to cater to the future needs of those currently in the ward’s elementary schools, he believes. Affordable housing is the second focus of Thompson’s plan. He strongly supports Councilmember Anita Bonds’ bill that would eliminate property taxes for seniors with household incomes of $60,000 and below. Bonds’ initiative does not go far enough, he states. Thompson wants to increase funds for city shelters and the Housing Production Trust Fund, the District’s primary affordable housing initiative. The third element is public safety. Thompson wants to get police officers out of cars and onto bicycles. He supports increasing police compensation. Thompson also strongly believes that the key to reducing crime is to provide meaningful employment. So he wants to increase funding for vocational programs in the
by Andrew Lightman traditional public schools, and ensure that all local development projects hire Ward 6 residents. The fourth pillar involves expanding public Internet access. Thompson wants free Wi-Fi available at every public park in Ward 6. The Capitol Riverside Youth Sports Park forms the next element of Thompson’s program. This popular initiative proposed by Capitol Hill parents seeks to replace the parking lots north of RFK Stadium with playing fields. As an enthusiastic amateur baseball player and little league coach, Thompson strongly supports this proposal. Thompson ends his program with a focus on employment and business development. Thompson wants to use tax incentives to foster diverse neighborhood retail. Large developments such as Reservation 13 offer an opportunity to train and employ local residents, he states, promising to make this a central demand in any negotiation over the sale or lease of public land.
Charles Allen A Neighborhood We Can Always Call Home In a living room on Capitol Hill on any given night of the week, Allen stands in front of a small group of residents making his pitch to be their representative. Summing up his vision under the rubric “A Neighborhood We Can Always Call Home,” he lays out a four point program involving education, affordable housing, aging in place and ethics. During his work as Wells’ chief of staff, Allen assisted the renaissance in Capitol Hill’s elementary schools. As his former boss is fond of pointing out, Ward
6 is the only ward where the school system is opening rather than closing schools. He was also involved in the modernization of Eastern High School, and its reconstitution under the inspired leadership of Rachel Skerritt. The problem, according to Allen, remains the middle schools that form the path from the ward’s thriving elementary schools to Eastern. Inspired by the thoughtful plan authored by The Capitol Hill Public School Parents Organization (CHPSO), Allen supports the following reforms: • better coordination between charter and traditional public schools through an expansion of the common application and lottery system that began this year; • changing the student funding formula to provide more money to schools with higher populations of economically disadvantaged students; • expanding rigorous academics such as International Baccalaureate program; • rationalizing the feeder patterns to avoid students making long commutes; • increasing oversight over public charters to prevent abuses such as the recent scandal at Options PCS; • giving parents, teachers and principals in traditional public schools more budgetary and administrative autonomy. Affordable housing is the second plank in Allen’s platform. Inclusionary zoning, Allen argues, has created mostly one bedroom and studio apartments. What is needed, given the current homelessness crisis at DC general, are larger, multi-bedroom units appropriate for
Ward 6 City Council candidates Charles Allen (left) and Darrel Thompson. Photo: Andrew Lightman political action committees. Every donation to his campaign, he states, comes with a “face and a name.” Under this regime, business people, limited to making an individual contribution, are unable to grain outsized, secret influence by bundling multiple checks from obtusely named limited liability corporations, LLCs. Concerned about even the appearance of impropriety, Allen has pledged to serve a full-time councilmember. He also strongly supports legislation that would end the DC Council’s involvement in contract approvals.
Agreements and Disagreements
families. These should be built as part of mixed income developments. There is a major opportunity for this at Reservation 13, he believes. Aware that the renovation of aging public housing is a central concern in Shaw, Southwest and on Capitol Hill, Allen has committed to a ‘build first’ strategy. Under this approach, new mixed income housing is constructed leaving all existing housing in place. Families are then moved from existing public housing to the new apartments. Their old units are torn down and new units built, making it possible for others to move in turn. This ensures that all current residents are housed in the new development. The key to continuing the renovation of public housing, the expanding the stock of affordable apartments in the District and preventing an increase in homelessness is money. In this era of
surpluses, Allen believes the city can dedicate significant revenues to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. He also stresses the importance of increasing funding of programs like Emergency Rental Assistance (ERAP) and rental subsidies that stop families from becoming homeless in the first place by providing resources to prevent the loss of apartments. “There is nothing respectful or dignified about sleeping on the floor of a recreation center,” stated Allen in a recent debate. Creating more housing stock would permit a reinvigoration of Fenty’s ‘Housing First’ strategy to be used to solve the homelessness problem, which Allen supports strongly. Under this program, families are quickly shifted from emergency shelters to apartments, and then provided with wrap-around services to stabilize them.
Allen also supports an increase in the standard deduction to provide the less well off with more money in their wallets. The fourth plank of Allen’s platform reflects his concern about Ward 6’s seniors. Allen wishes to encourage them to age in place. A major challenge to this, in his opinion, is the lack of neighborhoodbased healthcare. While Kaiser Permanente and Medstar have recently opened facilities on the northeast and southeast sections of Capitol Hill, Southwest and Shaw still lacks such options. Citing his experience as a former policy director for the DC Primary Care Association, Allen believes he has the skills to locate such urgent and primary care clinics throughout the ward. Ethics is the last element in Allen’s program. Claiming to be ‘borrowing the public’s trust,’ Allen has declined to accept any money from corporations or
As different as their background appear, Thompson and Allen have many areas of agreement. Both support: • the no-build and reroute option for the Virginia Avenue Tunnel; • a full retroactive pay raise for police officers; • moving police officers from cruisers to foot and bike patrols; • increased funding for the House Production Trust Fund out of general revenues; • building the Capitol Riverside Youth Sports Park; • ensuring the city moves on developing the first parcel at Reservation 13; • expanding bike and car sharing programs; • making affordable housing must be a central element of any development involving public land; • supporting programs that allow seniors to age in place; • prioritizing constituent services. The two candidates also have some substantial differences over the minimum wage and ethics. Thompson supported the Large Retailer Accountability Act (LRAA). Midcity DC | March 2014 u 27
“I don’t like Walmart. You will never find me shopping there,” Allen stated at a recent debate. However, Allen believes the LRAA was flawed and would not have voted for it. The proper course of action was the increase in minimum wage that was passed by the Council, he believes. Allen and Thompson differ on the issue of outside employment for councilmembers. Stating that he can balance such work with his council responsibilities and avoid any conflicts of interest, Thompson has refused to make a commitment against it similar to Allen’s. Thompson also accepts all legal campaign donations including those from corporations or political action committees. He points to the many business people listed among Allen’s contributors calling his opponent’s stance duplicitous. Allen counters that every one of his contributors has a face and a name. Furthermore, he points out that their contributions are limited by the cap on individual donations, which is not the case when a single individual makes donations through multiple corporations. The cap limits the influence of any single donor. “There is a bright line on this issue and I know which side I stand on,” stated Allen at a recent debate. “It important to do good and not just sound good,” Thompson stated at a recent debate. The answer to recent ethical lapses and criminal conduct on the part of councilmembers, Thompson argues, lies in tightening standards of conduct and increasing oversight over both governmental officials and contractors. The Hine School development is another point of contention. Thompson has solidly aligned himself with the project opponents questioning its height and scale. The project’s design did not have sufficient community input, he argues. Thompson pledges to take a fresh look at the deal. Allen, on the other hand, prais28 u midcitydcnews.com
ing the work of ANC 6B in negotiating community benefits and construction mitigation, believes that project should move forward.
A Fortunate Choice The most important differences between Thompson and Allen may be more subtle. Thompson is traditional Democrat along the lines of mentors Reid and Gephardt. Unlike Allen, tax incentives form a strong element of his approach to helping the aged and securing neighborhood retail. He is also strongly focused on using large development to drive employment for local residents. Providing opportunity for the economically disadvantaged, in his opinion, is the key to improving public safety. Terming himself a “Progressive,” Allen walks in the steps of his mentors Jan Eichhorn and Tommy Wells. Believing the built environment shapes behavior, he focuses on street lighting, transportation, storefront design and green space as the keys to creating flourishing, safe neighborhoods. Rather than relying on large-scale developments to drive employment, he views small business as the engine of growth. Removing regulatory barriers to entrepreneurs is the key to creating jobs for neighborhood residents, he argues. While Allen and Thompson have their differences both large and subtle, both share a heartfelt commitment to social justice. They do not fundamentally disagree on the need for affordable housing, adequate healthcare, the importance of public education, or the community’s responsibility to care of the less fortunate. Ward 6 is fortunate to have a choice between two such able and distinguished candidates. u
n d
s e
g y
.
e
-
-
e ,
y e s .
ELECT ON SPECIAL
P
rimary elections are fast approaching on April 1. But while all eyes are on the mayoral campaign, the councilmember at-large race is also happening, with incumbent Anita Bonds trying to secure her second term. Her opponents are Nate Bennett Fleming, Pedro Rubio and John F. Settles II. The winner of the primary will face Kevin Valentine, Jr., Brian Hart, G. Lee Aikin, Marc Morgan, Eugene Puryear and Frederick Steiner in the Nov.4 general election. Bonds was elected councilmember at-large in late 2012 after being appointed by the Democratic Party. She ran again in a special election in April, 2013 in order to fill a seat vacated by now-Council Chair Phil Mendelson. Bonds garnered just 2,979 votes more than the closest of her six opponents, or 31.49 percent of the total vote. This time around, Bonds has more support. She has secured key union endorsements, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFCSME) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). DC for Democracy chose to endorse Bennett-Fleming, while the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club has not made an endorsement as this paper went to press. Bonds has made more appearances during this campaign than last. In spring 2013, sources say that Bonds hardly showed up at any debates. But Bonds attended a candidate forum held in late January at the Sixth and I Street Synagogue, talking about the need for job creation, economic development and marijuana decriminalization in DC. This was the only forum of its kind this election season.
About Anita Bonds Bonds grew up in Ward 7, where her mother still lives. She attended John Philip Sousa Junior High School, McKinley Technology HighSchool and then Berkeley University in California, majoring in chemistry, before returning to the District, where she married and raised three children living in neighborhoods in Wards 2, 5 and 8.
A Race that Matters
At-Large Council Race is Largely Under-the-Radar by Denise Romano Bonds became involved with the Young Democrats of America, Women’s Strike for Peace and National Women’s Political Caucus. From there, she went on to serve as an advisor and cabinet member to Mayors Marion Barry, Sharon Anita Bonds Pratt and Anthony Williams. During her time in government, Bonds served as chair of Advisory Neighborhood Council 5C for four terms; was president of the Perry School Community Services Center for several terms and served as an officer of the Basic Civic Association and the DC Federation of Civic Associations. In 2006, Bonds was elected chair of the DC Democratic Party, with the assistance of Marion Barry, with whom she has been working since the 1970’s. She was reelected for that position in 2010, as well as elected to the executive board of the Democratic National Committee and was re-elected to the executive board in 2013. Bonds served as a delegate to the 2008 and 2012 Democratic National Conventions, and paved the way for the DNC’s passage of a resolution in support of DC statehood in 2012. Bonds is no stranger to controversy. Besides being accused by critics of voting in lockstep with Barry, Bonds has ties to Fort Myer Construction, the city’s largest road-paving contractor. She was a top-ranking executive at the company until she resigned after she won the 2012 election. According to her chief of communications, David Meadows, Bonds has had no outside employment since then and has spent every weekend “out on the community, meeting with residents,” not even taking a vacation. However, some find her ties to Fort Myer questionable. The city pays Fort Myer about $80 million a year directly and even more indirectly through subcontracts on construction projects. Fort Myer’s owners have also given more than $150,000 in campaign contributions, according to campaign finance records.
A “Legislative Lightweight?” During her time in office, Bonds has authored four pieces of legislation, the Senior Citizen Real Property Tax
Relief Act of 2013, the Standard Deduction Adjustment Act of 2013, the Affordable Homeownership Preservation of Equity Accumulation Amendment Act of 2013 and the Criteria for Council Review of Contracts Subcontractor Requirement Amendment Act of 2013. None have passed, but the Senior Citizen Real Property Tax and Affordable Homeownership Preservation of Equity Act are well on their way. According to Bonds, her significant achievements while in office are authoring the Senior Citizen Real Property Tax Relief Act; co introducing the Living Wage for All Act of 2013 and creating her Community Action Summits. The Property Tax Relief Act is poised to be passed by the council and will take effect this fall. It will eliminate property taxes for homeowners aged 75 and older who have maintained DC residence for 15 years or longer and who earn $60,000 or less annually. The Living Wage for All Act will raise the minimum wage to $11.50 per hour for all DC residents. The DC Fiscal Policy Institute supports the concept of the Senior Citizen Real Estate bill, but not necessarily the particulars. Executive Director Ed Lazere said that he opposes the way the bill is structured, but not the goal. “In the end, it looks like something that will pass that directs more help to those that are either coping with high property taxes or rising house costs,” he told this paper. “She can take credit for that.” Political activist and former council candidate Bryan Weaver said that he commonly hears Bonds referred to as a “legislative lightweight.” He said that she may come across to some as a flip-flopper. “Some feel she has no central compass, but conversations that I have had with her, [show] that she can get new information and change her mind,” Weaver said.
Opponents John Settles John Settles II grew up in Shepherd Park and attended Shepherd Elementary, St. Ann’s and St. John’s. He graduated from Howard University with a master’s degree in architecture and a bachelor’s degree in finance. Settles then worked at the US Department of Housing Midcity DC | March 2014 u 29
and Urban Development, John Settles joined the private sector as a realtor and then held management roles at Wells Fargo and Fleet Boston. Settles then founded a real estate development firm, using green practices focusing on low-to-moderate income areas. He also volunteers, serving as director of Lifting Voices and as former board chair of the Capitol Hill Group Ministry. Settles lives with his wife and three children who all attend DC public schools. According to his wife, Jacqui Allen-Settles, he had not received any endorsements as of press time, although she is “quite optimistic” that a few high profile ones will come in within the next few weeks. Settles released a plan for a Jobs Trust Fund that aims to lower the city’s unemployment rate by investing in local businesses that would hire residents in communities that need them most. According to a December, 2013 survey by the District Department of Employment Services, Ward 3 has a 1.7 unemployment
rate and Ward 2 has a 3.3 percent unemployment rate. Meanwhile, Ward 5’s unemployment rate is 9.4 percent and Ward 8’s is 11.6 percent. Settles said the Fund would lower DC’s income gap. It would be an independent entity funded by the city through budgetary surpluses and investments by other public and private sector sources. A ruling body made up of a board appointed by the mayor, the council, local member institutions and other organizations, would oversee the Fund. Instead of investing in traditional enterprises, Settles would make sure funding went to projects in communities that need them most. He said that the initiatives would not only provide immediate employment, but also sustainability and growth opportunities. Ideas include building a laundry facility, installing solar panels in local homes and businesses, creating an urban growing facility and building an ink and toner cartridge recycling facility.
At-Large Council Chair Race
P
ossibly even more under the radar this primary election is the at-large council chair race. Chair Phil Mendelson faces one opponent, Calvin Gurley. Mendelson was elected to the Council in November, 1998 as an at-large councilmember, where he served until June, 2012. In November, 2012 he was elected chair of the council, where he presides over all legislative matters, as well as the Committee of the Whole which includes the DC Auditor, Board of Zoning Adjustment,
30 u midcitydcnews.com
“We must give local organizations, community leaders and other key stakeholders a seat at the table,” said Settles. “These groups and individuals have an in-depth understanding of the specific needs and wants of neighborhoods Their expertise coupled with the vast resources of the District government will create a partnership that could uniquely and effectively develop community-supported, sustainable businesses.” Settles has detailed platforms on affordable housing, education, seniors and public safety, as well. His plan to increase affordable housing includes initiatives such as: giving developers incentives to create three and four bedroom units for young families and micro-unites for young professionals and seniors; giving middle class families, inPedro Rubio dividuals and seniors smart home ownership programs who have been here for more than a decade; put vacant land and underutilized properties to better use by creating affordable housing and creating an independent government
the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Office of Planning, among others. Prior to becoming chair, Mendelson was chair of the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary for eight years, responsible for overseeing DC’s public safety agencies. He also served as an ANC Commissioner for almost two decades. Mendelson came to DC from Cleveland, Ohio in 1970 to attend American University, where he earned a degree in political science. He currently lives in Northwest and has a daughter who attends DC public schools. His lone opponent is accountant and au-
entity that would handle “strategic land banding and development to ensure future availability of property.” Settles said that he will also try to help DC’s senior population. If elected, he said that he will work on fixing common problems that they often face, including the rising cost of food and housing outpacing income; not enough transportation options and isolation.
Pedro Rubio
Pedro Rubio was born and raised in Ward 4. The son of Salvadorian immigrants, Rubio graduated from American University and is currently a M.P.S candidate for Georgetown University focused on affordable housing. He is wan elected board member of the DC Latino Caucus. Rubio works as an accountant for the Department of Health and Human Services, managing federal budgets. He previously managed government contracts for the Department of Interior, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and currently works with the Department ditor Calvin Gurley, a native Washingtonian. of Defense. During his 15 years working for the federal govHe also coernment, he has overseen financial and operafounded a nontion audits in the Office of Comptroller Currenprofit that builds cy, the FDIC and the US Treasury Department. playgrounds in Gurley is also currently on the mayor’s Latin America, volBlue Ribbon Commission on DC Public Housunteers at Georgeing; is president of the Fairlawn Civic Associatown University tion; vice president of the first Orange Hat Patrol Hospital’s Oncolin DC, aiming to keep streets safer with citizen ogy Department, patrolling and is president of the Takoma Civic and tutors at-risk Association; Gurley and his wife live in Takoma. teens through DC They have two children who graduated from loCourts. Rubio cal schools. u said that he was once a troubled
student, “but turned his life around” and wants others to do so, as well. If elected, Rubio said that he will focus on education and public safety. He wants to “ensure that all students have an after-school program to go to,” make sure that DC is walkable and safe and provide more affordable housing and neighborhood development. Rubio lives with his sister and her two children, who attend a public school in Ward 4.
Nate Benning Fleming Nate Benning Fleming is currently the US Representative in Congress for DC, commonly known as the Shadow Representative, advocating for voting congressional representation, self-determination rights, and statehood for the District of Columbia. He is the youngest citywide official since Home Rule and has used his office to hold over 100 meetings in the past year with Congressional offices to boost the number of co-sponsors for the statehood bills, with 59 members of the House of Representatives now cosponsoring the bill. Fleming is a DC native and an adjunct law professor at the University of the District of Columbia’s David A. Clarke School of Law. In 2007, he received a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College and graduated from University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2011. Prior to that, Fleming worked at Goldman Sachs and served as Deputy National Director for African-American Religious Outreach for the Kerry-Edwards Presidential Campaign. He also worked in the office of Congressmember Eleanor H. Norton. u
ADVERTISE HERE. GET RESULTS. CALL DAVE
202.543.8300 X22 Midcity DC | March 2014 u 31
out and about
I
N
+ Dining
S
A
T
I
A
B
L
E
by Jonathan Bardzik
The French Pantry: Cheese, Bread, and the Wines That Love Them
Ah, March! As the first crocuses (croci?) emerge, purple and white, our somber winter moods give way to sunny smiles. It’s a magical time when the change in seasons brings new fashion to our wardrobes and fresh food to our pantries. The Frenchtoast staples of white bread, milk, and eggs that we bought, panicked at the mere mention of snow, give way to the more refined French staples of great cheese, exceptional wines, and fresh-baked baguettes. The season’s first warm days have sent me hunting to lard my spring pantry.
Shopping the Case at Sona Creamery
On my second visit to Sona Creamery (www.sonacreamery.com, 660 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) I find myself staring at a cheeseboard, wondering, “As a casual consumer of cheese, how often do I really need to seek the advice of America’s third-ranked certified cheese professional?” That person, monger Katie Carter, steps up to my table and answers the question. “That first cheese is all about the texture,” she declares. “The second is a goat’s milk gouda. It’s one of my favorites, and this wheel is a bit sweeter than usual.” While Carter works behind the cheese case, chef Frank Paris is in the kitchen creating a menu – inspired by cheese of course. Working with a single ingredient is a challenge that he became quite comfortable with while developing lamb dishes for Border Springs Farm’s now-defunct stand at Union Market. “I love the challenge,” says Paris, “And cheese, while one ingredient, gives me so many flavors to work with.” 32 u midcitydcnews.com
You’d expect an exceptional mac and cheese on the small-plates menu at a creamery, and Sona doesn’t disappoint. With a base of sharp cheddar, chef Paris incorporates “case scraps,” leaving whole bites like the crystalline, nutty, aged gouda in mine, a rich, delicious surprise. Chef Paris’ southern roots show in dishes like rich and tender, crumbly cornmeal and blue cheese gougers with candied jalapeño and pork rillette. He is rightfully proud of his spicy, bright pimento
cheese, which appears in several places on the menu including Sona’s newest item, a crostini with crackling, crisp pig ear, and lightly sweet and sour pickled carrot, cucumber, and onion. During dinner owners Genevieve and Conan O’Sullivan shared the story of moving east from Washington state to pursue a dream, five years in the making, of opening a cheese shop. They started as casual cheese makers, producing for friends and then commercially. Soon they will be making cheese again. When DC’s government has approved freshly inked regulations written specifically for this new venture, Sona will receive the first delivery of raw milk in DC since 1952. As for home? With decades of combined experience between the monger staff, I just ask for suggestions. This week we’re enjoying a beautifully balanced, bold and crumbly Spanish blue called Valdeon, and Holzhofer, a less nutty but beefier cousin of Gruyere from northern Switzerland that’s as delicious on its own as it was tossed with blanched celery root in a light vinaigrette.
Modern Liquors Finds the Right Wine for Your Cheese
Katie Carter, Sona Creamery’s head cheese monger, dispenses deep knowledge with exceptional cheese.
The more cynical among you might label Sona as enablers, but I’ve always thought it criminal to eat exceptional cheese without opening a bottle of good wine. Fortunately Shaw’s Modern Liquors (www.modernliquors.com,1200 9th St. NW ) has plenty. This 30-yearold business is owned by the family team of father Mukesh Dllawri and his sons, beer-buyer Shreven and wine-buyer Sid. Sid tells me, “My first job was at a liquor store, and I was hooked. Although I earned a degree in computers, I never took a job in it. My heart was in wine.”
I asked Sid for his advice on pairing wines with cheese. For creamy cheese with more fat, Sid recommends something more acidic, and that means whites like chenin blanc, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc and Spanish Albariño. The acidity helps cut through the fat and provide balance. For an affordable weeknight bottle grab Contessa Giovanna Manci’s Italian pinot grigio. Firmer, sharper cheeses look for less acidity with bolder flavor. Sid recommends fuller bodied varietals like cabernet, malbec, pinot noir, and Bordeaux. The Willamette Valley in Oregon has a well-
Fresh-Baked from Lyon Bakery
As often as I am tempted by golden, crispcrusted, hand-shaped bread in the case, I am disappointed by its cardboard flavor and uninspiring texture. Union Market’s (unionmarketdc.com, 1309 5th St NE) Lyon Bakery (www.lyonbakery. com) was a delightful surprise. Lyon has been baking bread in their Southwest DC bakery for 12 years. While only recently available to the public, their wares are well-known to restaurants from Baltimore to Richmond, where they deliver fresh-baked bread each day. “We start
A little sea salt, pepper, and olive oil and you’re in heaven,” he says. With a crust so crisp it shatters as you cut through it, the moist, airy sponge inside, with just the right tooth to soak up olive oil or hold thick slathers of butter, has a hint of sourness. The rosemary boule offers a sharp taste and crisp crust, which we’ve been enjoying at home with a hearty beef stew. Dark and studded with fruit and nuts, the walnut raisin bread is dense and sweet, delicious and indulgent spread with cream cheese. My favorite indulgence? The cheddar jalapeño bread. Airy and light, its best part is the toasted cheese that melts out on the bottom.
Agora Farms Better Butter
I can’t talk about exceptional bread without spreading the good news of farm-fresh butter. I started buying it about six years ago. My husband Jason was horrified by the indulgence at $6 per pound. Urged on by Jennifer McLagan’s cookbook, “Fat,” we went to the kitchen for a butter tasting. Farm-fresh Amish butter tastes first of rich fresh cream. Then you can taste the diet of the cow: herbal and floral for asparagus in spring and grassy for summer’s tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans. On a winter diet of feed – dried grasses and grains – the butter turns mellow for holiday baking, pumpkin, and potatoes. Generic grocery-store butter tastes like greasy cardboard, an affront to farmfresh produce and handmade breads. Jason agreed. Each weekend we bring some home from Capitol Hill’s Eastern Market (www.easternmarket-dc, 225 7th St. SE) from Dan Donahue at Agora Farms. It never goes to waste. Happy spring! Lyon Bakery’s artisan breads, baked fresh daily in Southwest DC, are available at Union Station and Union Market. Shown here are the rustico, jalapeño, cheddar, and raisin-and-walnut loaves.
earned reputation for exceptional pinot noirs, and Sid’s recommendation, The Four Graces, priced well for a weekend indulgence, will not disappoint. With the rich, musty, sharp veins of mold running through blue cheeses, Sid recommends the fortified, slightly-sweet flavor of port and dry sherry. Feist’s 30-year-old Portuguese port may be a luxury, but its exceptional flavor is well worth sipping with an equally fine cheese.
making dough at 6:00 a.m., which will depart the following morning as fresh-baked loaves and rolls at 3:00 a.m.” says Operations Manager Jesse Hamilton. “Then we start over again. We’ll never send out day-old bread.” Lyon is known for artisan breads, hand-crafted using as few automated processes as possible. And you can taste it. As Jesse says, “they’ve got the love.” I certainly love their bread, but what are Jesse’s favorites? “I always point people to the rustico loaf.
Jonathan Bardzik is a cook, storyteller, and author living in Eckington. 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 (and would make a wonderful gift!). Grab a copy and find out what Jonathan is cooking at www. jonathanbardzik.com or his Facebook page, “What I Haven’t Cooked Yet.” Need some foodporn? Follow @ JonathanBardzik on Twitter and Instagram. u Midcity DC | March 2014 u 33
out and about
+ health
Build Abs with Ripped Yoga by Jazelle Hunt
Repeated planks are a surefire way to get ripped. Photo: Jazelle Hunt
34 u midcitydcnews.com
W
hen the goal is to get shredded quickly, yoga is probably not the first fitness option that comes to mind. But Ripped Yoga makes a strong case for reimagining the possibilities. Ripped Yoga uses hand weights and crafted pose sequences to blend core training, strength exercises, and yoga flows. It is less about traditional poses and spiritual growth and more about physicality. The usual elements are still present, though. The dim studio smelled of lemongrass. A mellow soundtrack began at Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up” and ended with ambient sounds of the shore. There was ample time in the beginning and end for quiet introspection. Class warms up the core with undulating stretches and deep breathing, then moves into a sequence built around standard sun salutations, still with a focus on breath. Then a few high, low, and side planks are slipped in. Some deep lunges. Leg lifts. Suddenly two provided (but not obligatory) hand weights are bookending your Warrior 2 pose. Breathing, though it doesn’t ever quite quicken, becomes a much less obvious thing to do. Sweat starts to seep, rolling through a continuous flow that only stops when holding a pose (or when break is stolen). The weights are added and subtracted at seamless intervals; no jarring transitions interrupt the focus. Light enough to be fluent in their comings and goings, the weights are heavy enough to add distinct challenge to the poses. Ripped Yoga’s vibe, instruction style, and core movements feel like yoga; there’s modifications for everything, there’s no pressure, judgment, or obligations, and all the buzzwords like “intention,” “practice,” and “Child’s pose” are there. But there’s also the slow and definite burn and a certain level of laboriousness to remind everyone that it’s called “Ripped” yoga for a reason. “It’s definitely core focused,” says class instructor Dan McAnally, who has been teaching
yoga for eight years. “You will have a stronger core and lower back muscles because everything, all movement, stems from there. After just a couple sessions you’ll start to see you can hold poses longer.” Though it’s akin to power Vinyasa, this class demands more than that from arms, abs, obliques, and backs. For example, the Warrior 2 had always been an empowering yet easy, favorite. Not so much while clenching five-pound hand weights at proper shoulder height, palms upward, holding the pose for endless moments. Ripped Yoga builds and chisels these muscles faster than other yoga styles. Amy Elizondo, who has been taking the class for a little over a year, agrees. “I think with the incorporation of the weights and also the repetitions you tend to see the effects of strengthening much more quickly. I was only doing it once a week, and with that I could see a difference.” The flow moves at a steady pace, and poses aren’t really explained, so it’s helpful to have tried yoga before. However, you don’t need to be a regular practitioner or aspiring yoga guru to appreciate the class or keep up. During the final block of core work, for example, some participants held a Bridge pose (what might be known as a “hip raise” elsewhere), while others held a Wheel pose (resembling a doubled-over Slinky). As another example, when it was time to plank everyone had the option to hold the high plank, or lower themselves slowly into a low plank for three breaths, or do something entirely different and more comfortable. It’s all pretty accessible. “As a guy who’s not flexible and doesn’t do yoga often, this class isn’t intimidating,” says another yearlong participant, who wished to identify himself only as Billy. “Dan does a good job engaging everyone, it’s never too crowded, and I never feel lost and like I need to constantly look around to know what’s going on.”
The instructor himself is also an important part of the accessibility. McAnally leads with a “hakuna matata”-like attitude. He begins each class by asking for pose- or area-of-focus requests and reminding everyone to relax and participate on their own terms. Occasionally he will go around the room and rub a tense shoulder or correct a pose, and he seems to genuinely care that participants are getting something out of each class, regardless of what that “something” is on a personal level. Ripped Yoga “is about vibes, and feelings, and strengthening your practice. It’s total body workout, but it’s still yoga,” McAnally says. “There’s breathing, relaxation … we try to incorporate something for everyone. You feel free on the mat.” VIDA Verizon Center (601 F St. NW) offers Ripped Yoga on Tuesday from 7:35 to 8:35 p.m. (with Dan) or Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call 202393-8432 for more information. Or try it at VIDA Metropole (1517 15th St. NW) on Sunday from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. Call 202588-5559 for more information. Sculpt DC (950 F St. NW) offers a similar class, “Sculpt 360,” on Monday at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday at 6:45 p.m., Friday at 1:00 p.m., Saturday at 9:00 a.m., and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Call 202-885-9550 for more information. And if you’re willing to travel to Glover Park, CorePower Yoga (2233 Wisconsin Ave. NW, #105) offers a heated, more advanced version of this concept twice a day, seven days a week (with three classes on Tuesday). Call 202-733-5726 for more information. u Midcity DC | March 2014 u 35
your neighborhood
+ Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board Aspiring Writers Circle at MLK Library
Young Artist Fellowship Applications Sought
The Aspiring Writers Circle meets once monthly on the second Tuesday, 6 p.m., in the Digital Commons. A place for peer support and networking for new and emerging writers, the Circle is open to playwrights and poets, bloggers and freelancers, children’s authors and graphic novelists, fiction and nonfiction writers. Join us to take advantage of classes, resources and support offered by the Library to help you achieve your dream. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk
The Fellowship program is open to Washington area artists between the age of 18-29 and is designed to help young and emerging artists to develop professionally through a two-year membership in the Touchstone Gallery, mentoring by established artists, participation in gallery group shows, and a culminating solo show at the end of the two year fellowship. The value of the fellowship is approximately $4800. Application deadline is Mar. 28, 2014. Read more at touchstonefoundationdc.org.
Sixth and I Running Club
Temporary Lane and Sidewalk Closures on K Street NW
Lace up your sneakers and hit the streets for a fun run around town, followed by a meal at a local eatery. Running Club meets monthly at different locations throughout the greater DC area. Runners of all speeds are welcome, whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or just hitting the road for the first time. Runs are between two-four miles long, depending on the area. $12. For new members, the one-time fee includes membership, a t-shirt, and notification of all future runs. For more information, contact hglickman@sixthandi.org.
The District Department of Transportation will be implementing a series of temporary lane and sidewalk closures on K St. NW, between 12th and 21st Street, to allow for utility work as part of an Americans with Disabilities Act Improvement project in this corridor. The closures will take place through Mar. 31, 2014 and will be limited to non-consecutive intersections during off-peak hours, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Temporary signs and barricades will be in
place to alert and guide the traveling public in this area. DDOT encourages all commuters to stay alert as they travel in this corridor. All construction related work and dates are subject to change, depending on weather, utility companies, material and contract availability or other unforeseen conditions.
The Future of the Corcoran
The Corcoran Gallery of Art and Corcoran College of Art + Design, the National Gallery of Art and the George Washington University have announced a proposed collaboration that would safeguard and increase access to the Corcoran’s iconic collection as a resource for the public in Washington, DC, maintain the historic Corcoran building as the renovated showplace for an important new program of exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, and strengthen and elevate the Corcoran College and its programs. The collaboration would raise the stature of arts education in the District and expand the benefits, services and interdisciplinary opportunities that both the National Gallery of Art and GW provide to students, museum-goers, and the Washington community. The three institutions are now entering a discussion period to set the definitive terms of a collaboration, under which the Corcoran College of Art + Design would become a part of the George Washington University. GW would operate the College, maintain its distinct identity, and assume ownership of, and responsibility for, the Corcoran building. The
LEFT: Bike everywhere with Capital Bikeshare. Photo: Courtesy of Bike and Roll
Bike to the Blossoms
Capital Bikeshare will put out extra corrals during the three weekends of the National Cherry Blossom Festival: Mar. 23, 24, 30, 31 and Apr. 6 and 7. All will operate from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The corrals will be at Ohio Dr. and W. Basin Dr. SW. Capital Bikeshare offers over 2,500 bikes at 300+ stations in the District, Arlington, Alexandria and Montgomery County. Members can join for $7 per day, $15 for 3 days, $25 for a month and $75 for an annual membership. Take a bike from any station, enjoy your ride, and return it to the station of your choice. Trips under 30 minutes are free. Several major bicycle trails make their way to and through Washington, DC. The national capital region is extremely bicycle-friendly and readily accessible to riders of nearly every skill level. During the Festival, the National Park Service will place bike racks at Independence Ave. and 15th St. SW, close to the Tidal Basin, which bikers with their own locks can utilize for free. A map showing the location of bike parking is available on nps.gov. 36 u midcitydcnews.com
N p r C A t b t t w c l G C N t d
B M
L t a b c o d P P t
D H
m p s o Th n a h v n a i
National Gallery of Art would organize and present exhibitions of modern and contemporary art within the building, under the name Corcoran Contemporary, National Gallery of Art. The National Gallery would also maintain a Corcoran Legacy Gallery within the building, displaying a selection of works from the collection that are closely identified with the 17th Street landmark. These and other works of the Corcoran collection would become the responsibility of the National Gallery of Art. Works accessioned by the National Gallery would bear the credit line “Corcoran Collection.” For works not accessioned by the National Gallery, the Corcoran, in consultation with the National Gallery, will develop a distribution policy and program.
Books & Bars at Laughing Man Tavern
Join DC Public Library librarians at Laughing Man Tavern, 1306 G St. NW, on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. for a modern-day book club. Books & Bars is a book club that promises great food, drinks, a comfortable atmosphere, and great discussion on today’s most intriguing books. On Wednesday, Mar. 19, Books & Bars will be discussing Percival Everett by Virgil Russell: A Novel by Percival Everett. For further information, contact Kari Mitchell at kari.mitchell@dc.gov.
DPR Summer Job Hiring Fairs
The 2014 summer hiring application was made available to the pubic on Feb. 3 and applications will be accepted throughout the summer. Two DPR hiring fairs will take place on Saturday, Mar. 15 and Saturday, Apr. 19. The time and locations for the fairs will be announced shortly. Prospective applicants will be able to learn about the many positions DPR has to offer; speak with representative from various divisions. There will also be opportunities to fill out an application at the fair. All applicants are asked to dress in professional, interview attire and bring both an electronic
and hard/paper copy of their resume. For more information, visit summer.dpr.dc.gov.
Phillips after 5
Phillips after 5 is a lively mix of art and entertainment, including live music, food, and cash bar, on the first Thursday of every month (5-8:30 p.m.). Reservations are strongly advised for this popular event. Members always admitted free, no reservation needed. The Apr. 3 program is entitled “Suppress the Depression: The American 30’s.” $10-$12. The Phillips Collection is located at 1600 21st St. NW, near the corner of 21st and Q Sts. NW. 202-3872151. phillipscollection.org
Call for CUA Joaquin Miller Poetry Series
The Joaquin Miller Summer Poetry Series seeks poets for the 2014 readings. Send 5 poems, brief bio, name, address, email, phone, and SASE to Rosemary Winslow, Department of English, Catholic University, Washington, D.C. 20064. The deadline is submission postmarked by Mar. 31, 2014.
Leon Johnson Joins Mt. Vernon Triangle CID
The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District (MVT CID) has welcomed Leon Johnson as Director of Operations, where he takes an active role in achieving the MVT CID’s goals and objectives. For the past five years, Johnson played a leading role in the operations and safety of the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District. He was initially the manager of the Clean and Safe team crew through a contract with Service Group, Inc., and then was promoted to Director of Parks and Public Realm, with responsibility for the overall maintenance and security of Yards Park.
Kyle James Dunn,“The Sun Never Sets” Hand-cut with a plasma-cutter, (an electrical torch) painted with outdoor paint. 6’6” x 8’ x 3’
Zenith Gallery Celebrates 36 Years in the Nation’s Capital
“36th Years on a Creative Journey” features the painting, sculpture and mixed media art of Zenith Gallery artists at 1429 Iris St. NW. The opening receptions to meet the artists are Saturday Mar. 8, 2-6 p.m. and Sunday, Mar. 9, 2-4 p.m. The show runs from Mar. 7 through Apr. 26. Zenith Gallery is at 1429 Iris St. NW. The gallery hours are Friday and Saturday noon-6 p.m. Other times by appointment. Featured artists are Kim Abraham, Lenny Campello Renee DuRocher, Eric Ehlenberger, Estella Fransbergen, Robert Freeman, Julie & Ken Girardini, Margery E. Goldberg, Stephen Hansen, Christine Hayman, Philip Hazard, David Hubbard, Robert Jackson, Katie Dell Kaufman, Peter Kephart, Susan Klebanoff, Joan Konkel, Chris Malone, Michela Mansuino, Donna McCullough, Davis Morton, Carol Newmyer, Tom Noll, Fernando Roman, Sica, Ellen Sinel, Paula Stern, Bradley Stevens, Cassie Taggart, Tim Tate, Marci Wolf-Hubbard, Paul Martin Wolff, Joyce Zipperer and more.
Brown bag book chat at MLK Library
Join the conversation! This Twitter book (continued on page 39)
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 37
your neighborhood
+ The Numbers
A Budget Wish List
DC Financial Policy Institute’s Suggestions on Closing the Income Gap
I
ncome inequality is a concern all across the country, and especially here in the nation’s capital. The gap between rich and poor in the District is one of the highest among the largest cities in the United States. While many residents are doing very well in DC’s higher-education driven economy, those without these credentials are falling further behind, and their kids will likely, too. That’s not a healthy scenario for our city. All the resources being put into education reform, for example, will have limited impact if thousands of youngsters are not ready to learn because they don’t have a safe and stable place to live. Mayor Gray and the DC Council have an opportunity with next year’s budget to start narrowing the income gap and increasing opportunity for DC residents through investments in affordable housing, education, health care, job assistance, and targeted tax reductions. The mayor will present his budget proposal by April 3. The Council then will have eight weeks to analyze the package and make changes--though the budget must remain balanced. The following key investments in next year’s budget can help make the District a city where all can prosper and thrive.
A Safe and Secure Place for Every DC Resident to Live
The surge of families in DC emergency shelter this winter has put the District’s severe lack of affordable housing into sharp focus. The District needs to maximize its tools to both maintain and create housing for various income levels, including those who make DC’s minimum wage. This should include funding for programs that help people rent as well as own a home. The most versatile tool in the affordable housing toolbox is the Housing Production Trust Fund. The current dedicated funding stream is not sufficient to keep on track with DC’s stated goal of creating 10,000 new affordable housing units by 2020. DCFPI recommends that Mayor Gray include $50 million addition 38 u midcitydcnews.com
by Jenny Reed dollars for the trust fund to next year’s budget. This would bring the fund to nearly $100 million and be enough to build or renovate over 1,300 homes. Part of the trust fund should be set aside to directly combat chronic homelessness. Providing housing and supportive services to these residents, who typically suffer from severe health conditions and/or severe mental illness, is a proven model both to save lives and the city money. The DC Interagency Council on Homelessness has determined this can be accomplished through a $38 million set-aside from the Housing Production Trust Fund and an addition $13 million to the homeless services budget. Mayor Gray and the Council would be wise to make this allocation. Programs to help working families with the gap between what’s reasonable to spend on rent and the market rates should also be bolstered. DC’s Local Rent Supplement Program makes housing affordable to residents with very low-incomes in two ways, both by giving vouchers directly to residents as well as providing funds to keep units in buildings affordable. A $10 million investment split between both approaches could create 830 affordable housing opportunities. We also need to help those who are currently in our city’s emergency shelter system. Rapid re-housing moves people out of shelter quickly and into housing with short-term rental assistance and supportive services, but currently only serves families and veterans. An investment of $5.8 million for rapid re-housing could help end homelessness for at least 270 homeless individuals. And we also need to make sure that individuals and families can buy a home too. DC’s First Right Purchase program has preserved nearly 1,400 affordable homes for low- and moderate-income residents since 2002. It is DC’s key anti-displacement tool. Yet funds haven’t been sufficient to meet the need of tenants seeking assistance to purchase their building when it’s put up for sale. A $20 million allocation could support nearly 300 units for first right purchase in FY 2015.
Preparing DC Residents for the Future
Education remains a top concern, and next year’s budget should make key investments not only in our kids, but in parents as well. For youngsters in DC’s publically-funded traditional and charter schools, DCFPI strongly supports changing the school funding formula to direct more resources to high-poverty schools. The idea of a new weight in the formula for “at risk” students was blessed by the DC Council in legislation adopted last fall. That law authorized additional monies for the 30,000 students who are homeless, in foster care, or eligible for food stamps or welfare benefits. It also requires that 90 percent of these funds go directly to schools, with autonomy for principals on how best to use those funds. A recently released study commissioned by the Deputy Mayor for Education largely agreed. This would require $33 million in new funds. Helping moms and dads prepare for work is also important. This year, the Gray administration made $5.5 million available to fund assessment, occupational literacy, postsecondary education and digital literacy for residents seeking employment help from both the city’s employment services agency and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. An additional $1 million went to accelerated learning programs to help adults transition from adult education to postsecondary training and education. These funds should be built into the budget for the Office of the State Superintendent for Education next year and beyond. DC’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program is another important tool to help families reach stability by providing job training and cash assistance to families with children. Yet, there is only capacity to offer job training to about half of the parents on TANF who need it. Increasing the number of job training slots will allow parents to begin making progress immediately, rather than languishing on a wait list for months. With time limits on these benefits, quick access to training is critical. A $30 million investment
s r I a
” n r t y t y
o e l y e n s e r
s s s b t k t
would help double the number of job training slots available Further, the low level of DC’s TANF benefits leaves many families in a state of constant crisis. TANF parents report that both their TANF and SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps) run out before the end of the month. This is not surprising as DC’s TANF and SNAP benefits bring families to just under 60 percent of the federal poverty line. A $10 million investment would raise these benefits by 15 percent and add a cost-ofliving adjustment to ensure benefits don’t continue to erode over time.
Making DC’s Tax System More Progressive
DC can play a role in making sure that when families work, they are rewarded. DC’s tax system is currently structured so those who make the most money keep the most money because they pay the lowest percentage of their income in combined DC taxes. Meanwhile, DC’s low and middle income residents pay a much higher share of their income in taxes. DC’s Tax Revision Commission made several recommendations to improve the income tax system: increasing DC’s personal exemption and standard deduction, reducing tax rates on middle income households, and increasing Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) benefits for childless workers. Together, this package would provide tax relief to DC’s low and middle-income residents. The DC budget is a statement of our priorities as a city. DCFPI looks forward to working with Mayor Gray and the DC Council on these, and other critical priorities, to make sure that we allocate resources to create a healthy, prosperous city for all. DCFPI seeks to inform public debates on budget and tax issues and to ensure that the needs of low-income residents are considered. www.dcfpi. u
(Bulletin Board continued from page 37) club meets every second Wednesday of the month at lunchtime (noon- 1 p.m.) to compare notes with library staffers on what you’re currently reading. Love it or hate it, they want to know. Or you can share in person. Just drop into the Popular Library during the meeting and get a free book or audiobook and a stylish but sturdy library tote to carry home your treasure. #brownbagdc@dcpl
Playwrights’ Collective Awarded $10,000 to Produce New Works
The Welders—Washington’s only playwrights’ collective devoted exclusively to developing and producing new plays—has been granted $10,000 in general support by Venturous Theater Fund. The grant, which is open to applicants by invitation only, is offered to artists and organizations who create ambitious, challenging new work. Established in 2012, Venturous Theater Fund supports theater-makers who take risks in creating, developing, and producing new works for the stage. Grants are disbursed via a donor-advised fund at the Tides Foundation on the recommendation of the Fund’s trustees. Welders Artistic Director Allyson Currin acknowledges that the grant is the key to the Welders’ future. “We’re in rehearsal now for our first full production,” she said. “Having this funding on hand as we move forward means the world to us. And it means that we’ll be that much stronger as we head into our subsequent productions.”The Welders’ first production, Currin’s The Carolina Layaway Grail will run Mar. 22-Apr. 4, at The Atlas Performing Arts Center. Previews begin Mar. 20. thewelders.org
The Summit: In-Depth Exploration of DC Theater
Arena Stage is offering a rare opportunity for DCarea theatergoers to hear groups of distinguished actors, directors, playwrights and artistic directors discuss their work and the myriad challenges facing their art form, in two remaining Monday evening panels entitled The Summit. The panels will gather some of the region’s most accomplished theater professionals to talk about everything from their passion for their craft to the problems of trying to lure new audiences to live theater. Tickets are free, but reservations are encouraged. Tickets may be reserved online at arenastage.org, by phone at 202-4883300 or at the Sales Office at 1101 6th St. SW.
On Monday, Mar. 24, 7 p.m., the focus will be on actors including veteran stage, film and TV actress Helen Carey; Shakespeare and Studio Theatre stalwart Tom Story; Woolly Mammoth company member Kimberly Gilbert; Signature Theatre sensation Nova Y. Payton. On Monday, Apr. 28, 7 p.m., The Summit will turn to playwrights and directors. The panel that evening will include Rachel Grossman, ringleader of the District’s innovative audience participation troupe, dog & pony dc; David Muse, Studio Theatre artistic director and director of Tribes; frequent Woolly Mammoth director/playwright Robert O’Hara (Antebellum and Bootycandy); Ari Roth, Theater J artistic director; and DC-area playwrights and members of Arena Stage’s inaugural Playwrights’ Arena collaborative writing group Norman Allen (Nijinsky’s Last Dance) and Jacqueline E. Lawton (The Hampton Years).
Financial Assistance and Case Management for Veterans
The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program offers financial assistance and case management to help veterans and their families attain and maintain safe, stable housing. Through SSVF, veterans who are homeless or in danger of homelessness receive shortterm assistance with rent, utilities, childcare, security deposits, and other household expenses. The program also provides case management to help veterans resolve the issues that caused their housing crises and to ensure long-term housing stability. Call Housing Counseling Services at 202-667-7006 for more information.
Best Buddies Runs 25th Anniversary PSA at Verizon Center
Best Buddies International is featuring their 25th anniversary PSA on the exterior signs at Verizon Center. A nonprofit organization aiming to create meaningful relationships between people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and volunteers, Best Buddies has program participants in all 50 states and in 50 countries around the world. In celebration of their 25th anniversary Best Buddies is running a PSA to make a call to action to volunteers and to spread the word about their mission. The PSA will run through the spring. In addition to their day-to-day programming, Best Buddies holds annual events including the Best Buddies Challenge: Washington, DC and the Friendship Walk. Both (continued on page 41) Midcity DC | March 2014 u 39
your neighborhood
+ Strictly Business
Strictly Business:
Cutting The Red Tape to Work from Home
H
aving your own home-based business may seem ideal – a chance to do what you enjoy, be your own boss and simply have more control over your time. Yet in DC, the steps to be able to actually work out of your home are not the easiest to climb, let alone understand. And specifically for the many renters in the District, the time and energy needed to understand the process is often too great a start-up cost. On the website for the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), there is a page about business licensing with some basic FAQs. One question familiar to this writer asks, “I’m employed but I do some freelance work on the side; do I need a Basic Business License? If you are conducting business in the District, are registered with the Office of Tax and Revenue to do business in the District, and are not otherwise licensed, you are required to have a Basic Business License.” This rather ambiguous answer is all too familiar for Rossana Espinoza. As the DC Small Business Coach/Trainer at the Latino Economic Development Center, a regional small business and economic development nonprofit, Espinoza assists entrepreneurs as they are starting their businesses. Sorting through information on the DCRA website and the subsequent phone calls to DCRA that sometimes results in conflicting information from staff, many aspiring entrepreneurs turn to her to guide them through the process. Yet, it’s only through trial and error that she herself has grown into an expert. The Small Business Resource Center, established in 2011 by the city, has been a good step forward in providing clearer answers and information to potential entrepreneurs, a crucial ally for Espinoza and her clients. As DCRA spokesperson Matt Orlins states, “The process for starting a home-based busi-
40 u midcitydcnews.com
by Miriam Savad ness as a renter should be a straightforward one. DCRA offers support to entrepreneurs through its Small Business Resource Center. Those interested in starting a business can set up a one-on-one appointment with the Resource Center, which will guide them through all the steps necessary to set up their new business. Business operators are also invited to call or email with individual questions. The Resource Center…has been helping small businesses successfully navigate the District’s processes for nearly three years.” Yet many residents remain unaware of this resource. When one DC resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, made the decision to leave a larger, shared business to work for himself, he did extensive research into taxes, permits and licenses. But all his time and research led him running in the opposite direction. He stated, “As far as I can tell, the process involves acquiring a certificate of occupancy. Getting that could require approval from one’s landlord, from neighbors, and from the zoning board…Requiring a certificate of occupancy for all businesses regardless of their type seems unnecessarily onerous, especially for very small businesses whose office might consist of one smart phone. That requirement alone stops me from even considering getting an official business license from the District.” After extensive digging and back-and-forth with DCRA, the process is surprisingly more straightforward than the above-mentioned DC resident believed. In actuality, a Certificate of Occupancy is a permit that a property owner, not renter, must obtain, which indicates that the use of the building conforms to zoning regulations and building code. DCRA states that the process has simplified and the forms have been changed in the past several years. A renter needs to only obtain one permit, which does not require a landlord’s permission.
Orlins states, “Conducting business out of a home triggers a requirement to obtain a Home Occupation Permit (HOP) under the District’s zoning regulations. Home Occupation means an accessory or incidental use of a house or apartment by a homeowner or tenant who also lives in the residence. For example, consulting, web design, and other largely office-based functions would qualify.” In Espinoza’s experience, she finds that most potential entrepreneurs stop the process after incorporating. The initial step of incorporating is relatively straightforward, but once they discover the length and complexity of the rest of the process, and that obtaining the business license is the most difficult component, their plans unravel. She explains that a caterer, for example, could be home-based, but would require a commercial kitchen, inspections, a clean hands form, etc. – costly obstacles that discourage potential caterers to proceed. In fact, despite the fines, some food vendors have chosen to continue operating illegally by selling food on the street rather than obtain the appropriate permits and licenses. After some time doing freelance work in digital media, a DC couple, who also wish to remain anonymous, decided to pursue a more consistent revenue stream and form a business. After obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN), attending workshops from several local technical assistance providers and meeting with a pro bono attorney, it was still a long and slow process to become an LLC. As renters in a group house, they also believed that obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy was necessary but nearly impossible, requiring a letter of permission from the landlord. With the encouragement of their attorney, and no foreseeable repercussions, they also opted out of obtaining a business license. Small changes could, at a minimum, help to
e r r y
t e d s , t o e s
l e n g e t . t y t ,
o
reduce the confusion around the process and make the steps clearer for potential entrepreneurs. As Tim Flanagan, Executive Director of the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, points out, some progress has been made. “You have to hand it to [DCRA] Director Majett – he and his management team are trying to make things easier for small businesses. The regulations didn’t get this complicated overnight, and they won’t be completely simplified overnight. The DCRA management team has to keep making progress – you can only eat a dinosaur one bite at a time.” So DCRA, here are my three simple suggestions to make the process more transparent: 1. Remove any outdated forms that are searchable through Google or on the DCRA website, 2. Establish a more detailed, online checklist that spells out the steps, fees and forms needed for home-based businesses, and 3. Broaden the outreach of the Small Business Resource Center, include hours on its website and offer the website in multiple languages. For readers interested in learning more about the DC Small Business Resource Center visit http:// dcbiz.ecenterdirect.com/, and to provide feedback to DCRA visit grade.dc.gov. Miriam Savad is an activist for community economic empowerment living in Washington, DC. Strictly Business is a column for small businesses in Washington, DC, examining individual cases and exploring how the city could be more small business friendly. u
(Bulletin Board continued from page 39)
raise funds for the nonprofit while creating a welcoming atmosphere where new friendships can form. Visit BestBuddies.org for more information.
Architect Team Selected for MLK Jr. Library Renovation
The team of Martinez + Johnson and Mecanoo Architecture has been selected to renovate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library. Martinez + Johnson is a District-based firm that has extensive experience with historic renovation projects, including DCPL’s Takoma Park and Georgetown libraries. Mecanoo is a Netherlands-based firm whose work includes Boston’s Dudley Municipal Center. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library will be renovated to accommodate 21st-century library services. The library, which first opened in 1972, has many systems that need to be updated or replaced. Additionally, many aspects of library service have changed greatly in the 40 years since the building opened. No decisions have been made on the type or extent of the renovations or additions to the library. The total cost for the project has not been determined. Early estimates for the total cost range from $225 million to $250 million. The Mayor and D.C. Council have committed $103 million to the project in the capital budget.
Dupont Circle Village “Spring into Auction”
Dupont Circle Village will hold a fundraising silent auction called “Spring into Auction” on Mar. 28 at 6:30 at the National Women’s Democratic Club, with tickets available from the Village website at dupontcirclevillage.org or by calling 202-236-5252. The auction highlight will be a series of Celeb Salons with famous celebs from the DC and national scenes. Check out last year’s celebs to get an idea of the personal settings and warm conversations at facebook. com/DupontCircleVillage.
DDOT Accepting Applications for 2014 Performance Parking Zone Community Benefits Program
The District of Columbia Department of Transportation invites eligible entities to apply to the 2014 Performance Parking Zone Community Benefits Program. Within the three existing performance parking zones in the District (Ballpark Area, H Street NE and Columbia Heights), the
following entities are eligible to apply: Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, Business Improvement Districts and Main Street organizations. The deadline for submission is Friday, Mar. 21, 2014 at 5 p.m. The Neighborhood Performance Parking Fund establishes annual resources to provide or accelerate non-automobile transportation investments in the District’s performance parking zones. Proposed projects must be within or immediately adjacent to the performance parking zone. Applicants will identify and prioritize eligible projects and locations, and submit them for review and selection by DDOT. The intention of this program is to accelerate maintenance or rehabilitation, implement new initiatives, or install “quick fix” improvements. The funding is not intended to support major capital projects, grant funds to outside entities or install nonstandard furnishings. Information about project prioritization and evaluation criteria, selection process, and funding availability is included in the Request for Application. A copy of the RFA may be obtained from DDOT at 55 M St. NE, 4th Floor. An electronic version of the RFA, and additional information, may be obtained by contacting Kelly Peterson at 202-671-4573, or by email at kelly.peterson@dc.gov.
New Faith Based Enrollment Centers Help Enroll Residents in Health Plans
The Mar. 31 deadline for enrolling in health insurance is approaching fast. Faith based organizations and institutions are answering the call by providing locations for residents and small business to get information about health insurance plans and offer assistance with the enrollment process. Consumers are encouraged to visit newly opened enrollment centers to beat the last minute rush and avoid the tax penalty. DC Health Link assisters and licensed health insurance brokers will be at each of the faith based enrollment locations to provide information, answer questions and encourage residents to avoid the rush and the penalty this year, by signing up before the Mar. 31, 2014 deadline. Education and enrollment activities will continue to occur throughout the city until the end of the open enrollment period. In Ward 2, The New Bethel Baptist Church Enrollment Center, 1739 S St. NW, is open Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. In Ward 2, African Methodist Episcopal Church Finance Office, 1134 11th St. NW, Tuesdays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. In Ward 2, Metropolitan AME Church, 1518 M St. NW, Sundays, 8-11 a.m. u Midcity DC | March 2014 u 41
your neighborhood
Shaw Streets by Pleasant Mann
James Beard Foundation Recognizes Shaw Bars
Two Shaw establishments got national recognition recently when the James Beard Foundation released the list of semifinalists for its 2014 restaurant awards. Both the Columbia Room and Rogue 24 were nominated for Outstanding Bar Program by the foundation. The Columbia Room is the awardwinning, 10-seat bar-withina-bar located at The Passenger (1021 7th St. NW). Created by noted mixologist Derek Brown, the Columbia Room was included in the GQ Magazine 2012 list of the 25 Best Cocktail Bars in America. The bar program at Rogue 24 (922 N St. NW, rear, in Blagden Alley) is managed by “Cheftender” Bryan Tetorakis, renowned for applying molecular gastronomy techniques to the creation of new cocktails. The list of 25 national semifinalists will be winnowed down to five nominations on March 18, with the winner announced in May.
rant, named Dino’s Grotto, will take over the former Portico space at 1914 9th St. NW. It will be able to serve a total of 120 people, with the lower level featuring a large communal table alongside a 14-seat bar and table seating for 40. The first level of the restaurant will feature a 10-person bar and table seating
and colorful playground equipment around Shaw’s Kennedy Recreation Center, the playground has been opened to eager young residents. There are separate playgrounds for small and older children, with signage and icons outlining the history of the Kennedy site over a century and a half in Shaw.
More New Shaw Businesses
Solidcore, a new fitness gym, has opened in Progression Place (1821 7th St. NW). Solidcore New playground at Kennedy Recreation Center. Photo: Pleasant Mann uses the patented Megaformer to provide an intense 50-minute workout, employing a variety of exercises that for 50. Dino’s Grotto will feature Italian pastas and can accommodate all fitness levels without users dishes that are handmade daily using fresh ingrediever reaching a plateau in their body results. Shaw ents from local and organic farms and sustainable represents Solidcore’s second DC location after the fishers and butchers. It will also spotlight “local craft opening of the first in Adams Morgan in November. brews as well as artisan Italian beers and ciders on Solidcore plans a third location in Mount Vernon tap and creative cocktails.” Dino’s Grotto plans to open before the end of April. Square in April. Dean Gold, chef and co-owner of Dino restaurant in Cleveland Park, has announced that he New Kennedy Recreation is moving the restaurant to Shaw after more than Center Playground Opens eight years at its current location. The new restauAfter months of construction to install new 42 u midcitydcnews.com
The new playground also includes a waterplay area, which the city intends to name as a memorial to Lillian Gordon, a Shaw activist who fought for construction of the Kennedy Recreation Center. Some features of the playground have yet to be completed, most notably a six-foot-high fence at 7th and P streets to protect the playground area. Resurfacing of the tennis and basketball courts will have to wait until the weather becomes consistently warm. The waterplay area will not be up and running until the summer.
Marriott Announces Bars and Restaurants
With the Marriott Marquis Hotel at the Washington Convention Center scheduled to open on May 1, its planners have announced the bars and restaurants that will support the 1,175 room hotel. There will be a total of two restaurants and three bars, along with, of course, a Starbucks outpost. One restaurant will be called Anthem, a 215-seat facility that will focus on serving breakfast and lunch. It plans to have a menu that includes items from the old Hot Shoppes restaurants, which represented the start of the Marriott empire, although plans to recreate a Hot Shoppes format for the restaurant were dropped. Details on the second restaurant at the hotel are not available, since negotiations on the leasing terms with an independent restaurant group have not yet been completed. As for the bars, one will be called The Dignitary, at the corner of 9th St. and Massachusetts Ave. NW, inside the historic American Federation of Labor building. The 99-seat bar will feature craft cocktails and premium liquors and will have a 40-seat outdoor patio. Another bar, High Velocity, will feature a sports theme. It will have 184 seats, focus largely on craft beers, and have televisions and an LED ticker giving the latest sports scores. The third bar will be the Lobby Bar, with 139 seats surrounding the five-story sculpture in the hotel’s atrium. The food and beverage manager for the hotel notes, “We’re attached to the convention center, so we’re catering to those people. But we want to be as local-friendly as possible.” u
Logan Circles by Mark F. Johnson
Crowded Aisles in U/14
Let the supermarket wars begin as U/14’s new Trader Joe’s nears opening! It’s been in the works for more than a year, but now the Trader Joe’s located in the Louis 14 complex at 14th and U is within weeks of opening. Signage has gone up and they have already begun to hire staff to wear those Hawaiian-style shirt-jackets, one of the moderately priced food chain’s signature features. The new store, to open sometime in March, is large, I hear, although apparently not as large as the nearby Whole Foods on P Street, a potential competitor. Of course the location comes with parking. It will be the largest food store in the U Street area, which until now has had only Yes! Organic Market and Smuckers food stores within the vicinity of the 14th and U intersection. Neither of them is “super-sized.” There is also talk about another local favorite moving into the area, and only a few blocks away. The Atlantic Plumbing complex, scheduled to be built on the site of the former Atlantic Plumbing supply store on V Street between 9th and 10th, is slated to offer stylish and modern glass-fronted rentals and possibly also a Harris-Teeter food store. The nearest H-T is currently in Adams Morgan at 17th and Kalorama. The Harris-Teeter chain has been opening locations in many of the city’s new golden corridors, including NOMA in Northeast just south of Florida Avenue and also on Capitol Hill East on Pennsylvania Avenue near Potomac Avenue. The Atlantic Plumbing complex is at least two years away from opening.
DC Flea Does It Again
Last summer and fall part of the land that the Atlantic Plumbing com-
plex will eventually occupy was rented to DC Flea for, really, the city’s coolest flea market. An offshoot of Brooklyn Flea in New York, DC Flea offered clothing, furniture, and food vendors an opportunity to peddle wares to hipsters, long-time locals, transformers, and generally cool people who shopped the outdoor space on Saturday afternoons under the sun. The market is scheduled to return in early April to 945 Florida Ave., and at this point is scheduled to run through fall. Undoubtedly even more vendors will show up this year as well as more shoppers. For many the food offerings were an even bigger draw than the other wares.
Funk Parade Comes to U/14
Trader Joe’s on the way to 14th and U.
You did know that DC was a big ol’ bastion of “Funkadelic,” didn’t you? Funk music took hold in this city from the mid 60s through the late 70s, as in many American cities and throughout the world – an outgrowth of jazz, soul, and rhythm and blues. Parliament Funkadelic is one of the best-known bands to perform this musical genre and they were very popular here in DC. So, here comes the Funk Parade to bring the Funk back to DC. Advance literature for the May event puts it this way: “The Funk Parade is a oneof-a-kind street fair, parade and music festival for the U Street/Mid City neighborhood.” The goal of the festival is to celebrate the legacy of Funk and to bring the community together in the spirit of fun. More than a hundred local businesses and groups have organized to support the parade including Liv Nightclub on 11th Street and Brixton at 9th and U. Liv will host a fundraiser
in mid April, and Brixton hosted a happy hour at the end of February. The Funk Parade is scheduled for Saturday, May 3.
New Restaurant at 14th and T Finally Opens
It was a liquor store for years, with glassed-in “counters” and plastic revolving dispensers in fact. But like many of the long-standing businesses of the old U/14, it sold out and the building went dormant for years. Then, according to the talk, it was to be a design firm, with a furniture business renting space on the ground floor. But the business that was alleged to be going into the space moved farther south on 14th Street. Now, finally, it is Italian restaurant Lupo Verde. Located on the corner at 1401 T St., the restaurant opened in late February and is planning to serve dinner nightly. The new spot seats about a hundred. Owners of Lupo Verde also own nearby Ulah Bistro as well as Tunnicliff ’s Tavern and Station 4. The menu lists several types of cheeses, some of them homemade, as well as pizza and other Italian fare. u Midcity DC | March 2014 u 43
your neighborhood
Bloomingdale Bites by Jazzy Wright
Developers Join Grassroots Advocacy
Documents surfaced in February showing that the pro-development advocacy group Neighbors for McMillan was crafted by Vision McMillan Partners, the development team selected by the city to rebuild the fenced-off sand filtration site. According to grassroots campaign files, developers assisted with the creation of Neighbors for McMillan to increase local support for the current redevelopment plan and provide “continuous political cover to local elected officials,” among other goals. Leaders of the Neighbors for McMillan project say the group was designed to educate Bloomingdale and Stronghold residents about the Vision McMillan Partners plan. “Our relationship with Vision McMil-
lan Partners was never a secret,” said Jamie Fontaine, president of Fontaine & Company, a Baltimore-based grassroots advocacy firm hired by Vision McMillan Partners to educate the community about the project. As a partner on the McMillan project, Fontaine & Company has developed messaging and marketing materials for Neighbors for McMillan such as yard signs, fact sheets, and media templates. “It’s an organic organization within the community,” said Fontaine, referring to Neighbors for McMillan. “A lot of people who support the project don’t have enough time to say how they feel. We’re helping people organize.” Shiv Newaldass, project manager for the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, echoed Fontaine’s comments, saying that many local
McMillan developers supply their own yard signs. Photo: Jazzy Wright 44 u midcitydcnews.com
residents have called for a community group like Neighbors for McMillan. “People who want to support [the Vision McMillan Plan] feel intimidated,” said Newaldass. “Reasonable people who support the project stay quiet because it’s easier than being confrontational,” he said, referring to a land surplus meeting held last year where one development supporter was booed by attendees who opposed the city-backed plan. “This effort was created to address inconsistencies and inaccurate information being spread in the community,” he added, saying that his office was not involved in the planning of Neighbors for McMillan. “It’s about the ability to have a reasonable and rational conversation about the facts. It’s been so hard to communicate because of the level of misinformation shared. I wish we wouldn’t have this engagement if we were dealing with a group willing to have an ethical conversation.” And by “group” Newaldass referenced Friends of McMillan, an organization of activists concerned with preserving the McMillan’s history and green space. According to grassroots campaign documents made available, messaging for the Neighbors for McMillan group states that the Friends group “has been hijacked by non-local, special interests and is spreading misinformation to further its agenda.” Said Kirby Vining, a member of the Friends of McMillan, “I’m a private citizen trying to find out what the city is doing with my tax dollars and am outraged that
my tax dollars are going to [the deputy mayor for planning and economic development] to pay a political strategist in Baltimore to ‘neutralize’ and ‘discredit’ community concerns about the Mayor’s plans for McMillan.” Mathew Bader, a Bloomingdale Civic Association representative on the McMillan Advisory Group, is also concerned that a city-backed developer would pay for a campaign to build support for the redevelopment plan. Vision McMillan Partners received $1.34 million from the city to manage the McMillan site through the 2014 fiscal year. “I personally have no qualms about folks in the neighborhood showing support for the project and have encouraged people to do so,” Bader said in an email. “However, I do take issue with a company being hired to give the impression of there being strong support for this project (which I don’t believe is true) and further trying to discredit a group of people in the community who oppose the project. I don’t see that as a fair discussion nor a good use of District funds (whether Vision McMillan Partners directly or indirectly paid using District funds).” City officials and leaders on the McMillan project insist that taxpayer funds will not be used to support or fund Neighbors for McMillan. In a joint email both Newaldass and Vision McMillan Partners Project Director Anne Corbett said that the developers are paying for the “Create McMillan Park” yard signs and Fontaine & Company’s services with private funds. “We wouldn’t do something that was unethical or misleading,” said Newaldass. “We’ve had six years of participation and engagement, so for anyone to say that we’re doing things that are untrue or illegal is irresponsible.” u
T
m t a t w Th d t w e
c s s p s c t t l
p i s d d w $ d p o
r f o s c f $ c t
p t b m
ANC 6E by Steve Holton
The Final Four
Four development groups were on hand at the meeting to make a final pitch to the commission on their plans to develop the Northeast corner of Fifth and I St. NW. The groups had previously submitted their plans to the board and have since revised them with recommended changes from the community. The DC Deputy Mayor’s Office will make the final decision on which group will be selected to develop the parcel of land but the ANC 6E Commission wanted to rank each groups plan in order of preference that best fits the communities needs. The Akridge Group Proposal: Mixed use project consisting of 216 residential units with over 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail space and 1,500 square feet of space for community use. Akridge has pledged $2 million in park funding and have consulted different fresh market groups to see how they could incorporate a weekend farmers market onto the green space. The plan also calls for a daycare center and restaurant within the retail space and a two level parking garage. The CSG Urban Partners Proposal: CSG proposed a mixed use office building, which they think is needed to activate the area. There will be 10,000 square feet of retail space with 2,500 square feet of it devoted to a YMCA daycare facility. CSG has also dedicated a space for the community to use on the weekends to teach cooking and art classes. With $2.5 million committed to park funding, CSG has designed three parks within the proposal. They also plan to find a local artist who will provide artwork on and around the structure. The JBG Group Proposal: JBG proposed 300 residential units with 30 units being a part of affordable housing. There will be 14,000 square feet of ground floor retail space which will include 600 square feet of community meeting space. JBG has commitments from Yes! Organic Market and a coffee shop to utilize the retail space. They also made $5 million available for the affordable housing component, a park with bicycle space and a job fair training program. The Peebles Corporation Proposal: The Peebles plan calls for a hotel that will provide over 400 full time jobs. The plan aims to raise property value and bring more life and activity to the area. At least $2 million will be reserved for park funding and the
Peebles representative stated that the hotel will not create more parking problems since most of the patrons will use a taxi as a mode of transportation. The hotel will also feature a ballroom and meeting space available to the community at a discounted rate. Before voting on each of the four proposals the board extended their gratitude to the groups for incorporating community needs within their plans and applauded ANC 6E05 Commissioner Marge Maceda for her efforts in working with the firms. “Each proposal has unique features and the chosen one will be an amenity to the area. This will be a very tough choice,” said Maceda. After a close vote, CSG and Akridge tied for the most preferred development proposal with Peebles coming in at second and JBG at third. A letter will be sent to the Deputy Mayors Office expressing the order of their support of the aforementioned plans. “The final decision will be made by the Deputy Mayor’s Office. The role of the ANC 6E Commission is only to advise,” said ANC 6E01 Chairman Alexander Padro.
Historic Site Development
A representative from the National Park Service (NPS) was on hand to update the board on the developments of the Carter G. Woodson National Historic Site located at 1538 Ninth St. NW. The site originally served as the headquarters for the National Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The NPS is in the process of removing hazardous waste such as mold and asbestos. Bracing has also been placed within parts of the structure to prevent it from collapsing. A project has been proposed to completely restore the historic site and create a visitors center to purchase books and watch film. The project may take up to three years and will cost close to $12 million to complete it. With only $7 million in committed funds, the NPS is looking for additional funding through private organizations and the federal government.
A New Design
The BlackRock Holdings group requested the boards support for a Historical Preservation Review Design for a condominium development to a building located at 415 M St. NW that was built during the Civil War period. The plan calls for turning a single family home into six separate condominiums and
to construct a new facade for the building. The facade will have a modern glassy look and there were mixed emotions on that topic at the meeting between the board and meeting attendees. Some residents were concerned that the new facade would not fit in with the traditional neighborhood look while others felt that it was a good contrast to the block. The commission voted to not support the design when the group goes before the Historic Preservation Review Board but will urge the board’s staff to work with BlackRock to come up with a design that is more consistent and characteristic of the neighborhood.
Shaw Crime Report
DCPD representatives spoke at the meeting and gave a monthly update on crime in the 6E area. Auto theft continues to go up and one officer urged everyone to not leave valuable belongings in your car and to switch up your parking locations. “Auto theft is a fast crime and the sound of a window breaking isn’t as loud as you think.”, said the DCPD representative. Adam Johnston, who is a member of the DCPD Vice Squad, spoke on violent crime and illegal drug activity. Officer Johnston’s unit is out to curb drug crime and urged everyone to contact him directly if they see suspicious activity rather than dialing 911. You can contact Officer Johnston by email at adam.johnston@dc.gov or his mobile number at (202) 515-2003.
Other Topics Of Note •
The board voted in favor of supporting a Stipulated Liquor License for an outdoor beer garden at Dacha Beer Garden located at 923 Fifth St. NW on the contingent of Dacha representatives signing a voluntary agreement to work on noise issues. • The board voted in support of granting a one year extension to Equity Residential for zoning relief for a mixed use development project located at 455 I St. NW. • The ANC 6E board will meet again at 6:30 p.m. on March 4 at the Northwest One Library which is located at 155 L St. NW. Visit www.anc6e.org to view the ANC 6E newsletter. Follow on Twitter, @ANC6E, and Facebook by searching ANC6E. u Midcity DC | March 2014 u 45
kids and family
+ Notebook
n Donner
by Kathlee
N O T E B O O K Environmental Film Festival: Children’s Film Series at MLK Library
On Tuesday, Mar. 18 at 10 a.m., the following films will be screened in the Children’s Room: “Blackout” (USA, 2013, 7 min.) It was a hot summer night in the city when the power went out. Everything changed…but that was not necessarily a bad thing. Not normal can be fun. Narrated by Stanley Tucci with music by David Mansfield. Written and illustrated The Harlem Globetrotters will be bringing their 2014 “Fans Rule” World Tour to the DC metro area for three games in March. The first game will take place Mar. 15 at Verizon Center by John Rocco. Produced by Weston at 1 p.m., followed by a second game that evening at 7:30 p.m. at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va. A third game will take place on Mar. 16 at the Patriot Center at 2 p.m. Photo: Courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters Woods Studios. “Cloudette” (USA, 2013, 12 min.) Sometimes being American artists through an interactive scavenger building experience. Space is limited and advance regsmall has its advantages. When Cloudette wants to hunt. Free. American Art Museum, Kogod Court- istration is required. $20. Workshop is on Mar. 29, 10 do something big, she discovers that a little cloud can yard, 8th and F streets, NW. 202-633-1000. ameri- a.m-noon at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th make a big difference. Narrated by Wendy Carter and St. NW. 202-639-1700. corcoran.org/youth-family canart.si.edu others with music by Jack Sundrud and Rusty Young. Written and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. Directed by Virginia Wilkos. Produced by Weston Woods “Making Their Mark” Family Day Mother to Daughter Studios. “Bear Has a Story to Tell” (USA, 2013, 9 at the National Archives Financial Summit min.) In this endearing tale of friendship, animals are On Mar. 29, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at the Pepco On Saturday, Mar. 29, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., explore helped by Bear to get ready for winter. But will they signatures in American history through a variety Edison Place Gallery, 702 8th St. NW, the Financial be awake long enough for him to tell his story? Nar- of hands-on activities and games. Come and bring Literacy Organization for Women and Girls presents rated by Mike Birbiglia with music by Ernest Troost. your family to explore signatures in American His- a Mother To Daughter Financial Summit. FLOW is Animation by Cha-Pow. Produced by Weston Woods tory through family fun. Trace signatures of famous a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Studios. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Americans; sign documents with quill pens; face young women and girls to become financially inde901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk paint, play board games, dress-up, enjoy a scavenger pendent in a global economy filled with complexity. hunt and petition the President. National Archives Mothers and daughters (teens and tweens) will learn and understand the true language of money from fiCherry Blossom Family Festival is at 700 Constitution Ave. NW. archives.gov nancial and money savvy experts while enjoying priceat the American Art Museum less mother and daughter quality time. $15. To attend, Spring has arrived! On Saturday, Apr. 12, 11;30 Fly a Kite! Kids Workshop at register at sitting-pretty.org. FLOW is a 501(c)(3) a.m.-3 p.m., celebrate DC’s famous cherry blos- the Corcoran charitable organization committed to empowering som season with floral-themed craft activities, live What’s better than participating in the Blos- women and girls with the knowledge and skills necmusic, Japanese screen painting and a gardening som Kite Festival? Flying a kite that you build and essary to make sound and responsible decisions about demonstration from Smithsonian Gardens. Ex- decorate yourself! The Corcoran Gallery of Art will spending, saving, borrowing, and investing for a future plore how Japanese art and culture have influenced have all the necessary materials for your unique kite- of sound economic well-being. 46 u midcitydcnews.com
r :
The First Hebrew Language Immersion Public Charter School in DC
Accepting Applications for SY14-15 Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2
y Tuesday r e v e ld e h es om Open HousThursday afternoon fr d morning an ecember-March D To apply visit: myschooldc.org
*With the new common application, families must rank order their school choices. Each child will only receive one offer of admission in the lottery. If Sela PCS is your family’s first choice, you should rank order Sela PCS FIRST. Application Deadline: March 3, 2014
FREE Before and After School Program Small Class Sizes with 2 teachers in each classroom Student Shuttle available with stops at: Eastern Market, 16th and Q, Ft. Totten Metro
Learn more: SelaPCS.org 6015-17 Chillum Place, NE Washington, DC 20011 202-670-SELA (7352) Follow us: @SelaPCS
Like us: SelaPCS Midcity DC | March 2014 u 47
SHINING STARS MONTESSORI ACADEMY, PCS
Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders Today! HIGH QUALITY MONTESSORI TRAINED TEACHERS
AGES 3 AND UP WE WELCOME 2 YEAR-OLDS TURNING 3 BY DECEMBER 31ST ACCESS INTEREST APPLICATIONS ONLINE
1328 Florida Ave. Annex, NW DC 20009 (202)319-2307
www.ss-montessori.org Try our Gourmet Cream Style Corn!
Family Purim Carnival 2014
There’s no place better than the DCJCC to celebrate the joyous holiday of Purim. Come one, come all and come in costume! They will have carnival games, performances, prizes, a costume contest, yummy treats and a new Purim shpiel! Bring a box of mac-andcheese to use as a grogger during the shpiel, and they will donate it to a food bank afterward. Price per family $15$20. Sunday, Mar. 16, 10 a.m.-noon. at the Washington DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. 202-777-3267. washingtondcjcc.org
“Chess Challenge in DC” 3rd Annual Citywide Chess Tournament
“Better Tasting than Corn on the Cob!”
100% All Natural Sweet Corn
No Added Sugar, Additives, Coloring, or Preservatives! AVAILABLE AT THESE LOCATIONS The Silver Spork - 303 7th St. SE., WDC Rodman’s - 5100 Wisconsin Ave., NW., WDC GLUT Food Coop - 4005 34th St., Mt. Rainier, MD Potomac Adventist Book & Health Food Store - 12004 Cherry Hill Rd., Silver Spring, MD
Questions? Email us at info@larrysweetcorn.com
www.larrysweetcorn.com 48 u midcitydcnews.com
Chess Challenge in DC announces its 3rd Annual Citywide Chess Tournament open to all DC elementary and middle school students. This exciting event takes place on Mar. 15 at Woodrow Wilson High School. There is no registration fee. The tournament is four rounds with a blitz playoff and is unrated. To register please go to chesschallengeindc.org.
Saturday Morning at the National Free Performances for Children
On Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. there are free live performances for children in the Helen Hayes Gallery. Tickets are required and distributed first come-first seated. Tickets are distributed 1/2 hour prior to performance. One ticket per person in line. The Na-
tional Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. 202-783-3372. On Mar. 8, Laureen O’Neill James Irish Dance; Mar. 15, Rich Potter, Bert the Nerd; Mar. 22, Bright Star Theatre, Jack’s Adventure; Mar. 29, Tim Marrone, Clowning Around with Shakespeare; and Apr. 5, Curtis Blues, Delta Blues.
Ward 2’s Hardy Middle School/Fillmore Arts Center Gets Sustainable DC Innovation Challenge Grant
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education was awarded $330,000 to build an outdoor classroom on the campus of the Hardy Middle School/Fillmore Arts Center in Ward 2. The classroom will support environmental and health education with hands-on examples of renewable energy, stormwater management, native-species planting, nutrition and urban agriculture. This permanent, 11,000-square-foot public facility will be constructed using sustainable materials and will serve as a model for other school-construction projects across the District.
New Children’s Book Embraces and Celebrates Unconventional Families
Tessie Tremaine is mortified when her middle school English teacher, affectionately known as Mean Old Mrs. Parker, assigns a family tree project. As the daughter of parents who were both adopted, Tessie is mortified; she imagines a postage-stamp twig showing nothing but her four immediate family
, . .
,
d
. n
.
g
n
.
y
members. As the rest of her classmates begin to create trees filled with many family members, Tessie agonizes over the thought of exposing what her parents call their own little family island. Desperate for help, Tessie turns to her honorary grandmother, who takes her to a rose show where she learns about the art of grafting roses. Suddenly, the family tree project takes on a whole new meaning. In this poignant young adult tale, a girl struggling to find her roots soon discovers that family is much more than who she is related to by blood. ‘No Family Tree’, published by Lulu, is available now at Lulu Paperback (bit.ly/1b9FMwP); Lulu Ebook (bit.ly/1klbXMu); and Nook (bit. ly/1eyJalh). For more information, visit the author’s website at tkatz.com.
Viking Day Party! at Shaw Library
On Saturday, Mar 22, 3 p.m., join them for a Viking Day party in the children’s room at Watha T. Daniel/ Shaw Library. Everyone will make Viking shields, have snacks and a dragon toss, as well as learn stories and myths of the Norse gods and goddesses, trolls, dragons, and much more! This program is for ages 0-12. Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library, 1630 7th St. NW. 202727-1288. dclibrary.org/watha
Cherry Blossom Community Art Show
As part of its Youth Programs, the National Cherry Blossom Festival invites students from DC public and public charter schools in grades K through 12 to participate in the Midcity DC | March 2014 u 49
8th St. NW, Mar. 20-Apr. 18. Gallery hours are TuesdayFriday, noon-4 p.m.
Kites of Asia Family Day at Air and Space
Thrill to the beauty and artistry of kites on display and in the air. Visit their display of kites and discover the diversity of kites from across Asia. Find out more about how kites are made in one of their hands-on stations. Learn how kites helped the Wright brothers develop the first airplane. Marvel at the grace of kites being flown indoors. Saturday, Mar. 22, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. National Air and Space Museum, Independence Ave. at 6th St. SW. airandspace.si.edu
Prior year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival Family Days at the National Building Museum. Photo: Nick Eckert
National Cherry Blossom Festival Family Days at National Building Museum
On Saturday, Mar. 22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, Mar. 23, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., celebrate the opening of Washington’s cherry blossom season at this ninth annual family festival for kids of all ages, featuring hands-on activities, interactive art demonstrations, and performances celebrating Japanese arts and design. This is a free, drop-in program for all ages. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. nbm.org Youth Art Contest and Community Art Show. Each year, a creative theme is developed, and contest entries are judged by a panel assembled by the Festival. Winners in age-specific categories and one overall winner are selected, and are recognized publicly and awarded 50 u midcitydcnews.com
prizes at an Awards Reception with the winner’s families, teachers, and Festival and sponsor representatives. The public can enjoy the students’ creativity and help select the overall contest winner by casting your vote online or in person at Pepco Edison Place Gallery, 702
March Movies for Kids at the National Gallery of Art
The Secret of Kells (ages 7, up) is shown on Saturday, Mar. 15, at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday, Mar. 16, at 11:30 a.m. in the East Building Concourse, Auditorium. Join them for this exquisitely animated story about the famed Book of Kells. The setting is Ireland in the ninth century, where the old Kells Abbey in a remote woodland area is home to 12-year-old Brendan. He and the monks have been instructed
by Brendan’s authoritarian uncle to strengthen the fortifications in order to protect the abbey from a Viking invasion. (Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, France/Belgium/Ireland, 2009, 75 minutes) The Rooster Trademark Paper (ages 9, up) is shown on Saturday, Mar. 22, at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday, Mar. 23, at 11:30 a.m. in the East Building Concourse, Auditorium. When Amir, a young boy who dreams of becoming an artist, sees an advertisement for a visual arts competition he is inspired to enter. Although he works hard selling newspapers and making deliveries for a local store, he struggles to purchase the costly Rooster Trademark paper that all entrants must use to qualify for the contest. (Maryam Milani, Iran, 2012, 93 minutes) Nature Unfolds (ages 4, up) is shown on Saturday, Mar. 29 at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday, Mar. 30 at 11:30 a.m. in the East Building Concourse, Auditorium. As the seasons change, Earth’s canvas is adorned with new colors and textures. Join them for a series of animated shorts celebrating nature’s unfolding beauty. Approximately 60 minutes. Shown in collaboration with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital. nga.gov
Once Upon A Time... at MLK Library
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Calling Princes and Princesses of all ages! On Saturday, Mar. 15, 2 p.m., you are cordially invited to attend a royal affair. Join them in the Children’s Room at Martin Luther King Jr. Library for royal
stories, crown decorating, a crowning ceremony, and a pretend tea party fit for a queen! Don’t forget to come dressed in your favorite prince or princess costume. Please call the Youth Services Department with any questions at 202-727-1248. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. dclibrary.org/mlk
Smithsonian Discovery Theater’s March Productions
“Amelia and Her Big Red Plane” with Dinorock Productions is on Mar. 13-14 at 10:15 a.m.; 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. at the Air & Space Museum. Amelia Earhart was an adventurer--and this interactive puppet show puts adventurous kids right beside her as little Amelia builds her own roller coaster in the backyard, takes off in her first plane (right over their heads), and flies across the Atlantic. The show has airplanes that soar and puppets that sing as it brings daring Amelia vibrantly to life. “Live! Amazing Animals of the Rainforest” is on Mar. 20-21 at 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at the Ripley Center, Smithsonian. Meet Dexter the lemu--who loves hanging upside down, eating blackberries, and helping spread the word about his native habitat--when Leesburg Animal Park brings the rainforest to Discovery Theater. They’ll also meet other amazing critters who live there. It could be Slinky, a 7-foot Columbian red-tailed boa, Charlie the iguana, or hissing cockroaches that can scare off predators with a sound as loud as a lawn mower. We’ll learn why this South American ecosystem is so im-
portant to our planet’s health--and how we can all help preserve it. Both productions are for ages 5-10. $3$8. For tickets and information call 202-633-8700 or visit discoverytheater.org.
Blossom Kids Interactive Games and Presentations
At nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/in-the-community/blossomkids, kids can learn all about the National Cherry Blossom Festival and gift of trees from Tokyo to Washington, DC through fun, interactive presentations. They can also learn about symbols from Japanese culture and create scenes from the National Cherry Blossom Festival through coloring pages. Finally, they can download and print their own games and puzzles.
The Adventures of Robin Hood at the Kennedy Center
Updated, inventive, and hilarious, this US premiere is unlike any Robin Hood you’ve seen before! Scotland’s acclaimed theater company Visible Fictions returns to bring this classic tale to life with a few actors and lots of imagination. Recommended for age 8 and up. Mar. 28 and Apr. 4 at 7 p.m.; Mar. 29 and 30, Apr. 5 and 6 at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. $20. Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. 202-4168000. kennedy-center.org u
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 51
at home
+ Real Estate
Changing Hands Changing hands is a list of most residential sales in the District of Columbia from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list, based on the MRIS, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms.
H STREET
Neighborhood
LOGAN
Close Price
BR
2292 CHAMPLAIN ST NW
$760,000
BLOOMINGDALE 23 RANDOLPH PL NW
$685,000
BROOKLAND 1217 UPSHUR ST NE 3404 15TH ST NE 3008 12TH ST NE 1222 QUINCY ST NE 1346 MONROE ST NE 207 ASCOT PL NE 3009 7TH ST NE 2406 2ND ST NE 735 EMERSON ST NE 4612 SOUTH DAKOTA AVE NE 711 KEARNY ST NE 612 FARRAGUT PL NE 16 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE
$672,500 $650,750 $573,000 $560,000 $525,000 $499,000 $459,000 $382,500 $330,000 $322,000 $319,500 $250,000 $637,500
CLEVELAND PARK 3635 ORDWAY ST NW 3529 QUEBEC ST NW
$1,500,000 $870,000
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 3821 14TH ST NW 1303 TAYLOR ST NW 758 MORTON ST NW 1472 OGDEN ST NW 3409 HOLMEAD PL NW 429 MANOR PL NW 3636 PARK PL NW 3625 11TH ST NW 1412 PARKWOOD PL NW 1011 OTIS PL NW 3320 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 630 QUEBEC PL NW
$1,285,000 $750,000 $715,000 $679,000 $638,500 $630,000 $620,500 $610,000 $604,000 $541,299 $450,000 $837,500 $8,450,000
2535 WATERSIDE DR NW 5032 FULTON ST NW
LEDROIT PARK 2020 1ST ST NW 1908 6TH ST NW 1848 5TH ST NW 9 U ST NW 5 V ST NW
2 3 4 4 4 5 6 4 3 2 2 3 3 2 6 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 8
1700 HOBART ST NW 1811 IRVING ST NW 1636 ARGONNE PL NW 3417 MOUNT PLEASANT ST NW
$815,000 $789,000 $690,000 $532,000 $511,000 $1,679,000 $1,175,000 $910,000 $850,000 $650,000
OLD CITY #2 1731 R ST NW 2003 13TH ST NW 1516 1ST ST NW 1309 6TH ST NW 1521 9TH ST NW 15 Q ST NW 1158 1ST ST NW
$1,650,000 $713,000 $649,000 $600,000 $550,000 $465,000 $375,000
3 3 3 6 3 4 5 3 4 5 4 4 4 4 3 2 5 2 3 3
PETWORTH 641 GALLATIN ST NW 738 FARRAGUT ST NW 5227 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 310 EMERSON ST NW 5522 4TH ST NW 326 FARRAGUT ST NW 524 INGRAHAM ST NW 227 JEFFERSON ST NW 4607 8TH ST NW 906 ALLISON ST NW
$680,000 $665,000 $630,000 $599,000 $592,600 $559,400 $519,900 $499,000 $450,000 $399,999
3 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 3
SHAW 451 S ST NW 44 FLORIDA AVE NW
$950,000 $475,000
5 3
TRINIDAD 1120 MORSE ST NE 1312 STAPLES ST NE 1420 TRINIDAD AVE NE 1760 LANG PL NE 1783 LYMAN PL NE 1224 MONTELLO AVE NE 1709 LANG PL NE 1926 BENNETT PL NE
$716,500 $579,000 $560,000 $303,000 $235,000 $170,000 $130,000 $467,000
U ST CORRIDOR 1745 U ST NW
52 u midcitydcnews.com
$950,000 $1,055,000
MOUNT PLEASANT
DUPONT 1824 R ST NW
$645,000
KALORAMA
1209 S ST NW
FEE SIMPLE ADAMS MORGAN
812 6TH ST NE
$1,175,000
5 4 4 3 3 2 2 4 5
CONDO ADAMS MORGAN 2360 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #3.2 2360 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #1.1 2301 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #101 2360 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #4.4 2360 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #B2 2360 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #3.4 1730 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #10 2312 17TH ST NW #2
$732,400 $709,900 $570,000 $539,300 $487,500 $487,400 $479,500 $360,000
BLOOMINGDALE 6 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #8 1700 2ND ST NW #6 1700 2ND ST NW #5 1700 2ND ST NW #9 51 RANDOLPH PL NW #401
$420,000 $380,000 $370,000 $365,000 $265,000
2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1
BROOKLAND 1210 PERRY ST NE #302
$286,000
2
CENTRAL 1155 23RD ST NW #N5H 777 7TH ST NW #1026 1312 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #403 2201 L ST NW #302
$825,000 $609,000 $385,000 $300,000
CITY CENTER 925 H ST NW #904 925 H ST NW #905 925 H ST NW #703
$1,147,000 $653,236 $607,000
CLEVELAND PARK 4301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #6008 3400 39TH ST NW #720 2755 ORDWAY ST NW #308 3848 PORTER ST NW #376 3601 WISCONSIN AVE NW #311 3026 WISCONSIN AVE NW #108
$420,000 $411,000 $326,250 $317,000 $269,000 $250,000
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
1435 EUCLID ST NW #PH 3413 SHERMAN AVE NW #2 1451 BELMONT ST NW #416 1451 BELMONT ST NW #118 762 PARK RD NW #6 762 PARK RD NW #5 1476 HARVARD ST NW #A 1448 HARVARD ST NW #PH-6 762 PARK RD NW #4 762 PARK RD NW #1 3404 13TH ST NW #102 762 PARK RD NW #3 3511 13TH ST NW #305 912 SHEPHERD ST NW #101 811 OTIS PL NW #306 811 OTIS PL NW #305 1300 EUCLID ST NW #2 1457 PARK RD NW #302 1451 Park RD NW #216 1423 NEWTON ST NW #103 811 OTIS PL NW #106 912 SHEPHERD ST NW #303 1451 PARK RD NW #311 1438 MERIDIAN PL NW #4 2600 SHERMAN AVE NW #103 1451 PARK RD NW #104 1441 EUCLID ST NW #105 1451 PARK RD NW #415 3214 8TH ST SE #6 713 BRANDYWINE ST SE #102
$770,000 $700,000 $675,000 $651,000 $650,500 $650,000 $624,000 $619,000 $609,000 $585,000 $570,000 $570,000 $469,900 $335,000 $332,900 $328,900 $325,000 $325,000 $319,900 $305,000 $305,000 $299,900 $254,900 $245,000 $240,000 $209,900 $170,000 $169,900 $80,000 $33,500
1 2 1 1 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 0 2 1
DUPONT 1758 U ST NW #1 1725 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #607 1736 WILLARD ST NW #204 1605 16TH ST NW #6 1615 Q ST NW #4 1725 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #202 1 SCOTT CIR NW #302
$529,000 $371,500 $330,000 $799,000 $575,000 $500,000 $252,000
KALORAMA 2301 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #8A 1882 COLUMBIA RD NW #203 2205 CALIFORNIA ST NW #104
$995,000 $960,000 $807,000
2 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 3
2126 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #58 2300 18TH ST NW #301 1831 BELMONT RD NW #101 1811 WYOMING AVE NW #23 2456 20TH ST NW #103
$527,000 $380,000 $317,000 $195,000 $369,300
LEDROIT PARK 305N. W. T ST NW #B 305 T ST NW #A
$690,000 $640,000
2 1 1 2 1 3 3
LOGAN 1421 T ST NW #6 2125 14TH ST NW #915 1401 Q ST NW #203 1450 CHURCH ST NW #602 1440 CHURCH ST NW #609 1325 13TH ST NW #50 1401 CHURCH ST NW #414 1245 13TH ST NW #602 1625 15TH ST NW #1 1242 11TH ST NW 1117 10TH ST NW #W-3
$450,000 $749,000 $1,000,000 $938,908 $910,000 $669,000 $632,000 $547,500 $452,100 $600,000 $800,000
MOUNT PLEASANT 1696 LANIER PL NW #4 1696 LANIER PL NW #3 1696 LANIER PL NW #2 1830 LAMONT ST NW #PENTHOUSE
MOUNT VERNON TRIANGLE 811 4TH ST NW #522 1123 6TH ST NW #201
$760,000 $595,000 $586,000 $499,000
3 2 2 2
$329,000 $775,000
1 3
OLD CITY #2 1616 11TH ST NW #PH-3 910 M ST NW #314 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #1217 1543 6TH ST NW #301 1912 T ST NW #C 1920 S ST NW #106 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #411 1731 WILLARD ST NW #203 2008 16TH ST NW #301 1601 18TH ST NW #708
1 2 2 2 2 3 1 2 1 3 2
$540,000 $530,000 $480,000 $471,000 $400,000 $395,000 $390,000 $324,900 $302,000 $250,000
PETWORTH 4114 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #1 4805 4TH ST NW #3 807 VARNUM ST NW #5 807 VARNUM ST NW #6 4805 4TH ST NW #1
$317,000 $270,000 $262,000 $258,000 $238,000
U ST CORRIDOR 2101 NW #405 2101 11TH ST NW #401 2004 11TH ST NW #325 2001 12TH ST NW #114 2120 VERMONT AVE NW #607
$475,000 $664,900 $395,000 $412,200 $438,100
WOODLEY PARK 2829 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #204 3100 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #318 u
$324,000 $395,000
G G ROOFING
2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
AWARDED BEST WASHINGTON, DC CONTRACTOR OF 2012 BY ANGIE’S LIST FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • “50 YEARS EXPERIENCE”
Flat Roof Specialists • Modified Bitumen • Skylights • Shingles • Slate •
Chimney Repairs Roof Coatings • Gutters & Downspouts • Preventive Maintenance • Metal Roofs • •
10% OFF WITH THIS AD
202.425.1614 WWW.GANDGHOMEIMPROVEMENTS.NET
Licensed & Insured | All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners Midcity DC | March 2014 u 53
at home
+ Garden Fairy
The Garden Fairy Winter Cold Turns to Spring Care
This winter has been a bitch. There, I said it! I love it when I have an opportunity to sound like Jesse in “Breaking Bad.” But really, this winter has seemed tougher. It certainly has been colder. Those cold snaps totally burned some annuals that I have always trusted to survive and come back in the spring. Ornamental cabbage and pansies have taken a major hit. I had a client send me an email asking if I could immediately replant some annuals. I politely said no because we were expecting another snow storm in a day or two. There is a good side to this bitter cold. It will make the tulip and daffodil bulbs stronger once they get going. As long as we don’t get another arctic vortex or a few lighter vortices at the beginning of March, our bulbs can be glorious.
What to Do?
For now I say do nothing until at least the second week of March. Even if we get a tease of warmer temps, don’t plant. Oh sure, you can clean, trim, mulch, and compost – especially compost! But chill with the final days of winter and plant nothing. Remember, we often have had snow in 54 u midcitydcnews.com
by Frank Asher
the middle of March. The first day of spring is March 20. Enjoy your last days of winter with a warm beverage and a good gardening book.
gardens under consideration here are, to one degree or another, part of the story of nôtre jardin. If history consists finally of the terrifying, ongo-
May I suggest a book? I have been reading “Gardens: An essay on the Human Condition” by Robert Pogue Harrison. I quote from the preface: “The reader who wanders around in this book will pass through many different kinds of gardens – real, mythical, historical, literary – yet all of the
ing, and endless conflict between the forces of destruction and the forces of cultivation, then this book weighs in on the side of the latter. In so doing it strives to participate in the gardener’s vocation of care.” Wow! The gardener’s vocation of care? That is what gardeners do,
you know. We care. Also, I’d like to share how I understand the context for nôtre jardin: If the garden is to bloom at all, it must be a place where life is fostered. As a gardener, I can tell you that if you have just one plant in your kitchen or a few on your balcony, or a rooftop filled to the brim, you are fostering life. That is what we gardeners do. We foster life. Our vocation is one of caring. Not just for the plants. But for the soil and the smallest bacteria that make compost for the worms, the water for the fungus near the roots of our plants and trees, the air for the leaves that make chlorophyll, the flower pollen for the bees, the little aphid bugs that feed the beneficial insects like ladybugs, or my favorite, the praying mantis. All of these things need care while we tend to our produce. If I did not care to foster this I would certainly be a depressed man. I’d be an old fairy without the will to fly. A curmudgeon without the will to smile or connect. Gardening fosters me.
What Now?
A friend of mine and his wife are about to have their second child. Their boy is 21 months old and their
baby is due in two weeks. They were feeling overwhelmed with work, with the baby care and with getting everything ready for the new arrival. Well, when a few of us realized we could help, we did. All of us cooked meals so they could relax. We took shifts to come and babysit. We even cleaned parts of their home. Personally I feel they are taking on a lifelong vocation of care, so right now they deserve a break. My friend told me the other night that he and his wife felt so loved, relieved, and really had the chance for good quality time together. They appreciated that so much because they knew what another child was going to do to their family. So I say to all you gardeners out there: Take it slow. Relax! Take time in your winter garden and imagine what you’d like to see in the coming seasons. Be easy on yourself right now because soon enough the forces of spring will be in full speed, and you will have to devote all of your attention and energy to caring and cultivation to push back on this destructive urban jungle we live in named Washington, DC. Frank Asher is the founder of OLD CITY Farm and Guild (Formally, OLD CITY Green), 925 Rhode Island Ave. NW (Shaw), “Where People and Plants Come Together.” Opens Thursday, March 20, at noon! Also owner of Fairies’Crossing, a landscape/gardening design company established in 2000 “To inspire your dreamer.” u
ADVERTISE HERE. GET RESULTS. CALL DAVE
202.543.8300 X22 WIDE SHOE OUTLET Men’s and Women’s sizes up to 15 EE Brands: Naturalizer • Soft Spots Ros Hommerson • Propet Walking Cradles • Easy Street Slingshots are Back
Marlow Heights Shopping Center 4123 Branch Ave. Marlow Heights, MD
301-702 1401 Free Gift With Ad Midcity DC | March 2014 u 55
CLASSIFIEDS AIR CONDITIONING
To place a classified in HILL RAG, please call Carolina at 202.543.8300 x12 or email: Carolina@hillrag.com.
FIREWOOD
LANDSCAPES
WELL SEASONED FIREWOOD
Redefining Beauty One Client at a Time!
BUY HOUSES
AIR CONDITIONING
Conveniently Located Just Outside DC
Polar Bear
AIR CONDITIONING PLUMBING & HEATING, INC.
202-333-1310
P
Relocation Assistance Available • Quick Settlement
www.polarbearairconditioning.com
1.800.601.4496
LICENSED BONDED INSURED FALL & WINTER SPECIALS FREE ESTIMATES
ELECTRICIAN
• Pickup or Delivery • Large or Small Amounts • Over 10 years Serving DC Open M-F 10am-4pm • Sat 10am-2pm
(202) 554-4100 firewdfac@yahoo.com 4521 Kenilworth Avenue, Bladensburg, MD - Rear Lot
· Comprehensive Design and Maintenance Services · 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
Over 20 years of experience
301.642.5182
www.thomaslandscapes.com
THOMAS LANDSCAPES Full-Service Landscape Design & Maintenance Firm Derek Thomas / Principal - Certified Professional Horticulturist, Master Gardener. Member of the MD Nursery and Landscape Association & the Association of Professional Landscape Designers
CLEANING SERVICES
MASONRY
S TANDARD C LEANING S ERVICE I NC . Commercial & Residential
CHIMNEY REPOINTING, LINING & REPAIRS!
HALLIDAY CONCRETE & BRICKPOINTING
Ana Julia Viera 703.719.9850 • 703.447.9254 Days Free Estimates • Bonded & Insured References Upon Request 15% Discount New Customers
PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER 56 u midcitydcnews.com
HEALTH & FITNESS
Historic Masonry Repointing & Repairs
TONY’S BOXING GYM
Restoration cleaning on historical brick and stone
& FITNESS CENTER PROFESSIONAL & AMATEUR BOXING LESSONS s • All Types of Exercise Machine tion utri N & ng • Diet Counseli • Olympic Free Weights • Free Personal Training • Seniors Welcome · Handicap Accessible
9-5711 202-88nt Olive t Rd, NE 1216 Mou
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 Licensed, Bonded & Insured, DC
w
OPTICIAN
Providence
PTICIANS
For All Your Eye Care Needs
Our Prices Won’t be Beat!
PLUMBING
DANIEL PARKS
Just Say I Need A Plumber®
Roofing & Gutters
Dial A Plumber, LLC®
NO JOB TOO SMALL!!!
• Licensed Gas Fitter • Water Heater • Boiler Work • Serving DC • References John • Drain Service • Furness Repair & Replacement
Providing Quality & Affordable Eye Care to DC since 1979
• Designer Eyewear • Eye Exams • • Contact Lenses •
Licensed Bonded Insured
“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
Kenny
202-251-1479 www.PROVIDENCEOPTICIANS.net 3510 12th Street, NE | (202) 526-0300 1802 11th St., NW | (202) 462-0055
Insurance Accepted
DC
P
L U M M E R
’
S
L
I C E N S E
#707
ROOFING
G G ROOFING
Keith Roofing
EXPERT WORKMANSHIP
AT
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
S
Insurance Claims • Free Estimates • 24Hr. Service
m
AWARDED BEST WASHINGTON, DC CONTRACTOR OF 2012 BY ANGIE’S LIST FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED • “50 YEARS EXPERIENCE”
Flat Roof Specialists Modified Bitumen • Skylights • Shingles • Slate • •
Chimney Repairs Roof Coatings • Gutters & Downspouts • Preventive Maintenance • Metal Roofs • •
Fully Insured • Licensed • Bonded “No Job Too Large or Small” Senior & Military Discounts Available!
10% OFF WITH THIS AD
All Work Inspected by Owner...Deals Directly with Customers! All Work Fully Guaranteed
Licensed & Insured | All Work Managed & Inspected by Owners
202-486-7359
PAINTING
202-489-1728
202.425.1614
Licensed, Bonded & Insured Free Estimates Senior and Government Discount 10% SPECIALIZING IN SEAMLESS GUTTERS
WELDING
WWW.GANDGHOMEIMPROVEMENTS.NET
FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST
Y
WE STOP LEAKS!
G
WE WILL BEAT YOUR BEST PRICE New Roofs, Maintenance & Repairs Seamless Gutters Experts Stopping Leaks is our Specialty!
WE DO IT ALL!
202.637.8808
• Roof Repairs • Roof Coatings • Rubber • Metal • Slate
• Tiles • Chimneys • Gutters • Waterproofing • Roof Certifications
We Do Everything!
BOYD CONSTRUCTION INC. LIC. BONDED. INS
75 years in service
BBB
Member
202-223-ROOF (7663)
Licensed, bonded & Insured, DC
SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS
AND LOCAL BUSINESSES!
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 57
58 u midcitydcnews.com
MIDCITY FEBRUARY 2013
FIND US AT THESE LOCATIONS! 14U Cafe
1939 U ST NW
Andrene’s Carribean
308 Kennedy ST NW
Azi’s Cafe
1336 9th ST NW
Ben’s Chilli Bowl
1213 U ST NW
Bicycle Space
1019 7th Street, NW
Big Bad Woof
117 Carroll ST NW
Big Bear
1700 1st ST NW
Bioscript Pharmacy
1325 14th ST NW
Brookland Metro
801 Michigan Avenue NE
Bus Boys & Poets
1025 5th ST NW 2021 14th ST NW
Caribou Coffee
1400 14th ST NW
Carls barber shop
1406 P St MW
Chatman’s Bakery
1239 9th ST NW
Chester Arthur House
23 Logan Circle NW
Chinatown Coffee
475 H ST NW
City First Bank
1432 U ST NW
CNN Office
224 7th ST SE
Coldwell Banker
1606 17th ST NW
Columbia Hts. Coffee
3416 11 ST NW
CVS
DC Child & Family Services Agency
200 I Street SE
Drafting Table
1529 14th ST NW
Dunkin Donuts
1739 New Jersey Ave NW
Emery Recreation Ctr.
5701 Georgia Avenue, NW
Emmaus Services for the Aging
1426 9th Street, NW
Enviro. Working Group
1436 U ST NW
First Cup Coffee
900 M ST NW
Foster House Apts.
801 Rhode Is. Ave, NW
Giant
1050 Brentwood RD NE 1345 Park RD NW
Habesha market
1919 9th st
Harris Teeter
1201 First St, NE 1631 Kalorama RD NW
Petworth Metro
3700 Georgia AVE NW
Phyllis Wheatly YWCA
901 Rhode Island Ave NW
Providence Hospital
1150 Varnum St NE
Reeves Center
2000 14th ST NW
Safeway
1045 5th ST NW 1701 Corcoran ST NW 1747 Columbia RD NW 6501 Piney Branch RD NW
Senior Wellness Center
3531 Georgia Avenue, NW
Shaw Library
945 Rhode Island AVE NW
Shaw Mainstreet
875 N Street, NW
Shaw metro
1800 7th st NW
Shephard Park Library
7420 Georgia Avenue, NW
Starbucks
1600 U ST NW 2225 Georgia AVE NW
Heller’s Bakery
3221 Mt. Pleasant ST NW
Howard University
2225 6th ST NW
Java House
1645 Q ST NW
Kennedy Rec Center
1401 7th ST NW
LAYC
1419 Columbia RD NW
1000 U ST NW
Lincoln Westmoreland Apts.
1730 7th Street, NW
7th ST & Rhode Is. Ave, NW
110 Carroll ST NW
Long & Foster
1401 14th ST NW
1501 14th ST NW
1117 10th ST NW
Love Cafe
1501 14th ST NW
1501 U ST NW
128 Kennedy ST NW
Marie Reed Rec Center
2200 Champlain ST NW
Takoma Metro
327 Cedar ST NW
1418 P ST NW
MLK Library
901 G ST NW
Takoma Park Library
312 Cedar Street, NW 1620 V ST NW
State Farm
3327 12th ST NE
Street Boxes
925 Monroe ST NE 2022 14th ST NW 8th & R Streets., NW 1400 Block P Street, NW
1637 P Street, NW
Modern Liquors
1200 9th ST NW
Third District MPD
1700 Columbia RD NW
Mt. Vernon Sq. Metro
700 M ST NW
Trilogy NoMa
151 Q Street, NE
1900 7th ST NW
Mt. Pleasant Library
3162 Mt. Pleasant St. NW
Tryst
2459 18th ST NW
2129 14th ST NW
Northwest One Library
155 L ST NW
Turkey Thickett Rec Ctr.
1100 Michigan Avenue, NE
3031 14th ST NW
Off Road Cycling
905 U Street, NW
U Street metro
900 U st
Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania AVE NW
3601 12th ST NE 400 Mass. AVE NW
Paul Laurence Dunbar Sr. Apartments
2001 15th Street NW
Windows Cafe
101 Rhode Island AVE NW
6514 Georgia Ave, NW
Petworth Library
4200 Kansas AVE NW
Yoga District
1830 1st ST NW
MIDCITY YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Midcity DC | March 2014 u 59
Shaw Main Streets is a designated DC Main Streets program and is funded in part by the Department of Small and Local Business Development, Vincent C. Gray, Mayor.