An Urban Lifestyle Magazine OCTOBER 2015
MIDCITY
DCRA FREE Business Seminars How to Open a Small Business by Navigating through DCRA’s Regulatory Process Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2015 Time: 9:00 am – 10:30 am Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-200) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/5p7OYz
SmartStart Integrated Licensing and Money Smart for Small Business Program Date: Monday, October 19, 2015 Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-268) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/lcQXJe
A Comprehensive Guide for Small Business Planning Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 Time: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/iMTsGF
Meet One-on-One with a Lawyer for Free! Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 Time: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-200) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/zIHVop
Navigating Government Contracting with DC Procurement Technical Assistance Center Date: Thursday, October 15, 2015 Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/O1sRUS
Money Smart for Small Business Workshop: Financial Management & Credit Reporting for Small Businesses Date: Thursday, October 29, 2015 Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/ZiW2eO For further information : Jacqueline Noisette (202) 442-8170 jacqueline.noisette@dc.gov Claudia Herrera (202) 442-8055 claudia.herrera@dc.gov Joy Douglas (202) 442-8690 joy.douglas@dc.gov
OCTOber 2015
03
CONTENTS OCTOBER 2015 08 10 54
what’s on washington calendar classifieds
MIDCITY
42
ON THE COVER:
your neighborhood 34 District Beat • Jonetta Rose Barras 36 The Numbers • Ed Lazere
Photo: Pulling Air by Jeffrey Morris Photography
38 Bulletin Board • Kathleen Donner 41 E on DC • E. Ethelbert Miller 42 Mt. Vernon Triangle • Ellen Boomer
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42 Bloomingdale Buzz • Ellen Boomer 45 Shaw Streets • Pleasant Mann 46 WACIF Invests in DC • Phil Hutinet
arts & dining special
kids and family
20 Insatiable • Jonathan Bardzik
48 Notebook • Kathleen Donner
24 A New District of Food
at home
and Drink • Annette Nielsen
30 Depeche Art • Phil Hutinet
52 Changing Hands • Don Denton
32 Art All Night • Pleasant Mann
46
OCTOber 2015
05
06 MIdCITydCN ewS.COM
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OCTOber 2015
FIND US AT THESE LOCATIONS! A Divine Shine
723 T Street, NW
Habesha market
1919 9th st
Senior Building
1713 7th St. NW
Al Crostino
1926 9th Street, NW
Harris Teeter
1631 Kalorama RD NW
Shaw Library
945 Rhode Island AVE NW
Bank of Georgetown
1301 U St NW
Harris Teeter
1201 First St, NE
Shaw Mainstreet
875 N Street, NW, Suite 201
Beau Thai
1550 7th St. NW
Home Rule
1807 14th Street, NW
Shaw Metro
1800 7th st NW
Ben’s Chilli Bowl
1213 U ST NW
Howard Founders Library
500 Howard Place, NW
Shaw Metro Street Box - NE Corner 8th & R Streets., NW
Big Bad Woof
117 Carroll ST NW
Howard University
2225 Georgia Avenue, NW
Shaw Metro Street Box - NE Corner 7th & S Streets., NW
Big Bear
1700 1st ST NW
Java House (Deliver on 17th & Q) 1645 Q ST NW
Showtime Lounge
113 Rhode Island Ave. NW
Bloomingdale Wine & Spirits
1836 First St. NW
Kafe Bohem
602 Florida Avenue, NW
Simon Vintage
1911 9th Street, NW
Bread for the City
1525 7th Street NW
Kennedy Recreation Center
1401 7th ST NW
Skynear Design Gallery
1800 Wyoming Avenue, NW
Bus Boys & Poets
1025 5th ST NW
Lettie Gooch
1517 U Street, NW
SMASH Records
2314 18th Street, NW
Bus Boys & Poets
2021 14th ST NW
Lincoln Westmoreland Apts.
1730 7th Street, NW
Solid Core
1821 7th Street, NW
Calabash
1847 7th St. NW
Logan Hardware
1734 14th St NW
Starbucks
1425 P St NW
Cambria Hotel
899 O St. NW
Lost & Found
1240 9th St. NW
Starbucks
2225 Georgia AVE NW
Cantania Bakery
1404 North Capitol NW
Marriott Hotel
901 Massachusetts Ave NW
Starbucks
1301 Connecticut Ave, NW
Capitol Food Market
1634 North Capitol St.
MLK Library
901 G ST NW
Studio Theatre Street Box
14th & P Street, NW
CCN Office
224 7th ST SE
Modern Liquors
1200 9th ST NW
Sunset Spirits
1627 First St. NW
Chaplin
1501 9th Street, NW
Mount Vernon Sq. Metro
7th & M ST NW
T Street Market
80 T St. NW
Chinatown Coffee
475 H ST NW
Nelly’s
900 U St NW
The Coffee Bar
1201 S St NW
City First Bank
1432 U ST NW
Nest DC
87 Florida Ave. NW
Third District MPD
1620 V ST NW
City Paws Hospital
1823 14th St NW
Northwest One Library
155 L ST NW
Trilogy NoMa
151 Q Street, NE
Coldwell Banker
1606 17th ST NW
NW Settlement House - S St.
1739 7th Street, NW
Tryst
2459 18th ST NW
Commissary
1443 P St NW
Off Road Cycling
905 U Street, NW
Tynan Coffee
1275 First St. SE
Compass Coffee
1535 7th St. NW
Passport
11th & U Streets, NW
U Street Cafe
1301 U ST NW
CVS
2129 14th ST NW
Paul Laurence Dunbar Sr. Apts
U & 15th Street NW
U Street Metro
11th & U Streets, NW
CVS
3031 14th ST NW
Pekoe Acupuncture
1410 9th Street, NW
U Street Wine & Beer
1351 U St NW
CVS
1000 U ST NW
Peregrine Epresso
1718 14th St NW
Universal Gear
1919 14th Street, NW
CVS
1418 P ST NW
Petco Unleashed
1200 First St. NE
Unleashed
1550 7th St. NW
CVS
1637 P Street, NW
Phyllis Wheatly YWCA
901 Rhode Island Ave, NW
Uprising Muffin Company
1817 7th St NW
CVS
400 Massachusettes AVE NW
Piassa
1336 9th ST NW
Velvet Lounge
915 U Street, NW
CVS
1900 7th ST NW
Planet Pet
1738 14th St NW
Vida
1612 U St NW
Dodge City
917 U Street, NW
Politics & Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave, NW
Walgreens
1325 14th ST NW
Dove House Liquors & Restayrant 1905 9th Street, NW
Rahama African Restaurant
1924 9th Street, NW
Wanda’s
1851 7th Street, NW
Drafting Table
1529 14th ST NW
Reeves Center
2000 14th ST NW
Whole Foods Yellow Box
1440 P Street NW
Dunkin Donuts
1739 New Jersey Ave NW
Reeves Center Street Box
14th & U Street, NW
Why Not Boutique
1348 U Street, NW
Emmaus Services for Aging
1426 9th ST NW
Reformation Fitness
1302 9th St NW #1
Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania AVE NW
First Cup Coffee
900 M ST NW
Right & Proper Brew
624 T St. NW
Windows Cafe
101 Rhode Island AVE NW
Flash
645 Florida Avenue, NW
Rite Aid
1306 U Street NW
Wydown Coffee Bar
1924 14th St NW
Foster House Apartments
801 Rhode Island Ave, NW
Rito Loco
606 Florida Avenue, NW
Yes Organic Market
2123 14th St NW
Giant
1345 Park RD NW
Safeway
490 L St. NW
YMCA
1711 Rhode Island Ave, NW
Giant
1050 Brentwood RD NE
Safeway
1747 Columbia RD NW
Yoga District
1830 1st ST NW
Giant at O Street Market
1400 7th St NW
Safeway
1701 Corcoran ST NW
GMCHC Family Life Center
605 Rhode Island Avenue NE
Sbarro
1101 7th St. NW
Grassroots Gourmet, LLC
104 Rhode Island Ave NW
Seaton Market
1822 North Capitol St. NW
MIDCITY YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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08 MId cit yd cn ew s . co M Question Bridge: Black Males at the Phillips
Question Bridge: Black Males is a documentary-style video art installation that aims to represent and redefine black male identity in America. Since its inception in 2008, the project has recorded more than 1,600 questions and responses from black males of all ages and backgrounds that illuminate diversity of thought, character, and identity in America’s black male population. To foster honest expression and healing dialogue, the Question Bridge project allows one participant to ask a question while looking directly into the camera; and later another participant answers the question in the same way. The question-and-answer approach allows speakers to feel comfortable as they express their feelings on subjects that divide, unite, and puzzle. Artists Chris Johnson, Hank Willis Thomas, Kamal Sinclair, and Bayeté Ross Smith have recorded more than 160 men in nine American cities, documenting their exchange of ideas and then shaping that content into an engaging, five-screen video installation. Question Bridge: Black Males is on view at the Phillips from Oct. 8 through Jan. 3. phillipscollection.org Courtesy of Question Bridge: Black Males
“Stills from Sergio Caballero’s ‘Ancha es Castilla’ or ‘’N’importe quoi” (2014) Photo: Courtesy of Sergio Caballero
Demons Exorcised in Hirshhorn’s “Black Box: Sergio Caballero”
Relating a darkly comic tale of a child’s exorcism, the film blends homespun puppet animation and live action, its aesthetic deliberately low budget and slapdash. Caballero’s characters are agglomerations of food, hair, plant materials, cardboard, plastic, foam rubber, rubber bands, surgical tubing, fabric scraps, clothespins and googly eyes. The dialogue is largely in English, but the artist also provides English subtitles, since the voice acting intentionally verges on being incomprehensible. Caballero engages with the tradition of the grotesque, taking inspiration from the “black paintings” made by Goya in the early 19th century and adapting it to current-day models. With this film, artist and filmmaker Sergio Caballero (Spanish, b. 1966, Barcelona; lives and works in Barcelona) is making his international museum debut. “Black Box: Sergio Caballero” is 25-minute film which runs continuously when the museum is open through Jan. 3. hirshhorn.si.edu
OCTOber 2015 One of Washington’s most notable and unusual landmarks is the National Capitol Columns at the Arboretum. Photo: Courtesy of the US National Arboretum
National Arboretum Full Moon Hikes
Take a brisk hike through moonlit gardens, meadows, and woods. Your guide will share specially chosen points of interest and seasonal highlights. The two-hour walk over hilly and uneven terrain is a brisk hike, not a garden tour so please prepare accordingly. The group will hike approximately four miles at a brisk pace over hilly and uneven terrain with minimal stops. No children under 16 or pets, please. These hikes fill up quickly so move quickly on Nov. 2 when they post the December, January and February dates. $22. Email registration is required at usna.usda. gov/Education/events.html. It’s worth the effort. usna. usda.gov
Oliver! at Arena
Consider yourself invited to the theatrical event of the holiday season. Charles Dickens’ unforgettable characters burst to life in the Tony Award-winning musical, Oliver! Artistic Director Molly Smith blends the chaotic worlds of Victorian London with 2015 London to infuse a modern edge to the classic story about an innocent orphan living among double-dealing thieves and conmen. Some songs you’ll know are “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two,” “Consider Yourself,” “Where is Love?” and the scrumptious “Food, Glorious Food.” arenastage.org Jake Miller as the title character in Oliver! at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater Oct. 30 through Jan. 3. Photo: Tony Powell
Night of the Living Zoo
Prepare to witness death-defying acts and amazing oddities at the National Zoo’s annual adults-only Halloween event, Night of the Living Zoo. With live music, craft beer, food trucks, a costume contest, performance artists, and glow-in-the-dark lawn games, it’s a wicked night of fun that you won’t want to miss. Night of the Living Zoo is on Friday, Oct. 30 (rain or shine), 6:30-10:00 p.m. You will have access to the Small Mammal House, Great Ape House, and Reptile Discovery Center. There will be live entertainment, an 8:30 p.m. costume contest, temporary tattoos, $2 carousel rides, and food, beer, and wine for purchase. Must be 21. nationalzoo.si.edu Photo: FONZ Photo Club
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OCTO B E R
Calendar HALLOWEEN
Soul Strolls-Twilight Tours at Congressional Cemetery. Oct. 16, 17, 23 and 24 (rain or shine); 6 PM to 9 PM. Over 65,000 individuals are laid to rest in Congressional Cemetery. From Congressman to carpenters, suffragists to bootleggers, each resident has a unique story to tell. Soul Strolls explore these stories through guided tours led by costumed interpreters. $10 to $20. Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. congressionalcemetery.org Haunted Museum Historic Ghost Tour. Oct. 23, 25 and 31; 8 and 9:15 PM. Explore the haunted past of the National Building Museum on this lantern-light tour. Mysteries await. go.nbm.org Ghost & Graveyard Special Halloween Tour. Oct. 23, 7 to 9 PM. Tours begin at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St., Alexandria, VA. 703519-1749. alexcolonialtours.com Pumpkins in the Park. Oct. 24, 11 AM to 1 PM. Canal Park, 200 M St. SE. capitolriverfront.org Del Ray Halloween Parade. Oct. 25, 2 PM. Participants meet on Mount Vernon Avenue south of Bellefonte Avenue prior to 2 PM. Adults, children and dogs are welcome. visitdelray.com Drag Queen High Heel Race. Oct. 27, 9 PM. Always fun, always outrageous and always held on the Tuesday before Halloween, this event features elaborately costumed drag queens racing down 17th St. NW from R to Church Streets. Large crowds to cheer them. The race begins at 9 PM, but the real fun begins before the race. An informal block party follows. Hilloween at Eastern Market. Friday, Oct. 30, 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Bring the kids for hayrides, a moon bounce, photo booth, candy treats, games and contests. The fun takes place on the 200 and 300 blocks of Seventh St. SE between Pennsylvania and North Carolina Avenues SE. Dia de los Muertos. Oct. 31 and Nov 1. View several ofrendas (altars), and special programming that includes food demonstrations of traditional foods for the dead around the outdoor fire pit; music and dance performances. National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall. nmai.si.edu
Haunted Museum Historic Ghost Tour. Oct. 9, 23, 25 and 31; 8 PM and 9:15 PM. Explore the haunted past of the National Building Museum. See a different side of the Museum on this lantern-light tour. Mysteries and surprises await. go.nbm.org Photo: Courtesy of the National Building Museum
octoBeR 2015
Find a Nearby Pumpkin Patch. pumpkinpatchesandmore.org
SPECIAL EVENTS Taste of DC. Oct. 10 and 11. Noon to 7 PM, daily. Taste of DC is a culinary and cultural event that packs four blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue with area restaurants, great drinks, entertainment, and fellow Washingtonians and visitors. Event entrance is at Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventh St. NW. thetasteofdc.org Mt. Pleasant House and Garden Tour. Oct. 17, 2 PM. Explore the beautiful homes and gardens of Mt. Pleasant followed by a Taste of Mt. Pleasant, 1915 Kenyon St. NW, cocktail party at 5 PM featuring a sampling of local restaurants and vendors. Proceeds benefit the Bancroft Elementary PTO. Tour is $30; with reception is $40. Visit mtpleasanthouseandgardentour.com. Expo Italiana. Oct. 17, 9 AM to 4 PM. Expo Italiana showcases the best of Italy with the finest Italian food and specialties, wine, fashion and culture. Free admission. Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel (Exhibition Hall C), 2660 Woodley Rd. niaf. org/40 Joe’s Movement Emporium 20th Anniversary Block Party. Oct. 17, 2 to 6 PM. Music, vendors, dance, food and more. Outside of Joe’s on Bunker Hill Road between 33rd and 34th Streets., Mount Rainier, MD. joesmovement.org Washington International Horse Show. Oct. 20 to 25. This event hosts horses and riders from around the nation and the world. Verizon Center. wihs.org International Gold Cup Races at The Plains. Oct. 24, 10 AM (gates open). Race day activities include terrier rac-
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Jerusalem’s iconic Citadel is a fortress with archaeological findings spanning over 2,000 years. Copyright: Jerusalem US LP. Photo: Dustin Farrell
es, shopping, hat contests, tailgate contests, and some of the best steeplechase racing anywhere. Great Meadow Event Center, 5089 Old Tavern Rd., The Plains, VA. vagoldcup.com Artomatic 2015. Oct. 30 to Dec. 12. Artomatic returns for its signature free art event to be held this year in Hyattsville, Maryland. 1000 artists and performers throughout the area showcase their talents for a six weeks free exhibition that routinely attracts more than 75,000 visitors. 8100 Corporate Drive, Hyattsville, MD. Artomatic.org “40 Chances-Finding Hope in a Hungry World.” Through Jan. 3. The Photography of Howard G. Buffett,” featuring 40 photos documenting the world hunger crisis. Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. newseum.org
MUSIC The Howard. Oct. 11, Panteon Rococo; Oct. 13, Dread MarI; Oct. 16, Back to the Eighties Show with Jessie’s Girl; Oc. 17, Mother Falcon and Ben Sollee-The Fall Migration and I
Jerusalem 3D. Saturdays and Sundays through Mar. 31, 2016 at noon, 1 PM, 2, and 3. After being granted special permission in the region’s strict no-fly zone, filmmakers were able to capture the first-ever large format aerial footage of the Old City and throughout the Holy Land. Unprecedented access to the city’s holiest sites, as well as rare aerial footage of the Old City and the Holy Land, combine to make Jerusalem 3D a unique and stunning cinematic experience. $7. National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. 202–857-7700. nationalgeographic.com
Love The 90’s Show with The Fresh Kids of Bel-Air; Oct. 20, Dave Davies; Oct. 21, Protect Our Winters; Oct. 22, The Underachievers; Oct. 23, Bell Biv DeVoe; Oct. 24 and 25, Musiq Soulchild; Oct. 26, A Evening with David Duchovny; Oct. 27, Big K.R.I.T.; Oct. 30, Gin Blossoms; Nov. 6, Deafheaven; Nov. 7, Stephanie Mills. Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-8032899. thehowardtheatre.com The Black Cat. Oct. 11, Electric Six; Oct. 12, Mal Blum; Oct. 13, Ricot; Oct. 14, Goatsnake; Oct. 15, Blitzen Trapper; Oct. 20, Boys Life; Oct. 24, Babes in Toyland; Oct. 25, the Menzingers; Oct. 27, the Ex & Ken Vandermark; Oct. 28, Everything is Terrible Legends Tour; Oct. 30, Eighties Mayhem; Oct. 31, The Halloween Circus; Nov. 2, Night Streets; Nov. 3, Marching Church; Nov. 4, Movits!; Nov. 5, Cold Fronts; Nov. 6, We Were Promised Jetpacks; Nov. 7, DIIV; Nov. 8, The Royal Concept Parade of Lights. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com The 9:30 Club. Oct. 11, Lucero; Oct. 13, Neon Indian; Oct. 14, GLASS ANIMALS @ Rams Head Live and The Word (Randolph, Medeski, NMA); Oct. 15, Cherub; Oct. 17, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Old 97’s; Oct. 18, Smallpools; Oct. 19, Battles; Oct.
octoBeR 2015
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21, Matoma; Oct. 23 and 24, Lotus; Oct. 25, COLD WAR KIDS featuring Dearland Horns; Oct. 26, Peaches; Oct. 27, UB40 feat Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue; Oct. 28 and 29, Garbage; Oct. 30, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong; Oct. 31, The Revivalists; Nov. 1, Youth Lagoon; Nov. 2, The Districts; Nov. 3, Lido; Nov. 4, Parov Stelar; Nov. 5, Gorgon City; Nov. 6, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Bakermat. 815 V St. NW. 877-435-9849. 930.com The U Street Music Hall. Oct. 13, Reptar; Oct. 14, Joywave and Goldroom; Oct. 15, Lane 8; Oct. 16, Oddisee and Miguel Migs; Oct. 17, Jonas Rathsman; Oct. 20, Yuna; Oct. 21, Nightmares on Wax (DJ Set); Oct. 23, Autre Ne Veut and Tittsworth & Friends; Oct. 24, Mikky Ekko and Midland; Oct. 25, Green River Ordinance; Oct. 26, Lil Dicky; Oct. 27, Alunageorge; Oct. 28, Strange Talk and Goth-Trad, Sam Binga, and Malleus; Oct. 29, IAMX and Crizzly; Oct. 30, Thugfucker; Oct. 31, Chad Valley & Keep Shelly In Athens and U Hell Halloween party with Gent & Jawns; Nov. 2, TOPS; Nov. 4, Mod Sun and Ed Rush & Optical; Nov. 5, Jai Wolf; Nov. 6, MURS and Motez; Nov. 7, Yacht. U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St. NW. 202-588-1889. ustreetmusichall.com Ebenezers. Oct. 15, Ryanhood and Rachel Solomon, with Hadley Kennary; Oct. 16, Amos Saint Jean & Friends; Oct. 23, Jessica Graae and Aaron Nathans & Michael Ronstadt. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-5586900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com American Roots at the Botanic Garden. Oct. 15, 3 PM to 5 PM, Backroads Band; Oct. 22, 3 to 5 PM, Phil Wiggins. Concerts are in the Conservatory Garden Court. usbg.gov Society of the Cincinnati Concerts. Oct. 17, 1:30 PM, Ruth Rose, piano, and Jason Rylanders, tenor; Nov. 28, 1:30 PM, David Pedraza, viola, and Anna Nizhegorodtseva, piano; Dec. 12, 1:30 PM, Alexander Barnett, classical guitar. Free. Anderson House, 2118 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202785-2040. societyofthecincinnati.org The Atlas. Oct. 18, 5 PM, Capital City Symphony: An American Tale, World
H y p e r L o c a l | hīpər
. lōk(ə)l |
connotes information oriented around a well defined community with its primary focus directed toward the concerns of its residents. synonym: M I D C I T Y D C N E W S . C O M
Daily online. Monthly in print.
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premiere of Charlie Barnett’s Mid-Century Mambo; Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring; and Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Oct. 22, 8 PM, Iva Bittová; Oct. 23, 8 PM and Oct. 24, noon, Ran Blake Concert and Masterclass. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org Sixth and I. Oct. 22, Edgar Meyer & Christian McBride; Oct. 25, Cœur de pirate; Oct. 29, Ashley Monroe; Nov. 7, The Oh Hellos; Oct. 8, Luray and Fellow Creatures. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 202 -408- 3100. sixthandi.org The Lincoln. Oct. 22, Natalia LaFourcade; Oct. 23, Joe Jackson; Oct. 30, Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine; Nov. 7, Jim Jeffries. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. 202328-6000. thelincolndc.com DC Chamber Orchestra Concert. Oct. 25, 3 PM. Selected small ensemble works by Hummel, Brahms, Dohnanyi, Sibelius and Villa-Lobos. Free but donations accepted. Church of the Holy City, 1611 16th St. NW. Sunday Brunch at the Howard. Oct. 25, 1:30 PM, The Red Sessions; Nov. 1, 1:30 PM. Harlem Gospel Choir. $20-$40. Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com
walls…? Her husband thinks she needs time; her psychiatrist suggests positive thinking. But then the visions start. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org Salomé. Through Nov. 8. A tale as provocative as the Dance of the Seven Veils. According to the New Testament tale, Salomé, Princess of Judaea, danced for Herod Antipas and asked for the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org The Magic Tree. Oct. 10 to Nov. 13. On a stormy night, they shelter in an abandoned summer home and tentatively discover what it is they have in common. But just when it seems something beautiful might emerge, the opposite appears. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 202-265-3767. keegantheatre.com Gimme a Band, Gimme a Banana! The Carmen Miranda Story. Oct. 15 to Nov. 14. Gimme a Band, Gimme a Banana will utilize Pointless’s signature brand of multi-disciplinary, ensembledriven artistry and puppetry to tell the story of the legendary Brazilian performer Carmen Miranda. Logan Fringe Arts Space: Trinidad Theatre, 1358 Florida Ave. NE. capitalfringe.org
Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. Free but a free will offering taken. 1317 G ST. NW. 202-347-2635. epiphanydc.org
The Dealer of Ballynafeigh. Oct. 17 to Nov. 14. The boss’s niece is in a coma and Billy’s job is simple: scare the dealer who sold the girl the bad stuff. Billy is prepared for his torture mission, except he has to bring his Ma along (it’s her night for the car, after all). Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 202265-3767. keegantheatre.com
THEATER
The Most Happy Fella. Oct. 22 to 25. The Catholic University Musical Theatre Division presents Frank Loesser’s beloved musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1956. Tickets, $5 to $40, can be purchased at music.cua.edu.
The Guard. Through Oct. 18. In this world-premiere comedic drama, playwright Jessica Dickey paints shimmering portraits of Rembrandt, Homer and those who protect the art we cherish. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. 202-347-4833. fords.org Destiny of Desire. Through Oct. 18. On a stormy night in Bellarica, Mexico, two baby girls are born--one into a life of privilege and one into a life of poverty. When the newborns are swapped by a former beauty queen with an insatiable lust for power, the stage is set for two outrageous misfortunes to grow into one remarkable destiny. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. arenastage.org Chimerica. Through Oct. 18. In 1989, Joe, a young American journalist, photographs a protester facing down four tanks in Tiananmen Square. In 2012, with election season bringing USChina relations into the spotlight, Joe decides to seek out the subject of his most famous image—just as an old friend from China reaches out with an agenda of his own. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org Animal. Through Oct. 25. Rachel has it all: marriage, house, career. So why does she suddenly have this creeping feeling? Did she leave something behind? Or is there something in the
Washington Improv Theater: HOWL. Oct. 23 to Nov. 7. HOWL features WIT’s improvised slasher movie Die! Die! Die! plus performances by its amazing company ensemble. $12. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org Winners and Losers. Oct. 26 to Nov. 22. Is Kanye West a winner or loser? What about the Berlin Wall? Or goat cheese? Old friends Marcus and James spare nothing and no one in a seemingly harmless drinking game that separates the champions from the chumps. But what begins as a playful exercise slowly reveals itself as a dangerous unpacking of privilege, status symbols, and class divisions. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. 202-393-3939. woollymammoth.net This is Rwanda: The Beginning and the End of the Earth. Oct. 29 to Nov. 29. Mosaic Theater launches its inaugural season with a world-premiere epic about the madness and majesty of Rwanda. Raymond, an African film student at NYU enthralled with the mysteries of Alfred Hitchcock, is compelled by a mentor’s death to return to Rwanda to uncover a deeper horror story: the roots of violence that have destroyed his family, including his beloved grandfather, a Tutsi master storyteller whose legacy Raymond seeks to redeem. $20-$60. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-
7993. atlasarts.org Oliver. Oct. 30 to Jan. 3. Artistic Director Molly Smith blends the chaotic worlds of Victorian London with 2015 London to infuse a modern edge to the classic story about an innocent orphan living among double-dealing thieves and conmen. arenastage.org
SPORTS AND FITNESS Washington Capitals Ice Hockey. Oct. 10, 13, 15, 17, 28, 30 and Nov. 3. Verizon Center. capitals.nhl.com Hot Cider Hustle (5k, 10k and 15k). Oct. 24, 9 AM. Run the DC Hot Cider Hustle and get hot cider and caramel apples at the finish line. All participants get a fleece hoodie. RFK Stadium. runwashington.com Marine Corps Marathon. Oct. 25. Registration is closed. Find a map at mcmlocator.com/map. Washington Wizards Basketball. Oct. 31 and Nov. 4. Verizon Center. nba.com/wizards Nearby Public Tennis Courts. Banneker Community Center (8 outdoor tennis courts), 2500 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-673-6861. Kennedy Recreation Center (one outdoor tennis court), 1401 Seventh St. NW. 202-671-4794. All courts are open daily, dawn to dusk. Some are lighted for extended evening play. Courts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for one hour intervals; extended use of tennis courts requires a permit. Proper shoes and attire is required. 202-671-0314. dpr.dc.gov Closest Indoor Public Pools. Turkey Thicket, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE. Open Monday through Friday, 6:30 AM to 8 PM; Saturday, noon to 5 PM; closed, Sunday. 202-576-9236. This pool is heated and free for DC residents. Have ID with you. 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). 703505-3567. dcroadrunners.org
MARKETS AND SALES Market SW “night market”. Oct. 23, 4 to 9 PM. Bills itself as “an evening of arts, food, flea & fun, live music.” Market is at Fourth and M Streets SW. marketswdc.com Penn Quarter Farmer’s Market. Thursdays, 3 to 7 PM, through Dec. 17. Market at the northern end of Eighth St. NW, between D and E Streets. SNAP (EBT/Food Stamps) accepted. freshfarmmarkets.org Bloomingdale Farmer’s Market. Sundays, 9 AM to 1 PM,
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Moms On The Hill
2015 School Information Night
[ SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH ] [ 2:00–5:00 PM ]
[ CAPITOL HILL DAY SCHOOL ] [ 210 SOUTH CAROLINA AVENUE SE ] The closest Metro stop is Capitol South on the blue and orange lines Preschool, Public, Charter, Private, Catholic/Parochial, Middle Schools, High Schools and other programs. Come see all of your options! More Info:
[DOWNEYSCHOOLCONSULTING@GMAIL.COM] ALL PARENTS (including non-members) ARE WELCOME Organized by MoTH (Moms on the Hill)
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Artisan Cuisine Providing Capitol Hill with the most elegant and professional in-home fine dining experience.
Chef Fee Starts at $49.99 pp for a Party of 8 or Larger.
simply by mentioning this ad
through Nov. 22. First and R Streets. NW. 202-536-5571. marketsandmore.info
promoting the Chinatown renewal and the preservation of its cultural heritage. The public is welcome.
14th & U Farmer’s Market. Saturdays, 9 AM to 1 PM. 14th and U Streets. NW. marketsandmore.info
Convention Center Community Association. Last Tuesday, 7 to 8:30 PM. Kennedy Rec Center, 1401 Seventh St. NW.
Dupont Circle Farmer’s Market. Sundays (rain or shine), year round, 10 AM to 1 PM. 20th Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW, 1500 block of 20th Street NW. 202-362-8889. freshfarmmarket.org Foggy Bottom Farmer’s Market. Wednesdays, 3 to 7 PM, through Nov. 25. Market at 23rd and I Streets NW. SNAP (EBT/Food Stamps) & G World card accepted. freshfarmmarkets.org
ChefNeilWilson@aol.com | 301.699.2225 ChefJLawrence@outlook.com | 202.549.7422
Farmer’s Market by the White House. Thursdays, 11 AM to 2 PM, through Nov. 19. Market at 810 Vermont Ave. NW. SNAP (EBT/Food Stamps) accepted. freshfarmmarkets.org CityCenterDC Farmer’s Market. Tuesdays, 11 AM to 2 PM, through Oct. 27. Market at I St. NW, between 10th and 11th Streets. SNAP (EBT/Food Stamps) accepted. freshfarmmarkets.org Mount Vernon Triangle Farm Stand. Saturdays, 10 AM to 1 PM, through Oct. 31. Fifth and K Streets NW. freshfarmmarkets.org Union Market. Tuesday to Friday, 11 AM to 8 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, 8 AM to 8 PM. Union Market is an artisanal, curated, year round food market featuring over 40 local vendors. 1309 5th St. NE. 301-652-7400. unionmarketdc.com Georgetown Flea Market. Sundays, 8 AM to 4 PM. 1819 35th St. NW. georgetownfleamarket.com Maine Avenue Fish Market. Open 365 days a year. 7 AM to 9 PM. 1100 Maine Ave. SW. 202-484-2722.
CIVIC LIFE DMV Non-Violence Community Forum. Oct. 17, 9 AM to 3 PM. Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1518 M St. NW. Congresswoman Norton’s SE District Office. Open weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM. 2041 MLK Ave. SE, #238. 202-6788900. norton.house.gov All Ways Mount Pleasant. First Saturday, noon to 2 PM. LaCasa. All-Ways is a citizen’s association primarily for the tenants of the larger apartment buildings of Mount Pleasant. 3166 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. aass.org Chinatown Revitalization Council. Fourth Monday, 7 to 8 PM. 510 I St. NW. Chinatown Revitalization Council (CRC)
Downtown Neighborhood Association. Second Tuesday, 7 PM to 9. US Naval Memorial Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. miles@dcdna.org. dcdna.org East Central Civic Association of Shaw. First Monday, 7 PM. Third Baptist Church, 1546 Fifth St. NW. Contact: Al Hajj Mahdi Leroy J Thorpe Jr, 202-387-1596. Eckington Civic Association. First Monday, 7 to 8:30 PM. Harry Thomas Recreation Center, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. eckingtondc.org Edgewood Civic Association. Last Monday, 7 to 9 PM. Edgewood senior building, 635 Edgewood St. NE, 9th floor. theedgewoodcivicassociationdc.org Logan Circle Citizens Association. Please contact Jennifer Trock at jennifer.trock@logancircle.org for meeting dates and times. logancircle.org Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association. Third Tuesday, 7:30 to 9:30 PM. Yale Steam Laundry, 437 New York Ave. NW. lifein.mvsna.org U Street Neighborhood Association. Second Thursday, 7 to 8:30 PM. Source (second floor classroom), 1835 14th St. NW. ANC 1A. Second Wednesday, 7 PM. Harriet Tubman Elementary School, 3101 13th St. NW. 202-588-7278. anc1a.org ANC 1B. First Thursday, 7 PM. Reeves Center, 2000 14th St. NW (second floor). 202-870-4202. anc1b.org ANC 1B11. Second Monday, 7 PM. LeDroit Senior Building (basement community room), 2125 Fourth St. NW. 202481-3462. anc1b.org ANC 1C. First Wednesday, 7 PM. Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Health, 2355 Ontario Rd. NW. 202-332-2630. anc1c.org ANC 1D. Third Tuesday, 7 PM. 3166 Mount Pleasant St. NW. 202-462-8692. anc1d.org ANC 2C. First Wednesday, 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Watha T. Daniel Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-682-1633. anc2C.org ANC 6E. First Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Meeting at Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. anc6e.org Have an item for the Calendar? Email calendar@hillrag.com. u
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DC’s New Pocket Destination by Jonathan Bardzik edroit Park, Truxton Circle, U Street East, call it what you will, but there is a growing cluster of restaurants around Sixth and Florida. If the waits on 14th and U, the explosion of new openings on Ninth and Seventh in Shaw, and Capitol Hill’s Barracks Row are too long, this just might be your new dining destination.
The Royal Has Landed
Don’t worry, The Royal (theroyaldc. com, 501 Florida Ave. NW), this pocket’s newest addition, doesn’t suffer delusions of grandeur. Rather, this cozy and decidedly neighborhood spot pays homage to a liquor store that formerly occupied the northwest corner of Fifth and Florida. The Royal kicks off the day at 7 a.m. with Counter Culture coffee and breakfast (8 a.m. on the weekend. Everybody deserves to sleep in!). You can hang out and use the free wifi and grab a midday lunch, stay for dinner, and tipple through closing at 1 a.m. (grab a late drink until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday). Ready to kill each other after a long day of assembling furniture (another marriage nearly ruined by IKEA), my husband Jason and I headed out for a much needed drink and dinner. Let’s start with the drinks. We certainly did! Royal’s Whiskey Mule with bourbon lime and ginger beer seemed appropriate for a rainy night. Preferring my
drinks tart and bitter to sweet, I was pleasantly surprised by the reserved sweetness. My next drink, the Paloma, a mix of tequila, lime, and grapefruit soda, was also pleasantly tart and refreshing. No sorority girl sweetness here! Bar snacks followed, starting with awesome arepas. The richness of the beautifully browned cornmeal-doughencased gooey, stringy cheese got bright balance from Royal’s fresh aji sauce of cilantro and onion. The empanadas, also encased in a corn batter, were fried to a crisp hollow crust, almost like a samosa and richly filled with exotically seasoned beef (that’s code for I couldn’t identify the spices), peas, and onion.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Crisp and rich. Two of the Royal’s rich arepas and a cocktail or two are the perfect cap to a night out. Every neighborhood bar needs a great burger, and the Royal delivers with a tender bun, smoky meat, and a creamy cheese spread. It’s backyard perfection.
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Already full, we still ordered the cucumber and hearts of palm salad and the burger, because every bar menu should have a great burger. The burger was a really great backyard cookout burger. Smoky, on brioche that had the taste and mouth feel of a soft hamburger bun, and moist with slaw and a mild cheese spread. I love a green salad, but the plate filled with chunks of refreshing cucumber, creamy sweet hearts of palm, and fresh bright slices of jalapeno with a light coating of a thin cream dressing was a wonderful alternative to vinaigrette tossed plates of mesclun and arugula. Wrapping up out meal, relaxed and no longer on the brink of divorce, we commented that this is the neighborhood place we’ve been waiting for. Somewhere cozy and familiar to swing by for an easy dinner and a quick cocktail at the end of a long day. The kind of place you can hit once – or twice – a week.
All Meat, No Filler
You may be wondering why I’m writing about another burrito and taco stand nee food truck. Rito Loco (ritoloco.com, 606 Florida Ave. NW), known for its bright red food truck, has a bricks-and-mortar home next to the Howard Theater. It has built its reputation on a signature burrito. Forget the overstuffed fare from Chipotle, these burritos are all meat, no filler, wrapped in a flour tortilla that is pressed until crisp. You can get slow-roasted, tender rich pork rib (which was amazing), citrusy chicken, spicy ground beef, spice-rubbed fish, or veggies in a burrito, tacos, or low carb in a bowl. If you order veggies in a bowl just to eat light, we can’t be friends. If this sounds too simple, keep life interesting by changing up your choice of Rito Locos’ homemade sauces from mild salsa rojo to chimichurri. The burrito is roughly the size of those bad-decision, gut bomb burri-
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tos you can grab in the freezer section at CVS. These, however, are delicious, and the eat-with-your-hands, fits-in-your-mouth is perfect for a quick meal, silverware free. The fish in my tacos was moist and flavorful, paired only with chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and, at their recommendation, the earthy sharp chimichurri. No dried out cabbage and heavy mayo-based sauce on these rockin’ fish tacos. Delicious for lunch, Rito Loco will take care of your late-night cravings weeknights until 11 a.m. and Friday and Saturday until 4 a.m. If you’re an early riser, join them from 7:00 to 10:30 a.m. for their new breakfast menu. Caribbean spiced fish stuffs tacos topped with tomato and fresh cilantro. Take Rito Loco’s recommendation and choose their bright herbal chimichurri.
Picture-Perfect Shaw’s Tavern
Before you get around to ordering, Shaw’s Tavern (shawstavern.com, 520 Florida Ave. NW) starts to impress with its straight-out-of-central-casting atmosphere. The brick exterior, multipane, black framed windows, and large awning-covered patio facing Sixth Street are the perfect setup for a menu of sandwiches, salads, and pizza with daily specials. This is the place to hit, a couple nights a week, when you just want to cozy up to a table for a weeknight dinner. I grabbed lunch with my co-worker Nancy on a perfect DC fall day, the sun warm and the breeze light. We put the menu to the test with a plate of wings, the Cubanito sandwich special, and a chicken Cobb salad. The wings are served up three different ways including mango chipotle barbecue, but Nancy insisted that real wings were Buffalo sauced and I couldn’t argue. The roasted grilled wings hit my three marks for great wings: crisp skin, tender flesh, and a sauce that wasn’t so hot as to obscure flavor nor too buttery to smother the taste buds. The bleu cheese dressing was nice and creamy, mild and blissfully free of the greasy thickeners in most bottled dressings.
No filler here! Rito Loco’s signature burritos, pressed for crispness, are all meat and veggies with no rice or beans as fillers (don’t worry, you can still get them on the side).
Now, in all fairness, I wrote a column earlier this year on DC’s best Cuban sandwich, so I can be a little rough. While I wouldn’t place Shaw’s Tavern’s in the winners circle, the rich and tender pork and sharp mustard were a respectable entry and certainly satisfied my Tuesday lunch craving. Pressing the baguette for a little crispiness would have taken it home. The Cobb, however, was great: tender, wellflavored chicken on a loaded plate of lettuce, eggs, bacon and tomatoes. Let’s face it, when you order a Cobb salad or a plate of wings you’re not looking to be surprised. You’ve got a hankering and you want it filled, just as expected. Shaw’s Tavern delivers with a broad menu of comfort favorites and daily specials, from Tuesday’s half-price burgers and pizza to lunch specials that will keep you coming back, often.
It’s Time to Go Back
You’ve been to Bistro Bohem (bistrobohem. com, 600 Florida Ave. NW)
From Tuesday lunch to Sunday brunch, Shaw’s Tavern is a neighborhood joint complete with a great plate of buffalo (or mango chipotle!) wings.
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and Thai X-ing’s original location (thaix-ing.com, 515 Florida Ave. NW), right? It’s time to go back. Need a reason? A pierogi of the day – a richly sauced Polish dumpling – and Sunday’s schnitzel brunch are worth regular visits to Bistro Bohem. Thirty-dollars for a multicourse chef ’s menu including the most amazing pumpkin curry you’ve ever eaten (and if you haven’t, go now!) is the perfect budget-strapped excuse to fill up Sunday and Tuesday-Thursday at Thai-Xing. The Florida Avenue eatery is alcohol free so you won’t have to worry about being hung over at the gym in the morning. Daily specials, like the chicken Cobb, keep it interesting at Shaw’s whether you grab a meal here once a month or twice a week.
Jonathan Bardzik is a cook, storyteller, and author living in Washington, DC. Known for his regular live cooking demos at Eastern Market, Jonathan loves cooking fresh ingredients as much as seeking them out in DC’s exciting restaurant scene. Jonathan’s second cookbook, “Seasons to Taste,” is available now for presale at SeasonsToTasteCookbook.com. Order a copy and find out what Jonathan is cooking at www.jonathanbardzik. com or his Facebook page, “Jonathan Bardzik.” Need some foodporn? Follow @JonathanBardzik on Twitter and Instagram. u
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of Food and Drink article and photos by Annette Nielsen
From winning food truck of 2014 to winning the Launch Pad competition (with part of the prize being able to set up shop in Union Market), Gabriella Fabres and co-owner, Ali Arellano are able to grow their Venezuelan food business, Areppa Zone. Here with their populare tequenos (cheese sticks with an amazing sauce).
he first time I landed in DC, I was moving from New York City – and it was 1990. Outside of living across the street from Eastern Market and getting to know the great family of vendors there, I was a little discouraged at my options for food – both for sourcing and eating out. If you’ve been living in a place like New York, there’s always somewhere you can find an ingredient or satisfy a hankering for dumplings at one in the morning. But today, I know a different DC, one that has embraced food passionately. There’s no question that restaurants are drivers of economic growth. When my family and I returned to the District in 2012 after being gone for over a decade, we
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Pia Carusone at Republic Restoratives, DC’s first womenowned distillery, as they ready for an opening on New York Avenue later this year.
were impressed with Capitol Hill’s restaurant lineup, particularly the number of new openings along Barrack’s Row. According to the Restaurant Associa- tion of Metropolitan Washington, restaurant employment in DC is projected to grow about seven per cent over the next decade. Currently, the metropolitan area has over 11,000 restaurants with approximately 217,000 jobs. The District alone had 2,144 eating and drinking places in 2014, and it’s projected that the 2015 figures for District restaurants will realize $2.8 billion in sales and account for 60,000 jobs, 8 percent of DC’s employment. Over the last several years, the District’s restaurants and chefs have been making national news, Union Market and Maketto debuted, and businesses are expanding their reach opening second and third locations.The farmers’ market circuit has grown beyond Fresh Farm locations to include urban farming, community gardens and pop-up style or mobile markets in neighborhoods in all eight wards. Certainly, the nation-wide focus on sustainability, artisanal creations and a celebration of the chef as rock star has helped drive the trend here, but it’s clear a vibrant food culture has been established in DC.
Food Trucks
While the entry point for a typical brick-and-mortar restaurant can be cost-prohibitive for many, the food truck makes it easy to test a food concept without losing your apron. Arepa Zone, with their authentic, home-style Venezuelan fare, highlights arepas,
Growing each month and expanding their reach, Living Social alums, Alan Clifford and Ian Costello started the meal delivery service, Galley.They’ve moved from their start-up space in Penn Quarter to larger digs in Ivy City. Photo: Nick Heyd
the grilled corn patty that’s opened to make a pocket and stuffed with flavorful fillings along with tequenos (cheese sticks served with a killer sauce) and cachapas (sweet corn pancakes from real sweet corn). Since opening in spring of 2014, coowners Gabriela Febres and Ali Arellano have garnered great acclaim – the Daily Meal named them one of America’s Top 101 Food Trucks and Timeout named them the best DC food truck this year. Gabriela and Ali share Venezuelan roots and met at a soccer match. They soon found themselves planning a get together for the soccer community giving them opportunity to prepare some of their Venezuelan favorites. Out of that chance meeting, they realized there were some favorite foods that were missing in DC.
Tai Heath, at her space at Mess Hall DC. Heath is decorating customdesigned cookies for a Redskins wives’ fashion event. Tai is a co-owner of the business, 5-12 Dessert Boutique, that she started with her mom, Daneen.
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“We couldn’t find arepas in DC at that time,” says Ali, “and as we worked on our recipe, we thought about finding restaurant space.” Being cautious about making a huge investment in real estate for a restaurant, the two went to Marietta, Georgia late in 2013 to meet the team that would build them a food truck. Their business was a huge success. But now they’ve decided to test next steps toward a more permanent space to complement their food truck locations. They entered the Launch Pad at Union
visors such as Chef Patrick O’Connell of the Inn at Little Washington, Ris Lacoste of Ris, Aaron Silverman of Rose’s Luxury and more, the competition was designed to identify and launch a promising culinary concept at Union Market. The professional team provides advice on raising capital, leasing, and valuable networking opportunities with the ability to test out their idea in a fully built-out space in a proven food hub. It wasn’t just a popularity contest that won Arepa Zone the Launch Pad prize this year. Wendy Stuart of Food Works Group, was brought Al Goldberg of Mess Hall envisioned a food community in a welcoming space. Opened less than a year ago, it is already home to over 30 food start-ups, and has hosted many events from educational workshops for food entrepreneurs, cooking classes with demonstration kitchen, to fundraisers for those in need.
Market competition, with part of the prize being a six-month stint at Union Market. An idea grown by Al Goldberg of food incubator Mess Hall, and ad-
in to look closely at viability and the numbers. She’s an expert at analyzing market demand and is known for her work as a local food systems specialist, a role that may have not even existed a decade ago. According to Stuart, “The folks at Arepa Zone already
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have a positive cash flow from their awardwinning food truck. Their financials were based in part on these numbers, and were realistic, thorough, and perhaps even conservative projections. Further, they will fund their expansion in large part through their own cash reserves, which is impressive for a start-up with large capital expenses.” As ArepaZone launched this summer in Union Market, we can look forward to it being part of this hybrid of a community of restaurants and specialty food items.
Spirited Work
One of the welcome additions to the District’s food and beverage evolution is the presence of small batch distillers. Republic Restoratives is on its way to being the first DC-based, woman-owned distillery. Founded by Pia Carusone and Rachel Gardner, Republic Restoratives will open their space at an Ivy City warehouse at 1369 New York Ave. NE before the end of the year. The two will initially offer vodka, and a variety of rye and bourbon will follow after the maturation process is complete. The women grew up together in Saratoga Springs, New York and remained close friends for more than thirty years. Pia moved to DC in 2009 as the chief of staff for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and bought a house in the neighborhood. Rachel, with an MBA, worked in resource management, and also studied in the state of Washington with master distiller, Rusty Figgins, learning the craft of making whiskey. The two have retained Figgins as a consultant for their production methods at Republic Restoratives. “When we got serious about this project and started looking for a building, it was a challenge identifying the right space.” While they didn’t personally purchase the huge warehouse space, the investor group they assembled wanted to make certain the full 24,000 square feet would be rented. They were able to secure a 17,000 square foot lease for their new neighbor Union Kitchen, the kitchen incubator that already has one location in NoMA. The distillery will have a first floor tasting room, bar and event space. The 1,000-gallon capacity still, fermenting tank, mash cooker are being readied for installation and trench drains are being built. With over 80,000 cars passing by their distillery each day on New York Avenue, they’re
excited about the opening. “We should wrap construction in November and host our opening party in early December,” says Pia. The duo are enthusiastic about being part of the District’s food and beverage scene, too, “When Rachel and I were coming up with a name for our business, we really wanted to tip our hat to the Capital – this vibrant and interesting place in and of itself.”
Home Cooking, Delivered
Former Living Social alums, Alan Clifford and Ian Costello, started Galley with a concept of meals-on-the-go. At the end of 2014, they left their jobs and started thinking more about food and how to look beyond traditional take-out with its typically geographic limitation to food delivery service. Many of the online food delivery service companies require a subscription and ship customers prepped ingredients so that they can create the meals themselves, however Galley is different in that they send chilled meals that are already prepared by their team of chefs. Whether ordering lunch or dinner, prices for a meal are $14 or less (including delivery, tax and gratuity). Customers get a 30-minute delivery window and directions for heating their meal. Partnering with VSAG restaurant consultants (the Founding Farmers team), they moved to Ivy City at 1350 Okie Street and started lunch production, followed by dinner in the beginning of July of this year. With an app and online access, ordering lunch or dinner couldn’t be easier. “We’re making hundreds of meals a day,” says Alan and notes that they have thousands of customers in the District now and recently expanded to Baltimore. “Our core audience is in their late 20s or 30s – everyone is focused on the convenience factor – they are looking for a high quality meal and healthful offerings.”
Mess Hall Initiatives
Al Goldberg is building a community around food. After spending a number of years in the catering world, he wanted to break out and do his own thing. He knew that many craft producers were finding space in church kitchens or using restaurant space in off hours, but he also knew that bringing together a group of people in one space would foster a camaraderie and support system for those launching
a culinary concept. Working through Eagle Bank, a preferred SBA lender, and using his own savings, he found a space at 703 Edgewood Street NE, opening Mess Hall’s doors in October of last year. Al sees a time when DC follows along with initiatives like he’s seen in Brooklyn – where hotels there might promote handcrafted food items made in the borough. He also notes that it takes lots of entrepreneurs to make this type of community a reality. “I can see a District hotel offering cookies baked by a local producer – there’s a level of pride with restaurants featuring DC products.” Mess Hall has noted DC producers like Bullfrog Bagels making hand-rolled bagels in the authentic tradition, 5-12 Dessert Boutique and Lounge run by mother-daughter duo Daneen and Tai Heath who create specialty baked goods and cookies, and Tory Pratt’s True, syrups and garnishes (tonics and grenadines done in the style of those produced pre-prohibition). Says Tory who used to work in international development, “Most of my business comes out of this space, it fits a niche you maybe didn’t think was there – I was one of the first 10 in the space, now we have close to 40.” Recently, Mess Hall applied for and won a Small Business Association Growth Accelerator Award – over 600 businesses applied and a little over 10% of applicants won, each receiving $50,000. Earlier this summer Al took the lead on coordinating Launch Pad, collaborating with DC culinary leaders to help a promising food business (see Arepa Zone under Food Trucks above) take logical next steps. Another part of the focus of community is engaging interns from DC Central Kitchen with the hopes that the entrepreneurs using the Mess Hall space might grow their business and have the potential to provide a job. Says Al of Mess Hall’s role in the food culture in DC, “What you’ll see is that we’ll continue to try and find new and meaningful ways to have impact in enabling the DC small producers to create a sustainable food economy.” Annette Nielsen has been the food editor of the Hill Rag since 2012 and has recently taken a position with Futuro Media Group in New York; reach her at annettenielsen@mac.com or follow her on Twitter @The_Kitchen_Cab. u
octobeR 2015
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by Phil Hutinet
Dominic Green’s Contrasting Vision
Videographer and photographer Dominic Green began his artistic career creating a documentary on the making of “Toy Theater,” a 40 by 40-foot mural on Sutherland Place NW near Dupont Circle. Artist Peter Waddell spearheaded the project and received financial support through a grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Since the making of “Toy Theater” Green’s production company, Green Visionz, has also realized a series of short films shot in DC. However, when it comes to photography, Dominic Green looks to the past for inspiration. “I’m a fan of more candid photography, a big fan of LIFE magazine and of their photographers – I love those images. You have to be out among people to be able to capture those kinds of images,” explained Green. He agreed to help a friend who works with DC’s homeless population at Franklin Square downtown this past August. Green brought his camera along to
document what he saw. In hindsight, Green admits that the whole experience “was spur of the moment.” One homeless person who caught Green’s immediate attention was an older woman named Lulu. She became homeless more than 10 years ago due to her inability to pay costly medical bills. “She’s been living on the streets ever since. She had a stomach ailment and surgery. She explained how difficult it is to live on the street,” lamented Green. He captured Lulu’s plight with tragic eloquence. As he described it, “Her pain is visible in her eyes and the marks on her skin combine to show her suffering.” Green hopes his work can draw much needed attention to Lulu’s fate and the countless other homeless people living on the streets of DC.
Renee Stout’s ‘Wild World’
Renee Stout’s recent body of work, currently on view at Hemphill Fine Art through Dec. 19, at-
tempts to address the incredible disparities that exist in today’s world, such as income and racial inequality. Simply put, the artist believes we are “at the crossroads, embroiled in a storm of conflicting viewpoints, social and economic inequality, and political and religious conflict.” However, unlike many photojournalists who have documented these contemporaneous contradictions through the mechanical eye of a camera, capturing an event one frame at a time, Stout has produced a body of work which seemingly attempts to make sense of the world not by gathering empirical evidence, but rather through divination. Stout seeks a higher, universal, and more enlightened power to make sense of the world she sees today. Stout has created a series of sculptural works using found items such as radios and wires to tap into a magical energy that “lies beyond the self.” The result is stunning. The success of this exhibition depends largely on the masterful curation of the artworks, as sculptures and two-dimensional works dovetail perfectly in the gallery space, weaving a narrative that simultaneously blends spiritualism with archaic radio technologies.
‘The Quality of Light’ and ‘Husk’ at Touchstone
Photographer Pete McCutchen’s current body of work examines light’s wide spectrum and its effect on his subject matter. McCutchen attempts to “draw with light,” producing a series of landscapes photographed at Yellowstone National Park and the Devil’s Tower in Wyoming as well as abandoned factories and cities in the Midwest. Anthony Dortch’s series of figurative drawings strip man’s rough outer layer, the husk, to expose that which lies beneath in an attempt to focus on his subject’s “inner self.” At first glance Dortch’s strong masculine figures appear imposing, but further reflection reveals that Dortch has actually deconstructed the virile comic-book super-heroes of his youth to expose their vulnerabilities. Dominic Green,“Lulu.” Image: Dominic Green
Dominic Green,“Liberation.” Image: Dominic Green
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OCTO be r 2015
Current Exhibitions on View
Gallery Neptune and Brown 1530 14th St. NW 202-986-1200 Through Oct. 17 “Picasso to Kentridge – Prints by Modern & Contemporary Masters” Opening Reception TBD
Renee Stout,“Reverend Zombie’s Window.” Image: Hemphill
Hamiltonian Gallery 1353 U St. NW 202-332-1116 www.hamiltoniangallery.com Through Oct. 31 “new. (now).” 2015 Fellows Group Exhibition Hemphill Fine Arts 1515 14th St. NW 202-234-5601 www.hemphillfinearts.com Through Dec. 19 “Wild World” by Renee Stout Touchstone Gallery 901 New York Ave. NW 202-347-2787 www.touchstonegallery.com Through Nov. 1 Monthly Member Artist Exhibition “The Quality of Light” by Pete McCutchen “Husk” by Anthony Dortch
Renee Stout,“Soul Catcher Regenerator 2,” archival pigment print. Image: Hemphill
Anthony Dortch,“Untitled.” Image: Touchstone Gallery
Long View Gallery 1234 Ninth St. NW 202-232-4788 www.longviewgallerydc.com Through Oct. 18 Work by Michelle Peterson-Albandoz Phil Hutinet is the publisher of East City Art, dedicated to DC’s visual arts. For more information visit www.eastcityart.com. u
Pete McCutchen,“Five Lights.” Image: Touchstone Gallery
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Bubble Fairy Marigold Bumbleroot dazzled the crowd at the Midway at City Market at O with her soapy magic. Photo by Pleasant Mann Moksha’s fire fan dance on the Midway as Shaw’s Art All Night. Photo by Pleasant Mann Crowds waited up to an hour to enter the Wonder Bread Factory for Lionz of Zion breakdancing competition. Photo by Pleasant Mann
Grammy Award winning Jazz musicians Peter and Will Anderson played at Compass Coffee during Art All Night in Shaw. Photo by Pleasant Mann
Art All Night Comes to Shaw – Again! by Pleasant Mann haw Main Streets held its signature free overnight festival, Art All Night, on Saturday night, Sept. 26, drawing thousands of visitors from throughout the city and beyond. Art All Night debuted in 2011, becoming an annual event in Shaw in 2013. With the support of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and other District government agencies, Art All Night DC is now a city-wide festival, taking place in five Main Street areas. Not only has Art All Night DC helped provide exposure for local artists, the activity and foot traffic generated by the festival has helped increase local businesses’ revenues. Programming the event in Shaw has become more complicated now that the vacant buildings that once served as art venues, such as the 1000 block of Seventh Street NW and the Wonder Bread Factory, have begun or completed redevelopment. The Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library served as the base of operations and source of maps and materials for Art All Night DC in Shaw. In the library, large, multi-generational groups were occupied with crafts, coloring books and collaboratively completing puzzles. Jessica Yirenkyi painted live and showed her music and dance-themed artwork, while people danced to DJ Stylus’ beat downstairs. And, all night, there was a long line of children and adults
waiting to get their faces painted by the artisans of Peaky Paints. The 1400 block of Eighth Street NW, running through City Market at O, was closed off to create a “Midway” for performers. As searchlights panned the sky, the CDH Brassworks band played; and DJ Adrian Loving provided the background music. “Bubble Fairy” Marigold Bumbleroot blew giant soap bubbles, while belly dancers from Jordin’s Paradise gyrated. The DC Department of Health set up a photo booth and offered henna tattoos while promoting male and female condom use. Shanna Lim and her troupe Inner Soul Projex Productions presented an extended dance and musical performance that included interaction with the audience. The Midway was closed out with a ceremonial fire fan dance by Moksha. Participants got to express their creativity at several venues. People crammed into Taylor and York Salon to paint their own acrylic and watercolor masterpieces. The People’s Choir DC, a group that started in April 2014 as part of a national movement to revive the tradition of communal singing, held a singalong at the Midway, followed by a midnight session of interactive singing at DC9 with 100 participants. The biggest DIY event was Jim Webb’s Shaw Shadows, held on the city-owned vacant lot on the northeast corner of Seventh and R Streets
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NW. At Shaw Shadows, computer-controlled colored lights were projected against a five-story wall, allowing crowds of participants to create giant shadow images using their bodies, costumes and props. People remained on the lot up until the 3 a.m. closing. Art All Night DC in Shaw also hosted several major dance events. At IStrategyLabs in the Wonder Bread Factory, the Lionz of Zion, a 19-yearold DMV b-boy crew, hosted a pro breakdancing competition. A capacity crowd came to witness regional breakdancers battle one-on-one to win prizes at the event sanctioned by the Urban Dance and Educational Foundation. Step Afrika!, DC’s internationally-renowned dance company, also came to Shaw, starting with performances at the Midway and Shaw Shadows sites. At midnight, the steppers moved to the Center City Public Charter School, Shaw Campus to perform their interactive step show experience “Step Afrika! After Dark” before a standing room-only crowd in the Mundell Auditorium. A number of Shaw businesses served as performance venues. At Compass Coffee, Grammy Award winning jazz artists Peter and Will Anderson, followed by the Howard “Kingfish” Franklin Quartet, performed before a rapt audience. The White Room design studio hosted a music-driven multimedia experience curated by the Beyond Collective in their space. Shaw’s other design firm, Swatchroom, teamed up with Chaplin’s Restaurant and Bar to create the Shaw Salon, an interactive art presentation featuring live painting, live music and video installations. Other Shaw businesses hosted art installations and music during Art All Night, including Bistro Bohem, Wanda’s on 7th Salon & Spa, Calabash Tea & Tonic and Tally restaurant. The Simon Vintage store had an exhibition of the clothing of famed drag performer Angillian Anne. Pekoe Acupuncture and Wellness had mixed media by Brian Mishoe and Sarah Britt upstairs, while DJs performed downstairs all night. The vacant storefronts along the Ninth Street side of the Washington Convention Center were used as an art gallery, displaying visual artwork by Nooni Reatig, Lina Alattar, Alexander M. Padro and Chris Kidboy, along with a large format photographic installation by Rosina Teri Memolo. Across the street, the windows of the upcoming restaurant Espita Mezcaleria were filled with the colorful backlit work of Sandy Phillips, inspired by Mayahuel, the Aztec goddess of agave and fertility, who gave birth to 400 rabbits. u
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Young painter displaying her talents at Taylor and York Salon during Art All Night in Shaw. Photo by Pleasant Mann
Stepping at Art All Night in Shaw. Photo by Pleasant Mann
RIGHT: The Lionz of Zion breakdancing competition drew a crowd during Art All Night DC in Shaw. Photo by Pleasant Mann
Shaw Shadows was among the most popular events at Art All Night. Photo by Alexander Padro
BELOW: Serious Coloring Book activity at the Watha T Daniel Library. Photo by Alexander Padro
Shanna Lim pulled the audience into her dance performance at the Midway at City Market at O. Photo by Pleasant Mann
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District Beat
Ending Homelessness: The Impossible Dream?
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by Jonetta Rose Barras
omelessness is fundamentally The US Department of Housing and Urban The 2015 “Point-in Time” count of the region’s about a lack of housing.” This Development defines the chronic homeless person homeless population found there was an overall 2.7 unequivocal declaration appears as “someone who has a disability, is unsheltered or percent decrease between 2014 and 2105. But 63 in “Homeward DC,” the recent sheltered, and has been homeless consistently for percent of the 11,623 “literally homeless” individureport isals were in the District. sued by DC’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH). It is an enthusiastic embrace by Mayor Muriel Bowser’s adminisUnemployment, subtration of the philosophy stance abuse, and mental of “Housing First.” health issues all contribThe city is playing ute mightily to individufollow-the-leader. The als and families becoming Housing First methodolhomeless. So is homelessogy has been aggressively ness merely a symptom of pushed for several years an amalgam of social ills by the US Interagency and gaps in the healthcare Council on Homelessness system? Or is it the singu(USICH). Not surprislar problem? ingly, DC Department of The Bowser adminHuman Services Director istration’s own council Laura Zeilinger, whose found that at least one agency handles the city’s cause of the increase in From left, Executive Director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness Kristy Greenwalt, City Administrator Rashad Young, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, homeless programs, once homelessness in the DisDirector of DC Department of Human Services Laura Zeilinger and DC Department of Housing and Community Development Director Polly Donaldson headed this organization. meet with members of the District’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) on September 1, 2015. During the meeting, Mayor Bowser announced trict was the “closing of a a set of legislative and administrative measures to improve the Districtís homelessness crisis response system for families and called on residents to This is her second time at state psychiatric institusign a pledge to end homelessness. Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah, DC Government bat leading the District’s tion without concomitant fight against homelesscreation of communityness. Prior to her stint in based housing and sera year or more, or has had four separate episodes the federal government Zeilinger held a similar vices.” A primary cause for family homelessness is of homelessness within the last three years.” The brief under Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. poverty, acknowledges Zeilinger. “The characterBowser administration has pledged to end chronic If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. istics of the homeless are not much different than homelessness for families by 2017. Zeilinger tells the District Beat that during people who experience extreme poverty.” That’s more than a notion. the past several years, which undoubtedly means Yet no District official has called for a reasOn any given day, under the flags of all the states under Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s administration, sessment of the city’s decision to release massive flying just outside historic Union Station, there is the city lost ground. “[It] stopped investing in numbers of persons with mental illness from govan encampment of homeless men and women. It permanent housing; it stopped investing in housernment facilities and institutions. Nor have the may be hard to see them from a car or bus; they are ing first.” Now, according to the ICH, the District city’s leaders floated an aggressive, comprehenhidden inside the architecture. But there are dozhas the “highest rate of chronic homelessness of sive, and cohesive campaign – a local version of ens of them. It’s their anchor home, just as Franklin other similarly sized cities in America, and famPresident Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society,” perPark at 15th and K streets NW is for others, and ily homelessness increased a staggering 50 percent haps – focused on ending poverty. Instead there Dupont Circle and the corner of 10th and G streets over the past five years,” she states. is a hodgepodge of programs without a common NW for still more.
Is Homelessness the Problem?
OCTOber 2015
organizing core. Does Housing First provide the necessary structure?
Will “Housing First” Work?
Ralph da Costa Nunez, head of the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness, has conducted research around the impact of Housing First. It is important to provide shelter for the homeless, he agrees, with a caveat. “Thus far the data – collected in 12 cities from 2,300 participant families [by HUD] – shows that rapid re-housing does not prevent future episodes of homelessness,” he wrote in September in the Huffington Post. Other experts have been equally critical of Housing First. Both programs rely on government vouchers or similar subsidies. The rental amount that participating individuals or families are required to pay is based on their income. In some instances they pay nothing. “For the majority of homeless families who constantly struggle with multiple manifestations of chronic poverty, rapid re-housing will not likely yield success,” Nunez wrote. Zeilinger differs with that view: “We’ve seen when we use Housing First we can dramatically reduce the number of homeless people.” Karen Cunningham, executive director of the Capitol Hill Group Ministries, says she is excited to see the city “putting significant resources into prevention that will really keep people from having to resort to shelter.” Her organization is one of several the city has tapped to provide those services, which could include working with families to mitigate conflicts that result in homelessness or persuading relatives to take in a family to keep them out of a shelter. “Under those circumstances,” says Cunningham, “it is going to be important for it to be clear that [families] don’t have to go into shelter to be connected to housing and other services they need.” The Bowser administration also expects to ramp up the production of affordable housing units. It has placed $100 million in the Housing Production Trust Fund. It also is asking the DC Council to change the current law, to permit the agency to “clarify and provide for a more robust eligibility process.” Further, the mayor wants to have more flexibility on whether to house homeless families in apartments or what amounts to SROs – single rental occupancy units – which mimic efficiencies with communal bathrooms. “No one has seen the legislation,” says Cunningham. “It hasn’t been vetted with service providers.”
Still there are some concerns. What happens, asks Cunningham, if a family in the “diversion program” has a problem with a relative and can no longer live in a particular place, and it happens on a warm night instead of a hypothermia evening which would give them a right to shelter? “Would the family be denied shelter?” Cunningham says advocates and providers are talking with Bowser administration officials to ensure there are protections for families seeking emergency relief. They want to ensure that such applicants remain eligible for long-term housing benefits.
Deja Vu All Over Again
That all sounds good. But, truth be told, there is very little difference in the “Homeward DC” plan from the ICH and the 2004 “Homeless No More” proposal issued under Mayor Anthony Williams. The problem looks and feels the same, and one package of solutions echoes the other. Calling his plan a “blueprint for action,” Williams pledged to end homelessness in 2014. His administration also promised to construct 6,000 units of affordable housing for low-income residents, increase preventive services using local and federal resources, and coordinate with mainstream organizations to provide social services for the homeless. At the time it issued its report, a version of Housing First had been “initiated in partnership with the DC Housing Authority,” providing “Section Eight” vouchers for adults. Now Bowser proposes to “develop a more effective crisis response system; increase the supply of affordable and supportive housing; remove barriers to [existing] affordable and supportive housing; increase economic security of households in our system; increase preventive efforts to stabilize households before housing is loss.” She has promised to end chronic homelessness by 2017, and pledged that by 2020 homelessness in the District will be “a rare, brief and non-recurring experience.” Despite the merry-go-round aspect of all of this, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, whose Committee of the Whole oversees homelessness, promises to move quickly on Bowser’s package of requested legislative changes. “What the city is trying to do makes sense,” he says, adding that “the executive will need to ensure homeless advocates concur with the proposed changes.” “There is a quality of life issue,” continues Mendelson, acknowledging that the city likely will never “end” homelessness.” Still, the District’s
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effort to house the homeless is “the right thing to do.” Dealing with the issue hasn’t been cheap and “it’s not going to be cheap. I don’t know if we’re ever going to get the cost down,” Mendelson adds. Bowser has set aside $26 million for homeless programs in fiscal year 2016. Combined with the housing trust money, the city could spend more than $126 million on housing the poor and homeless. Providing shelter is “less expensive than doing nothing. You can’t change their course without housing,” says Zeilinger. “If you don’t provide it, they will continue to suffer. You have to give people a fighting chance.”
What about Existing Social Services?
It’s not as if the city doesn’t have an existing network it could more effectively use to prevent homelessness. Many at-risk families receive a variety of District social services: Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), food stamps, and lowcost or no-cost health insurance. Monitoring their situations more closely could help the city stay one step ahead of evictions leading to homeless shelters. Moreover, in any given week hundreds of troubled families and individuals can be found in the DC Superior Court’s Landlord Tenant Division. In these cases the city could opt to use its own housing subsidy program to provide vouchers to such families or individuals. Equally important, the city’s public housing administration has embraced a mixed-income housing renovation strategy. In Ward 8’s infamous Barry Farm complex, for example, such plans could jeopardize the living situation of dozen of families for whom there are no large rental apartment alternatives. “It’s a really complicated issue. There may be more than one worthy model,” says Cunningham, adding that the administration intends “to collect a lot of data to determine what works.” Didn’t the Williams administration, the Fenty administration, and the Gray administration also collect data? Yes, admits Cunningham. Yet this time “it feels to me there is genuine commitment to address this issue.” Is that a case of wishful thinking? Jonetta Rose Barras has reported or commented on District affairs for more than 20 years. She occasionally blogs at www.jonettarosebarras.com. u
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H
ard as it is to picture, a growing number of DC families live on less than $2 a day per person, and decisions by Mayor Bowser and the DC Council will help determine whether this problem gets worse over the next year – or better. Recent cuts in income assistance to DC’s poor families mean that 13,000 children are in families with incomes this low, and a pending time limit in DC’s welfare-to-work program could reduce families’ incomes even further starting next year. The District’s economy is growing but not creating equal opportunities for success. Some 18,000 more DC residents were poor in 2014 than in 2007, before the last recession, with African-Americans being hardest hit. This stubbornly high poverty reflects jobs that have not fully come back since the recession, except for residents with a college degree or beyond. This means that there is no guarantee that families who lose support will be able to land a decent job. The District has an opportunity to do better. Mayor Bowser and the DC Council will be making changes over the next year to employment services and the time limit in the city’s welfare-to-work program – TANF. Those changes will determine whether more families get the help and protections they need or, on the flip side, whether more families fall into deep poverty, with severe consequences for family stability and the ability of children to develop healthfully.
The Numbers
Too Many Families in DC Live on $2 a Day. It’s Time to Do Something About It by Ed Lazere
is what happens “when a government safety net that is built on the assumption of full-time stable employment at a living wage combines with a lowwage labor market that fails to deliver on any of the above.” While time limits on cash assistance have been the norm for almost 20 years, there is growing evidence that they are leaving many vulnerable families without any help. In some states fewer than one in 10 poor families gets any assistance from their state’s welfare program. Yet the best job option for workers with limited skills often is a low-wage job with uneven hours that make planning family life and paying for necessities difficult. Many families who lose their cash assistance are therefore not able to replace that with a job.
DC’s Growing Number of $2-a-Day Families
The Safety Net for Children Is Getting Weaker
A new book details the harmful impact of restrictive time limits on families facing limited job opportunities. The book, “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America,” found that the number of US families with extremely low incomes doubled over the past 20 years. The authors conclude that this
In DC the issue of time limits stems from legislation adopted in 2010 and 2011 that reduced cash assistance benefits for families who have received benefits for more than 60 months from DC’s TANF welfare program. Those benefits now equal $152 a month for a family of three – about $1.70 per day per person. Under the law, families that reach 60 months will lose all cash assistance in October 2016. Yet little is known about why so many DC families are not succeeding in the job market, and are instead opting for such a small TANF benefit. Research from other communities suggests that
OCTOb er 2015
families who stay on cash assistance the longest tend to have problems with mental health or physical limitations, cognitive impairments, or responsibility for family members with disabilities. These barriers have been identified among DC families as well, though from research that is more than 10 years old. While little is known about the circumstances of families, a lot is known about their job opportunities, which are pretty bleak. • One of three DC adults without a college degree is either unemployed, working fewer hours than desired, or too discouraged to look for work. • Wages for DC residents with a high school diploma fell $2 an hour in just the last seven years, from $15 to $13 an hour. • Many residents without advanced education end up in retail or food service jobs, which tend to be part-time with uneven hours from week to week. Half of these workers get their schedule less than a week in advance, according to a recent survey in DC. And it is not uncommon to get sent home early – without pay – or to be told to be on call for work but not to be called in. It is not surprising, then, that poverty remains stubbornly high despite signs of a strong economy. About 110,000 DC residents are poor, living on less than $20,000 for a family of three. In 2007, before the last recession, 92,000 DC residents were poor.
Keeping Families Safe, Giving Them the Help They Need
The District has important opportunities to improve the job prospects of its residents. Mayor Bowser has committed to reforming the city’s
job training system, and a new federal law requires the city to develop a new workforce development plan by March 2016. These efforts should focus on preparing residents for jobs in DC industries that are growing, and offer entry-level jobs and career pathways for workers without advanced education, especially in hospitality and health services. In addition to better education and training, the District can improve the quality of jobs for all working residents through increasing the minimum wage and requiring employers to give workers advance notice of their weekly schedules. DC’s minimum wage will rise to $11.50 next year, and an initiative may be on the ballot to raise it further, to $15 an hour by 2020. But it is not easy fully to address an economy that is benefitting a privileged few and leaving more behind. Many families will struggle to find work that pays enough and offers enough hours. That is why it is important to maintain a strong safety net. Fortunately the Bowser administration has committed to improving employment services and modifying its welfare time limit for families facing hardship. Those are positive steps, and the details will be important. There is reason to believe that policymakers and DC residents will support the idea of a welfare program that helps families gain the skills needed to succeed and protects children from harm. That’s the simple formula for making sure that no one has to live on just $2 a day. Ed Lazere is executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www. dcfpi.org). DCFPI promotes budget and policy solutions to reduce poverty and inequality in the District of Columbia and to increase the opportunity for residents to build a better future. u
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Neighborhood / BULLETIN BOARD
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Jewish Literary Festival
Six New Businesses Open in Shaw
On Sept. 30, Mayor Bowser celebrated the ribbon cutting of six new businesses in the Shaw Main Streets area. The new businesses include: Rito Loco, Calabash Tea & Tonic, Petco Unleashed, Piassa Ethiopian Cuisine & Café, Cher Cher Ethiopian Restaurant, and Shaw Yoga.
on JBG and Brandywine Realty Trust’s N Street NoMa development. This phase of the mixed-use project will bring new retail, including a sevenscreen Landmark Theatre, as well as 220 residential units, 119,000 square feet of loft office space, and an additional 250,000 square feet of office space. nomabid.org
NoMa Opens First Food Truck Pod in Washington, DC
Young Nelson Society Launched
What was once an old parking lot is now Lunch Box, DC’s first and only lunchtime food truck pod. Located at First and N Streets NE, Lunch Box is an outdoor venue where people can have lunch on orange picnic tables and play games amid buildingsized murals. Lunch Box is open to the public weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays at noon there are free concerts, giveaways, and food trucks. Lunch Box will operate through the end of the fall, shortly thereafter construction will begin
The Washington International Horse (WIHS) has launched the Young Nelson Society of Washington, a select group of philanthropic young professionals that celebrates the history and charitable efforts of WIHS. Named in honor of Old Nelson, George Washington’s war horse, the Young Nelson Society (YNS) is comprised of young professionals, ages 23 to 39. YNS will provide additional support to local WIHS affiliated charities. Read more at wihs.org/young-nelson-society.
From Oct. 18 to 28, the Hyman S. & Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival explores themes of identity, family and community, from Israel to Eastern Europe to the United States, and around the world. This year’s readings, discussions and film screenings include a look at an important chapter of baseball history, the long tradition of Jewish lawyers and one woman’s quest to recover property her family lost in the Holocaust. The Festival includes prominent names such as Etgar Keret, Alan Dershowitz, Shalom Auslander, Jami Attenberg, Michael Pollan, Dina Gold and many others. Find more information at dcjcc.org/LitFest.
DC Artist Creates New U Street Mural
Under the auspices of The Phillips Collection, native Washingtonian James Bullough has created a site-specific mural at 905 U Street NW on the eastern wall of a SPMC Urban Properties commercial and rental space. Painted between Sept. 21 and 28, Bullough’s mural engages the architectural site in a direct and innovative way--reflecting the history and culture of the local community.
15th Street NW Safety Project
The District Department of Transportation will change some traffic patterns around New Hampshire Avenue, Florida Avenue, V and W Streets NW to permit the comple-
Women, Arts and Social Change Project Launched
On Nov. 15, Carrie Mae Weems will discuss “Can an artist inspire social change?” Photo: Courtesy of John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Women, Arts and Social Change (WASC) addresses social and political issues relevant to women, across disciplines, through provocative programming that inspires dialogue and action at The National Museum of Women in the Arts located at 1250 New York Ave. NW. “Righting the Balance—Can there be gender parity in the art world?” on Oct. 18 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. considers the inequality that persists for women artists today. Make a reservation at nmwa. org/events/fresh-talk-righting-balance. The cost is $25 for general admission; and $15 for members, students, and seniors. nmwa.org.
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Unique Handcrafted Papier-Mâché Mirrors Made by Artist Tuesday Winslow since 1995
tion of the 15th Street NW Safety Project. This construction project began in September and is expected to continue for six months. Motorists should be aware of detours during the work cycle. The detours will be maintained for approximately 45 days. New Hampshire Avenue to Florida Avenue and W Street NW will be detoured north along 15th Street to Belmont Street and down to 14th Street or up to 16th Street to W Street. Florida Avenue to New Hampshire Avenue will be detoured south along 14th Street then to V Street. The existing concrete median along New Hampshire Avenue in the center of the intersection between 15th Street, W Street and New Hampshire will be removed. Curbside parking will be restricted while work is underway. Sidewalk detours will also be in place while sidewalk repair is in progress. A bicycle lane will be provided during the construction.
Fall German courses
Learn German from the experts. The Goethe Institute offers German language courses for adults in modern, multi-media classrooms in downtown Washington, DC. The courses are based on the standards and levels of the Common Framework of Reference for European Languages and are structured progressively to meet the needs of beginners and advanced learners. Internationally-recognized certificate exams are offered at the end of each complete level. Learn more and register online at goethe.de/washington.
Uncensored: Information Antics
UNCENSORED: Information Antics is a month-long public art exhibition at MLK Library on display through Oct. 22. The exhibition is part of DC Public Library’s celebration of Banned Books Week. The art on display will explore the use and abuse of information in our technological age. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk
shinola opens store on 14th street
Shinola, known for its Detroit-built watches, bicycles, journals, pet accessories, small leather goods and leather care, has opened their third nationwide flagship store in DC at 1631 14th St. NW. shinola.com
Artists conversation with Vera J. Katz and Liz Lerman
On Saturday, Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m., Vera J. Katz and Liz Lerman come together for the first time in conversation about method, techniques, and journeys as master teachers, artists, and mentors in theater and dance. Moderated by E. Ethelbert Miller writer and literary activist, the conversation takes place at The Potters House, 1658 Columbia Rd. NW. There is no admission fee. RSVP Requested katz-lerman-inconversation.eventbrite.com.
Visit the U street Visitor center
The Greater U Street Neighborhood Visitor Center, 1211 U St. NW, is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The center features maps, shopping and dining information and other helpful information about the neighborhood. On the walls are historic photographs, quotations, and a timeline that highlights the major developments in the neighborhood and in the city. To learn more about U Street’s history, walk the City Within a City: Greater U Street Heritage Trail. Visit dc.toursphere.com.
Artistic and Functional Accents for Kids Rooms • Office • Foyers • Hallways • Bathrooms
tanglewood works: where Upcycling and Art connect
202.286.5371
Tanglewood Works features the work and activity of several Route One artists Home to the Arts District towns of Mt. Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood, and Hyattsville, this area is rich for artists and audiences alike. See some of what’s for sale at tanglewoodworks. com/this-just-in. Tanglewood Works hours are Wednesdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tanglewood Works is located at 4641 Tanglewood Dr., Edmonston MD. 415-595-9839. tanglewoodworks.com
dc Health Link Launches dc Health Link Plan Match
The DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (HBX) has launched the DC Health Link Plan Match on DCHealthLink.com. This new tool allows DC Health Link customers to compare health plans based on current or future medical needs. It is anonymous and available to all. Simply enter age, health status, and anticipated medical needs. The Plan Match estimates the total out of pocket costs including premiums, deductibles, copays and coinsurance for each of the 31 health plans currently available to individuals. District
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Artist Jackie Coleman captures U Street’s Ben’s Chili Bowl. Photo: Courtesy of Art Enables
illuminated Bible commissioned by a monastery since the invention of the printing press. The Bible is displayed on the north side of the Great Hall of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE., through Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016. loc.gov.
Veterans Housing Workshop
Outsider Art Inside the Beltway
This fall marks the 10th annual Outsider Art Inside the Beltway exhibit where Art Enables shows the best art being created in programs locally and across the country as well. This year, they welcome back the Studio at Miriam’s Kitchen, Arundel Lodge, Studio In-Sight, Pure Vision, First Street Gallery, Sophie’s Gallery and more. Outsider Art Inside the Beltway opens Saturday, Oct. 10 from 1 to 4 p.m. and will be on view through Nov. 16. Art Enables, 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE. 202-554-9455. art-enables.org residents may shop for health plans during HBX’s open enrollment that starts Nov. 1 and ends Jan. 31, 2016.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Now on The Mall
The National Park Service has announced that two electric vehicle charging stations are now available for public use along the National Mall. The stations are at Madison Drive across from the National Museum of American History, and on Jefferson Drive across from the National Air and Space Museum. The cost of the charging stations is $2 per hour.
Civil War Lecture by Kirk Savage
The Art of the Name: Soldiers, Graves, and Monuments in the Aftermath of the Civil War is the topic for the 2015 Wyeth Lecture in American Art to
be given by Kirk Savage, professor of history of art and architecture at the University of Pittsburgh. The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art will present the program on Oct. 21, 4:30 p.m. to 6. in the West Building Lecture Hall at the National Gallery of Art. The lecture is supported by the Wyeth Foundation for American Art. Admission is first come, first seated and free of charge. nga.gov
Rare Bible Exhibited at Library of Congress
The Library of Congress today received as a gift from Saint John’s Abbey and University an Apostles Edition of The Saint John’s Bible. A work of art with more than 1,130 pages and 160 illuminations that reflect life in the modern era, the tome measures two feet tall and three feet wide when open. It is the first handwritten and
Housing Counseling Services, Inc. offers a Veterans Resource Workshop on Monday, Oct. 19 at 4 p.m. Information will be available on how to search for affordable housing, understanding what landlords are looking for, budgeting, credit repair, and tenant rights and responsibilities. Interested veterans should call 202-667-7006 to reserve a seat or email to HCS at info@housingetc.org.Housing Counseling Services, Inc. is located at 2410 Seventh St. NW, Suite 100. housingetc.org.
Three DC-Based Groups to Help People Enroll in Health Coverage
The DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority Executive Board has approved grants to three DC-based community organizations to serve as Navigator entities. These groups will provide in-person assistance to individuals and families looking to enroll in health insurance coverage through DC Health Link, the District’s online health insurance marketplace. The grantees are: African Methodist Episcopal Church Second District Religious, Educational and Charitable Development Projects, Inc. (AME Second District RED); DC Primary Care Association (DCPCA); and Whitman-Walker Health (WWH).
Traffic Pattern Changes on Massachusetts
Major utility relocation work for the Third Street Tunnel Infrastructure Project along Massachusetts Avenue and H Street NW between Second and Fourth Streets will continue through February 2016. To
facilitate this work, new traffic patterns are planned for Massachusetts Avenue between Sixth and Ninth Streets NW. Eastbound lanes will be reduced to one. A single right-turn lane approaching Sixth St. Eastbound Massachusetts between Seventh and Ninth will be increased to three lanes. Two travel lanes will remain westbound between Sixth and Seventh Streets NW. There will be an additional right-turn lane approaching Seventh Street NW. Parking will be restricted on the north side of the avenue. Detour signs will direct motorist around the work zones. For additional details, contact the project’s public outreach office at 202-7190196 or visit 3rdsttunnel.com.
Help With Section 8 Housing Discrimination
If a landlord or management company has refused to rent to you because you have a Section Eight Housing Choice Voucher, Housing Counseling Services can help file a fair housing complaint. Many DC residents may not know that “Source of Income” is a protected category under DC fair housing law. This means it is illegal for a landlord to refuse to rent to a potential tenant because the tenant plans to pay rent using a voucher, a government subsidy, or any other form of non-employment income. If you believe you have been the victim of “Source of Income” discrimination, contact HCS at 202-667-7006 to speak to a fair housing specialist.
Keegan Theatre Leadership Changes
The Keegan Theatre’s Board CoChair Virginia Riehl has stepped down after more than eight years. At an August meeting, Keegan Theatre’s Board of Directors elected Whitney Donaldson the theater’s new Board Co-Chair. Donaldson is CEO of Lucky Buck Productions. Lucky Buck has participated in projects internationally and continues to support the expansion of the arts to communities around the world.
OCTOb er 2015
E on DC
Vermeer Comes to the National Gallery of Art
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has lent Johannes Vermeer’s Woman in Blue Reading a Letter to the National Gallery of Art. The loan celebrates the 20th anniversary of the landmark 1995 Johannes Vermeer exhibition. Woman in Blue Reading a Letter is on view through Dec. 1, 2016, in the Dutch and Flemish Cabinet Galleries. nga.gov
THE GIFT: An Interactive Healing and Reconciliation Experience
Before there was a television special on father absence, jonetta rose barras had already written “Whatever Happened to Daddy’s Little Girl?” On Tuesday, Oct. 20, 5:30 to 8 p.m., at the Reeves Center (Second floor), Fourth and U Streets NW, she joins Esther Productions Inc, and artists/healers Brittany Nicole Adams, Joy Jones and Tracie Robinson in presenting THE GIFT: An Interactive Arts Healing and Reconciliation Experience. The program features a specialized opening ceremony, creative exercises and a group-affirmation. If you have suffered a traumatic loss like father absence and have had difficulty stabilizing your life or developing healthy relationships, then this powerful interactive, therapeutic healing may be for you. For more information call 202-829-0591 or email to estherproductions.
Capitals Casino Night
Capitals Casino Night is on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel. The event benefits Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation and features gaming with Capitals players, a raffle, a silent auction and a live auction. Games include blackjack, Texas hold’em, roulette, craps and slots. There also will be an auction featuring Capitals game-used equipment as well as autographed items from other professional NHL athletes. In addition fans can also win autographed memorabilia, hotel stays and gift certificates through the raffle. Tickets are limited. Attendees must be at least 21 to attend Casino Night. Cocktail attire is required. To purchase tickets, visit WashingtonCaps.com. Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Email bulletinboard@hillrag.com. u
Have You Seen My Edison, My Einstein?
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by E. Ethelbert Miller
hen I look around our city, as well as the rest of the world it becomes obvious that we have entered a period of transition and transformation. Are you going to catch a cab or an Uber? Is that real money in your wallet? When did print from a newspaper make you wash your hands? These are the small windows of change one can call the daily weather report. Global warming is another term for fever. Every day we need to ask ourselves, how sick are we? Illness can result from sitting still too much or never getting out of bed. Sickness can be your tongue having a problem with the language you need to speak. I’m tired of my tongue speaking in Wards. Washington, DC, is now a place of pulsating neighborhoods. Trying to find the line where your Ward begins or ends is like trying to find the equator on a globe in pre-school. It’s only there because your mother or teacher told you so. When someone mentions Ward 5, I look at my hand. Why is Ward 1, Ward 1? Why can’t Ward 8 be 1? How long must we use an old colonial map to find our way around this city? The first thing to go when there is a major change or paradigm shift is history. History often introduces herself the morning after seduction. If people keep failing to avoid the mistakes of history it might have something to do with the sex. How long are we going to be addicted to things that no longer work? Let’s take our rainbow metro for an example. Pick a color, Red or Green. It’s 5 p.m. and you’re at Metro Center. It’s a New York, Tokyo, type of rush hour. There are only two tracks running in two directions. I have no idea why people have returned
to the bicycle as the vehicle of the future. Didn’t the Wright Brothers give up their Dayton bike shop for airplanes? What century are we living in? I don’t drive or bike and too often find myself like Walt Whitman caught walking around during a Civil War. This one is between the past and the future. If I know what Pluto finally looks like I should be capable of imagining my destination on the Red Line before dinner. During these dark days of race matters it appears Go-go is gone. We have failed to bust loose from our memories. We lack the vision of the musician Sun Ra. Why can’t the next stop be Jupiter? What is the state of things without Statehood? And is a State what we still desire? Do we want to be Ohio or New Hampshire? Or do we simply want to be one city under a groove? I don’t think so. Everyone has their own playlist. In these times of transition and transformation there is a need for new music and outlooks. Washington, DC, must become the cultural capital of our nation. We are the future, a city of many languages, a mosaic of colors blending into brightness. It’s time to move beyond our circles that too often box us in. Time to think new and be new. It’s either change or die. Even the sufferers are on the move. Our world and city will never be the same. Is this the awakening we’ve be studying in Bible class? People keep saying the city is changing. Well, are you changing with it or are you simply standing in the way? The Pope will be here this month, we need to either seek a blessing or request blueprints for the ark. E. Ethelbert Miller is a writer and literary activist. His Collected Poems edited by Kirsten Porter will be published next spring by Willow Press. In April 2015, Miller was inducted into the Washington DC Hall of Fame. u
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Mt. Vernon Triangle by Ellen Boomer
Om in MVT
Bhakti Yoga DC opens this month with a variety of classes for the modern yogi. With everything from yoga to meditation to massage to mantra music, this studio can help ease MVT residents’ minds, bodies, and hearts. Owner Gopi Kinnicutt, who lived in a bhakti
Owner Gopi Kinnicutt of Bhakti Yoga assisting a client.
yoga ashram for 10 years, was inspired to open this studio because of the core bhakti philosophy, which focuses on more than just physical wellness. “We want to create a facility to serve individuals with conscious lifestyle practices that transform the mind, body, and heart,” Kinnicutt said. “The modalities we use are dynamic healing yoga, meditation, mantra, and philosophy to create a spiritual community where people can come together and explore their spiritual quest.” In addition to vinyasa, Jivamukti, Ashtanga, and Yin yoga, Bhakti Yoga DC offers breathing technique classes (pranayama), meditation, mantra music, weekly gatherings (satsangs), massage, and weekly yoga lunches. “If [clients] want to go to the heart and soul level, there are other layers we are offering,” Kinnicutt explained. “We are providing a strong foundation
so that people can experience a transformation on all levels and not just the physical. They can get their butt tightened up, but they can have their mind stable too.” Kinnicutt was drawn to MVT for many reasons. “This neighborhood is a cusp of a lot of diversity, filled with young professionals [who] create change and have a forward vision.” She will give MVT residents one free class and looks forward to partnering with local businesses as well. She also hopes to offer classes to area shelters and the underserved population in DC. “Someone gave me free yoga, and it changed my life,” Kinnicutt remembered. “And now I feel like I have to give back to those who need it.” With classes ranging from a new-student package of 10 classes for $20 and a monthly membership fee of $68, Kinnicutt hopes her price points will welcome a variety of people. “We’re coming from an authentic, ancient tradition,” she explained. “We’re making it accessible to the 21st-
Bloomimgdale Buzz by Ellen Boomer
A Place to Nest
Nest DC is not your average property management company. By putting the customer and the community first, Nest DC is redefining the rental experience and doing it in a socially responsible way. Lisa Wise, chief nester, started Nest DC in 2009 to manage properties that big companies weren’t interested in. “We believe great spaces attract good tenants. When people are happy where they live, they make better neighbors. Better neighbors make up better neighborhoods,” Wise explained. Nest DC not only manages a blend of market-rate housing and housing for lower-income owners, but it also offers home design services and resources for tenants. “In every interaction I never get the sense I am dealing with a ‘business,’ more like I am actually calling a team or family,” said property owner Mark, a Nest client in the Foreign Service. “When I called Nest, there was personality from the initial ‘hello,’ and it made all the difference.” Wise explained, “One of our competitive ad-
vantages is that we answer the phone … We have people who manage property and are available and interested in making sure you’re having a good experience.” In addition to providing attentive personal service Nest DC also serves the community. It has sponsored yard sales and neighborhood cleanups, as well as highlighting local events on its Facebook page and weekly newsletters, which are written by Nest DC staff members. “I think community involvement and being people-focused and highly value-driven are infused in every part of what we do, even in terms of how we treat each other,” Wise shared. Nest DC is participating in the “Fill the Bowl Challenge” with Capital Area Food Bank and regularly donates time and money to various other charities including Bread for the City, Washington Animal Rescue League, Whitman Walker Clinic, and DC Central Kitchen. This month Nest DC will hold a fundraiser and reception to celebrate the unveiling of a mural on its Florida Avenue building. January will see the launch
Nest DC’s owner Lisa Wise and chief operating officer Rhianna Campbell.
OCTOber 2015
Deborah Chambers at Central Union Mission’s headquarters.
century yogi, the urban yogi, and the professional yogi.” Visit Bhakti Yoga DC at 928 Fifth St. NW, at www.bhaktiyogadc.com, or call 703-380-3522.
A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out
Central Union Mission has helped the city’s homeless population for the past 130 years. With seven different facilities that serve a variety of needs, this organization is making sure DC’s underserved population is cared for and supported. What originally started as a homeless shelter has evolved based on the ever-changing needs of the community. During the Depression Era, the mission added children’s programming to help families who needed temporary help caring for their children. “One mistake can ruin your life,” said Deborah Chambers, senior director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement at Central Union Mission. “The population we deal with doesn’t have anybody who can help
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them. They don’t have that network or those opportunities.” The mission’s various locations include an emergency shelter, low-income housing, transitional housing, a family ministry, a food PLUS, center, and a summer camp for underprivileged children. The central location on Massachusetts Avenue accommodates 170 men, all of whom have onsite access to legal aid, career counseling, medical and dental care, and a social worker. “The myths that all homeless people are drug addicts or crazy is really untrue,” Chambers explained. “A lot of the guys had jobs, but they went out of business due to sickness or accidents.” She explained, “We need businesses that will partner with us to provide jobs for people and help provide entry level positions or positions that meet the talents and gifts of the guys we serve,” adding, “Work is so integrated in recovery.” The mission is also looking for social workers who are licensed in DC
A rendering of Ditto’s project at 1501 Fourth St. NW.
of, “Roost,” a company that will manage only associations and apartment buildings. “When we’re doing our best work, focusing on responsiveness, involvement in our community and giving back, our bottom line should be just fine,” Wise said. Visit Nest DC at 87 Florida Ave. NW, www. nest-dc.com, or call 202-540-8038.
Often Imitated, Never Duplicated
Thanks to Ditto Residential property development company, DC’s real estate market is getting a facelift. With innovative designs dotting the real estate landscape, Ditto Residential has proved that historical homes and well-built modern architecture can peacefully coexist. It is currently working on several projects in Shaw, H Street corridor, Petworth, Capitol Hill, Bloomingdale, and Truxton Circle, including one on Fourth and P streets at New Jersey Avenue. When completed in spring 2016 it will transform a site that was once just a billboard into a vibrant destination. “We really love the Truxton/Bloomingdale/ Eckington neighborhood,” said Martin Ditto, president and CEO of Ditto Residential. “It has an energy to it that you don’t find in a lot of other neigh-
borhoods in the city. We hope to continue to do projects here and will look to find more ways to get involved supporting and promoting the neighborhood, especially small local businesses!” While many of Ditto’s projects are new construction, the company has also converted buildings such as the Edmonds School on Capitol Hill into condominiums. “So much of what you can do to maintain the historical context of a neighborhood is in just being thoughtful in your design,” Ditto explained. “We tend toward a more modern vernacular, and we have an understanding and appreciation for the historical fabric that makes up DC, and so do our architects.” Ditto Residential also understands the impor-
tance of increasing the amount of available housing and is currently working on several rental projects with affordable units. “Our team is convinced that incredible residential living and transformative design are not reserved for the luxury market,” Ditto shared. “We would love the opportunity to build low/moderate-income housing that proves
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and mentors and volunteers with photography, videography, or tutoring skills. On Oct. 27 Central Union Mission will host the “Heart and Sole” celebrity cook-off at Union Market. In December they’ll celebrate the holiday season with an event that transforms the mission into a five-star hotel, complete with manicures and haircuts for the residents, live music, and passed hors d’oeuvres. They need volunteers for this event. “We’re so grateful that the community wants to take responsibility and help in tangible ways,” Chambers said. Visit Central Union Mission at 65 Massachusetts Ave. NW, at www.missiondc.org, or call 202745-7118.
Back to School
By now the students at Walker-Jones Education Campus have shaken off their end-of-summer blues and gotten back in the school groove. This elementary school community is gearing up for another year of fostering strong students who are also good citizens. Walker-Jones parent Natasha Lynem has an eight-year-old son at Walker-Jones who is part of the robotics team and book club, and an older
“One of the biggest chalson who graduated in 2013. Walker-Jones principal Michael Moss. lenges we face is changing “I really love the fact that the mindset and percepthe school has implementtions of what Walker-Jones ed wearing shirts with the is, and what Walker-Jones embroidered Walker-Jones will be,” Moss explained. logo,” Lynem said. “It allows Part of changing the the kids to take pride in their school and feel like they are perception is connecting a representation of where with the MVT community. Walker-Jones has partnered they are educated.” with local restaurants to How the students are donate to school events educated has changed this and has invited the MVT year: In second through neighborhood to help with fifth grades, instruction is the school’s on-campus urdepartmentalized so teachban farm, simply called “The Farm.” The school ers will focus on either English and social studies even has a bee-keeper club. or math and science, which will allow students to have more specialized instruction and teachers to These changes are part of Moss’ vision to move the school forward. “The focus for me was align their lesson with the Common Core State to implement a student-focused culture that proStandards. moted academic achievement and student socioPrincipal Michael Moss, who just started his emotional well-being. [Last year] we achieved an fourth year at Walker-Jones, has implemented 80 percent index score for our student satisfaction other changes, including adjusting the school survey,” Moss shared. schedule to enable teachers to have collaborative Visit Walker-Jones Education Campus at planning time and inviting the community to be 1125 New Jersey Ave. NW, at www.walkerjonesepart of school functions. He hopes these changes ducampus.org/, or call 202-939-5934. u will help the school community redefine itself. that all housing can and should be well designed.” Contact Ditto Residential at 2217 14th St. NW, #300, at www.dittodc.com, or call 202-417-3937.
Exploring DC’s Roots
David Nicholson’s book,“Flying Home.”
Author and native Washingtonian David Nicholson remembers when Bloomingdale still felt like a small town rather than an international destination. In his short story collection, “Flying Home: Seven Stories of the Secret City,” Nicholson captures the neighborhood of his youth and shows readers DC’s roots. “My family’s lived in Bloomingdale since 1928, when my grandfather bought the second house he owned in Washington,” explained Nicholson, founding editor of the Black Film Review and a former editor of The Washington Post’s “Book World.” “Sundays, after dinner, you’d walk up to the High’s on Rhode Island Avenue – there’s a Chinese food carryout there now – for ice cream,” he recalled. The stories in “Flying Home” depict a time when DC was made up of close-knit neighborhoods and longtime residents. “Washington used to be essentially a small, Southern town. This was especially true for black men and women who
came here from Virginia and the Carolinas and … chose to live in the same neighborhoods,” Nicholson said. “Before integration, black Washington was a smaller, close-knit community whose members often seemed to know one another.” Through fictional stories of the types of working-class people he grew up with in Bloomingdale, Nicholson examines the universal struggles of adapting, maintaining a sense of self-worth, and fighting for one’s beliefs. “One of the nicest things is looking out into the audience and seeing someone nodding at a line of dialogue or description,” Nicholson explained. “It’s then that I think I’ve done my job. I also think I’ve done my job when people who’ve recently moved to the city say my book’s made them look differently at what they see around them.” Nicholson will be reading from his book at the Cleveland Park Library on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m., and at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m. Contact David Nicholson at www.davidnicholson.info. u
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Shaw Streets by Pleasant Mann
Shaw Holds Ribbon Cutting Roundup
On the morning of Sept. 30 at Calabash Tea & Tonic, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Shaw Main Streets kicked off a series of ribbon-cuttings for new Shaw businesses. Dubbed the Shaw Ribbon Cutting Roundup, the event carried on the Shaw tradition of conducting multiple ribbon-cutting events with the mayor to mark the opening of new retail businesses in the neighborhood. The roundup started with remarks from Shaw Main Streets Executive Director Alexander Padro, who said that 14 new or expanded businesses had opened in Shaw since January, with another 40 scheduled to open within the next year. Mentioning that the work of Shaw Main Streets was receiving national recognition, Padro announced that the organization was a semi-finalist for the 2016 Great American Main Street Award from the National Main Streets Center. Mayor Bowser began by thanking Calabash proprietor Sunyatta Amen for hosting the event and remarking on their friendship going back to Dr. Amen’s tea shop in Takoma Park when Bowser was the Ward 4 councilmember. The mayor applauded the progress that Shaw has made as a commercial center and looked forward to its continued growth. As an example of the change, she contrasted the experience she had shopping for her grandmother at the old Giant grocery in Shaw with the new Giant at City Market at O. Mayor Bowser also reminded the audience that the District’s support for small business goes beyond the DC Main Streets program and includes the Great Streets Small Business Capital Improvement
Grants from the deputy mayor for planning and economic development, which have supported a number of Shaw businesses along the Seventh and Ninth Street commercial corridors. Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau followed by remarking how exciting the economic development in Shaw has been and expressing her gratitude for Shaw Main Streets’ efforts. After the initial ribbon-cutting the mayor left the remaining duties to Ana Harvey, director of DC’s Department of Small and Local Business Development. The next ribbon-cutting was at Rito Loco, followed by Evans &Chambers Technology, U Scoot motor scooter rentals, Freedom Lounge, Unleashed by Petco, Red Valet Cleaners, Piassa Ethiocuisine & Cafe, District DC State Fair crowds pack Old City Farm and Guild. Photo: Pleasant Mann Pilates, and Shaw Yoga. Ribbon-cuttings were for the first time, best cannabis bud. The contests also done to recognize the reopening of Duffy’s were separated by musical performances and inIrish Pub and the expansion of Cher Cher Ethiostructional demonstrations. Exhibitors included pian Restaurant and TG Cigar Lounge. a number of purveyors of healthy food and health products, community organizations (Casey Trees), and neighborhood businesses (Lee’s If there is any question whether Shaw’s real Flower Shop, Ben’s Chili Bowl). Also on exhibit estate market is still white hot, there are indiwas the Tiny House, which demonstrated a rustic cations that people are betting that prices will approach to sustainable living. The DC Fair Beer remain high for quite a while. The residents of Garden, set up by Whole Foods, counted over Jefferson MarketPlace received notice that their 1,000 visitors. building is under contract to be sold. The price for the year-old apartment building is $141 million, or about a half million dollars per unit. Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic The Washington Business Journal also reported Church (717 N St. NW ) will hold a series of that the developers of The Shay at the northern concerts in October celebrating the complete end of Shaw have sold the residential portion of restoration of its historic organ. The instrument, the just-completed project. With a sale price of an 1879 Steere & Turner tracker organ, had its $123 million, The Shay is going for a cost of pipes cleaned and painted with Victorian colors roughly $484,000 per apartment. as part of the restoration. The concerts, tagged “Pulling Out All the Stops!,” will serve as the closeout of the commemoration of the parish’s Under a District of Columbia flag with a cup150th anniversary. On Saturday, Oct. 17, organcake, tomato, and beer stein instead of stars, the ist Bruce Stevens will play the music of Rhesixth annual DC State Fair was held at Old City inberger, Bach, Franck, and Reger starting at 7 Farm and Guild (925 Rhode Island Ave. NW). p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 18, there will be a Mass at Thousands packed the space to visit exhibitors’ 6 p.m., followed by a concert by organist Timobooths and watch contests being judged. Comthy Edward Smith and the Capital Sixteen vopetitions ranged from fresh and pickled vegetacal ensemble, with John Henderson serving as bles (including an award for funkiest vegetable) conductor. The concerts are free, and no tickets to a variety of pies, children’s art and poetry, and, are required. u
Shaw Property Still Hot
Organ Concerts at Immaculate Conception Church
Shaw Hosts DC State Fair
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Mayor Bowser and dignitaries cut first ribbon at Calabash Tea & Tonic. Photo: Simone Ellison
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Washington Area Community Investment Fund Invests in DC
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here do small businesses and budding entrepreneurs go when commercial banks find their proposals too risky? They go to the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, referred to more commonly by its acronym, WACIF. For over 25 years WACIF, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), has provided business counselling and capital to hundreds of small local businesses, which in turn have created hundreds of jobs and reinvested millions of dollars in local communities.
What Is WACIF?
WACIF works closely with the US Treasury Department as a CDFI, or community development financial institution, and also maintains a partnership with the US Small Business Administration (SBA). In DC, WACIF works closely with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD). “The Washington Area Community Investment Fund has been a steadfast partner of the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD),” says Ana Harvey, director of DSLBD. “WACIF has been instrumental in our efforts to make capital more accessible to DC small businesses and improve their
by Phil Hutinet financial literacy.” The organization applies for and receives grants from federal and state agencies to sustain operations, provide programming, and lend money. In addition it receives funding and support from banks and private investors. Tim Flanagan, WACIF’s executive director, and his staff prepare a roadmap to help small businesses that do not fit traditional bank loan underwriting models. Flanagan explains that “at the end of the day we are part of the spectrum. We are filling a niche, and most banks in DC have an active relationship with WACIF and are very generous with their time and resources.” These banks include large national corporations like Capital One and PNC Bank as well as smaller local institutions such as Industrial Bank and City One Bank. “The local community banks in particular,” adds Flanagan, “are committed to seeing community development thrive.” However, long before qualifying for a traditional bank loan WACIF gives its clients a track record. Unlike a mortgage, which uses property as collateral, most business loans have little or no collateral for a lender to recoup in the event of default. Smaller businesses therefore often borrow using credit cards or “hard money,” a term describing high-interest private loans. CDFIs like WACIF provide a much needed alternative.
Flanagan recalls a client who was paying 28 percent on their line of credit. “Our 10 percent line of credit was a huge savings for their business. It allowed them to protect margins, give them breathing room, and pay down other debt. When a small business’s financial health improves they are more likely to hire and to reinvest into the community.” WACIF may lend up to $300,000, but the average loan is about $80,000. Every year it closes 20-30 loans, and historically fewer than 4 percent of them have defaulted, beating industry-proven standards. In the past five years WACIF has increased the size of its loan portfolio from $1.3 million to $3.2 million, doubling the size in the last three years alone. “This shows demand for these types of loans,” concludes Flanagan. In addition the interest derived from the augmented loan portfolio will help sustain WACIF’s operations. Dawn Leary, a WACIF board member since 2007, explains that “under Tim Flanagan’s leadership, WACIF has expanded its loan portfolio which has made WACIF less dependent on grant funding sources, allowing the organization to grow even if certain grants get slashed from government budgets.”
Going the Extra Yard
Loans are only part of WACIF’s mission. The organization also provides technical expertise, ad-
OCTOber 2015
vice, and education. Jeremy Cullimore, director of communications and outreach at WACIF, provides startups and existing businesses with “Small Business Technical Assistance Program” workshops. “We are talking to people who are great at making a cake,” explains Cullimore, “but don’t know how to write a business plan, how to finance equipment, or how to negotiate a commercial lease.” Workshops also teach small business owners to “communicate their finances,” as Flanagan likes to say, and prepare them to be “bank ready.” On average WACIF runs two workshops per month. Classes are held in Wards 5, 6, 7, and 8 at public libraries and community centers. Topics include basic coursework such as “How to Write to a Business Plan” or “Taxes & Insurance.” Another important workshop is “SWOT” (Strength Weaknesses, Opportunity, Training), presenting a methodology that forces business owners to take time out once a year to understand threats to their business, examine their business environment, and analyze where they are financially. In another workshop, “Legal Formation,” hosted by the DC Bar, a business owner might ponder whether to become an LLC, for example. “Finding a Home for Your Business” examines how to negotiate a commercial lease and lock in a rate. Once a month WACIF hosts “Small Business Loan Days,” a counseling and technical assistance hybrid where prospects can ask bankers about small business financing. Banks prepare prospects for a range of items they look for during the underwriting process. WACIF also offers oneon-one business counseling, which is ongoing and open to anyone, to help aspirants get their business off the ground.
People Are Talking about WACIF’s Success
At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman, who recently attended a crowded WACIF workshop on access to credit, remarks: “Some of those in the room had great ideas but little business experience, or student loans and other debt that weighed down their credit score. WACIF makes these aspiring entrepreneurs into growing businesses that generate revenue and jobs for our city by making credit and technical assistance available to those considered too ‘risky’ for traditional lenders but who deserve an opportunity to succeed. And the return on investment has a multiplier effect. Just look at the new energy in commercial corridors such as Rhode Island Avenue NE!” One such entrepreneur is Kendra Blackett-Dib-
inga, a Ward 7 resident, who has been with WACIF for two years. She first approached WACIF with a dream to open up her own Bikram Yoga studio. “Initially I didn’t have my finances in order,” admits Blackett-Dibinga, “and they told me what I had to get done. They helped me ‘right-size’ my expectations advised me about my financials and prepared me for bank financing.” WACIF lent Blackett-Dibinga $70,000 to open her first studio in Riverdale Park, Md. Her enterprise has been so successful that Blackett-Dibinga is getting ready to open her second Bikram studio in Ivy City, in Northeast DC, just a year later. Hanif Aljami, owner of New World Development Group, a commercial general contractor
Tim Flanagan, WACIF’s executive director. Photo: WACIF
located in Ward 7, approached WACIF for assistance at the onset of the recession. As the economy improved, Aljami’s company was awarded a $1.3 million drywall contract by American University. In construction, contractor payments are generally done in draws which come at the end of stated deliverable periods. Draws create cash-flow problems for small outfits like New World Development. A loan from WACIF allowed Aljami to meet payroll and keep the project on track. WACIF also assisted Aljami during a rough patch during which a large contract did not pay on time. “[WACIF] allowed us to pay just the loan interest until we were repaid. It’s amazing how much they help small businesses in the District,” recalls Aljami.
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Community Forklift, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this November, illustrates all the facets of WACIF’s capabilities and the impact that community reinvestment can have not only on the local economy but on the environment. It was founded by the Sustainable Community Initiative (SCI), established as a 501(c)(3). Based in Capitol Hill, SCI seeks to recycle waste and create jobs to provide concrete examples to support environmental advocacy. “When we talk about zero waste, Maryland’s climate action plan, green jobs, or sustainability, SCI can now talk about Community Forklift as an example. When groups talk about job losses due to a closure of an incinerator or a coal mine, SCI can provide proof about creating green jobs to replace them,” says Ruthie Mundell, director of outreach and education at Community Forklift. With WACIF’s help, SCI formed Community Forklift as a for-profit LLC, and provided business advice and debt consolidation to offset crippling credit card rates. Community Forklift now employs 45 people and keeps thousands of metric tons out of area landfills annually by diverting construction waste to a retail warehouse for resale to the public. “WACIF has gone above and beyond the financial contribution,” explains Mundell. “They have been an emotional support for us. They have held our hand every step of the way.” Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen has seen the work of WACIF in the community. “WACIF is an important resource for small businesses and nonprofit organizations in the District that are looking to grow,” he remarks. It is “helping them access much-needed capital and providing technical financial assistance. Our small businesses are crucial to building strong neighborhoods. WACIF’s support for District entrepreneurs and organizations helps them grow, create jobs, and invest in our communities.” Tim Flanagan will be leaving the organization sometime in early 2016 as soon as he helps transition a yet-to-be named successor. Board member Dawn Leary explains that “we’re building on a legacy that was started under Tim’s Leadership. We are looking for someone to continue Tim’s work.” For more information about WACIF or to attend a workshop visit www.wacif.org. Phil Hutinet is the publisher of East City Art, dedicated to DC’s visual arts. For more information visit www.eastcityart.com. u
kids and family / notebook
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by Kathleen Donner
Washington International Horse Show Kids’ Day
On Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, kids can participate in more than a dozen hands-on educational and fun activities, including pony rides, the Animal Planet Horseless Horse Show, horseshoe painting, face painting, pony brushing lessons, plus giveaways from Paisley Pony magazine and Georgetown Cupcake. Klinger, the famous US Army Caisson Platoon horse, attends as a special guest to greet the children. And there’s even a pony kissing booth with Mosley, the mini pony. Kids’ Day is a free event held both inside Verizon Center and outside the arena on a city street closed for the occasion. wihs.org
Halloween Family Day
Ghosts and goblins and witches, oh my! On Sat., Oct. 17, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., get in the Halloween spirit with spooky craft activities, scavenger hunts, and live music and performances. Whether in new costume or an old favorite, all are welcome to arrive wearing their Halloween best. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. americanart.si.edu
The Great Children’s Read at the Jewish Literary Festival
Pony kissing booth on Kids’ Day. Photo: Alden Corrigan Media
Bring books to life during story time with Lesléa Newman, author of My Name is Aviva and winner of the 2015 Sugarman Family Children’s Book Award.
On Sunday, Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. come for crafts, songs and a puppet show along with a book fair featuring a wide selection of Jewish and general interest children’s books. Plus, they have a special guest coming: Clifford the Big Red Dog! Please bring a new or gently used book to donate to children in need. Tickets are $12 per family; DCJCC member, student or senior, $10. Best suited for children up to age five. Washington DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. dcjcc.org/LitFest
GALita Presents Nuevas aventuras de Don Quijote
GALita, a program for the entire family, celebrates the legacy of the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra with the world premiere of Nuevas aventuras de Don Quijote by Patricia Suárez and Cornelia Cody. Commissioned by GALA Hispanic Theatre and directed by Ms. Cody, this world premiere bilingual adaptation is at GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW from Oct. 20 to 31. Student matinees are scheduled week days on Oct. 20 to 23 and Oct. 26 to 30, at 10:30 a.m. Two performances for the general public will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. The show is approximately 70 minutes; and the content is appropriate for the entire family, but particularly for ages five through nine. Tickets are $10 for children and $12 for adults. For more information call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.
OCTO ber 2015
Family Tool Kits
Tool Kit #1: House & Home. Discover what makes a house a home. Record an interview about the home you grew up in, look through a view master, touch building materials, become an interior decorator, and draw a floorplan. Ages seven to 11 and adult companions. Tool Kit #2: Patterns: Here, There, and Everywhere! Learn about design by creating architectural patterns using stamps and rubbings, making musical patterns, looking for patterns in the Museum, and building patterns with mini bricks. Ages three to seven and adult companions. Tool Kit #3: Eye Spy: What Can You Find with Your Little Eye? Use binoculars and flashlights, eye spy games, drawing activities, and custom jigsaw puzzles to find details in the Museum’s historic home. Ages seven to 10 and adult companions. Tool Kit #4: Constructor Detector. Practice using measuring tapes, a measuring wheel, a level, magnetic compass, and a hammer and nails to figure out building challenges. Create an art piece to take home. Ages eight to 11 with adult companions. There is a $3 check-out fee per Tool Kit with Museum admission; $5 without Museum admission. Cash only. Available until 4 p.m. daily. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-2722448. nbm.org
Girls Ultimate Frisbee Clinics
Learn to play Ultimate Frisbee. Girls Ultimate Clinics are on Sundays, Oct. 18, Nov. 1, Nov. 15; 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at West Potomac Park Polo Fields (West Basin Drive SW ). To register, email Laura at lperkins.letitbe@gmail.com. These Girls Ultimate Movement clinics are free and open to girls in grades 5 to 8. No experience necessary. Each two-hour clinic will introduce the basic skills and concepts of Ultimate Frisbee, one of the fastest-growing team sports in the country. Attend one clinic or all three. Clinics are
led by experienced players from the DC area.
Girl Scout Brownie Day
On Saturdays, Oct. 24, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.; Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to noon; and Jan. 9, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., discover how objects help you learn about your family story. Tour the DAR Museum’s Period Rooms. Interact with objects from the Museum’s collection. Make a memory box and family tree. Share stories about your family with other Brownies. $10 per child (includes badge and supplies). DAR Museu, 1776 D St. NW. 202-6281776. dar.org An adult chaperone must be present with children at all times. Siblings welcome, but a gentle reminder the program is for Brownie participants. If a parent wants a younger sibling to participate in art activities, they ask that you register the sibling. NonGirl Scouts may register for this program, but they are unable to receive the Girl Scout badge.
NSO Family Concert “A SLEEPY HOLLOW”
All Hallows’ Eve has arrived for Ichabod Crane as Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke leads all the ghoulishly attired orchestra members in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, his riveting reimagining of Washington Irving’s classic ghost story. For age 5, up. Come early for trick-or-treating and a special Haunted Hall Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo,” a project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO. Immediately following the 4 p.m. performance, meet concert artists for a free Kids’ Chat. Concerts are on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2 and 4 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are from $15. kennedycenter.org
Children Hunt Bats
On Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., come as a bat, come as a plant pollinated by a bat, or simply learn
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about bats. There will be bat-related activities throughout the Conservatory. Come and learn why bats matter! Free, no registration required. US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. usbg.gov
to 8 p.m. at one of their eight locations throughout the area. For more information, or to apply online, visit higherachievement. org/volunteer.
Free Kids’ Movies
Los Día de los Muertos: Day of the Dead
“The Amazing Wiplala” (ages 10, up), Saturdays, Oct. 24 and Nov. 7 at 10:30 a.m. in the East Building Auditorium. Nine-year-old Johannes needs a friend. After the recent death of his mother, Johannes struggles to connect with his busy father and older sister. Then one night, the little boy discovers Wiplala, a tiny man with magical powers who lives in the kitchen cupboard. Johannes is thrilled--until one of Wipala’s spells accidentally shrinks Johannes and his family down to four inches in height! Wracked by self-doubt, the wellintentioned Wiplala must figure out a way to return everyone to normal. But first, he must learn that there is no greater power than belief in oneself. “Finn” (ages 10, up), Sundays, Oct. 25 and Nov. 8 at 11:30 a.m. in the East Building Auditorium. Still mourning the death of his mother, gentle nine-year-old Finn also has to struggle with his father’s insistence that he be like all the other boys and play soccer, despite the fact that he has no interest in the sport. When Finn meets a mysterious old man at an abandoned farm and hears him play the violin, he is entranced by the beauty of the music. Determined to learn how to play the instrument, he sneaks away for lessons while his father believes he’s at soccer practice. Finding comfort and strength in his music, and the visions of his mother that it evokes, Finn seems to have found his calling—but will his father ever accept his newfound passion?
Boo at the Zoo
On Oct. 23, 24, and 25, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., come for Washington DC’s favorite not-so-spooky Halloween haunt, Boo at the Zoo. With more than 40 treat stations, animal demonstrations, keeper chats, and decorated trails, this frightfully fun evening is a treat for the whole family. New this year will be an entertainment stage with a DJ spinning Halloween favorites, musicians, and jugglers. Also, don’t miss a themed hay maze and scarecrow field. $30. All guests two and older, adults included, must have a ticket. Reserve tickets at nationalzoo.si.edu.
After School Volunteers Sought
Higher Achievement is accepting new academic mentors to volunteer one night a week from 6
Rocknoceros, rocks the National Theatre with two free shows on Oct. 17. Photo: Nicole Wolf
The migration of the monarch butterflies home to Mexico is believed by many communities to be the spirits of their ancestors returning and marks the start of the Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. On Sat., Oct. 31 and Sun., Nov. 1, join the museum in its annual Día de los Muertos program. This colorful celebration of life includes food demonstrations by the museum’s Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe and a cultural presentation of La Danza de los Tecuanes (Dance of the Jaguars and Dance of the Old Men). Learn how to create papel picado butterflies, marigolds and sugar skulls. nmai.si.edu
Mount Vernon’s Fall Harvest Family Days
On Oct. 24 and 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mount Vernon celebrates the autumn season with Fall Harvest Family Days. The entire family enjoys autumn activities including wagon rides, wheat treading in the 16-sided barn, 18th Century dancing demonstrations, a straw bale maze, farrier demonstrations, apple-roasting, corn husk dolls demonstrations and early-American games and music. Potomac River sightseeing cruises are half-price this weekend only. mountvernon.org
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella
“Saturday Morning at the National”
On Saturdays at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. there are free live performances for children in the National Theatre Helen Hayes Gallery. Tickets are distributed first-come basis half hour prior to performances. One ticket per person in line. The National Theatre is at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. 202-7833372. Here’s the remaining fall line-up: Oct. 17, Rocknoceros; Oct. 24, Rainbow Puppets: The Really Big Dinosaur Show; Oct. 31, Sleepy Hollow; Nov. 7, Single Carrot; Nov. 14, Barynya; Nov. 21, Tales as Tall as the Sky; Dec. 5, Virginia Ballet Company & School, The Nutcracker Selections; Dec. 12, Dickens’s Tale. Read more at thenationaldc.org.
With its fresh new take on the beloved tale of a young woman who is transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, this hilarious and romantic Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella combines the story’s classic elements--glass slippers, pumpkin, and a beautiful ball along with some surprising twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, this Cinderella is a contemporary figure living in a fairy tale setting. She is a spirited young woman with savvy and soul who doesn’t let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She longs to escape the drudgery of her work at home and instead work to make the world a better place. She not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the
prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams too. At the National Theatre, Nov. 18 to 29. Tickets at thenationaldc.org.
Trick-or-Treat at Mount Vernon
On Friday, Oct. 30, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. join the costumed cast of interpreters for a special opportunity to trick-or-treat in the historic area. A children’s costume parade around the Mansion will begin at 5 p.m. and prizes will be awarded for most
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OCTO ber 2015
fang-tastic “George” and “Martha” costumes. Participate in a scavenger hunt, take a wagon ride, and create a boo-tiful Halloween craft in this unforgettable evening. Participate in a Halloween craft activity in the greenhouse. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and close at 6. mountvernon.org
Every Kid in a Park Kickoff
On Sept. 1, the Obama administration formally launched the new Every Kid in a Park program, encouraging every fourth grade student to visit a national park with their family, friends, and classmates during the 2015-16 school year. All fourth graders in America are entitled to a free Every Kid in a Park Pass, which grants free admission for one’s family to all US national parks, forests, monuments, and wildlife refuges.
The Cerulean Time Capsule
Meet Benjamin Peale, a botanist who claims to be a time traveler from the year 2041. He needs your help to stop a critical discovery from happening in the US Botanic Garden--one that will bring catastrophe and destruction to the world as we know it! Help him find the mythic “Cerulean Time Capsule” before it’s too late. Be alert. Be vigilant. Time is of the essence if you want to change the course of the space-time continuum in the name of botanical security. Don’t miss this immersive, interactive, and site-specific theatrical event that whisks small groups all around the Conservatory on a botanical adventure of a lifetime. Your future self is depending on you! Performed Saturdays and Sundays inside the Conservatory at the US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW, through Oct. 25, at 10:30 a.m., 11, 11:30, noon, 2 p.m., 2:30, 3, 3:30, and 4. For ages seven, up. usbg.gov
“Flowers Stink” Musical
When you live in a big city, a.k.a.
“the concrete jungle,” sometimes it’s hard to appreciate the great outdoors. That’s definitely the case with one middle school girl, who’s struggling with writing a nature-themed poem for school. Giving up, she tweets: “#poetryisstupid #natureisboring #flowersstink.” Suddenly, two zany and loveable plants magically come to life in her room, encouraging her to open her eyes, ears, and mind to the beauty all around her. Mixing plenty of singing and dancing with folk, bluegrass, blues, and gospel, this colorful world premiere musical—by the Helen Hayes Award–winning creators of Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue—shows that if you look closely enough, you can find the best of nature in the most unlikely places. Approximately 45 minutes. For ages seven and up. “Flowers Stink” is free and performed outdoors on Saturdays, through Oct. 24 at 11 a.m. at the US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. In case of inclement weather, check usbg.gov for performance updates.
Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of six and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment, and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with art, museum, and creativity. The opening theme through October is “Things that Roll.” Activities include inventing a skateboard, thinking about how to adapt a vehicle so it can be controlled without using the driver’s legs, and working with robotics, among others. Spark!Lab at the American History Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Tuesdays and Christmas Day. americanhistory.si.edu
“When She Had Wings”
Disney on Ice is coming to the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, Va., Oct. 21 to 25. Celebrate the legacy of Disney in this ice skating spectacular as Mouse-ter of Ceremonies Mickey Mouse leads a parade of characters including Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and an ensemble of Disney Princesses. Be dazzled by the magic of Disney’s Frozen with Anna, Elsa and the hilarious Olaf. Sing along to more than 30 of your favorite Disney songs including “Leg It Go!,” “You’ve Got A Friend in Me,” and “Hakuna Matata.” Tickets are $20, up. Order tickets by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or online at Ticketmaster.
In this world premiere as a part of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival, Beatrix, or “B” as she prefers, is about to turn 10. Her fascination with Amelia Earhart’s disappearance story is equal only to her fears about the impending big 10th birthday. As B struggles to hold onto her own sense of childhood freedom, she meets a mysterious character who lands in the make-shift wooden cockpit of her backyard tree. B believes that A is actually her heroine Amelia Earhart, who was never seen again after taking off across the Pacific Ocean. In exchange for B helping A finish her famous last flight, A promises B that she can and will fly! Best for ages 5, up. On stage through Nov. 1 at Imagination Stage’s Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Theatre in Bethesda. Tickets start at $10, and can be purchased online at imaginationstage. org, at the Imagination Stage box office, or via phone at 301-280-1660.
Spark!Lab
HPV Screening Grant for DC Kids Awarded
Disney on Ice
Spark!Lab is where museum visitors to the American History Museum become inventors. The Lemelson
The American Cancer Society Human Papillomavirus Vaccinate Adolescents against Cancers (HPV
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VACs) project is being implemented across the nation to increase HPV vaccination rates for adolescents, particularly among boys and girls ages 11 and 12. Annually in the United States 27,000 people are diagnosed with a cancer caused by HPV, according to the CDC. That’s one case every 20 minutes. Additionally, more than 330,000 women undergo treatment for pre-cancers every year in the US. In Washington, DC, Mary’s Center is one of 30 federally qualified health care centers that have received funding to increase HPV vaccination rates through a pilot program of the American Cancer Society fueled by a multi-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For more information, visit maryscenter.org.
“College Bound” Design, Fashion, Media Arts, and Culinary Courses
The Art Institute of Washington announces its new program, College Bound that allows high school juniors and seniors to experience college-level design, media arts, fashion, and culinary courses at its local campus. The classes, offered on Saturdays during the school year, are non-credit bearing. A tuition and materials fee is required for enrollment in College Bound. Learn more at getcreative.aii.edu/collegebound.
DC Bilingual Public Charter School
DC Bilingual Public Charter School, 33 Riggs Rd. NE, has opened. Founded in 2004, DC Bilingual serves more than 350 students in grades PreK3 through Fifth. The school implements an academically demanding dual-language program to foster bilingualism and bi-literacy for all children. dcbilingual.org Have an item for the Kids & Family Notebook? Email bulletinboard@hillrag.com. u
real estate / changing hands
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233 S 11 S 14 S
Changing hands is a list of most residential sales in the District of Columbia from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list, based on the MRIS, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms. Neighborhood Close Price BR FEE SIMPLE
CONDO
BLOOMINGDALE
2550 17TH ST NW #515 2550 17TH ST NW #605 2550 17TH ST NW #416 1801 CALVERT ST NW #404 1668 EUCLID ST NW #A 2550 17th ST NW #513
23 S ST NW 46 FLORIDA AVE NW 143 S ST NW
$1,067,000 $725,000 $657,500
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1526 UPSHUR ST NW 3511 CENTER ST NW 3489 HOLMEAD PL NW 1340 RANDOLPH ST NW 730 QUINCY ST NW 762 GRESHAM PL NW 3119 11TH ST NW 1349 NEWTON ST NW 3208 WARDER ST NW 538 NEWTON PL NW 752 HOBART PL NW 3210 WARDER ST NW 765 HARVARD ST NW 514 IRVING ST NW 642 HOBART PL NW
$890,000 $765,000 $749,000 $736,000 $725,000 $721,000 $705,000 $655,000 $642,000 $603,000 $587,500 $540,000 $490,000 $403,000 $400,000
DUPONT CIRCLE 1702 SWANN ST NW
$1,350,000
ECKINGTON 33 S ST NW 10 R ST NE 1712 3RD ST NE 154 T ST NE 135 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE 18 SEATON PL NW
$965,000 $950,000 $767,500 $725,000 $625,000 $550,000
LEDROIT PARK 25 ADAMS ST NW
$665,000
LOGAN CIRCLE 1420 CORCORAN ST NW
$1,599,900
MOUNT PLEASANT 1856 ONTARIO PL NW
MOUNT VERNON TRIANGLE 456 N ST NW
4 5 3 4 4 4 3 5 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 4 6 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 4
$1,350,000
5
$690,000
3
PETWORTH 4015 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 633 HAMILTON ST NW 3927 5TH ST NW 4723 4TH ST NW 4622 4TH ST NW 653 HAMILTON ST NW 809 LONGFELLOW ST NW 811 MADISON ST NW 4323 2ND ST NW 728 MARIETTA PL NW 4018 ILLINOIS AVE NW 823 EMERSON ST NW 5422 8TH ST NW 5414 7TH ST NW 30 FARRAGUT PL NW
$780,000 $749,900 $724,000 $700,000 $677,500 $592,271 $547,500 $510,000 $500,000 $490,000 $450,000 $425,000 $400,000 $397,600 $389,903
5 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 3
SHAW 1525 MARION ST NW
$761,000
2
ADAMS MORGAN
$704,900 $527,400 $484,900 $375,000 $371,000 $302,400
BLOOMINGDALE 61 N ST NW #2 61 N ST NW #1
$771,999 $657,550
2 1 1 1 1 0 3 3
CENTRAL 1111 25TH ST NW #308 777 7TH ST NW #324 2114 N ST NW #12 1150 K ST NW #208 1133 14TH ST NW #1001 915 E ST NW #714 915 E ST NW #1013 1316 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #205 2201 L ST NW #710 2201 L ST NW #108
$600,000 $565,000 $506,700 $495,000 $481,000 $445,000 $414,000 $332,500 $272,000 $230,000
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1343 KENYON ST NW #1 2030 8TH ST NW #P04 3615 11TH ST NW 1354 EUCLID ST NW #402A 1466 HARVARD ST NW #A1 1325 TAYLOR ST NW #2 1354 EUCLID ST NW #302A 1435 EUCLID ST NW #3 787 IRVING ST NW #1 1514 NEWTON ST NW #101 1310 BELMONT ST NW #2 1436 OGDEN ST NW #4 1513 OAK ST NW #1 2910 GEORGIA AVE NW #C03 701 LAMONT ST NW #49 1531 PARK RD NW #6 1414 BELMONT ST NW #403 1514 NEWTON ST NW #303 1354 EUCLID ST NW #401A 1514 NEWTON ST NW #103 1324 EUCLID ST NW #307 1514 NEWTON ST NW #202 1514 NEWTON ST NW #203 529 LAMONT ST NW #205 1417 NEWTON ST NW #102 1514 NEWTON ST NW #B3 1321 FAIRMONT ST NW #304 1441 SPRING RD NW #B1
$940,000 $919,400 $799,900 $740,000 $735,000 $615,000 $595,000 $588,000 $569,999 $569,900 $512,000 $499,500 $460,000 $434,900 $422,500 $415,000 $399,900 $394,900 $387,000 $379,800 $369,900 $359,000 $349,900 $345,000 $330,000 $295,000 $269,900 $239,900
DOWNTOWN 1150 K ST NW #503
$437,500
1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 3 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
DUPONT 1735 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #201 1775 CORCORAN NW #45 1401 17TH ST NW #101 1815 19TH ST NW #5 1700 17TH ST NW #306 1939 17TH ST NW #11 1545 18TH ST NW #103 1280 21ST ST NW #208
$901,000 $659,000 $499,900 $460,000 $428,000 $425,000 $315,000 $287,000
2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
1 SCOTT CIR NW #509 1770 CHURCH ST NW #A 1401 17TH ST NW #707 1748 CORCORAN ST NW #1A 1545 18TH ST NW #403 1330 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #625 1330 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #401 1733 20TH ST NW #403 1617 SWANN ST NW #3 2017 O ST NW #3
$239,900 $960,000 $415,000 $375,000 $372,000 $322,000 $350,000 $441,000 $785,000 $769,000
ECKINGTON 233 S ST NE #2
$575,000
0 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
FOG
955 2 3 WA 2141 922 2 2141
LED
2103 117 T
LOG
1420 1225 2125 2125 2125 1213 1211 1300 1401 1420 1411
MO
1862 1613 3220 2510 2627 2440 2440 3420 2611
MO
301 M 442 M 910 M
PEN
675 E 631 D 916 G 616 E 616 E 801 P 915 E
PET
539 R 539 R 804 T 5041 5611 5611
SHA
449 R 2120
TRU 34 Q
U ST
929 F 1330 1935 2004 2250 u
OCTO ber 2015
233 S ST NE #1 11 S ST NE #A 14 S ST NE #304
$559,000 $553,000 $456,000
FOGGY BOTTOM 955 26TH ST NW #210 3 WASHINGTON CIR NW #904 2141 I ST NW #816 922 24TH ST NW #417 2141 I ST NW #503
$479,500 $467,000 $285,000 $268,500 $223,500
LEDROIT PARK 2103 2ND ST NW #2 117 T ST NW #1
$690,000 $622,000
2 3 3 1 1 1 0 0 2 2
LOGAN 1420 N ST NW #312 1225 13TH ST NW #606 2125 14TH ST NW #501 2125 14TH ST NW #911 2125 14TH ST NW #203 1213 N ST NW #A 1211 13TH ST NW #801 1300 13TH ST NW #605 1401 Q ST NW #401 1420 N ST NW #701 1411 11TH ST NW #A
$475,000 $419,000 $930,000 $545,000 $525,000 $940,000 $885,000 $855,000 $635,000 $447,000 $312,500
MOUNT PLEASANT 1862 PARK RD NW #2 1613 HARVARD ST NW #313 3220 17TH ST NW #303 2510 ONTARIO RD NW #2 2627 ADAMS MILL RD NW #103 2440 16TH ST NW #108 2440 16TH ST NW #521 3420 16TH ST NW #107S 2611 ADAMS MILL RD NW #408
$740,000 $635,000 $581,150 $540,000 $399,009 $378,000 $342,500 $325,000 $315,000
MOUNT VERNON 301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #804 442 M ST NW #1 910 M ST NW #307
$425,000 $387,500 $474,500
PENN QUARTER 675 E ST NW #800 631 D ST NW #1144 916 G ST NW #603 616 E ST NW #648 616 E ST NW #218 801 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW #1112 915 E ST NW #1002
$1,590,000 $939,000 $650,000 $619,000 $529,900 $472,000 $407,000
2 1 2 1 1 2 2 3 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 2 2 2 1 1
PETWORTH 539 RANDOLPH ST NW #2 539 RANDOLPH ST NW #1 804 TAYLOR ST NW #107 5041 1ST ST NW #10 5611 5TH ST NW #33 5611 5TH ST NW #16
$540,000 $448,000 $309,000 $275,000 $229,500 $169,500
2 2 1 2 1 0
SHAW 449 R ST NW #302 2120 VERMONT AVE NW #309
$710,500 $615,000
TRUXTON CIRCLE 34 Q ST NW #1
$589,000
U STREET 929 FLORIDA AVE NW #5005 1330 BELMONT ST NW #101 1935 12TH ST NW #1 2004 11TH ST NW #322 2250 11TH ST NW #205 u
$595,000 $850,000 $1,140,000 $519,000 $397,000
3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1
53
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