hillrag.com • October 2015
Est. 1981
1101 & 1103 9th Street, NE CAPITOL HILL
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
112 Kentucky Ave., SE 2-Unit Property
1128 Columbia Road, NW #2 $998,500
Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com
Colin Johnson 202-536-4445 www.1128columbiacondos.com
4 NEW 2-LEVEL 3BR/3.5BA CONDOS IAL ERC M COM
This has the single greatest roof-deck that I have ever seen for an individual condo.- Dan G., Realtor
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508 H Street, NE 3rd Floor Office Space
804 H Street, NE 790 sq.ft. - $1,895
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CAPITOL HILL
CAPITOL HILL
1103 9th Street, NE #2 $896,000
Todd Bissey 202-841-7653 www.BisseyTeam.com
CAPITOL HILL
1513 Const. Ave., NE #1 1BR/1BA & PKG $349,999
Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661
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1327 D Street, NE
CAPITOL HILL
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Todd Bissey 202-841-7653 www.BisseyTeam.com
“WHERE WASHINGTON SHOPS FOR A NEW ADDRESS!”® 225 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003
Tel: 202-544-3900 www.johncformant.com
Sales • Rentals • Commercial Leasing • Property Management • Investments
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PROUD TO BE A SPONSOR OF CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S LITERARY FEAST 4 H Hillrag.com
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Real Estate Broker
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Call Us to Get Your Home Sold or Find a New One!
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When it comes to real estate,
Grant, Ryall & Andrew have you covered at every corner! Look at the results: Locally: Washingtonian Best of 2015 - Top Teams DC, MD & VA Nationally: Real Trends & Wall Street Journal - Best Real Estate Teams in America Internationally: Coldwell Banker Int’l President’s Elite - Top 1%
Put our combined 75 years of Washington real estate experience to work for you.
Let’s get started 202.741.1781 Grant Griffith, (202) 741-1685 Ryall Smith, (202) 741-1781 Andrew Glasow, (202) 741-1654 cbmove.com/grantryallandrew Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Don Denton, VP Broker 605 Pennsylvania Ave SE, WDC 20003 - Main: 202.547. 3525
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What’s Inside?
37
In every issue:
96 Hill Rag Crossword 150 Classified Ads 156 Last Word 158 The Last Shot
37
38
Food Craft: A New District of Food and Drink
44
Theater Alliance Rises
46
At the Movies
Mike Canning
48
Dining Notes
Celeste McCall
Annette Nielsen
Barbara Wells
Jim Magner
54
Art and The City
56
Pottery on the Hill
58
Sunflowers: Hill Center’s Young Artists Gallery
20 What’s on Washington 24 Calendar
FALL Arts & Dining SPECIAL
Phil Hutinet
Elizabeth Nelson Karen Lyon
60
The Literary Hill
64
The Jazz Project
Jean Keith Fagon
Oct. capitol streets 67 76
Bulletin Board The District Beat: Ending Jonetta Rose Barras
Homelessness 78
The Numbers: Too Many Families in DC Live Ed Lazere
on $2 a Day 80
Can You Hear Me Now? Residents Feel Pressured by Verizon to Transition to Fiber
82
Our River: An Environment Foul at the Soccer Bill Matuszeski
Stadium?
98
Miles Surrey
Ken Jarboe
84
The ABCs of Zoning: Part II
86
ANC 6A Education Forum
88
ANC 6A Report
89
ANC 6B Report
90
ANC 6C Report
Virginia Avniel Spatz
92
ANC 6D Report
Andrew Lightman
94
ANC 6E Report
Steve Holton
Elizabeth Nelson
Elizabeth Nelson Jonathan Neeley
community life 97
E on DC
98
Heard on the Hill
E. Ethelbert Miller
100
South by West
102
H Street Life
Jen DeMayo Will Rich
Elise Bernard
sal ary trav
143
This Fall at The Phillips Collection: Gauguin to Picasso: Masterworks from Switzerland. The exhibition showcases more than 60 celebrated paintings from the Staechelin and Im Obersteg collections, on loan from the Kunstmuseum Basel. The 22 artists represented in these collections are world renowned—Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Marc Chagall, Paul Cezanne, Edouard Manet, Amadeo Modigliani, PierreAuguste Renoir... the list goes on and on! The exhibition also includes Paul Gauguin’s NAFEA faaipoipo (When Will You Marry?)(1892), a major painting from the artist’s first Tahitian stay that made headlines earlier this year due to its record-breaking sale by the Rudolf Staechelin Family Trust. On view from October 10 through January 10, 2016, Gauguin to Picasso marks the first occasion that these collections will travel to the U.S. together, and the Phillips is the only American venue.
on the cover: Kuhn, Walt, Plumes, 1931. Oil on canvas 40” x 30”; 101.6 x 76.2 cm. Acquired 1932. The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 387-2151 phillipscollection.org
104
The Hill Center: An Annual Report
106
Rambler Nation Rising: Eastern High School
Guy Martin
Booster Club
108
Festival Photos: Barracks Row and H Street
Paul Rivas Andrew Lightman
real estate 111
The District Source: For Eastern NoMa, Density Is on
the Horizon
114
Changing Hands
Shaun Courtney Don Denton
health and fitness 123
Healing Touch: Energy Work that Helps a Body Heal
Itself
Pattie Cinelli
kids and family 127
Kids & Family Notebook
134
School Notes
Kathleen Donner
Susan Braun Johnson
homes and gardens 143
Start Saving Vegetable Seeds Now
146
Designing Kitchens That You and Even Your Dog
Cheryl Corson
Will Love!
148
Dear Garden Problem Lady
Catherine Plume Wendy Hill
Chiropractic Cures Killer Back Pain A forty-year old mother of one arrived in my office with near-debilitating back pain. She had sought care from six separate providers including chiropractor. She had not had x-rays. Her x-rays showed major twist in spine. Our care included untwisting the spine. She showed an 80% improvement in just one week. For the better health and life experience of you and your family Dr. David Walls-Kaufman Capitol Hill Chiropractic Center 411 East Capitol St., SE | 202.544.6035
Capital Community News, Inc. • 224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 • www.capitalcommunitynews.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner • melissaashabranner@hillrag.com PUBLISHER: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2015 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.
Editorial Staff
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Arts, Dining & Entertainment A��: D�����:
Read More About This Subject On www.capitolhillchiropractic.com Serving The Capitol Hill Community Since 1984
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202.546.4887 428 8th Street SE
www.tracyandcompany.net
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Elise Bernard • elise.bernard@gmail.com Ellen Boomer • emboomer@gmail.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com Mark Johnson • mark@hillrag.com Stephen Lilienthal - stephen_lilienthal@yahoo.com Pleasant Mann • pmann1995@gmail.com Meghan Markey • meghanmarkey@gmail.com John H. Muller • jmuller.washingtonsyndicate@gmail.com Jonathan Neeley • neeley87@gmail.com Will Rich • will.janks@gmail.com Heather Schoell • schoell@verizon.net Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Michael G. Stevens • michael@capitolriverfront.org Peter J. Waldron • peter@hillrag.com Jazzy Wright • wright.jazzy@gmail.com
Beauty, Health & Fitness
Patricia Cinelli • fitmiss44@aol.com Jazelle Hunt • jazelle.hunt@gmail.com Candace Y.A. Montague • writeoncm@gmail.com
Kids & Family
Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com
Homes & Gardens
Derek Thomas • derek@thomaslandscapes.com Catherine Plume • caplume@yahoo.com Cheryl Corson • cheryl@cherylcorson.com
Commentary
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Account Executive: Kira Means, 202.543.8300 X16 • kira@hillrag.com Account Executive: Laura Vucci, 202.543.8300 X22 • laura@hillrag.com Account Executive & Classified Advertising: Maria Carolina Lopez, 202.543.8300 X12 • Carolina@hillrag.com
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Real Estate
Don Denton • DDenton@cbmove.com
We welcome suggestions for stories. Send queries to andrew@hillrag.com. We are also interested in your views on community issues which are published in the Last Word. Please limit your comments to 250 words. Letters may be edited for space. Please include your name, address and phone number. Send Last Word submissions to lastword@hillrag.com. For employment opportunities email jobs@hillrag.com. 18 H Hillrag.com
DCR A F R E E B u s i n e s s Semi na rs How to Open a Small Business by Navigating through DCRA’s Regulatory Process Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2015 Time: 9:00 am – 10:30 am Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-200) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/5p7OYz
SmartStart Integrated Licensing and Money Smart for Small Business Program Date: Monday, October 19, 2015 Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-268) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/lcQXJe
A Comprehensive Guide for Small Business Planning Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 Time: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/iMTsGF
Meet One-on-One with a Lawyer for Free! Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 Time: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-200) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/zIHVop
Navigating Government Contracting with DC Procurement Technical Assistance Center Date: Thursday, October 15, 2015 Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/O1sRUS
Money Smart for Small Business Workshop: Financial Management & Credit Reporting for Small Businesses Date: Thursday, October 29, 2015 Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/ZiW2eO For further information : Jacqueline Noisette (202) 442-8170 jacqueline.noisette@dc.gov Claudia Herrera (202) 442-8055 claudia.herrera@dc.gov Joy Douglas (202) 442-8690 joy.douglas@dc.gov
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Question Bridge: Black Males at the Phillips
Question Bridge: Black Males is a documentary-style video art installation that aims to represent and redefine black male identity in America. Since its inception in 2008, the project has recorded more than 1,600 questions and responses from black males of all ages and backgrounds that illuminate diversity of thought, character, and identity in America’s black male population. To foster honest expression and healing dialogue, the Question Bridge project allows one participant to ask a question while looking directly into the camera; and later another participant answers the question in the same way. The question-and-answer approach allows speakers to feel comfortable as they express their feelings on subjects that divide, unite, and puzzle. Artists Chris Johnson, Hank Willis Thomas, Kamal Sinclair, and Bayeté Ross Smith have recorded more than 160 men in nine American cities, documenting their exchange of ideas and then shaping that content into an engaging, five-screen video installation. Question Bridge: Black Males is on view at the Phillips from Oct. 8 through Jan. 3. phillipscollection.org Courtesy of Question Bridge: Black Males
“Stills from Sergio Caballero’s ‘Ancha es Castilla’ or ‘’N’importe quoi” (2014) Photo: Courtesy of Sergio Caballero
Demons Exorcised in Hirshhorn’s “Black Box: Sergio Caballero”
Relating a darkly comic tale of a child’s exorcism, the film blends homespun puppet animation and live action, its aesthetic deliberately low budget and slapdash. Caballero’s characters are agglomerations of food, hair, plant materials, cardboard, plastic, foam rubber, rubber bands, surgical tubing, fabric scraps, clothespins and googly eyes. The dialogue is largely in English, but the artist also provides English subtitles, since the voice acting intentionally verges on being incomprehensible. Caballero engages with the tradition of the grotesque, taking inspiration from the “black paintings” made by Goya in the early 19th century and adapting it to current-day models. With this film, artist and filmmaker Sergio Caballero (Spanish, b. 1966, Barcelona; lives and works in Barcelona) is making his international museum debut. “Black Box: Sergio Caballero” is 25-minute film which runs continuously when the museum is open through Jan. 3. hirshhorn.si.edu
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One of Washington’s most notable and unusual landmarks is the National Capitol Columns at the Arboretum. Photo: Courtesy of the US National Arboretum
National Arboretum Full Moon Hikes
Take a brisk hike through moonlit gardens, meadows, and woods. Your guide will share specially chosen points of interest and seasonal highlights. The two-hour walk over hilly and uneven terrain is a brisk hike, not a garden tour so please prepare accordingly. The group will hike approximately four miles at a brisk pace over hilly and uneven terrain with minimal stops. No children under 16 or pets, please. These hikes fill up quickly so move quickly on Nov. 2 when they post the December, January and February dates. $22. Email registration is required at usna.usda.gov/Education/ events.html. It’s worth the effort. usna.usda.gov
Oliver! at Arena
Consider yourself invited to the theatrical event of the holiday season. Charles Dickens’ unforgettable characters burst to life in the Tony Awardwinning musical, Oliver! Artistic Director Molly Smith blends the chaotic worlds of Victorian London with 2015 London to infuse a modern edge to the classic story about an innocent orphan living among double-dealing thieves and conmen. Some songs you’ll know are “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two,” “Consider Yourself,” “Where is Love?” and the scrumptious “Food, Glorious Food.” arenastage.org Jake Miller as the title character in Oliver! at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater Oct. 30 through Jan. 3. Photo: Tony Powell
Taste of DC
Taste of DC, Oct. 10 and 11, noon to 7 p.m. both days, is a culinary and cultural event that packs four blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue with area restaurants, great drinks, lively entertainment, engaging corporate partners, and fellow Washingtonians and visitors. There is a Restaurant Row (more than 40 restaurants), Beer Garden & Music Stage (more than 50 beers), Wine Walk (more than 50 wines), and Culinary Stage. General admission is $20; ages 12-to-6 are $10; children 5-and-under are free. Taste of DC entrance is at Pennsylvania Ave. and Seventh Streets NW. thetasteofdc.org Taste of DC is held on historic Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown DC from the White House to the Capitol.
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BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY! CAPITOLHILL.ORG
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OCTOBER CALENDAR
Haunted Museum Historic Ghost Tour Oct. 9, 23, 25 and 31; 8 PM and 9:15 PM. Explore the haunted past of the National Building Museum. See a different side of the Museum on this lantern-light tour. As you explore the dark side of their historic building, Mysteries and surprises await. go.nbm.org Courtesy of the National Building Museum
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CAPITOL HILL VILLAGE CORNER
At some point in our lives, almost all of us will be a caregiver or care-receiver Let’s learn together how to navigate these challenging roles. HALLOWEEN
Dead Man’s Run 5k and Kids Fun Run at Congressional Cemetery. Oct. 3, 6 PM (kids run at about 6:05 PM). $40 for the 5k, $10 for the untimed kids run (about 2k). congressionalcemetery.org Boo! Run for Life 10K and 2 Mile Fun Walk. Oct 4, 8 AM. The Halloweenthemed run is a seasonal favorite. Run the 10K in costume, or enjoy a scenic 2 mile walk around the Tidal Basin. West Potomac Park. 703-7868581. boorunforlife.com Haunted: Remembering Edgar Allan Poe. Oct. 7, 6:45 to 8:30 PM. On the anniversary of his death in 1849, explore the life and art of the original “man in black” with author Daniel Stashower. Actor Scott Sedar offers a dramatic reading of some of Poe’s most powerful works as attendees raise a toast in celebration and enjoy a special cake. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. General admission $45. For tickets and further information call 202-633-3030 or visit smithsonianassociates.org.
The Key to Your Community
COME JOIN US AT Our Fall Symposium
THE CHALLENGE OF CARE-GIVING October 22, 2015, 9:00AM to 4:00PM At a location on the Hill Free for Capitol Hill Village members $25 for all others To reserve a place, call 202-543-1778 or email info@capitolhillvillage.org • Urban Institute economist and expert on aging Howard Gleckman will show us the coming squeeze on caregivers available to care for the rising number of care-getters. • Experts Christi Clark and Bill Amt will talk how day care and family care can enrich the lives of those with dementia
• You will hear from a panel of three Capitol Hill Village members about their experiences as caregivers and care managers. AND you will share stories about caregiving with other symposium participants • A panel of an elder care law expert Bill Fralen, a Seabury case manager Christine Bitzer, and a financial /
insurance expert will tackle cases that illustrate the dilemmas caregivers and care getters can face. • We will consider promising innovations from Candace Baldwin and CHV Executive Director Molly Singer.
Soul Strolls-Twilight Tours at Congressional Cemetery. Oct. 16, 17, 23 and 24 (rain or shine); 6 to 9 PM. Over 65,000 individuals are laid to rest in Congressional Cemetery. From Congressman to carpenters, suffragists to bootleggers, each resident has a unique story to tell. Soul Strolls explore these stories through guided tours and costumed interpreters. $10-$20. Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. congressionalcemetery.org Ghost & Graveyard Special Halloween Tour. Oct. 23, 7 to 9 PM. Tours begin at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St., Alexandria, VA. 703519-1749. alexcolonialtours.com Del Ray Halloween Parade. Oct. 25, 2 PM. Participants meet on Mount
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{october events calendar}
Hilloween at Eastern Market. Photo: Andrew Lightman.
Vernon Ave. south of Bellefonte Ave. prior to 2 PM. Adults, children and dogs are all welcome to join. visitdelray.com Pumpkins in the Park. Oct. 24, 11 AM to 1 PM. Canal Park, 200 M St. SE. capitolriverfront.org Drag Queen High Heel Race. Oct. 27, 9 PM. Always fun, always outrageous and always held on the Tuesday before Halloween, this event features elaborately costumed drag queens racing down 17th Street, NW from R to Church. It attracts large crowds to cheer them on so don’t expect to park in the area. The race begins at 9 PM but come early because the real fun begins before the race. An informal block party follows. Night of the Living Zoo. Oct. 30, 6:30 to 10 PM. With a live band, costume contest, and mind-boggling performance art, fortune tellers, fire eaters, and illusionists nationalzoo. si.edu Dia de los Muertos. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. View several ofrendas (altars), and special programming that includes food demonstrations of traditional foods for the dead around the outdoor fire pit; music and dance performances. National Museum of the American Indian. nmai.si.edu Find a Nearby Pumpkin Patch. www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org
Hilloween aT Eastern Market Saturday, Oct. 30th. 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Bring the kids! Hayrides, a moon bounce, photo booth, candy treats, games and contests. All the activity will be centered at Eastern Market, Seventh Street SE between Pennsylvania and North Carolina Avenues SE. Don’t miss the Halloween action on East Capitol Street between Third and 11th Streets. Walter Street, SE, between 12th and 13th Streets. (south of Lincoln Park), is a oneblock street that closes off the traffic and hosts hundreds of kids every year. Visit the Campbell Family Haunted House at 1800 Burke St. SE. Enjoy their haunted front porch and yard on Halloween evening after dark.)
SPECIAL EVENTS A Literary Feast. Oct. 17. A fundraiser where over 30 dinner parties held in homes across Capitol Hill on one evening. Each dinner features food and fun related to a specific book. The event benefits the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. aliteraryfeast.org
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Pottery on the Hill returns to Hill Center Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, featuring 16 of the nation’s top potters. Photo: Terricka Johnson.
Pottery on the Hill Show and Sale. Oct. 31, 10 AM to 5 PM; and Nov. 1, 11 AM to 4 PM. There is a ticketed preview reception on Oct. 30, 6:30 PM. The annual Pottery on the Hill show and sale at Hill Center is a chance to meet and talk with 16 prominent potters from across the country about their work. potteryonthehilldc.com
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Southwest DC Waterfront Boat-Home Tour. Oct. 10, 10 AM to 2 PM. Gangplank Marina is home to the largest live-aboard community on the East Coast. Visitors can check out 19 or so of the houseboats, house-barges, trawlers, and sailboats that people call home. $20. Zip code 20024 residents get $5 discount. dchouseboat.org Under the Big Top at the Atlas. Oct. 15, 7 PM. An exhilarating evening of dining, dancing, and performances celebrating the finest in artistic expression. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333
H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org Capitol Hill Cluster School Home Renovator Tour. Oct. 17, 10 AM to 4 PM. Designed for the modern homeowner, this walking tour showcases a wide variety of homes and styles. The emphasis is on clever solutions to everyday problems; and how to create the house of your dreams on a real-life budget. renovatorshousetour.org Joe’s Movement Emporium 20th Anniversary Block Party. Oct. 17, 2 to 6 PM. Music, vendors,
dance, food and more. Outside of Joe’s on Bunker Hill Rd. between 33rd and 34th Streets., Mount Rainier, MD. joesmovement.org Washington International Horse Show. Oct. 20 to 25. This event at the Verizon Center hosts leading horses and riders from around the nation and the world and is a highlight of the equestrian calendar. wihs.org International Gold Cup Races at The Plains. Oct. 24, 10 AM (gates open). Race day activities include terrier races, shopping, hat contests, tailgate contests, and some of the best steeplechase racing anywhere. Great Meadow Event Center, 5089 Old Tavern Rd., The Plains, VA. vagoldcup.com
MUSIC Hill Center Concerts. Oct. 7, 7:30 PM, Composer + Pipa Viruoso Mix Xiao Fen; Oct. 13, 7:30 PM, American Roots Music Series--Foghorn Stringband with special guests Joel Savoy and Jesse Lege. $15 in advance; $20 on day of. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-549-4172. hillcenterdc.org Music at Ebenezers. Oct. 8, Will Duvall, Frances Luke Accord, Chris DuPont; Oct. 15, Ryanhood and Rachel Solomon, with Hadley Kennary; Oct. 16, Amos Saint Jean & Friends; Oct. 23, Jessica Graae and Aaron Nathans & Michael Ronstadt. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Chanson Medieval: Music of Machaut and Dufay at the Folger. Oct. 9 to 11. The Folger Consort celebrates Guillaume de Machaut and Guillaume Dufay, two of the most important French composers of the 14th and 15th centuries. $25 to $40. Folger Theater, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. folger.edu
Do you love Santa Fe, New Mexico? House Exchange Sought!
We are looking to do a house exchange with someone in Washington, DC, preferably in Capitol Hill, SW or Navy Yard! We have a beautiful, adobe 3 bedroom/bath house in the historic downtown of Santa Fe, NM. Will exchange for an apartment or house, preferably starting in January 2016 for 6 months, but are open to discussing all options. Idea is we care for you beautiful home, as you care for ours. House is located just blocks away from historic center plaza, art galleries, restaurants, cultural festivities and nature! Ski resort, high desert, mountains‌all close by. We would like to spend a few months in DC to help with our first grandchild. Must be dog friendly to well behaved dogs. Please visit our website for pictures of house and additional information: http://santafehouse.weebly.com/ or call 202-340-8097
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{october events calendar}
Concerts at the Library of Congress. Oct. 10, yarn|wire; Oct. 16, ATOS Trio; Oct. 17, Nicholas Phan, tenor and Myra Huang, piano; Oct. 19, The Music of Marvin Hamlisch: Capathia Jenkins, Lindsay Mendez, Ted Sperling; Oct. 23, Pavel Haas Quartet; Oct. 24, WindSync; Oct. 30, Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble; Oct. 31 (2 PM), Pomerium, Alexander Blachly, director. These free concerts are at 8 PM (unless otherwise noted) in the Coolidge Auditorium located on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. loc.gov “Notes from the Crypt” Chamber Music Concerts at Congressional Cemetery. Oct. 11 and Nov. 15; 4 PM. These one-hour concerts are held about once a month in the historic 1903 Chapel. The program is followed by a wine and cheese reception. Admission is free, and seating is first come, first served. Historic Congressional Cemetery is at 1801 E St. SE. 202-5430539. congressionalcemetery.org
guitar. Free. Anderson House, 2118 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-785-2040. societyofthecincinnati.org Music at the Atlas. Oct. 18, 5 PM, Capital City Symphony: An American Tale, world premiere of Charlie Barnett’s Mid-Century Mambo; Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring; and Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Oct. 22, 8 PM, Iva Bittová; Oct. 23, 8 PM and Oct. 24, noon, Ran Blake Concert and Masterclass. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org Jazz Night and Blues Night in Southwest. Jazz is every Friday, 6 to 9 PM. Blues is every Monday, 6 to 9 PM. Expect a large, fun and friendly crowd. The cover is $5. Children are welcome and free under 16-years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. 202-484-7700. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW. westminsterdc.org
American Roots Concerts at the Botanic Garden. Oct. 15, 3 to 5 PM, Backroads Band; Oct. 22, 3 to 5 PM, Phil Wiggins. Free. Concerts are in the Conservatory Garden Court. usbg.gov
Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. Free but a free will offering taken. 1317 G ST. NW. 202-347-2635. epiphanydc.org
Society of the Cincinnati Concerts. Oct. 17, 1:30 PM, Ruth Rose, piano, and Jason Rylanders, tenor; Nov. 28, 1:30 PM, David Pedraza, viola, and Anna Nizhegorodtseva, piano; Dec. 12, 1:30 PM, Alexander Barnett, classical
theater and filM Taffety Punk’s Inheritance Canyon at CHAW. Through Oct. 10. Survivors of a mysterious disaster face their greatest enemies--themselves--as they struggle for
meaning within the restrictions of their new lives as government guinea pigs. Trapped in a canyon with unexplainable anomalies, their desires threaten the very fabric of time and space. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. taffetypunk.com Queens Girl in the World at Theater J. Through Oct. 11. It’s summer 1962 in Queens, NY. The sounds of doo-wop music fill the night, the Civil Rights movement is stirring and 12-year-old Jacqueline Marie Butler is on the verge of adulthood. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. 800-494-8497. washingtondcjcc.org Chimerica at Studio. Through Oct. 18. In 1989, Joe, a young American journalist, photographs a protester facing down four tanks in Tiananmen Square. In 2012, with election season bringing US-China relations into the spotlight, Joe decides to seek out the subject of his most famous image—just as an old friend from China reaches out with an agenda of his own. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org Destiny of Desire at Arena. Through Oct. 18. On a stormy night in Bellarica, Mexico, two baby girls are born—one into a life of privilege and one into a life of poverty. When the newborns are swapped by a former beauty queen with an insatiable lust for power, the stage is set for two outrageous misfortunes to grow
Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian 43rd Annual Choir Concert Oct. 25, 4 PM. Concert theme is “heal our land.” $20. Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Church, 1357 E. Capitol St. SE. www.hcscchurch.org.
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into one remarkable destiny. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-4883300. arenastage.org The Guard (World Premiere) at Ford’s. Through Oct. 18. In this world-premiere comedic drama, playwright Jessica Dickey paints shimmering portraits of Rembrandt, Homer and those who protect the art we cherish. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. 202-347-4833. fords.org Animal at Studio. Through Oct. 25. Rachel has it all: marriage, house and career. So why does she suddenly have this creeping feeling? Did she leave something behind? Or is there something in the walls…? Her husband thinks she needs time; her psychiatrist suggests positive thinking. But then the visions start. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-3323300. studiotheatre.org Tough Dames in Satin Slips: Films from Pre-Code Hollywood at Hill Center. Sundays, 4 PM. Oct. 4, Madam Satan; Oct. 11, Night Nurse; Oct. 18, Murder at the Vanities; Oct. 25, Gabriel Over the White House. The movies that emerged from Hollywood in the “pre-Code” years of the 1930s are often racier, more cynical, darker and franker than movies would be for many years afterward. Free. Register online at hillcenterdc. org or call 202-549-4172. Scena’s Lady Lay at Atlas. Oct. 6 to 10. See a bold new play with music. It’s 1989: Marianne is a frustrated clerk in Berlin. One day she hears Bob Dylan for the first time on the radio, and The Wall falls down. Follow her terrifying rebellion. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. scenatheatre.org Salomé at Shakespeare. Oct. 6 to Nov. 8. According to the New Testament tale, Salomé, Princess of Judaea, danced for Herod Antipas and asked for the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter. Lansburgh
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The exhibition also includes Paul Gauguin’s NAFEA faaipoipo (When Will You Marry?)(1892), a major painting from the artist’s first Tahitian stay that made headlines earlier this year due to its record-breaking sale by the Rudolf Staechelin Family Trust. Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Gimme a Band, Gimme a Banana! The Carmen Miranda Story. Oct. 15 to Nov. 14. Gimme a Band, Gimme a Banana will utilize Pointless’s signature brand of multi-disciplinary, ensemble-driven artistry and puppetry to tell the story of the legendary Brazilian performer Carmen Miranda. Logan Fringe Arts Space: Trinidad Theatre, 1358 Florida Ave. NE. capitalfringe.org
ENERGY CODE FUNDAMENTALS October Preservation Café Wednesday, October 21 at 7 p.m. Kaiser Permanente building, at 700 2nd St. NE David M. Epley, Green Building Program Manager at DCRA will speak about Energy Code Fundamentals for Residential Construction at a Preservation Café. Epley will address new residential energy code requirements, common mistakes, best practices and the permitting and inspections process, followed by a Q&A session at the end. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. at the Kaiser Permanente building, at 700 2nd St. NE. Enter on the street level and turn immediately to your left after you pass through the front doors. The event is free and handicapped accessible and the public is encouraged to attend. No reservations required.
Capitol Hill is a special place. We promote, preserve, and enhance the character of our historic neighborhoods.
Join Us Today at 202-543-0425 info@chrs.org; www.chrs.org; @CHRSDC 32 H Hillrag.com
The Most Happy Fella at CUA. Oct. 22 to 25. The Catholic University Musical Theatre Division presents Frank Loesser’s beloved musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1956. Tickets, $5 to $40, can be purchased at music. cua.edu. Washington Improv Theater: HOWL at the Atlas. Oct. 23 to Nov. 7. HOWL features WIT’s improvised slasher movie Die! Die! Die! plus performances by its amazing company ensemble. $12. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-3997993. atlasarts.org
This Fall at The Phillips Collection: Gauguin to Picasso: Masterworks from Switzerland. The exhibition showcases more than 60 celebrated paintings from the Staechelin and Im Obersteg collections, on loan from the Kunstmuseum Basel. The 22 artists represented in these collections are world renowned— Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Marc Chagall, Paul Cezanne, Edouard Manet, Amadeo Modigliani, Pierre-Auguste Renoir... the list goes on and on! On view from October 10 through January 10, 2016, Gauguin to Picasso marks the first occasion that these collections will travel to the U.S. together, and the Phillips is the only American venue. 1600 21st St NW, Washington, DC 20009. (202) 3872151. phillipscollection.org
Winners and Losers at Woolly. Oct. 26 to Nov. 22. Is Kanye West a winner or loser? What about the Berlin Wall? Or goat cheese? Old friends Marcus and James spare nothing and no one in a seemingly harmless drinking game that separates the champions from the chumps. But what begins as a playful exercise slowly reveals itself as a dangerous unpacking of privilege, status symbols, and class divisions. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. 202-393-3939. woollymammoth.net
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www.buffalocompanyusa.com For all your Construction Needs ADDITIONS This is Rwanda: The Beginning and the End of the Earth. Oct. 29 to Nov. 29. Mosaic Theater launches its inaugural season with a worldpremiere epic about the madness and majesty of Rwanda. Raymond, an African film student at NYU enthralled with the mysteries of Alfred Hitchcock, is compelled by a mentor’s death to return to Rwanda to uncover a deeper horror story. The roots of violence that have destroyed his family, including his beloved grandfather, a Tutsi master storyteller whose legacy Raymond seeks to redeem. $20-$60. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org
sPorts and fitness
Washington Capitals Ice Hockey. Oct. 10, 13, 15, 17, 28, 30 and Nov. 3. Verizon Center. capitals.nhl.com Eastern High School Varsity Football. Oct. 10, 2 PM vs. Phelps (homecoming); Oct. 16, 6 PM at Bell at Cardoza; Oct. 23, 6 PM vs. McKinley Tech; Oct. 30, 6 PM vs Roosevelt; Nov. 6, 6 PM at Cardoza. Hot Cider Hustle (5k, 10k and 15k). Oct. 24, 9 AM. Run the DC Hot Cider Hustle and get hot cider and caramel apples at the finish line. All participants get a fleece hoodie. RFK Stadium. runwashington.com Marine Corps Marathon. Oct. 25. Registration closed but find a map at mcmlocator.com/map. Washington Wizards Basketball. Oct. 31 and Nov. 4. Verizon Center. nba.com/wizards Yoga “Mortis” at Congressional Cemetery. Every Monday through end of October, 6 to 7 PM, in the chapel. All levels welcome and no reservations are necessary. Props and a limited number of mats are provided. Wear comfortable clothing. $10 suggested
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donation. Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-5430539. congressionalcemetery.org Free public tennis courts in Ward Six. King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N St. SW; Garfield Park, Third and G Streets. SE; Randall Park First and I Streets SW; Rosedale Recreation Center, 1701 Gales St. NE; Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th St. NE. All courts are open daily, dawn to dusk. Some are lighted for extended evening play. Courts are available on a first-come, first-served basis for one hour intervals; extended use of tennis courts requires a permit. Proper shoes and attire is required. 2026710314. dpr.dc.gov/dpr Public Skating at Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Fridays, noon to 2 PM and Saturdays 12:45 to 1:45 PM. Public Skate, $5 for adults (13-64); $4 for seniors and children (5 to 12); $3, skate rental. Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. SE. 202-5845007. fdia.org
Markets Market SW “night market”. Oct. 23, 4 PM to 9 PM. Bills itself as “an evening of arts, food, flea & fun, live music.” Market is at Fourth and M Streets SW. marketswdc.com
INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH US? Call Laura Vucci 202-400-3510
or laura@hillrag.com for more information on advertising.
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Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7 AM to 7 PM; Saturdays, 7 AM to 5 PM; Sundays, 9 AM to 5 PM. Flea market and arts and crafts market open Saturdays and Sundays, 9 AM to 6 PM. Eastern Market is Washington’s last continually operated “old world” market. 200 block of Seventh St. SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarketdc.com H Street NE Farmers Market. Saturdays, through Dec. 19, 9 AM to noon. Located at H and 13th Streets NE. EBT/Food Stamps can
be redeemed at the information table. freshfarmmarket.org Fresh Tuesdays at Eastern Market. Every Tuesday, 3 to 7 PM. Tuesday afternoon farmers’ line of fresh produce. Eastern Market, 200 block of Seventh Street SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarketdc.com Union Market. Tuesday-Friday, 11 AM to 8 PM; Saturday-Sunday, 8 AM- to 8 PM. Union Market is an artisanal, curated, year round food market featuring over 40 local vendors. 1309 Fifth St. NE. 301-6527400. unionmarketdc.com Maine Avenue Fish Market. Open 365 days a year. 7 AM to 9 PM. 1100 Maine Ave. SW. 202-484-2722.
CIVIC LIFE ANC 6A. Second Thursday, 7 PM. Meeting at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th St. NE. 202-4238868. anc6a.org ANC 6B. Second Tuesday, 7 PM. Meeting at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-5433344. anc6b.org ANC 6C. Second Wednesday, 7 PM. Meeting at Heritage Foundation, 214 Mass. Ave. NE, first floor conference room. 202-547-7168. anc6c.org ANC 6D. Second Monday, 7 PM. Meeting at 1100 Fourth St. SW, DCRA meeting room, 2nd floor. 202-5541795. anc6d.org ANC 6E. First Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Meeting at Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. anc6e.org Have a tip for the calendar? Email calendar@hillrag.com. u
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A New District of Food and Drink article and photos by Annette Nielsen
From winning food truck of 2014 to winning the Launch Pad competition (with part of the prize being able to set up shop in Union Market), Gabriella Fabres and co-owner, Ali Arellano are able to grow their Venezuelan food business, Areppa Zone. Here with their populare tequenos (cheese sticks with an amazing sauce).
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he first time I landed in DC, I was moving from New York City – and it was 1990. Outside of living across the street from Eastern Market and getting to know the great family of vendors there, I was a little discouraged at my options for food – both for sourcing and eating out. If you’ve been living in a place like New York, there’s always somewhere you can find an ingredient or satisfy a hankering for dumplings at 1:00 pm in the morning. But today, I know a different DC, one that has embraced food passionately. There’s no question that restaurants are drivers of economic growth. When my family and I returned to the District in 2012 after being gone for over a decade, we were impressed with Capitol Hill’s restaurant lineup, particularly the number of new openings along Barrack’s Row. According to the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, restaurant employment in DC is projected to grow about seven per cent over the next decade. Currently, the metropolitan area has over 11,000 restaurants with approximately 217,000 jobs. The District alone had 2,144 eating and drinking places in 2014, and it’s projected that the 2015 figures for District restaurants will realize $2.8 billion in sales and account for 60,000 jobs, 8 percent of DC’s employment. Over the last several years, the District’s restaurants and chefs have been making national news, Union Market and Maketto debuted, and businesses are expanding their reach opening second and third locations.The farmers’ market circuit has grown beyond Fresh Farm locations to include urban farming, community gardens and pop-up style or mobile markets in neighborhoods in all eight wards. Certainly, the nation-wide focus on sustainability, artisanal creations and a celebration of the chef as rock star has helped drive the trend here, but it’s clear a vi-
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Pia Carusone at Republic Restoratives, DC’s first women-owned distillery, as they ready for an opening on New York Avenue later this year.
brant food culture has been established in DC.
Food Trucks While the entry point for a typical brick-and-mortar restaurant can be cost-prohibitive for many, the food truck makes it easy to test a food concept without losing your apron. Arepa Zone, with their authentic, home-style Venezuelan fare, highlights arepas, the grilled corn patty that’s opened to make a pocket and stuffed with flavorful fillings along with tequenos (cheese sticks served with a killer sauce) and cachapas (sweet corn pancakes from real sweet corn). Since opening in spring of 2014, co-owners Gabriela Febres and Ali Arellano have gar- nered great acclaim – the Daily Meal named them one of America’s Top 101 Food Trucks and Timeout named them the best DC food truck this year. Gabriela and Ali share Venezuelan roots and met at a soccer match. They soon found themselves planning a get together for the soccer community giving them opportunity to prepare some of their Venezuelan favorites. Out of that chance meeting, they realized there were some favorite foods that were missing in DC. “We couldn’t find arepas in DC at that time,” says Ali, “and as we worked on our recipe, we thought about finding restaurant space.” Being cautious about making a huge investment in real estate for a restaurant, the two went to Marietta, Georgia late in 2013 to meet the team that would build them a food truck. Their business was a huge success. But now they’ve decided to test next steps toward a more permanent space to complement their food truck locations. They entered the Launch Pad at Union Market competition, with part of the prize being a six-month stint at Union Market. An idea grown by Al Goldberg of food incubator Mess Hall, and advisors such as Chef Patrick O’Connell of the Inn at Little Washington, Ris Lacoste of Ris, Aaron Silverman of Rose’s Luxury and more, the competition was designed to identify and launch a promising culinary concept at Union Market. The professional team provides advice on raising capital, leasing, and valuable networking opportunities with the ability to test out their idea in a fully built-out space in a proven food hub. It wasn’t just a popularity contest that won Arepa Zone the Launch Pad prize this year. Wendy Stuart of Food Works Group, was brought in to look closely at viability and the numbers. She’s an expert at analyzing market demand and is known for her work as a local food systems specialist, a role that may have not even existed a decade ago. According to Stuart, “The folks at Arepa Zone already have a positive cash flow fromtheir award-winning food truck. Their financials were based in part
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Growing each month and expanding their reach, Living Social alums, Alan Clifford and Ian Costello started the meal delivery service, Galley. They’ve moved from their start-up space in Penn Quarter to larger digs in Ivy City. Photo: Nick Heyd
on these numbers, and were realistic, thorough, and perhaps even conservative projections. Further, they will fund their expansion in large part through their own cash reserves, which is impressive for a start-up with large capital expenses.” As ArepaZone launched this summer in Union Market, we can look forward to it being part of this hybrid of a community of restaurants and specialty food items.
Spirited Work One of the welcome additions to the District’s food and beverage evolution is the presence of small batch distillers. Republic Restoratives is on its way to being the first DC-based, woman-owned distillery. Founded by Pia Carusone and Rachel Gardner, Republic Restoratives will open their space at an Ivy City warehouse at 1369 New York Ave. NE before the end of the year. The two will initially offer vodka, and a variety of rye and bourbon will follow after the maturation process is complete. The women grew up together in Saratoga Springs, New York and remained close friends for more than thirty years. Pia moved to DC in 2009 as the chief of staff for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and bought a house in the neighborhood. Rachel, with an MBA, worked in resource management, and also studied in the state of Washington with master distiller, Rusty Figgins, learning the craft of making whis-
Tai Heath, at her space at Mess Hall DC. Heath is decorating customdesigned cookies for a Redskins wives’ fashion event. Tai is a co-owner of the business, 5-12 Dessert Boutique, that she started with her mom, Daneen.
key. The two have retained Figgins as a consultant for their production methods at Republic Restoratives. “When we got serious about this project and started looking for a building, it was a challenge identifying the right space.” While they didn’t personally purchase the huge warehouse space, the investor group they assembled wanted to make certain the full 24,000 square feet would be rented. They were able to secure a 17,000 square foot lease for their new
Al Goldberg of Mess Hall envisioned a food community in a welcoming space. Opened less than a year ago, it is already home to over 30 food start-ups, and has hosted many events from educational workshops for food entrepreneurs, cooking classes with demonstration kitchen, to fundraisers for those in need.
neighbor Union Kitchen, the kitchen incubator that already has one location in NoMA. The distillery will have a first floor tasting room, bar and event space. The 1,000-gallon capacity still, fermenting tank, mash cooker are being readied for installation and trench drains are being built.
With over 80,000 cars passing by their distillery each day on New York Avenue, they’re excited about the opening. “We should wrap construction in November and host our opening party in early December,” says Pia. The duo are enthusiastic about being part of the District’s food and beverage scene, too, “When Rachel and I were coming up with a name for our business, we really wanted to tip our hat to the Capital – this vibrant and interesting place in and of itself.”
Home Cooking, Delivered Former Living Social alums, Alan Clifford and Ian Costello, started Galley with a concept of meals-onthe-go. At the end of 2014, they left their jobs and started thinking more about food and how to look beyond traditional take-out with its typically geographic limitation to food delivery service. Many of the online food delivery service companies require a subscription and ship customers prepped ingredients so that they can create the meals themselves, however Galley is different in that they send chilled meals that are already prepared by their team of chefs. Whether ordering lunch or dinner, prices for a meal are $14 or less (including delivery, tax and gratuity). Customers get a 30-minute delivery window and directions for heating their meal. Partnering with VSAG restaurant consultants (the Founding Farmers team), they moved to Ivy City at 1350 Okie Street and started lunch production, followed by dinner in the beginning of July of this year. With an app and online access, ordering lunch or dinner couldn’t be easier. “We’re making hundreds of meals a day,” says Alan and notes
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that they have thousands of customers in the District now and recently expanded to Baltimore. “Our core audience is in their late 20s or 30s – everyone is focused on the convenience factor – they are looking for a high quality meal and healthful offerings.”
Mess Hall Initiatives Al Goldberg is building a community around food. After spending a number of years in the catering world, he wanted to break out and do his own thing. He knew that many craft producers were finding space in church kitchens or using restaurant space in off hours, but he also knew that bringing together a group of people in one space would foster a camaraderie and support system for those launching a culinary concept. Working through Eagle Bank, a preferred SBA lender, and using his own savings, he found a space at 703 Edgewood Street NE, opening Mess Hall’s doors in October of last year. Al sees a time when DC follows along with initiatives like he’s seen in Brooklyn – where hotels there might promote hand-crafted food items made in the borough. He also notes that it takes lots of entrepreneurs to make this type of community a reality. “I can see a District hotel offering cookies baked by a local producer – there’s a level of pride with restaurants featuring DC products.” Mess Hall has noted DC producers like Bullfrog Bagels making hand-rolled bagels in the authentic tradition, 5-12 Dessert Boutique and Lounge run by mother-daughter duo Daneen and Tai Heath who
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create specialty baked goods and cookies, and Tory Pratt’s True, syrups and garnishes (tonics and grenadines done in the style of those produced pre-prohibition). Says Tory who used to work in international development, “Most of my business comes out of this space, it fits a niche you maybe didn’t think was there – I was one of the first 10 in the space, now we have close to 40.” Recently, Mess Hall applied for and won a Small Business Association Growth Accelerator Award – over 600 businesses applied and a little over 10% of applicants won, each receiving $50,000. Earlier this summer Al took the lead on coordinating Launch Pad, collaborating with DC culinary leaders to help a promising food business (see Arepa Zone under Food Trucks above) take logical next steps. Another part of the focus of community is engaging interns from DC Central Kitchen with the hopes that the entrepreneurs using the Mess Hall space might grow their business and have the potential to provide a job. Says Al of Mess Hall’s role in the food culture in DC, “What you’ll see is that we’ll continue to try and find new and meaningful ways to have impact in enabling the DC small producers to create a sustainable food economy.” Annette Nielsen has been the food editor of the Hill Rag since 2012 and has recently taken a position with Futuro Media Group in New York; reach her at annettenielsen@mac.com or follow her on Twitter @The_Kitchen_Cab. u
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Reimagining a Community Pillar by Barbara Wells heater Alliance has emphatically found its voice. Last year the company earned seven Helen Hayes Awards; this season it’s won a $10,000 National Theatre Company Grant from American Theatre Wing, bestowed on theaters that have “articulated a distinctive mission, cultivated an audience, and nurtured a community of artists in ways that strengthen the quality, diversity and dynamism of American theatre.” But like all seemingly “overnight” successes, Theater Alliance’s rise is really a testament to decades of sustained support and the tenacity of visionary leadership. From its humble origins as a community theater, by 2002 Theater Alliance had joined Washington’s fledgling professional companies and taken up residence at the new H Street Playhouse amid burgeoning neighborhood revitalization. But eventually management changes and a tough economy took their toll, reducing the company’s 2010 season to just one production: a reprise of Black Nativity. Enter Colin Hovde. In 2011, H Street Playhouse founder and Theater Alliance board member Adele Robey asked Hovde to apply for the theater director’s job — a position he seemed destined to take. A self-described child of hippies, Hovde chose a career in the-
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ater as a form of social service; a way to build community connections. As a teenager approaching high school graduation, he’d even contemplated joining the Peace Corps — until his mentor said he could do more to help people in the theater. At the University of North Carolina School for the Arts, he realized his mission: producing plays that challenge people to think in a more compassionate way. “I want our theater to be about your daily life. I want you to walk down the street and feel more connected to the people you see,” Hovde says. “Of course we want theater to be entertaining, but it’s so much more fulfilling when it entertains and asks hard questions that make us think.” In 2004, when nearly every one of his college classmates made a beeline for New York, Hovde took
off for Macau, China, to produce the Worldwide Arts Collective Festival. Strangely enough, that’s where he met Jeremy Skidmore, a kindred spirit who was then Theater Alliance’s artistic director. The two North Carolina graduates immediately connected, and Skidmore invited Hovde to become the company’s associate director the following year. After his work at Theater Alliance, Hovde spent the next five years as a freelance director and producer until he received Robey’s momentous call to return. He would spend the next year rebuilding
the company’s financial base and navigating its transition from H Street to the new Anacostia Playhouse. “It was a pivotal moment for Theater Alliance,” he says. “We had to ask ourselves, ‘Why are we here? Why do we need to stay alive? What value do we add to the community?” In March 2013, Hovde finally found his answers in Word Becomes Flesh, a hiphop exploration of a father’s right to choose between a commitment to his child and abandonment. The heart-breaking piece featured five young men grappling with fatherhood, visibly changing the perceptions and stirring the emotions of audience members, and Hovde himself.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Occupied Territories. Photo: C. Stanley Photography. Word Becomes Flesh. Night Falls on the Blue Planet. Photo: C. Stanley Photography
The play influenced Theater Alliance’s first season as the resident company at Anacostia Playhouse. All three of the season’s plays were rooted in relatable human experience, but produced in distinct ways that stretched theatrical boundaries: Broke-ology is a classic “kitchen sink” production, using a realistic set to portray the ordinary struggles of a working class family; White Rabbit, Red Rabbit eschewed scenery and even rehearsal altogether, featuring various actors reading the play for the first time at venues across the city; and The Wonderful World of Dissocia was
a sort of naturalistic fever dream that explored mental disease caused by trauma — and received four Helen Hayes Awards. The next season built on the company’s momentum, including a production of Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea, directed by the widely acclaimed Timothy Douglas — a major coup for the company. For Hovde, an even greater milestone was Occupied Territories, a story of the lasting impact of war that deeply affected its audiences. Like other Theater Alliance productions, the play included post-show “talkbacks” for audience members to discuss their reactions. “We need to be talking about race. We need to be talking about gender inequality. And theater gives us to the opportunity to do that face to face with people we may never otherwise speak to about these things,” states Hovde. Hovde aims to showcase issues that are never fully addressed, in the voices of people who are too rarely heard: veterans grappling with the psychological effects of war; gay youths dealing with bullying and rejection; people with disabilities confronting prejudice. And it’s no accident that today Theater Alliance features the works of playwrights who are more often people of color than white; more often female than male. Some of these playwrights emerge from Hothouse: Theater Alliance’s program to develop new works by local writers. This year Hothouse received 23 submissions and selected four, based on not only the potential of the work and its phase of development, but also the under-represented perspectives of the playwrights themselves. “These are important stories that we don’t often hear,” Hovde says. “And even though they may not have anything to do with one audience member’s, life they are so specific that they capture a universal human
challenge that crosses boundaries.” Theater Alliance nurtures these works by hiring a director, actors, and dramaturg to spend one week with the playwright, talking, trying new things and rewriting, culminating in a public reading followed by further conversation with the audience. But the relationship with the company continues long after the program ends, with playwrights submitting new drafts or other plays in the works, and Theater Alliance lending a special understanding of how the writer thinks and speaks. This year’s season opened with a world premiere of a Hothouse play: Kathleen Akerley’s Night Falls on the Blue Planet, part of The Women’s Voices Theater Festival that the company describes as “a woman’s complex and unexpected journey to herself.” Hovde seems most excited about the return of Word Becomes Flesh, the play that redefined Theater Alliance’s mission back in 2013. Presented in repertory with For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf, the play is now part of a complex conversation at the intersection of race and gender. While the plays’ stories are about black men and women, men and women of all races can relate to their characters, and people of each gender can learn about the opposite sex, revealing answers to questions they may not be able to ask for themselves. “These two pieces are why I do this work,” Hovde says. “What we do saves lives and increases compassion. That’s not an abstract concept. It’s a reality.” For more information about Theater Alliance, visit theateralliance.com Barbara Wells is a writer and editor for Reingold, a social marketing communications firm. She and her husband live on Capitol Hill. u
THE ONLY SALVADOREAN RESTAURANT ON THE HILL Henry Mendoza Welcomes You!
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Two Latin America Contexts: A Brazilian Domestic Drama and a Mexican Stand-off by Mike Canning The Second Mother Few films from Latin America get mainstream exposure in American movie houses, but the occasional one that slips through is often worthy. In recent years, winners – both critical and commercial – have come from Argentina (“The Secret in Their Eyes,” “Wild Tales”) and Chile (“No” and “Gloria”). Now, in 2015, we have another laudable example, this time from Brazil. “The Second Mother,” like the films cited above, is a contemporary story that precisely illuminates the society it depicts. (Now at selected cinemas, it is rated “R” and runs 112 min.) “The Second Mother” centers on Val (Regina Casé), a live-in housekeeper serving a wealthy family in a Sao Paulo suburb. She is accepting and dutiful in working for the husband, independently rich “Doctor” Carlos (Lourenço Mutarelli) and his supercilious wife, Doña Barbara (Karine Teles), but she cherishes her role as a surrogate mother for the family’s son Fabinho (Michel Joelsas), a teenager whom she has cared for since he was a toddler. Their attachment is strong: lanky Fabinho still climbs into Val’s bed when he needs comforting. Meanwhile her own daughter, Jessica (Camila Mardila), has matured without her mother in a provincial town in northeast Brazil. Now, quite grown up, Jessica comes to Sao Paulo to study architecture and, to her mother’s consternation, moves into the household. Jessica is an assured, aspiring young woman who sees no need to adjust to the upstairs-downstairs setting which her mother has accepted. Selfpossessed, she unthinkingly breaks the barriers of class, stressing out Val with every new action or expression. For example, sleeping on a mattress in the maid’s room is totally unacceptable, so she cajoles her own separate bedroom from Doña Barbara. Further, Jessica not only wants to eat with the family (“at the boss’s table”) rather than in the kitchen like her mom, but she is outspoken once there. She’s cowed by no one while her mother cringes with each new faux pas. “You think you are special,” intones Val to Jessica, and it is not a compliment. How this class conflict is handled, and how both Val and Jessica come to adjust to it and eventually look toward a new life, generates both the
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AB Mard OVE: Reg in ila Photo star in “ Ta Casé an d h : Osci lloscoe Second Camila RIGH Mo pe La T: Em b orato ther.” ily Bl trade ries in “Si unt com c Foremario.” Pho bats the d to ru an Jr. SMPS : Richard g P
humor and the poignancy of “The Second Mother.” The film is the fourth feature made by Anna Muylaert, an experienced Brazilian screenwriter and TV/film director, and her first one to receive international recognition, with appearances at the Sundance and Berlin Film festivals. She proves a perceptive and affecting observer of her own society, and, while the film is pointedly Brazilian, its theme of class divisions being challenged and disrupted is pertinent across all societies. That sense of observation is heightened by her composed and naturalistic filming technique, where the camera often holds on a static middle-ground shot while the protagonists move into and out of the frame. The cast is admirable, from young Joelsas’ gangly, puppy-doggish Fabinho through the clueless imperiousness of Teles’ Doña Barbara to the unsettling weirdness of Carlos as played by Mutarelli. Camila Mardila is just right as the ready-for-anything Jessica, a young woman who, abandoned by her parents, fashions her own life and self with a hard-earned confidence.
Of course, the movie’s engine is Regina Casé as Val. She makes her everdeferential character both understandable and complex, never cloying or sappy. She gets all the best laugh lines too, always chiding her daughter after her latest outrage. Though long cowed by her drudging life and class, she too is finally able to break free. To confirm her own liberation at one point she quietly leaves her modest bedroom in the night, takes off her shoes, calls her daughter in town, splashes around in ankle-deep water, and announces her transgression: “I’m in the pool!”
Sicario “Sicario” comes from the Italian for “assassin.” In the new movie from Canadian director Denis Villeneuve and
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screenwriter Taylor Sheridan it takes on its contemporary meaning as “hit man,” a useful profession in the malevolent drug trade at our Mexican border. Within this grim environment walks one tough lady, Kate Macur (Emily Blunt), an FBI agent out of Phoenix who runs a kidnap combat squad but is continually frustrated when her hostage rescues end up with dead bodies. Hoping to get to the traffickers themselves, the source of the killings, she is selected by her Department of Justice superior (Victor Garber) to partner with a new, mysterious government squad to go after the source of the brutal traffic. Thus is the set-up for “Sicario,” an intense new movie that may test your appetite for drug dramas. The new SWAT team that Kate joins, along with her FBI colleague Reggie (Daniel Kalunya), is headed by the waggish Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), part kidder and part conman, who says he is with “DOD,” associated with an intelligence organization that looks to capture drug lord Manuel Diaz who oversees the vicious cross-border trade. Matt looks to lure Diaz into the open by capturing his brother Guillermo and transporting him to Arizona. Working with Matt’s commando-like comrades is Alejandro (Benicio del Toro), a mysterious Latino (origins uncertain) who seems to be around for intelligence and language purposes but who also carries with him aura of silent menace and command. Kate’s role at first is that of observer, but the longer she participates in the anti-drug unit, the more doubts she has, wondering out loud what kind of authority they have and uncomfortable about the kind of procedures they follow. She is, after all, a lawyer and an FBI professional, and questions the kind of strong-arm tactics that pull Guillermo out of Cuidad Juarez. Her protests amount to little against the single-mindedness of Matt, who believes they must “stir the pot” to get the job done. When a raid of an elaborate
cross-border tunnel results in Manuel’s capture, Kate realizes that her very presence in the unit was an attempt to use her status to cover the operation. Director Villeneuve has, in a short career, made a specialty of somber, twisty dramas with elements of dread and threat, like “Incendies” and “Prisoners.” “Sicario” is fully in this vein, with even splashier flashes of violence. Some of that violence is shown in impressive set pieces, which exhibit stirring pacing, much aided by one of the best cinematographers in the business, Roger Deakins. One such piece involves an ominous caravan of black SUVs which portends a massive car chase, but which ends up with a gruesome shoot-out in stalled traffic. Another is the vertiginous raid and gun-battle in the tunnel (mentioned above), which displays a dazzling and disorienting choreography all its own. A final sequence, where Alejandro confronts his nemesis, the true Mexican kingpin, over a dinner table will be stomach-churning for many. Filmgoers take note: “Sicario” is hard-R violent, not in gore but in gunplay and body count. That body count is high, but the killings are – probably like the drug trade itself – quick and final. Rare dashes of humor are merely sardonic; a sense of both threat and betrayal are omnipresent, heightened by a pulsing score. In a way, Emily Blunt’s character sums up the tenor of the film. Her Kate, invariably morose with no makeup and favoring shapeless T-shirts, sees little surcease from the calamities of the drug trade, and the audience can only agree. (Now in release, the film is definitely “R” rated and runs a tension-packed 121 min.)
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T H I S M O N T H! “One of the Best Wine Stores in the Country is Right Here on Capitol Hill” SELECTION The country’s most complete range of spirits, beer & wine. Our old and rare wine list is the most extensive anywhere, and it’s in your neighborhood. PRICING We will not be undersold. Come see for yourself. SERVICE Second to none, with seven full time wine specialists to assist you. Come in and be treated like family!
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Hill resident Mike Canning has written on movies for the Hill Rag since 1993 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 writings on film can be found online at www.mikesflix.com. u
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article and photos by Celeste McCall
ince its debut last summer, Romeo & Juliet Garden Café has upped the ante for Italian/Mediterranean cuisine. The prime corner space, vacated by the White Tiger, had lain fallow for twoand-a-half years. What a transformation! Guarding the newcomer’s entrance is a giant wine bottle, actually a wine cabinet. Like the monumental horse rearing over the wine rack, the bottle was gleaned from a rural antique shop. As we sipped Panzanello Chianti Classico and Anterra Pinot Grigio, we began with chef Alexis Hernandez Ruiz’s grilled octopus. Presented in a mini cast iron skillet, the tender cephalopod was smartly scented with smoked paprika,
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LEFT TO RIGHT: Chef: Alexis Hernandez. Mediterranean-Italian Cuisine at Romeo & Juliet Garden Cafe
tomato and rosemary, and escorted by fingerling potatoes. Creamy burratina, (soft fresh cheese) was paired with yellow tomato slices, late summer pesto and balsamic. We passed over the pasta selections and whole fish to focus on delicately flavored Mediterranean sea bass served with Spanish sausage cassoulet. Lastly, Peter could not resist the passion fruit panna cotta, a custard enlivened with this tropical fruit and sprinkled with what tasted like granola. Service was excellent; our bill came to $85 before tip. As we left, we met the proprietor, Michael Romeo; hence the restaurant’s moniker. Romeo & Juliet seats 120 on the spacious patio,
45 on the first floor and 25 on the second. Coming soon: a third floor whiskey bar. Located at 301 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Romeo & Juliet is closed Sunday. Call 202-748-5400 or www.romeoandjulietdc.com.
What’s in a Middle Name? Sally’s WHAT? That’s an unusual name for a restaurant, and Peter and I decided to check it out. After attending the press unveiling of Arepa Zone at Union Market, we wanted a light supper, so we headed for Sally’s Middle Name in the Atlas District. The menu of mainly small plates is scrawled on the white subway tiles; a shelf of cookbooks and a teacup collection grace other spaces. We settled on crab and corn imperial, presented in a little ramekin. A trio of local scallops was bathed in luscious brown butter and garnished with parsley. From the brief, offbeat wine list, we sipped glasses of Santa Tresa Frappato (red) and (white) Inama Soave. Dinner for two came to $61. About that name: Chef Sam Ulysses Atkins’ sister Sally complained that she had no middle name. So her brother promised to name his restaurant, “Sally’s Middle Name.” So there you are. Another thing: Sally’s does not allow tipping; it’s included in prices. “We are paid enough,” our excellent server assured us. Warning: this place is loud, as there are no drapes or carpeting to absorb the clatter. Parking is a challenge, to put it mildly. Located at 1320 H St. NE; Sally’s Middle Name serves dinner Sunday through Monday, with weekend brunch. Closed Tuesday. Call 202-750-6529.
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MR.HENRY’S HENRY’S COMBO MENU W E E K D AY L U N C H D E A L
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A diverse product line of quality beverages from all over the world One of the largest and most unique wine selections on Capitol Hill A friendly and knowledgeable staff Located just minutes form Downtown, DC and Alexandria, VA 1 block south of Eastern Market Metro on the vibrant Barracks Row Owned by the Williams Family since 1978; established before 1919
The best weekly wine tastings on “The Hill”- Sat (3-6pm)
Combo Menu with Beverage $8 Combo Menu with Beer or Wine $10
Market Watch In case you hit Powerball, here’s a tasty entrée for your next dinner party. In Eastern Market, Union Meats has been carrying Mitazaki Wagyu beef. Imported from Japan, the well-marbled sirloin and rib-on is labeled 5A—top grade. Price: $98 per pound. We’re told the stand has sold “quite a lot of it.” Eastern Market is closed Monday; call 202-547-2626.
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Local sports coverage has shifted from Nats Stadium to FedEx Field, but much is still happening in the Yards. Coming next year is San Francisco-based Philz Coffee. Located in the Arris Development, the 2,400 square foot coffee shop will be its first spinoff outside California, where Philz has 20 outlets. Also in the Yards, Buzz Bakery, 300 Tingey St. SE, is giving way to the Bluejacket Bottle Shop and Bar, next to Bluejacket and The Arsenal. Coming next year or sooner: Nicoletta Pizzeria, a casual offspring of New York chef Michael White, who also operates the upscale Osteria Moroni nearby.
Southern Comfort And…Due South arrived last month at the Navy Yard. Barbecue guru Rusty Holman presides over the kitchen, dominated by a hickory-fueled, Texas made smoker. Located at 301 Water St. SE, Due South is open daily. www. duesouthdc.com.
Waterfront Hank’s In Southwest’s Wharf development, chef/restaurateur Jamie Leeds is planning a fourth Hank’s Oyster Bar: Hank’s on the Water. Seating about 120 inside and 60 outside, it will be the big-
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gest Hank’s enterprise. The seafood menu will be similar to other Hank’s. Don’t rush over there right away, the spinoff is not arriving until late 2017. Meanwhile, Leeds has two more projects in the works: Her Petworth cocktail bar Twisted Horn and Alexandria’s Hank’s Pasta Bar. Both are set to open later this year.
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Jenny’s Temporary Home Part of the sprawling Wharf waterfront development, Jenny’s PanAsian, now called Jenny’s at the Wharf, has temporarily relocated to the former Channel Inn. Peter and I had lunch in the pleasant space. From the traditional menu, we chose curry-scented Malaysian fried rice—replete with a half dozen large shrimp, chicken and vegetables. My combo Singapore noodles were laced with beef, chicken and tiny shrimp. Each order was generous enough to feed two and we took home leftovers. To drink: Matua (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc and California-brewed Lucky Buddha beer; the latter came in a green, Buddha-shaped bottle. Lunch for two with a drink apiece came to $47.19 before tip. Jenny’s is open daily; call 202-5542202 or www.jennysdc.com.
tutto Italiano, tutto il giorno | all Italian, all day
A Decade on the Hill Trusty’s, the funky, downhome tavern at 1420 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, turned 10 years old this past summer.
Greece Revisited Ten years ago, Peter and I sat in an Athens Taverna, watching the CNN International news as Katrina was devastating New Orleans, my former home. With that rather grim anniversary in mind, Peter and I lunched at Kap-
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RIGHT: Kapnos' roasted duck phyllo is escorted by cherries and pistachio yogurt. BELOW: A colorful smoked beet salad highlights Kapnos’ tapas menu.
nos, Mike Isabella’s two-year-old U Street (neighborhood) outpost of his fleet of restaurants. This was the best Hellenic food we’ve tasted outside Greece. The menu is divided among hot and cold mezzes, entrees and sides. A group might order a trio of spreads for $22 (or just one), with wonderful crispy flatbread. We chose tyrokafteri, an agreeable mélange of feta, smoked manouri (mild, fresh Greek cheese), and “grains of paradise.” Kapnos, by the way, means “smoke.” Greek-American chef George Pagonis smokes practically everything in his huge, wood-burning oven, including the afore-mentioned cheese, meats and even beets. The latter goes into the vibrant, multihued salad enlivened with honey yogurt. The roasted duck phyllo pie (think spanakopita with duck instead of spinach, along with cherries and pistachio yogurt) was sublime. Two little pies were ideal for sharing. Among entrees, Peter chose the open-faced lamb gyro, shredded lamb with tzatziki; Romaine lettuce added crunch. While each mezze item is not that pricy, they do add up. Lunch for two with tax and tip came to $86. Located at 2201 14th St. NW (near U), Kapnos is open daily, dinner only, Sunday brunch. Call 202-234-5000 orwww. kapnosdc.com.
Finally After 167 years, Tadich Grill, America’s third oldest continuously operating restaurant, arrived Oct. 1 at 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. (The space used to house TenPenh.) Based in San Francisco, the newcomer is the first Tadich outpost. u
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October 2015 H 53
Artist Portrait: Dominic Green
by Jim Magner fronting an identity not fully understood, or the unexpected majesty of fall leaves. He wants to translate that sensitivity to you. He wants you to feel what he feels. Dominic grew up in DC and studied at the Art League in Arlington. He currently is included in a juried show, “Bowie: Past and Present,” at the Bowie Belair Mansion. See www.greenvisionzpro.com for all of his photographic series, films, event photography, and other activities.
f you’re a photographer, stories sometimes happen right in front of you. That happens to Dominic Green, Jim Magner’s Thoughts on Art but these are stories that seem to have The summer is over and it’s time to look back on my most recent sono beginning and no end. Appearances, places, journ to Italy, the playpen if not the cradle of great art: Rome, Sieand emotions are passing through a moment … a seemna, and Venice. You can’t look anywhere without seeing incredible ingly endless moment. structures, paintings, or murals. (Try to ignore the insidious and perHe volunteered to bring food to a homeless shelter, and the meating graffiti.) faces were familiar, but Dominic, at 22, is much too young to In Venice we decided to visit the Biennial International Art Exhave personally known them all. So, why? It’s through photograhibit (BIAE) of 2015, just a short walk from St. Mark’s Basilica with its phers who have gone before and captured the same human dracavernous interior covered with mosaics from heaven. The tiled floors ma, the same moments of thankfulness born from discourageare so intricate and inventive that you don’t want to walk on them. And ment and despair. the adjacent Doge’s Palace? Wow! Among endless rooms of masterpiecDominic hunts through old Life magazines for the work of es is the “largest painting in the world,” by Jacobo Tintoretto. The levAlfred Eisenstaedt, and through museums for the works of Ansel el of accomplishment almost defies comprehension. Adams and Alfred Stieglitz, and wherever the best of photography We discovered that the BIAE was the only place in all of Itacan be found. It’s the best not just because of superior technique ly without life-sucking lines. Although only steps from the madding but because it connects. It has emotional impact. crowds, it was almost empty, despite posters throughout the city. The short history of photography has somehow captured the core of life, human and otherwise. It is through those early images that the art has been born and progressed. (Lulu) Lulu is one of the many But feeling in photography, or any art, cannot be bor(A Still Morning.) (Towards Model Stardom.) homeless people living on There’s poetry in Amber Perry is in search of rowed or adopted, it has to be genuine. That is what Domithe streets of Washington. sweating, rapidly her big break, pursuing a She’s sharing her traunic looks for in the moments he captures: genuine emotion. moving your limbs, dream to be on “Amerimatic story of living on He captures the cluttered stillness of an early morning on a and breathing deeply ca’s Next Top Model.” the streets for 10-plus while in motion. The Makeup completed deserted street, and the wonderings of a young woman conyears, and the pain lies deep within her eyes. Photo: Dominic Green
world invariably stands still as you move swiftly pass everything. Life’s problems become minuscule in those moments. Photo: Dominic Green
by Alonda McDuffie. Photo: Dominic Green
I have since read reviews penned by nice people trying to say nice things. Okay, maybe you can be pleasant but certainly not passionate. My words? “Underwhelming?” How about “insipid”? “Mind-numbing”? “Concentrated mediocrity”? And in some country pavilions: “Purposely fabricated pap.” With rare exception this was art with nothing stronger, visually or intellectually, than a notion. We then crossed the Grand Canal to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection of 20th century stuff: Picasso, Matisse … the Pollocks, Jackson and Charles, Arshile Gorky, Joan Miro. I am not going to compare these guys to Tintoretto, but they connect. Love or hate them, you can’t look at a Picasso or Gorky and just shrug. That’s what I look for when I profile local artists, an ability to connect emotionally, and I usually find it. Dominic Green is a good example.
At the Museums “The Serial Impulse at Gemini G.E.L.” National Gallery of Art – West Building 7th and Constitution Ave. NW Oct. 4-Feb. 7 Gemini G.E.L. (Graphic Editions Limited), the artists’ workshop and publisher, was founded in Los Angeles in 1966. For the past 50 years cutting-edge artists have been “encouraged to do projects in depth,” each a sequence of works creating a series. It began with Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, and equally prominent experimenters in the most explosively innovative period in art history. The exhibit includes 127 individual works from the 17 selected artists and is structured so that it may be entered at either end of the suite of galleries to emphasize the “impulse” nature of each series. www. nga.gov
At the Galleries Fall Show – Capitol Hill Art League 545 7th St. SE, Oct. 3-Nov. 6 Opening: Saturday, Oct. 3, 5:00-7:00 p.m. The Art League artists and instructors come together for the annual fall show. You’ll find a very wide range of subjects and styles, excellently done. www.chaw.org Maryland Pastel Society – Hill Center Galleries, Old Naval Hospital, 921 Penns. Ave. SE. Oct. 2-28 Opening: Monday, Oct. 5, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
The Maryland Pastel Society is bringing their Biennial National Juried Art Exhibition, “Shades of Pastels, 2015,” to the Hill Center this month. The show includes over 70 original pastel paintings. Master pastelist Doug Dawson is the show’s judge, and juror of the awards, which will be presented at the Oct. 5 opening reception. See www.hillcenterdc.org for information about other show-related events. “Faces and Places” – Hill Center Galleries In addition to the Pastel Society exhibit, the Hill Center is presenting at the same time a four-artist show, “Faces and Places,” with Paula Cleggett, Gwendolyn Aqui-Brooks, Kasse Andrews-Weller, and masks by Noah Williams. Noah gathers stuff we all toss away – bottlecaps, nails, car parts – and makes art, sculptures. He starts with a wire skeleton – a person, animal, or something of interest – and weaves it all together. These are fun, imaginative, and have an environmental upside. “The Art of the Tale” – Ellen Cornett Brentwood Arts Exchange 3901 Rhode Island Ave. Brentwood, Md. You still have three weeks to get to the terrific Ellen Cornett show at Brentwood Arts, a block north of the DC line. The main feature is the six-foot wall drawing started and completed in the gallery over a three-week period. Anthropomorphism, the combining of human with animal body parts, goes back 30-40,000 years, but Ellen puts a very “today” spin on it, mesmerizing and funny at the same time. Happily she includes pastel paintings, which as usual are magical. If you go soon you may get there in time to buy one. www.ellencornett.com On the Hill: Children’s Art – Hine School Project You are going to be living with the construction fence around the Hine School project for the next 20 months, and this will make it more livable. Students from 27 schools in the Hill neighborhood have been making art – wildly imaginative and colorful art that only kids can turn out. This will give them and us something to smile at. Stanton-EastBanc LLC and Clark Construction are the sponsors. Jim Magner is a Capitol Hill artist and writer. He can be reached at Artandthecity05@aol.com. Jim’s award-winning book, “A Haunting Beauty,” can be acquired through www.ahauntingbeauty.com. u
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Drawing Inspiration from the Farm-to-Table Movement by Phil Hutinet any of us have heard of the “farm-to-table” concept – the idea that food comes from smaller, local farms that provide in-season, artisanal products. While many area restaurants and retailers have embraced the concept, the movement belongs to a major shift in the way American consumers have begun making decisions about the food they purchase and eat. In this same vein the organizers of the Hill Center’s fourth annual Pottery on the Hill invite people to think more critically about their dishware’s provenance. Is it mass produced, one of kind, or handmade? Is it attractive and is it ethically produced? Starting Friday, Oct. 30, through Nov. 1, at this year’s Pottery on the Hill, in addition to viewing ceramics as objets d’art, audiences will notice that all of the ceramics on display have both a function and a purpose. Just as farmers sell their produce outside Eastern Market, the artists who create the ceramics at Pottery on the Hill will stand by their handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces. Their presence will offer the audience an opportunity to engage and interact with the objects’ makers and to discuss the process of throwing clay, handbuilding, and glazing. This year's exhibition includes the following artists: Sam Taylor, Michael Kline, Matthew Metz, Matthew Hyleck, Mark Shapiro, Kent McLaughlin, Gertrude Graham Smith, Donna Polseno, Dan Finnegan, Catherine White, Bruce Gholson, Bob Briscoe, Warren Frederick, Trista Depp Chapman, Suze Lindsay, and Samantha Henneke. Artist Dan Finnegan has organized every exhibition since 2011 in addition to showing his own work. Finnegan explains that “all potters invited are to make useful pots. That’s always been the emphasis for me. When I designed the show, we invited people who were making useful things.” Finnegan has carefully selected participants from an elite group of fulltime artist who are experts in the field of ceramics. This year Finnegan invited three new members to the fold including Kent McLauglin, Suze Lindsay, and Gertrude Graham Smith, all of whom hail from the prestigious Penland School of Crafts. Many artists have returned year-after-year like Bob Briscoe, who travels the farthest of any artist, coming all the way from rural Minnesota to engage
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Pottery from the 4th Ceramics Expo. All Images by Terricka Johnson, Courtesy Hill Center.
with DC audiences. These men and woman have works exhibited in major museums such as the Smithsonian and lead the field of ceramics by way of teaching and publishing as well as through innovations that set the standard for their chosen discipline. In keeping with this year’s overall theme of connecting the public with the process of making functional ceramic objects, artists Mark Shapiro, Dan Finnegan, Sam Taylor, and Blair Meerfeld, chairman of the Art League Ceramics Department, will lead a “Pottery Jam” at the Torpedo Factory’s Annex, located at 305 Madison St., Alexandria, Va., on Thursday, Oct. 29, 6:309:00 p.m. Pottery Jam aims to offer audiences a more interactive format for experiencing pottery by actually participating in the creative process. This allows the audience to see how professional potters think and, in turn, allows people to start responding by creating work and to have a part in the aesthetic vision. Shapiro describes the format as follows: “It’s meant to be spontaneous, fun, unpredictable and informal.” One potter might make a pitcher, and an audience member who wishes to add ornamentation can take over and start to add his or her touch. The next audience member might add a handle. “It’s the reason I call it a jam,” explains Shapiro “It’s like open mic night. We’ll be taking requests!” Shapiro hopes that people are entertained through a sense of anticipation and excitement, all the while accessing prominent artists. Shapiro says, “I’ve done five of them [Pottery Jams]; they’ve all been very different in how the pottery’s been experienced.” According to Shapiro the space at the Torpedo Factory will be conducive to interactivity and spontaneity as the pottery wheels and audience chairs form a circle so one can jump
in and start making at any time. Bonny Wolf, a food journalist and a Hill Center board member, has participated in organizing this year’s event. Wolf offers an additional take on scrutinizing the provenance of one’s dishware. While many people take great care in selecting what type of food they purchase, shouldn’t that same care extend to how one actually presents such carefully selected food? Wolf explains that “people often talk about authenticity. People talk about the source of your food.” She concludes that as a result, “People might actually then be interested in how that food is served.” While this trend may not have caught on with individual consumers, Wolf notes that several restaurants in the area have commissioned potters to create dishware for their restaurants. These restauranteurs have expressed the same concern for both the food they serve and how they present it in order to offer diners the highest-quality gastronomical experience. Pottery Jam will take place at the Torpedo Factory’s Annex, located at 305 Madison St. in Alexandria, Va., on Thursday, Oct. 29, 6:30-9:00 p.m. Pottery on the Hill will take place at the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, with a preview reception on Friday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m. (ticketed event | $25 in advance; $30 at the door). The show and sale (free) will take place Saturday, Oct. 31, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 1, 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
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Phil Hutinet is the publisher of East City Art, dedicated to DC’s visual arts. For more information visit www.eastcityart.com. u
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Sunflowers inspire wonder in SWS Kindergarteners. Photo: Marla McLean
Hill Center’s Young Artists Gallery by Elizabeth Nelson hat comes to mind when you think of sunflowers? Seeds to snack on? Dazzling fields in “Dr. Zhivago”? Roiling oils a la Vincent Van Gogh? Students at School Within School (SWS) are offering their own perspectives in the Young Artists Gallery at the Hill Center. When SWS art teacher/atelierista Marla McLean returned to school this fall she was greeted by the most enormous sunflowers she had ever seen. The children planted the seeds before school let out as part of the FoodPrints program run by Margaret Finneran, so the flowers weren’t totally unexpected – but the scale was still a shock to the senses, especially for the younger kids who had to crane their necks to see the tops. The vitality of the garden inspired McLean to make it the focus of the mixedmedia installation opening this month. Works will include pen and ink drawings of sunflower plants, studies of sunflower heads in colored pen, a life-sized mural in acrylic on canvas, and photographs documenting the experience. McLean began the unit by arranging clipped heads of sunflowers, in progression by stages of life, on a strip of black velvet to create a strong visual image: “They are bright and then it goes dim to dimmer to dimmer,” remarked Hector Campbell-Wesson, one of her students. The children were able to closely examine the flower heads and record their impressions with colored pens. They also made many visits to the garden for “plein air” drawing, so absorbed in their work that birds, squirrels, butterflies, bees, moths, and even a cat stopped in to share the scene. SWS is a Reggio Emilia learning environment where children are encouraged to express their understanding both poetically and scientifically. The
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sunflowers have a purpose beyond artistic inspiration: they’ll play their part in science and math lessons and their seeds will be used as food for humans (granola bars) and wildlife. A sense of wonder informs these observations from kindergarten: “I made this sunflower with all my love.” – Nate Harvey “If I was a sunflower, I would be really happy, cause I'd be up high. And then you can see most things that you can't see if you are a human.” – Maya Smith “Don't worry if the seeds come out, 'cause they grow up again ... you know, the life cycle!” – Maya Strada “When it [the sunflower] bends down, it looks like a rainbow.” – Oskar Brown “It looks like you can take a shower under it.” – Caleb Freihage The sunflower show is on display in the ground floor gallery at the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, until early December. McLean invites you to come visit. She hopes that children will “find great peace and magic in connecting with nature, that they are inspired to create, that they notice the extraordinary in the ordinary, and that throughout life they remember to stop and smell the sunflowers.” Good advice for all of us. u
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Getting Around DC The cars are overcrowded, especially at “crush hour.” The service is terrible and the fares are too high. Then there are those etiquette-challenged riders who claim the aisle spot and force other passengers to clamber over them. These “EndSeat Hogs” constitute a “disgrace to the community,” or so decreed The Washington Post in 1898. As John DeFerrari demonstrates in his new book, “Capital Streetcars: Early Mass Transit in Washington, D.C.,” some things never change. Starting in the Lincoln administration, streetcars enjoyed a century-long run along the streets of the nation’s capital. Their routes helped define the urban environment, and the system served as both a proving ground for new technologies and a catalyst for social change. In “Capital Streetcars” DeFerrari relates their history – from the horse-drawn omnibuses of the 19th century to the stalled plans for the H Street line – complete with all the attendant political bickering, mismanagement, and grumbling. In telling the story of its streetcars, DeFerrari also tells the history of DC itself, as it expanded to the suburbs, endured two world wars, survived labor strikes and race riots, and saw women take their
A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events
ington” blog and is the author of two previous History Press publications: “Lost Washington, D.C.” and “Historic Restaurants of Washington, D.C.: Capital Eats.”
A Survivor’s Tale
by Karen Lyon place in the driver’s seat. His chronology includes enough technological information to satisfy the most diehard transportation enthusiast, but his easy style, entertaining facts, and dozens of historical photographs, maps, and other images offer more than enough to keep the rest of us riveted. Hill author DeFerrari is a local history buff who writes the “Streets of Wash-
“As a child, most of the time I wished I were dead,” writes M/R Johnson. “No child cries and cries and no child should say over and over I wish I was dead. This is a cry for help!” But it took years for Johnson to get the help she needed. In “Memoirs of an Addict: Fact or Fiction” she shares her story in hopes of helping others. Mary Johnson grew up near the Navy Yard in a stable, two-parent family, but she was a troubled child. “I had issues,” she writes. “I was depressed and I needed someone to enlighten me as to why my voices were telling me to hurt myself.” Then at 13 she discovered drugs. “Drugs are the downfall for people who have issues that need to be addressed.” After years of drug abuse she hit bottom in the midst of a blizzard. Huddled alone in an apartment with no heat, no food, and no drugs, she finally faced up to her addiction. With the help of a friend, and sustained by her religious faith, she entered a detox psych ward and began the long path to rehabilitation. A gritty, first-hand account of mental illness and addiction, “Memoirs of an Addict” could have been an unbearably sad tale. But it is re-
An author and inspirational speaker reaches out to others by telling the story of her own addiction. A local historian takes readers on a well-informed ride through the history of DC’s streetcars.
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deemed by Johnson’s lively spirit and her heartfelt desire to reach out to others similarly afflicted. She even provides a workbook to guide them on their way. “There is help out there,” she writes. “There is help, hope, and people who share a common bond. There are survivors of addiction and there are survivors who live functioning lives with co-occurring disorders.” M/R Johnson is living proof. To see an inspiring video book trailer, complete with Chuck Brown soundtrack, go to YouTube and enter “Author M/R Johnson.”
On the Hill The Hill Center’s “Talk of the Hill” series with journalist Bill Press features travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux, Oct. 1, 7:00 p.m.; and The Life of a Poet Series features Brian Turner in conversation with Washington Post “Book World” editor Ron Charles, Oct. 8, 7:00 p.m. Free, but register at www.hillcenterdc. org or 202-549-4172. The Folger Shakespeare Library hosts James Shapiro, author of “The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606,” Oct. 7, 7:00 p.m.; “Replacement Lives,” a PEN/Faulkner reading with three writers of the Eastern European diaspora: David Bezmozgis, Boris Fishman, and Lara Vapnyara, Oct. 19, 7:00 p.m.; and an O.B. Hardison Poetry Series reading featuring Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize judge Anthony Thwaite and 2014 recipient Jaimee Hills, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m. www.folger.edu or 202-544-7077 The Library of Congress offers talks and readings with Carol McCabe Booker, author of “Alone Atop the Hill: The Auto-
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biography of Alice Dunnigan, Pioneer of the National Black Press,” Oct. 7, noon; Peter Kuper, author of “Ruins,” Oct. 20, noon; Glenn M. Stein, author of “Discovering the North-West Passage: The FourYear Arctic Odyssey of H.M.S. Investigator and the McClure Expedition,” Oct. 29, 11:30 a.m. The Main Reading Room opens to the public for a twice-yearly open house, Oct. 12, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. www.loc.gov
by Karen Lyon
Calling All Writers November is National Novel Writing Month. Celebrate with a Smithsonian Associates daylong writing seminar, Nov. 7, 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. An online group will provide continuing encouragement to finish your novel, and you can send your published work here for review! www.smithsonianassociates.org
The Lyon’s Share Dear Readers, did you make it to the National Book Festival this year? I admit I was reluctant. I’d been so spoiled by the Library of Congress’s previous venue on the mall – with the white tents soaring into the sky and the Smithsonian museums as backdrop – that I was loath to venture into the dim, airless depths of the Convention Center. But I mustered my courage so I could report back to you. You’re welcome. The good news is that I saw a very inspiring presentation by poet Jane Hirshfield, author Azar Nafisi, and PBS NewsHour correspondent and poet Jeffrey Brown, on “Why Literature Matters” (not that I needed any convincing). They all had lovely things to say about how poetry offers a way into the world (Brown), about how literature provides a portable world you can take with you (Nafisi), and about how it serves as an usher to the unfathomable in our lives (Hirshfield). They were all eloquent, thoughtful, and passionate, and they made me glad I’d finally stumbled upon the room where they were speaking. The bad news is that the Convention Center is a huge, soulless, and disorienting labyrinth that lends the festivities all the charm of a trade show. While the LOC staffers were helpful, the lines at the information booths were long, the signage was confusing, and it was hard to find a place to retreat from the mob to study the map or even catch your breath. I never did locate the book sales area, although I think I might have spied it from a second-floor balcony, way off in the distance, across an ocean of displays. I might have been mistaken. While I’m thrilled that there are enough booklovers in DC to support an event of such magnitude, I think I might do well to avoid the bewildering hurly-burly next year. I understand that some of the talks may eventually be posted on the LOC website (www.loc.gov), so I can view them from home. That would be great. I hardly ever get lost or jostled here. u
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Commencement of Love I’ve traveled so long to come so far The distance is short, from me to your heart. I’ve seen the truth and experienced a liar. Everyone can see the end; help me see the start. The long stemmed rose beginning to bloom The twelve inch candlestick with a flicker of light Will all Spring life be here in June? Will what is so small enhance my sight? The inner self I can’t control The outer self, like a mountain hardened with time My mind and heart are trying to mold To form the pieces and envision the sign. Near and far seem to be the same What’s not visible is often seen What’s not audible is often heard Although I’m not touched I often feel The mental love link is commencing.
Franklin Childs (aka “Tazman”) is a native Washingtonian who has been writing and reciting poetry since he was 16 years old. A graduate of the University of Maryland, he currently works as an employment specialist with intellectually disabled people.
My World is Changing Once again I sit in the green section of a gray town My body cushioned by greens and browns with polka dot grays The movement of the water is only a frog’s quest to survive The water remains still only disturbed by small additions to its volume Generous supplements that are regularly contributed by The rock and gravel plant across the way Above me is gray where an eternal burning light Struggles to penetrate through. Roaring sounds above me as birds soar through the sky Doing their part to keep the natural order of things I look down beside me where there is a note pad and book entitled, “U.S. History” I pick up the pad, open it, and write in quotations “U.S. Future.”
If you would like to have your poem considered for publication please send it to klyon@literaryhillbookfest.org. (There is no remuneration.) u
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by Jean-Keith Fagon Thoughts of A Jazz Lover Jazz can be enigmatic, an alchemy of mysterious sounds and moods that is spontaneous and yet deliberate in its free flowing creativity. There is a high note of haughtiness, perhaps a sort of natural aristocracy from a kind of inbred austerity about jazz that puts it in a class by itself, elevating one to a higher ground of one’s consciousness. It almost borders on elitism, and yet jazz strikes one as a beautiful music for everyone. Your mind clears, your body relaxes and suddenly life smiles at you. Jazz is beautiful music.
The New Cool ••• Bob James & Nathan East Two accomplished musicians, keyboardist Bob James and bassist Nathan East, have produced The New Cool with Yamaha Entertainment Group’s president Chris Gero as an acoustic jazz. From top to bottom, the musicianship on the album is scholarly; the expressive songwriting is melodic and rhythmically astute; and the livesounding production adeptly balances pristine along with the layered and grandiose depending upon the composition. Three pieces of note include “How Deep Is The Ocean,” “Waltz For Judy,” and “Crazy” featuring vocalist Vince Gill.
Straight from the Harp ••• Mariea Antoinette Urban-jazz harpist Mariea Antoinette’s new album offers a uniquely sprawling hybrid of harp harmonies and impassioned soloing, EDM-hip hop beats, R&B classics, gauzy rock guitar and dramatic violin underscoring from Karen Briggs. Showcasing Ms. Antoinette’s graceful and sensual harp theatrics amidst spacious jazz improvisations, the record explores the harp’s adventurous new possibilities. And this is accomplished with bravado and scintillating tempo on “Walk the Walk.” The hotstepping soul train funk of “Give Me Your Love” will get you going before the quiet storm unleashes the joyful “Spend Sometime (With You)” for a romantic tryst.
Game On ••• Kenyon Carter Jazz saxophonist Kenyon Carter’s new album is a 10-track collection of original songs with some great guitar muscle-- Fourplay’s Chuck Loeb. The ensuing tenor saxelectric guitar shoot-around erupts into an all-out court battle. As a songwriter, Mr. Carter has a knack for cranking out big hooks that he brings to life with a variety of saxes, allowing him to explore the full “vocal” range of
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You Are,” featuring Gregory Porter, “To Love Somebody,” and “Blessed The Brave.” The title track “Surrender” is delivered with intense supplications as if she was seeking salvation of her soul.
his horn over rhythmic grooves that swirl measures of straight-ahead jazz, R&B and adult pop into substantive soul-jazz collages. Highlights include the title track “Game On,” featuring Mr. Loeb, “Just A Smile, “Wine On Eight,” “In This Moment,” and the bump-and-grind “Jammin’ on Juniper,” a mid-tempo jazz-funk hot-stepper.
Freedom & Surrender ••• Lizz Wright Vocalist Lizz Wright’s new pop album is more about her state of mind and less about entertaining and connecting with her listeners. Her voice is shaded and tinted with restrained emotions and inquisitive introspection. She longs to break free but life is not about freedom. And words cannot free you from the bondage of unrequited surrender. This is Ms. Wright languishing in her songs, reminiscent of a melting pot of vocalists Bonnie Rait and Anita Baker. Is it too farfetched? Not necessarily, but then again you be the judge. Check out “Right Where
Colored Glasses ••• Carol Duboc Carol Duboc’s latest album is all about freeing and comforting her heart and soul with divulging lyrics about the difficult experience of ending her marriage and now coming through to the other side. The jazz singer-songwriter’s stories on Colored Glasses are honest and revealing. She wrote and produced the album with jazz fusion keyboard giant Jeff Lorber along with some solid support from Hubert Laws, Jimmy Haslip, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Eric Marienthal. Two heartfelt songs are “Walking in My Sleep” and the title track “Colored Glasses.” Still, the best on the album is “Hypnotic,” an urbane seducer about the intoxicating and blinding power of love. But love can and will hurt, sadly more often than not. All CDs and DVDS reviewed in this article are heard through Bowers & Wilkens Nautilus 801 speakers and ASW 4000 subwoofer, and Rotel Preamp 1070, amplifier 1092 and CD player 1072. B&W speakers are now available at Magnolia, Best Buys (703.518.7951) and IQ Home Entertainment (703.218.9855). CDs are available for purchase through amazon.com For more information about this column, please email your questions to fagon@hillrag.com. u
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{capitol streets}
Bulletin Board Tanglewood Works: Where Upcycling and Art Connect at Community Forklift (think HGTV’s Flea Market Flip)
Tanglewood Works features the work and activity of several Route One artists. Home to the Arts District towns of Mt. Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood, and Hyattsville, this area is rich for artists and audiences alike. See some of what’s for sale at tanglewoodworks.com/ this-just-in. Tanglewood Works hours are Wednesdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tanglewood Works is located at 4641 Tanglewood Dr., Edmonston MD. 415-595-9839. tanglewoodworks.com Beat-up mahogany dresser upcycled by Tanglewood Works proprietor Sue Older-Mondeel using some of her old, stored velvet flocked wallpaper. Photo: Sue Older-Mondeel, Senior Dumpster Diva
Mr. Henry’s Introduces Jazz Dinner Menu Mr. Henry’s, iconic Hill restaurant, bar, and music venue is bringing a touch of something more to its live jazz upstairs on Friday and Saturday nights. A Jazz Dinner menu will be available, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a reservation system now in place at MrHenrysDC.com. Reservations are not required to take advantage of this menu but will guarantee seating for the live music which begins at 8 p.m., both nights.
River Park Nursery School Yard Sale River Park Nursery School’s annual yard sale and bake sale is on Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Eastern Market in the plaza in front of Rumsey pool on North Carolina Avenue SE. Proceeds support River Park Nursery School, which has a 50-year tradition of providing quality instruction that encourages individual growth and development.
Friends of SW Library Fall Book Sale On Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 18, 1:30 to
4 p.m., Friends of SW Library are having their annual fall book sale. Most books are $1 or less. Proceeds go for supplies that DCPL cannot cover, such as Legos, and for programs like the Halloween Party and their Santa’s Secret Bookshop giveaway. The SW Library is at 900 Wesley Pl. SW. There is a parking lot in the back of the building. Questions? Have books to donate? Email friendsofswlibrary@gmail.com.
Energy Code Fundamentals: CHRS Preservation Cafe On Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m., David M. Epley, Green Building Program Manager at DCRA will speak about Energy Code Fundamentals for Residential Construction. The presentation will be at the Kaiser Permanente building, at 700 Second St. NE. Enter on the street level and turn immediately to your left after you pass through the front doors. The event is free and handicapped accessible. No reservations required. chrs.org
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{capitol streets / bulletin board}
Invitation to All Ward 6 Democrats On Thursday, Oct. 22, 5:30 to 8 p.m., join the Ward 6 Democrats and host Council Member Charles Allen at a waterfront reception at Agua 301, 301 Walter St. SE. Come meet your District Democratic Party representatives and officials. Complimentary light fare and cocktails. RSVP required at facebook.com/events/1498271980484629. For more information, contact Chuck Burger at 202258-5316 or cburger@cbmove.com.
“S Street Rising” Author at The Argonaut Ruben Castaneda covered the crime beat for the The Washington Post during the height of the violent crack era in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Struggling with his own crack addiction, he made crack buys on some of the same streets where he covered homicides. Castaneda wrote about his experience in his memoir “S Street Rising.” It is a portrait of a city in crisis and recounts an unlikely alliance between a streetwise minister and Baldie, the drug dealer who ran S Street NW, where the author bought most of his drugs. On Saturday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m., The Argonaut, 1433 H St. NE, will host a book reading/signing/Q and A with Castaneda. The author will discuss what the city was like during the crack era and the recent surge in crime.
Artists Conversation with Vera J. Katz and Liz Lerman at the Potters House On Saturday, Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m., Vera J. Katz and Liz Lerman come together for the first time in conversation about method, techniques, and journeys as master teachers, artists, and mentors in theater and dance. The conversation will be moderated by E. Ethelbert Miller writer and literary activist. The public conversation, taking place at The Potters House, 1658 Columbia Rd. NW, is presented by E. Ethelbert Miller in partnership with Mosaic Theater Company of DC, and Michon Boston Group LTD engagement strategists. No admission fee. RSVP Requested katzlerman-inconversation.eventbrite.com.
Library of Congress Main Reading Room Open House on Columbus Day Twice each year, the Library of Congress opens
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its magnificent Main Reading Room for a special open house to share information about how the public can access the Library’s resources yearround. The second open house of the year is on Monday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Main Reading Room is on the First Floor of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Reference librarians will be on hand to demonstrate services, instruct on how to obtain a reader-registration card and answer questions. Reference librarians will also be available to demonstrate the Library’s online resources and discuss access to the Library’s vast onsite collections, including services and collections for use in family history research. loc.gov
Annual Community Health and Wellness Fair for Seniors The Southwest Waterfront AARP Chapter and the District of Columbia Office on Aging are hosting the Fourth Annual Community Health and Wellness Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at River Park Mutual Home’s Community Room, 1311 Delaware Ave. SW. The fair features health screenings, healthy food choices, yoga and physical fitness exercises, nutrition, legal, visual, hearing and public service information. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen is a guest speaker. The fair is open to the Washington, DC seniors, their families and friends. A box Lunch will be provided. For more information, contact Southwest Waterfront AARP Chapter President Betty Jean Tolbert Jones, bettyjeantolbertjones@yahoo.com or 202-554-0901.
Calling Wards 6, 7 and 8 Vendors The 11th Street Bridge Project is searching for Wards 6, 7 and 8 caterers, graphic artists, photographers/videographers, event producers and printers. Contact shahara@bridgepark.org. bridgepark.org
Free Basic Drawing Classes For People Who Think They Can’t Draw Join others who also think they can’t draw for a free class every Tuesday, 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. at Randall Community Center, corner of Eye and South Capitol Streets SW, across from Capitol Skyline. For more information, contact the instructor at elin@ whitney-smith.net.
Art Whino Gallery at SW “Blind Whino” Opens Art Whino announces the opening of the new Art Whino Gallery at SW, with Vivid Visions: The Art of Kim Jung Gi, the first United States solo exhibition of the Korean illustrator, cartoonist, and animator. Art Whino Gallery is the premier presenter of this major artist’s work in the United States. The new gallery will open within the Blind Whino Arts Club and event space at 700 Delaware Ave. SW. Blind Whino is an alternative arts and cultural organization. It offers exhibitions, performances, workshops, and events for all audiences. Housed in a former church built more than 100 years ago, the space is a work of art, embracing and showcasing all forms of creative expression, standing as a pillar and destination for creativity and artistic enrichment. For more information, visit BlindWhino.org.
Washington Animal Rescue League Barktoberfest On Saturday, Oct. 24 (rain date, Oct. 25), 1 to 5 p.m., Oktoberfest goes to the dogs when the Washington Animal Rescue League presents its second annual Barktoberfest at the corner of N and First Streets SE. Barktoberfest features local and national craft beer, live music, a doggie costume contest, a dog agility park, food trucks, pet shopping, and more. $40 admission; $10 for non-drinkers. warl. org/barktoberfest
Sunday Seminars on Women of the Hebrew Bible at Capitol Hill Presbyterian The Sunday Seminar at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SE, focuses on women of the Hebrew Bible this fall, using Alice Ogden Bellis’ book, Helpmates, Harlots, and Heroes: Women’s Stories in the Hebrew Bible. Topics will include Eve, Jael and Deborah, Delilah, Texts of Terror, David’s Named Wives, Jezebel, the Queen of Sheba, Women in Proverbs, Women in the Prophets, Women in Proverbs, Women in Job, Ruth and Naomi, Esther, and Susanna and Judith. The class meets Sundays from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. in the chapel through Dec. 20. All ages, teenagers and older, are welcome. Dr. Bellis, Professor of Hebrew Bible at Howard University School of Divinity, will be leading the class.
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iam’s Kitchen, Arundel Lodge, Studio In-Sight, Pure Vision, First Street Gallery, Sophie’s Gallery and more. Outsider Art Inside the Beltway opens Saturday, Oct. 10 from 1 to 4 p.m. and will be on view through Nov. 16. Art Enables, 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE. 202-5549455. art-enables.org
Online Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape Launches
Capitol Hill Garden Club Annual Bulb Sale The Capitol Hill Garden Club is holding its annual bulb sale on Saturdays and Sundays in October, 8 a.m to 5 p.m., at Eastern Market. This year’s sale features a wide variety of unusual bulbs from Holland: multi-blooming and perennial species tulips (tulipa humilis Persian Pearl), multi-colored parrot tulips (Estella Rijnveld), Pheasant’s Eye daffodils, giant snowdrops, Dinnerplate daffodils, hyacinths, paperwhites, spring blooming, Giant Crocus, fall blooming saffron crocus, six spectacular varieties of Amaryllis, and more. You’ll find bulbs that bloom early, mid, or late spring. All bulbs for this sale come from De Vroomen Garden Products in Lisse, Holland. Capitolhillgardenclub.org
FDR and the Holocaust In his latest book, 1944: FDR and the Year that Changed History, best-selling author Jay Winik offers a fresh look at a pivotal year for America during World War II. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m., he and other prominent historians will discuss the era’s political leaders and the grave challenges they faced, including the rescue of Europe’s remaining Jews. U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW. ushmm.org.
Veterans Dedicate Peace Pole at Congressional Cemetery On Sunday, Sept. 20, Historic Congressional Cemetery and Veterans For Peace dedicated a Peace Pole at Congressional Cemetery to mark International Day of Peace. The Peace Pole Says: “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in English, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, German and Choctaw.
Outsider Art Inside the Beltway This fall marks the 10th annual Outsider Art Inside the Beltway exhibit where Art Enables debuts new work from their artists along with the best art being created in programs locally and across the country. This year, they welcome back the Studio at Mir-
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As part of its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Library of Congress has launched an online selection of recordings from its Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape, a series of audio recordings of renowned poets and prose writers reading Photo: Courtesy of the from their work in their naCapitol Hill Garden Club tive languages. Writers from the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, the Caribbean and US Hispanics/Latinos have been recorded. Available as streamed audio, 50 recordings are currently available at loc.gov/collections/archiveof-hispanic-literature-ontape/about-this-collection. Additional material from the collection will be added on a monthly basis.
DC Bar Business Law Training Series The DC Bar Pro Bono Center, the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development, the DC Small Business Development Center Network and Winston & Strawn LLP are presenting an eight-part course for existing small business owners. Participants will learn the basics of employment law, risk management, contracts, joint ventures and accounting from experienced business attorneys of DC’s most prestigious law firms. The course begins on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 5 to 7 p.m., and continues for the following seven consecutive Tuesdays. This program takes place at the Winston & Strawn, 1700 K St. NW. There is no cost. There is a one-time payment of $50 for materials. If you have any questions, contact Lauren Paley at lpaley@dcbar.org or 202737-4700 ext. 3357. Register at dcbar.org/marketplace/event-details. cfm?productcd=7522350.
“Say This Name” Campaign Honors Homicide Victims The “Say This Name” Campaign promotes connection and shared
humanity among all who care about the District by asking individuals and groups to take the simple step of marking each loss. Weekly emails facilitate this. To participate, visit SayThisName. wordpress.com and subscribe.
FHA Record of Decision Issued for South Capitol Street Corridor DC Department of Transportation Director Dormsjo has announced that the Federal Highway Administration approved the Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement and issued a Record of Decision for the South Capitol Street Corridor Project—both indicating federal approval of the project. The South Capitol Street Corridor Project will replace the existing Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge transforming the connected urban freeway into a beautiful scenic boulevard on both sides of the Anacostia River. The project is one of a series of transportation, environmental, economic, community and recreation projects included in the 30-year, $10 billion Anacostia Waterfront Initiative. Visit anacostiawaterfront.org/southcapitolstreetcorridor for more information.
New Phase of Third Street Tunnel Project Begun The DC Department of Transportation announces changes in the traffic patterns along Massachusetts Avenue and H Street NW, between Second and Fourth. During this phase of construction, H Street eastbound traffic, between Third and Fourth will expand to
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three lanes. Westbound H Street traffic will remain the same and Third Street traffic accessing the I-395 onramp will remain the same. Temporary daytime lane closures are expected throughout the construction work zone areas, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Occasional evening and weekend work will be scheduled as needed. During the lane closures, traffic cones, barrels, signage, and flaggers will be in place to redirect traffic. The changes are due to a new phase of utility relocation work relating to the Third Street Tunnel Project, which will include the removal, relocation and replacement of existing underground utilities. This is expected to last approximately two months.
Vermeer Loan Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Historic Retrospective The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has lent Johannes Vermeer’s Woman in Blue Reading a Letter (c. 1663) to the National Gallery of Art to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the landmark Johannes Vermeer exhibition, which opened here in November 1995. Woman in Blue Reading a Letter is on view through Dec. 1, 2016, in the Dutch and Flemish Cabinet Galleries alongside Vermeer paintings from the Gallery’s own collection. nga.gov
Free Days at the National Museum of Women in the Arts The first Sunday of every month, noon to 5 p.m., is a Community Day at the National Museum of Women in the Arts with free admission. Take this opportunity to explore current exhibitions as well as the museum’s collection. Enjoy a pop-up makerspace during community day on Nov. 1 and Jan. 3. Open to all ages. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. nmwa.org
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2015 Washington International Horse Show Washington International Horse Show tickets are now on sale for its 57th annual event, which will take place Oct. 20 to 25 at Verizon Center. Established in 1958, the Washington International Horse Show is one of the oldest and most prestigious equestrian sporting events in the US. More than 26,000 spectators attend the six-day show, which includes Olympic-level competition along with community and charity events. wihs.org
$200,000 Wildlife Rehab Funding Available The Department of Energy and Environment seeks eligible entities to provide wildlife rehabilitation services in the District of Columbia for sick, injured, and orphaned native and naturalized wild animals. The amount available for the project in this RFA is approximately $200,000. This amount is subject to availability of funding and approval by the appropriate agencies. The full text of the Request for Applications is available online at doee.dc.gov. The application deadline is Oct. 9, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. For more information, write to 2016wildlifeRFA.grants@dc.gov.
THE GIFT: An Interactive Arts Healing and Reconciliation Experience Before there was a television special on father absence, Jonetta Rose Barras had already written “Whatever Happened to Daddy’s Little Girl?” On Tuesday, Oct. 20, 5:30 to 8 p.m., on the Second Floor of the Reeves Center located at 14th and U Streets NW, Barras joins Esther Productions Inc., and artists/healers Brittany Ni-
cole Adams, Joy Jones and Tracie Robinson in presenting THE GIFT: An Interactive Arts Healing and Reconciliation Experience. The program features a specialized opening ceremony, creative exercises and a groupaffirmation. If you have suffered a traumatic loss like father absence and have had difficulty stabilizing your life or developing healthy relationships, then this powerful interactive, therapeutic healing may be for you. For more information call 202829-0591 or send an email to estherproductionsinc@gmail.com.
Historic Homes and the Issues They’re Hiding On Saturday, Oct. 10, 2 p.m., join professional home inspector, Sean Troxell, and learn about inspection techniques and issues found in different systems (plumbing, electrical, structure, etc.) of older homes and what to look out for when purchasing historic properties. Sean Troxell used to work at Community Forklift years ago. He completed the requirements for the state and passed the National Home Inspector exam in 2010. He has spent the last five years working for and learning from his father-in-law, who owns JD Grewell & Associates, Inc. He has been inspecting homes for over 40 years. Prior to inspecting and forklift-ing, he dabbled in many fields of the modern construction industry before falling in love with historic restoration construction. Sean lives in Riverdale Park in a turn of the century farmhouse with many unique aspects that he picked up in the Community Forklift warehouse. Free admis-
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October 2015 H 73
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A Plantsman’s Favorite Long-Blooming Perennials at the Arboretum On Friday, Oct. 27, 7 to 9 p.m. join Jimi Blake on a visual journey from Dublin to gardens worldwide, where he will share his favorite exciting and long-blooming perennials. Blake is a noted Irish horticulturist, teacher, and plantsman whose Hunting Brook Garden outside Dublin is considered Ireland’s most innovative landscape. Admission is $12 and registration is required at usna.usda.gov or call 202245-4521 for information.
Firearm Tip Reward Program Call 202-727-9099 if you know someone who has a gun or you know where illegal guns are being hidden. Do the right thing and help take another gun off the street. Your tip is completely anonymous and you will be eligible for a reward of up to $2,500. Read more at mayor.dc.gov/page/firearmtip-reward-program.
District DMV Inspection Station Returns to Fall/ Winter Hours The District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles Inspection Station, 1001 Half St. SW, has resumed its fall/winter hours, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. With more than 45 online and mail services available, DC DMV encourages customers to “skip the in-person trip,” and conduct their business online at dmv.dc.gov.
Capitals Casino Night Tickets Available Capitals Casino Night tickets are available now. Capitals Casino Night
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will take place on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel. The event benefits Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation and features gaming with Capitals players, a raffle, a silent auction and a live auction. Games include blackjack, Texas hold’em, roulette, craps and slots. There also will be an auction featuring Capitals game-used equipment as well as autographed items. A live auction will offer fans the chance to win unique, once-in-alifetime experiences with players and coaches. In addition fans can also win autographed memorabilia, hotel stays and gift certificates through the raffle. Tickets are limited. Attendees must be at least 21 to attend. To purchase tickets, visit WashingtonCaps.com.
Pepco Reminds Customers of Available Energy Assistance Programs The National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition has declared August as Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Action Month. Pepco reminds its customers they have numerous options to apply for energy assistance including LIHEAP, which provides critical home heating and cooling assistance to those who qualify. In the District of Columbia, the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) provides service to people who need energy assistance and want to be included in the Residential Aid Discount program. Residents must apply for assistance by calling 3-1-1 to schedule an in-person appointment or by completing an online application through the new DOEE web portal at doee.dc.gov/liheap. Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Email it to bulletinboard@hillrag.com. u
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Ending Homelessness The Impossible Dream? by Jonetta Rose Barras
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omelessness is fundamentally about a lack of housing.” This unequivocal declaration appears in “Homeward DC,” the recent report issued by DC’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH). It is an enthusiastic embrace by Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration of the philosophy of “Housing First.” The city is playing follow-the-leader. The Housing First methodology has been aggressively pushed for several years by the US Interagency Council on Homelessness. Not surprisingly, DC Department of Human Services Director Laura Zeilinger, whose agency handles the city’s homeless programs, once headed this organization. This is her second time at bat leading the District’s fight against homelessness. Prior to her stint in the federal government Zeilinger held a similar post under Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. Zeilinger tells the District Beat that during the past several years, which undoubtedly means under Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s administration, the city lost ground. “[It] stopped investing in permanent housing; it stopped investing in housing first.” Now, according to the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness (DCICH), the District has the “highest rate of chronic homelessness of other similarly sized cities in America, and family homelessness increased a
staggering 50 percent over the past five years,” she states. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development defines the chronic homeless person as “someone who has a disability, is unsheltered or sheltered, and has been homeless consistently for a year or more, or has had four separate episodes of homelessness within the last three years.” The Bowser administration has pledged to end chronic homelessness for families by 2017. That’s more than a notion. On any given day, under the flags of all the states flying just outside historic Union Station, there is an encampment of homeless men and women. It may be hard to see them from a car or bus; they are hidden inside the architecture. But there are dozens of them. It’s their anchor home, just as Franklin Park at 15th and K streets NW is for others, and Dupont Circle and the corner of 10th and G streets NW for still more. The 2015 “Point-in Time” count of the region’s homeless population found there was an overall 2.7 percent decrease between 2014 and 2105. But 63 percent of the 11,623 “literally homeless” individuals were in the District.
Is Homelessness the Problem? Unemployment, substance abuse, and mental health issues all contribute mightily to individuals and families becoming homeless. So is homelessness merely a symptom of an amalgam of social ills and gaps in the healthcare system? Or is it the singular problem? The Bowser administration’s own council found that at least one cause of the increase in homelessness in the District was the “closing of a state psychiatric institution without concomitant creation of community-based housing and services.” A primary cause for family homelessness is poverty, acknowledges Zeilinger. “The characteristics of the homeless are not much different than people who experience extreme poverty.” Yet no District official has called for a reassessment of the city’s decision to release massive numbers of persons with mental illness from government facilities and institutions. Nor have the city’s leaders floated an aggressive, comprehensive, and cohesive campaign – a local version of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society,” perhaps – focused on ending poverty. Instead there is a hodgepodge of programs without a common organizing core. Does Housing First provide the necessary structure?
Will “Housing First” Work?
From left, Executive Director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness Kristy Greenwalt, City Administrator Rashad Young, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Director of DC Department of Human Services Laura Zeilinger and DC Department of Housing and Community Development Director Polly Donaldson meet with members of the District’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) on September 1, 2015. During the meeting, Mayor Bowser announced a set of legislative and administrative measures to improve the Districtís homelessness crisis response system for families and called on residents to sign a pledge to end homelessness. Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah, DC Government
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Ralph da Costa Nunez, head of the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness, has conducted research around the impact of Housing First. It is important to provide shelter for the homeless, he agrees, with a caveat. “Thus far the data – collected in 12 cities from 2,300 participant families [by HUD] – shows that rapid re-housing does not prevent future episodes of homelessness,” he wrote in September in the Huffington Post. “For the majority of homeless families who constantly struggle with multiple manifestations of chronic poverty, rapid re-housing will not likely yield success,” Nunez wrote. Zeilinger differs with that view: “We’ve seen when we use Housing First we can dramatically reduce the number of homeless people.” Karen Cunningham, executive director of the Capitol Hill Group Ministries, says she is excited to see the city “putting significant resources into prevention that will really keep people from having to resort to shelter.” Her organization is one of several the city has tapped to provide those services, which could include working with families to mitigate conflicts that result in homelessness or persuading relatives to take in a family to keep them out of a shelter. “Under those circumstances,” says Cunningham, “it is going to be important for it to be clear that [families] don’t have to go into shelter to be connected to housing and other services they need.” The Bowser administration also expects to ramp up the production of affordable housing units. It has placed $100 million in the Housing Production Trust Fund. It also is asking the DC Council to change the current law, to permit the agency to “clarify and provide for a
more robust eligibility process.” Further, the mayor wants to have more flexibility on whether to house homeless families in apartments or what amounts to SROs – single rental occupancy units – which mimic efficiencies with communal bathrooms. “No one has seen the legislation,” says Cunningham. “It hasn’t been vetted with service providers.” Still there are some concerns. What happens, asks Cunningham, if a family in the “diversion program” has a problem with a relative and can no longer live in a particular place, and it happens on a warm night instead of a hypothermia evening which would give them a right to shelter? “Would the family be denied shelter?”
Deja Vu All Over Again That all sounds good. But, truth be told, there is very little difference in the “Homeward DC” plan from the DCICH and the 2004 “Homeless No More” proposal issued under Mayor Anthony Williams. The problem looks and feels the same, and one package of solutions echoes the other. Calling his plan a “blueprint for action,” Williams pledged to end homelessness in 2014. His administration also promised to construct 6,000 units of affordable housing for low-income residents, increase preventive services using local and federal resources, and coordinate with mainstream organizations to provide social services for the homeless. Now Bowser proposes to “develop a more effective crisis response system; increase the supply of affordable and supportive housing; remove barriers to [existing] affordable and supportive housing; increase economic security of households in our system; increase preventive efforts to stabilize households before housing is loss.” She has promised to end chronic homelessness by 2017, and pledged that by 2020 homelessness in the District will be “a rare, brief and non-recurring experience.” Despite the merry-go-round aspect of all of this, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, whose Committee of the Whole oversees homelessness, promises to move quickly on Bowser’s package of requested legislative changes. “What the city is trying to do makes sense,” he says, adding that “the executive will need to ensure homeless advocates concur with the proposed changes.” “There is a quality of life issue,” continues Mendelson, acknowledging that the city likely will never “end” homelessness.” Still, the Dis-
trict’s effort to house the homeless is “the right thing to do.” Dealing with the issue hasn’t been cheap and “it’s not going to be cheap. I don’t know if we’re ever going to get the cost down,” Mendelson adds. Bowser has set aside $26 million for homeless programs in fiscal year 2016. Combined with the housing trust money, the city could spend more than $126 million on housing the poor and homeless. Providing shelter is “less expensive than doing nothing. You can’t change their course without housing,” says Zeilinger. “If you don’t provide it, they will continue to suffer. You have to give people a fighting chance.”
What about Existing Social Services? It’s not as if the city doesn’t have an existing network it could more effectively use to prevent homelessness. Many at-risk families receive a variety of District social services: Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), food stamps, and lowcost or no-cost health insurance. Monitoring their situations more closely could help the city stay one step ahead of evictions leading to homeless shelters. Moreover, in any given week hundreds of troubled families and individuals can be found in the DC Superior Court’s Landlord Tenant Division. In these cases the city could opt to use its own housing subsidy program to provide vouchers to such families or individuals. Equally important, the city’s public housing administration has embraced a mixed-income housing renovation strategy. In Ward 8’s infamous Barry Farm complex, for example, such plans could jeopardize the living situation of dozen of families for whom there are no large rental apartment alternatives. “It’s a really complicated issue. There may be more than one worthy model,” says Cunningham, adding that the administration intends “to collect a lot of data to determine what works.” Didn’t the Williams administration, the Fenty administration, and the Gray administration also collect data? Yes, admits Cunningham. Yet this time “it feels to me there is genuine commitment to address this issue.” Is that a case of wishful thinking? Jonetta Rose Barras has reported or commented on District affairs for more than 20 years. She occasionally blogs at www.jonettarosebarras.com. u
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The Numbers Too Many Families in DC Live on $2 a Day. It’s Time to Do Something about It
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ard as it is to picture, a growing number of DC families live on less than $2 a day per person, and decisions by Mayor Bowser and the DC Council will help determine whether this problem gets worse over the next year – or better. Recent cuts in income assistance to DC’s poor families mean that 13,000 children are in families with incomes this low, and a pending time limit in DC’s welfare-to-work program could reduce families’ incomes even further starting next year. The District’s economy is growing but not creating equal opportunities for success. Some 18,000 more DC residents were poor in 2014 than in 2007, before the last recession, with AfricanAmericans being hardest hit. This stubbornly high poverty reflects jobs that have not fully come back since the recession, except for residents with a college degree or beyond. This means that there is no guarantee that families who lose support will be able to land a decent job. The District has an opportunity to do better. Mayor Bowser and the DC Council will be making changes over the next year to employment services and the time limit in the city’s welfareto-work program – TANF. Those changes will determine whether more families get the help and protections they need or, on the flip side, whether more families fall into deep poverty, with severe consequences for family stability and the ability of children to develop healthfully.
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by Ed Lazere The Safety Net for Children Is Getting Weaker A new book details the harmful impact of restrictive time limits on families facing limited job opportunities. The book, “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America,” found that the num-
combines with a low-wage labor market that fails to deliver on any of the above.” While time limits on cash assistance have been the norm for almost 20 years, there is growing evidence that they are leaving many vulnerable families without any help. In some states fewer than one in 10 poor families gets any assistance from their state’s welfare program. Yet the best job option for workers with limited skills often is a low-wage job with uneven hours that make planning family life and paying for necessities difficult. Many families who lose their cash assistance are therefore not able to replace that with a job.
DC’s Growing Number of $2-a-Day Families
ber of US families with extremely low incomes doubled over the past 20 years. The authors conclude that this is what happens “when a government safety net that is built on the assumption of full-time stable employment at a living wage
In DC the issue of time limits stems from legislation adopted in 2010 and 2011 that reduced cash assistance benefits for families who have received benefits for more than 60 months from DC’s TANF welfare program. Those benefits now equal $152 a month for a family of three – about $1.70 per day per person. Under the law, families that reach 60 months will lose all cash assistance in October 2016. Yet little is known about why so many DC families are not succeeding in the job market, and are instead opting for such a small TANF benefit. Research from other communities suggests that families who stay on cash assistance the longest tend to have problems with mental health or physical limitations, cognitive impairments, or responsi-
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bility for family members with disabilities. These barriers have been identified among DC families as well, though from research that is more than 10 years old. While little is known about the circumstances of families, a lot is known about their job opportunities, which are pretty bleak. • One of three DC adults without a college degree is either unemployed, working fewer hours than desired, or too discouraged to look for work. • Wages for DC residents with a high school diploma fell $2 an hour in just the last seven years, from $15 to $13 an hour. • Many residents without advanced education end up in retail or food service jobs, which tend to be part-time with uneven hours from week to week. Half of these workers get their schedule less than a week in advance, according to a recent survey in DC. And it is not uncommon to get sent home early – without pay – or to be told to be on call for work but not to be called in. It is not surprising, then, that poverty remains stubbornly high despite signs of a strong economy. About 110,000 DC residents are poor, living on less than $20,000 for a family of three. In 2007, before the last recession, 92,000 DC residents were poor.
Keeping Families Safe, Giving Them the Help They Need The District has important opportunities to improve the job prospects of its residents. Mayor Bowser has committed to reforming the city’s job training system, and a new federal law requires the city to develop a new workforce development plan by
March 2016. These efforts should focus on preparing residents for jobs in DC industries that are growing, and offer entry-level jobs and career pathways for workers without advanced education, especially in hospitality and health services. In addition to better education and training, the District can improve the quality of jobs for all working residents through increasing the minimum wage and requiring employers to give workers advance notice of their weekly schedules. DC’s minimum wage will rise to $11.50 next year, and an initiative may be on the ballot to raise it further, to $15 an hour by 2020. But it is not easy fully to address an economy that is benefitting a privileged few and leaving more behind. Many families will struggle to find work that pays enough and offers enough hours. That is why it is important to maintain a strong safety net. Fortunately the Bowser administration has committed to improving employment services and modifying its welfare time limit for families facing hardship. Those are positive steps, and the details will be important. There is reason to believe that policymakers and DC residents will support the idea of a welfare program that helps families gain the skills needed to succeed and protects children from harm. That’s the simple formula for making sure that no one has to live on just $2 a day. Ed Lazere is executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi. org). DCFPI promotes budget and policy solutions to reduce poverty and inequality in the District of Columbia and to increase the opportunity for residents to build a better future. u
Fabulous top floor unit in the mid-century modern Wilshire Park condominiums. This unit feels like you’re floating! Enjoy breathtaking views over historic Cleveland Park & Connecticut Avenue from the walls of glass. Stellar on the Avenue locale just steps from Metro, shops, restaurants & the Zoo.
Arlington N. $359,900
2BR/1 bath condo in the Georgetown Vista community w/749 sqft. of space, refinished hardwoods, fresh paint, updated bath, oversized windows, lovely courtyard setting and easy access to Metro. Enjoy spectacular views of the Potomac, Cathedral & Georgetown from your private balcony. Condo fee covers all utilities.
Arlington S. $669,900
Spacious all brick 3 level home with multiple entrances offering an extremely flexible floor plan with 7 bedrooms and 4 baths. Close to Shirlington & Columbia Pike. Plenty of room for all.
Falls Church $829,900
Expanded Lake Barcroft contemporary with water views. Enjoy 4,000 sqft. of space, 5bedrooms, 3 baths, chef’s “open concept” kitchen and dining room, fabulous outdoor entertaining areas and balcony with stunning lake views. Just steps to the beach!
Arlington N. $1,200,000
Totally remodeled and expanded 5 BR, 3 bath home offering 4,350 sqft. of space, remodeled kitchen/ great room addition, a screened-in porch and a finished attic loft/media room. Totally Turnkey!
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Enjoy over $650,000 in upgrades and additions. This 5BR, 5 bath Craftsman inspired expansion offers 4,300 sqft. of space, relaxing screened porch, exceptional lot & gorgeous arts & crafts detailing throughout.
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Spectacular 7 year young custom built 6,200 sqft. Craftsman nestled on a gorgeous half acre lot. This one checks all the boxes...and yes, there is a screened porch, library and finished attic too!
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CALL, EMAIL OR TEXT WEICHERT REALTORS ARLINGTON OFFICE #1 AGENT TODAY October 2015 H 79
{capitol streets}
Can You Hear Me Now? Residents Feel Pressured by Verizon to Transition to Fiber
I
t is a sound no homeowner wants to hear. The sound of an intruder. James Thorn – a Capitol Hill resident – hears someone trying to climb over the back fence of his house, in a likely attempt to break in through the back door. Usually his house is protected by a security system, which includes video surveillance of his property, connected through his copper phone line. Additionally he has a medical alert system lined throughout his house. These serve many purposes. Thorn is 69 years old, and his mother had lived in his house until she passed away. The medical system is his best line of defense in a worst-case scenario, much like his security system. The problem is, everything is disconnected. The copper wire has been inactive for months, after Verizon cut his service in April, and he has been dealing with the company – and several of its technicians – to restore his landline and the systems he runs through it. Thankfully the intruder was scared off when the lights in his backyard were activated, and the police did not have to intervene. But for Thorn it’s a matter of what could have been, rather than what happened. “Was I in danger? No, but I could’ve been,” said Thorn. “Before my mother died, I had her in my house, and if that had happened then, I could’ve never gotten her out … [Verizon] did not have regard to my safety for three and a half months.”
by Miles Surrey I’m retired and I didn’t have that many business calls, but there were no calls coming. I said, ‘Hey, I’m lucky. My clients are leaving me alone.’’’ When Thorn returned to DC he realized his landline had no dial tone. Using his neighbor’s phone, Thorn contacted Verizon and was informed that he had disconnected his service and given up his phone number, both of which he claims are untrue. While Thorn has a cell phone, he said he only recently purchased it and was still not accustomed to using it. Worst of all, he had left
Not an Isolated Incident Thorn’s issue with Verizon was one shared by many DC residents, and the PSC was in the process of issuing an order on their behalf. “It is something that was brought to our attention by quite a few DC residents over the last couple of years and it led us to open an investigation into how Verizon was handling the transition from copper-based fixed telephone service to fiber-based switch telephone service,” said Betty Ann Kane, chair of the PSC. “We had several community hearings on it … and we saw that this was a problem that was occurring for a lot of customers.” The order broadly calls for Verizon to “improve its effort to educate telephone customers about the differences between telephone service provided over copper facilities and telephone service provided over fiber facilities.”
Oops! No Service The issue with Verizon began when Thorn inquired about their bundle, and after reviewing their offer told them that he would talk with other companies – such as Verizon’s chief competitor AT&T – to see what they could offer in comparison. From there Thorn spent time in his lodge in West Virginia for a couple of weeks. Nothing seemed out of place. “While up there, I was noticing I did not start receiving my phone calls,” said Thorn. “Of course
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In the process Thorn was not able to access certain bank accounts because he could not verify his home phone number. He estimates he lost thousands of dollars from a local business he runs because clients weren’t able to contact him. Frustrated with the lack of clarity from Verizon – and the lengthy delay of the restoration of his service – Thorn contacted Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen to discuss the issue and see how he could respond. In an email Allen wrote that the Public Service Commission (PSC) would be best equipped to handle the issue, as they deal with regulated utilities such as phone service.
Verizon: You Can Keep Your Copper his cell phone in his West Virginia lodge, leaving him without any means of contacting people from his home for days. In the coming months Thorn had several visits from Verizon technicians to attempt to restore his service. More than once Thorn said he was told the only way he would be able to reestablish his service was to switch from a copper line to a fiber-optic line, such as the digital service Verizon FiOS.
The order also calls for Verizon to allow its customers to keep their copper service, if that is what they prefer. It is something John Bonomo, director of media relations for Verizon Northeast, says the company will abide by, as they always have. “If [customers] want to, we’re certainly going to abide by the rule,” said Bonomo. However, Bonomo added that fiber-optic service is more stable, emphasizing it’s a service catering to the digital age, whereas copper service is
older and less reliable. “Frankly, fiber provides a better service. Would you rather have something that’s built in the year 2015, or would you rather have something that’s built in the year 1960, which is what the copper network is?” asked Bonomo. In Thorn’s case his copper service was reestablished in July. But the outcome was long and arduous, and he still wanted to push back. He presented his complaint to the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, and with the assistance of an investigator with its Public Advocacy Section sent an official letter to Verizon regarding the issue. In response, one month later Verizon dropped all charges for Thorn’s repairs with Verizon technicians. Thorn was not satisfied with Verizon’s answer. He believed the company’s response did not explain why the service was disconnected in the first place, and why the process to reestablish connection took over three months instead of a few days. He wanted Verizon to apologize and admit its wrongdoing rather than just dropping the charges. “That’s all I want. No monetary gain,” said Thorn. “All I want to know is why, and not be given these excuses.” Most importantly he wants to raise awareness for the issue he faced, as he believes this is a problem shared by many residents, and senior citizens in particular. While he was able to weather the storm, others may not be able to. “Luckily, I can afford it. Other people in my neighborhood cannot,” said Thorn. “I don’t mind paying a bit more for good service, that’s the way life is. But what they’re doing is forcing people, and they should not do that.” u
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October 2015 H 81
{capitol streets / our river}
An Environment Foul at the Soccer Stadium? Our River by Bill Matuszeski
A
few months ago I reported on efforts by the District government to pursue a voluntary cleanup of the site of the new DC United Soccer Stadium on Buzzard Point. The DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) committed itself to carrying out an open process of analysis. In particular it pledged to accept public comments on the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development’s (DMPED) Cleanup Action Plan (CAP) for 90 days this fall. On Aug. 14 the DOEE gave notice in the DC Register that it had received the CAP from DMPED. This is the part of the Voluntary Cleanup Plan (VCP) that quantifies the risk from toxic pollution and details remediation. The deadline for citizen comments was Sept. 4. Any normal person would have assumed the clock would have begun ticking on the 90-day deadline for the completion of agency review. The citizen review and comment can be scheduled at any time during the 90-day review period, according to DOEE. DC Code § 8-636.01 provides: • “(a) Prior to the approval of any application or cleanup action plan (CAP), and before the issuance of a Certificate of Completion, DOEE shall provide the public with a 14-day notice to comment on the proposed approval or issuance. Public comments required pursuant to this section shall be considered by DOEE in acting upon an application, cleanup action plan (CAP), or the issuance of a Certificate of Completion.” • “(b) The notice issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be published in the District of Columbia Register, and shall be mailed to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in the neighborhood where the concerned property is located. The notice may also be published in a newspaper of general circulation.” The statute does not define what “mailed” means. However, under the act establishing Advisory
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Neighborhood Commissions (DC Code § 1-309.10(b)–(c)), notice of “proposed District government actions” generally must be in the form of first-class mail. Approval of a CAP is not such an action for the purposes of that law. However, since first-class mail is how ANCs are generally notified by the District, arguably they are entitled to the notice by first-class mail. It is DOEE policy to provide 21 days of public notice, stated an agency representative. On Aug. 3, DOEE received the CAP from DMPED. DOEE sent all ANC 6D Commissioners a Dropbox link to the document on Aug. 4. Andy Litsky requested a physical version. The agency provided him with three CDs on Aug. 5. The CAP was not sent via the US Postal Service. “So, the ANC and one private citizen actually had 30 days to review, not the 14 days required by law,” pointed out a DOEE representative in an email.
Dissing the Public Joe and Jane Public had to remember to read the August DC Register and submit their comments on the CAP from the beach before Labor Day. DOEE provided no version of the CAP on its website. Residents were required to contact the department and request a copy. DMPED scheduled no meetings to explain its plan. Tight timing of the comment period made any meaningful review of the CAP by ANC 6D impossible, since the commission does not hold an August meeting. Commissioners Andy Litsky and Ronda Hamilton submitted individual comments, since there was no opportunity for ANC 6D to vote on a collective position. So much for “great weight.” After some protest on the part of community residents and environmentalists, a meeting was held on Sept. 21. What had happened? Here is one theory. DC United, which bears the construction cost of the new stadium, apparently had a change of plans. Rather than take delivery of the stadium in early 2018, some exposition games were scheduled for December 2017. The new plans required cutting a few months out of the proposed construction schedule. To adhere to DC United’s wishes, a decision was made somewhere in the Wilson Building to move up the CAP approval to
Sept. 30. The public comment period was shortened from 90 to 21 days to accommodate this date. Asked whether this theory was correct, officials in DOEE and DMPED remained silent.
An Absence of Crucial Detail If DOEE’s rush to approval was not bad enough, DMPED’s CAP itself was a complete disappointment. In my opinion it fell well short of activist and citizen expectations in the manner in which it dealt with the issues of toxic contamination resulting from the long history of industrial activity on Buzzard Point, particularly on the parcels located between R, T, 2nd, and Half streets SW. Moreover DMPED’s CAP contained no details on identifying and removing toxic chemicals in the deep groundwater from the area that includes the site and the land between it and the Anacostia River, 500 feet to the east. According to the District, there were three reasons for the CAP’s lack of detail. First, the construction will not actually reach the deep groundwater, which lies about 20 feet down. The excavation will go down seven feet. There is also a layer of clay underneath the land below that depth that will prevent the contaminated water perched above from entering the deep groundwater. Second, regulations governing a VCP do not require the builder to “chase the contamination off the site,” but merely to define its extent and remediate the contaminated soil and perched water at the venue in question. Third, the city plans to dig deep monitoring wells to ensure that the clay layer is not penetrated, which would contaminate the deep ground water. DOEE’s rush to approve the CAP has complicated matters. The CAP proposes to remove an existing toxic surface pond on the site as well as any contaminated soils and perched water. Other groundwater, initially identified in the VCP application and reported during DC Council hearings as “contaminated,” is now said to be “perched water,”
intermittently present over the clay layer. While water above the clay will be removed, deep groundwater below the clay layer will be left in place untreated. The submitted CAP called for removal and replacement of 10 feet of soil over the entire site, but DMPED has since revised. Now, about 200 borings will be done on site. The highly contaminated soils will be removed, and those less contaminated will be treated in situ. This is a much more complicated process subject to great risker, in my opinion.
Unexpected Good News There is some unexpected good news about the contaminated groundwater on Buzzard Point. Construction is about to begin nearby on the replacement South Capitol Street Bridge. According to DOEE Director Tommy Wells, this will require the removal and treatment of deep groundwater throughout the area. Other issues remain. Air-quality monitoring must be carried out during the six to eight months required to sort and remove the toxic soils. In sum, the city’s rush to judgment on the VCP significantly undermined public confidence in what should have been a straightforward environmental win for its residents. Why the self-inflicted wound? The public’s confidence in the DOEE’s process will be difficult to regain. “The rush is pushing the people aside, and I cannot take back confidence to my community,” states Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Rhonda Hamilton (6D06). In my opinion, a judicial review of the city’s process to date would bring the entire project to a screaming halt. If this is Mayor Muriel Bowser’s “New Era of Government Accountability,” I fear for the health of Our River. Bill Matuszeski writes monthly about the Anacostia River. He is the retired director of the Chesapeake Bay Program, DC vicechair of the Citizens Advisory Committee on the Anacostia River, and a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia River. u
October 2015 H 83
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The ABCs of Zoning: Part II
Z
oning regulations are approved by the Zoning Commission (ZC). Unlike most municipalities, zoning regulations are not subject to the authority of the DC Council or mayor. The commission is an independent body with five members. Three are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the DC Council. Another is a representative of the National Park Service. The last is a representative of the Architect of the Capitol. The only appeal of a ZC decision is to the courts. However, all changes to the zoning regulations are subject to review and comment by the National Capitol Planning Commission (NCPC) as to the impact on the federal interest. The ZC has a few other powers as well. For example it has design review of projects in certain overlay zones, such as on the 4th Street SE corridor south of M Street (aka The Yard and formerly known as the South East Federal Center). Changes to the zoning regulations generally take the form of either a text amendment (changing the actual regulations) or a map amendment (changing the zoning designation for a specific parcel of land). The ZC and the Office of Planning (OP) are in the final stages of a comprehensive rewrite of the regulations known as the Zoning Regulations Review (ZRR).
Tweaking Zoning Other than changing the actual zoning regulations, there are two ways to seek exceptions to (“relief from”) the regulations: file for “relief” with the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) or file an application with the ZC as a planned unit development (PUD). Shorthand is that small projects (the addition to your house) go to the BZA while large projects tend toward PUDs. But not necessarily. The developers of the former Buchanan School on 13th Street SE have decided to ask BZA for a set of exceptions rather than go the route of a PUD. In contrast, the proposed Watkins Alley project nearby is a PUD. The BZA is an independent body like the Zoning Commission. It is made up of five members: three appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the DC Council, a representative from the
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by Ken Jarboe NCPC, and a member of the ZC (on a rotating basis). There are two types of relief from the zoning regulations granted by BZA: variances and special exceptions. Special exceptions are particular permissions granted under the zoning regulations in certain conditions. The specific conditions are spelled out in the regulations. For example, while a rowhouse in an R-4 zone can only occupy 60 percent of the lot, the BZA may grant a special exception of up to 70 percent. A fast food restaurant is not allowed in a C-2-A zone, but the BZA can grant a special exception waiving that requirement. To be granted a special exception the applicant must show that the exception “will be in harmony with the general purpose and intent of the Zoning Regulations and Zoning Maps and will not tend to affect adversely the use of neighboring property in accordance with the Zoning Regulations and Zoning Maps.” In addition, certain special exceptions have specific criteria that must be met. For example, an application for any special exceptions for an addition to a house needs to show that 1) “The light and air available to neighboring properties shall not be unduly affected” and 2) “The privacy of use and enjoyment of neighboring properties shall not be unduly compromised.” Variances are granted to waive a specific part of the regulations. Variances are granted for use and for size (“area”). The criteria for granting a variance are stricter than for a special exception. The application must show “peculiar and exceptional practical difficulties to or exceptional and undue hardship” in conforming to the zoning regulations due to “exceptional topographical conditions or other extraordinary or exceptional situation or condition of a specific piece of property.” The application must also show that the relief can be granted “without substantial detriment to the public good and without substantially impairing the intent, purpose, and integrity of the zone plan.” As part of granting a variance or special exception, the BZA can require certain mitigation actions or other restrictions. For example, cases involving restaurants often include provisions on
trash removal and rat abatement. If the building or the use is already non-conforming (does not comply with the regulations), then any work on the building will require either a variance or special exception to bring it into compliance. A non-conforming use can continue as long as the use remains basically the same. The Office of Zoning (OZ, not to be confused with the Zoning Administrator, ZA) acts as staff to the Zoning Commission and the BZA. However, it is the OP that makes substantive recommendations to the ZC and BZA on each case. The local Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) also reviews ZC and BZA cases, at the commissioners’ discretion. The ANC in which the project is located is automatically a party in the case, and its recommendations are given “great weight.” Nearby ANCs can ask to be made a party to a case as an “affected ANC.” The ZA is part of the building permit process. Most construction or repair projects require a building permit. Permit applications are subject to review by various parts of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), such as those involving structural, mechanical, plumbing, or electrical issues. Part of the review is conducted by the ZA to see if the project conforms to the zoning regulations. If the ZA finds that the project meets the zoning regulations, the project is considered as a “matter-of-right.” At that point the zoning review is essentially done. If the ZA finds that the project does not meet the zoning regulations, the applicant for the building permit can file for an exception and/or variance with the BZA, or file as a PUD, or even ask the ZC to change the zoning regulations. The ZA must tell the applicant exactly what part of the zoning regulations the project does not meet, for example the lot occupancy requirements under §403. If the applicant or other party (such as the ANC) thinks the ZA’s decision was wrong, they can appeal that decision to the BZA. Note that if the project is in a historic district or is a building that has been designated as historic, it is subject to review by the Historic Preservation Office (HPO) and possibly the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). But that is a
17 Y ears
separate (and sometimes conflicting) process from zoning review. The final check on the process is the issuance of a certificate of occupancy (CoO). Before issuing the CoO, DCRA reviews and inspects the project to make sure the work was done correctly. That review also checks to make sure the project meets any requirements placed on it by the ZC or the BZA.
Large-Scale Changes A developer that wants to transform the underlying zoning of a parcel rather than modify it must apply for relief to the Zoning Commission by filing a PUD. A PUD is a comprehensive set of waivers to the zoning regulations for a particular building project. However, a PUD is not a blanket waiver. The ZC can waive the requirements as part of a PUD only so far. In general a PUD is granted “flexibility” in zoning (greater height, larger massing, mixed use, etc.) in exchange for public benefits and project amenities – including exceptional design. The project must not be “inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan,” and the impact of the project on the surrounding area must be “either favorable, capable of being mitigated, or acceptable given the quality of public benefits in the project.” PUDs come in a variety of sizes. They can be large, multi-building, multi-phase projects such as the Capper/Carrollsburg project across from the Navy Yard or The Wharf project on the Southwest waterfront. They can be somewhat more compact projects such as the Hine development near Eastern Market or the City Market at O Street project in Shaw. They can even be single buildings such as at 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. SE near Barney Circle. The ZC can require certain mitigation actions and plans, such as limiting the hours of use of a loading dock. Public benefits and project amenities can encompass a range of actions such as specific on-site and off-site landscaping, employment and training programs, affordable housing, support of community organizations, transportation amenities, and recreation and park facilities. For example, The Wharf development offered a package of affordable housing, em-
ployment commitments, and LEED-certified buildings that are standard for most developments. They also offered very specific local commitments including rebuilding the Capital Yacht Club and its associated marina, upgrading the municipal Fish Market, and providing parking and housing for Arena Stage. In the case of the Hine project, the specific local commitments included restrictions on load and deliveries, office space for ANC 6B, and financial contributions to upgrade the Metro plaza and add a playground on the north half.
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Navigating the ABCs The bottom-line process for navigating the alphabet soup starts here. If you have a project that requires building permits, first check the zoning. If you are unsure, ask the office of the ZA. If you need “relief” then you should check with the OP. You will need to determine whether you go before the ZC – usually for big projects – or the BZA – usually for small projects. In either case you will file your paperwork with the Office of Zoning (OZ) as to why you should be granted a special exception or variance. Once the ZC or BZA rules on your case you can finish getting your building permits from the DCRA. If you are interested in supporting or fighting someone else’s project, the path is slightly different. Again first check the zoning, and if you are unclear ask the ZA. Also check to see if the project fits the Comprehensive Plan and look at any OP reports. Find out from the OZ when the BZA or ZC hearing is and prepare your testimony. Be sure your argument sticks to the criteria for granting or denying the special exception, variance, or PUD. And of course, as a last resort take the matter to court. Simple, really, once you get the hang of it. (The first part of this two-part series was published in the September Hill Rag.) Ken Jarboe is a long-time resident of Capitol Hill. A former ANC commissioner and chair of ANC 6B, he has attended and testified at many zoning meetings and hearings. He currently serves as a resident member of ANC 6B’s Planning and Zoning Committee. u
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ANC 6A Education Forum
T
he September ANC 6A meeting was preceded by a two-hour Education Forum that included Councilmember Charles Allen and State Board of Education Representative Joe Weedon, plus principals or other representatives from the following schools that service ANC 6A: Eastern Senior High School, Eliot-Hine Middle School, Maury Elementary School, Miner Elementary School, Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School, and School Within School (SWS). Several PTA/PTO members attended as well. Chair Phil Toomajian noted that the ANC was committed to supporting neighborhood schools, encouraging community members to do likewise, and helping the schools fill the “community representative” seats on their LSATS (similar to a board of directors). Allen discussed budget issues, particularly cuts to the capital budget, some of which have been restored. He emphasized that modernization of the middle schools’ facilities is key to their success. A state-of-the-art science lab will soon open at Eliot-Hine Middle School, and funding is in place so that the school community can begin a visioning process for future improvements. Allen also noted that Maury Elementary School is at or beyond capacity and will be hard-pressed to accommodate the recent expansion of school boundaries. Additional classrooms are needed; funds for this purpose have been allocated but it’s unclear whether they will be sufficient. The Miner playground was destroyed by fire this summer; restoring it must be a priority. There are also serious and continuing after-hours security concerns on the playground. Ludlow Taylor has made great strides in attracting neighboring families but is in need of an improved play space. Allen also spoke to two policy issues. “At risk” funding is supposed to follow the student but doesn’t always. He put forward a “Disapproval Resolution” regarding the DC Council’s renewal of Chartwell’s contract to provide school lunches to District schools. There have been complaints about the quality of the meals. Other vendors may now compete for next year’s contract.
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by Elizabeth Nelson Weedon explained his role on the State Board of Education as “to be your voice” and to ensure that the basic needs of schools are being met. The board is considering moving to “competency based” high school graduation requirements and perhaps awarding a diploma to those completing a GED. It is also evaluating the effect of standardized testing on curriculum and classroom activities. Like Allen, he is concerned about “at risk” funding, whether it is being spent as it should be. And he shares Allen’s concerns about successful modernization, especially at the middle school level, declaring that families shouldn’t be expected to send their children to schools with inadequate basic facilities. Eastern Senior High School Principal Rachel Skerritt has been receiving good reports from recent graduates, now attending college, who feel they were well prepared. Eastern has diverse course offerings and welcomes community members who can address a class or participate in Career Day. Neighbors can support the school by spreading the word through social media. Weedon noted that Eastern students are available for volunteer activities in the community. Skerritt acknowledged that a few of her students have been accused of unruly or even criminal behavior. Students are subject to school discipline from the time they leave the grounds until they arrive at their homes. Skerritt requested that she be notified of any problems, directly and immediately, so that she can intervene and enforce Eastern’s high expectations of students. She is working closely with the Metropolitan Police Department to ensure security during school activities, including football games. She can be reached at Rachel.Skerritt@dc.gov or 202698-4500. Eliot-Hine Principal Tynika Young announced that the school’s international baccalaureate authorization visit is scheduled for October. Students in the eighth grade are required to develop their own community outreach programs, which they work on throughout the year and present before a panel. Young noted that the physical and emotional changes that middle school stu-
dents experience present challenges and that the children will make mistakes, but that Eliot-Hine is committed to helping them “get it right.” They are expected to be critical thinkers, good communicators, and to focus on “success, organization, accountability and respect.” Young is particularly proud of the school’s robotics and media programs. The latter includes both radio and television components and is unique in the District. Young echoed Allen and Weedon’s call for fully funding middle school modernizations. Miner Elementary School Principal Anne Evans spoke about the Reggio Emilio program for three- and four-year-olds. The children’s interests drive instruction. They take advantage of the unique opportunities in our city and are often out in the community doing their research, returning to the school to integrate what they’ve learned. Miner has relationships with the Kennedy Center, the US Department of State, and Howard University. Evans is concerned about the playground, which is both unsafe and tempting. Faculty and staff must be vigilant to keep children from getting hurt. Until repairs are made, students are walking to the Rosedale Recreation Center to use those facilities. They also take advantage of activities at the nearby Rosedale Library. The PTO is sponsoring an education forum in September to encourage a community conversation about future participation in the school. Maury Elementary School Principal Carolyne Albert-Garvey gave an introduction to programs offered at the school including Readers and Writers Workshop and Singapore Math. She noted that the community must pay for teacher training that DC Public Schools does not provide. Maury offers differentiated learning by level to meet students’ “just right needs.” The school has a special focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) instruction, and last year the entire fifthgrade class attended space camp together. Family engagement is a key component, so much so that a delegation from Cambodia recently visited the school to learn how Maury manages this. Albert-Garvey said that the charter schools start mid-
Here Is What My Clients Are Saying... I am entirely confident you will be pleased with Dare’s services, and your property will get sold at the best possible price with the least hassle. dle school in fifth grade, which is “disruptive” to Maury and other elementary schools. She asked that others join the fight against this practice. Principal John Burst provided information on the SWS special program for children with “sensory integration issues.” There is an appreciation of “what each child brings to the school.” There are special gardening and art activities and musical training on instruments for all. Ludlow-Taylor’s principal was unable to attend, so the school was represented by a parent, Paul Gay. Gay has been very pleased with the “excellent” teaching and the arts integration program and expressed confidence that anyone sending a child to the school would be equally impressed. However, he noted that unlike those at some other Hill schools, Ludlow-Taylor families are not yet in a position to provide significant additional funding themselves. He asked that the school budget reflect this so that Ludlow-Taylor can offer more programs. Toomajian pointed to 6A’s long tradition of providing grants to PTAs, PTOs, and other organizations working within the schools. The ANC currently has a budget for this, and qualified nonprofits serving residents of ANC 6A are encouraged to apply. Commissioner Stephanie Zimny ended the forum with the observation that Miner Elementary, where the ANC holds monthly meetings, would benefit from more support from volunteers, and encouraged the community to assist. u
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ANC 6A Report by Elizabeth Nelson Report from Executive Office of the Mayor Seth Shapiro, the Ward 6 liaison, reported that a review of the first six months of Mayor Bowser’s term has been published. He presented an outline of the mayor’s safety plan (details available at mayor.dc.gov/page/saferstronger). Community members are being asked to sign a pledge of support for the mayor’s plan to end homelessness in the District. The pledge forms provided for this purpose focused on collecting extensive contact information and did not include any specific recommendations or suggest any actions one might take or activities one might engage in. The form is available at mayor.dc.gov/homewarddc. Shapiro also reported on FitDC, a health and wellness initiative that links residents to nutrition and physical fitness resources in their communities. A series of Ward Walks is planned, including one through Rosedale (dpr.dc.gov/featured-content/fit-dc).
Presentation by Department of Government Services Jackie Stanley of the Department of Government Services (DGS) explained that DGS has the responsibility for construction and maintenance of all District facilities except libraries. She reported that an RFP has been issued for work on the Madison Shelter project, a women’s facility at 10th and G streets NE. She also reported that a new camera system would be installed to address
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community concerns regarding criminal activity in the immediate vicinity of the shelter. Upgraded security cameras have already been installed at the Sherwood Recreation Center, across the street.
Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee Actions Commissioners voted 7-0-0 to support a request by Kitty’s Saloon, 1208 H St. NE, for a summer garden and entertainment endorsement.
Transportation and Public Space Committee Actions The interior of the block bounded by 15th, 16th, D, and E streets NE is a very large, privately owned, unkempt space with trash and abandoned cars contributing to rodent problems. It is also the scene of public intoxication and other unsafe and possibly illegal activities that are affecting the quality of life for adjacent residents. Those living nearby requested ANC support for turning the area into a community garden – and submitted a petition to that effect. The commissioners voted 7-0-0 to support the residents’ request. Commissioners voted 7-0-0 to send a letter of support for Vendetta’s (1212 H St. NE) public space application, provided the owners agree to these and other conditions: no changes to the hours when the front windows are open, no changes to the current settlement agreement, and maintenance of the adjacent tree box. The commissioners also gave unanimous support for a traffic-calming application for the 400 block of 19th Street NE. Vice-Chair Omar Mahmud announced that Rappaport, the developer of the H Street Con-
nection project, will present updated landscaping plans at the September Transportation and Public Space Committee meeting. Look for them on the homepage at www.anc6a.org.
Economic Development and Zoning actions Commissioners voted 7-0-0 to send a letter to the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) in support of an application for funding made by the owners of 1431 E St. NE to support their planned renovation of the 10-unit building at that address. This was the only local request for DHCD funds so there was no need to consider competing claims. Commissioners also gave unanimous support for two cases before the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA): a special exception from lot occupancy and rear yard requirements to install a spiral staircase at the rear of 1617 Gales St. NE (BZA 19104) and a variance from off-street park-
ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A PHIL TOOMAJIAN, CHAIR, PHILANC6A@GMAIL.COM Serving the Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, and Stanton Park communities ANC 6A generally meets the second Thursday of the month, at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE.
www.anc6a.org ing requirements at 1028 D St. NE (BZA 19084).
Other Business Mahmud announced that residents on Wylie Street are interested in the possibility of establishing a new historic district. ANC 6A will facilitate their investigation by sponsoring public meetings on the issue, to be managed by the Economic Development and Zoning Committee. These will be publicized on the ANC website, www.anc6a.org, and through the Listservs. Neighbors have expressed reservations about the desirability of the Department of Parks and Recreation’s draft plans to alter the landscaping in the triangle park bounded by 15th Street, Constitution Avenue, and North Carolina Avenue NE, citing potential harm to the existing trees and expressing skepticism about the ability of the department to maintain the space. Commissioner Matt Levy said he will hold a single-member-district meeting to discuss these concerns, which he will have posted on the website calendar and Listservs. This matter was on the August agenda of the Transportation and Public Space Committee and may be again in September. Draft plans are posted on the homepage of the ANC 6A website. Commissioner Patrick Malone noted that the conditions at the Kingsman Dog Park have deteriorated and he is working with DPR to improve maintenance. The traffic light requested by ANC 6A for 10th Street and Maryland Avenue NE has been installed. New signs have been installed at 15th Street NE indicating that “cross traffic does not stop.”
Announcements Heather Schoell, an agent with Berkshire Hathaway HS PenFed Realty, introduced herself as the new organizer of Hilloween, a Capitol Hill tradition. The event will be held this year on Friday, Oct. 30, instead of on
Halloween, because the street can’t be closed on a Saturday. The festivities will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Eastern Market on the 200 and 300 blocks of Seventh Street SE. There will be a photo booth, moonbounce, face painting, costume parade, children’s craft activities, and more. For additional information visit facebook. com/HilloweenatEasternMarket. Sherwood Day will be celebrated on Sept. 26 at the recreation center. ANC 6A meets on the second Thursday of every month (except August) at Miner Elementary School. The 6A committees meet at 7:00 p.m. on the following dates: Alcohol Beverage and Licensing, third Tuesday of every month at the Sherwood Recreation Center. Community Outreach, fourth Monday of each month, Maury Elementary School. Economic Development and Zoning, third Wednesday of each month, Sherwood Recreation Center. Transportation and Public Space, third Monday of every month, Capitol Hill Towers. Visit www.anc6a.org for a calendar of events, agendas, and other information. u
ANC 6B Report by Jonathan Neeley 6B Wants To Connect Residents With The Police Department Given the crime spike that happens every summer and 2015’s unexpected rise in violent crimes, 6B sent a letter to Jeff Brown, the commander of the Metropolitan Police Department’s 1st District, with ideas for how the MPD can strengthen its relationship with residents. The letter thanked Brown for the
Next ANC 6A meeting is 2nd Thursday, October 8th 7 p.m, Miner E.S., 601 15th St. NE Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee - Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 7pm at Sherwood Recreation Center • 640 10th St., NE Jay Williams - Co-Chair (906-0657) / Christopher Seagle - Co-Chair
Transportation & Public Space Committee - Monday, Oct. 19, 2015 7pm at Capitol Hill Towers Community Room • 900 G St., NE J. Omar Mahmud - Co-Chair (594-9848) / Todd Sloves - Co-Chair
Economic Development & Zoning Committee - Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015 7pm at Sherwood Recreation Center • 640 10th St., NE Dan Golden - Co-Chair (641-5734) / Andrew Hysell - Co-Chair
Community Outreach Committee - Monday, Oct. 26, 2015 NOW HELD EVERY 4TH MONDAY OF THE MONTH
7pm at Maury Elementary School • 1250 Constitution Ave., NE Multi-purpose Room (enter from 200 Block of 13 Street) Dana Wyckoff - Co-Chair (571-213-1630) / Raphael Marshall - Co-Chair
Please check the Community Calendar on the website for cancellations and changes of venue.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C P.O. Box 77876 • Washington, D.C. 20013-7787 • www.anc6c.org • (202) 547-7168 ANC 6C generally meets the second Wednesday of each month. 214 Massachusetts Ave NE
ANC 6C COMMISSIONERS ANC 6C01 Daniele Schiffman Daniele.Schiffman@gmail.com
ANC 6C04 Mark Eckenwiler 6C04@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C02 Karen Wirt (202) 547-7168 6C02@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C05 Christopher Miller 6C05@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C03 Scott Price (202) 577-6261 6C03@anc.dc.gov scott.price@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C06 Tony Goodman (202) 271-8707 tonytgood@gmail.com
ANC 6C COMMITTEES Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee First Monday, 7 pm Contact: (870) 821-0531 anc6c.abl.committee@gmail.com
Transportation and Public Space Committee First Thursday, 7 pm Contact: mark.kaz.anc@gmail.com
Grants Committee Last Thursday, 7 pm Contact: ducotesb1@gmail.com
Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development First Wednesday, 7 pm Contact: zoning@eckenwiler.org Twitter: @6C_PZE
Parks and Events Committee First Tuesday, 7 pm Contact: christinehealey100@gmail.com
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extra meetings he and his department have recently held, as well as for the support and special attention he has given particular events and problem areas. But it also asked him to up his agency’s involvement. “We continue to receive numerous emails from constituents asking for information on how MPD is addressing increased criminal activity,” it read. “Many residents are unaware of monthly Public Service Area meetings, the First District listserv, and other ways that residents can stay abreast of MPD activities. The letter proposed three ideas for building “a stronger, more constructive and communicative relationship between MPD and Capitol Hill residents:” a few times per year, MPD representatives could provide updates at ANC 6B meetings; MPD could host a public safety meeting in the spring to help residents get ready for the annual increase in crime; MPD could provide regular reports on “problem areas,” and that its crime reports include 2-3 sentences about the incident at hand rather than just stating type of incident. 6B asked Brown to meet with Commissioner Brian Flahaven, the chair of the Outreach and Constituent Services Task Force, to discuss moving forward.
Summer Crime Stats
In an email to constituents, 6B chair Kirsten Oldenburg outlined summer crime data for the police PSAs that cover 6B, which the police department recently released. PSA 106 saw 39 crimes in August compared with 57 in July (there were five violent crimes, one burglary, 19 thefts, 13 thefts from auto, and one stolen auto). PSA 107 saw 125 crimes in August compared with 119 in July (13 violent crimes, six burglaries. 58 thefts, 40 thefts from auto, and 8 stolen autos). PSA 108 saw 64 crimes in August compared with 77 in July (12 violent, six burglaries, 25 thefts, 15 thefts from auto, and six stolen autos). Through September 17th, PSA 106 had seen three violent crimes, 107 had seen zero, and 108 had seen 10.
The Virginia Avenue Tunnel Reconstruction Could Mean More Park Space CSX is tearing up Virginia Avenue SE so it can rebuild the railroad tunnel underneath. 6B sent a letter to the District Departments of both Transportation and Parks and Recreation asking that when the land gets rebuilt, a small piece of land along 11th Street SE be added to the eastern edge of the Virginia Avenue Park, which sits between Ninth and 11th Streets, just where Virginia Avenue ends.
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The land is currently a construction staging area and formerly a place DDOT’s Urban Forestry Administration used for planting trees. Adding it to the park would allow a dog park slated for the park to be placed a bit farther away from residents on Potomac Avenue SE, who already have two private dog facilities nearby, as well as closer to both residents on 11th Street and a coming Washington Humane Society office. Related, the Virginia Avenue Tunnel Project recently released plans for what Virginia Avenue will look like once the street is rebuilt. The street will get a new sidewalk and protected bike lane between Second and Ninth Streets SE, and in the future those will connect to 11th Street. A connection to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail might follow. You can read more about the plans for Virginia Avenue at www.virginiaavenuetunnel.com.
The 11th Street Bridge Park Team Wants To Work For Existing Communities The 11th Street Bridge Park team recently released its Equitable Development Task Force plan for making sure the project will bring economic opportunity to neighborhoods by the park (ie: the Navy Yard and Anacostia) while not displacing current residents. The plan includes 19 recommendations for how to do this, from working to grow the local workforce and support small businesses to pushing for an increase in affordable housing stock. The team will present its plan and receive feedback at an October 3rd community meeting at THEARC (1901 Mississippi Avenue SE). You can also read more at http://bridgepark.org/equitable-development-task-force.
DC Is Getting Started On Next Year’s budget DC Budget Director Matthew Brown visited 6B’s regular meeting to let constituents know the FY17 budget process is getting underway. There will be a series of community meetings this fall and in early 2016 where residents can give feedback and input before Mayor Bowser submits her budget to the DC Council in April. Brown noted that the FY17 budget will be tight given that the Council stipulated that the District must cut $150 million in taxes.
The Circulator Might Make Fewer Stops DDOT is looking at ways to make the Union Station - Navy Yard Circulator route better. Remov-
ing some of the route’s stops, especially because many of them are close together and cutting them could make the buses run on time more frequently. There will be a public meeting to brief customers on current operations and performance, and to solicit rider feedback, as part of DDOT’s semi-annual open house on October 6th at 1200 L Street NW. ANC 6B’s next full meeting will be Tuesday, October 13th at the Hill Center, which sits at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. u
ANC 6C Report by Virginia Avniel Spatz
A
NC 6C dispatched 19 agenda items plus several informational points at its Sept. 10 meeting. With one exception, noted below, all votes were unanimous, 4-0, most following committee recommendations. The quorum was composed of Daniele Schiffman (6C01), Karen Wirt (6C02), Mark Eckenwiler (6C04), and Chris Miller (6C05); Tony Goodman (6C06) and Scott Price (6C03) were absent.
Revised PUD for 315 H Street NE ANC 6C voted to support a revised design for 135 new residential units at 315 H St. NE. MRP Residential’s planned unit development (PUD), for a 90-foot building with ground-floor retail, goes before the Zoning Commission on Oct. 8. A previously scheduled zoning hearing was postponed after community members and the ANC’s Planning, Zoning, & Economic Development Committee opposed earlier plans. In the intervening weeks developers met with project neighbors, including Capitol Place homeowners, to explore concerns. Changes to the PUD include acquiring Lot 48, east of the original property, and centering the garage on the alley to the south; putting the 70-foot rise at the back of the building with the 90-foot rise on the more commercial H Street; moving and expanding bike storage; adding safety elements to the alley; increasing affordable housing components; and using least reflective facade materials to reduce “oven effect” for nearby housing. Despite revisions, two residents of Capitol Place asked the ANC to withhold their vote, cit-
ing remaining concerns, particularly around construction. The ANC voted unanimously to support the revised PUD on the condition that the applicant meet all points of concern outlined through the committee process, including those highlighted above, as well as issues raised by the Capitol Place homeowners’ association.
Alcoholic Beverage Decisions While expressing some concern over 60-oz cocktails, the ANC supported a liquor license for the Sugar Factory, a national chain site opening inside Union Station. The ABC report noted limited hours (closing by 9 p.m., at the latest) of the dessert and sweet drinks establishment. The ANC also supported the application of Alibi, a pub at 237 Second St. NW, including a sidewalk cafe and entertainment endorsements. Both votes involved stipulated licenses, pending settlement agreements. The commission supported a one-day Oktoberfest event extension for Wunder Garten, 150 M St. NE.
Construction Support ANC 6C supported Board of Zoning Adjustment applications for two projects: a second-story addition at 602 A St. NE and a third-story addition at 215 A St. NE. In both cases existing lot occupancy is higher than allowed and proposed changes do not increase the occupancy rate. The ANC supported the historic preservation application for Capitol Hill Baptist Church, 525 A St. NE, to install an access ramp. The commission also agreed to support a change in planned curb cuts at 51 N St. NE.
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Additional Actions The Transportation and Public Space Committee (TPSC) recommended supporting a pocket park at 100 K St. NE, a public amenity linked to a new 222-unit residential development. Benjamin Stoll, of Equity Residential, reported on challenges of providing WMATA access to equipment adjacent to the lot. He added that his company inherited the project when it acquired Archstone, the property’s previous developer. Stoll said a number of solutions were explored before deciding to allow necessary vehicles inside the park. In the only divided vote of the evening, the ANC voted 3-1 to follow the TPSC recommendation supporting the current park plan, with appropriate safety precautions. The full ANC agreed to send correspondence to the District Department of Transportation, prepared by the TPSC, concerning the need for streetcar signage and improved pedestrian signal lights. The ANC also supported new snow-shoveling regulations: uncleared walks would incur fines eight hours after a storm, a change from the previous 24-hour window, and an additional fine would be levied for each 24-hour period without clearing.
Non-Vote News During community announcements Diane Conocchioli asked why there was no public process around a health clinic opening soon at 1225 4th St. NE. Conocchioli, along with a number of others in the audience at 7 p.m., objected to the clinic, currently under construction. As a matter-of-right project the building had not formally come before the ANC, according to commission chair Karen Wirt. It had, however, been discussed a number of times in the course of other recent ANC business. The speaker and approximately 20 others left immediately following her short speech. Frank Maduro, one of two Ward 6 representatives of the mayor’s office, gave a brief update on Mayor Bowser’s first six months. He stressed work on public safety, housing for homeless citizens, and efforts to improve Reservation 84 (a park on 7th Street NE at Constitution and Massachusetts avenues). Residents are invited to contact him directly at Frank.Maduro@dc.gov or 202-538-0313. An update on NoMa underpass public art was postponed to the October meeting. ANC 6C meets regularly on the second Wednesday of each month, with another Thursday exception in November. Next meeting: Oct. 14 at 7:00 p.m., 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E. u
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ANC 6D Report by Andrew Lightman
A
t its meeting on Sept. 21, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6D faced a full agenda Commissioners Marjorie Lightman (6D01), Stacy Braverman Cloyd (6D02), Rachel Reilly Carroll (6D03), Vice Chair Andy Litsky (6D04), Chair Roger Moffatt (6D05), Rhonda N. Hamilton (6D06) and Meredith Fascett (6D07) were present.
The O Street Pumping Station A representative from DC Water informed the commission that the construction related to the Clean Rivers Project at the utility’s location at its O Street Pumping Station, 125 O St. SE, would have no impact on nearby residents at the Yards. The construction of two diversion chambers involves the interior of the structure only. Noise monitoring systems will be installed. Existing parking on the premises can accommodate all construction needs. Commissioner Fascett asked the utility to notify the commission and Forrest City Development, owners of the Yards, about the working hours. Later in the meeting, the commission turned its attention to the Planned Unit Development proposed by DC Water for the parcels next to the O Street Pumping Station. The agency plans to move its headquarters there from Blue Plains. The new seven-story structure, wrapping the pump house, will accommodate 300 employees, an increase of 200 at the site. DC Water Sustainability Program Manager Maureen M. Hollman promised commissioners that all construction staging for the project would be contained on the site itself. She also stated the agency planned 125 parking spaces for employees, who will be told not to park on adjacent streets. DC Water may also negotiate additional parking facilities with the cinema planned nearby. The commission voted unanimously to support of DC Water’s PUD.
Voluntary Cleanup At Buzzard Point Commissioners Litsky and Hamilton attended a public meeting on the Voluntary Cleanup Plan (VCP) of the Buzzard Point site of the new soc-
cer stadium proposed by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED). There was no discussion of the impact of contaminates on the immediate neighborhood. DOEE plans to use a consultant to manage the clean up, Litsky and Hamilton reported. Super Salvage is doing its own clean up until the site is taken over by the District. The water table appears safe from contaminants leaching in from the soil. The DC Department of Health has promised to assess the project’s impact on immediate residents, stated Hamilton. Litsky complained the approval process run by the DC Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE) lacked both transparency and accountability. The materials were not posted online. This after the commission was promised copies of the Executive Summary and quarterly meetings, he added. He particularly complained about the agency’s decision to schedule the period for public comment in August, when the commission does not meet, as well as the absence of any community meetings. “This is not an attempt by us to delay the project,”stated Litsky. Both Litsky and Hamilton submitted individual letters commenting on the proposed VCP on Sept. 4. “We beat them on the head and shoulders when we responded,” stated Litsky.
Portals Curb Cuts Representatives from the Portals came before the commission to request some curb cuts to accommodate the residential building they propose at 1331 Maryland Ave. SW, adjacent to the Mandarin Hotel. The new structure will include 368 units. There will be 78 condos. The remainder will be market rate rentals. The development is being done as a matter of right. Pedestrians will enter over a platform built from the Maryland Avenue SW traffic circle over the existing CSX railroad tracks to the apartment building. The circle, the developers stated, is a private street. Parking for the apartment building will be accessed from the 14th St. service road and Maine Ave. SW. Currently, the parking lot that exists on the site has four curb cuts. The developer proposes to close three of these and narrow a forth for the entrance to the new structure’s parking garage designed to accommodate 360 spots. Commissioners expressed a concern that the placement of the parking entrance will contribute to existing traffic problems. Commissioner Hamilton asked the developers whether they planned to provide any affordable hous-
ing in the new apartment building. There would be none, they replied. “You don’t have to; and you are not required to; but it would be nice,” Hamilton retorted. The commission did not vote on whether to support the curb cuts, since the developer does not need a letter of support before November. Commissioners discussed whether the Portals had completed payment on community benefits promised during the development of the existing parcels. Commissioner Litsky asked them to provide an accounting before the commission votes on the curb cuts in October.
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ABRA Actions ANC 6D voted unanimously to appoint Coralie Farlee as Chair of its ABRA Task Force. Farlee brought forward a voluntary agreement (VA) to be added to the stipulated Class Four license
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applied for by the new Buffalo Wild Wings, located at 1220 Half St. SE, www.buffalowildwings.com. The establishment had posted its placard on Sept. 4. It is expected to open on Nov. 16, its owners present at the meeting stated. The commission voted unanimously to support in support of the restaurant’s application and VA.
Wharf Report There have been constant traffic jams on Maine Avenue SW near the entrance to the Southwest Fish Market. PN Hoffman has hired off-duty police officers to ticket illegally parked cars on Maine Avenue and supervise the surface parking lot, stated The Wharf’s Director of Retail Merchandising and Communications Bob Rubenkonig. Fifty cars were ticketed on Sept. 20. They have also pressured the Captain White’s Seafood to remove their illegally parked crab trucks. Rubenkonig promised to join Commissioner Hamilton in an inspection of the Maine Avenue traffic pedestrian crossing near the Fish Market. The copper beech tree that The Wharf had relocated from the St. Augustine’s Church site has suffered drought stress this past August, reported Rubenkonig. The developer has a team of arborists working on the issue. The tree is expected to survive and flourish.
Other Actions Shahara Anderson-Davis, representative of the 11th Street Bridge Park, informed the commission that the organization is formulating an “equitable” development plan to mitigate any displacement created by the project. The park is expected to open in 2019. Commissioner Litsky asked the ANC to authorize the writing of a letter to DC Dept. of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs demanding the investigation of the commercial rental of a residential townhouse on 400 block of O St. SW. A resident at the meeting complained that the property had become a nuisance and that its owner had proved recalcitrant. The commission voted unanimously to approve the letter. Noting that there were no operating monies allocated for the Randall Recreation Center in the 2016 budget, Commissioner Braverman Cloyd requested that the ANC 6D write a letter to DC Department of Parks and Recreation requesting such funds. A motion authorizing the letter passed unanimously. A representative of the arts space Blind Whino, 700 Delaware Ave. SW, thanked the commis-
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sion for its support. For more information about the organization, visit www.blindwhino.org. Frank Maduro, one member of the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services responsible for Ward 6, introduced himself to the commission. Commissioner Reilly Carroll quizzed him on how the executive was benchmarking recent public safety initiatives. Maduro answered obliquely by pointing to the mayor’s new programs providing businesses with refunds for the installation of cameras, and allocating funding for the training of neighborhood watches. Commissioner Hamilton urged Maduro to ask for operating funds for Randall Recreation Center and to provision more Roving Leaders in the community. Maduro can be contacted at 202442-4686, 202-538-031 or frank.maduro@dc.gov. The commission voted unanimously to send a letter in support of a historical designation for St. James Mutual Homes, whose residents had voted overwhelmingly in favor of the application. Built in 1937 and 1938, St. James was one of the first cooperatives in the District. It consists of 107 units of affordable housing located on the 200 block of O St. SW. The District’s Historical Preservation Review Board will rule on the application on Oct. 22. The commission voted unanimously to send a letter to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) protesting its proposed changes to Southwest bus lines, in particular, WMATA’s plans to reduce service to the area by removing the No. 34. The six commissioners voted in favor of sending a letter to the DC Department of Transportation opposing the elimination of the Circulator stop at Fourth and M St. SE. ANC 6D approved its July minutes with six votes in favor and Commissioner Hamilton abstaining.
Announcements The Annual Parade of Lighted Boats will take place the first Saturday in December. On Oct. 10, the First District of the Metropolitan Police Department will hold a Drug Take Back at its headquarters, 101 M St. SW, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents can surrender excess and old pharmaceuticals for safe disposal. Friends of the Southwest Library will hold book sales on Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Oct. 18 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. There was will be community meeting on the redevelopment of Greenleaf Gardens on Oct. 24 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 Eye St. SW, at 1 p.m.
The October meeting of ANC 6D will be held on Oct. 19 at 1100 Fourth St. SW on the Second Floor. u
ANC 6E Report by Steve Holton Shaw Tavern Seeks Second-Floor Support Representatives of Shaw Tavern located at 520 Florida Ave. NW spoke before the commission and sought support for a second-floor addition to the establishment, which has yet to gain an Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) license. The second floor will seat an additional 38 people, and the tavern’s representatives have reached out to the community with assurance that there will be no issues with entertainment noise entering nearby homes. A few members of the commission shared concerns of noise issues and said that there needs to be more concrete planning by the tavern’s representatives to mitigate noise affecting the community. ANC 6E02 Commissioner Kevin Chapple voiced his opinion on the matter and noted that proper steps had not been taken or put into writing that would resolve the potential issue. “Rather than just promising, reasonable steps should be taken to make sure music is not heard in homes,” said Chapple. One tavern representative noted that the group also owns and operates The Madhatter, 1319 Connecticut Ave. NW, across the street from a residential area and the D.C. Nightlife Noise Coalition. To date, the representative also noted, no issues had been reported at that location owing to the owners’ knowledge and experience of operating under those sort of circumstances. “Based on the tavern owners’ track record they have proven that they know how to mitigate noise and it is not necessary to micro-manage their efforts,” said the representative, adding that the owners also know that the consequence of violating a noise agreement would be to appear before The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC Board). Before making a motion the committee said that it wasn’t unreasonable to put an actual plan into writing before rushing into signing an agreement. “We need to come to a mutual agreement
on a plan, and there should be no further proceedings after that,” said ANC 6E01 Commissioner Alexander Padro. ANC 6E moved to support the application contingent on signing a voluntary agreement. If an agreement isn’t reached, ANC 6E will protest the tavern’s application to the ABC Board. The tavern representative told the commission that they will draw up more language to make sure that everyone is on the same page. He also noted that the tavern owners are happy to be in the Shaw neighborhood, and the last thing they want is a bad relationship. “We have reached out to the neighbors with our contact information to make sure that they are happy and we are not violating their lives by having a noise problem,” said the representative.
ed at 1544 Ninth St. NW to continue its commercial use and allow occupancy by a new restaurant, Shaw Bijou. A group representing the restaurant stated that the establishment will operate by reservation and evening-only service. Reservations can be booked online up to two months in advance, and one table will be dedicated each night as non-RSVP for area residents. There will be 30 seats available in the two story restaurant and a valet system for parking. The outdoor area will be used to grow herbs and vegetables as ingredients for the kitchen. ANC 6E motioned for support of the building’s continuing its commercial use for Shaw Bijou and will communicate the message to the DC Zoning Board.
Fifth and I Street Project Update
Outdoor Cafe Support
A representative from Peebles Corporation real estate and development company gave an update on the project at 5th and I streets NW and sought support for zoning relief. The property is a 175-room hotel with 48,000 square feet for residential use. It has a bar/restaurant and coffee shop on the ground floor for building and neighborhood residents to congregate. There is also another bar on the rooftop where property owners are potentially looking to add a swimming pool. On the mezzanine level the building has a community meeting room, ballroom, and 2,000 square-foot fitness and spa area. The Peebles representative sought support for zoning relief for a special roofing structure that is required for that type of building and permission to construct a closed court area. There was also a parking space request for 86 spots and an all-weather ramp that will go into the parking deck, where they have a proposed a dual elevator system for cars that will be operated by a valet service. ANC 6E motioned for two votes on the project. The first vote was for historic preservation support of the building’s design and was approved. The second vote for zoning relief was opposed due to the project’s failure to meet parking requirements.
New Restaurant Coming to Ninth Street A group sought relief for a building locat-
The owner of the indoor and outdoor cafe La Jambe, located at 1550 Seventh St. NW, appeared before the commission, requesting an ABC Class C License. The proprietor noted that the cafe will be open during the evening hours throughout the week, and brunch will be served on the weekend. The establishment will have seating available for up to 40 patrons indoors and up to 12 outdoors. It was also noted that La Jambe will not offer live entertainment. ANC 6E motioned to support the license.
ANC 6E Quick Hits The commission motioned to support a zoning request application put forth by Shiloh Baptist Church. The church is looking to redevelop a historic town house located at 1533 Ninth St. NW as a community service center space for nonprofit organizations and small businesses. The commission motioned to support an extension of operational hours for Texas de Brazil, located at 455 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
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Next Meeting ANC 6E will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 6 at the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. Visit www.anc6e.org to view the ANC 6E newsletter. Follow on Twitter, @ANC6E, and on Facebook by searching ANC6E. u
Let us create a coffee table book on the history of your DC house. Great to have for yourself or for a gift and a unique selling tool.
nmhousedetectives.com nmhousedetectives@gmail.com October 2015 H 95
“Name Game”
Crossword Author: Myles Mellor • www.themecrosswords.com • www.mylesmellorconcepts.com
by Myles Mellor Across:
1. Artemis’s twin 7. More salacious 13. Fallacious argumentation 20. Expression of respect 21. Small dry fruit 22. Aggravation 23. Poem division 24. Julia’s star pupils? 26. Brass 28. Sorority letters 29. Garden tool 30. Ends partner 31. Nicholas II, for one 33. ___ Oop 35. Folklore fiend 37. Sharon’s charity? 41. Start of a refrain 46. Jockey Turcotte 47. Chinese dynasty 48. “Chances ___” 49. Head covering worn by Muslim women 50. ___ case 53. Lowly worker 55. Mint family member 56. Besets 57. Jude’s rulebook in Vegas? 59. Man of La Mancha 60. Stirred 61. Big Apple attraction, with “the” 62. Desert-like 63. Medicine measure 66. Fish hawk 69. “Begone!” 73. Chinese dynasty 74. Old World bird 75. Assoc. of nations 80. Kevin in Vancouver? 84. What’s left 86. Sustenance 87. Double curve 88. Euripides drama 89. Scattering 90. “That’s nice!” 91. Lightning fast Jamaican 93. Balderdash 94. Skating jumps 95. In need of Johnny?
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100. Computer menu option 102. “Gotcha” 103. Heidi’s home 104. Black 108. ___ Baba 109. Mediocre 110. Cartoon bear 112. Bill-paying time for Doris? 116. Swindler 120. German city 121. Draw near 122. Dark green mineral 123. Au courant 124. Long Island county 125. Like some hair
Down:
1. Infomercials, e.g. 2. Fave 3. Fertility clinic stock 4. Exotic fruit 5. Gecko, e.g. 6. Like some history 7. Varnish ingredient 8. Level 9. Bleach 10. Snags 11. Concludes 12. Capitol V.I.P. 13. Butt of jokes 14. Command 15. Islands dish 16. Justice Black 17. Footnote abbr. 18. Runners carry it 19. Clutter 25. River of Lyon 27. Shaping machines 31. Flute sound 32. Vacation souvenir? 34. Golf ball position 36. Old anesthetic 37. Tightens, at sea 38. Masseur’s target 39. Starch source 40. “Carmina Burana” composer 42. Indian melodies 43. “Haste makes waste,” e.g. 44. Hermit
Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 45. Came up 49. Aegean vacation locale 51. Before now 52. Bean ___ 53. Cause 54. Meadow mother 55. In excess of 57. Journal 58. Concert array 60. English writer John Barrington 64. Behind 65. Musical chairs goal 66. Mitch Miller’s instrument 67. Fall from grace 68. Its motto is “Lux et veritas” 69. La ___ 70. Chalice
71. Japanese cartoon art 72. Indian tongue 74. Diamonds, to hoods 76. Fluid container 77. Catch 78. Straddling 79. Poet’s “below” 81. Doltish 82. Tusked animal 83. Turkish honorific 84. Place for bats? 85. Low woman? 90. Room at the top 91. Colorful flower 92. Poetic homage 95. Mum 96. Pitchfork parts
97. “Pocket full of ___...” 98. Seasoned stew 99. Dependent 101. Starts of some pranks 104. Old Icelandic literary work 105. Fishhook’s end 106. ___ and terminer (criminal court) 107. Bridge site 109. Fizzy drink 111. Edible tubers 113. Govt. agency 114. Understanding 115. Bearded beast 117. “Cool” amount 118. Grazed 119. Nancy Drew’s beau
{community life}
Have You Seen My Edison, My Einstein?
W
by E. Ethelbert Miller
hen I look around our city, as well as the rest of the world it becomes obvious that we have entered a period of transition and transformation. Are you going to catch a cab or an Uber? Is that real money in your wallet? When did print from a newspaper make you wash your hands? These are the small windows of change one can call the daily weather report. Global warming is another term for fever. Every day we need to ask ourselves, how sick are we? Illness can result from sitting still too much or never getting out of bed. Sickness can be your tongue having a problem with the language you need to speak. I’m tired of my tongue speaking in Wards. Washington, DC, is now a place of pulsating neighborhoods. Trying to find the line where your Ward begins or ends is like trying to find the equator on a globe in preschool. It’s only there because your mother or teacher told you so. When someone mentions Ward 5, I look at my hand. Why is Ward 1, Ward 1? Why can’t Ward 8 be 1? How long must we use an old colonial map to find our way around this city? The first thing to go when there is a major change or paradigm shift is history. History often introduces herself the morning after seduction. If people keep failing to avoid the mistakes of history it might have something to do with the sex. How long are we going to be addicted to things that no longer work? Let’s take our rainbow metro for an example. Pick a color, Red or Green. It’s 5 p.m. and you’re at Metro Center. It’s a New York, Tokyo, type of rush hour. There are only two tracks running in two directions. I have no idea why people have returned to the bicycle as the vehicle of the future. Didn’t the Wright Brothers give up their Dayton bike shop for airplanes? What century are we living in? I don’t drive or bike and too often find myself like Walt Whitman caught walking around during a Civil War. This one is between the past and the future. If I know what Pluto finally looks like I should be capable of imagining my destination on the Red Line before dinner. During these dark days of race matters it appears Go-go is gone. We have failed to bust loose from our memories. We lack the vision of the musician Sun Ra. Why can’t the next stop be Jupiter? What is the state of things without Statehood? And
is a State what we still desire? Do we want to be Ohio or New Hampshire? Or do we simply want to be one city under a groove? I don’t think so. Everyone has their own playlist. In these times of transition and transformation there is a need for new music and outlooks. Washington, DC, must become the cultural capital of our nation. We are the future, a city of many languages, a mosaic of colors blending into brightness. It’s time to move beyond our circles that too often box us in. Time to think new and be new. It’s either change or die. Even the sufferers are on the move. Our world and city will never be the same. Is this the awakening we’ve be studying in Bible class? People keep saying the city is changing. Well, are you changing with it or are you simply standing in the way? The Pope will be here this month, we need to either seek a blessing or request blueprints for the ark. E. Ethelbert Miller is a writer and literary activist. His Collected Poems edited by Kirsten Porter will be published next spring by Willow Press. In April 2015, Miller was inducted into the Washington DC Hall of Fame. u
October 2015 H 97
{community life / heard on the hill}
Heard on the Hill by Jen DeMayo
D
o you ever wonder what it must be like to live in a town or neighborhood where things just stay the same? A place where the shops, streets, and residents change very little from year to year, save for the obvious things such as the seasons and the unyielding inevitability of the circle of life? I have a hard time even imagining what that could be like any more. Life all over our beautiful and dynamic city is very much the opposite. Everywhere I turn I see giant cranes, the heady whiff of what will be. As a mid-timer … not a newbie anymore but not a lifelong DC resident either, I more and more find myself in the role of the cranky old-timer. “I remember when we had no dog parks …” Or “When my kids were babies the playgrounds were filled with rotting, splintery playground equipment.” My personal favorite: “I remember when there was no Starbucks. We had one coffee shop and we liked it!” You know the type. If you are reading this on paper you very likely ARE the type. Change is a way of life for our neighborhood and across this city, and this column will attempt to keep up with that always-shifting topic. Whether you are pro, con, or sometimes both you can share your opinions in a letter to the editor or take it out on your local Listserv.
Riverby Books Reopening Riverby Books, the rare and secondhand book shop located at 417
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East Capitol St. SE, plans to open its doors again this month. Owned and operated by the Cymrot family, the store shut its doors after the unexpected death of owner Steve in November 2014. Steve and his wife Nicky were active in CHAMPS, the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, and were the driving force behind the creation of the Hill Center in the Old Naval Hospital building on Pennsylvania Avenue. Steve was a wellloved member of the community who offered cups of tea along with a side of charming conversation to anyone who stopped by the store. Steve and Nicky’s son Paul has been largely responsible for running Riverby’s second location in Fredericksburg, Va., but has been spending a lot more time on the Hill as the store nears reopening. While no major changes are planned, the selection of offerings is being refined. “We won’t have everything but we’ll have ideas for everybody,” he said, referring to the curated selection of books. “We are carefully curating our content to be as interesting as the neighborhood is.” The plan is to reopen without fanfare somewhere around the second week of October with a larger opening event later this fall. While Paul Cymrot will oversee both Riverbys, the day-to-day operation of the store will be left to Lori Grisham, who has worked in both Riverby locations and is returning to the bookstore life after dabbling in the corporate world. Grisham already lives on the Hill, and Cymrot would have it no other way. The Cymrots received offers from many who were interested in taking on
Paul Cymrot plans to reopen Riverby books under the day-to-day guidance of Lori Grisham. Photo: Andrew Lightman
the store but they were not interested because it couldn’t be run by just anyone. It had to be someone who wanted to be part of the community. And it probably goes without saying, but the tradition of afternoon tea will continue to be a part of the Riverby Books experience.
Ahoy, Mateys Perhaps the most earth-shaking news is the announcement that California-based cult favorite Trader Joe’s has committed to the Hine Junior High School location. Known for its friendly, Hawaiian-shirt-clad employees hawking a quirky array of basics and specialty items, the store has been longed for by fanatics who make pilgrimages to Northwest or the ‘burbs for their inexpensive nuts and green chili tamales. Grocery store debates have long raged in playgrounds and online, and each chain, be it Wegmans or Whole Foods, has its fevered fans. Trader Joe’s is no different. Yet, while there are many who can’t wait to fill their carts with Two Buck Chuck (no judgment) there are also those concerned with how local grocers, particularly the vendors at Eastern Market, will be affected. Trader Joe’s seems to coexist peacefully with traditional grocery chains such as Giant and Safeway, but the smaller shops in the Market may be more vulnerable to the low prices and dizzying array of chocolate-covered items the Joe purveys. Here’s hoping that they will be able to share the neighborhood and that the residents who inhabit the new apartments above the store will support everyone.
Change of Locations We hate to report the closing of a locally owned small business. It is the small businesses that shape the character and feeling of our neighborhood, and each time one shuts its doors, whether due to rent hikes or retirement, we feel a sense of loss. Luck-
ily we can report two instances where a local business has avoided that fate and has simply changed locations. Frame of Mine has been custom-framing art and memories for Hill residents for 33 years. Located at 522 8th St. SE, it has been the go-to shop for preserving, mounting, and displaying photos and the like. The owners recently learned they had lost their lease. Luckily for them (perhaps unluckily for local toddlers) the Playseum indoor play facility recently closed its Capitol Hill location at 545 8th St., so Frame of Mine will be able to shift locations. The shop will be closed from Oct. 1 through 9, when it will move its specialty framing equipment across the street. The plan is to have a big grand reopening sale, the details of which have yet to be determined. Keep an eye on their website, www. frameofminedc.com, for news updates or stop in and say welcome to the new (old) neighborhood. Barracks Row lost another retailer recently but that loss is 7th Street’s gain, and Hill residents have retained their default shop for elegant and contemporary home design. The furniture and home goods store Homebody has taken up residence on the lower level of the women’s wear store Forecast, at 218 7th St. SE. What seems like an unlikely pairing in the abstract makes perfect sense once you enter the welcoming space. The front of the lower level still belongs to Forecast, but walk past the greeting card display and you find the unique wares and furniture for which Homebody has been known and loved. The drool-worthy coffee tables? Still there. So-
fas meant for Don Draper and friends? Check. Owner Henriette Fourade has made the transition with grace, and the store has lost none of its cheeky charm. While initially upset at having to leave her Barracks Row location due to a rent increase, Fourade finds that the new location has meant new clients, whether Forecast’s loyal shoppers or the weekend visitors to Eastern Market. She plans to continue to use her business as an opportunity to showcase local artisans as well as national and international brands.
Clothes Encounters of a Second Kind Welcomes New Owner
This year the Hilloween effort is being led by local real estate agent, school advocate, and mom Heather Schoell, who adds Hilloween Maven to her list of credentials. Photo: Andrew Lightman
Clothes Encounters of a Second Kind, the beloved women’s consignment store located at 202 7th St. SE, has changed owners. Linda McMullen, the original owner, who nurtured the shop, staff, and clientele for 36 years, recently sold the business to longtime Hill resident Gail Stern. Stern raised two children on the Hill and has been pleased with the welcome she has received. Longtime shoppers and consigners will be happy to hear that Stern has no plans for making big changes to the business. The beloved staff of stylists and fashionistas has stayed on and will continue to glean wisdom from their trend-spotting trips to New York Fashion Week. Look for an increased online presence as they do plan to increase Clothes Encounters’ reach on Facebook and Instagram. No word yet on what the store’s Insta hashtag is, but, given their style bona fides, no doubt it will be on fleek.
Looking Ahead
Owner Gail Stern points out the always fashionable leopard offerings at Clothes Encounters. Photo: Jen DeMayo
The yearly Halloween street party, Hilloween, will take place on Friday, Oct. 30, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., on 7th Street SE between North Carolina Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. The celebration of fall typically takes place on Halloween itself but has shifted to Friday because of the Saturday market on 7th Street.
This year the Hilloween effort is being led by local real estate agent, school advocate, and mom Heather Schoell, who adds Hilloween Maven to her list of credentials. She is quick to credit mavens past Annette Nielsen and Jackie Von Schlegal for establishing and growing the yearly toddler throw down, and hopes this year will be just as fun. While a full list of businesses committed was not yet available we can confirm that the popular National Capital Bank’s Hayride will be making an appearance. Other highlights will include a Moonbounce sponsored by Frager’s Hardware, a photo booth sponsored by Fulcrum, temporary tattoos from the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, and treats from the Eastern Market vendors, as well as musical performances by CHAW. Food and drink will be available for purchase from Tunnicliff’s and Boxcar Tavern. Schools, businesses, and organizations are encouraged to participate. If you or someone you know happens to be a tarot card reader or a fortune teller, contact Hilloween Maven Heather Schoell at 202-3210874 or heathersdc@gmail.com with HILLOWEEN in the subject line. Jen DeMayo has been a waitress, an actor, and a puppeteer. She worked for many years for the Atlas Performing Arts Center. Originally from the New York-New Jersey area, she is one of the many who whine endlessly about DC’s lack of good bagels and pizza. She is the mom to two boys who attend DC Public Schools (off the Hill). No matter what she may end up accomplishing in her life, she is sure that her obituary headline will say she was the founder of Moms on the Hill. Have an item for Heard on the Hill? Contact Jen at jendemayo@gmail.com. u
October 2015 H 99
{community life / south by west}
South by West
Improvements Planned for Municipal Fish Market by William Rich
B
ack in May, the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team presented plans for Phase 1B of The Wharf, which includes Parcel 1 and the Municipal Fish Market to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA). Parcel 1 is planned as a 10-story office building with about 234,000 square feet of space and an additional 14,000 square feet of ground floor retail. It will be located to the west of Parcel 2, which will contain Wharf Hall with apartments above. Although the Municipal Fish Market The historic lunch room and oyster shed at the Municipal Fish Market will be converted into is not technically a part of The Wharf, the development team holds an oyster bar. Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront. a lease on the market and has proposed improvements in order to integrate it into the overall experience along the Southwest WaterA total of six buildings are planned: Building A is the historic lunch room front. Legislation was passed by Congress to allow the sale of items other than and oyster shed, which will contain 1,300 SF of retail space on a single floor seafood at the Municipal Fish Market, which will allow the development team with an oyster bar and 700 SF of outdoor patio space. The building fronts the to expand the offerings at the market. According to the CFA submission package: Market Plaza and Fish Market Promenade. Building B is a rum distillery – a “The Fish Market will be a place to eat; to shop; to be entertained or to 5,550 SF, four-story building with a tasting room and retail store, as well as people watch; to do something or be part of something – an experience one can 1,500 SF of outdoor space, including a roof deck. It will be located to the east only find at this particular place.” of Building A along the promenade. Building C will be a market shed, a sin-
Municipal Fish Market The main elements of the plan for the Municipal Fish Market include Market Plaza, an area with temporary retail space which will incorporate historic buildings along with new construction; Market Square, where a market shed is planned; and the Fish Market Promenade, which will connect to the existing fish market with piers and outdoor seating. McGraw Bagnoli Architects designed the buildings and Landscape Architecture Bureau designed the public spaces.
The expansion of the Municipal Fish Market includes Market Square, which will contain a market shed and a market hall. Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront
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gle story building with 1,350 SF of space for a café, flower stand and temporary retail such as a farmers market and craft market, as well as an additional 1,300 SF of outdoor space. It will be located adjacent to Parcel 1 on the east side of the market. Building D is the market hall, a three-story building with 11,850 SF of space, as well as 5,650 SF of outdoor space, including a roof deck. An Italian butcher/deli and large market hall/restaurant will be located here. It will be located on the northeast corner of the market along Maine Avenue. Building E will contain market pavilions along Maine Avenue. The pavilions will contain 1,000 SF of space in one-story buildings with 600 SF of outdoor space with a potential ramen and sandwich shop. Building F is the operations building, which will contain 1,100 SF of retail for relocated Virgo Fish House, 2,650 SF of operations space (including an organic waste removal facility, dumpsters, and maintenance facility) and 1,400 SF of outdoor space. In its June 26 letter, the CFA stated their general support for the redevelopment of the fish market and the desire to maintain its eclectic nature, but expressed some concern about the design, particularly of the new buildings: “They cautioned against trying to recreate this random, energetic character in the architecture of the new buildings, which will inevitably result in a falseness made obvious by the authenticity of the existing context. In particular, they raised concerns about the diminutive scale and multiple elements of the two proposed buildings, recommending instead that these be developed with a more neutral expression as a background or frame for the historic pavilions and the existing fish vendor barges; the retail tenants themselves may provide the lively character of the marketplace.”
Waterside Fitness & Swim Litigation Bogs Down Schedule Plans for improving the Municipal Fish Market may be delayed due to litigation between the developers of The Wharf, the District government and one of the three operators of the market. The Municipal Fish Market is owned by the District government, but an affiliate of The Wharf entered into a ground lease with the city back in April 2014. Up until then, the operators were able to do what they wanted at the fish market with minimal oversight. Since last April, the new landlord has attempted to make interim improvements to the fish market and enforce lease terms with the operators. Access to the market was limited due to construction of The Wharf next door, but Water Street remained open. A new intersection was built on Maine Avenue with a left turn lane into the market. In addition, a parking lot was built, area signage was upgraded and handicap-accessible restrooms were installed. Bollards were installed to stop trucks from parking on the pier, which has opened up the space for patrons to gather. Of the three operators at the Municipal Fish Market, the Evans family and Daryl Jones are in support of the improvements coming to the fish market, but the White family is not. According to Mark Dorigan, president of PN Hoffman, the White family has not been cooperative. “They have not been forthcoming with information – they have not provided us with an executed lease, and they have not paid rent for a year,” said Dorigan. “In addition, they park trucks on the pier at the market, which is not allowed according to the terms of the lease. There are insurance and safety obligations to uphold – we need to ensure the safety of the patrons of the Municipal Fish Market.”
As a result, the landlord notified the Whites in June that they were in default and was given notice to terminate – papers were filed in Landlord and Tenant Court. Among the violations claimed by the landlord include parking trucks on piers and taking up patron parking, making improvements to barges without approval, and installing new barges without permits. In response, the Whites took legal action in Federal court against the landlord and the District claiming that access to Water Street has been taken away from them. The White family was looking for partners in the lawsuit, but they didn’t find one in Steve Evans, who is in support of the interim and long-term improvements planned. “There’s going to be disruption,” said Evans. “We should try to be good neighbors because as my dad says, it’s easier to get along than to get it on.” Although Evans said he lost a little business due to construction at The Wharf, “it’s been a great year.” An injunction has been filed to dismiss the Federal lawsuit and allow the one filed in DC Superior Court to proceed. As to whether the parties can come to a resolution which would allow the White family to stay, “we just want everyone to abide by the same rules” said Dorigan. “Don’t take up patron parking with third party wholesale trucks. We want to establish a path forward with or without the Whites.” The case is supposed to be taken up in DC Superior Court in October, unless the Federal lawsuit is not dismissed. The revamped Municipal Fish Market was originally scheduled to be done in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival in March 2017, but it is the hope of the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team that it can be done by fall 2017, in time for the opening of the first phase of The Wharf next door. u
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October 2015 H 101
{community life / h street life}
H Street Life by Elise Bernard
F
all is in the air, and this month’s column is filled with great ways to celebrate the season. Whether you seek a good Halloween scare, want to support school kids in their studies, or contemplate the changing leaves over a glass of bourbon, I’ve got you covered.
Boogie Babes at the Angelika Pop Up Boogie Babes (http://www.boogiebabes.com), the popular local musical performers for kids, have added a new location for their shows. Starting Oct. 7 they’ll be appearing regularly at the Angelika Pop Up (550 Penn St. NE, https://www.angelikafilmcenter.com/dc) behind Union Market (1309 5th St. NE, http://unionmarketdc.com). They typically perform weekday mornings but also sometimes have weekend morning shows. Costs vary, but most shows are $5 per child, with siblings under six months admitted free. Some special events are $10 per family.
Hitchcocktober at the Angelika Pop Up Halloween draws ever closer, and the Angelika Pop Up (550 Penn St. NE, https://www.angelikafilmcenter.com/dc) is celebrating with a special Hitchcock series they have dubbed Hitchcocktober. The last four Thursday nights in October they’ll show a different classic Hitchcock film. The full lineup includes “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “Dial M for Murder,” “Rope,” and “Psycho.” It’s a great chance to see these suspense thrillers on the big screen. Tickets are $7 for each of the films in this series.
Washington Improv Theatre Presents HOWL at the Atlas Those feeling in the Halloween spirit won’t want to miss Washington Improv Theatre’s (http://witdc.org) “HOWL” at the Atlas Performing Arts
Get into the Halloween spirit with Washington Improv Theatre’s “HOWL” at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. Photo: Darian Glover
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The Angelika Pop Up welcomes Boogie Babes and Hitchcock films in October.
Center (1333 H St. NE, http://www.atlasarts.org), from Oct. 23 through Nov. 7. “HOWL” features the group’s improvised horror movie, “Die! Die! Die!”, as well as unscripted performances by the group’s talented members. Tickets are $12 and available through the Atlas website.
Taste of H Raises Money for J.O. Wilson Elementary Taste of H (http://www.tasteofh.org) returns for a fourth year of fundraising to support J.O. Wilson Elementary (660 K St. NE, http://www.jowilsonelementary. org). J.O. Wilson is part of the District of Columbia Public Schools and serves over 400 elementary students. Taste of H is an evening of live music, wine and beer, a tasting of some of the best restaurants right here on H Street NE, and live and silent auctions of all sorts of unique items and services available in our area. Past auctions have included a catered dinner from a local chef for you and your friends in your home, a year’s tickets for two to each production at the Anacostia Playhouse,
and a Haitian voodoo flag. All of the money raised at the volunteer-run Taste of H goes to Friends of J.O. Wilson and is managed by the parent organization, the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, which is a registered 501(c)3. One hundred percent of that money goes to benefit students at J.O. Wilson. The event will be held the evening of Nov. 8 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St. NE, http://www.atlasarts.org). Tickets are $45 for entry and $70 for the VIP package. Although this event raises money for kids, the evening is adults only.
H Street Coffee Closes Its Doors In recent weeks readers who stopped by H Street Coffee & Cafe (1359 H St. NE) have found it closed with a vaguely worded note on the door about renovations. I reached out to an owner and he told me that they are considering other options for the coffee shop. He noted that there are now multiple places in the 1300
Parents and Teachers are invited to
Dr. William Stixrud’s Lecture and Q & A
Painting by Pridon Goisashvili
Stretching Kids without Breaking Them
Contemporary children and teens are stressed like never before, resulting in high numbers of kids who are “obsessively driven” to achieve or are motivated only for electronic entertainment. This talk will focus on ways that parents and teachers can help young people motivate themselves to develop their talents without being chronically stressed, pressured, and fearful. A particularly strong emphasis will be placed on nurturing a strong sense of personal control or autonomy.
*Dr. William Stixrud is a clinical neuropsychologist and popular speaker, with 35 years’ experience helping children maximize talents.
Sponsored by:
Tuesday, November 10th 7:00 pm–9:00 pm at Hill Center 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
FREE of charge, but space is limited
MOTH Volunteer: Colleen Buchanan
RSVP at https://apm.activecommunities.com/hillcenterdc/Activity_Search/835
Taste of H to benefit J.O. Wilson Elementary Students. Photo: Taste of H
block of H Street NE that serve coffee, and said that this increased local availability of spots to get a caffeine fix has made it harder to justify the existence of the stand-alone coffee shop.
Newly Opened Joseph A. Magnus Distillery Offers the Dream Distiller Experience Are you a serious bourbon enthusiast? Have you ever dreamed of distilling and aging your own bourbon? If you’ve got $7,500 to spare you can make that dream a reality at the newly opened Joseph A. Magnus Distillery (2052 West Virginia Ave. NE, http:// josephmagnus.com). The distillery had its grand opening on Sept. 12 and is now open to the public on Fridays, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., Saturdays 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. They give complimentary tours, and you’ll want to stop by the Murray Hill Club (their tasting room) to try the various cocktails they offer. Thus far they have released a bour-
bon and a gin. For those intrigued by the idea of dabbling in distilling, Magnus is offering a limited-time opportunity they call the Dream Distiller Experience. In exchange for your $7,500 you get a crash course in the art of whiskey making, during a oneday session at the distillery, to distill your own bourbon from a selection of mashbills created by a former Woodford Reserve distiller; a new oak barrel branded with your name; four years of storage in the Magnus rickhouse; annual samples of your bourbon so you can taste its progress; approximately 180 bottles (with professionally designed labels) of your bourbon bottled upon maturity in four years; and one hell of a story, plus a lot of bourbon to share with friends and family (required federal and local taxes included in the price). For more on what’s abuzz on and around H Street NE you can visit my blog, http://frozentropics.blogspot.com. You can send me tips or questions at elise.bernard@gmail.com. u
Moms On The Hill
2015 School Information Night
[ SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH ] [ 2:00–5:00 PM ]
[ CAPITOL HILL DAY SCHOOL ] [ 210 SOUTH CAROLINA AVENUE SE ] The closest Metro stop is Capitol South on the blue and orange lines Preschool, Public, Charter, Private, Catholic/Parochial, Middle Schools, High Schools and other programs. Come see all of your options! More Info:
[DOWNEYSCHOOLCONSULTING@GMAIL.COM] ALL PARENTS (including non-members) ARE WELCOME Organized by MoTH (Moms on the Hill)
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{community life}
The Hill Center An Annual Report by Guy Martin
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ill Center celebrated its fourth birthday on Oct. 1, and somehow the place feels both new and also like it’s always been here. With the opening of the Bayou Bakery in the old carriage house, the original vision of the center’s founders has been fulfilled – a rebirth of the Old Naval Hospital, which will be 150 years old next year, as a vibrant new center for arts and education. Drawing more than 50,000 visitors in the last year alone, Hill Center has obviously resonated with the residents of Capitol Hill, but its constituency also includes the “greater Hill” of H Street and Southwest and indeed the entire city. We at the Old Naval Hospital Foundation, who are entrusted with guiding the center, are deeply grateful to the many individuals and organizations who have helped to build and support it. And we want you to know that we continue to seek your involvement as we move forward. Over the next several months we’ll be undertaking some careful long-range planning. Using the experience gained over the past four years and gathering fresh input from the community, we’ll consider what changes and improvements can be made in Hill Center’s operation. As a first step we’re seeking opinions and ideas from a broad spectrum of Hill Center users, including neighbors, programming partners, and other organizations, and even from those who have not used the center so far. We want to know how often
The Old Naval Hospital, circa 1907 in this photo, has been reborn as Hill Center, a vibrant home for arts, culture and entertainment.
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you’re visiting Hill Center, how you’d rate your experiences there, and how we can make it better. Many will be asked for their views Hill Center at the Old in an email survey, focus Naval Hospital sees group, or interview, or you over 50,000 people can take the initiative by come through its doors every year. simply emailing your comments to info@HillCenterDC.org. We expect to complete this planning process early next year and will give you a report on its outcome. In order to ensure that Hill Center will be here for generations to come, one of our key commitments is to make it financially self-sustaining, and we expect to hit break-even on our operational income and expenses in the coming year. We’re accomplishing this by supplementing our long list of free-admission programs and events with paid-admission offerings and the provision of rental space to a wide range of individuals and organizations. It’s rare for a facility such as Hill Center to operate in the black, and we’re proud to be approaching that point so early in our institutional life. There’s one expense, however, that cannot be covered by operational income alone – the longterm repair and maintenance of the beautifully restored Hill Center site. We project those expenses to be substantial. We’ve therefore launched a fundraising campaign for a Hill Center Preservation Fund which will be dedicated specifically to the physical upkeep of the 150-year-old Old Naval Hospital building along with its carriage house and grounds. The Preservation Fund’s first objective is to raise $500,000 by the end of this year. Our ultimate goal is to build a $3 million endowment that will generate the income needed to secure Hill Center’s physical integrity far into the future. On Sept. 27, at the Family Fun Festival at Hill Center, we announced that the Preservation Fund campaign was kicking off its “public phase” with a broad appeal to the community. By that point the campaign’s “quiet phase”
had already raised $350,000, plus a $50,000 onefor-one matching donation to encourage additional contributions. We’re highly optimistic that Hill residents will step up to support Hill Center again, as they did so generously during our initial capital campaign five years ago. At the same time fundraising is not the greatest challenge Hill Center faces. To win the right to restore and repurpose the deteriorating Old Naval Hospital for community use, the Old Naval Hospital Foundation – a group of dedicated citizens led by Nicky Cymrot – worked for nearly a decade, through two RFP competitions and many other challenges, and they got the job done. They created Hill Center as you see it today, with its diverse programs, a first-rate staff, a solid corps of volunteers, a sound financial base, a 65-year rent-free lease from the city, and a group of active leaders. This is an amazing gift to the community but it is also an obligation, and new generations on the Hill must now step up to the task. Over the next few years our goal is to transition the governance, program guidance, financial support, volunteer corps, and the rest of Hill Center’s support structure into energetic younger hands to ensure that this wonderful facility will be here for future generations. Please give some thought to how you can contribute, including regular use of the center and the cafe, attendance at events, financial support for the Preservation Fund, and ideas for more and better programs and other improvements. Hill Center needs you now. Guy Martin is president of the Hill Center Foundation. u
October 2015 H 105
Rambler Nation Rising Eastern High School Gets a Booster Club by Paul Rivas
I
f you’ve heard a steady low rumble and seen a few more blue hats than usual around Capitol Hill this summer, don’t be alarmed, that’s just Rambler Nation rising. The brand-new Eastern High School Booster Club, created by Hill residents John Parker and Joe Weedon, aims to build community spirit for the only high school athletic program on the Hill and raise funds for Eastern athletes to be able to compete on a more level playing field. The Booster Club has steadily grown in popularity by introducing local families and businesses to all that Eastern has to offer, beginning with the fun and Friday-night lights of football games, but ultimately extending to helping the school re-launch its athletic legacy after graduating its first class of seniors in four years last year, as well as pursue its goal of becoming the highest-achieving comprehensive high school in the District. For a $25 donation individuals can become official Eastern High School Athletic Boosters and get the Eastern “Rambler Nation” cap that lets the community know that not only do you back a winning DC sports team (the Ramblers are the defending DCSAA Class A State Champions), but you support our only neighborhood high school, “The Pride of Capitol Hill.” For a $250 donation business owners, corporations, and business professionals can become corporate sponsors. Every penny goes to benefit Eastern student-athletes. “I’m a native Washingtonian and I remember the day when Eastern was the steamroller in sports across the board,” said John Parker, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and formerly the athletic director at Gallaudet University, who graduated from Coolidge High School in 1965. “The legacy is definitely there.” “We’re really excited about the idea of making Eastern a hub for families on Friday nights during football season,” said Eastern principal Rachel Skerritt, herself a Hill resident. “We are the high school for Capitol Hill, and we don’t want families to have to wait for their children to be of high school age to experience what we have to offer.”
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With plenty of seating, concessions, and on-field action, Eastern football games offer something for everybody on Friday evenings. Put your fist in the air and
Parker and Wheedon are quick to emphasize that the Booster join the official Eastern High School Booster Club. Club is not about money, but about creating strong links between the school and the local community, be it through football games, seasonal sports festivals, or exhibitions that bring local professional, high school, and youth athletes together. “My eight-year-old son plays Capitol Hill Little League and soccer,” said Wheedon, who is the executive director of the nonprofit Companies for Causes and also the Ward 6 representative on the State Board of Education. “Those kids would love to go to an Eastern game. So how do we start creating these relationships between our kids and Eastern and its athletes, who are fabulous students, to create those peer-to-peer mentor models?” Wheedon points out that although sports is a convenient vehicle to mobilize the Rambler Nation, Eastern does so much more for the community than win championships. “You want to play a sport, you want to be in the youth orchestra, you want to be in the rocket club, the Health & Medical Sciences Academy? Eastern offers that,” said Wheedon. “You go to one of the other schools – and you’re going to get a great education at either place – but it’s going to be very focused on their specific program. Eastern offers tremendous opportunities.” Wheedon hopes a successful Booster Club can serve as a model for growing community support for Eastern in other areas, such as to buy books for students, classrooms, or libraries or to support a particular academic program. Even Hill parents who are more concerned with pre-school than high school, like small business owner and lifelong DC sports fan Joshua Chernikoff, are finding multiple reasons to join the Booster Club and be a part of making the Rambler Nation great again. “I will begin to bring my ninemonth-old to Eastern football games and basketball games starting now,” Chernikoff afJunior quarterback Jerome firmed. “Because she needs to be a proud Johnson led Eastern to the DCSAA Hill resident and a proud Washingtonian at Class A championship last year. the same time. We also need to broaden her horizons so that she can start to see some winning!” Chernikoff himself no longer minds late-season DC professional sports disappointments; he just wants the best for his daughter. “At this point in my life, going to sporting events is about taking a break from work and hanging out with friends,” he remarked. Football games at Eastern are about family fun for all ages, students getting to see their teachers enjoying a relaxing evening in street clothes, and the best $2 hotdogs on the Hill. Interest in
football is encouraged, but by no means required, and you definitely don’t have to know why Eastern’s team is called the Ramblers if their mascot is a Ram. (It’s because they didn’t used to have their own athletic facilities and rambled around the District in a bus, beating teams at their place or that of another team, but never at home.) There’s still time to be at the vanguard of the rising Rambler Nation. The sooner you join, the sooner your neighbors will know which side you’re on: the side of community, education, and (for the kids) winning. Imagine a neighborhood or a community where everyone is on the same side. “This is a march of the turtles, if you will,” Parker explained. “Right now, it’s one person at a time, but I always keep three or four hats in my car, just in case.” For more information on the Eastern High School Booster Club or to be a part of the Rambler Nation contact John Parker at 202-413-5377 or jparker@cbmove.com.
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Eastern Ramblers Football Upcoming Schedule
Oct. 10, 2:00 p.m., vs. Phelps (Homecoming Game) Oct. 16, 6:00 p.m., at Bell, played at Cardozo Oct. 24, 6:00 p.m., vs. McKinley Tech Oct. 30, 6:00 p.m., vs. Roosevelt (Senior Night) Nov. 6, 6:00 p.m., at Cardozo TBA: DCIAA Playoffs
Tickets for home games are $5 each or $3 with DC Public Schools student ID. For more information visit www.ramblernation.org. Paul Rivas is the founder of Smith Rivas Academic Coaching & Consulting and can be reached at paul@ smithrivas.com or 202-615-7791. u
October 2015 H 107
Everyone loves petting a Llama.
BARRACKS ROW FESTIVAL
CSX trotted out its construction vehicles for a “Truck Touch.”
photos by Andrew Lightman
Teaching kids to keep fit at the DC Crossfit booth.
Twisting himself into a pretzel, this Yogi shows his flexibility.
“Take me home!” says this small dog from Rural Dog Rescue. It would not be Barracks Row without the Marines!
A woman spins in a wool demonstration.
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A young man demonstrates his strength at the Capitol Hill Rotary Booth.
A performer at one of the many stages.
The American Youth Chorus performs in front of the Atlas.
The Queen Vic parked a double decker bus in front and patrons partied on the roof.
An artist paints the Street Sense bus.
Anwar Saleem, H Street Mainstreet’s Executive Director
The Capital Community News table.
ABOVE: A gospel singer gives it her all.
Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D) charms a constituent. Dancing in the street.
A mom teachs her daughter a few Zydeco steps.
photos by Andrew Lightman
The crowds increased as the day wore on.
H. S T R E E T F E S T I V A L
October 2015 H 109
Experience. Integrity. Enthusiasm. Shouldn’t You Work With Someone You’d Come Back to Again and Again? Dear Linda and Michael, Sydna and I cannot thank you enough for the outstanding job you both did in selling our townhouse at 507 D Street SE in Washington DC. It took 10 days to complete the actual sale and your preparation, marketing effort and all around follow through far exceeded anything we have seen in all the places we have lived during my DuPont career and by Congressional career. Your combined advice relative to what we needed to do to assist you was top notch. This included price negotiations and who to call for getting rid of furniture etc. Thank you again for a great job. We will recommend you ourselves and you are welcome to use us as a reference as well. You are first class operators! All the best to both of you and thank you for doing a great job for us. Sincerely, Bill Zeliff
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Michael @ 202-487-7206 Linda @ 202-276-3172 Mark @ 202-390-8083 www.pettietubbs.com Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 605 Pennsylvania Ave. SE 202-547-3525
Let Our Reputation Work for You!
{real estate}
Station House lobby.Photo: Ira Wexler Photography.
For Eastern NoMa Density Is on the Horizon by Shaun Courtney
N
ew, under-construction, and planned residential and mixed-use buildings along 2nd and 3rd streets NE are poised to bring thousands of residents and tons of retail between Union Station and Union Market over the next several years. From the development will emerge a higher density neighborhood to the east of the railroad tracks, one that rivals or at least complements the dramatic changes already seen to the west in NoMa and along the high-density western edge of H Street. “The [NoMa] BID has always anticipated that the east-side area is an integrated part of NoMa, vibrant and growing,” said Robin-Eve Jasper, president of the NoMa BID (North of Massachusetts Business Improvement District). “These east-west connections between the east side of the tracks and the west side of the tracks have always been a critical part of the neighborhood’s development.”
The District Source
As new buildings pop up along 2nd and 3rd streets on industrial or formerly vacant sites, there will also be a natural flow south to north, from Capitol Hill’s northwestern edge to H Street and up to Union Market. “I think 3rd Street is going to be one of the hippest and best streets in the city,” said Tony Goodman, advisory neighborhood commissioner for near northeast and NoMa. “You’ve got historic buildings, new buildings, tons of retail coming in, really good developers and an interesting mix of buildings.” Goodman sees the growth coming to his community as similar to what happened in Columbia Heights. In Columbia Heights, first came 14th Street with its DC USA mall and more “useful” retail, then 11th Street began to fill in with interesting restaurants and community-serving retail like Meridian Pint or The Coupe. Unlike Columbia Heights or even nearby H Street, the area poised for growth in NoMa did not have prior residential history, meaning there
is little to lament in the loss of vacant lots and industrial sites for the railroad, noted Goodman. “The real change is that it will go from being under-used surface parking lots and industrial land to being really great 21st-century mixed-use development,” said Jasper.
What’s New and on the Horizon? Station House, 701 2nd St. NE (built). Station House is a new 378-unit apartment building that straddles Capitol Hill and H Street. The development by Fisher Brothers and Mack-Cali began leasing its mixture of studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom units in March through Roseland, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mack-Cali. The building includes a 309-spot underground parking garage. The design team was Handel Architects and Hickok Cole Architects. Uline Arena, 1140 3rd St. NE (under construction). The Uline Arena, under development by Douglas Development, will feature a flagship
October 2015 H 111
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51,000-square-foot REI. The project involves gutting the former Uline Ice Arena, where the Beatles played their first US concert, and redeveloping it to include 70,000 square feet of retail, 174,000 square feet of office space, and a new 168-space, four-level parking garage. The project architect is Antunovich Associates. 300 M St. NE. The Wilkes Company proposes a two-phased project at this site, most recently occupied by a surface parking lot often used for Metropolitan Police Department cruisers and a two-story warehouse and office building. The first phase would include about 400 units of residential and more than 10,000 square feet of retail with 187 off-street parking spaces in a below-grade garage. The project architect is Hickok Cole. 200 K St. NE. Toll Brothers recently received permits to begin the first phase of its two-phase residential and ground-floor retail project adjacent to the existing Loree Grand, 250 K St. NE. The Cohen Cos. originally planned the entire project, but after developing the Loree Grand sold the undevel-
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oped section of the site to the Toll Brothers in 2013. Toll Brothers is developing one phase with 296 units, a second with 229 units, and a total of more than 16,000 square feet of retail. There will be 240 spaces in a below-grade parking garage. Designs are by Davis Carter Scott Architects. Central Armature, 1200 3rd St. NE. The property at 1200 3rd St. NE, home to Central Armature for more than two dozen years, will become a mixed-use development through a partnership of Trammell Crow development and long-time owners, the Dorr family. The project is still in the planning phase but could entail a mixture of residential, retail, and hotel uses. 301 N St. NE. Foulger-Pratt Development recently submitted plans prepared by architects AA Studio to the Historic Preservation Review Board for the redevelopment of and addition to Capital Self-Storage at 301 N St. NE. The proposal calls for ground-level retail use with residential above in the existing structure and construction of an 11-story apartment building to the east and south.
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Rendering of the Wilkes Company’s 300 M St. NE.
Full-Service Landscape Design & Maintenance More Is More The new development under construction or in the works will give even more people a reason to come to NoMa and will add thousands of new residents and workers in the coming years, said Jasper. Goodman envisions a future where 15,000-20,000 people live in NoMa and tens of thousands of people work and visit. “I think it’s going to be one of the densest residential neighborhoods in the city … the country probably,” he added. Shaun Courtney is co-founder and editor-in-chief of District Source, a DC real estate and neighborhood news blog supported by Compass real estate. Shaun has been a local reporter since 2009 and has called the District home since 2002. She lives in Kingman Park with her husband and son. u
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301.642.5182 | WWW.THOMASLANDSCAPES.COM October 2015 H 113
{real estate / changing hands}
Changing Hands Changing hands is a list of most residential sales in the District of Columbia from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list, based on the MRIS, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms. NEIGHBORHOOD
CLOSE PRICE BR
FEE SIMPLE 16TH STREET HEIGHTS 1401 INGRAHAM ST NW 1319 INGRAHAM ST NW 4408 15TH ST NW 1311 DELAFIELD PL NW 4906 ARKANSAS AVE NW 1346 LONGFELLOW ST NW
$910,000 $891,000 $739,900 $700,000 $595,000 $426,000
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK 4485 SEDGWICK ST NW 4322 FESSENDEN ST NW 4420 YUMA ST NW 4911 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW 4412 SEDGWICK ST NW 4635 YUMA ST NW 4433 FARADAY PL NW 4627 44TH ST NW 4236 45TH ST NW 4630 CHESAPEAKE ST NW 4306 BRANDYWINE ST NW 4406 FESSENDEN ST NW
ANACOSTIA
2225 CHESTER ST SE 1512 U ST SE 1340 RIDGE PL SE 1438 18TH PL SE
BERKLEY
2354 48TH ST NW
BLOOMINGDALE 23 S ST NW 46 FLORIDA AVE NW 143 S ST NW
BRENTWOOD 1350 ADAMS ST NE
BRIGHTWOOD
6107 4TH ST NW 5801 4TH ST NW 1443 ROCK CREEK FORD RD NW 1325 SHERIDAN ST NW 1363 UNDERWOOD ST NW 7122 9TH ST NW 809 FLORAL PL NW 505 NICHOLSON ST NW 244 PEABODY ST NW 618 SOMERSET PL NW
BROOKLAND
3015 16TH ST NE 4203 12TH ST NE 3000 16TH ST NE 920 PERRY PL NE 1210 CRITTENDEN ST NE 3109 17TH ST NE 1024 BUCHANAN ST NE
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6 4 4 5 3 4
$1,695,000 $1,400,000 $1,145,000 $1,087,500 $1,050,000 $1,028,500 $975,000 $960,000 $881,000 $870,000 $860,000 $780,000
8 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
$395,000 $275,000 $180,000 $174,000
3 4 3 3
$1,240,000
3
$1,067,000 $725,000 $657,500
4 5 3
$240,000
3
$705,000 $682,500 $649,900 $579,000 $553,750 $475,000 $475,000 $461,000 $457,500 $390,000
4 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 2 4
$900,000 $770,000 $599,000 $485,000 $459,900 $412,500 $406,000
4 4 4 3 3 4 3
FAL L IN L O V E
W IT H T H E S E HO M ES !
BURLEITH 4016 MANSION DR NW
$1,475,000
CAPITOL HILL 124 3RD ST NE 301 11TH ST SE 139 11TH ST NE 1227 F ST NE 241 9TH ST NE 322 MARYLAND AVE NE 715 5TH ST NE 165 D ST SE 136 12TH ST SE 813 KENTUCKY AVE SE 1120 SOUTH CAROLINA AVE SE 403 G ST NE 241 10TH ST NE 1102 4TH ST NE 519 5TH ST NE 1606 A ST NE 104 7TH ST SE 239 11TH ST SE 1316 CORBIN PL NE 1354 D ST NE 1127 PARK ST NE 1373 EMERALD ST NE 1379 F ST NE 131 DUDDINGTON PL SE 635 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 1249 WYLIE ST NE 1538 D ST SE
$2,125,000 $1,850,000 $1,650,000 $1,648,500 $1,305,000 $1,249,000 $1,200,000 $1,175,000 $956,000 $949,000 $930,000 $920,000 $887,500 $845,000 $823,000 $819,000 $810,000 $810,000 $789,000 $775,000 $707,000 $703,000 $700,000 $655,000 $575,000 $510,000 $399,999
3 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 2
!
LD
SO
$940,000
CHEVY CHASE 2735 MCKINLEY ST NW 6512 BARNABY ST NW 3831 LIVINGSTON ST NW 3223 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 4112 LEGATION ST NW 3912 MORRISON ST NW 3206 OLIVER ST NW 5350 43RD ST NW 5468 31ST ST NW 3201 STEPHENSON PL NW 6217 WESTERN AVE NW 3745 KANAWHA ST NW #3745 1/2 3170 TENNYSON ST NW
$1,425,889 $1,405,000 $1,300,000 $1,267,500 $976,200 $949,000 $930,000 $915,000 $890,000 $875,000 $739,500 $735,000 $640,000
E BL A IL W! A AV NO
CHILLUM 32 LONGFELLOW ST NW
$480,000
CLEVELAND PARK 3610 MACOMB ST NW 3021 NEWARK ST NW 3320 QUEBEC PL NW 3175 PORTER ST NW
$2,600,000 $2,026,000 $1,100,000 $1,010,000
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1526 UPSHUR ST NW 3511 CENTER ST NW 3489 HOLMEAD PL NW 1340 RANDOLPH ST NW 730 QUINCY ST NW 762 GRESHAM PL NW 3119 11TH ST NW 1349 NEWTON ST NW 3208 WARDER ST NW 538 NEWTON PL NW 752 HOBART PL NW 3210 WARDER ST NW 765 HARVARD ST NW
$890,000 $765,000 $749,000 $736,000 $725,000 $721,000 $705,000 $655,000 $642,000 $603,000 $587,500 $540,000 $490,000
4 4 6 2 4
1512 Mass Ave SE 2BR/1.5BA
1235 Duncan Place NE 2BR/1.5BA $649,000
Renovated row home set back on a DEEP lot for endless gardening and patio options - a perfect condo alternative PLUS private off-street parking in rear. Don’t miss this one!
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1818 C St SE – APT #1-4 2BRs $599,000 3BRs $685,000 2.5BA
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All the historic details intact across 3 levels at the heart of the hill with BONUS in-law suite at lower level. Sky-lit upper level with EXPANSIVE Master bedroom and bath with balcony overlooking rear deck, patio and gardens with 2 car garage beyond!
5 4 5 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 5 4 3 3
SO
Nestled on a quiet street just a stroll from Columbia Heights or Petworth this renovated row home offers 3 levels of well-designed space, 3 bedrooms and 1 bath up, large living and dining space, central kitchen with breakfast area adjacent to rear patio! On the lower level, bonus family room and bed/bath for guests or extended stays!
CENTRAL 1338 22ND ST NW
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621 Keefer PL NW 4BR/2.5BA $659,000
E BL A IL W! A AV NO
611 Farragut St NW 3BR/3.5BA $695,000 Completely TRANSFORMED with over 2,800 sf of living space across 3 levels, including a knock-out open kitchen with adjacent dining and living spaces. 4 spacious bedrooms with three and a half baths plus deck, patio, yard AND two off-street parking spaces. Dont miss this opportunity for the best of city living, with plenty of room to breathe!
Proud historic colonial REBORN as 4 TALL, SLEEK, and IMMACULATE individual homes, each with BROAD dimensions, open plan, and smart systems -- PLUS spacious decks and private patios make them LIVE LIKE A HOUSE for the cost of a condo - Come visit TODAY!
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YOUR HOUSE HERE!
In times of market shift, homebuyers and sellers are finding our energy, creativity, and direct experience more vital than ever. For the BEST RESULTS, put us to work today! Call Joel for a free consultation on market values, smart improvements, and more!
4 4 4 3 5 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3
October 2015 H 115
514 IRVING ST NW 642 HOBART PL NW
CONGRESS HEIGHTS 741 CONGRESS ST SE 851 HR DR SE 135 WILMINGTON PL SE 619 ATLANTIC ST SE
DAKOTA CROSSING
3315 THEODORE R HAGANS DR NE
DEANWOOD
1120 48TH NE 809 48TH PL NE 121 36TH ST NE 4821 JAY ST NE 4435 HAYES ST NE 4270 FOOTE ST NE 220 35TH ST NE 4252 CLAY ST NE 4706 CENTRAL AVE NE 208 36TH ST NE 5217 DIX ST NE 220 56TH ST NE 240 60TH ST NE 3940 CLAY PL NE 5617 EADS ST NE 102 47TH ST NE 4708 EADS ST NE 5514 CLAY PL NE
DUPONT CIRCLE 1702 SWANN ST NW
ECKINGTON
33 S ST NW 10 R ST NE 1712 3RD ST NE 154 T ST NE 135 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE 18 SEATON PL NW
Law Offices Of
James m LOOts, Pc Serving the Capitol Hill Community Since 1984 General Litigation and Arbitration Franchising and Business Organizations Commercial Leasing and Development Labor and Employment Issues Contract and Licensing Matters
TOP “AV” RATED BY MARTINDALE-HUBBELL
634 G Street SE, Suite 200 | Washington DC 20003 (202) 536-5650 • Fax: (202) 315-3515 www.lootslaw.com 116 H Hillrag.com
FORT DUPONT PARK 4290 SOUTHERN AVE SE 3115 E ST SE 4331 G ST SE 121 34TH ST SE 3315 CROFFUT PL SE
GANGPLANK MARINA 600 WATER STREET, SW #B-11
GARFIELD
2728 CORTLAND PL NW
GEORGETOWN
2823 Q ST NW 2920 DUMBARTON ST NW 1236 POTOMAC ST NW 2723 N ST NW 2903 Q ST NW 3015 P ST NW 3102 P ST NW 3117 N ST NW 3136 P ST NW 3602 PROSPECT ST NW 4049 MANSION DR NW 1614 33RD ST NW 3817 T ST NW 1678 32ND ST NW 3274 P ST NW 2728 DUMBARTON ST NW
$403,000 $400,000
2 4
GLOVER PARK
$345,000 $214,900 $175,000 $150,000
4 3 3 2
H STREET
$515,000
3
$350,000 $335,000 $323,999 $305,000 $305,000 $290,000 $275,000 $246,500 $245,000 $240,000 $215,000 $213,900 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $175,000 $165,000 $73,000
3 4 3 3 4 3 2 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 3 3 2
$1,350,000
6
$965,000 $950,000 $767,500 $725,000 $625,000 $550,000
4 4 4 4 4 3
$310,000 $289,900 $245,000 $230,000 $32,500
4 3 2 3 3
$180,000
2
$885,000
3
$4,600,000 $3,630,000 $3,400,000 $3,295,000 $3,100,000 $2,900,000 $2,600,000 $2,600,000 $1,910,000 $1,880,000 $1,500,000 $1,265,000 $1,195,000 $1,038,000 $1,000,000 $777,000
4 6 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 3 3 3 4 2 2 2
2428 39TH PL NW 2241 OBSERVATORY PL NW 1031 10TH ST NE 1243 LINDEN PL NE
HAWTHORNE
3107 DOGWOOD ST NW 3106 DOGWOOD ST NW 7201 WESTERN AVE NW
HILL CREST
3703 CARPENTER ST SE
KALORAMA
1824 24TH ST NW
KENT
5116 LOWELL LN NW 5045 GARFIELD ST NW
KINGMAN PARK 432 20TH ST NE
LEDROIT PARK 25 ADAMS ST NW
LILY PONDS
47064710 QUARLES ST NE 3318 BLAINE ST NE 4327 POLK ST NE 3337 DIX ST NE
LOGAN CIRCLE
1420 CORCORAN ST NW
MARSHALL HEIGHTS 5502 D ST SE 5335 ASTOR PL SE 5108 BASS PL SE
MASSACHUSETTS AVE HTS 2849 MCGILL TER NW
MICHIGAN PARK
4457 SOUTH DAKOTA AVE NE 3922 SOUTH DAKOTA AVE NE 1708 ALLISON ST NE
MOUNT PLEASANT 1856 ONTARIO PL NW
$1,005,000 $785,000
3 3
$872,500 $628,000
5 2
$839,000 $825,000 $660,000
2 4 3
$497,510
3
$3,020,000
4
$2,280,000 $957,000
7 3
$430,000
2
$665,000
3
$375,000 $315,000 $302,000 $247,000
4 2 2 2
$1,599,900
4
$375,000 $312,000 $95,000
7 3 3
$3,000,000
6
$587,000 $539,000 $510,000
4 4 3
$1,350,000
5
MOUNT VERNON TRIANGLE 456 N ST NW
NORTH CLEVELAND PARK 3658 UPTON ST NW 3529 TILDEN ST NW 4236 RENO RD NW 3731 WARREN ST NW
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 2936 BELLEVUE TER NW
OLD CITY #1
500 C ST NE 1367 INDEPENDENCE AVE SE 349 KENTUCKY AVE SE 1827 A ST SE 906 3RD ST SE
$690,000
3
$1,595,000 $1,400,000 $1,110,000 $931,000
7 4 3 3
$975,000
5
$1,400,000 $990,000 $828,500 $809,000 $795,000
3 4 3 4 3
COMING SOON
BROOKLAND 239 12TH ST NE 1620 E ST SE 1622 E ST SE 420 11TH ST SE 536 14TH ST SE 240 16TH ST SE 1413 AMES PL NE 831 3RD ST NE 1419 G ST NE 613 16TH ST NE 1255 WYLIE ST NE 715 K ST NE 1245 MARYLAND AVE NE 908 12TH ST SE 1421 CAROLINA AVE NE 545 25TH PL NE 1758 E ST NE 1732 D ST NE 1616 F ST NE
OLD CITY #2 81 P ST NW 137 P ST NW 1221 S ST NW 1834 8TH ST NW 924 W ST NW 127 BATES ST NW 232 P ST NW 2129 10TH ST NW 226 Q ST NW
PALISADES
4457 MACARTHUR BLVD NW
PETWORTH
4015 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 633 HAMILTON ST NW 3927 5TH ST NW 4723 4TH ST NW 4622 4TH ST NW 653 HAMILTON ST NW 809 LONGFELLOW ST NW 811 MADISON ST NW 4323 2ND ST NW 728 MARIETTA PL NW 4018 ILLINOIS AVE NW 823 EMERSON ST NW 5422 8TH ST NW 5414 7TH ST NW 30 FARRAGUT PL NW
RANDLE HEIGHTS 1901 TREMONT ST SE 3432 23RD ST SE
RIGGS PARK
5502 4TH ST NE 5105 11TH ST NE 5018 SARGENT RD NE 1247 FARRAGUT PL NE 5028 SARGENT RD NE 1226 FARRAGUT PL NE 925 JEFFERSON ST NE
RLA (SW) 513 G ST SW 601 G ST SW
ROSEDALE
1625 GALES ST NE
SHAW
1525 MARION ST NW
$740,000 $700,000 $700,000 $680,000 $655,000 $650,000 $617,000 $615,000 $610,000 $585,000 $539,500 $538,500 $530,000 $510,000 $501,000 $495,000 $491,000 $450,000 $420,000
3 1 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 3 4 2
$924,900 $800,000 $760,000 $745,000 $712,000 $699,900 $679,000 $650,000 $550,000
3 4 3 3 2 2 4 2 5
$980,000
3
$780,000 $749,900 $724,000 $700,000 $677,500 $592,271 $547,500 $510,000 $500,000 $490,000 $450,000 $425,000 $400,000 $397,600 $389,903
5 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 3
$260,000 $100,000
3 2
$650,000 $515,000 $484,000 $479,000 $470,000 $399,650 $385,000
4 3 3 3 3 3 4
$976,000 $929,000
4 4
$567,000
3
$761,000
2
Kristof Realty Group offered a prompt and excellent service to me... and most importantly they were honest and experienced An Adams Morgan Buyer
Hub Krack 202.550.2111
Semi detached, 3BR, 3BA, enclosed front porch, den, wonderful wood floors, finished basement, potential in-law suite, parking. Low $400s.
Pam Kristof 202.253.2550
Licensed in DC, MD & VA
PROUD TO BE AGENTS WITH THE # 1 CENTURY 21 FIRM IN THE WORLD! Joan Carmichael Realtor 202.271.5198 joanvcarmichael@gmail.com Bridgette Cline Realtor 202.271.4196 bridgette.cline@c21nm.com for all you real estate needs 1000 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Wash., DC 20003 office #202-546-0055 October 2015 H 117
{real estate / changing hands}
SPRING VALLEY 4871 GLENBROOK RD NW
$5,300,000
TAKOMA PARK 220 ASPEN ST NW 24 SHERIDAN ST NE
$453,000 $320,000
8 2 3
TRINIDAD 1119 STAPLES ST NE 1227 ORREN ST NE 1224 ORREN ST NE 1201 QUEEN ST NE 1170 MORSE ST NE 1221 TRINIDAD AVE NE 813 18TH ST NE 1113 HOLBROOK TER NE 1739 HOLBROOK ST NE 1153 SUMMIT ST NE
$800,000 $782,000 $675,000 $674,900 $599,000 $450,000 $412,500 $289,000 $265,000 $224,900
WESLEY HEIGHTS 4433 KLINGLE ST NW 2916 NEW MEXICO AVE NW
$1,575,000 $1,200,000
4 4 4 5 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 4
Woodridge
3040 CLINTON ST NE $575,000 4 3429 SOUTH DAKOTA AVE NE $569,000 3 2006 FRANKLIN ST NE $515,000 4 1928 FRANKLIN ST NE $488,500 2 4211 22ND ST NE $380,100 4 2017 HAMLIN ST NE $380,000 3 2902 SOUTH DAKOTA AVE NE $270,000 3 2728 22ND ST NE $200,000 3
CONDO 16TH STREET HEIGHTS 1400 OGLETHORPE ST NW #7 1400 OGLETHORPE ST NW #11
$247,000 $175,000
ADAMS MORGAN 2550 17TH ST NW #515 2550 17TH ST NW #605 2550 17TH ST NW #416 1801 CALVERT ST NW #404 1668 EUCLID ST NW #A 2550 17th ST NW #513
$704,900 $527,400 $484,900 $375,000 $371,000 $302,400
BARRY FARMS 2609 DOUGLASS RD SE #201
$195,000
BLOOMINGDALE 61 N ST NW #2 61 N ST NW #1
$771,999 $657,550
BRIGHTWOOD 6645 GEORGIA AVE NW #103 31 KENNEDY ST NW #202
$195,000 $215,000
BROOKLAND 913 QUINCY ST NE #3 913 QUINCY ST NE #4 432 EVARTS ST NE #4 4032 8TH ST NE #4 913 QUINCY ST NE #2 4032 8TH ST NE #3 913 QUINCY ST NE #1 4032 8TH ST NE #1 42 HAWTHORNE CT NE #42 401 EVARTS ST NE #401
118 H Hillrag.com
$392,000 $369,000 $359,500 $350,000 $349,000 $345,000 $339,000 $330,000 $302,000 $288,000
1 0
401 EVARTS ST NE #302 400 EVARTS ST NE #203 90 WEBSTER ST NE #4
$275,000 $250,000 $110,000
CAPITOL HILL 205 18TH ST SE #3 1818 C ST SE #3 1818 C ST SE #1 321 18TH ST SE #5 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #524 337 MARYLAND AVE NE #3 523 8TH ST NE #204 410 15TH ST NE #5 1621 CAPITOL ST SE #6 644 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NE #303 601 A ST NE #3 305 C ST NE #206 131 17TH ST SE #1 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #540
$775,000 $685,000 $599,000 $475,000 $462,000 $460,000 $432,000 $404,000 $370,000 $364,000 $361,000 $265,000 $215,000 $377,000
1111 25TH ST NW #308 777 7TH ST NW #324 2114 N ST NW #12 1150 K ST NW #208 1133 14TH ST NW #1001 915 E ST NW #714 915 E ST NW #1013 1316 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #205 2201 L ST NW #710 2201 L ST NW #108
$600,000 $565,000 $506,700 $495,000 $481,000 $445,000 $414,000 $332,500 $272,000 $230,000
CHEVY CHASE 4301 MILITARY RD NW #403 5233 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #101 5410 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #203 5315 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #501
$960,000 $540,000 $264,900 $240,000
31 KENNEDY ST NW #302
$225,000
CLEVELAND PARK
3
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 1 1
CHILLUM
2 1 1 1 1 0
1 1
3 3 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 1
CENTRAL
2926 PORTER ST NW #308 2902 PORTER ST NW #10 2926 PORTER ST NW #305 2926 PORTER ST NW #101 2926 PORTER ST NW #106 3022 WISCONSIN AVE NW #102 4301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #2014 3807 RODMAN ST NW #C9 3701 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #620
3 3
2 1 1
1343 KENYON ST NW #1 2030 8TH ST NW #P04 3615 11TH ST NW 1354 EUCLID ST NW #402A 1466 HARVARD ST NW #A1 1325 TAYLOR ST NW #2 1354 EUCLID ST NW #302A 1435 EUCLID ST NW #3 787 IRVING ST NW #1 1514 NEWTON ST NW #101 1513 OAK ST NW #2 1310 BELMONT ST NW #2 1436 OGDEN ST NW #4 1513 OAK ST NW #1 2910 GEORGIA AVE NW #C03 701 LAMONT ST NW #49 1531 PARK RD NW #6 1414 BELMONT ST NW #403 1514 NEWTON ST NW #303 1354 EUCLID ST NW #401A
$802,400 $735,000 $515,000 $489,000 $459,900 $415,000 $385,000 $329,000 $250,000 $940,000 $919,400 $799,900 $740,000 $735,000 $615,000 $595,000 $588,000 $569,999 $569,900 $560,000 $512,000 $499,500 $460,000 $434,900 $422,500 $415,000 $399,900 $394,900 $387,000
1 2 3 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 3 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
1514 NEWTON ST NW #103 1324 EUCLID ST NW #307 1514 NEWTON ST NW #202 1514 NEWTON ST NW #203 529 LAMONT ST NW #205 1417 NEWTON ST NW #102 1514 NEWTON ST NW #B3 1321 FAIRMONT ST NW #304 1441 SPRING RD NW #B1
$379,800 $369,900 $359,000 $349,900 $345,000 $330,000 $295,000 $269,900 $239,900
CONGRESS HEIGHTS 3865 HALLEY TER SE #202
$59,900
DEANWOOD 940 EASTERN AVE NE #8
$58,000
DOWNTOWN 1150 K ST NW #503
$437,500
1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1
DUPONT 1735 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #201 1775 CORCORAN NW #45 1401 17TH ST NW #101 1815 19TH ST NW #5 1700 17TH ST NW #306 1939 17TH ST NW #11 1545 18TH ST NW #103 1280 21ST ST NW #208 1 SCOTT CIR NW #509 1770 CHURCH ST NW #A 1401 17TH ST NW #707 1748 CORCORAN ST NW #1A 1545 18TH ST NW #403 1330 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #625 1330 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #401 1733 20TH ST NW #403 1617 SWANN ST NW #3 2017 O ST NW #3
$901,000 $659,000 $499,900 $460,000 $428,000 $425,000 $315,000 $287,000 $239,900 $960,000 $415,000 $375,000 $372,000 $322,000 $350,000 $441,000 $785,000 $769,000
ECKINGTON 233 S ST NE #2 233 S ST NE #1 11 S ST NE #A 14 S ST NE #304
$575,000 $559,000 $553,000 $456,000
FOGGY BOTTOM 955 26TH ST NW #210 3 WASHINGTON CIR NW #904 2141 I ST NW #816 922 24TH ST NW #417 2141 I ST NW #503
$479,500 $467,000 $285,000 $268,500 $223,500
FOREST HILLS 3883 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #610 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #506 2726 ORDWAY ST NW #4 2710 MACOMB ST NW #110 3701 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #141 2755 ORDWAY ST NW #513 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #1126
$693,750 $490,000 $405,000 $349,000 $275,000 $225,000 $324,500
FORT LINCOLN 3491 SUMMIT CT NE #3491
$205,000
2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2
GARFIELD 3100 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #205 2737 DEVONSHIRE PL NW #108
$399,995 $389,000
GEORGETOWN 3303 WATER ST NW #3E 3400 DENT PL NW #1 3020 DENT PL NW #16W
$1,800,000 $525,000 $440,000
1 1 2 1 1
GLOVER PARK
4100 W ST NW #401 2725 39TH ST NW #209 4000 TUNLAW RD NW #314 4000 TUNLAW RD NW #518 4000 TUNLAW RD NW #312A
H STREET CORRIDOR 652 L ST NE #1 1391 FLORIDA AVE NE #2
HILL CREST
1620 29TH ST SE #203 3813 V ST SE #302 2010 38TH ST SE #201 3812 V ST SE #201 2111 FORT DAVIS ST SE #201
KALORAMA
2230 CALIFORNIA ST NW #5BW 2411 20TH ST NW #1011 1867 MINTWOOD PL NW #2 1842 MINTWOOD PL NW #7 2415 20TH ST NW #32 2014 KALORAMA RD NW #4 1811 VERNON ST NW #301 1816 KALORAMA RD NW #104 1843 MINTWOOD PL NW #102 1851 COLUMBIA RD NW #404
KINGMAN PARK
1606 ISHERWOOD ST NE #2
LEDROIT PARK 2103 2ND ST NW #2 117 T ST NW #1
LOGAN
1420 N ST NW #312 1225 13TH ST NW #606 2125 14TH ST NW #501 2125 14TH ST NW #911 2125 14TH ST NW #203 1213 N ST NW #A 1211 13TH ST NW #801 1300 13TH ST NW #605 1401 Q ST NW #401 1420 N ST NW #701 1411 11TH ST NW #A
MARSHALL HEIGHTS 4508 B ST SE #7 17 46TH ST SE #1
MOUNT PLEASANT
1862 PARK RD NW #2 1613 HARVARD ST NW #313 3220 17TH ST NW #303 2510 ONTARIO RD NW #2 2627 ADAMS MILL RD NW #103 2440 16TH ST NW #108 2440 16TH ST NW #521 3420 16TH ST NW #107S 2611 ADAMS MILL RD NW #408
MOUNT VERNON
301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #804 442 M ST NW #1 910 M ST NW #307
NAVY YARD
1025 1ST ST SE #312
$375,000 $300,000 $235,000 $228,000 $219,900
2 1 1 1 1
$775,000 $563,000
3 3
$235,000 $95,000 $95,000 $72,000 $60,000
2 2 2 2 1
$1,475,000 $910,000 $650,000 $640,000 $625,000 $605,000 $564,000 $355,000 $320,000 $318,500
3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 0
$292,000
1
$690,000 $622,000
2 2
$475,000 $419,000 $930,000 $545,000 $525,000 $940,000 $885,000 $855,000 $635,000 $447,000 $312,500
2 1 2 1 1 2 2 3 1 1 1
$50,000 $46,000
2 2
$740,000 $635,000 $581,150 $540,000 $399,009 $378,000 $342,500 $325,000 $315,000
3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
$425,000 $387,500 $474,500
1 1 1
$544,000
1
NORTH CLEVELAND PARK 4444 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #707 4007 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #506
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #221 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #610 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #510
OLD CITY #1
1025 1ST ST SE #513 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #517 1491 A ST NE #1491 919 MARYLAND AVE NE #2 1347 I ST NE 1520 INDEPENDENCE AVE SE #1 2012 D ST NE #2 608 14TH PL NE #4
OLD CITY #2
1735 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #603 1441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #901 30 Q ST NW #2 1441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #106 475 K ST NW #625 931 WESTMINSTER ST NW #B 2120 VERMONT AVE NW #613 1900 S ST NW #402 936 N ST NW #5 1612 Q ST NW #5 1332 15TH ST NW #22 475 K ST NW #810 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #1015 2000 16TH ST NW #303 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #806 440 L ST NW #612 1621 T ST NW #T1 1756 CORCORAN ST NW #3A 1111 11TH ST NW #203 234 N ST NW #1 1413 T ST NW #205 1300 N ST NW #507 301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #506 1239 VERMONT AVE NW #410 1718 P ST NW #511 1239 VERMONT AVE NW #601 80 NEW YORK AVE NW #405 1601 18TH ST NW #1008 1420 N ST NW #410 1440 N ST NW #505
PALISADES
4559 MACARTHUR BLVD NW #102
PENN QUARTER
675 E ST NW #800 631 D ST NW #1144 916 G ST NW #603 616 E ST NW #648 616 E ST NW #218 801 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW #1112 915 E ST NW #1002
PETWORTH
539 RANDOLPH ST NW #2 539 RANDOLPH ST NW #1 804 TAYLOR ST NW #107 5041 1ST ST NW #10 5611 5TH ST NW #33 5611 5TH ST NW #16
RLA (SW)
355 I ST SW #619
$447,000 $343,000
2 1
$695,000 $627,000 $575,000
1 1 1
$795,000 $599,000 $540,000 $454,999 $410,000 $359,000 $357,000 $317,000
2 2 2 2 3 2 1 1
$830,000 $775,000 $670,000 $642,000 $585,000 $550,000 $543,800 $540,000 $525,000 $515,000 $506,000 $502,250 $500,000 $490,000 $485,000 $477,000 $475,000 $455,000 $445,000 $385,000 $370,000 $362,000 $339,900 $335,000 $313,551 $295,000 $265,000 $230,000 $225,000 $205,000
2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 0 0
$260,000
1
$1,590,000 $939,000 $650,000 $619,000 $529,900 $472,000 $407,000
3 3 2 2 2 1 1
$540,000 $448,000 $309,000 $275,000 $229,500 $169,500
2 2 1 2 1 0
$414,800
1
Specializing in all aspects of Real Estate Settlements
We Guarantee Attention to Detail & Personalized Service 650 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Suite 170 Washington, DC 20003-4318 202-544-0800
Our website just got a whole lot better! capitalcommunitynews.com
Property Management At Its Best: Over 80% of our condominium and coop associations have been with us for over 9 years. Compare our services and fees high quality at a very fair cost. We will be happy to provide a quote and references. Switch to us now and we will wave first month’s fee. JOEL TRUITT MANAGEMENT, INC. 734 SEVENTH STREET, SE (202) 547-2707 FAX: (202) 547-1977
www.joeltruitt.com
Quality Since 1972 October 2015 H 119
Looking to Buy or Sell on the Hill? I want to be Your Agent!
Let s get together to review the market and design a winning strategy!
Dee Dee Branand At
home on the Hill
605 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003 Office: 202 547-3525 Cell: 202 369-7902 Email: dbranand@cbmove.com Web: www.deedeebranand.com
“We are part of Capitol Hill, We don’t just work here... We live here, too. Let our neighborhood experience work for you...�
355 I ST SW #S421 700 7TH ST SW #144 355 I ST SW #S119 700 7TH ST SW #824 240 M ST SW #E806 240 M ST SW #E209 300 M ST SW #N606 1101 3RD ST SW #511 1101 3RD SW #P-15
$411,000 $399,999 $399,640 $380,225 $334,240 $323,000 $310,000 $300,000 $35,000
SHAW 449 R ST NW #302 2120 VERMONT AVE NW #309
$710,500 $615,000
SOUTHWEST 300 M ST SW #N205
$268,000
SW WATERFRONT 1425 4TH ST SW #A103 1101 3RD ST SW #702
202.546.3100 210 7th Street, SE. #100. WDC 20003 www.monarchtitle.net
1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
$310,000 $300,000
3 3 1 1 1
TRINIDAD 819 13TH ST NE 1629 L ST NE #101 1424 HOLBROOK ST NE #102 1643 MONTELLO AVE NE #1 1238 QUEEN ST NE #4
$405,000 $274,000 $256,900 $240,000 $211,700
TRUXTON CIRCLE 34 Q ST NW #1
$589,000
U STREET 929 FLORIDA AVE NW #5005 1330 BELMONT ST NW #101 1935 12TH ST NW #1 2004 11TH ST NW #322 2250 11TH ST NW #205
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WAKEFIELD 4600 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #505 4740 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #918
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WESLEY HEIGHTS 3295 SUTTON PL NW #D 4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #519E
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5 2 2 1 2 3 2 2 2 2 1
DUPONT 1526 17TH ST NW #311 1725 17TH ST NW #401 1701 16TH ST NW #207 1526 17TH ST NW #215 1526 17TH ST NW #204
FOGGY BOTTOM 700 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #319 2475 VIRGINIA AVE NW #200/201 730 24TH ST NW #701/702 700 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #802 700 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #1411 730 24 NW #511 2475 VIRGINIA AVE NW #620
2 1
WEST END
3001 VEAZEY TER NW #1034 3001 VEAZEY TER NW #732 3001 VEAZEY TER NW #1208
ADAMS MORGAN 1669 COLUMBIA NW #308 3025 ONTARIO RD NW #209
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CLEVELAND PARK 3600 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #103
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1 0 1 1 1
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KALORAMA 1901 WYOMING AVE NW #68 2122 CALIFORNIA ST NW #454 1860 CALIFORNIA ST NW #102
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NORTH CLEVELAND PARK 3024 TILDEN ST NW #502C 3024 TILDEN ST NW #402-C
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OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 3900 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #606A 4000 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #722B 2720 WISCONSIN AVE NW #307 4101 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #612
$275,000 $268,000 $175,000 $168,000
RLA (SW)
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SW WATERFRONT 490 M STREET SW #W601
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VANN NESS 3001 VEAZY TER NW #820
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WATERFRONT
550 N SW #S-502 1155 23RD ST NW #PRES PH2 $6,050,000 4 1327 4TH ST SW #TH-01 1155 23RD ST NW #5E $3,250,000 3 430 M ST SW #N402 1111 23RD ST NW #4A $2,100,000 2 u 1111 23RD ST NW #S4C $1,675,000 2 1155 23RD ST NW #6F $772,500 1
CoOp
$700,000 $620,000 $598,000 $580,000 $518,500 $295,000 $225,000
FOREST HILLS
1301 DELAWARE AVE SW #N 201 2 1
$516,000 $275,000 $175,000 $469,900 $325,000
$743,333 $668,000 $234,000
2 1 0 2 1 1 2 3 2 1 1 0 2 2 2 1 1 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 2 1 2 3 3 1
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Local Real Estate Listings Another great reason to visit www.hillrag.com October 2015 H 121
A Holistic Approach to Fitness Partner with Pattie Cinelli to: • Learn how to lose weight without dieting • Find an exercise program you enjoy and that works • Learn techniques to release stress Choose a single, partner or group session in your home, office, Results the Gym or Lavender Retreat Pattie has 30 years in the fitness business. Her knowledge and experience will help you achieve your goals
Schedule a wellness consultation to learn your options
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fitness@pattiecinelli.com
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{health & fitness}
Healing Touch
Energy Work that Helps a Body Heal Itself
by Pattie Cinelli
R
enata Maniaci, a Fulbright scholar, had her dream job. While she was at Columbia University completing her masters in public health, she was working at the Guttmacher Institute which advances sexual and reproductive health through policy, education and research. “I thought that was where I would be headed after grad school. I was interested in analyzing qualitative data and enjoyed the work.” Sometimes life takes a turn we aren’t expecting. “I felt an inexplicable pull to find out more about energy work,” she told me. Renata was no stranger to alternative therapies. Her mother, a nurse and social work-
er, changed careers to become an acupuncturist. Renata had experienced Reiki, acupuncture and healing touch treatments. “I started with Reiki which piqued my interest. As a researcher with a strong academic background, I was looking for something that could answer my questions about how energy works more thoroughly. I found the Healing Touch program.”
What Is Healing Touch Healing Touch is an energy-based therapy that was developed by Janet Mentgen, a practicing nurse for 43 years, who saw the positive effects of touch while using various energy techniques and modalities. She formally created the Healing Touch pro-
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gram in 1989, which was certified by the American Holistic Nurses Association in 1993. Healing Touch is also accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. Currently Healing Touch is the only nationally certifi ed energy program. Energy therapies focus on removing energy congestion that form in our energy fields (aura) and energy centers (chakras). Once these imbalances and disturbances are cleared, the energy channels resume their task of integrating the body, mind and soul to restore health and promote healing. They may also help to prevent future issues by restoring balance to energy field disturbances, which could later result in illness if left unbalanced. Healing Touch is an energy modality that has been documented through research studies (www.healingtouchresearch. com). For example, a study by St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul MN found Healing Touch helped to decrease anxiety and shorten the length of hospital stays for heart bypass patients. The Healing Touch program itself has a research division, of which Renata is a member, which has affiliations with different institutions for its studies such as Watson Cady Science Institute and the International Society of Subtle Energy and Energy Medicine.
A Personal Experience Perhaps the best way to understand Healing Touch is to experience energy work fi rsthand. A simple exercise is to rub your palms together rapidly, then hold them close to-
gether. If you move them you can feel the heat, the vibration – the energy – moving between your hands. If you practice yoga you may be able to feel the lines of energy through alignment in the poses. Some energy therapies I’ve experienced are Reiki, acupuncture, cranial-sacral massage and reflexology. Some massage therapists can feel the energy moving through your body as they work. I asked Renata to help me with two areas –physical issues: my tightness in my left leg and sinus congestion; and an emotional issue: clarity of thought. After a thorough intake, I laid on a table fully clothed, closed my eyes and relaxed. During the session I physically felt Renata occasionally laying her hands on my feet and my head. I also felt a release or an emptying in my leg. I felt very calm and relaxed. When the session was completed Renata and I talked about what she found – congestion in the left knee. She said, “Your leg felt like it wanted to be connected to your heart.” She also cleared my sinuses on the left side. She also did clearing in my third chakra which represents personal power, thoughts, will, how you are and want to be. Immediately walking after my treatment I felt lighter. My leg was better but not perfect. By the next morning I had no tightness left. My leg was mobile and functioning one hundred percent. Ever since my session I have had more energy and focus.
tional medicine route and are still not well.” My clients have all different sorts of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual issues.” For example, a client wanted a broken ankle to heal quicker. Another had a back ache or headaches. A majority come for emotional/mental reasons including grief, a breakup or general stress and often it’s a mixture. One client came to her with a torn ACL. She saw him once a week, then every other week to build up the energy in his knee. “I love that each day is so different, and I love to facilitate self- healing.” Renata says her goal is to put herself out of a job. “I think the majority of people can do what I do. I help people with my own hands, then I teach them to use their own hands.” She believes that modern medicine has restricted itself to a very narrow view of healing. “Our bodies seem so solid, but are really made of energy waves or vibrations, so using an energetic method for healing, especially person to person, is quite logical.” She would like to see Healing Touch as part of a holistic treatment for healing that includes conventional medicine and other modalities. To learn more about Renata and Healing Touch go to: www. freedbodyworks.com. Pattie Cinelli is a personal trainer, writer and group exercise instructor who practices a holistic approach to getting and staying well, feeling good and being fit. If you want to learn more about this approach contact Pattie at: fitness@pattiecinelli.com. u
Who Can Benefit from Healing Touch Renata is the only Healing Touch practitioner in D.C. She practices at Freed Bodyworks at 1337 Pennsylvania Ave., SE. Many of her clients seek her out as a last resort. They’ve gone through a conven-
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Washington International Horse Show Kids’ Day On Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, kids can participate in more than a dozen hands-on educational and fun activities, including pony rides, the Animal Planet Horseless Horse Show, horseshoe painting, face painting, pony brushing lessons, plus giveaways from Paisley Pony magazine and Georgetown Cupcake. Klinger, the famous US Army Caisson Platoon horse, attends as a special guest to greet the children. And there’s even a pony kissing booth with Mosley, the mini pony. WIHS Kids’ Day is a free event held both inside Verizon Center and outside the arena on a city street closed for the occasion. wihs.org Pony kissing booth on Kids’ Day. Photo: Alden Corrigan Media
{kids & family} NOTEBOOK by Kathleen Donner CHAW Halloween SPOOKtacular Concert & Reception On Saturday, Oct. 31, 2 to 4:30 p.m., join your neighbors for spooky tunes played by CHAW’s young private music students, costumes galore, examples of artwork from their multitude of classes...and donuts and cider to kick off the sugar rush a little bit early. Tour the building, learn a little more about the CHAW-some community they’re building through the arts every day, and enjoy a truly SPOOKtacular concert. There are building tours and open art gallery at 2 p.m.; Halloween concert at 2:30 p.m.; and donuts and cider reception at 3:30 p.m. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. 202-547-6839. chaw.org
Bilingual Preschool Story Time at Southeast Library This is an interactive story time with songs, rhymes, and books in Spanish and English for children ages 2 to 5 and their caregivers. Free tickets are required due to limited space. Tickets are distributed beginning 30 minutes before each story time on a first-come, first-served basis. Have a group? Please call ahead of time to make special arrangements. Story times in October are Fridays, Oct. 9, 16, 23 and 30; 11 a.m. Southeast Neighborhood Library, 403 Seventh St. SE. 202-698-3377. dclibrary.org/southeast
The Cerulean Time Capsule at the Botanic Garden Meet Benjamin Peale, a botanist who claims to be a time traveler from the year 2041. He needs your help to stop a critical discovery from happening in the Botanic Garden; one that will bring catastrophe and destruction to the world as we know it! Help him find the mythic “Cerulean Time Capsule” before it’s too late. Be alert. Be vigilant. Time is
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of the essence if you want to change the course of the space-time continuum in the name of botanical security. Don’t miss this immersive, interactive, and site-specific theatrical event that whisks small groups all around the Conservatory on a botanical adventure of a lifetime. Your future self is depending on you! Performed Saturdays and Sundays inside the Conservatory at the US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW, through Oct. 25, at 10:30, 11, 11:30 a.m., noon, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4 p.m. Free on-site registration is available the day of the performance. Time slot availability will be on a first come, first served basis. If you would like to reserve a specific date and time slot in advance, you may do so for $2. Visit reservations.usbg.gov. Due to its small-group nature, this performance can accommodate up to 12 audience members at one time. The play is a fast-moving tour through the Conservatory, but the 4 p.m. show each day will be performed at a slower pace. For ages seven and up. usbg.gov
“Stay Awake” at the Atlas
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Imagine an upside down lullaby! Rather than lulling you to sleep, this enchanting world premiere sends you to a Dreamland of another sort. Discover the fantastical journey that awaits a child and her dog when their familiar bedtime ritual is thrown delightfully offbalance. Combining live music, movement, and visual art, Stay Awake invites young children and their grown-up friends into a theatrical world where anything is possible. This highly interactive, sensory-filled theatre experience, at the Atlas, through Oct. 11, welcomes the very youngest audiences, ages two to four, into the magic of performing arts. “Stay Awake” will open the Atlas Performing Arts Center’s fourth season of Theatre for the Very Young, a series of performances for children ages infant to five inspired by the belief that every age has the right to experience powerful, pleasure-giving, and challenging art. $9. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org
Spooky Movie Night and Halloween Craft Night at Rosedale Library On Tuesday, Oct. 20, 11:30 p.m., celebrate
R.L. Stine (and Halloween) with a movie inspired by his popular Goosebumps series. For ages 10 and up. Halloween Craft Night, for ages four and up, is on Oct. 29, 4 p.m. Rosedale Neighborhood Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. dclibrary.org/rosedale
River Park Nursery School Yard Sale River Park Nursery School’s annual yard sale and bake sale is on Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Eastern Market in the plaza near Rumsey pool on North Carolina Avenue SE. Proceeds support River Park Nursery School, which has a 50-year tradition of providing quality instruction that encourages individual growth and development.
First Moves at Labyrinth Games & Puzzles First Moves is a special game club for children, ages three to six. The games are designed to help dexterity and logic, math and language, and social skills. The classes help children learn the basic skills needed to play games, including taking turns, winning and losing with grace, and following directions. Each class is $15 per child. You may drop your child off or stay with them as you prefer. Children must be potty trained. Registration at labyrinthdc. eventbrite.com is necessary and space is limited. October’s First Moves is Saturday, Oct. 24, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-544-1059. labyrinthdc.com
“Flowers Stink” Musical at the US Botanic Garden When you live in a big city, a.k.a. “the concrete jungle,” sometimes it’s hard to appreciate the great outdoors. That’s definitely the case with one middle school girl, who’s struggling with writing a nature-themed poem for school. Giving up, she tweets: “#poetryisstupid #natureisboring #flowersstink.” Suddenly, two zany and loveable plants magically come to life in her room, encouraging her to open her eyes, ears, and mind to the beauty all around her. Pointing to her own family history, the girl’s newfound friends transport her imagination to the flora of a desert, a volcano, and a rain forest to
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help unleash her creativity. Mixing plenty of singing and dancing with folk, bluegrass, blues, and gospel, this colorful world premiere musical— by the Helen Hayes Award–winning creators of Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue—shows that if you look closely enough, you can find the best of nature in the most unlikely places. (Approx. 45 minutes). For ages seven and up. “Flowers Stink”, a world premiere Kennedy Center musical cocommissioned with the US Botanic Garden, is free and performed outdoors on Saturdays, through Oct. 24 at 11 a.m. at the US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. In case of inclement weather, check usbg.gov for performance updates.
Troop 6560 Girl Scouts Earn Bronze Award Girl Scouts in Troop 6560 earned their Bronze Award this summer. To complete this award, the girls were required to complete a project that benefited their community. Troop 6560 created sensory books for students at St. Colleta of Greater Washington to help them better understand what they were reading. Troop 6560 is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. The Girl Scouts that received the Bronze Award were Cason Krepp, Taylor Keane, Elise Herrick, Allison Sanders, Claire Ahern, Clare Anna House, Megan Jones, Drew HoltFeggans, Rosemary Paxson, Grace Lally, Ailene Neal, Mitali Mirchandani, and Caroline Watterson.
Trick or Treat! Halloween Cookery with the Kids at Hill Center With Halloween right around the corner, Peter Ogburn will get you and your kids in the spirit (pun intended). The menu will include kid-friendly foods, but with a creepy twist. Perhaps some monkey (cauliflower) brains!?
Costumes are strongly encouraged. This class is on Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. $49 for one adult and one child; $15 for each additional child. Read more and register at hillcenterdc.org/home/programs/2449.
“Saturday Morning at the National” Free Performances for Children On Saturdays at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. there are free live performances for children in the National Theatre Helen Hayes Gallery. Tickets are required and distributed first come, first seated. Tickets are distributed half an hour prior to performance. One ticket per person in line. The National Theatre is at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. 202-783-3372. Here’s the lineup: Oct. 17, Rocknoceros; Oct. 24, Rainbow Puppets: The Really Big Dinosaur Show; Oct. 31, Sleepy Hollow; Nov. 7, Single Carrot; Nov. 14, Barynya; Nov. 21, Tales as Tall as the Sky; Dec. 5, Virginia Ballet Company & School, The Nutcracker Selections; Dec. 12, Dicken’s Tale. Read more at thenationaldc.org.
9:00 a.m. sharp - 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 6 Saturday, November 7 Thursday, November 19 Friday, December 4 Saturday, January 9 Thursday, January 14 Application Deadlines: Dec. 1 (Early); Jan. 15 (Reg) 5901 Westchester Park Drive, College Park, MD 20740 Tel: 301.441.2100 www.friendscommunityschool.org Only 15-20 minutes up the Baltimore-Washington Parkway!
DC Bilingual Public Charter School DC Bilingual Public Charter School, 33 Riggs Rd. NE, has begun its school year. DC Bilingual is committed to making their school a community cornerstone where neighbors and families can come together to learn and grow. DCBPCS is a learning community that ensures high academic achievement for all students in both Spanish and English, develops leadership, and values all cultures. Founded in 2004, DC Bilingual serves more than 350 students in grades preK-3 through fifth. DC Bilingual seeks to implement an academically demanding dual-language program to foster bilingualism and bi-literacy for all children. dcbilingual.org
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haunt, Boo at the Zoo. With more than 40 treat stations, animal demonstrations, keeper chats, and decorated trails, this frightfully fun evening is a treat for the whole family. New this year will be an entertainment stage with a DJ spinning Halloween favorites, musicians, and jugglers. Also, don’t miss a themed hay maze and scarecrow field. $30. All guests two and older, adults included, must have a ticket. Reserve tickets at nationalzoo.si.edu.
Disney on Ice Disney on Ice is coming to the Eagle Bank Arena (formerly Patriot Center) in Fairfax, Va., Oct. 21 to 25. Celebrate the legacy This piece is the work of School Within School. of Disney in this ice skating spectacular as Students Hang Art on Hine Project Walkway Mouse-ter of CeremoStudents from 27 schools on the Hill worked hard to create unique and pownies Mickey Mouse erful pieces of art which are hung on the Hine project’s construction fence. leads a parade of charThe paintings will be up for the next 20 months. acters including Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and an ensemble of Disney Princesses. Be dazzled by the Halloween Celebration at magic of Disney’s Frozen with Anna, Elsa and Northeast Library the hilarious Olaf. Sing along to more than 30 of On Saturday, Oct. 31, join your neighbors in the your favorite Disney songs including “Leg It Go,” Children’s Room of the Northeast Library for a day “You’ve Got A Friend in Me,” and “Hakuna Mataof stories, crafts, and tasty treats. Spooky Storytime ta.” Tickets are $20, up. Order tickets by phone at is from 10:30 to 11 a.m.; Creepy Crafts from 11 1-800-745-3000 or at ticketmaster.com. a.m. to noon; and Trick or Treat from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Be sure to come in costume. Northeast Neighborhood Library, 330 Seventh St. NE. 202698-0058. dclibrary.org/northeast
Boo at the Zoo On Oct. 23, 24, and 25, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., come for Washington DC’s favorite not-so-spooky Halloween
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Imagination Stage Presents “When She Had Wings” In this world premiere as a part of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival, Beatrix, or “B” as she prefers, is about to turn 10. Her fascination with Amelia Earhart’s disappearance story is equal only to
her fears about the impending big 10th birthday. As B struggles to hold onto her own sense of childhood freedom, she meets a mysterious character, who lands in the make-shift wooden cockpit of her backyard tree. B believes that A is actually her heroine Amelia Earhart, who was never seen again after taking off across the Pacific Ocean. In exchange for B helping A finish her famous last flight, A promises B that she can and will fly! Best for ages five, up. On stage through Nov. 1 at Imagination Stage’s Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Theatre. Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased online at imaginationstage.org, at the Imagination Stage box office, or via phone at 301-280-1660.
Spark!Lab at the American History Museum Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors. The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation invites children between the ages of six and 12 to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment, and invent. Activities for children and families incorporate traditional science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with art, museum, and creativity. Spark!Lab activities are designed around common themes that connect to Museum collections and exhibitions. These themes will change on a regular basis, ensuring that regular visitors have something new to explore. The opening theme through October is “Things that Roll.” Activities include inventing a skateboard, thinking about how to adapt a vehicle so it can be controlled without using the driver’s legs, and working with robotics, among others. Spark!Lab at the American History Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Tuesdays and Christmas Day. americanhistory.si.edu
Kids’ Movies at the National Gallery of Art “The Amazing Wiplala” (ages 10, up), Saturdays, Oct. 24 and Nov. 7 at 10:30 a.m. in the East Building Auditorium. Nine-year-old Johannes needs a friend. After the recent death of his mother, Johannes struggles to connect with his busy father and older sister. Then one night, the little boy discovers Wiplala, a tiny man with magical powers who lives in the kitchen cupboard. Johannes is thrilled-until one of Wipala’s spells accidentally shrinks Johannes and his family down to four inches in height!
Wracked by self-doubt, the well-intentioned Wiplala must figure out a way to return everyone to normal. But first, he must learn that there is no greater power than belief in oneself. “Finn” (ages 10 and up), Sundays, Oct. 25 and Nov. 8 at 11:30 a.m. in the East Building Auditorium. Still mourning the death of his mother, gentle nine-year-old Finn also has to struggle with his father’s insistence that he be like all the other boys and play soccer, despite the fact that he has no interest in the sport. When Finn meets a mysterious old man at an abandoned farm and hears him play the violin, he is entranced by the beauty of the music. Determined to learn how to play the instrument, he sneaks away for lessons. Discovering comfort and strength in his music, and the visions of his mother that it evokes, Finn seems to have found his calling—but will his father ever accept his newfound passion?
The Art Institute of Washington’s “College Bound” Design, Fashion, Media Arts, and Culinary Courses The Art Institute of Washington announces its new program, College Bound that allows high school juniors and seniors to experience college-level design, media arts, fashion, and culinary courses at its local campus. The classes, offered on Saturdays during the school year, are non-credit bearing. A tuition and materials fee is required for enrollment in College Bound. Learn more at getcreative.aii.edu/collegebound.
Terrapin Adventures Great Pumpkin Adventure On Saturday, Oct. 10 and Sunday, Oct. 11, 6:30 to 10 p.m., enjoy Terrapin Adventures premier fall program
for children ages five to 10. The Great Pumpkin Adventure includes painting your own pumpkin or ghost, followed by the thrilling Terrapin Explorer Kids course and then some delicious candy. The Terrapin Explorer Ropes Course has 22 different fun elements that they can walk, balance, swing, zip, and crawl through. It includes two zip lines, 20 challenging elements and a 20 foot high rock wall. The cost is $35 for ages five to 10 with a minimum weight of 35 pounds. Terrapin Adventures at Savage Mill, 8600 Foundry St., Savage, MD. Register in advance as space is limited at 301-7251313 or terrapinadventure.com.
NSO Family Concert “A SLEEPY HOLLOW” -een All Hallows’ Eve has arrived for Ichabod Crane as Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke leads all the ghoulishly attired orchestra members in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, his riveting reimagining of Washington Irving’s classic ghost story, and more frightfully fun music. For ages five and up. Come early for trick-or-treating and a special Haunted Hall Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo,” a project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO. Concerts are on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2 and 4 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are from $15. kennedy-center.org
Halloween Family Day at the American Art Museum Ghosts and goblins and witches, oh my! On Saturday, Oct. 17, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. get in the Halloween spirit with spooky craft activities, scavenger hunts, and live music and performances. Whether in new costume or an old favorite, all are welcome to arrive wearing their Halloween best. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets. NW. americanart.si.edu
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Los Día de los Muertos: Day of the Dead at the American Indian Museum The migration of the monarch butterflies home to Mexico is believed by many communities to be the spirits of their ancestors returning and marks the start of the Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. On Saturday, Oct. 31 and Sunday, Nov. 1, join the museum in its annual Día de los Muertos program. This colorful celebration of life includes food demonstrations by the museum’s Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe and a cultural presentation of La Danza de los Tecuanes (Dance of the Jaguars and Dance of the Old Men). Learn how to create papel picado butterflies, marigolds and sugar skulls. nmai.si.edu
National Fossil Day @ The National Museum of Natural History On Saturday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History will host the National Park Service’s 2015 National Fossil Day Celebration in DC with an all-day family festival. Visitors will be able to participate in family-friendly, fossil-themed activities presented by volunteers and scientists who work with the museum, the National Park Service and other partner agencies and organizations. Kids of all ages will also have the chance to be “deputized” by National Park Service rangers as Junior Paleontologists taking home a Junior Paleontologist badge and a book about fossils found in National Parks. Museum volunteers will be available at a greeting cart in the museum’s Rotunda (First Floor, Mall-side entrance) to answer questions and direct visitors to fossilthemed activities. Visitors will be able to explore the exhibition “Last American Dinosaurs: Discovering a Lost World” (Second Floor), and see ongoing research and fossil preparation at the FossiLab. Activities in Q?rius, the museum’s education center (Ground Floor, Constitution Avenue entrance), will include opportunities for visitors to handle fossils and to talk to scientists about what fossils can teach us about life on Earth. Art-meets-science will be available in Q?rius Jr. (First Floor), where visitors will be able to make their own fossil rubbings. mnh.si.edu
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Every Kid in a Park Kickoff On Sept. 1, the Obama administration formally launched the new Every Kid in a Park program, encouraging every fourth grade student to visit a national park with their family, friends, and classmates during the 2015-2016 school-year. All fourth graders in America are entitled to a free Every Kid in a Park Pass, which grants free admission for one’s family to all US national parks, forests, monuments, and wildlife refuges.
Children’s Bat Hunt at the Botanic Garden On Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., come as a bat, come as a plant pollinated by a bat, or simply join us and learn about bats. There will be bat-related activities throughout the Conservatory--come and learn why bats matter! Free, no registration required. US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. usbg.gov
American Cancer Society and CDC Award HPV Screening Grant for DC Kids The American Cancer Society Human Papillomavirus Vaccinate Adolescents against Cancers (HPV VACs) project is being implemented across the nation to increase HPV vaccination rates for adolescents, ages 11 and 12. Annually in the United States 27,000 people are diagnosed with a cancer caused by HPV, according to the CDC. That’s one case every 20 minutes. In Washington, DC, Mary’s Center is one of 30 federally qualified health care centers that have received funding to increase HPV vaccination rates through a pilot program of the American Cancer Society. The program began July 1. maryscenter.org.
Suit Deters the Sale of Alcohol to Minors The Office of the Attorney General was successful in obtaining a $10,000 fine and a 10-day license suspension from the District’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board against Michigan Liquors, on 12th Street NE near the Catholic University of America, for the sale of alcohol to minors. The Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration investigators found four underage patrons purchasing alcoholic beverages at the store during a compliance check on Dec. 11, 2014.
Personal Security App for DC College Campuses Launched Leading DC based sexual assault and advocacy group Men Can Stop Rape has launched a safe and confidential, personal security app for all eight universities in the District. The app features real-time responsiveness, user friendly functionality, plus critical crisis and reporting resources, specific to each campus. Visit uaskdc.org to download the free app and lean more. mencanstoprape.org
Kids Ride Free Program Expanded Under the newly expanded program, public school students and public charter school students can ride the bus, DC Circulator, and Metrorail. Private and parochial school students can register to receive the Metrobus pass. For an average family with two children who ride the metro to school, Kids Ride Free on rail will save them $600 over the course of the school year. For more information, visit kidsridefree.dc.gov or call DC Department of Transportation at 202-673-1740.
Fall Harvest Family Days at Mount Vernon On Oct. 24 and 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mount Vernon celebrates the autumn season with Fall Harvest Family Days. The entire family enjoys autumn activities including wagon rides, wheat treading in the 16-sided barn, 18th century dancing demonstrations, a straw bale maze, farrier (blacksmithing) demonstrations, apple-roasting, corn husk dolls demonstrations and early-American games and music. Potomac River sightseeing cruises are half-price this weekend only. mountvernon.org.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the National With its fresh new take on a beloved tale, this hilarious and romantic Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella combines the story’s classic elements-glass slippers, pumpkin, and a beautiful ball along with some surprising twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, this Cinderella is a spirited young woman with savvy and soul who doesn’t let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She longs to escape the drudgery of her work at home and instead work to make the world a bet-
ter place. She not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams too. At the National Theatre, Nov. 18 to 29. thenationaldc.org.
Trick-or-Treat at Mount Vernon On Friday, Oct. 30, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., join the costumed cast of interpreters for a special opportunity to trick-or-treat in the historic area. A children’s costume parade around the Mansion will begin at 5 p.m. and prizes will be awarded for most fang-tastic “George” and “Martha” costumes. Participate in a scavenger hunt, take a wagon ride, and create a boo-tiful Halloween craft in this unforgettable evening. Participate in a Halloween craft activity in the greenhouse. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and close at 6 p.m. mountvernon.org
Civil War Artillery Day at Fort Ward On Saturday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn about the life and duties of an artilleryman from reenactors in the First Connecticut Heavy Artillery, a unit that was stationed at Fort Ward during the Civil War. Cannon firing demonstrations, equipment display, and camp life. Program is weather dependent. Free. Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site, 4301 W. Braddock Rd., Alexandria, VA. alexandriava.gov/FortWard Have an item for the Kids & Family Notebook? Email bulletinboard@ hillrag.com. u
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School Notes
by Susan Braun Johnson
St. Peter School Practicing Mindfulness With school well underway, the St. Peter School community is firmly embracing the pursuit of academic excellence, spiritual growth and community service. The school this year has implemented a mindfulness curriculum as a part of the socialemotional learning program. The core practices are designed to complement both the academic and faith components of the school. New this year, all students in grades one to eight will complement the traditional DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time with DEAM (Drop Everything and Math) time to further emphasize math within the overall curriculum. Unsurprisingly, students are thrilled with the purchase of a class set of Surface Pro 3s for the library, complete with new workstations. Each middle school student has been issued a Surface Pro 3 for use in class.
Pope arriving at Apostolic Nunciature. Photo: Sally Aman
St. Peter’s Monsignor Hart, Fr. DeRosa and school students excited to greet Pope Francis at the Apostolic Nunciature. Photo: Sally Aman
Celebrating the Papal Visit! Monsignor Hart, Fr. DeRosa, and Principal Ketchum were blessed with the opportunity to bring some St. Peter School students to the Vatican Embassy as part of a group welcoming Pope Francis to DC! Middle school teachers’ aide Alex Pellegrino also had the opportunity to meet Pope Francis during a special get together with persons with special needs. The entire school community celebrated Pope Francis’ arrival in DC by joining Catholic elementary schools across the Archdiocese of Washington by taking part in the “Walk with Francis” pledge. Each school pledged to engage in a special prayer activity, service initiative, or act to promote Pope Francis’ messages. At St. Peter School, each student signed a cut-out of a dove which was displayed in the Costantino Multipurpose Room as an acknowledgement of his/her pledge. Each student also wrote a special prayer relating to Pope Francis and his message on the joy of the Gospel, the mercy of God, and the love of Christ.
Fall Open Houses St. Peter School Fall Open Houses will be held on Nov. 4 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Nov. 6 from 9 to 10:30 a.m., and Dec. 4 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Prospective families are invited to tour the school and meet with faculty and parents. If you are interested in learning
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more about the school, please contact Mrs. Deirdre Schmutz at dschmutz@stpeterschooldc.org; 202544-1618 or visit www.stpeterschooldc.org. Sally Aman u
Miner Elementary School Back to School & Visioning Begins Nearly 300 people attended Miner’s Back to School Night. The Miner Glee club sang and teachers were welcomed back with big cheers! During the evening, the principal and the PTO spread the news about the formation of the Miner Visioning Committee. Everyone in the greater Miner community will be asked to join to provide input about their
hopes and dreams for the future of Miner. Contact hollygion@gmail.com for more information.
Washer & Dryer Donated Thanks to some friends of Miner PTO, PTO members, and a generous donation by Evolve LLC, Miner was able to acquire a new washing machine and dryer to launder soiled uniforms and other classroom fabrics.
Fire at the Playground In late July, a fire destroyed part of the Miner Elementary playground equipment. At the Sept. 10 Education Forum hosted by ANC6A, Ward 6
Aman
The District of Columbia’s Foster Grandparent Program donated 50 new books to Miner Elementary during the school’s Seventh Annual Grandparents Day Breakfast.
Councilmember Charles Allen announced that the playground equipment will be replaced. The PTO will meet in September to discuss the replacement schedule and proposed improvements.
Grandparents Day Each year, the Miner PTO and staff host a breakfast for more than 50 grandparents of Miner students. They are joined by members of AARP’s Experience Corps and the District of Columbia’s Foster Grandparents program. This year, 14 ‘grandparents’ are serving with one of these two organizations. Each volunteer works a minimum of 20 hours per week at Miner, providing classroom support. This year, the Grandparents Breakfast was held September 14. – Miner is located at 601 15th St. NE. For more information, visit www.minerelementary.org/
proved no exception. The positive energy shown by all involved, especially the students, was truly encouraging. A collaborative effort by Principal Miller, the Amidon PTA, Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative, ANC 6D Commissioner Rhonda Hamilton, Near Southeast Community Partners, the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, the Washington Nationals and a host of volunteers made it all possible. A lengthy list of distinguished guests joined volunteers to usher in the school year. As the students began to arrive in the playground, they were greeted by the military from Fort McNair “armed” with school supplies for the students. Emerging from the side door entering the playground was Teddy, the Racing President from the Washington Nationals. Nearly every student ran over to greet him. Teddy entertained the group with his usual antics. It’s unclear who enjoyed it more, the adults or the students. McGruff, the Crime Dog visited along with First District Commander Jeff Brown. He was joined by Ward 6 Council Member Charles Allen and Community Liaison Naomi Mitchell. Breakfast was served in the lobby courtesy of Harris Teeter in Yards Park, Safeway and other sponsors. As everyone filed into the cafeteria, Principal Miller energized the crowd by shouting “Amidon” followed by a chorus of “Bowen” from students and faculty. Principal Miller introduced all of the teachers and staff and thanked the partners and volunteers. The thunderous applause echoed off every wall. Amidon-Bowen is located at 401 Eye St SW. For more information, follow the school on Facebook: www.faceb o o k . c o m / A mi d o n Bowen
Holly Harper u
Amidon-Bowen Opening Day 2015 Opening Day at Amidon-Bowen is always exciting. This year
Opening Day at Amidon-Bowen
Bruce DarConte u
Capitol Hill Cluster School Cluster News The Cluster has welcomed several new members to its administration this year. Elena Bell leads Peabody and Watkins as the new
principal. Dawn Clemens has become the principal at Stuart-Hobson. Back-to-school night was held at all three campuses in September with a large turnout from parents. This year’s Renovator’s House Tour will be held on Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are now available at www.renovatorshousetour. org. All proceeds from the tour benefit the Cluster School. This year, 10 Capitol Hill houses and Stuart-Hobson Middle School will be featured, showcasing a wide variety of styles, changes, and approaches to renovation.
Peabody students show their Cluster P.R.I.D.E on “Rock the Red” day. Photo courtesy Capitol Hill Cluster School.
Peabody Peabody’s new Assistant Principal Katrel Angry and Principal Bell extended a special welcome back message to families at back-to-school night highlighting last year’s academic achievements. These include a 98 percent proficiency rate for pre-K students, 83 percent proficiency in iReady and 90 percent proficiency in TRC assessments. Peabody also held its third Snocone Summer Reading celebration on Sept. 3 to kick off the new school year. Peabody’s after school enrichment programs are well underway. Engineering, cooking, Spanish, acting, dancing are just a few of the programs offered. A new Music Kids program even allows kids to learn how to play the piano and violin. Peabody’s FoodPrints program has a new teacher this year. Volunteers are being recruited to assist. Principal Bell joined them for fall gardening day on Sept. 12. Participants spruced up garden areas to ready them for growing, learning and play. Peabody is located at 425 C St. NE. u
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Watkins New Assistant Principal Tanya Thomson is working alongside returning Assistant Principal Vanessa Drumm. Watkins is scheduled to have the first part of a major renovation beginning in summer 2016. Staff and students have been enjoying new windows that were installed over the summer. Watkins after school programs include a new enrichment program through Flex Academies that offers electives for chess, programming, Lego engineering, theatre and more. Watkins and Peabody students also show their Cluster P.R.I.D.E at “Rock the Red” day, which takes place on the first Friday of each month to promote school spirit and fun. Watkins is located at 420 12th St. SE. u
Full house at Back-to-School Night
Stuart-Hobson Stuart Hobson celebrated the best student performance in DCPS for reading and math. Nearly 78 percent of students achieved their growth target for the Scholastic Reading Initiative (SRI) test. 86 percent achieved their math growth target as measured by the iReady Math assessment. On average, SH students achieved over two years’ worth of growth. This places them at the top of DCPS middle schools. Stuart-Hobson students are enjoying the school’s new glass-enclosed library, refurbished auditorium and new arts wing. Interior renovations are almost complete. Exterior renovations to follow include sidewalks, gardens, and other landscaping. In addition, the north lot of the school will be transformed into an athletic facility. Stuart-Hobson is located at 410 E St. NE. u
Payne Elementary What’s New at Payne?
The latest news is all that is new at Payne Elementary School! While students enjoyed eight weeks of summer break, the construction team was busy at work completing Phase Two of modernization. Students returned Aug. 24 to a fully renovated East Wing, fresh new Welcome Center and classrooms, and updated music and art spaces. The latter has been outfitted with a kiln room. Art Teacher Deidra Norman couldn’t be more excited about her new digs. Canvases painted by her Creative Expressions Art Club at the end of last school year for the construction fence at the Hine School Project are being displayed starting Sept. 29. Her students are also creating works to The Capitol Hill Cluster School’s website is www.capientrance is not currently accessible. There is actolhillclusterschool.org. It features weekly updates for tive, ongoing construction along the North side of all three campuses. the building. This final phase of the project will Bernetta Reese u be completed in December of 2015. It includes a much-needed elevator and “sky Stuart-Hobson Middle School students showing their love of reading. walk” to connect the East and Photo courtesy Capitol Hill Cluster School West wings of the building. Payne also has new administration this year. Interim Principal Annie Mair and Assistant Principal Crystal Gatling greeted parents at breakfasts hosted during the week of Sept. 17. Mair is a retired Principal who returned to lead Payne through the 2015/16 school year. To-
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gether with Gatling, they share over 30 years of leadership experience in DCPS. Payne Elementary School is located at 1445 C St. SE. Follow the school on Facebook: PayneES; Twitter: @PayneDCPS and @PrincipalPayne; Instagram: PayneDCPS. Special Education Coordinator Rakecia Hanna u
District of Columbia International School DCI Welcomes New Students in Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades!
DCI Welcomes New Students in Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades!
DCI has doubled in size! The school now serves grades sixth through eighth. It will continue to grow one grade per year until it graduates its first seniors in 2020. DCI offers language immersion and inquiry based learning with a 1:1 student to
technology ratio. DCI works hard to get DCI students out of the classroom and into the community with ACE programs. In September, students kayaked at Cavella Outdoor Adventures; curated their own museum exhibit with Smithsonian’s “Q?rius;” and volunteered at Elise Whitlow Stokes PCS. Information Sessions about DCI will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 21, Nov. 11, and Dec. 9 in the Ballroom at 3220 16th St. NW. Visit www.dcinternationalschool.org for more information. Lauren Games u
Tyler Elementary A Great Start to the New School Year Tyler Elementary School is so excited to open the doors and welcome 530 roaring Tyler Tigers and its dedicated, experienced staff. The school’s auditorium and classrooms were packed with parents for its Back to School Night on Sept. 6. There was also strong turnout for the first PTA kick-off meeting. This year Tyler plans to build upon the academic and social successes of its students such as growth in reading and mathematics scores. It plans to celebrate their successes with multiple arts and cultural performances. The Tyler school garden is bursting with good things. Students have already begun harvesting vegetables and herbs from its raised beds to create delicious dishes with FoodPrints.
Tyler students and teacher preparing a classroom during School Beautification Day.
Fifth grade students work with artist Kevin Reese on the creation of mobiles.
Fall Events Special events at Tyler in October include: Walk to School Day on Oct. 7; the annual Harvest Festival on Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join Tyler for carnival games, face painting, a petting zoo, and a magic show with Willie Woo Woo. Admission to this family friendly event is free! For more information, visit www.tylerelementary.net. Tyler School is located at 1001 G St. SE. PTA Communications Co-Chair Meredith Baker u
J.O. Wilson Enrichment, Physical Education and the Arts This school year, J.O. Wilson has joined several other DCPS schools in adopting a Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM). SEM is a project-based enrichment program in which students are selected to participate in clusters based on ability and areas of interest. Joining J.O. Wilson this year is Schoolwide Enrichment Coordinator Elizabeth Barton. Students will be working in small groups with Barton throughout the year on projects designed to explore their interests and accelerate their achievement.
Girls on the Run Returning to J.O. Wilson after a hiatus of several
years, Girls on the Run is a program for girls ages eight to 13 that teaches important social-emotional and life skills through running. Fourteen students in grades three to five are participating in activities designed to build confidence, a positive selfimage, and peer support. Students are running on the track at the school now. On Dec. 6, they will participate in an official Girls on the Run 5K race in Anacostia Park. J.O.’s fifth-graders recently participated in a program at the Atlas Performing Arts Center called Mobilizing our Community. Working with artist Kevin Reese, they created and balanced three large mobiles. These were on display in the lobby of the Atlas during the H Street Festival through Sept. 29. J.O. Wilson is located at 660 K St. NE. Visit www.jowilsonelementary.org to learn more. Librarian Kate Sweeney u
BASIS DC BASIS DC Welcomes New School Head Tim Eyerman is the new head of BASIS DC. Eyerman comes from BASIS Phoenix where he served as a teacher, the director of the Upper School, and a college counselor. He has taught classics, English, Latin and math. As head of school, Eyerman helped found BASIS Phoenix Central. He holds
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two master’s degrees in education, including one in administration. This year’s eleventh-graders will be the first to graduate from BASIS DC in 2017. AP Chemistry Teacher Jill Fonda is counseling the school’s ninth through eleventh-graders in preparation for college. Ninth and tenth-graders meet monthly within their grades to discuss their preparations. Eleventh-graders meet together every other week. They also have weekly one-on-one meetings with Fonda. To facilitate college counseling, parents receive monthly college counseling newsletters. BASIS DC invites both students and parents to a college planning overview in October. Representatives from several colleges and universities, including Dartmouth, Emory and Stanford, are scheduled to visit the school. Before the start of school, some of BASIS DC’s youngest students participated in STARS. This is a summer enrichment program for rising fifth and sixth-graders. Students did all sorts of cool things from 3-D printing to movie making and preparing gazpacho. They even tossed eggs down a BASIS stairwell. BASIS DC is located at 410 Eighth St. NW. For more information, visit www.basisdc.org. Kirsten Mitchell u
School within School School within School (SWS) now boasts nearly 300 students from pre-K through fourth grade. It includes two classrooms for medically fragile students. Along with two fourth grade teachers, SWS added Elementary Art Atelierista Erika Bowman, French Teacher Emily Greif, and Science Teacher Sam Palm.
Kindness Day Each year on Sept. 11, SWS students and staff celebrate Kindness Day. The whole school gathers to sing songs about the importance of being kind and exchange handmade gifts. This year students passed under a tunnel formed by their teachers’ clasped hands. They swapped beaded necklaces they’d made in art studio. The celebration ended with a discussion of how to create a community of kindness.
School Garden SWS students returned to a lush mini-farm full of tomatoes, peppers, onions, beans, and flowers. And it wouldn’t be SWS without a healthy crop of kale! This is all part of the school’s Food-
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Prints program in which students harvest, prepare, and eat food from the garden. This month students worked with FoodPrints teacher Margi Fineran to prepare spring rolls and tomato salad. Delicious! School within School is located at 920 F St. NE. Visit www.schoolwithinschool.org to find out more. Hannah Schardt u
Eliot-Hine School Partnership with Flamboyan Eliot-Hine leadership is partnering with the Flamboyan Foundation to create more robust home-school connection for its students An Eliot-Hine sixth-grader and her mom use computers provided at Back to The success of this effort School Night to check her progress on EngradePro. Photo: D. Watson. was evident at the well-attended and productive back ifications to meet or exceed their standards. Last year, the school was the only middle school to imto school night on Sept. 15. Warmly greeted parplement the newer IB standard of an eighth-grade ents received school and out-of-school-time inforcommunity project as a graduation requirement. mation along with raffle tickets for prizes such as These are in-depth, year-long projects that each MP3 players and branded T-shirt. They were also student must present to a review board. offered a light dinner. There was a grid sheet with Not all the school’s students met the new stansuggested questions to help guide discussions with dard last year. So, some were not allowed to pareach teacher. A bank of computers was available ticipate in graduation events. This tough-but-fair to check grades and progress on engradepro.com. approach is evidence of Eliot-Hine’s commitment This is only the beginning of positive changes to preparing students for high school and beyond. to come from this partnership, whose main point Eliot-Hine Middle School is located at 1830 of contact actually lives in the immediate neighConstitution Ave. NE. For more information call borhood. So, there will be very close and proactive 202-939-5380. Follow the school on Twitter @Elcooperation with Eliot-Hine’s staff! iotHine or Facebook at Eliot-Hine
Countdown to IB Certification! Eliot-Hine has worked hard to gain International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB) certification. IB Representatives will conduct their walk-through and examination of the school on Oct. 22 and 23. They will review lessons and student work and conduct interviews with staff, students, and parents. They will be looking at student schedules and checking Eliot-Hine’s course offerings for compliance with their framework. EH has noted each previous suggestion that the IB reviewers have making changes and mod-
Elliot-Hine Parent Heather Schoell u
Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan Student Council The staff and students at Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan (CHML) are working together to form a Student Council. The council will serve as a method for students to engage in school activities and decisions while developing leadership and organizational skills. It is charged with keeping the principal, teachers, and Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) informed of students’ ideas, needs,
Students play outside Friends Community School. Credit: Sharon Natoli.
Friends Community School FCS to Celebrate the Season at Annual Fall Fair
Miss Echo’s Upper Elementary newspaper staff of CHML is ready for the Haunted Harvest Fest Oct 24!
and opinions. Members include middle school and upper elementary student. The council will have a President, Vice President, Secretary, a Treasurer and members at large. Lower elementary students can serve as members at large. CHML students are again participating in fall cross country. They practice throughout the week and compete in meets with other DCPS schools.
Haunted Harvest Festival All are welcome to attend CHML’s annual Haunted Harvest Festival on Oct. 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost is $20 per family entry. All proceeds benefit the PTSO. Enjoy pumpkin painting, dancing, and haunted house, mad science table, dancing, and chili cook off! Fun for all ages and wear costumes! Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan is located at 215 G St. NE. Visit capitolhillmontessorischool. org to learn more. Sara Burns u
Faculty, students, families, alumni and friends will celebrate at the annual Friends Community School Fall Fair on Sunday, Oct. 25, from noon to 4 p.m. Public is invited. The fair includes studentrun old-fashioned games, a moon bounce, a toy and book sale, entertainment and plenty of good food prepared by local restaurants and school families. It takes place rain or shine. Families interested in considering Friends Community may attend an open house at the school from 9 to 11 a.m. on either Oct. 6; Nov. 7 or Nov. 19. For more information, contact Director of Admissions and Outreach Connie Belfiore at connie@friendscommunityschool.org; or visit www. friendscommunityschool.org. Friends Community School is located at 5901 Westchester Park Drive, College Park, MD.
Camp in Huntsville Alabama together. The current class is working hard to raise the money to go this June. To learn more or to contribute, please visit www.mauryelementary.com/spacecamp.
Cornerstone Biking Lessons Maury students are learning bicycle skills and safety under the direction of Physical Education Teacher Lindsay Raymond. Raymond developed the curriculum herself. DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson paid a visit to the school to observe the program in Ms. Fox’s second grade class. The session began with a discussion of proper clothing and footwear. Students conducted inspections of the bicycles and the fit of their helmets before heading out to the playground for a “hands on” experience. They practiced turn signals, stopping and tight turns. The course will conclude with a bike
Eric Rosenthal u
Maury Elementary Balancing the Equation Think Tank Facilitator Vanessa Ford was a panelist in the Washington Post’s forum on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education. Ford and Maury alumna Samantha Garcia spoke about the Think Tank program and elementary STEM. Video of their presentation, as well as the others’ can be found at wapo.st/balanceSTEM. Last year, the Maury’s entire fifth-grade class attended Space
Maury students practice their bicycle safety skills
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ride through the community. Maury Elementary is located at 1250 Constitution Ave. NE. For more information, visit mauryelementary.com. Elizabeth Nelson u
Capitol Hill Day School New Beginnings and New Faces Returning to school in September, Capitol Hill Day School (CHDS) families braved the rain to meet Nationals’ Racing President George Washington at the Back to School picnic. New students were introduced at an all-school assembly. Younger children got to know the eighth graders through a Venn diagram game. The first few days are a unique experience for young children. CHDS provides a gradual beginning for early childhood students who attend in half groups on the first two days to help them transition. In addition to homeroom teachers, students get (re)acquainted with performing arts, art, library, French, Spanish, physical education teachers. They are also introduced to the faculty re-
sponsible for field education, the After School Program, and student counseling. CHDS nurtures a culture of caring and responsibility. Students create classroom rules based on five “Courtesies”: listening attentively, looking directly at person when speaking and listening. They are encouraged to speak kindly to others as well as to use “please” and “thank you.” Acknowledging others with words, a nod, or a smile, and speaking when spoken to are all emphasized. “We made our class rules, wrote about how our classroom should look, feel, and sound for us to achieve our hopes and dreams, and discussed and voted on the rules,” says one CHDS student. At CHDS, “We dare to envision a world far more filled with civility and honesty, with community and nonviolence than it is now. Our vision starts with our own classrooms and our own schools.” (From Habits of Goodness by Ruth Sidney Charney.) Capitol Hill Day School is located at 210 South Carolina Ave. SE. For more information, call 202-386-9919 or email jangarola@chds.org.
Keynote Speaker Dr. Steve Perry
with our families and community stakeholders to make this year a great success,” remarked Head of School Cynthia Robinson-Rivers. Van Ness is located at 1150 Fifth St. SE. Follow the school on Twitter @VanNessDCPS. u
Jane Angarola u
Van Ness Elementary Back to School Night-A Huge Success!
George Washington at CHDS Picnic with Development & Admissions Staff, Head of School, & Picnic Co-Chairs
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Van Ness Elementary School families and staff celebrated their first Back to School Night in nearly a decade on Sept. 9. Representatives from the school staff, Springboard (the before and after care provider), Revolution Foods, DC Public Library-Southwest Branch, and the DC Government Department of General Services managed informational booths, providing resources, demos, and giveaways. Renowned DC children’s entertainer, The Great Zucchini, performed for students and their siblings while parents attended information sessions facilitated by the school’s classroom teachers. “We are fortunate to have such engaged parents, and it was truly wonderful to see so many of them at our first Back to School Night. We look forward to continue working closely
Friendship Public Charter School Building Excellence from Within: A Lesson for DC Recently, Friendship Public Charter School hosted its annual convocation—a coming together for the school’s multi-campus academic community. The keynote speaker was Dr. Steve Perry, the founder and former principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, CN. Capital Prep sends 100 percent of its students to four-year colleges. This is quite an achievement given that its students come from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds. Many are the first in their families to graduate from high school. Dr. Perry believes that poor, minority neighborhoods can still have good schools. He takes issue with the assumption that children in underserved neighborhoods do not need or wish to learn; graduate from high school; or to college. Friendship operates multiple campuses in Washington, DC. To learn more, visit www.friendshipschools.org. Margaretha Segrue u Want to write about your child’s school for School Notes, email Editor Sue Johnson at johnsongypsies@ hotmail.com. u
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{home & garden}
Saving Now
Start Vegetable Seeds
article and photos by Cheryl Corson, RLA, ASLA
H
ow did farmers and gardeners obtain vegetable seeds before companies sold them? They let a portion of their strongest looking plants go to seed so they could collect, dry, store, and re-use their own from one growing season to the next. Often they would swap seeds with neighbors and together blend seeds of the same plant variety to ensure the vigor that comes from genetic diversity within a species. Today, seed saving and swapping are making a big comeback, and urban neighborhoods like Capitol Hill are not only well suited for this activity, they may be perfect for it. Why? And why does this matter now? First, some background.
Losing Edible Plant Diversity
Seeds are beautiful and contain everything a plant needs to grow.
1
A ripe heirloom squash is cut, revealing seeds and pulp inside.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), “75% of all agriculture crops grown in the last century have disappeared.” The FAO also says that today, large farms grow only 12 crops, and of these, we primarily eat only four: potatoes, rice, corn, and wheat. You’ll notice that despite all the publicity it receives, kale is not on this short list. (see: http://www.upworthy.com/100-years-ago-people-were-eating-things-thatmost-of-us-will-never-taste-so-what-happened?g=2&c=ufb3) Most of the four crops most Americans eat are grown from genetically modified and patented seed. Much of this seed is engineered so that plants they produce are immune to weed-killing herbicides like glyphosate, commonly called Roundup® by Monsanto, its manufacturer. Farmers simply apply the herbicide and plant the seeds with one machine at the same time. I’ve seen a seven acre corn field take 30 minutes to spray and plant. Because these seeds are patented (by the same company that makes the herbicide), it’s illegal to harvest and plant second generation seeds, meaning farmers must purchase new seeds every time they replant. The US Supreme Court has ruled for Monsanto in this regard. Plants, like people, are adaptable. Lately, weeds in Roundup® ready crops have become less affected by the herbicide, resulting in weedy fields with reduced yields. Chemical companies have responded by proposing stronger herbicide ready seeds made with both Roundup® and a previously approved herbicide called 2,4-D produced by Dow AgroBusiness. The new cocktail is commercially known as Enlist Duo. Here’s an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fact sheet on it: http://www2.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticideproducts/registration-enlist-duo. Since the EPA approved it last year, Enlist Duo will soon be widely used. The product 2,4-D is half of the ingredient used as the Viet Nam era defoliant called Agent Orange. Because it has been linked with dioxin, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has con-
Use a spoon to scoop seeds onto a plate.
3
Separate pulp from seeds using a strainer.
October 2015 H 143
cluded that glyphosate and 2,4-D are “probably carcinogenic,” according to a June 2015 article in Chemistry World (http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2015/06/epa-under-pressure-overenlist-duo-herbicide. Capitol Hill’s Center for Food Safety located at 660 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, has more information (www.centerforfoodsafety.org). Read up on this yourself and reach your own conclusions.
The Case for Seed Saving
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Home gardeners growing edibles from seeds they and their neighbors collect will save money. Hybrid seeds can cost more than heirloom seeds. And we want to only collect seed from heirloom plants as these will be true to form from one year to the next, unlike hybridized plants. Saving seed from heirloom plants not only preserves genetic diversity, it improves pest resistance over time by selecting from plants best adapted to local conditions. Finally, growing from seed you or your neighbors saved enables you to avoid genetically engineered foods and empowers individuals and communities. See The Lexicon of Food, https://www.lexiconoffood.com/thefoodlist/seeds for more on how seed saving strengthens communities.
Why Save Seeds in Tiny Capitol Hill Gardens? You might assume that suburban or rural farms are best for seed collecting, but city conditions offer some surprising advantages. In areas where more crops are grown, including GMO crops, pollen from various varieties can mix with heirloom plants growing in your garden. In cities it’s easier to keep your plants at a distance from those of others, as there are no GMO fields nearby. Isolation is good in this case. The local Seed Keeper Collective includes seeds from Three Part Harmony Farm, a two-acre Brookland organic urban farm run by Gail Taylor. Gail typically contributes heirloom corn seed to the collective since there are no nearby GMO fields. You can visit the farm on October 17 for their annual Fall Festival, with garlic planting from 10-noon, a potluck and live music and art from 1-4pm: www. threepartharmonyfarm.org. If you and some friends on the Hill all grew the same kind of heirloom tomato, you could
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4
Dry seeds on a plate for a few weeks.
each save the seeds from one healthy plant, then mix them together to increase genetic diversity. This can easily be done with peppers, cucumbers, squash, melons, lettuce, peas, and beans as they are self-pollinating. Then in January, you might all gather at a place like the Hill Center for a potluck and seed swap, just in time to get your indoor seedlings started. The human and plant cycle of life is reinforced in this way.
How it Works What does it mean to let something “go to seed”? While we plant vegetables to eat their fruit, they think they exist to reproduce and thus produce seed. If you stop picking peas, beans, cucumbers, or whatever, the plant will start producing seeds. So harvest what you like during the growing season, identify the plant or plants appearing most healthy, and let them go. If you’re harvesting pepper seeds, allow any green peppers to turn red so interior seeds fully ripen. Then cut open the pepper and scoop out the seeds and air-dry them on a plate for a week or two. Let beans stay on the vine and dry in place until you hear them rattle around inside their pods. Seeds for squash and melons are fully developed when the fruit is ripe, so pick them, scoop out, wash, and air dry the seeds. According to The Adventurous Gardener by Nancy Wilkes Bubel, a 1979 favorite of mine, “the two enemies of [seed] viability are moisture and heat.” Bubel says ventilation but not artificial heat is best for drying seeds. Labeling is important too. For this you may enjoy the seed keeper kit available from www.seedkeepercompany. com. When you’re ready, place your packed and labeled seeds in a cool dry place, ideally ten degrees above freezing. Done this way, your seeds may last for years. A web site called www.howtosaveseeds.com offers plainspoken advice in The
Standard Cleaning Services Seed Saving Handbook, available at no cost.
Additional Training DC’s Department of Parks and Recreation hosted a workshop on seed saving in August at the Deanwood Recreation Center in northeast DC. Members of DC’s Ecohermanas (http:// www.ecohermanas.org) and the Seed Keeper Collective led the workshop which focused on cultural history and hands-on seed saving techniques. The Urban Gardens Programs and the number of community gardens and greenhouses sponsored by DC Parks and Recreation have exploded. Dozens of free programs run from May through September. Plan for next year and see http://dpr.dc.gov/service/urban-gardens-programs. An eight week urban gardening training program for adults called The Green Corps is available through Washington Parks and People: http://www.washingtonparks.net/green_corps_application. Other programs are listed under Community Harvest: http://www.washingtonparks. net/harvest_resources. Global seed sovereignty advocate Dr. Vandana Shiva talks about “growers’ rights to breed and exchange diverse open source seeds which can be saved and which are not patented, or genetically modified.” It’s time we broaden our growing appreciation of edible gardening to include the power and beauty of seeds.
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Cheryl Corson grew up in Brooklyn, New York, believing carrots grew on trees. Today she is a licensed landscape architect and gardener practicing on Capitol Hill and beyond. For design assistance see www.cherylcorson.com. u
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{home and garden}
National Capital Kitchens Designing Kitchens That You and Even Your Dog Will Love! article by Catherine Plume, photos by Byron Buck
W
e Capitol Hill homeowners are experts when it comes to space-saving measures in our (comparatively) small homes, but kitchens provide specific challenges. We demand a great deal of this room, but inevitably we need to upgrade, reconfigure, and add space. Renovation becomes a necessary but dreaded and stressful undertaking. In 2000 Byron Buck and his wife purchased a house on 12th Street near Lincoln Park that needed remodeling. Although he’d never remodeled a house, he decided to supervise the project. When it was completed some months later he decided to sell the house rather than move in. He found he enjoyed the work and renovated and sold seven
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Casey (the dog) approves of National Capital Kitchen’s work!
houses over the next four years, learning all aspects of remodeling along the way. In 2004 he decided to focus on kitchen remodeling, and National Capital Kitchens (www.nationalcapitalkitchens) was born. The business has grown rapidly over the years, and most clients reside on the Hill. A chat with Byron Buck provides an insight into how much he loves his work. “We differ from other kitchen remodelers in three key ways,” he explains. “We see kitchen remodeling as a cooperative effort between contractor and client. We believe in transparency. Being open about all aspects of a project, sharing challenges and solutions, showing clients what needs to be done and what it costs, and welcoming questions and ideas is part and parcel of how we do business.” He emphasizes
the importance of design, “good design – one that considers how the client wants to use their kitchen; how much space can be made available to create a new kitchen; and how the selected cabinetry can be configured to meet the requirements.” That is “essential,” he declares. Buck has found that space is often the major factor in Capitol Hill kitchens. There is rarely enough of it to do everything a client wants to do. “The layout of every house has a major impact on what can and cannot be done, and the client’s personality and what they want to achieve demand creative solutions.” Cabinetry is another crucial aspect of any kitchen design. “High-quality cabinets with multiple options for design creativity are essential,” Buck
Byron Buck, owner of National Capital Kitchens.
explains. “Not all cabinets are the same, and not all cabinets will present the suite of options that will enable a design to meet the challenges that Capitol Hill homes and clients present to us.” There are three quality categories of cabinets: contractor, semi-custom, and full custom grades. The ideal option would be to purchase cabinets with full custom features at a semi-custom price. These cabinets would have high-quality construction and precision manufacturing; full extension drawers with soft-close hinges and dovetail drawers; and superior craftsmanship and quality finishes that will look good and function for years. Per Buck, “At National Capital Kitchens, when we build a budget we tell the client what a particular configuration of cabinetry and its features will cost. The client decides how much to spend. There are ways to reduce costs without compromising design, but you have to work at it. Good design and a proper budget go hand in hand. The client needs to have all this information to decide what’s right for them.” Technological, environmentally friendly, and space-saving kitchen ideas are evolving all the time, so it’s important to get a sense
of what your options are well before you undertake any renovation project. The Capitol Hill Cluster Schools Annual Renovators House Tour (to be held on Oct. 17) and the Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s House and Garden Tour (held every Mother’s Day), along with weekly open houses are a great source of ideas on kitchen design. Meanwhile, Houzz (www.houzz. com) provides an excellent online tool that allows you to search by feature and/or geography (down to specific neighborhoods!). “Remodeling kitchens on Capitol Hill is entirely different from remodeling in the suburbs,” says Buck. “You have to be creative, and this is what I like best about remodeling Capitol Hill kitchens. Every project presents new challenges.” He recounts one client who “had a kitchen that was so cold in the winter that their dog would not go into the room. In the summertime the kitchen was unbearably hot.” A little investigation revealed why: there was no insulation under the kitchen floor and very little in the walls or ceiling. “Once the original floor was removed you could see that the joists had termite and water damage. We installed quality insulation below the new wood floor, and foam insulation was inserted in the walls and ceiling along with an energyefficient backyard door and windows.” When it was finished, “the kitchen was one of the tightest and best kitchens on Capitol Hill. The dog loves being in the new kitchen, and so do the clients!” So when you start thinking about remodeling your kitchen, reach out to Buck at info@nationalcapitalkitchens.com. Catherine Plume is a lifelong environmentalist, a writer, and a blogger for the DC Recycler: www.DCRecycler.blogspot. com; Twitter @DC_Recycler. u
October 2015 H 147
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Do the spring bulbs I plant in my garden this fall need sun? They do need some sun. Half a day is probably plenty. Remember that many bulbs will bloom before trees leaf out, so there will be more sun. In full shade, bulbs get long and spindly. They crane their necks for more light. In full sun the summer’s heat fries most tulips, so they won’t repeat. Dappled shade is best. Is there any way to prevent squirrels from eating the spring bulbs I am planting now? Yes. Once they have been planted cover the soil over the bulbs with a sheet of metal hardware “cloth,” available at any hardware store. Remove it after the ground has frozen. How deep should bulbs be planted? The bigger the bulb, the deeper. A good rule of thumb is two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall. Crocus, snowdrops, scylla, and other small, early blooming bulbs can be as shallow as a couple or four inches. Tulips eight inches; daffodils deeper. Depth protects against the punishing summer heat in our environs, as well as any frost. I broke the pointed stick we’ve
H y p e r L o c a l used for years to plant bulbs one by one. Was this a Freudian slip? There has to be an easier way. The best method of planting bulbs is to dig and loosen an entire bed to the proper depth; press the bulbs into the soil, then cover all with soil. Because the soil in a spaded bed is better drained and prepared, the planting will last longer. Those one-ata-time bulb planters require a lot of hand strength. Why do worms crawl out on wet sidewalks? It’s such an act of helpless self-destruction! Some think water gives them greater mobility to move in the earth and change their location. But they can’t see very well.
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My garden this year has been wonderful. The Camassia bloomed their heads off. I thought I’d have to wait a year, but my brand new Festiva Maxima peony had huge blooms. Best of all, the five-yearold climbing hydrangea, which had never bloomed before, was covered – covered! – with flowers. The only bummer has been my camellias – two died – but I have moved on. I crow about my garden to everyone. It’s disgusting, maybe even a sickness. Congratulations. Of course your fellow gardeners are already yawning and looking at their watches. They won’t start loving you again until, well, you will learn that schadenfreude is one of the 10 greatest pleasures of gardening. The Capitol Hill Garden Club meets on the second Tuesday evening of each month. Next is on Wednesday, Oct. 13, at the public library branch at Maryland Avenue and 7th Street NE. Membership details: www.capitolhillgardenclub.org. u
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R.W. Roofing
We offer the most competitive price in town. All Roofing & Rubber Roofs. We do everything: replacements, repairs, maintenance and coatings. 202-674-0300 or 301-929-0664.
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MacKay Roofing
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SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES!
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The Last Word The Hardest Goodbye I met Keith De La Cruz in 2006 when applying for my first job as a veterinarian. I was young, ambitious, and looking back, incredibly naive. He drove me to lunch on a warm summer day telling me about the job, the hospital, tips on negotiating my contract, and all things veterinary medicine. I didn’t know it then, but I had just started one of the most important mentorships and friendships in my life. Keith was born in Washington, DC at Sibley Hospital making him a rare DC native. He grew up in Arlington and Bethesda before attending the University of Maryland and then veterinary school at the University of Wisconsin. He practiced in the Milwaukee area before moving back to DC after a few years. It was here that he became wildly popular with his clients. He also became well known amongst his local veterinary colleagues by becoming involved with Virginia Veterinary Medical Association and the Northern Virginia Veterinary Medical Association where he served as the treasurer and president respectively. He volunteered at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, seeing sick pets that were up for adoption. Shortly after meeting me he had me making monthly visits to the League too.
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He was an amazing guy. I don’t know anyone that didn’t like him. I never saw him get angry, and our job can be stressful and irritating at times. He was organized and methodical almost to a fault. He read and retained the information from medical articles more than any other doctor I’ve known. We would often ask him the doses of obscure medications to which he would make beeping a fine guitarist and loved playing and watching tennis. Whenever he brought a patient to the treatment area away from the owners, he would look the animal in the eye and say “Hello. I’m Keith and I’ll be your doctor today…” Keith had depression. It wasn’t a secret. He was one of the most open and honest people I knew and would share some of his innermost thoughts with friends and coworkers. He knew some things about me that no one else knows. His honest nature about his demons and vices created a sense of trust that I didn’t really have with any of my other friends. I didn’t know anyone more reliable than Keith. So I wasn’t concerned when I received a call that he hadn’t come into work one Monday. He would be there. It has been two over months since Keith took his life and I am still in disbelief. We shared everything together--problems with work, family,
our health, relationships… everything. How could he have been contemplating something like suicide and not let me know? I couldn’t fathom it. Weeks afterwards, my mind wandered through the stages of grief but I seemed to bounce back and forth between denial and anger. This wasn’t happening. How could he do this? My purpose for this letter is two fold. First, to tell Keith’s story. He was such an amazing doctor and I could not be more proud of him as a person, coworker and friend. I’m so honored to have known him. He forever changed my life for the better and I wouldn’t trade anything for having known him and been able to call him my buddy. The second is to start a conversation, the beginning of which I know well, but I’m still working on understanding the end of it. I knew very little about depression and suicide prior Keith’s passing and I am by no means an expert now. I struggle with wanting to draw aware-
ness to the disease so that we can recognize the warning signs of depression and suicide and address them. But this flies in the face of the argument “there was nothing we could have done.” It is easy to say, but if it is true then drawing attention to the clues that might reveal someone is having thoughts of hurting themselves is moot. This is not the case. I beat myself up for not catching the incredibly subtle signs that my friend was hurting. I know other loved ones, friends and coworkers do too. But that isn’t healthy and it doesn’t accomplish anything. We can, however, never miss those signs again and we must educate lay people that haven’t experienced the pain and loss from depression or suicide so that maybe we can reach out to those that are struggling.
79) whose incidents were dispatched as falls. Nearly 84% were transported to the hospital. From anecdotal information, we know that many of these falls occurred in the home and many patients had repeat calls for similar injuries. A startling number result in death -- according to the most recent data from the Chief Medical Examiner, there were 85 accidental deaths caused by blunt injuries due to fall in 2013, with all decedents 65 years or older. Many of these falls are preventable. Minor modifications can be made to make most homes more accessible – and thereby safer – for our res-
You can honor Keith’s legacy by joining or donating to Team AtlasVet at the Out of the Darkness Walks by visiting https://www.afsp.org/out-ofthe-darkness-walks and searching for team “AtlasVet”. The Virginia Veterinary Medical Association has set up a scholarship at the VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine in memory of Dr. de la Cruz. If you would like to contribute to the Keith de la Cruz, DVM Memorial Scholarship Fund, please make your check payable to the Virginia Tech Foundation and mail the check to the VVMA, 3801 Westerre Parkway, Suite D, Henrico, VA 23233. Dr. Miller lives on Capitol Hill and is the Co-owner of AtlasVet (the Atlas District Veterinary Hospital) at 1326 H St. NE. (www.atlasvetdc.com). He is a graduate of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. @dcvet
Preventing Falls September 23, 2015 was Falls Prevention Awareness Day. The 2015 theme, Take a Stand to Prevent Falls, includes keeping homes safe as a key component. Preventing falls must be a priority in the District. In 2014, Fire & EMS responded to 2,960 patients over the age of 65 (with the median age of
idents who are elderly or disabled. But many of these residents live on fixed incomes and are unable to afford the installation of a bathtub grab bar or other safety additions. Earlier this year, I introduced Bill 21-316, the Safe at Home Act of 2015, which is designed to help our residents keep their homes safe as they age. The bill would establish a home modification grant program, allowing individual grants up to $10,000. This would help low-income residents finance modestly priced but essential home acces-
sibility modifications. Some of these improvements cost very little and can be done quickly. Tori Goldhammer, of Living at Home Consultations, recently helped a 92-year-old River Park resident with simple fall prevention installations, including grab bars and an additional stair railing. The project, funded through an Office of Aging, limited-time fall prevention grant, cost just under $600 and took less than an hour to install. “Research has shown that simple solutions -- like two handrails on staircases and grab bars in the shower -- help prevent falls,” Ms. Goldhammer said, “And it’s possible to complete installations like this for under $1,000.” Chair lift installations, an often necessary addition for aging in place, are more expensive, but would also be allowed under the Safe at Home funding parameters. Under the Safe at Home Act, income eligible residents – both homeowners and tenants with landlord permission – would be able to make accessibility improvements quickly, with a simple application and a mandated turnaround time of 60 days. The bill also includes a Safe at Home tax credit for homeowners who pay outright to make accessibility modifications to their homes, allowing those residents to receive a tax credit of 50 percent of the modification cost or $5,000, whichever is less. Councilmembers Anita Bonds (At-Large) and Jack Evans (Ward 2) co-introduced the bill, which was also referred to their committees. They have scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, October 27, at 10am in Room 120 of the John A. Wilson Building. I hope residents will join me in supporting this proposal. The Safe at Home Act of 2015 will help our residents make their homes safer and more accessible. These changes will help prevent falls, unnecessary hospitalizations and institutionalization, and enable more low-income seniors and others to safely age in place in our community. Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6 u
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