DUP -- 02/16/2011

Serving Dupont Circle, Kalorama & Logan Circle

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Vol. IX, No. 37

THE DUPONT CURRENT Pepco, PSC take heat for outages

Congo poised to take over Dupont mansion

SILK ROAD

■ Embassy: Officials agree to

By BRADY HOLT

forgo driveways for zoning OK

Current Staff Writer

After a storm leaves large sections of the District without electricity, it is routine for Pepco to come before the D.C. Public Service Commission to explain how it will prevent the problem from recurring.

It is also routine, Ward 3 D.C. Council member Mary Cheh said, for the utility to make the same promises while failing to improve the reliability of its system.

“The recommendations that they’re offering and the promises that they made, they’re the same, and the problems recur,” Cheh said at a Friday evening roundtable held by the council’s Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs. The hearing was called to discuss Pepco’s performance during the Jan. 26 “thundersnow,” which left about 32,000 District customers without power, some for more than three days.

During the roughly six-hour hearing, Cheh called on the Public Service Commission to set tough standards for Pepco’s service reliability and to fine the company for poor performance — and sharply criticized the commission for not See Pepco/Page 23

By ELIZABETH WIENER Current Staff Writer

Zoning authorities seem likely to approve a new owner, the Republic of the Congo, for the underused and much-disputed Toutorsky mansion at 1720 16th St. in Dupont Circle. The Board of Zoning Adjustment has scheduled a final hearing on the Congo case for March 8, three days before a bank’s deadline to accept a short sale of

Commission flip-flops on Komi’s expansion ■ Liquor license: ANC won’t

protest restaurant’s application Bill Petros/The Current

Members of the Silk Road Dance Company performed Saturday during the Central Asian Family Festival at the Textile Museum in Sheridan-Kalorama.

City to seek new bids for Jelleff contract ter at 3265 S St. The switch also comes after a move by the city’s contracting office late last year to yank the Boys & The city’s lead attorney has sigGirls Clubs’ contract for a Columbia naled that D.C. will cancel the final Heights site and award it instead to four years of a five-year contract the Latin American Youth Center. that would have paid the Boys & The contracting office declined Girls Clubs of Greater Washington to comment because the matter is in more than $2 million total to run litigation.

Georgetown’s Jelleff Recreation Bill Petros/The Current The regional Boys & Girls Clubs Center.

The decision, termed “corrective Officials say they plan to toss out will be able to compete for the new contract, which will cover operaaction” in a letter from the D.C. the Boys & Girls Club deal. tions from September forward. The Office of the Attorney General, comes amid ongoing legal action stemming from a current contract will remain in effect through August to protest by the Friends of Jelleff. That group that was avoid disruption of services, according to the letter.

See Jelleff/Page 36 among last year’s bidders to operate the recreation cenBy CAROL BUCKLEY Current Staff Writer

NEWS ■ Council funds Janney parking garage, Takoma rebuilding. Page 3.

■ Four projects aim for Connecticut Avenue improvements. Page 5.

the stately mansion, now in foreclosure.

At a hearing last Tuesday, the zoning board said it could vote to approve plans to put a chancery in the building while the sticky issue of driveways and curb cuts at the historic property gets worked out.

And the embassy offered concessions to satisfy city transportation and preservation officials, agreeing to abandon plans not only for a circular driveway on 16th Street but also for a shorter one-way drive off Riggs Place.

Foreign missions get special See Embassy/Page 12

EVENTS ■ Keegan premieres one-man show ‘Basra Boy.’ Page 29.

■ Phillips highlights abstract expressionist art. Page 29.

By JESSICA GOULD Current Staff Writer

Restaurant critics have called Komi “exquisite,” “sumptuous” and “grand.” To some, the Greekinfused restaurant is simply “the best.”

But rules are rules, some members of the Dupont Circle advisory neighborhood commission say.

So when commissioners last week reviewed the 1509 17th St. restaurant’s application for an expansion, they found themselves puzzling over a piece of their own policy.

Two years ago, the commission voted to support an extension of the East Dupont Circle moratorium on liquor licenses.

As part of the extension, commissioners also voted to support lateral expansions at two establishments; the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board ultimately decided to permit such expansions at three.

At the time, Dupont commis-

PA S S A G E S ■ NHL All-Star helps out elementary school’s garden project. Page 15.

■ Local film festival spotlights ‘Our City.’

Page 15 .

Bill Petros/The Current

Commissioners objected to plans for a second entrance. sioners also laid out some guidelines for what kinds of expansions they would support. Specifically, the commissioners said they would support expansion only at establishments with a single entrance.

“We established that rule so that an existing restaurant couldn’t open what would in effect be a new establishment, operating under the same liquor license,” said commissioner Jack Jacobson.

Last year, Hank’s Oyster Bar applied for one of the expansions allowed under the amended moratoSee Komi/Page 12

INDEX Business/9 Calendar/27 Classifieds/37 District Digest/4 Dupont Circle Citizen/13 Exhibits/29 In Your Neighborhood/22

Opinion/10 Passages/15 Police Report/6 School Dispatches/16 Real Estate/21 Service Directory/33 Theater/29

2 Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Current

Don’T MISS oUT on MaJor SaVInGS! For Her

thUrSDaY–MonDaY

take an extra 40% off aLMoSt aLL PerManentLY reDUCeD woMen’S faShionS, woMen’S CoatS, faShion jeweLrY, hanDbagS & ShoeS *

For a total savings of 50%–75% off original prices.

1

PUBL

RUN D

AD SI

MERC

CREAT

P

take 50% off a great SeLeCtion of exCLUSive CoLD weather aCCeSSorieS Choose from cashmere and wool styles at savings off regular and original prices.

ROUN

ROUN

take 25%–30% off* a SeLeCtion of SPring ShoeS Find the latest styles from your favorite names at savings off regular prices.

ROUN

take an extra 15% off a SeLeCtion of aLreaDY-reDUCeD MaxiMiLian fUr CoatS For a total savings of 55%–75% off regular and original prices. The Maximilian Fur Salon.

SR. AR

** take 50%–60% off a SeLeCtion of DiaMonD jeweLrY Savings off regular prices on our exclusive collection of diamond earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings. Fine Jewelry.

JR. AR

For Him

take an extra 40%–50% off a great SeLeCtion of aLreaDY-reDUCeD Men’S faLL DeSigner SPortSwear, DreSS ShirtS, tieS, ShoeS & exCLUSive SweaterS *

For a total savings of 45%–65% off original prices.

Save 25%–50%* on a great SeLeCtion of Men’S faLL SUitS, SPortCoatS, troUSerS, oUterwear, overCoatS, bootS & CoLD weather aCCeSSorieS Savings off regular and original prices on our classic and contemporary men’s fall collections.

For Home

SPenD More, Save More! on aLMoSt aLL fUrnitUre, aLL MattreSSeS & aLL one-of-a-kinD hanDMaDe rUgS fURniTURe AnD mATTReSSeS: Take an exTra 15% oFF when you spend up to 1999.99, or Take an exTra 20% oFF when you spend 2000.00 or more.

HAnDmADe RUgS: Take an exTra 20% oFF when you spend 1499.99 or more. extra savings are off sale prices.

bUY one beD & bath iteM on SaLe, get a 2nD at 50% off Buy any sale-priced item for your bed or bath and get a 2nd item at 50% off the sale price. only in Domestics. ***

april X

COPY

COPY

PENNY

B

XXX 0

XXX 0

*ALL BE

COPY

XXXX

PROO

Save 20%–65% on kitChen eSSentiaLS a selection of expert kitchen electrics, cutlery, dinnerware and cookware, including discontinued pieces.

Peter

PROD

Save 30%–65% on a Large SeLeCtion of LUggage Great savings on select styles from Bric’s, Victorinox, Delsey and Hartmann.

Robin

Jessic

SR. A

Savings off regular, original and already-reduced prices for home items.

XXXX

bloomingdales.com THURSDAY–monDAY, open A BloomingDAle’S AccoUnT AnD TAke An exTRA 15% off AlmoST AnY pURcHASe YoU mAke THAT DAY.† Sale ends February 21, 2011. *Certain designer and brand exclusions apply; see sales associate for details. Excludes Women’s Designer, New View Designer Collections and Women’s leased departments. * *Excludes Designer Fine Jewelry, Fine Watches and estate jewelry. * * *2nd item must be of equal or lesser value, valid only in our Bed and Bath Shop. Reg./orig. prices reflect offering prices. Savings may not be based on actual sales. intermediate markdowns may have been taken. Savings off regular, original and already-reduced prices. Some items may be included in sales already in progress or in future sales. No adjustments to prior purchases. Quantities may be limited; not all styles in all stores; colors vary by store. Furs labeled to show country of origin of imported fur. No home items or luggage at Soho, Beverly Center, Santa Monica and North Michigan Avenue. No home items except for luggage at Bridgewater. Furniture and mattresses not at Short Hills. Furniture, mattresses and rugs not at Soho, Bridgewater Commons, Lenox Square, North Michigan Avenue and Mall of America. Furniture and rugs not at Walt Whitman or our California stores; mattresses now available at Century City, Newport Fashion Island, Sherman Oaks and South Coast Plaza. No furniture in Old Orchard. Furniture and mattresses must be delivered from our central warehouse; delivery fees apply. An edited home selection available at Chevy Chase.

No fashion at Oakbrook Center, Medinah Temple or Las Vegas. Prices, savings and selection may differ on bloomingdales.com. Rugs not available online. Not valid at Bloomingdale’s The Outlet Stores. †15% off new account discount offer ends February 21, 2011, subject to credit approval. Exclusions and limitations apply; see Insider pamphlet at a register or ask a sales associate for complete details. Maximum savings on furniture is $250.00; mattresses is $100.00.

pleASe ViSiT BloomingDAleS.com oR cAll SToReS foR HoURS. C h e v y C h a s e , 5 3 0 0 w e s t e r n ave n u e , M a ry l a n d, 2 4 0-744-3700 • w hI t e F l Int Ma ll, kens I ngton, 301-984-4600 t y s o n s C o r n e r C e n t e r , MC l e a n, 7 0 3 - 5 5 6 - 4 6 0 0

THE CURRENT

D.C. Council hearing airs pedestrian safety worries

By ELIZABETH WIENER Current Staff Writer

Nancy Szemraj’s daughter is healing, slowly, from the collision last June when a driver blew through a red light on Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park and into a crosswalk, where the fifth-grader was shoved 20 feet, suffering a fractured pelvis, concussion and multiple abrasions.

But the anger and disbelief are still raw, Szemraj testified at a recent D.C. Council hearing. The offending motorist was issued only two traffic citations — for running a red light and failure to yield to a pedestrian — which, Szemraj believes, have never been paid.

“According to police, unless the pedestrian dies, there’s little they do except fine.”

The Feb. 4 hearing on enforcement of traffic laws to protect cyclists and pedestrians, before the council’s committee on public safety, brought out other painful stories of accidents where lax enforcement and minimal punishment meant the culprits suffered far less than the victims.

As committee chair and at-large member Phil Mendelson put it, the District’s efforts to promote a bikable, walkable city are meaningless “unless people feel safe.” And unless there are clear penalties, consistent enforcement, and education for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, the accidents will continue, he and others said.

There are other perspectives, of course. Some witnesses put the onus

on pedestrians and cyclists for flouting laws, in a city where jaywalking is almost a cultural norm.

Anthony Muhammad, chair of a Ward 8 advisory neighborhood commission, said installation of bike lanes there has only increased safety concerns. “Cyclists are not required to wear helmets or use lights. They do not use hand signals, they run red lights and stop signs.

Cyclists cause major damage to cars, but they don’t have collision or liability insurance,” he testified.

Still, the motorist has a definite advantage, as another witness put it: “There are no ‘fender-benders’ in vehicle/human collisions — it is hard steel against human flesh.”

Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Patrick Burke reported that the District has made “tremendous progress” in reducing traffic fatalities, cutting them in half over the past four years to a low of 25 in 2010. Speed and red-light cameras, along with education campaigns, have also reduced nonfatal injuries, even as the total number of collisions has increased, he said.

But while bike fatalities have remained both stable and low — about 1.5 per year of late — pedestrian fatalities have not declined.

The average is about 16 a year since 2005, with more than half involving a pedestrian violation, such as crossing against the light or not using a crosswalk, Burke testified.

Last year District police issued roughly 13,000 tickets for violations that threaten pedestrian safety, a 19 percent jump from 2009, with 98 See Pedestrian/Page 23

The week ahead Thursday, Feb. 17 The Kalorama Citizens Association will hold its monthly meeting, which will feature Mayor Vincent Gray as guest speaker. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Good Will Baptist Church, 1862 Kalorama Road NW.

Wednesday, Feb. 23 The National Park Service, Federal Highway Administration and District Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting about the proposed rehabilitation of the Rock Creek Park Multi-Use Trail. The project would encompass the section of the trail from Broad Branch Road to P Street, as well as the Piney Branch Parkway trail from Beach Drive to Arkansas Avenue and part of the Rose Park trail from M Street to P Street. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Visitor Center Auditorium at the National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. ■ The Current Newspapers and The Georgetown Dish will hold a candidates forum for the at-large D.C. Council seat. Confirmed participants are Sekou Biddle, Vincent Orange, Josh Lopez and Jacque Patterson. The forum will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the lounge at the Social Safeway, 1855 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

Monday, Feb. 21 Serve DC, the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism, will hold a weeklong Community Emergency Response Team class to train volunteers on how to prepare, prevent and respond to emergencies. Sessions will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday in the 11th-floor conference room at One Judiciary Square, 441 4th St. NW. Admission is free, but registration is required; visit serve.dc.gov.

Thursday, Feb. 24 The Historic Preservation Review Board will hold its monthly meeting, which will begin at 10 a.m. in Room 220 South, One Judiciary Square, 441 4th St. NW. ■ The Ward 3 Democratic Committee will hold a community dialogue with Mayor Vincent Gray and Ward 3 D.C. Council member Mary Cheh. The meeting will be held from 7:15 to 9:15 p.m. at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, 4201 Albemarle St. NW.

D

F

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

Group discusses volunteerism, ABC issues Current Staff Report The Dupont Circle Citizens Association hosted a volunteer opportunity forum Feb. 7 featuring representatives from Casey Trees, the Dupont Circle House Tour and a mentoring program for young people.

Casey Trees volunteers have inventoried possible spots on private property that would be appropriate for planting trees and selected 30. But only five homeowners have as yet agreed to have volunteers plant trees on their properties and to care for them for two years.

Ingrid Peterson, chair of the association’s environmental committee, said volunteers are knocking on the doors of houses where trees could be planted in hopes of convincing more to accept the offer.

The citizens association’s annual house tour, now in its 44th year, attracts well over 1,000 visitors annually, said Rosemary Carr. Last year, more than 230 Dupont area residents volunteered to help. Among the tasks are selling tickets, working on publicity, writing a booklet of houses, staffing the houses and helping with the related tea.

Volunteers, said Carr, receive free tour tickets and have plenty of time to make the rounds as well as attend a volunteer party.

Volunteers with the group Everybody Wins!

DC help students, many of whom attend nearby Ross Elementary School and Francis-Stevens Education Campus, reported Jerry Wrunck.

“I can tell you how rewarding it has been for me,” Wrunck said. “The term ‘everybody wins’ is so true — both the students and yourself.”

Ross Elementary has 56 students participating and a waiting list of kids waiting for additional volunteers. Stevens has 72 participating students.

Attendees also heard a report on the liquorlicense moratorium in West Dupont and a description of the citizens association’s nascent preferred merchant program.

Dupont advisory neighborhood commissioner Kevin O’Connor reported on the liquor-license moratorium, which was first enacted in the 1990s.

The mechanism puts a cap on the number of available liquor licenses in the area.

The moratorium will expire March 23, O’Connor explained, at which point the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board will decide whether to continue the moratorium as it is, let it expire or modify it.

“It’s important to have everybody’s feedback,” said O’Connor, adding that there are businesses wanting to move into the P Street corridor if more licenses were allowed.

Also at the event, the association’s Ruth Horn explained that the purpose of the preferred merchants program is to support neighborhood businesses. Most of the participants offer a 10 percent discount to association members. The program now includes six merchants, “with three or four in the wings,” she said.

Celebrate the Capital Wine Festival series at The Fairfax at Embassy Row with intimate four course wine dinners featuring world class wineries, hosted by either the winemaker or proprietor. Dishes for each dinner will be created to complement the vintner’s selections.

Feb 23 Continuum Estate Mar 2 PonziVineyards Mar 9 PalmazVineyards Mar 16 Silver Oak Cellars Mar 23 Darioush For information and purchase tickets call 202 736 1453 or visit www.capitalwinefestival.com

3

4

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

THE CURRENT

District Digest D.C. won’t lose any post offices, rep says Contradicting recent reports, a spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service said the agency does not plan to close the post office at 1915 14th St NW. In fact, the agency has no firm plans at this time to close any stations in the District, said Sharon Tennison, the local spokesperson for the Postal Service.

The ailing Postal Service recently announced its intent to close more than 2,000 offices across the country, in addition to the 491 previously declared closures, according to a January Wall Street Journal report. The agency suffered $8.5 billion in losses during the last fiscal year as mail volume has continued to decline.

The Wall Street Journal report identified a “midcity” post office in Zip code 20009 on a list of 491 stations slated for closure. A recent post from the Prince of Petworth blog also took note of the rumor.

But Tennison said yesterday: “We’re not closing that office.”

— Katie Pearce

Giant Food celebrates its 75th anniversary Giant Food kicked off its 75th birthday celebration last week at its Park Road store in Columbia Heights, near where the chain got its start.

On Feb. 6, 1936, N.M. Cohen and Samuel Lehrman opened the District’s first supermarket at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Park Road. Today, Giant has six stores in the District with 800 employees, and 179 stores and 22,000 employ-

studies. In 1997, she completed a graduate certificate in museum management and coursework for a graduate degree in anthropology, both from the University of South Carolina, the release states.

As superintendent, Morrison will manage about 72 employees and a budget of more than $10 million.

ees throughout the chain, now owned by the Dutch company Ahold.

Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham thanked the company last Thursday for returning to its roots to celebrate. He pointed out that during the 1968 riots, residents protected the local Giant store, and it was one of the few buildings unscarred from the aftermath.

He praised the chain for defying convention when it built the Park Road store with above-store parking. Graham called the decision key to the revitalization of Columbia Heights.

Rob Harman, Giant’s regional vice president, traced the chain’s history, and a group of Tubman Elementary School children sang “Happy Birthday.”

Special notice was given to the $2.4 million in merchandise Giant gave last year to local food banks and the $8.5 million the company has given to fight pediatric cancer.

Giant was also celebrated as the sponsor of “It’s Academic.”

Police arrest suspect in Champlain murder On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch arrested a suspect in a homicide that took place the day before in the 2200 block of Champlain Street in Adams Morgan.

Detectives believe the crime was domestic. They have charged 21-year-old Deon Eugene Thornton in connection with the fatal stabbing of Derrick Phillip Thornton Jr., 22.

Motorcycle fatality under investigation

Park Service names new Rock Creek head

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a fatal Feb. 12 traffic accident, according to a news release.

A 37-year-old motorcyclist, later identified as Rubin Cedillo-Ramos of Silver Spring, was killed when he ran into an unoccupied, parked tow truck at 3 a.m. in the 5300 block of 16th Street NW, according to police.

The National Park Service has announced that Tara Morrison will be the superintendent of Rock Creek Park starting March 31.

Morrison has been with the Park Service for more than a dozen years, serving for the past five as the head of the African Burial Ground National Monument in Manhattan, according to a release from the Park Service.

Before joining the Park Service, Morrison earned an undergraduate degree from Boston’s Northeastern University in African-American

New Mount Pleasant market begins Friday Beginning Friday, the space at 3068 Mount Pleasant St. NW will

HȐȽɄɨǸɜȐ

ɴɄɤɑ 0ȨȘȐɕɜɴȵȐ

BEFORE

host a temporary market allowing more than 30 local vendors and artisans the opportunity to showcase their handcrafted goods.

The “Mt. Pleasant Temporium,” which will be open until March 13, is funded by the D.C. Office of Planning through its new Temporary Urbanism initiative.

The project was developed by Mount Pleasant Main Street in collaboration with SpeakEasyDC, Hello Craft and several others, according to a release.

An opening reception for the temporium will take place Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. Many special events during the project’s 24-day run will revolve around the theme of storytelling.

For an events schedule, visit mtptemporium.com, or e-mail mtptemporanium@gmail.com.

Field to Fork alliance to hold symposium The DC Field to Fork Network, an organization composed of dozens of local groups working to support sustainable agricultural practices in the region, will host the fourth annual Rooting DC Forum on Saturday at Coolidge High School.

The forum will feature presentations by Gordon Clark, founder of Montgomery Victory Gardens, and Paul Blundell, owner of the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, among others. The free event, which is expected to draw more than 500 attendees, will also include interactive workshops, cooking demonstrations and panel discussions, according to a release.

The forum will be held Feb. 19 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at

From early planning to the family dinner, we pride ourselves on being the single point of contact for your home improvement. BOWA transforms houses into homes™ through the design and construction of luxury renovations and additions. As your single point of accountability from the earliest stages of planning, we execute and manage the entire design and construction process and your overall experience. So, when you have a project of any size in mind, call BOWA first.

Coolidge, 6315 5th St. NW. More information is available at rootingdc.org or 202-638-1649.

GWU nets accolades for green building West Hall, George Washington University’s newest dormitory, is the second university building in the District to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certification.

West Hall, formerly called Pelham Hall, is located at 2100 Foxhall Road NW on the school’s Mount Vernon campus. Designed

by FYP Architecture & Engineering, the new building was completed this fall, nearly two years after construction began.

Solar light tubes power the 288student facility, which includes kitchens, laundry rooms and study areas. The building includes campus amenities such as a fitness center, a dining hall, a dance studio, a studio art room and two art galleries.

The dorm was constructed from recycled materials and is equipped with Energy Star appliances, which reduce energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent.

The first university building in D.C. to receive a gold certification was George Washington University’s South Hall, located at 2135 F St., which won the designation in early 2010.

Correction Due to a submission error, the author’s name on a school report from Murch Elementary in the Feb. 9 issue was incorrect. The author was fourth-grader Ellen Harris.

As a matter of policy, The Current corrects all errors of substance. To report an error, please call the managing editor at 202244-7223.

THE CURRENT Delivered weekly to homes and businesses in Northwest Washington Publisher & Editor Davis Kennedy Managing Editor Chris Kain Assistant Managing Editor Beth Cope Associate Editor Koko Wittenburg Advertising Director Gary Socha Account Executive Shani Madden Account Executive Richa Marwah Account Executive George Steinbraker Account Executive Mary Kay Williams Advertising Standards Advertising published in The Current Newspapers is accepted on the premise that the merchandise and services as offered are accurately described and are available to customers at the advertised price. Advertising that does not conform to these standards, or that is deceptive or misleading, is never knowingly accepted. If any Current Newspapers reader encounters non-compliance with these standards, we ask that you inform us.

All advertising and editorial matter is fully protected and may not be reproduced in any manner without permission from the publisher.

Subscription by mail — $52 per year

Telephone: 202-244-7223 E-mail Address

Steven Kirstein Principal

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

Q

RENOVATIONS & ADDITIONS

Q

CONDOMINIUM REMODELING

Q

newsdesk@currentnewspapers.com Street Address

202-364-2660

5185 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Suite 102

www.bowa.com

Post Office Box 40400 Washington, D.C. 20016-0400

PURCHASE CONSULTATIONS

Mailing Address

THE CURRENT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

5

At-large council hopefuls square off at first forum of campaign season Current Staff Writer

A whopping eight candidates competing to take the up-for-grabs D.C. Council at-large seat gathered Feb. 3 to face off in the first forum of the race.

But the expected jabs and put-downs never materialized as would-be council members

politely answered — and at times flubbed — the wonky questions from forum hosts DC for Democracy, DC Environmental Network and Greater Greater Washington. Instead, candidates, who ranged from political veterans to first-race newcomers, built off each other’s ideas and at points joked with each other during lulls in the forum, which was held at One Judiciary Square and webcast live.

Candidates also largely refrained from attacking interim at-large member Sekou Biddle, the anointed favorite of the D.C. Democratic State Committee. At the time of the forum, the committee was reaffirming its support for Biddle and deciding — with 46 members voting — to allot $1,000 to his campaign. A few days later, Biddle won the endorsement of DC for Democracy.

Groups spotlight Connecticut Avenue projects

By TEKE WIGGIN Current Correspondent

Several citizens associations are trying to raise awareness of four overlapping Connecticut Avenue initiatives that aim to improve pedestrian safety and traffic problems along the corridor.

While the D.C. Department of Transportation moves on two projects on the avenue, the D.C. Office of Planning and a local volunteer group are still working to find funding for implementation of their recent studies of the area.

The four related efforts came into focus at a Feb. 1 meeting hosted by the Chevy Chase, Cleveland Park, Forest Hills and Woodley Park citizens associations, which featured city and police officials.

Susie Taylor, who moderated the discussion, said in an interview that she and other community leaders are trying to spread word of the initiatives because they are not well known but offer significant opportunities for much-sought-after modifications to Connecticut Avenue. “I don’t think many people know about them,� said Taylor, who serves as president of the Cleveland Park Citizens Association and chair of a community-led Connecticut

C A R WA S H C E N T E R

“One Of The Largest Carwashes in America�

ZZZ Ă DJVKLSFDUZDVK FRP

',675,&7 /,1( ('VMM 4FSWF

$POOFDUJDVU "WF /8 202-363-4960 'VMM 4FSWF 4PGU $MPUI 1257+ %(7+(6'$ $IBQNBO "WF /FYU UP 5BSHFU

301-230-1230 'VMM 4FSWF 4PGU $MPUI &YUFSJPS &YQSFTT #BZ 4FMG 4FSWF 52&.9,//( )VOHFSGPSE %SJWF 3U

301-738-2010 'VMM 4FSWF 4PGU $MPUI $BSXBTI 1MVT #BZ 4FMG 4FSWF $BSXBTI %FUBJM 4IPQ *$,7+(56%85* (4FMG 4FSWF

#VSFBV %SJWF 0QFO )ST

/FYU UP .D%POBME T

301-926-8200 *(50$172:1 (4FMG 4FSWF

.JEEMFCSPPL 3E /FYU UP ,'$ 5BDP #FMM

301-540-8700

Bill Petros/The Current

Pedestrian safety and traffic woes are the initiatives’ targets.

Avenue coalition. “And I’m not sure how well they’re coordinating with each other. Or what, if any, synergy exists.�

And if there’s anything her advocacy work on the avenue’s safety has taught her, Taylor said, it’s that using community input to “nudgeâ€? city agencies tends to encourage action. “It is actually easier for citizens to come in and ‌ say, ‘Hey, we’re noticing this; we’re willing to put in the work to organize our community, gather community input, even use volunteers to collect data. Will you work with us?’â€?

The answer was “yes� for the

most well-funded initiative along the corridor: the Transportation Department’s $1.5 million Connecticut Avenue Streetscape Improvement and Pedestrian Safety Project, which identifies trouble traffic spots and implements remedial improvements, like adjusting signals and installing midblock crosswalks.

The project focuses on the stretch of Connecticut Avenue between Porter and Macomb streets.

When Taylor caught word of the effort, she quickly formed the Connecticut Avenue Coalition Committee, with representatives from local community organizations. The committee gathered resident input through a survey and meetings, ultimately compiling a report that it submitted to the Transportation Department.

By May, the organization and Transportation Department had worked out a community-endorsed blueprint for the project.

Taylor pointed to synchronization of pedestrian countdown signals at Ordway Street and Connecticut and a southbound leftturn signal installed at Porter Street and Connecticut as examples of project plans already put into action.

See Avenue/Page 8

SALT EATS CARS!

$2.00 OFF

t *OTJEF 7BDVVN t 4PGU $MPUI t 8JQF %BTI BOE $POTPMF 6OEFS 8BTI t 8IFFM #SJHIU t 1PMZ 4FBMBOU t 5JSF 4IJOF t )BOE %SZ t $MFBO 8JOEPXT

FULL SERVE ULTIMATE WASH

(PPE BU BMM GVMM TFSWJDF MPDBUJPOT /PU WBMJE JO DPNCJOBUJPO XJUI PUIFS PGGFST PS DPVQPOT 0OF DPVQPO QFS XFFL 0GGFS FYQJSFT

Biddle, an outgoing Ward 4 school board member, played to his strengths with comments on education policy. School reform is progressing, he said, but a key promise to bring successful innovations from charter schools to all students has failed so far. Biddle also used the opportunity to burnish his native-Washingtonian bona fides with stories See At-large/Page 32

F I N E TA B L E L I N E N S DVTUPN TJ[FT t NPOPHSBNNJOH t HSFBU HJGU JEFBT

Indulge yourself.

&HOHEUDWLQJ <HDUV

Foxhall Square Mall 3301 New Mexico Ave, NW (202) 364-6118

),1( /,1(16 /,1*(5,(

Parking Garage Renovation is over!!!

$%5,(//(

YOUR DREAM HOME!

www.SuzanneGoldstein.com

By CAROL BUCKLEY

GLEN ECHO HEIGHTS MY BUYER BOUGHT!

LIST PRICE

$2,250,000

t 4UVOOJOH /FX )PNF t #FESPPNT #BUIT t (PSHFPVT $IFG T ,JUDIFO t 'BNJMZ 3PPN 0QFOJOH UP 1BUJP t 0QFO 'MPPS 1MBO t 8SBQBSPVOE 1PSDI t 3FDSFBUJPO 3PPN BOE .FEJB 3PPN t )VHF 'SPOU BOE 3FBS :BSET t ;POFE )7"$ t $BS (BSBHF 0GG 4USFFU 1BSLJOH

Suzanne Goldstein 202-364-5200 (Office) 202-244-0400 (Direct) 202-365-6000 (Cell)

Experience is Essential!

We will guide you through Any MarketBuying or Selling

6

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

D

THE CURRENT

F

Police Report

%$

.BD"SUIVS #MWE /8 8BTIJOHUPO %$ XXX DBSQFUPOFED DPN

Great Selection of

This is a listing of reports taken from Feb. 6 through 12 by the Metropolitan Police Department in local police service areas.

CARPET HARDWOOD VINYL CORK LAMINATES CERAMIC

PSA 204

Certified Installers

Eco-Friendly Flooring

â&#x2013; MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE HEIGHTS/ CLEVELAND PARK WOODLEY PARK / GLOVER PSA PARK204 / CATHEDRAL HEIGHTS

Simple assault â&#x2013; 2600 block, Woodley Road; hotel; 2 a.m. Feb. 11.

Theft (below $250) â&#x2013; 2800 block, Connecticut Ave.; residence; 7 a.m. Feb. 6. â&#x2013; 2600 block, Woodley Road; street; 9 a.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 2500 block, Calvert St.; hotel; 1 p.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 3600 block, Woodley Road; school; 8 p.m. Feb. 9. â&#x2013; 3600 block, Woodley Road; school; 2 p.m. Feb. 10. â&#x2013; 3600 block, Woodley Road; school; 2 p.m. Feb. 10. â&#x2013; 2600 block, Wisconsin Ave.; residence; 2:34 p.m. Feb. 10.

Theft from auto (below $250) â&#x2013; 2800 block, New Mexico Ave.; street; 6 p.m. Feb. 6. â&#x2013; 2800 block, New Mexico Ave.; street; 9 p.m. Feb. 6. â&#x2013; 4200 block, Cathedral Ave.; street; 10 p.m. Feb. 6. â&#x2013; 2800 block, New Mexico Ave.; street; 9:15 p.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 2800 block, New Mexico Ave.; street; 12:30 a.m. Feb. 8.

Destruction of property â&#x2013; 42nd Street and New Mexico Avenue; street; 11:50 p.m.

Feb. 6. â&#x2013; 2800 block, New Mexico Ave.; street; 9:50 p.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 2000 block, 37th St.; residence; 3:15 a.m. Feb. 12.

PSA 206 â&#x2013; GEORGETOWN / BURLEITH

PSA 206 Burglary â&#x2013; 3300 block, Prospect St.; residence; 3:20 p.m. Feb. 11.

Stolen auto â&#x2013; 1600 block, 33rd St.; street; 4 p.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 3500 block, T St.; street; 9:30 p.m. Feb. 11.

Theft (below $250) â&#x2013; 37th and O streets; street; 10:10 a.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 3300 block, M St.; store; 1 p.m. Feb. 11.

Theft from auto (below $250) â&#x2013; 3000 block, Cambridge Place; street; 8:30 a.m. Feb. 9.

Simple assault â&#x2013; 37th and O streets; university; 12:23 a.m. Feb. 9.

Destruction of property â&#x2013; 2800 block, M St.; unspecified premises; 1 a.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; Unspecified location; 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10.

Property damage â&#x2013; Unspecified location; street; 11 a.m. Feb. 12.

Fraud â&#x2013; 1000 block, Wisconsin Ave.; restaurant; 3:30 a.m. Feb. 11.

PSA 207

PSA 207 â&#x2013; FOGGY BOTTOM / WEST END Stolen auto â&#x2013; 1800 block, G St.; parking lot; 9:15 a.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 2600 block, Pennsylvania Ave.; street; 10 a.m. Feb. 10.

Theft (below $250) â&#x2013; 2300 bock, M St.; government building; 8 a.m. Feb. 8.

Simple assault â&#x2013; 27th Street and Whitehurst Freeway; park area; 8:19 p.m.

Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 2400 block, L St.; unspecified premises; 8:25 p.m. Feb. 9.

Unlawful entry â&#x2013; 900 block, 24th St.; university; 4 a.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 700 block, 20th St.; university; 10:38 a.m. Feb. 10. â&#x2013; 600 block, 23rd St.; university; 11 p.m. Feb. 11. â&#x2013; 600 block, 23rd St.; university; 6:40 a.m. Feb. 12.

Fraud â&#x2013; 900 block, 23rd St.; medical facility; 8 a.m. Feb. 7.

Drug possession with intent to distribute (cocaine) â&#x2013; 500 block, 21st St.; unspecified premises; 11 p.m. Feb. 8.

PSA 208 â&#x2013; SHERIDAN-KALORAMA

PSA 208CIRCLE DUPONT

Robbery (gun) â&#x2013; 18th and S streets; gas station; 3 a.m. Feb. 10.

Robbery (pocketbook snatch) â&#x2013; 21st and P streets; restaurant; 6:50 p.m. Feb. 7.

Burglary â&#x2013; 1700 block, T St.; restaurant; 8 a.m. Feb. 11. â&#x2013; 1500 block, R St.; residence; 8 a.m. Feb. 11. â&#x2013; 1500 block, 18th St.; residence; 7 p.m. Feb. 11.

Burglary (attempt) â&#x2013; 1800 block, S St.; residence; 6:05 p.m. Feb. 11.

Stolen auto â&#x2013; 16th and R streets; street; 1:30 p.m. Feb. 12.

Theft (below $250) â&#x2013; Unit block, Dupont Circle; store; 10:45 a.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 1500 block, Rhode Island Ave.; hotel; 7:20 p.m. Feb. 10. â&#x2013; 1600 block, R St.; restaurant; 2 a.m. Feb. 12. â&#x2013; 1300 block, Connecticut Ave.; store; 11 a.m. Feb. 12. â&#x2013; 1600 block, Connecticut Ave.; unspecified premises; 1:30 p.m. Feb. 12.

Theft (bicycle) â&#x2013; 1500 block, Corcoran St.; sidewalk; 11:35 a.m. Feb. 8.

Theft from auto ($250 plus) â&#x2013; 1800 block, N St.; street; 11:30 p.m. Feb. 6. â&#x2013; 1600 block, M St.; street; 8 p.m. Feb. 10.

Theft from auto (below $250) â&#x2013; 16th and O streets; street; 1 p.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 1500 block, Church St.; street; 6 p.m. Feb. 9. â&#x2013; 1100 block, 17th St.; street; 6:45 p.m. Feb. 10.

â&#x2013; 1500 block, R St.; street; 2 p.m. Feb. 11. â&#x2013; 1600 block, O St.; street; 5 p.m. Feb. 11. â&#x2013; 21st and L streets; street; 11:30 p.m. Feb. 11. â&#x2013; 1800 block, 16th St.; street; 1 a.m. Feb. 12. â&#x2013; 1600 block, O St.; church; noon Feb. 12. â&#x2013; 1700 block, Massachusetts Ave.; street; 6 p.m. Feb. 12.

Simple assault â&#x2013; 2100 block, P St.; tavern; 11:50 p.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 2100 block, P St.; sidewalk; 11:50 p.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 2100 block, K St.; sidewalk; 1 a.m. Feb. 12. â&#x2013; 1800 block, 14th St.; sidewalk; 2:15 a.m. Feb. 12. â&#x2013; Unspecified location; street; 2:30 a.m. Feb. 12.

Destruction of property â&#x2013; 1300 block, New Hampshire Ave.; unspecified premises; 4:40 a.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 16th and O streets; street; 10:15 a.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 1800 block, 16th St.; residence; 9:45 a.m. Feb. 9. â&#x2013; 1500 block, N St.; street; 10 p.m. Feb. 10.

Property damage â&#x2013; 1700 block, 17th St.; store; 10:25 p.m. Feb. 6. â&#x2013; 1600 block, I St.; street; 7 a.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; Connecticut Avenue and Jefferson Place; street; 4 p.m.

Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 1400 block, T St.; alley; 6:45 p.m. Feb. 11.

Drug possession (marijuana) â&#x2013; 1600 block, K St.; alley; 3:45 p.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 1800 block, 14th St.; street; 4 p.m. Feb. 10. â&#x2013; 1900 block, 14th St.; sidewalk; 12:35 p.m. Feb. 12.

Prostitution (solicitation) â&#x2013; 1500 block, New Hampshire Ave.; hotel; 3:44 p.m. Feb. 10. â&#x2013; 1500 block, Rhode Island Ave.; hotel; 12:20 a.m. Feb. 11.

PSA 303

PSA 303 â&#x2013; ADAMS MORGAN Homicide â&#x2013; 2200 block, Champlain St.; residence; 7:40 p.m. Feb. 11.

Burglary â&#x2013; 1800 block, Wyoming Ave.; residence; 7 a.m. Feb. 11.

Stolen auto â&#x2013; 18th Street and Kalorama Road; street; 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6.

Theft from auto (below $250) â&#x2013; 2400 block, 16th St.; park; 11:11 p.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 2400 block, 16th St.; parking lot; 8 p.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 2200 block, Champlain St.; street; 3:45 p.m. Feb. 11.

Simple assault â&#x2013; 2400 block, 18th St.; restaurant; 1:30 a.m. Feb. 11. â&#x2013; 2400 block, 18th St.; unspecified premises; 3:15 a.m. Feb. 12. â&#x2013; 2400 block, 18th St.; restaurant; 6:50 p.m. Feb. 12.

Destruction of property

17th and U streets; street; noon Feb. 6. â&#x2013; 2200 block, Old Morgan School Place; street; 5:45 p.m. Feb. 11.

Drug possession (marijuana) â&#x2013; 2300 block, 18th St.; alley; 3:50 a.m. Feb. 12. â&#x2013;

PSA 307

PSA 307 â&#x2013; LOGAN CIRCLE Robbery (force and violence) â&#x2013; 1000 block, R St.; sidewalk; 8 p.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 900 block, N St.; residence; 11:36 p.m. Feb. 8.

Theft (below $250) â&#x2013; 1300 block, M St.; parking lot; 8:30 a.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 1100 block, 13th St.; office building; 1:15 p.m. Feb. 10. â&#x2013; 1400 block, P St.; grocery store; 10:55 a.m. Feb. 12.

Theft from auto ($250 plus) â&#x2013; 900 block, N St.; street; 10:30 p.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 1400 block, Massachusetts Ave.; parking lot; 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 10.

Theft from auto (below $250) â&#x2013; 1200 block, R St.; street; noon Feb. 9. â&#x2013; 1400 block, M St.; street; 6 p.m. Feb. 9. â&#x2013; 1400 block, Massachusetts Ave.; street; 7 p.m. Feb. 9. â&#x2013; 1300 block, 13th St.; sidewalk; 12:01 a.m. Feb. 12.

Theft from auto (attempt) â&#x2013; 1700 block, 13th St.; street; 10:50 a.m. Feb. 12.

Simple assault â&#x2013; 15th Street and Rhode Island Ave.; sidewalk; 5:30 a.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 1700 block, 14th St.; medical facility; 10:40 a.m. Feb. 9. â&#x2013; 1100 block, 14th St.; hotel; 4:07 a.m. Feb. 12.

Unlawful entry â&#x2013; 1400 block, 11th St.; residence; 7:45 a.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 1400 block, 11th St.; storage facility; 7:20 a.m. Feb. 9. â&#x2013; 1400 block, 11th St.; residence; 7:45 a.m. Feb. 9. â&#x2013; 1400 block, 11th St.; residence; 9 a.m. Feb. 9.

Destruction of property â&#x2013; 1400 block 11th St.; residence; 6:30 a.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 1400 block, 14th St.; residence; 9 a.m. Feb. 8. â&#x2013; 1400 block, 11th St.; unspecified premises; 8 a.m.

Feb. 10.

Property damage â&#x2013; 12th and N streets; street; 7 p.m. Feb. 7. â&#x2013; 1100 block, O St.; street; 1 p.m. Feb. 11. â&#x2013; 1300 block, Q St.; street; 8 a.m. Feb. 12.

Drug possession (cocaine) â&#x2013; Unit block, Thomas Circle; street; 12:15 p.m. Feb. 11.

Prostitution (solicitation) â&#x2013; Unit block, Thomas Circle; unspecified premises; 2:55 p.m. Feb. 10. â&#x2013; 13th and L streets; street; 12:40 a.m. Feb. 12. â&#x2013; 13th and L streets; sidewalk; 1 a.m. Feb. 12.

THE CURRENT

Homeland Security plan worries neighbors

By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer

Neighbors concerned that a proposed expansion at the U.S. Department of Homeland Securityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nebraska Avenue Complex would overburden their community remained skeptical of planned traffic mitigation strategies presented this month.

The General Services Administration has put forth three concepts for the 37-acre campus in which the facility grows in capacity from 2,390 seats to between 3,700 and 4,500, but the number of parking spaces decreases slightly.

After a presentation at its Feb. 2 meeting, the Spring Valley/Wesley Heights advisory neighborhood commission unanimously passed a five-page resolution spelling out community complaints about the General Services Administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan â&#x20AC;&#x201D; chiefly about traffic, but also on parking and aesthetics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basically what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve said to them is that this plan is really screwy and [they] need to go back to square one,â&#x20AC;? said commission chair Tom Smith.

The administration has pledged to boost carpooling and transit use among the facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employees, but representatives at the meeting couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t answer a barrage of detailed questions about the master plan.

The comments from the Feb. 2 meeting â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as well as those from another meeting the following week

and those submitted to gsa.gov/ncrnepa â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will be answered in writing in a future draft of the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s master plan, General Services representative Suzanne Hill said, as the meetings were not intended to be a â&#x20AC;&#x153;back-and-forth.â&#x20AC;?

In a Feb. 3 e-mail to commissioners, a representative from D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Nortonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office said Norton will host an additional session in which residents can have a dialogue with General Services officials. The date and location have not yet been set.

At the Feb. 2 meeting, commissioners were particularly curious about the scope, depth and accuracy of the master planâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traffic study, which the representatives at the meeting said they could not yet address.

Commissioners were concerned that the plan does not call for federal investment in Ward Circle or nearby roads, which General Services Administration officials said would be the responsibility of the D.C. Department of Transportation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All you do is wave your hand and say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ah, DDOT will take care of it,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Smith said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It seems like all this stuff is just â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;out of the scopeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of your plan, and you just want to pass it along to someone else, and then you go ahead and exacerbate the [poor traffic] conditions,â&#x20AC;? he added, noting the Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lack of money to boost the capacity of its streets.

Hill said she hopes an on-site transportation coordinator â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a new

post the master plan recommends creating at the campus â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will help link up employees with transit options and incentives to discourage them from driving alone to work.

She also said officials will be meeting with the city Transportation Department to ensure that the studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traffic counts are accurate and up-to-date.

But commissioners said they feared the workforce at the facility â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 53 percent of which is expected to commute from Virginia â&#x20AC;&#x201D; would further clog the routes between the Nebraska Avenue Complex and the Chain and Key bridges. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If 53 percent of your employees are in Virginia, why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you locate this project in Virginia?â&#x20AC;? asked commissioner Ann Haas.

In its resolution, the commission formally â&#x20AC;&#x153;urges GSA to consider alternative locations for its expansion of DHS operations.â&#x20AC;?

The resolution further calls for â&#x20AC;&#x153;the least growth possibleâ&#x20AC;? at the site, asks that any new development be screened from the streets, and requests more on-site parking than what is proposed in any of the three concepts presented.

General Services Administration officials noted that any development is well in the future, likely not even starting until 2016 and possibly not until 2018 or 2020, so there will be no sudden influx of new employees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about a master plan, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about the possibility of further use down the road,â&#x20AC;?

Hill said.

N

G

D

F

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

ing 9th 7+( &855(17 1(:63$3(56 m Co rch presents a M 6(1,25 /,9,1* $ *8,'( 72 7+( 5(6285&(6 237,216 $1' 1(('6 2) 7+( 6(1,25 &20081,7< 2) 1257+:(67 '&

For Space Reservation Call Today:

Phone 202-244-7223 Deadline for space reservation, Wednesday, March 2nd

7+( &855(17 1(:63$3(56 1257+:(67 Â&#x2021; *(25*(72:1 Â&#x2021; )2**< %27720 Â&#x2021; '83217

7

8

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

AVENUE From Page 5 Transportation Department pedestrian program coordinator George Branyan said his agency also intends to program â&#x20AC;&#x153;leading pedestrian intervalsâ&#x20AC;? into many signals on Connecticut. The function shows four red lights all at once for at least three seconds, allowing pedestrians to establish a presence in crosswalks before cars can turn.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a technology that resident Taylor persuaded the Transportation

THE CURRENT Department to adopt. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wait a minute, how come you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t include this in your options?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; They said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Well, you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask us,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? she said.

At the meeting, Branyan also said the department had secured federal funding to upgrade street lamps in the project zone â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a change the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $1.5 million budget wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have covered.

And to increase safety at some midblock crosswalks on Connecticut, the agency is testing a â&#x20AC;&#x153;HAWKâ&#x20AC;? traffic light, Branyan said. Prompted by a pedestrian

touch button, the signal flashes two yellow lights at oncoming traffic, followed by two red lights to provide the pedestrian with safer passage than in normal circumstances, when cars stop only on sight of a person.

Branyan said one likely Connecticut Avenue HAWK location would be between Macomb and Ordway streets, if the agency can figure out how to synchronize the signal with nearby traffic lights.

The streetscape initiative will also beautify the corridor by planting trees and refurbishing side-

walks. And it aims to take a â&#x20AC;&#x153;more in-depth look at the pros and consâ&#x20AC;? of the service lane on a stretch of road between Macomb and Ordway, Branyan said.

The second initiative that has some financial muscle behind it is the Rock Creek West II Livability Study, which focuses on an area including American University Park, Forest Hills, Friendship Heights, Tenleytown and parts of Chevy Chase.

The Transportation Department study has $250,000 to spend on measures aimed at solving traffic

Now you know a competitive rate when you see one.

Three-month guaranteed rate

$3<

SunTrust Advantage Money Market Account

60

Three-month guaranteed rate available for new money only. $25,000 minimum balance required to earn rate. Personal checking account required.

7KHUH¡V D UHDVRQ SHRSOH WXUQ WR XV ZKHQ VKRSSLQJ IRU JRRG UDWHV :H¡UH RIWHQ WRXJK WR EHDW :KHQ \RX RSHQ D QHZ 6XQ7UXVW $GYDQWDJH 0RQH\ 0DUNHW $FFRXQW \RX JHW D FRPSHWLWLYH UDWH WR KHOS \RXU PRQH\ JURZ WKH à H[LELOLW\ WR DFFHVV \RXU IXQGV ZLWKRXW SHQDOW\ DQG WKH VHFXULW\ RI )',& SURWHFWLRQ ,Q WKH PDUNHW IRU FRPSHWLWLYH EXVLQHVV UDWHV" $VN DERXW RXU EXVLQHVV PRQH\ PDUNHW DFFRXQWV 7R OHDUQ PRUH VWRS E\ D ORFDO EUDQFK FDOO RU YLVLW VXQWUXVW FRP DGYDQWDJH

* The 1.20% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) earned on a SunTrust Advantage Money Market Account is good for three months from the date account is opened.

After three months, the interest rate and APY will be established at the sole discretion of SunTrust Bank and may change at any time. The APY is accurate as of 2/7/2011. To be eligible for this offer, all of the following are required: (i) client has an open SunTrust personal checking account; (ii) the SunTrust Advantage Money Market Account has a maximum of $999,999.99 in balances per depositor; and (iii) all deposits into the SunTrust Advantage Money Market Account are new money. New money is defined as funds not currently on deposit with SunTrust.

This offer is for consumer accounts only, is not transferable and may not be combined with any other offers. The minimum balance to open an account is $100.

Fees may reduce earnings. Transaction limits apply.

The APY earned on a SunTrust Advantage Money Market Account is based on the following balance tiers: $0.01â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$9,999.99 earns 0.05%; $10,000.00â&#x20AC;&#x201C; $24,999.99 earns 0.10% APY; $25,000 or more earns 1.20% APY. SunTrust Bank, Member FDIC. Š 2011 SunTrust Banks, Inc. SunTrust and Live Solid. Bank Solid. are federally registered service marks of SunTrust Banks, Inc. SunTrust Advantage Money Market Account is a service mark of SunTrust Banks, Inc.

problems at their source, rather than pushing them to other street networks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The idea was to look at a large area,â&#x20AC;? Branyan said.

On Connecticut Avenue, recommendations soon to be implemented include curb extensions, raised crosswalks and enhanced bicycle facilities, he said. The far-right lane of Connecticut will also become a shared one for bicycles and cars.

The study will also result in more signal timing changes, which â&#x20AC;&#x153;dovetailâ&#x20AC;? with those planned for the Connecticut Avenue streetscape project, Branyan said.

Another study discussed at this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meeting stands as a testament to what community activism can achieve for traffic safety improvement, according to supporters.

Marlene Berlin, chair of the Connecticut Avenue Pedestrian Action group, said the organization distinguishes itself with its big-picture focus, which examines the corridor all the way from Calvert Street up to Western Avenue. Even the Rock Creek West II Livability Study doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expand as far, she said.

The grass-roots volunteer effort used more than $30,000 in grants from the University of North Carolina, local advisory neighborhood commissions and citizens associations to produce a report submitted to the Transportation Department recently, Berlin said.

The studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendations focus on slowing traffic, increasing traffic light timing, and better structuring the environment so motorists stop for pedestrians at sidewalks.

Among many other recommendations, the study suggests installing technology-outfitted midblock crosswalks between Ordway and Newark streets and somewhere close to Northampton Street in Chevy Chase, said Taylor, who serves on the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s steering committee.

But bringing the studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendations to fruition, said Taylor and Berlin, will now take more â&#x20AC;&#x153;nudgingâ&#x20AC;? of city officials.

Berlin said meet-and-greets for at-large council candidates are a good place for neighbors to tune in officials to the recommendations.

Like this community-led study, the fourth initiative â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Van Ness-UDC Metro Commercial Corridor Enhancement Study â&#x20AC;&#x201D; must also attract funding before its implementation.

The D.C. Office of Planning study produced the neighborhoodspecific report to gauge sustainability practices in the area around Forest Hills and Van Ness, including the Connecticut Avenue corridor.

The study found that many residents wanted to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;better stewards of our waterwaysâ&#x20AC;? and regretted drab plaza areas, like the one in front near the University of the District of Columbia, according to Andrea Limauro, who led the project.

The study is â&#x20AC;&#x153;more of a vision exercise,â&#x20AC;? he said, and must â&#x20AC;&#x153;go after federal moneyâ&#x20AC;? and receive approval from the Transportation Department before it can be translated into action.

THE CURRENT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

PHOTO REPRINTS From Previous

CURRENT NEWSPAPERS

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pop-upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; antique shop revolves and evolves

â&#x20AC;&#x153;R

& G â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a pop-up antiques shop,â&#x20AC;? reads the banner in front of the Georgetown boutique. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a part of the fun: People come in and say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pop-up shop?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? said Rooms & Gardens co-owner Margaret Rubino.

The answer, of course, is a temporary business â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one that pops up in an empty space, sometimes for the purpose, as in Rubinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case, of reminding â&#x20AC;&#x153;people that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;My first sale was [to] someone who walked in and said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ah! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s you,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? she said.

The familiarity comes from the fact that Rubino isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t new to the furnishings game. She opened her first Rooms & Gardens store in 1987, just down the street from the new shop at 1742 Wisconsin Ave., and she has run an interior design practice in Washington almost ever since. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Georgetown was the obvious place to goâ&#x20AC;? in the mid-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s, she said, when there were few antique shops and â&#x20AC;&#x153;nobody was bringing over to Washington anything that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t completely traditional.â&#x20AC;?

Rubino learned about antiques during her upbringing in Europe, and she launched Rooms & Gardens as a source primarily for French items. In 1994 she closed up shop and moved it to greener pastures â&#x20AC;&#x201D; New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SoHo neighborhood â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but â&#x20AC;&#x153;9/11 closed

phere, partly due to its French focus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The French style â&#x20AC;Ś is much lighter than American and BETH COPE AND English,â&#x20AC;? she said.

NELLIE GOLD-PASTOR Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a bit of a commercial feel, due to Rubinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus, the door on that chapter,â&#x20AC;? she said, while in New York, on items drawn â&#x20AC;&#x153;and then it was back to from former shops and restaurants.

Washington.â&#x20AC;?

On the first of her two floors she As she ran the shop over the displays bistro bottles embellished years, Rubinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work expanded to include her interior design practice. with logos like that of Martini and Rossi ($60), alongside a pair of old â&#x20AC;&#x153;Like a lot of people when bistro tables youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the ($900 each). treasure busiOther finds here ness, â&#x20AC;Ś people include old tea see that you can tins ($300 put things each), together and Napoleon III you become a armchairs buyer/design($500 to er,â&#x20AC;? she said. In $2,500) and the latter half of Bill Petros/The Current two ceramic the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s, creatMargaret Rubino is again part of and Plexiglas ing spaces was light fixtures her entire focus. Georgetownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retail scene. from Australian But in late designer Jeremy Cole ($3,500 2010, she decided to revisit retail. each). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Retail right now â&#x20AC;&#x201D; câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;est pas Rubino has her merchandise evident; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the obvious thing,â&#x20AC;? distributed in a catalogued fashion, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The economy is still at a as if her space were the inside of crawl.â&#x20AC;? But she found a landlord her home. With just a small numwilling to lease her a space tember of pieces set out, she makes porarily at a reduced rate, and customers curious as to what she Rooms & Gardens opened in has hidden â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;not a lot more,â&#x20AC;? she December. While its initial lease said when asked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but we do have ends this month, Rubino hopes to more. [We will be] revolving and keep the shop open longer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Until evolving.â&#x20AC;? they have someone who wants to For now, Rooms & Gardens is rent it for real â&#x20AC;Ś weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re squatting.â&#x20AC;? open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The interior of her temporary Tuesday through Saturday. space has an airy, peaceful atmos-

ON THE STREET

CREATIVE IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY

Issues are Available from the Photographer

8 x 10â&#x20AC;? - $25. $BMM #JMM 1FUSPT t www.billpetros.com 3608 Fulton St. NW Wash. DC 20007 bpetros@erols.com

Who was president when your living room was new?

Living spaces youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll want to show off

Draperies, Slipcovers, Reupholstery

FREE swatches sent to your home

FREE stain guard

Yours today call 301-545-0848 or email us at now@urbancastlesolutions.com Urban Castle Interior Solutions

Living spaces youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll want to show off

COME JOIN US...

The Georgetown Retirement Residence offers...

Luxurious suites in Georgetown with the added security of a thoughtful, caring staff. The Georgetown features fine dining, interesting neighbors, social and cultural activities and chauffeured transportation.

Our residents appreciate personal assistance to manage medications and activities of daily living. At The Georgetown, you can plan on an affordable daily rate and no costly entrance fees.

Plan to join us for lunch, and meet our residents and staff.

Call to schedule your tour today!

The Georgetown 2512 Q Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007 www.thegeorgetown.com

202-338-6111

A Medallion Community â&#x20AC;&#x201D; ASSISTED LIVING FOR INDEPENDENT PEOPLE

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; For more information on Fluoride Health Issues please visit: www.Fluoridealert.org OR www.media.chelseagreen.com/the-case-against-fluoride/ â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Paid for by Citizens For Health www.Citizens.org

9

10 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

D

THE DUPONT

CURRENT

Davis Kennedy/Publisher & Editor Chris Kain/Managing Editor

Peace and quiet We’ll be curious to see whether the noise provision of the city’s amended disorderly conduct law yields additional arrests.

Previously, the rules on late-night noise allowed arrests for “the intent to provoke the breach of peace.” The updated law lets police arrest those making “unreasonably loud noise” that is “likely to disturb or annoy” nearby residents. It is effective between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

At-large D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson, who authored the amendment, says the change is just a clarification to make the provision clearer. But we think a shift from relying on intent to simply finding likelihood could make it easier for police to enforce complaints about excessive noise. And that’s a good thing.

The measure leaves a lot to the discretion of officers, who might appropriately choose to issue warnings before making arrests in most cases. We imagine the change could be useful in the case of disruptive house parties, which are a particular problem near university campuses. Council member Mendelson says that in the case of loud parties, it would be the city’s less weighty noise ordinances — rather than the disorderly conduct law, which is part of the criminal code — that would come into play. But we think police might resort to the higher offense when a party won’t stop, even after a warning or ticket.

After the law has been in place a while — six months or a year — the D.C. Council should assess the change to see whether the updated rule is effective. Council members should consider how many arrests have been made, whether cases have been prosecuted and whether judges have taken action. Then, if necessary, they should modify the rule. Strong and solid noise laws are crucial to controlling frustrating breaches of peace and quiet, which are too frequent in many parts of town.

An empty seat It’s been a while since the three-member D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics has actually had three members.

Last summer, as the September primary election drew near, then-Mayor Adrian Fenty and the D.C. Council reached a lastminute settlement that allowed the board to function. But the appointment of Togo West, former U.S. secretary of the Army, still left the board with only two members.

That’s far from ideal in any circumstance, as there’s no room for disagreement and a constant risk of inaction if one member has to miss a meeting. But it is particularly serious in this case.

One of the three board seats is reserved for a non-Democrat — and that’s the one that is empty.

The requirement for non-majority-party representation stems from the city’s Home Rule Act, and it is there for good reason — ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. The same provision also calls for the members to serve staggered three-year terms to protect institutional memory and lessen the potential for wholesale turnover. Leaving a seat empty runs counter to these two goals.

The D.C. Republican Committee rightly sent a letter last week to Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh, who chairs the government operations committee with oversight over the elections board. The party’s chair, Bob Kabel, asked that she and Mayor Vincent Gray work with the GOP to appoint a Republican to the board. He noted that past mayors have all nominated a Republican to the board.

With the April 26 special election rapidly approaching, we heartily agree on the urgency of filling this seat with a capable, well-qualified appointee. Though Mayor Gray’s administration has many important appointments to worry about little more than a month after assuming the reins, this one requires priority attention.

THE CURRENT

Law and order …

N

ews came last week that Ingmar Guandique, a 29-year-old illegal immigrant, had been sentenced to 60 years in prison for the 2001 murder of Chandra Levy.

U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen Jr. told NBC4, “Ten years ago, everyone wanted to know who was responsible for Chandra Levy’s murder. That question was answered in November, and today the man responsible was held accountable and will spend 60 years in prison.”

The sentencing in this case was big news. But it’s unusual, really, for the media to follow up horrendous crimes with news about the indictment of suspects or conviction and sentencing of the bad guys.

We looked over dozens of chilling news releases issued in recent months by Bill Miller in Machen’s office. Few, if any, made news. Here are the details from a couple: • One of the most violent members of the Todd Place Crew, a gang known for engaging in murder, assaults, drug trafficking and other crimes, was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He was 25 at the time.

• A 51-year-old man pleaded guilty to charges stemming from armed sexual attacks against two women and one boy in separate incidents linked by DNA evidence. He faces up to 45 years in prison and must register as a sex offender.

And here are some headlines from news releases: • District man sentenced to more than 30 years for January 2009 murder • Two men sentenced to 36-year prison terms in connection with 2007 witness slaying • Man sentenced to six years in prison for scalding and nearly drowning girlfriend’s 10-month-old baby • Man sentenced to 50-year prison term for firstdegree felony murder of 21-month-old boy • Man sentenced to 105 years in prison for deadly shooting rampage • Maryland woman pleads guilty in fatal stabbing • Man found guilty of compelling women to engage in prostitution • Man sentenced to 14 months in prison in attack against transgender women • Jury convicts mother in slaying of child The work of law enforcement — police, prosecutors and correctional officers — is tough and grimy.

We only wish our news media were as diligent at reporting the end road of crime — tough sentencing — as we are in trumpeting the crimes when they occur.

■ Bag the bag search? Metro police last week defended their sporadic bag searches of transit riders. They say unpredictable searches keep terrorists guessing.

Some Metro board members say the police should be given wide latitude on this issue. Fairfax member Jeff McKay noted that the board members are not “terrorism experts.”

Other members fear choosing to eliminate the searches, only to have the decision thrown into their faces should some horrible incident occur. (That’s the “what if” syndrome that keeps a lot of people from questioning police tactics.)

And some board members worry about delayed riders, intrusive searches and an image of hyper-

security tactics making riders more nervous.

At last week’s meeting on the subject, some shrugged and noted that people are asked for identification or sent through metal detectors at many buildings, sports venues and the like.

But no one raised the questions that come to our mind. When hundreds of thousands of people get on the subway at so many points, isn’t it needle-in-thehaystack stuff to stop only a few?

If a terrorist did in fact have a bomb — or several did — would they stupidly walk up to a checkpoint and be searched? (There’s nothing stopping a person from turning around and heading to another station or even another entrance to the same station.)

When people try to ask questions like this, someone invariably says something like, “Well, you don’t know what the police know.”

We do know that we live in a free and open society, and with that comes risks. Your Notebook loves life, but we’ve said more than once that we’d rather die in a horrific terrorist attack than live in fear behind the barriers that continually are erected in America. Capitol Hill is a good example. Walk the streets around Congress and remind yourself how free and open we are.

We can almost hear the groans now. “Oh, Sherwood, you don’t know what you’re talking about. This is a different time and a different era.” Et cetera, et cetera.

Well, we say we love America, land of the free and the home of the brave.

■ Policing our debt. Mayor Vincent Gray, Council Chairman Kwame Brown, chief financial officer Natwar Gandhi and council finance head Jack Evans made a crucial trip to New York City last week.

The city leaders paraded before the three bondrating companies, whose decisions could add or subtract millions of dollars in interest the city pays on its debts.

Evans says the meetings went well — but the city leaders had to assure the bond companies that the city won’t keep spending down its reserves.

Those reserves once stood at $1.5 billion. They’re now down to $600 million.

And the trip heightened concerns that the District needs to do something about the United Medical Center in Southeast Washington. The bond companies say the city can’t afford to keep the hospital afloat. Watch for more intense efforts to sell the hospital. Just closing it isn’t really an option given the number of people who need medical services east of the Anacostia River.

■ Let’s play ball. We want to end on an upbeat note after all the grousing about crime and money and Metro. This coming President’s Day weekend, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center will host a volleyball tournament that is expected to draw about 25,000 people.

It’s the fifth annual Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic. The tournament “showcases the versatility” of the downtown facility, said convention center director Erik Moses. He said the event has quadrupled in size since it was first held.

Tom Sherwood, a Southwest resident, is a political reporter for News 4.

TOM SHERWOOD’S

NOTEBOOK

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Sherwood showed no abortion bias A letter in the Feb. 9 issue criticizes Tom Sherwood for covering the Right to Life march and not the pro-choice counter rally [“Sherwood left out pro-choice

march”]. I thought Sherwood covered the abortion issue fairly.

More importantly, the writer of the letter seems confused when she states that anti-choice women proselytizing their beliefs were in “direct violation of the separation of church and state.” What our Constitution mandates is not a “separation” of church and state but a prohibition against Congress establishing a state, i.e.

national, religion. Also in the First Amendment is a guarantee of the free exercise of religion, of free speech, of the right to peaceably assemble, and of the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances — all of which is exactly what the pro-life (and, for that matter, the prochoice) marchers were doing.

Anne Allen Hawthorne

THE CURRENT

Residents are anti-disruption, not anti-bar VIEWPOINT ABIGAIL NICHOLS

I

have represented fellow neighbors in three actions concerning alcohol license applications. I don’t see myself in Frederic Harwood’s description of antibar activists in his Jan. 5 Viewpoint piece “Groups misusing voluntary agreements.” Furthermore, in my own experience, the voluntary agreement process is, and should be, different from Harwood’s proposals.

For their own protection, residents need to be involved from the beginning, not just, as Harwood puts it, “when an establishment has problems that violate the law and/or egregiously and repeatedly disturb a community’s order.”

The voluntary agreement process prevents problems and helps the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board make informed decisions on licenses. In fact, residents’ formal “protest” of a license application is the only way the D.C. government (through the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which decides whether to issue a license, and the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration, which administers the board’s decisions) discovers whether a business is likely to disturb the “peace, order and quiet” of its surroundings.

The law is detailed in terms of factors affecting whether a license might be “appropriate” or not, and it gives the board the authority to deny applications or to issue licenses with restrictions (in hours, et cetera) that shape the business operations to make them appropriate to the location. However, the law also allows board members to simply assume appropriateness unless residents tell them differently, i.e., “protest.” The board looks at whether the licensee has a history of liquorlicense violations or a criminal history, but considers appropriateness only if an advisory neighborhood commission or citizen says it’s an issue. In the absence of an agreement or a protest hearing, the board’s decisions seem to allow unrestricted freedom.

A bathing suit, a black suit, a ball gown — all are wonderful articles of clothing but not wearable everywhere. Similarly, a quiet restaurant sidewalk cafe may be welcome where a lively, loud, large and crowded tavern with long hours is not.

To us residents of the 1300 block of 18th Street, appropriateness is the issue — not whether operators

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Trees will enhance values, river views The Watergate residents’ concern for their view of the Potomac River and hence their “property values” is bordering on the comical [“To change trees, Watergate will pay,” Feb. 9].

Trees can only enhance property values. Trees cannot spoil a view — especially sycamores, which do not have an especially dense canopy. Trees can only improve a river view. Starring at an unscreened river or landscape view is to become indifferent to it.

Property-value hysteria is nonsense. Are these people making their homes here, or are they in the business of real estate speculation?

Trees should be planted along

are good or bad. As taverns and nightclubs have proliferated south of Dupont Circle, pressures have grown to add entrances and sidewalk cafes at the 18th Street backs of businesses that front Connecticut Avenue.

The patrons of a large tavern, even a good tavern serving good food, can produce a lot of noise. It’s reasonable that the residents of 40 or so apartments whose bedrooms and balconies directly face the street do not want tavern entrances or associated sidewalk cafes across a narrow street from their homes. They may be great businesses, but without some restrictions they are not appropriate businesses. We are surrounded by Club Central, but we do not want to be in Club Central.

Mr. Harwood suggests that business owners are railroaded by “anti-bar activists.” It certainly doesn’t look that way to us. Businesses know the system and can hire legal representation to protect their interests before the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. The time it takes for residents to learn about and participate in their first “protest” is substantial, and because the first application in a neighborhood may set precedents, there is the difficult challenge of getting it right the first time. The process first casts us as adversaries of business and then requires us to show up for daytime hearings, often of little substance. Few can take off work to participate.

Furthermore, these efforts seem to have little real payoff. Current politics favor business. For budgetary or other reasons, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board seems reluctant to narrow “appropriateness,” and residents end up bearing costs for nightlife as loss in peace, order and quiet. In this environment there is little room for input from neighborhood commissions or residents. Even telling landlords of concerns before buildings are sold or leased, as we have done, doesn’t help. Buildings are sold and leases are let at high prices presumably because businesses assume they will have the maximum freedom of operation.

Mr. Harwood seems to suggest “hands-off business,” but without the current processes for input, some other evaluation process would still be required.

In the current environment, our accomplishments are narrowed. Volunteer advisory neighborhood commissioners are to be thanked and thanked again for soldiering on to make small improvements to our communities. We residents must also do our part.

Abigail Nichols is a Dupont Circle resident.

the Rock Creek Parkway to shield from view the very ugly monstrosities that are the Watergate buildings as seen from the river.

R.W. Parke

ment. What can be done? Do the disorderly conduct rules apply? An article would be appreciated.

Scott Osberg Washington, D.C.

Foggy Bottom

For slippery steps, Would noise law also try applying sand I have one solution for the sencover trash trucks?

I write in response to The Current’s Feb. 2 article “Revised law targets noise disturbances.”

Along with party noise, caused by a nearby bar and drunk revelers, our major noise issue is garbage trucks in our downtown D.C. neighborhood. They come at 2:30 a.m. on occasion, and often at 4 or 5 a.m. Between the beeps for backing up and the dropping of Dumpsters, this makes a huge amount of noise. I suspect this occurs elsewhere, too.

I know there are rules on this, but there evidently is no enforce-

ior lady who wrote about the trouble of walking down her steps when it snows [“Sidewalk bill asks too much of residents,” Letters to the Editor, Feb. 9].

She should buy a small bag of sand, funnel some into a plastic milk jug, and sprinkle sand on the steps and the walk as she goes. It provides a non-slip surface.

I try to clear a small path for myself (also a senior with similar steps) and for Mike the Mailman, and the sand is my answer.

E. Becker Foggy Bottom

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Current publishes letters and Viewpoint submissions representing various points of view. Because of space limitations, letters should be no more than 400 words and are subject to editing. Letters and Viewpoint submissions intended for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, The Current, Post Office Box 40400, Washington, D.C. 20016-0400. You may send e-mail to letters@currentnewspapers.com.

D

F

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

11

12 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

D

F

Thinking of changing careers?

Like the flexibility and earning potential of real estate sales?

Confused by brokersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; claims that all sound the same?

Only one broker can be #1 in producing Top First Year Licensees: Ricki Gerger, of Long & Fosterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Friendship Heights Office.

More agents who have achieved Top First Year Licensee honors have been from Rickiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office than from any other office in the Metropolitan area.

If you have a record of success in your past endeavors, can make a full-time commitment to our business, and have a strong work ethic, call me.

Ricki Gerger Ricki Gerger, CRB Branch Manager

202-364-5200Ă&#x160;U 301-652-2777

5101 Wisconsin Ave, NW â&#x20AC;˘ Washington, DC 20016 â&#x20AC;˘ www.MetroDCHomes.com

LONG & FOSTER Build Your Future with a Trusted Advisor

At National Capital Bank,

) ( & & # !! ! "$ +"'$ '&'$ % "' ## ! &" + % ! *# $ ! !") 6! ! ( %"$ ! %% %& +"' ) & ( $+& ! $" ""% ! !( %& !&% ! %& & # !! ! &" 1-. ! $" "( $% & $ +"' $ + ( #"$& " " "$ $ '%& %& $& ! &" % ( & "! # & ! ! #

THE CURRENT

KOMI From Page 1 rium. And commissioner Bob Meehan said he was careful to make sure the application followed the commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guidelines.

Now that Komi is looking to expand into its neighboring property, commissioners must exercise the same level of scrutiny, said Meehan.

As part of the application, Komi seeks to occupy both the lower and street levels of 1511 17th St. and to increase its total number of interior seats to 74. In addition, Komi is seeking permission to add a sidewalk cafe â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with no more than 10 seats, and daily hours of operation from 7 a.m. to midnight.

But Komi also proposes two entrances. And, for that reason, some commissioners said, they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t support the application. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My concern was treating all applications before us fairly and equitably,â&#x20AC;? Jacobson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Several months ago another establishment, Hankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; during their request for lateral expansion â&#x20AC;&#x201D; presented us plans with two entrances, and we asked that they comply with our moratorium policy, which they did.

Therefore I felt the same should apply to Komi.â&#x20AC;?

Meehan said it was a matter of preserving the commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;integrity.â&#x20AC;?

But Komi representative Andrew

Kline emphasized the restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stellar reputation, including a No. 1 ranking from Washingtonian magazine. The Obamas have visited the high-end restaurant for one of their date nights. Plus, Kline said, the commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guidelines regarding entrances were never incorporated into the alcohol boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s order on the matter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With all due respect to this body, your policies are not the law,â&#x20AC;? he said at last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commission meeting.

Meanwhile, some commissioners said they found the strength of Komiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s application persuasive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I respect our guidelines and the thought behind them, but we also take each application on its merits,â&#x20AC;? said commission chair Will Stephens.

Still, commissioners Bob Meehan, Ramon Estrada, Kevin Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor and Jack Jacobson said the commission should stick with its guidelines. They voted to protest Komiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expansion on the grounds of its impact on peace, order and quiet â&#x20AC;&#x201D; arguing that contradicting their own policies would be disorderly.

The commissioners said they hoped to address the entrance issue through the negotiation of a voluntary agreement.

Commissioners Mike Feldstein, Will Stephens and Victor Wexler voted against the motion to protest; commissioner Mike Silverstein, who serves on the alcohol board, did

EMBASSY From Page 1

R. Andrew Didden, Jr. Investment Advisor Representative

" & &

0.3 !!%+ ( ! ( !' % ! &"! /---0 , /-/ 213 4--2//4 11& &$ & % ! &"! /--.2 , /-/ 533 /344 www.NationalCapitalBank.com

Mutual funds, annuities and other investments available through Financial Network Investment Corporation, Member SPIC. Investments are not deposits, are not insured by the FDIC or any other regulatory agency, and are not obligations of or guaranteed by The National Capital Bank of Washington or any other affiliated entity. Returns on such investments will fluctuate and investments are subject to risks, including the possible loss of principal. National Capital Bank and Financial Network are not affiliated.

treatment at the zoning board, which is under pressure to approve them in the interest of smoothing relations between the United States and other nations. But the access issue complicated the case at the boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial hearing last week.

Embassy representatives initially said a driveway is critical to provide both a â&#x20AC;&#x153;ceremonial and diplomatic entrance,â&#x20AC;? and insisted that cars would not be allowed to park in the drive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not convenient for a head of state to be dropped off on the street,â&#x20AC;? Ambassador Serge Mombouli told the board.

But new driveways and curb cuts at historic properties raise concerns not only about pedestrian safety, but also about creating de facto parking pads and altering the streetscape. The Congoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original proposal was especially tricky because a front driveway would have occupied the generous swath of public space that fronts the building. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Putting a new curb cut in front is a non-starter,â&#x20AC;?

Jeff Jennings of the D.C. Department of Transportation told the board. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once a driveway is installed, no one in the city can police it every day and make sure thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no parking,â&#x20AC;? said Jack Jacobson of the Dupont Circle advisory neighborhood commission.

Facing reality, the embassy decided not to seek a circular driveway in front. The day after that hearing, it also withdrew a â&#x20AC;&#x153;compromiseâ&#x20AC;? request for a shorter one-way driveway 25 feet long. An existing garage and curb cut toward the rear of the property will remain. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The most important thing to us is to be able to have a new chancery,â&#x20AC;? Ambassador Mombouli told the board. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After 10 years of research, we found a building that is appropriate, and a better place to represent our country.â&#x20AC;? He said the existing chancery, at 4891 Colorado Ave. in Crestwood, is â&#x20AC;&#x153;far from downtown, in a residential neighborhood.â&#x20AC;?

The Toutorsky mansion, built in 1892 by Supreme

not participate.

The resolution passed narrowly, eliciting scorn from Kline. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is hilarious that you would protest this establishment on peace, order and quiet,â&#x20AC;? Kline said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen everything.â&#x20AC;?

But as the night wore on, Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor said he was having second thoughts about his vote.

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor has been spearheading a review of the West Dupont moratorium â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which, like the East Dupont moratorium that covers a section of 17th Street, places a limit on the number of liquor licenses permitted in a section of the neighborhood.

He said he felt it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t right to take a stand on one Dupont Circle moratorium while considering another, and asked for a new vote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it would be best for me to stay out of that issue and not vote on it,â&#x20AC;? he said, adding that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel sufficiently informed about the particulars of the East Dupont moratorium to vote on the matter.

In the re-vote, Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor abstained, and the motion to protest failed on a split vote. As a result, the commissioners took no action on the application.

Jacobson said he respected Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision, even though it negated the protest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I applauded his bravery and his willingness to reconsider his own vote,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tough thing when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re up there.â&#x20AC;?

Court Justice Henry Brown, is one of the few freestanding 19th-century mansions left in the 16th Street historic district. It got its name from Basil Toutorsky, a Russian pianist who converted the building into a music academy, a place where generations of Washingtonians played chamber music and practiced scales.

But the most recent owner, Humberto Gonzalez, hit a rocky patch when he sought approval to open a bedand-breakfast with 10 rooms â&#x20AC;&#x201D; four more than allowed by zoning. Concerns about traffic, noise and proposed alterations to the historic interior galvanized the neighbors, and the zoning board rejected that plan in 2003.

Since then, the building has sat â&#x20AC;&#x153;under-used, undermaintained and starting to show it,â&#x20AC;? said Patrick Brown, zoning attorney for the embassy. A phone number listed for Gonzalez at the residence has been disconnected.

The zoning board moved up its second hearing on the case to ensure it can reach a decision before Bank of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approval of a short sale expires March 11. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d hate to see this opportunity, for the property and for the chancery, expire,â&#x20AC;? Brown said. He said he did not know specifics of the sale price.

Zoning board members said they still need to hear details of the chanceryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan for valet parking during infrequent events at the mansion â&#x20AC;&#x201D; what company would handle it and where they would park the cars.

Several neighbors said they are concerned that the Congoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current chancery in Crestwood is poorly maintained, and that a similar fate might befall the Toutorsky Mansion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maintenance is a huge issue,â&#x20AC;? said Jacobson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The current chancery has rusted fences, broken gutters, missing shingles. This home is a treasure to our neighborhood,â&#x20AC;? he told the board, seeking assurances that it will be protected.

Mombouli declined to comment directly on the maintenance issue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Digging in the past will not help,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Congo is committed to improve its image in Washington. We need a new chancery now.â&#x20AC;?

He said a buyer has already been identified for the current chancery building on Colorado Avenue.

The Current

D

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 13

14 Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Current

A Legal Practice for the Family and the Smaller Business Owner including

Wills, probate, divorces, collection matters and contract disputes.

Conveniently located in Georgetown.

Legal work rendered in a professional and personal way.

Practicing since 1972.

Susan S. Liberman

D

The Taste of Dupont Cookbook is Here!

This exciting new hardcover cookbook features nearly 200 recipes from Dupont Circle’s top chefs, restaurants, business owners, residents and organizations alike, and is sure to become a favorite resource for you to reproduce those local favorites right in your own home! Just $20.

Attorney

1339 30th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20007

965-4373

Abramson & Associates, LLC Taxes • Audits • Estates Tax Preparation and Planning Accounting Services Wills, Trusts, & Estates

A Trusted Team of Professionals

Available with FREE local delivery!

Order yours securely online NOW, or buy at local businesses. This ideal gift is a fundraiser for HDCMS. Order yours today at www.DupontCircle.biz You can also buy one at Black Fox Lounge (1723 Ct Ave), KULTURA books (1728 Ct Ave), The Dupont Hotel (1500 NH Ave), and at Swann House B&B (1808 NH Ave). Or, send $20 made out to HDCMS and send to 9 Dupont Circle, NW, Washington, DC 20036.

( w i t hout the stuf fed shir ts!)

5147 MacArthur Boulevard, NW 202.244.2522

Affordable Health Insurance

Plans for individuals, families, small businesses and the self-employed •Replace expensive COBRA insurance •Choose your own doctors/hospitals •Doctor Office Co-Pay available •Prescriptions, Disability, Life •Preventive care benefits •Fast, fair claims & great service

Call for a FREE quote!

William J. McNamara 202-333-8325 Since 1993

We offer 25+ plans. We will help you pick the plan that works best for you.

The Real Estate Agent inside Looking for a you careerwants change?out.

If you’ve thought about a real estate Join our team of Top Producers at career, attend our ® Career Seminar and see how quickly you can get started.

Weichert, Realtors Cleveland Park/Van Ness Office

Weekly Career Seminars Thursdays, 5p.m.

Get Licensed in 30 Days!

Be your own boss Make your own schedule Industry leading Coaching & Training Set your own schedule Successful Mentor Program SalesUnlimited & Marketing Tools to increase Busi- potential earning andYour growth ness!

Steady Access to Leads One-Stop Shopping for Clients and our Agents Company Tools & Resources Fantastic location @ Van Ness/UDC Metro

Call today to reserve a seat Kelly Vezzi Kelly Vezzi

Branch Manager Manager / Associate Broker Weichert, Realtors® Weichert, Realtors 202-362-2044x106 * 301-793-5700 202-362-2044 office

www.WeichertAtClevelandPark.com kvezzi@weichertrealtors.net

Contact me for a Confidential Interview or attend our FREE Career Seminar

Main Streets Announces Conn Ave Median Funding!

The Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets Annual Meeting was held at the Black Fox Lounge on January 20th, with Jack Evans announcing that our Connecticut Avenue median project is now fully funded! This ambitious landscaping and irrigation plan for the 600 foot long, raised median planter north of Dupont Circle (from R to S Streets) has been five years in the planning. City funding was located to fund the remaining $85,000, and construction will begin as soon as weather breaks. The plan calls for a different shade of flowering plants in each of the five large planters, designed to provide maximum visual impact for pedestrians and automobile traffic.

365+ Did you know there are more than 365 shops, businesses, and restaurants in the Historic Dupont Circle Main Street corridors, one for each day of the year?

Visit the commercial corridors of Dupont Circle to shop in our 365+ clothing stores, retail shops, fitness centers, salons, saloons, restaurants, lounges, lounging areas, and yes, even a gift shop or two.

Shop, Eat & Support Local Businesses along Connecticut Avenue, 17th, 18th, 20th, & P Streets, NW: It saves time, gas, & money!

Visit www.DupontCircle.biz for a complete business listing.

Be on the Circle or Be Square.

Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets (HDCMS) is a officially recognized and accredited DC Main Streets and National Main Street Program , 501(c)(3) non-profit funded by YOU and in part by the DC Department of Small & Local Business Development (DSLBD).

The People and Places of Northwest Washington

February 16, 2011 ■ Page 15

Hockey star returns to roots with local students

By BORIS TSALYUK Current Staff Writer

A

head injury forced NHL All-Star Mike Green to miss a game for the Washington Capitals last week.

But he wasn’t about to miss out on an opportunity to help local kids.

Green was on hand Thursday as Powell Elementary School and the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a collaborative effort to design and build a garden at the 16th Street Heights school.

The effort is part of the department’s “The People’s Garden” initiative, which aims to boost communities nationwide by creating gardens to promote healthy lifestyles.

The Capitals, who have a partnership with the Agriculture Department, sponsored Powell this year, and Green took an interest in planning the garden from the get-go.

“I’m a big believer in a healthy lifestyle and eating properly, and this is a great example of that,” he said at Thursday’s workshop. “When they mentioned it to me, I was all for it.”

First- through fourth-graders drew designs for the garden with the help of Green, Comcast SportsNet analyst and Capitals alumnus Alan May and others.

Pre-k and kindergarten students were also encouraged to give their input.

The children’s concepts will be incorporated by architects Matt Arnn and Bob Snieckus into a blueprint for the garden, which will be unveiled in March, with groundbreaking set for April.

Powell principal Janeece Docal said the initiative is a great way for students to make a difference at an early age.

“Part of it is a sense of

Matt Petros/The Current

Caps star Mike Green signed autographs and sketched designs for a garden at Powell Elementary School Thursday.

The hockey player spent part of his childhood on a farm.

pride and ownership in the school that they can create some of the design concepts,” she said.

“That’s a real-life skill, to be able

to take that process from a dream to reality.”

Green was involved with Powell even before it opened for the school year, helping teachers and administrators prepare. “He’s been one of the family here,” said Docal. “They love him. When he [first] came, he was painting, he was cleaning toilets, he was put-

ting up bulletin boards. He did everything.”

The 25-year-old hockey star spoke at the workshop and assisted students with their projects even after suffering a laceration near his left temple on Feb. 6, when a slap shot drilled him in the side of the head. The kids “were nervous that he had stitches,” said Docal. “They want to make sure he’s OK.” See Powell/Page 24

Annual film festival shares stories of ‘Our City,’ encouraging D.C. pride

By TEKE WIGGIN Current Correspondent

A

t an event where nonprofit outreach and community building meets filmmaking, Our City Film Festival screened shorts about D.C. on Sunday that went beyond the city’s wonky exterior and delved into its other defining characteristics.

Now in its fourth year, the festival featured 11 films culled by judges from 35 submissions, all of which touched on community issues that festival sponsor Yachad strives to address in its work to repair and rebuild low-income neighborhoods.

Yachad, a D.C. nonprofit named for the Hebrew word that means “together,” “mobilizes the resources of the Washingtonarea Jewish community to repair and rebuild lower-income neighborhoods,” according to its website.

Festival founder Kendra Rubinfeld, who works as the nonprofit’s director of programming, said the selected films did the best job of exploring city tensions — like

Bill Petros/The Current

Our City Film Festival founder Kendra Rubinfeld also works at sponsor Yachad, a nonprofit that helps rebuild low-income communities. The festival’s films focus on issues relevant to that work. stereotypes and gentrification — and telling stories of community-led projects that succeeded in transcending those tensions.

“A lot of our films concentrate on things

that are important to Yachad,” she said — “these types of stories that people might not necessarily know about [but] really deserve the spotlight.”

The festival not only serves to expose attendees to such subject matter, but also functions as its own community-building event, luring attendees across racial, class and geographic lines, Rubinfeld said. “We want an opportunity to bring people in.

We’re bringing people together to celebrate Washington, D.C.” The event, held at the Goethe-Institut in Chinatown, provides valuable publicity for Yachad, too, said Rubinfeld, noting that the festival has helped her organization find volunteers and pro bono workers and contractors.

To foster this networking element, the festival features an array of interactive events, many of which mix filmmakers with their audiences and make the contributing artists feel like stars, said Rubinfeld.

“It really is — more than even a film festival — a community event, so we really

work hard to highlight filmmakers as well as the subjects and the actors in the film,” she said.

Special features included question-andanswer sessions among the audience and filmmakers, a filmmakers’ lounge where artists can “hang out and schmooze,” and food and beer specials for filmmakers at neighboring bar Fado.

Lance Kramer, who directed “Community Harvest,” a story about a community-driven effort that produced a public garden in Columbia Heights, said he treasures the work the festival organizers do to make their contributors feel at home.

“She’s really interested in having the festival be a place where people can meet each other, exchange ideas,” Kramer said of Rubinfeld.

To that end, Rubinfeld threw an openingnight party before the festival and hosted a social gathering the next day to provide a chance for attendees to interact with filmmakers beyond the question-and-answer See Films/Page 24

16 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

THE CURRENT

Spotlight on Schools Aidan Montessori School Since Jan. 27, architects from a Georgetown firm have been coming to Aidan Montessori School to work with Mrs. Mosher’s upperelementary class. Every Wednesday

School DISPATCHES after recess they teach us about the wonders of architecture through fun and exciting activities.

“I like building stuff,” said fifthgrader Ariel, “and even though we get homework, I don’t mind because because it’s fun.”

The first week they came, we worked on building our architecture vocabulary by acting it out.

For example, one of the words was “arch,” so two people stood in front of each other, put their hands up and put their palms together.

The second week, we had to do a model of a house and compare the human body to architecture.

“The best thing we did so far was ... the plumbing and electrical

work in a model house,” said Amira Clark, a fifth-grader.

The third week, they showed us examples of a plan, elevation and section using a bell pepper.

During their last visit, we are going to build something using everything we’ve learned.

Lucia Braddock said she is enjoying the program because her dad has an architecture company.

— Blaire Hardison, sixth-grader, and Brooke Jacobs, fourth-grader

our own dinosaur fossils and erupting volcanoes. This week in Mad Science Club we are celebrating Chinese New Year. We made dragons and decorated a 3-D dragon.

When I asked the students about Mad Science Club, they all agreed: Mad Science Club rocks!

— Kennon Arnold, first-grader; Abraham Smith, Robert Thompson and Robert Giroux, second-graders; and Jordon Williams and Adia Keene, thirdgraders

Annunciation School

British School of Washington

This is Annunciation’s first year of Mad Science Club, taught by Ms. Penny Tsipanitis, our kindergarten teacher. Club members are in first, second and third grades.

Over the past semester, our main focus has been to create the solar system. We have been studying each planet’s characteristics and have learned the order of the planets. We are making a replica of the solar system using Styrofoam balls.

Other projects include making

:KHUH GR , VWDUW"

D.C. Families…

Are you looking for the best public school for your child?

Don’t wait! Try our new online tool called the school quality dashboard at

WWW.FOCUSDC.ORG/DATA This easy-to-use interactive map shows where each DCPS and public charter school is located. Click on a dot for detailed information about how the students at the school are performing.

Try it out today!

Tel: 202.387.0405 www.focusdc.org

On Feb. 1, students from years seven and eight took a trip to Politics and Prose bookstore to meet David Whitley, author of the “Agora” series.

Mr. Whitley introduced himself and started off by telling us about the idea of a Utopia, a perfect world. He said that his books were partly inspired by the idea of a perfect world. He told us that the idea of Utopias had always been in the back of his mind but never truly came out until he went to Prague.

He was in the central square of Prague when he noticed there were so many market stalls that you couldn’t see the buildings. The stalls sold miniature models of the beautiful buildings in Prague. Mr. Whitley then thought that if the stalls continued to grow they would have to sell miniature versions of stalls rather than of the buildings.

This led him to the creation of Agora, a place where you can literally buy anything (including thoughts and emotions).

Mr. Whitley then helped us to create a fantasy world as a group.

Our fantasy world was an island made of pure light that was surrounded by great statues that protected our land. The people there were actually shadows and all the buildings were made of glass. Mr. Whitley knew that we could keep on adding to our fantasy world for-

ever, so we had to stop and head back to school. When we arrived back at school, our minds were buzzing and we had smiles on our faces.

— Will Churchill, Year 8 Plymouth, (seventh-grader)

Eaton Elementary All students in our school take Chinese. The Chinese New Year was on Feb. 3 and as part of our celebration, the fourth-graders in Ms. Ramsey’s class wrote poems about the new year and about spring. Here are some of our poems: “Spring (Chun)” I smell the flowers all red and green, / See the bees buzz around, / Hear the birds chirping. / I stay outside all day having good times because spring has come!

— Annalise Myre, fourth-grader “Happy New Year!”

In spring flowers bloom, / And red leaves turn to green. / All is beautiful in the spring. / And new year brings us peace. / Pop! go the firecrackers. / Boom! go the drums. / People dancing in the streets singing gong! Gong!

— Olivia Greene, fourth-grader “Dragon Dance” Red and yellow flash, New Year bells clash, / New year has come, firecrackers pop, and everyone stops / To watch the dragon pass.

— Sophia Mohammed, fourth-grader “Happy New Year” Happy New Year. / The spring has red and green flowers. / In the summer beautiful birds fly. / In the new year a monster of firecrackers lights up the sky.

— Niko Baker, fourth-grader

The Field School Classes were suspended for the

past two weeks in order for students to participate in 60-hour internship programs in a field of their choice.

Upon their arrival back at school, students are required to complete “internship projects,” assignments in which students have to display either the skills they have developed in the past two weeks or the experience they’ve gained. For the ninth grade, students had to write blog entries describing their day-to-day duties at their internship. This project was supposed to have been started over the course of the internship, and the teachers can see when students posted their blog entries, so it will be clear who did the work on time.

— Nellie G.P., ninth-grader

Georgetown Day School In sixth-grade science, we’ve just started a unit about physics.

We’ve focused on potential and kinetic energy and how to calculate speed (distance divided by time).

We’ve also learned about the things that affect speed, such as friction and mass.

For example, it’s harder for a marble to slide down a ramp with a rough texture than a ramp of ice, because a rough texture would create more friction. We are also learning more about Newton’s laws of motion, which we started to study in fifth grade.

— Samantha Shapiro, sixth-grader

Hearst Elementary Hearst Elementary School is proud to be an official National Park Trust “Where’s Buddy Bison Been?” school. There are only 23 schools in the program, and we are the only D.C. public school!

Each week a child takes Buddy home and writes about their adventures outside. The child also has a picture taken with Buddy. The pictures can be seen online.

We’ve learned about the Buffalo Soldiers of Yosemite National Park, too. We are going to read and illustrate “Buddy Bison Goes to the Park.” We love being a Buddy Bison School!

— First-graders

Holy Trinity School Holy Trinity School recently celebrated Catholic Schools Week.

Here are some of the highlights.

On Feb. 5, we came together as a school to talk about service and to hear about Haiti’s living conditions. Four people from Holy Trinity parish came to speak to us about their trip to Haiti.

Here is some of the information we learned from them: An earthquake brought massive destruction to Haiti. Despite the terrible havoc it caused to the area, the Haitians kept their unbreakable faith in God. We heard that many children in Haiti could not go to school, so for this reason education is cherished.

Haitian children have limited See Dispatches/Page 25

17

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 17

The Current

summer camps & programs 2011

CaSa

CREATIVE ARTS AND SUMMER ADVENTURE

OPEN HOUSE

at

Sheridan

February 24, 2011 6:30pm-8:00PM

RSVP

2 0 2 . 5 0 7 . 7 7 2 3

www.c a saa t sheridan. org 4400 36th Street NW

Make a splash at Beauvoir this summer!

Extensive Summer Program for Children ages 3–11

Swimming! Sports! Cooking! Museum Visits! Art! More!

For more information visit www.beauvoirschool.org or call 202-537-2313 3500 Woodley Road, NW • Washington, DC 20016

GO GREEN , get green this summer.

Washington, DC 20008

NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM

Summer Camp ’11

ConstruCt a er M Creative suM Experience the world we build for ourselves in new ways—through the building, visual, and performing arts!

Grades 3–5. Two-week sessions.

Full-day; Extended Care available.

Visit go.nbm.org/summercamp for more details and to register.

Casey Trees’ Summer Crew is a high school jobs program where highly

motivated students serve as caretakers for the District’s trees for eight weeks.

The 2011 session will run June 20 - August 12. Applications are due May 1.

Crew members: • • • • •

earn $9 an hour and work 35 hours a week, M-F. develop employment skills get exposure to “green” careers. meet new people. have fun.

For eligibility requirements and to apply, visit

www.caseytrees.org/education.

NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM 401 F Street NW Washington, DC 20001 202.272.2448 / www.NBM.org Red Line Metro, Judiciary Square

18

18 Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Current

summer camps & programs 2011

Budding Yogis mindful yoga summer camp

GEORGETOWN VISITATION SUMMER CAMPS 1524 35th Street NW, DC

TenniStar® • SoccerStar • HoopStar • LaxStar • Field Hockey

Fantastic Facilities with All-Star Coaches

DIRECTED by MITCH HENKIN

One-week sessions start June 13th.

Register at www.tennistar.com or call 301-530-5472.

Summer Camps Spring Camps Birthday Parties After School Classes Workshops

3838 northampton st., nw • 202-686-1104 www.buddingyogis.com • info@buddingyogis.com Mindful Yoga, Pilates, T’ai Chi, Qigong, Shake Your Soul, and more!

Circle Yoga

Rainbow Summer Camp June 13 ~ July 22 www.ncrcpreschool.org 202-363-8777 ext 244

2-1/2 to 5-1/2 year olds

Extended Day Programs Offered

Small Classes Big Experience

National Child Research Center

3209 Highland Place, NW

Ages 2 – Grade 12

Empowering students to develop confidence, independent thinking, and teamwork essential for world citizenship.

www.barrie.org 14 miles from Columbia, MD (301) 576-2800 | 13500 Layhill Road Silver Spring, MD 20906

ad size: 8.2” x 8” black & white client: Barrie School

Camp Open HOuse Sunday, February 27, 1–3 pm ViSit uS anytime!

Barrie Camp A Summer Program of Barrie School

Camp, specialty, and leadership training programs for children four to fourteen.

19

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 19

The Current

summer camps & programs 2011 Cleveland Park Camp One of summer’s secrets since 1978!

June 13­August 12

Come swim, play, and discover!

For campers ages 5­9, counselors­in­training 11­16

www.clevelandparkclub.org 202­363­6556

Programs for Ages 3 - 18

Make Your Summer a

Tennis, Golf, Soccer, Basketball, Day Camps, Enrichment, Academics, Arts, and more!

Questions? 202-537-8133 summer@sidwell.edu

Register Now!

3825 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington DC 20016

www.sidwell.edu/summer

TIC SUMMER

CAMP 2011

Your Summer Camps & Programs Here!

Upcoming Summer Camps & Programs special sections:

March 23rd April 20th & May 11th.

For advertising space reservations call Richa Marwah 202 567 2023

day camps for kids 7 to 16

a perfect balance

of technology & sports

For 28 years, the best & sports day camp technology — NOW, a new site in northwest DC!

www.ticcamp.com

Washington International School

Advertise

All Ability Levels Welcome

Junior Overnight and Day Camps Georgetown University The College of William & Mary University of Virginia

Salisbury University Sea Colony Beach Resort Wintergreen Resort

Adult Camps

Salisbury University

USSportsCamps.com 1-800-NIKE CAMP (1-800-645-3226)

One Passport, Many Worlds Make a splash at Beauvoir this summer!

Extensive Summer Program for Children ages 3–11

Passport to Summer 2011

Language Immersion: French, Spanish, Chinese & ESL Specialty Camps • August Camps Ages 3 to 16

•

www.wis.edu

June 20 –August 12 |

202.243.1791

Swimming! Sports! Cooking! Museum Visits! Art! More!

For more information visit www.beauvoirschool.org or call 202-537-2313 3500 Woodley Road, NW • Washington, DC 20016

20 Wednesday, February 16, 2011

CHEVY CHASE, MD City, State Renovated and expanded

The Current

$1,125,000 $0,000,000

bungalow offers Descriptive textand will go light here.& space The text wonderful flow more thanshould you’d be lines. The is Helvetica LT Std Bolda eversix imagine!

Fine font custom touches throughout, Condensed at 7.232 pointa size andlocation 8.968 point glorious screened porch, perfect less leading.

Thetofont has a Character Style sheet set than 1 mile Metro! up called “TEXT.” textChase is justifi ed.

W. C. & A.N. MillerThe Chevy North Agent Name 000.000.0000/ 000.000.0000 (O).

202-966-1400

CHEVY CHASE, DC $950,000 City, State $0,000,000 Charming, warm brick colonial. Stately and flexible

Descriptive text will for go entertaining here. The text open plan wonderful with should multibe lines.

The font is Helvetica LT Std Bold levelsixDeck, multiple Patios, gorgeous landscaping. and 8.968 point 4Condensed Bedrooms,at3.57.232 Baths,point fullysize renovated basement, leading. lovely The font has aNear Character Style sheet set garage, details. to Rock Creek Park; up “TEXT.” The text is justified. nearcalled excellent shopping!

Agent 000.000.0000 (O).

Chevy Name Chase000.000.0000/ Sales Office 202-363-9700

DUPONT/ADAMS MGN, DC $1,145,000 City, State $0,000,000 Spectacular penthouse condo. Entertain in style.

Descriptive will go roof here.terrace The text should Monumentaltext views from and private be six lines.

The font is area.

Helvetica LT Std Bold balcony off Living/Dining 2 Bedrooms, both Condensed 7.232 Bath. point Soaring size andloft 8.968 point ensuite, plusat third ceilings, leading.

The font has a Character sheet set walls of windows, custom finishes.Style Library, Study, up called “TEXT.” The text is justified. park 2 cars.

Agent 000.000.0000 (O).

Chevy Name Chase000.000.0000/ Office 202-363-9700

AMERICAN UNIV PK, DC 848,000 City, State $0,000,000 Picture perfect AU Park brick colonial with 3

Descriptive text2.5will go BAs, here.walkup The text spacious BRs, renov atticshould with be six lines.

TheLRfont Helvetica large LT Stdsunny Bold storage space, withis fireplace, Condensed 7.232with point size and 8.968 point dining room,atoffice a bay window, recreation leading. font has a Characterattached Style sheet set room andThe bedroom in basement, garage, up The text is justifi ed. andcalled deck “TEXT.” overlooking a private backyard.

Agent 000.000.0000/ 000.000.0000 (O).

W.C. & Name A.N. Miller Spring Valley Ofc 202-362-1300

Long & Foster® is pleased to announce

Stacy Berman

ARLINGTON, VA $1,395,000 City, State $0,000,000 This stunning 2-story PH with 2 bedrooms and 2

Descriptive willatgoWooster here. The should full baths is text located and text Mercer.

The be sixboasts lines. 21 Thefoot fontceilings, is Helvetica LT Std Bold home a gourmet kitchen Condensed 7.232 and 8.968 with island,atfloor to point ceilingsize windows in allpoint the leading.large, The font hasroof a Character rooms, private terrace. Style sheet set up called “TEXT.” The text is justified.

Ricki Gerger - Friendship Heights 703-522-6100/ Agent Name 000.000.0000/ 000.000.0000 (O).

202-364-5200 (O)

as the new Manager of our Georgetown office.

Please join us in welcoming her to our management team.

Stacy can be reached at 202-944-8400 stacy.berman@lnf.com.

City, State

ROCKVILLE, MD $1,195,000 City, State $0,000,000 Charming and expansive light filled Glen Hills Cape

Descriptive textbedrooms, will go here. should Cod home. Four 4 full The baths,text main level be six lines. font isin Helvetica Std2 Bold master, soaringThe ceilings open floorLT plan, FPs, Condensed point 8.968 sun room, 2 at car7.232 garage and size more.and Pool, patiopoint and leading. The font has aonCharacter Style sheet set backyard landscaping just over an acre. up called “TEXT.” The text is justifi ed.

Tasia Pappas 202-494-0470/ 202-363-1800 (O) Agent Name 000.000.0000/ 000.000.0000 (O). tasia@longandfoster.com

$0,000,000

WASHINGTON, DC $1,149,999 City, State $0,000,000 Stunning and spacious 4200 square foot residence

WASHINGTON, DC $1,175,000 City, State $0,000,000 Premiere AU Park home, incredible room sizes,

Descriptive text will +goupgrades, here. The text should so many renovations including Pella be six lines.

The bath, font is Helvetica LT Std Bold windows, Master kitchen sprinkler system Condensed at 7.232 point size and 8.968 point w/ rain sensor, porch, driveway alarm system. leading.

The font has a Character Style sheet set Huge Master bedroom has 2 walk-in closets. up called “TEXT.” The text is justified.

Grande Dame.

Agent Name 000.000.0000/ 000.000.0000 (O).

Bethesda Miller Office 301-229-4000

Descriptive text will go here. The text should be six lines. The font is Helvetica LT Std Bold Condensed at 7.232 point size and 8.968 point leading. The font WASHINGTON, DC has $1,599,000 a Character Style sheet setonupa Stately 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath beautifully sited called “TEXT.” The cul-de-sac. Great entry foyer, suffused in natural is full leftfloors on light from many tall windows.text Hardwood the vertical one. on main & upper levels, updated large kitchen/ Agent Name breakfast room.

000.000.0000/ Susan Sanford 000.000.0000 (O).

Bethesda Miller Office 301-229-4000

WASHINGTON, DC

OBSERVATORY CIRCLE, DC $1,250,000

WESLEY HEIGHTS, DC

This grand and spacious 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath TH is sited on quiet tree-lined street. This residence offers a kitchen with Viking appliances, a new marble City, State $0,000,000 foyer, 3 fireplaces, Descriptive text will go here.9 The text should foot ceilings, be six lines. The font is Helvetica LT floor Std Bold and first den/ Condensed at 7.232 point sizeguest and room.

8.968 point leading. The font has a Character Style sheet set up called “TEXT.” The textHeights is justifi ed.

Ricki GergerFriendship 703-522-6100/ Agent Name 000.000.0000/ 000.000.0000 (O).

202-364-5200 (O)

Handsome, Decatur model home end unit townhome with 3 exposures south, east, west exposure, spacious living room, master bedroom with City, State $0,000,000 sitting room/den Descriptive text will go here.and Thebalcony, text should 9 be six lines. The font is Helvetica LT Stdlarge Bold foot ceiling, Condensed at 7.232 point sizefamily and 8.968 point room, total The 4font has a very Character sheet 3leading. bedrooms, ½ baths, privateStyle patio.

One set of up called textsought is justifiafter ed. community. the largest“TEXT.” modelsThe in this Agent& Name 000.000.0000/ 000.000.0000 (O).

W.C. A. N. Miller Spring Valley Ofc 202-362-1300

Descriptive text will go here. The across text should located in pretigious Chatsworth, from be sixCreek lines.Park The infont is Helvetica Stdgrand Bold Rock Chevy Chase DC.LTThe Condensed at offer 7.232residents point sizeboth andopportunities 8.968 point living spaces leading. font has aand Character Style living. sheet set for lavishThe entertaining comfortable up called “TEXT.” The Office text is justified.

Chevy Chase Uptown Agent Name 000.000.0000/ 000.000.0000 (O).

202-364-1300

$1,925,000

Fantastic opportunity for an owner occupant or an investor to purchase a high end four unit building in the Dupont/ Logan area. Four City, State $0,000,000 completely self Descriptive text will go here.contained The text should two be six lines. The font is Helvetica LT Std bedroom, twoBold Condensed at 7.232 point sizebathroom and 8.968units, point leading.

The font Character and parking for has two acars in the Style rear.sheet set up called “TEXT.” The text is justified.

AgentPurcell Name 000.000.0000/ Scott 202-262-6968/000.000.0000 202-483-6300(O).

(O)

$958,000

WESLEY HEIGHTS, DC $2,195,000 City, State $0,000,000 Elegant stone Tudor on quiet street with wooded

Descriptive text will go here.

The textinclude shoulda views of Battery Kemble Pk. Features be six lines.

The font kitchen, is Helvetica LT Std Bold heated pool, gourmet two master stes, Condensed at 7.232ste,point size andgarage.

8.968 Min point lower level au-pair an attached to leading.

Theshopping, font has aschools Character sheet set downtown, and Style Georgetown. up called “TEXT.” The text is justified.

Agent Name 000.000.0000/ 000.000.0000 (O).

Georgetown Office 202-944-8400

We invite you to tour all of our luxury listings at ExtraordinaryProperties.com.

All Properties Offered Internationally Follow us on:

www.ExtraordinaryProperties.com

A Look at the Market in Northwest Washington

February 16, 2011 â&#x2013; Page 21

1980s Forest Hills home has traditional vibe

F

orest Hills offers a variety of architectural styles to home buyers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including some of the best modernist properties in the

ON THE MARKET CAROL BUCKLEY city â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but, like much of Northwest, holds few traditionally designed homes built later than the 1950s.

For some buyers, older homesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; façades are more desirable, but they want the large living spaces, open floor plans and amenities typical of high-end homes built in the 1970s and later.

This Federal-style brick home, built in 1983 as part of a development on a site formerly used as the Embassy of Nicaragua, has those amenities and more, allowing buyers to focus attention on cosmetic updates instead of knocking down walls and upgrading the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s systems.

Most buyers will make one easy change right off the bat: color.

Many spaces here are coated in a shell pink, and a simple switch to a cool, neutral palette will update the home immediately.

A smart color choice will also highlight the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assets: hardwood floors on much of the ground

level, a double-height foyer and a kitchen that connects to a breakfast spot and the soaring family room beyond.

The kitchenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pickled-oak cabinetry will read insufferably 1980s to some, but the whitewashed look has made something of a comeback recently. A few changes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; cool neutral walls, new hardware and lighting â&#x20AC;&#x201D; could yield an updated space without a call to a contractor.

The kitchen connects to sizable dining and living rooms, but most low-key gatherings will center on the family room. The casual space gets definition from a brick fireplace and vaulted ceiling, and natural light pours in through French doors.

Another ground-floor room gets ample sun through its two front windows and would be useful as a home office, library or more.

Four of the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five bedrooms are on the second floor.

Three share a hall bath, while the master suite has two full baths of its own as well as a sitting room and a walk-in closet.

One of the master baths is bigger than the other and includes a spa tub. When updating this space, buyers could keep the arrangement as is or reconfigure the spots easily: Instead of separate baths, for example, new owners could make one

Photos Courtesy of W.C. & A..N. Miller

This five-bedroom, 4.5-bath Federal-style brick home in Forest Hills is priced at $1,350,000. into a larger, all-inclusive bath and the other into a luxurious dressing room.

This propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bedroom count sets it apart from most of the other homes in the same development, according to Realtor Rita Liptz.

Many of those three-bedroom homes also lack the walk-out basement that this propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bottom level offers, she added.

That feature makes for a sunny, tiled room that could easily serve for watching movies or stashing exercise equipment. A bedroom and full bath mean that the level could also work to house guests or

an au pair.

A two-car garage is another useful feature of this quiet cul-desac property, as is a laundry and storage spot on the bottom level.

Though Forest Hills, tucked as it is against Rock Creek Park, is a peaceful neighborhood, residents there have access to some of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular spots.

Bookstore Politics and Prose, as well as the restaurants and retail

surrounding it, wait just down Connecticut Avenue. And the Van Ness Metrorail stop is less than a mile away for easy transport to other parts of the city.

This five-bedroom, 4.5-bath home is offered for $1,350,000.

For details, call Realtors Rita Liptz or Barbara Finkelstein of W.C. & A.N. Miller, a Long & Foster Co., at 240-305-6496 or 202-369-2960.

Another Jaquet Listing!

Let Cestari Guide You Home â&#x20AC;Ś ST !

JU TED S LI

Perfectly in Move-in Condition!

5712 33rd St NW

Welcome home to this lovely pebble stucco Cottage with tons of character and a location that simply can't be beat as the proud new owner will call the adjacent 9 acres of Lafayette Park their own backyard! On the ďŹ rst ďŹ&#x201A;oor you will enjoy the enclosed front porch with French doors to the open living room/dining room with its high, exposed wood beam ceiling, built-in window seat and wood-burning ďŹ replace. The main level den/study could also be used as a bedroom; plus there is a table space kitchen open to the family room. The upper level includes a master bedroom with sitting room, large closets and full bath en suite. There are two additional bedroomsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;both with ample closet space and a full hall bath.

Pull down steps to the attic oďŹ&#x20AC;er accessible and ample storage. The large lower level has a rec room with laundry and an au pair suite with full bath and sitting area. The converted garage can be used as a home oďŹ&#x192;ce/studio or exercise room.

Outside you will enjoy the fully fenced rear yard, the great deck for barbequing and the wisteria covered arbor! Blocks to Broad Branch Market and the shops on the Avenue. www.571233rdstreetnw.isnowforsale.com $895,000

#1 Agent Company-Wide #1 Agent in Chevy Chase

4706 Yuma St, NW $1,135,000

Remodeled kitchen w/granite countertops, renovated master bath, and Pella double pane windows top the list of exquisite renovations made to this fabulous Colonial, with great new landscaping, in AU Park.

Susan Jaquet susanjaquet@aol.com

#1 Realtor Bethesda All â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Points Office

202-365-8118 (DIRECT)

202-253-8757 cell 202-966-1400 office Kimberly.Cestari@LongandFoster.com

301-229-4000

22 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

D

THE CURRENT

Northwest Real Estate WONDERFUL AT THE WESTCHESTER 4000 CATHEDRAL AVE. NW DC

NEW LISTING

OPEN SUNDAY FEB 20 1-4 OFFERED AT $595,500

This pristine 2bd/2ba coop has a spacious entry foyer that leads to a renovated kitchen w/ granite countertops and back splash, Viking stove, Sub-Zero refrigerator, and custom cabinets. The separate dining room off the kitchen leads to the large living room and solarium. The bathrooms have been updated. The bedrooms have ample closets. Over 1560 sq. ft. of gracious living located close to shopping and dining on Wisconsin Avenue.

Kathleen Lynch Battista Direct: 202 320-8700 Office: 202 338-4800 kbattista@cathedralrealtyllc.com

On Site Office 4000 Cathedral Avenue NW Washington, DC

/&8 -*45*/( SIMPLYCHARMING!!!

You will fall in love with this delightful 3 BR brick semidetached home. Flooded w/ light & lovely touches: bay window w/seat, chair rail, hardwood floors, hand-painted details. Cozy side porch.

Lower level in-law suite w/ bath, separate entrance. Walk to shops, restaurants, Metro.

3719 Jenifer Street, NW $639,000

Lenora Steinkamp 202-246-4475

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.

/V\UZOLSS 7YVWLY[` 4HUHNLTLU[ 3L[ V\Y M\SS [PTL WYVMLZZPVUHS THUHNLTLU[ [LHT OLSW `V\ ^P[O `V\Y PU]LZ[TLU[ WYVWLY[PLZ

.P]L \Z H JHSS [VKH`

ANC 1C 1C ANC Adams Morgan ■ ADAMS MORGAN At the commission’s Feb. 2 meeting: ■ at-large D.C. Council member Michael Brown reported that the city’s chief financial officer, Natwar Gandhi, has said the District might face a $600 million shortfall in fiscal 2012. Brown said government agency cuts will affect mostly those with lower incomes, but all services, including the school system and the police and fire departments, will be considered for major reductions.

■ Patrick Michael, a representative of the developer of the old Italian Embassy property, reported that his group plans to file for a plannedunit development this month and would be available to come before the commission in March or April.

■ Tom Pipkin of the Transportation Department announced that a preconstruction meeting on plans for the 18th Street Streetscape Project would be held Feb. 8. Work is scheduled to start in March.

■ Maria Gigova and Sarah Neiderer of the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority reported that it will start replacing its 100-year-old cast-iron water mains on Adams Mill Road this month and should complete the entire project in September. Normal work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Monday through Friday, although there will be occasional work on weekends and at night.

If a water service shut-off is

necessary, affected residents will be notified at least 48 hours in advance, they said. No-parking signs will be posted 72 hours prior to construction.

Commission chair Wilson Reynolds asked that notification signs be posted on street lamps to help inform residents of the plans.

■ commissioners voted unanimously to protest attempts by Rendezvous at 2226 18th St. to open both its indoor and outdoor space at 10 a.m. rather than 6 p.m. and to change its outdoor closing hours on Fridays and Saturdays from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. and on other days from midnight to 2 a.m.

■ commissioners voted unanimously to hire Julie Dymowski of Wightford-Taylor-Preston LLP to be the commission’s attorney should it need legal counsel in opposing attempts of alcohol-serving establishments to substantially change or terminate their voluntary agreements with the commission.

■ commissioners voted unanimously to make an exception to their policy not to make any grants within their first 90 days in office so they could give $1,000 to Community Help in Music Education (CHIME) for a music program at H.D. Cooke Elementary School.

■ commissioners voted 3-1-2 not to object to plans to build 31 units in the former Brass Knob building at 2329 and 2335 Champlain Road.

Commission chair Wilson Reynolds opposed, and commissioners Olivier Kamanda and Mary Davis abstained.

The building has been approved for 22 larger units, which the owner described as not being marketable.

The property was taken over by a financial institution and is under contract contingent approval for 31 units.

Reynolds said his concern is that there is no requirement that some of the units be affordable under D.C. government guidelines.

The architect, Bill Bonstein, described plans to add two modern floors to the top of the building.

Dave Cordingly, project manager for the owner, said the change to smaller units would make them more affordable than what the currently approved plan allows.

Commissioner Steve Lanning pointed out that opposition from the commission could defeat any prospect for reactivating the abandoned building, since the 22-unit project is unlikely to happen.

■ commissioners voted unanimously to support the conversion of the second floor of the Harris Teeter building at 1631 Kalorama Road from office to residential use.

The building owners have not been able to find an office tenant, said commission chair Wilson Reynolds.

The commission will meet at 7 p.m. March 2 at Mary’s Center, 2355 Ontario Road NW. For details, call 202-332-2630 or visit anc1c.org.

ANC 2A Bottom ANC 2AFoggy

■ FOGGY BOTTOM / WEST END

The commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at the West End Neighborhood Library, 1101 24th St. NW. For details, call 202-630-6026 or visit anc2a.org.

ANC 2B ANC Circle 2B Dupont ■ DUPONT CIRCLE The commission will meet at 7 p.m. March 9 in the Brookings Institution building, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. For details, visit dupontcircleanc.net.

ANC 2C ANC 2C Shaw ■ SHAW The commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. March 2 at the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library, 1630 7th St. NW. For details, call 202-387-1596.

ANC 2D ANC 2D Sheridan-Kalorama

■ SHERIDAN-KALORAMA

The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at Our Lady Queen of the Americas Church, California Street and Phelps Place NW. Agenda items include: ■ updates from various neighborhood groups.

■ consideration of a resolution on voting procedures for the District’s April 26 special election.

■ consideration of a Board of Zoning Adjustment application by the Government of the United Arab Emirates for 2406 Massachusetts Ave. ■ discussion of the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority’s construction on Massachusetts Avenue and 23rd, Q and R streets as part of the Clean Rivers Project.

■ discussion of the Committee of 100 on the Federal City’s report on streetcars.

■ consideration of a Board of Zoning Adjustment application by the School for Friends.

■ discussion of emergency preparedness.

■ discussion of the Winter Sidewalk Safety Amendment Act of 2011, now pending before the D.C. Council.

■ discussion of an Alcoholic Beverage Control application by Hello Hospitality for St. Arnold’s on Jefferson, 1827 Jefferson Place.

■ open comments.

For details, contact davidanc2d01@aol.com or visit anc2d.org.

ANC 2F ANCCircle 2F Logan

■ LOGAN CIRCLE

The commission will meet at 7 p.m. March 2 at Luther Place Memorial Church, 1226 Vermont Ave. NW. For details, call 202-667-0052 or visit anc2f.org.

THE CURRENT

D

F

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

23

Northwest Real Estate PEDESTRIAN From Page 3 percent of them going to drivers for failing to yield to pedestrians, failing to obey stop signs and similar violations. Bike safety violations also increased, but cyclists were issued only 300 tickets last year, while more than 700 went to motorists for stopping, standing or parking in a bike lane, Burke said.

He also emphasized the Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts at education and enforcement, including an intense biannual â&#x20AC;&#x153;Street Smartâ&#x20AC;? campaign, use of â&#x20AC;&#x153;bike ambassadorsâ&#x20AC;? to work with city cyclists, and the highly praised â&#x20AC;&#x153;Safe Routes to Schoolâ&#x20AC;? campaign. Police also plan to install more red-light and speeding cameras, which recent studies show reduce traffic fatalities.

Other witnesses offered pointed criticism of District police, particularly in writing accident reports that they said improperly blame cyclists for collisions without hearing the cyclistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cyclists are routinely faulted for legal behavior,â&#x20AC;? said Shane Farthing, director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even when the cyclist was never interviewed, because they were on the way to the hospital, the police report would blame the cyclist.â&#x20AC;?

David Alpert, founder of the Greater Greater Washington blog, told of a cyclist hit by a turning truck at 17th Street and New Hampshire Avenue NW. After leaving the hospital, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the cyclist found police had filed a report blaming her, but never spoke to [her].â&#x20AC;?

Most wrenching was the story

told by Ruth Rowan, whose daughter Alice Swanson was hit and killed by a garbage truck that turned right in front of a bike lane on R Street NW in July 2008. Swanson was doing everything right when she was hit â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;she was in a bike lane, she had a green light, she was wearing a helmet,â&#x20AC;? Rowan testified.

Rowan said she is still troubled that â&#x20AC;&#x153;no charges were ever brought against the driver of the truck.â&#x20AC;? An officer who took the report said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Alice was in [the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] blind spot,â&#x20AC;? Rowan said, noting that the driver would still be at fault.

Later, through litigation, the family learned that the driver had not been given a drug test, and had a record of citations for reckless driving and â&#x20AC;&#x153;at fault accidents,â&#x20AC;?

Rowan testified.

Discovery revealed the driver had been convicted of drug trafficking and was in the United States illegally, using a fraudulently obtained driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, she said.

But none of that was in the police report, which said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the bicyclist struck the side of the trash truck.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Alice did not hit the truck; the truck hit her,â&#x20AC;? Rowan testified.

Witnesses at the hearing also offered suggestions to make cyclists and pedestrians safer when they venture onto city streets.

Alpert said â&#x20AC;&#x153;huge penaltiesâ&#x20AC;? for traffic infractions are less effective than â&#x20AC;&#x153;small penalties, consistently enforced.â&#x20AC;? He said â&#x20AC;&#x153;the certainty of enforcement, rather than the severityâ&#x20AC;? deters violations. He also asked for release of police department accident reports, to determine â&#x20AC;&#x153;if the police are following through, or giving a ticket to the victimâ&#x20AC;? because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier.

REGISTER! NEW CAREER IN REAL ESTATE! Class starts March 7-28, 2011

We seek Community Service Oriented, Business Focused, Independent-Minded & Entrepreneurial Spirited individuals to join our energetic sales team.

Attend our complimentary Real Estate Career Seminar night to learn more about what a career in real estate can offer you. Our â&#x20AC;&#x153;100 days to Greatnessâ&#x20AC;? personal coaching program can get your CAREER off to the right start.

Call Brenda Small, Manager at 202-362-3400

´0\ 6SHFLDOW\ <28 Âľ 7<B35@7BG Â&#x2019; A3@D713 Â&#x2019; >@=43AA7=</:7A;

07:: >/<717 5@7

67AB=@71 6=;3A A>317/:7AB :713<A32 7< 21 ;2 D/ :713<A32 7< 21 ;2 D/ G3/@A 3F>3@73<13

Âż7 aSZZ V][Sa bVS ]ZR TOaVW]\SR eOg ]\S Ob O bW[S Ă&#x20AC;

ELOOSDQLFL#DRO FRP

PEPCO From Page 1 having done so already. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem really lies with them in terms of oversight. â&#x20AC;Ś The Public Service Commission has failed us,â&#x20AC;? Cheh said, adding that the independent regulatory agency had gone from a â&#x20AC;&#x153;watchdogâ&#x20AC;? to â&#x20AC;&#x153;a fat little contented puppy.â&#x20AC;?

Commission chair Betty Ann Kane said her agency has several ongoing investigations into Pepcoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reliability and noted that it held its own four-hour hearing a day before the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. She added that her commission was particularly upset that Pepco hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t followed through on a previous request to improve its communications during outages.

Nonetheless, Kane said, the utility has â&#x20AC;&#x153;largely metâ&#x20AC;? the commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing performance standards.

Cheh countered that Pepcoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to meet any standards, while

scoring poorly in industry ratings of outage frequency and duration, reflects poorly on the Public Service Commission. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the record is pretty stark that this commission is just timid, reactive and not up to the job, and maybe all of this activity

â??We recognize the importance of meeting customer expectations.â?&#x17E; â&#x20AC;&#x201D; David Velazquez will prompt you to change your ways,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Cheh and others at the hearing also had harsh words for Pepco itself, with various officials and residents referring to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance as â&#x20AC;&#x153;poor,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;woefully inadequateâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;absolutely unacceptable.â&#x20AC;?

David Velazquez, executive vice president of Pepco Holdings, the

utilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parent company, said Pepco has accelerated a reliability improvement plan that includes trimming trees, improving particularly problematic feeder lines and moving a few lines underground. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We recognize the importance of meeting customer expectations,â&#x20AC;? he said, adding that the company expects to seek a rate increase that works out to approximately $1 per month to help fund the upgrades.

Velazquez did not directly answer legislatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; questions about Pepcoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reaction to an idea to require the company to reimburse customers for hotel expenses during power outages. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the best thing we can do is what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing: Working to fix the problem,â&#x20AC;? he said.

But, he added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have never promised or guaranteed uninterrupted supply â&#x20AC;Ś for events that are outside our control.â&#x20AC;?

The council committee will be accepting written comments about Pepco through 5:30 p.m. Friday.

24 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

THE CURRENT

Northwest Real Estate

! " #

$ ' ! & '

(

! !" #$ % & '

(

;?/4- (;/2*/4- 58 8+A4'4)/4- ?5;8 .53+ %+ )'4 .+26

58:-'-+ '41+8

,A)+

5(/2+ 3'81 0 9)5:: 9;4:8;9: )53 9;4:8;9:358:-'-+ )53 3'819

7;'2 5;9/4- +4*+8 ";4#8;9: 58:-'-+ 4) "+33+9 <+4;+ !/).354* $ /9 2/)+49+* (? :.+ +6'8:3+4: 5, 58658':/549 ;4*+8 :.+ '2/,584/' !+9/*+4:/'2 58:-'-+ +4*/4- ): /9 '4 22/45/9 !+9/*+4:/'2 58:-'-+ /)+49++ /9 ' +4*+8 /4 '99' ).;9+::9 .'</4- 58:-'-+ +4*+8 2/)+49+ 9

'4*

/9 2/)+49+* (? :.+ += '369./8+ '41/4- +6'8:3+4: /9 2/)+49+* (? :.+ += +89+? +6'8:3+4: 5, '41/4- '4* 49;8 '4)+ :522 ,8++

/9 ' 2/)+49+* 2+4*+8 /4 !.5*+ 92'4* '4* /9 *5/4- (;9/4+99 /4 8/@54' '9 8+9:'8 58:-'-+ :. ":8++: ":+ .5+4/> & B ";4#8;9: '419 4) ";4#8;9: /9 ' ,+*+8'22? 8+-/9:+8+* 9+8</)+ 3'81 5, ";4#8;9: '419 4)

Place your trust in the largest private lender in the Washington Metro Area.

-XPER FRQIRUPLQJ WR Renovation Loans 6XSHU -XPER ORDQV WR Bridge Financing Refinance and lower your monthly payments Low Closing Costs

FILMS From Page 15 sessions.

The meet-and-greet enabled audience members to learn more about the details of films like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Touch, Pause, Engage,â&#x20AC;? directed

by Jonni Masella.

The film tells the story behind one of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first AfricanAmerican high school rugby teams, and explores how the group served as a source of stability for many students raised in â&#x20AC;&#x153;shatteredâ&#x20AC;? homes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you give the kids these tools to explore who they are â&#x20AC;Ś and then give them the support on the outside to interact with it, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just magic,â&#x20AC;? said Masella.

Other films included â&#x20AC;&#x153;Types in Stereo,â&#x20AC;? directed by Gemal Woods, which examines stereotypes in D.C.; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Equilibrium City,â&#x20AC;? the festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best DC Suburb

Courtesy of Jonni Masella

Jonni Masellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film focuses on the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first African-American high school rugby team.

Documentary, directed by Josef Sawyer, which traces the development of Columbia, Md. (a city engineered to have racial diversity); and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Sensei,â&#x20AC;? directed

POWELL From Page 15 Green, who was born in Canada, spent part of his childhood on a farm and maintains an interest in gardening. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done a little bit of back home when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m training in the summertime,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like to grow my own stuff â&#x20AC;&#x201D; vegetables â&#x20AC;&#x201D; just to make sure Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m eating properly.â&#x20AC;?

The kids worked hard Thursday drawing designs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and interacting with the sports star. Third-grader Dominique Treadwell hopes to see â&#x20AC;&#x153;oranges and every vegetableâ&#x20AC;? in the garden. Another student rushed to show his friends the autograph he got from Green.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack launched The Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Garden initiative in February 2009, and

by Michael Blain, about the woman who founded the DC SelfDefense Karate Association.

The festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finale sent some attendees away licking their lips: Organizers screened the seasontwo premiere of the TLC reality show â&#x20AC;&#x153;DC Cupcakesâ&#x20AC;? and served up attendees some of this Georgetown shopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s treats afterward.

But Rubinfeld hopes the audience members took away more than just icing in their stomachs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like to say that when people come into the film festival for the first time, they are curious, and when they leave, they are proud of where they live,â&#x20AC;? she said.

The festival will take place next year around Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day as it usually does, Rubinfeld said, and is accepting submissions now.

Tickets will go on sale in December and will be available on Yachadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at yachaddc.org.

there are now more than 1,200 such projects in the country. More information is available at usda.gov/peoplesgarden.

In a news release from the Agriculture Department, Docal said garden planning is part of a bigger picture at Powell. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will create teaching opportunities and authentic learning projects for all of our scholars, ages three to fourth grade â&#x20AC;&#x201D; about the environment, biology, mathematics and related literature,â&#x20AC;? the principal said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It also will promote our health and wellness initiatives and enable social and cultural connections among our multicultural Powell community.â&#x20AC;?

Green was happy to assist the school on the goal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter what you do, whether you work in an office, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a CEO, or a professional athlete â&#x20AC;&#x201D; you work at your best when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re healthy,â&#x20AC;? he said.

EYV 6iaVcZV_TV :H &UHDWH %HDXWLIXO 6SDFHV ZLWK ([WUDRUGLQDU\ $SSHDO

Free Pre-approvals

:H ZLOO VHOO \RXU SURSHUW\ IDVWHU DQG IRU PRUH PRQH\ 3OHDVH FDOO XV WRGD\ 202.256.7777 / www.GreggBusch.com

)LUVW 6DYLQJV 0RUWJDJH LV OLFHQVHG E\ WKH 9LUJLQLD 6WDWH &RUSRUDWLRQ &RPPLVVLRQ 0/%

THE CURRENT

DISPATCHES From Page 16 supplies, but this does not keep them from their studies. Because in many places the Haitians have no electricity, they go to bed at twilight and wake up with the roosters.

Many people live in tents because their homes have been destroyed and the remaining houses are too expensive to buy. A problem with the tents is that mudslides can destroy them. Another problem in Haiti is health. Clean water is hard to get and so disease spreads. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Emily Kehoe and Chiara Tartaglino, third-graders

Hyde-Addison Elementary How can it be a boring day when a peacock, a penguin and a door mouse come to visit you?

That was what happened in a poem called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today Is Very Boringâ&#x20AC;? by Jack Prelutsky. It was one of the more hilarious poems recited to the fourth- and fifth-graders of HydeAddison when they visited the Kennedy Center Feb. 3 to see â&#x20AC;&#x153;American Scrapbook: A Celebration of Verse.â&#x20AC;? The show was based on poetry written and collected by Caroline Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

In the show, people acted out and recited a variety of poems. We are studying poetry, and the show helped us to appreciate poetry and to widen our knowledge of how to write poems. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; David Hla, fourth-grader

Key Elementary Congratulations to Joey Massaro and Daniela Ilhan, who are representing the Key School in the D.C. Cluster 2 Spelling Bee. The Cluster 2 Spelling Bee is Tuesday, Feb. 15. They were the winners of the fifth-grade Spelling Bee at the Key School. If they win, they will go on to the citywide competition.

This week, the fifth-graders are partnering with one pre-kindergarten and one first-grade class to read together. The fifth-graders help the younger students with their reading. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Marion Lagara, fifth-grader

Lafayette Elementary Ms. Freundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Ms. Shapiroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth-grade classes enjoyed the 100th day of school on Feb. 8 with a pajama party and a 100-minute read-a-thon. In a read-a-thon, students read a certain number of pages, chapters or words and get sponsors to donate money for all that reading. The fourth-graders decided that the $617.85 that they raised would go to the Red Cross to benefit Haiti.

The students read the day away with the comfort of blankets, pajamas, pillows and slippers from home. They sipped Capri Suns and nibbled on a homemade trail mix.

Fourth-grader Dallas Hardee said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a really fun day.â&#x20AC;?

Laurent Williams added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I loved it because we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to

do any work â&#x20AC;&#x201D; just read!â&#x20AC;?

Students Ellida Parker, Evelyn Smyth and Ben Spaeth agreed that a pajama party read-a-thon was a great way to celebrate the 100th day of school, especially since the money will go to a good cause. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Jalen Ciagne, Izabella Pino and Clare Trinity, fourth-graders

Mann Elementary This is Green Week at Horace Mann! Students here are bringing in trashless lunches and snacks all week. We are trying to reduce trash, so it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go into a landfill.

We do this by using reusable containers, cloth napkins, and metal spoons and forks instead of plastic ones. We wanted to weigh home lunch vs. hot lunch to see which produces the most trash. So far, the study is incomplete, but by doing this, we hope to find out which group needs to work harder to reduce its trash.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also Reading Is Fundamental week in the library!

We have Reading Is Fundamental three times per year. Everybody gets to choose one free book that they get to keep forever! Each week has a theme; this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is Terrific Tropical Rain Forest.

Finally, every Friday afternoon on our basketball court (or in the cafeteria if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cold), we have a farmers market. Different classes each week help make posters and help at the farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; booths. Some of the younger kids even helped sell carrots and herbs once. You can buy eggs, bread, cookies, cheese, fruits and vegetables. This is not just for Horace Mann families, but is open to the public. Feel free to stop by any Friday! â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Bianca Berrino, Katarina Kitarovic and Chase Palmer, fourth-graders, and Catherina Bley and Nyusha Lin, fifth-graders

National Cathedral School A team of National Cathedral School students recently attended the Chesapeake Bay Bowl at American University. The competition involved six other teams and required students to answer questions about topics ranging from geology to marine policy. Three seniors and a freshman were quick to push the buzzer in response to some challenging questions.

The upcoming musical has created a buzz on campus. Students will perform the Broadway hit â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hairspray.â&#x20AC;? Each year, the upper schools of St. Albans and National Cathedral bring a different production to the Close Theater. One of the actors said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love the process of putting together an entire show with a really fun cast. Though the actual performance aspect is great, what really makes the experience so memorable is the group of people you get to work with.â&#x20AC;? The musical will begin on Feb. 25 and continue for two weekends. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Parisa Sadeghi, 11th-grader

Our Lady of Victory School Last week was Catholic Schools Week at Our Lady of Victory School.

Monday was Accessory Day. Tuesday was Pajama Day. It was cool seeing all the kids in their pajamas. On Wednesday we could dress up as any movie/television character or sports player, and some people got to be a teacher for the day.

Thursday was International Day, when every class was assigned a country and we traveled around the school. When you visited the decorated classrooms, you experienced the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture, history and geography. You also tried some of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delicious food, such as rice and beans, sticky rice, empanadas, fried plantain strips, egg rolls and kiwi.

Friday was Decades Day, when you could dress up in an outfit from a certain decade, and there was a talent show. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Fourth-graders

Parkmont School In our consumer math class at Parkmont School, we have been learning things in preparation for when we leave school, like managing credit card information and interpreting cell phone and cable bills. We also looked at apartments online and learned how to live within a certain budget.

Recently we have begun looking at used cars on carmax.com.

We are finding cars within a given budget, and then tried to find the best deals based on mileage, driving style and other details. We also go to the Kelley Blue Book site to see what the cars are really worth.

Although some of the math may not be terribly challenging, the context in which we use it makes it a helpful learning experience. Most of what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re learning involves practical scenarios, like equations for loan payments or taxes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Jack Hussey, 12th-grader

Ross Elementary The third-graders had their writing celebration last week. It was a success! They shared their personal narratives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The neat thing was each student brought in props that went with their personal narrative,â&#x20AC;? said teacher Ms. Anderson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had fun!â&#x20AC;?

The second-graders took what they know about writing how-to books and taught their pre-k buddies how to make a love bug. The second-graders went to the pre-k class and taught them how to cut out a heart, arms, legs and ears.

Then they put them together to create their bugs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Practicing writing steps helped me give directions to my pre-k buddy,â&#x20AC;? said second-grader Nia. The second-graders were also excited to host a guest speaker to learn more about Black History Month.

First- and second-graders have started working with Club Invent.

During their first session they had

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011 to make an airtight container out of wax paper, masking tape and duct tape. The goal was to keep their data logs dry when put into water. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What I liked best of all was that our logs did not get wet! I knew it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get wet because we used two layers of wax paper,â&#x20AC;? said second-grader Max. Another student, Jackie, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the club is really good and awesome!â&#x20AC;?

Grades one through five put on a great performance at Fillmore Arts Center. The third- through fifth-graders sang songs from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bye Bye Birdieâ&#x20AC;? and by Michael Jackson. Second-graders presented a warm-up dance, and some even played their violins. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Max Akridge and Nia Diggs, second-graders

St. Albans School As winter changes into spring, preparations for the spring play begin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Up the Down Staircase,â&#x20AC;? based on a book by Bel Kaufman, is a comedy about a middle-school student who often acts out in class.

Recently, the directors of the play, Mr. Snipe and Ms. Montague, held tryouts to give all students a chance to participate. Following several days of tryouts, the callbacks lists were posted. More than

30 students were invited to callbacks.

The actors, in only their first week of practice, are still familiarizing themselves with their parts.

At this point, the actors sacrifice their free time in order to attend several practices a week. As the performance date approaches and the anticipation grows, the frequency of practices is sure to increase.

But there are more components to the play than actors. An important piece to making the play run smoothly is the tech crew. Many students volunteer to assist the directors by working on the tech.

This includes the lighting, scenery, microphones and sound effects.

Though only the actors are seen during the play, the jobs behind the scenes are just as important.

The performance will take place in Trapier Theater on April 15 and 16. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Spencer Swensrud, Form II (eighth-grader)

St Annâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Academy This month is Black History Month. Our school is celebrating in many ways. The whole school is singing spirituals with the firstSee Dispatches/Page 38

meets all our needs & more!

My

list:

Non-profit No entry fee A continuum of care

independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care Exceptional staff re competence & warmth Up to 114 residents Keeps same apartment, in independent or assisted living Private rooms in the Health Care Center 24 hr. nurses on site Non-denominational Most recommended by Momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s care manager

25

Momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

list:

New & long-time friends Sunny spacious rooms Gardening space Housekeeping included All meals provided Clubs and outings Beautiful grounds Concerts & lectures Exercise classes Great staff Parking for my visitors Nearby shops & restaurants Reasonable rent Secure gardens for walking Pets welcome

Discuss your checklist at 202-966-7623

&RQQHFWLFXW $YH 1: :DVKLQJWRQ '& www.methodisthomeofdc.org This ad created by the daughter of a satisfied resident from the actual checklist she used.

3OHDVH VHQG PH PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ )RU PH )RU P\ 1DPH $GGUHVV &LW\ 6WDWH =LS 3KRQH %HVW 7LPH WR &DOO

26 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

&

THE CURRENT

Events Entertainment Wednesday, Feb. FEBRUARY 16 Wednesday 16 Classes ■ Bruce R. Fraedrich of Bartlett Tree Research Lab in Charlotte, N.C., will lead a class on “Innovations in Plant Health Care.” 6:30 to 9 p.m. Free. Casey Trees, 3030 12th St. NE. 202-833-9125.

■ A weekly workshop will offer instruction in “Sahaja Yoga Meditation.” 7 p.m.

Free. West End Neighborhood Library, 1101 24th St. NW. 202-724-8707.

Concerts ■ The Cathedral Choral Society will host students from area schools for its sixth annual “Celebrate Youth! High School Choir Festival.” 7 p.m. Free. Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues NW. 202-537-5538.

■ The Orion String Quartet and Windscape will perform Bach’s “The Art of the Fugue.” 7:30 p.m. $38. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center.

202-467-4600.

■ The Fessenden Ensemble will perform works by Mozart. 7:30 p.m. $30.

National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW. 202-362-2390.

Discussions and lectures ■ Nelly Lahoud, associate professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, will discuss “The Jihadi’s Path to SelfDestruction.” 4 p.m. Free. Room 119, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, 10 1st St. SE. 202-707-2692.

■ Todd Gitlin will discuss his book “The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel, and the Ordeals of Divine Election.” 6 p.m. Free; reservations required. Room 450,

Intercultural Center, Georgetown University.

37th and O streets NW. 202-687-4245.

■ Richard Whitmire will discuss his book “The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation’s Worst School District.”

6:30 p.m. Free. Borders, 18th and L streets NW. 202-466-4999.

■ David Hazony will discuss his book “The Ten Commandments: How Our Most Ancient Moral Text Can Renew Modern Life.” 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

■ Peter Pfeiffer, professor of German at Georgetown University, will discuss “Balduin Möllhausen: Travel Books and Bestsellers About America.” 7 p.m. Free; reservations required. Goethe-Institut, 812 7th St. NW. rsvp.agsevent@gmail.com.

■ Steve Stern will discuss his novel “The Frozen Rabbi.” 7:30 p.m. $11.

Goldman Theater, Washington DC Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. washingtondcjcc.org/authorsoutloud.

Films ■ “Movie Night” will feature Mary Pat Kelly’s 2004 film “Proud,” about one of two U.S. Navy ships that saw combat in World War II with an African-American crew.

6 p.m. Free. Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-541-6100.

■ The DC Human Rights Watch Film Festival will feature Thet Sambath and Rob Lemkin’s film “Enemies of the People,” about the explanations offered by perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide. 7 p.m. $11; $9 for seniors and students; $8 for military personnel. West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. 202-419-3456.

■ The French Cinémathèque series will feature Burno Dumont’s 2009 film “Hadewijch.” 8 p.m. $11; $9 for students; $8.25 for seniors; $8 for ages 12 and younger. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202966-6000.

Performance ■ Modern dance company Jane Franklin Dance will perform “Take a Deep Breath.”

LARGEST SELECTION of sheet music in DC!

YOUR MUSIC STORE & MORE CDs, Music Posters.

Come in Today for Your Print Music, Accessories and Gifts MON-THUR 10 am – 8 pm FRI & SAT 10 am – 6 pm SUN 12 – 5 pm

4530 Wisconsin Avenue, NW 202-244-7326 www.middlecmusic.com

6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

“The Ten Commandments: How Our Most Ancient Moral Text Can Renew Modern Life.” A panel discussion will also feature Moment Magazine editor Nadine Epstein, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol and Adas Israel Congregation Rabbi Gil Steinlauf. 7:30 p.m. $7. Washington DC Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. washingtondcjcc.org/authorsoutloud.

■ The Georgetown Book Club will discuss Jonathan Franzen’s 2010 novel “Freedom.” 7:30 p.m. Free. Georgetown Neighborhood Library, 3260 R St. NW. 202727-0232.

Sale ■ The St. Alban’s Opportunity Thrift Shop will hold a half-price sale. 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free admission. 3001 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-966-5288. The sale will continue daily through Feb. 26 (except Sunday and Monday) from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 17 Thursday FEBRUARY 17 Children’s program ■ A park ranger will lead ages 3 and older on a hike along the Woodland Trail. 4 p.m. Free. Rock Creek Nature Center, 5200 Glover Road NW. 202-895-6070.

Class ■ Ray Franklin-Vaughn will lead a weekly class on “Classical Yang Style T’ai Chi Ch’uan” for area seniors. 10:30 a.m. Free; reservations required. Friendship Terrace Retirement Community, 4201 Butterworth Place NW. 202-244-7400.

Concerts ■ Deep River, a power-folk trio from Virginia, will perform a combination of pop, folk and blues. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

■ The Juilliard String Quartet (shown) and the Afiara String Quartet will perform works by Schubert, Bartók and Mendelssohn. 7:30 p.m. $38. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

Discussions and lectures ■ “Tunisia and Egypt: We the People” will feature panelists Radia Daoussi, Mary Elizabeth King, Linda Likar and Elizabeth Spiro Clark. 11:30 a.m. $25. reservations required. Woman’s National Democratic Club, 1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW. 202232-7363.

■ Douglas Waller will discuss his book “Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage.” Noon to 1 p.m. Free.

International Spy Museum, 800 F St. NW. 202-393-7988.

■ Tim Jaroch of David Nassif Associates and David Varner of SmithGroup will discuss the collaborative design process undertaken at Constitution Center, the largest private office building in D.C. and now one of its most energy efficient.

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Free; reservations required. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448.

■ Audrey Marks, Jamaican ambassador to the United States, will speak at a Black History Month celebration. 5 p.m. Free; reservations required. Room 806, Rome Building, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 646-644-9673.

■ Curator Brandon Fortune will lead a gallery talk on rapper and actor LL Cool J. 6 to 6:30 p.m. Free. National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F streets NW. 202-633-1000.

■ Panelists will discuss “Recognizing the New Sudan: Innovation, Investment and Capacity Building.” 6 p.m. Free; reservations required. Rome Building Auditorium, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-663-5676.

■ A gallery talk will focus on “Roma on My Mind,” about the inspiration Philip Guston took from ancient Roman architec-

Friday, FEBRUARY 18 ■ Discussion: Jonathan Franzen will read from his novel “Freedom” at an event sponsored by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and the Washington National Cathedral. 7:30 p.m. $22; $16 for students and seniors. Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues NW. 202-537-2228.

ture. 6 and 7 p.m. $12; $10 for seniors and students; free for ages 18 and younger. Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. 202-387-2151.

■ “For the Greener Good” will feature a panel discussion on “Life After Plastic.”

6:30 to 8 p.m. $20; $12 for students.

Reservations required. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448.

■ Historians Harold Holzer and Craig Symonds will discuss “All the News That’s Fit to Print: The Civil War Years,” about the firsthand accounts written by New York Times correspondents about the war. 6:45 p.m. $25. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW. 202-633-3030.

■ Susan Jacoby will discuss her book “Never Say Die: The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age.” 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202364-1919.

■ The Center for the Studies of Self Knowledge will present a lecture on “Enigmatic Egypt — the Sphinx and the Pyramids.” 7 p.m. Free. Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-701-3321.

■ Stella Demesticha, a maritime archaeologist with the University of Cyprus, will discuss “Underwater Archaeology: Excavation at the Mazotos Shipwreck in Cyprus.” 7 to 8:30 p.m. Free. Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

■ Roger Gastman, author of the forthcoming “History of American Graffiti,” will discuss the world of graffiti and street art.

7 p.m. $15. Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW. 202-639-1770.

■ The Takoma Park Neighborhood Library will host a discussion on Harriet Beecher Stowe’s anti-slavery novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” 7 p.m. Free. 416 Cedar St. NW. 202-576-7252.

■ Peter Beinart, senior political writer for The Daily Beast and associate professor of journalism at the City University of New York, will discuss “The Failure of the American Jewish Establishment.”

7:30 p.m. Free; reservations required. Abramson Family Recital Hall, Katzen Arts Center, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-3780.

■ David Hazony will discuss his book

Films ■ “Senior Cinema Thursdays” will feature Peter Weir’s film “The Way Back,” about the escape of a small group of prisoners from a Siberian gulag in 1940 and their journey over thousands of miles across five hostile countries. 10:30 a.m. $6.75 for ages 62 and older. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-966-3464.

■ The National Archives will present “War Is All Hell,” an installment of Ken Burns’ 1990 documentary “The Civil War.” Noon. Free. Jefferson Room, National Archives Building, Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th streets NW. 202-3575000.

■ “Chase Away the Blues With Some Romantic Movies” will feature William Wyler’s 1953 film “Roman Holiday,” starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. 4 p.m. Free. Palisades Neighborhood Library, 4901 V St. NW. 202-282-3139.

■ The Phillips Collection will present Nicholas and Sheila Pye’s film trilogy “The Paper Wall,” “A Life of Errors” and “Loudly, Death Unties.” A post-screening discussion will feature the husband-and-wife team and Phillips curator Vesela Sretenovic. 6:30 p.m. Donation suggested. Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. 202-3872151.

Open house ■ The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute will hold an open house and preview of its spring semester. 1 to 2:30 p.m. Free.

Temple Baptist Church, 3850 Nebraska Ave. NW. 202-895-4860.

Performances ■ Comedian Julie Goldman will perform.

7:30 p.m. $15 in advance; $20 at the door. Goldman Theater, Washington DC Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. washingtondcjcc.org.

■ “A Washington Review” will combine stand-up, improvisation and sketch performances for an evening of satirical comedy. 7:30 p.m. $10. District of Columbia Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. 202-4627833. The performance will repeat Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

■ The Topaz Hotel Bar’s weekly standup show will feature local comics. 8 to 10 p.m. Free. 1733 N St. NW. 202-393-3000.

Friday, Feb. FEBRUARY 18 Friday 18 Concerts ■ The Friday Morning Music Club will perform works by Piazzolla, Schumann, Khachaturian and Moussorgsky. Noon.

Free. Sumner School Museum, 1201 17th St. NW. 202-333-2075.

■ Organist Todd Davis of Christ Lutheran Church in York, Pa., will perform See Events/Page 27

&

THE CURRENT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

27

Events Entertainment Continued From Page 26 works by Brahms and Bach. 12:15 to 1 p.m. Free. National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW. 202-797-0103. â&#x2013; Violinist Zino Bogachek and pianist Anna Balakerskaia will perform. 1:15 p.m.

Free. McNeir Hall, Georgetown University, 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-2787. â&#x2013; D.C.-based hip-hop artist Asheru will perform. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Barbara Cookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spotlight,â&#x20AC;? a theater cabaret performance series, will feature actor and singer Alexander Gemignani.

7:30 p.m. $45. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. â&#x2013; Le Poème Harmonique will perform works by Rossi, Monteverdi, Merula, Hidalgo and others. 7:30 p.m. $25; $20 for students. La Maison Française, 4101 Reservoir Road NW. InstantSeats.com.

Discussions and lectures â&#x2013; Rahul Sagar, assistant professor of politics at Princeton University, will discuss â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Past and Future of Hindu Nationalism.â&#x20AC;? 12:30 p.m. Free; reservations required. Room 806, Rome Building, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-663-5722. â&#x2013; Amy Chua will discuss her book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.â&#x20AC;? 7 p.m.

Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

Film â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Neorealismo 1941-1954: Days of Gloryâ&#x20AC;? will feature Luchino Viscontiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1953 film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bellissima.â&#x20AC;? 2:30 p.m. Free. East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.

Performances â&#x2013; Edgeworks Dance Theater will perform signature works and the D.C. premiere of Helanius J. Wilkinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trigger.â&#x20AC;? 8 p.m. $22; $17 for students, teachers, seniors and artists; $8 for ages 17 and younger. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. 202-269-1600. The performance will repeat Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. â&#x2013; The Potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House will present the hip-hop dance group Da Originalz and acoustic vocalist Fred Love. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. $15 to $50 donation suggested. The Potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House, 1658 Columbia Road NW. pottershousedc.og.

Tasting â&#x2013; Alliance Française de Washington will host a cognac tasting led by Guillaume Lamy of Cognac Ferrand. 6:30 p.m. $45; reservations recommended. Alliance Française de Washington, 2142 Wyoming Ave. NW. 202-234-7911.

Tour Walk of the Town tour guide Tim Stewart will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;Monumental Stories,â&#x20AC;? a walking tour of major attractions. 10:30 a.m. Free; tips appreciated. Meet on 15th Street NW near Pennsylvania Avenue and the northwest corner of the Commerce Department. walkofthetowndc.com. The tour will repeat Feb. 19 and 20 at 10:30 a.m. â&#x2013;

Saturday, Feb. 19 Saturday FEBRUARY 19 Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programs â&#x2013; The Weekend Family Matinees series will feature a performance by the Kaydee Puppet Show. 10 a.m. $5.75. Avalon

Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202966-6000. â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Discover Engineering Family Dayâ&#x20AC;? will offer a chance for participants to make slime, experience an online interactive program called MathMovesU, learn about the science of popcorn, and view a tsunami wave tank. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $5 donation suggested. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. â&#x2013; Georgetown Family Saturdays, organized by the Georgetown Moms group, will feature a performance by Frank Cassel the Banjo Man. Proceeds will benefit the D.C. Public Library Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Georgetown Recovery Fund. 10:30 a.m. $25 per family. St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Church, 3240 O St. NW. georgetownmom.com.

Class â&#x2013; Cate Meyers will lead a class on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Knitting for Beginners.â&#x20AC;? 1 to 3 p.m. $39.

First Class Inc., 1726 20th St. NW. 202797-5102.

Concerts â&#x2013; The Washington Performing Arts Society will present pianist Simon Trpceski performing works by Haydn, Chopin, Shahov and Prokofiev. 2 p.m. $40. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. â&#x2013; Seven high school students will compete as finalists in the Marin Bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2011 Concerto Competition. 2 p.m. Free. John Philip Sousa Band Hall, Marine Barracks Annex, 7th and L streets SE. 202-4334011. â&#x2013; Members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra will perform classical works. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. â&#x2013; The Smithsonian Chamber Music Society will present Kenneth Slowik on violoncello performing chamber works by Bach. 7:30 p.m. $28. Smithsonian Castle Commons, 1000 Jefferson Drive SW. 202633-3030. â&#x2013; Cuarteto Casals will perform works by Boccherini, Ligeti and Schumann.

7:30 p.m. $35.

Kreeger Museum, 2401 Foxhall Road NW. 202-338-3552. â&#x2013; Classical guitarist Yuri Liberzon will perform as part of the John E. Marlow Guitar Series. 8 p.m. $25.

Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ, 1 Westmoreland Circle. 301-654-6403.

Discussion â&#x2013; American University professor Clarence Lusane will discuss his book â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Black History of the White House.â&#x20AC;? 7 p.m.

Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

Films A Black History Month film series will feature Ken Burnsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2004 documentary â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson,â&#x20AC;? about the first AfricanAmerican heavyweight boxing champion. 1 â&#x2013;

Sunday, FEBRUARY 20 â&#x2013; Concert: Pianist and composer Haskell Small will present the world premiere of his new work, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Journeys in Silence,â&#x20AC;? based on paintings in the Phillips Collectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rothko Room. 4 p.m. $20. Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. 202-387-2151.

p.m. Free. Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-541-6100. â&#x2013; The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program and the Japanese American Memorial Foundation will present Junichi Suzukiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film â&#x20AC;&#x153;442: Live With Honor, Die With Dignity,â&#x20AC;? about the history and legacy of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. A forum with Suzuki will follow. 2 p.m. Free. Carmichael Auditorium, National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-6331000. â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Neorealismo 1941-1954: Days of Gloryâ&#x20AC;? will feature Alberto Lattuadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1948 film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without Pity,â&#x20AC;? at 2 p.m.; and Lattuadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1952 film â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Overcoat,â&#x20AC;? at 4 p.m. Free. East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.

Performances â&#x2013; Living Stones Inc. will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fatherless Generation,â&#x20AC;? about an AfricanAmerican boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s search for personal growth, love and affirmation. 2 p.m. Free. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-1291. â&#x2013; Theater Jâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Voices From a Changing Middle East: Portraits of Homeâ&#x20AC;? theater festival will feature a reading of David Hareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Via Dolorosa.â&#x20AC;? 8 p.m. $10.

Goldman Theater, Washington DC Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. 202-777-3210.

Special events â&#x2013; The Washington Design Center Sample Sale will feature furniture, rugs, lighting, art and accessories. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. $5. Washington Design Center, 300 D St. SW. 202-646-6100. â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Presidential Family Fun Dayâ&#x20AC;? will feature craft activities, performances and scavenger hunts. 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Free. National Portrait Gallery/Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. â&#x2013; Drishtipat will host a cultural extravaganza in honor of International Mother Language Day. 6:30 to 8 p.m. Free. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. drishtipat.org/dc/index.html.

Walks and tours â&#x2013; Rocco Zappone, a native Washingtonian and freelance writer, will

lead a weekly walking tour of his hometown and share reminiscences and impressions of a lifetime in D.C. 10 a.m. $20. Meet at the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square, 16th and H streets NW. 202-3415208. â&#x2013; Melanie ChoukasBradley, author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;City of Trees,â&#x20AC;? will lead a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Winter Tree Tour of the Capitol Grounds.â&#x20AC;? 1 to 3:30 p.m. Free; registration required.

Conservatory Terrace, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-1116. â&#x2013; A park ranger will lead a hike for ages 7 and older retracing the steps of the five U.S. presidents who used Rock Creek Park for recreation. 2 p.m. Free. Picnic Grove 1, Tilden Street and Beach Drive NW. 202895-6070. The hike will repeat Sunday at 11 a.m. â&#x2013; Washington Walks and tour guide Brian Kraft will present the second annual â&#x20AC;&#x153;Columbia Heights Historical Drinkabout,â&#x20AC;? featuring an exploration of the neighborhood with stops at several of its cafes and bars. 2 to 5 p.m. $20; reservations required. washingtonwalks.com.

Sunday, Feb.FEBRUARY 20 Sunday 20 Concerts â&#x2013; The Del Sol String Quartet, soprano Stacey Fraser, pianist Noriko Suzuki and dancer Paige Starling Sorvillo will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;Innovation and Tradition: A Confluence of Musical Cultures,â&#x20AC;? featuring the music of Japanese composer Koji Nakano. 2 p.m. $45.

Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-4674600. â&#x2013; U.S. Air Force Band ensembles will perform with Garry Gekhman of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dancing With the Starsâ&#x20AC;? and Benji Schwimmer, Sabra Johnson and Jamile McGee of â&#x20AC;&#x153;So You Think You Can Dance.â&#x20AC;? 3 p.m. Free.

DAR Constitution Hall, 18th Street between C and D streets NW. 202-767-5658. â&#x2013; Organist Clive Driskill-Smith will perform. 4 p.m. Free. Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, 1 Chevy Chase Circle NW. 202-363-2202.

)5(( '(/,9(5<

â&#x2013; The professional Choir of Christ Church will perform works by William Smith, Thomas Tallis and Jacques Arcadelt.

5 p.m. Free. Christ Church, Georgetown, 31st and O streets NW. 202-333-6677. â&#x2013; Robert McCormick, director of music at St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parish, K Street, will present an organ recital. 5:15 p.m. Free.

Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues NW. 202-537-6200. â&#x2013; Pianist and composer Everett N. Jones III will perform works by AfricanAmerican composers. 6 p.m. Free.

Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202467-4600. â&#x2013; The Vivaldi Project will perform works

by Vivaldi and other Venetian composers.

6:30 p.m. Free. West Garden Court, National Gallery of Art, 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-842-6941. â&#x2013; Dahlak Restaurant will host its weekly â&#x20AC;&#x153;DC Jazz Jamâ&#x20AC;? session. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Free. 1771 U St. NW. 202-527-9522.

Discussions and lectures â&#x2013; American historian Richard Norton Smith will discuss the role of religion in President Abraham Lincolnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. 10 a.m.

Free. St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, 1525 H St. NW. 202347-8766. â&#x2013; Charles Beddington, guest curator, and David Alan Brown, curator of Italian and Spanish paintings at the National Gallery of Art, will offer an introduction to the exhibition â&#x20AC;&#x153;Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals.â&#x20AC;? 2 p.m. Free. East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202737-4215. â&#x2013; Richard Whitmire will discuss his book â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Worst School District.â&#x20AC;? 5 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

Film â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Neorealismo 1941-1954: Days of Gloryâ&#x20AC;? will feature Luciano Emmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1950 film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sunday in August.â&#x20AC;? 4:30 p.m. Free.

East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.

Performance â&#x2013; Anais Mitchell will perform â&#x20AC;&#x153;Virginia See Events/Page 28

Marlow Guitar xfmdpnft

)mjnjufe!bsfbt!pomz*!

6RXWKHUQ ,WDOLDQ &XLVLQH VHUYLQJ

+RPHPDGH 3DVWD Â&#x2021; 3L]]D Â&#x2021; 6HDIRRG Â&#x2021; 9HDO Â&#x2021; &KLFNHQ GLVKHVÂŤ

6SHFLDO 'LQH ,Q 2IIHUV

&RPSOHWH 'LQQHU IRU 7ZR ,QFOXGHV JODVVHV RI ZLQH DSSHWL]HU HQWUHHV GHVVHUW

² 25 ²

Yuri Liberzon Classical Guitarist from Israel Granted Alien of Extraordinary Ability United States Permanent Residency based on his achievements in the music field.

Saturday, Feb. 19th, 8 p.m.

Xftunpsfmboe!Dpohsfhbujpobm!Divsdi

%X\ 2QH (QWUpH *HW 2QH )UHH 6HFRQG HQWUpH HTXDO RU OHVVHU YDOXH

3K &RQQHFWLFXW $YH 1: :DVKLQJWRQ '&

1 Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda

23(1 )25 /81&+ ',11(5

301-654-6403

Tickets: $25: Students under 18 free with adult; ages 18-22, ½ price

Qsf.dpodfsu!mfduvsf!8;26!q/n/!

Nffu!uif!Bsujtu!sfdfqujpo www.marlowguitar.org

28 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

&

THE CURRENT

Events Entertainment Sings Hadestown,â&#x20AC;? a folk-opera take on the Orpheus myth. 8 p.m. $15 in advance; $18 on the day of the show. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 877-435-9849.

Readings â&#x2013; The Washington Shakespeare Readers will hold a participatory reading of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Romeo and Juliet.â&#x20AC;? Participants should bring a copy of the play. 1 p.m. Free.

Bender Library, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sunday Kind of Loveâ&#x20AC;? will feature a reading by Kim Roberts, author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Animal Magnetism,â&#x20AC;? followed by an open-mic event. 4 to 6 p.m. Free. Langston Room, Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. 202-387-7638.

Special event â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Umoja on U: A Black History Celebrationâ&#x20AC;? will honor community leaders and feature the talents of local vocalists, musicians, dancers and spoken-word artists. 6 p.m. $20; $10 for seniors and ages 12 and younger. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. 202-328-6000.

Walks and tours â&#x2013; A park ranger will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;By Dawnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Early Light,â&#x20AC;? a walking tour of Georgetown.

11 a.m. Free. Old Stone House, 3051 M St. NW. 202-426-6851. â&#x2013; A park ranger will lead an exploration of the trails in Dumbarton Oaks Park and discuss Beatrix Ferrand, the pioneering 20th-century landscape architect who designed the naturalistic garden turned public park. 2 p.m.

Free. 31st and R streets NW. 202-8956070.

Monday, Feb. FEBRUARY 21 Monday 21 Concerts â&#x2013; The National Presidents Day Choral Festival will feature singers from The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla., Overton High School in Memphis, Tenn., and Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. 2 p.m. $10.

Concert Hall, Kennedy Center. 202-4674600. â&#x2013; The Kennedy Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conservatory Project will feature students from the Curtis Institute of Music performing works by

Maurice Ravel. 6 p.m. Free. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. â&#x2013; The Monday Night at the National series will feature Georgetown Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all-male a cappella chorus, The Georgetown Chimes. 6 and 7:30 p.m. Free; tickets required. Helen Hayes Gallery, National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202783-3372.

Discussion â&#x2013; Washington Project for the Arts and Foreign Policy in Focus will present a talk by independent art critic and curator Wendy Navarro on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Global Perspectives on Contemporary Art.â&#x20AC;? 7 p.m. Free. Cullen Room, Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW. 202-387-7638.

Performance â&#x2013; Agis Center for Arts and Humanities will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chinese New Year Acrobatic Spectacular.â&#x20AC;? 7:30 p.m. $30 to $50. Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University, 21st and H streets NW. agiscenter.org.

Special event â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Celebrate Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Presidents!â&#x20AC;? will feature an interactive tour of the 1816 mansion, an art workshop and a reading of George Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1775 letter to Martha Washington. 10 a.m. to noon. $10; $5 for children. Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, 1644 31st St. NW. 202-965-0400.

Tuesday, Feb. FEBRUARY 22 Tuesday 22 Class â&#x2013; Kyla Lupo will lead a class on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fabulous Digital Photos in 10 Easy Steps.â&#x20AC;? 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. $39. First Class Inc., 1726 20th St. NW. 202-797-5102.

Concerts â&#x2013; The Kennedy Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conservatory Project will feature students from the New England Conservatory of Music. 6 p.m.

Free. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center.

202-467-4600. â&#x2013; Quatuor Debussy will perform works

by Glass, Puccini, Milhaud and Franck. 8 p.m. Free; tickets required. Coolidge Auditorium, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, 10 1st St. SE. 202-

Saturday, February 19, 6 p.m. !J?PCLAC *SQ?LC 2FC J?AI &GQRMPW -D 2FC 5FGRC &MSQC (City Lights, $19.95) Lusaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chronicle of the White House is also the story of the struggle for civil rights in America. A professor at American University and former editor of Black Political Agenda, Lusane recounts the stories of the black laborers who built the White House, the scandal concerning Booker T. Washington and Teddy Roosevelt that earned the building its name, and various crises that pushed forward a progressive agenda.

Sunday, February 20, 5 p.m.

0GAF?PB 5FGRKGPC 2FC CC #?RCP ( Jossey-Bass, $24.95) Michelle Rhee wrote the introduction to Whitmireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Why Boys Fail; now, in his second book, Whitmire profiles Rhee, fleshing out the public figure with details of her personal life. The center of the story is Rheeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contentious tenure as chancellor of Washington, D.C. public schools, and the book includes an interview with Rhee on what she learned from the experience.

Tuesday, February 22, 7 p.m.

PSAC 0GCBCJ "C?BJW #K@P?AC (Brookings, $24.95) One of the foremost experts on U.S. Middle East policy, Riedel, author of The Search for al Qaeda, here focuses on Pakistan and its pivotal role in a global jihad movement. Riedel examines how American foreign policy decisions have contributed to Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s radicalization and offers suggestions for ways to help stabilize that country. !MLLCARGASR TC ,5 5?QFGLERML "! z z D?V @MMIQ NMJGRGAQ NPMQC AMK z UUU NMJGRGAQ NPMQC AMK

707-5502.

Discussions and lectures â&#x2013; Rochelle Davis, assistant professor of anthropology at Georgetown University, will discuss her book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Palestinian Village Histories: Geographies of the Displaced.â&#x20AC;? 3 to 4:30 p.m. Free. Mortara Building, Georgetown University, 37th and O streets NW. mortara.georgetown.edu. â&#x2013; Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Brad Taylor will discuss his novel â&#x20AC;&#x153;One Rough Man.â&#x20AC;?

6:30 p.m. Free. Barnes & Noble, 555 12th St. NW. 202-347-0176. â&#x2013; Sheryll Cashin, professor of law at Georgetown University, will discuss her book â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Agitatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Daughter: A Memoir of Four Generations of One Extraordinary African American Family.â&#x20AC;? 6:30 p.m. Free. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-1291. â&#x2013; Bruce Riedel will discuss his book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Deadly Embace: Pakistan, America, and the Future of the Global Jihad.â&#x20AC;? 7 p.m.

Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

Films â&#x2013; The National Archives will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the Vaults: Ronald Reagan and the Government Film.â&#x20AC;? Noon. Free. McGowan Theater, National Archives Building, Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th streets NW. 202-357-5000. â&#x2013; The 22nd annual Black Film Festival, spotlighting â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blaxploitationâ&#x20AC;? cinema, will feature â&#x20AC;&#x153;Puff Puff Passâ&#x20AC;? at 3 p.m. and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fridayâ&#x20AC;? at 6 p.m. Free. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202727-1291. â&#x2013; A Spike Lee Film Festival will feature the 1995 film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clockers,â&#x20AC;? based on the novel by Richard Price. 5:30 p.m. Free.

Georgetown Neighborhood Library, 3260 R St. NW. 202-727-0232. â&#x2013; The Washington Psychotronic Film Society will present Don Sharpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1966 film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rasputin: The Mad Monk.â&#x20AC;? 8 p.m. Free.

The Passenger, 1021 7th St. NW. 202-4623356.

Performance â&#x2013; Carole Bouquet will portray Antonin Artaud in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lettres Ă GĂŠnica, folies dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;amour.â&#x20AC;? 7:30 p.m. $35. La Maison Française, 4101 Reservoir Road NW. InstantSeats.com.

Reading â&#x2013; The Lannan Literary Programs series will feature a reading by Kwame Dawes. 8 p.m. Free. Copley Formal Lounge, Georgetown University, 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-6294.

Sporting event â&#x2013; The Washington Wizards will play the Indiana Pacers. 7 p.m. $10 to $475.

Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 202-3977328.

Tour â&#x2013; A tour will offer an introduction to Tudor Place, the Georgetown mansion built

by Martha Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s granddaughter, Martha Custis Peter, and her husband, Thomas Peter. 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Free; reservations

Monday, FEBRUARY 21 â&#x2013; Discussion: Ariel Sabar will discuss his book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heart of the City: Nine Stories of Love and Serendipity on the Streets of New York.â&#x20AC;? 7 p.m.

Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

required. Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, 1644 31st St. NW. 202-965-0400.

Wednesday, Feb. 23 Wednesday FEBRUARY 23 Class â&#x2013; Housing Counseling Services, a local nonprofit, will present information on programs and resources available to help area homeowners in danger of losing their homes. 6 p.m. Free. Suite 100, 2410 17th St. NW. 202-667-7712.

Concerts â&#x2013; Flutist Sara Stern and pianist Lisa Emenheiser will perform works by Jongen, Liebermann and Schoenfield. 12:10 p.m.

Free. East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. â&#x2013; The Kennedy Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conservatory Project will feature students from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. 6 p.m. Free. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

Discussions and lectures â&#x2013; Kamissa Mort will discuss artist, architect and Arctic explorer Russell W. Porter. Noon. Free. Jefferson Room, National Archives Building, Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th streets NW. 202-357-5000. â&#x2013; Terri Weissman, assistant professor of art history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will discuss her book â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Realisms of Berenice Abbott: Documentary Photography and Political Action.â&#x20AC;? 5:30 p.m. Donation suggested; reservations required. Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. phillipscollection.org/calendar. â&#x2013; Retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Melvin G. Williams Sr. and retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Melvin G. Wllliams Jr. will discuss their book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Navigating the Seven Seas.â&#x20AC;? 6 p.m. Free. Naval Heritage Center, U.S. Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. navymemorial.org. â&#x2013; Architect Christopher B. Lethbridge will discuss â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Smithsonian Art & Industries Building: A Progress Report,â&#x20AC;? about the renovation of the Adolf Clussdesigned museum. 6:30 p.m. Free; reservations required. Goethe-Institut, 812 7th St. NW. 202-289-1200, ext. 164. â&#x2013; Ori Z. Soltes, a resident scholar of theology and fine arts at Georgetown University, will lead a discussion of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fathers and Sonsâ&#x20AC;? by Ivan Turgenev. 6:30 p.m. Free. West End Neighborhood Library,

1101 24th St. NW. 202-724-8707. â&#x2013; Katherine Bankole-Medina, professor of history at Coppin State University, will discuss the health traditions of enslaved and formerly enslaved women in the years before and after the U.S. Civil War. 6:30 p.m. Free; reservations required. Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, 1318 Vermont Ave. NW. 202673-2402. â&#x2013; Robert Wyatt will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Story of Steinway & Sons,â&#x20AC;? featuring film clips, archival recordings and a live piano performance. 6:45 to 9 p.m. $40. Rasmuson Theater, National Museum of the American Indian, 4th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-633-3030. â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Give Bigotry No Sanction: The George Washington Letter,â&#x20AC;? a symposium exploring religious freedom and democracy, will feature John Sexton, president of New York University; Charles Haynes, director of the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum; Zainab Al-Suwaij, executive director of the American Islamic Congress; and Adam Strom, director of content, research and development for international nonprofit Facing History and Ourselves. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Free; reservations suggested. Great Hall, Historical Society of Washington, D.C., 801 K St. NW. facinghistory.org. â&#x2013; Dambisa Moyo will discuss her book â&#x20AC;&#x153;How the West Was Lost: Fifty Years of Economic Folly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the Stark Choices Ahead.â&#x20AC;? 7 p.m. Free.

Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919. â&#x2013; Tom Lovejoy, biodiversity chair of the D.C.-based H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment, will discuss climate change and its cultural context. 7 p.m. Free. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. â&#x2013; No Rules Theatre Company will present a talk by teacher, theater artist and life coach Ashley Gates Jansen on â&#x20AC;&#x153;That Fierce Embrace: My Journey With Mental Illness and Mysticism.â&#x20AC;? 7 p.m. Free; reservations required. H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St. NE. norulestheatre.org.

Films â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Movie Nightâ&#x20AC;? will feature Howard Alkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1971 film â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Murder of Fred Hampton.â&#x20AC;? 6 p.m. Free. Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-5416100. â&#x2013; The National Archives will present Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 documentary â&#x20AC;&#x153;Waste Landâ&#x20AC;? as part of its seventh annual screenings of Academy Award nominees. 7 p.m. Free. McGowan Theater, National Archives Building, Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th streets NW. 202-357-5000. â&#x2013; The DC Human Rights Watch Film Festival will feature Vadim Jeanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 documentary â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the Land of the Free â&#x20AC;Ś.â&#x20AC;?

7 p.m. $11; $9 for seniors and students; $8 for military personnel. West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. 202-419-3456. â&#x2013; The Reel Israel DC series will feature Shlomi Eldarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Precious Life.â&#x20AC;? 8 p.m. $11; $9 for students; $8.25 for seniors; $8 for ages 12 and younger. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202966-6000.

&

THE CURRENT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

29

Events Entertainment

Phillips features ab-ex and ex-ab-ex artists

By MARK LONGAKER Current Correspondent

A

bstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock shook the art world during the 1950s and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;60s by forgoing figural depictions and embracing pure gesture in their paintings and sculptures. But many of these same artists later recanted, deciding figuration was OK in art, after all, and giving up the movement.

Two exhibitions that opened Saturday at the Phillips Collection both highlight an abstract expressionist: one who remained true to the movement, and one who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. The shows focus on pivotal moments in the life of each artist â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sculptor David Smith and painter Philip Guston â&#x20AC;&#x201D; exploring what drove the former to forge new ab-ex ground in welded steel and the latter to find refuge in cartoon-like imagery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;David Smith Inventsâ&#x20AC;? presents six welded-steel sculptures made between 1953 and 1960, a time when the artist found endless fascination with concave and convex shapes.

There are also two-dozen drawings and paintings by Smith â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who considered himself a painter working in three dimensions â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and a selection of photographs he took of his sculptures.

Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s involvement with concave and convex forms began in 1953, when he started a series titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tanktotems,â&#x20AC;? an early example of which is on view.

Boiler tanks play prominently in the sculptures, hence the name.

Smith drew his raw material from industrial waste, which he brought by the truckload to his rural upstate New York studio and dumped in his yard, where he could contemplate the tantalizing shapes and formulate ideas for making sculptures from them.

As he developed his language of the convex and concave, he began arranging shapes linearly, creating pieces meant to be viewed frontally like paintings. These sculptures resulted in his â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bouquet of Concavesâ&#x20AC;? series, made by laying out similar but slightly different shapes on the studio floor, welding them together, standing the whole upright and mounting it on a stand.

Pieces in this series have a delicacy befitting their floral title, but belying their sturdy construction from heavy-gauge steel. They are also marked by the gritty, gray patina of scorched metal, attesting to their fiery birth in the incandescent flames of the welderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s torch.

Smith welded auto bodies on a Studebaker assembly line before turning his talents toward strictly aesthetic aims, and

Exhibitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Selectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; works heading to auction

â&#x20AC;&#x153;S

elect,â&#x20AC;? the annual art-auction exhibition of the Washington Project for the Arts, will open Saturday at 700 6th St. NW and continue through March 12.

An opening reception will take place Saturday from

Above: Philip Gustonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Romeâ&#x20AC;? (1971), oil on paper; left: David Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Black Concavesâ&#x20AC;? (1960), steel, painted he was the first ever to make welded-steel sculpture. He sometimes painted his pieces, including the exhibited â&#x20AC;&#x153;Black Concavesâ&#x20AC;? (1960), on which sky-blue patches peek through stormy black clouds.

After he finished a piece, he would often install it in a field outside his studio and photograph it. Several photographs on view were taken there, displaying the angular but flowing forms against a snow-covered hillside under a cobaltblue sky, like alien sentinels in the landscape. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Philip Guston, Romaâ&#x20AC;? features 40-some paintings, most See Phillips/Page 30

! & B 6 A 3 / A = < W\ 53=@53B=E<

53=@53B=E< 4:3/ ;/@93B ? C / : 7 B G / < B 7 ? C 3 A 1 = : : 3 1 B 7 0 : 3 A

Ac\ROga ' O[ ½ # ^[ EWaQ]\aW\ /dS\cS ½ 0SbeSS\ A B Ab`SSba .P_\`` S_\Z @NSRdNf

6[S\_ZNaV\[' $$" 3 9 2 . d d d T R \ _ T R a \ d [ S Y R N Z N _ X R a P \ Z

On EXHIBIT

Jim Sanbornâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hydra1,â&#x20AC;? a digital print, is part of the Washington Project for the Arts auction exhibition.

6 to 9 p.m. The curators will present and discuss their exhibit selections March 1 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at an event that will also include the presentation of the Alice Denney Award to Cleveland Park artist William Christenberry.

A gala with a formal dinner and performance art will be held March 12 beginning at 6:30 p.m., with ticket prices starting at $300.

See Exhibits/Page 30

$! $/, $ *" .$! ))/) % .%*) .$!,%)! ) ,2 *.$ *) !,. !,%!-

$! .! $!, ) *,*1%.3 */) .%*)

"# $ %

Keegan slated to open premiere of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Basra Boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

K

eegan Theatre will present the world premiere of Rosemary Jenkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basra Boyâ&#x20AC;? Feb. 19 through March 12 at the Church Street Theater.

On STAGE Abigail Isaac directs this oneman show in which Josh Sticklin plays all the storyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characters â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a challenge for actor and director alike.

Performance times are generally 3 and 5 p.m. Saturday and 6 and 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $25; $20 for students and seniors. The Church Street Theater is located at 1742 Church St. NW. 703-8920202; keegantheatre.com. â&#x2013; Solas Nua will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;Project

Brand new,â&#x20AC;? featuring three American premieres, Feb. 17 through 19 at Flashpoint.

In â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Life in Dresses,â&#x20AC;? Sorcha Kenny will introduce audiences to the generations of men and women whose stories unfold in their clothes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Body Travelsâ&#x20AC;? features a â&#x20AC;&#x153;he,â&#x20AC;? Matthew Morrison, transforming into a â&#x20AC;&#x153;sheâ&#x20AC;? to present Morrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first solo piece. And â&#x20AC;&#x153;Virtual Jukeboxâ&#x20AC;? is an interactive performance in which audience members are invited to join dance collective mouth to mouth in dancing to a unique playlist.

Performances begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets cost $15. Flashpoint is located at 916 G St. NW. 800-4948497; solasnua.org. â&#x2013; Playwright Allyson Currin and director Jessica Lefkow will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;Benchedâ&#x20AC;? Feb. 17 through 27

!) / $!)

).!,) .%*) ''2 ' %(! % )%-.

/) 2 ! ,/ ,2

% !' , ! % !# " ! %# ' $ ( , *%#!& # $ # $)% , $%! #! # $% $! $)% , ! % !#

$! $/, $ *" .$! ))/) % .%*) Keegan Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basra Boyâ&#x20AC;? will open Feb. 19. at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Benchedâ&#x20AC;? is a bittersweet comedy about three big-city moms who See Theater/Page 30

-- $/-!..- 0!)/!

-$%)#.*) *)! '* & 1!-. *" %- *)-%) 0!)/!

,!! 1%'' *""!,%)#- 1%'' ! ,! !%0! *, "/,.$!, %)"*,( .%*) +'! -! ''

30 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

D

PHILLIPS From Page 29 made during the artist’s six-month residence at the American Academy in Rome from the fall of 1970 to the following spring.

Guston retreated to Rome after his disastrous exhibition at New York’s Marlborough

EXHIBITS From Page 29 The exhibit may be viewed Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 202-234-7103.

■ “Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals,” presenting some 50 masterworks by Canaletto and his 18thcentury Venetian rivals, will open Sunday in the East Building of the National Gallery of Art and continue through May 30.

Located at 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

202-737-4215.

■ “Beyond the Story: National Geographic Unpublished,” present-

F

THE CURRENT

Gallery in October 1970, which critics trashed because it included figurative paintings that revealed his abandonment of abstract expressionism.

Twenty years earlier he had studied at the American Academy, and he considered it a haven. So in 1970 he returned to rejuvenate himself and consolidate his new figurative style, which relied heavily on simplified car-

ing nearly 50 previously unseen photographs by 15 National Geographic photographers, opened recently at the National Geographic Museum, where it will continue through June 12.

Located at 1145 17th St. NW, the museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 202-857-7588.

■ Aaron Gallery recently opened an exhibit devoted to its artists and history and will continue it through March 31.

Located at 2101 L St. NW on the 10th floor, the gallery is open Tuesday through Friday by appointment only. 202-234-3311.

■ Caos on F recently opened an exhibit of mixed-media constructions and two installation studies for large public-work proposals by Chul Beom Park, who explores the

toon shapes.

A motif that appears frequently in these paintings is a disembodied foot — perhaps an unconscious symbol of his recent defeat?

There are also stylized buildings and trees placed in a noncontextual setting, all rendered in a manner recalling hippie cartoonist Robert Crumb of “Keep on Truckin’” fame.

“David Smith Invents” and “Philip

media’s manipulation of our lives.

The show will continue through Feb. 25.

Located at 923 F St. NW, the gallery is open Friday and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. 202-215-6993.

■ “Flights of Fancy: Elements of Surrealism,” featuring surrealist works by six artists from the Studio Gallery in Dupont Circle, opened recently at the Evolve Urban Arts Project, where it will continue through Feb. 26.

Located at 1375 Maryland Ave. NE, the gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m., Friday from 1 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

202-232-8734.

■ The Alliance Française de Washington recently opened a retrospective of photographs by con-

Guston, Roma” will continue through May 15 at the Phillips Collection. Located at 1600 21st St. NW, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday until 8:30 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students; and free for ages 18 and younger. 202-387-2151; phillipscollection.org.

temporary Parisian photojournalist Owen Franken from his 30 years of traveling the world. The exhibit will continue through March 2.

Located at 2142 Wyoming Ave. NW, the gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 202-234-7911, ext. 31.

■ “Sustainable & Scrumptious,” the sixth annual exhibit in the Food Glorious Food series presented by the Zenith Community Arts Foundation to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank, has been extended through March 6 at Chevy Chase Pavilion.

Located at 5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW, the pavilion is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 202-783-2963.

THEATER From Page 29 meet daily on a playground bench to hang on tight to being the women they are.

Performance times are 8 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts is located at 1556 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Admission is free, though reservations by e-mailing benchedtheplay@gmail.com are recommended.

Benchedtheplay.vpweb.com.

■ Catholic University will present “Requiem” Feb. 17 through 26 in the Hartke Studio.

Taking musical theater into uncharted territory, “Requiem” explores the power of grief.

Performance times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets cost $15; $8 for senior citizens and alumni; $5 for students.

Catholic University is located at 3801 Harewood Road NE. 202319-4000; drama.cua.edu.

■ Australia’s Circa will present “46 Circus Acts in 45 Minutes” Feb. 18 through 20 in the Kennedy Center’s Family Theater.

From clowns to contortionists to animals and acrobats, Circa gives audiences the circus without all the boring bits, according to a release.

Performance times are 7:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Saturday and 1:30 and 4 p.m.

Sunday. Tickets cost $18. 202-4674600; kennedy-center.org.

■ Georgetown University will present “The Glass Menagerie Project” Feb. 24 through March 27 in the Davis Performing Arts Center.

This re-envisioning of Tennessee Williams’ autobiographical play is presented as part of the Tennessee Williams Centennial Festival.

Performances are at 8 p.m. Feb. 24 through 26, March 17 through 19 and March 23 and 24; 2 p.m.

Feb. 27, March 20 and March 26.

Tickets cost $15 to $18; $12 to $15 for faculty, staff, alumni and seniors; and $7 to $10 for students.

The university is located at 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-3838; performingarts.georgetown.edu.

■ Studio Theatre will close an extended run of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s “Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet” Feb. 20.

Performance times are 8 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday; and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets cost $35 to $65. Studio Theatre is located at 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300; studiotheatre.org.

The Current

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 31

32 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

AT-LARGE From Page 5 of his youth.

But the forum forced Biddle and other candidates to depart from core messages. On an income-tax question, Biddle said any move toward a more progressive tax structure should be a very broad-based one. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pick some sky-high numberâ&#x20AC;? and think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to fix everything, he said in a jab at last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effort to raise taxes on those earning $250,000 and more.

Budget cuts are also crucial, noted lone Republican candidate Patrick Mara. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to look at

THE CURRENT reducing the salaries of top earnersâ&#x20AC;? and trimming the number of city employees, he said.

Mara, now a Ward 1 school board member, also touted his party affiliation as a boon in solid-blue D.C. A divided government is a more transparent one, he argued, promising to engage Republican leaders on Capitol Hill on the Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behalf.

But Mara said his platform differs sharply from that of typical conservatives, pointing out that he is a vocal supporter of gay marriage and smart growth. In fact, said Mara in a red-meat appeal to Greater Greater Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s readership, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t own a car. â&#x20AC;Ś You wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see my car

parked outside the Wilson Building.â&#x20AC;?

On another transportation matter, the crowded field perhaps allowed candidates to take more subtle positions than in earlier, smaller races. In last fallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mayoral election, noted former Ward 5 D.C. Council member Vincent Orange, the streetcar question became a political football.

But there needs to be more â&#x20AC;&#x153;balanceâ&#x20AC;? in discussing the streetcar, which will make more communities livable and walkable, Orange said.

Thursday evening saw Orange coming off the success of a midJanuary poll placing him ahead of Biddle and styling himself as a political veteran with mastery of city issues, particularly finances.

But a couple of misstatements have dogged Orange since the forum â&#x20AC;&#x201D; particularly in saying that the bag tax netted $17 million for city coffers; the total in fact was $2 million.

Joshua Lopez, a former advisory neighborhood commissioner and

erstwhile aide to former Mayor Adrian Fenty, took the opposite tack from Orange, presenting himself as an outsider with the â&#x20AC;&#x153;young voiceâ&#x20AC;? now missing on the council.

Lopez took a few positions dear to his former mentor, contending, for example, that â&#x20AC;&#x153;public-private partnershipsâ&#x20AC;? were key to increasing affordable housing in the city. But he also distinguished himself from Fenty, arguing for an income-tax hike on the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wealthiest, which Fenty avoided in office.

Lopez, a Ward 4 resident, also spoke about tactics against youth violence, which has increased even as overall crime has fallen.

A community activist with long experience in serving at-risk youth, former Adams Morgan advisory neighborhood commissioner Bryan Weaver said education is part of the issue as well. He noted that the school-reform movement has so far failed to push the best teachers to serve in the neediest schools.

timeless livability

& ! '! ! % !% " $ ! !" ! ! " ! " $ ! # % ! % " ! # ! % " ! # $ " $ ! $ !$ ! !" ! ! " !

*5,//(' &2:%2< 67($.

)HEUXDU\ FO\GHV FRP

&/<'( 6 5(67$85$17 *5283 &O\GH V RI *HRUJHWRZQ &ROXPELD 7\VRQV &RUQHU 5HVWRQ &KHY\ &KDVH 0DUN &HQWHU DQG *DOOHU\ 3ODFH 2OG (EELWW *ULOO 7RZHU 2DNV /RGJH 7KH 7RPDWR 3DODFH :LOORZ &UHHN )DUP

Weaver â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who recently announced that political heavyweight Minyon Moore, former political director for Bill Clinton, will chair his campaign â&#x20AC;&#x201D; used the forum to hammer his opposition to cozy insider wheeling and dealing, particularly in development matters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Politics is about improving peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives,â&#x20AC;? he said. But the D.C. Council is controlled by â&#x20AC;&#x153;wellplaced money within the city.â&#x20AC;?

Weaver said he therefore opposes tax abatements and other special concessions to developers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sort of throwing darts at a dartboardâ&#x20AC;? with such policies, he added, due to the lack of data on the dealsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efficacy.

Jacque Patterson, a Ward 8 resident who has worn a host of hats in the city, including advisory neighborhood commissioner and Historic Preservation Review Board member, said he, too, opposes tax abatements. But if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re allowed, he said, they â&#x20AC;&#x153;should go to economically distressed communities.â&#x20AC;?

One way to make the development process more transparent, added Patterson, who has been a vocal critic of the party establishmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backing of Biddle, is to move oversight of First Source hiring requirements to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development office.

Patterson also styled himself somewhat of a budget hawk, saying that he would have voted against last fallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fee-hiking budget. Instead, he said, he would have â&#x20AC;&#x153;focused on human services for cuts.â&#x20AC;?

Stanley Mayes disagreed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to see social services cut,â&#x20AC;? he said. Instead, â&#x20AC;&#x153;top earnersâ&#x20AC;? should help â&#x20AC;&#x153;people at the bottom.â&#x20AC;?

Mayes, a former advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 1 and a native Washingtonian, explained why that hometown status is desirable in an at-large council member. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know communities,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Unemployment is a chief concern of many of those groups, and Mayes had two suggestions to nudge that rate southward: run a better summer-jobs program and begin vocational training in middle school.

Alan Page, a D.C. Statehood Green Party member, won the most audience smiles with wisecracks during the already lighthearted forum. He took a risk with the smart-growth crowd, however, with a pledge to cut fraud and waste â&#x20AC;&#x201D; where transit lines for Metrobus and the Circulator overlap, for example.

But a streetcar, Page said later, would be good for all Washingtonians.

Page, a Ward 6 resident and attorney, brought strong rhetoric to a statehood question, calling it the â&#x20AC;&#x153;2011 extension of the civil rights struggle,â&#x20AC;? and comparing disenfranchised residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plight with that of protesting Egyptians.

Like other candidates, Page identified education as a top priority. The reasons for his advocacy, he said, begin at home with his 7-year-old daughter. The next few years will be crucial for her generation, he said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at a crossroads.â&#x20AC;?

WWW.CURRENTNEWSPAPERS.COM

THE CURRENT

THE CURRENT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011 33

Service Directory

â&#x2DC;&#x17D; 202/244-7223 (FAX) 202/363-9850

CLEANING SERVICES

THE CURRENT NEWSPAPERS

Cabinet Work

Service Directory Department 5185 MacArthur Blvd. N.W., Suite 102, Washington, D.C. 20016 The Current Service Directory is a unique way for local businesses to reach Northwest Washington customers effectively. No matter how small or large your business, if you are in business to provide service, The Current Service Directory will work for you.

Categories listed in this issue Air Conditioning Cabinet Work Carpet Cleaning Chimney Services Cleaning Services Electrical Services Floor Services Handyman Hauling

Home Improvement Home Services Iron Work Kitchens & Baths Landscaping Lawn Care Locksmith

Painting Plumbing Roofing Tree Services

Carpentry

Windows Windows & Doors

Masonry

AD ACCEPTANCE POLICY The Current Newspapers reserves the right to reject any advertising or advertising copy at any time for any reason.

In any event, the advertiser assumes liability for the content of all advertising copy printed and agrees to hold the Current Newspapers harmless from all claims arising from printed material made against any Current Newspaper.

The Current Newspapers shall not be liable for any damages or loss that might occur from errors or omissions in any advertisement in excess of the amount charged for the advertisement. In the event of non-publication of any ad or copy, no liability shall exist on the part of the Current Newspaper except that no charge shall be made for the a For information about the licensing of any particular business in Washington, D.C., please call the District Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs at (202) 442-4311. The department's website is www.dcra.dc.gov.

FLOORING SERVICES

63(&,$/,=,1* ,1

Expert Floors Call 301-570-5700 (office) Call 301-461-4305 (direct) ExpertFloors@AOL.com

CABINET WORK

+DUGZRRG ,QVWDOODWLRQ 6DQGLQJ DQG 5HILQLVKLQJ &DUSHW DQG 7LOH

Electrical Services

! Free Estimates ! /LF ,QV

HANDYMAN

Handyman WOMEN

OW N E D A N D O P E R AT E D F O R OV E R

20

YEARS

DESIGNCRAFT WOODWORKING Specializing in designing, building and installing custom cabinetwork, decorative mouldings and kitchen cabinets, and home modifications for the elderly www.dcwoodwork.com â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 301-879-8795 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; D C WO O DWO R K @ C O M C A S T. N E T

Cabinet Maker

27 years experience, all types of custom wood work, book shelves, built-ins, entertainment centers etc.

Call Jeff @ 301-352-4214 or 202-841-6613.

CLEANING SERVICES Serving Northwest DC / Chevy Chase / Bethesda

Trained, Bonded & Insured Personnel SINCE 1979

$20 OFF

Green Cleaning for Healthy Living Call for Free Phone Estimate

301-946-5500

www.maidbrigade.com

FIRST CLEAN With This Coupon (New Clients Only, Please) Offer Expires 12/31/10

THE CURRENT

+$1'<0$1

&$// )(51$1'2

Capital Building & Restoration CARPENTRY â&#x20AC;˘ MASONRY â&#x20AC;˘ PLUMBING CHIMNEY SERVICE â&#x20AC;˘ ELECTRICAL INTERIOR/EXTERIOR PAINTING RESIDENTIAL â&#x20AC;˘ COMMERCIAL 30 years experienice

202-391-1766 301-588-1739

JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL NoREFERENCES PROVIDED

Paint â&#x20AC;˘ Carpentry â&#x20AC;˘ Drywall Electric â&#x20AC;˘ Plumbing â&#x20AC;˘ Kitchen Remodeling Bathroom Renovations Basement Finishing â&#x20AC;˘ Home Maintenance Tile & Flooring Installation GREAT SERVICE GUARANTEED

Somethingâ&#x20AC;?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;AlwaysHandyman Services To Do List

Say You Saw it in

THE CURRENT

X

X No Job Too Small X Very Reliable

X Carpentry X Drywall Repairs Caulking X Light Electrical & Plumbing X Deck Repairs X Storm Doors X Ceiling Fans X General Repairs X Some Assembly Required 703-217 6697 / 703 217 9116 Licensed Chris Stancil Insured

Always Something Inc.

34 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

THE CURRENT

THE CURRENT

Service Directory

WWW.CURRENTNEWSPAPERS.COM

â&#x2DC;&#x17D; 202/244-7223 (FAX) 202/363-9850 Handyman

LANDSCAPING

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Comprehensive Design & Maintenance Services

Thomas Designs and Construction, Inc. Quality Renovations and Improvements â&#x20AC;˘ Interior Renovations â&#x20AC;˘ Kitchens / Baths â&#x20AC;˘ Porches / Sunrooms â&#x20AC;˘ Finished Basements

Free Estimates Licenses in DC, MD and VA.

Patios â&#x20AC;˘ Rooftop Gardens â&#x20AC;˘ Formal & Informal Gardens â&#x20AC;˘ Retaining Walls â&#x20AC;˘ Walkways Lighting â&#x20AC;˘ Restoration & enhancement

â&#x20AC;˘ Additions â&#x20AC;˘ Decks â&#x20AC;˘ Garages â&#x20AC;˘ In-Law Suites

Thomas Landscapes

redefining beauty, one client at a time DEREK THOMAS/PRINCIPAL Certified Professional horticulturist, member APLD

301-642-5182 See our portfolio at: www.thomaslandscapes.com

Tenleytown

703-752-1614 www.thomas-designs.com

Lawn & Landscape & Quality Masonry

Marathon General Contractors

â&#x20AC;˘ Kitchen & Bath Remodeling â&#x20AC;˘ Additions, Decks, Patios â&#x20AC;˘ Painting and Wall Covering Lic/Bonded/Ins â&#x20AC;˘ Finished Basements â&#x20AC;˘ Carpentry & Tiles 301-814-8855 / 301-260-7549

Foley Homes THE KEY TO YOUR REMODELING NEEDS

Maintenance Agreements â&#x20AC;˘ Core Aeration & Over Seeding â&#x20AC;˘ Grading Sod â&#x20AC;˘ Driveways â&#x20AC;˘ Retaining Walls â&#x20AC;˘ Stone & Brick Work Snow Removal Fully Insured â&#x20AC;˘ Year-Round Service www.Tenleytownlawn.com or mail: tenleytown@comcast.net

F

202- 362-3383

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

General Contractor â&#x20AC;˘ Handyman Services Design/Build â&#x20AC;˘ New Construction â&#x20AC;˘ Remodeling

Complete Yard Maintenance

Call JosĂŠ Carbajal 301-417-0753 301-370-7008

Licensed â&#x20AC;˘ Bonded â&#x20AC;˘ Insured (CELL) 202-281-6767 â&#x20AC;˘ (OFFICE) 703-248-0808 foley.homes@comcast.net

Design â&#x20AC;˘ Construction â&#x20AC;˘ Enhancement

Remodeling â&#x20AC;˘ Additions â&#x20AC;˘ Kitchens/Baths â&#x20AC;˘ Complete Basement Renovation Sun Rooms â&#x20AC;˘ Decks â&#x20AC;˘ Patios â&#x20AC;˘ Restoration â&#x20AC;˘ Custom Millwork

K.J. Elsaesser Painter Carpenter Handyman

25 years experience Owner operated Available 7days a week

301-418-0030

RAMOS CONSTRUCTION â&#x20AC;˘ Weatherizing â&#x20AC;˘ Carpentry & painting â&#x20AC;˘ Roofing â&#x20AC;˘ Plumbing No job too small, references available

Call Victor

at 301-996-5541

Hauling

APPALOOSA CONTRACTORS Drainage Problems â&#x20AC;˘ Timber â&#x20AC;˘ Walls â&#x20AC;˘ Flagstone â&#x20AC;˘ Walkways â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ Patios â&#x20AC;˘ Fencing Landscape Design & Installation â&#x20AC;˘ Tree Service

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; With The Boss Always On The Job â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

LICENSED â&#x20AC;˘ BONDED â&#x20AC;˘ INSURED

ANGEL S TREES AND TRASH REMOVAL BRUSH â&#x20AC;˘ BRANCHES â&#x20AC;˘ YARD DEBRIS ALL FURNITURE â&#x20AC;˘ APPLIANCES BASEMENT/GARAGE CLEANING

WWW.ANGELTREESLANDSCAPING-HAULING.COM

Call 301-947-6811 or 301-908-1807 For FREE Estimate

301-486-0001

30 years Experience â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Licensed & Insured â&#x20AC;&#x201D; MD Tree Expert #385

MASONRY

IRON WORK ÂŽ SUBURBAN WELDING COMPANY COMPANY SUBURBAN WELDING ÂŽ

WELDING & ORNAMENTAL IRON WORK â&#x20AC;˘ Repair & replacement of DC-style iron work of cast ironfor staircases and fences â&#x20AC;˘ Repairs Replacement parts cast iron staircases (new & used) â&#x20AC;˘ HAND RAILINGS: Step Rails, Porch Rails, Custom Hand Railing â&#x20AC;˘ Window Security Bars & Door Security Gates. â&#x20AC;˘ Tree box fences â&#x20AC;˘ Property fences & sidewalk gates â&#x20AC;˘ Fire & escapes (inspections & repairs) â&#x20AC;˘ Mini-excavating Backhoe Service, Tree Stump Grinding. â&#x20AC;˘ WELDING REPAIRSâ&#x20AC;˘ Certified welding

24 Hours â&#x20AC;˘ 7 Days A Week â&#x20AC;˘ Free Estimates

703-765-9344 www.suburbanweldingcompany.com

KITCHENS & BATHS

H: 703-582-3709 â&#x20AC;˘ Cell: 703-863-1086

Leaf and Snow Removal

P. MULLINS CONCRETE All Types of Concrete Driveways â&#x20AC;˘ Sidewalks â&#x20AC;˘ Floors / Slabs Wheelchair Ramps â&#x20AC;˘ Retaining Walls Step Repair/ New Steps â&#x20AC;˘ Brickpointing

Paul Mullins 202-270-8973 F re e E s t i m a t e s â&#x20AC;˘ F u l l y I n s u re d

'HVLJQHU 4XDOLW\ 5HPRGHOLQJ ² &RQWUDFWRU 3ULFH 6HH 2XU &RPSOHWH %DWKURRP 6KRZURRP DW &RQQHFWLFXW $YH 1 : :DVKLQJWRQ ' & %$7+ Â&#x2021; ZZZ %DWK([SUHVV FRP %DWK([SUHVV LV D 'LYLVLRQ RI 7KH .LWFKHQ *XLOG ZKHUH ZHŇ&#x2039;YH EHHQ GHVLJQLQJ DQG EXLOGLQJ EHDXWLIXO EDWKURRPV DQG NLWFKHQV VLQFH

THE CURRENT

â&#x20AC;˘ Stone/Brick Flagstone Retaining Walls Repointing â&#x20AC;˘ Concrete Driveways Sidewalks Exposed Aggregate â&#x20AC;˘ Leaky Basements Sump Pumps Water proofing $200 off Custom Patio Design & Installation

Locksmith

CALL PETER

202-468-8600 Also: Bobcat Work â&#x20AC;˘ Hot Tubs/Pools â&#x20AC;˘ Excavation Demo/ Hauling â&#x20AC;˘ Residential/Commercial DCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s #1 resource for repair and restoration

No job too small

THE CURRENT

WWW.CURRENTNEWSPAPERS.COM

THE CURRENT

THE CURRENT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011 35

Service Directory MASONRY

â&#x2DC;&#x17D; 202/244-7223 (FAX) 202/363-9850

PLUMBING

Painting

Stone and Brick, New and Repair, Walks, Walls, Patios, Fireplaces, housefronts, hauling and bobcat work.

Historic Restoration Specialist RJ, Cooley 301-540-3127 Licensed & Insured

Free Estimates

PAINTING

TENLEYTOWN ENLEYTOWN PAINTING AINTING â&#x20AC;&#x153;We grew up in your neighborhood â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ask your neighbors about us.â&#x20AC;?

Bonded â&#x20AC;˘ Insured â&#x20AC;˘ Since 1980

Interior/Exterior Painting Power Washing â&#x20AC;˘ Deck Cleaning Gutter Cleaning â&#x20AC;˘ General Carpentry 202.244.2325

ROOFING

PA I N T I N G

Roofing

ONE FREE ROOM WITH THIS AD

C.K. McConkey & Sons, Inc.

I NTERIOR/E XTERIOR P AINTING â&#x20AC;˘ R ESIDENTIAL/C OMMERCIAL â&#x20AC;˘ D RYWALL â&#x20AC;˘ PLASTER TAPING â&#x20AC;˘ WALLPAPER REMOVAL â&#x20AC;˘ PRESSURE WASHING â&#x20AC;˘ CARPENTRY

Vallinas & Sons Painting

240-425-7309 MD,VA,DC,NY 301-519-3859

John A. Maroulis Painting Company 301-649-1097

â&#x20AC;˘ Interior & Exterior â&#x20AC;˘ Plastering â&#x20AC;˘ Drywall QUALITY isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t our goal, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our STANDARD!

10% OFF WITH THIS AD! Serving Your Neighborhood Since 1979 LIC.# 23799 / Bonded / Insured

Paint&Stain

/LFHQVHG &RQWUDFWRU Â&#x2021; ,QWHULRU DQG ([WHULRU 3DLQWLQJ Â&#x2021; &XVWRP 3DLQWLQJ Â&#x2021; 'U\ZDOO 5HSDLU Â&#x2021; &DUSHW DQG +DUGZRRG ,QVWDOODWLRQ Â&#x2021; &HUDPLF 7LOH ,QVWDOODWLRQ 5HSDLU Â&#x2021; 3RZHU :DVKLQJ Â&#x2021; 3OXPELQJ Â&#x2021; 3URSHUW\ 0DLQWHQDQFH Â&#x2021; %DWKURRP 5HPRGHOLQJ

20 years in business in the metro area

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stopping Leaks-Our Specialtyâ&#x20AC;?

Flat Roofs â&#x20AC;˘ Roof Coating â&#x20AC;˘ SLate Repairs Shingle Repairs â&#x20AC;˘ Insurance Work â&#x20AC;˘ Gutters & Downspots Skylights â&#x20AC;˘ Chimney Repairs â&#x20AC;˘ Metal Roofing FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED FOR OVER 50 YEARS

301-277-5667 â&#x20AC;˘ 202-363-5577

See Our Ad with Special Discounts on Page 7

GUTTERS

Seamless Gutters Experts Gutters & Downspouts Repairs & Cleaning All Types of Roofing

ckmcconkey@verizon.net

202.637.8808

TW Roofing and Gutters

Licensed, Bonded & Insured

ALL TYPES OF ROOFING â&#x20AC;˘ NEW INSTALLATION AND REPAIRS â&#x20AC;˘ GUTTER CLEANING AND REPLACEMENT ALL YOUR PAINTING NEEDS â&#x20AC;˘ NO JOB TOO SMALL â&#x20AC;˘ DEAL DIRECTLY WITH OWNER â&#x20AC;˘ LIC. & INSURED. FREE ESTIMATES

202-520-1159 Tree Services

(;&(//(17 5()(5(1&(6 Â&#x2021; )5(( (67,0$7(6 Â&#x2021; /,&(16(' ,1685('

Â&#x2021; FHOO

,QWHULRU ([WHULRU &XVWRP 3DLQWLQJ ,QWHULRU ([WHULRU 5HVLGHQWLDO &RPPHUFLDO 3URPSW Â&#x2021; &RXUWHRXV Â&#x2021; 3URIHVVLRQDO ´3DLQWLQJ <RXU :RUOG %HDXWLIXOÂľ 3URIHVVLRQDO 3UHSDUDWLRQ 3URIHVVLRQDO $SSOLFDWLRQ 3URIHVVLRQDO 5HVXOWV &DOO WRGD\ IRU D )5(( HVWLPDWH

:KHHOHU $YH $OH[DQGULD 9$

%5$1&+(6 75(( (;3(576

Billâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handyman Service

roofing, gutters, painting and waterproofing

New Seamless Gutters Starting at $6.50 a foot

Commercial & Residential Senior & Government Discounts Licensed & Insured 25 Years Experience

202-629-0292 1-800-257-9434

THE CURRENT

,QVHFW 'LVHDVH 'LDJQRVLV 7UHDWPHQW 7UHH 6KUXE )HUWLOL]DWLRQ UHH 5HPRYDO Â&#x2021; 3UXQLQJ Â&#x2021; 3ODQWLQJ Â&#x2021; 5RRW 3UXQLQJ &RQVXOWLQJ Â&#x2021; 7UHH 3URWHFWLRQ 3ODQV

1o% OFF in JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2O11

XXX #SBODIFT5SFF&YQFSUT DPN

10% off with this ad

/LFHQVHG ,QVXUHG

THE CURRENT

D

36 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

F

Service Directory

THE CURRENT

☎ 202/244-7223 (FAX) 202/363-9850

From Page 1

ROOFING

TREE SERVICES

Tree Removal is Our #1 Specialty Firewood • Crane Service Available

Licensed Tree Expert / Member National Arbor Day Foundation

Family Owned & Operated 30 Years Experience!

WE DO IT ALL

RUBBER ROOFS FLAT ROOFS SLATE ROOFS METAL ROOFS SHINGLE ROOFING

WATER PROOFING LEAK REPAIRS GUTTER REPAIRS CHIMNEY REPAIRS ROOF COATING

• References • Fast Service • Insured • Serving NW DC Since 1986

Charlie Seek 301-585-9612 WINDOWS & DOORS

Licensed, Insured & Bonded • DC LIC. NO 5038

NO JOB TOO SMALL!!

202-637-8808 “Stopping Leaks is Our Specialty”

¦«¬ ¤¤ ¬¡§¦ ª ¯ ª ¤ ²¡¦ y¦ ~¡¦¡« « }«¬f iqpq

|§§ª ¦ ¡¦ §¯ «¬§ª ¬¡§¦ y¦ ¨ª§ ­ ¬¡§¦

S P E C I A L I Z I N G I N A S P H A LT R O O F C O AT I N G

JHI CONTRACTING

ROOFING

• Rubber Roofs • Slate & Tile

• Shingles • Metal • Slag • All Types of Gutter Installations DC License # 3044 Licensed/Bonded/Insured

Member BBB

Serving Washington, D.C. Since 1992

• Skylights • Tuckpointing • Waterproofing • Insurance Work

• Roof Coatings • Chimney Repair

Free Estimates Speak directly with owner John

202-528-2877

Renew Restoration, Inc. Historic Window & Door Restoration ✴✴

301-855-1913 ✴ ✴

Energy Efficient Windows Replication, Weather-Stripping Glass, Painting, Storm Windows See Our historic resume at: www.renewrestoration.com

WINDOWS & DOORS

WINDOW WASHERS, ETC...

Celebrating 15 years

RESIDENTIAL SPECIALISTS

SERVING UPPER N.W.

Family ROOFING

We Take Pride in Our Quality Work!

Over 50 years Experience • Featured on HGTV

202-276-5004

www.FamilyRoofingLLC.com • Serving DC & Surrounding Areas • Member NRCA

FreeEstimates Emergency Service Competitive Low Costs

Experts in: Slate and Flat Roofs Gutters Roof Coatings Shingles and Copper Member BBB Lic. Bonded Insured

202-337-0351 In the heart of the Palisades since 1993

Residential Specialists Windows • Gutters • Power Washing DC • MD • VA

F R E E E ST IM AT E S

Fully Bonded & Insured

IWCA

Member, International Window Cleaning Association • In the heart of the Palisades since 1993

Advertising in

THE CURRENT gets results!

Say You Saw it in

THE CURRENT

JELLEFF

Call now to get your business promoted:

202-244-7223

The Boys & Girls Clubs did not respond to questions by deadline.

The new solicitation will be altered “to account for issues raised in the protest,” the attorney general’s letter reads.

One change will broaden the definition of “previous experience” to include past performance outside of official contracts.

The Friends of Jelleff, a group comprised of the site’s former board of directors, was penalized during the initial bidding process for its lack of contracting work. But group president Marshall Bykofsky said in an earlier interview that the organization has been “providing [youth] services for over 20 years with a balanced budget.”

The new solicitation will also allow money received through fundraising or other “alternate revenue sources” to be considered in the city’s contracting process.

That change could also help the Friends of Jelleff, which had submitted two proposals for the contract that covers year-round academic and non-academic programming for D.C. youth. One bid was for $60,000 annually, and one would cost nothing, thanks to private donations.

But the revamped process does not mean that the Friends group is a shoo-in. After an internal review late last year led to the change-up in Columbia Heights but kept the status quo in Georgetown, a contracting office representative said the Friends’ bid had several shortcomings — in categories left unchanged by the attorney general’s letter.

“Program design” and “performance measures” were lacking, he said.

The city’s move is a gratifying one, Bykofsky wrote in an e-mail to The Current, but details remain to be worked out. The Friends group is “hopeful that this procurement will be conducted in a more reasonable and professional manner than its predecessor,” he wrote.

“Whichever can do the best job should get the award,” Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans said in an interview, noting the facility’s importance to the ward and the city at large.

Advisory neighborhood commissioner Charlie Eason, whose single-member district includes Jelleff, said a fresh start is the fair choice. And the site’s success over the years is due in part to the “dedication of its volunteer board,” whose bid offered significant savings, Eason noted.

Though the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington began its city contract only this year, the group has been in charge of the site, formerly a clubhouse, for years.

But the nonprofit fell on hard times and announced in 2007 that it would close four clubhouses, including Jelleff. City officials struck a bargain in late 2009 to buy three of the sites for $20 million over five years.

WWW.CURRENTNEWSPAPERS.COM

THE CURRENT

THE CURRENT

Classified Ads

Antiq. & Collectibles

Cleaning Services

CHAIR CANING

HOUSECLEANING WEEKLY and Biweekly. DC and MD. Free Estimate 240-351-3548. Great references.

Seat Weaving – All types

Cane * Rush * Danish * Wicker Repairs * Reglue References

email: chairsandseats@aol.com

STEVE YOUNG • 202-966-8810

Autos Wanted WANTED:DONATED CAR for BEST available IRS tax deduction. For established charity to give to family in need.

No major mechanical problems. (202) 364-0705

Child Care Available FT NANNY avail.. Loving, caring energetic, mature. Good w/ newborns & toddlers. Very patient w/ children. CPR Cert. 8 yrs exp., good ref’s., own car French/Eng. spkng Call 240-477-5028.

NANNY AVAILABLE Full Time. Our family is moving - Pamela is highly recommended by us and other families she's worked for. She's responsible, trustworthy,great with educational toys and activities. Loves children and speaks good english. Contact current family: mmsohn@yahoo.com 202.375.0867; Pamela:301-891-0001 The Little Red Playschool Is accepting 3 year olds for a new 3 day/week program on Tue.,Wed. & Thurs. mornings, 9:30-12:30. Call barbara at 202-537-5192 for more info or www.littleredplayschool.com Facebook: Little Red Playschool

Child Care Wanted BETHESDA FAMILY seeking PT nanny/housekeeper for afternoon care of 3 children (ages 5, 5, 9) and light housekeeping. Experienced, loving, responsible, own transportation, good references, legal, nonsmoker. After school pick-up, carpool, homework help, meals, laundry. T W Th 2-6/7 pm. 301-404-1732.

HIRING PT nanny/housekeeper to care for 2 girls (3 and 4 yo) and to maintain home. Hours T-F 1:15-6:15.

Occasional extra hours. Must be legal, non-smoker, good driving record.

(202) 413-5836.

Call Michael for estimate: 202-486-3145 www.computeroo.net

Our customers recommend us Mario & Estella: 703-798-4143

OUR HOUSEKEEPER of 7yrs. available Tues, Wed, Thurs;8-6:30@ $125/day. Spanish speaking, trustworthy,great with kids, Spring Valley, AU Park, Tenley, Gtown. (202) 329-4558

Commercial Space-Rent/Sale Sunny Offices for Rent Small office suite overlooking Connecticut Avenue, near Dupont Circle. Two rooms, approximately 500 square feet, with lots of windows.

Perfect for small organization or non-profit. Available March 1, $1500 per month includes utilities. Parking available for $200 addl.

Call: Jim (202)232-2995.

New Computer? iPod? Digital Camera?

NW DC resident with adult training background will teach you to use the Internet, e-mail, Windows, Microsoft Word, numerous other programs, or other electronic devices. Help with purchase and setup available. Mac experience. Call Brett Geranen at (202) 486-6189.

ComputerTutorDC@gmail.com

Nationally Certified Expert Can make your Windows PC run noticeably faster and more reliably. Additionally, hardware and software upgrades available at no markup. Fixed $125 fee. Your satisfaction guaranteed. Scott at 202-296-0405.

Handyman

Help Wanted

Personal Services

PARISH ADMINISTRATOR St. David’s, Washington (www.stdavidsdc.org) is seeking a full-time (32-40 hours/week) Parish Administrator. Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, Quark Express or Publisher (or similar) required.

Responsible for weekly bulletins, monthly newsletter, budget oversight, and management of buildings and grounds. Familiarity with Episcopal Church a plus. Salary based on experience with benefits package, paid annual and sick leave, plus Federal holidays. Submit resume and cover letter to: robindodge@starpower.net.

Around Tuit, LLC Professional Organizing Organizing your closets, basement, attic, garage, playroom, kitchen, home office, and more!

202-489-3660 www.getaroundtuitnow.com

Recommended in May ‘03,‘04 ‘05

“Washingtonian Magazine”

Handy Hank Services SERVICES: • Carpentry • Painting Int/Ext • Gutters/Downspouts • Drywall/Plaster Repairs • Light Rehab – Tile Installation • Flooring – Wood/Tile

Established 1990 Excellent Local References

Call Today 202-675-6317 Hauling/Trash Removal

Bulk Trash Low VPery ric Pick Up es • Sofas as low as $15.00 • Appliances as low as $25.00 • Yards, basement & attic clean-up • Monthly contracts available

Cleaning Services

Junk Removal

A DEDICATED, honest woman needs to work one day a week. Please call Rosario 703-581-0769.

Commercial and Residential Serving NW DC Since 1987

240-876-8763

CONTINENTAL MOVERS

301-984-5908 • 202 438-1489 www.continentalmovers.net

TUIT

Cheryl’s Organizing Concepts +RPH 6PDOO %XVLQHVV 2UJDQL]LQJ 3DSHUZRUN 0DQDJHPHQW +HOS ZLWK KRPH RUJDQL]LQJ SDSHUZRUN PDQDJHPHQW ([SHULHQFHG 5HIHUHQFHV 0HPEHU 1$32 %RQHGHG ,QVXUHG $OO ZRUN FRQILGHQWLDO

10%off1stappointmentwhenyoumentionthisad!

ZZZ FKHU\OVRUJDQL]LQJ FRP _

Pets Housing for Rent (Apts) AU / Cathedral Area

Mike’s Hauling Service

Extra Clean House Cleaning Service Weekly • Bi-Weekly • Monthly Free Estimates • References We clean from top to bottom Call Solange, 240-460-2700

Free 10 boxes Local-Long Distance • Great Ref’s

Idaho Terrace Apts – 3040 Idaho Ave, NW

• Sash Cords, Glass, Wood Rot, Blinds • Doors, Locks, Mail-Slots, Shelves • Decks, Steps, Banisters & Moulding • Carpentry, Tub Caulking & Safety Bars • Furniture Assembly & Art Hanging 23 years experience

Moving/Hauling

Massage, stretching by CMT for • Neck/back pain • Injury rehab • Relaxation.

7dys/wk till 11pm.

17th/Kal NW. Tim 202.957.1559

Your Neighborhood

Donald Davidson 202-744-3647 Computers

Health

HANDYMAN

202-635-7860

WE ARE looking for a responsible, loving nanny for our two sons, ages 4 and 6, in Cleveland Park. Hours would be after school, from 11:30 am to 6:00 pm on Mondays and Fridays, and from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

We could add hours before school if desired. We will pay $15-$18 per hour, with paid sick leave and vacation time.

Applicants must have excellent references, must drive, and must be legal.

Please email florence.pan@verizon.net or call 202-276-1184.

Computer problems solved, control pop-ups & spam, upgrades, tune-up, DSL / Cable modem, network, wireless, virus recovery etc.

Friendly service, home or business. Best rates.

MGL CLEANING SERVICE

Good References, Free Estimates

☎ 202/244-7223 (FAX) 202/363-9850 E-mail: Classified@Currentnewspapers.com

Computers

HOUSECLEANING, QUALITY service at fair prices with great reference and excellent work. Satisfaction guaranteed. Free Estimate. Call Kathy at 703-998-5338.

Experienced Husband & Wife Team Licensed Bonded, Insured

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011 37

Studios $950-$1,100 1 BR: 1395 All utilities included. Sec. Dep. $250 Controlled entry system.

Metro bus at front door.

Reserved parking.

Office Hours: M-F, 9-5

202-363-6600

Vista Management Co.

Housing To Share GTOWN/GLOVER PK -Female non smoker, professional/student, share spacious house near bus, univ.w/d $730.00 plus 1/3 utils. 202-337-1308.

ADOPT CATS! Rescued locally. Cute, sweet, playful.

Spayed/neutered.

202-746-9682 or rockcreekcats@yahoo.com Cat Care Services Providing loving, attentive care for your cat(s) while you are away by doing more than just cleaning the box & filling the bowl.

• Over 15 years experience.

• Am/pm & weekend visits • Short term & long term.

Will also take care of other small indoor pets, water plants & bring in mail. References available upon request. Great rates! Located in The Palisades. catcaresvcs@yahoo.com call 703-868-3038

Dog Boarding

Instruction

Susan Mcconnell’s Loving Pet Care.

• Mid-day Walks • Home visits • Personal Attention

Cooking Classes Glover Park/ Burleith

202-966-3061

Simple, delicious, everyday vegetarian cooking.

Eat dinner first, then learn how to make it!

Dogsitter/ Dog Daycare

Personalized daycare and overnight petsitting in my home. Lots of care, walks and park time.

Good references.

Contact Juliette @ healthylivinginc@earthlink.net www.healthylivinginc.org

Tops in Tutoring Aileen M. Solomon, M. Ed. Reading Specialist, K-9 (Comprehension, Phonics Spelling, Vocabulary, Writing)

25 yrs. in pub./Ind. Schools.

Amsolomo@gmail.com (202)368-7670

Pets [202] 277-2566 PO Box 25058 Washington, DC 20027 jule@julespetsitting.com www.julespetsitting.com

THE CURRENT

202-328-8244

J ULE’S Petsitting Services, Inc. Setting the Standard for Excellence in Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Since 1991

• Mid Day Dog Walks • Kitty Visits • In-Home Overnight Pet Sitting and other Pet Care Services • Insured and Bonded

38 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

THE CURRENT

THE CURRENT

Classified Ads

Pets

Professional Services

Upholstery

General office/clerical assistance After hours (5:30-8:30). Ideally suited for the busy executive working from home. Able to assist with filing, organizing documents, Accounts Payable, organization. etc.

Reasonable Rates • Palisades Area Please call Ann at 202.352.1235.

We will tackle your To-Do List So that you can spend time on the more important things in your life.

Contact us for a free consolation: 202-407-9137 wwwJobsAroundTheCorner.com.

Windows

Ace Window Cleaning Window Cleaning, Lic., Bonded, Ins. 25 years exp., working owners assure quality. many local references.

301-300-0196 Yard/Moving/Bazaar

FAB KITTENS: “Fritzi,” grey/white male; “Mitzi,” all grey female; “Sweetboy,” grey-white, dreamboat. Extra toes. Pix. 202-244-0556

THE CURRENT

THE CURRENT

NW REDUCED PRICES! Sat Feb 19 10 - 2 Selected Jewelry, Blouses, Skirts, Jackets, Sweaters!

The Shops at Ingleside 3050 Military Rd, NW 202-363-8310 X2017

Public Notice The National Park Service (NPS) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in conjunction with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Kennedy Center), will hold a public scoping meeting to share information and invite comments on the proposed Kennedy Center/Potomac River Pedestrian Access Improvement Project. Under the proposal, FHWA would provide pedestrian access between the Kennedy Center River Terrace and the Potomac Riverfront in Washington, DC; providing a direct link between the Kennedy Center and the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Trail, which is administered by the NPS. The purpose of the project is to improve access between the Kennedy Center River Terrace to the Potomac Riverfront. The action is needed because physical barriers and safety concerns currently discourage pedestrian traffic between these two resources.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the NPS and FHWA are preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) to identify alternatives and assess the potential impacts of the proposal. Concurrently, the agencies will conduct consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). As part of this process, an informational meeting will be held in an “Open House” format that will include a brief presentation about the project. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. NPS and FHWA staff will be on hand to visit with you and answer questions. The location, time, and date are presented below: February 22, 2011 Open House: 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Presentation: 6:30 p.m.

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20566 Comment sheets will be provided at the meeting; in addition, a court reporter will be available to transcribe oral comments submitted during the open house portion of the scoping meeting. Only written comments, or oral comments transcribed by the court reporter will be accepted during this meeting. If you need special accommodations or language assistance services (translation or interpretation) please contact Joel Gorder, (202) 619-7405, or Joel_Gorder@nps.gov, at least four days in advance of the meeting. These services will be provided free of charge.

A 30-day public scoping period will be opened from February 14, 2011 to March 14, 2011. During this time, the public is invited to comment on the proposed action, and identify potential issues or concerns for consideration in the EA. Interested parties are also invited to participate in accordance with Section 106 of the NHPA. You may submit comments electronically at the NPS's Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/NAMA). Written comments may be mailed to: Greenhorne & O'Mara Attn: Alexis Morris 810 Gleneagles Ct Suite 106 Baltimore, MD 21286 Mailed comments must be postmarked by March 14, 2011 to receive consideration.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment - including your personal identifying information - may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Once the EA is developed, it will be made available on the project website and at public libraries for public review for a 30-day period. If you wish to be added to the park's mailing list for this or other announcements, please be sure to indicate that in your response.

DISPATCHES From Page 25 grade teacher, Mr. DeWitt, during morning prayer. We have been reading about famous AfricanAmerican people.

The fifth grade is making a quilt. The first- and third-/fourthgraders are making a quilt, too.

So far we have made a timeline of events in the civil rights era. Each group will pick an event for the quilt. So far we have learned about the Greensboro sit-ins, the story of Ruby Bridges, the March on Washington in 1963 and Rosa Parks. I hope I get Rosa Parks and the bus boycotts. I like Black History Month.

— Alex Kennison, third-grader

St. John’s College High School St. John’s has a strong Christian service program that was in full gear this week. The sophomores and juniors went on class retreats focused on calming the whole person: body, mind and soul. Students had fun learning from one another and from guest speakers.

The applications for the summer service projects are due Friday. There are two weeklong trips being offered in July through St. John’s and the Young Neighbors in Action group. One group will travel to Newark, N.J., and one will stay here in Washington.

Both trips are part of a larger assembly of schools from all over the East Coast. The D.C. section is new to the program. Participating students will provide a variety of services to the community while experiencing the area’s culture.

This is a “wonderful, enriching experience for the St. John’s students,” said Ms. Kernich, director of Christian service.

— Emmett Cochetti, ninth-grader

School Without Walls This was the National School Counseling Week. There were activities every day of the week.

Monday was “Wear Sneakers to School” Day, and many teachers participated enthusiastically.

Thursday was the other dress-up day, for which everyone was supposed to wear gear from his or her favorite (or in the case of seniors, future) college or university.

There were meetings for two new clubs this past week.

Mr. Jones held an interest meeting for an Economics Club, which is geared toward future investors or entrepreneurs. He led this club last year, and it was very successful. At the end of the year, all the members made proposals for new businesses and went down to Florida to present them.

The student whose proposal was the best got a prize.

Mr. Ambrosio held an interest meeting for lacrosse. The school can start a girls team and a boys

team, but only if enough dedicated students come out. If all goes well, Mr. Ambrosio will coach the boys team, and Ms. Kennedy, the girls. In the spring, the teams will play Wilson and various private schools.

Speaking of sports, the ski team returned, after having acquitted itself well over the weekend. It is now preparing for the final trip of the season, the championship.

— Lillian Audette, 12th-grader

Stoddert Elementary Our two third-grade classes, Ms. Chatalian’s and Ms. Choi’s, took a field trip to the National Building Museum to learn about architecture. We got there by school bus, and when we arrived, we were put into groups. We were going to learn about city planning, and that meant learning about modeling a city with factories, train stations, airports, residential buildings and commercial places.

I created a factory. It seemed interesting to me. I thought I could build it well. I used pipe cleaners, cardboard boxes and tubes. It turned out well. My factory had a smokestack with smoke coming out and windmills.

I chose to build an apartment building in a residential area of the city. I wanted to make a building that would hold the most people. I had two towers with a bridge between them, so people could go back and forth. My building also had a restaurant on the top floor so people could easily get food. I made my building out of cotton balls, cardboard, tubes and pipe cleaners.

In the end, we got to place our buildings on a large blank map of a city. We knew not to put factories next to apartment houses. We had to think ahead about placement of commercial and industrial buildings in a community.

The building museum is in a really cool building. It has held inaugural balls and it was a pension building for soldiers after the Civil War. — Simone Schneider and Harry Hirsch, third-graders

Wilson High School In mid-January, local high school students were able to participate in the NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo at the Washington Convention Center. Wilson’s new Health Corps representative, JR Denson, made it possible for students to attend from both Wilson and Friendship Collegiate Public Charter High School.

The expo presented many categories of healthy choices.

Participants stopped at different tables, where people who are knowledgeable about nutrition, exercise or the heart, for example, gave out specific information.

This event was a great way to spend your Saturday or Sunday with your family and friends.

— Starletta Speaks, 12th-grader

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 39

The Current

W E SL E Y H E IG H T S , D C

Renovated and expanded Tudor mansion with main house & 2BR, 3bath guest house, nearly 12,500 sf on 1+ half-acre. 7 BR, 7 full & 1 half baths, expansive main kitchen, atrium-like family room, formal dining room, and library. Master suite with 2 separate baths, dressing rooms & closets. Home theater, home gym, full staff quarters. Mature plantings, large deck, pool, 2 attached garages for 3 cars & exterior parking for 9+ more cars. $8,995,000.

Jonathan Taylor 202.276.3344

W E SL E Y H E IG H T S , D C

Located in picturesque Wesley Heights, this 6 BR, 4 and 1 half bath residence was fully renovated in summer 2010 with the finest in modern amenities. Features an open floor plan, rear facing wall of windows, deck, stairs to additional private deck perfect for entertaining.

High-end kitchen, Plenty of natural light. Finished basement with full bath. 2-car garage. Park setting. $2,175,000.

Dave DeSantis 202.438.1542

D U P ON T C I RC L E , D C

5000 sf townhouse currently configured as office. Property can be converted to grand single family house, condo or keep as office. *SP1 Zoning*. 4 finished levels, original wood floors and architectural details throughout, sun-filled rooms and spectacular 2 story ballroom/meeting room. Idea location steps to Dupont Circle and Embassy Row. 1-car surface parking in rear. $1,800,000.

G E ORG E TOW N , D C

Complete top-to-bottom renovation, boasting 4,100 sf on 4 finished levels, 6BR, 5.5 baths, luxurious features, wood floors, crown molding, a sunken living room and family room each with fireplaces, top-of-the-line kitchen, baths outfitted with Waterworks fixtures and tiled in marble. Large private back yard with an 8’ x 41’ lap pool.1-car garage. $4,350,000.

Jonathan Taylor 202.276.3344 Michael Rankin 202.271.3344

Zelda Heller 202.257.1226

is pleased to announce that

G E ORG E TOW N , D C

Sun-drenched semi-detached East Village residence featuring huge (nearly 500 sf) LR + sep DR. 11’ ceilings, hardwood floors and pvt deep garden. 3 BR, 3.5 baths up. Full basement with BR, bath & separate kitchen. Includes parking. 1st time on the market in over 30 years. A truly special opportunity. $1,895,000.

Russell Firestone 202.271.1701 Jonathan Taylor 202.276.3344

Christopher Rouse & Maura Shannon have joined our Chevy Chase office.

G E ORG E TOW N , D C

Stunning end unit townhouse designed for elegant entertaining and causal living. Formal living room with fireplace and three sets of French doors lead to a private rear garden/terrace with fountain. Formal DR, renovated Viking, SubZero kitchen. LL has custom office, full bath and family room with fireplace. 3BR, 3.5 baths. Custom finishes & detail throughout. Private off street parking space. $1,390,000.

Michael Rankin 202.271.3344

F O G G Y B OT TOM , D C

4 Floor townhouse (5-unit condo regime) in wonderful private enclave/super-urban location: 5minutes to G-town, Trader Joe’s in West End & Foggy Bottom Metro. Gorgeous spaces w/huge living room area, gourmet kitchen, large private patio area plus upper balcony. Sep exercise room/wine cellar potential! Garage + 1 tandem Space. $1,185,000.

Judy Lewis 202.256.0522 Hugh Oates 202.257.5640

www.ttrsir.com

C H E V Y C HASE , M D

PARC SOMERSET. 2,450 & 3,400 sf units available. Abundance of amenities including indoor and outdoor pools, gym, tennis courts, club house, concierge, and library. Ideally located on 17 acres among lavish shops, restaurants & easy access to DC. Price Upon Request.

Michael Rankin 202.271.3344

D U P ON T C I RC L E , D C

Swanns Way – New Construction! Exquisite renovation of the old Cavanaugh Workshop. 7 units (1 & 2 BR) by local green builder. Features highest quality materials, including Pella windows, Energy Star appliances, high-tech green insulation, wood floors, big windows for incredible southern light. $399,000-625,000.

Julia Diaz-Asper 202.256.1887 Daniel Miller 202.669.6478

Georgetown, Washington, D.C. 202.333.1212

W E SL E Y H E I G H T S , D C

Sensational 1BR + den in luxury building. Largest 1BR tier - exceptional 1,500 sf. Separate dining room, oversize balcony and powder room.

Comfortably elegant layout overlooking evergreen garden. Garage parking, storage, all utilities included. Ready for renovation and your personal style! $425,000. Other units available.

Diana Hart 202.271.2717

Chevy Chase, MD 301.967.3344

McLean, VA 703.319.3344

© MMXI Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Les Bords de l’Epte a Giverny, used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity . Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

The Current 02.16.11.indd 1

2/14/11 1:55 PM

40 Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Current

magniFicent georgian

cosmopolitan style

unique opportunity

stately & serene

Chevy Chase Village. Brilliant designer colonial with gorgeous pool & patio; 6 Brs, 7 full and 2 half Bas, drama and luxury throughout. $3,095,000

Major renovation and expansion of Chevy Chase classic: over nearly 10,000 sf of living space inc. 6 Brs, 7.5 Bas, large living rm, dining room, media room, elevator, garage, gourmet kitchen/family room overlooking over 1/3 ac. Grounds and deck. $2,495,000

Bethesda. Bradley Village. Custom built just blocks from downtown Bethesda.

Large scale rooms for entertaining.

6 Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths, 2 frpls shaft for elevator. 2 car garage. $1,795,000

Georgetown/Hillandale. Quiet gated community, spacious TH w/ elevator to all 4 flrs; 3 Brs, 3.5 Bas incl dramatic MBR suite, kitchen w/ brkfst area and patio; community pool & tennis. $1,250,000

Pat Lore- 301-908-1242 Ted Beverley- 301-728-4338

Suzanne Blouin-301-641-8448 Laura McCaffrey-301-641-4456

Farmhouse Flavor

english accent

Palisades. Period stucco home on great street has foyer, LR w/frpl, DR, updated kitchen and brkfst rm, fam rm opening to deck, den; 3 Brs, 2.5 Bas + lower lvl in-law suite w/ sep entrance. $989,000

Town of Chevy Chase. Close to downtown Bethesda, this brick and half-timbered colonial has a gourmet kitchen, 3 Brs, 1.5 Bas, fabulous lot perfect for new construction. $895,000

Nancy Hammond-202-686-6627

Karen Kuchins- 301-275-2255 Eric Murtagh- 301-652-8971

Eric Murtagh 301-652-8971 Karen Kuchins 301-275-2255

John Nemeyer 202-276-6351

Williamsburg charm

grand dame

Chevy Chase, DC. Cherishable colonial with graceful foyer, living rm and dining rm; kitchen w/ granite counters, fam rm w/ Fr drs to patio; 4 Brs, 2 Bas up; NEW lower lvl rec rm and bath. $899,000

Chevy Chase. Stately 1920â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colonial with big entertaining spaces, high ceilings; 5 Brs, 3.5 Bas, garage, big corner lot. $895,000

Ellen Abrams- 202-255-8219 Anne-Marie Finnell- 202-329-7117

CHEVY CHASE 4400 Jenifer Street, NW Washington, DC 20015 202-364-1700

Laura McCaffrey 301-641-4456

DUPONT 1509 22nd Street, NW Washington, DC 20037 202-464-8400

www.EversCo.com upscale living

bungaloW beauty

old rockville

Chevy Chase, Md. Hallmark bungalow Lovely large 4-square Colonial in in great location w/ panoramic views historic West End. 4 Bedrooms awaits your loving touch or build your w/ expansion potential on top floor dream house here. Two 1st fl. bedrooms, & lower level. Walk to Metro & 3rd bedroom above. Det. garage.

Town Square $549,000 Walk to Metro. $845,000 Delia McCormick

Karen Kutchins 301-275-2255 Eric Murtagh 301-652-8971

301-977-7273

Southwest.

Duplex with a townhouse feel. Open gourmet kit w/ brkfst bar, LR w/gas f/p, 2 BRs, W/D, roof deck & Parking. $459,000

Delia McCormick 301-977-7273

expanded & updated

park setting

Alexandria. Sunny split with 4 Brs., The Dumbarton. Georgetown.

2.5 Bas, renovated Kitchen, Sunroom Bright & sunny 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath addition. Huge Master Bedroom. condo with updated Kitchen & Bath.

Close to two Metros. $499,900 Hardwood floors. LL storage unit, Pet Friendly! $375,000 Rachel Burns

202-384-5140

Laura McCaffrey 301-641-4456

sunny & bright

balcony vieW Bethesda. The Promenade. Bright & open 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath Condo.

Hdwd floors, fresh paint, parking.

Pool, Tennis, Restaurant & Salon on premises. $350,000

Marina Krapiva 301-792-5681 Karen Kuchins 301-275-2255

The Westchester.

Impressive renovation.

1 Br, 1 Ba, Solarium w/ lawn view. Sleek charming cottage granite & S.S. Kensington. 4 Bedroom, 1.5 Baths kitchen. LR on a quiet cul-de-sac. Great potential. w/ built-ins, spacious entry.

Full serChestnut floors, fireplace. Walk to Red vice bldg. Great location. $295,500 Line Metro. $325,000

Williams 202-271-5140 Catherine Arnaud-Charbonneau Martha Rachel Burns 202-384-5140 301-602-7808

SELLING THE AREAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FINEST PROPERTIES

Fresh & updated

sleek & sassy

Glover Park. Newly renovated 1 Br apt with fabulous bath, gourmet kitchen; bldg has 24-hr desk, pool, parking. $274,990

Capitol Hill. Chic renovation of vintage building. 2 apartments left w/ 1 Br + den, 1 Ba; French doors, hdwd flrs, sparkling kitchen & baths. $179,000

Susan Morcone 202-333-7972

Courtney Abrams 202-253-0109 Denny Horner 703-629-8455

LICENSED IN DC, MD, VA