Gt 11 11 15

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Serving Burleith, Foxhall, Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir & Glover Park

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Vol. XXV, No. 15

The Georgetown Current

Zoo neighbors bemoan later opening hours

Jackson Center artists pursue long-term lease

earl y shoppers

■ Georgetown: Nonprofit

By KELSEY KNORP

seeks to stay in R Street space

Current Correspondent

Some early risers in neighborhoods bordering the National Zoo will have to adjust their morning routines this winter, as the Zoo establishes new hours of operation. Beginning in January, the Zoo grounds will open two hours later each day, at 8 a.m., and close an hour earlier, at 5 p.m. Exhibit building hours will also be adjusted slightly, to open at 9 a.m. rather than 10 a.m. and close a half-hour earlier than usual, at 4 p.m. The later grounds opening times are intended as a permanent change. However, the earlier close times are in part designed to accommodate daylight saving time, as the earlier darkness can pose safety risks to both visitors and staff, according to National Zoo director Dennis Kelly. When the Zoo shifts to summer hours in mid-March, closing times for the grounds and exhibits will be extended by two hours. For neighbors in areas like Woodley Park, the Zoo is a popular spot for a morning walks or runs. Many commuters also cut through the grounds on foot to save time and avoid rush-hour traffic. Due to the influx of people so early in the morning, Kelly said, it is often difficult to manage the daily flow of 2,000 to 3,000 vehicles needed to provide food and veterinary care to the animals, and to perform services like maintenance and restocking the gift shops and vending machines before the Zoo opens. The director noted the routine occurrence of “near-misses and confrontations” between staff and early visitors when both parties use the grounds in the morning. “I don’t want to see a tragic accident here because of a conflict between people trying to do their jobs and people trying to use the Zoo for recreation,” Kelly said. Because staff will have more breathing room to conduct morning preparations, the Zoo will be able to See Zoo/Page 2

NEWS

By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer

Brian Kapur/The Current

Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School held its 45th annual Esprit de Noel Christmas market on Friday and Saturday. The event featured over 80 vendors, food options and a car raffle.

— Page 3

Brian Kapur/Current file photo

The former Jackson School has housed studio space for local artists since the 1980s.

ects or teach classes in the building have dealt with floods, squirrels in the attic and faulty boilers. Renovations over the past few years included replacing parts of the roof and a boiler, installing a safety alarm system and repairing nearly all of the building’s windows, according to board of directors member Simma Liebman. “Fortunately, we’ve been able to use rent credits to pay for most of the work, but there is still a lot to do,” Liebman wrote in an email. “We are proud of our stewardship so far, but it’s been a struggle.” Liebman is in the process of moving to Maryland’s Eastern Shore See Jackson/Page 2

New Ward 3 location sought for D.C. hypothermia shelter By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer

St. Luke’s Mission Center won’t be home to a hypothermia shelter this winter, leaving community leaders wondering how homeless men in the area will find warmth within a reasonable distance. The Glover Park advisory neighborhood commission will consider a resolution Thursday urging city officials including the D.C. Department of Human Services to prioritize finding a new home nearby for a hypothermia shelter. If the city doesn’t locate one, Ward 3 will be without a hypothermia shelter for the upcoming winter; the closest one for male homeless residents in need is in Columbia Heights. Independent of the city, St. Luke’s runs a yearround homeless shelter for seven men out of its location at 3655 Calvert St. NW, and its parent

SPOR TS

Historic home razed in Cleveland Park following damage

As recently as March, the Jackson Art Center in Georgetown faced uncertain prospects. The nonprofit has for years managed space for affordable artists’ studios in a former public school at 3048 R St. NW. But its lease with the city was set to expire in June 2016, and the historic building was showing signs of disrepair inside and out. Now, following a concerted effort to reach out to the D.C. government and the surrounding community, the center is in a far more stable position for the future, according to several members of the nonprofit’s board of directors. The city has extended the lease until 2018, and negotiations are underway for a much longer lease of 10 or 20 years. Members of the art center have said the risk of a lease expiring not only would put in question their place in the community, but also would make it difficult to make long-term investments in the aging building. Artists who work on proj-

St. Albans soccer boots Prep to win IAC championship — Page 9

Brian Kapur/The Current

A city-run shelter at St. Luke’s has served up to 30 men at a time on cold nights. Church leaders say the program fits poorly there.

congregation, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, operates a shelter for women at 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW. For the last 10 winters, the center has also provided space for a cityfunded hypothermia shelter for men, operated by

SHERWOOD

Mayor’s China trip soured by criticisms of PAC donor access — Page 6

the Department of Human Services, which opens once the actual or forecasted temperatures falls below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the D.C. Code. Four other hypothermia shelters operate annually across the rest of the District The hypothermia shelter in Glover Park has served as a respite for up to 30 homeless men at a time in need of warmth overnight, according to St. Luke’s senior pastor Charles Parker. But this past May, Parker said, the center asked the city to seek new locations for the winter shelter. Due to space constraints caused by its layout, the St. Luke’s building has always been an awkward fit for the hypothermia shelter, Parker said. The bathrooms are too far from the sleeping quarters, and there aren’t enough of them to serve the several groups of homeless people and other staffers using the space, he said. Security has also been an issue, Parker said, See Shelter/Page 2

INDEX Calendar/14 Classifieds/21 District Digest/5 Exhibits/15 In Your Neighborhood/12 Opinion/6

Police Report/4 Real Estate/13 School Dispatches/8 Service Directory/19 Sports/9 Week Ahead/3

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