MAY 2021
CONTENTS
NEXT ISSUE: June 5
MAY 2021
04 what’s on washington
14
your neighborhood 08 Pandemic Strands Defendants in DC Jail Extended Pretrial Detention Upheld Despite Powerful Dissent • Gavrielle Jacobovitz
ON THE COVER:
14 Shaw Streets • Pleasant Mann 17 ANC 6E • Pleasant Mann 18 Bulletin Board • Kathleen Donner
out and about
22
Photo: Jaclyn Nash for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Read about it on page 28.
22 Insatiable • Celeste McCall 24 At The Movies • Mike Canning
at home
26 Get Help With DCRA Contractor Rating System • Elizabeth O’Gorek 27 Changing Hands • Don Denton
kids and family 28 Notebook • Kathleen Donner
28
34 classifieds Capital Community News, Inc. Publisher of:
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EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner • melissa.ashabranner@gmail.com MANAGING EDITOR: Andrew Lightman • andrew.hillrag@gmail.com PUBLISHER: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2021 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.
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M AY 2 0 2 1 0 3
WHAT’S ON WASHINGTON STC’S BLINDNESS
Shakespeare Theatre Company has opened the doors of Sidney Harman Hall for the first time in over a year for the Donmar Warehouse’s sound and light installation Blindness, just extended through June 13. In a unique experience where the audience is onstage, but actors are not, socially distanced patrons wear binaural headphones plunging them into the dystopic world of Blindness. This dark-room play, based on Nobel Prize writer José Saramago’s novel, unearths how a pandemic of blindness causes chaos, fear, and social unrest. Performances are 7 p.m., Tuesday to Friday; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays; and another at noon on Wednesdays. $49. shakespearetheatre.org.
Blindness, a sound and light installation. Photo: Helen Maybanks
BIKE TO WORK DAY
The Washington, DC region’s 20th Anniversary Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 21. Join other participants at pit stops in DC, Maryland and Virginia for this free event for a healthy and safe way to start your day. Even if you’re working from home in May, get exercise by biking to a T-shirt Pickup Point and then back home to work for the day. The first 15,000 who register and arrive at a pit stop by bike will receive a free T-shirt. Staggered hours and a strict COVID policy will be in place. Registration is open at biketoworkmetrodc.org.
Photo: Courtesy of Bike to Work Day
HONEST TO GOD
Honest to God is an online series presented by the Washington National Cathedral featuring wisdom leaders, theologians and others offering spiritual conversation for uncertain times. On Tuesday, May 11, 7 p.m., chef and humanitarian José Andrés joins Dean Randy Hollerith and Canon Missioner Leonard Hamlin for a conversation about leadership, inspiration, and public service. Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters, shares the stories behind his humanitarian efforts to eliminate poverty and feed the hungry. Free; donations accepted. This and prior conversations are available at cathedral.org/ outreach-programs/honesttogod.
Chef and humanitarian José Andrés. Photo: Scott Suchman
THE CIVIL WAR IN PERSPECTIVE: OUR EVOLVING STORY
No event has altered the United States more profoundly—or been analyzed more exhaustively— than the American Civil War. Contemporizing the war began soon after Appomattox as memories faded and Americans sought to use the conflict to find new meaning in a modern society. That process of re-evaluation spanned pivotal decades of the 20th century, and today Americans are still debating how to contextualize Confederate memorials, monuments, and flags. On Saturday, May 22, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Zoom, historian Stephen D. Engle traces 150 years of an ever-changing narrative of the Civil War and why we still contend with reaching an acceptable version of its legacy. $90. smithsonianassociates.org.
Civil War reenactments became a growing hobby in the 1960s, a century after the war.
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WHAT’S ON WASHINGTON
VAN GOGH: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Tickets are going fast for Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience. It is a 360º digital art exhibition, July through December 2021, that invites you to step into the universe of the Dutch genius, Vincent van Gogh. The experience illuminates and transforms a unique physical space into a fully immersive exhibit, where Van Gogh’s work takes over the walls, through cutting-edge 360-degree digital projections, and unique VR experiences. Visitors are immersed directly into the paintings themselves and become the eyes of Van Gogh. This 60-75 minute, family-friendly, COVID-safe experience is appropriate for all ages. Venue to be announced. $19.90 to $36. Catch a glimpse at youtube.com/watch?v=dZkQSjZYsgc. vangoghexpo.com.
CAPITAL BOOK FESTS
On Thursdays, May 20, June 17, July 15, Aug. 19, Sept. 16 and Oct. 21; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., downtown DC’s outdoor, popup bookstore reappears on Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Shop thousands of gently used books, CDs and DVDs, all on sale for $6 or less. Books are provided by Carpe Librum, a local used bookstore benefitting nonprofit Turning the Page (turningthepage.org). The Capital Book Fest is cancelled in the case of inclement weather. These book sales feature protocols for proper distancing and hygiene (face coverings required and hand sanitation stations onsite) and limited capacities, if needed. downtowndc.org.
JUSTICE IS BEAUTY: THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM REOPENS
Justice is Beauty: The Work of MASS Design Group showcases a nonprofit architecture firm whose work focuses on public health, personal well-being, and human dignity. Over its first decade, MASS Design Group has paved the way in designing health structures that manage disease outbreaks such as tuberculosis, cholera, and Ebola. Other innovative projects include schools, prison design alternatives, foodconservation labs, urban space designs, and memorials to commemorate civil injustices. Justice is Beauty is on display through September 2022. The National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW (use Fifth Street and G Street entrances), is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $10 for adults; $7 for kids, student with ID and seniors 60+. Order online. The nbm.org.
Great Hall of the National Building Museum. Photo: Courtesy of the National Building Museum/Elman Studio
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TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER PLAZA REOPENED
Arlington National Cemetery has reopened the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier plaza to the public. This is part of a gradual reopening under improved COVID-19 conditions. Reopening the Tomb plaza is an important element of the yearlong centennial commemoration for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which culminates on Veterans Day 2021. Only 150 visitors will be allowed on the plaza stairs at any one time. Staff will be on site to assist with directions. arlingtoncemetery.mil.
A sentinel from the Old Guard walks the mat at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, November 11, 2020. Photo: US Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser
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NEIGHBORHOOD
Pandemic Strands Defendants in DC Jail
Extended Pretrial Detention Upheld Despite Powerful Dissent
W
hen Tom was released by the DC Superior Court from DC Jail in December 2020, the twenty-seven-yearold man had been held for over seven months, pretrial and unindicted. Tom (a pseudonym) had been charged by the DC Superior Court with assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. While incarcerated, he was separated from his young son. After being jailed for over half a year, prosecutors decided not to prosecute him, dismissing his case. Given the year-long jury trial suspension in the District, Tom’s extended detention is not unique. On April 21, 2021, there were 719 DC Superior Court pretrial defendants being held in DC Jail. Normally, for people held under most charges, the US Attorney’s Office of DC (USAO-DC) is required to indict, or formally charge, defendants within ninety days, per DC Code. Defendants must be brought to trial within one hundred days or released. However, in late March 2020, the Court paused this deadline, under the authority of a statute which allows for the suspension of time deadlines due to emergencies or natural disasters. In January 2021, the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) represented approximately 52 clients who were being held in DC Jail under the statute that includes this trialclock, according to Janet Mitchell, special counsel to the director. The average number of days they had
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by Gavrielle Jacobovitz been held was 272, said Mitchell. Of the 110 PDS clients detained pretrial under a statute reserved for those facing serious charges such as murder, the average number of days detained was 462. “And the numbers—both of clients and of the days [of ] the average length of detention—have only grown since then,” said Mitchell. “You have people that are waiting, they have not been legally found guilty yet, so they are awaiting their trial, their day in court. They are innocent until proven guilty as is their legal right,” said Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D). Allen chairs the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety. Lawmakers disagree on whether the pause of the trial clock is statutorily authorized or constitutional. From March 2020 to January 2021, the number of pretrial detainees in DC Jail grew 57 percent, Capital Community News previously reported in its first article in a series on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the DC system of justice. This third article in the series, which is funded by SpotlightDC.org and supported by DC Witness, examines the recent ruling on the appeal against the tolling of the trial clock. In March 2021, the DC Court of Appeals ruled on the question of extended pretrial detention during the pandemic. A majority found that detaining two defendants, who had appealed their detention past one hundred days without trial, did not violate DC Code or the Constitution under the current emergency circumstances. The view was not unanimous. “Many” of those detained pretrial “will eventually be acquitted, have
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their charges dropped, or plead to charges carrying sentences that are less than the time they have already served pretrial,” wrote Hon. Judge Corinne Beckwith in her dissent.
Pausing the Clock
In its most recent order, published on March 30, 2021, the DC Superior Court extended “the period during which deadlines are suspended, tolled, and extended for all statutory and rules‐ based time limits” in DC Code and Court rules until at least May 20. The original order was issued by then Chief Judge Robert Morin in late March 2020 with authority from the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration, soon after DC announced its first presumptive case of Covid-19. Due to public health precautions, jury trials were suspended in the city until April 5, 2021, when they resumed on a limited basis. Specifically, per the Court’s site, a maximum of one case will be scheduled for trial per day and two trials can be held per week. Bench trials, or those in front of a judge, resumed in December. However, the lengthy pause in trials due to Covid-19 has created a backlog of unresolved cases. Jury trials are the “bread and butter of the court system,” said Attorney Paul Zukerberg. “That is what drives the system along,” he added, either because cases are tried before a jury or the impending jury creates a “firm deadline” which “encourages people to resolve the case.” “While PDS appreciates the challenges the Superior Court faces in resuming jury trials that are safe for all participants and that meet constitutional requirements, the large numbers of PDS clients who are being held indefinitely at the jail pending resolution of their cases is staggering,” said Mitchell, who is a former PDS trial chief, a few days before trials’ constrained resumption. Under DC’s progressive pretrial supervisory system, 92 percent of all Superior Court defendants were released pretrial in 2020. For those charged with felonies, however, the number drops to 76 percent, and 24 percent are detained. “That is not a small number,” said Megan Stevenson, an economist and criminal justice scholar and an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law, given the presumption of innocence and the cost of incarceration on defendants. Stevenson and Sandra Mayson, assistant professor of law at the University of Georgia School of Law, released a paper in February that quantified, per the paper’s abstract, “[h]ow dangerous
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must a person be to justify the state in locking her up for the greater good?” “It’s hard to quantify the harm of being uprooted from one’s life, one’s family and job and neighborhood and home and being held in a jail facility,” explained Mayson. However, this study attempts to “get a grip on how that harm compares” to the potential harm of a person committing a serious crime while released. “The results suggest that even short periods of incarceration impose grave harms, such that a person must pose an extremely high risk of serious crime in order for detention to be justified,” they concluded in the paper. Pretrial detention, especially during Covid-19, can impact defendants significantly. Anthony Petty, who was detained in DC Jail for the last few months of a 30-year sentence, described to CCN the potential consequences of pretrial detention, which he said include loss of employment and difficulty for incarcerated peoples’ families. Petty, a mentor with the Young Men Emerging program, witnessed the impact of detention, including the mental toll of the medical stay-in-place. Petty serves on the advisory board of organization Neighbors for Justice. Additionally, as CCN previously reported, attorneys raised concerns that the Court’s detention of defendants for an indeterminate amount of time could increase pressure on defendants to accept a plea deal rather than wait for a trial. Notably, however, according to Mayson, DC is the “vanguard in terms of rational regulation of pretrial detention and release.” Most jurisdictions, unlike DC, rely on cash bail systems to determine who is held pretrial. The tolling of indictment
and trial deadlines poses both constitutional and statutory issues, argued defense attorneys who filed appeals against their clients’ detention past 100 days. One such consolidated case was adjudicated recently.
The Appeal
On Dec. 15, 2020, attorneys and judges convened for oral arguments streaming live to dozens of viewers for a consolidated case of two pending pretrial detention appeals. They met, on behalf of two defendants who were detained pretrial in DC Jail for longer than one hundred days, to consider whether the DC Superior Court’s pause of the trial clock met statutory and constitutional requirements. The Superior Court had denied both defendants’ motions for release. Their lawyers appealed, arguing that the Court’s decision to “toll” the trial clock violated DC Code and the US Constitution’s Due Process clause. The first defendant, represented in the appeal by PDS attorney Mikel-Meredith Weidman, had not yet been indicted in December but has been since, formally charged with sex abuse while armed. The second defendant, represented by Attorney Carrie Weletz, was indicted on 45 counts in March 2020 including possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, kidnapping while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon and burglary while armed. The USAO-DC did not respond to a request for a comment on the appeal. It previously declined to comment on the pending case. In an opinion published on March 11, the DC Court
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of Appeals ruled in a two-to-one decision that the DC Superior Court had the authority to detain the two defendants beyond 100 days.
The Ruling
The pandemic had “severely disrupted” operations in the Superior Court, wrote Court of Appeals Hon. Judge Stephen Glickman, a President Bill Clinton appointee, for the majority. The other judge siding with the majority ruling, Hon. Senior Judge Frank Nebeker, was originally appointed to the Court by President Richard Nixon. Courts are authorized to pause deadlines during emergencies and natural disasters under a DC Code provision passed by Congress in 2011, he cited. The opinion also noted that the emergency tolling statute allows for the pausing of any deadline and disagrees with the defense’s categorization of the 100-day limitation as not a time deadline, defined as “the latest time by which something must be done.” Additionally, extensions of deadlines are permitted in increments with “good cause,” Glickman argued. Glickman addressed constitutional arguments by citing a previous case. The emergency tolling is not indefinite, as it will end when the emergency does, he wrote. It is “reasonably foreseeable that trials will resume in the Superior Court in the not-too-distant future,” noted Glickman, weeks before they did, for felony 2 cases previously set for trial where defendants were detained under the statute that includes the trial-clock. Glickman also cited the facts of the cases at hand and the rationale for holding the defendants. The DC Court’s decision to pause pretrial detention clocks is not unique. A blanket pause on formal or informal speedy trial mechanisms due to Covid-19 has
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been nearly universal in the US, according to Jenny Carroll, Professor of Law at the University of Alabama School of Law. “There’s been pretty robust litigation around this,” Carroll said. The DC Court of Appeal’s ruling was “consistent with opinions we’ve seen out of other state level appellate courts” in which defendants challenged their non-finite pretrial detention due to Covid-19, Carroll stated. Still, Carroll pointed out pretrial detention imposes significant costs on defendants, their families, and their communities, as well as victims and the court system writ large. The three-judge panel was not unanimous in their ruling. In her dissent, Judge Corinne Beckwith raised the consequences of her colleagues’ ruling.
The Dissent
The defendants’ detention was “unlawful,” concluded Judge Beckwith, a President Barack Obama appointee. Neither statute in question “clearly authorizes their continued incarceration pending trial,” she argued. “The law’s drafters, some or all, may well have deemed it sensible to toll any and all discovery, indictment, trial, and briefing deadlines while having no intention of authorizing further pretrial detention of people who are presumed innocent,” wrote Beckwith, noting that “many” of them will be acquitted, have charges dropped, or plead to charges with shorter sentences than they have already served. “Each additional day of pretrial incarceration, however, could mean the difference between a job and no job, or absence from the birth of one’s child, or the risk of being physically assaulted or contracting a deadly virus,” Beckwith wrote. Noting that one defendant had been held for around 500 days and the other for 300 days, Beckwith pointed out that prosecutors had not filed for the 20-day extensions for good cause allowed by the statute. Nor did the other statute, allowing for suspension of time deadlines, “expressly authorize such detention,” she stated. The majority’s logic of applying a “breadth and generality” to the emergency tolling statute, Beckwith cautioned, could lead to the extension of time limits “for any number of significant intrusions on liberty.” For instance, it could be applied to post-conviction sex offender registrations, family court’s jurisdiction, or prison sentences. The majority opinion called this argument a “mini-parade of horribles,” examples which do
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“not involve deadlines involved in court proceedings.” Additionally, Beckwith noted that the two defendants do not qualify for a trial under current plans for the resumption of jury trials, based on their charges. There are also due process concerns, Beckwith stated in agreement with the defense. Beckwith agreed with the majority that the constitutional test “hinges on the indefinite nature of the detention,” but she disagreed that her colleague’s interpretation of the statutes hadn’t “effected indefinite detentions.” “For an ever-increasing number of people in the D.C. Jail awaiting trials, there is only uncertainty,” Beckwith wrote.
In The Meantime
In the nearly eight months that Tom was held in DC Jail after he was arrested and before his case was dismissed, the twenty-seven-year-old man never himself appeared before a judge, he said. Before the pandemic, even if Tom’s charges were dismissed months after his initial arrest, with the charges he faced, he likely would not have been held for so long. The USAO-DC did not respond to a request for a comment on Tom’s case. DC Jail “was on lockdown” because of Covid-19, Tom said. Since the start of April 2020, the DC Jail has had a medical stay-in-place, limiting its residents to one hour a day for leaving their cell. On April 30, 2021, the jail tweaked the policy, allowing residents to exit their cells for two hours per day. For a large part of the lockdown, residents were not allowed outdoors. “We barely could get on the phone, barely take a shower,” Tom stated. In March 2020, the PDS and the ACLU of DC sued the DC Department of Corrections on behalf of residents of DC Jail, challenging conditions in the facility due to Covid-19, in the US District Court for DC. In a June 2020 preliminary injunction, the Court ordered the jail to improve detainees’ access to medical resources, enforce social distancing, and more. However, this January, the Court found the jail hadn’t properly complied with that order. The medical stay-in-place policy was implemented to follow “the science that was recommended by the CDC and DC Health” and the preliminary injunction, said DOC Director Quincy Booth in an interview. That is, the policy was calculated in order to facilitate social dis-
tancing. DC Jail provides tablets for its residents, he also added, which has provided its residents with opportunities for certain activities that previously would have had to take place outside of the cell. Regarding the suit, Booth said that DOC works with its partners as part of “an ecosystem of actors” and they “continue to do the things that have been outlined in the preliminary injunction.” “Our number one goal is the safety and security of the individuals that are in our care,” said Booth. “[...]What I follow is guidance by [Director of DC Health] Dr. [LaQuandra] Nesbitt and her team, the CDC, as well as what’s in the preliminary injunction,” Booth added. “Such punishing conditions raise serious concerns about [detained defendants’] physical and mental health, both in the short-term and over the long-term,” said Jade Chong-Smith, a criminal defense lawyer at KaiserDillon PLLC and board member at DC Justice Lab. This is not only a health issue, but also a racial justice issue, she added. Booth disagreed with the view that DOC’s Covid-19 measures are punitive. According to a statement from DOC, residents receive physical and mental health services. As of April 23, 262 residents of DOC facilities have tested positive for Covid-19. According to Mayson, “there is a gaping open question of federal constitutional law, which is: what constraints does the US Constitution place on pretrial detention?” Neither defendant in the appeal has filed an appeal en banc, meaning the case would be heard by all of the judges in the Court of Appeals, according to court dockets. Patrice Sulton, founder and executive director of DC Justice Lab, predicts motions for release based on statutory or constitutional grounds due to defendants being held past one hundred days will still be filed, though she clarified her prediction is not legal advice. This is due to the fact that changes in circumstances, including time passing and the pandemic, could alter a judge’s analysis. Moreover, while criminal jury trials resumed on April 5, 2021 on a limited basis, the backlog that was created by the pandemic will take time to address. “There’s simply no way even once we resume jury trials that we’re going to be able to start the clock running and try a year’s worth of cases within the hundred day time period,” said the Superior Court’s Criminal Division Presiding Judge Ju-
liet McKenna in early December, before jury trials had resumed. To safely and competently make their way through the backlog of cases in the Court, McKenna predicted that even once jury trials resumed the timelines would remain suspended for some time. At the moment, they remain paused through at least May 20. The resumption of jury trials at the start of April “was done in close consultation with public health experts and reviewed by the DC Department of Health, which authorized the court to proceed with a limited number of jury trials,” said McKenna in a statement. McKenna further added that a Court survey found 97 percent of people who reported for jury duty felt “very safe” in the courthouse. “It’s not a light switch,” said Councilmember Allen. “It’s not like we’re going to be able to just eliminate that backlog overnight.” In the meantime, detained defendants will await movement in their case amid these delays while incarcerated. Gavrielle Jacobovitz is a graduate of Columbia University and a freelance reporter at Capital Community News. She has previously interned with HuffPost Politics and NBC Owned TV Stations. DC Witness, a non-prof it dedicated to creating transparency in the District’s justice system, is providing data on criminal cases for this project. For more information, visit www.dcwitness.org. This article was supported by a grant from Spotlight DC: Capitol City Fund for Investigative Journalism. Spotlight DC encourages the submission for proposals by independent journalists. For more information, visit www.spotlightdc.org. ◆
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Shaw Streets by Pleasant Mann
TG Cigars Opens New, Larger Location
The dirt starts flying at the Eighth and O Groundbreaking. Photo:Pleasant Mann
TG Cigars, a unique contribution to Shaw’s mix of businesses for over a decade, has opened in a new, expanded space. Negest Dawit, known as “TG,” spent $4.7 million to buy and totally renovate the former Chinese laundry next to her old shop. The new TG Cigar Lounge at 1120 Ninth Street NW takes up 2,400 square feet with over 5,000 different cigars for sale, a walk-in humidor, private cigar lockers, a kitchen, an extensive bar and an outdoor deck for smokers to linger and chat. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held by Shaw Main Streets on the evening of April 7, with Shawn Townsend, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of The project at 1336 Eighth Street will take one of the few remaining vacant lots in Shaw off the boards. Graphic courtesy of Shalom Baranes Associates
Eighth and O Project Breaks Ground
Private sector and government dignitaries got together on April 13 to formally break ground on a new project at 1336 Eighth Street NW. The site, a District-owned parking lot, long a locus of suspicious activity in the neighborhood, was recently sold to developers Roadside Development and Dantes Partners, the team behind City Market at O and the Hodge on 7th. Richard Lake, principal of Roadside Development, opened the groundbreaking ceremony. Dantes Partners principal Buwa Binitie noted that the lot was awarded in 2014. He characterized the time since then as seven good years working with the city and the Shaw community, although he hoped that it would not take another seven years for the project to get finished. John Falcicchio, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, mentioned Mayor Bowser’s goal of building 36,000 new units of housing, with 12,000 of them being affordable, by 2025. He declared that this project, and its affordability, will move the District closer to the goal. Lake took a moment to mention that his history in Shaw goes back to when his grandparents had a store in the neighborhood and he had to make pickups at the old O Street Market where his uncle had a stall. Then Alex Padro, who had worked as a community member on the project as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and the Executive Director of Shaw Main Streets, noted that after
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the riots, Shaw had a number of city-owned vacant lots and that the Eighth and O project will build on of one of the last undeveloped parcels in the neighborhood. The project, when completed, will have 79 residential units, 24 of them affordable, along with five townhomes and retail on the ground floor. The design is by Shalom Baranes Associates, the architects of City Market at O. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2022.
Nightlife and Culture, wielding the three-foot-long golden scissors. Townsend congratulated TG for her success as a woman entrepreneur and read a statement from Mayor Bowser celebrating the opening of the new TG Cigar Lounge.
Tunneling Project Reaches Shaw
The Northeast Boundary Tunnel project, an effort by DC Water to improve the District’s sewage system
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Events DC Community Meeting on Convention Center
Shaw Main Streets Executive Director Alex Padro, owner Negest “TG” Dawit and DC Nightlife Director Shawn Townsend celebrate the opening of the new TG Cigar Lounge. Photo: Pleasant Mann
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and Anacostia River water quality, reached a milestone on April 21. At about 4:00 a.m., the project’s tunnel boring machine, nicknamed “Chris,” reached the end of its journey 80 feet below Sixth and R Streets NW. The machine had spent most of the year drilling from North Capitol Street, down Rhode Island Avenue to create a 23-foot diameter tunnel to connect to the Anacostia River Tunnel system. When the new system becomes operational in 2023, the neighborhood will be protected from the frequent flooding and basement backups that have occurred along Rhode Island Avenue during heavy rains for at least 100 years. For now, expect to see a lot of activity in the coming weeks as the 650-ton boring machine is disassembled and pulled out of the tunnel from its terminus in Shaw.
Unconventional Diner Holds Mother’s Day Contest
Shaw’s Unconventional Diner has teamed up with NBC Channel 4 to sponsor the “Get Mom on the Menu” contest. The contest was an effort to give back to the community as the hospitality industry recovers from the pandemic. The contest invited people to send in their mothers’ favorite recipes, with the best recipe to be chosen by a team made up of Unconventional Diner’s award-winning Chefs David and Ana Deshaies, along with NBC4 news anchors. The winning recipe will be put on Unconventional Diner’s menu on Mother’s Day, with 100 percent of the receipts from sales of the dish going to the venerable charity House of Ruth. The author of the winning recipe will also be treated to a six-person brunch at the restaurant.
Events DC, which manages Shaw’s Washington Convention Center, will hold a virtual meeting with the community to go over its plans for and progress on improving the interior and streetscape of the center. RSVPs are needed to participate in the Zoom meeting on Monday, May 10 at 6:00 p.m., which can be submitted at www.eventsdc.com.
Buttercream Bakeshop Chef Conducting Virtual Cooking Class for Charity
Tiffany MacIssac, proprietor of Shaw’s famed Buttercream Bakeshop, will be offering a virtual cooking class on Sunday afternoon, May 16 to support neighborhood charity New Endeavors by Women. By making a donation of $25, you will be able to learn award-wining pastry chef MacIssac’s secrets and support New Endeavors as it works to keep women from succumbing to homelessness. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com/e/148780473401.
Art All Night DC Returning to Shaw in September
After a year when the event was relegated to the virtual realm, Art All Night DC, Washington’s annual free overnight arts festival, will return to Shaw and other District neighborhoods this September. The Shaw festival, which was founded in 2011 by Shaw Main Streets, will take place on the night of Saturday, September 25 starting at 7:00 p.m. The festival will feature a variety of indoor and outdoor attractions, including free art shows and musical performances, an outdoor art market, opportunities to create your own art, multi-story-tall video projections, a parade, street performers and other highlights. Save the date and watch for details as they are announced at www.artallnightdcshaw.com. ◆
NEIGHBORHOOD
ANC 6E
A
dvisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E held its monthly meeting on April 6. The meeting was held as a virtual conference. Commission Chair Rachelle Nigro (6E04) called the meeting to order with Michael Eichler (6E01, Vice Chair), Alex Lopez (6E02, Secretary), Frank Wiggins (6E03, Treasurer), Patrick Parlej (6E05), Denise Blackson (6E06) and Kevin Rogers (6E07) in attendance.
Police Service Area (PSA) Reports
Captain Dorrough of the First Police District reported that there had been a slight decrease in violent crime, but a slight increase in property crime in his area. The pandemic had created a significant change in the crime situation in Mount Vernon Square last year, but now things are settling down. The problem of stolen autos is diminishing. The police have set up a Carjacking Task Force. Captain Augustine of the Third Police District started his report by noting that there was a homicide March 13 on the 600 block of O Street. It is being investigated and should be closed soon. There has been a slight uptick in robberies. One robbery was a pickpocket at Giant, where a panhandler grabbed a purse. There were seven arrests for the sale of illegal marijuana and other THC products at a house party. While the personal possession of two ounces or less of marijuana is legal, sale of marijuana or possession of marijuana extracts are currently illegal. Commissioner Eichler asked why violations of marijuana laws were being enforced, when other laws, such as the prohibitions on outdoor camping by the homeless, are not. Augustine explained that the police target illegal marijuana sales because, as cash operations, they have led to robberies and violence and even homicides. Commissioner Wiggins said that police should give more attention to the area across from the Wonder Bread building. Augustine replied that they had established a business beat patrol in Northwest Shaw.
Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (MOCRS)
Talib Shakir, the Mayor’s liaison to Ward 6, announced that the Coronavirus restrictions in the District will be loosened, with limited outdoor
by Pleasant Mann events and libraries and museums allowed to operate at 50 percent of capacity.
Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee (ABC)
476 K Street NW, dLena. A license request for a new Mexican restaurant on the corner of Fifth and K Streets that will have a sidewalk café. The sidewalk café will close at 11:00 p.m. The commission went over the language of the proposed settlement agreement, which largely covered the limitation of noise. Commissioner Parlej said his constituents support the license. Alex Padro, ABC committee chair, said that the committee reviewed the application and supported the restaurant’s request for a Class C Restaurant license and a stipulated license. The restaurant hopes to open by May 5, Cinco del Mayo. The commission voted unanimously to support the request for a Class C license and a stipulated license. There was also a unanimous vote to endorse the settlement agreement.
Zoning and Development Committee
36 New York Avenue NW. Request for support of a lot occupancy zoning variance to allow the owner to add an accessory dwelling unit with a garage underneath the property. The commission unanimously approved the request to support the variance before the Board of Zoning Adjustment.
District to Baltimore MAGLEV
Global Government Industry Partners gave a presentation on a proposed magnetic-levitation (MAGLEV) train between the District and Baltimore that would start in Mount Vernon Square. The proposed train could make the trip to Baltimore in 15 minutes. The hope is to eventually have a MAGLEV line that could go all the way from DC to New York City in an hour. The first step in the approval process is to conduct an Environmental Impact Study (EIS). The review period for the EIS is currently going on, and anyone can submit testimony on it. The final EIS will be released next year. If the EIS is approved and other approvals and financing fall into place, the MAGLEV to
Baltimore could be finished in seven years.
Transportation Advisory Committee
Commissioner Lopez said that the committee received a Notice of Intent that the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) wanted to install a raised brick median on New York Avenue between North Capitol Street and First Street NW. The median is intended to prevent drivers from making Uturns on New York Avenue. The committee believes that the median will promote traffic safety. The issue was tabled until the May ANC meeting.
ANC Resolution on Illegal Dumping
Commissioner Eichler wanted the commission to approve a resolution to end illegal dumping in DPW trash cans, where people put their trash in public bins. Eichler came up with a three-part resolution calling for: 1) more information on public trash pickups, 2) more research on why there is public dumping and 3) calling on DDOT to design cans that cannot accept dumping of private trash. He said that he was willing to work with other ANCs on the matter. Commissioner Nigro said that private trash dumped in public bins was the bane of her existence. She thought that the fine for dumping should be raised from its current $75 to $500. She also noted that DPW must witness the dumping before they can write a ticket. Eichler offered that fines could support inspectors going through dumped trash to identify its source. Commissioner Wiggins suggested that the ANC buy “scoop your poop” signs, since dog waste is becoming an issue on his block. Nigro said that DDOT already offers such signs. A resident noted that DPW frequently leaves trash behind when it empties public bins. Commissioner Lopez expressed concern about increased fines for dumping. Nigro responded that the problem is coming from affluent households. The resolution on dumping passed unanimously.
Resolutions on Homelessness
Commissioner Eichler offered a resolution on homelessness. He noted that there were encampments in ANC 6E in the park at New Jersey Avenue and O and on the 1500 block of Tenth Street NW. This led a resident to express concern that the New Jer(Continued on page 21)
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NEIGHBORHOOD
BULLETIN BOARD
Ward 2 Walk-Up Vaccination Site for 65+
DC residents who are 65 and older are now able to get vaccinated without an appointment at walk-up sites across DC. Each site, which will administer either the two-dose Pfizer vaccine or the two-dose Moderna vaccine, will be able to accommodate up to 30 walk-ins each day. The Ward 2 site is the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. vaccinate.dc.gov.
At-Home Vaccinations Now Available
DC Health has announced that residents who are unable to leave home to get vaccinated should call 1-855-363-0333 to make an appointment for an athome vaccination.
Mid-City FRESHFARM Markets
Columbia Heights, Park Rd. and 14th St. NW, Saturdays through Dec. 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays starting June 2, 4 to 7 p.m.; Dupont Circle, 1624 20th St. NW, Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Mount Vernon Triangle, 499 I St. NW, Saturdays through Dec. 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; By the White House, 810 Vermont Ave. NW, Thursdays through Nov. 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All FRESHFARM markets ac-
cept SNAP/EBT, WIC and Senior FMNP checks. The FRESH Match program provides a dollar-fordollar match on all federal benefits spent at market, helping shoppers take home more fresh and nutritious produce and local foods. The Market Share is FRESHFARM’s weekly local food subscription program, featuring fruits and veggies from our market farmers. Families who rely on SNAP and WIC are able to purchase Market Share bags at a 75% discount. Read more at freshfarm.org/market-share.
Florida and NY Avenues Intersection Public Meeting
DDOT will host a public meeting on Monday, May 17, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., to discuss the design plans for the Florida Avenue-New York Avenue NE Intersection Project. DDOT is redesigning the intersection, often referred to as “Dave Thomas Circle” or the “Virtual Circle,” to make it safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers in support of Mayor Bowser’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities on the District’s roadways. To participate, visit rebrand. ly/FloridaAve-
NYAveIntersectionMay17. Event number is 160 701 9651; password is DDOTmay17!. By phone, dial 1-202-860-2110; dial the meeting’s access code, 160 701 9651, followed by the # key. Press # to join the meeting. Materials from this meeting will be made available on May 18 at floridaaveproject.com/.
Studio Theatre’s Season Remainder
Productions are available on demand--watch when you want. There are no apps to download, just visit their website to stream. Here the remaining 20202021 season lineup: 2.5 Minute Ride by Lisa Kron, through May 16; Flow by Will Power, May 21 to June 13; Tender Age by George Brant, July 2 to 25. studiotheatre.org.
How to Write an Op-Ed with Thomas Friedman
Become a Planet Word member and on Thursday, May 20, 6:30 p.m., learn how to write a better opinion column. In his 25 years as an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist has analyzed everything from immigration reform to Putin’s Russia to global technology. But his goal is always the same: to provoke a reaction of emotion (heat) or illumination (light). In this membersonly virtual program, Friedman will explain his process, and share his own exclusive recipe for building a better opinion column. Planet Word, 925 13th St. NW, has reopened. planetwordmuseum.org.
Langston-Slater Schools Site Housing Project
THE GREAT JOURNEY BY ADOLFO SERRA: Spanish Illustrator Adolfo Serra explores the concept of the First Circumnavigation of the World in this second open air exhibition on the windows of the Former Residence of the Ambassador of Spain, the Beaux-Arts Mansion at 2801 16th St. NW. visit anytime. spainculture.us/city/washington-dc.
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Mayor Bowser and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio have announced new progress in redeveloping the Langston and Slater Schools by partnering with Douglass Community Land Trust (Douglass CLT), a membership-driven racial and economic equity organization to secure the permanent affordability of housing on the site. The project, located at 33-45 P St. NW, will produce approximately 55 new homes, consisting of townhomes and multifamily rental apartments at various levels of affordability. The site was formerly two elementary schools. Slater Elementary School is
a purpose-built public school building that was constructed in 1891 for African American students. The John Mercer Langston Elementary School was built in 1902 to handle the overflow of students from the adjoining Slater School. The historical designation of both Langston and Slater Schools and the site’s proximity to North Capitol Street, makes the project a prime destination within the Truxton Circle neighborhood.
Rent and Utility Assistance for DC Residents
DC has launched a program to provide financial assistance to DC residents struggling to make rent and utility payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the STAY DC program, renters and housing providers can apply for grant funding to cover past and future rental payments in addition to utilities. To qualify, you must be a DC renter or housing provider who is at risk, or has a tenant at risk, of not paying rent or utilities on a residential dwelling. An applicant’s total 2020 annual household income may not exceed designated levels according to household size. For example, a family of four must make less than $82,300. Eligible households may receive up to 12 months of assistance going back to April 1, 2020, and three months of assistance for future payments at a time for a total of 18 months of assistance. Applicants can call the STAY DC Call Center at 833-4-STAYDC for support throughout the application process, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Submit applications at stay.dc.gov.
Capitol Riverfront Drive-in Movies
Through May 28, join the Capitol Riverfront BID for a Friday night drive-in movie series at The Stacks in Buzzard Point, 101 V St. SW, featuring popular films inspired by all of your post-pandemic goals includ-
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NEIGHBORHOOD
can History and Culture, National Portrait Gallery, and Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery) and Friday, May 21 (National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Zoo). All locations will reopen with added health and safety measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors will need to reserve free, timed-entry passes for all locations. All other Smithsonian museums will remain temporarily closed to the public. Updates and information about the museums open to the public are available at si.edu/visit.
Aliens, Immigrants & Other Evildoers is inspired by filmed interviews with immigrants who have shared their epic border-crossing stories with the artist.
NGA West Building Reopens
Aliens, Immigrants & Other Evildoers at GALA
GALA Hispanic Theatre continues its 45th Anniversary Season live with Aliens, Immigrants & Other Evildoers by performance artist José Torres-Tama, an Ecuadorean who resides in New Orleans. Presented May 14 to 16, 2021, Aliens, Immigrants & Other Evildoers is a genre-bending sci-fi Latino noir that satirizes the absurd status of immigrants as “extraterrestrials.” GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. Reservations are necessary, as only 66 patrons will be seated. $20. To purchase tickets, call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org. ing traveling, concerts, house parties, Met Galas, and more! Each movie will have space for 100 vehicles set at an appropriate social distance. Movie-goers can secure their spot at a cost of $20 per car, per movie. All funds will be donated to local charities. Here’s the remaining lineup: May 14, Remember the Titans (PG) benefiting Unity Health Care; May 22, Booksmart (R) benefiting Living Classrooms; and May 28, Bridesmaids (R) benefiting Capitol Area Food Bank. Attendees must be registered with an Eventbrite ticket to enter this event. No tickets will be sold onsite. eventbrite.com/e/capitol-riverfrontspring-drive-in-movie-series-tickets-150100812571.
Seven Museums and the National Zoo Reopen
The Smithsonian will reopen eight of its facilities to the public in May, starting with the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, Wednesday, which opened May 5. Additional museums and the National Zoo will open Friday, May 14 (National Museum of African Ameri-
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The National Gallery of Art’s West Building will reopen on Friday, May 14. Daily hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and capacity will be limited to allow for social distancing. Free, timed-passes are required. Passes will be released each Monday at 10 a.m. for the following week, starting Monday, May 10. All previous health and safety guidelines and measures will remain in place, including requirements for masks, social distancing, and credit and debit card payments as well as enhanced cleanings. Visitors will only enter through the Sixth Street entrance, but all exits will be open. nga.gov.
Free Legal Clinic for Nonprofits & Small Businesses
On Wednesday, May 26, 10:15 to noon (via Zoom), the DC Bar Pro Bono Center and Covington & Burling LLP are sponsoring a free legal advice clinic to assist small businesses and nonprofits that have employees who regularly work in Washington, DC in understanding the basics of on-boarding employees. Register at probono.center/onboardingemployeesclinic2021.
Nearby Live Music
Live music at Jamin Java, 227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna, VA: Rewind Wednesdays Outdoor Concerts, May 12, 19 and June 2; May 9, Dan Navarro; May 13, Carly Harvey with Kiss & Ride; May 14, Smooth AF + Doug; May 15, Kentucky Avenue; May 16, Shenandoah Run; May 20, Kevin Bull, Jr.; May 23, Sam C. Jones; May 27, Civic Duty; May 28, Back to the 90s; May 29, Top 40 Reggae; May 3, Emisunshine; June
3, Thrillbillys; June 4, The Fabulous Dialtones. jamminjava.com. Live music at The State Theater, 220 North Washington St., Falls Church, VA: May 9, Lush; May 13, 19th Street Band; May 19, Nowhere Men; May 21, Caligula Blushed; May 27, Ken Wenzel & Cross Kentucky. thestatetheatre.com. Live music at The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW: May 7, Oh He Dead; May 8, Pressing Strings; May 14, Eric Scott; May 15, Jamie McLean Band; May 21 and 22, The 19th Street Band; May 28, Joey Harkum. thehamiltondc.com.
DC Shorts Free Film Festival
DC Shorts presents over 375 films from the past ten years for your viewing pleasure. Sort through the genres or years they were programmed and click to watch. All films may be watched full-screen--and many are in HD. More films are added all the time, so check back often. archive.dcshorts.com.
Free eWaste Recycling Events in DC
DC residents, small businesses and non-profits can recycle electronics without cost at e-waste recycling events throughout 2021. Upcoming events are on May 8, Kennedy Street and Colorado Avenue, NW; May 15, Seventh Street and Monroe Street, NE; May 22, I Street NW (east of Mount Vernon Triangle Farmer’s Market); June 5, 41st Street between Alabama Avenue and Fort Dupont Street SE. All e-waste recycling events are held rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Covered electronic equipment includes desktop and laptop computers, tablets, E-readers, smallscale servers, portable digital music players that are battery powered, computer monitors, mice, keyboards, computer speakers, desktop printers, televisions, VCRs and more. A complete list of events and acceptable items can be found at rlgamericas.com/DCecycling.
The Business of the Arts Development Series
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ Business of the Arts Professional Development Series provides knowledge and skills related to fundraising and development, marketing and public relations, legal concerns and entrepreneurship. Free workshops and seminars are led by accomplished professionals and subject matter experts. Register for future workshops and listen-in to past workshops at dcarts.dc.gov/page/business-arts.
The Kennedy Center Couch Concerts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces a free, live digital performance initiative, Couch Concerts, to help inspire, uplift, heal, and bring the performing arts from the homes of artists into homes across the country and around the world during these difficult times. For 23 years, Millennium Stage has brought free performances to audiences in person at the Center and virtually through a livestream. The Kennedy Center will now stream concerts direct from artists’ homes at 4 p.m., every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday while the Kennedy Center remains closed, due to COVID-19. Visit the Couch Concert archive at kennedy-center.org/ whats-on/millennium-stage/couch-concerts.
Sixth & I’s Virtual Shabbat
Sixth & I is a mission and values-driven community dedicated to bringing people together. Accordingly, they offer a virtual Shabbat experience every Friday night on facebook.com/sixthandi for the foreseeable future. Since they use many different melodies during services, they have created a music library to help you feel more comfortable adding your voice to the community. Follow the links at sixthandi.org/jewish-life/ shabbat-music/ to listen to audio files for each prayer and download the transliteration.
Public Art Request for Applications
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is soliciting applications from qualified individual artists or organizations for its Fiscal Year 2022 Public Art Building Communities Grant Program. Multiple awards may be made under this RFA. Award amounts vary. The program supports individual artists and organizations in their effort to design, fabricate and install new temporary or permanent works of public art that connect artists
(and their artwork) with communities. Submission deadline is July 16. For more information and to submit an application, visit dcarts.dc.gov/page/ public-art-building-communities.
Amnesty for Outstanding Tickets
From June 1 to Sept. 30, 2021, there will be a four-month amnesty program to give DC and non-DC drivers the opportunity to pay outstanding tickets. During this time, the penalties drivers incurred on tickets will be waived. Eligible tickets are parking, photo enforcement (including speed, red-light and stop-sign cameras) and minor moving violations issued by law enforcement. At the end of the amnesty period, all penalties will be added back on all tickets. ticketamnesty.dc.gov.
Emergency Medication to Stop HIV
DC Health has launched the District’s Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) Hotline, a new resource for people who may have been exposed to HIV. PEP is emergency medication taken to prevent HIV and has to be started within 72 hours of possible exposure. The DC PEP Hotline is open 24/7 and can be reached by calling 202-2993737. GetPEPDC.org.
Preference for Vaccinated Customers?
As businesses and nonprofits of all types reopen and more people are vaccinated, business owners and nonprofit leaders consider how to keep workers and customers alike safe. Many DC-area organizations have already publicly declared that only vaccinated persons will be permitted to enter business premises, while others are carefully weighing their options. Is this legal for businesses to do? Are there exceptions they must recognize? If all customers and clients must be vaccinated, is it reasonable to expect that all workers also must be vaccinated? On Wednesday, May 12, noon to 1 p.m., dive into these questions and more in the DC Bar Pro Bono Center’s webinar with Nathan A. Adams from Holland & Knight. Register at probono.center/vaccinated-customers-webinar.
DC’s COVID-19 Hotline
District residents who are homebound due to COVID-19 can request support from the District for food and other essential items. Call 1-888-3498323 or visit coronavirus.dc.gov/gethelp. u
(Continued from page 17) sey Avenue park is scheduled for redevelopment, and that District agencies were not considering the homeless encampment in their plans. Commissioner Nigro noted that a meeting was scheduled for the following evening to review plans for the park with the community. The resolution passed unanimously. Commissioner Lopez also introduced a resolution for the commission to support the Way Home Coalition’s program to reduce homelessness, which they want to incorporate into the District’s budget for FY 2022. The resolution passed unanimously.
Friends of Bundy Dog Park
The Friends of Bundy Park came seeking support for a new dog park at a renovated New Jersey and O park. There is a currently a dog run at Bundy Park on P Street, but it is not an official Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) dog park since it does not have a source of running water. A new park on New Jersey would allow them to have a District-recognized dog park. Estimates of the cost of bringing water to Bundy Park range from $30,000 to $60,000. Bundy also is not handicapped accessible. The group has already started the process of applying for a new dog park by circulating a petition to support it and talking to neighborhood groups. The effort should also get support from its ANC. Commissioner Nigro noted that the Bundy group was only asking for part of the reconstructed park and that DPR could still disapprove of putting a dog park there. Commissioner Lopez cautioned that a resolution could be premature, since DPR would just be announcing the results of a survey tomorrow. Nigro said that DPR wanted an application before they would consider a dog park on the site. The Bundy representatives noted that the DPR survey on what the community wanted in a new park did not include the option of a dog park. They needed a resolution now since tomorrow was the last DPR meeting with the community on the future of the park. A new dog park is needed to meet the needs of the growing number of dog households in the neighborhood. The resolution before the commission supported a new dog park, and passed with six yes votes, one abstention.
Next Meeting
ANC 6E will hold its next meeting on May 4, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. Plans are to hold this meeting as a virtual conference. Visit www.anc6e.org for more information. u
M AY 2 0 2 1 2 1
OUT AND ABOUT
Insatiable by Celeste McCall by James Beard Award-winfried tilapia entrée and opted ning Executive Chef Vikram for crispy spicy tilapia salad, Sunderam. Watch for updates. a montage of fish, greens, scallions, and kaffir leaves, perfumed with cilantro and spritzed with fresh lime juice. I chose Thai vermicelli noodles with ground chicken Ivy City Brewery & Tap Room, and chopped shrimp. Delivpart of Atlas Brew Works, has ering just enough firepower, reopened with expanded patio the beautifully presented seating. Located at 2052 West Baan Siam’s vermicelli noodles are laced with dish was a mound of snowy Virginia Ave. NE #102, Atlas chicken, shrimp and tempura watercress. Baan Siam’s busy kitchen turns out exotically white noodles, flanked with provides limited indoor dining, delicious fare, mainly from Northern Thailand. the chicken and shrimp and curbside pickup, and patio serescorted by a delicate cluster of tempura watercress. vice. Although the Tap Room does not serve its own Beverages include Thai-style coffee and tea, regular food, guests may order salmon jerky from nearby Ivy iced tea, beer (including Thailand’s Singha), wine Local chefs are stepping up to the plate—literally— City Smokehouse or other eateries. On Saturdays and and myriad cocktails. to combat escalating hate crimes and discrimination Sundays, Sommer Street Pizza (various locations) is Service was excellent. Lunch for two came to $45 against Asians and Pacific Islanders. Created in reavailable for purchase. For more information call 202(before tip), which included an appetizer, entrée, a sponse to this alarming xenophobia: Chefs Stop832-0420 or visit www.atlasbrewworks.com glass of pleasant Oregon Pinot Gris and iced tea. Loping Asian American and Pacific Islander Hate was cated at 425 I St. NW, Baan Siam is closed Monday. founded by Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit (District For more information and/or to order carryout/delivWharf ) and Tim Ma of Lucky Danger (Mount A casual French wine bar, Vin sur Vingt, has opened ery, call 202-588-5889 or visit www.BaanSiam.com. Vernon Triangle). at 1529 14th St. NW in the former Drafting Table Joined by numerous other chefs, Tien and Ma space. Co-owner Sebastien Auvet wants guests to have created a series of Sunday Suppers to raise awaresample and enjoy French wines without being intiminess and funds; all proceeds go to Chefs Stopping Bindaas Bowls & Rolls, a stylish carryout from dated. Along with a few roses and sparkling wines, AAPI Hate. Tagged at $150, the five-course gourmet Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, is coming to 415 Vin sur Vingt pours about 50 wines by the glass and dinners feed two. For now, the pre-paid repasts may Seventh St. NW, in Mount Vernon Triangle. The 25more than 250 by the bottle. Vin sur Vingt has five be picked up at Moon Rabbit, in the Wharf ’s Interseat “to-go” sister restaurant will offer some popular other locations, all in Manhattan. For more informacontinental Hotel. For more information or to place dishes from the Cleveland Park Bindaas, and at The tion, visit www.vswinebars.com. an order, visit www.chefsstoppingaapihate.com. Shops at 2000 Penn. (The latter has reopened after And……Logan Circle’s Southeast Asian hot spot In the spirit of solidarity for the Asian/Pacific Isa long pandemic hiatus.) Don’t rush over right away. Doi Moi sports a brand new look, thanks to a remake lander community, Peter and I savored a scrumptious Bindass Bowls is not expected to arrive until fall. from managing Thai lunch at Baan Siam in Mount Vernon Triangle. “The time is right for opening our first carryout partners at Star Seated outside on a glorious spring day, we scanned showcasing delicious and easy to transport bowls and Restaurant Group. the extensive Northern Thai menu. Everyrolls,” said Ashok Bajaj, founder and Th e basement-levthing looked intriguing. We did president of Knightsbridge. “Our el bar space is now not see the more familiar— restaurants have….adapted a lantern-lined to Americans anyway— well during the pandemic.” hideaway. The drunken noodles or pad The future Bindaas “street food” menu Thai. Instead, we mused will feature “bowls and of pho bo (beef over deep-fried Asian rolls.” Ordering from noodle soup), pumpkin, exotic soups, a counter, patrons may braised pork ribpapaya curry with chicken; choose a protein (lamb, fish, lets, banh mi (baroasted duck red curry; chicken chicken, shrimp or vegetarian) guette sandwich), nestled in a banana leaf. At Baan Siam (Mount Vernon Triangle), plus add-ons to create their own meals. crispy wings and Seafood, especially tilapia—loomed crispy tilapia, salad greens and scallions are Guests may also select a featured bowl Bindass’s Salmon Moilee with much more, is still perfumed with cilantro and fresh lime juice. large. Peter skipped over the deepBlack Rice. Photo: Asico Photo or Indian roll. The menu will be crafted
Atlas Brew Works Returns to Ivy City
Food Fight
Logan Lowdown
Coming (relatively) soon…..
2 2 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M
#ShawTakeout YOU COULD USE A DRINK RIGHT ABOUT NOW! UNCONVENTIONAL DINER
Bindaas’s Kathi Roll. Photo: Asico Photo
available from the upstairs kitchen. For the new space, bartenders have created tropical cocktails including an Old Fashioned concocted from banana-infused bourbon and gingerlemongrass syrup and a Negroni with coconut-infused gin. Thai Singha and DC Baru’s IPA flow from taps. Located at 1800 14th St. NW, Doi Moi is closed Monday. Call 202-733-5131 or visit www.doimoidc.com
Texas Style
Northeast is getting Hill Countrystyle barbecue. Based in Riverdale Park (Prince Georges County), 2Fifty Texas BBQ is opening in Union Market, 1309 Fifth St. NE. Operated by CEO Debby Portillo and husband Fernando González, the smoky food stall will dispense ribs, pulled pork, brisket, sandwiches and sides. Look for 2Fifty later this month.
Photo: Andrew Vera
Whether your taste runs toward the classic or creative, Shaw’s bars offer a wide range of tastes, from divey Ivy and Coney to world class Columbia Room, from sudsy Right Proper to frenchy La Jambe. You can’t sit at the bar right now, but you can order your favorites to go or try something new.
TAKE A SIP OR CHUG A PINT. EITHER WAY, IT’LL BE #SHAWSOME!
www.shawmainstreets.org
Market Watch
In Mount Vernon Triangle, FRESHFARM MTV Market has returned. Open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, FRESHFARM is located at Fifth and I Streets NW. Among the vendors are: A Baked Joint (bread), Black Rock Orchard (fresh produce), Capitol Cider House (Cider and other potent potables), Just AJ’s Food (Veggie hotdogs), Sexy Vegie (sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups), Shenandoah Seasonal (sustainable produce), Sunnyside Flowers (flowers, eggs and meats), Zeke’s Coffee (java to go and whole beans). Look for more vendors in the coming weeks. For updates visit www.MountVernonTriangle.org. ◆
Shaw Main Streets is a designated DC Main Streets program and is funded in part by the Department of Small and Local Business Development, Muriel E. Bowser, Mayor ©2021 Shaw Main Streets, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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M AY 2 0 2 1 2 3
OUT AND ABOUT
At The Movies
People on the Brink: A Man Contemplates End-of-Life and a Mother Faces Loss of Her Daughter to Drugs by Mike Canning
East of the Mountains
This is a film as character study. An older man at an end-of-life crossroads contemplates his own demise in a world that has been comfortable for him. He is Ben Givens, played by veteran actor Tom Skeritt in his first leading role, moving through his beloved Eastern Washington state as naturally as the running of a chilly stream. The pace is unhurried—even protracted—but with enough incident to keep the viewer intrigued and sympathetic (The film runs 93 minutes and is not rated). Ben is a retired heart surgeon and bereft widower who learns he has terminal cancer. Determined to close out his days on his own terms, he shares the news with no one—not even his daughter René (Mira Sorvino). He travels back to his boyhood home, accompanied only by his loyal dog Rex, to hunt pigeons one more time. He also has flashback reveries about his earlier life with his cherished wife. But things don’t go as he’d like. On the road, his truck overheats, but a kind couple picks him up and delivers him to a familiar hill. He is sleeping outside in a shallow cave when his dog is attacked by a vicious hound. Hitching a ride to a nearby town with a veterinarian practice run by the congenial Anita (Annie Gonzalez), who lovingly treats his dog and offers hospitality to Ben. In her, he finds a person to whom he can talk and explore his fears at the end of his life. “East of the Mountains” is based on David Gut-
2 4 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M
erson’s novel of 1999, set in the gorgeous CoTom Skerritt and his dog Rex lumbia Basin, roam the Columbia Basin in “East where the film’s of the Mountains.” spectacular landscapes were filmed. Guterson, a Seattle native, has lived in Washington his whole life and has written about his state for over 30 years. He is probably best known for his early novel, “Snow Falling on Cedars” (1998), a runaway best seller which was also made into a Hollywood film (2000). Tom Skerritt was wholly involved with this picture, serving as one of the executive producers. Long resident in Seattle, he had come to know Guterson and his work so theirs is a natural collaboration. Known in the 1970’s as a good-humored, rugged sidekick in many major movies like “MASH,” “Alien,” “Top Gun,” etc., here he clearly identifies with this mature character and shows a debilitated, but decent man contemplating his end. In a way, his demeanor fits the script for a classic Western hero, laconic but intelligent, skeptical but kind. It’s fitting to see him dominate a film at this stage of his life.
acter will triumph or relapse. Such a set-up can be particularly touching when the action plays out between parent and child. One prominent recent example is the 2018 Julia Roberts-Lucas Hedges film, “Ben Is Back” which showed the extremes of parent paranoia and headstrong child. Now comes “Four Good Days,” a parallel story where a mother Deb (Glenn Close) must deal with her long-time junkie daughter Molly (Mila Kunis). The struggle between the two, which originally appeared as an article by Eli Saskow of The Washington Post, is fraught with mistrust and wariness and is hard to watch at times, but is redeemed by the performances of the two leads who convincingly take you down the rabbit-hole of drug craving (The film runs 100 minutes and is rated “R” for subject matter and language; it opened at area theaters on April 30). Deb is a masseuse in a casino hotel, married to her bemused second husband Chris (Stephen Root). She has spent 10 years trying to affect her 30-something daughter’s addiction to heroin. Nothing she
Four Good Days
Addiction is a long-time Hollywood theme for built-in drama: an agonizing (sometimes excruciating) trial by the addicted character desperate for a high then going through withdrawal witnessed by family or friend as the audience, wrenched by the depiction, is in suspense as to whether the char-
From left, Glenn Close (Deb) and Mila Kunis (Molly) in “Four Good Days.” Photo from Vertical Entertainment
1 4T H ST R E E T • S H AW • LO G A N C I R C L E • L E D R O I T PA R K • D U P O N T C I R C L E MT. VERNON SQUARE • BLOOMINGDALE • BRENTWOOD • NOMA • TRUXTON CIRCLE
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DAILY ONLINE, MONTHLY IN PRINT has done has worked. The film opens with Molly, showing up unexpectedly back home, having run out of options where to go. Deb, who barely recognizes her, reluctantly lets her stay but urges her to get into a fourday program, after which, if she stays clean, she can qualify for a treatment which could totally inhibit her addiction. Those fraught days make up the core of the picture, with Deb having to watch and critique Molly’s every move. Mila Kunis, typically cast in sexy, slightly provocative roles, appropriately appears as a mess in this film, her big eyes enlarged by dark circles, her teeth gone, her frame wraith-like, her blond hair stringy (kudos to the makeup team). And her playing has a nice mix of languorous boredom and hair-trigger nervousness. Close’s Deb is meant to be sympathetic, yet she keeps you at a distance with her constant worry and sour memories, but she achieves the portrait of a woman who has a spine and can love even through constant disappointment. You want her to succeed with her daughter but are concerned she will only witness yet another dead end. “Four Good Days” was directed by Rodrigo Garcia, a Colombian-born filmmaker with a lengthy career in American television and movies. He is known for working with strong women actors, and he has long had an association with Glenn Close, with whom he has worked together since 2000. Their most prominent success was “Albert Nobbs” (2011), for which Close received an Oscar nomination. This film may be their best collaboration since. Film Critic and Capitol Hill resident Mike Canning has written on movies for 27 years and is a member of the Washington Area Film Critics Association. He is the author of “Hollywood on the Potomac: How the Movies View Washington, DC.” His reviews and essays can be found online at www. mikesflix.com. ◆
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M AY 2 0 2 1 2 5
REAL ESTATE
Get Help With DCRA Contractor Rating System System Joins Permit Wizard to Help Residents Make Project Decisions by Elizabeth O’Gorek
G
etting work done on your home or past three years. They may also be listed business can be an anxious road to under a different name; for instance, an travel. How can you be sure the architect may be listed as part of a firm. contractor is dependable? How The system was launched March 9. much experience do they have It will expand in phases, to facilitate imnavigating the District’s inspection and provements and feedback. It started out permitting systems? with architects and interior designers, The Department of Consumer and general contractors and home improveRegulatory Affairs (DCRA) is well aware ment contractors. Phase two will include of those concerns. electricians, plumbers, gasfitters as well “DCRA frequently hears the real life as professionals in sprinkler systems, renightmares of District residents, often frigeration and air-conditioning. The fisenior citizens, who pay for renovations nal phase will add permit expediters and and repairs, but don’t receive the work professional engineers. for which they have paid,” said a spokesWhen fully launched, there will be person. “Unfortunately, the options for 4,731 professionals in the Contractor recourse after the fact are sometimes limRating System. If you know which conited, and always a headache.” tractor you are interested in, you can use Enter the DCRA Contractor Rating the system to see how seamlessly a projSystem, which arms residents with inforect was guided through planning and inmation so they can hire contractors who spection. However, you can also use the possess a proven track record of proper system to find a professional for your licensing, construction and inspections. project. While ratings from customers are Select the type of business profesavailable on platforms such as Yelp, Ansional you are looking for, and then sort gie’s List and Google, DCRA says their them by either their name, overall score Contractor Rating System is both difor star rating. Selecting their name gives ferent from and complementary to those you a list of recent projects and their systems. overall scores. “As a licensing and enforcement Check out the Contractor Rating Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) Director Ernest Chrappah agency, we are in a unique position to System for yourself at https://govservices. demonstrates the Contractor Rating System at the March 9 launch event. Courtesy: DCRA objectively provide public information dcra.dc.gov/contractorratingsystem. regarding a building professional’s actual with professionals, taking into account quality of performance, both on a single project and over6 Permitting Tips plans at intake, caliber at review and the pass/fail all,” the agency writes. “DCRA does not provide Perhaps you want to get a read on what kind of rate for inspections. Projects are categorized, and recommendations, but empowers you, the cuspermits and documentation are required for your professionals given percentile scores, with different tomer, with information so that you can make a project. weights assigned to categories for differing probetter-informed decision.” The information in the Most new residential and commercial confessionals. Each star is worth 20 percent, meaning DCRA rating system can be paired with customer struction require a building permit as well as a 4.5 star rating indicates a 80-89 percent score. reviews from other sites to help prospective clients building plans during submission. The building Some contractors won’t be found in the sysmake better choices based on their needs. plans must be designed to the current building tem. In order to be listed, they must be licensed in Ratings are based on DCRA’s past experience code and local design criteria. A site plan may the District and have worked on a project in the
2 6 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M
also be necessary based on the land disturbance activity of the property construction. If you are starting a project and want help determining what kind of permits will be required, use the new DCRA Permit Wizard (https://dcra.dc.gov/permitwizard). Customers are guided through a series of questions, and the Permit Wizard will identify the permits needed for the entire project – customers no longer have to know permit types in advance. It also identifies any additional required documentation and anticipated inspections. Here are six things that everybody should be aware of before coming to DCRA for any type of permit: 1. Many permits for small home improvements can be obtained online through the DCRA Permit Wizard. 2. Any time construction work involves occupying the public space (sidewalk, public street and alley), you must get a public space permit from the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) (https://ddot.dc.gov/) before a DCRA permit can be issued. 3. Any construction that takes place beyond the authorized construction hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. requires an After-Hours permit (https://dcra.dc.gov/afterhourspermit) that must be approved by DCRA. Anyone can check any property restrictions on an 4. address prior to applying for a permit by using the SCOUT program from the DCRA website (https:// scout.dcra.dc.gov/login). The Online Resources page (https://dcra.dc.gov/service/view-online-resources) also gives District residents information about permits issued, illegal construction, violations, inspections and vacant building data. Anyone can check eRecords (https://dcra.dc.gov/ere5. cords) for construction permit documents involving structural support or an adjoining property (land, building or structure) requiring Neighbor Notification (https:// dcra.dc.gov/neighborhood-notification-program). 6. Scout allows residents the option to track their permit applications by providing the Application ID or property address. You can also see how other government agencies are involved in permitting process by using the DCRA Agency Dashboard at https://eservices.dcra. dc.gov/DCRAAgencyDashboard/index. This will allow you to see how each agency and the customer contributes to the timeline for issuing a permit. The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) issues business licenses and building permits; conducts inspections; enforces building, housing, and safety codes and regulates land use and development. Questions? Use the live chat feature on the website, call (202) 442-4400 Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or email dcra@dc.gov. To learn more about DCRA, visit the website at DCRA. dc.gov. u
changing hands Changing Hands is a list of most residential sales in the Midcity DC area from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list, based on the MRIS, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms. Neighborhood
Price BR
14TH STREET CORRIDOR
1431 W St NW
875,000
BLOOMINGDALE 2301 1st St NW 24 S St NW 2214 1st St NW 133 Adams St NW 1930 1st St NW 432 S St NW 126 V St NW
1,925,000 1,824,000 1,475,000 1,334,500 1,199,000 1,035,000 920,200
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1342 Girard St NW 1340 Otis Pl NW 1304 Randolph St NW 3904 13th St NW 1342 Meridian Pl NW 3008 11th St NW 761 Princeton Pl NW 3806 13th St NW 3922 13th St NW 1407 Oak St NW 1339 Newton St NW 2827 11th St NW 730 Newton Pl NW 602 Keefer Pl NW 916 Euclid St NW 638 Lamont St NW 3209 Sherman Ave NW 918 Spring Rd NW 637 Otis Pl NW 737 Kenyon St NW 724 Columbia Rd NW 1208 Shepherd St NW 604 Quincy St NW 2538 9th St NW
1,500,000 1,473,000 1,458,000 1,400,000 1,280,000 1,200,000 1,100,000 1,058,500 975,000 975,000 965,000 965,000 919,000 890,000 880,000 875,000 835,000 790,000 785,000 767,500 765,000 750,000 706,250 623,000
DUPONT CIRCLE 1738 Corcoran St NW 1713 Q St NW 2123 N St NW 1745 Swann St NW 1719 Willard St NW
2,000,000 1,850,000 1,800,000 1,677,000 1,675,000
4 8 7 4 4 4 3 5 5 6 4 4 5 4 5 3 4 3 4 5 4 4 4 3 2 5 7 3 2 3 3 2 4 6 5 3 3
ECKINGTON 20 T St NE 317 Todd Pl NE 2111 4th St NE 54 Q St NE
950,000 945,000 850,000 755,000
LEDROIT PARK 336 U St NW 1929 2nd St NW 418 Oakdale Pl NW 420 Oakdale Pl NW
999,000 765,000 640,000 600,000
LOGAN CIRCLE 1325 Riggs St NW 1215 Q St NW
1,750,000 1,625,000
OLD CITY #2 1522 8th St NW 920 Westminster St NW 1728 18th St NW
3,000,000 1,543,000 1,427,078
4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 4 3 6 4 3
421 M St NW 2012 13th St NW 435 Ridge St NW
1,239,000 1,005,000 950,000
5 3 2
SHAW
1513 8th St NW 1831 Vermont Ave NW 1607 New Jersey Ave NW 942 N St NW 515 S St NW 1615 New Jersey Ave NW 1805 5th St NW 449 M St NW 974 Florida Ave NW
1,625,000 1,418,900 1,117,000 1,052,000 930,000 930,000 830,000 825,000 621,000
TRUXTON CIRCLE
83 P St NW 40 New York Ave NW
950,000 810,000
3 3 4 3 2 3 3 2 1 5 5
U STREET CORRIDOR
1211 T St NW 1,295,000 3 2236 12th St NW 912,500 2
Condominium 14TH STREET CORRIDOR
2750 14th St NW #601 1390 V St NW #420 2125 14th St NW #611 3916 14th St NW #5
720,000 649,000 590,000 449,900
LEDROIT PARK
118 Thomas St NW #2 211 Florida Ave NW #1 1838 4th St NW #1B
949,000 457,000 399,999
3 1 1 1 2 2 2
SHAW 436 Q St NW #PENTHOUSE 1,525,000 3 801 N NW #PH1 1,059,900 2 801 N NW #PH3 799,000 1 1543 6th St NW #100 785,000 2 1910 8th St NW #1 656,000 2 919 Florida Ave NW #204 639,000 2 2030 8th St NW #507 599,000 2 1806 6th St NW #201 560,000 2 910 M St NW #704 557,500 1 459 Florida Ave NW #1 514,000 2 459 Florida Ave NW #3 505,900 2 2030 8th St NW #203 493,000 1 U STREET 2125 14th St NW #624 2004 11th St NW #322 2001 12th St NW #408 2250 11th St NW #207 1390 V St NW #408 2125 14th St NW #426 2101 11th St NW #201 2117 10th St NW #101 2020 12th St NW #102 2020 12th St NW #T16 2004 11th St NW #122 2120 Vermont Ave NW #404 2004 11th St NW #134 1441 Euclid St NW #306
u
824,900 618,000 559,000 520,000 450,000 770,000 734,000 599,000 542,500 480,000 470,000 465,000 450,000 350,000
2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
M AY 2 0 2 1 2 7
KIDS AND FAMILY
notebook by Kathleen Donner
Ford’s Theatre Oratory Students Release “Stand Up, Be Heard: The Podcast”
Ford’s Theatre has announced that seven high school classrooms in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and Montana are developing a series of student podcasts for release on fords.org as part of their work with the Ford’s Theatre Oratory program. The initial projects for Stand Up, Be Heard: The Podcast include a three-episode series from each classroom. The first podcast episodes are now available for free streaming at fords.org.
Cameron Run Park is Open
Cameron Run Regional Park, 4001 Eisenhower Ave. in Alexandria is open for the season. Spend a summer afternoon splashing and sliding at Great Waves Waterpark. Test your swing in the slowpitch and fastpitch batting cages. Book one of their picnic shelters for a family or community picnic or bring your friends for 18 holes of challenging miniature golf. Through June 23, hours are Monday to Thursday, 4 to 8 p.m.; Friday, 4 to 9 p.m.; weekends and holidays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. https://www.novaparks.com/parks/cameronrun-regional-park
Saturday Morning Live! At The National
The Saturday Morning Live! At The National program is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and has delighted children for years with performances designed to engage and inspire the young mind. Virtual performances by nationally known educators and artists encourage children to look outside their communities and discover a world of wonder. New episodes premiere every other Saturday at 9:30 a.m. on Facebook Premiere. This free programming is best suited for children four to ten, but siblings and friends of other ages are always welcome to join the fun. thenationaldc.com.
2 8 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M
Candlelight Open Air: Songs from Magical Movie Soundtracks
Tuesdays in June at 6:30 and 9 p.m., you can enjoy an intimate ambience in a venue bathed in candlelight; a talented, local string quartet performing your favorite songs from magical movie soundtracks; a stunning open-air experience at St. Francis Hall; and a safe, comfortable and sociallydistanced event. Hear music from Frozen, The Lion King, Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Pinocchio, The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, Tarzan, and Jungle Book. These performances are for age ten and older. $55. St. Francis Hall, 1340 Quincy St. NE. feverup.com.
DCJCC Pathways to Parenthood
Smithsonian Summer Adventures Offer Learning Experiences for Kids
Smithsonian Associates presents Smithsonian Summer Virtual Adventures, a series of week-long learning experiences introducing the world of the Smithsonian to children in kindergarten through eleventh grade. Over 50 live, interactive adventures will be held Monday, June 21, through Friday, Aug. 27. Kids can explore Smithsonian collections and themes during these specially designed sessions—live, facilitated activities with peers take place online along with additional challenges and projects to continue offline. Prices for weeklong Smithsonian Summer Adventures are $110 to $245 with discounts for members. Online registration has begun. smithsonianassociates.org/camp.
On Tuesday, May 25, 7 to 9 p.m., join a virtual informal discussion about different paths to family building. The panel will include a fertility doctor, representatives from an adoption agency and the DC foster care system, a lawyer who facilitates egg donor and gestational carrier agreements, and parents who have built families in a variety of ways. The program will consist of brief formal presentations
from each of the panelists followed by lots of time in breakout rooms for more intimate conversations and questions. LGBTQ and straight, couples and single parents, Jewish and non-Jewish are all warmly welcomed. Come prepared to ask questions, get support, and connect with other people on the path to parenthood. edcjcc.org.
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Choose Paul Public Charter School. Limited seats available for the 2021-2022 school year. Act now - apply today! Paul sets scholars on the path to and through college by offering top-ranked programs and activities that ignite the passions of all students.
WHY CHOOSE PAUL? • Performing, visual, and culinary arts programs • Study abroad opportunities • Title-holding, citywide Varsity sports teams with alumni in the NCAA • Diverse activities like astronomy, robotics, and drumline Join the Paul legacy and add Paul PCS to your My School DC post-lottery application today:
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Public Transportation Green Line and Yellow Line 62, 70, 74, 76, 80, K2, K6, E4 Enroll in our highly-rated, Tier 1 leadership academy. Visit paulcharter.org.
5800 8th Street NW Washington, DC | (202) 291-7499 M AY 2 0 2 1 2 9
Imagination Stage’s Theatre for Change Debuts 10 Seconds
10 Seconds, written by Miriam Gonzales and directed by LeeAnét Noble, explores a world where deeply rooted biases and misperceptions easily take hold. Life can often feel unnerving--and can change for better or worse in the blink of an eye depending on how we see each other. Ray and Jimi are Washington, DC high school students who navigate their young adult worlds and what it means to be young Black men in the city. Ray tells the story of a day-and “ten seconds” inside that day--that he and Jimi will never forget, sharing not only their perspectives, but also the views of the police they encounter. Through audience engagement and interactive moments, the film provides opportunities for reflection and discussion. By “stopping time” the audience is asked to imagine what might happen if everyone makes the effort to pause, listen to one another, question our assumptions, and consider the possibilities for change. Interested in a viewing for your school community? Contact Rakeem Lawrence at rlawrence@imaginationstage.org or 301-280-1645.
Live Music at Occoquan
Music on Mill is a free summer concert series featuring family-friendly entertainment. Concerts are held one Saturday evening a month at River Mill Park, 458 Mill St. and run from 7 to 9 pm. Guests are invited to bring a blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy live entertainment as well as stunning views of the Occoquan River. Here’s the summer schedule: May 15, Mystery Machine (Rock); June 19, Monallo (Indie); July 17, Collective (Covers); August 6, Cheley Tackett (Americana); August 21, Up All Night (Pop). Free. occoquanva.gov/summer-concert-series.
3 0 M I D CI T Y D C N EWS . C O M
GBF Children’s Village
Throughout the month of May, in the virtual Gaithersburg Book Festival Children’s Village, you will find a literary sea of activities, workshops and performances. They are designed to engage and stimulate your child’s book curiosity and interest in reading and writing. The festival kicks off on Saturday, May 1, and programming will run on both weekdays and weekends through May 28. Visit gaithersburgbookfestival.org regularly and subscribe to their e-newsletter for program schedule updates.
M AY 2 0 2 1 3 1
KIDS AND FAMILY
DC Sail Youth Programs
Jaclyn Nash for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
DC Sail’s goal is to allow DC kids to interact with and experience the waterways that surround their city. Through Kids Set Sail and the High School Racing Program, DC Sail is able to provide fun and educational sailing programs to area children. Each of their youth programs follows the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculum and use the exciting sport of sailing to develop self-respect and sportsmanship, foster teamwork, as well as cultivate sailing skills and an appreciation for maritime-related activities. Read more at dcsail.org/youth.
Kids’ Giveaways at Nat’s Park in May
On Saturday, May 1 and Wednesday, May 5, the giveaway is a Daniel Hudson World Series Bobblehead; on Tuesday, May 11, a World Series Tote; on Sunday, May 23, a Nationals Kids Screech Travel Pillow. mlb.com/nationals.
Games for Young Scientists
Did you know that scientists get to solve puzzles every day? Science and research involve finding solutions from the clues given. Help young scientists stay engaged in different topics like health and the environment with these fun, educational games from the National Institutes of Health. Games include brainteasers, puzzles, riddles and songs. kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/index.htm.
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NMAAHC Weekly Kids’ Programs
Inspired by its children’s book “A Is for All the Things You Are: A Joyful ABC Book”, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture recently launched a new activity booklet series designed for infants, toddlers and early learners. The Joyful ABC Activity Booklet series provides caregivers and educators with guides to support children’s positive identity development while also growing their language and literacy skills. Through July, four additional booklets will be made available for free download the first Monday of every month. Activity booklets for letters A–I are currently available to download for free on nmaahc.si.edu/learn/early-childhood/joyful-abc-activity-books. In addition, the new interactive activity booklet series will be explored every Friday at 11 a.m., through July during the museum’s free weekly children’s art program, Joyful Fridays. Designed for children ages four to eight, Joyful Fridays’ museum educators will discuss featured museum objects and lead an art project celebrating black joy, history and culture. Read more and register at nmaahc.si.edu/events/upcoming. Past programs can be found on video.ibm.com/channel/zCPF4U3hFPc.
Civil War to Civil Rights Trading Cards
The National Park Service is offering more than 500 trading cards to mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. These trading cards reveal more about the role that Frederick Douglass and his comrades played in helping
to end slavery and expand civil rights. There are five available at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE: Frederick Douglass, Blanche K. Bruce, The North Star, Wendell Phillips, and The Planter. When the site reopens, ask a ranger about the cards. Visit flickr. com/photos/tradingcardsnpsyahoocom/collections/72157629789961004/.
DPR Summer Camp Registration is Open
DC residents can now sign up for DPRs traditional summer camps, modified to include social distancing and safety guidelines. Sessions are June 28 to July 9; July 12 to 23; July 26 to Aug. 6; and Aug. 9 to 20. dprsummercamp.com.
Story Time Writing
On Saturdays, May 15 and June 19, at 10 a.m., Anacostia Playhouse’s young artists will have an opportunity to interact with Melissa Victor, the creator of “Stoopkid Stories” a children’s story podcast. During these exciting sessions they will share ideas to create short stories or a play that will be performed by them. This is an opportunity for young artists to use their imaginations by exploring theme-based subjects or current events to develop their own new work. This series is recommended for kids eight to fourteen. $15 per session. anacostiaplayhouse.org.
Talking About Race, Love & Truth
On Thursday, May 13, 5 p.m., bestselling children’s authors Renée Watson and Adam Gidwitz, with editors and publishers Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, will take questions from listeners. Live Q&A. Advanced registration is required at loc. zoomgov.com/webinar/register/ WN_5VpiRn2zRfCXR7khnE58uw.
Know any teen activists?
Students Opposing Slavery (SOS) is an initiative of President Lincoln’s Cottage. A cornerstone of the SOS program is the week-long Students Opposing Slavery International Summit, which President Lincoln’s Cottage first launched in 2013. At the Summit, dozens of teenagers from around the world come together to gain resources and training to take-action against human trafficking in their own communities. Started in 2012 by four
teenagers who believed that they had a responsibility to do what they could to end slavery in their time, SOS has continued to flourish. Today, SOS is a growing network of young abolitionists from around Washington, DC, the nation, and the world who are working together to end slavery. The 2021 (virtual) Summit will take place June 27 to July 2. Applications from high school sophomores to college seniors are due Monday, May 10. This an opportunity for students who are looking for community service hours or volunteer opportunities this summer, or any blossoming activists looking to make a difference. Read more at lincolncottage.org/learn/ students-opposing-slavery.
Pilot Pals
Pilot Pals is an educational, interactive application for ages four to six. It introduces early learners to basic concepts about weather, gears, airplane parts and rockets through self-guided exploration of four animated activities based on the Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery at the Air and Space Museum. pioneersofflight.si.edu/content/pilot-pals.
DC Prep campuses now accepting applications for the 21-22 school year in ward 5, 7 & 8. We’re the highest performing public charter schools serving PK3 – 8th grade.
Call 202-780-5126 for more information or visit:
dcprep.org
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DCSAA Issues Spring Sports Guidance
The District of Columbia State Athletic Association, in consultation with DC Health, has developed guidance so that low-risk high school sports can commence training and competition. A Public Health Emergency remains in place through May 20. This means that moderate- and highrisk sports such as football, wrestling, basketball, lacrosse and soccer may participate in conditioning and skill development but are prohibited from practicing and competing. Sports that are considered lowrisk include baseball, cross-country, golf, softball, tennis and track and field. DCSAA has developed specific guidance for these sports to follow, including recommended mask wearing, social distancing and sanitizing. To learn more, visit dcsaasports.org.◆ ◆
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